Forest around Nerluc
Rider Martha POV
It had felt like an eternity since she had walked though these woods. The calm, soothing walk through the trees and shrubs brought a warmth of nostalgia to her.
She followed the same paths she did in life and let her memory guide her with ease as she searched all her usual foraging spots. They hadn't changed at all.
She took a deep breath, and the scent of pine invaded her nose. For a moment, her memories and real life blended together, making it hard for her to differentiate the two.
"It must be wonderful to see this sight again after so long, isn't it Martha?"
She paused and regarded the woman who she was escorting. Her living self, Martha.
Ever since they arrived in Narluc, she had been dreading the encounter. The dead had no business interfering with the living, and returning to her past while she was still alive… it felt wrong.
Her living self, being who she was, knew that too and didn't force any interactions after their first meeting. That assumption changed this morning when her living self asked her to gather some herbs and mushrooms because her supply was running low.
She let herself get lost in the greenery that would one day become France in the future, and finally gave her living self a response.
"Yes, it's been a while. I never thought I would see it again, and I am grateful that The Lord has given me a chance to see these woods one last time…"
Even after all that I have done.
Her living self's smile dropped.
Then she went back to foraging; however, rather than stay silent, she continued the conversation.
"It's strange. You are me and I am you, but I know not what burdens weigh down your heart... but what I do know is that it's harder for me to forgive myself than to forgive others. Even though I know it's something that is just as important."
Her old face stared back at her, giving her the same smile she gave to the people she met in life who needed help in seeking the light of god.
"And even if I cannot bring myself to forgive myself, I find peace in knowing that no matter what happens, He will always forgive me."
Her living self doesn't know what sins they will commit in the future, the people they will hurt… however, she has a point. Perhaps she has been too hard on herself for something she didn't control…
She still had a long way to go before she reached the end of the road to atonement, but perhaps it would be fine if she allowed herself to take some time to rest under the shade of the trees along the way… just for a little bit.
The silence that followed was no longer awkward but now comfortable in a way that it hadn't been before. They were both Martha, so her living self knew that asking about the future was not something that she was better off not knowing.
Instead, they continued their foraging and enjoyed the peace and tranquillity of the forest.
Unfortunately, in this war-stricken place, the peace did not last.
The orb that was Chat's camera manifested besides her, startling her. An emotion that did not go unnoticed by her living self.
[Oh nice, Martha stream. We don't have enough of those. ]
[Heart0f6old: Hello Martha, and Cougar Martha. Lovely seeing you as always. ]
[Dragon's-Iris: Gold, stop being weird towards Martha. She's the last person who you should aim your lecherous gaze on. (¬､¬) ]
Normally, either her Master or the stream's auto-mod GudakoBot would have asked her if she was interested in taking over chat. She didn't really want to have distractions during this walk and had not taken the stream with her during her walk with the other Martha.
For the camera to spontaneously show up unprompted like this without asking for consent, it only meant one thing.
Something was coming, something dangerous that the stream host wanted the Chat to see.
"Martha, is everything alright?" Her living self asked, confused by her sudden change in behavior, but before she could reassure the older-looking woman everything was fine, she felt it.
Her head turned north, and she could feel it. A servant was headed their way. The servant was not alone, an entire army followed them.
She looked at her living self, "we need to head back. A dangerous spirit is approaching with a large army. It's too dangerous for you to be here."
The woman pursed her lips and nodded, but just as she was about to scoop up her living self and make a run for it, a figure clad in crackling electricity emerged from the overgrowth and crash landed in front of them.
The ground shook under its weight.
The figure of what she could only describe as pure muscle stood up and cast a looming shadow over the ground.
The warrior had so much muscle and mass that it bordered on grotesque. His only form of clothing were leather straps that bound tightly over his scarred, pale skin.
The blond-haired man sported an overly wide grin that exposed his gums. She had remembered her master explaining how chimpanzees smiled to show aggression, and she couldn't help but make the connection.
The crazed look on his eyes, combined with his demeanour, gave off dangerous vibes.
He was nothing like Tamamo Cat, or Koyohime. This man was a genuine berserker.
[Woah!! Who's this pokemon? ]
[KicksYouIntheFace193: A fighting type, a powerful one at that. ]
[It's-ALWAYS-Pikachu: That is one UGLY fucking pikachu. ]
[Man, this guy is built like a brick wall. ]
[I love the muscles so he's a 10… but that smile of his drops him to a 5.]
[DownBad_Cowgirl: Would. ]
[Heart0f6old: Hey uh Gudao, Martha and Cougar Martha just encountered a strong servant. You might want to send backup. ]
[Gudao: On our way!! ]
She took a step forward while putting herself between the brute and her living self.
"Who are you?!" She pointed her staff at the hulking brute, who only continued to grin at her like a man gone mad.
"I am Berserker Spartacus. And I have come to liberate this town from the oppressors who have conquered it!
Her eyes widened as she realized who stood before her. Her body tensed and readied itself for battle, but the ping of TTS stopped her.
To her surprise, it was Vlad who made the donation.
[Lord_Impaler donated 100 bits]
["Saint Martha, I suggest you seek out Siegfried immediately and have him vaporize this brute post haste!
Do not stall out the battle too long, as Spartacus grows stronger the more he is damaged.
If you don't eliminate him completely, he will eventually grow and become a monstrosity that will wipe out everything!" ]
[So he has a juiced up "Anger Point" ability that comes with the move explosion as a secondary effect? Yeesh. That is OP. ]
[DownBad_Cowgirl: Muscle daddy's muscles aren't just for show, got it. ]
[@ DownBad_Cowgirl (·•᷄ࡇ•᷅ ) ]
Her eyes shot up in surprise at that information. If what Vlad said was true, then fighting this man just turned even more complicated.
Spartacus merely tilted his head.
"Oh? So, the invisible oppressors know the true extent of my love? Unexpected, but ultimately futile. Knowing will not save you now, as I will kill ALL THE OPPRESSORS!"
She barely had time to blink as a blade was now mere inches away from her eye.
Clang.
Her agility was the only thing that stopped the man's gladius from skewering her head.
The cross on her staff glowed, and a bright flash of holy light burned the face of Spartacus.
The man groaned and stumbled back for a second. She took advantage of that second and willed her partner to manifest.
One moment, she could see Spartacus's burnt face and steaming body, and the next, Tarasque's claws reduced the servant into slabs of meat.
The momentum from the swipe proved too much for the frayed remains of the man to stay in place, and he flew backwards until he crashed into a tree. The tree cracked from the weight and the momentum of the mass of meat slamming into it.
The groaning wood landed on the ground with a heavy thud that shook the earth under her feet.
[Let's Go Tarasque!! ]
[Man, that guy got ripped apart. And here I was expecting a difficult battle. Lord_Impaler, are you sure this guy is as tough as you said he was? ]
[Lord_Impaler: Yes, he is. And I wouldn't count Spartacus out of the fight yet. The man earned his legend. ]
[Who was he again? ]
[GARcher: Spartacus, the Thracian gladiator who became a symbol of rebellion. He led a large scale slave rebellion in 73 BC and while he was ultimately defeated, his story was a beacon of hope for many oppressed people. ]
[ So we're fighting to stop a literal heroic badass of the past from liberating a town we forced to surrender and live under Nero's rule? That's just splendid. ]
"Tarasque…" the living Martha breathed out as she saw her former dragon once more. At this point, it had been decades since her older-looking self had last seen the actual dragon she tamed long ago. Before, it had fought against her, but now it defended her.
The dragon seemed to give the older-looking Martha a brief glance of acknowledgement, as if to see she was okay. Then, once he saw she was fine, Tarasque turned his attention back to the forest.
Her sensitive ears hear clanking metal, rushing footsteps, and even the gallop of horses. An army was approaching.
She decided to make a choice.
She turned to her living self and urged her to flee, "climb on top of Tarsque and head back to Narluc. I will hold them off."
The older-looking Martha seemed hesitant for a moment before she shook her head. She wasn't refusing the demand, rather, she shook her head to dismiss the plea for her to come with them from her mind.
The big lug, being the softie he is, laid down so her older looking self could have an easier time climbing on top of his shell. Once living Martha reached the top, she looked back at her servant self one last time.
"Please be safe, and may the Lord be with you."
She gave the living Martha a nod before she focused back on the approaching enemies.
She lifted her staff and started to set off small charges of magical energy around her.
Men cried out as they were burned by the attacks.
She could feel Tarasque's heavy footsteps getting further and further away, carrying her weaker living self with them until they vanished.
She would have let out a sigh of relief, if not for the new set of footsteps that took their place.
She narrowed her eyes as Spartacus emerged from the forest, the slabs of meat that he had been reduced to were now stitching themselves back together.
[Oh, uh… wow. I thought for sure he would have died from that. He's rather unnaturally resilient. (ᵕ • ᴗ •) ]
[Oh Arc, I think I am gonna hurl. ]
["Spartacus has EX level endurance and his regeneration is absurdly powerful. It's going to take more than a random mauling to take him out." ]
[EX you say?! ]
[BattleMANIAC: Combined with his Anger Point-like ability, it's a dangerous combo. ]
The pieces of Spartacus fused with an audible hiss, returning the berserker to wholeness.
"Hahahaha, YES!! GIVE ME MORE!!"
[Oh no, he's a pervert too!! ]
Spartacus lunged, his blade aimed at her heart.
Slow.
She weaved her body away and, at the same time, tripped the charging bull with the butt of her staff.
The forward momentum of his reckless charge now worked against Spartacus as he fell face-first into the ground.
She took a step back while she twirled her staff in her hands.
Her glowing staff left a streak of light as it spun, each revolution charging the cross with more holy energy.
With haste, she slammed it on the ground.
A pillar of light erupted under the thracian, propelling the mass of muscle into the air.
Now airborne, she pointed her staff at Spartacus and ignited the brute in a flash of holy light before he hit the ground.
The man was sent careening into a tree.
Branches broke as another innocent tree fell to the ground with a loud thud.
[NuggetDigger: Woooo!! Kick his ass gurl!! ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻) ]
[KicksYouIntheFace193: A super smash combo in real life. I approve. ]
[BattleMANIAC: While I appreciate the battle, this beating is only making Spartacus stronger. ]
Spartacus cackled and got up from where he had crashed, the burns on his skin healing as if he were never burned.
"The boot of oppression is strong, but my spirit of justice is stronger!!!"
Spartacus threw himself at Martha, and the dance of death started again.
Spartacus's strength was overwhelming, with each blow, the air parted and sent a sharp gust of wind where his blade missed flesh.
Trees fell if they became obstacles in the way of his deliverance of pain. The poor men who got too close to their fight were unfortunately cut down by their own commander.
Vlad was right, Spartacus had gotten stronger from the attacks he endured. If she continued to attack him recklessly, then that would mean her comrades would struggle to fight him.
That was why she changed tactics and was now trying her best to avoid damaging him at all.
She reserved her attacks for the areas where she believed his spirit core resided. Once she pierced that core, the fight would be over and she could go rejoin the group.
While she may not have been able to put down the brute in front of her, she was still able to reserve time and energy to reduce the number of enemies that were under his command.
She gave these men a valuable lesson, that holy light could hurt just as much as it could heal. She prayed for their souls every time she caved in their skulls, while simultaneously dodging the slow attacks of Spartacus before they could cut her.
A crackling noise caught her attention, and her eyes widened as Spartacus was spinning towards her while coated in electricity.
She was about to move to the side, but deep in the forest as they were, her mobility options were now limited. Two trees blocked her flanks, and she could only jump back to evade the attack.
[Spartacus is an electric type?!! ]
[The yellow hair was a dead giveaway. ]
[It's-ALWAYS-Pikachu: I knew it. He was a pikachu… although I wish he wasn't]
She jumped backwards as fast as she could, and for a moment, she thought she had evaded the attack.
That was until Spartacus slammed his fists on the ground, causing the forest floor to shake.
The momentary stumble she took was enough for Spartacus to land a kick on her.
She felt his massive foot slam into her hip.
Her femur could not withstand the stress and snapped with an audible crack.
She let out a pained gasp and tumbled onto the ground.
[Oh no!! Martha!!!! ( •᷄ᯅ•᷅ )]
[Shit! The only thing keeping her alive against this guy was her speed. Now she's a sitting psyduck!!]
She clenched her teeth and tried to get back up, but a massive hand grabbed her by the throat.
"Gah!!"
She raised an arm and punched the man in the face. His nose let out an audible crack, but he did not flinch.
Blood dripped down from his nose and coated his teeth, which made the grin she gave him look even more psychotic.
A crackle was her only warning of the inevitable pain that she was about to endure.
Her muscles spasmed as electricity ran through her body.
Steam wafted from her skin as the electricity cooked her from the inside out. The sudden influx of energy caused her to lose control of her organs.
Much to her shame, her bladder was one such organ and she was unable to stop the warm torrent of liquid from running down her legs.
[DownBad_Cowgirl: Arc… I wish that were me. ]
[If it were you, you would already be dead!! ]
[@ DownBad_Cowgirl Yo, not the time!! ]
[Shit shit shit shit!! I can't watch her die again man!! ]
[Gudao!! Where are you bro!! One of your waifus is literally getting cooked!! ]
"Hahahaha!! How does it feel, oppressor? The feeling of getting broken? Of having your freedom stolen from you by a superior power and not being able to breathe?! Now you know how the oppressed feel when living under your boot!!"
The darkness was creeping in from the sides.
Her ears were ringing, drowning out the maniacal laughter from Spartacus as he gleefully squeezed the life from her.
She was dying.
'I'm sorry everyone… I failed you.'
"Hm?!!" Spartacus let out a surprised grunt, and she felt herself fall.
Her throat was no longer obstructed, and air rushed in. Every gulp of air felt like she was trying to swallow molasses.
Every cough was raspy and felt like a shard of glass raked her throat.
Her vision recovered, and she saw a pair of decapitated arms lying on the ground next to her.
She felt someone scoop her up, and carry her away from danger.
In a split second, she was now a significant distance away from the armless berserker.
"Phew, that was close! A moment longer and he would have snapped you like a twig," the voice of Astolfo brought her out of her stupor. The pink bunny boy had been the one to save her.
[The knight in skimpy armor has arrived!! ]
[Not Siegfried, but that is okay!! I just don't want Martha to die! ]
[Gudao!! Martha is down!! Use a command seal man!! She's pretty roughed up!! ]
Suddenly, Master's energy fell on top of her, like a warm blanket that soothed the pain away.
Her bones unfractured and reset themselves back in where they belonged, the internal bleeding stopped, and the cooked organs regenerated.
She took a breath, and did not take excruciating effort like before.
Master Ritsuka had used a command seal to heal her, and now she was back from the brink of death.
Astolfo carefully placed her on the ground, and she let out a sigh of relief as the pain was truly gone.
"Thank you for saving me, Astolfo."
"No problemo! Now that you are at 100%, you can focus on providing me with support as I kill this perverted BDSM menace!"
The cheerful cackles of Spartacus force her attention back to the battle at hand.
Spartacus's arms had regenerated back as if they had never been cut off.
"Another oppressor has shown himself! And he is wearing the costume of a rabbit, the most oppressed of all animals. But you cannot fool me, I know a wolf in sheep's clothing when I see it! I shall show you the true power of rebellion!!"
[GudakoBot: Split Screen Mode On]
[Uh oh, That can't be good. ]
✦✧✦
East of Narluc
Chat POV 02
This was bad. This was very, very bad.
One moment, everything was normal, the next, his chat started freaking out and telling him that Martha was engaged in a battle against an enemy servant.
Then things kept getting worse when a Roman scout burst through the war room meeting to inform them that a massive army was heading towards them.
Romani confirmed the scouts' words and even went further by stating that thousands of enemy soldiers had surrounded the village.
They had fewer servants with them to defend the town since Simon took Tamamo, Elizabeth, and Jing Ke with him to secure the grain supplies in the South. Luckily, most of the heavy hitters stayed behind and would have easily been able to fend off the attackers.
The bad news is that all of these enemies are normal humans from the local areas. He doesn't want his servants to massacre them, but he's left with little choice because if the enemy wins and kills Nero… then the future is lost.
To keep casualties low, he needed to quickly eliminate the leader.
The leader in this case was the red-headed queen who was mounted on her horse in front of them.
Her long red hair flew in the wind, like a river of blood. Her gaze was stern but not harsh, and her smile was pressed thin and was in no way mocking or sadistic. She definitely was nothing like the Boudica they met in Fuyuki.
[Boudica again. If she's here, Altera should be nearby. ]
[She is as beautiful and elegant as the last time we saw her, but she's got a different aura from last time. ]
[I<3HorsePKMN: I still can't shake the memory of Chiyome's giant snek dragon swallowing Boudica's horsies out of my head. Poor fellas, even corrupted, they did not deserve that brutal end. ]
"I am aware that we have met before, but if you'll allow me, I would like to formally introduce myself. I am Boudica. The 'former' queen of Brittania. It's been a while, Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash Kyrielight."
That confirms it, she remembers.
"You remember who we are?" Mash breathed out in surprise.
"Although most of my memories from after my corruption are fuzzy, I do recall you two and everything else that happened before I was corrupted."
If she knows about the corruption and who they are, then could she be persuaded? It wouldn't hurt to try… but it will be difficult. He needs to know more before he makes a final decision.
"After we killed you in Fuyuki, Cu told us that you were someone who went out of their way to play with the local children, talked gossip with the housewives, and even shopped around and lived like a person of the modern era. You became a part of the community."
Her stern gaze softened, "yes, that's right. I did those things. I do remember Fuyuki fondly."
"If that is the case… then why are you so easily willing to let them die?" His eyes met Boudica's, and the previous nostalgia flattened into a neutral expression.
"I know that what Rome did to you and your daughters was not just wrong, it was horrific… but if you kill Nero, all those people you met, the children you played with, all of them will stay dead. Are you really so willing to go to such lengths just for the sake of vengeance, even if it means the deaths of so many innocent people?"
Boudica did not dismiss his question right away, instead, she took the time to properly consider it.
"Kouta, my old master, asked me a similar question about my revenge. He was a sweet boy, but he was a child of the modern era like you. I vowed to the Celtic gods that I would never forgive Rome or Nero for what they did to my daughters. Your word holds significance for people of the past, and we never take a vow lightly. Modern humans can make vows, but they do not understand the gravity of the words that escape their lips."
Boudica tightens the grip on the reins of her horse, "call me selfish, cruel, or barbaric if you want, I do not care. My daughters mean the world to me… I can't back down now. I gave my word that I would avenge them and my people, and I will see it through. Nero will die by my blade or I will die trying. "
She reached for her sword and pointed it at them, "so if you wish to stop me, steel your resolve and come put me down. Stop me before I kill everything and everyone you love. "
[Nugget_Digger: Boudica, you are a selfish, cruel, and barbaric woman. I also do not care if you don't care that we say these words to you. You have no excuse.
You are actively helping a genocidal maniac who wants to destroy the future, so fuck you and your daughters. ]
[Harsh… but I agree to a lesser extent. Then again, she's probably also mentally charmed by Zenobia so we can't be too harsh. ]
"Hmph, if death is what you wish for then you shall have it!! My Praetor!! Do not allow emotions and previous ties cloud your judgement, she is still an enemy of Rome!!"
He shook his head, "I won't. I just wanted to know if it was possible to recruit her at all. But no, it's not." In an instant, a shadow version of Gareth emerged from the ether.
[Beaumains: Round 2 it is. ]
[All that we're missing is a sane Medusa to stand next to her for it to count as a true reenaction! ]
Boudica paused when she saw the dog girl, and a genuine smile of joy crept up her face.
"Zenobia was a fool to not keep you close, I really lost out on two more cuties to fawn over."
Mash let out a surprised eep as Boudica also moved her gentle smile in her direction.
"It is truly a shame, but by the end of this fight, I will still have one of the cutest of cuties to console me."
Jalter let out a snort, which soured Boudica's mood. She sent a glare at the grinning avenger.
"What's so funny?"
"You are. Do you seriously believe you are going to come out this alive? Well, sorry, but you were dead the moment you got in my range."
Jalter manifested her flag and slammed it into the ground.
"Behold, the power of the Dragon Witch!"
A loud roar echoed across the area, and a massive green dragon emerged from the center of the village.
Even from a distance, he could still hear the weight of Biscione's wing flaps.
The dragon flew over a large group of soldiers and did what dragons do best when they find an army of humans invading their territory.
She unleashed a torrent of hellfire from the sky.
Boudica's eyes widened at the sight, but that changed to panic as a wall of fire came towards her. Her horse managed to dodge, but her cape caught fire.
She clicked her tongue and was forced to abandon the cape and turned to glare at Jalter, who just offered the rider a smirk.
"Charge!!"
The wave of soldiers came running, all of them whooping and yelling out their war cries as they followed their queen into battle.
Mash, Nero, Shadow Gareth, and the soldiers around them all got into fighting positions, all of them expecting to take the wave of enemies head on.
All of their expectations were thrown away as the opposing war cries turned to cries of terror when the ground underneath them suddenly erupted.
A massive slimy creature emerged from the depths of the earth, its gigantic shell resembled a building.
A snail?! What the heck is this?!
The snail elongated its neck and opened its maw. A garbled roar came out of its slimy throat.
The charging soldiers froze in their tracks as they beheld the monster. Their discipline faltered into fear as the monster's mouth tentacles wriggled menacingly over them, its extended, serpent-like eyes honing in on them.
[Who's that pokemon?!! ]
[It's-ALWAYS-Pikachu: It's a slimy pikachu, with teeth and tentacles!! ]
[Junior_Researcher: Fascinating. A giant snail. Where did JAlter acquire such a specimen? ]
Jalter smirked and jumped on top of the snail's shell and planted her flag on it.
"Lou Carcohl! Give these filthy humans a bath in your ooze!"
The snail, Lou Carcohl, extended its incredibly long, slimy tentacles in a weird position.
"Everyone scatter!!" Boudica noticed something was off and tried to get her soldiers to dodge, but it was too late.
The creature swung its tentacles, and globs of slime flew out into the crowd.
The men and women who were unfortunate enough to be hit by the substance immediately started to turn a different color.
They coughed, spasmed, and frothed from the mouth, which meant the slime that hit them was extremely toxic.
[ ꉂ૮(°□°'˶)ა ] x 431
[Kohga: Interesting. That was quite a powerful sludge attack. Highly toxic as well. I would love to get my hands on some of this poison. :Umu Emote: ]
[For research purposes right? @ Kohga? ]
[Kohga:Why else would I publicly announce my intentions to acquire a highly toxic poison if not for research? I would make a poor ninja if I intended to use this for anything else. ( ͡• _•) ]
[DragoonRuleZ: I think I know this one. I recall in a previous stream Gudao showed the bulbapedia page for the Goodra line. The mythological creature that gamefreak used as the inspiration for the Goodra line was based on this very creature. Lou Carcohl. ]
[Jalter found a wild earth variant of Goodra?!!! ]
[Lucky!! ]
[ILiekQTThings: Arceus, if you are out there… thank you so much for making our Goodra cute in all stages of its evolution. And please, PLEASE never let Goodra ever obtain a form that looks like this monstrosity!! ]
[DarkerThanBlack: @ ILiekQTThings (⌓‿⌓) ]
Boudica somehow managed to avoid the sludge, unfortunately for her horse, the sludge was the least of her worries.
An elongated tentacle flew out and caught the equine's leg.
The leg snapped as it was dragged back with tremendous force.
Boudica managed to jump off at the last minute, avoiding her horse's fate as Lou Carcohl dropped her mount into its jagged mouth.
He had to hold back his earlier meal from spewing out as the horse was crushed and shredded in its mouth.
Finally, after what seemed like a long time, the creature stopped chewing and swallowed the horse.
[I<3HorsePKMN: NOO!! NOT THE HORSY!! ]
[It seems like no matter what happens, Boudica's horsies are doomed to get devoured by a dragon. ]
"A nice appetizer for Lou… but he's not satisfied yet."
Jalter's eyes turned to Boudica, who looked at the sudden monster battle with a determined glare.
"You can run all you want, Boudica, but no matter what happens, you will not be able to escape. Because Carcohl will catch you!"
[BestKohai-BB(MOD): Fun fact about the escargot dragon, it's favorite type of human prey are pretty, young women. And its tentacles can reach miles away from its residence. So watch your step when you go walking in the woods ladies. ]
[Thanks for the disturbing trivia BB. ]
Boudica smiles, "yeah, your beast might be able to catch and eat me, but I can promise you that when it does, it will be its last meal."
Suddenly, a massive pillar of magical energy erupted from the west.
✦✧✦
West of Narluc
Chat POV
"We meet again, Siegfried, Charlemagne." The small voice of Altera said as she stared down the significantly larger men in front of them.
[ILiekQTThings: I am a simple woman. I saw cute chibi-Tera, and I clicked on cute chibi-Tera fight. ]
"Altera." Siegfried couldn't really say much to the young girl without it going into uncomfortable territory.
"It's good to see you again, sis. Unfortunately, we are still on opposing sides, and fighting is our only option now."
Charlemagne turned to Siegfried, "I know it's a bit awkward for you to be here because of Sis and your wife being a thing in life, so you can go ahead and assist Astolfo and Martha while I hold her back."
Siegfried nodded, "sorry for the trouble, I'll be back as soon as I can."
The dragon slayer tried to leave, but Altera blocked the man's path north and leveled her tri-colored sword of Mars against them.
"Sorry, but neither of you are leaving this spot. I was told I had to keep you two busy while everyone else picked off your comrades, so that is why I will take you both on at the same time."
"You have a lot of confidence, I'll give you that, sis. But we both know that confidence alone wasn't enough to let you fight both of us at once last time we fought."
Altera did not refute Charlemagne's words, "you are right, in my current form, I would struggle to fight off both Mr. Siegfried and Charles at the same time…"
Altera suddenly planted her sword on the ground, which earned her wary looks from the two men.
"And that is why I am going to level the playing field."
[ShortShorts_QUEEN: Level the playing field? What does she mean by that? ]
[Man, Altera sounded so ominously cute when she said that. ]
[Kream: She wouldn't…]
[DarkerThanBlack: Am I the only one who can hear the boss music? ]
Both Siegfried and Charlemagne tensed as the air suddenly saturated with magical energy. The source of that energy came from none other than the small Altera, who was doing her best to glare menacingly at them.
"I've awakened an ability that has been out of my grasp until recently. I trained really, really hard to unlock it…"
Altera tilted her head cutely, though her plain expression did not change, "do you want to see?"
A white pillar of magical energy exploded from under her body and engulfed the little girl like a cocoon.
[BestKohai-BB: Uwah, this is all kinds of yabai… I wonder if they'll survive. ]
The light dimmed, and gone was the little girl with chubby cheeks and a petite stature.
Before them now stood a gorgeous, tan-skinned woman who was much taller. While she was still much shorter than the men, her presence had now grown vast and suffocating beyond what her size portrayed.
[ILiekQTThings: W-well, at least she's still pretty. ]
[Kream:No!! Turn back this instant, young lady!! You're not allowed to grow up yet!! ]
[ILiekQTThings: First time seeing your favorite mon evolve into something you don't want? Welcome to the club, we have plushies and pity poffins! (╥ ᴗ ╥) ]
Siegfried narrowed his eyes at the new opponent, "so, this is the true form of Attila the Hun. Apologies, Charlemagne, but I cannot leave you to fight her alone."
Charlemagne let out a nervous chuckle, "yeah, no complaints from me. Serious Sis is not someone to take lightly."
The older Altera pointed her mana enriched sword at the duo, her now deeper voice adding a layer of intimidation her younger self could never replicate.
"I cannot keep this form up for long… So I will give it my all. You two do not hold back, because if you do, you will be destroyed."
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New Chatters:
DarkerThanBlack = OC twitter artist who really loves drawing stuff that just comes to his mind. It's not his fault nor his problem that other people think the results are disturbing.
DownBad_Cowgirl = An OC whose family owns a Tauros/Miltank Farm. She is an unhinged freak, but she does her best to not let it creep into her everyday life. She really likes muscles.
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AN: This was very fun to write. The sentences definitely flowed out better today than other days. Though I kind of wish I had the same level of productivity after work.
10 hours of standing at work really saps the writing mojo, but I am gonna try and improve my output so I'm not scrambling to write 5k+ in two days.
Fun fact, I wanted to include Carcohl in Orleans somehow, but I never got the chance since it lived near the southern part of France so I scrapped the idea. That was until I checked the map in Septem and realized that the group will march through the area.
So here he is.
I really hope Charlie and Siegfried survive.
Anyways, credit to @Flowerman for being my wall and letting me sling mud at him until something stuck. He's the GOAT.
Sunday chapter(Jun/07/26 delayed to Monday)