Centuries ago, a young fox demon yearning to escape from an arranged betrothal journeyed from the demon world to the land of Atezia. She was a descendant of the Demon Queen, Fasabel, who had nearly destroyed the world ages ago.
By chance, she crossed paths with the heir prince of the holy kingdom, and the two fell in love at first sight. Shortly after her arrival in Atezia, they were wed.
Despite her mysterious origins, the fox demon's beauty and kindness endeared her to all who met her, including the King and Queen, who welcomed her with open arms.
Even after the wedding ceremony, the young fox demon bride remained anxious that her prince would one day discover her true nature, hiding behind her beautiful human facade.
One day, a legendary craftsman and his followers arrived in Atezia, and the princess's secret was revealed. The prince witnessed her natural form with his own eyes, but to their surprise, his love for her remained unwavering. In fact, the revelation only deepened his appreciation for the strength and power she had been quietly using to protect him and their beloved kingdom all along.
The couple continued to love each other until their dying day, but the secret of the fox demon queen's true identity could not die with them.
Their offspring, born with the blood of the demon mixed in with the royal family's lineage, kept the secret alive, passing it down from generation to generation.
Now accompanied by Genevieve, Sonata's group followed a local guide towards the summit of the mountain range. The path was riddled with traps, ranging from natural pitfalls to carefully constructed snares and potent magical barriers.
"Watch out for that one," the guide warned, gesturing towards a seemingly ordinary square stone.
Sonata could sense an ominous power emanating from it, making him hesitant to approach.
"Do you think it's strong enough to harm a Silencer?" he asked Alto, nudging him towards the trap.
Alto rolled his eyes. "Why don't you try it yourself?"
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As they reached their destination, Sonata felt drawn towards a massive rock formation ahead of the group. As he approached, he noticed the shadow of an enormous beast cast upon the rock. It had striking red feathers and seemed to burn like a raging flame. Its ears perked up as it sensed Sonata's presence, and its nine tails flickered like serpents.
This mountain summit housed a secret camp of the Chaos rebels.
The rebellious warriors fell to their knees in awe of the looming power, and even Alto, Vene, and Genevieve felt the pressure from it, until they accidentally stepped backwards. This was not the Deval Sonata had seen before, but a special race with godlike powers.
Courageously, Sonata took a step back before stepping forward closer to the flaming fox, the only one brave enough to do so.
The nine-tailed creature looked at Sonata with interest, its once-gigantic shadow now reduced. The fox transformed into a fragile young lady, cross-legged on the large rock as if it were her throne.
She gazed at Sonata and slowly revealed a smile to him. The man who met her for the first time showed no fear of her being, standing apart from the others.
"I am Cerise Atezia," the woman said, her long reddish-brown hair blending with the light of the setting sun.
"I am Sonata Di-alno," he introduced himself.
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Upon meeting Cerise, the rebel leader, Sonata was introduced to two other Chaos generals. The first was a giant warrior nicknamed "Tales the Berserker." He had robust muscles stronger than steel armor, and his arm strength was so enormous that he could carry a giant sword in one hand.
There were rumors that his strength equaled that of hundreds of knights.
The second general was equally admirable. He was a legendary sorcerer known as Alkaiser. Though he looked like a young man, he had served the Chaos for hundreds of years. Alkaiser never shared his story, but many believed he had the same demonic lineage as Cerise. This man was cautious and distrusted the strangers who had just arrived.
Alto felt a strange sensation. He watched as Sonata conversed with Cerise in a way he had not witnessed in a long time. Even the two Chaos generals had never seen their princess behave in such a manner before.
The two of them conversed as if they had known each other for an extended period of time. They sat down and chatted, exchanging stories with one another passionately.
Sonata briefly explained his origins and shared his stories, while Cerise revealed her family history, recounting tales from her great-grandparents' generation to the marriage of Prince Gerrald and Princess Ceerin.
"When it came to one generation, something happened?" Sonata followed her story intently.
"Yes…" Cerise replied sorrowfully. "My great-grandfather was discovered to have demon blood. The news spread, and there were protests. Dissatisfied aristocrats turned to support another line of succession within the royal family…."
"Then the title of King fell to the current King, Baldric Atezia. You, the direct descendant, became a princess without a crown," Sonata guessed the continuation of the story.
"I'm not interested in that position. I don't want to rule over anyone," Cerise replied, staring at the sky with a look of vengeance. "Do you see what has happened to this country? The people are oppressed, left by the ruling class to starve to death."
Sonata realized the reality of his world. This kind of matter was all too common. The poor had to work hard, their bodies almost torn, but they hardly had enough food or basic necessities. Meanwhile, the wealthy never saw the misery of others. Although some people had much, few thought to give up what they had to help those who had less.
...The weak are those who do not know how to reach out for opportunities...
Some upper-class people made such statements without realizing they had better chances than the lower class. They had inherited assets, some had higher education, some had good looks or could afford cosmetic surgery.
The upper-class people were not wrong to have more than others, but looking down on those who couldn't use opportunities or improve themselves was foolish.
The opportunities to live and improve lives were not equal across different classes.
On the other hand, the harsh reality was that the big fish ate the small fish - the strong survived, and the weak perished. Sonata did not want to waste his time judging who was right between those who took advantage, those who were indifferent, and those who helped and reached out to others.
After listening to Cerise's vision, Sonata knew that his ideal society was one where people like Cerise, who cared for others more than herself, existed.
"You're from the future, aren't you?" Cerise asked, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
Sonata's unusual outfit for this era and the never-before-seen devices he carried had attracted attention. The past several days had been filled with rumors of a "Freak Object" falling from the sky, and Sonata's story was consistent with these rumors, making it more believable.
Sonata nodded in response and projected a hologram of the five parts of the Doom Angel spacecraft from the equipment in his battlesuit, confirming his story with Cerise.
"Unfortunately, the force in my hand is running low. Sector One is not a combat sector, and there are only a few thousand infantry and a few hundred Special Forces soldiers."
"You still have arms that no one knows about," said Cerise curiously, asking to touch Sonata's battlesuit. She was shocked when her finger made contact, and the battlesuit warmed up.
"Arms and technology were my advantages," replied Sonata, not caring about the heat-generating system that had just turned on. He redirected Cerise back to the conversation. "Even though I'm a Commander, I'm being watched, and there are only a limited number of soldiers that can be used."
Sonata described his situation more clearly, telling the story of a future in which the Dragonian race enslaved humans. This race had formed an empire and spread its influence throughout the universe, and Sonata was uncomfortable living under its rule.
"I was fortunate enough to be adopted by a Dragonian and was granted the status of Silencer, the highest-ranking soldier in the Empire. I also received the status of Dragonian stepson, which is why I was able to attain the position of Commander despite being only human."
Cerise was confident that Sonata's modest remarks were a lie.
Cerise could understand Sonata by looking into his eyes. He had the gaze of someone who had experienced life and death countless times, and she did not believe that he had reached this point by sheer luck.
He must have had the necessary skills to occupy such a significant position.
She sensed that Sonata could help to fill the gaps in the Chaos Army and end Baldric's barbaric rule.
"I want to put an end to Baldric's savage reign," she said, gripping his hand tightly. "And I believe you can help us."
"What's in it for me?" Sonata asked, a note of caution in his voice. He didn't want her to raise her hopes too high.
"Anything I can offer," Cerise replied without hesitation. She surprised herself with her conviction, but she knew it was the right thing to do.
"Anything, even yourself?" Sonata prodded, putting a finger to her chin.
Cerise blushed like a ripe fruit, unsure how to respond to the playful teasing. Sonata's proximity and piercing gaze made her heart race and her body temperature rise. She had never felt such intense heat before, despite the fiery aura that surrounded her.
This man was unlike anyone she had met before. He was not intimidated by her power or status, and he treated her like a normal woman.
"Unfortunately, to enlist my help, you must become the queen of Atezia," Sonata said with a shrug and a hint of regret. "It's unlikely that you can come with me and leave everything behind. Just give me the key."
"The key to the Gate of Chaos?" Cerise asked, surprised.
"Hmm… another name for it?" Sonata muttered.
"If you want the key, I'd be happy to give it to you," Cerise said, her expression turning slightly somber. Sonata could not tell if her regret stemmed from giving up the key or from the fact that she could not follow him.
"Are you certain you want to overthrow Baldric?" Sonata asked, seeking confirmation. "It will lead to countless deaths, and I may have to resort to unsavory tactics to eliminate the King's loyalists."
"I know," Cerise said, meeting Sonata's gaze with an intense fire burning in her eyes.
Cerise was no innocent child. She knew full well that war would bring untold hardships to the people of this kingdom. Some might view the sacrifice as necessary for a greater good, but for those who lost loved ones, no amount of gain could make up for their loss.
Nevertheless, Cerise had made up her mind. She could not bear to see this kingdom sink further into despair, its people trapped in a living hell.
Besides, time was running out for everyone...
"Revarent?" Sonata said, understanding why Cerise could make such a resolute decision, even though it would undoubtedly cause much suffering.
As Atezia continued to weaken, the hostile undead kingdom grew ever stronger. Vanay had warned him that in the coming years, Atezia would likely lose many outposts, with other cities following suit soon after.
Sonata had a rough plan in his mind.
First, he would help Cerise take over Atezia and acquire the first key. Then, he would rally Atezia's forces to aid him in his quest to obtain the second key from Revarent. After that, he would journey to the Elder of Hermits to retrieve the final key.