Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.
Signed: Benji Himura
"Text" Talked sentences.
'Text' Thoughts.
-Text- Sounds effects.
(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language
: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.
Text: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.
Text: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.
Chapter eighteen: Attack force
Atsuko let out a long sigh, she wanted to be alone with Benji when they transcended, but Layla went with them, the silver haired knight wanted to transcend too and would do it at the same time that Benji did. While friendly with the knight Atsuko wanted privacy, besides Maria and Raki were following them too.
The party is in Alberta; they are once again seeking for the Valkyrie, while with more pairs of eyes searching for her Alberta is a large merchant town finding someone there was even harder than in Comodo. Maria was still a bit downcast because what happened in the previous day, she felt that was her fault that Benji got hurt. Benji reassured her that everything was fine but it wasn't easy to cheer her.
Atsuko locates the Valkyrie and runs at her direction. "You aren't running this time?" Atsuko asked confused. "You two aroused my curiosity." She answered casually, and then she turns to Benji and eyes him carefully. "You reek like a demon." She hissed looking at the assassin. "No it is even worse than a demon."
"I don't know who you are but I am not going to accept you badmouthing him." Layla hissed pulling her sword. "Layla." Benji said in a gentle tone, the knight glared at the Valkyrie but sheathes her sword.
"How many fell because your blades?" The Valkyrie asked. "Never really cared to count." Benji answered. "Far too many." "And not only monsters, humans too." The Valkyrie continued. "There isn't much of a difference for you." "When humans behave like monsters they should be treated as monsters." Benji replied. "Fair enough." The Valkyrie said. "Follow me." Benji nodded and walks behind the Valkyrie, the others do the same thing.
They move to a more deserted area of the city, an empty part of the harbor. The Valkyrie summons a long spear and her battle armor. "Now let's see as if you said you are still human." She said attacking Benji with a vicious and swift swing of her spear. Benji blocked with his daggers, he can feel the holiness of the spear it rolled out from it as a wave.
Layla wanted to jump into action but felt unable to do so, she could move but was unable to attack and as the others is forced to watch the combat. Atsuko knew that it was going to happen; the Valkyrie's trial was a combat trial, still it doesn't make any easier seeing her lover pressed back by the ageless young woman.
Benji focused on the Valkyrie, her appearance was painfully misleading hiding an absurd amount of strength in such small and slender body; then again Benji recalled that in anime RPG and anime unbelievable amounts of power always came in cute and cuddly receptacles. And Benji saw that unlike most of the fighters in that world the Valkyrie was backed up by a technique polished by countless years of fighting.
Benji once again dodged the odd cross and circle spear of the Valkyrie, the weapon was ridiculously shaped in the head but the Valkyrie maneuvered it with ease, skill and practice. Benji throws a pair of venom knives on the Valkyrie while getting some distance from her as she removes the poison soaked knives from her thighs.
Benji pulls the cast spear that he had it made on the guild, it is as tall as he is, the head is composed of three blades, two smaller side curved blades attached to the main blade by one connection two inches bellow the upper tip, almost resembling wings in the center a double edged blade longer than the two others, the staff was made of a dark blue almost black metal and instead of a normal ferrule there was a sharp pyramidal ferrule.
Pointing the three blades at the Valkyrie Benji shouted. "Lightning shot!" Instantly a ball of energy is launched as a beam of concentrate and almost solid electricity and hits the Valkyrie dead on the chest. Benji draws the sword that Haruka gave him, now fully repaired and brings down on the Valkyrie as hard as he can.
Benji feels the edge impacting against her seemingly light armor, Benji kicks her hard in the gut before striking her again with the sword, he managed to get an opening thanks to the technique that he developed within the guild and not matters how knowledgeable the Valkyrie is about normal skills she doesn't know those unique and personal ones.
Using everything that he has Benji slashes the Valkyrie once again, this time only to meet some sort of magical barrier as his world turns white. "Impressive." The Valkyrie murmured as her immortal body quickly repairs the damage taken. "It has been ages since someone developed something new."
Layla charged at the Valkyrie, now able to attack the silver haired knight brings down her sword on the smaller girl with an unspeakable fury. The Valkyrie blocked the attack but winced feeling the massive impact reverberating on her bones. Mad with fury and using all her skills Layla attacks hard ignoring the dents that appear on her sword, all that she cares about is beating the Valkyrie and bringing Benji back no matter what.
While furiously attacking Layla was still aware of her actions and her opponent but she isn't as agile as Benji and can't avoid as many attacks as he can, however she is by far more resilient than he is. Using the techniques that she trained in the guild and developed with the aid of Benji, Haruka and Makie, Layla attacks swiftly and hard at the Valkyrie not only with the sword but strong kicks and punches.
Holding the sword on her left hand Layla gets her favorite spear and drives on the Valkyrie's stomach, she slashes upwards with her left arm hitting the blonde deity on her right side, the Valkyrie hold on the two weapons. Layla recalling a similar training gives a powerful forward kick on the Valkyries left knee smashing the joint and forcing the knee to bend on the wrong side.
Layla smiled as the Valkyrie stumbled, but her grip was still strong on the weapons, letting go of the sword the Valkyrie draws a knife and slashes upwards hitting Layla's face and damaging her beret as well making her silver hair quickly turn crimson. Layla's pupils shrink in rage as she pulls hard on the spear tearing from the Valkyrie; she smashes down hard the weapons on the blonde battle maiden.
The Valkyrie feels the even stronger impacts and sideways stabs Layla, however Layla held the blade with her hand, gasping Layla holds on the blood soaked blade, the broad blade pierced her gauntlet clad hand and her neck severing the artery, her blood gushes as the Valkyrie withdraw the edge.
Feeling her knees weakening under her Layla gasped with blood tickling her throat, yet she tries to stab the Valkyrie once again with her spear, this time she meets the same barrier as Benji did and vanishes on the air as her world blanks out.
Atsuko takes a deep breath and advances towards the once again fully healed Valkyrie, however instead of casting the area protection spell for the battle the Valkyrie asked. "You are really sure that you want to transcend in your situation?" Atsuko was surprised but not really stunned. "It will halve your remaining life expectancy in exchange of the new beginning."
"I am sure of this." Atsuko answered with her left hand clutching her rosary and her right over her left breast. "This is what I want, transcend with the man that I love." "Then I will grant your wish." The Valkyrie replied instants before Atsuko vanishes in the air.
Both Maria and Raki stared at the winged woman and ready their weapons. "They aren't dead or hurt." The Valkyrie said to them. "They are just passing by a process that they sought by themselves. Soon they will be back." Then she notices the equipment of the duo and smiled. "I see, this explains much. So little ones you two want to change classes?"
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Ami bursts in inside Benji's office startling Alexis, Erika and Haruka who were working on the guild's inventory books. "Where is Benji?!" Ami shouted with her voice shaking in despair, worry and fear.
"He is out with Layla, Atsuko and Raki; they thought that sightseeing would cheer up Maria after yesterday's incident." Haruka answered, she only hasn't followed them since it was her scheduled day of doing guild work. "But why you entered like this you usually knock first."
"My sister is in trouble!" Ami exclaimed. "She said that she can't reach Benji, I can't either I am getting some odd reply telling that he isn't available!" Haruka frowned and tried sending a message herself, while not knowing the entire extension of Benji's relationship with Shina she knows enough that it was a close bond since Shina trusted her sister to him.
"I can't get anything." Haruka said opening her eyes annoyed. "Me neither." Alexis commented. "I can't get in touch with Layla either." Erika said seriously. "We have to do something, my sister needs help and wanted to ask for his help and from our guild." Ami said in verge of tears.
"What Benji-taisho would do…?" Haruka murmured. "Erika gather the girls." Alexis said seriously. "Look I know him well enough to know that if Mana and Shina asked for help he would go down to the very pits of hell to aid them. Then get the girls ready to deploy we will go help and hopefully we can get in touch with them while we are helping Ami's sister."
"Sure thing." Erika replied running out of the room, she also knew that much about him too. "Ami where is your sister?" Alexis asked to the younger knight. "Al de Baran." Ami answered. "More precisely in Neuschwanstein, she is a captain of the White Eyes guild."
Alexis stared in shock, she never guessed that Benji had friends in such famous guilds; much less that Ami was related to one of the most famous crusaders of the present. But it also explained why Benji were so well equipped and multi-classed. "And you never told us anything about that?" Alexis asked seriously.
"My sister told me to not tell to anyone." Ami answered meekly. "Benji already knew my sister." "And her guild?" Haruka asked. "That he doesn't know." Ami replied. "I don't know why my sister didn't told him and asked me to not tell him, but she is asking for his and our help."
Alexis sighed. "I know him enough to know that he would help no matter what." She muttered. "Gear up Haruka we will be going to aid Ami's sister and pray that we manage to get in touch with him; we will need his help as well from the others." Haruka nodded not really willing to help but leaves.
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Alexis wasn't expecting such terrifying sight, more adventurers than she cared to could were charging on the castle controlled by the White Eyes guild, the defenders were doing their best to hold the castle but it wasn't a WoE day, it was an invasion made by adventurers driven by rage who removed their safeties for the sake of revenge.
'How he does this?' Alexis asked to herself as fear fills her being. 'How he can charge against the enemy like that, against such oppressing odds?' Erika can see that everyone is nervous, there was only a total of four allied guilds of the White Eyes side and that counting both the White Eyes and the Seiryu's legions, and there was at least sixty attacking guilds. 'It won't be easy.' Erika thought at the sea of attackers clashing against a wall of defenders.
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Maria is about to attack the silent Valkyrie, she can't believe on her words after what she saw the Valkyrie doing. Suddenly three magic circles appear around the Valkyrie, each circle of a different color.
One was a dark lightning blue color, the other silver and the last violet colored. From the pillars of light of the same color of the circle appears, first thin and then broadening until it fills the circle.
As if lifted from the ground by the light Benji appears in the middle of the blue circle, his eyes are closed and his clothes as well his appearance is different. His clothes are still in the same metallic dark blue highlighted black shade, his shoes are now boots of the same shade of his clothes covered by a dark blue metal armor, the ribbon like fabric on his calves and shins were removed, on his waist two metal protections on each side holding what could be seem as the lower half of a coat, the shirt was in the same color of everything else, the ribbons over his torso are gone replaced by what appears to be a simple black cloth and metal armor, a short jacket covering his shoulders, on his arms two light and layered metal protections on his forearms extending to his hands, lastly were his cat ears and the addition of a similar tail on his waist. Benji opens his eyes, they are lightly unfocused and his expression isn't displaying any kind of emotion.
Layla's clothes are similar than Benji's but instead of simple pants she was with a mini skirt and what appears to be pantyhose replacing it, her once heavy armor replaced by a light clothe armor with some metal protections on her arms, waist and legs. Atsuko was wearing regular champion clothes but with the addition of metal protections on her waist, legs, arms and chest.
Then their clothes change to their regular outfits. "Your transcendency ended." The Valkyrie said to the trio. "Your bodies were rejuvenated, from now on you will age ten times slower than non-transcended people, and you all can become much stronger."
"It is possible for me to multi-class?" Layla asked happy in seeing Benji unhurt. "You are a lord knight now." The Valkyrie answered. "Unless there was a sacrifice from someone else you can't gain a class change."
"Any class sacrificed can become another for her?" Benji asked seriously. "Yes." The Valkyrie answered. "Then I sacrifice my merchant class." Benji said. "Give to Layla the class that she wants." "Goshujin-sama!" Layla exclaimed surprised, she doesn't want to steal the effort that he made.
"What class you desire silver knight?" The Valkyrie asked. "You will gain all the experience and skills of that class." "Take it Layla." Benji said looking at his silver haired lover. Layla nodded while crying. "Thief class." Layla hiccupped. The Valkyrie nodded taking the experience from Benji and giving to Layla.
"I am sorry." Layla said to him. "Don't be." Benji replied with a smile. "It means that you now will be able to avoid being hurt. It is okay by me." "So what happens now?" Atsuko asked to the Valkyrie. "Is up to you." she answered. "Soon you will notice few more changes."
She makes a pause and pulls something from her pocket. "I gave to the three of you this special rune; it allows you to locate me." She explained. "Since you are in high positions in your guild I believe that is fit that I trial all the other members when the time comes, call me and I will change them in the right time."
She turns to Benji. "And I am interested in changing the jobs of the young ones over there." She said pointing to Maria and Raki. "If you can multi-class them too I don't mind if is that what they want." Benji replied. "I can do that too." She commented. "But that has to wait." Benji said seriously finally getting a message. "Girls our guild is in trouble and we need to go help them and my friends."
Atsuko and Layla nodded, they are fully recovered and ready to battle. "We will be seeing each other again." The Valkyrie said before teleporting away. Benji sighed and they move to the nearest Kafra.
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Mana continued to mercilessly cutting and killing the enemies of her guild, she could also see the brand of Benji's guild but she couldn't see him anywhere, but since there is a horde of attackers between the two groups she also felt that was natural. The help was very welcomed by the defenders and the White Eyes and their allies could see the fierceness of the Seiryu's legions first handed.
Alexis was frightened but tried hard to not let anyone see that and was doing a good job doing so. They focused on a simple strategy of charging head on against the back of the enemy forces, the melee fighters protecting the casters in an offensive variation of the inner and outers strategy.
Once the enemy saw the new attackers the girls of the Seiryu's legions closed the ranks and continued to attack, with the attention divided in two flanks the attackers can't focus on any of the sides giving to them better chances.
The arrival of Benji's group to the area wasn't noticed however the charge that they made, at least Benji, Layla and Atsuko is felt when they impact in a different side of the crowd. The shrieks of the ones mauled by Benji's swords surpasses the sounds of battle just enough to everyone notice the new arrivals.
Seeing their leader the morale of the girls of the Seiryu's legions rise and so did their offensive. Mana couldn't help on smiling seeing him, he was slashing and crippling with ease and grace.
Layla followed closed distributing death upon those who her sword could reach, striking hard and swiftly, the edge just a silver blur of motion. Atsuko closed the line tearing the insides of her targets with her strikes.
Benji, Layla and Atsuko distance themselves from the other as they take different paths inside the mass of enemies. Benji slashes diagonally aiming at the knees, legs and arms of the enemies ahead of him, each slash causes at least two legs or arms to be severed, the massive pain and blood loss is enough to make his victims to stop fighting, not adding the loss of limbs. Benji also aims at the necks of his enemies, his intention was solely to kill as fast as he can and he was killing really fast.
Haruka smiled and spins her staff before resting it over her right shoulder and holding it as a rocket launcher. "Clear the path!" Haruka shouted to her companions kneeling on the ground. Already knowing what is coming the girls complied quickly. "Hissatsu!" Haruka shouted, a magic circle appears in the front of the staff moving clockwise. "Alabaster Demon Fire!"
A massive burst of energy leaves the circle hitting dead on the attackers in front of Haruka killing them as well every other attacker until the powerful beam of energy hits the outer wall of the castle. A massive trench appeared on the battlefield, the attacking army was split in two and the ground was scorched and exposed beneath the path of the attack.
Haruka smiled pleased before drinking a blue potion, the outer wall of girls closed around them once again Shina whistled impressed at the attack. Mana was almost stunned with the attack, sure she knew that sorcery was impressive but that attack was above everything that she saw and she saw a lot.
Using the surprise of the enemy the Seiryu's legions continue to inflict losses on the attackers, the White Eyes and their allies do the same. The morale of the attackers was bellow the ground; they were failing and failing hard, the losses where above the hundreds. From the eight hundred people that started the battle less than four hundred remained alive and that number was lessening at each passing moment.
Shina brings her sword down against one blacksmith, easily breaking the armor and slashing bones, blood jets in the air as she parries an attack with her shield. "Sister!" Ami shouted driving her spear on the offending knight. "Nice timing." Shina said with a smile. "It seems that your time with Benji paid up really well."
"I really don't know why you still do this." Ami shouted blocking an axe strike with her sword. "You get used to it!" Shina exclaimed driving the sharp tip of her shield against the face of the blacksmith that attacked Ami.
Mana laughed seeing the two sisters together. "Isn't that cute two sisters working together so fine?" Mana teased while killing a priest. "I won't dignify that with a reply!" Shina shot back. "HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!!" Shina shouted when seeing the massive damage that Benji and Atsuko caused by themselves in a compact formation of knights.
"Damn those two move really well together!" Mana exclaimed seeing how fast the assassin and monk are delivering death together. "It is all registering as a single combo!" Benji and Atsuko are hitting a particular sturdy VIT knight together, their timing so perfectly tunned that they link one attack next to the other.
"Soul…Guillotine…" Benji and Atsuko cast at the same time. "…Breaker! …Fist!" A bloody mass of torn flesh sprays on the fighters bellow the former and now dead knight. "That has to have packed over ninety thousand damage all by itself…" Mana commented too surprised with the combo to realize that Benji used a sinx skill and not an assassin skill.
Benji advances towards the stunned pack of knights and attacks them with nearly mad fury. "Seiryu is a sinx!" An adventurer howled in fright after Benji killed several of his companions with a meteor strike. Benji grinned and continued his task of slaughtering everyone who wasn't of his guild or from the White Eyes.
Then it ended, the attackers gave up seeing that if it continued any longer they would die at the hands of the White Eyes and their allies. The sound of several teleportations signals the victory of the defending forces. Benji raise his right hand still holding his bloodied sword high and gave a cry of victory, a cry that is mirrored by everyone.
"But he is clad on assassin's clothes." Ami stuttered pointing at her guild leader. "Since when taisho was a normal anything?" Karen pointed out to the young knight. "Point taken." Ami replied with a nod. "And if you paid enough attention you would have noticed that Layla is a lord knight and Atsuko a champion." Karen added. "Somehow they transcended and haven't lost their levels."
"Valkyrie." Mana and Shina said nodding as one. "You two expend too much time together." Benji commented. "You two act as one a lot." "Then this…" Shina started while sheathing her sword. "Will be perfectly timed as well." Mana finished before the two of them pounce on the now assassin cross.
"So that is your sister?" Alexis asked looking at the bloodied black with red highlighted hair crusader who is busy kissing Benji along an assassin. "I don't see much of a resemblance." "According to our mother she took most of her looks from our father." Ami commented.
"And who is the red haired assassin?" Marine asked while Benji squirms under their combined weight, it wasn't like they were too heavy or he didn't liked the kisses but their armors was really poking hard on soft points of his anatomy. "That is Mana." Cleo answered to the wizard. "And after nearly one year locked up in the guild no wonder they are so frisky."
"Well they have to go through at least four more women if they want bed him." Marine commented casually. "They have seniority on him." Cleo commented. "After all they are his godmothers." Ami nodded also not liked of the idea but then she knows better than going against her sister, so as most of the girls she ignores Benji's words and orders to let go.
"That was yummy." Mana commented wiping her lips with the back of her right hand as she stands up. Shina was also standing up. "She is my sister but we are very different." Ami said to Alexis. "Why I remember seeing this before…" Benji muttered while standing up, his face and neck all smeared with dark red and light pink lipstick.
"Oh crap…" Benji exclaimed recalling very well when that happened before. "Hey you wait…!" Atsuko, Layla, Haruka and Erika pounces on him as one, repeating the display from the assassin and the crusader, in a personal display of affection, jealousy and possessiveness.
"You know taisho might not live long with that many women on his bed." Leona commented to Karen. "I am sure that he can deal with ten to twenty women on his bed." Karen replied playfully. Benji's hand squirms under the pile of women while the others casually chat about things.
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"I thought that I was going to die." Benji commented few minutes later while wiping his face clean of six different colors of lipstick. "Again!" "It is the price of the fame." Mana replied casually, Shina nodded agreeing. "Still I am impressed you not only made a successful WoE guild but have four women on your bed and transcended before I did."
"Why you two haven't contacted me earlier?" Benji asked seriously. "I could have come and helped." "Our leader didn't want to bring outside help to the siege." Shina answered. "We were allowed to call you now because this was an all out war and not WoE, she didn't want to risk our lives needlessly and since you and your girls already have experience…"
"Since some of us are already trained and seasoned killers it was okay to call for help now." Benji finished with a long sigh. "Sure I killed more than I care to count and my name is becoming the synonym of death lately." "Which makes me very proud." Mana commented. "As an assassin I can't tell how much warms my heart to see you a full fledged mass murderer."
"Why I really don't feel happy about the way that you put it?" Benji asked in a flat tone. "She really could have worded that better." Shina commented. "But she means that as a compliment, even thought it doesn't sounds like one." "Besides now that this is over we can relax again." Mana commented stretching out her legs and arms.
"Unlike you I have more worries than that." Benji replied; everyone was inside the Neuschwanstein resting, luckily among the defenders and the Seiryu's legions there wasn't any casualties. "I have three castles and not enough people to a comfortable WoE battle in any of them." Benji added with a sigh.
"Actually we wanted to talk about that." Shina said seriously. "One of our allies is interested in getting a castle from you, not the Silver Moon since we can tell that you won't part from it. They are willing to pay really well for it; that solves part of the problem?"
"It does but we are talking about a fully functional WoE castle that effectively gives a good amount of money with the items that it spawns, it isn't something cheap." Benji replied seriously, he has a pretty good idea of how much a WoE cost to be made that not counting the value of the rare items that it is gained in those.
"Now changing to something lighter." Mana cheerfully said clapping her hands. "I am happy to seeing you with those ears." Benji looked up recalling that he still is wearing the black cat ears shaped Kaho's. "We also loved the hats that you gave us." Mana commented pulling her bunny beret from her inventory and putting it on.
"You gave to them too?!" Layla asked surprised and jealous, it was her hat made by her lover. "We gave to Benji lots of things it is only natural that he wanted to reciprocate it." Mana commented casually, she couldn't get enough of those bouncy bunny ears. "I gave him his cat ears."
"His Sakkat before that, his first set of armor, arms, items and cards too." Shina added. "True we never expected Benji to get this strong this fast but now we can easily party sharing experience." Shina recalled his first reaction when offered to party with them.
Benji sighed inwardly, it was clear that Layla was overly jealous of Mana, not to mention the fact that Layla was overly jealous of every female that is more friendly towards Benji who isn't part of the guild or the group of his lovers, even in those she held a certain amount of jealousy.
But before Layla said anything a pair of knights walked to them. "Captain Mana, Captain Shina the commander is calling both of you and your protégé." A knight with pink hair said to them. "In the Emperium room." "We will be going." Mana said to them.
"Well it is about time for her to decide to come out and say thanks." Mana said turning to Benji. "You girls don't wander too much in here; you know very well how castles are like mazes." Shina said to Ami and the others. "Wait why Benji-taisho has to go alone?" Haruka asked before Layla could do it.
"He isn't alone." Mana replied. "We are going too." "It is the same for us." Haruka said. "I don't know you." "And we don't know you either, look the only tie that bind us is Benji." Mana replied. "I as well anyone else am thankful for the help, but there is a chain of command and hierarchy here, our commander called for us and Benji, she didn't said us, Benji and some girls of his guild."
"Stop both of you." Benji snapped. "I am a sinx and in case of need I can easily fight by myself, that is for you Haruka, not to mention that is a leaders' meeting, Mana and Shina are going because they are my friends that vouched for me and called for our aid, they are there because their reputation is on the stake."
"And our leader isn't a fool; she wouldn't try to attack a friend of ours with us there or the leader of a guild who came for our aid when we asked." Shina added calmly. "In the worse case she will thank him and ask politely for him to leave the castle, in the best is an alliance between the two guilds."
"I can think in much worse cases than that." Haruka said flatly. "Haruka my sister wouldn't lie or let anything happen to him." Ami said seriously. "Excuse me but you lied to us for months, how we are supposed to believe on this?" Haruka asked. "You asked from which guild Ami's sister was part of?" Benji asked in a level tone.
"No." Haruka replied. "Anyone asked her that?" Benji asked again. "Not that I know about it." Haruka answered. "Then she didn't lie." Benji concluded. "I knew about her sister way before Ami came to me by mail, I didn't asked because Shina didn't told me about it and I respected her privacy, if anyone has a right to be angry and claim lying it would be me. And I am not angry or blaming Ami. Besides I also had offered my help to them if they needed it."
Haruka remained in silence unable to say anything back. "I told you this before Haruka; they saved my life in the desert." Benji said seriously. "I trust in them with my life as you trust in me with yours. Sure I am a bit angry at the lack of contact of them." Mana and Shina chuckled nervously at his barb.
"But look at the circumstances here, nearly one year locked inside a castle fighting no stop, sure they still had ways and time to send letters and private messages and didn't do it." Benji added. "You are trying to defend us or hurt us?" Mana asked with a frown. "Part of A and part of B." Benji replied with a grin.
"But they didn't tell you anything about their guild." Haruka pointed out. "Haruka we do the same with nearly everyone that we met outside the guild." Alexis points out. "You can't blain them for that." "Anyway we continue this later, I don't know their leader and I want to make a good impression." Benji said to them. "Layla gather our girls and make row call on them, they can chat with the others in here but we might need to leave soon."
Layla nodded at his words but doesn't say anything, while she as his lover isn't happy with the situation as his second she has to accept things as they are, in the moment they are a fighting force and Benji is the commander his words are absolute.
Benji, Shina and Mana leave the room. "That one with the silver hair was almost gutting me with her eyes." Mana commented with a sigh. "Layla can be very jealous." Benji commented. "She is also cautious and shy around strangers." "I don't think that shy is the right word for her Benji." Mana said dryly. "And that blonde wizard, she was acting as if we were taking you to a slaughter house."
"Haruka is difficult to deal with." Benji commented. "She is kind of high maintenance, but once you get to know her she is a nice girl." "So missed us?" Mana asked changing the subject; the walk to the Emperium room was a long one and why waste it with a bad conversation?
"In the beginning." Benji answered casually, sure he missed them a lot, there were times that he was too busy to actively feel like that but he did miss them. "Afterwards I hardly remembered of you."
"What?!" Mana exclaimed in horror. "Come on Mana he is teasing you, besides he was busy, he couldn't just be worried about us and level to sinx at the same time, sulking and leveling doesn't go along." Shina teased her friend. "But Benji you did a hell of a job, you raised a team of excellent fighters, they fight like demons."
"We are just motivated and despaired." Benji replied. "But thanks for your words." "I really mean it Benji, I saw them charging, I saw those new spells that the blonde wizard cast during the battle, if you were against us we wouldn't hold this castle." Shina said seriously. "Then there is the teaming, like you and that short haired blond monk, you two totaled knight after knight, and then you fighting by yourself, Benji I never saw anything like that and I have countless battles in my past."
Benji remained in silence; he doesn't know what to say to her, everything was the sum of several factors, training, equipment, familiarity, among other factors. "Benji I am not saying that is a bad thing." Shina continued. "But you and your girls are going to get a lot of attention, even more than you think that you are getting now. I really mean lots and lots of attention and not all of the good kind."
"I am already familiar with that." Benji commented. "Why you think that I have recruiting problems?" "So you are cautious about who you let in." Mana said not really pleased that the conversation got serious again. "Very." Benji answered. "Around one third of my guild was prisoners of the Wasted Years, I killed them all, later we killed around half of the Golden Years, that leaves plenty friends, families, lovers and whoever else of them that hold a grudge angry. We also refused a lot of people, fame hunters and other types like that."
Mana and Shina nodded understanding; they faced that kind of people too. "Besides I am not all that popular." Benji added. "My reputation is of a murderer, I also have fame of being gathering a harem under the excuse of making a guild, and we all know how bad reputation spreads faster than good reputation."
Shina and Mana nodded understanding. "So what you are going to do?" Mana asked. "You have three castles but not enough people to guard them." "I don't really now." Benji answered. "I could rely in weapons that I have designed by myself and with the guild, it would be only a temporary measure and might be illegal in the WoE. I hoped to get more people in the remaining weeks before the next WoE day."
"Unless you change your standards I don't think that you might succeed." Mana said seriously, Shina nodded agreeing. "Sadly Benji there is times that we have to give up on certain things in order to gain others." Shina added. "I know that already." Benji replied.
They arrive in the Emperium room, Benji is feeling a bit tense but doesn't show it, he doesn't really like the idea of meeting with the leader without any information on her, Mana and Shina didn't told a thing to him about her.
Benji sees nine women in the room, one blacksmith, two priestesses, one huntress, one sage, one knight, one wizard, one assassin and one rogue. The trios have different guild symbols, one of the trios, blacksmith, priestess and huntress were with the White Eyes symbol; the second trio, rogue, knight and wizard are with a symbol that looks like something that was blurred; last trio, priestess, sage and assassin are wearing a symbol of something bleeding.
"Greetings." The blacksmith said to Benji with a smile. "Welcome to our meeting. As you noticed in here are the two guild leaders of my alliance, we are of course escorted by our right and left hand women, given your past with my two captains feel free to assume them as your escorts on this meeting."
Mana and Shina look at each other confused, sure their leader was with her second and third in command there so were their long term allies but denying Benji that same right was awkward and impolite. "At my left is Theresa, she is the leader of the Bloody Wraith guild, and her two companions Vivian the purple flash and Elise the crimson flame." The blacksmith said gesturing to the group of the knight, wizard and the rogue. "Theresa is the knight, and that is just to make sure that you won't make confusion."
"On my right is Morrigan angel of death, the leader of the Blurry Eyes guild; next to her are Aria song of god and Deborah the dark canceller. Just to avoid confusion from your part Aria is the priestess and not the assassin."
Benji had figured that much but once again why say anything. "I am Fiasse of the white eyes, next to me are Hitomi nicknamed deadly eyes, and Sia……" Benji noticed how everyone on the room other than the mentioned priestess chuckled. "The Head banger." Fiasse finished with a hint of laughter on her voice.
"Let me guess it has a funny story for that nickname right?" Benji turned and asked to Mana. "Very funny." Mana replied. "If is pinning a poor motherfucker on the ground and banging his head on the floor isn't on my list of jokes." Benji commented. "I did worse with a guy using a door."
"Well it is funny for us." Shina commented. "It is because you weren't there to see her." "And how you used a door to bang on the guy's head?" Mana asked curious. "Quite simple when the guy poked his head by the half open door I held on his head while holding on the handle of the door with the other hand and them I banged the door on his head many times." Benji answered casually.
Mana laughed at the scene that she imagined. "Now cutting off the jokes and funny stories." Fiasse said clearing her throat. "All of us here know of you Benji Himura the blue dragon, knight killer or general; you have more than a handful of aliases not all of the flattering. You already know shinigami Mana and divine buster Shina, of course not with their nicknames. And they knew you before you gained yours."
Mana and Shina remain in silence, they are nervous, in front of them is the nine more powerful people of the guilds in terms of power and influence, if something bad would happen three guilds would fall against them, Mana and Shina doesn't know in which side they would end, Benji's or their guild's.
"We are thankful for you quick response to our request for help." Fiasse continued politely. "I understand that you were in a transcendence quest when first called by Mana and Shina, but your guild came even without you answering us. Why that?" "Because within my closer circle of friends in my guild they knew that I would come to aid Mana and Shina when I heard that they were in trouble, the acting leader at that time knew that and came here knowing that when I got the news I would come here." Benji answered in a level tone. "Which happened since as soon my party and I finished that quest and got the word of the attack we came here."
"We saw that." Fiasse said nodding. "Did Mana and Shina told you that we are interested in purchasing from you one of the castles that you conquered on the past war day?"
"They mentioned that one of your allies is interested in getting one of them." Benji answered. "And what you answered?" Fiasse asked. "I teased them." Benji replied. "I will consider based in how much she intends to pay for the castle, I am sure that you are aware of how much profit a castle can give as well as much loss."
"We are well aware of that." Fiasse said. Morrigan places a bar of gold over the table between them. "This bar is worth two hundred millions zenys." Morrigan said while placing a pouch next to it and showing precious stones. "I am willing to pay a total of two hundred and thirty seven millions for the castle, any of the two that you conquered, immediate pay and moving."
Benji remains in silence, it was a sizable sum, definitely worth of a castle, but not enough to build and create a castle of that size, Benji is aware that in his current state he won't be able to hold it. "It isn't enough?" Morrigan asked to the fellow assassin taking his silence as denial. "This is all that I can pay for it, I think that is a fitting sum for the rights over the castle."
"You know what you are going to get once you own the castle?" Benji asked to her. "You have any idea of how it is to manage a castle?" "What you think that we have been doing since we were sieged in here?" Morrigan asked back to him. "I know the risks of having a castle, but I think that my guild deserves a place for us to rest and call home."
"Then I will take it but don't complain later." Benji replied. "Which one you want?" "I think that I will take Bergel." Morrigan answered. Benji nodded. "Schedule a day for us to go there and make the trade." Benji said to her. Morrigan nodded taking back the gold and stones.
"Now moving to something else." Fiasse said turning to Benji. "Are you aware of the past of your monk?" "Which one?" Benji asked. "My guild has ten monks on it." "The blonde one that arrived with you and fought next to you." Fiasse answered. "You mean Atsuko?" Benji asked seriously. "What about her?"
"You know her past guild?" Fiasse asked. "She is a former Kingstone guild member." Benji answered in a level tone, Atsuko told him about her family as she called Helen and some close members of the guild. "She left the guild when joined my guild."
"One of the allies of a subdivision of the Kingstone guild was helping on the siege even thought they weren't in the battle today." Fiasse added.
"I fail to see why you are bringing Atsuko up." Benji said in a flat tone. "No one can keep tracks of all their allies' actions and Atsuko was a loner, she is what some call errand monk, traveling around and leveling by herself and in rare occasions becoming partners with someone."
"You are sure that she is worth your trust?" Fiasse asked. "Yes I am." Benji answered. "If you plan to try to convince me to expel Atsuko forget it, she is my lover and I brought her into the guild, she joined at my invitation. If you were going to say something in the lines of expelling her because she is a former Kingstone guild member to become allied with you, you are better saving your breath because it isn't going to happen."
Mana and Shina remained in silence, they guessed that Benji would stick up for Atsuko; it wasn't like Benji throwing a friend to the wolves for a deal, especially someone who he claimed to be a lover.
"Even knowing that without allies you might not be able to hold your castles?" Fiasse asked. "Without Atsuko we wouldn't have defended our castle as well as we did." Benji answered, since he arrived he was getting an off vibe from Fiasse, something about her struck a chord in Benji's memory but he couldn't pinpoint anything.
"Ladies I want to discuss few things in particular with the general." Fiasse said to the others. "Mind in leaving us alone for a while?" Mana and Shina wanted to protest but they knew better and unwillingly left with the others.
"You two have any idea of what on him might be interesting her?" Hitomi asked to Mana and Shina. "We don't really know." Mana answered. "I am confused about all this; I thought that Benji would become our ally." "I thought the same too." Shina added. "Since we heard about him joining a guild I thought that he would eventually be our ally."
Hitomi and Sia remained in silence they also don't know about Fiasse's intentions. "It would be stupidity to try anything against him." Morrigan said seriously. "His reputation isn't exaggeration; we saw what he did out there." "However he has ties to the Kingstone guild." Theresa said with a hint of annoyance on her voice. "Even if he claims that she isn't part of that guild she was with them and their allies were attacking us."
"The allies of the Kingstone only attacked in the WoE days and didn't help in the siege." Aria pointed out. "It is his right to recruit whoever he wants; we can't order him to expel anyone just because we don't like them."
Inside Fiasse sighed. "So cutting the crap." She said in Portuguese. "What kind of fuck would require for you to kick that monk of yours?" Benji is surprised but hides it quite well; the feeling was getting stronger now that he discovered that she isn't natural of Rune.
"I said before I won't expel her." Benji replied. "Between you and Atsuko I will pick up Atsuko in any day of the week." Fiasse snorted. "Stubborn as ever." She muttered pulling a Gatling gun from behind the Emperium pillar. "Let's see if I can smoothen you down now!" Benji runs out of room before she can even shoulder the gun.
The girls outside shriek as they are throw against walls or the floor when the door bursts open. Benji skidded on the floor and bolts to the left just moments before a volley of bullets impacts on the wall in front of the door. Fiasse run out of the room struggling a bit with the gun and fires at the direction that Benji ran to, Benji slides and draws two pistols while sliding on the smooth stone floor.
Fiasse shrieked when Benji fired and his bullets hit her gun even with the odd angle of fire and lack of a real aim. Fiasse sees her Gatling gun falling apart and pulls a shotgun and resumes chasing him.
Mana and Shina run after her, they won't let Fiasse hurt Benji, he was there because of them. Hitomi and Sia run after them, they know that Fiasse isn't really all that endowed when it comes to thinking and diplomacy, at least in some times, she was also a little crazy.
Benji reloads his pistols while running, he was counting on his luck for running on the right direction on a dungeon to once again navigate him in a castle. "Girls warp out now." Benji said making a guild call. "None of the guilds is hostile but I think that the leader of the White Eyes in on one of those days and she is moody so get back home. I am leaving now too."
"Goshujin-sama is there anything wrong?" Layla asked worried. "Nothing really big, just something hormonal from her part, I can get out of here by myself but with you girls here I can't focus on escaping from her." Benji answered. "Escaping?" Layla asked. "If is an attack we can fight!"
"It isn't an attack." Benji said. "Layla I am ordering a retreat so retreat." "Hai." Layla said defeated, and she joins the others in the teleportation. Benji sighed with relief now that his girls are safe and won't be attacked, he lied to Layla but was better than saying that Fiasse was chasing him and trying to kill him with guns.
"Halt!" A pair of gunslingers shouted leaping out from a hall. Benji ignores the command and fires at them before they fired at him. The two girls cry in pain as his bullets bite on their arms and legs. "Crap!" Benji shouted jumping back and barely avoiding a wall of bullets as a formation of twenty gunslingers fired when he made a turn.
Benji sees the wall turning into dust as they fire continuously. "So reckless." Benji muttered holding his left pistol under his right arm; he pulls a black ball of the size of an orange from his inventory, snapping his index and thumb Benji lithe the fuse of the bomb and throws at the direction of the formation.
Moments later a loud explosion cuts the shots, Benji runs out of his hiding spot and sees the gunslingers lightly burnt and charred fallen in the floor squirming in pain without major injuries, Benji used a metal and shrapnel free bomb, just the shock and the fire hit them, they would recover soon.
Fiasse sees the girls and the soot covered walls. "Damn he made bombs." She cursed running over the girls. "No wonder he raised an army like that, he is still the same master as he was then. I am so going to break him."
Mana and Shina see the scene after Fiasse left. "What Benji did?" Shina murmured seeing the wounded girls. "None of them will get permanent injuries but what is going on?" "Our leader is up to something, and Benji is going out of his way to not kill anyone." Mana concluded recalling the wounded gunslingers that they found before those.
"Maybe he has hopes of being friends with us after this mess." Morrigan commented. "We have to stop Fiasse, this isn't right; this isn't how to repay his kindness." Mana nodded and they continue to run after them. Benji shoots at a shut window and leaps out of it. "Teleport!" he shouted in midair.
Fiasse cursed and looks out of the window not seeing him anywhere. "I don't believe on this!" She shouted hitting the window frame. "Why you keep refusing me Himura?! Not once but twice!"
Above the window Benji grinned pulling a strong silk cord from his pocket, Fiasse looks out again trying to look for him at the distance, it was all that he needed to lace her neck in a garrote with the silk cord and pull her out of the window. The blacksmith flails feeling the strong pressure on her neck, her own weight choking her as Benji pulls her up to the rooftop.
Benji pulls hard on the rope and slams her down on the rooftop, Fiasse gasped as the air is suddenly expelled from her lungs with the impact. "Now I recalled a psychotic bitch." Benji said twisting her left arm behind her back and tying it high with the cord of her neck.
If she tries to pull down her arm she will strangle herself, to safe her life she will have to force the joint in that painful position on her own, it was a variation of a strangling restraint that Benji learned from a former Brazilian army lieutenant during his early teens.
Benji presses the barrel of one of his pistols on the back of her head. "It hasn't been enough years Beth." Benji said cocking the pistol. "You shouldn't have left war master." Beth replied in a pained tone, her voice hoarse because the pain and strain. "But I can see that you became even more dangerous. You could have ruled there."
"Why I would want to rule that shit hole?" Benji sneered. "It was a mistake going to that place in the first place. I never agreed with the combat, I never wanted position that you and your friends forced on me."
"You won the battle royale." Beth replied. "You earned the title. Don't forget that the one wielding the crossbar was you and not me. I still remember you all by yourself in the final moments of it, it was beautiful scene, the muddy ground covered with the unconscious losers, few, the strongest ones still standing, still fighting."
"And vultures like you watching the damn thing with pleasure, setting up a fight with some lame excuse of being tradition and hierarchy." Benji spat grinding the barrel against her head. Beth doesn't complain but hissed in pain. "I can't deny that we enjoyed the show a lot, but what best way to get a leader out of the freshmen than a battle royale to decide who is going to call the shots?" Beth asked. "The strongest dorm gets the right of decide over the duties and benefits of all the dorms of that year. It happened in the junior and senior years too."
"People got hurt, I don't want imagine how many died because that idea; idea that people like you work hard to keep as tradition." Benji said really considering in pulling the trigger. "That survival of the fittest way of thinking led to bullying, abuse and rape. You lived in the female dorm, you know what happened."
"So what? You stopped him." Beth replied. "Himura you know that she was a tease, he only wanted to get what she taunted him with." "While she was a tease that doesn't make right for him to rape her." Benji shot back. "And if was you Beth? And if some guy overpowered you and decided to use you for his pleasure? That fittest rule applies to you too?"
"I have my ways Himura, as you have yours." Beth replied. "You only turned you back on that place when the year ended. You don't have the right to lecture me about it. You ran." "I didn't ran, I chose to leave that nuthouse." Benji said. "Drugs, violence, alcohol, sex and corruption. Hard to believe that that place was a supposed to be a school in the middle of the country side."
"Because it was in the country side that we could be that bad." Beth sneered. "More than three kilometers away from the nearest neighbor, no police, uncaring and corrupt staff, we had to come with our own rules, our own hierarchy between the students. War masters, leaders by combat, come on Himura admit it, and it felt good to rule by strength, the respect that you got for beating all the guys of the other dorms after nearly everyone from your dorm was knocked out. That you who started out with a handmade knuckle duster and aluminium baton made out of a bike's pedal shaft managed to steal the crowbar of a guy from a different dorm and last until the end of it. You who was dragged out by the guy that shared your bunker bed."
"I was fighting so he and my other friend wouldn't get hurt." Benji replied. "I didn't felt any pleasure or joy in beating those guys." "You delivered several of them to the hospital, broken bones because the crowbar, arms, legs and shoulders, as you were hitting today in the attack." Beth said. "Each slash crippled at least three of them; each strike killed at least three, heads, arms and legs flying at each slash of your sword."
"You provoked this." Benji hissed. "Why you made them siege the castle like this? Why locking everyone here for almost one year?" Beth laughed. "Fame." She answered. "Reputation, wealth, glory, and amusement. The White Eyes and its allies held this castle for almost one year not counting with anyone other than themselves, our economy skyrocketed, our members are the strongest, our safes flooding with gold because the daily trips to the dungeon. We gain several rare items everyday. You aren't different that me Himura, you do the same thing."
"I am different from you Bethany, you do it for amusement and pleasure, and I do because I am forced to." Benji said in a cold tone. "Of all the people that I could meet in this world, of all the people of our world that could come here, why the leader of the guild of Mana and Shina had to be you? You don't deserve people like them, they are too good for you, far too good."
"And what you are going to do about it?" Beth sneered. "Kill me?" "Yeah." Benji answered pulling the trigger. "You forgot or ignored the fact that I know how to bypass the safety."
End of the chapter eighteen:
Author explanation corner:
Valkyrie's combat trial: Felt like a reasonable way for the Valkyrie decides if the person is worth or not of her time and her transcendence, Valkyrie's transcendency is more powerful than the regular since you don't lose all the levels and experience previously acquired as happens with the regular kind. Few more benefits will be show in the story.
Benji's, Layla's and Atsuko's new outfits: I know that their outfits as assassin cross, lord knight and champion are different than the usual, that is for particular reasons (some being just looks). More explanations in future chapters of the story.
Cast spear: Shaped as a spear design that I like to use in RPG, can be used to physical and magical attacks. The spear gives an INT, DEX, MATK and cast speed boost, it is to enhance the power magic attacks and surprise enemies with a magic attack using a spear instead of a rod or staff.
Lightning shot: A simple lightning based attack, instead of being a subdivision of wind as lightning is in the RO the element of the attack is lightning and not wind. A fast cast, high accuracy and high speed shooting spell, armor piercing splash lightning damage, wind attribute armor and defenses does decrease the damage since air isn't a good conduit for electricity.
Layla's dualing skill: Anyone can use two weapons with certain success, Benji taught Layla to dual with more success and damage than the normal. The damage of the weapons is cut in one third when dualing with two hands weapons and one quarter to one hand weapons. Layla trained with this and few more techniques to add to her usual repertories. She isn't the only who is trained with other techniques and skills.
Hissatsu: Certain kill, certain death, one hit kill, there are many possible translation for it. In the story it is the title given to original techniques that the Seiryu's legions members developed, some are deadlier than others.
Alabaster demon fire: Haruka's original wide area beam attack. Gundam styled mass destruction attack, that is how it looks and the effect. It destroys everything within the path from the caster to the target. Fast cast anti-mob spell, neutral element, highly costly with a considerable delay.
Benji's and Atsuko's combo: Assassin and monk are melee fighters, so it is plausible that one assassin and one monk can trash out enemies in harmony and effectively together. Benji and Atsuko also teamed together for months, they are well used to fighting together so they can time well the attacks to lock the victim in a helpless state. Anyway I just threw a high number for the damage in the knight, I don't want to do the whole calculation only for the Soul Breaker against a VIT knight, so let's pretend that is like that if isn't.
War master: In a boarding school that I made the mistake of enrolling on in the past there was a sick tradition of having fights between the students to get power and benefits. The school was in the middle of the country side far from neighboring cities, the school staff was corrupt and embezzled founds from the school.
The students of the board didn't have any real power, the ones that had used intimidation and fear to keep it. The fights were both for their amusement and to select the ones more inclined join the scheme. The masters as they liked to call themselves controlled benefits and orders related to the dorms and classes.
So they could make their dorm have a TV, AC and other commodities while other dorms suffered with broken fans or showers. I was indeed dragged to it by two friends; I couldn't leave them alone, in a dorm filled with strangers and dangerous people the friends that we made there sticked together there.
I did win the freshmen battle because a stolen crowbar and accurate hits in joints of the others, the count of students going to the neighbor city's hospital that year was higher than the usual. (At least one year of karate and two of ninjitsu paid up them, since I knew where to hit to hurt and they didn't.)
Anyway as the leader of the freshmen year I had the power to dish out punishments, duties, benefits and other things related to that year students. Unlike the others I tried to be as equal as possible and not favor anyone. Male and female dorms had their own leaders.
Bethany AKA Fiasse: Her real name is Betania, I altered to the English version of her name, she was a junior of that school, she liked the power that she had as master but she never fought for it, she manipulated others to do the dirty work. I never liked her and didn't get along with her. Because of that she was highly interested on me since I didn't fancied or were attracted to her as other males were.
She was at the least complex, she loved stirring up trouble between the students just to see how the chaos would unfold, and she also liked the fame of being the master of the junior hall of the female dorm. She was rumored to be a little crazy.