Two people walk through a forest. The night sky is clear and it is a night without the red moon hanging in the sky. As a result, the two walking notice and marvel at the heavens above them.

The young man walks wearing a thin black shirt and dark brown shorts. The young woman with him walks in a long black dress. It looks quite nice on her, accentuating her voluptuous form. It doesn’t look cheap either, not something a commoner would wear.

This duo has walked through forests before with trees having leaves resembling the large banana leaves of their home world. Their friends had informed them that those trees were called “Ystrian mega trees”. These were trees as tall as residential apartment buildings in their world.

The man considers the root vegetables that come from those trees. Those trees are responsible for a lot of food in the city of Linis. Even this young man has tasted the fruits of that tree. They weren’t quite to his taste though.

The young man, Ajax, and the young woman, Shaula, walk through the forests of Ystria remembering these large trees under this cloudless sky. Of course, those trees are somewhat far from this area that the two of them are walking in.

The trees in this area are much more conservative in their size. Their leaves are wispy like those of the willow trees of earth and their colour is a mixture of green and pure snow white.

Due to the reflective properties of the white leaves, even the weaker star light illuminates these trees.

Ajax appreciates these lightly sparkling Spectabile trees. Quite beautiful indeed. Both Ajax and Shaula turn their heads up to the beautiful night sky as if being reminded of it from the beauty of the sparkling environment.

Even though the two of them are in this new world, the stars haven’t quite changed. Ajax considers the beauty of them. In this world not yet marred by light pollution, the sky looks incredible.

When he first saw a sky like this in Omicron some weeks back, he had to ask the women in his home, specifically the woman Tori, what was up with the skies of this world for them to appear so… majestic. Was this the work of their God, he asked.

However, Shaula soon told him how he was being such a fucking idiot. He was a city boy after all. Even back on earth, the skies in the countryside looked quite wondrous, no less so than the skies here.

“Hm.”

“...?”

“...”

“What was that?”

“Huh?”

“You just made a ‘hm’ noise, did you notice any movement?”

“No, no, not that. I’m just… I don’t think I’ve ever really looked that closely at the sky since I got here. This is… this is kind of weird.”

“Weird? What’s weird? Still getting used to the new ‘super’ sky?”

“Ha, no, I accepted it fine after you launched me up…”

“Hehehe, well, you got a better view of it, didn’t you?”

Ajax smiles.

“...Yeah, I guess I can’t deny that. There are some things about this place I really like. But that’s not what I was thinking about.”

“Then, what?”

“Do you… Do you see that constellation there?”

Ajax points at a specific region of the sky above. Shaula looks up to where Ajax is pointing and squints trying to force her brain to recognize the constellation. Nothing comes to mind when seeing it however.

“...I don’t see the constellation you mean.”

“You see the shape of the stars, it kind of looks like a lion’s mane?”

“Hmm… I guess?”

“You’ve never studied constellations before?”

“No… so wait, you study constellations but you don’t know what the sky looks like without light pollution?”

Ajax trips over his own stupidity.

“Ok, ok, fine, I didn’t really study constellations in depth, but I do recognize some of them at least. My dad took me out to see some of them once in a while when I was a bit younger. Have you ever heard of the Lion constellation?”

“I’m guessing you see that constellation there?”

“Yeah, basically. Don’t you… don’t you think that’s weird?”

“Hm. Ok, but one constellation, isn’t that just making some of the light dots fit the shape you recognize?”

“...Ok, but I also see the mantis… over there, and the scorpion… over there.”

Ajax points these constellations out to Shaula as well.

“Huh. Ok. So what though?”

“Well… Shaula, exactly where are we?”

“...That’s a really weird question to ask so late in the game, Ajax. We’re near Linis in the province of Ystria, in the nation of Enkel on top of the world of Omicron.”

“Ok, ok, I get that, yeah but… where is Omicron in relation to our own world?”

“...I’ve never really thought about it that much.”

“Huh? Well, shouldn’t you?”

“Not really going to affect us, right? Ahura Mazda said He would come for us in a few decades. It’s not like we need to know how to get home by ourselves, just yet anyways. Fine, then tell me what you think exactly is possible for where Omicron is compared to our world?”

“Ok, well, think about it then. How is it possible that magic exists here but not in our world?”

“I mean, yeah, it’s obviously different from what we’ve been told exists in our physics classes. Even what you and I can do doesn’t seem to follow the magic rules of this place.”

“Yeah, that too… I mean, remember what Angelidis and Tori told us about magic?”

Ajax and Shaula have spoken to Angelidis and Tori together at various times about their types of magic. Spells are initiated based on phrases, the ability of each individual to wield their mana and the amount of mana in the atmosphere, soil and ground itself at the time.

All of these together can create powerful magicians or destroy them just the same.

However, Ajax and Shaula didn’t use phrases even for their most powerful ‘spells’. Such a thing was unheard of. Neither of them had ever trained to wield mana either.

Although, Ajax and Shaula both fundamentally understood the ‘energy’ that they were utilizing, absorbing and expelling without really giving it a name. It’s possible, rather, probable, that this energy they were moving around within their bodies is simply mana itself.

Furthermore, normally, humans intake mana through the food and water they ingest and the air they breathe.

But, Ajax and Shaula see no need to breathe to sustain their lives, let alone eat or drink to fuel their bodies. They’ve tried it out. Ajax can still absorb energy and freeze his surroundings without even breathing and Shaula can wield fire and lightning in the same way.

While Shaula can create fire projectiles and lightning bolts, she can’t shape them into spears or arrows. Ajax can only freeze his surroundings, he cannot create ice bullets or long range ice or snow projectile attacks.

The two have come to the conclusion that their powers are different mechanisms altogether. After all, they were bestowed by God. Although, mana is probably still the energy source of it all.

“So, then what about magic?”

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“Well, what if this is a parallel universe or parallel dimension? I mean, wouldn’t that make sense? This place might actually be earth, except in a different ‘space’ and--”

“I see… so this is actually an earth? Just not our own…”

“Yes, well, that’s a possibility. And the fact that I can recognize the constellations even in this world must mean that this ‘earth’ is in the same relative ‘place’ in the universe as our own.”

“...I don’t know about that, Ajax. I mean, we might be seeing the same constellations because this planet is in the same general neighbourhood of the galaxy as our earth is. Maybe they’re just separated by distance, rather than being in a completely different parallel space.”

“Hmm, I guess that is also possible. But, what about magic and mana?”

“For all we know, magic could exist on our earth too. I mean, if a god lives there, maybe magic is there too. Like, think about ‘miracles’ or faith healing, fortune telling, spirituality, all that junk, maybe some of it is legitimate but it’s actually just magic.”

“Ah, I was wondering about that too. So, there must be something fundamentally different about this place that makes magic so abundant.”

“The question I do actually have is where these ‘gods’ come from. Human beings, fine, I know at least how evolution works and we came about after billions of years of the primordial soup fucking itself over and over again or whatever. That’s the science explanation anyways. Even magic has some logic to it, maybe some physics that we just haven’t learned about or discovered in our world. But, where do these gods come from? Now that we know they’re real, it just makes the universe far more complex than I had assumed. Shit, it was already so complex as it was. Are they spiritual beings or some kind of extra dimensional alien race? What a--”

“Shaula, hold on, I can sense them.”

Shaula stops walking. Ajax and her move behind a tree.

“Ajax, use that, get a good look.”

Ajax has felt something in his surroundings. People. They seem to be ones wearing civilian clothing, however, they are quite physically strong. Ajax can sense the outline of their bodies from this distance using his ability to sense changes in air pressure to map his immediate area.

He can sense four people walking in the trees a short distance away from the two of them. They’re patrolling for intruders. Ajax and Shaula wish to find the people who they’re trying to protect.

Ajax takes a deep breath. He absorbs some energy from the ground, being careful not to change the air temperature in his area. He doesn’t want to give any clue to his presence just yet.

Ajax then enhances both his nerve endings that sense air pressure changes and his auditory perception and his eyesight.

By combining the three of them in a semi-coherent way, he can mimic a kind of sonar and three dimensional radar sensing. Learning this took some creativity, but Shaula had a lot more long range combat abilities than him so he had to find a way to use his senses more efficiently.

He can hear heartbeats. Hundreds of them. He can sense their bodies moving. He can trace the lines of their clothing even. He can see some of their faces. Past the four people he had noticed, there is a clearing in this Spectabile forest where he can sense a gathering.

It seems that he’s finally found them.

“Ajax, stop that now, just tell me what you see.”

“Ah, r-right thanks, I was getting a sensory overload. That’s way too much information, I need way more energy absorbed to handle all that, even now. But, I can find them now at least. There are about a hundred or so in the area ahead in a clearing in the forest, straight at two o'clock. They’ve set a stage there and a tent with what looked like food and outhouses, I think.”

“...How many others are patrolling and spreading out in the trees other than the four here?”

“I can’t be sure about the security because there was an area I couldn’t see at this distance but I think about… thirty in our vicinity in front of the festival.”

“Hm. Then, we can probably assume that another thirty at least are on the other side of the festival. So… I guess Dalm was right, huh.”

“Well… it’s seeming like his information is accurate so far. Personally, I’d rather he’s wrong about this vile event though.”

Truly, both of them would rather be wrong. The event they’re about to crash is known as Sapiora’s Bloodshed. A festival that some humans have decided to hold where they satisfy their anger and grievance towards the demihumans in displays of cruelty, humiliation and violence.

“We’re going to have to get in closer, don’t you think? You think we can avoid the thirty guys ahead of us?”

“Wait, hold on. I need to find the place where they’re holding the demihumans. I’m going to take the long way around to the trees on the other side of the festival. We can probably split up here and meet back once I give the all-clear signal. You’re alright to blend into the crowd, right?”

“Yeah, I think I can do this. How thick is the crowd? Any kids?”

“No children I think. No little kids anyways…”

“Ugh, right. I swear to fucking God, I’m going to go really ‘offscript’ while I take care of the guests to this monstrous festival. Remember our agreement, right Ajax?”

“...Yeah. I’ll leave the killing to you and Dalm’s men (wherever those guys are at the moment), search and rescue is up to me and him.”

“Right. I’m not going to leave any survivors by the way.”

Ajax doesn’t respond to Shaula’s statement of fact. There isn’t a lot he can do to stop Shaula from taking her vengeance. Her anger is far more than he can hold back. Not that he would want to.

He understands that in this world, justice is earned through blood and death. Perhaps many times in his own world, that was the case as well. Violence is what undergirds every society of the 21st century even if that violence is kept out of sight and out of mind.

However, now that he’s in this world where the paradigm of supreme force is out in the open for all to see, he has to leave his old principles behind in order to save people. At least that’s how he’s going to rationalize it after hundreds die today.

They deserve it, don’t they? Yeah… they absolutely deserve it. They deserve even more than death.

“Where is he, by the way? Do you see him anywhere?”

“No, but I might not have gotten a good look with the enhanced sonar-radar thing yet. I think we’re pretty early, the festival people are still in the process of setting up a stage thing. I think I should be able to locate him and then head to save the demihumans in the process. We’ve got some time before this thing really starts rolling.”

“Sigh… Alright then. Guard your head, Ajax. Don’t die.”

“No worries, Shaula. We’ll save them all. I swear to God, we’ll save them all.”

“Yeah… swear to God.”

Ajax and Shaula split up. Shaula aims to infiltrate the festival grounds by blending into the crowds while avoiding the perception of the security personnel patrolling the area. Meanwhile, Ajax takes a detour around the festival through the Spectabile forest.

Ajax activates his sonar-radar at various intervals along this path. He has to find an area where nobody can interrupt him or accidentally discover him. While using this new sensory technique he created, he cannot move and he is not so aware of his immediate surroundings either.

It’s like the difference between nearsighted and farsighted. After about three more tries of the radar, Ajax gains a deeper understanding of the immediate area. He can sense in total about sixty Linis guards so far. However, there is an area where there are more of them concentrated.

He needs to get a closer look there and--

Oh, I sense him now! Looks like he didn’t get lost or anything. Good. It would be tough to do this on my own.

It is at this point that Ajax stops. In one minute, he runs one kilometer away from the area he was in. Nobody is patrolling anywhere close here. Ajax removes his shirt and his shorts. These would get in the way at this point. Ajax stands still.

Consume.

With that mental command, Ajax absorbs vast quantities of energy from his surroundings. He continues absorbing it for three minutes continuously. This energy doesn’t just come from nowhere, it comes from the air molecules and water vapour in his immediate surroundings.

Their heat energy is converted to his energy, energy that he can directly control and use to enhance his physical strength, agility, mental acuity and sensory capabilities.

Those particles of air and water freeze as a result of having lost their heat energy. Over that period of three minutes, frost and frozen air materialize on Ajax’s bare skin and form his ice armour. The reason it is pure white is of course because of his armour’s frozen air component.

Air doesn’t freeze transparent like ice, it freezes white.

The armour covers his entire body including his head, hair and face. No one would recognize him at this point. With a new influx of energy, he runs through the forest in a swift and light footed manner. He avoids all and his range of perception increases a good amount.

He finally reaches him.

“Oh, so you’ve found me then.”

“Yes, I’m glad you decided to come here.”

“Against my better judgment perhaps… but… I suppose if you wanted to kidnap me or kill me, you’d have done it then, rather than now.”

“I’m glad you’re open to the possibility that I was telling the truth that day about this festival. I’m just going to tell you that I’ve sensed the people in the area, the festival goers. There are about a hundred of fifty of them from my best estimates. There’s a food stand, a stage and another fifty or more people patrolling the area around the stage and festival. Some of them are probably Linis enforcers, at least based on their build. You’re going to help me prove it though.”

“Sigh… How stupid must I have been to consider this? Fine, lead the way then.”

“Don’t worry. You’re still one of the good guys. I am going to prove it to you. Our mission is to save the demihumans they’re keeping here and get rid of anyone who gets in our way. Are you ready?”

“Sighhhh… Yeah. I’m ready.”

“Alright, let’s go then, Arthur the hero.”