17 CHAPTER 17
Elves's HQ POV
"How was it possible?! What the humans possibly have done to create such abominations?!" a tall, dressed with a military-like uniform elf with a mohak hair style and a livid face shouted, hitting the table with a punch.
"We don't know…our mages and even the druids spent all night to prevent that things to spread even more and kill even more soldiers, and even then we lost more than a quarter of the men" said a second far older elf, dressed with long robes and a tired face
"That's not all, something has even rot part of the east root, and we were barely able to avoid it to make it completely collapse but we will not be able to restore it quickly, the roots of the tree are very old and rich of magic" said a third elf, with a gloomy face
The first elf, who now was putting an hand in front of his face, asked irate
"Where is the damned half-blood woman? Where is Jenna Samson?!"
"I'm here, First Commander Valarica; me and my party were busy aiding in the basic restore of the root and keeping at distance the Silva's army" said a suadent female voice
Jenna Samson was wearing an elegant looking armor made of an unrecognizable material of a green colour from head to toe, starting from a small half opened helmet to the high boots and was wielding what seemed two long thin rapiers ; she was followed by two human men who were heavy armored and other three who were dressed like mages that didn't seem to give attention to nothing but her.
"You…why didn't you and your minions noticed nothing of that abomination?! You should have be able to take care of them!" shouted angry Valarica, pointing an accusatory finger to her.
"Since when you have the authority to give me orders, Commander? Didn't I mercifully accepted to help your half-doomed kingdom to protect it from the enemy soldiers; my contract specified to only kill the human soldiers inside the forest, which I was doing until you decided to hole up inside the capital like scared rabbit" replied Jenna, still with her suadent voice but a clear mocking smile on face
"You lowly half-blood! Don't think just beacuse of a bit of strenght you can disrispect me, a commander and a member of one of the most important family of the Kingdom!" spit feroiciously Valarica, his hand on his sheated sword.
"Enough Valarica! Recompose yourself…Lady Jenna, your help is really necessary in this dire situation; in less than few hours the human's army will start the siege and most of our men are tired and affected by the last night's event; we give you freedom to act as you prefer to deal with them,as long as you can ensure to push back the enemy...we will give you all the support we can" intervened the mage elf, stopping Valarica with a severe look, and bowing to the woman
"Fufu, if such a gentleman as you, First Elder Mage Helwa, ask so nicely I can't help but accept; tell your soldiers to focus on firing arrows and magics on the widest range they could; my party will take care of the main force and I will fend off alone the wave the surely will attack the weakened root-wall, do tell your men to not come to that zone" she said, glancing a mocking look to Valarica and dismissing herself with his party
"How can you let her talk to us in this way and even bowing to her, Helwa?!" growled lowly Valarica
"If your arrogance and blindfull pride would let us to doom, I will do it! She is the only chance for us to survive, half-blood or pure elf it doesn't matter; the King and the Queen themselves give her full authority to act freely in the defense of the Kingdom" replied calm but still with a glaring look.
"You know what rumours said about her? About her powers? If even only half of them are true, we have made a deal with a real monster…or a devil " asked Valarica, now with a worried and scared expression on his face.
"If I have to sell my soul for the sake of the inhabitants of the Kingdom, so be it; I suggest you to steel your resolve as well, now I have to reunite with the council of mages to discuss the magic defense; may both of us survive all of this, Commander Valarica" said the old elf, dismissing himself with a polite bow to the commander.
He was left alone in the room, after having dismissed the remaining people in the room, and he slumped on a chair with heavy shoulders.
"If both of us survive" he muttured, taking out from a drawer-like object a small poligonal grey crystal.
End Elves's HQ POV
"Move faster with that boulders for the catapult!"
"Mages squads, focus the fire on the damaged root!"
"Infantry, ready and still on the front!"
These and tons of other orders were barked here and there from the various officials, the tension so thick that it could be cut with my dagger and the adventurer squads organizing with the soldiers to avoid getting in the way of the others.
To worsen the situation, an heavy rain had started to pour on our heads and the only ones who could temporary avoid getting wer were the ones near wind-specialized mages that were creating domes of air to act as giant umbrellas…obviously we made Petrov cast it one for us.
Some reconnaisances informed us that the side the force of five thousand soldiers and more than fifty mid-level adventurers, where also me and my group, were going to assault would have to face an harsh resistance from many elves but it was something I was looking forward to charge the Wuuthard axe and then heading on my own with the girls to take care of Jenna, while taking advantage of the battle's chaos.
Petrov, one of the six B-rank adventurers, two A-rank and over fourty C-rank were now assigned to the support of this unit and I had him cover for Koneko and Aisha's absence due them staying in my group; it was almost late morning when we heard the sound of a war horn, telling us that the siege was started.
"Soldiers, charge!" screamed many and the responsive shouts of the soldiers made my ears buzz a bit
Armed with long ladders and various magic items to assist them in the root-climbing and defend them, at least for less than a minute, from the constant barrages of arrows,magic and I couls swear javelins; obviously me and the girls didn't have all this problem, just a well developed sprint and a Shunpo and a Soru well placed and we were already on top of the walls, between thousand of elves.
"What?! How did they reach-"
I slashed him in half before he could finish the phrase with my new babe double-edged giant axe Wuuthrard; a nice surprise was that the passive knowledge and tecnique passed on me by the Axe Mastery worked even on it, so I felt very ease to use it and every time the weapon killed an elf I could feel a slight increase in its power…How could I let waste such an opportunity, I mean this battlefield was now practically free-easy grinding.
"Someone stop that human!"
"He is decimating the mages!"
"I have it-Ghh!"
Honesltly, maybe I should have bought something that would boost my magical defense, but I wasn't so stupid to stop to shopping in the middle of a fight, even with Kalifa,Soi Fon, Akame, Aisha and Koneko covering for me.
Thanks to our one-side massacre of over five hundred elves on the upper side of the root, our army had an easier time to climb up and start to fight with the elves for the zone control, unfortunately most of our soldiers were pretty much incapable of matching elves in both long ranged and short ranged combat and so I had to give them 'a little help'.
"Poison Doping" I muttured while various dozens of small poison neddle hit our soldier.
The poison inside had the effect of the dull the sense of pain and send the soldiers in a mindless rage, so despite all the wounds they were receving between magic spells, arrows, spear heads and sword's blade they continued to rush until they killed enough elves before dying.
"Girls! Now that the battle here is in a tie, let's reach that woman to kill her!" I shouted while heading to the opposite of the soldiers, I sprinted toward the location where Jenna was supposed to be
"Lord Kuro-sama, what are the orders?" asked Soi Fon, easily slashing with her Zanpakuto without release two elves guards.
"Aisha,you, Koneko and Kalifa will be with me to bait her; Akame will wait for the moment when we are able to create an opening for her; her party members will sure be with her, Aisha, Koneko and Kalifa will keep them busy while me and you will engage her" I said while we were finally at the proximity of the location.
I was looking for the sight of a single superhuman beings that would be able sure to fend off the ten thousand soldiers sent to the weakened rotting root, but nothing could prepare me for the sight that appeared in front of me that almost made me puke due the disgust.
It wasn't just the sight of more than half of the force of ten thousands men, while the remaimings ran for their life, laying dead in a sea of blood, broken weapons and armors, the sight of her just sitting on the ground humming happily while watching the corpses while her companions…no, it was the sight of her arm turning into a grotesque giant lump of meat shaped like an hand with an equally grotesque big mouth that was eating the corpes, most of which were like some anatomy mannequin used in medicine university with all their insides, organs and musles half exposed and half eaten.
"Oh my, what a delicious buffet; it was a good idea to accept to side with elves, the human's army is way bigger and more nutricious for me" she said happily, while turning toward me
"Well, why don't you come down? You and your four friends" she said with a smile so crazy and terrifying that I could feel my blood freeze
It was sure a far different situation than the first time I saw her, when even at hundreds of meter I could barely feel the air I was breathing, but it was still a menancing pressure that make my hands grip very tightly Wuuthrard.
"Boy…that woman is making my head scream to run, she is a real monster" said Aisha
"Kuro-senpai, she is dangerous and smell of lots of awful things" added Koneko, her cat ears and tail out almost unconsciously for the danger
"I know but let's stich to the plan" I said not daring to look away from Jenna to left her a chance to hit.
We dashed down, between the sea of already rotten and stenching corpses while she didn't seem to mind a bit and her men were gathering the corpses for her to be eaten.
"Well, now that you were so kind to come here…my boys, get the girls but let me the delicious-looking younster with the mask" she said slurping while her men, who didn't change expression for all the time unsheated their weapons and all of five engaged with us.
"Girls, attack her men! Soi Fon, go all out!" I shouted, charging my High Speed to the max and my Armor Haki to cover my weapon, hands, arms and legs.
Soi Fon reacted really quick, being the fastest in the group and released her Zanpakuto
"Sting all Enemies to Death, Suzumebachi!" she said, releasing her Zanpakuto that turned into a black and gold gauntlet, with a small chain linking it to a stinger-like blade on her middle finger
With an incredibly fast Shundo, she immediatly reached Jenna and aimed to strike her chest.
Jenna didn't even tried to avoid and the moment Soi Fon's weapon touched her chest, then this one turned into a giant maw that tried to engulf her while on it the Hōmonka, the butterfly-shaped stamp, appeared.
"What the fuck was that?!" I shouted while thankfully Soi Fon dodged and I aimed my Wuuthrard to her left side, feeling the sensation of the axe's blade sinking into her flesh…but it was like it sinked into a deep, extremely thick mass of spongy meat and I almost lost it if I didn't take it out immediately.
"Ouch, how cruel of you hitting so fiercely a lady, there is something in that axe of your that stinged my skin, so I will not let you do it again but the butterfly tatoo left by your friend is cute so I will forgive her" she said with a childish pout, while an huge mass of flesh with tons of mouths and arms reversed on me.
I had to swing fast like a madman to avoid being taken and given that the adventage of Wuuthrard was almost useless given that sure as hell she wasn't a real half-elf, I activated its trump card.
"Ysgramor!" I said throwing Wuuthrard toward the high, while this one shined brightly.
In the next moment, the ghastly tall figure of the original owner of Wuurthard, Ysgramor the Leader of the Five Hundred Companions appeared in front of me.
"Companions! My loyal Wuuthrard felt the blood of dirty elves on its blade and recalled me into your aid" he exclamied with a deep thunderous voice
"Kill her!" I shouted pointing at Jenna
"What abominations of elf! She will feel the edge of my blade" he roared swinging the axe, releasing an impressive flying blade wave toward her
"What a scary ghost, but this is a matter for livings so scram" replied Jenna, her creepy smile still on her face but the eyes were cold as ice, while she deploied an huge amount of that living lump of flesh that generated from the body of the soldiers, shieding her.
"Yeah, but I'm not someone who play fair like a stupid gooddooers; Soi Fon, use Kido to immobiliza her for a moment" my voice coming out feebler than I wanted
"Yes, Lord Kuro-sama; Bakudo N° 30, Shitotsu Sansen!" and with a burst of crackling yellow energy in her palm, Soi Fon drew an inverted yellow triangle, which generated solidified energy in the shape of smaller triangles from its three points.
The smaller triangles fired and hit Jenna, pinning a big part of her living lump of flesh against the grouns by slamming into her body in three places in the shape of a perfect triangle and immobilizing it.
This was the first time I caught in her eyes a glimpse of surprise and fear, while her voice became far less sweety and more a beast's growl
"Don't mess with me, you tiny bitch! I will chew you and that boy like chicken bones" and her entire body shook heavily, easily breaking the Bakudo spell, but I had gained enough times.
"Poison Magic:Basilisk's Petrification Poison"
Behind me an huge serpentine figure made of poison appeared and gurged against her a wide breath of greyish gas that once touched her waving meat projectiles it turned into dry rocks that crumbled inside my creation.
Jenna however had completely maddened and her figure was absolutely no more the one of the beautifull half-elf and I could almost puke: almost all her body except from the neck and head was turned into a huge, pink blob-like mass resembling an incredibly bloated invertebrate, with dozens of stubby tentacles, large red eyes, arms and legs protrunding and large mouths complete with teeth made of that thick lumps of meat.
"AHAHAHA, do you like it? The rapiers are just petty decorations of my true power and no one that witnessed my true form has never came back alive to tell about it! And to complete the opera…Recall Meat Guards" she screamed from her heavily devious face
The party member my girls were facing suddenly melted in bubbling lump of meat, flying back to Jenna and turning into giants arms that holded different weapons: a giant broadsword, a shield, a giant axe and two magic staffes.
"My cute party member were just part of me, holding part of my skills… Water Magic : Drowning Swamp" and various big magic circles appeared under her turning the ground around us for hundreds of meters in a deep swamp with small whirpool trying to pulling us.
"Girls, on the wall! Ysgramor, hold her! Soi Fon, let's try again to immobilize her even for a second and hit the Hōmonka" I screamed while I also immediately moved away from her spells
"Lord Kuro-sama, I will need few seconds to chant a Bakudo strong enough for that thing, please send some of the others to gain time" Soi Fon said while dodging the barrage of attacks of magic speels and giant swings from that giant meat blob
Seriously how the heck she went from an haughty half-elf to a horror monster movie that would be fit for a fucking Resident Evil?!
And her current level just deepened my doubt!
*Jenna Samson*
*Race: Half-elf (Calamity Meat Abominaitons)*
*Class: Abomination Meat Master*
*Level: 432*
*Highest stat; Vitality: 1340*
*Average stats: 900*
*Main Skill: Magic Meat Manipulation*
Holy moly fucking shits!!!
Now I was seriously shit scared…That thing was over four times my level and what are that ridicoulous stats?!?!
"Kalifa, aim your Shigan at the disgusting eyes, Koneko you support her with Senjutsu! Aisha take your distance for now!" I ordered while I dodged a giant mear tentacle trying to smash me
"Yes, Kuro-senpai" said Koneko, barraging Jenna with Senjutsu aura blast
"Boy, that thing is scary as a Level 6 Monster Rex or worse…I don't think I will be much of use alone!" commented Aisha, who was busy dodging and slashing boulder-size lumps of meat
"Come on, where was all the smugness you had until few moments ago, little boy?" screamed with a delirous smile the face of Jenna that was ridicoulusly small compared to the rest of her body, yet her voice was freaking loud.
"I'm ready, Lord Kuro-sama! Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end; Bakudō #75. Gochūtekkan!"
A bright light was generated in the sky above Jenna then five tall and thick iron pillars, which were connected to each other by chains, pinned her to the ground.
"Now, Soi Fon!"
Soi Fon rushed with an incredible fast Shundo toward the piece of meat that still had the Homonka and finally hit it.
My joy lasted too little because when Soi Fon had almost stabbed the Homonka, the piece of meat was already shot and this time Soi Fon was sent flying and landed with a noticable impact on the wall while the piece of meat disappeared few moments later and Jenna was able to free herself from the binding Kido after few seconds.
"Ahahah, did you really thought I didn't sense that strange energy coming from the tatoo your tiny bitch left on me?! Sorry for disappoing you but it will take a lot more to kill me! Fire Magic: Hell Whips" she shouted and ten thick and long whips made of black-red fire tried to hit Soi Fon and me.
Fortunately for me, she left me tons of water due the magic-made swamp as personal ammo for my Fishermen Jujutsu.
"Mizugokoro, Kairyu Ipponzeo!" and the muddy water was heaved and erupted as a giant stream intercepting the fire spells.
This new information was bad news: I could not yet use Akame because that bitch was able to separate the part of her body 'infected'; my only chance was to aim for a vital point which sure would be deep inside her huge body or aim for the head…but I was pretty sure that for the latter, she would simply moved it or sink it.
I had to create an opening and even though I wished to wait before playing my ace, aka Akame, the situation was now getting harder and harder: Soi Fon, despite was not having heavy injuries, couldn't use her Shikai's power unless we found a way to activate it before Jenna was able to eject the targeterd piece and her Bankai was so destructive that all of us would be hit by the explosion; Aisha,Koneko and Kalifa were not usefull being mostly melee fighter against that monster and Ysgramor had only few minutes left to be active, as stated by the System.
My Magic was also consuming my Energy pretty fast, so a war of attrition is gonna be my loss…
"Soi Fon, focusing on fulling that huge body with the Homonkas and barrage her bitchy face with some Kido! Aisha and Kalifa and Koneko, you three remain on the back ready to help us"
"Poison Magic: Basilisk's Petrification Poison"
Once again I created the huge poison-made creaures and let its petrification poison surround Jenna, turning into stone and eroding various big chunks of meat while she continued to barrage us.
"Soi Fon, support me with offensive Kido, Koneko use your Senjutsu as well
"Hadō #57. Daichi Tenyō!" shouted the Shinigami Captain
"Aura Blasts!" added Koneko
A barrage of flying rocks and multiples aura blasts of blue fire filled with Senju plus my spell started an heavy attack, forcing Jenna to shield herself.
"Kuhhh, you annoying pests! Meat Manipulation: Hydra's Heads!"
It was in that moment, when from the center of her huge body formed long,thicks appendices with a vaguely snake-shaped head, coming from us that I could swear I saw something shine…something, like a core!
That was finally the target! I now had it and just needed to create an opening…albeit it would be risky and I had to be the bait, otherwise she wouldn't take it.
"Aisha, Kalifa and Ysgramor, come with me for a final rush! Koneko and Soi Fon, keep going with the magic barrages!" I shouted
"My last swing of my Wuuthard will be in your honour, my Companion" said Ysrhramor with his booming voice
"Boy, you really don't know half-measure, right? A fight this big for an Amazzoness is too much for avoiding it" said Aisha, heavily painting from the various bruise she received and barely able to hold her weapon
"Mr Kuro, I express a raising salary after this mission is over" commented Kalifa, her legs costantly kicking everything coming near to her.
Ysgramor sent other heavy swings, chopping the meat-made giant snake while Kalifa and Aisha keep dodging them and supporting me, armed with my old style of one-handed axe and dagger; I was able also to shoot along the way water slice swing of my axe, combining its swings with the Fishermen Karate, cutting various lumps of meat and opening a road in the muddy water.
"You little punk! What do you think you are doing?" screamed the head of Jenna, her huge body swarming on me to attack.
Her dubious face was meaning that she was suspecting but she still decided to take the bait and attack, while her huge body attacked us; what I didn't expect was that, when we were finally close enough to attack the body and expose that core, suddenly thick and long lumps of meat emerged from the deep of the muddy water wrapping and strangle us.
"You pathetic brat, did you thought that I couldn't control part of my body that were separated from the main one? Now die and become part of my strenght; I'm sure you and your bitches will be a nice boost and a delicious snack"
Her crazy expression and the way she licked her lips weren't absolutely a good sign; on top of it Ysgramor had disappeared due the expired time and Wuuthrard was lying inside the muddy water.
Even with her strangling me stronger and slowly making me lose sense, I could hear the scared voice of Soi Fon and Koneko, rushing to aid us
"Any last words, I'm a mercifull woman after all" she said with a cruel smirk
"Ku ku, you make me laugh…a 'woman'? don't joke, you disgusting Meat Blob, you are exactly where I wanted…now Akame!" I screamed on top of my lungs.
"Who are you talking-?"
But before she was able to continue, in front of her middle body lots of cuts appeared, revealing the now exposed core and Akame who was pointing her sword.
"You hurt Kuro, now die" she muttured while the lethal poison of Murasame was fast spreading on all Jenna's body and core
"Youuuuu!!KYAAAAAAA!!!!!!" her screams were loud, feral and the least humans-like I had ever heard.
All the lumps of meat melted like ashes in the wind and she slowly crumbled like a sand castle under water, leaving only a small lump of meat with her face of the size of a pingpong ball.
"t-t-this was not h-h-how it should have e-e-ended….t-they promised me a l-long and l-leisure life" she muttured while the last piece of her body were dying.
"See you in the next life, fellow Woken" I said, looking at her
At my words, her eyes widened and her mouth opened in a twisted and horrified way…
"H-HOW DO Y-YOU K-KNOW!?!?! WAIT! YOU ARE LIKE U-"
These were her last words before completely disappearing, leaving me in a sorry state and all the girls were aiding me.
Host has killed a Woken, the gained Exp will be added after the completition of the current Quest
"Kuro-senpai, let me use my senjutsu to heal you" said Koneko, running to hug me and with a rare worried expression on her face
"Kuro, I have bendages, let me do first aid and check" said Akame, trying to pull away Koneko
"Boy, you have lost much blood, you need to rest" added Aisha, trying to mediate between the younger girls and aid me
It took lots of minutes to calm them down and let me rest quietly for a while in a secluded zone of the wall, away from the blood and corpse filled muddy ground.
"Kalifa and Koneko, search for the rapiers that bitch of Jenna hold; we will use the mas proof of her death and make sure they are blood covered, they will make a fine drama scene" I said while I used Aisha's lap to rest.
Lots part of my armor and weapons were pretty messed up by the hits I received, Wuurthard was stored back in the Inventory for the time being, and my mask was half broken revealing the half part of my swollen face; Kalifa and Koneko came back few minutes later with Jenna's rapiers covered by blood and I bought few potions from the stores to heal my injuries…I should have really learnt some healing skills or buy a Summon who could do it, but for now I was too tired to care.
The rest of the siege seemed last very little for me, mostly because I sent Akame and Soi Fon to assassinate their leaders and bring their head as proof, while I remained hidden with the other girls to rest; the human troops made tons of prisoners, raid lots of house and sure raped lots of girls behind the eyes of their superiors.
I, after a long rest and partially repairing my mask to conceal my face, was now in the headquarter of the human army to receive my or rather 'Lady Kuesu's' reward.
"Private Adventurer Mantis, for the feat of eliminating a large number of enemy soldiers and enemy's generals, your Mistress will receive her reward as shown proof of loyalty toward Her Majesty, while you are now granted a reward from the Royal Treasury and the medal of honour that would grant you partial authority in all Kingdom's military area" said the harald of the queen, handing me a small medal and a scrool with an official-looking with a red sealing wax stamp on it.
"I humbly receive it and thanks Her Majesty for her rewards to me and Lady Kuesu" I replied with a bow that apparently wasn't considered low enough given the whispers of some people in the expensive tent.
"The war is now over and we brought glory and victory to our Queen, long live Queen Wilhelmina!" cheered the chief general, rising his glass
"Long live the Queen!" said the rest of the people, rising as well their glasses
I also did with a big smile and some tears on my eyes…obviously not for the queen, I didn't care about her, but about all the delicious rewards I had just received.
*Quest Completed*
*Reward: 500000 Points, Absortion of defeated Woken's Soul*
*Optional Reward: 500000 Points; x1 Gacha Coupon 5* Star Soul Equipments*
Host has now access to the new functions Gacha, Smithing, Soul Equipments Upgrade,
The Exp stilled are now calculated; Host has reached Lvl 285
Absorption of defeated Woken's soul…downloading at 44%...100%
Now Host can access to memory of the defeated Woken
This was the hardest and biggest rewards I had ever received and with the last notification received, I had now the chance to understand better why the fuck me and other people were thrown in this world but first I had to return to Marthbar and reunite with Kuesu and the girls…I'm sure that the haughty girl would be really happy for her new social status.
Futhermore, talking about 'status', mine has pretty been pimped a lot after this hard-ass of a fight
*Kuro Ashikabe*
*Race: Human (System User)*
*Level 285 Exp 118000/1530000*
*Avaiable Point: 1001700*
*Current Summons: Aki Nijou, Aisha Belka, Koneko Toujou, Kuesu Jinguji, Ikumi Mito, Soi Fon, Kyoka Jiro, Shizuka Marikawa, Kalifa, Chacha Hakaza;Kotegawa Yui; Liliruca Arde; Akame*
*Current Soul Equipment: Jet (Lvl 20/20), Gordon Agrippa (50/50), Jinbe (75/75)*
*Stats*
*Strenght: 426 (+15) (+23) (+150)*
*Speed: 467(+20) (+25) (+102)*
*Vitality: 399 (+13) (+35) (+168)*
*Energy: 472 (+35) (+53) (+107)*
*Skills: High Speed Magic, Inventory (Tier 3), Appraisal (Tier 3), Axe Mastery (Lvl 38), Dagger Mastery (Lvl 36), Gunmanship (Lvl 12), Poison Magic, Fishmen Karate, Fishmen Jujutsu, Kenkobushu Haki,Busoshoku Haki*
