A girl with long black hair, walking swiftly while hugging a large book. When she reached one of the huts, she glanced left and right to ensure no one was watching her. She entered the hut quickly and placed the hefty book on the table, flipping through its pages hastily. She stopped at one of the pages and began reading with frenzied speed.
"This is it, I found it!"
She pulled the dusty rug off the floor, revealing a magical circle drawn underneath. From her pocket, she took out an amulet inscribed with a black bird and placed it precisely in the center of the circle. She began reciting some incantations.
"In the name of the ancient pact, between the king and the sacred, I, the granddaughter of nobles and descendant of alliances, ask you, O revered guardian, bearer of the sacred staff and breaker of chains, Astyria, to heed my call."
The magical circle glowed intensely, and from the void, a black, mercury-like substance appeared in the middle of the room. It began moving and changing shape at a frantic pace. After a few seconds, lightning surrounded the black substance, causing it to shrink. Finally,
BOOM
The black substance exploded with such force that the entire hut shook.
"Ahhh!"
Involuntarily, the girl screamed in shock, and right in the middle of the circle, a shadow of a man stood amidst a cloud of white smoke.
For moments, the girl stared at the shadow, unable to believe she had succeeded. The shadow began coughing, shouting at her.
"Open the windows; I'm suffocating!"
The girl leaped to the window and opened it. After a short while, the smoke cleared, revealing the shadow's features. He was a young man of moderate height with white hair and crimson eyes.
As soon as the girl saw the young man standing before her, she was struck by surprise, expecting him to be an older man. Nevertheless, she lowered her head in respect, initiating the greeting.
"Revered guardian, I am pleased that you responded to my call. I summoned you from the realm of the immortals seeking help to save humanity from the horrors of the impending war by eliminating the enemy of humanity, King Auris, to bring peace to our world."
The young man raised his hair, revealing his crimson eyes, from which a cold beam emanated as he gazed at the girl.
"Killing King Auris, how will that stop the war? All they need to do is appoint a new king, and it will be over."
The young man's logical words surprised and confused her simultaneously. She stammered,
"But, maybe... appointing a new king is not that simple. It would cause chaos in their kingdom and among the ranks of Auris's armies."
"No, not necessarily. The title of king is not hereditary; the council of elders chooses the kings. The army is under the command of generals, not the king."
Just thinking about all the effort she had put into making the magical circle going to waste made the girl feel disheartened. But she was still determined to find a solution. Not after successfully summoning the guardian, she said resolutely,
"My lord... kill them all: the king, the council, the leaders. This way, we ensure peace."
The young man raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"And what do you think humans will do to Auris when the stage is clear for them? Won't they slaughter every one of them: women, elders, and even children? Is this your idea of peace?"
"Impossible! We certainly won't commit genocide against an entire race."
"You're right. You won't exterminate them entirely. You'll leave some to suffer a fate worse than death. Enslaving the rest is the best way to demonstrate your glorious victories."
The way the young man spoke indicated deep-seated resentment, like someone who had experienced it and knew its depths. This rekindled the girl's fear, and she asked,
"Why do I feel like you hate humans and continue to defend Auris? We are peaceful creatures who do not enjoy prosperity because of them."
Ha ha ha The young man burst into laughter.
"Humans are peaceful? That's the funniest joke I've ever heard. If that were true, why do they reject King Auris's proposal for a truce?"
The girl's eyes widened as she listened, unable to believe what she heard. When the young man noticed this, he realized her ignorance.
"Don't you know? King Auris, the number one enemy of humanity you're seeking to kill, is fully prepared to relinquish all the lands they've occupied in exchange for the island of ancestors. As a gesture of goodwill, he's ready to release dozens of prisoners."
"Revered guardian, what you're saying can't be true. Auris is violent and irrational; they won't initiate peace."
"Irrational? Under Auris's command are various races, yet they coexist in perfect harmony. Can you say the same about humans? If your true wish is to spread peace in this world, you should consider killing the human kings. They are the root of the problem."
The girl was still shocked and unable to accept the truth. The sacred guardian clearly had insight into all the events, and for the first time, she realized she knew nothing about Auris other than what she had heard.
"Revered guardian, are you saying we are the wrongdoers?"
"Certainly. You are the villains and the source of the plague. But who is this revered guardian you keep mentioning?"
The girl pointed at him with her finger and said,
"Aren't you the revered guardian, the protector and breaker of chains, Astyria?"
"Astyria... Isn't that the name of a legendary figure? Isn't it supposed to be a fictional character? Don't tell me you used the magical circle to summon someone from fiction."
A look of confusion appeared on the girl's face, and she became irritated by his mockery.
"Then who are you, if not Astyria?"
"Who am I? That's not an easy question.
Am I the hybrid who betrayed his comrades and master? Or am I the plague, the most despicable and vile person you could ever meet or hear of? I killed thousands of innocents, and even my mother committed suicide because of me. She probably couldn't show her face from the shame, especially after I killed my younger sister with these very hands.
My memory is a bit hazy... Ah, I remember now. Takai. My name is Jin Takai. Pleased to meet you."