Chapter 18 : Afternoon

The three shinoccubi standing at the portal were all slightly taller than Mica but were otherwise very similar to her in appearance. Two of them, like Mica, were female kiochi while one was clearly a kiogah.

The kiogah stood in stark contrast to the two women at his side due to several obvious key differences in his features. The first of which were his larger horns, which were only slightly longer but were much broader at their base and spaced further apart, being placed on either sides of his brow rather than at his temples. Also unlike the kiochis, his horns curved inwards with their points facing each other rather than curving back above his head.

The bladed spade at the end of his tail was also noticeably larger and broader than those of the kiochis, and unlike them, the saturated coloration around his eyes was almost nonexistent.

The most obvious difference between him and his female counterparts however, were his wings. The kiogah's wings were markedly larger than Mica's and were currently wrapped tightly around his shoulders. The arms of his bat-like wings had been laid over the tops of his shoulders where they then bent at their elbows to wrap around his collarbone. The tiny clawed fingers at the wings wrists were then clasped together over his chest, while the longer, thinner fingers that made up the structure of the wings themselves were curling back, over, and around his shoulders before trailing down his back. The length of his wings then draped down his back to his waist and made it appear as though he was wearing a short cape.

The three shinoccubi were all dressed identically in full black colored bodysuits that covered them from head to foot. Attached to these suits were pads of lightweight, tactical style plated armor that wrapped around their limbs and torsos, while half masks that were identical to Mica's covered the lower halves of their faces.

Dressed as they were, the only parts of their bodies left visible around their suits and masks, were the top halves of their heads, from their eyes upwards, the kiogah's wings, and their long, coiling tails.

Like Mica's, the three shinoccubi's hair were all colored a solid black, but would shine a different color whenever they moved through the light. The kiogah's hair was cut short and shined a dark blue that was identical to Mica's but the two kiochis hair shined a dark green color instead. One of the kiochi had her long hair in a multi-banded ponytail that was similar to Mica's while the other one had hair that was cut shorter and was left to hang freely.

Their guarded stances and the sheathed weapons that hung across their backs and at their hips made it clear that these shinoccubi did not intend to be peaceful.

Though they did carry themselves with a presence that belied their potential danger, this had little to no effect on the two dark elves, who were both far more intrigued by the sight of them than intimidated.

Interestingly, the long haired kiochi seemed to be carrying a teddy bear sized stuffed frog that was a bright green in color and had a broad cartoonish smile stitched across its face.

“Yes!” cried Mica as she pulled her tail back to herself and quickly scrambled to her feet “I knew it! I knew they'd come and get me!”

Anton shook his head softly as he slipped the dry cloth back into the pouch.

“You're so fucked now!” cried Mica as she balled her hands into fists “You might have kicked my ass but you'll never beat them! They're the real deal! Actual assassins!”

“I'm sorry, Mica.” said Anton as he placed the whetstone and towelettes back in the pouch as well “But this is for the best...”

Taken aback, Mica stared at him for a second as she registered his somber tone.

“...You're a dead man.” she declared quietly before turning and making to run towards her family.

Mica only made it a few paces before being forced to stop short as the wall of an orange light bubble suddenly appeared right in front of her. She went to cry out in anger but her voice died in her throat as a thin dart-like blade struck the bubble directly in front of her face. The tiny ping sound that the blade made was quickly followed by one after another as a rain of blades, all clearly aiming for her, struck the bubble and bounced off of it to land harmlessly on the ground in front of her.

Dumbstruck, Mica went completely still as she stared through the transparent bubble at her family. She blinked as a sharp hissing sound caught her attention and looking downwards, she immediately noticed thin streams of smoke rising from were a bubbling chemical that had been smeared on the dart-like blades was burning the ground itself. Making a small sound in the back of her throat, she took a tentative step away from the blades and looked back up at her family.

“...Wait?” she whispered as she fell forward and dropped to her knees “No, wait... No!”

“I'd say that was at least 12 pings...” mumbled Anton as he rose from his sitting position and set the pouch down on the log next to the dark elves “That will hopefully be all their poisoned darts. They usually only carry about 4 of them at a time.”

The dark elves looked from him to Mica and then finally to the three shinoccubi.

“...What are you going to do now?” asked Kianna as she pointed her ears straight back and glared at Mica's family.

“I'm going to go over there and have a chat with my friends.” said Anton as he turned to look at the waiting shinoccubi “...But first.”

The two dark elves both stiffened in surprise as a faint warmth began to emanate directly from the bloodgems mounted to their collars.

“Wha... Whoa, whoa!” exclaimed Fiona as a surge of raw power began to slowly seep into her and fill her entire being “Hold on! What are you doing!?”

“I'm making sure that you two will have more than enough power to do whatever it is you feel you need to do...” explained Anton.

“...What we need to do?” questioned Kianna as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards “What do you mean!?”

“Well, I'd like you girls to stay over here, and keep an eye on our kiochi while I'm gone.” said Anton as he tightened his eyes at the shinoccubi “And if anyone decides to be foolish enough to come over here and try to kill her while I'm busy. Then I'd like you girls to step in and stop them.”

Wide eyed, the dark elves glanced at each other before turning to stare at the three figures in the distance.

“Remember. You have no reason to be afraid. You have the defensive advantage.” said Anton “Your aura fields alone should be all you need to keep yourselves and Mica safe.”

“...Right. ...Sure.” nodded Fiona “But let's say, that if we, maybe wanted to try... Could we beat them?”

Pausing at her question, Anton tilted his head and glanced back at the two dark elves. Finding them both staring at the shinoccubi with calm, calculating looks on their faces, he couldn't help but to grin.

“They are assassins. For them the element of surprise is everything. In fact, I'm sure the only reason that they're hesitating right now is because at the moment, they don't have that advantage on us.” explained Anton as he focused back on the shinoccubi.

The dark elves both nodded silently as they continued to listen.

“You've seen Mica in action, and you know how quickly she can move. They'll be just as fast, if not faster. And unlike Mica, they'll have training and experience on their side. They won't be as clumsy as she is, or as predictable. Do not take them lightly.” continued Anton “Your auras are what will make all the difference for you. So do not hold back with them. The link you have to me will give you all the power you need. So you have no reason to worry about running out. Work together, force them to feel fear, and there will be nothing they can do to stop you.”

The dark elves nodded again as faint smiles formed on their faces and their ears began to twitch in excitement.

“Do not be overconfident though. Remember, these are natural born killers. They are not harmless by any means.” warned Anton “Act rash, overreach, and they will take advantage of you. But if you stay in control of yourselves, remain patient, let them make the mistake of coming to you, and the battle will be yours.”

Their expressions shifting to show a grim determination, the dark elves both narrowed their eyes at the shinoccubi.

“...Oh, and there is one more thing.” said Anton “Possibly the most important thing of all.”

Shifting their attention back to him, the dark elves remained still as they waited for him to continue.

“If things do become ugly. And a battle does take place.” said Anton as he glanced down at them and grinned “Then I want you both to make sure that you enjoy yourselves.”

“...Oh, of course, Master!” replied the dark elves in unison as wicked looking smiles spread across their faces “We absolutely will!”

“Good.” nodded Anton as he began to make his way towards the edge of the bubble “Very good.”

Stopping next to the still frozen and wide eyed Mica, he pointed his index finger straight down and pressed his fingertip against the very center of the top of her head.

“Stay.” he ordered as he applied enough pressure to make her head dip a bit “Do not move.”

Mica made a tiny sound in acknowledgment as her tail coiled itself around her body.

The light bubble dropped away completely as Anton stepped past her and went to walk through it.

Though the majority of their features were obscured, tension could still be seen clearly in the eyes of the three shinoccubi as they stood their ground and silently watched Anton approach.

“Leopold! Ila!” cried Anton cheerfully as he made his way towards them “Fancy running into you guys out here in the middle of nowhere! What are the odds!”

The kiogah and the long haired kiochi both blinked and glanced at each other before turning back to Anton. Though in no way older looking by comparison, the long haired kiochi was marginally taller than her short haired companion, and had horns that were nearly twice as long as both her's and Mica's.

“Hello, Anton.” said Leopold as he inclined his head in greeting “You're looking well.”

“Yes. Hello, Anton.” said Ila as she waved her tail back and forth in greeting “It's nice to see you again.”

“Same, same!” smiled Anton as he came to a stop about a dozen feet in front of them “And I'm guessing this is Nokko then, right? It's nice to finally meet you!”

The short haired kiochi blinked with obvious apprehension on her nearly hidden face.

“...Right, yes. It's nice to meet you too.” she answered in a voice that was both unfriendly and unsure “I'd like to apologize for any, inconveniences, that my sister may have caused you.”

“Hm? Ah, you must mean Mica.” said Anton as he nodded his head playfully “Yes, she has been a bit of a handful lately. As you can see.”

The three shinoccubi followed Anton's hand with their eyes as he gestured towards the still smoking trenches laid out all around them.

“...Yes. Quite easy to see.” nodded Ila as she glanced about “Mica didn't actually do any of this though? Did she?”

“Well, no, most of this was me.” said Anton with a grin and a shrug “But she was involved.”

“I take it you two had a battle then?” questioned Leopold.

“You could say that. Though in reality, it was more of an assessment of Mica's skills.” explained Anton as he let his eyes drift to Nokko, who was now staring past him at her sister “You see, I wanted to know just what Mica is capable of, and how much training she's going to need to best preform at her new job of protecting my dark elves. So now, I can say that while I do think she does have a long way to go, and will need quite a bit of work, there is definitely enough natural talent there to know that the effort will be worth it.”

Clearly uncertain of how to precede with this situation, both Leopold and Ila shifted in unease as they glanced at each other.

Anton had to work to suppress the smugness from his expression as he watched the tension pass between the two shinoccubi.

“...Anton.” began Leopold as he measured his words before speaking “I know, that you do understand, why we're here. And that you know, what it is we've come to do.”

“Well of course I do. You've come to murder your own child.” said Anton as he looked from Leopold to Ila and back “That's exactly why we're out here as well. You see, I wanted Mica to fully understand her situation. Unfortunately, she was still under the impression that this could all be resolved, and that you, as her parents, wouldn't truly want to harm her. So knowing that you would more than likely be using some kind of locator spell to find her. I brought her out here, away from my ward, and we've just been passing the time and waiting for you to show up.”

Taken aback, the three shinoccubi went still for a moment as they absorbed what Anton had just said.

“...Wait, so you planned for this?” asked Ila.

“Yes. And although I do appreciate you being as predictable as you've been, I also think that it took you a lot longer to get here than it should have.” said Anton as he shifted his gaze down to the stuffed animal “I'm guessing that this frog is the focus you used to find Mica?”

“Oh, yes.” said Ila as she looked at the frog in her hand.

“Hold on a moment!” grumbled Leopold as he narrowed his eyes and curled his tail upwards behind his shoulders “If you're telling the truth. And you intended to lure us here. Is this meant to be some kind of trap!?”

“Trap? Oh, no! No, I think the point has been made already, so you're free to leave.” said Anton as he gestured to the portal “Like I said before, I just wanted Mica to understand that you would legitimately kill her. And now that she does understand that, we're done here.”

The three shinoccubi glanced among themselves before turning back to Anton.

“No, Anton.” said Leopold as he locked eyes with Anton “I'm afraid we're not done here, yet.”

“Yes, Leopold.” smiled Anton “You are.”

“Anton, you have to understand.” said Ila as her eyes became pained “This is something that we need to do. There's far more to this than you realize.”

“No, there isn't. I understand your situation completely, Ila.” stated Anton as his voice took on a harder tone “I just don't agree with how you plan to resolve the issues that you're dealing with.”

“This isn't something that's going to be enjoyed, Anton.” said Leopold as his tone hardened as well “But regardless. It is something that we are going to do.”

“No, Leopold. It isn't something that you're going to do. Because I'm not going to let you do it.” said Anton as he folded his arms over chest “Now accept that, and leave.”

The stillness that followed lasted for several long moments before being broken by Nokko as she narrowed her eyes and menacingly swiped her tail back and forth above her head.

“Okay, who the Hell does this guy think he is!?” she asked as she gestured to Anton by pointing her spade at him “Because he sure is cocky for somebody who is moments away from death!”

Anton chuckled as he kept his eyes locked to Leopold's.

“Enough, Nokko!” chastised Ila as she slapped at her daughters spade with her own.

“Yes! Enough of this nonsense!” said Leopold “This is a serious matter, Anton. And if you keep pushing it, then this situation will become violent.”

“Of course it will, you say that as if it's actually avoidable. You're Infernals, Leopold. And it always comes down to violence with Infernals...” said Anton as he sighed in frustration “Even when dealing with the domesticated ones...”

Stiffening at the jab, both Leopold and Ila tightened their eyes in annoyance.

“Violence isn't necessary, Anton.” said Leopold “I do not want to hurt you.”

“Oh, now come on, Leopold. We both know that isn't true.” said Anton “We're still friends here, regardless of the situation. So please don't lie to me like that again.”

Clearly taken aback by the suddenness of the statement, Leopold sighed and shook his head in frustration.

“You're really going to make this difficult for us, aren't you?” grumbled the kiogah.

“Difficult? No, I'm not going to make this difficult for you...” said Anton as he shook his head and began to flare his aura “I'm going to make this impossible for you...”

“...Is that so.” whispered Leopold as he slowly arched his tail up high over his head and pointed his spade down at Anton.

“Wait! Now hold on a moment!” exclaimed Ila as she teleported herself in between the two steel eyed men “Anton, I don't understand this at all! Why are you suddenly so adamant about wanting to keep Mica alive? She has tried to kill you! You owe her nothing! And yet you're standing here ready to fight for her!? Why!? Why would you ever do this!?”

“...Because, amazingly, somehow or another that little kiochi has endeared herself to my dark elves. And this is something that I just can't help but to find fascinating.” said Anton as he sighed in mock frustration “They've decided that they like her for some reason. And they want to keep her. And yes, yes I know I'm spoiling them by giving in like this. But it's just so difficult for me to say no to those girls when they ask so nicely. ...And, well, also, I suppose I'd be lying to myself if I didn't admit that the little brat wasn't growing on me a bit as well...”

“...Wait, what!? So you're seriously going to risk your life for somebody you've just barely met, all because some dark elves asked you to!?” exclaimed Nokko in a mocking tone “Does this really not sound ridiculous to you!?”

“I'm not the one whose life is at risk, Nokko.” said Anton “That would be Mica.”

“...You sure about that?” mumbled Nokko.

“Yes.” stated Anton “And I have no intention of letting her, or anyone else die today. Which is why I'm willing to offer a proposition to you two, Leopold and Ila.”

“Proposition?” questioned Leopold.

“Yes. As you can see.” said Anton as he nodded towards his and Mica's battlefield “I am not without my capabilities. And if this were to escalate to a point in which the 4 of us were to fight, then I would of course defend myself in anyway that I felt was necessary. And there is no guarantee that one of you won't be killed in that scenario... I don't want to see that happen. So I propose that we settle this in an as controlled a manner as possible. A simple, quick match between me and Leopold. One on one, winner takes Mica with them, and we call it a day. How does this sound?”

Leopold was silent for a moment as he stared at Anton.

“...This is foolishness.” he said at last “You are taking a risk here, Anton. One that I don't feel you truly comprehend.”

“Possibly.” nodded Anton “It's entirely possible that you're right, Leopold. But be that as it may, it's a risk I'm still willing to take.”

“...Very well then. If you insist, then I will oblige.” said Leopold as he nodded to Ila and Nokko “We will do this one on one. Just you and I.”

“Excellent.” said Anton as he watched the two kiochis disappear for a brief second and then reappear a short distance away.

“As I said before, I am not going to enjoy this.” said Leopold as he stepped into place in front of Anton “I wish you could be more reasonable.”

“This is an ugly situation for all of us, Leopold.” said Anton “This isn't something that I'm looking forward to either. But I have to do what I feel needs to be done.”

“And that is a decision that you will regret.” said Leopold as he pulled two swords from the sheaths strapped to his back “I don't intend to drag this out, Anton. I will end this as quickly as possible.”

“I understand. I intend to do the same.” said Anton.

“It is clear that you're not completely incapable.” stated Leopold as he began to slowly walk in a circle around Anton “So I don't intend to give you an opportunity at a clear target.”

“...Mm hm, that makes sense.” nodded Anton as he arched an eyebrow in question.

“I am going to use an ability to generate several clones of myself. These will not be mere illusions, Anton. Each of these clones will be fully capable of harming you.” explained Leopold “You will not be able to tell which one is the real me. I will then create a veil of dust in which to hide in. You will not be able to tell from which direction you are going to be attacked from.”

“...Okay?” questioned Anton as he folded his arms back over his chest “Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because, capabilities aside. You are no warrior, Anton.” said Leopold “You have made it abundantly clear through our past conversations that you are merely a scholar. Skilled in survival as you may be, a battlefield is no place for you. As it sits, you have no chance of winning this fight. And to not at least give you some idea of what to expect would just be cruel.”

“...I see. Well, that is, very kind and, confident, of you. And I do appreciate the gesture, Leopold.” said Anton as he nodded slowly “But I think it would be best if you went ahead and just got started already. You see, if it's all the same to you, I would really rather not spend the rest of the day on this...”

“...Very well then.” muttered Leopold as he unclasped his wings and spread them out wide over his shoulders “If you insist...”

The dark elves both went wide eyed as they watched the shadows created by Leopold's wings begin to consolidate into seemingly solidified masses. Within the span of a moment, two clones that were identical to Leopold suddenly dropped out of the solid shadows and stood on either side of the original.

Apparently, unlike with Mica, Leopold didn't have to completely dissolve himself into a cloud of darkness to create clones. Nor did he have to remain still to do so, as he continued to walk in a circle around Anton while creating one set of clones after another.

As they were created, each set of clones would quickly dash to different positions around Anton. And by the time Leopold had made a full circle, Anton was completely surrounded.

Ignoring the clones, Anton remained stoic as he watched Leopold come to a stop in front of him.

“This is your last chance, Anton.” said Leopold as he and the clones all spread their wings out as wide as they could “From here on out, the fight will begin.”

“By all means.” said Anton as he lifted his left hand and waved it about “Please, begin.”

Without another word, all the clones began to move in unison as they beat their wings down towards the ground. In doing so they immediately raised a thick cloud of dust.

Anton kept his eyes on Leopold as around them each of the clones dropped backwards into the dust cloud and began to run at inhuman speeds in a circle, kicking up more dust as they went.

Within seconds, Anton and Leopold stood alone in the center of a swirling dust storm that now hid the still moving clones.

The watching dark elves and kiochis had completely lost sight of anything within the dust cloud and could do nothing but wait for the view to clear.

Leopold gave Anton a sly half grin before he beat his wings and launched himself backwards so as to disappear into the dust cloud himself.

Anton remained motionless as he merely stared forward and waited.

Bright flashes of sunlight reflecting off of their blades was the only warning Anton had as over a dozen Leopold's suddenly appeared out of the swirling dust cloud and went to attack him all at once.

In the next second, the sound of a single finger snap reverberated loudly across the open field, and this was followed by an immediate cease to all of the movement around the still standing Anton.

The air surrounding Anton had instantly become clear as the dust, grass and attacking shinoccubi had all been immediately crushed to the ground around him.

The two dark elves began to clap softly as the dumbfounded kiochis blinked in confusion.

“...It's quite depressing to see how times of peace without conflict can have such ugly side effects on those who carry a drive for combat in their spirits.” said Anton as he glanced around at the unmoving kiogahs “The gentrification of the modern age has been especially cruel in this regard. By dealing with only the average citizen, any individual with even a modest amount of training will begin to truly believe themselves to be capable as a warrior in real combat. And it's only after encountering someone who knows what it truly takes to win the day on an actual field of battle, that these misguided individuals will not only come to comprehend the true gap in skill, but they will also come to fully understand their own place amongst their betters...”

Twisting at the waist, Anton tilted to the side to meet eyes with one of the struggling Leopold's.

“You have failed to recognize your place, Leopold. You are no warrior. You're a posh, real-estate lawyer who merely moonlights as an assassin. A blade for hire who lives at the beck and call of any fat businessman with the money to pay for your services...” said Anton as he tightened his eyes in question “Tell me truthfully. How many of your targets have ever been anything more than a a nosy accountant, a lazy son-in-law, or an unwanted whore?”

The Leopold remained silent as his expression hardened.

“Mm hm, that's what I thought...” nodded Anton as he looked away from him “Underestimating your opponent is always the first step to defeat. This is something that I will make sure that Mica learns.”

A hollow thud suddenly rung out as a kunai came sailing into the area and immediately slammed to the ground to lay with its point aimed at Anton.

Glancing at the fallen weapon, Anton slowly raised his eyes up to Nokko and took in her post throwing stance.

The kiochi lowered her arm to her side as a look of hated clouded her eyes.

“Release him.” she growled “Now.”

Anton tilted his head as he gave her an assessment.

“I said, release him!” ordered Nokko as she pulled a handgun from a holster at the small of her back and pointed it at Anton “Right now!”

Anton remained silent and still as they both stared at each other.

Nokko's eyes tightened further a split second before she pulled the trigger on her weapon, but this signal was all the warning that Anton needed to summon an aura field into existence around himself and block the bolt of concentrated mana that had been fired out of the gun.

Surprised by the sight of the glowing bubble, Nokko seethed and began to rapidly fire her weapon in anger. Aiming for Anton's head, she struck the bubble at the same spot over and over again. When no effect was made by the mana based blasts, she quickly flipped a switch on the side of her weapon and fired an actual physical bullet from the gun. After several fired shots, she became elated when a small crack suddenly appeared across the bubble's surface.

Anton's expression never altered as he calmly watched Nokko empty her weapons supply of bullets against his shield.

Pausing for a moment to assess the damage she had done, Nokko cried out in anger as the cracks she had made shrunk down into nothing and the bubble's surface became smooth again. Furious, she raised her gun back up but hesitated to fire when her mother's spade came to rest on top of it.

“That's enough.” whispered Ila as she gave her a pointed look.

“...Hm, that one has a temper, and doesn't hesitate to attack.” mused Anton as he watched Nokko grudgingly return her gun to its holster “That is one thing that I do actually appreciate about Mica. She can control her temper, and she doesn't immediately resort to violence. She's-”

“Ila!” cried out the Leopold's as they all struggled to turn their heads towards her “...Go!”

Ila froze for a split second as she locked gazes with the closest Leopold. Her eyes went wide with understanding as they darted to Anton.

“...Ila, we had an agreement.” said Anton as his eyes narrowed in warning “Don't you dare.”

Without another word the kiochi turned away and disappeared from sight only to reappear in the field that separated them from Mica and the dark elves. Dropping the stuffed frog, she began to sprint at full speed straight towards her daughter.

Sneering at Anton, Nokko turned and hastily followed after her mother. Once she caught up to her, the two kiochis made to cover the distance between themselves and their target as quickly as possible by hurling themselves into the air and teleporting parts of the way.

Her tail reflexively curling back and up over her head in surprise, Mica's eyes widened to their fullest as she stared dumbfounded at the sight of her own mother flying in through the air, and heading straight for her with dual swords and her tail spade poised to strike. The stunned shinoccubus remained completely frozen even as her mother and sister both came to a unexpected stop, floating in the air above her.

Having slammed into the side of a large curved dome that had suddenly appeared in front of them, the two kiochis paused in confusion as they stared down at an equally surprised looking Mica.

The dome they found themselves on was transparent enough to see through clearly, and was made up of thick, reinforced looking hexagon shaped plates that had been honeycombed together and were colored in an alternating pattern of neon green and pink.

“What the Hell is this!?” cried Nokko as she and her mother both attempted to pierce the dome with their weapons and bladed tails “Is Mica doing this!?”

“...No.” mumbled Ila as she watched both Kianna and Fiona step up behind Mica and stand on either side of her “No she's not...”

The two attacking kiochis jumped backwards and landed on the ground just in front of Mica. They both glanced at each other before turning to face the dark elves.

Watching the kiochis clamber about and then leap down off the dome, Anton shook his head and sighed in irritation.

“Well that was foolish.” he grumbled as he pointed a finger at the kunai on the ground, shot out a thin light chain that instantly wrapped around its handle and pulled the blade back up to his waiting hand.

Rolling the kunai between his fingers, he glanced down at the closest Leopold.

“You know, this would have been over...” he said as his aura began to ominously spread out and blanket the area around him “But Ila chose to make a very poor decision. One that I'm going to make sure that you both regret...”

Angling his arm out to his side, he let the kunai fall point first. With the added gravity in the area, it easily pierced right through the neck of the Leopold and the apparent clone cried out before dissolving back into shadow. With a quick pull on the thin chain still attached to the handle, Anton brought the kunai back up to his hand.

“I just have to find you first...” he said as he turned and let the kunai fall through the chest of another Leopold who immediately began to dissolve “Which shouldn't take too long...”

The ringing pings of the kiochis testing the dome with the blades on their tails rang out through the air as they searched for some way into the impenetrable fortress that separated them from their target.

“...M-mommy?” whimpered Mica as she stared up the attacking kiochi.

Ila froze before slowly shifting her gaze down to her kneeling daughter.

Mica's face was stricken with a mix of both panic and sorrow as heavy tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the ground between her knees.

“...No.” she cried meekly as she reached out her hands “Mommy, please!”

Ila's eyes softened as she slowly lowered her weapons.

“Are you serious!?” declared Nokko as she struck at the dome with her tail and caused Mica to flinch back in fear “Can you be any more pathetic!?”

“Hey. Watch your mouth, you little bitch.” snapped Fiona as her eyes roved over Ila's slim but curvaceous form and then darted to Nokko.

Narrowing her eyes into a glare, Nokko stared right back at her.

“This has nothing to do with you elves.” she declared as she coiled her tail back above her head and menacingly flexed out her barbs “If you dirt-skinned little bubble bitches knew what was good for you, you'd both stay out of this!”

Mica made another tiny sound as she felt the the dark elves auras swell around her. Slowly looking upwards, she gulped nervously as she found both Fiona and Kianna staring forward with hardened expressions on their faces and their ears held sharp and pointed straight back behind their heads.

“I'm not sure how much you actually know about dark elves, Leopold. But I can assure you that all the worst things you've heard are true.” said Anton as he dropped the kunai through the head of another clone “They're sadistic, hedonistic creatures who will enslave and dominate for nothing more than the simple pleasure of ruling over the life of another being. They were built with the soul purpose of controlling others, it's what they truly are, through and through. And as such they are nearly incapable of seeing other people as anything more than potential pets, toys or slaves... So knowing this, why do you think the people of the world would ever tolerate them? These monstrous creatures who treat all others as nothing more than living playthings. Why wouldn't the people just band together against them and make an effort to be rid of them forever? ...Well, the truth is, they have tried, many, many times...”

Dropping down to sit on his haunches, Anton leaned in close to a Leopold as he continued to speak.

“Every army, every kingdom, every alliance that has ever made an effort to oppose the dark elves, drive them away or even wipe them out completely... Has failed. Spectacularly. Every, single, time...”

Anton let a broad smile spread across his face as he watched the kiogah's eyes tighten.

“The dark elves rule over others because they are powerful enough to do so. They were built, and blessed by the Gods themselves with the power to do so. And they are powerful, Leopold. Powerful enough that if they choose to, they can make even your lords, the demons, kneel before them.” said Anton as he began to softly chuckle “Your kind would never stand a chance against them. And the funny thing is, at this very moment, your wife and daughter are over there right now. Trying their best to make two of these beings as angry as possible...”

“You...” breathed Kianna as she stared unblinkingly at Nokko “You're the one that attacked my Master while he wasn't looking...”

Nokko cocked her hip and smirked with her eyes in an effort to taunt the dark elf.

“Yeah, I did. And what are you going to do about it? Aside from sit in your little bubble.” she mocked as she ran the tip of her bladed spade across the side of the dome and made a sharp scratching sound “If you wanna talk so big then why don't you drop this shield, and show me what you're really made of.”

The dark elves were both still for a moment before their ears went from a pointed straight back stance to fully relaxed as their entire beings seemed to inexplicably become calm.

Looking back and forth between the two now seemingly serene looking dark elves, Ila took an involuntary step back as her instincts began to go off in alarm.

“Okay.” whispered the dark elves in unison.

“You know, I really can't wait to see what happens here.” chuckled Anton as he looked back over to the dark elves “This is going to be very, very interesting.”