Hello people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. This episode is going to be a good one; Fighter is going to get just about every awesome treatment she got in the rest of my work in one package, minus the delicious loving she gets from our main man, Ranger...or is she? Well, one thing's for sure: I built up some things last time, and I have every intention of delivering.
Review Response: For once, I've got nothing to say here; everything you said speaks for itself Engineer...
Actually...fun fact: in the 1st part of Year One, I was going to have Fighter get her leg hurt by having it pinned under the dead hob, but I like what I actually did better so...I might as well have done it with A.C.'s leg. The same goes for Warrior cutting up a fallen tree, but R.W. doing it makes more sense. So...there's that.
In the North, Hero and company were going through the ruins of an ancient castle, that actually goes underground. When they got deep enough, they found a handful of dead goblins that lacked any injuries.
"There's only one person we know that does that..." Sage said seriously.
"Uh, ladies? You may want to go into this stealthily." Cherub said as the team pulled their swords, then went in deeper...and found a band of adventurers feasting at a table with a large kettle in the middle being stirred by Berserker.
"What the-?" Hero asked.
"Aren't you glad I'm with you?" Cherub asked with pride.
"Now, and beforehand." Sage said.
"Hey, didn't you watch out for Ranger once?" Sword Saint asked.
"Yep, and FYI...the Sword Maiden herself watches out for him and his team now." Cherub said.
"Lucky them..." Hero said.
"No kidding. Now...you should go out there, and...you might want to go forward carefully." Cherub said before vanishing, the three then engaged the adventurers led by Berserker, who spotted the three ladies.
"Ah, join us Sword-Sisters." He said as the rest greeted them.
"Thanks, but we're not hungry." Sword Saint said.
"I am!" Hero said as she rushed over to the kettle and looked inside.
"Freshly-hunted boar and elk. Shot them both dead myself." One of the women, Huntress said.
"Carrots and tomatoes galore I see..." Hero said as Berserker gave her a bowl-full, and Hero sat down to eat...then kept going after the first bite.
"Sheesh, you are hungry." Sage said.
"Even if I wasn't, this is good stuff." Hero said barely taking time between bites.
"May I ask what's up with those goblins outside?" Sword Saint asked.
"Ah, they were reaped by our revenant friend in that room over there." Huntress said as she pointed to a room behind them.
"You have a revenant with you?" Sword Saint asked as Hero snapped her head up.
"Aye, he was here this whole time. Keeps to himself, and lets us do our own business." Berserker said.
"Good bit of business that...don't know if I could eat around a dead guy." Another man said.
"Speak for yourself. He's not even dead." Huntress said.
"Close enough..." The man said.
"Well, we've literally been to Hell; good luck spoiling our appetites." Hero said as she offered her bowl back to Berserker, who gave her seconds.
"Oh whatever, give me some as well." Sage said as she sat down for some stew. Sword Saint then went to the room, and lo and behold...she saw Elder Revenant meditating with a live goblin in a cage in front of him.
"You?" Sword Saint said as the undead man looked at her.
"Hello..." Elder Revenant said as the goblin stirred then grabbed the cage while snarling, making Sword Saint pull her sword.
"Why do you have that little monster in a cage?" She asked.
"Because I plan on using it as a sacrifice to the Death God, to get these souls out of my possession." Elder Revenant said.
"Sage told me a bit about that...but why bother giving only a handful of souls to the Death God?" Sword Saint asked.
"Simple: I have more than a handful." Elder Revenant said before the goblin tried to break out of the cage. "Squirm all you wish; you've been in that cage for the better part of an hour, and I have no more sympathy for you then I did before." The goblin kept shaking the cage before Elder Revenant kicked the cage hard enough to knock the goblin down. "Don't make me come in there!"
"Why haven't you sacrificed it yet?" Sword Saint asked.
"Because when those adventurers leave, I will summon the Death God. I would do it now, but an encounter with the Death God isn't for the faint of heart; not many can stomach the idea of meeting the one who will sever your connection to this world." Elder Revenant said.
"Right. Those people outside complained about having to eat in the same room with a dead man." Sword Saint said.
"The feeling is mutual. Seeing them feast reminds me of what I am missing , despite the fact that not requiring food, drink, or sleep is quite liberating." Elder Revenant said.
"What?" Sword Saint asked before being looked at seriously. "I get what you mean, but...that's quite a perspective." Elder Revenant simply hummed in response. "May I ask what other perks come with being undead?"
"I can use all of my strength without tiring, unlike a living body. I need not fear injury, or death, since I'm already dead, and that also means I do not age." Elder Revenant said.
"May I ask how old you are?" Sword Saint asked.
"5,000 years, perhaps even older. Time has little meaning to a revenant." Elder Revenant said.
"I can understand that. May I ask how strong you are?" Sword Saint asked and her undead companion looked right at her.
"The last revenant that came to this country was a match for the Hero you travel with, and there are no revenants greater than myself. None that traveled to more worlds or countries than myself either. Heaven, Hell, the Astral Plane, the Abyss, the Void, the Realm of Chaos, the Realm of Harmony, none but myself went to all of them." Elder Revenant said and Sword Saint stood there breathing hard.
"How are you not Platinum Ranked?" She asked.
"I am not an adventurer; I never was." Elder Revenant said simply.
"Have you reaped the Sword Maiden and Storm Mage?" Sword Saint asked.
"No. The Death God took them to Heaven himself." Elder Revenant said.
"I see...well, nice talking to you...I guess." Sword Saint said as she went to leave the room.
"Wait...why are you asking me these things?" Elder Revenant asked.
"Curiosity..." Sword Saint said.
"And the rest of your intent?" Elder Revenant asked.
"Am I not allowed to know about a possible ally?" Sword Saint asked seriously.
"We are not allies. We are not even friends; who could be a friend to death itself?" Elder Revenant asked and Sword Saint stood there thinking. "I may have more respect for the living than the other one, but regardless...life does not appeal to me as much as it did to him. Why do you think I have been a revenant for this long? Because like him, the dead's fates concern me, yours...does not." Elder Revenant turned from her to eyeball the captive goblin, as Sword Saint looked them both over nervously...then she left the two alone.
After their training, Ranger and Fighter quickly checked on their baby who was still asleep, then went to their room with a bucket of water, and a pair of towels to clean each other off, and as usual, took their sweet time doing it, and were as through as ever. They didn't touch each other beyond simply using their fingers to get a stubborn piece of dirt off every now and then; they got most of the intimacy out of their systems during their training. When they were done, they laid down on top of the blankets, with Fighter pressing her breasts into her husband's side as he held her tightly. They then simply laid there inhaling each others scents, and basking in each other's warmth, and leftover moisture while shifting and rubbing their bodies together, especially Fighter herself.
"Happy Mother's Day..." Ranger whispered in her ear while caressing her freshly-washed hair, before she looked up at him smiling brightly.
"Thank you...my love and life." Fighter said dreamily before kissing him, then laying back down on his shoulder. She eventually ran her soft, but strong hand over his chest, abs, and sides.
"I will never stop being amazed how these hands can be so gentle, yet enable you to tear through dozens of vampires." Ranger said in awe as Fighter touched his face.
"These hands are as available to you, as the rest of my body is." Fighter said sensually as Ranger smiled then his face fell.
"Which of your arms was ripped off by the Cambion?" He asked.
"The one I used to touch you now..." Fighter whispered before Ranger held her right hand to his face.
"Remember the time we made love in that spring?" Ranger asked and Fighter trembled at the memory.
"I never want to forget..." She breathed out as Ranger chuckled.
"Then don't..." He whispered. She then grabbed the recaller, they both sat up, with her between his legs with his arms holding her belly, and they spent the next half an hour watching their moment in the spring. Fighter even touched herself where her husband did, especially her breasts and legs. He then noticed and took over as she let out one trembling breath after another, especially when he squeezed her breasts, let them go, which made them bounce, then he rubbed his hands all over them.
"I love you so much..." Fighter whispered before Ranger shook her breasts, making her giggle.
"As that moment shows, every second you spent moaning your lungs out? That's one second you spent with the man who loves you. I may not follow the Love Goddess excessively, but there is no denying her teachings about what interactions between bodies should be like. From the first moment, mine became yours, just as yours has been, and always will be mine..." Ranger said sensually while he rubbed up and down her body, from her shoulders, to her hips. to the sides of her butt, to her womanhood itself which made her gasp, and tremble as he rubbed her most sacred place with his fingers, making her moan softly and shift against him some more. "May whatever forces dare come between us..."
"Look upon the strength of our bond...and shatter against it..." Fighter said as Ranger stopped fingering her. "Do you see us Sword Maiden? I don't know what Storm Mage is doing for you, but...for blessing our marriage alone...you deserve all of what he has to offer." Ranger then brushed her hair away from her neck, licked, and sucked on it as Fighter chuckled and gasped in bliss...especially when he slowly, and lovingly, rubbed and fondled her breasts, especially from underneath, and the front. Sometimes, he even roughly gripped her breasts, but not too hard...never too hard.
"You remember how it felt? The warm water washing over you, my hands treating this lovely body like the treasure it is..." Ranger said.
"...And what masterful hands you have..." Fighter breathed out while leaning into him while the atmosphere clouded the entire moment; her head was swimming like a fish from the way her husband treated her, and how she remembered how he did in the past.
"And those times I mated with you..." Ranger said with his voice deepened making her let off a moan while her legs tensed and closed.
"Oh yes...the love you made to me was divine..." Fighter breathed out.
"And what a divine body you have to work with, made even more so by the passing of time, and I know you feel the same about mine...I'm sure the Love Goddess smiles on us both as much as the War God smiles on me when I crush goblins and demons in his name." Ranger said while continuing to massage her breasts, then went over her sides, and belly, then her thighs and hips, with her smiling and gasping all the while. Eventually, he raised her chin to kiss her, while she returned the passion while caressing his pecs before breaking the kiss, licking her lips. He then latched onto her mouth again, and they lashed tongues, while she pinched and rubbed the tip of his manhood as he sucked in one breath after another before stopping her...for obvious reasons.
"Wait...I have an idea. Make some underarmor, then...put it on." Fighter said while pointing to his manhood, then Ranger looked thoughtful.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Yes. Just make it dense so it doesn't tear, and thin enough so...it's not getting in the way." Fighter said, then Ranger grabbed his belt, morphed some underarmor around his manhood, and she stroked him a bit and he made it thinner until he sucked in a breath.
"That's it..." He whispered.
"Ready then?" Fighter asked, then Ranger answered her by stopping her strokes, then she smirked, and lowered herself onto him. She then slowly raised and lowered herself while pressing her luscious breasts into his upper chest as they both sucked in one breath after another while she held his shoulders, and her held her hips.
"So good..." Ranger breathed out as the goddess in his lap continuing going up and down slowly but steadily. One look from each other's half-opened eyes showed they had the same idea: the memory of their past mating sessions were as fresh as they could be; lust may have a place in this moment, but it was just there. About a minute of gasping and faint moaning later, Fighter removed herself from his manhood, looked over the rubber on it and saw it wasn't damaged.
"We should've done this before..." Fighter whispered.
"So much for abstinence prior to battle being vital..." Ranger teased.
"We're already past the point of no return, plus...I get more mana from this remember? So fucking me apparently helps in the end." Fighter said.
"Should we keep going until we climax?" Ranger asked as he ran his finger along her round cheek.
"Yes..." Fighter said before kissing him deeply as Ranger squeezed her butt. He then laid her on her back, remained between her legs, and started fucking her as slowly as before.
"When we deal with the Cambion...I want another baby." Fighter said seriously.
"Like I said before...I'll give you as many children as you want. Although, I can't see us with more than three." Ranger said honestly.
"Me neither, but...being a mother is the only thing I take more pride in than my father's teachings." Fighter said softly before Ranger rubbed her cheek.
"The same goes for me...only I'm not the one who gave birth." He said and got a scoff from his wife.
"No kidding." She said before Ranger picked up the pace and they both groaned as they climaxed before hugging each other. He then buried his face into her neck as his hold tightened.
"When you gave birth...I know why you were screaming, but...it really took a toll on me to hear that." He whispered.
"And you want another child in spite of that?" Fighter asked before Ranger looked her in the face.
"I had the opportunity to leave when I needed to, plus...I've seen your face when your mind was broken. FYI...it reminded me of the broken faces on those girls I slaughtered on our first quest. Dear Supreme, I never want to see you like that again." Ranger said while struggling to keep himself together, before she kissed him sweetly as he let her come up.
"Right here, right now...do you see anything broken?" Fighter asked softly.
"No..." Ranger whispered before Fighter smiled at him, which reminded him of the brightness he fell in love with as he looked up at her...then they mashed their lips together again as she caressed his faithfully-shaved face. The moment they pulled away, and looked at each other...their baby started crying.
"I'll see her...sorry for-" Ranger shuts her up by putting a finger on her lips.
"Go..spend some time with that beautiful little girl we were graced with..." Ranger whispered before Fighter morphed her underarmor, watched him remove his underarmor from his manhood...which was still intact so no fear of a too-soon pregnancy, and a few seconds later, Fighter came back holding their baby, then Ranger morphed a small crib for their baby...but first Fighter breastfed her for a while. The family then sat there in silence while Ranger watched his wife nurse their child. When she was content, the two parents stayed up with the baby until she went back to sleep, before laying down under the blankets. She then giggled as Ranger groped her butt.
"You just cannot help yourself can you...?" Fighter teased while her husband played with her flesh.
"Of course I can't...plus I get to hear that adorable giggle of yours." Ranger said before letting go of her butt, kissing her cheek, making her giggle even more, then snuggle into him even more.
"Good night..." Fighter said softly while Ranger caressed her smiling face.
"Good night...my beautiful wife." Ranger whispered before kissing her and holding her close before they went to sleep.
"We have a surprise for you." Warrior said before Wizard showed a brooch made of iron.
"What are those?" Fighter asked before Wizard gave her one.
"Put it on your collarbone." Wizard said and the moment Fighter put it on...she vanished.
"Whoa!" Fighter exclaimed as Ranger reached out to touch her, and he felt her arm, her shoulder, and even poked her cheek...dangerously close to her eye, before she took the brooch off.
"Oh, sorry!" Ranger exclaimed before Fighter held his hand.
"It's o.k. it's o.k..." She said.
"Anyway...this has got to be a whole new level of unfair." Rhea Fighter said.
"No kidding. But, it only cloaks you, not silences you. Need I say more?" Wizard asked.
"That is bound to come in handy...for one person." Wizard's brother said.
"We can put the enchantment on other things as well, and even give them an "off" function. You know tap it, you're invisible, tap it again, you're visible? And before you say anything: I legitimately didn't know this was a possibility until now; there is no way I would've let something this useful slip through my fingers if I knew it was a thing." Wizard said seriously.
"No kidding..." Fighter said.
"Regardless, it's in our hands now, and now's as good a time as any to put it to use. Now, where's Goblin Slayer, or should I say...the Goblin Slayers?" Ranger asked.
"At the spire getting their new rifle, and FYI, we took a look at it before we got you two...it's a doozy and a half." Warrior said.
"O...k..." Ranger said.
"Fighter, you and I should probably take a stroll through town to see what's what, while the rest of you check out that rifle. We'll use that beacon thingie if things get too nasty, or if something needs your attention specifically." Warrior said.
"Alright...and honey? Don't get too hard on miss Goblin Slayer." Fighter teased.
"I'm no more likely to do that than you are to rip a guy's jewels off for hitting on you." Ranger said and Fighter groaned.
"You're never going to let me forget those assholes at the weapon shop are you?" She asked.
"Considering you two sucked face afterwards, why would he?" Wizard teased.
"Oh shut it..." Fighter groaned and Wizard and Warrior snickered.
Cow Girl took some shots at some gel dummies with her new rifle. It now had a 20-bullet box in front of the trigger, and could even fire three bullets a second if she held the trigger. Her shotgun mod had the same feature...only it fired shells, not bullets.
"I...love this thing!" Cow Girl exclaimed.
"I'm glad-" She shuts GS up by yanking him into a kiss.
"But not as much as I love the goblin-killing jackass who dreamed this up for me." Cow Girl said dreamily.
"I'm not a jackass." GS said simply and Cow Girl lowered her head and chuckled.
"A truer word has never been spoken. Don't overthink it please." She said.
"Alright." GS said as Ranger, Wizard, and Priestess, the latter holding the baby, showed up, which made Cow Girl pull away from GS just as she was about to kiss him again.
"Please, don't stop on our part. Heaven knows none of us have virgin lips..." Wizard said which earned her some funny looks.
"Had to put it like that...?" Cow Girl asked as GS put his helmet on.
"Don't tell me you don't think that's poetic." Wizard said.
"What brings you here?" GS asked and Ranger looked at the new gun.
"I'd like to see what you can do with it." He said as Cow Girl pointed at some dummies, then he went to look over the damage.
"So...how'd I do?" Cow Girl asked as Ranger looked over one of the dummies
"If Dwarf Rifleman were here, he'd be green with envy, you completely riddled this one dummy with bullets all over the left side of his chest. Each shot, even by themselves is a kill; even if he was right next to a healer when he got shot, no one could save this guy. These two right here...? Neck shot, several chest shots...oh, here we have an interesting one. This goes right under the back of the skull, that's where the brain stem is. You sever that, this guy literally dies on his feet. This one's obvious...one shot through the eye, you're dead." Ranger said as he examined the dummies.
"Any advanced training you have in mind?" Cow Girl asked.
"As a matter of fact...I'm curious how that gun handles at long range." Ranger said.
"It handles fine." Cow Girl honestly.
"I mean long long range. As in, the "other side of a town" long." Ranger said and Cow Girl looked at him funny.
"Why on Earth would I want to do that? O.k...I get how useful that can be, but what are the chances-" GS cuts her off.
"The fact that the chance exists is enough. Just like with goblins, we should take every advantage we can get." He said.
"Be that as it may, it's better to have a skill and not need it than the other way around. Who knows? You might get a miscellaneous bonus out of it." Ranger said, which got Cow Girl's thinking.
"Well...I suppose picking off the big cheeses from a distance before the fight starts could give us an edge." She said.
"Lady...it is really apparent you're never had any military training; I'm not even a ranger and I can tell that's the case..." Wizard said dryly.
"I was just thinking out loud..." Cow Girl said honestly.
"To be fair, that is completely true." Ranger said before looking over the dummies, then spotted a small clearing in the distance, then pulled his portal gem. "Wait here..." Ranger then opened a portal, tossed the dummies into the clearing, through the portal, then went through it.
"Look through this scope." Wizard said as she attached one to Cow Girl's rifle, then she looked at the clearing...and saw Ranger setting up each dummy the way it was before. Then Ranger opened a portal back to the group.
"Alright...Wizard, did you-" She cuts him off.
"Yep, made that scope myself too." Wizard said with pride.
"Nice. Now...see those targets? Try to hit each in the head." Ranger said.
"From here?" Cow Girl asked in awe.
"Yes, and with that scope, it should be cake." Ranger said, then Cow Girl looked at GS who nodded, then she took aim.
"Steady your breath?" Ranger asked.
"That's easy." Cow Girl said.
"Hold the rifle snugly against your shoulder?" Ranger asked.
"That's easy too." Cow Girl said.
"Well, here's the part that's not. Try predicting where the shot will hit, and make the shot hit that spot, and no where else, and since your targets are further...the wind is against you, and so is gravity." Ranger said as Cow Girl groaned, then took several seconds before trying a shot.
"Damn...I hit the lower side when I aimed for the center." Cow Girl said.
"Try to compensate." GS said as Cow Girl got a grip, aimed and fired.
"Better...but still not the middle." She said before aiming again, and took more time...and fired again. "Yes! Got it."
"Alright. Now, most targets rarely stand still, but hey, one step at a time..." Ranger said.
"I can have some elementals move around down there." Wizard said.
"Do it..." Ranger said.
Warrior and Fighter meanwhile were looking over a street that wasn't very busy, considering that only a dozen people were seen the whole time.
"You think we'll get any more action here?" Warrior asked.
"Unless anyone recognizes you." Fighter said seriously, then Warrior morphed a hairband to give himself a ponytail and bangs. "Seriously..."
"Hey, it's good enough for the boss, it's good enough for me." Warrior said.
"Right...What does your wife think of that?" Fighter asked.
"I'll have you know she told me that it fits like a glove right to my face." Warrior said.
"I have to admit, she's not wrong." Fighter said.
"Says the lady who gave birth to his daughter." Warrior said.
"My greatest honor and joy mind you." Fighter said seriously...then noticed Warrior with a second hairband he was handing to her with a smile.
"I'm sure your father is proud of you for it as well..." Warrior said softly, as Fighter returned the smile, before she tied her hair into a ponytail like she had when they met Ranger, and even morphed a robe and pants of the same type. Warrior couldn't stop staring at her in awe the whole time, and when she finished...she hugged him.
"Thank you brother." Fighter whispered before Warrior returned the embrace.
"Did you enjoy your first Mother's Day?" Warrior asked.
"Of course..." Fighter said.
"I'm sure your family had no small part to play in that." Warrior said seriously before Fighter pulled back a bit.
"You're not wrong." She said.
"I almost envy you. Me and Wizard-" Fighter cuts Warrior off.
"You'll have a child...when you have a child. Speaking of which...have you tried putting underarmor on your... little friend? Well, my husband did when we made love, and it's fool-proof." She said as she pulled back, and Warrior raised an eyebrow.
"Yikes..." He said simply, and Fighter chuckled.
"Saves you the "did either of us drink any potion" discussion doesn't it?" She asked.
"Quite possibly. But on a more important note...as nice as it is to see you in your old outfit, why?" Warrior asked.
"Think of this as a "return to your roots" situation for me." Fighter said.
"I suppose that makes sense." Warrior said before they walked out...and saw a group of men, some with weapons engage them.
"Hey, you two lovebirds have something for us?" One of them asked.
"Lovebir- Boy, you really don't know who we are do you?" Warrior asked.
"Lovers, siblings, cousins, puppies in a mill, I don't give a fuck. Give us something to save you some pain. Although...you sweetheart look like you could use some loving-" Fighter cuts him off.
"You know what happened to the last bunch of guys who tried that? Nothing good..." She said seriously as some of the thugs laughed at her.
"Wow...they really don't know who we are...oh well, have some fun." Warrior said as Fighter cracked her knuckles.
"Are you kidding me? A man's letting his woman fight his battles? And I thought you were dickless before; I'll bet she's the one who has it instead." A thug said.
"Ohhhh...you really shouldn't have said that-" Fighter cuts Warrior off by tossing a crate at the thug who insulted her, hitting him in the face hard enough to knock him down, as the rest looked at the results...then Fighter rushed them, jumped at them while throwing a flurry of kicks at the two in the middle, and grabbing one on each side with one hand each, slammed them into the ground as she landed, picked another up and threw him behind her, side kicked another in the gut, then round kicked his head when he grabbed her foot. She then walked back to Warrior when she heard the one she threw pull a blade.
"We're not done you bite-sized bitch!" the thug yelled, then Fighter spin kicked the sword out of his hand, then kicked him to the side with her alternate foot just before she landed.
"Who's the bitch now...?" Fighter asked sharply before picking the guy up with one hand, and threatening him with his own sword.
"Wait! I'll tell you anything!" The thug said.
"Like what? Where your boss is? I want him to come here, so we can settle this properly." Fighter said as the thugs got up, then she noticed Warrior morph an auto-crossbow.
"Don't...even...think about it..." He said then the thugs backed away from Fighter.
"What's going on here?" A guard asked as he and some friends showed up.
"These peons tried to strong-arm us, at the edge of a blade." Fighter said before backing up to let the guards arrest the thugs, who were all too beaten to resist.
"Nice going. We'll get some answers out of them soon." a guard said.
"All in a day's work for a pair of Gold Ranks..." Warrior said.
"What?" the guard asked as the two showed their tags. "Well...that explains alot."
"No kidding. Now, don't let us keep you anymore officer." Fighter said as the guards left.
"Well...that was fun." Warrior said.
"You don't seem all that impressed with me kicking their asses." Fighter said.
"Uh, seen it once, seen it a thousand times..." Warrior said simply.
"Riiiiight...that's not what the boss thinks." Fighter said smugly.
"Since he put a ring on your finger, it's no wonder." Warrior said and got a deadpan look from Fighter.
"Smartass..." She said and Warrior snickered.
"Hey, why didn't we tell those thugs we were Gold Ranked beforehand? It would've made things go alot smoother." He asked.
"Well, I can't speak for you, but I just wanted to see what would happen if they didn't know who we were...even if they weren't interested. Afterall, simply showing you're Gold Ranked says alot." Fighter said.
"Good points all around, now...let's go see what else is going down." Warrior said before de-morphing his crossbow then following Fighter down the road.
Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother checked out the docks, and Rhea Fighter dangled her feet over the edge of a pier, and kicked the water every now and then.
"Careful, you don't know what's down there- Oh, right, your chakras..." Wizard's brother said.
"I don't always have them open, but...I'm glad you care." Rhea Fighter said as Wizard's brother leaned against a nearby post.
"Of course I care." Wizard's brother said.
"I didn't say you didn't, nor did I think it." Rhea Fighter said seriously.
"Right..." Wizard brother breathed out as Rhea Fighter looked at him, then turned back to the water while smiling.
"I remember when I was with Warrior in a meadow after a mission to show some trainees how it was done, against some stray goblins no less. When we got there...I saw him pick some flowers for Wizard...big ones too." She said softly.
"I remember them. Too bad they didn't last very long." Wizard's brother said.
"Still...flowers aren't just nice to look at, they're also a symbol for some people. From the sentiment itself, to a sign of purity, to saying "I want to be with you in both life, and death." Rhea Fighter said which got her companion's attention.
"Wow..." He said.
"Too bad we didn't pick any flowers last time we were in a meadow..." Rhea Fighter said.
"Yeah..." Wizard's brother whispered.
"You seem a bit tense." Rhea Fighter said.
"I am a bit, especially since...well..." Wizard's brother trailed off.
"What?" Rhea Fighter asked while getting up and they looked at each other for a while.
"You asked about us at the time; believe it or not, I've been putting quite a bit of thought into it while things were peaceful." Wizard's brother said.
"And?" Rhea Fighter asked.
"No "and". That's it..." Wizard's brother said honestly.
"Unbelievable..." Rhea Fighter said.
"What? Things have been batshit crazy lately, and chances are...they won't calm down any moment either. Even if I were good with feelings, which...frankly I'm not, this wouldn't be a good time for us to be together." Wizard's brother said.
"I see...well, for what it's worth, I appreciate your efforts. You may not be good with feelings, but you more than make up for it by being real." Rhea Fighter said and the two shared a smile, before he hugged her.
"Thank you..." Wizard's brother whispered as he held the little scrapper.
"Aren't you two adorable..." Rhea Hunter said behind them which made them both jump.
"What the- How long were you there?" Wizard's brother asked.
"Long enough to see you two holding each other like you were trying to stick to the ground." Rhea Hunter said.
"What do you want?" Rhea Fighter asked.
"Just came to say welcome back, and to let you know that we could use a hand on a treasure hunt. You'll probably get to kill a ton of monsters." Rhea Hunter said with an inviting tone.
"I don't know...the rest of us are here on-" Rhea Fighter cuts Wizard's brother off.
"A personal mission that- o.k. it involves the local syndicate, but still." She said.
"The syndicate? Shit, this is serious...even the elves upstairs won't touch them, even though they've been trafficking slaves of all things. Yes, we've tried to do something about it, but...they seriously outnumber us, and the Evil Sect must have the most subtle agents in the world helping them; every attempt to stop them either gets the people who try killed, or...wishing they were killed." Rhea Hunter said.
"Then it's a good thing we got here when we did..." Wizard's brother said.
"Boy, you don't know the half of it. But hey, that's what your teammates are here for right? Especially that strapping beast of a man that leads you. " Rhea Hunter said with a smirk.
"He's married." Wizard's brother said dryly.
"Doesn't mean I can't fantasize boy." Rhea Hunter said.
"Good grief..." Rhea Fighter groaned.
"Anyway...we'll let Ranger and company know you have a quest for us, and wait for his word on who's coming." Wizard's brother said.
"Lovely...hope he comes himself." Rhea Hunter said with a smirk as she walked away.
"Sheesh...I've seen prostitutes more subtle than her..." Wizard's brother said as they went back to the spire.
Fighter and Warrior went to the dojo...and already saw some men gathering around a pair of men who were throwing punches at each other while bobbing and weaving.
"Wait...that's all I'm dealing with?" Fighter asked harshly as she saw the two brawler slug it out.
"Apparently..." Warrior said simply.
"Unbelievable..." Fighter said while shaking her head. Their movements were that of brawlers alright; the two just slammed into each other, tried to wrestle each other to the ground, while punching each other in the gut to avoid being thrown. Fighter could already think of half a dozen ways to beat them at their own game, if not change the game entirely. From undermining their footing, to redirecting the force of their attacks, to hitting their blind spots.
Ranger was able to keep pace with her in their first duel, and she improved significantly since then, even though she didn't use all of her moves at the time. Neither wanted to hurt each other at the time, but he didn't go easy on her, even though she was a woman. Even at the time, he could've probably crushed both the brawlers at once by himself. Her pregnancy kept her body's power in the shadows since training was out-of-the-question with a baby growing in her womb, but her skills never went away, which she was always grateful for.
"Oof!" Warrior exclaimed which snapped Fighter out of her thoughts, and she watched a brawler slam his opponent into the ground, then ruthlessly punch him until his lights were out.
"Well, we've got ourselves a winner." The ref said as he held up the brawler's arm.
"Yeah, and I'll take care of the rest of the bitches who want a piece of the boss." Brawler said as he spotted Fighter and Warrior. "Ooooh, a new piece of meat for the grinder."
"If you're talking about me, you're out of luck, but if you mean her...you might want to take that back." Warrior said.
"Wait...a girl? I go through all this training, and the master sends a girl to fight me?" Brawler asked.
"A girl who has nothing to worry about." Fighter said bluntly and some men chuckled and whistled.
"Sexy, apparently able to hold her own, and witty...I'm in love." A man said.
"As is the father of my infant daughter." Fighter said while showing her ring.
"You're point?" The man asked.
"Do I really need to explain why that's an issue?" Fighter asked in awe.
"Forget it sis, let's just see the master and go." Warrior said.
"No need, I'm right here." Master Fighter said as the two approached.
"Well...we're here as promised master." Fighter said.
"Glad you fulfilled your promise." Master Fighter said with a smile.
"So...interesting band of people." Warrior said.
"They're just thugs who want in on the syndicate. I say good luck to them all..." Master Fighter said.
"Should we be aware of anything?" Fighter asked.
"Well...don't expect any honorable methods; I dare say you might need to even the odds if need be." Master Fighter said.
"Oh, we'll be ready. We have some secret weapons of our own, and no I'm not saying what they are, even to you. With all due respect." Warrior said.
"Noted." Master Fighter said.
"So...anyone besides those two brawlers involved in this directly?" Fighter asked.
"Maybe, but none of them did anything other than try each other out, but what you saw was the most impressive, and I use that term lightly. Brute force has too much of a place in the minds of criminals, which...in hindsight, is a good thing." Master Fighter said.
"No kidding." Warrior said.
"Well, we'll be back before the tournament starts, and yes we'll watch our backs. We wouldn't have lasted as long as we did if we didn't." Fighter said.
"Farewell." Master Fighter said as the two left...then some of the men followed them outside.
"That's one...that's two...that's three...that's four...and that's five!" Cow Girl exclaimed as she shot each elemental with her now-suppressed rifle.
"Nice shooting." GS said.
"You expected less?" Cow Girl boasted as she reloaded.
"I didn't expect more." GS said.
"Wow..." Ranger said as he noticed Rhea Fighter and Wizard's brother approach.
"Boss, we've got some news. The monster hunters have a treasure hunt in mind, and want us to come along." Wizard's brother said.
"Did you say yes?" Wizard asked.
"We said we'd talk to all of you." Rhea Fighter said as Ranger was thinking.
"We should do it." GS said and everyone snapped to look at him.
"Yeah...and the tournament my wife is going be in, against criminals no less doesn't mean anything. Yeah that makes perfect sense." Ranger said with his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"We don't all have to go." GS said.
"Of course we don't all have to go, but who goes or stays does matter. Ranger does have a right to be here for his wife." Priestess said seriously.
"Right." GS said before Sword Maiden appears.
"Priestess, you should go with the hunters, as should you Goblin Slayer, and your farm girl friends. Ranger, you go with your wife; she's most likely going to need you and Warrior by her side. The rest of you...do as you will." She said.
"We'll go with the hunters." Wizard said.
"Right." Her brother said.
"So will I." Rhea Fighter said.
"Mother...will you take her?" Priestess asked as she handed the baby to Sword Maiden who took her without hesitation.
"I will care for her as I always do." Sword Maiden said before vanishing.
"Alright...best of luck to you all." Ranger said.
"Wait, you're really alright with her just taking your offspring?" Wizard's brother asked.
"I never once lost my faith in her; if she says my child is in good hands, then she's in good hands." Ranger said seriously.
"O.k...she's your baby." Wizard's brother said as they all left to join the hunters, or in Ranger's case, join Fighter and Warrior, before he entrusted his portal gem to Priestess.
Meanwhile, Elder Revenant and Hero led the group through the keep's underground. Berserker's hunters slaughtered hell goblins by the dozen with axes, swords, bows and crossbows, spears and shields, and even javelins. Elder Revenant was also reaping their souls, and reanimating the dead to create more dead. Hero's team went for the Hell Rifts themselves, and especially the tougher demons like the Wrathers, and even a Luster that appeared. Elder Revenant then broke off from the group.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Hero asked.
"I sense a handful of souls down this way..." Elder Revenant said as he left the others to finish their fight, and he walked down a corridor, until he spotted a naked woman chained to a wall, with cuts on her body, and she was shivering from the cold.
"W-who are you?" The woman asked with a broken voice.
"A servant of the Death God." Elder Revenant said.
"Please...kill these abominations..." The woman said.
"Gladly..." Elder Revenant said as he walked past her, tore off a cloth on the wall, to reveal a goblin that pounced at him...only to get bashed into a wall as it passed him. He then tore his scythe through the children the goblin was protecting, then removed their souls.
"How dare those...things, call themselves my children...!" The woman said.
"According to the Death God, the goblins' numbers took a critical blow a year ago, and their numbers fall every month. Before long, they will go extinct." Elder Revenant.
"Good...must you leave now?" The woman asked.
"I have a bounty of souls to reap." Elder Revenant said.
"Take mine with you." The woman said while weeping.
"Are you sure?" Elder Revenant asked.
"Yes...my firstborn children...were goblins. I can't live with that." The woman said.
"Very well..." Elder Revenant said before turning away from her, then driving a scythe through her skull, then removing her soul. "Heaven will hold all the life you were denied." He then went to leave...and saw Hero rush to the woman's dead body.
"Why did you kill her?!" She asked.
"I did so at her request. She said she couldn't live with how her firstborn children were goblins, and to be fair...that is quite a burden to bare." Elder Revenant said.
"We might've been able to help her get past that!" Sword Saint yelled.
"Could any of you live with giving birth to goblins? Especially if you didn't give birth to any human children first?" Elder Revenant asked.
"We face the Demon Lord, and killed a heap of goblins earlier-" Elder Revenant cuts Hero off.
"Which would make you fall even further, and even harder. During my time as a revenant, I've seen countless others put in the exact same situation, and I regretted not being able to ease their passage to the afterlife ever since. I refuse to be part of that again. I am aware some people are strong enough to get past this...but not all of them, and denying this, is as cruel as what they goblins do themselves." Elder Revenant said.
"Just promise-" He cuts Hero off.
"Relax, I have no intention of putting all victims out of their misery. Now...I must a sacrifice this goblin to summon the Death God." Elder Revenant said as he grabbed the unconscious goblin, and walked out.
"Wait, what about that goblin in the cage?" Sword Saint asked.
"I changed my mind..." Elder Revenant said, then the adventurers came out with treasure chests.
"A glorious bounty brothers and sisters." Huntress said.
"Aye, truly the Chief God has blessed us for our valor." Berserker said before Elder Revenant came out with the three ladies behind him.
"That would be our signal to get out of here." A man said as they all took their loot and left the chamber, as Elder Revenant positioned the barely-alive goblin as he looked to he ceiling, morphed an scythe, then jammed the scythe into it's heart...and the Death God appeared, sucking the heat out of the room, making the three ladies shiver violently and take cover. They were watched their undead companion, stick a scythe blade into his gut, and when he removed it...souls galore flooded out of his gut, and into the Death God's gourd before he vanished.
"That...was the Death God...we just saw the freaking Death God!" Sword Saint said in awe.
"And he will ferry all souls to the afterlife...even yours eventually." Elder Revenant said as he looked at them over his shoulder as Hero actually gulped.
Ranger morphed his light armor when he noticed he was alone, then kept walking to the other side of town, and when he got there...he saw a gang of men following two people, and he morphed his claws, climbed up a building, to see what was going on from the roof...and noticed the two people sitting at a well.
"Warrior...Fighter..." Ranger whispered then noticed the gang approach the two, who noticed them.
"Looking for something?" Warrior asked.
"Yeah, forget the tournament, we want to see what you two can do." A thug said.
"Forget the tournament? That's why we're here remember?" Fighter asked.
"We don't care about that; you think we'd throw away to make a name for ourselves just because of "honor and spirit"? Well, news flash: shit don't work that way around here. You don't roll with the pack,the pack rolls over you. Got it?" Another thug asked.
"Your "pack" is officially full of shit..." Warrior said while shaking his head before a thug pulled a one-handed crossbow on them.
"Let's see you say that with a bolt between your teeth!" The thug said before Warrior morphed his sword in time to block a bolt with it in a reversed grip as the thugs stared at him in awe, especially when Warrior pointed his sword at them.
"You may have eight people...but take my word for it: it'll only take one of us to teach all of you." He said, as the thugs looked at each other, before pulling short swords and they engaged each other...and Warrior sliced all their blades in half with one swing, as they looked at their destroyed blades in awe, before Warrior backed up and sat back down. "I think I made my point..." The thug who shot his crossbow reloaded, then Warrior morphed his own crossbow and put a bolt in the thug's shoulder.
Then Fighter got up, grabbed a nearby cloth, threw it at a thug's face, before skipping forward and kicking one thug down. She then jumped on the chest of another, spin-kicked another in the face, grabbed the cloth off the face of the thug she threw it at, used it to yank him to the ground, before tripping a thug who threw a kick at her by pulling out his footing, then kicking him to the side as he fell. She then side-kicked another to the ground, one thug got up and tried grabbing her from behind, but she countered by grabbing his hand, dislocating his wrist, then flipping him to the ground, and dislocating his shoulder.
Another thug tried kicking her, only to get his knee dislocated with a stomp to the side of it, then he gets a knee to the gut. Another thug tried to give her a haymaker punch, which she ducked under, then punched his arm in the nerve cluster on his upper tricep, then gave him a barrage of quick punches to the ribs until he fell down. She then dropped down, and jammed both feet into the gut of another thug who tried to hit her from behind, then she spun around, and gave him an uppercut as she stood up. She then looked around at the men who's asses she just kicked...then spotted Ranger on the roof giving her an amused grin and a wave...which she returned, before looking at the final thug who was nursing his injured shoulder after retreating from the chaos caused by the one-woman-army who just kicked the shit out of his comrades. Ranger beat her to the punch by dropping down behind him and tying him up with a chain as Fighter approached him with Warrior at her back.
"I want you to deliver a message. Tell that boss of yours, as well as every puppy under his payroll, that if he gets the notion of pulling a stunt like this again...ignore it." Fighter said seriously, as Ranger lets him go, and they watch him run off.
"Heaven help those clowns if they try a serious fight..." Warrior said while shaking his head.
Couldn't have said it better myself Warrior...anyway, Fighter sure had some time to shine didn't she? Well, spoiler alert: it's not ending anytime soon. You know how Cow Girl's rifle got an upgrade? Well, that's based on the M14, which for those of you who don't know, is an upgraded M1 Garand. Also...fun bit of trivia: in the original version of this story...Fighter gets involved with Revenant, and he eventually regains his humanity, obviously I liked the idea of her being with a ranger better, and...who can blame me? Revenant just isn't her type. And that scene where Sword Saint talks to Elder Revenant? That happened between Fighter and Revenant in the original concept for this story. Will the strongest of the undead return to life? How much more ass will Fighter kick? What treasures await the hunters? Why did Hero gulp like that? Well...you'll just have to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait. Stay tuned.