Since the dawn of time, four realms existed: one for the fey, one for the devils and demons, one for the angels, and finally one for the mortal man. There was everlasting peace that unified all four realms.
The peace lasted for centuries, until one day a lone fairy was slain… in cold blood. The moment that occurred, it sparked a distrust between the fey and the other realms. As time progressed the conflict only got worse. There were more mysterious deaths hanging at each realm's gate. This time things had changed. Fey began to blame the other realms for their ignorance.
War soon began…none of the four realms surrendered. A holy war soon became the only option.
Demons slaughtered angels, fey killed humans, it was a never-ending cycle. Millions of innocent lives were taken; souls were dammed to hades. That was until a group of exiles, one from each realm, had come together to end the destruction that plagued the realms.
Thus causing... a revolution.
Chapter one
1
The wrinkles in the captain's forehead creased his face as he sat intensely squinting at the monitor with his deep-brown eyes as the wooden door squeaked open. Genji was a taller man of self-absorbed virtue. He had a confident grace with a calloused gaze that could flip on or off on a whim.
"Captain…sir, the Viriti sector…it's under heavy fire" informed a trooper as he stepped into the briefing room with extreme caution.
"What of the other three that we have in out jurisdiction? Do they still intend to remain with the revolution?" asked Genji.
"Good soldiers…follow orders… I am sorry but you must be eliminated--"
A fountain of gore painted the off-white walls as the trooper's head fell with a heavy thud, his body slumping over to his knees.
Genji wiped the tricked blood that stained his katana, his long golden locks now also stained with blood. He tucked his bangs behind his ear and without a second glance wiped the blade clean with a handkerchief.
"Hmmp…" grunted the man with a smile, "I won't let anyone stop this rebellion…especially a half-ass
wannabe soldier."
2
Vibrant bright green grass swayed in the light breeze as a young women walked across the sharp blades with her bare feet. When she looked up, she only saw the slow-moving clouds in the bright blue sky.
Yuki looked up, her majestic golden irises twinkled in the sunlight. She put her hair up in a lose top-knot bun, gazing at the world moving around her.
"So beautiful," she whispered.
The half fairy blinked as she inhaled a long cool breath. Exhaling slowly, Yuki grabbed her tanto from her waistbelt and swung. Cutting through the afternoon wind she gazes out at the world with wide-eyed wonder.
3
Genji examined the lifeless, headless, corpse of the soldier in front of him. He noticed the number six tattooed on his right hand.
"So that's who that was. I guess it makes sense…But who would want me dead is the real question?"
Closing his eyes, a lonely tear fell down his cheek. He never wanted to be this violent-natural rebel. In fact, he was the opposite. He never wanted to hurt anyone, peace was his motto, violence begats violence.
4
In a forest near the sector of Viriti, Jack ran. His legs longer than the average short -mans, he was fast. He was a no-nonsense kind of demon. But he didn't want to be under the oppression of Zanbatchi, the prince of
oni any longer.
"Yuki…I am almost to the extraction point. Do you copy?"
Jack was in a hurry; his short spikey black hair motioned in the breeze while he dashed as fast as he could through the biome.
Without an answer, his mind began to panic. He zoomed past an oak tree the leaves swaying in the midnight sky. With situational awareness, he glanced both left then right as to make sure he wasn't being followed. Then just when he thought it was safe a kunai came flying past his left ear from behind.
"Yuki-stay where you are…Do not follow..."
Jack pulled his greatsword from his back, he was prepared for a fight. As a demon, he loved the thrill of violence and bloodshed, especially when it was a surprise attack. Jack's eyes flickered from blue to a red-like hellfire color with brimstone like flakes in his pupils.
"Now...time…to die," roared the swordsman.
A lunge followed a swing of his five-foot blade. A clean cut like a knife through butter.
…or so he thought.
5
A commlink transmission broke her concentration. While she balanced on one leg doing Tai-Chi she was confused and perplexed. Attempting to respond, she lost her footing, her equilibrium was off balance, she fell to her knees.
Trying to compose her aura and center herself once more, she began her dance once more; a harmonious dance that would make a god weep. Being interrupted once more, this time a clearer transmission.
Trying to respond back out of frustration, she suddenly remembered her mission. Bolting through the prairie, she earned her codename...Shadow panther…mainly because of her speed.
Running through the grassy meadows, almost missing the extraction point. She looked in fear.
The scene before her was gruesome. It was Jack, and he was bleeding badly. Trees now colored with black ooze from the demon's blood. Ther green grass was covered in clots and flesh and torn clothes.
"J-jack?!"
The swordsman now bleeding from his mouth, panted heavily as he moved his hand in a halting signal. She knew he was on the cusp of death. His eyes flickering from demonic to blue.
"…Stay…Back"
A monstrosity standing 12 foot tall, slashed his iron claws through her flesh causing her to scream a loud deafening scream.
"Pathetic and weak mortals. You will all bow before the superior species that is my race." Snarled the creature.
Jack slowly got to his feet, wounded and weaker than normal. He began to panic, breathing heavily, he lunged at the large monster. Swinging faster than normal, he put everything into his strikes. To no avail, they didn't even scratch the creature.
The monstrosity cackled in amusement. He just brushed his chest with his large hand. And with a smile he lifted his hoof and attempted to crush Yuki.
A blur of hellfire and brimstone stepped in front of the female blocking the attack with his giant blade. He was prepared to protect his battle sister, even if it cost him his life.
"Never…going…to…happen, because as long as I still have a breath in my body, you WILL parish." A crooked smile creased the wounded kenshi's face.
With a ferocious yell, that caused the clouds to shift, the demon's eyes glowed once more, this time more intensely. With one immense swing of his blade, he wounded the oni that stood before him. Swing after swing, cut after cut, Jack was not going to stop till the beast was no more.
The creature backhanded Jack, causing all the momentum to cease and the barrage of slashes to stop. Coughing more blood out of his mouth, nose and eyes he was hurt badly. Like a lion he roared, the smell of iron and blood masking the scent of nature. Jack's eyes turned pure black. Yuki backed away in terror, she hadn't ever seen this side of him. It was scary.
With a calm tone and lightning striking the ground in front of Jack, with each step creating a whirlwind of air that blew past the creature.
"Now…you die."
With one mass attack, he lunged into the air and spun his sword till the blade faced the earth, with no time to react, the creature just stood, frozen in fear. He had never experienced this type of power. As Jack came down, he pierced the skull of the giant demon clear through his jaw. The only sound that was heard was a crunching of bones and its jaw being forced shut.
6
Genji scanned the perimeter of Fort Epsilon. Clenching his katana, he felt something was amiss. Trying to reach out to his battle siblings he was worried. With no response he ran out of the briefing room. He knew something was wrong. He was certain something bad had happened. His heart grew heavier by each passing second, nearly hyperventilating, he bolted towards the sector that his battle brother was supposed to be at
7
Jack fell to the ground in agony. His life slowly ebbed away, his life force fading, his aura drained. Full of regret, Jack's eyes closed and his breaths shallowed.
Chapter two
1
"Am I dead?" asked the swordsman.
Just beyond his peripheral vison, there he saw a tall man with, enormous spanning, black feathered angel wings. The shirtless man approached him. The air blowing his long hair that was black as night around in a scene that you only see in nightmares as half the mans face was ripped to the bare skull. His eyes hollowed out and lifeless. He smiled, exposing his fangs, and creasing his cheeks in a demonic grin.
"Jack…I am sure you have over one million questions on your mind. I won't repeat myself, so I suggest you listen," said the winged man.
Jack looked on in fear, he was frozen and couldn't even swallow. All he wanted to do was protect those he cared about. Then he saw the clear marking of Zanbatchi, the oni prince.
"Now listen close, I am here to offer a deal," the oni knelt to eye level with Jack. "I am the prince of oni from long forgotten, back when war was common. Now you are dead. But you're in limbo right now. A place between the heavens and hades. You honestly surprised me. You tapped into a power that only I used. Your conviction knows no bounds. Now lest see if you can master it." A sinister grin crept its way through the mouth of the oni.
"So…What's the deal?" said Jack.
"Own your conviction or die. The deal is simple…" The oni closed his hand and a blade of shadows formed. "Defeat me and I will aid you, however if you were to parish so does everyone you love."
Jack's eyes widened. He was frozen in fear. Not only was he not as strong as an ancient prince of oni, but if he died, he wouldn't be able to protect anyone.
2
Yuki examined the corpse of the 12-foot demon. It twitched and sat up breaking the giant sword with its jaw. It cracked its neck and glared at Yuki.
"I told you, my species is unlike any you have faced. I am a high rank in the army of Zanbatchi. All that talk for a few scratches." Growled the monster as he walked slowly towards the woman.
Yuki ran faster than a cheetah, as fast as she could, but the high-ranking demon trailed her. She knew she had to go beyond her normal speed.
"Shit."
With tears in her eyes, she screamed out a plea for help as she sidestepped the treetops surrounding the forest. With no other options she turned around ready for a fight.