Bisca's Journey

by thehappy

Occurs immediately after the end of Dragon of the Cog. Summoned to a new world, Bisca will face new challenges, monsters and hardships on her quest to return home. With several new companions, Bisca will walk the path of a hero paved with blood and war.

1. Chapter 1

So, I finally got this story started months after Dragon of the Cog ended. If you've read it, then you will understand what Bisca is like now. If you haven't read anything I've written, it would help if you did. Essentially, she fought as a Gear in my first story so she's accustomed to bloody firefights, monsters, and constant carnage. Seriously, if you haven't read it and just jump into this, you'll be treated to a Bisca that kills, uses Gears of war weaponry, and has seen Earthland burn under a locust invasion.

As for this story itself, it's basically an Isekai summoning so expect a fantasy world filled with dwarves, elves, goblins, monsters, the Demon King etc. So hopefully everybody enjoys! Also, don't put much expectation in me writing much about the other summoned 'heroes' They basically are just low par characters that probably will make very few appearances, if at all.

With that, here is the story!

Bisca's Journey

Chapter One: A New World

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The planet of Enterra, The continent of Drannel.

One of the main continents of Enterra, the western continent was home to nearly twenty nations of man, elf and dwarves. Some were bitter enemies, others had formed alliances with their neighbors over the years, decades and centuries. The bay city of Kia was home to the continent's mage academy, a central hub of trade, ideas and one of the vitally important holy gates. Protected by several mountain ranges to the north and west, it was considered the most strategically important city on the continent.

Of course, that distant city didn't matter to Hazil as she landed. Dispelling her magical, demonic wings, a fresh gust of arctic cold rushed around the desolate land. Raising the cloak to protect her eyes from swirling gusts of near arctic wind and snow, she stood at the cracked and broken steps to the crumbling castle. Its towers were broken, collapsing like failed architecture. Several walls had been breached, fallen into disrepair over several centuries. Straggly weeds tried to carve out a life, but they were weather beaten and pathetic in their attempts.

Looking around at the landscape, Hazil was only met with fields of craggy rock formations, desolate valleys, and more swirling snow. She snorted, imagining if humans had ever tried to live here. Odds are, they didn't. The land was far too harsh for their kind.

No, this was ancient demon land, her ancestral home.

While many of the demon clans had managed to achieve a temporary peace in the last few years, Hazil Jazrith knew it was only a matter of time until her kind exploded into warfare once more.

They needed a leader. A uniter, and there was only one who could achieve such a goal.

Hurrying up the ancient steps, Hazil was distraught that the demon king's castle's main doors weren't even fully closed. They were left open from the last war with the humans and elves, a tiny insult to her senses.

Stepping inside, Hazil felt a momentary relief that the stone castle provided protection from the harsh elements. Proceeding further into the castle past towering pillars of stone, her boots provided an eerie echo with each footfall. Skeletal remains of demons littered the grand hall, mixed in with the remains of long dead humans, elves and dwarves that had stormed the bastion centuries ago. Their old armors and swords were beyond use, rusted and flaking.

Climbing yet another set of stone steps, the cobwebs between the nearby bannisters were thick and dusty, creating a dead atmosphere.

Hazil ignored the filth, instead pushing the next set of double doors open with a creak of rusting hinges. Stepping into the actual throne room, the temperature was far more comfortable. Hanging her cloak on a jutting torch holder nearby, her full appearance was on display.

Shafts of light almost illuminated her, stabbing down from several high windows in the wall as particles of dust swirled and danced around the abandoned room.

Hazil Jazrith was exceptionally beautiful, demon heritage not withstanding.

Tiny horns poked out of crimson hair near her forehead, the strands falling to her shoulders in a short haircut. A face of fine, feminine features adorned with yellow eyes, their irises were a midnight black among a skin tone of light purple. Her body was exceptionally fit and athletic with long legs covered in simple leather greaves and armor. Black boots adorned her feet, simple and purposeful for long travels. Hazil's waist was trim and toned, hidden by a leather studded chest piece that rose to an ample bosom. A small hint of cleavage could be gleaned, the purple tinted breasts no doubt desirable to males of any race.

Reaching into a pocket, the beautiful demon pulled out a blood red stone, its eight sided facets almost sparkling with magical power.

"Finally. After years of searching, our people will finally be able to retake our birthright from the human hordes and the elves" Clutching the jemstone, Hazil raised her head to stare across the throne room toward the statue beyond.

It was the demon king, frozen in his last moments after his defeat so many years ago. Several spiderwebs adorned his body, their strings stretching between his extended arm and main torso as he held a sword in the middle of a swing.

"Looks like he was in the process of trying to kill somebody…fighting till the bitter end" Approaching with soft steps, the bountiful female demon brushed away the recess in the king's chest. It had been filled with more dust and spiderwebs, a disgusting notion that angered Hazil. Placing the jemstone in the recess, light immediately pulsed, unimaginably bright. A crimson shockwave billowed outward, tossing Hazil against one of the nearby walls. Falling, she gasped at the force of energy that rippled and pulsed throughout the room, a constant ebb and flow that rose and fell with each second.

In a spreading crackling of stone, the demon king broke free of his prison.

"HYYYAHHH!" His sword fell with a downward swing, digging into the stone while his eyes momentarily looked around. "What? What is this? Where is that hero that dared to lead the armies of men?" Taking another assessing look around his throne room, he found it desolate and abandoned. Growling, he finally spotted Hazil who had regained her footing. Rushing over, she quickly took a knee and bowed her head.

"You, explain how my throne room came to such a state. And what is the state of our forces? General Basik was leading the defense"

Raising her head, Hazil found the demon king to be desirably handsome. Broad shoulders and finely toned arms were nearly exposed by his kingly mantle. His skin was a shade of red, matching her hair and the jewel now embedded in his chest. Dark, messy hair was cropped short, allowing two tiny horns to jut out near his ears. But mentally undressing her lord was improper.

"My king. It has been several centuries since the great demon war. The heroes are long dead, along with your officers. Our kind lost this final battle, and you were sealed in the last minutes"

Leaning the sword against a nearby pillar, the demon king sat down upon his throne, his gaze boring through the female. "Is this true? Or do you deceive me?"

"No deceit, my king" Hazil replied as she studied the revived demon. "Our people are fractured, constantly waging war against each other for desolate pieces of land, status, or fleeting power. Yet the nations of men, elves and dwarves to the south inhabit bountiful lands while we barely have enough to feed ourselves"

Clasping his hands, the male scowled at the information. Looking down at the demoness, his gaze bored into her eyes. Flexing one of his old magical abilities, he studied her soul and intent for deceit as a barely visible strand of blue magic connected the two.

There was none.

"If you had been lying, I would have slain you. But you are not" Clasping his hands, he flicked his wrist to allow the female to stand.

"Tell me your name, demon and how many troops do you command?"

"I am Hazil Jazrith. My clan is small, barely ten thousand demons, but I am their leader and they are loyal. They will follow your commands when you reveal yourself to the world once more"

Rising, the king stood firm as he looked around the room once more, his face furrowing into a fresh scowl. "I cannot lead from such a derelict structure. No demon would respect me with no troops or military strength. I will need to rebuild and assemble the many clans of our people before we can retake the lands that rightfully belong to our people" Clenching a fist, he tested his magical power as an aura of red gave a light pulse. "Also, my magic will take several weeks to return to my former strength"

"You are more than welcome to join me at my castle. Jazrith territory is small, but we do control several ore mines and fishing villages to sustain ourselves"

"Excellent" Studying the female once more, he nodded at her beauty and resourcefulness. Magically activating his wings, the crimson energy crackled with bits of power. "You can fly, correct?"

"Yes, my lord" Pulsing magic flowed through Hazil, a pair of purple wings with ripples of power forming out of thin air.

The demon king raised a hand, the fingertips glowing as a tiny ball of magic formed. Pulsing with a bit of power, he released it against the roof of his throne room. Rock and rubble rained down as the lance of power faded, leaving a trail of red particles and suffocating dust.

"Let us reunite the clans under my strength. And you Hazil, will become my first queen"

Flying upward through the new hole in the roof, the king floated as the statement floored Hazil.

"Me!? The first queen of the demon king!? Such…SUCH AN HONOR!" Regaining her stunned senses, the purple skinned demoness flew after the king, intent on reasserting their power across the land.

Holy City of Lanill, Kingdom of Lanis. Year 501 H.A. (Hero Age) June 10th

The towering cathedral rose above the cityscape of homes and small shops, its white walls a shimmer of light. Bracketed by the convergence of two rivers that flowed through the holy city, the towering church was a landmark easily recognizable by the entirety of the kingdom along with several neighboring nations.

Throngs of people flooded the streets, many shopping, going to work, or simply enjoying the warmth of the summer day that made the visibly clean city very enjoyable. Guards patrolled the streets, their dedication to their home admirable while the towering walls of the metropolis stood with magnificence. Patrolled by knights and several supporting mages, those walls of stone were another sight to behold.

After all, nobody had ever successfully attacked this city and lived to tell the tale…not that anybody would. Any nation or group that tried to commit such a sin would be an immediate enemy not only to Lanis, but her allied neighbors as well.

But if one were to talk among the populace, the underlaying fear and worry would be palpable. After all…

The demon king had awoken after centuries of slumber on the continent of Drannel.

If the reports were true, several cities of that continent to the far west had already fallen, their militaries fractured by the sudden demon invasion from northern Drannel.

The church had to respond immediately to this new threat.

High Priestess Alma knelt on the white marbled floor, her prayers and magic making her blonde hair dance and wave. The summoning circle glowed a warm yellow, the sigils growing brighter. She grimaced, a momentary feedback making her body shake from the titanic forces of summoning magic she was wielding. Recovering from the magical hic-cup, the sigils glowed brighter before bursting like the rising sun among the walls of the cathedral.

Gasping, Alma braced her hands on the floor, sweat dripping from her forehead.

"Priestess Alma! Are you alright!?" A holy knight asked in worry, the man rushing over.

"I…I'm alright. The hero summoning…worked" standing up on shaky legs, the priestess studied the group of humans now standing in the center of the circle.

"Where are we?"

"What happened!? Did we die!?"

"Akame!? Are you alright!?" A girl asked as she hugged her friend, her school uniform rustling among the panicking voices of her classmates.

"Please…don't be afraid" Alma spoke, her voice a pleasant warmth of kindness.

The fact that she was stunningly beautiful also helped, the twenty year old summoner having the curves models would die for.

"Where are we?" A teenage female asked, her raven black hair flowing behind her as the other young adults gathered in a group, their eyes suspicious.

"My name is Alma, the High Priestess of Lanis. You've been summoned to the world of Enterra as the vital heroes to destroy the demon lord. I understand that you had lives on your old world, but please…lend us your strength" Alma bowed her head, her blonde hair flowing.

Akame blinked, the explanation simple to understand. "You mean…we got summoned? Just like an Isekai manga? So that means I can use magic and fight goblins?"

"That would come in time after you complete your training, but yes, the demon lord uses many different types of monsters to supplement his forces of evil" Alma paused. "I am unsure what Isekai is though?" Placing a finger on her full lips, the motion made her look even more beautiful. Something the summoned men didn't miss.

"She's so pretty…"

"If she needs our help, then let's give it you guys!"

"Oh! Was the summoning painful? Are the ten of you in any discomfort or need wounds treated?" the stunning priestess asked with unwavering concern.

Akame, the raven haired teenager looked back at her classmates but simply shrugged. "I didn't feel a thing. It was bright, but nothing hurts. But um…there aren't ten of us, only nine"

Alma blinked, then started to count with a pointed finger. "One. Two…three… Oh, it must've been my mistake, hahaha" laughing awkwardly, the blonde rubbed the back of her head in an adorable manner. "Well…I'm pretty exhausted from that summoning ritual. Captain Trent of the Holy Knights will take you to the Lantil orb so you can unlock your skills and magical potential. He will then escort you to your rooms and tomorrow you can begin your training! I'm just relieved that the summoning of you heroes went smoothly. For a moment, I was worried it would have been a painful ordeal. Oh…I feel a bit dizzy…" Stumbling slightly, a nearby knight caught the woman as the nine teenagers were led from the room, talking animatedly about which skills and magic they hoped to acquire.

Once out of earshot, Alma almost cursed as her composure collapsed in panic. "This is bad! This is really bad! One of the summoned heroes is missing! If they don't unlock their skills from the orb, they'll basically be defenseless!" Her eyes widened in horror, her mind remembering the magical feedback from just minutes before.

"A tracking spell! I need to find out where they are!" Kneeling in prayer once more, the exhausted woman began to push the last remnants of her holy magic into tracking the lost summon. Her face twisted in an exhausted grimace, her body pushed to the limit as her hands began to glow a warm yellow as brilliant as the sun while fresh rivulets of sweat began to pour down her cheeks.

"There!"

"The…the last hero is somewhere to the East…the continent of…of Basil" Alma gasped out, her body once again caught by a knight. Looking up, the knight was a young female in her early twenties with shoulder length blonde hair. "Celeste…you must find the hero…our world depends on your success"

Celeste blinked, the weight of the command for a rookie like her unheard of. "Yes. I'll depart immediately!" Alma passed out in her arms, leaving Celeste Brightwood trembling at how disastrous this could be.

If the last hero was killed before the church found them, the demon lord would surely win.

"Take the priestess Alma to her chambers! I must depart immediately for the continent of Basil! Prepare the transfer gate to the city of Kalm!"

Time was of the essence as lower knights and squires carried out her orders.

The continent of Basil. Unknown location.

A flash of light filled the woods near a gurling stream, scaring away a few deer and squirrels, the animal's instincts overwhelming their desire to flee the unknown.

Bisca landed with a thud among the earthen rot of a forest, the leaves and foliage a stunning green while wildlife chirped and buzzed around her. But…Bisca didn't notice any of that as the summoning light faded.

"AAAAAUUUUUGGHHHHH!" the mage and combat sniper screamed at the top of her lungs, the agony of the event beyond the worst horror or wound. It was like every nerve and cell within her body decided to burn themselves while her skin felt like molten fire.

It was the most agonizing torment she had ever experienced, and coupled with her exhaustion from that final battle against the locust horde, she collapsed into unconsciousness with a secondary scream of anguish.

Bisca woke hours later, surrounded by darkness. Gasping suddenly, she sat up, patting herself down for wounds or serious damage.

"What…what the hell happened?" Trying to wipe some of the dried blood from her face, Bisca found it had dried. "Natsu? Cana?" looking around, she found herself alone as a few fireflies danced near fallen trees overgrown with moss. Standing up with a groan, Bisca knew she would need days for all her bruises to heal. After all, she had gotten shot during that bloody battle. The bullet hadn't pierced her breastplate, but it still hurt like hell. Checking her armor, it was still intact, the blue lights running along her flanks at a low dim. The central symbol of a Gear and sword were spattered with locust gore, along with her shin guards and well…most of her body.

Checking her lancer, Bisca quickly inventoried her available ammunition, then did the same for her longshot and boltok. She had enough for now, but any sustained battle or fight would quickly drain her munitions. And until she found her friends, Bisca had to assume that replenishment was impossible.

That's when she felt the familiar surge of her magical abilities flowing through her body, unrestrained and ready to be used. She tested it, forming a magical replica of her rifle that glowed a soft, pleasant green.

"Well, at least I have my magic back. Now to find Nat—" That's when she looked up to the night sky through the canopy of leaves and trees.

Two moons hung in the heavens, one a pale yellow while the other was a darkened blue and only half the size.

Those two moons could only mean one thing.

"Damn…DAMMIT!" She roared out, punching a nearby tree which elicited a fresh howl from the woman. Punching again, Bisca screamed. "SERIOUSLY! A different fucking planet! What the fuck happened to me! Who's responsible for this shit show! We won dammit! We beat those monsters and we won! Why am I here!?" Slumping to her knees, the weight of the last few days were too much. Bisca was alone on a strange world, her family and friends no doubt worried sick…or thinking she was vaporized by whatever force brought her here.

Tears streamed down her face, the anguish of it all…of being alone a ravage of her emotions. "No!" Standing up suddenly, the fury returned while her features scrunched into a hellish scowl. "I will not wallow in sadness! I will find the person responsible for ripping from my home, and kill the bastard" Bisca's voice darkened at the promise, floating into the night.

Shouting…and the sound of clashing swords broke the temporary blanket of woodland noise as several nearby crickets went silent.

"Somebody's fighting…"

A woman's shout of defiance broke through the trees, echoing on the night wind as a plume of fire and acrid smoke burned in the near distance.

It was enough to get Bisca moving through the underbrush, her footsteps light and sure. After all, Natsu had taught her the importance of silence.

Taking cover at a large tree that was nearly twice her width, Bisca peered into the clearing a minute later.

Nine bodies littered the ground among the short grass, most of them wearing leather armors and clutching swords. All of them men, one was pudgy and wearing finer garments…not that it mattered now with his dead eyes staring into nothingness.

But one remained, a woman holding two swords as she was surrounded by five men brandishing daggers and clubs. One held a sword, his neck tattoos showing a coiled snake as the nearby firepit burned out of control, eating the flesh of one of the dead.

"Listen here woman. Just lay down your weapons and we won't kill ya" the leader grinned while hoisting his blade over his shoulder. "Don't get the wrong idea though. A fine piece of ass like you will be entertainment for all of us all night!" Laughing, the bandit's guffawed as the lone female sneered in defiance.

"Like hell I'll let you take my body!" Swinging at one of the bandits, her movements were sluggish and slow, a wound along her left flank oozing red.

The bandits laughed again, tripping the woman who barely controlled the fall. Landing hard, she cried with a sharp intake of pain while the bandits quickly surrounded her.

"Oh yeah, we're gonna make you into our traveling whore" The leader sneered with lust as he started to work his trousers.

Bisca had heard enough. Summoning a twin, magical version of her lancer, the emerald haired woman took a knee and leaned around the tree. Acquiring the target was easy as the burning fire no doubt ruined their vision for the night. Five magical bullets flew with a low pulse of sound, turning the leader's head into a broken melon of cracked bone and exploding matter.

"What the hell!? BOSS!?" The bandits forgot about the fallen woman, each brandishing their weapons as they tried to peer into the night…not that it mattered. Bisca fired another long burst, her rifle glowing a soft green. The second and third bandits screamed in hellish agony as one suddenly found his leg shredded, the other taking a full burst to the stomach. Falling to the dirt, both men let out vile wails of agony.

"There! The treeline!" The last two bandits charged forward, their yells of defiance mixing in with their friends screams.

Bisca simply cut them down with another burst of magical gunfire, the energy ripping through the throat of one while the other collapsed from a groin shot.

His howls and screams were nightmarish as he clutched his groin, the ruin of his privates a living horror.

Stepping out into the clearing, Bisca carried herself with confidence, her heavy boot falls like a drumbeat.

"You…you bit—"

Curb stomping the bandits head with a sickening crunch with no sense of mercy, Bisca kept walking to the last two bandits…both of them trying to crawl away in a pathetic attempt to live.

"Please! Mercy! We're sorry alright!"

"Mercy? To rapists and bandits? No" Revving up the chainsaw of her magical rifle, Bisca plunged it into the already wounded stomach of the bandit. His intestines ripped and sprayed with chunks of ichor, spreading across Bisca's lower leg greaves as his howls tore through the night. Looking at the last rapist, the man tried to crawl away, terror in his eyes.

A heavy boot pinned him down. "Where do you think your going?" Spinning teeth screamed as they plunged into his back, creating another hellish spray of gore and flying skin.

Vera looked up in equal parts terror and thankfulness at her savior, the green haired woman casting a glance her way. Her armor was something Vena had never seen before, nor the weapons or magic she wielded.

But…with the way the fire danced, this strange savior looked like a demon covered with the gore of her enemies.

Vera couldn't help it. She was wounded from a dagger slash and exhausted. She passed out as this blood-covered woman approached.

"A thank you would've been nice" Bisca sighed as she crouched down, getting a better look at this lone female. Her natural skin tone was darker, like a deep summer tan while her face could easily be considered beautiful. Obviously fit, Bisca could tell she had a similar size bust as herself. But the most prominent features were her silver white hair and pointed ears.

"Is she an elf? I know some of the others went to a few worlds like that, but this is my first time seeing one outside of a movie" Looking down, Bisca scowled as the leather armor of this elven woman was torn along her left flank, the wound leaking a constant stream of blood.

"Can't very well let you die after saving you" Bisca let out a long sigh, reaching into her combat med kit on her hip. "Probably the best you passed out. This would hurt a lot" Getting to work among the twisted bodies and horrible stench of flesh filled smoke, Bisca treated the fallen female.

Vera blinked as sunlight poured through the trees, waking her with a groan. Flashes of the horrible night before raced through her mind like a thunderbolt, causing her to sit up rapidly. Gasping as her left side flared with waves of pain, she clutched the wound.

That's when she noticed her torso wrapped in bandages and her leather armor missing. The bra was still there, so at least her breasts were still covered.

"Aughhh…" Vera moaned, her thirst and hunger ravenous. Wafting smells of cooked fish quickly reached her, a small fire burning nearby as she looked at a spit roast cooking the unfortunate fish.

That woman was there, her gazed locked on Vera as she ate a grilled fish from the other side of the camp fire.

"I treated your wound. Have some food and water"

Vera moved slowly, taking a portion of the meal before tearing into it with a ravenous hunger. Gulping down some of the food, she looked behind her to find her twin swords and armor.

"Thank you for saving me"

"Yeah"

Vera took a sip of water, the liquid cool and fresh. Studying the woman in further detail, she found that her hair flowing hair was green like emeralds while a strange hat sat upon her head. It was dingy and worn, obviously an important belonging to the woman. Also, her equipment was very strange. Still wearing that heavy armor, it closely resembled plate armor of knights or nobles.

"I've never seen magic like that. It was so fast. And your armor? Is it made by dwarves? Or perhaps a noble family?"

"I'm a gun mage. Dwarves didn't make this, my homeland did" She paused, adjusting the hat on her head as the sun bore down. "My name is Bisca"

"Vera. Vera Nightblade. What's a gun mage?"

"I can form any gun I want so long as I have the magic power" Demonstrating, Bisca quickly summoned some magic, a green tinted longshot forming in her hands.

"Wow…I've never heard of a weapon like that before!"

"I do have my rifle, but I must secure a new source of bullets or find out how the hell I got here" Looking upward at the blue sky, Bisca centered her gaze on Vera. "Actually, where am I?"

"Um…the continent of Basil? Inside the country of Elden on the southern coast"

"I guess that will have to do for now" Sighing as she stood up, Bisca secured her equipment. "Your dead comrades and what I assume was a merchant are dead. However, most of their supplies along with the wagon and horse are in good condition in the next clearing" Kicking out the fire, wafts of smoke rose from the ashes. "You are wounded. I am lost and seek to find a way home. Would you care to travel with me until the next town?"

"You're not going to turn around and try to sell me to slavers, are you? Dark Elves such as myself earn a high price in some countries"

"What a disgusting notion. I happen to have a friend that was enslaved as a child. I find the notion sickening" Bisca clenched her fist, her eyes gaining a visible hatred. "Slavers deserve death and no mercy. Any that cross my path will die by my hand"

"What about me being a dark elf? We have a reputation for evil magic and attacking humans in some regions" Vera informed her new companion as she slowly stood, her face a grimace.

"You're the first elf I've ever met, and you seem like a decent person. I should know, I've met some vile individuals. So no, traveling with an elf is not an issue with me. Now come on, I'll help you to the wagon"

Vera thought about protesting, but just standing hurt. Nodding her assent, Bisca lent a shoulder, leading the elf to the nearby wagon and the horses.

Vera blanched at the sorry state of the bodies in the second clearing, their ghastly wounds even worse during daytime. Stepping over the merchant, Vera noticed his jewelry missing.

"Did you loot all their bodies?"

Bisca nodded. "They won't miss it. Better for us to sell or trade than some other bandits"

"You don't have money, do you?"

"…No. Now take it easy climbing in. I'll grab your gear then we can get away from the stench of flies and blood"

Vera climbed in over the gate, piling herself on some bedrolls with a sigh of contentment. The canopy of material was a relief from the sun, blocking the sunshine. Looking around, a pile of the other guard's weapons were stacked in the corner, near the merchants dead jewelry and bags of coins. Most of the wares were still crated, not that Vera new what they had been guarding. Two barrels rested on the right, no doubt filled with wine or some alcohol.

Bisca appeared, setting down Vera's weapons and equipment toward the back. "Ah…you can rest if you want? I'll be taking the driver's seat. If you know of the closest town, that would help"

"Just head north after you find the road. That will lead us to the next town"

Bisca gave a curt nod then disappeared, the wagon slightly rocking as she climbed up to the driver's seat. Soon, they began to move, a gentle swaying of motion.

But Vera was far too awake to sleep just yet. Pulling back the sash of the wagon, she looked upward at Bisca who seemed to be moderately concentrating. "Soo…where's your hometown?"

"Probably destroyed. I left years ago and found myself in Fiore. Eventually settled in Magnolia"

"I've never heard of those places. Are they on another continent?"

"No. Different planet. Me being on this world is a colossal fuck up and somebody is going to pay for ripping me from my loved ones. Especially…" Her gaze darkened, the aura of the woman turning hostile.

"Your…you're from another world? I've only heard legendary stories of that! What's your world like?"

Bisca slowly turned, her gaze still harsh. Not saying anything as horror danced behind her eyes, the soldier returned her attention to the road.

Vera didn't know what to ask next, and based on Bisca looking at anything but her, Vera really didn't want to push anything. Closing her eyes, Vera blinked off to sleep once more.

Night had fallen. The two moons hanging in the velvet sky of stars casting their luminous glow to the world below. Having pulled off the road into another clearing, Vera was taking the first watch as Bisca slept in the back.

While she really couldn't fight at the moment, her elven eyes could pick out much greater details among the darkness. Vera could at least cry out, giving Bisca a warning if a situation arose. Thinking of her new traveling partner, Vera pulled the sash back, glancing into the wagon.

Bisca was sleeping, but not well. Constantly turning and shifting, she was muttering words as her breathing became labored. At least she had shed that heavy armor while resting, that didn't look comfortable to sleep in at all.

Still kept a knife and that strange hand weapon of hers strapped to her hips though.

"Bisca?"

"AHHHHH!" Bisca screamed, ripping herself awake as cold sweat dripped down her face. Frantically looking around, she had pulled her sidearm, searching for an enemy. Sensing Vera, the soldier pointed the weapon out of sheer habit, but didn't fire. Recognition floated across tormented eyes, Bisca lowering the firearm.

"Just…just a nightmare…"

"You want to talk about it?" Vera offered.

"No" Sighing, Bisca tried to wipe some of the sweat away from her green locks. "Blood…nothing but blood and fire…"

"Won't be sleeping again tonight…" Climbing to the front of the wagon, Bisca sat next to Vera, her fingers fiddling with her sidearm in absentminded business.

Vera looked down at the silver looking weapon, curiosity getting the best of her. "What type of magic does that use?"

"None. Based on chemical reactions. Very useful if someone or something erects an anti-magic barrier" Popping the cylinder, Bisca emptied the brass cartridges into her left hand. "Here, try holding it"

The dark elf grasped it, surprised by the weight as Bisca held up one of the bullets. "Think of it as a super advanced bow and arrow, capable of flying so fast that you couldn't even see it" Taking the weapon back, Bisca reloaded it. "Now, its ready to fire" Holstering it, the traveler leaned back, interlocking her fingers behind her head while staring up at the twin moons.

Crickets chirped, joining with the glow of fireflies that danced nearby. "It's so quiet here"

Vera smiled. "Reminds me of home. The forest I grew up in was just like this"

"Did it burn down? Or your…uh…Elf tribe get attacked by slavers?"

Vera pouted. "Really? That's where your mind instantly goes? I just left home is all and wanted to see the wider world. Honestly Bisca, it sounded like you wanted me to have a horrible childhood or something"

Bisca simply blinked. "I'm glad I was wrong then. Losing loved ones and friends is hard"

There was a snapping twig somewhere to the left, and low whispers of men who really weren't that great at stealth.

"Bisca…I thi—" A hand clamped over her mouth, the emerald haired mage raising a finger to her lips. Slinking off the side of the wagon, she slunk away into the foliage and undergrowth, leaving Vera alone.

Straining her dark elf eyes, she could see four figures advancing through the woods. They were whispering, but doing a poor job at it.

"I'm telling you, it should be an easy mark. Just a lone woman. Easy to rob and if we take her alive, sell for some coin"

"Quiet Darren, or do you want her to hear us?"

Bisca stood behind a larger tree, her breathing still while the oaken scent of bark and leaves filled her nostrils. Whoever these fools were, they really picked the wrong woman to mess with.

Another crunching twig and light cursing almost made her roll her eyes at how bad they were. It almost made her feel remorse…but men moving to ambush her in the middle of the night usually didn't have honorable intent.

No, Bisca could easily imagine what they would do. Her combat knife was ready, held firmly in her right hand as she held a breath. A lumbering shadow walked past her, his sword drawn and reflecting shafts of moonlight.

Moving swiftly, Bisca clamped a hand over his mouth while drawing the sharpened blade across his throat. Blood spurted silently as the robber tried to unleash a muffled scream, but Bisca held firm as his life ebbed away. Lowering the body to the soft earth, she quickly moved, her footsteps a whisper.

Another male rose out of the foliage in front of the gun mage, his mass pushing past some low branches. Eyes widening as shafts of moonlight momentarily revealed Bisca, he shouted. "SHIT! The bitch heard us! Guys! Help me ou—"

"RARRGHHH!" howling with fury, Bisca tackled him, the blade digging into his throat, spraying blood across her shirt and face as she stabbed multiple times before jumping off the body and retreating toward the wagon.

"OH FUCK! Grannel! Darren, find Olson!"

"His throats slit! Man, what the hell! It's just one woman, let's just kill the bitch" Both men began to run toward the wagon, the startled horses and the canopy an easy landmark under the bathing moonlight.

Bisca had expected them to run blindly. They were overconfident, probably from robbing easy victims in the past. To them, she was nothing…they were wrong.

Watching them approach the wagon, one of the bandits had drawn a bow, the arrow half drawn and notched. Watching in baited silence, the veteran sniper lay in the soil beneath some brush, her magical lancer glowing a soft green.

"There! Under the bushes! Probably casting a spell!" One of the bandits guttered out, his fury and rage palpable. Rushing forward with his blade drawn, it would've worked under most conditions. The archer pulled back, the string going taut as he tried to gain a target.

Pushing magic through the weapon, the barrel blazed green as a staccato of green pulses flew through the night. The first bandit's head simply vaporized, spreading an ichor of brain matter across the grass as his partner screamed. Four magical bullets had punched through his stomach, ruining flesh and organs while he fell with a howl.

The arrow had been loosed a split second before the archer's head exploded, the shaft flying through the air to embed itself in the horse's neck. Falling with an animalistic cry, the beast thrashed as blood flowed, its fright palpable.

Rising from her prone position, Bisca stalked forward, cradling the rifle as the horse continued to bay and neigh. The bandit gasped, trying to push himself away, but howled as the female covered in his friend's blood stepped on his vile wounds.

"Please! Just…just let me go!"

Studying him, Bisca cocked her head to the side, noticing ears that resembled a wolf. In fact, this man had a tail as well, a bushy fluff that was limp at the moment. "What are you?"

"…ugh…what?"

Stepping on him harder, he howled with anguish. "A beastman from the wolf country of Selva! Auughhh!"

"How many more of your group are in the area? Where's you camp?" Her tone icy cold like knives, the moonlight hit her eyes just right to make her look like a blood soaked demon from hell.

"I..it's just us! I swear! Our main group was wiped out yesterday! The four…four of us are it! Auuughhh!"

"Good" Manipulating her magic with minimal effort, the chainsaw of her magical lancer began to churn with a harsh whine.

"No! Please! Do-AAAUUUUUGHHHHH!"

Blood sprayed across the boots and shins of Bisca, the chunks of flesh tearing and screaming. Yanking the weapon out, she walked toward the horse. Feeling sorrow for the innocent creature, there wasn't anything Bisca could do.

It was already dead, the lifeblood reflecting under the moon.

"Shit. There goes our transportation"

Vera gulped from the wagon, looking at the woman she traveled with in a new light. "Is she a complete psycho!?"

"Vera? Are you alright? How are your injuries?" Bisca asked, her attention turning away from the fallen beast of burden.

"Oh…I'm fine…just wondering if I should run for my life or not…Hehe…."

Bisca frowned, looking down at her hands, finally feeling the warmth of the blood coating portions of her skin. "I must look terrifying…"

"Just a little"

"And here I was just behaving normally. After all, all my friends would've done the same thing. Well, not Levy. She's a crazy person" Letting out a small chuckle, Bisca climbed onto the wagon.

"Grab what you think we need and anything of value. Priority is survival supplies" Starting to re-equip her armor, Bisca was occupied while Vera started to gather food and water into a carrying bag. Grabbing the pouch containing the merchant's money, the dark elf hung the pouch from her left hip as Bisca finished.

"We shouldn't stay too long Bisca. Wolves and Dire Boars roam this forest. The smell of blood will only excite them" Pushing some essential camping supplies into the bag, the elf made sure to slide on her leather armor.

It hurt, each brush past her abdominal wound a flare of pain, but she bore through it before attaching her twin short swords to each hip. Slinging the bag of supplies onto her back, Vera gasped at the weight.

"You can handle that? After all, you did just get stabbed" Pocketing a few bits of jewelry in an empty pocket, Bisca figured she could sell them for something.

"Y..yeah" Vera gasped as she took a step, the howls of wolves in the distance. "You kill anything that gets close, I'll carry our supplies"

Bisca nodded in agreement, the two females slinking off into the night, leaving the treasure trove of trade goods and the dead horse behind.

Ten minutes later, the first wolves arrived with a few Dire boars, their eyes glowing red as the scent of blood made them hunger for meat. Finding the corpses, the monsters began to feed as Bisca and Vera fled into the darkness.

The two of them found a cave by dawn, the entrance low enough to cause both to crouch. Rising in the entrance tunnel, the trickle of water was easily heard.

"Stay behind me" Bisca warned Vera, the woman reforming a magical lancer rifle. Pressed against her shoulder, the green tinted weapon cast a small amount of light as the two began to move forward into the cave. The tunnel turned to the right, a ragged pathway cut out by erosion eons before. Glowing, blue moss clung to some of the walls, the light moisture cool and pleasant compared to the heat of summer outside.

Pulsating in a comforting ebb, the moss lined walls lead the two further into the cave. The sound of rushing water grew louder and was soon revealed to both females as they entered the main cavern.

Walls and the ceiling glowed with greenish, blue stone along with vines that dangled down the walls, their strands snaky and thin. Mixing in with the tiny waterfall that cascaded from a fissure in the far wall, the vines obviously used the pool as a source of hydration. Dropping into a natural pool, the water rippled under a formation of rock while giving off a faint glow. Approaching the pool, Bisca glanced in, the forms of several fish darting beneath the rippling water.

"It's safe. We have food and water if we run out of supplies"

"UGH! Thank Lanill! My whole body hurts!" Collapsing onto the stone floor, Vera gasped in relief as the bag clattered next to her.

"Lanill?"

"Yeah, one of the three main religions. Goddess of light and life. Although, you probably wouldn't know that?" Vera smiled awkwardly before grasping her side, a cry of pain rising.

Bisca strode over, crouching down to face Vera. "You need to get that armor off. Honestly, I'm surprised you managed to push yourself that hard despite your slash wound"

"Yeah…I'm probably not going anywhere for a few days…or weeks. Ugh, if we had a holy cleric she could use healing magic and I'd be good as new" Sliding off the leather armor, Vera winced as stains of red decorated the bandages along her flank.

"Damn. It opened up. Lay back and try not to complain"

"You try not com—AHHH! That hurt!"

"I said no complaining. Are you deaf?"

"Of course I'm not deaf! Just..aughh…do what you need to do" Vera rasped out in fresh pain as Bisca began to treat the slashed cut.

A few minutes later it was freshly wrapped, Bisca taking the used bandages to try and wash them in the pool of water. Vera was laying back, using the lone sleeping bag as a sort of comforter to lay on.

Vera studied Bisca, the green haired woman still splattered with dried blood and sweat. "You should bathe. You probably could use it"

"After I secure the entrance. I don't know what type of monsters could get in here" leaving the bandages to dry, Bisca walked back toward the entrance, her footfalls a light echo in the cavern of soft light.

Crouching down on her haunches, the soldier cocked her head to the side, trying to think of something as sunlight poured through the low opening.

"Vera mentioned Dire Boars and wolves last night. While I'm sure I killed all the bandits, wild animals or monsters could easily gain entrance and kill us during the night" Running a gloved hand down her face, Bisca felt the exhaustion starting to set in. She was already running on fumes from the lack of sleep and the killing of those men, but she couldn't rest now.

"All it would take is one slip up and I become food for some unknown monster or creature. I should pry Vera for information about this world even if it's just local knowledge"

Scowling, Bisca really hated this. While Vera seemed nice enough, that didn't mean the inhabitants of this world were. Shaking her head to try and stave off exhaustion, Bisca crouched through the opening, emerging at the entrance deep in the forest. Looking backward, the rock formation jutted upward, a sheer rock face while a few errant shelfs held moss and plantlife.

Birds and wildlife chirped around her while the churning of water flowed nearby, no doubt from the central cave. The foliage was thick, the forest full of life as Bisca approached a tree. Pressing a palm on it, she could imagine the life flowing through the forest.

"Not charred…"

It was wonderful in a way, the sudden tranquility of the area compared to where she had been on Earthland.

So much death and destruction.

The wind blew, passing the scent of undergrowth and damp soil to Bisca, her hair flowing while she stood there, the serenity calming.

A brief moment that didn't last from a distant howl, then snarls of snapping jaws. An animal cried, then was promptly cut off with finality.

"Damn"

She didn't have time to cut down multiple trees or to try and find boulders to block the cave. The best she could do was start carving an array of pikes from some thick branches.

In minutes, the churning scream of her lancer filled the woods as tree limbs were cut, the wood falling to the ground. Hastily gathering a good dozen, Bisca pulled her combat blade to start carving a pointed end.

It was hard, tiresome work that took several hours. Securing them at a sixty degree angle in a half circle around the cave entrance, a dozen spears pointed outward with their sharpened ends ready to stab any hostile life that charged in. Figuring that was enough, Bisca crouched back through the low opening, her face red with sweat and exertion.

"Really wish I had some explosive charges" she huffed while approaching the pool. Kneeling as Vera slept nearby, Bisca drank some of the cool liquid then promptly washed her face, removing much of the dirt and grime.

Her stomach growled, but fatigue was going to win. Leaning her back against one of the cavern walls, Bisca had a sightline of the cave tunnel while her rifle rested across her lap. She was too tired to try and use magic at this point. Crouching down on her heels, the woman waited in the cool air for a few minutes, but her calves and muscles started to burn with soreness and fatigue. Moving to lay prone, Bisca kept the cave entrance covered, the threat of monsters trying to win against the gnawing fatigue clawing at her mind.

Night had fallen with the buzzing of crickets and insects outside. Moonlight flooded into the cave, the shafts of light doing little.

Snarling made Bisca snap up her head, the blood soaked nightmare crawling away.

"Shit!" Cursing at her weakness to sleep, the woman rapidly moved along the wall.

Peeking around the corner, her face went grim as three large boars sniffed around the entrance, their larger mass avoiding the defensive line of wooden spears stuck in the dirt. Their tusks were long, a dirty ivory of bone that traced back to half open maws that dripped drool in light spatters. Some of the visible teeth were sharp, slick with saliva. Covered in dark, brown fur, the three creatures continued to sniff and try to find food to consume.

But the most concerning thing was the red, pulsating eyes that burned like coals among the shadows of the forest.

One of them turned, its snout baring in a boarish snarl of hunger while foam frothed.

"Yeah! Come and get me you fuckers!" Bisca yelled out as the first charged straight into the row of pikes. Three embedded in its throat and front, a suicide charge that paved the way for the other two to break past the defensive pikes.

Bisca shot the first one with a three round burst, the rounds digging into its chest as the beast howled, the muscles spasming from damage as it fell to the dirt.

Number three was fast though, rushing straight into the cave as Bisca fell back quicky with a stumble. Sliding on some loose gravel, the soldier fell to her back as the Dire Boar charged with frothing hunger, its head tossing back and forth as it climbed on top of her. Snapping its teeth, rancid saliva dripped onto Bisca's chin as she braced her rifle across its throat just to keep it away.

"Damn! You are one enraged beast!"

The jaws snapped inches from her nose, the breath vile.

"BISCA!" Vera cried out, the woman woken by the fighting as she ran forward with a sword.

"Watch out for the tusks!" Keeping another snapping bite away, Bisca managed to fumble her Boltok free. Pushing the silver barrel into the Boars mouth, she fired.

Stinking wafts of cordite and noise reverberated around the cave while spatters of blood and bits of bone fell onto the prone warrior. Gasping for air as the Boar died, Bisca simply laid on the ground, the barrel of her weapon still smoking.

"Are you alright!?" Vera questioned in panic, the dark elf standing in nothing but skimpy undergarments while still holding one of her swords.

"Ughh…no…no I'm not alright" Laying her head back, Bisca tried to wipe some of the boar blood away…but it was everywhere.

Vera eyed the gun in Bisca's hand, clutched tight.

"Amazing. Just one shot and she killed an adult Dire Boar"

"Ugh...there's two more outside. If you want, we can eat them for lunch, but you have to clean them"

"What? Why do I have to do it?" Vera huffed while assisting her green haired friend from underneath the monster.

"I killed it, therefore, you prepare it" Wiping more sticky blood away, Bisca shook her head in disgust. "I'm using that pool" Holstering her weapons, the gun mage walked back into the cave, intent on cleaning herself properly.

Vera watched the meat cook in the small campfire pit, the smell delicious as the slabs sizzled over the flame. Licking her lips, the elf was insatiably hungry for a good meal.

Some of the fat dripped, causing a sizzle, which only made the busty elf hungrier.

"Looks so good…" Gulping, she knew it was almost done. Glancing over to the pool, Bisca was just finishing her bath, the grime and blood long since washed away. Climbing out of the lightly glowing water, Vera had to admit Bisca was damn attractive with the supple curves that made men crazy.

Her flat stomach was toned, the signature of some muscle present while water dripped down her nude form. Brushing her hair to the side to wring the water out, Vera caught glimpse of a nasty head scar that ran along the side of her skull. It was located above the hairline and the elf wouldn't have even known it was there if not for the fact Bisca had moved the strands of green out of the way.

"How did you get that scar, Bisca?"

The gun mage looked up, wringing the water away before hiding the old wound. Scowling, she walked over and sat, not bothering to cover up anything as her breasts gave a slight jiggle.

"A monster" Looking at the fire for a moment, the mage was obviously remembering, but whatever it was, Bisca was not sharing the details with Vera. Reaching for a stick holding a slab of meat, Bisca began to eat.

"Hey! It wasn't ready!"

"Smelled ready. Tastes cooked too. Dig in before yours burns"

Vera complied with a huff, taking her own and digging in while wishing for some sauce. "This would be great with some beer"

Bisca grinned at that, nodding her head in light agreement. "It would be" taking another bite and chewing, the mage studied the elf for a moment, her gaze critical. "Once you're fully healed, we'll head to the nearest settlement. Hopefully I can find some answers there about why I was summoned to this planet. At the very least, I need to find somebody to craft more bullets for my guns"

"Well, we have the money from my former employer and some jewelry which we can sell. The Dire Boar pelts can be sold too. But that won't last us forever. We'll need to find employment unless you like to live in caves like a feral dwarf. A stinking, short dwarf…" Vera muttered the last, the tone almost cursing the race of miners and blacksmiths. Taking another bite, the elf tore at the meat while some of the juices flowed down her chin.

The two finished the meal minutes later, the only sound rushing water and nighttime hoots of owls outside. Standing up, Bisca began to sort through her clothes, the woman scowling. The dried blood and gore was soaked into the material, heavily staining the grey tinted shirt and black pants.

"I may need to get some new clothes in the future" Taking her garments to the pool, Bisca stepped in again to begin washing the blood soaked garments. Filth and grime began to wash away as she scrubbed, her hands working to wring the gore from her shirt.

Vera stepped in the pool, the now nude elf showing off her own curves. While the bandages were still wrapped around her stomach and side, that's all she had as her firm breasts gave a small heave while stepping in. Sinking into her neck, the shallow pool was comfortable and cool.

"Ahh…I can feel the last few days just melting away…." Dunking her head, Vera rose above the water, her silver hair plastered to her skull. "So Bisca, were you always a psychopath? Or just recently?" Vera teased with a grin.

"I am quite friendly around my family and loved ones. But…I was friendly and more outgoing before…" Her mind flashed to images of the war, how Alzack died in her arms while choking on his own blood. Pushing the old horror away, Bisca tried to forget the carnage that was always present at the front of her mind before continued to scrub her clothes in a vain attempt to remove the blood stains.

Vera didn't press the issue, simply shrugging. Looking down at the pool of water, the elf was shocked to find it glowing brighter and brighter.

"Uh…Bisca?" Vera mumbled out, but stopped as a sharp burning sensation erupted from her stab wound. Gasping while trying to clutch at the bandages, Vera let out a tiny scream.

"Shit! What, you can't even take a bath without something going wrong!?" grabbing Vera, Bisca dragged the beautiful elf out of the shallow pool, pulling her onto the low ledge.

The stab wound was glowing through the bandages, a sharp bluish green that pulsed with each thrash of Vera. Hastily unwrapping the bandages, Bisca was stunned to witness the long slash rapidly healing, the skin stitching itself together.

"Amazing…" Touching the former site of the slash, the dark skin was smooth and without blemish. "Just like Wendy"

Vera sat up, the burning gone while patting down the area. "I'm fully healed? Just like that?" looking down at the rippling water, Vera ran her hand through finding it back in its normal state.

"Apparently. Guess we can leave tomorrow morning instead of waiting for you to heal. Although, I could just leave you I suppose?"

"Don't even joke about that! I've already decided the two of us are going to form an adventure team!" Standing up with excitement, the elf's large breasts bounced.

Bisca's gaze and voice were almost monotone. "What"

"That's right! With your insane gun magic thing and willingness to murder along with my natural beauty and elven charm, we'll be able to take lots of quests!"

Bisca stood up, crossing her arms beneath her bosom, pushing the double d's upward while she glared. "Have you forgotten I'm going to track down the cause of my random summoning? Or need to find a way to replenish my ammunition?"

"You'll need money for that! And I think summoning research is only available at adventure guilds, holy cathedrals, or mage academies!" Looking hopefully at Bisca, the elf was silent as the soldier ran a hand through her hair.

"It's not like I know anybody else and who knows where or when I'll find the cause of my summoning to this world. Plus, Vera seems to be trustworthy" Letting out a sigh, Bisca relented. "Fine. I guess we c—"

"YAAAY!" Jumping, Vera brought Bisca into a hug, their nude bodies pressing against each other for a moment.

"Don't hug me like that!" Pushing Vera away by the chin, Bisca could still feel the sensation of the dark elf's breasts against her own. Re-entering the pool, Bisca gathered her soaked clothes and placed them by the fire to dry.

"Yeah! This is gonna be great!" Preening with joy, the female elf was a bundle of excitement.

"You're acting like an excitable child. Calm down and try to rest. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning" Laying down, Bisca glanced at Vera who was mumbling excitedly. "At least take first watch. Wake me when you get tired"

"You got it partner!"

Bisca covered her eyes with the back of her palm, groaning in annoyance. "She's like those ditzy Lucy's from other universes. I just hope she can back me up properly in a fight"

Falling asleep once more, Bisca entered a new nightmare of war, carnage, and blood.

Two weeks later. The fortress city of Dagon, Country of Elden. 501 H.A, June 18th

The main road was busy, a steady flow of wagons, horses, and travelers on foot. Passing numerous farms, the duo slowly made their way to the walled city.

Bisca had to admit it looked nice, but things could be deceiving. Shifting her eyes to Vera, the dark elf seemed to be content carrying the bulk of their supplies. Of course, Bisca shared the effort, a burlap satchel hanging from her back filled with the boar hides. It really made reaching her weapons difficult, but she could rapidly summon her magic if needed.

Some men and women glanced her way, pointing at the odd armor she wore, but Bisca didn't really care.

"Have you been here before?"

"No, can't say I have. But we're still in Elden so we should be alright so long as we don't break any laws" Turning, the elf waved a finger in a lecturing manner. "That means no killing people"

Bisca cocked an eyebrow as sunshine bore down on her hat. "Really? You're still lecturing me about how I saved you from getting gang raped and killed?"

"Of course not! I'm talking about those two muggers from three days ago in that tiny village!"

"They pulled knives and demanded our money and food, of course I was going to kill them. The village chief even thanked me" Jabbing a thumb to her chestplate, Bisca preened with pride.

"Only because he was terrified of you!"

Shrugging, Bisca spread her palms. "Whatever. Let's find this adventure guild you fat-titted elf"

"You know damn well they're just as big as yours! Or…do you want to touch them again…" Batting her eyes, Vera tried to be seductive, only to be pushed away with a gloved palm to the face.

One thing Bisca had found out about Vera was the fact she was kind of perverted. At least to the point of light teasing. "If Erza was here, they would probably sleep together"

Wondering if the crimson knight was still alive, Bisca found herself giving a small snort of amusement. In a weird way, she ended up just like those four, except she wasn't jumping from world to world. Bemused at the notion, Bisca simply started to walk toward the city gates.

Most of the city was hidden behind a towering wall of stone, the parapet above held by archers maintaining a vigil over the main road and nearby farms. A few taller buildings could be seen, but they were a sparse few.

Walking under the stone arch, a few city guards studied the two women, but they were on the lookout for bandits and criminals. So long as citizens behaved themselves, they didn't see a need to harass.

Immediately inside the walled city Bisca was assaulted by noise as merchants and shopkeepers hollered about their wares, some almost violently pulling shoppers to their stalls. People surged past in the morning rush, eager to trade, sell and buy the latest goods. A family of wolf people walked by, their appearance almost human with the exception of silver tails and pointed ears on their heads.

"Misss! Missss! Please look at my waressss! Perfumes and make-up!" Waving, the stall owner was quite literally a lizard man wearing a brown jacket and pants, his earnest waves showing off several tiny containers holding different color liquids. A snake like tongue darted out among a scaled face, his eyes a narrow yellow.

"No thanks. We don't have the money for that" Bisca promptly brushed him off, pushing past.

"Thief! Thief!" A woman shouted from down the road, pointing toward a man rushing into a side alley carrying a small coin purse. Yelling and braying came from some nearby guards, the armored men already giving chase.

"Vera. Make sure your money is hidden" Resisting the temptation to check her own, Bisca knew her small coin count was stored safely in one of the random pouches of her ammunition belt.

"Yeah, I know. Pickpockets love crowds like today" Walking closer to her new friend, Vera kept an eye out.

The whole city made Bisca tense, her eyes darting back and forth searching for possible threats.

Traveling along lonesome roads for days at a time had been quiet, serene with the occasional contact with a small hamlet or outpost. Situations easy to handle. But the noise here was like a dull roar.

A loud crack sounded like a gunshot, Bisca diving behind a wooden stall piled with apples. Instantly forming a magical rifle, she peered around the base boards, her eyes wide and fearful.

"HEY! What are you doing you weirdo!? Buy my apples or leave!" The merchant shouted, but Bisca ignored his words. Gaze falling on a wagon further up the road, the axel had split while the horses neighed.

"Bisca? Are you alright?" Vera inquired with visible concern while many people began to question the strange actions.

"Just…just a broken wagon" Breathing deeply, she dispelled the magical weapon and rapidly stood before pushing into the staring crowd.

"Bisca! What was that about?" Vera demanded as she jogged to catch up with her companion.

"I thought I heard something. Forget it" Keeping up a brisk walk, the gun mage pushed further ahead as her fear ebbed, the adrenaline spike slowing from the surge of imagined terror. "Just a random wagon axel break. Not a sniper" Reassuring herself, Bisca slowed for Vera.

Vera watched Bisca, the human woman obviously showing signs of strain. Whatever was wrong, Vera really couldn't guess. Even after travelling together for two weeks, the elven sword user didn't know anything about Bisca's old world or life. "With the exception of her strange weapons and magic power along with her name, I really know nothing about her. Well…and the ease with which she kills any threat"

Deciding to drop it, Vera simply concluded that Bisca would inform her of her past when the woman was ready. To pry would just be rude.

They came to an intersection several minutes later, the wide avenue going left and right while the path further ahead crossed a small river.

"Hey, a weapon shop. You wanted to go to one, right?" the elf pointed, her gaze falling on a squat building across the river and nearby bridge. It was two stories, mainly constructed of wood and plaster. A simple sign hung above the door, the symbol of a sword easily recognizable while a billowing smoke stack puffed tendrils of soot into the air.

"Yeah. Hope they know something about firearms. But I doubt it based on Vera's reaction that first day"

Walking quickly through the sea of pedestrians, the two entered the building. The main room was pretty straightforward with the walls lined with swords hanging from racks. A display on the left side of the shop held daggers and some sort swords, their steel a dull shimmer from light pouring through the windows. Hanging above the entranceway to the back of the workshop were several larger swords, maces and great hammers, obviously for those accustomed to wielding large weapons.

A few random customers were looking at the weapons, one of them a young man grasping a sword to test its weight.

Bisca ignored them all, approaching the front counter with Vera.

"Can I help you two ladies?" A plain looking man asked while walking in from the back, his smock covered in soot and grime.

Pulling a loose rifle round from a pouch, Bisca held it up between her fingers. "Can you duplicate this?"

The shop owner simply glanced at the brass cartridge, then shook his head with a sigh. "Listen lady, I make simple swords, daggers and maces for guards and adventurer's just starting out. Do I look like a gnomist chemist or master forge dwarf? You want specialty work done for some ancient weapon, your best bet is going to the Dwarven Kingdom of Hammerfell tucked into the Iron Mountains. And no, there aren't any other weapon smiths in the city that can make…whatever that is"

"Do you buy Dire Boar pelts? We have three of them" Vera pipped up as Bisca showed massive disappointment.

"Sword shop! What's so hard to understand about that?" the man waved, indicating his wares. "You want to sell pelts, go to an armor shop or the adventure guild. Now either buy something or get out"

Bisca pocketed the lone bullet and left through the front door.

"Bah! Dumb novices" the man muttered as Vera hastily followed Bisca to the sun soaked street and bustling town.

"Well, that was a waste of time" Bisca muttered to herself. But in all honesty, she didn't expect much.

"Cheer up Bisca! We can go to the adventure guild and sign up! Once we do that, maybe we can find a job that will take us to that….ugh…dwarf city" Excitement instantly falling, Vera's demeanor became clouded and depressed at the thought.

"You really don't like dwarves, do you?"

Vera pouted, walking alongside the stone railing lining the river. "They just think their so great swinging around their battle axes, digging holes to find gold and building their subterranean cities! They basically live in the dirt like some horde of filthy dirt goblins!" Clutching her head, the elf gave a short cry. "And they think they're better than all elves, calling elven women anvils or flat chested boy children!"

"I've seen your breasts. You're not flat at all" Bisca commented simply, gaining a few grins from men passing by who heard the comment.

"Well…I'm kind of an oddity in that regard. Just like my mother. From what I can tell, the women in my family were always this large. Heh…my mom had lots of possible choices for a husband back before I was born" laughing at the fact, the busty elf suddenly stopped, her pointed finger erect toward a building down the road.

"THERE IT IS! FINALLY!" Running at full speed, the excited dark elf ran to the doors, her hair flowing like silver as her chest heaved with effort. Standing before the entrance, Vera jumped like an excited child.

Bisca simply shook her head in bemusement, the situation light and pleasant. Walking to join her new friend, the soldier simply looked up at the building.

"Now we can officially be a team! With my natural elven beauty and wonderful assets along with your menacing ogre aura and bloodlust, no mission will be too difficult for us!"

"Did you just call me an ogre?"

"Of course not!" Planting her hands on her hips, Vera laughed oddly, her chest rippling with each bellow of laughter.

"You look like an idiot doing that" Bisca insulted simply as she continued to study the structure before her.

The first thing that was noticeable was the large, hanging sign, proclaiming the building as the Dagon Adventure Guild. A three story building of wood and off white plaster. Windows lined the upper floors while a large, double door indicated the entrance.

A few men walked out, their scruffy armor blemished by pockmarks from battle. Rough looking with overgrown beards, they walked past the two women who simply walked into the building proper with little fanfare.

"Wow! Look at all the adventurers!" Vera exclaimed, her eyes taking in an assortment of species and characters that inhabited the main hall.

Bisca's gaze was far more critical, almost falling on the nostalgic. Men and women sat a table's to the left of the building, drinking beer or enjoying an early lunch. Some were elves, beast or cat-folk, others were simply humans engaging in conversation and laughter with wolf-men, the talking a dull roar as bar servers brought out meals to hungry adventurers.

Along the back wall was a bar, half the stools filled with drinking men and women as the bartender stood, talking with one of the men before sharing a laugh.

Panning her gaze across the cavernous room and bar, it passed the kitchen area and a trade shop attached to the front desk. The desk itself held four stations, each manned by an attractive woman wearing a low cut uniform that revealed a moderate amount of cleavage. Two of the females appeared to be rabbit people with pointed long ears poking upwards past flowing hair.

A staircase on the right led to the second floor, the overhanging balcony filled with several men and women in robes or magician garbs while a few walked through some double doors set in the middle of the balcony.

Continuing her gaze upwards to the third floor, it appeared there were several males in guild attire moving from office to office, their tasks never ending.

"Reminds me of Fairy Tail…before the war…" Bisca whispered, the memories harsh and old. So much suffering and bloodshed had occurred she doubted something like this would ever happen again on Earthland.

"You say something, Bisca?"

"No. It's nothing" Approaching the desk swiftly, the stranded Gear looked slightly down at the shorter rabbit woman, her smile bright. Her hair was an auburn brown, barely reaching her shoulders while azure blue eyes stared back with warmth.

"Hello! My name is Callie. Can I help you?"

"YES! We're going to be adventurers!" Vera interrupted, the busty elf butting her way forward with eagerness.

"Such enthusiasm!" Sliding two magical tablets onto the counter with a stylus, the bunny woman continued to smile. "Please fill out your personal information. If you can't write, I can assist you while I explain the rules of the adventure guild"

"Hmph" Bisca snorted while picking up one of the magical pens. "I'm quite literate. Not sure about the elf though"

"You know damn well I can read!" Huffing, Vera started to write her name, each letter giving a blue glow as they were transmitted onto the magical device.

"Well, let me start at the beginning. All the adventure guilds on every continent are standardized in terms of ranking, payment, and missions. Your guild Identification will be accepted at any location. However!" The busty rabbit female exclaimed with a raised finger. "If you are suspended or kicked out of the guild, no location will accept you"

"Does that happen a lot?" Vera inquired.

The clerk shrugged quite cutely. "It depends on the region and country. While here in Dagon most of the local members are well behaved and competent, other countries practically employ former bandits or former slavers. Its half the reason why adventurers earn a questionable reputation"

Bisca looked over to the open dining hall, her gaze narrowing on several groups that raised suspicion. "So, very lax standards depending on the country or region. That might be an issue" Going back to filling out the magical tablet, the attractive clerk continued. "Instigating violence against another member in the guild is strictly prohibited. Unfortunately, out in the field on missions, accidents or attacks can happen quite easily. Especially against women of low ranks, so please be careful!" Clapping her hands, the rabbit woman then moved from behind the counter, walking toward a board covered with pieces of parchment along the right side of the guild's wall.

"This is where current quests are posted. Dagon is relatively peaceful so the highest quest level we have is 'D rank' You two will start at 'F Rank' then, based on job performance and success of missions, you can increase your rank to take higher level quests" Waving a finger like a teacher, the rabbit continued. "It will be very important to get experience now that the demon king has awoken. More monsters will be appearing in the wilderness and stronger ones too so make sure your prepared for your quest!" Studying Bisca, the clerk gave a slow nod. "You seem to have some heavy armor. Do you have experience with fighting monsters?"

"Damn right she does! Bisca killed ten bandits on the way here and three Dire Boars by herself!" Slapping her friend on the back, Vera grinned.

"They were simply trying to kill me, so I killed them"

"Uhh…did you say three Dire Boars? Because that usually is a Rank E or Rank D quest just to subjugate one"

"I have the pelts to prove it. Can I sell them here?"

"Of course! Right after you finish filling out your information" Callie finished. Watching the heavily armored woman going back to filling out her personal information, she caught a brief glimpse of the eyes.

It made her shiver. "Definitely not a rookie. More like a seasoned solider"

Walking back behind the counter, Callie waited patiently for the two women to finish.

"Done? Now press your hand to the magic tablet. This will finish the registration process and prevent others from stealing your identity"

"Alright!" Slamming her hand down, Vera's palm started to glow a soft blue, the magical identification doing its job. Encompassing her body in a temporary field, the magical tablet fully scanned the dark elf. Bisca did the same, the effect identical as the magic tablet made a visible copy of her features, body and physical appearance for the guild records.

"Welcome to the adventure guild! Your both Rank F and if you ever wish to travel to another city, the magical tablet will recognize you at every location!"

"Vera. Sell the pelts and all the other crap we have. I'm going to the library" Handing over her satchel of goods, Bisca cocked an eyebrow at her new team-mate.

"But! But I wanna do a questttt!" Whining, the dark elf balled her fists, holding them under her chin as she tried to look innocent.

It did little to sway the combat veteran as she started to climb the stairs, passing a female wizard.

"Find us an inn after your done at the guild shop" Blocking out the pleading cries of Vera, Bisca entered the second floor library. Sunlight shone through a multitude of windows along the left and right walls while shelves of books took up space between the windows. Several tables and chairs took up the center of the room, some occupied by adventures conducing research. Most appeared to be wizards, their cloaks ranging from black to a manner of bright colors. Along the back was a large map showing five continents of varying shape. Well, technically four. The grouping of the South Islands below the continent of Dranell was nothing but strings of large islands and archipelagoes. But, Bisca could understand it being considered a fifth continent. Approaching the large, hanging map, Bisca scrunched her face. "Vera mentioned the continent of Basil, right?"

Studying the named continent, its form reminded Bisca of a misshapen bottle in a distant way. Trying to remember the major cities and countries, the woman soon gave up. There had to be at least twenty different nations sharing the Basil continent alone. Add the other continents and islands and there were easily over one hundred different nations of this world.

At least she found out where Hammerfell was located. If she wanted to replenish her non magical ammunition stocks, it was a promising candidate…and it was about halfway up the continent past the holy city of Kalm.

Stepping away from the hanging map, she really couldn't learn anything else from it except that this world was large and populated.

"Okay. Let's try to find out how I was summoned here in the first place"

Walking along the left wall lined with tomes and books, she finally found the miniscule section according to a tiny plaque embedded above the shelves. Pulling a red book out, she started to leaf through the pages, her scowl deepening.

All it pertained too was some elaborate way to summon spirit folk for good luck. Putting it back, she tried the next with equal results.

Ice and fire monster summons, familiars, a lightning bird or water nymphs…nothing to do with summoning humans from another world. The next dealt with summoning birds for aerial reconnaissance and how to magically mind link with their sight, but that didn't help Bisca in the slightest.

An hour passed, each book more worthless than the last. Not a single one even came close to mentioning human summoning or whatever the hell happened to her.

Slamming the cover shut of the last book, Bisca cursed in a rough whisper. "Shit" Leaving the section, Bisca moved along to her next point of needed information. Finally settling on a tome describing the multitude of monsters and creatures, she pulled the purple covered book from the shelf. Sitting down on a cushioned chair in the corner, she began to read and skim pages of varying monsters and creatures.

"Goblins. Orcs. Zombies, and Dire Bears, demon beasts and dragon newts, griffons, spider queens and trolls. Pretty much a whole slew of monsters with a hundred different strengths and weaknesses. Fucking great" Turning the page, Bisca continued to read. "Hmmm…monster magic cores? While not present in simple creatures such as slimes, dire wolves or simple goblins, many larger monsters contain magic cores that are used in daily life across every country and continent" Finishing the sentence, she continued to read more about cores and this worlds magic, including the mythical beasts that hid on the outskirts of civilized lands.

Turning to the next chapter, it was entirely about the demon race. Reading with interest, Bisca could easily see them as a threat. Luckily, they didn't inhabit Basil at all so encountering them was minimal at best.

Bisca let out a weary sigh after nearly three hours of reading, her eyes and mind begging for a break. "Still nothing about human summoning from another world. Not to mention anything about a revived demon king on some other continent. Any data on possible tactics simply amount to 'run away' What a pain in the ass"

Vera entered the library, the attractive dark elf quickly approaching. "Bisca, it's been hours. Let's get some food"

Her stomach rumbled at that moment, the hunger rising as if in reminder. "Yeah…I could use something to eat" Standing up with a weary creaking of muscles, the two quickly walked downstairs to the attached dining hall. Sitting at a table in the corner, Bisca made sure her back was to the wall, her gaze constantly shifting toward the multitude of people.

One of the guild waitresses arrived, a slim, young woman that was a staple of attractiveness. Taking the order after a few minutes of decision, she happily strode away, leaving the two alone.

"So, did you find anything useful?"

"Nothing about how I was summoned. If there is knowledge about it, it's not in this building. For the time being, I'm stuck on this planet"

"Well, at least you have a friend!"

Bisca slowly nodded, the statement true. Vera may be a little annoying at times, but the two had formed a companionship of sorts.

"I'd like to travel to Hammerfell, the dwarven kingdom. Based on that weapon shop owner this morning, my guns are a completely foreign technology to them and I really don't want to wait around for them to figure it out"

"There could be a dwarven smith in the capital of Elden. That city is much larger from what I understand and its closer to the border. We could save ourselves a long trip if we try there first…even if dwarves smell like rocks" Huffing at the thought, Vera detested the thought of having to deal with any of the shorter dwarves.

"You make a good point. Alright, we'll save up some money for the journey and leave when we can. We'll probably have to walk so supplies will be essential"

"So tomorrow we get to do a quest?" Vera asked with unhidden excitement.

"We'll pretty much half too" Bisca relented as the food arrived, along with two frothing mugs of beer. Finding herself actually starving for something that wasn't fish or boar meat, the two women dug in with gusto.

The man suddenly sitting at their table was a complete disturbance, his mere arrival and overcompensating charm souring Bisca's mood. Smiling his most dazzling smile, the adventurer had blonde hair that perfectly matched his chiseled chin and cheekbones. His shoulders were broad and strong, his strength apparent. Wearing a mixture of leathers and chainmail, his sword hung from a scabbard along his right hip.

Bisca looked at him with visible contempt while her voice was a bland monotone. "Can I help you?"

Brushing some of his blonde locks, the male put out his charm of words that had worked many times in the past.

"Hey ladies. Couldn't help but notice you and your sexy friend just joined the guild. Why not hang with our group? All of us are Rank D so we can protect you ladies"

Bisca returned to her meal, already ignoring the male with the sleazy voice already making her sick.

"Fuck off" Taking a sip of her beer, she felt a tinge of amusement as the man scowled, his anger growing. His smug, arrogant handsomeness instantly disappearing as his group threw some random insults.

"Listen here woman! My group puts our lives on the line every day and we deserve some female companions! Your just some rookie rank F that will probably go running the first time she sees a monster!" Laughing, the other men joined in as a few of the other adventures at the bar started to get concerned.

"Hey Cliff, leave her alone. She's obviously not interested" A stunning witch at another table said loudly, her purple hair flowing past her robes as her own friends watched with concern. Cliff clicked his tongue, his normally handsome features nothing but a hate filled scowl.

"Whatever. They look like bitches anyway" Throwing his hand up in dismissal, the swordsman went back to his group. They glared at the gunmage, each holding a hostile stare before going back to their conversations and drinks.

"Asshole. Acts just like those bandits that attacked my old boss" Vera muttered, the joy sucked out of the air for both.

Bisca finished her beer and meal, her gaze scrutinizing Cliff and his friends. She instantly hated the man, his body language putting her instincts on alert. "I better be careful. Men like that don't like to be ignored"

Waiting as Vera finished her own meal, both women left the guild minutes later, the catcalls of Cliff adolescent at best.

"I should have shot him" Bisca proclaimed as they headed toward the inn, the mid-day traffic of people thinned a bit.

"You can't shoot people for being assholes, Bisca. We've talked about this"

"I would've felt better"

"Then you'd be arrested by the guards for murder" Almost listening to her friend scowl, Vera knew she had won that tiny argument of reason.

Arriving at the inn ten minutes later, the two ascended to the third floor and entered the room.

It was mostly wood paneling and floors with a lone window that stared out at the street below. A magical electric lamp stood on a nightstand near the lone, double bed while a simple table and two chairs sat in the corner of the room. A second doorway led to a lavatory, the bathroom of modern conveniences powered by magical orbs.

In many ways, this world was similar to Earthland in its use of magic. Except magical monster orbs were used to power devices instead of natural lacrima stone.

"Where's the second bed?"

"We're sharing!" Pumping her fist, Vera scrunched up her face a moment later. "Ahhh…I smell bad"

"Well, we were on the road for two weeks" Looking back at the double bed, Bisca shrugged. Not like she never shared a bed before.

"You can take a bath first. I'll wait" Starting to unclasp her armor, Bisca was surprised at how quickly the dark elf shed her clothes and skipped into the bathroom, humming the whole way.

Walking toward the window after shedding her armor and weapons, Bisca watched the pedestrians below, her mind instantly calculating possible shots and lines of fire. "It would be so easy…" Shaking her head of the possibly homicidal thoughts, she turned back to the main door, her face scrunched in a scowl. Moving the table and chairs, she would block the exit tonight before sleeping.

She wouldn't be surprised if Cliff and his goons tried to break in to attack them. It seemed like a cliché event that would transpire when her guard was down.

"Hmp. If he tries, I'll gut him" the gun mage promised as running water and steam came from the bathroom. Figuring it would take a little time, Bisca sat on the bed, contemplating how twisted her life was as the unending images of bloodshed and war flooded her mind's eye like a constant movie reel.

Nothing happened for the rest of the day or the night with the exception of nightmares, but that was normal for Bisca as she woke up in cold sweat on two different occasions.

The next day…

Vera had practically raced to the guild, her bootsteps and frantic pace endearing in a way as the morning sun shone down on another summer day.

"Hurry up Bisca!" Flinging the doors of the adventure hall open, Vera sprinted to the job board, rapidly assessing the best quest for herself and the gun mage.

"You act like they'll all disappear" Unleashing a small chuckle while crossing her arms beneath the bosom of her breast plate, she supposed a little excitement from her companion was acceptable.

"No…no…AH! This one!" Yanking the parchment off the wall, Vera grinned before spinning around and shoving the paper toward Bisca's face. "Rat extermination! Every ten we kill earns us ten copper!" Yanking the paper away, Vera approached the rabbit woman Callie. It was quickly approved for the two F ranks as words of good luck were passed.

"Awesome! Finally, my first official quest!"

"You did read the part where we have to go into the sewers, right?"

Vera stopped in her tracks, eyes bugging out. "Wait…what?"

"HHHYAAA!" Swinging her double blades in a twirl, Vera sliced the jumping rat in half. The size of a medium sized dog, the two halves splattered to the dirty stone pathway with a splash of gore. Another snarl along with glowing, red eyes had the elf moving, her twin short swords glistening among the magical torchlight that lined the tunnels. "Die you, filthy creature!" Running up the wall at a short angle, Vera did another spin in the dank air, her downward stab skewering the massive rat through the back. Pulling her blades out with a slick movement, the dark elf blanched.

"Ahhh…so gross! Why does it smell like a sewer down here!?"

"Because it's a sewer?" Bisca replied with a questioning tone, her gloved hands clutching a magical lancer rifle in precaution. Looking toward the recessed sewage line, the vile river of dirty water, filth and garbage was horrific, the stench even more so.

"Why aren't you even affected by the smell!?" Pointing accusingly, Vera felt a drop hit her head. "Ahh! Something fell on me!"

"Its condensation. And will you shut the hell up? The echoes make pinpointing these giant rats more difficult"

"Not like you've even done anything" Vera huffed as she cut the rat tail off as proof. Wiping her swords on the dirty, matted fur of the dead creature, she quickly sheathed them for the time being.

"I wanted to see how well you fight. Flashy movements aside, you seem to move pretty well, but your also just fighting rats"

"You do recall I fended off a whole group of bandits by myself"

"Barely. I had to save your life and kill them all. Now let's keep going. I'd prefer to kill at least thirty of them to make this quest worthwhile"

"You mean your going to stand by and watch as I kill the rats"

Bisca's lips curled up in a small grin with a hint of mirth. "Precisely"

"Ugh…still so gross down here" Walking, Vera blanched as something squishy was crushed underfoot, but she held firm and didn't look down, instead, she concentrated on thinking of sunshine and pleasant smells.

Coming to an intersecting tunnel of sewage rivers, the two crossed over a tiny stone bridge, the surface slick with mildew and grime.

A tiny shriek of rats joined with the sudden glowing of red eyes in the darkness ahead, the magical lights of the tunnel broken or malfunctioning. Scuttling movements and claws upon stone almost resembled a ticking sound, the echoes constant.

The shriek made Bisca pause, the tone horrifically similar to wretches. Snapping up her magical rifle, the three rats charged, their filthy fur a shit colored gray. One shrieked again, bringing more of the nightmare to the forefront of Bisca's mind.

Magical blasts of green shot out with a snap, the staccato of magical rounds tearing the three rats to bloody bits. Plopping onto the pathway, one's entrails slapped with a sickening echo.

"Hey! Come on Bisca! I could've taken those three easily!" Vera groused as she stooped to collect the rat tails.

"Sorry. I just reacted" Nudging one of the tiny corpses with her boot, the gun mage scowled at their visage.

"Well, the next one I get to fight, okay?" Proceeding forward, the two were surrounded the vile smells and dripping of water. Distant clicks of scuttling rats and other dwelling creatures echoed, but they were distant for now. The sewer line began to turn, softly angling toward the left before opening into a larger chamber.

A few slumped over skeletons lined the right wall, their bones picked clean as rusty weapons lay nearby. Surrounded by rotten crates and barrels, the must of rot was continuous from the central sewer line that continued to churn. Strands of ancient spider web seemed to cover some of the bones on closer inspection, the tendrils silky and thick.

A soft thudded padding was barely heard above the churning sewage, but Bisca heard it. Snapping her magical rifle up, she pointed it upward, searching for the threat.

"Bisca? Wh—"

"Quiet. Somethings here"

The padding continued, the footfalls a dull thudding that drew closer and closer. A soft whisper of sound like yarn spooling mixed with the churning sewage. If it hadn't been for the glowing blue lights of Bisca's gear armor or her magical lancer, she wouldn't have seen anything at all.

"AH! Giant spiders!" Vera screamed out as five of them advanced into the room, their forms barely discernable from the background. Their legs were hairy, tufts of black fur covering the appendages while the thick abdomen resembled a sickly moisture of flesh and hair. Multiple sets of eyes blinked, the black orbs taking in the reflection of Bisca and Vera who had gone back to back.

The fact that each one was half the size of a horse drawn carriage instantly put Vera in a state of dread.

"Well, you wanted to fight the next one" Bisca momentarily grinned in a dark teasing tone.

"Shut up, Bisca! I'm sooo not ready for this!" Holding her twin blades, Vera made herself ready as one began to climb down the wall toward the tunnel they had emerged from, blocking their retreat. Beginning to spin a web, the fine tendrils began to clog the exit as the creature spun and spun its trap with silent menace.

"Well don't just stand there, Vera! Fight!" Firing a long burst of magical rounds to the ceiling, the staccato of flashes burned into the bulbous thorax of a brown and black furred spider, the creature unleashing an arachnid like scream as green gore erupted. Falling into the churning sewage river, the arachnid thrashed and bleed from the wounds as it drowned in the vile concoction of waste. Switching targets, more gunfire reverberated among the sewer chamber as Bisca poured more magic into the fight.

"Hyaaaa!" Vera bellowed in a war cry as she spun, her twin swords slicing through two appendages of an encroaching spider along the right hand wall. Green blood spurted from the severed limbs, coating the elf across her bosom and face. The monster screamed with a clacking howl as it swiped at the elf with its other forward limbs, the hairy brown fur sticky with webbing.

Ducking in a rapid slide, Vera slid under the vile beast, her blades pointing upward to slice the belly open. It worked, spilling insectoid entrails upon the horrified elf, a coating of green fluids and organs that stank even worse than the nearby sewer river.

"GYAH!" The sewer spider staggered on top of Vera, the vile wound swallowing her as the creature collapsed with a gasp. Somehow trapped inside the bulbous abdomen, Vera didn't dare open her mouth or eyes as innards and entrails surrounded her. "GROSS! GROSS! GROSS!" Screaming inside her own mind, the dark elf started to hack and slash in any direction with the hopes of escape.

"Last one!" Bisca yelled, the gun mage quickly putting twelve bolts of magical light into the last spider guarding the exit. Burning through several of it is eyes, the creature bucked and thrashed before dropping dead, half its corpse laying in the river as fresh silence overtook the chamber.

Silence retook the chamber, the only sound churning water and dripping condensation. Checking once more for incoming threats, Bisca slowly lowered the magical rifle, her eyes scrutinizing.

"Vera?" Calling out, she didn't see her new friend anywhere.

Movement from one of the dead spiders vibrated, causing Bisca to immediately raise her glowing, green rifle to the source. Taking a few cautious steps backward, she waited, contemplating to shoot.

A sword sliced out through the side, slick with blackened ichor. Dragging down the abdomen, another blade cut the opening wider, giving an exit to Vera Nightblade as she stumbled out. Covered head to toe in spider blood, flesh and slime, the Elf tried to wipe some from her face, but it was everywhere.

"Ahh….I can feel it sliding under my clothes…"

Bisca couldn't help herself. She laughed. A bellowing, hearty laugh as she pointed with mirth and joy. "HahahaHAHA! You should see yourself! HAHAHA! Your covered in guts! HAHAHAHA!"

"Shut up! It's not funny!" Stomping her foot, the motion caused slime and ichor to slide between her cleavage, causing a fresh scream of disgust.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Ahhh…I need a bath…" Vera wailed as she pressed her white hair, wringing some of the vile concoction from the strands.

Bisca was leaning forward, finally catching her breath with hands placed on her knees. Sucking in a mouthful of the stale sewer oxygen, she finally stood up, but still sported an impish grin. "I'm sorry, but I haven't laughed like that in a long time"

"I'm sooo glad I could be your amusement" Vera scathed with sarcasm. Looking back at the spider, she swiftly kicked it.

Something tumbled out of the opening, a lopsided piece of crystal that was a dull, orange color. Covered in specks of viscera, Vera stooped down as Bisca approached.

"Is that a magic monster core?"

"Yeah, unrefined. Looks like a fire core" Vera muttered before picking it up and sliding it into her mostly empty equipment pouch located near her shapely ass. "Help me collect the rest"

"Fine" Bisca agreed. Moving toward the next spider, she used her physical lancer, the chugging chainsaw spinning with a scream as she ripped into the abdominals. Gore sprayed, a fresh coating of ichor that the emerald haired woman promptly ignored. Reaching into the entrails, she found the core as her glove and arm came back coated in coated green gore.

The smell was worse though, not that she would admit it as the two women continued to collect the cores. Finally coming to the last spider that had landed in the river of low sewage and churning liquid, Vera gasped.

"Ugh…do we have too?"

"Only if you don't want extra money for it. We have four and completed the rat quest"

"Well…we do need to save enough for our journey to the capital"

"There you go, talk yourself into it" Bisca said with a light tease. Jumping into the sewage, Vera soon joined her.

"UGHHH! Why did I jump in for a one person job!? It's so cold and wet!" Splashing toward the last spider corpse, Vera raised one of her swords to start slashing through the disgusting flesh.

The stone floor of the recessed sewer line shifted along with a rumble of motion, causing both women to stop in their tracks.

"Vera. Don't. Move" Bisca warned as fresh nightmares of the war surged behind her eyes. She knew the locust weren't here, but that sensation would be with her for the rest of her life.

The warning was pointless as the crumbling and vibrations grew more severe among the sewer. A loud, ear-splitting crack snapped across audio waves, the noise echoing across the cavernous room. Water began to flow down a sudden hole in the sewage line, pouring downward into the abyss as the hole quickly widened, swallowing the spider corpse.

"SHIT!" Bisca cried out as the sudden cave in swallowed both females. Falling nearly thirty feet, both women landed in a shallow pond of dank, sewage water.

"Guh…ugh…" Rolling to the side, Vera took inventory of her limbs and body, finding nothing broken as more of the vile water rained down. Looking up, her eyes widened as more of the sewer tunnel looked close to collapsing.

"MOVE!" Bisca roared out, nearly picking up the elf and flinging them both clear. Rocks and bricks fell like rain, smashing into the ground and pool where they had just stood.

"I wanna go on a quest" Bisca mocked in imitation of the elf, the gun mage wiping away fresh dust and raw nastiness with a sneer as she stood with a groan.

"Like it's my fault we were attacked by spiders or there was a cave in!" The dark elf snapped back. Wringing her white locks of water, she cried at the smell that no doubt covered her entire body. "I swear, I'm taking a bath for a week!"

Bisca didn't hear her or respond, her eyes already falling on the darkened tunnel before them. It wasn't made by men or dwarves from what she could tell as there were no signs of engineering or construction. Another tremble of earth had her forming a fresh magical lancer, the green glow casting some low light in the horrid darkness.

"Vera. Ready yourself" Bisca warned as she started to walk forward. Pushing more magic into the weapon, a cone of green tinted light stabbed the darkness before the two females.

There was nothing before them, but that didn't change the fact that the two of them were stranded in a hostile environment. Spinning around in a slow circle, Bisca studied the cavern and found that it only had one exit…not including the collapsing sewer above and the constant flow of dirty water. Recentering her attention on the cave tunnel before them, Bisca gulped back on the fear and stress.

It was too similar to locust tunnels and the flashes of horror and death pulsed behind her eyes like a strobing, waking nightmare of carnage.

"Not again…"

"What?"

"Nothing" Bisca seethed while shaking her head free of the horror. Walking forward, she lead the way with a green tinted glow of light while her armor gave off another softer, azure glow.

Vera followed, keeping both of her blades unsheathed. While normally bubbly, this quest had gone off track in a matter of minutes and Vera could tell something was bothering her friend deeply. Bisca's face was almost frozen in a state of dread, her eyes constantly watching the walls and floor for what, Vera didn't know.

"I've seen her kill men without mercy and while I've only seen her kill a few monsters, she doesn't shake easily. But down here, something is making her beyond tense"

The tunnel sharply turned left, the darkness eating at their little island of light. Proceeding onward past crags of rocks covered in minimal moss, the two made the journey in silence for several minutes.

"I really wish we had more light" Vera complained.

"Me too" Bisca replied with a whisper. Suddenly stopping as another vibration trembled the ground, the gun mage halted in her steps. Raising her magical weapon, the cone of green light was reflected back by eight tiny, red eyes that seemed to drip crimson malice. Panning the light to the left and right, the massive spider took up nearly the entire size of the cave tunnel. A copy of the ones from before, except far larger, it took a step forward from its location a hundred feet away.

Bisca could almost feel the moment the monster blinked and centered its attention on both of them.

"It's like a Corpser!" Dread and nightmare raced through Bisca's mind, a cacophony of images and carnage that she could never forget. Screams and terror, snarls and ripping gunfire along with the constant rumbling of the ground.

The hallucination felt as real as the dirt beneath her boots.

"Bisca! What do we do!?" Vera shouted suddenly as the beast unleashed an insectile scream. Mandibles dripped drool, passing the darkened hair and fur as the monster started to stomp forward in a scuttle of massive legs.

Bisca heard the elf, the shout snapping her mind into focus."What else!? We fight!" Pouring fresh magic into her rifle, bullets blazed from the aperture, a steady staccato of green flashes of light that shot down the tunnel toward the charging monster. Screaming as three of its eyes were ruined by magical gunfire, the massive spider dragged two of its limbs before itself, using them as a shield.

With how massive those limbs were, the next few bursts of magical gunfire did nothing to harm those tree trunk sized legs as the spider kept up a tortoise like defense. Switching to a magical shotgun, Bisca started to run along the left wall as Vera did the same on the right.

"I'll draw its attention! Find an opening and strike!" Mulan ordered with a shout as her breathing rose with each boot fall.

"Got it!" Running low and fast with her twin blades drawn, the massive spider began to move again. Stomping forward with enough force to vibrate the walls, it began to rear back. Unleashing a spitting wad of webbing, the coiled ball of silk sailed through the air and stuck to the wall, barely missing Bisca by inches.

"Don't get tangled up in that!" Bisca yelled out as she fired on the run, a blast of magical buckshot ripping through the air. Scowling as one of the limbs blocked the shot, she was at least successful in drawing the creature's attention. "Yeah! Over here you fucking Corpser! I got bullets for ya!" Firing again and again, the magical energy boomed and echoed along the walls as the spider tried to turn in the tight tunnel. Swinging a large limb covered in straggly, black hair, it carved a furrow through the rock above the gun mages head who continued to fire at the beast.

Vera moved silently and swiftly, her athleticism coming into play. Getting close to the vile beast as it turned away to face her friend, Vera leapt onto the nearby wall. Spring boarding off with both blades raised, she came down on the central portion of the monster. Stabbing between the carapace plates, green blood squelched as the subterranean abomination screamed and tried to buck the elf off its back.

"Keep stabbing it!" Bisca roared from below as she rolled out of the stampeding limbs way. Gasping in shock as the spider sidestepped and moved above her, she saw the perfect opportunity to wound the beast. Firing upward into its soft underbelly, the shot ripped into the hair covered flesh. More green gore spurted from the damage, an eruption of ichor that sprayed across the female. Rolling out of the way as the belly dropped and dragged across the cavern floor, Bisca rose and fired into its side near more of those giant legs.

"YAAGGHH!" Vera shouted out as she stabbed again with one hand, the other clenching her still embedded sword. More blood sprayed from a fresh wound, the elf slanting the blade underneath one of the carapace plates that caused even more ear splitting insectile screams.

"Keep it up, Vera!" Bisca shouted out as the spider turned to face her once more. With five crimson eyes blinking, it launched another wad of silk directly at the woman. Rolling to the left and rising to one knee as the sticky, vile concoction impacted a pile of rocks, Bisca fired into the exposed eyes.

Four of them ruptured, a spraying of fluids and liquids that erupted in an arc of disgust. Some splattered across Bisca's armor and torso, painting it even a more vile mixture of stains.

"DIE GIANT SPIDER!" Vera yelled from the top as she stabbed again and again, her short swords digging into the abdomen and causing increasing damage with every blow.

Screaming in torment as its eyesight was almost ruined, the massive arachnid began to flail its spare legs, each cutting the air like a scythe. Bisca dropped to her stomach as one came particularly close to cleaving her in half, the passage of air rippling her ichor stained hat. Rolling onto her back, the spider stomped forward, its mandibles dripping with clear saliva. Some fell around the prone woman as the beast shuddered from constant attack. Opening its maw, the spider planned to eat the female, but it was not to be.

Building up her magical energy, the shotgun burned with a searing glow as the barrel pulsed.

"Eat this!" The magical shot burned with power, ripping through the creature's head like lines of laser light.

*Splortch*

Exploding like a balloon filled with rancid meat, both women were showered with fresh spider guts and brain matter as the massive monster collapsed with a sigh.

Flinching as a few strands of meat landed across her body, Bisca nodded while Vera hopped down. "Your right Vera, a week long bath does sound good right about now"

"Told you" Looking back at the disgusting mess that, the dark elf shrugged. "So…which one of us is getting the core?

Two days later. Dagon Adventurer's Guild

Callie looked at the entrance, unleashing a sigh that made her supple cleavage jiggle with the movement. Her rabbit ears rotated as Lesille approached, one of the human counter girls.

"Something wrong, Callie?" Getting behind her station, the blonde attractive guild worker looked around, finding that most of the quests had been taken for the day, including the investigation into some minor tremors that rocked the city two days ago. While most of the parties were still eating breakfast, some had already set out. Of course, Cliff and his cronies were here, bragging about some job they just finished last night.

None of the female workers could stand him and his arrogant, womanizing ways. But, he did complete quests in a timely manner and didn't break the guild rules. Still, the man did tread the line every now and then.

"It's been two days since those brand new 'F' ranks took that sewer rat job. At most, that should take a few hours. I'm worried that something bad happened to them"

"It's the risk they take. I know it's harsh of me to say, but if they couldn't handle such an easy job, then they have no chance of making it to higher classes"

"You talking about those two, stuck up bitches?" Cliff grinned, his usually handsome face full of arrogance and discrimination. "Yeah, they probably got scared of the first rats and ran off. Or maybe they got their dumb asses eaten by a horde of the little fuckers! HAHAHA!"

Callie placed her hands on her hips, the rabbit woman glaring at the princely handsome male. "That's not funny, Cliff! They could be hurt or worse!"

"Then put in a quest for a search and rescue. I'd gladly go save those two damsels if the guild pays me for the time. Who knows, maybe those two would be so grateful they'd sleep with me!" Laughing again at his own amusement, Cliff slapped a hand against his knee as his party came over to share the joke.

"That won't be necessary" Bisca relayed as she walked in, her body covered in green ichor, splatters of gore, and the stink of sewage. Vera was in a similar state, the busty dark elf covered nearly head to toe in vile, green tinted blood. Vera was carrying a ratty knapsack, the contents straining the material.

"By the light of Lanill! You smell like shit! What, couldn't kill rats without bathing in sewage?" Cliff taunted while waving a hand and holding his nose.

"Killing the rats was easy! It was the group of spiders and their damn queen!"

"Spiders? What happened down there?" Callie inquired as Vera set the knapsack down on the counter.

"The sewer collapsed after we were ambushed by five giant spiders. Unfortunately, it lead to their queen's main chamber. I believe it's classified as a Crimson Eyed Black Widow"

"BULLSHIT! Taking on a Black Widow would require a team of B-ranks, and five of them at least!" Cliff roared, his teasing tone forgotten.

"We collected the cores. Oh! And the rat tails for our original job!" Vera smiled despite the smeared spider blood across her cheeks. Picking up the knapsack, both women made their way to the guilds store to sell their loot.

Callie had to see for herself. Rushing over, the core-smith was already inspecting the raw, glowing orbs of various sizes.

"Are they authentic?" Callie asked, her ears twitching as the man behind the counter raised an eyepiece to the items.

"Definitely spider cores. One of them pretty large too. Can't say for sure if it was a queen or not, but it had to be damn big to create an orb of this size" Hefting the core that glowed a tinted blue, it required both hands to hold due to its size. Turning toward Bisca and Vera, the core-smith nodded to himself. "Five gold pieces for the queen core and ten silvers each for the smaller ones. Oh, and the rat tails are the normal rate"

Bisca scrutinized the man, her gaze boring into his own.

"Um, Miss Bisca? Those are the established rates. Trying to intimidate or threaten our store workers could result in suspension" Callie reminded the woman who quickly blinked.

"Right. Of course. That reward is fine" Taking the coin, Bisca pocketed them. Feeling a slap on her back, she turned as a busty mage and her adventure party grinned from a nearby table. Graced with purple locks that matched her purple robes, she appeared to be in her mid twenties.

"Never heard of a rookie taking down a spider queen on their first quest! Why not join us for drinks later?" Sniffing her nose, the woman's smile faded. "Uh…maybe after a bath and change of clothes? Your both pretty ripe"

Vera collapsed to her knees, bawling at the ceiling. "AHHH! It stank soooo much! I never want to go into a sewer again!"

"Your over-reacting. It could've been far worse than that" Bisca simply informed while crossing her arms beneath her bulbous bosom of her chestplate.

"HOW!? HOW COULD IT HAVE BEEN WORSE!?" Vera cried as some nearby women pitied the poor elf.

"You could have been eaten by that giant spider, then spit out later. Or we could have been attacked by goblins or a giant worm capable a sinking whole cities" Shrugging as Vera wailed from the horrid thought, Bisca headed to the door. "Come on, let's clean up"

"Don't order me around after filling my head with fresh nightmares!" Vera cried.

"Then I'll take all the hot water"

Vera moved with a flash of movement, pushing past Bisca and sprinting toward their inn down the road.

"Bisca. Please return to the guild for a proper debrief later today"

The gun mage nodded, figuring it was part of the process. After all, it was similar to how Fairy Tail had been run all those years ago. "Okay" Leaving the guild, it exploded into excited conversations as many adventurers proclaimed that the duo was quite impressive for pulling off such a feat.

With the exception of Cliff and his group. Scowling at a table, one of his underlings whispered. "Cliff, that was a lot of coin those two just earned. We gonna let a couple of low ranks keep that kind of wealth?"

Cliff scowled, then lowered his voice even further. "Of course not. And our buyer would be happy to acquire fresh females. But there are too many eyes in the city…we'll have to wait until they leave Dagon"

Chuckling to themselves, the five men knew what that meant. Fun with some fresh women.

"Bitches probably just found some dead spiders and pulled them out. No way they took down a Crimson Eye" Smirking, Cliff was really looking forward to fucking those two whores before selling them across the border.

Later that night.

"To a new, guild record! Congratulations on making class 'E!"

The purple haired wizard held up the frothing mug of beer, some of the excess foam flying out as she clinked a congratulatory glass with Vera. One of the cat folk, the black mage went by the name of Dia Stormclaw. Specializing in lightning magic, the name fit quiet well. Gulping down some beer, she let out a pleased mew as Vera laughed uproariously at the feline outburst.

Glasses clinked as Vera laughed again, enjoying the drinking with Dia's party. They were all class D, comprising of a swordman, an elven archer, a magical bard, and a rouge.

"Bisca right? Aren't you gonna drink more?" the male elf asked, his eyes constantly wandering to Vera.

Sipping her beer, she nursed it as her friend and Dia continued to drink and laugh. "I'm keeping an eye on this fat-titted idiot. Plus, I prefer to keep my wits about me…Especially on the ground floor and away from the inn"

"Fair enough" Shrugging, the archer tried to get Vera's attention.

"Look at me! I'm scowling Bisca! Grumble!" Vera teased while trying to maintain a serious face, only to erupt in laughter a second later with most at the table. Gulping down more beer, she laughed with the mage as the two obviously drunk women jabbered on.

In a way, Bisca wanted to let loose, but that path could lead to severe consequences. She didn't know these people, and Cliff was in the corner, watching them all like a predator. Him alone kept the gun mage sober as she barely sipped any beer.

"So Bisca? What do you think about all this demon nonsense? Scared about it?" the swordfighter, Erik asked with a simple tone.

She shrugged. "Don't really care one way or the other. It's across the planet and really not my problem. My only concern is finding a way home. To do that, we're saving up money for the journey to the capital of Elden"

"We're actually heading that way ourselves in a few days. You're both welcome to join us. Safety in numbers and all that" Erik smiled before looking over at Dia and Vera…who were both trying to sleep on the wooden table. "Seriously? She can't hold her liquor at all"

"Idiot. Should at least pace herself" Bisca muttered before grabbing the dark elf and draping an arm across her shoulder. Pulling her along, Vera could barely walk as the gun mage led her from the guild hall.

Stepping outside, the weather was pleasant, a hint of crispness in the air as the two moons hung in the velvet sky. Appreciating the beauty for a moment, it was ruined as the dark elf vomited, the bile splattering against Bisca's boots.

"Sowry…Bisca…I drank…*hic* too much…But Dia is sooo hot. If I was into…into…ugh…"

Sighing, the stranded mage walked her team-mate to the inn as the stars swirled above.

Three days later, the two women left the city of Dagon with Dia Stormclaw and her party. Loaded with fresh supplies and eager to search for a way home, the group of seven felt secure in their skills and numbers to face any threats on the road to the capital of Elden.

Obviously, Cliff and his despicable group followed, not wanting to let a payday go to waste. Little did he know what a horrible decision that would be.

The Coastal City of Trigannick, Country of Temmol. Located along the Western coast of Basil. 501 H.A. July 6th

Celeste Brightwood steered the horse through the streets of the port city, hoping that there was some sort of lead here.

While the holy church in the center of Kalm had been more than accommodating in providing supplies and financial resources for her journey, there had been no news of some random hero. Checking the adventure guild on that first day after traversing the gate between continents, there had been no news. No new members, no strange claims of random strangers. Just…nothing.

Deciding that the odds of finding the lost summoned hero in Kalm were minimal at best, Celeste headed south along the coastal roads. Traveling by horseback for nearly three weeks straight, the journey had been relatively uneventful. The holy city of Kalm and the surrounding cities and countries were relatively peaceful, especially along the coastal lands.

It was the interior that worried Celeste. Some of those countries and kingdoms turned a blind eye to slavery, racism against demi-humans, and other practices forbidden by the goddess Lanil.

"If the hero landed among them, the odds are high they were captured or killed"

It was a sobering fact that her mission could fail before barely beginning. But until Celeste could fully confirm the loss, she had to try.

Arriving at one of the local inns, she swung off her steed and guided it to a stable located toward the left of the three story structure. Patting the horse, she handed the caretaker money for a stall and oats.

Warm breezes full of salt air wafted past her blonde locks, making them wave like grain as the underlaying smells of fish and oak filled her senses. Breathing in the pleasant smell, Celeste enjoyed the moment as the bustling city lay before her all the way to the waters edge and the bustling harbor. Knowing she couldn't stand here forever, she quickly entered the inn and rented a room for the night. With a place to sleep secured, Celeste rapidly re-entered the bustling city streets, her destination the local guild.

"If I was stranded on a strange world, that would be where I would go" Celeste told herself as she pushed back some shoppers. Stall vendors hawked their wares, but the holy knight had no desire to shop. Her quest was given directly by the High Priestess, Alma, and distractions would not be tolerated.

Arriving at the three story guild, she pushed open the doors, briskly walking past several adventurer's and approaching one of the women that manned the front desk.

"Hello! Welcome to the Trigannick Adventure Guild. How can I help you?"

Pulling her identification badge that proclaimed her status in the holy knights from beneath her breastplate, Celeste showed it to the attractive wolf woman before replacing it beneath the shimmering plate of steel.

"I require a full list of every adventurer that has joined the guild in the last three weeks"

"For the city?"

"For the whole continent. It is vitally important to the church that you comply with haste"

"Ah…okay! Please, follow me upstairs to our offices"

Walking up to the third floor, Celeste could feel the stares of adventurer's and the staff, but that was inconsequential to her. Walking into one of the offices, the silver haired wolf woman guided her to a desk and magical tablet embedded in the surface.

"Please. Take as much time as you require" Bowing with a slight nod, the door clicked shut as Celeste began to scroll. Images of men and women belonging to a multitude of races scrolled. Some were already marked as killed or wounded, others missing and no doubt dead themselves.

After all, fighting monsters for a living was dangerous. Sometimes people made it to an old age, other times…they didn't.

The classifications were all the same too. Fighter. Rouge. Priestess or black mage. Archer and berserker. Clerics and monks. It was a mind numbing scroll of similarities that didn't change despite the cacophony of races.

Then, something popped out at her.

Gun Mage.

"What in Lanil's name is a gun mage?" Celeste studied the image, a green haired woman wearing a heavy looking set of armor and a brimmed hat that had seen better days. The armor had a central gear and sword symbol in the center, and the straps glowed with an azure blue. "If I didn't know better, that might be dwarven armor. Did she find some? Or was she wearing it already during the summoning?"

Reading further, there weren't details about what a gun mage did, but the fact that this… Bisca Mulan managed to rise a whole rank after a single quest blew her mind. Celeste knew that kind of meteoric rise was almost unheard of. The adventurer in question had to do something amazing.

"Killed a Crimson Eye Black Queen spider along with five warrior class. One party member named Vera Nightblade…It's her. Bisca Mulan is the tenth hero" Reading further, the information stated Bisca had joined the guild in Dagon, near the southern tip of the continent.

It would be a long journey.

"At least I know what she looks like. Now I just have to find her and bring her to the holy city to join the others" Standing up, Celeste paused. While Dagon seemed like a promising destination, there was no guarantee that Bisca was still there.

"I'll have to risk it. Hopefully she'll stick close to that city for the foreseeable future. A rare monster sighting aside, the area is relatively calm in terms of monsters and hostile creatures" Deciding that Dagon was the best bet, Celeste left the guild in a hurry.

Purchasing food and supplies for the coming journey, the holy knight knew time was of the essence.

After all, Bisca Mulan was the tenth hero…and she would have to face the demon king to save Enterra.

Well, here's my first chapter of 'Bisca's Journey' Obviously, she'll face far harsher hardship than the Isekai group of highschoolers, not that they'll have a big impact if any. Also, she probably won't be sharing her past with Vera for a bit. Bad memories and nightmares will plague her for a long time. I just hope I can bring that to life in the story. Other than that, I hope everybody enjoys it.

This is thehappy signing off