Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Part 1: War

"Why have we been summoned here?" asked Crucsh.

Along with Crusch Karsten, Felix Argyle, Reinhard van Astrea, Julius Juukulius, Wilhelm van Astrea, and Roswaal L. Mathers were all in attendance in the Throne Room.

The people who called for this meeting?

The Elders Miklotov McMahon, Bordeaux Zellgef, and the newly appointed King, the sole surviving member of the Lugnican Royal Family, Fourier Lugnica.

"We've received multiple reports from the Six Tongues that many DIvine Generals of the Vollachian Empire have resigned their positions and have disappeared," Fourier explained.

"They have?" questioned Julius, hiding his shock.

"Along with that, countless demi-humans of the Capital and people from the Slums have also disappeared," the King continued, ignoring the continuing shocked faces of the group.

"I seeeee," mused the Margrave. "So the ruuuuumors are truuuuue…"

"And from the sound of it, these two things are connected, nya," said Felix, connecting the dots.

"Who could have caused such a thing?" asked the Sword Demon.

"We've had our spies snoop around," Bordeaux sighed," and apparently, they found an organization… something called the Demi-Human Liberation Front."

All those in attendance had mixed reactions. Most, however, were fearful, as the name sounded awfully familiar to the Demi-Human Alliance from over forty years ago.

"From what we could gather, their objective is to liberate all demi-humans, to demolish the existing framework and rebuild it with them on top," Miklotov explained. "They have been preparing for something big for the past few months, but we don't know what."

This can't be real… thought Reinhard. But it was real.

"So, what is the plan?" asked the green-haired valkyrie.

"Our spies have found a woman who matches the description of the former 7th ranking Divine General, Yoruna Mishigure, in Flanders," spoke the blonde royal. "Additionally, over the past few months, there has been a major increase in the demi-human population in Flanders."

"That can't be a coincidence, nya."

"Indeed. You will be taking Captain Marocs Gildark and Vice Captain Heinkel Astrea, along with some veterans of the civil war, Carol Remendis and Grimm Fauzen, and the rest of the Royal Guard, to Flanders, where we believe the Demi-Human Liberation Front is hiding."

"I seeeee," hummed the clown. "And dooooo tell, your Majesty, why us, specifically?"

"The six of you are the most powerful nobility in Lugnica," explained the red-eyed monarch. "You will be the leaders and supporters of this operation. You will be deployed in one week."

"We understand," bowed Reinhard. "And we shall not fail you."

"They want us to go to Flanders in a week?" asked Julius. "And we will be fighting people who could easily pose as citizens? If that is true, this will be quite the challenge."

After the meeting ended, the six of them had left the Throne Room, and were now walking down the halls, thinking of all the different ways they would have to prepare.

"If the Divine Generals are there, then this is a serious threat…" said Wilhelm.

"I agree, grandfather," Reinhard responded.

The Sword Demon did not respond to his grandson.

Reinhard knew why. He had murdered his grandmother, and his grandfather was one of the few people who actually acknowledged he was a monster.

Somehow, though, the silence hurt more.

"Then we have to go there and stop it!" Julius exclaimed.

"You want us to go charging in there with our swords swinging wildly around, Juukulius?" asked Crusch. "We need to come up with a better plan than that."

"I agree with Crusch-sama," spoke the old man. "Hearing that the Demi-Human Alliance, or some new form of it, has returned, is really shocking."

"Whyat time will we be leaving?"

"If I haaaaad to guess, as sooooon as the sun rises on the seventh daaaaay, Felix."

"Good guess," Julius said. "Where are the Captain and Vice Captain?"

"If I were them, I would be training and preparing the rest of the Royal Guard."

"That makes sense, Reinhard. We should probably prepare ourselves, too."

"But it's so scary to think, nya," Felix said. "They could have thousands of soldiers."

"That is true, but…" Crusch said, patting Reinhard's back. "We have the Sword Saint."

That's right, Reinhard smiled somberly. You have a monster on your side.

As the Royal Guard and their respective leaders marched towards the Ground Dragon Capital, Wilhelm trailed behind, as his mind was thinking back to the memories of his youth.

When the Demi-Human Alliance was still active.

Wilhelm remembered the chaos of the war. He remembered the ideals that the demi-humans possessed, especially the leaders.

Valga Cromwell, Libre Fermi, and the Witch, Sphinx.

In their time, they brought together like-minded individuals and created their alliance. They confronted the Kingdom, and fought. They had caused untold amounts of chaos.

The Sword Demon felt a bit easier knowing that they were all dead and gone.

Too bad their ideas weren't gone, given the fact that he had to do this again.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Wilhelm looked ahead of him, and saw that his son, Heinkel, had signaled the rest of the Royal Guard to stop.

"Welcome to Flanders," he said. "Completely unremarkable."

"There's a force of thousands hidden here?" Crucsh asked sarcastically, given the fact that the city looked peaceful and quiet. "How could that be possible?"

"Someone's coming!"

Upon hearing the Greatest Knight's warning, everyone was prepared for anything.

What they weren't prepared for, however, was a short, deer-like demi-human.

"Greetings," she spoke softly, her hands in the air. "I come unarmed."

"Crusch-sama?" asked Felix.

"Truth," she said, confirming it with her Divine Protection.

"My name is Tanza," she said, lowering her hands. "I have been commanded to act as your guide. If you wish to speak to our leader, please follow me."

"A child?" questioned Wilhelm. "Or at least, she appears to be a child…"

Inside the city of Flanders, it was quiet. Too quiet.

"There's nobody here…" mused Reinhard.

The Royal Guard, along with the six members that the King himself personally entrusted, were now following the horned girl into what seemed like a ghost town.

Looking around, Roswaal saw that there were some demi-humans on the roofs of the city, staring down at the Royal Guard, but not moving. All they did was watch, and wait.

"I geeeet it," he said. "It's the entiiiiire ciiiiity."

"You are correct," Tanza said, putting her right arm over her heart, and her left arm behind her.

This got the attention of the Royal Guard, as two more demi-humans walked into view, also giving a salute, placing their right arm over their hand and their left arm behind their backs. One of them was a fox-human, while the other was a short hyena-human.

"This is a liberated city," the fox-looking demi-human said. "Ninety percent of Flanders' population are hidden Liberation warriors. The remaining ten percent have already been evacuated. We are not monsters, after all. We do not harm innocent civilians."

Julius and Felix examined the newcomers, and given their descriptions and personal experiences, they both came to the conclusion that they were Divine Generals.

They were Yoruna Mishigure and Groovy Gumlet, 7th and 6th ranking, respectively.

"Greetings, I am Yoruna Mishigure, the Zeta of the Demi-Human Liberation Front. And you, are the guests of honor…" Yoruna continued, lowering her salute.

"Everyone, those two are Divine Generals," Marcos warned the Royal Guard.

"Now, let the festivities begin," she smiled seductively, snapping her fingers. "Welcome friends… TO THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE NEW WAR!"

Immediately, dozens of demi-humans jumped out of the alley and buildings, ambushing the Royal Guard, and starting off the battle.

BOOM!

Dodging out of the first assault, Felix cried, "They weren't lying abouyt their numbers, nya!"

"It doesn't matter!" yelled Crusch. "WHERE IS YOUR LEADER?!"

"The Alpha is in his tower," she said, pointing to the Vollachian-inspired spire.

"EVERYONE, SCATTER!" yelled Julius, as he cutted down four demi-humans that tried to jump him. He knew if they were crowded like this, they would be picked off one by one.

Nodding, the soldiers and knights all went in different directions, and started fighting.

Rushing towards the tower, Crusch dodged multiple shurikens that were aimed for her. Looking up she saw who threw them, the 6th ranking Divine General, Groovy Gumlet.

"Wassup? I'm Groovy Gumlet, the Epsilon of the Demi-Human Liberation Front. You're Crusch Karsten, the Valkyrie, right?" Groovy asked. "You're King Fouier's personal bitch, or something like that. It would probably break him if you fucking died here, huh?"

Gritting her teeth, she hissed, "Then it's a good thing I won't die here."

Dodging another massive sword strike from a brown wolfin, and another from a blonde beast-human, Heinkel yelled, "Every single one of them is so strong! It's not fair!"

"Well of course," said a newcomer. "Our troops train each day in preparation for the future. They keep on training, to the point where they can truly be considered perfect. That's why you disgust me. The fact that you have such a position of authority with little to no skill baffles me."

Turning her attention away from the red-headed man to the other knight on the field, she said, "You fascinate me, Felix Argyle. Why do you work with them?"

Looking to who was talking to him, Felix saw a petite blonde girl with red eyes, a physical description that made her seem similar to Fourier.

But most importantly of all, she was human.

This caught Felix off-guard.

"What?" she said. "Were you expecting all of us to be demi-humans? You do know that this place also takes in demi-human sympathizers, right? The name's Felt, by the way. I am the Eta of the Demi-Human Liberation Front."

Ignoring the girl, the cat boy dodged another magic strike from a brown-haired oni, and ducked and rolled to a nearby bench, hoping that it would protect his body from further damage.

He was wrong.

BOOM!

"Oh, be careful!" said. "This area is full of fire stones ready to explode!"

Quickly getting back on his feet and dodging more attacks from the demi-humans, Felix was grateful for his rapid cellular regeneration. If it wasn't for that, he'd be screwed.

"Oh, yeah, I was told that you had the Divine Protection of Water," Felt commented. "Too bad that your sword skills are worse than that redheaded jackass over there."

Running through the streets and following behind Felix, Felt kept taunting him. "From the intel we gathered, you were locked up in your family's basement due to your demi-human blood since the day you were born. So, why is it that you don't resent humans?"

Engaging him head-on, Felt was now fighting Felix. "I get it. It's because of that Karsten bitch right? She, in all her benevolence, she "rescued" you, and to pay her back, you ended up becoming her servant! You ended up becoming a human noble's glorified slave!"

Getting back up, the Blue hissed, "Slave? I'm no one's slave. It's tryue Crusch-sama took cyare of me, and I will pay her back for all her kindness, nya. But the fyact remains, she did it out of her own good will. Because of her, I have a life now. I have friends…"

"Friends? Like the former prince?" the little girl sneered. "Oh, you mean those damn knights. Tell me, do they even respect you? Did they even want you to join them in the first place?"

The cat boy collapsed from exhaustion, as Felt approached him. "I doubt they did," she jeered. "The only reason they accepted you was because of your damn Divine Protection."

Leaning down and grabbing Felix by the throat, the blonde continued. "Or maybe was it the fact that you came from a noble family? I know for a fact that those shitty knights don't give a crap about slum-dwellers like me… It's a good thing you had a rich daddy –"

Feeling the life getting choked out of him, Felix raised one of his hands and tried to destroy Felt's circulatory system while screaming, "YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

Knowing what the healer was trying to do, the crimson-eyed girl increased her speed with her Divine Protection, and then pulled out her knife, cutting the Blue's hand. "Ah, ah, ah," she said, wiggling her finger. "I can't just let you boil my blood or fry my nerves, or whatever."

Why? Felix asked. Why is she helping the Demi-Human Liberation Front? She's human.

"Any last words you want to say before you pass out?" Felt asked.

All Felix could muster out was a pathetic, "W-why…?"

"Hmm? Why what?" she asked, before realizing what he meant. "Oh! Why did I join the Demi-Human Liberation Front? That's what you want to know? All right, then, I'll tell you."

Pulling Felix's ear closer to her, she answered. "When I was a little girl, I was abandoned by my birth parents. I was taken in by an old giant, his name was Old Man Rom."

Felix moved his eyes up to see Felt's expression of anger. "He was the one who raised me. He was the one who cared for me, when no one else did. He was my only family."

Tears were threatening to come out as she continued. "Then one day, a group of knights arrived and arrested him, claiming that he was some ex-insurrectionist," she hissed. "But I know the real reason. It was because he was a giant, because he was a demi-human."

"I pleaded with the knights, but they wouldn't listen! They just called me a gutter rat and a whore!" she yelled, as she started crying. "I watched as they publicly beheaded him, in front of a cheering crowd… I WATCHED THEM MURDER MY GRANDPA!"

"And that's why…" she whispered, standing up over Felix's body, her eyes full of hate. "That's why I hate the knights and the nobility. As it turns out, I wasn't alone. And with the help of the Demi-Human Liberation Front, we shall burn this kingdom to the ground."

And with that, she kicked Felix in the face, causing him to black out.

The Demi-Human Liberation Front had captured the Blue Knight, Felix Argyle.

On the other side of the city, explosions can be heard.

"We keeeeep defeating theeeeem, but there are tooooo many," Roswaal said.

"Luckily, they haven't killed a single one of us," Wilhelm said, as he chopped through a group of demi-humans. Even forty years later, he was a master of the sword.

"Captain Marcos is gone," Julius sighed. "Where is he?!"

Near the group, Reinhard walked, while he was being chased by a crowd of demi-humans.

Not that it mattered.

Twenty minutes into the battle, Reinhard van Astrea still showed no signs of exhaustion.

All of his opponents moved like they were in slow-motion.

Another effect of being a monster, he thought grimly.

He remembered the day he was called that, by his grandfather.

"You disgust me, monster!" he yelled, as he slapped him. "To steal her blessing, and to even steal her life! Will you only be satisfied after you have totally desecrated her memory?!"

Shaking his head, he jumped over the crowd of demi-humans trying to kill him, and defeated all of them in a single blow, not enjoying it one bit.

Grandson… Wilhelm thought, as he watched the massacre.

"If Reinhard-samaaaaa is not sparing any liiiiives, then I shall have some fuuuuun, too," Roswaal said, smiling. "I've neeeeever –"

SLASH!

Before he could continue, the clown had to dodge a surprise magic attack that almost appeared as if it had come out from his own shadow.

Then, appearing out of nowhere, a girl with dog features appeared.

"Sneaking up on meeeee from my own shadow? Impressive," the magic-user said. "If I'm correct, you're theeeee former 2nd ranking Divine General, Arakiya."

"You are right. I am Arakiya, the Delta of the Demi-Human Liberation Front. And you are Roswaal L. Mathers," the girl said, jumping away, looking annoyed. "The only person in this sorry group who is any decent with magic. Where is Julius Juukulius?"

"What's theeeee matter? Mistook me for him due to my hair color?" Roswaal mocked. "Weeeeell, you have a lot toooooo learn. Here's the difference between meeeeee and that Spirit Arts user… I'M THE DRAGON KINGDOM'S COURT MAGE!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Immediately, multiple colorful and explosive orbs were thrown out of the Margrave's hands, all of them targeting Arakiya. The former Divine General gracefully dodged all of them, saying, "Speaking of a lot to learn, pay attention: I'm able to eat Spirits, letting me use their magic. In terms of magical power, I am your equal. No, I'm better than you. The Alpha helped push my limits, as he did with the rest of us!"

"Sounds niiiiiice," he smiled. "NOW DIE!"

Dodging even more attacks, Arakiya kept mocking the mage, "Don't think pathetic magic like that can weaken me!" as she used her wand to create a tornado.

Within the eye of the tornado, Wilhelm grunted, "Damn it! Everyone's been split up. Let's see… Roswaal-sama is over there… Julius and Reinhard-dono were together… Felix is missing… Where are Carol and Grimm? They were with us a few moments ago…"

"No… damn it…" Carol said, looking over her husband's bloodied body. "Is he breathing…? Yes… You have to live… you're the only one I've ever loved…"

With tears in her eyes, the blonde cradled her husband, trying everything she could to keep him alive. However, she was unaware of the group sneaking up behind her…

BAM!

Just in the knick of time, Carol grabbed Grimm and dodged one of the demi-humans' strikes. Looking up from where she was, her eyes' widened in shock.

It was Valga, Libre, and Sphinx.

"No… You're supposed to be dead…" she said, shaking her head. There was no way her old foes had returned; they had to be fakes. "Damn it, who are you?!" she asked in anger.

"Oh, that would be my fault," said a cheery woman from behind the three puppets.

From where she was standing, Carol could see a woman with green hair, orange eyes, and pointed ears. It was clear to her that she was of elven descent.

"Hi there!" the green-haired girl said. "My name is Shion, and I'm a half-elf! I'm also the Gamma of the Demi-Human Liberation Front! In case you're wondering… I have an ability that allows me to create phantoms from your memories!"

So, that explains why I'm seeing them, Carol thought. After all, the dead couldn't come back to life. She said they were phantoms… so nothing more than illusions, right?

"YAAHHH!" Grabbing her sword, she charged towards her first target, the false Sphinx, only for her to get hit with a Jilwad spell, piercing her shoulder.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that my puppets have the same abilities as the originals?" asked Shion, in a mocking tone. "They are based on your memories, after all."

Shit, the blonde internally cursed. Looking back at her husband, she decided that a tactical retreat was her best option. She grabbed Grimm, and jumped her out of the way of the half-elf and her puppets using her acrobatic skills.

"Big Guy, Greenie, sic 'er," Shion commanded, having the fake Valga and Libre follow Carol.

Following the woman and her wounded husband, the giant and the snake-human pursued her and attacked her every time they had the opportunity.

THWIP!

The fake Libre threw his double-blade sword to where Carol was trying to do parkour, causing her to lose her balance and to fall back onto the street, losing her grip on Grimm.

"Ugh!" she grunted, trying to regain her bearings.

Suddenly, she felt two individuals grab her arms.

"Break them."

KRAK!

"AIIEEE!" she screamed, in excruciating pain.

"Do what I say, and this stops, got it?" the green-haired half-elf said. "Resistance is pointless."

"My arms… it hurts…" as she hissed in pain, her life flashed before her eyes. Being best friends with Theresia and Julia, meeting Wilhelm and Grimm, falling in love with Grimm, getting married, spending time with her granddaughters, all of it.

Looking up from where she was pinned down, she could see the orange-eyed woman approaching her husband on the ground.

"I'LL NEVER LET YOU HURT HIM!" she screamed, struggling to get free.

"Oh, relax," Shion smiled, picking up the man who had passed out long ago. "We're not going to kill either of you. After all, it's just plain savage to kill soldiers who can't fight anymore."

"Wha…?"

"But, then again… that is what you humans are best at, right?"

"No, you're wrong… You're wrong!" Carol said, ignoring the pain as best as she could. "Humanity... the Royal Guard… they.... aren't like that… they aren't monsters!"

"Oh, really?" Shion asked, her voice laced with hatred. "Tell that to my dead parents."

Carol didn't have a chance to respond before she fainted from the pain in her arms.

The Demi-Human Liberation Front had captured Carol Remendis and Grimm Fauzen.

Launching more spells at Arakiya, Roswaal said, "Your power maaaaaay be useful in the right situation, sure, buuuuuut you must have digested all the mana in your body by now."

Dodging more attacks from some dwarves, Julius shouted to him, "If you can, help me!"

"Why should I heeeeelp you?" asked Roswaal, as he was still busy fighting the former Divine General. "There are pleeeeenty of knights who can help you."

Looking to where the Margrave had pointed, the purple-haired knight saw a group of his comrades heading towards them, being led by Captain Marcos.

"We're here to the rescue!"

"You guys came…?" Julius asked, relieved.

"Is it right for a Captain to let his subordinates die?" Marcos asked, sarcastically. "There are many more of the enemy than there are of us, so we need to help everyone!"

KABOOM!

Suddenly, the earth erupted into a bunch of massive spikes, skewering multiple knights.

"What is this?" Roswaal asked, dropping his accent. "How do you still have any mana left?"

"I would have run out of mana long ago if I had finished digesting the Spirits I ate."

"Is that so?" Roswaal asked the dog-human.

"If it wasn't for the Alpha's warning, I would not have restrained myself from eating all of those Spirits. But he knew you were coming, making me eat an hour before you arrived."

"You could have told me that from the beginning, and now I'm angry."

"If I told you that from the beginning, I would have been giving away crucial information…" Arakiya said, using her magic to fly up. "You seem to have forgotten… THAT THIS IS A WAR!"

BOOM-KRSH!

Getting out of the way, Roswaal and Julius were able to avoid a secondary attack from the ground. Unfortunately, even more knights were killed by the attack.

"You are going to perish here, Roswaal L. Mathers. Unlike someone who uses Spirits, your magic comes from within. Meaning you'll tap out eventually."

Looking up to the sky where Arakiya was flying, Julius shuddered. "She willingly sacrificed her own allies. She and the other Divine Generals will be the biggest trouble."

The Court Mage and the former Divine General continued to throw volley after volley of Al Humas and Al Goas at each other, as Julius and Marcos ran to find cover.

Running through the streets, Reinhard asked, "Grandfather, are you all right?"

"I'm starting to regret agreeing to come here," Wilhelm said, in a flat tone.

"But if we didn't, who knows how much more their forces would grow?"

"Yes, I suppose that is true. Look over there, Reinhard-dono, the tower is close," he says, as the two of them stop running. "And it's well guarded. Where did they all come from?"

"Hey, you two!" called out Heinkel, who was followed by a group of knights.

"Incredible, Heinkel!" exclaimed Wilhelm, making this one of the few times he ever praised his son. "One of the Divine Generals said that their leader was in the tower. Do you think you have enough knights to make it there? The closer we got, the more foes we faced!"

"Uh, yeah! We'll take down these filthy demi-humans for Lugnica!" Heinkel cheered, thinking that this would be an easy way for him to get some glory.

"The Demi-Human Liberation Front is threatening the good people of Lugnica," the Sword Saint said, getting ready to run again. "I'll make sure that they're stopped."

Jumping down from one of the roofs was a wof-human, wearing a black kimono with purple accents, giving off a laid back appearance, all while smoking a kiseru.

When he was noticed by all three Astreas, he said, "You! Heinkel-san!"

Not reading the room, Heinkel asked, "What the fuck do you want?"

"Ya can call me Halibel, the Beta of the Demi-Human Liberation Front! And we here have this belief that humans are not our masters, ya dig? So, we'll show you and the rest of the world how strong we really are! Now... witness us!" the demi-human said, placing his right arm over his heart and his left arm behind him.

"IT'S TIME, MY FRIENDS! DEFEAT THE KNIGHTS! CRUSH THEM! SHOW THE WORLD THE COMING OF OUR LEADER' VISION!"

Riled up by the black wolfin's words, the rest of the demi-humans fought even harder against the knights. After thinking of whom it could possibly be, Reinhard came up with a guess.

The appearance, the laid-back personality in battle, all that pointed him to one answer.

He was Halibel, the Admirer of Kararagi.

That explains why the soldiers are now in a frenzy! It's his charm!

"Go!" yelled the Sword Demon. "It's up to you know!"

Nodding, Reinhard went past the Eternal Playboy, and continued to the tower.

As his grandson ran, Wilhelm looked towards the smiling shinobi. The enemy is still attacking, the old man thought. But knights are beginning to get exhausted. What should we do?

"There you are," Reinhard said, in a cold tone. "You are the one who organized the Demi-Human Liberation Front. Why would you do this?"

"Oh?" said the leader. "So you've made it to the top floor."

Upon looking at the leader, Reinhard saw that something was off. "No excessive body fur… no horns… normal black hair and brown eyes… wait, you're human?!"

"That was quite the large number of warriors waiting for you downstairs," the leader said smiling, ignoring Reinhard's comment. "You truly are the Sword Saint."

Rushing toward the leader, Reinhard prepared to punch him square in the face, effectively taking him out, and ending this madness. Only…

GRAB!

The leader merely blocked Reinhard's punch. With a single hand.

"Were you going easy on me?" the black-haired boy asked.

"What did you do…? How did…?"

"Sword Saint. If you try that again, your remaining comrades are dead," the nasty-eyed boy spoke in a threatening tone. "I really don't want to kill them, but I will."

For a moment, Reinhard was afraid.

But then, he remembered. He was a monster. He had the advantage.

All he needed to do was defeat this man, and victory was theirs.

Reinhard tried again with his free hand, even harder this time…

FWOOSH!

…only to have the leader's left arm morph into that of a giant blue dragon arm, and toss the Sword Saint to the side of the room, like a ragdoll.

CRASH! SMASH! BOOM!

"Hmph, humans," the leader said, with disgust. "It's ridiculous to think that you're the dominant species. As long as your kind exists, we'll never be able to compete –"

Immediately, Reinhard leaped towards the leader, and tried to cut him with a spare sword.

The leader dodged, looking surprised. "Oh, still alive, are you?"

"Why?" Reinhard asked. "Why are you saying these things?! You are human yourself!"

"Oh? You wanna know why?" he asked, smiling like a maniac. "Okay, then."

"Seven years ago, life was saved from the jaws of ferocious Mabeasts by a demi-human. She was a silver-haired half-elf with beautiful eyes of amethyst," the nasty-eyed boy began, as he tried to punch the Sword Saint, his arm still in it's dragon form.

"She was a girl pure of heart, but the villagers hated how she looked, so she was forced to live in the frozen forest, alone! I was the first person to never look at her with disgust! Aside from a random Spirit passing by, I was the only person she ever thought of as a friend!"

The redhead dodged the dragon arm, as it crashed and went through the wall.

SMASH!

"But apparently, that was too good for her! The people of the village didn't even want her anywhere near them, so you know what they did? They hired slavers! They invaded her home… and while she tried to protect me… THEY KILLED HER!"

As the black-haired boy continued to attack, the Sword Saint continued to dodge, all the while he kept telling his tale. "She died trying to protect me! And you know what they said?! They said that I should have been grateful that I was saved from the Witch!"

Getting grabbed by the dragon arm, Reinhard was pinned down.

"I LOVED HER! SHE WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO WAS KIND TO ME IN THIS FOREIGN WORLD… AND THEY JUST BEAT HER TO DEATH! JUST BECAUSE OF HOW SHE LOOKED! SHE DIED TRYING TO PROTECT ME!"

Being lifted into the air by the dragon arm, Reinhard choked out, "Silver-haired half-elf…?" Those features were the ones that described…

"Her name was Emilia," he said, making sure that there would be no mistake. He would make sure that the woman he loved would not be mistaken for a Witch.

"Now do you understand why I hate humans so much? Any race capable of such evil doesn't deserve to exist! THIS WORLD WILL CHANGE AT THE HANDS OF SUBARU NATSUKI, ALPHA OF THE DEMI-HUMAN LIBERATION FRONT!"

Subaru Natsuki? The same one who… Reinhard thought, before shaking his head, remembering that he had a job to do. I need to bring down the tower.

Squirming out of Subaru's hand, the Sword Saint managed to break himself free, and proceeded to punch the floor with all his might.

The tower collapsed mere seconds later.

I need to lighten everyone's load and take out the bigger threats, Crusch thought, as she was running through the streets, and straight towards Groovy. Like him!

"What's a Divine General like you doing out here?!" she asked.

"From what I'm guessing, you're asking why I'm not safely strategizing?" asked Groovy. "Sorry to disappoint you, but not all of us are weak as fuck like Chisa Gold prick, toots."

As the two of them continued fighting, the hyena-human spoke to the other demi-humans in the area. "LET US BRING JUST PUNISHMENT TO THOSE WHO THREATEN US!"

Hearing the former Divine General made the rest of the demi-humans become even more zealous, as some of them proceeded to attack the green-haired warrior.

"What's this?!" Crusch asked. She was hoping that Groovy would saty forced on her. Sure, he had a crude mouth, but if the others wouldn't fight, that would be worth it.

Some of the demi-humans proceeded to strike down the knights that were assisting her, while others decided to assist Groovy in taking down Crusch.

The valkyrie tried to dodge and slash her way through the demi-humans, but a small one with orange cat ears had some sort of sonic-attack that hit her in the back.

"WAAAA!"

BOOM!

Hitting a wall, Crusch looked around to see she was surrounded.

"Looks like you can't do shit, Karsten. All that fame of yours must have been from your old man, yeah? Are ya here now just to prove you ain't a pussy?" the short Divine General said, in a mocking tone. "Unfortunately, all that money and status doesn't mean dick to someone like me."

BOOOOM!

Crusch and Groovy both looked away from each other to see that the Vollachian-styled tower had collapsed to the ground, and was now just rubble.

"They're at the fucking tower?!" Groovy screeched. "Our warriors should have stopped them!"

Crusch tried to use the diversion as a way to escape, but she was tackled to the ground by lizard-human and clawed at her abdomen.

"GHAAA!"

"CRUSCH-SAMA!" yelled one knight, but was killed before he could do anything.

"Warriors!" Groovy called out to the other demi-humans. "Go to the Alpha! This human filth is attempting to assault the soul of our army!"

Down on the floor, Crusch was trying to get uop, despite the pain.

"Like I said, you ain't hot shit," Groovy sneered. "And neither is your human king."

"Shut up," Crusch grunted, grabbing her sword. "It doesn't matter what your race or place in society is… what matters… is what you do with the life you have…"

Continuing, she said, "When I see Fourier, I see someone who helps anyone he can, not because he's a king, but because that's the sort of person he is… SO DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HIM! HE'S FAR BETTER THAN YOU, BASTARD!"

Groovy looked unimpressed. "You're a fool to compare us, bitch."

Everyone, keep fighting… Crusch thought. I'll take out as many as I can…

In the rubble of where the tower stood, there were now two people facing off one another.

Subaru Natsuki and Reinhard van Astrea.

"Wow, you're a tough cookie," Subaru joked. "So, how are your buddies handling all of this? Too bad you underestimated us. What? Ya got nothing to say?"

Reinhard immediately went to strike the black-haired boy again, only for the Japanese teenager to jump over him. "To tell you the truth, I'm a tad bit upset. Though, to be more honest, I'm more interested in that power of yours. What is it?"

"Oh, that? It's my version of the Authority of Lust. A nice reward for killing Capella, don't you think?" he said, as his arm changed again. "I call it 'Race Changer', and it allows me to change into any race I desire. I changed my arm to that of an elf to block your first punch, the giant blue arm was that of a dragon, and the acrobatics I performed just now belonged to the oni."

"So you are the one who killed the Sin Archbishop of Lust!" Reinhard yelled, remembering the day the Dragon Tablet announced the news. "But, why –?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I never did it to be a hero," Subaru said, interrupting the Sword Saint. "I only killed her to get her power. Each Authority apparently changes to the desire of the user, so if I stole one of the shape-shifter, well…"

Hearing the nasty-eyed boy's explanation, Reinhard felt something. Looking down to his waist, he saw that the sword there was loosening from it's hilt.

The Dragon Sword Reid had deemed Subaru Natsuki worthy.

It was time to show Subaru Natsuki what it truly meant to be a monster.

"Reinhard van Astrea, of the line of the master –"

Before he could finish, the Alpha rushed him and grabbed the Sword Saint with the dragon claw. "Yeah, no I'm not gonna let you blow me away," he said.

Now, in my last loop, he pulled that sword out, and then he blew me away. Good thing I caught him off-guard this time, Subaru thought to himself. Now… It's time.

With his one free hand, Subaru placed it on Reinhard's face, and smiled. "You know, it's not only myself who can change their race. I can change others, too," he smiled sadistically.

Immediately, Reinhard felt pain. It was so bad, that he felt himself burning up, as the pain of what Subaru was doing made his life flash before his eyes.

"My Sword Angel."

"You disgust me, monster!"

"Nice to meet you, my name is Julius Juukulius."

"SUBARU NATSUKI, ALPHA OF THE DEMI-HUMAN LIBERATION FRONT!"

"AIIIEEEEE!"

Pulling the conversation mirror out of his pocket, Marcos opened the metia to see Julius on the other side. Speaking first, he asked, "What is the report, Juukiulius?"

"SIR! BE ON YOUR GUARD! THEY HAVE THREE DIVINE GENERALS ON THEIR SIDE, ALONG WITH THE HALIBEL THE ADMIRER! TWO OF THEM ARE –!"

"Yaaah!"

Before Julius could finish his report, Marcos turned and saw that his knights were getting cut down by multiple, identical-looking shinobi.

"Yo, are you the Captain of the Guard?" one of them asked.

Marcos didn't know how to answer. Not that he had time to answer.

BOOM!

Turning around, one of the shinobi clicked their tongue, as they saw the tower collapse.

"Su-san!" the wolfin cried, and all four shinobi ran towards the crash site.

"Great, they're all heading to the site of the collapsed tower," Julius sighed. It had now been a few minutes since all the demi-humans had left the area, giving Roswaal and himself a chance to rest, but Greatest Knight was still on edge.

"Suuuuuch terrible timing," Roswaal groaned, looking over at the spot where Arakiya once stood. "I was juuuuust about tooooo incinerate that Spirit Eater, too."

"Captain! Are you there?" the purple-haired knight asked, holding up the conversation mirror. "Call the order to retreat! This is too much! The knights are going to die!"

"Are you trying to get us fired?" Marcos responded, on the other side of the mirror.

"What?"

"If we return to the Capital now, our careers are over."

"That doesn't matter!" Julius yelled. "We need to leave while we still have the chance!"

"We need to get rid of the Demi-Human Liberation Front first!"

"Are you fine with all of us dying?!"

"Not to worry," Marcos smiled. "We have the Sword Saint on our side."

Running through the rooftops, Felt saw that the tower had collapsed.

Her thoughts immediately thought of how the Alpha was about to be arrested by the Sword Saint, or even worse, die. He had placed his faith in her, and look what happened now.

"I'm so sorry, Big Bro," she cried. "I can't believe I let you down!"

Looking down at the streets, Felt saw that Yoruna and Shion were also there, running towards the same direction as her, taking down as many human soldiers as possible.

"We must protect our leader!"

"QUICK, GET TO SUBARU!"

Opening his eyes again, Reinhard looked around and only saw Subaru sitting in front of him, smiling. "Oh, good, you've woken up."

"..."

Handing the Sword Saint a mirror, the Alpha said, "This was the only thing that survived the tower's collapse. Good thing, too. How else would you get to see the new you?"

Wait, what?

Grabbing the mirror from his hands, Reinhard looked and saw…

… a pair of purple irises, with blue pupils, staring back at him.

What?

Looking further up, he saw that his hair was no longer red.

It was silver.

No… n-no way…

Making sure he wasn't dreaming, Reinhard touched his ears.

They were pointed.

"Ahh… aughg…" Reinhard couldn't form any words as the realization hit him.

This man had turned him into a silver-haired half-elf.

The newly made silver-haired man looked up towards the black haired boy who approached him. His face didn't show any sign of hated, or disgust, despite the fact Reinahrd was now a –

"I know what you're thinking," Subaru said. "You're probably wondering who would even want you now, knowing now that you look like a monster both inside and out."

Reinhard's eyes threatened to spill tears, as Subaru kept walking towards him.

"Well, as far as I'm concerned…" he said, kneeling down, and hugging him.

"... you truly are now the most beautiful person in the world."

Running towards the scene of the crash site, both knights and demi-humans, the only thing anyone could see was rubble.

"SUBARU!" cried Shion.

"Has the Alpha been hurt…?" asked Arakiya.

"It can't be…" said Yoruna.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" screamed Groovy. "GO SAVE OUR GLORIOUS LEADER!"

But before anyone could jump into action, the rubble moved.

Subaru stood up, and was carrying a sheathed sword.

The Dragon Sword, Reid.

"Knights of Lugnica," he announced to all the knights who were watching him. "Any more fighting… would be pointless. The Sword Saint has been defeated."

Lifting up the Dragon Sword into the air, Subaru placed his right arm over his heart, as he screamed to the heavens, "THE DEMI-HUMAN LIBERATION FRONT HAS WON!"

Immediately, the demi-humans cheered for their victory, while the remaining knights retreated in fear while they still had the chance to make it out of the city alive.

Overlooking the victorious Alpha, Halibel smiled. I was right to follow this guy…

Hearing the cheers of the demi-humans, Subaru thought to himself happily, After hundreds of failed loops, I finally came up with a strategy where we won…

However, he still felt bad that he never discovered Return by Death before Emilia died.

It had now been four days since the return of the knights from Flanders.

Or at least, as many of them as there were left.

Inside the Throne Room, the only nobles who had returned were Crusch Karsten, Wilhelm van Astrea, Julius Juukulius, and Roswaal L. Mathers.

Them, along with Heinkel Astrea and Marocs Gildrak, were ready to give the report to King Fourier Lugnica, along with Mikltotov McMahon and Bordeaux Zellgef.

"It was a massacre," Crusch said, bluntly.

"All of Flanders was controlled by the Demi-Human Liberation Front," Julius explained. "Their army numbered in the thousands, and they had with them three Divine Generals, and the Admirer of Karatagi. The Royal Guard was an easy target for them."

"There are also reports saying that several higher-ranking officials went missing there," Miklotov said, moving on to the next topic. "Care to elaborate?"

"Of course," Wilhelm agreed. "The Blue Knight Felix Argyle, along with the veterans Carol Remendis and Grimm Fauzen have been reported missing in action. There is also the claim from the leader that he… had defeated the Sword Saint, Reinhard van Astrea."

"WHAT?!" screeched Bordeaux. "BUT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"

"With all due respect…" Crusch said, regretting her every word. "We were all there when their leader lifted the Dragon Sword in the air. Also… my Divine Protection indicated that he was telling the truth."

Everyone was silent for a moment. The implications that the Demi-Human Liberation Front had someone capable of defeating the Sword Saint… was something they didn't want to think about.

Wilhelm, however, silently mourned for his grandson.

"What happened afterwards?" asked Fourier.

"I called upon the retreat of the Royal Guard," Marcos said. "With over half of the army defeated, and seeing the demi-humans' victory, they would have fled either way."

Nodding silently, the king lifted his head and looked at the soldiers in front of him. "We must be sure of when they will attack. Hopefully, we will be able to prepare ourselves. Until then, we must gather information, and learn everything about the Demi-Human Liberation Front."

Looking towards everyone, he continued, "We must plan for an evacuation, the Demi-Human Liberation Front is definitely plotting something. And whatever they do… we know that they will do it soon, and it will have massive consequences. Understood."

Hearing a chorus of 'yes', the blonde monarch dismissed everyone from the Throne Room, as he himself was left alone to dwell on these thoughts.

In the city of Flanders, it was quiet.

All the participants of the battle were waiting patiently for their leader to speak, ready for him to give another one of his rousing speeches in celebration of their victory.

Then, he walked on stage.

"Welcome, and thank you for coming, warriors of the Demi-Human Liberation Front!" he smiled. "I am the Alpha, Subaru Natsuki! It is a pleasure to see you!"

"Today, we celebrate the Demi-Human Liberation Front's first victory!"

"As we move towards freedom, and strive for a new world, we shall march upon the Capital of Lugnica, and remove the Council of Elders who have trampled on you for far too long!"

Hearing the cheers of the crowd, the top followers of the Demi-Human Liberation Front came up to the stage, to show their allegiance to the cause.

"Halibel, Beta. Shion, Gamma. Arakiya, Delta. Groovy Gumlet, Epsilon. Yoruna Mishurge, Zeta. And Felt, Eta. The six of you are my lieutenants, and teams will be assigned to you, based on your needs," he said, turning toward his comrades. "Anyway… LET'S CELEBRATE! FOR NEXT WEEK, WE LAUNCH OUR ASSAULT ON THE CAPITAL!"

As the cheers became even louder, the crowd saluted, placing their right hand over their heart, and their left behind them, symbolizing that they would give their heart to the cause.

"YEEAAAHHHH!"

Looking up to the sky, Subaru thought to himself, Are you watching from Heaven, Emilia-tan?

Tearfully, he smiled. I will always love you.

Somewhere within Flanders, the prisoners of war were in their rooms.

Felix was being put to work helping the wounded.

Carol and Grimm were placed in a room together.

Meanwhile, Reinhard was placed in the best room, where he was usually alone.

Holding a mirror, he looked at himself again.

He saw his new look, and smiled.

He was no longer a monster.

He was now truly beautiful.

Author's Note: The end, question mark? I don't know. If people really like this, then I might make a second part. In case anyone is wondering, the idea mostly stemmed from the Meta Liberation Army from "My Hero Academia". The salute the demi-humans do is from "Attack on Titan". I would like to thank Infinite the Celestian and Im The Person for helping me with their suggestions, and supporting me through the whole thing.

Also, fun fact, throughout the entire story, I had multiple demi-human characters not mentioned by name, but you can identify them from their descriptions. If you want to figure out who is who, go crazy. Post your answers, if you like.

Also, no this isn't connected to "The Otherworldly Sage" or any of my other works in any way. This is just my messed up one-shot in an alternate universe.

If you want, you can leave comments, I'll totally read them.

Well, that's all. See you all in my next work!

- Ernalore

Chapter Text

Part 2: Peace

"Subaru… SUBARU!"

"GAHH!" the black-haired boy yelled, as his latest nightmare shook him awake.

"Subaru, are you all right?" the half-elf Shion asked, seeing her beloved like that.

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Subaru said, "It was just another nightmare."

The green-haired half-elf looked sad at that. "Oh."

It felt like a lifetime ago that Shion met Subaru Natsuki, a human that had the crazy idea to overthrow the current Lugnica government and make it a place for all demi-humans. It certainly felt like a lifetime ago, but it had only been six years ago.

Shion was the second person to believe in Subaru's cause, right after Halibel. She had seen him over the years do his work. He was charismatic, powerful, and it seemed like he knew the right words to convince anyone of anything. The way he disposed of Lust and convinced several of the former Divine Generals to follow him seemed like child's play to him.

Everyone within the Demi-Human Liberation Front thought he was akin to a god.

But Shion knew better.

She was the only one who knew the insecurities Subaru kept hidden behind that mask of his. She knew about his history with a silver-haired half-elf. She knew that the only reason Subaru chose her to warm his bed and produce his heirs was because she resembled this Emilia.

But she didn't care.

She loved him regardless. She loved him because he gave her hope, and she loved him because he trusted her enough with his deepest insecurities. She loved him for giving her everything she wanted, whether it be power, or intimacy.

And for that, she would follow him. She would follow him into battle. She would comfort him wherever he would get nightmares, just like he did tonight. She would do anything he asked of her, whether it was to be a warrior, or a queen.

And that was the whole world for her.

Reinhard van Astrea had a lot to think about in his cell.

The last week for him was quite insane. First, he was told that he would be sent to Flanders along with other loyal nobles to destroy what seemingly was a remnant of the old Demi-Human Alliance. But not only did that not happen, but it appeared that this new organization was actually led by the mysterious hero who slayed the Sin Archbishop of Lust, who was actually human. Oh, and he defeated Reinhard in combat and turned him into a silver-haired half-elf.

But despite that, the Alpha claimed that he didn't hate Reinhard, like everyone else did. He actually went and hugged him, right before taking his sword and scaring off the rest of the knights by claiming that he defeated the former redhead, which technically wasn't a lie.

And now, after everyone had celebrated their victory that day, Reinhard was thrown into a cell. He didn't know if he was the only person they captured, but he did know for a fact that he had been in there for less than twenty-four hours. He was done admiring his new self in the mirror, but now that he regained a fraction of his sanity, what could he do?

Creak…

Then, he heard the door open.

Looking up from his cell, he saw a young blonde woman with crimson eyes enter. Her appearance somewhat reminded him of King Fourier, Crusch Karsten's fiance. Ignoring that lingering thought, he asked, "May I help you?"

She simply scoffed, "Calm down, I'm just making sure you don't slit your wrists, or something."

"Ah, I see," he said, looking down.

"Why haven't you tried to escape?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"From what Big Bro told me, you're actually the Sword Saint," she explained. "You could easily break out of here if you wanted, but you're not. So… why?"

Reinhard thought about it for a bit before saying, "I'm a monster."

"I dunno, you look kinda cute to me."

"Not in appearance," Reinhard corrected her, ignoring the fact that she was the second person who wasn't disgusted by his half-elf form. "For the majority of my life, I've been called a monster. My grandfather, my father, everyone has called me that. If not in front of me, then behind my back. And now that I look like one, too… I really can't go back."

"I literally just told you that you don't scare me."

"I know. You, your leader, you are the only people who have tolerated me, dare I say, treated me nicely. Sure, your boss is an insurrectionist and a genocidal maniac, but even before we engaged in combat, he was nice to me. He smiled. He even complimented me when I attacked."

"Yeah, Big Bro has a way of making people feel at ease," the blonde smiled.

"Why do you call him that? Are you related?"

"Huh? Oh, no, not at all," she waved him off. "It was just that after my grandfather was killed, he was the one who took me in. He introduced me to the Demi-Human Liberation Front, my new family. And since he's a couple years older than me, I call him Big Bro."

"Your grandfather was killed?"

She scowled at the memory. "He was a giant who the knights executed."

"I am truly sorry about your loss," Reinhard said. "I know what it's like to lose a grandparent."

The red-eyed girl was taken aback by what the Sword Saint said. She was quiet for a few seconds, before she approached his cell, unlocked the door, and slid it open.

"What are you –"

"I'm not helping you escape," she said, closing the door behind her. "I just figured that it would make sense for me to sit next to you while we talked."

Plopping down next to the Sword Saint, she smiled. "My name's Felt."

The silver-haired man was silent for a moment, before smiling, "You can call me Reinhard."

"Supreme Leader!" a pig-faced demi-human yelled, slamming the door open. "Three maids have appeared on the outskirts of Flanders! They seek an audience with you!"

"Do they now?" Subaru hummed. "Now that's new. Thank you, Doltero."

Getting up from his seat, Subaru walked towards the nearest window, and opened it. Walking towards the balcony, he got up to the ledge, and jumped.

That's when his wings came in.

Using his Authority of Lust, the black-haired boy gave himself the wings of a dragon, allowing him to fly over the city. Gaining in altitude, he looked around the outskirts of the city, until his eyes narrowed in on three specks: One pink, one blue, and one yellow.

Flying towards them, Subaru landed on the street, where he was immediately saluted by three cat-like demi-humans. "Tivey, are these the visitors?" Subaru asked.

"Yes, sir," the monocle-wearing demi-human answered.

"Leave us," he ordered, and his followers complied.

Now alone, the blonde maid spoke first. "Are you the Liberator of the Sanctuary?"

Now that threw Subaru for a loop. He remembered going to the Sanctuary two years ago. Changing his race to that of a half-elf, he was able to take the Trails, which he passed, thus liberating the Sanctuary. He was able to recruit all of the demi-human locals within, including all of the Ryuzu clones and an extremely powerful warrior. Still, he kept his face neutral.

"I am," he answered truthfully.

Immediately, the blonde woman got onto her knees, and bowed. "Sir, my name is Frederica Baumann, and I am a maid in the service of Roswaal L. Mathers."

Roswaal, huh? The nasty-eyed boy's eyebrow was raised.

"Before you strike me and my colleagues down, hear me! Our master wishes to speak with you! He wishes for those who are loyal to him to join the Demi-Human Liberation Front!"

"Really? Just yesterday, he and the rest of the Lugnican army were here and at my throat," Subaru scoffed. "How do I know he's more than just a spineless turncoat?"

"Sir, if I may speak freely," the pink-haired maid spoke up. "Myself and my younger sister here are onis, while Frederica is a beast human. We would all be ideal members for your cause. Also, Roswaal-sama has invited you to his home, where he and his allies are openly waiting for you. He says that someone of your power will not have a problem reaching out to him."

Subaru was quiet for a moment before saying, "Your name is Frederica Baumann, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hmm… Very well, then, I'll visit Roswaal right away. And as for the three of you…" the Alpha looked towards two of his approaching soldiers. "Hetaro, take the two onis to Reize. And judging by the time of day… Mimi, take the blonde to the tavern."

"Yes, sir," the quieter triplet bowed, before gesturing to the twin sisters. "Please, follow me."

Nodding, Subaru sprouted his dragon wings again, and took off.

As Frederica watched him take off in awe, the second soldier, an energetic little cat girl, approached her and said, "This way, please." Nodding, the blonde maid followed.

She was uncertain of why their leader wanted to send her to a tavern of all places, but her lord ordered her to follow their every command, assuring her that no harm would come to her or to Ram and Rem while the three of them were within Flanders.

"We're here," Mimi smiled. "Big ladies first!"

Gulping, but remaining calm, she opened the tavern door, to see various races inside, from multi-armed giants to dragonkin and steelfolk, to dinosaur, platypus, rabbit, cat, dog, and koala-looking demi-humans, and various members of other tribes, all of them…

"""CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"""

… huddle around a single person, who was probably on their twelfth flannel fruit drink.

Frederica wondered for a second if the literal Alpha of the Demi-Human Liberation Front just sent her here to be a waitress, when suddenly… She recognized the drinker.

SLAM!

"AHH!" the blond demi-human gasped for air, as he slammed down his empty cup onto the table and cheered, "YEAH! NEW RECORD! NO ONE CAN BEAT MA AMAZIN' SELF!"

"Garf?"

Turning around, the blond's eyes widened. "Sis…?"

"Well, Roswaal, I'm here. What do you want?"

Across from the couch Subaru was sitting on was the greatest mage in all of Lugnica, next to him was the young girl named Annerose Miload, and beside her was her butler, Clind.

"Before weeeee begin, I must thank you for entertaining my requeeeeest," the mage smiled. "That, and taaaaaking in my maids. I'm sure Frederica is particularly graaaaateful."

"Well, of course. I know the names, faces and stories of every single one of my warriors from memory. It was quite easy for me to figure out that she was Garfiel's sister," the black-haired boy said. "But you still haven't answered my question: What do you want?"

"It's quite siiiiimple Subaru-kuuuuun," the clown drawled out, all the while wearing the same annoying smile. "Weeeee simply wish to joooooin the Demi-Human Liberation Front."

"Yeah, I don't buy that for a second," the black-haired boy scowled. "You were literally fighting against my forces just yesterday. And while I'm sure the defeat of the Sword Saint is terrifying, you don't seem like the type of person to join the winning side just for the sake of survival. There's something you want, and I want to know what it is."

"Very well, then," the clown's smile faltered, as he pulled out a black book.

"A Witch Cult Gospel? Really? I didn't figure you for the type."

"Don't be mistaaaaaken, this is not a Gospel," the Margrave explained. "This is theeeee Tome of Wisdom, created by the Witch ooooof Greed Echidna herseeeeelf."

Subaru's eyes widened at that. Back when he was doing the Trials, he came across the Witch of Greed herself, and honestly, he wasn't a very big fan of her. He especially didn't like it when she mocked Emilia in front of him while he was taking the Trial of the Past.

Still, he kept his composure. "And?"

"And, unlike its inferior cooooopies, this can actually predict the true fuuuuuture, the ideal future you waaaaant, as long as the proooooper instructions are met, of course."

"So, that's it?" Subaru scoffed. "The book just tells you to follow me, and you obey it? How do I know it won't tell you to betray me at the drop of a hat?"

"See for yourself," the mage said, offering the book to Subaru.

Grabbing the book, Subaru flipped through the pages, and read it.

"One week before the battle, send the beast-human and the oni twins towards Flanders, and have them tell the Alpha that you wish to speak with him, and invite him to your home."

"On the day of the battle, act as if you are allied with the Sword Saint and the others. However, do not kill the Divine General when you face off against her."

"When the Alpha arrives, give him the Tome to show him your true allegiance."

"Offer him everything. Follow him, help him, and your dearest desire shall be within reach."

Flipping through a few more of the pages, Subaru hummed, "Well, at least it won't tell you to betray me for at least another few decades. But what about these two?"

"Annerose is my ooooonly living relative," Roswaal explained. "And Clind is a Spirit, as weeeeell as her most loyal butler. The Miload family is very welcoming of demi-humans, and is willing to ally wiiiiith myself, but I also personally wish for you to spaaaaare young Annerose's life."

"I wouldn't kill a child, regardless," Subaru said. "But still, the idea that you're asking that means that aside from your magical abilities and connections, you also have something else that you are willing to offer up, and I'm guessing that the maids you sent are a hint of sorts."

"Well, yes, there is one more thing I am willing to give you," the clown smiled.

Another day of looking at her blank book, the caretaker of the Forbidden Library sighed.

She had spent the last four hundred years, just like she was instructed to, guarding the knowledge within the room, waiting for "That Person" to arrive to free her. And in all that time, no one had arrived who was worthy. Today was another one of those days.

That is, until she smelled something.

It had an awful smell. Like burnt hair and diapers, but she recognized it. It was just like her Mother's smell, only slightly… different.

Then, the door opened.

She wasn't sure how this person was able to break her Door Crossing, but he did it. It annoyed Beatrice greatly, with his smug smile and… that smell. He had Mother's smell.

Then, he spoke.

"Ask me the question."

Immediately, the Great Spirit's head was raised, and her eyes widened with hope. He knew what he had to say, which meant only one thing…

"Are you… 'That Person'?"

The man merely smiled.

"Yes."

Flying back to Flanders with Beatrice in his arms, and accompanied by Roswaal, Subaru spotted Felt waving him down from the outskirts of the city.

Landing, he retracted his dragon wings and smiled, "Hey, Felt."

"Hey, Big Bro," she smiled. "So, what's up with the little girl and the clown?"

"The little girl is my newly-contracted Spirit. And as for Roswaal, he decided to place his lots with us. He's been kind to the demi-humans of his domain, so he's already got a bit of credit with me," Subaru explained. "Speaking of which… How are our three new warriors doing?"

"The twins are still talking with Reize about their lives. Apparently, thinking that you're the last of the oni, only to realize there were other survivors is a really good conversation starter," the blonde chuckled. "And as for Frederica, she and Garf had a tearful reunion, followed by a slug-fest, and now they're drinking their bruises away. That was a good call."

"Indeed it was, however, the time for playing games is over," Subaru said, turning serious. "Prepare all our troops. We're leaving tomorrow morning for the Capital."

"Right! Of course!" the red-eyed girl said, saluting. "However, there's one more thing…"

"Hmm?"

"Reinhard wishes to speak with you."

It had now been two days since the remaining soldiers from the battle of Flanders returned to King Fourier and reported about the victory of the Demi-Human Liberation Front.

Since that time, there had been warnings about the enemy all over the city, and knights were ordered by Bordeaux to question the local demi-humans about any information about the enemy and potential sympathizers, by any means necessary.

The idea of grabbing random civilians from the street and torturing them for information didn't sit well with Julius Juukulius, but these were desperate times.

"DRAGON!"

That's when he heard it.

Hearing one of the butlers scream in terror, Julius started running out of the hallways of the Throne Room and outside of the Royal Castle, ready for battle, as he saw that Crusch Karsten, Heinkel Astrea, and Captain Marcos were running in the same direction.

"Where is it?"

"It's outside of the gates," Marcos answered.

The four of them, along with a small squad of knights ran through the crowds of the Royal Capitol, and straight on outside, where they saw a massive blue dragon waiting for them.

"Hold still…" Crusch ordered the men. "It's not attacking."

"Greetings," the blue dragon spoke. "I am here to give you a message and a declaration of war from the Demi-Human Liberation Front. You have been given twenty-four hours to evacuate all civilians and non-combatants from the Royal Capital. Once the time is up, our forces of one hundred thousand troops shall launch our full-scale assault on the Royal Capital!"

Immediately, everyone paled at that. Heinkel gasped in horror, "WHAT?! BUT, BU YOUR ESTIMATIONS, THEY'RE WERE ONLY TEN THOUSAND IN FLANDERS! HOW?!"

"Your time starts now," the dragon said, before flying off.

Julius, along with the rest of the group, felt an emotion they never felt during their battle with the Demi-Human Liberation Front, until the very end, where they announced Reinhard's defeat.

Fear.

The blue dragon soared through the sky, as it landed a few miles away from the Royal Capital, and back to the waiting armies of the Demi-Human Liberation Front.

Landing back in front of the armies, the dragon turned back into a human, as Subaru Natsuki informed his lieutenants, "I have given them their ultimatum. Their time will be up by the time we make it to the city. We'll travel for another hour before we camp for the night."

"Understood, Subaru-sama," bowed Yoruna.

Walking over to another part of the army, Subaru looked toward the two human girls and the tanuki-like demi-human. "Meili, it's time for you to play your part."

"Really?" the blue-haired girl asked. "Okay! I'll make you proud, Onii-chan!"

"I know you will," Subaru smiled, before looking at the two older assassins. "Elsa, Reisel. Escort Meili to the forest, and meet us back with the Mabeasts before we attack."

"It shall be done, Subaru-sama," the tanuki-human bowed. He would always be grateful to Subaru for killing Capella, and restoring his body. And Elsa would always be grateful to Subaru for letting Meili have a normal childhood without fear of the Sin Archbishop of Lust.

"Good," the black-haired boy said, as he watched the three of them leave. Turning around, he went back to the head of his army, where everyone was waiting for another speech. "I must commend you for your dedication. You have worked hard, preparing for years to enact the coming events! You have endured, buyed your time, and spread your roots far and wide! The humans have called you monsters far too long! They have lynched you and called you demons! IT'S NOW YOUR CHOICE: DO YOU WISH TO STAND IDLY BY AND WATCH THEM TREAT YOU LIKE TRASH FURTHER?! OR DO YOU WISH TO FIGHT FOR A NEW FUTURE!"

""""FIGHT!""""

"THEY WANT DEMONS?! WE'LL GIVE THEM DEMONS! SO, LIBERATION WARRIORS! LET US MARCH! FOR IN LESS THAN TWO DAYS… WE SHALL FIGHT LIKE DEMONS!"

Twenty four hours had passed.

In that small time span, there was a mass exodus of civilians from the Lugnican Royal Capital, with people fleeing their homes with the help of the Royal Knights.

Unfortunately, nobility took priority, followed by humans. The average demi-human wasn't allowed to leave until all "higher-priority" evacuees left. This caused quite a bit of resentment within the lower classes, as it showed the true colors of the Kingdom.

Some people never learn and history repeats itself, doesn't it?

Without taking breaks, the local authorities managed to evacuate all of the civilians just before the twenty-fourth hour struck. In that time, King Fourier called upon all of the nobles and notable fighters who escaped from the battle of Flanders, and told them to get ready.

They waited. And waited… until…

"LOOK! OVER THE HORIZON!"

From over the hills, small specks of dots could be seen. The dots got bigger, and bigger, until finally, bodies could be discerned from them, all of them marching forwards.

The Demi-Human Liberation Front had arrived.

On the other side of the battlefield, the demi-human warriors stayed still, as they saw the massive walls that fortified the Capital of the Dragon Kingdom.

Subaru looked over his lieutenants, and told them, "Let's go over this one more time: Shion and Felt, you're with me and the Ryuzu clones. Yoruna and Groovy, take the front gate with your squads after Meili's pets are done with the knights. Halibel and Arakiya, you're free to act on your own. All the other divisions know their plans… Now, move out."

"""Understood,""" they said, as they left to go prepare.

"Uh, Cap'n, wuz th' plan fer th' gate?" Garfiel asked the Alpha.

"Originally, I was just going to turn into a dragon and destroy the walls myself," Subaru said. "However… we have someone else who will do a far better job with that than I ever could."

BOOM!

The first thing to go in the battle were the walls that protected the Royal Capital. With the help of the newest warrior to their cause, the walls of the Royal Capital became like cardboard. Without them, the Mabeats Meili commanded were able to get inside the Capital without the demi-humans needing to lay siege to the gates.

As the little girl's monsters broke the formations of the knights and scattered them, the demi-human warriors were able to follow them, which included Yoruna Mishigure and Groovy Gumlet, along with dozens of other demi-humans in their specified division, who stepped forward, past the destroyed wall, and into the Royal Capital.

"So," Groovy asked, "Why do you think the green-haired bitch isn't among the main forces?"

"Because Karsten isn't stupid," Yoruna replied. "She knows that if all the leaders are together, it increases the chance of them getting wiped out in one-fell swoop."

"All right, good point," the hyena human hummed. "So then, where the fuck is she?"

"Right here," a voice said, as the two former Divine Generals looked up to see the woman they were currently speaking about, right in front of them. "Gumlet. I want a piece of you. Last time we met, you were speaking ill of the man I love. Not a big fan, I have to admit."

"Then maybe you should stop sucking his dick."

"And now you have officially crossed a line," Crusch growled, brandishing her sword. From behind her, a squad of knights appeared, ready to back her up.

"Yoruna, take half the team and go on ahead of us," the short demi-human said. "Myself and the other half of the team will take care of Princess and her overcompensating henchmen."

"Are you sure?" the fox human asked.

The former 6th ranking Divine General just nodded.

"Fine. Just be careful," she said, picking up Tanza, before turning to the troops. "Anyone who can leap from building to building is with me. The rest of you, stay and help him." And with that order, the Zeta leaped up to the nearest building, taking half of the demi-humans with her.

"Crusch Karsten, betrothed to the King, Fourier Lugnica."

"Groovy Gumlet, Epsilon of the Demi-Human Liberation Front."

Arakiya ran through the battlefield, and past the rubble of the destroyed buildings as she made her way towards the Royal Castle. However, before she could go any further, she was intercepted by two individuals.

"Julius Juukulius. Roswaal L. Mathers. Are you here to ask me to back down?"

"Please, Arakiya-san," Julius begged her. "We don't have to fight."

"You're right, we don't have to. That's why I want you to leave."

"What?"

"Make no mistake, we will burn down this Kingdom," the dog human said, gesturing her hand towards the purple-haired knight. "But, however, afterwards, a new one will be built, one that is better for everyone. And I want you to be a part of it, Spirit Knight."

"So that's the Liberation Front's end goal, is it?" the purple-haired knight asked. "All of this destruction to build a kingdom on the ashes of what came before?"

"Yes."

"I… can see the admirable spirit behind these actions," Julius said, as Roswaal remained silent. "However, you must see that this isn't the way to go about things."

"Sorry, Juukulius. You chose your side when you and your masters attacked us back in Flanders. I will not surrender," the Spirit Eater growled. "Roswaal, leave."

"Understood, Arakiya-sama," the clown smiled, before flying away.

"What…?" asked the confused knight.

"He was never your ally to begin with," Arakiya said, whipping out her wand. "Are you ready?"

"I see…" In response, Julius pulled out his sword. "Julius Juukulius, the Finest of Knights."

"Arakiya, Delta of the Demi-Human Liberation Front."

"Stop right there, demon," Wilhelm commanded, as he pointed his sword towards a lone demi-human soldier, who had the audacity to wear a uniform of the Royal Knights.

"Well now, it appears that you don't recognize me," the silver-haired half-elf said. "But I must ask, why the sword? Didn't you usually beat me with your own two hands?"

"What are you talking about, monster?" the old man asked, his arm temporarily wavering.

"'What are you talking about', he says," the amethyst-eyed man sarcastically laughs. "And to think that I wasted so much time trying to fix my relationship with you, Grandfather."

"R-R-Reinhard?" the Sword Demon gasped. "What happened to you?"

"What happened to me?" the Sword Saint smiles. "I've been enlightened, Grandfather. Or should I call you Wilhelm-dono? I was shown true liberation."

"B-but if you survived the battle… why didn't you come back to us?"

"Why? Why?! WHY?!" Reinhard repeats, getting angrier. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?! WERE YOUR EYES SHUT AND YOUR EARS CLOGGED FOR THE LAST FOURTEEN YEARS?!"

"I… I see…" Wilhelm said, realizing what his grandson was talking about. "I blamed you for your grandmother's death unjustly. And I helped cause the deterioration of your relationship with your father. I was… cold to you. You're right in thinking that we wanted nothing to do with you. I honestly don't blame you. For what it's worth… I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? That's it?! Are you kidding me?!" the former redhead growled. "Both you and Heinkel called me and treated me like a monster! Hell, all of Lugnica thought I was such a dangerous weapon, that they prevented me from even traveling around the world, unless I was on a leash! YOU KILLED MY CHILDHOOD! ALL I EVER WANTED WAS TO BE ACCEPTED BY YOU! TO BE LOVED BY YOU! TO HAVE A LOVING FAMILY, LIKE ANY OTHER CHILD!"

"I understand," the old swordsman said. "Our fear and hatred of you was irrational. We were wrong about you. But, please, let me make it right. Help us, and –"

"No."

"What?"

"Oh, boohoo! You feel bad about how you treated me!" Reinhard said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "You know what happened when I was held captive by the Liberation Front? I felt warmth. I felt wanted, and loved! I learned that I actually craved companionship, and they gave it to me. I wasn't treated like a monster, I was treated like a person the world hurt! And because of that, I now know what it's like to actually fight for a cause you believe in."

"I understand," Wilhelm sighed, as he pulled out a second sword from his sheath. "If this is the path you have chosen, then I have no choice but to fight you."

And with that, both grandfather and grandson prepared to engage in a duel.

KLANG!

Marcos Gildark, captain of the Royal Guard, was currently blocking the blades that belonged to the Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert. "I'm not going to lie, even if you are a monster in human skin, you still are technically a human. Why join the Demi-Human Liberation Front?"

"I only ever wanted one thing," the black-haired woman answered, as she brandhised her blades. "I wanted my little sister away from that monster you called Lust. And the Alpha delivered. Now, she can have a normal childhood, without having to live in fear."

"Fear of an assassin like you?"

"You are mistaken. She was an assassin like me, a girl who was capable of controlling Mabeasts. An orphan really can't survive in the real world with that being her only ability," Elsa said, flipping away from his blade. "Still, there is the silver lining that all she needed to do was send some Mabests here along with the regular troops, and she could remain safe."

"You damn hypocrite!" Marcos spat. "You say you want her to have a normal childhood, but you're forcing her to gather Mabeasts for your crazed leader?!"

"Heh, "forcing her". That's funny. No one is "forcing her" to do anything. She summoned those Mabeasts here out of her own free will. She believed in her big brother's cause, and asked to help. But you wouldn't understand that. Now, if you would, please die."

And with that, the assassin dove straight for the captain's bowels.

Halibel's eyes scanned the ruins of the Royal Capital. There weren't any more knights in the area for him to take down. He had to admit, the Sword Saint was efficient in taking down the nobles' infrastructure. He was also systematic, carefully avoiding civilian homes and shopping districts. Halibel was glad he wouldn't have to do much rebuilding once this was over.

"DAMN YOU!" someone yelled from behind Halibel, and immediately, the Beta dodged a sword strike, and saw that the sword belonged to one very pissed off Heinkel Astrea.

"Heh. You got a chip on your shoulder, don't ya?" the woflin chuckled, as he leaped back throwing some of his curse-infused blades towards the redhead.

"You bastards killed my son. Someone has to pay for that."

"Sure sounds like you think he's dead. Didn't even bother to check?"

"Maybe he isn't," Heinkel told him. "Maybe he's alive, maybe he's dead. It's hard to believe anything that comes out of your mouth. But regardless, I'm still going to fight you. I may be a bad father, and a coward of a knight, but I'm still going to fight you. You know why? Because I took my own son for granted. Because I didn't realize how much he truly mattered to me until he was gone. So, I'm going to fight you. I'm going to survive this, and I'm going to find him. If he's alive, I'll apologize to him for everything, and if he's not, then I'll give him the proper burial he deserves, and make sure his memory lives on with me."

"So, you'll fight for his memory?" the Admirer asked.

"Absolutely," the redhead nodded. "He deserved better."

"Hmm… I fight for someone, as well. His name was Chamov."

"Who's that supposed to be? Your father?"

"Kinda. He may not have looked it, but he was actually an elderly demi-human. If it weren't for him, I would probably be some slave in Kararagi. Closest thing to a father I ever had. I owed him a lot. That's why…" the wolf human growled, as he pulled out a kunai. "Until the bastards who killed him are gone and dead, I refuse to let myself be killed by the likes of you."

"Fine then," the deputy of the Royal Guard grinned. "If you think your ideals are worth fighting for, Halibel then come at me! Heinkel Astrea, Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard."

"Halibel, Beta of the Demi-Human Liberation Front."

Subaru walked through the halls of the Royal Castle, alone. He didn't need anyone else for what was about to happen. Everyone else had a part to play in the siege of the Capital.

He had always daydreamed about this moment. The day he would watch as the country which housed… them… would burn down to the ground. And from the ashes, he would build a new world. A better world. One where the tragedy he experienced could never happen again.

Opening the doors to the Throne Room, he saw that it was… empty. There were no guards, no Councilmen, there was no one… save for the man who was sitting on the throne.

The King himself, Fourier Lugnica.

"Were you waiting for me?" the Alpha asked.

"No."

"Oh?"

"Nearly a decade ago, I made a promise to the woman I loved that she would never wear feminine clothing until I beat her in a duel," he blond said, getting up from his throne, and looking out the window. "I regret that promise greatly, as even now she's out there in the city, wearing pants and armor, fighting the battle I should be a part of. But, sadly, I'm the only member of the Royal Family left. Her reasoning was that if I died, the Kingdom would die with me. If anything, I'm waiting for her. I would give anything to switch places with her right now."

Subaru was silent for a moment, before he decided to speak. "I loved a girl once, too. A half-elf, actually. Her name was Emilia. She was killed by a gang of humans, trying to protect me."

"So… your grief turned you into this?" the red-eyed man asked.

"Grief and anger," the black-haired boy corrected. "I was angry at those men, angry at the villagers who celebrated her death, and angry at this Kingdom for encouraging such things towards demi-humans. And thus, the Demi-Human Liberation Front was born."

"Ah, so you're the infamous leader who defeated our Sword Saint," the King chuckled, before his serious demeanor returned. "But even still, some of the things you did crossed a line. An uspart insurrection. A full-scale assault on our Capital. You are burning this country to the ground. If you don't stop, there won't be anything left."

"Nothing loft of your old archaic views, you mean. This society prospered off the backs of demi-humans and those who didn't fit your perfect world view. And that is a society that doesn't work. When something doesn't work, it needs to be replaced."

"By someone like you?"

"What does that matter?"

"It matters a whole lot!" Fourier shouted, looking saddened. "You may have lost someone, but this isn't the way you go about things! You were a person who saw the flaws in society! You could have helped me fix them from the inside! You could have become an activist! You could have changed the way people think! I… I wish I met you, before you fully committed yourself to this path. We… we could have prevented all of this bloodshed together."

"Yeah, part of me wishes that, too," Subaru nodded, sighing. "I was ten when I watched Emilia die. Maybe if you found that sad, lonely, crying child early on, the one who just lost the only person who cared about them in this world, you could have saved me. You could have saved my soul and this country. But you didn't. And now… you're in my way."

"Is that your mission? To kill me?"

"No. All I need to do is incapacitate you."

"I see, then I'll do everything in my power to stop you, including killing you. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. Perhaps in another life, we could have been friends," Fourier said, as he pulled out a sword. "Fourier Lugnica, Lion King of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica."

"Subaru Natsuki, Alpha and leader of the Demi-Human Liberation Front."

"No… stand back!" cried another Councilmember.

BOOM!

"AIIEEE!"

They were met with yet another explosive half-elf.

Felt watched as the Ryuzu clones under Shion's command slaughtered all of the lower-level members of the Council of Elders via suicide bombings. The sounds of their screams echoed all over the Halls of the Royal Castle. After a while, she said, "I'm bored."

"Then maybe you should have gone along with Reinhard."

"Nah, the big boy can handle himself," the blonde smirked. "You, on the other hand, can only create some illusions. It makes more sense for me to look after you."

"How benevolent of you," the half-elf rolled her eyes.

SLASH!

Suddenly, a large halberd swung down at the two. Getting out of the way, they saw that it was none other than Bordeaux Zellgef, who was guarding Miklotov McMahon.

"Huh," Felt hummed. "That was pretty brave of him."

"To an idiotic degree," Shion agreed. "But isn't that what you would expect from a veteran of the Demi-Human War? And especially one who hates us with such a passion?"

"Absolutely," the red-eyed girl said, pulling out her knife. "Well, even if Big Bro said we can't kill these two, doesn't mean we can't rough 'em up a bit."

"Are you blind?" Bordeaux growled, as Miklotov stood behind him. "The knights of this Kingdom will crush you all! We are unified, unlike you damn heathens!"

"Tch. For a so-called "Sage", you sure seem to be talking out of your ass."

Bordeaux simply growled, and brandished his halberd.

Shion and Felt, in return, brandished their knives and magic.

BANG!

"YAAHHH!"

As Crusch screamed in pain, she fell down next to a wall, clutching her shoulder where her armor broke, and where the pain suddenly started to erupt.

"Pretty cool, right?" Groovy said, brandishing the weapon. "They're an invention of Subaru-sama's, called a "gun". Mass-production for them finished the morning we left for battle. If you guys managed to find our production site back in Flanders, you probably would have set us back by a month. Oh, well. Now I can at least show off my new toy? So, whaddya think?"

"It's a coward's weapon," the green-haired woman grunted in pain.

"It's efficient," the hyena human growled. "Your little swords are gonna be outdated soon enough. But since I'm generous, I'm gonna let you decide how ya die. Option One: I remove the chest plate and stab you through the heart, or… Option Two: I place this gun right on your forehead, and then, as Subaru-sama would put it, I bust a cap in yo azz."

"Go fuck yourslef," the Valkaryie spat.

"Gun it is," Groovy said, as he placed the weapon right at Crusch's forehead.

"Stop."

Looking up from where they were, both the former Divine General and the noble saw a brown-furred demi-human, accompanied by a young blonde girl.

"Oh, Ricardo-san. Beatrice-sama. What's up?"

"You are being ordered to stand down, I suppose," the Great Spirit said. "We have received word from the forces near the Royal Castle that Betty's contractor and his allies were successful. We're bringing the green-haired girl with us as leverage, in fact."

"Leverage? Leverage for what?"

"For a terms of surrender," Ricardo answered.

As Crusch was being escorted towards the Royal Castle by Groovy and the two new arrivals, she looked all around her and saw that the battle was indeed lost.

All around her, she saw the bodies of dead knights and nobles, along with celebrating demi-humans. In fact, she saw some of them already beginning the post-battle clean-up operations, along with handing out food and supplies for the soldiers.

It was truly over.

Heading inside the Castle, she saw various small pink-haired half-elves standing still, as if awaiting orders, as the halls were full of the bodies of dead Councilmembers.

"We're here, in fact."

Looking up, Crusch saw the doors to the Throne Room opening, and inside she could see that Bordeaux and Miklotov were there, alive, but captured. Along with them, she saw Roswaal, a blonde girl, a green-haired half-elf, three maids, a silver-haired swordsman, and a black-haired boy, who was holding… Fourier. And his eyes weren't open.

"FOURIER!" Crusch screamed, as she tried to run towards him, but was restrained. "YOU DEMON! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?!"

"Relax, Duchess," the nasty-eyed boy said. "He's merely unconscious. We kinda can't exactly have a meeting about the terms of surrender if the leader of the opposing army is dead."

"Will we be needed here, Supreme Leader?" Groovy asked.

"Nah, you and Ricardo can go back and help the others with the post-battle clean-up," the Alpha said. "Take Rem, Ram and Frederica with you, too."

"Understood, Supreme Leader," Ricardo bowed, as he, Groovy, and the three maids left, leaving the Crusch alone with the Great Spirit and the others in the room.

"Ugh…" the unconscious blond groaned, as he got up, and looked around. "What happened?"

"Well, long story short, I kicked your ass," Subaru explained. "You were unconscious, the battle ended, and you guys lost. Now, it's time for your terms of surrender."

"Ow…" Fourier groaned, as he looked around him, trying to figure out who else was with him. "Crusch… Miklotov… Bordeaux… Roswaal, too? Where is everyone else?"

"Probably either dead or captured, your Majesty," the silver-haired man answered.

"Wait, that voice… REINHARD?!"

"Yes, that is correct."

"What the hell happened to you?!" Bordeaux yelled. "You look like a half-elf!"

"That's because he is a half-elf," Subaru answered. "In addition to giving him a new job opportunity, I also altered his race from human to that of a half-elf."

"Altered his race…?"

"New job opportunity…?" Miklotov asked, as he suddenly put two and two together. He looked around the room, and saw the Court Mage was also not in bondage. "So then, Roswaal…"

"...was planning on siding with the Demi-Human Liberation Front long before you sent your soldiers to Flanders, yes," Subaru said. "I mean, he didn't even try to kill Arakiya."

"YOU TRAITORS!" Bordeux screamed bloody murder.

"Oh, shut up, you guys were just bad employers," Subaru growled. "Now, are you going to sit around here and complain, or are we gonna go through the terms of surrender?"

Fourier looked around the room. The Liberation Front had managed to capture the King, the two most powerful Councilmembers, and a Duchess of the Kingdom. They also managed to recruit both the Sword Saint and the Court Mage to their cause. This was hopeless.

Looking right towards Crusch, the woman he loved, she silently nodded to him, showing that she would respect any decision he made.

Sighing, Fourier asked, "So, what are these terms of surrender?"

As the talks began, Subaru was thinking back to Crusch's insult, the one used for various demi-humans. Demon, huh? Now that I think about it, it does have an interesting ring to it. I kinda like it…

It had been five years since the Demi-Human Liberation Front's victory.

The terms of surrender included the return of all war prisoners back to the Lugnicna forces, including the return of Felix Argyle, Carol Remedis, and Grimm Fauzen.

Unfortunately, all those loyal to Lugnica, along with those who practiced discrimination, were forced into exile. There was a mass exodus of humans and nobles in Lugnica, the majority of them seeking shelter in Gusteko, including Fourier Lugnica and Crusch Karsten.

Bordeaux Zellgef, along with other nobles, were publicly lynched by Reinhard himself, in front of a crowd of demi-humans.

In the early days, before their new Kingdom was established, Subaru requested of Shion to take his head, and for her to inherit the Demi-Human Liberation Front and their new Kingdom, saying that it would be hypocritical to have a human King. Shion refused, and told Subaru that she loved him. She managed to convince Subaru to live, and to finally let go of the past and move on, allowing Subaru to confess his feelings to Shion.

The Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica was renamed into the Demi-Human Kingdom of Nihilantha, a name using both Greek and Latin, translating to "not man". Subaru Natsuki became known as the Demon King, turning the insult Crusch spat at him into a symbol of pride, and married he Shion, having her become the Demon Queen, Shion Natsuki.

Subaru permanently changed his race to that of an elf, along with Shion's, so Shion wouldn't live entire centuries full of grief if Subaru were to die of old age as a human. As a reward for their services, Reinhard and Felt were also changed into full-blooded elves, and after marrying, were known as the King and Queen's most trusted enforcers.

Nihilantha prospered, thanks to Subaru's otherworldly inventions, along with his new non-discriminatory policies, including universal education and healthcare, along with the abolishment of the nobility, resulting in people's status depending solely on their merits.

There was a mass migration of both poor humans and demi-humans towards Nihilantha. Demi-humans from Gusteko left to avoid the country's discrimation, along with the resentment of former Lugnicans, while those from Kararagi left to find new economic opportunities, as well to avoid Kararagian enslavement, and humans left Vollachia to come to a place where everyone was treated equally, regardless of their physical strength.

Subaru made sure that Gusteko would be the first nation to fall once he began his bid for world domination, followed by Kararagi, and finally, Vollachia. But at the moment, he would have to wait for his modern weapon manufacturing to be complete first.

But despite the fact that Nihilantha was preparing for a world war, the Kingdom was in a happy mood, as it would soon be the first anniversary of a nation-wide celebration, one equal to the founding of the Demi-Human Kingdom, for a special reason.

Around four years after the establishment of the Kingdom, the Demon King had given an announcement on a day that would be remembered as a national holiday: He had an heir. After trying with his wife for so long, he had someone who would one day lead all demi-humans.

All celebrated the birth of the first Demon Princess, an elf by the name of Emilia Natsuki.

Out in the empty fields of Nihilantha, right outside the Royal Capital, a certain platinum-haired woman, with blue eyes and minimal clothing watched as the Kingdom progressed.

"Hmm… that was an… interesting experiment…" she said to herself. "Oh, well. I'll let this story play out a little more before I decide it's time to reset this universe."

"Enjoy him while he lasts, Shion Natsuki. All of you whores enjoy him while he lasts," the platinum-haired woman said, bitterly, as she walked away from the Capital. "Because one day… he will be mine. And no half-elf, or any other woman… will stand between me and my love…"

Author's Note: Six months after the initial post, the second part has arrived. I would like to thank Infinite the Celestain for helping me come up with the name for this new demi-human nation, and Im The Person for the technicalities of how an actual civil war would play out. And now, for the comments!

freeforall546: Well, you loved it so much, you got yourselves another chapter! Yes, in the last chapter, Ricardo, the Pearlbaton triplets, and Reize were all described, and I pretty much confirmed their existence with this chapter.

ShenDockEmas: That is correct, Authorities are capable of overriding Divine Protections, hence how Reinhard was able to become a half-elf, and later on, a full-blooded elf.

CosmicBeholder: Thanks for the support! And no, Reinhard isn't Subaru's "special prisoner" in the way you're thinking. He has Shion for things like that.

Guest: Here is your continuation.

Gacs: I actually didn't think of the idea of Subaru bringing in modern tech until our comment showed up. Hence, why I gave Groovy a gun.

Minato: Bueno, aquí está el segundo capítulo que estabas esperando.

Pryd: I'm actually planning on writing a few more series, I don't really have any more one-shot ideas to write. Hope you stick around from my other stuff, though.

Dhiraj: Thanks for reading my great story.

A. J Savage: I mean, while yes, it was kinda unwise for Lugnica to send in all of their trump cards for the initial assault, they were kinda cocky, and I'm pretty sure Bordeaux would have loved to "put the demi-humans in their place". And like I said in an earlier comment, Authorities trump Divine Protections. Also, Puck didn't have time to form a contract yet with Emilia, so he never did get to freeze the world. And while it might be possible that Elior Forest is closer to Gusteko, it's still part of Lugnica, hence why Subaru literally destroyed that country and established his own.

worrierfierce: Yeah, this story got pretty intense. Thanks for the compliment.

Coomslayer: Yeah, the second chapter is kinda tame compared to the first one. But no, Subaru isn't gonna do anything weird towards Reinhard. Don't be gross.

Deathenglegamers1144: Yeah, I never saw Subaru actively siding with demi-humans in any other story, so I made one myself. But I would be interested in learning that title of whatever story it was that had Lugnica become a republic country.

petopokuspeto: Well, here's the more you requested. Nachise.

Aliata: Glad you enjoyed my bizzaro take on Subaru fighting in a "Demi-Human War". Yeah, Subaru's trauma over Emilia's death is still with him to this day. And we see that Reinhard's mind kinda gets "fixed" as he takes his revenge and kinda bonds with Felt. But hey, now that there's a second part, you don't have to be sad about it!

FatPenguin86: Here's your second chapter of a glorious revolution! Sad to say it, but at the moment, Subaru's only Authorities are Lust and Envy. And as for Reinhard,

SentinalSlice: I mean, I seriously doubt a bunch of the nobles would actually try and help the poor and demi-humans, hence why their first option was "kill them all", rather than "solve this peacefully". And as for Halibal's lines in the first chapter, I have to admit… They were kinda goofy. Hence why I edited them along with Yoruna's name when this new chapter was published. Still, glad you liked my story, despite the various flaws.

Marshall0-56: Thanks for such a high praise of my story.

Memorysoul: Subaru turned Reinhard into a Reinhard-looking silver-haired half-elf. He still has the same gender and body-build, just with pointed ears. Pretty sure there's a piece of fan art out there where he and Emilia have swapped palettes.

mayachen: I know it was sad that Emilia died, but that needed to happen to start Subaru's revenge quest. Welp, you now know what happened to Ram, Rem, Roswaal, Reize, and the Ryuzu clone. Lyra didn't make an appearance because she's an imaginary character. But hey, at least you got more of this story.

nekoshiro: I guess calling this version of Subaru a "good version of Wrathbaru" is kinda accurate. He's a merciful leader to his subjects, and pretty much everyone else's worst nightmare. Kinda like Ainz Ooal Gown.

RadicalRogue: Here's the second part you asked for.

hlglh: Yay! More hearts!

Full_Stop: Thanks for the compliment! Also, nice profile picture.

Account Deleted: Glad you enjoyed it! Here's your continuation!

And that's it! Thank you so much for reading! If you want to join my Discord server, the link is  /PHN9dfTt , you can post memes and fan art there. If you want to be my friend, my Discord username is Ernalore#8663. See you next time!

- Ernalore