CH. 15 - Oddity....

PART #1

Inomiri-sensei and Mikoto we're running around the castle, taking down each and every monster that popped out. Occasionally, there were strong ones that needed to be dealt with young powerful skills and spells however most of the time, only skeleton soldiers appeared against them.

Inomiri-sensei and Mikoto fought the last horde of skeletons and managed to liberate 85% of the entire castle. Thankfully, there weren't those Lich Kings that attacked them once.

"Wait, Aizawa-san"

"Hmm? What's wrong Sensei?"

Inomiri-sensei had called out to Mikoto as they arrived in front of a certain room. The walls were broken down as if it was hit with a powerful impact. The edges of the broken bricks were burned as though an explosion broke the wall. Interesting enough, there were not even signs of a door being there at all.

"I haven't seen this room before"

"Yeah... come to think of it, we were allowed in every room in the castle expect for the one in the north east side of the castle"

The heroes were given a lot of privileges by King Verdik after they were summoned. They were given weapons, clothes, armor and the daily necessities they need everyday. They were paid while undergoing training and while it were restrictions, they were allowed in every part of the castle.

However, they were never allowed to go visit the northeast side of the castle.

The structure of the castle was like a fortress. There was a large wall outside while there was a line of buildings surrounding another building inside. The central building of the castle had four towers protruding from the roofs of the castle while the body of the building were connected through long halls and bridges to the outer castle.

The throne room was situated at the central building while the place where the heroes were training were around the west side of the castle. Not to mention that underground dungeons and rooms underneath the castle. The whole Travestin royal castle was larger than Buckingham palace on Earth.

Walking through the rubble, Inomiri-sensei and Mikoto entered the room. Inomiri-sensei created a small fire on her hand light up the dark room.

Shockingly, as the darkness parted from the small light, the two found themselves surrounded by bookshelves, old paintings and dusty old chests. There books littered around and scrolls we're pushed inside in some corners.

The room must have been used as a storage room in the past.

Inomiri-sensei picked up one book and opened it.

"This is....."

"What? Did you see anything?"

"Well... these seems to be dated around the time of the 3rd to 5th generation royal family. These are old records of the kings in the past"

"Kings?"

"According to the history of Travestin Kingdom, only males succeeded the throne at first. It was only during the 13th or 14th generation of Kings that the ruler switched to Queens"

From the first king down to the 13th and 14th kings of Travestin, only male had succeeded the throne. The last king however, decided to give her beloved daughter the crown instead. The heroes were more or less taught about the history of the Travestin Kingdom before they set out. Although only a few of them remember, Inomiri-sensei, who was always fond of studying, still recalls what she learned months ago.

Mikoto scrunched up her brows then thought deeply and tried to recall the history of the kingdom. However, as someone who was more interested in a certain someone than a history of a kingdom who was forcing to the to fight, there was no recollection of it in her mind.

"Anyways, looks like this is just some old storage. The royal family was must have forbade others from going to this area because of these stuff"

Inomiri-sensei returns the book the shelf where she took it and walks towards to Mikoto as she decides to leave.

However, just as the two left the old storage room, a cloth that was covering a dusty old painting revealed an aged old picture of an old king bearing black hair and black eyes.....

—

Outside, the monster attacks still raged on. The hordes of undead creatures were making it hard for both the Travestin soldiers and the Black army to protect the evacuating civilians.

On one side, there were a group of Black army soldiers fighting against undead ogres and orcs and on the other, there were the Travestin soldiers protecting the lives of the civilians who were running towards the castle.

"Looks like the Magic Iron Knights have just finished killing the undead attacking the castle"

Nero mutters so as he glances at the peaceful sounding path towards the castle. Above the castle walls were the Magic Iron Knights, not daring to move an inch as though protecting the people inside.

"Captain! There's too much of these monsters! It's best if we retreat now when there's still few casualties on our side!"

A Black army soldiers ran towards Nero with sword in hand, advising a strategic retreat. Nero then replies with short pause before giving an affirmative nod.

"Alright. Take everyone back to the castle as fast as possible. Tell the others to watch out from attacks above the roofs. There's still undead harpies and gargoyles flying around"

"Understood!"

The soldier salutes before running back to inform his comrades. Now alone in front of broken pieces of undead corpses, Nero looks around everywhere until his eyes fell upon a single ruined building.

There were two scents coming from the inside of that house.

"I know you're there. Come out before I make you"

As Nero threatens the beings he sniffed out inside that ruined house, two individuals, dressed in cloaks. One was a tall man with crew cut red hair while the other was a average looking man with spiky green hair.

"Suspicious looking guys hiding in a place like this. It's obvious you two had a hand in this chaos"

"I guess it's really useless to hide from a beastman with keen sense of smell"

The bald man snickered, looking down on Nero who was glaring in front with his lion ears twitching and his tail standing still menacingly.

Nero then glares back and responds....

"Who are you two? Why were you doing this?"

"You don't need to know our names. In any case, this is just a job given to us and also, I'm sure you know we won't just blabber about who's our employer right?"

"Hmph, all mercenaries are the same after all. But in your case, you look more like someone from some secret organization"

*Tack* Nero taps down in his spear on the ground, seemingly ready to attack at anytime. Casper then scoffs...

"I'm not much of a fighter but...." 

Then pulled out two short swords from the inside of his robe and took stance as he readied to fight the beastman before him.

Rhodes on the side pull out his wand from his pockets seemingly preparing to provide support to his comrade.

"You're not fighters but looks like you guys are more or less capable"

"Like I said, we're hired to this kind of job"

As Casper finishes his words, Nero lunges for an attack. 

"Hrrrng!!"

Immediately responding, Casper dashed forward. As soon as his partner leaves, Rhodes quietly mutters the incantation to his spell, preparing it to attack Nero later.

Between the two who had just met the middle of the broken street, Nero thrust his spear forward. Casper then catches the spear from the shaft using the two short swords in his hands then pushes it upwards. Afterwards, Casper raised his speed using the skill «Sprint» a weak speed enhancing skill used by class of thieves and even assassins.

Nero pulls back the spear and uses the shaft to deflect the swords aiming at his chest and neck.

*Ktang-Tang!!*

Then he held the spear sideways and striked it horizontally towards Casper. 

"Kh!?"

Casper was hit, however he was suddenly wrapped in a green glow. The impact of the attack became weak and Casper takes the chance to jump back.

"On time as always"

"Just shut up and focus on the fight"

The two gave a short exchange to one another. But Nero, not giving them anytime to breathe just tossed his spear straight to Rhodes.

"Shit!"

Rhodes dodges away immediately in panic. However Casper's voice, suddenly shouting at him from the front, causes him to flinched.

"Rhodes!!"

"Huh?"

Unable to noticed, a shadow appeared behind him. In Nero's hands, his spear then cuts Rhodes from above his shoulder then down to his left leg, bisecting him in half.

"I only need one of you to cough up what you guys know right? The standard way of getting information"

*Thud* Rhodes corpse fell down on the ground, spilling his blood on the dust filed with floor. Casper glares at Nero, a cold sweat dripping down his chin.

As expected, the guys from that Black army are strong— Casper came to a realization once again that the ones that killed all those monsters Casper used as undead were strong. 

It wasn't just the soldiers, Nero, the captain was strong too. Facing a beastman and a high level spearman to booth, it was obvious that Casper and Rhodes stood no chance.

"Haaah...."

Casper sighs, storing his swords back into their scabbards.

Nero, seeing this narrows his eyes and asked Casper....

"What are you doing? Giving up?"

"I know full well how strong you are. Even after facing hundreds of those undead didn't even weaken you at all. There's no use for me to keep on fighting"

As a sign of giving up the fight, Casper then continues to tell Nero about the undead monsters and who his employer was as well as why they were doing this.

"Listen, where I come from, giving up means that we get to live another day. I don't care what happens to that guy anymore so I'll tell you what I know"

"......."

Still keeping his vigilance, Nero relaxed his stance.

"Depending on what you say my spear won't cut your neck"

"Hmph"

Casper smiles. 

"The undead that's attacking are done by my group. We just took your left overs and used it against the city"

Upon hearing this, Nero recalls that the left over corpses we're supposed to be used as rations for the the entire city as well as the neighboring towns and villages that have been suffering from both the drought and monster attacks.

Mordred took most of the materials such as the magic stones, pelts and bones while the meat and other edible parts were left. But some corpses we're still brought back from the army's excursion when Kuro had ordered them to hunt down the monsters that invaded farmlands, towns and villages in the country.

Thinking that they should have stored the corpses in a more secure place, Nero tightly clenched his fists.

"Then? What about your employer? I don't get why stage this kind of attack. There's nothing even to steal here in this kingdom anyways"

Most of the reserves were taken by Taiga when he and the other half of the Travestin soldiers travelled to the 1st Demon Lord's domain. Nero remembers this as he heard King Verdik and Kuro talked about it once.

There was nothing left to steal from a castle robbed off his soldiers and money. What's more, the country was suffering from a series of dry days and monster attacks. Travestin was already in a pitiful state even when everyone arrived her weeks ago.

"My employer is an odd one. He hired us to keep the Queen a sleep at first but he suddenly ordered us to gather large amount of corpses from every places in the country"

"Corpses? What for?"

"I don't know. What I know is that my employer suddenly acted strange all of a sudden. The main plan was to stage a coup at first, inciting the people that suffered from the hero and his party's tyranny but...."

It all changed when the news of a Demon Lord suddenly dying in the wasteland. What's more, the news spread about the hero that killed it was none other than the Demon spawn that was thrown away in the wasteland.

"That was... a whole month ago"

Kyoushiro and the other four heroes banded together to fight the Demon Lord Kakal. Nero was there himself and he saw first hand how powerful a Demon Lord was even against four heroes altogether. It took the return of the Black king just kill him.

Somehow, this is getting weirder by the second.... I'm getting worried— Nero mumbles in his mind.

"Then? The employer? What's his name?"

Setting aside his worried thoughts, Nero inquired about the ring leader of this mess.

"Velasquez Aldus Ernst. From what I've heard from the leader of my group, he's a high ranking Noble in this place"

"Velas....!?"

Instantly, Nero remembered the words King Verdik said after Nero left him alone. He seemed to have been talking to someone after Nero went away but surely, King Verdik indeed mentioned that name.

I thought the King had that guy investigated along with that Royal Adviser.... No, the person the king hired never did showed his face again even after the hero came back. I wonder why...— Nero suddenly that something was happening right under their noses yet he still couldn't picture how everything was connected together.

After all, the Queen had been asleep for the past six months and only recently, a medicine was made in order to wake her up. Furthermore, the planning for a coup de' etat, was already happening way before the heroes, if according to what Casper just said.

"I don't know anymore since only my leader met with the employer. Right, even us are looking for our leader"

Casper further adds...

"If this information is useful to you, I'm sure you will now spare my life? I don't really care much about the others nor what happened here so will yo—"

Just before Casper finishes his words, a blade had pierced his forehead. As the braindead body fell on the ground, Nero retrieves the spear after merely stretching out his hand.

"I need to talk to that king right now"

Nero mutters, his teeth grinding in anger as he stares back at the castle. Was the King the perpetrator or was he an accomplice? Either way, all this mysteries will be solve when Nero gets the king to speak whatever secret he was hiding.

For now however, he still had some cleaning to finish.

PART #2

Back inside the castle, the silence continued inside the tower after Kuro left to set up the barrier. King Verdik and Queen Isabelle sat next to each other while Lucinda was seated right in from of them. Princess Aria remained quiet at the corner she curled up in while Rea and Lea were poking her curiously.

Niya on the other hand was serving tea and snacks to everyone. As every made back in Ambrosia had been given magic storage rings for their work, Niya had used the emergency rations stashed inside her magic storage ring. As a maid, all types of cleaning and serving equipment we're kept inside. Aside from her knives hidden under her skirt, most of her work equipment and clothing were pack inside her magic storage ring.

There have been a long silence in the room after Kuro left. That was because, everyone was tensed up since there were a bunch of undead monsters both inside and outside the castle.

Even just earlier, before the rest came, Princess Aria and Lucinda we're arguing. Sure enough, the sisters won't be talking to one another.

I wonder if Mikoto-sama is alright....— Niya wonders about Mikoto, who was still wandering around the castle.

Niya knows that Mikoto was strong but there was that hero locked up in the dungeon right now. Is somehow Taiga escapes during the whole turmoil, who knows what he will do to Lucinda and the Queen.

But just then, while everyone was waiting for an Kuro's return....

*Knock-Knock* 

Someone knocked at the door.

—

Kuro finishing setting up the barrier. As the crystal lits up and created a transparent veil of blue light which then expanded into a sphere, Kuro had done his job. For now, there won't be any monsters coming into the central building of the castle.

"This should be enough temporarily. Until we know what's going on, a single day should be enough to keep the princess safe"

Kuro mutters as he stepped back from the crystal.

For the meantime, the barrier will hold up for one day. Until Kuro gets in touch with Nero outside, there should be no problem with keeping the barrier up until tomorrow.

The barrier keeps out anyone who's have any miasma coming from their bodies. While it protects everyone from the outside, the one's inside can't get out— Kuro cracked his neck as he stood up.

The barrier crystals were powerful but they while they repel anyone who has any negative energy, malice or any of the sort, the one's inside can't get out. While it was possible for anyone to come in so long as Kuro allows it, no one can't get out.

Anyways, it's been quiet for a while now.....—

Kuro looks around, inspecting every corner of the room. 

It has been eeriely quiet. The explosions outside subsided and the screams outside seemed to have died already. It was weird considering the large amount of undead suddenly appearing in the castle.

"Nero is probably outside. I tried contacting him but it looks like he turned it off again..... Damn that lazy cat..."

Kuro sighs as recalls how many times Nero turns off his Comms Link just to avoid getting in contact with Kuro. While it was fine back then, right now it was annoying. He couldn't contact Nero in this crisis.

But if I think about the situation right now, it's all weird. Huge amount of undead suddenly appeared in the castle, then the castle walls were attacked.... Then those guys....—

Kuro remembers facing Clint and Darris. The two dead members of Taiga that was supposed to be in the dungeon. Earlier, when they fought, Kuro didn't thought too much about it but thinking about it now, it was odd facing them as an undead when they were still alive right before the attack.

It was certainly strange seeing that they appeared as undead when Kuro and Leticia faced them.

"Wait....."

Just then, Kuro recalled that Taiga and the rest of his party were sent to the lowest floor of the castle's underground dungeon. Taiga was at the deepest place while the others were just near the entrance but....

"They were.... certainly together right?"

Kuro suddenly felt a cold chill crawling down his spine.....

"Hoh? I didn't think you'd be the first one I'd see after leaving that dungeon"

"......"

A cold air blew over Kuro's body as the stranger who suddenly walked in the throne room appeared. Slowly, Kuro turned his body to see the face of the person who spoke with a condescending tone.

"You.... I knew you'd escape... but I didn't think you'd be alive unlike your comrades"

Standing at the corner, walking past a pillar, was Taiga. However, completely different from before, he was wearing an armor seemingly sculpted from the remains of humans. What's more, Kuro was picking up a horrible scent of decay coming from Taiga's direction. Not only that, there was this strong sense of death coming from him as well.

Taiga was currently stronger. No, he seemed far stronger than when they faced at Mordred's deck.

"You seemed different from before.... what happened?"

"Oh? You mean how I became strong in just a a few hours?"

Taiga laughs as he looks down of Kuro. The proud smile Taiga wore seemed more twisted than how Kuro first faced him.

It was like there was a completely different person standing in front of him.

What happened in just a few hours.....— Kuro asked himself as he took out his prided gauntlets from the storage ring and wore it in his hands. Not only that, Kuro's military uniform was switched into a black armor. His pants turned into armor as well leaving only his feet, head and arms exposed.

"Hmm? I didn't think you'd change clothes. What? Are you trying to become a power ranger?"

"I don't know what you're talking about brat but I sure will beat you down like how I did before"

Kuro then roused up his magic power, activating the effects of the armor he was wearing.

"Heh, don't be stupid. You'll die if you fight me. I'm way stronger than before"

*Vvoooong!!* A blast of pure magic power suddenly shots out from Taiga. The sheer magnitude of it was making the whole room shake, causing cracks to appear not only on the window but the pillars, floor and the ceiling as well.

And then, with Taiga's hand outstretched, black mist formed into a large sword with lumps of skulls forming at the base and long femurs and humerus forming the handle and the guards.

Seeing such sword, Kuro unconsciously took a step back. His senses as a beastman was triggered by the stench of death coming out of Taiga, which was strangely more powerful than before.

Taiga, however, noticed that Kuro retreated in fear. He smirked.

"Aah.... Really, discarding those swords and switching to this one is the greatest decision"

"........"

The sword in Taiga's hand was big. It was long like broadsword and was as big as a great sword. Unlike the two swords which Kuro collected, the one in Taiga's possession seemed to be more powerful. Even more so than the Holy sword he once used.

Kuro then growls....

"Grrrrrrr.....!! Stop being so proud of yourself when all you do is steal you petty thief!!"

And so, Kuro charges, with his fists flaming by the use of his skill.....

—

Meanwhile, while Kuro and Taiga faced off, Mikoto and In mind reached the west tower. From there, they checked to see the survivors if they were alright. However, after the barrier was set up, Inomiri-sensei felt that something just past through her body.

"? Is something wrong sensei?"

"It's nothing"

Inomiri-sensei shrugged the feeling off as she looks outside the small window of the tower and sees a transparent blue veil of light cover the central castle.

Was that a barrier?— Inomiri-sensei asked herself wondering how such thing was used just after the attack.

Anyways, the two reached the door of the west tower. As the two knocked, the door opens. But then, the foul stench of rotting corpse escapes and the two immediately covered their noses.

The first one to react was Inomiri-sensei.

"Urk?!"

Seeing less violence behind the bookshelves, Inomiri-sensei was used to seeing dead human corpses. She fought monsters, however, but human remains we're different. 

*Thud* The weak willed the adult lost the strength of her knees and fell down, covering half of her face while forcefully trying not to vomit.

"Inomiri-sensei...."

Standing next to her HR teacher, Mikoto rubs Inomiri-sensei's back to ease her up. For Mikoto, who was always fighting with Kuro and her monsters, seeing the insides of a living beings body was something she was used to. After all, she and Minami were taught by the elves' that while their race doesn't eat meat, they still collect them in order to sell them to other cities.

Naturally, even the monsters that Mikoto tamed were ferocious beasts that murder their prey gruesomely so Mikoto was quite used to the sight.

Still though, no one could think why this happened.

Inside the room we're corpses of at least two dozen people. The bodies were mangled, ripped apart and were torn from the inside out. It was like an animal had done this.

Mikoto then shuts the door quietly, praying that whoever did this we're simply the same ones they already fought both around the castle and inside it.

"Hmm?"

But then, just as Mikoto was about to close the door, a presence was picked up walking up the stairs behind them.

When Mikoto looked back, she saw a female mage with revealing outfit walking up towards them. The only different thing from her revealing clothes was her ripped throat and empty eyesockets. Stains of blood flowing down her face like tears were still there but it didn't seem like the wound itself were old. They were still fresh.

Just then....

"?!"

Mikoto felt alarms ringing in her head, caused her to pull open the door and entered it in a hurry while pulling Inomiri-sensei with her hand.

After that, there was a loud explosion that rocked the west tower.....