GATE: Journey in the New World Vol I

Prologue Arc: The Sacred Hill

Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihonkoku Shoukan as it belongs to its rightful owners.

Prologue Arc: The Sacred Hill

(Demons of the Hill)

Alnus Hill had been the subject of myths and legends throughout the generations.

It was frequently included in fairy tales told to children, a superstitious story for the villagers who lived nearby, and a place of dare for anyone who had the courage to venture into the area.

Tales of dangerous creatures, Elemental Spirits, and even demons inhabiting the hill were widespread amongst the towns and cities, hence why would most avoid passing by. However, for the Imperial soldiers, the recent campaign of venturing the hill to enter the world beyond the gate had debunked those so-called stories. When the armies had arrived, they brought in groups of workers tasked to cut down a huge portion of the forest, surrounding the hill and as a result, the villagers who lived nearby were forced to vacate their homes and moved to other towns. It was better rather than to resist and face the dire consequences.

When the work finally finished, the expedition armies were given prayers and blessings by the high priests before entering the gate. Some of the captains and generals even give their speeches to encourage and raise the morale of the troops. It was a glorious scene indeed as 60,000 soldiers of all classes, including ogres, trolls, beast-men, and wyvern knights marched to their unknown destination. The expedition army's return was already expected to take several days, and all that was expected were new riches, slaves, and glory.

In the middle of their absence, a number of garrisons were set up surrounding the hill in order to monitor the current progress of the campaign. Though, when the day had finally come for the expedition army's arrival, no one had expected the horrifying news of what had transpired.

Out of the 60,000 individuals which marched through the Gate, only a hundred had arrived, a lot of them were beaten, traumatized, and some were shaken in fear that they couldn't even speak normally.

Those who dared to remember spoke of the horrors they had experienced and encountered beyond the Gate.

According to their accounts, the world beyond the gate was different than they had ever seen.

A city, where buildings were made of glass and crystals, and stone.

Moving Artifacts that carry strange life forms inside

The tales from the soldiers, and the way they described the mysterious civilization as if they've rediscovered the Ancient and Fabled Ravernal Empire.

From what they learned from a surviving captain, the campaign was progressing well as the main commanders of the expedition declared and claimed the mysterious world for the Empire. Orders were given to capture every territory and enemy strongholds that they could come across, capture the slaves, and slaughter everyone who had resisted. At first, everything was going according to plan until the demons arrived.

Mages that carried black staffs like nothing ever seen before, that shot fire and cut through legions like a sharp blade through tall grass. Massive metal birds that made the unholiest of screams as they flew overhead at impossible speeds and eliminated the wyvern riders in a matter of seconds. The metal beasts that were completely unaffected by the arrows and spears.

These testimonies coming from men who were some of the most battle-hardened soldiers the Empire had, men who had taken part in some of the bloodiest campaigns the Empire had ever seen and were now rambling on about things that should not even exist. Things that defied all known logic, yet defeated the Imperial army within hours of its invasion.