Slay the Ideology II

Year: 1025

"Fuckin' hell are we there yet? It feels like we've been traveling forever y'know?" groaned an irritated Adena as she rode on the back of her horse, yawning and stretching her arms. Her companion, Zephyria, was riding alongside her shaking her head and rolling her eyes at the gripes of her partner on this assignment.

"Would you stop complaining already? Lady Hestia entrusted us with this task and we've only been on the road for two days. It's not like we are going to continue for another week or so," the dark-skinned female sighed heavily casually praying in her head that the destiny would appear over the horizon soon so that she wouldn't have to deal with the redhead and her cries for much longer.

"But I'm booooorrreeed! I know we got a job to do but damn…if we ain't killin' anything right now, I might just fall out and die from the lack of excitement!" Adena groaned more.

"You can kill all the people you want when we get to the location. Think of it this way, you get to unleash all your excitement at once okay?" suggested the caramel female but Adena could only sigh in frustration and yield to her partner's advice.

"Fiiiiinnneee, gosh…but this shit is gonna be so easy. Why couldn't Lady Hestia give us something more interesting to do? Like finding that Night Raid bunch! Oh man, I'd love to go for a good match right now!"

"Then you'd complain about how weak they are compared to you in raw strength and throw a temper tantrum later on."

"Yeah…you're right. But I'm sure there is one among them that could stand toe-to-toe with me. There's always that one…"

"The last time you lost a fight was against Lady Hestia no? Who else is there?"

"Well…there was a guy remember? The guy who's technically my…well you know."

"Oh yeah…but you haven't seen him in like a decade right?"

"Yeah…"

As the pair of females continued to prattle on about trivial things to pass the time and cut down the boredom of riding along on horseback, their chosen destination had come over the horizon. Plumes of black soot and smoke elevated high into the skies from 5 tall chimney stacks located behind a singular factory-like structure. This location in question was the target that Adena and Zephyria had been assigned to destroy along with wiping out anything that moved within the vicinity of the establishment.

"About damn time," spoke an irritated Adena as she casually moved a few strands of her dark red hair away from her face. A smirk creased her lips as an air of excitement came over her knowing that a festival of blood awaited her.

"I told you all you had to do was be patient. Now it's just a matter of getting the job done," Zephyria added. She looked up in the sky toward the sun that was beaming overhead. From the position of the star, it seemed that it was still early afternoon meaning they had made good time.

"Looks like you can go all out without worrying Adena. It's still early in the day."

"Yeah, I'm getting all fired up. Let's send these bastards on a one-way trip to hell," the fiery woman grinned. As they passed words back and forth, they eventually reached the gates of the facility. They could easily infiltrate this establishment and use stealth to take everything out but the two ladies wanted to have some fun so what was the point of being quiet about it?

They dismounted their horses at the same time. Zephyria stretched her arms to loosen up her muscles then tapped her forearms that were covered in golden gauntlets. The shape appeared like they were torn off a set of fine armor with edges that looked as sharp as blades. Her partner, Adena, pull a small cylinder from her pocket which extended into an elongated pole with various designs along its length. Both of their armaments were legendary weapons respective to each other's family.

"Nice to know you're making use of that bo staff," Zephyria smirked eyeing the redhead up and down observing her posture with the weapon and hand.

"Right back at ya with those gauntlets; they fit you pretty damn well," Adena nodded.

"Ready to do this?"

"Yeah but first, come here…give me something for good measure."

"Really? But this is such a trivial task…"

"Oh come on, like you don't want to do it anyway."

"Fine…jeez, you just abuse this don't you," Zephyria sighed slightly then she listed over to her companion. She had to bend a little bit to do so but as a red shade came over the dark-skinned woman's cheeks, she pursed her lips together and gave the feisty redhead a prompt yet loving kiss directly on the lips. Their lips locked for a small instant before Zephyria backed away.

"See? That wasn't so bad now was it, Zephy?" cheesed a very pleased Adena.

"Sh…shut up you. Come on already…"

"Alright, let's have a blast!"

The pair advanced onto the compound of the facility. The gates were locked to obstruct the path of any unauthorized individual from illegal entry. A gust of wind came forth gathering around Zephyria's right hand, then the sandy-haired woman thrust her arm forth punching the obstacle apart and sending them crashing forward into an unsuspecting group of soldiers carrying boxes on a wagon across the field. The poor batch of imperial souls lost their lives on impact.

A loud alarm rang in that next instant causing hundreds of personnel to scramble around grabbing any weapon they could to prepare to fight off the foolish duo. What sort of moron would attack a weapons manufacturing plant? After all, any weapon that was made had to be tested so of course the staff would have to use it eventually. It was gonna be a bad day for the misguided females…at least, that's what the dogs of the Capital thought.

Adena and Zephyria wandered inside casually without a care in the world. The individuals stationed at this facility came rushing out with firearms and melee weapons ready to attack them surrounding the pair in a large circle. Adena held a cocky smirk on her face while Zephyria simply raised an eyebrow as if she wasn't amused by any means. Adena stabbed her staff into the ground and spread her arms before taking a deep breath.

"LISTEN UP BASTARDS!" she exclaimed so that all of them would focus their attention on her, "You guys are all gonna die today, that much is a fact so why don't we make your imminent demise a little fun?"

Silence spread across the area. The soldiers couldn't understand what the redhead was even trying to pull at this point. Did she not understand the numbers? Did she not understand the fact that she and her partner were outmanned and outgunned? What kind of idiot walks into a situation like this? They didn't know how to react to this aside from doing their sworn duty. Numerous metallic sounds clicked at once as hundreds of rifles were aimed in their general direction. Those without a gun simply tightened their grips on swords, spears, or whatever else they could grab in a pinch. Zephyria yawned as a result of her lack of interest in their shaggy defenses while she waited to see what her partner would say.

"Alright you idiots, here's what's going down. I'm not gonna move from this spot at all so let's see how many of you have to die before I decide to use my weapon," Adena declared in confidence. She would then hop up on top of the pole balancing on it perfectly while Zephyria simply sighed again.

"You're seriously gonna say that when they have guns aimed at us?"

"Well, why don't you make it hard on them to use such cowardly weapons by dropping the visibility?"

"Seriously, my teigu isn't meant to be used at your beck and call, you know? We're partners, not master and slave…"

"That's not what you were saying last night when I told you to attend to my…"

"HEY, don't talk about that in front of these filthy men! Bad enough I can tell some of them are looking at my body with lewd intent as it is."

"You're the one who decided to dress with your legs showing and your tits popping out."

"My goodness, you are such an insufferable child sometimes…"

"Yeah but you love me anyways, now about that blinding thing."

"Fuck it…let's just get done already. I'm getting a headache just by talking with you," Zephyria yielded. She would then pound her fists together then spread her arms a part standing in a 'T' shape and begin spinning around like a top. Alright Rudra, give me strength. Musou Art: Gaia's Twister! A kick-up of wind began which then turned into sand. As she spun faster and faster, the sand cloud spread out over the area causing everyone in the vicinity to shield their eyes from the dusty atmosphere. Adena, having trained with the female on numerous occasions, only had to shield her eyes for an instant before she pulled out a small mask to use to help protect her vision.

Groans and shouts were emitted from the foes that surrounded the duo. The factorial area was blanketed in an isolated sandstorm in seconds and now, the souls that had to be here were cursed to a sandy tomb from a grave. As soon as Zephyria stopped spinning, the horde of panicked men came rushing in, flailing their blades and firing their guns off without proper guidance. They did more harm to their ranks as opposed to the two ladies but they were so terrified by the sudden change in weather that they couldn't understand the common strategy. The funny thing was the fact that the sun was still viewable and shining radiantly overhead, but they could only focus on the sand which would be their downfall.

Zephyria split away from Adena so that her partner could enjoy her game. She maneuvered through the clouds of dust like it was a part of her own body phasing through the sand with ease like a dance. Her free-flowing body allowed her to begin to move majestically as the oncoming crowds of frightened rats attacked her. One after another, she threw jab after jab with her golden gauntlets breaking bones with each impact causing enough force to shatter ligaments and damage internal organs. For example, one cheeky bastard decided he would come at Zephyria head on jumping in the air to bring down a large sword upon her skull in the direction of a downward slash. The tanned girl simply tucked low and pulled her fist back then snaked her posture upward thrusting her fist into the man's gut and promptly snapping his spine from the resulting force.

As that person was brushed aside, she danced in a 360-degree circle performing like an acrobat along the ground spiral kicking her foes to the side before following up with multiple bone-shattering combos with deadly precision. Her enemies dropped one after the other like dominoes until one managed to get the jump on her.

BANG!

A gunshot sound echoed within the sand cluster. A soldier standing a few paces behind Zephyria held up a rifle. Smoke lifted from the barrel as a shell was released and pierced through the woman's left side. She merely turned back and lifted her arm to see the impact but grains of sand merely spilled out from the wound. The bullet soon dropped to the ground afterward then the hole closed up.

"Humph," she huffed as she flung her wrist picking up the bullet with a small stream of wind. With a work of the fingers, she gathered a small force of air behind the bullet and sent it flying forward piercing the head of the one who shot her as well as the heads of those standing behind that man at the time. Brain matter and blood sprayed everywhere leading the surrounding guards to be left astonished but this only accelerated their fury as their fallen comrades gave them each a rush of adrenaline to attack.

At the same time, Adena was dealing with her share of opponents in her form of martial arts. Like she boasted before, she did not even use her weapon at all aside from using it as a support to spin on and barrage her enemies with open-palm and closed-fist techniques. Compared to Zephyria's style, Adena was maneuvering her body in heavy stomps and sharp angles like she was performing a tribal ritual. Her moves were more forceful and aggressive compared to her lover's free-flowing dance style. Such was the difference between the clans they hailed from—Adena of the Jade Dragon and Zephyria of the Iron Monkey; two respected clans that strived themselves to be martial artists and renowned fighters but bitter rivals due to opposing views on fighting techniques.

While Adena was in the midst of combat, she had observed her partner from afar fighting off the goons that dared oppose them. Remembering how the rivalry between their clans almost boiled beyond control, she had a moment to be thankful. Why? If it had not been for Hestia stepping in many years ago to alleviate the conflict, the two clans would probably still be fighting away from the eye of the Capital and never once considering joining Hestia's Sapphire Phoenix coalition. The weapons that the girls were using on the field were a sign of peace between both clans: The Scales of Fafnir and the Staff of Sun Wukong. Each were ancient tools with their own legend that transcended to the time of the initial formation of the Blood Wolves, perhaps even further than that, passed down for generations. Entrusted with their legacy, the girls had wielded them proudly in the name of that peace.

Bodies dropped continually one after another from the powerful blows that Adena dished out. Those who weren't fatally injured tried to pop back up to fight back. Seeing this, the redheaded martial artist smirked maliciously getting into the heat of the battle. Since her partner had begun to use the powers of her teigu, it was time that she would do the same. Besides, it wouldn't be fun to slaughter an inferior force without putting some sort of flare to it.

"Alright Agni, let's get fire on these bitches. Bushido Art: Firewalker!" exclaimed the female. Suddenly, the soles of her feat ignited a brilliant orange color. She would suddenly move faster than the guards could even keep up with. One second she was before them then in a blink, she was gone. The only thing left in her wake was a trail of flames which gradually began to engulf those in her immediate vicinity. The scent of charred flesh began to rise into the air as a result of the masked woman's sudden change in movements. If it wasn't obvious by now, these men now realized that there was no way out for them because their opponents were both teigu users.

"Come on! I still haven't used my weapon yet! More! More! I need more fun if I'm gonna get off to the sound of you all burning under my feet!" cried the pyrokinetic user. She would begin moving again. A wave of soldiers decided to encroach on her position but she merely used her running momentum to grab her staff and spin her body around on the pole weapon kicking each of her opponents and setting them ablaze.

"Bushido Art: Desert Coffin!" exclaimed Zephyria from far away. She had captured the remainder in a quicksand trap that slowly crept up the bodies of the helpless soldiers creating numerous pods all over the place. As they couldn't escape, the tanned girl merely snapped her fingers, "Desert Graveyard."

A loud crunching noise occurred after that as the terrifying and bloody screams shrieked out all at once before being silenced in an instant. As the sand then faded away, nothing but crushed and mangled corpses were left over from the sudden sandy funeral. The mature woman cracked her neck and sighed going back to being bored even though she just literally put tons of soldiers in the ground. Walking back toward her partner's location, the remaining soldiers were caught between not knowing if they should attack her or just deal with being burned alive.

"Hey, are you done yet? These guys aren't even a real challenge," called out an irritated Zephyria running her fingers through her sandy hair. Adena raised an eyebrow while standing back up on her staff. She folded her arms looking around at the charring remains as well as frightening bunnies that were pathetic excuses for soldiers. Sighing, the hot-stepping woman jumped down and pulled her weapon out of the ground. Brushing her hands along the weapon, the staff was imbued with orange flames. She would twirl it around her body for a moment to show off before thrusting forth with the weapon knocking everyone on their ass to be burned alive soon after. In about 10 seconds, the remaining men were all dead. Taking a deep breath, the flames receded and she shrunk the weapon to be tucked away.

"Well, that takes care of that. Man…that was so unsatisfying," she huffed. Nodding in agreement, Zephyria waved her hands through the air to manipulate the sand that was blowing in the wind around the large factory. She then turned her amber gaze to her partner. Knowing what the wind user was after, Adena crouched and gathered fire to her hands before discharging it forth like a flame thrower. The heat hit the sand and compressed it enough to encase the entire structure into solid glass. The girls then rushed forward at the same time and struck the massive shape to shatter it and the building within to pieces. Cracks formed along the area from the impact and the entire facility was brought down in a matter of minutes to nothing but sparkling dust and rubble.

"Mission Accomplished," spoke Zephyria with a relieved sigh. The pair then walked back to the front gate to mount their horses and take off but before they did so, Adena left one final touch. In order to spread their fame and power, Lady Hestia had told them to leave a notice of who was bringing people to their knees. As such, a banner representing the Sapphire Phoenix was hung upon the remains of the gate then the two rode off into the distance back to their base.

MANY HOURS LATER

Thousands of miles to the far south, the sun had disappeared over the horizon and the glow of the moon was gradually peaking over the tops of nearby trees. This remote location was one of the main locations for the Revolutionary Army. The grounds of the installation were set up like a military training camp. Numerous tents were set up in various locations, each providing specific purposes as identified by banners on the front. There was an armory area isolated on one side, a mess hall, medical center, and barracks for the soldiers as well as personal tents for the high-ranking officers. Sentries patrolled both in and outside of the grounds in pairs, sometimes in groups of four.

On top of a nearby cliff that overlooked the encampment stood two solitary figures observing the entirety of the base and the movement of the troops within. They were Hestia Arashi and one of her most trusted retainers, Genesis. The taller male had been studying how the guards were moving trying to determine a way for them to invade the campgrounds and seek whatever the woman sought out from this place.

"It seems like the security is rather tight but not something we can't get through. Is there something specific you wish for me to look for? I can scout ahead if needed," reported the male as he cast his eyes down toward the silver-haired woman. A calm and serene expression never left Hestia's face even though she was technically walking into the enemy's base. She would look up at the dusk-haired male to respond.

"It's not something that I am after Genesis, rather, it is someone. I'm only after a conversation though a little spilling of blood never hurt now does it?" she said while smiling with grace. She cast her rosemary hues back to the base scanning over the officer's quarters. She was looking for someone, someone she hasn't seen in about 7 years. Though far from the site, Hestia saw everything she needed to perfectly. It was then that she saw the tent with a particular sigil of the All-Seeing Eye on it. A chuckle bellowed from her throat as she was reminded of how arrogant the person was who held this symbol.

"Alright Genesis, it's your time to shine. Take out every guard you see up to that tent with the eye sigil over it," she commanded. Agreeing without a second thought, the man nodded and disappeared into the shadow of the night.

"Hey," spoke one guard walking with his partner as they neared the entrance to the camp.

"Yeah?" the other replied while walking on a particular route.

"You ever wonder why we're here?"

"It's one of life's great mysteries, isn't it? Why are we here? I mean, are we some product of some bullshit ass cosmic coincidence? Did we evolve from a sort of simian species? Or is there some omniscient being up there examining us with a magnifying glass with some sort of plan or shit? No clue man, but it keeps me up at night."

"Wait…what? No man, like why are we here? Patrolling around like a couple of sleepless idiots and shit?"

"Oh…um…well then," the man that was ranting spoke as they stopped at the front gate. His partner was then looking at him in concern wondering what that was all about. They wouldn't be able to finish their conversation however as a small portal of darkness opened up behind them. The last thing the two guards saw was a shadowed blade swinging horizontally then nothing. Their heads left their shoulders and their bodies dropped to the ground at the same time.

The phantasmal darkness glided easily from shadow to shadow only appearing the in the shape of a man to mercilessly kill any guard that would prove to be in the way of what was to come. Not a single cry could be heard because of the fact that each guard was beheaded one after the other and before the individuals could react; their lives were cut to pieces.

With all obstacles being removed from her path, Hestia glided in the air listlessly down to the encampment walking along the path that her ghostly subordinate created for her. Casually, she levitates herself about 5 inches off the ground not even bothering to walk on the same ground as these lowly creatures. Hestia didn't think of herself as a god or anything, she just had a low tolerance for weakness. She hated the idea of even breathing the same air as people who so-called themselves a 'fighting force' yet they didn't do anything that was considered a victory.

During her time off the grid, she studied this world as well as how both the Empire and the Revolutionary Army operated. She wanted to know her enemies as much as she knew herself and her forces. The rebels were no better than garbage trying to be presented on a silver platter. No matter how much someone would dress them up, they were still garbage. Their foolish ideology of shaping a brighter tomorrow for the people was haphazard, to say the least. In her eyes, she felt that the people were expendable at this point in the war. The rebels had an overwhelming force that could easily invade the city and overthrow the government but because of the people, they had to change their tactics and play the bait and fish game caching in all their hopes on a small band of assassins.

Pathetic.

How could they consider themselves fighting a war if they aren't on the frontlines to fight for their ideals? Had this been her rebellion, she would have easily taken care of her adversaries. In fact, the rebels failed to realize that they had the perfect fighting force within the walls yet they do nothing to sway their opinion or stir their resolve. All she would do is incite the people's anger and direct it straight at the government. Let them riot and cause an uproar, then the rebels invade to help them fight. It was simple enough. Sure, many innocents may die but the end would justify the means. No war can be fought without sacrifice because that's just what the price of freedom amounted to—death.

Hestia rounded corner after corner of the open path until she reached her target destination. Bodies lay everywhere as the iron smell of blood littered the air from the headless bodies. Such an atmosphere would churn the stomach of most but for Hestia, it hardly caused her to bat an eye. She reached the tent with the eye sitting above the entrance. The cloak was moved aside as if someone was already inside and sure enough, there was.

Genesis stood holding his massive, demonic-looking claymore aimed at the throat of a green-eyed masked officer's face. Though it appeared his nerves were as steel, clearly the man in question was apprehensive of what kind of game was being played right now. Hestia hovered ever so carefully inside the office-like room looking around and admiring the simple décor of books stacked on bookshelves as well as various swords draped on the walls. As the man was kept confined to his desk by Genesis, her eyes made contact with his while she sat in a nearby chair. The light illuminated her beauty and as her face came into the light, the man's eyes widened greatly.

"It's been a long time hasn't it, Fujitora? I see you're playing the game of masks as always. Spineless coward, even now you keep your deceit hidden away. How on earth does anyone trust you?" she sighed crossing her legs. She motioned her hand signaling Genesis to stand down. Reluctant at first, the giant lowered his blade and stabbed it into the ground gently for now but he kept his eyes firmly locked on the man.

"Hestia Arashi, what an interesting surprise. Your face was something I never thought I'd see again after…7 years?" he replied with a charismatic attitude.

"Yes, that sounds about right. So how's it feel knowing that because you didn't deliver on your end of the bargain, you led the Blood Wolves to their ultimate demise?" she spoke calmly.

"Me? I didn't make any assurances at all that my colleagues would assist you in defecting from the Capital. We just worked out a deal in which your husband would keep to a certain schedule which would allow for a gradual change in sides. It was your husband who jumped the gun."

"Cut the bullshit, Fujitora. We both know that you only saw the Blood Wolves as another tool to use in your rebellion against the Empire. You would have had the world's most renowned band of assassins fighting with your Revolutionary Army striking at every place in the dark that your beloved Night Raid couldn't. Or…was that the reason why Night Raid was around in the first place? I told my husband not to listen to you, that our order and the other clans would be able to obtain our independence if we rallied together when everyone least expected it. But no, he had to get this fool-hearted idea and a misguided sense of justice."

"You choose to blame me but I heard that you wanted your husband killed because he stole power from you. You being the true heir to the lineage of the Blood Wolves could not lead because you were a woman so you were forced to marry. The Archive was quite informative on how the line of succession works in your clan. It wouldn't surprise me if you led the Empire to your doorsteps and had your own clan killed."

"That's an exciting theory Commander but that would be foolish on my part. If I wanted to sell my husband out as a traitor, I would have challenged him openly. You seem to forget that boy known as Aquilo was just a power-hungry maniac who cared for nothing but himself and had all the control he could. Besides, why would I put my entire clan—especially my beloved son—at risk like that?"

"You tell me. And besides, your son wound up at our doorstep anyways. Quite ironic don't you think?"

"Ah yes, it is sadly which is another reason why I am here."

"Another reason?"

"Yes. You see, the first reason was to send a message to you fools here. In about…two days when your ravens come back with various messages, you're going to receive a number of reports. The first will be that your western allies have been thoroughly wiped out and the west is no longer in the hands of your rebel friends. The second will be a number of details involving how the Empire lost control of the north and how the Imperial Palace was attacked by someone. The third will be how a couple of outposts have been taken out by mysterious circumstances. That's all because of me and my army."

"Army?" asked the man with growing confusion.

"Yes, the Order of the Sapphire Phoenix. The Conclave of numerous households related to the Blood Wolves such as The Jade Dragon, The Iron Monkey, The White Tiger, and the Amethyst Lotus have all come together as one singular force to show you and the Capital what it means to be involved in total war. You all are too tame for my tastes and quite frankly, I grow tired of waiting to see who wins so I decided that I'm just going to take over myself and create a new world free from idealistic fools like you and every other pathetic bastard that exists here and in the Capital."

"I see…so that is your plan Hestia? To just rule this land with an iron fist, sounds pretty generic if you ask me."

"Well, no one was asking you. That's the funny thing. You see, I would like to think of myself as a realist. There is no such thing as having freedom, only living under oppression. No matter where you are in the world, you will always be oppressed. My ideal world is to show everyone that the only way to have true freedom is to have the power to liberate yourself from your oppressors. And on this belief, I shall lead everyone to a brighter tomorrow. A tomorrow where if you can't trust the people who are supposed to lead you, then you believe in your own power to make something out of your life; however, to realize this dream, I have to slay the ideology that is popularized by this wretched civil war."

"You sound just like another tyrant to me. You call us misguided but you're nothing but a contradiction to your convictions. How long until you are regarded as the same oppression that you speak so firmly against? Will you kill yourself then?"

Hestia could pause and chuckle. It was then that chuckle began to turn into laughter, a burst of wild laughter that was almost ceaseless as the words of the man had settled into her mind. She thought that such words were typical to hear at most. Half of what she said was just sugarcoating to make herself sound like the least of all evils in this world. She didn't say her true objective. Yes, she hinted at what she was after but did not explicitly say it. She knew this man too well and could almost guarantee that he would go to his compatriots and reiterate everything she said. Catching her breath, Hestia wiped tears away from her eyes before speaking once more.

"I have not had a laugh like that for quite some time. Who knew that speaking with someone of such inferior intelligence could bring a smile to my face? Anyways, before more of your worthless guards show up due to the pleasant decoration my retainer here left outside, there was one more thing I wished to address. Where is my son, Raizo Arashi?" she asked, her rosemary eyes suddenly losing their calm and soothing luster going soulless to a point of indescribable malevolence. She leaned forward toward the masked man, the items in his room beginning to shake drastically as a result.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot help you. Your son was assigned to join Night Raid many months ago. He's quite the hero actually which is surprising all things considered…" answered the man casting his emerald eyes to the side looking away from the woman. Suddenly, an unknown force gripped him in some sort of strange vice making it hard for him to move his muscles. Then, he felt his head being forcefully turned in the direction that she was standing where he would see the woman once more using her fingers to manipulate him.

"That's not what I wanted to hear. And by the way of your words, you obviously don't care where my son is. I wish I could have reached out to him sooner before you all sank your teeth into him. Perhaps he could have killed you all a long time ago."

"Fucking…Blood Wolves…you're all a plague on this world that deserved to be purged."

"Plague?" she asked tilting her head to the side. No, this fool didn't. He did not just insult the world's greatest band of assassins and say that they all deserved to die. The faces of the many members of the clan flashed through Hestia's mind like wildfire as she was flooded with memories. These moments then shattered like glass and the faces of those she hated became prevalent laughing at her misfortune. In addition to this image, she saw her beloved child burning at the stake screaming in agony. Tears then began to flow down her expressionless face. Seeing this, Genesis immediately went to reach her but her other hand motioned saying for him to hold on.

"You…you really don't deserve to live at all. Where is he? Where is my son? WHERE IS RAIZO? WHERE IS MY BEAUTIFUL BOY? TELL ME! TELL ME SWINE!" she shouted. The force surrounding the man squeezed tighter around his body. In that next instant, the crazed woman thrust her hand toward the ground which slammed the officer in that direction hard. She used both hands to motion at his arms. Holding one in a twisted position, she manipulated this mysterious energy to squeeze the other.

"You will tell me what you know or so help me I will rip your arms from your fucking sockets. TALK!"

Crying out in agony, Fujitora tried his best not to give in screaming for help. It was then that an alarm bell sounded. Someone discovered the headless bodies scattered about the grounds that lead to this tent and perhaps heard the shouts for help. Genesis grasped his sword and walked to the tent's opening listening to the clamoring of soldiers heading toward their location.

"Milady, we're going to have company soon. Unless you wish to take them out here and now, we should probably leave," advised the man holding his devil sword preparing for a fight. Hestia continued to squeeze at the man's arms. Genesis' words of caution had reached his ears so she had to make a decision. It wasn't one she wanted to make but she would have to deal with what she managed to accomplish for now.

"Humph, looks like you are saved by the bell. However…" she let go of his body but still held onto his left arm. Clenching her hand shut, a loud cracking noise rang out alongside the screeching of agony that belonged to the commander. In one subtle motion, she shattered the man's arm.

"I'll be nice enough to leave you with a hand that can take care of your lacking manhood if that's any consolation. Here is where we part you sorry bastard. Oh…and knowing your tactics, I imagine Night Raid is probably in some sort of mountain location far north of here. I'll be sure to give my regards when I eventually find them. Until then, I bid you farewell you sorry excuse of an officer.

Walking away from the location, Hestia joined Genesis' side. The pair soon faded into a pool of darkness on the ground disappearing from sight. After they vanished, guards rushed into Fujitora's tent to attend to the wounded man. One of the men asked if he was okay before calling to a medical team.

"Inform the other officers…we have a new enemy and we may have a traitor in our midst."