Fated Meeting

(A military fort somewhere in the West Kingdom)

In the middle of a hundred men, all armed and training harder than their bodies seemed to be able to handle , a feminine silhouette appeared. Her pink hair was distinguishable from the crowd of soldiers, her sapphire eyes staring at one of the buildings at the back of the camp as she walked. She was finally at the door when she was stopped by two soldiers.

"What are you doing here?" They asked in chorus.

She replied with a firm voice: "I come under the command of Commander Oban Xuelin, let me in"

They looked at each other for a few seconds before shifting themselves to let her pass: "Go ahead"

She didn't even answer and walked into the building once the doors were opened. The sound of her sandals echoed down the empty corridor, announcing her presence. She stopped in front of the wooden door that was at the end of it , there was a plate with "Commander Xuelin"on it, she straightened her back, and took a deep breath before hitting the wood three times.

"Come in!" Shouted a deep voice.

The young pink-haired woman pushed the door and entered the room. She stopped just behind . Once the sound of the slamming door sounded, the said commander finally spoke and told her to advance to his desk, she nodded and began to advance. But she was suddenly pulled back: "But-?" She turned her eyes to the door where she saw that her kimono had gotten stuck in the doorway. She was red with embarrassment and came to release the white cloth.

"S-sorry ..." she said in an extremely embarrassed voice.

She finally comes in from of the desk while having her seriousness and right posture back, where the commander was waiting, sitting patiently with his arms folded nonchalantly.

He cleared his throat a little before talking "I called you because I think your agility will be useful"

She just listened calmly to what he had to say.

"We need you to send a letter to one our camp in the Southern Kingdom" said the commander "This letter is extremely important, it's essential that you pass it without getting caught"

She reassured him -and herself by the way- by answering without hesitation "You can count on me."

"The letter is on the desk on your right, take it and leave the fort without delay" he ordered.

"Wait.....Do you mean i'm going there alone ?! What about my squadron ?!" Asked, but she quickly put a hand on her mouth when she registered what she just did in front of her superior.

"*Sigh* Listen girl, i know you and your subordinates works perfectly together, but we can't afford to send them with you. They will be sent on the next 'Attack'. Now take the letter and start your mission." Said the man, as the girl face paled when she heard the word 'Attack'.

"Yes sir, i won't disappoint you." she said no more and took the letter before leaving the room.

"Well, we're counting on you ... Chisana Hana." he finished, staring at her with a serious look.

*************************

(At the border of the Southern Kingdom)

Hana had been travelling for a few hours towards the Southern Kingdom. A normal messenger would've took a horse but Hana decided to play it stealthily. As per usual, Hana was lost in her thoughts as she was walking, but she suddenly heard noises of wheels and hooves hitting the dirt. Hana looked up to see a very well maintained coach, all white with golden ornaments, where the symbol of the West Kingdom was visible just over the symbol of a black rose. But the coach was moving strangely fast, horses and riders seemed panicked. As the coach passed right by her, the people inside yelled at her.

"GET OUT OF HERE!!! THERE ARE ONI IN THE FOREST!!!"

'Oni ??'She thought as she watched the coach move away. "I should avoid the main road ..." she said as she took a side road. This way would cost her a lot of time, but it was much more important that this letter be transmitted. She knew enough about Oni to be sure of their locations. Oni liked to hide in the forest by using their powers and suddenly attack random travellers to surprise them, and use that surprise to slaughter their preys with relative ease.

Hana took a detour and walked along the foot of a high cliff for several minutes, she already knew that she could skirt the forest by climbing the cliff. And she surely had the strengh and endurance to do just that. It took her only a few dozen minutes to climb it, but when she finally did she saw that someone was already sitting at the edge of the cliff, his long white cloak flying in the wind as he stared at the horizon. Hana was intrigued, what could a single man do here? He didn't look like he had climbed the cliff too, judging by the state of his clothes, which were totally intacts, with no scratches. Naturally too kind, she thought he might need some information, she approached slowly "Uh ... 'Scuse me?" . She stood at the foot of the rock and waited for an answer. "You need help ?"

The man didn't even turned around, and she couldn't actually see his face. The only thing that gave away the fact that he was a man, was his clothes. They were obviously expensives which meant that he was a noble or a merchant, but his whole aura spoke of high countenance and stature, and no rich woman would dress like that, so he was a noble man.

" Girl, are you happy ?" Asked the man, still not turning around to face her.

"What ? Why do you ask ?"

"I don't need to look at your face to know that you're obviously a happy, energetic and somewhat clumsy girl. But for some reasons i sense great sadness from you." Said the man. Hana was so shocked that she didn't even talked for a few seconds, before she put a hand in her kimono, ready to draw her weapons and glared at the man.

"My instructors always told me that sensors were bad knews. You can sense emotions and even sense the flow of energy within one's body. But i'm not gonna be fooled by that calm demeanour of yours. Who are you ?"

"Answer my question woman. Are you happy ?" Asked the man, and just like that Hana calmed. She didn't know why, but as soon as he talked, she felt like she couldn't disobey him.

"....N-No, i'm not." Said Hana, she could feel a few tears coming. It was quite a weird moment for her, she was just alone with this man who had asked a really personal question, and just like that she was remembering everything wrong in her life.

"Do not be scared girl. What you're feeling is only normal, for it happens everytime i seek answers from people. I guess you can say it's my special power." Said the man, as he finally got up but still didn't turn around.

"I-I......"

"Let me guess, you live in a country where you cannot fully live as you want. You are constantly forced to hide your true self behind a mask of happiness and acceptance, right ?"

"H-How ?! How do you even know that ?!" Asked the distraught girl.

"...Beacause Humans truly never changes.*Sigh* It's only logical that even after all these years they still make the lives of different people a living hell. They just can't accept how some people are simply unique and different from the lot of them." Said the man. In an instant, he was facing her. It happened quickly but to Hana it felt like eternity. She took in his appearence, but most importantly his face. She froze when she saw the disappearing Holy Symbols on it.

"Y-You....." She tried to talk but nothing came. She was far too surprised to form coherent words.

"But it's all right....I've decided! Since those accursed Gods want me to help the creatures of this world, then so be it!! But i won't do it for them! I will do it because that's just what i am best at!" The man grinned and took Hana's hand which made her react with a little yelp.

"Girl...Won't you help me to change this world ?! Oh what am i even saying, i can see it in your eyes. You have an undying hatred towards this whole world, you despise the fact that the world is so corrupted and filthy. Or maybe you just want to change things, so people won't have to suffer like you did, huh ? It doesn't matter, i'm bored and i'm gonna do what i do everytime i'm bored!! I'M GONNA WREAK HAVOC!!"

Hana could only look at him with a worried expression as he continued to ramble on how he would change the world so that it would become funnier. But she suddenly remembered that she didn't know the name of this strange yet interesting man.

"Who are you ? You still didn't tell me your name."

"......You want to know my name ? I guess i could tell you, but you would do very well to not tell it to anyone else!!! I AM IRAE, THE MESSIAH AS YOU HUMANS LOVE TO CALL ME !!!!"