The Crimson Tale of Conquest

In the grassy lawn of a lone house surrounded by trees of the forest, a young Human girl, seven years of age, could be seen reading a book. Her fiery red hair and freckled face scrunched up in concentration as she flipped through the book named "Foundation's of magic." Something that wouldn't normally be read by someone her age.

"Jude, lunch is ready!" A woman called from the door of the house. Turning to the voice, the little girl saw her adoptive mother, a Beast-Man. With black cat ears on top of her head and black fur along her forearms ending in paw-like hands. Her lower legs were similar in structure to a cat's back legs covered in fur with her black tail swaying behind her. The rest of her looked human, and her skin was a similar tone as Jude's light color.

"Okay, Mom!" Jude called out before making her way to the house.

Walking inside, she saw her other adoptive mother setting the food on the small table. With blueish-grey skin, dark hair, purple eyes, and horns sticking out of her head. Mother number two was a Demon. What she was doing outside of Demon territory is unknown.

"We got shadow-wolf meat stew." The Demon woman said.

"Thank you." Jude said, sitting down at the table, thanking her mother.

Eating her first spoonful of soup, the girl closed her eyes, savoring the food. A tear rolled down her cheek without her noticing. The feeling of nostalgic happiness suddenly hit her like a sharp wind on a cold winter day. But the girl continued on like nothing abnormal was happening.

"Do you like the food, Honey?"

"Yeah!" The girl said, kicking her feet that were too short to reach the floor. When she opened her eyes to address her mother, the scene around her had changed.

Everything around her was on fire and bathed in red. The two women, her mom's, were no longer in front of her like she expected. The soup she was enjoying with glee was now gone, and she stood in the middle of the room by herself, blood pooling at her feet.

"MOM! MOTHER!" The girl cried out in panic. Looking all around the room, all she saw was everything around her beaten and broken. Glass shards littered the floor from the windows while a picture of her and her parents burned at her feet. Quit at first, but growing ever louder were voices jeering outside condemning the "Monsters" to death.

"Death to the Beast." "Kill the Demon." "Kill them all, kill them all." We will save the girl's soul from these vile creatures!" "May these creatures spirits find no peace in the realm of souls." Death to the Monsters!"

"What's wrong, Honey?" "Are you alright?" Said her two mothers, the voices coming from behind her.

"Mommy's!" She exclaimed in joy and relief, turning around to see them.

"What's... wrong?" "Do you... not want... hugs?" The two women said when Jude stopped and started backing away.

What the girl saw in front of her was indeed both of her mother's bodies, but they were mangled and distorted. Blood flowed from their empty eye sockets, their noses missing, and their mouths hanging open wide with even more blood dripping from them. Their arms and legs were twisted in odd angles with some of their flesh burnt or peeled off in some places.

"No... I... why...." Unable to comprehend what's happening the girl's legs gave out from under her. Falling to the ground, the girl could only watch as her parents' bodies shuffled forward.

"You did this." "We told you before not to do it, now look." "It's your fault." "We never should've taken you in." "How could you."

The woman's bodies started throwing harsh accusations to the girl, their voices distorted and uncomfortable to listen to. Growing ever closer to the sobbing girl on the ground. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I'm sorry!" The apologies the girl gave fell on death's door for the ears rotted off her parent's head in front of her the moment she started to apologize, as if to silence her completely.

Now, standing directly in front of the girl, the mangled bodies lifted their twisted arm before swinging down. The girl could do nothing, say nothing as the arms of her parents she loved with all her heart came towards her piercing her chest and ri--

____________________________________________

"Ahhhhhhhhhh! Hah, hah, hah, hah. J- just a dream."

Bolting upright in her bed, a grown woman with messy red hair, feckless and blue eyes could be seen. Cold sweet could be seen dripping down Judieth Redwood's face, her breath heavy as if she just went on a run.

"Haaaah." Taking deep breaths, Judieth tried to calm her nerves. "Hadn't had one of those in a bit. Guess I'm not sleeping tonight."

Looking out the window, Judieth noticed the moon was still high in the sky, making it a long way till morning. Sighing, she got out of bed and dressed herself before stepping outside to wander the streets. Some fresh air would help, right?

Walking down the street towards the Hunters Guild at night, the Red head wondered what their next plan of action was. Currently, they continue to take quests at the guild to avoid suspicion. They didn't want to suddenly change their pattern, so even with Ruby injured, they did what they always did: hunt monsters.

But things should be a little more flexible now. Ruby really wanted to figure out her own Adoptive mother's fate at her old village. She didn't actually know where her old home was located, but that's where Judieth came in. when Dr. Vancer approached Sable Hook, and he told them where they found the girl. So, somewhere in that area where that man found Ruby was her old home.

Then they had to make their way to one of "Sables" laboratories hidden in the country. They needed to complete Ruby's and Yuki's procedure, making them capable of using one hundred percent of their abilities. It would also allow them to use magic without limit.

'But then what?' Judieth wanted to do a hands-off approach and let the young girl do what she wanted. But so far, Ruby doesn't seem to actually know what she wants to do. She's prophesied to be the enemy of Man, but the way things are going, she's just going to be some random girl who hates them.

'Though I'm not going to do anything to make her hate Mankind more, just not my way of doing things.' Judieth thought. 'Plus, if she finds out I hurt her just to cultivate her hate, I'll be in trouble, so that's out of the question.'

What Judieth wanted was for Ruby to reach her potential as Mankind's enemy. The last time someone was labeled as Mankind's enemy through prophesy reached their potential, they became known as the most dangerous man in history. Throwing the continent through a period of chaos and ruin. No one was safe. Everyone was under their mercy, and no one could hope to defeat them.

That's when the first instance of the Hero was recorded in history. A person summoned from another world destined to fight whoever Man considered the enemy. The defeat of this person by the Hero's hand was so significant that the current calendar actually begins on the day he was killed. Some of the damage that was caused can still be seen today as well. Judieth wanted Ruby to reach even a portion of that potential at the very least.

Judieth wouldn't say she herself or Ruby is evil, but she realizes that if Ruby did eventually become dangerous enough to really be considered a proper threat to Mankind she wouldn't be on the side of good. 'I'll be labeled a traitor and killed on the spot if I give them the chance.'

The first objective would be to kill the current Hero. Honestly, throughout history, every Hero, not counting the first, was always killed shortly after fulfilling their purpose. So, Judieth was surprised Jason was able to stay alive long after killing the previous Demon Lord. And that's the problem.

Jason was too experienced and crafty, Judieth might have been able to hold him off twice now, but that's only because she herself was powerful, Jason was old and growing weaker, and every time she was given the chance Judieth retreated. She hasn't been able to hurt him at all. Just slow him down.

Killing Jason is the best course of action. Easier said than done, but still. Even if the Church could summon another Hero right away, they would be much, much weaker and inexperienced, much easier to deal with.

'But that's all in the future. For now, we're heading towards Prosperty.' Judieth thought. "Oh, the suns rising, guess I'll head back." Walking back to the Inn Judieth thought of ways to convince Ruby to kill the current Hero.

"Shame. I liked him too."