The night before the demonic incursion.

Alza sat on the edge of Faye's bed, tucking the wildborn girl in for the night. She had just finished reading Faye a story about a brave hero who defeated a dragon.

"And that's when the hero lived happily ever after," Alza said, closing the storybook.

Faye let out a yawn. "That was nice," she murmured, her voice slurred with sleep.

Alza smiled and tucked the blankets around Faye's shoulders. "I'm glad you liked it, but now, it's time to go to sleep." She stood up and turned to leave, but suddenly, she felt a small tug at the hem of robe.

"Alza, can you stay here tonight?" Faye pleaded.

Alza crossed her arms. "Faye, what did I tell you?"

"I’m a big girl…" Faye mumbled.

"Exactly, that means you can sleep alone." Alza said.

"But I don’t wanna." Faye said, with tears beginning to well at the corner of her eyes.

"Oh fine." Alza said with a defeated sigh. "But just this once, alright?"

Faye nodded. "Okay."

Alza stood and put out the lights in the room, except for a small lamp next to the nightstand. She closed the curtains and then shuffled herself into the bed next to Faye.

"Good night, Alza." Faye mumbled as she closed her eyes.

"Good night, Faye."

***

Sometime in the distant past.

Amidst an opulent throne room, Alza stood with her arms crossed, shooting a contemptuous glare to the man who knelt in front of her. That man was King Taranak, the ruler of what was once one of the most prosperous human kingdoms in the mortal world.

The king had the audacity to try and start an alliance of human kingdoms against the Demonic Empire. And as such, Alza crushed the man’s ambitions with prejudice. She not only sent legions of demons into Taranak’s kingdom, but she also spearheaded an assault on the capital itself: a decapitating strike to destroy enemy leadership and morale.

The king’s regal demeanor was all but gone as he pleaded for mercy. "Please, spare us," he implored, his head bowed in submission. "I will do anything you say."

Such displays of weakness, however, only served to infuriate Alza. The man before her had lost, but that did not mean that a king should bow his head low in deference. "Stand up, King Taranak, it is not in your stature to kneel with your head so low."

The King obliged, meekly rising to his feet. Alza bit her lip in frustration, she wondered how such a weak man became the ruler of a nation. But regardless, she had a mission to do, and she would be sure to see it through.

"King Taranak of Estria, I will give you two options." Alza said, her eyes glaring at the weak king with bitter contempt. "You will either submit yourself and your kingdom to the control of Demon Emperor Mefisto as a vassal, or you can choose to be executed. However, if you do choose the latter option, we will ensure that you will be killed with dignity and buried according to whatever traditions you desire."

Without even a moment’s hesitation, King Taranak replied. "I submit! I submit! I would be more than happy to see my kingdom serve the prosperity of the Demonic Empire."

"If that is the case, then we are done here. You are to remain in this castle until you are allowed to leave. I will send one of my aides to you soon in order to formalize your vassalization."

"Th-thank you kindly, General." King Taranak muttered.

Alza sighed and left the pathetic man behind her. Out of all the kings she had seen, Taranak was definitely one of the worst she had the displeasure of meeting. But for now, the deed was done, and she could leave this mess all behind. When she exited the throne room, however, she was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face greet her.

"Amuria! I didn’t know you were visiting." Alza said with a smile.

Amuria let out a light chuckle. "After finishing up on the southern front, I didn’t really have much else to do, so I decided to pay everyone a visit."

A playful grin tugged at Alza's lips. "So, am I last or first on that list?"

Amuria let out an affectionate chuckle. "You are the first one I’m visiting, as always."

Their words were accompanied by a heartfelt embrace. For a few precious seconds, they held each other tightly. The two sisters hadn’t seen each other for months.

As Alza released Amuria from their embrace, her eyes seemed to sparkle with affection. Stepping back to get a better look at her sister, Alza couldn't help but comment, "Is it just me, or have you grown taller?"

Amuria's lips curled into a knowing grin. "Or maybe you just got shorter."

"Perhaps you're right, my back has been awfully sore from carrying the weight of the war effort."

Alza replied sarcastically.

Amuria chuckled heartily. "At any rate, how did negotiations go?"

"Same as always." Alza shrugged. "These humans never put up much of a fight. How did the subjugation of the elves go on your end?"

"Quite well, actually. Although there has been a slight hiccup."

Alza raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh? Do tell."

Amuria sighed. "I’ll tell you, but could we not do it here? I’m not a fan of this stuffy castle."

Alza scanned her environment. "It does look rather…gauche. Let’s get out of here."

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***

Alza and Amuria soared through the evening sky, their wings slicing through the cool air as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the skies in orange and pink hues.

"So, do you finally want to tell me about this ‘hiccup’ you had?" Alza asked.

Amuria shot a nervous glance towards Alza. "I don’t mind telling you, but promise me you won’t tell Father."

"Since when have I ever leaked your secrets? I’m honestly offended you’d even think of the possibility." Alza scoffed.

"My apologies, it’s been a while." Amuria said with a nervous chuckle.

Alza then gave Amuria a reassuring nod. "So, tell me then."

With a deep sigh, Amuria finally spoke. "There’s been a lone elf that has been sabotaging our operations. He has fought off an entire legion of demons by himself, and wrestled away multiple cities from our control."

"My goodness, that does not sound good." Alza said.

"The mortals call him Melchio the Sun Knight. I’ve tried dealing with him myself…but I wasn’t able to finish him off."

Alza's hands clenched into tight fists as the words reached her ears.. "Did he hurt you, Amuria?"

Amuria nodded reluctantly, her gaze lowered. "I…yes, we fought, but I was forced to escape. He was too powerful."

A fierce determination ignited in Alza's eyes."I’m going to give that bastard a piece of my mind then if I ever see him."

"Don’t go too hard on him. Would be a shame if there’s nothing left."

"What? Was he handsome?" Alza joked.

Amuria giggled. "Not too bad for a mortal. I was surprised he didn’t have a partner. Would have made threatening him much easier if he did."

"Well, I’ll deal with him when I get to him. Maybe if he’s useful, I’ll even leave him alive." Alza said.

"By ‘alive’ do you mean turning him into one of your undead?"

"I wonder whatever could have given you that idea." Alza said sarcastically.

A mischievous grin soon appeared on Amuria’s visage. "It’s been a while since we’ve met each other, Alza, how about we play a game?"

"I don’t mind, as long as it won’t take up too much time."

"Oh it won’t. I was just thinking of a simple game of tag." Amuria said.

"Any specific rules?" Alza asked.

"You’re the one chasing, I’ll be the one trying to flee. But you’re also not allowed to use any magic whatsoever."

"So you want a handicap?"

"I would like to have a fighting chance here."

Alza sighed. "Fine, I’ll give you a five second head start."

"I'll see you soon then," Amuria said with a warm smile, and with that, she soared away.

After five seconds had passed. Alza finally gave chase. She had always been a faster flier than Amuria, but the fact that she wasn’t allowed to use magic certainly made things more complicated. Every time Alza came close to touching Amuria, she would vanish into a cloud of ravens and manifest elsewhere nearby.

Their flight took them over lakes, through forests, and across valleys. Alza poured every ounce of her effort into the chase, consistently closing the gap between her and Amuria. Yet, with each attempt, her fingers were always just out of reach of her sister. But suddenly, to Alza's astonishment, she watched Amuria descend at the entrance of an unassuming village.

As Alza descended onto the ground, she walked up towards Amuria. Curious as to what she was planning. "Amuria, why did you stop? And why here of all places?"

"That game was becoming no fun anyway, you would have won if it weren’t for the handicap." Amuria shrugged.

"If you say so." Alza said.

"At any rate, I figured it was time for us to experience some more…interesting entertainment." Amuria said.

"What do you mean?"

"Take a look at that woman over there." Amuria gestured towards a middle-aged human woman standing near the village's well. The woman appeared visibly shaken. Behind her, was a cowering young boy.

Alza furrowed her brow. "It’s just a human woman and her child. I don’t see what’s so interesting."

"Oh, they aren’t the interesting part. Alza, this is."

With a flick of her wrist, dozens of ravens manifested from Amuria’s shadow and flew to the skies. The birds then flew towards the human woman and child, harassing them with a flurry of pecks and loud squawks until they were forced onto their knees.

Amuria's laughter filled the air. "Look at them, Alza. How weak they are, even some birds are enough to make them fall."

"Knock it off, Amuria, this isn’t entertaining. It’s just unnecessary." Alza warned, shooting a sideways glare at her sister.

"Lighten up, sis. We all deserve a little fun here and there."

Alza shook her head and let out an audible sigh. "Amuria, finish things or I’ll do it myself."

"Oh fine." Amuria conceded. As she snapped her fingers together, one of her ravens exploded into a ball of black flames directly in front of the human woman, killing her instantly.

"There, are you satisfied?" Amuria huffed, casting an irritated glance in Alza's direction.

"You are becoming sloppy, look." Alza pointed towards the child, who now laid on the ground, besides the freshly burnt corpse of the woman. The boy seemed scared for his life, his eyes wide with fear.

Amuria snapped her fingers, causing her ravens to vanish into thin air. "I wasn’t being sloppy, I left the child for you."

Alza raised an eyebrow at the declaration. "Your idea of a gift is giving me more work?"

Amuria rolled her eyes. "Fine, I’ll clean things up."

With a mere glance directed at the child, Amuria released a raven soaring towards the boy. However, before the raven could make contact, it met its demise in a flash as a crossbow bolt intercepted its flight.

Startled, Alza and Amuria pivoted to see the source of the intervention. Far to their right, a gathering of humans had formed, they brandished an assortment of weapons, from swords, crossbows, and pitchforks. Fear and caution were visible in their eyes, and many among them quivered in their boots, their unease palpable.

"Looks like we have company." Alza said.

"Do you want me to take care of them too?" Amuria asked coyly.

"No, you’re just going to make another mess. I’ll handle things this time."

With a casual stride, Alza advanced toward the trembling villagers, her smile widening as their fear deepened. She knew her presence alone was enough to make them quake in their boots.

"Lay down your arms, humans. Or face the consequences." Alza warned.

Initially, the villagers remained silent, none of them dared to even move. But then, an elderly man stepped forward from among them, his beard streaked with gray, and his hairline had receded far back as evidence of the years he had lived.

"G-get out of here you damn demon!" The man stuttered.

Alza couldn’t help but chuckle. "I don’t think any of you are in a position to threaten me."

The elderly man shifted back slightly, sweat creasing his brow. "A-attack!" He yelled out.

In response to his command, the villagers, driven by desperation, initiated their haphazard assault. Some rushed headlong toward Alza, while others desperately launched crossbow bolts in her direction.

As the crossbow bolts made contact with Alza’s skin, they bounced off of her body with ease. The failed attempt at harming her left those who had charged forward in a state of hesitation, their trembling hands clutching their weapons tightly. With an eerie laugh, Alza decided to put an end to the villager’s struggle then and there.

With a mere thought, a swarm of luminescent butterflies materialized out of thin air. They fluttered gracefully towards each villager, their delicate wings shimmering with an otherworldly glow. The air was filled with an almost enchanting hum as the butterflies descended upon their unsuspecting victims. One by one, the villagers succumbed to the butterflies’ ethereal touch. Their eyes grew heavy, and they tumbled to the ground, falling unconscious.

Alza however, made sure to leave the village elder untouched. The elderly man trembled as he was forced to watch his people fall. "W-what did you do?"

"I put them to sleep." Alza said with a devious smile.

"Yo-you, I’ll kill you!"

"You are free to try that in another life."

Suddenly, the old man's eyes widened in terror as his throat began to constrict. He gasped for breath, but no air could pass through his clenched vocal cords. He desperately clawed at his throat, but it was too late. With a sickening pop, his head exploded, sending a shower of blood and gore flying in all directions. His body soon collapsed to the ground, a lifeless husk.