Prologue

An explosion of blood, of shouts, of magic…and of Yohann's head, too.

A dreadful slaughter was playing out all across the wide meadow.

In the east, a small elite troop of vampires—the Mulnite Imperial Army.

In the west, a combat corps of the blade-folk—the Gerra-Aruka Republic Army.

"Commander! The Moonpeach Princess's unit is drawing near! We need to counterattack!" Caostel yelled as he tore the approaching enemies to shreds with his confusing Void slash magic. The other men, too, were pulverizing the Warblades with bloodshot eyes. Our opponents' blood spattered, dying the grass bright red.

"DIEEE!" "Gerra-Aruka scum, the lot of you!" "I'll show the commander what I'm made of!" "Hey, that's my prey!" "Piss off, I saw it first!" "You're dead, you THIEF!" "Nooo!"

...…...

...

"Rejoice, Lady Komari. They're scaring away the enemy."

"Yes, but at what cost?!"

I was screaming both internally and externally.

We were in the Dark Core Zone, having an official war match. My unstable breathing and heart rate as I saw my beast-like men battle was already routine, but there was something decidedly different this time around: Half of the Seventh Unit was already incapacitated.

Bellius was hurt and couldn't move. Yohann was already dead by the time I noticed. What remained of my top brass was Caostel, actively doing his best out there; Mellaconcey, doing some cryptic dance by my side; and Vill, merrily snacking on sweet steamed buns next to me.

"We sure are having quite a tough battle this time around. Look, the enemy is near."

"Yes, near us! Near you! How can you be eating like it's nothing?!"

"I couldn't let Lady Amatsu's gift go to waste… Do you want some, too, Lady Komari?"

"I'm telling you it's not the time for sweets! But yes, thank you!"

I snatched the bun from her hand and threw it in my mouth. Red-bean paste filling. So sweet. Just like my sweet and pure naivete.

Right then, a sword came flying toward me and stabbed the ground by my feet. I immediately hid behind Vill. From behind her back, I peered out and saw the Warblades desperately charging forward to our main camp. At this rate, they might actually break through our last line of defense. I was shaking in fear.

"Damn it all… How did it end up like this?!"

"Our enemy is strong, for starters. The Moonpeach Princess is idolized in Aruka. Same level of popularity as you, after the recent occurrence."

"Popularity, okay, but it's like a flea going up against a dinosaur in terms of raw power."

"And you're the dinosaur."

"No way!" I playfully smacked Vill on the back…but it really wasn't the time for games. Death was right around the corner!

"Commander, I believe we might be in a bit of a pickle," Caostel said, his face like that of a criminal who'd failed to break out of prison and was just handed an extended sentence. "Our army is sustaining great damage, yet we

haven't made the slightest dent in hers. They're sending two soldiers out against each one of ours to gain the advantage, the cowards!"

It's all your fault for being so reckless, you bunch of fools!

I couldn't let my men down, however. I was an up-and-coming Crimson Lord and had to act accordingly. No matter how much I hated it!

"Calm down. I have a plan," I said, a bold smile on my face and no plan on my mind. "But it wouldn't be too fun if I just told you outright. Vill, you're smart; I'm sure you know what I'm cooking up, don't you?"

"Sadly not as smart as you, Lady Komari. I know not what you might be thinking about."

"Think harder!"

"Commander! The Moonpeach Princess…Nelia Cunningham is here!"

Then a wind blew through the meadow, bringing about a whiff of steel.

Shocked, I turned to observe the opposing army.

There she was, standing proud atop a mountain of vampire corpses.

Her hair was peach-colored. Her uniform, girlish. She held a blade in each hand, both dripping blood. The princess of the blade nation. The Moonpeach Princess. Nelia Cunningham.

The murderer was the same age as me, and she wore an innocent smile on her face, as though speaking with an old friend. Her voice, though, was harsh.

"I'm finally here… Komari, it is time for you to become my servant."

Let's take a second to think: Which of the six races is the most violent of all?

The vampires are aggressive, of course. Just look at my unit. Our neighbors, the beast-folk, are dangerous, too, as are the Sapphires up north.

Yet there's another race, an entire group of folk who not only outright state they would kill anyone to get what they want but also actually do it.

The Warblades. The combative Iron People.

They say when a Warblade enters a relationship, they do so by first beating their romantic partner into submission. Now I'm about to find myself in that exact same situation.

How did things end up like this? Thinking back on it, the wheels of fate started rolling when I'd first received her invitation.

Ah… If only I had never gone to that resort.