At the capital of the new kingdom of Valhalla the Promised Lands, inside a chamber of its iron castle, the High Empress Morrigan was standing firmly with her arms crossing behind her back alone in this dim lighted room. Adorned with iron plates and gauntlets, her attire was dyed in the symbolic color of the old Empire of Zagon, a deep blue dress used by maidens in battle all while able to demonstrate both grace and strength of the wearer. Her tied-up golden hair and blue eyes, characteristic features of the royal family of Magnolia, combined with the slender white tiara on her head, only added to her elegance and refinement.

Outside, thousands of chatters and cheers could be heard. It was understandable, for perhaps the majority of the people of Eiseinheim have gathered around the royal palace to see their Empress. A big announcement was to be made shortly. That was what people were told. So what was she doing here, staring at this large portrait hanging on the wall?

But it was her perplexed expression that struck us as odd. A mixture of sadness, of regret but at the same time of reprieve it was. Perhaps it was due to the image of the person in the portrait she was looking at, a woman who resembled oddly to the Empress herself. The only difference was that the woman's hair was letting straight down to her back instead of tying up like Morrigan.

"So many things have changed recently." Morrigan spoke out loud to the portrait. "We are on the verge of a revolution. A new era is coming. But the only reason we are standing here today, being able to witness the opening of a new age, the reason why this happens in the first place, is thanks to you...And yet, why are you not here, sis?

.....

I have always regretted since that day, when I last saw your smile....For all these time, I wondered if there was anything else I could have done to prevent what happened to you. Our father, my mother, they did such terrible things to you...I am no better either. If only I have acted...if only I have known...

These thoughts have haunted me for years. There isn't a day I didn't think about it. But then again, it doesn't matter now does it? I am just making excuses for myself...

So instead of staying in bereavement, I wanted to do something. I want to continue your legacy, to take care of it, nurture it and to make it come true. Not just your dream of peace between all races but also the most precious gift you have brought to this world: Alastor.

After being informed of your fate, I tried to look for him for years. But in the end, it was him who came to me. Just how fickle are the hands of fate?

By the way, do you know that Alastor hates cranberries? I made a cranberry cake for him but you should have seen his face, the way he frowned and looked weirdly at the first bite. And he didn't even know that himself until recently." Morrigan chuckled at the memory. "Just like you!"

"It's easy to forget sometimes that he is still a kid, considering what he has gone through and his achievements. So many people rely on him...but who is he supposed to rely on when he is the one who needs it? He may be powerful, perhaps even the most powerful in the world. But that doesn't mean he can control everything. One day, things will get out of hands and when that time comes, who can he turn to?

Sis, I want to be that person. It should have been you but because of me, Alastor has lost you. So from now on, I will take on that role. I will be his mother, the one who will always stay by his side, a place he can return to at all time.

I will continue the legacy you and Asgore have left for us."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Your Majesty, everyone is here. Are you ready?" a female knight asked from outside.

"I am, Katrina. Just give me a moment!" Morrigan called out. "Sister, watch me from above as I make your dream come true!"

Walking out of the room and followed by her faithful knight right behind, the High Empress proceeded to the large balcony facing the stage. A few figures have been waiting for her there, all of the utmost stature: Pope Maxime of the Caelum, Ambassador Viviana of the Whispering Forest, Martel the Duchess of Ragna and the two Priestesses of Malatas. Needless to say, a certain knight was also by the side of his mistress, sticking up to her like a shadow.

"It's finally time!" the lamia spoke as she bended slightly in front of Morrigan.

"I would have hoped things would not end like this...but attacking the castle in such a coward manner is unforgivable. The people of Caelum stand with you in this war, your Highness. And we pray it will be the last." The new pope said in a solemn voice.

"The beastmen have also confirmed their participation in this war. We will join you in battle, your Majesty!" said Viviana, holding her ashen cane tightly. She herself might still have some doubts about the matter with the demons but Viviana was no fool and a kind woman at heart. Thanks to the Discovery Accord, she has had the chance to meet with some of the residents of Ragna and spent a lot of time with Martel. While it did not mean that she would embrace the demons openly like Morrigan, the cat girl was determined to give them a chance to prove themselves to the world. Instead of labelling them all as evil, she would try to see them as individuals for she herself knew that not everything in this world was black and white. The Primes were the perfect example of this, seeing how many wars and atrocities they have waged between themselves just to have the thing called power.

"So does Malatas! It's time we end this once and for all." Cynthia spoke as her counterpart Eris nodded in agreement.

Watching each of her entourage filled with trust in her, Morrigan proclaimed loudly in a firm voice. "I thank you all for what you have done for our Empire. I will see to it myself that this time, we will achieve peace."

With that said, Morrigan walked to the balcony under the beaming sunlight. Under her, the streets and court halls have been filled by the mass, all hailing the name of their Empress. From up here, could you distinguish a demon from a human? Of course aside from those with different morphologies based on monsters. But inside, in our minds, our thoughts, we were all the same. Evil and good, each race had their fair share of both.

It would be a bit of a wishful thinking and quite frankly naïve to assume that once this war was over, the world would know eternal peace and everyone would live happily forever after. That was impossible, considering our very own nature and tendency to violence. For each era of peace, it was only a question of time before another conflict broke out. That endless cycle would never end.

However, at the very least, if we had to kill each other, let it be that those who were killed were not always the same because of their race but rather for what they have done. For only when we all understood the pain of others, might the idea of peace be more than just a myth.

Back to the speech of Morrigan as she addressed her people, among her retainers by her side, each of them had their own thought, their own reason for being here. Some have always been this way. Others have changed their minds after a certain event in their lives that helped them open their eyes. But what mattered was that at the end of the day, they were here, standing as the ones who would lead their people to a new era. What might be behind that door...we didn't know. But at least, let it be that it was our own will and choice that led us there!

.....

As the Empress spoke, a conversation was taking place but not with loud spoken words but in the mind.

'It's finally here. Aren't you excited, Yggdrasil?' Viviana spoke in her mind to the spirit residing in the wooden staff she was holding.

'Not really...This is not the first time I have seen a human claiming for peace.' The spirit replied in a disinterested tone.

'But this time it will be different.'

'So you add one more race to the collection. It doesn't matter. In the end war will always persist and things will happen all over again. Until now, the demons have been used as an excuse for slaughter. But after this, even when they are considered as your equal, you will just find another excuse to kill each other. That's just how it is.'

'Why are you so grumpy these days?' Viviana retorted. 'What's wrong?'

'Because you may have done something for yourself and your people but I didn't do shit.' Yggdrasile complained. 'The task that was entrusted to me by lady Fate is still unfinished. In fact, it hasn't advanced one bit.'

'Are you talking about finding the Child of Prophecy? Don't you think it's Alastor? He is quite powerful and I have to say, compared to anyone I have met so far in my life, he seems to be the most adequate candidate for this title.' Viviana commented.

'No...Alastor is not the Child of Prophecy. Else I would have known the moment I met him.'

'How do you even know that if you have never met this chosen one?'

'It's..complicated. It's something like an instinct....You know like how you meet someone and think "This is the one". It's that kind of thing.'

'No I don't. What you are saying makes no sense at all.'

'Bah you won't understand.'

'So what? Are you going to leave me? Now of all time?' asked Viviana worriedly.

'You don't have to worry about that. If I leave this vessel, I will be stuck in the Whispering Forest again. At least with you travelling around doing your war, I have more chance to meet the person I am looking for....' Yggdrasil cut short what he was going to say as a thought came into his mind.

'Well we will be going to Ceadric soon enough and possibly Ragna or even Oros in the future so you can look for that person over there.' Viviana said.

'I do wish so. Since if I can't find the Child of Prophecy, it would mean that I am in the wrong period...'

'Wrong period?' asked the cat girl. 'What do you mean?'

'It means either the Child is not even born yet or...'

'Or what?'

'Or is already dead....'

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ceadric has finished its preparation. The main army has just departed toward the southern borders together with their king and his royal guards. And of course, it would mean that young Edward was also going with them. He has made his mind to let Tasha staying in the mansion together with a few Hunters of Maria's group. Yet, Maria herself and Scarlet did not go with him for a very simple reason. She wanted him to grow by himself. Perhaps because of what happened to Tasha, Edward has transformed in an astonishing manner, as if he has grown out of his shell. This was great news for the woman wanted him to be able to influence the war while limiting casualties on both sides. However, that was just what she told the boy. There was actually a more profound reason to why Maria didn't accompany him. A recent event has changed everything for Maria, leading her to even going as far as ignoring what Alastor has instructed her to keep Edward safe. What happened? The answer lied in the devil Mephisto, currently known as Meto and his discovery as he investigated the Trading Company of Dor.

Inside a luxurious residence in Cedra, Meto was being led by a servant to see his master, the owner of this recently bought mansion. Indeed it now belonged to Goldbeard, a dwarf merchant of the company of Dor. While the group claimed to be ruled in an egalitarian order between all members, the real power always lied in the hands of the richest one and in this case, Goldbeard.

The reason Dor assisted Ceadric in this war, pushing them to go against Valhalla and opposing to the idea of neutrality toward demons, was just because this old dwarf has promised them richness and opportunities after the war. Furthermore, if Valhalla lost, it would mean that Ceadric could claim their territories for themselves. And that was what many of the members of Dor aimed for.

Since Ceadric owned Dor quite a lot for all the resources for helping them during the crisis and funding for this war, the dwarves could claim a part of Valhalla for their own as part of the payment. With the other countries severely weakened, the merchants could profit from that to become even richer. In short, this whole conflict between Ceadric and Valhalla was some kind of investment as Dor waited for the seeds to grow before claiming it. At least that was what most of their members thought. However, the question lied in Goldbeard. Did he come up with this idea by himself? Or was someone else pulling the strings behind all this? Could there be a hidden meaning behind this biased action?

"Thank you for meeting me, sir Goldbeard!" said Meto as he sat down on the expensive couch.

A small desk was in front of him with a humble figure wearing golden clothing sitting on the other side.

"No need for formalities, mister Meto! As much as I hate to admit it, it's rare to meet someone who shares our idea nowadays. The world has gone mad with all these demon sympathizers...What kind of sick world are we living in?" Goldbeard complained.

"Indeed!" Meto clenched his fist in secret. "It falls to us to show the people and guide them back to the right way."

"You took the words right out of my mouth. I can't say it any better."

"Your words are too kind. Unfortunately, we are the few here and this problem cannot be solved by money alone. Your funding and troops might help Ceadric to conquer but that alone is not enough. We must strike the problem at its root." Meto said passionately.

"You mean attacking Ragna? That is easier said than done and we can't afford to multi-borders war else it might endanger the outcome with Valhalla. Greed is not a good thing, mister Meto." Goldbeard frowned.

"Not if we are smart about it." The devil answered.

"Hum..." the dwarf uttered in a doubtful tone as he brushed his beard.

"I know that you still have some doubts about me, milord. You don't have to hide about it. I would do the same in your shoes. Trust cannot be given. It must be earned." Meto said.

"Hum you are not wrong in that aspect. Having lived all these years, I know that you cannot trust anyone aside from yourself. So how about this?

Considering our current state, I am confident we can beat Valhalla with our armies. However, there is still the matter with the demons. For now, thanks to the Levianux sea that serves as a natural defence, they did not dare to attack us, yet. However if the situation becomes worse for them, like animals driven to a corner, they will risk everything. And if that happens and they do in fact succeed on landing on Ceadric, it might become a problem for us.

Now if you want to prove yourself to me, do you think you can do something to prevent this?" the dwarf said.

"Hum...." Meto pondered in silence for a while.

"Hahaha I was just joking. You don't have to be so serious about it, sir Meto!" Goldbeard jested as he took up his cup of wine. "Trust comes with time so as long as you are faithful to me, I will make sure it will be worth your while."

"What if I say I can do it?"

"What?" shocked by Meto' statement, the dwarf decided to put down his cup and insisted. "Are you joking?"

"Not at all, milord! I am saying that I have a way to make the demons submit to your will or at the very least, removing them from the war." Meto spoke with confidence.

"You do? How?" Goldbeard inquired hastily.

"It's a rather simple thing to do. But instead of listening to my insignificant words, it's better for me to show you the result through my action. I only need a ship to cross the Levianux sea and a dozen men to execute my plan. If you so desire, I can do it now."

"Only a ship? That's easy. You will have the fastest ship in a few hours together with a full crew."

"Then you can be reassured milord! By the end of tomorrow, we will bring Ragna down to its knees. Now if you excuse me, I need to prepare myself for the journey." Meto stood up, preparing himself to leave.

"Of course! When you are ready, go to the harbor in the central district! The ship will wait for you there." Goldbeard said excitedly as he guided Meto out to the exit himself.

While the sea of Levianux was the smallest sea in the world, it still needed a full two days of journey to go from Cedra to Ragna. However, Goldbeard was a resourceful man. He had access to ships that could cross the sea and return back under two days thank to its highly advanced tech and the craftsmanship of the dwarves. But those ships usually cost so much, no one but the royalty could afford them. However, we were talking about the richest man in the world here. Surely such a thing would be nothing more than a few coins to him. Compared to the effect this would have on the war in the case Meto succeeded, that amount of money was nothing. But how on earth would Meto accomplish such a feat with just a dozen men? The dwarf contemplated.

Exiting the mansion, Meto said goodbye to the dwarf and departed. As he strolled down the streets, a sensation of reminiscence came back to him. It has been a long time since he walked among so many humans. In fact, the last time was more than fifteen years ago, back when he was still a human.

There were two types of demons: those who were born one and those who became one. Mephisto, unlike his companions of the royal guards, was the second type. Fairly rare, these demons were once a prime who 'fell' into the state they were currently in. This was due to the Goddess of the Flesh Lilith who has put a curse on the entire world after being betrayed by Eden. Those who have lost themselves, those who knew true despair and most importantly, those who rejected their very own nature, those people could potentially become a demon under the effect of the curse. Filled with hatred and spite toward their own kind, these primes took on a new form in order to forget about their old self.

As for Mephisto, he used to be something else, someone who could be said to be the opposite of what he was now. Just what happened to him that led to this? One must wonder.

"How funny it is for me to remember it now...After all those time..."

Suddenly, Mephisto bumped into an average looking man in the busy road. "Oh my apologies!" he excused himself. But instead of receiving an apology or perhaps an insult, the man simply continued down the flow of people, ignoring the dumbfounded Meto. However that was not before he put a small piece of paper into the devil's hands and disappearing in the crowd.

Opening the folding paper, Mephisto read in his mind what was on it. Upon realizing what this meant, he smiled to himself sinisterly.

"Things just get much more interesting!"

As he crumbed the paper to bits, the devil reached to his pocket and pull out a small purple stone before turning in to a dark alley. Holding it close to his chest in his palm, Mephisto whispered quietly to the stone without letting anyone hear it.

"Amelia, Azureus, Naberius, I need you all to do something for me. Do your best to make it...festive!"

* * *