A thick fog hung over the Haltina Woods. This vast sea of trees was the least explored part of Tortus, and was considered one of the Seven Great Labyrinths.
The mist that covered the forest made it impossible to see more than a few meters in any direction. The forest itself couldn't be navigated, either through magical means or mundane.
It was common knowledge that fending off the dangerous monsters that lurked within the forest with half of their senses blocked was nigh impossible. Beastmen, the only species unaffected by the forest's misleading mist, prowled the forest's depths, killing any humans lucky enough to survive the monsters. It was for this reason that people referred to it as the Forest of the Forgotten. Neither humans nor demons had any hope of returning once they stepped into its uninviting depths.
It was precisely because of these harsh conditions that the beastmen had made the Haltina Woods their home. The sea of trees acted as a natural barrier against the outside world.
Within the forest's center was Verbergen, the greatest of the beastmen cities. Inside its walls, all of the beastmen races lived together, and the city boasted the forest's greatest military.
Outside the forest's protection, beastmen were weak. Unlike humans and demons, they couldn't use magic and were often hunted for sport or to be turned into slaves. But here, in their stronghold, they were undefeatable. Or at least, they had been. Until this fateful day.
Charred trees littered the floor. A section of the forest had been completely burned away. Beyond the hellscape lay a transformed Verbergen. Wails of lamentation and furious roars filled the streets.
The normally tranquil forest was ablaze.
Smoke, ash, and blood filled the streets of the beastmen capital. Bootprints and animal tracks covered the forest floor, and many of the cities' houses had been burnt to a crisp.
Verbergen's assailants were no longer here. Nor were most of Verbergen's citizens. They hadn't been killed, though. They'd been kidnapped.
"Hmph. They sure got beat bad. They fought to the death, and they still couldn't stop these guys." A shadow observed the decimated town from atop the ruins of the main gate.
Their rabbit ears flapped in the wind, and a wisp of smoke blew past them. Though people often thought of rabbitmen as adorable, harmless creatures, the one currently surveying the wreckage had an unbelievably grizzled look to him.
Cam Haulia, for it was indeed him, seemed more like a hardened war veteran than a cute rabbitman. He was the chief of the Haulia clan, and Shea's father.
One after another, more shadows alighted around him. Below, a number of rabbitmen gathered before the main gate.
They were all members of the Haulia clan. Cam's entire clan had come. And they all looked like veteran fighters. Anyone who'd seen them would have wondered what happened to the stereotype that all rabbitmen were gentle, weak, peace-loving creatures.
These rabbitmen had killers' eyes. Even though Verbergen had been destroyed, they were all smiling fearlessly.
"Sir, I've finished gathering intelligence from the outlying villages."
"Let's hear your report." Cam folded his arms and observed the newcomer. He was a young, imposing rabbitman, with a cross-shaped scar onhis cheek.
According to the rabbitman, many of the non-Haulia rabbitmen living in Verbergen and the surrounding villages had been taken away by this new enemy.
"Did you suffer any losses?"
"Of course not. No Haulia would be so foolish as to get caught. A few of my men are injured, but all are still in fighting shape."
"Good. Organize a pursuit team to tail the enemy. I'll be taking command of the operation. Have everyone else fortify our defenses and prepare for the next attack."
"Roger!" The youth saluted crisply and vanished as suddenly as he'd appeared.
Cam had his men step a few paces back and took in Verbergen's destruction.
"Those damned murderers!" he spat, a murderous gleam in his eyes.
After a moment's silence, Cam quietly called out orders.
"The scum who invaded our homeland are still out there somewhere." The other rabbitmen licked their lips in anticipation.
"They've kidnapped our brethren, and plan to work them like slaves." A passing bearman spotted the group of bloodthirsty rabbitmen. He screamed and quickly fled in the other direction.
Supposedly, bearmen were the strongest among the beastmen, but one had just fled from a group of rabbitmen. He looked like a little girl who'd seen a bear in the forest.
Cam ignored him and asked quietly.
"Will we let this stand?"
"Never! Never! Never!"
The rabbitmen's roars shook the trees. The people in the city trying to organize rescue efforts shivered.
"Are we going to cry ourselves to sleep, like we used to in the past?"
"Never! Never! Never!"
"That's right. We will never let this stand! We're not the same weak rabbitmen who ran whenever things got dangerous! And we never will be again! In the name of our esteemed boss, we will drive these invaders from our homeland!"
Cam spoke with a fiery passion. He made a fist and pumped it into the air.
"Let's show these bastards how sharp the weakest race's fangs are! We'll teach them a lesson they'll never forget! We're going to strike fear into the hearts of these worms!"
"Cut their heads off! Rip out their entrails! Gouge their hearts out! Kill them all!"
There was a soft rustling noise, as a wolf-like monster fled to the safety of its den. It had been planning on making a meal of some of the beastmen left in Verbergen, but after seeing how terrifying the rabbitmen army was it had run with its tail tucked between its legs.
The rabbitmen's bloodlust was so great that it was palpable. Cam smiled in satisfaction as he looked over the frenzied members of his clan. He sucked in a deep breath and looked his people in the eyes.
"Let's make those imperial motherfuckers regret ever stepping foot into Haltina!" Cam slammed his fist into his palm, as if bringing down the hammer of holy retribution.
In response, the others screamed.
"YAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The entire forest trembled.
In the distance, alarm bells and cries of "Enemy raid! Enemy raid!" could be heard. The people remaining at Verbergen had mistaken the bloodlust rolling off the rabbitmen for an actual attack. All things considered, it was understandable.
Confusion and chaos spread through the ravaged city.
The rabbitmen ignored it all and continued shouting their war cries. A certain monster of the abyss had trained them well.
Their anger was so great it could be felt even hundreds of miles away.
"Hah!?"
"Whoa, Shea, what's wrong?"
Back in Heiligh Palace, Shea's rabbit ears stood on end and she jumped to her feet. Hajime yelled out in surprise, and Yue, Tio, and Kaori all turned to see what the commotion was.
"Ah, sorry, don't worry about it. I just thought my dad was doing his gangster yells again..."
"The heck's that supposed to mean? Anyway, you sure you're not just overexcited since you'll get to see your family again soon?"
Hajime said that with a smile, but Shea blushed and nodded sheepishly, her rabbit ears still standing straight up.
"Maybe. I hope everyone's doing alright. And I hope they haven't gotten themselves mixed up in anything dangerous."
"Who knows. I know it's partly my fault... but those guys are tough. And really belligerent now."
"Gah, now you've gotten me all worried. Please be alright, guys!"
Her ears started flopping back and forth. Shea hoped her prayer would reach her family. Not knowing that at this very moment, Cam and the others were about to pick a fight with an empire. Not knowing that the war to follow would have repercussions around the world, and change the standing of beastmen forever. How could she? No one could have predicted what would soon come to pass.