Dungeon Crawler

I was not the smartest person in my class. That honor went to Zack, the ultimate stuck up snob who got his daily jollies from proving himself smarter and even more arrogant than The Order knights who taught us. Of course, as all arrogant people were fated to do, someone challenged his intelligence, daring him to go into a cave forbidden entry to us by The Order.

He was never seen again.

I was not the strongest person in my class either. That role was filled by Jake, the all around nasty and unpleasant person, held back two years and had more time clocked in the detention room than the classroom. With his strength though, came a healthy dose of arrogance. Arrogance that drove him away from The Order and into the wilds. Search parties were sent out, but found his trail abruptly ended with no body in sight.

I certainly wasn't the most charismatic. People often ignored my presence and my opinions, no matter how logical my arguments may have been. In fact it could be said that many people went out of their way to ignore me. Something I was quick to use to my advantage.

I wasn't the most attractive person. On the imaginary scale used to measure beauty, with untidy black hair that almost covered my eyes and a small build and height, I fell somewhere near the 'below average' mark. Many times I'd had myself compared to a mouse. Small, quiet, and almost unworthy of notice.

I wasn't the most worldly person. I'd pretty much grown up in the Order run orphanages. I'm not sure what happened to my parents, but The Order had always told me they had perished in an attack by mamono. Of course, I was young enough at the time that they could have told me they were killed by pixies wielding broadswords and I wouldn't have had proof to the contrary.

The person who had brought me to The Order was named George. A broad shouldered man who wielded a hand-and-a-half sword like it was a toothpick. His very presence radiated fear and even the soldiers under his command were afraid to go near him. I later learned that he was a Hero, blessed by the gods and a veteran of three crusades against 'The Mamono Blight' that plagued the land.

I made a habit of avoiding him whenever possible.

For the first few years, I was the impressionable kid that The Order expected me to be. I ate up their teachings like a starving man, cultivating a healthy hatred for the Mamono that had reportedly destroyed my home and family, well on my way to becoming the model soldier that The Order wished for me to become.

Then, one evening while haunting the library, I stumbled on something that changed my life forever. It was obvious that the book wasn't supposed to be there. Shoved in the back of a shelf of reference materials, it was simply titled “The Mamono Primer”.

We'd gotten several lessons on mamono in the past. They were talked about almost exclusively, about how they ate men, sometimes one piece at a time. There were many varieties but the teachers always stressed the one thing they had in common was their absolute hatred of human kind and how they fancied themselves our predators.

To this day I don't know why I reached for it. Maybe it was because it had an aura of 'forbidden' surrounding it. Maybe I was bored. Either way, the first page of the book turned my blood to ice.

'This is book is a summary of the qualities and information of mamono. I hope that you, the reader, will thoroughly study this knowledge of the mamono and protect yourself and others.'

Underneath that, in big black letters was a very different message.

'By order of the Palace, publicly carrying this book is forbidden. In order for citizens to remain constantly vigilant, all citizens taken away by mamono will be killed. Disseminating the information in this book is strictly forbidden and punishable by death.'

It was topped off with a royal seal. My hands started to shake, even as I turned the page, my thoughts flying a mile a minute. Why? What was so bad about spreading the information in this book to face censure from the palace? Wouldn't The Order benefit from having as many people aware of this information as possible?

I got my answer almost immediately as I began looking over the first entry in the book. The mermaid. In class, we had been told that the mermaid was a beautiful seductress who would lure entire ships of men to their deaths upon the rocks in the treacherous ocean, devouring the flesh of the ones unlucky enough not to drown first.

The book told a very different story.

'They have one of the most gentle dispositions of all the monsters. They never aggressively attack humans and are a very friendly race.'

I didn't initially want to believe it. My mind was split in half, one part wanting to think that the author of this book was a liar. And yet the other part of my mind treacherously asked why the book was censored and had the stigma of a death penalty attached.

As I read entry after entry, the whisper grew louder until my entire mind was in conflict. While some of the described mamono seemed to be as bad as The Order suggested, many were not. Other entries were completely opposite to what The Order had preached. Above all else was the emphasis the writer seemed to place on the fact that mamono as a species very rarely killed those that they captured, instead using the males for food and oft times companionship.

There was over a hundred detailed entries and explanations for the various types of mamono and I worked hard to commit all that I could to memory. Privacy was a luxury at the academy but even if I had my own room and bed, I wouldn't want the book near my possessions.

-SLAM-

My head jerked up at the sound of a closing door. Moving as fast as I dared, I shoved the book back in its hiding place, quickly grabbing one of the boring looking encyclopedias and throwing it open on the table, trying to calm my heart as the footsteps drew closer. On the peripheral of my vision, I noticed that the candles had nearly burned out. How long had I been reading anyways?

“What are you doing here?”

I jumped in my seat, pretending to be surprised by the voice. Looking up, I met the eyes of the academy's sword instructor, and my personal 'rescuer' George.

I tried my best to hide my gulp. “Studying, sir,” I said as normally as I could.

The hero's sharp black eyes narrowed. “Two hours past curfew? You must be very vigilant in your studies.”

“No sir, just catching up,” I corrected. No need to make him think I was some sort of model student.

“Really? On what?”

I could tell he was probing my excuse, trying to trip me up in my words and poke holes in my story. “Mamono sir. Aeden has been talking about them a lot lately.” It was a safe lie. Aeden always spent half of his classes talking about the horrors mamono inflicted on human beings.

“Which one?”

I glanced at the encyclopedia open on the table. It was open to the 'D' section. Crap, which mamono species started with a D?

“Dullahan,” I invented. “I found the concept of a human-like construct powered completely by spirit energy fascinating.”

The hero gave me a grim smile, the expression somehow making him even more intimidating than normal. “Yes, it's very fascinating how a human like construct can devour your soul to sustain itself. It's even more fascinating how they gut you and slowly bleed you dry while sucking the life out of you.”

I tried to act scared, but it was kind of hard when remembering exactly how mamono got their spirit energy. The scenarios described within the book were quite detailed.

“I didn't mean it in that way sir, I was just interested in the variety of ways mamono have been able to adapt spiritual energy when compared to the way that humans normally use it. Know thy enemy and such...” I trailed off nervously, hoping I hadn't said too much. After a few seconds of silence, I closed the book and moved towards the shelf.

“I'd best be getting to bed sir.” Placing the book in its spot, I turned and quickly walked towards the library exit. For some reason, I didn't feel very comfortable turning my back to him.

“This school.” His voice stopped me in my tracks. “What do you think of it?”

My hand was on the door. I was almost tempted to just push it open and pretend to not have heard him. “The education provided here is very enlightening and thorough,” I said neutrally. A half-truth. Something told me that he'd be able to tell if I lied.

The hero nodded thoughtfully. “Indeed it is. You should head back to your quarters now.”

I didn't need to be told twice.



For a time afterwords, I tried to forget about the book and the secrets it held but it would have been easier to just go without food. A veil over my head had been lifted and cracks were beginning to appear in the lessons Aeden taught as they clashed with the information in the book, although I had yet to see any iron clad proof for either side.

Supposedly, it was 'common knowledge' that mamono ate humans. At the same time though, it may have been just as likely that mamono kidnapped humans to fulfill their other needs, and that the humans were reluctant to leave their mamono lovers. Furthermore, if The Order really did execute anyone who escaped captivity, it would only feed the rumors about mamono eating humans, and would be a rather large deterrent to anyone who wished to return.

Regardless of what I believed, I eventually returned to reading the book a week later, my curiosity beating out my rationality. After my encounter with George, I was more careful, oft times placing the book in the cover of another and always placing it back in the small space behind the reference books where no one else ever went.

The more I studied the Mamono Primer, the more I began looking at things objectively. Aeden was quickly becoming less of an informed scholar, and more of an opinionated instructor as his 'real life' stories of mamono slowly became more and more far fetched as time went on. At the point where he had launched into a ludicrous tale of a swarm of harpies razing a village and killing everyone within, I couldn't help but groan and place my head on the desk in front of me.

My disinterest did not go unnoticed.

“Are my lessons boring to you trainee?”

My head shot off the desk at the teacher's address.

“No sir,” I said quickly. “Just not feeling well, that's all.” He held my gaze for another minute before accepting my excuse and returning to his lecture.

After his class was finished, I immediately headed to the library. There were only a few pages left and I wanted to finish the book before anyone got suspicious of my frequent visits. The librarian may have ignored everyone living in his quest to read the library before he passed on, but my meeting with George was not so easily forgotten.

Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, I grabbed the book from its hiding place and thumbed to the last section. The lamia family. It was easily the most interesting part of the book. According to the author Kenkou Cross, the lamias in general were some of the most reasonable mamono he encountered. They had their own culture, villages, government, and were highly individualistic and intelligent. Were they not half snake, they could have easily passed for human. In fact, some even lived together with other humans. Such villages were rare though.

The section was lengthy, as apparently Kenkou had spent a good deal of time among them, studying their nature and culture, only leaving when their mating season arrived, threatening to 'tie him down' so to speak. He went on to write about the Medusa, a higher level lamia that could turn people to stone with her gaze.

And then, I turned to the final entry.

Kenkou had personally illustrated all of the monsters in the book, and his artwork told of great talent, but none of his drawings could compare to the Echidna, subtitled “The Queen of Monsters”.

Her hair was a light green, reaching all the way to where her human part ended and snake part began. Her eyes were yellow and serpentine, seeming to gaze at me no matter where I moved my head. Two long thin snakes emerged from her hair, coiling sensuously around her arms. Another silhouette of a snake was emblazoned like an emblem on her light purple skin while a fine golden snake acted the part of a belt, holding up a green-patterned cloth that covered her waist and draped over her serpentine coils.

I was transfixed. Not even his many drawings of the succubi creatures felt as...alive as this one did.

Eagerly, I began perusing the text, only to stop as I heard a crash in the room. Without wasting a breath, I quickly stashed the book in its hiding place, only just realizing I was past my 'safe' period. Curfew would be in a few minutes. Passing the distracted librarian, I slipped out the door and made for the the bedrooms, carefully checking the corners as I went. Technically I wasn't breaking any rules, but I wanted to do my best to fly under the radar, especially considering I was reading a book which could warrant my execution were I caught with it. Most of all, I wanted to avoid-

George! Damn! What was he doing here? I quickly pulled my head back around the corner and darted off towards the other end of the hall, hoping he hadn't seen me. Reaching the corner in record time, I peaked around the wall just in time to see the hero turn into the library hallway. Crap, this hallway was a dead end. I needed to find a place to hide.

I was in luck. The first door was unlocked and led to an office with the lights off. It took a second for my eyes to adjust to the dark, but when they did I quickly locked the door and ran to the desk and hid beneath it, holding my breath and waiting for the hero's footsteps to fade.

They did fade. Quite suddenly. Right in front of the door. Oh no, don't tell me-

Click.

So much for trying to escape the guy. I'd just hid in his office. Go me.

I heard him walk around the room, shuffling some objects around as he went before he sat at the desk. As his legs came forward, I pushed myself as far back as I could, silently thanking my small frame as his knees stopped an inch from my face. Silently I prayed that George went to bed soon.

-KNOCK- -KNOCK- -KNOCK-

“Come in.”

The door opened, admitting a person who I could identify simply by the sound of his voice. “Good evening sir George.”

“Good evening Aeden.” George's tone was flat and bored. To me, it seemed as though he just barely tolerated the man's presence. “Would you like something to drink? It's rather cold out.”

“No no, I'm afraid I don't have time for pleasantries. Strictly business this evening, and not pleasant business either.” Suddenly I had the feeling of wanting to be anywhere but here. Preferably somewhere far away...like Zipangu.

“What did you want to talk about?”

Instead of an answer, I heard the shuffling of feet and the sounds of a chair being moved. It seemed as though Aeden wanted to take his time.

“Tell me sir George, what do you think of that trainee who spends all his spare time in the library?”

For a split second, I was sure my heart had stopped.

“Which one is he?” asked George neutrally.

“Bit of a quiet kid. Average marks. Doesn't belong to any of the usual circles. A little on the small side. Almost looks like a mouse.”

Had Aeden been watching me? No, it wasn't possible. If he knew exactly what I'd been doing, I'd probably be dead already. He must have just seen me enter the library a few times too many. It was usually the first place I went to after getting out of his classes.

“I do not care what your students do in their free time. My job is to teach them how to defend themselves.”

“It is your job if one of those students happens to be a mamono sympathizer.”

Forget Zipangu. Right then I wished I was on the other side of the world.

“That's a grave accusation to be throwing at a child who hasn't set foot outside this city since he was brought here at the age of two.”

Aeden's voice grew triumphant. “And yet he shows all the signs. Seclusion from his peers, disdain at my lectures, and certain tidbits of knowledge that aren't in any of the books in our library. Describing a mermaid as a gentle creature. Really now.”

I remembered that essay. It was one of the first ones I had to write after I discovered the book. I didn't even remember putting it in there, I was simply regurgitating the lessons he preached in the classroom, paying little attention to what I'd written. Something from the Primer must have slipped in somehow.

“Considering the quality of your lectures, I hardly find it surprising that your students would ignore you, and a desire to be alone is not a sign of treason. I myself wish to be alone at this very moment.”

My forehead began to drip with sweat. Whether it was from the heat in the room or the conversation taking place above, I couldn't really tell.

There was a loud bang. From the way it sounded, I guessed that Aeden had slammed his hand onto the desk right above my head. “You will have your proof, and I will expect you to carry out justice as you swore it in front of your gods. Do I make myself clear?”

George was silent for a long moment. “You intend to plant him.” It wasn't a question.

“Do you know how the war is going right now?” asked Aeden in a deceptively calm voice. George didn't respond.

“We are losing. Each victory we've had in the last year have been marginal at best. Demons of all types steal our fighters from the front lines and spirit them away back to their realm to corrupt and convert them. Some even return to the battlefield, taking up arms against the people they once called brothers.”

George still didn't respond but Aeden didn't seem to be looking for one. “A sympathizer on the battlefield is one easily turned. I won't let it happen. Not while I can stop it here and now. I would sooner kill one of my own students than to leave them at the mercy of those monsters.”

“And in doing so, become a monster yourself,” said George softly.

“Do not preach to me about morality! Did you not raise your sword to man, woman, and child alike during the purge? Did you not lead those battles yourself? What is a mere child in the face of all those villages you burned to the ground?”

Bile rose to my throat as my mind began to connect the dots. I was young, but I remembered my village burning to the ground. I still had nightmares about looking at the corpses of my mother and father. Unbidden, the words from Kenkou's book came back to me. Mamono very rarely killed those that they could use, and most of those deaths were accidents. George was the one who pulled me from the wreck of my home. George was the one who was leading the purges.

George was the one who purged my village.

I couldn't breathe. I needed to get out of there. I needed to get out of this city. I needed to run. George had led the army that killed my family, and now he was going to kill me too. Silently, I willed Aeden to leave.

“When the time comes, I expect you to do your duty, or the duke shall hear of it. Good evening, sir George.”

Footsteps, then a closed door. One down. One to go. Luck must have been with me, because in the next moment, George pushed away from his desk and walked into a side room, finally allowing me to let out a full breath. Minutes later I heard water running. Telltale signs of a bath being drawn. I didn't waste the opportunity, immediately springing from my hiding place and running as quietly as I could towards the door.

Back in the hallway, I finally stopped long enough to catch my bearings. I couldn't stay here, that much was obvious. Tomorrow, Aeden would have me imprisoned or dead. Neither one appealed to me. I couldn't leave as I was though. All my clothes, tools, and meager funds were in my room. Without them, I'd be as good as dead anyways. As it was, I had perhaps six hours before they woke everyone up for morning practice.

Mercifully, I encountered no one else within the halls on the way to my room. Once there, I was greeted by my bunk-mate's loud snores. I used to hate him for it but now I couldn't be more grateful as it gave me the perfect cover for packing my bag. It wasn't much. A couple changes of clothes, some food swiped from the kitchens, a small knife, and a little bit of currency which I could use to buy food in town. It may have been late, but The Order's Citadel was based in a trade hub. Someone was always open for business.

It took me less than five minutes to gather my things in complete darkness. Moving quickly but silently, I made my way towards the east exit of the barracks. It was a servants entrance that didn't see much use this late in the day. It was a risk, but one I had to take. Going through the front door would have been impossible with the guards on constant watch. Stopping just outside the servant's quarters, I surveyed the door. Nothing. My luck was holding.

Running to the door, I pushed it open, breathing a sigh of relief as I felt the cool summer breeze hit my face. The hard part was done. Now all I had to do-

“Where do you think you're going?”

The knife slipped into my fingers as I whirled around to face the voice.

“S-sir George?” My face went white. The knife shook in my grip. Part of me wanted to flee. Another part wanted to shove the knife into his face.

“I was trained from the age of six to be able to sense all kinds of spirit energy,” said the hero, stepping into the light. His face was set in its usual neutral expression, neither angry nor happy. “Did you really think you could hide under my desk without me knowing?”

Come to think of it, it would have been ridiculously easy to assassinate him if someone like me could hide from him like that. I cursed myself for my stupidity.

“There was never any mamono involved, was there? You were the one who destroyed my home.”

“I was,” he said simply.

“Why?” It was all I could ask.

“Because your town was home to a faction of mamono sympathizers. The king found out and ordered your village to be purged,” he said simply. “It just so happened that I was the acting general that day.”

“Why-” I stopped and swallowed, trying to bring moisture to my dry throat. “Why did the king do that?”

“Because he panicked. Fifteen years ago, the battles waged against the mamono were a string of bitter defeats, reducing the size of our border by a fifth. People were scared. They demanded the king do something. So he did.”

“The Purge.”

“Correct. The king issued a decree to purge the mamono and all mamono sympathizers from the land. Any village that was harboring mamono were put to the torch. Every man, woman, and child. No exceptions. Except for you.”

“M-me?” I choked out.

“Yes. You were two years old at the time, blankly looking at the bodies of your parents, even as I approached you. I brought you back with me and told everyone that your village was attacked by mamono. They believed it, even though we both know a mamono would never intentionally kill a human when they could use them.”

“What-” I was cut off as he pulled a familiar looking tome from within his cloak. The Mamono Primer.

“It was mine,” he said simply. “I knew you were reading it the first time I saw you in the library.”

“How?”

George snorted. Almost laughed. I couldn't quite tell. “No one touches those reference books. Not even the librarian.”

Maybe the stress of the situation was getting to me, but I couldn't help but chuckle lightly at his iron clad proclamation. “So what happens now?” I asked.

George gave me a curious look. “I don't feel the need to do anything,” he said simply. “My orders were to simply do my duty once Aeden brought me proof that you were a mamono sympathizer. It's hardly my job to return children to their beds now is it? It's also not my job to report any missing supplies from the stock room either.”

He gave a not-so-subtle glance to an inconspicuous brown bag sitting near the servant's doorway.

“I'm going to bed. Something tells me I'm going to be up early tomorrow. It's a good thing no one knows about the hidden east gate exit or it could take hours to pick up the trail of a lost student.” Stretching lightly, he turned his back and headed for the door into the servants quarters. For one wild minute I considered lunging at him with the knife in my hand. The feeling quickly left though. He'd have killed me instantly.

“I'm going to be back someday,” I promised bluntly.

“At the head of a mamono army I'll wager,” he returned.

“...try not to die before then."

“Wouldn't dream of it.”



It was the first time I'd ever been outside the holy city. I wasn't sure where I was going. I wasn't sure that I cared too much. The fastest way to get between two points was a straight line, and I intended to head straight away from that city by any means necessary.

Almost immediately the forest closed in around me, the thick canopy blotting out what little moonlight might have been able to get through. The silhouettes of the trees were still slightly visible, so I avoided outright crashing into them, but I still ended up wading through several bushes and ferns. I must have ran for two hours straight. An unhealthy combination of adrenaline, fear, and anticipation.

As I sat down to take a breather, I opened the bag George had given me, having yet to look at it in my flight. The first thing I saw was a hunting knife, one side straight and the other side serrated. Easily superior to my personal knife, but not as easy to hide. It did come with a sheath however, so I strapped it to my belt.

The majority of the bag was filled with food. An assortment of dehydrated fruits and meats. If I was careful, I'd be able to make it and the stuff I'd brought with me last for a good solid week. Underneath those was a map and compass. I'd never had a practical exam with them, but everyone had been taught the basics. Hopefully I'd remember them before starving to death.

At the bottom of the bag though, was two jars of smelling salts. Kenkou had stated several times in his book that violence against mamono was almost a sure way to sustain injury, especially since so many of them were stronger than the average human. Many of them had increased senses though, and those could be used against them. A whiff of even the weakest of spices would send a Werewolf into a sneezing fit, while dousing yourself with them could shock your senses enough to break through lesser charm magic and mamono that relied on scents and pheromones to lure in their prey, such as Alraune.

Of course, just because I had the tools didn't mean I knew how to use them. Aside from the pictures Kenkou provided in his book (and the ones the academy showed us, but I didn't really count those now), I'd never even seen a mamono.

After a bit of heavy breathing, I finally got my second wind. My personal pack was larger than George's offered bag, so I transferred everything over to one pack and began walking at a sedate pace, munching on a piece of jerky, heading in the general direction of what I hoped was a nearby seaport town. From there I was planning to use the money I had to barter passage on a ship to Zipangu. After that? I wasn't sure, but I knew I couldn't stay safe on this continent.

Trouble came about an hour later as the sun was beginning to crest the horizon. A sweet scent was on the air. I wasn't sure what it was, but I wasn't going to take any chances. Reaching into the side pocket of my bag, I withdrew the spices, unscrewed the lid and immediately took a deep breath.

When I came to, my nose was runny, my throat clogged, and my eyes burned. By the suns position, I estimated that I'd been knocked out for a good half-hour. Groggily, I staggered to my feet, trying to take stock of where I was. Miraculously, I hadn't spilled any of the salts and the sweet nectar of the alraune was a distant memory. On the other hand, I felt like shit.

Survival guide rule number one. Smelling salts are very potent. Use only a little.

An hour later and my sinuses had almost cleared up. Unfortunately, it also marked the time of my first encounter with a mamono.

From Kenkou's drawings, I immediately recognized the creature as a fairy...at least I hoped it was a fairy instead of a pixie. And while I was wringing out the word, I really hoped that this was one of the innocent variety, and not one under the influence of succubus magic.

From a distance, she looked to be little more than a ball of light, however it seemed as though she noticed my presence, and began slowly fluttering towards me. As she got closer, her tiny body came into focus. Her hair was a light shade of pink, while her dress seemed to be made from the petals of a blue and white flower.

Slowly I reached out my hand, seeing if I could coerce the thing to land on my arm.

Wait...what did the book say about lone faeries again?

One should take care when being approached by a lone fairy, as some of them tend to be like imps, feigning innocence towards unsuspecting males in order to-

The thought didn't even get time to finish before I'd pulled my hand back, senses on full alert. The fairy hesitated in mid-air and I could just make out a narrowing of her eyes before her aura turned red. Around her, at least fifty other similar red glows shined out from the dense foliage.

I ran, as fast as I could in the direction with the least amount of lights. A couple faeries clung to me as I ran, holding onto my shirt with their little voices going “wheeee” in the wind. In my peripheral, I could see dancing red lights. And then, I saw the ground coming to meet my face. Without warning the gentle plain of the forest cut into a steep hill, and now I was rolling uncontrollably downwards, seemingly running into every protruding tree root on the way down.

My bone bruising roll ended abruptly as I tumbled off an edge and landed face first in a swamp. The good news was, the faeries didn't seem inclined to follow me on my downwards trip. Even the ones that had latched onto me earlier had been shaken lose. On the other hand, I was in a swamp. While the smell wasn't as bad as the salts, I still had an urge to toss my lunch.

To top matters off, the swamp was bubbling...violently. In fact, it seemed to be getting stronger. Slowly, a female figure rose from the bubbles, her skin tone a sickly green color that matched the pattern of the swamp. Around her, bubbles were continuously rising, popping over her head and releasing a noxious fume.

A bubble slime.

Despite the nearest shore being just past the slime woman's form, I turned in the opposite direction and waded through the muck for all I was worth.

“Please...wait,” a soft voice called out to me from behind. I almost hesitated, but the description of the slime was already racing through my mind, urging me to go faster.

'They are intelligent enough to speak human words, but their thinking process is extremely simple. Guided by instinct, they wander in search of human prey.'

Progress was slow and the slime was gaining on me. I could see the opposite shore now, but my feet were just barely touching the bottom at this point. Damn my small size! I could feel her gaining on me. Hell, I could smell her over the natural odors of the swamp. Fumbling with my belt, I grabbed the hunting knife under the water. She was reaching out towards me now. With all the skill and grace of a horse doing a cartwheel, I lashed out, trying to hit her arm.

I succeeded...sort of. The knife completely missed, but my arm hit hers anyways, dissolving the limb as I broke apart her somewhat-fragile constitution. She recoiled, as if shocked that anyone would use violence against her. Perhaps a young one? I wasn't about to count my blessings though, and determinedly waded to the other shore. Stopping to catch my breath, I looked back at the swamp, only to see the bubble slime still looking at her severed hand. It almost looked as if she were about to-

“Sniff. Sniff. Waaaahhhhhhh!”

-cry. Small tracks of lighter colored swamp juices were flowing down from where her eyes were formed. Despite my logical side telling me that she could easily reform the limb and that their aphrodisiac was incredibly addictive to the point where being cut off could cause death, I couldn't help but feel like a complete monster.

“Ah, I...uh...I'm sorry!” I shouted sincerely. “I'm sure you'll find a good man some day.” Before I could feel any more guilt, I ran, not really sure where I was going. I was covered in swamp fluids, sweating enough to fill a pool, half my blood seemed to be on the root infested hill leading down to the swamp, and I'm pretty sure my impromptu swim had completely ruined my map and gotten all my spare clothes wet. Fortunately the food stuffs were in separate bags and had probably been spared a majority of the water damage.

Gasping for air, I stopped my sprint and leaned heavily against a tree. There was a time back in the academy when I entertained the idea of going on adventures for fame and fortune. Now that I was in the thick of it (or in this case, the thicket of it), I wanted to go back and throttle my younger self. Although it wasn't like I had much choice in this case-

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

That was...not a good sound. Quick, what type of mamono hanged around swamps and made a buzzing-

WHAM!

Too late. Before I could even figure out what had attacked me, I was laid out flat on my back, trying to work air into my lungs again.

“Ooh, this ones a healthy little morsel. And he's my size too.”

Something was straddling my waist. Blinking rapidly to clear the spots from my vision, I looked up at my captor.

The first thing I noticed were the two antenna sticking out of her head. Next were the wings on her back, one painted with a skull emblem. In the place of hands, there were two evil looking three fingered claws, digging painfully into my shoulders. Her ears were pointed like an elf and her face was showing a sadistic grin as she looked me up and down.

A beelzebub.

Experimentally, I tried testing the extent of her grip on me. That ended quite abruptly as the movement only served to tighten her claws into my shoulders.

“And he has some fight in him. I think I'll take my time with you. It's been a long time since I last had a meal.”

My mind whirled with information as I tried to remember exactly what Kenkou had said about beelzebubs. High magic ability, incredibly fast, lustful disposition-

“Mmm, cat got your tongue human? Let me grab that for you.” Without any prelude or waning, the beelzebub leaned down and captured my mouth with hers, digging her claws into my shoulders until I cried out, opening my mouth in pain. Immediately her tongue darted forward, lapping at the inside of my mouth. Her claws had eased up once I'd complied, sending a clear message.

Seconds later the Beelzebub broke off the kiss. “Tell me little boy, are you enjoying yourself?”

“N-no,” I got out, still winded from her assault. Dammit, what was this thing's weakness?

“Good. Now boy, can you do me favor?” she asked sweetly.

“M-maybe,” I groaned out, trying to reach for the side pocket in my bag. Provided I got out of this with my body intact, I was going to always carry spices in my pants pockets from now on. They sure as hell didn't do a lot of good when your enemy could move at light speed.

“Struggle,” she commanded.

“What?”

“Try to get free like your life depended on it,” she elaborated. “In fact, it probably does.” She emphasized her last statement with a gentle squeeze of her claws. Gentle for her that is. I let out a cry of pain as I felt the talons dig into my skin.

To her ever increasing sadistic glee, I did as she asked, twisting my body, bucking my hips, trying to sit up, all in a vain attempt to dislodge her. I didn't need to see the wet spot on her loincloth or her fanged grin to know she was getting off on physically overpowering me. Damn my small size.

The Beelzebub gave a small shudder as she began grinding her hips against mine, rubbing provocatively against my groin. Desperately, I tried to ignore my growing arousal as I painfully bent my arm towards the side pocket on my pack where the spices lay. Success!

Her left claw suddenly shifted to take a grip on my forearm. “If you're planning on going for a weapon, I'd highly suggest otherwise.” Her voice held a dangerous promise.

“Its not, I swear,” I practically shouted.

“Oh really?” Jerking my wrist out of the bag, she revealed the sealed jar in my hand. “This isn't some form of poison then?”

Raising my eyebrows, I tried my best to feign surprise. “I ah um, actually I forgot I had that. Those are spices,” I explained with a calm I wasn't feeling. “For food.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Food?”

Kenkou's words finally came back to me.

If she has her eyes set on you, she will fly around you and take away all your food...

She hadn't actually done that to me. Perhaps she was really hungry.

“Yeah, I've got...some in my bag. Would you...like a bit?”

Roughly, I found myself flipped over onto the forest floor, face first in a patch of moss while the overgrown insect rummaged through my bag. There was a tearing sound, and then telltale signs of eating. Wait, something was coming back to me...

They crave food and sex all the time and will eat anything in sight and assault males the same way too.

Damn. All I'd done was delay her for a bit. I needed to think of something better.

“Try it...with the spices,” I gasped out, finding it a little difficult to talk with my stomach pinned to the ground. I couldn't see if she was taking my advice or not, but I did smell the overpowering scent of the powder. Seconds later, her weight suddenly left my body as she fell backwards, hacking and coughing up a storm.

“Ha...ha...ha...that's...great stuff.” I ignored her, using my new-found freedom to find my feet and grab my pack away from her limp claws. Briefly, I considered taking the jar back from her, but she had it clutched in a death grip near her face, taking in the sent like it was some heavenly aroma.

Instead, I turned tail and ran...again. I seemed to be doing that a lot today. I got about ten steps before the Beelzebub's words came through the trees after me. “Whaist...donsh leaf. I wantsh moooooooore!”

Did she just get drunk off that foul smelling odor? I didn't think too hard about my good fortune and continued running. A minute later, I heard a faint buzzing sound behind me. A telltale sign of the fly lord in pursuit. Throwing caution to the winds, I quickly turned my head to glance behind me. The beelzebub was flying drunkenly, the spice jar still clutched in her hand as she gave chase. She was moving slower though, and having to make a visible effort to avoid the trees.

“I promeish I'll be gentle,” she shouted. I only pushed my body to go faster, hoping that she would either hit a tree or pass out.

“Look outsh!” she shouted suddenly. Her warning came a bit too late, although I probably wouldn't have believed it even if she had seen the danger a mile away. It was a cunning trap, practically overgrown with grass and hidden in a small dip in the ground. I couldn't react fast enough and suddenly felt myself falling. It wasn't a straight drop either. I felt myself hitting numerous walls as I fell. I tried to get a grip on the sides, but the dirt crumbled whenever I tried to grab at it.

Suddenly, the hole ended and I found myself falling into a large open room. I landed badly, hitting my head, and knew no more.



I don't know how long I was out, but apparently my body had needed the sleep, not that I could blame it considering I'd been up for more than twenty hours, four of those engaged in the strenuous activity of fleeing for my life...or in some cases my virginity.

Either way, despite my uncomfortable nap on the unforgiving stone ground, I was feeling much better. The scrapes and bruises I'd gotten on my trek through the forest were reduced to a dull ache, and while I certainly wasn't a hundred percent, I wasn't going to keel over from injuries or exhaustion.

Opening my bag, I took stock of what I had left. The Beelzebub had torn through all but one of my food bags, leaving me with a two day supply at most. Like I predicted, the map was completely ruined and the compass had been cracked in my fall. My hunting knife was still fastened to my belt, while the smaller knife was still bound to my wrist. I also had one jar of spice remaining, protected in the fall by being nestled in my slightly damp clothes.

Speaking of clothes, the ones I was wearing were feeling about two tons heavier than normal. Probably a result of all the mud I'd gathered from the swamp. My other clothes may have been damp, but at least they weren't torn and caked with filth. Without bothering to look around, I changed as quickly as I could, hoping that no one would walk into this...place and catch me with my pants down. As an afterthought, I slipped the spice jar into one of my pockets. Never let it be said that I didn't learn my lessons.

It wasn't until I had discarded the destroyed clothes and was feeling slightly more human that I even bothered to look around at where I was. It most certainly wasn't a cave. A good bit of light was coming in from several human sized holes like the one I fell through. It wasn't much to see by, but I could make out a very big door on the opposite side of the room, surrounded by unlit torches. The walls were smooth, making scaling back towards the holes impossible, so I cautiously approached the door.

The torches lit suddenly as I drew near, throwing the room into a warm light, and completely revealing the door. It was a mural of sorts, showing all kinds of mamono, from slimes, werewolves, and werecats to a few I didn't even recognize. The entire stone entry was framed by a long golden border, which I realized, as my gaze reached the top of the door, was actually a snake, wound around its own tail. And, before my eyes, the golden snake released himself and began slithering down the door.

Fascinated, I watched as it began twisting itself into a cursive like text.

Welcome adventurer but take heed
Beyond these doors lies challenges three
If strong of mind and body you be
Then ye shall find what you seek

If thou lacks wit, strength or grace
Then turn around and leave this place
Better to live than die and save face
Now make your decision with all due haste

The message ended there with the head of the snake forming into a golden handle for the door.

Glancing behind me, I prepared to make good on the door's promise of 'turning around and leaving' only to have my hopes dashed as I saw the proper entrance to the dungeon covered with rocks and debris, obvious signs of a cave in.

“So much for that,” I said sarcastically. I sighed, looking once again at the warning, specifically at the word 'DIE.' Well, it's not like anyone was going to come rescue me down here. Trying hard not to regret my decision, I pulled the door open, looking into a long dark hallway. The minute I stepped inside, the door closed behind me. There was no handle.

Curiously, I watched as the golden snake seemed to slip through the crack in the door, moving along the wall beside me as I walked, coiling itself into cursive letters once again.

You now approach the test of strength
Choose a weapon of appropriate length

The snake sped ahead and circled a medium sized hole in the wall. Approaching cautiously, I peaked inside to see several different swords, ranging from daggers and longswords, to giant two-handed broadswords. Even to my untrained eye I could tell that they were very well made. A darker part of my mind also wondered what kind of opponent I'd be facing if they were willing to just give me a weapon like this.

The implications were not pleasant.

Methodically, I reached for the smaller sized longswords. I may not have liked George, but I couldn't deny that he'd been a good teacher. Not that my sword skills were anything to boast about, but I did know how to pick a blade. After a couple tries and practice swings I found one that I was comfortable with. Now if only I could feel comfortable about the upcoming fight. Up to this point I'd only ever done practice drills and controlled matches where no ones life was on the line.

Although, now that I thought about it, my opponent would most likely be some sort of mamono, so my life wouldn't be on the line so much as my virginity and/or freedom. Thinking hard, I sifted through Kenkou's data, trying to think of mamono that used swords. Lizardman immediately came to mind (along with a stray thought wondering why they were called lizardMAN instead of lizardWOMAN) but they were travelers and wouldn't stay confined to a dungeon like this. It didn't have to be a swordsman either. Goblins favored clubs and lived in caves. Minotauras also lived in caves, yet they used axes.

My thoughts stopped as I encountered a door at the end of the hallway. Smaller than the entrance, but no less intricately designed. The golden snake slithered a single message across the door.

Prepare yourself...

As if I wasn't already nervous enough. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to meet my opponent.

The arena was circular and of a medium size. Torches adorned the walls and the entire room was bereft of any distinguishing features, save for another intricate door on the opposite end. It was also completely empty. Well that was anticlimactic. Letting out a sigh of relief, I began walking towards the exit.

-CRASH-

Jumping back, I brought my sword up to a guard position, ready for anything yet hoping for nothing. A low pitched gong sound rang throughout the room and an unholy glyph glowed in the center. It took me a moment to recognize it as a summoning glyph. Magic energy was slowly building up. The torches yellow flames turned blue. In a corner of my mind, I noticed that the door I'd come through had slammed shut behind me. Then, a lightning bolt hit the center of the circle, casting the room in a bright white light.

When the spots from my vision cleared, a figure was standing in the center of the room, smoking slightly.

She was wearing gold and black patterned armor and a tattered cape that looked to be burning in blue flames. Her face was soft but her expression hard with blood red eyes and pointed ears, topped off with long, dark blue hair.

And she had a sword, a REALLY big sword. It looked to be as big as her...and she was bigger than me by at least a head. I cast a glance at my sword, which seemed to be getting shorter by the minute. Blocking had just been moved the bottom of my short list of strategies.

She didn't seem to register my presence at fist, instead taking time to look around the circular room. “This place huh? And here I thought Sundasa finally decided to relocate.”

As much as I didn't want to draw attention to myself, I had to ask. “Sundasa?”

Her head turned slowly to meet my gaze. “So you're the little challenger eh? You don't seem very well equipped to handle a deep dungeon expedition. A thief type perhaps?” Her speech was frank and direct.

“Lost traveler type actually. I fell down one of the vents and the entrance was caved in. I don't suppose you could just get me out of here and we could forget I ever saw this place?”

“Tough luck kid.” She gestured to the door behind me. “Only the mistress could undo that enchantment. The minute you stepped through those doors, you were committed.”

“I couldn't just stay at the entrance and starve to death,” I protested weakly.

“Life's not fair kid.” In a swift movement the giant broadsword on her back was unsheathed and held in a ready position. “Deal with it.”

Was it just me, or did that sword actually look bigger now that it was pointing at me?

“Yes,” I mumbled bitterly. “Deal with the ten foot dullahan and the eleven foot broadsword using your tiny little sewing needle.”

“Quit your whining kid. That blade you picked up was personally enchanted by the mistress. It won't break so easily. Besides, if you know I'm a dullahan then you obviously know my weakness.”

“You don't seem too bothered by that,” I shot back sarcastically.

“It's only a small problem. Just like you actually.”

“Kick a guy while he's down why don't you?”

The dullahan smirked. “Tell you what little whiner, I'll give you the first minute for free, no attacks. Come at me with everything you have.”

“Your generosity moves me,” I deadpanned. Still, if things were inevitably going to come to blows, there was no reason not to attack. Shifting my shoulders, I let my pack fall to the floor.

Dashing forward with a yell, I flew into one of my basic sword exercises, aiming a slash at her left side, following up with an overhand slash and a thrust towards the mid section. She stopped me cold each time, her speed with the two-hander easily matching my short sword. Her stance hadn't even changed. Refusing to get discouraged, I shifted to the left, trying to attack her side. Her body didn't turn, but her sword followed my movements, stopping my blade each time. It wasn't until I had moved directly behind her that she moved at all to avoid giving me a flanking strike.

Well fine. If she wanted to be arrogant, let her. I'll take anything I can get. I backed off slightly before charging again, faking left, then right, before trying to attack her from the front. She stopped it, but I'd gotten closer to the armor this time. I began dancing around her frame, forcing her to shift constantly to keep me in view. Finally, one hit got close enough that she broke her 'I don't care' posture and got into a battle stance.

“You've had training,” she said matter-o-fact.

“So have you,” I pointed out obviously.

“You also have thirty seconds left.”

I didn't waste any more time talking, instead deciding to save my breath to attack. I might have had better luck cutting down a wall though. Now that she was in proper form, nothing could get past her guard. Along with her sword, she was also beginning to use her arm guards to block the strikes aimed at her head.

“Times up,” she said suddenly. I had no chance to react as my blade was promptly batted aside and she lashed out with a pommel strike, hitting me right on the forehead. Stars exploded into my vision as I fell backwards, only just managing to keep a hold of my weapon. Instinctively, I rolled backwards, expecting a overhand strike follow-up. She didn't disappoint, leaving a long gash in the stone ground.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my smaller knife, throwing it towards her head, only for her to shift to a one-handed grip and deflect it with her arm guard. I took the opening though, scrambling to me feet and rushing her head on. Unfortunately, I was under the slight misconception that she actually needed both hands to wield her monster of a sword.

She didn't, by the way. Her sword was out of the ground faster than I could blink and deflecting my initial lunge. Her other hand punched me in the shoulder...hard. Staggering back, I was immediately put on the defensive, desperately trying to dodge her strikes. Twice I was forced to parry. Both times my arms felt as though they were going to break from the strain. One instance I had to throw my hunting knife as a distraction so I wouldn't be pinned against the wall.

The dullahan's fighting style was brutal, but precise. She never stopped attacking, letting each swing of her two handed sword be followed up almost immediately by another attack. It was a pure attack style that left a lot of openings, but I was too busy trying to dodge to capitalize on them. Even if I had been able to do so though, I got the distinct impression that this so called magic sword would do little against her armor.

Although, had I been using a normal sword, it would have shattered. Even if I'd been wearing armor, it probably would have been cut through like tissue paper. I was outclassed in just about every way possible, save for the fact that my lack of armor made me slightly quicker on my feet.

Jumping back from another devastating combo, I nearly stumbled as I accidentally stepped on my previously thrown dagger. Bending down, I quickly picked it up and slipped it into my pocket. Straightening, I brought my sword to a ready position again.

The Dullahan was grinning. “That's not a knife.” Reaching towards her belt, the Dullahan pulled out a blade that was easily the size of my head. “This is a knife.”

My eyes went wide as torchlight reflected off of blurred steel. I threw myself to the right, hoping I was fast enough.

-THUNK-

The blade buried itself in the stone wall up to the hilt. My shirt also had a new tear in it. Somehow I got the feeling that I wasn't nearly as lucky as I thought. Picking myself up off the ground, I glared at her. Her smug grin only widened.

“I hate you, you know that?”

“Aww that's too bad. Because I'm starting to like this!” She charged forward again. I wasn't even sure how my body was holding out anymore. She'd stepped up her speed again. Now I was barely holding on. Why was I even fighting this? I knew from the start I was no match for her. I needed a plan.

Inspiration came to me as I saw the knife sticking out of the wall. She knew I had a knife. She expected me to use it. What did I have that she didn't know about? Only one thing came to mind. Ducking under a vicious horizontal swing, I dived past her, making a grab for my hunting knife along the way with my off hand. Success! Whirling around, I threw it at the Dullahan. She batted it away easily. Quickly, I dipped my hand into my pocket, grabbed the short knife, and threw that too. Then I chucked my sword at her.

It was a clumsy throw and easily deflected, but it served its purpose, confusing her enough to give me time to throw my last projectile. Recognition on her face came too late, even as she moved her broadsword to block it. The jar of spice shattered, throwing dust everywhere. I didn't wait to see what the effect was, I simply took a breath and charged in at a sprint.

Had she been braced, I probably would have been lucky to move her an inch. She was disoriented though, and while running full tilt into her armor wasn't the most elegant way to win a fight, I did manage to send her to the ground. Better yet, I sent her head, coughing and sneezing, rolling off the armor and onto the floor.

The body was paralyzed for a brief second as spirit energy began pouring out. I didn't waste the moment and rolled off the body, scooping up the head as I ran, practically collapsing near my knife. Gently, I picked it up and tapped her on the forehead with it.

“Yield?” It came out as a question rather than a threat like I'd meant.

The head opened up its mouth and laughed. “That was a clever tactic human. You did well in using my overconfidence against me.”

I chuckled dryly, glancing at her knife still stuck in the wall. “Somehow I figured you were going easy on me.”

“Of course I was. I haven't lost a fight in fifty years. You may have some experience, but I could tell in the first swing that you were a green as grass rookie.”

Ouch. I couldn't deny it though. “So what happens now?” I asked, falling onto my back, the dullahan's head resting on my chest.

“Now? Well, right now you're going to kindly hand my head back to tall, dark, and armored over there.” A silhouette suddenly fell over my eyes. The armor was standing above me. Unconsciously, I gulped. Meekly, I handed over the head.

“Relax. This challenge ended the minute you knocked my head from my body,” she said as she neatly un-decapitated herself. “Can you stand?”

“Do I have to?”

Her armored glove grabbed my shoulder and pulled me to my feet, dragging me along as she picked up my discarded weapons. “Your reward for completing this challenge is the sword you chose to fight with.” Dark magic converged in her hand, taking on a long thin shape. A sheath, I realized. “May it serve you well.” She took the sword and sheathed it before handing it to me. Still a little unsteady, I accepted it before affixing it to my belt.

“The other is a reward from me.” Her solemn expression vanished, replaced a small evil smile. “You have potential to be a great swordsman. Should you fail the challenges awaiting you, I will find you, and keep you for myself.”

Before I could completely register her words, she had pulled me into a kiss. It was my second. While the beelzebub's kiss had been forceful and demanding, the dullahan's was gentle, although not any less authoritative. My resistance crumbled as she licked my lips, requesting entry in much the same way she had 'requested' our duel.

Her hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me deeper into her kiss. For a second, I could have sworn her head wobbled. Finally, she broke away. Panting heavily, she whispered into my ear. “Take this. You'll need it for the next challenge.” I briefly felt her hand in my pocket before she pulled away.

“Remember rookie. If you can't conquer this dungeon,” she licked her lips. “You're mine.”

Unwillingly, a piece of information from Kenkou's primer floated across my mind.

...if you try to run or hide when the time comes, your chances are slim. There hasn't been a single case of a man escaping their grasp.

Grabbing the broadsword lying on the ground, she shouldered it. “My name is Keva. Don't forget it.” A pillar of black flame surrounded her, and in the next moment she was gone.



I didn't immediately go on to the next room. In fact, I must have laid in the dullahan's room for an hour, eating some jerky and willing my body to move properly. The door leading deeper into the dungeon had opened once the dullahan had vanished, showing yet another long corridor. The golden snake had also reappeared, twisting lazily along the wall, as if impatiently waiting for me to move.

“Alright, I'm coming,” Groaning at the effort, I rose, staggering a few steps before finding my balance. As I walked down the newly revealed hallway, the golden snake shot ahead of me to write another message on the wall.

Next you take the test of wit
Brains not brawn shall conquer it

Well at least I wasn't in danger of being gutted this time...I hope.

The runic alphabet shall be your rule
This magic brush shall be your tool

Like before, the golden snake circled a small opening in the wall. In it lay a small fine brush, strained with ink. With a grimace, I grabbed it, thinking about the snake's message. Kenkou's book only touched upon the runic alphabet once, and that was in the section on golems. He had provided a good bit on basic runic commands you could memorize and the usual locations of runic script that you could try to scrape off if you were attacked, but it still didn't change the fact that I knew next to nothing about the runic alphabet. Damn, was I at the door already?

The snake had one last message.

Prepare yourself...

I think I was starting to hate that snake.

Pushing open the door, I stopped and stared at the huge room I'd just walked into. It was big. Enormous even. So much so that I couldn't possibly see how it could have stayed hidden, no matter how dense the forest was. It didn't even seem like I was far enough underground for a dome like this to fit, let alone stay standing.

A single ray of light shone down from the ceiling of the dome, landing in the direct center of the room. To my left and right were two female golems apiece, each with a different hair color, but all of them holding a giant iron-cast mirror. Sighing, I leaned back against the now-closed door. Why did I have to be right? Reaching into my pocket for a bit of leftover dried fruit, my hand brushed against the piece of parchment the dullahan had given me.

"...you'll need it for the next challenge."

Not daring myself to hope, I slowly unfolded the piece of parchment. On the top was my name in big bold letters. Beneath that, were several strange symbols that I couldn't read, but recognized as the runic alphabet.

Assuming you know the runic alphabet, you can write your own name and gain control of the golem...

Gripping the brush tightly, I walked over to the red-haired golem. She stood taller than me by a head with generously sized assets. Her skin was a light bronze color and her eyes were red. Somehow I couldn't help but feel she was looking at me. With a shaky hand, I moved towards her shoulder, carefully copying the symbols on the paper. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized that the brush was neither drying up or running out of ink.

Finishing the last symbol, I stepped back. For a second, nothing happened. Then, with a grinding sound of stone upon stone, the golem activated, rolling her limbs and stepping off the platform. Turning slowly, she faced me, mirror in hand. “What is your wish, master?”

I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. I had a chance after all. Pointing towards the shaft of light, I commanded her. “Step over there. We've got work to do.”



I didn't really have a good sense of time underground. The light was obviously magical since it had neither wavered nor gone out while I worked. All I knew was that my stomach was full when I started, and now, nearly fifty feet above the ground on a platform in front of the door, I was hungry again. That meant around five or six hours.

My brain was hurting just about as much as my body was after 'sparing' with Keva.

It was far from a mere light puzzle. In fact, light was only a small part of it. There were blocks the size of a small house that required a golem's strength to move, several obstacles that the golems themselves couldn't get around, and the room itself seemed divided into layers of puzzles. Each time I pulled a switch, the room seemed to shift and twist, revealing more and more intricate pathways to traverse. And one little mistake could send the whole construct tumbling down to the first level.

I only had to have that happen once before I began drawing maps and notes on the wall. I even went as far as to name each of the golems based on their hair color, so I wouldn't confuse myself. Even then, it was a work in trial and error. And error. And error.

Kenkou's book had stated that golems came in a wide variety of intelligences and personalities. Unfortunately, these particular ones were on the other end of the spectrum, only replying with simple phrases like 'yes master' and 'by your command.' They couldn't climb ladders or hop over gaps, so a good amount of time was spent maneuvering them around obstacles.

The final leg was particularly intricate, with each golem having been placed at almost complete opposite ends of the room. One was currently holding a switch that revealed the exit, another was making sure that the platform I was resting upon didn't slide out from under me, the third was making sure that the platform the second was standing on stayed where it was, and the fourth was here with me, because her strength was required to open the god damn door. That had been a rather nasty surprise the first time I'd gotten up here.

But now, it was done. The blue haired golem whom I'd named Mizuiro, was even now pushing the door open. Mentally exhausted, I stumbled through after her.

“You have completed the second trial.”

I jumped at the voice that wasn't my own. I'd spent hours on the last puzzle listening to little more than grinding rocks and the sound of my own monologue. The golem had turned to face me, speaking in a low voice.

“Your reward for completing this challenge is the brush you now posses, capable of overwriting any type of magic rune you desire.”

Oh, well that was useful. Now I just needed to learn how to write more than my name in the runic alphabet. Assuming I ever got out of this dungeon. Why couldn't they just 'gift' me a town portal or something?

“The third trial awaits.”

"I can hardly wait."

The golem moved behind me and shut the door before deactivating, her bright blue eyes going dark. Through the crack in the door came a familiar golden colored serpent.

“Hello Ike,” I said conversationally. “Got another cryptic message for me?” He didn't disappoint.

Your final test is about to start
Now you must show your strength of heart

Strong of mind and body you may be
But this is the worst of the challenges three

How nice of this dungeon to inspire me with such confidence. From the look of it, I wasn't even going to get a helpful artifact this time. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the door. “Prepare yourself,” I mumbled, watching Ike write out the familiar message. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the last door.

I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting, nor what to expect really. How exactly did one test 'heart?' It didn't seem like something that could be measured in a quantifiable form. After the long drawn out message from Ike though, I couldn't help but be completely let down when I saw naught but an empty room and an open door on the other side.

Cautiously, I stepped into the room, half expecting to be struck by lightning or something.

Nothing.

Still being as careful as I dared, I took a tentative step forward.

Still, nothing.

Instead of being reassured, I only grew more panicked, wondering where the trap was. I took another step forward.

Again, nothing.

Throwing caution to the winds, I sprinted across the room, covering my head, only stopping once I'd reached the doorway on the other side of the room. No spike pits, falling ceilings, or randomly closing doors.

Nothing.

Exhausted, I let out a long, relieved breath. This place seemed old, maybe the room had malfunctioned. Whatever the case may be, I wasn't about to question my fortune. Adjusting the pack on my shoulders, I stepped into (what was hopefully) the last hallway.

The ground then promptly opened up and swallowed me.



It was early morning. I was laying on the forest floor. Above me was the beelzebub, showing me her sadistic grin while grinding into my hips, doing indescribable things to my lower region. Scared and some what embarrassed, I began struggling under her grip. Grin in place, the beelzebub leaned down to my ear.

“Why do you fight it? What's wrong with giving in?”

“It's not...my choice!” I grunted out, shivering as she continued her gyrations.

“What's wrong with sex?” she asked, licking my ear. “There's no commitment, just two people enjoying the pleasures of the flesh.”

“I have more self-respect than that!” With a herculean effort, I finally dislodged her. Scrambling to my feet, I started to run, only for an armored hand to reach out from behind one of the trees and grab me.

“What about with someone you know then?” It was Keva, adorned in armor that was hardly worthy of bearing the title, considering how much it showed off her chest and legs. Grabbing me with both her arms, she pulled my bright red face into her chest. “What if I said it was alright?”

It took me a moment to pry my face off of her pleasing flesh. “I'm...not like that!” I shouted. Pushing with all my strength, I somehow broke her grip...

...only to fall into the hands of another mamono I recognized. Mizuiro, the blue haired golem. Wow, her skin was a lot softer than it looked. Her expression was one of adoration. She said no words, but moved her hand towards my pants, massaging my length through the fabric. I tried to fight her hold, but she was much stronger than me, never pausing in her caresses.

“Stop!” I shouted suddenly. “Release me!”

She did, rather abruptly, but I kept my balance this time, quickly regaining my footing before dashing into the forest. Behind me I could hear the buzz of the beelzebub, the clanking of the dullahan, and the grinding sound of the golem.

I don't know how long I ran nor where I was running. All I knew was that I had to get away from the mamono.

Was it getting colder?

It was. Snow was falling in the forest now, getting thicker as I ran. Finally, it got thick enough to slow my run to walk, and then a crawl. Losing my footing, I tripped, face first into the snow.

“Why do you fight it?”

Picking up my head, I looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

“Your body aches from retreat, your mind is drowned in desire, yet still you resist. To what end? Is giving in for a bare moment so bad? Is showing a woman who wants nothing but to please you a moment of weakness, truly so horrible? Is it worth such hardship and struggle?”

I looked up and saw a blue skinned yet shapely woman dressed in a revealing, yet oddly formal kimono. A Yuki-Onna. Growling, I lurched to my feet.

“Oh stuff it! I don't care about what you say! I'm not going to rationalize it and break it down till it all works out. It's my body damn it, and I'm better than that! I deserve better than that! So BACK OFF!”

The Yuki-Onna looked startled at my outburst and shrunk back as I advanced on her. “And what are you doing here anyways? This isn't Zipangu!”

The vision shattered.



It was still snowing, and it was daytime. Rapidly I blinked my eyes, looking around.

It was a village...on fire. Screams were everywhere. Bright red blood stained the white covered ground. A repugnant odor was burning my nose, one I had smelt only once before. Burning flesh.

“Take him and go, please!”

I tried to turn my head, but my body was frozen, unresponsive.

“I can't just abandon you here!”

“You can and you will! You and my son are everything to me! Get out the back, now!”

I could feel the reluctance in her steps, even as she complied with his orders. Yet, as she stood by the back door, she glanced back one last time. The door had broken open and a familiar broad shouldered figure was in the doorway. Although he was much younger than I remembered, the hard look on his face was unmistakable.

It was George.

With a cry, the man crossed blades with the hero, but I didn't get to see any more as the woman turned and ran. She didn't get far. Not even forty paces out towards the woods, she fell, an arrow sprouting from her back. I tumbled from her grasp, rolling gently onto the snow.

Realization hit me. This was my village. This was my two year old body. That was...my mother. And George-

-was coming again, a bloody blade by his side. Desperately, my mother tried crawling away, but it was futile. Equally desperate, I tried to move my body, tried to do something.

“By order of the king,” he said, no emotion entering his voice. I tried to look away, tried to close my eyes, but I saw it all in vivid detail as his blade took the plunge.

Then, his eyes fell on me. Still, no emotion crossed his face. Slowly, he sheathed his blade and walked over to me. Picking me up, he gazed into my eyes.

“Sir George!”

The hero turned to face the new arrival. He had a bow strapped to his back, probably the one that shot my...mother. His eyes widened as he saw the bundle George was carrying.

“You will say nothing of what you've seen here,” said George sharply.

“But...the king ordered-”

“Fine then. Kill him.” I felt myself being shoved into the archer's chest.

“What?”

“Do it. Stab him. Cut off his head. Throw him off a cliff. He's no challenge, what are you waiting for?”

The man quailed as George's voice rose sharply with each command. “I-I saw nothing sir George.”

“Keep it that way.” My vision darkened as George enveloped me in the folds of his cloak.

And then, the darkness suddenly lifted. I was back at the holy city. Back on that fateful night in the kitchen where George had confronted me. It was less than a day ago, yet it seemed like ages. He was standing before me again, framed in the moonlight. Unconsciously, I gripped my fist and found it clutching my small knife.

“And now you know the truth,” he said suddenly. “Not only did I lead the attack against your village, I personally slaughtered your mother and father.” My knuckles turned white as I gripped the blade in my hand. “You want revenge? Then take it.” He unbuckled his sword and threw it on the ground. His breastplate followed, hitting the floor with a loud clang. Clad in naught but his shirt, he spread his arms wide open. “Take your shot. I won't stop you.”

My rage snapped. Charging at him with a yell, I brought my knife back for a strike. George didn't even flinch. Lunging forward, I smashed my fist into his face, sending him stumbling into the wall. For the first time ever, I saw a confused look on his face.

“Don't think so highly of yourself!” I shouted “My town was screwed over the minute the king's sanity snapped. If it wasn't you who killed them, it would have been someone else.”

The confusion did not depart from his face. “You're not angry?”

“Angry? Angry? I'm fucking pissed! I told you I'd come back, and I'm gonna do it to. But I'm not gonna take your charity! When I kill you, you'll have a sword in your hand and you'll die fighting! You gave me a chance, and I'm not gonna waste it.”

I dropped the knife, slumping against the wall, emotionally drained. A couple of tears may have leaked from my eyes.

George straightened himself, looking at me with his solemn expression back in place. “Then you do not dwell on the past. That is good. Continue to look towards the future and we will meet again.”

With that, the hero faded, along with the entire room.



I was back in the center of the room I'd first entered, lying face first on the ground. It was an illusion. A very high powered one, complete with sight, sound, and smells. Even though it wasn't real, I still felt like I'd just run a marathon and a half. Slowly, I tried to push myself up from the ground, only to have my arm collapse out from under me. Damn I was weak!

With a bit of effort, I rolled onto my back and delved into my pack for what little food I had left. Chewing slowly on the meat, I puzzled over the dungeon I was in. Keva had said that the place had a mistress, Sundasa I think. Obviously she was a mamono, and a highly magical one at that. But what kind?

A few possibilities filtered through my head, but all of them were rejected on the bounds of lacking magical talent, not being in the proper region, or just not being the type to sit and wait at the bottom of a dungeon. Frankly, I had no clue what I was dealing with.

After a few minutes, I finally gained enough strength to stand. Warily, I tested the ground in front the door before I gained the courage to walk into the hallway. Whatever awaited me in the final room wasn't going to remain secret for long.

“Hey Ike,” I greeted as the golden snake began trailing alongside me again, conspicuously absent of any warning messages or annoying rhymes. “No advice for the final confrontation?” The snake didn't respond.

The hallway was starting to curve downwards and the torches on either side were getting dimmer until Ike was the brightest thing I could see. Finally, I came to a doorway. Hey, looks like Ike had one last message for me after all.

The mistress awaits. Prepare yourself...

Well that was helpful. Somewhat tense, I gripped my sword, trying hard not to think about the fact that it was previously owned and enchanted by the mamono I was about to face.

The door opened onto a completely black room. Not even the faint light from the torches illuminated anything beyond the first few feet. Not that that deterred Ike though. Moving along the ground, the snake slithered into the black, his form not at all dampened by the darkness. Suddenly, his angle shifted, moving diagonally. Finally it reached the top of the blackened rise, and shot straight up, moving into the third dimensional plane, forming a circle that was coiling around...something.

With a flash the room was suddenly illuminated, giving me my very first look at Sundasa.

My breath caught in my throat. It was just like that last entry in Kenkou's book. An echidna. And she was beautiful.

Long silver hair cascaded down her back, reaching a foot past where her snake part began. Her skin was a light blue color, adorned with a few intricate deep purple tattoos. Her full, generous breasts were barely covered by a small, golden bra, while her lower modestly was barely preserved by a purple cloth with snake embroidery, held up by none other than Ike, who was now fully three dimensional, and acting as belt.

Her snake part was varying shades of red, dark on the backside and light on the underside, while her tail was as bright as a sunset.

She smirked as I continued to stare, locking my gaze with hers as she slowly descended from the top of her pyramid like structure.

“Ike here has been telling me an interesting story.” Her voice came out smooth and melodic. “The tale of a boy, ill equipped to deal with a wilderness expedition, much less the lair of an echidna, who somehow dropped into my dungeon, with little more than a knife to his name.”

To be fair, I also had a jar of smelling salts, but I wasn't one to split hairs. She had reached the ground now and was slithering towards me, the smile still on her face. “My name is Sundasa, the mistress of this dungeon. I have seen learned warriors fall to my dullahan, nimble thieves lose their way in my puzzles, and wizards broken by my illusions. How is it that a boy such as yourself succeeded where so many others have failed?”

It took me a moment to realize that she was actually expecting an answer. “I-I don't know,” I stuttered out weakly. And that was the gods truth. I didn't know how I got through her challenges. By all rights a rookie like me should have been dead. And yet...

“There is a conviction in you,” she said, sliding around me slowly. Nervously, I swiveled my head to keep her in view. “A determination to live, and the bittersweet tang...of ambition. So much emotion from one so young.”

“I'm not that young,” I protested meekly, noticing that the radius of her circles around me had slightly decreased.

“I see the mark of The Order on you, boy. Tell me, what do you think of me?”

She stopped, directly in front of me, awaiting my appraisal. I blushed. Hard.

The echidna smiled at my reaction. Apparently I didn't need to say anything more.

“I see you have also partaken of Kenkou's knowledge, have you not?”

The familiar name cut through my embarrassment. “You knew Kenkou?”

Sundasa let out a small laugh. “He was my very first visitor. A bright and determined young man. Sat and interviewed Keva for hours, learning all he could about her while taking notes in his journal. He then bowed politely and yielded to her, saying that he wasn't a fighter, yet requested to speak with me nonetheless.”

“And did you...speak with him?”

“I did. And now one of his students makes their way to my lair. Do you know what happens now, boy?” Her body circled mine again. There was less than a foot of space between us now.

“I uh, actually didn't finish reading about...uh...you,” I said lamely.

If anything, her smile only seemed to grow wider. She was directly in front of me now, her face level with mine. I could feel her serpentine body brushing against the back of my legs. “Your reward for completing the third and final challenge of my dungeon...is a sexy and seductive echidna.”

Faster than I could react, her hand darted out, gently pushing me back. For a minute, I flailed wildly as I tripped over her scales, but was almost immediately caught. Slowly, she lowered her human body to mine. “Do you accept your reward?” she asked seductively.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched her approach, sliding softly towards my face. From the tresses of her hair, two long thin silver snakes appeared, hissing softly.

“Perhaps you need some convincing then,” she teased. Her arms wrapped around my unresisting shoulders before pulling me into a kiss. My third one to date, all received in the space of a single day.

It was easy to say though, that hers blew all my previous experiences away. Her long forked tongue flicked around my mouth before wrapping around my tongue, coercing its participation. Her twin silver snakes wrapped around my head, pulling me deeper into the kiss. Hesitantly, I brought my arms up to her chest, not sure if I wanted to push her away or embrace her.

She broke the kiss before I could make up my mind, giving one last caress to my tongue. Her snakes did not let go though. “Would you like to touch?” she asked gently. I felt myself nod. Her light blue hands grasped my own and brought them to her sides. The skin was smooth, yet firm and pleasant to the touch. Slowly, I moved my hands up and down along her stomach.

“No need to be shy,” she teased lightly. “Why don't you feel...everything.” Her hands left mine and moved to her back. A moment later the golden cloth covering her chest had floated away, revealing her generous assets and pert, dark purple nipples. “Go on,” she encouraged. “Touch them.”

I only hesitated for a moment before taking her breasts in my hands, unable to hold them completely. They were softer than the rest of her skin and I took great pleasure in massaging them, occasionally rolling the nipples between my fingers. It had an effect on her too, if her hisses of pleasure were any indication.

“Someone else may have stolen your first kiss,” she said between breaths as I continued to play with her breasts, “but I shall enjoy taking all of your other firsts.”

I didn't think it was possible for me to get any more hot and bothered than I was, but her words carrying the promise of pleasure sent me to a whole new level of heat. For a brief moment, she pulled away, her silver serpents freeing my head. Slightly confused, I let my arms fall to my sides, watching as her forked tongue moved across her lips. And then, she moved, coiling around me before I could even let out so much as a cry of surprise. My arms were now pinned, trapped within her thick, yet not unpleasant feeling coils.

I squirmed, briefly, but her steel grip held. Her yellow eyes were locked with mine again, her hands slowly massaging her breasts. “Do you accept your reward?”

“Y-yes.” I got out, slightly winded from how tightly I was wrapped.

“Excellent,” she hissed. Without further ceremony, she grabbed my head and guided it into her chest. My cry of surprise was muffled as I found my open mouth full of one of her breasts. Almost instinctively, my tongue began to lick the offered nipple, causing the echidna's breaths to deepen.

“That's good,” she said. “Just keep that up little one.” I felt her hands leave my head, but they were quickly replaced by her snakes, trapping me against her breast. Not that I was really complaining. Her hands began working at my pants, unfastening the belt. I tried to protest, but it came out muffled against her sweet flesh. Seconds later, I felt a cool breeze on my lower body.

I'd never really considered myself generously endowed, but I couldn't help feel a swell of 'manly' pride when I heard Sundasa hiss in satisfaction. Her coils were shifting again. Her tail wrapped around my legs in a figure eight, gently pulling them apart. The thicker part of her body wrapped once around my center before coiling around my neck. Sundasa's head finally came to rest inches from my erect member. I shifted nervously, but to little effect since my body was completely immobilized by this point.

“Do you accept your reward?” she asked again, her smile showing a bit of fang.

I was on the fence. True, my teenage mind was already vividly imagining what she could do with that long thin tongue, but there was something worrying about the way she kept showing me her fangs. Sundasa obviously sensed my hesitation and slowly flicked out her tongue, gently brushing the tip of my erection. A sharp stab of pleasure shot through my body, abruptly destroying my resistance.

“Y-ah-yes.” I managed to get out, panting heavily. And then, my world abruptly exploded into pleasure.

Her mouth enveloped my length, her thin purple tongue wrapping it several times. The two silver serpents in her hair shot down and began flicking their small tongues over my sac. I tried to participate, tried to thrust my hips forward, tried to experience more of that warm, moist cavern that was sending my pleasure receptors into overdrive, but Sundasa's coils held me fast, barely even letting me twitch as she slowly...tortuously slowly, moved up and down my length. Her golden snake-eyes never left mine, as if delighting in seeing me squirm.

I was a virgin. With three exotic tongues working on me, I'm surprised I even lasted thirty seconds. I came, long and hard. Sundasa didn't let a drop go to waste, eagerly swallowing my offering. After what seemed like an hour (but was probably only ten seconds) the echidna released my member, slowly licking her lips.

“The first time is always the sweetest,” she said fondly. “It's a shame you don't have greater endurance, but I have patience.” The coils around my neck loosened as she positioned her body to lay next to mine, snuggling into my side. “Since you didn't finish Kenkou's book, would you like to learn about echidnas?”

The tip of her bright red tail rubbing against my member was a little distracting, but I actually was interested and told her as much.

“The echidna are known as the Queen of Monsters,” she said into my ear as she wrapped her arms around my chest. “Our first child is always an echidna, but our second can be anything. It comes from having massive stores of demonic energy.” My member was getting hard again under her tails caresses. “We will only show ourselves to the strong however, and prefer to lay in wait for brave adventurers in dungeons.” I was finding it harder to pay attention to her words as her tail had wrapped around my length, slowly beginning to stroke it. “When one bests our dungeon, we seduce him. If we like him enough, we'll keep him.”

Her body moved again. This time her face was directly in front of mine, her breasts pressing against my chest. “What would you say if I said I planned to keep you...boy?”

She...liked me that way? Really? “B-but you don't even know me.” I said weakly.

“I know many things about you,” she corrected softly. “I know of your past with George, I know of your present with me, and I know what you might become in the future.”

My mind briefly went blank. “You know...my future?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. I crafted my illusion based on your memories. But that is a discussion for another time. For right now,” her voice suddenly dropped into a deep seductive tone, “we are going to have sex until you pass out from pleasure.” Her language coupled with my the work of her tail snapped me to full arousal.

“Do you trust me?” she asked suddenly.

“What?” That came out of nowhere.

“Do you trust me?” she asked again.

She had me locked into her coils so tightly that a golem probably couldn't break free. With a single twitch, she could have probably broken every bone in my body. She had seen my past, present, and possible future, yet hadn't been judgmental. Did I trust her?

“Yes,” I said with conviction.

“Good.” I had one split-second to see her body glowing with pink energy before she captured my lips with hers. Liquid fire seemed to pour through my veins, heightening my arousal to a level I hadn't though possible. My member went iron hard in her tails grip.

She broke the kiss as quickly as it began. Restrained as I was, I could do little but look as she rose above me. The golden snake holding up her last bit of clothing slithered away, revealing her glistening folds and soft pink interior.

Slowly, achingly slow, she moved her body down towards mine, positioning herself directly over my member. A pair of violet fingers reached down and parted her folds as her tail guided me towards her opening. And then, she stopped, catching my gaze once again with her own, an almost sadistic smile on her face.

“Do you accept the gift I have to offer?” she asked.

Did I- what the- how could I- “YES!” I cried out, my voice echoing off the walls in the cavern. With a tremendous, yet futile effort, I bucked my body as hard as I could, trying to reach her most sacred of places.

And then, in a single motion, I was enveloped in her tight, warm folds. It felt like pure bliss. I came almost instantly, releasing my seed deep into her womb, but my member did not die down. If anything, it seemed to get even harder, something Sundasa was all too ready to take advantage of, thrusting as hard and deep as she could, not letting up for a second. With what little movement I could manage, I thrust my hips with hers, quickly getting into a steady, pleasurable rhythm.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized that for all her teasing, Sundasa was just as aroused as I was...and if her enthusiasm in riding me for all I was worth was any indication, just as eager.

I wasn't sure how long we copulated. Somewhere down the line I actually lost count of the number of times I reached climax, all of it blurring together into a warm pleasurable haze. I did remember her finally releasing me from her coils though, allowing me to push her down and assault her with my hands and tongue as she wrapped both our bodies in her own, pushing me as deep as I could possibly go.

The last thing I remembered was bringing her to orgasm for the fifth time, before my vision blackened and I passed out, falling onto her breasts, enveloped in her serpentine body, and still hard inside her.



I didn't know how long I'd slept, considering that no natural light came down into the dungeon, but I did know I was starving. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see Sundasa gazing at me with an adoring expression, gently running her hands through my hair.

“Good morning love,” she greeted. “Did you sleep well?”

“Better than I have in a long time,” I said honestly, blushing slightly at her address. Her breasts were softer than any pillow I'd lain on and her body was just as warm as any blanket. “How long was I out?”

“A day, give or take. The spell I used tends to drain a man, but I wanted your first time to be special.”

“It was,” I assured her. Idly, I began playing with one of her nipples as I snuggled myself into her bosom. She giggled at my touch.

“Now now, there will be time for that later. I bet you're hungry right now aren't you?”

My stomach growled at her query. Turning my head, I saw a wide assortment of meats and fruits laid out carefully on a cloth on the ground next to us. A private battle waged within me. “Do I have to get up?” I asked finally.

She giggled again. It was very cute. “I suppose I could feed you this once...as long as you return the favor someday.” My heart soared at the thought of a 'someday.' Skillfully twisting her body around, she grabbed the food and began feeding me bits of cheese, ham, and small helpings of rice.

“If you were a normal brash hero-type adventurer, I'd normally enchant your mind and emerge with you from this dungeon as your new human wife,” she said softly.

Briefly, I panicked, coughing on the bit of meat she had just served me. “I don't want to forget,” I interrupted harshly. “And...I don't want you to be a human either.”

Her smile was brilliant and seemed to light up the room. “But you're hardly a hero-type are you?”

“Can't deny that,” I mumbled through a mouthful of rice, my brief second of panic gone.

“So what do you want to do, love?”

For a brief minute, I wanted to forget my previous life. A single night with her had made my days at the academy seem like nothing more than a waking dream. I couldn't think of a single place that I wished to be instead of wrapped up in Sundasa's coils.

And yet, something else was whispering in my mind.

“You said,” I began hesitantly, “you saw what I might become in the future.”

“I did,” she confirmed.

“I...I think I want to meet that future,” I said, unsure of how to frame the statement.

“And what do you want your future to be?” she asked, pausing in her feeding.

“I want to fight against The Order,” I said determinedly. “I want to march at the head of a mamono army and...I want to settle things with sir George,” I finished. My dramatic statement of intent was somewhat ruined when she pressed a piece of fish to my mouth.

“Then I will help you work towards that future.”

I laid there in comfortable silence, simply content to be with her as she fed me. Eventually though, my hunger was sated and my strength restored. Slightly wobbly, I stood as Sundasa unwound her body from mine, leaving some imprints from where she had previously gripped me. Slithering over to a corner of the room, she began chanting in a strange language. Seconds later, a blood red portal opened up in the wall.

“Through this portal is the heart of the demon realm,” she explained. “Once you go through here, there's no turning back. Work hard enough and you just might achieve your dream.”

“You'll be with me, right?” I asked, slightly worried.

“I'll be with you wherever you decide to go,” she promised.

Setting my shoulders, I walked without hesitation towards the portal, towards my future-

-only to be stopped by Sundasa's hand on my shoulder.

“I would recommend you put some pants on first. Wouldn't want you getting jumped right after you've recovered.”

Looking down, I realized that I had indeed neglected to replace my undergarments.

Well didn't that just destroy the moment.



Eight Years Later...

I was not the smartest person in my squad. That honor went to Haruhira, a lizardwoman (I refused to call them lizardman) who possessed a sharp wit, sharper tongue, and even sharper blade. I'd met her in the demon realm, fought with her, drew with her, and was now incessantly stalked by her. I wasn't entirely sure, but I think she was appealing to Sundasa for mistress rights.

I was not the strongest person either. That role was filled by Mizuiro, assigned by Sundasa to be my personal protector, having my name carved into her plate by her own will with a magic knife as a symbol of her service. I knew for certain that she was appealing to Sundasa for mistress rights.

I wasn't the greatest swordsman by a long shot. Despite my lengthy and intensive training, Keva could still toss me around like a rag doll when she was serious. She'd also been my teacher for the last eight years and my lover for the last two. It was the least Sundasa could do for her sister after she'd watched over her dungeon for so long.

I still wasn't the most charismatic person either. That privilege belonged to Yukikawa, a succubus gifted with great beauty and magical power, even amongst her own kind. She was my mistress and probably two nights away from fully converting me to an incubus.

So what was I then?

I was one of the most determined humans the demon realm had seen in a long time. I'd worked myself from the ground up, rising through the ranks in the Demon Queen's army before at long last getting command of a squad and a place on the front lines in the final confrontation with the order. Even now the Demon Queen's forces were converging, winged creatures from harpies to hornets dotting the sky, while the ground was crawling with the largest gathering of mamono ever seen in history.

It had been a long and oft times bloody battle, but The Order's final stand had come at last. Outnumbered nearly six to one, there was little doubt in how this battle would end for the righteous crusaders.

“Just so you know,” said a voice to my left, “if you get yourself killed out there, I'm going to use the blackest of magic to drag your soul out of hell so I can kill you myself.”

I turned to see my wife of seven years approach me, her gaze fierce. Not fearing for my health in the slightest, I walked over to her and drew her into a hug, placing a sensual kiss on her lips to the amusement and cheers of the crowd around me. Breaking off, I whispered gently into her ear. “I love you too.”

Nothing more needed to be said. Horns sounded out. The time to charge was near. Drawing my sword, newly remade and enchanted by my love, I joined my squad in the giant battle cry sounded by the hundred odd species who would be fighting today. I think I might have even heard the roar of a dragon or two amongst them.

And then, the battle began.

I'm coming for you sir George. You better not die before I get there.

THE END