It was in the town of Battleon, where Vahin, a high-ranking officer of the ShadowScythe council, dressed as a formal man in black and observed all its citizens living happily and in peace.
Vahin slowly came close to the tower and knocked its main door.
"Who is this?" asked the Battleon guardian.
"Just open up. I have a business to talk about." replied Vahin, which made the confused guardian open the door reluctantly.
"What made you enter this tower?"
"I just have to tell you that there are demons reported to haunt the citizens of this town."
"Demons? You mean the armies of Nulgath?"
"Not necessarily his. But to tell you frankly, these demons haunt the minds and spirits of this townsfolk. They blinded the citizens, severing their consciences and even devouring their souls."
"I see. Even the whole Lore is affected by this chaos..."
"Chaos still persisted on Lore until now. Where is the Order that protects them from the cover of darkness, while its founders keep convincing and spilling unholy light to those folks?"
"Are we hypocrites? Are we perceived as corrupt monarchs? What are you addressing here?"
"The society is creating its own hell. The people in it and around it are its demons. That's what I mean, and that's what I'm trying to say."
"I'm sorry. Forgive me for that, on behalf of all citizens in Battleon." said another Battleon guardian.
"I'm still not convinced of what the Light actually has given you..." countered Vahin, which made the first Battleon guardian raise his sword and threatened him.
Vahin apparently foiled his threats, blocking the sword with his bare hands, which allowed his blood to escape in return.
"I'm not gonna kill you. Rather, I'm just gonna lay siege to your fortress and let your whole congregation escape to a new destination. You're crossing my way here."
At this moment, Vahin was surrounded by a black mist, metamorphosing himself to an Evolved Shadow. The Battleon guardians had no choice of escape since Vahin was still at the door, and trying to jump at the window can actually cost them their blessed life.
Outside the tower, red circular runes on the streets of Battleon were suddenly invoked, summoning the Shadows of the Past towards the affected, terrified citizens.
Some of the Shadows of the Past even made their way to the tower as Vahin continued to release the beast upon them.
In the Citadel, three Burning Witches were bound to chains and transferred them to the Inquisition Castle. Sera, one of the high-ranking officers of the Lightguard council, asked them one by one.
"Who sent you to infiltrate the Citadel?" asked Sera to the Burning Witches.
"The ShadowScythe council told us to." said the first witch proudly.
"Now tell me. Who are the members of the ShadowScythe council? What is their intention on Lore?"
"We are living in a dystopian world, and whoever commits a sin must pay the price. Blood for blood." replied the second witch hysterically.
"Are they merciless fiends? Why can't they even give chances for humans to change for the better? Do they even treat humans as mere slaves? One mistake, an immediate pain towards the sinner?"
"This is what the mentality of the ShadowScythe faction is. The people will keep remembering the sins others committed, but they keep forgetting the benevolence they showed." convinced the third witch.
"For the wages of sin... is death..." added the first witch.
"Hatred is innate in each person, regardless if you are either a hero or a villain." said the second witch.
"Tell me, considering the norms you three have mentioned, are we a hypocritical faction? Do you even believe that we spilled unholy light to the loyal classes? Is massacre a new tradition of Lore?" doubted Sera to the Burning Witches.
"These questions you pose are actually what the ShadowScythe faction itself stands firm!!" answered the first witch proudly.
"Long un-live the ShadowScythe!!!" added the other two witches.
"Now tell to your ShadowScythe council. We will accept the challenge, and we will do whatever it takes for them to realize everything!!" convinced Sera. "May I call the Inquisition to take charge of these captives?"
"On our way, Madam Sera." replied an Inquisitor Captain.
Outside the castle, the Inquisitor Guards were abruptly terrified, seeing an array of demons summoned through the red circular runes.
"We are not alone!!" convinced the first Burning Witch to Sera.
The Citadel experienced a series of explosions and a group of Infernal Fiends ambushed the Inquisition.
Jase, Sera's assistant, sought the horror.
"The ShadowScythe... they don't stop infiltrating us." warned Jase.
"We will fight them back." demanded Sera.
Jase and Sera immediately rushed out of the Inquisition Castle, as the Inquisitor Guards fought a bloody, brutal battle against the Infernal Fiends.
"We must not let these demons in!" said Jase to the guards.
"Yes, sir!" replied one of the guards, as Jase hastily moved down the slopes until someone from a cave menacingly showed up to him.
"Careful, Jase!!" warned Sera.
An Evolved Shadow challenged Jase to a battle, forcing him to grab his weapon.
"I've got a word for you, if you are a ShadowScythe loyalist. When darkness surrounds you, release the light in you. Do you get what I mean? Look at the bright side!" spoke Jase to the shadow.
"You've got no hope in this place." replied the shadow.
"Still pessimistic? If we cannot eliminate EVIL, why can't we turn it into a GOOD one?"
"Fool..."
The Evolved Shadow started the battle between him and Jase. It was Jase who was initially and brutally slashed.
Jase fell down as a result of the shadow's attacks.
"JASE!!!" screamed Sera, pursuing towards the Evolved Shadow.
"I'm okay, Madam... just... Just go far from me... The Evolved Shadow is brutally strong!!" warned Jase to her.
"I don't give a..."
Sera paused upon gazing the shadow face-to-face. She started to get confused, panicked, and started to get back slowly.
"Who are you..." she attempted to ask but the Evolved Shadow invoked a ShadowScythe rune.
The rune summoned two Mirandageists and captured both Jase and Sera from behind.
"What can we do with thessssssssse captivesssssssssss, Masssssssssssster?" asked one Mirandageist.
The Evolved Shadow reverted back into a man in black formal suit. Jase and Sera, on the other hand, struggled themselves being constricted by these ghosts.
"I summoned you in this place called the Citadel. We will deliver them into the Bone Room, located in one of these caves." said the man.
"Yesssssssss, Masssssssssster..." agreed both Mirandageists and transported the two Lightguard officers to a cave.