The Demon's Princess: One day vacation and some fun.

ONE DAY VACATION.

DAY 36.

SUNDAY.

GOLD: 326,104.

BLOODOATH GOLD: 4,138,653.

Tyler woke to the feeling of Seria asleep in his arm and a VERY warm and fuzzy weight on his chest. He opened his eyes to see Shiro asleep on his chest like a cat while Seria was in his right arm. On HER other side was Asia with her face pressed into Seria's massive bosom. Seria was naked and the blonde was as well. Shiro was in a cute little night gown and Tyler chuckled at the warmth in the tent. He leaned in Seria's ear.

"I LOVE YOU."

She woke with a shiver and a smile and he kissed her.

"I love you too Tyler."

"Seems you got a friend."

"Asia is so cute. and REALLY warm."

Tyler smiled as Seria stroked the blonde's hair lovingly.

"She;s sweet. And is another little sister."

"Oh absolutely. I love her."

Asia blushed at that as she opened her green eyes with a smile.

"I love you too Seria!"

Shiro woke with a yawn as Seria hugged the adorable Asia tightly. The silver haired Shiro looked at the naked hug and blinked.

"Wow. Complications."

Both girls blushed at this and Tyler chuckled.

"Don't mind me. Sexy."

They laughed at that before Seria smirked and cradled a squeaking Asia into her bust.

"I DID learn on ladies too!"

"words cannot express just how spectualularly erect I am right now. Come on you sexy minx."

The princess smiled as she got dressed, much to Asia's disappointment.

"Ooooh I LIKED how that felt."

Seria patted her with a smile.

"we can explore that together sometime, Asia."

"Yay! I like your boobs!"

Tyler just sighed with a smile.

"I'll go warn somebody."

Seria smiled as she faded out.

"Choose WISELY!"

She was gone and Tyler whistled.

"THAT wasn't ominous or anything."

Shiro laid back down.

"I'm tired."

He chuckled and went to warn Belfast about Asia's new curiosity. He found the diligent quartermaster at one of the supply wagons looking their stores over with a clipboard. She smiled as Tyler walked over.

"Good morning, dear."

"Morning Belfast. Fair warning."

He leaned in her.

"Seria gave Asia a hug...and she liked it."

"Oh dear."

"Yeah. Seria has an INSTRUCTOR for this. Asia?"

"we shall see to her."

"Thanks Belfast."

She smiled as Tyler walked over to the Table where Asuna was looking at reports from the night prior.

"Anything I should be aware of?"

She had a flushed face as she smiled tiredly at him.

"Nothing really."

"Alright. Thank god we got an extra day to recover eh?"

"I will beat you with a MEAT MALLET YOU PRICK!"

He chuckled as he left her good an pissed off while ALSO nursing a rather INTENSE morning after. The warrior went to the river bank again and laid on his tiger pelt for the day. Rias appeared in her own stringy bikini for a cuddle and he sighed with a smile as she got comfy.

"I guess I can this one slide."

She chuckled at THAT grace.

"Oh come on. Everyone loves a snuggledevil."

"I know. it;s why we have Asia."

"Ha!"

She smiled at that truth as she relaxed and Tyler smiled as he dozed off.

He woke a few hours later to find Rias had been joined in her snuggle by Yoshkia. The friendly witch had her head on Tyler's chest and he had an arm around her narrow waist as she slumbered. He smiled at this as he stroked her soft brown hair.

"Wow. She's warm."

Rias smiled as she opened her eyes to see Yoshkia asleep on his chest.

"She looks at you like a hero too."

"I'm no hero."

"To HER you are."

He smiled at that and hugged the witch warmly.

"I can live with that, Yoshkia."

She smiled with a blush.

"I want to be as strong as you are."

She had a warm smile in her hazel eyes and he hugged her warmly. she smiled warmly at the affection and the Berserker held her for a moment before he looked around at the relaxing camp. Yoshkia smiled as she played informant.

"Everyone's either asleep, playing some game, hunting in the forest, fucking around in their tents alone or with somebody, or some combo of the bunch."

"Ha. YOUR big plans?"

She shrugged.

"eh. Probably take a dip in the river. Haven't decided yet."

He the noted she was in a two piece suit that accuented her growing curves.

"cute."

"Thanks!"

She blushed at that and he hugged her again before she ran off for whatever. Rias smiled as he relaxed again.

"She's sweet."

"She's Yoshkia."

"Nuff said!"

He chuckled at that as they dozed again. When he came to again, Rias was gone and he felt stiff for laying in literally the same spot all day. His back cracked in several places and he groaned at the feeling before he looked around. A few were sitting by the fire enjoying the flames with food on sticks and he walked over. Sanya the silver haired Scry Witch smiled shyly as he sat beside her.

"Hey Sanya."

"Hey Tyler. Hungry?"

She passed him his own roasting stick.

"Thanks."

She smiled nervously as he stuck a hotdog made from some dinosaur on the end.

"Oh. we have ketchup right?"

The friends laughed and groaned in equal measure as Asuna slid him a jar.

"We got plenty. TRUST me."

"I see you are also a lady of culture."

Kirito sighed as he fed on his burger.

"Great. HE loves ketchup as much as she does."

Tyler chuckled as he fistbumped Asuna.

"Kirito can't take the heat."

"Yet he married YOU."

"I know right? i'm HOT!"

"And a SPICY one too!"

She laughed at that one as Akeno smirked.

"Oh my. Asuna? Is that an invitation?"

"Not for THAT."

"Ohhh BOO."

Belfast smiled coyly.

"Now, now, dear. we agreed NOT in PUBLIC."

"Double boo! I wanna have some FUN!"

Rias smirked as she bit into her fish sandwich.

"NO spin the bottle, NO TRUTH OR DARE, NO PRANKS."

A fair few groaned at this shoot down and Tyler smirked.

"In der open. I, sadly, will not participate. WITHOUT Seria present."

They chuckled at that one and Asuna smiled as she drank from a bottle.

"I think we can save THAT set of idears for a LONGER term vacation."

They chuckled at that promise and Tyler smiled as he roasted a hotdog on a stick in a fantasy world surrounded by his anime icons he now led in a war. The friends enjoyed a well earned break from the struggles that be to bask in the ease and joys of being alive. Tyler smiled as the fire burned down and he went back to his tent to find Yoshkia waiting for him. She smiled shyly as he blinked.

"Um, Asia brags?"

He chuckled as he laid beside the witch.

"Sure thing Yoshkia."

She sighed in relief before snuggling up beside him and he drapped an arm around the tiny girl.

"Wow Yoshkia. You're toasty."

She smiled at that priase as they got comfy.

"Thanks. Night, Tyler."

"Night Yoshkia."

BACK IN THE SADDLE.

DAY 37

MONDAY.

GOLD: 326,104.

BLOODOATH GOLD: 4,138,653.

Tyler woke to the feeling of Yoshkia curled into a tight ball in his body curve and him holding her in a protective coccoon. her head head under his chin and he smiled at how warm she was. He stroked her back and she woke with a squeak.

"Morning!"

"Morning Yoshkia. You're a warm one aren'tchya?"

She smiled at that as he stroked her back affectionately.

"Thanks. Um, that feels nice."

He stopped and she smiled shyly.

"Again sometime?"

"Sure, Yoshkia. Come on."

She smiled and they geared up for returning to active warriors. Tyler hung his greatsword on his back and smiled at the clank of metal.

"MUCH better."

She chuckled at that as she buckled her staff on.

"You remind me so much of Barkhorn it's scary."

He chuckled as the coat was drapped over his shoulders.

"She's a tough girl."

"Very."

The Berserker went to the table where the rest of the leaders were waiting. Asuna had a refreshed smile on her face as he walked up.

"Okay. We needed that."

He chuckled.

"A LOT. Alright so where we at?"

Mina nodded and she tapped the next village.

"We'll reach the village by noon."

"Alright. Break camp."

The warriors moved with the speed of practice to break camp before they mounted up and hit the road. Tyler smiled as they left the river behind and looked at Strand beside him.

"You master the snake milking yet?"

She smiled.

"I did. And not a single snake injured."

"We'll turn it in to the Station."

"I appreciate it. We Rangers are constantly striving to better live with the forests we care for. So any new method discovered is cherished."

"I'll keep an eye out for anything else that might help."

She nodded with a smile as the force moved at a light gallop. The party tore through the forest wih ease and came upon the village after a mere few hours ride.....only to slow to a near instant halrt by the sight awaiting them.

The village gates had been broke open and there as blood smeared all over them.

Tyler sighed as he saw this.

"why am I not surprised? Sack up! We're looking in an aftermath!"

The force nodded and weapons were unsheathed as the Berserker cautiously led the way to the door. Strand sighed as she saw the blood up close.

"It's a week old."

Tyler nodded as he used his greatsword to push the gate open.....and revealed a pile of horrifically mutilated bodies of men, women, and children all heaped in the village square. The bodies were all impaled on sticks with signs of torture, rape, birth, eating, and other forms of torment. Tyler sighed as he saw the pile.

"All of them are rotting. This village was sacked by monsters."

Strand nodded as she looked at the damage done to the village and the tracks in the dirt.

"Orcs too. The force that took Dunkirck?"

"I doubt it. Those monkeys would have eaten them to the bone if it had been."

"True. So we're looking at another band. The Station will know more."

"If they heard everything and did NOTHING?"

"Then I step as MAster of Rangers. We may not be FOND of civilization, but we have a DUTY dammit to the PEOPLE that live in it."

Tyler nodded as his horrified force rode in behind him.

"Heads on a swivel. We may not be the only ones here. Rias, take your squad and make a pyre. We can at LEAST get them off their spikes."

Mina shuddered as she saw infants had also been impaled.

"To think. I am GRATEFUL all we had were neroui."

"True monsters do that to you. Why it's up to US to KILL THEM ALL."

They nodded and the force got to work investigating the sacking and searching for anything of use. Tyler took a photo of the pile of dead and Strand looked at him.

"Never forget?"

"And shock treatment for any other recruits we get."

"Ah. The queen will need to be informed."

He took the orb out and Mylissia appeared.

"Back at it?"

He nodded to the pile and she gasped.

"And already found a mess."

Mylissia had tears of grief appear in her eyes as she saw the pile.

"No. Not Martoc. I LOVED that village. I had FRIENDS there. FIND THE ONES THAT DID THIS and send them to hell."

Tyler nodded as he looked at the pile....and noted something.

"What the? Hey Strand look at that shadow."

The ranger looked at the shadow of one of the lances impaling an infant...

"What the hell? That shadow is COMPLETELY out of place. It should be HERE at this timw of day."

Tyler frowned and flicked a rock at the pile.....only for it to go RIGHT THROUGH it.

"A hologram?"

Rias frowned as she looked over from the blood on a house.

"This blood is FAKE. what the hell is this?"

Tyler looked at Strand.

"Okay. This village. Does it have any WIERD customs that you know of?"

The elven ranger thought for a moment.

"Well. Once a year they reenact the founding of their village. It started with.....a massecre. And they found it.....and built the village to honor the ones that were lost before.....did we stumble on a village festival?"

Tyler looked at the ALSO confused queen.

"Any a this ring a bell?"

She nodded with wide blue eyes.

"Yes. I've attended a fair few in my day. And they use THAT EXACT spell to conjure a pile of bodies. WHY I didn't see that at first is irritating me."

"I wonder."

He looked at the pile.

"Magical Rebuff."

The pile and a good portion of the blood on the ground vanished.

"what the hell did you do that for?"

A woman poked her head out of a window with indignation on her face. She too was covered in blood and Tyler just looked at her.

"Sooo NOW we get your attention?"

The woman blinked as she got a good look at him.

"Lord Berserker?"

"In the flesh."

"Oh. MY sincerest apologies. that's how we defend our village."

"OOOOOOH."

EVERYONE'S eyes flashed at this and Tyler chuckled at the also impressed queen.

"THAT is an INGENIUS trick."

She nodded with a smile.

"No one looks at a sacked village twice. even IF they happen every day."

The mess of the village vanished and Tyler chuckled as the 500 or so strong village all came out wearing sheepish expressions at the deception. A slender woman with purple hair and pink eyes strode from the crowd. She was Tyler's height with long, foot length purple hair and bright pink eyes while her skin was pale. Her bust was massive in her smock while her frame was slender. She spoke in a soft breath as she approached the Berserker.

"My apologies Lord Berserker. We did not recognize your force and merely thought it another bandit brigade. I am Barron Melodoia. Please, call me Melody."

"I'm Tyler. This is Asuna, second in command. Rias the red head, Akeno, your twin, Strand a ranger, Victoria, the knight captain I guess, and Mina. The Strike Witch. Captains."

Melody smiled as Akeno was MILDLY taken aback by their mirror appearnaces.

"You and your Knights are most welcome here, Lord Berserker. So long as you do not destroy our village."

"My MOTHER IN LAW would kill me."

Mylissia smirked.

"I MIGHT anyway ya royal prick."

"Ha."

Akeno was spotted then and Melody smiled.

"Oh my. Who are you my dear?"

"Akeno. Akeno Himejima. Nice to meet you."

Melody smiled warmly.

"Perhaps we share a parent. I have NEVER met ANYONE that looks so much as I do. Please, what was your mother's name?"

"Akira. Akira Himejima...Bartrand."

"I know Akira. She was MY mother as well. I know not Bartrand."

Tyler smiled as he walked over.

"So are you a fallen angel?"

Meody nodded and a pair of jet black bird wings exploded out of her back. The wings spanned 20 feet from her back with flying feathers from the things with none appearing to have been lost. Akeno smiled as she had a pair of wings appeared from her back now. One a beautiful black bird wing the same length as Melody's while the OTHER was a jet black skeletal wing of a devil. Melody blinked as she saw this and smiled.

"Your life has been HARD Sister. But fear not. for you are BEAUTIFUL."

Akeno sniffed and Belfast smiled adoringly.

"That she is. Akeno dear, I MUCH prefer this look for you."

Tyler chuckled.

"Half heaven. Half hell. One beautiful girl. Sometimes being of two worlds can give you a strength the likes of which you have NEVER known."

Akeno hugged Melody with tears of utter relief on her face as her newfound sister enveloped her in a wing hug.

"Wiat."

"There's TWO?"

"Oh crap."

The rest of the village slumped at this and Tyler looked at them curiously.

"Issue?"

One of the ladies smiled sheepishly.

"Melody is.....a handful."

"So isn't Akeno. She's a thunder goddess."

A MASS GULP was seen and Akeno smiled as she let her new sister go.

"Oh my. I MIGHT enjoy myself."

Melody chuckled as she looked at her.

"Me as well. So long as you clean your mess."

"Older sister or younger sister?"

"IN your years I am 25. In OURS I am 2,000."

"Older, Onee-san."

Tyler whistled a LONG and approving whistle.

"DAMN Akeno."

She smiled teasingly.

"Ara-ara."

"Okay you can stop that, Queen of sexiness. I get it. You're a seductress."

"Help me, Onee-chan!"

"Okay you keep that up I am GOING to attack you with all the force an otaku can. ENOUGH WITH THE TEASE."

Akeno licked her lips and made her massive rack bounce.

"Oppai!"

"Okay Sparky."

Melody giggled into her hand as Akeno went from seductive tease to PISSED on a dime.

"Sparky? I like it!"

"I hate you."

Rias and the rest of the heroes were just sighing.

"Idiots. They're all a bunch of IDIOTS."

Tyler chuckled before he looked at Melody.

"So you said something about ANOTHER group of bandits?"

She nodded.

"I did. I will tell you what I know."

The village was laid out in a circle with the buildings near flush with the palisade walls defending it. The center was home to an immense open area the village used for recreation and their festivals. Melody led the Leaders into her Chieftain's hall that was made like a tavern with plenty of benches and warm hearths. The fallen angel not having put her wings away as she sat at a round table.

"Not even four nights prior, a band of 300 bandit raiders tore through the village. We engaged the illusion before the saw the gate thank the gods and they were VERY disappointed."

She placed a crystal recording on the table. Tyler smiled as he saw the men ride in.

"YOU are a smart fallen angel, Melody."

"Thank you. We are not a fighting village by any means. But we ARE highly skilled illusion mages."

"I could tell. Next time rotate the entire illusion five clicks to the right. Shadows didn't line up."

"Ah. I will do so. Now. This is the interesting piece."

The leader of the bandits, a man in bright red scalemail armor was heard speaking.

"Ugh. Someone beat us to it. Okay. Saddle up! We're heading to the meeting with the King! This goes well, we'll be able to deal with the Berserker before we can actually take a city!"

Tyler smirked at that arrogance.

"A Bandit King thinks he can take ME on. Amusing."

He set the orb on the table and Mylissia smirked as she appeared.

"So is there crisis this time?"

"Akeno's Melody's sister."

She blinked.

"Truly?"

Akeno smiled with pride.

"Same mother!"

"wow. Akira was YOUR mother?"

"Yup! You knew her?"

"Knew her? She's MY grandmother! HER blood is ROYAL blood! I'M your niece!"

Akeno just sat there with a dumbfounded expression and Tyler pokd her in the nose.

"Boop."

Asia giggled.

"Cute!"

Akeno's fired brain restarted.

"I have family."

She smiled so widely Tyler was half afraid her face would crack. The berserker smiled as he looked at the queen.

"So Seria has an aunt."

"And she will ADORE her! Oh. YOU'RE marrying into HER family. In terms of hierarchy, Tyler? SHE is the head of MY FAMILY! As a direct descendent of Akira and a HERO to boot. Melody is also of royalty. She does not wish to rule though."

Akeno smiled as she looked at Tyler.

"So...you'd be my adopted NEPHEW?"

"I guess. I'd be happy at best friend."

"RIAS is MY best friend. YOU get brother."

He hugged her hard.

"I have a SISTER worth something. I am PROUD to call you family Akeno."

She smiled as she hugged him back.

"Me too."

"We're an Addams family, but part a the charm."

Mylissia smiled happily as she looked at Akeno.

"We'll discuss your role in the court on your return, Akeno. Do you have any siblings you know of?"

"Know of no, and Mother has been dead for years."

That made them blink. Melody looked at her.

"I am sure you have reason to believe this, but she was just here not six months prior."

Akeno started shaking at this and Tyler slapped her on the back with enough force she jumped.

"Thanks Tyler."

"I gotcyer back sis."

She smiled at that.

"we'll find her."

"Bitch please. She'll find US. I mean, she IS your mother, Akeno."

"Thanks Tyler."

Rias sighed.

"I'd say something too, Akeno, but that BASTARD kept stealing my lines. As I THOUGHT OF THEM."

They chuckled and Tyler chuckled as he looked at asuna.

"We show up to a random village....and find out our thunder goddess is related not only to THAT Fallen beauty but the queen and MY fiance for fuck's sake? Whoever built this world has no idea what pacing is."

That made the redhead sigh as Akeno smiled.

"I'd like to borrow the orb for the night, Tyler."

"Absolutely."

"Thank you."

He smiled before they switched to the real reason they called. Mylissia was given the recording and she nodded once she saw the scene in question.

"A bandit king huh? Great. ANOTHER one."

"HAve there been any whispers in teh dark?"

"Plenty and more. Nothing abut a bandit king so this guy must be new or VERY clever. The RAnger Station should know more if a large gathering is underway."

"We'll check it out ourselves."

A woman came bursting into the hall.

"A bandit company approaching from the south! 400 men!"

Tyler and the leaders were RACING into action.

"HIDE THE HORSES AND THE WAGONS! GET THE ILLUSION UP! WE'LL AMBUSH THE FUCKERS!"

The Knights smiled wickedly as they threw themselves to the tasks as Melody pulled Tyler aside.

"we are not fighters, Tyler."

"we got this. We can kill 400 bandits without a scratch and the element of surprise. Plus I want that leader alive."

"ooh do be careful."

"You'll get to see WHY Akeno is a captain in MY army."

Melody smiled.

"NOw I admit to excitement!"

He chuckled as the village illusion was erected and the wagons hidden along with the horses. The rest of the Knights took up positions inside the houses with Tyler also taking part in the illusion. Namely, he was INSIDE THE THING. the pile of bdies was easily 20 feet tall. Plenty of room for the highest level warriors in the Knights of the Bloodoath to stage an ambush. Kirito smiled as they found that from inside the illusion, there WAS no illusion.

"NOw this is gonna take balls a steel."

Tyler chuckled as he planted his sword in the dirt with his hands resting on the sapphire pommel.

"THIS is gonna be FUN."

The ten or so smiled as they waited for Tyler's nod as a thunder of hooves was heard before a wall or armed and screaming in excitement men came tearing into the village....only to see the hellish image of the dead pile.

"BElay! BELAY! The village was already sacked!"

A mass groan went up from the bandits as they gathered around the pile without seeing thre warriors staged inside it. A taller man with silver armor approached the pile astride a SKELETAL horse and Tyler smirked as he saw this.

"A SHADALLION. Shadow Stallion. I want it."

The man on the skeletal horse sighed as he saw the pile.

"That be a cryin shame lads. I hear this village be home to a Fallen Angel. They FUCK like you would not believe. Ugh. come on."

The man went to ride away....when all hell broke loose.

"FROZEN WASTES!"

Tyler and his ten warrior came surging out of the Illusion and the leader was taken to the ground the next instant.

"TARGET SECURED!"

The Knights opened up with enchanted arrows as the caught COMPLETELY by surprise bandits slipped on the fifty yards of ice with falling horses and screaming. Tyler smiled at the now TERRIFIED leader pinned under his sword and patted his face cheerily.

"Don't worry. That Fallen Angel is a THUNDER GODDESS."

"THUNDERSTORM!"

Akeno was seen gliding on her mismatched wings raining electricity from the sky with a smile and a flush. The 400 man army was wiped out in MINUTES and Tyler chuckled as he looked at Asuna.

"Report."

"Some heavy wounds taken and a fair few need potions. NO dead or anything we can't heal. FOUR levels gained by those that need them."

Kirito smiled.

"Level 10."

Bell nodded.

"Level 9. We're getting closer."

Tyler chuckled as he looked at the white faced lone survivor.

"Come on. we're gonna a word with you. Bloodoath, loot and clean the mess. MIRROR that pile to the LAST inch."

Melody smiled with awe in her eyes as the warriors returned.

"Mighty Heroes indeed. And my sister is MOST impressive."

"I trust her so freakin much for a reason. Come on. THIS idiot has some questions to answer."

Mylissia smiled with Seria beside her as they returned to the table.

"We saw. YOU are a WILY bastard indeed."

Seria smiled.

"I recorded it as you just HAVE to see what it looked like when you launched from inside that pile. So awesome! Oh. AUNTIE!"

Akeno smiled proudly at that squeal.

"We'll need to talk about that, Seria. I'm only 17."

"REALLY?"

ALL the natives, the bandit leader excluded, looked at her in shock. Akeno smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah. How old did you think I was?"

Mylissia smiled.

"I had you placed at EASILY 24 or more with that HEAVENLY bust. I admit to envy."

Akeno smiled with a blush and Tyler chuckled.

"Never seen a blush on THOSE cheeks before Akeno. And we can talk family all we want with the orb."

"I'll remember."

She had pride on her face at this as Tyler looked at Mylissia.

"So i got a present."

She smiled sweetly.

"PAss the idiot through."

Tyler tossed the pleading bandit leader through the orb and he was dragged away. Seria smiled.

"We'll have answers in fifteen minutes. Tyler? I have a favor to ask."

"Sure. I'll summon you for Akeno."

"wow. YOU were going to ASK ME weren't you?""

"Yup."

Akeno smiled at this.

"I will OWE YOU-"

"JAck shit. You're one the ones I COUNT on the MOST Akeno. You need or want something just ask. I gotcher back."

She hugged him hard.

"Thank you."

He smiled and held her tightly for a moment. Then he pushed her away with a spin like tey wre dancing.

"Take a seat Aunt-in-law."

She laughed as she did just that.

"I'll be a FUN in-law."

"Course you will. It's YOU we're talking about here. Always just GREAT to be around."

Seria cleared her throat now. And Tyler looked RIGHT at her, sweating bullets.

"Um. She's an icon from my world too?"

Seria smiled knowingly.

"Like RIAS icon?"

"Same place kinda."

"Huh. Interesting. Should I be concerned?"

"WHO am I marrying?"

"That is a very good point. CAREFUL WITH THE GUSHING IN FRONT OF ME."

"Yes Seria."

She smiled sweetly as her mother patted her proudly.

"THAT is how you do it, sweetie. WELL DONE."

Tyler just smiled helplessly.

"She's my wife. So I lose by default."

The women laughed at that as the men nodded sagely at this truth. A Wraith returned and presented the queen with a pile of papers.

"I have answers."

Tyler nodded as he switched from fawning grovel, to War Party leader on a dime.

"What am I looking at?"

Mylissia passed him a copy.

"A number of bandit lords have come together under a Draken to harry our cities and strain our armies just that much more. Right now we are looking at several thousand men and that number is climbing daily."

Tyler nodded.

"The Draken. Is it the Deep HAnd?"

"Doubtful. They don't launch dual operations like that. This is another branch entirely. And one with DIRECT SUPPORT from their homeland. So we're in for a rough patch."

"You said a few thousand. A SET NUMBER?"

"5,000 at the last rumor."

Tyler nodded and Asuna sighed.

"Tyler. No. There is NO WAY we can take on an army of that size alone."

"In a straight shitfight no. But. Remember Sparta."

"THAT is a very good point."

The Macedonains were confused so he smiled.

"Sparta is an ancient tale in our worlds. A culture of warriors raised from BIRTH to be soldiers. In their heyday they were the best in the world. Another country, Persia, invaded from the north. King Leonidas took 300 of his best men and wedged themselves in a coastal mountain pass. In our worlds magic doesn't exist so keep that in mind. Persia, led by Godking Xerxes, had an army of 1,500,000 men. For three days and nights the Spartans made the Perisan army pay so deeply in blood they lost all will to fight. A betrayal did for them. But their kills numbered in teh HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS. 300 men. Stopped a MILLION MAN ARMY dead in it's tracks. WITHOUT magic."

The queen had respect in her voice as she spoke now.

"These warriors, were you trained by them Tyler?"

"Directly? No. They are a long dead culture. But we have their teachings, their records and their methods."

"This is what we hoped for in a hero. Do you have a plan?"

"I have PIECES of a plan. Strand says there is a Ranger Station in the forest."

The elf nodded.

"And it's a full 50 Rangers. Led by MY sister. Her name is Dryft. And she is a FERAL elf indeed. Her favorite prey is mountain lions she hunts with her BARE HANDS AND SHARPENED TEETH."

Tyler chuckled.

"I love this elf an I don't even know her."

"Ahem."

"I love Seria more."

"Better."

The queen laughed at the sweet smile on her daughter's face.

"YOU are going to be JUUUST fine with THAT kinda leash on him Sweetie!"

Seria smiled.

"It's fun watching him squirm."

"Oh?"

His noise made HER gulp now! Tyler smiled at his beloved princess.

"Love you too, Blueberry."

"Heeey! Mean!"

"Snowdrop?"

"Not cool!"

He chuckled and Mylissia sighed with a smile.

"Oh dear. Sweetie? Don't you have lessons right now?"

Seria looked at her confused.

"I do...but my husband is making a war strategy. I want to watch for once."

"Oooh fine."

Tyler smiled at that as he looked at the map. Rias smirked.

"Good answer."

"Not my game, not my table."

They nodded sagely at that and TYler frowned.

"Okay. we have an army of 5,000 or more on the march. WHERE are they?"

Strand frowned as well as she looked at the map.

"An army of that size would leave a mark we could see from the mountain. And we saw nothing."

"An illusion spell?"

"If so, we need to see the Station. It is not far from here. Maybe 15 minutes."

"We'll go check it out. Bell, Asia, Rias, Barkhorn, annnnd.....Xenovia. Rest a you on defense. Village is homebase for the time being. If another group of bandits come through, same bait and ambush. Take the leader alive. Asuna's Knights."

The redhead nodded. Tyler looked at Strand.

"Let's move."

She nodded and the named took off from the village into the forest. Xenovia smiled as she came up beside him.

"I;m only a level 5. Why'd you pikc me?"

"You rounded out the formation I wanted. You're a spellsword."

"Ah. Thanks."

"Sure think Xeneria."

"Awww I like it!"

Rias smirked.

"YOU are VERY flirty outta nowhere."

"Purify."

He glowed and the light shattered and he shrugged.

"No hits. Guess I'm just in a good mood."

Metalica appeared on his shoulder with a pop.

"And BOO! I know you missed me!"

They smiled at the return of their sprite friend and Tyler patted her.

"Glad you have you back Metalica. How are you feeling?"

"Refreshed and REAALLY fuckin bored."

"we'll bring you up to speed later."

"I was watching from my living room. Which is your eyes."

"Oh. So we're on the same page."

"I was also watching your memories like a movie. I gotta say, I LOVE your stories."

Rias smirked.

"You can read them."

"I can make them into books since I kinda AM him in here."

"WE will work out a deal."

"Sure thing Demon Queen."

Tyler chuckled att hat.

"Seria gets her own copies."

"Sure."

The iron sprite stretched and vanished back into his body as Strand nodded to a large tree.

"That's the Station."

Tyler smiled.

"Not a word."

"You remember."

The tree was easily 200 meters across and towered a thousand feet into the air. Strand smiled as she saw the pristine state of the door hiddin in the wood.

"Already an improvement over the last one."

"Open the door BEFORE yoy say that."

She did and the friends were faced with a group of fifty armed Ranchers aiming arrows at them. Strand tugged her ear.

"Hold Brothers and Sisters. We come with news. Dyft. Are you here Sister?"

A strong chuckle was heard from the side of the mass.

"Must be somethin BIG if ya brought Lord BERSERKER with you sister."

A ferally beautiful elf stepped into view and Tyler whistled. She was Asia's height with a slender frame and large bust on her chest. Her hair was long and hung to her bare feet....and was blood red. even DEEPER red then Rias' crimson mane. The elf's skin was also blood red along with her eyes, teeth, and fingernails. Which along with her toenails were long and razor sharp points. Her red eyes blazed with a ferocious fire and her attire was a mere ragged croptop and cut off shorts. Tyler smiled as he saw her.

"An elven blood dancer merged with a rage demon. I LIKE you."

The red elf smirked and displayed razor sharp rangs for teeth as her strong yet feminine voice came.

"YOU knew on SIGHT. An impressive feat for an UNBLOODED HUMAN. YOU intrigue me."

"We'll have our deathmatch later. For now we need a report on the forest."

She nodded as Strand faced her.

"Sister. it was a RAGE demon?"

"It was a lesser, Strand."

The brown haired elf looked at Tyler in mild surprise.

"How can you be so sure?"

He jabbed a thumb at the color of Dryft's skin.

"Her skin is the giveaway and the fact she's stil here. Doesn't matter how strog you are, when it comes to demonic possession adn merging, if the HOST can't handle the power and corruption of the DEMON, the host dies a melting death. So, NOTHING above a lesser can preform the merge or possesion. Not even if it's willing."

Dryft nodded.

"You know demons. He speaks truth. I dominated the demon's will and it serves me now."

"NO. It's just biding it's time. It LET you win since it'll live longer then you. Here. SHE'LL make it bow to you."

Rias smiled and dryft shuddered as she looked her in the eye.

"My princess? HEre?"

Strand looked at Tyler for an explanation and he smiled.

"Rias is the Princess of hell."

"By my EAR."

"I thought we told you that."

"You might have. It's been a while."

Rias smiled as she made Dryft glow.

"There. He;s yours now."

Dryft had a brighter glow in her red eyes now as she smiled.

"I feel a THOUSAND times lighter. Thank you."

Tyler chuckled.

"Sure thing Blood Elf. we're looking at an army of 5,000 bandits."

"I see. There have been sightings of a mass of armed troops to the west. We have been keeping tabs on their movement but did not get any specific details on them. NOW we will. Ghost, Shadow, go."

Two rangers nodded before vanishing into the forest. Tyler smiled.

"Can we count on you, dryft?"

The elf slapped her arm into his with a smile.

"Absolutely. I be MIGHTY curious to see how Lord Berserker fights."

"We'll regroup at Melody's village. Cast an illusion spell and make it seem the Station was sacked. With sign only another Ranger can follow to the village."

"Smart."

Strand chuckled.

"YOU learned from Ingot's mess."

"Yup. Ghost and Shadow'll meet up with us at the village."

They nodded and the rest of the Rangers followed as Dryft made the Station seem already sacked. then they headed off at a light trot through the forest with the red elf bounding on all fours like a deer. Tyler chuckled as he watched this feral beauty move. Rias smirked as she saw this.

"Tyler."

"Rias."

"Careful."

"Ha."

They returned to the village and regrouped with the leaders. Asuna chuckled as Dryft perched in the chair like a cat and Tyler shrugged as he sat by the redhead.

"She's a blood dancer."

"Makes sense. So what do we have?"

"She has scouts out now and we'll have answers in an hour. Now we just need a suitable funnel or a place we can take away their advantage of numbers. Strand? Dryft?"

The red elf looked at the map with her sister elf before they tapped one place.

"Hanger's Gulch. An old gorge. Sheer cliffs either side and like a valley leading through that part of the forest."

Tyler nodded as he looked at it.

"How many ways in?"

"Two. Opposite ends."

"Alright. We'll lead the bandits in to the gorge and have grapple hooks in the center for escape once we get pushed back in far enough. Once IN far enough, we'll use some demo charges from Metalica's forge to drop the gorge ontop of them."

They looked at him ike he was nuts.

"what?"

Dryft looked ather sister.

"He's crazier an I am!"

Strand smiled.

"And his brillance is unblemished because of it. Sister. WE destroyed Dunkrick with a similar gambit."

That got a whistle of respect from the red elf.

"Oh. So he's THAT type a crazy bastard? I'm in. But we'll need a LOT of charges to make that old gorge go."

Tyler smiled.

"what's the main stone in the gorge, Dryft?"

"Weird ask but okay. The gorge is made of sandstone, granite, some shale, and dirt.....why are you grinning?"

"We drill 3 inch hole into the top of the cliffs along a distance of about.....100 yards either side of the gorge. Then we fill the holes with the explosive compounds Metalica uses. Do this right, and you SPLIT the stone like a log."

Strand smiled as her sister just sat back in her chair.

"See, Sister? He sees the world differently."

"Yeah. DIFFERENTLY. That's the word. Tyler."

"Yes?"

"You're insane."

"Well, thank HEAVEN for that then. Cause otherwise this'd probably never work."

She laughed at that.

"I love the way you think! my RAngers are in."

Ghost an Shadow returned and the pair tugged ears.

"We have sight."

The taller Ghost laid her map out.

"The army numbers 10,435 men with mages, cavalery, seige engines, and even captured beasts as warbeasts. They are currently camped out in this valley."

She tapped a pocket in the mountains.

"With more companies pouring in on the hour. By this time next week they could number one hundred thousand at the least."

TYler nodded.

"We don't have time to wait. Alright. Dryft."

Metalica appeared with buckets of the minibomblets.

"Take these and get to the site. We'll go incite the horde to follow us into the gorge."

She nodded and 30 rangers ran out with the material.

"We have animal friends in the area, Tyler. We'll have them come in as well."

"Alright. You have 50 Rangers. I have 127 warriors. We have a force of 177 fighters. And we WILL send these bandits to hell. Knights. Our plan is simple. Funnel and meat grinder. we'll split into two forces plugging both sides of the gorge. Thbey won't bother climbing it as they'd have to LITERALLY go all the way around and by that point we'll have enraged them like a bull. Taunts, jabs, insults, anything you can do to get under their skin do so. Once we are in the gorge form three ranks with arrows and spells. One rank fires and dropps back with rank fire firing. They drop back as the third comes up for their shots and repeat."

Asuna smiled.

"We used a similar strategy on the floor boss on 55."

Tyler tapped the center of the gorge.

"We'll have grapples on the walls here for every man in the Knights. We'll attach and zip up. The hooks will retract into belts so once on the top get away from the edge and ready to set off the demo charges. The bandits will be far too commited by that point to really escape and we'll bury them alive. The ENTIRE army should be in that gorge with a token force escaping."

Mina smiled.

"Backup plan?"

"We get stuck back to back and flip. Then we use surge spells to PUSH them back."

"Alright. It'll be a meat grinder in the extreme. But we'll get it done."

Tyler smiled.

"We'll head out in a few hours. For now it's full battleprep. Melody,"

"We will go into lockdown."

"Good. We'll deal with this. YOU just keep your heads down."

The heads nodded and Tyler smiled.

"See to your tasks. Break."

The force went to their tasks with a passion as Mylissia smiled from the orb.

"Tyler, if possible, try to take the leader alive. I would have words with him."

"We'll TRY TO, but no promises"

"I understand. And i will be watching from your eyes with Seria this time. See how YOU approach a fight."

Tyler smirked as he sharpened his greatsword. Kirito came over with a fresh quiver of arrows.

"I hit level ten, Tyler."

"So we're on the same level, i THAT you think?"

Kirito smirked as he looked at the berserker.

"I want my rematch."

"Ha. We'll kill each other later, Kirito."

"Alright."

Asuna sighed as she walked over.

"Great. A dick measuring contest between men."

Rias smiled sympathically at the redheaded wife.

"They're men, Asuna. They're never satisifed until they figure who wields the bigger knife."

"Ugh."

"Yup."

Tyler chuckled at that as he and Kirito worked their swords over. Metalica appeared on his shoulder with a smirk.

"I got enough demo charges leftover for a few more big ones, Tyler. Then I'll need to buy some more material."

"Make a list and we'll run it down."

"On it."

She winked out as the red elf Dryft appeared with a report.

"The holes are made and filled. We were able to make a line either side of the gorge ALL THE WAY along rhe gorge. You're outta your mind."

He chuckled at that one as Asia came bouncing up with a bone.

"Hi! I found this in that prick's dead horse! It;s cold."

Dryft chuckled as she explained.

"It's Shadallion Bone. Feed it to a steed of Shadowmare blood and it'll gain the ability Dullahan Aspect. You'll be able to ride a Skeletal horse."

Tyler took the bone with a smirk.

"I know exactly who to give it to."

He went to the stable where Shadow, his Morbol, was stabed with evident boredom.

"hey big guy. I got a present for ya."

Shadow looked only to scream as he saw the bone. Tyler patted him as he fed the 6 inch bone to the animal and it glowed an eerie black before he reared in his stall with black fire exploding from his hooves and engulfing him. The result was the noble black horse loosing ALL the flesh on it's body to stand there in a skeletal horse form with fire for mane, eyes, and tail. The flames were neon blue while on the horse's head was a 3 foot jagged spike of black metal and his screams were unsettlingl three toned sounds. Tyler patted him and the horse nuzzled him gratefully for such power.

"YOU look TERRIFYING. I love it."

Tyler pulled his Status Plate and saw the Ability Dullahan Aspect as a toggleable option. Shadow was returned to his usual appearance and tossed his head with a new smugness.

"yeah, yeah you're a badass. I know."

Tyler then left him to his rest to check in with Asuna at the table.

"How are we looking?"

"We're ready. HOW exactly are we going to incite a ARMY to chase us?"

He smirked.

"My head is worth half a billion gold, Asuna. If we LAUNCH a frontal assault with cavalery and SWING around hurling jabs an taunts while KILLING everyone in sight, then FLEE? They'd be so pissed they'd chase us to hell an back."

"I THINK I've seen this in a movie somewhere. Alright. Broad daylight?"

"Broad Daylight."

"We'll get this done."

Tyler smiled.

"Knights, mount up."

The 177 man force mounted up and Tyler chuckled as he sat astride Shadow.

"Alright people. We got another suicide mission. This time we're charging into the enemy camp and killing everything that looks nice. Then we swing OUT of the enemy camp and piss in their cheerios. We do this right, we'll have 10,000 idiots chasing us. we'll lead them into the gorge and make them BLEED for every inch. Once they're in deep enough we'll attach grapple lines for the vertical pull out. That's when we set the charges in the holes off. The gorge collaspes, and we bury them ALIVE. Like we did at Dunkrick but a lot smaller. Any questions?"

He got crickets.

"Alright. Knights of the Bloodoath...MOVE OUT!"

The force thundered out of the village as they activated their massecre illusion during the campaign. Tyler was riding Shadow in his usual appearance and Rias smirked as she rode behind him.

"So now tou have a Reaper Horse?"

"Pretty much. Shadow's got a new cosmetic. And it's make an impact."

Kirito chuckled.

"I want one now."

"Startin to think you like riding my coat tails, Kirito."

"Coming form teh guy that ripped off MY coat."

"Coming from the guy that ripped off MY spell arsenal."

"Coming from the guy that is LITERALLY living this world like I lived SAO....and BRAGS about it."

Asuna sighed in pain as the two warriors bantered.

"Coming from the wife of one you two idiots, SHUT UP. My head hurts."

They chuckled at that as Tyler looked to where Dryft was riding a blood red mare beside him.

"Where's their camp?"

"Half an hour ride then veer right."

"I hope those fangs an claws aren't just for show, Dryft."

She smirked with a wicked excitement.

"I'll be sure to show you."

Rias smirked.

"Is that an ATTACHMENT I detect?"

"More feral amusement."

"Ha. You do know she can hear you right?"

"I know."

"Okay. YOU are ASKING for the couch."

He chuckled at that as the force moved through the forest. A half hour later the force veer into the forest and one of the rangers used a skill to hide their dust cloud and sound of their hooves in the forest. Tyler nodded at Asuna and she had then force slow down so Tyler would seem to be launching a suicide charge on an entire enemy army. Which given his well known ego was ENTIRELY plausible. Tyler smirked as the sound of a mass of screaming, yelling, clashing steel, and the scent of human habitation was detected ahead. He drew his greatsword with one hand as Shadow screamed in excitement and dug his hooves in harder. Tyler breasted a hill and was faced with the ragtag encampment of the Bandits and smiled as a few guards jumped as his trademark black coat, blue sword, and black horse were seen.

"BERSERKER! THE BERSERKER IS HERE LADS!

"SOUND THE ALARM!"

Tyler smiled as he swung his sword,

"FIRESTORM!"

The bandits had camped inside a massive valley betwee two peaks with their leader all the way at the rear. From his perspective, the front ranks simplay exploded as the blue flaming tornado arose from the masses and the black rider was seen twirling his greatsword into the packs of STUNNED bandits scoring several kills. The leader smiled widely at this and the army raced to regroup from the sudden and utterly foolhardy assault. Tyler smiled as shadow trampled people, tents, fires, and food with impunity.

"Frozen Wastes."

His spell left a hole in the bandit camp as a mass of pikemen leapt into formation and Shadow slid to a stop. Tyler chuckled as he saw the line of smirking pikemen.

"Bout time ya remembered your balls."

A deep, baritone belly laugh was heard from deeper in the horde.

"Welcome to your grave Berserker! Ya got balls a steel to raid the camp of the Renegade King!"

Tyler smirked as the hole he'd made in the force closed up.

"Thanks for the shoutout to my balls, RK. Seems THAT'S why a fair few a these guys be walkin funny."

The laugh came again.

"Yer taunts mean nothing to me! I could snap a wee twig that you without effort-"

"Is THAT yo MOMMA said ro ya? Yeesh. Did you at least PAY HER after?"

There was a moment of silence and Tyler blinked.

"You DIDN'T pay her? So she fucked ya for free? WOW. makes sense. Standards are pretty cheap these days. I mean, even yo hand turn you down sometimes."

There was a low growl of anger now from someone and Tyler smirked.

"At least I don't look like that! MY wife is the PRINCESS, I am the BERSERKER, yo ass belong to yo daddy and yo momma likes to take her turn! YOU SUCK!"

There was a bellow of UTTER RAGE as a near 9 foot foot tall am was seen waving a monstorous sword and shield at the smiling warrior on his black horse.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Well hurry up if ya dare! I got more important things to do then babysit YOU!"

"KILL HIM!"

The bandit army leapt to obey the order of their out of his mind leader while Tyler merely snapped his fingers.

"Boom."

A line of powerful firespells exploded along the frontline as the rest of the Knights charged the lines. Asuna had her rapier darting into eyes as the 156 force all roared taunts at the caught AGAIN by surprise army.

"Yo momma's bigger then you are!"

"How's it feel knowing you're just troll spew?"

"The mirror makes you pay it, don't it?"

The bandits were possessed of a near BLIND RAGE at the inflammetory remarks as Tyler and Shadow tore into motion.

"FROZEN WASTES! FIRESTORM! BLIZZARD!"

The conflicting elements carved a path through the camp and allowed Tyler to regroup with the Knights while the entire bandit army dropped what they were doing to chase them EN MASS. Tyler chuckled as he retook the lead with Asuna.

"Works like a charm EVERY time. Move to step 2."

"On it. The horses will be taken by the rangers to a safe space and they'll attack from above."

"Leader is a BIIIG muthafucka. Mylissia wants us to try to take him alive."

They nodded at this and Tyler smiled as the bandit horde bellowed behind them.

The gorge in question was 15 feet wide and soared 300 feet high. It formed a large and wide C shape with both ends unable to be seen from the entrance. Tyler smiled as he and the Knights bailed off their horses and their mounts were taken by a few rangers to safety. Then the Knights wedged themselves in the entrances in staggered ranks of five. They'd split the army in half with 75 at the front and 75 at the rear. Tyler was out in front with his hands on his greatsword waiting for the bandits wih a smile in his face. The first wave of charging bandits saw the lone Berserker and RAN EVEN FASTER! Their hate for the man overriding their good sense and they PAID for it.

"Iced wall."

A ten foot tall wall of ice 30 feet long appeared just intime for the front runners to SLAM into it. They hit with such force the ones at the front were crushed FLAT by the ones behind them and Tyler chuckled as he watched the tidal wave hit his unmovable wall.

"Classic."

The wall started cracking from the force of the now EXTREMELY confused bandit army fought with itself to get off the ice.

"Frozen wastes."

Only for the ground to turn to slippery ice and make everything ten times worse. Tyler and the Knights were laughing heartedly at the sight of the bandits fighting t stand....and NOT GET CRUSHED as their comrades that hadn't seen the ice wall were still running full tilt. Asuna looked at her husband with tears of humor in her eye at the mess.

"THAT'S why it's important to have staggered charges. So some idiot with a decent wall can fuck you over like this."

Kirito chuckled as he watched Tyler wave at the bandit leader.

"That guy. he can make a rock fly into a blind rage."

The bandit leader was ROARING at his men to get off the wall while the smarter warriors were FINALLY threading themselves around the 30 foot section of ice and Tyler looked at them.

"Oh. hi. I didn't you expect you figure out HOW to go around. Um. Okay. THUNDERFIELD."

He targeted the water the melting ice created and the result was a mass electrocution of several dozen men.

"Water Surge."

A ten foot wall of water hit the thunder spell and just made everything worse. Tyler waved at the FUMING bandit king cheerily.

"Some RENEGADE KING! I'm only one man! Come on. Don't be shy now!"

The man smirked as he waved and the rest of his 10,000 man army split off to attack the Knights in the gorge.

"Let's see how cocky you when CUT OFF from your forces!"

"Like how yo momma cut your balls off thinking you were a girl?"

OOOH that sent into a towering rage and Tyler looked at him curiously.

"What? You'd make a decent chick. I think there's a ogre out there that'd be happy to fuck ya. I mean. SOMETHING has to, right? I know you made a troll puke with that thing you call a face, but maybe a muck monster is more your speed? Or a banshee."

The giant of a man lost it ENTIRELY now as his rage bubbled over. He charged through his ranks of men as the Knights threw off the mindless assault of the bandit army. The Renegade King tore out of his army in a mindless rage to HURT the Berserker and Tyler smiled as the nearly 7 foot long one handed sword was swung at him. Tyler threw himself into a sideways flip as the sword came down...and slashed the Renegade King in the shoulder right between the breastplate and the rest of his gauntlet. His sword xut clean through and he lost his arm and the shield. Tyler chuckled as the wanna be Renegade King roared in pain.

"Take five bitch."

The berserker slammed him in the face with a knee and the blow knocked him spark out. Tyler then dragged the mountain of a man back to his force as the bandit army looked at each other in shock at the easy defeat of their king. Once the prisoner was securely behind allied lines, Tyler looked at the rest of the bandits.

"So? ya coming or what?"

They charged at the order of their various chiefs and Tyler smiled as he took his place beside Asuna with his shield and lance. The redheaded wife chuckled as she stabbed bandits two at a time.

"Works like a charm EVERY time."

"Yup. Asia reattached his arm and has him under a sleep spell now. Mylissia will make good use of the gift."

The bandit army kept pouring into the meat grinder that was the Knights of the Bloodoath's line until Tyler found the piles of dead were taller then he was.

"DROP BACK 50 FEET!"

The force retreated with ice behind the wall as the bandits used a linebreaker beast in the for of a triceratops to charge them. The dinosaur broke through the pile of bodies...only to slip on the ice and die on hitting the ground. The bandits charged into the hole and Tyler chuckled as they again banged their heads off their shields. The bandits were AGAIN stacked up like cord wood from the meatgrinder that was the Knights as arrows, spells, and lances all accounted for hundreds of bandits at once. Tyler looked beahind them and noted the gorge was still clear and asuna smiled.

"Rias is in charge of the rearguard."

"Good. How are we holding?"

Belfast chuckled from her place behind them firing her powerful spells.

"We are oversupplied with arrows for the moment. And I must say these men are idiots."

Tyler chuckled as they dropped back another 50 feet.

"Their leaders just see my bounty and you beauties. That is MORE then enough to justify the meatgrinder. Asuna, two more drops and we'll be in the right place."

"Gotchya."

Bell smiled from further down the line.

"I hit level 10."

Tyler smirked.

"I hit level 11."

A few groans were heard at that and Kirito smirked.

"I'm a few kills FROM eleven."

"Is that a CHALLENGE I hear?"

"If it IS?"

"Well then. MIGHTY BLOW, TEMPEST, GHOST CUT, DOUBLE FORCE!"

Tyler rushed into the mass of bandits with his greatsword glowing and scythed close to 15 men down ina single swing. He carried the blow over his head and the bandits rushed the Berserker headon...only for the return slash to split them in half as well.

"WATER CUT!"

Roiling edge of water appeared on his sword that aided in cutting power. Another fifteen men were cut down and Kirito smirked.

"TEMPEST! DOUBLE CUT! DOUBLE SLASH! GHOST CUT! RUSHING SLASH!"

The black swordsmen vanished from view and a line of men dropped from his powerful swings. Bell smiled.

"I'm not getting left out! ARGONAUT!"

A beam of white holy magic exploded from his hand to impact the bandits and a mass dropped.

"Oh. You wanna play hardball, I'll play hardball."

Tyler took a position in front of a large number of bandits,

"RUSHING SLASH! DRAK SACRALANT!"

His soulkiller flared with a vengance and close to 300 men dropped from the assault and Tyler smirked.

"Frozen floor."

The 150 around him slipped.

"Blizzard."

And a whirling blizzard of razor sharp snowflakes tore into their flesh.

"FIRESTORM!"

And his superheated flames hit the ice cold snowflakes. The result was a minor explosion that roasted a good number of men and Tyler walked back to Kirito and Bell with a flourishing bow.

"Level 12 gentlemen."

Kirito and Bell grumbled as the nearest mass of bandits were all mush.

"Dammit. I BARELY 11."

"I hit 11 too. Uuugh. NEXT TIME."

Asuna slumped as the three juggernauts returned to the line.

"GREEEAT. Ya just blew all your best abilities. FUCKING IDIOTS!"

Tyler patted her with a smile.

"Dark Sacralant leveled up to level 2. I can use it one more time TODAY."

"If you got blood in my hair, you sonuvabitch, I will GUT YOU with a SPOON."

He chuckled at her instant FURY as the next wave of bandits came racing over the mush of their comrades.

"How is it at the rear?"

Strand appeared with a smile.

"Dryft and Rias have pulled the line back again. They are five lengths behind us."

"Good. One more push, then we vanish."

They nodded as the friends went to their battle with a fury. Tyler, Bell, and Kirito didn't go on another aggressive rampage as they dropped back again. Then a firestorm was mixed with a blizard to create another explosion. The resulting blindness allowed the Knights the chance to cut and run. And run they did. They ran down the soft sand floored gorge until they met with Rias' force in the center of the gorge out of sight of the bandits. They clipped onto the grappling hooks and ascended to the top of the gorge long before the bandits came charging around the curve...and met the charge from the OPPOSITE side. A mass loss of life occured from the two tidal wave slamming into each other and Tyler chuckled at the confusion as he looked at a blood smeared Dryft.

"We set?"

se smiled and there were flecks of fleshn in her teeth.

"we are."

"Set it off."

All the bandits in the gorge heard was a series of deep rumblings...before the gorge they stood in collapsed on top of them. A mass of screams were heard that were swiftly smothered by teh gorge's inplosion. The result saw the gorge rim thirty feet wider and a new bed of dirt that could be padded down for a rather decent road. Out of the near 11,000 men the Renegade king had in his camp, only 200 had not been caught in the gorge collapse. These men were rounded up by the Bloodoath and killed in a pitched battle. Tyler chuckled as he looked at his tired yet smiling warriors.

"Alright. Return to the village and we'll give an update."

They nodded and Asuna smiled as she mounted her unicorn.

"Some wounding, a few close calls, and another mass of levels. We're okay."

"I hit 12. And have 80 points to place."

"That was a stupid charge. But hey. It worked."

He chuckled at that as they returned to Melody's village....just in time to see a fresh bandit company investigating the illusion spell. This one having about 150 men. Tyler chuckled as they fell upon them.

"This is a popular village."

Once the latest company was routed and the dead added to the pile, the leaders regrouped in Melody's hall. Akeno getting a hug from her new older sister as Mylissia appeared on the orb.

"Another success for the Bloodoath I see."

Tyler tossed the hulking renegade king through the orb.

"One Renegade King, served up on a plate."

Mylissia chuckled as the massive manw as dragged away screaming.

"Well done. Sadly you haven't earned any rewards beyond my praise."

Seria popped up with a smile.

"STOP FUCKING WITH ME!"

He laughed at that sweetly voiced demand.

"I love you too, Seria"

"Piss me off and you sleep outside. WHEN I GO TO VISIT."

"Yes Seria."

"GOOD."

"Bluebell?"

"I hate you."

"Well I love you."

She giggled and smiled as Mylissia sighed.

"FOCUS you two."

"Yes Mother,"

"Yes Mother-in-law."

"Ugh."

Tyler chuckled and so did Seria. Then the Berserker refocused.

"Okay. So we'll recover in the village and head out tomorrow?"

Asuna nodded.

"We've screwed around enough the last few days. we kinda need to make up for lost time."

Akeno looked at Melody and the fallen angel smiled.

"Here, Akeno."

The thunder mage was gifted a feather from Melody's wing.

"It'll allow me to teleport to you for a few hours each day. We will have ample opportunity to know each other."

Tyler smiled.

"I haven;t forgotten either Akeno."

She smiled in relief and the Berserker patted her fondly before he looked at the queen.

"We'll crash for the night. KINDA had a long day."

She chuckled understandingly.

"Agreed. I will have a report for you when you return to the living."

Seria smiled.

"Tyler."

"Akeno? MInd crashing with me tonight? I don't want Seria out of my sight when here."

The thunder mage smiled gratefully.

"I don't mind. Thank you."

"Sure thing Akeno."

Seria smiled warmly and the pair went to set his tent up. As the village inn was used by the wounded of the battle, the rest of the force had to make due. Tyler pitched his tent between two houses and Akeno smiled as they went in.

"So THIS is the legendary snugglefest tent? I'm honored!"

He chuckled at her teasing purr.

"Night's Longing."

Seria arose from the ground with a smile.

"I love you too."

Tyler smiled as he cleaned up in a hogshead of water outside the tent while the ladies had their chat. Once the blood was off his frame he walked in to see Seria envelopeed in a wing hug from Akeno. The Berserker laid beside them and Akeno let her go to clean up herself. Seria wasted no time in snuggling her husband and he kissed her.

"I love you, Seria."

She smiled.

"I love you too, Tyler. So mind explaining what the hell all the flirting was about today?"

"dunno. Guess I was in a good mood."

"Royal Purify."

He glowed blue and when it shattered, Seria shrugged.

"No hits. Don't keep doing it."

"I won't. I promise."

Metalica appeared from his chest with a chuckle.

"I think that mighta been my fault. I woke up this morning and was KINDA enjoying myself."

Seria chuckled.

"Oh that's right. I forgot Sprites influence their hosts sometimes. So what were you doing?"

"Well, I woke up SUUUPER horny and was watching some of HIS choicier material. YOU know good content mah man."

"What genre?"

"Hmm, yuri, big tittied Onee-san."

"NIIIICE. Title?"

She smirked.

"Azur Lane. The Hentai."

"Don't tell Belfast."

"Ooooh no. I LOVED her arc in that one."

"It's a favorite and you're trying to get me killed."

"Tyler, dear."

Seria's sweetly voice callout made him gulp.

"My world their characters in stories....with pictures."

"OWWIE! My head!"

"And that's a reason why I didn't tell you. it makes MY head hurt."

Seria had her now throbbing head in both hands.

"Owwie! NOW I have a headache!"

Tyler chuckled as he took her head in his hands to rub her temples with soft thumbs. She sighed as the pain receded.

"Better!"

"Love you too, Seria. Hey, Metalica."

"Shoot."

"177013. Check it out."

The iron Sprite smiled.

"I'll be right back."

She vanished into his soul as Akeno walked in.

"Did you just do what I think you just did?"

"Yup. We'll have an answer in a few minutes."

She laughed as she laid beside the now cuddling pair. Seria smiled as she kissed her husband.

"I'll allow it."

"I love you too, Seria."

She beamed as Metalica reappeared wirh a thousand stare at the Beserker. Tyler chuckled.

"So?"

She just sat on his shoulder with the look of HORROR on her face.

"I will never get that poor girl out of my head. ooooh what is WRONG with you?"

Akeno laughed and fistbumped the Berserker.

"The classic!"

Tyler chuckled as seria looked at him.

"It's a dark one. And a classic prank."

"Ah."

She shrugged and Metalica shuddered as she now had to figure out how to get the things she'd seen out of her head. Tyler smiled as he stroked Seria's long blue hair while her and Akeno talked their newfound kinship and stories of Akira. Metalica was shivering as she went to sleep on his collarbone and after a few more hours Akeno snuggled up beside the princess in his tent.

"Good night, Seria. I love you."

"Good night, Tyler. I love you too."

"Night sis!"

"Night Onee-chan!"

Metalica surged awake with a shiver.

"DON'T DO THAT AGAIN. I am like SUUUUUPER horny now!"

They chuckled at that as they drifted off.