Death's Daughter and the Ebony Blade (Manga)

Once upon a time, in a forgotten temple in the middle of a deep, dark forest, a god of death stumbles across a baby girl called Olivia and takes her in to raise as its own. Under the death god’s tutelage, little Olivia spends her days studying to become a brilliant tactician and master of the blade. But her destiny changes irreversibly upon her fifteenth birthday. When the death god suddenly vanishes, Olivia must leave the forest and make for the battlefield! But none of her books or drills have prepared her for other people—nor for the fearsome war between a mighty empire hellbent on uniting the continent and a kingdom struggling to maintain its autonomy as the last remaining holdout against the imperial conquest. What Olivia lacks in social skills she makes up for with martial prowess, and when she arrives on the scene, no one on either side will know what hit them. As she searches for her missing teacher and fends off the empire, the epic tale of Olivia and her ebony blade begins!

The Royal Army of Fernest marches on the Plains of Ilys, where the forces of the empire await them. Fernest cannot afford to lose the coming battle. Luckily for them, they have Olivia, freshly promoted to second lieutenant, who is sent off on a secret mission to assassinate the enemy's commander. With her go Claudia, a serious young knight saddled with the impossible task of keeping Olivia in line, Ashton, a private who has his hands full just staying alive, and a band of green but eager soldiers who worship the ground Olivia walks on. As the battle rages, their task is to circumvent the fighting and take the imperial commander by surprise... The question is, can the Royal Army hold out long enough for Olivia to finish the job?

Olivia sliced and diced her way to a victory for Fernest on the Plains of Ilys. Now, she and her comrades will march on to a new mission: to take Fort Caspar. Though the fort is heavily fortified, and their squadron is only meant to buy some time for the main army to arrive, Olivia doesn't feel like waiting. It's time for Ashton’s budding tactical genius to shine as, at Olivia’s request, he hatches a scheme to take the fort through deception—much to the displeasure of Claudia and her honorable sensibilities. It's a crazy plan, but nothing Olivia can’t pull off with her ebony blade in hand. Meanwhile, within the imperial army, powerful players are beginning to take notice of Olivia’s spree of murder and destruction...

Fernest can’t seem to catch a break. Just when the Royal Army is riding high after Olivia’s incredible victories, the empire swoops in to crush their legions in the north. Now, nothing stands between the imperial army and the embattled Second Legion on the central front. Luckily, with the south back under Fernest’s control, Olivia and the Seventh Legion are free to ride to their aid! But Ashton has his misgivings, and they aren’t unfounded—lurking in the north is General Rosenmarie of the Crimson Knights. She’s hell-bent on revenge and wants nothing more than to see the whole of the Seventh Legion slaughtered. There’ll be plenty of enemies for Olivia to slice up, and even a princess to save, as she, Claudia, and Ashton set off on their latest mission.

Olivia, Claudia, Ashton, and the rest of the Independent Cavalry Regiment continue their journey north after riding to the aid of the Sixth Legion. Their destination: the Emaleid Citadel. There, they will rendezvous with Major General Osmund to take on the empire’s Crimson Knights, but they’ll have to deal with a few pesky rats first. Meanwhile, outside the citadel’s walls, a force of Crimson Knights commanded by the eccentric Vollmer Gangrett are scheming to lure the hot-headed Osmund into a trap. Can Olivia arrive before it’s too late?

After a triumphant ride to the Sixth Legion’s rescue at the Emaleid Citadel, Olivia is blessed with a chance to relax and  explore the city. However, Olivia’s break is short-lived. As the battle with the formidable Crimson Knights looms, the Seventh Legion must gear up for war once more. Ashton hatches a plan that should give the Royal Army a chance of survival when the armies finally meet in the misty depths of the Carnac Ravine. With this stratagem, a new set of armor, and her friends at her side, Olivia sets off to retake the north from Rosenmarie’s clutches.

While Olivia’s regiment runs circles around the Crimson Knights in the mists of the Carnac Ravine, the rest of the Seventh Legion isn’t having such luck. General Paul recalls the struggling forces and presents news of an opportunity to slay enemy commander Rosenmarie. However, Ashton smells a rat–he suspects Rosenmarie is merely laying a trap with herself as bait. The question remains...what could Rosenmarie want so badly that she would risk her own life for it? Meanwhile, Fernest and the empire are not the only powers watching the battle with interest. Far away in the Holy Land of Mekia, a formidable new force takes the stage...