Deep within the woods, fifteen years ago.

  Blood filled the gaps between the ground, like a river of blood. Over sixty tribal figures, dressed in heavy layers of decorated cloth with ornaments of leaves and feathers, gathered around and kneeled in a circle. Their fingers pierced through their own eyeballs, hovering them towards the night sky.

  The elder tribe leader chanted the cryptic spells with everything on the line. The tattoos and markings on her body were entirely drawn using her own blood.

  “The line of magic is the greatest tonight. We can’t give up such an opportunity.”

  In the center of the circle, lay countless bodies of young women. A sacrifice for something greater. The mountain of corpses trembled violently. The lyrics of lost mystic hung in the air for a deafening hour.

  The ritual was then completed. The tribe members rushed towards the center and dug into the pile of corpses. The moon gave its light on them, the center of the stage, as if it wanted to show them the way.

  “You will be our hope… to regain what we have lost.”

  The old tribe leader begged the gods above as pathetic as she was.

  Eventually, all the bloodied hands caving through the bodies without mercy carried up a single baby girl. The force vanished, for it was replaced by a gentle touch.

  “Ahh… our new hope. You… will be the key to divinity… to fulfill our clan’s wish!”

  All of them reached out for one single life signal. Trampling on many deaths and sacrifices, they yearned for revenge with a brutal ritual. A heavy fate would be placed on the little one.

  But, in those eyes of a fragile body that had never seen light before, what would they see the moment they first capture the world?

  The world not only of the present, or the past.

  However, that moment would be cut short by an alarmed shout from a man behind them.

  “Chieftain! Intruder! They got through our line!”

  The entire group gasped at the intrusion. The first to break the attention was the elder.

  “How many?”

  “One!”

  “Tch! Bring our hope to safety! The rest stay and fight!”

  The small baby was then held tightly in the hands of a few men and women, and moved far away from the bloodbath. They quickly fled from the horror behind them, as the screaming and gunshots faded away. Such was a night of tragedy. Countless lives were lost. That day, the alliance of the three tribes of the Sieux, Arache and Choyen who had gathered for the ritual was eliminated. However, their sacrifice wasn't in vain.

  The birth of the child of prophecy.

  --

  The first day after the announcement.

  In exactly one week, all ticket holders must arrive at Regemea, else, their ticket would be nullified.

  This statement alone had escalated the conflict, even before the actual war.

  --

  To the south of Regemea, within the same state Tuckerion, lay the town Niveria.

  Niveria was a comparably small town, at least to the large Regemea not so far from it. With a population of less than a hundred, it primarily served as a checkpoint between many dots on the map. Aside from all, this town was well known for two specific reasons.

  The first would be for its unique sausage. The other would be for its constant conflict and bloodshed with a nearby native tribe.

  In the vast field separating the region between the two, countless rotting corpses of animals and humans rested upon. However brutal their usual conflict was, it wasn’t the case for the current one. The tribe had been relentlessly attacking the town in the last three days without ever stopping.

  The reason was simple. A ticket holder was residing in the town of Niveria.

  --

  “Left flank!”

  “Gun them down!”

  Surrounding the town towards the battlefield were trench lines and spike walls. Dozens of men running through the narrow pathways, aiming their rifles at the enemies.

  The enemies they were facing were many packs of wolves running around the field and dodging the bullets coming at them. At first glance, those beasts might pose no threat to a line of gunners, but under their fur held a great amount of explosives that could blow away a house completely. Not only that, under each wolf hid a different curse and magecraft.

  These acts, even among many tribes, were considered unlawful and dishonorable.

  Compared to the lethal monsters charging at the town nonstop for three days, the town seemingly had no chance of fighting back with just a few soldiers, a few regular farmers and barbers with guns. This town would have fallen, if not for the ticket holder.

  “Line three and five! Move to the second position!”

  Cutting through the frantic soldiers with a forceful command, behind them was the ticket holder, the General. Multiple medals hung on the man’s chest, with a silver-coated rifle on his hand. He stepped into view, unafraid of the threats before him.

  “These bastards-“

  “Hold!”

  Just as a soldier was about to shoot a wolf in the far right, the General held him back.

  “That one is under some kind of revenge curse! Take it out using traps or rope! Avoid directly killing it.”

  “Ah, yes sir!”

  “Two men to that side! Three of you, round back to the town and run a check on the citizens, and bring out more shells! You, run to the first line and reinforce the spikes!”

  “Yes sir!”

  He continued his command chain, ordering each one of the soldiers in absolute confidence. He marched forward on the surface, showing himself in open space.

  All of the wolves changed direction, and navigated directly towards where he stood. Faced with fangs baring towards his neck, he continued waving his arms and gave orders to the soldiers fiercely.

  None of the wolves could make it to where he stood. The lines of rifles cycled perfectly with no gaps, mowing down the monsters using their companion’s corpses as shields like nothing. Among a few experienced soldiers, the remaining normal citizens possessed no actual warfare knowledge nor exposure. Yet, there was no difference in the performance between the two. A masterwork of the General’s talent in commandment and charisma. Fighting against a war against a dangerous magical tribe with no clear end, none of his subordinates ever once dared think of deserting or betrayal.

  Under his wing, the only word that occupied their mind was victory.

  The General, for a slight moment, looked at a distant empty space of land to the left. He smirked.

  Using the momentum, the wolves then applied another tactic. They concentrated into a condensed pack, shielding the innermost one that carried an immense mass of dynamite. They charged towards the General, ignoring the shots that slowly clipped through their defense.

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  “General! Get back!”

  Despite the urgent yelling of his soldiers, the General was unfazed by the incoming horde of death. He frowned at the sight, and in seconds, analyzed the situation before him.

  “Cheap trick.”

  Instead of falling back, he stepped forward with an incredible speed. He simply slipped through the pack, and grabbed the target on their neck with his bare hand, pulling it out of the center.

  Before the other wolves could realize what had just happened, he tore off the explosive pouch from the wolf and threw it away.

  The other wolves, then, barely stopped in their tracks, were captured safely and soundly by the soldiers who followed his footsteps right after. The conflict was resolved without any casualty.

  The corpses laying over the field were all the beasts’ and the tribal attackers’. Over the previous three days, the town had not seen a single death.

  “How admirable…”

  “As expected from someone from the big Regemea.”

  Countless praises and whispers behind his back, but none of them surprised or affected him in any way. He was one of the four to be recruited by the Mayor.

  Glaring at the forest faraway, his hand tightened around the wolf’s neck

  “I know you’re watching, pathetic rat. Normally, these wolves wouldn’t be so vulnerable if not for your manipulation magic trick.

  Invincibility of the old man, destructive power of the Lady, or the trickery of the hidden comrade…

  … I possess none of them.”

  A long pause before a decisive shout.

  “But! I am the General! I have trained and seen countless kinds of hardships before. Adapting to your bullcrap magic tricks isn’t anything strange anymore. All criminals and brutes shall be executed…”

  Then suddenly, he let go of the wolf, and tended to the wolf carefully. It was a clear contrast to the aggression he had showcased.

  Despite the exterior, he was still a General of people.

  The General, void of any supernatural abilities or outstanding strengths, still chose to walk the path he had taken. He knew his weaknesses more than anyone else. He reinforced himself with knowledge, experience, training and everything that had ever existed. A genius in a different way, to adapt to any challenges placed before him. With his nature, he managed to capture the heart of many towns and States. If not for his service under the Mayor’s command, he would be the first one to be sought out by the Central Government during the first expedition.

  The General, such was who he was.

  --

  A young man rushed to the General’s side, clutching with him water and a first aid kit.

  “General! You must be very tired! Allow me to-“

  A raised hand.

  “At ease, young lad. I am unharmed. If anything, check this fella’s condition.”

  The General pointed at the wolf below, and the young man earnestly nodded. As he crouched down and began looking after the unexpected friendly wolf, he glanced at the General and asked.

  “Umm… General… May I ask…”

  “Speak louder, young lad.”

  “Ah, yes! Why did you go all the way out in the open… here? It was risky and-“

  “You must be the new lad from the other town. Well, I’m not that bad of a fighter. Plus, I need their attention. Also, to give myself a better view.”

  “I see…?”

  The General smiled at the young man, and explained.

  “I needed to make sure they weren’t deploying anything outside of wolves. Bees, bugs, birds, for example. Letting the inexperienced on the front would be devastating. Plus. they couldn’t attack the town, because it was their only hostage to keep me around. Else, I would just charge into the forest.”

  “Charge into- that’s dangerous! You can’t-“

  “I can. And they won’t risk that option. A smart approach, indeed. They sent out a small number of wolves to slowly whittle our morale and supplies, while learning my pattern of counterattack. Hmm…”

  “Then-“

  The General nodded.

  “Yes. We can’t see the enemy, but they can see us. A clear disadvantage.”

  The young man dropped his enthusiasm. He wondered to himself, had this town become a burden to the man in front of him? A ridiculous question, yet seemed plausible. But before he could continue that line of thinking, the General spoke.

  “Don’t worry. I might just be the weakest out of the eighteen.”

  “Eh? But-“

  “But don’t worry.”

  With a hint of confidence, the General turned to the forest.

  “Worry not. The war will end today.”

  “Eh? What do you…”

  “My comrade just arrived and they will help me out a bit.”

  “Comrade?”

  “A ticket holder, just like me. I mean, for the four of us, it’s more like a free pass.”

  --

  Within the sea of woods, atop a tree branch. A figure hid under the shadow as their eyes were fixed firmly on the faraway battlefield.

  A Shaman stood firmly, his bare feet planting onto the wooden surface. Long black hair and dark skin, along with the camouflage cloak made out of leaves.

  He scanned through the aftermath using a bird he was controlling, flying above the town and the battlefield. Runes. A trick he had learned from the Northern tribes. A power that allowed him to manipulate animals from afar, the cost being the degradation of the animal's will.

  Besides him were stacks of papers and notes, which contained all of the information and data he learned from each invasion attempt.

  Attempt seven.

  “So this one was a failure also.”

  A contemplation.

  He bent down and started writing on a piece of paper, putting down all of what he could learn from the General while coming up with new ideas. He sketched as he wrote like a methodical hunter.

  “Should I attempt using poison next? Hmm… aerial attack… too heavy for the birds, maybe I can reduce the weight here and…”

  Even in his own tribe, he was a terrifying man. Knew not of honor, nor respect nor morality, as much as the tribe disliked him, he was still ordered to embark the mission to eliminate the States’ pawns and obtain the ticket.

  “That General… he would be a problem. A normal human yet blessed with the affinity to adapt to any situation. After only three attempts, he had already figured out my patterns and reasoning. A genius, hmm… A terrifying one. Our rank has suffered over fifty deaths, yet they claimed none.”

  Exemption from laws. It was something that no man couldn’t resist. It meant absolute power above every authority, organizations, and lastly, the chance to reclaim the land.

  “Even if she had warned me, I am still the tribe’s greatest warrior.”

  Standing up, he looked at the town. His glare was of determination and endurance. No matter how many attempts it would take, he was confident his relentless attacks would bring down the ever indestructible city.

  “A mere obstacle like this won’t-“

  A rejection existed.

  At that second, before another word to be spoken, he felt it.

  The evidently cold metal pressing against behind his head. A mechanical clicking sound.

  He froze at where he was, not daring to turn around. He had placed countless traps in the forests, with numerous animals planted around as his eyes and nose. Yet, even as the enemy right behind him, he couldn’t hear a single sound, nor a shift in air, nor a heartbeat. In the first time of his life, his instinct as a hunter had failed him.

  At that moment, from the bird’s eye, he finally saw the person behind him.

  It was nothing.

  It wasn’t even a complete gun, but a visible gun muzzle, poking out of nothingness, pressing against his head.

  Invisibility.

  But it wasn’t anything close to magic. He sensed no energy from the existence behind him.

  Without a warning, the gun went off, and the world faded away.

  The lifeless body of the Shaman flopped to the ground with a heavy thud, thus all of the animals that had been under his control gained back their senses and ran away.

  The gun muzzle slowly withdrew into nothingness.

  As if nothing had ever happened.

  Nobody.

  --

  “That guy left. Hehe.”

  A mere five minutes later, at where the Shaman’s body lay.

  A playful whistle along with light footsteps emerged from the depth of trees. The birds chirped, and the butterflies flapped their wings to welcome someone. A girl.

  “Ehhh? So you really kicked the bucket, lame dude.”

  Landing gently beside the body, she gave it a playful kick.

  A young girl with long sharp ears and light blue hair. She wore a vast array of oversized, heavily decorated cloaks, with strings of golden pieces and animal fang. Under the fabric, she wrapped herself with strips of cloth.

  She laughed at the body, exposing the sharp teeth while holding her stomach. Her laughter echoed through the sea of woods, like a siren of the sea.

  “So boring. I warned ya not to come here. All the elders and adults are idiots. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot!”

  She playfully kicked the corpse again, before turning to look at the town. Her gaze was distant, yet so close. Her mocking tone changed to something akin to eagerness.

  “Well, but the Demon Lord…?

  So goddamn amazing!!”

  She spun and danced like a ballet dancer, casually merging herself into one with nature. With her bare feet, she walked elegantly while laughing brightly. It was akin to the feeling of being a star on the stage. She swung her legs and hips, turned her head left and right. One step forward, two steps to the right, one step back.

  A silent melody.

  It was a bizarre and horrifying movie. A young maiden cheerfully played, next to a fresh corpse of a man.

  Finally, she came to a halt, bowing dramatically to an imaginary audience. In this case, it would be to the other party who had been watching her.

  A massive black Wolf that carried a strapped coffin on its back.

  A new presence.

  “Did you like my performance, mister Wolf?”

  The Wolf slightly turned its head, and answered her in an ominous voice.

  “Is this one of your kind’s recreational activities? Then how fitting.”

  “Well, definitely to some of us!”

  She giggled, spinning around back to the direction of the town. The Wolf, unamazed by her act, then added.

  “So? Why dragged me into this war of humans?”

  “Mmm… I just thought it would be fun. Besides, doesn’t the prize amuse you?”

  “To be excluded from the restraint of human social construct…

  What difference does that make from my usual days?”

  Swinging her arms, the girl hummed like a child with a frowny expression.

  “I mean! You can eat more people now! And… you can have the chance to fight the strong ones!”

  As if her words didn’t reach its ears, the Wolf strode to her side, its eye piercing through the fa?ade.

  “You, the child who sees the distant future, chosen to be the hope…

  … if you intend to use me for your scheme, I’ll have your head.”

  The girl tried to give the dark beast a nudge, for the Wolf to silently step back from her touch.

  “Aww… don’t be so angry. I’m just speaking the truth! Fighting strong humans, like, isn’t that exciting?!”

  The Wolf then chuckled, putting away the accusing glare.

  “Fine. But wouldn’t your clan be angry if you let this man die?”

  “Eh… I ran off on my own.”

  “Huh. What a brat.”

  “Nah, nah. They’re like, tasteless! So I just wanna go ASAP! Like, no cap!”

  “ASAP? No… cap?”

  “Ah, I’ll explain later.”

  A long pause, then, the Wolf asked in a low voice.

  “What is your purpose in this war, brat?”

  The young girl answered with a smile.

  “For a Sage like me, everything became boring quickly. But this war was the only thing I couldn’t see.

  Isn’t it fun?”

  "You couldn't see this war?"

  "YES!"

  The girl, or the Sage, laughed roaringly into the sky.

  “Shall we attack this town?”

  To the Wolf's question, the girl simply shook.

  “Nah. They looked like important characters.

  Let’s go grab our tickets elsewhere, eh?”