Epilogue: A Promise from Long Ago

***Chersea, many seasons long ago…***

Thousands of corpses spread throughout the battlefield. Broken swords, spears, and many other weapons lie on the bloodied ground, and the ruins of cities destroyed filled the landscape.

"…"

Amidst that scene of carnage stood five proud and dignified figures: the heroes of men. With them was a young member of the Beastman Wolf Tribe…

"Ruro…" the man wearing a broken knight's armor called out to the young wolf-girl.

"Yes, JimmyN?"

"At long last, we finally won, huh?"

"Y-Yes…and you fought well!"

The Rubinforth knight fell on his knees as he tried to prop himself up with his sword. Ruro came to his side to assist him.

"With this…" JimmyN sighed with relief, "…humanity would be at peace."

"And you contributed to it! It's humanity's victory"

"No, you and Terebia also fought with us. And for that, we humans would be forever in your debt." the knight patted the young wolf-girl's head, "When the time comes, me, my descendants, and our people would come to your land's aid as well."

"Thank you, JimmyN." Ruro smiled, "With this, I could now return to my land…"

"Wolf-girl!"

"!!!"

Hearing someone calling her, Ruro turned and saw another one of their allies, the now-legendary Cassandra David, coming towards them.

"Lady Cassandra!" JimmyN tried to stand, but he was too exhausted. He was forced to lean on Ruro to prop himself up.

Cassandra was quick to help them, "Are you alright, JimmyN?"

"Yes…I'm just tired."

"Hold on, let me heal you."

Ruro remained silent, as she watched the famous sword-magician chant a spell that made JimmyN's exhaustion slowly disappear. And once Cassandra was done with him, she turned to the young wolf-girl.

"I heard about your talk." the sword-magician began, "Do you intend to go back to Cherwind after this?"

"Y-Yes, Lady Cassandra!" Ruro could feel her heart almost skip a beat, "Like the humans, I also wanted to help my people after the Lord Gaius disappeared."

"Then…" Cassandra smiled, "Would you like to be the next Saint?"

"H-Huh? I'm sorry, milady, but I am just an ordinary beastwoman…" the wolf-girl was nervous, "Unlike that powerful Lady Konka, who was born with magic."

Cassandra suddenly reached out her hand and touched Ruro's chest. She heard her utter a few words, and then the wolf-girl felt something warm envelop her body. It was a nice sensation; if possible, Ruro would like to stay in that feeling forever. But then, it disappeared.

"What is—"

"I saw the future up ahead, Wolf-girl." the sword-magician explained, "Your current saint, as well as her successor Lady Konka, would only lead the Beastmen to ruin. I give on you the ability to use magic as if you were born to it so that you can now claim the Sainthood of your people."

"Milady…I'm afraid I can't lead…"

"Don't be scared, Ruro; I need your bravery this time. In the generations to come, a human from another world would come and help you save the Beastmen…no, this entire damned world. He's wiser and more worthy than me…"

"What are you saying, milady?"

"I'm sorry Ruro, but this is the best I could do before I disappear." Cassandra patted her head and ruffled her hair, "When that human comes, I want you to protect him, and he'll lead your people to greatness."

----------

Ruro could still remember that moment, just right after the humans won the final battle in the last Human-Demon War.

"…"

Tears were trickling down from her eyes as the images of the dead fox tribesmen and the child that she had killed, replayed inside her head. If there's any way she could do to forget those scenes, then she would.

Ruro had only wanted to save her people, why did it have to come to this?

"…"

However, there's no turning back for what she has done.

In the empty hallways of her cave-palace in the middle of the Cauldron, the wolf-Saint went over the wall-carvings depicting that event. It was there, at some unknown battlefield in Chersea, that she was given magical powers by Cassandra David. As such, she became eligible for the Sainthood of her people…

…and was given the ability to fulfill her duty to that sword-magician.

"…"

And because of that, she took it upon herself to protect that human Maddie 'accidentally' summoned, Kuro. She knew it was him, the man from Cassandra David's prophecy long ago. He already did a lot of improvements for the humans, and he could do even more about the stagnation of her people, the Beastmen.

"…"

That's why she has to protect him, no matter how many lives she has to take to do that promise. If men don't want him, then he's the one who'll lead her people to greatness, the one who will fill the seat that Gaius left, and be their new god…