Crimson Rebellion

It was the waxing hours of the night. Adena and Raizo sat alone in the massive encompassing chambers of the castle library. Within the room where shelves layered with books pertaining to the history of the old empire as well as shelves that carried scrolls and other literature that was brought in by Hestia. Each of these new items held information pertaining to the Conclave, sacred texts, information about teigu, and other various forms of intelligence that was deemed necessary to the Ulrick Empire. In the middle of the room, Raizo and Adena sat a singular table surrounded by dimmed sources of light just enough to read the documents laid out on the wooden surface.

"I pulled together all of the sources that should cover the span of 6 years. Everything from field reports by our clans, items written by historians at the behest of your mother, and eyewitness accounts of some of our kingdom's most prominent moments. It may be a lot to go through so are you sure you want to go through it all?" Adena explained in concern.

"Yes, I have to know what's going on. I feel like I don't know anything about the world right now…like my memories were altered," Raizo answered though he chuckled in the back of his mind since the problem with his memory as well as the world were both a result of his own doing.

"Then let's start with this," Adena recommended sliding the youth a folder that had a particular date familiar to him. Taking the bundle, he examined the label before he would be to read the contents inside.

´´Title: Operation Nightfall

Date Taken Place: January XX, 1020

Abstract: The following report is an account of essential events that led to the destruction of the Empire that was manipulated from the shadows of Prime Minister Onest. The contents inside are a compilation of accounts made by the parties directly involved as well as witness accounts of the entire event. Comparison between the sources of information was made as the most consistent details have been recorded.

Part 1: The Preparation for War

In the year 1019, the Blood Wolves were able to successfully mobilize their forces to fight against the Empire after negotiations with the Revolutionary Army ended. However, an unexpected development occurred with the sudden revelation of a young assassin by the name of Aquilo being discovered to be a traitor. It was some time (by matter of days) after the negotiations concluded that the silver-haired male was found trying to sneak away from the encampment without any approval—meaning he had no mission charged to him nor any pressing role that dictated his need for departure.

Upon refusing to surrender, the male was reported as trying to fight his way out but was successfully subdued by other members of the clan. Upon being taken down, it was discovered that he had a letter on his person. The contents detailed a party waiting at a specific location at a specific time. A party of clansmen was sent out to capture these individuals and brought in at a later time. When interrogated, it was revealed that the man sent by the Revolutionary Army to negotiate with the Blood Wolves—Fujitora—was planning to betray the order and have the clan wiped out by the Empire prematurely. These details had been recorded and sent out to the rebels but there was no word on whether the man was dealt with.

Lady Hestia Arashi convinced her husband that it was time for them to wage their war against the Empire without needing the assistance of the rebellion. Raiden did not want to move out without having some sort of reinforcements therefore a meeting of the five orders of the Conclave was called. Out of the five clans, only two met with Lady Hestia and Lord Raiden—the Order of the Jade Dragon and the Order of the Amethyst Lotus. The remaining two orders—the Iron Monkey and White Tiger—were complete no shows and did not even respond to the request at all. With the three present, an alliance was made thus giving rise to Operation Nightfall.

This operation would be carried out in 3 major phases:

1.) The knights of the Amethyst Lotus would deal with the walls and bringing down the gates of the Capital forces.

2.) The warriors of the Jade Dragon would handle those who wandered the streets of the city carving a path to the palace.

3.) The assassins of the Blood Wolves would breach the palace and take down the royal guards as well as kill the Prime Minister and the Emperor.

After the plan was formed, it took six months for the three clans to coordinate with one another and learn as much as they could about movements. After gathering suitable stockpiles of supplies and weapons, the triumvirate set out to eliminate the Empire once and for all.

Raizo took a minute to process the details he read so far. The bit before pertaining to Aquilo was something he was not expecting but it made sense now why he had momentarily forgotten that he executed the would-be Silver Fox. In this world line, Aquilo was outed as a traitor as opposed to the murder dealt by his hand. This was an unexpected anomaly that he had not accounted for. Then there was something else bothering him.

"Wait a second…" Raizo mumbled to himself re-reading the bit about Fujitora. He knew that the masked bastard was a scumbag but he didn't think that he had been playing for the side of the Capital all along. If he knew this before then his trial in the old world line would definitely have gone differently.

"Is something wrong husband?" Adena asked sweetly sliding close to the youth out of concern.

"No, I'm just trying to take in all of this information. I'm only a few paragraphs in and it feels like I've missed most of my life," he explained before he continued.

Part 2: The Lightning War

Operation Nightfall was finally executed at the start of the year 1020 amidst the festivities of ushering in the New Year within the Capital City. Given the circumstances, the imperials was at their most vulnerable during this time since the atmosphere was supposed to be a time of happiness even for the corrupt dogs of monarchy. It was at this point that the fastest war recorded in history was waged.

The respective phases as detailed in the operation were carried out with fluid efficiency. However, there were two major encounters that would greatly affect how the operation would go as well as the resulting events that would come after. Lord Raiden encountered Great General Budou while Lady Hestia came face to face with General Esdeath. Although both ended in victory for the married couple belonging to the Blood Wolves, the method of victory was different for each fight.

NOTE: The following portions of this document had to be compiled from testimonies by those who caught glimpses of these encounters as well as the recalling of the events by the parties directly involved.

Part 2-B: Valley of Giants

The peaceful night wrought with the joy of bringing in another year was interrupted in the blink of an eye. Like a storm brewing in the night, the atmosphere of happiness and revelry that filled the air of the Capital City was shredded to pieces. The bells began to ring out as soldiers moved through the streets towards the gates. As alerts were issued, the public was tossed into panic which only escalated when a loud explosion occurred shaking the foundations of the buildings behind the walls.

Another loud disturbance rang out before the sound of steel clashing against steel radiated in the air. Shouts from the military as well as gunshots from artillery soon followed before the bloodied cries of men soon followed suit. Scrambling like insects, the people grabbed their loved ones and retreated inside any building that was still open. It was quite possibly the fastest the streets of the busy city have ever been cleared before in the history of the Empire. As the armored servicemen moved in to fill the ranks and support the other squads of soldiers, it happened.

Blood and guts sprayed in the air as those charged with protecting the city fell one after the other. Screams of pain and agony echoed throughout the streets and alleys as people dressed in garbs unfamiliar to the citizens moved in fighting their enemies with martial arts that yielded deadly results. A massive melee took place as the invaders took complete advantage by tearing everything that was in their path asunder.

Fires spread throughout the city as various structures fell to ruin and the resonance of steel clashing and glass breaking in various places filled the air. Pools of blood flowed all over the roads as bodies littered the town district by district. Flags that bore the insignia of the Empire were burned. Slowly but surely, the regime was collapsing as time ticked on. The chaos soon reached the gates of the palace itself. The politicians inside scattered all over the place trying to save themselves including the Prime Minister and the Emperor. The corrupt individuals left their protection to the two most powerful people in the Capital.

Standing amidst the outer walls of the palace was one man clad in black chest armor. His stern features had been complimented by his blonde hair that was iconic for having bangs that seemed to jut out like stray hairs pointing backwards. The man was the symbol of fear himself and was well disciplined. His stature was known throughout the Empire for being one of the Capital's strongest warriors. Charged with the defense of the walls, he found himself failing in that task as he had little choice but to hold down the defenses of the palace while the Emperor and his council made their retreat. His ever focused gaze watched as the shadows of the night made their way to the gates he was charged with protecting. The peerless man only hoped that within this chaos, one man would give him an interesting challenge for that was the hidden desire of Great General Budou.

Approaching the castle was a man dressed in all black with a few plates of silver armor protecting his torso and some areas of his legs along with leather gauntlets. Flapping in the wind was a dark, red cape that seemed to flow like it was an entity of its own. His long, black hair fluttered in the wind as his deep scarlet red eyes seemed to burn brightly in the darkness. Carrying one weapon in his hand, a spear, was the man who led the Blood Wolves sought to break through in one clean shot—Raiden Ikazuchi-Arashi. Alongside him was the shadowy silhouette of a person that took the shape of a man. It was impossible to get a clean glimpse of the individual as it appeared that a living shadow was marching with the former party. As the group approached the gates of the palace and began to scale the sides, a loud crackling noise echoed as a flash of lightning came down and made a massive impact cutting off the entrance.

"This is as far as you go," spoke Budou as he tossed his came aside. Two large piston-like objects decorated his forearms as the sparking arcs of electricity trickled off of them. This was the teigu of the legendary individual called Adramelech. Pounding his fists together, Budou had every intention of stopping the party right here and now.

"The Great General himself has come to greet me. I should be honored to face an opponent of such caliber," Raiden responded as he brought his weapon about taking a fighting stance. The man did not waver at all despite the display of strength that was displayed by the imposing officer.

"Lord Raiden of the Order of the Blood Wolves, you are the one leading this rebellion? This is rather unexpected but considering how the enemy managed to invade so swiftly and come this far already, it makes sense. However, I'm confused as to why you would turn your back against the Empire given your clan's standing as the blade of the shadows," Budou explained.

"Let's just say our thousand-year history has come to a point where it needs to be changed. Even the other clans from the Conclave seem to agree…well most of them. You aren't just dealing with the Blood Wolves on this night."

"It matters not which order of this Conclave has decided to attack. Either way, you will all fall. Now prepare yourself!"

Raiden looked over his shoulder and motioned his subordinates to disperse and find another way inside the castle. His weapon soon shimmered in the moonlight as its illustrious essence began to glow with a bright green aura. The Holy Lance of Longinus – Gungnir had been wielded by this man and as such a death battle between two teigu users was set to begin.

"Genesis, don't interfere. I shall take care of him," the black-haired assassin spoke in reference to the shadow beside him. Nodding, the figure slinked away giving the two men room to do battle.

Raizo took another moment to pause from reading. He raised his eyebrow and tilted his head curiously not expecting to read that his father was the one wielding Gungnir. Considering the fact that Aquilo was killed, it did make sense that someone else would have it but he did not expect it to be his own father. In addition, reading about him fighting Budou came as a surprise as well. The boy's mind flashed to a memory from long ago in the old world line of when he fought the general. It was a tough fight that nearly cost him his life. If it had not been for the Fury of the Storm trump card, the boy would have surely met his end that day. After rubbing his eyes for a second, the youth continued to read.

The air became filled with murderous intent as the two titans stared each other down. Howling noises echoed in the area from the speed of the wind picking up. For the party that was getting ready to do battle, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Their eyes were firm in resolve blocking out all unnecessary distractions. Time ticked away like an epic duel was taking place as both men waited to see which one would make the first move. As a loud explosion rang out in the distance, the commotion became a signal for the fight to begin.

Kicking off the ground in that moment, both men charged at one another without delay. As the two forces collided, a massive wave of pressure burst forth. Budou's fist struck hard against the long golden staff of the spear that Raiden brandished. Both men tried to push one another but they found themselves face to face instead. Budou brought his right hand around trying to swing at Raiden but the leader of the Blood Wolves maneuvered his body to evade using the momentum to push the general away from him.

As the two opposite forces steadied themselves, they rushed at each other once again. Budou began to box at Raiden's figure throwing a series of lightning-infused punches. The spearman countered by bobbing and weaving while returning a series of short thrusts at his target's position. What happened next could only be described as a flurry of strikes that looked like an intense fistfight except the jabs were lightning-imbued fists and the head of a holy relic. The speed of the onslaught of blows appeared to the eye as a blur of motion while streaks of green, blue, and white illuminated the darkened area. Sparks of electricity as well as embers from the rapid collision of steel were seen as a result.

A brief moment appeared as the strikes from the encounter came to a stop. Both men managed to offset each other's momentum which caused quite possibly the most dramatic pause in that split second. Using his superior flexibility, Raiden arched his body like a snake and brought the butt of Gungnir around, and slammed it into Budou's unprotected lower abdominal region. The shock from the sudden pain caused the muscular frame of the military officer to stumble back a few steps and cough up a few drops of blood. Taking advantage of the opening, Raiden followed after bringing his weapon around thrusting the weapon at his opponent.

"Take this!" the caped individual uttered as he proceeded to repeatedly thrust his weapon over and over again ranging from the upper chest area to the ground on which Budou was standing. Having hardly any time to recover, Budou brought his gauntlets to purpose defending his chest while back stepping as fast as he could. Bracing for a strong piercing blow, Raiden retreated his weapon before thrusting once again with sheer strength.

"Don't get cocky!" Budou boasted catching the tip of the spear between his knee and elbow. This caught Raiden by surprise because the man had such balance given his larger frame. Seizing the moment, Budou took his free hand and punched Raiden square in the chest sending the black-haired man tumbling back with his weapon in hand.

"Guh!" the leader of the Blood Wolves grunted in pain as he felt the wind knocked out of him for a moment. Pounding on his breastplate, Raiden caught a breath of air once more as he slowly got on his feet. Both men had been breathing raggedly from the contact they made with one another. Suddenly Budou clenched his fists tightly as rage began to fill him. In response, a large cloud materialized swirling around the area. Loud claps of thunder echoed out as the sky became illuminated with streaks of lightning.

"Let's see if the legend of the Blood Wolves can hold true. After all, it was said that the founding members of your clan fought against a beast that manipulated lightning as well. Can you dodge this like your ancestors?" the Great General mocked as he began to ascend in the air.

"Trying to test my lineage by talking about how my clan came to possess Indra's Judgment I see. Bring it on then," smirked the assassin as he observed the skies.

"Lightning Crash!" Budou shouted out as bolts of electricity began to rain down on Raiden's location one after another. Snapping out of his daze, the spear wielder became to move to dodge the strikes as they rained down upon the ground scorching the surface of the Earth. He had to keep moving as the fact that he had metal on him served as bait for the arcs of energy. One after the other lightning fell upon him which prevented the man from having a single moment to gather his thoughts. As long as Budou remained in the air, he had a disadvantage.

"Damn it…" Raiden cursed under his breath. Without any time to plan his next attack, he would just be running around until his endurance ran out. There had to be a way to knock the man down from the sky but how? Budou remained stationary the entire time so surely that meant that there was some sort of opening there right? That's when it came to him. Budou didn't move the entire time that he rained down the bolts of electricity. This meant that he would be at risk if he moved around so he had to force him out of the sky.

Raiden took off towards the gate that led to the palace grounds. Seeing this, Budou tried to cut off his advance by raining down more electric bolts down in front of the man but the cunning assassin switched up his movement zig-zagging left to right. He then scaled up the wall of the entrance and propelled himself in the air hurling himself at the floating officer.

"You son of a…" Budou began to say as he realized what was going on but before he could react and adjust the trajectory of his projectiles, Raiden was already in his face as he seemed to break the sound barrier launching himself at the giant.

"HAAAAAA!!!!" Raiden screamed out taking a swing at the floating general. Using the speed from his jump, the momentum he gained transferred into his weapon as Budou was swatted down out of the sky landing on his back as his body made a mid-sized crater in the surface. Seeing his opponent rendered motionless created an opportunity for the man. The green aura radiated around his body as it began to form a burning flame-like aura at the tip.

"O, Holy Longinus, Breakthrough!" Raiden yelled out in a chant. The aura raged brilliantly as the man gripped the weapon hard. He then nosedived with his weapon in hand, the blade honed on the target, Budou's heart.

"HIGHWIND!"

The energized weapon hit its mark head-on as a bright pillar of emerald light blew upwards to the heavens above. Smoke covered the entire area as a result of the impact and a massive gust of wind soon followed. The nearby trees outside the gates had their leaves blown completely away. After a few seconds, the dust settled and the silhouettes of the men doing battle could be seen. Raiden had Gungnir stabbing Budou directly in his chest breaking apart the armor but something was wrong.

"What…the…hell?" the assassin uttered as he saw only slight trickles of blood leak from the area of impact. Budou was staring at his opponent with a sinister smile. It didn't make sense! The wound should be fatal. After all, Highwind gathered enough energy to wipe away a small city so it didn't make any sense as to why Budou was still alive. The scarlet-eyed man gazed down at the armor and saw that it wasn't exactly normal armor.

"I am lucky to have worn this armor today….who knew it would come in handy?" Budou mocked, "My chest armor is a special prototype chest plate modeled after Incursio. Although it cannot completely compare to the might of that teigu, it is still harder than most if not all manmade armor the Empire has. Though, you did still manage to break it. That teigu of yours is truly something but this fight is over."

"Don't…get cocky Budou; I just have to….AGGGGHHH!!!"

Before Raiden could even finish his sentence, a pillar of light consumed them both. Stunned from the attack, Budou reached up and backhanded the man off of him while pulling Gungnir out of his chest. While slowly getting up on his two feet with the fragments of armor falling off of his shoulders, Budou gradually stood up.

"Advent of the Thunder Emperor," the man uttered with a scowling face. It was a technique that allowed the Great General to call thunder from the ground and send it to the sky. The powerful man managed to do this while Raiden was distracted. The damage that was done got transferred directly to his assailant while residual damage was transferred into Adramelech itself. The old man felt immense pain coming from the center of his chest as he coughed up more blood. He took more damage to his body than he liked to admit.

"Tch…" Raiden groaned in pain as he barely managed to recover from the blow. His entire body felt numb and his body was hardly responding to his brain's commands. That lightning strike affected his nervous system badly but the amount of adrenaline pumping through his veins pushed past the pain. Grabbing Gungnir, the formidable clan leader had to end this in one last move. This would be the deciding factor.

"You're quite the foe Raiden but it's time to finish this once and for all," Budou said levitating in the air again. Raising his arms up high, the general gathered all of the electricity he could and concentrate on a dense black orb of energy. The tower of sheer force sought to end this in the blink of an eye as well before he succumbed to his injuries.

"I was thinking the exact same thing," Raiden replied as a green aura filled the spear. Seeing Budou's blood on the tip of the blade made the assassin crack a smile. He was going to use his own blood as a trigger but since his enemy's blood was already on the spear then he didn't have to worry about anything. He took a deep breath to concentrate on gathering energy clearing his mind of any unnecessary roadblocks. The teigu began to glow brightly as a mixture of green and gold energy gathered around the man.

"O, Holy Longinus, Redeem Me," Raiden chanted as the blood on the blade was absorbed by the weapon and its luster grew in intensity. What the leader of the Blood Wolves was about to do was use the trump card that belonged to Gungnir—one that required an offering. Using one's own blood drained the life force of the user in order to assail their target but if the enemy's blood was absorbed, then the effect was different. As the latter was used as the catalyst, the divine nature of the holy teigu began to gather the energy required to unleash a technique that would blast away mountains with ease. Seeing this, the Great General tried to act.

"SOLID SHOOTER!" Budou yelled at the top of his lungs releasing a torrent of concentrated electrical energy like a beam raining towards Raiden's location. It was the man's last move using the trump card of Adramelech.

"BLOOD HUNTER!" Raiden screamed out throwing his weapon like a heat-seeking missile as it flew toward its target.

The divine spear collided with the energy from Adramelech causing a deadlock in the sky. Protected by its aura, Gungnir was gradually pushing through the attack inch by inch causing the general to have to focus more. As he poured more power into his gauntlets, the teigu began to crack and chip away signaling the fact that it wouldn't hold. The masses of power argued over who would hit which target but Solid Shooter was not going to win. Budou's teigu shattered and the energy that was released was scattered with ease. What happened next was Blood Hunter finding its target and piercing the legend through his chest leaving only a gaping hole large enough for the moon to be seen on the other side. Gungnir continued to fly as the myriad of colors burst forth illuminating the sky before falling down the ground striking the life corpse of the general in his head.

Raiden collapsed to one knee as he was completely worn out from the fight. The shadow reappeared taking the full shape of a man whose attributes were still obscured by darkness. He leaned down and helped the assassin up to his feet. The battle had drawn to a close as one of the primary symbols of strength the Capital possessed had fallen.

"Wow," Raizo spoke in awe as he came to a stop one again. Adena tilted her head curiously at what the youth had read.

"What is it?"

"I can't believe my father took down Budou," he said referring to what he just read. However, he had internal conflict in the back of his mind regarding his dad. Raiden wasn't his real father by blood, just by the role only. Even though he and the man had a strained relationship, the youth still grew up identifying him as his parental figure. Did anyone else know about his actual lineage or was it only known by his mother? He was unsure but he could only deal with what was presented to him. It was then that Adena added in her feedback.

"Yeah, when I read about this fight I definitely had a lot of respect for your father which only makes things harder to believe. Keep reading though, I think the part about your mother comes next."

Nodding at Adena's response, Raizo went back to reading.

Part 2-C: The White Queen

While the fight between Budou and Raiden drew to a close, the grounds of the castle had already been breached from the east and the west by members of the Blood Wolves and a few groups from the Jade Dragons. One of these teams had been led by Hestia Arashi herself. She was racing through her environment in a black and red suit with gray-colored armor covering her vital spots. Her long trail of white hair danced in the breeze as her primrose eyes examined her surroundings carefully.

The stunning beauty wasn't just someone who could be dismissed as a cunning wife for under her calm demeanor was the skill belonging to that of a true warrior. Her prowess in raw skill earned her a reputation of being one the strongest women in the known world without the use of a teigu. Ironically, she used the same weapon as her husband which was a spear but she tended to carry more than one.

As she raced through the gardens of the palace, she found her surroundings to be too quiet. She heard the noise coming from her husband's fight and even saw the visuals of that encounter out of the corner of her eye. In addition, she also heard the sounds the battles taking place throughout the city but for where she was at…something didn't feel right. The woman slowed her pace as she crept through the grounds of the serene area while her subordinates followed. It was then that she felt a chill crawl down her spine.

"Get down everyone!" she ordered her group but it was too late as her team was immediately wiped out. Ten souls that were following her lead met their end by spikes made of ice pierced through their vital organs. Hestia's gaze adjusted to face the direction of her opponent which led to her eyes landing on the Ice Queen—General Esdeath.

"Well then, it looks like I shall have quite the quality feast on this lovely night," smirking the sinister female as she stepped into the moonlight with her suggestive figure in full view. She had her rapier draw with her right hand as the left radiated a chilling aura. Giving a confident grin in return, Hestia brought two crimson lances in her hands to purpose.

"I didn't expect to have you as my opponent but I can't say that I'm not a little excited for a fight right now," the fearsome woman spoke cracking a smile. She licked her lips slowly as her murderous intent filled her eyes though in the back of her mind, she had a different idea in mind. Esdeath tilted her head to the side cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh? Do you really think you have a chance against a teigu user? I doubt you'll be able to fight on par with me," the general scoffed.

"My dear deluded general; I have a reputation to uphold of being one of the strongest women in the land without a teigu plus, I've been an assassin much longer than you have been able to toss around ice. Besides, if I can't smack you around for a little bit without going all out then a longtime friend of mine would laugh at me."

"It seems like I have an interesting challenge then."

"Indeed, now then are you ready?"

"I was born ready."

Kicking off of the ground, the two female powerhouses charged at each other breaking the sound barrier with ease. Their opening strikes at one another resulted in a deadlock right off the bat. The clash between their armaments created a massive shockwave as the sound of thunder resonated immediately after. Hestia towered over Esdeath in terms of height but that was the only way she looked down on the female. The lady of the house of wolves never looked down on her opponent when she felt like they would present an interesting challenge. Trading looks of delight from testing each other's strength, they pushed away from one another before beginning to exchange attacks.

Taking off at the same time, the two opposing women lunged at one another before launching their flurry of attacks. Esdeath thrust repeatedly with her rapier as if she was stabbing the air itself directing her onslaught at her opponent. Hestia countered by effortlessly piercing through the air with both crimson lances. Given the way the spears traveled through the space at the general, it was almost as if she had been using short swords or daggers as opposed to weapons that would normally be wielded by two hands. Masterfully, the wild blows glistened in the night as sparks ignited from the grinding surfaces of the arms.

As the onslaught continued on both fronts, it could be partially seen that neither one was scratching the other for they were locked in a waltz of attacking and dodging. However, despite the seemingly even matchup, Hestia had the advantage due to having more range with her weapons. On the other hand, Esdeath had the advantage due to being notably shorter than her opponent. Both had their strengths in this situation and their weaknesses but the critical advantage that one possessed was teigu.

Esdeath spun away from Hestia and placed her palm on the ground. The moment the white-haired female charged forward a large wall of ice was erected right before her cutting off her advance. Anticipating an ambush from above, Hestia doubled back before dashing to the right side to get around the obstruction. Pivoting her right foot as she got to the edge of the wall, she brings one spear around instinctively spinning it around as a precaution to guard. When she rounded the area, Esdeath was already gone but the lady of the Blood Wolves was right to suspect an attack except it came from behind.

Esdeath rounded the other side of her barricade trying to attack the back of her opponent but what the female did not see was Hestia's other spear. Feeling the murderous aura of her enemy, the intuitive beauty angled her left wrist to guard her back blocking the rapier of her foe. Stunned yet pleased, Esdeath tried to push her way through to stab her enemy but there was no avail in such deeds. Hestia swiped her right hand and spear busting through the ice wall trying to hit the imperial officer. Kicking off the ground, the sadistic individual jumped high in the air.

Raising her left arm up in the air, massive ice spikes formed numbering about 10 or so. She spun them like drills and launched them like a barrage of missiles on her target. The spikes fired off at supersonic speeds breaking the sound barrier as they were launched from their position. To the normal human being without any real training or just the average soldier, these projectiles would spell certain death; however, Hestia was far beyond a normal individual. Her years of experience as a master assassin and her training that she's endured during those years came as a great benefit in this situation.

The woman took off evading the falling stalagmites with ease as each one came crashing down shattering into pieces as they hit the earth. She traversed the entirety of the courtyard where the two women were fighting. The entire location was torn apart as result but that didn't matter to the lethal beauty. Esdeath gracefully fell down towards the earth after launching her assault but before she her feet would touch the ground, Hestia scaled a nearby wall and jumped into the air after the woman.

"What the…?!" the blue-haired beast shouted in astonishment before being met with her opponent.

"I told you don't underestimate me," Hestia taunted as she swung her spears at the general. A clash of steel followed suit as Esdeath tried to fend off the barrage of crimson thrusts at her. Not even caring about the laws of gravity, Lady Arashi relentlessly assaulted her opponent with greater force than before. They soon hit the ground a split second after but neither party was stunned from the impact. Esdeath released more ice projectiles raining a hailstorm of spikes on Hestia but this time from all sides. Caught off guard for a second, Hestia began to twirl her weapons around in her hands to deflect the waves of icicles.

"HAHAHA!" Esdeath laughed maniacally as she witnessed her target struggle. A few of the spikes slipped through the tornado of motion that the woman displayed to protect herself. Luckily she had armor covering her vitals such as her chest and pressure points but some scratched her along the arms and legs drawing blood. Although the damage being done was negligible, the wounds still stung which hindered her movement for a split second.

"You're mine now!" Esdeath shouted launching more projectiles directly at Hestia. The spear-wielding female bit her lip to shake the irritation from what she considered to be paper cuts before bracing herself for the oncoming attacks. The ice barreled towards her with deadly purpose. Rather than evade, she began swinging at them batting them aside like they were flying pests. One after another echoes of breaking glassed sounded out from the display. Taken by the fact that she had an opponent worthy of her true potential, the mighty general grits her teeth in an even larger sadistic smile; however, play time was over.

"You're boring me now," Hestia bluntly stated stabbing her two crimson lances into the ground. She then drew two more of them from her back before grabbing the two she just put down. Now she was wielding four spears, two pronged between her fingers in each hand. This was difficult to do for any normal individual but Hestia had weapons that were specially made with grooves along the staff for this precise formation. Her primrose eyes were filled with calm yet fierce resolve. Her killing intent all but vanished which conveyed an aura of unpredictability on her part.

Seeing this display, Esdeath felt her heart jump up in her throat for a fraction of a second. The moment forged another rapier composed of ice in her left hand. Dual wielding was going to be her safest bet. A light breeze blew over both parties as their eyes focused on each other once more. Seeking to end this once and for all, Hestia's mind began to play out what she would do. She had an ulterior motive in this fight so now was the time to act on that with this final clash. The kid gloves were off so now it was the time to breakthrough. The women took respective attack stances readying themselves for what would come next as the moon beamed down on both of them.

Esdeath took slow inhales and exhales of air so that she could still her nerves. She had never felt this feeling in her chest before. Was it exhilaration from having an opponent of the Blood Wolf's skill? Or was it that thing known as fear? She didn't know but it was a unique feeling. However, before she could catch her composure, Hestia made her move. Taking off at a speed that broke the sound barrier at least 25 times over, the spear user moved at Esdeath faster than the Ice Queen had anticipated. She rushed the general in a blink of an eye striking her in the mid region.

The body of Esdeath was sent barreling through the numerous pillars that held up some of the structures of the exterior of the palace. It wasn't soon after that these corridors began to collapse and locations where offices were located had been reduced to rubble. The sadist of ice had finally come to a stop after going through about six or more walls being buried in rubble but that wasn't enough to kill her. As she slowly dug her way up to get open air, she found that Hestia was already standing over her.

"I suggest you quit while you're ahead," the woman spoke with a solemn tone. Esdeath gritted her teeth and went on the attack. It was soon that the women were exchanging blows once more as two rapiers tried to fend off four lances. The thunderous clashing resonated throughout the palace grounds as more of the massive structure collapsed from the heated fight. Blurs of motion as well as sparks were the only traces of the fight between them as they sought to tear each other asunder.

Ice pillars had been put up to defend Esdeath during the struggle but as fast as she erected them was how fast Hestia destroyed them. The fighting intensified once more but the general was losing her edge. That surprise attack that her opponent dealt did some serious damage to her nerves as the sadist felt herself getting sluggish. As if she sensed that very fact, Hestia Arashi capitalized on an opening thrusting her lances at the general with deadly intent. As Esdeath found herself narrowly dodging, the white-haired woman ducked low and swiped her fought across the ground tripping her enemy and putting the imperial on her back. Hestia stabbed her lances into an 'X' shape at Esdeath's throat then used her other two lances and penetrated the woman's hands.

"AHHHH!" Esdeath screamed out in agony. Hestia chuckled rolling her eyes.

"Oh shut up, those wounds can easily be healed. Though, whether or not you will be afforded this courtesy depends on your action after the next five minutes," she stated while crossing her arms and moving aside a few strands of hair. The general looked up at the face of her enemy incredulously perplexed by her words.

"Wh…what the hell are you on about? You should kill me while you have the chance!"

"Hahaha, silly Esdeath. You don't understand at all. I don't want you dead but I'm content with killing you if you don't accept what I'm about to offer you."

"Why the hell would I accept anything you have to offer me?"

"Because you have nothing to lose, well your life is on the line but that's about the only thing of value at this moment. Whether you live or die, this Empire is finished. My husband has dealt with Budou and my son and other comrades are on their way to kill the Emperor and the rest of the Royal Court. This regime is as good as finished."

"So what? Are you going to propose that I cooperate with you for the sake of peace?"

"Oh please," Hestia chuckled, "Peace is nothing more than a parlor trick to tell your children so they can sleep better at night. True peace can only be achieved through order, a strong order led by a strong ruler."

"Heh, isn't that what the Empire is?"

"No, it's not. The Empire is too concerned with profit and self-interest hence why it is so corrupt. This regime failed in one regard: its people."

"Now you just sound like the fools who fight for those damn rebels."

"I can see that but in my eyes, you can't give the people too little otherwise they will hate you; however, if you give them too much then they won't respect you. You have to be able to receive the perfect balance of love and fear. Be kind to those who follow you and stern so that they don't disobey you and be absolutely ruthless towards your enemies. Expect nothing but gain everything."

"So what does this vision of yours have to do with me?"

"I want you to fight under me. You have a talent for war that most cannot mimic. I want nothing but the most capable individuals under my banner when I rule this country."

"Didn't you just say you had a husband? He would rule before you."

"Oh, don't worry about him. In all honesty, he's just a figurehead that leads the Blood Wolves because he is a male. In reality, I am the actual leader but because I am a woman, well…I'll spare you the preaching of equal rights. Fight for me General Esdeath, become my sword and I shall let you rain hell upon my enemies starting with the Revolutionary Army."

"But…are they not your allies?"

"No, in fact we were just a matter of convenience for them. The Conclave rules the shadows with the Blood Wolves leading the charge. I have control over the Blood Wolves and I have the Jade Dragons and the Amethyst Lotus following me. Do you honestly think I need some ragtag bunch of idiots who are so immobilized by fear that they can't even stomach the thought of doing what we just did?"

The Ice General went quiet after hearing all of the things Hestia just said. This woman wasn't a person who was just fighting for the sake of fighting nor was she fighting for some world ruled by the idea of peace. No, she was a visionary with eyes set on power and having complete authority. For a woman, she found herself admiring that but was it really worth betraying the very entity she swore to protect? She weighed her options and came to a decision.

"Alright then Blood Wolf, consider me intrigued," the sadist answered in a calm tone.

"Call me Hestia, though that may change when I become Queen…or would it be Empress? Oh well. Anyways, I'm glad to have you aboard. Though, it may be best if you remain scarce until the soldiers are taken care of," the white-haired female explained pulling up her spears from the woman's neck as well as her hands.

"I'm keeping you to your word about letting me have a war and raining hell against your enemies," spoke Esdeath with a color of insidiousness in her azure hues.

"Oh trust me, you will. However, if you betray me then expect my weapons to pierce more than your hands."

Coming to an agreement, the alliance between the two parties was made.

Looking up from the document once more, Raizo took a break. He never knew his mother could fight like the way it was just described. Though considering the way she fought with her spears in the other world line while using gravity, he shouldn't be all that surprised. Given the report, he understood why Esdeath was there in the palace but he found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that she actually swore her allegiance to his mother. Keeping his reactions to himself, he didn't bother saying anything to Adena for now and just kept reading the final part of the 'Operation Nightfall' document.

Part 2-D: The Fall of Corruption

NOTE: The remaining events that took place are detailed briefly in this report as most events were deemed miscellaneous yet necessary to document for historical purposes.

The Blood Wolves raided the palace killing everyone that roamed the halls. From the guards to nobles, anyone that was deemed a threat was swiftly dealt with. Even attendants such as maids and other servants were killed. Although it may be brutal, the entire staff was not to be trusted for some carried items such as needles and knives on them while others were drugged out of their mind.

Raizo Arashi and Adena Zao-Long discovered the location of the Royal Court along with the Prime Minister and the young Emperor. Without mercy, they were executed. Onest was reported to fight back but Young Master Raizo swiftly beheaded him with his scythes while the young irrelevant puppet was burned by Lady Adena. Upon their deaths, the Empire had effectively fallen.

What followed after the news spread through the city were various outcomes. Some soldiers immediately surrendered while others continued to fight. Regardless, they were swiftly put down without delay as Hestia ordered no prisoners be taken unless they were perceived of value. As a result, the mighty Empire had fallen in the course of about four hours within a single night. Operation Nightfall was an overwhelming success.

End of Report

Raizo closed the folder and slide it aside. The youth rubbed his temples trying to process what all he just read. The Capital fell in just one night and he had participated? That was something he was not expecting but it wasn't going to be the end of his shock. After all, there were still other items to skim through in order to get caught up. That only encompassed six months of his life but there still had to be more.

"Here, this one will explain why we are here in the palace right now and fill in the details as to why we're at war once again," Adena said sliding over another folder with a label on it. Taking it, Raizo prepared himself for what was to come next.

Title: Rise of the Ulrick Empire

Timeframe: Years 1020 – 1022

Abstract: Within the contents of this document are details that pertain to some of the key events that gave rise to the Ulrick Empire ruled by Empress Hestia. Most events are summarized as other mission reports encompass events that are listed or mentioned here.

After the success of Operation Nightfall, the weeks that followed suit became a matter of rooting out any weeds left within the city that were still loyal to the fallen regime. Casualties numbered in the tens of thousands perhaps more as the bodies of imperial soldiers littered the streets. There were many civilian deaths as well which, although tragic, was completely acceptable in achieving the goal of toppling the pillar of corruption. Deaths were also reported for the triumvirate that invaded during that fateful night but the losses were low and basically negligible.

Many of the innocents who sheltered within the walls of the Capital were allowed to leave if they so wished it. Neither Raiden nor Hestia along with any of the leaders within the three orders tried to stop it as they all knew that there were more pressing matters to attend to and causes of concern to address. To prevent the spread of disease and rid the stench of war, the bodies of the dead were gathered and burned in mass graves and structures that were badly damaged were torn down. Anyone who was able helped in this regard whether they are a member of one the Conclave orders or a civilian who remained in the city.

As restoration and such was slowly organized, new supply routes were established to locations that were within the territories of the Conclave. Hestia Arashi did not waste any time in organizing forces to swiftly deal with any enemies that fought in the name of the old empire. For future documentation and records, it is to be noted that the fallen regime alongside any parties loyal to it to be referred to as the "Imperial Remnant".

NOTE: Mission reports pertaining to the elimination of the Imperial Remnant are filed under "Operation Divine Wind".

As the spreading of the news of the fall of the empire spread, the Revolutionary Army caught news of it. By this time, Operation Nightfall had earned the nickname: "The War That Never Was". Some called it a violation of the rules of engagement classifying it as societal genocide while others considered it to be a necessary massacre to bring an end to a greater evil. Regardless of the various perspectives, the rebels were now faced with a decision of how they should proceed. The ones who dwelled in the shadows have come into the light and now they rule, everything was going to change. Spies reported that Fujitora still had a position within that rebellion therefore it was assumed that the messenger sent months ago must have been silenced. At the time, there was no movement from their army.

Around the early spring of 1020, the Imperial Remnant was virtually erased and all traces of the old regime was erased and tossed into the pages of history. The only person that was an exception to this fact was the existence of General Esdeath. She was a reminder of that age but given the fact that she publicly declared her loyalty to Lady Arashi, she was alleviated of her crimes for now. To usher in a new era, a new order had been established. With the respective representatives of the clans coming together, the Blood Wolves, Jade Dragons, and Amethyst Lotus effectively established the Ulrick Empire. Given the fact that the war was won under the lead of the Blood Wolves, it has drawn to a consensus that Lord Raiden and Lady Hestia would ascend the throne and become the first rulers of the new empire.

The spoils of war were then divided so that all parties would benefit. The masters of the Order of the Jade Dragons became the new High Council of the regime. Genesis Draven became the Captain of the Guard and the knights of the Amethyst Lotus were charged with the defense of the walls surrounding the city as well as the castle gates. General Esdeath, now royally protected by Lady Hestia, became the Minister of the East (Right). Lady Adena Zao-Long, the next Grand Master of the Jade Dragons, was anointed as Minister of the West (Left). Raizo Arashi—who has been recognized as the Crown Prince—became the Lord Commander of the Specters (referring to the assassination and special operations squad which comprised mostly of the Blood Wolves). As a final instantiation of this new regime, the city was officially named Sigma Prime though it is colloquially referred to as Sigma City.

As for the orders of the Iron Monkey and White Tiger, their lack of cooperation in Operation Nightfall disallowed them from being included in the new dynasty. Despite being a part of the Conclave, they had no claim to any riches gained from the fall of the old empire. However, it was reported that both orders are currently at war with one another in the western region of the world mainly centered in the Alexandrian Desert. At the time of this report, it was known that the leaders of the orders are Zephyria Venta of the Iron Monkey and Orion Nebulous of the White Tiger.

NOTE: For more information and known reports of the Alexandrian Wars, please refer to the file entitled: Dune Sea Exchange

With the Ulrick Empire officially founded, this news additionally spread throughout the land which gave rise to new tensions. Any power of importance that existed outside the boundaries of the old empire was used to dealing with that regime and knew the limits of movement. With this new order in place, it was unknown what level of influence they possessed alongside their capabilities aside from destroying a 1,000 year old dynasty within 4 hours. As such, there were some who wanted to test their resolve and the first party was the Revolutionary Army.

The infamous rebellion felt that this new empire ruled by basically ruthless assassins was going to be worse than the old corrupt empire so being led by their misguided ideology; they felt it necessary to rise against the Ulrick Empire. In the year 1021, a conflict that later became known as The Irrelevant War broke out between the two forces. The rebellion found it hard to mass supplies for this conflict due to how well guarded many supply routes were by the Ulrick forces. In the early months of the war, the rebellion found themselves struggling to mass supplies to wage a long struggle due to the complications of obtaining supplies. Their numbers were massed in the hundreds of thousands due to numbers tapering off in recent months. The new order on the other hand had massed numbers in the millions due to so many people flocking to support the legendary triumvirate of the Conclave.

Being outmanned as well as poorly supplied, Fujitora grew desperate and roused about 300,000 men and women to fight the Ulrick Empire head-on. Feeling that it was a perfect opportunity to crush the man once and for all, as well as make an example out of any who would oppose her interests, Queen Hestia Arashi convinced her husband to allow their forces to meet them in battle and decimate her enemies. Feeling like it would be proper to safeguard the interests of his family as well as guarantee peace, King Raiden approved and sent out Prince Raizo, both Ministers of Defense, as well as a suitably trained legion to meet the Revolutionary Army and end this conflict once and for all.

The battle was fought in the late fall to early winter seasons of 1021. Through a series of guerilla warfare tactics as well as other bait and switch maneuvers, the forces of the new regime annihilated the Revolutionary Army's advance force. Reinforcements numbering another 100,000 men joined the fray but it was reported that a strange new power awakened within the Crown Prince. It was said that His Royal Highness had personally led the charge against the reinforcements by allegedly casting a gaze over them that paralyzed the incoming troops. Mysterious weapons that took the shape of uniquely shaped swords spontaneously came to his possession as he, Adena and Esdeath wiped out the forces with ease.

"So that's where that sword came from…" Raizo said to himself thinking of the blades that he had summoned earlier. To his recollection, he referred to them as 'Edicts'. What was this power he had awakened and what could he do exactly? He wasn't sure.

"Ah, you must have gotten to the part that refers to Advent of the Conqueror," Adena commented casually as she pushed aside a paper she was reading for a brief second to address the boy.

"Advent…of the Conqueror, what on earth is that?" the prince asked with a confused look.

"Well, I mean no one really knows. In the records pertaining to teigu and other forms of imperial arms, it is not recorded at all nor the abilities that come with it. It's not even one of the new teigu that I and Genesis possess. It's just some sort of intrinsic ability that showed up one day."

"I see…but where did the name come from?"

"Well, it mainly came from rumors. Every time you are directly involved in situations, you always found a way to conquer your enemies. In addition, the weapons you summon appear like holy relics from old legends and fairy tales. Take that into account alongside the fact that you have this gaze about you or voice that can completely bend people to your whim, that's what eventually led to the name. Though, I'm the one who came up with it specifically so you're welcome," explained Adena playfully nudging the boy. As the heterochromia haired prince yielded a laugh, he continued reading.

The Crown Prince had personally sought to the execution of General Fujitora by skinning the man alive then crucifying him for all to see. It was a gruesome death but it became a chilling symbol for any and all to see. In addition, the casualties of war were impaled on various spikes formed by Esdeath further accentuating the brutality of the new imperial army. After the conflict ended, the armies returned home in time to usher in the new year of 1022. This was the year that everything began to change.

As King Raiden received the reports of The Irrelevant War and addressed them, he was horrified by the acts of cruelty that was performed by his son as well as his subordinates. The Prince had been chastised for his deeds but the Queen applauded the child for displaying to the world that the Ulrick Empire was not a force to be taken lightly. From this point on, a division began to grow within the royal family.

Within that year, the king became a man of the people. Raiden often took ventures into the city greeting the people as well as taking trips abroad to oversee projects that involved expanding the territory of villages and clearing vital supply routes from danger beasts from time to time. Hestia became more military minded. She focused more on concerning herself with politics as well as making sure she knew the movements of her enemies on all sides of the border at all times. The southern lands were virtually under the domain of the Ulrick Empire so all she wanted to do was build efforts on conquering the east then the west and eventually move north. However, knowledge of the northern lands was virtually unknown save for them being referred to as "Neveir".

Pockets of resistance tried to form due to the rapid expansion of the influence of the new empire as per Hestia's request. Each time an insurgency tried to stand they were swiftly put down. Many held fear that Hestia would make the new regime a worse power than the previous empire due to the amount of bloodshed that was being spilled but she always maintained that it was necessary in order to expand her vision for a truly united world under one rule. Finding these atrocities to be too much to bear, Raiden spoke out against his wife which caused a division in the ranks of power almost immediately after the empire was forged. Raiden's side advocated peace and justice for the people while Hestia's side advocated power and order. This division eventually led to a split in the monarchy.

The Queen managed to out maneuver her husband by doing two things:

1) She managed to sway the High Council and most of the Royal Court to her side using her superior persuasion.

2) She had Raizo and Adena officially marry together becoming the next couple that would succeed both thrones.

Due to the previous arrangement of how Raiden would serve mostly as a figurehead for Hestia to lead the Blood Wolves since women were not allowed to, the laws were flipped with the establishment of the monarchy. As such, given all of her political and militaristic capabilities, the ambitious queen demonstrated herself as more than capable of ruling a country. The naysayers who sided with her husband were immediately forced to be quiet with the marriage of her son and the next Grand Master of the Jade Dragons and Minister of the West. Allegedly, Lord Raiden wanted to challenge the birth right of Raizo Arashi but aside from this record, it was never publicly known. Left with no choice, Raiden Ikazuchi-Arashi abandoned the crown and led those who sided with him away from the Ulrick Empire, ditching the regime altogether.

End of Report

"I need the next one Adena," Raizo spoke softly after closing that folder. So many changes came about as a result of changing time that he wasn't really sure how to feel. He knew that this whole situation was different but he didn't think that it would turn out like this. Was this world line something he could truly live with? It seemed like there was more pain than ever despite his personal comforts.

"This is the most recent file that is still being updated. This will also explain your memory loss so…" Adena's voice trailed off as she slid the final pieces of information to her husband. Taking a deep breath, the red-eyed male examined the title of the folder before looking inside.

Title: A Song of Crowns & Blood

Time Period: Year 1023 – present

Abstract: Within this report are the events that detail the civil war between Raiden and Hestia Arashi as well as the events that proceed after the establishment of the Hestian Dynasty. All missions or operations noted in this folder have respective mission files that provides greater detail if needed.

With Raiden's departure from the Ulrick Empire, Queen Hestia decided that she would declare herself as the sole ruler of the empire until she felt that it was time for her son and his wife to ascend to the throne. As such, she established that her reign would be appropriately addressed as the "Hestian Dynasty". To commemorate this moment in history, she requested that she be addressed as "Empress" from now on since she was no longer acknowledging her cowardly king of a husband.

During the same year, the former king had rallied together various parties that wanted to oppose the current regime but did not have the manpower to do so. They periodically raided some supply routes that were of importance to the kingdom but they did not do so repeatedly lest they be faced with a subjugation force they could not hope to defeat. It is currently reported that the group that Raiden formed together out of various bands of rebels are known as "Phantom Siege".

Phantom Siege had negligible numbers and to current intelligence, teigu users that were of inferior training and quality compared to powerhouses such as Adena, Genesis, and Esdeath. Even Prince Raizo was more skilled than these individuals; however, there was an entity that Hestia was cautious of. There was a single person within Raiden's camp that could fight against thousands of troops sent in by Empress Hestia. Incursion after incursion was slaughtered by this mysterious individual that came to be known as the "Black Death".

An example of one of the more…decorative massacres by the Black Death was referred to as the "Lost New Year". This incursion was the first of the year 1025 in which two promising officers—Leone and Mein—were charged with command. As evidenced by the incursions before, everyone was lost. The two female officers were notably desecrated and their remains were carefully arranged into a disturbing scarecrow left as a monument. It is believed that this was the mysterious being's attempt at a rather unfunny joke.

This prolonged the struggle with Phantom Siege for an extended period of time bringing the conflict into the present year of 1025. Currently, Raiden has amassed an army that is said to number close to a million or so soldiers while the forces of the Hestian Dynasty has dwindled quite a bit.

Recently, the balance of power in this civil conflict tried to change in favor of Phantom Siege when there was an assassination attempt on the Crown Prince. It was during a retrieval mission of various documents and other sources of information alongside various valuables kept at The Archive in Old West Town when it happened. At some point in the afternoon on October 25th, 1025, a bomb was detonated inside the building. Dozens of personnel died and many more were injured but the Prince lived. However, he was in a coma for a brief period of time.

End of Report

Raizo closed that last folder and slid it to the side. The red-eyed male stared blankly into space for a moment as his mind travelled back and reviewed everything he had just read. It was hard to believe that so much had changed off of the one dead of saving his clan from a complete massacre. Going from the life of an assassin to being declared royalty? From the life of a rogue party to being a married prince was something he definitely would never have expected of himself in his lifetime but this was the reality he had to face. However, now there was another war he would have to fight in and this time it would be against family…or the closest definition of it.

Who did his estranged father have to rely on with this so-called 'Phantom Siege' group? What forces did he have at his disposal? Who was the 'Black Death' that he had read about? Was there anyone else that he knew from the old world line that was present here? All of these questions and more swirled through his mind. And the fate of Leone and Mein...he immediately pictured their mangled corpses as described in the report. It was truly traumatic. He saw their faces in his mind thinking of the times when they were able to smile but he didn't even have the luck of seeing them here. Just how much did he take from himself?

The young man gazed at his hands feeling the presence of a mysterious power that he felt like he knew nothing about burning inside him. He felt like there had to be more to learn from all of this but he couldn't help but feel frustrated at himself. Just what exactly had he done? It was then that a hand rubbed his back.

"Why don't we call it a night? You need your rest and we've been in here for quite a while now. You should shower then rest so your strength can better return to you. There's always tomorrow you know," Adena explained with a look of concern upon her face. Raizo couldn't help but nod more out of the gratitude for her caring than anything.

"Alright but let me ask you this Adena, what is today's date?"

"It's November 7th, 1025."

"I see…"

A deafening silence came as Raizo's mind traveled back to that date. This was the exact day that he decided to change everything. So this is what happens when you mess with the timeline. Suddenly, the redheaded woman pulled his arm signaling him to get up. Taking the hint, Raizo got up quietly and left the halls of the library.

As the couple traveled back to the room he was in before, the guards had switched and the man who was present before was notably absent. This caused the male to raise an eyebrow in question but he didn't want to be too caught up in worrying about it. After all, he still felt bad for causing the guy so much trouble to begin with. Studying his facial expressions, the princess had been perceptive about his inquiry.

"Bulat is gone for the evening, don't worry," Adena spoke up entering the chamber seeing that the sheets had been changed and clean pajama clothing had been laid out for the pair.

"Who is he anyway?" asked the male as he lingered around the room taking in its luster in the night.

"He's a bodyguard that Esdeath had brought up after you were attacked. This happened while you were in a coma for about 2 weeks. Due to my responsibilities as Minister of the West, there are times when I won't be able to be around you and Miss Ice Breath and Genesis can't be around either so we had to hire someone," she explained grabbing the change of clothes and handing them to Raizo.

"I see. I was in a coma for 2 weeks?!" he asked in shock taking the clothes as the woman pushed him into the bathroom.

"Yep, knocked out and sleeping like a newborn. Don't worry, I didn't pounce on you or anything," she winked playfully.

"Wh…what?" Raizo tensed with a slight blush.

"What? I had to tease ya just a little bit. Anyways, c'mon you, time to get cleaned up and stuff. Sure you got a sponge bath while you were out cold but you still kinda stink right now love."

"H…hey, I got it so give me some privacy!"

"What? No way! I finally have some time alone with you and this is how ya treat me?"

"W…well it's not like I'm trying to be mean or anything…I just…feel a little embarrassed okay?"

"Fine, just hurry up and take a shower and I'll bathe by myself."

Nodding immediately, the male quickly took off and got into the closed off shower area by himself. He began to tear off the bandages feeling weird with them covering his entire body. As he did so, he saw numerous tracings of various scars on his body that were closed up but the markings still remained covering his tanned frame. He felt weird seeing all of these marks as his wounds healed quickly but without that advanced healing of his old powers, wounds like this should be expected. The scars were nearly gone but to his trained eyes, he could see where his flesh was torn up from the bombing.

After a brief period of time spent cleaning up, Raizo finished showering and dried off. After slipping on a pair of solid black pajama bottoms, the currently shirtless male emerged from the bathroom and walked into the large bedroom. Given the size of the bathroom and how the shower and bath areas were separated, he thought that Adena was still bathing. Unbeknownst to the male, the fiery girl had finished her bath relatively quick.

"Hey there," Adena called out in a sensual tone sitting at the foot of the bed. As Raizo's eyes focused through the darkness of the room that had been dimly illuminated by the peeking moonlight, he saw the girl sitting there. She was dressed in a somewhat see-through negligee that amply conformed to her curves. Underneath it was black, lace lingerie that would stir any man to passionate desires as was her intent. Seeing this, the prince found himself frozen in place.

"A…Adena…what are you…still doing in here?" he questioned nervously. The female got up and began to sway her hips seductively while walking up to him.

"What do you mean? Don't you remember? We are married so that means we share a room together…and a bed," she winked pressing herself against him while leaning down a bit to kiss his forehead. Yes, Adena was taller than him by about 3 inches and the contact between their bodies right now made him painfully aware of it.

"I…I see…um…"

"Shush…come on."

Adena took Raizo's hand and pulled him to the bed that was open and welcoming to them both. She immediately pushed him down on top of the sheets before mounting him leaning down and pressing her ample breasts against him casually. She would then proceed to kissing him on the lips heatedly to push her intentions but he was trying to resist. A deep blush was conveyed on his face when she stopped giving him a sensual smile.

"I…I understand you've been waiting but…pl…please...could you give me another day or so? At…least until I'm 100% better?" he begged meekly. Adena pulled away slowly but was moving her hips a bit grinding herself against him.

"Are you sure? I'm pretty sure after 6 weeks of sleep you're pent up right?"

"Th…that's not the point you know!"

"Heh, you're so cute when you're embarrassed. It only turns me on that much more you know?"

"Adena…come onnn…just for now please?"

"Okay, okay, I understand. But I had to tease you a little bit."

"Thanks…"

"Oh don't thank me just yet. I'll be lenient for now but when you're feeling up to it, I'm going to rule you to the point where you can hardly walk the next day. After all, we are gonna have to make the Empress a grandmother at some point."

"Eh?!!!!!"

"Heh heh heh, don't worry about that for now my love. Just get some sleep, seriously," the fine beauty spoke as she pulled the covers over them both. The woman snuggled close to him cuddling her body against his as the heat of her flesh could be felt through the lingerie but she decide to be slick about one more thing.

"Hang on a sec," she said before worming around under the covers a bit and leaning over the other side of the bed.

"There we go."

As she brought herself back to cuddling her man, Raizo could feel her bare flesh against him breasts and all. Before he even said anything, she pressed a finger to his lips signaling him not to say a single thing only cracking a smile. She grabbed his hand underneath the covers and brought herself close to whisper.

"Just because I said I'd give you a break doesn't mean I'm taking one. If I can't use that thing of yours tonight then I'll just make use with something else for now. Don't worry; I won't be loud…too much."

"You are really something else you know."

"Of course, but you know you love me. Now go to sleep before I decide to take you against your will."

"Wh…whatever!" Raizo yelped before turning over and closing his eyes. As if instantly, he found himself cast into slumber. As the youth was snoozed, the girl smiled sweetly wrapping her arms around him and cuddling her naked body against him. A faint, white aura surrounded her body as she began to heal him trying to tend to anymore wounds he had. Regardless of the marks on his body being closed up and his condition being stable, she felt like he was still wounded emotionally. Although her healing could definitely heal his injuries, she wanted to achieve more. Believing in her love for him, she had hoped to heal the most damaged part of him that she could see in his eyes—his heart.

*****

In the far reaches of the castle within one of the most heavily guarded areas of the entire palace was the room belonging to the rule of the Ulrick Empire—Hestia. Currently, she was dressed in a white and gold gown that was deemed for night wear while her crown sat on a small pedestal beside her lonely looking bed of velvet sheets. The beauty with a goddess-like appearance was currently unable to sleep. Currently., she sat at a large mahogany wood table under candlelight reviewing reports and other documents pertaining to the movements of her former husband's army. Frustrated, she reached for a nearby chalice that was filled with wine before taking a sip.

This ridiculous civil war was something that should have ended by now because of the simple fact that Raiden possessed an inferior force yet time after time when she ordered an incursion, her forces were wiped out. So much of her time and devotion of resources was being poured into a war that the party had no hopes of winning. She hated it and cursed the man responsible for it. She wanted to end this matter once and for all especially after her son was put into a coma because of it. In fact, that very act alone nearly drove her into a rage because of the fact that he tried to harm her child…that gift that she praised as a blessing from the heavens.

"Raiden you bastard, you just refuse to die don't you?" she vented quietly sipping her wine once more. Every time she viewed a report in regards to her efforts to wipe out Phantom Siege, the same name kept coming up—Black Death. This alias was used frequently throughout the documents as she had lost a good sum of soldiers to this individual's efforts. Whoever they were, they had to be a powerful teigu user. The closest she found to an identity of the person was another descriptive title—Red-Eyed Reaper. Other than that, the origin of the person was unknown.

While amassing supplies for another battle, one that she hoped would end this war once and for all, she received new reports that the malevolent anomaly had disappeared. When brute force didn't work, she changed up tactics going stealth sending waves of spies to get her more information. Apparently, this Red-Eyed Reaper was last seen going north towards territories that were completely unknown to the ruler herself.

"Neveir…that's the region I've reserved for last in my quest to rule over all. I haven't even been able to move west into order to deal with those fools in the Alexandria region because of this damn war," she sighed.

The white-haired woman then slide the papers aside and reached for something else. It was a mysterious book that was encased in a golden from with engravings of various symbols and the shape of an eye in the middle of a seven pointed star. During a day in which she explored the Vault of Arcana—the storage that Hestia reconstructed to store all teigu in her possession—it randomly appeared.

She remembered how she was amidst the treasury checking to see just how many teigu she had in her possession out of the original 48 teigu. There was a considerable amount and she even had Incursio and the Demon Extract users fighting for her. Adena and Genesis were also teigu users but theirs were ones that came considerably later. While observing the frame of the Supreme Teigu—the one she wished she could just lift and toss into the sun—she saw a bright flash. Thinking it was Indra's Judgment playing a trick on her, she immediately observed its vase to see if there was anything coming from it but there wasn't.

Hestia…

She remembered that voice call out to her when inside that vault. It was then that she discovered the book just floated in the air. The woman took a peek around to see if the item was missing from anywhere but it wasn't. There wasn't an entry about a book within any records pertaining to teigu so it had to be yet another anomaly but why did it appear before her.

Hestia…use me and you shall achieve the wisdom of the gods

It had called out to her again. When she took the book, that's when everything changed for her and her mind seemed to open up to an entirely new avenue of thinking.

As her consciousness slipped back into the present while staring at that book, she smiled softly opening it to gaze in its pages. At least, that's what any person would think was inside the book upon looking at it but in reality, there was no pages in it. Instead, it looked like one was staring into darkness but that darkness was actually space.

The book was referred to as the "Grimoire of Eternity". As the name suggested, it was not something that was an ordinary item. In fact, Hestia truly believed that it was an item that was created by the gods. Every time she opened the book, her mind was thrust into the world of possibility. She would simply think of an event and the book began to show her many different end results coming from her decisions. Sometimes it would show her the future and other times it would bring up the past. It even allowed her to occasionally see things that would happen in the present before they would happen.

Every time she opened this book, she would feel at peace with herself as the idea of boundless knowledge would swell up inside her thoughts. However, bits of her sanity were lost the longer she spent reading the book. The woman kept her "visit" short wondering what results occurred from her becoming in charge of a singular force that sought after power. She wanted to know if the world was truly a better place.

It was then that she saw herself leading a powerful group. She had four warriors fight beside her, two of which she recognized as Adena and Genesis while the other two she was unsure of. The cunning woman had legions of soldiers fighting her all of which were remnants of the Conclave. Together they formed a group that flew a banner with a blue bird on it…come to think of it, it appeared like a phoenix. Together they changed the face of war within the land and wielded greater power than she could ever imagine it but she had faults there. Something got in her way in this end result and it stopped her.

"No, I refuse to let this stand," Hestia spoke to herself closing the book. She reached for a nearby knife that was on a small plate. Grabbing it, she sliced open her hand carefully to draw blood and let the crimson liquid fall onto the book.

"If you truly are a book of eternal possibilities and crafted by the gods, then please find your way to any incarnation of myself. Use my blood to find me and help me achieve my goals. No matter what happens, I will achieve ultimate power whether it is in this life or another."

The book began to glow as her blood was absorbed. For a brief second, Hestia's eyes radiated a yellowish color as she began to laugh. Finding her mind at ease after reading the book, she went back to the issue beforehand. It would soon be time for this war to end since Raiden no longer had his trump card to fall back on for this war. He may have been a man of the people but she knew him well. When faced with an overwhelming trial, he had always preferred to deal with it head on rather than wait for something to come.

"It's time for this to end my former husband. Now that you lost your ace in the hole, I know that you will come and fight me head on to prove that you don't need one soldier to win. I've already seen the future and you are not part of it. I am too favored to meet my end!"

The woman was correct about the final battle coming but little did she or anyone else know, so was something else but it was just a matter of time.