The train roars to life, its thunderous engine drowning out the Angels' wails as it echoes once more across the desolate world.
—Flesh and blood!! Slaughter!!
Oh? Just a bit slower than me.
You'd definitely feel bitter about dying like this, right?
Hahahaha—right? Right?
Aargh—!!
Angels form a silver-white ocean, surging wave after wave toward the end of the train car. "Famine" and you advance together, carving a crimson path through the tide as you fight upstream.
You stride forward, raising your scarred arms to skillfully slash open your skin with the bayonet on your gun. You load fresh blood into the chamber, spin the cylinder, take aim, and pull the trigger.
As the blade cuts through flesh, you can't help but briefly recall the legend known to all across the Scorched Borderland.
Long ago, before the Dawn Laws collapsed, the world still had a clear distinction between day and night.
The Cardinal Deity enslaved humanity, forcing them to build magnificent temples and driving them into endless war against the Demons.
One day, a slave collapsed from the unbearable labor. The overseer Angel grabbed him by the neck and lifted him high into the air.
As death closed in, the slave was helpless, able only to use his last bit of strength to ram his head into the Angel.
Just then, a miracle happened. As the slave's skull shattered, his blood sprayed out and somehow melted the Angel's rock-hard flesh.
That was the first recorded death of a divine being in all of history.
In the Scorched Borderland, those who want to resist tyranny can only do so by destroying themselves and spilling their scorching blood.
—Found it.
You step over corpses piled like a long corridor. Ahead, a vault door as wide as a city wall blocks your path.
"Famine" faces the iron wall, lifts her Moon Umbrella, and gracefully draws its tip to carve several deep, long silver lines
In an instant, the silver lines spread like spider silk, then suddenly light up with a blood-red glow and explode with a thunderous roar.
The once-impenetrable defenses crumble like paper, revealing countless mountains of gold shining brightly under the sunlight.
Children freeze to death in the streets while treasures sent to the temples pile up in vaults, rusting and rotting. Hallelujah, Lord of the Supreme Heaven!
The woman puts away her umbrella and playfully announces her discovery with glee.
Lord Gray Raven, congratulations. You have become the wealthiest lord in the Scorched Borderland. This treasure outshines even Mammon's vault!
Look at the quality of these gold coins... It's probably enough to arm five Iron Armies. Interested in the salon business? Maybe you could—
?
The knight's smile freezes, and a trace of surprise and curiosity emerges in her eyes.
"Famine" gives you a confirming look, but the only response she gets is your sharp gaze from the shadows.
Of course... If that is your wish, Lord Gray Raven.
"Famine" pulls the door open, and a scorching wind filled with sand rushes into the vault. She braces herself, leaning halfway out of the vehicle to look at the distant landscape below.
In a few more minutes, we'll pass by the first town. You still have time to change your mind now, Lord Gray Raven.
Seeing that her final attempt at persuasion was futile, "Famine" shrugs.
Fine, but it doesn't matter. When you regret it, I will figure out a way to buy it all back.
Just as she lifts the Moon Umbrella to unleash her power, a flash of light suddenly streaks across the blood-red sky above.
?!
Enemy attack! Get down!
Giant wings tear through the sky, their thunderous roar shaking the heavens.
<phonetic=Si Slayer rubra putat hominem occidisse>If the bloodstained slayer believes he has killed a man...</phonetic>
<phonetic=Si mortuus esset occisus>If the dead believe they have already been slain...</phonetic>
<phonetic=Sunt in arcano modo non multum de>They know nothing of my miracles.</phonetic>
A blazing comet rises slowly, trailing a blood-red flame, and shrieks as it crashes into the train.
You open your eyes, and branded into your consciousness along with the divine decree is a flawless and sacred supreme being.
...
Those inorganic eyes instantly drain every ounce of strength from your body, as if millions of spear points pierce through flesh and bone, nailing your consciousness to this very moment and forcing you to bare your neck in submission to slaughter.
—Lord Gray Raven!
Human flesh and blood cannot resist an Angel's divine power. Even you, Gray Raven, a half-human, half-demon "Bloodsworn", feel powerless against this sacred law set by the Supreme Heaven.
"Famine" rushes forward, lifting the tip of her umbrella and triggering a violent explosion. Thick smoke instantly engulfs the Angel's massive form.
Hff—
Lord Gray Raven, snap out of it!!
However, the wings in the darkness flutter gently, instantly stirring up a hurricane inside the train car that clears the mist and sends "Famine" crashing into the golden mountain behind her.
Cough—!
In the brief moment that "Famine" fought for, your thoughts break free from the heavy shackles, and you regain control of the battle.
Countless muskets fill the sky in response to the call, swiftly flying into the train car and forming a rigid military formation, floating in ranks behind you.
So you are "Gray Raven"?
The Archangel's sudden appearance shatters the original plan. After quickly assessing the enemy, you decide to make a bold move.
With a sweep of your arm, the muskets fire together, and bullets stained with human blood pour down on the Angel like heavy rain.
Gunpowder smoke billows as you aim at the crossbeam above the train car and swing your pistol with force. The bayonet beneath the barrel, along with its hook, suddenly shoots out and wraps around the hanging pillar.
You grip the pistol tightly and leap with all your strength as the hook tightens, lifting your body over the Angel's head.
—
A fierce wind rises as the massive creature lifts its left arm high. With loud cracking sounds, sharp bone spikes burst through its steel-like skin, extending like an iron whip toward the ceiling.
Meanwhile, you retract the gun cable, land on the ground, roll to the other side, and sprint frantically toward the next car.
The iron whip swings close behind, clanging and splitting as it slashes a gruesome gash across the train roof, sending blood pouring down like a broken dam.
Insect.
The Archangel bathes in a crimson cascade, closing in as it enters the car where you wait. Each thunderous footfall shakes the entire train.
...Commandant?
Hearing your command, "Famine" slowly rises from within the vault.
She lifts her head and, through the curtain of blood, sees your eyes meeting hers. Her furrowed brow suddenly smooths out.
Understood. Good luck, Lord Gray Raven!
She grins mischievously as her umbrella lightly touches the ground, setting the passage between the cars ablaze.
BOOM—
The coupling explodes, and the car carrying both you and the Angel suddenly breaks away, plummeting at full speed.
Fool.
Amid the spinning chaos, the Angel sneers with disdain, spreading its iron wings to break free from the violent fall and ascend into the air.
It rights itself, coldly gazing down at the crimson earth below, watching the car hurtle toward the abyss.
Suddenly, a hook shoots out from the car, wrapping tightly around its wings.
Only now does it realize that you weren't trying to escape or sacrifice yourself, but preparing to hunt the divine.
...
In the howling wind, you swing back and forth on the iron chain, nimbly dodging the Angel's fierce iron thorn attacks.
Muskets drift through the air one by one, gradually gathering beneath your feet to form a long stairway, supporting your ascent to slay a god.
For the first time in millennia, the Archangel feels threatened by the mortal realm.
Look at you struggle.
It stares at you, lips moving, as countless spots of light manifest in the air—
Through me, straight to the city of sorrow.
The spell rumbles like rolling thunder, surging once again into your mind.
Through me, straight to endless suffering.
You fight with all your strength to quiet the chaotic thoughts as you climb toward the heavens, scaling the towering body.
All who enter this gate, relinquish all hope.
The distance between you keeps closing, and with just one step left, you raise your weapon, aiming the barrel straight at the Angel's head.
<phonetic=Longinus>Sever fate, final salvation—!</phonetic>
Blazing flames burst from the barrel, and blood splatters in crimson blooms.
The moment you pull the trigger, a golden bolt of lightning strikes down from the sky, cutting through the blood-red gloom and piercing straight through your chest.
The lightning spear blazes brilliantly, lighting up the entire sky and tearing a bloody hole where your heart should be.
Meanwhile, the large-caliber blood bullet you fired with all your strength only made a small dent between the Archangel's brows.
There's no doubt you lose the struggle between mortal and divine.
The light around you slowly fades, and you cough up blood in painful bursts as a crimson veil blurs your vision.
...Why?
You are human, yet you have no heart?
The Angel asks in surprise and reaches out its massive arm to lift you up for a closer look.
If you were a Demon... Wait, no.
What exactly are you?
Just as its claws reach for you, you release your right hand from the gun and let your body fall, plunging toward the desolate earth below amid a rain of blood.
...
The Archangel gazes down at your tiny figure growing ever more distant, until you disappear into the crimson curtain of rain...
And into the swirling yellow sands.
...
...
In the dark world, everything is utterly still.
Until the wind and sand rustle past, stirring up the wailing of the dead.
Ah... ahh...
The air smells of blood and rust, cold as death, as if countless razor-sharp steel wires fill it. With every breath, they coil around your throat and cut through your windpipe until flesh and blood blend together.
Rain falls from above, and a crimson sky fills your view. The sun hangs high, burning and swelling like a greedy blood bat as it drains the life of everything below.
Arghh...
Staggering footsteps kick up the yellow sand, reminding you that even in this wasteland, you are not alone.
You strain slightly to get up, and the blood pooled in your mouth suddenly rushes into your throat.
You spit out a mouthful of blood and keep trying to move your body.
But no matter how hard you try, it feels like countless desperate rotting hands are holding you down, refusing to let you move an inch.
Garghhh...
The footsteps come closer and closer, while distant wails begin to rise.
—Ahhh! Ahhh!
Biting down until your lips bleed, you endure the searing pain and force your upper body upright in one quick motion.
Now you can finally see the gaping wound in your chest, with blood pouring out in steady, gurgling streams.
You struggle to turn over and crawl across the scorching sand. Reaching out with your right arm, you dig your fingers into the shifting grains to pull your body forward with all your strength.
Then, despite the excruciating pain from your open chest wound, you reach out with your left arm—
Ugh-aargh—
Yet no matter how hard you struggle, you cannot escape the approaching footsteps slowly closing in from behind.
Urgh—ahhh!!!
A wet, sickening rip sounds from behind as flesh tears apart.
Along with it comes a gentle, alluring voice.
Sorry, I'm late.
Two streaks of black shadow cut through the yellow sand, breaking the endless curtain of blood that stretched like threads of sorrow.
Like a pure and flawless night, like a gentle and earnest sweet rain, it quietly approaches this land, softly unfolding before your eyes.
A beautiful figure emerges from the shadow.
...
She kneels down and gently lifts you up, cradling you in her warm, soft embrace.
A name mysteriously surfaces in your mind when you see her face.
[player name]...
You're badly hurt.
You're certain this isn't the first time you have met.
...You've come such a long way. It must have been so tough.
She gazes at the horrifying wound on your chest, and sorrow gathers in the depths of her eyes.
Don't be scared. Don't cry...
I'm right here.
Her slender fingers touch your cheek gently, spreading sweet hope that warms your battered body.
I'll follow in your footsteps...
And tend to your wounds...
The sound of flowing water rings in your ears as blood that has soaked into the earth rises from the ground, gathering into countless threads.
Witness your legend...
Amid the sweet fragrance, the threads, pulled by an unseen force, quietly flow into your body.
I will bear the suffering together with you...
For all eternity.
She pulls her arms in, wrapping them tightly around you.
...
"That forbidden slaughter stole death from this world, leaving only the endless sorrows of life."
A melodious and familiar singing voice echoes in your ears.
"We mourn, for Dawn rules the earth with tyranny. Bloodstains form scars across the sky, declaring the death of night."
"We weep, for the Angels see us as dogs and judge the world's wounds by the bones of the Living Dead."
With her chanting, streams of fragmented dark purple light slowly appear before your eyes.
With a swift whoosh, a pair of black wings unfolds in the radiance, silently wrapping you from behind.
"And now, the savior cuts through chaos, leading us to raise the banner of rebellion—"
Black feathers fall, blocking the crimson curtain. They drift down like flower petals from a tree, countless and weightless.
The intense pain throughout your body gradually fades, leaving only warm comfort and tranquil serenity in your consciousness.
Along with an epic you have long known by heart.
That person will unveil the mark of sin, lead the four knights, and bring the night of hope back to the human world.
The first knight shall be granted the name "War".
He rides a crimson steed, weapons darkening the sky, vowing blood for blood—revenge on those who slay the innocent, making traitors pay in kind.
The second knight shall be granted the name "Death".
She rises from Hell's blood and bones, piloting a train that ferries souls to the afterlife, seeking to reclaim the throne and reforge the laws of life and death.
The third knight shall be granted the name "Pestilence".
The doctor questions the soul's ailments and bears the burdens as he enters the mist, seeking salvation that frees life from suffering.
The fourth knight shall be granted the name "Famine".
Life is a high-stakes card game—to reclaim her lost chips, she chases the Demon Lord Mammon in a gamble beyond time.
The four knights of apocalypse form a Blood Covenant with the savior—together they sever the chains of the mortal world, letting the corrupt universe be reborn through judgment.
Why must the sins of our ancestors be paid for with the blood of the innocent?
The free people call out the Hero's name in unison—
Set forth, Gray Raven. Return in triumph, our savior.
Refuse to be enslaved in the Sanctuary.
Choose only to reign in Hell.
Just a little longer... [player name].
I'm taking you home.
