Janus, a vast world filled with all kinds of magical places and races. There were elves, goblins, orcs, fairies, giants, dragons, and the list goes on. In this vast and exotic world, all living things had one thing in common.
They all possess the ability to use the power Anima.
Anima, the primary source of energy in the world of Janus. It resides in the soul of all living things, and in nature itself. Everyone can use anima, even if they do it subconsciously.
Being the primary source of energy in the world, Anima is used by everyone to help make their lives easier. For example, anima can be used to power machinery, heal your wounds, and boost your physical strength to make labour easier if even a little bit.
Of course, like every other power source, anima can be abused and used wrongly. For example, war.
Anima is a very flexible energy source, hence they are countless ways to use it, so it being used for violence isn’t a surprise.
5000 years ago, a certain individual took the phrase “Used for violence” and took it to another level. That person went on to rule over the world and was hailed as a god, the first the world has ever seen. That was until he came face to face with another God.
However, this tale isn’t about those two and their battle that changed the way anima was used forever. No, this is a tale that takes place thousands of years after those two disappeared from the world.
Buchse, a small nation on the Raknor Continent. It was a young country with little more than a hundred-year history. It only had a population of 100,000 and was unknown by most of the world.
In such a small insignificant country, there weren’t that many people who could be considered top class. In fact, the only reason the country hadn’t been frequently plagued by bandits and invaders, was because of its topography.
The country was surrounded by a ring of mountains from the back to the sides, leaving only so few paths that lead in or out of the country. All the military had to do was to station a few guards to keep watch and report when an enemy was in sight. After that, the military could surround and counter them with numbers.
So it was safe to say that those in this country were used to a relatively simple life devoid of wars. The only form of oppression they felt was from inside the country itself.
In the country’s capital, there was a castle where the royal family had resided. Because of this, it was natural to assume that the military was also based here.
The military of this country was headed by warriors that were given titles and prestige by the royal family, Knights.
These knights were as expectedly strong and “talented” in warfare, even though they weren’t that experienced in it. To be frank, you didn’t really need strength to become a knight in this country, what you needed was connections.
This country, like many others, was filled with corrupt officials, who appointed their families and friends positions to keep the power on their side.
That being said, there were some who gained their title through hard work as they should. These individuals would most time come from humble beginnings and possess talent in anima combat.
Most of these people would be bought off by a noble fighting for power though. But, they were some who didn’t get swayed by money and stayed true to their ideals.
“Hah!”
On the training field of the military camp, a group of young soldiers was battling against a sole soldier.
This soldier had long flowing golden hair that turns orange near the end, and reminded one of a beautiful sunset. They had sparkling bright blue eyes, a slim and well-toned figure, and was dressed in standard military uniform.
This soldier was one of the few knights that couldn’t be bought, the youngest knight in history, and a beautiful woman who couldn’t be mistaken for a man despite dressing in a manly manner, Amelia Rosa.
She calmly watched as the soldiers armed with swords and spears charge at her. She could see a cloudy greenish light surrounding the soldiers and their weapons as they approached her.
This was anima.
The first to reach her was a soldier thrusting a spear. The force behind the spear was enough to pierce through reinforced steel that was several inches thick. It was easy to imagine what would happen if that came in contact with the human flesh.
Yet, Amelia didn’t panic in the least.
She took a step to the side and avoided the spear thrust, she then immediately stepped forward and thrust out her palm.
*Bam!*
The soldier was hit on his chest and was blown back a few meters.
By that time, another soldier made it in her range. He was wielding a broadsword. He swung it down with a shout.
Amelia jumped back and waited for the sword to slam into the ground before moving forward again.
She jumped and dropped kicked the soldier who was trying to pull his sword from the ground, causing him to fall on his back.
When she stood up, two soldiers attacked her from the side with sabers. She jumped upwards to avoid them.
“I got you!”
That seemed to be what the soldiers wanted because there was already someone thrusting a spear at her, mid-jump. Even so, this still didn’t shake her in the least.
She twisted her body and narrowly avoided the spear, only allowing her clothes to be cut. She then grabbed the spear pole and dragged the soldier holding it towards her.
*Bam!*
She hit him with an elbow strike to the chest and dented his armor.
“Guh?!”
All the air left the soldiers lungs after he got hit. Amelia took that chance to hit him with an uppercut, which sent him flying back a couple meters.
She then turned her attention to the two, who attacked her from the side earlier.
“W-We give!”
“We forfeit!”
The two soldiers quickly said.
Amelia looked at them for a bit before hitting them both with a kick to the side of the head.
“In a real fight, surrendering is equivalent to asking your enemy to cut your head off for you.”
She looked down on the two soldiers and said.
“Don’t let yourself be at the mercy of your opponent so easily.”
She turned her back to them.
“You all were using anima while I fought you using only my bare strength, and this is the result?”
She spoke with a stern tone. However, after glaring at them for a while she sighed.
“Well, considering that you all are a novice at using anima for combat, being able to damage my clothing is impressive.”
She showed a bright smile.
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“I believe the country will have a bright future if you guys continue to work hard.”
When the soldiers who were beaten saw her smile, it was as if all the frustration in their hearts had died away.
They may haven’t been able to beat her, but they were able to earn the praise of a shining star like Amelia.
The fact that she had a beautiful smile just made it better.
“Yes, ma’am!”
They all stood up.
“We’ll work hard to make you proud!”
“I’m not the one you should be trying to impress.”
She placed her hand over her heart.
“It’s the royal family and the people of this country. They are the ones we’re trying to protect.”
Amelia gave off an angelic aura when she said that, which moved the soldiers’ heart.
“Yes, ma’am!”
They answered excitedly.
“Lady Amelia!”
It was at this moment that a soldier came running to the field.
“What is it?”
“Carter and Johnson are fighting in the cafeteria!”
The soldier reported.
“Huh?”
When Amelia heard that, her expression changed.
She immediately followed the soldier to the cafeteria. When she got there, she saw a crowd gathering and watching two men in the middle.
These two men were clashing with sticks in their hands. Upon closer look, Amelia noticed that the sticks were embedded with anima.
One of the soldiers swung the stick at his opponent, which was dodged and hit a column.
*Bam!*
A crack appeared in the concrete column along with a dent caused by the stick. It was hard to believe that a stick could do so much damage. The reason was that when reinforced with anima, even a flimsy stick can become a deadly weapon.
“Damn it, Carter! You were aiming for my head just now! You were trying to kill me, you bastard!”
Said the soldier who dodged the stick.
“Ha! Killing you will do this world justice!”
Responded the other soldier.
Hearing this made Johnson extremely angry. He clenched his fist tightly as anima was seen gathering around it.
“I see, then I’ll just kill you first!”
Johnson charged forward.
“Come on!”
Carter also charged forward.
When the two were less than a meter from the other, Amelia appeared between them.
“Stop this foolishness.”
She caught Johnson’s fist and broke Carter’s stick with a chop of her hand.
“L-Lady Amelia!”
The two were scared shitless when they saw who appeared between them.
“You idiots!”
Dust particles rapidly gather in front of the two and instantly turned into clumps of earth. The earth then molded into a pair of fists which hit them in the stomach simultaneously.
*Bam!*
“Argh?!”
They both fell on their knees and held their stomach while groaning.
It is possible to conjure and manipulate elements using anima. However, this requires a massive amount of Anima and great anima control. The fact that Amelia can use it shows how skilled she was.
“I don’t know what caused you two to fight, but the usage of Anima for battle is prohibited outside of training and military duties. Do it again and I’ll break your arms as punishment.”
She gave the two a deadly gaze as she said so. It was obvious that she meant what she said.
“Y-You can’t do this to us!”
Carter struggled to his feet and said.
“We’re both nobles of this country! You’re just a commoner who was born with a bit of luck!”
He shouted.
“That’s right! You’re even worse than a commoner! You’re an immigrant who stumbled her way into our country!”
Johnson shouted.
“That’s right!”
“Don’t full of yourself!”
“You’re nothing but an outsider!”
“Don’t get involve in our business!”
Supporters of Johnson and Carter who were in the crowd started shouting all kind of stuff.
Amelia remained silent as their shouts rained down on her.
‘….I see. So this was staged.’
She thought to herself.
‘The reason why Carter and Johnson, who are always on good terms were fighting, was to draw me here. Since I was their direct superior I would be the one to discipline them. However, that would only cause dissatisfaction since I’m a commoner with no backing and a foreigner to booth. To the people in this country, commoners and foreigners were of the lowest status. The only way that can change is to side with an aristocratic family, but since I didn’t do that I’m only an eyesore.’
She calmly deduced the situation.
The reason why she figured out what was going on was because this was a tactic that she’ve seen used to make things hard for people like her over and over again.
‘Seriously, these people need to learn new tricks.’
She thought with a sigh.
“Everyone, calm down.”
That’s when a voice stopped the crowd’s shout.
‘And here’s the ringleader.’
Amelia looked at the person who the voice belonged to. It was a bulky man dressed in a shiny suit of armor with brown hair.
“Lord Marcus.”
Carter and Johnson who were leading the verbal abuse against Amelia were the first to salute the man. Everyone else followed suit and saluted as well.
“Wow, they’re all so well trained, these lapdogs.”
Amelia muttered.
“Everyone, please calm down.”
Marcus walked up beside Amelia.
“Lady Amelia may haven’t been born in our country, but she is dedicated to protecting the country.”
He said.
“Besides, being promoted to a knight at the tender age of 19 is a great feat. We should be praising her rather than making things harder for her.”
‘So this is a textbook definition of a hypocrite. Fascinating.’
Amelia thought.
“For all we know, she might surpass me in the future and become the strongest knight in the kingdom.”
“No way, milord!”
“No one can surpass someone as superior as yourself!”
Carter and Johnson started to kiss up to Marcus.
“That’s right! Lord Marcus is our hero!”
“Protector of the country!”
“The ideal man!”
The others in the crowd started to do the same. Before long everyone started chanting Marcus’ name.
“Thank you, thank you.”
Marcus said and smiled at Amelia.
“Lady Amelia, please allow me to counsel these two. I’m sure that a talk among men is enough to extinguish any hard feelings between them.”
“Do as you, please.”
Amelia said and walked away. She didn’t need to look back to know that people were smirking behind her back. Marcus did everything to improve his image and degrade hers.
Amelia used force to stop the fight and received backlash, but if Marcus uses words and quell the hatred between Carter and Johnson, it would be obvious who the better leader was.
Amelia knew this and decided to let it go.
Marcus was the strongest knight in the country, as well as a close relative to the current king; as such he was popular and had lots of support to lead the military. However, the existence of Amelia who became a knight before she was even 20 caused an uproar in the royal court.
Amelia’s background was dubious, hence there was a lot of objection to her being a knight. To prove that she was worthy, she challenged the strongest knight which was Marcus. The result was her loss, but she only lost by a thin margin.
Marcus was badly beaten and had to use a desperate move to win, that alone was enough to show how powerful Amelia was. Not to mention, she was far younger than him. It wouldn’t be strange for her to surpass him in a year or even less.
Because of this, Amelia has been the victim of Marcus and his supporters constant harassment since becoming a knight a month earlier. Yet, the victim herself didn’t mind it.
As long as she was able to repay the country that raised her from a child until now, she didn’t care about things like status and political power. Ironically, because of this attitude, she gained lots of support from the commoners in the kingdom and somehow ended up at the center of a power struggle.
“Hah~.”
Amelia sighed as she remembered all the headache-inducing drama surrounding her.
“Lady Amelia.”
While she was taking a walk through the town, a female guard responsible for keeping public order called out to her.
“Yes? What is it?”
“Good timing. We need your help with something urgent.”
The guard ran up to her and said.
“A strange man is causing an uproar not too far away from here.”
“A strange man?”
After hearing what the guard said, Amelia followed her to the front of a bar.
“Eh?”
There she saw a man staggering back and forth in front of the bar. If that was only it, then it wouldn’t have been anything strange.
There were dozens of guards laying on the guard groaning and covered in wounds. That wasn’t the only thing, the man in question was naked as the day he was born.
“………”
Amelia looked at the scene with a complex expression.
“We received a report of a public disturbance and went to investigate and found him like this. We tried to take him into custody, but he was surprisingly too much for us to handle.”
The guard explained.
“Please, Lady Amelia. Could you help us arrest him?”
She pleaded.
Amelia looked at the man from head to toe.
He was extremely handsome despite the goofy look on his face, had flaming red hair and green eyes. But what really caught her attention was his body.
‘There’s not an ounce of fat on his body. Everything is firm as if his body was sculpted from the hardest rocks. How much training did it take to obtain such a body.’
“Um… Lady Amelia?”
“Huh? Ah, sorry. I zoned off for a little bit.”
She said after the guard called out to her.
“Ah, it’s okay. I was like you when I saw him for the first time.”
“Huh?”
Amelia gave the female guard a confused looked, and then followed her gaze. She saw that the guard was looking at the man’s lower body.
“Amazing isn’t it? His wife must be a lucky woman.”
That’s when Amelia realized what the woman was referring to. She instantly became embarrassed, but she knew that if she tried to defend herself it would be a waste of time.
As such she quietly nodded and agreed with the woman.
To not let their conversation continue, Amelia immediately approached the naked man.
“Hahahaha! Booze! Bring all the booze you got!”
The man shouted.
Amelia moved quickly and circled around his back, and placed her hand on his back.
“?!”
The moment she did, her entire body became numb. She felt like her life was suddenly in danger. It was as if she had carelessly came in contact with a wild beast, and it was about to devour her whole.
She looked up and realized that the man’s head was turned, and he was looking at her from the edge of his eyes.
When her eyes meet his, her entire body stiffened and a single sentence appeared in her mind.
“I’m dead.”
However, no matter how long she waited, death didn’t come. The man slowly turned his head back to face the front.
“Hahaha! I can see that an angel brought me some booze!”
He resumed his drunken behavior.
Amelia took that chance to inject a burst of Anima inside him and rob him of his consciousness. The man fell over and laid on the ground as if sleeping.
Amelia looked down on him while breathing heavily and covered in cold sweat.
“W-What was that just now?”
She said.
“Just who is this man?”