2 • War

The figure was short, dressed in a white top and brown pants, and wore sandals. One would immediately notice that he had a tail and ears similar to that of a cat.

Ahead of him lay a huge grass plain, and further ahead are armies of demons densely packed together one cannot see where it ends. Simple leather tents were erected within the army, with at least 50 meters of distance allotted between them. Inside those tents were demons wearing the same armor as those outside, but theirs have an odd black color that seems to blend with the shadows around their camp. It was a discouraging sight.

When one looks at the camp from directly above it, the tents seem to follow a specific pattern surrounding a particular tent in the center which is twice as large as others.

Its roof was covered with strange symbols carved from gold. The symbols themselves seem to emit a sinister air.

The cat mage did not despair though. Instead, he let out a light chuckle before running back into the dense forest.

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Not far from where the cat mage scouted was a bonfire surrounded by three figures. One was a handsome young man with a head full of white hair similar to the young elf woman in front of him. Accompanying them was a short female cat mage with pink hair and a large brown tail coiled with a bit of white.

They were roasting marshmallows when the cat mage from before dropped down in front of the group. The young man did not take his eyes from the marshmallow as he asked, "So? How was it?"

The cat mage took a seat at a vacant log nearby and started fidgeting with a scroll, "Nothing to be concerned about. Just a few crudely-made tents and a demon army looking like an ant nest."

"Look, Harith. I know you are eager to do this, but we still must not take them lightly. Its him we are talking about. He certainly has a few tricks up his sleeve that can change the tide of the battle." The young man approached Harith and took a seat beside him.

"Never let hatred cloud your judgement. It will consume you like a raging fire. Weigh your choices. Are you really pushing forward with the plan? Whatever you decide upon, we will always stand by you." The young man took a bite on his marshmallows. The two other people on the scene also turned to look towards them.

Harith pondered for a moment, crossed his arms and replied, "I'm sure of it. I can't sleep knowing that this murderer can still harm other innocent beings like what he did to mine. I must bring him to justice myself."

Alucard just nodded and finished his marshmallows.

Nana approached Harith with a smile, excitedly saying, "After we wrap this up, you owe me the new boomerang I told you about in the city!" She ended her statement with an angry pout.

Harith, flustered, hastily replied, "Sure, sure! Whatever you say..." His face turned a shade of red after saying this. Nana laughed at his reaction, but afterwards she also blushed.

Alucard and Miya just laughed at them. The atmosphere around the bonfire was jolly, until a person clad in heavy armor approached them with loud footsteps.

The group went silent and stared at their newly-arrived guest.

"Tigreal." Alucard said solemnly.

Tigreal nodded at him, as if to greet him. He then said in a deep voice, "It is time."

The group followed Tigreal further into the woods. They kept silent all the way as they readied themselves. The group moved further and further away from the bonfire.

As if on cue, the bonfire's flame was extinguished. A hooded figure came crawling out of the dark, a wicked smile on his face. If one looked at his eyes, one could recognize that he was the being in the cave who talked to Alice and Vexana. He vanished, as if blending into the night. All of this happened in one breath.

Harith's group was currently overseeing the whole plain where the whole demon army was assembled. Alucard took out his blade and called to Miya:

"Your call."

Without hesitation, Miya nodded and drew her bow. She lifted her bow above her head, while pulling on the strings a bit further. Her bow formed a crescent shape and brimmed with power. In a moment's notice, she released her grip and...

...fired the arrow!

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