49 11 Papers Why (3)

Two sides rise in every large familia over time—combatant and non-combatant factions. There are two well-known extreme examples of this.

The Ganesha Familia has the highest number of combat adventurers training daily, and the Demeter Familia has the highest number of non-combatant adventurers working farms and other jobs.

The Ishtar Familia is no different, with a group of under 100 Amazon women combatants, whose income nets 40% of the Entertainment District's income—Berbera.

A small team of scantily dressed women surrounds a large dark-skinned, physically large-faced woman, attracting customers' attention near their home, Belit Babili.

"Let us deal with him as Ishtar commanded," The leading voice claims loudly, one of her narrow eyes hidden behind her long, sleek, jet-black locks. Her skin is as dark as her peers, and her clothes are Amazonian-certified in ways that only cover her least crucial bits. After all, when one leaves all the vitals in the torse to cover breasts and snatch alone, it is right to assume such warriors are suicidal or understand how to deal with the enemy without plated protection—something an Amazon is born to excel in aside from carnal attraction, probably.

"Aisha," Unlike the leader's mature, smooth voice that feels like a wine waiting to slide down one's throat, bringing sensations abound, the encircled woman has a thick and coarse voice, leaving the listeners with the feeling of swallowing rocks and bits of metal. "Who do you think you're ordering? Did you forget who is the most beautiful woman in this Familia? Is it Ishtar or me?!" Questions a veritable hill of meat with a face almost as wide as the width of her two shoulders, her toad-like features proudly displayed with her obscenely thick lips curling into a sneer.

God forbid her from blinking horizontally over her green irides circling horizontal pupils!

Aisha flinches for a bare moment, not out of fear despite their Familia captain's strength, but the damage it would do to their business should they let an external enemy create a ruckus while having an internal battle. Level 3 Aisha might be, but she can lead her team to defeat their captain, Phryne 'Androctonus' Jamil, at a moderate cost.

'Leading to a weakness that may cause someone else to eye us.'

Aisha's posture relaxes as she steps away, causing others to follow suit, including a recently famed Amazoness due to her level-up—Samira 'Bite.'

"Don't hurt the customers," Aisha informs as Phryne passes them, making the hill of flesh stop for a second before she snorts. "Scrawny cunts need to suck it to Ishtar, got it? Cut me off again, and I'll tear you in two. At least, you'd look appealing to some twisted fuck that way instead of what you are now."

While Aisha is not a prostitute strictly, her fame is no less around these parts due to her adventurous nature in life and the Dungeon. Phryne's words sting a few men nearby, who've known Aisha only for a few minutes more than the woman herself. But they don't dare speak up to Ishtar Familia's Captain, who is famous for different reasons.

"Tch," Aisha clicks her tongue before looking at Samira. "Tell Ishtar about this. She's not going to be pleased."

Samira half-shrugs, "I was hoping to meet the Butcher and see if he's all bark or some bite."

"Oh, sucks to be you~!" One of the women breaks the formation. "Since we don't have to fight him, we can go and see what happens, right? I hear monsters of the Dungeon bless him, letting him call their strengths!"

"Stupid! It's a unique skill!"

"Why don't we bring him to Ishtar and let her charm him into joining our Familia?" One of the women in a blue dancer's outfit licks her luscious lips. "I can see so many uses of that skill outside of combat. So many positions~!"

"You guys are hopeless," Aisha smirks fondly at the small part of the team gathered.

"Heh, says you!" One of them smirks back.

"Yeah," Aisha admits frankly. "I hear he's visited the district with Miach and a new Deity. Kind of sucks, but we have to kill him after this."

"What if he survives?" As Samira leaves, the group starts walking on the street, others parting ways naturally. Aisha changes the topic after hearing doubt from one of her teammates. "Where the fuck is Lena?"

"Loki's pet wolf," shrugs Sharay, a slightly plump Amazoness.

"Him?" Aisha scoffs. "All Lena's gotta do now is have combat and lose. She'll practically hump his legs afterward."

The group giggles to themselves, not the slightest bit jealous over Lena's 'Luck.' If they wanted to settle, they would. But it's hard finding the right type. While it is not proven, most amazoness more focused on combat find it harder to settle. To their kind, the moment they encounter their heart seized by someone, they'd do anything to stay with him. But constant combat and growth seem to affect them in some manner.

"Well," Aisha mutters. "If the Butcher's lucky, Phryne would kill him. If not, her kink room it is."

A few women shudder as they understand the implications.

The most beautiful? Phryne should call herself the devil of their kind!

"Oh, what about your pet renard?"

Aisha looks at the woman, knocking her knuckle on her skull with a snort. "Don't call her a pet, geez! Sure, you guys go on ahead. I'll bring her along with me."

"Yes~! And don't tease our loving Renard Mommy!" One of the girls snickers, causing Aisha to deadpan as she leaves without commenting further.

---

"A large crowd's gathered outside," chuckles the cloaked figure.

"Hnn," Jackal grunts, taking a helmet from his frollet. "It should be about any minute now. Remember, we take no chances. I'll become a pancake with one slap from her."

"Just hope Phryne doesn't lather you as a pancake with 'syrup.' That woman is seriously nasty."

Jackal cringes while the cloaked individual lets out a throaty hum as they grope the pitch-black segmented helmet in their hand inlaid with a purple crystal. "So this is Hades Helmet. I can't believe you managed to buy one from Asfi. How much did it cost? Wait, don't tell me, and let me guess. Hmmm."

They wear the helmet under the hood, moving their head sideways to see if it fits while musing. "Above 100 Million?"

"Even I don't have that kind of money for now," Jackal scoffs. He may have said he bought it from Asfi, but in light of preparations, he used his Trait—Humble Store—to buy this magical item from one of the stores around the world Asfi may have been forced to sell this. After all, he only found three known points of sale for this item, which gave Asfi her moniker—Perseus. And he chose the—

"The quality feels a bit off," the cloaked individual assesses expertly. "Don't tell me you went cheap. What if the item fails to work?"

"I used most of my money for this and another item," Jackal half-shrugs. "I'll have to prowl the dungeon after this."

"I hear ya. I'm not to blame if this item gives out. As much as I hate to admit it, Phryne's muscles are better than mine, and I'll need a clean hit or two without her catching on to what you have in mind, Butcher. IF you are physically capable of." They remark knowingly, not pointing at his lack of stomach for torture but something else.

"I can," Jackal smiles and raises his mug. "Off you go. Use the odorless pouches to mask your scent, too."

"I know," they grunt in irritation as they strangely disappear, muttering under their breath, "Treating me like a kid, damn."

"A kid doesn't drink," Jackal shrugs again, feeling more at ease now he's recollected himself. While he would still cringe at the thought of torture, he wouldn't lose his usual composure easily again.

He feels someone lightly smacking his head before retreating in the distance.

"All the best. Maria will be sad if you die, you know."

The corner of Jackal's lips twitch. Didn't he know already? The silence in the pub's interior allows Jackal to hear the soft murmurs from the outside. His gaze falls on the bashed corpse not far from him as he keeps staring at the man's bandaged leg. The sensation of his blade slicing through his skin resurfaces in his mind. His whimpers, his begging eyes, and his spasming body are a sight forever embedded in his mind. But he isn't feeling kind or sorry.

'This is what they wanted to do to Maria and the rest?' He looks at the stack of papers on the table. His rage manifests silently in his flickering pupils as he feels a senseless and empty emotion to end things. He's felt this before.

It would creep up on him silently, like a gentle embrace.

He remembers the rain of that night, his hand pulling that man, bashing his face into the metal gates.

It's just like that night.

Jackal's breathing becomes audible and slightly hurried as he gets further lost in this embrace of emotions. He instinctively knows it's not a bad thing.

'It' does not desire to hurt him. His reincarnation was a mess for some reason. Things aren't what they should be. He has two traits and something more.

Something unresolved.

—You can talk? But you are an animal! I didn't know animals could have traits. But then again, humans are animals, too. King of the Forest, can you understand what I'm saying?—

Jackal slowly stands up, his hands mechanically stuffing the stack of letters in his frollet as a coarse voice fills the Pole Pub.

"You must be Jackal! As the most beautiful and kindest woman of the District, I'll give you the option of replacing Jonahs in my chambers."

—I am the Ruler of these lands, born by the custom of battles. My trait allows me to wield mighty power with my family around me. Alas, only my newborn son remains after all the assassination attempts. Should I fail in this battle, can I count on you as another King to look after my child? I have none to ask.—

Confusion fills 'his' eyes. Why would an enemy ask him anything? He can understand human language after opening that book he could create with each human's death. But there is something infectious about the Human King's smile. There is something else to humanity 'he' did not know. Maybe killing this Human King will allow him to understand more about the creatures encroaching on his hunting ground. His eyes fall over the tiny creature carefully wrapped in blankets under the shade of a tree beside his lake.

Killing that tiny thing won't ease his hunger, so he might as well understand humans further by raising one. He is superior, stronger, smarter, wiser! Why would he want to kill something that achieves nothing?

Phryne stills for a moment as Jackal looks at her. No, he looks beyond her.

Jackal's eyes see a robust man in his late forties grinning casually. Long, uncombed black hair sways with the wind. Animal skins cover his body, but he doesn't look like any other hunter he's ever met.

"Why do you look so powerful?"

Jackal's voice questions. But he isn't the one speaking.

'They' are.

"Because—" Phryne grins with delight in her eyes. Her words stop as she notices Jackal's red irides and golden pupils flashing, expanding over the other constantly to take over their hues!

—Because I'm a King. And my presence brings comfort to my people and dread to my enemies!—

Hazy, honeyed gold covers Jackal's eyes, devouring the red of his eyes. The stored energy in his body from his second trait—Death Eater—gets consumed ever so slightly as Jackal whispers in a distant, dazed tone.

"Presence."

The barest of crimson-clad black current circuits around Jackal's eyes as 'they' question.

"Honor me with your name."

Phryne gets over her confusion and smirks proudly. Her toad-like face is alight with glee. There is unhinged lust in her eyes as her invasive gaze takes note of Jackal in every manner.

"It's Phryne—"

Jackal cannot hear. His body can, but 'he' can't. He cannot even see her.

He only hears:

—The First King of my People, Gilgamesh! What is yours, King of the Forest?—

"I don't have any," he whispers, feeling lost. Can 'he' be as infectious as this man if 'he' has a name?

—You don't? That's not good! How about this? You have brought death to anyone who's encountered your presence! My people think you are the God of Death. Be Death. Defeating you makes me the conqueror of one, eternal forever, even if this flesh rots!—

"Death," He falls silent, "is fitting."

Jackal smiles gently, an unknown emotion bubbling in his heart, something he should have with every breath he takes, every inch of flesh he devours, and every second he rests—gratification.

Yet, Jackal is different from this slip of memory. He knows something.

Something happened.

He isn't viewing 'Death's' memory. Something changed later down the line. This name lost meaning and purpose. 'He' lost meaning and purpose!

All he remembers soundly is the Presence of the King.

His golden pupils stare into the irritated Phryne as she snarls. "What the fuck are you yapping about? Forget it. I'll skin you and make true to my promise of that Maria twig!"

Jackal has never felt this way before.

It is different from the rainy night when his 'past version of this world' possessed his body and dealt with the fodder efficiently. He is still very much in control of his body. It's just that Jackal feels HE is the one taking over someone else this time, understanding this someone intimately from streams of memory to voices and experience.

"I see."

Jackal hums.

"Presence."

'The true use of the secondary effect of excretion.'

"Prepare yourself," Phryne scoffs, cracking her fingers as she steps forward. There is no need to use any weapon on the man, but Jackal can see a product of his own tied around the woman's wide waist.

A Frollet.

*Crackle*

Phryne stops in her tracks. A strange force assails her. She and any other viewer cannot witness the flicker of black current flickering off Jackal's eyes, clad in a hazy crimson glow.

They speak to their foes—the toad and the king of the past.

"You lost the moment you showed up."

*Crackle*

Phryne grunts, looking around in confusion as she feels something irritating press into her mind and thoughts.

—What?—

'His' body moves, tearing through the man named Gilgamesh with such force and speed that he cannot react! The King of Humans falls to the King of the Forest—Death.

Seeing the 'presence of a king' elsewhere on a screen and being fortunate enough to feel it is two different things. Not only did Jackal feel the presence of a King, but he also understood the true essence of his trait.

"You should have never forced me," Jackal tries to pull himself out of the short bout of memories. The memories would still be there, even after this mess, waiting for him to go through them. These are the memories and dreams the fading owner of the second trait spoke of on a rainy night in Soma Familia. It's not all, but this is the beginning of uncovering the truth about how he got a second trait.

"What did you do?" Phryne regards Jackal with curious irritation, not the least bit intimidated by the rapidly vanishing Gold of his eyes as his orbs return to normalcy.

Jackal thins his lips and stares at the disgusting woman for once, not because of her looks but because of her intentions toward Maria and the children.

"Beautiful?" Jackal sneers. "You're the most disgusting shit of this district."

He will never dignify this shit with one of the coolest things he's yearned to learn.

"What?" Phryne clenches her fist before smiling widely. "Get here, you little shit!"

She extends her hand—

*Kchaa*

Something slices her arm the next second.

*Spurt*

"Huh?" Phryne looks at her sliced-off arm on the floor with confusion—

*Shwiing*

Her body is already falling as the cold noise cuts through her thighs, making her large body tumble on the ground.

"I told you it'll work, right?" Jackal walks to the shuddering Phryne, who is too shaken to speak or scream as she stares at the man furiously, trying to reach with her other hand as he takes out an intricately-carved double-bladed red war ax. The inlaid crystals on the handle are the only sight Phryne needs to see to understand the ax has magical properties. But unlike what she expected, something invisible tore her last hand, too!

"Slice her tongue off, too," Jackal narrows his eyes as he proceeds to retrieve the Butterfree Era to start healing the bleeding stumps of the captain.

"Wait—guaaah!"

A strong hand shoves in her mouth before pulling her tongue out.

*Flicker*

There is a strange fluctuation again as the once invisible and strangely odorless figure becomes visible.

A cloaked individual, but from her point of view, Jamil sees a familiar Captain.

"Youhhh?" She slurs with her tongue in their hand.

"Me," they smile. "This will teach your Familia to stop pulling shit on my people in the Dungeon just because some of us don't do filthy skanks like you."

Their other hand slices down with a flawless knife, cutting Phryne's tongue off.

"Let's get things started," Jackal smiles and looks at the figure. "Thanks."

"Yeah, you ain't brushing off what just happened with a smile. Geez! You've got some weird eyes."

"Tell that to your Goddess. Maybe then she'll show me hers," Jackal chuckles and creates a healing area from the Butterfree era, easily healing Phryne's stumps to stop bleeding after the second use.

"You really don't need me after this?"

"Well, who can stop you from staying?" Jackal half-shrugs. "But yeah, I only needed assistance to deal with this bitch. I think I can beat the rest with a special magic."

"Special magic? Different from the one you just showed? Maybe I'll stick around." The cloaked figure grabs their half-filled mug before sauntering out of the pub as Jackal stares at the struggling Phryne, unable to move or speak freely.

"You're with me, cunt." Jackal gently smiles as he grabs a fistful of her hair, dragging the woman out. "Truly, you guys forced me to think! What were you thinking? Of course, I'd have the most efficient plan, you skank!"

***

Alternate Title: Internal Rift; The Most Beautiful Courtesan of Ishtar Familia; The Distant Fanbase; Lena's Just Gotta Combat; The Berbera; The Hades Head; Using a Fortune; Money Should Be Spent; Jackal Using Everything in His Arsenal; Embrace of Dreams; Like That Night; Past and Present; Gilgamesh's Slayer; Pimping Children; Death; Promises of the Other One; The Presence of the King; The Truth About the Trait; The Disgusting One; Infectious King; Seeing is Different than Feeling; The Invisible Assailant; Hidden Anger and Reasons Revealed; The Most Beautiful of Them All; Ishtar's Children; The Cusp of Final Warning; Unworthy of a King's Presence; The Lightning; Jackal Should Never Be Forced To Think of Plans—Avenger Level Threat

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A/N: I feel like I should admit that I won't break what little rules this world has for Haki. Like I introduced Getsuga Tensho as a one-time attack that needs recharge to fill Jackal's 'stomach' with energy, haki, and other things will be the same and will be molded to match this world's characteristics. They will have different limitations and rules. I also enjoyed introducing Death Eater's true owner this way, with two enemies coinciding in one. Oh, and I ain't adding the toad's picture…

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