Rym, also known as 'Black Duke' is the one who holds the 4th position of the Eight Mana Wielders of Asphodel's empire. He is known for making flashy entrances, and for his cruelty.

He is also the emperor's underdog who would do his biddings. It doesn't matter how dirty the job is, as long as it is an order from the emperor.

He is sure to obey.

Out of all of them who wields mana Rym is the most loyal to the emperor, and the emperor only. If the emperor says to burn even the whole of Asphodel, he will do just that and not think twice of the consequences because all that matters to him is his own entertainment, his own satisfaction and his own desire to be as flashy as possible.

'A troublesome person appeared.'

Zora looked around her surroundings once more. Eyeing every single soldiers and their movements while also looking for a way out to escape Rym with an injured person in tow.

Zora took a deep breath and focused her mana to her sword. The soldiers surrounding them was too many and Rym might be a crazy bastard but he did well in blocking every single exit to ever exist in this place.

"But... if there isn't one then I'll have to make a path for us.", Zora whispered to herself.

"Hahahaha! Zora, you know it's futile to fight me, right? Just give it up."

"Rym.", She called his name with a low voice that it sent chills down to the soldiers spine.

"You might think that you have the upper hand because of your troops but I think I should remind you of who you are picking a fight with."

Zora takes a stance and with her blade in her hands she swiftly charged towards the enemies and with one smooth slash of her blade, four men had their heads chopped off.

Every single soldier on the battlefield were taken aback by what they witnessed. It wasn't even a second and four of their comrades had already fallen.

"W-what—?!", Rym was also stunned and looked ridiculous as he gape in awe at Zora's skills.

"I am a war General, Rym. Not someone's dog. It would take more than this to take me down and I am giving you the chance to pick for yourself what's the smarter move."

The soldiers form into clusters, holding their weapons with great urgency and in the middle of them all is one single enemy with her crimson sword shining and hungry for blood once more.

"The first choice, run with your tail between your legs and you, and your troops would live to see another day."

The soldiers slowly closes on Zora but there was no fear nor any sign of being nervous from the lone General who was supposed to be at a disadvantage.

"The second choice. Attack me and just like what I did to your comrades, I'll gladly severe your heads from your useless bodies."

Rym grits his teeth in anger but Zora remained unfazed. She held the sword in her hand and without a second thought slashed down another group of soldiers, their blood spraying the wet ground while rain steadily pour down and sharp lightnings decorate the sky.

Soldiers continue charging towards the lone hell flower and every single one of them ended up having a part of their body severed and their lives taken. The blade she held turned even more bright red as it feeds on the blood of the fallen soldiers and crimson spikes would come out from the ground where blood decorated making it a deadly weapon for the mana wielder who can manipulate blood with ease by some kind of miracle.

Zora felt unstoppable, she was manipulating blood and shaping it into weapons that she would throw at enemies but she doesn't feel any exhaustion or headaches that would come along her overusing her abilities.

The thousand number of soldiers that Rym took with him to stop one single war general was cut down to a hundred in the blink of an eye and Rym who was unable to bear with the humiliation of being defeated by a single mana wielder like himself thought it best to take matters into his own hands.

Smiling from ear to ear Rym raised his hand and with a single snap of his finger a sharp lightning strikes down Zora but Zora who immediately noticed Rym's bloodlust shielded herself using the soldiers blood rendering Rym's attempt at killing her with his ability useless for the second time.

"Fucking hell flower. You truly disgust me to no end."

Rym walked towards Zora with light footsteps, white particles of mana solidify itself around him and on his hand a spear of lightning appeared.

The light surrounding him grew brighter and Zora who was keeping a close eye to his movements suddenly lost track of him and before she could even dare blink the tip of his spear was already aiming for her neck.

'Shit. I almost forgot about his lightning speed.'

The tip of his spear touched her skin but before her head was completely severed from her neck she risked getting scarred instead and with the blood coming out of her wound on her neck she shielded her neck leaving him baffled and in shock. She took this chance and swing her sword. Zora knew Rym would avoid her attack, and with that in thought she let a few droplets of blood spray unto his eyes, blinding him.

"YOU DISGUSTING BASTARD!"

He screamed in anger but Zora has no time to cater to him and his outburst nor finish him.

Zora noticed Rym left an opening towards the forest when he left his spot and it was the moment Zora was waiting for. She ran towards the unconscious young man that she left on the ground and carried him on her  shoulders like a sack of rice.

The soldiers noticing her odd behavior ran towards her and attacked her while she was handicapped with the young man on her shoulder.

But the general was fearless and ridiculously strong enough to strike down any soldier that comes at her as she makes her own path to escape.

"IF YOU STILL VALUE YOUR LIVES! GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

She roared and the soldiers who were already shaking from fear of her stopped on their tracks and let her run in the middle of the battlefield towards the peak of the mountain where Oleander once stood. She jumped down to the forest carrying the young man's body and with her free arm protected him as they slide down the mountain, the stray branches of trees scratching at Zora and her clothes.

Once they reached the bottom she ran as fast as she could away from the hound dog of the emperor.

She looked at the unconscious young man she is now carrying on her arms and saw how pale he was in comparison to her who was just at death's door a few minutes ago.

'I need to find a place for us to rest immediately.'

She knows nothing of the forest here and she can only trusts her instincts but strangely enough as if the forest were welcoming them, the trees sway and the wind, a gentle wind passed by wrapping itself around Zora and the young man before going through a  bush of tall grass showing her a path deeper inside the forest. She had her doubts but as the situation left her with no choice, she followed the path the wind made for her and it led to a hidden cave behind a huge waterfall.

She looked at the young man on her arms once again with a puzzled expression.

The things that happened when she met this young man was mysterious and she has this nagging feeling that he was no ordinary person.

She held him tighter and carefully navigated the path towards the cave behind the waterfall and once she felt that there was no more threat in their surroundings, she laid the young man's body gently on the ground.

It was only then that she noticed that he was actually a beautiful person. She pushed a few strands of his hair and with fixated eyes she began to wonder.

"Who... in the world are you?"