Somewhere nearby the southern shores of the island of Terra, a group of fishermen sailed along the austral reefs in search for a school of fish they could capture through their expanded nets. It has been a long morning for them. After all, security has been tight in their home island.
"The military is tense, old man. I feel that war is coming soon to our coast." One of the fishermen remarked while adjusting the nets scattered throughout the waters below them. His words prompted the furrowed eyebrows of his colleagues.
They weren't ignorant of the circumstance encroaching over their home island. The Colonial Dominion of Terra was nearing its total collapse, especially when most of its colonies had already been conquered by the unknown force who call themselves the United Navy.
Preventing its collapse was their home island, Terra. However, even most of the wealthy families associated to the Colonial Dominion had evacuated far from the island. None of them wanted to be caught in the crossfire of two forces who wouldn't care about them.
Sadly, though...
None of the lowest-class citizens along with some slaves had the option of leaving the island unscathed. Because of their already saddening condition, they were barely surviving from fishing and hunting around the island. Their families practically had no wealth to escape from doom.
"It's not like there's anything we can do about it. Trying to do something now is like preventing the sun from rising through the horizon in the east. It simply is, as it should be." The old fishman responded, uncaring about the anxiousness his colleagues faced.
He understood why they feared the war between the United Navy and the Colonial Dominion. It would be a bloodbath and they would be at the center of it. There was no assurance that they would see the light of tomorrow once the final battle begins. Their death seems inevitable.
The reason why he didn't care much about it was simple. He was already too old and have seen a lot of things in his lengthy lifetime. Naturally, he knew why the young ones would feel anxious. It was still too early for them to even meet the certainty death.
These kinds of things should be something specific to old people like him.
"The only thing we can do is continue living and surviving. For that is our fate as the lowest-class citizens of Terra." He continued, but sighed at his words. Such dooming words would have made those that hear it even more depressed.
"There's no need to say such depressing words, old man." A soft and delicate voice escaped the damning silence brought about by the old fishman. Most of the fishermen glanced at where the voice came from and saw a young lady with them. She was also working hard in managing the net.
"Jett, you have just been released by your owners. You should keep resting and regain your health." One of the fishermen uttered with a worried tone. The young lady before them was Jett, a former and rare human slave. She had no mana-organ inside her body, making her a mana-less human.
The fate of humans without mana are worse than the beastfolk slaves humanity sought to enslaved. They didn't have the strength and vitality of a beastfolk, making them akin to a luxurious and worthless product only bought to display wealth.
Jett had been released by her owners who ran away with their tail tuck between their legs. The reason for her release was that one of their chests couldn't be brought if she had stayed with them. So, they didn't hesitate to abandoned her, though it also gave her freedom.
"As I said before, I don't want to make it even more difficult for all of you. I know my body very well, so I'm confident of picking up my slack." She softly smiled at the fishermen and kept managing the nets below her. The group of fishermen could only glance at one another, unable to respond.
'I don't want to be useless. Especially not to my saviors.' If they hadn't save her, she would have died of hunger and become a lifeless corpses littered amidst the streets of Terra. She appreciated their good heart, but also didn't desire to become useless.
Such words were something she would hear everyday from her owners. As a mana-less human, she was worthless in comparison to beastfolk slaves. She wasn't as strong as them, so she couldn't handle labor. She remained as the lowliest of servant in the house of her masters.
It was fortunate that they decided to leave her behind when they ran away. Even if she had died to become part of the corpses that would fill up the bloodbath midst the war, she experienced what it was to be treated good and equal by others like her.
Silence dominated the air, until one of the fishermen stated a rumor about their upcoming adversary. His words were pointed at the young lady with them, expecting to lift up the mood. "Jett, I heard that the United Navy are a group of mana-less human like you."
"Their technology is greater than that of the dwarves, making them rival the power of magicraft under the authority of the Magus Tower." Hearing the words of the fisherman, her ears perked up as she hadn't heard much about the adversaries the Colonial Dominion would face.
It was the first for her to hear that they were like her. Humans without a tinge of mana in their bodies.
"I guess that's good for them." Jett lightly responded to the fisherman with a slight smile on her face. He became confused and wondered why she wasn't happy. "Don't you feel good about them being able to rival the Magus Tower in terms of power and influence?"
She should have been delightful that people like her had finally made a difference in this saddening world of theirs.
Her eyebrows rose after hearing him, though she soon realized what he was trying to do. She couldn't help but lightly chuckle and softly responded to the fisherman. "I wish them luck in their endeavors. But their achievements aren't mine, even if I am a mana-less human like them."
"I am but a slave while they are liberators." Despite her disheartening words, a smile appeared to be stuck in her face. What she had said was the mere truth. There was no need to be dispirited by it. After all, from now on, there was only one thing she could do. She must move forward.
"I see... I understand your perspective, young Jett. Quite grounded and rational, I guess it's why your will is greater than ours. Even in the front of certain doom, you smile at face of it." The edges of the old fisherman's lips rose. He was liking the young lady even more.
"Your hope and despair is something you yourself can control. As long as you fight for your hope to not get snuff out, then you wouldn't lose i-" Before Jett could continue with her words, they noticed several wyvern riders flying above them.
Their lightening atmosphere became more apprehensive than ever before. The appearance of the wyvern riders didn't do them good. Especially under the current state of the colonial military anticipating for the inevitable.
A wyvern rider soon hovered right beside them. The wings of his wyvern flapping beyond the southern waters of Terra, maintaining its distance from the sea below it. He observed the fishermen with scrutiny and surveyed their fishing boat.
"The Colonial Dominion has ordered for its citizens to not leave its shores. Why are you peasants sailing across the southern shoals?" The wyvern rider questioned the fishermen, who trembled from his scrutinizing gaze.
"Our apologies, Great Sir. Please spare us. We haven't heard the decree of the Colonial Dominion as our homes are situated far from the city." The old fisherman kneeled and begged for mercy.
A cold gazed maintained the wyvern rider's eyes. There have been rumors about spies amongst them. The military has been tense while purges have been occurring all throughout. These fishermen might be spies trying to leave the island before the attack.
However, before he could continue with his dangerous thoughts, the runic communicator strapped into his belt cackled into life.
*Hostiles Detected South! Must Intercep-*
When the wyvern rider heard the incomplete words that escaped his runic communicator. He didn't hesitate to soar upwards, planning to intercept their incoming adversaries. "How could this be?" He muttered to himself, observing the horizon to perceived the supposed hostiles.
Nevertheless, like those before him, he was met with the same fate of those that dared to dominate the skies before the United Navy. He inexplicably exploded in the air, becoming pieces of charred flesh.
*BOOM!*
A shockwave resounded after a short moment moment of brilliance. The fishermen cried out in fright as bits of scorched meat from the wyvern fell from the heavens, dropping onto the waters near them. There was no doubt. The war they had been awaiting had finally begun.
The old fisherman maintained his calm and looked into the distance with squinted yet observing eyes. The waters around them became silent as though a predator had lurked nearby. It didn't take long before giant silhouettes manifested in the horizon, signifying the arrival of their feared adversaries.
Metallic warships akin to iron monsters of war pierced through the waves that separated the coast of the island and the northern seas beyond it. There were dozens of them, sailing across the waters with emanating tenacity.
It didn't even end with mere monstrous warships. Above their fleet of steel were flying iron birds soaring through the heavens, unimpeded by the dominance of the Colonial Dominion.
'Such a magnificent sight...' The old one thought, understanding that it was but one thing.
A Total Invasion.