The head rolled as it flew to the skies, the skin along the neck was charred black, cauterised to such an extent that blood didn’t exit through the cut. It seeped out of the nose and mouth, and as bloody tears though, a morbid yet fascinating scene.

For Yuriko, the sight wasn’t uncommon. It was all too common with her current role as Assaulter of the Legion Incursis.

She stepped back and let the body fall, using her Anima to prod it aside so it wouldn’t splash mud on her boots.

The battlefield was noisy and messy, with blood, plasma bolts, varied elemental forces and energies flying through the air. The ground churned as earth manipulators tried to form barriers while the opposing side tried to tear them away. Aerial battles painted the skies black and grey, with the occasional bolt of lightning spearing down flyers and shuttles alike. The Aislunn plane at the border of the Empire and the Xylarchy had recently erupted in furious struggle, and she had been transferred over from Legion Vagaris to provide reinforcements.

Over the past years, she had developed her Anima to the point where she could easily restrain or kill someone simply by willing. However… the lack of challenge and growth was painful. A Season ago, she decided to go back to her roots and practice Swordsmanship as it was meant to, with body and blade married to Intent and Will.

Ah, she even used an actual side-blade instead of forming a sunblade or using Fri’Avgi. It would be too boring otherwise. In the course of several battles, she found out that handicapping herself in such a way let her become much more versatile. Her stagnant skill had started to grow again. Besides, this was much more fun.

That wasn’t to say that she didn’t coat her blade with her Animus. Well, the reason for the instant cauterization was that Radiant Energy was now an intrinsic part of her Anima and core right after she achieved the Transformation Stage.

The man she just killed had been one of the Xylarchy’s champions. Hmmm, maybe he wasn’t dead yet? Those tree worshipers were notoriously difficult to put down permanently. She observed the body, then stabbed the heart to take out the seedling that had started to grow. Now, he was dead.

Sometimes it chilled her, how easily she took life now. Before, she would have shivered or trembled. She might even have hesitated. Taking human life was difficult for her to do, unlike killing Wyldlings and other hostile Chaos dwellers. But, she supposed, it only took doing it enough times to take the edge off. Part of her mourned the lost innocence, but another part, the most pragmatic side of her, just scoffed and said that it was about time. It helped that those she killed were her enemies too.

The Xylarchy had been a thorn to the Empire’s side even upon the foundational years. They were a direct competition for the wild planes. Those must be tethered. By any means necessary. Oh, but that didn’t mean that they had to be completely aggressive. A foothold and a great amount of time was normally enough. The Empress was patient, and her legions took solid steps without overreaching.

Aislunn had been a battlefield for the past century, and the reason was clear. Resources abound buried in the earth. Jade of multiple varieties, ores and gems. Most importantly, Aislunn produced minuscule amounts of Ambrosia. A couple of droplets a year, which could appear randomly from several sites.

Her Anima intercepted a barrage of plasma bolts, coming from the enemy’s line. Frowning, she shook off her reverie and scanned the field. The valley they were in was narrow, with the mountain walls more cliff than slope. One of the Ambrosia sites was at the centre, a natural rock formation shaped like a ring. The Ambrosia should appear in the middle, based on several divinations. It was bound to happen in the next twenty-four hours.

The Xylarchy troops were dug in around the formation, and the Imperials were besieging it.

With a casual swat, a wave of Animus generated from her blade’s edge bisected a dozen warriors charging at her. She went for a casual stroll, cutting down those who came too close. Her gaze roamed the battlefield, looking for another champion. What was the point of testing herself against swarm fodder?

By the time the battle ended a couple of hours later, the Imperials were no closer to taking the Ambrosia site than they did at the start. Ah, it was her fault. She was looking for fun rather than her job.

Her immediate commanding officer nearly told her off, but he swallowed his words after she gave him a pointed glance.

Haaaah!

It didn’t help that she still didn’t look older than sixteen despite being nearly twice that age.

Maybe that’s why most Knights waited until they were in their twenties before advancing their Anima strengths. Who’d want to look like a fresh-faced kid all the time? By how Anima strength extended youth, she’d remain looking like this until the last decade of her lifespan, in a few hundred years or so. If she advanced further, she’d live longer. Reaching the level above Knight Imperious meant eternal life. Except only the Empress was at that level. Er, the Mishala Progenitor too, come to think of it.

The next day. They renewed the assault, and at that point, she fought and won against a dozen different Xylarchy champions. Most of them were a step weaker than she, but there were a couple who were on par. She had to use Fri’Avgi then, and now, their Animas swam in the artefact’s red gem, to slowly turn into fertilizer for her strength.

At that point, they secured the site. Unfortunately, the divination had been mistaken and the Ambrosia dripped out from the next site over. Oh well.

It took nearly another decade before the Empire took Aislunn. The conversion of the plane had been scheduled, but Yuriko had been transferred out to another Legion, Invictus. This time, they were fighting against some hostile Coalition planes.

Over the years, she transferred and fought for the Empire, wading in a sea of blood. Until one day, she realised that the only challenging opponents were those on her side. Now she wasn’t foolish enough to turn on her country, but she did retire from active duty.

She thought about settling down, marrying, and having kids. There was no shortage of suitors or lovers after all, but somehow, the idea quickly became repugnant. Not least of which was that she managed to learn how to invert her Mien. Instead of inspiring people to love her, she could cause it to terrify instead. Er, sometimes it inverted by itself to no small amount of trouble. It was a valuable battlefield skill though.

But no, she preferred to find powerful opponents to fight and challenge herself with.

To that effect, she decided to wander the Chaos Sea and fight Chaos Lords. The strength of her Anima created a safe haven around her, where much of a Chaos Lord’s powers were diminished. But… that cut down on the challenge.

After a while, she condensed her Anima around her body, holding it close to her skin while she duelled. That led to some interesting things.

By forcing her Anima close instead of spreading as far as it could, it…changed how it interacted with her body. It was as if her body was a Domain of its own. Nothing could affect her unless she allowed it. No blade, no fire, or cold could get through her skin. Her physical strength reached a point that if she wasn’t careless, a heavy step would shatter a Fysalli.

She didn’t know how long she fought, just that she harvested the lives of the Chaos Lords like wheat. She ate them too. Their Animas were burned with her core of Radiant Essence and in the process, she grew even stronger.

Even the Unformed were no match for her might. A single swipe of her blade cut through the idea of their existence, snuffing them out like a candle flame against rough winds.

One day, she found herself at the border of a plane. When was the last time she entered one? She’d been in the Chaos Sea for so long…

She stepped inside the plane, frowning as the Veil resisted her passage. With a grunt, she strode forward, the barrier unable to hold her body in check. The air inside felt a bit thin, but it was easy enough to remedy and adapt to.

The plane teemed with plant life. It was of old, primaeval forests, filled with all manner of beast and Avos. She’d merely travelled a single longstride before she was attacked. A creature reminiscent of a boar but with spines like a porcupine along its back. Hundreds of the things popped out of the woodwork and started spraying their quills at her. She let a few bounce off her skin, judging their strength to be…minimal.

As such, she ignored them as a waste of time, not even bothering to expand her condensed Anima beyond her skin. Her strides passed by the herd, and a few foolish individuals charged at her, with tusks held low. Those ones, she slapped, breaking faces and necks when she failed to restrain her blows to non-lethality. Not that it mattered much.

Annoyed, at herself and at the quilled pigs, she released her Mien, and evoked such a feeling of terror that all of them curled up and cowered. Goggling at the sight, Yuriko shook her head and walked past them.

The forest was only the border of the plane, while the interior held rolling hills and plains. There were communities of humans and beast-kin within. Harmonious cohabitation, she thought, but she didn’t bother to take a closer look. None of them shone through her senses as particularly strong. Perhaps entering here to seek a challenge had been futile after all.

She walked in a straight line, determined to see her impromptu exploration through. When she walked across a settlement, the inhabitants flowed to the side and watched her with a mix of terror and fascination.

“...Chaos Lord…”

Yuriko’s head snapped towards the whispered words, but she couldn’t distinguish who said it. A flash of annoyance crossed her face and the people she looked at took a synchronized step back. She snorted in annoyance but moved on without doing anything. How dare they liken her to Chaos Lords! What made them think she was one? If she was, she would have a Protective Field around her preventing her Animus from being siphoned away!

Well, maybe her Anima looked the same? Whatever.

Past the settlement, she walked. Over hills and down valleys and ravines. She didn’t deviate, even if she had to climb a cliff. Once she was at the centre of the plane, she stopped. A curious scent wafted past her nose. A delicious and nearly irresistible scent comparable to a banquet of food. When was the last time she ate anything other than a Chaos Lord’s Anima?

She looked down at her arms. Pale white fingers that had a golden glow emanating underneath. Her clothes were materialized from the Chaos since her uniform had long since turned to dust. Her form-fitting clothes looked like they were out of fashion but were certainly better looking than what those villagers wore.

But she was getting distracted. What was that scent?

Following her nose, she arrived at the foot of a mountain. She followed the path up, and eventually found what it was. A gigantic tree grew from the summit, and at the heart of the tree was a…well, a heart. The planar core, to be exact. And this one was cracked and leaking its vital contents into the air. The source of the crack seemed to be age though.

She reached for the core, and as her hands touched it, instinct made her inhale. All of it was sucked into her body. The plane shook. Tornadoes, lightning storms, and earthquakes. The land withered, brown and black replaced green. In a matter of hours, the plane broke apart, and she floated alone amidst the debris.

What had she done? Why?

But there were no emotions in her mind and other than the fleeting regret, she floated off. To find another plane. And feast.

THAT WHICH ENDS, ALWAYS BEGINS ANEW.

The vision shattered and Yuriko once again found herself in the dreamscape, staring in horror at the monstrous reflection of herself, who gave her an insouciant grin.