Chapter 10: Judgement of the Beasts
"They have been in there for over an hour," Evileye whispered to her comrades. "What are they doing?"
When Queen Draudiron ordered the throne room cleared she had been the one who had objected the least. However, as time went by her childish tendencies seem to take over her usually logical mind. Although her face was hidden Lakyus imagined under the alabaster mask was the face of a pouting child about to go on a rant.
"Aw, is the little Chibiwibi bored?" Gargaran too noticed, and of course she was not passing up the opportunity to make fun of their magic caster.
But this was not the time to or place for their usual banter. She shot both of them a warning look and made sure both understood the meaning behind the look. As the leader of Blue Rose it was her duty to not only keep the peace but make sure they behaved in public, which was an honestly a very difficult job. Being Adamantite level Adventurers few people dared to comment on their misbehaviour. It did not make some of the things her comrades did and said any less embarrassing though. Sometimes Lakyus wished the old hag was still here to discipline them.
"Right now is not the time for childish quarrels," She reprimanded them. After doing so she looked at Evileye. "Besides, if you're feeling annoyed think about how these nobles feel."
The nobles mentioned were shifting around impatiently, occasionally glancing at the doors to the throne room with frowns. From their constipated facades Lakyus guessed they were people who were not use to waiting, much less being told to leave the room. Although they were incredibly vocal about their dissatisfaction none dared to approach the doors. The two figures that stood guard there were enough to dissuade them, especially the tall white armoured Ramiel. His aura screamed unapproachable. No one doubted he would use his spear on anyone who got close to him.
"Oni Leader, what do you think they are doing in there?" Tina asked.
Lakyus shrugged. "How would I know? For all I know they could be gossiping."
"What if she asked for an audience with the queen so she can assassinate her?" Tia asked.
Lakyus sighed. Usually Evileye and Gargaran were the conspiracy theorists. "This Shiva does not look like the type to request private meetings to assassinate others. Even if she did what reason would she do something like that?"
"The throne?" Tina enquired.
"That doesn't make sense," Gargaran said. Out of all of them she was the one who believed in the good intentions of the Shiva the most, probably because her life was saved by this stranger. "Then why would she save us?"
"Who knows," Evileye entered the conversation. "However, the fact that we don't know anything about this person does not sit well with me. We need to contact the old hag and ask her what she knows."
Before they could continue the doors to the throne room swung open, putting an end to their discussion. Out strolled Shiva in her elegant white suit with a confident gait. The moment she set foot outside the throne room the imposing Ramiel was suddenly at her side, ready to defend her from all threats real and imagine.
Most people were not looking at her however.
Their eyes were fixated on the figure that stepped out behind her. This woman stood around one hundred and sixty-five centimetres. Her appearance put her around thirty to forty. Her face was beautiful and any man looking at her would agree that she filled out in the right places, inciting lewd thoughts in men and jealous ones in women. Still, what was most striking about her appearance was not her features, but the dress she wore. It was sleeveless with an exposed back and covered even her feet. Simply by looking at it one could tell that it was made from high grade materials. It's most striking attribute was that it seemed to suck the darkness from the environment, making the entrance hall appear brighter. Considering how beautiful the woman was, no one could deny such an elegant gown was perfect for her.
Despite how beautiful she looked the most common reaction towards her appearance was bewilderment.
"Is that...?" Gargaran couldn't finish the sentence, as she like the rest of them, stared on with a surprised expression. No one knew what to say.
After a minute of probing glares and whispered questions Lakyus broke out of her stupor. She turned around and gazed at the nobles. Most of them certainly had shocked expression, with the exception of a few. The Prime Minister had a clear frown on his face. He was not happy about what was happening.
So that's what she really looks like, Lakyus thought. Although it was common knowledge that the Dragon Queen was not using her true form there were conjectures on what she really looked like. Some thought the reason she used a childish form was because her true form was not attractive, an obvious falsehood. If this woman was deemed unattractive women everywhere would flare up. Another guess, which mainly circulated around commoners and the uneducated, was that her true form was that of a dragon seeing as she was descended from one.
Although it was well known that the appearance Queen Draudiron used was not her real one she never used her true form in public. Why would she do that now? Lakyus' gaze wandered to Shiva. It probably had something to do with her.
The queen seemed very aware of the gazes being sent in her direction and was trying her best to ignore them. She seemed to be succeeding somewhat. Her head was held high with dignity and her stride contained unmasked pride. She looked them in the eye and gave them all a warm smile.
"I came out here to thank you all for coming today," she began. "I wish I could stay here longer..." That was a lie. She was not trying to hide how eager she was to get rid of them. "... but I'm afraid I will have to cut matters short today. You are all welcome to stay in the palace of course, but I am afraid I will have to leave you without a host. I have urgent matters to attend to."
A surge of protests were immediately launched her way. The queen held up her hand to calm them. In the past this action would have gone unnoticed, but with the aura she now gave off no one dared to ignore her. They quieted down, waiting to hear whatever she had to say.
"I hope you enjoy the rest of your day," Queen Draudiron said. "Now if you would excuse me I must get going." She looked at the white haired young woman who had been with her for the past hour. "Shiva-sama if you would please."
Shiva responded with a nod. Suddenly space rippled behind her and a hole as dark as the abyss opened up. Besides the queen, Ramiel and the unresponsive Niahoggr everyone was caught off guard by this.
"Wh-what the hell is that?" a bewildered Gargaran asked, looking at their magic caster.
"I... have absolutely no idea," Evileye replied after a long moment of silent. "It looks like a portal of some kind so I'm guessing it's a teleportation spell."
"What rank?" Gargaran asked.
"I don't know," the magic caster answered. "But it's high, beyond anything I've ever seen."
Lakyus stopped paying attention to the conversation between the two and turned to Queen Draudiron, who was about to walk through the portal. "Your Majesty," she began. "Would it be okay for Blue Rose to accompany you?" After all they had been tasked with her protection. As an Adamantite ranked Adventurer she had her pride. Neither her, nor anyone in Blue Rose would accept payment for half-assed jobs and incomplete tasks.
The queen shared a look with Shiva, who shrugged at the unanswered question. "You are welcome to join us if you wish but take note, out destination is the Beastman Kingdom."
The words she spoke caused an uneasy stir among those present. "Your Majesty," the Prime Minister said, clearly planning to dissuade her. "Going into the beastmen's territory is unwise. Please think-"
"I will be fine," the queen interrupted him. Gesturing to Lakyus and Blue Rose, who were moving to her side, and then Shiva, Ramiel and Niahoggr. There was need to worry about her safety.
"If that's the case then might we be permitted to accompany you as well your majesty?"
They all searched for the speaker. Their eyes came to rest on the leader of the group sent from the Slane Theocracy. At the sight of the man and his two surviving companions Lakyus' expression turned cold.
She never forgot her team's encounter with one of the Theocracy's secret units. The doctrine of the Theocracy preached the protection of humans and subjugation of all other races. Lakyus did not agree with the subjugation part but she could not deny that when it came to protecting humans the Slane Theocracy was doing the best job. They lived up to their name as protectors of humanity. At least in the light that is. That day Blue Rose had stumbled upon one of their Scripture organisations they were doing the exact opposite, massacring the humans they had sworn to protect. Since that day anything that had to do with the Theocracy angered her. Right now it was only the etiquette beaten into her by her noble parents that stopped her from using Kilineyram on them. She did not want to be anywhere near them. She did not want them to come with them.
Unfortunately that decision was not up to her. Queen Draudiron gave them permission to come along. She could do naught but watch them join her with a sour face.
"What do you reckon they're going to do in the Beastman Kingdom?" Lakyus posed a question to their magic caster.
"They are going to demand peace?" Evileye guessed with uncertainty.
"You think so?" Gargaran said. She sadly added: "Beastmen are not the type of people humans can negotiate with. To them it would be like humans negotiating with cattle. You don't negotiate with food."
"It's likely a show of power," Tina agreed. Her twin nodded in support.
Ramiel was the first to step through the portal, followed by Niahoggr, then the queen. After that went Shiva, who was followed by the Slane Theocracy aides and finally Blue Rose. Lakyus was the last to enter the portal. Surprisingly none of them were anxious about the fact that they were stepping into enemy territory. It was probably because of the fact that the person who could be said to have single-handedly destroyed the beastmen's invasion was tagging along. Everyone was assured of their safety.
That was before they stepped through the portal.
They arrived upon a hill overlooking a city. The place was unfamiliar to them. The surrounding area was littered with grass and the unknown city in the centre, though large, had no walls around it. Either the people living there were incredibly naive or incredibly arrogant.
However, it was clearly something else that alarmed them.
When they stepped through the portal they found a beastwoman on the hill. She looked young, more so than Shiva, with pale skin, shaggy white hair and large emerald eyes. There were feline ears atop her head and her forearms were incredibly hairy. Instead of nails this woman had claws that looked like they could rip out the guts of a man. Her most prominent feature was the black stripes around her body identifying her as a tiger beastman. She was barefoot with a greay top and pair of green short shorts. The air around her brought a great uneasiness over the Blue Rose leader.
Apart from Shiva and her companions, everyone who was armed had their hands shoot to their weapons immediately as they prepared for battle. Queen Draudiron was frozen were she stood. Clearly she had no prior knowledge of this person. As for the agents of the Slane Theocracy, they did not hesitate to show their distaste for non-humans. They were the first to attack.
One of them leapt forward with his blade drawn, compounding Martial Arts techniques as he prepared to attacked. [Limit Breaker][Gale Acceleration][Agility Boost][Stride of Wind], four different Martial Arts were activated at once as he swung his blade at the mysterious beastwoman. The speed and activation was faster than anything Lakyus had ever seen. By this action alone she could tell that he was more skilled than Garagaran.
Despite that his blade never reached the beastwoman.
Although the Theocracy agent moved at an unprecedented speed the reaction of the beastwoman made him look almost stationary. With a smooth glide she evaded his blade and leisurely grabbed hold of his wrist. She wore a bored expression as she casually flung the man in the direction he came from, right into his companion who had drawn a bow and was about to shoot her. The two men flew a few metres back before they collapsed.
The beastwoman's lazy but effective actions brought uneasiness to most of them.
"Such fluid movements," Gargaran commented in amazement. "I didn't feel her activating any Martial Arts."
"It must be her agility," Tia said. "Felines are well versed in that area."
Although they were conversing their eyes remained on the beastwoman, wary of her, preparing to engage the moment she attacked. The skill showed by the beastwoman told Lakyus that they would need to go all out to beat this woman and even then they would need a great deal of luck. She doubted even Evileye would be able to match this creature. Something seemed wrong with the situation though.
Why isn't Shiva reacting?
If the white haired woman or her body guard acted the problem would be resolved in moments, yet neither of them raised their weapons to do anything.
As if to answer her question Shiva remained standing were she was and simply uttered: "That's enough."
The beastwoman, who had been about to follow up with her assault, surprisingly stopped and took a knee. Her eyes rested on Shiva as she spoke in a language Lakyus had never heard before. "!syug eseht era kcuf eht ohW. snoitca ym tnemal I."
The unknown vernacular was something she had never heard before. All members of Blue Rose immediately turned to their most experienced member, who shrugged in response. "It's my first time hearing it too."
All sentient beings in the New World spoke a common tongue so there was never a need to learn multiple languages, unless of course it was ancient tongue that can help them uncover lost knowledge from times long forgotten. Perhaps Shiva and this beastwoman such people and liked to greet each other in that language to increase their proficiency.
"It's fine," Shiva replied, having clearly understood what has been said. "The fault lies with those that attacked you."
"Oh," the beastwoman responded with a raised eyebrow as she got to her feet. "So we're speaking this tongue." A pout formed on her pretty face. "I hate this dialect. It's so unsophisticated, so unpoetic. I don't like talking to Ao and Ki because they can't speak our tongue." Amid her complaints Lakyus saw her eyes darkening. "That and the fact that they're drag-"
"That's enough," Ramiel interrupted her. "What you like or hate is of no concern at this moment."
"You're so mean Ramiel-sama," Shiro said with a playful frown. She turned to Shiva with misty eyes. "That's not so, right Shiva-sama?"
But her plea fell to deaf ears. Shiva looked annoyed. "This is not the time for your childish rants. As you can see we are not alone."
After countering the Slane Theocracy agents the beastwoman seemed to have completely forgotten their presence. When Shiva reminded her that Lakyus and the others were present as well noticing the serious expression on her face, the beastwoman's expression morphed from playful to embarrassed to fearful and then apologetic.
"Please forgive my brazenness El," she muttered humbly, kneeling once more. "I will accept any punishment for this offense."
Her demeanour shocked those gathered on the hill. It also raised more questions about Shiva. Not only was her strength considerable but she also had powerful followers in Ramiel and probably this beastwoman as well. Just who was she? How had they never heard of her before?
"Forget it,"' Shiva said to the beastwoman, before turning to the queen and giving a slight apologetic bow. Lakyus noticed the eyes of both Ramiel and the beastwoman's eyes narrow dangerously. Neither of them said anything though, allowing Shiva to continue. "I forgot to mention that we would be meeting with a servant of mine. I hope you can forgive my oversight your majesty."
"Er... it's fine!" Queen Draudiron said, not knowing how to react.
"Thank you," Shiva responded, her attention went to the beastwoman who had once again gotten to her feet. "Introduce yourself."
The beastwoman walked up to them until she stood beside Shiva, the two were of a height. She then gave a polite bow.
"I am Shiro Byakko of Seraphim," she said, her actions directed at the queen. "I am a loyal servant of Shiva-sama. It's a pleasure to meet you your maj-" She stopped before finishing and began to audibly sniff the air. "Is that dragon I smell?" she wondered, a frown now directed at the queen. "Are you- aaahh!- I mean it's nice to meet you your majesty, and the rest of you."
Her last sentence was said in the most insincere manner. Her original words were cut off when Shiva whacked her with the butt of her staff on her foot. The display unwound the situation though. Lakyus felt that, if not for her race she would get along with the female tiger beastman. Her personality was compatible with Blue Rose's.
There were a few who did not relax from the display however. While Blue Rose sheathed their weapons the Slane Theocracy members still clung on to theirs with hostility. It did not look like they were planning on lowering them.
"Excuse me Oujo-sama." The leader had his mace pointed at Shiro. "This creature is your servant?"
"Yes," Shiva replied. The look she gave him was one of danger. "Is there a problem?"
The man seemed oblivious to the threatening glare and continued, hateful eyes resting on Shiro. "Yes there is Oujo-sama. This creature is a beast like those who invaded the Draconic Kingdom."
"Is that so?" Shiva said, her tone still dangerous. "I don't remember seeing Shiro on the battlefield. Maybe I missed her somehow. Did you see her?"
Despite the sarcastic remark the Theocracy agent went on unperturbed. "No, but that does not change what it is."
"And what is she?"
"An inhuman beast, a savage. A creature like this does not deserve to breathe the same air as we do. It should be put in a cage were humans can observe it and know how superior we are!"
His voice was brimming with passion, but as his spoke, instead of inflaming Shiva with his hateful Theocracy speech he simply angered her.
"So that's the kind of person you are?" Shiva muttered with an icy glare. It was only then that the man realised he had preached to the wrong person. Shiva walked up to him, looked him in the eye and said: "I hate people like you, humanist scum who think their race is better than any. I want you to know that I am not human either. In fact the relationship between Shiro's and my race is closer than that between mine and yours." She turned away from him. "Shiro, if you find any of his comments insulting kill him."
The statement left everyone dumbfounded. Not only had she blatantly threatened to set one of her subordinates on an agent of the strongest human nation in front of the Dragon Queen but she had casually admitted to not being human. In the human world, even in the liberal Re-Estize Kingdom, non-humans were scorned. Non-humans were regarded as inferior and unworthy of human attention. The most obvious proof of this is the story of the Thirteen Heroes. The truth about that heroic tale is that they had been way more than thirteen but the humans let out the other races' heroes and only mention those of their own kind, especial the Theocracy who were known to alter history to suit their needs. In the past there had been non-humans who tried to live among humans. However, many of them kept the fact that they were of a different race to themselves. The fate of those who were discovered was never pleasant.
Lakyus had known before the admission that Shiva was not what she appeared to be. After they had left the throne room Evileye had shared her suspicions with her team. To casually admit that fact, she thought as she watched Shiva retreat to stand next to Shiro once more. It's not like anyone here would try anything against her though. A tinge of envy rose from her chest. It must be nice to have overwhelming strength.
"So Shiro," Shiva said. She acted like the revelation of her not being human was no big deal. "How did you find these beastmen?"
Shiro immediate took the stance of a reporting soldier. "As Shiva-sama expected they are a savage bunch, wildly untamed and quick to resort to teeth and claws to resolve disputes. The city is surprising well kept considering the fact the laws of the jungle reign supreme there."
That was not surprising. Despite their animalistic nature beastmen they matched humans in intelligence. They knew the benefits of community and would never allow their faults to hinder that. The fact that they fought from time to time only served to strengthen them as a race.
"And they're selling human meat in the markets."
This sentence that was added as a miscellaneous detail had the most impact. Lakyus gripped the handle of her sword tighter, Evileye clenched her fists tightly, the twins gripped their heads strongly and Gargaran frowned deeply. It did not come as a surprise that the agents of the Slane Theocracy were the least reactive, at least not to Lakyus. Sometimes she wondered if they even cared for humans or if they were just interested in boosting their egos among members of their race.
As for the queen, she visibly stiffened at the statement. "What cruelty," she whispered, though it carried to the rest of them.
"We will send them a message," Shiva said. Despite retaining her calm facade her eyes could not hide her raw fury. A slight wave of killing intent burst from her into all directions. However, even though it was small its magnitude made most of them tense up. "We tell them that we're here to destroy them."
Hearing this, the tiger beastwoman- Is she a beastman? Lakyus scrutinised Shiro. With every moment she was beginning to doubt it, especially after what Shiva said about the proximity of their races- suddenly raised her hand in excitement, drawing all attention to her.
"Can I be the one to go?" she pleaded.
Shiva took a moment to think about it. "No," she said, shaking her head. "Ramiel will go."
"Why?" Shiro asked in a deflated voice, as if all her dreams had been crushed. Though a moment later her face morphed into a panic one and she took to her knee for a third time. "I'm sorry Shiva-sama! Please forgive my foolishness. A lowly creature like me has no right questioning your motives." Her clawed hand went to her throat, shocking everyone but Ramiel. "Please allow me to atone with my life."
She's serious! Lakyus screamed inside.
The beast(?)woman looked terrified at the idea of losing her life but everyone could tell from the determination in her eyes that she would take her life if ordered to do so by Shiva.
"Th-there's no need for that," Shiva responded. Her tone was uncomfortable and the look she gave her subordinate screamed you're being to dramatic! "As for the reason I don't mind explaining. It's basic psychology. If the humans were the aggressors I would send you to deliver the message."
"Oh," Shiro said in understanding, a sinister smirk played upon her lips. "I see."
Lakyus herself had guessed Shiva's intention. Who better than a human with overwhelming strength to deliver a message to the arrogant beastman invaders? By now it was obvious to her that Ramiel too was not actually human but in this case appearance was all that mattered.
"That is not a fair analogy," Gargaran suddenly said, prompting Shiva's questioning gaze to descend on her. But of course someone has stubborn as Gargaran would stand her ground. "Even if humans were the ones invading they would never use the beastmen as a food source."
Everyone was in agreement with that statement, especially the queen. Her eyes radiated support for Gargaran.
"You're right," Shiva said after some pondering. "I have never heard of humans eating beastmen before." She went on before anyone could say anything. "But I've heard of humans eating humans."
No one had anything to say to that. Seeing that no more enquiries were being made she turned to the hulking bodyguard and gave her orders. "Go to their palace- it's probably the most extravagant building- and tell them they have an hour from the time they hear the message. Make sure they know exactly why we are here and why we are doing this." She paused and turned to Queen Draudiron. "That is, of course, if you are fine with it your majesty. If you are not we could always return."
"No," the queen responded with a calm tone, but her demeanour conveyed a desire for vengeance. "I fully support this course of action."
"You heard her Ramiel. Off you go."
"I will gladly undertake this task and deliver the message," Ramiel's deep voice came with a bow to his master. "The name of our race does mean messenger after all."
Lakyus' widened once more in shock, although deep down her reaction began to annoy her. If she kept getting shocked by every little thing they said she might not survive the day! These surprises were not good for her heart, or anyone's heart for that matter. The agents of the Slane Theocracy had the same expression. The same question was probably going through the minds.
"What?" Gargaran asked her. She indicated that she would tell her and the twins later. Evileye had probably realised it as well.
"Unless you are in trouble keep this form," Shiva said, not paying attention to them. She was still looking at Ramiel. " And bring someone along, the more important the better."
"Understood."
"Good luck."
Moments later he was blitzing down the mountain at a pace never seen or heard of before in the New World.
In a small strategy room in the Beastman Capital four individuals stared at a map. This map detailed the entirety of the Dragon Kingdom and the Beastman Kingdom's north-western border. There were several figurines scattered around the map, four small ones representing a thousand men were situated on four different cities while eight big figurines representing ten thousand had been pushed to the marker of the Draconic Kingdom's capital.
"Did Dong Sho take that pissant city yet?" One of them, a humongous lion beastman with a thick dark mane, asked.
"No Great Ruler," an ape beastman replied respectfully. "We haven't heard from him in the last twenty-four hours.
"He's still attacking that city?" the lion beastman, the Beast King, asked in a dissatisfied tone. "He said the humans were weaker than disabled children. What's taking him so long?"
"I do not know Great Ruler," a leopard beastman answered. "Perhaps he has long captured the city and forgotten himself amidst the feasting."
"Aye, it does sound like him," a wolf faced beastman agreed. "As brilliant a commander as he is Dong Sho can be careless at times, especially after battle."
Beast King Leon Shar looked at the three one by one. The ape and leopard beastmen were among his three top generals and the lupine beastman was his top adviser. He had called this meeting after lack of contact from his most trusted general whom he had sent to subjugate the meek human nation. After generations of raiding their villages with no repercussions Leon decided he would just take over the whole nation and use it as a meat farm. What need was there to steal humans in small amounts when you had the strength to subjugate and control them all.
Human meat was among the best food on the continent and now that they had taken over four of the creatures' hovels the supply had increased over fifty fold. Despite that the demand was still much higher than the supply, making it the most popular product on the market.
Leon frowned while thinking about Dong Sho. He did not believe what his subordinates said. Although it was true that Dong Sho could be careless at times he always did his duty before he descended into that carelessness. The man had promised to contact him the moment he captured the city and that is exactly what he would do. Unless something happened to him.
Leon did not believe that though. Dong Sho was his most trusted general, his most powerful subordinate with the most brilliant strategic mind not seen in generations. There was no way he would be hindered by creatures as pathetic as humans. He was worth more than these three attending him combined. If Dong Sho could be in three places at the same time he would never have selected the other two to be his generals. Their strengths were passable and their tactics were somewhat good, but both paled in comparison to his most trusted aide. And his lupine advisor, Leon did not really need someone like that. He only chose him because he desired his mate. Doing so was a way to keep her close and take her at his leisure.
Copulation between two different tribes of beastmen was largely frowned upon. They could of course reproduce as they are members of the same race, but something as different as a canine and feline would produce a pitiful monstrosity that could never match even an adolescent beastman in strength. However, Leon did not care. He was the strongest. He was king. He took what he wanted and did not hide it. Besides he still used his five mates to produce strong heirs.
A distant shout brought him out of his thoughts. "Call the mage," he ordered. "And tell those fools in the markets to keep it down before I come down there and do it myself."
The markets have been rowdy the past months with everyone storming to purchase the best quality human meat. Many times they got so noisy it was hard to hear oneself think. Leon was quickly losing patience with them. And it seems the noise was getting louder and they were getting even closer.
"Your will be done Great Ruler." The ape general was about to leave the room but a nearby explosion halted his footsteps.
"What was that?" Leon demanded, moving towards the door.
"I don't know Great Ruler," the leopard general replied. "But it sounded like it came from the castle."
"I know that fool!"Leon roared furiously. Why would he move towards the exit if not to check what was happening. "I'm asking what it is, not where it came from!" What fool dared to disturb him from his meeting?
His adviser was about to open his mouth, probably to suggest that he do what he was already doing, when the doors suddenly burst open. In the door way stood a human in white armour with a red spear that glowed dangerously. Sprawled on the floor behind it were those who were supposed to be guarding the room and inform Leon of anyone approaching. There was no smell of blood so they were probably not dead, just unconscious. The human's eyes swept over those in the room before they came to rest on Leon.
"Are you the ruler?" it asked casually.
Leon responded by pouncing on it, this pathetic creature that dared to storm his palace. He was going to tear its limbs off and then make it watch him eat them before he killed it. That would be a great lesson to it for its impudence.
However, before he could get within a metre of the human a great force descended upon the room, causing him to halt his actions. If he were as hairless as a human those in the room would have been able to observe sweat trickling down his face, but alas he was a beastman. The moisture got caught in his fur. His muscles completely stiffened.
As a beast and a hunter Leon was all too familiar with what he was experiencing, but never in his thirty years of life had ever experienced it with such intensity. How had a human obtained so much killing intent? When the force passed by but he was still left petrified on the spot. However, the creature's voice brought him out of his stupor.
"I bring a message from my great father Shiva, the great Crystal-Winged Druid of Seraphim," it began, maintaining its casual tone. "The actions of you beastman in the Draconic kingdom have anger her immensely. She has deemed you a blight upon the world and an insult to her existence. And so she sent me with this message. After I leave you will have one hour before she destroys you all. Take that time to reflect upon all the decisions that brought you up to this point and beg for forgiveness."
After delivering the message it moved to grab Leon, but paused midway before looking at the other three. Its gaze settled on the wolf beastman. It walked towards him and grabbed him. Then, with a speed surpassing anything Leon had ever seen before, it burst out of the room.
Only when its presence had completely disappeared did the Beast King find himself able to move again. There was silence in the room and with each passing moment Leon felt his blood boiling until his temper reached levels beyond anything it had ever had before. A human had just infiltrated his sanctum and taken his adviser with minimal effort. Such a think should never have happened. If word got out he would be laughed at and deemed too weak to rule. Every fool with a sleeve of confidence in their arms would show up at his doorstep to challenge his sovereignty. Such a thing could not be allowed. A precedent had to be set. An example had to be made. He would not let that human get away.
He walked outside and kicked one of the unconscious guards in the head. The aim was to wake him up but in his anger he had kicked too hard, causing the guards skull to cave in and killing him instantly. This made Leon calm down a bit. Instead of trying to wake the remaining guard violently he decided to do it verbally.
"IS THIS YOUR MOTHERS HOUSE! WAKE THE FUCK UP!"
The Beast King's mighty voice carried across the entire palace and maybe even beyond it. There was no way the guard did not hear it, though he was confused at first the furious gaze of his king quickly brought him to the present. He jumped to his feet and stood in attention, looking as if he had not just been overpowered by a human. Leon wanted bash his face in but that would not be any good at the moment. He would do it later.
"Go to the marketplace and tell them to close down," he ordered. "As of now all activities are cancelled. I want all the warriors in the city in front of my palace in ten minutes!"
The guard looked confused by the order but did not dare question Leon. He bowed his head and ran off. Leon was glad he understood there was no time to waste. Unfortunately, one of his generals was not smart enough to realise that.
"Great Ruler," the ape beastman said with imploring eyes. "If you're going after the human I beg you to please reconsider. With his speed we will never catch-"
Smash! Before the beastman could finish Leon grabbed the back of his head and smashed his face into the table, smashing it and sending his head into the floor. The Beast King did not stop there. He raised his heavy boot which was line with metal and brought it down on the beastman's face, repeatedly. After a minute of doing so he stopped. The ape beastman was bleeding and not moving. It was hard to tell if he was alive or dead. Leon did not care. He turned to the remaining general, who cowered at his glare.
"Do you have anything to say?" he asked menacingly. The leopard beastman replied with a meek shake of the head. "Good. Get my mage."
If Leon had to be honest with himself the speed displayed by that human was beyond him. If he chased after it using his own might he would be left in the dust. However with the help of his magic caster it would be a piece of cake to locate the human.
When he first took the lupine beastman's mate Dong Sho advised him that the humiliation would drive the beastman to run away and take his family with him. To prepare for such a day Dong Sho suggested they place a tracer on him, one that is likely to always be on him no matter where he went, also that it would be preferable if the wolfkin not be aware of it. So Leon rendered him unconscious and had his mage secretly extract a fang, enchant it and put it back without the beastman's knowledge. The idea had been genius. Since he did not suspect it he would not temper with it. For canine and feline type beastmen teeth had a lot to do with appeal. The only thing more important to their appearance was their fur.
And now Leon would use that to find and slaughter the human that dared to cross him
It took Ramiel less than five minutes to enter the city and return. On his shoulder he carried the form of a comatose canine beastman.
"I have delivered the message to their king Chichi-ue," Ramiel said with a bow towards Shiva. "And I have brought a captive as your ordered."
"Good," Shiva replied, watching him throw the beastman on the ground. "Keep him unconscious for the next hour."
Listening to this Draudiron could not help but feel envious of the young woman. Not only was she incredibly powerful but she had subordinates who matched her strength. Unlike her Draudiron's guards could not compare. They their strength was at the Gold and Platinum ranks, completely useless in these events. That was why she had hired Blue Rose instead in the case of something going wrong with their negotiations. Now however, she knew that even they could not match up to Shiva or any of her companions.
Niahoggr D'zar, she thought, stealing a look at the Dragon Lord. It was not his real body, but a puppet being controlled using wild magic. Why was he here? She had not gotten an opportunity to talk to him. Why was he travelling with Shiva? What was his role?
"Chichi-ue? You're a man?"
This question, posted by Evileye brought her back to the present. Everyone was now staring at Shiva with shocked expressions. Even Draudiron could not help herself. Of all the things she had seen and heard today this was by far the most shocking. She looked at Shiva's face. Too pretty. She looked at her hands. Too small. Her chest. Too large. Even though she wore a suit and referred to herself with masculine terms Draudiron would never believe Shiva was a man. No one would ever believe it.
Shiva's outburst proved as much.
"Of course not!" she vehemently denied. The embarrassed look was the most human emotion she'd ever displayed since Draudiron met her.
"Then why-"
"It's a long story!" the white hair youth interrupted the short magic caster, sending Ramiel an unfriendly glance. Ramiel in return looked perplexed unsure of what he did wrong. "A long and complicated one!"
"So that's why you wear a suit," Blue Rose' Warrior added, pointing at Shiva's attire. "And why you talk like that."
"I am female!" Shiva yelled. "The reason I talk like I do is for rolepl- it suits me! And this suit is for women!"
"There are suits for women?" It Blue Rose leader who asked, this time out of genuine curiosity.
"Yes," Shiva replied. Having gotten over her embarrassment her expression turned calm and serious once more. "But now is not the time to discuss fashion. It seems we will have visitors soon."
Draudiron's gaze followed hers to the beastman's city. Multiple figures emerged from it. From the looks of it their destination was the hill Draudiron and the others were on.
"Ten- no, fifteen thousand just for us?" Shiro, who had been silent or a while gushed in mock amazement. "I'm flattered! I'm about to blush."
Ramiel on the other hand wore a frown. "That foolish mortal!" he muttered angrily. "I clearly told him to use the hour you gave to him repent for his sins."
No one knew how to react to this. Even his master face carried a trace of incredulity. After a while Shiva sighed.
"It's okay. It just means I will have to move up my schedule." She narrowed her eyes at the incoming horde. "Is that lionman in front the king?"
"Yes," Ramiel, still frowning. "I should have brought him instead of this beastman. Please forgive me."
"It's okay," Shiva assured him. "As long as the beastman is someone many of their kind will recognise I have no qualms about it. It was never my intention to let the king live anyway."
Draudiron agreed with her. The one behind the invasion of her country could not be allowed to keep drawing breath in this world.
She raised her staff in the air, no doubt to cast a spell. However, at that moment an idea hit Draudiron.
"Please wait Shiva-sama," She called, running up to her. Her actions drew everyone's attention.
"Is something wrong your majesty?" Shiva asked in a slightly confused tone.
"Um..." Draudiron was quiet for a while, thinking about whether she should go through with what she wanted to say. It took her only a moment to make her decision and a determined look appeared on her face. "Would you mind if-" Shiva gave a slight cough at her wording, causing her to stop her request. A ruler does not make requests. A ruler demands and expects those demands to be met. That was what Shiva had told Draudiron before the two left the throne room. She had been worried what her subjects would think about everything, whether her appearance or the fact that she had decided come to the Beastman Capital. A ruler does not ask, a ruler tells. "I would like to be the first to attack."
"Be my guest," Shiva gestured.
Draudiron stepped past her, feeling the energy brimming in her body, calling to it. It answered. Compared to the millions she had planned to sacrifice before, the sacrifice of tens of thousands of beastmen did not yield anywhere close to the amount of wild magic she would have needed to destroy the entire beastmen army. Fortunately she did not need that power anymore. She did not need the power she had now. Out the corner of her eye glanced at Shiva and in that moment she realised that she did not care whether she was human or not. She owed her more than she would be able to repay in a dozen lifetimes. If Shiva made any sort of request she would try her best to meet it. Because without her she would never have gotten the chance to direct vengeance.
The chance to strike down the bastard responsible for her people's suffering.
She looked at the fifteen thousand charging beastmen. On any other day she would have been terrified but with Shiva here she had not a care in the world. Her gaze went to the figure in the lead. He was more than five hundred metres away. As she was just a normal human she could not see any specific features, much less the lion ones Shiva had mentioned. So she decided to confirm with her.
"So that guy in front is the Beast King?" she asked.
"Yes," Shiva replied. "He's the one Ramiel singled out."
"Good."
With that confirmed she turned back to the figure with a bloodlust that shocked her, not to mention those around her. There were fools out there who claimed that revenge was not worth the trouble. That was why they were fools. What she was doing definitely felt good. The only way it would be sweeter is if she could make him suffer before granting the death she was about to. But she had already gotten more than she had dreamt since the invasion began. She would not be greedy.
So with all her concentration pinned the Beast King she released the power within her.
Leon did not spend too much time gathering his warriors. He was the strongest and greatest king seen in a while. No one dared to keep him waiting. Within minutes the plaza was filled with more people than he could count. He did not divulge what had happened a while back in his palace. It was not that he wished to keep it hidden. Such occurrences made for sloppy secrets. He simply did not think it necessary. All that mattered now was catching up to human and teaching it a lesson. All he told those gathered to follow him if they wanted the fight of their lives. That was enough to stir them. Their savagery was after all what made them beasts.
In no time they were speeding towards the edge of the city, heading in the direction of the trace on the wolf beastman. His mage had cast a spell on him so he would be able to tell the displacement of the tracker. The fact that he was closing the distance told him that the human had stopped. This brought about mixed feelings in him. On one hand he was happy because he did not need to go far to catch it. On the other hand he was annoyed. The human thought simply moving out of the city limits would guarantee its safety. How naive. He was going to teach it a painful lesson. He was going to break every bone in its frail body, kill it and take it armour for himself.
As a beastman confident in his physical abilities, the idea that a human could be stronger than him or more physically gifted did not enter his mind at all. To him the only way such a thing could be possible was if a magic artefact of legends was used, the type that could have been used by the Heroes from two hundred years ago.
Everyone knew that story about the Demon Gods. That time had been an age of heroes, a period where the strongest of each race, including humans and beastmen, banded together against an evil that threatened to devour the world. Those figures were legends. They were exalted by all races. And the equipment they left behind caused many to leave the safety of their nests for them. Many failed and perished, but those who acquired such an item gained immeasurable fame. Leon believed the human was one such. That would explain why it so confidently strode into his city.
If I got my hands on that armour I will be invincible, he thought. If the armour truly was responsible for the human's strength and he managed to get his hands on it; if it had boosted the attributes of a human to such a level he could not begin to imagine how strong it would make him. His strength would be unfathomable. Perhaps he would be able to match the Dragon Lords in strength. With such equipment he would not only be able to conquer all the humans but also the annoying trolls and arrogant minotaurs.
As he existed the city his gaze went to the hill about two thousand metres away. There were plenty of hills surrounding the city so this one was not anything special. He would not have paid attention to it if he did not feel the trace placed on the wolf beastman coming from there. He made for it and his warriors followed. At the speed he was pushing he was soon able to make out certain details on the hill and with every moment they became clearer.
There were twelve figures standing at the top, thirteen if he counted the one lying on the ground. He assumed that was the wolfkin. He could make out the human in white armour. There was another figure in white but he did care about it. He was distracted by the figure in black at the front. From how it dressed Leon guessed it was female. Good, they tasted better than males. He watched it raise its hands in his direction.
Leon, a veteran of many battles with instincts honed to the limit, felt the hair on his tail stand. This was a clear sign of danger. Whatever that female was attempting had the potential to be cut his life short. She's a magic caster! He guessed with alarm. Magic was one of the few things humans could do better than beastmen. Despite it being more potent in such a weak race even he would not underestimate such a power. If he did he would never have gotten a magician. Under the right circumstances the right spell could end a battle of thousands. I have to move away from here! He thought.
However, he never got the chance to do so. In that instant white light flashed before his eyes. Then nothing.
The release of Queen Draudiron Oriculus' unusual magic caused an explosion that killed five hundred beastmen. Shiva was impressed. Among all those present the queen was by far the weakest. The fact that she was able to release a spell that devastating amazed and terrified her at the same time. If someone of such strength could release such a spell then what about Niahoggr, who she was sure was far more compatible with the magic? If he could use it at same strength ratio as Draudiron he might actually be able to threaten her life. With how real this world had become that thought was frightening to Shiva. Just in case she would have to ask him to explain how it worked.
Maybe Niahoggr's subservience was a pretence. Maybe he was just biding for his time until he gathered enough power to turn on her. Perhaps I should ask the queen instead. Shiva was not above using someone's gratitude to ask for favour. The word of someone who felt indebted to you was worth more than that of someone you subjugated. That kind of person probably felt disdain towards you.
"That was incredible your majesty," she praised Draudiron, rushing to support her as she stumbled. It seems the spell had taken a lot out of her. "Rest now. I will handle the rest."
She directed Ramiel to come and support her before she let her go. Her attention was now on the beastmen horde. Draudiron's spell- more the death or their leader- had brought them to a standstill. Their expressions morphed from terrified to uncertain as they looked in her direction. Despite their fear Shiva knew within minutes they would resume their charge. Even after losing their leader, creatures that were quick to get riled up were quick to follow the next creature to take the reins during the charge, no matter how weak that creature was.
It's time to begin, she said to herself, steeling her heart for what was to come. She let go of Imotep and store it in her pocket space. Then she reached into the same space and retrieved a silver ring with a single shooting star imbedded in it.
Among all the items she owned she hated this ring the most. It was not because she found it useless; the fact that she always carried on her person was evidence of its value. What caused Shiva to fume every time she saw it was the fact that it reminded her of the money she had spent on gacha tickets and obtained nothing. When she had gotten the ring on her first try she had not believed it when her guild mates told her how lucky she was and had gone back to try and obtain the popular but extremely rare item. Years of sacrificing lunch money all the way from her last year of junior high to her second year of university yielded nothing. Five years of playing those slots and in all that time the item eluded her. Thinking back on it she could not help but lament all the times she had rushed to those slots instead of saving up. If she had done so how much money would she have had by now?
It doesn't matter, she thought. It was not like she could use that money here. The lesson that her exploits with gacha slots and cash items taught her was that such rare item should be used sparingly. In all the years she had only found two uses for it. Once to escape from demon players in Muspelheim and the second in the clusterfuck known as the invasion of Nazarick. The second time had been a bust. All she had received was a joke wish that managed to get her killed. The experience certainly added to her loathing and mistrust for the silver band. It also added to her hesitation to use it. If she were still in Yggdrasil she would never think of using it like she was about to because it would almost certainly produce a joke wish. However, in this world certain spells were different, which led her to the belief that [Wish upon a Star] would be different. She could only prey though. If it failed she would resort to less effective methods for what she intended.
And so, with a huge breath, she slipped it on her finger and activated it. Immediately a glowing circle with strange patterns and a ten metre diameter sprang up beneath her feet with her at the centre. She heard gasps from all those who accompanied her, one of which was the distinctive voice of Shiro. She ignored them all and concentrated on the task.
"I WISH..." The shout was unnecessary but Shiva did it anyway, pouring her hope that the spell worked as expected into it.
Suddenly her mind flooded with information. Shiva could not help but rejoice at the content. Her gamble had paid off! Using [Wish upon a Star] in this world it was possible to do almost anything! So with that in mind she spurred forward to complete her request. "...that all beastmen within the city and around it who have not reached maturity be transported safely under the sky of the Flying Fortress of Zion!"
Nothing visible happened after, but Shiva felt it, thousands of beastman minors disappeared from the city and all its close settlements, teleported to the Gratis Plains. There they would be safe from what she was about to do.
"What was that magic!" the short weird masked undead magic caster exclaimed.
Perhaps the mask was to hide her undead status but it was little of little help against her. After all Shiva was a Druid. She was sensitive to all life. She was also an angel with an extremely high racial level so she was extremely sensitive to negative energy. She knew the moment she saw the magic caster what she was. The mask still did its job somewhat as she could not tell her exact species. She suspected vampire.
"Shiva-sama!" Shiro exclaimed. Her voice was even more excited than the magic casters. "Was that-"
"Yes it was," She interrupted.
With how shocking they found some of the things she did and how they thought all magic above 6th Tier was a myth, it was not wise to reveal the fact that she had used Super-Tier magic. In fact, she doubted they even knew it existed. Shiva looked at her hand just in time to see the shooting star fade from the ring. The band itself soon followed, disintegrating completely into dust. Knowledge of Super-Tier magic would be dangerous in this world. She would certainly not be the one to divulge it.
But the magic caster would not let it go. "Was that what?"
"You do not need to know," Shiva said, putting some finality in her voice. She still had one more thing to do and did not want to waste time. The beastman horde was about to move again.
However, there is always that one person who never gets the message.
"When you used that item you mentioned something about sending the beastmen children away!" The tone was accusing. Its owner was the leader of those sent by the Slane Theocracy to help push back the invasion.
Shiva did not like him or his comrades. She did not like the way they looked at Shiro. With the few words they had exchanged she had a clear idea of the type of person this man, and by extension his nation, was. She had no interests in allying with such people. They reminded her of the painful times when Humanoid players in Yggdrasil hunted and PKed Heteromorphic players. As an angel she did not suffer from that action. What she suffered from was its backlash. A frustrated Heteromorphic player Pked an angel player and discovered that they could gain bonuses from it. The follow up had not been pretty. The reason so many in the beginning had joined Seraphim, which had originally been a small guild with no intention to expand, was to defend against this.
"Yes I did. Is there a problem."
"They are beastmen," the man said, as if trying to emphasize something. "They are man-eating monsters."
"They are children. They should not witness the things that are about to happen." She felt like punching him in the face and would have probably done so if she did not fear blowing his head from his shoulders.
"And those children will grow to become man-eaters like their parents!"
Shiva was about to defend her choice but stopped herself. Why was she arguing with this moron? She was the one with the power. She did not need to justify her actions. She did not need to seek acceptance for them, especially not from someone like him.
"I am curious," the girl with the giant sword pulsing with demonic energy said. Before she could continue the magic caster eagerly jumped in. "Yes! I too am curious about the item spell-" And before that sentence saw its end the girl with the demon sword slapped the magic caster on the back of the head. The squeaky sound she made lightened the mood a bid. It almost brought a smile to Shiva's face. These girls were a likable bunch. It almost made her feel ashamed of not knowing their names.
"What are you curious about," she asked the sword girl.
"For starters I don't like him," the demon sword girl began, gesturing to the annoying man, who responded with indignant huff. The girl continued. "But he is right. Beastman children grow up to be man-eaters like their parents. Why spare them from the fate you intended for their parents?"
Shiva honestly did not want to answer, but it now looked like even Draudiron, who had recovered from her episode of dizziness, was interested in her answer. She closed her eyes and thought about how to answer. An image of a tall avatar with six white wings came to mind and she latched onto it. How wood Religious Nut with his philosophical mumbo-jumbo respond?
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed. Then she opened eyes and gravely looked them all in the eye.
"A dead guy from a long ago once said; He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. If thou gaze long into the abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee." She let them digest the quote, it was an incredibly popular one back in her world. However, that was not the point she wanted to make. "I am not afraid to fall into the abyss so long as I have a light to guide me out, no matter how small it is and for that light to keep burning I know there are things I must not do. There are lines I must not cross."
Shiva did not consider herself a good or a bad person. Putting such labels one oneself was a burden. She was simply a person. She would do something good if wanted and she would do something bad if it benefited her. Even evil had a set of rules it adhered to. Coming to this world Shiva had already decided hers. Slavery, feasting on the flesh of sentient beings and wanton murder. She was obviously planning to kill the beastmen but even then, at the top of her taboos list was killing children. It was a no-no. Thinking of her twin nephews back home she reinforced her personal code. Killing such innocent souls deserves the harshest punishments in the deepest hells.
Seeing that no one was posting any more questions she turned away from them and looked at the beastmen. They were on the move once again. It was of no consequence. It was not like they could get away in time. Even if they miraculously reached her they would not be protected from what was coming.
"I want you all to listen and take my words to heart," she said loudly, turning around. Those around her perked up at her words. It was good, she meant those words for them. "Avert your eyes from me. Close your eyes or look in the direction opposite to the city. Do not watch, do not peek. If you do so I can guarantee with certainty you won't survive what is to come. Know that you have been warned."
With that she turned around and her body began to glow. Light burst out of her like an eruption as she exhumed her true form. Six crystal wings grew on her back, a halo appeared on her head and the world was bathed in silver light brighter than day. Her feet left the ground as she floated upwards, all half a dozen of her wings stretched to their limit. She rose until she was five hundred metres above the ground. Below her the beastmen had stopped charging and were pointing up at her, she did not bother to check their expression. She raised a finger in the air before she brought it down and pointed at the Beastman Capital, activating her strongest racial skill and crying out its name simultaneously.
"HEAVEN'S JUDGEMENT!"
All the light left her body and the world darkened. It had only been a few hours since dawn but now it looked like night had already fallen. There was without a doubt people ready to shit their pants at this phenomenon. Shiva's eyes looked up at the sky as little white lights appeared. One... two... three. Within seconds they had become too many to count. Someone looking up would think they were stars if they were not all hovering above the same place, the Beastman Capital city. The balls of light appeared to grow in size, but someone looking closely would realise they were actually getting closer. Their target was the city.
When the balls of light got closer it became apparent that they were in fact, giant balls of white fire falling from the sky. Usually they would be the typical orange flames, but Shiva's angel levels were so high she leaked holy energy into any elemental spell or skill she used, increasing the damage in the process.
The first fireball slammed a city building with a booming sound that was heard over a long distance. Apart from destroying half the building, the fireball's flames spread to the rest of it and reduced it to dust. The rest of the fireballs followed with the same results, like a rain of fire sent by a god to punish the beastmen for their debauchery.
In a way it was.
She looked at the city burn, not averting her eyes for a second. She watched until it stopped raining fire and the light of day reappeared to chase the darkness away.
The event had only taken a minute but the damage done was irreparable. The city had been reduced to a ruined pit of flames and ash. No one would ever set up a community in this place. The area's prosperity was gone forever. No one would ever live here.
"It's done," she heard a voice close to her.
She turned and saw Ramiel hovering next to her in his angel form. His body glowed brightly unlike hers. The cost of for such a powerful skill was high. Apart from a five day cool down time the user experienced thirty seconds of weakness, leaving them vulnerable to enemies. That was probably why Ramiel was up here with her. She gave him a bright smile and let herself go, undoing her angel form and allowing herself to fall into her child's arms. Ramiel to his credit gently wrapped his arms around her and flew back down to the hill before reverting to his human form as well.
There they were met speechless expressions. No one said anything. They did not know what to say. They had not witness the exact event but the fact that they city was no longer there spoke for itself.
"Shiva-sama! That was so cooool!"
The only person who found something to say in this situation was the ever cheerful ever playful feline demoness.
However, Shiva's attention was elsewhere, focused on the white statues close to them. They resembled the leader of the Slane Theocracy agents and one of his subordinates. Having regained her strength, Shiva got out of Ramiel's grasp and approached them. The frown on her face became evident as she got closer.
There were always those who never listened.
"Idiot!" she muttered, but everyone heard her.
Back in Yggdrasil those under level 70 were told to avert their eyes from a Seraph performing [Heaven's Judgement] lest they want to be turned into salt sculptures. There was no way to get rid of the effect. Maybe there was a World Item that could do that but Shiva would not know. She did not know all the World Items, she had certainly never heard of one that could do that. As far as she knew this condition was permanent. Like the countless beastmen among the charging horde who had escaped the flames they had been turned salt and just as their stupidity was incurable so was their condition.
Nothing could be done. They would remain salt statues for the rest of their lives
-END-
Honestly I'm tired. This chapter was not meant to be this long.
To all those who waited long with this update thank you and sorry. Thank you for your patience and sorry for the wait. I'll post the next chapter within the next two weeks.