Sage_of_Eyes

V13: Chapter 5

V13: Chapter 5

…

Interlude: Riegert

…

Upon hearing the news of the campaign against the Demons, I recalled Jack’s plan to win against the cursed foes the Ancients left us.

‘Kill them all.’

It was something else entirely to see it put into motion.

On a vast, flattened plain, over fifty thousand troops were arranged in blocks of a thousand. Each block had a dedicated ship descending from the sky to house them and ferry them.

This was a training exercise for the upcoming campaign. To find flaws in the ships and in the procedure to load the troops and supplies, and to test everything before battle.

At first, it seemed superfluous, but I, along with Morgan and the officers, found the challenge almost insurmountable from the onset.

It was only thanks to Jack’s presence that we managed to reach this far.

The first challenge lay in moving over fifty thousand troops from every corner of our half of the continent and having them ready on the field. A simple affair on paper, best left to the officers on the ground, but our initial plan was dissected. We planned on sending riders to generals in the region and pulling them our way. It was an inefficient plan that did not make use of what we had.

The age of warlords was over. Trusting a thousand men to an officer and telling him to lead them to another place while giving him funds was wasteful.

Our Citadels were the foundation of our currency, and every minute not spent making materials for factories was a waste.

No, I, Morgan, and the others were introduced at length to the logistical corps carefully raised to tend to our supply lines. They manned our dedicated military rail lines, managed the warehouses filled with supplies generated by our farmers and factories, and had at their disposal all forms of communication. From messaging slates from Citadels to messengers on flying horseback and even tall towers with mirrors and everlasting flames, they were able to coordinate commands across our lands.

Rather than call for a regional general like a warlord to come with their troops, we called upon the logistical corps of the region. They provided us with all the information that they had on their region’s current state. Within the hour we understood how many men and supplies were in that region, and then we gave the order for how many men and supplies that we would need for the operation.

We gave the order, stating our rank and position, and verifying with codes that we kept on our person.

Five thousand soldiers, their supporting auxiliaries, and a month of supplies.

Then, within the hour, we received confirmation of our request, and within another three hours, confirmation that all those men, their officers, their supporters, their weapons, and their supplies would arrive by train to our location within five days.

After six hours of talking, conversing, and analysis, five thousand men were to appear where we were within five days. Then, of course, everything was standardized across the realm. The same order was sent to nine other regions, and in an hour, we received confirmation of the order, and then in another three, news of their arrival.

Eight hours of deliberation in total.

Then, fifty thousand trained soldiers with all that they needed would arrive at our doorstep.

I had looked only upon Jack’s efforts on the front. In weapons, in training, and in the strength of our newest soldiers. Perhaps I even understood how mighty our ability to train so many soldiers was as well after seeing the numbers we had. However, now, I saw the more terrifying truth. The logistical corps, the communications systems, the trains, and all his effort to create more factories, jobs, and people… were all for his singular plan to ‘kill them all.’

He has woven a great and terrible spell. With a single Citadel, he carved a potent ritual upon the very continent itself.

Every Citadel was a point of focus. Every city is a locus of power. He gathered people, built them factories where their slightest effort produced tons of materials for war and prosperity, and found the brightest minds and gave them all they needed. He made them happy and eager to have children and created institutions in which those children would be raised as loyal, strong patriots eager to protect their homes.

Through these points of focus and loci of power, he carved roads as mana channels, then made them finer and capable of transporting more by adding rail and myriad forms of communication. From merchants with mules to wagon trains to engines pulling hundreds of tons upon rails, all supplemented by flying transports. People, materials, and goods moved through our lands, and those three things were the fuel that the ritual needed to produce armies armed with weapons the Ancients would see as crude but lethal and who could appear anywhere within days.

Through two decades he plotted, planned, and sowed the seeds to craft an army that can arrive anywhere on the continent within a week, be deployed anywhere in the world within less than a month, and have everything that they need to wage war.

Now that we know how to use the system, we can call for thousands of troops within the hour.

I had wondered how Jack planned on keeping our lands secure with us all away, but after seeing that display, I realized that he had it in the palm of his hand.

Even though he sometimes said that Khanrow and I were the true leaders of the realm, the truth was that he had already stolen it from us.

His mastery over the spell was without question.

The logistical corps and communication corps were manned mostly by Iterants, and they were loyal to him and him alone. It was with a quiet realization that the greatest weapon I’ve ever seen, which I only just recognized, belonged to Jack in its entirety.

The armored, box-like gray hulls that descended from the skies to house a thousand troops each were an afterthought. The masses of soldiers present with weapons and bodies gifted from the ancients were replaceable. All the officers and elites that could defeat me from three decades ago were just the latest of a new generation from officer schools.

It all paled in comparison to the fact that Jack needed only say several words, and they would all amass to do as he bid within days.

As the great ships descended, and as we all worked to have our troops board and take to the skies to practice living in the skies, I could only consider our own responsibilities quaint in comparison.

Now, we were all but servants who were being given tools to achieve what their master desired.

It was humbling but also encouraging.

No other came to mind who could do better than the King of Wisdom.

…

Interlude: Khanrow

…

The Guardians were unable to hold the mountain pass against the Ascendant.

Despite all their efforts, the enemy took the mountain pass and created a fortress from which they could enter the continent.

The Guardians were unable to intercept the Stymphalian raids that arrived from high altitudes.

Stymphalians wreaked havoc across multiple towns, slaughtering their populations for food, and then used mass sacrifices to ascend to greater heights and escape.

The Guardians' investigative teams on the Sahuagin went missing only to be found as bloated thralls on a raid against a town that suddenly began to spawn abominations to seize multiple surrounding villages.

Meanwhile, our lands were safe and secure, and a campaign to ravage demonic lands was in order.

To call the Guardians of the Moon our equals was almost laughable.

Gilbert, however, found it infuriating.

“Why do they not listen!? No. Why don’t they act as they should!?” We were in a safehouse in former Academy lands. The former heartland of the continent was no more than a large agricultural area with some light industry. Outside our safehouse there were fields of corn, wheat, and other grains from the ancient seed cache growing. It was a peaceful land that could easily feed the whole continent. “They were informed! They read his majesty’s notes and predictions, yet they still failed!?”

“Sometimes one can do their best and still fail.” I reminded Gilbert as he paced through the wooden cabin. It was a simple, quaint building that I would’ve thought adequate as shelter three decades ago. Now, I could barely stand it. It had no running water. Insects crawl through gaps. Everything from the chairs to the bed was coarse and rough to use for long periods. The luxuries provided to all in our lands were so common they became a part of life. “But you are correct. The Guardians squandered the knowledge they were given and believed in their own strategies rather than his majesty’s.”

Gilbert took a steadying breath and nodded before taking a seat.

Two minutes of pacing, and now he was under control.

Good.

“Let’s evaluate the situation objectively and begin with the Ascendant.” I proposed, and he gave a nod. On the simple wooden table were maps and reports that the Guardians would’ve paid pounds of gold for without a second thought to keep them away from our hands. They still searched for Iterants in their lands. They made great use of their glut of merchant tribes. However, with much of their land ravaged, it was easy to place our own people and find those willing to do almost anything for wealth. Some worked for new identities and places in our realm, too. “Let’s begin with casualty rates.”

“They engaged in the pass with the remnants of the Merchant armored column that we gave them. A quarter was lost in the initial engagement. Half were taken out of commission in the battle. Only a quarter of the tanks remain.” Roughly five hundred had remained after their campaigns. Three-quarters gone meant little more than a hundred of the armored vehicles remained. “They only managed to keep the Ascendant in the pass with deluges of Citadel Guardians. Thousands were sent in, and now all those materials are in the Ascendant’s hands.”

“Champion and mage losses?”

“No champions lost and only a handful of mages. None were especially strong. It’s a small blessing. Most of their losses were their undead footsoldiers.” Gilbert shook his head. A sigh left his lips. “I understand that their greatest loss are merely forces they stole from an enemy, but they have given the Ascendant a foothold into the continent. They don’t even have fortresses or defenders that can stop any concentrated attack without risking their Champions!”

“I agree with that assessment. Now, let’s move onto the Stymphalian threat. Are they simply too fast for the Undead to reach?”

“They are. The raiding party is relatively small. A militia group can deal with them, but the Guardians of the Moon only have their Armed Guard, and they’re too small to be of use.” The Armed Guard was light cavalry armed with carbines, light armor, and sabers. Spread across the new lands of the Guardians, they were effective in routing brigands and bringing order to the new realm. They also quelled protests and insurrections against the Guardians of the Moon. On undead horses, they could ride and arrive anywhere swiftly, but as Gilbert said, they were too spread out. “Any military force they have that can kill the threat is too slow. Their armed guard can keep up, but they’ll simply get killed. And, of course, they can’t have militia because the surplus arms and defenses they erect will be used against them by the populace.”

Thus, the Stymphalians can arrive, wreak havoc, and withdraw from Guardian lands with little issue.

“But overall losses are light, correct?”

“In terms of assets and resources, yes, but Guardian lands are already in a state of unrest. You know as well as I that this will only drive the number of insurrections higher.” Gilbert pointed out bluntly. “It is not helped by their rigidity in their ways. They’re refusing any individuality to their conquered subjects. All fall beneath their laws and nothing else. That alone breeds discontent, but now they can’t even protect their subjects while forcing their old lives away.”

“Well spotted and well-reasoned. The Stymphalians may prove to be the greater threat, but let’s move onto the Sahuagin.”

“They remain contained to the coastal regions, but they’re sending tendrils out. Monsters that obey their commands stalk towards new villages and try to infiltrate old forger cities. They know their foes who once kept them in check are gone.” The Forgers employed oathbound warriors to defeat the Sahuagin. Individuals who were willing to give up everything for power were set upon by the monsters from the deep. Thus, until an invasion brought them low. The Forgers held the line against an ancient foe of our people. But those people are gone, the organization is gone, and the forger’s methods and way of life are to be forgotten. Much that was to be discarded wouldn’t be missed, but some things would be. “If what his majesty’s predictions are true, then they will see this as their chance to gather slaves and flesh to fuel their people’s insatiable hunger.”

I nodded at his assessment and looked over the map.

Half of the continent was secure. Sahuagin incursions into our lands were routed with zeal by the Iterants. Stymphalians arrived and were met with waves of bullets and a dedicated militia. Lives were lost and casualties were plenty, but they were given honor for their efforts, and those who were wounded were healed. The Ascendant and the Demons both couldn’t establish themselves in our lands.

All we had to fear was another foe from ancient times.

The ones from above that Jack suspected would take note of our advancements and try to stymie our efforts.

However, for now, our lands were secure.

The Guardians of the Moon, meanwhile, were floundering on every front and rapidly losing lives and resources.

Enough was being lost that Gilbert worried for them, despite them being our rivals.

In the end, though, the path we would take was already decided.

“They are to endure and to struggle against these threats on their own, unless the Citadels are at risk.” I relayed Jack’s decision to Gilbert, and he froze. “If they are, then we will move to take their Citadels before the enemy can.”

I searched him for any sign of rejecting the decision and felt relief as a burden fell from his shoulders.

“Thank goodness, trying to save them would have only hurt our own people.” I knew him well enough to tell when he was telling the truth. Knowing that we were going to leave the Guardians to their fate lessened his burden a great deal. “I presume we’ll forward this information anyway?

“Of course, but no matter how much they struggle, we’ll stay our hand unless the Citadels are at risk. It is the least that they can do after all we’ve done for them.” Years of aiding them and supporting the Guardians of the Moon were set to bear fruit. We gave them many opportunities, supported them, and even made peace with them even though we could have taken all that they had. Now, it was their time to repay us. “We will know the truth of what they are doing, but this is their trial to overcome. Not ours.”

They believe themselves the true inheritors of the Ancient’s will?

Fine.

Let them prove it against what remains of the Ancient’s enemies.

Eroge? Bad Ends? Betrayal? I'm Just Here to Suplex Monsters through Buildings.

Armbars are awesome (5.3).

…

The first eighty opponents were basically just thugs with a few enhancements.

The ten after them had a few tricks.

Then, the last nine lasted for a bit.

Overall, though, the last one was the only threat.

It was an older man wearing a blood-red gi without any sleeves. His arms were some sort of liquid metal, which he moved like normal arms one moment, whips the next, and even turned them into sheets of hardened alloy like shields.

If I couldn’t punch through them, I would’ve probably been shit out of luck.

Then, there was his actual footwork and skill. His liquid-metal arms were powerful, sure, but he had a solid stance and could dance around most of my basic attacks. If there was no feint, or something as similarly sneaky, then it was almost guaranteed that he’d avoid it and launch a counter.

All in all, he was a well-rounded, experienced fighter with good offensive power.

His key weakness, however, was that he was a baseline human.

Not the superhuman bloodline ‘ninja’ that defends humanity, or those from that stock that have monster blood or are cybernetically augmented to be even deadlier.

So, after ten minutes of continuous fighting, he was covered in sweat, desperately controlling his breathing, and burning out.

Meanwhile, I stood across from him with steady breathing.

I was honestly tempted to tell him to stop, to give up, or to otherwise engage with him in dialogue, but I decided against it.

He probably had some reason to fight, some people he needed to protect, to put everything on the line. Beating him here would probably put those people in danger or send them into one form of slavery or another. People with his skills and ability would be above ground raking in money if that path wasn’t closed off.

Every person I defeated or killed in the last eight hours had their own stories, people, and lives.

I bulldozed through all of them.

Showing this guy mercy and talking to him just because he was a bit more skilled and stronger than the rest… there really wasn’t a point in it.

For all I knew, defeating him would get his child taken away from him, or get him killed, or worse.

So, in the end, the only real mercy I could show was just to treat him like everyone else I’ve defeated.

He and all the others I faced in the last eight hours just got caught up in a natural disaster that they’ll either recover from or won’t.

That’s it.

With that in mind, as sweat dripped from his brow, I charged him.

And, when he raised up his arms and turned them into a thick shield, I turned my charge into a slide, swept his legs, and forced him to land on his back.

Then, with a kick to his side, I sent him flying out of the ring, and the announcer declared my victory.

Number 100 goes out like a light, and that’s that for him.

Yeah.

I like fighting and killing monsters or people working for them more.

…

Interlude: Helena Horner, Supporter

…

“100 wins, zero losses! Match 101 is happening right now!” I called out to the crowd while Kay walked out. Around the thirtieth match, he started getting people following him to the arenas, but those following him couldn’t get the word out. While I had just been staying back and watching, I was told to attract some attention. Now, I was out near the entrance in a stupid outfit. “Come and watch the undercity’s next rising star!”

I had a latex band of white across my chest and latex booty shorts that were held together by straps at the sides. My chest moved with every sound and motion that I made while I jumped around and waved a sign barely bigger than a single sheet of paper, since I was the real advertisement. Latex boots went all the way up to my thighs and squeezed them hard, and my eyes scoured every inch of my body as I advertised for Kay’s fights.

So many people were looking at my armpits.

I didn’t even know people could fetishize them!

Anyway, at the very least, Kay was making my job easier.

There was a thud, the sound of scrap metal breaking, and then a body fell onto the street while a ring rang from within the fighting pit.

“And, that’s fight 101 won and done! Kay is on a 101-win streak, and the next fight is right now!” I went back to cheer class and did some leg raises and raised my arms up while pretending to have pom-poms, as did a couple more from the routines. One leg kick all the way to the shoulder per letter, big smile, and ignore all the hungry gazes on every inch of my body. Keep smiling no matter what. Anything less than a smile and you stop being an attraction. You become a target. “K-A-Y! Let’s go Kay! Say it with me! Kay!”

Most girls who were ‘decent’ went to cheerleading class in our school instead of PE. PE was with the boys, and the girls shared showers and everything with them, and they were sent to ‘training camp.’ Some of them never came back. I suppose that I was lucky enough to qualify, though my bullies made my life hell, and I had to work hard to stay in the middle of the pack. Too low and you get put into PE, and too high and you’re the football team’s toy.

I got out when I realized sticking to the rules stopped mattering.

Still, at the very least, there was something else I was doing while advertising.

Keeping a lookout for any problems.

The lowest threats were normal people in maintenance jumpsuits. It was a seat of blue colors with some safety strips and orange mixed in. Many had belts with hard hats and tools strapped to them. Still, individuality shone through. Some had the top half of the jumpsuits unzipped and around their waist. Others wore a tower over their shoulders. They congregated as packs with metal tools easily within their reach and any women in their crews at the center of the group. They were the workers that worked in the underbelly of the underground city, fixing everything for company scrip, eating company meals, and working within the walls, and paying off debt as they did.

Many of them had a decent chance of getting out, but only if they lived out here in the outer ring and not in employee housing inside the walls that’ll have them be forever kept… or have them sell themselves in the resorts for more than just labor. The people out here risked life and limb, but in a year or two they’ll be paid off and aboveground, probably to never come back here again.

They made up maybe one in ten of the population.

The average threat was the common dwellers of the favela. Their clothes were slight and patchwork. Some just had some cords of rope and rags hanging off them.  They ate the food and water provided for free by the corporate overlords in the golden city from nodes all over the city. Sleek and spacious dining areas that hit them with ultrasonic showers and gave them injections before they got food. Despite wearing mostly ropes and rags, the average person on the street was healthy and robust, just like my school.

And, just like my school, the average person here was being shaped and molded.

But there were clear differences.

The gangs wanted toys and warriors.

The corporate elites wanted assets, whether for entertainment or for conflict.

The men were tall, brawny, and aggressive. They roamed around in groups like squads and had clubs or slings. They wore gang colors and practiced patrols around their territory. Smaller ones carried around goods and supplies or kept watch on rooftops. Less aggressive than the football teams, but they were able to act and coordinate better. The biggest ones were often leaders, but they listened to their fellows, and the smaller boys weren’t immediately emasculated and made toys.

The women were different, too. Worse and better than back at school at the same time. They kept their brains and had sharp eyes along with perfect smiles and bodies. While some were kept by men, others had guards and were tended to. A couple grouped up into their own gangs, playing the streets for resources and money for spears and sharp weapons rather than just clubs, and they sold their bodies at a premium so that they even had guns. They even had chained up, cybernetically shackled monsters protecting them sometimes.

They functioned as a society, working with one another, but held each other at arm’s length and with suspicion. But they were fractured, had too little to become true threats, and often they were just literate enough to be able to read and obey orders. Everything else was tribal and broken. Replace the concrete dome and steel, put more trees and vines, and most of the people here wouldn’t look out of place as fetishized hunter-gatherers.

Perfect for the corporate elite to prey upon as the predators.

They were there. They didn’t walk the streets and instead rode in hovercraft. The whine of the engines gave them away as they traversed. Those working off their debts bowed their heads, while the common people got on their knees. Some begged for mercy and received a gun, medicine, or some other paltry thing. On the surface, they were just office workers in corporate housing with good sales figures or some dorm drone that did whatever they were told to do.

Down here, after earning their company ten times more than they earn in a year, they’re practically gods. They have their pick of the women, the men fight for their attention to be dragged into cage matches, and they can do anything they want to anyone not wearing a corporate tag with no consequence. Even in a resort town where they can gamble, do whatever drugs they want, and feel anything that they wish, there were still bands of corporate workers and drones roving in safari hovercraft with bodyguards having their fill of the people.

I smiled, went through rehearsed movements, and went through my lines as I took it all in.

There was more to this place than that, I was sure.

Shops were operating, there were businesses outside the corporate network, and there were small gardens and farms. There were animals being fed slop and prized as food. Maybe it was just one in four of the people present, but some had sharper eyes and minds. They used their altered bodies and hid amongst the masses, working in other groups, but they were there. People who had minds and not just hormone-addled bodies who were keeping their heads down.

People like me.

Or, at the very least, I hoped that there were.

There were a few of them. As few as the odd monster kept by humans or slinking in the dark alleys, but they existed. Thinking of them made me wonder… if Kay would destroy this place knowing those people existed amongst the rest. If he took out the resort center, then this place would be lost. There’d be no food or running water for the masses. They could escape to other under-cities, but they’d just integrate into similar social structures or lose their lives in the chaos.

If I were in his place, I wondered what I would do.

Jeez, it feels ludicrous to think about all this while bouncing around like an airheaded cheerleader with a bigger cup size than IQ.

Then, things suddenly shifted.

It was like a current went through the streets and stifled the entire crowd.

The workers diverted to alleys they normally avoided.

The common tribals clustered together.

The safari hovercraft shifted positions.

Because the apex predator finally arrived.

Innocuous and wearing a black suit with a briefcase, the man was in his forties, pale, and bespectacled while he trudged towards us with bags beneath his eyes. A corporate drone that was actively working in the outer rim without any protection… may as well have been an angel sent by a higher power to exact their will.

I kept a smile on my face and kept cheering while he approached.

“E-excuse me, are you part of the Competitor Kay’s staff?” He asked, and I noticed a shimmer behind him. Three distinct shimmering outlines. Standard security detail capable of killing anything out here with ease, except for my hidden friends. “We would like to offer him a place in tomorrow’s matches.”

“Oh, goody! Yep!” I did my best to act ignorant, to not show fear, and years of practice allowed me to do just that. Getting off the elevated block of concrete where I’d been sweating for almost half an hour, I raised a hand his way and gave a wide and vapid smile. Please, don’t think I’m anything more than a pretty face. My life expectancy goes down drastically the moment I’m more than that. “I’ll lead you right to him, boss!”

“You have my thanks.” The corporate man gave a deep bow from his waist. Everyone else stared at me for a second and glanced at my body, but this man didn’t. That set off alarm bells. He looked through me like I was made of mist. A portion of his job that was just completed. This was someone who had control over themselves and was acting on someone’s behalf who liked such employees under their control. Someone not deluded by lust or extravagance set off alarm bells in my head. “Please lead the way.”

I just gave a big smile and led him towards Kay, and upon entry to the pit, we looked down to see Kay do a spinning backhand that tore the jaw off his opponent.

The corporate drone’s hand went to his glasses, and they came up in a blue light.

And, I realized that my disguise and act worked better than I expected while I waved at Kay to come over, but the corporate drone spoke while I could hear.

“Incredible physical strength, but unskilled. Most likely a monster’s child and discarded to fight. Unlikely to be an enemy asset.” He muttered the words, and faint whirring sounds came from his briefcase. “Scanning shows no known records and history. Likely to be the child of a clan loss. Perfect for the arena, but a possible corporate asset. Report end.”

No more than a paragraph along with a scan, and they had a person’s measure.

A measure with which they would decide a person’s fate.

The corporate drone’s glasses briefly lit up green as Kay approached, and the corporate drone put on a smiling mask as if to recruit him to their ends.

I would’ve been afraid if they weren’t falling for our own trap.

The 44th Son of the Heavenly Demon is a House Husband!?

As a Househusband, Ensuring Security Is Vital (3.3)

…

Commissioned by Ichypa

…

I wrote letters to Father often to provide updates on my status. After his approval of me was made obvious when he officially met Seol, lack of communication on my part would have been seen as me rebuffing him for ignoring me. Some in the clan would say that’s the least I could do considering my station under him, but those same idiots are probably now hunting demonic beasts nonstop to fill the clan’s coffers.

The power of just turning the other cheek is not to be underestimated in the world of cultivation.

His replies that came through messengers were usually drafted by one of his ministers. If he ever wrote something himself, it would arrive through one of his secret agents and basically be something I’d need to drop almost anything for. If they came normally through regular channels, then it was just us keeping dialogue open.

Anyway, through those letters, I informed him of our recent discovery of the Yin-aligned young woman and inquired about any lost members of clans with the bloodline in Orthodox faction lands. Yin-aligned young women were mostly found in the unorthodox factions, and they were rarely born with so much potential without careful breeding practices. Usually, they were just sickly babies who died in their first winter.

I thought Father would just send information along, but instead my arrival to the Namgoong clan was met with a complication.

The complication was that the Yue Xiang Clan was present as guests.

The guest compound that they were in was cold even under the noon sun. The guards stationed outside their gate were covered in heavy furred coats. The trees inside lost their leaves, thinking it was already winter.

They were the premier assassins and most stalwart supporters of the Demonic Sect. Five of Father’s lovers stemmed from their clan. One of whom was a wife, and four were consorts. However, she wasn’t just one wife of a dozen. She was one of the first three, each of whom fought with him and his companions during the war and his ascent to becoming the Heavenly Demon.

If the Yue Xiang Clan was here, that meant that whoever went missing and whoever this child’s mother was, she was someone important from the previous generation. A previous generation of renowned warriors and assassins that made Father’s victory possible. They rivalled the orthodox faction’s Emei sect, who were all potent aura-sheathed weapon users. Their energy-sapping abilities were practically the only counter to the Emei sect. If not for them, they would have sawed through enough of the unorthodox faction to force a draw.

Father lavished them with rewards for their sacrifices in the war and took in five of their clan, while sending his children with proficiency in their art to them. Only two other clans could claim the same level of favor from him, and they were affiliated with the two other wives of the triumvirate.

They were typically not allowed to be in orthodox lands, but here they were as guests under the mark of the Heavenly Demon.

Needless to say, I needed to tread carefully.

“Announce our presence, if you would.” I told the nearest guard, and he gave a quick bow and obeyed. With Seol beside me, they were at their best. I had a coat arranged for the child, but just in case I invoked my own martial art. Since most of the combat arts were out of my reach, I focused on the sensory portion. The Demonic Field Art involved putting out Yang Qi into the environment to debuff and mark enemies and make most Demonic Arts easier to execute for oneself and their allies. A light application of it lowered the effect of the Yin-based Qi absorption field greatly. “Lady Namgoong, I have neutralized the passive effect of the Yue Xiang Clan. The path is yours.”

“Thank you, Rui.” I bowed in acknowledgement of her thanks. She had her calm mask on as always and wore a grand furred overcoat over her robes as she moved in. It floated just off the ground, not touching it, as a showcase of her own ability to manipulate objects with qi. We entered the guest compound and found much of it lightly coated in frost. In my presence it was abated, but still it was an odd sight. “They truly cannot rein this technique in?”

“Not without partaking in Namgoong’s warriors.” I told her the truth bluntly, and she raised an eyebrow but gave a slight nod. “And, if they brought their own, their numbers would have been too great to be considered good guests.”

“I see.” Seol nodded, and the guard who went ahead bowed before standing just a few steps by her side. The three representatives from the Yue Xiang Clan left their abode. Each one was clad in well-fitted white robes with silver-colored fur trim. Seol looked at each of them with a narrow gaze, and they stiffened, but she nodded, and they relaxed. “Greetings, representatives of the Yue Xiang clan and honored friends of my father-in-law. I hope that you have enjoyed the hospitality of the Namgoong since your arrival.”

The trio exchanged glances before the central one came forward and gave a deep bow.

“We give our thanks to the Namgoong clan for our speedy reception. Ours was a hasty arrival born from a desperate wish. Our sister was lost deep in Orthodox lands during the war, and upon hearing of a Yin-aligned child, she bid us to come.” The kid we rescued was turning out to be more of a protagonist than I expected. Lost her family to pirates to be raised as a weapon in orthodox lands, but the child of the missing sister of the Yue Xiang Clan’s head? I had no doubt that I needed this kid out of Namgoong lands before tribulations start coming down from the heavens. “And, now, it is all but validated, and our thanks are owed to the Namgoong. She is the very image of my long-lost sister.”

Wait.

‘My’ long-lost sister?

I knelt out of respect instantly at those words and bowed my head.

Seol’s eyes narrowed while the speaker pulled away a skin mask from her features. The visage of a young woman came apart to reveal the face of an older mistress with gray hair and a few wrinkled lines that gave humanity to some eerily perfect features.

She wasn’t just a representative of the Yue Xiang who came.

It was Father’s wife, the head of the Yue Xiang and the mother of the heir apparent of the Demonic Sect and the entire Unorthodox Faction!

Before I could even gather my wits, one of her two attendants did the same and removed a mask, and I almost lost what wits I had left.

“Younger brother, it is good to see you in good health.” Cha Young-Il addressed me with a nod. She had pure white hair and golden eyes. Father’s sharp features were melded with her mother’s softer countenance, but that mattered little. Of all his children, only a handful had valid claims to his position, and all of them ceded it to her. Last I heard, she’d been out closing entire Demonic Realms, but here she was. “I see that Lady Namgoong is as strong as Father stated. I look forward to dueling her as she offered.”

“The most prominent child of the Heavenly Demon and his first wife was both entrusted to the Namgoong. We are honored to be your hosts.” Seol did put her hands together and gave a formal bow, which all three of our guests returned. I stood after a moment, and even though I felt the need to step back, I stood beside Seol. That was all the honor I could show Father’s wife as Seol’s husband. “I shall arrange a place in the guest wing to host the three of you. This auspicious meeting deserves more privacy.”

“I am grateful. The nobility and honor of the Namgoong is not exaggerated in the least.” The first wife of the Heavenly Demon must have been truly grateful. Those words were being heard by the future heir and her daughter, along with their assistant. Without a doubt, Father’s agents were already in the process of reporting the news back to him along with her words. If Father had any ill intentions towards the Namgoong, they were going to be seriously waylaid. “Please, I would like to properly meet my niece.”

I took the opportunity to extricate myself from the situation while remaining dutiful.

“I shall make suitable arrangements while also sending for servants to provide refreshments until they are ready.” Forcing myself to be present would be seen as obtrusive, especially in such a long reunion. If Seol wanted to be present, then she had every right, as she’d been training the child since we met her. I had no intention of being present if I didn’t need to be. “Excuse me for now.”

I gave a bow and let loose a breath as I departed.

Thankfully, no one called for me to return.

…

Interlude: The 7th Sword Saint of the Namgoong Clan, Seol

…

“The Namgoong’s arts have stabilized her innate absorption ability exceptionally. I am thankful that you taught her.” Lady Yue Xiang, the Deathly Blossom, spoke to me with a smile. Her face was almost inhuman in its grace. Too perfect to be anything but a doll, if not for a few lines born from age. This was a woman who, if not countered, would slay entire armies by just being present. Now, the child we rescued sat on her lap with wide eyes while she created balls of snow for her to play with. “The Yue Xiang Clan owes the Namgoong a great debt for returning my niece.”

“We did not do so with the intention of receiving anything. We saw fit to destroy pirates who threatened our ship and rescued her in the process.” I admitted the truth freely, while the legendary warrior across the table gave a hum. She sat before me, while to my left and right were her daughter and their attendant. The attendant had a veil and a hat obscuring her features, and she poured tea and served us all. “You owe us nothing. Let it simply be what those who share familial bonds do for one another.”

“Then, we shall be sure to hold those bonds in high standing as well.” Lady Yue Xiang spoke with an echo of finality before giving me a nod. She looked upon the girl playing with a ball of ice in her hands. Though she smiled, a shadow crossed her features. “There were truly no survivors of her village?”

“We searched the surrounding villages and intended to investigate further. After all, if she had a sister or female relative, they could have the same innate ability. We will inform you if anyone is found; however, she says herself that she saw her parents’ pass.” I told her the truth. Though she only hummed in response and kept calm in the eyes of the child, I could feel a great foreboding energy in the air. Like the woman before me was stopping herself from going to that realm herself and finding all the answers that she could find with the point of her blade. A lesser martial artist would have faltered; I did not. I sipped my tea, which I kept warm even in their presence, and spoke. “I will send word to you of the investigation’s findings.”

My refusal to allow them to investigate was unsaid but inherent in my statement.

The legendary martial artist met my gaze, and her eyes were sharp and testing.

But as great and powerful as she was, I was meant to one day fight and defeat the Heavenly Demon.

She will be a strong foe for my current self, but not an insurmountable one.

I made that fact clear by matching her sharp glare with a calm gaze.

"Fear me and do as you are told," she implied.

To which I wordlessly refused.

Lady Yue Xiang eventually acquiesced to the matter with a small nod.

That was when Cha Young-Il gave a low laugh.

“Now, that’s not something I expected to see. You’re getting old, my dear mother.” The heir apparent to the Heavenly Demon looked my way. I met her gaze as I did her mother's, and a shiver came upon her. A half-baked laugh left her lips before she raised a cup my way. “And, my own pride has been untampered for too long. Father hadn’t made an idle jest. He’s within your reach.”

“As I am now, I would lose with little dignity if we faced one another, but in but a decade our roles will be reversed.” I told them both simply. They kept their nerve, but their servant didn’t. She froze outright after stopping herself from calling me a liar. It gave me the opportunity to show her that I did not speak lightly. “Oh? It seems that you think such is not the case, servant.”

She was no servant.

She was a skilled warrior of the Yue Xiang clan and possibly one of the best of the generation outside the main bloodline. She was entrusted with the role of defending the matriarch and the future of the Unorthodox faction, after all.

But that mattered not.

The moment she had opened her mouth to speak, I revealed to her what she hadn’t been able to see while her charges had been able to.

My dear husband had shown me how to use Yang energy to counter the effects of the Yue Xiang’s art before we entered. With great precision and care, he showed me how to create a field of Yang energy that protected him, myself, and the child. I had marveled at his elegant and disciplined display for a moment before I realized that he gave me the perfect counter to the Yue Xiang while acting as the perfect spouse.

I learned from him and now encased myself and my three companions in my energy.

In this simple field of my energy, I could call upon my lightning to strike with unerring and absolute accuracy with just a thought.

The head of the clan and the heir had realized this, but their guard only realized the truth now.

They were all in the palm of my hand.

“F-forgive my impudence. I am lacking in skill.” The servant eventually admitted and bowed her head to me. Then, she looked to her mistress. “I shall atone with my life.”

Lady Yue Xiang shook her head and raised a hand to dismiss the statement.

“No. The difference in realms was simply too vast for you to grasp the truth. Train until you can grasp it, and you shall be a favored retainer forevermore.” Lady Yue Xiang gave me a nod, and I made my efforts less visible for idle eyes. “Lady Namgoong, I appreciate your efforts. Please, relay to me any signs of my sister you may find.”

I gave a nod in reply and silently thanked my husband for all his care and consideration.

Surprised as we all were by the Yue Xiang clan’s arrival, he crafted a situation in which the Namgoong would gain face and favor with the Unorthodox faction.

Truly, I could ask for no better a spouse to help me lead the Namgoong.

The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Volume 2: Chapter 11).

The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Volume 2: Chapter 11).

…

Interlude: Anisette, Demigod of Love

…

“You went wild when you fought against that creature. If it were an actual fighter, you’d have died. You were lucky it was a priest.” Lord Trelawney’s words reached me through the ringing in my ears. I had flown through the sky, then his cursed armor appeared above me, and then with two balled fists sent me crashing into the forest outside of the town. I collided with a tree, and it splintered and broke around me until I hit the ground. He appeared in front of me as I scrambled to get up. “So, now, I’ll be teaching you to fight. First rule: always get a weapon.”

My vision cleared, and I realized he was carrying a boulder with one hand the size of a shed.

He slammed it into me, and I barely managed to raise my hands to break through it.

Only for him to appear in the shattered remnants of rock with his fist, which he struck my stomach with.

Air rushed out of my lungs, and bile crawled out of my throat and out of my mouth. The sting of my stomach’s insides filled my mouth with a terrible flavor, but I ignored it and scrambled to get away.

I was so panicked that I brushed past a tree, and it broke apart where my shoulder touched it.

“That’s a dead, normal ally right there.” Lord Trelawney told me simply, before once again catching up with me. “But running away when faced with a superior foe is decent. Typically, though, they can just catch up if you don’t do anything to slow them down.”

Mid-stride, I was grabbed by the shoulder, pulled back, and thrown to the ground. Soil, roots, and rocks broke apart, and I was embedded into the ground; then I realized a foot was going for my head.

I raised my hands to stop it, but I was too late.

Lord Trelawney’s foot stopped before hitting my head.

“And, you’re dead. Twenty seconds of combat. That’s your baseline. Time for you to actually learn.” He plucked me out, and with a gesture, rid me of dirt and detritus. The enchanted nature of my robes made it so that they were not destroyed by his assault. “So, you want to learn how to run away and engage from a distance or to fight in close quarters?”

I considered his words for a moment, catching my breath, before speaking.

“Will it not be prudent to learn both?”

Lord Trelawney grinned at my words.

“Correct answer.” He stated, and a package drifted towards him, which he directed to me. The burlap sack hovered for a moment before crashing onto the forest floor and embedding itself in the ground. “Those are weights meant to hold prisoners with extreme strength down. Put them on. You’ll be learning how to move quickly with them. You’ll be wearing them every other day.”

I gingerly nodded at his demands and opened the burlap bag.

They were small and innocuous, but the weight of each simple bangle was truly immense.

Once I placed them all on, I could not move without exerting much of my newfound strength.

“Alright, now, I want you to stretch, find your current limits, and understand what you’re working with. You’re tough, and they shouldn’t hurt you if you move wrong, but it’s better that the opportunity doesn’t arise.” Lord Trelawney went through several motions, and I followed. I felt like my body was resisting every move, especially whenever he tested my balance. I realized in moments that I had to control the power within me with greater and greater precision, even while my focus was being weighed down by fatigue. “Unlike everyone else I’ve taught, you haven’t trained since birth. The reactions for combat aren’t there. What you need is skill, focus, and overwhelming strength at the right moment, along with cunning. If you meet someone more skilled than you but as strong as you, then you’re going to die.”

The statement settled in my head with indisputable importance.

Faintly, I felt the leviathan’s agreement from the depths of my soul. I saw immense and powerful beasts laid low by smaller creatures who knew how to swim with grace and use strength at opportune moments. Immense beasts fell to creatures a hundredth of their size because they were ponderous and slow. Too slow to catch their foe before their heart was pierced and core consumed.

I needed to learn to not just be a ponderous beast with excessive strength, and this was the best way to do it.

With that in mind, I devoted myself to doing as Lord Trelawney bid.

With what is to come, I needed to know how to fight, or else I will see those I care for perish in what is to come.

…

Anisette all but collapsed the moment she entered the room, and from the creaking of the floorboards, I realized that she had upon her Lord Trelawney’s most recent invention.

Cursed items that exerted weight upon those who wore them but to whom they were not bound. It was an ancient method of safekeeping. Those who wielded magical weapons would have that curse inlaid so that they could not be stolen like common weapons. My own family had several heirlooms, which had far greater curses upon them for those who would take them from us. However, instead of using them for security, Lord Trelawney saw fit to use them as methods to train others.

The artifacts were bound to him; thus, he could give them to his students, and they would need to train under immense weight.

He judged me and the others to not need it, as our bodies were already honed and skills inscribed to the point of being reflexes.

Anisette, being raised as part of the clergy, had to endure this, as she lacked our training from childhood.

“G-greetings, Lady Argelia. Please excuse my disheveled state. I have just returned from training with Lord Trelawney.” To my surprise and slight trepidation, Anisette stood up, and with sweat staining her brow, she managed to give me a curtsy. The talent and physical forms of demigods were frightening. I tried those bangles, and I was falling with every other step. Alice was the only one I knew who could wear them with grace, but she practiced her whole life to be my shadow and act with utmost precision. “If I may ask, are the baths currently occupied?”

“They are not, and rest assured that they are safe to use. I have protected the area myself.” Alice informed me that a few of the guards were muttering about peeking, so I moved to dissuade them. A simple boundary, which would cause those nearing the baths made private for us to see people trip and fall on their face. Anyone who dared try and enter the baths themselves who was not meant to would be covered in magical ink for a year. I informed the commander of my efforts, and he informed his men. “Though I believe your recent training with Lord Trelawney has properly scared any suitors off.”

“It is unbecoming of a young man to act to protect me, but I am grateful.” Anisette stood straight and composed herself. Then she began to walk as though the weights were utterly meaningless. It was almost frightening to see. Did she even know how difficult it was for a normal individual to accomplish the same feat? I was almost tempted to inform her of the difficulty she was surmounting. Most would be unable to move or send themselves through walls. For her the only signs were that she had a slight frown and the floorboards creaked beneath her footsteps. “How fares your current state, Lady Anisette? Is everything well in your home?”

“All is well. The fear of a civil war engulfing our realm is now gone. This current war is making rivalries fade. That is not to say there will not be horrors ahead, but there remains a silver lining in the storm.” I spoke carefully with Anisette’s status as a demigod in mind. The church will move after this. In civil conflicts they abstain from picking sides and offer safety to the populace, and even press hard against levying the common people to fight. Against the fanatical monsters we now face, however, their militant arm will rise, and a crusade will be composed of the myriad faiths. Anisette will be central to it, regardless of what she wants. She is the sole demigod currently in the empire. “Have you any news of the coming crusade?”

Anisette was silent for a moment, but she soon spoke.

“I have not heard, but it will form. They will march to protect the faithful.” Anisette stated with almost effortless grace. Did she know that I spent many hours learning and practicing decorum? Raised in a monastery to become a cleric of the healing arts, yet she was able to match me effortlessly when speaking on political matters. The more I learned of her, the more I understood why the prince thought replacing her with me was worth the civil strife to come. Her talent was boundless, and her ability to learn unmatched. Now, having only known Lord Trelawney for half the time that I did, she was already equal to me in raw strength. “They will need lands to base themselves from. I would ask my father to station them in Argelia territory if you would allow it. I wish for our past to be reconciled through this act.”

It was my turn to be silent.

First, she acknowledged my greater strength and influence over my father by searching for my position.

Second, she indirectly referenced a reason why many would think us at odds while proposing a solution to that fact.

And, finally, by placing herself and the faith under Argelia’s protection, she knows we will shield them from those who sought to ostracize us… and use them.

All the while giving my lands more protection in the war to come, especially as the crusaders will bless the lands, tend to the populace, and build upon them.

I had no doubt in my mind that she would have made a powerful empress if given time to grow.

I nodded and broke the silence with a small smile.

“We would be delighted to put the past behind us and host the crusading army. I will be working with my father to shore up our defenses and see our industry ready to feed the war effort. If the crusade does as they did in previous wars, we will be indebted to our guests.” I responded with all the grace I could muster while we ascended the stairs. All that remained of the prince’s effort was undone at this moment. Whatever enmity that our political foes could use was dissolved within seconds of conversing. Security and safety for my people was secured in ways I could not achieve with mere strength alone. “We need to be united in these coming times, and I would be a fool to refuse.”

We reached the threshold of the baths, and I held my hand out to her.

She took it, and we shook hands.

The memory of that day was fast fading, but I was now sure that while it would return in flashes, I would be able to tell myself that it was truly the past and would never again occur.

…

I awoke from my nap thanks to a commotion outside the building.

Dressing myself with Alice’s aid, I left ready with staff in hand.

Only to find a giant eagle with armor coverings fitted upon its person, and before it was Lord Trelawney.

He addressed me while holding a large parchment without looking upon the eagle the size of a house, as everyone else did.

“Hm. Word travels quickly. It’s a proposal.” I blinked at his words while he pulled a gold coin the size of a man’s fist out of his hand. The massive eagle bent its neck, and I realized it had a collar with a box on it. He slotted the large gold coin into the box, and it arose… to roost on the manor’s ceiling. “Come on, I need to write a response.”

I followed him unconsciously out of curiosity, while recalling his last words to his former fiancé.

“Is this from Lady Aigen’s estranged family? The ones you mentioned joining to face her?”

“They are. Aigen apparently launched a preemptive attack and failed. Lost her body and everything. Now she’ll be out of commission for a few decades. The perfect time for them to swoop in and get me on their side.” He read through the parchment while we walked and read it again. “Hm. Looks like they stopped a nasty curse from falling upon all my students. Aigen has always been a petty bitch.”

“Language, Lord Trelawney!” I was barely startled upon realizing that Anisette was with us. She must have been attracted by the commotion. Typically, she was training or resting, and this situation caught her in the former. She was only presentable thanks to the thick nature of her robes. “Call her cruel and capricious. The truth marks her nonetheless!”

“Make me.” Lord Trelawney’s reply to her was as glib as always, and we reached the office of the mayor, which had the commander of the forces in the town present. The commander instantly stood and bowed to Lord Trelawney. He received a nod in return and was asked for parchment and ink. In moments, Lord Trelawney had what he desired and was writing with a floating quill in words I did not recognize. It must be the language of that faraway, fantastical isle. “So, the four of you need to come along and give thanks. Otherwise, the curses will land even if I kill every single body that Aigen has.”

“…Wicked and foul would be permissible words, then.” Anisette stated. Aigen seems to have targeted all of Lord Trelawney’s students. Not even just the ones who she confronted. Even though Anisette suggested some choice words, I was more inclined towards the word chosen by Lord Trelawney. Such extreme malice was born out of almost groundless hate towards those who couldn’t protect themselves, because she couldn’t harm Lord Trelawney himself. "Bitch" seemed far more appropriate. “When shall we go?”

“Tomorrow. Pack your things.” He answered and opened the window behind the desk of the study and tossed the rolled parchment out. The eagle snatched it out of the air and consumed it. I could only wonder how it would not be digested as it flew high into the sky. “The eagle will arrive a week ahead of us. The sooner you four show your gratitude, the better, too.”

He gazed at me and Anisette before sighing and looking away.

“Man, I wanted to go back home and just mess with the tribes some more, but you guys are making me work my ass off.”

Then, he left, ignoring Anisette’s words regarding crass language entirely.

Meanwhile, I felt a warmth in my chest thanks to his complaint.

Despite his demeanor, he truly was a caring teacher, wasn’t he?

V13: Chapter 4

V13: Chapter 4

…

Interlude: Rita

…

Before us lay a field of death and destruction.

His majesty’s efforts made it so that it beset the Ascendant and not us.

I wrenched a long arrow out of a still machine, and it came out bloody. It resembled a spider but with four legs and was black in color. The head wielded two automatic guns in the rifle caliber. Atop the abdomen was a series of lenses that wielded some sort of magic and technology that projected numerous blasts of light. The pilot was in the ‘head’ of the large machine.

A head, which I handily pierced with a singular blow.

Ilych, Morgan, and I had been ready for a battle that would see us in retreat. A force that would overwhelm us and see us scattered to numerous fortresses behind our lines. From those fortresses we were meant to coordinate a stiff resistance, working with militia, until armies a quarter of a day away arrived, surrounded the enemy, and killed them all through sheer weight of numbers.

That fearsome army died without even reaching our gate.

“I thought I’d be disappointed if his majesty was ever wrong; instead, I’m humbled once more.” Morgan stood atop the largest of the broken machines. The construction was like that which Riegert had faced. A champion had dwelled within it and arose after it was broken. Half-woman and half-tendrils of flesh feasting off dozens of slaves. Morgan had it smashed by artillery, and then when it escaped its shell, she struck it head-on with her full might. A crater surrounded the empty shell, while the former champion writhed at her feet. Her needles and strings were embedded in its brain, which was a grotesque thing that wrapped around its spine all the way to the small of its back. “He underestimated his efforts.”

The sound of armor tearing emanated from Ilych. She lashed out at the smaller constructs, which were the size of large bulls. They had small-caliber guns for horns and carried single cannons on their backs. They were tanks, and she ripped through them with the same ease she would the merchant’s creations. They were in many pieces and strewn across the battlefield.

“They are strong, but they were not ready.” Ilych stated simply in agreement, while I went to another quadrupedal machine and fetched my arrow. She carried her immense blade with one hand, and the other had her upgraded revolver. It was the length of her forearm, meaning it was nearly the length of my arm. The custom cartridges made by dedicated alchemists with Citadel materials at their beck and call had been able to pierce straight through the frontal armor of her foes, go through them, and pierce another from the front before exploding within it. “They will return, or worse: they will not.”

Morgan gave a hum at that and wrenched her needles and wires out of the immense brain of the Ascendant Champion.

She leapt off the mechanical cadaver of its shell, and a shockwave from her splattered the Champion into nothing before her boots hit the ground.

“If they’re stymied here, they’ll head for the Guardians of the Moon. You’re correct, Ilych.” Morgan gave her a nod. “I expect his majesty will be telling us that soon enough… but do you think he will go to their aid?”

She looked at me with a prodding grin.

“There is no need to take their lands and citadels. They are at their highest possible capacity. They grow even now.” I told her, but her stare through her glasses remained. Extracting another arrow, I considered the question before allowing myself to sigh. “It would be more effective to have them under our control. A unified military command over the continent would be prudent as well.”

Morgan gave a hum at my statement before gesturing at Ilych.

“If one Citadel is under siege or threatened to be lost, the Guardians of the Moon cannot be permitted to retain it.” Ilych stated it bluntly, and Morgan smiled from ear to ear at her answer. “But until then we need not move. Let them throw their industry upon the enemy. Let them fight, and be assured we stand steadfast with them. When it is all over, we will sweep them aside with greater strength.”

I bowed my head at those words.

I had feared to speak them, but Ilych was trained as more than a mere combat champion now. She is a general and even a budding politician who can have entire regions entrusted to her for stewardship. I did not begrudge her for it, of course. We specialized into different paths. Mine lay in the dispatching of the elites of enemy forces by the dozen and slaying champions.

Still, sometimes, I felt like the friend I once knew was but a mere memory.

“Exactly the answer I want to hear. We might not be their enemies, but it would be foolish to be their stalwart allies.” Morgan stretched her hands out, skipped in the crater created from her battle, then spun on the tip of her toe on one boot. She did so on the spot where her foe had been mere moments ago. Dancing on her opponent’s grave. I was sure she was doing it to test my patience. The small smile suddenly aimed my way confirmed it, and she stopped immediately. Still, I was being tested by her… and I couldn’t fault her for it. “If they were led by a strong, capable ruler who could guide us in the future, I would gladly aid them. But they are not. Their government is ruled by political parties whose leashes are barely held by Celia. And, even if she had complete control, she doesn’t qualify.”

I gave a grunt at her words but then spoke.

“What if his majesty asks us to aid them, then? What shall you do, Morgan?” I asked her.

“I shall obey to the fullest extent of my ability. Even if it costs my life, I will succeed in what he asks of me.” Morgan’s answer was without hesitation and without a hint of shame, despite her previous declaration. The smile on her face reminded me of a Merchant refugee several months ago. One who was told that the merchants have fallen and that their way of life is all but gone. On Morgan’s and the refugee’s faces was relief. “He has, after all, proven more times than I care to remember that he knows better.”

I had more than a few misgivings regarding Morgan, but her absolute loyalty to his majesty was without question.

Thanks to that, I could look past all my other concerns.

Morgan was undoubtedly with Jack, and that was all I cared about.

…

After a day of rest from travel, I gathered with Rita, Ilych, and Morgan at the Ascendant front.

The Ascendant-facing fortress there was the strongest and newest. Over four layers of overlapping sloped defensive walls from mountain to mountain, overlapping gun lines, artillery, entrenched infantry, and air support all backed by rail and air infrastructure. I could’ve built a Wonder instead of it, something on the scale of my continent-wide air delivery system, but seeing all the scrap we recovered with barely any losses made it worth it.

In a few turns, I’ll have mechs of my own, or at least powerful artifacts pulled together from the scrap. In-game, defeating the Ascendant gave you scrap proportional to how large their armies are, and that scrap can be used for research at the start of the crisis. The research unlocks are wholly combat-focused but can range from artifacts and gear for Champions to units and even one-time-use weapons that cost scrap to make.

I was eager to ship back all the scrap to my academies and have them take it all apart.

For now, though, I was in one of its many utility rooms and bringing Morgan up to speed on the new plan.

Who better to wreak terror and destruction upon the crises than the Demon Lord herself?

“This is beyond audacious.” I told her simply after presenting the plan. “But I believe that you can do it.”

Morgan looked over the plans with Ilych and Rita at her shoulders. Their champion apprentices will pick up the slack while they’re gone.

Gathering up all the data and information that we gathered from our expeditions, I consolidated a blitz campaign that went through every single town and city on the demonic front. Every municipality that bordered the barren lands between our continent and their territory was marked as a target with priority. Three cities, ten towns, and dozens of villages sprawled across an area roughly a quarter the size of a continent.

I wanted Morgan, Ilych, and Rita to lead almost a quarter million soldiers with all the flying castles we had, along with Eminent, to raze it all to the ground.

“We’ll be sending roughly an equal number of Citadel Guardians to support you, but Eminent and Pinnacle will be your most essential supporters. Eminent has no issues reviving anything that dies to our weapons and tactics to fight for us. Pinnacle will provide materials for repairs and food.” I was going to leverage everything I got to hopefully knock out a crisis for several years. This was the equivalent of me dodging their first jabs, hitting them in the face, and then shooting them in the knee. “Riegert will support you as well, and his expeditionary corps will act as guides whenever possible.”

“That is the bulk of our current force. None will man the defensive networks behind the Continental Line. We will be unable to assist the Guardians of the Moon in their own defense.” Morgan analyzed and pointed out facts I didn’t mention outright in my plan. I roughly had a week to make the little presentation with Ayah’s help. Sprawling maps and battle plans with figures along with documents detailing troop readiness and logistical capacity. “Not to mention you will be without a Divine Engine while the Guardians have their own, and you will be sending your most combat-oriented Champions away.”

Thankfully, I had counterarguments prepared.

“The mountain pass fortresses have held, and they will continue to hold. If they do not, the militias will be ready to man the defensive arrays behind them along with innumerable Citadel Guardians and the next batch of the new soldiers.” I pointed at the mountain passes and gestured at the reports that came from them. Three for three. Each one held and devastated the crises when they arrived. “This campaign I send you on now will double the distance between the closest demonic city and our lands, while leaving the lands you go through unusable and flooding them with refugees. The goal is to render it useless, burden the empire that remains, and increase the cost of any future expedition exponentially.”

“The goals are unquestionably worthwhile, your majesty. However, I fear for your safety and that of the nation. New soldiers and militia can man the walls, but what if another threat arises?” Morgan argued, and she had a point. I was sending my most experienced troops and champions out there with both Pinnacle and Eminent to deal ludicrous amounts of damage. That was damage that I couldn’t call upon here. “Perhaps it would be prudent for one of us to stay, especially when the strongest champion you’ll be able to call upon is Sirena? A former foe?”

“Sirena is the most capable at dispatching undead, and that is why she must remain.” Not to mention I could probably count on her to put down Khalai if things went sour with him. I had three layers of observers on him and observers on those observers just in case he managed to somehow charm the first set. Right now, he was staying nice and obedient, but I had no doubt he’d doom us all if the chance presented itself. “And, I have faith in the next generation and your apprentices. They cannot be forever in the shadows of their seniors, especially when their seniors have tasks of greater importance.”

I tapped the war plan on the table again, and Morgan nodded.

“This is sudden, but you will have time to prepare. Eight months where we will scout targets, train our soldiers, and prepare battle plans.” There was a shit ton of training that needed to be done. Most of our soldiers were trained to march and use trains. Flying around in cramped environments days at a time weighed on people heavily, even with the large size of our flying castles and the new transport-focused hulls. I had half a mind to have them march through no-man’s land, but they’d be detected. “Once you’ve landed, you will ravage their lands, scavenge for food, take their wealth, and tear all infrastructure you can find apart. You will burn fields in your passing, maim and injure as many as possible to burden our foes, and upturn every road and bridge.”

I traced the entire section of the campaign map I made for them and gave it a single tap.

I didn’t have a knife to make things any more dramatic.

“This place will cease to exist to the benefit of our nation and people. Those who die here will do so and will be remembered forever. It will not only delay our encroaching foes but also show them our strength. Should they come here, they will be destroyed.” I finished my little speech and looked around the room. Ayah and the Iterants were still and quiet, but that’s how they always were. Ilych was nodding along with Rita, but Morgan was my main concern. She was the only one I could ask to do this, because I knew if she took over the continent, she’d win against all the other crises. A tyrant for thousands of years, ruling with an iron fist, but people lived under her rule nonetheless. “So, General Morgan, this shall be your mission if you choose to accept it. What say you?”

I laid it on pretty thick there at the end, especially with that reference she won’t even understand, but eventually I was rewarded.

“It is your will, your majesty.” She bowed her head and offered me a small smile. “It shall be done.”

I gave a nod in return when I really wanted to start screeching like an idiot.

Hey Demons, here’s the Demon Lord special, backed by literally the strongest and most veteran troops that I have!

Have fucking fun!

Eroge? Bad Ends? Betrayal? I'm Just Here to Suplex Monsters through Buildings.

Armbars are awesome (5.2).

…

Eat a lot.

Sleep a lot.

Train a lot.

You can do plenty of all three in a dingy apartment in a bad neighborhood, but having an actual facility dedicated to training increased efficiency by a lot.

For food the Hiyo Clan had multiple cafeterias ready to always provide food in large quantities at reasonable quality. Flavor was on the lighter side, and there really wasn’t much that had any chew, but that was the point. It was fuel to be consumed in large quantities and fuel the body. Even though I craved very rare meat and could consume it, gulping down protein shakes by the gallon was far more effective at stymying my hunger.

I was able to feel full for the first time since my attempt to blow myself up thanks to all the protein shakes I downed.

Then, there’s sleeping in a place that I knew was secure. I slept with one eye open at Helena’s place and kept watch. Not to mention I either slept on a chair or in a cot. I was able to rest, but not really slumber. After getting a bath and chugging down almost four gallons of protein shakes, I went to sleep and zonked out for an entire 24 hours. When I woke up, I was hungry as hell, but the tiredness that I’d been pushing away for months was gone when I did.

If there was anything that I missed about my childhood in this world, it was sleeping at night knowing that I didn’t have to worry about getting my throat slit or waking up in chains.

Finally, there was the training center built to churn out super ninjas that can be deployed in large numbers to seal away eldritch gods.

100-pound plates were the lightest available, and they went up to two hundred and fifty. A full stack was eight on each side, so the expected max limit for the average ninja graduate was 4000 pounds, or two tons. Training in the facility was meant to be done with internal energy coursing through the body, and for most ninja it became inadequate a semester or two before their graduation.

Even though more than a few of them fall towards various bad ends, they were still superhuman hunters that can kick heads off trolls, not die when punched by the likes of vampires, and move so fast they’re blurs to the untrained. That’s before customized tools, mantras that buffed physical performance, seals on prepared tags that gave them a magical arsenal that needed no prep time, and finally magical weapons and armor. The average ninja ends there, but those with bloodlines or ancestral contracts could have even more incredible powers at their disposal or massively overpowered spirits.

So, naturally, the Hiyo Clan’s Academy was the prime place for me to be during my formative years.

But as much as I just wanted to stay, I didn’t like leaving jobs half done.

So, after some rest and recuperation, I left the academy in pursuit of Daichi into Neo San Kyoto’s underbelly.

…

Neo San Kyoto, Underside 4, 5AM PST.

…

When they said underground city, they meant it.

The under-city was a massive cavern with a concrete dome supported by metal ribs. They were like massive grasping claws that loomed over the city. Most of the buildings were embedded onto the walls and made of scrap, like prefabricated buildings made to fit however possible and stacked on top of each other. It was an outer ring where people who had to live and work in the undercity lived with their own small economy. The center of the dome was surrounded by tall walls with automated guns and sentries, while everything inside was situated around a glittering spire that went up to the center of the dome.

Surrounding that spire were pleasure palaces, casino resorts, and arenas for bloodsport and other kinds of ‘sport.’ The corporate drones and middle managers went to the red-light district for business and pleasure. The real elites had entire underground resorts dedicated to their enjoyment of violence and pleasure. Monsters were kept around as pets after cybernetic augmentations, cyborg battle dolls were common sights and engaged each other in duels in the airspace for their master’s pleasure, and people were carried around on palanquins by genetically engineered slaves rather than riding around in cars.

Holographic advertisements were splattered across the dome’s surface. Most were lurid and debased. Advertisements for ‘ranch’ shows were there one moment, and the next there was a sight of slaves desperately fighting in the arena for their freedom, wearing nothing more than chains and leather. Brothels advertised fresh deliveries with their ‘purity’ intact for their first buyer of the night with their ages advertised with glee. Everything past the wall where the downtrodden worked and elites played was high-tech and ostentatious. They even had trees growing underground, and those who could afford visors could see a blue sky instead of concrete and ads.

I’ve never seen a place more deserving of being burned down to the ground.

Anyway, I was helping Kine track our target down, and I easily found out that she wasn’t kidding about hunting down demons before.

“So, I went through most of the outer ring and smelled demons here and here.” The upper half of the outer ring was the closest to the arena where Daichi was making his play. He was getting renown by fighting in the arena and recruiting people in the outer ring. The outer ring was basically ruled by armed gangs of humans and monsters who leveraged everything from power exoskeletons to magic to rule over petty fiefdoms. The outer ring had no official government, and their water and power came from the resort itself. Around a million people lived in the outer ring, and the warlords produced what the elites wanted: flesh. For labor and for pleasure. “Whoever this Daichi is, I think he’s got a body double or at least some decoys.”

“It is standard procedure for long-term habitation of a region to have multiple safe houses with one’s inner energy signature. The best way to overcome it is to locate safehouses and neutralize them while springing an ambush.” Asakura replied. We were in the shadows of one of the massive metal arms holding up the dome above the city. A few monsters made their lair up here, but they were easily dispatched by the three of us. Helena and Leona were on the ground securing us a base of operations and extra safehouses. “However, we must make him flee to them to ambush him. The best way to do that is to rout him from the arena.”

“Or, we could kill him there.” I pointed out, and Asakura shook his head. “What? You don’t think you can manage it?”

“He is a coward at heart. I knew his measure when I first killed him and when we last met. Even with all his newfound power, he ran in my presence with fear in his eyes. If I appear there in the arena, he will run, and he will run out of this place completely, evading any of his safehouses and abandoning his newfound riches.” Ordinarily, I’d applaud someone having the sense to just run away from someone as powerful as Asakura. But this was a traitor and someone who wanted to sell their childhood friend off as an untouched product. Guys like Daichi were annoying pests at best. “However, Kay, you already intended to visit the arena, correct? You can go as a gladiator, rise through the ranks, and declare your affiliation prior to your match with him. He will run.”

“I want to do that, yeah, but why not just infiltrate during a match and kill the guy and escape? What’s the issue with causing some havoc in that eyesore?” Kine gave a snort but agreed with a nod, while Asakura shook her head and crossed her arms. “Are you serious? Is there some sort of treaty keeping you guys from attacking this place?”

“There is. A temporary peace treaty for another five years. Fifty years ago, they and the other underground cities sued for peace, and the clans accepted it. We took wealth and forced rules upon them. The wealth was used to advance weapons, armor, and magic beyond their ability to replicate.” Asakura explained, but she didn’t look at all pleased with the idea. “As for rules, they can no longer commune with outer gods, demons, and fae, or transgress upon the sanctity of the soul, but human lives and flesh they still use as they wish.”

“Any reason why you didn’t just kill them all and take their money anyway?”

“Over half of the active ninja in North America were dead or injured. Any further fighting would have compromised our ability to counter threats to the entire human race.”

“Ah. Fair.” Can’t really fault them for taking the money and putting those rules down when they’ve got other responsibilities. Not to mention they were already half down on manpower. Not only that, but back then there were a lot fewer ninja around, too. They were more potent, but having more supersoldiers that can tear through armies on their own and sneak into anywhere is always better. “So, he’s here because he knows we can’t just go in there and kill everyone between us and him. Since he’s a rogue fighting for their entertainment, he’s under their protection until he’s out of the walls.”

Still, though, the single male member of the team is fighting in the arena while the rest of the female group traverses the slums for information? You may as well slap a corruption status screen on all four of my teammates that’ll progress with every win and loss that I take. This whole scenario stank of NTR bullshit, even though I really wanted to go and fight in the arena. As competent as my current allies were, this reality was just too shitty for me to ignore.

Hell, with how fucked this world was, I almost thought that whether I win or lose wouldn’t matter. But it would, because losing and leading to corruption gains being ‘my fault’ would be part of the appeal. In this messed-up reality, the chance for something bad to not occur existed to make something bad occurring better.

Hope was just another spice to make the degeneracy better.

Man, I just wanted to blow the sparkling, shiny den of debauchery up, rather than wait five years.

“Alright, then. I’ll do it. Help me scout out for outlying pit fights in the outer ring. I’ll rise through the ranks and get in the arena. The faster, the better. Blitz through everything and get a hundred wins in a week or something.” If I was going to play by this universe’s rules, I was going to do so violently. “Don’t bother scouting. We’ll stay together, and you guys support me through things. Kill people who try to sabotage me, arrange fights, and make sure I’m ready for the next fight, while also setting up the trap.”

Asakura raised an eyebrow, but she nodded eventually.

“I’m surprised. I thought you would say your lack of affiliation would make it so that you could attack the pleasure resort as you wished.” I’d considered that, but it’d be spitting on a treaty and peace thousands of incredible people died for. Besides, five years wasn’t that long in the grand scheme of things. War will arrive in due time, and I’ll make sure that the fight is finished. Everything these deluded rich bastards have to their name will fall into the hands of the ninja clans. I’ll take my dues, naturally. “But the plan you propose is just as audacious. Are you sure that you can defeat everything between yourself and Daichi with just your bare hands?”

I raised an eyebrow at her, while Kine tilted her head questioningly.

“I’ve only ever seen Kay fight with his bare hands, though?”

Asakura looked at me with surprise at that.

The source of the confusion was obvious. Around her I judiciously used Hiyo Kunai, while around Kine I fought with my bare hands.

“I made do with limited resources, and I needed to understand my new body.” I told her, and she nodded in understanding. “Let’s go and get started. The longer I stay here, the longer I want to see it all blown up.”

With that, we started our descent.

Hm.

I wonder how fast I can go through all the lower ranks of the arena.

A week, maybe?

…

Interlude: Asakura Hiyo, the Fiery Blade

…

If my venerated ancestor were present, she’d be laughing.

Keita, now Kay, unarmored and unarmed, coursed like a thunderbolt through the outer ring’s various venues.

Across the outer ring there were acknowledged fighting arenas with stables of fighters. They took in those from the favelas and used everything from magic to cybernetic implants to embolden them. Some even took in only monsters. All the arenas were watched by the central arena for new talents, as the various groups fought and clashed with one another in the ring whilst gangs fiercely protected them outside.

Creating contenders brought sponsors and funds to their territory.

Champions elevated entire communities with better guns, security, and luxuries.

Kay tore through everything like a thunderbolt.

A troll that was half machine was kicked through a wall in an instant and died.

An assassin pumped full of exotic stimulants and ready to explode to pull off a draw had her head torn off mid-clash.

A seasoned warrior covered in scars lasted the longest whilst displaying keen martial arts skills, until Kay simply broke his limbs and defeated him.

Wearing nothing but some shorts, he entered fighting pits and left their champion before running to the next. He ate on the way, while we scrambled to prepare flights for him and little else.

The gangs could only watch, barely able to react, as their fighting pits were demolished before they could respond.

Then, after he warmed up and as he reached the stronger arenas, he started practicing more basic moves, and that was when I realized what he meant by needing to understand his new strength.

A subtle heel kick meant to knock out a target broke through his opponent’s neck.

A palm strike meant to make an opponent fly broke through his foe’s ribs and crushed the lungs and heart.

A simple elbow strike to the side blew out his opponent’s organs as pureed viscera came out the other side.

He engaged in grappling against pneumatic fists, and they broke in his grip.

He spent a whole match simply dodging his opponent and succeeded.

He spent another match enduring every blow sent his way and wasn’t even bruised.

My venerated ancestor was correct.

He did indeed rise as a dragon.

And, without a doubt, the world will do its utmost to clip his wings before he can rise high enough to do with his power what he wished.

The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Volume 2: Chapter 10).

The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Volume 2: Chapter 10).

…

Change came more swiftly than I ever imagined. The whole of the coast was reinforced, and the imperial fleet arrived. Knights from every province came upon flying ships and established themselves in once-abandoned castles, and new fortresses were built. Calls were made for purges upon monster populations all over the empire to strengthen knights, while levies were recalled, but the best were kept to be trained into professional soldiery.

Everything moved quickly with little error, and that was all the confirmation that I needed to know that the emperor foresaw this. And, with my former fiancé being removed from his role as crown prince, I wondered if this was some final test for him that he failed. He was sent here with his greatest companions and a demigod. If he had held against all odds, if he had managed to lead until reinforcements arrived, I was sure that he would have retained his position as crown prince.

But he had not, and now the emperor would remain until his younger brother could assume the throne… after the war. He was also to lead from the front, and from there he had the right to be tithed the cores of monsters and grow strong himself. And, as he grows stronger, youthful vigor will return to him and much more besides. If this war continued for long, then he may very well reach the great heights of emperors past and be elevated to divinity after the war.

I would almost think that was the emperor’s goal, if not for a singular fact.

Lord Trelawney had been called here by the emperor, and he had given a firm answer to the invaders.

If the emperor had wished to truly gain a tithe of magical cores and ascend, he would have allowed this region to be taken and become a battleground from which to harvest the cores of our foes.

Instead, the vast majority of the enemy’s bodies and strength were consumed by the ocean, and not by our forces… let alone himself.

Which made the rapid response and my belief that this was foreseen more confusing.

Why had the emperor prepared to act so quickly only to allow the initial landing and terror when it was foreseen?

Only one person came to mind who I can ask such a question without fear, and so I searched for him.

…

Lord Trelawney was sweeping and cleaning a chapel at the village we were relocated to.

In case the enemy still had powerful individuals, we remained in the region, but we were out of sight. People with our level of strength were only meant to be present when needed. We instilled too much fear in the common people. Sometimes we even encouraged dependency, and they would lose their way and become nothing more than zealots driven to follow. Given that these were not our lands and not our people, either result was unacceptable.

Several of the villagers that fled already returned and knew us—only us nobility spoken for by several of the guards attending to the interim mayor. They kept their distance from us while we rested and recuperated, and they tended to their homes and lands. Still, many had yet to return, and it was unlikely that many would, so most of the village remained vacant. We occupied the former mayor’s home, with the commander of the soldiers taking one wing, while his men took rooms in the rest of the village.

I noted that many of the soldiers were of noble houses, handsome, and eager to be of use.

It was an overt play to try to win us over to one faction or another, but I abstained along with the others.

Lord Trelawney, however, was avoided by the soldiers and so had the freedom to do as he pleased.

In this case, it was to see the local chapel to Anisette’s mother put into order.

The gentle noise of bubbling water ran through the modest building composed of stone. Luminous stone cast a gentle light. There were no windows to the outside, as the chapel sought to mimic the cave from which the Goddess of Love bore her children and guided them. Cave flowers grew upon vines that clung to the walls. Pews were carved of stone and encircled a central altar beneath an opening to the sky. The air inside was fresh and light, despite being so closed off, and stepping into it made me aware of divine power the moment that I stepped in.

I always noticed the divines in their places of power now.

I could no longer deny their presence nor their strength.

Which made Lord Trelawney’s casual posture in the frontmost pew alarming, and I would’ve warned him if not for the basket of bread at the center of the altar.

“You’re still feigning being a mere baker?”

“Nah, they know who I am. I just found it soothing, so I’m keeping it up. Everyone appreciates freshly baked bread anyway.” He gestured towards the basket, and I idly noted that piece after piece was slowly disappearing. Offerings have always been done, but usually it took days for everything offered to disappear.  Even if they were of the highest quality, they were rarely swiftly received. The contents of the basket, meanwhile, seemed to be almost gone. “So, why are you here? Not just to talk to me, right?”

“I would hear your thoughts regarding the speediness of the emperor’s response… but also how the enemy was able to land if we were so prepared.” I confessed while giving a bow towards the altar. I didn’t have anything on me to offer, so I was ready to offer a prayer professing that I would give alms to those in need. I was astonished to find it gently brushed aside and nothing weighing upon me. It seems that I have helped enough people to be exempted. “The levies and the knights arrived ready with supplies to make castles and fortifications. You were here upon their arrival. Why allow them to land and wreak such havoc?”

Lord Trelawney gave a hum at my statement before looking my way.

“Do you want me to answer, or do you want to confirm what you already know?” Lord Trelawney looked at me. His feet did not touch the floor while seated on the pew. Dressed in accordance with his age, he swung his legs and had a small grin. It was hard to believe that he was so close to ascendancy at his age. However, I had no doubts regarding his intellect. That was not something I could ever doubt. “Why don’t you tell me what you think first?”

I paused and gathered my thoughts carefully before speaking.

“…Perhaps, such is the case because it was needed to impassion our people?” I ventured and received a hum in reply. The words felt bitter to my tongue, and I did not wish to say more. They felt traitorous. “Without the enemy landing, without them harming so many, they would not have elicited the response that was needed.”

“So, sacrifice a coastal region with light trade to galvanize a nation against invaders? As if an entire fleet of monstrous humanoids armed to the teeth on the shore isn’t enough?” Lord Trelawney drawled and rolled his eyes. I felt a heat climbing up my neck and up to my cheekbones. “Just say it. You think the emperor has some grand plan to become divine by prolonging this war.”

“It is… possible.” I admitted and glanced around. We were the only ones present save for the divine Goddess of Love. “He has never been a warrior. When he perishes, his soul will join with countless others, unlike those of his forefathers who fought and ascended to join the other great emperors and who form the tribunal.”

The tribunal was the court of ascendant emperors that formed since the formation of our land. Rather than become individual gods, they joined together and became another entity. They are slow to rise when called upon, but their power is without question. When calamity rears its head, we can always rely on our former emperors to choose champions across the land who will fight for us against even the gravest of threats. Once the threat is gone, their blessings are returned to the divine, and so they may return to living as mortals and walk their own path to divinity if they wish. It also validated the tithes the emperors received. They may use it for their personal gain for a time as they remain in the mortal realm, but when they join their forefathers, that power becomes the nation’s to call upon.

“What’s the problem with that? All the current emperors up there are a bunch of warriors. Adding someone who uses his head to rule would be smart. If things change too much, you might find your tribunal being used by more traditional factions to bring down people who want change.” With almost insufferable casualness, Lord Trelawney pointed out a fact that sent a chill down my spine. He was correct. Most of the emperors who ascended to join the tribunal were warriors and leaders in war. Amongst their number, I could barely recall one or two who were lauded for their efforts to advance the empire and help its people. Most statesmen and scholars of their number died as mortals. “I’d say adding a handful of people who know more than to lead people through war would be smart; otherwise, this empire will end up stagnant until something comes along to break it.”

“That’s… I don’t know what to say.” I admitted and slumped in my seat. The more I thought about it, the more terror arose within me. If great change swept through the nation, if some innovation threatened the power of the nobility, then they could make a case that it was a threat to the nation. If enough of the tribunal agreed with the nobility, which was likely given how many emperors were related to noble lineages and believed in their cause, then the power of the tribunal can be leveraged against the people. It already has in previous rebellions. “Nor do I know what to do.”

“Do you need to do anything? Wasn’t your plan to protect your people and your home from a potential civil war? I mean, that’s not happening now, but your people still need protecting.” Lord Trelawney got up and stretched. His hand found my shoulder, and he gave me a reassuring shake. “Focus on the people around you and those you care about. Leave things like the management of an entire empire to the people who manage it. Just be ready if they fuck up.”

His advice was cold and calm, but I found some semblance of peace in his words.

In a way, he was right.

Even with all my power and influence, I remained the daughter of a duke.

No more and no less.

Judging how entire wars should be fought, determining the grand strategy of an entire nation, and influencing its divine tribunal?

Those were beyond me.

And, in truth, I would want them to remain beyond me.

…

Interlude: Anisette, Demigod of Love

…

I looked at myself in the mirror and found not a single scar, though the memory of my battle persisted.

Where teeth had punctured skin and muscle and floundered against bone, there was not a single jagged blemish.

Where a knife found purchase, there was only the ripple of muscle bound beneath pale skin.

Where there was once a gash in my neck where blood had flown in great deluges, there was no sign of a wound.

The battle, that fierce fight to the death where rage consumed me and pain became meaningless, remained bright in my mind.

Yet there was no sign of it on my person in the mirror.

In fact, the person in the mirror looked more radiant than ever.

I resembled Mother’s statues more now. Blessed not only with beauty but also with strength. Faint lines born of muscle growth accentuated my form now. I was more defined and severe, with much of my childhood fat diminished, but they were only accentuated by womanly curves. Graceful steps came to me more easily, and I was sure that I gained some height, and I noticed even older knights staring at me beguiled.

I would have lamented the loss of what remained of my childhood if not for the knowledge that these changes were brought about by my choice to kill and take power from others.

Knowing that, I did not do those who I slayed a disservice by denying my newfound strength and appearance.

So, I dressed myself in the flowing white robes of my mother’s order without shame and stepped out of my room.

Ready to be gazed upon by the heirs of noble houses and wooed.

Instead, I found Lord Trelawney in the hall, squatting against the wall and eating an apple.

“Sup.” He greeted me with a full mouth and a raised hand. The other held the bitten fruit as he chomped through it in several bites. “Here, eat this. We’re going to gauge your increase in strength to see what you need to do next.”

I blinked at his words and caught the apple that he threw my way without thinking.

“C’mon, follow me.” I did as he bid, and he led me outside to the courtyard. I usually spent time in the courtyard reading scripture and admiring the flowers. My guards were usually present at that time. Now, they were nowhere to be seen. “Time for you to show off how strong you are so that you’re not considered some convenient broodmare.”

I blinked at his words before responding as anyone ought.

“Lord Trelawney, never say such things! It is unbecoming of a gentleman!” I admonished him and received a stuck-out tongue in response. We reached a small clearing in the courtyard, and with a gesture, he called upon a sheet of metal. One of the many pieces that made up the armor he wore. He handed it to me, and I took it but maintained my glare. “Say you won’t say such things again!”

“Make me.” He replied glibly before gesturing towards the metal in my hands. “Tear that as much as you can. Now.”

The cold piece of cursed metal sent a chill up my fingers, and pressing on it with my hands, I found it unyielding, unlike ordinary steel.

So, I took a breath, focused on a single point, and began to pull.

There was resistance to my grip and strength, but it was not like steel prior to my increased strength.

It was like thick, tough, and rigid paper.
But still paper.

There was a keen sound as the metal split, almost like a shriek, and then there was movement from all the guards looking away from a distance.

Lord Trelawney chuckled while taking the metal back, and he heated it and joined it together in just a moment.

“Alright, the flies are gone. Let’s test you for real.”

I barely realized his intention before his palm collided with my stomach and he sent me flying.

My Weekly Gag Villain Job is Pretty Fulfilling: Chapter 20

My Weekly Gag Villain Job is Pretty Fulfilling: Chapter 20

…

Commissioned by Arksoul

…

Interlude: Chroma Scarlet: Aine Campbell

…

Dad decided to break the news to me while on a walk.

Not exactly the best sign, given that’s how he broke the news to me that Mom passed.

At least we weren’t walking outside in the dead of winter like last time.

“There are murmurings going around. A lot of people are starting to see those who wish to pay the tithe as part of the Legion. Bloody idiots, the lot of them… but there are a lot of them.” Our steps crunched leaves underfoot. The London Arcology was a system rather than a giant structure like most. Large towering pillars processed waste into usable materials and housed all the agriculture and infrastructure support the metropolis needed. They usually just melded with the sky thanks to optical camouflage. It let London look like a city and not a massive, sprawling crystalline palace housing millions under one roof. “I know a man in the SAS. They’re being brought in for meetings for… asymmetric shaping operations. The daft men up top think compromise is special forces teams smashing agricultural towers.”

War was coming.

“We never had to deal with this before. The Legion just wiped everything out that we couldn’t protect.” I felt like a broken record as I said it. Walking with Dad down the street, there were already signs. Arcologies had plenty of regular food and materials to go around. The necessities were never going to change. But goods not produced by the towers are another story entirely. It was nearing the holiday season, yet there were no signs for any sales. Special menu prices weren’t that special. Fewer people were on the streets and just walking around. “This method is insidious, to say the least. We need to win the moon back. It’s driving people mad.”

“Whatever happens next depends on the Guardians and whoever’s sent up there.” Pa said, and I gave a nod. “I can only hope the Templars or someone else decides to pull their heads out of their asses and decide to help.”

The Templars were Europe’s strongest organization of superhumans. Less than twenty in number, but each one a force to be reckoned with. Stylized as knights or dames, they fought against sorceresses or otherworldly entities. They rarely moved as a single group, but when they did, it was because the fate of billions of lives was on the line.

Even now they were out there fighting the good fight, and so were other groups from all over the world.

“If they move for us, they won’t be fighting against whoever it is they’re fighting now.  The Legion’s leader knows we’re in a bind and that we can’t throw more at them.” I followed Pa into a shop. The scent of frying oil hit me. It was a chippy. I looked over at the menu prices and found they were the same as always. Farmed fish, potatoes, and oil were all basic foods produced in mass. I gave an order along with some peas and mash, while Dad ordered the same along with a drink. I spent so many meals here, and it was always the same. Some part of my mind now, however, imagined what would happen if the sky turned black and the Legion turned its might upon us here and now. How much of my own neighborhood could I protect? “Even the UN’s task force is made up of volunteers and whoever they can scrounge up with light-based powers.”

Far less than I cared to admit.

Sometimes I thought about the Legion’s representative and its offer, but I discarded it immediately.

Oblivion isn’t how everything should end.

Not by a long shot.

Pa was quiet for a while before leaning forward and speaking to me.

“I have some friends who want to know if you have anything offensive at your disposal. Something like the defensive ritual in scale, but for an assault.”

“We don’t. Never had to develop it.”

“Well, we need it now. It’s for the sake of morale. A shield calms people down, but a sword gives people hope. Nothing is worse than being unable to retaliate.” Pa spoke and I listened. Some part of me wondered if the Light would approve of that thought process, but the Light never had to deal with this before. Everyone it could save used to be united and kept safe in a single sanctuary. It kept a lot of things simple. Now, the situation was anything but simple. The Legion was using that against us. It just had to win once, while we had to win every single time. “I know it doesn’t exactly fall under the purview of Sentinels, but… it is needed.”

“… I and the others will work on it. At least, something big and flashy. Something we can shoot at the moon and make the dome fall will do it.” I told Pa, and he gave a nod. “I don’t think we’ll be able to give that away like everything else, though. We’ll need to work together to get that much power out… and maybe we’ll need to pull the palace out of safety, too.”

“I’m just an advisor. I can’t tell you and your allies what to do, but I can tell you with certainty that you’ll cool off a lot of heads by showing them you can match the Legion.” Pa was making sense. We worked hard at first to be able to counter the storm of giants that we expected to come after the entire world. Now, we had to work hard to counter the new threat posed by the Legion. Becoming a strategic defense network and a deterrent seemed strange, but it made more sense than being overpowered quick-reaction forces. “In the end, though, it may be wise to start looking for someplace to move people if the world falls.”

I blinked at his words, the sound of frying food and the din of the world outside fading, while he took a sip of soda.

“You think… that it’ll end up the same way as the other worlds? After all this change, we’ll just be cornered into one city with the only hope being the next generation?”

“It might, and we should be prepared for that. We need to make sure there are enough people who can work and who can fight and that they can repopulate.” Pa’s tone became measured.  He always spoke calmly and directly when he wanted to get the point across. “I don’t think it will happen. If the Legion grows too powerful, someone on the planet will respond aggressively. It’ll change things, but life will continue. But it pays to be prepared, just in case the Legion’s hand manages to overwhelm us all. That general of theirs changed everything… he might just be what the Legion needs to pull off a win.”

“Him… he’s our target for this coming invasion. We’ll clear the path, sure, but beyond that it’s all him.” I agreed with Pa on that. I had some misgivings about making a strategic weapon on par with an island destroyer, but the general needed to go. “We can’t make any sacrifice plays, but we’ll give it as good as we got before running away if we can’t take him down.”

Pa’s shoulders slumped with relief, and a smile formed on his face at my statement.

“Good. That’s what I like to hear. Now, let’s get to eating. Otherwise, the food’ll get cold.”

Thankfully, even with all my worries, I was able to enjoy a meal with my father.

…

Ahead of the UN’s second assault, a series of daring raids were deployed against us, which were exotic in their origin.

The first was a creature that was sent onto the moon through a gap. It was a wriggling mass of scaled flesh that broke out of a prison of iron and proceeded to make more tears. Tears from which more of its kind began to enter the moon. In under an hour, there was a swarm of the strange, wriggling masses of flesh with teeth and eyes.

They were strong physically and even had some sort of heat-ray attack, but the Imps tore through them like paper. When the smaller ones realized this, they worked together to bring out bigger creatures. Some were able to fly, others were humanoid and made of wriggling flesh, and even a gigantic one came through that resembled a giant starfish.

In the end, though, they were made of flesh; even if that flesh was tough, it wasn’t tougher than steel, and their attacks were heat-based, even if they faintly glowed.

Imps ripped through them, and they served as food.

We tried to keep some of the smaller ones alive to keep summoning in a cave, but they escaped through the same tears that they made.

I tried to get an Imp through the tears, but it was met with too much physical force and thermal energy even for it to endure.

Whatever that place was, it’ll be a good place to get food and train.

The second exotic attack was along the same vein.

A demonic summoning circle unfolded just outside the fortress, and a horde of demons came forward hungry for opponents and souls.

Lia wasn’t a fan of them. They took souls and tormented them to use as power. So, she went there on her own.

Through the portal, after it was opened, after dealing with everything that came through in less than a minute.

After that the portal closed and she reappeared, not very pleased, because she was banished back before reaching a well.

They always managed to kick us out somehow.

Anyway, besides those two attacks, there were more satellites and reconnaissance. No more automated drone soldiers that replicated, but plenty of small machines that gathered surveillance data. There were flyovers of some stealth craft, but besides that, it looked like everything was just gearing up for the next battle with the Sentinels at the lead.

So, just in case, I relocated the underground base we built up into a cavern we carved out deep in the crust. The benefit of having a base that was built in a shell of darkness was that I could just move it, along with all the portals we needed to stay wired in.

With that done and the spot in the moon we occupied filled in, we just sat down and waited for the coming attack.

And, surprisingly, it came from the Sentinels.

“Have you seen that before?” It was a massive sword of light that formed from an immense magical circle with the five of them working in concert. Four were in cardinal directions, while one was at the center. It was blue, the sword-wielder, and once the sword formed, she held it up. A skyscraper-sized sword condensed into one fit for a single hand… and she swung it. “That seems new.”

“No. It seems that they have adapted to the current situation.” Ebb’s gaze was firmly on the Sentinels. The small sword disappeared with the swing and turned into a slash of light that was just a meter wide but many kilometers long. It flashed after fully forming, and then suddenly the dome was cut and breaking apart. I couldn’t help but let loose a whistle as the film that I forged unveiled the palace of darkness that I created on the moon’s surface. “Interesting. The attack is persisting and weakening many of the soldiers.”

“Sounds like a good opening attack. Shock and awe followed by a debuff.” Alex watched with us. We had a massive room where the walls showed what was seen in the battlefield. It was always important to watch this sort of thing as to not make the next season just a rehash. I was thinking a floating, moving city on the ocean would make for a good second-season base. We’ll bring back the palatial fortress of darkness in the fourth season, but on Earth. “Oldie but a goody. Start strong, but do something to keep the fight in your favor.”

Space warped over the palace, and the ISS Unity formed high above. The Sentinels covered it in protection, and so we couldn’t board it any more. Multiple transports detached while it used its point-defense lasers to start attacking. They were meant to be defensive, but in the vacuum of space any sufficiently powerful laser could travel vast distances without issue. Being a form of light and probably enhanced by the Sentinels, the lasers carved through buildings made of darkness with ease while a deluge of heroes came forth.

“Feh. If we weren’t holding back, this would be a failure of a landing. Titans could have grasped the station and brought it down. The ground could have swallowed every single transport.” Ebb groused as the heroes got to work making a landing zone. There were a lot of the new Akimitsu series cyborgs on the field going to work with blades of light and crackling electricity. They took on the swarms, carving through multiple imps at once, and practically flew across the battlefield. “These new machines are powerful, though. If an army of them were created, they would pose a problem.”

“We’ll secure a few and see if we can turn them our way. Probably won’t work, though.” AI was treated very carefully since a bunch already went crazy. These cyborgs had mostly human brains augmented with cybernetics. Not enough flesh to be considered people, but not enough machine to be monsters was the design principle. Suddenly, as one was speared through and destroyed, a soul came through. “Oh, huh. They’re people.”

The implication that the cyborg soldiers had souls was worrying, but at the very least they’ll be included in our plans to capture everyone’s souls at once.

“They’re supposed to be cloned brains controlled by tech. How can they have souls? That’s crazy. There’ll be riots if people find that out.” Alex weighed in with worry. “Are they just making people to be used like slaves?”

Out of curiosity, I took a look at the dead cyborg’s soul and almost raised an eyebrow.

“They’re not human souls. It’s different. More focused, precise, and honest.”

“A subservient artificial species. Not the first we’ve encountered. They deserve freedom from eternal conflict like any other.” Ebb chimed in before refocusing the battle. “Hmph. It seems that immense blade was not their only superweapon. Look.”

I did, and I stared for a bit before pumping my fist.

How couldn’t I when the Sentinels made their own titan and sent it careening towards the palace?

Magical girls with giant magical robots are the best!

My Weekly Gag Villain Job is Pretty Fulfilling: Chapter 19

My Weekly Gag Villain Job is Pretty Fulfilling: Chapter 19

…

Commissioned by Arksoul

…

Interlude: Adam

…

The erasure of an entire island in but a few moments radicalized the world.

The scale of the attack was on par with a thermonuclear weapon.

Inroads into dictatorships trading with the Legion stalled immediately. After their new trading partner showcased immense strength, they were eager to continue their trade relations in hopes of gaining them as allies. Some were even wondering how much they would need to give to gain access to the potent weapon, as every dictator dreamed of having strategic deterrence as part of their arsenals.

The few countries in the world that were on the fence chose sides at the showcase of strength. Most joined with the coalition moving to defend against the Legion, with a focus on disrupting their ability to appear anywhere and launch a devastating attack. The few that decided to withdraw any support against the Legion showed interest in providing tribute in exchange for assurances, and they were small nations that could not afford to pay the cost in rare metals that the ritual would require.

Most notably, however, there was a focused increase in our budget along with the construction of numerous vehicles that will launch for the moon. While the station was still under repairs, while the individuals with the most potent powers trained, waves of reconnaissance drones were going to be sent to understand the nature of our enemy.

The first arrived on the moon, piercing the shadowy dome on its surface, and revealed a sprawling palace and fortress.

“Damn, that’ll be one hell of a thing to land on.” Thunderer remarked. “At least we won’t have to worry about moon dust.”

The entire surface was covered by a sheet of shadow. Ebony spires and walls shifted and moved like mazes. Titanic shadow creatures lumbered, and the path cleared for them, while they gathered shadow in their hands and formed towers and small fortresses. Flocks of shadow birds flew about, transforming into Imps as they landed, and they shaped shadows into spikes, moats, and more. Then they rose into the towers, melding with them, and I noted how they did not obstruct each other’s vision.

“They know the station will be protected against intrusion on its next pass. Those spires house Imps that will transform and fly at us like projectiles. If they miss, they’ll return and launch again.” Living projectiles composed of shadow used as guided missiles. Ones that can latch onto hulls and tear them apart and which can return to launch again if they miss. “This is a defensive installation designed to tear any landing force apart.”

“Any force barring the Guardians of Light.” Akimitsu stated demurely but with a calm certainty that drew many eyes her way. Clad in a white suit with a red tie, she was undoubtedly presentable for the occasion. “They will participate in the landing and clear a path. However, for them to reach that palace, they will need assistance. The Legion has been provided more supplies than they expected.”

I grimaced at those words, especially as more than a few curses came forth from our gathered group.

Tension between countries that supplied the Legion and those who didn’t was escalating. Army and navy groups were moving to confront warlords and to take over nations that wished to tithe. Fingers were being pointed, and blame was being thrown around, as the enemy who took over the moon now had a knife at everyone’s throats.

No one was mentioning that the Legion gathered most of its resources before they were decided to be a threat. Many statisticians and economists pointed to the historically low prices of many rare metals across the world for the last year. Thousands of tons of rare materials were traded for vast quantities of grain and foodstuffs that were turned into Imps. Investigations of the deep sea reported movement in the abyssal depths, and many were sure that the depths of Earth’s oceans were being plundered… and that it would almost be impossible to dislodge the Legion from the ocean’s depths, especially as they were not the sole threat there.

But that was beside the point.

War was coming, many people would die, and there would be further radicalization and destruction… if our assault failed.

Therefore, we needed to succeed.

Too much was on the line for us to fail.

“We should ask for assistance.” Thunderer stated bluntly. Everyone thought it, but none dared to say it. There were those who fought against world-ending threats and even threats to our entire realities. Some heroes of the world were out there protecting us against the whims of mighty interstellar empires. They would be of great help. “I know there are threats besides the Legion, but this is something that can tip the entire world over into war.”

A general murmur took to the room before a bevy of promises came forth that people will contact who they know.

But the outpouring of support was not there, despite the new threat that arose.

As people spoke to one another and coordinated, I turned my gaze back to the screen where we saw into the immense dome.

The Guardians told us that they were confident in their ability to destroy vast amounts of the forces of darkness, but what if it was different now? What if this was not them merely facing a horde but a competent army that supported itself and worked to isolate them from one another? How can they possibly not be overwhelmed… if the strength that they showed us was all that they had?

I had a feeling that with the coming landing upon the moon, we’ll know the true measure of the Guardians of Light as well as the Legion of Shadow.

They have defeated the darkness before after being pushed to the brink.

The only way that they could do it now was if they had strength that they didn’t wish to reveal.

…

The first season finale was shaping up to be something very special.

Numerous attempts were being made to infiltrate our presence on the moon. Teleported troops without any identifiers. Small ships that somehow moved through space without exhaust. Dozens of satellites were in the moon’s orbit, and most of them pushed through some sort of dimensional gate. After the island was destroyed, international interest in us increased, and now everyone was coming out to play with their more exotic toys.

There were even attempted abductions of a couple imps through some sort of interdimensional rift.

They learned quickly that was a bad idea when more imps came through its shadow, and they spat us out.

There was even a robot incursion in a crater. A replicating robot that rapidly built up gauss weapons and heat rays and built up from mines and factories; it built itself. The facility destroyed itself and its robots when it realized that I was farming it for weapons and refined metals.

Overall, humanity was waking up to us being a threat, and the gates were opening to showcase its true strength to us.

And, of course, it was validating my choice to stay back, keep calm, and build up while no one suspected a thing.

The Guardians of Light were strong, but the real threat came from the planet that managed to survive dozens of apocalyptic events by handily defeating them while holding back hundreds of others.

Sure, they were panicked, but I’ve looked through the history books.

Earth and humanity have advanced at a ludicrously fast pace, and if we let our guard down, it’ll shank us in the ribs. They have dozens of scientific avenues to work with and explore with incredibly bright minds. There are extradimensional anomalies exploited for resources that make reality act like playdough. Then, besides the magic given by the Light, there’s regular magic that’s always been present. With one wrong move, if we raise the tension a bit too high, then the big hitters will turn around and hit us with overwhelming force.

The fact that we were being tested and prodded was already a bad sign, so I was glad that we were getting ready to bug out.

I’ll lay low for a few months, make all the Imps trawl the oceans and start farming algae, and then start season 2 off with a kaiju attack.

Going from outer space to the abyss of the ocean should be a good enough change of pace.

I was drawn out of my thoughts by Alex rising out of the shadow of a stool and clambering onto it.

“Dang, things are getting crazy down there. Glad that we’re wrapping this up. Otherwise, we’ll get hit with the hammer.” Alex gave me a nod when I raised a glass her way. She put her takeout on the counter while an Imp came forward with a root beer float for her. She thanked the Imp before turning back to me. “Any chance we can make them hurry up and clean the fortress up, though? A lot of people are starting to get worried.”

“I wish that we could, but any outward act we take now might just trigger a war, and we need to be obvious about that.” It was distressing, but humanity was turning on itself a little. Tensions were rising between nations that wanted to offer us everything we needed and those who wanted to defeat us. “It would be great if we could just say we intend to conquer the planet, but that would just have the big leagues look our way.”

“And getting folded into multiple dimensions is never fun.” Alex sighed before shaking her head. “Here, I got you and the boss something to try.”

“Oh? Thanks.” Lia popped into being and took a seat between me and Alex. I took the Styrofoam takeout container from her and opened it up. Half of the insides were stir-fried noodles, and the other half was fried shrimp with candied nuts covered in a sweet-smelling sauce/glaze. Lia looked at it, then looked at Alex with betrayal clear on her features. Alex snorted. “She was expecting gelato.”

“Contrast makes everything better. You’ll get sick of the stuff if it’s all you eat, no matter how many flavors we make. Besides, that stuff’s tooth-achingly sweet. You’ll love it.” Alex prodded Lia, and our boss took a moment. She tried it… and soon enough was chopping the takeout container’s contents down. “Good, right?”

The nearest Imp gave a thumbs-up, while Lia kept eating, and Alex caught my attention with a glance.

“Hey, listen, I know we’re making the right moves and playing the long game, but all this chaos is causing some gangs to start getting rowdy. People are getting hurt back where I used to live.” Alex stated, and I gave her my full attention. There was also an uptick in people accepting our offer. It was only natural that crime rates would rise as more people felt the pressure. “Your whole plan has me being some sort of rival for the Guardians, right? Why don’t I start cleaning up criminals? They only fight the Legion and work to save countries. I can help regular people.”

“Sounds pretty good to me. After the fortress is destroyed, you could even make yourself out to be someone who was under control. You can act like a hero, and then when we pop up, you’ll be controlled back to our side.” I brainstormed, and Alex nodded, while Lia finished up the fried shrimp covered in mayonnaise and honey with candied nuts. As crazy as the dish sounded, I had it myself. It was pretty good. Crunchy, chewy, sweet, savory, and piping hot with a slight seafood note with every bite. Crazy, but good. At least, we didn’t have to worry about physical health anymore. “What’ll you be doing, exactly?”

“Hm, well, I’ll admit it. I’m going the illegal vigilante route. Anything less than being cut off won’t do it for the gangs. They’re hardcore. You press back with just force and turn them in, and they’ll just bounce back and get clever.” Alex’s features hardened as she said clever. I had access to her memories and more, but I gave her privacy. She looked at me. “You look like you already know.”

“I prefer to put a barrier between what life I had before and what life I have now.” I admitted freely. The memories were there. I was still me. Being part of the Legion, however, allowed me greater control over myself. That included how I viewed my past. Everything was in perfect clarity, and I could view it however I wished. Seeing everything from the outside and seeing the lives of so many people all over the world… practically confirmed the belief that led me to meet Lia. There’s good in the world, but it’s not worth all the suffering. “I do know about them, and they hurt me plenty, but I haven’t gone out of my way to get rid of them or anything. But I agree that they cause a lot of hurt and that working against them is good.”

I prodded Lia for an answer on her end, since she had the final verdict on how our powers were used.

She gave a decisive and stoic nod at Alex.

Well, it would’ve been if her face wasn’t covered in crumbs, a noodle, and even some sauce.

I got a napkin to wipe her face while she sat still.

“Alright, that’s… good. I mean, yeah, I was sure you’d agree, but it’s still something else to know it after asking.” Alex stated slowly and started digging into her own food. She had some orange chicken, rice, fried rolls, and broccoli beef. A standard order from a Chinese restaurant. It was good that she was following her own philosophy by ordering vegetables. Once we got money, it was months before I ate a vegetable and appreciated it. “We’re sending them off to sleep anyway, right? Anything I deal with just gets captured.”

“That’s right. Even if you wanted to exact some sort of vengeance, it’s impossible. Your presence alone guarantees it.” I confirmed, and Alex nodded. She wasn’t concealing the fact that she might want to hurt the people she’ll be after. She could certainly do a lot of harm by consigning them to an eternity of conflict until they reached peace with themselves in one of innumerable lives. That simply wasn’t possible because of her current state. She was composed of darkness, and it was strengthened in her presence. Anything dead by her hand, even circumstantially, went to us. “Don’t worry about it. Just go out there and root out the bad guys.”

She nodded shakily in response, and she froze when Lia looked her way and shared a singular concept with her. The truth of eternity and thousands of realities that already reached heat death with countless souls lost. Uncountable souls waiting for the infinitely small chance that light, heat, and movement will return and herald life once again so that they could try again. Endless effort with endless pain and suffering, with only the few reaching a state of true peace.

Some would say that a fraction of infinity is still infinity.

But they still fought for fewer souls than we did.

Eroge? Bad Ends? Betrayal? I'm Just Here to Suplex Monsters through Buildings.

Armbars are awesome (5.1).

…

“Sorry for being late; I needed to recover from losing an arm and a leg.” I raised a hand towards Asakura as she entered the office. Her mother sat behind a desk, while Kine and Helena sat across from me. We were having tea and cookies. “I also needed to stay under the radar, because I blew up the red-light district.”

“I… I see. That’s understandable. How did you survive the Argent Knight?” Asakura blinked before immediately asking me questions while giving me a hidden hand signal. She signed ‘flash,’ and I signed ‘lightning.’ I had three different responses. This one signaled that I was in good health and with allies. “I thought you covered yourself in multiple explosives to prevent capture or torture.”

“I did. They blew up, I was sent flying, and I hit Helena’s car. Since then I’ve been recovering with her help. She got in trouble, I got some bounties, and I nabbed a big one with this Lupercal’s help.” Helena looked a bit miffed with how I summarized the last two or so months. “I asked your mother for a new identity and entry into the school, but apparently that’s going to be a problem?”

“Your former clan has… changed because of your death. Your mother is on a warpath after taking it over.” Asakura took a seat beside me and looked at me like I was a ghost. I snorted and extended a hand her way, and she took it before letting go with a nod. Handholding in a world filled with depravity and debauchery? I guess it would be reserved for someone you know coming back from the dead. “It may be prudent to tell her, at least.”

“Sure, go ahead.” I didn’t have any ill feelings regarding my mother. She was dealt a horrific hand and did her best to go on with her life. As far as I was concerned, the fact that she went and started killing monsters after I died made us even. “Probably for the best that the secret doesn’t go any farther than that… or the people outside the door.”

I looked towards the door along with everyone else, and Leona and Alecia entered sheepishly.

“Hey, wow. You’re actually alive, like Lady Hiyo thought. That’s… crazy.” Leona looked different for a second but returned to having black hair and Hispanic features after a moment. She looked at me, probably scanning me, and her brow furrowed. Dressed in a black and white suit, she looked like she was half-butler, half-bodyguard. “You’re different though. Not completely human anymore?”

“His blood sings of power and strength now. Facing that fossil and surviving must have led to his bloodline activating.” Alecia stated. She lengthened her hair to her waist and was wearing a high-waisted leotard with a sailor fuku design at the top. The material was glossy and thin for the leotard, and it was also sleeveless. The same material was worn as thigh-highs and elbow-length gloves but in black. Basically, a bunny outfit without the tail and the ears. Yep, definitely a hentai school. “I see that you have survived. Congratulations.”

There were a lot of responses I could make, but I chose the one that would piss her off the most.

I just ignored her and offered Leona a shrug.

“No idea. I was ready; I set my charges off, and then I slammed into her car.” I jabbed my thumb at Helena. “Regeneration is higher. More internal energy, too. Tougher. But control is shot in everything. If I let loose, I’m practically running on instinct and killing like a beast.”

That was when Asakura’s mother decided to speak up.

“Our venerated ancestor will know more. For now, let us speak on the traitor. Lupercal, you said you heard mention of him?”

Kine gave a nod and put the picture of Asakura’s former friend down, along with the blood vial she was provided.

“There’s been a new player making waves in some satellite cities. Taking over gangs, gathering power, and killing any bounty hunters sent his way. They managed to catch his scent for future hunters. The blood’s not the same. Only nine tenths. The new blood smells of demons.” Kine shook her head and sighed. “That meant he got left alone by most hunters. We don’t usually tangle with demons, even for big payouts. Our life’s one thing, but our souls? Not worth the risk.”

“That is a prudent choice. Daichi was one of the strongest frontline fighters of the clan, and now he calls upon infernal strength as well.” The Hiyo Clan’s chief stated. “If you are willing, we will hire you as a tracker and supporter. Our intention is the death of the traitor, given his familiarity with our ways and lands.”

I looked over at Asakura at that statement, and she sighed.

“No, Keita. One traitor will not have us relocate our entire clan. This is a redoubt and a haven for many.” Since she already knew what I was going to say and didn’t want to do it, I didn’t bother saying anything. Instead, I refocused on the target. “How much is his current bounty?”

“Three million. Dead. Usually these don’t stay up for long. No one takes it up; they just cancel it. The bounty board doesn’t want targets on their backs.” It made sense. Small fry can get weeded out by regular people with enough money if they’ve pissed off enough. Once you reach the level of strength like Asakura? If you want a payout for them, you deal with the people who hate them or want them dead one on one. Crowdfunding doesn’t get you very far. “My tracker rate is usually just three thousand a month, but I’ll take on the job for ten thousand a month.”

Kine laid out the number ready to be bargained down… and the Hiyo clan’s head’s lips quirked slightly into a small smile.

“Done.” She said it before I could intervene.

I sighed and just looked at the wolf-eared girl whose eyes were alive with shock. With a shake of my head, she froze and turned to me as if to ask why.

“You just undersold yourself. Tracking rates for demons is a thousand a day.” I told her, and she all but started panicking. For a moment, I considered stepping in, but she needed to learn, and this was a relatively safe environment. “Good luck getting what you’re actually worth.”

“W-wait, what!? Umm, can we renegotiate? I didn’t know!” Kine panicked, and Asakura’s mom just smiled in reply. In moments, the wolf girl’s ears flattened and her shoulders slumped. She turned to me with big glistening eyes. “Kay, help please?”

I snorted.

“I’ll handle her contract as a liaison under me.” I told Lady Hiyo, and she gave a nod. Kine sighed with relief but suddenly went stiff and looked towards Alecia. Did it really take you that long to realize that a super overpowered vampire is right there? At least you’re ready to draw that gun on your hip. “What can I expect for my services?”

“A full scholarship for attendance at our academy along with three million for past services rendered. Your distraction and assumption of all risks have been acknowledged by the clan.” It was a smart move on their end. I said I wanted to attend their school already, so they gave it to me for ‘free’ when it normally costs eighteen million. The thing was that adding another student took very little effort. The faculty and infrastructure are there already, after all. Fabricating some uniforms and getting some more supplies barely mattered in the grand scheme of things, either. “For the current search for our traitor, we will match the current bounty and add an additional two million if captured alive for sealing and future disposal.”

They were taking the situation seriously. Sealing entities was always expensive, but it pinned creatures down on a spiritual level. It allowed for them to be truly annihilated, too. Just killing Daichi would send him to Hell, where he’ll exist and be prey for stronger entities, but someone can pull him out again and continue to be a threat to the Hiyo Clan.

“I’ll take that deal. Now, what about dealing with his conspirators already here? I bet you already found some upstarts who thought the boss was dead, but whoever he’s really in cahoots with is probably laying low now.” Asakura looked towards her mother, who was silent at my words. I probably hit the nail right on the head. “They’ll be looking for new people to contact and bring into the fold after their plan is compromised. Who better than a no-name orphan taken in out of pity? I don’t mind my new identity being used as bait.”

“There is no evidence of any more conspirators remaining, but we will offer a ten percent increase to your current reward amount to potentially act as bait.” I easily nodded at that offer and accepted the deal. The Hiyo Clan’s leader sighed. “I suppose you’d like to use that money to peruse our vaults now?”

Some would take all the money I suddenly gained and run.

But as tempting as the idea was, I was more inclined to use it to get a magical weapon.

It’ll wipe out my newly acquired wealth, but getting a primary weapon that’s guaranteed to hurt anything out there was worth it.

“Yeah, let’s do that.” I agreed with a nod. “Lead the way.”

“There is no need. The vault is right here where it is the most protected.” Lady Hiyo stood up and pressed a button on her desk, and then the wall behind her with the family seal began to open. A pure white room, larger than it should be and where empty space should have been relative to the office’s position, revealed itself. The walls were covered in innumerable weapons. Some were old and carefully maintained. Others looked straight out of sci-fi. All of them reeked of power, and after some observation, I learned the subspace room wasn’t linked to the office but to the Hiyo Clan’s head. “Let us find what suits you, young warrior.”

Alright, damn.

You got me.

An armory full of magical weapons linked to your clan head to use in combat and keep secure is rad as hell. Horrible in case you pick the wrong leader, naturally, but I had a feeling the Hiyo Clan overcame that issue via their secret ancestor probably being a part of the appointment process.

Man, I want a vault filled with stupid OP weapons that I can just call on whenever I want!

…

Interlude: Asakura Hiyo, the Fiery Blade

…

Ten minutes ago, I thought him dead, yet now Keita was perusing our enchanted armory with almost childish enthusiasm.

“And this one?”

“That is a battle-axe with the ability to consume an attack and use that attack to empower itself.” Mother explained each one that caught his interest with courtesy. I followed behind her. Leona and Alecia were left with Keita’s new companions. The Lupercal and Vampire were already butting heads while Leona and the young woman were getting along fine. “It stores itself as a band of metal on the individual using it and unfurls in an instant.”

“Alright, that’s the top pick for now. What about this spear?” Keita moved to another weapon. He was instructed to pick from the first floor. All the weapons present there were replicable through current methods, thus making them worth only several million each. “It smells like lightning.”

“It is a replica of a powerful staff used to create thunderstorms. This spear can only do so thrice a day but is strong enough to be used as a melee weapon.” Mother curated with practiced ease, ignoring what was going on in her office with professionalism that I wished I could replicate. “You will need a specialized seal to carry it about, and it will weigh thrice as much inside it.”

“Second place. Lightning is good, especially with all the tech that’s going around.” He gave a nod before moving onto the end of the first floor. He ignored most of the weapons. “This doesn’t feel like a weapon.”

It was a talisman deck, and he was right. At first observation, there was no innate sensation that the talismans it contained were deadly.

Mother gave a nod.

“These are familiar talismans that transform into birds and extend one’s sight and senses. However, the paper they’re composed from is of a carbon nanotube and synthetic diamond.” Mother took the talisman deck and pulled one forth. The pitch-black paper with glittering strands woven through it formed into a small hummingbird. It flew silently and zipped through the room and returned to her in a blink. “They act much like homing missiles when activated, can be easily concealed, and are used as traps. They return to being talismans and their wielder after ten seconds. After that, they will slowly gather power from the environment and be available to use in a minute. This deck contains thirty-two.”

Mother looked at him, and we both knew his choice.

“I’ll take it.” It was a utility tool, a trap, and a lethal barrage of speeding projectiles that could be unleashed in an instant. Given their speed and material composition, they were equal to heavy machine gun rounds. Against mortals, one would be enough to kill several in an instant if they were too close together. Against skilled ninja, thirty-two unleashed at once would injure them. “Pleasure doing business with you, Lady Hiyo.”

Mother bowed in return, while Keita took his new weapon with a gleam in his eye.

I was sure he’ll soon be determining how much each bird could carry and how fast they can deliver an explosive.

We left the vault, and it closed with a wave of Mother’s hand, and once again we were at the office.

I was ready to speak to Alecia, but then the door suddenly opened.

It was Catherine, possibly late because of her class, and she froze at the threshold.

Suddenly, her pupils dilated and her glamour fell away, while a deep flush came upon her face. A shudder came upon her body while her eyes fluttered, and she suddenly took a heaving breath while her shoulders slumped. She went almost cross-legged, and there was a darkening of the fabric between her legs. She began to pant and had to slam her hand against the doorway to stop herself from falling forward into the room.

Idly, I recalled that Alecia had noted Keita’s blood had grown stronger since his return, and I realized that something else of him may have grown stronger due to the half-succubus’s reaction.

I was ready to react and stop her, but to my immense surprise… Catherine suddenly went rigid and bolted away in a show of great restraint and self-control.

Instead of falling prey to her own instincts, she ran.

V13: Chapter 3

V13: Chapter 3

…

Interlude: She Who Runs Red With Promise

…

For a moment, the sound of thunder and screaming metal paused, and what remained of our forces found solace in the silence. Some ran, others fell to their knees, and a few laughed, believing that they passed a great test.

However, in the darkness from which a vast fortress was faintly outlined by falling stars, there came a rumble.

Then, suddenly, amongst our ranks there was screaming.

I turned my gaze and beheld our own dead beginning to move.

The ancestors once called upon the dead as their armies. They waged war across the stars with relentless zeal. A force that grew stronger as they slew their enemies. While the ancestors made use of beasts as auxilia, their main force was the dead, so they made use of beasts even in their passing. Some were granted more intellect and magic, but the vast majority were nothing more than cadavers made to move and kill.

Now, that army was let loose upon us.

Why would the ancestors accept inheritors who could not surmount the masses they use? They drown their foes.

I understood their reasoning, yet I could still barely look as the fallen arose, screamed, and rushed at their former comrades. Many were just bone held together by scraps of flesh, greatly weakened from the torrent of magic and ancient technology thrown our way, but they came from our many dead. They beset the wounded first, killing them and adding to their number. Soldiers who still had their wits and were hale fought and slew them with ease, but after the first dozen came another, and they were subsumed beneath the tide.

But most of our force were believers who wielded spears and were lucky to have leather armor.

Against an enemy that wore the faces of their friends, neighbors, and families, they could only be consumed and torn apart.

For every warrior that fell slaying dozens, dozens of the faithful died without slaying one of the Undead.

That alone was enough to shatter the army’s will, and calls for retreat resounded.

But that was not enough.

From the dreadful fort cloaked in darkness, which spat out flying knives and thunderous projectiles upon us, gates were opened and giants came forth. Each one as tall as a house and just as wide, they were covered in chainmail and covered in overlapping plates of black armor. They were not ogres, trolls, or other monstrous beasts. Their large forms were too elegant and refined, even if they were bulky. Not only that, but their steps were measured, they moved with easy grace, and each one carried a different weapon on their person, each one suited for their immense size; thus, they were closer to battering rams than mundane armaments.

Our faithful’s cadavers were naught but a means to slow us for the true vanguard.

But against them alone there might have been some hope.

Officers were rising to the occasion. They were rallying people, gathering beasts, and calling for retreat. Warriors were carving a path, and the injured were ready to delay the coming giants.

But that hope faded with the outpouring of power unlike anything else I ever felt in my life.

It was greater than even the greatest of rituals, where thousands of beasts were sacrificed to keep whole cities powered for years. The font of power was so mighty that it drove away the night and cast everything in the harshest splendor. My eyes became wet with tears as I beheld a great pillar of golden light arising from the center of the fortress. The dreadful construct of overlapping walls bristling with monsters rather than mere beasts was writ small as I strained my eyes to look upon the center of the pillar of light.

She was divinity without question. A beautiful form sculpted to evoke sensuality, motherly affection, and lethality all at once. Upon a perfect skeletal frame without flaw were bands of muscle with perfect symmetry and parallelism. Fat and skin worked in concert to garb the muscle and bone to showcase divinity through strength and grace. A living, breathing masterpiece sculpture with a visage that would make most weep and a form that entices all onlookers.
Garbed in living vines and leaves, as well as flowing fabrics that shielded her but tantalized at the same time, she was undoubtedly what our ancestors spoke of.

The divine entity that we must bring to heel and elevate our people beyond even what we once had.

She was here now.

But we were insufficient; our curses still weighed us down, and so we cannot hope to take her for ourselves to seize the future.

Motes of light began to fall from the sky.

And a great and terrible flame descended upon the battlefield that began to burn all. No larger than snowflakes, they fell and fell like rain upon the army. All who remained had been enraptured by her beauty and grace. All present knew the same as I—that we looked upon utopia personified, our ultimate dream made manifest—and we all knew that we were to be judged… and that we were still unworthy.

As we began to burn, I wondered how many felt betrayal.

How many believed that we should have had the chance to seize the Citadel before facing our final dream?

As the titans began to move forward, as the whole battlefield was covered by radiant motes that burned away all, I knew that we were not betrayed by our ancestors.

This was a test of the whole of the empire, and we came here with a fragment of a fragment. Over countless centuries many were lost to us. Our teachers were bastardized and used by others to sway the multitudes. Innovation begat comfort, and we forgot our curses while focusing our gazes on our neighbors and peers who looked to our own lands. We even fought against one another and perished by the hundreds of thousands in innumerable wars before the current dynasty.

No, our ancestors did not fail us.

We failed them.

We forgot.

We broke.

Now, with the greatest hubris, we tried to breach paradise with insufficient force.

A mere frontier army bolstered by levied faithful.

Not the entire might of the nation.

As the motes struck me, as I began to fall from my perch, I surrendered myself to oblivion and cast myself down.

I could only pray that the rest of my people would see the truth and strike at this place with all that we had.

Otherwise, we will falter and fail.

And be consigned to an eternity in darkness.

…

Right.

I overprepared.

The force that came here really wasn’t ready for a valley-spanning artillery fortress, the army manning it, and the two Divine Engines I had on standby. Hell, from what I was seeing, I doubted that Eminent and Pinnacle were needed. If the enemy kept advancing, then the buried Citadel Guardians would’ve come into play and swarmed them. Given how badly they were mauled by combined arms, I doubted that they’d have survived the flood of living razor blades that followed, let alone managed to break through the first curtain wall.

At the very least, I confirmed one of my theories.

If enemy mages were hit with enough artillery at a constant enough rate, they’d be forced to use barriers instead of attacking. It vindicated my choice to have my own mages on standby and at the ready while letting my artillery deal damage. Once the enemy mages were dead, or at least retreating, that’s when I’ll use my own mages to supplement my artillery to lay waste to what remained.

Usually, in games, I use light cavalry and sacrifice them to kill enemy artillery. If they were being chased, then I hit whoever was chasing them with a spell, or maybe lured them into some entrenched infantry. Artillery goes on the enemy artillery because they can suppress each other, and it takes time for them to aim. It was also stupid to keep artillery in reserve, since if they were hidden and in reserve, the enemy would just shoot at your army with their own.

But that’s just me recalling easier days when I could just restart battles until I won.

“Ayah, recall ‘eminent’ and ‘pinnacle.’ They’ve done enough.” That was an understatement. Eminent’s amalgams hit the remnants of the army like a bunch of toddlers wading into a town filled with miniatures. There was no resistance, only bodies being thrown around, and time being thrown straight down the drain. The Summon Undead and Holy Radiance intro spells almost cracked the army, but the amalgams covered in armor and wielding real, oversized weapons routed it. Now it just needs to be cleaned up. “Tell all the mages and artillery crew to practice some long-range fire.”

My commands went through the room swiftly, and within minutes even the mages were firing into the enemy’s retreating lines.

“Shall we pursue, your majesty?” Ayah suddenly asked, and I turned her way. “The enemy is routed, but they may yet return.”

“No. We will not underestimate them. Even with this poor showing, they fight better at night, and they will find use in any soldiers that they capture. Kill them all at range, and those who escape… can be put down by our auxilia.” We knew these guys were coming thanks to a lot of Iterants stationed in secret in the ‘no man’s land’ between the mountains of the continent and the rest of the world. The stretch of land once occupied by ancient defenses was starting to grow some foliage, and that was enough for some of our own to be stationed there. They communicated with signal lamps, which were just handheld oil-powered lamps with shutters and an attached telescope. It was a recent innovation by my scholars, but it was already proving its worth. As slow as it was, flags, banners, messengers, and drums were reaching their limit with our army sizes. “Let those who survive warn those who will come after that only death awaits them here.”

Ayah relayed my messages, while I considered the other two crises that we were going to face.

The Ascendant corridor into the continent was between former Scholar lands and the Guardian’s main region.  In all honesty that was the iffiest of the entrances, so stationed Ilych, Morgan, and Rita there along with a lot of field cannons. Overlapping fields of fire, larger mines, and most of our new aircraft were there, along with reserves of what was left of our flying cavalry corps. Ascendants were weak to aircraft just like the Demons, but they caught on more quickly and deployed anti-air guns. Not as effective as having their own aircraft, but still decent. That’s why I ordered the planes to be built with armor upgrades in mind. I was willing to give those in the Ascendant corridor Citadel Alloy armor if the composites we were trying to make weren’t good enough. Their invasion is conventional, like the Demons, but with a focus on overcoming high-armor enemies and anti-army Champions.

After the Ascendant there were the Stymphalians. They had a nasty habit of having multiple places of entry. Lore-wise they had methods to create slipstreams that carried large flocks with a lot of materials up and over the mountain ranges. They couldn’t take much with them, but if given time, they’ll take over a small province, set up a landing zone, and suddenly they can be reinforced on your front lawn. They put that mobility to use, too. They ravage tiles, take populations from cities and towns, and are a massive nuisance that needs to be crushed swiftly and decisively.

If you ignore and don’t defend the land route while you’re chasing them down, you’ll find full army stacks walking on through. Their units are fragile but have high damage over time, and they kill morale very quickly. They use their swarms of slaves to hold ground decently, and if they aren’t killed in battle, the Stymphalian units will eat them to recover. Meanwhile, they had spellcaster Champions, whom you either had to face down when they’re low on mana after killing a lot of people in a city, or you had to face at full power before they killed a lot of people in a city.

It was good that their initial expeditions were stopped and they didn’t have forward operating bases, though.

The Stymphalians can jump over the mountains, but in the lore their slaves came through the ground route. Without a forward operating base, they can’t regenerate as fast and will suffer more heavily from attrition. There was also the fact that I had numerous outposts clearing the fog of war all over the continent and swarms of Guardians ready to dogpile any base that they build, along with Conqueror quick reaction forces armed with Citadel anti-material rifles. If they leapt into my lands, they were going to be in for a nasty surprise, especially since I have trained militias and holdout bunkers in every town so that I had to curtail any ‘foraging’ that they might do.

The Ascendant corridor, however, was the bigger problem. But not to me. The Guardians of the Moon had them and the Sahuagin as their two main crises. If my defense of the pass against the Ascendant held, that would mean that they’ll focus on Celia’s lands. There was no way she was going to hold her own chokepoints. She simply didn’t have the industrial capacity or the time to build up fortifications. Not to mention the fact that she didn’t have much anti-armor capability.

A part of me wanted to get on over there and help, and I even considered conceding the pass, but I decided against it.

“Send word to Celia to prepare. This is only the start.” Celia needed a trial by fire, something that’ll test her and give her forces the veterancy and experience they needed, especially since I handed her three Citadels. She needed the prestige of winning more battles without allied help, and more importantly, the Goddess of War needed to grow stronger. If the Goddess of War usurped Celia, she’ll still be bound to the alliance if she was anything like she was in the game, and the new units she’ll bring out will at least hold the Citadel regions. If the Citadels are besieged, though, that’s when things will get complicated, and I’ll need to betray whoever’s in charge to secure them. Not even one must fall. “Inform her that we can provide no military assistance. With these passes held, we will be launching an offensive.”

Ayah didn’t respond immediately, so I looked over my shoulder at her.

Something close to shock was on her features, though the smile forming on her face was unnerving.

“An offensive? Truly? Not just Iterant sabotage?”

Must be because of its grudge against the crises.

“Correct. We have taken the initiative by destroying their initial forces. Now, we will go forth and destroy their ability to make war in the regions closest to us.” I confirmed easily and gave her a nod while moving out of the command center. “We will go forth, we will destroy what we can, take what we can, and burn all that is left.”

A sea of radioactive cobalt suddenly came to mind… But I didn’t want to let the Red Mist out of the bottle unless necessary.

No.

A firestorm will do.

The 44th Son of the Heavenly Demon is a House Husband!?

As a Househusband, Ensuring Security Is Vital (3.2)

…

Those damn pirates had the last laugh, as we found no trace of the child’s village in sight. Talking to neighboring villages confirmed my fears, in that they wiped her home off the face of the planet, literally leaving no one alive. Any hopes I had of finding a local sect to foist her off to were dashed, too, as they remarked that her talent and ability were too great for them to train. That if she was left with them, she would not reach her full potential.

Meaning that they didn’t have the resources to spare to raise her to her full ability without compromising their own people’s development.

Would you take in someone who’ll eat up precious resources and probably go to another sect after they’ve reached a certain age?

No, that’d be insane, so they dressed up their refusal nicely and told us that she’s our problem.

The one silver lining was that Seol was pleased with the result.

“Yes, very good. You learn quickly!” Seol hand-fed the girl the basics of the Namgoong school in a single week. If that sounds batshit insane to you… Congrats, you’re normal. Every single warrior with us was first-class, and their morale was in the dumps. What took them years to do with the support of their family, the mastery of the Namgoong’s fundamental arts, was being achieved by a 12-year-old given a stick. “You’ll have everything down within the year, I am sure!”

The crazier part was this was within Seol’s expectations.

“Lady Namgoong, the child requires rest.” I stepped in mostly for the sake of the guards. The kid was covered in sweat, panting, and red in the face, but she was obviously still capable of going. She’d been training for more than three hours, and it was obvious as to why. The Namgoong’s sword style cultivated Yang energy, while the child was pretty much filled to the brim with Yin. Training with the Namgoong style gave her balance. An intoxicating balance that made it necessary to enforce rest on her when she’d rather train. “Come along, dinner is ready. I hunted a beast, and it is ready for consumption.”

“Ah, I should have assisted you. Forgive me.” Seol gave a small bow, and I mustered all the grace I could to shake my head and wave the apology aside. I meant it, too. Hanging around a bunch of guys with their spirits broken was tough on me mentally. Hunting down a giant flaming boar, meanwhile, was almost relaxing. “A great display of skill. I had not noticed you had fought it and butchered it.”

“I have a deft hand in the slaying of monsters.” I told her evenly. One of the few things in my past life that gave me an advantage was my willingness to spend time understanding my enemies. Hunting giant animals that can use internal energy, or even demonic beasts, was far easier when you studied them. For example, the giant flaming boar I killed had only two attacks for me to fear. A charge propelled by explosive flame and a flaming breath attack. Everything else I could just avoid, and after piercing its heart I had to be mindful of a deluge of flame that would erupt thereafter. “This one had the courtesy of preparing itself once slain, too.”

The house-sized boar roasted itself upon death. I had to gut it and remove its entrails before it tainted the rest of the meat, but that was easy enough. Now the small town that was hosting us was upon it. The choice cuts and the core went to us, along with the hide, but the excess was purchased by the town at a steep discount. Already musicians were gathering, performers were plying their trade, and people were dancing with full bellies. Most of the peasantry ate meat once a year at most and only a small piece. Today they could all eat their fill and have plenty for the weeks to come if they properly stored it.

“You have outdone yourself.” Seol took in my work, and I gave a bow in gratitude while also handing her the proceeds. It was proper protocol for the head to receive everything first, and I adhered to it. I’ll end up seeing a cut of it for my own ‘purse’ later. Seol had no reason at all to deny me, so I had nothing to fear. “Will you join me for dinner, then?”

“Of course, Lady Namgoong.” The child watched our interaction but stayed close to Seol. She was fine with the Namgoong warriors. They were all refined and fair-skinned with slender bodies. “Good evening, child, may I have dinner with you this evening?”

Meanwhile, even though I wore finer clothes, I still had a more rugged body and fierce features.

My mother was a barbarian princess from faraway lands who I met exactly once, and she told me to survive with all my might before turning her back to me. I had sisters and brothers who were much stronger than me, so she was fine in the court. Hopefully, she was better off. The fact she visited me once in person at my mud hut probably saved my life a hundred times over.

Anyway, what I was getting at was that I looked closer to the pirates that stole her away than her rescuers.

Probably didn’t help that she picked up on my innate nature, too.

The child was quiet and looked away but gave a nod.

“I am grateful.” I told her honestly. The child latched onto Seol, and I had a bad feeling that she was going to be given the mentor role. I hoped that it’ll just be a few years and she’ll move onto her next grand adventure. Otherwise, the Namgoong might get wiped out and force her onto it. “May I escort you, Lady Namgoong?”

“You may.” Seol offered me her hand, and I led her to our table.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to find out what happened to this child, so she can go and find out her past on her own without having us get annihilated to start off her journey.

Seol’s a good person with a bright future, despite how she was raised as a weapon.

I won’t have her fall just because this child needed a reason to leave.

There were options involving the Demonic Cult that I could pursue, but I wouldn’t.

After all, Seol and the child were getting along well.

…

Interlude: The 7th Sword Saint of the Namgoong Clan, Seol

…

I knew I should not fault Lian for her innate nature, but still I found myself unable to stop myself from treating her harshly.

It was obvious with the way she stared at my husband that her thoughts were on how to secure him!

It was not the child’s fault, of course.

Her Qi was heavily Yin-aligned. Undoubtedly, the pirates intended to make her their champion and have her reliant upon them for Yang energy. They have left her untouched solely to ensure that her Qi would be concentrated and permeate her body. Mental contamination would have been used as a lever to ensure loyalty of a skilled cultivator, and they would have conquered the river until an elite of a true sect arrived to grant her mercy.

Now, though, even though I forced her through many techniques that would make Yang energy blossom within her… she was ingratiating herself towards Rui!

She was not yet a seductress or a temptress, but it was obvious.

With all the Namgoong warriors, she was cheerful and happy, eager to be seen as a young child. All our warriors are balanced in Yin and Yang. They are centered, strong, and of little use to someone with unbalanced Yin energies.

Rui was a font of Yang energy barely balanced by nodes of Yin to stabilize his Qi. It was the way of the Demonic Sect to reach for extremes and counterweight them only with what was needed. Rui’s many Yin nodes born of meditation and careful training were a testament to his conservative nature even when approaching his family’s martial arts. It was why he was so clear-headed and calm when so many of his family were so passionate in their actions.

Of course, still, he remained a font of Yang energy that was irresistible to a Yin-natured young woman.

Unconsciously, she stayed away from him, never being too close to be seen as an affectionate younger sister. When she would go to others without a word, she would avoid him and only go to his side with trepidation and never look his way. In the eyes of most, it was as though she feared him, and I had no doubt when we returned home, she would search for every reason to avoid him.

But once she comes of age and matures, it will change.

She will be a vixen prowling in the corner of my vision. Someone with innate charm and beauty, as well as the ability to weave illusions when trained. I will need to be careful, as she will connive to take him for herself. Rui was honorable, and I had no reason to doubt him, but he has reached his limits in cultivation and has modestly become an able steward in reflection of that fact. She will be stronger than him, and in time she will gather allies and influence… enough to suggest that she should perhaps become a concubine to be truly part of the Namgoong.

My hand almost twitched towards my sword at the thought.

Thankfully, Rui saw her deviancy and sought to address it through a myriad of ways after realizing she would stay with us.

“The flame boar’s meat will help in cultivating her Yang energy, but she will need more than that even with the training she endures. There are several smaller clans with heirs that would be good partners for her.” Even before I voiced my concerns, even before Lian began to move as a woman rather than a girl, Rui acted in accordance with his station as a loyal husband. “The flame-wielding Shifu clan would be the best fit, and perhaps a good place for her to stay once she is stable.”

Unerringly, he addressed my concerns with a proposal that hadn’t occurred to me thanks to my fears.

“She will benefit much from being around them.” The Shifu clan were passionate orthodox martial artists, but their path was close to the unorthodox faction. They used Yang energy to such a point that they were nearly unbalanced. Festive, filled with life, and eager, Lian will have her fill of Yang energy from the environment as a girl, and she will find a partner or even several as a young woman. I would give her my blessing in such a case, knowing the state of her body. “I approve of this plan, but I will not send her there without ensuring she is stable of mind and body.”

“I dare not imply that such will be the case. This child requires aid, and she shall receive it.” Rui bowed his head, and I realized what I implied. I made sure that he saw me nod in understanding and wave my hand aside. “I am sure in the future she will be a great boon to the Namgoong, but with her innate nature, she must find peace outside of it.”

His words scoured what was left of my concerns, and I gave him a nod while hiding my relief behind my mask.

It was unbecoming of me to fear such things from a child who needed help.

I must better myself and see solutions as Rui did, rather than lose myself and judge a child wrongly.

This is an opportunity for growth.

With that in mind, I went to the child, separating myself from the merriment done in the Namgoong’s name, and found her looking upon the river. My wish was to see her train in the Namgoong arts the instant I saw her, but I held myself back. It took more effort than I cared to admit, but I succeeded.

“What do you look upon, child?” I asked her as gently as I could, and she looked my way.

“There are more bad men out there. People who look at me… badly. Scared or… needy.” Lian confided, and she sank to her knees and held them close. The very picture of an orphan who spent her days leered at by river pirates. My heart suddenly ached. How blinded was I by her nature? “Lord Namgoong is the only one who looks at me normally. Like people from back home. Just me.”

I brushed aside the instinctive desire to brush her words aside, and I forced myself to see with my own eyes.

Not with my Qi senses.

Not with my knowledge of cultivation.

Not with my instincts sharpened for danger.

Like Rui did, I looked with my eyes alone and found a child who has lost everything and whose fate was to be a weapon wielded by the depraved. A life of violence and debauchery had awaited her, along with a violent end.

Knowing that, I reprimanded myself as I still struggled to reach for her shoulder and place a hand on her.

Still, I persevered and firmly assured her.

“I will teach you. You will grow strong. Strong until you need not fear the masses, and all those who could reach you are honorable and true.” It was not a promise, but I intended to follow through with my words, if only to remove the shame that I felt for thinking so poorly of Lian. “For now, though, you may rest easy. I and the others will stand watch, and none will overcome our strength.”

The girl was silent for a moment before she suddenly rose and stretched her arms towards me.

Her eyes were expectant, but her intention was clear.

I picked her up, and what little remained of my hostility to her faded at the lightness.

Truly, I had allowed myself to be guided by knowledge gleaned from scrolls and my own ability to sense Qi. Rather than seeing her and understanding her situation, I turned the child into a monster in my mind and blamed her for imaginary crimes.

Such foolishness was beneath a mortal, let alone the future head of the Namgoong.

V13: Chapter 2

V13: Chapter 2

…

A lot of people on the forums joked that when you enabled all the crises, the game went from a turn-based strategy game to a turn-based survival game. Another favored meme was making the continent out like a ship being approached on all sides by problems, with the crew ready to kill each other, even while leaks spring up.

Anyway, on Ironman mode at the hardest difficulty setting, the forums pretty much agreed that anyone trying to win needed to at least have a ceasefire with the AI for the initial waves while also having Citadels upgraded 3/4ths of the way. Having the correct build order, equipped and leveled champions, and veteran armies at the start also mattered, but that was such a basic requirement no one even talked about it. Not having to deal with continental factions while handling the first wave of each crisis meant that it was feasible to kill them in the outer regions and not compromise industrial regions.

Or, you know, civilian population centers.

The dedicated city fortress was the cornerstone of my defense. There was one in each region, and they acted as supply points and command centers. Food and reinforcements came into the cities through rail lines above and below ground. We were still getting a handle on the ancient transportation system, but test runs with the space-manipulating tunnels showed great promise. Still, I wasn’t going to start using it until all the kinks were worked out. The primary kink being the possibility that it was how the demons got in and destroyed the academy in the game.

Past the city fortress were networks of supply warehouses and fortresses with overlapping fields of fire. Agricultural projects and mining efforts in those locations were supported by ‘frontier’ villages. Agriculture came in the form of wet rice fields, mining was above-ground as much as possible, and generally the projects from both were intended to shape the lands around the fortresses into terrain that could be turned into quagmires for invading forces. The above-ground mines and rice fields could both be flooded and turn the region into large moats presided over by fortresses with artillery batteries.

After that network came the mountain passes. Mountain sides were rigged to blow up and cause landslides. Prototype mines were deployed. The first batches of troops armed with automatic and semiautomatic guns were sent there to get blooded, rotated out, and replaced by new troops who needed to learn as well. The mountain passes were natural chokepoints, the best place to rain down fire, and in-game they were impossible to hold.

The crises would send overwhelming armies to take them, fortify them, and turn them into bases. Leveraging their immense population, they’ll sacrifice all that they need to sacrifice to ensure that they have a foothold into the continent. Like a predator exerting itself to corner its prey, they expend a lot of power at the start so that they can hunt at their leisure later. They make their own fortresses, which should only be assailable with immense numbers of Citadel Guardians, and send their forces through them into the continent as they wish.

I wanted to make them bleed in those passes, withstand the casualties, and pull the troops back into the fortresses. I already spread the viral plague across the world and had Iterants on the other side ready to replicate and undermine the enemy, so after being cut off, it was all about holding fast. Getting enough airlift capacity to go over the mountains and strike back was the reason why I made flying fortresses in the first place, so I was fine with the crisis’s gates getting built.

So, naturally, I was surprised when the first armies that tried to take the passes got obliterated.

…

Reading the results on reports was entirely different from seeing the results myself.

I decided to go to the Demonic front’s mountain pass and watch the latest approaching army. The Stymphalians getting massacred and the Ascendant being smashed with their attempt made me willing enough to get on a transport and take the risk. Pinnacle and Eminent were on standby and ready to intercede, but from the look of it… it wasn’t going to be necessary.

After seeing the field cannon not do very well against walls and hearing about Forger mortars, which had AA capability, I had prototypes made and set up at the mountain passes. The Forger mortars used a mechanical system to elevate and turn the barrel precisely through just a pair of cranks. It was superior to our own version, so I was planning to adopt it for all my canons as soon as we were sure there wasn’t anything about it that we missed.

I didn’t want a Forger dissident to spread information about a shortfall with the mechanism after I mounted all my cannons on them.

Anyway, the prototype mortars looked to be promising as well.

The Forgers developed a separate powder and shell system. The mortar shell has a primer at the base, which was struck by a pin once it hit the base. The primer set off the separate powder bags that wrapped around the long base of the shell. The powder bags were potent and designed to send the shell certain ranges. One sent it the minimum range of two hundred meters, and with a full powder load, wind, and the lightest payload, we’ve had crews send them ten kilometers. Testing showed that it wore down the barrel a lot, and that after a hundred or so shots at maximum powder load, its accuracy plummeted.

It needed a lot of improvement, since I expected the guns to just keep firing nonstop once battles started.

Like now.

The valley was lit up by illuminating shells, and the enemy army was engulfed by mortar fire. Fifty mortars were thumping out shells constantly. They had the whole pass ranged in. Explosive payloads exploded at head level to scatter fragments and rattle heads while ignoring armor. Field cannons looked for mages and concentrations of armored units to put accurate direct fire into. Machine guns chattered and slung out bullets into the enemy army that was still advancing despite all that we were putting against them. The first air wings that I had flew overhead and shot heat rays into the endless mass of life encroaching through the mountain pass, and whatever they hit was immolated.

Still, the army advanced.

“Ayah, how are the ammunition stores?” I was in the command tower that was coordinating the defense. Messengers came and went. While we were getting rid of all aerial cavalry based off flying horses, they were still our most effective method of getting out information during night battles. The message slates provided by the Citadels were out of range in the mountains, and at night signals were impossible without setting off lights above our own fortifications. The cover of darkness provided too much concealment against magical attacks for us to lose when we had plenty of experienced horse riders; we could give some enchanted goggles to see in the night. “Everything holding up?”

“The first ammunition warehouse is now depleted, but the second has been opened and its contents already divided.” There were five ammunition warehouses located here. In each one were hundreds of tons of shells and bullets stored in standard crates designed to easily be carried by one soldier or stacked onto carts and pushed around. If the place was overrun, each warehouse could be set off by those managing it to create a massive explosion to hopefully bloody the army that forced their hand. From what I was seeing, though, it wasn’t going to be necessary. “I estimate that over a third of the enemy has been destroyed. The third warehouse will need to be opened, but no more than that.”

“Good to hear.” I was understating it. It felt impossible. This was supposed to be a desperate defense against immense odds. The demonic swarm was large, but it wasn’t impossible to contest. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Were the crisis gates impossible to assail in-game only due to developer fiat? We haven’t even activated the Guardians and made them bog down the enemy yet. I could have a moat of living, hyper-alloy knives swarm across this mountain pass to deal tremendous amounts of damage and secure it before any of my soldiers are threatened. But it looked like that wasn’t going to be necessary. “Eminent. Your thoughts on these demons?”

I turned to her, and she spoke.

…

Interlude: Eminent Void Blade: She Who Glides Between Sunbeams

…

“My creator’s efforts were not in vain, but my dear master, it is your efforts that bring them low.” I gazed upon the battlefield. It was filled with fire and fury. The echo of artillery and machine gun fire was constant, while the despicable creatures fell in droves. They were pale imitations of the abominations of flesh that I once fought, but still they were strong. That strength faltered and failed ingloriously before me. “They perish, and their souls shall wander forevermore. Lost and forgotten to eternity’s whims.”

My master turned my way.

Thirty years of age, most of that time spent waging war and ruling a nation, yet he remained youthful. His hair was cut close to his face, and the formalwear he adopted was that of a military uniform. It was a stark black with blue trim, and a heavy coat rested on his shoulders. Without the band of gold upon his head and the hand that held my seal and four Citadel rings, he would look like any other healthy young man of the continent.

His gaze, however, was incomparable.

When his gaze settled on me, it was like all other features did not matter. No. They faded away to nothingness. The confidence with which he stood, the easy smile he had on his face that kept the officers in the room calm, and even the calm he exuded that kept the zealous Iterants docile… all that ebbed away to meaninglessness. The room and everything else may as well have been an abyss, as he gazed upon me with innumerable thoughts, designs, and plans that considered all my words, broke them apart, and fitted them into his grand strategy.

My praise for his work, for handily defeating a force that would have broken through a nation without all that he prepared, was accepted without comment.

A point of data that validated what he now saw, but with which he was still not satisfied.

“Ayah, I want more information. Prepare a second wave of Iterants to infiltrate the lands we have access to.” With just those words, he gave the nation a new focus that preceded all others. Every Iterant who now worked, who was loved by their communities, and who perhaps found love… will volunteer to do as he commanded. Theirs was no longer simple respect and admiration, but devotion and faith that outshone even Pinnacle’s most zealous. “Instead of spreading, they will form a perimeter around the continent. An active network at our disposal who will feed us intelligence on our foes.”

The first wave was already sent out. Volunteers who will form cells of Iterants who will not know him or the true peoples of the world. They will raise their offspring with copies of their memories. Even that alone would be enough to galvanize them to become our hidden knife. Though they could have boosted the population of the continent immensely, a majority of Iterants had been sent out with orders to spread in secret across the world.

When the call comes, there will be an uprising unlike any other. Hundreds of thousands of Iterants will reveal themselves at once in a grand emergence, seizing weapons, crippling industries, and utterly crippling the descendants of the crises across the world. In a reversal of the blow that brought down my creators, the Iterants will redeem themselves through this act of great sacrifice and violence. It will take years and care, and they will die, but once the crises are brought low, that is when we will lash out.

A world filled with death will be at my beck and call, while Pinnacle and Zenith spearhead the armies of the continent to truly win the world back.

Will, perhaps Pinnacle will be a spearhead.

Zenith may very well usurp the Guardians of the Moon.

“Alta, relay his majesty’s commands through priority channels.” Ayah relayed my dear master’s orders to the Iterants, but it was nothing but following routine. The Iterants will do as he willed down to the last. “Your majesty, will they be under Eminent’s command? She will be sent out, correct?”

“No. They’ll be operating as independent cells. Eminent avoidance of certain locations will only invite suspicion. She must be unleashed completely.” He asked of them to go forth without allies to a land unknown to them, yet there was not an ounce of concern in the eyes of the Iterants present. They almost seemed proud of the suicidal task placed upon their fellows. They must avoid my wrath as well as that of the demons, but they almost seemed envious that they would not be able to volunteer. “Their primary objective will be observation and relaying information, but once they’re able, they’ll infiltrate and get more critical information. Priority is getting access to their language, written and spoken, and their libraries.”

He turned his gaze towards the battlefield below, and I almost felt pity for the dregs of those who tried to steal the world to simply call themselves the apex of life.

They will be weighed, measured, and found wanting by my beloved master.

“Eminent, Pinnacle. I have a task for you both.” He spoke softly and calmly, yet all my senses focused on him. Pinnacle, in her throne, always had her eyes upon him in his presence. Never once wavering or paying any other any heed. The death of thousands and the thunder of guns mattered not. Only the command of her master. It was no wonder so many Iterants spoke fondly of her. “Put the will of the demons to the test. They have endured my guns. Now, let us see if they will remain so spirited against the two of you.”

He looked my way and then at Pinnacle’s.
I bowed without thinking, while Pinnacle held her hands together and smiled when their eyes met.

“Break them.”

He commanded us, thus it was to be done.

Suplexes are Supreme (4.4).

Suplexes are Supreme (4.4).

…

There’s a lot to be said about being prepared, about gathering intel, and about having the right tool for the right job.

But I have to admit that being strong enough to just win always feels good.

“Kay, are you okay!?” Kine’s words came through the communication charm loud and clear. The explosion set off by the target collapsed the building. “I don’t see anything because of the smoke!”

“I’m fine. Already recovered.” I went into the building after Kine let loose a salvo of shots that rapidly took out eight guards. We were at an abandoned construction site that was claimed by our target. A Mr. Fang and his crew had a big million-dollar bounty on their heads since the new owners wanted them out, and they killed all those who last attempted to get them off the property. “Mr. Fang’s a half-blood, it looks like.”

“One quarter mermaid. Two quarters, troll. One human.” I was corrected by my target. Gone was the suit-clad bald man with sunglasses at night. Instead, there was a humanoid fish ripping off human clothing and slowly growing. Trolls were usually burly, lumbering beasts with large guts and covered in warts that were dumb as hell. Mermaids stuck to water but preyed on people often. Both were powerful regenerators, and despite being at the center of the explosion, he was fully healed, and we dropped onto a hidden pool of water that came up to my waist but only to his knees. “You’re dead, mercenary.”

“I’m on my way.” Kine stated, probably overhearing some of the target’s words, but I just signaled that I was voluntarily turning the charm off. “Kay!?”

“Handle the rest of the crew. I’ve got this.” I told her and cut off comms while taking off my raincoat. The lumbering giant of a fishman observed me with narrowed eyes. The human part was honestly the most dangerous. Setting off a bomb at your feet to get yourself to an advantageous position away from sniper fire. Dropping right in a pool of water that gives you a mobility advantage? This was a situation I had to take seriously. “I can’t afford to worry about anyone in this fight.”

Fang gave a huff of approval before charging at me. He swung an elongated, webbed hand through the water and sent a wave to obscure my vision… which slammed into me like a car and lifted me straight off the basement floor. The plates of armor I sewed together broke apart, and even the hardened leather that I wore beneath was torn straight off. It was an alpha strike filled with energy. The transformation must have been a distraction. The wave was the real attack.

Neat.

Too bad for him, though; I was a lot tougher than I used to be, and the wave that ripped through iron plates and leather didn’t even scratch my skin.

I hit the wall, the wall cracked, and the wave fell around me.

He seemed a bit diminished and smaller after his attack, but he was recovering quickly.

Meanwhile, I felt like I went through a particularly hard pressure washer… and that was it.

To his credit, after seeing me no-sell his alpha strike, he did the smart thing.

Turned tail, leapt into the water, and started swimming fast towards a prepared exit.

Mr. Fang was definitely proving to be a cunning bounty, but I was already moving.

The foundational wall broke as I leapt off it and sped past him. I could feel some innate energy being spent while I sped through the air. I wasn’t flying, but I was still going through the air faster than I should, and I had more control over my trajectory than I should’ve without wings. I couldn’t directly control it; it was kind of like just leaving it up to my body after I committed to the plan, making it a liability… but for a short-range charge to catch up with a fleeing opening, it was fine.

Never in a life-or-death situation, but fine here.

I collided with Fang before he reached wherever he wanted to go, grabbing him by the shoulder blades, and he immediately tried to get out of my grasp by rolling and thrashing in the water.

Unfortunately for him, I was able to tear apart concrete with my hands.

Scales broke, flesh parted, and finally bone gave way while I was submerged in water. A pulse of water washed over me, an underwater wave formed from his roar of pain, and blood began to surge out of him in large amounts. He changed before me, becoming more fishlike, and claws extended out of his hands while fins sprouted from his back. His neck elongated, and his head seemingly parted around his mouth and filled with more teeth.

I should’ve been afraid.

He was transforming, becoming stronger, and was still regenerating.

I could feel his strength and desperation climbing; while his bones and flesh pushed against my hands, his scales were almost climbing up my digits, and I could feel their edge.

But in the end, I knew I was stronger.

I found purchase on the floor by simply slamming my feet into the flooded basement’s floor and held fast. His thrashing and rolling ended immediately, and I lifted him out of the water. He was as large as a small sedan, yet it felt like carrying a particularly full and tight, thrashing garbage bag in my grip instead of a monster.

I readjusted my grip as he tried to desperately bring his claws to bear to cut me apart.

His desperation grew as my fingers dug through scale, through flesh, and found his spine, and I gripped the top and bottom like a bar.

I squeezed hard, and they broke, and he went still, but already I could feel his regeneration kicking in around my squeezed fists.

There really was only one way to deal with a regenerator this strong.

I leapt upward, propelling myself out of the concrete and the water, and extracted my hands from his spine.

He immediately began to twitch and try to turn around in the air to try and claw and bite me.

But it was too late.

In midair, I wrapped my arms around his waist, then invoked the pseudo-flight that I now had to surge us both downward.

I was a jet engine strapped to his back, flying him headfirst into knee-deep water and concrete.

With his larger size, he collided with the water and the concrete below sooner than I did, and I let go of the suplex just as I felt his head crunch hard and break.

Instead of waiting to see if he was dead from that, I got a kunai out and sliced through his nape before taking hold of his head and ripping the rest off as quickly as possible. A single, final shudder went through the troll-mermaid hybrid while its jaw flopped open as I held the head in my grip. Just in case, though, I put some Hiyo seals down the beast’s gullet and set them off.

I didn’t look away until I was sure there was nothing left of that cadaver. The only trace left of Fang was his immobile head in my hands.

Can’t be too careful around regenerators, especially the smart ones.

I mean, I’m one of them, and I’d hate to fight one of me.

If I didn’t need the head for the bounty, I’d burn it too.

…

Interlude: Helena Horner, Assistant Bounty Hunter

…

Our bounty’s head hit the back of my car, and the door closed after Kay got into the passenger seat.

“We’re good. Let’s go.”

I started the car, started driving, and almost stopped when I glanced at Kay’s way.

Sitting in my passenger seat was a kid with milky white skin and green-tinted hair cropped close to his head. His face was youthful and serene with a sharp nose. With those features alone, he would’ve been scouted out by the gangs like most women at my school, but that wasn’t all of it. His eyes were sharp, narrowed, and predatory, and beneath the milky white skin were cords of defined muscle that reminded me of Olympic gymnasts.

Anyone else with his good looks would’ve been prey for attracting the wrong kind of attention.

Kay was undoubtedly a hunter, though.

“Not interested. Keep your eyes on the road, Helena.” I was startled by his words and refocused. He opened the glove compartment and pulled out a spare shirt and pants. The rags he stuffed in the bag the spares came in. Thankfully, it was night, so I didn’t see anything after driving into an alley. “Kine, we’re in the alley. Get in.”

Kine landed and opened the backdoor.

I only belatedly realized what was going to happen as she sat down and rocked the car.

I’d been caught off guard and stared at Kay without him being covered up, and I was scared of him.

Kine practically froze as she caught him in the corner of her eye after reaching to confirm Fang’s death.

“Ah, wuh, bwuh?” Of course, the massive woman nearly taking up the whole of the backseat started babbling like a baby.

Kay snorted.

“Take a picture; it’ll last longer.” He huffed and crossed his arms while keeping his gaze forward on the road. He checked the mirrors, rolled down the window, and checked the roof. I did my best to not look his way and ignored Kine suddenly giving off a whine. He retook his seat and put on the belt. “We’re not being followed. Good work, Kine.”

“Oh, uhm. Yeah. Great job. Clean. Nice.” She was sticking to one-syllable words, and I glanced at my rearview mirror to find the fierce bounty hunter that can turn into a giant rage monster… trying to sit like a demure lady. Brushing hair back, legs closed and slightly askance, and hands on her lap. Like she didn’t have a decapitated head beside her or a gun that only fit because the barrel could be shortened. She was acting more girly than anyone I’d met in real life! “You, too.”

I decided to intervene.

“Kine, if you make a move, you’re a criminal. So, shove some ice cubes down your shorts or something!” I barked at her, and that shook her out of her fugue, while Kay gave a chuckle. I snuck a glance at him. Nope. Still think he’s a shapeshifting monster. Just because he shapeshifted into something cute didn’t mean I was letting my guard down. “And, you… this is it, right?”

“Should be. Half goes to her. Half goes to you. Your debt is wiped, and I disappear with the cuts I’ve made the last couple of weeks. After this, we can go make contact with the Hiyo Clan.” I nodded and focused on the road. It was dark out, and despite the explosions and violence, there wasn’t any sign of the police. Probably because I tipped off from a burner that there was a bounty in progress. The operator had snorted, said they didn’t fuck with the entire block, and told me that I should skip town before it ate me alive. “Generally speaking, this is about the time things tend to go wrong, so I’m just staying cautious.”

“Great. Thanks for telling me. So… we’re not going back to my apartment, right?” That made Kine blink and finally pay attention. “I already have everything packed up, and the money will be dropped off through the bounty board?”

“Yep. Go ahead and tell your landlord everything; the apartment’s his, and you’re gone. Going back and living there would be stupid.” My former classmate found me, debt collectors found me, and Kine found me. I’d wanted to leave after my classmate, but that would’ve allowed the debt collectors to put a bounty on me. I had the text ready and just tossed my phone to Kay. He gave a low laugh and sent it. “Alright, that’s handled.”

I mentally cut my link to my apartment, and it was like a weight fell off my shoulders. After my classmate first appeared, going back to it every day felt like digging into a fresh wound that I wasn’t allowing to heal. It started to fester when the debt collectors came. Kine was a good surprise, but not nearly enough for me to want to go back. Even if it was my first real home, I wasn’t attached enough to it to care.

“Alright, that’s that. What about your college?” Kay questioned, and I was ready for that, too.

“I’ve got winter break to find a new place closer to it, or I’ll skip a semester and get my transcripts.” I had less of a connection to my community college than I did to my first apartment. It was just a place to attend classes. A good place that didn’t allow any nonsense, but that’s how most community colleges were. Real colleges were where people could just disappear or fall in with the wrong crowd. “Maybe I’ll pick up a trade instead. Everyone needs electricians or plumbers, right?”

“A licensed trade role will be respected in the Hiyo Clan.” Kay agreed as we finally reached the nearest bar with a bounty board. “Kine, I’ll leave the submission to you and keep watch just in case.”

“Right, I’ll be back.” Kine managed a full sentence and got out of the car. I looked at Kay, wondering if we were going to peel away, but he shook his head and gave no signal. In just under two minutes, Kine returned and got back. A little piece of paper fell into my hands while my phone gave a ding. ‘Debt Cleared’—two words, and that was that. I was free. “Congrats!”

“Thanks. Thanks a lot.” I took a steadying breath and waited for my instincts to suddenly scream I was in danger, but nothing happened. I started the car, we drove in silence for a few minutes, and then I managed to break it. “Hey, Kine, are you going to try and get a job with the Hiyo Clan, too?”

“Yeah. Apparently, they’re tracking somebody called Daichi, and his description matches someone making waves in the undercity.” The Lupercal bounty hunter responded easily and sat back with the window completely unrolled. “Demon spawn are always on my kill list, and I’ve hunted a fair few. They’re tricky, especially ones with a lot of skills, but I’ve got a nose for finding them.”

That was probably why we didn’t simply split ways, then.

Not that Kay needed to explain that fact to me.

As far as his debt to me was concerned, everything was clear.

I saved his life, and now he saved mine and helped set me up.

I could only hope that my new life was going to be nice, neat, and stable.

Hm.

I just jinxed myself into being their mundane infiltrator, haven’t I?

Eroge? Bad Ends? Betrayal? I’m Just Here to Suplex Monsters through Buildings.

Suplexes are Supreme (4.3).

…

Interlude: Asakura Hiyo, the Fiery Blade

…

“You’ve improved.” Lady Hiyo stated simply, while I rose. It took a moment for my vision to clear and for my bones to stop ringing. Eventually, however, I was able to pull myself off the floor. “I took you by surprise this time. I didn’t simply overwhelm you.”

“I am grateful for your words, but there is still much for me to improve.” I managed to grunt out a reply while rising unsteadily. When I got to one knee, she offered a hand, and I took it. “My focus was on your blade. I missed your fist completely.”

“You missed it because you’re lacking in strong opponents. Those you train against do not suffice as sparring partners, either.” Lady Hiyo wore a set of robes for our match. Even from our brief engagements, the white Miko robes were tattered and broken. Idle slashes cut much of it to ribbons. There was a reason why, as revealing as the materials we normally wore were, they were used. They offered much protection and concealed what they could. “Spar against the elites of the clan. It will save your life and give them an opportunity to get to know you.”

“I will do that.” I bowed, and she returned it; with that, our current match was over. A sigh of relief left my lips unbidden. “How are things here?”

“Quiet. More than a few gangs are taking up the power vacuum. Killing each other until someone strong enough pops up to claim territory. This time, I’ll be proactive and cull them before they become a headache.” Lady Hiyo set herself alight and divested herself of the Miko robes. From her ring came forth a magical weave, which covered her head-to-toe in midnight black. Parts came apart along her sides and reinforced sections while taking on a golden hue. Before long she was clad in her usual armor. Simply looking at it informed us that our own suits were most likely derived from her own. “Any sign of the boy?”

Her words drew me away from my thoughts.

“None. It has been almost ten weeks. I doubt that he lives as you believe, Lady Hiyo.” Even when his largest parts were found, even when the location he was last located was immolated into nothingness to deny his body to the enemy, Lady Hiyo did not believe that Keita died. I did not know why she held such a belief. “You said yourself that he would’ve been a figure of legend if he survived his childhood. He did not.”

“There have been many heroes who accomplished their great feats after losing their limbs.” Lady Hiyo hastened her steps and reached the other side of the underground training room. I could only sigh and ready my sword while she readied her own blade. “And I know not of a single dragon that has perished by flame.”

With that final word, there was a flash of light that turned my vision white along with the screech of an explosion.

I ignored the wave of pressure, shut my eyes, and silenced the keening wail in my ears.

Instead, I focused on the ground, felt her footfalls through it, and once she took a stance, deduced which form and strike she took.

I dodged the tip of her blade by the width of a hair and then sent a counter-stroke her way.

I sent out feelers of internal energy into my surroundings and found a space void of particles in the air and determined that was where she was.

My attack struck nothing, and I took a step back to evade the next blow, bowed my head forward to dodge the second, and then the third, slowest strike of the flurry I caught with the pommel of my sword.

Then, I realized she only had one foot on the ground, so I took a step back out of the reach of her leg. The pressure from her kick was immense. Getting struck by it would’ve sent me flying into the wall and embedded me into it. Before I could capitalize on the opening she created, she brought her leg down, and vibrations travelled across the floor at innumerable intervals. My earth sense was thus disrupted, almost making me open my eyes, but instead I focused on energy detection.

Barely did I manage to begin dodging the next flurry of slashes, counting the seconds of each blow, and finding which of them was more than half a second.

Third, eighth, ninth.

Lady Hiyo had a disruptive cadence. Her mastery over the forms allowed her to skip steps and add randomness to it. It was still the style that I knew, but even a heartbeat of disruption was enough to throw my knowledge of it into chaos. An overhead slash or piercing thrust could also be suddenly replaced by another attack entirely, and she mixed in punches, kicks, and even a thrown weapon.

It seemed like a chaotic medley where she threw all that she could in desperation, but in truth she had such great skill with the Hiyo clan’s bladework that she could do with it as she wished.

I managed to survive the flurry and find another chance to parry a blow only to feel a seal suddenly latch onto my abdomen.

The next thing I knew, I was flying upward and slamming into the ceiling.

Training with Lady Hiyo never ceases to be an experience in humility.

…

“Oh, you look roughed up.” Leona raised a hand in greeting. With the help of our scientists and researchers, her mind was cleared of many backdoors and hidden programs. The cyborg could now wear whatever she wished and even augment her parts. According to the researchers, she was cutting edge, and some of the technologies she housed were a boon to the clan. “All done here?”

She was assigned to me as an assistant. Nominally, she was ‘spoils’ taken from our enemies so no other member of our clan could claim her. The technologies she housed were being monopolized by the main family as of now, and the branches were stirring in response. Being able to house a brain and organs in such a potent chassis presented the possibility of a cyborg ninja, which would be a truly potent force.

Leona already showed the ability to utilize internal energy and was training hard to become a ninja herself.

With her innate strength, speed, and reflexes coupled with our techniques, she was sure to be a potent warrior against the threats to humanity.

Naturally, everyone wished to take her apart and make the technology ours, rather than slowly understand it through careful study.

“Lady Hiyo has been pressing me harder, but I cannot complain. The increases of strength that I enjoy are without question.” Leona nodded. To obscure her existence from her creators, she changed her features. Gone was the tanned, suit-clad woman with black hair. She now had long, auburn hair tied up in a long ponytail and Asian features vaguely reminiscent of the Asakura line. She kept the color of her skin but changed her eye color to a light red to further insist upon our shared heritage. Since the transformation was linked to her other purpose, providing pleasure, it came with larger curves, and even her feet refused to wear anything other than stiletto heels. “Were they grateful for the food?”

“Yeah, a lot of them enjoy food back from Earth. Makes sense that they wouldn’t want to go back, though. They’re under Lady Hiyo’s protection here.” Leona wore a battlesuit in green and white, which was open at the sides and back whilst also not covering her arms. The bottom half was a pair of shorts. The uncovered portions were where she could unleash weapons. Wings could sprout from her back, while her arms and legs became boosters, cannons, or even saws. That she couldn’t use such weapons plainly informed me that Keita had been right in mistrusting her. She had so many limits in place that we hadn’t noticed without dedicated researchers and specialists. “They’re appreciative, even though some are still worried you’ll bring trouble by coming back.”

“We’ll take what goodwill we can. The rest will have to be swayed through time.” I informed her, and she gave a nod. Several of the women that Lady Hiyo saved were from other parts of the world. Priestesses, shamans, and even dames from Europe. She helped them regain their sanity and was willing to train them to regain their strength as well. All of them suffered horrible fates, but many chose to return to the fight. Some of them coming to the Hiyo Clan will provide us with magic and techniques from other lands. Perhaps even bloodlines if they can be swayed. “Do they still ask of Keita?”

“Not since we’ve informed them of his end.” Leona shook her head sadly. They had avoided him even after he worked to deal with many of the local threats. Yet when we returned without him, it was obvious that his death was felt in the small community. Lady Hiyo said some who wished to just lead peaceful lives decided to take up arms again. In the end, they realized that a young boy died in battle against forces that would bring humanity low. “Does Lady Hiyo still think he’s alive?”

“She does. She told me that she doesn’t believe that dragons die by flame. That we only found his limbs and not his head or heart is evidence enough for her.” I shook my head, and Leona considered my words with a frown. We reached the portal and entered it. Once more we were at the Hiyo Clan’s mountain compound. “I don’t think that’s enough evidence for us to contact his former clan.”

“… I wouldn’t want my hopes raised, but maybe that’s for his mother to decide. Isn’t she on the warpath now?” I grimaced and nodded in response. “We don’t want to be on their bad side, right?”

“Your advice warrants consideration.” I admitted carefully. “It’s just that I hesitate to dangle a belief before her without proof besides the word of my secret ancestor.”

Leona mouthed a silent ‘ah’ at my statement while I made my way to the showers.

She followed when I bid her to, since I intended to keep speaking with her.

“The Uwabami clan has radically changed in the last few weeks. She has assumed control over after defeating the former ruling council’s champion.” My former peer leapt ahead of me by an astonishing amount. Galvanized by her son’s death, she went against the ruling council, and now the clan was under her control. Immediately after, they went to us to exchange information and technology and combine our efforts to bring San Kyoto’s supernatural, malicious elements to heel. “I worry for her, even with their success. In fact, with their success, the likelihood of reprisal from a coalition of our foes becomes more possible. She might be leading her people into annihilation.”

The Uwabami clan was conservative, with many elders in charge. They modernized a fair amount but kept many old traditions. This allowed them to be a bridge between new and old clans. Now, with my old friend as their new matriarch, they were changing rapidly. They were aggressive in dealing with threats, getting new technologies and techniques, and expanding their industry with their treasury.

Soon there will no longer be a bridge between the traditionalist clans and the modernists.

Thankfully, Mother was already moving to keep in contact with them and establish embassies that acknowledge our differences but keep lines of communication open.

I could only hope that we will remain united against the encroaching threats.

“Can’t that change if Keita is alive, though? Maybe, it would be worth trying to search for him.” Leona stated, and I considered her words. Out of her clothes, she shifted back to her tanned self, and her features shifted subtly to be more Hispanic in origin. I placed myself under a shower to wash and made sure to pulse my energy and check myself from head to toe. Our waters were blessed, but it remained important to be vigilant for any markings, seals, curses, or corruption. “We should try. Confirming he’s gone will give closure, and maybe a target for his mother to focus on.”

I sighed as I washed and lathered myself in the shower, considering the proposal in silence while rinsing off the bubbles.

As I moved towards the heated baths, I made my decision.

“I’ll ask Mother and lead the effort. Contact Catherine and Alecia. Perhaps they will be interested in helping us, despite their busy schedules.” Leona followed me into the baths, only for me to raise an eyebrow as the two I mentioned were already present and lounging. “Hm.”

“I’m in.” Catherine raised a hand my way in greeting, and I nodded at her. She lounged with arms spread and a floating plate with liquor on it before her. Her breasts floated as if with minds of their own in the water. Without the grizzled glamour that she adopted, her beauty was without question. “So, Lady Hiyo thinks that the brat’s alive, huh?”

“It is mere suspicion based on instinct and a few of her prior experiences.” Alecia’s gaze was sharp as she looked at me. She searched for duplicity, and I gave her none. Since their parting, she has handled herself well. In fact, she handled herself so well that it was a wonder why she was so concerned now. “I act more for my friend who now leads the Uwabami clan recklessly.”

“I will join you, but I could care less for a clan that would ostracize a warrior such as Keita or a mother who never met her son until he passed into legend.” She wore a towel in the bath and had her hair bundled in a cap. It was a stark reminder that she was young, just like Keita was. “If he lives, I will not allow her to claim him. I already planned on resurrecting him once I gained enough power, but if he lives, I will make him mine sooner than I planned.”

I almost stumbled into the bath at her words.

She was so calm about his death because she intended to fetch his soul from the afterlife and bind him to herself forever!?

V13: Chapter 1

V13: Chapter 1

…

Interlude: She Who Runs Red With Promise

…

I wiped my knives clean, while the rest of the circle filled with my fellow honored priestesses. They were each given one of the few animals we managed to capture from the promised land. They were undisciplined creatures who pretended to think and understand the sounds they made with their mouths. Since history began, the promised land whispered of in our order had been barred by storm walls. We were cast out, torn down, and enfeebled for our weakness, but now the gates opened, and we were challenged to retake our glory.

Most did not believe.

Most thought that we were complete and perfect and that we needed only fear the others who claimed mastery over the world, but such was not the truth.

In these frontier lands, where people did not have enough, we were supported. They allowed us to build our cloisters, and in them we trained, we passed down knowledge, and spread the holy word. The holy land was to be filled with danger and beasts who would oppose us, as well as many challenges that would destroy us if we were found wanting.

We worked with a general who was disgraced into pseudo-exile. Many of my sisters now served him as concubines to sate his lust, but such was their duty. They whispered into his ear, scouts were sent, and we found a land rich with industrious beasts without masters making use of our legacy. The great white spires, eight in number, which were the crown of the true ruler of the world… were all risen and held by beasts.

We spread the word, and the faithful came from every corner of the great realm.

A holy reclamation of our place in the world was set to begin.

Then, the general’s agents disappeared.

Then, the vanguard he sent to seize a foothold was broken by thunder from the skies, the wrath of entire mountains, and legendary, primal beasts came upon him.

It was only thanks to our efforts to soothe his superiors that he remained with us, and now he was a devout believer.

So, we moved with greater care, sending no more shepherds, and instead sought to understand the beasts who have lived unfettered for many generations pretending to be people.

The circle was soon filled with my fellows, and I raised my hand to them in greeting.

She Whose Words Were Honey spoke first.

“Two bestial kingdoms have arisen. Each one allied with the other and each with four of the sacred towers. They now move to lick their wounds and prepare for the world to descend upon them.” I grimaced at her words. The unfettered, primal nature of the beasts in the holy land led them to emulate us, the true people, and they were surrounded by ancient ruins and gifts. Unlike our subservient and domesticated flocks, they were closer to us than I cared to admit. With time they may become a people all their own, and subsume us if they were permitted, if we did not retake our destiny. “It is my belief that the faithful must move to seize one of the sacred towers before the flood comes.”

She Whose Claws Were Swift agreed with a nod.

“The beast I tended to spoke of Citadel Guardians. The living flensing blades under control of those who hold sway over the sacred towers. They are produced by the hundred every day and wait the command of their King of Wisdom.” I stirred at that word. The King of Wisdom. A single beast of the most common cattle. A child born with great intellect, but without any inherent strength. He gathered and acted against stronger bestial tribes and brought them under his control. All the creatures we extracted were in his land, and they spoke of him with reverence. “They are preparing vast armies of monsters armed with weapons derived from ancient devices as we speak. The flood will wash away all, while a bulwark of beasts will man the mountains.”

It was my belief that the King of Wisdom was one of our own. A prince of an esteemed lineage who somehow reached the sacred lands and now sought to secure it for himself. His ability to guide the beasts and take so much land in a mere two decades was explained if he were one of us and with access to the sacred tower. And, since he controlled so many, why would he not aspire to rule over people instead of just beasts?

If the storm walls fell in another two decades, I was sure that he would lead the beasts to conquer the world in its entirety and crown himself ruler of the sphere in its entirety.

All men of merit would do such a thing after all.

As my thoughts ended, I noticed that there was silence in the circle; thus, I spoke.

“We must strike with the faithful and all the support that we can muster while spreading the word to all that would listen. It is a time of great troubles, and war looms with other nations, but we must seize our destiny before all is engulfed by the tide.” I had few supporters, but many would heed my words. I owed my sisters little and did much for them. My efforts waylaid many attempts on all their lives, and I fought as a soldier and even became an officer for a time. The land I earned with my service became the cloister we now stood upon today. “I volunteer to follow the next expedition. Even if it is brought low, I will do my utmost to see what lies beyond and return here with news.”

My influence meant that my friends that would allow me to go knowing that it was the path that I wished to tread, while my enemies would be glad to see me go and risk my life.

The assent of the circle gave me all that I needed to move with the next expedition.

After that, they spoke of spreading the word, harnessing more believers to our cause, and perhaps bringing more nobles to our side.

But my path was already set.

I go now to the promised land and I will see if I can survive the trials placed by our ancestors between us and destiny.

…

Fire and thunder smashed through our procession mercilessly and unceasingly.

The night sky was gone, replaced by floating orbs of shimmering light; the gambit to march through the night dispelled in an instant before we were fired upon.

Shields created by shamans were torn apart by lightning bolts followed by the boom of thunder. Glittering metal shapes fell from the sky and broke apart after the lightning within ceased to be held. Shamans and those under their protection died as thunder and lightning smashed through the entire expedition.

“To me! To me!” The general, He Who Rides To Dawn, stood at the vanguard, and his shield did not break. He was a potent master of mystical energies and a grand warrior besides. His retinue was filled with potent shamans and esteemed warriors. The chattel he took were dead, their lives already used to empower his ritual, but the effects were obvious. A fortress wall that the lightning could not breach formed. “Bring the cattle here, now!”

The shimmering wall began to take more blows, but it held as wagons were brought forward and the lives of animals were offered up to protect us. Some tenders and keepers cried as they gave their family’s prized beast, especially as so many flocks perished over the last year due to a new plague, but it was necessary. The faithful brought all that they could with them to this journey, and now it was all to be put to the test.

I thought that the barrage would cease as the lights dimmed, but there were several ‘thumps’ and more lights came forth and the barrage continued.

I made my choice then.

Gathering strength and power, I clambered up the nearest mountainside and took hold of my coat. It was composed of the flesh of a beast that took on different hues. With my will guiding it, the stripped hide took on the mottled complexion of the rocks, and I watched as the battle unfolded from high above.

Flashes of light were coming from the distance from the mountain tops and at the end of the long valley. After a flash, there was an explosion, then the sound of thunder. I realized then that they were weapons and manned by beasts, and we erred in attacking at night as fear coursed through the whole of the crusade as they thought a rainless storm was punishing them.

Still, I had some faint hope as the barrier held and the army began to advance.

Then, suddenly, something changed.

I thought that the mountains would collapse and kill the general, but several wise elders postulated that those were avalanches, so we had moved during spring to arrive in summer. There was no snow now, and so the next attack was not an immense snowslide.

It was a sound like the ticking of a clock, but magnified a hundredfold and replicated a hundred times over. That was when I noticed the front of the barrier was bristling with contact. The flying knives mentioned by previous reports were now attacking. A swarm of speeding metal that flowed forth without hesitation and fear. The barrier was holding, but some at the edges were caught. They screamed as limbs were torn off in an instant or fell back gurgling their last breaths as holes were carved through their bodies and spilled their blood across the stones.

This was a trial. A challenge to reclaim our heritage.

I knew that was the truth, yet my heart wavered at the sight of so many of my fellow faithful dying alongside soldiers dedicated to our cause.

Still, the general marched forward, and I prayed for his victory as we drew nearer and nearer.

Then, suddenly, with the next push, the ground beneath him came apart with great force and lightning.

He screamed and roared as he withstood the attack. His leg was shredded along with much of his lower half, and he held the barrier up through the pain and torment as he was tended to. The advance stopped as another two shamans suddenly came apart due to fire and fury. They died, as they were not as strong as him, and he held the burden of the barrier by himself.

“Get up. Move.” A voice resounded, and I didn’t realize it was my own urging the general to keep going. I forced my heart to grow calm and covered my mouth. When I felt the urge to keep looking, I chose instead to climb the mountain and find another passage on the other side. As insane as it seemed to climb to the other side, I saw no other choice.

If I continued to watch, then I would die helping them.

I climbed and climbed as the howl and chatter of ancient weapons surged forth, but I stopped as another sound came forth.

Buzzing and a keening wail.

But not at the end of the valley or on the sides of the mountains.

Nearly where I was, just below the floating, small suns that cast light upon the valley.

I turned to the sound as it approached, and my heart grew still as eight mechanical beasts surged out of the darkness into the light.

Flying chariots. The greatest weapons of the ancestors. They were here.

The eight flying machines pointed their noses down and from their wings came forth glittering golden beams that smashed through the defense.

Moments later those beams began to burn and melt rock, evaporating flesh where they passed, and the machines disappeared for just a moment.

Then, with the same buzzing and keen wail return, and in just another moment more golden rays ravaged the routing crusade.

As they retreated, the sound of distant guns continued to resound, and I could not help but liken them to laughter.

The laughter of those who tested us and found us utterly wanting.

The 44th Son of the Heavenly Demon is a House Husband!?

As a Househusband, Ensuring Security Is Vital (3.1)

…

The most important part of any battle is knowing where you are and knowing what’s happening.

If you’re not at the right place, if you don’t know what’s happening, you’ll simply get killed by a stray attack from a duel. Knowing where you are relative to the biggest fighters on the field is imperative. It’s a skill everyone develops and carefully maintains. As nonsensical as some things are in this world, everyone agrees that dying because of lack of attention is personal folly.

I’ve taken that fact to heart by approaching just about everything in my current life as a battle.

Keeping aware of who’s who, who their friends are, and who their enemies are kept me out of a lot of troublesome politics. Isolating myself gave me no friends, but it kept me clear of making any opponents. Sure, I was bullied by some of my younger siblings, but the mud hut and dirt training ground were carefully made to look dilapidated to give them an excuse to stay clear. When I arrived at the Namgoong clan, I honored them properly, ensured that the ball was in their court, and did my duties with all due diligence.

Knowing my place and acting strategically has practically allowed me to go from being ostracized to being invaluable to a rising power.

Naturally, when some pirates showed up to attack our boat, I put the same approach to use.

I just let Seol loose.

“Lady Namgoong, please allow us to defend the ship. Go and strike first with assurance that nothing amiss will occur here.” I addressed her by her proper title while drawing my sword and looking towards the various Namgoong warriors. They looked at me for a moment before looking towards Seol. Some would interpret it as insubordination, since I was nominally higher than them, but I gave them an out. “Or, if they have the means to keep up with you, you should take them for protection.”

Thankfully, Seol just nodded after I finished speaking.

“Captain, with me. Focus on securing prisoners. I will deal with the rest.” The moment she nodded, the warriors took defensive positions on the deck, most staying within a sword’s length of the deck’s upraised sides, and a squad was at the center with me. It was a formation that put me at the center of the defenses, and I didn’t mind it one bit. Seol looked at it, and her brow furrowed slightly, but she nodded. She might not like seeing me so central and in command. I’ll need to make it up to her. “I will be back in a moment.”

With that she leaped onto the prow of the ship, followed by the captain of the guard, and then flickered out of view.

Reappearing on the prow of the enemy ship in an instant.

I strained my ears to listen, as the Orthodox clans gave warnings to even pirates before acting.

My ears were suddenly filled with the sound of air splitting and the groan of wood as sails fell into water.

Okay, she took away their ability to retreat before speaking.

Fair, I guess—

“Throw down your weapons and supplicate, and I shall spare your lives for daring to gaze upon the Namgoong Clan with evil intentions.” Oh, damn. That’s right. These river pirates technically came at the head of the Namgoong clan and her husband with ill intentions. Even the most lax of the Orthodox sect can’t just offer to let these brigands retreat. Well, at the very least, they weren’t obliterated automatically as they would’ve been by any of the Unorthodox sect. “Your vessel will be towed to the nearest town, and you will be judged righteously.”

The captain of the Namgoong troops landed before her, to her right, on the ship’s railing instead of the prow.

That’s when the pirates decided to act.

“G-get her! She’s just a girl with one guard! ”

In the worst way they could’ve, as people who didn’t know who they were dealing with.

From my view of the ship, they were mostly mortals with a few people using Qi to empower themselves, wielding iron weapons. Most of the weapons were spears, some with hooks on the sides to probably pull the boats together. The deck was swarming with people, the pirates probably going with overwhelming numbers and weapons to just have people outright surrender without a fight.

However, even if there were ten thousand of them on that ship against Seol alone, it wouldn’t have mattered.

Her sword hand blurred in my vision for a moment; I didn’t even see her sword leave its sheath, and the next moment there was a cacophony of screams from the vessel that didn’t need me enhancing my senses to hear.

Half of the pirates lost their heads, and the other half had their hands cut off at the elbow.

The Namgoong Clan was known to be the fastest sword wielders of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Sects. Father said that he lost two of his strongest allies and friends against the Namgoong Clan to stop their advance against his forces. The fact he was technically allying with the clan now showcased his ability to look past old grudges… or maybe he just didn’t want to deal with that problem again in his lifetime.

Anyway, a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand mortals didn’t matter against the newest heiress of the Namgoong Clan.

They wouldn’t have even mattered to the captain of her guard, in fact.

The screaming didn’t even begin to abate when Seol suddenly looked our way.

“Seize the enemy ship. I sense others beneath the hull. Fetch them and see the wounds of the prisoners sealed.” Seol sure could be scary when her family was trifled with. I made a note of that fact while reviewing my own situation. If I could pat my own back without drawing attention, I would. I gave them no reason to be angry with me, at least to my knowledge. I didn’t worry outside of that. Worrying about what I have no power over is the definition of paranoia. “If possible, I want to know where they are based from. This route must be secured for the future of the Namgoong.”

Huh, almost didn’t consider that.

If the smiths we fetched were good, that meant we’ll be doing business with the smithing town we just went to. We’ll need more blacksmiths as demand will surely be high, and the town was a great place to recruit since they were already established and were training apprentices.

It just goes to show that the heirs of prestigious sects were capable, and that I needed to treat Seol with care and consideration as the perfect husband.

Otherwise, I could kiss my neck goodbye.

…

Interlude: The 7th Sword Saint of the Namgoong Clan, Seol

…

Seeing as they sought to raise arms against me and my husband, it was only right that I purge the river pirates completely.

I knew that it was unbecoming of my station to throw myself at mortal vandals, but their intentions had been clear the moment I laid my eyes upon them.

They intended to take the ship and its cargo, ransom off those who they thought were worth money, and kill all the men.

Meaning that they intended to kill my husband.

With such intentions laid bare, they sealed their fate.

“Captain, step back for a moment,” I ordered my guard, and he heeded my words. He shivered in my presence, afraid of my strength, while I could feel my husband’s cool gaze upon me. He was calm and steady and watched with care. He was on guard, undoubtably searching for any moment to assist me, despite all my strength. For a moment, the burgeoning flame in my chest calmed, but I summoned it back with ease. The threat had yet to meet its ignoble end. I swung my sword, knocking the wooden fixture that led to the rest of the hull into the water and allowing the sun to permeate the dark, cramped halls of the ship. More pirates cowered in the hull. Several had been in the structure itself, but they perished. “You may proceed. I sense none in the hull who could harm you.”

The captain of my guards gave a bow before moving slightly too quickly away from me, but I forgave his fear.

I rarely felt so furious, after all.

I looked over the masses who I unhanded and searched for those who pretended to be broken, and when I found none, I searched for the fittest and largest.

I willed him towards me with internal energy, stringing him up into the air by his ankle, and he wet himself midway.

Disgusting.

I placed the tip of my sword at his neck.

“Surrender the location of your base and you will live,” I told him simply. “Be quick. My guard captain may find the information that I seek.”

Brigands are vermin, as Grandmother said, who prey upon the work of good people. Much like other pests that eat grain, gnaw at wood, and otherwise bring ruin to the lives of normal people, they are best dealt with swiftly and decisively. Typically, such was the job of warriors, but I was here now, and they intended to interfere with the Namgoong’s future.

I tolerate no vermin in my presence.

The bandit sputtered and cursed me, and so I cut his neck and threw him towards the water. Mindful of polluting the water, I cut him apart so that the fish may find him easier to digest.

Then, I plucked another from the survivors and gave the same statement.

By the third, they were all confessing of their own accord, and my guard captain returned with maps that validated their statement.

“Very well, then. I shall allow you all to live and for this vessel and you all to be judged by your fellows.” I flicked the blood off my sword and nodded. “Come now, captain. Let us return to our ship.”

I idly noted how the captain’s nerves almost failed him at my statement and how he almost went ahead of me.

When I landed amidst my guards, I could feel their fear and caution. There was no small amount of relief when they reminded themselves that I was their liege. Still, I had to keep my mask calm and serene and show none of my displeasure at their reaction.

It was only natural that they fear me for my strength, after all.

“Seol, are you hurt or harmed in any way? ”Suddenly, my husband’s voice came forth and banished my ill thoughts. His concern was honest and true. He approached me steadily and without a hint of fear in his gaze. My heart suddenly began to race, and I had to suppress a blush from forming on my face. He approached me with eyes that saw not a monster, but his wife, despite what I inflicted upon the brigands. “Seol? ”

“I am unharmed and untouched. They could do nothing against me.” I had to nearly bite my tongue to stop myself from saying ‘my dear’ or some other romantic phrase. Cursing myself for reading too many silly romances, I ensured my serene mask remained but bowed my head slightly in acknowledgement of his proper concern and lack of fear. It was a comforting balm that I appreciated more than I expected. “If you do not mind, I plan to rid this route of any pirates to ensure we remain in contact with the blacksmith village.”

My warriors exchanged glances, and I wondered if they thought me a bloodthirsty monster, but all that mattered was my husband’s reply.

“Such is your will; therefore, it shall be done.” He did not bow or supplicate. With a firm gaze, he addressed me with respect and honor. Then, he turned to the warriors, who looked at him with far greater respect than through the entire trip. “Warriors of the Namgoong Clan, what say you to the command of your heiress? ”

A rattle of affirmations resounded across the deck, yet my eyes could not stray from him no matter how hard I tried to look away.

…

After securing the enemy ship and hitting their base, we were confronted with a boon.

The Namgoong warriors and Seol fell upon a whole pirate base hidden in a small hill that the river flowed out of. The larger ships did not go in, with the waters being too shallow, but there were floating forests and inlets in which they could hide larger vessels. Inside the cave was housing along with light industry and fishing farms. Light streamed in from the top, and they had a series of tunnels built for exhausting any fumes.

They stood no chance against the Namgoong’s forces, and the whole base was destroyed, everything of worth recovered, and even the ships were towed to the nearest town.

A bit of wealth and some ships was not the reward for our actions, though.

Apparently, the pirates had been a plague upon many of the river towns. They asked for tribute and received it in exchange for safety. While the towns had smaller clans and a few cultivators, they couldn’t be everywhere at once while guarding against monsters or other threats. Thus the pirates had to be appeased… and that appeasement came in the form of coin, weapons, or flesh.

To be more specific, the pirates were looking to raise a cultivator of their own, and we were lucky to find the child.

“Her meridians are robust, and she is filled with Qi. She would make for a fine heir to a lesser clan.” Seol cared for the child after finding her. After washing her, she tended to the quiet, obedient child who kept her gaze firmly upon us any time. Her eyes were familiar. Untrusting and waiting for the shoe to drop. “It would be prudent to bring her to the Namgoong.”

An orphan being styled as a weapon by pirates… yeah, I didn’t want someone with that narrative weight hanging around my immediate vicinity.

We might end up being the ruined hometown and lost family that she uses to drive her on a path of vengeance.

“If such is your wish, I would not oppose it. However, it may be more prudent to find her next of kin. This land will be the source of many talents in the future for the Namgoong. Gaining their favor would be prudent.” I did my best to convince Seol otherwise… and I was surprised as she blinked before nodding. I decided against asking why she said yes. “Perhaps, in the future, she may seek out the Namgoong clan for further training, but now she should be with whatever family she has left.”

Seol thankfully nodded at my words, while I crossed eyes with the child once again.

White hair, blue eyes, and features bordering between handsome and beautiful at 12?

Not to mention being in her mere presence made the air grow colder.

Yeah, I don’t want anything to do with this protagonist in the making.

Eroge? Bad Ends? Betrayal? I’m Just Here to Suplex Monsters through Buildings.

Suplexes are Supreme (4.2).

…

Neo San Kyoto, Cathay Drive, 5PM PST.

…

Interlude: Helena Horner

…

I got back home to find a titan of a woman on my balcony munching on hamburgers with Kay.

She sat cross-legged and practically took up half of the space.

Just because it was meant to be a smoking area with some tables and chairs, that didn’t mean one person should take up half of it.

“Kay, what the fuck.” He was normal. Still covered up from head to toe and chugging down sugar-filled soda and going through pounds of ground meat and vegetables. I didn’t have to assist in feeding him anymore, but he still went through food like crazy. “Why is there a woman with wolf ears on my porch?”

“She’s a bounty hunter who sniffed us out and thought that I was a monster. We talked it out instead of fighting, and she’s willing to help with a big bounty so we can finish up faster.” The giant of a woman clad in shiny black leather raised a hand at the introduction before taking something from her side and extending her hand my way. She put a wood-stocked, semi-automatic carbine in my hands. “I don’t know what that’s about.”

“She’s running around with a peashooter. You need rifle rounds to make idiots think twice nowadays.” She turned her gaze at me and gave a smile. A smile that didn’t show any teeth. Beside the red-furred tail and the tall wolf ears, I guessed that she had a mouth full of fangs instead of normal molars. “The name’s Kine. Heard about your folks. You have my condolences, even if they were bastards.”

“Thanks.” I realized that she was the first one to offer condolences about my parents. I didn’t say a word during my classes, and no one paid me any attention. Kay hadn’t given a shit at all, probably because I didn’t. “For the condolences and the gun.”

I did my best to push down the weird feeling of appreciation welling up in my gut by forcing myself to look at Kay.

“So, there’s a change of plan?”

“Not tonight. She’s shadowing us and seeing if we’re who we say we are.” That… made a lot of sense. I was quickly figuring out why Kay decided to listen and extend a hand out towards her. Despite looking like a warrior goddess chiseled into being, she was being prudent. “She even offered to get the bounties, so you don’t have to dress up. All you need to do is drive.”

I only had one question about that statement.

“When do we start?”

That earned me a chuckle from Kine, while Kay gave a nod.

“I’ve already had a talk with this guy, so it’s your turn. Can I come in?” She was courteous, despite how she looked. I gave her a nod and let her into my house. A few days of airing it out got most of the food smell out, but she sniffed the air as I closed the door. “Why does it smell like a restaurant?”

“Kay needed a lot of food after I found him. He was basically burnt and had just two limbs. Don’t know what he is, but after a couple hundred pounds of food, he’s fine.” That information got Kine to raise an eyebrow while she moved in. She took off her boots at the sliding door to the porch and sat on the floor, while I took a seat on my bed. We were almost eye level. “Well, what questions do you have for me?”

“Not many, honestly. My nose picked up that you’re just a regular person. No drugs keeping you in check or anything. And, you’re afraid of him and me, so you’re just out of the loop.” Kine tilted her head to one side and the other, while her tail faintly wagged behind her. “Do you even know that you’re dealing with a real ninja right there? He and his people have stopped the world from ending a dozen times over in the last century alone. Hundreds of times the last couple of centuries.”

“He told me something along those lines, but I didn’t believe him. I just believed in what I saw. He’s fast, strong, eats a lot, and regenerates limbs, and he knows how to fight.” I told Kine bluntly. “Words are just words. I try to figure out what I see. I know he’s on my side, and he’s working to help me. Besides that, I don’t know anything else.”

“Huh. That sounds good. Really good.” Kine replied with a thoughtful nod. She held her chin between her forefinger and thumb while considering my words a bit more. “Well, if you’re fine with working with him with just that, then I guess you’re desperate.”

“Extremely.” I told her flatly. “My parents gambled enough to be taken away. The rest of what they couldn’t cover fell on me. I owe half a million dollars, and there’s interest.”

“Debts shouldn’t fall on children, but those are for normal debts. I’m guessing your parents went to criminals and gangs for their money.” I nodded at her observation, and she scowled and scratched the back of her head. “So, you either pay it all back fast, or you get chopped up or worse.”

Her reaction surprised me.

“Kay didn’t tell you all this?”

“He did, but he could’ve been lying. I wanted to hear it from you.” Kine told me bluntly. “Damn, I thought most of those guys were taken out.”

“Why would they get taken out? Isn’t that how gangs do things?” I raised an eyebrow without thinking. “Are there rules about what they can do illegally?”

“If they want to stay out of the sights of corporations, there are. Corps just love handing out high-interest loans and taking on people’s debts. Sure, there are protections for kids, but for the most part it’s an easy way to get desperate people to work for them.” Kine informed me. “They see gangs chopping up or selling off people they can potentially use for a couple decades before doing the same. That’s why gangs who do it get wiped out.”

It made sense, and it made me sick.

“So… maybe I can wait things out until they get cleaned up?” I did my best to get something out of the situation only for my hopes to be dashed. The wolf-eared woman shook her head. “Why not?”

“Corps work slowly. They must, since they put money behind their kill teams. They want to make sure they win, and gangs don’t start stepping on their toes unless they’ve got enough firepower.” Kine leaned back and sighed. She didn’t look happy with the information she was providing me. I didn’t need to. “They’ll gather info, see what’s going on, and move in after crippling the gang by taking down officers and causing infighting. That’ll take a year, and you don’t have that.”

“They probably know that they’re on the clock, too. That’s why they went for me right after taking my parents.” Kine nodded at my statement. Losing a potential out soured my mood, but having all this information validating my current plans made up for it. It sucked to lose out on possible outs, but everything I was hearing got rid of my anxiety regarding all my plans. “Alright, then. Looks like I really don’t have any options.”

Kine had the decency to look consoling even while she nodded in agreement.

At the very least, I didn’t have to dress up and act like a slut-in-training.

I just jinxed myself, didn’t I?

…

“I knew this was going to end up happening.” The words felt like acid on my tongue. I glared at the slinky silver dress I had to put on with disdain. It was sideless and backless, and the skirt was more a curtain that barely reached a third down the thigh while leaving my hips out. Every step I took flashed the matching silver thong I wore. The front barely covered the middle of my breasts with two straps before curtaining off and it didn’t converge until the waist. With the white purse and shoes, I felt like some high-school trophy wife dressed to be handed off to executives. “There’s always something that has me needing to do shit like this.”

Kay was nice enough to notice how much I hated my current situation.

“I can still just go into the club and rip his head off.” He offered, but it was shot down.

“Don’t do that. There are civilians everywhere, and there are corporate bodyguards on every corner. If anything goes wrong, a sledgehammer goes through all our heads.” Kine responded through the small, enchanted earring I wore. Kay had a lot more tricks than I thought. Disguises were in his wheelhouse too, which allowed him to change my facial features to an amalgam of a couple starlets in a magazine. “Just find which room the target is in. Kay can abduct them through the window.”

I patched a smile on my face at the bouncer, making sure my hips swayed with every step, and attracted more than enough attention at the line I passed.

Skipping the line while looking like a lingerie model with a bit more clothes than usual wasn’t enough, but putting up five hundred dollars got the bouncer to close his mouth before he even spoke.

Another five hundred and a wink followed after that, along with a gesture for him to lean close.

“Tell the manager a messenger is here.” I hadn’t known what the phrase meant an hour ago, but Kine was nice enough to inform me. It meant that I was coming in to deliver something to the owner of the place while looking nice and pretty, while pretending to be a guest to slip under everyone else’s radars. This was how a few underground crime families poached some guests out of everyone’s notice or peddled large shipments of drugs. Typically, the messenger was also a gift, but I didn’t plan on going that far. “Thank you~.”

The bouncer blushed a little, and his gaze went straight down my cleavage, meaning he got a good look at the top of my panties.

This outfit is fucking ridiculous.

He spoke to his boss while I entered the club, and I immediately reached my hand out, and a server gave me earbuds.

I put them on so that even as I went past the second set of doors, my eardrums wouldn’t be blown apart.

The flashing lights almost made me wince.

The club was exactly what I imagined it to be. Girls with just flashing tape covering their crotches and nipples dancing in cages all over the ceiling. Some were suspended on wires and gliding through the air. Others still were in tanks with breathable water and undulating through movements. Each one had vacant, lustful expressions, and if they were harnessed, caged, or trapped, they’d be giving out ‘favors’ to anyone willing to give them attention.

The dance floor had multicolored screens flashing images on the bottom; some had words flash for a moment, a form of subliminal suggestion. Serving girls wearing fake gold chains and fake gems as swimsuits walked around with drinks. Most were carrying trays stacked with complimentary shot glasses. They had little pouches on their belts and bar codes just above their crotches for anyone interested in skilled, professional service.

I had to smile and wave as I got all the attention I never wanted upon entry.

Just a minx in a glittery silver getup with cash.

The perfect target.

“Already found him.” There were a bunch of rooms with one-way mirrors looking onto the dance floor. Dens were where people with cash to burn were serviced. They had their own bouncers that fished for particularly pretty partygoers. We investigated the target’s ‘type.’ He liked finding working girls that looked good and were on a mission and charming them before hurting them and scarring them up after they’re done with their work. If there was anything good about this outfit, it was the fact that a pair of thugs started moving my way instantly. “ Northwestern room. You better do something quick since his thugs are already—

Kay’s voice rang through my head in an instant.

“Done.”

Both thugs heading my way suddenly turned around and ran back to their room. For a second a high-pitched scream went across the club, but barely anyone noticed. A girl ran out of the room with her upper torso covered in blood. That elicited a bigger reaction, and there were more screams. I turned around immediately and ran with the sudden crowd, making a beeline out.

Kine plucked me out of the crowd, and there was a brief series of movements, and suddenly we were on the opposite street of the club on an overlooking rooftop.

Kay landed beside us, cement and brick dust covering his raincoat, and the head of our target in a black bag.

“Features matched. It was also the only room with only two occupants, so I was ready. The girl sounded young, too. His type.” How he heard through brick walls, I didn’t know, but I didn’t ask any questions. He tossed the bag to Kine, and she opened it. The scent of fresh blood hit me for a second, but Kine’s nod calmed me down. “Confirmed?”

“Confirmed. Let’s move.”

Kine picked me up with one hand, and we split up, running across rooftops, with the two of them dipping into alleyways before we eventually met together again.

In just under five minutes, we were in another neighborhood with the building almost too far for me to see.

“Damn, you’re fast.” Kine was out of breath and put me down with a grunt. Sweat covered her brow, and she almost seemed haggard. Her tail was wagging, and a faint, satisfied smile played on her face. Kay stood unbothered and not even short of breath. “Anyone follow you?”

“Didn’t sense anyone on my side.” Kay shook his head. “You?”

“Nothing.” Kine grunted before closing her eyes and looking at him. I suddenly became aware that she had a hand on the massive gun she had on her side. It was at least 6 gauge and double-barreled. “Is this the part where you suddenly take me down and betray me? Right when I’m tired and you’re within five meters?”

Kay snorted in reply.

“No, it isn’t. I’ve told you the truth. I’m here to get her out of trouble and make money. That’s all.”

Kine let loose a sigh of relief, and a more genuine smile formed on her face while she suddenly gave a thumbs up.

“Great. Let’s tuck in. Five bounties in one night… is insane. Whoever you end up with is in for a rough time.”

I blinked at her words, especially since she suddenly flirted with Kay.

What surprised me, though, was his reply.

“If you’re not taken in four years, I’ll take you.”

I blinked at his statement while Kine’s jaw suddenly dropped and a blush came on her face.

Kay was… 12!?

V12: Epilogue

V12: Epilogue

…

Interlude: Khanrow

…

The continent was united, yet our work was not done.

Not even close.

Catherine sat across from me while I was disguised. The Guardian’s capital city was filled with parades, and songs of victory resounded in every street. They were victorious, and with their alliance against the coming threats, they needn’t fear the King of Wisdom. Seized assets flowed into their lands, and wealth graced the hands of the masses, while immense riches flowed into the hands of merchants who would rebuild the lands that were taken. Medals were being given, speeches were being uttered, and none of them knew that the war continued in the shadows.

They have yet to win their peace thanks to those who have escaped.

“Lady Celia has permitted your forces to be deployed across the lands of Guardians, but only with attaches from our own intelligence service.” Catherine did not know me, but I knew her. She was Celia’s teacher and right hand. A Phantom between eight and seven centuries old who has served since her death long ago. She led their intelligence service, and she did not know who I was. “All agents who enter our lands must be weighed and provide a thumbprint and blood draw.”

“We accept those conditions.” I told her, and she gave a small tilt of her head. She had guards at every table. Normal Descendants and Merchants in plain clothes. Their trained bodies made them obviously agents. The effects of the elixirs left behind by the Ancients for us were obvious to the trained eye. I was sure that they did not know that one of the waiters tending to the tables was one of ours. “As I said in the contact letter, our intentions are solely to ensure that the rest of the Scholars and Forgers are dealt with. We will leave after they are accounted for.”

We knew where they were. They were on the outskirts of civilization being watched, and we will chase them, force them to act, and give them no reprieve. Their existence allowed us to keep an eye on the Guardians of the Moon. That was the only reason why they continued to persist, since we already stole their innovations. All they could give us now was time and the ability to respond to the threats that Jack suspected would arise in their lands.

In other words, we were to address threats that the Guardians had no clue were even going to arise.

They held themselves to such lofty heights and celebrated these victories, while we continued to prepare for war.

“We have information regarding the Sahuagin. Several extraction sites were abducted during the fighting and turned into hives. We preemptively dealt with them and saved as many as we could. The survivors are… traumatized.” As always, Jack had appeared where he was needed most without prompting, with Khalai in tow. Once the High Justiciar was out of the bottle, he made full use of his new asset. Acquiring information that would’ve been otherwise lost due to death, we gained insights into our foes beneath the waves. “They are desperate and in search of people to feed off. Their undersea empire is slowly crumbling towards civil war.”

“…We will take this information under consideration. You have our thanks for dealing with the threat. The Forger’s intelligence service destroyed themselves rather than serve.” The Forgers, even though they were lacking in many respects, had loyalty down to a science. Those who were entrusted with vital information were more kin to machines than mortals. No. They reminded me of Iterants, such was their loyalty. “But in the future, our people will decide such things in our lands.”

“We hold no objection to it. We are auxiliaries hired on to maintain and protect until you stand on your own. His majesty simply wishes to ensure that our true foes do not advance as you rebuild.” I bowed my head. It felt odd to play the contact and the new agent, but I swallowed my concerns and played my part as well as I was able. More than anyone, save perhaps Jack and Morgan, I knew the importance of this gamble. To betray our new allies from the onset by fooling them with a thought-dead warlord? If I failed, the ruse would destroy any goodwill. But with my success, the Guardians would play into our hand. It was worth the hours spent having my body reforged to look like another man entirely in the medical tanks of the Citadels. “In all honesty, I want to serve the King of Wisdom. The sooner the Guardians are on their feet, the sooner that I leave.”

“I see. The King of Wisdom chose well. We would not wish to be hosts to his intelligence service for long.” Service. Singular. I had to make sure that I did not twitch so much at that. They had no idea that there were over four independent intelligence organizations. Each region under our control had local itinerant forces investigating and surveilling our own people. An inter-region domestic service that answered solely to Jack and Ayah operated and surveilled our industry and academies. Then, there was my branch, which was solely for other polities. Finally, there was one entire organization who watched us, ran operations against us, and whom we were meant to operate against as well. Jack made a watcher for us who watched us well and who kept us sharp and disseminated successful operations. The Guardians had one singular budding effort for their entire nation. It will be years before they can see us off. “I look forward to working with you, James.”

I offered her my hand and shook it with a nod.

Jack’s last missive to me resounded in my head.

He was right, as always.

If we do not help them, they’ll fall.

…

Air supremacy.

Some people confuse the term with air superiority or think they’re interchangeable.

Such isn’t the case.

Air superiority means that when your people are up in the air, they have a favorable advantage, and that makes it so that the enemy’s air force has only a marginal effect on all your operations. The enemy’s air force is a problem when they show up, but every time they show up, they’re going to be addressed or whittled down. The boys on the ground and in boats fret over enemy planes just to see them shot out of the sky, or they get hit by the enemy, but the enemy’s planes don’t go home.

I’m simplifying things, but that’s not what I’m going for.

Air supremacy is when the enemy’s air force can’t do anything because they’re either dead or they die when they lift off. Rather than have the soldiers or sailors worry about the enemy air force, air supremacy is when you take them out entirely. They’re a non-factor to all operations you conduct in a theater. When you have air supremacy, the skies aren’t a battlefield. They’re in a favorable position that you can strike from with absolute impunity.

I had it for the first couple of years of my campaign. Aerial cavalry changed over to incendiary bombers before anyone else could muster up enough mages, archers, or even their own aerial cavalry. As the years passed, everyone developed countermeasures. The most potent was the Guardian’s swarm artillery that used masses of small undead familiars to tear through people. It was deadly enough to even be used against fortifications, though smashing against armor and stones destroyed the familiar. Against aerial cavalry, though? The swarms chewed through flesh and blood with ease, since they didn’t have any armor.

But I knew that little gambit wasn’t going to last long, so I looked for alternatives.

Mini-flying castles with mages on them.

Gliders that I can fill with Citadel Guardians or bombs.

In the end, though, my attempts to find a new unit to replace my asset were a waste of time.

Because the right answer was to just steal the Forger’s best aerial unit.

Well, steal as best as you can, while keeping it a bit cheaper.

“My apologies, but the strange engine on the Ancient Transport proved too costly to mass produce. The materials it was composed of, though, proved replicable with alchemic aid.” Erlan gestured at the large factory. The frames of twelve aircraft were being worked on. Monoplanes with piston-driven engines were a step below jet fighters, but I didn’t mind. The cost to maintain Forger in-game was extreme, and they’d have needed Citadel manufacturing to pump out here. These needed some industrial buildup, moving a lot of people around, but nothing besides that. “One day, I wish to return to those designs, but I have confidence that these will give us the skies.”

“I feel the same way.” I told Erlan honestly. Ayah and the Iterants were integral to manufacturing the plane. They processed the numbers, created scale models, and took off every ounce they could from the frame while keeping it light. With Forger's inherent skill at machining and even some Scholar assistance from those who could be trusted, we made something that could… not be instantly killed by a Spitfire. Tests were ongoing. Wings were being figured out, the design was evolving, and more improvements were incoming to the engines and more, but a simple fact remained: we were introducing WW2-era fighter planes in industrial quantities. Substandard for the WW2 era, sure, but in my current world… they made me feel a little bit of hope. “For now, refine this design and continue to build it around the optical weapon. Perhaps, in time, we can give it the ability to carry bombs.”

That hope primarily stemmed from the fact that while I didn’t get the Forger’s jet fighter, I did get its fucking heat ray.

Or, an analog.

Underslung beneath each wing were three ovoid pods, and inside each one was the optical weapon. Or, rather, it was an oversized wand made through the concentrated efforts of all the scholars, mages, and academies that I had at my disposal. Everything from the power source to the lens, and even the casing, was made thanks to stolen technology, breaking down ancient artifacts, and the time and effort of thousands of people.

The key to its success was the Forger’s bio-weapons. Their rolling mines used rodent brains to seek out targets and detonate their payloads. We took away the guidance part and focused on it just giving a signal when the pilot pulled the trigger on the weapon. Wands and staves needed a living creature to use them, even when they had a source of power integrated into them. Until the Forger’s new weapons were disassembled and their process discerned, we thought about mounting just one or two of the weapons near the pilot seat.

With the Forger’s innovation, as fucked up as it was, we were able to use parts of mice brains kept alive in solutions with magic to be triggers. Barely a slice of the brain, but it was ‘alive,’ and with a signal from a trigger pull, it fired the weapon that surrounded it. It was better than having Iterants spend their times solely as cores inside the weapon or manufacturing the Scholar’s implants and putting people in the weapons.

Still, I was going to dedicate a monument to mice and make them the country’s official animal for their service.

Their service in giving me a weapon that can cut through an inch of steel with one finger pull, that had hundreds of shots each, and hit instantly.

Honestly, if their range wasn’t just a bit shy of a hundred meters, I’d consider replacing my cannons with them.

Maybe, if I made a bigger one with better materials and more investment, I could mount one on a flying castle and get a massive point-and-click death beam.

But, for now, they were the main and only armaments for my new fighters. Mass production and deployment were key to success. Strafing runs with a couple dozen of them will do enough damage against ground forces, but my primary concern was securing the skies against the Stymphalians. If these planes can keep my skies secure, then they’ll be worth everything I’ve put into them.

With that in mind, I turned to Erlan.

“I’ll be promoting you soon to director. You’ll oversee eight factories producing these aircraft. One for each region and a spare.” Aircraft numbers were in the thousands during WW2. I didn’t have precision-guided bombs, missiles, or computers, so I’ll need at least the same amount if I’m going to face a race born to fly and kill anything on the ground. There was also my suspicion that the fifty calamity was going to be a high-tech sci-fi faction. They’ll probably have an air force of their own, and against that, I’ll need to be able to absorb losses. A lot of losses, since I didn’t know what they’d be throwing at me. “Send me a list of people you trust and who can serve as your staff. I’ll investigate them. After that, prepare yourself to be elevated to my inner circle.”

Erlan took a moment to process my words, and for a moment I recalled the general who led a force consigned to dying against hordes of Undead.

That general, loyal even to people who sent him to die, was nowhere to be found.

Instead, there was only Erlan, as he took to one knee and bowed his head.

“I swear my life to you, your majesty.” The Forger swore with a choked breath. I let him speak. After years of freedom, after being sent off to die by the last people he swore to, this was something he was allowed to take slowly. “I will not fail you in this task.”

As far as oaths went, it was lacking, but I wasn’t asking him to die for me or anything.

“Raise your head, Erlan. This task needs no oaths. Only the effort and will that you have already shown me.” I offered him my hand, and he rose with my help; still, he looked at me with no small amount of devotion. I saved many of his people, gave him a home, and now a job that gave him influence and wealth. People would kill for less. “I ask you to do this for the good of the nation. Ask of me for support whenever you have need. This task is for us both to shoulder.”

Erlan bowed his head again, and this time more than a few of the workers did as well.

I might’ve practiced speaking a bit too much.

The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Volume 2: Chapter 9).

The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Volume 2: Chapter 9).

…

Lord Trelawney arrived moments after the high priest fell, while I was desperately trying to keep Anisette from bleeding out.

“Move over.” I did as he instructed. His words allowed no argument. The moment I moved from her, he was staunching wounds with clean fabrics, as well as pressing a hand against her chest. Power flowed from him to her, and soon enough her bleeding stopped, while her breathing steadied. In but mere moments, she was stable, then Lord Trelawney pried a potion from his belt and put it to her lips and fed it to her. Color returned to her cheeks. “Hm. She’s fine; you can relax now. She would’ve made it… if she decided to consume that monster’s core.”

He glanced towards the dead high priest, then to the ritual site, before shaking his head.

“Well, can’t blame her for not deciding to eat that.” He stated simply before standing and cleansing the blood from his gauntlets. There was a crash in the distance. I saw his cursed armor wreaking havoc and smashing through ships. It stood aloft them before slamming down and crushing what was beneath. There were yelps and roars of panic from the lizard-like soldiers. I sensed a great, hungry horde beneath the waves. “How are you three?”

“Unharmed, thanks to her efforts. We didn’t have a chance in facing the high priest. He was strong, but Anisette… didn’t allow him to leverage much of his strength.” I answered him. The rain bore down upon us, and the winds were harsh. The scent of blood and burnt bodies filled my senses, while I stood still with strength to spare. The ferocity unleashed by the demigod was only matched by her ability to ignore pain. In her berserker state, I had been unable to strike to support her. The last moments where they were killing each other whilst in each other’s grasp, blood flowing out from both of them whilst the storm raged, were still fresh in my memory. “I don’t know how she survived that.”

“Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. Nothing can drive a person more than either.” Lord Trelawney told me, as if it were the simplest fact in the world. Ship after ship crashed and broke around us. The water was beginning to run red from all those he consigned to death. While Anisette had screamed and raged, he destroyed with apathy. It was thorough and systemic. He was accomplishing an objective. In the North, when he went off to kill his house’s foes, he had a smile on his face that resembled the snarl on the demigod’s face. “You’re thinking about something unnecessary. Stop it.”

I had to step back and wonder if he somehow discerned my thoughts before Alice stepped in.

“What happens now, my lord?”

“Well, I’ll leave part of the fleet to get hunted down. Stragglers will be hunted and broken. The inquisitors will probably tear the survivors apart for information. I’ll claim my reward and go home.” He looked down at the sleeping Anisette. Her armor was rags, and her body was covered in blood. Already the fabric he used to stymie bleeding was being pushed out of her body as it healed. Having experienced some wounds myself, I knew she wouldn’t even be scarred after she fully healed. “I think his majesty will ask me to strengthen her and train you guys up, too. Seers all say that this is just the vanguard meant to establish a beachhead.”

A chill went down my spine.

“More will come?”

“Stronger, too. Half the seers were wrecks. They say at least ten of them plan on reaching godhood by sacrificing the entire nation.” Legends tell of cruel gods rising from the world to try and upend order with chaos through mass sacrifice. To stop the rise of another pantheon to oppose them, those who were already in the heavens sent forth their children or blessed champions. I never thought that those legends would return whilst I lived. “We live in interesting times.”

Anisette suddenly groaned and gained all our attention.

Lord Trelawney gave her side a light prod with his boot.

“Welcome back to the land of the living. You’re only here thanks to me. No thanks necessary. I liked the fight.” He offered her a hand, and when she took it, he cleansed her of the blood on her body. Her ragged top hid little, so he took off his coat and put it over her shoulders. She meekly gave a nod in thanks and stared at the destruction being wrought upon the enemy fleet. I almost expected her to ask about their lives, but instead she looked down at the ship we stood upon. “I’m clearing the place out right now.”

“We need to do more than that. Everyone else who’s missing must be down there.” Anisette tried to move past us, but Lord Trelawney held her back. “You can’t—

“Wrong. I can, because I’m stronger than you.” He pointed upward once, and she was lifted off the ground. Anisette tried to move only to find herself floating in place. She glared at him, and her face reddened with anger. “Now, you four have done enough. I’ll be sending you back to the castle. Stay on your toes just in case, but get some rest, eat, and get ready to meet the emperor, or at least a herald. I’ll head down and see who wants to be saved.”

Who wants to be saved?

My blood stilled at his words as he realized what his intentions were. These depraved creatures obviously saw people as tools. They abducted those with power and slaughtered the men in their profane ritual. With the women absent, I could only imagine what became of them, and the thoughts made me sick.

Anisette’s power suddenly came alive, and she landed on the deck of the ship with a grunt.

“N-no. That isn’t your place. It’s no one’s place to decide such things. They deserve rescue and aid. Nothing less… and nothing more.” Anisette locked her gaze with Lord Trelawney’s and spoke with grim determination. “They are my fellow students and friends. You are a child and lord to a faraway land. You do not have the right to say what becomes of my peers and fellows.”

Lord Trelawney raised an eyebrow at her words before suddenly looking at me.

“I would say that Argelia has greater say than you, then. She’s higher up on the social ladder, and she’s a student just like you.” His gaze was as heavy as a mountain, and Anisette’s pleading countenance made my heart shudder. Her eyes looked at me with fear, and I knew that some of those below the deck had shunned and ostracized me at that very moment. “What do you think?”

Thankfully, despite all that had been forced upon me, I did not fall to the depths of hate that would permit Lord Trelawney to do as he wished.

“I will go down there and retrieve them. Despite all that they have done to me, I will help them still. I may dislike them, but I do not consider them enemies. Nor people who deserve what has happened to them.” Something resembling a weight fell from my shoulders at my own words, and from the corner of my vision I saw a smile grace Alice’s face. I would never do business with their families, nor would I go out of my way to provide them with aid, but I would not see them dead or suffer a horrible fate. “Please, Lord Trelawney, I ask of you to turn your focus upon the enemy fleet and leave this matter to us.”

Lord Trelawney was silent for a while before shrugging.

“Alright, then. Do what you want.” He flippantly waved us away before turning to the remaining fleet and rising to the sky. “Good luck.”

Those two words weighed heavily in my mind as we descended into the depths of the ship to aid those who had been taken.

…

Interlude: Anisette, Demigod of Love

…

Lord Trelawney’s words, of love and hate being two sides to the same coin, resounded in my mind as I looked upon the main hall of the castle.

Fifty young women from across four grades of the Academy had been with us. Twenty had been missing after the initial attack.

They were all with us now, and one and all they suffered the predations of the invaders.

Those who were compliant and did not resist were forced to carry a child before being sequestered away in isolation whilst fed and watered. The fact that I spent days worrying about my future while they were trapped for weeks in near-darkness whilst provided only water and food weighed on my heart. Their cells had straw beds and a hole that led to the ocean for their relief. The women I saw as princesses were half-mad, disheveled, and almost disbelieving of their rescue, and now they were being tended to by Mother’s most caring followers.

Some part of me wondered if they all would become part of the clergy, but in the back of my mind I wondered if they had any other choice.

They were taken, and thus they were sullied.

I would rather they be with the clergy than return to their previous lives to be shamed and harmed by their so-called peers.

Their peers would praise those who did not surrender.

Those who had scars beneath their eyes and their minds destroyed.

They were three in number, and each was being made into a martyr. Already Mother’s clergy was done with them, and they were beset by the emperor’s servants. They heeded commands and followed those who held their leash. Nothing beyond blind obedience existed anymore. The daughters who once existed, the heiresses to noble houses, were dead, and in their place were puppets to be used as living martyrs for the war to come.

All I could do was promise myself that I will see them sequestered away and cared for once the empire is done with them.

Suddenly, as I was absorbed by my thoughts, I felt a sudden warmth blossom against my cheek, and the scent of fresh bread filled my nose.

“Eat up.” It was Lord Trelawney. Gone were the aristocratic clothes layered in enchantments, and so was his cursed armor, similarly no longer present. Instead, he was back in his disguise as an assistant baker, and he had baskets full of baked bread on a trolley almost taller than him. He took an entire basket and placed it on my lap. It was laden with rolls, but also jam and butter. Two things I haven’t seen since the first days at the castle. Perishable foods and high-calorie foods were eaten first. “They’re hot and fresh.”

“Thank you, Lord Trelawney.” I took a single bite, and a hunger blossomed in my stomach. It was as though I suddenly had a ravenous, bubbling cauldron in my belly desperate for sustenance. Before I knew it, two rolls disappeared into my gullet without any thought or appreciation given for the time spent making them. Thankfully, his gaze was understanding. “Can I help you share the rest of the bread?”

“No, you should eat. I don’t need help handing out food.” He shook his head before moving onward. “Oh, and good job. Most of these girls chose to live thanks to you.”

His congratulations made a flush form on my cheeks, even as I frowned.

“You shouldn’t have considered giving them what you planned in the first place.” I shuddered at the thought still. My arrival with Lady Argelia had frightened them enough, but we were able to calm them thanks to being fellow students. They knew us. If Lord Trelawney had appeared with all his strength and fury, like an avenging warrior, and offered them the chance to rid themselves of any shame and pain? I was sure that they would have taken his offer. “I understand you intended to spare them much pain and misery, but it remains wrong.”

“Let’s see if you keep thinking that way once these girls dedicate their lives to death and destruction.” I stopped at his words and felt my heart drop into my stomach. The hunger I felt remained, but it warred against the new truth that arose thanks to his words. “Didn’t cross your mind, did it? You thought that they might just try to return to their old lives or join your mother’s church. It didn’t occur to you they might come to me instead, and the emperor would be happy to pay for a couple of vengeful super weapons.”

Weapons.

He called them weapons, and my blood ran cold. The society that they once loved now shunned them. Their families may very well abandon them. If they did not choose the clergy, then they may very well choose to go to Lord Trelawney and become weapons. The emperor makes living martyrs of those who have lost their minds; why would he not see those thrown aside empowered to become vengeful warriors who will not falter against those who robbed them of everything?

“Saving people is more complicated than doing the right thing. You need to keep doing it until one day they’re alive and can do without you. In the end, they might resent you for it, too. One day, each one of these girls will look back on being saved and wish they weren’t.” Lord Trelawney’s words were blunt, but he said them softly. There was no blame. Just him stating what he believed to be true. He raised a hand my way and placed it on my shoulder. “But I’ll go ahead and give you a chance. I’ll tell him that I’ll be busy for a few months. Do your best to get these girls somewhere safe and secure. Someplace where they can try to be happy. Sound good?”

I despised the fact that all I could do was meekly nod and accept his words and look at his back while he moved forward to feed the main hall bustling with victims and those tending to them.

I must be able to do more.

My Weekly Gag Villain Job is Pretty Fulfilling: Chapter 18

My Weekly Gag Villain Job is Pretty Fulfilling: Chapter 18

…

Commissioned by Arksoul

…

Interlude: Chroma Scarlet: Aine Campbell

…

Two minutes.

The world watched a ray gun powered by a volcano and composed by one of the most feared super-villains fires at the moon.

Dr. Lumen held onto his volcano fortress for years. Any attempt to capture him ended with failure. He perfected a form of esoteric energy blast and used geothermal energy to give him enough firepower to instantly kill anything that wasn’t over the horizon of his island. Governments around the world decided to pay him off rather than try to take him down, and so he was considered neutralized even as he built larger forms of his weapon with the funds he was given.

Multiple superhero teams failed to defeat him. When approached by stronger foes, he threatened cities with a ‘curved shot’ and negotiated after showcasing his ability to somehow bend his energy blasts. His profiles all stated that he was a megalomaniac who desired public approval. Someone who wanted to prove his ideology correct to the entire world. That arcologies enslaved people to the whims of governments which were increasingly becoming more automated, and that in a few decades everyone will be ruled by a new aristocracy held up by legions of vat-grown cyborgs.

So, he fired upon the Shadow Legion to showcase his strength and ability while the rest of the world could only watch.

Two minutes later he was destroyed.

Ten minutes later the damage done by his laser was gone.

To say that there was some civil disorder as a result would be an understatement.

“How’s everything going, Pa?” I popped back into human form at home.  He was at the living room and his tweed jacket was off. In a dress shirt without a tie and leaning forward at the screen, I could tell it wasn’t good. “That bad?”

“Dr. Lumen is a well-known villain. Someone even grade schoolers here about. A boogeyman raised up to be as threatening as possible to validate paying him off. Some of his ideas are even carried by radicals, even if they don’t stand behind him.” He spoke carefully and clearly. No accent, like he was teaching his international class instead of talking to me. That meant he was stressed. So, I sat and listened. “The Legion just defeated him on international television in two minutes. It’s like fearing a devil all your life, then the moment it raises it hand towards a monster looming over your house, it gets squashed like a bug.”

“So, riots, then?” I asked with a nod.

“Riots, panic, and stockpiling. The neighborhood’s safe thanks to the wards, but there’ll be protests in the arcologies. A lot of the voices saying we should pay a tithe will get louder. We paid Dr. Lumen off, so why not his killer?” The simple and brutal logic of it made me scowl, but I couldn’t deny it. It was the simple and straightforward. People were going to rush for it. But the right answer to situations like this one was rarely simple and straightforward. “My contacts say that the government will try for it. Just a few tons of grain for security. Meanwhile, they’ll be building your obelisks starting off in arcologies. Those can stop that gate from forming, right?”

“Right. They will.” Pa seemed to breathe a bit easier at that and leaned back into his chair, before taking off his glasses and turning the screen off. He took a breath. With that, I decided to let loose the hounds whether for good or ill. “We’re thinking about bringing the Palace of Light out. It’ll attract their attention.”

Pa stilled at my words before shaking his head.

“No. You shouldn’t. Not even if arcologies start falling.” I knew he’d say that. We all knew that what our families would say. He moved out of his chair and held onto my shoulders. “I know that you want to help and do good, but you can’t risk yourselves or that repository of knowledge. We lose the palace and we lose everything.”

“Pa… people are going crazy everywhere. They’re not even fighting or resisting the Legion itself. It’s just their presence and that’s driving people mad. We’re supposed to help people.” I told him. It was hard to see what was happening all over the world. Wherever the light shined, there were people huddled in their houses, in temples prayers, or protesting their officials. Just as many were wreaking havoc. Some were trying to steal food and trying to find a way to contact the Legion to ensure their personal safety. “I don’t know how we can anymore.”

“That… that is because there’s no good solution. In all the other worlds, the Legion devoured or conquered most of the population. They swept through nation after nation and left only a few that the Sentinels could protect. They were a force of nature… not an opponent in a war.” He took a seat beside me on the sofa and kept an arm on shoulders. He was worm, despite the winter season and even without his jacket. He was more agitated than he let on, but he stayed calm for me. “Aine, you’re not responsible for the entire world or everyone on it. You’re meant to defeat the Legion. As harsh as it sounds, you need to look past the chaos and focus on what you can do… and the best thing you can do is keep preparing for your assault, while keeping the palace hidden.”

I did my best to steady myself, but suddenly… in the corner of my senses there was something there in the corner of my house.

I transformed immediately and put myself between her and father.

“Aine?” He asked, before going still. His hand went to his service revolver’s box, but he paused as she just stayed standing in the darkest corner of our home. “Do you know her?”

“I do, but I don’t.” All my senses screamed at me to run, to take my father to the palace, and for us to leave now. However, the white-haired pale young woman with bright yellow eyes stared us both quietly, while clad in deep black. “I think she’s part of the Legion of Shadow.”

I lied to my father.

I knew that this girl was beyond even the ‘general’ that we met.

The leader of the entire legion stood before me with a blank gaze before raising her my way with an open palm.

There were no words, but it was obvious.

Surrender to us.

The Light flashed around me, filling me with warmth, and I lowered my guard. This was dialogue between the two primordial and powerful entities. It has happened before, but with us standing on opposite sides. The Light bid the Shadow to cease after it was defeated. It promised it quiet solitude in peaceful realms. Each time it refused and left to regather is strength and find another world to overwhelm.

However, many times over, the Light was given no choice and forced out of a realm when it was defeated.

This was the first time that Darkness offered surrender.

“What are the terms?” I spoke to her simply. Pa looked at me with surprise, before reaching for me with concern. “Know that even if we surrender, humanity most likely won’t. They’ll oppose you every step of the way and we’ve given them much already.”

Instead of words, I saw what the Shadows offered and almost fell to my knees.

Peace in its own twisted sense.

Humanity allowed to persist and act in its current state, but without the Sentinels every human will be given the choice to continue living or simply surrender to endless respite. I saw souls gathered from bodies and secreted away to vast chambers. Consciousness persisting in endless rest. No pain, no hunger, and no toil. Just eternal rest for whomsoever chooses. The Legion of Shadow will rule over the planet, and wait.

Wait while humanity is surrounded by threats and worn down.

They will wait and keep the choice open for all, while moving onto other worlds to do the same as humanity fell apart.

“Dear God in heaven.” Pa whispered under his breath. I realized he was included in the shared dream. “What are you?”

He stared at the young woman and for a moment I met her yellow gaze.

Behind those eyes was the Legion of Shadow’s almighty will. The declaration that all the good of reality did not outweigh all its suffering.

That it was better to encase all in eternal rest and stagnation rather than try for what might be better.

Then, I realized why the Light chose me as the leader of the Sentinels.

“We haven’t lost.” I burned away my worries and concerns and met her gaze. She looked at me and tilted her chin questioningly while lowering her hand. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. You just have the advantage. Not the victory. We’ll keep fighting because we believe in our own ideals. That people should strive to be better and that we can reach greater heights.”

The worlds the Light left behind are paradisical. They have forged from their struggles great civilizations where people work together to expand across their realm. Magic and technology combined to give people better lives, allow them to traverse to other stars, and find plenty. What were once singular countries with the Legion of Shadow battering their walls, there were now empires spanning the stars. They might have problems, but they were addressing them, working to be better, and moving forward.

The Legion of Shadow offered peace at the cost of eternal stillness.

“So, your offer is appreciated and we’ll hear you out in the future, but this isn’t the end. Not even close.” The entity began to fade into shadow and disappear. My refusal still hung in the air. No. My belief that a better future is worth fighting for remained. Not even a moon covered in Shadow was going to change that fact. “We’ll be seeing you when we retake our moon.”

For a moment, a faint smile flickered across the still face of the young woman, before a final thought was shared with us.

Her general on one knee giving her the world.

Silence filled my living room for a moment, before Pa broke it.

“For an entity of shadow and ennui, that girl sure is a romantic.”

I couldn’t help it.

I had to laugh.

What kind of man can capture the heart of such a creature?

…

“Uh, who’s she?”

“Our boss.”

“The leader of the Legion of Shadow.”

“Huh.”

Alex stared at Lia for a bit before shrugging and just taking a seat at the table. Lia was sitting at the head, while I was at the right. She had multiple tubs of gelato open and was steadily working her way through it all. Some Imps helped when she didn’t like a flavor very much, but she was going through them without much issue.

“So, does she only eat ice cream?”

“Gelato.” I corrected, before shaking my head. I got a napkin and wiped Lia’s face clean of some melted droplets and she closed her eyes and allowed me to work, before she got back to eating. “And, no. She eats plenty of other food. She just likes gelato the most. You can eat all the food that you like all the time now, too.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to get sick of it.” Alex shook her head and took a seat next to Ebb, who was across from me munching on poke. After weeks of sushi, Ebb was finally branching out onto something else. He seemed to have a thing for raw or just-cooked fish. “So, is she just here to eat some ice cream or do something else?”

For some reason, Alex raised and eyebrow at me and waggled it.

No clue what she meant by that.

“She usually just stays in the sanctuary double-checking everything is working as intended. No one having nightmares or anything awful. It’s magic, but we want to make sure.” Alex blinked at my explanation and gave a nod. She had some pizza today and it was laden with extra toppings. She had to slide it off the card board onto her plate and get a knife and fork. It was basically impossible to lift off the table. It got Lia’s attention and Alex was quick to give her the plate before making another one for herself. “I mean, she can play games and have fun through the Imps, so usually she just stays in place and controls from afar.”

“Alright, sounds about right. So, she’s just here because she wants to be.” Alex accepted with a nod, before looking over at Lia. She paused before she spoke again. The pizza slice covered in multiple ounces of meat, cheese, and vegetables just slid off the plate down into Lia’s waiting mouth and disappeared. She chewed and swallowed within a few moments. It was cartoonlike. Or, rather, Imp-like. Despite the outside appearance, Lia’s body was just solid shadow like the rest of the Legion. “So, boss, if you don’t mind me asking: why go through all the trouble?”

Lia tilted her head to the side inquiry at the question, while I just helped myself to some fried rice and pork chops.

“I mean, you can just lord over the place. Sell your services to highest bidder, or just rule over the planet. Let people come to you for peace, or just die fighting. Why go with complete annihilation from the start or go for the delayed, instant death?” Alex considered her pizza before taking a bite and mashing through it. A moment later she chugged down a whole can of soda. She was getting used to taking advantage of her infinite-stomach. “Seems to me that you can just take over a country, use it, and spread out and let problems come to you while you’ve got the advantage.”

Lia considered the question for a moment, before letting a simple memory flow through all of us.

War, bloodshed, and suffering in astronomical amounts. Frenzied efforts of mortals in factories to try and fight no matter the cost. Lia ruling over a silent and dead kingdom as the mortals who ‘accepted’ her did nothing in the end.

In the end, it just prolonged suffering while the few slinked away.

I grimaced and so did Ebb, while Alex grunted.

Being monsters outright was better than that.

Eroge? Bad Ends? Betrayal? I’m Just Here to Suplex Monsters through Buildings.

Suplexes are Supreme (4.1).

…

Neo San Kyoto, Cathay Drive, 2AM PST.

…

Interlude: Helena Horner

…

I almost didn’t know what to think. After I washed off all the makeup and put on some pajamas, I had a light dinner and went to get my homework done while Kay stayed on the patio to keep eating.

My first class was at 10AM, so even with an hour of studying, I was going to get plenty of sleep before needing to go to class.

But that barely mattered.

I handed in five human heads, got paid in cash, and left.

In less time than most movies, Kay killed five people, we handed in their bounties, and I was back home studying for a general education class.

It was insane, and I couldn’t focus.

Before I knew it, the sliding door to the patio out of my studio opened.

“You’re feeling sick, huh? ” He wore a large and baggy sweater we picked up at a thrift store and pants. Both were several sizes too large and covered him up completely. The hood was deep enough that he didn’t need to obscure his face beneath it, but I knew he had a ski mask and goggles beneath as well. “You should take some sleeping pills and just get some rest. Maybe start looking for a psychiatrist.”

“What? You don’t have some sort of magic that can just make me less worried about getting people killed? ” I tried to be a smartass, but a part of me hoped that I could make some sort of bargain with Kay.

Instead, I got a shrug and a shake of the head.

“Besides telling you that those guys were scum and would have had their way with you before chopping you up for parts? No. I don’t.” Those words… helped a bit. I made my way to my little dining table, and he did the same and took a seat across from me. He was still cooking on the patio, so he smelled like grilled meat. The rest of the apartment was thankfully back to normal after almost a month spent with nearly every surface being used for cooking. “You’ll have enough money to afford therapy after everything is settled. Talk to a professional in that stuff. Not me.”

It almost felt unfair that he couldn’t just help me.

Some part of me wanted to blame him for some reason, but the debt was because of my parents, and Kay was the only reason why I wasn’t chopped up to pay for the rest of the debt.

Not to mention the fact he saved me from vestiges of my old life.

So, I moved forward.

It was the only thing I could do.

“I want more than that. More than just some person helping me through trauma and more than just a gun. I want… power. Strength. It was obvious that was the key difference between me and all the threats that I faced now. The reason why Kay was able to move and live. “Not enough for me to go out there and change anything. Just enough to ward most things off.”

I thought that he’d laugh at me.

Instead, Kay gave a single nod.

“I can teach you two seals. One that allows you to hide a projectile, and a seal for that projectile that’ll create a ball of vaporizing heat for a brief instant.” He rifled through his clothes and produced them. Simple sheets of thick paper cut into rectangles, which he painted with ink and blood. “These are Hiyo Clan explosive seals. One of the deadliest in the world. Most things hit with it die. They can be time-delayed for up to an hour.”

My mouth went dry.

I asked for power, and now I was being given the ability to manufacture explosives.

What did I expect?

For him to bite my neck and turn me into some half-lizard person?

“That’s… intense. What’s the other one? ”

“A seal that launches projectiles and stores them. Whatever is within has increased weight as a side effect. Once you undo the seal, it launches the projectile held within at speeds comparable to a small-caliber bullet. Fast enough that most things can’t dodge or catch it.” He gestured at his gloved hand, and I realized that on the black surface there were faint markings on each finger where a ring would go. He had a whole gauntlet of weapons on his hands. “Useful, right? Hidden launched explosives in an instant. Perfect for dealing with a threat. All you need is some ink, some paper, and your own energy.”

“And how many years of my life is this going to be taking? ”

“If you make one right now, probably all of it. But I’ll give you a push in the right direction. This usually happens in childhood.” He held out his hand towards mine, and I took it. He was distressingly warm, like holding my hand at an open oven. Suddenly, that warmth began to seep into me. I forced myself to stay calm. “You’re perfectly average, but on the healthy side. Young enough for everything to not have withered away, either. Maybe, if you were born into a clan, you’d have survived to graduate as a ninja.”

“But not now? ”

“No. You’ll need to make do with cunning, firepower, and preparation like most regular people who fall into this life by accident. Camouflage your scent, have holy water at the ready, make salt barriers, and use silver-tipped, sanctified bullets.” Kay offered me a shrug. “It’s a brutal life with low survival rates, but most of the time that’s because they’re going for revenge. If you lay low, you should be fine.”

“Should be fine” isn’t good enough. I want to be safe,” I told him honestly, and he went quiet. I didn’t like that silence one bit. After all my efforts to free myself from my parents and my fucked-up high school, I was still at risk? “Is that even possible? ”

“Maybe. I don’t know. I’ve lived all my life seeing all its dangers, so my view may just be wrong. All I can tell you is that you should prepare, that you should be ready to run, or have something that can make sure that you go out on your own terms.” Kay’s answer just made me scowl and made my fists ball up. It was unfair. It was cruel. I didn’t want to go out on my own terms to spite other people. I just wanted to live with a roof over my head, not worry about food, and maybe get friends. Instead, I was involved in all of this, not because I saved someone’s life, but because my parents worked to drown me in their debt. “I’d say you can try funding a cabin and living on the outskirts of civilization, but that’ll just put you up against monsters people don’t hunt. Maybe you can join a corporation. If you’re a good enough asset, you’ll be protected.”

“But I’ll be an asset, which means I’ll be used until I’m worthless and thrown away.” I grumbled, and he gave a nod. Corporations had their own neighborhoods and stables of generational employees, too. Employees with great health, who could endure longer hours, and who could recover with less time thanks to even their food being drugged. I saw them walking in suits and in packs, with guards, looking at the rest of the city outside of their glass bubbles with fear. All men, too. They keep their women ‘secure.’ “Probably after they decide I’m not good enough to pump out kids.”

The more I spoke with him, the more I felt like bounty hunting was my last choice, until he chimed in.

“You could try and work for a ninja clan. The Hiyo and all the others are the ones keeping the monsters at bay. They look for a lot of auxiliary help. You’ll be subordinate, you’ll need to work hard, but you can be staff at a manufacturing facility or something. We have entire logistics chains.” Kay made a proposal, but I could hear a grimace in his voice, like there was a caveat with the choice that he was unwilling to share. “But that’s all you’ll be. You’ll have food, shelter, and a stipend, but you’ll be a servant. All that they give you is all that you’ll have, and if you decide to leave, you’ll be targeted by their enemies.”

I thought about it; maybe some part of me still hoped that there was another way, but eventually I nodded.

“Maybe I’ll be fine with that, then. I’ll go see if I can wrangle a decent degree in manufacturing, since you guys need technical help.”

Kay gave a nod at that, and I got up to get some rest.

There was still a lot to do tomorrow, after all.

…

Once Helena went to sleep, the person keeping watch decided to leap up to the pavilion and raised a hand in greeting.

“Sup. Came over here after I heard some boys got their shit rocked at my favorite bar. Thought a man-eater was around… but you’re not one.” She had the apartment scoped in with a giant anti-material rifle from a mile away shortly after we returned. She had short red hair and wore a leather jacket and chaps along with heeled boots. Naturally, beneath that she had a sheer bodysuit with a black bikini to give her some modesty. Because, of course, a Lupercal bounty hunter was narratively important enough to get an erotic character body portrait. “So, you’re just pretending to be a man-eating monster? Guess you don’t want to be found or something? ”

“Or something,” I agreed and motioned for her to take a seat. The small patio chair almost buckled beneath her. The bounty hunter was almost three times my height. Probably eight feet tall. If she transformed, she’d probably be twelve feet. I had Helena’s apartment covered in a few seals to protect her. Some happened to also make sure that talking outside on her patio wouldn’t disturb her. “Helena saved my life, so I’m willing to take the risk. I’ll take on a million or so of bounties, give her half, and skip town and return to my old identity. Just need time to heal.”

“Smart. Especially since you took the middle of the pile. The idiots running around in groups trying for paydirt avoid them, and anyone who wants big payouts only goes for the top ten.” I handed her over a patty of ground meat and a bun. There were plenty of condiments in the cooler along with liter bottles of soda. I was still burning through calories like crazy. I weighed myself every day and barely gained any weight. By my estimate, I needed almost a hundred thousand calories a day just to sleep contently. “So, how long will you be around? ”

“If there are enough bounties, four months at most.” The half-pound burger patty got slathered in some cheese sauce, mustard, relish, and ketchup… and the bounty hunter chopped it down in two bites like a slider. Her mouth was full of fangs. “Did I hit one of your people? ”

“In that shithole? No. But I’ve got a few friends in these parts that I work with. Good girls who are down on their luck and trying to get by.” She already felt comfortable enough to eat food that I gave her, so I listened. Despite her state of dress and size, she offered to trust me first after watching me. The least I could do was listen. “I figured that I’d deal with a monster instead of them to be nice… and they’ve got problems with man-eaters. If they heard about one, they’d go after it.”

“So, you need assurance that I’m not, because they’ll hear eventually,” I stated, and she gave a nod. Her two tall wolf ears flopped forward on her short red hair when she nodded. Her ears had the same red fur as her long tail. “Fine, here.”

I only had a few kunai left, but this was worth losing one.

She let loose a whistle.

“Damn, you’re a big shot.” Kunai were manufactured in massive numbers but limited only to ninja clans. They were darkened to prevent glints of light, but they were composed of a carefully manufactured alloy that allowed them to be effective against most supernatural threats. They went through troll skin with ease, while also debilitating regeneration. Vampires could be harmed by them. Barriers can be pierced or carved through with enough energy channeled through them. It was a silver bullet that even had proven efficacy against eldritch monsters. I held it in hand and gave it to her, while she gave a low whistle. “Is there something going on in town? I’m suddenly feeling a bit of wanderlust.”

“It’s been dealt with. You’re better off not knowing the specifics. I was a casualty, but I made strong enemies that I need to deal with before returning to my allies,” I told the Lupercal bounty hunter, and she gave a nod in understanding. Since she was accepting of my reasoning and had offered her trust first, I decided to take a gamble. “Give me a month, and if you’re willing, I’ll work with you and your friends on a big bounty. I’ll take a quarter and not half.”

Taking on a big bounty with some support would speed up my timeline.

Not to mention, I could take on a stronger opponent with more confidence with someone watching my back.

My suggestion had the bounty hunter’s brow furrow and her nose scrunch up while she considered my proposal.

She ate another full burger like a slider and shrugged down a whole liter of cola before replying with a nod.

“The name’s Kine.” She got up and offered her hand to me, and I rose to shake it. The moon bore down upon us both, and she could easily transform into a giant rage monster, but didn’t. She let go of my hand after a single, firm shake. “I want to accept, but I want to keep an eye on you first. See how you operate. If you’re strong enough, we won’t have to bring my friends into this. We can tag and bag a big bounty and cut it in half.”

I considered her offer before nodding.

This time I extended my hand towards her.

“A month with you watching, then we take on a big bounty. Sounds good.”

“Good.”

I liked Kine.

How could I not?

She had me zeroed with her anti-material rifle multiple blocks away before deciding to give me a chance.

And, while we were talking, she had an oversized shotgun at the hip, ready to blow my face off.

I appreciate a woman who had the sense to keep a gun trained on a man while they spoke.

In this world, it was perfectly sensible.

My Weekly Gag Villain Job is Pretty Fulfilling: Chapter 17

My Weekly Gag Villain Job is Pretty Fulfilling: Chapter 17

…

Commissioned by Arksoul

…

Interlude: Adam

…

I looked up, and in the night sky a black moon surrounded by a corona of white light shone upon the world.

As it persisted, its effects became increasingly pronounced.

Humanity has been invaded by extraterrestrial forces before. They have been fought back by the greatest of heroes and the established governments. Military assets were pulled in, technologies typically considered too dangerous were brought into the fold, and some incarcerated villains were even offered more lenient terms when they provided aid.

But all that had been done in Earth’s orbit.

We fought alien invaders with the planet at our back and our industrial base easily leveraged. Arcologies already threw already-powerful defensive arrays at them and shattered alien fleets. Barrages of missiles were launched unceasingly, while ground-based coilguns fired whilst covered by powerful shields and laser defense networks powered by fortified fusion reactors. Even without powerful heroes defeating their leadership, most alien armadas were crushed by humanity’s strength without us even uniting.

Now, though?

The moon was occupied by a hostile force. A hostile force that can appear anywhere on Earth. It was a constant reminder that we could be attacked at any time, while we had to contend against our own planet. Lunar coil guns would take months to fabricate, and once established, they couldn’t be protected from enemy forces that could just smash through them with ease. Factories needed to be made to churn out more lift vehicles that could breach our atmosphere, release a payload, and return to us, whereas before we could leverage a great number of existing designs and stockpiles.

Our only hope of assaulting the moon and retaking it was our space station, and the initial attack had already failed.

For the first time, humanity looked upon a foe in the sky and could not bring it down.

The moon arrived with every night and stared at the world, declaring that we were at its mercy, and humanity was cracking beneath the weight of that knowledge. Protests against governments lying still while it loomed resounded across the world. Declarations of dictators who have made deals with the Shadow Legion are finding their way into mainline media sites. Their people are safe, and all they do is give grain, and they receive rare metals in return.

The fact that the grain they give makes more of the Legion be drowned out.

People say it's better to give in for now and then prepare for a counterattack.

As if the Legion will be fooled and tricked when it is led by a human itself.

“Oh, you’re awake.” Akimitsu’s voice drifted over to me. I found the cyborg clad only in a blue and yellow bikini and a sarong. I was at the beach near our headquarters, whose dorms used to be a resort. A drone followed her. She motioned towards it, and it closed its lens. “I was gathering footage for an upcoming marketing campaign.”

A marketing campaign that involved designer sunglasses at night and high heels.

She noticed my raised eyebrow and offered a shrug.

“It’s voluntary, and I like it. I prefer it to fighting. I and my siblings would prefer just being companions to humanity, but with threats such as the Legion, we understand conflict is needed.” She gestured at the bench beside me and silently inquired if she could sit. I shifted to the side. The dark moon lingered over the sea, casting a baleful light upon the waves. “You were contemplating the ramifications of the Legion’s hold over the moon?”

“I was. It’s driving a lot of people mad. A lot of eyes are on us. Soon, it’ll be blame or demands that’ll get people killed.” I’ve seen this happen before. Task forces assigned to high-priority targets feel the pressure when their target continues to wreak havoc. Funds tighten, oversight increases, and people are called in to testify. People get removed, or worse, get killed as we’re forced to engage without preparation. Only after the target is removed are those deaths mourned, as if they weren’t mocked and shamed into moving sooner than they should. “The Sentinels are receiving a lot of scathing criticism, but they’re unaffiliated and support themselves. They just need to be careful with any friends they make, but we’re different.”

The cyborg gave a hum of understanding before shaking her head.

“I don’t believe what you fear will come to pass. The Akimitsu corporation's sway is immense. In Japan, at least, we have nothing to fear.” The declaration made me blink, but her words made a worrying amount of sense. So much of our current operation was funded by them, and their reach was so long that Akimitsu was nearly synonymous with the government in charge of Japan. They led the nation to prosperity and even now worked to further its future, while also not neglecting the people. “As long as we remain in the head’s good graces, we shall have nothing to fear.”

“Even if some countries try to pull away their people?” I asked, and she gave a nod. “Why do you think that?”

“This location and its supporting infrastructure are key to addressing the issue as quickly as possible. They may threaten withdrawals, but that will simply leave their assets unused in their lands. Not to mention, if they withdraw, we will have no need to support them against the Legion. It is completely illogical to withdraw. That is, of course, not to say it is impossible.” The cyborg shook her head. She frowned and sighed. “Sometimes, I wish humanity were simpler and acted purely off of logic, but that would make the world quite boring.”

“Boring is good sometimes.” I argued with a sigh, and she offered me a beaming smile. My stomach did its usual twisting and tumbling, but I ignored it. “How soon will we be reinforced?”

“One month, then the first wave will be here. It will coincide with the repairs to the space station, as well as the completion of the new single-stage orbital transports.” She gestured at the construction we were protecting. It was a massive ramp that would allow for space shuttles to speed up and reach orbit without the need for incredible amounts of fuel. If it was not complete on time, then the shuttles were to be lifted into low orbit by large commercial airliners retrofitted for the purpose. That was what was said on the news, at least. In truth construction was set to complete sooner than expected, but the commercial airliners were being retrofitted in case the orbital ramp was destroyed or taken out. “They will have all the support the Sentinels can provide, along with a weapon system that can potentially crack the shell engulfing the moon.”

I recalled reading about that.

The Sentinels were hard at work. Not only were they countering most efforts of the Legion across the world, but they were also collaborating and sharing what they could. Most limitations on what they could give were on our side. The cost of their magic came through silver, gold, and gems. It was partially due to the properties of the substances, but in truth it was due to using them and losing them being considered a sacrifice. A sacrifice that empowered the effects of their ‘magic.’

The cost of making multiple obelisks that can block off areas from the Legion’s ability to simply appear was astronomical, but I was sure that governments were already raiding stockpiles, opening mines, and purchasing the materials.

Denying the enemy their ability to appear anywhere they wished was of the greatest importance.

But, perhaps, the weapon that would free the moon from the shadowy shell that engulfed it now was of greater import.

After all, we can’t win this war if the moon stays engulfed by darkness for all to see every single day.

The initiative was firmly on the Legion’s side, and we could only hope that they remained focused on gathering food and growing, rather than mounting an all-out assault on the planet.

We could only wonder why they were so hesitant and why we were receiving so much time.

…

Given the demand for gelato and the fact that it was very nutrient-rich, I decided to start making some.

It was easier than I expected, honestly, since the Imps absorbed the online classes I purchased and read through the recipe books diligently. After that it was just acquiring the machines and the ingredients, then the Imps did the rest by turning tons of milk, eggs, sugar, and natural ingredients into slow-churned gelato by the bucket.

Honestly, it was a good way to spend some downtime, and it was fun to stock up on multiple flavors and innovate. The Imps were more than happy to partake in the cooking process and learn, so I had them start learning everything. Restaurant fare was great but expensive. Good for a treat. It was much better to get large amounts of ingredients and process them to our own ends.

Maybe in a few months, I’ll have a butchery section set up for animal processing, and maybe even grain processing.

For now, though?

I’ll enjoy my gelato.

“I think I’ll have the daily special today.” We set up a small makeshift parlor outside the vast freezer room carved out into lunar regolith. We were deep into the moon. Everything on the surface was bound to be attacked, so we drilled down, found a cavern, carved it out, and shifted everything. With thousands of Imps, it was easy. It barely took an hour. We had more space and surprisingly found deposits of ice, too. Anyway, for the most part, our base was for processing food and making sure we were growing in numbers. “Thanks.”

The parlor’s attendant was an imp with a top hat and a bowtie, and the dapper little gentleman served me with gusto. Opening the large bronze cylinder the gelato was kept in, which was lodged into a refrigerated cabinet that kept them soft enough to scoop but not melting, the Imp gave me a large single scoop while I sat on a stool at the counter. The parlor was very homely with warm wood furnishings, a bookshelf, and a television streaming a movie. A little Italian café in the middle of the moon.

Today’s special was one of the typical experimental ones. A vanilla gelato with sweetened soy sauce caramel swirls and red bean. The ice cream itself was what I expected. It melted easily, was soft, and spread like silk across the tongue when it melted. Creamy vanilla, followed by the soy sauce caramel. It was faintly chewy but melted along with the ice cream, just slower. The soy sauce flavor was faint, like a hint of deep savory saltiness, which turned into sweetness at the end. The red beans were candied and were initially hard but became a bit chewy when bitten into. It was crunchy and soft, while releasing a faint sweetness with every chew.

“I give it an eight out of ten.” Above the regular flavors, but not my favorite. But that was because I wasn’t very experimental. I liked more classic mixes. A caramel gelato with dehydrated apples and cinnamon strudel was my favorite. A cheesecake gelato with graham cracker bits and some strawberry jam was a close second. Those were my nines. For ten, I had to go with pistachio spread, dark chocolate shavings, and white chocolate ice cream. That I could eat every day without getting tired of it. The last time that was made, I ate a whole canister. “What’s everyone else’s verdict?”

The imp brought out the book and presented it to me.

Ebb, being a connoisseur of exotic flavors and new foods, gave it a nine and a half, meaning that it was sure to return.

Alex favored simpler flavors and barely ate ice cream, and she scored it a seven, which was high for her.

She usually liked to eat warm pastries, so anything above five for a cold dessert was noteworthy from her.

“Well, looks like it’s going on the regular rotation, then.” The Imp eagerly nodded while putting the book away. I finished my scoop and considered another when the Imp suddenly straightened and looked straight at me before gesturing at the television, and I got a specific set of numbers. I went to the channel and raised an eyebrow. “Huh, it’s been a while since this last happened.”

It was your average supervillain with an over-large weapon on a remote island broadcasting to the world.

But the overly large weapon was pointed at the moon.

“Never mind, looks like this is something different.” I turned up the volume.

“While the fools who denied me my rightful place cower in shielded arcologies, and those who wish to see all not fit for their crystal palaces see fit to let us all rot, I have acted! I have persevered! I have created a weapon which will end this threat to the entire world!” The supervillain in question was bald and had eyes covered in a visor that was integrated into his skull. He had bright yellow robes on and had multiple metal limbs all over his body and instead of legs had slithering tendrils. Wires jutted out of his head, and cooling pillars were stabbed into his back. “Know that this day… the world owes me for its salvation!”

He clicked the glowing green button, and a stream of energy flew out of his gun.

A moment later something slammed into our protective dome.

I was surprised to find it starting to wear away.

“Damn, it’s like getting hit with multiple nukes consecutively.” It was one hell of a weapon, that was for sure. The shell was being worn down while the gun continued to fire on the television. I watched as the surface of my dome began to slowly but surely crack, parted by some sort of exotic energy that was radiating immense amounts of power. By the time it was done, numerous green cracks were over a fraction of the dome. “It’s kind of crazy he shot that sort of thing in the atmosphere.”

I was ready to just send a few Imps down there to ravage the island, but I felt a prod from the Legion of Shadow’s guiding will.

Boss wanted me to make an example of him.

The weapon, apparently, would cause grievous harm and very painful deaths to normal people. From just our passive senses alone, we could see a cloud of baleful energies suffusing the island and slowly lifting off into the atmosphere while the supervillain cackled at his ‘impending victory.’

That cackling stopped as a black disk formed above him and his island for all to see, and before the gun could be turned and fired, innumerable massive limbs rushed out all at once from the immense disc.

Claws the size of buildings upturned the island.

Fists that could grab oil tankers smashed into it.

Grabbing hands wrenched up the foundation and flung it into the ocean in crushed pieces.

Then, finally, all those hands combined and formed into a massive pillar the size of the entire portal.

Then, as a massive pillar, it bore down inexorably upon what remained of the island and crushed everything beneath it like a massive hydraulic press.

When everything was done, the island didn’t exist any longer.

Let alone the supervillain and his weapon.

V12: Chapter 14

V12: Chapter 14

…

Interlude: Conquest

…

The message arrived with little fanfare, yet everything became a blur as I rushed to my father’s side.

When I arrived, I was thankful for all the King of Wisdom’s efforts to quicken the speed with which armies traversed the continent.

It was only thanks to him that I was able to reach my father.

When I entered the room, he was awake, but he was wasting away already.

“Why is he here and not in a medical pod?” I heard a voice between a roar and snarl before I realized it was my own. I stood in one of the new hospitals adjacent to the Citadels. Places where people were cared for with ready access to the greatest gifts of the Ancients mere minutes away. “He should be—

“I am where I am, my daughter.” His voice was still strong and I felt a semblance of relief push through the haze. “I suffered from a grievous blow, but I still yet live.”

I gathered my thoughts as I looked upon him. He was skinnier than I lost saw him. No more fat clung to his face. Gaunt and with sunken eyes, with lessened muscle all over his form, I knew all his clothes would no longer fit at a singular glance.

Ilych’s father returning to life suddenly came to the forefront of my mind.

But I knew father would not agree to it.

“It is a miracle that you are alive. Those who suffer as you have typically perished.” His heart had seized out of nowhere according to the doctors. It was a symptom of advanced age. He was Champion who regenerated from many wounds, who endured multiple centuries, and survived horrific corruption and had his magic stripped from him. Lesser mortals would’ve died mere months after what he survived. Most Conquerors did not survive their heart stalling for even a moment, because of our large bodies. But he was with me still now. Even though his hand felt so small in my own. “They could not find a cure for you, despite the Citadel reaching the epitome of its strength?”

“There are some things that even the Ancients can’t defeat. At least, not with the tools that we currently have. These Citadels are meant for reclaiming the world. Not for saving all. It is my misfortune that my life was unpredictable to even the Ancients.” He laughed lowly at his jest, while I held onto his hand. “Fret not. I go in peace knowing the continent is unified and will face the entire world together. You will need to take my place and lead our people in the long shadow cast by the King of Wisdom.”

Again, I wanted to ask if he wished to return, but I knew that our people would not stand for it.

If I was to represent my people, if the Conquerors were to truly remain ourselves, I could not do as I wish.

Nor could I allow the King of Wisdom to raise him up in my stead.

“I will ask his majesty for your posting, then fulfill all that is required of me.” I promised him with my grip on his hand firm. A smile formed on his face and he nodded. For my entire life, he had been there. A pillar in the back of my mind whenever I had any concern. All this time, I did not fear for my people, because he remained. The greatest student of the Deliverer and a Champion of the Conquerors farther than most could remember. Today I do not just lose a father. My people lose a pillar upon which our civilization has been built. “Rest easy and return to our ancestors. Watch over me with them. I will do you proud until the time comes when I meat you again.”

He gave a low rumble of approval at my promise and I stayed with him for an hour after speaking only of ourselves and our family.

He did not pass until he spoke one last time with his majesty.

…

“What odds do you give the continent, Jack?”

“Nice to see you too, Crusher.” I greeted him with a raised hand and put a fruit basket on the table. Ayah followed me, but I gestured for her to give us some privacy. The adjacent rooms were already clear. I reached my hand out to him, but he kept his gaze steady even as he raised his hand to shake it. It felt like shaking leather wrapped around sticks, and his hands were cold. “Victory, I think is three to one odds. Not favoring us. A draw is about fifty percent likely. If I went crazy with Red Mist, we can win, but the planet will be lost. There are a few similar weapons, but I’ve already told you about the message that might send.”

I took a seat and helped myself to an orange, which earned me a raised eyebrow.

I made sure to leave half the segments to him, while I ate it and he just gave a dismissive snort.

Oi, a king peeled that for you.

“Would those odds change favorably if the Conquerors followed you rather than my daughter?” Ah, that was where he was going with this.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to disappoint him.

“Not at all. Might worsen. Your people are strong, compliant, and bring your own advantages to the table.” I told him freely while sitting in one of the wood chairs of the hospital. I just cribbed off the designs that I knew back home. Central area for physicians and nurses with supplies easily accessed surrounded by rooms for patients. It was mostly hospice care and keeping people comfortable for when the med-pods or magic can’t handle them. Most of my hospitals just focused on prevention. Keeping people from getting sick in the first place saved money and time. Also, a hospital in every town and city meant I didn’t get a stupid event that killed ten percent of my population and army stationed there. An event that can recur and didn’t have a limit that just wipes out whole population units fucking sucks. “Don’t worry about it.”

Crusher gave a single, decisive nod before looking at the halved fruit and with effort ate it in one go.

I’m almost sixty mentally and it’s still tough to see someone so strong get so… reduced.

Still, I knew better than to pity him.

Also, I added elder abuse to the list of wrongs my opponents should be destroyed for.

“Reports are coming in regarding the armies. They’re doing far better than expected. The line will hold. What matters is that we find a way to force them to accept a ceasefire for a decade or two, then we can bury them. We need time and a generation and a half most of all.” The numbers for a literal worldwide campaign were just brutal no matter how I thought about it. The technological edge that I had needed to be honed to perfection. The Iterants could serve as an incredible force multiplier and a sudden, massive force in the enemy’s own nation, but they couldn’t do it alone. Red Mist and atomic weapons were both last resorts, if Citadels were on the line. I shook my head. “But that’s the ideal situation. It won’t happen. I’ll keep searching for something. A silver bullet that can give us what we need to take the planet for ourselves… before I retire.”

“Retire? You?” Despite everything else that I said, Crusher seemed the most surprised by my retirement plans. “You would yield all that you have created to others?”

I was tempted to tell him about Khanrow, but decided against it.

He wouldn’t believe me.

“The Iterants will provide the backbone for governance. They can be trusted. They love this world and the Ancient’s children as their own. I’ll search for a successor before I abdicate and train them. Then, as the Ancients did, they will choose who will lead them while having a senate of their own peers. This land has had its fill of tyrannic bloodlines.” Khanrow will probably set something up. Morgan’s my personal choice. She has the chops to take over the entire world. In all the Demon Lord endings, she conquers the rest of the world. What happens after isn’t elaborated upon, but with the right training and without the need to commit atrocities, I could see her ruling just fine. “The Iterants can be entrusted with the law and upholding the terms of governance the people shall agree to.”

Crusher stared at me in silence for a long time, before speaking.

“You never planned on remaining in power your entire life.”

“No. Even now, I wear it because I must. Before, I believed that I merely needed to ensure that the Citadels do not fill the continent with bloodshed. Now, it is mine to bear because of the calamities to come.” If I had it my way, and if the rest of the world wasn’t covered in monsters, I’d be on some beach drinking the day away while surrounded by hot ladies in tiny bikinis. If that ever got old, then I’ll switch over to bunny girl outfits, gothic dresses, etc. Even without internet, with money and power I can live a pleasure-filled second life. Going that route now, though will just my brains eaten, if I’m lucky. “I will see this coming age of calamity end, hopefully securing the future of our people, and then I will abdicate to a life of plenty by the seaside.”

Crusher considered my words before huffing and shaking his head.

“You should inform the Guardians of the Moon.”

“If I told her the sky is blue, she’d look out the window to check.” I told him bluntly. He snorted but let the accusation linger. The Guardians of the Moon are filled with national pride and zeal. More importantly, I knew that they hated giving up and being peers or being under anyone. They treated those weaker than them with mercy. Those equal to them with unrelenting caution and suspicion. Those who were stronger? They were enemies waiting to strike. Protagonist syndrome for an entire people, basically. “I wish that you won your war with them, then the Deliverer would’ve faced my Champion, and everything would’ve been settled. With our combined strength, the others would have all fallen.”

“If only.” Crusher agreed tiredly before sitting up. He was forcing himself to stay awake. At my inquisitive stare, he waved off my concerns before making a statement. “Riegert arose from the grave. I do not recall Riegert being of the Warden’s faith. Nor do I know of any method you could’ve used to raise him perfectly without their aid.”

I considered the statement for a moment, before deciding to speak.

“If you share what I tell you, I’ll find out who you told and have them all killed.” I informed him and he assented with a grunt after a pause. He never broke a promise with me before, but I made sure to clarify. “Conquest already knows how I did it. If she knows, do you need to know?”

Mentioning his daughter proved to be the right choice as he let loose a breath.

“I do not. If she knows, then it is in her hands, and she has earned my trust a hundred times over. In fact, since she did not ask me if I wished to return, she is wiser than me.” Crusher leaned back on his raised bed and glanced outside. The Conqueror’s capital was rebuilt from the siege years ago and has been growing since. I gave it my usual build order and just kept my hands off it, since I wanted the population to grow for Conqueror divisions later. Overall, their capital and the lands around it were flush with wealth, science, culture, industry, and people. All the things that I wanted it to have for the coming years. “Thank you, your majesty, for keeping your word and keeping my people hole and hale. I would stand, but I am incapable.”

“There’s no need.” I told him and stood up after brushing my hands on my coat. I went over to him and took hold of his raised hand. He was just skin and bones. Holding on through sheer will, probably. Conquerors usually just died when their hearts were compromised. Still, I didn’t take his hand. That would be pretty gay. Pfft. Fellas, is it gay to hold your dying friend’s hand? Nah. He’d just hate it if I didn’t give him the chance to meet me halfway. Crusher, despite everything about his body failing, grasped my hand with all his strength and my bones creaked. “Farewell, my friend. Paradise awaits. I will not allow it to fall to the rotten meat that pervades the world. If I cannot take and secure this world from them, I will annihilate it to safeguard the spirits of those who came before. This I swear.”

His eyes widened before a warrior’s smile spread across his face.

A smile of a warrior filled with the satisfaction that he wasn’t leaving his post unattended even in his passing.

After our farewell and my oath, I made sure to call his family to meet with him today, because I knew he’d pass soon.

But as soon as the messenger left, Ayah spoke to me with a whisper.

“You would entrust the Iterants with the entire world?” I knew that she had hangups with them, but when I looked at her, I couldn’t see any hate. Only a desire for an answer. “After their failure?”

Angela, Cristina, and Ellen were a few paces away, but I knew they overheard.

I meant for them to. It wasn’t like I told them to not listen.

“They have not failed me. Nor have they failed the people of our nation. If they fall once again, I will choose others. But they have not.” I made sure to make that clear and I was thankful to find Ayah nod, but she stayed concerned. I just motioned for her to keep speaking, but when she decided against that, I pressured her a little. “Tell me your concerns, Ayah.”

“Do you truly not intend to rule after the crises have passed? You won’t have a lineage for us to look after and aid in ruling the world?”

Huh, simpler question than I thought.

“I’ll have children and I’ll appreciate your help and others in caring for whatever household I have. If they’re worthy of ruling and are chosen by the people, they can lead.” I told Ayah and looked over the Iterants. The downcast looks on their faces since I left the room faded. Guess they were worried I planned to just be a nobody after all this. Fuck no. “Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to earn enough as a merchant or noble to hire you all.”

That earned me some smiles from the Iterants and even Ayah seemed satisfied.

Jeez, they had me worried for a second.

The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Volume 2: Chapter 8)

The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Volume 2: Chapter 8)

…

Commissioned by Sivantic

…

The wind screamed as it rushed towards the fleet. The gust was enough to rip several trees up in mere passing. The clouds above parted, and a hammer of wind smashed through the fleet. I watched ships get flung into the air far higher than mountains, like leaves thrown up into the air by a child. They hung in the air whilst their crew tumbled out as they crumbled and broke. Soldiers struck head-on died swift and instant deaths, coming apart and breaking, but within broken hulls I saw people twisted and enmeshed in ruined ships, while more were blown up and away into the sky to fall to their deaths.

The cliffside that they were building into, which they were trying to turn into a temporary dock and fortress, suffered as well. The singular strike blew away tied-down ships and even those that were entombed to the rock face. Rocks shuddered and cracked with enough force that their breaking sent birds many leagues away alight. Great, jagged spear pillars of stone shuddered and broke off the cliff faces. They fell onto the tumultuous seas and created great waves that engulfed ships in an instant.

Lord Trelawney’s initial strike should have sundered the enemy with ease, but instead the center of the fleet remained.

Guarded by a barrier of golden light, which rapidly transformed before my eyes and shot towards us.

Lord Trelawney scoffed at it.

“You see that? It’s glowing and shiny, but it’s not light. Light would be instant.” He gathered power into his hand and shot it towards the glowing pillar rushing at us. It was as wide as an entire castle and would have swept through the whole fortress. He swung his hand and carved through it with an invisible blade. The luminous attack was cut in half and parted. One half into the sky and the other into the ground. “Remember to make a wedge instead of just a thin blade. An axe head splits. A sword will just let you get hit by two attacks.”

He instructed me and the others as though we were to someday ever reach his realm of strength, but before I could complain, I was lifted by an invisible force.

“Alright, they’re weakened enough. No more chaff. Just the elites and the boss. Get over there and win. Remember, the faster you kill them, the less hurt you get.” Lord Trelawney’s words brought me back to the cold north. To times when I struggled for hours on end at the end of my wits and tugging at the frayed ends of my strength, when all I could do was survive against the challenge he placed in front of me. I knew the next words to come even before he shared them with a smile. “Good luck and have fun!”

With that said, he launched all of us forcibly through our foes, and I felt instinct take hold.

I stopped thinking about unfairness and misery while also summoning courage in the face of all my fears.

There was nothing besides survival now, and I intended to do everything that I could to do just that.

The first step to achieving that was to deal as much damage as possible before landing.

Five ships were between us and the landing area. I sent rays of heat at where their wooden hulls met with water. Steam formed on the surface of the wood, and then eventually heat seeped within. Bursts of white mist came forth with many shards of wood, and in an instant each ship was taking on water. We passed over them as they were sinking into the depths, and when some tried to give chase, my companions dealt with them swiftly.

We were about to land on the largest ship, where the protective dome had been projected and where the last attack had been launched.

My stomach lurched at what awaited us.

It was a large platform suspended on two hulls. It was the size of a large city square, and upon it was an altar. Familiar faces with dead eyes were on the surface, strapped naked and disemboweled upon the surface of the ship, while the lizard-like warrior elite of the enemy inscribed seals made of the blood upon their bodies. My fellow noble children and mages were being taken to be used to empower their elites.

All the sacrificed were men as well, so they retained the missing women as breeding stock.

Lord Trelawney’s voice resounded in my head at that moment.

To let loose with baleful fire and destroy the whole of the ship, even though some of my fellows might be there. If I were in their place, I would wish to die instead of being used to fulfill my captor’s insidious ends.

But I knew better than to fall to such urges when I lacked the same amount of strength.

Instead, I burned away most of the seal, avoiding the living sacrifices, and immolated the elites hurriedly attempting to swathe themselves in more enchantments. From prior engagements, I learned that they could rapidly regenerate outer tissue and even limbs, but once their insides burned, they died swiftly. Lances of heat punched through their sides, sunk beneath their rib cages, and burned their innards away. They fell dead, with steam surging from their mouths and eyes.

Chloe landed a moment after me, and she was a blur of blades. More than myself and Alice, she was a master at using flight and augmented her movements. One moment she was charging low, only for her to kick off the ground and surge forward while held up by her artifact, and then in a blink of an eye she’d rid her foe of his ability to walk. When she leapt into the air and made her foes believe she could not move, she used flight to dodge or to return to the ground in an instant, typically cutting her opponent in two from head to foot in the same motion. With her limited magic, she focused on using her sword the most, but when the occasion called, she gestured with her hand, and her foe would compress, crushed into a cube, as she used the winds to compact her foes. Stronger foes would need to stand still and resist, while weaker opponents were destroyed in an instant. The instant she gained against stronger foes was usually enough for her to gain the advantage.

Alice, meanwhile, focused on being at the fringes of combat. Her knives flashed and found the eyes and hearts of her foes before returning to her. When she was chased, she didn’t hesitate to ‘fall’ off the side of the ship and use flight to help her run across the side before returning to the fray on the other side. She sparingly used her bow, but when she found the time and the space, she would lash out, and a hole would form in the middle of one of the lizard’s warrior elites. Those who managed to reach her found her evading and vaulting over them, typically while leaving her knives embedded into their bodies. Her movements were economical and careful, and she moved to protect me at any given opportunity.

I trust the two with my life, while we took hold of the deck, and even as more warriors came forth from the confines of the ship.

What I didn’t expect, however, was for Anisette to grow enraged and to engage the priest that led the ritual by herself.

Someone on par with Aigen should’ve handily defeated her.

Instead, she instantly had him on the back foot while she advanced relentlessly.

…

Interlude: Anisette, Demigod of Love

…

I never understood ‘righteous fury.’

I thought that I did.

In the songs and stories my father shared with me, he explained it as a lover avenging his lost partner. A hero slaying the lord who had his village destroyed. A hunter bringing low a monster that terrorized the people of an entire town. He told me that their anger was heady, but their minds were clear. That their hearts pulsed hard in their chests with something more ferocious than mere excitement, but their bodies and instincts remained under control. However, despite that clear mind and that complete control, they were controlled not by themselves but by their fury.

I did not understand how someone could be in complete control but still lose themselves.

Now, I did, as I swung my fist into the lizard-priest’s chest and desperately wished that I could grab his heart.

Jonathan’s features were stuck in a terrified, silent scream. He was naked and chained to stone. Inlets on the stone held the organs they pulled out of him as he lived, as they drained his life to power their demented ritual to empower their own soldiers. He frequented the library and yearned to just speak with Claudia, who was his fiancé, so he sought out romance novels even though he was laughed at. He sought me out at school for advice on how to proceed and on how to make his fiancé happy, and now he was gone.

The priest tried to cast some magic, but I struck first. A chaotic mess of magic erupted from my hand and interfered with the formation of arcane power in his gnarled staff. I saw Lord Trelawney do it many times over, disrupting magic with his own, but never managed it myself. It was because I could never fill it with the requisite rage before. Now, I could. The top of the gnarled staff of the priest came apart and showered us both with hardwood and shining metal, but I healed through the shrapnel and the blast while burying my fist into his scaled jaw.

The sight of fanged teeth flying out of his mouth barely moved me.

Claud’s head was separated from the rest of his body. Mounted on a stone spike. The rest of his body was butchered and in myriad pieces, like an animal, and the lizard warriors had been consuming him. His eyes were closed, and his head listed to one side, while a crown of gold leaves lay on his head. His skin was still tanned from his days working on his family’s farm. He was the son of a small merchant family, and he worked to become a skilled mage and a merchant both so that he could elevate his family further. He had a little sister of whom he spoke kindly, and whose early betrothal worried him.

Had worried him.

The priest-lizard snarled and roared before pulling out a long bone knife from his coat and brandishing it my way. My heart stilled at it. Souls were within it. Layered in torment and pain. The newest layers held Jonathan, Kail, and Horace. They screamed in horror and in pain, surrounded by countless other dead, and slowly but surely they were being torn apart.

Before I knew it, I cut through the priest’s hand with the knife Lord Trelawney gave me and took hold of the knife.

I almost fell upon taking hold of its handle.

It was made from the bone of a large and terrible beast who once ruled over the skies. A creature filled with greed and rage who could only be struck down by divinity. Even a fragment of it, such as the knife that I held now, was filled with hunger and greed. That was why it was fed with souls, so that its power could be used by those who were protected by the one who slew it. Once I touched it, it tried to consume me, but I held firm.

It was strong, but it was a fragment of the fearsome creature it once was, and the leviathan who granted me so much strength was mightier than this mere fragment.

I scoured the last traces of the tyrant by following the tendrils of bone it embedded into my hand. I forced it out, freeing all the souls that I could within the blade, and filled it with Leviathan’s strength. The knife shuddered and reshaped itself into a long and simple spiraling horn with a handle, and without hesitation I pierced the high priest’s heart.

It howled in pain and in desperation opened its mouth wide and extended claws from its hands. Its claws dug and scratched into my sides. I felt pain and anguish, like heated knives tearing at my sides and raking my ribs, but I healed through it. Even as muscle tore and even as my insides were nicked, I healed through it. Even as his widened and elongated maw bit into my chest, shoulder, and neck in one bite and made my bones scream and fracture, I healed through it.

“You… you will not survive me, beast! I won’t allow you to!” I will not allow it. I will not fall to this creature. Nor will I allow it to live. While holding onto the leviathan’s horn with one hand, I used my free hand to stab and stab into its stomach with focused fury. I channeled wind through Trelawney’s dagger and forced it into the monster’s body with every piercing blow. With the spiraling horn of the leviathan, I channeled water through the monster’s veins and innards. The tyrant it worshipped gave it great regeneration and toughness, but there was only so much that both could do. “You won’t hurt anyone ever again!”

After the eighth strike to its stomach perforated it completely and filled its belly with its own acid, I brought my hand up, reversed the grip of the dagger, and brought it down into the glowing yellow eye of the creature desperately trying to bite through my neck, ribs, and shoulder while trying to claw out my insides.

Just before the tip plunged into its baleful gaze, filled with hate and desperation, I saw something that gave me the will to carry the punishment through to its completion.

Fear.

It’s fear that made the furnace of fury guiding me burst into an inferno that I could barely understand.

“Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare feel afraid now after all that you’ve done!” I screamed as I plunged the knife through its eye and hit bone. When the knife stopped, when my plunging strike could not muster enough force, I let go of the blade and formed my hand into a fist and pummeled the hilt. Each blow buried it further into the creature, while its attacks grew more and more desperate. I didn’t care. Pain didn’t matter anymore. The rain, the battle around me, and the ebb and flow of my strength as it waned. Nothing mattered besides filling the monster’s veins with torrential seawater and breaking through its skull. Then, finally, as I felt my ribcage give… I broke through the creature’s skull. “Leave this place and never return!”

With that cry on my lips, I pierced its brain and unleashed a storm inside its skull.

As the light faded from its eyes, as its body went completely limp, and as blood and viscera poured from every orifice of its face… The darkness at the edges of my vision began to overtake me.

I felt the soul of the priest in my grasp, but I didn’t hesitate to deny it, crush it, and send it into oblivion.

If my final act was to see every last trace of that loathsome monster gone, then so be it.

I will not have it become a part of me.

Eroge? Bad Ends? Betrayal? I’m Just Here to Suplex Monsters through Buildings.

From the Top Rope (3.4)

…

Neo San Kyoto, Cathay Drive, 11PM PST.

…

Apparently, with whatever happened to me, I had to deal with something new.

A combination between bloodlust and being in the zone.

While I never experienced being in the zone in my previous life, it was easy enough in this one. Born and bred to be a fighter, trained from the moment I could walk, being in the zone was a matter of survival. Higher brain function turns off, the body takes care of exercise, and the brain turns back on mid-bite of the next meal or when someone talks to you. We were taught to not fall for it in battle, to stay thinking, and to never consider battle as just exercise, because physical prowess and sheer instinct didn’t guarantee victory.

However, after hitting the first bounty for the night, I didn’t realize I’d destroyed the guy save for his head until after the fight was over.

Or, rather, until the massacre was over.

“Well, shit.” I looked around the little inlet in the alleyway. An abandoned parking area in the middle of several buildings. I evaluated the situation, took in the fact that they had some guns, and jumped in after determining how many there were. I had some rocks ready to throw, had a plan to bulldoze through them, and leapt into the fight. Next thing that I know? The mooks were pasty, blood was splattered across the ground and walls, and I held the head of my target. “That’s something.”

It was like my body just went on autopilot and smashed through the small group like it was nothing. Vaguely, I had been aware of the minor threats. I recalled making some decisions, like throwing a pebble or two to smash through the guns raised in my direction. Besides that? It was my hands going through people like wet tissue paper and bones crunching apart like crackers when I gripped them tight.

Taking the bounty’s head off was like prying the lid off an airtight jar.

I’m going to need a lot of training to deal with this.

Or, maybe, if I planned on taking them alive, it won’t work that way?

Hm.

As I thought about it, I went ahead and gathered their guns and any cash that they had on hand. Phones—I didn’t touch them since they could be tracked. After going through all the muck and blood, I got a jacket and wrapped the head up in it before leaping up onto the nearest rooftop and heading over to my next destination.

Then, I was just there looming over my potential targets.

Fucking hell, I just entered the zone just like that.

I could remember travelling, keeping out of sight instinctively, and leaving no trace thanks to my training.

However, everything else was beneath my notice.

But remembering brought everything swiftly to clarity.

This is going to take some getting used to, but I have no doubt that it is going to be an asset.

If I don’t get myself killed while getting used to it, but that was the point of all these small bounties.

With the two of us halving the bounties and the average being fifty thousand, I needed twenty bounties to hit half a million, and she’d need more to have some capital after the debt.

Plenty of time and opportunities to understand my new body.

…

Interlude: Asakura Hiyo, the Fiery Blade

…

Catherine, surprisingly, decided to remain with the clan as a retainer, while Alecia decided to attend school. Leona remained with Lady Hiyo in the mirror realm to search for a method to regain a human body.

Meanwhile, my return was a quiet affair with a rise in reputation rather than a fall.

My sudden disappearance was not due to forced pregnancy but due to me hunting down Daichi after feigning death. Then, in the process of that, I fought against devils and succeeded in banishing one. Mother said that the council of elders were the only ones who knew the complete truth, while what was disseminated was for the entirety of the clan.

After months of hiding, fighting, and killing, I was back to my regular life.

Training and working to finish the last of my classes before I was considered truly fully fledged and a master in my own right.

It was strange, like wearing clothes meant for another person.

Meeting with Alecia and Catherine, though, made things feel a bit more normal.

“Oi, over here.” Catherine waved me over. We were at the academy campus today. Ninja clans sent many of their aspirant agents to us. Every year more came, as more survived to reproduce, and slowly but surely humanity was gaining more capable defenders. “Hm, it’s still odd to be seeing you out of that skintight fetish gear you always wear.”

Since I was in my final year, I was allowed to dress as I wished. I chose a pencil skirt, modest heels, a dress shirt, and a jacket. An outfit that had me confused more than once as part of the staff. Most of my peers chose their battle gear, since they needed to grow used to wearing it for very long periods.

“Battle attire is the very height of alchemical and scientific fabrics. The protection it offers and its lightweight are without compare.” I informed Catherine, and she gave a snort. She was a magic teacher and planned on staying for several decades. Europe hoarded their magic users jealously, so Mother was more than happy to give her the position when asked. Already, Catherine was swamped with classes. Some of my peers planned on staying another year, despite the tuition, to attend just her classes. “Though I will not lie, I sometimes wish that it concealed more.”

“It’s basically shiny body paint in different colors. Latex at best.” Catherine sipped a dark brew with foam at the top and was eating a hearty meal of gravy, mashed potatoes, and sausage. Since her true nature was revealed, she didn’t cover herself with a glamour. Instead, there was an ephemeral, fae-like half-succubus with platinum hair and elvish features in the dining hall. One that wore a wrinkled dress shirt with a half-done tie in baggy pants with a cigarette pack for all to see in her shirt pocket. “And, you have all the first-years wearing high-waisted leotards. Even the lads. It’s a wonder how none of the girls are pregnant.”

“Lust suppression is one of the most important arts studied here. In this controlled environment, they receive score deductions for acting upon their lust. Better to train their tolerance here than at the hands of our foes.” Several decades ago, the uniforms and our practices were considered debauched. Many jested that we were preparing our next generation to be toys for our opponents. Then, while they continued to suffer fifty percent attrition rates, we cut ours down by half. “We also provide plenty of contraceptives and encourage healthy relations outside of school hours. Anyone trying to use status or other coercion methods is harshly dealt with. We lose almost ten percent of our male students every year due to that, but those who graduate are not beholden to their desires.”

“So, it looks like some rich fart’s delusional paradise because most guys can’t keep it in their pants. That’s hilarious.” Catherine snorted and looked over to Alecia. “Looks like you didn’t need to beat up those guys who tried to pressure you for being a vampire, little lady.”

I looked at Alecia with a raised brow.

“Some of my year tried to ostracize me and demand compensation for being inhuman. I taught them that they require power and not influence to do what they wish with me.” Her words were clipped, and she sat primly in the first-year battle gear. The pure white of the sleeved leotard with the collar and bow almost melded to her skin. “Defeating them handily earned the respect of my fellow gender. They include me, if only to see those who made those attempts fail.”

I was tempted to let it lie, to allow her to have her run of those miscreants, but we had policies in place.

It was better to not have the first years contend against such fools.

“Give me their names. They are not fit for this school.” I told Alecia simply. When she raised an eyebrow, I shook my head. “It is not a matter of me doubting your skill or ability. Such people cannot be allowed to fester here.”

“Very well. I shall provide their names. If they had tried again, which they certainly would have, I was prepared to cripple them for life.” Alecia declared before rattling off three names. I frowned. They were outskirt clans, those who tread the line between us and the rogues. Their accepted members the last four years were fine, and we had decreased sights on them for that reason. The sudden rise in activity right in the year I was supposed to be abducted and Daichi’s betrayal? There were too many coincidences. “You believe that their sudden actions are out of the ordinary?”

“Worse. In the last four years, their clans were fine. This year, with all that occurred, they suddenly start acting like this? When I was supposed to be gone, our security was compromised, and everything else happened?” I glanced around the dining hall. One moment I seemed normal, then when my heart began to race, I saw Daichi. His smile, his eyes, his hair, and other features formed on one person to another. He had many friends in school and even had a club where he gathered ‘like-minded’ men. They had been investigated, and no traces were found on them, but what if that was just a smokescreen for the incoming waves after his betrayal? “I will have them leave the school, and their clans followed.”

Catherine gave a low whistle at my words.

“Sounds like it’ll cause a bit of a political shitshow, but I guess your family has that sort of thing handled.” Catherine muttered while Alecia picked at her meal. She was eating a very rare steak and had a blood bag on her plate that lay with a straw stuck at its top. It was concealed to look like a large nutritional jelly bag, but the scent of blood drifted from it whenever she opened the top to drink. “You think these clans have anything to do with my mother or other hellish forces? Or, just working with your usual enemies.”

“I’ll tell you as soon as I find out.” I raised my phone. I acted already by telling Mother and relaying information. She greenlit the boys Alecia named getting kicked out immediately and for their clans to be investigated. Just to be safe, she was also going to inform our rival schools across the country and the world. With that settled, I looked at my own tray of food. A large salad with grilled fish laden upon it, along with a side of soup and sashimi. Catherine, as always, looked perturbed at the raw fish. I began to eat. “How have you both been settling in besides?”

I ate steadily while Catherine explained.

“The amount of talent you have gathered here would make any school back on the Isle green with envy. One graduating generation would have them jumping in joy. You’ve been churning them out for more than a decade. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll be sending how you do things back home.” I gave a nod at her praise and inquiry. It was an answer to both. We already had our data to validate our methods at the ready, as well as the methods themselves written out so that they could be applied and followed. The more people defending humanity, the better. “But I have to admit, none of them compare to Keita.”

Catherine’s casual referral to him almost had me choke on my bite of food, while I felt my eyes turn towards Alecia.

Her calm mood faltered for a moment, but she composed herself and glared at Catherine.

Catherine, who promptly stuck out her tongue and pulled down an eyelid to leer at her.

I sighed and stopped eating.

“What exactly is going on?”

“Little Miss Blood Fury doesn’t want to speak to your therapists. Thinks it’s beneath her, even though she’s handling a lot.” Catherine confessed and resisted looking away as Alecia kept glaring at her. “I’ve said my piece, little lady. Your turn to convince your guardians you don’t need help.”

Catherine hummed and looked away, while I focused my gaze on Alecia.

“I… I do not trust these therapists of yours. They are bound by mortal oaths. Should they share my concerns, weaknesses, and fears, they will not suffer any consequence beyond losing their jobs.” I blinked as her stance on the matter seemed more satisfactory than I anticipated. I thought that it was a matter of pride. “I would like to speak of such matters with Lady Hiyo. Can you ask her for times when she will be able to listen?”

“I will, and I’ll ask Mother to look into having our therapists be as bound as our physicians and nurses.” They were a new addition to our structure and still experimental. Though we hired the best that came from mortal schools, Mother wanted retired kunoichi or shinobi to take the mantle, as they would better understand the pains of those enduring the lifestyle. They were studying and soon to graduate with degrees and licenses. Thus, our current therapists were temporary and not bound. “My apologies; they’re temporary and will be replaced with supporters who know the difficulties of ninja lives.”

Alecia seemed pleased with this information, then her phone buzzed just as my request suddenly received a thumbs up from Lady Hiyo.

“It seems she is free in the afternoon quite often. I will speak with her then.” Alecia stated simply before rising and bowing. I hadn’t even noticed, but she finished her meal already. “I am off to class. Shall we meet again on the morrow?”

“I’d like that, please; if you find any difficulty, inform me right away. I’m looking for any breaches of our security.” Daichi was out there. He escaped since we defeated Catherine’s mother as the higher priority target. If he was out there, still alive and plying his trade, we needed to be vigilant. “Now, Catherine, don’t think I didn’t notice you not saying a thing about yourself.”

I looked over at her. Her plate was empty, and she was moving to leave but sighed and stopped.

“Doing well as a teacher. No one’s hitting on me. Everyone just wants to learn magic.” She sighed with practiced theatrics. “No one wants a hag like me to screw silly, since they won’t survive. My one and only shot blew himself up before he became legal and strong enough to do it. Sucks to be me.”

With that she gave me a wave, put her tray away, and moved to the smoking area.

A half-succubus filled with lust and need abstaining due to not having a strong enough partner to pair with.

No wonder she hated her mother so much.

She was living a life constantly fighting her instincts and desires.

V12: Chapter 13

V12: Chapter 13

…

Interlude: Rita

…

The Warden Citadel resisted after its walls were broken, but their efforts bore little fruit.

“The western district has some holdouts. Eminent, deal with it.” Morgan was in command of the theater even with Riegert’s arrival. He fought with Ilych at the front with the expeditionary forces. Wherever they went the Wardens broke, but the majority of current forces were not all armed or trained as they were, so Morgan’s apprentices led them in careful fighting from street to street. Meanwhile, we took to the high walls and waged war from above with the two Divine Engines. “Pinnacle, ensure the center continues to enjoy their speedy advance.”

Eminent complied with Morgan's words, while Undead crows flowed forth from her, bearing commands.

In city fighting, our normal couriers were at a disadvantage, but her constructs were small, swift, and capable of delivering messages to the battlefield in their place. Morgan had multiple telescopes and maps of the Warden capital made and gave out orders to the Divine Engines and our mage companies.

But Eminent’s true strength was not in the utility her lesser Undead provided.

It was the Undead Titans that she commanded with thoughts alone.

They waded through buildings and broke them in mere passing. Oftentimes merely walking broke apart defensive lines. Flashes of magic and holy miracles crashed against their armor of bone, but it reformed over the pallid grey muscle beneath. When they struck with their weapons, their targets were obliterated, and singular swings of broad blades egregiously swept apart dozens of soldiers in an instant. The Wardens had no answer to the silent creatures wading through their temples and homes, bringing death wherever they wished.

But Pinnacle outshone Eminent in every way.

Her personal guard was with us. They manned every approach towards us and ensured the security of our forward position. Their holy barriers were beyond the ability of the Warden’s to overwhelm, and skirmishers that snuck through the inner sections of the wall were struck down by the guardian maidens. A mere thousand in number, yet they ensured our security, that of the mages, and that of their goddess.

A goddess who swept through our king’s foes without hesitation and with overwhelming force.

The path to the Citadel was meticulously crafted by the Wardens. Temples that revived warriors ceaselessly worked with massive stockpiles of weapons. Weapons that included vests filled with explosives made in the Citadel. Not only was the average Warden warrior a whirling dervish unconcerned with living, armed with weapons that can tear through steel with ease, but they also exploded upon death. They even leapt from hidden alcoves and attics of residential homes with their sole intent to kill one with their knives before martyring themselves. Armies that would have walked that path faced the prospect of being turned into nothing more than memories.

Now that path was naught but rubble.

Archmages could not compare to her strength. Her strikes with the most basic of magics shattered buildings. Beams of light designed to cause damage equal to a cannon shot demolished entire buildings. They came apart at their very foundations, unable to contain the power shot into them, and became nothing more than rubble. When she gathered air or water to throw as projectiles, she instead forged hurricane gales and riptide currents into immense blades that shattered buildings or swept them aside. Even temples of resurrection broke the moment they received her attention.

Our main column waded through ruins. Her initial strikes turned it all to rubble. The defenders tried to mount a defense. Hidden places of resurrection beneath the city were slowly being scoured by the Guardian’s masses of Undead. The Wardens tried to spill forth from them and reach our people, but the rubble provided little cover, especially as mages flattened anything that could provide it. The crack of gunfire was constant, and the streets ran red with blood as the defenders were ground down. Our own healers were pulling the Wardens aside to incarcerate them and heal them of wounds so that they could not be resurrected.

The Divine Engine of War and the Guardians created another corridor towards the Citadel that flanked our right side, but it was clear that their support was mostly symbolic. They slew and brought low enemy auxiliary forces, but their main contribution to this battle was undoubtedly the scouring of the hidden underground facilities.

Still, despite the efficacy of those facilities in providing a constant stream of warriors against us, it was evident that we would reach the Citadel soon.

“Sirena, get ready. You too, Rita.” Morgan called to us both. My gaze was drawn to the base of the Citadel. It was continuously spawning Citadel Guardians from its walls. A tide of flensing machines made of ancient alloys countered only by our own ally’s constant stream. A moat of constant destruction surrounded the Citadel. Heaps and heaps of pure white metal parts piled up only to be consumed by the Citadel to be reprocessed back into more artificial troops. It would take sustained bombardment of the Citadel’s base to lower the numbers of enemy constructs it outputs, leading to our own constructs being able to secure the base for siege work. That is, if not for the Divine Engine of Life. “Pinnacle, break through the gate and make a path.”

Pinnacle nodded, there was darkness, and then a sudden flash of light.

A great gouge appeared where there was once an ongoing battle between Citadel Guardians. Our own were sacrificed in the attack, but the results were obvious. Where there was once a fierce melee that even champions would hesitate to wade into, there was now a path of glass that led to a broken gate. The white walls of the Citadel were also scorched black, incapable of pushing Citadel Guardians out from where it was damaged; thus, a path was cleared for our army.

And, as we expected, a deluge of zealots rushed out with a rallying cry from within the Citadel.

But Morgan had already moved.

Sirena, I, and she clung to the floating throne created by Pinnacle. We glided through the city on waves of wind that held aloft wings made of the thinnest wood, and in mere moments we were above the glass path and over the enemy’s final, fanatical charge.

Eminent landed first, and the charge immediately broke. From her shadow, the dead spilled forth with grasping hands and held fast innumerable would-be martyrs. They grasped at their explosives and pulled pins. The lesser Undead perished, while she stood amidst the explosions unbothered, as she was charged by zealots. They came apart as they neared her. Tendrils of flesh and bone erupted from her shadow and sliced apart anything that dared approach her.

Sirena arrived a moment later, and became a continuous sword stroke that tore through the staggered enemy line.

Morgan and Pinnacle’s descent decisively ended the charge, even as Ilych and Riegert arrived to further end the final charge.

Leaving me to search for and kill the one who held the Citadel’s control ring.

As important as the task was, I accomplished it speedily and put an arrow through his skull the moment I found him, slipping my projectile through a gap in projections provided by a dozen paladins. A moment later another arrow slammed into his body and sent it flying towards a wall, making it flop and spread. In that singular moment, I found the ring on the left hand, and with my prepared arrow, I shot the hand before pulling back the arrow via the rope attached to it.

There was a moment of resistance, but it abated, and the Citadel Ring was in my grasp, attached to a still bleeding hand.

Under my control, the Citadel Guardians in the Warden capital turned on their former masters, and the battle all but ended.

It was as our king said.

We should never simply rely on force, even when we have it in abundance.

His simple suggestion on how I should be deployed ended the entire battle in an instant.

…

Maximum output Citadels were a thing of beauty.

In raw output of goods and food alone, the eight Citadels working in concert put out an equal output to the rest of the world combined. Every single living soul on the continent can have three meals a day provided by the Citadel without endangering our long-term survival. Every single person can enjoy fine clothes, amazing beds, and other modern amenities, and the Citadel’s overall output won’t even be dented.

And, of course, the number of Guardians that they could produce went from thousands a turn each to tens of thousands a turn.

Eighty thousand Guardians every three months.

That’s 320,000 a year.

But that’s if you committed everything a Citadel could do to just Guardian production. That means no industrial machines for my scientists to reverse engineer. No perfectly refined chemicals for alchemists to replicate. No civilian manufacturing capacity. And, finally, no medical suite support.

In exchange for all that, there’s the domination victory. After conquering all the Citadels, the rest of the world, even if held by the Crisis, can do nothing against the winner. They have an inexorable tide of automated death machines, and the crises were nowhere close to the level of strength that they used to have. Whatever they planned, whatever they wanted to do, they were going to die since the Citadel Guardians were coming out in immense numbers and had a global range.

The ultimate military hammer.

But that’s in the game.

The domination victory just didn’t work. All four of the endgame crisis factions were established nations with a combined population in the billions. They had light industry and could do research, and if presented with such a massive threat, they’re liable to work together. At the hardest difficulty, when all enemy crises are bearing down on the continent, people on the forums believed that the domination victory was cheap, because even with Citadels pumping out Guardians nonstop, there shouldn’t be a way to take over the rest of the planet.

Hold and defend the continent?

Sure.

Take over multiple other continents through swarms of automated drones?

It wasn’t possible. The amount of land a planet has is immense. The size and scope of each enemy nation is a barrier itself. They can cede land, find or make chokepoints, harvest materials from the armies that we send out, build up, and eventually push back. 320,000 troops spread across four different fronts, with long travel times, also meant that they’ll be spread thin and won’t be easily reinforced. They can be defeated in detail with the right strategies, and our opponents weren’t lacking in lives to throw away. Once our enemies start pushing back, that means that the Guardian armies can’t accomplish the mission and that they’ll be at our doorstep.

Without the use of atomic or fusion weapons made with the Citadel’s help, which would result in a bad ending, a Citadel Guardian offensive wasn’t going to take the planet for us. But Guardians could make taking the continent impossible, especially if we used the Citadels to supercharge our technology base and industry. Guardian swarms supported by modern-ish armies and Champions should be able to tear apart anything the crises throw at us. 320,000 death machines spread across the borders of one country, easily reinforced by Citadels just a day or so away by rail, was a potent barrier that would take concentrated efforts to break through.

As crazy as it sounded, the best move was to use the endless robot army as ablative armor.

Especially when staying put won’t unite our enemies.

Yeah, as complicated as it was to get all the Citadels together, what came next was going to be even more complicated. Primarily thanks to my lack of giant robots that can make more giant robots and inability to just use canned sunshine to solve all my problems. After repelling the first crisis events and after seeding their population with the majority of Iterants, I needed to see what happened next before making a decision.

Can we stay in our corner of the world and just be accosted by fringe elements and wait the situation out like with the Sahuagin? After all, with the Ascendant, Demons, and Stymphalians fighting each other, if they took forces away from their frontlines, they risked exposing their flank to enemies with closer population and logistical centers. They were in knife-fighting range as nations, while we were very far away. True, our Citadels held the key to their ancient powers and abilities, but if we weren’t a threat and they had problems at the front door… would they throw everything at us and abandon the rest of their civilization?

In the end, even with all that I already knew, I needed to know more.

Thankfully, they were about to start sending a lot of people our way.

“Tell Morgan to begin rebuilding the Academy and start scouring the ancient underground supply routes. It’s about time we reactivate the control center we seized.” I put away the notice of our victory and turned to Ayah. It was the dead of night, and only Iterants were present. “Offer her the services of your people to ensure their industrial base is built up for the coming war. Also, begin execution of our infiltration campaign against the Ascendant, Devils, and Stymphalians.”

Ayah gave a nod and motioned towards the others, and people shifted out of the room to relay my orders.

She waited a fair amount of time before I continued.

“The Guardians of the Moon may become too confident in their recent victories and question our coming alliance. Tell Khanrow to focus on them and to keep us informed.” The Guardians of the Moon weren’t the type to break alliances without good reason. As far as I knew, I was an atrocity away from seeing our alliance break, but I had no plans on committing one on anyone on the continent anytime soon. “And, if a major threat arises, I leave handling it to him.”

Ayah bowed, and another pair of Iterants left the room, while I considered the next moves.

“I want any new output from the Citadels to manufacture any new technology that it freely provides. Multiples of everything for our scholars to understand and replicate. After all those are created, I want half of the new output to be dedicated to producing Guardians and the remaining to long-term rations, until we reach half a decade of stored food.”

Ayah again nodded, noted down my words, and more Iterants filed into the room to replace the ones who left.

It was going to be a long couple of hours covering everything that I’d normally just have to click through or access some menus for, but it’ll be worth it.

Tomorrow is a new day.

A day where victory was no longer out of reach.

Released 10 days early for members. Eroge? Bad Ends? Betrayal? I’m Just Here to Suplex Monsters through Buildings.

From the Top Rope (3.3)

…

Neo San Kyoto, Cathay Drive, 7PM PST.

…

It took a month to grow everything back, and as much as I wanted to split up with Helena after that, a situation arose.

A debt situation that my emergency funds couldn’t handle.

“Honestly, this is crazy. They already chopped your parents up for parts, but you still get hit with half a million in debt?” I sent the first set of collectors, who just wanted to take her ‘extra’ parts packing, along with a proposed payment plan with a sizeable cut of the money she recovered. Half a million wasn’t much… If I still had my old reputation, gear, and contacts, I could make that in a month tops. Right now? When I was having to relearn how to walk without cracking pavement? Yeah, no. “How is this legal?”

“The initial debt was four million. I don’t even know how they managed to rack up that much without any assets. They were gamblers, probably.” Helena sighed and leaned back on her chair. I sat across from her. From time to time, she looked at me from the corner of her eye. Not because she was interested, but because she was worried I’d turn back into a monster. It was fair. Even with most of the heat generated by my kill switches converted to healing somehow, I was still thrown into her car like a pile of burnt, still-living meat. I couldn’t fault her for thinking that I was disguised as a human with that introduction. “Are you sure you can’t access your old accounts?”

“Not without bringing a hammer down on our heads. I pissed off a lot of people.” I looked through some lobbies online and found my ‘death’ plastered as news of the week. Loads of people blamed me for the whole mess. A crazy vigilante who attacked the Red Light district without prompting. A lot of the rogue ninja clans were after me, along with plenty of other powers. Thankfully, there was nothing from Asakura and the others, so I presumed that they completed their part of the mission. Given the amount of damage that they did, their capture or deaths would have been publicized. No news was good news. “Fetching those funds will get us both killed.”

If I were stronger, I’d probably just go a bit crazy and smash these guys, but I wasn’t able to jump without worrying about hitting the ceiling. I needed time to get my bearings with my body, rearm, and do some intelligence gathering before I lashed out again. Not only that, but as strong as I was now, I probably made a lot of enemies that’ll rip my head off if I pop up.

A season of training, fighting, and gathering my strength, and I can go ahead and live as I wanted.

And, of course, I had to help Helena out.

She saved my life, after all.

“If you’re fine with driving and doing some legwork, we can make some things happen. You’ll need to be in the front, though.” It was easy enough to get into the dark side of the city. “I’ll hire you as an intermediary, do some jobs with your help, and we’ll make enough money to get you out of debt and a new identity.”

“…So, I do walking, talking, and act like a messenger, while you take on bounties?” Helena’s naturally sharp gaze intensified. She had one hell of a resting bitch face and was generously proportioned. Given her parents’ gambling proclivities, it was easy to see that she was set up to be a human trafficking victim. Someone swallowed up by the underbelly of the city. Either she’d end up ending it all, or she’d get killed after everything was finished. “Why do I need a new identity?”

“Because if you don’t, other people will try to recruit you to do the same for them, and they’ll cut you down because you’ll be a loose end. I owe you my life, so I won’t be doing the same.” I walked her through the logic of my plan, and she listened carefully. Doing my best to move away from her possible bad ends, I looked at her body, and she immediately shrunk inward and covered herself up. “You can either go as a femme fatale or dress up in a suit and glasses and pretend to be a cog in the machine.”

“I’ll take the suit route, but you better keep me safe.” Helena stated, and I agreed with a nod. On the surface, the femme fatale route seemed to be the most primed for a bad end. However, in this setting, any woman who decided to cross-dress or go for the dashing route was basically painting a target on their back. Cool beauties get torn down the worst. “That’s the wrong route, isn’t it?”

“Women who try to hide are targeted.” I told her bluntly. Helena was sharp. I had my face covered, and she just picked up on my discontent with her choice from my silence alone. It wasn’t even that long. Just a single beat. Sharp instincts from having to deal with bullies and abusive parents, maybe? “Do you still have your high school uniform?”

She scowled and nodded at my statement.

“That’ll work. You’ll be an innocent pulled into a monster’s scheme. I can make up for my stature with violence.” People will laugh at my current situation, but once fists fly, I am sure that they’ll stop laughing. As long as I don’t act like a psychopath and murder outright, things will be fine. Beating people up and breaking bones for insults is well within acceptable conduct for the city’s underbelly. “Get dressed. Let’s get a move on.”

Helena didn’t look happy while I excused myself, but I thought that was a good sign.

It was better that she not like what’s about to happen than otherwise.

…

Interlude: Helena Horner, Courier

…

I almost forgot how school skirts were so short and how much it pissed me off when people leered.

Our school was just a cesspit owned by gangs looking to improve their stables. Everyone was in on it, from the principal down to the janitors. My parents sent me there since everything was free, including clothes and three meals a day. Boys turned into soldiers for their territory wars, while girls were developed. If rich bitches ended up in school, it was because their parents were hardline gangsters or part of the managerial staff.

The shirt barely buttoned up past the sternum, it was tight to the chest, and you were encouraged to tuck it into the skirt. If you took off the lower half of the skirt, it was basically a belt, and if I didn’t move carefully with my back straight and with flats, I’d flash my panties without even thinking. I had to get a hoodie and tie it around my waist to cover myself up, but I only did it when it was cold. Tights were fine, but if you went past see-through deniers, you’d just attract attention.

Attention was always bad.

I was sure that they fed girls food that made them fill out faster and fed the boys things that made them more aggressive and bigger. The water, I was sure, made people stupid and lazy, since I saw a classmate of mine just take a nap while she was manhandled into the boy’s restroom after drinking her fill. I had to pick my poison, and I chose the food. While drinking water, I filled up from home. The fact that anyone important had their own packed lunches and bottles of water made it clear that the rest of us were being fattened and trained up for the gangs to use.

Getting out of there by testing out at a community college probably saved my life.

But now I was doing my best to pretend like one of the vapid bimbos produced by my school while walking up to the bar.

“Like, hey!” I plastered a grin on my face and smiled wide. My hair was loose, the makeup made me feel like I had another face on, and the scrunchies on my ankles and wrists were like neon bands as I spoke to the bar. “I’ve been hired by some super-strong monster to go in there and pick up some bounties. Can you, like, let me in, please?”

I felt like I was swirling vomit in my mouth with every word, especially as the bald, muscle-bound bruiser manning the door leered down at me.

But before he could get a word out, I pulled out the marker Kay gave me.

Almost instantly the leer on his face, about to suggest that I do something else, fell off, and something close to fear formed on him.

I didn’t recognize the symbol, but it got me through the doors.

The place was dingy, and the walls were covered in faded pictures, graffiti, and broken pictures and plates. The only real lights were on stages or cages where girls barely past my age danced wearing little more than strings. The headphones they wore were large and bright pink and pumped music into them, and more than a few had tally marks or even used condoms hanging off garters. If they didn’t have prices written on their thighs, it was on signboards.

I was probably lucky that I was far from Ruger; otherwise, I’d recognize some classmates.

Walking through the hazy smell of smoke and cigarettes, I kept a smile plastered on my face and kept a little skip in my step. Stupid, vapid, and with a marker in one hand and a cheap phone with an oversized fluffy doll hanging off it. I wore the look like armor and hoped that no one would see through it. And, if they did see through it, they’d see the gun strapped to my thigh or the marker I carried.

I went through it, aware of dozens of stares that would’ve made sluts angry with envy if they still had two brain cells left, and reached the bounty board.

Out of all the thugs covered in tattoos and piercings and carrying iron, there was a man sitting with water at a table beside a board filled with bounties.

People who had money on their heads, who even these guys went after for cash.

“Hey~. I got told to pick up five bounties from the middle by some guy who gave me this thingie.” I draped myself over the small circular table and blatantly showed off with a wink. I attracted attention with my acting and skirt first, but soon enough the bar got a little quiet. They spied the little marker I brought in. “Can I get their data pretty please?”

It was getting really difficult to keep the puke down, but knowing that Kay told me to watch out for any trouble at this point helped.

And, just like that, I was dodging a stool thrown at me that smashed into the wall.

Kay said that he’d react quickly to save me.

I didn’t expect “quick” to mean that my attacker wouldn’t even have a chance to open his mouth.

From the bracelet he told me to wear beneath the stupid, ruffled wristbands, a streak of lightning went out and instantly struck the thrower.

He was sent flying back and smashed into the wall with a pained scream.

For a second, everyone stared, then he kept screaming about his back… and the bar just went back to business while his people went to him to cart him out.

But that wasn’t all.

The whole building suddenly shook once, then twice, and then a part of the wall broke, and Kay spoke through with a voice like grinding gears.

“I have heeded custom. Violate it further at your own risk.” He told me that the mark I carried was that of a predator passing through a city in search of funds and bodies to feed on. When they passed through cities, they went through local establishments with bounty boards to get their prey and funds. That way they didn’t step on the toes of those who were already established in the city. It made sense in a fucked-up sort of way. “I will gladly consume this tavern’s ilk instead.”

Silence permeated the entire bar. Only the sound of mind-addled bimbos dancing to music only they can hear through hazes of drugs resounded.

Then, dryly, the bounty board representative pulled out five data chips and slid them my way.

I slotted them in with a hum and bright smile, then looked them over.

Each one was worth fifty thousand at the minimum.

“Thankies~! I’ll be going now. Don’t worry, we’ll hit another bar instead of coming back. He doesn’t want to stick around.” I giggled and smiled widely, almost worrying that my makeup would break with my act. With the bounciest and most saccharine voice I could manage, I bid them farewell while winking and blowing a kiss. “Maybe I’ll come back here if I manage to stay alive! Tata!”

I gave them a wave with my fingers and my hand bent at the wrist.

Damn, I really wanted to throw up.

Kay made a show of landing and entering my car while I turned it on and trundled away.

A minute passed before he spoke.

“Good work.”

“Thanks, I hated it.” I ground out before handing him my cheap phone. He went through it, covered up in ragged clothes we dragged through some mud and dried out before layering onto a raincoat. I had the back of my car covered up in some plastic, so he didn’t ruin it. “The closest one is in a warehouse a few miles away.”

“Drive to the last one. I’ll meet you there after taking care of the rest. Just keep the plastic bags ready and drive safely. Call me if there’s trouble.” He handed me back my phone after copying the data and undid the window. I slowed down near a building, and he gave a nod. “Any trouble at all. Got it?”

“I got it. Drive safe and call you if any trouble pops up.” I repeated and felt his gaze beneath the shadows of his hood. “And, you don’t go dying on me. I need you so I don’t end up like those idiots or worse.”

V12: Chapter 12

V12: Chapter 12

…

Word count: 2000 added by Chaosbrain

…

“Jackie, I’ve missed you!”

“Khalai.” I raised a hand towards the former High Justiciar while his minders stopped him from pouncing on me. We were in a coastal Forger city. I was taking a look at how much corruption the Sahuagin managed to push, while Morgan helped Celia take the former Warden capital. Our findings were less than ideal. “Cast a holy attack on this caged creature here.”

“Oh my, the horrors of the depths are as malign as I feared.” To Khalai’s credit, he wasn’t at all perturbed by the sight of the creature we captured. The towering fishman had multiple eyes all over its body and was covered in barnacles with snapping mouths. Even chained and in a cell, its eyes stared at everyone with a baleful stare. Its malice was clear. “This specimen is of those who dwell in the depths?”

“One of many phenotypes. They have a caste system. This is their common infantry. They have specialized vanguard and shock infantry.” Giant lobsters that sprayed acid cannons and skittering swarms of creatures with claws capable of carving through steel. The latter had another variant that was capable of laying eggs in kills that rapidly gestated into two or three of the smaller type. “Their ruler caste has some form of mind-based magic. The Forgers hunted them with half-machine troops as they proved more resistant.”

They were obviously based off the eldritch alien race stereotype. Mind control, psionic blasts, plasma, infesting hosts to spread, etc. The fact that they focused on the Forgers was a pretty big loss on their part. They were the most physically and mentally resilient. The Conquerors were fairly strong, but they had a lot more points towards speed and damage. The best defense was just killing your enemies. They can’t deal damage if they’re dead, after all.

But back to testing weapons on prisoners via a genocidal former pope.

Ayah came forward along with a few other Iterants, and they placed themselves between me and Khalai while he gathered magic in one hand. A single moment passed, and in that moment an orb of pure gold light formed in his hand that radiated a faint warmth through the clearing of the small fishing village. Holy magic was the counter for all remaining threats left by the Ancients. The foundation was left behind for us to work on and iterate to create weapons and tools for the war to retake the planet.

One of many aces that we should’ve all had but ended up sequestered to specific factions.

Whatever, I can’t keep crying about things that I had no control over.

“Shall I begin with a basic attack?”

“No, with a middling one. That eliminates anything below.” I told him simply, and Khalai obliged. The orb rippled and grew twice as large before turning into a floating arrow, which sped into the cage. The shambling mutant didn’t have time to scream as a chunk of its torso was torn out and a tunnel formed straight through its center. It stayed upright for a moment before slumping down and dying. “Looks like the average priest will be very useful against these creatures.”

“If you have a few powerful warriors, they’ll be able to carve through them with ease.”

“Sounds good, I’ll talk to the remnants.” Khalia pouted at my statement. He wasn’t exactly pleased about the state of his former religion. Most of it was dead and buried now. The remainder were worshipping their ancestors under the itinerant’s watchful eye. They had their uses for training people in holy magic and producing blessed weapons for my special forces. There weren’t enough of them to supply and support entire holy armies. “Now, I want you to try and heal these people.”

We walked to a field hospital, and inside there were people in a half-alive state.

Khalai actually paused at the door.

“What manner of foulness is this?” Something close to a snarl left the former High Justiciar’s lips. Despite being disguised as a nun, with side slits up to the waist, Khalai pulled off a look of absolute hatred incredibly well. “I sense dozens of lives within these people, and they yet live despite their current state!”

He turned to me.

“Why do you not send them to Paradise! Release them from this horrific state!”

I answered him with care.

“I need information from them. If you can heal them, I will take what I can before doing as they wish.” I didn’t blame Khalai for his reaction and waved the Iterants to stand down after his outburst. They lowered their blades from his body, and the small cuts on him leaked blood before he healed them with an idle thought. “I must admit, my first thought was to spare them any more suffering myself, but if they can tell us what happened to them… then I can prevent it from happening to others.”

Khalai calmed down at my words, but he didn’t look pleased.

Still, he turned towards the nearest of the living breeding nests and held out his hands.

“The creatures from within may decide to act against you.” I told him simply.

“They will not. They will perish first.” He stated, and a burst of light came from the champion leader. The flesh he held his hands towards wriggled and burst. Purple ooze came out from wounds where bulbous bulges on the skin the size of softballs were. The living victim and immobile host to dozens of implanted eggs cried out in pain, but soon it stopped and turned into sobbing. The foul parasites were expunged, the wounds were mended, and the living tumor wrapped up in bloated flesh and pustules became a Forger once again. Khalai was quick to kneel by her side and take her hand as she sobbed and wept. “Blessings be upon you, child. The monsters within you are gone. The rest of their ilk will follow even if we must pursue them into the deepest depths.”

I motioned for the child to be taken away from the fetid flesh that sloughed off, and Iterants took her aside, while Khalai stood up.

Something close to absolute hatred was clear on his face.

Idly, I considered the possibility of doing more with him than keeping him a secret healer and holy magic expert, but I tossed the thought aside.

If he escapes even once, I’ll have a death cult crusade on my lap that I don’t want to deal with.

He’s living through a political and military crisis waiting to happen.

Yes, even if he is dressed up in a fetish nun outfit that shows off the sides of his ass and has lace stockings and a garter belt on.

“That child is better off in paradise than here.” And there’s the zealotry that I just couldn’t allow out of my sight. Not even a mote of belief that the kid was now whole and hale and could have a normal life. “Do you truly wish for her to persist in this world after she has endured that?”

He didn’t call me ‘Jackie,’ and that hard-edged glare remained on his face.

This tanned twink was a ticking time bomb that I could only work to delay.

“Morgan’s made some inroads. I have mages available that can get rid of her memories after she tells us all that she can. After that, I’ll have her stationed in the same village as the Goddess of Life. The same goes for everyone else here.” Wiping memories and chunks of someone's life and experience away was pretty close to killing them. In my opinion, people are made up of their experiences and memories, which form how they react in the present and in the future. Taking memories away from someone, not even leaving a sensation behind, was pretty much erasing a current person and replacing them with their past self. “I will give her that if she chooses it. If she wishes to die, I will render her onto you, Khalai.”

Khalai was silent for a bit before clasping his hands together and giving a prim bow.

When he raised his head, he looked upon the rest of the people suffering and muttered a prayer.

“Forgive me, my fellows bound to paradise, for the suffering you must continue to endure.” I grimaced at the genuine belief and faith Khalai had in his words. That was the whole core of the death cult that he would lead. Every death was sending people to eternal paradise. A paradise that he had every reason to believe would persist forever. I couldn’t disprove that fact.

Nor could I even try without alienating him, as I didn’t have proof.

Eminent might have a chance, but I didn’t trust her to not make the situation worse. Her telling him the truth just had too many outcomes. He could give up completely. He could call her a liar and double down. He could pretend to believe her and just work behind the scenes after I lower my guard.  Was it possible that he’d just believe her and work with me, perhaps even working towards securing paradise permanently by securing the planet, before he went and started a death cult?

Yeah, it was possible, but I thought the chances of that were low.

If I could save and reload, I’d take the risk and initiate the dialogue, but with everything on the line?

No.

I’ll keep him trapped and under my control in exchange for allowing him to conduct euthanasia for the willing.

I didn’t have the luxury of being the first to offer him trust.

…

More than half of the survivors chose Khalai after they gave us the information that we needed.
Information that I needed to verify how far the current invasion was.

I was surprised to find that it was impressively stymied by the Forgers.

The Sahuagin had a lot of early game events. They bordered us on the oceans and could get through in small numbers by diving deep enough and sacrificing enough to get through the underwater defenses. Most of their underwater kingdoms kept cattle on islands. Splinters sent by those who didn’t have enough tried to raid the shorelines of the other crises or our own. They looked for bodies to corrupt and turn into organic tanks to house their children or people to mutate and add to their existing stock of beasts so that they won’t die from inbreeding.

Unlike the other crises, the Sahuagin were dying out. They were competing and killing each other for limited resources, working against a genetic time bomb that was already bringing them to their knees, and they died without stealing enough population from the continent. The Citadels are their end goal, the same as the other crises, but they didn’t have an endless swarm unless you ceded population to them by being idiots.

I expected to find the invasion underway, swathes of territory in Forger lands working as breeding farms, and the Sahuagin working through traitors and quislings. Maybe the Forgers would also have some sort of slave trade going on, selling their people for Sahuagin artifacts, tech, and units, which were always shitty deals in-game. I was ready to call on my troops, burn everything I found, and apologize to Celia for ravaging the fringes of her new lands later.

Instead?

Well, the Forgers apparently kicked the Sahuagin’s teeth and had been actively hunting any incursion down with steampunk cyborgs.

Almost made me regret hitting them with a viral strategic weapon, until I remembered their endgame was to turn the planet into a volcanic death world.

“Gather all the records and information left behind. Make sure everything is taken into account for the Guardians to take over. I want Iterants here to intercept as well.” The Sahuagin underwater maps were a pain to prepare for. A lot of technology and magic needed to be researched to fight them at full strength. It was better to starve them and build defensive wonders on the coastlines while making sure any raiding parties died. If they found this coastline impossible to breach, they’ll turn back upon one another. “Ayah, I want volunteers for a coastal watch and rapid response force.”

“It shall be done, my lord.”

There were a lot of things left to do.

Hm.

Riegert and the expeditionary force should be with Morgan, Ilych, and Rita by now.

I’ll send a letter to ask for an update on the Wardens after this.

After all, I wanted to know how strong Pinnacle and Eminent were together, as well as how the new army could perform.

This was probably the last chance I could experiment before things went to shit.

…

Interlude: Celia

…

Catherine and Zenith stood with me as we watched another flying bastion settle down and begin to disgorge another army.

Many of our soldiers, resting at our former base away from the siege lines, watched with bated breath as an army unlike any other marched out.

They wore little to no armor with uniforms covered in vests and jackets. Their boots were of fine make, and they marched forth from the cavernous hold in good order. The faint sound of trumpets resounded as they filed out, every man armed with a new rifle, some with smaller firearms, and others carrying large, automatic guns with tins filled with ammunition.

Cannons with wagons full of artillery came with them, along with grizzled conquerors and groups of mages. The cornerstone of many of Jack’s campaigns, his flying cavalry, was not with them. Instead, over seven tenths of the army was composed of unarmored infantry.

It would have been easy to underestimate them, but Zenith’s sudden hiss of surprise told me that would be foolish.

“There’s no winning a fight against that. Not even Iterants. We’ll be smashed apart, their champions will come in, and whatever reinforcements come in will be blown to bits while they make an orderly retreat.” Zenith shook her head and pointed at the new army. “That army you see there? It’s two or three centuries behind the Ancient’s best. Ours is six. Five centuries, if I’m generous.”

“How is that possible?” Three centuries. A shiver went down my spine, and fear crept up my throat. That amount of time was incredibly small. Several people under my employ were older than that. Some of the nobility where thrice that old. “How could he be so close to what the ancients had?”

Zenith must have taken note of my sudden alarm. Her eyes opened with surprise, and then she moved to correct herself.

“I misspoke. It’s difficult to explain, but technology improves at an exponential rate. The true gap is immense, but time represents it poorly.” Zenith calmed me, and I listened with care. Catherine’s gaze was upon me in the corner of my vision, but I took steadying breaths and made sure that I did not give away my surprise. My hands were not shaking, and I stood tall. Good. “What I meant to convey is that they’re two or three generations away from us. We can fight back with some ingenuity and reach parity with numbers and work, but we cannot fight them here and now.”

I managed to nod, not trusting my voice, and Zenith continued as I calmed myself down.

“What you see is an army that overwhelms through mobility and firepower. Those larger firearms are called machine guns. They invalidate line formations by sending hundreds of bullets into the battlefield to savage infantry.” I focused on those whom she pointed out, hoping to find few of them, but instead there was a pair carrying one for every grouping of ten men. Five carried rifles. Three carried shorter guns. Zenith took note of my analyses. “The three with shorter guns have the duty of keeping any charges away from the rest of the group. The five that remain take aim and fire with accuracy. Catherine, how fast can they move when pressed?”

Catherine took a moment to recall her journey with those men, and a faint frown formed on her lips.

“They move quickly. Each one is enhanced just like all of the King of Wisdom’s soldiers. I would say that they can move steadily at half the charging speed of their pikemen.”

“Then, they’ll move into a position, engage, fire, and move before artillery can be called upon them. He knows to counter his own techniques.” The flying bastion resounded with war horns, declaring that it would soon close the massive frontal gate at its prow. The confluence of soldiers that came forth marched into formations before moving forward. I blinked as I realized they were heading for the siege lines, and the three other bastions went forward. They were freshly disembarked, but they were going to join the latest attack? “The original armies under Morgan will be the anvil, while they’ll be the hammer. The fortresses will act as flying artillery… wait.”

Zenith’s eyes suddenly widened, and her mouth split apart into a grin filled with fanged teeth.

Her entire body shook, and I recognized it as her holding herself back from throwing herself into the fray against a powerful foe.

A sense of terrible calm washed over me as I realized what Jack did.

Zenith’s presence all this time must have reached his nation when she joined months ago while fighting the Forgers. His own soldiers must have recounted her feats in battle, how she saved many lives and hastened our victory with her presence, and told their families back home.

So, before they could even think to question why their own Divine Engines were not present to do the same for them, he planned, he prepared, and now his labor bore fruit.

Life and Death were both here and exiting the flying bastion.

Life was resplendent and clad in flowing white silks and pure white branches. She wore a crown of glittering gems made of white vines, and her features made my eyes water in wonder. Physical perfection barely hidden by near-transparent silks. A radiant shine glimmered from her mere existence. Motes of golden, flickering light fell from her and floated in her wake. Merely being in her presence soothed aches that I didn’t know that I had. Eight immense blades, great swords even for her towering stature, were sheathed in stained glass that hovered around her. Each of the stained glass sheathes emitted light cast by the magical blades held within; thus, she also wore a robe of light that scourged all shadow in her mere presence.

Her blonde handmaidens were Children of the Elm clad in glittering silver armor with living vines girding their limbs. Each one held a sword at their backs, smaller versions of what their goddess carried, and they each had flowing white capes of flowers. They marched with reverence; some sang, others carried harps, and more chanted prayers. In lockstep they moved with their goddess, who floated on a throne of flowers and vines off the air, and the ground that they trod filled with grass and flowers. Each one was clearly blessed, nearly matching a Conqueror in height, and there were hundreds of them in attendance. Guards of the divine who will never falter nor break.

Death walked in parallel with life. The grass beneath her heeled and ribboned boots died, and the soil was stripped of life. The shadows around her deepened, and she was clad in a cloak of it beneath a black lace parasol. A veil of pure shadow obscured her features from all save for one. Deep scarlet and bright eyes pierced through the shadow. Simply seeing them made it clear that one should not match her gaze directly, so I did not. My eyes instead strained at the impossibly long, shifting, and warping shadow that she cast. It clung to the ground, solid and liquid at the same time, bubbling with grasping hands and faint figures within. It was like a scar upon the world that she dragged behind her. If I strained my ears, I could hear the gnashing of teeth and groaning for blood. Great and terrible weapons covered in rust and dried blood rose and fell from her shadow, cursed and malign things that yearned to be unleashed by her will.

Her retinue was that of hulking titans. Refined versions of the amalgams that we made. Each one was covered in bone-white armor and was three stories tall. Despite their hulking size and mass, they moved with uncanny grace. Each footfall was measured and in lockstep with their dozen kin. To my horror they did not carry simple guns or cannons but instead wielded great swords, axes, shields, lances, and even hammers. The way they walked and carried themselves told me that they were masterful warriors, each in the body of a hulking behemoth covered in armor. There were no more than a hundred of them, but I knew that they were enough to lay waste to anything their mistress desired for them to destroy.

Suddenly, both looked my way.

No.

They looked towards Zenith.

Zenith, who was barely beyond the reach of a champion.

Zenith, who used weapons and armor handed down through my bloodline for countless centuries.

Zenith, who did not have a force to call her own when she went to battle.

The lone Divine Engine that did not stand with the King of Wisdom.

Life gave a small smile and inclined her head softly our way before turning her gaze back to the Warden Citadel.

Death, meanwhile, allowed the veil of shadow to cease obscuring her lower face to aim a wide smile filled with fangs towards Zenith before giving a dismissive wave with a hand covered in black lace.

I had wondered if Zenith could ever face and defeat a Divine Engine with all the aid that I could muster.

Perhaps, with time and training, she could.

But the cruel truth was presented to us now.

Jack would not permit it.

Zenith will always need to consider facing both life and death. They will always have armies of their own guarding them alongside whatever force he could send their way.

“Damn, I have a lot of work ahead of me.” Zenith was thankfully indomitable. Once her two fellows ‘greeted’ her, she allowed herself to breathe. That was more than I can do. I felt my nerves fraying at the ends at the sight of them. He must know how to strengthen them. There was a reason why Life was found but never shown. For Death, he had risked so much to take her, but now it was obvious why. Her strength was unquestionable even with her recent revival. If she fell into the hands of the Wardens, with their zeal and ferocity, two swarms of undying warriors would have swept across the land. “I thought that Death would be the biggest problem, but Life looks absolutely unstoppable.”

Zenith’s words and concern drew me away from my thoughts.

“Why do you say that?” Zenith shared with me that her primary concern had been death. She could marshal great armies and inspire them, but that meant little against the endless tide Death could present. Life’s blessings, however, were something she put aside. As much as life could strengthen and heal her soldiers, they could still be defeated in combat. “You were confident in your ability to defeat her.”

“She’s at full strength, and the soldiers she’ll be empowering are strong. Not to mention the fact that where she goes, there won’t be a lack of food or materials.” Zenith gestured at Life’s wake. Trees laden with fruit were growing. Tall grass rustled and disgorged metals from the earth. Flowers took on a gemlike sheen. Supporting staff was quick to harvest it all. Food, raw materials, and wealth. All formed in her wake. “And, again, she’s just… at her full potential and learning still. She’s had time to grow, to learn, and to study.”

Zenith turned her head and looked at the Divine Engine of Life.

Then, she spoke with a whisper.

“If I cut off her head, I’d be worried that she’ll have two bodies instead of one.” Zenith shook in place; for the first time her trembling seemed like fear instead of excitement, and she looked at me with a wry grin. “I can’t ask for a better foe to grow against. As long as we stay alive, as long as we keep fighting, I’m sure that I’ll be able to fight the two of them to a draw. Most likely by threatening places if they’re not there to respond. But that’s… if it were only the three of us.”

I understood what she implied and looked to Catherine.

“Find anyone of talent who is willing to devote themselves to Zenith. At least two thousand soldiers under her command supported by a full army group.” It was too much to entrust to an individual who I just met. Barely a few months have passed since Zenith met me. However, I saw no path forward without her help. Time was not on our side. I had to take immense risks such as this, even if it cost me influence in the council. In the end, however, they’ll get the influence that they desire. I needed many administrators, generals, and officers to manage all my new holdings and fight back against the coming tide. They’ll be given what they desire and shoulder some of my burden in the process.” Now—

My next words faded away as a wave of almighty power washed over me and dragged my attention towards the siege line.

No.

Towards the Divine Engine of Life.

For a second, there was complete darkness.

Then, suddenly, there was a pillar of light taller than any tower I’d ever seen save for the Citadel. It was there for only a moment, until it contorted, reshaped itself, and turned into a lance of light many leagues long. I blearily recognized it as a lance of light, one of the newer spells composed in Jack’s universities, but it was made far larger by the Divine Engine’s power.

It flew towards the towering walls guarding the Warden’s Citadel and obliterated it.  The miracles and shields conjured by the Wardens did nothing to stop it. It was a whirling tempest of light that annihilated all in its path. What was not annihilated turned into glass and blew apart. I saw faint mortal figures sent flying, disintegrating in the sky, while several more were just turned into charred remnants.

Then, again, all light faded for an instant, and another lance of light came into being and surged forward again into the Warden capital.

I understood what Zenith meant when she said life had time to learn, grow, and train at that moment.

While I had called Zenith forth to fight for me the moment she reached me, he had nurtured his Divine Engine until…

Until it could give him the entire world.

Eroge? Bad Ends? Betrayal? I’m Just Here to Suplex Monsters through Buildings.

From the Top Rope (3.2)

…

Interlude: Asakura Hiyo, the Fiery Blade

…

Daichi’s escape soured our victory over Catherine’s mother, but Keita’s demise turned it pyrrhic.

Especially when it was his valor that gave us an ally at the most pivotal of moments.

“He passed here, and I sanctified his body. He had numerous talismans on his person, which I believe caused this damage.” Where Keita had perished was only the crumbling, burnt remains of a building. The ground was covered in scorch marks and dried blood. We recovered the three limbs that had been cut from him. “He fought with valor and conviction that I have not seen in centuries.”

“Damn, it’s a real tough break. Archdemon in exchange for a hero.” Catherine grunted. Her power was expended, so she covered herself in long robes. A faint sweet smell drifted from her, and her skin was radiant even beneath the full moon. If not for the cigar she had between her lips, I would have thought her of the Fae. “Not that you need me to tell you that, right?”

“Should your mother rise again, I will be there to aid in returning her to the infernal realm. Lady Hiyo, your betrayer shall find himself hounded by my familiars and me.” I nodded idly at the Argent Knight’s words. He had his hand over his heart and bowed as he spoke. His oath was ironclad. It was a double-edged sword. He swore many oaths when he first did not have enough strength. “Hm. I apologize, but I must take my leave. His kin are here, and I do not wish to inspire their ire.”

With a nod, he turned into mist and took flight, practically disappearing into the night.

I barely had time to message Leona that she could bring Alecia back, as I had separated the younger vampire from her senior once the truth was clear.

Even after our battle, it had taken much of my strength to put her in bondstemporarily before she swore any oaths of vengeance in rage.

But my concern lay more with the Hiyo Clan’s peers arriving in force.

As Mother predicted, the Uwabami had kept track of him.

After all, his age coincided with the temporary disappearance of my old friend and fellow heir.

“Shinobu.” I matched her gaze as she slipped forth from the shadows flanked by honor guards. A snarling mask of iron covered the lower half of her face. Her violet eyes were slitted like a serpent, and her bright green hair was tied back with a black ribbon. Her usual armor and equipment were not present. She wore all black robes as she approached me and the wooden casket containing her son’s remains. “My condolences.”

Keita had been twelve, and she was my age at twenty-four. He had no last name, was raised an orphan, and the Uwabami Clan had not brought him back when he left them.

The circumstances of his birth were unmistakable.

But she was here in mourning clothes, instead of as a representative of the clan, despite those circumstances.

Her silence, as she stared at the closed casket containing her son, was deafening.

She should have addressed me. Propriety demanded acknowledgement. Even the simplest of thanks for recovering remains that would have been used by our enemies.

But I let the silence stand as she continued to stand over the wooden box barely larger than a suitcase.

She was seemingly still, but her hands and shoulders were trembling.

She may as well have been wailing to all those who looked upon her.

Yet the silence and trembling were almost preferable to what came next.

“This is the first time that I shall hold you.” Her words made me wince, but I did not look away while Catherine bowed her head. Shinobu reached down and gently brought the box up. I winced as she cradled it like a child against her form. To my sharpened senses, even with the box, I could still smell blood, ash, and decaying flesh. She didn’t flinch, nor did she shy away. The wood creaked against her grasp. “Forgive me. I never had the strength to even give you your name.”

Sometimes I questioned Keita’s fierceness and ruthlessness towards the criminals that he fought and killed.

At Trespass, I had even wondered if I should have reined him in.

But he knew the circumstances of his birth, of what must have happened to Shinobu, and why he was raised the way he was.

Instead of hating the Uwabami Clan, he left them and lashed out at those who harmed others.

And, now, that righteous soul was gone.

Shinobu took a shuddering breath before matching my gaze. Her eyes were glassy and hazy, not seeing me at all, and I yearned for nothing more than to disappear from her gaze. But I forced myself to stand fast before her dull gaze, so far away from the ferocious glare she levelled at me when we last sparred.

I tried to find words, but none came forth.

All I could do was bow my head and watch her back as she walked, carrying her child’s remains.

…

Interlude: Helena Horner

…

Another day, another thousand dollars spent on meat.

“You buying all this for a restaurant or something, kid?” The butcher asked with a snort. He packed up the ground meat, and I shoved it into my bag. “You’ve been here every day.”

“Something like that. Just need to make ends meet. College is expensive, and I’d rather cook than anything else.” I lied. Some of it was true. The best lies were always surrounded by the truth. “If you’ve got any more bargains…”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll give you a shout next time you’re here. Just make sure all of it is cooked well done or frozenthrough, alright?” My respect for the man rose up a bit at that. Unlike all the other butchers I was buying bargain meat from, he wasn’t trying to get to know me to butter me up. “Make sure that you cook in batches with only one source too. Other butchers try to sneak some older stuff in.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.” I gave him a nod before sending the payment over. His eyes glowed for a moment before he nodded and accepted the payment. “See you tomorrow.”

“Stay safe. It’s almost dark out there, young lady.” He raised up a robotic hand in goodbye.

The store’s shutters automatically closed behind me after I exited.

The winter air was frosty, and the faint scent of chemicals from the last toxic drizzle lingered in the air.

I made sure my bag was sealed before putting it in the back of the trunk and checking my mask’s seals.

Thankfully, I could replace it soon, since my car was finally fixed up.

Trundling along the streets, I did my best to ignore sidewalks and alleys and did my best to stick with the pack of cars making their way home.

Being surrounded by traffic was always preferable to being a lone car.

I kept my radio off and kept my eyes on my surroundings, aware of my gun on my dashboard and the gun at my seat.

More than a few gazes were dissuaded by the gun on the dash, and I managed to get to my apartment.

The scent of meat roasting from my small balcony hit me hard, and my stomach rumbled.

“You’re here early.” The little monster that suddenly fell onto my car one evening greeted me with a small, upraised hand out from a yellow raincoat. The other hand was flipping burgers on a grill. The freaky part? He didn’t have that smaller arm when we first met. Just a closed-off wound. The same went for his growing legs. “Any problems getting the money?”

“No. Everything was fine.” I went into an address, opened a locker there, and inside were multiple credit chits. Each one maxed out. “You have a hundred thousand easy now.”

“I’ve got fifty, and you’ve got fifty.” He told me simply before tossing a freshly cooked patty up towards his hooded face. There was a snapping sound and a moment later a gulp of satisfaction. He had multiple liters of sugary soda beside him. Dozens were emptied and neatly bundled. “I left some patties on the table for you.”

My mother and father never cooked for me, yet here I was getting a hot meal ready for me after I got back from an errand.

“Thanks.” There were some vegetables and rice on the table too. Most of my small studio was taken up by food now. The dining room table was covered with vegetables, the fridge was full of meat, and multiple slow cookers were cooking beans, rice, and even stews. The smell of food was practically burned into my little apartment. A far cry from the desert it used to be. “So, how are you feeling?”

“A pound or two heavier. At this rate, I should be good within a month, and I’ll be out of your hair.” I didn’t know how to feel about that. On one hand, a monster was living with me. On the other hand, he was paying me, and all I had to do was bring in food for him to regenerate. “You’ll need to move out after all this, though. Start looking for an apartment in two weeks.”

“Right. Got it.” The meat was cooked through, so it wasn’t particularly juicy. Knowing its quality, though? I wouldn’t have eaten it if it wasn’t fully cooked. It was good enough, and the rice and vegetables helped. “You think someone will start looking for you? Someone that might come after me?”

“I don’t think so, but you’re better off not involved in this. Go and finish your classes and live an honest life somewhere safer. Someplace without underground fighting arenas and flesh pits.” I didn’t have much choice besides to believe him. Before he suddenly stopped my car and got in, I thought I just got a bad deal being born poor with parents that didn’t give a shit. Now, at every shadow, I was worried that monsters were waiting. Worse monsters than I grew up with and knew now. “And get a gun.”

I snorted at the absolute frankness of his statement until there was a sudden knock on the door.

I frowned, not knowing who should be out there, until a call came.

“Oh, Helly~. Did you think you could just sneak off?” A chill went down my spine. It couldn’t be. I tested out of school and left for a reason. Why the hell would they be here? “Did you seriously think you could be anything besides my little bitch?”

Year after year of torment. My clothes were snatched. Food ruined. Being told to fetch soda just to have it shaken and poured on me.

The queen of Ruger High somehow found me after I ran away after realizing what she wanted me to ‘do’ for her eighteenth birthday.

“Hey, just so you know, you made me look like a real idiot after I promised a little gangbang for the football team. They were so excited to turn you into a little onahole for the team to share. I had to give them one of the new girls instead.” Her sickeningly sweet sneer seemed to go straight past through the door and into my brain. Even though I was seated, I felt like the entire world was going upside down. Food threatened to go up my throat. “What the hell? Do you seriously think I’d come all the way here in this dump if some lock was going to stop me? You really are an idiot. It’s a good thing you won’t be needing that brain of yours after this.”

Suddenly, there were multiple footfalls on the other side, then the door began to shudder and shake as someone began to shoulder bash it.

For a second, as the door suddenly opened and one of the linebackers of the Ruger team came into view, I thought that it was over.

Despite all that I did to escape, my life was going to end.

Then, suddenly, just past my face, a slim, jagged arc of electricity surged through my room and struck him.

For a second, he shuddered and shook, then he fell over.

“What the fu—

Madeline didn’t get to finish her sentence as more sparks of electricity suddenly arced through and curved past my door.

Then, four more bodies fell.

When I saw her glassy at the threshold of my apartment, I let loose a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

Then, the source of the electricity and my current roommate spoke.

“Help me drag them in. I’ll make some talismans to fuck with their heads so they don’t hurt anyone else again.” He ‘got up’ unsteadily by balancing on one hand and waddling forward. He almost made it to the front door faster than me and handled the football players with ease. “Hmph, these guys are on troll’s blood. It’d be safer to kill them, but that’ll cause problems.”

“What are you going to do to them, exactly?” I barely recognized my own voice. I felt like I was floating as I dragged my tormentor into the clear space in my studio.

“Get rid of some higher brain activity. Make them real stupid. Too stupid for shit like this. They’ll be happy. Ignorance is bliss, after all.” He dragged another footballer in with crazy ease, then looked over at the four of them. “Maybe put them in a compromising position together, with some drugs, so that when they’re found everyone thinks they just partied too hard?”

I almost wondered if the monster was able to read my thoughts, because I dreamed of that happening to Madeline and her cronies forever.