Hakea was a normal soldier from the outskirts of Baerim's City, Baerim. In that small village, he was but a mere average citizen, working his days on his farm to feed his family.

The daily work he had put in was immense, but he continued to work on the fields. After all, how could one show greater love for their children than by teaching them to admire hard work? In turn, his children will become men of vigilance and determination. There is nothing more successful than raising honest men.

He had taught both of his sons in sword combat, despite the fact that they were not yet 18. In Baerim, it was mandatory for all men and women to learn combat arts in the military. Those with magic affinity were taught within the Mage Military units.

Those with an aptitude for physical combat, a nice way of saying fodder, were placed in the infantry. His wife was a mage with very good capabilities and aptitude... she was several times more powerful than he was and rested at the very back of the unit.

It sometimes devastated him that he was not able to protect her. What kind of man could not protect his woman? Even if she was stronger than her. He could definitely be of use to her. That's the line he kept feeding himself to cast aside his self-disappointment.

It was a thought that was not at all important. After all, they were in Baerim, one of the strongest countries in the continent of Gomei. He used to train every day, hoping that one day his efforts would bear fruit, and he could show his boys what it meant to protect your loved ones.

His daughter was also one that was immensely capable in magic. The youngest child he had, was only the years old before she began utilizing magic capabilities. It made him proud to have such a prodigy amongst him.

Normally magicians only learn to wield their magic abilities after the age of nine. It made him proud that he was truly able to birth a genius. Later on, when she grows older, he would surely have her enrolled in the Mages Military training.

He thanked his wife every day for her birth. As the years came by, he has gotten to accept that he passed on talentless genes to his children. But so what? Today, he had the chance to prove to them that one without remarkable talent, could still become a warrior through hard work.

Thus he eagerly paraded these battlefields, wanting to distinguish himself. Not only for himself, but for his sons, his daughter, and his wife. She watched his back from the far safety of her post.

"Hakea, this battle in Sei'O...it will be an entirely safe one. But should anything go off, please run dear. I will do whatever it takes to protect you, so please...survive long enough if anything happens." She patted him on the head and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

Her soft and sincere voice. He found it hard to believe that a woman this beautiful could be as deadly as she was. She often made him feel like he was a child, being coddled by his mother. Within her field of influence, he was always safe.

"I... I- want to make you feel like that as well. You'll always be safe in my arms."

That's what he had always thought. But as he saw what was happening before him, it was as if his world was breaking apart.

"....Lord...have mercy."

He was at very far back of the fodder group. 40,000 men lay between him and true danger. They were told no true opposition would exist on this battlefield, yet... yet a man had risen that managed to slay nearly 4,000 men in under an hour.

That man had perished and he believed it was the last of his worries, but now, right before him, he wanted nothing else than to call the King of Baerim liars!

This was well beyond what they signed up for!

He was behind the line of at least 40,000 other men yet....this nightmare was only seconds away from his doorstep. Shadow tendrils swooped up from all around him sending men flying more than 30 feet into the air.

small tiny golfballs the size of shadows filled the field before him. There must've been 1,000's. They flew around slamming into people, chewing through flesh and bone with ease.

The originator of this hellish scene? a child...no older than his oldest son.

There wasn't much time. He turned around to flee. He had to warn his wife. This monster was beyond even the first monster he had seen. This child...was a demon! Baerim...Sei'O... none of that mattered.

To him, all that mattered now was reaching his wife, or warning her in time. If he died now, his wife would surely blaze here faster than ever. Then she will die too...

Who would raise his children? Who would let them know how to behave in the real world?

His frantic abandonment of self and country was felt amongst all the soldiers around him. They all panicked and began to flee by the thousands, running back towards the rest of the army. The stampede caused such a frenzy that everyone was confused for a second.

Then his world went upside down. He realized he was staring at his own headless body. The pendant he wore on his neck swung wildly, releasing beads and glistening lockets of love letters they wrote for each other. The tears that had previously streamed from his eyes were falling upside down and he realized then and there...

This was death. Death through an enigmatic demonic child... the tears were not for his death, however. The tears were for the scene he was seeing after.

The short and slender blue haired magician dashing at the demonic child with tear-filled eyes moving so much faster than her body could bear.

Lightning filled all over her body as if to pounce on the child. "No you fool..run..please.." His lips moved, but his voice did not escape. Shortly after he saw her body splatter into so many different fragments he could feel the pain in his heart. A heart that he was no longer attached to.

"My Children...."

_________________________________

Ora stood at the center of this chaos. Everyone from magicians to soldiers were panicking, screaming "DEMON!" at the top of their lungs. He didn't care too much about them, only about extinguishing all threats.

He hadn't heard of this term before. "Demon?"

He didn't pay it any mind.

His tentacles manifested over 800 of them. Along with that, he had learned to utilize the orbs that Alucarde had created. He found them to be such a formidable attack. The smaller they become, the more of them he could produce.

At the moment, there were over 3,000 tiny tennis-ball sized orbs that floated around his very being. He controlled them very carefully.

"Galtz...where is that old man."

His eyes, as he mercilessly killed, scanned for the old man. He hated to admit it, but the man was an asset. He could teach them many things that Ora, nor Rel, Alel, Lin or anyone else could teach.

Looking for Galtz proved to be extremely hard. The scene was too chaotic. Everyone was running about everywhere. This is...annoying.

"Hmm...How about this." He pointed forward. "Shadow Web... yeah, that's what I'll call it."

The shadows from everyone began to ensnare all the people within a 900-meter proximity. They rose up to the sky holding the groaning men and woman magicians and warriors alike. They remained suspended over 20 meters into the sky.

"Ahh...much better. I can see now."

Ora's ability, through training with Alucarde, had allowed him to precisely control who to ensnare. He could control each and every one of the tendrils and shadows individually now. This meant that the moment he identified someone as not an enemy, he left them alone.

In this case, it was easy to pinpoint who the enemies were, they all wore armor and ran around horrified. Within that second, there was no one left on the field within 900 meters. Ora took careful steps forward, looking for the old man.

"A-ah.. there you are."

About 250 meters away, was a group of poorly dressed men and women. There was about 80 of them left. They actually appeared to be from Baerim. He casually walked over to the group, who were frozen in their tracks in disbelief.

How long had it been since Ora had entered the battlefield? 1 minute. In that one minute, only 90,000 of Baerim's forces remained.

This power... made the hairs on their neck stand on end. They were relieved that Ora had come to save them, but they were so mortified that no one dared move an inch.

"Oi..you lot." Ora still found it a nuisance to talk to the commoners. So he tried very weakly to hide his annoyance. "But I do suppose they were here fighting against such odds...to be able to give up their lives for their comrades... I can respect that."

"Where's Galtz?"

They looked horrified as he asked this and none of them dared move.

One of the younger men stepped forward and bowed instantly before Ora. "G-Galtz is back here, L-lord"

Ora froze up instantly.

"D-..did this man just say Lord?" The glare he was giving him was one that doubted his sanity. Perhaps battle had gotten the worse of him."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

He ignored the young man and walked right passed him. There Galtz was laid out, unconscious. So it would seem that the men huddled around him to protect him in the confusion. His condition didn't appear critical.

"Good work here...for holding up so long," Ora spoke. His applaud was to Galtz. He could see out of the entire battlefield were so many scattered limbs and body parts. These were parts of the battlefield he himself had yet to touch.

The men around him mistook the praise for themselves and they immediately, as if unison thanked Ora for his praise.

Ora still confused about the whole lot, sighed under his breath. "What an odd bunch. No wonder. Only the ill-minded would go to battle against such odds."

Acknowledging that Galtz was still alive, Ora nodded and looked ahead towards the rest of the men ahead of him. 90,000 skilled warriors now stood in front of him.

In just a single minute, he had managed to slaughter a good 45,000 of their fodder. This was much more than any single one of them could say they could do individually.

It was odd...this entire time, none of them made a move towards Ora. They just watched. What were they waiting for? Should he attack first or should they? He had no idea what to do in this situation. He had never seen enemies just freeze up like this.

Kawa stared at the mass of undead before him. "....Oreimi...h-has this ever happened?"

Oreimi shook his head. He was at a loss for words to speak.

Ergan shook tremendously. He had never felt such a chilling atmosphere in quite a while. The only time he had ever experienced something like this....-"O...once before something like this has happened." He gulped hard.

Back then, he was on a battlefield with the Silver Knight Kars. He witnessed carnage like no other. This was 80 years ago. When he was only 15. He foolishly joined the military in excitement for war, only to see Kars completely decimate an entire army.

Back then, he was filled with regret to learn one cruel aspect of the world. It was never fair.

To think he would witness something so similar.

Just then the plague child pointed his fingers at the group. 3,000 different orbs appeared around his being. They were carefully maneuvered enough not to touch his allies. Yet, when he pointed forward, they all set forth at great speeds.

bounding about at speeds of up to 250mph, it was only 10 seconds before this 3,000 orbs were upon the army. Several of the more skilled magicians began to evade by elevating higher into the sky. While others conjured up walls and barriers.

They prioritized defending the whole group instead of themselves. For those unlucky enough not to be within the barrier radius, they were torn through with quick ease.

Another 10,000 had died just now. The barriers that the magicians had set up only held for so long. Barrier magic was less effective the wider the range of space it occupied.

Soon those too gave in. Out of the group one magician utilized spatial magic to defend himself. The balls merely entered through one end and shot out the other towards his other allies.

He was eventually killed by one of his fellow magicians. His actions were too selfish for such a situation and he was causing more dangers than preventing.

Relic wielders, magicians and warriors alike were being rendered useless one by one.

"Shit...we're losing morale."

Ergan sighed and rode his horse forward. "Very well plague demon...It is I who shall liberate you."

Upon seeing the wrath of Ergan riding behind them, all of the men that trusted him moved forward as well. Seeing their own comrades rushing towards such a being with complete faith in Ergan also rose feelings of confidence amongst the others.

They also began to charge, and before Ora knew it, many more people were coming towards him. "Oh...so they can do more than cower."

Ora's shadows recoiled together tightly, then pressed outwards. As he jumped forward his smile was bright on his face. It was a hellish enjoyment for destruction. 800 of his tendrils whipped outwards, striking through various men and horses with ease.

Heads were sent flying about.

For a country with so much relic wielders and magicians, they were being completely taunted. Some of the mages attempted to mask themselves with blanket spells, but the chaos of the battlefield would not allow it. They could not hide an entire unit of 50,000. Even if they could, all Ora had to do was AOE attack areas he remembered vast concentrations of.

If he were to find himself in the bubble's radius, he'd be able to see and slaughter everyone inside.

Thus, the magicians could only save themselves. The units below them had to fight on their own accord. More than half the magicians fled the battlefield. Over 26,000 of them fled.

The rest were left there to die. They had lost all morale upon seeing the destruction one man could muster alone. Baerim did not have the abilities of that child, Ora.

"Tch.." Ergan never expected to see a scenario like this again in his life. Yet, just as he was growing old and his life was coming to an end, here comes the same nightmare to visit him. "I guess I have lived long enough. The rest of you lot...run back to your family and embrace them. This is the final advice of an old man who has experienced such horror. Run."

He stuck his hands out. "I'll hold him off for as long as I could."

"Irredeemable House of Wards!" Ahh... Barrier magic.

The entire field within a 400-meter radius of him and Ora became blocked off. They were encased in a giant cube. Ergan had captured the majority of his men within this cage and left 10,000 out of the radius.

Anyone who touched the barrier walls found themselves repelled back in. The barrier walls were not solid. They were ethereal, containing no form.

Those who passed the visible boundaries were simply cast back within the range. It was a barrier combining space and time capabilities. One of Ora's shadows accidentally touched the walls only to be flung back with greater force than he could imagine.

Ora couldn't really understand the mechanics behind such abilities. He also could understand why they all locked themselves up within such a short and small cage. Perhaps they were ready for a massacre.

The 10,000 behind them were getting away. Ora felt compelled to chase them down until he realized..."Why?"

They were fleeing men, running with their tail behind their legs. He didn't believe they would ever become relevant again.

Ergan spoke up. "Listen up Men. Within this barrier, no one can leave. Not even I. It is my last ditch move. Should I die, everything within the radius of the barrier would collapse on itself and all within shall die."

"We will fight until the end, and then we will dispose of that demon if we fail. Either way, it is a lose-lose situation unless we defeat him."

The men now understood what was going on. They needed to kill this plague child. They all scurried forward in unison, roaring at the top of their lungs.

Death.

Every single one of them was met with blades of shadows- tendrils unfolding faster than the eye can see. Ergan was able to defend against it with barrier magic. But most of his group died within 20 seconds. Minced meat covered all around him.

There only stood one man now in his path.

The old man looked frail... How was it that he survived? Ora observed him slowly. From his view, it looked like he was being observed by the devil.

Ora was covered in blood from head to toe and his shadow tendrils appeared to be red appendages from the underworld.

Ergan closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. "Ah....to think I'd see something like this again."

"Young child, tell me your name. You will be one of only 2 people I remember in the afterlife." The first was Kars, who began his nightmare. The second was Ora, who continued it.

"Ora."

"I see..." he closed his eyes. "A fine name. Aura..." (deliberately misspelled as Aura in his mind.)

"What is it you plan on doing here? Baerim has undoubtedly failed this battle."

"Hm? I haven't thought that far. I only wished to protect my friends."

The old man's eyes widened. How could he forgot?... They were the aggressors.

To think that such power would humbly sit back and only seek to defend itself. Baerim had truly made a mistake. It was because they failed to seek the advice of the Keins. How deplorable.That bigotted king.

Ergan sat down as if he was not in the middle of a graveyard. From his seat, he withdrew a jug of sake. This was the one his dear friend Haeri always brought out to battle. He'd cheerily bring various bottles with him to his allies when they went out on exhibitions.

"Would you like a drink?" The old man asked.

Ora looked cautiously at the man. "It's not poisoned. Relax." He drank half the sake and covered the lid before tossing it to Ora.

Ora captured the bottle with one of his tentacles. He refused to drink it, however. "Why is it you want to give this to me?"

"Because, I want to apologize."

"Huh? Old man, isn't it a little too late for that?"

"No, not at all. I don't intend to be let go, simply to purvey my apologies in place of my men. This sacrifice here and an old man's final gift to you...is that not enough for you to forgive them?"

Ora calmly sighed. On this entire battlefield, no one made sense.

"I will not indulge you in a drink, but I will listen to your name old man."

"Ergan."

"Just Ergan?"

"Just Ergan."

Ora nodded. "Just Ora."

They both did not have a last name. He couldn't help but feel the old man was not as bad as he seemed.

"Then Ora, why have you not already killed me?"

"I heard what you said earlier. Should you die, the barrier will lapse on itself and kill me in the process."

"I'm not sure about the mechanics of this barrier, but it is powerful enough to hold my shadows at bay."

Ergan looked surprised. A few moments of silence passed him and he began to laugh hard. For whatever reason, this irked Ora.

"May I ask what you intend to do if you are let out?"

"Go home. There's no longer a threat.

Ergan breathed a sigh of relief and stifled his laughter.

What exactly had he said that was so funny. "I see...so such a bluff did work. You truly are just a child."

"Unfortunately, if I had such an ability, I'd capture just you and I."

"It was to make sure my men did not attempt to kill me in their attempt to escape. This barrier will cease to exist after I die."

"All of this, was to buy time?" Ora seemed doubtful.

"You are clever, child-- erm, Ora."

"Never trust your enemy. But Alas, it makes no difference if I die here or not. The rest of my allies' lives are guaranteed. You may not trust me, but I trust you Ora."

"So come..."

He released the barrier.

"Give me a warriors death."

He set several shields around himself and they continued to stack.

"A-are you sure old man?"

He could sense no malice from the aged male. There was no reason to continue his hate-filled onslaught. But here he was, wanting death.

"I wish to visit the rest of my family and my final friend. So Yes, I'm sure."

Ora tangled his shadows around him like a drill. Pressing his feet close together, he sent several of the orbs towards the old man.

His barriers held against all of them.

He then launched off the ground and slammed his drill into the barriers. There was a little resistance before suddenly the sound of shattering glass and pierced flesh.

"Very well done...O-ora..."

"Please forgive Baerim.."

Ora reluctantly looked at the jug of sake before him and took a swig of it. It tasted foul. "Perhaps later on tonight, I'll finish the rest."

On that day, Baerim lost a total of 90,000 men within a battle that only lasted 2 hours. 120,000 sent out to the battle, only 17,980 made it back in one piece. 18,000 magicians remain unaccounted for. Out of the 8 generals, only 6 of them returned. Ergan and Haeri were noted for their sacrifices in battle.

The world will soon begin to hear stories and whispers of a demon child, or a god that walks among men. They named him the White Haired Devil.

With those words, so many things began to stir. Ora was a catalyst for change. Nothing of this importance had happened in a long time.