"Wha.."

"A human!?"

A 30-year-old woman stood in the middle of the summoning circle, her shoulder bag dropped on the ground, the wet mud staining the leather. Almost immediately, it's clear that she came from a foreign world, her clothes compared to the people around were different, a white sleeve shirt and a plain pencil skirt, and her brown short hair tied in a small ponytail.

EH? Horrified, the woman looked around in panic, her summoner looked at her in disdain and confusion, her eyebrows furrowed.

"What- Where did I go wrong?! The book- I followed the book!" The summoner clenched her fist, glaring down at the large old, antique book on the ground, open on a page that showed a picture of a creature, ominous and a mystery.

"What is going on? What am I- Who are you!?- Wait no no! WHERE AM I?!" The woman panicked, looking around, her eyes landed below her and saw the glowing circle with foreign words around it. She yipped and stepped out, the circle then stopped glowing, completely fading off the dirt.

"You..." The summoner said in a stern and cold voice, her bangs slowly showing her red crimson eyes, it was a calculating gaze, her white hair top by military headgear was as white as snow from the top of the mountain.

She grabbed the 30-year-old woman by her wrist and dragged her out of the forest, and soon the woman heard a roaring, deep and strong roaring that rang in her ears. The sound of metal clashing, each and every sound made her heart jump, and not in a good way. "Wai-wait, where are you taking me?"

"To the reason why I summoned you," said the summoner, her other hand holding the book, then dropping it on the muddy ground, tainting the sacred pages.

"Wha-" Before she could ask, the sound of another roar came, a strong wind blew right in front of their face, the summoned raised her arm to block off the wind as if they were hit by a hurricane, the woman closed her eyes, but the summoner stood still, facing the challenge in front of her. When the woman opened them, her brown eyes shrunk in fear, a large beast, a dragon-like appearance with the body of a lion looked down on them as if they were mere rats in its presence, its protruding presence canceled the war below it, it's minions against the human knights.

The summoner forcibly made the woman face her, earning a blush- even at times like this. After all the summoner is a handsome beaut, definitely the woman's type.

"Heed my call," she cast, placing her white-gloved hand on the woman's chest, startling her, a light- a red light emitted from her palm, and the woman's once brown eyes turned red similar to the summoner's iris. A flaming red aura surrounds her whole body. "Chaus, awaken" the summoner's voice echoed lowly.

Then the woman gasped.

BOOM

From their location, a large and imposing beam of red light streamed up to the sky, punching a hole through the clouds. Dyeing the sky in blood like a nightmare.

From the smoke there came a low, bellowing growl, a large human-like hand came through the smoke and slammed its palm on the rocky ground, creating a large crate underneath, and once the thick smoke cleared, everyone- may it be the enemy, the subordinates, or the reinforcement from the mountain that could see the beast, all was bewildered and shocked to see what lies behind the curtains.

She opened her eyes, but instead of looking up to the monster, her head was pointing downwards, bloodshot eyes staring back at the once feared monster, its tail between its legs, her large hovering body of a beast, huge and razor-sharp canine that are exposed to show off, pointy ears and whip-like tail.

She lets out another bellowing growl and bares her teeth more towards the monster.

"Chaus" Her ears perked up, slowly turned her head to the left side of her shoulder, there stood her summoner, a chain tattooed around her palm, she used that hand and pointed down towards the monster.

"Kill" the summoner commanded.

She faced the monster once again, slowly parting her bared teeth, showing a much more sinister behind those rows of teeth, nothing but an abyss of fire, it's like a gate, a gate that leads towards a place full of torment and suffering, the Hell.

"Everyone fall back!" yelled the knights beneath, running for their dear life, crawling out of the trenches, kicking and sprinting, anything to get out of the way of her destructive attack. She sucked the air, her chest filling up with oxygen, in her mouth slowly formed an energy sphere coated in black color and red thunder and lightning emitting from it. The monster below roared, challenged by the newcomer, using its hind legs, it jumped forward, going for a fatal attack, yet before it could even reach, a hand grabbed its neck, causing it to struggle, and clawed her.

With her other hand, she forced the monster to the ground, the impact shook the ground resulting in the fleeing knights below tripping and falling to their knees. Moving her hands to its mouth and forcefully prying it open, the monster let out a low whining growl as it tried to claw away her hand but each sharp cut would only be healed quickly at a ridiculous pace. She dug her claw through the lips of the monster, gripping the mouth to pry it open, showing rows of sharp teeth and thick toxic saliva, a few remains of human parts in between the rows of teeth.

As she pointed her larger mouth to the monster's face, the sphere exploded and a horizontal beam went through the monster's head down to its stomach, burning the flesh, the blood boiling causing it to explode and melt due to the high temperature of the attack. Her mouth snaps closed, traces of smoke and lightning in between her lips as she snarls and throws her head back, roaring right to the sky, causing the clouds to clear, sunlight seeping through to illuminate the bright afternoon.

With a thud, comes down the remaining head of the once feared monster.

"..." Speechless the summoner was, seeing the battlefield coated in red blood, sizzling organs, and shattered bones scattered across the field. Her eyes gaze at the beast she's mounting, with one last roar towards the sky, the huge beast disappears in a huge puff of smoke, but before it can completely disappear, a huge hand is placed in front of the summoner, she steps on top and slowly descend back to the ground as the beast fades as if it was never there, all is left is a woman, dressed in foreign clothes.

The summoner marched to her slumbering servant and knelt down, the dirt standing on her pearly knee skin, the sturdy pencil skirt lifted a little to show off a little skin, she looked at the woman's face with her red crimson iris. "This is...amusing," she said, her lips curled up in a smile before standing up to yell at the remaining surviving knights. "The mission is done! We shall return to our warm home to celebrate!"

"Y-yes! General!" The knights yelled in enthusiasm, the thought of finally resting after weeks of battle against that monster made them move in haste.

"General...what about her? What is she anyway" A knight asked, pointing his finger at the still-sleeping woman on the ground. Snoring even.

With a huff. "Tie her and carry her to my horse, make sure it's tight" before the knight could reply. The general walked towards the side where injured knights were being gathered to be wrapped and healed by the healers. Like a lost lamb the knight is, he looked around for a rope only to find a dirty one- stained with dirt and blood mixed with that monster's bit of flesh.

"Ugh..." he grunted, before taking a deep breath. "Crap, I don't know how to tie someone"

Feeling the numbness and pain around her stomach area, as well as her back, the woman who turned into a beast woke up, quickly in panic when she realized she couldn't move, her hands had been poorly tied behind yet it was firm. "Wha-hey you!" when she turned her head to the woman- her summoner, she yelled to get her attention.

Her summoner only gave a measly glance. "I do not like the way you address me, from now on, you shall call me Astoria" Astoria simply said without removing her eyes from the road, currently riding the horse on their way back to the kingdom, a long line of carriage and horsemen is formed behind with the two of them in front.

"I believe you have a name, stranger?" Astoria said, her tone of voice is deep yet gentle and stoic.

Meanwhile, the woman talked in a rather high-pitched voice. "I-I can't really talk properly like this" she grunts, feeling her abdomen being pressured by her own weight whilst she's on the back of the stallion. "Name." her tone had deepened, one that gives authoritativeness.

The woman scoffs at Astoria's attitude.

"I-its..." and like being hit by a bat on the back of your head, her suddenly ache, pained, she grunted and lowered her head, the pathetic sounds she made caught Astoria's attention. "I-...I don't...remember...?" she said, eyes shrunk out of fear, no memories from where she came from, nor who she is. "Who...am I?" she asked while still hanging on the back of the stallion.

"So you don't have a name? Let me give you one then...after all" Astoria looked back to her, showing her empty palm, suddenly a mark of chain glowed white, and the woman's neck suddenly felt tight, like a force wrapped around her neck. "You belong to me now"

"That's...not right," the woman said.

"It is what it is." her hand went to hold the reins. "I've summoned you with half of my life" Astoria turns her head back to the road, her expression is as stoic as ever. "Fortunately, it was worth it given the performance you showed me earlier"

"..." The memories of the fight earlier flashed in her mind, the way she felt that time, the power, the overwhelming strength right at her fingertips. How scary. "Wai-wait, half of your life? That's a bit too extreme don't you think?!"

"It is what it is..." Astoria sighed heavily. "Besides, it may be a drastic measure, but the results of my sacrifice bear a fruit, you"

"Me...?" if she wasn't tied up, she would be pointing at herself.

"I...originally wanted to summon the Ancient Beast God of Wrath, Chaus...and for some reason, you are the one who showed up, with a piece of his soul merged to yours, why's that?" Astoria said, giving the woman another single glance.

"I'm not sure myself, I- I don't know what's even going on, all I can remember is that I was driving home from work, then a truck-" and like a bucket of ice dropped on her back, the memory of her past made her realize that she's "I'm dead...?!"

Astoria raised an eyebrow. "You are very much alive right now"

"No, no! I mean, I died from a car accident- fuck why a car accident!" the woman struggling against the restraints, throwing a tantrum and a very god-awful groan- like a child complaining.

Bewildered by the woman behind her, Astoria decided to look ahead and saw the castle of the kingdom. Below is a large cement and brick wall, guarded with a large metal portcullis that's guarded with two towers on each side, and a few day shift knights patrolling the area. Her attention went back to the woman continuously murmuring, at least she was not panicking anymore.

"...- am I gonna do it now, I forgot to feed my cat- I still have to do that weekly report, my salary is in that car, what about my parents...what are they going to write on my tombstone?" she said with dead eyes, her soul leaving her mouth but not before Astoria slapped her back making her choke on it.

"Agh- What is your problem!?"

"Look ahead, Tiara" The woman furrowed her eyebrow in confusion. "Tiara?"

"That will be your name from now on, any objection?" she raised an eyebrow, glaring at Tiara with her sharp red eyes, sharp like a sword she wields.

"No-none" Tiara nodded her head, lowering her head to look down at the ground.

The battalion Astoria led headed towards the gate, the knight in duty saw them in the distance and shouted at the knights at the top of the tower. "The General has returned!"

With a loud cheer and bloating of the celebratory horn, the portcullis slide up, being pulled by a strong rope at the tower. Despite the difficulty of looking around, Tiara's eyes gleamed in fascination when she saw up ahead, behind those gates are line of civilians waiting for them.

She looked behind them and saw the smiles of those knights who took their helmets off, for some reason, she felt enlightened, as well as ashamed. "Excuse me, hey, Astoria right?"

They soon reach the mouth of the gate, the wall is thick making them walk through the tunnel. "Yes?" Astoria simply said, greeting the day-shift knights who form a line on each side of the tunnel, chest puffed out, their armors shining as if newly polished and never been used.

"Well you see, I was wondering If I could sit properly?" Tiara said with a nervous half grin. Astoria rolled her eyes and only with one hand, she lifted her by grabbing the helm of the shirt and the pencil skirt, as if Tiara was as light as a doll. 

"Satisfied?" Astoria asked.

"Erm, what about the ropes?" Tiara asked but in return, the white-haired general glared at her. 

"Don't push it" Astoria faced ahead, flicking the reins of the horse to move faster. Tiara's eyes fluttered when they reached the end of the tunnel, the bright sun welcomed them as well and the citizens cheering and applause roared at the long street of the gate entrance. Astoria smiled, waving gently her hands to the people who said her name and glory.

"Long live the general!" 

"Applause! Applause!"

"Congratulations on defeating Lord Ka!"

Astoria would only smile, there was joy behind those lips as she and her battalion marched through the streets, as soon as they reached the bridge they gripped their legs around the horse like a silent command to run.

"AH-! I'm gonna fall!" Tiara yelled with her dear life, bouncing behind on top of the horse, with her hands tied she couldn't grab onto anything. "Bound" Suddenly, her face planted against Astoria's back, she opened her eyes and saw a red shining chain wrapped around her arms to the general's waist, as if she were some kind of harvested crop!

"Th-thanks..." 

The general stayed silent.

Upon arriving at the doorstep of the castle, Astoria was the only present, the rest of her knights were directed to return to the House of Dominus to rest, and she had to present herself as an audience to the royal to announce her victory. "Unbound," she said in a soft whisper, the dizzy Tiara fell on the ground from her seat, shoulder first. "Aghk-"

"You could have been a little more gentler with me!" Tiara grunted, a little tear escaping the side of her eyes, the shoulder she landed on ached for a while before it slowly dissipated. Seeing her condition, Astpria's eyebrow curved upward in the middle, she hops down her stallion- a man taking the reins for her to lead it back to the stables. "Uhm..." she scratches her cheek with her bloody glove.

"I-I'm not accustomed to taking care of someone" The General knelt down to swoop her hands under Tiara's arm and lifted her lip like a baby, then she settled her down on the floor, dusting off her shoulder to remove the bits of dirt from the ground. "Mhm...You can't meet the Emperor like this" She squinted her eyes, eyeing Tiara from head to toe. "It's scandalous"

"E-excuse me? This is my working uniform!" Tiara said, clearly offended but for some reason, it went to her head and fueled her ego. She wasn't the best looking in her office, and to think it was different here made her smile ugly mentally. Astoria furrowed her eyebrow in concern.

"You're a whore...?"

Mouth agape, no proper left her lips out of pure shock. "I-If my hands aren't tied right now, I would have slapped the shit out of you...I am not a whore, I am an honest businesswoman!" she said, yet the general is unfazed.

"I see, mhm...here" Astoria unclipped her white bloody robe and hung it around Tiara's shoulder, covering her from her neck down to her knees. "This should do it"

They faced the golden front door of the castle, a large dragon carved on top as if it was coming out to life. Wonder how much this is. Tiara thought, her attention returned when Astoria spoke.

"Be your best behavior, the royals are the direct descendants of The Great Finitomni, they don't take unethically and rudeness lightly..." Astoria said, her tone is low and serious. She fixed her cap properly as the door opened. 

For some reason, it seems like the dragon above is looking down at them.

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I hope you enjoy this journey ;]