Chapter 26: Finding Your Soul Mate: Hot Spring Mishaps and Questions: Generation 1
The party and their army have successfully occupied Pleuron, but the damages done by Braham has been done. Not only that, Leo and his army were forced to kill a teacher that Takashi and his friends knew who was turned into a zombie by Summerill's Outbreak.
Winfield looked out the window as the Rigulus army helped rebuild the buildings destroyed by the orcs, goblins and zombies. They were also picking up the bones of the dead zombies. Largen joined the others in about two days after the successful attack on Pleuron.
"There is more damage than I thought. To think they could be more coordinated..." He muttered.
Leo turned to Luana for a report. "What of the goblins and orcs that ran?"
"The Rigulus army is on their tail. I doubt they will get far." Luana smiled confidently on her nation's army.
"I know not where they hid, but I know they will soon be back, and in greater numbers." Vira-Lorr sighed.
"Never before have I heard of goblins and orcs working together with humans that were once human from Takashi's world, let alone under the command of another." Elaine voiced her concerns.
"That is their true character. Their true strength is only realized when they are led by one with overwhelming power. The forces of darkness created beasts such as these." Dyshana explained.
"Are you saying that somehow, that Braham jerk commanded them?" Ling eyed Dyshana suspiciously.
Zerva was also skeptic of this and replied with "Created? You speak lies. One cannot simply create life."
Dyshana smirked rather eerily and responded with "A human cannot, but a god may do so with ease. From this world, have you never heard of the ancient battle between the gods?"
Ellis nodded and said "My grandpa used to tell me the stories all the time. They were very scary. The evil gods tried to destroy everything."
"Those are nothing but fables to scare children!" Winfield retorted.
"Believe what you wish, but even you cannot deny that a darkness now sweeps our world, one of terrible power. Goblins and orcs were the soldiers of the evil gods, but their leaders have lost and they have scattered." Dyshana explained.
Winfield has a serious look on his face and asked her "But if they were organized here with the zombies... Is there someone powerful enough to unite them again?"
"Perhaps not by himself, but he is the eyes and ears of those who can..." Dyshana responded.
"The Dark Knight..." Leo tighten his fist in anger.
"Who the hell is the Dark Knight?" Tokai asked, getting annoyed by this.
"The Dark Knight is the one who took Leo's life before." Ellis looked at Leo in concern, she can tell that mentioning the Dark Knight fills him with regret and anger.
"Wait what?" Bart blinked in surprise. "Then how come Leo is still here?!"
"I was the one who revived him..." Dyshana said simply. "In return, he must fulfill his duty before his time is up in this world."
"I think I know what the Dark Knight's true objectives are..." IF frowned.
"What is it, Iffy? Don't keep us in suspense!" Neptune beamed.
"He's after Winfield's bracelet as well as our trinkets and using this war is the perfect cover up." IF folded her arms and looked up.
"The seal kept him from finding the Bracelet and our otherworldly friends' trinkets, but he had managed to narrow his search to this continent. Of course, he would have been a fool to tell anyone what he sought... and searching with an army of beasts would have drawn unneeded attention. That was why he looked to Gridamas." Winfield theorized with a frown.
Largen stepped forward with a frown of his own and said "King Hertzfeldt was not a man to light the fires of war. Relentless, yes, but no warmonger."
Zerva snarled and told the old general "But he was prejudiced against the Frontier and those who lived there- the other races. Even so, he was not a man easily controlled. Such a person would need unthinkable leverage." Largen was silent when the syrium said that.
"Now he knows where the Bracelet and the rest of Summerill's trinkets are. There is little point to hiding them. At least he doesn't have enough power yet to show his true form, yes?" Winfield asked with a cocky smile.
"No." Dyshana shook her head. "The forces of darkness have yet to regain their full power."
"Dyshana, can King Hertzfeldt be saved?" Largen asked hopefully.
Dyshana stared at Largen in the eyes and asked him "Braham, does your king have any strange pieces of jewelry, similar to Winfield, the otherworlders or the unfortunate Marquis?"
Largen thought about it for twelve seconds until he replied with "I... do recall that a minor lord presented him with a ring just before the Dark Knight appeared. Perhaps that ring was the cause of his strange behavior. Will he returned to normal if the ring is destroyed?"
"I do not know. I do not even know if it can be destroyed." Dyshana closed her eyes in thought. "And Braham, was it?" She added. "The amulet he was wearing have fused with his skin and bones, making it impossible to destroy only the amulet."
"Rigulus cannot support all of Lucrellia on its own!" Vira-Lorr pointed out.
"That is why we must save that foolish king of Gridamas..." Etna stated flatly, bored by this conversation.
Leo was silent for about 30 seconds until he asked "Was... Melchior also being controlled by the Dark Knight?"
"Isn't it obvious? Of course he was." Chris frowned. "Now's your chance for revenge for what Melchior did to your father and killing you."
"I won't follow the path of revenge. My father told me that..." Leo sighed, but smiled slightly and told his companions "But I understand. Let us make haste for Gridamas and end this war once and for all."
"Alright!" Most of the otherworlders and Ellis and Winfield pumped their fists in the air in agreement.
And so, after leaving Largen in charge of Pleuron to keep an eye on the goblins and orcs and to avoid suspicious from Gridamas, our heroes began their trek to Gridamas to confront Melchior and save the brainwashed king of Gridamas. But first, after three days, our heroes decided to rest at Grimoire Way, North where a really funny incident began.
Winfield, Jean, Prinny and Daxter ran up to the male members of Leo's party including Leo, looking distressed.
"Leo! This is serious, Leo. Deadly serious!" Winfield panicked.
"Yeah! Jak! We have a huge ass problem!" Daxter waved his arms up and down frantically.
"Is... is it goblins? Orcs?!" Leo gritted his teeth.
"Or Them?!" Takashi was readying his gun while Kohta did the same. 'Crap... Why does Summerill have to attack us when we're taking a breather?!'
"Were that it were so easy! I fear this shall prove more difficult than any foe we have faced." Winfield has a grim look on his face.
"Gods! How could I have allowed them to approach so close?! ...You must sound the alarm! To arms!" Leo ordered.
"No wait! There's no threat!" Jean reasoned, a perverted drool on his face.
"There is, you see, an excellent , natural, out-of-doors, hot spring in this town." Winfield closed his eyes and grinned mischievously.
"Then why the hell did you brought such excitement?!" Tokai growled angrily, pissed that there is no enemy to fight. "We can bathe later!"
"No! What we're trying to say is that all of the women have gone to bathe!" Winfield reassured the short tempered Vanguard pilot.
"Then you may go when they are finished." Kirito frowned, having a bad feeling about this.
"Aaaaaaah!" Winfield screamed lightly. "Can you really be such fools? Come now, guys. Are you not men? Does red blood not run through your veins?"
"This is a hot spring, Leo, a HOT SPRING. And it is out doors! What does one do at such a place?" Jean smiled pervertedly when he asked Leo that.
"What does one...?" Leo arched an eyebrow. "Well, I confess, I should rather like to boil some eggs..."
"Ah boiled eggs... I would like some of that, dood." Prinny smiled as drool appeared on his peak. Winfield bopped him on the head, forcing Prinny to nurse his bump with anime tears falling out.
"LEO! I shall use small words for you: Women. Bathing. Out of doors. Do you guys see? There is only one thing TO do." Winfield crossed his arms.
Leo closed his eyes and thought about it, 10 seconds later, he frowned and opened his eyes and asked the four "Not that you four would do such a thing, and we could not stop you if you did, but... do you really think it is wise?"
Winfield frowned and said "Well do I know that they are no ordinary women, but is not forbidden fruit the sweetest? I must have it!" Zerva walked in, overhearing the conversation.
"What manner of plot are you lot discussing?" Zerva asked, folding his arms.
"Ah, perfect! You see, the women have become buddies and don't you think we should do the same?" Daxter grinned pervertedly.
"...Very well, what is your scheme?" Zerva frowned, not liking this one bit.
Winfield turned to Leo, a dirty grin on his face and asked "What say you, Lord Leonhardt? Shall we reinforced the bonds of friendship between us?"
Leo remained silent for about thirty seconds until he sighed and spoke with "Well, if you put it that way... Very well... But please, restrain yourselves."
"Wait, what?!" Lloyd turned to Leo with a worried look. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Leo? Colette may never speak to me again if she sees me peaking on her naked body! Wait, will she ever do that?"
"Just one moment! Trying to run off? I think not." Winfield frowned again, folding his arms before adding "We have come this far together, and now we must sink or swim as one! You're all guilty as the rest of us."
"Fine..." Yuri sighed before warning the four perverts "But you better not get us in trouble or else..."
"And Zerva is coming along as well." Jean giggled like a pervert.
"I see you four are once again up to no good. Very well, I shall use this opportunity to expose your evil deeds." Zerva frowned deeper when he agreed.
"Then we are off! Time is of the essence! Make haste! Time and tide wait for no man!" Winfield pumped his fist in the air.
At the hot spring, all of the girls in Leo's party were naked as they enjoyed this relaxation.
"This is so relaxing!" Ellis purred as her naked body sank into water with her head above it.
"It is the first bath we have in quite some time. And it is out of doors. If only we have some ale..." Vira-Lorr nodded, a small towel around her lap.
The Vandread girls were scrubbing each other's backs, namely Barnette scrubbing Gascogne's back. The HOTD girls were chatting with Alice M. playing with Tachibana. Kat was washing Dusty with a cloth, not paying attention to her being naked and all.
"They say hot springs heal the body and soul. I can feel my bruises and cuts from past battles going away. We can stay in as long as we want." Renee pointed out, resting on a rock, her body completely exposed.
Fyuria turned to Renee with a smile and said "You're really wise, Renee, despite you having lost your memories and all."
"It seems a daunting life, but I admit to some jealously... After all, you can enjoy things like this..." Elaine closed her eyes and smiled.
Unknown to them, Winfield, Jean, Daxter and Prinny were peeping on them from the bushes, the other none perverted males were disgusted by the four's pervertness.
"Amazing! This is everything I dreamt it would be! Our lives are now complete!" Winfield howled quietly, steam coming out of his ears.
"Mai, Dizzy, Miss Junko and Lili's breasts are such fine developments." Jean drooled.
"You disgust me!" Tokai growled angrily. "Dita's naked body is of no concern of mine."
"Shush! You want the girls to hear us?" Daxter whispered harshly to Tokai.
"You coward... if Asuna sees me peeping on her, she will give me hell that I won't be able to walk for three weeks!" Kirito gritted his teeth angrily at the Ottsel.
"Spare us your righteousness. This is our right as men! We might as well enjoy it while we can!" Winfield grinned pervertedly as he resumes watching the girls.
"I bet Leo would agree, dood." Prinny slurred as he followed Winfield's actions.
"I agreed to accompany you four, but I said nothing in regard of spying." Leo frowned, crossing his arms and shaking his head in disapproval at the four perverts.
"The lot of you make such miserable accomplices. Come, over here... I believe it is a better vantage point." Winfield urged as he, his three fellow perverts and the none perverts saw the naked girls.
"By the Precursors, I have died and gone to heaven! Now if it were Keira, it would be paradise." Daxter slurred as steam came out of his ears.
"Now we can die as happy men. Well, perhaps not with these things stuck to us." Jean drooled as well.
"Okay, that's it. We're leaving. Let Dax and his three perverted friends here, they'll get what's coming to them..." Jak groaned in disgust, the rest of the none perverted males agreed as they left the four perverts.
"Their loss, dood." Prinny commented as the four perverts resumed watching.
Ellis looked at Vira-Lorr's naked bod and asked Fyuria "Look at those, Fyuria. Is Vira-Lorr not amazing?" Ellis's eyes sparkled with delight.
Fyuria snorted and told Ellis "Yours will be larger when you become an adult."
Ellis thought about it and wondered "I wonder if Leo prefers them large..."
"Who knows...?" Laura sighed as she drank her tea.
"Sometimes, large is better than small, I guess." Parfet smiled, her glasses still on.
Ellis looked down for a moment, Fyuria blushed redder than a tomato.
"Ellis, is Borgnine about?" Dyshana asked her stoically.
"Yes, he is keeping watch just as you requested." Ellis nodded.
Etna smirked and told her "I think you should order him to check out those bushes next to us."
"But why?" Ellis asked, eyebrows raised.
"Do as they say, Ellis." Fyuria frowned as she eyed the bushes.
"It appears we have four visitors." Vira-Lorr stated with a smirk. The four perverts started to panic.
"Shit!" Winfield swore, sweating nervously
"Ah crap. This is not good..." Daxter gulped as the four perverts stood up and stared at the naked girls.
"Those perverted creeps!" Paiway growled, using a towel to cover herself.
"Seize them!" Fyuria growled.
"W-Wait a moment! Leo and the others were here... They uh, set us up! We swear!" Jean panicked, fearing for his life.
"A likely story..." Junko frowned as she got out her katana.
"Borgnine! Size them!" Ellis ordered. Borgnine appeared behind the four perverts.
"You cannot escape. Surrender, before I am forced to incapacitate you four..." Borgnine warned, as he got into a fighting stance.
The four perverts' screams were long and painful that would haunt any pervert for years.
After stopping at the South road in about a day or two, it was later that night that the three girls chosen by Dyshana wanted to speak to Leo.
"You said you wished to speak with me, but what can it be that all three of you are here?" Leo asked, walking into the meeting place where the girls wanted him to speak to him about.
Fyuria looked at Leo with concern eyes and told him "There is something we three wish to discuss with you in private."
Luana nodded and told Leo "We have come to the decision that now is the time to discuss this."
"We wish to know the sort of woman you are attracted to." Elaine added, looking at her feet shyly.
"Y-Yes!" Fyuria blushed, still remembering her first kiss with Leo back at the lake. "I shall go first... At times, I know I can be harsh with my words... Do you care for strong-minded women?"
Leo smiled slightly at her and said "Well, were I forced to choose, I supposed I would say... I do not hate them." That made Fyuria happy.
"Y-You do not hat them? Then you must love me! Ah-ha! I jest!" Fyuria looked away, blushing and smiling.
Luana stepped forward and asked "Now it is my turn. How do you feel about women who may appear a little... eccentric on the outside?"
Leo raised an eyebrow and replied with "You mean their appearance? Well... I see nothing wrong with them."
Luana squealed. "I knew it! It is, what you are on the inside that counts, yes?"
Elaine stepped forward this time. "Now it is time for my question. D-Do you prefer a woman who can cook?" The former female Gridamas General asked, pressing her thumbs together in nervousness.
"So you wish to know if I fancy a woman with culinary skill... Anyone can learn how to cook." Leo smiled.
Elaine was happy and replied with "I kn-knew it! I may not be accomplished yet, but I will keep trying! I promise, I will be better!"
Fyuria was nervous as she took her turn and asked Leo "A-Alright... What would be your reaction were I to say... that I would like a new doll?"
"Doll? Ah, yes, that doll... I want that one to be special." was Leo's reply.
Fyuria smiled slightly as she responded with "I... I suppose you are right. I must take good care of her as best as I can. It is the first gift you have given me after all..."
Luana was next as she asked "You are very nice to Ellis. Is that because you liked children?"
"It is true that Ellis is a child, but... I like all children." was Leo's answer.
Luana closed her eyes and smiled by saying "I love children, too! I hope to have many children. Now I only need to find someone... What say you, Leo?"
Elaine was next as she asked Leo "Might I ask you one more question, Leo? Tell me, would you vow to never betray the woman to whom you promise your heart?"
"In other words... you wish to know if my heart would remain true? That I would not fall for another? I have yet to give my heart to anyone." Was Leo's reply.
"Then, if there were someone to whom you would give your heart, you would love her forever?" Elaine blushed and added "If you have yet to find that person, then..."
Fyuria was next as she asked "Very well, this is my last question. How do you feel about marriages between species?"
"Hmm... Inter-species marriage... Species have nothing to do with it..." Leo smiled as he gave Fyuria his answer.
Fyuria smiled, a hint of red on her cheeks as she responded with "I knew in my heart you felt that way! That is why I feel the way I do. You are the only one for me, Leo."
Luana was next to ask her final question. "What would you say to a wife who can sing, dance, is healthy, and can still do housework?"
"A wife who can do housework is well and good, but... Does such a woman even exist?"
Luana looked down and muttered "I am positive such a woman is close by" Luana smiled slightly and added "Perhaps I must try harder."
Elaine was the last one to ask this question. "Leo, would you return to Gridamas with me once this battle is over?"
"Gridamas, eh...? I cannot return." Was Leo's answer/
"I thought as much. I, too, have turned my back on my country. You must take me with you-I have nowhere else to go." Eliane smiled slightly.
Leo smiled as he told the three women "I wish to thank you three for fighting alongside me thus far. This war will be over soon. I know not what will happen then, but my wish is that all of you will find happiness. I have a promise to Dyshana that I must fulfill. I do not know if I can make any of you happy... But even so... I..." Leo closed his eyes for about 20 seconds until he opened them with a soft smile and saying "I need your help to build a world with no war- a world where everyone can live happily in peace."
The three women looked at Leo with sadness in their eyes.
To be continued...
Next chapter: Ending the War: Generation 1: Duel with the Manipulator and Possessed King
A/N: Only three more chapters of Generation 1 are left. This is perhaps my longest and emotionally charged chapter. After the final three chapters, it's time to move on to Generation 2. Stay tuned for more updates.