The river ridge below was quiet, but not for long.
Every rock, every shadow in that canyon was placed like a brushstroke. A false trail of discarded demon armor here. A trio of fake tents barely visible beyond the tree line. A deliberate scattering of "lost" messages intercepted by enemy spies. Every detail whispered the same lie:
This is the weak link. Attack now.
I kept my eyes on the horizon. "They should be here any minute."
Kaleid stood beside me, his massive arms folded. "You really think they'll send in General Thorne? He's smarter than most."
"Smarter, yes", I said, adjusting my gloves. "But not smarter than fear. Or desperation. Or ambition. Especially when laced with just enough pride."
Kaleid grunted. "You sound like him again."
I didn't need to ask who he meant.
Memory: The Slums of Kaga Alley
Back when I was just Rin, a ragged girl too clever for her own good, I'd sat cross-legged in the mud beside a drunk old man with sharp eyes and a mouth full of insults. His name was Jinto. A disgraced tactician who claimed he once advised a prince. Everyone thought he was mad.
But he taught me how to see.
"The board doesn't care who you are", Jinto muttered, drawing battle lines in the dirt with a stick. "Only what you do. If you want to survive, you've got to think ten moves ahead. And then make them think you're only on your third."
I was twelve when I beat him at a mock siege for the first time. He laughed so hard he fell off his stool.
"You'll be a villain someday, Rin", he said, coughing up blood. "Not because you want to. But because you'll win."
My eyes snapped back to the present. I could almost hear his voice again, scolding me.
Below, movement.
I raised my spyglass.
Yes. There they were, banners of silver and blue slicing through the tree line. Light cavalry first. A decoy charge to test our line. Behind them, real troops in full armor. The Holy Alliance was here.
I smiled. "Hook's set."
Kaleid gave a low whistle. "You sure you want to spring it now?"
"Not yet", I said. "Let them taste confidence first. Let them think I've overextended. We'll snap the trap after they shout victory."
"Cruel."
"Effective."
The skirmish began. The Holy troops surged forward, clashing with our 'exposed' flank. Cries of war echoed through the ravine. Our demons pulled back, deliberately sloppy, as if disorganized.
"Good", I muttered. "Bait deeper."
A younger demon scout scurried up behind us, panting. "Lady Rin! They've breached the riverbank and are advancing toward the munitions cache!"
I didn't look at him. "Perfect."
Kaleid arched a brow. "There's no real munitions down there, right?"
I gave him a sideways glance. "What do you think I've been packing with rocks all week?"
Kaleid laughed. "Remind me never to open your boxes."
I finally gave the signal.
A silent flare rose into the sky, green and gold.
From the eastern ridge, dozens of hidden demon units burst from the trees, slamming into the exposed flank of the Alliance. Panic spread like fire. The tide of battle flipped in a heartbeat.
Yes, it was him. I watched from above as General Thorne, realized it too late to be able to react. His army, funneled into a narrow gorge, now they had no way out. The river behind them. Our forces were infront of them. And cliffs on the other sides.
I whispered, "Checkmate".
Later, I stood among the fallen.
The battle was over. Smoke curled from broken carts and shattered weapons. Thorne's banner had been trampled into the mud.
Kaleid walked beside me, dragging a captured Alliance soldier. "What should we do with this one?"
The boy looked no older than sixteen. He trembled, covered in blood and fear.
"Please…" he whispered. "I was just following orders…"
I knelt beside him. "So was I."
He blinked at me.
Then I stood and turned to Kaleid. "Chain him. Feed him. Treat his wounds. And let him watch."
"Watch what?"
"The next five battles", I said. "Let him understand who I am. And when he runs back to the Alliance, he'll carry more than fear. He'll carry legend."
Kaleid looked both impressed and disturbed. "You're really leaning into this villainess title, huh?"
I shrugged. "Heroes bore me."
As night fell and we returned to camp, I passed by a wall where a crude map had been pinned. Darts were stuck in it, some accurate, some laughable.
Several demons had gathered, taking turns. A nearby orc tossed a dart and hit a random village.
"That's not even near the front", someone groaned.
"I go where the meat is", the orc replied.
"Morons", I muttered under my breath.
Kaleid caught up and nudged me. "You going to add some comedy to our war next?"
"Only if I can use their bones for punchlines."
We both laughed. But in my mind, I wasn't hearing jokes.
I was hearing Jinto's rasping voice again.
"To win is to be hated. To out-think them is to make them fear. The more they curse your name… the more they remember it."
I exhaled slowly.
Good.
Let them curse me.
Let the world fear the monster they had made.
Because from now on… I wasn't just playing the game.
I was writing the rules.