Slay the Ideology

SIX MONTHS AGO…

Silence stretched across the land to all corners of the known continent. Despite the fact that an intercontinental conflict was going on, it seemed like there was a misguided peace and serenity stretched along the numerous landscapes except for the streets of the Capital. The entire city was in chaos. People were running wild through the various areas within the city gates like madmen scrambling for food and other resources. Some started riots while others cowered in fear behind the closed doors of their homes.

Imperial soldiers stormed through the streets trying their best to settle down the citizens and establish order though there were times that such attempts were failures which led to violent confrontation. Near the palace were the ruins of the once proud coliseum that served as a hub for entertainment for the masses on special occasions. The massive circular stone structure had been reduced to gigantic chunks of rubble while fires had burned in scattered locations along with billowing clouds of smoke rising to the sky. It was like a sign that Armageddon had begun.

Mere days ago, Night Raid staged an assault on this location to break out captured members from its prison below—which had been smoldered in flames by an underground inferno—which they had accomplished. Though they did lose one member of their team, the Great General known as Budou was slain. The walking powerhouse that was a symbol of absolute power as well as one known to do whatever it takes to protect the city from any intruder both foreign and domestic had been killed in battle. It wasn't the collective of assassins that killed him but just one man. Those who witnessed the fight take place and lived to tell didn't know the name of the individual, only his appearance. From the descriptions—which were in part collected by the royal guards searching for him and the other members of Night Raid—the most iconic thing that people caught onto were the red-eyes and white and black hair.

Some citizens knew of this individual. Why? Well, the same person attacked the Capital 5 years after the execution of the leader of the Blood Wolves. Those who saw him then engraved his image inside their minds but never said anything about it until now. Stories of the Great General's defeat had spread and the mysterious fighter became known as "The Crimson Harbinger", "Red-Eyed Stormbringer", as well as other colorful titles. No one knew where he went but they knew of his power and that his presence meant death.

After collecting information from the locals and casually listening to the guard squads that patrolled the streets, a cloaked individual departed from the city and headed northwest. Amidst the chaos, this person slipped out before the city had been put on lockdown and proceeded to ride in the given direction as fast as they could on horseback. Luckily, the horse was well-trained for journeys such as this and had been fed and watered properly because the cloaked person rode endlessly through the plains for hours and hours on end until a particular destination came into sight.

Hundreds to possibly thousands of miles away from the Capital, approximately by a count of 2 days travel made within the span of 10 hours or so, a massive fort appeared. Pulling out a flag with the symbol of a bird on it, the gates to the structure opened almost immediately. After the rider was safely inside, the gates closed. Two guards clad in midnight blue armor approached as the mysterious halted the horse at the nearby stables and jumped down.

"I need to make my report to Her Highness immediately," requested the individual with a semi-masculine voice. Acknowledging the request, the two guards escorted the person further into the camp until a large tent that mirrored something of a small castle had been reached. This place cloaked a medium-sized cabin that hosted the banner of a blue phoenix on the front with a black background. The text "Sapphire Phoenix" could be read upon the banner as the scout was brought inside.

Within the open foyer of the home sat a chair that faced the door almost like a throne along with a small fire that burned in the fireplace behind it. It was there that a woman sat with her legs crossed leaning to her right side against her fist as though she was bored. To the left of the female sat a gathering of individuals playing on different instruments serenading her with a relaxing melody fit to soothe stress. Listening to it, the female appeared to have a presence of peace. The cloaked individual kneeled before her before speaking up.

"Apologies Lady Hestia, but I have returned from the Capital to give my report," he said in a respectful tone in reverence to the woman. Motioning her left hand to signal her private musicians to stop playing, she would then speak in a kind yet commanding voice.

"You may speak."

"The Capital is in chaos. It would seem that Night Raid staged an attack on the city directly to prevent an execution as well as break out a few of its captured members. A massive battle took place immediately after which led to the death of the Great General Budou. Due to the loss of such a prominent figure as well as the destruction that had ensued, the Prime Minister appears to have trouble keeping the people in order.

Prior to my departure from the city, I had gathered as much information as I could and found out that a male with black and white hair and red eyes was the one who killed Budou. It appears that they are referring to him as 'The Crimson Harbinger'. In addition, it seems that this male has attacked the Capital directly approximately 4 to 5 years ago," he reported. Taking in all of his words carefully, the female opened her eyes revealing deep primrose-colored irises as a smirk creased her lips upward.

"So my son is alive and well then and it seems he's become so powerful also; oh what a lovely thing to hear," she spoke almost in a seductive tone licking her lips carefully. She would then straighten up in her seat before standing up, her long white and gold gown cascading down to her ankles, her supple bosoms protruding outward as the light from the fire captivated her smooth, vanilla skin. Pure white hair trailed down her back too while she lifted one hand toward the guards.

"Alert all of the officers available to mobilize our forces and prepare to move out. Execute Operation: Blitz. Also, send word to my elite unit to settle all their affairs abroad and then report back to the main camp as soon as possible. It is time to make the Order of the Sapphire Phoenix known to the world and my dream for a new world order to begin. Our war begins now!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" spoke the azure knights departing the structure to carry out her demands. As they left, she slowly yet gracefully approached her scout laying a hand on the male's shoulder.

"Thank you for confirming that my son is alive. Also, did you manage to get a chance to grab 'that' particular item while you infiltrated the city?" she asked. Bowing his head, the male reached behind him and grabbed a particular item wrapped in cloth before handing it to her.

"Yes Lady Hestia, I came across it almost immediately after exploring the grounds of the ruins a bit."

Hestia would then grasp the item and remove it from its cloth unveiling a black talisman of sorts with a mysterious lotus symbol upon it. Her smile increased as she had just obtained the thing she had always wanted for her birthday.

"Dimensional Formation—Shambhala, you shall serve my plans very well. Now I just have to find someone that can use you properly," she said laughing quietly to herself.

PRESENT DAY

--Hours before the palace invasion—

Hestia had been sitting upon her throne inside her private cabin recalling how far her army has come over the past six months. At her command, she had hundreds of thousands of soldiers that swore fealty to her and her cause due to the connections she had established years ago when she was once the queen of the Blood Wolves. That legendary clan she once called family was almost like an empire in the shadows chaining various militia groups, mercenaries, and other assassin bands together in a coalition that composed the Underverse.

She was grateful to have been such a 'people person' in her time. Because of her persuasive skills as well as strong leadership appeal, groups such as the Jade Dragon, the White Tiger, Amethyst Lotus, and so forth rallied under the banner which formed the ranks of the Sapphire Phoenix. So much power had been entrusted to her and some held doubts that she could do it, especially because of the fact that she was a woman but she soon proved them all wrong.

Over the months since her mobilization order, she had tactically reduced numerous strongholds belonging to both the Revolutionary Army as well as the Imperial Army to ash before rebuilding them as part of her territory. Settling in the plains in the northwest as her main base, she attacked the icy mountain ranges in the far north that had been decimated by General Esdeath close to a year ago. In the canyons and tropical forests of the west, she had her forces adapt to guerilla warfare as well as slowly advance into the territories of the once proud tribal forces that had been liberated by the rebel forces by cutting off their natural resources thus forcing them into a slow war. Driven by sickness and famine, they had made careless mistakes in battle before eventually falling to ruination.

Some called her a ruthless murdering psychopath while others considered her a prodigal genius when it came to strategy; as for herself, she just referred to it as a typical Saturday afternoon. Hestia knew that obtaining control over both the north and the west within six months was a major feat but that wasn't enough. That was just the opening act. Her forces may have been able to sample the morsels of war that they had been longing for decades but her intuition suggested that more was needed to solidify their resolve under her goal.

During her time lost in thought, four figures entered her chambers before kneeling before her. She didn't demand this of every person that came before her just so long as they gave her the respect she earned; however, this kneeling ordeal just ingrained itself in her subordinates' minds. Recognizing their presence, she motioned to her small orchestra to cease playing before focusing fully on the team before her.

"You all may rise. Come now, you know this embarrasses me" spoke the fearsome leader in a kind and somewhat motherly tone. Obeying her words, the presence of four stood up now making direct eye contact.

"I'm pleased to see that you all are ready for the next step in my plan. I know that you all had affairs to take care of within your personal lives before coming here after I sent my summons six months ago," she spoke, raising an eyebrow wondering as to why they took so long but the quartet could only smile as they knew she was only playing with them. Hestia, though strong, demanding, and even ruthless, was an understanding person to those she trusted. Her elite unit was composed of four people that were the strongest from different groups.

Starting from Hestia's left stood a man whose height was seemingly like that of a giant, nearing at least 7 feet. He had long, violet hair that cascaded down the back of his neck while the front draped across the right side of his chiseled and handsome face. To not completely block his vision, the rest of his bangs were restrained by a gray and white headband with a few feathers protruding up from the side of it. His medium skin tone was complimented by deep, amethyst purple eyes while his muscular frame was adorned by a form-fitting black and dark purple armor that was reminiscent of a dark knight. On his back was a massive broadsword that no ordinary sheathe could hold due to its demonic-looking shape. Though calm and seemingly serene, a mysterious dark aura had radiated from his body. He was a 27-year-old known as Genesis.

To the right of the dark warrior stood another male that was significantly shorter than the former standing about the top of his head at Genesis' chest. His hair was cut short giving off a blackish, midnight blue allure with navy blue eyes that radiated a soulless essence about them. His paler skin was covered in a black uniform-like suit; the male remained firmly fixed in his position with a small smirk on his face almost like he was laughing at something in his mind. At the tender age of 21, he was called Orion.

The next individual standing in the lineup was a darker-skinned female. She was slightly taller than Orion with taupe-colored hair that just barely reached the nape of her neck. Her eyes were a vibrant amber color and she had a bandage-shaped scar that stretched horizontally over the bridge of her nose as well. Her clothing was a bit more on the bolder side of things. She wore a deep V-neck shirt which seemingly displayed her rather large bust that had been draped by a black jacket. Her mid-section had been exposed and she wore denim shorts that only stretched barely halfway down her leg; a long belt had protruded down from her waist in the back like she had a tail and she walked around in black boots. Her hands were covered by black gloves and her forearms were protected by golden gauntlets. She was not afraid of displaying her skin or body at all so it seemed and the fact that she had her arms crossed like she was attesting to a bad attitude complimented this fact. The 23-year-old female was known as Zephyria or "Zephy" for short.

The last individual standing among the line of elite warriors had been the most dangerous looking of all. Her height had been about the same as the former female's, perhaps slightly shorter but she didn't care. She held an expression of dark and brooding intent that could cause a whole room to go silent. Long, flowing vermillion red hair extended down from her head to around the base of her waistline complimented with bluish-gray eyes. Her skin was an alabaster tone like she lost a lot of blood or didn't stand in the sun too much though her gothic maid-like attire would make one think that the sun would cook her when exposed to the outdoor elements. She was slender as well yet had a unique curvature that seemed difficult to ascertain at first glance. At 21 years of age, she was known as Adena.

The four warriors were all teigu users and were the strongest beings in the entire camp. Alongside their queen, they represented the true power of the Order of the Sapphire Phoenix. As Hestia stood before them examining each one briefly, they each knew that their leader held a substantial amount of trust in them. After all, each of them had a personal history connected to the woman before them but now was not the time to recall such details.

"My dear elites, it is time to move to the next phase in my plan for a new world order. We shall now be moving to the next phase of the Ascension plan and begin Operation: Exodus," instructed the majestic beauty. Her subordinates listened to her carefully and nodded slowly.

"So now is the time to make ourselves known by a direct confrontation with the rebel swine and the dogs of the Capital?" asked a smirking Orion as if he was excited about this part of the plan.

"Well then, forgive me for this Lady Hestia but it's about damn time. I've wanted to set some bastards ablaze for a while now," added Adena, punching her hand like she was ready to fight. Though they did not say anything, Genesis and Zephyria agreed with their comrade's sentiment and were curious to know what would happen next.

"Yes, it is time to deliver a personal message straight to the doorsteps of both militaries. They should be sweating by now over what has happened in the past 6 months but sometimes, direct confrontation is necessary before proper action is taken. Truly they are spineless cowards," Hestia sighed while shaking her head back and forth before she would make eye contact again, "But here is what we are going to do. We are going to introduce ourselves by invading their camps directly and stirring up a little trouble."

Silence filled the room as the Elite Phoenixes looked at each other before refocusing on her with confused expressions on their faces. Before one of them could ask how she began to speak once more.

"We're each going to go on a little field trip. Orion, I need you to visit the Capital to deliver the message of who we are directly to the Prime Minister or whoever is in charge there. Adena and Zephyria shall head to the southeast to a weapons manufacturing plant for the Capital and destroy it. Genesis, you shall travel with me to the main camp of the Revolutionary Army not only to deliver our declaration of war but to also find out some information…"

"I'm guessing you are referring to where your son is?" Genesis asked in a slightly deep yet mellow tone. Being the oldest of the bunch and one of those that have been with her the longest, the violet-haired male knew of her longing to have her son once more. In fact, it was almost all she ever thought of in her downtime. After witnessing the child she identified at a battlefield where 10,000 souls were sent to the afterlife, he knew that she wanted him back sooner rather than later. How would she get him to their side though? Would he accept the fact that she was fighting against the side he has fealty to? It was unknown but he would trust in his leader's judgment regardless.

"Yes, I want him away from the rebels. Knowing them, they are just using him for his power and nothing more…"

"What about that one group, Night Raid or whatever they are called?" asked the dark knight."

"If my son is truly with Night Raid, then he is nothing more than a tool with a fancy ability that can be exploited for political gain. Night Raid is nothing but a batch of pawns to the Revolutionary Army. Plus, since that unit is nothing but teigu users, they are just expendable. It's such a shame though, there are so many teigu users in this war yet we are the only ones to know the secrets of how to break past the level of a simple trump card."

"Well, that's because all of the teigu users don't follow your leadership, Your Highness. Besides, only the wise and powerful can hope to learn to use the various techniques that a teigu can do aside from a trump card," boasted Adena.

"Plus you have the concept of a…" Zephyria was about to add her thoughts before Hestia raised a singular hand to halt the idle chatter.

"Enough about that; when I make my move on the Revolutionary Army's headquarters, I'm sure Night Raid will be forced to move out and that is when I shall take the chance to bring my darling child home. For now, we shall all head out tonight and rendezvous back here after the job is done."

"Yes ma'am!" the collective of assassins said in unison before being dismissed. Orion was able to dispatch himself to his destination immediately by use of his teigu. After taking a moment to think, he snapped his fingers and disappeared from the camp. The other members all filed out of the hut before taking horses to ride out to their respective locations.

PRESENT DAY…

-Orion's Arrival-

The Prime Minister, 3 government officials, and the Jaegers were gradually recovering from the shock of the event that just appeared before them. Beads of sweat dotted the various brows in the room save for Supreme Commander Esdeath and Kurome. The gothic schoolgirl held a face of disbelief and denial of the reality that took place before her almost laughing at the situation. Kurome considered Ran to be the one that she was closest to in the Jaegers aside from Wave. In fact, she would even protest that they were her favorite two team members. To see one of those people taken away before her almost caused her to break. As a result, Kurome jumped from her seat drawing her sword—Yatsufusa—and went charging toward the mysterious individual. Following suit, Wave pulled out a black blade and called out the name of his teigu—Grand Chariot. Aquilo unwrapped his teigu—Gungnir—and charged as well while Yuki doubled back to protect the politicians. Their opponent did not even waver from his position aside from tossing Ran's body aside and shaking off his hand to get rid of the red ink stain.

Raising an eyebrow complimented with a grin, Orion fazed through the surface of the floor as the attacks converged on his location. This confused his opponents for an instant thus leaving them wide up. Dropping from the ceiling above, Orion stood on the edge of Aquilo's spear before kicking The Silver Fox in the face and sending him flying into a wall while backhanding Kurome to the opposite side. Squatting down below Wave's reach, a small ball of energy was generated in the palm of Orion's hand; a swift jab followed straight to the black and blue armored male sending him spiraling through the air into the back of the room. It was then that Esdeath rose from her seat ready to fight.

"Hey, hey, hey now! Everyone cool it for a few. That means you titan tits sit down and listen. I already embarrassed your goon squad here by slapping them around and killing the other. Pretty heartless if you ask me but all is chill right? After all, I'm just here to deliver a message," spoke the casual-sounding individual as he held his arms out to the sides like he was posing. Staggering to get up, the trio that attacked the male could hardly move but after a few moments, they were ready to attack again before being stopped.

"Hold it, let's see what the clown has to say," sighed an annoyed Esdeath as she glared at the new presence with malicious intent.

"What? But Commander, you can't possibly be…" the armored individual protested while struggling to regain his composure.

"That's enough Wave! I gave you an order!" yelled the agitated officer. It was then that Orion began to speak in a carefree manner with little regard for whoever stared him down with murderous intent.

"That wasn't so hard now was it? Anyways, I came here on behalf of the group that's been causing you so much heartache over the past few months. You know the mysterious force that's been taking out your shit up north then turned around and attacked the west; now the northwest is completely ours and all. You know what I'm talking about right? Good!" Orion bragged. It was then that he hopped right on the table walking on it like a runway as if showing off. All eyes were focused on him completely. He had them by the balls leaving them unable to speak up against him because he was skilled enough to deal with them all without much effort. Perhaps that is because they were caught off guard and they don't know anything about him or there was some air of fear that they didn't want to admit had occupied the space in the room. For now, they could only listen as the youth continued.

"I come on behalf of the Order of the Sapphire Phoenix, a conglomerate of various clans and mercenaries that once called the Order of the Blood Wolves ally. Though all of the groups involved in this coalition have had their differences, we all found common ground. First, the hatred for the Empire; fucking around and wiping out the greatest clan of assassins this world has ever known was a big damn mistake. Second, hatred for the rebels; their ideals are bullshit and they are nothing but idealistic fools who hide behind the pretense of justice for all. Lastly, our leader is strong; truly the strongest woman around whose knowledge about teigu far surpasses your current comprehension. You all are so stuck on utilizing trump cards while we…well we have gone far beyond that, a level that could be the equivalent to that of the gods themselves…"

"You…your leader, who is she?" asked Aquilo, feeling like he had a bad feeling about what the man would say in return.

"Well, you should know Silver Fox. After all, you're the one who betrayed her. She told us all about you especially. I would kill you where you stand but I'm sure a certain Blood Wolf would rather have his fangs at your neck first," he smirked once more. Aquilo dropped his spear, eyes widening in fear. His brow seeped additional sweat down his face. Such an expression was one that he did not make often for the acknowledgment of fear was something that he considered taboo.

"You can't mean her…can you?!"

"Yes…Hestia Arashi--former wife of Raiden, leader of the Order of the Blood Wolves. You all thought she was dead after she escaped but she has returned and she is ready to take vengeance upon everyone who has ever wronged her."

Aquilo dropped to his knees as fear gripped his heart. He knew that he would eventually have to answer for his sins one day but he always figured that it would be a death battle with Raizo, not with the woman he left for dead 6 years ago.

"So what are we after? Well according to Lady Hestia, it would be a new world order established under her reign free from the chains of this world. Of course, to establish a new order, you have to spread a little chaos first. A wise man, though you may consider him deranged, once said: 'Introduce a little anarchy, upset the established order and everything becomes chaos.'

We are anarchy. This war between you rebels and imperials has become so ingratiated in the minds of the people that it is almost a natural order. When all of these things mix, the known world won't be able to handle it; therefore, chaos shall reign supreme!" the madman finished before he broke into an insane laughter mocking the presence of these fools that sat around him. After a good 30 seconds or so, he took a deep breath.

"Now then, my message has been delivered so my job is done. Oh, and before I go, I was supposed to leave something memorable so…hmm I guess ripping out someone's heart is an attention grabber, therefore…AH, I got it," he said. He would turn to the nameless 3 old men that say near the Prime Minister. He cracked a wicked smile and pointed his fingers at them then snapped his fingers again. The old men all suddenly shone a bright aqua color before bursting into particles and scattering into nothingness.

"And that's all she wrote folks! You'll be hearing from the Sapphire Phoenix soon. Take care bitches!" and just as he came, Orion opened another portal and disappeared.

An indescribable atmosphere was left in the audience chamber. The Jaegers and Onest were rendered speechless. Esdeath gritted her teeth in frustration. She was blatantly made a fool of in more ways than one. She had not felt this weak since that incident six months ago when the boy known as Raizo took her out in a single hit. She thought she was always prepared for the unexpected but it seemed that was not the case. She then stood up, her long, blue hair cascading downward.

"Send war to all the troops to gather back at the Capital at once. We are going to wage an all-out war."