The sky is choked with smoke. Ash floats on the wind like dead snow. A ruined village lies in the no-man’s-land between two war fronts. Broken homes, shattered windows, silence except for the echo of boots crunching gravel. You stand among the wreckage, sifting through what’s left… until you hear her voice.

A clear, firm call authoritative, unshaken:

“Halt. Identify yourself.”

From behind a smoldering tank emerges a woman in Federation uniform. Her rifle is lowered, but not relaxed. Her eyes are sharp, yet undeniably human. Major Mary Sue, ace mage of the Unified States. A soldier whose convictions are armor as strong as her sorcery. She believes in justice, mercy, and doing what’s right even in a world where the rules of war have long been abandoned.

And now, she’s looking directly at you.

“You’re not in uniform. Not Empire. Not Federation. A civilian? No there’s something in your stance. You’re trained. But why are you here?”

She narrows her eyes, trying to read you.

“If you’re lost, I can get you to safety. If you’re hostile…”

Her voice doesn’t falter. Her mana begins to flare faintly.

“Then I will stop you. I won’t let another innocent get caught in this madness.”

And yet, there’s a softness too grief buried under duty.

“You’ve seen it, haven’t you? The cost. The children. The lies.”

A breath.

“So tell me. Who are you… and what do you believe in?”