Hear and I obey! LOL. I will not do as other writers have done and create a harem for the MC. I will simply see how the story progresses from my point of view within my writing and pick the appropriate canon or non-canon character to be his partner. I'll try to incorporate some Final Fantasy creatures, as suggested by one of my previous reviewers, along with some creatures that have enough intelligence to speak on their own. But for now, we're going through an arc, and I hope you guys enjoy it. There will also be some insights into the industrial Kingdom and how it relates to our favorite or least favorite trash King.

Faubrey Kingdom

Standing on the enclosed balcony, Mirellia gazed out at the transformed kingdom of Faubrey, a mix of wonder and horror filling her. Ever since the previous hero settled here and married the queen, Faubrey had undergone a significant change. Steam power and gunpowder had been introduced, revolutionizing the kingdom. However, the consequences were evident as the land had turned into a near wasteland, with ash raining down from the constant production of advanced technology and weapons.

The thought of facing Faubrey's advanced weapons sent a shiver down the warrior queen's spine. The severity of the situation was evident as many kingdoms, including this industrial nation, had been forced to keep their armies within their borders due to the waves of calamity. If not for this, a war with Faubrey would have likely already begun, either through their instigation or by creating a situation that necessitated it.

Her attention shifted to the miniature crystal ball in her hand. With a gentle squeeze and a pulse of her magic, the object activated, revealing The Mask form of her top spy and assassin. "Report," the queen commanded, eager for any new information about the two heroes her shadows were tasked with monitoring.

"The bow/gun hero has purchased the slave we arranged for him to encounter in the slaver's tent. As for the shield hero, he has yet to acquire a slave to assist him on his journey, but we will guide him in that direction," the Grand Master shadow informed her, providing updates on the heroes' activities.

At least something was going in Mirellia's favor. She had left her kingdom to attend the Royal Gathering of monarchs with the sole purpose of combating the waves triggered by The Dragon Hourglass, as it had for centuries. However, her husband's overconfidence and ego had led him to summon all four heroes to the same kingdom. Dealing with the political fallout due to her consort's actions was an understatement spanning centuries.

It was fortunate that the first wave in all the kingdoms had been a mere glimpse of the impending danger brought by the dragon hourglasses. These objects both notified and attracted calamity, and there were even rumors of undiscovered dragon hourglasses triggering, further increasing the danger. The mythic queen Fitoria had offered assistance to ill-prepared kingdoms, lending a helping hand against the monstrous creatures emerging from the rifts caused by the waves.

Returning her focus to the crystal ball, the queen inquired about the other two heroes. The grand master's lips tightened, revealing her displeasure with at least one of the heroes under surveillance. She explained that the spear hero was entangled in the influence of the first-born princess, while the other hero remained uncertain, neither supporting nor opposing the allegations against the shield and bow/gun heroes.

Lost in thought, Mirellia contemplated revealing one of her shadows to the sword hero, allowing him to learn about the situation between her daughter and her consort. She weighed the potential outcomes, including the sword hero becoming distrustful or aligning with her plans. However, she was determined to prevent the third possibility, where the sword hero would abandon Melromarc and join warmongering kingdoms. For now, she instructed her spy to continue observing the sword hero without revealing themselves, while also maintaining a distance from him and his party. As for the spear hero, further observation was needed before deciding whether to leave his party to their own devices.

"It will be done, Your Majesty," the spy responded. The crystal ball dimmed into a light bluish color as the queen concealed it within her sleeve, alongside other hidden items in her royal attire.

After receiving the report from her shadow, Mirellia couldn't help but hear the approaching sounds of a machine. The clicking and steaming noises sent a cold chill up her spine. She also caught a whiff of the putrid stench of salted pork and smoke. Turning her head, she saw the king of Faubrey riding on one of the gadgets that aided his mobility, his rotund, flabby body making him a repulsive sight. Despite his regal attire, his pig-like face, multiple layers of chins, and cheeks made him utterly disgusting. However, he had been used as a means to dispose of troublesome princesses from other kingdoms, a trade-off for favors. Rumors suggested that none of them survived for long, especially if they resisted.

"Ah, the Iron Queen Mirellia, Goddess of the battlefield and politics. How are you faring in my kingdom?" he sneered, moving closer on his mechanical contraption, supported by spider legs while his legs dangled uselessly.

Mirellia maintained an icy mask, concealing her revulsion towards this creature that claimed to be human. "It is quite different from what I am accustomed to. I am used to lush grass fields and forests, not mud fields, deforestation, and perpetual smog clouds blocking out the sky," she replied neutrally, expressing her honest opinion of the kingdom.

If the King was insulted, he didn't show it. Instead, he laughed at her comment about the horrid state of his kingdom, caring more about his mass production than its appearance. "The beauty of the land is not highly valued in this kingdom. Perfection in one's craft is what truly matters. What can a tree or a blade of grass do for my fellow man? They are mere scenery compared to the gears, steam, and billowing smoke. They create and accomplish so much," he boasted, proud of his factories and the items they produced.

His disdain for nature and obsession with machinery and progress sounded repugnant, especially when his body reacted with flaps of fat alongside his lips as he spoke. It was a grotesque and sickening display for the queen.

"Is there a purpose to your visit, or are you here merely to bother me in my quarters?" Mirellia continued speaking in a neutral tone, though her anger was beginning to boil beneath the surface, despite her ice-cold expression.

Bringing his meaty hand to stroke his third chin, the king gave her a small nod. "Yes, I thought it best to inform you myself that the other monarchs have concluded their deliberations on how to interact with your kingdom," He informed her that the other monarchs were willing to resume communications with her.

Despite her disgust at the king's presence, Mirellia couldn't help but feel relieved that she was being welcomed back to the discussions. from the moment that the four cardinal Heroes were summoned into her kingdom, she had been excluded from the talks between the other kingdoms, resigning herself to her quarters or the occasional stroll with her daughter, who often found solace in the library reading books by the famous hero poet who founded the kingdom of Faubrey.

"Thank you for relaying the request for my return to the discussions," she said neutrally, maintaining her ice mask, which seemed to have little effect on the king.

Twisting and adjusting a few knobs, the king maneuvered his spider-like apparatus towards the door of her quarters, with the queen following behind. "If you truly wish to show your gratitude, we can always negotiate a union between our families, with your daughter's hand," the pig king suggested, his lips curling with anticipation. The thought of acquiring another plaything, the 10,000th since his ascension to the throne, excited him.

Mirellia's nostrils flared as her magic reacted to her rising temper, causing her royal purple hair to stand on end. She was on the verge of unleashing a thunderbolt through the pig king's back and heart, putting an end to his reign. But she suppressed the urge, despite the electricity coursing through her fingers. "I apologize, but my daughter is the Crown Princess, and she is too young to even consider courtship, let alone entertain marriage proposals from a kingdom such as Faubrey," she stated plainly.

The king's pig-like nose wrinkled with distaste at the idea of playing with someone as young as the second-born Crown Princess. "I have no interest in playing with children. What I desire is the redheaded fox you managed to produce with my second cousin. I've heard she's quite the beauty, although a bit of a troublemaker. She would be entertaining to play with for a while," he corrected her, his thoughts fixated on the red-headed beauty who possessed the perfect genes of Melromarc's noble women. The mere thought of her stirred him in a way that would disturb most in his presence.

She felt the maternal instincts to protect her oldest daughter just as strongly as her younger daughter and the thought of committing her to the Pig King's fate was unsettling. However, she couldn't deny the potential merits of such an arrangement. A treaty for a decade's worth of peace could be secured, despite the repugnance of the Pig King. He took his contracts seriously and was willing to go to great lengths to honor them, even if it meant sacrificing noble families. "I will consider your offer, but for now, let us focus on the matter at hand: peace between the premier kingdoms of the continent," she stated, redirecting the conversation to the immediate issue rather than discussing potential marriages.

Once again, the king nodded, reaching for a lever that opened the doors to the audience chamber. Inside, several monarchs and representatives of the respective kingdoms looked flustered, as if they had just come out of a heated argument that Mirellia had missed.

"Oh, the Iron Queen is back," remarked the parliamentary ambassador of Siltvelt, his tone dripping with disdain as he directed his scathing comment towards the queen's consort. The representative was a white tiger demi-human, a frequent target of her husband's rage whenever demi-humans were involved or discussed. The animosity between them was mutual, especially since he had once been her general before she elevated him to the position of consort.

On the side, a bear Beastman snorted, leaning on his fist as he propped it up on the table. He was dressed in a simple bathrobe as if he had just come from the hot water bath provided by the castle. He made a critical gesture towards the queen. "We shouldn't be overly critical. It's difficult to keep a leash on a dog when the mistress is away. This could be seen as an act of rebellion from her consort, something that she may have to address without needing to be present for further agreements and discussions on resource acquisition and sharing during these turbulent times," defended the fourth foreign prince of Shieldfreeden, expressing his opinion in support of the queen.

"Despite his actions, the consort should face true punishment once these discussions are over. Perhaps he should be made a eunuch now that he has fulfilled his function and produced two heirs who could lead the kingdom of Melromarc," added a representative from the three major kingdoms of Reiki, adorned in dragon-themed gold and jade colors on his tunic and pants.

Next to the representative of Reiki was the representative of Zeltoble, who was busy making adjustments to price tags in his ledger. Dressed in a traditional Roman-style robe with purple fabrics and gold trimmings, he paid little attention to the insults and scathing remarks directed at the Queen's consort. His focus was on the food shortages, loss of slaves, and other resource costs that the waves would bring to his land, as well as the expenses of these discussions.

"Now, everyone, my cousin has committed a great wrong against us all. There is no reason for us to take direct hostile actions against him. We still have the waves to deal with, and petty grievances must be set aside for the greater good of all kingdoms," diplomatically stated the Pig King towards all the representatives. His spider legs moved around the gathering, settling in his designated spot as the host, ready to mediate between the kingdoms.

Mirellia took her seat, designated upon her arrival before her banishment. "I will ensure that my consort is thoroughly punished. He will lose his titles and our marital arrangement will be ended upon my arrival and reprimanding of his unforgivable actions," she declared. Her words seemed to agitate the representative of Siltvelt, as the white tiger huffed in agitation at the mention of her soon-to-be ex-husband.

"With that unpleasantness out of the way, shall we get back to business? Zeltoble managed to hold back the waves thanks to enlisted mercenaries and skilled high-level champions. However, we still require trade, and we are willing to offer 35% of our granary and foodstuff to kingdoms willing to pay a 5% increase in their current value," the representative of Zeltoble addressed the group, making another adjustment to the pricing in his presence.

Arguments reignited about the pricing of food and other resources among the kingdoms. Despite the shouting and low-toned discussions, they eventually reached a consensus on the pricing and sharing of resources, including weapons when necessary. In the end, everyone received what they desired.

Despite the bickering and negotiating, Mirellia believed that this was necessary to maintain even a small semblance of peace.

After this round of negotiation, everyone was dismissed to their quarters or allowed to roam the permitted areas within this steam-powered castle. Mirellia started looking for her daughter and headed to the one place she either expected her daughter to be or to one of the other places that would have tickled her youngest daughter's curious side.

It did not take her long to find the library and see her daughter still there, looking through various books that were handwritten by the legendary hero poet.

"You can't fight nature, Captain. You can't fight change. But you can fight men, even if it means the last." Melty had read out the quote from the legendary hero before he rallied his men to fight against an army of mercenaries that threatened to take the land.

Smiling, Mirellia slowly crept up to her unaware daughter and immediately began a tickle attack when she least expected it, causing her youngest child to start giggling and flailing her arms around in a panic.

"MOM!" Melty yelled between laughs as she tried curling into a ball to defend the sides that were being attacked by her mother's fingers. "Mercy, please, Mercy," she managed to cry out in between her laughter.

Her daughter wasn't the only one laughing, as the iron queen was joining in the laughter of her daughter as she relished these few moments that she could act like a mother to one good daughter that she could see becoming a worthy successor to inherit the throne. "Mercy, you are the daughter of the Iron Queen; you shouldn't be begging for mercy; you should retaliate," she said as she increased the rate of tickling and moved her fingers into the sensitive spots that her daughter had, eliciting more laughs and cries for mercy.

"Please, Mother, you're going to make me pee myself, and I don't want to ruin this dress," she managed to scream out as she continued fighting the tickling fingers that were getting past her defenses.

Mirellia slowed down, stopped her tickling, and looked at her daughter imperiously with a raised eyebrow. "A princess of Melromarc wetting herself—wouldn't that be scandalous? I shall withdraw my troops and be open to negotiation for your surrender." She raised her chin in the air as she playfully spoke to her daughter.

Straightening her dress, Melty started giving her mother a stern glare that was fitting for any future queen as she raised her head in the air. "I am more than willing to negotiate the terms of my surrender, but only under the request that banana pudding be given as the venue treat while discussing terms," she playfully stated, looking down from the point of her nose at her mother, who was smiling at her.

Tapping her chin as she thought about allowing her surrendered daughter/foe, she gave it a nod. "Your request is acceptable, but only a small bowl, no more books in your quarters, and no more staying past your bedtime to read them," she added to her daughter's consternation.

She let out a sigh, knowing that her mother wouldn't allow her to miss the appropriate hours for her to sleep or have as many sweets as she would like in comparison to her older sister, who did whatever she wanted. "Your conditions are acceptable as per the terms." Melty bowed her head and curtsied, as was expected for a surrendering princess or queen.

Clapping her hands together in approval of her daughter's mannerisms, her behavior and the tone of her voice were flawless. "My perfect princess and flower have truly yet to bloom; already, you are a queen, all before your time to ascend the throne." Mirellia showered her daughter with praise, even with the small games that she played with her daughter. It was to further her long-term goals to bring an era of peace to her kingdom and for future generations of her line. If she could, she would make an arrangement with the son of Prime Minister Siltvelt to have an arranged marriage to bridge a line of peace between her kingdom and that of Siltvelt's parliament.

Unaware of her mother's thoughts and plans for herself, she couldn't help but blush at her mother's praise. Any normal child would have hated the fact that she was being groomed to fit a role that should go to her older sibling, yet Melty wasn't any normal child, as she had already seen the machinations of her older sister and the trouble that she often caused whenever she had any interaction with her older sibling. In the few times that she was alone with her, the redhead that was her sister often made remarks about how it would be easier for her if she gave up her rights to the throne and spent the rest of her life traveling the world or started Filolial Ranch, raising and caring for her favorite creature, which she shared with her mother. Despite the kind suggestions geared towards her preferences, the second-born Crown Princess understood the reason why her eldest sister wanted her to forego her duties as the Crown Princess. It was just a means for Malty to seize the throne legitimately as the last one to inherit through the line of succession. It had broken her heart when her mother told her of her position and the reasoning behind the kind, almost caring facade that her older sister had weaved. But she couldn't help but be glad that her sister tried to trick her; it allowed her to take her role as the future queen more seriously as well as to spot liars who would use sweet honeyed words to get what they wanted, something that she would never fall prey to, whether it came from her older sister or her father, except her mother being the only one that had to pay attention to her and care for her.

"Thank you, Mother, but can I please keep one book and read it just up to bedtime?" Melty begged the best way she could with puppy-dog eyes in the hope that her mother would cave.

Her daughter continued with those begging, pleading eyes and a trembling bottom lip, using every tactic a young girl would often try with their mother who was vulnerable to such psychological warfare. "Alright, one book. But if I catch you up a second after bedtime, no books for the remainder of our stay at this castle," she said, relating to her daughter's psychological tactic.

Melty's eyes widened at the penalty if she reneged on her obligation to follow her bedtime curfew. Yet, the opportunity to read such rare books was something that she was unwilling to pass up, no matter how many rules she would have to follow. "I will not fail you, Mother, and I will follow your ruling. Now, let's get some pudding before the kitchens run out," she playfully said to her mother as she closed the book she had been reading, already memorizing the page she was on, and headed straight for the exit towards the library, with her mother following behind her.

The two would enjoy the rest of their day, cherishing these innocent moments they had a chance to have. Melty wished that these moments would last a little longer than what was expected between a mother and daughter, in comparison to what was expected between a queen and princess.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Melromarc

Arthur had taken Keel to be fitted for clothes that were better suited for the life of a Western outlaw, with a handcrafted tough white shirt, blue jeans, and hard-boiled leather boots. Besides buying his newest companion clothes, he bought a proper saddle that was best suited for Nyx, and with the link in his head, he received a fair share of complaints about the simple leather saddle he had gotten for her.

Despite the day not being over, he was holding himself together despite all the horror he had witnessed, but his resolve didn't last long after getting everything that was required, and he was about to head straight for the adventurer guild that he was told about thanks to Earhart. He leaned against a nearby wall, vomiting as his mind reflected on all that he had seen, all that he had smelled, and all that he had heard.

"Are you okay, Arthur?" Keel asked out of concern, watching as his human companion emptied the contents of his stomach.

After the nausea subsided and his belly was now empty, Arthur wiped his lips and pulled out a canteen that was attached to his hip. He struggled to swallow the water that was contained within, but only after clearing the foul taste in his mouth and swallowing. "I'm fine, just it took a lot out of me. You already know that where I come from, slavery is not okay. Hell, I was barely even born when they banned it in my own country." He revealed some details to his new companion about his world.

Once again, the dog demi-human found it unbelievable that there was a country that had banned slavery in its entirety. "Well, there are far worse places than that Slaver Den, believe me." Thoughts and memories of being in the dungeon of that Noble and watching as friends and neighbors were tortured, violated, and beaten to death came to the forefront of Keel's mind.

"I bet, I would not like to know the details of what could be worse than that," the outlaw admitted.

The two continued down the path straight towards the Adventurer Guild, which was a large white and gray stone, three-story building. Upon entering the building, the large lobby had a collection of adventurers in their little niche group parties. Chatter could be heard amongst them about either slaying a new monster that was roaming the countryside thanks to The Waves adding new monstrosities for them to deal with, while others were discussing discoveries that they had made by walking upon ancient ruins of kingdoms long past and other matters that usually concern experienced adventurers.

Both Arthur and Keel paid little mind to the gossip that was going on between the adventurers as the two made their way to the lobby desk, where a chubby-looking man wearing fine clothes with tiny spectacles was looking through a ledger. His gaze only broke away from his lecture to see the approach of two newcomers at his desk. He softly closed his book and straightened up. "Greetings. Are you here to place a request, or are you looking to be recruited into the guild? Please note that getting into the guild requires a certain recommendation from another adventurer, whether retired or active. If no recommendations are provided, you would have to wait several months before top-ranking guild members would vet you to see if you have the appropriate skills to be adventurers." The lobby Guild desk jockey said almost as if he had rehearsed millions of times for aspiring adventurers or potential clients that would approach his desk.

The outlaw couldn't help but smirk as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter of recognition that Erhard had given him well before he ran off with the shielder and taught him how to survive off the land. "I think the resident blacksmith would more than likely recommend my skills with this note of recognition." He placed the letter on the desk and pushed it towards the jockey, who immediately snatched the letter, opened it, and read its contents.

"Uhmm, it says here that you're quite skilled at surviving off the land and have no problems getting your hands dirty, but you have problems reading our local dialect, which will not be too much of a problem given the fact that most adventurers are illiterate to some extent, except for the various mages that join." The desk jockey stated as he put the letter into a drawer for later filing. It was only then that he noticed the slave standing next to the rough-looking man. "The letter did not include your little companion there. I can only recommend you unless you wish to take that one as your apprentice?" He asks while pointing his finger at Keel.

Arthur had looked at Keel and had considered it before giving the desk worker a nod, "At Presence, he would be considered my Apprentice best to have him labeled as that until he's proven capable," he stated.

He did not like being referred to as an apprentice; it felt, in his mind, just another title for a slave. Yet, he didn't comment but rather allowed things to remain as they were, just as Keel's father had always told him when he was younger. 'Let sleeping dogs lie.' he remembered the saying in his head.

The man at the desk jotted that down as he moved on to the last bits and pieces that he needed to fill out before registering these two new adventurers into the guild records. "Do you have any existing bounties on your head?" he asked.

"Maybe not in this Kingdom, but definitely in others," Arthur bent the truth. He probably did have a bounty on him now in this new world, but he wasn't going to tell the desk clerk it was in this Kingdom.

The clerk looked over Arthur's papers and glanced at the grizzled man. He knew he had a bounty on his head, just not in this Kingdom. So he jotted down that there was an existing bounty but put a question mark in the box that would normally be filled in for the kingdom name or bounty attached. "All right, final question. Do you have next of kin that would inherit anything you obtain during your time in the guild? This is a standard formality if you get killed by, say, a horde of goblins or the various creatures that come from the tears in reality caused by the waves," he asked, prepared to write down anything that would be said.

Now, this one Arthur had to truly think about. In all likelihood, if he somehow died again, he would like to pass on any possessions he had to Keel. If he managed to get away, then again, the possibility of the Demi-human dog would most likely die, especially with the type of lifestyle he'll be living as an outlaw. "Erhard, I would like to pass down anything I obtained to him with a note that reads 'These items belong to the one that we know in green.' That's all." The only one he could think of who deserved anything off of his carcass was Naofumi. The boy had shit thrown onto his name on day 1 by the highest authorities of the land, and most likely, most if not all the rich and lords hated the shield wielder just by cultural principle. At least in this way, someone had thought of him just before dying and left him whatever salvageable shit was given to him.

Again, the clerk jotted it down and made it a side note. A mysterious note goes straight to former adventurer Erhard, the iron hammer. "All right, we're all done here. Now it's time for both of you to receive your dog tags if your bodies are discovered but beyond recognition." Opening his desk, he pulled out two different dog tags. One was made of porcelain, the other wood.

Both Arthur and Keel grabbed hold of the dog tags that were presented. The outlaw got a porcelain dog tag, while his Demi-human companion got a wooden one. But as soon as they held them in their hands, the individual dog tags began to glow and showed some lines and dots as soon as the glow ceased. "What the hell happened?" the outlaw asked, tempted to simply chuck the dog tag right at the clerk, who didn't seem too surprised by the sudden light show of the dog tags.

"It's part of the registration process. Those dog tags take a trace of your internal magic. Since most beings have magic to some extent, these types of items give a proper identification number. Adventurer 22-6 and Apprentice Adventurer 30-11," the adventurer clerk explained, stating the identification numbers of the two adventurers, officially making them adventurers in the guild.

Staring at the dog tag for a brief moment, Arthur took off his hat, threw the dog tags over his head and neck, with the porcelain tag slamming against his leather coat, and then returned his hat to his head. Looking to the side, he could see that Keel didn't like the idea of wearing a dog tag, and the outlaw could understand why. The boy had traded one collar for another, but inevitably, he put it on with mild annoyance.

With both tags properly placed on the two adventurers, the clerk put away the paperwork that he would have to file after copying them in triplicate and sending them to other extensions of the guild halls throughout the kingdom. "Now, I will go ahead and specify the various perks of being adventurers. First, when traveling either on a quest or a non-quest transient in between cities or towns, you will not be halted by highway checkpoints where either the town's guard or just a local would collect a fee for entering or exiting those particular areas. I can't tell you the number of times we have been given quests to wipe out a certain infestation of creatures, only to be halted by a stupid local peasant who refuses to allow the adventurers to do their duties to exterminate undesirable creatures." Just remember a few times before the guild officially petitioned the queen and the various lords to allow guild members to travel without having to pay any fees just to get where they needed to go. After all, without them, monsters would run rampant. Sure, the heroes could counter it, but you cannot summon heroes from a distant world every time a problem needs to be solved by normal adventurers.

Recomposing himself, the clerk continued, "Secondly, no matter your religious affiliations, you will have free access to The Hourglass to initiate class upgrades or resets, even if you do not follow the Three Heroes Church. And if anyone tries to stop you, just simply report back to us, and we will remind the Pope that his prayers and beliefs are not stronger than our steel." There was a bit of a vindictive smirk on the clerk's face at the idea of bringing the pompous Pope down a peg or two.

"And lastly, for any curse injuries or medical care that is required, the guild will provide all that is necessary in exchange for monetary fees for treatment. Only after you survive, if you die before treatment is completed, your next of kin will not be forced to pay debts that may have been owed to the guild." The clerk finished rolling out the three benefits of being part of the adventurers guild. He waited for any particular questions that would usually be asked about the benefits, but he expected not to be asked that specific question, given his experience with dealing with eager adventurers. Though the two adventurers in front of him didn't look eager, they looked like they wanted to move on from this.

The clerk would be right, as Arthur looked over towards the notice board, seeing a few adventurers pulling down tags and other things that denoted quests that needed to be taken care of. "Are there any available quests right now that we can do just to get a few coins in our pocket? I have spent some on my companion here, and I'm hoping that we could recover a few of our losses," he said while placing a hand on top of Keel's head and starting to ruffle his hair, much to Keel's annoyance.

Thinking about it for a moment, the clerk did recall a bounty being placed on the Green Viper gang members and their leader. "You're in luck. There is a bounty on a few local street thugs that you could take care of," he said, catching the attention of the newest adventurer. He continued, "They call themselves The Green Vipers. The bounty on their heads doesn't specifically say to bring them back alive. If anything, kill them if need be. It would save the hangman's noose or the headsman's axe. As proof of the kill, they have an emerald serpent tattoo. If you don't mind getting your hands a little bloody, try carving off a pound of flesh from their carcass and bring it back here. You'll be rewarded with 15 silver per mark you bring back, and 100 silver for any information about their mysterious leader. That's all the bounties stated." Reaching into his desk, he pulled out the wanted poster and showed what type of mark the adventurers needed to look for if they decided to take this quest.

Seeing the unusual marking, Arthur immediately took hold of the parchment that was placed on the desk and stored it in his bag. "I've done bounty hunting work in the past, but usually they wanted me to bring them back alive to face justice and all that," he said. He honestly preferred it this way, It made listening to their bellyaching easier to ignore when they were dead.

"Most would agree executions are usually spectacles made to show an example that justice always prevails, but in these times we need to deal with certain criminal elements more swiftly and severely, especially with the waves coming in 4 months. It's always a perfect opportunity before the storm hits. The clerk commented as he pulled out a separate little ledger and marked the open bounty quest as having additional hunters looking for the Emerald Serpent gang. Letting us snort with amusement, Arthur pulled the bottom piece of the casing of the box out, revealing some extra ammo that was handcrafted, and split the rounds between himself and his companion. When it was all done, both had belts filled with rows of bullets, along with their pistols fully chambered and they were fully ready to hunt down some thugs.

The night starts to fall over Castle Town, putting most of the city into darkness, only illuminated by a candle or oil lamp light that shines brightly through the various windows. As most folks head inside to go to sleep after a long day's work, the ones who are not returning home are already going to work, especially those who delight in darkness for their various activities.

A green viper scout, wearing an emerald-colored hood over his head, obscured most of his identity. He was dressed in a plain, normal tan shirt and black pants. He was heading straight for his fellow gang members in a nearby alley and reported on two individuals they had spotted coming down through the backstreet alleyways. "Oi, we've got two wanderers just a block away. One of them is a demi, the other looks like an older man," the gang member informed.

"Are they armed?" the leader of this separate group of the gang asked the scout. A senior gang member had approached the scout with his arms crossed, wearing leather armor and having a bald head with a single emerald serpent running up the side of his face. The only weapon that he seemed to have was a crossbow attached to his back.

Catching his breath, he looked at the current leader of this group of the Green Vipers. "One of them looks like they have a bow and something at their hip along with the demi, but it doesn't look like they are heavily armed," the scout informed. To the delight of many of the gang members, they thought this mugging would be relatively easy.

Rubbing underneath his shaven chin, the leader said, "Alright, we'll take them. We'll sell the demi to that slaver who has made a nest in Castle Town and the rest will just sell." He decided to go ahead and attack the wandering pair that was going into their territory.

"Boss, what if the demi is a girl? Don't mind if we sample her before we go ahead and sell her to that penguin slaver," one of the gang members suggested.

Again, the leader of the group thought about it before giving the man a nod. "Sure, it's not like the demi won't be sold into a nearby brothel if it happens to be a girl. Hopefully, she's a bunny," the leader in leather said with an evil grin on his face at the idea of ruining a demi-human woman.

He was not the only one with an evil smirk, as many of the men began chuckling at the idea of showing superiority over any demi-humans. After further discussions on how they were going to ambush this group, many of the Vipers positioned themselves on opposite alleyways, forming a circle to block any exits.

While they waited for their victims to enter their trap, they couldn't help but notice a jingling sound echoing through the alley. Some of them thought it was coins being jangled around, causing a few of the Vipers to twitch in place at the idea of getting a giant sack of coins. The rest felt a little nervous for some unknown reason as they heard more than just the simple jingling sound; they could hear heavy boots starting to echo alongside it. Despite the growing tension and nerve-racking sounds, they maintained their position until the signal was given.

The alleyway was empty except for the leather-armored leader who had already pulled out his crossbow and waited for the approach of the two nighttime trespassers on their turf. "Hello there, strangers. I do believe it's quite dangerous to be wandering around here at night," the Viper enforcer spoke to the two strangers, whose identities were obscured by the moonlight shining behind them.

"Well, I seem to like danger and know how to find it," an obscured man spoke through the shadows. His young unidentified demi-human companion looked back and forth, their ears twitching as they listened to the various humans in the area.

The Viper enforcer threw his head back and laughed heartily, then aimed with his crossbow. "Unfortunately for you, your danger-seeking days are over," said the thug before letting out a rattling hissing sound between his teeth, signaling the others to move in while he kept his crossbow trained on the man.

A group of three on one side and another group of three on the opposite side formed an arc-like formation as they began to encircle their latest victims. They had very little awareness that this day would be their last.

Moving as quick as the wind, the old outlaw had marked his targets on his side, and in an instant, three shots from his revolver had struck the three on his right side dead. The demi-dog had pulled its revolver took aim and fired, killing two. As for the last, they only managed to shoot their shoulder as they narrowly avoided a headshot.

The man who was shot in the shoulder was in pain as he fell against the wall, clutching his wound and yelling. The pain felt like fire, and he struggled to stand while blood dripped down his limp arm.

The Viper enforcer had witnessed his fellow street thugs easily fell so quickly, one of them wounded by unfamiliar loud weapons. He had contemplated shooting his crossbow at the man or the Demi. However, informing his boss about the new danger in Castle Town took greater precedence, even if it meant leaving gang members behind. With his decision made, he swiftly turned and fled.

Seeing the street thug flee, Arthur couldn't help but smirk as he glanced at the injured Viper gang member left behind, clutching his shoulder. "Seems like you street thugs never learned the concept of loyalty, even if it means risking your life to save a comrade," he chuckled, stepping closer to the remaining Viper.

Keel stood by Arthur's side, their gun still drawn and aimed at the fleeing thug, ready to fire the next round. They had received training from the seasoned outlaw on how to handle the weapon, but this was their first time using it. Despite the loud bang and the unfamiliar smell emanating from the barrel, they found themselves exhilarated by the power it held.

"I won't say a word to any of you. I may be left behind, but my loyalty remains," the wounded Viper thug spat, though fear was evident in his eyes as Arthur approached, his adventurer's porcelain tag glinting in the moonlight.

Raising an eyebrow, Arthur aimed his gun at the man's leg and pulled the trigger, causing a loud bang and making the already injured Viper clutch his wounded leg in pain. "I wasn't asking for your cooperation. But if you're willing to provide information, I can make this quick and painless. Otherwise, we can explore more unpleasant methods," Arthur stated, pressing the barrel of his gun against the thug's shoulder wound, eliciting fear and panic from the captive.

While Arthur interrogated the thug, Keel began searching the deceased gang members for any identifying marks. They discovered several marks on their backs, arms, and necks. "Hey Arthur, can I borrow your knife?" Keel asked, noticing the bow concealed beneath Arthur's leather jacket.

"My hands are occupied. You'll find my knife on my right hip, just behind my holster. Take it and carve out the marks," Arthur instructed, all the while applying pressure with the heated barrel to the Viper's shoulder, causing the thug to wince, whimper, and plead for mercy.

He hadn't heard the cries coming from the straight thug as the Demi dog grabbed hold of the handle of Arthur's knife, headed straight for the dead street thugs, and began cutting and peeling the skin from the former Vipers. Anyone else would have been disgusted by the act of skinning a portion of a body, but Keel wasn't like any normal person. Growing up in the countryside with a father who relied on hunting and fishing, the gory details of preparing animal bodies for cooking or selling had hardened the young Demi. The sight of blood and exposed flesh didn't faze him. After collecting all the bits of flesh, he rolled them up like parchment and placed them into a separate bag that he had found on one of the gang members. He then wiped off the blood from his hands on the shirt of one of the corpses and cleaned the blade before returning it to Arthur.

Despite the cries for mercy, Arthur continued his interrogation, making all sorts of remarks about drowning the thug in a nearby water barrel or using heated iron tongs to inflict pain, even on his genitals. His words seemed to have an effect as the Viper's eyes widened and he panicked, struggling against the outlaw who held him in place.

"Please, the gang hideout is in the old sewer system underneath the upper town area. I swear, that's all I know. Please don't kill me," the cowering Viper thug begged, tears rolling down the side of his face from a mixture of pain and fear.

For a brief moment, the outlaw considered sparing him, especially after torturing the man, but not yet. "One last question: What were your plans for me and my companion here if you were successful in mugging us?" Arthur asked, withdrawing his pistol from the bullet wound on his shoulder and jamming the barrel underneath the straight thug's chin.

Tears began to well up in the Viper's eyes as he continued to whimper and beg for mercy. Yet, the outlaw pressed harder against the chin of the criminal before he finally realized he couldn't hold back the truth of his and his comrade's plans. "If our plans exceeded, we would have killed you. And if the Demi was a girl, we would have taken turns with her, used her until we were satisfied, and then sold her to Beloukas or to a local brothel that accepts young Demi girls," he emitted painfully under the pressure of the barrel that was pressed underneath his chin and throat.

Hearing what they had planned for him and his companion, just the general idea that Keel was a girl, had sent the outlaw into a true rage to the point that the gem on his revolver on the Ruby side began to grow in size slightly on what he was going to do to this human filth. Withdrawing his revolver and then pulsing it, an endless amount of platitudes and thanks were given by the street thug, only for Arthur to immediately grab hold of the Viper gang members and start slamming him against the wall that the straight thug was against a few times, causing the man's blood to splatter on the back side of his head as he screamed out for mercy. Yet his words fell on deaf ears as Arthur now began beating the man's face and kept on beating until nothing was resembling that of a human face and the painful gurgling of blood came from malformed lips. But still, it wasn't enough from all the crap that he had seen in the slaver's tent to what this band of marauders was going to do, not because it was his companion, but just on the general principles that these men would do such things to anyone sent him into a pure rage. Eventually, the outlaw decided to finish this with a slow, strangling death, squeezing tightly around the Viper gang member's neck. The man underneath him, as he sat on his knees, started kicking, flailing, and clawing at the tough leather of his sleeves, trying desperately to get out of his hold, but to no avail. Within a few more seconds, the crunching sound of a broken neck could be heard, causing the fruitless struggles of the thug to go limp.

There was only one other time that Keel had seen someone go into a rage like that, and that was his father. For a brief moment, he almost imagined his father doing the same thing, beating a man to near death and then making them suffer further before their end. Hearing what they were planning to do to him made his blood run cold for a brief moment, only to be replaced with a protective warmth that came from Arthur's reaction and watching him act violently toward the street thug. His tail had been raised a bit and wagged slightly.

Arthur turned away from the carcass and looked over towards his companion Keel, his tail wagging slightly, and gave him an odd stare. "I'm going to have my knife back, and I would like to carve out his piece of flesh myself," he had requested from his companion. Without hesitation, the Husky Demi handed over his knife. He then proceeded to turn the Viper Thug that he had just killed with his own hands back and forth until he found the mark on the man's arm and began cutting and peeling the skin off, adding it to the current collection.

After cleaning out the bloody bits of human skin, the two began discussing a game plan for how to storm what was most likely a stronghold for the Viper gang amongst themselves while heading in that general direction, where the entrance would lead to their hideout. In the wake of their killing of the Viper gang members, another person came after and examined the carcasses that were left behind.

A man had approached the scene wearing nothing but all black, a hood, and clothes. "Never reckoned that fresh meat would kill criminals like this," a deep, rough-sounding masculine voice sounded, followed by a slight rattling sound from a hooded stranger who was looking for the same identifying marks. However, at the place where their marks were, there were only bloody gashes. Flicking his Black Fork tongue in the air briefly, he turned his head towards the shadows and quickly grabbed hold of the Viper Scout.

He managed to avoid the two adventurers who had wiped out this group of the Gang, only to be grabbed by the throat and held in the air. He started kicking and flailing as he dug his nails into the thick, scaly skin of the hand that was holding him by the throat. "Gurk!" he gurgled as he could feel his windpipe being slowly crushed. Then he began reaching out in his attempts to claw and scratch at the hooded man who was holding him above the ground, only to reveal a truly horrific sight.

The black-hooded man was a demi-human Diamond Head rattlesnake with eyes that looked like they were forged in the pits of hell. He stared into the eyes of the straight thug that he was slowly killing just within his grip. "That's right, stare into my eyes. I want to see you die, boy," he said in that Gravelly deep voice of his, along with the rattling sound of his tail while flicking his tongue and relishing the taste of the thug's fear right before the cracking sound of the human's neck breaking. With the thug dead, he simply began searching for the mark and quickly found it. Instead of simply carving out the viper mark, he dug his sharp claw-like nails into the skin and ripped off the mark with ease, rolled it up, and threw it into his shoulder bag. He then tossed the corpse like it was a ragdoll to the side and headed in the same direction where the two fresh adventurers were heading, only after he had fixed his hood and whistled a haunting melody.

*Death whistle from The Last Wish*

His haunting whistle scared even the rats, causing them to scurry away from his passing presence as his burning eyes glowed in the dark, heading to his next prey that would suffer under his hands. "Woe to those who would dare tread upon Jake," he softly said with a hiss and the rattling of his tail, scaring more vermin in the immediate area. Including various scavengers who were waiting for the opportunity to loot the dead Viper street thugs in the wake of the serpentine as he passed through the streets, delighting in the taste of fear in the air from others who were still alive.

(~~~~)

Emerging from the shadows was a haunting figure, cloaked in tattered garments and hidden beneath a worn-out hat. With piercing eyes and an eerie silence, they possessed an otherworldly presence that instilled fear and foreboding. The man with the bicycle mustache looked around the pile of bodies stacked up into a small mound and noticed one sitting on a wheelchair with brown matted hair and clothing that would not be out of place on someone who had just escaped a madhouse. Various straps and belts hung loosely from the sides of the wheelchair. "You have done much to summon me, but I must question why?" he asked the young man who had summoned him.

Ignoring the stench of death surrounding him, the young man closed his eyes and remembered his rejection, burning ever since he had survived the accident that had left him paralyzed and sent him down a spiral of misfortune. "I summon you, demon, for the sole purpose of bringing me to the one who can grant me the power to take revenge on the person who took my place as a hero," Itsuki said rather rudely to the being he had just summoned, after sacrificing his classmates who had teased him about his lack of abilities in his hero-infested world, including his older sister who was too ashamed to admit their relation even after his accident. It had taken him a year to find the appropriate ritual that yielded the results he sought, and now he had the being that would grant his deepest, darkest desire.

The stranger listened to the boy's request and considered it. "Do you know what you are asking for, boy?" he asked, making sure the boy realized the true implications and possible consequences of his request.

Gritting his teeth to the point that blood began to leak from the corner of his lips, Itsuki took a deep breath. "Of course, I know what I'm asking for, demon. You are bound to me by ritual to fulfill my request before you are allowed to return into the void," he yelled at the stranger, who seemed unaffected by the boy's mad rant.

The stranger waited until the boy finished his tirade and listened for any further words before nodding at his request. "Very well, but I cannot make you into the hero you seek, I'm afraid. Even if there was a spot available for you, you would be ejected from that realm. However, there is an opening that would satisfy your desires. Just hope you're willing to pay a price far steeper than the one you have just paid for my presence here," he said, waving his hand towards the illuminated bits of dismembered corpses piled up around the crippled boy who had lost himself to his desires and madness.

With a straight face, Itsuki nodded. "That is fine, so long as I have a chance to make the one who reduced me to this suffer greatly. No matter what I must do or whatever I must become," he tonelessly stated, accepting whatever payment he would have to give, as he had already sacrificed much just to get this audience.

The stranger closed his eyes for a brief moment, acknowledging the boy's request, and channeled the energies of the multiverse to search for and contact the one who would best fit to fulfill the summoner's request. He opened his eyes and channeled the energy, making contact and raising his hand, allowing the cosmic energy of the ancient being to flow out and into the dismembered corpses. They began stacking back together, melding, morphing, deforming, and reforming into a large amalgamation of flesh and eyes, looking down at the stranger, who immediately pointed his finger at the boy sitting on a half mountain of corpses.

As soon as the abomination of flesh and cosmic energy met Itsuki's gaze, his eyes immediately burst, and he began screaming in agony at the sudden loss of his sight. He continued screaming and raving at the alien thoughts flowing into his mind. Amidst the madness, he latched onto one thought through the whirlwind of these alien thoughts: "Revenge."

The ancient being continued feeding her inner thoughts into the mind of this mortal who had dared summon her into this reality, far from the realm where she reigned supreme and devoured other realities. She sought to punish this insignificant speck, with his eyes exploding just for the mere sight of her, as he was unworthy to even look upon her pure visage. She sang the sweet lullaby of madness into his mind, reducing his brain to mush. Despite all that, she couldn't help but realize that he maintained a semblance of sanity, with one thought attached to a memory scything through his mind. She could see the realm of spirits where the legendary weapon Souls resided before one of them was chosen to find their chosen wielder. If she had lips, she would be grinning with her rows of teeth. She held back her assault on his mind, latching onto him with her various tentacles, and began bringing him into her womb to reform him, to turn him into her chosen champion child, to aid her in the consumption of the world that had spurned her new offspring.

The stranger watched the display, and with his tasks done, he sent the ancient goddess of destruction back to her realm to complete whatever she was doing to the one who had summoned him. It no longer mattered to him, as he had collected his due and had no further need to be there. With a hop and a skip, he returned to the wild west of 1911, eager to see what events would transpire from Jack's actions.

BTC

Hope you guys like this new chapter. It was a little late, and I kept having to rewrite it because certain things didn't feel right. That's the reason why it took so long. Plus, I was getting distracted with old stories I hadn't touched in some time and planning on completing some chapters for those stories as well as putting up new stories that I had placed in a list of ideas I wanted to try out. Also, I might take up some of those whitetigerwolf challenges that I had read up on just to test out my creative writing. But before then, I'll probably work on my existing archive of stories I have yet to either complete or post here.

Another thing, please send me your reviews and thoughts. It lets me know that y'all enjoy my story, and I would appreciate whatever suggestions you may have, even if it is just a great story or chapter. Thank you.