An Archer's Promise

Chapter 1: Prologue

Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi.

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-Eostia-

It was complete chaos.

"Where is the bastar–argh!"

Pandemonium spread widely in the Castle of Discordia. The sea of flames burned all those who had died, releasing a foul stench in the air.

"Robin's been hit! Where is the boss!?" A man in armor shouted as he hid behind a large great shield, protecting himself from the invisible threat.

There was no warning, there was no sign, it just happened all of sudden, out of the blue. The great Kuroinu army thought themselves victorious in their battle through the dark lands, unbeatable by any of the enemy forces from the dark queen–were now standing on their last leg.

"He's in the castle with Commander Kin trying to set up the shields! Shit, look out! More arrows are incoming!"

Far in the ever-present dark sky of the dark queen's domain, a hail of arrows, that numbered in the hundreds, flew down from the clouds and onto the battlefield, killing any unprepared members of the Kuroinu mercenary group. Though some survived the onslaught of arrows, these people soon got cut down into pieces by red figuring, as they moved at speed beyond their skills.

"He's here!" The man wielding a great axe shouted, as he immediately went for the offensive, trying to hit the red figure that was running at him. As the figure approached him, he was able to notice that the man had white ashen hair that was cut short and dark skin like the dark elves. "You fucker!" The Kuroinu mercenary swung his great axe with all his strength, aiming to decapitate the head of his enemy.

Clang!

At the last second, his strike was effortlessly stopped by a single black falchion sword. Even when he used his entire weight behind the attack, the man in red barely seemed to be bothered by it, like pushing away a child's strike.

The mercenary trembled in fear and despair. They had been the ones feared by all until now… All of Eostia knew of the Kuroinu, they feared them, they worshipped them as one of the land's main forces against the Dark Queen, Olga Discordia, army. With their leader, Vault, they fought through a treacherous amount of the Dark Queen's forces–to finally reach her castle.

They were this close to achieving their dream of creating a land of men, where the women would become nothing more than their plaything, their slaves, where anyone could use them to their heart's content and be taken care of on hand and foot… a true paradise.

After they heard that Olga and her servant were captured and were soon to be sent to Vault, so that he could break her and finally take the castle for themselves–everyone celebrated. They danced and frolicked around with glee, all of their hard work would soon be paid off.

But then arrows began raining out of nowhere, killing half of them in a single barrage.

"Help!"

One by one…

"My shield is broken! I-I don't want to die!"

…each and every one of the once prestigious Kuroinu army members…

"Aaargh!!"

…were butchered in a matter of minutes.

This wasn’t a fight… It was an absolute slaughter.

What amounted to thousands before now got reduced to a few dozens of men still standing from the attack. On the ground, the bodies of their friends and comrades laid waste with silver pointed arrows sticking out of the many dead bodies like pincushions, littered the field like graveyards. Their faces, frozen in fear in their last moments.