@13org@PaulHaynek@AzureKnight

Ditzy Stoneclub

Ditzy shoulder was grasped by Nagare, the latter of whom looking much solemn.

Her words didn't make much sense to him but it was enough for Ditzy to tell by looking at the body language. It took a slight wind from Ditzy as Nagare went forward instead.

Then she transformed into a dragon, which lit up his heart in awe and excitement despite how the situation was devolving.

When asked on how to proceed, Ditzy looked at the situation. It looks like Nagare wants to fight one on one but the rest of the other monster girls are interfering.

Ditzy eyes narrowed at that, it wasn't fair at all!

"Ditzy say we beat up the group! Dragon lady will beat ogre, and if we win, then it's good!" Ditzy pointed out to them, thinking on how to effectively win, Ditzy can only sigh distastefully at that. "Reed go fight...lizards, Ditzy can beat up orcs and minotaur!"

Finally admitting that he doubt he can win against the more agile ones, the only ones left are to pit strength against strength. While he was weakened, Ditzy was more than ready to keep fighting.

Once their marks was decided, Ditzy would go in and fight with all his might.

---

@PaulHaynek@Rezod92

Yang Bethlehem

"Perhaps." She quietly said towards Maria words, Yang was indeed reminded of the brutal realities that some fight cannot be lost as well as the actions needed for it.

Her own nation wasn't free of it, but it had developed...ways around it so that all out war was the final solution. Other nations might not have their luxuries.

It was another lesson, of why her master who once travelled the world, settled down on Zipangu. Perhaps this was one of the reason why.

"I only ask that you remember and use mercy when the time is needed, sheer mindless brutality can work." Yang advised, even if it's to no effect. "But that brutality may turn against you."

She ended as the rebels took their leave. "I bid thee farewell and safe journey."

Seeing the large sack of gold being given to them, Yang eyebrow rose as it was unceremoniously given to Kira. The sheer amount of gold was staggering.

Looking around the scene of carnage as they depart, she moved to place their robes over themselves before offering a hand to Kira to carry one of the gold sack.

"Come, let's leave and head home. I do not wish to explain how this gold came to be if possible to Guildmaster Bart." Yang tiredly said.

@PaulHaynek @13org

"Oh! Hi Haley! Freyr!" Vivian greeted. "These...umm... mice and bugs showed up, and they were pretty hungry, so I thought I'd cook them up a meal and send them on their way." Vivian sort of winked and tilted her head a few times to sort of convey that this a delicate and slightly undesirable situation, but that it was being handled. She didn't want to just come out and say that they apparently had a vermin problem, since she didn't want an insult to stir up petty vengeance in the hearts of these mice and devil bugs, making them renege on their promise to leave.

"How was your day? You were looking for some poor soul lost in the woods, correct/?" Sylvia asked.

Uninvited Guests
~@Stern Algorithm, @13org (FYR)~

"Oh! Hi Haley! Freyr! These...umm... mice and bugs showed up, and they were pretty hungry, so I thought I'd cook them up a meal and send them on their way."

"How was your day? You were looking for some poor soul lost in the woods, correct/?"

"...Ugggghhhh. You wouldn't believe what happened to me and Freyr." Haley grabbed a nearby chair and slumped on it, tossing the coat she had to the side. Her mind was taken off from the Giant Mice and Devil Bugs happily dining in the kitchen, wanting to unload the rather exhilirating experience she just had. "The poor soul lost in the woods? Yeah, turns out he was just some crazy guy. Me and Freyr decided to bag the guy so he doesn't hurt anyone, right?"

"Well, just when I was about to grab him, he falls into a river and drags me with him! I thought that was gonna be it for me, you know? The current was powerful and I'm not exactly built to be a swimmer." Haley sighed as she told her story. By now, the little monsters had gathered around her to listen. "Ahh, fortunately. Freyr, ever my hero, managed to swoop in and fish me from the river before I was swept away. Lost the crazy guy, though."

"And now, Freyr just told me we just hitched a ride with a drug-pusher that just got out of jail and seemed to be resuming business. Can you believe it? Ugh, I can't wait for this day to end." Haley finished. "What about the others? Are they here?"

Freyr

Arriving on the guild, Freyr and Haley were greeted by Vivian and Sylvia, in quite a bizarre scene. A dozen of giant rats and devil bugs peacefully eating lasagna that was being served by the sisters. Taking a while to absorb what he was seeing, Freyr simply stared at the ongoing scene, confused before Vivian delicately gave a quick idea of what was happening.

"Umm... Do you... need some help?" Freyr asked, unsure of what to do on that situation.

While Vivian did tell them that their... 'guests' would leave after eating, in case they didn't more forceful measures will have to be taken. That said, Freyr did understand the wink Vivian gave them and despite the bizarre situation, he simply tried his best to ignore it, unless he was forced to act.

"... Anyways... It was indeed a very exhausting day... With a couple of very unfortunate situations." Freyr agreed as Haley began explaining what happened.

While Freyr was a bit worried for Haley when she started talking about Samuel, he was visibly relieved noticing that Haley seemed to be feeling better about what happened, enough to talk about it in a light tone. What did made him a bit surprised though was when he realized that all the devil bugs and the giant mice had gathered near her to listen to her story.

When Haley mentioned that Freyr saved her though, he couldn't help but blush a little, a bit embarrassed before he replied.

"I wouldn't be a very good partner if I wasn't able to do at least this much to keep you safe." he said with a kind smile to Haley.

"Especially since I know I can sometimes be... a bit overprotective..." he said, with an awkward tone and an embarrassed chuckle.

@PaulHaynek @Restalaan (YNG)

"I know you monsters do not have the heart for brutality like this." Maria began, aware of Kira's and most monsters' stance on wanton murder. "But we are fighting a war, and one where the deck is stacked against us. We can give no quarter, because our enemies will give us none."

For a solid second, Kira saw red upon hearing that statement. With that logic, when will the fighting end? Will the fighting ever end?
Fire and acid were on the tip of the flygirl's tongue but before she could give her scalding rebuttal, a firm yet calming hand sat upon her shoulder. She turned her gaze to Yang, who gave her a look of such understanding.

"Endure it, endure for now."

"But, Yang! She....They just....", Kira tried to protest, but after looking into the monk's eyes, she held back her retorts. Yang was hurting too and wanted to voice her grief and fury as well, but now was not a good time. Not with the other rebels around. So, the Beelzebub remained silent as Yang and Maria gave their final exchanges before the rebel leader led her forces out of the valley. As Yang busied herself on covering the.....deceased, a rebel came up to Kira carrying heavy-looking sacks.

"The sack. Full of gold. Able to buy castle, maybe."

As the man walked away, Kira scoffed at the two sacks of gold in her chitinous hands. One thought ran through her head.

Blood money.

"Come, let's leave and head home. I do not wish to explain how this gold came to be if possible to Guildmaster Bart." Yang tiredly said.

"I say we never bring this shit up to anyone at all. Also, here, you take'em. I don't wanna carry blood-soaked 'rewards'.", Kira replied, tossing both bags of gold toward Yang as they began their trip back home, the aftermath of this quest leaving the mamamo in a fouler mood than yesterday.

_@PaulHaynek

While she was able to have Neil freed from Ian’s grasp, Vară ended up crashing a hole through the wall and sprawling into the kitchen. Undaunted, she gained her bearings and looked around for her foe. Although, she looked back at the giant hole in the wall she made and winced a bit. The city council’s not gonna be happy with this… She thought. She was snapped out of her thoughts by Neil, who appeared through the hole after her. While he was referring to the heat she was giving off and not her appearance, Neil’s comment made Vară blush all the same. “N-Never mind that. Neil, what are you doing? You need to get out of here!” With the flames closing in, Neil was being exposed to more and more danger. Vară had her hands full enough as it was, and him being here added further weight on her mind. Before she could scold Neil further, Ian jumped into the kitchen after them.

“Shut up! I’m gonna smash you into little charred pieces!” She spat. “Neil, get out of the way!”

She charged at Ian, polearm ablaze, and prepared to strike at him again. However, this time she spread fireballs around the thief’s vicinity to enclose him. This time he would hopefully have a harder time dodging her attack.

---

_{@PaulHaynek@Restalaan@13org}

Nagare prepped herself as the troupe remained undaunted by her transform, spreading out to make a formation to deal with their new threat. To put herself in a better position, Nagare began spewing powerful waves of water from her jaws. To deal with her surrounding foes, she would simply hit them all at once to put herself in a better position. With them wet, they would also be more susceptible to freezing attacks.

If her friends wanted to join the fray against her wishes, they may find difficulties evading the strong torrents of water being blasted around.

Keeping It Real 2
~@13org (ADA), @Restalaan (DIT), @AzureKnight (NAG)~

"Ditzy say we beat up the group! Dragon lady will beat ogre, and if we win, then it's good! Reed go fight...lizards, Ditzy can beat up orcs and minotaur!"

Reed shrugged, but he was on board with the dishonorable plan. "Well, I hope Nagare doesn't get too mad."

He then got on one knee to explain the situation to Ada who was pointing at the surrounded ice Dragon with concern. "Ada, we're going to help Nagare. Ditzy said he would take care of the Orcs and the Minotaur while I handle the Lizardman and the Salamander. We're still outnumbered and outmatched but now, we have the element of surprise. I'll admit, it won't look good for us but... we have no choice. Sorta."

"Anyway, here's the plan." Reed motioned to Ditzy to come over. "Ada, here's what you're gonna do. I need you to help Ditzy knock out the Orcs and the Minotaur. As soon as you're done with that, help me with the lizards. Got it?" Reed then stood up and unsheathed his sword once more. "I can't beat the Lizardman and the Salamander. But I can keep them busy."

"Are we crystal on the plan? Alright, let's do it!"

-

Nagare blasted water from her draconic mouth. The more agile of the warrior troupe dived out of the way as much as possible while the Ogre and the other strength-focused monsters withstood the jets of cold water from the ice Dragon.

But Nagare cannot be spraying her torrents at all of them while surrounded. Once she was blasting away the Ogre, the Orcs took the opportunity to slam their bodies on her tail and the ice Dragon would feel terrible weight upon her behind. The Lizardman and the Salamander approached, striking their swords against Nagare's scales. Meanwhile, the Minotaur still waited for a good opening to deal a mighty blow.

---

Help, Wanted 2
~@AzureKnight (VRA)~

“Shut up! I’m gonna smash you into little charred pieces! Neil, get out of the way!”

"Alright, I'll let you handle this." Neil nodded. "I'll go look for help. Err, try not to destroy too much of the place." He made his way to the kitchen door and left. It was surprising that Ian allowed all of this to happen. What could he be planning?

"Why'd you send him away? Afraid you'll look bad once I lay the inevitable beatdown on you?" Ian continued to brim with confidence as he circled around you, like a predator upon prey.

You ignited your polearm and charged once more, spreading fire around the vicinity all the while so Ian could no longer do his confounded side dodges. But the mercenary did not plan on evading, instead he dropped his sword and grabbed a barrel and used it to block your charge. The polearm pierced clean through the barrel but barely missing Ian's head, scraping his helmet.

Water spilled messily from the damaged barrel which began to douse your weapon's flames. Ian then released his grip on the barrel and the sudden onset of weight made you drop the polearm and the mercenary used the opportunity to land a dropkick, sending you stumbling back away from your polearm.

Ian grabbed another barrel of water and hurled it towards you. He was clearly intending to fight you with the kitchen's water reserves.

---

Uninvited Guests
~@Rezod92, @Restalaan (YNG), @13org (FYR), @Stern Algorithm~

Yang and Kira made their quiet trip back to the Guild headquarters without any further incident. Night has fallen when they arrived and they found that their appeared to be quite some activity happening in the kitchen.

The two entered and found that the kitchen was filled with a dozen or so little monsters, particularly Giant Mice and Devil Bugs, all of whom were feasting happily on some well-made lasagna. Besides them were the Altissima sisters, Freyr and his lover, Haley. "Oh hey, you two." The Siren appeared as exhausted as the monk and the Beelzebub.

"By the Demon Lord, you two look horrible. Are you two alright?"

@PaulHaynek@AzureKnight@13org

Ditzy Stoneclub

"Ok!" Ditzy pumped his fist into the air, regaining some of his bravado and courage. This time, they're going to win!

"Ditzy will take care of orcs first!" He looked at Ada and pointed two of his fingers to the orcs, indicating that those two were his first target.

With that said, Ditzy didn't hesitate, scrapping the ground similar to how a bull would do before initiating his charge, Ditzy hurled himself forward like one.

Or at least, as one can with a Hobgolin imbalance and speed in mind.

Still, it was enough to pick up speed and like a cart barreling down into a haystack, Ditzy once again caught the two off-guard. Clotheslining the two with two powerful hooks, enough to send them tumbling to the ground.

Then continuing his charge, Ditzy met eye to eye with the minotaur, the latter in surprise as he had joined in the battle again.

Not hesitating and taking a unique approach, similar to how Ditzy handles hell boars, Ditzy raised his right arm high for a haymaker.

Eyes focused on that, Ditzy continued forward until he was a reach away from the minotaur.

Then at the last moment, Ditzy left hand came forward, tugged on the minotaur legs and pulled her down into the ground. Coiling quickly like a snake, Ditzy got a firm head hold on the Minotaur, this time, adding to his weight was his legs that crossed around her chest. Giving him complete control.

With that, Ditzy can only continue to hold on until they won.

---

@PaulHaynek@Rezod92@Stern Algorithm

Yang Bethlehem

Walking silently and not blaming Kira for that, Yang hauled the money back to the guild.

In her mind, she swore to not take another Varjo quest if possible or any time soon. Each encounter seemed harsher and harsher.

Perhaps she should take a day off, or an easy request the next day?

With the day turning to night, they finally reached back to their guild. Belatedly wishing for a bath, food and rest, she sauntered her way in.

Then her eyes boggled at the large amount of people and monsters congregated, some she didn't even know or recognized. Seeing the food however had her mouth watered and she pushed that question to the side.

The two entered and found that the kitchen was filled with a dozen or so little monsters, particularly Giant Mice and Devil Bugs, all of whom were feasting happily on some well-made lasagna. Besides them were the Altissima sisters, Freyr and his lover, Haley. "Oh hey, you two." The Siren appeared as exhausted as the monk and the Beelzebub.

"By the Demon Lord, you two look horrible. Are you two alright?"

"Oh, rough request. Just...rough." Yang said as she plonked the money down before clearing her throat to Freyr.

@13org

"If Guildmaster Bart asked where we got the money from, say it's partly from your quest. Okay?" Yang quickly moved her lips quietly and mouthed the simple words without uttering a word.

Varjo.

Tapping his shoulders, Yang looked towards the food, and ungraciously just plonked herself between the myriad of Giant Mice and Devil bug. Before taking a chunk of the food and started digging in, completely uncaring of her condition.

"This is good."

@PaulHaynek @Restalaan(YNG) @13org(FYR) @Stern Algorithm

By the time the duo reached the doors of their home, Kira was all for grabbing something to eat and then immediately going to bed. Hell, she'll even draw a bath for herself if it means ridding herself of this rotten day, despite how much she loathes baths. But before the two could do any of that, the day still had one more surprise for them, coming in the form of a group of small mamono, mainly Giant Mice and Devil Bugs, being fed dinner by the Altissima twins, along with Freyr and Haley keeping company.

Kira saw all of this......and then promptly zeroed in on the lasagna.

I'm so done with today that I'm not even gonna to pretend to be shocked.

"Oh hey, you two." The Siren appeared as exhausted as the monk and the Beelzebub.

"By the Demon Lord, you two look horrible. Are you two alright?"

"Oh, rough request. Just...rough." Yang said as she plonked the money down before clearing her throat to Freyr.

"Understatement of the friggin' year, but yeah. What she said.", Kira commented as she grabbed a plate and helped herself to a portion of the pasta dish. As soon as she sat down and took her first bite, she let loose a moan that was borderline sensual. "Gods, I needed this. Yang and I have been through a shitty ringer today."

Then her attention went back to the unexpected guests.

"Alright, I'll bite: Why are there rats and roaches in the kitchen?"

^{@PaulHaynek@Restalaan@AzureKnight@Rezod92}

Ada looked at Ditzy, nodding with a determined expression when he suddenly said that he would fight as well before she turned towards Sir Reed, with the same determined expression, waiting for his reply. Even if Nagare didn't want them to help her (the reason for that was still a mystery for her), it was still a dangerous situation and she didn't want to leave Nagare alone against the other group.
Fortunately, Sir Reed seemed to agree with them helping Nagare as he got down to one knee and began explaining what they would do.

Listening carefuly to his words, Ada nodded, indicating that she was ready to help as well. According to his plan, she would help Ditzy against the orc and the minotaur, while he would try to keep the lizards busy, waiting for her and Ditzy's help when they were done with the other ones.

Nodding once again as Sir Reed asked if she had understood and as Ditzy pointed towards the orcs, Ada used her camouflage as she began prowling, positioning herself from a safe distance in the orc and the minotaur's blind spots, waiting for Ditzy to attack, which would create an opportunity for her to do something as well.

The moment Ditzy began charging towards the Orcs, Ada prepared herself as well. Ditzy's charge sent the orcs to the ground as he continued towards the minotaur, trying to grapple and imobilize her. Using that chance, Ada went for the orcs that had just fallen to the ground, dashing towards the orcs and aiming towards their feet with her claws. Should she be sucessful in cutting or at least wounding their achilles' tendons, it would make it very hard for them to even stand up and hopefully, making them give up on continue fighting.

---

Freyr

Just as Freyr and Haley had finished explaining what had happened regarding their mission to Vivian and Sylvia when Kira and Yang arrived from their respective missions. Noticing their arrival thanks to Haley, Freyr was equally as surprised as her when he turned towards Kira and Yang to greet them, noticing that, they seemed to be as exhausted as Haley was.

"What happened to you? You both look like you could collapse from exhaustion at any moment." Freyr asked, surprised as he greeted both Kira and Yang as they arrived. It was clear by their state that he and Haley weren't the only ones that had a rough day. Considering the fact that they didn't appear to be even a little bit shocked by the bizarre scene, Freyr knew that they didn't have enough energy to even be shocked at it.

Before he could say anything more though, Yang approached him after putting down a bag of money, which Freyr assumed it was the reward for the quest she took. In a low tone, Yang discreetly asked him to tell Bartholomew that the money was a reward from their quest if he asked about the origin of that bag of money.

While Freyr did raise an eyebrow, a bit confused, he discreetly nodded his head, accepting Yang's request. Seeing how exhausted she was, it would be certainly rude to inquire about the money and the reason for that request. Besides, he trusted Yang. If she wanted to tell him anything about that later, she would do so.

Seconds after arriving, both Yang and Kira were already sitting down to eat some of the lasagna, completely unfazed by their 'exotic' guests.

After taking a good bite from the lasagna though, Kira asked about their 'guests' for the first time since she arrived.

"Umm... 'Exotic' guests, I guess?" He said, a bit unsure on how to reply to that question as he looked towards Vivian and Sylvia, hoping they could explain the situation to Kira and Yang a bit better.

@PaulHaynek @13org @Restalaan @Rezod92

Sylvia swooned slightly at hearing Haley describe how she was rescued by Freyr. "It must be wonderful for someone you love to come to your rescue!" Sylvia proclaimed, as she imagined being princess-carried by Neil, but reality soon set in as Sylvia realized that Neil would be crushed under the weight of herself, her massive clay pot, and the soil within, and heaved a despondent sigh.

Then Yang and Kira returned, and it looked like they had had an awful day. At Freyr and Kira's questions about their 'guests', Vivian replied, starting with a rhetorical question, "Why are there ever mice and devil bugs in kitchens? It appears the Guild has a bit of an...well, it's not exactly a nice word, given present company, but it begins with an 'I-' and ends with '-station'. However, they're perfectly reasonable and can be negotiated with. We've offered them some food in return for them leaving. I guess it's wrong what they say about when you give a mouse a cookie, since they certainly seem satisfied with what they have been given and aren't going to ask for anything else."

Vivian didn't know if the mice and devil bugs would actually honor their end of the deal, but she hoped saying it out loud would make it true. It was plain from Vivian's strained expression that she was actually rather annoyed at the presence of the vermin (what self-respecting chef wouldn't be?) and was just hoping for this all to end. When the guildmembers started reaching for food, a bit of panic streaked across Vivian's face as her eyes darted around, doing a quick calculation just to make sure there would be enough to go around. She hadn't planned for this meal to go for as long or as late as it did, and certainly hadn't planned on feeding her guildmates with the same stuff she gave the mice and bugs. But it looked like the food would be enough, and she didn't want to start cooking again lest the vermin become curious and wish to stay to eat whatever else Vivian started making.

~@Rezod92, @Restalaan (YNG), @13org (FYR), @Stern Algorithm~

It was fortunate that the lasagna the Altissima sisters had made was enough for both their uninvited guests and their fellow guild members. Of course, none of the guild members knew that the cheesy dish was made specifically for the verminous monsters but that was up to the Liliraune to reveal that if they wish so. At least, Haley didn't seem to notice the lower quality of the meal.

The unexpected banquet ended not long after and the Devil Bugs and Giant Mice were satisfied with the meal prepared specifically for them. "Your lasa-- Lasan-- Your cheese food was really good, plant lady! We'll definitely remember it and tell everyone we meet about it!" That... might not bode well for the Guild considering the company these monsters kept. "We'll keep our word and will be going now. Bye bye!"

"Aww man, I really wanted to take at least one man from this place." One Devil Bug complained, which made Haley's brow raise. "I haven't had a man for a long time now."

"It's fine, it's fine!" A Giant Mouse assured her. "Look at that guy." She pointed to Freyr. "He's practically covered by the bird girl's scent. I bet they already had lots and lots of sex." The comment left the Siren a red mess and an annoyed look on her face, but she said nothing.

-

In a matter of moments, the Giant Mice and the Devil Bugs evacuated the Guild HQ. Hopefully never to return. When they were all gone, a still-embarrassed Haley turned to the Liliraune. "Were they also here looking for men?! Thank the gods I've already taken Freyr while Neil, Bart and Reed still aren't here. We would've had a real problem on our hands if that wasn't so! How'd they find this place anyway?"

It was also then that the stomps of hooves and the neighs of horses was heard outside. Bart had apparently arrived... but then the Guild heard armored boots land on soil.

_@PaulHaynek

Recovering from Ian’s attack, Vară’s flames began to smolder, shocked at the sudden burst of water pouring out on her. Her shock soon turned to rage, the streams of droplets steaming off of her. “You wretched mongrel! How dare you ruin my clothes!” She spat. She noticed him going for more water filled barrels, she needed to do something. She made a dash for her polearm, lacking any other way to combat him currently. Hoping she could dodge out of the way in time for the incoming barrel, she would then charge at Ian for a counterattack. Hopefully she could force him out of the kitchen and put herself in a better position.

---

_{@PaulHaynek@13org@Restalaan}

Nagare felt some of the Orcs grab her tail, she couldn’t move as well anymore with them on her. The reptilian mamono began striking her scales, she barely felt it at first but eventually they may tear through her scales. She noticed the Minotaur stayed back, as if waiting for something. To give herself breathing room, she attempted to emit a powerful burst of frozen energy from her body to push them away. To help, she would use her large, impressive body to its advantage and violently sway around.

However, she also saw that her friends seemed to be making moves of their own. What are they doing? Didn’t they understand my intentions earlier? Do they not believe in my strength....? She thought to herself. As she had already begun her counterattack, all she could do was hope that they would be caught in the crossfire.

Though, deep down, a small part of her appreciated her comrades helping her out in spite of everything.

Keeping It Real 2
~@13org (ADA), @Restalaan (DIT), @AzureKnight (NAG)~

The plan behind Nagare's back was executed, Ditzy went first. The male monster gathered enough speed to bowl over the Orcs who were too busy on the Ice Dragon's tail to notice. He then caught the Minotaur, also by surprise, and put her in a tight body lock. It was Ada's turn now and she made her way towards the fallen Orcs to slash at their tendons and heels. Once that was done and the Orcs were immobilized, she did the same to the Minotaur.

Meanwhile, Reed fought like he never fought before. It was said that it would need five normal men to take down one Lizardman or Salamander, but here Reed was outnumbered by two of them. Still, he held his own and yelled at Nagare. "Nagare! Freeze these two lizards! Ice breath!" He basically ordered her. Reed then slammed the two reptilian monsters' heads together and used them as a shield against the Ice Dragon's breath, flash-freezing them.

The Ogre then grabbed Reed by the neck and lifted him into the air. "Hey, I thought it was us against just the Dragon? Was that all just a trick?!" She was furious, the last one standing in her troupe.

"Uhh... Oh my gods, what's that?!" Reed pointed to the nothing in the sky, which the Ogre heeded turning her head. He then pinched a certain area on her neck and the Ogre suddenly fell unconscious. Taking the monster's hand off his neck, Reed sighed. "Whew... I seriously did not think that would work."

The fight was over just like that, but Reed was still panicking. He quickly made his way towards the transformed Nagare. "I should reprimand you for not doing this earlier but never mind that, we need to get out of here before any of them gets up and follows us!" Reed was making all sorts of gestures with his hands. "Nagare, if you can fly, you need to get us all in the air and back to the guild pronto."

He then glanced at Ditzy and Ada. "I hope neither of you has a fear of heights."

---

Help, Wanted 2
~@AzureKnight (VRA)~

“You wretched mongrel! How dare you ruin my clothes!”

Vară scrambled for her weapon while Ian struggled to lift the barrel of water above his head so he could hurl it at the Flame Demon.

But the barrel was too heavy for Ian to throw properly and Vară was able to easily evade it and recover her polearm. She then charged at the criminal, swinging her polearm axe with tremendous force. But Ian was deft, neatly weaving and evading each swing. Still, Ian could not retaliate and Vară pushed him back further and further until the two of them burst through the kitchen door and into a hallway of the building. The flames Vară ignited earlier had already spread far, the wooden ceiling burning in a roaring fire with parts of it falling down.

After one more swing, Ian saw an opportunity and closed the distance between him and Vară. The next swing he caught by the handle and with a sharp elbow to the face, he knocked Vară away stumbling from the blow. She was once more disarmed, with her weapon in Ian's hands. "Oh, how the tables have tabled." The criminal chuckled darkly. He raised the axe up to swing it down on the Flame Demon.

* CRRAACK *

Suddenly, a huge amount of debris landed on Ian and buried him in rubble. The building's structural integrity had already weakened from the inferno to the point that it was falling apart. Vară saw other sections of the hallway coming down and before she could attempt anything, the ceiling above her collapsed and crashed down on her.

-

"...ară! Vară, please..."

"...wake up! Please, open your eyes!"

Vară would soon wake up, her body aching but very much alive. "Vară!" Neil was beside her and immediately pulled her into a tight hug, joyed at her survival. "Vară, are you alright? We tried to get into the town hall but the place was on fire so it was dangerous to go inside. We could only act when the entire place had fallen down."

Indeed, Vară's battle with Ian had torn the entire town hall down, leaving it only as a scorched ruin. People of all striped gathered around it, but Ian didn't seem to be anywhere.

@PaulHaynek@AzureKnight@13org

Ditzy Stoneclub

Ditzy managed it, somehow, Ditzy despite in his exhausted state managed to win once again.

But of course, since Ditzy was the strongest.

By the time he let go and quickly scramble to the fight, catching the tail end of Reed somehow managing to take down the Ogre easily by pinching the neck.

Ditzy wondered if Reed was willing to teach that to him.

As they moved out, Ditzy suddenly recall the entire mission and why they're here.

"Wait!" Ditzy quickly scramble to the luggage train as fast as he can, then quickly finding their target that had been kidnapped. Thankfully, it didn't take long since it was prob the only male in their train.

Lugging him like a sack of potatoes, Ditzy quickly hobbled as fast as he can before gesturing to Reed.

"Okay! Now leave!" Ditzy said, ignoring the protest and muttering of both monster girl and the man he's carrying.

It'll be bad if they can't finish the mission after all the trouble.

---
@Rezod92@PaulHaynek@Stern Algorithm@13org

Yang Bethlehem

"Hmm." Yang nodded off, not really caring too much about it. Freeloaders that she didn't even realized existed being invited for dinner and asked to leave seemed unlikely.

Oh well, if they came back, then she'll put them to work even if it's just household duties or just tidying things up.

Giving their goodbyes to them, Yang stretched her arm and yawned. Hoping to get to bed.

That's when the sound of hooves coming outside but the noise that snapped her attention the most was the clanking metallic sound. Her expression changed immediately all traces of exhaustion left her, adrenaline spiking and coursing.

"Kira," She gestured for her to come, the implication clear as she lead the way to the front. Hoping that the worse news didn't come.

Otherwise...

Yang slammed her fist together out of habit, the metallic prayer beads ringing together as she went to greet Guildmaster Bart.

@PaulHaynek @Restalaan (YNG) @Stern Algorithm @13org (FYR)

The unexpected banquet ended not long after and the Devil Bugs and Giant Mice were satisfied with the meal prepared specifically for them. "Your lasa-- Lasan-- Your cheese food was really good, plant lady! We'll definitely remember it and tell everyone we meet about it!" That... might not bode well for the Guild considering the company these monsters kept. "We'll keep our word and will be going now. Bye bye!"

"Aww man, I really wanted to take at least one man from this place." One Devil Bug complained, which made Haley's brow raise. "I haven't had a man for a long time now."

"It's fine, it's fine!" A Giant Mouse assured her. "Look at that guy." She pointed to Freyr. "He's practically covered by the bird girl's scent. I bet they already had lots and lots of sex." The comment left the Siren a red mess and an annoyed look on her face, but she said nothing.

It's a good thing Kira swallowed her food before she heard that, otherwise chewed up lasagna would've went flying across the table from her laughter.

"Hahahaha! No tact whatsoever! She said that with no filter! Gods, you gotta love that honesty!"

In a matter of moments, the Giant Mice and the Devil Bugs evacuated the Guild HQ. Hopefully never to return. When they were all gone, a still-embarrassed Haley turned to the Liliraune. "Were they also here looking for men?! Thank the gods I've already taken Freyr while Neil, Bart and Reed still aren't here. We would've had a real problem on our hands if that wasn't so! How'd they find this place anyway?"

"Well, our headquarters is located in the middle of the countryside. Not too surprising if a wandering group of mamono stumble upon it. Now, if y'all don't mind, I'm heading off to-"

Before she could finish her statement, noises could be heard from outside.

Horses. Armored boots on gravel.

Oh no...

"Kira,"

The flygirl didn't say a word, didn't need to. She promptly got up and followed Yang to the front door, her pervious tiredness forgotten as anxious anticipation ran up her spine.

"Gods, please tell me that shit didn't follow us back here...", Kira hissed, just loud enough for the others to hear.

@13org @Restalaan @Rezod92

...a still-embarrassed Haley turned to the Liliraune. "Were they also here looking for men?! Thank the gods I've already taken Freyr while Neil, Bart and Reed still aren't here. We would've had a real problem on our hands if that wasn't so! How'd they find this place anyway?"

"Yeah, it was a real pain. I had to explain to them how they can't just go around taking men if monsters and humans are to coexist. I even went so far as to give them some of our nectar, but don't worry, I didn't give them enough to do any serious harm...hopefully..." Vivian explained.

"I'm wondering if we should put around some repellant? But that feels somewhat hypocritical," Sylvia mused, "Either way, I'm glad they left. Are you guys full from the lasagna? We can make more if anyone's still hungry."

However, the offer for more food was interrupted by the sound of hooves and armor. Curious, the Liliraune followed the others outside to see what was up, not suspecting any danger.

^{@PaulHaynek@Restalaan@AzureKnight}

As Ditzy, Sir Reed and Ada rushed to help Nagare, chaos once again ensued. Ditzy was the first, rushing towards the minotaur, knocking down the orcs that were on his way before putting the minotaur on a body lock while Sir Reed fought against the two salamanders. With the help of Nagare's ice breath, they were able to incapacitate the two salamanders that were fighting against Sir Reed, but not long after that, the Ogre grabbed him by he neck, furious about them having tricked them.

Worried, Ada was about to rush towards the Ogre but fortunately, Sir Reed was able to fool the ogre and free himself from her grasp, pinching her neck and making her fall to the ground, unconscious. Ada was amazed by Sir Reed for a moment. She didn't know he was so strong that he could knock out an ogre with just a pinch.

With their opponents either frozen, unconscious or knocked down, Sir Reed quickly rushed towards Nagare, shouting that she should fly and carry them to the guild before their opponents were able to chase them. Glancing towards Ada and Ditzy, he suddenly asked if they were afraid of heights. While the question was a bit strange, Ada knew they didn't have time to think and simply rushed towards Nagare, waiting for Sir Reed and Ditzy

---

Freyr

As Vivian began explaining the situation to Yang and Kira, Freyr couldn't help but to sigh as he was reminded of how 'delicate' that situation was. He could only hope that the saying that Vivian mentioned was indeed wrong... Fortunately, their 'guests' were indeed well behaved, at least until now. Even as Yang and a few other members sat down to eat, there was no complains or fights.

After voraciously devouring the food the Altissima sisters made for them, the devil bugs and the giant mice seemed to be finally satisfied. As their 'guests' started getting up, one of the giant mice thanked the Altissima sisters for the food, adding a quite concerning statement to her thanks, that they would tell everyone about the food they ate, which immediately made Freyr look towards the Altissima sisters with a worried expression.

Thankfully, other than becoming a restaurant for devil bugs, rats and whatever other type of creatures their guests hanged out with, there didn't seem to be any immediate problems or complications, since the devil bugs and the giant mice seemed to be upholding their part of the agreement.

Freyr was about to express how relieved he was when one of the devil bugs suddenly mentioned that she wanted to take at least one man from the guild. Before Freyr or anyone else could even express their concern with that statement, one of the giant mice mentioned that it was fine, since it was very likely that the men were already taken, giving an example of Freyr, who was covered by Haley's scent, saying he and Haley probably already had lots of sex.

With that statement catching Freyr by surprise, made only worse by Kira's laughter, he could do little but to look down after looking at Haley, Kira and the rest of the group, his face burning with embarrassment, not knowing what to do or to say.

The giant mice and the devil bugs were quick to leave the Guild after that, surprisingly upholding their part of the deal without any problems. After they left, Haley, who was still embarrassed, mentioned that they were lucky that the only man around for their 'guests' to see, Freyr, was already taken.

"Erm... We were lucky that they didn't make any trouble..." Freyr said, stumbling on his words as he tried to regain his composure.

Just as Kira began explaining how the location of the guild made it likely that wandering groups of mamono could stumble on it, the sudden noise of horses and for some reason, armored boots just outside of the guild alerted them.

Completely oblivious to any sort of danger that might come with it, Freyr simply followed Yang and Kira outside, thinking it was probably Bart and Yang just wanted to be sure he would say that the money was from his request, as she had asked him to do when they arrived.

_@PaulHaynek

Vară quickly took notice of Ian’s difficulty lifting the next barrel he planned to use. His throw was sloppy, and thus allowed the fire demoness to swifty dodge out of the way. Back on her feet, she adopted a stance and pointed her polearm at the culprit. “What’s the matter, can’t even lift a simple barrel of water? Let me guess, spent too much time learning how to make up asinine stories?” She taunted. Wasting no more time, Vară sprinted at Ian and began dealing a barrage of strikes at him. But, the man was nothing if not nimble; she found it quite frustrating that he was able to dodge all of her attacks up until this point. The situation turned even more for the worse when North parried her last strike before elbowing her in the face and taking her axe for himself.

Clenching the side of her face with her hand, she stumbled back a bit. “D-Degenerate! First you have the audacity to touch my face, then you steal my weapon?!” she was barely able to choke out her words. Stumbling further back, she only now just took notice that the entire hallway was caught on fire. The initial fire she had started spread further and quicker than she realized. With the reality of the situation setting in, Vară’s heart was at this point racing. The Town Hall she arrived to assist was now, literally, going up in smoke. And the culprit she set herself on subduing now seemed to have the winning hand. With Ian advancing, all she could do was back away, until she tumbled onto the floor. Breathing heavily, she motioned backwards to increase the distance. Though it was ultimately futile, Ian brandished her axe and began to make for the final blow. Unable to think of a way out of her predicament, flashes of her family and guildmates began pouring through Vară’s mind. With a single tear shedding, all she could do was let out a single utterance. “Mother, N-Neil. For...Forgive me…”

However, just when oblivion seemed imminent, a thunderous crack boomed through the hall. Debris began falling from the ceiling, completely burying Ian right under it. Before she had time to even process what had just happened, the rubble buried her as well…

--

A voice could be heard, it’s speaker not visible. “Vară” it said. “Who, who is that?” She answered. “Vară, please…” It continued. “...Who is that?” She replied. The voice, she realized, was one she was familiar with. “N..Neil, is that-”

“...wake up!! Please open your eyes!!”

Suddenly, snapping out of her stupor, Vară awoke. She turned to see a bewildered Neil seated beside her. Seeing her awaken caused him to pull her into a strong embrace. He explained that they couldn’t reach her in the city hall due to the fire. She lightly turned to see the town’s center of administration had been reduced to a mere pile of charred rubble. Her heart sank, understanding that it was her fault it happened in the first place. She looked around to see the city folk had gathered around. She then turned back to Neil with a sad smile. “Neil, please forgive me. I don’t think that the mayor or the Blue-Eyed Savior are going to be too happy with me...”

She then fell back into his arms, returning his embrace.

---

_{@PaulHaynek @Restalaan @13org}

Nagare continued to struggle against the band of mamono, doing her best to stand her ground. At that moment, her comrades began to make their move. Not a beat later, Nagare felt the hefty weight upon her tail subside. She realized that Ditzy took out the two orcs that threw themselves at her. He then targeted the Minotaur, locking her down in another one of his mighty holds. Ada rushed behind him, slashing their tendons and ankles so they could no longer move. Sir Reed was next, entering the fray he single-handedly fought both the Lizardman and Salamander off of her. Nagare understood that Reed was a veteran knight and obviously knew his way around the battlefield, but she hadn’t realized just how skillful a fighter he actually was.

He then shouted at her to freeze the two combatants. Nodding in confirmation, she quickly charged her energy and let loose a mighty burst of frost at their adversaries. With that, the two lizards had been subdued. Thankfully, Reed had used their bodies as a shield to prevent being frozen along with them. The ogre, now livid, came from behind and grabbed Sir Reed by the neck. To quickly turn the tables, Reed used what was perhaps the oldest trick in the book and shouted, pointing at nothing in the distance. To Nagare’s surprise, the ogre was successfully distracted. Reed took advantage of this and used his fingers to pinch a specific area on the ogre’s neck, causing her to immediately fall unconscious. Nagare had never seen such a technique, she wondered where Sir Reed had learned it.

Regardless, the battle was now over, Nagare and her friends against all odds reigned victorious! Before the elation could set it, however, Reed hastily made his way toward the ice serpent. He reprimanded her for not transforming into their dragonic form sooner and stated they needed to hurry and leave before the band of monsters had a chance to recover.

“But...Sir Reed, what about the - “ Before she could finish her sentence, Ditzy had sprinted for the caravan and found the kidnapped man. Having brought him back, Nagare felt a sense of relief and amusement due to Ditzy. “That was wonderful Ditzy-kun! Sir Reed, we’ve accomplished our quest! I certainly think it’s fine now if we leave. Go ahead and hop on everyone!” Nagare then began to blush out of a bit of embarrassment. “I’m, I’m not actually used to carrying people on my back, so the ride may be a little bumpy. But, I promise to do my best!”

If everyone’s business was concluded, Nagare would proceed to carry her comrades back to the Guild Hall for some much needed R&R

~@13org (ADA), @Restalaan (DIT), @AzureKnight (NAG)~

Ditzy took the captive man and tossed him over to Nagare's back. His hands and feet were bound and had a cloth sack over his head, preventing the guild from identifying him for now. After that, the guild embarked on the Ice Dragon's back and she took off. The band of warrior monster girls left behind could only watch and curse the fleeing group.

-

The flight to the Guild HQ was peaceful, giving the group some much needed respite and even a nice view of the setting sun. Reed crawled forward to get close enough to Nagare's head. "Hey, uhh, I just want to say that I'm sorry... for all that earlier." He began.

"I... I knew that you wanted to face that band alone but I, uhh, suggested that the rest of us help you out with a surprise attack." Sir Reed continued. "Err, I know that was dishonorable and uhh, you probably didn't appreciate that 'cause that looked like we-- I didn't believe in you, but rest assured I did it all to ensure that all of us comes back in one piece. Mostly."

"I-I'll make it up to you, okay? Anything you want to do, just name it. I'll fulfill it as best a I can."

---

~@Rezod92, @Restalaan (YNG), @13org (FYR), @Stern Algorithm~

The group all gathered to the entrance doors after hearing the sound of armored boots. The doors opened, and only Yang and Kira were on their guards. A figure entered, a familiar one.

"Huh?" Bart was confused at the crowd on the doors. "Is this... a welcoming party? If it is, it's pretty bad." He remarked, confused at the whole situation. "Are you all waiting for me to tell me something? Well, I'm here now."

The guild leader's boots were of leather, not a single part of it was armored. And it appeared that Bart had arrived alone. Or did he?

---

~@Rezod92, @Restalaan (YNG & DIT), @13org (FYR & ADA), @Stern Algorithm, @AzureKnight (NAG)~

The group riding Nagare's back had finally arrived at their HQ. But as they neared their destination, they would see a large, hooded figure walking away from the Guild. The obscured figure would spare the Ice Dragon a brief glance before continuing on the way.

After Nagare landed, Reed would be the first to disembark along with the hostage. "I'll handle this guy. You all head inside and get some rest. Gods know we all need it." He told the others as he began untying the captive. "I'll catch up, okay? Say hi to the others for me."

They had arrived several moments after Bart had.

---

Help, Wanted 2
~@AzureKnight (VRA)~

“Neil, please forgive me. I don’t think that the mayor or the Blue-Eyed Savior are going to be too happy with me...”

Neil took a look at the rubble that was once the town hall and winced at the sight. "W-Well, I-I'm sure they'll understand... I hope. Besides, they called us here to deal with Ian, ri--" He stopped suddenly, realizing the error he made.

"No, no they didn't. It was Ian who called us here. It was him who wrote the request, didn't he?" The pieces weren't lining up for Neil. "Typically you'd want your theft to be discreet as possible, right? Why would he then call us here to investigate? He even pointed us to the witnesses who definitely pointed to his direction. Why didn't he bother to cover up his tracks?"

The townspeople were still digging through the debris when Ian burst out from a pile of rubble, covered in dust but seemed no less for wear. He shook his head, shaking off the dust from his helmet, before seeing Neil and Vară. "Oh! Hi, you two!" The armored man happily waved at the two guild members.

Neil parted from the Flame Demon to walk over to Ian and seize him by the neck. The robber made no attempt to resist. "I demand an explanation, you little sneak!" The townspeople of Ambran gathered over to watch the exchange.

"What do you need an explanation for? I stole stuff, you caught me, quest over!" Ian made no attempt to deny his crime, happily confessing it for all to hear. Like what Neil said, his actions as a thief made no sense.

"Don't play dumb! The things you did don't add up!" Neil continued to interrogate Ian.

Meanwhile, the Dhampir witness that Vară met earlier arrived and approached the scene. "Whoooaaa. What happened here? Looks like I missed something big." She asked the Flame Demon.