A girl woke up, surrounded by a burnt barren wasteland littered with bodies. She wasn’t really a girl, but a four-month year old baby. However, being the size of a toddler, one can easily make the mistake of thinking she was one. 

She was lying in what looks to be a sticky cocoon of red and black skin, with the texture of a reptile. From head to toe, she was covered in thick mucus. She was lying on her back, staring at the empty sky with an empty look in her eyes. Her eyes were dull and faded, yet were glowing red and her pupils were large and cat-like in shape. 

Nearby, a crow flew down, landing on a small but out of place axe. It looked down at the girl and cocked its head, seemingly interested in the strange sight it saw. It decided to caw at the strange sight that it can’t really understand.

When the crow cawed, the girl’s eyes cleared and she sat up, gasping and crying. She looked around the place she was born, the torn and rotted bodies covering almost every square inch of the place with no signs of life, only dark and dirty sand. The sun was covered by a thick layer of dust high up in the sky, making little to no light touch the ground. There were no clouds or a blue sky. There was only a pale dark orange color. It was the literal definition of a wasteland. Nothing in sight but bodies.

The girl sat up and found her eyes drawn to a dead woman with a hole in between her legs. She wasn’t wearing any armor and wasn’t as rotted as the other bodies were. She was wearing a black and grey sweater and had matching long dirty waved black hair to match. In her neck was an oddly out of place silver dagger that seemed to gleam in the wasteland. The girl instantly recognized it as the cause of her death, even if she doesn’t actually know what death is. All she knows is that her mother isn’t moving, she isn’t there for her anymore because of it. So naturally, she went over and pulled it out. It took some effort since it was wedged in there pretty deep. But after enough tug, the knife came out. It flew away and the girl went flat on her butt. 

Her eyes then drifted to the crow and what it was perched on, or mainly the axe. The girl felt a familiar attraction to the axe as she did to her mother. She went over to it, completely ignoring the crow who flew into the air only to land nearby on a halbert handle. It watched her studying the axe with interest and some amusement. 

The axe in question was small but large compared to the girl. The axe was sharp and both the metal and wood glistened and shone in the darkness, even more so than the knife. Carved on the handle of the axe was the word Ai.

“Ahh...Ayet....Ai.”

The girl, after muttering the name a couple of times, hugged the axe.

“Ai....Ai Ai!”

Her hands ran down the shaft until it hit a black leather hilt next to the blade of the axe. In the hilt was a shiny knife similar to the axe, only it had a black leather handle instead of wood. The blade had patterns on it and was curved, shaped like half a circle. She grabbed the blade and pulled it out, accidentally nicking herself in the process. She froze, then proceeded to look at the finger she cut herself on, then put it into her mouth. It tasted odd but at the same time, sweet. This was to be expected. After all, this is the first conscious time the girl has ever had something to drink. To her, in this hot humid area, this was probably the best thing she has ever tasted. In fact, it was the first thing she has ever tasted. 

The girl played around with the knife some more before putting it back in the hilt and pulling on the axe...

....Only the axe didn’t budge no matter how much she tried. She pulled and pulled but to no avail. With an angry growling noise, the girl pulled with all her might one last time. The axe lurched forward and caused the ground to crack. The girl fell off the axe and looked at it, a proud look on her face. That quickly was replaced with a look of discontent as she realized the axe didn’t move that much. Tears started to come down her face and she started bawling. However, her cries went unanswered in this hellish wasteland. She was alone. No one would comfort her by the looks of it. With nowhere to go and only her dead mother, the child cried on and on.

———

Six Years Later

Notalsk never changes. There is still sand and bodies everywhere. There is always war and always bloodshed.

Those thoughts were running through General Obaskis’s head as he watched his captors slit the throat of one of his rookies. The rookie started choking and fell down, convulsing. His tormentors just laughed and started to kick him. Nearby, a tall man with rather clean silver armor sat on top of a barrel, a red feather adorning the top of his helmet. He watched what was going on with a neutral expression on his face. He was Issac Narton, General of the 4th and 5th army of the Sellsion Empire and now a part of the war against the Gerneck Nation by working with the rebels who want to overthrow it. What did the Sellsion Empire have to gain from supporting rebels? They can get one of their biggest rivals off their back and puppet it, controlling the Nation and giving themselves more power. 

General Obaskis hated them with a burning passion. Not only were the rebels too blind to see that if they overthrow the Nation, it will not only solve none of their problems but they’d be playing right into the enemy's hand! The last thing he and his men were expecting in an area cleared and safe from enemies was said, enemies. The general had many questions, mostly on how they got through. Part of him did know or had an idea. 

We have a traitor in our midst. Most likely more than one too!

Now normally, even caught off guard, General Obaskis and his men were not to be messed with. However, most of his men were replaced by rookies for a training exercise. And for extra measure, General Issac Narton brought ogres, giant muscle-head warriors good at following instructions and great at killing. They fought the skilled soldiers while the rest slaughtered the rookies. 

To General Obaskis, the very idea that the rebels fight for the safety of the people agreed to work with people like this is just laughable as it is pathetic. Plus, there is a strong possibility that the rebels themselves dress up as soldiers from the Gerneck Nation and slaughtered and raised villages. It didn’t work out once most people realized that the Gerneck Nation would never do it but to the people in the village, they usually react to what they hear other than facts or to look into things. 

General Issac Narton’s eyes went down to the captured general and for a moment, the two generals' eyes met. With a snort, Issac got up off the barrel and walked over to Obaskis. Once there, he swiftly kicked him down to the ground. After a painful groan, Obaskis got up back to his sitting position, refusing to give Issac any fear.

“You know, for someone as smart and wise as you, you sure are an old fool.”

Obaskis said nothing as Issac continued on,

“You know that despite your strong warriors, your Nation stands no chance of winning. Your continued struggle will worsen your situation and make it easier for us to control your pathetic kingdom.”

Issac was enjoying this. He was what one would call a brave coward. When things are going well for him, he won’t back down unless the situation gets way out of hand. He’ll do what he wants and be as cocky as he wants because he believes he has the advantage so high that nothing could change it. 

He was right in a way. Even if the rebels lost the war, the Nation wouldn’t be able to get revenge on the Empire. Not only would they be too damaged to mobilize an efficient army, but declaring a war they would lose would just give the Empire what it wants. The only reason why the Empire hasn’t officially declared war yet is because of their image.

From Issac’s point of view, with no one coming to help Obaskis and his troops and the backing of the Empire, he was looking pretty good. Unfortunately, Issac is about to learn of Nature and how unpredictable life can be.

CRUNCH

Issac turned to look at what had caused the noise. What he saw baffled him.

There was the biggest and toughest of his ogres, the red skin giant known as Crashin, lying in a puddle of his own blood. The giant reinforced black steel spiked club he uses as his weapon was cut in two. But that wasn’t the strangest part. The strangest part was the large gaping hole of blood and mush in his chest and the small but polished hilt of a weapon in it. Then, a small and petite hand rose up from the bloody mess and grabbed the hilt.

Out from the pile of gore came a small girl with dirty short blonde hair. She wore a dirty grey simple dress that looked to have been pink at one point and looked horribly cheap. She wore no shoes and looked no older than six or five. Strapped on her and by her waist like a belt was a black leather pouch. 

The oddest part, and the most creepy, was her eyes. Her eyes were a crimson red and glowed. Her eyes looked unnatural, like a predator’s eyes on a human body. And of course, from head to toe, she was covered in blood, some of it looking old and stained onto her dress and hair. 

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The girl lifted the weapon out of its resting place with what looked to be some effort, though it couldn’t have been much considering the fact that she lifted it with one hand.

The weapon itself was an eye-catching but simply plain old axe for cutting down trees, though it looked like it was fashioned into a war axe at some point. But in the hands of that girl, it looked like a weapon the Reaper itself would be proud of. 

The girl looked at Issac and smiled, revealing sharp teeth. It wasn’t a smile of malice or anything, but the smile of a child finding something dear or exciting to them after a long time of absence.

“W-who a-re y-y-you!?” Issac demanded, cursing himself for being afraid of a child. There is no way someone like her could have killed Crashin. No. It must have been a fluke or he was hit with a cannonball. Yeah, that has to be it.

“Oh. My name is Ai. You’re Issac, right?”

The girl spoke with a tone that held no malice. It was only simple curiosity. It was, with all things considered, how a child talks.

“Wh-what if I am!?” 

“....”

“....”

Why the hell is she giving me that blank stare!? Issac thought angrily, becoming unnerved at the silence and black expression the girl had on. Finally, she scratched her head with her free hand, her fingernails red and shaped like claws.

“....Are you not General Issac? Um...sorry about your big guy then. I guess I got the wrong tar-“

Issac cut her off, not knowing if she was making a fool of him or not.

“I AM THE GENERAL ISSAC YOU STUPID GIRL!”

The girl cocked her head in confusion.

“Ehh? You are? Then why’d ya say you aren’t?”

Meanwhile, General Obaskis chuckled. He knew the tone and mind of a child of a young age. No matter what Issac says, he won’t win against her. She just wouldn’t understand it.

Perhaps sending that, Issac decided to not argue any further.

“So what do you want, little girl.”

Issac pulls out his cutlass and points it at her. The sword was a fine blade with bits of jewellery on it with a hilt dusted with gold.

“And think carefully before you answer.”

The girl, without hesitation or worry, pointed the head of her axe at Issac, or more of the silver hilt dagger he had stored away on his belt.

“You have and used a Palitherine Dagger, right?”

Issac heard of that name before. People in the South East call Pallerd’s daggers it. He lowered his cutlass and took out the fancy silver dagger.

“You mean this?”

The girl’s face instantly lit up and her smile widened, making her look extremely cute. A faint blush was even on her face. The glowing red of her eyes did nothing to hide the sparkles in them. 

“So you do have one! Thank you.”

Issac frowned. He did not expect a reaction like this. 

“Say, you seem to have some skill. Why don’t you join me? I promise I will treat you well.”

Issac wasn’t joking about this. His mind finally accepted that she killed Crashin all by herself in one blow. Sure she got the drop on her but a child with that skill at this age! 

If I can raise and train her properly, I can give the Empire a powerful tool. I may even get a reward.

“Sorry, I can’t do that.”

“Hmmm?”

The girl closed her eyes and cocked her head slightly to the left, her smile still the same. 

“I’m here to kill you ya see.” 

In a flash, the girl jumped off the corpse she was on, splattering blood and guts everywhere, before landing a couple of feet in front of Issac, causing the ground to crack.

“You see, Mom died by that knife, and that means she couldn’t be with me. So I’m killing everyone with that knife so they can feel what mom felt.”

The blush on her face grew and her smile changed, now showing her sharp teeth.

“And I haven’t had the chance to kill another target in so long that I’ve been playing with almost everyone I see! I’m so happy to get to play and kill you that it will almost beat the taste of that dagger!”

Issac and everyone that could else took a step back. They all came to one conclusion. 

She’s crazy.

Some of the archers drew back their bows and fired at her. The girl simply swung her axe, causing enough wind to be seen. The arrows clattered onto the ground. Then, she disappeared. 

The archers started panicking at the sight of her running on all fours at them at a speed that shouldn’t be possible. She was on them in two seconds. She jumped up into the air, twirled around, and swung her axe, chopping one archer's head off and cutting the throat of another one. 

She landed on one foot and jumped again, carrying her momentum. She brought her axe down on the chest of another unfortunate archer before spinning around, dodging a spear that was thrown at her. The last remaining archer in the group pissed his pants at her eyes locking on to him. He just barely managed to grab an arrow and aim before she was upon him. Just in case that happened, the archer had jumped back, getting far out of her reach. However, the girl thrust her axe forward like a sword. The spike at the tip of the axe cut through the hardened bow like it was nothing and continued until the axe head stabbed him in the chest. 

The girl darted forward, lifting the archer up into the air and above her head, before spinning or twirling. The result of her strange but fast and fluid move was a rain of blood and dismembered body parts. 

Her eyes then locked onto the soldier who had thrown the spear earlier. She looked like a kind of ninja, though the girl had no idea what that was. Even with all her special training and the missions she went on, she shuddered at the sight of the girl looking at her. 

The smile on her face was one of satisfaction and hunger. A yearning for more.

The girl wasted no time sprinting towards her. Twelve soldiers stepped in front of the ninja. They weren’t going to let their sweet victory be defeated by one little girl. 

The girl was on them in seconds. The closest soldier raised their sword, only he never managed to raise it over his shoulders before an axe cut him clean in half. Another soldier attempted to do the same thing but fared no better, the girl stabbing him in the neck with the end of her axe. He fell to the ground, choking on his own blood. 

The girl gave them no chance to rest. She leapt high in the air, twirling her axe, before spearing another soldier and quickly cutting through another one before they could act. One soldier raised his sword to block an incoming strike only for his sword to break under the impact. He fell down, clutching at the large slash on his chest. Another soldier darted forward, swinging his sword. The girl passed the axe to her right hand and flicked it forward. The sword met the axe and bounced off, throwing the soldier off balance. A second later, the soldier fell down, impaling himself on the top of the axe. His legs were cut off.

The other soldiers backed off now. Perhaps the fact that this little girl was much more of a threat than they realize. After all, she cut six of them down in less than forty seconds. 

The girl tossed her axe casually in the air before catching it in her right hand. Her eyes went to each and every one of them before smiling, letting out a giggle. She leaned forward a little before lifting the axe and resting it on her shoulder. Even as more and more soldiers closed in, the manic and smug smile on her face didn’t change. She felt no fear. Her expression only showed she wanted more, that she can take more.

An ogre accepted the challenge and stepped behind her and raised his club over his head. Unlike his boss, he was green skinned and wielded a giant club. He swung down and struck the ground, hard! He looked down, expecting to find a bloody pulp. Instead, he registered that he saw nothing before he suddenly face planted on the ground. He couldn't feel his legs. The next second he felt sharp teeth bite at his neck. His screams turned to gurgles as Ai ate his neck. It took ten seconds of eating for her to eat through the bone and decapitate the ogre. Once done, she stood up, wiping her bloody and messy mouth, her red eyes locking onto each remaining soldier. She let out a giggle before sighing, sounding like she was satiated but not completely. Her eyes had a hungry look in them and met the eyes of another ogre. She licked her lips and flashed him a toothy smile, showing her sharpened teeth. The ogre promptly ran. Everyone followed suit. They didn't care if they still had numbers on her or how skilled they think they are. They just had to get away from the monster in front of them.

Ai's eyes lit up and she started laughing. She started chasing down anyone who got too close to her, cutting them now. By the end of it, two more ogres and at least twenty soldiers more lay dead. The last causality was the personal assistant of Issac, who was currently clutching his gut, staring at his intestines. In Ai's hand was a dagger curved like half a moon. She used it to gut and disembowel those she got really close to...or didn't bite.

Issac was all alone by the time Ai walked over to him. He was trembling and crawling backwards away from her. Ai seemed disappointed at this and she put away her dagger and pointed the head of her axe at him.

"It's less fun if my targets don't fight back. You must have some skill, right?"

Ai cocked her head and begged him with puppy eyes. Issac just stared before whispering, "Monster," then proceeded to fall unconscious. Ai blinked, took a step forward, and poked him with the sharp end of her axe. In a flash, Issac lunged forward, his blade speeding towards her neck.

Cowardly as this may be, they fall for it every ti-

....

Issac's hand was chopped off and the head of Ai's axe was buried deep into his right leg. He spat out blood and crumped down on the ground, clutching his stump with his left hand. Ai took her axe out of his leg, ignoring his cry of pain, and swung the axe at the ground, leaving it standing with the hilt facing up.

"Aw, what a shame. If you were just faster...and a little more skilful and less obvious, you may have gotten me! Then again, the likelihood was that even then, it would probably be a scratch. Oh well. In your next life, you should try harder."

Ai reached into Issac's pockets and pulled out the dagger she was looking for. With a winning kid-like smile, she quickly licked the dagger before putting it away in another hidden pouch. She then lowered herself until she was right next to Issac's head. She grabbed his head and stepped on him. With a tearing sound, she quickly ripped his head off, her claws deep into his flesh. She studied the head with a satisfied smile and look in her eyes before taking a huge bite out of it. After she swallowed, she dropped Issac's ruined head onto the ground and picked up her axe. It was then that she noticed General Obaskis and his captured men.

"...How long have you been here?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to the left.

"Since the beginning," Obaskis replied, sweating and his eyes full of caution.

"Oh. Okay then."

Ai spun around to leave when she stopped and spun abruptly back around, pointing the head of her axe at the captured soldiers.

"Say, do any of you own a P-"

"We don't. Only the Empire does," General Obaskis interrupted, sensing the danger.

"...."

"...."

"....Okay!"

With that, Ai spun around once again to walk off. 

"Hey, Kid! How would you like a job?"

Ai stopped once again and turned around with a pouty expression on her face.

"I am not called Kid! My name is Ai. And no, I already have a mission."

"But with our help, you'd be able to find your targets much faster. Not only that but you'll be able to have some more variety in food, clothes, and some help backing you up."

Ai stayed silent, considering the offer.

"....Sorry but-"

"And you'll get to fight more frequently so your boredom will be curbed. In fact, I would dare to say that you will even like this job."

"...."

"...."

"...I'm in. So what is this job?"

"Can you free me and my men first?"

With a sigh, Ai walked over, dragging her axe on the ground. When she reached Obaskis, she cut him free.

"Join me in our fight. That is my offer. Trust me, I think you'll like it."

Ai searched Obaskis's eyes, trying to figure him out. Obaskis had already figured out this girl quite some time ago. He knew a battle maniac when he sees one.

"This won't interfere with my mission?"

"It won't. Even if one of our own killed your mother, I will personally help them get what they deserve."

Ai was silent for a moment before smiling a big toothy predator smile. The other soldiers couldn't help but shudder. Even Obaskis sweated a little. Ai reached down and offered her hand.

"Deal!"

Obaskis smiled and grabbed her hand. He could tell it was small and soft even through his armor, yet he could feel the power residing in it.

"Then welcome to the war."