Chapter Text







Lian’s golden boots reflected the light of the burning sky as she stepped on the debris-filled pathways of Tau Kor.

The monastery had once been a place of peace and learning, a place where broken men and women would gather and have gentle journeys of the mind.

As the sun set over Ascension Peak and the stars illuminated the night, the siege waged on. The peaceful monastery was filled with strife, the calm winds carried firebombs, the carefully carved stone pathways were lined with blood and bodies.

Lian could hear Zhin’s soft footsteps from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and gazed at the man, watching his eyes slowly scan the scene. There was a look in his eyes of love, of obsession, of danger, of admiration. She had seen that look in only one place before.

His eyes were wide and shining and his mouth was slightly open as if he was in a trance. She glanced up to the performer, curious to see in what was he so interested. The performer was a fire dancer, twirling and dancing gracefully with a flaming sash in hand. She stepped swiftly and carefully in a mesmerizing show, her sash flicking and moving in the air delicately. Lian sat beside Zhin to watch the show with him.

It was when Lian was just a little girl, when she had gone to her first Festival of Lights in the Citadel. She and Zhin had paused to watch a fire dancer perform, and he had become completely entranced by the performance. He had only woken from his trance after the show when the dancer had approached him and given him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

Lian paused from her train of thought when she noticed that focus had returned to Zhin’s gaze, as something behind her had taken his attention. In one movement, he unsheathed his sword and dashed forward, shoving Lian to the ground.

The Princess shrieked in alarm as she caught herself. She glanced up to see the Tyrant intercepting a pink-haired girl from her attempt on Lian’s life. The girl wielded twin daggers, which she threw one after the other at Zhin. He deflected both, before slamming the broad side of his sword into her abdomen before she could reload. She went flying, collapsing into a broken stone wall.

“Th-thank you!” Lian breathed as she pulled herself to her feet.

Zhin glanced at her over his shoulder. He gave a huff, before muttering, “If anyone will be taking your stupid life, it’s going to be me.”

The two continued on their way through the battered monastery, occasionally pausing to take cover from falling debris.

“Where are we going?” Zhin called over the sounds of buildings collapsing around them.

“I don’t know or care where you are going.” Lian responded, “But I am going to find that monk. I am not leaving without him!”

Zhin nodded as he reoiled his sword and flicked its flames to full strength.

Lian spotted movement nearby, and she ducked to take shelter behind a large piece of rubble.

A woman stepped into view, seemingly looking for something. The woman’s long, scarlet, Greenwood hair was caked in dirt and muck, and her keen emerald eyes carefully scanned the broken monastery around her. Beside her flew a red hawk, its gaze just as alert.

The woman turned a moment, loading an ammo pack into her crossbow.

Lian took the woman’s distraction as a chance to rise from her hiding place and aim her rifle. As the woman turned back around, Lian pulled the trigger and the resulting blast hit the woman square in the chest, knocking her off of her feet.

“Nice shot!” Zhin chuckled, before he darted from that debris pile to the next one, Lian following close behind.







The two continued through the monastery, before Zhin paused in his step. Curious as to what had drawn his attention, Lian followed his gaze to the sight of a massive muscular monk lifting a bit of debris off of a woman monk.

“What, the Magistrate grew bored of you?” Zhin called, a chuckle in his tone. The man glanced up and caught Zhin’s gaze, but he did not respond.

“I don’t recall your name- did you have one?” Zhin continued, “Did I find you worth one?”

The man ignored Zhin’s taunts and continued to help the injured woman.

“If you ever find yourself annoyed by the dullness of a monk’s life, the Thousand Hands-” Zhin added, but the man cut him off, “Shut it!”

Zhin frowned, raising his sword, “Clearly Karne did not teach you any respect.”

The man glared at Zhin, before grabbing the woman and running off to shelter with her in his arms.

“A friend of yours?” Asked Lian.

“A guard dog. Damn fine one at that. Wasting his strength here.” Zhin responded.

As Lian prepared to move forward, she noticed that a shadow had fallen over her. She glanced up to stare at a massive stone woman standing on the nearest building. The Stagalla warrior watched the princess with a glare of death.

“You! You’ve done this.” The Stagalla snapped, “This was your siege, wasn’t it?”

Lian stood her ground and clutched her rifle to her abdomen, “No one else has to die. Give up the monk and we will leave this place.”

The stone woman stood tall and straight, before raising her powerful spear above her head, “You have caused this damage! You have angered the Mother, and you have put innocent lives in danger.” Golden Ultimate energy began to flow around the woman, illuminating her against the dark sky. She snarled as she leaned back, her spear in hand, “You will leave this place and never return. You are not welcome here!”

With the Ultimate energy surging through her body and her spear, she threw her spear at the duo.

Lian tried to slide out of the way, but as the spear hit the ground it unleashed a seismic blast that knocked Lian to her feet. Zhin had collapsed into shadow energy, avoiding damage from the blast. The Tyrant vanished from view, his shadow form whisking away through the ruins.

The Stagalla warrior raised her hand, and the stone debris around Lian began to rise. Lian scrambled to move away from the rocks and just barely managed to dodge a large rock that flew itself at her head.

“I am a peaceful one.” The Stagalla spoke, “But you and your army have left me no choice. You must be stopped.”

She waved her hand and more stones began to rise off of the ground, surrounding Lian. There would be no escape.

Lian buried her head in her hands, awaiting a painful death under the rubble that she had created.

“You’re mine!” Khan’s voice filled her with hope, and she glanced up and out of her arms. The stone warrior was wrenched off of the building by magic energy and flew into the grasp of Khan at the other side of the courtyard. The stone woman struggled in his gauntlet’s magical grasp, but she was unable to escape.

Khan cast a glance to Lian, and although she could not see his face through his visor, she could see the glow of his eyes and how one of his eyes went dark for a second: he had winked at her.

He turned and raised his gauntlet and the stone woman into the sky, and in a blast of magical energy, the stone woman was sent flying at a high speed into the air.







Lian set off once more into the monastery. She gazed upon the buildings around her, noticing the burnt tapestries and ruined architecture. A deep shame ran through her chest and her heart felt heavy as she acknowledged the damage that she had caused.

No, she assured herself, this was Zhin’s doing. He did this. I didn’t want any of this carnage to happen, this is all on Zhin.

Her inner monologue fought to convince herself, but there was consistently a nagging in her mind that none of this would have happened if it were not for her. She had done this. She had destroyed this monastery, killed innocents, and ruined lives.

She shook her head. It did not matter anymore who was at fault for what. She could be ashamed of herself later, she would absolutely help in the repair of the monastery after this event, but for now, she had a mission and as soon as she completed the mission, she could get out of this place and the destruction could stop.

Lian arrived at a large temple in the centre of the monastery. She slowly walked through the aged stone doorway, gazing over the carefully made carvings on the walls.

She walked down the cold hallways, only slightly noticing how much the noise of chaos outside was muffled by the intricately designed building.

A woman stood in the hallways, brushing her fingers over the statues. She seemed to take particular interest in a small statue of a male angel

The woman was scantily clad, and the hood of her garment was lowered, revealing the pale white skin of a hairless head. She turned to Lian, her sightless lavender eyes moving past the princess’ form.

“It is not very polite to bother a sacred temple. I have been asked not to.” The woman noted.

Lian frowned, “I’m not here to bother the temple, I’m here for the monk.”

The strange woman chuckled, “Of course you are.”

“You should leave this place, the monastery is falling.” Lian warned the woman.

The woman grinned, bearing pearly white teeth, “Oh? The Siege of Ascension Peak already? My, my, time in this Realm is so… strange. I hadn’t thought the event would be until at least a decade.”

Lian held her rifle in a tighter grip, “Monk or nymph, I don’t really care. I’m going to keep walking.”

She walked past the woman, ignoring the woman’s slight grunt.

Lian arrived at the room in the centre of the building. In the middle of the small round room stood two statues, a short masked man and a tall sword-wielding angel.

Between these two statues knelt a man with his back to Lian. his star-strewn cloak rested around him on the ground and his long silver-blue hair flicked in a non-existent breeze.

“Jenos?” Lian spoke. The man glanced over his shoulder, his glowing blue eyes barely on her. He turned forward again and moved to cover his face with a mask.

“Stand and face me.” Lian ordered.

“I told her not to interrupt you!” Came the strange woman’s voice from behind Lian. She turned to see the woman now had her hood over her head and a blindfold covering her face.

“I told her!” The woman continued, “I told her that it is very rude to interrupt a meditating man, and that you wanted your peace and quiet.”

Jenos turned and rose, looking each woman up and down. After a few moments of gazing at the two, he spoke, “Thank you Seris. You are no longer meant to be here at this time, I think you know that.”

Seris nodded, “I suppose we shall meet again, after your little adventure.”

Jenos smiled, “Of course we shall. I will tell you all about it.”

Seris turned and faded away in a cloud of violet magic that Lian dared not question. Lian brought her focus back to the monk levitating in the centre of the room.

“You will be joining me to the Ruby Kingdom, and you will be fighting for the Magistrate.” She spoke in the strongest voice that she could muster.

Jenos smiled, “Yes I suppose I will and… no, I absolutely will not.”

“Enough with your games!” Lian snapped. She took a glance at her Ultimate Crystal, and was satisfied to see that it was fully charged.

Jenos frowned and summoned a star into his hand. He began to caress its light, causing it to glow brightly.

Lian mentally charged her Ultimate. The magic lifted her in the air and spun her slightly. She leaned back, lifting her rifle and aiming it at the monk.

He gazed up at her. She could not see the look in his eyes, but his lips held a smile.

The power began to rise through Lian as she watched the Monk. The thoughts of the siege, of the destruction and chaos that she had caused began to surge through her mind. No more of this, she had won. No more chaos, no more destruction. She would take Jenos and he would be at the Magistrate’s disposal. This whole stupid war would end, the Paladins would be brought to their knees, Karne would be honour-bound to protect her from Zhin and kill the wretched Bandit King, as payment for her bringing about the Magistrate’s victory in the Realm.

Lian’s smile matched Jenos’.

“Kneel!”