Chapter five...took me a while to write this. To be honest, it was a bit of a torturous experience and not because of the contents of the chapter, but it matters not, it is finished and that is all that is important.
Updates may start to slow down however due to the reintroduction of school in my life and I value my academics quite a bit.
Enjoy the read.
Composing himself, Luther looked towards the central city of the continent he had been reminded of the history book pictures he looked at when he was just a child. Except the real sight was much more impressive to his eyes, a medieval-age city in pristine condition. In his world, such a place would be considered a historical monument, one that stood the test of time. Unfortunately that was not the case. An exotic place it might have been, but he was not a tourist, neither was this his universe. The luxury to admire such a city was lacking for the man.
"We are here." Declared the young hero, his eyes also wandering across the field where the city was situated. The journey to getting here was more troublesome than he would like to admit to his "compatriots". His eyes lingered more as a realization entered his mind- He had been traveling with a monster; There was no way that he could enter such a place with her.
The further down south the more zealous the people were to Ilias with the exception of a few places, humans in the Ilias continent wouldn't take kindly to Alice's presence especially in Iliasburg. They would be stopped at the gates, although he doubted whether the guards would be able to stop the snake monster and her self-proclaimed "conquest for food". It was more out of principle than anything. Perhaps they could sneak in, it isn't honorable, but he would rather do that than causing a commotion. Maybe Alice possessed a way to get in without much trouble.
"Alice…are you able to disguise yourself as a human?" Or perhaps something else that might help her get in without the use of violence, she did get in and out of his house without alerting anybody after all.
"Taking the form of a human is unpleasant" She crossed her arms." Why should I have to pretend to be a human?"
Luka sighed from the very few interactions he had with her knew there was a large possibility of her simply rejecting his idea, either to spite him or was it a distaste for Humans? He didn't know, what he did know was her obsession with food. "If you can't enter the city, how are you going to eat your Ama-ama Dango?"
"Crap…I guess that's true." The very mention of the word Dango made the purple-haired boy's argument something to be considered in her mind.
Doubt anybody would be able to stop her. A wry thought and a small chuckle passed by the man standing by the cliff. It was true no one in Iliasburg could rival her power, with the exception of the "visitor".
"Fine…how does this look?" Her alien purple skin shifted in something more commonly seen in humans, her horns disappeared along with her most noticeable feature: her snake tail turning into a pair of normal human legs. Even with her form change, her appearance remained unique: the tribal tattoos remained on the left side of her body, her white hair, certainly unique clothes, and red-eye mark on her forehead didn't help her case.
"Aah…That's good" Luka observed the now "Human'' Alice. It was good enough, her clothes might have been a bit too indecent for the average human, however, earning a slight raise of the eyebrow from Luther. With a small glance at the back, the city over the horizon Luther Chambers followed his company, Tusk vanishing back into its user's body.
At the very entrance, they noticed something was amiss. Most notably their front gates being open and lack of guards protecting it, heading in even further past the gate and houses it turned out the city had become a ghost town vacant of any kind of living lifeform, much to Luka's horror.
"What the…? Why does the city look so strange?" It was quite uncharacteristic for such a place, as the central city of the continent it was always bustling with merchants, pilgrims, travelers, performers, and citizens. However there was not a single soul in sight, only boarded up or closed-house windows and empty streets, even the air surrounding them was tense and full of strange oppressive pressure.
The purple-haired boy frantically glanced all around him, finding no one else except them and the notable lack of Alice' presence…wait, Alice was gone? His mind raced through his observations and it all pointed to one unfortunate conclusion - Iliasburg has been attacked, but by who? Every single time Alice vanished out of thin air it had been for a reason, to avoid her fellow monsters…it clicked for him. Of course! How had I been so blind?
"A monster is attacking Iliasburg." It was more of a statement than a question. At this point the lack of Alice didn't surprise him as much, she explained much herself "if there was any threat of a battle she would disappear". What worried him was that there was a Monster attacking a major city. This wasn't just run of the mill slime girl, this is something that posed a threat to the whole city. Luka didn't mention the lamia's disappearance as he could already see his "friend's" expression showing full well that he was aware of it.
"That is…very likely. We should move forward…" Hesitantly he forced himself to say the last part; he had to admit to himself that he was a bit shaken to face such a fierce opponent so early even if he didn't end up fighting her. The man knew the truth, of course, the nature of the invader, but couldn't afford to say it less he risked looking more suspicious, even with that he felt something massive a fair bit away from them.
Bemused he narrowed his eyes staring off into the direction of the energy he felt. Curious…I can feel her presence here, when could I do this?
His answer came from the small shiver within his being. The man realized it: that this came from his own stand. He was able to sense the very energy of a person, that or this was the way the Dragonknight was…her mere presence sensed by all around her. After all, he didn't feel Alice or Luka, there was nothing, just the massive power radiating ahead of him. It gripped his throat.
However puzzled Luther might have been by this, it didn't matter as Luka had already complied with his suggestion and began moving forward closer towards the center of the oppressive air surrounding the city, regardless of the doubts creeping into his mind. The man went after him with the knowledge of what's about to occur hanging heavy on his head. They passed through the streets, edging closer to Iliasburg's center until they happened to stumble by lying armored men on the cobblestone ground.
"Oh, dear Ilias!" The purple-haired boy sprinted towards the laying bodies, upon closer inspection, the hero noticed that they were guards of the city, relief washed through him when he realized none of them were dead, instead they were just unconscious. Breathing and alive, only sustaining few injuries. They heard a very distant and muted sound of clashing blades a bit farther down the road leading to the plaza.
Soon enough Luka and Luther were greeted with the sight of the occurring battle. Before they were spotted they hid behind the nearby shrubbery, in the city plaza laid countless more unconscious soldiers with only three remaining facing a figure thousands of times more imposing. She stood there, arms crossed as she gazed at her opponents, making them flinch. A giant seemingly unwieldy blade rested beside her stabbed into the hard ground.
"That's…! " Luka spoke out.
"Granberia, the Heavenly Knight of Fire." Chambers finished in a hushed tone, Luka's eyes winded in realization as his assumption was regretfully confirmed. He never expected to face, let alone catch a glimpse of a Monster of such power so early in his adventure, although he originally expected someone powerful enough to at least take on the entire city. The thought of it being one of the Four Heavenly Knights hadn't crossed him. Everybody knew who Heavenly Knights were from the greatest cities to the lowest villages, figures surrounded by legend and fearsome tales of their unrivaled power that no Human can match. For now, they hid and watched the scene unfold before them. Just what was she doing attacking Iliasburg?
"How boring. Is there not a single strong person in this whole city?" Her voice served to conjure up more fear and frustration of the remaining conscious soldiers.
"D…Damn it..."
"She's so…so strong!"
"Guh…" The soldiers all barely muttered and gasped with what remaining willpower they had. While their comrades were still alive they were still taken down effortlessly by the Monster swordswomen standing before them.
"You three…" She called to the remaining human soldiers. "Are you going to fight or not?"
The silent observers moved to get a closer look at the city's sole aggressor. Appearance befitting for a dragonkin, she had green scales that were strangely smooth for someone like her, but became harder and more concentrated on the forearms and legs which ended in claws. Her battle-hardened eyes were golden orbs that held deep fiery determination that matched her red hair. A purple cape with golden lining attached to the pauldrons flowed behind obscuring her green-scaled tail. Despite the lack of sword in hand, her battle stance remained guarded but mostly relaxed.
The Heavenly Knights's lack of armor was apparent, leaving quite a bit of her monstrous yet humanoid body seen. Most likely it was aesthetic as her body can withstand as much if not more so than the breastplate, pauldrons, and visor she possessed. "Only you three are left…Are you just going to stand there while I take control of this city? Or is one of you going to be a Hero and try to face me!?"
"Well… hurry up and decide!" She shouted, her voice booming across the plaza and even reaching through the thick walls of the houses.
"Grr…Damn you!"
"I won't let a monster like you do whatever you want!" Her challenge had managed to rile up her opposition as they charged towards the monster invader. They had a duty, to protect the city and its citizens and they were going to fulfill it, at least two of them thought this away. One of the men at center charge turned craven and stood paralyzed in fear of the Heavenly Knight's powerful presence. He couldn't be blamed; they were but lowly humans and she was a direct subordinate of the Monster Lord herself.
And Lowly humans they were…
"That's the spirit. But even if you have the spirit, it's meaningless!" The dragonkin drew her sword off the ground, in but a mere moment, flames surrounded the blade engulfing it, the sourcing heat generated was felt by all…Luka gawked at the sight, it seemed as though the Knight lived up to her title of fire. One of the guards reached her and swung his own sword attempting to slash at her shoulder, but before the weapon could even get close to her she disappeared out of sight. The soldier dropped to the ground Granberia appearing behind him. The other soldier angered by the fall of his fellow guard swung his blade at the dragonkin Monster's back.
"Slow." She looked over her shoulder and swung her sword, the mere heatwave left from the attack knocking out the second assailant. Meanwhile, the purple-haired hero and the man beside him starred with a mixture of shock, amazement, fear, and a bit of envy. The Monster movements were all too fast to follow for them; it was as if she was invisible as the wind's breeze when she moved. Soldiers who were just struck still remained breathing despite the power exerted by her. All that remained was a terrified soldier.
"Well then…what are you going to do?" She asked remaining unmoving in her position, there was no hint of emotion in her tone, as expected the remaining soldier ran away screaming, she did not go after the coward.
"That's a wise choice." She then shook her head. "But in the future, you can't call yourself a soldier, or a hero."
"This isn't good," Luka muttered, he had witnessed the last remaining forces of the central city get knocked out, it seems that there was no one left to fight.
"Is that it!?" Having your city taken over by a monster…there's no complaints!?" The Heavenly Knights voice echoed and pierced through the thick walls of the houses, but to no avail, as there was no one response, the city's populace remaining barricaded within their abodes. They had no will to fight back, they were mere civilians of a city whose military had been single-handedly taken down.
"Wh- what should we do?" The fake hero asked if he knew there wasn't a way of beating her; she was too powerful for him, but perhaps he wouldn't have to do it alone, perhaps his fellow traveler's strange abilities could aid him in some way. If only that was the case…
"I…I don't know…" Luther answered with great uncertainty and the strange case of rapid breathing, under normal circumstances he would have encouraged the decision that would lead to continuing the "canon" story however this was not the case. He not only sensed the sheer quantity of her total power but also felt several features that identify it even further. Her aura and surrounding area smelt of ash and smoke, the utter heat radiating off of her being made his heart race and sweat pour from his pores. There was no Monster in front of him, only a raging inferno threatening to devour all that stood in its wake and he was likely a candidate for its wrath.
Fear and a dash of despair gripped his soul, he couldn't even comprehend how he could stay near her let alone fight her…this much different than the Monster he and Luka previously faced. They were pathetic bugs compared to Granberia. How did he even begin to think he could face foes that were even stronger than her?
The man's answer only served to unnerve and slightly disappoint the purple-haired hero, however, he could see the fear clear on his face and the stressed twitch in his body. It was like they weren't even looking at the same living being anymore. He understood the answer to the course of his actions lied solely with him. He was a hero, although, not officially, it was still his duty to aid those in need or the oppressed, and right now there was a Monster oppressing a city. It didn't matter if said monster was currently leagues above him. He nearly lost against many Monsters and this failure frustrated him, not that he would ever admit it. At the very least he could not fail this duty even if it kills him.
Answering Granberia's call Luka stepped in the open gripping his sword in his hands, his eyes met with the imposing dragonkin not without any fear. He had deliberately made sure he wasn't shaking in his boots. Regardless of whether he felt, if he ran away he would be nothing but a fake hero.
"Oh, you're carrying a sword?" He regretted his decision the moment he heard her voice, but feared there was no turning back at this point. "Then I'll treat you as a warrior, not as a boy."
"You have no problem with that, do you?" She observed the purple-haired boy despite his attempts at hiding it; his fear was evident by his shaky form. The boy looked so…young with that and his amateurish stance it was evident the boy would put up less of fight than the many guards and stationed soldiers she fought, so a part of her desired to give him a small chance to back away. But there was a hint of resolve she hadn't seen in any of the men she had fought here. Who knows maybe she will be surprised?
"Of… of course not!" A part of him felt a little proud of being taken seriously, but the circumstances of being treated as such by someone so powerful was at the least a bit concerning for the hero. He gulped. "Even som…someone like me is a warrior!"
"I understand, well then… fire swordswoman Granberia will be your opponent!" The Heavenly Knight declared once again drawing her large sword out the ground the very slight movements and stance of Luka's opponent affirmed the idea that he made a poor decision.
All the while Luther stared at the showdown with a sense of dread. Here he was hiding, cowering in fear while a less equipped and powered boy suicidally marched into the flames before him. He couldn't fathom even being seen by this storm of flames. The fake hero's actions in his opinion were beyond courage or stupidity and bordered more on martyrdom, not without thought of course. The regret on Luka's face was plain to see, regardless he had no clue on whether he should admire or be disturbed by such actions. One thing was clear, the older man would never match such levels of bravery, perhaps it was for the better, he valued his life quite dearly despite all of its hardships and, besides, the very few faint glimmers of hope would be all for nothing if he was dead.
There was no trace of Tusk in the outside world. He could feel it within him, it seemed as though there was a disconnect between them; the stand no longer matched his own emotions where he felt fear and dread, his stand felt eagerness, the anxiety it felt vanished leaving only a small bit of disappointment towards Luther.
"Guh…" The Monster's mere combative presence almost caused Luka's legs to turn to jelly, but he had to hold himself together, to challenge such a being and fall face first in front of her would be nothing short of an embarrassment for him and the one who took up the task of training him - Alice.
"Now give me your best shot!" She took a relaxed defensive stance, observing the boy. Within his stance, she saw multiple openings and weak points. With that, the mere thought of being surprised dwindled by every second.
"Take this!" The purple hero charged and swung his sword towards the powerful dragonkin only to see her vanish and be knocked off his feet, she had appeared again and stomped on his groin, forcing him to the ground.
"You're too green." With the purple-haired boy lashed out in upward swing from his prone position managing to actually clash with her blade, but only to be kicked back by her with a couple of small cuts on being left on his body, the wounds burned despite their small size. His own sword wasn't too far away from him.
"You challenged me when the adults were hiding in cowardice. I can respect that." She acknowledged however she knew pure bravery wasn't enough for someone like him, the difference between them was too large even when she was holding back, but her opponent was just a boy with a long life ahead of him. Judging from his current skill if he continued training he might be someone worth much more attention from her.
"You're young, so mistakes like that are to be expected, but there won't be a second time." She'd only hoped that he would take the hint and run away, beating someone much weaker than her left a sour taste in her mouth.
"…" Luka felt annoyed this much worse than being constantly saved by his companion. He was being spared by his enemy out of sheer pity, and he wasn't foolish enough to consider recklessly charging at her again. He would have to use that technique in order to do anything to her, maybe with just enough speed, he would be able to land a hit on her.
"I…It's not over, yet!" Yelling he stood up gripping his sword tight and looked to his opponent who was staring at him intently, there was a small flash of disappointment in her eyes before she sighed.
"Are going to ignore my advice, I won't overlook it again" Granberia warned, the boy before she ignored her warning. She was going to have to knock him out just like she did with guards And here she was hoping that there was something out there in this continent that was able to give her an entertaining challenge instead she found pathetic guards and arrogant "heroes".
A bright spark of blue light emanated from Luther as Tusk appeared above its user, the instant their eyes met the man understood the message 'help him', it almost pleaded for him to do something, to step forward and face the inferno that was burning his friend. But he couldn't fight such a monster; he could barely even watch Luka fight without cringing from every injury and sword strike. How? Just how can Luka stand up to fight her, doesn't he feel her power!
The stand stared down its user, feeling his dread and fear, but it remained steadfast and attempted to fill him with its courage. Results were meager, only serving to snap him out of his panicked state. It wasn't enough for Tusk, Luther was to be out there helping Luka deal with this menace, but he was hiding just like the mere citizens in this settlement. The spiritual being wanted to help its innocent friend and its user did little to discourage it as it charged the monster head-on. However, it was stopped by the limited range that the stand possessed, it being particularly short as it was a short-range stand.
"Chu." Chambers felt shivers run down his spine from the dissatisfied stare it was giving him. I had almost drowned out the pressure emanating from the Monster Knight, it didn't have enough features to form such an expression, but it shared a link with the stand and he felt such crushing disappointment.
"What am I even supposed to do?" He whispered. "She could kill me before I even said a single word. Besides that, Alice will still save him."
For several moments he remained quiet staring off into nothing, under normal circumstances, he couldn't care less, just another person he disappointed. It wasn't anything new to him and he had no objective reason to live up to people's standards. But this was his stand, a part of his own soul. Tusk was him in sense, what did this mean? Its disgust and disappointment, was actually his own emotions towards himself, his own self-loathing?
Luther peered back into battle between the fire and the fake hero, not much had changed since he last looked. Perhaps those painful time that had passed by him and his stand were mere moments in reality. By the looks of his stance, the man had grown familiar with from the very few times Luka had used it, the purple-haired hero was about to use the first Cursed Sword technique taught to him, however with how he used it the stance was a giant tell on which attack he would use.
"Prepare yourself!" The boy shifting at balms of his feet and envisioned himself, as the technique's name implied, slicing the neck of his opponent.
"If you insist…You won't regret this will you, boy?" She sighed once again and raised her guard.
"There is no way I will!" He brought the tip of his sword and aligned it to be horizontal with her neck and leaped forward towards the dragonkin with all of his might launching himself with much higher speed at her.
"What! This technique…!" From the moment his feet left the ground, she immediately recognized the Cursed Sword technique despite how sloppy it looked; however, someone that appeared to be a young human using a Monster's technique without much trouble showed a lot of promise. More importantly, was the question on where did he learn such technique?
"No way." The attack, even with its hasty movement, was simply sidestepped by Granberia. Luka did not end up falling ground, unlike his previous mishaps that he would prefer to avoid mentioning using this move. He glanced at his current adversary who was slowly approaching him with renewed interest.
"Why do you know a monster's technique?" Luka gulped, his current strongest technique had even managed to hit his opponent, the worst part is that she recognized it before he could even get close to her. Of course, she did! She was a known swordswoman that has taken down armies. It would have been strange for her if she hadn't.
"Your swordplay is sloppy, and you're still immature. There is no way you thought that up by yourself." Granberia noted, it may have been a basic skill in the Cursed Sword style catalog, but the technique itself didn't match the way the boy fought both in his stance and physical capabilities. She had noticed how Luka suddenly decided to shift posture and the sudden increase in speed, it all indicated that he learned recently and it all meant one thing.
"I want to know where you learned that move. Who taught you?" It was likely it was a Monster. Few humans knew Cursed Sword skills since they were meant to be used by Monsters because of the natural advantages they had over their fellow living species.
"…" The fake hero stayed silent at that question, he wasn't going to tell his enemy who had defeated him so easily anything, simply for the sake of his bruised pride.
"Wh…why should I tell someone like you!?" In all of his defiance, Luka decided that this will be the hill he will die on.
"…I think I already know who it is." The Heavenly Knight's stoic countenance shifted into an odd smile. "In fact, I would like to have a match with this person."
"Is that person your master or something?" Her smile lasted briefly before turning back into a stern expression.
"That is…I won't say." His response did not satisfy Granberia.
"Is that so? Then…" Without warning or tell she raised the blunt part of her large blade and slammed with incredible speed into Luka's chest, bashing him into the ground, his ribcage ached and burned. The shockwave and groan of pain from Luka was felt and heard by Luther. The young boy coughed some blood, his determination remained nonetheless.
"Chu!" The stand exclaimed loudly once again demanding that its user intervene in this conflict. Sheer anger and bloodlust coming from within the blue reflective orbs that were its eyes. Chambers right hand twitched, the current emotions of his link were more overpowering than courage previously shared. What was even worse his given decision had cemented itself as a possibility in his mind, seemingly without his consent and he was now left at crossroads of what to do.
"It doesn't matter, Alice will save Luka even if he did fight her" But in the end logic won, nothing he could do would end the same way - Alice will stop Granberia's attempt at taking Luka's life. This was the outcome he was convinced would happen, even if did intervene he wouldn't be able to match her power even with the recent techniques made. This might be cowardly, but when you're in another it pays to be cautious with your life.
"I held back my attack to make sure you didn't die. Well, are you going to talk now?" The dragonkin's tone voice shifted to a more deliberate threatening tone as if her presence couldn't command respect.
"U…guh.."All he could manage to blurt out, his body laid on the stone ground near broken and his consciousness was almost fading. He doubted that even actually telling the imposing Monster would spare him from the fate she had in store for him. Was this the end, so early? Would Luther come to save him again, he wouldn't mind at all in this case.
"Even with that…I won't say…" Luka mustered up the last of his defiant spirit to send what could be his last glare, Granberia remained unfazed.
"Is that so?" The Heavenly Knight glanced at her blade "I don't like using my sword on the weak…but…"
Granberia slowly raised her sword in preparation for the execution. The boy beneath her stiffened and closed his eyes readying himself for the end. Luther was watching this happen, as nerve-racking as it was, he eagerly awaited the arrival and intervention of the Monster Lord, jumping from one foot to the other as if he was some anxious child. Granberia's sword, Aries, was already above her head ready to chop the fake hero's head off like a guillotine.
Time slowed to crawl for Luther as his impatience was slowly being replaced by horror, the realization dawned on him. Alice hasn't appeared. There was no trace anywhere to be found, all that was an inferno of dragon's fire about to consume an innocent life in front of him and he was going to watch without lifting a single finger. No, no, NO! This isn't to be how it goes, Alice should be right there, shooing off Granberia! Why isn't she here…?
There was one answer that kept bouncing around his mind. He did this…somehow his presence managed to change the outcome, whether this was a fluke and he was remembering thing wrong didn't matter, he had no time to ponder. Somebody is about to be killed and that somebody is someone who he promised to bail out during situations like this. Luther's fear was great, but it was no match to the possible guilt he would experience if he didn't do anything and let an innocent boy die, a boy, he promised to help, it would be as good as killing him directly.
And it seemed Tusk was in agreement, he could sense the approval radiating off the spiritual being. The Spin, the power he first used was at his disposal, and knew how he would use it here. Despite Tusk's opinion, he had no intention of harming the Monster, which would only bring unwanted attention to him. No… the method he was going to be using stemmed from an accidental discovery one that brought him so much back pain much to his own chagrin. Power coursed through his legs, this time intentionally, the slightest movement could screw this up and send him straight through a building.
And so he dashed into the flames…
She was Granberia Heavenly Knight of Fire both feared and respected by many monsters and human alike currently fulfilling her "duty" of getting rid of any potential threats, although it was admittedly on her volition. Her main target, the central city Iliasburg, the continent the settlement stood upon itself was known for producing those so-called "heroes" of varying quality and the pilgrimage. It was her mission to eliminate any potential threats and as well as seeking powerful opponents.
However this venture proved fruitless, all that stood to oppose her weren't anything remarkable – just guards and novice "heroes". Every single one she took down the more bored she grew, there wasn't anyone strong enough to fight her let alone defeat her, although she did not let her boredom force her to underestimate anyone. It would have been a crucial mistake to make.
She did find a strange purple-haired boy, who seemed adamant in fighting her, his courage was certainly more admirable than the ones, who were supposed to protect, his skill with a blade, however, was lacking, which is much expected for someone so young. Yet in spite of it all, the warnings and chances she gave him, he continued to fight her. In all honesty, it was somewhat annoying to see someone be oblivious that they are completely outmatched, or perhaps there lied more reason than sheer obliviousness. Granberia saw how Luka's stance changed, looking more like a predator ready to jump on his prey, this piqued her interest. It seemed so uncharacteristic of her young adversary.
And the Heavenly Knight saw it, a technique of the cursed sword arts, which the main purpose was to be in the usage of Monsters was being used by a Human, a young one at that. The technique in question was Demon Decapitation, a skill meant to quickly and efficiently slice the neck of your opponent or multiple opponents. If not mastered it can have a predictable acceleration and arc from the jumping point. The boy was fast for a Human, but not fast enough, she merely sidestepped to avoid it. Ironically regardless of her attempt, she did underestimate someone, to be fair no Human under normal circumstances should know how to fight like that.
Then just how did this human come by the Cursed Sword art? By chance…no that would be impossible for someone so green to create it during training or replicate it. The only possibility was that this hero wannabe was trained by a Monster, quite recently. She inquired into his skills however that garnered no response, it seemed as though the boy seemed intent on dying with lips shut. Perhaps with a little encouragement, a display of power would do the trick and should show off what's to come. The life of a warrior wasn't for everyone. It could very well end in death.
When she had crashed her sword against his weak frame she sensed hints of bloodlust. It was faint, but she could sense it and certainly didn't come from the boy. The intent appeared more ethereal, if that could be the valid description, it was as if it didn't belong to anyone in particular. She shook her head; it might have been just the lingering malice of the town, of those hiding away in their homes. She had asked the boy again, but as before he refused to answer.
In the end, she was going to fulfill her mission, to eliminate any potential threat to Monsters and a Human capable of using their techniques was surely a potential one. This was how the world worked, she had given him so many warnings and chances that he chose to dismiss it, it was only proper to carry out what she promised. As she slashed downward her sword to decapitate she heard a loud crash.
Before she could respond the Heavenly Knight noticed that she was pushed far away from her original location. Granberia no longer saw the purple-haired she was about to execute but instead an older and taller man stood holding her blade with a few droplets of blood dripping down the palm of his hand of his star and moon covered hands. She allowed her eyes to wander for a couple of moments, the most drawn towards two features: starlight covered hand her sword "Aries" was being held in and the scar, which judging by its appearance was caused by a deep puncture to the cheek. His face was formed into a frown.
As her fierce golden orbs started the empty grey ones she realized what happened, there was another opponent that interrupted her finishing off the boy. Who was this man, a friend of his perhaps? She moved arms to snatch the sword away; surely she would be enough to knock this human aside. However she found that her arms refused to move, the muscles were tense, and it felt as if a strange pressure was on her appendages.
It had worked, he managed to stop her, but there were other pressing matters that were important. He used to spin to launch himself towards her and to counteract the force of her swing via force going in the opposite direction neither method to achieving his goals was perfect. And now he felt the consequences of that: The force of the swing may have been stopped, but he underestimated how sharp the blade was, capable of cutting him from a simple touch, the cut on his palm and worst of all was the launch.
The amount of force produced by legs might have managed to rupture his leg muscles, judging from the pain and the feeling of shakiness. Luckily the coursing energy reinforced whatever remained, preventing him from falling over immediately. Regardless of the shortcomings, he had to remain strong, lest he risks showing any sign of weakness to the Heavenly Knight. The flames, the inferno he saw before faded, leaving only a dragon lady that mirrored his own expression. Luther felt pressure, her oppressive aura now grinding against his own feeble and developing spirit.
"Who are you?" She asked with renewed interest in her voice, she had failed in one task she set on accomplishing, there were few that managed to catch her off guard. Though the lack of ability to use arms was concerning, she could still use her legs, but the very idea that he had managed to perform such a ballsy move and paralyze her arms intrigued her.
"It doesn't matter who I am… what matters is that you tried to kill my friend." They were a good few inches away from each other, if it were not for the circumstances leading to this their proximity would be considered highly intimate. His voice was filled with malice, real or not it served to simply be his attempt to reinforce his decision of going against Granberia. He had his doubts, but it would be far too awful to watch someone get their head chopped off, someone who helped him. Luther flared his aura to match that of the Dragonknight, the man had a brief idea of how long he could last like this and he didn't like his odds.
"You seek to protect him. Your intent is honorable even if you did ambush me, although we both know there is a reason for that…you cannot face me head-on." There was no hint of arrogance in that statement, she was used to being able to gauge her opponents and the man before was radiating his power freely. The stranger was powerful for a Human, but no match for her…though it did beg the question of how she had not sensed this power, the main characteristic of this aura is the sheer unexpected spike in power one would not expect in a Human. If she were a lesser Monster she would have underestimated him, but she is a Heavenly Knight, it was expected of her to be undefeatable in battle.
"Stop…I have seen enough…" A familiar voice called to them, Luther and Granberia recognized and knew it belonged to, although it possessed much more commanding intent.
They both allowed themselves to look at the origin point of the voice, almost like they were in agreement to find out who interrupted their squabble. The Heavenly Knight's eyes widened at the sight, it was a peculiar white-haired woman, more accurately a disguised form The Monster Lord, and the only authority she had the obligation to listen to. Luther's reaction was far stranger, a cross between a sigh of relief and growl of frustration, for whatever the case was Alice picked a dramatic time to intervene. The only thing the man wished for was for her to do so sooner.
"You!" Was the only dragon-like monster uttered as she ignored Luther to kneel before her superior, causing him to stumble for a moment, legs practically screaming at him to stop straining them? His power was not the only thing he was using to keep himself up, but also using his enemy as support partly the reason he was leaning into her so much.
This provoked another low and quiet growl from the man. Come on legs, don't fail me here…
"I have determined that you are all absolute idiots." The lamia grumbled, she was faced with another instance of her subordinates disobeying her orders along with the utter stupidity of the ones she traveled with.
"Ehh… ?!" While being called an idiot by Alice wasn't new, in fact, Luka was convinced that this might become a repeating pattern of vocal abuse from the monster, what he did not expect was the view of seeing such a powerful Monster kneeling before his 'companion'. Did he underestimate Alice that much or perhaps he did die and this was just his punishment for failing, being tormented by the gluttonous lamia?
"Granberia…" She was peeved, she had mostly expected this behavior from other subordinates and even then they had their excuses, but this was a blatant violation. "What are you doing? Who ordered you to do such a thing?"
"I decide by myself. To get rid of those annoying heroes, I…" She might have been disobeying her commands, but she was ultimately doing her a favor with the amount of "heroes" being produced in this continent; it was only a matter of time when a competent threat appeared, but Alice had no intention of listening to her any further.
"Go away…you annoyance" The Monster Lord stated flatly, she wanted the dragonkin out of her sight, her reasoning was flawed, there was no way a human that powerful would randomly appear just because a town remained unconquered.
"B…But! If I leave now, even more heroes will show up…" Her words fell on deaf ears. Luka was puzzled, to say the least, he saw the imposing Heavenly knight reduced to someone who had to try to reason and plead, even her oppressive aura had started to dissipate.
"I told you to go away". The disguised lamia's voice grew louder. "If you go berserk like this, how am I going to eat the Ama-ama Dango?"
"If you want something like that, just let me take control of the city first…" Luka froze at Granberia's proposition, if there was one thing that could get Alice to listen, it was food. From the few interactions, he had with her even he could tell she was a glutton that cared for very little other than food.
"How can I sightsee with such an unsightly event like that going out? Idiot. Having to say the same thing three times…is how you show your loyalty. I told you to go away" She wanted pure experience on her adventure and conquest for fine cuisine, but what angered more was her subordinate's insistence on disobeying orders.
" At once…If that's your will, now if you excuse me…" Seeing there was no way to convince her lord otherwise, she hung her head low; she bowed and vanished away from the wrecked city plaza leaving only a small trace amount of her energy.
"…We did it…" Luka exhaled in relief, the Monster that was "rampaging" and the one that was going to kill him was ultimately driven away by none other than Alice. He was surprised, the one who coldly told him she was going to watch him be taken by a monster had saved him … he didn't know what to think.
*THUD*
The fake hero's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Luther dropping to the ground, his legs and power had given out, and now he was just another body lying in the plaza although, granted at least he was conscious as evident by the burning pain in his legs and bleeding palm. Luther felt how shaky his connection to Tusk was, it was…recovering and he was unable to use his powers no matter how many times he tried. Tusk did not hear his call, he had never been this…fragile before and it pained him so much to be in such a state. I feel so weak, this is pathetic…there has got to be some way to fix this…
"Luther!" Luka's body hurt, but he ignored the pain to attend to the current needs of his companion however he could, and he saw something that saddened him. The normally stoic Luther looked to be in much pain and distress, it didn't matter if he held all in and tried to hide it the purple-haired boy could see through it.
"I'm fine…" The man groaned out, his focus was fading the only thing he could pay attention to was his body condition and his "companions" and even then his consciousness had trouble staying clear-minded.
"What the hell were you idiots thinking!? Rushing in like that!" Alice wasn't surprised at Luther's collapse, she observed how wobbly his appearance was as if he could tip over at any moment. They tried to fight a powerful Monster and ended up being beaten black and blue, at least one of them that is. She was certainly quite a bit astonished at the speed the older fellow had managed to launch himself with, though admittedly at a severe cost.
"I…" Before even Luka could try to explain himself…
"And what about you! Jumping in between an attack like that, peculiar powers or not you had no business with trying to fight a Heavenly Knight. Now, look at you, practically dead weight with those torn muscles." Each word cut deeper into Luther, but he had heard worse in the past. It did hurt as much as his legs did, however, there was something that did irritate him, the only reason he did such a reckless move was because of her not showing up when needed. The only reason he felt this pain was because someone couldn't wrangle their subordinates and let them run rampant.
"Now Alice that's a bit uncalled for…"
"What else was I supposed to do?" Chamber's voice turned cold as he shot a dark glare at the Monster Lord. "Watch and let Luka's head get split from his neck?"
Alice raised an eyebrow, there was much anger directed towards her that wasn't unexpected from the man. To be honest there wasn't much to expect from him, but silence and a couple of short remarks, so she hadn't formed much of a profile on him. "You didn't have to do that…for your information, I was going to intervene and stop her from killing him."
"How was Luther supposed to know that? You told us that you weren't going to help me." This time Luka spoke up, what he said had surprised – a valid argument using her own words against her, granted she did try to drill that message into his empty head.
"I suppose your right." Alice her expression softened. "Regardless you shouldn't have fought someone so powerful. In fact, she shouldn't have even been here in the first place."
"What does that mean?" Perplexed, the purple-haired boy referred to the last part of her sentence.
"Nothing." She shook her head and looked away from the boy.
Both feeling the oppressive atmosphere disappear and seeing the obvious lack of the dragon knight from the city plaza the residents went out of their barricaded homes and places, slowly approaching the area where the main action took place, relieved to see such a threat to their livelihoods driven away by what looked to be a peculiar group of people. No matter how much commotion and celebration went on. Luther's mind was becoming more muddled and tired, he couldn't keep up or remember much of what had occurred further.
Luther Chambers took what relaxation he could get from the steaming large bath he was laying in, something he had specifically requested in the Sutherland Inn for the sake of privacy, well-deserved comfort, and time with his thoughts. Within the time he was laying he had managed to recover somewhat…as much as a man could when said person temporarily lost the use of their legs. But still it was a hot warm bath in this fantastical time period. He was relaxed, his thoughts were in place currently recalling the happened after his fall.
When the citizens approached they were concerned for him of course, more so than their own guards, but that was to be expected since they were the ones that "saved" the city. They tried to help as much as they could, bandaging his arm up however internal injuries were forced to remain as they could nothing about it, they assumed it was simply physical exhaustion…too bad he didn't have the clarity to correct them, Alice, Luka or anybody else.
After that they reached the famous inn and discovered its horrifying pricing causing Alice to have second thoughts about stopping her subordinate from taking over, however, thankfully their selfless and courageous actions managed to earn them the heroes discount which managed to reduce the outrages cost to a measly gold coin for person per day while the rest of the amount was sent to Ilias temple. The temple must be loaded if they handle that much for all heroes traveling.
They went there, and here he was sitting in a warm bath covered by luxurious red curtains, despite its basic and large appearance on the outside it housed lavish luxuries within its walls, high-quality painting adorned the wall, large living quarters, more than comfortable beds, and good bathing space along with hot water. The man had to savor this. It was one of the few times where he could fully relax.
And yet…he wasn't fully at peace, even disregarding his own doubt and dread of ever escaping this world, there was something more prominent occupying his mind: The battle with Granberia and his own actions and their consequences. Sure, he succeeded in his semi suicidal attempt at stopping her from executing Luka, but in the process had managed to get a cut on his arm and more importantly his severely strained legs, they weren't broken yet the muscles were torn. It was likely he wouldn't be able to stand properly for a long period of time, judging by the damage it might take a week or two for him to walk. Luther had never felt so pathetic in his life, even with his fallings in his personal life with the exception of awful love life they didn't compare.
It was even worse when Alice called him dead weight for that in all honesty that stung him more than it should have, perhaps because it simply further reinforced the idea of what state he was in, of course, Luka tried to console him in whatever he could but it was ineffective, given Alice own refusal to help him, Luka would likely have to carry him. The cut in his arm he did not mind, the legs would likely serve to keep him up at night. Would this one mistake really wound that much? Was it even a mistake? Could he attempt to make any further ones? How would he even defend himself?
Furthermore, the small amount of recovery he made wasn't for Tusk to be brought back, it was still dormant. He didn't even have his stand to comfort him who he found in a short period of time he was with, it was the only presence he could rely on and he hadn't meant any offense to his "companions", but… I can't get too close to them. It would only serve to make the eventual parting more difficult…if there would be a parting at all.
Most of his injuries were self-inflicted, and even though he didn't envy him, Luka was the only one that took a direct hit from Granberia and he recovered quite quickly, probably given his unique heritage, although Chambers still saw him wincing occasionally.
If only there was some way for him to heal as quickly as his purple-haired companion, he didn't have any innate supernatural stamina or healing ability, he only had the Spin, which wasn't capable of healing the damage and his stand even with its further acts was mostly offensive. even if it could help he wasn't able to call on it. Nothing in my repertoire helps me, the spin or my stand, it's useless…wait if I am able to use the spin and stand powers then…no…the answer right in my face... Hamon.
Energy used in ancient martial art style called Sendō which benefits include, not counting the actual supernatural techniques themselves that can burn away any undead creature, increased overall strength and stamina, the ability to turn most mundane objects into weapons, slowing the aging process and most importantly a healing factor. All this can be accomplished by breathing in a certain pattern, it wasn't as simple as it sounded, but if he could do it for a short while. perhaps it would aid his situation if only a bit.
The question was how he would even do it. He hadn't any knowledge of how to use it, no master to teach him, only its results. At least with the Spin, Luther had some reference to work with the damn sphere, thankfully he had gotten good enough with Tusk help to ignore that step, it almost came to him naturally, a bit like breathing…
There was one way, it was going to be painful and tedious as he wasn't an expert at the Ripple, neither was he that precise with his fingers. He had to force himself to breathe in that pattern and remember it if it was even possible, which he was confident it could be done. After all he can use the Spin and Tusk, so why can't he harness the power of Hamon?
He took his left hand and closed it so that only his pinky fingers remained. Chambers pointed his finger towards the lower region of his chest, to his diaphragm, and rammed them into it full speed. It hurt a bit, but no air rushed out of his lungs. The failure however did not discourage him to try further, he had nothing to lose, just a bit of his own comfort for the possibility to heal his legs.
"Ahh!" Chambers continued trying it in different spots, each time felt more or less painful than the other, he had managed to get a certain theory: that there was a certain correlation to the magnitude of pain and how close he was to achieving his goal because he discreetly remembered that this method involved a great deal of it. Nonetheless he would endure if it meant he could heal his torn muscles faster.
After more increasingly agonizing attempts he narrowed it down to centerfold, just slightly below the lungs. Composing himself, he slammed into that exact spot much to his surprise and dismay it sank in bringing in more agony than he imagined. The air in his lung left bit by bit until nothing remained. Luther unjammed his finger, leaned further into the wall trying to catch a breath with haste. I…I can't breathe… somebody helps me…
No matter how many times he tried, no amount of air entered his lungs, like they gained a will of their own and were intent on letting him die for the crimes committed on his body, for tearing off his own loyal muscles that worked hard to satisfy his intent. It was do or die, he needed air else he suffocated from his own making. He needed to think…fast.
Perhaps he was going about this the wrong way; Sendō is about deep meditative intakes of breath. What he did was supposedly forcing that state, so what was wrong? And then it hit him, he was still relying on instinct that pleaded for panicked rapid hyperventilation, but his lungs refused that. If Luther wanted to survive, he would have to focus, ironically disregarding his survival instinct that had aid him on so many different occasions, and depend on conscious effort. I don't want to die…not now.
It was hard but he collected himself as much as he could to stop his instinct's attempt at suicide and so began the meditative breathing, it was strange, awkward…the pattern was unlike any other, granted, he wasn't someone who subscribed to the notion of meditating or any mystical arts that involved concepts like chi or any other inner energy. Yet here he was in a world where magic and mystical creatures that pursue the contents of his balls…how ridiculous. This technique, seemed to stop any attempt of normal inhalation as was evident when he dropped his focus and let his instinct reign supreme for a moment, what a mistake that was. But this was temporary, he would be able to go about his day normally.
And then he felt it, Hamon flowing through his body. Whereas the spin was like a maelstrom that raced back forth restlessly, this energy was more of a stream of water gently flowing through him, rippling outwards out. Ironically he had better control over the Spin, perhaps this was simply the man he was, rash quickly thought-out actions were his thing rather than going with flow. But with this Ripple, he had never felt this healthy in his entire life even with these injuries, he felt like he could take on the world, he felt…whole, his chest felt a little easier and lighter.
Its healing was in effect. Luther ripped off the bandage covering his injured palm, it had stopped bleeding a while ago. Sparks of golden energy erupted out of the wound while also a soft almost invisible silvery aura covered his entire arm. In fact, it covered his entire body. He didn't let this distract him. Chamber felt the fatigue causing, burning, and stinging sensation in his legs slowly ever so slowly starting to disappear as the same energy ran through them, it wasn't as fast as the cut, but it was to be expected.
"This...is fantastic…akch!" The man croaked out, as he felt like he was suffocating and suddenly remembered that he needed to keep his concentration. "Right, almost forgot, just need to relax…"
He further submerged himself deeper into the bath, where his chin was just below the water, continuing to channel Hamon through his body, after al,l the warmth wasn't going anywhere. He no longer felt pain, but lingering fatigue and numbness and had also noticed the faint Ripples in the water protruding outwards his body, they seemed to match the pattern happening in his own body. It was the reason for the name: Hamon or the Ripple, it was because of the moving patterns caused by its users in the water along with any other organic material. The contrast with the Spin was evident, yet the flow was much harder to control.
His pondering and relaxation was interrupted by the illustrious red curtains being opened by a familiar presence, a purple-skinned lamia that stiffened. sniffing in the air for a moment before entering. Luther had to admit that he was never comfortable with Alice around, granted he was uncomfortable with Monsters in general, but there was something special about her suspicion towards him and the fact she was also THE Monster Lord, someone that can take him out in but an instant, Stand or no Stand.
"Alice…is there something you want to ask? This bath is only for one I'm afraid." There was a hint of nervousness within that fake chuckle as he kept up his Hamon breathing. The Monster Lord's gaze appeared more predatory than normal.
"Luther…you smell good…really good." Her voice was on edge of desire and becoming sultrier as she moved slightly closer to him. "I think we can squeeze in quite nicely together…"
Even a daft man could predict Alice's next course of action and at that moment all of his previously thought to be unfounded fears proved to be true, he froze in slow realization. The water no longer warmed him as much as it did, he felt cold, colder than the room he was in. He couldn't believe what was going to happen, he didn't want to believe at all…No…this can't be happening to me…Why me?
"Please Alice…don't do this, I don't enjoy that kind of physical contact." It wasn't a lie, before coming to this bizarre world he remained what could be called celibate for two years straight for reasons rather left buried deep within his heart until it burned a hole in it and burned a hole it did. He was left to fill that hole with friends and making love to booze bottles, but they were just that – empty, hollow, short-lasting pleasures that satisfied him temporarily until he had to keep doing them again and again. It almost ruined him. Luther was forced back up.
"There is nothing to be scared off…" She continued. "I think we both can enjoy this if only you relax a bit more, I can try to make this quick, no promises though."
Alice took off her clothing as she lowered herself into the water showing her bare assets in all their glory, but this was no time or place for Luther to even try liking anything that came with the view. The lamia slithered up the frightened man wrapping around his body bottom to the lower part of his chest, unlike the last time this happened it was surprisingly gentle despite the snake monster's rampant desire.
"Oh~…I can feel your energy through your skin." She moaned out, her long tongue dragged across the man's cheek, the very action made him nearly gag. He had no way to escape the Monster Lord's grasp. The situation was even worse than with the Roper and Granberia: his Stand went dormant and he doubted he could do anything with the basic Spin. All he had was Hamon, its meditative properties being the only keeping him from doing anything rash or having a mental breakdown. He had nothing. All he wanted to for all this to go away.
I don't want to be here… The air in the bath got considerably colder, his Hamon breathing pace got faster.
I don't want to feel… Some of the water around them froze. His silvery aura took on a more turquoise shade as it started sparking to life as some of the air moved like streams around them.
I don't want to see her… His body grew even colder, below what could be acceptable for a living human.
"Ah!" The purple-skinned lamia gasped in sudden pain letting go of her victim, the cold had given back her senses. Her mind had been so…muddled, fuzzy she wasn't exactly aware of what happened all she knew now was that she was in a cold bath naked. One moment she was talking to Luther and the other…she looked at the source of the pain on her hands and realized it. Frostbite…nothing that couldn't be healed.
She looked to where Luther was supposed to be and the source of sudden frost. Her eyes winded as she saw the scene before her. Luther was cowering on the now water turned to ice in a fetal position rocking back and forth while muttering a mantra of three sentences and the most notable feature to all of this, it appeared as though his entire being was surrounded by a blizzard. An icy storm raged around him circling his body, freezing the water, covering the walls and ceiling in ice, yet Luther didn't seem to sustain any damage.
The Monster thought it would best to flee for the moment but not before taking her clothes and giving him one last look, their eyes met. That was the last she saw of him that day…
Luther's notes: missing link?
Hamon or the Ripple is a…interesting energy form. I'm not exactly sure if I can call it that since it's quite different from its original counterpart, to put it simply: Unlike the original which utilizes power similar to the sun this one synchronizes a person's soul with their body. Magical and spiritual power becomes physical, one's speed, and strength, as well as the regeneration of stamina and general body health. Of course, Sendō being purely a spiritual technique, unlike the Spin, substantial evidence is hard to gather and is often inconclusive with the exception of certain points. However, there might some speculations that prove to be true during further study.
Sendō breathing possesses calming properties, often keeping a person in control of their emotions, yet ironically a user's Hamon changes based on their emotional state or their personality outright. For example, a hotheaded individual's Hamon may burn hotter and brighter than others, however, this doesn't come with any drawbacks. It seems as though certain personality traits or emotions may inhibit the ability to use techniques, but may bring new ones and empower others.
Furthermore what I found intriguing was that different species receive different use from such a technique varying in degrees of quality. Obviously, Monsters that are undead are completely incapable of using it and are even harmed by it more, it is likely it would result in suicide if one non-naturally living being were to use it. But going back on topic humans appear to benefit from it more than monsters. The overall power increase was proportionally more than that of their predatory species. I'm still quite unsure of what that means…but I have several theories I would be more than happy to discuss with anyone reading this.
On that topic, Angels are also incapable of using Hamon due to their apparent lack of real physical forms to synchronize to. What it is also to note is that it enables physical beings to directly interact with spiritual ones such as ghosts, spirits, or the formally mentioned Angels.
There is one unsavory drawback of Hamon is that the user radiates their own excess life force into the air, as a result a person scent increases in quality and quantity and they act like a giant beacon to those that can sense it: Monsters and Angels. Moreover, Angels and Monsters have a variety of first-time reactions to Hamon based on several circumstances such as: general disposition, nature, personality and hunger… Some are often overwhelmed and enter a lust-filled state, others simply find themselves more attracted and attached to the individual (this is more common after frequent exposure). Accounts of Monsters often state feeling a pleasant and welcoming aura coming off the individual.
I do admit that I am no natural in the art. I almost died of suffocation when I tried to use it for the first time, and beyond two techniques and their passive effects I have only but one left to my name. I lack the talent to use to its fullest extent unlike some of the people I know.
AN: This is not the last of Luther's suffering, we are only on chapter five, but it will take a bit of hiatus for a couple of chapters before something serious happens to him again.
On the topic of his encounter with Granberia: I wrote this in mind with seeing so many different SI that has been isekai'd act fearlessly in the face of danger with unrealistic courage coming from an average modern world citizen. That got me wondering how a "normal" would generally react to a powerful entity, of course, normal people don't have stands or strange six senses, but it would nr rather unbelievable if he charged right in without the right encouragement. (Luka doesn't count he has the whole martyr complex going on in spite of what he says in the game.)
And yes Hamon is a skill Luther can use now, but not great. Spin is his thing, not Hamon. If this was posted on April fools I would've ended this chapter with him suffocating.
On to the reviews.
-The-4uditor: I am sure you know of some of the things I'm going to put the poor bastard through. I don't fully remember where it's from, but I believe one writer said something like: If you want to write a good character make them suffer. While I personally don't believe in that assessment it felt fitting for the character.
-doomqwer: Naive? Well yes...I'm pretty sure we have played the same game, right? Dull? Well, that might be my own fault for trying too hard to follow in line with the character. Let me tell you something: characters aren't my strong suit, worldbuilding is, and well with making fanfics that is kind of done for you already most of the time. Regardless of what I said, this partly intentional to set up future character development.
-Guest: Well the bark isn't magical, is it? Unless you're keeping some dark secrets from our world.
-Thatz mann: This is practically a JoJo crossover, the only thing keeping this thing categorized as such I feel, is not using any of the JoJo characters.
-WhoKnewThatWhoKnows: Thank you, I like hearing that somebody likes my shit. Anyways I feel like his views aren't that far off people who often think too rationally and deeply about fictional settings, someone like me, and probably other writers on this site.
