Kronii: What time is it?
Sana: [Eating her sanwiches of rice between breads.]
While not exactly said in the story. There are some hints that can be seen from character in the story about what time this event occured
1. Zeta flashback about Botan and Lamy from HoloX arc.
2. The fact that Chloe is still a prime minster of Atlantis (Before War of the Atlantis arc.)
3. Pekora still busying in jails (Before Holo Myth arc.)
So this event probably happens at least a decade before event of Holo Myth arc, judging by Zeta's age in HoloX arc.
...
RTX 4000 planet: Pinwheel Galaxy
The valley is filled with fog as the girl in black gothic dress walking among it, gravel cracks a loud voice that broke the silence as she intends to.
They are already knows her presence so there is no need to be quiet, question is when they will approaching.
With half of her face covered in bandages. Remaining of girl's eye stare coldly at the streams that running in front of her. She lowering herself and touch the warm water,
frowned upon smelling sulfur from the stream.
When the fog lifts, they are already surrounding her.
Their black skin glowing in the morning light as hundreds of warrior that looks like a mixing of Buffalo and human with their long horn and muscular body staring at her.
After some eyes exchange. The biggest Buffalo man who wearing black armor and giant stone axe walking toward her, each of his horn is longer than meters.
Instead of talking with her, Buffalo man looks at his companion, who throwing a piece of broken machine near the girl's feet.
" Is this yours?" Leader Buffalo smiles mockingly, looking at gothic girl eyes.
" Yes. I must have some sort of back up before our meeting here."
"Well, that's you back up." King Buffalo laugh, stomping on the broken robot, crushing it.
Gothic girl didn't bother to look. " My name is black widow, secret agent from spiders-"
" You are dead meat. That's it." King Buffalo interrupts, gestures at one of his soldier to finishes the job before he start walking away.
Buffalo soldier swings his club, crushing the girl's body and breaking her in to pieces with one swing. But the sound that reaching his ears is not right, not a crushing of flesh
and bones. More like a breaking porcelain.
When he look at his hand again, a group of black spiders that as big as human palm start climbing at biting his hand, Buffalo warrior twitching as the pain rushes inside his
body and fall down, saliva foaming from his mouth.
Buffalo king looks with interested as bunch of spider start crawling back to the broken girl's body, fixing it with incredible speed.
Gothic girl gets up in a few seconds after that.
" Can we talk now?" The girl wrapping bandages around her face, the parts where her masks is missing, showing spiders that packed inside it.
" He will die within ten seconds if you don't give him antidote." Spider girl explains, pointing at the dying Buffalo soldier.
Buffalo king look at her eyes and wait for ten seconds to pass, as his man stop breathing, he smiles.
" You got my interests, alright. What's your business with me?
You knows that we don't interact with outsiders from the sky for so long." He referred to the fact that black widow has come to this planet by spaceship, from the sky in his
views.
" We want to knows about where to find them." Black widow points at the small totem behind the Buffalo king banner, there is a skull of something that looks like a mixing
between human and lion, judging by the fangs and longer jaws, impales on it.
The king frowned. " Why do you want to know them?"
" We have the same goal." Gothic girl shrugged, and the word put a smiles on Buffalo king's face.
…
Olympus Mons city: Mars colony
Shishiro Botan
Botan looks up from where she is working, a computer with tons of excel waits for her to put all the list of plant and animal inside. But now she is already tired and bored.
Lioness take eyes glasses out and massaging her forehead. She shouldn't complain about it, while boredom can kills, it is millions time slower than bullets or animal fangs,
which is something she leaves behind.
Lamy was right about collecting money, it is necessary and this is the best jobs they can find in a decade, despite the fact that list of tropical butterflies is making Botan
slowly dying inside.
Sometimes, lioness wonder if she should just take off and live in some natural area again, a place where nobody can ordered her what to do, where the waves of society
didn't push us along with other people .
There are no such a place. Not anymore.
Humanity still evolving and advancing in everything they do. The city Botan working in is a colony on different planet than earth, with terraforming technologies.
Lot of thing on this planet has become suitable for humanity and they start thriving around and do human things, breeding, building, growing crops and sh*t like that.
The downside on this is, natural resources is now as thin as Lamy's eyebrows. Animal and plants face inevitable extinction as forest and sea start turning into deserted area.
Maybe this is right time to jumps from the ship before it start sinking.
Like many human, Botan moving from the doomed earth and start new life on Mars along with Lamy, their plan of joining Kiryu's dragon fleets is still not possible, there are
email exchanges and all, but no real talking about whether they will take them or not.
Which is why Botan has to working on this accursed office, checking the new reports about which animal species are already extinct or not day by day.
At least she hope Lamy is good at this job than her, because she is not going to finish in times.
" Botan! Good news!" Yukihana Lamy running inside her office and waving paper in her hand around.
" What?" Botan asks, dumbfounded.
" Someone from dragon fleets is going to talk with us tonight, we will have a dinner with her and discussed about situation."
" Good." Botan rest her back on the chair. " When will she come?"
" Around 20.00 pm. I hope you finishes our work because it's only three hours from now!" Lamy said enthusiastically.
Botan frowned. " Wait! Wasn't you finished our work already?"
" No! But I expect you to." Lamy answered.
Elf and lioness look at each other eyes as they realize something . ""We are, F**k!""
…
Around 21.00, they finally crawling out of the office and wobbling around the city, looking for the meeting place, some restaurants that still selling the real meat, not plants-
based one. Or that is what they said on the advertisement board.
Inside the restaurant, purple hair demon girl in dark blue suit stare at them angrily from her seat at the table near the building's wall.
" Time is important in our works. You knows?"
" Sorry, it just sudden OT and Botan just too lazy-" " Hey!"
Lamy start finding some excuses as Botan yelling at her.
" Not important now, sit here and have some drinks and snacks. I don't knows what you guys wanna eat. So, I couldn't order before you come.
Guesses that's partly my fault." Demon girl bustle up and put them to their seats.
" It's our, but what is your name again?" Botan asks.
" My name is Tokoyami Towa. I work as a moderator, inspector and lawyer for our Kiryu's dragon groups." Towa introduces herself.
" My name is Shishiro Botan and that's Yukihana Lamy.
As you already know. We want to join you group for a very long time, but why do you just contact us now? What's your business with us anyway?" Botan asked.
" Listen Ms. Shshiro. Our group are interested in investments on the planet called RTX 4000. Do you remember where that is?" She asks.
" Of course, I can. It always haunts me even in my dream." Botan muttered, before rising her voices.
" What do you want from that place? It's just a planet of jungles and grassland, a bit of desert to add some flavor. Even the ocean on that are not as big as earth's.
Why would someone want to have anything to do with it?" Botan trying to remain calm as she speaks .
Towa relaxed her posture. " Let get this straight. I knows that after losing the big war against Pekoland. Your lion people decided to move in that planet and are thriving right
now. They probably abandon their spacefaring civilization or very well at hiding it 'cause no satellites can capture them for long, except from a few individuals that still moving
on the grassland."
" And?" Lamy asks, trying to not looks interested.
"Things is nature are gone, or those we can reach it anyway." Towa shrugged.
" It's not that we lack of natural resources. We can always snatch it from some underdeveloped planets . But the progress is long and expensive.
No need to talk about researching and experiment, we need those who understand how to finds and used it.
And who can do better than the clan that live on the planet for thousands of years? With your help, your people will teach us about their flora and fauna.
New medicine, food source, energy supplied too if possible." Towa elaborated.
" So, you need me as and your guide? For your gangsters to start taking our planet resource without having to fight off the natives? Meh for capitalism!" Botan sip her
Mars-produced beer.
Tokoyami clear her throat. " We thought that there are no need to fight. There are enough cake for everyone to enjoy it's sweetness.
Beside, this is not just about our dragon fleets anymore. Atlantean, Undead and Arachnian( spider clan: A civilizations that evolved from spiders and worshiping Hachama as
their goddess, used to appeared in ' Tale of Moon Goddess' arc.) are join in.
Hell, even Pekolander may joined if they can smell money behind all this. This might be the biggest cooperation since Galactic empires era."
" Do I have a choices?" Botan eating something make of chicken, or at least that's what's the menu say so.
" If you decide to help us. We will take you guys in dragon fleets group." Towa offered. " If you won't, well I afraid that your clan and family that living their will not be alive
for so long. If they decide to oppose us, of course."
" They will. And we don't have something like family, it's being called pride. Something that bond us more than mere blood relation." Botan raise her voice.
" And yet you are still here, work in some offices and away from your pride. May I asks why?" Towa raising her eyebrows.
" Long story." Botan drinks another beer.
" That mean she don't want to tell you." Lamy whispered.
Towa nodded. " I understand. Let me clarify something. Everything we did here is shady as sh*t, and I don't like it at all.
But even if I can convinced my boss not to do it. There are no way in hell I can people from other planets to do stops the whole thing.
They will pushed on and your people will be gone either way.
So, I figure that If I can invites you in, at least there is still a chance of no bloodshed during the progress."
" Well, what do you thinks, Lamy?" Botan turning her head toward her friend. " You know that I always want to revisit your planet, even if iced elf are all gone from most parts
of the universe. It is still good to see that a species that coexist with us is still alive and thriving .
Your people are special, Botan. I don't want to see them gone like my people. Let save them while we can." Lamy suggested.
Botan turn her head back toward Towa. " Look like she's agree to go. When do you want us to fly?"
" As fast as you can." Towa get up. " Allows me to pay for our food and drinks tonight, hearing that your homeland are going to get wipes out is not something anybody
should tolerate." Her green eyes filled with sadness but Botan didn't ask to elaborate. Everybody have their own burden. It is none of her business.
" She look like a nice fella." Lamy said after their departs with demon girl. Botan nodded. " She is, but don't give too much hope.
Good People keep being pushed around against their wills all the time. We still haven't talk with her boss yet."
Lamy shrugged. " We haven't talked with our boss, either.
Let's asked her how many days can we take a break."
….
Pol Pol Circus office head quarter : Mars branches
Omaru Polka
" You guys cannot take a break." Polka insists, wiping water and parts of her clowns make up off her face. She looks not so tired for someone who just fight saltwater
crocodile in swimming pool, dancing with hungry lions in the ring of fire and controlling elephants to paints the liberty statue at the same time.
" What does that mean?" Lamy demanded. " It's right here in the contract, saying that we can take a break with a good reason. And you haven't even listened to us yet!"
" Listen here." Fennec girl said tiredly. " I know why people always demanding for taking a break. Their house are on fire, nuclear winter is coming, or their son just get a
cancer from reading YouTube comments. But do you remembers why you are working here?"
Botan and Lamy looking at each other eyes. ""Salary."" They said at the same time.
Polka groaned. " No! You cup head. We working together to help our company grow. Right now Pol Pol circus are only place in the Milky Way Galaxy where you can access
every animals on multiple planet legally.
We are not merely entertainment company now. Even US government are having a good deal with us. But there's always a conflicts, don't you remembered?"
Polka slapped the old magazine that has the word 'Japanese scientist is ready to cloning wooly mammoth from its DNA.' On it.
" Yes…" Botan remembered the event of a few months ago…
…When she has to delivered mammoth DNA toward Hokkaido labs. It should be an easy jobs until group of ninja suddenly appears in the bullet train, forcing Botan to climb
on its roof in order to get away from her pursuers.
Nevertheless, the keep following her and the fight broke out on top of the running train.
Those ninja trying to cut her head off with their katanas, but Botan managed to shoot some of them with her pistol. And beating the rest with her claws, teeth and their own
swords.
Things seem to be okay until blonde ninja who appears out of nowhere throwing shuriken at her. ( Botan later knows that her name is Kazama Iroha.)
Botan dropping on all four to dodge the attacks, get up and swinging katana to fight with the newcomer. Iroha is different breed from the others and Botan skills is almost
gone rotten due to the years of working as salaryman.
She managed to block ninja's sword, but not the poison powder in her left hand. If it wasn't a help from train's pantograph and the fact that Botan could use her ears as much
as eyes. She probably unable to kick Iroha off the running bullet train and retrieve the mammoth DNA back to safety.
" Are you saying we have to fight with rival companies again?" Lamy asks.
Polka snorted. " I am saying that couple of my most valuable employees decided to take a break at the same time during the moment I need them most, especially now that
Aloe is already taking a break. Are there nobody left to help me working anymore?"
" I am sorry, but you must understand. This is not about me or Lamy but my entire planet is in danger right now. I need to warn them." Botan said, ignoring the fact that she
and Lamy plans to quit from this stupid circus anyway.
Polka chuckled. " You planet? Aren't you said during the job interview that you are not part of the pride anymore?"
Botan stiffened. " I just saying that my body is not with with them anymore. My soul still is. Once you become a pride. You live with it forever."
" Well, Then go ahead! Don't waste ours time here."
Polka sit lazily on the table and eating some candy.
" What?" Lamy exclaimed.
"Looking at you guys eyes make me realizes that you will go with or without my permission. Then why bother to asks?
And I don't have enough employees to just fired you right away. Remember that your salary will be cut until you come back here and continues your working shift.
Are we clear now?" Fennec girl asked.
" Yes." Botan said before she and Lamy excused themselves from the room.
….
RTX 4000 planet: Pinwheel Galaxy
" Is everybody's here?" Tokoyami Towa said excitedly as she watched the planet from their transporter ship.
" There are only three of us." Botan chuckled, she is now wearing her black costume and let silver hair run freely instead of tied it during time in her usual office uniform.
Lion fangs's necklace is wrapping around her neck as their traditional ways of dressing.
" I think I can understand her feelings." Lamy who is wearing iced elf's costume sipping her cold booze as she speaks. The weather is hot but Lamy's costume have air
conditioners inside its.
Which is why she risks wearing a white costume in the middle of greenery planet, Botan thinks they should find something to covered her or risks gaining everyone attention
for miles during their journey.
" Okay. So, this is our plan." Towa open the map that somebody in the past has drawn about this planet long ago. She is wearing only a white sweater along with impossibly
short camisole and pant.
Personally, Botan thinks she just want to give a feasts to every mosquitoes in this planet. But hey! Who know what demon body's be like. She might have anti-bug magic or
something.
"Since there are no airfield around the area. The ship will dropped us at the marshland near the blood river.
We then walking toward the La Lion city and camping there for one night. That's the place intergalactic meeting will happened in a few days after this.
Tomorrow we probably be able to reach the Hell Forests. That's where people saw lions people for the last time." Towa reading the map as she speaks.
" Man, who names those place like that? Probably not in my vacation trips list." Lamy complained.
Botan chuckled. " The first explorer face a lot of hardships and death in this planet. Forest filled with germs, wild animals and those who want to kill you, even if you cut our
Hunter groups who come from another planet.
Civilizations that originally evolved on this planet are still considered barbaric in many ways, and they are ready to crush you over a petty thing like intruding territory."
( Botan and her lion clans are the origin species of Hunter clan which is are groups of civilizations that evolved from meat eater beings like Okami Mio and Shirakami Fubuki
but they are also different from Botan similar to how human can be distinguished in many kinds.)
" But they got the city!" Towa protests, pointing at the city that being called 'La Lion' on the map.
" A ruined. After Hunter clans build their city around here. They realized that sitting in one place and start collecting things is the root of all their problems.
The very reason they have to move here in the first place. With the ensure security, people start breeding beyond control. Overpopulation by their insignificant offspring in
stead of their usual survival of the fittest .
Only ways to prevent that is to return to nature. So lion people leave the city and live in the wilderness, where only strongest will survive." Botan explained.
" Well, that sounds like Copium to me. Looking at human as an example. The reason they start their agriculture lifestyle is because they hunting every animal to the blinks of
extinction. Try living of grind today and you will surprise how hard it is, especially when there are no megafauna left." Lamy objects the idea.
" Well, you are right. But this planet is bigger than earth and has less population. Civilization here are probably less than ten millions in population compared to billions on
earth. And most still lives in hunters and gatherers lifestyles. So we probably have times to adapting." Botan explained.
" Nah! No one care about that kind of thing except from historian and nerds. And the city is not empty anyways. Some people already arrived and prepared arrangements for
the meeting. We probably feel like home there until we gone into the wild." Towa cut the discussion.
…
After a while, they finally landing on the marshland near Blood river. It is not actually blood, just having red water due to something in the soils.
" Do you guys need weapons?" Towa asks. Open the basket that having a pump action shotgun insides.
" Remington 870 is not gonna help you here." Botan snorted as Towa start loading her gun.
" Yes, this is normal shotgun. But it has magic bullets. Charming magic for smalls animals. Elemental for average fights. And death magic for big games." Towa explained.
" Cool! How can you find these?" Lamy asks after inspecting the shotgun shells and see magical power inside it.
" I make it myself. Don't forget that demon can use magic too. What about you guys?" Towa asks back.
" I can use elemental magic. So, these bottle of Sake should be fine. Botan also have her own things."
Lamy answer as Botan start wearing her metallic claws and pick a small tube of iron out of her pocket.
" Is that a pen? It's look too dense, how about…" Towa stopped her word when seeing the 'pen' suddenly turning into two meters long spear.
Botan then wearing something that looks like military goggles before she start clicking something on her gloves, lioness then disappears in front of everyone eyes.
" Woah! What the heck?" Towa exclaimed, but Lamy simply smiles as Botan start appearing again not too far away from them.
" Just checking my camouflage systems. Haven't use for years." Botan explained.
" Finishes showing off? Then let move before the light is gone." Lamy jokingly pushed her friend back.
" Come on! The fun is just about to started!" Towa already leading them toward the field of tall grasses that can easily covered their heads.
…
A few Moments later
" I am tired…" Towa pants and using her shotgun as a cane but unable to find a place to sit down since she don't want her pant to wet by the field's muddy ground.
" Told you to not running like a children on field trips." Botan laughed and brush the tall grasses out of her way. Lamy is slowly walking after them, booze ready in hands.
The mud sucking their strength in every steps as three girls keep on walking . Sounds of wildlife echoing around their body as they speak. Insects and small fishes are also
running away when they're walking pass them.
" Just hang on a little bit. We will get out of here in a few miles." Botan assured.
" Miles! You are joking right?" Demon girl wheezing before starts complaining too.
" 'Get out from the office' Kanata said. ' Go out and touch some grasses will lifted your spirits.' More like being dragged to hell if you asks me!" Towa kick a pile of grasses
near her and swears when fish jumping out of it, splashing mud on her face.
Making Botan and Lamy laughs so hard that they start choking.
" Shut up!" Towa storms off and keep walking deeper into the swamps area. Water is almost touching her knees now.
" Careful!" Botan warned. " Everything in this planet want a piece of you."
For a while, they walked in silence, hearing only a slashing sound of their feet's in the muddy water and animal sound that surrounded them.
Towa who staggering in front of them suddenly see something, she raise her shotgun and shoot, using winds magic bullet to cut through the target.
" What's happening?" Botan asks, looking alarms.
" I just bring home the bacon. Look good for our dinners." Demon girl look proud of herself. Botan follows her gaze and saw a small wild boar floating in the muddy water.
It's size is no bigger than normal hunting dog.
" Water hog. That was a nice shot! How can you shots them in times? And where is the rest of them?" Botan asks while Towa walks hurriedly toward the animal.
" It's just standing there alone. So, not much of a challenge. I almost miss it until I see its white tusks." Towa clarified.
Botan suddenly looks alarm as Towa standing next to the pig.
" Water hog never travel alone and it isn't smart enough to stay still in order to hides from predators. Are you saying that it's just sitting there alone?" She look at the pig
again and realized that there are no blood coming out of its wounds. " Sh*t!"
The "pig" suddenly floating in the air as a tentacle that attaches to its body start moving and a giant angler fish that as big as a SUV car emerges from the water besides
Towa. The monster open its mouth, showing its teeth in the red hole that Towa could comfortably sit inside.
Botan throwing her spear at the angler mouth, piercing her weapon through its brain as the giant fish twisting around the muddy fields, unable to close its mouth.
Lamy casting iced beam and freezing the water around the dying animal as Towa quickly running away from it.
" What the f**k?" Towa gasped, pointing her gun toward the beast. But Botan stopping her since the fish is already stop moving.
" la llorona. Camouflage animal, using other's death carcass like a puppeteer to lure its prey. Most of the time it will lived in deeper water. We are lucky tonight!" Lioness
explained, cutting the animal's teeth with her metallic claws and kept it inside her pocket.
Unlike human, Hunter's species will not kept their prey hide or skull as a personal prized. They prefer to kept the most dangerous part of it like fangs , claws or poison sack
instead, in order to show that they are capable of hunting the dangerous animal and get what's making them dangers. Beside, it is easier to carry a pack of tooth than the
whole animal head.
" What's lucky? I almost being eaten alive!" Towa yelled.
" Well, you don't. And we will eat well tonight. This thing has a lot of meat after all." Botan opening her claws as she is cutting the beast stomach open.
" I think I will rely on my own supply's tonight." Towa turning her face away as red blood start pouring from the fish's body.
" Don't worry. Everything tastes better with a bit of booze." Lamy padding demon girl's shoulders.
…
Carrying the chunks of fish's white meat in the bag making from tall grasses. Botan finally leading them toward the drier landscape at last.
" There's still some light left. Let's go! I know you guys don't want to sleeping in the plain tonight." Lioness urging them to carry on.
Lamy open her bottle and sipping, with the help of magic. The green big bottle is actually carrying enough booze to filled the swimming pool, separate into different kinds of
room where she can put many kinds of liquid in one bottle. And all of that are cold too.
Though, elf girl could drink all the liquor in three day if she didn't be careful with rationing.
As she closing her bottle, Lamy seeing the things that looked like a cat that swallowed a bowling ball inside. The animal's black body has some sort of fabric growing from its
back like a firecracker fuse.
The animal seemed to surprised as Lamy is seeing it. The chubby cat then quickly running behind the tall grasses as elf girl quickly followed.
When she opens what's getting in her ways. Lamy saw multiple of these creatures in many colors laying lazily and cuddling each other.
" SSRB. Our bio-organic weapons." Botan suddenly said besides Lamy ears, making her jumps.
" You shouldn't scared me like that!" Elf girl complained.
" And you shouldn't leaving the group without a word." Botan countered, pointing at Towa who quickly running after them.
" If we separated here, it would take a lot of time to regroup."
" …Sorry." Lamy apologized.
" Anyway, if there's SSRB, it's mean my Lion tribes must be nearby. These guy couldn't feeding by themselves, much less surviving in the wild like this." Botan explained,
pointing at one SSRB who struggled to get up even after group of stranger is surrounding them.
" Then we waited here? Until they are coming back?" Towa asked.
" No, we don't know when they will come back. Predators animal around the area probably find us long before my people will.
Besides, there's no guarantee that our SSRB owner will be friendly."
" Is there is a bad blood between you and your people?" Towa asked, Botan looked away. " Not exactly, we just haven't keep in touch with each other."
" SSRB are one of our best explosives drones. Nobody will carry them around during the hunt. There must be some kind of stress in our pride, or conflict with the other tribes.
We can't cut the idea of black market either. Maybe somebody from Lion tribes wanting to sell these guy to their enemies or something.
In short, we shouldn't get involved with this thing until more information comes out." Botan concluded.
""Okay."" Lamy and Towa said as they start walking away. Botan glancing at the SSRB for the last time.
But she saw someone who is standing not too far away from them.
He is the lion man who is wearing a black clothes that is similar to Botan's style. The stranger looks at Botan's eyes in silence as if to reading her minds, all of his face is being
covered by the black lion mask.
" Shishiron! We are going!" Lamy's voices from behind make Botan turning her head toward the direction.
And of course, when she is looking back. The lion man is already gone, leaving not even a footprint behind.
Lioness took a deep breath, before quickly following her friend's voice. " Coming!"