the start of the war(1)

The war camp was alive with an eerie energy. The morning sky had begun to shift from deep blue to a bloody crimson as the sun rose over the battlefield. Soldiers prepared their weapons, magic crackled in the air, and the weight of the coming war pressed down on every soul present.

In the center of the camp, away from the growing noise, Dakota stood with his arms crossed, his piercing gaze fixed on his mother. Duke, his father, stood beside him, his brow furrowed in concern.

Dakota:

"Mother… are you really sure that you want to help Ava and participate in this war? You know you can just go back home, right?"

His mother, a woman of grace and quiet strength, met his gaze without hesitation. There was no fear in her eyes, only resolve.

Dakota's Mother:

"Sorry, Dakota, but I can't. You know that I can't do that. I have to help Ava. I can't let her die."

She placed a hand gently on his cheek, her expression softening.

Dakota's Mother:

"I can't let your future wife die, Dakota."

A flicker of something passed through Dakota's eyes—shock, perhaps, or irritation. He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Dakota:

"Mother, are you really sure? You're fighting against the Queen of the Red Flames. She's the second strongest devil. You're putting yourself in danger just by being here. Are you really sure about this?"

His mother smiled knowingly.

Dakota's Mother:

"Don't worry, Dakota. I won't be fighting on the front lines. I'll be healing Ava and everyone else while they keep fighting. That's all."

Dakota:

"But still, Mother, you could die."

Duke, who had been silent up until now, finally stepped forward, his deep voice filled with concern.

Duke:

"Yes, honey, you could actually die. Are you sure you want to do this?"

His mother turned to him, her expression unwavering.

Dakota's Mother:

"Look, if you two are fighting, then I will also fight. I am not about to get left out of this."

Dakota sighed again, running a hand through his hair.

Dakota:

"Ah… okay."

Duke exchanged a worried glance with Dakota but knew there was no changing her mind. Instead, he reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.

Duke:

"Just promise me you'll be careful."

Dakota's Mother:

"I promise."

Leaving his parents to continue their conversation, Dakota walked toward his friends, who were scattered throughout the camp, making their final preparations. He gathered them all near a large map table, where the battle plan had been laid out the night before.

Dakota:

"Well, guys, the war is about to start soon. So… are you all ready for this?"

There was no hesitation in their responses.

Henry:

"Damn right I am."

Luna:

"Can't wait to kill those bastards."

Jack:

"This is the moment we've been waiting for."

Amelia:

"There's no turning back now."

Liam:

"I've never been more ready."

Mia:

"We'll win. No matter what."

Dakota nodded, his gaze scanning each of them. They had all changed so much since they first met. They weren't just warriors anymore—they were survivors, fighters who had defied fate again and again.

The sound of war drums echoed across the battlefield as the enemy forces gathered in the distance. Their armies stretched far beyond the horizon—devils, corrupted humans, monstrous creatures summoned from the depths of darkness. The sheer scale of it was enough to shake even the strongest of hearts.

But Dakota wasn't afraid. He had been waiting for this moment.

He turned to his team, his voice steady and commanding.

Dakota:

"Alright. Henry, Mia—you're following me."

Henry smirked, gripping his sword tightly.

Henry:

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

Mia nodded, determination shining in her eyes.

Dakota:

"Ava, you go with your team."

Ava gave a sharp nod, her flames flickering around her hands.

Dakota:

"Jack, Luna, Amelia, Liam—you're taking on Lisa's father."

Jack cracked his knuckles, his expression dark with anticipation.

Jack:

"Finally. He dies today."

Luna:

"We won't fail."

Dakota:

"Duke, Franklin—you two are going after Lisa's mother."

Duke's expression was unreadable, but Franklin simply nodded, his massive greatsword resting on his shoulder.

Dakota took a deep breath and looked at them all one last time.

Dakota:

"Well… good luck. I hope after this war ends, I will get to see every one of your faces again. I hope you don't die. And I hope this war goes well."

The wind howled around them as he continued.

Dakota:

"If it does, then we will all win. We will all survive. And most importantly… we will all be happy."

He clenched his fist, his eyes burning with determination.

Dakota:

"Now go. And win this war. For humanity. For ourselves. For our happiness. For our children, our families, and our friends!"

A deafening roar of battle cries erupted from their ranks as they charged forward, meeting the enemy head-on.

The war had begun.

And there was no turning back.

The battlefield was chaos. Magic clashed with steel, blood painted the ground, and the screams of the dying filled the air.

Dakota, Henry, and Mia cut through the enemy forces like a blade through paper. Henry's sword burned with golden flames as he cleaved through devil soldiers, while Mia's water magic drowned entire squads at once.

Jack and Luna moved like shadows, cutting down enemies with precision and speed. Amelia rained down destruction from above, while Liam's lightning carved a path through the battlefield.

Ava fought like a storm, her flames consuming everything in her path.

Duke and Franklin waged war against Lisa's mother, their battle shaking the earth itself.

The war was endless, a storm of death and destruction with no end in sight.

And then…

The air shifted.

The battlefield seemed to freeze for a single moment.

Two figures appeared in the distance, stepping through the flames like specters of death. Their presence alone made the entire battlefield tremble.

Their power was overwhelming.

Unstoppable.

Unreal.

Dakota's allies all felt it.

Henry:

"No way… impossible."

Jack:

"That can't be real."

Amelia:

"This isn't happening…"

Liam:

"We're… we're dead."

Ava:

"How… how are they already here?!"

Mia's voice was barely above a whisper.

Mia:

"This is… this is beyond anything we've faced before…"

The battlefield was silent, as if the entire war had stopped to acknowledge the arrival of these two figures.

But Dakota?

He smirked.

Dakota:

"Ah… finally. Those two have appeared."

His eyes gleamed with anticipation.

The true battle was about to begin.