Luxinna grew up in backwater forest. Personally, she expected the location to be like her former home.

Luxinna was dead wrong.

“Legendary sword on sale!”

“Supreme Talisman capable of defending against an S-rank for 5000 credit!”

“Hey, bro! This legendary shield survived the battle with Samael Wayward! Do you fancy a deal? I will give it for a discount. Come on…”

Instead, the entire Horizon Dawn landed smack into a crude street market.

Luxinna’s mouth trembled like depilated fish.

“How did this happen?”

“Capitalism,” Rem commented sagely. “As long as humanity desire wealth, the will create opportunity to trade. With Alcra Shaxter’s proclamation going public, countless souls flocked here for the 1% chance they might be the lucky chosen. Entrepreneur and scammer understood this and seized the opportunity, with obvious result being obvious.”

Rem hummed cheerfully.

“Now, let look…”

Remus Breaker suddenly froze. His [Clairvoyance] picked a familiar signal.

“No. Fucking. Way.”

The entire bus felt Rem’s distress. Everyone shuddered. Rem never showed panic. Adaptability was his usual game. Something must be pivoting south at meteoric speed. The group watched Rem strode to the van’s sliding door and marched out with anger. Rage. The one emotion Rem never showed even against the impossible odds or mass murderers.

“Guys, I need to handle a personal problem,” Rem ran. His face burdened with fury and disbelief.

Everyone barely registered the familiar white-hair boy who left.

Cytortia took a sip from a succulent orange juice and gulp aloud like she just witness cockroach getting eaten by humongous crocodiles.

“Guys, did something just melt our ice-statue off his game?”

“Don’t!” Melody warned. “You are scarring me.”

…

Rem faded himself from sight and sneaked into a location he foresaw. He must confirm it with his own eyes. The coincidence was absurd. Earth was shut off, so how was she here in Phantasia.

Rem hid behind a tree, waiting for his suspect to pass-by, praying that his [Clairvoyance] rang a false signal.

The target passed him by.

As usual, Rem's biggest enemy was Fortuna herself.

The blonde girl in a business suit and a ponytail jerked to a stop. She turned toward him. Rem scowled. That glass didn’t improve her likability. She got the pretty face, but those who knew her expected nothing decent from it.

Rem mentally groaned. Of course, it was her who constantly penetrated his mask. The only woman who sniffed his involvement with Argentum. The person with talent to spot his non-existant of royalty to the family. Rem faked his color to those supposedly closest to him, but only that toxic idiot with horrible taste in men read him best, while utterly failed to understand him.

“Hello, Jeane,” Rem greeted his cousin.

The two Breakers reunited after years of familial cold wars.

…

On the Little Hope, Luxinna got the same problem. She dropped her binocular and screamed.

“Guys! We are screwed. Retreat! I need to get out of here!”

Luxinna waved her hand frantically like she suddenly awoken naked, leading the army of battle pigeons under the Russian flag to conquer Vancouver, dancing along tune of Rasputin by Boney M. after one solid night of chugging bunker-busting Vodka. It was an absurd description that best described the sheer absurdity of the debacle facing the Dawn.

Melody grabbed Luxinna in a choke hold to calm her down.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Melody yelled

A curious former goddess picked Luxinna’s binocular and investigated the cause of the panic. Her mouth hung long enough to stiffen her jaw. The person reflected from the camera was a very familiar and stunning elf.

“Shit! Even Magnolia fucking Drakokia is here? You must be kidding me.”

That is right Luxinna’s estranged younger sister was there along Artos Sevar and the Lightwell’s elf party. Luxinna took one glance at the prospect of facing her sister and considered bolting.

“We also have the Aztellic,” Cytortia’s heart sank. “My god this is turning into a clusterfuck.”

…

“No contact. Nary a sound for years. The only thing you return to our family are cheques and postcards containing less than a paragraph.”

“My parent never complain, do they?”

“Yeah, because they were busy in the congress and the funds.”

Rem suppressed a chuckle. Busy wasting tax-payer money was a proper term.

“No harm, no foul,” Rem replied. “I earn my keep.”

“And sabotaging ours,” Jeane jabbed her finger at Rem. “I know you probably make bucks managing uncle Argentum’s businesses in England, but I guess you probably funnel most of the profits to support those racist, uneducated homophobes.”

Rem rolled his eyes. Yes, a community grown cake-making business in South Yorkshire is racist homophobe because it is run by a white catholic grandma with no transgender representation, so much for hiring for competency.

“Thank you, almighty one,” Rem dryly replied. “You glorified socail warrior must realize our families’ business practice crystallized the worst of authoritarian capitalism masquerading as socialism.”

“Blah, Blah, Blah,” Jeane flapped her hand. “You might trick everyone, Rem, but I know you. You act shifty like you have something to hide. I guess you are mixing up a wrong sort of people.”

“So mighty is your mandate for humanities' utopia. What are you doing here, Jeane?”

“Oh, I forgot. After passing my Awakening score with flying color, uncle got my recommendation and Claire’s to the United Nations. We are official members of liaison team for a secret project created by the Seven Continental Alliance.”

Rem groaned. Great. Those idiots sank their IQ margin again.

“What is the Alliance planning?”

“Top. Secret,” Jeane answered with a punchable smugness. “You aren’t qualified to know. Funny. I used to be so afraid of you. Look how low you have fallen. The almighty Rem we feared so much in high-school are now secluded loser tottering in a forest. Me and Claire? The newest recruit in a cross-world globalize institution. We stand as administrative powerhouses and you become a hobo.”

“Great, someone's confidence got a boost from unearned power,” Rem rolled his eyes.

“Want to try,” Jeane tried to bait him.

“Never change. Underneath your confidence and bravado is the girl who tried to ignore the truth to reinforce your faulty reality.”

“Tough talk.”

“Tougher than your mediocre insult.”

“You are trying to insult an officer of Seven Continental Alliance.”

“Jeane, I know you too well. Nothing will change even if you sleep yourself into the rank of an Untouchable.”

Jeane’s teeth crunched, opening her palm to blasted her childhood nemesis with wind. But the last thing Jule expected happened. Rem easily yanked her hand, redirecting her spell upward. Jule struggled, but Rem’s grip was steel. She opted for a scream, but his free hand gripped her by the neck and blocked her air supply.

Remus Breaker slammed his cousin to a tree in a one-hand choke, looking into Jeane Breaker’s teary eyes. Jeane knew that gaze. It the same one Rem employed to regularly pummeled Cassidy, inspiring fear when Justin's more polite method flopped at restoring order. Those eyes reminded them why Claire still dreaded their former childhood friend.

“The Heroes,” Rem spoke.

Jeane’s eyes widened.

“W-What are talking about?”

“I am talking about the UN pushing a targeted propaganda to naïve millennials with a unique [Brave Factor]. A damned lethal attempt for war-profiteering via loaning savior-complex-addled glory-seeker to Seven Continental Alliance. Can’t say it is stupid. They get free training coverage and trucks of capital for the deal.”

Jeane fell to her butt, struggling to get away from Rem.

“How did you…”

“Top Secret. But a word of advice. The Seven Continental Alliance does not know what chaos is dawning. Try to throttle this project for a few years, Jeane. You don’t want blood on your hand and the PR nightmare of the fallout will be catastrophic for Earth’s stability.”

“Shut up! You are a fucking uneducated, racist moron whose aunt and uncle rejected. I will get this project past, just you wait!”

“Suit yourself. Nothing can convince you anyway.”

“That all-knowing tone again!? Let be real, Rem. You might sound like the smartest man on Earth. But you still have nothing but pawns! You have no friend, no one who loves and accepts you. A fucking joke trying to fend back a river of progress for damn group of imbeciles you never met will never be happy.”

Rem paused and marched on.

Jeane Breaker was a bitch, but she was a bitch who could read Rem’s worst insecurities. Rem excelled at hiding his turmoil, but that fact still stung.

…

Meanwhile, a great standoff occurred.

Artos Sevar and a demon sporting a pair of goat horns glared at each other. This same contest was a tradition ever since Mia Alusto defeated the First Emperor of the Demonic Continent. The legendary standoff between the elf and demon boiled.

On Elf corner, Artos Sevar prepared to launch his sword-strike backed by Magnolia Drakokia and a man dressed in a green jacket and headphones. Around them were dozens of elf guards all in battle position.

On the opposite ends were two demon leading a company of imps and orcs. The demon in front was a lanky red-skin man with sharply cut sunglass, gold decorations, buckles and a loosely opened shirt, showing the muscular body underneath. A proud goat's horn homages to the classical devil protruded from his forehead. Beside him was a huge figure with bulging muscles, towering height of three meter and bold dome as a hairstyle. The Ogre's face was rougher and meaner than granite.

There four and a half 33 Stars gathered.

“Really, Amitate,” Magnolia arrogantly sneered. “Do you believe you got a chance against me without Emily.”

“Heh, I am still enough for you 25th,” Amitate Aztellic, the red-skin demons taunted. “You are six place below us.”

“Heh, tough talk, you know the ranking between 11-28th is actually on par in battle strength. Don’t puff your chest much. Unlike you perpetually backstabbers, the elf is united. Really, Amitate aren’t you afraid Salazar will backstab you?”

The giant Ogre — Salazar Aztellic — cheerily laughed.

“She got a point. It would be so easily to punch your puny ass to the ground without Emily’s support!”

“Oi, shut up!” Salazar gnarled his teeth. “I still ranked higher than you moronic Ogre, 21st!”

Salazar continued his merry laugh.

“You need Emily for that.”

Salazar’s fold his fist, bursting it into flames, but well of water rising around them caught his attention.

“Shove your stupid deer away, 23rd,” Amitate Aztellic glared at Artos Sevar.

“Then swallow that stupid fire, demons,” Artos Sevar replied, relighting his fist.

A man in a green jacket waved his hand, extinguishing Amitate’s flames again.

“Oi, Oi, you got gut 29th,” Amitate’s eyebrows twitched. “The guys ranked who barely made it in the tier-list like you should be bowing to me.”

The 29th of the 33 Stars — Sun Senwei — grabbed a lollipop from his jacket.

“Yeah, I am 29th, but I am still stronger than all of you combine.”

Amitate’s vein popped. He knew the reason Sun got placed as the fourth last was the same as Orwell Mehest; lacked of a major sponsor that granted them massive support. Sun Senwei made it to the 33 Stars with raw combat ability and talent. He was a natural born genius. The opposite of Cytortia whose acknowledgement originated from her apprenticeship under Nu Wa.

“Are you actually afraid, Amitate?” Salazar Aztellic guffawed cheerfully.

“Shut u—”

“Oh? Bunch of poor losers gather. It would be amusing if I weren’t being directly compared with you bunch.”

Everyone turned toward the stranger and growled.

“Oi, you aren’t much better. You are Shyme’s regular punching bag. How painful it must be to tolerate the accolade she receives for nailing Mehest, eh, Sorin? I bet you broke more tables yesterday.”

Sorin Enma, 17th of the 33 Stars, glowered at Amitate.

“Shut up, Aztellic. You still owe me money.”

“Fine, hotshot,” Amitate knew Sorin was still way above his league. Then he caught sight of two figure walking to join them. “Oh, it the 24th and 32nd, the preachy Church’s lily and the weird gardener. With all this build-up, this expedition sounded like a bad joke.”

Arissa Holyworth and Mamacia Cocoga walked to greet their colleagues with chilling hostility.

…

Cytortia watched the development while Luxinna put Melody in a chokehold to stop her from dicing Salazar and Amitate Aztellic into bloody pieces.

“Seven out of thirty-two,” Cytortia gulped. Her eyes watering from stress. “What are we going to do?”

Hikma looked at the struggling girls. The situation was disastrous. Magnolia was Luxinna’s emotional vulnerability. Anyone named Aztellic was a kryptonite for Melody’s self-control. Rem was a no-show. Cytortia was on the verge of another stress meltdown.

So far, the only hero with an even keel was Hikma. The boy sincerely thank Satholia that Shyme Enma and Velnia wasn’t sighted near this treasure hunt. The last thing they needed was every HD member being emotionally compromised.

…

Far from prying eyes, a morose woman sporting an impeccable hour-glass body waited in the forest. A hood shielded her face, but the young woman deemed a face-veil over her mouth necessary to achieve complete inscrutability. The skintight, full-body leather armor made from dark-brown magical beast’s hide cladded her alluring athletic figure. Dirty white-hair specked with blood-red specks flowed from a gap in her hood.

Despite the body of super-model, bloodlust and clusters of crimson veins marred her skin. A key indicator of her species and the curse they brought. On that pale face, scar-like red blood-vessel turned her facial feature into a hideous puzzle fitting for a pair of eyes blackened with grudge and blood-red irisises.

“Commander Serina,” A gangly man dressed in similar dark-brown armor entered the clearing. “Our men have infiltrated the perimeter. This is the participation kist.”

Joshua handed her a scroll.

“You did well, Joshua,” Serina accepted the scroll, unfurled it and started skimming. “Your ability at reconnaissance improves again. I am impressed.”

“Thank you, Commander.”

Serina scanned the parchment. Her eyes widened.

“Joshua, tell Yurica and her squad to avoid any engagement with 33 Stars. I will not allow any stupid sacrifice.”

“But this is a huge opportunity! With your power, beating them would be a cakewalk. Even Sun Senwei ran from you, assassinating seven 33 Stars, and robbing them blind is child's play for you.”

Joshua believed every word he said. He witnessed their commander overwhelming Sun Senwei in combat and forced one of the strongest combatants of this generation to retreat. Who cared if Commander Serina was a monster? She was their monster. The youngest person to reach the rank of Wolf Hoard Commanders. The leader who climbed into a trench and lead them to success countless time. A one-woman army who stalled Madam Marmel’s entire security forces to cover their retreat and triumphed.

Joshua knew why her race was monstrous. Hell, he fled from Solovar where those blood thirsty animal rampaged. Joshua originally found his blood frozen when he discovered who he had been assigned too. Hell, he even tried to assassinate her.

He failed, and the Commander spared his life. 

She didn’t blame him for a single thing. Instead of punishment, Joshua received a request. A request for their leader to prove herself. Something she did multiple times to earn their royalty despite her kind heinous reputation. The Commander differed from those blasted animals. He saw her hunted down those pigs and avenged his family. Joshua suspected she must have a grudge, but that didn’t matter. The only certainty was proud to say he served the finest leader in all of Wolf Hoard. 

“Yes, I estimate I have 75% chance of taking them down, but that will leave our team vulnerable. No morons with too much power or their wealth worth your life.”

“Thank you, Commander,”

Serina glanced at the list and growled.

“However, I would want to ask one selfish request from our comrades.”

Commander Serina’s underlings understood her well enough. Hell, even other Commander knew her 2 lifelong dreams.

“Don’t worry, Commander,” Joshua said. “We don’t mind if you go after the Holy Church’s 33 Stars. Just don’t forget to bring us the loot.”

“I will, Joshua, you all deserve extra bonuses this month.”

Joshua smiled. Yes, the vampires forced him to run, but the Holy Church wiped out Solovar-culture in the name of beating the them. They were equally guilty.

Joshua wasn’t a betting man, but for this classical match-up of a vampire vs Church executer, his money was on Commander Serina, the Bloody Commander of Wolf Hoard.