Battle of Guradoah

* Three heroes who sacrificed the magical barrier successfully managed to seal the Demon Lord.

**Battle of Guradoah** was a final campaign between the Alliance of the Races and the Demon Lord's Army. The Demon Lord Extermination Army, the last group of the Alliance, marched to the wasteland Guradoah of the Grameus Continent, but forcibly retreated by the harsh climate and terrain, dividing the four heroes, who fight together in defeating the Demon Lord's Army. The three of four heroes who sacrificed the magical barrier successfully managed to seal the Demon Lord and were later known in history as the Legend of the Four Heroes.

* Ravernal Empire's Remnants
* Temporary Commander Malastras
* Irregular Unit Commander Blue Ogre
* Irregular Unit Commander Red Ogre
* Irregular Unit Commander Yellow Ogre †
* Irregular Unit Commander White Ogre †
* Military Specialist Kenshiva (Beastman) †
* Sword Master Ta Lou (Human) †
* Great Mage Luca (Elf) †
* 200 orcs
* 200 magical beasts
* Golems (unknown number details)
* Trolls (unknown number details)
* 1 Red Scarlet Dragon
* 100 archers
* Two Ogres death

## Background

### Alliance of the Races

Nine months later, after the construction of the Doors of the World was completed and the Emissaries of the Sun God returned to Earth via whirlpool, 1,000 strong soldiers of the last group of the Alliance called the Demon Lord Extermination Army under Commander Esperanto with Ta Lou, Kenshiva, Luca, and Kijje marched towards the Gurganaff Plain. Esperanto and Ta Lou had difficulty with a map of Grameus, according to Luca, their objective lay deep in the treacherous mountains to the Guradoah in the northeast of the Grameus continent when looking from the land of Topa. The journey would take four months by foot, but they naturally couldn’t get their hands on more than 1,000 horses. However, the wild beasts, which used magic in their body to live, were poisonous for them to eat. The problem of food weighs heavily on a 1,000 strong army. It seemed that they’d have to hunt something in the next three days.

Two months later, they marched in a wasteland that was unimaginably harsh with the shortage of food and water. Some soldiers who couldn’t bear the harshness of the march started going back one by one. At this point, the number of soldiers around 1,000 was reduced to almost half, getting lost or buried by blizzards. As soon as they went around the first mountain, they laid their eyes on the second. Since they got hungry without food, the season of frostbiting blizzards will come. They didn’t know how many would last up to when they reached the Demon Army’s base. Looking from the perspective of sending Ta Lou and his entourage up to this point, the Demon Lord Extermination Army decided to persuade them to go back to Topa the next time they stop for rest. However, Commander Esperanto refused to back down.

After Ta Lou’s explanation with his judgment, Esperanto and his soldiers broke down in tears after feeling shame and disappointment. Before any of his soldiers needlessly died in the march, Esperanto then decided to go back to Ta Lou and the others and told them that he would take leaving with his 500 soldiers and return to Topa, but the Demon Lord Extermination Army would come and find them if they never return. Esperanto and other 500 soldiers turned the other way and took the path back to Topa. Ta Lou, Kenshiva, Luca, and Kijje took their weapons and baggage and set off. They had divided the fighting amongst themselves, but the monsters, beasts, and enemies that they’ll encounter moving forward will have to be dealt with by their own hands.

### Demon Lord's Army

One month later, after the Demon Lord Extermination Army departed from the land of Topa, Demon Lord Nosgorath had been in a deep slumber in his chamber deep in the heart of the Darelgulla Castle in the wasteland Guradoah roughly 4,000km from Topa. Crowded around the castle were primitive forges dedicated to the creation of weapons, earthen berths for the breeding of goblins, and simple shelters for orcs. Since they returned, the 200 beasts that were left behind in Darelgulla were made to work around the clock to hasten the reconstruction of the Demon Lord's Army. However, the Demon Lord still needed at least five years before he could return to his fully-charged state. Malastras became the temporary commander to command the Demon Lord’s forces.

Before that happens, they have to defend him from the last man. Malastras worried over the fact that the Red Ogre challenged and taunted Ta Lou and Kenshiva before. The races display unexpected power when driven by things such as anger or sadness. They had occasionally become a threat due to such emotions. As for the Red Ogre, he reconnoitered the fields of Gurganaff southwest of Guradoah with the White Ogre. Reconnaissance wasn’t a job they’d entrust to the ogres, but it was far more preferable than sending small amounts of goblins or orcs that would then fall victim to attacks from wild beasts. As for the Blue Ogre and the Yellow Ogre, they gathered wild beasts for use in the Demon Lord's Army while the production of goblins continued.

Malastras continued to busy himself with preparations for intercepting their incoming emissaries in three months before the climate on the Guradoah would come itself covered in snow again.

## Battle

### Skirmish at Gurganaff Plain

Two weeks later, after Esperanto and other 500 soldiers divided and left back to Topa, Ta Lou, Kenshiva, Luca, and Kijje were used to being away from other people, the occasional attacks from beasts and magical monsters hardly put a dent on them. The Red Ogre and the White Ogre, who scouted for resources, stood in front of Ta Lou and the others and blocked their way at the Gurganaff Plain. The two ogres were surprised to see that only four had come and decided to wipe them out. Ta Lou remarked as he gently unsheathed his curved sword, followed by Kenshiva.

The first to move was Kijje. He picked up a fist-sized stone under his foot with slow movements before throwing it at full force. Uttering only a slight groan, the White Ogre was flung back several meters by the attack. The stone, possessing the force of a round fired from a small-caliber tank gun, struck the laughing White Ogre, cracking open a slight fissure in his skull. The White Ogre writhed in pain and confusion.

The Red Ogre readied himself for battle with his great axe in hand. However, he ended up feeling cowered by the seemingly limitless intimidation that the three men gave off. The Red Ogre ran forward and swung his great axe onto Ta Lou’s head. However, even in close range, Ta Lou swiftly maneuvered his sword to block the Red Ogre’s attack, stopping his great axe with the hilt of his word. Coming in from the right, Kenshiva plowed his fist onto the Red Ogre in a move known as sunkei, which learned martial arts from Miura, who made karate his pastime, transferring his immense kinetic force onto the ogre and forcing him down on the ground. The Red Ogre immediately got up on his feet as he pressed the side of his torso where Kenshiva had pushed him. While his constant recovery magic should be kicking in, Kenshiva’s attack was so powerful that he could still feel the pain. Ta Lou then swiftly swung the blade down on the Red Ogre’s head. Suddenly, the White Ogre came over the Red Ogre and pushed him out of the way, receiving the full force of Ta Lou’s swing with his arm. The blade easily sliced through the end of his arm towards the elbow like a knife through butter, turning him to scream in pain.

Ta Lou immediately thrust his blade upwards without hesitation, ripping up the White Ogre’s torso. He swiftly chopped off the rest of the White Ogre’s body. He then got drenched in the bluish-black blood of his victim. Topping it off, he then thrust his blade through the mouth of the White Ogre and deep into his throat. While Ta Lou cut down the White Ogre, the Red Ogre was restrained by Kenshiva and Kijje. Since both of his restrainers’ strengths were more than obvious to him, the Red Ogre lost all luster in attacking them.

After the White Ogre was killed, the Red Ogre couldn’t come up with a way to best fight the three. Not giving him time to lament, Kenshiva and Kijje resumed their attacks. As he ran away, the Red Ogre laid his eyes on someone he felt he could take on. Instantly processing in his mind an opening towards the elf, he slipped through once he saw the opportunity. The Red Ogre instantly felt dread from the spine-chilling voice of the elven mage.

While the Red Ogre was confused, Ta Lou closed in while Kenshiva attacked from the rear and Kijje from the flank. With all sides blocked off, the Red Ogre then jumped out. He landed next to the White Ogre’s remains, picked them up, and clutched them close. As the Red Ogre ran away, Ta Lou and the others looked on as they decided not to force themselves to give chase, saving their energy on that encounter.

Before they'd enter the final battle, Luca had been using her magic to strengthen the capabilities of the three men. After sifting through the thoughts of the Red Ogre, Luca was able to look through his memories, confirming for herself the current state of Guradoah. She learned the Demon Lord was currently regaining his lost power until he had gained a fifth of his power back next five years. They must hurry to strike while the Demon Lord still wasn't in his full strength.

The group took turns keeping watch during the night. Their rest period was shortened from six hours to four hours in the lead up to their arrival at Guradoah.

### Battle of Darelgulla Castle

One month and two weeks later, Ta Lou, Kenshiva, Luca, and Kijje stood in front of the snow-laden gates of Darelgulla Castle. Carrying the fate of mankind on their backs, they are undoubtedly the strongest individuals of their respective races. Opposite them was a black, massive, imposing gate where a line of troops formed up on the walls above the closed double doors. Ta Lou began forcing to open the doors of the gate loudly. The 1000 goblins and 200 orcs lied in wait for them at the other side. They drew their weapons and faced against the 1,200 troops from the Demon Lord's Army.

The Yellow Ogre was dissatisfied with not being at the vanguard. The Red Ogre was particular with their situation after having witnessed the White Ogre get killed firsthand. Malastras thought the same, having caught off guard by how easily the White Ogre fell to just four people. Thinking of the emissaries in disguise or a group with insanely powerful magic, he deliberately ordered to have all of the Demon Lord's Army assembled to prepare for the arrival of the ones that killed the White Ogre. Ta Lou, Kenshiva, and Kijje all managed to dispose of three to five goblins each. Leaving the fight to the ogres, Malastras quickly flew to the Demon Lord’s chamber.

Breaking through the lines, Ta Lou and Kenshiva went straight into the heart of the formation. Ta Lou gracefully maneuvered his blade through the hordes of goblins. Moving with him to protect his flanks, Kenshiva freely moved through the snow with his excellent speed, taking down enemies that tried to attack Ta Lou from his blind spots. Resorting to his reserves of stones after running out of snow, Kijje successively hurled them from afar, turning into a fixed battery that easily took out their foes. Running out of things to throw, he then resorted to throwing the corpses of goblins, or he went and picked up more snow. The snowballs, which were something to be reckoned with, threw at an undeniably strong force. Luca remarked as she slowly walked forward. When the goblins and orcs closed in, the magic-rich earth around her, which enabled her to cast more powerful spells, erupted into spikes, impaling them. As the fight continued, the numbers of the Demon Lord's Army thinned.

In less than an hour, the number of goblins and orcs combined stood at around 300. The Red Ogre suggested that the three ogres and the Red Dragon fight the four to take down one or two of them, and the Yellow Ogre agreed. The Blue Ogre hoped to take on Kijje and the Red Ogre inevitably ended up dealing with Kenshiva. The three ogres all ran forth to fight the four with the Red Dragon.

Ta Lou kicked off a goblin corpse clinging to his feet and wiped the blood smears on his clothes. Readying his blade once more, he faced off against the Yellow Ogre. The Yellow Ogre then lunged forth towards Ta Lou. He sweeps his hand over to parry the Yellow Ogre with his blade. Before the Yellow Ogre could fix and ready his stance, Ta Lou turned his hand and pushed in for the kill. The Yellow Ogre noticed this move and swiftly changed his stance midair and waited for Ta Lou’s next move. The blade closed in for his neck, prompting the Yellow Ogre to use his opposed arm to deflect it. Seeing Ta Lou off his balance, the falling Yellow Ogre extended his foot to make an ax kick. Ta Lou pretended to stagger and then turned his feet around, going into a full-body spin and landing his blade on the Yellow Ogre’s leg. Being struck by the curvature of the blade, overlapping with the Yellow Ogre’s falling speed, his leg was cut off with little imperfection, turning him to scream painfully.

Losing his leg, the Yellow Ogre looked in the direction of the Red Dragon and felt threatened by the elven woman as he made a bewildered expression. Luca said coolly with her arms folded as she stood directly in front of the Red Dragon. Magic flowed from their direction. Water canceled out the fire as fire consumed air, which whittled then on the earth that absorbed water. Since the Imperial Japanese discerned that the Red Dragon’s ability to control gravity, Luca neutralized it with a repulsive force. The Blue Ogre and the Red Ogre were engaged in tight fights with Kijje and Kenshiva respectively. Kenshiva’s claws struck the pit of the Red Ogre’s stomach, distorting his face with anguish. Then, his face was struck violently with a knee strike, followed by a thrusting technique. Meanwhile, the Blue Ogre tried to deflect a snowball thrown by Kijje with his club, but the force of the snowball seemed to have broken it. Trying to get close, the Blue Ogre would then be met by an extremely powerful throw, forcing him to keep running around Kijje to try and find an opening. Kenshiva and Kijje relentlessly fought to the teeth without stagger or failure. Seeing this, their enemies’ will take them down evaporated.

Ta Lou stood in front of the Yellow Ogre and gave him any last words before executing him. The Yellow Ogre smiled sadly while giving in to his fate and complimenting his foe as he felt regret in parting with his fellow ogres and his master, the Demon Lord. Ta Lou chopped the Yellow Ogre’s head, down rolling it.

Ta Lou, coupled with the fact that they didn’t get to wake up the Demon Lord in time, the two remaining ogres were tormented with regret. Now, it was only them and the Red Dragon. At the moment, Nosgorath’s voice resounded throughout the stronghold. When the Red Ogre, Blue Ogre, and the Red Dragon heard the command, they immediately took the flight back into the bowels of the castle.

### The Final Defeat of Demon Lord Nosgorath

Contrary to what the four expected, the castle interior was devoid of enemies and traps, and they reached the inner halls without incident. They reached the deepest innards of the Darelgulla castle and found the black, wide royal chamber lit with purple flames reminiscent of the twilight glow. Demon Lord Nosgorath sat alone on the throne. The Red Ogre, Blue Ogre, and the Red Dragon seemed to have fled the vicinity with Malastras. Nosgorath stood up from his throne and slowly walked down the steps towards the four. They drew their weapons and faced him.

Nosgorath explained to them that he was created by the Demon Emperor and the light-winged people, which have arrogantly turned to depose the gods. As punishment, destruction rained down on them, compelling them to transport their nation, the Ravernal Empire, to the future. However, the four could not hide their surprise at the fact that they were the ones who made Nosgorath. He told them that after the Ravernal Empire was in their absence, he had left to control the new world until the Ravernal Empire will be returning to this world in the far future.

When he finished explaining, the four were beyond angry at what they heard. Ta Lou jumped to land the first strike on Nosgorath. Ta Lou was parried, stopping the blade with his bare arm. Nosgorath’s eyes glowed red, looking at Ta Lou. He then cast a spell, the shockwave of which threw him back towards the wall behind him. When he walked toward Ta Lou, Kijje threw some rocks down his way, but the rocks were pulverized upon striking Nosgorath. The pulverized rocks reformed at the wave of Nosgorath’s hand. They then flew back to Kijje at high speeds. Taking a blow to his abdomen, Kijje was forced to kneel in pain. Luca ran to Kijje to seal the wound.

Besides the Demon Lord, Ta Lou rose from the debris of the wall he crashed into and returned with his beloved blade unsheathed. He cackled with laughter after he heard Nosgorath's answer about his greatness and insulted him as disrespecting his greatness, giving him into anger. Nosgorath was about to cast a hellfire spell when his magical power suddenly vanished. When Nosgorath finally realized what happened, Ta Lou tricked him shutting his magic off along with his existence, which made it already too late.

All around Nosgorath, countless blobs of orange light appeared, tracing equally countless lines of light all around him, which the four let the Demon Lord blab on. Even if they were to do a battle of attrition, Luca knew that their chances of winning were slim. Her own body and magic powers were about to enter their limit, and since it wasn’t enough to destroy the Demon Lord, she drew up a special barrier to seal him inside. Having spoken with the other three before the battle, they all decided that that was how they would end the Demon Lord threat. The barrier itself couldn’t kill, but the magical powers of the people inside neutralized, and the flow of time stopped, trapping those insides into an immobile state. If they sacrifice their life energy to be converted to magic, they could theoretically seal the Demon Lord for all eternity. However, to completely seal the Demon Lord, they needed to analyze his magical power. Luca, having not encountered the Demon Lord personally up to that point, knew that the risk from casting the spell without prior rehearsal would be too much.

As Luca began the main chant for the spell itself, Kijje’s body began to glow. Despite it being his last moment, she sadly smiled as she gave him a farewell. After Kijje’s body began to fade away, Ta Lou’s body also started to glow. Kenshiva, thinking that he was next, was taken back when Luca’s body started glowing before his turn. Luca explained to Kenshiva that she could only be cast her magic as a retainer of the god of fate. No one knew that what happened to the four and the Demon Lord. She wanted to entrust to him returning to tell their story and its immortalization. Since Kenshiva was a beastman, he was able to put up a resistance against the sickness. Rather, the sickness was chronic for beastmen, whereas, in other races, it acted immediately. Considering Kenshiva’s case, he should still have two years left. Kenshiva reluctantly agreed that persuaded by Ta Lou.

With those last words, Ta Lou’s body disappeared. Not long after, Luca disappeared as well, leaving Kenshiva and a Demon Lord sealed as he was. The power of the barrier would slowly decay over time. Only surviving Kenshiva’s lone journey home has begun.

## Aftermath

### The Death of Kenshiva

Whether or not he lost the Demon Lord’s magical presence, Malastras returned, but not before Kenshiva had long evacuated from Guradoah. It wasn’t long before he resumed hunting and subsisted off magical beasts, living off of them for over a month. However, it was soon too late. Half a year after departing Guradoah, he had finally returned to the land of Topa. When he arrived there, his body was already on the acute levels of sickness from the amount of magical beast meat he consumed was already beyond saving. Still, he fulfilled his duty of telling the rest of mankind of how the four heroes ended their journey, how Demon Lord Nosgorath had been sealed off, and Luca’s last words.

Then, on the third day after he returned to Topa, Kenshiva departed this world for the next with those last words. Kenshiva’s remains were buried on a small hill at the center of the newly created Topa Kingdom. Next to his grave, Ta Lou, Luca, and Kijje were a gravestone dedicated. The site would welcome countless visitors from mankind, offering their thanks for a long time.

As the years passed, the story turned into an old legend called the Legend of the Four Heroes, where no one was sure which parts were true and which were fantasy.

### The Creation of the Esperanto Kingdom

Meanwhile, the Demon Lord Extermination Army, led by Commander Esperanto, were on their way back home after parting with Ta Lou and the others when they were caught in a blizzard, forcing them off their route. So that none from the 500 would be lost, they all held hands as they marched on. The direction in which they were supposed to march was south, but they all felt that they were headed west of the Grameus continent, and after getting past the mountains, they found themselves heading northeast.

Two months later, they were in the middle of an extremely cold winter. They ended up in a valley that looked like the foot of a mountain. The valley also contained patches of coniferous forest, and with the 500 soilders clearing away the snow, they were finally able to get some rest. After the other 71 went was missed, Esperanto then started splitting the 429 and assigning the main force the duty of staying at where they slept for the night and building it up while assigning teams that will search the foot of the mountains, gather food, look for the missing 71, and other duties. Later, they found the remains of five and buried them with tombstones over their graves. When spring had finally come with the weather clearing up, they tried sending people southwards, but the expeditions always ended up finding themselves on the coast. Moreover, after thinking of settling on where they camped, Esperanto began tackling the creation of a town. If they didn’t return in a year, the Alliance would send search parties for them anyway. They waited for the option that yielded the best probability of survival.

After two years of waiting without any relief, the soldiers in the army began to wonder if humanity was destroyed by the Demon Lord, whether they were the last surviving people in the world. By that time, they would have no choice, but to build themselves into a nation.

After three years of waiting without reply, Esperanto decided to settle the land permanently as humanity’s last bastion. New lives had already been born, and the development and expansion of the settlement continued to press forward step by step. They built the simple stone walls into fully-fledged castle walls, increased their fighting force, and strengthened patrols. Finally, the investigation lands surrounding their own.

Ten years later, the construction of watchtowers had begun. At that point, the population had swelled to three times the population that initially settled there, allowing them to put more focus on the education and upbringing of the next generation.

Twenty years later, 60-year-old Esperanto took the mantle of king of the new state, which was home to 5,000 people. As the first king, he gave his name to the new state: the Esperanto Kingdom. In the meantime, they were fully fortifying their lands by connecting the watchtowers they had built with castle walls. From that moment forward, the long struggle between the beasts and the people of the Esperanto Kingdom in the west of the Grameus continent would begin.

## Outline Map

### Battle of Topa and Battle of Guradoah

1. They were destoryed by the onslaught of the Imperial Japanese Army that joined up with them as well as the Demon Lord's Army that joined up with them in the land of Topa. Only Demon Lord Nosgorath, the four ogres, and the red dragon survive, and retreat to the Grameus Continent.
2. Three months later, the Alliance of the Races, with the help of the Imperial Japanese Army, estabishes a wall at the end of the land of Topa. Nine months later, Ta Lou departs with 1,000 troops to defeat the Demon Lord.
3. Two months later, the Demon Lord's defeating army is dismantled in Gurganaff Plain. Two weeks later, Ta Lou and his men engage the Red Ogre and White Ogre, defeating the White Ogre and sending the Red Ogre into a rout.
4. One month and two weeks later, Ta Lou and four others reach Guradoah. They succeed in defeating the Demon Lord's Army 1,200 and the Yellow Ogre, and in sealing Demon Lord Nosgorath, but Ta Lou, Luca, and Kijje lose their lives.

## Trivia

* The Battle of Guradoah only details in the light novel.