The Battle For The First Castle (2)

 

 

 

Everyone else went silent with the scene of the poor Little Yao being dragged towards the big bad wolf Tongqiu. Once she began 'sobbing' out of fear from being eaten, in Tongqiu's arms, Itnia cleared her throat before continuing.

"A-ahe-m! A-as for the Knight of Raoundozia's side, there's the Head of the House; Raoundozia himself, a guardian. The Vice-Head of the House, Phetsia, she's an assassin. Team leader Loyal player, he's a gun master and finally; Hor, he's another guardian. It may seem as if the KR's side is much weaker in terms of their elite higher ups being less in number... but with some auxiliary players, I think those four will be enough to rival those of the Guerilla Guild's side. This is not accurate, and is just my speculation, Master." After finishing speaking, this time without an interruption, Itnia then proceeded to wait for her Master's response.

Tongqiu nodded slightly before turning to look at her, their lips delicately grazing against each other before remaining in contact with their eyes going from down to observe their union to up to lock their eyes on the other's.

"Then, Itnia, what class are you going to choose, ah?" While speaking, his lips danced along with Itnia's lightly and as some maids looked on enviously, Itnia herself was enchanted by her Master to notice nor care.

"Uhm, I think I'll wait for the first advancements of all classes to come out to light to decide, I'd like something really, really specific, Master." Itnia spoke almost as if daydreaming, her eyes never leaving Tongqiu's. Tongqiu then caressed her back before adding: "Then, you'll get far behind Little Yao, this monkey over here. Are you sure?"

With her Master's hidden, meaningful wording; Itnia first was about to respond that she did not care before feeling a sense of danger!

She was the maid's Leader! The senior of them all that are here now and those who will be, how can she be so far behind one of her subordinates?! She... she must do something!

As such, Itnia quickly collocated her body even closer to her Master, she puffed out her modest chest a little before tenderly whispering to Tongqiu in a mosquito voice overall: "Ah, Master. I found a new cream for my legs a few days ago while you weren't here. I'm not too sure about it, and, and... I've been holding on to putting it on me in case there was an allergic reaction, I... I just thought that, maybe, with Master's great insight, I should be out of harm's way should I react too strongly at that. W-w... what do you say, Master?"

"..."

'Is the polite and serious Itnia not even aware of her own problems, such that she even needs me to do it for her? Ah, 'great insight', just how much has Diana told you girls before? Tsk tsk.' Tongqiu's thoughts were as such, but his entire face was nonetheless still an affectionate and doting one as he made an expression of pondering for a little before answering her.

"Okay, tonight? After bidding Little Zyv farewell, I'll come into your room, how about it? Do you dare, hmm?"

"Ah-k-eek... yeah..."

Tongqiu could only slap himself in his mind before giving her a quick peck; all this while he and her had been tickling each other's lips by talking in the same position, Little Zyv was even frowning slightly while squeezing his abdomen which she actually found herself easy to do, even though Tongqiu was no longer a bizarre fatty young man.

At that moment though, as Itnia was relishing on her Master's flavor and the sight of their trace of saliva have a thick volume, there were loud white noises coming from the extremely large TV.

Thump, thump, thump!

-"Aaaaah!!"

-"Attaaaaack!"

Weird noises, either attempts at creating a battle cry or simply having a player release an extremely unnecessarily extended yell at commanding their troops; came to the ears of everyone in the Living Room as most of them cringed a little.

Bok-THUD-Splash!

BOK-KKG! THUD THUD.

However, their cringing didn't last long, for as the next sound were that of the very first players colliding against each other. And the end result of their collision was mostly of their bodies becoming a mess in the air before falling onto the ground.

-"Shit-! Oh-ow-fuuuuck! What is this?!"

-"Ignore it, it's just a game. Keep fighting! Kill them!"

Though one side of the players' running speed wasn't to par with one mounted on a horse, the fact that there was another group whose movement was equal or even faster than theirs running up at them as well as both sides wielding powerful, sharp and obviously dangerous weapons was the main factor on creating the initial mess of flesh, blood and bones; and even hair.

But it just barely lasted longer than instantaneously; right after that initial collision into a messy start, the two sides of each group started cleaving, hacking, slashing, thrusting and throwing any and all types of weapons as well as throwable items.

Meanwhile, the safe-and-sound ranged and magical classes at the back of the frontlines were instead hesitatingly shooting arrows, bullets and skills at their enemies. Taking more than necessary time to perform each of their movements, and allowing the enemy's melee players to have more and more advantage that was supposedly to be nonexistent.

At this moment, the sounds of the metals of each weapon to another's weapon, or that of a weapon colliding against armor resounded and resounded, there were less and less screams of battle as well as cringe worthy yelling of unnecessary extended words. Silence took the place for itself to manifest in the most somber yet tense of ways with the melee type classes of both sides becoming more and more stern. Now, more than ever, did they felt that the entire battlefield was in their hands and not in that of a simple large amount of long-distance class type players.

A sense of duty filled them, ever so slightly; as they continued to tear apart the flesh on their rival's faces, dismember the weakest of the other's side whom were about to be put down for good, out of the battlefield map. Even then, the sound of tearing flesh and touching bones was all ear-stirring for every single one of them. After all, not everyone was made to resist or get used to, adapt, to these kinds of situations.

Especially in these times, that war is already a fairy tail to scare young, promising children into 'thinking for the bigger picture', each of the men that were battling had tons of sweat bullets rain down their hair. But not of exhaustion; of their mental being put to the test instead.

Bvreee-Vwlsht~~ Bvreee-Vwlsht~~ Bvreee-Vwlsht~~...

In the Living Room, as the maids heard these unknown sounds as they saw the players be torn to pieces, well- some of them. While others just get bloodied until they either die or kill the other party.

"Oww, Master, is this for real?"

"So that is how it looks like, a battle like this?"

"Aiii, it's so disgusting, I don't..." A maid that was about to utter her insecurity from being able to support her Master inside the game in the future, suddenly looked at a Tongqiu who was calmly observing every maid as they became uncomfortable and disgusted. Maybe some would've notice, but she definitely saw some feeble amount of care and the need to 'protect' by granting knowledge in his eyes, which made her shut up slowly.

But after a second or so, the maid felt her body react by instinct as she spoke, her little mouth opening and closing a few times before finally speaking: "Master, wha-what do you... think?"

"Hmm..." As the maids took this chance to look at Tongqiu, he himself felt his heart flutter, he was never before in a situation like this. How could he explain what killing a human inside Rising Essence felt? How could he tell them how it actually felt?!

Nevertheless... Tongqiu took a deep breath in and did some risky decisions...

"Actually, I do know how this feels, ah... come here, story lesson... haha, okay? Come on, this sofa can take upon all of your weight, unless you don't wanna hear them?" Their Master first appeared trouble; before finally finding a way to respond to them. What shocked them, however, was the hidden truth behind just his first few spoken words. None of them reacted in horror though; mainly, they were slightly nervous and preoccupied for, their Master never before spoke about him to them. Not a single one of them. If they were to tell that they felt slightly left out, it would have been an honest statement; while if they were to say that it was okay, that they weren't interested in prying into their Master's life, that was just plain stupid.

Rustle~... Steps...

Hence, all of Tongqiu's maids and little maids; made their way onto the same sofa-bed that Tongqiu was laying down at. His hands were visibly trembling, slightly, at the realization that he was about to open up.

Some disgust manifested in his heart and lower stomach, his lungs seemingly gained the obstacle to breathe while his mouth was scrunched up slightly in even more disgust.

But, after all of the girls softly accommodated each other in an absurdly type of diligent manner, and as Tongqiu looked at each of their faces; their hopeful, expectant eyes, their nostrils opening up slightly in amusement and their lips being gently pressed against each other in anticipation as they lost themselves to the sight of their Master's troubled face... Gave him a type of sensation across his disgusted expressions and weird feelings inside his body; a healing.

"When I was younger, in a fit of rage and instinct..." As Tongqiu began opening up his heart, Diana, Natalia and Yona were tightly grasping each other's hands. Diana looked saddened at seeing her big sis while Yona had a loving gaze directed at Tongqiu, a motherly soothing comfort across her eyes, wanting to go out and encompass his entire being. As for Natalia, a teary drop of watery liquid came out of her lacrimals every now and then while watching Tongqiu open up, for more than one reason.

. . .

 

While Tongqiu spoke of the past, the battlefield on the TV screen didn't stop to look at the heartwarming scene. The maids and little maids would constantly look at the TV screen, their eyes no longer as fearful nor disgusted as before while their little fists or delicate fists clenched in fury, disbelief and/or determination.

As for the battle on the screen, there were a few moments where Itnia changed the cameras to see what the rest of the two sides' territories where doing. The Knights of Raoundozia were truly just scouting and simply making a quick asserting of the possible situations and outcome, from what she could deduce at the very least. While the Guerilla Guild built a bit too many deep holes underwater, most of their vanguard was in their surroundings to their territory, digging up holes for at least a dozen meters or so. She could think of a few things, but mostly, they were simply deductions from her clever mind. She wasn't even a Rising Essence's player yet, and could only hope to not be wrong about reading a person's mind in this situation.

While the others were listening, Itnia would whisper to him the important things that took a lot of burning coal in her head. No that he actually needed her to know what was going on in the TV, even with more than a dozen bodies around him, he could still even-more-than perfectly 'see' what was going on. Nevertheless, he was studying Itnia's level of comprehension, quick decision making and quick reflexes; sometimes asking her a question, another few times simply saying a couple of things without seemingly a clear purpose.

On the screen, the battle had been going around for around 20 minutes. The Guerilla Guild's side was losing a bit too much, with only a few more than 200 remaining alive, as they then made a late decision for retreat. Meanwhile, the Knights of Raoundozia's side were slightly better, but much more exhausted. Their numbers didn't even come close to getting lower than 1,000. There weren't many clerics or shamans around, but their melee players, in the end, turned out to be real machines, beasts and resistant warriors.

With a tired countenance overall, the KR's side went back to their territory in dismay, the other two groups sent by Raoundozia were barely coming close to their location before embarrassingly also making their way back to their territory.

. . .

 

Meanwhile, inside the battlefield, a few minutes after the quick testing skirmish ended and all groups went to their respective territories.

 

On the Guerilla Guild's side. Northwest of the battlefield.

"Boss, I-we're truly sorry-" A player who was obviously not the leader of their large-scale group, seeing from  the manner in which he nervously made his way to in front of the higher ups of the Guild, tried to explain their shameful result when he was suddenly interrupted by Baston's hand which just left the crossed position that his arms were in.

"Let me stop you right there, did the leader die?"

The player calmed down from his initial fearful reaction at his boss's reaction before replying dutifully: "Yes! Ah... he died in the initial charge... ma-many players died though, we just-we just didn't know it would've been like that. There, there was so... there was so much 'stuff'! God, it was so terrible! How... horrible."

Baston, finally getting what he wanted to let his people realize of, had his face ease down a little before speaking up at the moment the informant stopped talking: "Good, okay; I'm gonna need you to speak up of what you felt, saw and wanted to do after having those emotions abruptly put into your heart, understood? Okay, let me bring up our people. Stay there!"

With that, Baston and Delette made their way to announce to all their players for a meeting.

As they were walking, Delette finally spoke out the words which she was not sure if they were a good idea to be spoken, in determination: "Dear, you also haven't gone to anything like this before. You... will be fine?"

It was truth, for as Baston's hands were totally trembling without a stop. It was not nervousness nor excitement, Baston was not a man of knowing war nor death, besides that of his parents so, how could he know of such a world?

Thud, step...

Nevertheless, he stopped walking like a machine and finally turned back to look at her fiancee for a minute with the last rays of light of the sun shinning on her face and neck. Baston then spoke in a comforted voice: "Um, yeah. I may get scared, but... Well, this is just the beginning, I can't quit when it hasn't even started, right? How many Associations will be created by the time we end this battle? A dozen? Two dozen? There's no way I'm gonna quit when we're already on the head of even the Founding Clans, the Founding Clans..."

At the mention of the Founding Clans, Baston's previously trembling hands and now calmed down hands, became fidgety once again; but this time, because of how furiously was he clenching his fist, his eyes also turned coldly terrifying.

Tap!

With a crisp sound of Delette's hands tenderly grasping Baton's, she then spoke with her face right in front of himself in a oh so dearing tone: "My love, fret not. Time will come. For now... let's focus on building that 'time', alright?"

Delette said as she turned around to point out at the rapidly and orderly moving players that have been following him for many years since his debut, now in 'person' in Rising Essence.

Taking a good 'calming down' state, now for good, Baston reciprocated his lover's affection as he spoke: "Huff... yes, alright, I'm sorry. Once this is over, we go to dinner? Inviting Mort to dinner as well if you'd like, wouldn't be a problem."

Delette's eyes finally shone in interest as she began teasing him: "Oh? Have you decided? Is that little devil going to be on our bed in the future, then? Hm-heh heh heh."

"S-shut up! You're so annoying, isn't she your little-"

"Mwwwah! Let's go, or that scaredy cat won't be able to speak for himself~." Delette proceeded to hurry in her steps with her hands adjoined on her lower back.

Shaking his head in exasperation, Baston looked at the prominent figure of her fiancee in stupidity before following right behind her. There was an unique-looking sword tied to her waist, which he had previously given her and had already another in the making, just for her.

. . .

 

On the Knights of Raoundozia's side. South of the battlefield.

 

"So?" Raoundozia's voice, which directly landed on the player before him, sounded out with an indifferent yet commanding tone.

The player, who was the leader of their group, nervously looked down before speaking out: "Head Raoundozia, this... most of our players are exhausted, but mentally, not physically. Especially those who fought the longest in the distance, we almost lost half of our entire group too. The other groups didn't responded well to our call for help, so... sigh. Just look at them, they're mostly dispirited. Such gruesome sight on the game they love really hit them hard, they-they'll need time to recuper-"

"No time, they... tell them to stand up right now and stand in waiting. I'll go get the others..." Raoundozia spoke right away after seeing the detrimental state of his people, most of the survivors were girls and he knew the reason why. The players on the other side as well as that of his own people; felt unwilling to harm them after seeing the state in which the first large-scale collision between players resulted. This infuriated him even more, it was not because they were simply better, but because of mercy, pity and stupidity! But, he then pondered a lot more in just a few seconds as he stopped with his back facing that leader player from before, as Raoundozia then turned his head toward the player and spoke in his most sincere voice: "There's many more that have not directly seen this, and those... Those have to be the ones to get over it right now, and become my House's foundation. If they cannot get ready now, they won't ever! I need people who are here not only to obey my commands, but to search in their hearts their own path... I'll be back in 20 minutes. Tell them that if they do not like it, to leave, I don't need my walls to tumble down in the future."

Step, step, step...

With that, Raoundozia gave his back to the people who were dispirited by three reasons; their suddenly horrifying experience, their people not coming to help and the humiliation of 'winning' because of their female player base.

 

...