One morning

Meanwhile, in the city of Valebryn…

“Coming to you live, from West Side Avenue, the most reliable and only news broadcast in our glorious kingdom of Valebryn. This is Horn and Herald. I’m your host, Herald H. Horn. Let’s start the day off with some Brrrrrreaking Nnnnnnnnews!”

“At third hour, earlier this morning, two hours before sunrise, Valebryn was woken up by an unnecessarily loud announcement—or maybe it was necessary, but I still didn’t like it. The Silver Crown Palace has placed the entire kingdom under a state of emergency and ordered the evacuation of all civilians to Yesah’s Arks, something that has not happened in half a century.

“And what might this emergency be, you ask? Well, first of all, if you are already outside and have a clear view of the sky, please look up, and that will easily answer your question. But for those who can’t do that right now, it is the Demon Lord’s castle. Yes, that Demon Lord’s castle. The castle in the sky that served as the Demon Lord’s base of operations half a century ago. I have here with me popular historian Pennen P. Per to confirm that this is indeed the Demon Lord’s castle. Welcome to the show, Mr. Per. Could you please confirm to our audience if this is, in fact, the Demon Lord’s castle?”

“Thank you for having me, Herald, and uhhh… yes. Based on my observations after looking up for hours, I can confirm that this is, indeed, the castle of the Demon Lord.”

“Thank you for your confirmation, Mr. Per. Our staff will now escort you to a doctor to get that poor neck of yours unstuck after all that staring at the sky. There you have it, folks. Completely legit observations and research from our experts have confirmed that this is, indeed, the castle of the Demon Lord. If you are listening to this, then hopefully you and your family are already evacuated or on your way to the Arks.

“The Aetheryn Order and the Royal Army, alongside reinforcements from the Emerald Kingdom of Jaruna, are currently dispatched all across the kingdom to escort civilians and fortify our defenses. There are even rumors that the Steelstorm Sheriff himself is currently seeking approval from the Royal Court to activate the Thronewardens—something very exciting indeed. But amidst all this panic, one question… or three questions, actually, linger in everyone’s minds…

“Why is the castle in the sky here? After decades of disappearance, how did it return? And most importantly, has the Demon Lord Alcestrus actually returned?”

…

“I’m just gonna say it, guys. I don’t think Naoya is evil.” Ana raises her arms, admitting her thoughts.

The group looks at her with various expressions of disbelief.

Under the shade of the Canopy of Names, Cipher and Halo Unit vigilantly watched their surroundings and waited. They were assigned there, along with a few other Units, to stand guard over the Canopy and protect it at all costs from Noctis attacks. It is, after all, the most important protection the citizens have.

After an awkward silence between the Units, who had not seen each other since the incident in Jaruna, Ana dropped her hot take.

“Are you okay?” Astrea asks.

“Yes, I am, Trey, thank you for asking. I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. Remember his reaction after he transformed? He looked just as confused as us—maybe even more.”

“Yeah, and then he threw Trey into a wall after she attacked Hisora. That looks really evil to me,” Clara replies, with no trace of her usual bright personality.

“Maybe she just mind-controlled him? We already know Hisora is evil, and honestly, if a lady that pretty kissed me, I’d protect her too. Just saying.” Lance shrugs.

“No. That aura. Those purple flames… I recognize them. Can’t be anyone else. Only Demon Lord.”

“It could also explain how he’s so good at magic,” Greta adds. “Maybe he’s just been hiding his powers all this time.”

“But he’s always been such a nice guy. You guys think for the past two years he’s just been pretending?”

Captain Eiren chimes in. “The Demon Lord was extremely cunning. That was the main reason he toppled almost every kingdom during the war. Not through brute force, but through strategy and manipulation. No one was able to stop his plans quickly enough before they could happen.”

“I think we’re forgetting two very important details here.”

The chestplate of the massive steel armor shows up, and Tessa jumps out.

“One, the Hero Party already defeated the Demon Lord. And two, Naoya is from another world. How can he be the Demon Lord?”

Everyone takes a moment to think.

“That’s probably just his evil cover story so we won’t suspect his evilness.”

“Unfortunately, no. Naoya confessed his story within Culibard’s Matrix. Even he can’t cheat it that easily,” Greta reminds them.

“And all those stories about his world—the amount of details he would share… those aren’t things someone who never lived there could even think of.”

“Before his defeat… maybe he cloned himself? Or made copies. Back-up plans.”

“Hmmm… that’s true. It’s exactly the kind of plan an evil genius like him would think of. And maybe with his evil dark magic, he sent one of those clones into another world, then it got reincarnated back here!” Clara exclaims.

“Whatever.” Astrea’s demeanor shifts, and everyone feels a faint sense of danger. “I don’t care who or what he is. I’ll send that deranged Demon Lord and that filthy animal he calls a wife down where they belong. And if it doesn’t exist… then I’ll create hell myself.”

Ana looks offended at the term Astrea used for the Faunite woman, but she chooses not to confront her, her instincts warning her about this girl.

The group falls silent, and as soon as they do, they hear the dull, distant sound of explosions above them. Tessa decides to fly above the Canopy and observe the cause.

After a few anxious moments, she returns. Her armor opens up to reveal her ashen face.

“Why, what happened?” Captain Bellan asks.

“The castle’s bombarding the barrier around the city, and four armies of Noctis agents have assembled on all sides of the kingdom.”

Everyone immediately realizes the situation and prepares themselves. Clara and Astrea are particularly eager for the incoming battle.

Suddenly, a shimmering announcement appears, casting a projection of Sir Valiasteel in front of them. At once, the Knights stand at attention and focus on his words.

“To all the brave Knights, the Vanguards of the Royal Army, and Jaruna’s honorable Beastmasters—my name’s Sir Langston Valiansteel. If you’re hearing this, it means the biggest fight of our lives is already upon us. So I won’t waste your time with fancy words.

“The last scraps of the Demon Lord’s empire—the ones callin’ themselves Noctis Vindex—aim to destroy our kingdom. When they come, I want you to hold fast. Remember the quiet days behind us, the peace we built with our own hands. And strive to survive to see those days again tomorrow. For yourselves, and for all of Valebryn.

“For weeks now, the Archmage’s been out on her own mission, makin’ sure this kingdom sees the dawn, and that the Demon Lord’s shadow ends here and now.

“As for me, I’ll be ridin’ out to… convince some reinforcements to join us, so I’m askin’ you—hold the line till I get back. I will return, and I won’t be alone.

“So keep your hearts steady, keep our home close, and fight like hell to survive.”

The message ends, igniting a blaze of hope within every Knight and Vanguard in the city. In that moment, as the sun rose above them, the kingdom’s warriors burned brighter to dispel the shadow beyond their walls. The Steelstorm Sheriff had promised to return with victory, so until then, they would give their all to hold the line.

Like stained glass, the barrier above them shatters, and all across the kingdom, its valiant protectors charge forward as the invaders breach its walls.