BLOOD OF FLAMES

Generals are the core protectors of the land. They were ranked following their skills and abilities as a soldier of wisdom. War and battles served as their bread and butter. But among the group of the Generals, the individuals who hold the authority and power that surpasses even of the divine beings—is the upper Generals, their clan is said to be the bearer of Lord Giansh's heritage and power.

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Generals stood higher than any soldier. They excel in everything—the center and trump card in battles. And those ranks were only given to those who are worthy.

"Akaru you bastard! What took you so long?! And where's Seratsuki?!" Algard Yozou, 6th General exclaimed as the man in a white General's uniform approached the translucent seal.

"She said she'll take care of the things down there," Said Akaru. The brown copper locks of his hair were swayed by the wind. Its sudden gush had passed through him, the scent of blood, and agony lingered—something not new to his senses.

"Well, if it's General Noguchi we're talking about then we don't need to worry about a thing" Hermes followed, scratching the back of his head.

"Second General Hiraoka, did you perhaps expect this? But if that's the case, why didn't you-" General Fuyumi Kazahana said.

Cutting off Kazahana's words, General Hiraoka Akaru glanced at them. "Hermes is the one who predicted this"

Bewildered by the sudden revelation, the Generals inside shot the latter a piercing gaze. Algard stood in front of Hermes, cracking his fist. "Your smart-ass and tricks are really pissing me off..."

"I believe in the saying that—to trick your enemy you need to trick your companions first," Hermes said, raising his hands in the air in a sign of surrender.

"But how did you foresee all of this?" the 5th General, Lucien Voigt asked. He didn't turn his head towards their direction, eyeing the situation from below.

"It's just a hunch to be clear. Because the feeling of the air that's giving me is...hm." Hermes Nephus paused for a moment as if to touch the air in front of him. "-Sort of not right" He continued while settling his hands inside his pockets. "That's why I took every possible precaution if something tragic might happen. I asked the upper Generals to help me with everything." He displayed his finger at one. "First, letting the remaining Generals be trapped in this barrier." His other hand reached for something at the side of his military clothes—an item in the shape of a cylinder. "Also, I'm the one who planned those labyrinths in the selection. Thanks to my research and to the ones who assisted. I asked the administrators to let the participants go through that hell because the probability of them surviving in this battle might rise...a bit" Hermes let out a deep breath as his eyes glinted in guilt staring at the situation from above. "Yet, there are a lot of casualties"

None of the other Generals uttered a single word listening to the man. For they had also blamed themselves for not looking closely enough and for letting everything slip past their hands. Even if they've been freed from the barrier, they didn't know how to face their soldiers again.

"Second, before attending the ceremony, I gave General Hiraoka the key to unseal the barrier. I was the one who decided for the two uppers not to come, for more chances of survival. The Nemiendlich knew that we have the Generals who are strong to be on par with their Guardians. But they don't know how many of us Generals are—and I took that to our advantage." Hermes continued, his tone was slow and hesitant. "Third, sacrifice. I wanted to trick the Nemiendlich into knowing that we don't stand a chance against them. That's why I..."

6th General Yozou held him by his collar, gritting his teeth in anger. "Why was it so easy for you to do those kinds of things?! Sacrifice?! Our soldiers are not-"

Lucien (5th general) and Fuyumi (4th general) had immediately taken a step forward to stop him. Nova (8th general) held Algard's arm that's clenching Hermes' collar while Akaru (2nd general) watched them from outside the barrier—darting them a gaze of warning.

At all times, it is a must for a General to maintain his composure even in war. But Algard Yozou had discarded it—for he had wanted the soldiers to die in honor and dignity rather than something as the trickery of a plan.

"They're soldiers. We are soldiers, death continued to imprint us. And if the generals are dead, and they're the ones who survived. What do you think will happen? They will still die. Our race might cease into existence" Hermes answered. His eyes locked with Algard.

With a click on his tongue, Algard had let go of his colleague—making the 7th General take a step back because of the sudden pull.

There was a short break of silence until the 2nd General spoke. "After I unseal you here, our priority is to tend our soldiers and clear the remaining Nemiendlich troops. Some of my squad is already deployed"

Hermes fixed his clothes, kneeling on the barrier to watch Akaru undoing the seals.

But their focus had been interrupted when an aura of someone moved towards their direction. There stand two youngsters below them. Their clothes are worn out and their physique holds bruises and wounds. The Generals' attention diverted from the two—bewildered by the familiar faces they had seen on the selection.

"You're...Yumi's brother?" General Algard Yozou said, glancing at the blond young man.

"I am Kazahana Fujihiro, sir," Hiro answered, finally regaining the strength to stand on his own.

"Hitomi Mitsuka" The young lady introduced as her eyes searched on the barrier seal from above—their heads-up high staring at the Generals inside.

"Are you the only participants who survived?" Lucien Voigt, 5th General questioned.

Mitsuka and Hiro darted a look from each other. They had decided to not speak about Raijin's whereabouts in battling with a Guardian.

"There's...still someone sir," Hiro said, there was nothing but courtesy in his tone—seeming to have quite the experience when facing an official.

"I know, but I can't feel his aura nor energy on the land anymore" Algard replied.

Mitsuka and Hiro glanced at each other realizing what the General had said was true. The rippling shocks of the air covered in the residue of energy from lightning had suddenly vanished.

"That someone you're talking about is the kid who defeated the phoenix?" the 2nd General spoke, who continued in dis-spelling the barrier by the light that shone in his palms carrying a small bronze mechanism.

"Y-yes" Mitsuka and Hiro answered in unison—startled by how the General had known the young man's feat.

"Third is with him, you don't have to worry," Akaru said, giving them a short reassuring nod.

Hearing the word third, Mitsuka's eyes glinted in delight. Finally, she would be able to see her again. And if luck comes her way, she had wished to fight alongside her.

---

Raijin remained splattered on the ground. His ragged body was too exhausted from the recent fight as if it will give up any moment soon. Every part of his whole aches—that he'd almost be numb to the pain. But he still forced himself to remain conscious of his whole surroundings.

The lady in front of him stood in a firm posture, her hands held on the scabbard of her sword hanging on the waist. The unique sensation of her energy and aura gave Raijin the idea that she's one of the Generals. Her energy was too dense—which made the young man wonder how many years did she train to achieve her full control of it and something is threatening to its nature and aura.

The man standing before them snickered, he wore a maroon garb exposing his bare chest on the center. His clothes were woven by the scales of a dragon "A General?" He said, his expression was obnoxious.

The General did not speak.

And in a blink of an eye—even Raijin did not anticipate the movements she was already behind the man wielding her sword and prepared to instantly finish him in a single slash.

A snap of irritation was heard from their enemy, raising his hands creating a wall of flames between them. To not be engulfed by the flames, the swordswoman quickly withdraws herself.

Raijin watched them—hoping to catch a glimpse of the General's face. Since he had wanted to speak to her or even utter a thank you for saving him. Yet, words won't come out of his mouth. Putting all of his trust in the person in front of him, he began to let himself drift into unconsciousness, feeling a bit relieved that there was still someone out there.

The wind's gust caused her hair to move as if following a distinct rhythm. Her sword remains unsheathed. As her features display an intimidating fairness of a woman who shines across the sharp of her blade—glancing at the enemy with nothing but an empty expression. Seratsuki Noguchi, also known as 3rd General. An upper General who hails from the nobility of the Noguchi clan. A woman who lives by the domain of the battlefield.

As if a drop of water had fallen, she swiftly charged to her opponent, skillfully swinging her sword. She threw slashes towards her enemy making him alter into a defensive state. Every swing was not wasted by how fluid and distinct her movements are. She bears an aggressive style of fighting yet her wielding appears to be light as a feather.

In a swift swing upwards she did not fail to wound the man.

"Argh," The man groaned in pain as the sword created a deep cut on his right leg. With a look of distaste towards the General, he accumulated the force through his feet—making the distance between the two of them. For an Anshiantiae to push him on the edge was a mock on his side—to him, he is the strongest among all else. He spoke, baring his gritted teeth. "I am the god of flames, Fajra. And as punishment for your sin, I will-"

"I didn't ask," Seratsuki Noguchi said. She approached him, holding the sword by her hand. In every step closer to her enemy, the skies started to run in crimson—seeming to resemble the hue of her blade's flat.

Seratsuki had decided since she had set foot on the battlefield that she would take the life of every enemy on sight. And as result, the remaining Nemiendlich troops near her location are now laid on the ground; drowning in the pool of blood.

Everything paused for a brief moment. There were no movements around as the surroundings turned in a flush of deep red. The man before her was paralyzed—his eyes widening in shock. There was a short and single pulse of their atmosphere and to his surprise, the sword was already pierced directly into his heart. He felt the aching pain in his chest caused by the woman who was now standing before him.

"What's that?" The man said as everything turned back to its color. His hands were shaking as he placed them towards his chest searching for the wound that the sword had caused. But there was nothing—the sticky substance of blood had not run on his fingers. The crimson world and the death that he saw before his eyes were just like a short nightmare—or perhaps a sudden illusion.

Seratsuki did not bother to answer his question, replacing her response in a chant. "Chi no ha" Her blade produced a crimson miasma around her and once again launched an attack towards her opponent not even giving him the time to regain his composure.

The distress and puzzled look on the man's face had quickly faded as the General began to attack him again. His expression was replaced with a sly grin. "I was just joking," he uttered, once again laughing sadistically as he raised his hands in an attempt to block her sword.

It wasn't useless. He had successfully stopped her weapon from slashing him with just the use of his bare hands. His thumb and pointer finger-picked at the blade's edge—creating a shock of the force around them.

The General's eyes widened, she immediately retreated in their close gap of distance but it was too late. Flames were summoned around them and an enormous gush of it had come charging above her.

"I told you! I'm a god and no one shall defy me!" The man proclaimed; arms wide open as if to declare to the world his greatness.

Even if the flames were about to consume her, Seratsuki remained unfazed. She raised her sword above and a collision has been created between her weapon and the fire. "Ketsueki'' She uttered. A stream of crimson fluid had emerged from her sword, stopping the flames from making contact with her. As both of the attacks had halted, the red fluid discharged—staining their clothes.

"I see. You manipulate blood" Fajra, the god of fire, said. Still not brushing the look on his face. His whole was covered in droplets of blood.

Once again, there was silence from the woman. She wiped her face dampened with blood while her whole body was still covered by the crimson miasma.

"You're strong and I like strong women," Fajra said, slowly making his way towards her direction. "If the circumstances might have been different, we would have been perfect for each other. What do you think?"

The General remained frozen to where she was standing as she felt him whisper into her ear. His movement was quick that she did not realize he was already by her side—holding her by the chin and continuously murmuring things to her. 'When did he?' Seratsuki thought, not being able to process the current situation. Her grip tightened on the sword's hilt making a quick move to create an opening for her to move far from him.

Though the god did not let her execute an escape. He had immediately closed the distance between them just before she could do something. He catches her hand which was in an attempt to move the sword. A blazing light emerged from the god's hand as Seratsuki felt the burning sensation in the back of her palm. Fajra buried her hand in intense heat—burning it slowly in an attempt to take the woman's blade in destruction.

Biting her lips from the pain, Seratsuki refused to let go of the sword and managed to release his hold by launching a powerful kick on his leg and arm. Fajra was taken by surprise with the sudden action–not anticipating someone skilled in wielding the sword would also be capable of hand-to-hand combat.

Seratsuki could still feel the burns through her hand. But she chose to ignore it—focusing her whole attention on the enemy. "I will not be interested in you even if the circumstances are different" She muttered, making the man give a mischievous smile.

"Ahh~ I like that!" Fajra exclaimed; his hand was covering his left eye as he laughed maniacally at her. "Well then, let's have fun!" The golden hue of his eyes glowed as his energy has increased to a level no one could comprehend.

Heat began to cover the whole land as flames started to emerge everywhere. And the corpses of the Nemiendlich troops began to stand on their feet—their body was engulfed in fire creating a hideous look of a dead man.

Everyone stood in horror. Even the corpses of the Anshiantiae soldiers came back from the dead and are now attacking their fellow Anshiantiae. The land was covered in flames as the soldiers battled with their colleagues and the Nemiendlich.

"Oh. I forgot them" The god muttered. With a snap of his fingers, his hair that resembled the sunset was carried by the wind along with a loud thumping on the ground.

The screams and cries of the people grew hysterically when towering figures began to emerge from the ground creating fissures on the shaking. The creatures growled, their enormous hands pulling soldiers one by another; crushing them to death. They're the fire giants, born of flames and molded in the soul of a blazing inferno—the creation of the fire god, Fajra.

Seratsuki held onto her blade as the occurrence before her was like a flash of memory where everyone loses their lives dying at the hands of a god. It reminded her of that day—that day where she had the greatest remorse in her life. She glanced at the god with nothing but resentment to his kind.

Placing the blade on her palms, she created a small cut on the wrist as her blood stained the edge of her sword. She broke her control of energy—letting them set free on her surroundings while chanting the words: "Zero zone, dance of the death blade"