In the middle of the night, King Lance Von Winters slept in his royal bed. He laid there on the giant bed deep in sleep when a loud explosion rocked the room.

"What the hell is happening!?" he shouted.

A knight rushed into the room, "We are under attack, your majesty."

"What! Who dares to-" he began to say those words when he suddenly thought.

Dam that Count Gunnleifus Varma. He must be behind this. He was always too greedy for his good. He must have lied about his daughter being sick and got out of the capital to plan his attack. Why did I ever trust that snake? No, he is so low he has to look up to see a snake. He will pay.

"Prepare the royal guards at once, we will counter attack immoderately."

As soon as he spoke those words, a second larger explosion came from the direction of the city gate.

The explosion was so massive it turned the night sky into daylight.

"What the hell was that?" he asked.

***

"Edwin-sama, we are approaching the capital,"

"Understood. Begin long canon bombardment. Start with the small magic shells and then use the medium magic shells to blow up the gate."

"Understood!" Margarita replied before her image disappeared.

"To think the sages would come up with something like this" Eve uttered while next to Edwin

"I agree Nya. I thought only Edwin would come up with ridiculous item Nya." Hitomi followed up.

"Don't look so down on our sages, and I am not that ridiculous," he replied to the two of them.

"But still-"

"The concept of a magic shell cannon has existed for a long time, but much like other great inventions, it had that one drawback."

"Ah, mana, Nya"

"Yes, Hitomi. It takes a considerable amount of mana to operate. Even elves found it too troublesome to use."

"But with our spirit crystals, we can use with no problems at all," Eve concluded,

Edwin nodded at her words, "Yes, it seems the sages were worried that the knights will have too much power if they didn't help in the fighting and researched for a weapon they could use. The result of that research was the magic cannon."

"I see. I didn't know they were worried about their positions in the new Highland."

"Neither did I. However, their worries are baseless. I intend to make Highland the most advanced magic kingdom to have ever existed. It's a no brainier that they will be needed and will hold as much influence as the knights."

"I am sure they will be relieved when you tell them that."

Edwin sighed. His inability to see the worries of his retainers made him worry a bit.

I need to do better

Just then, an explosion happened. The attack had begun.

"I guess I will head off Nya"

"Right. Take care of yourself Hitomi. If you find yourself in danger, you can retreat."

"Humph...who do you think you're talking to, Nya? I too want some achievements, you know. I will kill every spy Nya."

Edwin asked with a puzzled look, "Why do you need achievements Hitomi?"

Hitomi sighed at his words, "As dense as ever"

"Dense"

Ara, Ara dense indeed, The fairy Queen said in his mind

"Eh..." Edwin couldn't understand why Hitomi and Eve said those words. He was even more confused as to why he had heard Queen Madeline's voice in his head.

***

King Lance Von Winters looked out his bedroom window and saw the once big city gate burning and falling to pieces.

His expression went pale. He couldn't begin to imagine what power brought about such destruction.

That Gunnleifus, he was hiding such power all along. Dam it. I must flee

Just then another knight entered the room.

"Your majesty, we have identified the enemy"

"Then what are you waiting for spit it out. Is it Count Gunnleifus?"

"No your majesty, its former crown prince, Edwin Von William Highland."

"What did you say? Isn't he supposed to be trapped in the east? What the hell is doing here in the capital?"

"We don't know your majesty, but as it stands now we can't defeat his army. We have never encountered such a foe before. It can't even scratch them."

"Tch...We are abandoning the capital. Prepare for my escape immediately."

"At once, your majesty."

The king and his guards raced through the halls of the castle. They were headed to a secrete passage in the castle gardens.

The king cussed the boy who had come to steal his throne in his mind. He couldn't understand why he couldn't have died already like his father. As soon as he ran into the gardens, he stopped. Standing right ahead of him was none other than the boy he was cursing.

Edwin Von William Highland stood with a terrifying gaze.

"Long time long see Margrave Lance Von Winters," Edwin said with a cold voice.

"You shitty brat, I am king now." He replied

"King? Highland has only room for one King." He replied while releasing his blood lust.

Margrave Lance Von Winters stepped backward in terror.

What is this? When did he get this much power? I have to escape, I have to flee

"You hold him off while I escape," he commanded his nights, but before they could move.

<Air slash>

Edwin launched a series of air slashes. They were so fast that the knight couldn't doge them, and as a result, they were all beheaded.

Margrave Lance Von Winters fell on his ass in fear. As bodies with no heads fell all around him.

"Don't run, you're already dead!" Edwin said as he approached him

"No, no. Spare me"

"Like you spared my father!"

"I didn't mean to"

"Your excuses and lies, waste them on the goddess of death." He said before beheading Margrave Lance Von Winters.

It was a clean strike without hesitation. This was the first time Edwin had taken a life with his own hands, but despite the Japanese in him, he felt remorse for doing so.

All he felt was a sense of accomplishment.

In the capital, a large image floated in the night sky. It could be seen by all. The image, they saw was of a young man wearing golden armor and holding somebody's head.

"Isn't that King Lance Von Winters?"

"The King is dead?"

"The King is dead!!"

Knights and citizens alike began to utter those words.

Edwin raised the head high before speaking, "I, Edwin Von William Highland. The rightful ruler of Highland. I have taken the head of the traitor Lance Von Winters. All rebel forces are to lower their weapons and surrender immediately. Make no mistake, anyone who disobeys this order will be killed without mercy. You have seen my power and might. Your lives are mine to command."

The image disappeared, and the rebel knights stood in silence. They already knew that they had lost the moment they saw the powers, the other knights welded.

One by one, they lowered their swords and fell on their knees.

"The enemy has surrendered. The capital is ours! victory!" Margarita shouted with wind magic.

There was a loud cheer in the capital.

When Margrave Lance Von Winters took over the capital. He found it empty as its citizens all fled to the east. He brought the people from his factions territory to occupy the city.

At first, the people were happy, but within a week, all that changed. To pay for the war, the tax was raised more the ten times the original. Knights and mercenaries looted and raped daily.

The people, more or less, became slaves.

It was for this reason that ghosting was easily able to ally within the capital. They were many who helped them gather intelligence and shelter them in their homes.

Despite that, at the time, the chances of Edwin winning were next to none, the people were so desperate for a change that they chose to secretly supported Edwin.

The citizens took to the streets and danced and sung their freedom. The rebel knights and mercenaries were gathered and sent to the dungeon.

Edwin used the spirit phone to contact Prime Minister Herman Clark with the news of victory.

***
Meanwhile Hitomi was watching the city from afar on Edwin's orders.

I could see large explosions coming from the city of Nya. Looks like the fighting is getting serious Nya.

I am in the forest in the east of the city. I am waiting for potential spies that might come through Nya.

Edwin said that the elves will most likely use this route to escape for Everwood.

I cannot let that happen Nya.

Once the battle was over and as the citizens celebrated, Hitomi kept a close eye out.

"Here they come Nya."

Five figures moved under the moonlight. They quickly but quietly. Typical movement for an elf in the forest.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know. We have to report this to Everwood."

"Dam it. Do you think Highland will attack Everwood? We did use their soldiers as meat shields after all."

"Don't say that. As far as the world is concerned, those soldiers died by an ambush from the demons."

"Tch... we already having a hard time dealing with the demons. We don't need to have an enemy at our rear."

"You said it. If we have to split our forces, we will be in a tight pinch."

"How about Jarodor? There is in the same boat as us. Won't they join forces with us?"

"What are you fools talking about? Didn't you see those weapons and armor they were using? We can't possibly beat that."

"Tch...your right."

"Enough. Stop talking and run faster. Let the higher-ups worry about such things. All we need to do is get the information back home."

"I can't let you do that Nya."

"Who said that?" one elf said as they all stopped.

"Who is there?"

"It just me Nya," Hitomi said as she looked down on them from a tree.

"A beast-kin."

"Why didn't we notice her?"

"It doesn't matter."

"That right. Let's quickly take care of her and move on."

"That's the problem with you elves," Hitomi said while shaking her head. "You don't recognize death when it's staring you in the face."

"What did you beast-kin?"

"Now you see me, now you don't," Hitomi said before invoking the <vanish> spell

"She is gone?"

"Where did she go?"

"Is she hiding in the shadows?"

"That didn't look like any show technique I have ever seen"

"That's because it's not a technique. Its'-" an elf started to speak before his throat was slit. He coughs out blood before falling to the floor.

"Nooooooo" They screamed, but that didn't stop Hitomi from stabbing the heart of another elf.

"Dam you. Everyone! use a defensive barrier."

<Air shield>

<Air shield>

<Air shield>

The elves used magic to create a vortex of wind around themselves. This should have prevented Hitomi from coming close, but.

<Dispel>

"What just happened?"

"I dispelled your magic Nya"

"Impossible! You're saying you have more mana than three elves."

"Believe or don't believe. You are still dying here." She said before slicing the necks of two of the elves at the same time.

"What are you?" the last elf said with a pale face.

"Hitomi. Edwin's childhood friend. Member of ghosting and your executioner. Repent for your sins against Highland with your life."

With her last swing, Hitomi ended the life of the elf.