"Alright men! Take your battle stations! The reaper has arrived in Southrade!!" Yells the sergeant as he marches across the front yard of the castle, he blows a horn as the resting knights rush into their positions! They quickly equip their armor and grab weapons from the outside station armory!

"May God himself bless us with his divine protection in this fight! As we will be fighting a literal devil, spawn from the deepest parts of hell at any day now! He has already killed some of our brethren and terrorised the people, we must slay the beast! Before he can create any more carnage! He is ruthless, can't be reasoned with, and only lives to kill."

The knights rush across the yard! Into the castle, loading the cannons, guarding and patrolling the battlements, climbing the towers! Tension fills the air as the once calm castle quickly becomes chaotic! They scout every area, the skies, the ground, and the horizon for any signs of a person with horns and a cloak.

From amidst the turmoil, Frank grabs a horse from the stables and leads it to the front yard.

The outdoor slaves rush over to the horse and put on the saddle, along with other equipment. Just how quickly they appear, they soon disappear with great haste out of fear of getting punish for taking too long.

Frank leads the horse by the leash towards the main gate and finds Alice, already prepared with her sword and armor fully renew. However, her gaze is a little lower than usual as she appears to be pondering something. Her shoulders are slump, and her usual cheery atmosphere is absent. It isn't until they got close enough does Alice notice them and snaps out of her mind.

Right before her stands a rather tall, muscular horse, standing tall and boastful like a deity, and with his hair swaying elegantly with the wind. Alice mutters a "woah . ." under her breath as she admires the beautiful creature silently.

Unlike the other knights, they never assigned Alice a horse of her own. For the simple reason that a slave shouldn't own such an expensive and majestic animal. Everytime she was assigned a task or objective, she would have to walk by foot over to her destination. Over time, Alice has learned how to deal with these disadvantages by leaning towards the positive sides. Every time she walked, she would count it as an exercise to become stronger. But now, she gets a horse of her own, at least for this mission. Luckily she knows how to ride a horse thanks to her early training in becoming a knight.

"Here is the horse as promised, you'll find in these pouches a couple of water bags, some weapons, and a medical kit in case you need it," says Frank as he passes the leash onto Alice.

Normally, any knight would be jumping for joy upon receiving their first horse, but without any type of reaction or sound, Alice hops onto the horse and grabs the leash tightly; she stares coldly into the direction of Southrade before turning back to Frank.

"I'm off then . . Take care Frank . ." Says Alice as she signals the horse to start moving.

The steel gates open as a horse gallops out of the castle. The voices of the knights dissipate within each second passing as the sound of the horse trotting becomes more prominent. She stares ahead with a stern expression, with the rushing wind slamming across her face. Her hair sways and whips along with the harsh winds as Alice's shoulders become physically restless.

She appears dead serious, showing no ounce of emotions as she stares into the path ahead, setting her mind to what matters the most right now.

She rides past the countless trees that felt familiar to her. She has come and gone this place throughout her lifetime and practically knew these parts of the woods. It's the same road she grew to recognize. The trees are just as tall as she remembers, the road is still as narrow as ever, the signs placed along the path still have the same message written on them from long ago. Nothing changed, this road is the exact same road she has travelled past countless times.

And yet, the further she goes, she begins to feel amiss, like if these lands are completely foreign to her. This feeling begins creeping out of her heart. Oozing into her veins, and travelling it's way into her body. Alice grunts as she tries to forcibly remove this sensation from out of her body. She tries to clear her mind and focus onto the task ahead.

But almost like a tumor, it continues to spread and crawl along her body. It grows stronger by every second. This feeling that is decaying her heart, this sensation that makes her feel connected with the heart pulsing within her chest, she can't shake it off no matter how hard she tries.

She grasps the leash even harder. Cracks begin to form within her stern face. A flock of birds fly over her, flying the opposite way as they soar across the open, colorful skies, and away from the in-coming disaster . . .

A thunderstorm is vastly approaching Sourthrade . . . And she is heading straight towards it . .

Her hands begin to visibly tremble with the pain coursing through her heart only worsening. She is trying so hard to repress this feeling, that she was genuinely caught off guard, when she feels the sensation of a tear rolling down her cheek. It was then, that she realizes that she's crying . .

Her heart is beginning to sink to her stomach, almost as if it's shrinking as the tears flow with the wind.

"Why . . "

"Why am I so afraid . . ."

The more she asks herself, the more she comes to realize the answer. From amidst her tearful face . . a light smile begins to crack from grief. .

The last images of her sister appear right before her, her smile that is brighter than the sun itself. . The sharp pain swelling within her heart grows to an unbearable degree.

It nearly bursts from out of her chest as it rings in her ears. Even with the cold touch of the wind surrounding her, coiling around her body tightly, she's beginning to have trouble breathing. She's disconnected with the ground and feels like she is already ascending up into the sky, with her head beginning to feel lightheaded.

("The final task I'll be giving you . . . Is to kill Axel the Reaper . . .")

His words come back to haunt her . .

Even more tears pour down as the pain inside her heart begins to drown her. Her eyes become so watery, that her vision starts to become nothing but a blur.

("You're leaving so soon? . . .")

Alice is beginning to break down, she was no longer able to compose herself. The last remainments of her facade cracks as she finally reveals her true self . .

She is terrified . .

She's extremely terrified . .

She isn't afraid of death itself . .

She's afraid of leaving her poor sister behind . . She doesn't want to leave this world, without seeing her sister for one last time . .

A headache begins to surge within her, she clutches her head tightly, the throbbing pain threatens to break her! Her mind goes out of control, it all begins to break down in one great flood.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(7 years ago)

("Alice!! Annabelle!!" Shouts Merek in an angry tone.)

(He storms into an open field with many children playing as he walks directly towards Alice and Annabelle. Unlike the rest of the children, the two are furiously brawling with each other on the floor until the dad comes, and picks the both of them off the ground.)

(Even when being up in the air, the two continue to fling their punches everywhere with angry scowls on their faces.)

("What happened," asks the dad, the tone of his voice spoke volumes which immediately stops the fighting. It is then, when Alice points the finger at Annabelle with tears rolling down her face.)

("She won't let me play football with the rest of the kids!!" Yells a fuming Alice, her sister pouts and points the finger back at Alice.)

("She ends up crying every time she plays with us! I don't want her to play because she gets hurt a lot!" Retorts Annabelle.)

(Merek just glances at the two and sighs disapproving.)

(His daughters were growing up at such a rapid pace. It was almost like yesterday Merek saw his wife giving birth to these two in their bed, and now, these two are approaching teenagehood. As they grew older and started to view the world in a different light. They were naturally going to bud heads with one another, that's just how life works.)

(Neither of them were in the wrong in this case, Annabelle was obviously looking after her younger sister and making sure no harm came to her, while Alice felt left out and in the dark. These types of problems have arisen lately with the two, they've been getting into a lot of arguments because of their noticeable different personalities and views of the world. But they still have a lot to grow, and they need to learn to understand each other.)

(Merek places them down and bends down to their level. He gives the both of them a gentle flick on the head as punishment before stroking their hair.)

("You guys shouldn't be fighting amongst each other. . It's ok to have disagreements, but as siblings. You two must learn to rely on each other, no matter how grave the situation becomes. As a father, I ask nothing more in life then for you guys to help each other in times of need. The two of you will go through many endeavors throughout your life time, but if you guys protect each other, you can overcome any obstacle together, that's what it means to be a family," says Merek as he hugs the two, to their surprise.)

(He smiles proudly before rubbing their heads, embracing them even tighter before standing up and encouraging them to face each other.)

("Now, I want you guys to say sorry to one another," says Merek.)

("Whaa . .")

("But dad. .")

(They quietly mutter under their breath before turning to one another.)

(Silence ensues as they both awkwardly stare at each other. They were no longer violent towards one another, but they still held resentment toward each other. But under the gaze of their dad, and the sinking feel of guilt surrounding their hearts they softly mutter the words.)

("S-sorry . .")

("Sorry Alice . .")

(To one another, Merek's smile becomes bigger as he continues to pat his children on their head. The rest of the hunters finally make their way towards Merek, having their swords and bows at the ready.)

("There you are chief, we were wondering why you weren't at our usual meeting spot. Are you ready to hunt with us?" Says one of the hunters.)

(Merek takes a glance at them, before turning to his daughters. His ears droop as he turns to face his father in an almost apologetic expression.)

("Can you take the role as leader today old man?" Asks Merek, his father puffs his chest in a confident manner.)

("If that's what my son wants, then so be it. Let's go fellow men," says the father as he leads the pack away from the play area.)

(The two sisters turn to face their father bewildered by his decision. Merek chuckles before he pushes the two towards the rest of the children.)

("Today, the grand chief of this village shall be overseeing this game. You girls go out there, and show them what our proud family can do!" Says Merek as he steps into the game. All of the other kids stop playing upon seeing his presence, amazed to witness the very chief himself watching their football game.)

(The two begin to smile and rush out to the field, joining the other kids in the football game while Merek oversees everything with a cheerful expression.)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tons of memories flash before Alice's very own eyes. Despair sinks deep into her heart as the tears run rampant across the cold wind. Her heart is racing faster than ever as she begins to weep uncontrollably onto the horse, she is breaking down as she lets out desperate cries amidst the crisis! She feels so alone . . Her voice will go unheard . . It didn't matter how much she cries now . . She is going to die anyways . . These are her final moments . .

Her heart is hurting more than ever . .

She pulls her hair tightly as the memories come flooding in.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5 years ago)

(The full moon was shining that night. As the crickets chirp outside, and the owls hoot towards the night sky, a sleepy Alice is being carried by Merek as he tuckers her to bed. He couldn't help but smile upon noticing a light grin on Alice's face. She was quite drowsy and ready to fall asleep, but she keeps her eyes slightly open nonetheless. Merek gives her a light peck on her head.)

("Rest up . . He might be here any second from now . .")

(Alice beams happily as she gives him a nod.)

("Ok father . .")

(Merek caresses her hair before he stands up from the bed. He carefully steps out of the room and doesn't close the door completely, so that the room wouldn't be completely shrouded in darkness. With the living room light pouring into her room, Alice takes a peek into the small narrow creak of the door.)

(Annabelle is still up and sitting next to their mother. She is grasping their mother's hand tightly as Alina agonizes in pain on the couch, holding her pregnant belly.)

(She has already completed her final week and could be going into labor any day now. What's more, the doctor and nurse of the village concluded that it was going to be a baby boy from their magic. Both the father and mother bursted with tears of joy when they heard the news, and their daughters were excited to have a little baby brother!)

(It was already deep into the night, so the doctor and nurse have left by now. But even with the hours passing by, Merek and the sisters just waited in anticipation, for when it was time. Even with her eyes becoming drowsy and her body nearly tipping over, Annabelle stays with her mother's side no matter what. Each second that passes by felt like an hour, and with each passing second, the squeeze on Annabelle's hand becomes stronger. She is shaking her tail anxiously as the look of worry on her face becomes more evident. As Merek sits down, Annabelle stood up, and made her way to the front door.)

("I'll grab some medical herbs from the nearby bushes, to ease the pain a bit," says Annabelle as she opens the door.)

("Don't stray too far from the village then," replies Merek, and Annabelle nods before heading outside.)

(As the silence settles again, Merek scoots closer to his wife and hugs her, caressing her belly as he lets out a joyful smile from his stone cold face.)

(" I can't wait to have you in my arms . . . my little Arthur . .")

(Alina smiles before she kisses Merek on the cheek. Their tails intertwine as they connect their heads with one another, whispering and chatting to keep each other entertain throughout the night. The whole family is happy to say the least, they await the day Author will bless them with his presence.)

(With her eyelids becoming heavy and feeling exhausted. The coziness and warmthness of the bed is just too inviting to resist. Alice closes her eyes with a big o' smile plastered on her face, eagerly waiting for tomorrow to come.)

(But just as the day was coming to an end. Little did Alice know, that day was going to be the most impactful day of her life . . .)

(From amidst the silence . . A loud noise erupts from outside!! The noise is so loud, it shakes the very core of the earth itself! It nearly bursts Alice's eardrums as she immediately jolts up from her bed! Her little heart pounds furiously in her ears as her eyes dart everywhere in a panic state. Fear begins to set in, as she gets off her bed, and rushes to the living room.)

(She finds her father hastefully gearing up and grabbing his spear with a serious face as he rushes out the door while Alina screams for Annabelle!)

("Don't leave the house no matter what happens!!" Shouts Merek as he rushes outside!)

(Commotion begins to rise outside as Alice witnesses an orange glow coming from out of the window shutters. Dread begins to tug upon Alice's heart as the atmosphere suddenly becomes tense and eerie. Everything was happening so quickly for her, she didn't have a remote idea of what was going on, and yet she couldn't shake off this uneasiness. By now, she is fully awake and just anxious to know what is happening outside.)

(Alina takes a glance outside through the window shutter and grasps in shock! Her eyes tremble harshly as tears begin to roll down her face. She closes the shutters with an indescribable pain running along her face as she grabs Alice by the hand! And rushes towards the room!!)

("We must hide in the room!! Immediately!" She says as she closes the door and searches for a place to hide!)

(Alice's adrenaline is pumping, she is beginning to hyperventilate by the tone of her mother's voice. She still didn't know what was going on or wanted to know, the one thing she dies know is the awful pain in her stomach was increasing by the second!)

("I'm scared mom!! I'm scared!!" Yells Alice as a mixer of emotions swell within her face! Alina bites her lip. Alice's frightened voice was like an arrow penetrating her heart! She opens the closet and hastefully signals Alice to get inside! Alice does what she's told and blends amidst the clothes. She was nearly in tears as she witnesses her mother crying right before her. Her heart is ripping apart! The sounds of screams from the outside begin to tug at her ears! She couldn't believe this is reality, is this all a dream?)

(Alina closes the closet as soon as Alice gets in. Alice knocks on the woods as the weeping of her mother arises from the other side.)

("Mother!? . . . What's going on!?" Asks Alice as she knocks and pushes the mini doors, but they wouldn't open. Alina has her hand against the doors and wouldn't let Alice out.)

(Alice takes a peek through the small crack, and finds her mother weeping uncontrollably. She was breaking down right in front of her as her tears fall onto the ground.)

("Alice . ." She calls out to her.)

("Whatever you do . . . Don't get out of this closet! . . No matter what happens . .")

(Tears were beginning to flow down Alice's face, the pain in her heart begins to consume her . .)

(" . . Why mother . . . . why . . ." The knocking slowly came to a stop . . )

(Slam!!!!!)

(The main door opens!!! The sound of metal clanging comes from the living room, along with unfamiliar voices which quickly mute the two.)

("Search the house!!" Shouts an unfamiliar voice from the living room! Alina's eyes widen with terror as she leaves Alice and searches for a place to hide!! She scans the room as the sound of footsteps quickly approaches her!! But before she could hide, a human knight comes rushes into the room and shoves Alina down onto the floor!! She screams in pain as her pregnant belly slams against the floor!!)

(The knight smiles, "thought you could hide didn't ya?" He says as he gets on top of Alina and pins her onto the floor! Alice instinctively tries to kick the door open!! But at the last second, she stops herself from doing so as her mother's words flashes inside her brain. She feels more powerless than ever, pain begins swelling in her eyes, but her eyes couldn't look away from this horrendous act!! He licks his lips maliciously as he overpowers a struggling Alina. His grip tightens around her wrists as his face slowly goes closer towards her . .)

(Her body trembles under his gaze as she looks away with her eyes closed, with her tears dropping onto the floor. Alice tightens her fist and clenches her teeth as her devastated eyes watches on with horror! She is at her breaking point with her body visibly shivering. All the muscles in her body begin to tense up as pure despair fills her eyes!)

(He examines her face and instantly smiles.)

("Damn, this one is a real beauty.")

(The knight snickers as his eyes wander down her body, his smile only widens as his eyes land upon her breasts. His body suddenly starts to become more violent as he starts to breathe heavily upon Alina's neck like a dog in heat. He was getting ready to strip Alina's clothes as he fetches for his dagger, but his eyes land on her stomach.)

(His body freezes, but moments later, a snarl instantly arises on his face. His brows narrow as he clutches the dagger tightly.)

(" . . Damn . . . This one is already
pregnant . .")

(He covers her mouth with one hand, and points the dagger towards her chest with the other.)

("Sorry honey . . . We have no use for pregnant women . ." Says the knight as the knife begins to penetrate through her chest!)

(Blood begins to spill as Alina screams in agony!! She desperately tries to squirm around while pushing the guy off of her!! Her body begins to twitch as the dagger goes deeper. The sound of a muffled scream and flesh ripping apart rings in Alice's ears as she stares in great despair! Tears were running along her face as she was forced to watch her mother getting murdered right before her. . .)

(Alina's screams become mute as a puddle of blood is beginning to form beneath her. Her hands fall onto the ground as she stares onto the ceiling with lifeless eyes . . .)

(Her heart comes to a stop as her head falls to the side . . . The knight lets go of the dagger and just stares into the corpses below.)

(His ears pick up on some footsteps behind him and turn to face the person.)

("The coast is clea-" His eyes widened in shock to find the person behind him were not his teammates. An enraged Alice quickly goes for the sword before he can even react!!)

("Wait!!" Shouts the knight! But it was too late! Alice unsheathes the sword! And swings it upon his neck!! Cutting his head cleanly off his body!! Alice screams in horror as she falls onto her back, watching horrified as a volcano of blood erupts from within the man's body!! She thrashes the sword away as she begins to break down. . All of this was a living nightmare. She couldn't believe what she had done. She was hyperventilating as her eyes stared into her quivering hands, which are now dirtied with the death of another person. Her hands go numb as she nearly faints from reality. But more than, her heart feels shattered as she stares with great pain onto her mother. An overwhelming amount of grief falls over Alice as she crawls over to her mother. .)

(She clings onto her mother . . . and cries . .)

(She cries . . and cries . . . But no matter how much she cried, it would never bring her mother back. . She will never get to feel her warmth ever again . . Alice had just lost a mother . . at such a young age . .)

(Another explosion occurs outside!! Shaking the whole house! Multiple screams arise from outside as another explosion soon ensues! Cracks begin to form along the wall as debris starts to fall down from the ceiling. Though she never wanted to let go of her mom. Very soon, this home is going to collapse on the both of them. Although it was a very tough pill to swallow, Alice had to leave her mom behind. .)

(Alice hugs her mom tighter than ever, and gives her one last kiss on the cheek. Spilling tears onto her mother's clothes as she says her farewells. . .)

(Against her very own will, she stands up, and turns her back on her mother . . .)

(An explosion erupts from outside! This time closer than usual. The ground shakes harshly as parts of the ceiling begin to fall down.)

(Although it pains her to do this, Alice takes her first step. She feels a piece of her heart has just been torn away . . . She didn't dare to turn back, as her mother's sacrifice would have just been in vain . .)

(After some time, Alice makes it to the main door, and goes outside. Her eyes widen in sheer disbelief, her legs begin to move on their own, as the world she knew was breaking apart . .)

(This small little village was in chaos. It was being bombarded with giant fireballs falling from the night sky, setting the whole village ablaze. Fire loomed everywhere, as far as the eye can see. All the trees and plants were caught on fire, they slowly wither away into ashes, as all the animals that lived in the trees run away from their homes. Some of the houses were set on fire, big clouds of smoke pollute the sky as the houses begin to collapse within itself. Tons of explosions occur around Alice, as they level the entire floor and set the whole ground on fire!)

(Alice has just taken her first steps into hell . . She is at her breaking point, as she watches the very place she grew up on being destroyed right before her eyes. Her whole body starts to go numb as all of her emotions start to shut down. Words could not describe her pain, as she continues to walk like a mindless zombie. Her entire world was crumbling apart, and all that was left, was a broken girl . .)

(From amidst the flames, hundreds of knights invade the village! They were burning everything with their torches, showing no ounce of remorse as they throw their torches into the buildings. The men from this village come out to defend their homes, but they easily get overpowered by the overwhelming number of knights and get slaughtered. Some knights barge into the houses and steal whatever valuable items they could find. Others grab the women and throw them onto the floor, forcibly ripping their clothes and raping them, before murdering them afterwards in cold blood. Other knights rip the children off the mother's hands and kidnap them from their family. However, if a child was too young such as a newborn baby, they would simply toss them into the fire. .)

(A house explodes in flame!! And a whole family of villagers burst out of the house in flames! Dozens of corpses were lying everywhere. Dirt flies everywhere as the fireballs keep on coming! And the desperate cries of her people echo in her ears. This was hell itself, she was living inside a nightmare . .)

(Just as Alice was undergoing a crisis, a knight comes, and lifts her up onto his shoulder. Taking her away from her home . .)

(She was like a broken rag doll, all of this was too much for her to handle, the clutches of the knight were too strong to escape. All she could do was watch, helpless to do anything . .)

("Alice!!" Shouts someone from amidst the chaos. Alice's ears twitch as she lifts her head towards the voice.)

(She finds her grandparents calling out to her, they fight their way towards the endless horde of knights as they reach out to her and call her name!)

(A tiny ember of hope lingers in Alice's eyes, she starts to cry once more as she calls out to them in a devastated voice.)

("Grandma!! Grandpa!!")

("Alice!!")

(Her grandpa pushes the enemy line back despite his age and makes his way over to Alice!! Though his age had taken a toll on his body, his warrior spirit was stronger than ever!! He was inching closer by the second! Not caring about the wounds the knights would inflict on him as he calls her name!)

("Alice!!" His heart throbs as he kills anybody who gets in his way!! He was just to reach her!)

(But as soon as he gets close enough, another man comes, wearing a crow mask, and slashes the grandpa's spear in half!! He does so quickly and so effortlessly that the grandpa didn't even have time to react! With it's big size metal claws, the person slashes at the grandpa in the split of a second! Cutting his body in half as his upper body gets tossed into the air!!)

("NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Alice screams into the air as she trashes with all her might to get away!! Another piece of her heart was torn away from her, Alice was going insane as the emptiness of her heart was proof enough to Alice that this is reality, not a nightmare, no matter how hard she tries to make it to be.)

(The mask person quickly kills her grandmother as well, it was in the blink of an eye, but before she knew it, she was lifted up into the air with ten daggers impaled into her. It tosses her aside before rampaging the village! Drenching itself in blood as it goes into a feeding frenzy!)

("Alice!!!" Shouts another person, Alice instantly recognizes the voice as the tears begin to fall once more.)

(Merek with one powerful swing, knocks an entire horde of knights!! He was like a bulldozer as his sheer glare along made the knights cower in fear!)

("Alice!!!" Shouts Merek as he charges through the knights! Unleashing the true power of the village onto them!! Every time he swings his spear, multiple knights die!!)

("Father!!!" Cries Alice!)

(Merek's muscles tense up just by her voice as he swings his spear with even more power behind them!! The knight didn't stand a chance against him! He was in an entirely different league of his own!)

("Alice!!!" Merek swings his spear down!! It suddenly clashes with another sword! Sparks fly everywhere as a man suddenly appears from out of nowhere and stops Merek's swing with his sword! The ground breaks beneath him, but he was ultimately unfazed. He was different from the other knights. He matched Merek in size and had a helmet that resembled a lion over his face.)

("You must be the strongest one in this village . . My name is Leonardo, remember it will, because it will be the last name you'll ever hear!" Says Leonardo as he pushes Merek away.)

(No one has been able to make Merek budge, and yet Leonardo manages to pull it off so effortlessly.)

("Stand out of my way!!!" Shouts Merek as he slams his spear into the ground! The floor shatters into a million pieces by his sheer power! Merek lifts up his spear!! And swings it down towards Leonardo with all the strength he can muster!!!)

(The blade connects!! A loud bang occurs as the force of the impact causes a giant wind storm to ensure!!! The entire place shakes harshly as some houses collapse, and the trees get blown away!! The entire floor breaks beneath them as huge cracks form along the floor, and stretch as far as the eye can see!! Merek is the chief for a reason, his raw power was second to none, he's a monster in the battlefield.)

(But once everything settles, Leonardo appears from the dusk. He didn't flinch at all, Merek's spear only managed to cut into his shoulder. Merek's jaw drops as Leonardo shrugs the spear off his shoulder.)

("How disappointing . ." Says Leonardo.)

(Moments later, Leonardo swings his sword upward, and cuts both of Merek's arms in just a swing! The difference in power was far too great as Merek couldn't even keep up with his movements! Leonardo swings once more and cleaves his head completely!!)

("NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Alice breaks down in a flurry of tears as her heart utterly breaks!! Everything she loved was being ripped from out of her grasps!! Alice has sunk to her lowest . . . The events of tonight, shall forever scar Alice . . .)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The horse continues to run, as Alice weeps her despair away. Those old scars that she tugged away in her heart resurface once more, as the scars of that night re-open again.

That night was the night that changed everything. She was stripped from her family and forced to endure hell everyday, ever since she was abducted by Yokubo and his men. .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

("Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!" Laughs Yokubo as he lifts a finger, and emits a fireball from his finger. From a tiny little flame, it quickly starts to grow in size, it illuminates the night sky in orange as the monsterous fireball reaches the clouds! He creates a sun in the middle of the night and with a flick of the wrist, chucks the fireball down towards the village. To the horrified faces of the captured villagers, Yokubo explodes the entire village!! Vaporizing everything in sight and setting the whole place in a sea of flames . .)

("Alice!!!")

('Annabelle!!")

(The sisters find each other amongst the captive and hug each other tightly. They both cry on each other as they watch their home burn to ash.)

(They only had each other now . . . in this cruel, cruel world . . .)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

They were now approaching Southrade, with the storm off in the distance getting closer by the second.

Her life was flashing before her eyes, with her head down and her shoulders slumped. Her arms dangle lifelessly as she couldn't even muster the strength to grip the leash.

Tears continue to fall, but she isn't crying anymore. Instead, amongst that lifeless face of hers, she was smiling.

Her heart begins to slow down . . . unnaturally slow . .

Alice was reaching the end of her path . . .

And she finally felt at peace with it . .

". . I know already . . ."

Her heart reaches the deepest level of despair. It cries for the salvation it will never receive . .

She smiles and enjoys life while she can . .

She was finally at peace with herself . .

There was no point in resisting the string of fate . . for she would only prolong her suffering . .

" . . I'm going to die . ."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

"Your room is number 23, have a good night sir," says the receptionist.

Axel drops a silver coin down on the table before making his way to his room. People stare at him from across the inn like if he was some kind of animal or freak, they immediately back off and keep their distance from him, but he didn't care. He stays anonymous and walks past the people to arrive at his room. He enters and immediately closes the door.

He collapses onto the door as he starts to breathe heavily, and grabs his chest, ripping his flesh as his fingers sink deep into his skin. His hand was spasming out of his control as the quake of his beating heart nearly drive him mad.

The air in the room felt stiff, it was dark and grim, with the silence setting in uncomfortably onto his shoulders.

Axel groans in agony as his curse nearly possesses him. It isn't much longer until he can no longer suppress it. He could explode any second now, all he needed was one little push, and he will go into a mad craze for blood.

Axel gets on top of the bed and tries to sleep it off, until tomorrow, where he will storm black shield castle and kill Yokubo for his power. Axel was nowhere near top condition to fight, he needed to rest to gather up his strength for the upcoming fight. All he needed to do now was contain his monstrous urge to feast throughout the night, if he can manage it that is . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . .

Alice makes it to the town and scouts for Axel. She patrols around and sniffs the air, moments later, she picks up on a scent that was undoubtedly his, the scent of death . . .

She whips the horse and makes him charge at maximum speed! All while focusing on her main objective. But even with this, her past keeps haunting her . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

("Watch out! She's armed!!" Yells a knight.

One of the captives had managed to escape from their grasp when they were in the middle of transporting their newly abducted demi humans into the cells.)

(A knight falls to the ground, bleeding to death as Alice arms herself with his sword, pointing it at anybody who comes too close to her. The knights begin to surround her and back her up into a corner, but Alice does not flinch as she clutches the hilt of the sword even tighter!)

("I challenge the leader into a fight!!" Yells an enraged Alice. Upon hearing his calling, Yokubo steps up with an evil grin.)

("What do you want if you win?" Asks Yokubo)

("I want me and my sister's freedom!!" Demands Alice, Yokubo chuckles by her request, but he doesn't deny it.)

("And who's your sister?" Asks Yokubo.)

(Alice points at her sister, and Yokubo gestures to one of the knights to bring Annabelle closer. His smile only widens as his blood starts to boil from excitement.)

("And what if you lose?" Asks Yokubo.)

(Alice looks at him right in the eye, and says.)

("You may kill me, or do whatever you want to do with me . ." Says Alice without stuttering.)

(The whole band of knights laugh as Yokubo cracks his knuckles, accepting her challenge.)

("That is fine by me, the first one to surrender loses the battle," says Yokubo as he starts to make his way towards her. Alice embraces herself as she lifts her sword towards him.)

("Noo Alice!!! Stop!! Don't do i-" Yells Annabelle, but her words go on deaf ears as a knight puts a piece of cloth over her mouth to shut her up.)

(When the time is right, Alice grasps the sword, and charges straight towards Yokubo while letting a mighty battle cry!! Unleashing her sword upon him!!)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"I'm looking for a tall person covered in a black robe and has two horns protruding from out of his hood," says Alice as she shows the receptionist the emblem over her breast plate.

"H-he'a in room 23," coughs up the receptionist. Alice thanks her, before making her way towards the room. Sweat starts to pour down her face as her heartbeat starts to race.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(A massive gathering of knights accumulates as the fight rages on, if you can even call it that.)

("AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Cries a bloody up Alice as she gets pummeled with punches!! Each punch causes her to scream louder as her own blood drips onto the floor! Yokubo had her lifted off the ground and uses her as a punching bag, he laughs maniacally as he beats the shit out of Alice!)

(He drops Alice after getting bored into a pool of her own blood. Her eyes were lifeless as her body twitches uncontrollably . .)

(She had several broken bones across her body and was mutilated heavily. She was one foot in the grave as her life slowly starts to drift away.)

(Yokubo grins, and turns around, the fight is over . .)

(But then, suddenly, Alice picks herself up with her broken sword despite the brutal beating she received.)

("Yokubo!!" She calls out to him, he turns around, amused.)

(" . .So, the broken puppy still has some fight in her . .")

(Alice smiles before she charges once more!)

(This fight wasn't whether Alice could win or not, she fought for what she wanted, even if it cost her-her own life.)

(Yokubo vanishes in a blur before reappearing in front of Alice!! He punches Alice squarely in her stomach which lifted her off the ground!! It knocks the life out of her eyes as Alice vomits out blood!! She falls on all fours as she continues to cough up blood, Yokubo seizes the opportunity and places his foot over her head.)

(Throughout this whole ordeal, Annabelle was forced to watch her own little sister get pummeled to death. She screams and screams!! With her heart falling apart, but no matter how hard she tries to scream, she can't do anything about it. She thrashes around in desperation as her tears drop to the ground!)

(Yokubo smiles sadistically as he crushes her skull!! Alice screams in agony as he twists his foot around!!)

("Do you yield!?" Asks Yokubo, putting even more weight onto his foot.)

(Alice doesn't respond, but the pain was so great, that she started to cry. Her head was about to split open!!)

("Stop the fight!!! You win Yokubo!! You win!!" Yells Annabelle in tears as she escapes the knight's hold and rushes over to Yokubo.)

(The pressure of his foot stops as Annabelle hugs Yokubo, begging for him to stop.)

(Alice's eyes widen, as she watches her own sister crying her eyes out on Yokubo's arms. The sight before causes made her heart shatter, Alice was devastated. She wanted to ask why . . . But she didn't even have enough strength to move her mouth.)

( ". . You win Yokubo . . . Do whatever you want with me . . . Just please . . . Save my sister . . ." Pleads Annabelle, offering up herself to save her sister.)

(Yokubo smiles, before he walks away with Annabelle.)

("Take Alice to the castle's doctor, then throw her into a cell by herself afterwards," says Yokubo, leaving the courtyard with Annabelle and letting the knights handle Alice, who was fainting as they left, powerless to do anything. . .)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alice quietly opens the door and enters the room. Her footing stuttered a bit after seeing Axel lying on the bed, fast asleep.

Her heart is pounding faster than ever as she takes a gulp and stealthily makes her way over to his bed. She starts to unsheathe her blade carefully as she starts to mutter an enchantment under her breath. Her sword starts to glow lightly as she raises it up towards Axel.

Her palms start to sweat. This is it, there's no coming back after this. She is about to attack someone who she called a friend, and most likely, will meet her end by his hands. . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

("Enter," says a knight as he opens the jail cell, and lets someone enter, before locking the door.)

(Alice turns to face her new jail mate, and her eyes immediately become watery. She gets out of her bed despite the injuries and rushes over to Annabelle in joy. Annabelle smiles back at Alice as she brings a basket of fruit to share with her sister.)

(But as soon as Alice got close enough, she knew something was off. Annabelle's legs were trembling uncontrollably, and despite the smiling she was putting, a gentle stream of tears were rolling off her face.)

(Annabelle drops the basket of fruit on the ground as Alice grabs her as she falls on her knees, embracing her in a hug. Annabelle breaks down as she pours her heart out onto Alice's chest . . .)

(Annabelle was no longer pure . . .)

(That night . . . Alice found out that Annabelle was raped . .)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alice clutches the hilt of the sword tightly!! Her heart nearly bursts from out of her chest as she recalls back to that promise.

Her body tenses up as she gets ready to swing! No matter what happens . . . Alice will get back to her sister . . No matter the cost!!

Alice aims the sword, and swings!!!

It's all or nothing!!

"Hhhaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!"

Axel opens his eyes as a blade comes crashing down his neck!!!

The blade connects!! And an explosion erupts from within the room!!!

The battle, has commenced . . . .