In the 982nd year of the Holy Calendar, more than a thousand years have passed since the end of the Battle of Dawn, and in a few minutes, Icadia will usher in a new year.

In the past New Year, Winterfell, the capital of the Principality of Azerolia, was soaked in the joy of the New Year, and even the cold wind of the Northland could not freeze the enthusiasm of the people of Azeroya to embrace the New Year, candlelight lit thousands of homes, the tavern was filled with the smell of white wine, and the roar of excitement could be heard from time to time. A couple wrapped in thick fur coats, holding hands, walked hand in hand on the forest ** under the quiet starlight, and children chased and frolicked in the snow.

However, this New Year has become a permanent nightmare for the people of Winterfell.

On the first day of the year 983 of the Sacred Calendar, a heavy snow fell on Winterfell.

A golden snow.

The sky was bright blood red, and the boundless red clouds piled up on the dome, scorching people's vision, and all the clouds hovered over Winterfell, and a huge vortex gradually took shape, as if the end was near.

The moon faded its gentle veil against the clouds, and was as hideous as the face of a devil.

Dark red lightning spilled out from the edge of the vortex and landed in Winterfell, and the flames rose one after another, and black smoke filled the city. New Year's carols of joy were no longer heard in the city, replaced by cries of fear and sobbing.

"Lord, it must be the entrance to the abyss. The inhabitants of the earth looked terrified, and the devout believers clasped their hands together and prayed.

As the capital of the Duchy of Azeroria, Winterfell has a considerable number of mages in place to deal with any unexpected situations. At this moment, a considerable number of gray-robed people have already come to the street.

The inhabitants stared at the uninvited guests, and the impression was that the number of mages was as rare as the moss in the wasteland, but there were more mages in front of them tonight than they had seen in the previous half of their lives combined.

The magicians who can don the robes of the winter are not ordinary people, and the gray-robed mages stand in front of the unrelenting flames, chanting esoteric incantations.

The invisible magic converged in the void, following the ancient laws, rolling up gusts of ice wind, like an eternal roar, and soon, the dripping raindrops joined into a crystal water curtain, pouring out the fire in the city.

However, to no avail, the momentum of the flame was not contained, but burned more unscrupulously.

"Wait, this is no ordinary flame, use the 'Winter God Ritual'. An older mage sensed something was wrong, but instead of panicking, he calmly gave the order.

As if to echo his words, the chill became even stronger, and the moisture in the air froze into ice flowers, and these messengers of the ice god were awakened by the magic of the caster, swimming in the wind, drawing light white traces.

The sound of the mages chanting incantations became more sonorous and powerful, and the staggered scales resounded through the long street, like the music played in a church, and the drizzling opera evolved into a blizzard horn, and more snowflakes drifted in the air, shining in the light of the fire, showing an eerie dark red, and then mercury gushed out, drowning the flames at once.

With a "boom", tongues of fire rushed out of the surface like boiling magma and leaped high, and the heavy snow that was enough to freeze everything not only failed to extinguish it, but made it burn more vigorously.

"How is that possible?" the mages were incredulous at this result, even the spells they were proud of were helpless against this flame of unknown origin, which only showed that the flame that appeared in front of them was also a supernatural force,

A normal flame cannot burn in isolation from air, but the flame in front of it subverts this common sense, and it is clear that its raw material comes from some unknown force.

The flames were already in chaos, and the residents panicked to avoid the growing flames, and the streets that had been slightly empty suddenly became crowded.

In the firelight walked a leisurely rambler, his long hair dancing in the scorching wind. With broad shoulders, flowing hair, a handsome face as sharp as a knife, golden pupils revealing a star-like light, a simple long sword in his hand, and the flames of teeth and claws behind him set him off with incomparably tall and majestic, like a king from an ancient legend.

Wherever he went, the flames jumped timidly out of the way, allowing him to emerge from the sea of flames.

Seeing this scene, all the mages couldn't help but think of a famous scene described in the Divine Codex, in which a certain prophet opened his arms and parted the sea with supreme power, and the picture before them was so similar to that legend.

The idea of leaving immediately occurred in their minds, and despite being mages who wield powerful magical powers, the casters instinctively felt boundless fear in front of this unknown being, like a group of lions facing an ancient dragon.

"Grand Duke, the situation in front of us is out of our control, and there is nothing the Blizzard Mage Group can do, please leave immediately with your lady and young master. A young man in knight's costume said as he half-knelt beside a middle-aged man.

The owner of Winterfell, Archduke Eliotgard, was standing above a tower in the Grand Duke's Palace, the tallest building in Winterfell, where he used to stand and look into the distance, admiring the peaceful beauty of Winterfell at night, but at this moment, what greeted him was a hellish picture.

Behind him, a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in white stood outside a flaming magic array, carrying a black box in her right hand, and a young man of about five years old held the woman's hand, her face as pale as paper.

"I swore to live and die with this city, and besides, where else can I go?" said Elliottard in a loud voice, looking at the fire that filled the city, "and before the destruction is yet complete, take the people of Winterfell and go as far as you can." ”

"But the Dragonlance Dynasty will never give up this opportunity, they will definitely break their alliance with Azeroth, maybe soon, Azeroth will face a new war, without you, how can we stop those greedy Dragonlancers, we need your sword and guidance. The young knight's voice was as heavy as lead.

The Grand Duke of Azeroya smiled, his smile full of vicissitudes, "Rhaegar, my dear disciple, the people of Winter need a true warrior, not a lord who survives in secret. In time, you will understand my choice. ”

Lei took a deep breath, "Grand Duke, I don't understand, why is this?"

The Grand Duke glanced up at the bright red sky as blood, "There are many things, you don't need to know now, live well, to complete your mission, I don't need you to avenge me, so that even if I fall, one day, Azeroa will get back on his feet." ”

Rhaegar stood up and gave a standard knightly salute to his lord and division commander, then turned to leave, heavy footsteps echoing through the dark corridor.

When the back of the disciple completely disappeared into the corridor, the Grand Duke withdrew his gaze and looked at the woman in white with his back to him, his lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only let out a helpless wry smile, "As you can see, my dear, because you, God has abandoned the whole of our winter, and that one must be coming soon, you should leave quickly with Constantine." ”

The voice of the woman in white was as cold as the night breeze of winter, "When you marry me, you should have known that there will be such a day, it is your own choice, not to mention, you also know that your god has no weight in my eyes." ”

"Yes, I once regarded the land under my feet as the whole of my life, and I was willing to spend my life guarding it, but for you, I am willing to give up everything. The Grand Duke said, "Even in the face of God's wrath." ”

The woman in white did not turn around, and seemed indifferent to the Grand Duke's words.

The young man who had been standing beside the woman let go of his mother's hand and walked straight to the Grand Duke's side, "Father, won't you leave with us?"

The Grand Duke hesitated, stretched out his palm, and stroked his son, who was a few heads shorter than him, " It's a pity, child, I'm afraid I can only accompany you here, I'm just an ordinary person, and your mother is a great person, you will grow up to be an even more amazing person one day, my existence will only be a burden to your mother and son, but wherever you go, you must remember that your surname is called Eliotgard, which has been revered by the people of Winter for three centuries, and you will bear it alone in the future, and do not live up to their expectations. ”

The boy nodded in understanding.

The Grand Duke smiled with satisfaction, "Little Constantine, there is one thing I want to tell you, your original fiancée, is the girl who played with you in Winterfell when you were a child, she is actually the princess of the dragon lance, yes, it is the country to the south of us, the marriage between the two of you is actually the product of a political covenant, but now it seems that you should have little chance to marry her, and even soon after my death, the dragon lance will be eager to declare war on Winter, if you meet that girl again in the future, what will you do?"

The little boy thought seriously for a moment, and his delicate eyebrows were twisted together, "If I saw her somewhere else, to me, she was just a stranger, and if we met on the battlefield, I would choose to kill her." ”

"Very well, that's the answer of an Azeroya man. The Grand Duke patted his son on the shoulder and smiled with relief.

There was a terrible roar in the sky, and more flames fell to the ground, and the people running on the ground had no time to dodge, and in an instant, countless lives were reduced to sacrifices under the flames.

To the west of Winterfell, a pillar of light burst into the dark red sky, dwarfing even the flames that fell through the sky.

Seeing this scene, the Grand Duke's face became paler than ever, and his shoulders trembled slightly, "Finally, it's time for me to go, he's already here, I can still block him for at least one round, you guys leave quickly." ”

Without hesitation, he jumped down from the tower and sped away in the direction where the light was.

And behind him, the woman in white still didn't look back.

The flames burned incessantly, and on the long street, which was lit red by the light of the fire, waves of heat flew over the scorched and cracked ground, devouring the corpses wrapped in gray robes that had fallen to the ground in turn.

In the flames, only the man with golden eyes stood quietly, his body exuding a holy light, after a thrilling battle, to be precise, after the slaughter, his expression was still extraordinarily indifferent, like a lifeless gorgeous sculpture.

And on the long street behind him, dozens of mages lay in the fire and slept for a long time, and the Blizzard mage group that shook the entire northern realm with its powerful mana has since become history.

It wasn't until the figure of the Grand Duke jumped into his eyes that his stereotypical face became a little angry, and a calm but oppressive voice sounded, "Elliottard, Grand Duke of Winterfell, Northland Sword Master, it seems that our meeting was much earlier than expected. ”

"It is the supreme honor of every knight in the continent of Icadia to be able to fight you. At the end of the long street, the Grand Duke came from the firelight, the heat scorching and distorting the air, and his figure was extremely blurred in his vision, but it felt as indestructible as a snowy mountain.

"This is not your war. The knight in the fire looked at the Grand Duke fixedly, "You don't have to risk your life. ”

"Indeed, but this is her war, so, my war too. The Grand Duke said slowly, a piercing grinding sound erupted from his side, and a slender blade was already unsheathed, flying countless sparks.

"Even if you abandon your subordinates and people?"

"Maybe it's a little frustrating, but unfortunately, that's my choice. The Grand Duke raised his sword.

The knight shook his head, "I'm not interested in senseless killing, you're going to die here." ”

The Grand Duke pointed to the corpses on the ground, "But did you hesitate to kill them?"

"They also had a chance to leave, but after recognizing who I am, they still chose to fight me without hesitation like you, human beings, what contradictory creatures, no matter how young they are. The knight frowned. "Do you think you can beat me?"

"I never expected to beat you. The Grand Duke met the other party's questioning gaze without flinching, "But I think that knowing the result and not doing it are two different things, and a true swordsman is born to smash the inevitable fate." ”

"All beings are struggling in the torrent of fate, but only the glory is immortal," the knight ended the conversation succinctly, "Before the judgment of the Lord, mortals, your struggle is meaningless. ”

The Grand Duke took a deep breath, the conversation was over, and the next thing was to answer with the sword, in fact, if you were a normal person, standing in this sea of fire, you would suffocate to death in a few seconds, and it was impossible to talk casually.

The scorching breath poured into the lobes of his lungs, and the terrifying heat ignited the battle intent in the swordsman's heart, and the glass-like blade split the steaming heat, turning into a beam of narrow white light that pierced the curtain of flames.

Without reservation, all the power erupted heartily at the moment of swinging the sword, and the sword wind swept towards the end of the long street like a howling wind in the north

The next moment, the vision was born.

The mighty sunset scene rose from the long wind, and the twilight came overwhelmingly, dyeing the entire long street into a pleasant golden red, and the winter wind that had howled before suddenly turned into a soft evening breeze dancing lightly under this twilight, which seemed to be mild, but it was countless times stronger than before.

The terrifying flames that even Blizzard couldn't dissolve were actually extinguished at a speed visible to the naked eye under this sword.

The knight's figure stood upright in the approaching twilight, as if it had become a famous statue in Olympia Square soaked in the afterglow of dusk for countless years, and the handsome face that had also been polished by time for countless years was as indifferent as a sculpture.

A dazzling sun appeared behind him, climbed into the sky on the crimson mist, and threw ten thousand golden rays of light on the ground, and the knight shrouded in infinite light came to life from the state of the statue and turned into a god who came to earth.

The morning sun and the setting sun confront each other in the sky, dividing the long street into two distinct worlds.

Morning and dusk.

After only a few seconds, the twilight realm collapsed, then rippled and vanished into the wind.

At dawn, the long street is surrounded by the glow of the newborn sun.

Standing in the light, the Grand Duke roared and fearlessly launched the final charge, the blade of his sword slashing at the enemy in front of him, and the moment he touched the light, his clothes were set on fire and a wisp of green smoke rose from his hair. Even so, he rushed towards the sun without fear, like a moth to a fire.

However, he failed to rush into the light, and every drop of blood and every inch of skin was burned by the light, for a fist appeared in front of him, and then buried in his chest, blood gushing out of his collapsed chest like a spring.

"Finally .........," the Grand Duke muttered with blood foaming at the corners of his mouth. "It's a pity that I couldn't get to get a closer look at the real sun. ”

The knight looked at the dying Grand Duke, "Rest in peace, mortal, your soul will be bathed in the warmth of the flames of heaven, I swear in my name." ”

"For the Winter people, the battlefield side of the ice and snow is the best destination, and of course, this ending is not bad. The Grand Duke spat out a mouthful of blood. "However, until the end, you didn't draw your sword, which made me a little unwilling. ”

He took one last look at the city he had loved so much, his face was serene, with a relieved calmness, and he smiled and said, "Goodbye, dear." Then he closed his eyes, his arm hung limply, and his sword fell to the ground with a crisp wail.

The knight withdrew his fist, and a flash of flame flashed, and the remaining blood on his hand disappeared without a drop.

The magic array burned brightly, and a passage with a deep aura could be faintly seen in the firelight.

The little boy cowered and stood beside his mother, "Mommy, why doesn't Dad come with us?"

The woman in white glanced at him, "Everyone has their own responsibilities that they can't let go, this is his city, that is, his responsibility, so he will not leave, Constantine, one day in the future, you will have to take on your own responsibilities and complete that great mission for countless ancestors." ”

She handed the black box to the little boy, and the boy solemnly picked it up, his expression was slightly struggling, and the woman did not intervene, but quietly looked in the direction where the Grand Duke had left, "Now, you should go." ”

The little boy was taken aback, "Then mom, you ......"

The woman glanced at him, and the boy paused, knowing that his mother had made up his mind, he gritted his teeth and walked towards the entrance that seemed to lead to hell.

The moment before stepping into the magic array, he suddenly stopped and looked back at the woman, "Mom, have you ever loved your father?"

Hearing this question, the woman was silent for a while, "I originally thought that all along, I didn't have any feelings for him at all. ”

"But the moment he jumped from here, I realized that I really fell in love with him. The woman's back looked particularly gloomy.

At this moment, there was a roar in the sky that resounded throughout the city, like the drumbeat of Thor's warhammer, and the fire clouds surrounding Winterfell suddenly dispersed, revealing the picture behind the clouds.

Towering above the clouds, the majestic Gates of Light radiate unparalleled holiness, illuminating the night sky as if it were day. The previous cloud of fire was the prelude to the door's appearance, and the flames that had burned nearly all of Winterfell were only a few aftermaths of it as it burst through the void.

Countless holy rays fell from the sky, and the flames that filled the city of Winter quickly disappeared under the radiance, and the people of Winter who survived the catastrophe showed awe when they saw this scene, and those devout believers were even more excited, praying to the heavens and crying in praise of the glorious kindness.

At this moment, in the whole continent, I don't know how many people walked out of their homes, staring at the miracles that appeared in the sky in amazement, and almost all the nobles, commoners, priests, kings, and mages looked up at the gate that symbolized brilliance at the same time, with complicated expressions, each with his own thoughts, joy, fear, fanaticism, hatred, and so on.

In the famous square of Olympia, the capital of the distant Holy Empire, countless priests and monks kneel in unison before a magnificent temple at the end of the square, and the distinguished bishops and priests stand on the snow-white marble steps of the temple, reciting the immortal verses of the Book of Revelation, while some elderly bishops weep excitedly, and all over the capital, the bells of the coming of the New Year mingle with the high-pitched chants of the choir.

At the top of the marble steps of the temple, the tall and majestic giant door opened, and an old man with gray hair slowly walked out from behind the door, seeing this scene, the fanaticism in the eyes of the believers became more and more intense, and on the marble steps, the only bishops and priests who were qualified to stand also knelt down in front of the old man, with a humble posture.

The old man stood with his hands in his hands, kneeling down to the tide of believers below, and there was no trace of joy in his vicissitudes of life, staring at the brilliant sun-like gate of light in the distant sky, and let out an inaudible sigh.

It was a long time before he came back to his senses, looked down, and a low voice slowly spat out from his lips, and then turned into a majestic sound that resounded over the square, falling on everyone's ears and shaking their souls.

"The Lord came into the world as a light, and whoever believes in the Lord does not abide in darkness. ”

At the end of the long street, a pair of white and flawless wings spread out behind the knight, soaring upward, towards the door that stood in the depths of the firmament.

A figure appeared above the field of vision, coldly intercepting the knight's path.

"Michael, don't bother looking, I'm right in front of you right now. The woman said.

The knight glanced at the woman, and after confirming that it was his target, his eyes narrowed slightly, and the wings behind him suddenly increased to as many as three pairs, and six wings appeared, and in an instant, the entire sky was shrouded in invisible majesty.

The knight's face became more solemn and solemn, his body became extremely tall, his hair instantly turned golden, and his whole body erupted with endless light and heat, turning into a temple of light and fire within thousands of meters. In front of him, the worldly beings can only bow down, and they cannot afford to think of confrontation at all.

The woman in white stood against the wind, dancing with the wind like a snow-white robe, looking up at the Seraphim, not seeing the slightest fear in her picturesque face, and showing her pride.

"Long time no see, Your Highness, based on the time of this plane, it has been about twenty years since we last fought each other, right?" the angel looked down at the human in front of him.

"Twenty-one years and three months, the memory of you angels is as bad as ever, even you. "Yes, you are just the tools created by that fellow, and for your master, the most important quality of tools is obedience, not thinking, and it is no wonder that angels are born with no brains, and only the ignorant Icadians worship you as gods." ”

The angel looked at the woman quietly, "The Lord's eyes are like a torch, and he sees everything, and the Lord gives us eternity and leads us to glimpse the reality of the world, and the Lord has mercy on the world, because the Lord knows that what all beings see in their eyes is vanity, and they are all chasing after the wind." ”

"When I was in Daybreak City, Innocent's magic stick used to say something similar, but after I beat him up a few times, I'm much more honest, so put it away. The woman looked at Seraphim like an idiot.

"This plane will be ready for Judgment Day in advance. Michael stretched out his hand and pointed to the majestic Gate of Light in the sky, "When the Gate of Heaven is opened, all the creatures of this plane will face the judgment of the Lord, and you and your people will become the history of this plane, turning to dust. ”

"I stayed because I wanted to stop this from happening. The woman said.

"You don't stand a chance. Michael's response was as succinct as ever, stiff and cold.

"I wanted to try, and besides, it was the only thing I could do for his city. The woman glanced down at Winterfell below, "As for the fall, thousands of years ago, countless ancestors of our clan fell to your sword before that battle of the dawn, and if I can do it, they will surely rest in Valhalla." ”

The angel raised the sword in his hand, and in an instant, thunder roared in the sky, a loud chant pierced the sky, and layers of light waves were set off outside the door of the gate of the heavenly realm, and countless images of angels appeared outside the door, each holding a holy sword, and the delicate and perfect faces were blank, staring at the worldly eyes without staining dust.

The woman's eyes flashed with determination, her arms outstretched, her white robe fluttering, and with her chanting, the vast magic power gathered from the earth and even the void. Behind her, a vision appeared, an unusually tall ancient tree, with dense branches, and its towering canopy was dotted with star-like light.

Then, her figure turned into a shooting star that shone throughout the world, and ran into the depths of the night, sweeping towards the many judgment angels led by Michael.

The legions of angels gathered outside the gates of the Heavenly Realm poured out like a tidal wave, engulfing the snow-white figure.

Time suddenly froze.

A long time later, a blinding halo erupted over Winterfell.

In the next second, on the mainland, those who looked up witnessed the shocking images that they will never forget.

The tall Heavenly Gate shattered in a halo of light, turning into countless flames of light and falling towards the earth, and in the moment of collapse, the incomparable energy was released, and Winterfell, which was directly below the gate, was a magnificent ruin in the blink of an eye.

Along with the flames, there are countless golden points of light that are more beautiful than fireflies, one after another, like drifting snow, but at this moment, the surviving people have no time to appreciate this magnificent picture that has not been encountered for thousands of years.

Night fell again, and after a hard battle, the dark night finally regained the dominance of the sky, and the sky for the New Year returned to its former calmness, and even a few stars could be seen shining in the night, although it was still bright, but it was so dim compared to the light that illuminated the entire continent before.

No one slept that night.