Chapter 50

Gakke gave a signal. The monsters behind her rushed forward to surround you. Holy shit, they were using TACTICS. Bulkier monsters were taking positions in front of crossbowmen. The swiftest soldiers in their ranks were flanking you. An automaton had some sort of gun pointed at your chest.

“Save that! We might need to shoot our way out if Soheiya catches up to us.” Said Gakke.

“Understood.” You sighed in relief as the gun slid back into her wrist.

The first volley of crossbow bolts peppered your shields. These soldiers were shockingly disciplined. Not one of them was moving out of formation to accost you. By now there were usually at least one or two opportunists who were trying to figure out a way to steal you for themselves. Dread began to set in. This might not be the simple melee that you anticipated.

“Don’t struggle too much, okay? I’ll try to make this quick.” Said Gakke.

She raised her massive mace aloft. You used your magic to propel yourself back as it slammed into the ground where you stood. The force of the blow nearly knocked you off your feet. Taking these hits on the chin wasn’t an option. Kaizo may have been quick enough to whittle you down, but you couldn’t deflect more than a few swings of that mace.

Going on the offensive, you wrenched the crossbows of the archers together. Bolts flew into the backs of the infantry protecting them. None of them fell. Though a few cried out in protest, their armor prevented any of the bolts from doing serious damage.

“Move up! Keep him in the ring!” ordered Gakke.

Monsters filed behind you, weapons at the ready. Gakke held her shield aloft as she slowly sidled towards you. You used your magic to scoop some dust off of the ground. Focusing on her visor, you blasted the torrent of dirt into her helmet. Gakke coughed and sputtered, rubbing at her visor with the back of her hand. Summoning a ward and fulcrum, you tried to flip her. The magic fizzled out as she stepped onto the ward. No easy way out of this fight.

Two of the soldiers made a lunge for you. You grabbed one by the ankle and swung her into the other. Seems the grunts were only wearing plate mail. That meant you had a fighting chance. A succubus leveled a crossbow at you. You snapped it in half. Getting rid of their range was the most important thing right now. Maybe if you could put some distance between yourself and this ring, you could escape.
The wall of monsters closed in. Attacking became impossible as they prodded and feinted from all sides. Gakke continued her glacial advance. You launched yourself over the edge of the ring, farther up the road. The soldiers immediately moved to surround you again. Even without an order, they still left a corridor through their midst for the archers to fire at you. The need to block the bolts kept you from jumping again as they moved up on you. Time to show them what a REAL shot looks like.

You blasted an amazon at the vanguard. The shot connected with her raised shield She stumbled back into the other soldiers. Shaking it off, she smirked and continued towards you. Shit. Realm silver wasn’t the best defense against magic, but it did give the wearer slightly more arcane protection than steel. No more indiscriminate shooting, you were going to have to make every shot count.

More bolts whistled your way. You leapt to the side to avoid a few. Recognizing one of the monsters as a dullahan, you flicked her head off into the forest. Her body twisted towards her screaming head as it flew off. Undaunted, it continued on. Even if she was trying to stab you, the body’s commitment to the task at hand was laudable.

They were obviously cut from a different cloth than most other forces you had fought. Was it worth it to make a break for it? They all looked like they had already been through a few fights before the brawl began. That was a risky choice; these monsters could easily hunt you down if you didn’t get far enough away. There was also the risk of random monsters happening upon you while you were exhausted. Asking Zutari for help was out of the question; not a chance in cold hell she’d lend a hand after you broke her door. Dealing with them here was the best option you had. You might be able to peel away from them if they took enough casualties.

You grabbed a succubus’ leg and pulled it to one side. As she fell, you delivered an uppercut into her chin. She flopped to the ground.

“Keep pressure on him, damnit! Don’t let him cast like that!” Said Gakke.

She charged forward. The other monsters were already upon you. With no other choice, you launched yourself back again. You looked up the road as you landed. The terrain ahead was getting rougher. A dirt stripe snaked into the rocky foothills of the Spine. A perfect place to lose your pursuers. Maybe escape wasn’t out of the question after all. Irrespective of your ability to avoid Gakke’s forces, the crags would give you a tactical advantage. Monsters would be forced to move uphill into fire if they wanted to catch you. Sounded like a plan. Vaulting yourself up the road, you made for the hills.

“General! He’s getting away!” said a lizardman.

“At ease, soldier. He’s getting away; he hasn’t GOT away. We can track him into the hills. Keep your distance, let him wear himself out.” Said Gakke.

“General, what about your previous directive to return to Kamaka?” asked the automaton.

Gakke licked her lips as she watched the mage’s shirt flutter up in the wind. “Kamaka can wait. We’re just taking a detour~”

~~~~~~~

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

The sharp ridges of earth that sprang up from the mutilated ground were an excellent deterrence against Gakke’s forces. However, this worked to Gakke’s advantage just as much as yours. Jumping and landing became a laborious task. The ground here was soft and rocky. More than once you had crashed through a rise or slid back down the face you had landed on as the soil gave way beneath your feet. One werewolf had even managed to grab your ankle after you slid down the gully she was in. Though you tossed her away before she could stab you, it was a solemn reminder that evading capture wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. Even worse, the flora inhabiting these jagged hills was dense and scrubby, save for the wide trees above. You learned the hard way that jumping through those thorny bastards was a one-way ticket to exsanguination.

You wobbled on top of another ancient cascade of earth as it sagged beneath you. It might not be the easy escape you had hoped for, but fleeing into the badlands was working. Gakke’s soldiers bobbed up and down over the clefts and in the gullies as they followed you. A trickle of iridescent armor snaked all the way back to the big girl herself. Strange, they didn’t seem all that anxious to catch you. So far, only four of them had gotten close enough to warrant a counterattack. By your count, there were about twenty more soldiers remaining. You kept an eye out for a way to defeat them as you moved. A rockslide perhaps? It would have to be well controlled. You weren’t trying to KILL anyone after all.

Leaning against the rough bark of a tree, you pondered what to do next. For all your fancy flying and attacking, you hadn’t widened the gap between you and Gakke very much. Their pace ebbed and flowed to match your own. If they were intent to follow you without fighting, they must be waiting for an opportunity to strike. Normally, you might consider throwing on the afterburners and moving as far away as you could. By using your magic to clear an obstacle that would take exponentially longer to circumvent on foot, you would be able to find a safe place to rest up and abscond before you were found. That tactic wouldn’t work with these girls. The ochimusha and automaton were nigh indefatigable. They did run out of energy eventually, but that could take days. The longest you could go without sleep was one night. After that, you would be too drained to resist. Finding sufficient terrain to lose them would be difficult, too. The automaton was equipped with a grappling hook. A fucking grappling hook. You watched as she launched the hook into a thick branch and swung towards you. Damn that was cool.

Maybe fighting was the way to go after all. This hike had taken a toll on some of the weaker monsters. A few staggered and wheezed behind their hulking leader as they clumsily plodded up the next rise. Why not see how much they had left in them? Taking a defensive stance, you warded up and waited for them to reach you.

The monsters reinvigorated at the sight of you standing still. Swinging around the hill below you, a handful at the vanguard attempted to flank you again. This time, the pocket was far larger. Monsters took positions behind rocks and trees, keen to stay out of a direct line of fire.

“Getting tired, Anon? I’ve got a comfy bedroll we can relax on if you give up. You can rest your head on my tits and listen to my heartbeat as you fall asleep!~” shouted Gakke.

“I’m haven’t even broken a sweat! Besides, we both know that you wouldn’t let me sleep.” You yelled back.

“I would! I mean, I would grope you a little bit… And it wouldn’t really be groping either! Just think of it as a massage. I know men like being squeezed by their lover.”

She was doing that hand thing again. Her fingers twitched back and forth as she no doubt imagined herself violating you. You prayed she was as restrained as she claimed to be if she did catch you. A girl her size made you fear for the safety of your hips.

A bolt whizzed past your head from behind. The archers hadn’t been firing at all lately. You didn’t know if it was your movement and the terrain that was keeping them from shooting at you, or insufficient ammunition. Another bolt plinked off your shields and confirmed that they were merely conserving ammo for better shots. That being said, there didn’t seem to be many archers remaining. You fired back at the demon who had shot at you, obliterating a chunk of the tree she was hiding behind.

And then all was quiet. The monsters eyed you from their cover. Gakke and a cluster of her soldiers stood with their shields raised at the top of an embankment.

“Well then? Come on! You wanted a fight, didn’t you?” you called.

“On the contrary, Anonymous! You’ll be the one “coming on!” Cumming on ME!” bellowed Gakke.

“Boss, that was terrible…” said a succubus contemptuously.

“Quiet!” snapped Gakke.

The succubus covered her head and twisted away from Gakke. Other knights shuffled away as well. Oh? Maybe Gakke wasn’t as restrained as you thought. Sure, she may be a little strange around you, but that wasn’t too out of the ordinary. There was a jinko in Valisias who would corner you, only to point at you with her claw. Never said a word, just stood there with her mouth opening and closing and a claw directed at your chest, scowling at you. After a few minutes, her face would get red and she’d leave. She was totally normal whenever you caught glimpses of her training or in other classes. Sometimes monsters just dropped their spaghetti around guys.

And how they dropped that spaghetti was important. The jinko was a mild case. Some other monsters grew so frustrated with their inability to articulate themselves or their rejection that they snapped. If your hunch was correct, Gakke was more the latter.
“Hey Gakke! How did a princess like you never find a guy in Kamaka?” you called.

“None of them appealed to me.” She said. You couldn’t see her expression, but her tone was terser.

“Not one? You have a whole empire’s worth of men to choose from, and you couldn’t find a single man who tickled your fancy?”

“That’s right.” She said.

“I see. What a relief! For a second there, I could have sworn it was because you butchered your flirting every time you tried to woo a guy.” You stuck one arm out and leaned against the tree. Another bolt bounced off your ward. While you stared into the slit of Gakke’s visor, you gauged the reaction of her troops. A succubus and demon were both squirming in their armor. Gakke’s overbearing attitude must be veritable torture for the more romantically inclined species.

“Shut up! I could have any boy I wanted if any of them captured my interest!” roared Gakke.

One of the soldiers next to her grabbed Gakke’s arm and pulled her back. She murmured something into Gakke’s helmet and the giant relaxed.

“Hmph! I won’t be swayed by your words, human.” Gakke said confidently.

You inspected your nails. “Of course not. You’re so big, I doubt anything could sway you.”

Her hand wrung the handle of her mace hanging from her hip. The demon shouted an order in Zipangunese. A hail of bolts shot towards you from all sides. You flattened yourself against the dusty soil. Your wards tingled as darts peppered your prone form, others embedding themselves into the tree beside you.

“Move up!” barked the demon.

You readied your magic and stared down at a salamander who was inching up the hillock you were standing on. What an idiot. She should know that the only thing keeping her from getting tossed like a ragdoll was distance. Now that she was within range, she was easy-

The salamander smirked. You faltered. What was she smiling about? Her eyes flitted to the tree above you. You almost missed it, but she broke eye contact for a split second to glance up at something. Oh no.

The ocelomeh landed on you before you had time to react. She must have stripped off her armor to climb the tree without making any noise. In one swift motion, she had your arms pinned at your side. Her claws dimpled the skin on your wrists as she wrestled you. The other monsters howled with excitement as they saw you fall. You weren’t out of the fight yet. If there’s one thing you remembered from all of Gelvie’s lessons, it was how to writhe your way out of grapples. As long as you could squirm enough to keep her busy…

You shot out a tendril of magic and slammed it into her side. She winced. Capitalizing on the opportunity, you twisted your arm up and blasted her off of you. The salamander lunged at you. Grabbing her leg with magic, you pulled it towards you. She slipped backwards as her outstretched leg was forced up into the air. Scrambling through the dirt to her, you drove your magic soaked fist into her exposed face as she tried to recover. The ‘mander cartwheeled down the ravine to the feet of the other monsters. More bolts ricocheted off your ward. Gakke’s soldiers had stopped their advance. Monsters behind you quickly dove into cover. You inched up the hill towards the cliffs to keep them in view.

“Are you alright, Anon?”

Gakke was trying to get a better look at you while keeping her body hidden behind her massive shield. You wondered what she meant until you felt a trickle of blood fall off your wrist. Looks like the ocelomeh had scraped you during the scuffle.

“It’s just a scratch.” you said. “Good thing it wasn’t you who landed on me. Otherwise, I’d be dead.”

Gakke jolted. “I told you, I’d never hurt you!”

“Intentionally. Tell me, how many men have you almost crushed in those arms of yours? Or did they all run before you could hug them?”
Gakke’s mace trembled in her grip. One of her soldiers was pleading with her. Gakke relaxed again. She barked something in Zipangunese, and the girl retreated.

“Keep moving! I want him captured.” barked Gakke.

She raised her shield and moved towards you. Unlike your encounter on the road, she was less cautious with her approach. Gakke’s armor rasped against itself as she confidently approached. The other soldiers surrounded you in a wide circle, content to keep their distance. It was a frustratingly efficient tactic. Attacking with mana shots or grapples would be too wasteful at this distance, and Gakke was impervious to all your offensive magic. And so, the only option you had left was to reposition and hope that the change in topography would be more favorable next jump. When Gakke was a few meters away, you hurled yourself farther north into the foothills.

~~~~~~

“Commander, you have to control your temper.” A lizardman chided as Gakke watched Anon fly away.

“I know, I know that! It’s just so frustrating…” grunted Gakke.

“He doesn’t really mean what he says. I can tell. He’s just a bratty little human who wants to be put in his place.” Said a succubus.

“… Really?”

“Yep. Humans like that always want to be taken roughly. It’s a fact. When they act timid and haughty, they want you to chase them. If you manage to pin him, he’ll melt in your hands.” affirmed the succubus.

“But… But what if he’s right? What if I hurt him? All the other boys I’ve tried to talk to, they always get scared. Maybe I’m just too big for guys like that…” Gakke sniffed.

“Aww, boss… You’re not too big. If you’re worried about your size, wouldn’t Anonymous be a good fit for you? He’s tough, he could take it. After all, you’d be gentle with him, right?” crooned a demon.

“Yes! I’d be as tender as possible with him.” Insisted Gakke.

“You won’t hurt him as long as you’re attentive to his tells. But don’t be afraid to put that boy in his place when you catch him~” winked the succubus.

Gakke nodded. “Yeah. Yeah! I’m marrying him, and he’s going to wear cute outfits every day! Yeah! Alright, let’s move out! We have a lot of ground to cover.”

Her soldiers winced at the loud sound of drool being sucked back into Gakke’s mouth echoing out of her helmet and followed their boss as she pressed north.

~~~~~~~~

This was exhausting. Half a day of moving, fighting, hiding, and running, and they were STILL after you. Albeit with half as many pursuers, but come on, give a guy a break!

You found a shady protrusion of rock high and sat down in the shade against a dead tree. Pulling some food from your bag, you scarfed down as much as you dared. Couldn’t be giving yourself cramps when you were fighting. You chased the rations with a swig of water. Soon you would need to refill your canteen. That could be an arduous task in these dry hills. Where the hell were you anyways?

You pulled your map out of your pack and smoothed it out. Let’s see… if you had started at the entrance to the shrine, fled north from Gakke, and you were now at this giant chunk of rock, that meant you were… lost. Yep, not a clue. Scanning the thin canopy of trees below, you couldn’t find any sort of landmark or defining topographical feature. Maybe straying this far from the road was a bad idea…
A glint of metal caught your eye. Seems Gakke and co. had caught up with you. Every time you jumped, it took them more time to find you. That perfect obstacle you had dreamed of still eluded you. In a scenario where neither you nor Gakke could go any farther, Gakke would be the winner by default. All she had to do was flop on top of you to seal your fate.

The soldiers below were clamoring amongst themselves. They must think that you were finally exhausted enough for them to take. Gakke and the others sprinted up the hill towards your outcropping.

“ANONYMOUSSSSS!” screamed Gakke. Oh fuck, was she that pissed?

A sizable rock spilled off the outcropping above you, rolling into the soft dirt at your feet. Something huge growled just out of sight.

“SHE’S ABOVE YOU! GET AWAY FROM THERE!” shouted Gakke.

Oh NO.

You bolted out of the shade down the hill. Gakke be damned, you weren’t about to stick around and find out what made that noise. If it was a demon realm beast, the damn thing might actually EAT you! Marrying a meaty dork was preferable to being some feral monster’s snack. You scrambled out of cover only a few feet before you flew face first into the dust. Something had snared your foot.

Your body shot backwards as something hauled you towards the cliffs. Spitting out dirt, you twisted your body to see what had grabbed you. A line of silk nearly as thick as an elevator cable was plastered to your pantleg. The glistening strand swayed in the wind, snaking all the way up to the spinneret of the ushi-oni who had snared you.

OH NO.

The thing shrieked with glee as her back legs worked feverishly to reel you in. The monsters charging up the hill were screaming in Zipangunese. Panicking, you shot wildly at the beast. Your aim was atrocious. Only one bolt managed to connect as you were jostled by her tugging. She flinched and snorted. FUCK. Your snagged leg shot skyward as she started tugging you up the overhang. Your body dangled, one leg hanging painfully as she pulled. From this angle, there was nothing you could do.

“CUT THE LINE! YOU HAVE TO CUT THE LINE!” screamed Gakke. Her upside-down metal figure bounded towards you.

The line! Calm down, Anon. Remember your training! Grabbing the thread, you poured magic into it. The webbing began to sputter and bubble as you heated it. Eugh… All this bouncing was making you sick. Couldn’t this bitch try to web you some time when you HADN’T just finished lunch?

The silk gave way with a dull snap. A frustrated roar reverberated across the cliffs above you. Your limp body fell back into the dirt. Claws scrabbled over the rock. One of Gakke’s soldiers had almost reached you. A minotaur clambered up the hill towards your crumpled body. You crawled towards her with an outstretched hand. Fuck it, desperate times called for unconventional allies. The mino stretched out her hand and froze. Her face contorted with terror. Twisting her body, she dove down an embankment. What the hell was she-

A feral screech rang out above you. You screamed yourself as a cage of leg spikes bored into the ground around you. The ushi’s body squashed you from above, stifling your cry. She landed on you! Though she had obviously tried to cushion the blow, (you were still alive after all), the sudden weight on your back winded you and partially buried your body in the soft dirt.

{THIS IS MY HUSBAND! STAY AWAY!} roared the ushi.

Sandy soil hissed as the ushi’s legs pulled free from the ground around you. Charging forward, the beast swatted aside an oni. The rest of Gakke’s girls took the hint and formed a tight cluster. Gakke never faltered. Striding up to the ushi, she took a swing at it with her mace. The ushi skittered backwards. You shook off the daze and assessed the situation.

This ushi was enormous. She was a bit shorter than Gakke, but made up what she lacked in height she made up in width. Muscles rippled under her dull green skin as she growled at Gakke. The ground trembled as she backpedaled. She must way a ton! You could feel the ground quake with every step of her monstrous legs. Still a little woozy from the adrenaline and ushi smooshing, you stood up.
The ushi’s ears twitched. Her legs blurred as she wheeled to face you. Her face was awash with anger, anxiety, fear, and excitement. Seeing the ushi’s bared teeth and crazed mien, you realized that remaining prone until the brawl was over was probably the wisest tactic. Now that you were up and about, the ushi’s prey instincts were kicking in. Wait, was that an Eros icon on her seal? How the hell did that get on there?

No time to ponder such things when a rampaging ushi was charging. Fear got the better of you. Turning your back on her, you powered up the hill towards the cliff. The ushi was faster than you, and much faster than Gakke. You whirled around before she reached you, blasting her with a heavy stream of magic. The ushi squealed, hiding her face with her fluffy arms. Shaking her shaggy head, she uttered a guttural growl and lunged at you. This time, your spell was cut short by the impact of her hand. You grunted as she managed to palm your torso and slam you into the ground.

You saw stars. Claws wrapped around your body, lifting you up. The ushi was looking at you concernedly. Seeing you look back at her she hummed contentedly. Gakke took a swing at the ushi while it was distracted. Her mace connected, burying itself in her abdomen. The ushi oni howled and stabbed at Gakke with one of her legs. Gakke blocked the limb with her shield, but the strength of the ushi was too great. The shield dented and Gakke fell backwards down the hill.

The ushi-oni wrapped you in a bearhug while she prepared another strand of webbing. You tried to shoot her again. Be it instincts or some sort of clever means of recognizing magic, the ushi thrust you back into the ground to prevent you from casting, albeit with a bit more grace this time. Dragging you under her abdomen, her adroit legs and pedipalps quickly spun a corkscrew of webbing around your body. The sticky thread bound your legs together and your arms at your side. She spun another strand of webbing into a gob, which she affixed to the face of the cliff. Grabbing your body in one hand, she smooshed your back into the wad. Your body hung there, affixed to the wall like an insect caught on fly paper. For a moment, you caught a glimpse of a warm, reassuring smile from the ushi as if to tell you everything would be alright. Then her expression darkened, and she turned back to the advancing soldiers, raising  her arms for intimidation.

A crossbow bolt sunk into the ushi-oni’s chest. She tore it out and tossed it aside without flinching. You knew ushis things were tough. There weren’t many Zipangunese students at Valisias, but every one of them attested that ushis were everything the encyclopedia made them out to be. The ones that lived in civilization weren’t so bad, and once they got a husband most of them mellowed out. But the feral ones in the wilderness? There was a reason why so much of the Spine wasn’t settled. An ushi could claim dozens of square kilometers as a hunting ground for both men and game. Even worse, ushi-onis would rarely stray far beyond the edge of their parent’s range. That meant that a single section of mountain range was all but guaranteed to become an ushi-oni reserve over time. And no ore vein or strategic location was worth fighting through an extended family of brutal, herculean, nymphomaniac, semi-magic resistant, cow-demons.

Gakke picked herself up and charged the ushi again. More soldiers joined her. The ushi was unmoved by the wall of metal clattering towards her. Now that her prey wasn’t going to run off or get hurt, she was free to let loose on these scavengers trying to steal her man. Barreling down the hill, she pounced at Gakke. Soldiers dove out of the way. Gakke recognized that it was too late to dodge and raised her shield. A gut-wrenching crunch was followed by two yowls of pain and frustration from both of the titans as they rolled down the hill in a frenzy of fists, claws, and legs. Some of the poor soldiers hadn’t been quick enough to avoid the tumult and were now flattened into the ground or slumped against whatever they had flown into. The remaining soldiers turned to assist their boss, with the exception of the automaton.

The automaton scurried up the hill as fast as she could. Her slender legs sunk deep into the loose soil. Poor thing had a hell of a time navigating sections of these hills where there was nothing to grapple from. This dust hadn’t been kind to her either. More than once, you had seen her peel back a plate to clean grit out of her gears. Wordlessly, she stood before you. Reaching out, she prodded the webbing holding you in place.

“Are you harmed, Anonymous?” she asked. It was strange to hear someone ask about your wellbeing in such a dispassionate way.
“I’ve been better.” You still felt a little woozy from all the jolts and repeated blows.

“My condolences. Are you still able to fight?” Right to the point then…

“Yes.”

“I have simulated this combat scenario several dozen times. The odds of General Gakke’s success correlate strongly with your decision to assist her. Are you willing to assist General Gakke?” The automaton looked at you expressionlessly.

“Help her? What, so I can get snatched up the second she wins?” you said.

“Your reluctance to aid General Gakke is understandable. Our pursuit has caused you a considerable amount of duress. When the fighting is over, the chances that General Gakke secures and fornicates with you are considerably higher than your chances for escape.”
“Then why would I help you?!” you shouted.

“If General Gakke fails to subdue the ushi-oni, there is a 100% chance that you will be forcefully raped by said ushi-oni.” Said the automaton.

You looked past her, down the hill. Gakke was pinned under the ushi, taking blow after blow from the ushi’s clawed fists. A minotaur attacked the ushi from behind, sinking her axe into the ushi’s back. The ushi roared. One of her massive arms backhanded the mino, sending her sailing a few feet back. Other soldiers lay around the bolt-riddled ushi, trying to find a way to stab without being crushed. Gakke took the opportunity to punch the thing in its human gut. The ushi bent around her fist. Gakke grabbed one side of the ushi’s legs and flipped it off of her. Not to be outdone, the ushi righted herself and began grappling with Gakke again.

“Can’t you just shoot the damn thing?!” you insisted.

“General Gakke ordered me to conserve all ammunition for potential Soheiyan pursuers. The chances of encountering Soheiyan forces increases every day we-“

“You’ll be easier pickings for them if you’re all unconscious! Wouldn’t it be a better investment to get rid of the ushi-oni now? That way you’ll all be ready to fight off any Soheiyans!” you said.

Her amethyst eyes flashed. Cones of light shot out at your face.

“Tonal and facial analysis complete. Perfidious speech recognized. You believe that using my remaining ammunition on the ushi-oni will increase your odds of escape. This is an unfounded notion. Ammunition will be conserved until General Gakke commands otherwise. I urge you to reevaluate your circumstances.” Said the automaton.

You watched the fight continue below you. For all the wounds the ushi had incurred, she was still going strong. That freakish regeneration seemed to carry over to her spirit energy as well. It occurred to you that no matter which party you would be running from, you would need to free yourself from this webbing. Using a little magic, you tried to melt your way through the goo. The webbing began to melt around your hand, searing your skin. Fuck, that hurt!

“Freeing yourself with magic will result in bodily harm. I can cut you free but will only do so if you agree to assist General Gakke. Please know that I will pursue you if you attempt to flee after being freed.” Said the robot.

“Fine! Cut me lose and I’ll blast her!” You said.

A plate on her palm flipped up and a tiny buzzsaw whirred to life.

“Remain still.” She didn’t have to tell you twice.

The shrill noise of the saw sunk to a baritone hum as it sunk into the webbing. She must have been using some kind of magic to enhance the blade. The webbing was heating up, but it wasn’t as intolerable as it had been when you had tried to rip through it. You yelped as she cut through the gob holding you to the cliff face. Her free hand caught your still bound body and lowered you to the ground.

“Please aim carefully.” Said the automaton.

You looked down the hill from your supine position. The ushi must have heard your yip. She was staring at you with fury in her eyes. Her seal had been knocked off in the fight, now fluttering back and forth off her horn as she brawled. Uh oh. Throwing a succubus aside, she barreled up the hill towards you. The automaton adroitly cut the webbing restraining you and you revved up your magic. Grabbing a hefty rock, you hurled it into the ushi’s face. It collided with a sickening thud. The ushi paused, black blood dripping from her nose. With one wipe of her face, she was back to normal.

“That was an ineffective attack.” Observed the automaton.

“I can see that! Stop hiding behind me and help me stop this thing!” you yelled.

“Involving myself in melee combat with a monster who outclasses me in physical strength would be futile and wasteful. Please assist General Gakke.” She inched back a bit, positioning you between her and the ushi.

Pouring more of your fleeting energy into your attacks, you shot torrents of magic into her face. The ushi whined and sputtered. This was like spraying a kid in the face with a garden hose! She was still moving up hill.

“GET IN THERE!” you shouted at the automaton as the ushi closed in.

“I reiterate: engaging in close-quarters combat with a species-“

“I WASN’T ASKING!” Seizing the automaton with your magic, you wound up a throw.

She leered at you from the air. “This transgression shall not go un-“

Her admonishment was cut short as you hurled the mechanical girl at the incoming ushi. In a striking display of agility, (or not so striking, she was a killer-robot after all), the automaton managed to spring one of her wrist blades and drive it into the ushi as she collided with it. The beast howled as the robot’s piston arm began to stab her over and over. It tore the automaton off by the arm, crushing the limb in the process. While the ushi was distracted with her new mechanical chew-toy, you obliterated the base of a nearby tree. The ushi flung the automaton aside just as you managed to guide the tree down on top of her.

It landed on her spider half. The ushi roared in pain and frustration. Her spider limbs were splayed out or stuck in the ground. With the trunk nestled behind her torso, she could only tear out chunks of the bark behind her as she thrashed about trying to free herself. Gakke capitalized on the opportunity. Coming up behind the creature, she hit it over the head with her mace.

Realm-silver maces are funny things. It looks like someone is hitting a Jell-O bust of a person. The way the flesh dents and jiggles never failed to remind you of old cartoons. That being said, it was still unnerving as hell to see someone’s melon contort and reform like that. The ushi-oni wobbled as Gakke raised her mace. Twisting, she growled and tried to grab at the knight. Gakke smacked her again. This time, the blow stuck. The ushi went limp and faceplanted into the dirt, tiny columns of dust spraying into the air whenever she snored.

Soldiers up and down the hill were moaning in pain or out cold. The gully that the ushi had tackled Gakke into looked like it had been the victim of an unfortunate double booking between a steamroller derby and the amateur chainsaw jugglers’ association. Holy hell, an entire ARMY of Kamaka soldiers hadn’t been able to inflict this much carnage at Heida. You watched as a lizardman slid out of a tree into the dirt. Ushi-onis really were something else…

Not that it mattered to you. You were in the clear! A rampaging, one ton bundle of hyper-aggressive sexual energy wasn’t the deus ex machina you had been hoping for, but you couldn’t argue with the results. Planting your hands on your knees you bent over to catch your breath. You didn’t have much stamina left. Neither did they, but monsters always seemed to have some sort of second wind when they felt they were close to securing a husband.

Gakke was already wobbling up the hill to settle things. Her once pristine armor was now riddled with dents and scuffs. Her shield looked like it had been used to teeth a litter of hellhounds. Gakke herself hardly had the strength to pick her feet all the way off the ground to take the next step.

“Anonymous! Come here.” Panted Gakke.

“That’s not happening, Gakke.” you said firmly.

“I’m through asking! Get over here NOW!” She growled.

“Not a chance.” You readied your wards.

“I said come here!”

Gakke trundled towards you. That she could move at all was testament to her endurance. Some of the other monsters who had avoided the brunt of the conflict began to move towards your flanks. The automaton hurried out of the bushes with her crumpled arm.

“Permission to shoot, General?” asked the automaton.

“Yes! Shoot him!” roared Gakke.

A gun barrel sprang out of the automaton’s good arm. Uh oh. A brief whirring was the only warning you got before a barrage of realm-silver bullets ripped into your shields. You gasped and sputtered as they collided with your wards. It took all your energy to keep the shield up. The automaton adjusted her aim up and down your person, forcing you to exert enough energy to cover your entire body at all times. Gakke and the remaining soldiers advanced on you as you struggled to keep your footing. There was nothing you could do while that spiteful contraption was keeping you pinned like this.

Click.

The pressure abated. The automaton’s gun was empty. You gasped and dropped your shields. A few more seconds of that and you would have been done for.

“General, I am out of ammunition. Destroy him.” Said the automaton in her permanent monotone. What the hell?! Weren’t these things supposed to be servile?!

Gakke roared and swung her mace at you. You dipped the first mace swing. Pivoting, you blasted a demon that was sneaking up on you in her exposed face and moved up the hill. Gakke lunged at you. Her mace slammed into the ground, missing your foot by a few inches. She stood over you and prepared to strike again. You desperately tried to juke her mace, dipping under her arm. She anticipated the maneuver, bringing her mace up in an ark. You narrowly managed to raise your ward again before the mace collided with you.

And then you were flying. The force of the blow didn’t knock you off your feet, it sent you airborne. A cry of pain escaped your lips as you flew back into the face of the cliff. Your vision swam. That hit alone had sapped a considerable portion of your strength. You couldn’t block another. Escape was the only option.

“Ooohhh… I am FEELING IT.” Roared Gakke.

“Gakke, please! Calm down! You’re hurting him!” pleaded a succubus.

Gakke growled at the succubus. The poor succ shied away.

“I decide when he’s had enough. He’s MINE!” snarled Gakke.

“General, he’s beaten, it’s over!” implored a minotaur.

“Incorrect. Anon is still conscious. I will rectify this.” Said the automaton. She stepped past Gakke.

“Get BACK!” Gakke smacked the automaton away with a swing of her mace. The other soldiers watched in horror as the poor machine girl’s body warped around Gakke’s mace. She made a few blips and beeps and collapsed into the dirt.

“LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!” she shouted at you.

“You’re insane…” you rasped.

“This is all your fault! All I wanted was to snuggle you a little, you bastard! But you had to go and insult me! You had to make things difficult! Am I that hard to love?! Don’t I deserve to be happy?!” Gakke marched up the hill towards you.

Something felt strange. You reached behind your head. Your hair was matted with blood. You stared at it incredulously on your fingers. The soldiers gasped. Gakke froze.

“Anonymous…?” Gakke’s mace slid out of her hand.

You wobbled to your feet. It wasn’t a bad wound. You had incurred worse. The ward you threw up in haste to cushion the impact was imperfect, so you weren’t surprised that your head got knocked. Just a superficial wound and a little bit of disorientation. You could still fight.

“A-are you alright? I… I didn’t mean to hit you so hard. It was just the adrenaline from the fight! Please, come here, let me take a look at you.” Gakke’s hand was shaking. You never would have guessed someone of her stature could have such a tremulous voice.

“Not a chance.” You spat.

“Anonymous, please… It was an accident! I-I would never hurt you on purpose!” pleaded Gakke.

“Stay back!” You pinged her visor with a tiny magic bolt. She recoiled away from you.

“I swear I won’t lay a finger on you! I just want to know that you’re not hurt!” sniffled Gakke.

You looked around at the other monsters. They all looked similarly concerned for your wellbeing. You had to get out of here. But how? You had some energy left, but not enough to fight through all these monsters if the conflict drew out. And Gakke wasn’t going to let you leave if she thought you were hurt. She’d keep you secure indefinitely under the pretense of extended medical examination. You eyed the ledge above you.

“Anonymous, I swear that I’ll let you go if you just let me inspect your wound! It could be serious!” begged Gakke.

“Bullshit. How long would you let me go for, a few seconds? You’ve been chasing me for a whole day! The only reason I’m in this mess is because of YOU.” You said.

Gakke winced at your castigation. Soft crying echoed out of her helmet.

“I-I just wanted someone… to- to…” Gakke fell to her knees. A few of her soldiers moved to comfort their boss.

Shit. Maybe that was a little harsh… It was important to remember that most monsters harried you because they loved you. Loved you in their own strange, overbearing way.

You launched yourself up the cliff to the ledge the ushi had attacked you from. Some of the soldiers made a half-hearted attempt to stop you. The rest watched you melancholically as you landed on the cliff. Your legs wobbled. You needed a place to lie down…

“Gakke, he’s getting away. Should we go after him?” asked a mino.

She shook her head. “Let him go. We’re going home.”

Gakke picked up her mace and slowly reaffixed it to her waist. Picking up an unconscious amazon, she slung her comrade over her shoulder and slowly plodded away. Her troops looked at you, then her, and followed their leader back down the hill.

“Gakke!” you called.

She flinched and turned to you.

“Uhh… All that stuff I said earlier, about you not being able to get a guy? I didn’t mean it. Just… don’t come on to guys so hard. You're a sweet girl, so let them come to you sometimes.” you said.

You couldn’t tell what her expression was under her visor. She did seem to relax a little.

“Goodbye, Gakke. I hope you and Kamaka can sort this mess out.” Turning your back on the carnage below, you clambered up the rocky hill. It was risky to stray this close to ushi territory, but with one ushi down it was unlikely that there were any more nearby. As long as you could find a place to rest and recuperate, you would be back on the road before you knew it!

You shuddered. Why did you think that? Every time that thought crossed your mind, things always went south. Shaking your head, you crested a pile of rocks and slipped into the mountains.

~~~~~~~

Royoshi watched through the leaves as the dragoon circled lazily above them in the fading light. Wheeling around one last time, the duo flew towards the cliffs to rest for the evening. With a flick of her hand, Royoshi and the kunoichi were on the move again. Only the rustle of leaves and the hiss of soles on tree bark foretold the movement of the group.

Where the hell was Gakke? It had been days since Royoshi had been dispatched. She had searched up and down the Spine for her sister. Moegara hadn’t recalled her, so it was unlikely that Gakke had been caught.

Heida was now far behind them. None of the villagers had seen Gakke pass through. The trail was cold. To think that one of the largest oni on the island could disappear so completely.

“Royoshi, do you think your sister has been apprehended?” asked one of the kunoichi.

“No. Those dragoons wouldn’t be patrolling this area if she was.” murmured Royoshi.

“We’ve found no trace of her. Perhaps she’s given up trying to cross the Spine and moved east into the forest?”

“She doesn’t have the means to hide in the forest. And her honor will demand that she return to help Kamaka.”

“It will take days to reach the next major pass.”

Royoshi swung out of a tree onto the road. Her sisters followed her, silently landing next to her.

“She wouldn’t take a major pass, not when she’s desperate. Soheiya has been forcing her north. There’s a minor pass nearby, built next to a ryu shrine. She’d be easy pickings for a dragoon if they caught her on the cliff face, but I’d wager that she’s been in at least one conflict if we haven’t seen her yet. She’s probably desperate enough to risk a minor pass by now.” Said Royoshi.

“Shall we pay the shrine a visit?” asked a kunoichi.

“Yes. It should be around here. Spread out and find the entrance.”

After a few more minutes of running, Royoshi was perched on the tori over the path leading to the shrine.

“I’m going up to the shrine. The rest of you wait here.” Ordered Royoshi.

The kunoichi took up comfortable positions in the trees as their leader followed the path through the glade. A few minutes later, Royoshi stood at the entrance to the shrine.

Moonlight reflected off the white gravel, giving the illusion that the ground was emitting its own soft, silver light. Silently striding through the empty temple, Royoshi stopped at the offering bowl. No sign of the attendants. The faint sound of mirthful conversation tickled her ears. It sounded like they were eating dinner. A shame she had to interrupt them, but she had to know if her sister had been by. Raising her knuckle, she rapped it against the rim of the offering bowl.

A low, warbling note broke the tranquility of the night. The sound of dining ceased. A moment later, a shirohebi slid open the door next to the offering bowl. Her scowl broke when she saw an oni wearing a kunoichi’s leotard and mask staring down at her. Royoshi had come to accept that her wardrobe was unconventional; the ogling eyes of others meant nothing to her as long as the clothes she wore were practical.

“The shrine is closed. Come back tomorrow.” Said the shirohebi.

“I'm not here to pray. I need information.” Said Royoshi.

“Did you not hear me? The shrine is closed. Leave.”

“It’s important. I just need to know if my sister traveled through the pass behind the shrine.” Pressed Royoshi.

“I don’t know who your sister is, and I don’t care. Begone or I’ll incinerate you.” Huffed the snake.

The shirohebi tried to shut the door. Royoshi whipped a kunai into the wood between her fingers. The lamia yelped. Royoshi was already upon her, her tanto tickling the lamia’s chin.

“You’re being quite rude to your guest.” whispered Royoshi.

The shirohebi sputtered and gasped. “Y-you… You’re…

“Hmm? Have you heard of me? That’s a shame. I try so hard to keep my name out of people’s mouths. I won’t find it in yours, will I?” Royoshi put more pressure on her tanto.

“N-no.” squeaked the shirohebi.

“Good. I appreciate when a host is so accommodating.” Royoshi sheathed her tanto.

“Panophis? Is everything alright? What’s taking you so long?”

Zutari slithered into view. She froze when she saw the hulking oni towering over her righthand maiden.

“Panophis? Who is this?” Zutari asked carefully.

“Royoshi.” Whimpered Panophis.

Zutari stared blankly at Panophis until the truth dawned on her. “Royoshi?! Moegara’s assassin?!” Lifting herself higher on her snake half, Zutari tried to stand at eyelevel with Royoshi. “If you’ve come to eliminate me, you shan’t find it a facile task.”

“If I was here to eliminate you, I’d already have one of your horns as my trophy.” Royoshi said coolly.

Zutari shrank back. “Why are you here.”

“I need information. My sister, Gakke. Did she go through the pass or not?” demanded Royoshi.

“No. There hasn’t been anyone through the pass. The only person to visit our shrine was a surly vagabond. Some freakish human.” Said Zutari.

Royoshi sighed. Gakke was still on the eastern side of the central mountain range. But where?

“Are you… searching for the human?” probed Zutari.

The question tantalized Royoshi. She had heard all about the human from Nokoribi and her soldiers. Moegara had ordered her not to go after him. She longed for the chance to sink her knives into him. Mages were finicky prey; sometimes they were clever and powerful, and other times they failed to get out of bed before Royoshi ran them through. This mage seemed to be more in line with the former. To think the quarry she had longed to chase was this close. But Moegara needed her back in Kamaka. Though, what could a few days detour hurt?

“Perhaps. What did he look like?” asked Royoshi.

Zutari balked. Royoshi’s demeanor had shifted from cool aloofness to unflinching intent.

“He was strange looking. Pale, weird eyes, used magic, and he was insolent as hell.” Said Zutari.

“How long has it been since he visited the shrine?” asked Royoshi.

“A few days. Is Moegara interested in such a flippant pauper?” asked Zutari.

“Yes.”

“What makes him so special? Surely there are better prospects for the heiresses of Kamaka.” Said Zutari.

“You never asked?” Royoshi raised an eyebrow.

“It never really came up…” Zutari’s eyes flitted away. Royoshi knew that she must have sent him away.

“His mana, did you smell it?” pressed Royoshi.

“Yes. It was… odd. Not unpleasant, but unlike anything else I’ve smelled. Almost like a bouquet of essences.” Said Zutari.

“That’s him…When this human left the shrine, which way did he go?” said Royoshi.

“Bah! That bastard went on a rampage after I rejected him! Tore apart the glade and left all sorts of divots in the road to spite me! It took ages to patch everything back up! Judging from the destruction, he was headed north.” Zutari’s tail thrashed about as she remembered seeing her beautiful glade and road defiled.

North… Only a few days away… It was too tempting to resist. If she tasked the kunoichi with escorting Gakke, she could go after Anonymous. Yes, the kunoichi could take care of Gakke; catching such illustrious prey required Royoshi’s full attention.

“Just out of curiosity, why IS Kamaka interested in him?” Zutari did her best to sound disinterested.

“I don’t know all the details. From what I’ve gathered, he’s some sort of extra-dimensional human. Proud, deceivingly powerful, and sassy. He’s been raising hell in half a dozen cities since he arrived in this world.” Said Royoshi.

“Extra-dimensional…?” Asked Zutari. What was this oni saying.

“Precisely. Apparently some undead noble figured out how to warp a human from one world to another. Those Kyriavalissian staters in the offering bowl, did he leave those? From what I heard, he arrived in Zipangu onboard Princess Sabekar’s ship after escaping Nauraea in Apliseline. Interesting; I didn't know how many of those rumors were true. I requested more literature on him, but the war put a halt to the acquisition of any more information on him.” Said Royoshi.

Zutari gawked at the assassin. “Huh…”

“If you see my sister, tell her that mother requests her presence in Kamaka at once.” Royoshi left the stupefied ryu and shirohebi behind as she sauntered off back to her cadre of kunoichi. Yes, a nice little hunt was just the thing she needed to break this monotony. This would be fun…

Zutari watched the oni’s hips sway as he departed. “Panophis, do you think I should have just let that human… what was his name?”

“Err… I never asked him, Lady Zutari.” mumbled Panophis.

“You never asked for his name?!”

“Neither did you!” huffed Panophis.

“Damn it… Well, just because he’s special doesn’t mean he’s important! If it mattered where that freak was from, people wouldn’t let him walk around penniless like that! That princess probably just pitied him!” said Zutari.

“Yes, if he was so special, why hasn’t anyone else claimed him?” added Panophis.

“Exactly! That arrogant fool couldn’t court a lesser succubus! He doesn’t DESERVE someone like me. And his mana smelled funny!” Zutari proclaimed proudly.

“Yeah!”

Zutari and Panophis listened to the crickets chirp. The ryu’s face slowly soured.

“… Are you upset, Lady Zu-“

“Let us go finish dinner, Panophis.”