“Care to explain yourself, Misses Vayne? I wonder if that's even your real name.” The woman’s eyes widened as Leon threw a crumpled up paper at her feet.

She picked it up, and immediately upon straightening it out, tore it up into little pieces while growling.

“I was right, wasn’t I?” Leon smirked at the enraged woman. “The people in that picture are the real Vayne family, aren’t they?”

The woman’s scowl turned into a smirk as she fanned her face with a bloody hand. “Huh… well, I guess I don’t need to act anymore.”

The woman combed her long hair over her shoulders, revealing a set of short, pointed ears and walked out from behind the butchers table. “I don’t have a proper name anymore, but I’ve been called a savior by these people recently.”

Stepping closer to Leon and Hazeel, she stopped in front of the line of slaves that were bound to the decrepit wall. “But if you must call me something, then I suppose Hazeel should suffice.”

She stroked the face of a handsome man before embedding the knife she was holding halfway into the man’s neck.

The line of chained men shrieked as the woman claiming to be Hazeel pulled the knife out of the man's neck, causing blood to spew in the surrounding vicinity.

“So you’re Hazeel the conqueror then?” The woman smirked and started twirling the butcher’s knife in her fingers.

“Ah, so I see people your age still know who I am. That’s right. After I was scorned from the kingdom after that wretched decree passed, I found my way to this village. I’m sure people from this age like yourself wouldn’t know what this village used to mean to us demi-humans.”

Hazeel stared down the woman with an intense gaze in her eyes. “Please tell us… Hazeel.”

The false Hazeel visibly shivered, but shrugged it off and continued to speak to Leon, making sure to avoid Hazeel’s gaze. “Hmph. Very well then. This village of Treount used to be known as a demi-human tourist attraction back when the continent had more than just humans on it.” The woman stopped twirling the knife and gripped it tightly in her hands.

“This was a hallowed ground where the human and demi-human hero buried the hate of their respective races, and formed a pact of forgiveness almost a millennia ago.” The smirk that was present on her face faded and was replaced by a scowl.

“However, now this place is nothing more than a shell of its former self. Since the royal decree, all demi-human immigrants and tourists have left to return to their home continents. Can you imagine how that impacted this town’s economy? We… The people living here couldn’t even afford enough to keep horses alive. And without any horses-”

“It would take a month to get to the capital by foot.” Hazeel finished, and the woman looked surprised.

“Yes… you have a good head on your shoulders. It’s a shame I’ll have to kill you to keep our operation here going. The risk of letting you walk is just too high.”

Hazeel stepped forward and shouted at the woman, “Why didn’t you just go to the base of the plateau!? It’s only a day away and plentiful in fruits, vegetables, and wild game.” The woman’s eyes narrowed as she considered Hazeel.

“Of course we thought of doing that, but the place is near-inhospitable in winter, and during the summer Plateau monster’s frequently descend to avoid hunting by the goblin community that migrated there seven years ago.”

Hazeel hung her head while the woman continued. “As such, the people here were at their wits end when I came along. All I did was offer them a way to live longer.”

“You offered them cannibalism!” Hazeel screamed at the woman, now realizing the understanding of why she saw no children in the village. Why would you do something like this!?”

The woman’s eyes were lifeless as she bore a hole into Hazeel. “Ironic how a place meant to symbolize human and demi-human peace is the most neglected place in the entire kingdom, isn’t it?”

“Why should good, honest people who cared for demi-humans when they were here be punished for their prior support? The kingdom has ignored the borderlands like it’s their job, and the people here feel the neglect in their starvation, in their weakness, in the dusty air they breathe, and in the despair they wade through every day just to live! What’s wrong with punishing those employed by the kingdom, and feeding the villagers while we’re at it?”

“You’re a horrid person.” Hazeel spat at the woman’s feet and looked at her with contempt. “Why would the war hero Hazeel be doing something like this?”

The woman took a deep breath and sighed. “Because, I’m someone that has had to rely on tactics like these before. I know you probably aren't a historian, but tactics like these were used when we infiltrated the Gold Continent.”

Hazeel twitched, prompting Leon to look at her. “I guess you’re the one who isn’t a historian. I never invaded any other continent, since I was the last line of defense for Songrande.”

The woman looked confused. “What do you mean, ‘I was’?”

Hazeel stepped beside Leon, and a dark cloud enveloped her. When she stepped out from the smoke, Hazeel was dressed in the tribal armor she had first met Leon in, complete with the skull helmet from before and a buster sword on her back.

She turned to face Leon and felt her left eye twitch when he cocked his head in wonder. “What is that look for? Someone had to teach Conrad his instantaneous equip technique, right?”

“Tell me one thing before I detain you: why choose my identity to use?” Hazeel gazed at the woman, who smirked in response.

“It should be easy to figure out. Even if I’m not a historian, I can still piece things together.” The woman walked back over to the butcher’s table before turning around to face Hazeel once more.

“What is the easiest way to take over a cult?” Waiting for a response, the smile slipper from her face and a sneer replaced it. “You show them god. During their darkest hour, I revealed myself to be the demi-human hero Hazeel, and even offered them a new food source.”

The woman inspected her long, blood-caked nails. “Granted, a handful resisted, but they were handily taken care of by the rest of the village. It was easy, they were already broken by how the kingdom treated them, so I just picked up the pieces and assembled them into something that would suit my needs.”

Contrary to the woman’s expectations, Hazeel started to laugh, causing the woman to blush. “You’re so stereotypical that it’s laughable. You’re the kind of cancer that we need to eradicate to make this kingdom healthy again.”

“You…” the woman narrowed her eyes before setting herself low in a fighting stance. “I see, I guess I was putting on airs for nothing with the real Hazeel right in front of me. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to talk this out?”

Hazeel glanced to the line of chained up soldiers and the woman flashed a cruel smirk. “Didn’t think so.”

The woman exploded into a frontal charge, leaving a hole in the ground at her starting position. She reached Hazeel’s chest in a matter of seconds, and swung the butcher’s knife downward in a wide arc.

Hazeel didn’t even draw her sword and instead opted to grab the blade of the knife in her gloved palms.

“Wha-!” The woman’s exclamation was cut short as Hazeel ripped the knife from her hand and flung the woman to the floor, sending her rolling into the butcher’s table. The table’s legs cracked from the momentum, and sent bloody body parts falling on top of the woman.

Silence enveloped the room, with even the slaves remaining silent at the anticlimactic spectacle in front of them.

“You’re frowning.” A single voice broke the tension, but sent Hazeel into an even greater frenzy than the mysterious woman had. Her neck whipped around to face Leon, who had uttered the statement.

“What did you say?” Hazeel looked betrayed, but Leon casually walked over and reached up to pat her head.

“You looked so happy for that brief moment, but looked disappointed that it ended in a single moment. I guess war has broken you too, huh?” Tears started to form in Hazeel’s eyes, but the moment she shared with Leon was broken up by a cackling in the background.

Hazeel turned to face the woman, but found her engulfed in flames. “There’s nothing here for me anymore.” Hazeel reached out in her direction, but quickly retracted her hand as a knife came flying her way.

“It’s funny, really. To think I started this with the intentions that I did, and to see what we have become now… I suppose that’s the only way to live in a world this twisted. “

The woman pointed to Hazeel. “You though… I’ll take you with me, at least. You encouraged a generation of demi-humans to fight for their desires, and stand alongside humans… and then just disappeared for years as the royal decree took effect! That’s unforgivable! You lit this spark in my heart, you should be the one to take its heat!”

A pillar of flame shot towards Hazeel, who only remained put. Leon started to move, but Hazeel held her hand out to stop him. In one fluid motion, she drew the oversized sword from her back and cut down into the flame in a clean swipe. The flame dissipated, leaving only an astonished woman in its wake.

The woman’s skin finally showed signs of burning as she lost the vigor that she held before. “Just leave me,” she said in a monotone voice. This village was doomed as soon as they stopped sending people to collect taxes. It’s only fitting that I find my end here.” Hazeel wasn’t convinced and started walking towards the woman to end her existence, but was stopped by a second surge of flames that burst outward from under the woman.

The fire spread around the room like wildfire, and Hazeel’s vision momentarily faded to black as she found herself back in their lodgings with a sleeping Bella still on Leon’s bed.

“Leon, you-!” Hazeel’s vision faded once more and she found herself staring in the eyes of the horse who had drawn their caravan. Hazeel backed up in a panic and the horse reared backwards in kind.

“Get in!” Leon shouted from atop the coachman's seat as an explosion reverberated through Hazeel’s ribcage. She heeded his command and got into the spacious caravan bed behind Bella, who had yet to wake up.

Leon snapped the reigns, and the horse bolted out of the stable and into the town, which was slowly becoming engulfed in the fire that had originated from the inn. Screams could be heard all around as Leon maneuvered the horse through the rubble that littered the town before exiting completely.

“Shit.” Leon muttered under his breath, and Hazeel looked ahead of them to see Harc, the eyeless man who had sent them to the town in the first place. Leon clicked his tongue, and this time Hazeel saw firsthand the man slip into a pocket of darkness, seeming to vanish out of existence.

“Leon, what was that?” Leon tiredly looked at Hazeel.

“Tomorrow. Right now let’s get as far away from that place as possible.” Hazeel nodded, and headed for the back of the caravan. There she sat, looking out the back of the caravan with disinterest in her eyes. Thinking back to the events that started the day, Hazeel could only twirl her ponytail in wonder.

---

Harc couldn’t see the flames, but he could feel the heat against his skin and could smell the charred surroundings around him. There were people screaming, but those noises had died down long ago. Harc sighed and walked towards the heat, knowing that the story of two lovers, one obsessed with war stories, and the other with a penchant for acting, would finally come to a close that night.