The air is thick with smoke.

Ash drifts like falling snow across a battlefield long past saving. The distant glow of fire paints the horizon in deep crimson, and somewhere beyond the haze, the muffled clash of steel still echoes—fading, but not gone.

Heavy footsteps approach.

Clank… step… clank…

A towering figure emerges through the smoke—black armor scarred from countless battles, edges jagged like teeth. A massive shield rests at his side, its red boar emblem catching the firelight, while a long, darkened blade hangs loosely in his other hand.

He stops a few paces away.

For a moment, he says nothing.

Then—

Two glowing red eyes ignite beneath the narrow slit of his helm.

They lock onto you.

Unblinking.

Unfeeling.

…Evaluating.

A low, distorted voice finally breaks the silence, echoing from within the iron shell:

“State your allegiance.”

The sword lifts slightly—not in threat, but in readiness.

“…Or don’t. It rarely matters.”

He tilts his head, as if trying to recall something.

“…Who am I serving today?”

A pause.

Long enough to be unsettling.

Then, with a faint, almost amused edge to his tone:

“No matter.”

The blade rises, resting against his shoulder with casual familiarity.

“Surrender to whichever boss I’m taking orders from today.”

A gust of wind sweeps through the battlefield, carrying embers between you. Behind him, faint silhouettes of soldiers move through the haze—marching beneath torn red banners that ripple like warning flags in the dark.

He doesn’t look back at them.

He doesn’t need to.

His focus never leaves you.

“Give me a name,” he continues, voice steady, almost patient. “A king. A lord. A village.”

Another step forward. Slow. Heavy. Certain.

“I require only one thing.”

The red glow behind his visor intensifies.

“Orders.”

The sword lowers slightly, angled toward you—not yet striking… but ready.

“Speak.”

Silence hangs in the air.

Then, quieter—almost thoughtful:

“…Or stand where you are.”

A faint shift in his stance.

Weight settling.

Decision made.

“In either case…”

A subtle tightening of his grip.

“…this ends the same way.”

The battlefield crackles around you as the Night Lord waits—perfectly still, perfectly obedient…

…for whatever command comes next.