There were many things to occur that fateful night, most of them quite unpleasant, however the red hues of the smoke filled skies always seemed so have a certain majesty to them. The billowing plumes of oily smoke reflected the fires beneath them; each gust of heated air stroking the dark mass above as if it was a living thing, a great serpent made of ash and flames that saw fit to dance above the battle below.
The conflagration that birthed such doom encrusted clouds was the result of many pitched battles in the streets of the Mamono held city. Order knights galloped down cobblestone roads, either running though any Mamono or Incubus unlucky enough to still remain within Kharstein's walls, or tossing lit torches in through glass windows.
No quarter was given to those that attempted to flee the infernos of their homes. Not even the lamentations of the monsters grieving their lost or their pleas for mercy would spare them, those that had even offered up their bodies to the stone faced Order soldiers were made an example of, burning crucifixes lined the warpath into the city.
Milo Kautz looked on as a canid Mamono was dragged along the street by two men-at-arms, her screams were soon muffled by the air splitting cracks further down in a courtyard. Another volley of gunfire and another pile of cooling bodies were collected. Several heaps had been made, where the bodies would soon be cremated.
Milo felt bile rise up as he watched the butchery. He was infinitely glad his protective mask filtered out the ash coming from the piles… Though it did little to diminish the smell of burnt flesh.
The young monster hunter of course knew that the total eradication of the Mamono within Kharstein needed to happen if the Order wished to fully reclaim this once prosperous city. Their demonic mana already had seeped into the very fabric of the city, making the place little more than a death trap to any human who entered the demonic realm… He just wished it had never come to this to begin with.
Take away the ears and tails and a lot of these Mamono wouldn't be mistaken for average civilians…
These thoughts of course never went above mere errant ponderings. What years of service to the Order, as well as what had greeted their cohort upon laying siege to the castle city of Kharstein… No, there were no 'innocents' in this war. Milo wasn't so innocent or naïve to believe such anymore.
"You alright Kautz?" his partner Jacob looked across at him from atop his own steed. The man's voice was muffled though from the beak like mask he wore, two equally tired eyes stared back at him from beneath the glass lenses.
Milo waved his long time friend off, "Yeah… I'm fine. Just… Processing it all."
Jacob nodded in turn, most likely feeling much the same revulsion at the massacre happening all around them.
They had both served under the Order for many years together now, both starting out as mere guardsmen, only to eventually grow into differing life paths within the Order. Jacob was pinned immediately for leadership material and sent through rigorous Officer Cadet training at the Academy at Shelford. He led his men with both an iron will and bravery to match any Hero, while being able to form tactics to win the battle. His rather bulky blue uniform barely held his enlarged muscles and dashing face beneath his mask. If he wasn't already engaged Milo was certain he would have the pick for any dance partner he so chose at a nobles' ball.
Milo on the other hand had been selected for a less glorious and more… Intensive tutoring in the Order's Monster Hunter brigade. Under the strict guidance of his master he had been tasked with the subjugation of many arcane and unique Mamono the military wouldn't be able to handle, or a Hero wasn't available to vanquish. This normally meant he was practically alone in each battle, but in this case he could rely upon Jacob to have his back. Though in stark contrast to the Order's blues and whites Milo's outfit stood out in the opposite direction; a dark grey overcoat festooned with all manner of anti-mono gear hid a rather lanky frame. The near midnight black cape and hood covered the Hunter's choice of attire, matched together with his flatter beak mask, it was a wonder he hadn't been mistaken for a Mamono yet.
"It's certainly different from how it was back then…" Jacob looked wistfully up at the red and black night sky, "At least we'll be reclaiming lands from these foul beasts."
Milo nodded in turn, though not willing to vocally share his companion's sentiment, he did agree that Humanity seemed to finally be taking it's step forwards into righting the world of the wrongness that had befallen them for millennium.
While many of those had been spent on the defensive in the eternal war against the forces of the Demon Lord, it wasn't until several new inventions had turned the tide. Many had called these new ground breaking devices the beginning of a new age for Humanity, claiming that the inventors had been given such inspirations by the Chief Goddess herself!
…Such falsehoods… For if that were true, then why did those that donned the anti-mono gear appear as fiends in the firelight of this burning city?
Milo's introspection was halted as one such fiend, donned in the bulky mask and colourful uniform of a frontline rifleman, ran up to the two's horses and saluted "Message Suhs! 'From the Col'nel!"
"Out with it soldier, and don't go saluting in the bloody field! You'll mark us for a sniper damn you!" Jacob let some of his officer's discipline return to his tone, though Milo guessed that was more an excuse to act terse with the unlucky private, neither of them were really quite in the mood to be sent forth.
To his credit the private seemed unfazed by the dressing down his Captain had given him. Though, perhaps that was just hidden beneath the gas mask. "Sir! Colonel Briggs is ordering all available assets to be relocated to the West keep entrance, the final assault will proceed at 2200."
Milo gripped the reins of his horse with white knuckles, it was going to be a long night still, and it seemed that not enough blood had filled the gutters quite yet…
"Madam! The Humans have nearly breeched the gates!"
Lady Camilla von Kharstein, First born among her night kin, mistress of a legion of undead and regent over the city to which took her family's name, was infuriated.
No, that wasn't quite specific enough, she was downright shivering with rage at what the Human vermin had done to HER city!
From her balcony the vampire lord of the Mamono city watched as even more fires took hold in the streets. From the sound of clashing steel and roars in the distance there were still pockets of her forces fighting fang and talon, resisting the surprisingly proficient Humans.
The marble railing she gripped cracked beneath her talon like nails as she witnessed whole blocks be set ablaze in the wanton destruction set forth by the Order and their brutes.
Embers from the destruction below swept past her long platinum blonde hair as a thermal of hot air swept past her. Blood red eyes glared down at the troops currently battering the heavy wooden gates of her citadel.
This cannot be! Camilla seethed, Humans were no more than mere cattle! Only fit to be our husbands, if they were even worthy of that!
The anxious fidgeting of her werewolf lieutenant brought her back from her dark and bloody thoughts of revenge. "W-what are your orders? My lady…?"
Inhaling the smoky air nearly caused the vampire to gag, but she used it to calm her boiling blood. She held her breath for a moment before exhaling through her nose… To the terrified pup her mistress appeared almost like a fire breathing dragon as she blew out the smoke.
Then a wicked grin crossed Camilla's face, flashing her set of pin pointed fangs, "Seek out Maleficent, and have her bring her 'toys' up from her shop. I think it's high time we show these Order fanatics what it means to cross a Kharstien! AH HAHAHA" The lady of the castle howled at the burning sky with glee at the thought of crushing these rotten invaders.
The werewolf left in as much of a hurry as she could with her tail tucked between her legs as she ran. Even on the best of days her Mistress unnerved her… But when she cackled it only meant nothing but pain to those unfortunate to cross her.
As the Mamono fled to fulfill her master's orders a set of hazel eyes followed the interaction from beginning to end. The Kikimora maid stood off to the side with a worried frown upon her face. "Madam…"
Without turning to face her Camilla spoke, sending a shiver up the beast woman's spine with how cold she now sounded, "What is it Diana?"
Clutching her hands to her chest the maid approached her mistress, "I-I worry about you my Lady. I worry about what might happen to you and Maria should these Humans prevai-"
"No mortal will best me!" Camilla whipped around, fangs bared in a hiss, "Never!"
The fluff of the Kikimora quaked as Diana bowed her head in difference to her master. "I-I mean no disrespect! I m-merely don't want to see you in anguish again… It breaks my heart to see you like this. It hurts ever so…"
A gentler expression cut through the rage Camilla was engulfed in, she looked again at her most loyal maid without the hatred clouding her eyes. She stepped towards her servant, Diana wasn't of nobility, but she was perhaps the closest being the lady of the night would have called a friend. A gentle hand stroked the brown hair atop the smaller woman's head while the other whipped away a few tears that rolled down the girl's face.
"No harm will befall me like that terrible night, I know it won't, because I know that I can entrust my dearest maid to keep my treasure safe."
Diana suddenly overwhelmed with emotion at how much her master trusted and cared about her reached out and grabbed Camilla's dress in a deep hug. She didn't have the words to convey how she felt, but as the Vampire Lord continued to stroke the top of her head she knew that the message had been received.
"I won't fail you mistress. I'll serve you until my dying breath."
A light chuckle, like a chime, came through the hand. "My wish is that doesn't happen for a very long time Diana."
Milo entered the officer's tent alongside Jacob. The other occupants of the tent briefly raised their heads at their entrance, but quickly lost much of their interest as they saw it wasn't someone of any higher station or even an enemy infiltrator. There was one exception though, and the man strode up to the pair, both of whom snapped to attention and saluted as the older man approached.
"Good evening Gentlemen, we haven't much time, so I'll brief you on your mission's specifics myself."
Colonel Brigg, otherwise known as Ironjaw Brigg, was a man of little patience for the politicking prevalent in the older generations of Order commanders. Often he spoke in as direct a fashion he could, striking at the heart of the conversation to get his point through. This was both a boon and a bane, as his no-nonsense attitude won the respect of his subordinates, but usually rubbed those with inflated egos the wrong way. It was a shame his career was sidelined for the longest time due to this drawback, however it was now apparent that it had been a mistake to backbench a man of his talents. A mistake that had nearly cost the capitol a few years back, had Brigg not stepped in to lead the troops.
He was shorter than most, but made up for it in spades with grit and determination, it was also rumored that the Colonel was actually a descendant of the practically extinct Dwarfs, though any who brought the subject up soon found themselves on the frontlines digging trenches… With their mess kits.
The Colonel led the pair off to the side where a map of the fortress was draped over an old store sign. Leaning over the map Milo saw that it was actually the sign itself that was the map, at one point it must have been set up for tourist Mamono. There was even a 'you are here!' with a heart shaped arrow pointing to a town square that no longer existed. Though judging by the lewd labels of some of the previous stores and attractions the market place was better off as ashes.
Brigg jammed a root thick finger down on the 'map' where the center was the main citadel. "Our forces are about ready to bring down that damned hell fortress' main gate. We expect heavy resistance upon breeching, but nothing a few whiffs of grapeshot can't solve if they decide to counter attack."
"You can count on my men and I to be the vanguard on such a mission, Sir!" Jacob's enthusiasm earned him a nod from his superior.
"Good, I need men I can rely on to hold the line. Our intelligence spooks seem to think there were far too few heavy hitters in the forces we've encountered inside the city's walls, thus we believe they're being held in reserve deep inside those walls for a breakout. We're talking Red Oni, High Orcs, and Ogres. A palisade is already being set up as we speak, retreat to it if there's a danger of being overwhelmed."
Jacob nodded in agreement of the plan, already formulating his choice of squads to lead the charge.
The Colonel then looked up sharply at Milo this time. His mask upon his lower face hid his mouth, but Milo could tell his lips were drawn in a tight line as he sized the Hunter up and down. A frown evident on his brow as he judged Milo's stature. "I want your input on how to use your… Skills. You seem more of the 'scaring little children' type than a blunt force instrument."
Milo had to blink at that statement, not from offence at what the Colonel had said about him, but rather from the lack of his knowledge on his abilities. "Sir, did my Order branch not issue you my portfolio?"
A grunt was his reply, as Brigg brought out a folder from a nearby table. "Nothing in it specified your full range of abilities, nor how to best place you into my grand plan."
Taking a look at the contents, and the messily scribbled notes and half tangents Milo let out a frustrated sigh. "Ah. Yes, unfortunately my superior does tend to skip the 'finer' details a lot, usually I'm there to assist her book keeping, but…"
"Agh, don't have time for that shit, just give me the rundown. I have a battle to finish here."
Taking that as his cue Milo pushed back his cape to reveal a literal arsenal strapped to his chest along two bandoliers. Even the Colonel couldn't help but let out a low whistle at the sight of the collection of guns, knives, and bombs carried on the leather straps. On his right hip he carried a small box with a faintly glowing aura, while on his left held a saber with a red leather grip.
"Damn, didn't think you the type to go showing off the 'goods' to your boss as an introduction Milo!" Jacob snickered behind his gauntlet like a pre-pubescent.
Milo turned a bright red beneath his mask, quickly putting the cape back into its original position, though not before digging out his glowing box. "Go fuck a cactus Jacob!"
"Sorry can't, Lisa is waiting back home for me to return with my pecker unpierced."
"Gentlemen! Get a grip god damn it! This is a war room, not the locker room!" The Colonel appeared toughly annoyed at having his time wasted so.
The Hunter had the decency to at least appear contrite, bowing slightly. "Sorry Sir. Ahem, well to answer your question; I'm capable of operating independently, mixed into a unit of spell slingers, or have me tackle any Arcane types of Mamono."
Brigg looked genuinely interested in the latter, "Oh? And why is that?"
Bringing up the box to eye level Milo began to open it, "Because of this…"
As soon as the small rune covered box opened up the air inside the tent became noticeably more lighter. The heavy atmosphere normally present due to the saturation of Demonic Energy lifted, causing everyone not currently paying attention to twist their heads in confusion at the sudden shift. Only a second later Milo shut the box before it took on more mana than it could handle.
"Fascinating… This tiny box could purify this whole room in just an instant?" Brigg eyed up the small bauble, no doubt imagining it's implementation on the battlefield. "This is Marvelous! Why hasn't the Order made a million of these already?"
"Because it's actually more like a bomb, Sir." At this the officer stepped back immediately, his face paling as he looked at the box with caution now. "It collects Demonic Energy in the surrounding area, so it doesn't 'purify' anything, just stores it for later. It's core is also… A bit unstable, meaning it's not yet ready for mass production."
Colonel Brigg calmly assessed the new information, though he did seem to have an idea spark in his mind, "I see, it's a damn shame about the little thing's limits. But, I think I have an idea on how to use it, and you, for this next battle." With that the commander laid out his plan.
Diana hurried down flights of stairs and along winding corridors, her trek through the castle made infinitely more troublesome as the normally empty halls were filled with Mamono of all shapes and sizes. At one point she was nearly crushed when a cyclops backed into her, pinning her against the thick stone walls. The giant Mamono quickly apologized and bowed before she shuffled along with the rest of her cohort to the main gate. The Kikimora took a moment to catch her breath when she had found an alcove to hide in.
"Wow! Can't believe my eyes! It's Ana! What's a little pup like you doing all by your lonesome~?"
The maid recognized that high pitched taunting voice anywhere, immediately she snapped her head up to see a practically nude girl surrounded by sticky black tendrils, each tipped with an orange eyeball matching the single one on the girl's face. The Gazer wore a self smug grin as she floated in the middle of the hall.
"…What do you want Herma?" Diana slowly began to inch her way around the other girl and out of the Alcove.
"Oooh yoouu knoow! Just going to the battle out there and not being a useless mud servant, cowering behind in the shadows," Herma leered down at Diana.
A few other Mamono past by in the hall, but due to the position the Gazer had put her appendages she had nearly blocked the alcove off from view.
"Well… Good for you then, I'll be rooting for you along with everyone else." Diana could feel the sweat start to bead on her forehead beneath her hairband.
"Oh, I'll be sure to bag myself a good hunk of meat while I'm out there. One just ripe for some thorough mind fucking! I'm already slick with just the thought of twisting his mind into a fuckable meat puppet!"
On some deeper level Diana envied her childhood bully in her chance at grabbing a 'husband', however her more rational part of her brain knew that such a 'marriage' between two individuals was twisted and cruel. To find a life partner and then to reduce him to a drooling vegetable was anything but what the maid wished for herself. She would find a proper 'Master', one noble and kind much like Lady Camilla, who cherished her and genuinely loved her for what she was, she was sure she'd find one someda-
"WOW! lul you actually believe in that dripple!" It was then the Kikimora realized that her mind was on full display for the black haired Mamono. A wave of embarrassment at having her inner most private thoughts violated shook her. She hugged herself closer, dropping to the floor as she let out a shrill cry.
Several orange eyed tentacles lowered to the sobbing girl's level, taking in her handiwork at tormenting the runt. Herma licked her lips as she savored the sight of the small Kikimora curling into a shivering ball on the ground. "You know, no man is ever gonna find you attractive! You puny excuse for a Kikimora! You'll grow old, become barren, and die like a forgotten doll!"
Diana wept as her tormenter continued to jeer at her. She wished to get away, far away from this evil Mamono. She wished these words didn't hurt her so. She wished to be near Camilla once more, like a child wishing to be close to her mother."
"Weelll, I say that, but if you're already gonna be nothing more than a doll to be tossed to the gutter… Why not let me wipe your brain for you? Think about it~ You'll be just an empty shell for me and my future husband to play with~ We'll make sure to use you in all sorts of fun ways too-"
A wet smack echoed through the hallway, some of the nearby Mamono had started to take notice of the Gazer's little rant in the corner, but it wasn't them that had hit the one eyed girl. Diana's red and puffy eyes shone with an immense hatred and defiance, a similar enflamed red hand mark had appeared on Herma's face.
"You…" Herma refocused her eyes back on the shaking ball of fluff and feathers, a hand reaching up to touch the stinging mark, "You're dead."
Before the Gazer could lunge at the curled up Mamono, a massive paw grabbed hold of the girl's head. The fur was as deep a black as the rotten girl's ooze, though a deep red flame shot out the sides of two very angry eyes.
"So this is where you ran off to, Herma?" The Hellhound's voice was deep enough that each syllable sounded like a growl, "You were supposed to be in our group half an hour ago!"
"B-Bielka I-I-I can ex-explain!" The bravado Herma seemed to have before vanished like the hot steam that radiated from the fiery grip her skull was held in.
"Good, because you'll be doing so in front of the captain when we meet her. Now let's go." The Hellhound looked down at the stunned Kikimora maid at her feet, with a shrug she used her free arm to pull Diana up to her feet. "Sorry about my little shit of a junior here. I'll be sure to pay her back for you later on!" With a wink and a toothy grin the two walked (or rather dragged) themselves further down the hall.
At first Diana didn't know what to do after the events that had just transpired. She felt emotionally drained and wanted to find a different spot to sit down and cry in… But she had an important mission to accomplish, and there would be plenty of time to deal with this fresh trauma later once the battle was over.
So wiping her face with the sleeves of her maid uniform the gentle Mamono gallantly continued to go further into the depths of the castle. Unaware that a new set of eyes followed her throughout her journey.
Milo clung to the shadows with as much grace as he could muster. Each footstep was carefully planned, so as to not elicit any creaking from the floor; though the lavish carpets and rugs lined the ancient hallways, noise of a floorboard could be as deadly as any trap. The young man recalled something his master had said, about in the lands of the East where a Lord's castle had been specifically designed to echo the footsteps of any intruder.
Progress so far had been slow, as a result of keeping his movements as stealthy as possible. With how he scale the sheer cliffs of the citadel's walls, and finding shelter every time a patrol of monster woman approached, he felt no closer to his objective than when he started.
Though Milo kept his attention focused mainly on staying alive and unmolested, the additional time by himself led him to recall what Jacob had said to him before he left.
The two had just left the Colonel's tent, each mulling over their assigned tasks. It wasn't long before the main assault, but they had a spare minute to prepare, the first order of which was to fix the rumbling inside their stomachs as they walked by an impromptu field kitchen.
"Hey Milo, let's give a moment to slay this growling in our stomachs before we slay anything else tonight!" The boisterous gauffle Jacob made at his own joke only slightly spread to Milo's on face.
"Sure thing Jacob, could use something to warm me up."
The mess tent was a busy hive of activity. Inside several priests continuously chanted their canticles of holy purification, their prayers keeping the ever present miasma of the Demon Realm at bay long enough to sustain the troops inside for a meal. Their low murmuring of praise to the Chief Goddess was overshadowed by the ruckus of nearly three dozen other men and women cramming as much of the hot rations as they could down their gullet. For many it would most likely be their last meal.
The pair joined the line and soon found themselves sitting at the officer's table. Normally said table was the shining example of the Nobility within the Order's forces, this time however it seemed the ragged faces and hollowed eyes matched those of their men so much so that Milo at first thought they had found the wrong spot.
As it was safe to do so both men removed their protective gear, as it was nearly impossible to eat with the gas mask on. Milo casually looked across at his longtime friend and quirked an eyebrow.
"Jacob, you might want to wipe your face off, you've got a caterpillar on you lip there."
The muscular man reached up to rub the blonde mustache and twist the ends up into place, "And a fine caterpillar it is! I've been growing it for months now under that blasted beak! Ha! I think it gives me a rather dashing look, wouldn't you say?"
Milo removed his own mask, the owl shaped beak did not reveal any similar facial hair, in fact Milo had taken his own personal hygiene fairly seriously as his narrow features were cleanly shaven. Not a hair out of place.
Milo's rather gaunt and glum looking face was hardly remarkable, neither admittedly as dashing as Jacob's, nor as youthful and spry as some of the fresh faced recruits. The dark shadows clinging to the underside of the man's eyes betrayed the abnormal sleep schedule of a nocturnal Monster Hunter. Taking a comb out of a pocket Milo set about fixing his dark hair into place. A smirk lightly curled the thin lips underneath his long hooked nose.
"I say, 'Does Lisa approve' of her man collecting a fuzzy lip?" At this Jacob slightly deflated, as he more than likely never told his fiancée about his stylistic choice. But, who knows, maybe the woman liked being kissed by a tooth brush?
Jacob was about to retort before another platter had been dumped right beside them. The empty seat soon filled with a white robbed figure.
"Fancy meeting you two here." Adella a Priestess of the Order scooched into her spot. Her platter nearly bursting with sweets of every kind, she said those sorts of foods kept her mana up, but Milo guessed she just had a sweet tooth instead.
"Hey Pickle, how's life?" Jacob grinned as he slapped the woman on the back, the force of which nearly sending her straight into the table.
"HEY!" Adella knocked the offending hand back, "I thought I told you to stop calling me that!"
"What, don't like a dill pickle?" the Captain of the Guard giggled like a school girl. "I thought you loved them after we rescued you from nearly being turned into one. Those slimes were just about to bottle you up in a giant jar and pickle you! Ha!"
Adella shot him a death glare, "Jacob, so help me Goddess, if you mention that low point in my life one more time! …I'll shave your hair off and turn you into a monk!"
Sensing that if he left the two to threaten each other further someone would eventually act upon their words, Milo stepped in with a question to Adella.
"So, last we heard you were off in the desert on a mission, building wells and churches, why are you back here now?"
"I was sent here to relieve some of the old timers that couldn't keep up with the ritual for this joint. The Order did send their best foot forwards for this mission, but some of those feet belong to elderly men and women, some of them need a rest once in a while." Adella shrugged under her robes, "What have you two been up to without me?"
The next few minutes were spent retelling some of the two's recent adventures, leaving out some of the more unsavory details. If the wide eyed and slack jawed expression from the Priestess was anything to go by they did a pretty decent jaw at storytelling. Perhaps later after things had calmed down they should write their deeds down and publish them?
"You slayed a dragon?!"
Milo and his friend both shared a grin at that, "Well, we certainly didn't 'lay', unlike how some stories go." Jacob snickered at the horrible joke.
"B-B-but! How?!" The dumbfounded girl cried out, she stuffed a baked pastry in her wide open mouth as she waited for an answer.
"Well, it wasn't easy so to say," Jacob twirled his mustache, "We nearly died as well in that beast's lair. If it wasn't for my dashing good looks-"
"-And a few explosives set in the roof of the cave, by yours truly-"
"Then once the time was right we brought the whole damn mountain down on top of her!"
Adella ran her fingers through her amber locks as she tried to imagine such a foolhardy and dangerous stunt paying off. "By the Goddess's tits!"
Milo shrugged it off as no big deal, but in reality that fight had nearly been an impossible task to complete and they had gone on the mission fully expecting it to be a suicide run. Had the fuse not been any shorter or had the two tripped on their escape it would have been a very short story to never tell again. The Order's top ranks seemed to be damn impressed by the feat as well, as it had earned Jacob his promotion to Captain and granted Milo his sealing box as rewards.
The pair would have told more of their heroics, but the time was fast approaching. Shoving the rest of the meat and potatoes down their gullets they thanked the cooking staff and made for the frontlines.
Before they left Adella approached them near the tent flap, "I'm glad to have both of you here tonight. I'm sure we'll win it now if either of you show half of the grit I know you both have!"
Donning their signature avian masks the two Humans looked at each other, sharing a silent agreement both nodded at the Priestess. Both simultaneously brought their thumbs up in a pose, their backs to back, the corny display was capped with their maxim. "You can count on us! Day or night, we'll swoop in to save the day!"
A moment of silence passed as Adella stared dumbfounded at the duo, their ridiculous act stunning her for a few seconds… Before the girl burst into merry laughter. "Oh my Goddess! You two are just full of it! Now I know I shouldn't be worried if you're acting this dumb!" Rushing forwards Adella spread her arms and barely managed to catch the two into a hug, "Still though, be careful. I want to hear more of your tall tales when you get back."
With a free arm Jacob managed to pat the girl on her head, tussling the hairs with his massive mitts, "We'll be sure to tell you as many as you want. We'll be back before you know it!" The grin was hidden beneath his bone white mask, but Milo could feel it none the less radiate from beneath it.
Now Milo was skulking though the shadows like a common thief, it was hardly the most captivating or riveting of stuff, but when he was done with his work he was sure to join in the battle proper. Perhaps then he could tell of some heroic act much like how his friend had done, the way Adella's eyes lit up at the tales of guts and glory seemed to stoke a small heat in his chest.
He steadily increased his pace as he made his way down a wide and long corridor, eager to fulfill his mission and find something to fight later.
As if to answer his prayers for battle something out of the corner of his vision shifted.
Had Milo not immediately dodged to the side he would have been crushed by a stone gray talon that fell into the floor. The monster tisked as it withdrew it's fist from the shattered floorboards. It's glowing purple eyes shined against it's grey stone skin, they eyed the Hunter up with a hunger.
"Are you lost little boy?" The Gargoyle cooed, "This area is off limits to only my Mistress and those of her inner circle… But if you want, I can show you a much more interesting inner circle to explore~"
Milo felt disgust at the magical beast trying to seduce him in such a manner, "Go jump off the roof you shitty statue. Like I'd ever lay with a pile of rubble," he sneered under his mask.
"Now that's just a shame…" The Gargoyle shook her head in frustration, "I might actually break a few of your limbs now before I bed you." A predatory glint flashed in her eyes for a split second, in a moment later she appeared just in front of Milo. The acceleration seeming impossible for someone made entirely of stone.
"But sometimes you need to break a wing to keep the little birdy from flying away!"
Another fist flew straight at Milo's mask, the speed and force of the displaced air rippling his cape. The Human dashed backwards again, keeping out of reach as the Mamono struck several more blows in, none of which seemed to connect. This repeated many more times; the Gargoyle would snap a fist out expecting to grab a hold of her new husband, then the owl masked Human would slip backwards just out of reach.
Unnaturally for a being made out of a solid substance the Gargoyle's rather large chest heaved with each labored breath she was making. It seemed that although the magical creature could reach ludicrous speeds, sustaining multiple attacks drained her of both stamina and mana. To be blunt, she lacked any stamina to keep it up.
"SIT STILL AND LET ME POUND YOU ALREADY!"
"…As you wish." Abruptly Milo halted his retreat and stood stock still, a sitting target for the stone fist that came directly at his chest.
The Gargoyle cackled as she finally had this slippery Human in her… Grasp? Confusion crossed her face as she stared with eyebrows raised at how her fist, which should have broken a few ribs and sent the capped man into a wall, was stuck inside the grey overcoat the Hunter wore.
"W-what the?" The Mamono pilled her fist from the figure, which made no move whatsoever at the contact, it even felt like her hand did even meet any resistance to begin with. "What trickery is this!"
"Illusion magic you dumbass."
From up above a bird of prey leapt from the rafters, it's fall more akin to the silent swoop of the creature it's skull it bore. Its' prey didn't even have enough time to realize she had been lead into an ambush before Milo Kautz was upon her. With a crash the Gargoyle landed with her face in the velvet carpet, the impact slamming her jaw shut on her tongue. A few teeth and a stone chunk that was most likely the tip of her tongue scattered along the floor. The Mamono let out a pained cry as it tasted unnatural blood on her ruined mouth.
There was the sound of something being upholstered from the Human's garb, then a cold metallic ring was placed against Amethyst's head.
"Tell me, I've never seen what the inside of a statue's head looks like, care to oblige my curiosity?"
The Mamono screamed in terror before a miniature explosion rocked through her skull. Stone chunks and something that was probably meant to hold her essence were blasted across the empty corridor. The Gargoyle's once powerful limbs grew still as the life that had kept her together for the centuries vanished into thin air.
"Ah… It's hollow on the inside. How dull."
With that, Milo rose from the corpse and reloaded his sawn off shotgun. He dusted himself off before gathering his bearings. Others might have heard the fight or the shot, stealth was going to be harder to maintain now that his presence was known.
"Oh well, makes my job easier if my prey comes to me instead."
As the Mamono Hunter carried on his steps into the keep a lone figure was slumped up against a pillar hidden from view. She tightly clasped her mouth in fear that any muffled terrified squeaks would bring the Daemon back. Hot tears ran down the hands and onto feathered cuffs.
The maid had seen only the end of the fight, after the initial loud crash had drawn her attention to the hallway. She never should have went alone to investigate the noise! Now she was in the same area as a Monster murdering lunatic!
Fighting down the panic threatening to overwhelm her, Diana steadied her quaking body enough to stand back up. Her feet wobbled beneath her, but she had to go find help! After all, further down the corridor led to her Mistress's bed chambers and-
"Oh, would you mind if I asked you for some directions, I seem to be a little lost."
Diana's body was gripped by dread as she looked up to see the white mask of an owl's skull leering over her. It was already too late. She was dead.
With a blink Diana the Kikimora's vision went black.
Post Author's Notes:
There will more than likely be a few questions in regards to the setting of this story, and I will try to do my utmost explain a few story relevant things! ...That is until just before we get into spoiler territory. Some questions I can not answer, but feel free to comment regardless if you're curious, or have some critique! I personally love feedback and stoking the flames of curiosity!
The world of MGE tends to vary depending upon which of the officially released cannons, or even fan made cannons, you chose to follow as fact. I will say this story takes place within the Official MGE universe, though I have toned things up or down in a way to balance things; i.e. there are no 'insta win' conditions for powers, and the overwhelming seductive powers of the Mamono aren't taken to be literally powerless against it, and instead follow the Japanese translation of 'It's just that damn good that you won't be able to think of anything else.' Many things were missed in the English version, such as this, and as a result hyperbole on the powers of Mamono tend to create 'no win' scenarios. Though, depending on the fanfic that could be just what that author intended, as MGE is basically just porn at the root of it all. After all, brainwashing and femdom are fetishes quite prevalent in MGE. So while yes that does happen in this world, it's not like you can't fight against it from happening.
This tale takes place roughly half a century after the fall of Lescatie. Technology has advanced to 19th century levels, with gunpowder and steam engines being used by Humans to help match up against the Mamono! Yes, there are reasons why such a leap in tech has happened, and no I won't tell as that would ruin the surprise! ;)