At last, the long-awaited day arrived.
Before them, on the horizon, a massive army began to appear.
Organized.
Disciplined.
Clearly trained and accustomed to war.
The contrast between the two forces only made the situation more desperate.
On Liu's side stood armed civilians.
On the other side, real soldiers.
Some of the men behind her were already crying.
Others prayed.
Begging the gods for protection.
The battle hadn't even begun…
And morale had already collapsed.
Liu clenched her teeth.
She had to do something.
She had to raise their spirits.
But she had never been good with words.
You know what… screw it.
That was what she thought.
So she simply shouted the first thing that came to mind.
"SHUT UP!"
Her voice echoed across the walls.
The soldiers fell silent immediately.
All eyes turned toward her.
"Stop praying!" Liu shouted.
"The gods won't protect you!"
Her voice carried irritation.
Frustration.
She was tired of seeing people turn to the gods every time something went wrong.
A memory crossed her mind.
Herself.
Still a child.
Praying.
Asking for her parents to come home early.
And then…
She learned the truth firsthand.
The gods do not answer.
All that exists is silence.
Cold.
Indifferent.
Praying is useless.
She could only rely on herself.
And since that day…
She had never prayed again.
Liu raised her sword.
"I will protect you!"
Her voice rang out firmly.
Without hesitation.
"I promise!"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the soldiers shouted.
"GENERAL!"
They trusted her.
Everyone knew it.
She knew it.
The soldiers knew it.
Everyone knew that this battle was impossible to win.
But knowing that someone would still try to protect them…
Was already enough.
After all, even the people meant to lead them had given up.
The commanders were dead.
Hope had disappeared.
But Liu was still there.
Still trying.
And that was enough.
Then the enemy army began to advance.
The sound of marching echoed across the field.
War cries rose from the other side.
"Kill them all!" Liu shouted.
And ran.
Sword in hand.
Straight toward the enemy.
Then the two armies collided.
Metal against metal.
Screams.
Blood.
Men killing other men.
All of it…
For beings who didn't even care about them.
And perhaps that was what hurt the most.
It wasn't the war.
It was the indifference of the gods.
Even though they were the cause of so many conflicts.
Liu made a silent promise.
She would never forgive them.
Never.
Not for letting people slaughter each other in their name.
Not for allowing children to die.
And especially…
For leaving her alone.
Liu advanced.
A swift slash.
An enemy soldier's head rolled across the ground.
Another attack came.
She parried.
Kicked the enemy in the chest.
But the moment she glanced away…
She saw it.
One of her soldiers being impaled by a spear.
Liu rushed forward immediately.
Her sword flashed.
The enemy soldier's arm was severed.
But then—
A kick struck her side.
She was pushed aside.
Liu twisted her body.
Delivered a diagonal slash.
But when her blade passed through the target…
She realized.
It wasn't an enemy.
It was one of her own soldiers.
"No…"
Her heart tightened.
"Please… hold on."
"I'll save you…"
She rushed forward again.
Another soldier.
Three strikes came.
She parried them all.
And then…
Decapitated the enemy.
"Help, General!"
Liu turned her head.
A woman.
One of her soldiers.
An instant later…
She was cut in half.
"No…"
Liu rushed forward again.
A heavy blow struck her sword.
The force sent her flying back.
She rose quickly.
An axe swung toward her.
She barely dodged.
Advanced.
And drove her sword into the opponent's heart.
But when she tried to pull the blade free…
The man grabbed her arm.
Smiling.
Blood flowed from his mouth.
"Praise be the Lord of All Wars!" he shouted.
Liu felt her stomach churn.
"Go to hell!"
She kicked him violently.
The sword came loose.
Another attack came.
She tried to dodge.
But not completely.
The blade carved a deep wound into her ribs.
"HELP!"
Another cry.
Another soldier.
"No…"
"Please… stop…"
Liu pleaded.
Even though she knew no one was listening.
She felt an intense cold.
Her body was burning.
Her muscles screamed with effort.
But inside…
There was only cold.
A deep cold.
Even worse than the cold she felt as a child.
She advanced again.
Around her there were only screams.
The smell of iron.
The smell of blood.
Death.
No matter where she looked…
There was only death.
Everything felt so meaningless.
Why were men so cruel?
Why couldn't they simply live in peace?
The more she fought…
The more it felt like she was sinking into an endless black sea.
The pressure grew with every second.
Heavier.
More suffocating.
She killed another soldier.
And kept fighting.
But the battle was already reaching its end.
Her soldiers…
Were less than half of what they had been.
"HELP, GENERAL!"
The cry came from afar.
A child's voice.
Liu recognized it instantly.
It was him.
The boy.
She shot across the battlefield like lightning.
"Please… no!"
Her sword flashed again.
"Just him…" she murmured.
"I will save you."
"So please… hold on!"
An enemy soldier stepped into her path.
He charged with his sword.
Liu parried the first strike.
The second.
The third.
The fourth.
Then she kicked the bend of his knee.
The leg gave way.
And in that instant—
Liu's blade sliced through his neck.
The man's head fell to the ground.
Blood sprayed.
Staining her face.
But Liu was already running again.
"Please… I'm coming…"
Her voice came out as a desperate whisper.
"Just hold on a little longer…"
Then…
Something happened.
Something Liu never thought she would do again.
"Please…" she whispered.
"Goddess of the Black Heavens…"
Her voice trembled.
"Just this once…"
"Please…"
"Listen to me."
She was praying.
After so many years.
After swearing she would never do it again.
But even so…
She prayed.
Then she finally arrived.
And what she saw…
Destroyed her world.
The boy was there.
The same gentle boy.
The same frightened boy.
His face still held desperation.
But his eyes…
Were empty.
His small body had been impaled by three spears.
Motionless.
Lifeless.
Liu stopped.
The world fell silent.
And once again…
The gods ignored her.