Chapter 55: Oliver Joe

It was raining heavily.

Inside a hut, that barely resembled a house the young Arnold sat a woman with cat ears in a chair by the fire.

Where am I?

You fell down in the rain.

Arnold handed her a cup and she smiled faintly.

Sorry all I have is coffee.

Thank you.

She took a sip.

Its good.

Im glad. Whats your name?

Anna

Anna was part of the cat race but she wasnt just any beast person, she was the second princess of the beast country, Natesat Catallia.

Arnold was aware of this since the time they met, she requested to be hid from from beast countrys pursuit.

She claimed to have fled the country because of the deep rooted ideal that beast people were superior to all other races. Anna herself had a great relationship with the other races and was highly interested in the outside world.

The former king of Razhousen, Richard accepted Arnolds request to adopt Anna.

Youre like my granddaughter. Richard used to say this whenever he would spoil Anna.

After a time Anna eventually fell in love. And the person she fell in love with was Oliver Joe.

*

Oi! Oliver if you make her cry Ill never forgive you!

Ha! Leave it to me, Ill definitely take care of her!

Dad, dont bully Oliver!

Arnolds feelings about it were complicated, but Oliver was originally a straight forward man. He originally hate even killing monsters, but he squashed that feeling in his efforts to protect Anna. He even managed to become captain of the ash squad. But things didnt go well.

Just as the beast country had the idea that the beast race was superior, beast people were discriminated against here.

Yo, captain, seems like youve been getting cozy with a beast person lately.

The people around him ridiculed their relationship.

Watch your mouth Frasier.

My bad, I just didnt think our captain would fall in love with a such a dirty race.

Oliver grabbed Frazier by the collar.

Say that again and Ill burn the vocal cords right out of your throat.

Its the beast people that should be burned! Were the ash squad. I know, Ill kill that beast woman for you, then send her to the front lines so her body can be passed around. Thats what they were born for wasnt it!?

What happened next isnt hard to imagine, Oliver burned Frasier to death. All that was left was ash but the death wasnt quick, Oliver made sure the fire took its time burning him. Oliver killed him right in front of another member of the squad.

Discrimination against the beast people will not be tolerated! Anyone who says anything to contradict this will end up like him!

The incident soon reached the kings ears but he let it pass without doing anything. The criticism against Oliver increased, they stopped openly discriminating, but behind his back Oliver was called beast lover.

*

Today, were going to have your favorite, horned bird meat!

Yay! Ive been looking forward to it!

Oliver was captain of the ash squad and as such he wasnt permitted to leave the royal capital but the king allowed them to live together in the forest. They built a house where no one would find them.

Dad!

Anna rushed forward when she saw Arnold and hugged him. However his appearance meant there was a summons.

Am I being summoned?

Oliver asked.

Yeah, the damage to the front line is increasing.

Anna although happy to see Arnold was sad to see Oliver go.

Ill be back soon so, wait with Arnold. Ill come back to you.

Ok..

*

Battle of Uranus Meadow

This is the battle where Oliver Joe became known as the strongest captain the ash squad has ever known.

Oi, is that

Those who saw the elite unit muttered in fear.

Theres no mistake its the ash squad!

An alarm rang out through the enemy camp.

Oliver Joe is here!

He became known as ashes for a time, as everyone who saw him was turned to ash. He was the most feared existence on the battlefield.

*

Anna, so this is where you were?

One day a group appeared, they shared the same features as Anna.

Who are you!

Dad

Anna had already given up and stops Arnold who was preparing for battle.

We are from the Beast Country Natesat Catallia, messengers of the Beast King Serion.

This meant Anna was to return.

Why are beast warriors here!? This territory belongs to Razhousen!

Didnt you hear? We came to bring back the princess.

I have raised Anna until today, she is my daughter and a citizen or Razhousen!

The messenger smiled.

Does that mean Razhausen has kidnapped the Princess?

At that time the beast country was the most powerful nation on the continent. The warriors possessed a special martial art and Razhousen was pathetically weak in comparison. Knowing this Arnolds words caught in his throat.

One day, give me one day and Ill go with you tomorrow.

Anna?

Understood. Well come back tomorrow then princess.

Arnold was angry but he know that he couldnt take her and run. If he did it would cause a war.

Dad, if the beast king finds out about Oliver, hell kill him. I dont want Oliver to die.

Having a child with a human was forbidden. The beast race was considered superior and as such interracial relationships were illegal. The human would be killed and the beast person subjected to harsh punishment.

Fortunately I havent gotten pregnant. If you keep it a secret Oliver should be fine.

What do I do?

Make it look as if I died.

That was Annas answer.

Tell him I was killed in a bandit attack. Hes still young, hell be able to find someone else.

Anna..

Please.

When I leave tomorrow, burn this house down.

Why is it necessary to go that far!?

If Oliver knows Im alive, he will follow me to the beast country. You have to convince him that Im dead.

The next day Anna left with the messengers and Arnold set fire to the house like she asked.

Oliver returned several days later.

Anna! Wheres Anna!?

There was a bandit attack.

Wheres Anna!

Oliver just stared at the house, unseeing.

Its better if you dont look.

Oliver collapsed in front of the house.

After that he quite the ash squad. Hed been fighting to dispose of the discrimination to make it a better place for Anna.

Then just two years later, Oliver killed all of his former subordinates.

*

The bell tower sounded the alarm, the capital was on fire.

Oliver stop!

Arnold pleaded.

Arnold I was wrong. I realized it that day, humans are evil.

Olivers eyes were filled with hate.

After I lost Anna I was in a dark place. And do you know what my subordinates said to me? The beast lover lost his beast.

Oliver.

Oliver spread his arms wide.

They ridiculed us!

That was a long time ago, but is it better now? No! Theres still discrimination! Humans want to act like theyre some kind of superior race but theyre all just hypocrites!

Youre wrong! Its getting better! You should be able to see that too! Even if you do this it wont help Anna!

Olivers glare sent a chill down Arnolds spine.

Dont say her name.

Aqua malstrom!

Oliver gathers his flames into a large pillar in front of him.

Youre a hypocrite! The country you built is full of hypocrites! You killed her! Was it because she was a beast person? Is that why you didnt help her!?

What are you saying?.

I cant even look at you. You disgust me, conspiring with them.

Oliver looks down at the corpses at his feet.

I can bring peace to this country. A peace where no one discriminates. But I cant get rid of the stench so easily, Ill just have to bury them all.

Oliver gathered his flame around him.

Its not destruction, Im just erasing all traces of the discrimination.

Listen to me, Anna is alive.

Dont say her name.

That was the last Arnold ever heard of Oliver before he set the fire to fall on the capital like rain and disappeared.

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