Confound it all! Of all the missions to arrive late for, why did it have to be this one?

He knew he shouldn't blame himself too harshly. His delay wasn't entirely his fault. He would have been there much earlier if he hadn't had to get his uniform changed at the last moment; the first iteration of his disguise had about a quarter of the fabric he had on now. He knew that Eros was more licentious than the Chief God, but honestly, he had seen demons who wore more than some of those Houri. By the time he got his hands on a uniform he was actually comfortable wearing in public, he was utterly behind schedule. Although to say he was "comfortable" in his Eros uniform would be an exaggeration. Oh, it fit like a glove - those Houri were master tailors when they set their minds to it, which is why it boggled him so much that they wore so little - and the fabric was as heavenly as its creators, but there was just something about it that didn't feel right. It was like wearing a friend's jacket: it didn't matter how nice it was when he knew that it didn't belong to him.

Unfortunately, it was a necessary change. If these monsters found out that he was working for the Chief God... well, he didn't want to think about it. Bad things would happen. Besides, there were more important things at stake here than his fashion sense. He was an agent of Heaven, infiltrating the first group of monsters to come to Shizuyama in over a millenium - he had to think about the bigger picture.

Of all the assignments Cambiel had ever undertaken, this one had to be the strangest. On paper, the job was deceptively simple: infiltrate the group, find out what their goals are, then quietly leave. Even an amateur could do it. But experience had taught Cambiel that the jobs that seemed the simplest often turned out to be the most complicated of all. These missions could start out with a farmer asking where his chicken's eggs have disappeared to and end with him foiling a ploy by the regional Sabbath cult decades in the making. It didn't do to assume that just because a job seemed simple that automatically meant it was easy. Case in point: Lady Kyouko. That woman was a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. What was her goal here? Why would she care if two anti-monster factions were fighting one another? None of the potential answers seemed to fit. This wasn't an invasion, there were too few of them. It wasn't a colonisation mission, they hadn't been given those orders. It wasn't even something as petty as a raid. It almost seemed like she actually cared about the humans of Shizuyama.

Better not to think like that. The Mother Superior didn't like anyone to think of monsters as individuals. Sympathy for the devil inevitably lead to siding with the devil, as she often said.

There. Far below, he could make out the sails of the ship. That was his cue to dive. Some of the other angels had been challenging each other, seeing how quickly they could dive, and how low they could get to the ground before pulling up. The faster you went and the lower you got, the better flier you were. The Mother Superior had banned it after Aisha crippled a wing, but from what Cambiel had seen, that just made it more popular. No going for diving records today, though. Not when there was a mission to complete, and certainly not when the only help available was at the hands of a monster. Florence Nightingale Syndrome would be a humiliating way to end his career. Just take it slow, enjoy the sights and the warmth of the sun, and make sure his feet touched the ground safely.

By the time he could be seen from the ground with clarity, Cambiel had pulled out of his diving position and was gently floating down feet-first. No doubt the monsters could see him now, and they were probably suspicious of him. Normally at this time, the other angels would say something like "be not afraid!". But looking at all these monsters, Cambiel felt his heart seize up. He did not want to draw any more attention to himself than necessary.

"Lady Kyouko! I'm so sorry I'm late!" As soon as his feet touched the floor, the boy bowed towards the Inari. "There was trouble in Heaven, but I'm here now, and I'm ready to serve!" Not technically a lie...

“I would disagree with you, Lady Kyouko.” Lunatea spoke up regarding the male monsters in their group. “But ultimately, I believe it should be their choice whether they would want to be examined for the good of monsterkind or not. And I trust, judging by their reactions so far, they would rather join us in our mission over handing themselves to the nearest monster scientist.”

“As for my questions, I would like to know as much as possible about both Shizuyama and the Varian. It is my firm belief that any knowledge regarding them would be useful in performing our mission."

------------

When she saw Samael struggling to lift her suitcase, she quickly stopped him in his tracks. "P-put it down! I don't want you to accidentally hit your toes with my suitcase!"

To be honest, she was surprised by how weak the boy was. If he couldn't lift her suitcase, that meant he was weaker than her.

And here she thought she was the weakest here physically.

It was all the more reason why she was taken completely off-guard by him saying his age.

"W-what?" She released him. "You're 19? I.. I don't believe it. You don't look or act like it!" She protested.

The goblin’s lewd comments didn’t help things either, though Lunatea was simply too tired to reply by other than a simple glare at the goblin’s direction. She knew he was just teasing her and so wouldn’t give him the satisfaction by responding to him.

Although, when he tried to influence Sam, she took a small breath of relief, when she realized he didn’t seem to register his double-entendre in the slightest.

But nineteen and he’s still that innocent? That’s hard to believe…

As she had her hands on her waist, her eyes examining Sam up and down once again, trying to make sure of his age, an angel suddenly landed from the sky.

Yes, she wasn’t hallucinating. That really just happened.

The angel promptly bowed to Kyouko, apologizing for being late. So he was supposed to be part of the expedition?

“Hey, this angel is part of our group too?” she asked the fox lady. “Are you sure that’s wise?” She had heard the stories about their kind, and their fanatical devotion to the Chief God. “No, in fact, why would an angel take interest in our mission in the first place? Is there something you’re not telling us here?”

And then, she realized it.

It was yet another male monster.

“Wait, you’re a male angel?” She was now switching full-mode into interrogating him, staring him down with her hands folded under her chest. “Another one?” She shook her head, looking away from him. “I can’t believe this. Why are there so many male monsters around here? This can’t be a coincidence…” She bit her thumb, trying to rack her brain to find something that linked all of them into one, singular thread of logic.

…No dice. She couldn’t think of anything.

Taking a deep sigh of resignation, she decided to may as well ask for the angel identity.

“Hey, you. Mr. Angel. Tell me. Who are you and why are you here helping us? And of course, which god you’re working for?” She knew that some angels do serve the other gods. Like Eros. Or Ares.

"W-what?" Luna sounded almost taken aback, releasing her grip on his bare shoulders. Sam's heart fell ever so slightly as the bunny girl inched away just a short distance, yet looked like a mile to the boyish demon initially opening his mouth finding her reaction all together odd and silly however he was cut off by the bunny girl's protestation "You're 19? I..I don't believe it. You don't look or act like it!" her words made him feel...Odd?

Like if someone stuck his whole body in ice, except Sam felt cold inside rather than outside like his poor little heart was frozen. He might have not realized it but if Luna noticed while she was staring at him, the demon's two crimson eyes were filled with a look of hurt.

"O-of course I am," Samael said with his voice tinged with slightly less enthusiasm, although he was trying to see the bright side of their little conversation thus he did his best to smile "Luna, why are you looking at me weird?" noticing the way she was staring at him in nigh disbelief Sam frowned, quite confused why all of a sudden his new friend was acting so weirded out.

He missed the warmth that had been in her voice that now seemed to disappear as she looked on to the male mamano with an expression he hadn't expected to see now with his brows knitting together slightly the demon opened his mouth "Is there something wrong with me?" he started to ask, while gently placing the bunny girls suit case next to him.

Yet their conversation was yet again interrupted, this time by what was unmistakably an angel, he definitely looked the part and he certainly surprised Luna but not Sam whom simply looked at the guy with a passive glance then back to his bunny girl friend with his warm smile returning only slightly, glad that Luna seemed more or less focused on Cambriel than him at the moment.

While she seemed preoccupied by the newcomer, Samael wondered about what he could do to prove he was a capable young man to Luna. In his silent rumination the demon's eyes drifted back to the bunny girl's suitcase and his expression lit up. Of course! She'll have to believe me if I carry this onto the ship for her! giddiness washing over the demon, he grabbed Luna's suitcase by it's handle with both hands managing this time to lift it off the ground with a little grunt, before looking around as if to say Yeah look at me, I'm strong! Then before Lunatea could protest, Sam pushed past her as he made his way past Lady Kyouko with a grin all the while he boarded the vessel.

@FrogRFlowR
Suddenly, Dragon! Wyndressa stared at the scantily clad girl as she made her innuendo, and flew off. Now that she thought about it; it did feel like her "father" had been split into two, what with her and the demon boy.

@Dark Cloud@Hammerman
Wyndressa looked behind her shoulder to find said boy now being hugged by said bunny girl.

Which means she's most likely off the table...

Damnit!

@Noblebandit
But, in the place of disappointment came the beginnings of a headache when an angel of all things suddenly descended from the sky!

"Oh, balls!" She grumbled. Yeah, just what this cruise needs; a joyless cunt to lecture at everything about how they're all children of evil, and as an agent of the Chief God, he shall smite them all for the ruin and sin they've wrought upon the earth, even though Wyn's probably done more for the earth in a year, than this shiny tosspot's done his entire existence!

"Lady Kyouko! I'm so sorry I'm late!" As soon as his feet touched the floor, the boy bowed towards the Inari. "There was trouble in Heaven, but I'm here now, and I'm ready to serve!"

Well, Kyouko must have some impressive strings to pull, if she got a bloody angel's help! Which meant Wyn would get to hear his constant bible thumpin' this whole mission!

Wait a minute...

His?

Oh, for fuck's sake! Another male creature?!

"Nope! That's it!" Wyndressa declared. "I haven't had nearly enough sleep and/or booze for this! I'm gettin' me some shut-eye! 'N if any 'o you think 'o pesterin' meh before nightfall, or we reach that miserable soddin' island -whichever comes first; you'll be swimmin' there, so help me!"

On her way to the ship, Wyn pointed at the angel, snapping "'N if I hear any bible thumpin' outta you; I'll sew your bloody mouth shut!" With that said, she disappeared into the one of the quarters, and all but collapsed unto the nearest bed-shaped surface she saw.

@Dark Cloud

---

Aaaah, so much work todo! Cleaning a ship really took a lot out of a girl, didn't it? Aboard the vessel was someone who had been there early in the morning, and likely had spent a good portion of the night there. She had to make sure the entire vessel was spotless, after all. Not a spec of dust, dirt, grime, though maybe just a tiny bit of slime here and there. She had managed to clean everything from top to bottom currently, but had decided to leave the passenger cabins for last as she had deemed she wanted them to be the last thing she had done so they would be extremely freshly cleaned by the time anyone boarded.

"Oh dear I hope its not getting too late. It'd be terrible if the guests had to endure such a grimy ship. Let alone Mistress-sama's name being sullied by it." Thankfully this was the last room and she was almost done. A feather duster, dusting away all the dust and a broom sweeping away anything that couldn't be classified with spotless. Oh and of course...one last little present for the occupant. A slice of lovely purple cake...that she had left in every cabin.

Placing the cake on a table in the room, she'd move to the door where she'd turn to look at her handiwork, feeling quite pleased.

"Fufu, there we go everything looks good...Ah." She'd click her tongue as she'd notice a small scrap of paper on the floor. Now she could have used her tentacles to pick it up...but instead, she'd bend over and reach for it.

Squish

"Wah~~" Some little something had just bumped into her butt. As most people know, Shoggoths tend to be incredibly sensitive to touch, so even a simple act like that might make her make some weird noises if she was unprepared. "Fufu, someone's a bit eager aren't they~?" She'd say in a fairly sultry tone as she'd turn around to see who had just accosted her, quite surprised to find not a monster girl, sailor, or some other person...but a tiny, little, demon male. Nyla blinked, standing up fully, holding her hands in front of her, head cocked to the side slightly in surprise. "Oh dear me I am terribly sorry master, I was doing the finishing touches on the cleaning. I do hope you were not harmed when you rammed my but-ahem-I mean, ran into me. Can I offer you some cake as an apology?~"

A tiny tendril would reach out and offer him the cake that had been placed on the table earlier.

Samael’s reaction to her proclamation of disbelief was definitely not what she had expected. The look of hurt in his eyes sent a pang of guilt inside her heart, almost making her want to retract what she just said.

“I-it’s… it’s nothing,” she replied to his question. “I’m just… surprised, that’s all.”

That’s right. Like I said before, the age of a monster can be deceitful. There’s no need to be this surprised, Lunatea.

When he suddenly tried to lift her briefcase all over again, she yelled, “H-hey, drop it! Where are you going with that?”

To her surprise, he was suddenly capable of lifting the thing. And not only that, he pushed past Kyouko, going straight to the ship they were supposed to board!

"Stop!"

She chased after him, her skirt lifting upwards with every step, revealing her panties yet again.

H-he's fast! Where in the world did he get all this strength when he was so wimpy before?!

"Stop! Where are you taking my precious books to?!"

She followed him up onto the ship (her conversation with Kyouko was basically over anyway), running as fast as she could. Unfortunately, she was never the athletic type so she could barely beat Samael’s speed.

But, on the other hand, thanks to him bumping into a woman dressed in a maid outfit, he was stopped in his tracks.

“There you are! Stay where you are right there!”

Sam was now prone on the ground after bumping into the maid in front of him. Luckily for him (and Lunatea), the suitcase’s lock remained intact and he didn’t stub his toe with it. Knowing how heavy the thing was, she could only imagine how painful it would be.

She ran up to him and stood right above him, exposing her black panties right to him. And when she crouched down, said undergarments became a lot closer to his face.

“Hey, you’re alright? Need any healing? I can cast some healing spells if you need some.”

She offered her hand, helping him get back up his feet.

Once he did, she quickly grabbed her suitcase before he could steal it again.

“What were you thinking?” She frowned as she went into her scolding mode. “This is my suitcase. You just don’t get to take it without my permission.”

However, seeing his sad reaction, she quickly changed her tone.

“Look.” She bent over, placing her hands on her knees to be on his level (inadvertently flashing her panties to the maid in the process). “I know you mean well. But you shouldn’t do something like this. It’s rude and uncouth. If you want to be seen as a good boy, or man, if your age is correct, then you should act more gentlemanly.”

She should know what a gentleman was. After all, her father was one of such gentlemen. Sure, he could be clumsy at times but that only made her mother love him even harder.

_{@PaulHaynek@WanderingDragon}

Shizuka turned to Kyōko, who quickly diffused the situation yet again. She was quite good at that it seems, although, it seemed that in the end it wasn't necessary. Wyndressa walked right past him and rubbed Kyōko's head playfully while making a jovial threat. Shizuka could only look at the scene with a perplexed look on his face, which quickly went away after she rapped his shoulder.

"Indeed, while Kyōko-sama does have many contacts, I'll be leading this expedition. My apologies for jumping the gun Wyndressa, and to you as well Kyōko-sama."

She then made her way to obtain more suitable attire, indeed partaking in a dangerous mission in your night clothes was unconventional to say the least. He was rather disturbed by how under normal circumstances Kyōko would’ve immediately had the Demon Lord’s private army come and whisk the monster boys away for study. Shizuka thought he should thank the gods above that he wasn’t born a monster boy. The swordsman didn’t know what to be more afraid of, the tenacity that these monstrous women displayed or that apparently Kyōko could call on the Demon Lord’s resources at a moment’s notice…

_{@FrogRFlowR@Noblebandit@Dark Cloud@Rune_Alchemist}

Shizuka's attention was quickly diverted when he sensed three more chi readings making their way to the port. The first was a young dragon girl clad in golden scales and scanty clothing. Such a thing no longer surprised Shizuka, he was dealing with mamono after all. Seemed she arrived to witness the confrontation between him and Wyn, and then she lazily sat on the grass in front of a tree after briefly taking note of the other members. Shizuka walked over to her for a moment.

"Heh, sorry miss, but teammates aren't on the menu around here." He completely understood the innuendo she made, but just chose to play along. "Welcome to Zipangu, I presume you got the memo and are aware of the situation. Feel free to ask me any questions if not, I'll answer them to the best of my ability. I’m Shizuka, by the way." He immediately noticed the lax disposition she had about her. "Try not to fall asleep, we'll be disembarking soon."

He then noticed the youthful angel descending down with grace that befitted his race. He noticed that he sped up at the last second

"Hmph, must be the young and daring type." He said to himself. He made his way over to the angel next. “Greetings, denizen of the heavens, welcome to the eastern isles. Like I just got through explaining to our dragon friend here, we’re about to disembark soon to Shizuyama. Got here right on schedule; time is precious so I may have to brief you on the details later. Name’s Shizuka, I’ll be taking point on this mission.” This was the first time Shizuka met an angel before, their kind doesn’t come to these lands very often. What he knew was that they were usually very prude and dutiful, priding themselves in good service and order. They also were the sworn enemies of monsters, but he knew that some angels were in service to deities who sided with the Demon Lord. Shizuka presumed that he was with one of those deities, and couldn't imagine why he’d be here if he wasn’t. Unless…

He was taken out of his thoughts by Wym overreacting to yet another male supernatural entity entering the scene. She decided to simply make her way to the ship and wait to set sail. I guess she’s not changing her clothes? He thought to himself. It was to his understanding that angels weren’t necessarily monsters bound by the energy of the Demon Lord, unless they got corrupted.

He decided not to worry too much about it for the time being, he had to focus on more important things. Like the third mamono he noticed. He presumed she was, at the very least. She was unlike anything he’d even seen. He…didn’t know exactly what kind of mamono she was, and couldn't figure it out the few times he’d seen her. She looked like an octopus or some sort of aquatic species, but Kyōko stated to him that she wasn’t. He only knew that she was one of her retainers that she would apparently be joining them on their quest.

In fact, the more he thought about her, the more odd his mind felt. It felt as though his mind was being dragged into a pitch black abyss that seemingly had no end. He felt that the more he stared at the abyss, the more and more he felt his sanity slipping away - like he’d eventually lose all of it and his sense of self completely. He felt that it was time to stop thinking about what she was altogether and greet her properly. She seemed to have already introduced herself to Sam, who was still a popular subject.

“Good Morning, uh, N'ylaatothk? Hope I’m pronouncing that right… I must remember to thank Kyōko-sama for lending to us one of her trusted retainers for this assignment. I trust you have everything in order for the mission? As soon as the rest of the members arrive, we’ll be on our way.” He took note of the ‘cake’ that she had prepared and offered to Sam. At least, it appeared to be cake. He was no stranger to the strange concoctions that monsters were known for making, and he wasn’t inclined to trust it. For a quick moment, he helped Sam to his feet and whispered something into his ear. “Hey Sam, just wanted to run this by you. I understand that your circumstances may be trivial by your standards, but please be mindful to watch yourself for the coming days. Your existence is an oddity among monsterkind the world over, and many would risk arm and leg to ‘examine’ you. I’m also even more worried since we’ll all be on the same ship. Hopefully, nothing out of hand happens, but considering the crowd we’re dealing with that may just be wishful thinking. Just take my words into consideration and tread carefully, you hear boy? I’d tell Sharsneek, but honestly he seems to enjoy the attention AND the thought of being experimented on by the ladies.”

Just as he finished speaking to the demon boy, a certain Jorōgumo began making her way over…

---

_{@Hammerman@Restalaan}

“Atsuha, I don’t like it.” Hinami whined and cutely hid behind her sister, seemingly spooked by something. “I don’t like that chi the angel fellow is emanating. It’s too pure and holy…” As an undead, Hinami possessed an innate aversion to holy auras and the like. As to, she felt that the angel would take issue with her presence and may even attempt to purify her.

“Sister.” Atsuha said in a caring tone, caressing her hands on Hinami’s shoulders to comfort her. “We’re all on the same side here, remember? Besides, as if I’d let anything happen to you, only a fool would dare lay their hands on you.”

Atsuha was surprised by the sudden arrival of the celestial, who apparently would be joining them. She also noticed the coming of the dragon girl and the strange tentacle monster. Great, more rivals… She thought. She also noticed that Lunatea and the monster who had the bearing of a maid were getting flirty with Sam. Shizuka seemed to have whispered something to Sam; her curiosity eventually won over her and she decided to step in as well.

“Hey Lunatea, you seem to be quite protective of little Sammy-kun. You’re also acting like you’re his big sister, telling him how to behave and conduct himself. He just wanted to be nice and carry your luggage for you, I’d say that’s gentlemanly enough. But, it seems that his good faith is wasted on such a silly girl.” She then turned to Sam. “If it were up to me, I’d teach him how to have a bit more fun and cut loose~”

“By the way, Kannazuki-san, what were you and Sammy-kun talking about just now? Having some male bonding?” She teased.

“No, just giving the boy a bit of life advice is all” He retorted. He gave Sam a look that said ‘You see what I mean?’

Atsuha then looked at N'ylaatothk, examining her for a bit. “You have the bearing of a servant, are you one of Kyōko-san’s retainers perhaps?”

Hinami, wanting to avoid the angel, made her way over to Sharsneek for a brief moment. “Hello Shars-san! Me and my sister always thought that monster boys weren’t real. I think you said that your dad was a mercenary and your mom was an innkeeper? Was your mom secretly a magician in disguise, or did you dad use a magic item when you were born perhaps?” She started bombarding Sharsneek with her silly questions until she noticed the cake that N'ylaatothk had made. She immediately dashed toward her, knocking past her sister in the process. Despite Atsuha’s large body, Hinami brushed past her with such force that she almost toppled her over.

“Is that cake you have there?” She asked excitedly. “I’m actually really hungry, could I have a piece, or four?” Her mouth was practically watering, and whatever fear she was feeling had completely vanished.

@Noblebandit@Dark Cloud@AzureKnight@FrogRFlowR@Rune_Alchemist

Skarsneek of the Red Hill

From the corner of his eyes and ears, Skarsneek caught something approaching fast and idly reached for his weapon. Then just moments, the new presence made itself known.

At first, he had assumed it was a harpy or those winged mamono's but when wings unfolded alongside the dress, Skarsneek blinked a few times to really confirm it.

It was an Angel, an Angel of Eros in fact.

Well, then again, if it's anyone that would do their damndest in repairing human and mamono relationship, it certainly would be Eros. Skarsneek rolled his shoulders at that.

@WanderingDragon@Hammerman

Which was why when the skeptical comments came, Skarsneek was befuddled and confused. Did they not know who Eros was?

"...Are you blind? He's an angel of Eros, the Goddess of Love. You know, THE most revered known Goddess and also the only Goddess that even anti-mamono humans allow worship? Also the one that openly gives blessing to Mamono couples? " He emphasized each point with a wave of his hands before giving a glance towards Cambriel and turned back to the party. "Okay, him being a male is also a weird question but he's still a representative of Eros."

"Now, if he's a representative of the Chief God instead..." Skarsneek grinned ferally before gesturing a thumb over his neck and dragging it across. Sharper eyes would also note that his thumb was clamped between the index and middle finger. A gesture that only Zipangese would recognize. "Well, you know."

"But good to have an angel for this mission will be great!" Skarsneek even bowed his head deeply at that before promptly pushing responsibilities onto the angel. That way, it'll leave him free to interact and do other...liberating options. " We'll leave all the diplomacy to you then."

"By the way, why were you late? Your kind rarely does-" Skarsneek asked before tilting his head and giving a truly large Cheshire grin. "Ah~, I know, the choirs were hesitant to let you go? So they wanted you to make them sing and praise Eros first, hmm, yeah, I totally get it then. It's all good!"

After all, the only male angel amongst the pantheon of female angels? The angels had to be idiots to not indulge themselves.

Then Skarsneek put an arm around him, ignoring his clear discomfort as he whispered to him quietly. "By the way, did you do Goddess Eros as well? How was it?"

But before his question could be answered, Skarsneek nose picked a scent. One that had him immediately snapped to attention as it was brought in by the breeze. It wasn't unpleasant, but nor was it a good one.

After all, that scent brought in a rise in blood flow, excitement and lust. Usually, a good time for all.

But in the same vein, at least for Skarsneek, that was the scent of competition as he unintentionally snarled at that.

It was more hostile when he finally laid eyes on the source.

---

While sailors and workers worked without a shirt, tanned skin and tone muscle showed throughout the sun, none of them managed to steal the gazes of both women and men alike completely as they stared at one particular individual that walked past them.

Back and front muscles that looked like it was chiseled, tall for Zipang standards, broad shoulders, alongside short pants that looked like it was one step from a fundoshi. It was scandalous, to say the least, the only proper clothing was the one that covered the arms but the straps and leggings connecting it looked fetishistic enough.

Adding to that, the white hair contrasted greatly to the almost ivory-like skin as a pair of yellow eyes similar to that of an animal kept its gaze straight. This was further amplified as a tail belonging to a wild boar swished back and forth with each step.

But when it fell upon others, a brief chill went up to their spine. Especially when they noted the large weapon that was carried. A double-handed axe with only a single head, little ornaments were in place but the dark sheen from it absorbs light rather than reflects it.

A huff came before the occupant continued their trek, feet moving solidly and loudly.

Gringor of the Ironhide tribe rubbed the back of his head irritably. It had been a day before the last tussle he was in, and it was already beginning to grind on his gears as he made it past the wharf and onto the plank leading to his ship.

Yes, it's his. He was onboard it. That means it's his. Anyone that contests it can plea their case to Poseidon right after he defenestrates them from his ship.

Once he reached the top and graced the deck of the ship with his presence. Gringor looked at the occupants all around.

The one that took his attention first was the many-tail foxed mamono, both of them briefly acquainted.

Taking more steps ahead leisurely, he looked at the others. There was one human that looked like he was worth fighting and Gringor had yet to really fight anyone of worth here so far.

A spider-woman and an undead, both of them looked like family if the resemblance was a clue. A good thing, since it meant he can chase the two for a lay.

There was even a dragon. That had his gaze lingered longer but ultimately moved off to more interesting ones. A dragon without a hoard simply wasn't worth pursuing.

The last two of whom was monsters but what really had him actually paused in his steps was that of their gender.

They're both males.

Just like he was.

But that thought flew out of the window over when his eyes went to the other, and immediately his hackles rose. Blood boiled and the pheromones he emitted got stronger unintentionally.

A large wide grin came to his face, one that was both out of glee and annoyance as he strode closer. Towering and looking down over the other.

"Goblin." Gringor rested his axe on his shoulders instead of holding it under his arm.

"Orc." Skarsneek uncharacteristically spat out that word, the latter readied and looking for a fight even.

"High Orc." Gringor can already tell, this was going to be the worse trip of his life.

Isn't this just the story of his life...

Minding his way up the boarding plank Samael was too focused on putting one foot in front of the other that at first he was deaf to Lunatea's objection and her demand for the demon to cease his valiant efforts, too determined to prove himself the demon was clueless to her stern objection to what he was doing.

Blood rushing through his ears and adrenaline in his veins Sam was absolutely oblivious to the strain of carrying a heavy suitcase from the dock to below decks would have on him, hopping down the steps leading down and as usual not caring to take in his surroundings as the demon in his excitement made for the closest cabin.

Yet with a muffled yelp in surprise, Samael rammed face first into two squishy mounds with a squish before falling onto his back upon the floor, letting go of the suitcase in the process. Thankfully it only was lightly jostled by the impact, luckily for him of course.

However before the demon even had a chance to gather his bearings, not to mention reel from the sudden pain that stung his joints now that his burst of adrenaline had faded.

His head snapped towards the stairway as he heard Luna call after him "There you are! Stay where you are right there!" not much he could manage to do but nod with the pain and all that, panting and slightly out of breath as the bunny girl ran over standing above the demon giving him a perfect view of her little black panties 'Hmm, that goblin was right. Luna does have a nice bum.' the demon thought dirtily to himself, it was an errant thought that crossed his mind as Luna crouched over him looking concerned, inadvertently bringing her posterior and the rest of her underside closer to his face.

"Hey, you're alright? Need any healing? I can cast some healing spells if you need some." her concern although quite kind wasn't necessary so he wordlessly shook his head, accepting her hand in the pale palm of his own as he stood from his legs, pushing himself off the ground still quite out of breath "What were you thinking?" snatching the suitcase, Luna sternly scolded him, the tone she had once more made Sam cast his gaze to the floor "This is my suitcase. You don't just get to take it without my permission." his sad expression made Luna change her tone, speaking a bit more gently to the demon.

"Look," glancing upwards Sam looked slightly downtrodden yet his expression lightened at the sound of Lunatea's voice, recognizing it's warmth of tone "I know you mean well. But you shouldn't do something like this. It's rude and uncouth. If you want to be a good boy, or man, if your age is correct, then you should act more gentlemanly." he opened his mouth to say something, however once again it appeared their fellow mamano decided to budge their way into the conversation as the rest of the task force came below decks.

Shizuka's attempt to warn Sam, although quite valiant fell upon deaf ears as the demon gave the swordsman an incredulous look before giggling "Silly human, that just means they like me." the demon finally found his voice, finding the warning ridiculous Sam smiled and shook his head a little bit waving the swordsman away as the sultry presence of the Jorōgumo became too much to ignore, deciding to scuttle over curious as to what all the commotion was about.

Yes Samael believed the fact he tried to carry Luna's heavy suitcase was something one might call 'gentlemanly' but he didn't mind Luna being protective or telling him what to do, he liked it and hoped it made Luna as happy as it made him that she seemed to care about him.

Samael was a hairbreadth away from saying something when the eight-legged lady's sister abruptly barreled past the Jorōgumo, quite nearly knocking her over all the while Sam placed a hand over his mouth to stifle a giggle looking at her then the Jingashi who dropped everything to approach the maid he had bumped into begging for the cake.

He also realized he had gotten a face full of her deliciously plump backside, thus with a slight blush he briefly spoke to the Shoggoth "Ah, sorry for bumping into your butt...I'm Sam by the way." he absent-mindedly played with his horns, getting a bit awkwardly quiet before speaking again "Give her my slice please, I wanna save my appetite for supper." he patted his stomach, still very much shirtless oddly Sam appeared almost completely unaffected by the maids mind-bending presence.

Finally the demon turned his big red eyes to gaze up at his companion Lunatea, however he remembered her words about acting like a good boy no, a good man if he would act like a proper gentleman. Samael might have not been as educated or well-versed in etiquette as Luna was but if anything Sam always had an eagerness to please or to feel important to someone, and at that moment it seemed that someone was Lunatea. So he nodded slightly, solemnly deciding something in his head.

He would act more gentlemanly, for Luna more than himself. He would be her gentleman, thus Sam offered her his arm looking at her with a sheepish grin "Sorry for all that stuff," he decided to take her arm regardless however he didn't pull at her like a child leading their parent no he wouldn't act like a kid because he was a man not a boy, so he didn't try to lead her into their cabin "Luna? Can you show me how to be gentlemanly? Please, I want to know..."

@Dark Cloud@AzureKnight@PaulHaynek
@Noblebandit

---

Nyla watched the apparent Wererabbit run down Sam, for whatever reason, flashing her panties at all present. Of course, she would say nothing as she didn't want to bring her embarrassment, but all the same she'd close her eyes, nod slowly and thank the demon lord for such a divine sight of cute rabbit butt.

"Oho, no trouble at all young master, I quite don't mind when someone, er, shall we say bumps me." She'd giggle, though that would slowly turn into a frown. Oh...he was...saying no to the cake? Oh that wouldn't do at all, now would it? Not one bit. "Oh perish the thought. There's plenty to go around. I made fresh gifts for all of you. There's one in every cabin." She'd say, shoving the cake into the young demons hands. "Go on, take a bite. It's made with all the love in the world by a humble maid. Its the tastiest thing in the world, I promise~" Before she could go about taking care of the two little cute things though, she was instead, approached by someone she had at least, made herself somewhat familiar with over the course of planning for his adventure.

"Ah, Master Kannazuki." She'd offer a warm smile, hands clasped at her waist. "Worry not, Nyla will do just fine. I understand my name is a little...out there." The Shoggoth giggled in response. "Everything is prepared and ready. I've cleaned the ship from top to bottom as well as left everyone a little welcome gift in their cabins. I'm certain everyone will love it, fufu...though from the way you were staring just a few seconds ago, maybe you need someone to take care of a...fever or something?" She'd slide a few inches closer to Shizuka as he'd finish whispering in Sam's ear. "Are you feeling unwell? Perhaps I could-"

Two more monster girls. Oh how wonderful. The place was starting to feel much more lively. Two cute little things too. A Jorogumo and a...hm, Jiangshi she thought they were called? How pretty they were. She'd offer the two of them a demure smile as she'd respond to the Jorogumo's question.

"Indeed, I am Nyla, a maid in service to Lady Kyouko-sama. She has left you in my capable hands. Worry not, I shall ensure that everyone is well taken care of on this voyage. I'll be in charge of cleaning, care taking, nursing you if you are wounded as well as most importantly, making sure everyone is taken care of in the cooking department." As she spoke one of her tendrils would morph into an appropriate implement for what she was describing from a broom, to a syringe, and too a frying pan. It wasn't exactly a lie, persay, but it wasn't entirely truthful either. Perhaps she should ask Kyouko-sama to give her permission to ensure that she could eliminate any threat to her there, too...

"Ah! Kyouko-sama!" Oh goodness, now that she looked at it, the fact there were this many people here meant they were likely getting ready to leave! Oh dear she hadn't said goodbye to her mistress yet! Oh what a bad little Shoggoth she'd be if she did! While she might have enjoyed being scolded just ever so slightly, that was not on the table for todays activity! "A-ahem terribly sorry miss, but there should be some in your cabin. If you want more later I can make it, but for now if you'll excuse me..."

Nyla would start running, away from the cabins.

"Kyouko-samaaaaaaa-!" Her voice would trail off as she'd make a beeline for the Inari.

---

-aaaaaaaa~!" The next thing, Kyouko and anyone else remaining out there with her would see, was a purple and white streaked blur almost tackle the Inari to the ground and latch itself onto her with all the force of a sticky, slimy, bundle of energy that was the Shoggoth known as Nyla.

"Oh goodness my Mistress I am so terribly sorry I'm late I was so terribly caught up in making the ship presentable!" She'd say, having smooshed her face against the Inari's. "Are you sure there's nothing else I can do for you? The other servants have been taught to make your favorite foods as I do? Clean the manor one last time? Make sure you don't have some ailment? I still have my nurse uniform. Wash clothes? Wash you? Warm your bed? I've made sure to leave enough cake to last a month if you desire to." She had barely taken a single breath the entire time she was speaking. Her hands had pulled Kyokou's head against her chest and was aggressively nuzzling her head now while her face was trapped in a gooey prison. "A-and if you change your mind I'll come right back the instant you want it!

At least since she was fawning over Kyouko, the angel near her was going mostly unnoticed.

---

The preparations were done and everyone had introduced to everyone, it was time to depart. Lady Kyouko bade them farewell and her figure shrunk into the distance as the ship sailed into the sea.

It took a day and a half for the ship to reach Shizuyama. It then took another half of the day sailing along the island's coasts to reach the Saikoten region and to the taskforce's destination. It was already dark out when the ship dropped off the the team into a remote coast near Sanjo Town, a village connected to Sanjo Port where most of the visitors of Shizuyama arrive. And certainly where the Varjan fleet had went to.

The taskforce ascended a tall cliff, a good vantage point overlooking both the town and the port as well as the beach beside it and the bay waters beyond. And what they saw would likely send chills up their spines: There were ships of varying sizes floating near the port too many to count, some having already docked on the seemingly abandoned port and landed on the beach. The vessels were dark and wicked, decorated with bones, skulls and spikes. These were the Varjans, an entire fleet of them ready to take over Shizuyama.

On the hills overlooking the beach and Sanjo Port, a thousand-strong force of Shizuyama warriors have set up barricades and towers. There were samurai fighters, onmyoji casters, shrine maidens and auxiliaries, all fully-armed and ready for battle, likely the last battle of their lives. They manned the hastily-built wooden walls and towers, but they did not move against the landing Varjans. At least, not yet.

Sanjo Town was not far from the port, yet it was not empty. Civilians were still walking through its streets and the homes still had lights inside, indicating they were occupied. Did they not know of the Varjan fleet poised to strike at their port? Perhaps they were confident in their protectors to repel the invaders. A flattering thought, but the Varjans appeared to outnumber the warriors of Shizuyama twenty-to-one.



And then it happened, the port where some of the Varjan ships docked and were unloading troops exploded. A trap from the defenders, taking out at least three Varjan ships and the forces with it. Horns blew, arrows were let loose, the night sky was lit up by the exchange of magical spells and artillery from both sides. As the Shizuyama casters conjured giant fireballs to launch at the Varjan ships, the latter loaded flaming boulders into their catapults and hurled at the island's defenders.

The long beach was still filled with Varjans though, but the samurai warriors rode out in their horses to greet them while being supported by shrine maiden archers in the towers. But the Varjans disembarking from the boats were numerous, could the samurai cavalry really beat them all? The samurai cavalry crashed into the arriving Varjans decisively, but it looked like they were wading into a flood.

As the battle raged, more ships made landfall on the beach. The defenders could not cover the entire stretch so these Varjans met no resistance. Some joined the main fight while a whole vanguard broke off and went straight for Sanjo Town, probably in an attempt to hit the defenders from behind. The fighting had alerted the village, but they had no idea that there was a contingent of Varjans heading their way.

The taskforce was at a critical moment, and Shizuka knows that the taskforce's main objective is with the Shizuyama defenders at the beaches. Still, the team was big enough to split up and go for both the defenders at the beach and warn the villagers at the town. The question was, who goes where?

"Try not to fall asleep, we'll be disembarking soon."

What an annoying human - though he seemed quite powerful in his own rights. Could it be...?

"Of course not. By all means, keep to your preparations I just need a breather." Tomi said, closing her eyelids.

The words of the rest of the group reached her, but the Dragon did not feel compelled by most of them. Mostly because she had fallen asleep, to be honest. Which, in turn, could explain her lack of reaction to a lot of the action that happened afterward - such as the coming of the Angel for example.

---

When next Tomi eyes opened, she yawned loudly and sat up straight before looking around and noticing the silence...and the sun. Setting. The sun was starting the set, and the ship seemed like it had left. She thought back to the Human's words of warning to her.

A small "Oh..." left her as she stood up and it dawned on her; they left without her. Deliberately or otherwise. It made sense, since she came in late and did not exactly 'participate'. What a terrible start, she thought with a sight. Then, without a second, her wings appeared and she was in the airs leaving only a huge cloud of dust behind her for whoever was still in that general area.

Thanks to her speed and the fact it did not leave too long ago it only took the Dragon about 30 minutes to find and make it back to the sailing ship. She then quickly descended from the air and landed directly on...a sailor. A human had a lot more cushion than hard wood, and if this was enough to kill him at least he'd have been graced with a beautiful last sight, to say the least - although it was not her aim to kill the human, mainly just use him as landing pad. "Thank you, dear." she said, bending down to give him a peck on the cheek.

The rest of the trip was without any incident. Well, there was some sort of pastry in Tomi's assigned room but...pastries weren't so much her thing. The bunny did look appetizing, though, again.

---

As the ship approached the shore and the reality of the situation dawned on everyone, Tomi was on the main deck looking on with probably at least a few other member of the taskforce. Her first thought was to wait, but...feeling like she may need to prove herself a little more after being late twice she decided against it.

"So, this is it right?" she said, over to Shizuka if her was near. "Time to get to work...I guess." she sighed.

Again, Tomi took the the skies, her launch rocking the ship slightly. For sure, she wasn't the saving innocents type and so, headed straight for the beach. In an uncharacteristic display of carefulness, she spotted a pack of Varjan soldiers landing on the beach that wasn't yet engaged with Samurais. Those were the target - and Tomi nose dived right on their location.

As she was coming perpendicular to the ground, a literal inferno would engulf the warriors before they ever saw Tomi. A gigantic jet of flame expanded from her mouth, way more large than one might imagine from her small stature. Whether or not anyone was left alive after that fiery display, Tomi would land onto the ground with such power that a small crater formed under her, sending any nearby soldiers, burning or not, flying some way away. The ship they came out from was also completely caught on fire.

Tomi adjusted her clothing and turned towards anyone else that was left to face her.
"We're here to stop all of you...I think. I'm pretty sure. Anyway, step forward anyone who wants to claim the glory of killing a Dragon, now's your chance!"

“It seems wherever I go, the flames of war are always on the brim.”

These words Shizuka said to himself, as he gazed upon the numerous Varjan ships that lined the Sanjo Port. He was concerned about what the large fleet of Varjo troops sailing toward the island meant, and it seemed his worst fears had come to pass. Countless soldiers were lined up on both sides, the ships loaded with armaments and the hand-made towers that lined the port were all prepped for attack. The situation had deteriorated so that the Shizuyama army conscripted the local shrine maidens for their services, which made him all the more grim. Shizuka had heard that the Shizuyama army was strong, fearsome even, but so were the Varjans - who had them vastly outnumbered. Shizuka placed a hand to face the other members of the taskforce so as to stay them for a moment. He wanted to analyze the situation for a bi-

The swordsman’s thoughts were swiftly cut off by a large explosion, as it seemed the battle had begun, and he immediately spat out an audible swear.

Several Varjan ships caught aflame and began to sink in the harbor. Seems the Shizuyama warrior had laid a trap for them beforehand, very clever he had to admit. Not even a moment after the maidens from the high towers let loose a flurry of enchanted arrows that fell down to the battlefield like rainfall. As expected of Zipangunese warriors, despite being outnumbered, they had rode their horses into the fray and crashed into the Varjo troopers who were able to make their way onto the beach. The Varjans countered the arrow strikes and magical artillery with boulders flung from catapults, How crude He thought. The sound of war cries, clashing steel, and bodies hitting the ground were ones that the former assassin was all too familiar with.

He took note of the small Varjan squadron that was able to break off from the fighting by using an opening made by the islanders’ defenses being stretched out. They began making their way to the town below. Senseless conflict was one thing, but involving innocent civilians was unforgivable!

Shizuka turned to the taskforce, with an expression on his face they’ve only seen for the first time. No longer were they looking at a quiet and collected passerby, they now looked upon a seasoned warrior who had seen countless battles.

“The battle has begun and we now taken action. However, given the situation, the force will be split into two groups. One will stay here and aid the island defenders against the Varjan army, the other will intercept the squadron heading towards the village and prevent them from harming any of the innocents.” He looked over everyone, having then made his decision. However, he was distracted for a moment by Tomi’s words. Before he could respond, the dragon girl flew from the cliff they were on and made a bee dive for the battlefield. She blew a stream of flames at the enemy soldiers, burning some and sending more flying as she made a large crater after landing. With a boisterous battle cry, she was already in the fray.

The others would see an anger vein appear on the side of his head for a moment, his eye twitching slightly. “Tomi…what the hell was that…?” He spat. However, he’d be mad about that later, and he was going to send her down there anyway. He turned his attention back to the rest of the taskforce.

“Wyndressa, Lunatea, Samael, Skarsneek, Hinami, and Cambiel. You’ll be intercepting the Varjan squad heading towards the village. Defend them at all costs, and buy the villagers time to escape. Wyndressa, you’re on point!” He said as he pointed in the direction of Sanjo Town.

“Gringor, Atsuha, Nyla, and I guess Tomi, you’re all on me! We storm the battlefield and aid the Shizuyama defenders. To everyone, watch each other's backs and work as a team to the best of your abilities. I know we’ve all just met and some of you are used to only working alone, but cooperation is key for this operation! I, and Kyōko-sama, believe in you. She chose me and you all for a reason. So let’s not let her down, eh?”

He sensed Atsuha’s apprehension when he stated they’d be on separate teams. But, this was to ensure both groups had an even number of people on it. It couldn’t be helped.

He then drew his sword from its sheath with a single swift motion, and it began to glow with a deep blue aura. They would begin to feel a powerful chi tempered through battle time and time again. He turned his body to the edge of the cliff, but he turned his head back toward the group for a moment. “You all have your orders. Take care of yourselves and may the powers that be guide you to victory!” With that, he jumped off the cliff and began sprinting down the rockface, hopefully the others would follow right behind him. He moved with such grace and precision, he appeared to be ethereal. Barely a second later he was on the ground. However, before he and the others made they’re way to the fray, he had to take care of something real quick.

Whether she was aware of it or not, Tomi would find Shizuka had appeared right beside her almost instantly. His serious warrior expression broke into an angry, albeit very comical, one for a brief moment. Dozing off despite his words, showing up on the boat here 30 minutes later, and using one of the shipmen as a landing cushion was one thing. He thought that poor man hadg gotten a concussion! But this was a battlefield, a place where life and death teetered on but a tightrope, and not waiting for instruction often meant the later would claim you. Not to mention this was the second time she ignored his words…

“Tomi. When this battle has been resolved, you and I are going to have a little chat about how you’ve conducted yourself these past few days… But for now, just fall in line with us and continue to tear through the enemy troops. In addition to myself, Gringor, Atsuha, and Nyla will be with you. Like I told the others, teamwork is key here, so if you decide to take heed to anything I have to say at least let it be that...”

With that, he left her side as instantly as he appeared. She and others with him would notice foot soldiers suddenly dropping like flies, their flailing and yelps being accompanied by the sound of striking thunder and searing winds laced with lightning bolts. They would also notice the air around his vicinity suddenly dropping several degrees…

---

Atsuha’s face lit up after he mentioned that Hinami and her would be on separate teams. On the job, they do all assignments together. Not just because Atsuha’s a protective big sister, but because of Hinami’s ‘condition’.

“Shizuka-san, please wait a mo-” Before she could even finish her sentence, he was already at the bottom of the cliff. Realizing the situation they were in she quickly turned to her sister, who had already walked up behind her. “Whelp sis, looks like we’re gonna be on separate teams. Don’t worry, I’ll chop up any baddies that get near those villagers! You be careful out there, you hear?” Hinami said with a cheerful tone and a cute wave.

“Me?!” She retorted in bewilderment. She saw that the others were quickly scrambling and again regained herself. Without any other options, she hastily made her way to Lunatea before she left.

She reached into a pocket on her upper garments and had revealed it to be a seal of sorts. “Lunatea, I beg you, I need a favor. While on your mission with my sister, please ensure to the others that the seal you see Hinami wearing on her head is not touched or damaged in any way! If something happens and the seal is either taken off or completely destroyed, put it back on immediately or put this replacement on her head. For the sake of the mission and her well being this has to be done!”

After placing the seal in her hand, Atsuha quickly made her way down the cliff alongside the others. Her spider half roared a menacing cry as she prepared a multitude of various attack spells. She also had buffing and a bit of healing magic for her allies if things went south.

Meanwhile, Hinami turned to her team and materialized a jagged straight sword with runic markings on it, clear flames sizzled from it for a moment after she summoned it. “Alright, team, let’s get to work!”

Lunatea simply rolled her eyes at Skarsneek's lewd comments regarding the angel. He really was a lost cause...

On the other hand, Kyoko’s explanation regarding the two nations was insufficient to her. But I suppose it's too much to ask for a detailed explanation on the spot like this. That, or she lacks the information herself.

Oh well, all the more reason to gather all the information I can and put it into a book.

"Thank you for your explanation, Miss Kyouko." She bowed. "But I'm afraid that level of information doesn't help us that much. If only you would come with us, we could have a lengthy chat about the topic. Preferably with the accompaniment of a cup of tea.”

“However.” She glanced towards Shizuka. “Perhaps your Zipangunese man can give the same explanation later.”

—------------------

“Don’t worry,” Lunatea said to Shizuka after his little warning to Sam. “I shall be there to protect him. I won’t let anything untoward happen to him.” LIttle did she know that he included her in the list of people he should be worried about. “And yes, for Skarsneek, I don’t think we have to be worried about him.” She sighed, shaking her head. Oh, how different he was from Samael here.

She was then shortly interrupted by the spider lady, who, once again, sent a flirtatious comment regarding Sam.

"Speak of the devil and she shall come…" Lunatea mumbled under her breath while she glared at her. "No offense to you, of course, Sam," she quickly added, remembering his race. "It's just a saying. What I'm trying to say is it's women like her you should be careful about."

When he suddenly blurted out that he wanted to be a gentleman, and that he wanted her to teach her, she was stunned.

"A-a gentleman? And you want me to teach you?"

She didn't know how to respond. She didn't have any younger brothers so she wouldn't know how to train him to be a good adult. Not that he was younger than her. According to him, he was actually older than her!

"F-fine! We can do that!" She replied, flustered. She then bent over and leaned forward (flashing her panties behind her yet again), placing her hands on his shoulders. "But after we departed, yes?" She said in a whisper. "You can come to my room and I'll teach you all you need to know about being a gentleman."

Afterwards, she stood up and straightened herself. She remembered she hadn't introduced herself to the maid yet.

"Greetings." She put her hands in front of her skirt and bowed (flashing her panties for what must be the hundredth time today). "My name is Lunatea Vern Farnsworth. I assume you’re part of our group? You’re on our ship after all.”

After she finished with her introduction, she finally got a good look at the maid.

And what she found was… disturbing.

Not because she was a tentacled monster woman whose body looked gooey like a slime. No, it was something… different. Something more fundamental to her being. The more she looked at her, the more her head throbbed and ached. It was as if her very existence was wrong.

In the end, she had to look away from her direction.

Before they could converse, however, the arrival of Shizuka pulled the attention of the maid away from her. Which, if she were to be honest, was somewhat of a relief.

This effect… and her features… could it be? She’s a Shoggoth?

She had heard of their kind. And, just like the angels, most of the tales were not good in the slightest.

She watched as she flirted with the swordsman, or samurai, if she were to be more exact. Unlike when the others did it with Sam, however, she didn’t feel any need to defend him. He was an adult. He was more than qualified to defend himself if he found such advances unwanting. Not to mention his cool and focused attitude already made him a difficult prey in the first place.

In short, he was the very opposite of Sam.

She then watched as the maid conversed with the spiderwoman. So she’s Kyouko’s personal maid, huh? And now she’s going to be the servant that takes care of things in our voyage? But I do hope she can actually fight. Or else she can just stay in the ship, I suppose…

But then again, with those shapeshifting tendrils of hers, I can easily imagine using them in a fight…

Her distrust of her combat abilities only heightened when the maid started running back off the ship to her mistress, yelling her name.

Haah, I can just hope her attachment to her won’t be a burden later on…

--------

After some more talking, and ensuring everyone that was part of the mission was already onboard, the ship departed.

Lunatea watched as the harbor grew smaller and smaller, the figure of Kyouko disappearing in the horizon. They were now on their own. Unlike some, she didn't wave to her direction. They were co-workers, not friends.

Afterwards, after receiving her room key from a sailor working there (they were each assigned their own rooms), she quickly retreated to her room, possibly with Sam in tow if he was still willing to carry her suitcase for her.

The place was decently sized, with a bed, a bookshelf, and a table. The lamps being used were not the usual candle lamps. Instead, the lamps were powered by special magic stones that could shine and dim depending on the amount of magic you put on them.

The perfect kind of lamps for a scholar like her.

After dropping her suitcase, she would tell Sam to help her unpack. And he would find that it really was filled to the brim with books. Some were magic books, some were history books, and some were anthropology books. There were no bras or panties, however. In fact, there were no clothes at all.

It was all thanks to the fact that she wore enchanted clothing. Both her scholar dress and panties (she didn't wear any bras, accounting for her small chest) had enchantments that made them forever clean, no matter how many times she sweated. Thus, there was no need for her to change her clothing. Ever.

After they finished unpacking, Lunatea told Sam to come back for his lesson later. She wanted to take a nap first.

----------

Days passed, and finally, it was time for them to disembark, for they had arrived at their destination.

Unfortunately, it was not in the way she imagined it.

As they had arrived right in the middle of a war.

Lunatea nodded at her assignment. She would really prefer not to be out there in the frontlines.

Before she could leave, however, the spiderwoman came up to her and handed her a seal, asking her to make sure the one her sister was wearing wasn't damaged or taken off. Or if it was, then she had to replace it immediately with the fresh seal she was just given.

Lunatea opened her mouth to ask a question but before she could, the spiderwoman already left.

Really? Now I have to babysit your sister?

She let out a big, annoyed sigh. She didn't have any pockets in her dress. Where was she supposed to store this?

...Well, only one place comes to mind. Oh well. It's her fault.

And so, she lifted her skirt and slipped the paper inside her panties, before making her move towards the village.

@AzureKnight@PaulHaynek@FrogRFlowR@Hammerman@Dark Cloud@Noblebandit@Rune_Alchemist

Skarsneek of the Red Hill.

After the two brief confrontations and absolute disgust for one another. The two opted to stay as far as possible from one another, Skarsneek in the holds while Gringor at the top of the deck. He helped and talked with the crew, learning a bit more on the culture and place their heading into.

A day passed, and while walking around, Skarsneek waved and greeted some of the task force members. When he reached the top, giving a glare at Gringor before doing his best to ignore the latter.

Finally, they reached their destination and already, Skarsneek noted a large number of ships around yet the response from the locals was nonexistent. Was their navy just not there?

As they ascended to a top of a cliff for a better survey, he was given a much better picture of the entire setup. Though it didn't paint a good picture for the defenders.

A rocking explosion and burst of dark cloud from one of the ships took his attention, the sound cracking in the night as it sent the Varjo force in momentary confusion. Skarsneek wondered if they mishandled one of their supplies.

Seeing the Shizuyama force charging at this distraction, it dissuaded that and earned his approval. Yet a thousand against a force twenty their size? Unless they take the head of the leader, it was still unlikely to win the battle.

Hearing Shizuka snapped him to attention but one of the members quickly jumped into action. Leaving him a raised eyebrow but focused on their current objective.

"Gotcha." Skarsneek reached for his two clubs, feeling the weapons in his hands and quickly heading out with the rest of the team. Seeing who he was with, he was prob going to be the one fighting.

A smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth. Already, an idea formulating in his head.

@WanderingDragon

"Wynn right? I'll snag them from the dark." He quickly explained his plan, since the darkness will be to his advantage. He then turned to the rest and gestured for them to head for the village instead. "You all should warn them. The ones that look close to a human, they'll trust you more."

Besides, he hadn't really told anyone yet.

But he despise Varjo. So this was a perfect choice for him to launch a little payback onto them.

After all, they started this fight first.

---

Gringor of the Ironhide tribe.

Hmph. After the early days of meeting a goblin, he vowed to stay as far away from the other and busied himself learning the basics of sailing from the sailors. A great experience since he originally came from the open steppes and plains.

The swaying of the ocean, salty scent, gentle breeze and scorching sun. It wasn't an unpleasant thing, after all, the wide blue skies that he's under are still the same.

Shaking that thought off, Gringor went back to work and ignored the goblin that just walked to the top of the deck.

Two days later, they finally reached the shore of Shizuyama. Taking a look at it, it didn't seem that interesting a place. The large number of these Varjo ships anchored close to the island, however, was.

Already, the steady pounding of blood in his head came. So these were the foes that he had been hired to fight. Hopefully, they prove to meet the challenge.

Otherwise, well, there's really nothing stopping him from doing what he wants.

So it was a little disappointing that they opted to scout from above first instead of diving right in.

Arms crossed with axe in hand, he looked down on the ships. There seems to be a nearly endless number of opponents down there. It looked like Varjo had an immense amount of resources if they were capable of sending so many here without worry for their homes.

Then turning to the local defenders, it barely matched up to the invading force.

What a shame that he wasn't right down there with them.

Then, a deafening explosion lit the night in a roaring blaze of fire. Eyes immediately snapped to attention and his ears raised, already, the over-bearing thumping sound made itself known again as he can feel it in the air. The start of a large fight. Drawing his attention completely as the smaller force decided to dive head first into the attack.

Boy, he would've given up everything to be there at this moment.

Shizuka words barely registered in his ears, and when someone else took the initiative by diving down, Gringor felt like he was about to lose his mind. How dare someone else get into the fight faster than he did?!

Gringor needed no prompt as he too jumped down the cliff, feet slamming into the rocks that stood out briefly and travessed the cliff like a mountain goat. Jumping from one foothold to another with overpowering strength and speed that it curled back into graceful.

Reaching down in record speed as if it's flat ground and leaping onto the ship, Gringor saw spots at the corner of his eyes as that fury, bloodlust and annoyance built up now unleashed to its fullest.

Not even a word or roar, Gringor hacked a man in half with his axe. The demon silver being all that saved the person's life as the combination of a near-death and spirit draining left them unconscious.

With one swing, it went through armor, swords, shields, and bows as multiple soldiers fell down. All the while, Gringor had a large smile on his face. Having the time of his life as he went through an entire group of soldiers, yet everywhere he looked, there was still Varjo soldiers.

There was no strategy, no tactics, it was a sheer and simple brute strength of cutting as many soldiers down.

Perhaps just sheer instinct, an outside perspective would have people noted that Gringor was cutting a path straight into the backlines of the current main force engaged with the Shizuyama army. Where no doubt, the fight the thickest and strongest enemy lay.

The rest of the voyage had been a blur, at least so far it was smooth sailing however it was anything but smooth for Samael's stomach.

Since the poor demon hadn't travelled upon a seafaring vessel before the rocking albeit light as it was did not however sit well for his stomach. Most of if not all the first hour or so the demon spent hanging over the ships portside rail, heaving his guts out until he was empty.

Dry heaving and sweating profusely the poor little guy had to be carried off the deck by a couple of sailors to his cabin but refused to be put into his own quarters insisting he was sharing quarters with the bunny girl, whom was understandably confused and flustered by two sailors barging into her quarters unwarranted but as soon as she realized the two men had brought the demon Luna began to fret over Sam who seemed awfully more pale than usual.


After recuperating a bit, no thanks to the healing magic of his scholarly bunny friend the demon finally gained a bit of his bearings enough to help Lunatea unpack her suitcase which in fact had no single article of clothing within.

No hide nor hair of any bras or panties, nary even a change of clothes just magical tomes, history books and anthropological encyclopedias. It made the demon wonder how Luna wore the same clothes all the time without getting all dirty or smelly, then again neither did he but the demon washed as often as he could. So the thought was pushed aside, Samael wouldn't question her about it for the time being.

Once the books were neatly stacked and put on the nice wooden bookcase, now completely lined with the inordinate sum of her literary collection Luna tiredly requested the demon leave her quarters to which she received a slight giggle in reply from Sam whom reminded her that she did agree to let him stay in her quarters. After all she did need to properly examine the male mamano, this time a bit more thoroughly...


Samael seemed absolutely unfazed by the veritable war brewing below the cliff line, his crimson pupils reflecting the orange gout of flame Tomi blew as she descended upon the battlefield without so much as a warning making the human visibly angry. He did not flinch at the cries of warrior and civilian alike nor did he look away from the Varjo as they were burnt to a crisp nary was the little demon horrified by the death and destruction around him. He was fully clothed now, head covered by the hood of his dark cloak, the demon absent-mindedly spun something in his small hands that shone as it twirled between his spindly fingers.

It was a sharp knife, pure as silver can be that the demon masterfully balanced upon his finger before twirling it in the air and catching it, not even a cut on his fingers. He was a master with a knife, despite never having training or discipline; Sam was simply a natural not that he realized that, he just thought it was normal not anything special. Listening to Shizuka he returned the knife to the folds of his robes, tucking it between his boots before getting up and offering a curt nod to the human. Sam was no warrior so the front-lines were never his place to fight, besides the demon was more than happy to be able work alongside Luna.

"Hey wait for me!" the demon admittedly had become slightly more acquainted with Luna over the course of the voyage, maybe a bit more than expected due to the sheer amount of pheromones on the ship and things had been a little awkward between them after the last day or so.

He was red faced just thinking about it but he needed to push aside the thought as he jogged after the others towards the village below.

Two days doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but when you’re a spy trapped in an enclosed space surrounded by enemies who may or may not have figured out your true identity, two days may as well be an eternity. It was almost a relief when he saw the Varjan Fleet. At least now he could focus on the enemy in front of him, rather than the one behind him.

It still didn’t make any sense to him. Why turn against your fellow man like this? There were plenty of monstrous realms to attack instead. Did the Varjo not realise that all they were doing was creating the perfect environment for monsters to come back in, or worse, driving the locals into the arms of the Demon Lord? Bearing that in mind, Cambiel had no problems cutting down the invaders. As of this moment, they were schismatics, traitors to the holy cause, ignoring their duties and aiding the enemies of the Chief God for the sake of their own personal gain. They had strayed from the path, and Cambiel would correct them.

His hand found its way to his bow. How ironic, for a soldier of the Order to be slain by such a divine weapon.

But Skarsneek apparently had a different plan. He wanted to hit them himself, while the rest of the group ran off to warn the villagers. He didn’t doubt the Goblin’s bravery, or his fighting skill, but it felt like too much of a risk to send him off on his own.

”And leave you to face them alone? Not likely!” the angel scoffed. ”I’m coming with you. We can slow them down more if there are two of us. And besides, maybe seeing me might show them they’re on the wrong side”

@AzureKnight

---

The time spent on the voyage, was well, business as usual for the Shoggoth really. She spent the first few minutes at the railing, waving bye to Mistress Kyouko. Ah, her poor gelatinous heart...but really, for her, what was leaving one master, again? If perhaps, she treated it like she had done the many times before, well...the Shoggoth would exhale, nodding. Well, she'd be fine. She'd miss her, but it wouldn't be the first time she had to leave her master for extended periods...or...betrayed a particular 'master'.

She'd walk away from the railing, and head back down towards the cabins to make sure to greet everyone and at least get on a first name basis, making certain to let them know what she was here for. Aside from that, she spent most time in the kitchen making sure food was ready among other things. Rather annoyingly, none of the ones on board aside from the Jiangshi had interest in cake. How unfortunate...well, she was cute at least and she definitely wouldn't mind ah, feeding her more. The one angelic being did cause her to pause though - perhaps she held a small fear of them from her previous encounters with them. Even if he wasn't an angel of the Chief God, she couldn't help but to be a bit on edge in his presence. At least Master Kannazuki assured her he was harmless and their on lady Kyouko's orders. The rest of the ships crew gave her a wide berth though, and the rest of the voyage wold pass uneventfully.

---

"...ah, they're fighting." She'd idly comment when they'd arrive in their position not too far away from Sanjo port. It was quickly beset by Varjan's. How annoying. The humans in the city were probably unaware and needed to be evacuated. She'd have preferred helping there, though it seemed Master Kannazuki had other ideas. The Shoggoth's mouth would curl into a light frown, though she would not protest for that was not her place to do such a thing. As far as she cared, Kannazuki was Lady Kyouko's representative here, and his orders might as well be hers.

"On you, hm...? I don't think exhibitionism will placate the attacker-Ahem, right no that's not what you meant." She'd give a coy smile, glancing off to the side. Still, how was she supposed to fight an army...hm. "I suppose I'll take point. My body is not so easily harmed by non-magical means. Do cover me, Atsuha." No doubt her appearance too, would also terrify the attackers. A maid, if nothing else, should use every tool in their arsenal to ensure their orders were carried out.

So the Shoggoth would join the fray not far behind Gringor, expanding her body and creating a wall of innumerable mouths, tendrils and all manner of weapons to both defend herself and attack them with. Her goal was to if nothing else, become a distraction and target for the main bulk of the army, hold them down and occupy them as long as she could - and of course, take out those she could.

The beginning of the voyage saw Wyndressa bundled in blankets, secured in sheets, wrapped in rolls, until she'd cocooned herself. And like a cocoon; Wyn slowly emerged and fixed herself up.

@Rune_Alchemist

The first thing she took note of, was that slice of cake on what would count for a nightstand. Poking it revealed its... Unusual nature. Thus, Wyn had a perfect metaphor for Shoggoths: They look good, and partaking of them would be nothing but pleasure... In the moment. But, when pleasure left, there would only be regret. So, it was left alone.

She did make a point of trying to make small talk with the others on the ship... First by apologizing for what came out during her half-sleeping stupor.

@Noblebandit

Yes, that included angel boy. The uniform of Eros made her feel all the more stupid. Yet his demeanor was... Off. Did her threat to sew his mouth shut really put him off that much? She'd have to find another way to make amends.

@Restalaan

And now an Orc was among them, too. A male Orc at that. By this point, this had stopped being a surprise, no more pleasant. Some of her relatives was part Orc. No Chimera Clan gettogether would be complete without a fight breaking out between one of cousins, and her sister, Berasa

---

Thankfully it was nightfall when they made landfall. And they had walked into the beginnings of a war.

For the time being, Wyn only had eyes for the beach. The atrocities committed by the Varjan empire had been too many to list. Wyn's "father", Victoria, hell, even her "Grandfather", and her "father" before her had stories of their encounters with the Varjans. The heads they'd taken had a place in the estate's trophy room, right alongside some of the most vicious monsters Chimera huntresses had slain.

Somewhere down there, whether on one of those ships, or even in the battlefield, Hilda was down there. At least, Wyn hoped she wasn't.

“Wyndressa, Lunatea, Samael, Skarsneek, Hinami, and Cambiel. You’ll be intercepting the Varjan squad heading towards the village. Defend them at all costs, and buy the villagers time to escape. Wyndressa, you’re on point!” He said as he pointed in the direction of Sanjo Town.

Wyn could have pinched herself. But, there was no time to argue; between his team descending the hill -But, not without Atsuha handing something off to Lunatea, and the other force heading right to a village of fucking civilians!

"Right, then!" Wyn announced,

@Hammerman
"Luna, Hinami: Two stick together, then! Hinami, you cover the bunny, and Luna you keep that magic paper on 'er 'ead!"

"Wynn right? I'll snag them from the dark." He quickly explained his plan, since the darkness will be to his advantage. He then turned to the rest and gestured for them to head for the village instead. "You all should warn them. The ones that look close to a human, they'll trust you more."

"Well good, ye' read me mind!" Wyn snorted.

”And leave you to face them alone? Not likely!” the angel scoffed. ”I’m coming with you. We can slow them down more if there are two of us. And besides, maybe seeing me might show them they’re on the wrong side”

Isn't it lovely when your underlings do the thinking for you?

"Good! You two don't get killed on ye' honeymoon!" She teased.

That just left the bunny, the jiangshi, and the demon boy.

"Well, first thing's first, we got's to find whoever's in charge and get'em to 'elp us get those villagers outta there!"

"Hey wait for me!"

Then a thought occurred. "Wait, 'old up!" Wyndressa bade the demon boy. "Don't think ye' got the right gear to handle 'em cunts wit' just the butter knife! You'll probably do better if ya' go wit' 'em other two!"

Which would mean it'd just be her, the other two girls, and whatever the village could spare. But, the point wasn't to fight, so much as help them escape. Once the villagers were clear, Wyn could worry about the Varjan forces. If she couldn't beat some answers out of the bastards, she'd at least be able to vent some righteous outrage on them.

Their blood should keep her strong enough for the fight.

“Oh, right, you wanted to stay with me, didn’t you?” Lunatea replied to Samael’s reminder. “Very well. You may stay. However, since we only have one bed here, I hope you will be fine with sitting on the couch there.”

Conveniently, inside the room, there was a brown-colored couch he could sleep in conveniently. It fit perfectly with his small body. Perhaps the surface wasn’t as soft as a bed but it was the price he had to pay to stay with her.

After instructing Samael, Lunatea yawned as she did a stretch. She then took off her boots before climbing up the bed, still wearing her dark blue frock and her white thighhigh socks. Placing her hands below her stomach, she closed her eyes.

It wouldn’t take long until she lost her consciousness, drifting off into dreamland. And as she did, her charmed dress made its move, ensuring its skirt would always be draped in such a way that her panties would be showing whenever Samael was looking at her.

—-------

When she woke up, it was to the knocking on the door.

She opened it up. And saw that it was the maid from before.

"Is something the matter?"

As she stood there, she wouldn't try to hide Sam's existence in her room. She didn't care what she or the others might think. Sam had volunteered to stay in her room out of his own will.

It turned out that she was merely introducing herself. And her role in the group. As she thought, she would act as the maid to all of them.

They didn’t talk for long. The maid still had the others to visit after all.

-----------

Afterwards, it was time for dinner. She and Sam made their way to the dining hall. With the others, they had a relatively quiet evening. Though the pheromones the orc was emitting did bother her a little bit.

...Oh yeah, she hadn't introduced herself to the orc. Oh well, at this point, she couldn't be bothered.

Returning back to their room, it was time for their nightly lesson. She ordered him to sit on the chair while she sat on the bed.

"Let's see…" She scratched her cheeks. "Oh! I can use that book!"

She suddenly remembered a certain book she had with her. It was a book about a legend in Zipangu. The hero there was pretty chivalrous so she could use it to teach him about being a gentleman.

She stood up and walked to the bookshelf. Her eyes glazed over to the spines, reading the words written there with the aid of her finger. When she reached the lower level, she had to bend over, showing her black panties to Sam.

"Here it is."

She took out a small book (relative to the other books) and then gave it to the boy.

"You read this. The protagonist there will tell you all you need to know about being a gentleman."

She then walked back to the bed and sat down on it.

"Now, I have some questions for you. I want to know about where you came from and how you were raised. Like I said, I am not well-versed in biology but I am well-versed in culture. I wish to jot down how your people reacted when a male monster like you was born."

She then flipped her skirt upwards and reached down into her panties. Magically, without said underwear bulging, she took out a pencil and a small notebook.

It was another magical property of her panties. Dimensional Storage.

--------

In the days forward, Sam would find that the book he was given contained what basically was the classical hero's tale. It was from the age before the Great Change — a tale about a samurai traveling from place to place, righting injustices of humans and hunting down youkais. The gentlemanly aspect was visible from the start. He would act like your typical hero would do, helping the weak without asking for payment, standing up against any wrong he sees, and of course, the overwhelming power a hero should possess to stand up against evil.

As for how to act in front of women, the book had that too. He would always treat every woman he met with respect. Even when they flirted with him or offered him their bodies, he would always politely refuse.

Ironically, however, the book wouldn't be able to answer his question. That is, "What was the strange feeling he was having around her?"

He would have to ask her himself.

----------

The moment the ship saw Shijuyama, Lunatea began her work. She stood on the railings of the ship (a feat doable thanks to her extraordinary balance) and jotted away in her notebook, writing down all she could about what she could see on the island from a distance.

All the while her skirt fluttered upwards, showing off her panties to whoever happened to walk at that side of the ship.

Most of her enjoyers, however, were the sailors who worked on that ship. They began calling her the Bunny Goddess, praising her for the sight.

She didn't really mind. As long as they didn't start whistling or catcalling her anyway.

---------

They made their landing at night. Without pause, they then made their way up a tall and winding cliff on foot. Thankfully, her eyes still worked well in the dark. She could hold Sam's hand to keep him from tripping.

And when they reached the top…

The sight she saw rendered her speechless.

...

War…

It is just as hellish as I imagined it to be…

How fortunate I was born in a peaceful country...

The night skies burned with orange as both sides fired their flame spells and arrows against each other. From the lights, she could see the army of both sides. Quickly, she noted the rough estimation of just how many there were in her notepad.

Before she could say anything, Tomi the dragon flew off towards the fight. On her own volition. Without contacting the others.

What a reckless move. Though, par for the course for a dragon.

At least she seems to be doing well… Dragon strength. How brutal.

She still remembered how she was eyeing her as she wanted to eat her. Yes, actually eating her flesh to satiate her hunger. Not "eating" in the sexual kind.

How terrifying.

After all, they decided on their assignments. Lunatea and Sam were to go to the village and warn the people there of the invading army.

She had no objections. She'd rather stay out of the front lines as much as she could.

"Samael. You're coming with me." She turned to face the young demon. "Don't you leave my side, alright?"

She grabbed his hand and they stayed linked all the way as they climbed down the cliff, making their way towards the village.

“Yes, you don’t have to tell me that,” she replied to Wyn as they descended when she reminded her of the talisman. “Sorry, Samael. I have to watch over Hinami as well. Like you’ve heard, I can’t let her talisman be taken off from her face.”