Tia and Tina were through the corridor of the mythical realm known as the Swimming City. Their plan was to visit Keno in E-Rantel today and hopefully take a break from being spoiled by all the luxuries this place offered. Those plans would however have to be put on hold as their trip down the vast hallway was interrupted by the councillor they had made the closest connection with, Lillius. They jumped slightly when they almost bumped into him while turning the corner, given that he had absolutely no presence to detect. He seemed to be rather energetic today and in his eyes was a glimmer that was reserved for those who found a purpose in life. Of course, the twins knew that the only purpose of the people in this city was to serve Pyke, but this most likely meant that the assassin had been handed a mission.
Their intuition was spot on, "Hey! We've finally got another assignment! You know about the beastman war that's going on with the Draconic Kingdom?"
The twins nodded, being assassins is mostly gathering information rather than carrying out jobs, which is something they learned early on. After all, they were born to the leaders of the infamous Ijaniya assassination organization, so they had extensive formal experience in the field. "We do, what about it? Are we there to kill Draudillion?" asked Tia.
Lillius chuckled, "The opposite, we're going to help her. I know it's unexpected, but if my father was out to kill all the nobles and royalty then there would be way more disappearances than there are now. Winston had a good impression of her and it's beneficial to us, so, at least for now, go into this with a positive attitude."
Tina tilted her head slightly, "How? Nobles to assassinate? A beastman commander? Maybe the beastman king?" The war between the beastmen and the Draconic Kingdom had lasted for years, evolving from previous skirmishes into a full conflict. The only reason the country wasn't overwhelmed by the physically superior beastmen was thanks to assistance from retired scripture members sent by the Theocracy. Of course, the reason they were sent was to have the Draconic Kingdom suffer in a war of attrition, how could they actually support a country ruled by a halfbreed? But with recent events… needless to say Draudillion would be frantic if not for Winston's offer.
"Close. We're going to conduct a three man guerrilla war against them for a bit. Well, not really a war. We'll tackle the main two fortresses and force them to order a general retreat for a while. It'll be exhausting for a couple days, but I know how spoiled you two have been here, so we'll turn it around. Don't worry though! It'll be fun." he said, something sinister slipping into his voice.
"You expect us to stall an entire invasion force? I know you're strong, but there's only one of you! Even if we use summons, won't that make it too obvious if entire encampments disappear overnight? Even if it's just two forts, how the hell are we going to make sure the beastmen actually retreat? The detached raiding parties occupying villages won't move out so easily." asked Tina.
"Oh trust me. By the end of the first week they will be too scared to move an inch forward. One's own worst enemy is their mind and we'll burrow into theirs so deep that we won't have to actually be there for the strategy to be effective." explained Lillius.
"So it's not a guerrilla war or specific attacks, it's a campaign of terror." said Tia. The two assassins did a bit of reading in the Swimming City and the many stories of seemingly impossible assassinations and psychological warfare were now drilled deep into their heads. What was Lillius going to use? Make them go insane using summons? Use betrayal and fear of others to make them turn on one another?
A predatory grin blossomed on Lillius' face, "I suppose so. I have a couple atrocities in store and I thought it'd be a nice way to train you. You may be fine assassins, but how well can you terrify an entire race? I saw you doing some reading, now it'll be time to apply that knowledge. First though, we'll have to get you some proper gear. Follow me."
And they did, not to Ferras' workshop, but to Lillius' private armoury to which the other ministers delivered the requested goods. It was a room filled with mannequins dressed in armour that could buy out entire kingdoms or let a single man annihilate them. It was nothing compared to the deepest reaches of the treasury, but Lily kicked him out from there after he made a mess with his several thousand knives.
"What's wrong with our current gear? Can't we just have this upgraded?" said Tia, a grimace appearing on her face at the thought that she'd have to part with the gear that accompanied her through so many adventures.
"First things first, fishnets? As an assassin? When it can get caught on a branch and give away your location and doom the entire mission? Seriously? And the tall as all hell ponytails that can be seen halfway through the field? Then the stiff and yet ineffective leather chestplate? Plus baggy pants? I've no clue how you made it this far, but it's either incredible skill or incredible luck."
Tina pointed at his outfit, "And yet you are wearing a flowing trench coat?" They knew of his supposed ability, but they hadn't seen him in action, so how dare he criticise their outfit when he's shown no skill and has an outfit so inconvenient it'd make edgy characters from shitty novels blush!
Lillius took a staff from his inventory and handed it to her. "Try to hit my trench coat." he said. Tina merely shrugged and did so, finding that the staff went cleanly through the coat as if it wasn't there. "See? Transient. Anything below a certain level of enchantment or made out of a weak material will pass right through it, which includes things like branches. The rest of my clothing is form fitting so I don't have to worry about that. Hair is cut short so it can't be used against me in battle or caught in the environment. Not to mention that I don't reveal my entire midsection to the enemy. You may not know this, but that's where the squishy bits you want to keep intact are."
He walked up to a dummy that was armoured in an almost skin tight, pitch black outfit that revealed only the eyes, "Pitch black, breathable, comfortable and doesn't get caught on anything; I'll give you a transient cloak as well. Listen, assassins like us are supposed to dress to kill, but you two would only kill it at is a vaguely Asiatic, racist noble ball."
The twins tilted their heads, "Asiatic?" they asked in tandem.
Lillius waved their question away, "Term from a different world, doesn't matter. Point is, you are not fit for combat. Don't even get me started on your weapons! They drain blood? How is that useful!? No! I am not letting you go out into the field with gear like that. Firstly, you'll get this set of armour. Not the greatest we have in store, but harder than adamantite and much more manoeuvrable. Obviously it's enchanted. Nulls your presence, conceals you better and anything else an assassin needs. Feel free to customise them, within reason. You won't be stronger than most of our summons, but having more people in the field is always useful, especially when they have intimate knowledge of this world."
He walked up to a display case in which another piece of pitch black equipment lay. "This is the dagger you will be using." he said, opening the case and picking it up. It was a simple thing, a slightly curved blade made of a material that seemed to be an even darker version of obsidian, along a carefully wrapped handle. "These are our standard issue daggers. You'll be given two. They have a handy feature where if you kill someone you can turn their corpse into ash within a few seconds; won't be useful for what we're doing, but keep it mind. It'll cut through adamantite like butter, but it's not poisoned, that is up to you because I am not letting you near Trise's concoctions."
He stopped pacing around the room and turned to the two veteran assassins that were now being schooled like children, "Questions?" The two shook their heads, "Wonderful. During the mission we'll communicate via an inbuilt [Message] spell in the armour instead of sign language or hushed whispers. We head out at the same time as Lucius and Winston, which is tomorrow. First we'll go meet Draudillion and confirm to her we are keeping our side of the deal. Get moving!"
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Draudillion was once again in an almost complete drunken stupor following a meeting with her royal court. "How can they plan a coup behind my back when we're all about to be eaten…" she grumbled to herself, gazing longingly at the now empty wine bottles on her desk. Despite the copious amounts of alcohol consumed, she was again almost sober, her metabolism enhanced against it thanks to her draconic lineage; most likely because it recognised it as a poison.
However drunken or not, the unique sound of reality being torn asunder was rather hard to ignore. She turned to the source of it and found the unique spell she had seen before manifesting once again. This time however a different young man stepped through, although he was equally handsome. Behind him trailed what Draudillion presumed to be women given their figures, but she couldn't be sure as their entire bodies were covered in a pitch black material and cloak that her senses classified as insanely valuable.
A face equally as perfect as that of her last visitor, coming across as both full of life's vigour and stern, with knowledge of what woes may befall the unfortunate. He was clean shaven and with piercing hazel eyes that somehow still didn't bring discomfort to the one they were directed at. He bowed with the grace of the most charismatic of nobles, one hand over his heart and the other going behind his back, "Queen Draudillion Orichalcus, I am here to make good on the contract my brother sealed."
A sigh of relief escaped her as she realised there was still hope, as if the mirage on the desert horizon turned out to be true. "Brother? You mean that redheaded gentleman? I do suppose it's about time, I will not be able to stall the nobles for long if the beastmen continue their march. Do tell me you're capable of stalling them until whatever is supposed to happen actually happens?"
The stranger nodded, "Indeed. I am Lillius and I'll be carrying out your request. I assure that, while I am but one man, I am a greater monster than whatever the beastmen have. Within a week the Draconic Kingdom will be a cursed land for them. I won't push them out of the country permanently, the current agreement is to stop their advance, the rest will come with time. I have but one question…"
Draudillion leaned back into her massive leather chair, "Ask."
"Is there a limit on brutality that I am supposed to adhere to? In the oldest and old worlds there was a code of conduct for war, which, while disobeyed by many, still existed. Should I presume this applies here as well?"
Draudillion clenched her fists hard enough to have her perfectly manicured nails dig into her unblemished, pearly white hand and draw blood; her knuckles turning white from the pressure. "They devour my people and ravage my country for years and I am supposed to adhere to some code of conduct?! No! I'd have all their races wiped to the last child, so they could feel a fraction of what they've put my people through! They torture us for flavour! Kill them all and let loose! There are no limits, I actually encourage you to be as brutal as possible! Hell, take most of the nobles as well! And that damned Cerabrate!"
A predatory grin blossomed on Lillius' face that made the queen's blood run cold, "Music to my ears, your majesty, but I'll leave the latter to my father. I'm sure you won't be disappointed with my… performance." He bowed once again and disappeared through the portal with his two associates, leaving behind only a chilling feeling that made Draudillion almost pity the beastmen, almost.
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Twin shadows ran through the beastman camp, deftly avoiding the torches carried by the guards. It was evident they were careless, torches should be placed several metres ahead of someone, to see into the darkness, rather than expose yourself. The only colour that graced their forms was their headbands, blue for Tia and red for Tina. Their hair was dyed black for the job, courtesy of Lillius' incessant complaining.
Their blades were slathered in a thick, oily substance; a type of extreme sleeping poison made from spiders deep in the Great Forest of Tob. It could knock out even the most resistant beastman within seconds from a scratch. Their job was to knock out all the sentries and regroup in the nearby grove where Lillius was going to meet them. It was the largest camp on the Eastern front, but the amount of sentries was disappointing, only a couple beastmen that preferred the night being out and about.
The torches were mostly meant as a way to raise the alarm and help the ones that couldn't see in the darkness, while the feline beastmen used their darkvision. Unfortunately for them, the enchantments on the suits the twin assassins had invalidated that racial quirk and made them mere blurs as long as they remained undetected.
Scaling the walls was a simple endeavour, the holes from the siege still unrepaired and acting as convenient footholds for climbing. In total, for well over a hundred beastmen, there were only twenty or so sentries. The only reason the invasion had gone as far as it had was because of the internal strife in the Draconic court, as well as the weakness of their military. Against a force such as the Baharuth legions, the beastman would have been slaughtered as their amateur and brutish tactics were exploited.
They ran with their daggers drawn, sneaking up behind beastmen and slicing at them, carefully avoiding arteries and minimising bleeding so they would live, while supplying enough poison to knock them out twice over. It was a routine job, but it was still odd. Why would they let them live? This whole camp could be eliminated overnight if the order was given, even by mere summons. What was the point?
Either way, orders were orders and they carried them out flawlessly. All the patrolling beastmen were officially out, most likely waking up in a few hours once daylight appeared on the horizon. They returned to the clearing in the grove that served as their meeting point and waited in silence until the by now familiar gate opened up.
And it did, Lillius walking out, wearing the same clothing as usual, besides an odd black mask, at the top of which were red feathers. It seemed to show a skull-like face, two tusks coming out of it and pointing to either side. A half circle surrounded it, almost like a halo, with intricate patterns carved into it. Behind him came two hanzos, wrapped in bandages that concealed their flesh. Behind them came prisoners and by the looks of it they were beastmen that only recently entered adulthood.
"Who's this?" wondered Tina.
"What are they here for?" asked Tia.
"Rule one. Always do the extra work and find out about the enemies. In this case, I found which of the ones stationed in that fort had grownup children, tracked them down and kidnapped them." he answered. It was a simple endeavour for the overlords running the observatory to find any kin and a simple [Abyssal Gate] spell later they were here.
"So what, we'll use them as hostages?" asked Tia. Certainly it would accomplish the goal of stopping the beastmen advance for a while, until the higher echelons decided to send them back in.
"Hostages? No no no no. Ineffective. Remember, we're here to strike terror. So…" he pulled out a knife that was traditionally meant for skinning prey and sliced at the arm of one of the prisoners, "We'll strike terror where it matters. Don't worry, I cleared this with my father, although I did want to use the young ones..."
A feeling of dread began to fill the twins as they realised the true nature of the charming young man they had met in the city of eldritch abominations, "You're not saying…" began Tia.
"That we'll kill them all right?" finished Tina, "Then they'll just retaliate! Even if they withdraw for a bit, they'll return with full force! It'll escalate the situation and just make things worse for the Draconic Kingdom! I mean, are these even combatants?!"
Lillius took out a small table from his inventory, upon which he put a variety of tools that were traditionally a surgeon's, but were sure to play a much more sinister purpose here, "Yes, all of them did participate in the slaughter of humans. And yes, retaliation is exactly the point. We only need to halt their advance for now, until my father establishes his kingdom. If we would cause them to retreat fully then the international stage wouldn't accept Draudillion surrendering to us. We're only postponing the threat so we can use it to our advantage once again. Children are a weak point you've got to exploit. Now then, let me get to work."
He took out a scroll containing a [Create Greater Item] spell and unleashed the magic within, creating a large metallic table with shackles to restrain his victims. The hanzos moved forth with a lionkin that was the son of the commander of the fortress. As mighty as his struggles were, they were no match for the summons.
The assassin turned brutalizer moved forward, "Oh the things I could do… But I have to keep you intact enough to be recognizable to your father. Hmm. This is quite the dilemma. Mothers are supposed to recognize their children at a glance, but does that apply to fathers in this world? I wonder, but I won't take my chances. Oh, I almost forgot."
He removed the white rag that served as a makeshift gag from the child's maw and it immediately began to yell, "My father will kill you all! This pathetic country will fall! I killed plenty of your kind and I'll kill plenty more still!" It rattled the shackles as it struggled, but stopped as the paralysing agent slipped from the needle in the hanzo's hand into the vein and began to run its course.
Lillius smiled behind his mask, "It seems that the bravado of a lion is alive and well within you, for all the good that it will do. Scream and beg all you want, no one will hear you here; well, besides me, but I enjoy my work. I'm sure you will make a fantastic rug." He moved forward and slipped the impossibly sharp knife beneath the skin of the immobilised arm.
Agonizing minutes felt like hours for the onlookers and days for the boy as his screams echoed throughout the night. Under the symphony of pain was the cheerful humming of the assassin. Lillius acted swiftly and was eager to move on to the next subjects. At the end the body could barely be recognized as a feline race from the neck down.
The sound of retching reached his ears as he returned from his hyper focused state and turned around, seeing Tia and Tina both vomit up their lunch. He shrugged, "So, what do you think? Pretty good, eh?" he asked, his voice as cheerful as when he learned about his assignment.
"Good?!" they both yelled at him, their voices cracking. Assassination was meant to be a clean business, get in, kill and get out. It seems that the tendency to torture that was put on display by Pyke in the royal court ran in the family. Lillius and Pyke agreed that assassination was quick and lethal, and that was the way Pyke did it for most people, unless the terror had a purpose. Lillius on the other hand was evil incarnate and thinly veiled beneath attractive flesh and silver tongue.
"What kind of sick fuck does this?! Beastman or not, there's no justifiable reason for this! You could have done it when he was dead for fuck's sake!" screamed Tina. The twins didn't have the prejudice of the religious fanatics of the Slane Theocracy, unable to derive joy from such a scene.
"How can you be this cheerful!? You monster! Lakyus was right!" yelled Tia as she drew her weapon. Her sister followed her example and got into a fighting stance. Lillius merely sighed deeply, his disappointment evident.
'Seems these aren't fellow connoisseurs of the finer things in life. Who cares if they're alive? As long as it benefits my father anything goes! And that was probably my finest performance yet in this world… Shame. I didn't want to do this, but it's better than losing two valuable pawns and then possibly Keno. That Lakyus woman must have made them go soft…'
He began silently activating skills, [Aura of Perfection V], [Skill: Charm of the Primordial Serpent], [Skill: My Will is Yours] and more. He spoke to the two assassins, "Oh come now, wasn't this done for a worthy cause~~~?" His voice wormed its way into their mind, overriding their own thought processes and yet making them believe it was their own.
[Aura of Perfection V] made him seem divine and otherworldly, demanding total obedience to those in his vicinity if they could not resist its effects. It was a slow burn, setting in so as to not alarm those affected by it, letting them convince themselves that what they were feeling was indeed the truth or it could be fully unleashed and enslave them outright. If he walked into a city with this ability on then everyone would throw themselves at his feet as willing slaves, presuming they had no items against mind control.
[Skill: Charm of the Primordial Serpent] merely increased his charisma significantly, particularly when it came to temptation. [Skill: My Will is Yours] was another subtle and intrusive skill that overrode the will of the person he was speaking with to that of his own, turning them into willing puppets that wanted to obey him. These skills were shared with his sister, who had the same charming abilities, but his higher level and special classification as a raid boss let him double as an assassin. In the past these were mind control spells and used for better diplomacy in some quests.
Needless to say the twins were not able to resist it as no gear they had possessed anti mind control enchantments, which was by design. "Yes! I mean, no, I mean… Yes!" said Tina, "But it still doesn't make it right!"
"Oh~~~? I'm sure they deserved it, that one even admitted to killing your kind~~~. You know I did the right thing, yes~~~?" he continued and beckoned them forward.
Tia's eyes slowly glazed over as the skills took hold and she stepped forward, "Y-yes… You must be right. You wouldn't lie to us." She stepped forward further and joined his side.
"I would never~~~." He looked directly into Tina's eyes, as he understood his hold over Tia was absolute until he cancelled his skills, "And you know that too, Tia~~~. Obey~~~. "
She took one step forward, "Y-yes, I wil-" She shook her head and stepped back, "N-no! I can't! I won't!" Lillius ramped up the intensity of his aura, which up until this point had been rather minimal. In an instant Tina walked forward and kneeled in front of him, "I will obey my God. Your word is gospel, my Lord."
"Good~~~. You two will forget everything from the moment we left Draudillion's palace up until I cancel my skills, yes~~~?" The two nodded. Lillius gave a silent message to the hanzos to not speak of this to either the twins or Keno, ever. The summons would never betray him, so he wasn't concerned about that. He grabbed the twins by the hands and threw them through a freshly opened gate, then swiftly returned to his work…
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Kezar, the vice commander of the entire Eastern front, awoke to shrieks of agony and wails of grief. He was a proud tigerman and confident in his strength, only surpassed by a select few, and in the strength of beastmen in general. Humans would have had no way of sneaking by their night sentries or dealing any meaningful damage to them. The military of the Draconic Kingdom was so pathetic that they viewed them more as food delivery than opponents, so what could be happening outside?
He rushed out of his tent and into the main square from which the cries seemed to come from. His knees broke down when he arrived, his mind going blank from terror and rage. Beastman, flayed, mutilated with a thousand cuts, torn limb from limb and more, surrounded him; their faces however were always perfectly intact, besides the bloody tears. Attached to them, whether by the stumps of limbs or still attached paws, were fishing hooks, the lines from them keeping them suspended in the air as if to display them.
Out of the corner of his eye Kezar could see his commander trying to cut the lines holding what he presumed to be his relative or maybe even child, until the sound of hooves reached their ears. The several hundred beastmen turned to it as one, ready to attack in an instant, but jumped back like terrified kittens when they saw the source. Three figures, clad in black and human shaped, were riding the legendary soul eaters towards them. Many years back three soul eaters appeared in the beastmen country and destroyed an entire city by themselves, giving it the name of the Silent City. From that point on the skeletal horses shrouded in a pale yellow mist instead of flesh had become a symbol of sheer terror for the entire beastman country. The figure in the front wore an odd mask with red feathers and appeared to be their leader.
The beastmen gathered on the opposite side of the square from them, shaking from fear and anguish. The masked one looked upon the strung up corpses, "Enjoying my handiwork? I do think it's one of my best." Pride oozed from the words like blood from their claws after a fresh kill. Ignoring them, the figure continued, "I appreciate the opportunity to enjoy myself more, but it's a shame you didn't learn your lesson after the Silent City…" He patted the neck of the soul eater.
"T-that was you?! Monster!" yelled back the shaky voice of their commander. No beastman, no matter how strong, was foolish enough to challenge a soul eater to head to head combat. After all, having your soul taken by them was a fate worse than death.
"Monster? I prefer… professional. Oh, and yes it was. Remember how you did a larger raid on the Draconic Kingdom during that time? I know beastmen aren't renowned for their intelligence, but you should have gotten the message. This is cursed ground for your kind. Begone and do not cross beyond this city, unless you want your other loved ones to end up like your children. I have plenty of spare time, you know. Tell that to the entire front. Well, you won't, your vice commander will."
In an instant Lillius was next to the massive lion man, decapitating him with one clean swing of his sword, cutting through his spinal cord with no resistance. He picked up the head and threw it at Kezar's feet. Granted, not all of the beastmen had children killed in this massacre as theirs were still little or non-existent, but the message was clear. Kezar kneeled before the masked figure, "O-of course. We will be gone and never return!" That was a lie and Lillius knew it. The current beastman king was greedy and powerful, the entire invasion was ordered by him in order to further satisfy his lust for power and fresh meat; they would inevitably come back, as was the plan.
"Wonderful." Lillius simply answered, getting on his soul eater and leaving. The beastman retreat was harried and uncoordinated, many dying from thirst and hunger as they traversed the large distance between one of their cities and the now cursed land of the Draconic Kingdom…
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Next was the Northern front, where Lillius decided to go for a simpler approach, the same things don't often work twice, but brutality always gets the message through. He rode through the plain on his soul eater, a sure-fire way to terrify the beastmen into submission. Alas, his mood was subpar, 'They were raised to be assassins and they can't handle a bit of torture… That Lakyus woman must have made them go soft, how did she even convince them anyway? A good assassin never abandons their kill and they just became friends with the target! I should have known better...' he thought to himself.
'And now I have no audience. Aah, how I wish I could find fellow intellectuals besides Jericho. Guess that throws my idea of indoctrinating children out of the window unless I keep an extremely tight leash on them; if they ever went soft I'd have to kill them and what a horrible waste of time that would be. So what do I even do now? Half the job is already done, I mess with this fort and what? Back to the city? Hmm. Actually, isn't Draudillion hosting a ball to please the nobles and delay the coup? Formal introductions may not be the worst course of action. Or I could just mess with the nobles...'
'What do I do with those two? I can't kill them or Keno will go berserk and I'd rather not mess with Jericho; not to mention they did good work in the forest. They don't remember anything so I might as well keep them around, give them some office job or use them for credibility when the time comes. Did father think of all this already? I wish I was as brilliant…' During his pondering he made it to the fort that served as the bastion of the Northern front and was broken out of the prison of his own thoughts by the frantic shouts of the beastman sentries that spotted the soul eater.
'They are really scared of these, huh. It was just one city. Has the Theocracy done nothing around these parts? They would have scared these kittens half to death! Whatever. Time to put on a show.' He made his way towards the gate that was almost completely in disrepair following the siege that must have taken place and yelled, "Unless you want to end up being fuel for my steed then open the gate!"
A commotion could be heard above him as they argued, only for the sound of flesh hitting flesh to resound moments later and one of the bloodied beastmen to peer over the wall, "R-right away!" it said and a moment later the mechanism responsible for the gate groaned and made way for the mask that would soon haunt the dreams of many a beastman.
He trotted to the town centre on his mount, drawing gasps and shrieks from the beastmen, finding the biggest of them in the centre. Of course, by beastman logic, the biggest and baddest was always the commander, thus he knew he had found his prey. The commander was already panting heavily and given that lepardmen like him couldn't sweat through their skin this was the equivalent of his sweating bullets. Lillius made his voice sound as disinterested as possible, "You have five minutes to gather everyone here in four lines of fifty." Just like the last fort, this one wasn't large, most of the beastmen scattered around in smaller raiding parties at villages and only answering to this one.
"W-what?" It would be natural to put up some form of resistance, but the tale of the Silent City had become legend due to the stories of the very few survivors that made it out of there; it imbedded the fear of soul eaters deep into their psyche, the commander recognizing that obedience was the only way out of this.
"Four minutes and fifty nine seconds. Four minutes and fifty eight seconds." As he kept counting down the beastmen began gathering their fellows and lining up. Such a strategy would not work in most forts, as there would typically be thousands of soldiers in one as large as this, but beastmen worked in a more decentralised manner and spread into smaller raiding parties. One big army would occupy a fort like this and then split into much smaller groups with one staying behind to keep control over the region and manage supply lines.
The time flew by and the beastmen were lined up appropriately, the two hundred beastmen that were here shaking as one as the lights that served as the eyes of the soul eater targeted them one by one. Lillius got off his mount and began walking up to the beastmen one by one. The first few, including the commander, acting subservient enough, but the tenth beastman snarled at him, prompting Lillius to grab him by the neck and throw him towards the soul eater, which pinned him to the ground with its bony legs.
Before any of the beastmen could move and try to help their comrade, Lillius raised a hand, "I didn't grant you permission to move, beasts. Stand and watch." As some of the beastmen were about to disobey the soul eater's misty body began to glow a more intense and ominous yellow, quashing any ideas of resistance. The masked assassin walked up to the pinned beastman and began carving him up.
First he took an eye, then he began slashing at his non vital areas on and on, until the throat of his victim gave out and he plunged his sword through its neck, stabbing the corpse several dozen times, spilling blood all over the area. He tossed the body further behind him and began the selection process one more time. Overall, he found twenty two more beastmen who's morale had not been sufficiently broken, promptly brutalising them and tossing them onto the pile.
The terrified beastmen watched as their brethren, even those they hated, were slaughtered like the cattle that was meant to populate the Draconic Kingdom. Once the lifeless bodies were stacked together, Lillius stopped time and took out three scrolls. He unrolled the first two and they burst into heatless flame, two bodies of the beastmen beginning to contort into soul eaters, albeit only beginning as time was still stopped. The third scroll was simply a large area of effect fire spell that incinerated the corpses upon time resuming, giving the illusion that all of those bodies were used to summon two soul eaters.
Time began to move once again and he turned to the terrified beastmen, "Do not move past this city into the land beyond, it is cursed for your kind! Unless you want to be doomed and serve me for eternity begone from my sight! Gather the other raiding parties as well! If I see a single beastman this deep into the Draconic Kingdom I will come for you all!" With a wave of his hand the beastmen scrambled to run away, bringing with them tales of the bloody mask.
'I suppose it leaves that ball to confirm my job to Draudillion and then back home…'
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Draudillion, for the first time in God knows how many years, was in her true form and in public. This ball was a masquerade, letting her be slightly freer if only for a couple hours. Did she have the resources to throw this ball? Absolutely not. Did she have to do it to appease the nobles and buy herself time until the mysterious servants of the unknown that was Pyke could step in? Yes. Still, it presented an excellent opportunity to get hammered and try to forget about all the horrible things in her country.
The Draconic Kingdom was old, older than any of the other human countries in the area, save for the Slane Theocracy. It was founded by the Brightness Dragon Lord, considered a scholarly type by most and a disgusting nymphomaniac by those who knew him. He guided his lineage in the governance of the country for several generations, up to Draudillion's time as ruler. Of course, the protection of a Dragon Lord and relatively plentiful resources of the kingdom quickly made it prosperous.
Beastmen, at the time, didn't even lift a claw in the country's direction, lest they would invite the wrath of one of the most powerful beings in the world. In truth, he was only decently strong compared to other Dragon Lords, never mind legends such as the Catastrophe Dragon Lord or the Platinum Dragon Lord. Still, his power and scientific acumen gathered from many years of researching wild magic was more than plentiful enough to destroy most countries.
He had hid away from the Greed Kings during their massacre and never bothered to engage with any of the other players that arrived, recognizing his limits. Although it was rather tempting to converse with one Riku Agneia who became the leader of the legendary thirteen heroes. The idea of another world being reached by a ritual caused by the Dragon Emperor was fascinating to the Dragon Lord, who also studied the natural sciences of physics, biology and chemistry. With his knowledge he became the premier expert on the creation of Wild Magic spells.
Draudillion was taught of the unstable magic that was accessible to her via the dragon's blood in her veins, but her soul was not strong enough to utilise it. Even were she to channel the power of the millions killed by the beastmen it would not be enough to push the beasts back. Wild Magic, as the name implied, was extremely unstable compared to the more vastly utilised Tier system. Magic of the highest tiers was not accessible to anyone besides otherworldly players or truly extraordinary beings. Wild Magic, on the other hand, could be used by anyone with a sufficiently strong soul, which was a discovery made by the Brightness Dragon Lord.
However, the only souls strong enough to access Wild Magic was that of Dragon Lords. The scholar theorised that under certain conditions it would be possible for the dreaded players to also earn this power and he presumed it was only a matter of time until one of these beings figured that out for themselves. The great rift in space and time caused by the ritual that extinguished the Dragon Emperor's soul in a bid for more power was everlasting, until someone would manage to close it. In his travels Nylusarian Argistus, which was the Brightness Dragon Lord's real name, discovered many beings on par or stronger than the deceased Dragon Emperor, but he dare not parley with beings he could barely comprehend, far older than even the Age of Dragon Lords that came before the reign on the Six Gods.
In order to restore their rightful place at the summit of the world however, they would have to close the rift. Even the son of the Dragon Emperor, the Platinum Dragon Lord was not strong enough to survive the process. Nyl's research was supposed to find a way to finally manage such a feat, before some being from the other world that not even the Platinum Dragon Lord or Deep Darkness Dragon Lord could defeat would creep through. And so, he disappeared, abandoning the Draconic Kingdom, his great grandchild and everything else that was there in order to set out on another journey and hopefully find a way to save his race. None of this was absolutely secret knowledge was given to his great granddaughter, for whom he felt little familial affection, as dragons usually don't.
Draudillion of course felt betrayed and tried to reach out to the one that had protected her kingdom for so long, to no avail. Quickly, the country began to fall into disarray, the many nobles vying for power seeing this as an opportunity, given that Draudillion was no longer protected by her almighty great grandfather. For the first time in its history, the country would know strife. Such great strife brought with it immense pressure, driving the queen to drinking and the edge of despair. But for now it was not the time to ponder such things, it was time to do the opposite and forget about them.
She expertly dodged the nobles that didn't recognize her much more attractive adult form and were asking for a dance and was busy stealing drinks from servers' with the nimble fingers of the most adept pickpocket. Of course she offered a spiked drink to Cerabrate who didn't recognize her masked visage and had been desperately searching for her. The chances of the poison actually working were low, as the man had the constitution of an adamantite adventurer, if not the character of one. In truth, she wanted to execute the man, but as long as the Black Lagoon company was an uncertain piece she couldn't, lest she doom her country.
However there was one man she spotted that wasn't easy to forget, his mask odd and possessing clothing that alerted her draconic senses, and there was only one group of people who had that…
ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
Sneaking into the party was trivially easy for Lillius, briefly changing into his real form was all it took. His real form was a shapeless, black mist that could become denser or completely disperse. He could still use weapons and skills, as well as being much harder to hit. It was useful in combat and for sneaking in through extremely tight spaces. An open window at the top floors of a palace was not a tight space, but it was still an area where the form shined, as he floated up there and rematerialized in the crowd.
None paid much attention to him, although some noble women did try to court him upon seeing his fine attire, caring little about his potential character. He moved forward through the crowd and searched for the woman who he wanted to actually talk to. He spotted her spiking some guy's drink and presumed it to be that Cerabrate she mentioned, leaving the matter alone for now. He stepped forward and their eyes met behind their masks. Draudillion was wearing a thin, white, velvet dress that was rather tight around the waist, highlighting her figure. Her mask was, naturally, a white dragon.
He extended his hand, "A dance?" he asked. His clothes, although odd and rather gloomy for what is meant to be a festive occasion, fit into the setting. Their high quality was obvious, leading everyone else to guess about some unknown relative to the great nobles or some other mysterious member of their caste.
"It'd be my pleasure." she answered. To her surprise her mysterious benefactor was a fantastic dancer, much better than most of the nobles who could barely walk after a glass of wine. They twirled around and stole the show as everyone turned to look at the pair that manoeuvred as if they were born on the dance floor.
Lillius leaned in, "It's done." he simply said, without any lengthy monologue about his deeds, as Cerabrate might have done instead.
"What's done? The beastmen?" she asked. She stomped on the feeling of hope that was growing in the back of her mind, there was no way someone could do that work in less than two days.
"Yes. Did you know they're terrified of soul eaters? I did some… extra work as well. They won't be back for a while, but neither you nor I can be certain on how long that lasts." he answered. Surprised, but hoping it was hidden by the mask, she remembered the tale of the Silent City. 'Yes… If someone had access to those they could make the entire beastman country turn tail and run, but does he really have such legendary undead? And to control them? By great grandfather, just who am I dealing with?'
"Impressive work, I'd like to hear aaaall about this, but for now I have a favour to ask." It certainly would be an interesting story, but more importantly, it would most likely shine some light on the shadowy group that the man was a part of.
"Ask for it, but the price may be steep; you are already in debt after all." Lillius was enjoying himself, although there was little pain and agony, but it was always a fun time to demonstrate his objective superiority in front of such pathetic insects like humans and human nobles in particular.
"Oh do not worry about my payment, whatever your lord asks of me that is within my power I will grant as long as he keeps my people safe." She was in too deep already, if they asked for her life she would have to give it and she would, as long as it kept her people safe.
"It seems your royal sister in the Holy Kingdom isn't the only ruler my father won't have to gut. With such resolve I may do this one for free, it is not often a monarch cares for their citizens, as sad as that reality is." Holy Queen Calca was another person he was desperately wanting to get his bloody hands on, given how good natured, pure and loved by her people she was. If only Pyke allowed him to frame her and destroy everything she loved, but most likely no such luck would come his way.
"You know of Cerabrate?" Draudillion hated the nobles, but Cerabrate was an existence she had wanted to snuff out for so long and if everything Lillius said was true, she would soon be able to do so.
"I may have information, it's part of my trade after all." A shadow demon had been assigned to monitor the man ever since they learned of him and the Draconic Kingdom, thus they knew everything about him, including his tastes in children.
"Humiliate him. Don't kill him, I want that pleasure for myself after the beastmen are dealt with once and for all, but I do hope you'll oblige me this time."
"I like your style, your majesty. What do you have in mind?" Lillius raised an eyebrow behind his mask, perhaps he had just found another intellectual in this sea of plebeian filth?
"A lot of the nobles here are of the martial kind and they respect Cerabrate for his strength. A lost duel in the courtyard would be a heavy blow to him and I presume it isn't out of your skillset?" Losing a duel as an adamantite adventurer to some unnamed nobody would be a fate worse than death for the vain man.
Lillius scoffed, "If I were to lose to a brat like that I wouldn't be worthy of the boons my creator has granted me in this world. Watch, Queen Draudillion, watch and see what is a fraction of the might of the powers you have struck a deal with." Their conversation finished along with their dance, Lillius picking up Draudillion and in a bridal carry for a dramatic finish, the room erupting into applause.
He bowed deeply to his audience, "Thank you! Thank you!" he cried out. Finally the cheers died down and he took the floor as a weaver of words rather than footwork, "Noble lords and ladies! I may be a decent dancer, but I come from a martial tradition, as do many of you! And what greater dance is there than the dance of death upon the battlefield?! Are there any here brave enough to face me in the courtyard?!"
A man with silver hair and dressed in elaborate silks stepped forth. Needless to say, it was Cerabrate. Given his reputation the nobles took a step back as the renowned warrior announced his participation in the duel, "I, the Fierce Flash Cerabrate, shall duel you!"
His long winded monologue that was undoubtedly prepared in front of a mirror as another attempt to impress Queen Draudillion was however cut short as Lillius interrupted him, "Wonderful! Perhaps someone such as yourself will pose a challenge!" He clapped him on the back and made his way down to the courtyard, where servants were already preparing a makeshift ring, before Cerabrate could attempt a witty retort.
And it didn't take long for the crowd to assemble, many speculating on which noble was so foolish as to challenge a man who had even made a name for himself among beastmen to a duel, with such bravado at that! Others were simply excited to see blood flow and violence for violence's sake, their bloodlines long revelling in such occasions.
The observers sat on the hastily assembled benches and a ring of flowers was made around the two combatants. Lillius unfolded his odd sword, the spring lock mechanisms turning to their rightful place as the assassin's favoured tool was released. It was a simple tool with no extravagant decorations, made easy to conceal and simple in its design.
On the opposite side Cerabrate appeared in his full battle gear, consisting of mithril armour and an orichalcum bastard sword; evidently his gear was stored nearby by one of his teammates. By the standards of this world it was a set of armour and weaponry worthy of an adamantite adventurer, but to Lillius it was worth less than the dirt they stood on.
Draudillion, still masked and unrecognised, stepped forward and raised her hand in the air, "Three! Two! One! Begin!" Her hand cut through the air as she threw it down and so did the swords of the two combatants. LIllius had to be extra careful here, deflecting with the side of his blade, otherwise he risked cutting cleanly through the orichalcum blade and drawing more suspicion than he was hoping for. Such a method was, of course, suboptimal and would make seem like an amateur, if not for how expertly he was reading Cerabrate's moves.
The holy knight attempted a two handed slash at his opponents flank only to have sparks be his reply, his sword parried once again and the wind knocked out of him by his opponent's knee. Lillius' fighting style drew a few frowns from some of the more orthodox nobles as they viewed combat as an affair of honour, meant to be done exclusively with blades. Ironically, such complaints were also lodged against Gazef who utilised the style of a mercenary, proving once more that a noble's sense of superiority knew no borders.
Cerabrate managed to get his opponent's blade locked against his, confident he could win the competition of brute strength. He pushed and pushed, and pushed, until he could almost feel a vein bursting, but his opponent didn't budge. The smug smile behind Lillius' mask seeped off of him like an aura and enraged his opponent further, yet Cerabrate had evidently not learned his lesson as Lillius swiftly delivered a kick to the man's knee.
The holy knight rolled away and swiftly applied a low tier healing spell to the injury. His previously pristine armour was now covered in dirt, while his opponent was playfully rotating his sword, "You focus too much on the blade. How do you even deal with basic beastmen if this is your best." the assassin taunted.
A snarl escaped Cerabrate's lips, "I'll show you how!" he howled, lunging forward. He activated his signature technique, the "Shining Sword'' which was a skill granted to him by his holy knight specialisation. It was similar to the ability of Remedios' holy sword, where it glowed brighter against enemies with lower karma. However, while Remedios' attack ignored armour, Cerebrates focused on blinding the enemy.
In Lillius' eyes it glowed brighter than the sun, given that his karma was as low as it could go. It should have blinded him at least for a while if not permanently! It should have, but it did not, given that he was completely immune to blindness, as were almost all people and entities in YGGDRASIL, since it was so debilitating and one of the first things everyone prepared against. Lillius took this chance to sidestep his opponents overhead swing and punch him in the solar plexus, knocking Cerabrate onto the ground with a sharp intake of air. On his way down Lillius kicked him in the forehead with his knee with, by his standards, minimal force. His standards however proved to be rather high as the sickening crunch of Cerabrate's skull breaking rang out in the courtyard, stilling all conversation.
The faces of all those gathered turned to Cerabrate, healer's immediately being summoned to heal his devastating injury. Once the ordeal was done and the holy knight was once again whole they turned back to the man who had caused this, finding that he was gone in his entirety, like a ghost.
Draudillion was looking around to find the man, but it turned out she didn't need to. A whisper on the wind, "Come to your private study," it said and so she did. Disappearing in the mass of people was simple, even if one didn't have the supernatural capabilities of Lillius, thus she excused herself and made it to her study. She asked one of her guards to make sure no one gets in and stepped forth. The room was unlit and still as the most silent night, except for the lit fireplace. Observing the dance of the flames sat the man who had seemed to be the answer to all her problems.
He turned to her and took a bottle of wine out of nowhere. The bottle already alerted her draconic senses , being made of some crimson crystal, the cork itself being a large ruby. He popped it open, the rich aroma of the vintage permeating the room, "Care for a glass?" he asked.
"Naturally." she answered as she sat down on the chair next to him and accepted the glass. She took a sip and immediately turned back to her mysterious benefactor, "If you would have given me this from the beginning the country would have been yours without having to deal with the beastmen." They chuckled and Draudillion continued, "How did you deal with them anyway?"
Lillius spared no detail about his bloody work, ending the gruesome tale with a smile on his face, "What do you think?" he asked.
Draudillion took a large gulp of wine, "Can't say it was very humane, but neither was their occupation. They came here to farm us like cattle and tortured half my country. A few relatives of invaders is a low price for peace, even if temporary. I've run out of sympathy for those beasts and, to be honest, it's rather cathartic hearing this."
A small frown appeared on Lillius' face, "How characteristic of royalty to think of the bigger picture. Still, I take it you're not a fan of my art if it were to be applied to a wider variety of beings?"
"I've no taste for pointless slaughter, what good is bloodshed if it does not serve a purpose? I'd spill a sea of beastman blood, innocent or not, if it meant an end to this conflict, the sooner the better. Life is fleeting for most races so, as my great grandfather said, spill as little for as much as possible."
"About your great grandfather, I take it it's the large gentleman? Possibly with wings? Would make a fantastic pair of shoes and a very fashionable handbag?" he asked.
Draudillion slowly began to sweat after hearing the last remark, "Y-yes. The Brightness Dragon Lord is my great grandfather and the founder of this country. He taught me much before he disappeared. Much of my knowledge comes from him as he was a scholar of the highest sort."
LIllius finished off his glass, "Well, it seems he left behind some demons that will come to haunt him. My… associates had a run-in with things we consider to be connected to him. So would you be so kind as to tell me everything about him?"
"N-no! I can't! The other Dragon Lords would never let such a breach of conduct go unanswered. I may not look like it, but I still am considered one of them! We are forbidden from speaking of one another to lesser races. I am immensely thankful for your assistance, but that is the one thing I cannot do."
In an instant a black mist appeared around the fire, suffocating it and plunging the room into darkness. Lillius was gone and, even with superior, partially draconic eyesight, Draudillion couldn't see a thing. The last sparks of the fire died down, reflecting briefly off of a metal object that seemed to be inches away from her.
A whisper came from behind her once again, "To think you would call me a lesser race… Disappointing. Your great granddaddy isn't here to save you from what lurks in the dark and even if he was… Hehe, he wouldn't live for long. I think of you as a reasonable woman, Draudillion, so be reasonable and tell me everything. Tell me about Wild Magic, about his research, join my father's side and you may yet see this kingdom rise~~~!"
"Fine…" Draudillion said, sighing and resigning herself to the ebony void that surrounded her, as its siren call was oh so sweet.
(AN: This chapter underwent heavy rewrites and is probably the one I am the least happy with in the series so far, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless. I struggled with showing Lillius to be extremely brutal, without making it too brutal, edgy (yes I get the irony with my name) or cringe in general. What Maruyama and other writers did with Demiurge is infinitely impressive and I don't think I captured even a fraction of that there. Speaking of other writers, I recommend [Cardinal of Sin] by Jade Tatsu. It's a tough read and is rather graphic, but an iconic fic all the same. As always, more to come and I hope you've enjoyed the story!)