Arthur spends ten solitary years manning the freezing perimeter of the Abyssal Rift, single-handedly turning back monstrous incursions to keep the imperial provinces safe. When a newly crowned Empress ascends the golden throne, court flatterers poison her judgment with fabricated slanders, branding Arthur a fraudulent mercenary and stripping his military honors before banishing him into the wilderness.
The moment Arthur walks away from the frontier ramparts, ancient Archfiends erupt from the subterranean darkness, slaughtering royal garrisons and tearing through imperial defenses. As demonic fire engulfs the capital and the Empress drops to her knees in desperate regret, emissaries scour the frozen wastes to plead for Arthur's return, discovering a champion who no longer bows to royal whims.
