The precipice of the war, which had gone on for five years. Five long, grueling years, and had left monsterkind standing on its last leg. Two armies stood opposite each other in a large valley, Mt. Ebott looming in the background between them.
The two largest armies to ever meet in recorded history yet. The last remnants of monsterkind after half a decade of eidocide against them, and the Holy Roman Empire, led by the General King called Derek.
Five years ago, this event seemed nearly unthinkable. Derek had been one of his closest friends growing up, and the two remained good friends into adulthood. The tensions arose when Derek's father had been mysteriously murdered. The pin was blamed on monsters, and while Asgore tried to speak reason into his friend, his own father, Asgard Dreemurr, had been similarly killed. The murderers were caught, and revealed they were agents of King Derek. So began the war, small in scale at first, but it grew exponentially as Derek worked to feed into humanity's fears of monsters, and soon enough, in a conquest of five years, kingdom after kingdom had been wiped out, all to lead to this day.
Asgore stood at the head of his army, his crimson trident in-hand, glaring across the battlefield at King Derek, a scarlet bastard sword in his hand, both kings draped in violet robes that covered their golden armor.
For an hour now both armies had been locked into this staring contest, and all were getting restless. Asgore could hear the alachtis tribes clicking their mandibles together in anticipation as the setting sun cast an orange glow upon the valley.
Nearby were Asgore's closest friends and allies. His best friend, Royal Advisor, and Royal Seer, Wingding Gaster, his black robes drifting lightly in the breeze that pushed against them, his hollow eyesockets glaring out upon the army. Toriel Dreemurr, Asgore's wife, his second in command, wearing a similar violet robe to Asgore, both donning the deltarune. The symbol of Orion.
On his other side stood Flouis Dhelaron, Captain of the Royal Guard, his blue-green scales glistening in the warm light, his yellow eyes piercing. Gerson Boom, High General of the Monster Army, a grey goatee hanging down from his chin, an over-sized hammer resting on the ground beside him as he leaned against it. Finally, there was Rayla Arachne, Queen of the Alachtis Tribes, the bulk of what remained of Asgore's army after five years of war.
King Derek had his own team at his side, consisting of Count Raido, his Royal Advisor, as well as the Luxmagi, though these days they called themselves something else. Something Asgore never bothered to remember the name of. Six humans, all with extremely powerful SOULs.
This was the final battle, surely. The final push. Even after he'd riled up his army, deep down, the monster king knew just how pointless this was. The human army would crush his own, and there was no alternative. He was certain today would mark the extinction of his people.
Gaster seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he slowly blinked, breathing in the crisp air before shifting his gaze calmly upon Asgore.
"This may be our last chance at a negotiation," he stated, nodding toward Derek. "There may be a way we can survive this," so it seemed Gaster had reached the same conclusion as Asgore, and their certain doom.
"Negotiation?" Toriel's eyes narrowed. "Hardly. The time for talking has long since passed. We all know that a negotiation won't stop the humans."
"Perhaps," Asgore replied, staring across the valley toward Derek, "but it's worth a shot. Perhaps... we could reach a compromise," he suggested. Gaster and Toriel said nothing to this, though they needn't. They knew Asgore had reached a decision, and would be undeterred.
"Hold the army unless I give the signal," Asgore advised Gerson, who gave a simple nod, appearing worried. With that, Asgore began to march deeper into the valley, making a beeline for Derek, who was still for several minutes before he too began walking. It felt like it took forever, each king staring one another down before finally just feet apart, neither's gaze breaking from the other's.
