Bisca's Journey

by thehappy

Occurs immediately after the end of Dragon of the Cog. Summoned to a new world, Bisca will face new challenges, monsters and hardships on her quest to return home. With several new companions, Bisca will walk the path of a hero paved with blood and war.

9. Demon Onslaught

So, it's been a few months since I updated this story. Sorry about that. Just life, work and other updates I guess.

Either way, not much to report so I'll get it rolling!

Chapter Nine: Demon Onslaught

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December 18th, Torgo, Country of Brassil

The fires had finally ceased for the most part, leaving the ruined minor city a smoldering pyre of charred buildings, fallen corpses and ransacked devastation.

A few war pigs walked the streets, looking for any survivors, but all had either fled or perished in the first days of the attack. One stopped at a fallen corpse, then stooped to begin ruffling through the pockets. Finding a few silver coins, the beast snorted, quickly pocketing the wealth. Wiping a few drops of clear liquid from his large snout, the creature's mouth hung partially open as the tusks decorated his jawline.

"Share!" the other suddenly yelled, making a desperate grasp with his large, four fingered hand.

"Mine! Find your own!" Snarling out the words with a heavy trace of beast language, the first war pig shoved the other against the studded leather, the material a hasty patchwork of animal hides and iron pieces.

Not taking the insult lightly, the second beast of portly size pulled his short sword and plunged it into the belly of the first, gutting the pig in a fit of jealousy. Blood spattered and spluttered in the death throes, the monster falling to the rubble choked street as several hob goblins hooted and cheered nearby.

Taking the coins, the surviving pig pocketed them with a sickly smile, his red tinted eyes enjoying the new wealth.

"Mine"

Walking away with a wide saunter, the goblins moved in like a pack of feral beasts, stripping the corpse of anything useful.

Queen Hazil Jazrith had watched the entire exchange from the third floor of the local guard house, the men and women having either died in defense of Torgo or fled with the rest of the population Westward.

"Pigs" Lightly cursing the creatures for their natural temperament, Hazil walked over to a table, her purple hued bosom giving a light bounce despite the restraining clothing she wore. Leaning over the multiple maps, it would have been quite the view down her shirt.

Brushing a few errant strands of crimson hair away, she studied the maps with her piercing yellow eyed gaze.

"Let's see…the Jarren Mountain Tunnel is about two days march from here, leading to the border city of Jarrenburg after another half day of traversing the passage itself. If they're in a panic, I doubt they would collapse it as it's the only avenue to retake these lands from the rampaging goblins, warpigs, and minor demons"

Standing up, she crossed her arms beneath her sizable double D's while tapping her right foot in contemplation. "I do have enough forces to take the city…I think. But these damn mindless troops just went crazy and poured into the country side. Attacking little hamlets or villages won't do anything, but off they went"

That was the problem leading these creatures. Such low intelligence and base impulses.

"No matter, as long as they're attacking something, it's beneficial to this campaign. I just need to find this stranded hero before the nations of this land rally and defeat my horde" Hazril had to smirk to herself imagining some young, summoned teenager thinking they were important while waving a sword in pride.

She would kill them and bring her lord and lover's ambition one step closer. "He's not a fool. Conquering the world or even the entirety of Drannell would be impossible. All we need is to force the major nations to recognize our territory then the war will end"

The idea of a unified, demon nation made her quiver, almost like when the king touched her. She craved his power…and once she returned home, Hazril had no doubt he would ravage her for hours or days. Licking her lips at the future event only made her more eager to continue the campaign.

"No time like now. They've had their fill of pillaging and blood" Flying out the partially destroyed window nearby as cold sunlight fell on the devastated city, Hazril soon hovered over the corpse and charred center of Torgo.

Buildings had been torched, the crumbling ruins spilling mortar and stone into the street. Dead horses and wagons had been ransacked during the evacuation, some still holding the rotting carcasses of the drivers.

Hazril had no doubt that some under her command had feasted on the bodies, another small sickening piece of knowledge she preferred not to think about.

Hundreds of warriors of the demon king looked up…no…several thousand as they stared with wonder at the queen.

"Brave warriors of the Demon King! You have tasted victory here, but more lands need to taste our wrath and blade! We will march West immediately to Jannerburg to slake your thirst! Burn! Attack! Make the human's flee before our might!"

Spreading her magical summoned wings to enhance her power, they beat as the ravenous red haired demon flew above the snarling and baying beasts, many that took to almost choking with excitement.

"Now…FORWARD!" Flying above the main road, Hazril set her gaze on the towering, snow capped peaks on the horizon, knowing that combat and conquest would soon follow.

Jarrenburg, the guild hall

The streets were crowded with crying children, the homeless, and terrified refugees that seemed to pour out of every alleyway and free building the local government could muster. Some fought each other, others killed for food as Bisca and her party marched past toward the identical structure found across the continent.

A light snow fell, allowing the visible outburst of air to be seen from multiple citizens as they either helped, avoided, or packed their own belongings to flee themselves.

"Please! I need gold for food!" A portly man shouted from the side, his bearded face showing ample fat.

Clearly, he wasn't starving yet.

"Move" Shoving the refugee rather roughly, Bisca entered the guild hall to a scene of pandemonium.

Adventurers and mercenaries were flooding the front desk, overwhelming the poor guild employees as they tried to bring about a sense of calm.

Men and women of varying races pushed and shoved, some barely discernable from thugs, others clearly a higher standard. A large, balding muscle bound swordman broke through, his face covered with a black tattoo as his large arms barely managed to stay contained in his leather armor. "HOW MUCH GOLD DO WE GET!?"

He was pushed aside by a blue haired, slender elf in a green dress as she stood with a dwarf, a half orc with a great axe, and a normal looking man with a small scar across his chin. "I'm barely class D! What do you expect me and my party to do against a whole demon army!?"

"The guards will abandon this city the first chance they get, and you expect us to stand and die!?" Another woman shouted, her very slim and trim body enhanced by a very sizable bust. Wearing a witch outfit including a pointed hat and carrying a staff, the beautiful wolf woman wagged her silver tail in a rising sense of fear.

"The guild…the guild is offering…" A poor elf stammered, her eyes showing a hint of terror. Torgo was only a few days away and most of the people already knew where the demons were coming next.

"It's insane…" Vera uttered, the dark elf pushed and lightly groped by a man in black robes. Lingering far too long on her ample breasts, the womanly elf kicked him in the shin, eliciting a cry of pain from the pervert.

"You bitch! We're all going to die so why not have some fun!?"

"Pervert!" Kicking the man in the ribs, Vera huffed, turning her chin upward as the party moved to the side in a vain attempt to avoid the panicking masses.

"Miss Bisca. What should we do?" Celeste inquired, the blonde knight stepping on the fallen man like he was a simple rug.

His cries were ignored by the blonde knight as she grasped the hilt of her sword, wondering if battle was necessary.

"Should we go fight the demon army ourselves?" Dia added nervously, the cat-mage tightly gripping her staff as a small fight broke out between a stout dwarf and some wolf man in the dining hall.

"No" Pulling her boltok, Bisca aimed it at the ceiling and rafters, her patience already thin.

'BANG!'

The gunshot was a thunderclap in the hall, a sudden discharge of noise and the wafting stink of expended chemicals. Lowering the firearm as tendrils of smoke left the barrel, Bisca noticed that the entirety of the Jannerburg guild was staring at her.

"All of you need to calm the hell down!" Holstering her sidearm, she was already at the pinnacle of annoyance. She was hungry, sore and really just wanted to lay down in a nice bed after days on the road. Running a gloved hand down her face, she missed the approach of the heavily muscular man. Standing before her as his tattoo only seemed to enhance his thug-like appearance, the giant towered at nearly six and half feet.

"And why should we listen to you…woman?" Grinning, his eyes wandered over the four, obviously undressing them in his mind.

Bisca kicked him between the legs as hard as she could, then grabbed him by the ears of his bald head and yanked it down toward her knee in a swift motion of brutality. A small crunch was heard among the cries, the bulking man suddenly reduced to a sniveling mess clutching the pain of his crotch.

"You…kwicked me in the bawls!" Gasping out as his nose bled, Bisca looked back at Celeste.

"You're the holy knight. Isn't it your job to introduce me?"

Celeste simply smiled, keeping her hand on the hilt of her sword. "But Miss Bisca, it is your duty as the hero to incite calm and to lead us to victory"

Vera and Dia lightly chuckled, knowing the team leader hated all this nonsense.

"Fine…" Stepping onto the chest of the swordman as he collapsed to the floor, Bisca's boot pressed down on his bulking chest as she studied the many adventures ranging in strength, race, and skill. Taking a breath, Bisca really despised proclaiming herself. "I am the tenth summoned hero! I will not bore you with the details about why I am here on the continent of Basill, but I am here to fight the demon king! If you don't believe me, I do not care. Flee if that's the case! But since I am here to fight, I will engage the enemy in battle!"

Stepping off the muscle man, he made a small cry as Bisca stepped toward the front of the reception desk.

The sea of people parted, allowing the four women through.

"You expect us just to believe some stranger is the hero!?" The wolf witch cried out, her cleavage giving quite a heave as she gripped her staff.

"Yeah! Anybody could claim that, expect special treatment and leave us to die!" A random male elf shouted from the back, his face and appearance unseen by most.

Bisca looked toward the silver haired demi-wolf, the gaze cold, but slightly softening. "Well done. You shouldn't immediately trust my words" Turning her attention to the receptionist, the slender elf woman was…very flat, but still enchantingly beautiful with full lips, hazel eyes and flowing brown hair. "I'm assuming you can project my level stats and information to all? A sort of floating information sheet?"

"Y…yes! But are you sure? That's your personal information and somebody nefarious could discover your weaknesses"

"Don't worry about it. That's why I have a pervert knight to protect me" Cocking her thumb toward Celeste, the blonde sputtered.

"Miss Bisca! Please don't introduce me like that!"

"I mean…she's not wrong about that" Vera offered with a shrug.

"Celeste does have many romance novels" Dia agreed as the knight merely turned a shade of red, but still tried to retain her dignity in the hall with a stoic stance.

"She likes smut, but handles herself well" Extending her hand toward a magical tablet, the emerald haired woman whispered 'Status Screen'

In a flash of yellow magic, a large floating sheet of Bisca's stats was floating over the heads of the throng, the letters and numbers a small sparkle of magical dust and colors.

"Look! Level fifty four!" a man exclaimed, his finger pointing.

"War veteran! Heroic Strength! Troll Slayer! And there! Hero!" The silver wolf woman shouted in awed excitement.

"This pwoves it! I was defweated in honorable combat by the hero, Bisca Mulan!" Suddenly re-energized, the large, muscle hulked swordman was already standing, the blood dripping from his nose simply forgotten. Still leaning forward while clutching his crotch, the man only grinned.

"Didn't she kick your ass because you were being a dick!?"

"A mere misunderstanding! Three cheers for the hero, Bisca!" Shouting out, Larry the Swordman tried to pump his fist after that horrible kick.

The crowd began cheering, calling her name…a cheer of relief and joy that slowly grated on her nerves.

"Bisca the hero! Bisca the hero! Bisca the hero!"

"QUIET!" Yelling with commanding authority, her voice carried through the guild, silencing the adventure's like a mother scolding children. Dismissing the status screen, Bisca was really tired and cranky. "Don't go cheering my name when I haven't done anything! We still need to defeat the demons and monsters coming toward this city, or have you forgotten!?"

"Miss Bisca is correct. She does not enjoy false cheer nor admiration. We must stop the enemy first"

"Then what should we do?" An elven archer asked, her pointed ears and pale skin barely showing from light leathers that covered her lithe body. Staring at the dark elf, one could almost hear the jealousy emanating from the slender brunette.

Vera stuck her tongue out at the light elf archer leaning against a nearby post, then hefted her bosom in a show of superiority.

"A good question" Walking over to the large map on the wall, Bisca found it far more detailed than what she currently held. Already knowing that Torgo fell, she found it on the other side of the towering Jarren Mountains. Tracing a finger, she found the tunnel, linking the countries of Brassil and Jassin along this major transportation route.

Sighing internally as she found the port city of Grendahl, Bisca was well aware that it had probably been sacked by the demons. Tracing her fingers north and south along the mountain range, she slowly smiled at the defensive advantages.

Turning the crowd, her green bangs gave a light flutter with the movement. "Well…bad news first. This city is the next target. There is no other main road except to the far south by several hundred miles near the city of Holdstat and the Port of Bonn. So, the demons will come here and try to kill everybody"

"What's the good news?" A stocky, red haired dwarf asked, the male strapped with an axe hanging from his back. His face was pudgy and covered with pockmarks, possibly a sickness as a child.

"We can bottle them up in the tunnel, or even cause a collapse. The number advantage will be minimal so long as we meet them there and not at the city walls"

"I doubt the city leaders will want to collapse that tunnel. It's how we trade with the outer world via the port cities of Brassil" the slender receptionist added quickly.

"Great…which means some fat merchants will argue about it and put more lives in danger" Rubbing her temple, the hero could feel a headache of dealing with stupidity coming on. "I'll go talk to the local king. Meanwhile, provide my team with a room and some food. Then put out a call for anybody that can hold a sword, bow, or spear. Any offensive or defensive magic skills too. Offer payment and…fuck! Couldn't just be a few days of rest before the next leg of my journey!" Cursing at nothing but her own bad luck, Bisca headed toward the door, then halted before drawing her attention to the slender, receptionist elf.

"Take me to the head of this city. I don't have time to get lost and wander around. Celeste? Meet with the city guard and get an approximation of their numbers and skills. They should listen to a Holy Knight"

"Yes, Miss Bisca"

"What about us?" Dia asked, the feline mage brushing away strands of purple hair from her eyes.

"You two get an assessment of all the adventurers here. Skill, strength, all of that. You both know how bad this can get, and this time, we don't have cannon or rifles to help us"

"What if we don't want to listen to you, even if you are the 'hero?" A demi-human asked. He was a half-orc, his skin a drab green. Wearing a cobbled collection of iron greaves, chainmail, and leathers, his armor was a patchwork that let his bare biceps show. Several scars littered his arms that were crossed across his broad chest, while another dragged across his skull from an ancient fight.

"Then do whatever you want? I don't give a fuck what you do" Pushing the door open with the elf receptionist, Bisca left with Celeste trailing behind as cold wafted in along with cries of refugees flooding the streets.

Vera clapped suddenly, the busty dark elf smiling as the throng turned her way. "Okay! I know Bisca can be difficult, but she has fought in several wars, including the Ghevanian War which was…very bloody. So listen to us and help us stop the demons. If you want to leave, do it now"

"I hope the guild can help us. We know this information is normally secured and private, but we don't have time for that" Dia added with a beautiful smile, putting many of the men at ease due to her feline cuteness and long purple hair that seemed to dance in a wave.

A few left, mostly men and demi-humans that were barely a level above mugger. They had no desire to die for some city.

But the rest? They were willing to fight.

Central Quarter, Jarrenburg

Weaving through the city had been filled with panicking civilians, overwhelmed guards, several stabbings, and refugees willing to steal or take whatever they needed from the locals. This only led to more violence as several fires were started along with the flashes of steel and military forces bringing down harsh punishment.

Celeste had left them at the Guard Headquarters, the minor Keep sitting at the junction between the middle quarter and central high quarter holding the wealthy merchants, nobles, and the king's castle.

Weaving through the rich quarter, it was almost as if the refugees hadn't even arrived. Armed soldiers in full plate marched along the wide boulevards, each charged with keeping the rabble out of the central sector.

Finally arriving at the central castle, the towers loomed with stone and flags, the spires covered in ice and snow as the freezing winter day continued.

"This is Jarrenburg Castle. The king lives here with his family and most of the ministers" Smiling with a small bit of pride, the guide then shivered.

"Castle is a strong word…" Studying the structure, it was sturdy, but hardly a full fledged castle. But then, not a keep either. More like…a hybrid in size between the two.

Approaching the main gate and walled off bastion, the two were halted by several knights.

"Leave immediately! Or face our blade!" A helmeted soldier shouted, his hand already going to the hilt of his sheathed sword.

Elenor the elf immediately raised her hands in panic, then shifted to the side, revealing Bisca. "Wait! I have one of the summoned heroes with me! She's here under the guidance of the church of Laniss to stop the demon army from reaching our city!"

"Oh! In that case, our lord will want to meet her" Simply believing the elf, the knights stepped aside, allowing Bisca through with a wave.

"Thank you, Miss Bisca!" Waving, Elenor left to return to the guild, her slender form and distinctive uniform disappearing into the city.

"Right" Walking under the stone archway and interior wall that surrounded the bastion and lords within, the knights simply returned to their duties.

"Are they idiots? Just…believing a random stranger's words?"

If she commanded these men, she would have them imprisoned or shot for stupidity even if the walls were twenty feet high and strong.

Entering the tiny castle's main hall after several minutes of walking along the stone road, the doors shut with a distinctive 'thud' behind Bisca, leaving her to observe the riches on display.

Tapestries and large art works covered the walls, their ornamentation showing obvious wealth. The floors were polished to a near sheen, matching several stone support pillars decorated with swirling gold inlays.

Bisca's footsteps echoed along the large chamber, a reverberating sound as several ladies watched her in elegant clothes. Obviously warmer attire due to the season, Bisca had no doubt these women had closets of silk for the summer months.

"Rich…too damn rich for their own good"

She heard them whispering of course, probably judging her appearance. After all, she hadn't had a chance to clean her armor, nor take a bath in days.

Frankly, Bisca stank while some flecks of dried…stuff still clung to some places of her armor. A result of several Dire wolves the very day before.

At least her party got to have a good meal that evening.

Reaching the throne of inlayed gold and metalwork, Bisca stared upward at the very…fat man on its seat. His chin barely hid the fat of his neck while silver-blonde hair poked out from beneath his crown. Dressed in royal vestments, it was clear this lord had lived an easy life.

To his left, a man stood, dressed in gold plated armor. With blonde locks falling to his shoulders, the hair framed a face with a chiseled chin, piercing blue eyes, and cheekbones that screamed handsome. The chest piece was broad, a sheen of wealth that included shoulder pauldrons, arm protection, and golden gauntlets that glimmered under shafts of light. The same could be said of his boots and leg protection, but they weren't fully covered from the rear thigh or buttocks from what Bisca could see.

The king spoke, his voice shrill and arrogant. "I am King Cacter. This is my son, Maine Cacter, the prince. You will bow and show us the proper respect…whoever you are" Waving his pudgy fingers adorned with rings, the ruler expected compliance.

Bisca looked at the nearby minor nobles and the knights lining the hall.

"It would be so easy to kill them all…what a fucking waste of time. But…I should try something to get support"

"I'm Bisca the hero. I've come here to gain military support to def—"

"My father said kneel. And judging by your filth and lack of expensive equipment, you are no hero" Laughing smugly, the prince drew his sword, the blade a shimmer of nearly white steel. "Pay your lord the proper respect, then return to your…commoner husband. I will defeat the demon army as it is my right to lead"

"You know what? Fuck this. I don't need to deal with some fat, useless king or some snobby brat" Turning on her bootheel with a squeak, Bisca began walking toward the large hall doors.

"Guards! Seize her and make her show respect to the crown!"

Bisca immediately turned to the closest knight, pulling her lancer in one swift motion. Firing at his feet twice, the bullets caused a furrow among the ringing gunshots that ravaged the hall.

The knights immediately halted in their steps, unsure of how this woman managed to find such and advanced firearm.

"You…you dare resist!?"

"Try that again and I'll burn this obscene structure of wealth to the ground" Voice calm and cold, Bisca looked over the shoulder at the prince and fat king. "I'll save your city, but not for you. Your citizens deserve far better leadership than some incompetent fools" Walking toward the front door, Bisca nearly kicked it off the hinges as her anger rose, the fine wood splintering at the point of impact. Walking into the freezing winter air, the woman kept her lancer ready as she began walking down the stone path toward the castle gate.

"What a damn cliché. Honestly, talk about the definition of corrupt and lazy nobles" Leaving the royal grounds and entering the central quarter, Bisca planned on linking up with Celeste at the guard station.

"You…YOU COMMONER! I'll defeat the demons and revoke your title!" Maine shouted from the throne hall, his anger palpable as the women whispered in awe and fright. He didn't care Bisca had already left his sight, the prince was furious.

If it wasn't for that strange gunpowder weapon, she would have been overwhelmed by the royal guard. "I've heard rumors of new firearms coming from the south. Somehow that commoner acquired one before me! I'll have to take it off her corpse after she dies in battle!" Vile thoughts ran through the Prince's mind, his station and life not allowing for any other option.

"Let her go, son. She will die at the hands of the foes advancing on our city. You go and prepare the troops to lead into battle"

Snarling in vile hatred to the disrespect, Maine Cacter slowly gave a nod to his father as some knights hastily closed the main door. "Yes father. I will make preparation's immediately"

December 20th, East Janner Tunnel, The border

Queen Hazil lowered herself to the wide road, dispelling her magical wings in a flare of purple dust. Stepping forward along the stone laid road, her boots clicked as snow fell upon the rabble of Hob-goblins, War pigs, orcs and minor demons assembled behind her.

Most brayed and snarled, brandishing clubs, pitted blades, and chomping teeth in anticipation.

Hazil brushed her flaring red locks away from her face, the harsh wind coming down the mountains like a thousand needles. Mixing with more falling snow, the queen tried to ignore the harshness of winter.

Staring into the tunnel fifty feet wide and fifteen high, she had to admit it looked well made.

"Most likely dwarves. They're known for this type of construction under mountain's"

"Commander Jin'top. You will take your goblins and advance first. Your troops will have the honor of striking the human's"

The sinewy, tall hob grinned, his teeth a cracked yellow among a green face pockmarked with boils and warts. Wearing a simple helm, his chest was enclosed in bronze plate while brown leather boots and pants covered his lower body.

"It will be my honor! Come, you gobs! Let's make the human cities run red!" Pulling his sword, the hob-goblin's unleashed a twisted war cry before running into the tunnel, their lust for battle already blinding them.

It rapidly descended into chaos as the beasts simply had no talent for military formations. Just a rabid horde that entered the darkness that cut toward Jannerburg.

"Save your energy! It's still several miles through the mountains! We won't arrive for hours!" Shouting, a few slowed, but the feral personalities of the goblin troops drove them onward in a single desire to rape, pillage, and kill.

"At least they're all expendable. That's why they go first"

Commander Gnarl, Kintriv? Form your troops into a standard marching formation. Warpigs, Orcs, then demons"

"At your order, my queen" Kintriv saluted, the low demon tall, muscular and riddled with scars among his gray flesh. Pointed ears adorned the top of his head while a single horn protruded out of his forehead, the end chipped. Wearing a simple pair of pants, most of the demons were equipped with short swords or staffs.

By averages, most hovered somewhere between level fifteen and twenty five, including the commanders and magic casters.

It was still a strange phenomenon, but the masses had rapidly acclimated to the leveling system that enveloped the world.

An hour was lost due to the shifting of forces and the goblin charge, but Queen Haril could deal with it. "Hopefully when we emerge, we just have to kill the wounded and siege the city. With my flight ability, that should be easy to achieve, especially now that I sit at level fifty four"

Smiling to herself as the troops began to march into the awning maw of the Jarren Tunnel, Hazil Jazrith greatly anticipated killing one of the heroes before they could threaten her love and his righteous war to reclaim their ancestral homeland.

The Western Janner Tunnel

"Earth mages! I want those trenches deep and wide! The rest of you keep planting those wooden spikes! I want to see monsters impaled on them by the end of the day!" Bisca shouted among the working citizens willing to pitch in for the city's defense. Walking as several minor wizards used their magic to create fresh trenches, Bisca kept a wary eye on the tunnel despite the numerous scouts keeping their own watch.

Moving to the first curved trench line ten feet deep and five wide, the defensive work was a half circle that surrounded the tunnel exit. Only laying twenty feet outward from the awning mouth, it was already lined with sharpened logs that would do the job for any charging enemy.

The second line was another hundred fifty feet back and far longer as it curved like a crescent, cutting through the trade road and nearby farmland.

Unfortunately, there was no time to make proper camouflage netting to hide the trenches, and if there had been, Bisca doubted there would have been enough.

"You heard the hero! Keep planting those stakes!" Captain Krunch shouted to the civilians as they worked frantically with picks, shovels and physical strength. He was not an attractive man, a life of hardships and several fights leaving him with a long scar down his left cheek. Even without it, his nose was almost birdlike and his lips thin while several pockmarks showed.

But he was competent and good at his job, which was far more important than appearances.

Looking upward as the woman walked across a narrow plank used to bridge the second line of trenches, he gave a slow nod in appreciation to rapidly raising a defense and labor force.

He knew that the royal family had issued a decree to ignore Bisca as a false hero, but they were nothing but greedy merchants at this point.

The citizens were galvanized after word spread. Then when she called for men and women to help build defenses, there had almost been too many to provide tools and jobs for.

Obviously, the majority of refugees had fled in the last two days, but Captain Krunch couldn't really blame them. They had been driven from their homes, had families butchered and their lives ruined by the demons.

At least some of the scattered guard and army units that survived had joined his forces in a bid for revenge.

Plus, he had to admit these defensive ideas were far better than simply meeting among the frozen farmland they stood on or just hiding behind the city walls as the demons laid siege like the Prince ordered.

Turning away, the Captain continued his task among the rumbling of Earth and random cursing of the civilians.

Bisca remained stoic as the frozen earth shook, the mages and wizards of low levels just helping to widen the curved trench. The shifted earth was then moved into a rise behind the second line where more of the citizens planted even more sharpened stakes.

She hated the sensation. Each minor tremor a reminder of the locust horde. It stressed her out, but she managed to remain calm with her steel gaze giving stoic reassurance to those nearby.

Vera walked up, eyeing the main line of defensive works. Stakes and pointed logs stabbed upward from the deep trench while even more jutted outward in a horizontal angle from the artificial hill hastily constructed by hard labor.

Essentially, the enemy would have to charge upwards into those secondary teeth, losing countless lives before even reaching the spear and sword men that would line the defense. All while arrows and magic rained down on the monster's heads.

"Think it will be enough?" Vera asked, the dark elf wearing her winter coat as hundreds upon hundreds worked by carry sharpened stakes, provided food, or continued to bring out bundles of arrows and supplies for the militia and guards.

They would be behind the main body of guards and militia, their only job to continuously rain down death on the monster army approaching.

"It would be if they all had rifles. But we'll have to make do" Turning as Celeste and Dia joined them, Bisca scowled at the royal knights several hundred feet behind the main line. They were rapidly marching forward, led by that arrogant prick that shone like a golden dick.

"Great. This asshole will probably fuck things up" Muttering, her own companions stifled a small giggle.

"I have to admit, it's very like you to threaten a king in his own home" Dia added, her lips curling upward in an impish smile.

"He started it. Treating me like some servant. I could have killed them all"

"Miss Bisca, killing royalty, no matter how distasteful they are, is not very heroic" Celeste reminded, the knights blonde hair wafting like golden silk under a light winter wind.

"I should've maimed one of them…" Tightening her fist, the four just continued to watch the citizens pour work and labor into the second defensive line.

They hoped to get a third done, but most doubted it would happen in time.

"Ah. I see the filthy commoner hasn't lifted a finger to help. Sergeant, please note that the false hero just stood by as the less fortunate worked"

Bisca bit down her anger, simply staring ahead and ignoring the blonde man as he strode forward to the trench, his gaze almost condescending of the workers below.

"Well, at least they work hard" Smiling beautifully, the prince allowed the sunlight to reflect off his golden armor like a beacon. Looking around, many of the guards and militia had finally noticed his presence, halting their drills for the moment.

"Fear not brave defenders of Jarrenburg! For I, Prince Maine Cacter will defeat the demon army! Your toil and bravery will ensure that I will become the hero that saved our city!"

The crowd cheered, knowing that if they didn't and the prince saw, they would be punished.

"You women should return to your men. None of you belong on the battlefield" Haught and condescending, the prince laughed at his own joke.

A panicked shout came from the sentries.

"THEY'RE HERE! GOBLINS ARE APPROACHING!" Running away, the scouts sprinted toward the second line as the workers started to flee.

"Damn! Couldn't even give us enough time to finish the second trench!" Cursing, Bisca unslung her rifle, making sure a round was fed.

"Goblins? I will not sully my sword with such inferior blood. You rabble can deal with them" Waving, the prince turned and walked back with the royal guard to his collection of tents far to the rear.

"Asshole" Vera muttered, not liking the blonde man in the slightest. He reminded her of too many human enemies they had faced.

"He'd just get in the way" Taking a knee while pulling her longshot, Bisca waited as the encroaching sounds of monsters echoed from the darkness.

Flanking her were Vera and Celeste while Dia stood a dozen feet back, her staff glowing as she slowly gathered a lightning spell.

Other mages did the same, spread out in the curved defensive line of swordsmen, archers and spearmen taking up arms behind the second trench line.

"Remember! Don't fire your bows until they fill the first trench! We want a killing field!" Bisca shouted, the female knowing she was just reminding for the sake of reminding. The city guards and adventurers mixed in were competent to understand the plan, especially those in command of smaller sections.

The hob-goblins burst forth from the tunnel mouth like a rancid pustule. Enraged but showing signs of fatigue, the beasts charged forward with blades and maces held high in a feral scream of delayed bloodlust.

Taller than their shorter, cave dwelling cousins, the hobs could be comparable in height to a short man and fully capable of wearing armor, using swords and assorted weapons.

Then the screams started as the front rows fell into the first trench filled with sharpened stakes. None of the Jarrenburg defenders could see the piling of the dead and dying in the trench, but they could imagine Hob-goblins and some of the smaller goblins simply running forward, falling, and getting impaled on those wooden spikes or crushed to death.

"By Lanill…they simply don't care…" The silver haired wolf witch muttered in realization. Clutching her simple staff as a long coat snuggled against her sensual form, Hera Silverhair simply couldn't understand the mindless charge into the murder holes.

"FEMALES! ATTACK!" Screaming with fury, a more heavily armed Hob-Goblin stood to the side, waving a short sword as his troops continued to fall into the curved defensive trench, dying by several hundred.

"Word of advice Hera, don't let them capture you alive. Goblins enjoy defiling women off all races. Unholy filth" Celeste cursed as she drew her sword, the blade unleashing a glimmer of light in the presence of evil.

"G…Got it" Gulping, the novice adventurer began to charge her magic as the first goblins managed to walk across the trench now filled with the dead and dying.

"RARRGGGH! RAPE THE FEMALES! KILL!" Leading the charge toward the wall of stakes, the obvious commander was a mass of pure bloodlust as hundreds more followed in a spreading wave.

"Remember! Killing field!" Slowly taking a breath while peering through the scope, Bisca's view of the beast ballooned, the magnification allowing her to study his boils, facial structure, and sickly green skin.

"Your life is mine to take…" Pulling the trigger as the commander reached the halfway point of the killing zone, his head exploded into a paste of bone fragments and gore. Falling in a pile, the enemy simply didn't care as they thundered across the frozen plain and broken road toward the second trench.

But the gunshot was the signal, causing the elven and human archers to unleash their first attack against the charging mass of several thousand beasts. Arrows rained down by the hundreds, punching through leather armor, green limbs and bare chests. Hob-goblins clutched their throats suddenly pierced by the shafts, trying to stem the blood seeping between their fingers. Others took arrows to the knee or leg, tumbling immediately with howls or agony.

One particularly short Hob-goblin took an arrow directly through the eye, the barbed metal point punching through the back of his head. Voiding his bowels, the monster wasn't the only one as the dead and wounded voided their pants in violent death throes.

They were simply crushed underfoot as the rear ranks pushed forward, the momentum of bloodlust making them feral.

"Lightning bolt!"

"Acid Arrow Storm!"

"Triple Fireball!"

"Icicle Barrage!"

"Ice Cleaver!"

"Gravel Storm!"

Dozens of wizards unleashed their spells, a flying mixture of elements that erupted from numerous focusing crystals.

Crashing into the front ranks, the enemy was decimated under the searing heat that boiled goblin flesh. Sharpened icicles that pierced armor and chopped limbs, creating a fresh cacophony of monster screams. Some melted under the acid arrows from a bearded man wearing a pointed hat, his weathered face showing decades of experience and adventure.

Of course, Dia's lightning bolt was furious and unending, jumping between nearly two dozen of the vile creatures. Their skin sizzled while eyes exploded, their mouths filled with electricity as nervous systems seized up. Constantly unleashing spells every thirty seconds, the feline wizard didn't let up, the purple haired black mage knowing how terrible the beasts could be to innocent lives.

Maybe she would have been hesitant at the start of her journey with Bisca. But now? Now she had no problem letting these disgusting creatures die by her lightning magic.

"Kill them all!" Bisca screamed out over the din as she switched to her Lancer rifle and fired into the mass. More goblins fell, the gunfire ripping through goblins like a scythe as arrow fire and magical spells decimated their numbers from the flanks.

Bodies choked the land, the fallen horde having lost so many that the dead were laying on top of each other in twisted gnarls of flesh and fallen weapons. Arrows continued to fall like rain, striking fallen wounded or simply piercing the dead, leaving a field of bodies representing a porcupine.

But the survivors pushed forward like a wave, still numbering several hundred as they finally reached the second trench line. Falling in once more, goblin cries of anguish and death rose as they impaled themselves on the rows upon rows of stakes.

It only made the jobs of the archers and mages easier as it simply brought the enemy further into the teeth of defense.

Bisca marched up to the rim of the trench, firing off a full magazine into the snarling bodies. Stinks of fire and burning goblin flesh rose as more of the mages fired nearly point blank into the trench line, creating a hellish storm of magic.

Celeste cleaved the surviving hob-goblin in half, the lone survivor the only one to climb out of the piles of dead. Having reached the rise of earth, it had pulled itself over the horizontal spikes just to meet his end at the knight's blade.

"Resupply the archers! Wizards, drink mana potions if you need it! I doubt we'll have time for anything else!" Digging out new rifle bullets from her magical bag, Bisca started to hastily reload her magazines as the defenders scrambled to resupply and recharge. Wrinkling her nose at the rising stench of burning flesh and voided bowels, the gun mage ignored the cries of dying monsters still impaled or simply crushed beneath bodies.

"This smell is revolting. Not much different then how you presented yourself to my father" Prince Maine Cacter said with a sneer, the man in golden plate using that annoying high born accent.

Bisca fed in a fresh bullet, the woman slowly looking upward. "Maybe you can actually fight next time instead of sitting on your ass like some useless pile of gold shit" Feeding another bullet into the magazine, Bisca went back to the task as the prince growled. Starting to draw his blade, the motion was interrupted by shouts of alarm.

"THE REST OF THE DEMON ARMY IS APPRAOCHING!"

Swiveling their gaze, Bisca, her team, and the prince all gazed at the tunnel as the first war pigs emerged with an obvious demon at the helm.

Her skin tone was purple, at least, what could be seen. Most of her body was covered in combat leathers, the protection offering mobility over defense. Striding forward with confidence, her crimson hair gave a light flutter, momentarily exposing a pair of horns protruding from her forehead. Yellow eyes gazed out from a rather beautiful face as she finally stopped, her exposed cleavage giving a small bounce.

"Shit…I really wished we had more time" Bisca lamented as she slowly stood, knowing that her magic would definitely come into play. Giving a more critical once over, the gun mage cocked an eyebrow from behind the defensive line. "Is that really a demon?"

Celeste switched to her holy axe, the curved blade giving a low glow of light as she stared murder at the demon.

Vera cocked her head, studying the demon in the distance. "Is it me, or does she have large breasts like all of us?"

"Vera, you know she led an attack that slayed thousands in Brassil. I doubt her breast size matters right now"

"HAHA! I will now show you all the strength of a true hero! Come, my guard's! Let us rid the world of this filth!" Jumping over the filled pit of dead hob-goblins, Prince Maine Cacter rushed with his sword drawn. War cries came from his personal guard, nearly a hundred men rushing across a battlefield littered with twisted corpses.

"Did he just charge into the maws of the enemy with no plan aside from his noble birthright?" A nearby spearman asked out loud, the male's features mostly hidden behind an iron helm.

"HA! What a brave lad! Even if we have the real hero by our side, his bravery cannot be questioned!" Boasting, a stout dwarf with a long, black beard styled in braids shook his axe in support, followed by rising cheers among the crowd.

"MAINE CACTER! MAINE CACTER! MAINE CACTER THE GOLDEN HERO!" The cheering became a resounding crescendo, filling the cold winter air like a tidal wave of hope and joy.

Bisca looked around in…disbelief, hearing the assembled army cheering with all their heart for the charging man and his loyal guard rushing across the body strewn field of twisted corpses. "No way somebody could be that arrogant, right? Or stupid? Just…charging at the enemy with no plan? Just into the open like some brain dead grub? And what's with the cheering? Or did they simply forget he's an arrogant piece of shit?"

"I…I AM THE HERO OF JANNERBURG!" Smiling in his mad sprint, the prince's hair flowed like golden grain as his armor sparkled with winter sunlight like a beacon of hope. Weaving among the fallen monsters, he could hear the people cheering for him as his troops ran at his side, their presence securing their future in song and deed.

"This is it! This is how I will become a great king!"

Queen Hazil Jazrith had spent nearly the entire traverse of the mountain pass catching up to the Hob-goblin force, eventually closing the gap as those feral little beasts slowed, but not by much. They had stormed out of the tunnel, the sight of the human city beyond the defenses like a beacon to relight their bloodlust.

Then of course, they had simply charged, falling into the snarls of trenches filled with rows and rows of sharpened stakes. Arrows rained down on them, magic spells burned them or blew them apart by the hundreds as they continued their maddening charge.

Hazil had watched the entire battle from the depths of darkness with a few lower demon guards, giving her troops a chance to take a moment's rest after hours of marching.

The whole thing had been a massacre with not even one enemy slain or even maimed.

A disappointment, but not a loss as her main force began to exit the Janner Tunnel, quickly stepping over the clogged trenches filled with goblin corpses.

Then, by some miracle, the hero had come charging like a madman, his golden armor, stylish hair and self-proclamation made her personal mission so much easier.

"What luck! Maybe the gods do wish to help in our victory!" Slowly smirking as the human troops cheered for the rushing man and his guards, Hazil summoned her demonic wings in a surge of magic. "COME HERO! LET US DO BATTLE!" Drawing her personal blade of polished black steel, she may have been a demon, but only an idiot fought a swordsman bare handed, especially a hero.

"DIE, FIEND!" Swinging his sword in a wide, horizontal swing, Prince Maine Cacter had finally reached Hazil Jazrith while his guards smashed into the front ranks of war pigs and several orcs. Their steel clashed and sparked, the first monsters dying in a crescendo of screams and arcing blood spray.

Hazil simply lifted herself into the air, avoiding the wide strike with a feminine grin while her wings fluttered off flecks of magical dust.

"You avoid my strike, coward!?" Shouting upward, the hero retook his stance while his royal guards fought and killed…with a few dying from the great number disparity.

Hazil ignored the insult as she narrowed her red gaze from above, activating her assessment spell. Relatively simple to use, it allowed her to assess potential enemies.

Prince Maine Cacter

Level sixteen

Hit points: 1200

Traits: Spoiled rotten. Not a hero. Arrogant Noble. Womanizer. Piece of Garbage

"You…are not the hero" Nearly snarling the words, Hazil dove fast from her elevation and simply embedded her blade into the golden armor plate of the fake. Her shimmering black blade protruded from his back, the sheer force of her strength bypassing the workings of steel as blood dripped from the deadly point.

Crimson dripped from his lips in shock, the red flowing down his chin as Maine looked down at the sword embedded through his chest. "W…what? But…I'm the…the hero…"

"No…you're not" Flying upward with the blonde man still attached, Hazil began to scan the human army with her Assessment magic once more.

She had no concern that the prince's guards were being overrun, many being hacked to pieces as they tried to fight off the overwhelming numbers pouring out of the mountain tunnel. Some broke and ran back to the human lines, but most died under bashing maces, axes, and a sense of duty to a dying man dangling forty feet above the ground.

"Let's see…most of them stand around level fifteen…a few level twenties…oh…oh my" She enhanced her gaze on a group of four females standing behind the wall of stakes, each of them staring directly at her. Pouring more magic into her gaze as Prince Maine choked on his own blood, Hazil concentrated on the green haired woman in a ratty hat. Covered in heavy armor and holding a strange type of weapon she assumed was a sort of firearm, Hazil grinned as the information flowed.

Bisca Mulan

Level Fifty Four

Hit Points: ?

Mana Points: ?

Traits and Titles: Hero. Survivor. War Veteran. Battle Rage. Troll Slayer. Slaver Killer. Adventurer

"Now her…she's the one I'm looking for" Smirking with mischief, Hazil fluttered her magical wings in a gust of freezing air.

Flying low and fast, the demon queen surged to the defensive line then threw the dying prince directly at the group with as much strength as she could muster.

Impaling on the rows of sharpened stakes and logs, Prince Maine Cacter resembled a pincushion as his last moments were spent in agony.

"BY LANISS! THE HERO AS FALLEN!"

"OUR MIGHTY PRINCE! NOOO!"

Glancing upward at the demon queen still hovering over the battlefield, Bisca made a split decision. "FALL BACK TO THE CITY, NOW! WE CAN'T STOP THEM HERE! STAGGERED WITHDRAWAL!" Shouting over the cries for the dead prince who hanged limply among the stakes, Bisca walked up to the edge and formed a magical mulcher in her two hands, the gun mage knowing she had nowhere near the amount of physical ammunition for this battle.

Magic would have to do.

Glowing green with a light pulse of power, the barrel gave a momentary flare as Bisca snarled, her instincts taking over.

"UNLEASH ARROWS! MAGES FIRE!" Captain Krunch screamed out as the war-pigs thundered over the corpses of the prince's guards. Orcs were nearly tripping over their own feet, the eagerness to join the battle raging in their ears.

Bisca didn't hear the command. She was already firing, pushing deadly bolts of green magic outward in a hellish staccato that ripped into the charging ranks of the war pigs. Burning through flesh, leather armor and straggly fur, dozens fell before the reaper. Blood spilled as limbs were severed, the magical bullets carving out a swath of death among the rain of archer arrows and casting spells.

"FIGHTING RETREAT! MAKE THEM PAY FOR EVERY STEP!" Shouting over the screams, Bisca took a step backward as the massed warpigs and orcs continued to charge forward under the onslaught. Continuously firing in a wide, panning arc, she cut down dozens more as the experience points flowed.

"Lightning bolts!" Casting her own spell, Dia lent her magic, frying half a dozen gray skinned orcs with surging electricity that made their eyes explode inside their skulls.

The screams alone were haunting, but none of the defenders cared about the suffering orcs.

More arrows rained down from the archers, the men and women then retreating past the sword and spearmen.

A war-pig reached Vera as the final defensive line was overrun, the snarling monstrosity carrying a large club as it stared at the dark elf with bloodlust. Swinging downward with a bellow, the busty elf avoided the blow by inches, then swiftly sliced her ice and fire blades into the hide of the creature. Blood sprayed across her winter coat, the warmth sticky as Celeste cleaved a minor demon's head in two.

"Fall back you three! I didn't fight off an ogre just to have you killed here!" Cutting down another group of charging orcs, the magical bullets burned through their midsections, causing eight of them to slide apart as their entrails became exposed to the winter chill.

"Miss Bisca! Look out!" Celeste cried out as she blocked another blow from yet another monstrous beast. Her axe practically pulsed from the overwhelming presence of evil, the blade sparking from the downward swipe of the pitted sword. Parrying from the mass and weight, Celeste braced her footing, then broke away before swinging low and hard at the muscular legs of the pig.

Severing one of the limbs, gore spattered the ground as the squeals of horror rose for a moment…but not long as the blonde knight brought down an overhead swing, cleaving the beast in the chest.

Bisca saw the charging orc, a sickly, green skinned troop that charged through the dying bodies and stabbing light that slew without care. Dispelling her weapon, she grabbed her lancer and promptly flipped the switch, eliciting a harsh whine of teeth just as the snarling humanoid reached her with his own blade.

He missed as Bisca sidestepped, the woman's anger quickly rising as the human forces fell back in a relatively stable retreat under heavy pressure.

"FUCKING GRUB!" Planting the chewing teeth at the joining of neck and shoulder, the gray skin parted with a slew of crimson and flying viscera. Bone fragments and gore splattered Bisca's chest plate, along with some flecks against her cheeks and chin.

"Come on you three! If we get surrounded, we die!" Firing off the magazine into the charging bodies of four more demons, the creatures fell with horrific wounds and dying dries among the stench of copper, fear, and soiled pants.

By now, most of the demon army was on the heels of the withdrawing human forces, allowing losses to mount for the defenders as stragglers fell to be butchered.

Some demonic warlocks unleashed their own spells at the retreating forces, ripping apart human and demi-human's with impunity as screams rose from the ranks of soldiers.

Acid and flame…ice and earth. All the elements flew back and forth between the respective mages under the constant rain of arrows from the elves and supporting archers.

A demonic fireball ripped through four spearmen nearby, turning the men into piles of flying limbs and misting gore that coated Bisca and her party in a painting of red.

Reforming a boomshot grenade launcher, Bisca concentrated her aim at a demon warlock readying his next spell as a gnarled, twisted staff of black began to glow. Expulsing a lob of green energy, it struck the robed demon in the chest, creating an explosion of magical shrapnel that ripped through another half dozen troops…many of them now without limbs as they howled.

Taking another step backward with the retreating forces, Bisca continued to fire off explosive shots, her magic creating a hell on earth as each burst like a bomb, flaying skin and flesh.

Watching from above, Hazil Jazrith had no intention of joining the battle…especially now that she had observed the actual hero killing without impunity.

"Such…ferocity. And her strength…and the blood…"

For some reason, Hazil found herself aroused as Bisca led the human forces in a withering retreat toward the walled city, the green haired woman in heavy armor cutting down hundreds as magical spells flew over the dead and dying of both sides.

Finally reaching the city gates, the defenders flooded inward as Hazil's forces continued to put down pressure.

"INSIDE!" Yelling once more, Bisca and the Emerald Rangers worked with several archers, mages and spearmen to keep the passage open, the men and women fighting in a shrinking semi-circle.

"Fireball!"

"Ice Cleaver!"

"Acid Arrow!"

The shouts came from several demi-humans, including the sensual silver haired wolf woman. Now covered in flecks of gore, sweat and grime, she had clearly been close to death as she fired off another fireball into the charging ranks of pigs.

"All of you inside!" Snarling out the words, Bisca had reformed the mulcher, the magical weapon pulsing as she poured magic. Tacking back and forth, she laid down one last fusillade, chopping down nearly seventy of the drooling pigs before marching backwards through the gated archway with her party.

"CLOSE IT! NOW!" Celeste roared, her face covered with red droplets of enemy blood. Keeping vigilant as dozens of men and women pushed the gates closed, the heavy city doors thudded shut just in time.

"Barricade the gate! Archers and mages up on the city wall!" Captain Krunch roared, the soldiers breast plate showing several long gouges and indents from enemy strikes. Some splotches of red adorned the dull armor, but it wasn't his. Watching as several large men hefted the long horizontal door brace into place, he nodded with approval and exhaustion as he ran a hand down his scarred face.

"That…could've gone better" He muttered as the hero approached, the woman also covered in the remains of human and monster alike.

"If you want to blame somebody for the defensive line failure, don't. The goblin fodder made those trenches and traps pointless. Even if that demon queen couldn't fly, they walked right over them with ease. Still…would have gone better if that idiot MC hadn't charged like a damn inbred child" Cursing the prince's memory, that man had been in the main line of fire from the mages and archers, reducing options for critical minutes.

"You shouldn't speak ill of the dead, Bisca" Dia reminded with a kind tone despite all the horrors beyond the city walls.

Bisca shrugged, the motion barely seen because of her armor.

The city door thudded, most likely from warpigs beating on it with sword and club, their howls of rage and taunts filling the air as soldiers and guards piled wagons, furniture and any other item that could impede invasion.

"Alright. Break's over. Let's get topside. Captain, order your men to target the spellcasters. They're the most likely to destroy the gate"

"I'm well aware of how to do my job, Hero Bisca. I have studied siege warfare for offense and defense. Your idea did work well since I estimate half their forces dead or wounded, but let me give the orders to my men from here on out" Gaze stern, the hawkish looking man was a rock of authority.

"Not like I wanted to be in command anyway" Waving as she started to jog toward one of the city guard towers that fused into the wall proper, Bisca and her party rushed up the steps to the parapet. Joining hundreds of archers and dozens of mages still tired from the withdrawal, Bisca stared over the wall at the field and roadway toward the towering Janner Mountains just a few short miles away.

Twisted bodies covered the land among embedded shafts of arrows. Snow was bloodied or melted from fire and soot, the carnage even worse among the now fallen defensive lines. Corpses of demon, human, war-pigs and demi-humans lay bare, death equal among them all.

Looking downward directly, the remaining enemy force still numbered at least two thousand…perhaps three as they started to organize into blocks centered around demonic warlocks and mages. Having fallen back several hundred feet, they positioned out of effective arrow range, ensuring the defenders couldn't pick them off.

"Well…at least we killed about half like the Captain said" Vera muttered with fatigue. Wiping her chin, she didn't complain about the filth, sweat and gore like usual. Instead, she just gripped her blades tighter as the archers began to fire at the few stragglers, killing a few before.

Celeste watched the demons, her gaze switching between the ground troops and the lone queen flying above her army. Arms crossed, her sizable bosom was lifted upwards as she simply flew there uninterrupted while winter wind whipped her crimson hair. "I think it's safe to assume the majority of the demons can't fly. It must be a powerful spell and most appeared to be around the same level as the city guards" the knight observed.

"That's a fair assessment. Still, she does remind me of Erza with the red hair" Bisca admitted offhandedly as she equipped her longshot. Crouching behind the stone wall of the parapet directly over the main city gate, Bisca ignored the casting spells of wizards and mages, the arcs of magic reaching outward to claim more lives among the demon army.

Of course, several demonic warlocks returned the favor, mostly with lobbed orbs of purple energy that were slamming into the towering defensive works of the city.

"BRING THE WALLS DOWN!" Shouting as she flew above her army with a flap of her wings, Hazil cupped her hands above her head while simultaneously forming an orb of cascading, pulsing purple magic that snarled with traces of electricity. Grinning as the magical attack grew in size, Hazil concentrated her gaze upon Bisca and the central gate that was already taking several hits from fireballs and ice.

Unfortunately, each time a warlock fired off a spell, the human wizards and mages returned the effort, usually with a larger fireball that blew apart whole squads of orcs and demons with bloody results.

Bisca took aim at the female demon, recognizing the queen as the most viable threat. Peering through the scope of her sniper rifle, the gun mage held her breath as the busty demon continued to build up the attack.

A fireball slammed into the outer parapet, showering fire and sparks while fragments of stone flew from the blast. Throwing off Bisca's aim in that critical moment as she was thrown to the stone walkway, the bullet sliced through air, taking a few red strands above Hazil's left ear instead.

Ironically, Hazil had been halfway through releasing her spell when the cracking sound ripped past her ear, making the demon queen flinch and throw off her aim.

Instead of the main gate and opening up the city to the demon troops, her heavy orb of destructive magic flew over the rooftops of Jannerburg until finally reaching the central castle. Blowing through the heavy doors of the royal structure, the blast detonated in the main throne room, instantly killing King Cacter and his ministers huddled in fear. Flame and fire billowed outward as nobles screamed, many aflame as the central hall collapsed in ruin from the blast wave of force.

Bisca climbed to her feet with a groan, the mage dusting off glowing embers as Dia extinguished the nearby fire with a small water spell. "Dammit…" Ejecting the spent brass in a tumble, she looked upward at the queen as her annoyance grew. "WHAT'S YOUR DEAL! CAN'T YOU EVEN HIT A DOOR!?" Yelling the taunt, Bisca rapidly aimed at a warlock on the field below gathering an acid spell, putting a bullet through his brain before ejecting the next spent casing.

Hazil's eye twitched, the busty purple skinned demon refluttering her wings as she zoomed closer, her feminine anger growing as well. Stopping merely fifteen feet away from the hero, she hovered as several archers fled in fear.

"YOUR ONE TO TALK! YOU HAD A CLEAN SHOT WITH THAT…THAT SUPER RIFLE AND YOU MISSED! SOME HERO!"

"My aim was thrown off because of one of your stupid warlocks launching fireballs! Otherwise you would be dead on that field already!"

Hazil pointed a slender finger, her red hair almost jumping with anger. "HA! If I hadn't wanted to blow up that stupid castle on purpose, you would be vaporized!"

"Bullshit! You got scared from my sniper bullet almost taking your head off!"

"I avoided on purpose! You think a human weapon can hurt me!?"

"If it bleeds, it can die! And judging by your crappy troops, they enjoy being killed by the hundreds!" Emphasizing her point with a wave of her hand, a collection of demi-human mages launched a rippling salvo of fireballs into the attacking army, blowing swaths of death among the warpigs and orcs.

"YOU KNOW WHAT!? Let's see how well you fight surrounded by my army!" Flying in, Hazil scooped up Bisca in a rapid gust of flight then turned in mid air to drop the fabled hero right in the middle of the demonic force of beasts.

Tumbling in a roll, the gun mage came to a knee, her instincts already forming a magical scorcher in her gloved hands. Staring around as Hazil laughed above, orcs and demons approached, many of them giving hideous snarls to chop the hero into bloody pieces.

"NO! MISS BISCA! I HAVE TO RESCUE HER!" Scrambling to the wall, Celeste would never forgive herself for failing her holy duty. "Why did I stand there!? I could have thrown my axe at that big breasted monster!"

"Celeste! We can't! We have to defend the city and we would never reach her in time!" Vera screamed out as she tackled her blonde friend and companion to the stone walkway.

"BUT WE MUST PROTECT HER!" Nearly hysterical, the blonde knight struggled to free herself from the elf's grip.

"All of you try to target the monsters around Bisca!" Dia shouted out in a panic while raising her staff once more. Pushing her mana into the stone, she elected for ice as the cold winter wind billowed her purple hair. Activating the spell, she targeted more of the enemy down below, her attack joined by several others that ripped through orc flesh.

"You're all dead! ALL OF YOU!" Pushing more mana through the magical construct, Bisca unleashed a wave of green flame into the closest orcs, lighting the skin aflame as they began to scream in torment. Spinning in a circle, the jet of hellish fire washed over dozens of monsters, their howls only slightly worse than the stench of charred skin and sinew.

"Do I have to kill her!? Or can you damn troops handle one human in the middle of our army!?" Scowling as she hovered above, Hazil should have expected the hero to fight, using that very strange magic of hers to kill even more of her army. Ignoring another incoming blast of acid arrows from the walled city that melted some of the front ranks, Hazil kept watch well out of range in the air, her arms crossed beneath her bountiful assets while her wings fluttered periodically.

"Filthy…human.." A large orc lumbered forward, his bare chest covered in scars and hard muscle while his gray skin seemed to devour sunlight with his hatred. Holding a large sword with pits and scratches along the blade, he spread his arms before proclaiming. "I am Karn The Despoiler! Fear your suffering…"

Bisca turned toward Karn among the burning dead, her mind not registering a large orc…but one of the locust. Breathing in deeply, she smelled the fear and blood…burnt flesh and the low cries of the dying. But it wasn't some road and field near Jannerburg. No…she saw home. The horrors of the war against the horde roaring back with a vengeance as her vision dilated into a crimson nightmare.

The fact orcs could be cousins to the locust and they were around her, snarling and cheering for the coming battle only pushed her further into the depths of rage.

"Your death will be agony, Bisca the hero"

"LOCUST!"

Bisca lost it as she pulled her Boltok, putting two slugs into the orc's face. Blowing apart in an explosion of reddish paste, she emptied the weapon into two nearby demons, killing the duo as her rage intensified. "YOU BURNED MY WORLD! KILLED NEARLY EVERTYTHING AND NOW…NOW YOU WILL ALL SUFFER!" Raising her hands, Bisca pulled on every scrap of mana she could muster.

"W..what is this!? Her magic just increased!" Hazil asked in shock as the green haired woman unleashed a shockwave, bowling over hundreds of troops.

"ALL YOU GRUBS WILL DIE!" Howling out her rage, the clouds began to swirl above, their coloration turning into darkness as the woman crackled with power. Giving one last grunt of exertion and howl of anger, Bisca screamed above the now panicking demon troops as the winter clouds parted. "SATELLITE BEAM!"

A crash of green magic fell from the heavens, the shaft of light surrounding Bisca in a sort of protective shell for a brief three seconds.

"Oh…shit" Hazil managed to mutter as the pulse wave unleashed in the next moment. Turning to flee, the demon queen barely made it a hundred feet before the wave of green energy slammed into her, throwing her flight path into a hellish tumble toward a distant farmhouse.

But Bisca didn't care about that. She only cared about killing the vile locust around her as the green shockwave burned outward in a charring hellstorm. Burning orc, demon, and war-pig alike, the monsters only had moments to scream as the superheated pulse of light washed over them, ripping blackened flesh from their bones in an instant. Spreading outward in an even circle, the magical attack crossed the land, burning the fallen corpses and the living in equal measure.

Some tried to flee, breaking ranks in a mad effort to save themselves from the encroaching wall of fire and billowing heat.

All of them died, becoming nothing more than frozen pillars of ash.

Finally halting the spell a mere fifty feet from the walls of Jannerburg, it finally broke as one hundred and thirty two terrified demon survivors ran for their lives into the mountain tunnel, most of them covered in burns and the ash of their comrades.

Obviously, the experience flowed toward Bisca, propelling her level upward by three points as she fell to her knees, her arms bracing against the small circle of unburnt snow and dirt around her. Gasping and breathing deeply, she slowly stood while adjusting her beaten cowgirl hat.

"Fuck…fucking hell" Rasping the words while beads of sweat poured down her face, the gun mage was near exhaustion as she took a step, her boots crushing the charred remains of an orc head. It collapsed into dust as she began to slowly walk toward the city, her form surrounded by billowing green tinted embers and wafting ashes.

"By…the holy light of Lanill…" several adventurers whispered in awe, the men and women standing on the ramparts with weapons in hand. Still stinging from the overwhelming heat of the blast, all the city's defenders started at the battlefield of ash and soot, finding the demon army…gone.

"Was…was that the hero, Bisca?" Hera asked, the silver wolf mage stunned into disbelief as she stared out at the charred hellscape beyond the city walls. Trying to wipe away the sweat and soot, the beautiful mage was still in shock as Vera, Dia, and Celeste ran past toward the nearest staircase.

"Miss Bisca!" Rushing down the stairs, Celeste wasted no time in getting men to open the gate, the knight rushing out into the field of ashen corpses.

They stood gnarled and immobile, the flakes of ash floating around as orcs, demons, and war-pigs stood frozen in their final moments of terror.

"There!" Dia pointed frantically to the lone figure emerging from the swirling ash, the familiar visage of Bisca slowly walking forward toward the three as more adventurers and soldiers began to spill from the gated city.

"Biiiisssccaa!" Running at full speed across the charred battlefield, Vera's winter coat fluttered open, leaving her ample cleavage to be seen. Her tanned flesh giggled with each step despite her leather armor trying its best to restrain.

Vera reached her first, the busty dark elf wrapping her friend in a hug. Bringing Bisca's face toward her ample bosom, Vera almost cried. "I can't believe you survived! That was insane! I was sooo scared you were going to die!" Smothering the gunmage into the breasts, Vera rambled on as Celeste and Dia joined the hug, giving the crabby hero no choice.

"I should've let them kill me…ugh" Words muffled by the elf, Bisca finally pushed the three away with a scowl. "What did I say…about… hugging me?" Breathing deeply, more sweat trickled down her cheeks, leaving trails among the ash and soot.

"That was only if we were naked, which we're not!" Preparing for another hug, Vera felt a heavy hand push against her cheek, keeping her away as Bisca tried to remain standing.

"Miss Bisca. Are you wounded?"

"I'll find a healer!" Dia supported, the feline black mage starting to turn as more ash billowed around the pillars of charred corpses.

"No…just…used all my magic…" Gasping, Bisca leaned over, her hands pressing against the top of her thighs. Expelling air, the hero groaned as she slowly stood upright. "I've forgotten how exhausting using that spell can be" Giving a small grin, she started to walk forward toward the gathering group of soldiers and adventurers.

"Miss Bisca. If you are exhausted, allow me to carry you"

"I dare you to try" Grousing out in annoyance, the gun mage simply shook her head at the knight in dismissal.

"Here Bisca, a mana potion" Dia offered with a slender hand. Holding the glass bottle with blue liquid, the contents gave a small shimmer as Bisca took it and rapidly uncorked the bottle. Drinking the entire contents, it brought her mana back to a quarter strength, which was more than enough to halt the effects of exhaustion.

"M…Make way for the hero! BISCA THE HERO! BISCA THE HERO!" Hera the silverwolf mage suddenly cried out, the stunning beauty raising her staff as roars erupted from the crowd upon Bisca's approach.

"Try to smile a little bit" Dia offered with a leaned whisper, the feline deftly waving her tail as winter sunlight poured downward from the sky. Nudging her party leader, the impish cat soon stepped away to avoid any grumbles.

"She saved the whole city!"

"What an amazing spell!"

"Bisca! THE HERO OF JANNERBURGH!" A random guard yelled in joviality.

Trying to be nice, the green haired warrior gave a slight wave, her smile small, but genuine.

Entering the city through the open gates once more, cheering crowds of citizens crowded the roads, many of them simply chanting despite race, gender or status.

"BISCA!"

"BISCA!"

"BISCA!"

A chubby, older man waddled up, his fine garments and furred coat obviously expensive. He didn't wear too much jewelry aside from a simple pendant around his neck, but it did have ruby set in the gold. Most of his hair was gray with flecks of black from younger years, but his smile radiated thanks. Rushing up, he shook Bisca's hand without preamble, his smile infectious.

"Hero! Please allow me to give you and your party the finest rooms at the Golden Post, my hotel in the central district! You saved not only my business and family, but my home as well!"

"That isn't ne—" Bisca started to say before Dia clamped over the hero's mouth. "We accept your humble gift, thank you!"

"Let's cwelebrate our salvwation! Not only for the Emerald Rangers, bwut for all those that fought!" Raising his fist, the same thuggish swordman with the facial tattoo cheered, his nose now bandaged as more people cheered.

"Didn't I kick him in the balls?" Bisca wondered as the man riled up the crowd, the cheering like a thunder among the city of eighty thousand. Feeling her stomach rumble, Bisca had forgotten one of the side effects of using such a spell.

She was starving.

"I suppose we can get something to eat at the guild"

Vera took that as an invitation to shout to the crowd as the party walked through the streets, surrounded by the echoes of cheers. "YOU HEARD THE HERO! CITY WIDE PARTY!"

Bisca tried to stop the elf. "No, I didn't say th—" But it was already underway as cheering citizens thronged the streets.

"BISCA! BISCA! BISCA!"

She simply gave up at that point. The citizens were relieved that they wouldn't die…that their homes and families were saved. "I bet this is what Magnolia was like after the war ended…just happiness" It made her sad she missed it, but seeing it here…was a good thing. Trying to give a bigger smile, it felt forced, but the average citizen loved it as Bisca and her party made their way to the adventure guild near the merchant quarter of Jarrenburg.

Several hours later…

Night had fallen upon the land, the lightly falling snow drifting like diamonds toward the frozen fields around the border city. The twin moons shone above, bathing the Jarren Mountains in serene moonlight.

A mile away from the main battle site, a farmhouse stood, the inhabitants having fled at the first word of invasion.

The structure was modest due to the wealth of the area, the farmer and his family enjoying a decent standard of living with several magical tools…including an indoor bath powered by a fire core.

Hazil Jazrith didn't care about that as she finally stirred, the purple skinned demon letting out a groan. Flitting her eyes open, she stared upward at the gaping hole in the roof, the swirling stars above a velvet tapestry of twinkling lights.

"Ugh…ngh…I…I'm alive?" Coughing, she slowly sat up, her body screaming from the presumed impact with the roof. Looking down, her leather armor was charred, the material blackened by heat. Rolling onto her hands and knees, Hazil coughed again, her palms now resting on several broken boards.

"Th…Bisca…" Growling as the memories came flooding back, Hazil immediately knew that her army had been destroyed. "But…they didn't matter. None of them were returning home" Struggling to her feet, the demon checked her sword, finding that she had indeed sheathed it after she had thrown the hero to the orcs.

Then…she shivered. Not from the cold, but excitement as her jumbled mind replayed the events. "By my lord and lover…that power…" Hazil had to admit that Bisca was no novice from another world. She was a killer…a warrior that had stopped her and her forces.

"I must find her" Testing her magical wings, they worked, albeit her magic did still feel sluggish. Flying upward through the roof, she fully spread her wings, letting the particles of magical dust fall among the light snow. Finding she had landed quite close to the city, she grinned.

"They probably think I was killed in the blast" Flying further upward, she flew toward Jarrenburg under the pale light of the twin moons.

Glancing downward, she could find the battlefield, the surface a charred hellscape of ashen corpses, trench lines, and now dead embers.

Turing with a flap of her magical wings, Hazil could tell that whatever forces had survived Bisca's magical attack had fled, probably back through the tunnel toward the sacked city of Torgo. Sure, there were still smaller units attacking through the country of Brassil, probably toward the south and the trade cities there, but it was only a matter of time before soldiers and adventurers hunted them down and destroyed them.

"I'm sure some will become bandit forces, but I did achieve a spoiler attack. No doubt this will cause worry and hesitation among some of the countries here" Thinking out loud, Hazil once again fluttered her wings as the sounds of celebration filled the streets below.

But the average citizens partaking in drinking and food didn't concern her…finding the hero concerned her. Pulsing her wings once more, Hazil flew above the city, unnoticed by those below.

---

The Jarrenburg Adventure guild was packed to the brim as meals, booze and laughter flowed from the men and women inside. Half orcs and elves drank, cheering their victory as dwarves downed piles of meat from the overworked staff trying to keep up with the celebration that had taken the city by storm.

Some demi-humans, wolf and cat alike were sitting around a table, listening to Dia as the black mage up-ended a tankard, the purple haired cutie grinning with heated cheeks.

"AH! And that's how we found her! Collapsed on a pile of bones with a dead ogre in the room! She had killed everything!"

Hera shook her head frantically, her silver hair flowing as she too, took a drink. "No way! Taking out a whole castle of orcs and an ogre after nearly drowning! Ma…make it believable!" Hiccupping, the wolf mage gave a giggle before drinking some more beer.

"It's..it's true! Right Bisca!?" Dia asked in a half drunk shout, her gaze turning toward the woman in the corner.

Bisca slowly sipped her beer, her stomach now full after a very large meal. Cocking her brow, she slowly nodded. "Just go to Farrowburgh and ask Lord Farquad"

"Hah! Maybe we will, right Hera!?" A large tiger man shouted, his broad muscled chest of orange fur hiding the old battle scars of his youth. Chewing on a piece of meat, the large tiger then drank his own tankard, gulping down the frothing liquid.

"Y…Yeah!"

Casting her gaze around the hall, Bisca had participated by showing her face, but honestly, she was just tired. Still, at least everybody was in high spirits, including her party as they celebrated with the locals.

"I…I AM A HOLY KNIGHT AND I LOVE SMUT!" Celeste shouted loudly as she stood tall, her hand clutching a large tankard as several nearby men and women cheered.

"AND I FOUND TWO HUNKS!" Vera added from across the hall, the dark elf now standing on a table. Jumping down into the arms of a handsome man, the busty dark skinned elf looked ready to unclothe right then and there. Drinking from her own mug of beer, Vera laughed then kissed a different man, this one a demi-human with bear ears.

Bisca sipped her beer, watching her friends revel as Vera quickly left with the two men in tow.

"Hope she doesn't get pregnant" Shrugging, Vera was a consenting adult. Bisca really didn't care if she slept with a man…or two.

"I'll have to give her shit about that tomorrow" Finishing her beer over the next fifteen minutes, the party seemed to get crazier, and the hero had enough as Dia tried to have a magic contest with that busty silver wolf.

Obviously, both were so drunk now that they couldn't even summon a simple light spell. Sighing as she stood up, Bisca soon left the adventure hall, stepping over the collapsed form of some wood elf in green robes.

Stepping into the cold, Bisca huddled the coat around her as she hadn't worn her gear armor. She had wanted to, but the others simply berated and complained until she finally relented.

At least she kept her Boltok with her.

She simply had to trust that the Golden Post had ample security and going by her assessment, it was pretty damn good. The rooms even had private safes imbued with magic due to the rich clientele that normally stayed there.

"YEAH! HERO!" A drunk man cheered as he wobbled into a nearby bar, the drunk stinking of booze as more light snow fell.

Sighing, Bisca continued to walk along the streets, her boots crunching the fallen flakes as she made her way to the hotel in the center of the city.

It took a good forty minutes, not that she minded the silence and solitude under the panorama of stars.

Entering the hotel, several private guards stood near the entrance, each giving a subtle nod to the city savior as she gave a curt nod in return.

Walking up the nearby staircase of polished oak and carved banisters, the magical lights of the lobby glinted off the polish as she advanced to the fourth floor.

Entering her room across from the staircase, Bisca closed and locked the door of the private suite.

The walls were a pleasant cream color as several swirling motifs of inlaid gold decorated the molding near the ceiling. Several pieces of art hung, many of them nearby landscapes of the city. The furniture looked hand crafted, along with the large safe in the corner.

Her belongings were in there…mainly her equipment behind a magic spell only she could deactivate.

If somebody had attempted to break into the safe, an explosive spell would activate, presumably killing the thief.

Walking toward the wide balcony door and the tiny bar of fine liquors to the immediate left, she poured herself a small drink then opened the glass door, stepping onto the balcony. Sipping the pale blue liquid, it burned, but she enjoyed it as the stars and moonlight poured downward on Jarrenburg.

"Pretty peaceful, isn't it?" Dispelling her wings as she landed, Hazil Jazrith already had a small magical attack brewing in her palm, the small purple sphere crackling with intent.

Snapping up her boltok in an instant, Bisca aimed at the queen's head as the enemy did the same.

"It was. Until somebody decided to try and kill me again" Keeping the tone cold, Bisca's aim didn't waver as she stared down the extended arm of the demon toward the pulsing ball of magic.

"My my…your ready to kill me right now, aren't you? But are you sure I won't fire this attack off? At this range it's sure to kill you" Voice taunting as her yellow eyes glowed, the red head smirked.

"If I die, then I die. But I'll make sure to put one between your eyes before death claims me" Frowning, Bisca waited for a flinch…any sort of movement from the demon as the purple ball ebbed and pulsed on the fourth floor balcony of the suite.

Hazil stared back, waiting for Bisca to make a move. The squeezing of a trigger…the twitch of facial muscles.

"You know, hero. One of my missions was to kill you. Not you specifically, just the lone hero separated during the summoning"

"And what does that change? You still burned cities, brought terror and horror to innocents. You even threw me into the throngs of your army to get killed" Keeping her aim level, Bisca stared back with dispassionate eyes as her green bangs wafted with the night wind.

"Then you destroyed my army with…with that power" Words tinged with seduction and lust, Hazil kept her roiling magical ball churning as Bisca cocked her brow, hearing the change.

"Wait…are you turned on by violence?" the gunmage inquired.

"Just a little bit. I am a demon after all and power is attractive" Grinning some more, Hazil went on. "How about you abandon this hero thing? Join the demon king as one of his queens? Or does the idea of a harem disturb your human sensibilities?" Mocking, Hazil barked out a short laugh.

Bisca gave a glare back, her arm rigid as the cold started to sting her exposed cheeks. "For your information, I was part of a harem back on my homeworld. My Natsu is not only part demon, but raised by the fire dragon king and leads one of the last surviving nations of my planet. So either fire, or I'm going inside!" Barking with authority, Bisca's aim didn't waver.

Hazil's eyes went wide, the demon realizing this hero was far different from the wide eyed novices and blatantly controlled people from the church. Slowly lowering her arm, the magical spell began to dissipate as Bisca did the same.

"I never expected the hero to reveal sexual activities with a demon. The church would kill you"

Bisca scoffed before stepping through the doorway of the balcony. "You can step in for a drink or leave. I don't care which" Walking further into the room, Bisca refilled her drink as the demon followed with a few wary steps.

Both made sure their backs weren't turned to the other, but they managed as Bisca closed the patio doors then sat at a nearby table, the chairs comfortable and soft. Resting her boltok on her thigh, she kept her finger near the trigger guard and pointed toward the demon.

To Hazil's credit, her blade was laid out upon the table, its shimmering darkness pulling in light. Both took a small sip, the females eyeing each other for a sign of betrayal.

"So, Bisca? What do you think of demons? After all, I'm far different from your 'Natsu' as you claim"

The gun mage gave a small shrug, her coat rustling. "Honestly, you're no more monstrous than myself. I've destroyed cities, butchered lives and committed atrocities in the multiverse. Would be hypocritical of myself to judge you after all the bloodshed I've caused"

"Then why fight my king? Why fight us?" Hazil inquired as she glanced at her sword, but drank instead.

"Like I had a choice. There I was with my Natsu and some of the others. We had just rewired the Genetic Desolator to eliminate the locust horde instead of humans…and…and WE HAD WON! Then some shitty fucking priestess summons me to this damn planet against my will! I was ripped from my home! My friends and family! The man I loved! And she couldn't even summon me correctly! Instead of their fucking holy city, I was dumped in the wilds of this continent! I've fought rapist bandits, slavers, giant snakes and trolls! Fucking Ice hags and minotaurs! You think I wanted to be here, fighting more wars!? Fuck. That" Leaning back in her seat after her tirade, Bisca drank deeply, her scowl deepening.

"Interesting…"

"What?" Bisca snapped, her glass already empty. Retreating to the small bar, she brought the bottle of snow rum over, a local drink.

"Just from what my lord and lover says, all the heroes blindly follow the church. That they're excited to kill us and wage war against us. Yet you seem to hate the church"

"Don't paint it as so black and white. I'm sure they do some good things. But…why the fuck do they need to summon people anyway? Just train some troops or quality personnel. Makes no damn sense" Watching Hazil drink half her glass of alcohol, Bisca could've sworn the purple cheeks of the attractive demon grew redder from the drink.

"So…Hazil. Why are you attacking all those nations across the ocean? Why come here? Extermination? Conquest?"

Hazil refilled her glass with the pale blue liquid, its potency of forty percent missed by both females. Holding the hand crafted glass in her slender hands, she held it near her ample bosom. "You think we started a war for global conquest? What a ridiculous notion" Leaning across the table, her yellow eyes seemed to blaze. "It's re-conquest! Retaking our ancestral lands stolen from us by humans, dwarves, elves and demi-humans! They started the last war with the church's backing, marking us as evil simply because we were demons! We had trade! And art and music! Cities! All of that was taken away by the greed of men for land and treasure! So no, Bisca, we aren't waging war for conquest, only to retake what we owned from thieves.

Bisca blinked rapidly at the demon, her senses a little fuzzy as she drank some more. Shaking her head, she regained some clarity, but this Snow Rum was delicious. Like candy. "I can sympathize. My world was decimated by an invading force of reptilian beasts from yet a different universe. Men, women, children. It didn't matter to them, only extermination of my species…hell, I've even helped decimate cities myself"

"Really? One of the summoned heroes decimated a city? I find that hard to believe"

"Believe it. It was a twisted Earthland were all women were basically raised to be sex slaves. It was even illegal to teach them to read. I had a hand in killing thousands upon thousand's" Bisca sighed, leaning back as she gently caressed her Boltok resting upon her thigh. "I was much more naive back then. Practically a different person" Sipping lightly, Bisca tried to slow down.

The last thing she needed was to get her throat slit because she enjoyed hard drinks.

"Proves why humans can't be trusted if they built a world like that. Demons are much more noble"

Holding her glass still half filled with the pale blue alcohol near her bosom, Bisca scoffed. "Everybody of any race is capable of great things or terrible evil. From what I've seen of this world, some men are good, others full of hate and greed. I shouldn't even be considered a hero with how violent I get" Drinking a little gulp, Bisca could at least see that Hazil seemed to be having a similar problem.

"Violent tendencies…that sounds sexy"

Bisca snapped, her tone sharp. "Like hell it is! I see anything the resembles one of those damn grubs, especially around blood and screaming innocents and I fucking lose it! Go completely off the rails as my vision swims in crimson!" Upending her glass, Bisca finished it quickly then poured more to replace what was lost.

"So when I tossed you to my orcs…?"

"Oh fuck. Like throwing me among the locust. Just went nuts, barely managed to control that final attack from reaching the city…and now they call me a fucking hero. For what? Surviving? Killing a shit ton of orcs and warpigs?"

Hazil drank, her gaze narrowed. "I feel like I should apologize for trying to kill you, but you are my enemy, so I won't"

"Big fucking deal. I'm still not sure if you're planning on cutting my throat with your sword there the moment I let my guard down"

"I could say the same with that weapon in your hand below the table. I've seen what you can do with your gun's"

Both women warily lifted their glasses, downing the whole thing in a weird show of respect, their throats burning.

Three hours later…

"And that's when I nearly lost my…my lucky hat!" Bisca emphasized as she pointed to her head, the trusty covering sitting upon her skull with simplicity as both women laughed.

"That..that really sucks!" *Hic* "Hey…what's…what sex like with your…Natsu was it?"

Bisca laughed some more, the gun mage drinking more as Hazil Jazrith did the same. Already on their 8th glass since the two started, the two were both obviously drunk.

"He…he's got a big cock! And…he…he knows how to use it! Ah…I bet he's already impregnated half the sisterhood by now! Like…like some woman slayer!" Bisca pointed, her vision swimming as her grin grew wide. "I…I bet he could seduce your pants off!"

"But my demon king is so…ah… His hard muscles…that red tinted skin tone and those bulging biceps! Drives me crazy! Wh…when I get home, I'm go…gonna make him have sex with me!"

"Good for you! Ah…wish I could go home, but I still have to… *Hic* Reunite with the other heroes…they probably suck too! Just a bunch of kids running around like…like dumbasses" Emptying her glass, Bisca poured another, spilling some of the booze as Hazil laughed like a loon.

"I…I could totally help with that!" Waving her arms apologetically, she shook her head. "Not killing! But I heard a…an old story once…of a book in a dungeon that could send…send a person to…to another world! Isn't that crazy!?" Picking up the bottle, Hazil drank the delicious booze, gulping down four shots worth in a half a minute.

"Hey! Don't drink it all! But…really? Where!?" Bisca shouted, the woman cutting through the haze of drunkenness for a few brief moments.

"I…I dunno…maybe Occeaven? It was sooo long ago…I was busy searching for a way to revive my king!" Laughing for a brief spell, Hazil watched as Bisca shredded her coat, showing a tight green shirt that enhanced her bust.

"Your boobs are as big as mine!"

"Yeah? Vera…Vera was mad about that" With cheeks flushed, Bisca upended her glass, downing more of the delicious booze that warmed her belly.

"M…mine are great! Stupid…smelly goblins always looked at me. Gross!" Standing up, Hazil was unsteady as both had practically destroyed the entire bottle between them. Watching as Bisca did the same, both females laughed…until Hazil lunged and stole Bisca's hat.

"Mine!"

"H…hey! Give that back!" Lunging for it, Bisca tripped and smacked her head on the table, tumbling to the floor.

"Hey Bisca! You…you alright? *hic!* Leaning forward, Hazil tripped over her own feet and fell, her body splaying over the hero as sweet darkness of drunken oblivion took hold.

The next morning…

Bisca woke up with a killer hangover, her head pounding like anvils as sunlight poured into the room from multiple windows and the patio doors. Resting her palm against her head, she winced as her eyes adjusted.

"Ugh…how did I get drunk so fast? Ow…my head" Trying to touch the large bump and bruise on her forehead, Bisca hissed from the sensitive touch. "And what the hell is one me?" Gasping, she managed to escape the weight and found Hazil Jazrith mumbling weakly into the carpet.

"WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE MY LUCKY HAT!?" Snatching it up and planting it on her head, Bisca's head swam as the demoness stirred.

"My head…why is human booze so…awful…ugh" Jumping up with surprising dexterity, the demon ran to the balcony doors and kicked them open to purge her stomach over the railing.

The horrible sound made Bisca sick, and she wasn't far behind. Heaving over the side to the street four stories below, the winter enshrouded city was thankfully devoid of morning traffic.

"Why…urk…why the hell are you still…uggh…here?" Bisca tried to ask between hurls, the gunmage in agony.

"Obviously too…hungover to kill you…blurgh"

"Like you could" Finally finishing her vomiting, Bisca staggered into her hotel room, seeking her sidearm. "Where the fuck is it!" Shouting the question made her wince.

"My sword!" Where did you put it you heroic bitch!" Closing her eyes, the demon seethed her breathing, the hangover obvious as she looked around the room.

Bisca ran into the bathroom, finding her heavy revolver laying in the bone dry shower stall. She didn't ask why it was there, only that she grabbed it and returned to the main bedroom, only to find Hazil with her deadly black blade drawn and an arm extended with a pulsing magical ball ready to kill.

Snapping up her Boltok, Bisca aimed at the queen, her head pounding just from watching that pulsing, ebbing light.

"Ohh…I am so not in the mood for this crap" Hazil commented as she sidestepped toward the balcony doors, the winter air a harsh chill for both.

The shafts of sunlight made Bisca's eyes burn, the light far too harsh for her state. "Fuck…like anvils in my head" Squinting, she saw the demon shift toward the balcony.

"Damn Bisca!" Hazil fired off the magic spell, the crackling orb of magic rushing toward Bisca as the green haired woman fired off a heavy round. The sound was like a thunder of hammers for the gunmage as her shot smashed into the fine molding near the balcony doorframe. Immediately diving into the bathroom, the nearby wall exploded from the incoming blast, sending shrapnel into the adjoining hallway as dust and debris coated Bisca, ringing her already horrible hangover to epic proportions.

"THIS IS A DRAW, BISCA! AND NEXT TIME I WON'T LET YOU TRICK ME WITH BOOZE!" Summoning her wings, Hazil jumped off the snow covered balcony into the bright day.

"Fucking…bitch!" Running onto the balcony, Bisca fired two more times, but the demon was already out of range as she flew Eastward toward the Janner Mountain Tunnel.

"Dammit" Running her left hand down her face, Bisca could feel the headache getting worse as she studied the now gaping hole in her hotel room wall. Plaster, brick and wood lay in a pile of ruin, the air clogged with fine dust as several alarmed guests started to emerge from their own rooms. "Fuck…might as well go find the others" Glaring once more at the towering mountains, Bisca cursed the red haired demon.

The manager of the hotel appeared in the rubble strewn hole, the older, pudgy man with a curled mustache wearing a pressed shirt and cleaned pants of beige. "What happened!?" Nearly shrieking in panic, he stepped in as Bisca moved to the safe, the woman rapidly bypassing the magical locks.

"The demon queen used some sort of magic to lower my guard. Tried to kill me" Starting to dress in her Gear armor, the woman's head throbbed as the man continued to rant and rave. "Who will pay for this!? The owner assumed you were trustworthy yet here I stand in the ruins of the finest suite in the city!"

"Not my fault I was attacked" Clasping the locks of her armorplate, Bisca moved onto her legs and boots.

"What are you going to do about this demon running around!? I thought you killed them all!" A stuffish noble shouted as he joined the manager in the massive wall hole.

Bisca grit her teeth at the annoying civilians, the mage rapidly sliding on her boots and retrieving the rest of her weapons and supplies. Turning, she pushed past the two men and growing crowd, heading toward the stairs.

"WHO WILL PAY FOR THIS!?"

"Ask the demon queen" Bisca retorted with a snarl before descending the steps and leaving the hotel in extreme haste.

Stepping outside, it was cold, her breath expulsing in clouds of mist. It helped fight off the terrible headache as the sunlight reflected off windows and fallen snow, the brightness harsh to her sight. Tracking her eyes to the towering mountains, Bisca contemplated giving chase, but knew Hazil was probably long gone.

"Should round up the others first…where ever they ended up" Groaning at the extra task, she knew Vera could be anywhere after her drunken threesome. Then judging on how crazy Celeste and Dia were last night, they could be in some warehouse for all she knew.

Rubbing her temple as her trusty hat rustled, Bisca tried to ease the throbbing as she headed down the main road to the adventure guild.

"What a shitty start to the day" Grumbling some more as a few guards rushed past, the gunmage kept walking as the distant cries of the hotel manager faded.

The Adventure guild…several hours later…

Most of the party goers were awake now, but the city wide festivities were still easily observed by damage, spilled bottles, forgotten food and even discarded clothes. A few dwarves were still snoring loudly in the corner by some overturned tables, the stout men and women having gone on a short rampage.

Bisca drank more water at a table near the window, the gunmage wincing as the ebbing hell of that booze addled night faded. Glancing out the nearby window as shafts of light poured into the guild, she could easily see the effects of drunken destruction outside. Turning her head back slowly, she lowered the brim of her hat to hide the falling rays of light.

"My head hurts…and my mouth…and everything…" Vera whimpered as the dark elf tried to lean back, her head pounding.

"That's because you had sex with two men last night" Dia lectured as she tried to clean off the strange ash stains from her coat, a leftover from some drunken magic the night before. "What did I do last night?"

"Ugh…I don't even remember who they were… Ugh…why did we have to win that battle? Then I wouldn't have drank so much" Whining in tone, Vera just kept her eyes closed as her tanned bosom heaved with each exhausted breath. "Even my boobs hurt! Why!?"

"You all should take a lesson from this and follow the path of light…you harlot" Smothering her words, Celeste spoke into the table as the knight had no energy to lift her head.

"I'm in too much pain to argue" the elf shortly replied as she too drank some water, the cooling refreshment aiding her agony.

Bisca stared at the blonde, not daring to shake her head. "I remember you shouting 'I love smut' to the whole guild so don't lecture"

Celeste barely lifted her head, her golden hair falling like grain to the table's surface. "I don't recall you drinking that much. Why are you in such a state?"

Bisca scowled, then lowered her hat even further. "I…let my guard down for once. The victory made me careless" Clenching her hand, the hero was upset at herself for such a failure.

"What? Did you actually have fun for once?" Vera mocked lightly.

Bisca drank more water, her body trying to replenish all that was lost. "Apparently…I…drank with the demon queen who survived my signature attack nearly unscathed. It was a mutual death situation so a drink seemed the better option. Then one led to three…and I woke up with her laying on top of me in some drunken stupor. Then we tried to kill each other again this morning"

Celeste slammed her palms on the table, the blonde suddenly looking up with a horrified look. "BY LANILL! SHE RETURNED!? Ow…I should not shout…" Wilting back into her seat, Celeste simply rested her head on the table in hangover hell.

"We can go after her!" Dia encouraged, the cat mage seemingly bubbly somehow.

"No for two reasons. One, she's probably already through the mountain tunnel so chasing her now would be pointless. Two…None of us are in a state to fight again, especially the slutty elf" cocking her thumb to Vera, the beautiful elf simply brushed her white bangs away and groaned.

"So mean…"

"But…you're the hero, you should lead us to…ugh…nevermind" Celeste tried to reason but simply wilted again as somebody dropped a tray nearby, the clang making multiple adventurers groan.

"We'll recover, gather supplies, and plan the next part of our journey tomorrow" Bisca ordered then simply tipped her hat lower over her eyes and tried to rest.

"I'm never drinking again…" Vera whimpered as the city slowly recovered from the agony of victory.

December 27th, 501 H.A.

Cold, harsh wind howled beyond the entrance to the tunnel, bringing a fresh wave of snow and ice to fly across the plains toward the city of Jarrenburg.

Standing in the entranceway among several dead goblin corpses, none had been removed by the city yet, not that there was a rush to handle the diseased little monsters.

Vera kicked one, the elf hating the creatures as she hugged her coat tighter around herself. "Just watching that ice fly is making me colder"

"Then don't watch" Bisca suggested as she glanced toward Dia, the black mage holding her staff while peering into the gloom.

"There should be magic stones lighting the way, but all I can see is darkness" pushing a small amount of mana into the staff, the stone tip glowed bright, bathing the party of four in soft illumination.

"Probably that demon woman. Even sinks so low to destroy the light of a path" Celeste added with confident knowledge. Resting her gauntleted hand on her sheathed hilt, the blonde waited near the center of the road.

Bisca gave an idle shrug. "Doubt it. Probably these little bastards before the battle" Kicking one that was missing an arm, the gun mage sighed. "Ghenhalt is probably destroyed so finding a ship there is a lost cause. So when we enter the kingdom of Brassil, we head southward to the city of Bonn along the main coast" Double checking her rifle and pouches, Bisca had reloaded her stores of ammunition, ensuring she had enough for coming threats. "Expect to run into remnants of the demon army. Goblins, orcs, warpigs and even some of the lesser demons. Possibly desperate humans willing to kill and rob us for our supplies so be wary"

"Once there, we will find passage to the continent of Lanis and reunite Bisca with the other heroes…just as the goddess of light ordained" Smiling, the knight gave a small prayer as Bisca grunted.

"Sure. Let's go with that. Come on ladies, we won't get there standing around" Taking the first step, the four began to walk into the glooming Janner Tunnel, the only light ebbing from Dia as they continued their journey.

So that should be good! Wrote this one pretty quickly too! Really hope everybody enjoys it and some news! I will be starting a 'Viewing the Multiverse' story with some random Fairy Tail. (Working Title) But unlike Seeing Alternate Versions of Earthland, this will be all over the multiverse! Halo! DBZ! Resident Evil! Gears! Historical events! Movies! Comics! ETC! They could all be written! And yes, I'll probably show some of my other stories or chapters. Not all obviously, but Wendy in RC from No Hope, No Escape will probably happen by chapter 5!

So expect that in a week or two!

TheHappy