Broken memories haunt Mateo’s mind, and he wakes in the familiar grasp of a sapphire scaled lamia.

  “Good morning, young prey,” she hisses.

  “Chrissima, where’s Okami?”

  “There you are, I thought my sister had snuck you away, but here you are with this,” Rick brushes his hair back trying to be seductive, “very attractive young lady.”

  “Oh pleassse, I’ve hardly retained my youth,” Chrissima hisses.

  Rick approaches the female Lamia taking a short bow. He then stands holding out his hand for her to take. Mateo escapes her embrace shoving him away.

  “Don’t, Okami fawns over her.”

  “Doesn’t mean he owns her,” Rick replies.

  Mateo draws his dagger lengthening it. He raises it pointing the tip toward Rick.

  “He is our friend, and he loves Chrissima,” Mateo replies.

  “Pleassse boysss, don’t fight over me, it makesss me flussstered,” Chrissima yells covering her large bare breasts with a blanket.

  A loud howl penetrates the air cutting through it like an ethereal razor. Okami appears his silver fur shining in the light of the day star from a nearby window. Chrissima shivers as he takes her hand.

  “Leave us.”

  Rick, seeing he has been bested, takes a bow and steps away. Mateo and Rick step out of Chrissima’s Emporium of the Serpent into the bustling streets of Heroldin. The once destroyed buildings from the last assault have been somewhat repaired.

  “We should stop by the armorer Gethedral, I hear his daughter looks exceptionally lovely this time of year,” Rick states placing his hands on his hips stoically.

  “Wonderful, I knew I should have stuck with Stitches and Serenity, but I had to stay up getting drunk with Okami, Natalia, what did I say about alcohol?”

  Natalia appears above him and belches loudly before rubbing her head and whimpering.

  “Don’t let it consume you, but it was all good because you were consuming it instead,” she says landing on his shoulder and laying back rubbing her temple pitifully.

  “I thought you said Pixie’s could drink dragons under the table,” Mateo says running his finger over her hair gently.

  “I said they could, I didn’t say they should, and why is it so bright out here, dim the flaming sky sphere please.”

  Mateo and Rick step into a shop called ‘Gethedral’s Arm and a Leg Armature’.

  “Right fucking blokes you two be, name’s Gethedral, but my friends and paying customers call me Geth,” a large bull of a man says.

  Well to say he’s a bull of a man is quite an understatement. He is indeed a bull, shaped like a man. Minotaur is a word for it, though not one that the Toro find a compliment. Mateo steps up to the counter staring at the Toro man strangely.

  “Oy, a fuckin’ realmwalker, don’t worry mate I won’t be the last Toro you see around here, we like the rolling plains around Heroldin, and we’ve a pact with the ascended lass ourselves, even if she is, you know, absent,” he says in a stereotypical Australian accent.

  While not the traditional Minotaur, Gethedral is a large humanoid bull beast man. Two large horns adorn his head, and his shirtless body is covered in a brown hide. His face isn’t too bullish as he has a normal nose, though larger than the average man with a septum piercing. A thick brown beard hides his protruding half snout. The parts of him that aren’t covered in hide are adorned with tribal tattoos.

  A figure of peak physical fitness Gethedral is a mountain of muscle. Perhaps even larger than Terror, though Mateo would never challenge that.

  “My name is Mateo, it’s a pleasure to meet you Geth,” Mateo states holding out his hand.

  Gethedral takes it shaking it firmly before placing his large hands on the counter in front of him. Geth’s shop is filled with a vast assortment of armor from light, to heavy, to a class above heavy called ‘sentinel’.

  Mateo opens a discrete chat with Rick and Natalia.

  Mateo: I thought you said he had a lovely daughter.

  Natalia: Mateo, really?

  Rick the guy: Just wait until I introduce myself.

  Rick steps up to the counter and holds out his hand with a half smile.

  “Ranger Rick Danger, ranger is my name, danger is my game.”

  “OH MY GODS!” a female voice beckons from the back room of the store.

  Without pause a young woman in a black and white patterned skirt with stubby horns and small cow ears rushes from the backroom to the counter. A very small tube top wraps around her excessively large breasts displaying toro script that Natalia translates as ‘got milk’. She also has several tattoos. Hers seem to hold less meaning than her father’s, but to the male tattoo enthusiast are far more attractive.

  Without hesitation or thought Mateo’s palm slams against his face. He lets off an audible groan as Natalia lands on his shoulder.

  Natalia: You asked for this.

  Mateo: Yeah, I should know better by now.

  Rick the guy: Look at the bazookas on that absolute babe!

  “It can’t be, can it, Ranger Rick Fucking Danger!” The young woman shouts with glee.

  “Millie, language, you’re not a savage,” Geth says.

  Millie turns her bright blue eyes to meet Rick’s twirling her long dark hair with her finger as she bites her lip seductively.

  “Not in the street.”

  Mateo: Rick why does this chick know you?

  Rick the guy: Bro, I am Ranger Rick Danger.

  Mateo: That means half a shit to me.

  Rick the guy: I do some modeling shoots for Beast World Taboo.

  Mateo: *audible sigh… you aren’t wearing clothes when you do the shoots are you?

  Rick the guy: I am not.

  Natalia: Your fans must be disappointed.

  Rick the guy: Some things may be ‘enhanced’ for viewer pleasure.

  While they were distracted by their chat Millie crept around the counter and has now wrapped herself around Rick’s left arm, her massive breasts pressed against him. Mateo fakes a smile and turns to Geth.

  “You’ve got a pixie, and a pretty one at that,” Geth states.

  “Aw thanks,” Natalia blushes.

  “Probably useless on the battlefield, but at least you’ve got a pretty pixie to look at when you die screaming.”

  “Wow, that was not a compliment, Mateo slap this man he has besmirched my honor,” Natalia says turning her cheek.

  “Look mate I’m going to be honest with you,” he pauses looking over at Millie giggling as Rick plays with her tail, “all that conjured shit ain’t gonna do a right fuckin’ nothin for you if you get silenced mate,” he stops leaning in like he’s about to share some great unknown knowledge. “There you be facing down a god bloke of a man and he whispers a single word, silence, now you’re standing blade ready as your little bloke blows in the wind.”

  “You don’t have to sell it to me, I’m here to buy, so what you got?” Mateo asks.

  “I can’t believe you’re going to buy low grade armor from the lowest level shop in the realm, especially after the owner was so rude to your loving adorable pixie,” Natalia scoffs.

  “Buy a set and I’ll throw in some pixie goth armor and a crate of candied razzlekiwis,” he adds.

  “Mateo, buy every set in the store!” Natalia yells.

  El Cuirass del Toro has been added to your inventory.

  El Bracers del Toro have been added to your inventory.

  El Greaves del Toro have been added to your inventory.

  El Zappatos del Toro have been added to your inventory.

  Item set: The path of the bull effect. When ‘del Toro’ set is equipped, you gain the effect ‘Raging Bull’.

  Raging Bull effect: You are invulnerable to physical attacks for ten seconds. Your strength is increased by fifty percent and your intelligence reduced to zero. There is no color, your vision is beset by a crimson rage. You are a murder machine goring everything in your path with your large ethereal horns.

  Pixie’s blood corset added to your inventory.

  Pixie’s stockings of bloodlust added to your inventory.

  Pixie’s tramp bow of unwanted attention added to your inventory.

  Pixie’s devil horn clips of the sacrificial lamb added to your inventory.

  “Oh look Mateo I have a little tail now,” Natalia says after immediately equipping all of her gear.

  Set bonus: The devil you know. When equipping the goth pixie set your pixie gains ‘The devil you know’ bonus. Your pixie is a goddess of darkness, the frothing in the loins of male humanoids. She can now cast kiss of death marking her target for death by blowing them a kiss.

  Warning: Do not let male humanoids catch your goth pixie in a mason jar. There is no telling what those sick bastards will do to her, just ask any anime waifu.

  A crate of razzlekiwis has been added to your void palace pantry.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Wait, why would they want to put me in a jar?” Natalia asks.

  “I wish I didn’t know Nat, anyway, you find any armor you like Rick?” Mateo asks.

  “Armor, oh yes, I’ll have the equestrian raiment, and with your blessing,” Rick says struggling against Millie.

  Gethedral sighs pushing a set of packaged armor across the counter.

  “I suppose she is old enough to make her own mistakes, just have her home before midnight or I’ll beat you to death, bring you back to life, and beat you to death again, also if any harm comes to her I will rip off your head, shove it up your ass, then bring you back to life long enough for you to see your own shit and pummel your headless body to death while you scream out of your own asshole.”

  Rick steps up to the counter Millie still wrapped around his arm, her massive breasts impeding his movement.

  “I’ll not let any harm come to her; I swear it.”

  “Mateo, we need to get back to Serenity and Stitches so I can show them how sexy this armor is,” Natalia says floating around him gleefully.

  Mateo finds Serenity and Stitches enjoying lunch outside a newly forged sandwich shop in Heroldin. One that sells sliced bread. Serenity leaps up and tackles Mateo to the ground kissing him vigorously.

  “What’s up Mateo,” Stitches says waving her hand at him absently.

  Natalia floats by her, but she seems to be in a daze.

  “Serenity, it’s been less than one whole day,” Mateo says as she nibbles on his earlobe.

  “I know and I want you so bad, can we get a room right now?”

  Natalia sits across from Stitches in her big Natalia form adorned in her goth pixie attire.

  “What do you think?” Natalia asks displaying herself.

  “If I had a dick I’d fuck you,” Stitches replies.

  “Oh, that’s um, a response, do you think Mateo likes it, I mean, I’m not trying to tempt him or anything but, his opinion kind of matters to me.”

  “Nat, I’m blitzed out of my mind right now, actually, you want a hit?” Stitches asks holding up a small, rolled joint.

  “I shouldn’t, Mateo might need me at any moment,” Natalia says rubbing her shoulder.

  “Nah my succulent little sky devil, he’s going to be a few hours,” Stitches replies staring into another world.

  “Fine, but if I get stuck in a glass jar then it’s your fault.”

  Three hours later. Stitches and big Natalia have made their way to the statue of Heroldin in the center of town. They sit on the edge dipping their fingers into the cool water estranged that their fingers can penetrate the surface of it.

  “Woah, this is so cool,” Natalia says in a daze.

  “I know, I poke it, and the entire world turns to waves,” Stitches says pawing at the water.

  Natalia pauses as she watches the water distorted by the gentlest touch. She turns to Stitches her pupils dilated and her expression a panic.

  “Woah Nat, are you ok?” Stitches asks.

  Natalia’s cerulean eyes fill with tears.

  “No, I killed them, I killed them all, they were just ripples on the surface, and when they were gone,” she whimpers, “the water was calm again.”

  Natalia stands turning toward the tavern as she flaps her raven wings wiping tears from her eyes with her wrist.

  “Thank you Stitches, thank you for the wings,” Natalia pauses, “did you ever have a pixie?”

  Stitches stares at Natalia for a long minute that seems to feel like a decade.

  “No, I never had a pixie, what I had was a friend, someone I loved, and someone who loved me, she gave her life and soul for me, and I had nothing to offer her in return,” Stitches says her breathing becoming heavier.

  “What was her name?” Natalia asks.

  “Rachel.”

  “Hold on, what did she look like?” Natalia questions suspiciously.

  “Um, she was a fawn, said all she wanted was a simple life, something she kept trying to give me before, well, before she found out it wouldn’t happen.”

  Their bewildered stupor is shattered by the yelling of a familiar voice. Yetsu and his band of bards, the Harmony Casters, come to a screeching hault at the base of Heroldin’s statue.

  “Stitches, Natalia, where is Mateo?” Yetsu asks panting.

  At that same moment the chaos twins, Rick and Beatrice also appear. Both seem unsettled and anxious.

  “Where is Mateo?” Rick asks.

  Terror, Okami, and Jade join them at the statue bringing a barely healed Yasmina with them. Her dragon, Charlotte, rests on her shoulder disguised as a blue tailed skink lizard. The earth shakes as the residents of Heroldin shut their doors and windows recognizing the air of war clouding their village.

  Juliana emerges from the sandwich shop brandishing a large blade. Her heavy armor features an open chest that shows off her large bosom. A distraction for the enemy as her armor has no actual openings and is enchanted with illusion magic.

  The door to the inn ‘Heroldin’s Dawn’ bursts open and Serenity steps out followed by a man adorned in medium armor letting off a violet glow.

  The armor is conjured void armor. It’s a jagged form fitting pitch black armor darker than obsidian with a higher defense. Being conjured armor it weighs nothing and therefore doesn’t cause a weight penalty.

  Mateo draws Drako’s razor extending it into a long sword and raising it skyward. His allies rally around him as the frontline breaks and a single follower of the cult of the immortal father steps forward. He is a simple man, ivory skin, dark hair and beard. He pulls back his hood staring toward them with the grimace of a man bewitched.

  “I am Cain, son of Yahweh and bringer of the new faith, bow before the father’s benevolence or be annihilated,” the man states his words empowering and resolute.

  Mateo lowers his blade aiming the tip toward him as if to fire it from its hilt.

  “I have a better idea, how about you and all your soldiers spit in your right palm and go fuck yourselves!”

  The man Cain stands firm seeming unamused. Juliana steps past Mateo and his allies stopping in-front of Cain planting the tip of her large sword into the ground. Cain takes a bow and so does she.

  “Lady Stormveil of Heroldin, you are surrounded, submit to the Immortal Father and we shall not slaughter your people,” Cain says.

  Juliana rises and gives Cain a crooked smile.

  “Apostle of the Immortal Father Cain, on behalf of the people of Heroldin, respectfully, do not spit in your hands and go fuck yourselves raw,” Juliana says pulling her massive blade from the dirt and pointing it toward him.

  “Sinners, the lot of you, we will purge sin from this world and you with it!” Cain yells raising his hand.

  His troops give out a deafening war cry that shakes the earth. The people of Heroldin having been through many perils do not shake with fear. All who can still bear arms move to the statue in the center of the village ready to defend it. Mateo steps up to Juliana as Natalia floats beside him. The Harmony Casters to his right, and his own team to his left, including the chaos twins he stands firm by her side.

  Okami and Terror join Mateo and Juliana readying themselves for an inevitable conflict.

  “You murder your way through the lands of Gottes and dare to mark us as sinners, how many ruksha did you murder in the swamps to get here, how many people did you murder the first time Heroldin drove you off, how many people did you murder in Satsuki?”

  “Heroldin is gone, submit or you will be purged,” Cain says a wild look now inhabiting his eyes.

  Cain’s men raise their arms as Charlotte and Rayo come crashing to the earth like bringers of the apocalypse spreading their wings wide and giving off ominous roars.

  “Have it your way sinners,” Cain says raising a staff.

  Several large portals open above them, and large sky dwelling beasts pour out of them. Among the beasts are an innumerable amount of harpies and half bat like men accompanied by two very large, very angry, griffons.

  Stitches’ fingers clench tightly around her staff.

  Mateo turns to his party and the Harmony Casters giving Stitches a belonged glance.

  “Kill, everything.”

  “I thought I knew war, I watched it in movies and played it in games… After I stepped off that battlefield covered in blood holding the dog tags of my fellow soldiers, after I delivered the flags to their wives, sons, and daughters… The screams of men dying, begging for life as I stole it from them, none of it hurt me like the whaling cries of women and children after they lost their husband, their wife, their father, their mother, as they came to the realization that the person they loved, the person they held most dear, was never coming home, and the only thing they got in return for that person, was a single trifolded flag.”

  -Mateo Ryusane

  A deafening silence rings over the battlefield for several moments as both sides stare willingly into an opposing death. Yetsu and the other Harmony Casters ready their instruments occasionally breaking the silence tuning them.

  Once ready the melody starts slow. A familiar melody to Mateo. A melody that has captivated him for some strange reason. It was strange to hear Azul take the lead, but also inspiring. The Harmony Casters begin to play melodic metal from a Ukrainian band Mateo recognizes from his military tour in Ukraine and then Russia.

  The Harmony Casters have cast Alga, By Ignea.

  Mateo bumps his fist against Juliana’s shoulder with a smile as he raises his longsword sized dagger.

  “I’ve got a girl, but I’ll still buy you a drink if you kill that fucking dumbass apostle or whatever he is,” Mateo says.

  “I know, the vampire elf, just don’t forget you owe me a drink.”

  “You should voidstep and take out some of their siege cannons, otherwise they’ll pelt us with debuffs until we’re defenseless,” Julianna says.

  The world turns black and gray as Mateo steps into the void. He slips behind the enemy as his mana drains constantly. He’s near out as he returns to Gottes infront of a series of large siege weapons. The skeletal creatures operating them ignore him.

  Drako’s razor cuts through them like a hot knife through wet milk. Mateo returns to the statue in the center of town to find that his actions have done nothing to progress the war effort.

  Blood raining to the ground like a summer storm, Mateo peers over at the Harmony Casters catching Azul clutching the microphone in her hands as Yetsu strums her guitar.

  “Mateo, you need to concentrate on the battle you pervert!” Natalia yells.

  “It’s not like that Natalia, just look at her taking lead, oh Godsdamnit!” Mateo yells deflecting an enemy attack.

  Natalia, using her new skill, dives through the skull of an enemy combatant exploding through their spine.

  “Natalia, are you ok?” Mateo asks looking over at his blood-soaked pixie.

  “Yeah, he was coming straight for you and I just,” Natalia pauses feeling something she’s never felt before.

  Maybe it’s just his new ability drawing her to him, but Natalia suddenly feels far more protective of Mateo. So protective that she can physically damage his enemies.

  “I love you Mateo,” she says.

  “I love you too Natalia, but it’s murder time.”

  There is no shortage of gore as Mateo’s party and his other allies tear through the Hellbent. The problem is that they put down hundreds of them, and there are still thousands of them left.

  “Mateo, I can’t stay here she’s in danger,” Okami yells.

  “Get to her then, we’ll be fine,” Mateo replies.

  Mateo knows they can’t lose anyone off the frontlines, but if any harm came to Chrissima he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. Still, no matter the sacrifice, the Hellbent press on.

  Everyone is near worn down when the hellbent forces seem to retreat. Mateo orders who he can near him in the few moments of peace.

  “Juliana I’m going to need you for something, it’s something very important, Natalia, you were an absolute barbarian out there, it was kind of, never mind.”

  Hellbent unleash a force unknown to man. It is beat back by forces protecting Heroldin. Cain holds up his staff and several humanoids appear beside him, shepherds.

  “Yahweh, god of gods, send me a titan.”

  Every cloud in the sky dissipates giving way to a brilliant blinding light. Atoms forming a pixelated figure gather in cubes. The image shakes and blurs coming into focus. A massive creature whose skin is raging lava erupts from the ground.

  A four-story tall creature derived from molten magma looms over Mateo dripping molten rock from its body.

  “Mateo, use the blessing,” Julianna cries.

  “Wait, what about you?”

  “Please, Mateo, use the blessing…”

  Okami takes to the field fangs piercing and claws slashing. His eyes filled with a desperate rage. Moments later Terror is pulverizing every living thing in his path, even vegetables. Especially vegetables.

  Heroldin’s blessing activated. Instill blessing activated. As a Void Lord you can instill blessings upon your companions. Companion Juliana Stormveil has been imbued with Heroldin’s blessing. You are no longer imbued with Heroldin’s blessing. To instill more blessings you must acquire or create them. You have no more blessings to instill.

  “I trust you to protect Heroldin, I will do what I can,” Mateo says.

  Another light rains down from the heavens. This time it engulfs Juliana and she grows to the same size as the enemy titan.

  Titan. Creatures used by gods to colonize uncivilized worlds by annihilating everything in their path. Titans have an endless hunger for destruction.

  Juliana locks arms with the enemy titan holding it off the best she can. It’s still not enough. The battle against the enemy hellbent is a losing one.

  Fireballs and lightning strikes pummel the ground as Mateo rushes through the enemy trying to make it to their leader before his mana runs out. Void step ends and he finds himself surrounded by hellbent.

  The ground shakes as Juliana wrestles with the opposing titan sending the hellbent off balance. Mateo charges through them slashing his dagger at Cain. Cain side steps placing his hand on Mateo’s shoulder before slamming him to the ground.

  “You think you can kill the son of god?” Cain asks.

  Mateo stands clutching his dagger as he wipes blood from his lip.

  “I don’t think, I know.”

  A beckoning howl breaks the air as Okami leaps over Mateo tackling Cain to the ground. A wild look in his eyes he shreds the would-be apostle like pork.

  “What, how, goddamnit get off me!” Cain screams.

  Okami glares down at him as blood paints his brilliant silver fur.

  “Ahhhh, god, help me, please,” Cain begs.

  Okami tears open Cain’s chest ripping his ribs apart and pulls the beating heart from his chest. He shoves it in the screaming maw of Cain and then pummels his face into a bloody pulp. Mateo approaches him placing his hand on Okami’s shoulder.

  “Don’t, just let me be,” Okami says his snout foaming with anger.

  Rayo and Charlotte bring two full grown griffons to the ground ripping them apart like chew toys as Okami flees from battle. The chaos twins surround Mateo in their avatar forms as the Harmony Casters begin another song. Azul looks back at Mateo and smiles brushing her ivory hair behind her pointed ear. Her voice nasally and pitched she begins singing a song by The Smashing Pumpkins, Bullet With Butterfly Wings.

  The battle seems all but won, until. The hellbent charge with their main force. Spells and spears pound the wards of Heroldin’s defenders. Julianna having defeated their titan lies helplessly behind Mateo as she tries to recover from expending all her mana and stamina. A bolt pierces Mateo’s shoulder sending him to the ground as hellbent soldiers approach. He lays himself over her as several more bolts pelt the back of his conjured void armor.

  The chaos twins fall back rallying any remaining combatants to Mateo’s position.

  “Godsdamnit Rick she’s not coming,” Beatrice yells.

  “She’d be the first woman I didn’t make come then,” Rick replies.

  “Really, the first one,” Beatrice questions.

  “I’m not dying without making a shitty joke,” Rick replies.

  Overrun and on their last leg, the defenders of Heroldin raise their arms ready to meet their end. Death closing in on them they ready themselves for the afterlife. In that moment of acceptance, when they come to terms with their fate. A horn sounds in the distance. A horn breaking through the silence of death.