SlaughterHouse
It took a many of things to annoy Cluadia, incompetence, laziness…. Perversion, but the fact that the newest recruit of the Knights of Ken was driving her up the wall with his disrespect to his superior which was her father-in-law, Grave Levantine had been completely tolerant until the new blood had insulted his honor and manhood that it caused Grave to lash out in anger.
And despite the short fight that went to Ken's favour immediately, Claudia couldn't help but admire Kenneth Tennyson's brutality to the monsters stalking the lands around Fortress Ken and it's territory.
One job being a plea for help from a town of farmers whose daughters were kidnapped by ogres and imps…
The most annoying part though was when Ken had gone in alone while the troops readied for a skirmish.
It was a shocking surprise to find Ken walking out of the town, covered in gore with the kidnap victims safe and sound and from the looks of it, completely unharmed.
Giving a simple nod of greeting as he left back for the Fortress, Cluadia failed to see the contemplative look grave was sparing both Kenneth and herself before looking to Klaus with disapproval before it was hidden as the men looked to him and Claudia for orders.
And during his short time being within Ken, Kenneth Tennyson began to… gain a reputation, with the stray attempted rapes form desperate men in the Fortress and farm lands, Ken was beginning to be called the "Butcher of Celestine" due to being the only man to return to the fortress covered in guts and gore while the knights were clean, even further when he was always the first to bow to Celestine either upon her presence arriving or when entering a room he was called into. And to make things more relieving.
The, Displays, Kenneth left behind was beginning to actually drive away the monsters who spotted the warnings…
Along with a certain group of mercenaries.
Sitting on his Steed with a grimace at the brutality before him, Vult of the Kuroinu stared at the corpse of the Orc on the ground on the Pike, stray dogs were eating the flesh with no restraint.
"Gods above, just who the hell did this?" turning his head to his second in command , Hicks, the man was looking over the corpse to see many wounds that remained recognisable.
Turning Vult with a serious look, Vult spoke.
"Apparently the goddess has a new lapdog, any job that concerns rape he's on to it like a war hound, returns the victims untouched and unharmed and returns to the Fortress without asking for rewards, waste of talent if you ask me" getting a shrug from Hicks, the rest of the men paled as the entire road sported warning signs in the form of more impaled corpses, some human, imps and mostly orcs.
"Or it could be a man who doesn't know restraint" giving a concerned look, Vult led the group onward, the message he received from the goddess celestine asking for his aid in finally ending the war.
Upon approaching the bright greetings from the knights stationed there allowed them passage upon Vult showing a scroll of entry, the perks of being a mercenary.
What greeted him was a busy street with the people walking about in their normal lives… the kids however startled Vult the most due to the few boys protecting the little girls from boys playing monsters wearing Skull masks with two horns curving up from the eyebrows.
The very sign unnerving Vult as the further they travelled to the castle, the more skull motives he spotted, one Knight in full black armor with the face plate molded to look like a glaring skull.
"Who the hell was this guy doing to get this reaction?"
Entering the throne room with an escort, the lovely sight of Celestine made Vult smile inwardly while giving a bow, hoping to one day pound those hips with his own.
The leader of the Kuroinu and seven knights were sooner sitting around a large table, with only one empty seat to Vult's left.
Looking to the seat to notice the top of the chair sported a horned Skull enblazoned above the head with two ruby's in place for the eyes.
"I had come here the moment I had received you're request Lady Celestine, it would be an honour to end the war in your honor" getting a thankful nod form the reincarnated goddess, she spoke as the others present began to speak if not for Celestine to raise a hand calmly, a smile hidden from her guests as a shadow entered from a hidden window.
"Before we begin we have one more to arrive" giving the goddess a look, Vult looked to the food to see an apple.
"For one to delay their arrival, even for you, must say a lot of how much they respect you, M'lady. Best to get this meeting over with" getting unamused looks from the women around him, Vult inwardly scoffed while looking to the apple again.
Shrugging while reaching for it.
Out of nowhere a large knife stabbed down onto the apple with Vult flinching at the closeness the knight was to his middle finger.
Staring at the armored arm as it lifted up with the apple, the sound of the apple being eaten behind him made Vult turn.
Paling at the skull helmet glaring at him passively as the mouth bit into the apple, the voice of a man spoke with a dark undertone.
"Who let in the stray?" gritting his teeth as the man ate calmly, Ken stared down at the filthy man himself with the urge to rip his throat out then and there, but until proven, Ken had to play along to make no mistakes.
"Kenneth, behave to our guest" turning to Celestine with his skull morphing with a sheepish expression, the named Kenneth spoke gently.
"Apologies, Utsukushī Erufu. Couldn't resist scaring the whelp" giving Vult another look of disinterest, he sat down with his own opinion though.
"Though with all due respect, M'Lady. I can go alone to infiltrate Discordia's Keep, anyone else will just slow me down with there casualties" crossing his arms, the knights spoke quietly amongst themselves with Vult snarling at the insult of his men.
"And what makes you think your men are any better?" giving Vult a look, Ken gave a snort before laughing, making Celestine smile at the armored man as he stood up, towering over Vult by a head.
"What makes you think I have a small army behind me?" tilting his head at him in amusement, Vult frowned.
"Are you saying you butchered all those monsters by yourself?" getting a stare from the skull, Ken turned to Celestine, who merely smiled gently towards him encouragingly, making Ken shake his head with a sigh.
"You will head off by tomorrow's light to end this war, by any means necessary, bring Olga Discordia to Ken to face Justice, unharmed" getting a nod from Ken, he gestured to Vult without care.
"What shall I do if this moron gets too antsy?" getting a glare from Vult, Ken inwardly smiled which Celestine unknowingly returned.
"I'll leave that to your imagination, Kenneth" with that the meeting moved onward with Ken eying Vult suspiciously the entire time, sharpening his Kukri eerily while Vult noticed Ken staring at him like a hunter.
Moving to say more a knight rushed into the room with fear.
"M'lady, an army approaches from the North!" turning to the frantic lad, Kenneth turned to Celestine who looked to him with a serious look, before she nodded as the other stood up to defend the city, while Vult watched Ken stand up to follow Celestine to a balcony.
And watching further his eyes widened slightly as Celestine placed a hand against the guys left cheek lovingly before to his growing alarm, Kenneth leaped from the balcony with a green flash glowing from below.
Leaving in silent fury at the scene, Vult hid his scowl in favour of venting against the horde outside the Fortress.
Forming an army worth of guards at the gate, the sounds of battle outside was clear as day for the Black dogs. Hicks and Kin were becoming antsy as Claudia stood beside her husband and father-in-law. The man frowning at his son before the gates opened to join the fray.
The sight of orcs being thrown into the sky with a loud Boom made the Black dogs gawk at the sight of Ken ripping an Orcs head from his shoulders before pulverising an imps face with a backhand, the knights surrounding Ken getting a second wind as Orcs, Imps and Gremlins were suspended to the lower levels of the food chain in the brutality of Ken's savagery.
"What are we doing men!?"
Rushing forward into the fray, the knights with the skull armor roared in answer.
"RIP AND TEAR!"
"THAT"S IT BOYS, SHOW NO RESTRAINT!!" following that was the few scenes of Knights bringing the actual hurt onto orcs, one where two knights stabbed an Orc in the knee while another knight stabbed it's throat as it fell in agony.
Another was three knights tackling an Orc to the ground before larger than normal dogs attacked upon command, ripping the throats with blood staining the ground and fur.
The sight of Ken breaking a line of Gremlins with a large Hammer before backhanding an Orc behind him left Vult frowning as the man fought like a beast, and seeing the knights around him, Vult frowned at the sight while moving to another group of knights as they struggled, the man leading them showing himself to be Grave Levantine beside his son Klaus and Claudia.
The group were beginning to be overwhelmed if not for an Orcs corpse to tumble half the horde trying to get to Claudia.
Turning to where the corpse came from, Vult gawked as Kenneth had an Orc by the throat before snapping it's neck, moving to his next victim which happened to be an Imp, it began to panic while throwing it's knives at Ken.
The blades pathetically ricocheting into it's own allies, one however bounced higher with a spin.
Following the projectile, Vult saw it spinning towards grave who looked up with a frown.
Grabbing his Son without hesitation… the coward let the blade stab his sons throat.
Watching the scene while stabbing an Orc in the knee, Vult was about to call it a casualty if not for the air to grow heavy.
Making those unprepared choke at the sudden pressure, a howl of rage echoed from Ken's location, turning with a frown, Vult felt himself pushed to the ground as a mass of chaotic magic surged through the battleground, slamming into grave as Cluadia knelt beside Klaus.
The cloud shrunk down into a humanoid body before Vult's eyes.
"Youuuuuu, spineless gutrot!" seeing Grave stab the being in the chest, it looked to the blade to see it clean of blood, following that was a surge of magic as the being let out an angered roar into Grave's face, failing to notice the Orcs and Imps glow a faint amber as red wisps flowed outward towards the being.
"Youll be the first human I put before the hordes of Eostia!" seeing Grave choke in panic, Vult's eyes widened in alarm as a spike shot up through Grave's neck, leaving the man gagging as his body was dragged out of the beings grip, it turned to Klaus who coughed.
"Klaus!" staring at the sight, Vult stood up as the pressure lifted up, staring at Grave's dying form as the Orcs and Imps stood up… in new forms!
Turning to an Orc as he looked to his now more human like form, his eyes showed clarity as he looked to an Imp who also looked human, female even with red skin and a tail.
The two sharing a look before looking to Kenneth as he attempted to heal Klaus who had a sad smile as Ken and Claudia hovered over him.
Failing to hear the young knight speak over the growing voices of astonishment, he simply turned to Hicks who had a busted lip and black eye.
Looking over the peaceful field with a frown, all eyes turned to Claudia as she cried, the Levantine blood line had ended at the cost of monsters regaining themselves.