Shaking. The ground was shaking. It felt uncomfortable and every fiber of every muscle in his body stung with pain. Out the distance he could hear the sound of cttering chains and clinking metal as drafts of cold wind flowed past his nose. Freckles of snow piling on his face before a warm hand wipes away the chilling sensation from the small particles of ice

  “Mr. Prince?” A soft voice called out to him. Autumn. It was Autumn voicing out towards him, enticing him back, but somehow a cold pull kept him locked inside his unconsciousness.

  “Brother…” A sweet culling voice that creeped up to his chest, like fingers gripping on his throat, “Why must you hurt me so, Dear Brother?”

  Ben’s face crumpled into a wince, as his hands crawled to his mouth and blocked his nose. “You hurt me too much, Brother, Have you any guilt?”

  Ben’s fists clenched, distance screams from the past repyed in his head, the cries of his sister, the crunch of flesh and sounds of helpless squeaking, and the horrific silence—the dreaded nothingness and cluelessness of what had happened to her—only the burnt disfigured remains of what once was.

  “It hurts, you know?” Maddison spoke directly to his ear, “I felt each touch of that fire, I felt it scar my skin. Mark me. Tarnish me. Ruin me. It was horrible, every scream I cried my skin scraped off, my eyes were boiling, and my tongue felt grilled meat on my mouth.”

  “Stop.” He spoke through her fingers caging his lips

  Her hands turned from fair to a fleshy bck and charred hand, blood dripping out of it and seeping into his throat. “Oh dear brother, how lovely of you to survive, do you remember me? Do you understand what I went through? Feel my pain. Feel the horrors that happened because of you—”

  “Please don't—” Ben's eyes turned watery as tears dribbled down, his sister's burnt fleshy hand set afme again, beginning to burn him as well.

  “Accept my pain—Benjamin O’Neal! You have no right to have survived!” His sister cackled, as Ben’s struggled from the heat of her burning hand

  “THAT'S ENOUGH!” a bright light shone out of nowhere and sent the haunting hallucinations of his crooked sister into ashes. Once more, a familiar figure appeared in front of him again, the same one he saw when he nearly died some time ago—it was a woman, fairly mid sized, with long crimson red hair and a gentle yet tired expression on her face, “It seems you still see me as her.”

  “What?”

  “The demonic energy in the north is too strong and I hold little power here, my hero.” The woman who appeared as his sister, a beautiful, healthy, and grown up version of his sister, reached over and caressed his cheek, “there is much for you to do—your power is growing with each second.”

  “Maddie—”

  “Not quite, Young Hero.” She leaned her forehead and together with Ben’s they bumped, “Do not let your guilt consume you, O’Neal. Your faith and your desire shall burn through all your fears, so let them guide you on your path.”

  “W-wait—” Ben could feel his sister’s touch fading. It was warm, not burning, not cold, but gentle and warm like a hearth. “Don't go…”

  His sister…His real sister’s smile was shown to him right before she—“Wake up.” She uttered and in an instant Ben’s eyelids flung upward and so did his body as it jerked up in shock, catching the young barbarian watching over him off guard.

  “Prince! AWAKE!!!” Autumn yelled excitedly and embraced him.

  Ben chuckled lightly before scanning the battlefield. His stomach sank to see most of his team knocked out on the snow, all while he was on the ground napping. An anger began to rise and all of his worries subsided.

  In a small distance ahead he saw two figures fighting against the three bckened knights and one purple haired man…he hadn't seen him before and he assumed he would notice such bright colored hair.

  “Autumn?”

  “Yes?”

  “Stay back.”

  A blood spear formed in his hand, then its tip changed, into what seemed more monstrous, taking the form of more so a nce with jagged edges that resembled wyvern teeth and the long sharp rounded spearhead that resembled a drill.

  Ben took one step back and arched his arm, his body locking and loaded ready to strike. He took one deep breath, he felt the magic inside him, the Spirit around him, and the rush of blood that’s running through his veins.

  With extreme precision on his hands, he empowered his arms with Spirit but weak enough so that it didn't destabilize the essence of the magic blood spear. He took a step and in a single blink he threw the spear like beaming javelin, fast enough that a small thundercp echoed in the surroundings and a swift gust of air pushed back from the sudden action.

  He aimed directly at a single target, Vander and the stranger he was fighting with were keeping up with the three bckened Knights but that was it—they couldn't squeeze out a victory, it would be a matter of endurance and seemingly undead beings would probably not need rest as compared to two young adults fighting for their lives.

  Vander felt shiver on his back, a feeling of grim death. “FOLLOW MY LEAD!” He yelled towards the dy as he chained one of the knight's neck and yanked it to the side. The Lady with a burst of unstable Spirit punched hard and staggered the knight right where—

  Fwoop!

  In its chest was a gaping hole as Ben’s nce dug deep on the snow behind it. In a single strike, the bckened knight, who overpowered the entirety of the party was, in a moment, swiftly disposed of.

  The knight fell on its back as the other two gnced at what had happened. Leilo’s eyes widened in shock and horror and the red haired woman’s only appeared amused.

  “I see.” Alejandra couldn't feel Ben’s presence, her own Spirit was radiating way too much that it rendered it difficult to sense other people, “he’s back.” Alejandra smiled as she stared at the giant blood spear embedded on the ground. It cttered on the snow before flying up and returning the Prince's hand, who approached slowly. She excitedly waited for him to notice her but his eyes were dead set on one location.

  She had no time to worry about him now though, she had her own loose ends to cut.

  “HOW DID HE?!” Leilo squeaked in a panic but a fist came rocketing towards his chest that he had to regain his focus on the battle.

  “Eyes on me you bastard!” Alejandra's face was a mix of adrenaline, anger, vengeance, and excitement, “You’re not getting away this time!”

  “You couldn't beat me with your sword! What makes you think you can do it now without one!” Leilo retorted back but was only met with hateful and stubborn indignation.

  The bckened Knights moved to aid the Major but chains twirled around their arms and legs and pulled them back. “Oh no you don't!” Vander smirked, “I’ll cave both your skulls in for what you did to my sister!” He spun his body with enough force to pull back both of the bckened knights and send them tumbling on the snow.

  Somewhere in the distance, behind the veil of a light misty screen was a boy, his expression nothing but hate.

  “It seems my own brother seeks to eliminate me.” Maddison, the Princess of the Kingdom, scoffed. She turned to the, up until now, unmoving cloaked being beside her, “Make sure he doesn't as much touch a hair on my skin, will you?”

  The hooded figure nodded.

  Ben, without an ounce of hesitation broke the ground beneath his feet and blitzed through the snowy air, in mere moments his nce would've made contact with the Princess’s face and drove a hole right through her head and stabbed straight into to other side below…however—

  A hand grabbed the nce by its tip, it was the hooded figure, Ben’s arms clenched and tried to push forward but his nce didn't budge. It was the cloaked figure, her hand was an unimaginably pale white, almost like she could've blended with the snow itself. Her skin was smooth and young with no signs of blemishes or bruises, yet—this frail and fragile looking hand is single handedly pushing back a full force frontal assault from the Crown Prince.

  “That’s not a nice way to greet family, Brother, especially right after you wake up.” Maddison smiled and snapped her fingers. Suddenly the white woman’s grab on the nce tightened and the blood began to clot and smell as the blood nce began to melt into a puddle turning into an unusable slump of red goo.

  “What just happened?” Ben stepped away as his hairs rose, instinctually feeling a dread creep in front of him as a hand from the hood erupted out of its darkness and nearly grabbed his face.

  “Almost.” A shrilling cold emotionless voice spoke from the hood, even more empty than Scarlet’s. She pulls away the cloak covering her and reveals a white woman.

  As in, a completely white woman. Her skin was extremely pale like her hand, her hair looked like beautiful strings of white silk. Her eyes remained closed but her lips were curved up not in a smile but in a more pursed manner. Her hands csped together under her chest. She wore an unconventional mermaid dress, one that had a massive fur colr that covered her neck. It was like staring at a deity, a goddess of the color white.

  “Good work, my Freya.” Maddison cheered and cpped her hands. The woman proved to be giant and much taller than her.

  The white dy nodded her head from approval as she remained composed while she stood, seemingly making no attempts at closing the distance between her and Ben.

  “Now, Dear Brother, let's have another chat, shall we?” Maddison had an eerie smile as she gestured to the struggling barbarian warriors behind her, their bodies all beaten and bruised, “I’m certain we can come to…an understanding.”

  …

  “Get back here!” Chains wrapped themselves onto the rge bckened knight’s body. Vander put all of his strength in his arms into pulling it creating a powerful tension before he, with a burst of speed and power, sent himself flying towards the knight at a horrific speed. His arm coated in thick yers of chains collided loudly with the metal armor of the knight knocking it onto the floor. “I told you all you’ll pay for what you did to my sister!”

  The other knight behind him gurgled on its bck ooze as more leaked out of its mouth turning the scene before Vander into something straight out of a nightmare. Its eyes bckened and bck snot flowed down to its chin. The veins in the Knight's neck bulged as it roared in anger, completely losing most of its humanity.

  “Just what is—” Vander, confused, stepped back as the second bckened knight went down on all fours, it's face contorting into a dipidated wreck as it began to look like a messed up oil painting twisting and turning with the bck substance dripping from all surfaces of his head and body.

  The knight cwed at its throat, scratching it till it bled. “Oi.” Vander tightened the chains in his arms, a discomforting feeling began to creep up inside him.

  Then, a horrific moment pyed out as the neck of the Knight cracked as a snout of a horse-like creature broke out of the neck turning the chin of the human head into nothing more than a lip and the rest of the head into a decoration with the human face stuck in a permanent agonized scream marked over its new demonic horse head’s snout. The hair of the knight grew longer, resembling almost a mane, as from the knight’s chest burst out bone like rib that tore the armor, fusing together with the rest of his limbs giving him two extra appendages added to the usual four. The spin of the human snapping out from behind it, cracking the metal armor like paper and forming into a bloody tail. All of this while the bck ooze curled and hugged the six legged demon horse creature’s body encapsuting it disgusting and vomit inducing dark pus.

  “What the fuck.” Pure innate fear and terror induced throughout the young heir’s body, the hairs on his skin rose and his body trembled with each second longer he gazed upon the creature.

  This is what the kingdom has been doing? Creating deals with demons to create zombie-like soldiers?

  To create these horrendous beings?

  “WATCH OUT!” A shield came flying out of nowhere as behind him, a shriek noised out its pain from the sudden attack. Vander gnced behind to witness the knight he had knocked out transformed as well with a familiar shield embedded on its horse head.

  “BEAM OF LIGHT!” A call from afar off mage, lying on the snow with a broken arm and a bloody bruised cheek.The beam of light shed through the misty snow and struck the monstrosity in front of vander right in one of its four eyes. It let out a high pitched shrill as it raised its body in response.

  Vander panicked and raised his arm, covering in chains to block the impulsive attack from the horse demon but a giant bulky imperial knight did it for him. His armor dented and his shield twisted and deformed, yet he still stood ever stagnant like a wall.

  “We’ve got your back, Vander.” Julian said with bloody smirk, his forehead was bleeding, likely from the impacts he took from earlier, but even so he still seemed unfazed.

  From the side he noticed his sister picking up Thomas who was still colpsed on the snow, his wand snapped in half and he could only cast magic from his left arm. The twins made eye contact and nodded to each other.

  There was no time to waste, these demons are stronger than the knights before but this time they were prepared. They wont lose face a second time. This party that the Crown Prince had pced his trust on will hold its ground.

  “Where's His Highness?” Julian asked.

  “He went straight for the head.” Vander unfurled his chains and let it sck behind him.

  “Then we gotta make sure he doesn't get struck from the back!” Julian roared and pushed the giant shield forward with unprecedented strength pushing the six legged horse demon back in the snow. Despite its immense strength, its feet were dragging on the dirt as Julian pushed with all his might.

  Vander unscked the chains and leaped upwards, flipping right behind the demon. He tied his chains to the two hind legs in the back and pulled.

  The demon horse with the shield stuck on it began to rise however and threatened Julian's back.

  “Don’t.” Scarlet rolled over and jumped head first into the demon, retrieving her shield and smming it in its face, discombobuting for a second. It didn't seem to work as well as she thought, however, as the demon horse opened its mouth unveiling a concentration of demonic bck magic.

  “Damn it!” Thomas, with his broken right hand and dominant hand, had to use his left without even a wand to concentrate his magic. This was something only highly advanced mages could hope to accomplish for casting magic without an item to control it would make it burst out everywhere. Right now, he had no choice. If he didn't hit the right target, two of his friends will be evaporated in a mere instant. “Oh Laliette of the World Tree, if ever you decide to gaze your blessings upon me let this be that day. I humbly request for you to grant me the power to protect my friends,” He took a deep breath and pointed his palms, “Behold my strongest light magic: Beneath the sun and its glory, the moon, and the stars. Let heaven bestow upon me, the brightest bze near and far—”

  Thomas winced, his hands bled and burnt, he could feel his left fingers smoldering in heat. His veins glowed white and bloody crawled its way up to his mouth. His legs buckled but he remained standing. This spell, merely spoken to him by his master, was only ever used once in its recorded history. His master had warned him that light magic must only be used to heal and for support and never for direct harm, yet it was only ever used a few times in war, and this was one of them. A forbidden light spell—-

  “BEHOLD THE SUN! SUPERNOVA!”

  A bright explosion of light emanated from him as the entire mountain was suddenly engulfed in a fshing light enough to blind those who stared directly at it. From afar, to anyone else, it would've looked like the entire mountain began to glow.

  However, his friends were not affected by this light, their eyes instinctively closed the moment they heard his sentence end as the encompassing light caused the two demonic horse heads to scream in agony, their skin and body melting from the pure light magic.

  Scarlet opened her eyes to see the dark magic dispelled and the horse demon before her turning into a weakened cowering beast. It's body burning and it's magic weakening intensely. So much so that she felt her Spirit stand a chance against it, she empowered her hand with the shield and smmed it once more onto the horse head, this time that bastard demon felt it.

  Julian finally knocked over the Horse demon and Vander managed to pull its legs out of its body. It screamed in pain as it filed its tail around, accidentally hitting Vander and sending him skittering a few feet away.

  “Vander!”

  The young heir clutched his chest, bleeding simply from one small attack. He knew that if he had been hit with a fully intended powered strike, he would've been split in half immediately. The chains he used to protect his body in that instant were immediately snapped and torn. “I’m fine!” He yelled back. Just what did Thomas do to weaken them this much?

  “That spell was a kill switch against any dark magic user—”, Thomas’ eyes rolled back, “it seems I’m not yet strong enough but cause burns across their skin, “Shit, I'm losing consciousness. My arms—they hurt—” He fell over, only to have a young barbarian catch him.

  He was burning hot, hot enough that Autumn felt her body instinctively recoil when she first touched him, but she dealt through the pain. “Thomas,” she pced his hand over his sporadically breathing chest. She slowly tried to calm it down and it seemed to work, “rest here.”

  “Indeed, young one.” Another hooded figure appeared behind her, “The Princess would like to use you.”.

  …

  Crackle—

  Swoosh!

  Alejandra swung her head to the side just in time to avoid the thrust of the lightning sword that Leilo wielded. She then crouched her body down and remembered the teachings her mother taught her in case she became weaponless. One foot forward, the other based back, and with one clean swing of the arm.

  Crack!

  Her fist collided directly with the purple haired major’s ribs breaking a few and knocking the wind out of him. “Blegh!” He spat out saliva and held his chest trying to return back to normal breathing as Alejandra took a defensive stance with her fists, her footwork light as her swordsmanship, and her blows stinging just as hard

  “You wield your weapon like a tool,” The Lady scoffed, “It is only natural you lose.”

  Leillo grinned and wiped the saliva off his lips, “it's not like I own this, I only stole it cause it seemed interesting.” He threw the lightning sword to the side. It sizzled as it dug down on the snow, “the elf that used this made such a fuss about it that I just had to see how good it was,” The major then shrugged, “turns out it's as useless as he was.”

  Alejandra frowned. How dare he insult a bde when he himself is below par in using it. A sword is only as good as its wielder, “You truly disgusted me. I’ll make sure you suffer for all the lives you've killed.”

  “You're still on about that maid?” Leilo crossed his arms and smirked, “Do you ever think about how much your own family has sin my people, your maid is nothing but a statistic in our payback.”

  The dy felt her blood begin to boil as a white Aura surrounded her completely. “You truly deserve to die!” She rushed forward and threw a fist, Leilo smiled as grabbed a dagger from his pocket and sshed it at her. Alejandra was prepared for his sneak attacks however. She infused her palm with Spirit and grabbed the bde of the knife, she then used her grip to twist his wrist, disabling his entire arm in the process, she then pulled him closer and side stepped, pushing her other arm on his back, before sending him down to the snow, her knees digging into his spine. She took the dagger from his hands and without a word, stabbed it right at his back. “It’s over.”

  “Ack!” Leilo coughed up blood, “Is it?” He kicked her off and in a few moments he was suddenly standing, seemingly without pushing himself up. He looked unharmed and in his pocket was the same dagger he had five seconds ago.

  “What?”

  “Still don't get it?” Leilo opened his arm in boastful pride, “You can't kill me!”

  In a moment, a bright fsh of light enveloped their whole view but Alejandra didn't care, she leaped forward and tackled him down to which he turned his body and knocked her off, he grabbed the dagger from his pocket again and stabbed it on to the Lady’s shoulder, thankfully her Spirit, despite being unstable, provided enough resistance for the tip of the dagger to only pierce slightly through her skin.

  The young tigress couldn't feel the pain—well more like she didn't care for it. She wrestled Leilo back down on the snow as her elbow struck Leilo’s arm knocking the dagger out of his hand. She noticed the lone arrow on his quiver, the st one he had on him. She took the arrow from the back and stabbed him again and again on the chest.

  “AGGHHH!” Leilo screamed in pain and the dy smiled, but—suddenly in a moment they was back where they were a few seconds ago, as his dagger in hand made it’s way down her shoulder, this time—Alejandra didn't think fast enough to prop up a Spirit aura around her so the tip pierced deep into her skin causing her to jolt out in pain before being kicked off once more as Leilo rolled away.

  “Agh!” Alejandra held the hilt of the dagger stabbed into her body, she winced as she took a deep breath and pulled it out.

  “AHAHAHAHA!” Leilo ughed, “I was told not to harm the product but there’s no choice, you just won't cooperate will you?”

  “I swear—” Alejandra felt more and more rage build inside her, “I’LL KILL YOU!” She charged recklessly throwing her fists around, Leilo however, this time—read all of her strikes. He dodged effortlessly dancing around her before spinning and throwing a roundhouse kick right to the side of her body sending her to the snowy dirt.

  “It’s over, My Lady.” His formal and frustrating tone returned, “I shall knock you out once more and take you back to base, successfully.”

  “Over my dead body.”

  “I’d prefer if we don't reach that point.”

  The tigress stood up and drew her fists ready to challenge him again. She then noticed a glint in the near distance—The lightning bde—the one he stole from an elf. If she could just get there, maybe she could use it—but her Spirit—it doesn't dwell well with magic and the only magic powerful enough to blend with her Spirit was hoarfloe’s—and she didn't have that jerk right now.

  “So—weren’t you going to make me pay?”

  “Oh, I will.” Alejandra rushed ahead and Leilo took a carefree stance expecting her to throw another punch. However, the dy slid down and slipped under his legs before running ahead, towards the sword.

  “Damn it!” Leilo cursed and grabbed yet another dagger from his pocket. How many daggers does this asshole have!?

  He threw it towards and it stuck itself right at her shoulder bde but her Spirit was tough enough to push it out before it could reach any deeper and hit anything vital. Leilo was lucky, had the Lady been able to fully control her immense Spirit, not only could she have a nigh impenetrable Spirit coating, but also be basically unstoppable with almost all her attacks.

  He had to get her alive, that Spirit within her is something that the kingdom desires.

  Alejandra reached the bde and suddenly a feeling ripped through her body. A familiarity, a plea, as if the sword itself was crying—begging for her to save it. She couldn't understand why she felt that way, Hoarfloe would’ve probably expined it to her, albeit cryptically but come on—at least she could get a clue with all these random feelings and emotions she's feeling.

  “Sorry,” She said to the sword, like a crazy person, “Let me use you for a bit.”

  Finally, a bde between her fingertips. It's been too long. Her eyes gaze towards her prey. She thought for a moment, trying to pn out her next move. What was his Adjudicator ability?

  How was he able to keep going back to the past?

  Were there any limitations?

  Think Alejandra, was there any pattern to any of his actions before and after he casted those reversals?

  She needed information, so she took a deep breath and felt the magic in the sword, Her Spirit completely destabilizing it. She wasn't like Ben, she didn't know how to control either magic nor Spirit—she wasn't exactly taught this when she was young.

  She may not be able to use the magic in this bde—but—it is still a sword.

  “So?” Leilo raised his chin, “you giving up?”

  “Not even close.”

  …

  “Ughh!” A barbarian warrior groaned as he stood his ground and raised his weapon once more. “Leave!”

  Maddison, Princess of the Kingdom, merely giggled at his resolve, “See here, Brother, the poor souls fighting for their lives, their honor, their belief.”

  “Don't we all?” Ben split the bloody spear in his hand into two, turning into two rge single edged bdes. He remembered his time at the Ramirez townhouse in the capital, his spars with Alejandra. It seems so long ago now—those few days of respite he had, “everyone has something to fight for.”

  “If so, then what is yours?” An intrigued look found its way to him, her eyes stared intently at his expression.

  Ben lowered his form and his eyes caught on to General’s eyes. The White General, the Lady of Youth, the one they call immortal. Ben had no idea what the full extent if her abilities are and he wasn't sure how far the gap between them is—but there was no world where he would simply surrender, “My reason to fight—hmm,” He sighed and out of nowhere a gentle look was strewn on his face that caught even the proud Maddison off guard, “Now, I guess it's to save you.”

  Benjamin O’neal, Crown Prince of the Empire, an only child after his te sister's death—well that's what he thought. Maybe—there was still a way to stop her whether or not she was truly his dearest sibling.

  “Right,” Maddison’s face didn't seem amused with his answer but she simply shrugged it off, she turned back to the barbarians who still formed a wall around the cavern entrance, “Freya, please do help my brother understand my perspective—but do NOT kill him.” Her tone was different.

  The White General nodded silently. Ben prepared for her move, any slight movement from her and he would immediately strike. He watched the white dress, the white hair, and even for a twitch in her eyes.

  However—-

  Fwoosh~

  “What?” Just like that, the Woman in white vanished in an instant, at speeds so fast it didn't make a mark in the snow. Then his feet were suddenly off the ground, and in a moment a vision fshed in his head.

  “If I may, are you perhaps in love with My Lady, Your Highness?” Lady Teresa asked as they ran together through the rubbled pace during the ambush, following the marks ring in her finger.

  “Well—You could say I’d like to be her friend or someone close to her.” He shrugged as he smirked at her, “Love isn't really something someone like me has time to think about, Lady Teresa.”

  “I see.” Her response was short and simple, “That’s…sad.”

  “Is it?” Ben could understand where she came from but at the same time his position prioritizes the country over his feelings, “I carry far too much responsibility to pce value in such things when selecting an empress.”

  “It’s just—wouldn’t it be better to fall in love and be with that person—for all eternity?” Her eyes lingered forward, perhaps she too had someone that she held deep in her heart.

  “I suppose you’re right,” Ben thought for a moment what life would be like next to such a capable woman like Lady Alejandra, “though it's hard to understand my situation unless you were the Empress.”

  Teresa had a faint smile on her lip as she leaped over a rock, “If I was an Empress, Your Highness. I’m afraid a man like yourself would not even be within my sights.”

  Ben ughed alongside her, “I would never dream of it, Your Highness.” He teased and the girl only groaned.

  That's right—he was the Crown Prince. He must grow stronger—not just for the nation but also—

  “Your Highness,” Alejandra’s face fshed in his mind, her hair tied to a ponytail, and her face dened with sweat, a practice sword in her hand, “Let's have another round!”

  His eyes opened and reality did not welcome him back kindly, as a horrifying frail white hand closed on his face. He took his swords and twisted his body to nd on his feet—there was no need to fight conventionally in a life or death scenario.

  The blood bdes in his hands transformed into a shield as it blocked the palm strike from the White Lady. It still sent him skittering through the snow but he managed to stay on his feet.

  “Oh?” General Freya returned to a passive position, almost as if she didn't even move at all.

  “I've got some left in me,” Ben smiled and formed the blood shield back into a double end spear, “so I haven't lost yet.”

  …

  “Your Grace,” Hana arrived in the room, her expression visibly irritated, “The Leader of the Underworld has arrived.”

  “Let her in.” The Duchess, her face uncharacteristically thin and exhausted, her once shining and indomitable aura had since long passed. She hasn't eaten anything in 3 days and all of her mansion’s reserves are being shared across the people. It has been ages since the st import of goods from outside the North, the Demonic beasts have disappeared completely and whatever's left of the Duchy’s food reserves have been dwindling. Trade routes have been blocked off for unknown reasons and several nobles from the other regions have refused help.

  Throughout this whole mess there was one group of people that have taken advantage of the situation.

  “Good afternoon, Your Grace,” The Red Witch smiled as she entered the room, “I assumed we would meet again, how unfortunate this famine is, isn't it?” A mischievous smile broke between her crimson red lips.

  “Indeed,” Amelia’s eyebrow twitched, her dark bck hair frazzled into a mess, “I suppose you have something in mind, don't you?”

  Maddison of the Underworld sat herself down on the air, “Shall I begin?”