Battles Take Many Forms in MGQ

Heinrich's party arrived in Port Natalia to complete their strangely easy mission. It felt weird to Heinrich to be purposely taking the long way due to having to wait for Luka to be ready. Heinrich was a man of action, although he did enjoy traveling. That had probably been why his Alice had suggested walking all the way back to Port Natalia. It gave Heinrich a chance to smell every flower and touch every tree and pet every animal that would let him. And for once, Alice didn't complain! Contrary to her previous impatience to keep things moving on their original quest, she seemed to enjoy watching him waste time. And he'd had a lot to waste. There had been battles, of course. The monsters of his era were very aggressive, some quite savage as well. It was a harder time. But Heinrich was up to the task. More often than not, he needed no assistance to easily seal any monster or group of monsters that were dumb enough to attack such a powerful group.

"They're desperate and hungry," Black Alice had explained. "I hate to see them like this. Ironically, you probably saved their lives by sealing them. In sealed form they require less food and are more likely to live off insects, plants, and small animals. They don't have the same cravings for semen and human flesh in those forms."

"We need to do something to help these monsters," Heinrich said. "Perhaps they can join human civilization like the mermaids do in the future?"

"Unfortunately, all of the monsters you fought were too primitive in their thinking to ever live among humans," Alice XV said. "Most of them will go extinct in the next five hundred years."

"Is it because of me?" Black Alice asked, looking concerned and guilty, as well as conflicted. "Does me changing my behavior result in whole species of monsters dying out?"

"I'm sure you know the answer to that," Alice XV answered. "If you don't change, you die, and the humans briefly gain the upper hand over monsters and slaughter all of the savage ones. Not only that, but they will commit genocide against many who are relatively docile and intelligent. The best hope for humans and monsters alike is for you to survive. To find better ways of helping monsters and humans coexist. But the problem of wild monsters will always be with us, just as there will always be wild animals who attack human civilizations and must be killed in self defense."

"It sucks wanting to be able to save everyone and not being able to!" Black Alice said with a pout.

"I share your pain, my love," Heinrich said, putting an arm around her. "But together, we will save as many as we can."

The party passed through Port Natalia without incident. Allison was getting better at disguising herself with magic, and Alice XV only heard a few whispers of "Hachishaku!" as her seven foot human form walked through the port town.

The party arrived at the beach towards sundown. Heinrich looked to his companions, wondering how they were supposed to find a single mermaid in the ocean.

"Well?" Black Alice asked. "Go on!"

"Go on… what?" Heinrich asked in turn.

"Take your clothes off and get in the water!" Black Alice said as if she was explaining the obvious to an idiot. "You want to catch a fish, you need bait!"

"There's a lot more in that water than mermaids," Marcellus cautioned.

Alice XV sniffed the air. "No, nothing here but mermaids and a few crab girls. No…. also a seahorse girl. Nothing that will do serious harm to Heinrich. Although it is far from the most efficient way to attract a mermaid. I have magic…."

"This is much more fun!" Black Alice chortled, shoving Heinrich towards the surf.

"Why aren't you more possessive of him?" Allison asked.

"Don't think I'm not!" Black Alice answered. "But this amuses me, and Heinrich needs to loosen up if he's going to be my partner. Now get in the water and catch me a mermaid!"

Henrich obeyed, removing his clothing and wading into the surf. He seemed unsure of himself, but Alice XV had assured him it was safe, relatively.

"Are you hazing him?" Morrigan asked. "I'm sure he'll catch a sea monster, of that I have no doubt. But what makes you think this Miranda will specifically take that bait?"

"Simple, my dear succubus," Black Alice responded. "It couldn't be any more obvious that Heinrich is bait. Even if the monsters assume a man is dumb enough to wade into the water up to his neck, they won't fail to notice our presence here on the shore. Only the stupidest mermaid would take this bait. Fortunately, Miranda is the dumbest mermaid I've ever met."

"The crab girls are that dumb," Marcellus noted.

"So he gets clean, and then he's even tastier bait!" Black Alice chortled.

"Hoo boy," Allison muttered to herself. Allison was hungry. Of course, she was always hungry, but her second stomach was particularly feeling empty. She was tempted to wade in herself and get a suck and slurp under the water if this took too long. Assuming Black Alice would let her. She probably wouldn't. Black Alice only allowed others to touch Heinrich if it amused her. At least they were near a town. She could lie in wait in an alley, suck a man dry and leave him there.

Heinrich, meanwhile, was feeling ridiculous, not for the first time. If there was one thing that hadn't changed about Alice, it was that she loved to put him in compromising situations for kicks. Now he was up to his neck, his sensitive parts exposed to whatever wanted a quick bite.

He felt some movement in the water. A hand grasped his penis and began to lightly stroke it. Whoever it was, she was staying under the water. He could barely make out her form in the early evening light.

Her mouth tenderly suckled on the head of his penis. It was much gentler than he would have expected. Mermaids, once aroused, didn't waste time on foreplay. Well, they'd caught a mermaid, but was it Miranda? Heinrich looked back to the beach. His companions were standing there, looking at him. Morrigan smiled and waved. But they weren't reacting. Why weren't they reacting? Was this part of the prank? Was he going to be giving Miranda his semen?

"Is something happening?" Allison asked. "Heinrich's behaving strangely."

"He is, isn't he?" Morrigan agreed.

Alice XV sniffed the air again. "The mermaids, if anything, have moved away from this area. They sense our presence."

"Well, I think something is doing something to Heinrich," Allison said.

"I think you're right…." Black Alice agreed, squinting and staring out into the sea. "Maybe a fish? That would be hilarious."

"There are indeed all manner of fish still in the area," Alice XV agreed. "But whatever is pleasuring Heinrich, I cannot make out its scent. It's almost as if there's nothing there…. Oh no! Marcellus! Go rescue him! Take your sword!"

"What?" Marcellus asked. "Why me? The rest of you can get out there much faster!"

"Only to die!" Alice XV exclaimed. "Only you and Heinrich can deal with this threat! Now go!"

The teasing tongue and lips continued to play with the head of Heinrich's penis. He was enjoying it, to be sure, but it felt strange. He looked back again. Marcellus was removing his armor and running towards the surf, sword in hand. Heinrich ducked under the water. He came face to face with a lovely blonde creature with white feathered wings. An angel!?

The angel's sweet face contorted into a snarl as she grabbed Heinrich and pulled him under, trying to drown him. He summoned Gnome, broke free of her grasp, and began swimming desperately back to shore. He could fight if he had his sword and his feet on solid ground.

Just before he reached Marcellus, who was swimming just as frantically towards him, he felt himself yanked backwards. He was dragged back under, powerful arms holding him down while the oral attack on his dick resumed, this time with more purpose. Two angels!

He struggled mightily, his earth infused muscles making things extremely difficult for the angels. A third grabbed hold of him. He began to grow weaker, his lungs burning, yet his mind was still focused on what was being done to his penis, so powerful was the angel's sexual magic. It would have been a fascinating contrast had Heinrich been intellectually inclined. But there are advantages to being simple, and one of those is that survival instinct in such people outweighs curiosity. With a mighty heave, he anchored his legs to the bottom and jumped to get to air.

He got it, although Heinrich still hadn't shaken the angels off of him. But he'd bought time for Marcellus to reach him. Marcellus' sword swung in an arc. The angel released him and took to the air. Marcellus grabbed Heinrich, opened a portal, and dragged him through it back to land.

"Why didn't you do that in the first place?!" Heinrich gasped back on shore.

"Sorry, didn't think of it," Marcellus chuckled. "When a monster lord tells you to jump in the water, you jump in the water."

"I can relate," Heinrich panted, getting to his feet.

They weren't out of trouble yet. The angels were heading their way, now four of them. The three that had tried to drown Heinrich while distracting him with pleasure were coming, but the fourth….

"Oh, we are so screwed," Morrigan breathed.

"Hello there, disgraced hero!" the lead angel greeted Heinrich.

The angel was far more beautiful and her wings more numerous and larger than the lesser angels. She wielded a mighty sword. Heinrich knew what he was looking at, despite never having met one of these legendary angels. It was a Seraph.

"Lucifina...." Marcellus breathed.

"I'd thought you sealed long ago, succubus," Lucifina said, turning her gaze to Morrigan. "You should have stayed sealed. Tonight… you die."

Black Alice noticed something else about Lucifina. She was wearing Miranda's head band. The entire purpose of their quest to free Heinrich's counterpart was on the head of a Seraph.

"What have you done with Miranda?!" Heinrich demanded.

"That ditzy mermaid?" Lucifina cackled. "Nothing. She is too insignificant for one such as I to concern myself with."

"You don't fool me, Seraph!" Black Alice shot back. "You didn't kill her because you can't. I know your secrets now! Without me to manage the dark magic for you, you can't risk slaughtering monsters by your own hands! It's why you need the heroes to do it for you!"

"Hmmm…. I'd ask where you acquired such knowledge," Lucfinia responded. "But it's obvious you had yourself quite a journey when you were taken off world by that imposter goddess."

"Actually, it was a human that did it, the goddess was just with her. And yes, I know a great many things now! We monsters can't hurt you, but you angels can't hurt us either!"

"Perhaps not, but at the moment we don't care about you," Lucifina said. "What concerns me is the disgraced hero. Disgraced Hero Heinrich, betraying the goddess is a capital offense. But the goddess is willing to forgive you if you destroy the Monster Lord at once."

"And if I don't?" Heinrich asked challengingly, although he didn't feel very dignified without clothes on.

"What part of capital offense did you not understand?" Lucifina asked.

"Have a care, Seraph," Marcellus warned. "The monsters may not be able to fight you, but Heinrich and I can. We have enchanted weapons that can hurt you."

"You dare challenge a Seraph?!"

"You can't, Marcellus," Alice XV said.

"I can take her," Marcellus replied.

"Perhaps physically you can," Alice XV cautioned. "But your heart is conflicted. I can tell."

"I don't know why that would be, but I can assure you my heart is not!" Heinrich said defiantly, brandishing Angel Halo. "Come then! I'll take you on by myself!"

"No!" Black Alice screamed. "Heinrich, no! You can't. You don't know this yet, but…. Even if you can defeat her, you'll lose."

"I don't understand…"

"You can't beat her as you are now," Black Alice said sadly. "I won't see you throw your life away for me."

"Oh, this is too much!" Lucifina laughed. "The Monster Lord being willing to die for the sake of a human!"

"Maybe I can't avoid my destiny," Black Alice said. "Maybe I'm doomed no matter what. But Heinrich doesn't have to be! Ilias wants me to be her lackey? Fine! I'll be her lackey. Let my friends go and I'll willingly submit to you and your stupid goddess!"

"Your offer is accepted, with a caveat," Lucifina said. "No filthy monster may enter Heaven alive. And I cannot allow a disgraced hero to live. Heinrich, by striking her down, you will receive forgiveness. Do it."

"Never!" Heinrich shouted.

"Heinrich," Black Alice said gently. "This isn't the end. As long as you live, there's hope. You're more important than me. I see that now. I'm sure you'll find a way to free me one day. And if not you… there will be another. I know it. I've seen it."

"No…. No, I can't…"

"Does every hero who falls for a Monster Lord have to make this choice?" Allison whispered to Alice XV.

"It would seem so," Alice XV muttered.

"Henrich, it's okay," Black Alice said tenderly. "I won't really die, at least not in the sense of being gone forever. I'll just be Ilias' prisoner. But if they kill you…. Your fate will be far worse than mine. You have to do it, Heinrich. I won't resist you. Angel Halo is powerful. It kills if you will it to kill. I won't resist you, so it will only take one blow."

"No…. NO! I'll fight to the end before I kill the one I love!" Heinrich roared.

"If that is your choice…." Lucifina said. "Ilias is the victor either way. She may not get what she wants in regards to the Monster Lord, but there are no restrictions on us killing you, disgraced hero."

Heinrich raised his sword in readiness. Lucfina didn't even move. She merely looked up to the sky and spread her wings, murmuring a prayer.

"What's she…?" Morrigan asked. "Oh, shit!"

Marcellus reacted before Morrigan could. Lightning from Ilias lanced out of the sky towards Heinrich. But Heinrich was no longer there. Marcellus had spirited him away, to who knew where.

"Looks like Ilias loses today," Black Alice chuckled. "The humans are gone! Now it's just monsters and angels, and we can't touch each other! So buzz off, cunts!"

Lucfinia's eyes burned with rage. She raised her sword angrily. The two monster lords and the succubus readied any spells they could that might aid them against the holy beings. But Lucifina's temper passed. She lowered her sword.

"Mark my words, monster!" Lucifina declared. "Ilias cannot be thwarted! There will be other heroes! There is no future for your kind! Savor your petty victory for now!"

The angels vanished. Black Alice collapsed onto the sand. Alice XV rushed to comfort her.

"She's right!" Black Alice cried. "We can't win! We can't do shit! Either Heinrich ends my life, or he dies!"

"If Heinrich ends your life, you both die," Alice XV said, holding her tight. "You know that."

"So we're doomed! This has all been for nothing!"

"No, it has not! There is still hope! There is still Luka! And we have Marcellus! Nothing can stand against the might of those three legendary heroes!"

As if on cue, Marcellus and Heinrich reappeared, stepping through one of Marcellus's patented dimension doors.

"Are they gone?" he asked.

"For now," Alice XV replied. "They are surely aware of your return. We cannot remain here."

"You're right," Black Alice said tearfully, waving her arms and teleporting the party away.

"Where are we?" Heinrich asked, gazing at the arid, flat land.

"This is my home," Black Alice replied.

"Hellgondo," Morrigan said happily. "The greatest place in the world!"

"There are places here where we can hide you," Black Alice said. "Places of dark magic that angels don't dare approach, and which even Ilias is believed to be unable to see through."

"Luka should be finished, or nearly finished, by now," Marcellus said. "I'll go retrieve him."

"No," Alice XV said. "It cannot be you. We have no defense against angels and Heinrich cannot fight them alone. We need you to stay here."

"But I'm the only one who can cross dimensions!"

"Then take Allison," Alice XV said. "She has neither the ability to harm angels nor magic that might be useful. But she can sniff out a human, and she knows that one's scent very well. Don't you, my child?"

"I do, but…." Allison stammered. "But why me? Is it because I'm weak? Because you've given up on me ever being worthy to succeed you?"

"I do not send you away only because you are weak, but because no one can track Luka better than you can," Alice XV said. "And you will be alone in a world you are not familiar with. The success of this quest, our very lives, depend on your finding him and bringing him back to us."

"This is a tracking device that works across dimensions," Marcellus said, handing Allison what looked like a tiny flash drive. "Keep it on you, and I can find you. You can't contact me, unfortunately. But I'll come for you at a random time each day to find out if you have Luka."

"All right," Allison said reluctantly. "I won't fail you!"

Nodding, Marcellus opened his dimension door. "It'll take two jumps," he warned. "It might make you a little nauseous. That world can only be accessed from the Paradox world."

"I'm ready," Allison assured him.

She didn't feel ready. She'd never had a quest before. And now she had one that she had to accomplish herself. I can do this! She tried to assure herself. If there's one thing I know how to do, it's hunt down a delicious human! I just can't eat him this time. Okay, gotta remember that. Do NOT try to eat him this time! Oh, but she was so hungry!

Albert hesitated outside the cave entrance. Tamamo rolled her eyes. She knew that look.

"Albert," Tamamo said. "Please don't tell me…."

"I'm scared of roaches, all right?!" Albert said defensively. "So creepy. They skitter, with their little dark bodies, they get in everything….. Brrrrr…."

"Do all Fateburns have phobias?" Sonya asked.

"Every one I've ever known," Tamamo sighed. "Look, Albert, I get that you're afraid of roaches. But these are roach GIRLS! There's a difference!"

"Boy roaches, girl roaches, all creepy as hell!" Albert insisted.

"Who dares approach our sanctuary?" a voice said.

A roach girl stepped out of the darkness of the cave into the light. She shielded her eyes against the unaccustomed sunlight. But Albert could see enough of her regardless

"Hot damn!" Albert exclaimed. "That is one FINE ass bug!"

Albert rudely shoved Tamamo aside to greet the roach girl.

"You are… male?" the roach girl asked. "Are there now male monsters about in the world?"

"Naw, I'm unique, an original, one of a kind! Just like you, my dear six legged lover."

"Hmph," Granberia said.

"Are female monsters any different?" Sonya asked.

"I am," Granberia said defensively. "I don't seek to lick every male I meet. Only the strong ones. Unless I'm desperate."

"I guess we are all a little promiscuous," Tamamo conceded. "But a male monster seems to take it to another level!"

"Well, at least he's not afraid anymore," Luka noted.

"Ah, there are TWO men here!" the roach exclaimed. "The queen will be most pleased. Come in, come in!"

"Well that was a friendlier invitation than I expected," Spider Princess muttered.

"Like I said, no woman can resist my charms," Albert said confidently, flashing an admittedly dazzling smile. If only his semen tasted better, Spider Princess thought.

Inside, the light was dim, but seeing was no problem for the monster members of the party. For Luka and Sonya, it was a little more challenging, but their eyes adjusted well enough after a few minutes. The party was brought directly to the roach queen.

"You've got a lot of nerve coming here," the roach queen said, addressing Spider Princess.

"Why does everyone say that to you?" Sonya asked Spider Princess.

"I do not come with hostile intent," Spider Princess replied to the roach queen. "I have changed. As you can see, I have a diverse group of friends now. I do not engage only with my own people anymore."

"Well, that much is obvious," the roach queen huffed. "So why have you come here? To do lunch? I have to admit, the sacrifices you have brought us look quite delicious."

"Luka is not a sacrifice!" Sonya roared. "Why does everyone think he's dinner?!"

"He looks like dinner, he smells like dinner, I'm sure he tasted like dinner. Therefore, one could assume that he's dinner."

"Well, the boy is not dinner, and neither am I!" Albert retorted. "No woman calls me dinner, even one as fly as you! I'm a monster lord on my world! So you WILL show me respect!"

"In case you hadn't noticed, male," Queen Roach scoffed. "You're in my world. In this network of caves, I reign supreme. Let's just make that clear. Now, I ask again. Why are you here, Spider Princess?"

"I seek your endorsement to become Queen Insect," Spider Princess stated firmly. "I have already received the endorsements of Queen Bee and Queen Ant. I only need yours to take the vacant throne."

"You haven't changed at all! You still seek power!"

"I now seek it peacefully," Spider Princess countered.

"And you ask me for such a thing, offering nothing in return?" Queen Roach asked.

"The position is not one to be bought," Spider Princess replied.

"Um… didn't you prostitute me to Queen Ant?" Albert whispered.

Spider Princess ignored him. "I ask for your endorsement because the insects need a leader. The throne has been vacant for too long."

"Perhaps I should be that leader," Queen Roach argued. "Not only am I far more powerful than you, but you are not even a proper insect! You're an arachnid!"

"The world calls us 'bugs', regardless! We are in the same boat together, forced to unite by the prejudices of humans and fellow monsters!"

"I'll give you credit, Spider Princess. Your game has improved. But I will not consent to someone as weak as you taking the throne. I'll tell you what I will do, however. I shall take these males, and you women may leave with all of your legs. You see, I too have mellowed."

"You're not keeping Luka!" Sonya yelled, her arm transforming into a plasma weapon. "That's my husband, not your property!"

"Spider Princess may be weaker than you," Tamamo growled, a warning in her tone. "But your seclusion has made you ignorant of who you deal with. If you don't want to give your endorsement, fine. That is your right. But all of us are leaving here, the men included. Do not make me get violent."

"I'm supposed to be afraid of a single kitsune?" Queen Roach scoffed.

"She really doesn't know who you are?" Luka asked.

"In her defense, the last time she saw a Tamamo, she was probably a lot smaller," Tamamo replied.

"I don't think you understand who YOU are dealing with, fox!" Queen Roach exclaimed. "My people are semen deprived. Their hunger cannot be denied! And our instinct to reproduce is as compels us as much are our hunger!"

"Um…. I don't see any shortage of roaches around here," Albert pointed out, counting them and stopping at two hundred. And this was only the number of roaches in that particular chamber! Albert was beginning to decide that he didn't like roach girls any better than he liked roaches.

"Rethink this, Queen," Tamamo warned.

"You are provoking two Heavenly Knights!" Granberia added. "Even if you manage to overwhelm us with numbers, the Monster Lord's vengeance will be something to behold should we be harmed."

Queen Roach seemed to hesitate. That hesitation was quickly dispelled, however, when she noticed how ravenous her people were. The roach girls had already been looking at Luka and Albert with extreme desire in their eyes. The queen wasn't sure she could hold them back if she wanted to. There was no way the men were leaving the roach's lair, she resolved.

"Kill the women, take the men!" Queen Roach ordered.

The roaches swarmed the party. Luka's sword was out in a flash as he summoned the spirit of wind, desperately avoiding the reaching pincers of hungry roach girls. Sonya began blasting away with her plasma rifle. She regretted not being a being of pure chaos anymore. Now she was merely a wielder of the chaos spirit, with only the tiniest remnant of her former apoptosis form remaining. But it was more than the roaches bargained for. Her plasma rifle took a terrible toll, although she strove to avoid killing. Still, many legs were shot off or melted.

Albert, who had been closest to the queen, went for her. The two high ranking monsters grabbed each other and grappled. Albert was much stronger, but Queen Roach had a much more solid base.

"Is that all you've got, male?" she taunted. "I'm disappointed. I hope you won't disappoint me when I rape you."

"Girl…" Albert hissed. "You want my dick so badly? You can have it!"

Albert's long penis extended, going for Queen roach's face. The foreskin peeled back, revealing suckers. Before Queen Roach could even decide how to react to that unexpected visual. The foreskin covered her face, the head of his penis going directly into her mouth. A strang liquid shot into her mouth. Her tongue immediately went numb.

"Wha hab you gone to be?!"

"Oh, just a little paralytic," Albert replied. "You see, my people don't believe in raping women, but we evolved to be able to do it easily. Paralyzing our victims was the easiest way to go about it. So how about you just lie there and watch me and my friends whup some thorax!"

Queen Roach collapsed as Albert withdrew his dick from her face. He turned just in time to be attacked by three roach girls simultaneously. The first he punched clear through a cave wall. He would have been quite satisfied with his feat of strength, if a chamber containing even more roach girls hadn't been on the other side of that wall. His tail quickly scattered the other two roach girls. Albert rushed to the new opening to place himself between his companions and the oncoming horde.

"Tamamo, how you doin'?" Albert called.

"Good enough," Tamamo yelled back, impressing Albert with how quickly her nine tails and judicious use of offensive magic enabled her to take on many more opponents than he could. But the numbers were overwhelming. Could the roaches even hurt the two of them? He didn't want to find out.

Granberia was also having few issues other than the sheer numbers. She and Sonya stood back to back driving off wave after wave of rampaging roach girls. Luka could barely be seen, darting among the horde. Unfortunately, his hits weren't doing much damage. Their apoptosis companion was faring a little better, wrapping her opponents in slime. But she could only deal with one at a time.

"It's still daylight!" Granberia yelled. "If we can fight our way back to the entrance, they won't be willing to follow!"

"Now getting out of here, that I can get behind!" Sonya exclaimed, pointing her plasma arm towards the corridor where they'd entered and clearing a path. Albert reluctantly left the artificial opening he'd created and followed, as roaches streamed through the large hole.

They almost made it. They could see daylight at the end of the tunnel. But more roaches poured out of side passageways to block their path. Sonya went down. Spider Princess was dragged down as well by the sea of roach girls. Tamamo couldn't find Luka anywhere. Had a roach gotten lucky and caught him? Not that her vision was great. There were at least three roach girls trying to weigh her down, not realizing that she commanded the power of earth and could not possibly be brought down or even scratched, no matter how many roaches attacked her. Then she felt tail hairs being ripped out.

"My tails!" Tamamo screamed in rage, spinning around, sending everyone within five feet of her flying like projectiles shot out of a cannon, including Granberia and Albert. More roaches surged forward to replace the ones she'd so easily tossed aside. But Tamamo was done. "I just… can't even!"

Tamamo slammed her strongest tail onto the ground. The earth shook with the impact and small rocks began to fall from the ceiling. Everyone stopped, worried that they might be buried. But the rumbling subsided.

"Enough!" Tamamo screamed. "This is a stupid fight! You're desperate for men? I get that!"

"What could a fox know about desperation?" one of the roach girls retorted. "You shall never lack for willing males."

"I've been around a long time," Tamamo replied. "There are many monsters like you. I understand why you think you have to take what you want. But there are plenty of men who like insects!"

"And I'm not gonna lie…." Albert added. "Most of you girls…. Damn! Fine as hell! In a dark, gothic way, but I like it!"

"If you make me your queen, I will recruit males to stay in these caves with you," Spider Princess promised. "It has worked for us spiders, and it has only been two months since the war ended! It can work for you as well!"

"Be that as it may," Queen Roach said, staggering into the corridor. "I will not submit to a queen weaker than myself. I am the most powerful insect in the world! I deserve to be queen Insect! So let us settle this the traditional way! You want my endorsement! Fight me! If you win, you shall have it!"

"And if I lose?" Spider Princess asked.

"Then you will give me yours," Queen Roach said. "And then I will journey to battle the other queens, and force their endorsements from them as well. And then we'll have males here! Males that we take, because it is our right!"

"I accept your ch-" Spider Princess started, before Albert's penis covered her face, muffling her.

"Sorry about that," Albert said.

"Actually, I didn't mind it so much," Spider Princess said with a flirtatious smile. 'But why did you stop me?"

"Because there's been enough battling with fists and claws and…. Whatever the hell Sonya was shooting people with…. How about you and I settle accounts, queen roach?"

"Well, a champion is allowed, according to our traditions," Queen Roach said reluctantly. "Very well. I am ready for you this time. I've seen your big surprise. You won't get the best of me this time."

"Girl, first off, you haven't seen any of my real surprises," Albert bragged. "I can knock you on your abdomen sixteen different ways! Second, you're still not recovered from my parylitic. You're in no condition for a physical battle."

"Then what do you propose? A sex battle? I accept!"

"While that's tempting, and interesting," Albert admitted. "I've got an even better idea. A rap battle! Now let me explain what a rap battle is."

"I know what a rap battle is!" Queen Roach retorted. "What do you think we do here all day, stuck in these dark caves?"

"Wait, you girls know how to rap?"

"How do you think I won my position as queen?"

"Seriously? Damn."

"Albert, a word?" Tamamo said, taking him aside. "Are you crazy! You're a terrible rapper!"

"What?!" Albert exclaimed. "Girl, my flow is def!"

"I have no idea what you just said," Tamamo replied. "But roaches are the foremost rappers in all the world. She will OWN you! She'll take you down so hard you'll molt!"

"I'm hurt by your lack of confidence in me."

"I have confidence in you," Spider Princess said. "Queen Roach, if you win this… rap battle…. I will give you my endorsement."

The roaches cheered. Albert and Queen Roach faced each other. And then Queen Roach began.

"Listen up, snake, I got something to say You may slither and slide, but I'm here to play I'm the king of the creepers, the master of the crawl You may be scary, but I'm the one who can appall

You can hiss and you can bite, but it doesn't impress When it comes to creepy crawlies, I'm the best! I'll scuttle and skitter and make your skin crawl! You can't compete with me, you're just a snake that's tall!"

"Ooohhhh…" the crowd of roaches said.

Albert began to sweat. That had been… pretty good. He needed to get his game face on.

"You think you're scary, cockroach, but you're just a pest! I'm the king of the jungle, the one who's truly blessed! My dick can inject venom, and my scales are tough as nails! You may think you're creepy, but I'm the one who prevails!

I can swallow you whole, and you'd be gone in a flash! You can scurry and hide, but I'll always find your ass! You're just a little bug, while I'm a predator supreme! When it comes to being scary, you're just a bad dream!"

Queen Roach blanched. How could a non-roach compete with the queen roach herself in a rap battle?!

"You may think you're tough, but you're just a big brute! I'm the one who can survive anything, even a nuke! You may have a dick with venom, but I've got some tricks! I'll up your ass, and you'll be in a fix!

I'm the ultimate survivor, the one who can outlast! You may be scary, but you're a thing of the past! I'll be here long after you're gone! Those muscles are impressive, but all you've got is brawn!"

Albert gave a thumbs down to that last verse. He was beginning to gain confidence.

" Oh please, you disgusting roach! You scurry around like you need a coach! I glide through the grass, with grace and style! My venom can make you die in a while! You may survive a nuke, but that's not scary, I make 'em tremble, from the mountains to the damn prairie!"

Roach Queen was definitely looking nervous.

"Feared? You wish, you're just a pest You're not even a challenge, you're just a test I'm the one who's been around since the start! You're just a snake, with a big fake heart You may glide, but I fly with ease! I'm the real queen, bow down on your knees!"

"Bow down to you? That's a joke! You're just a roach, who likes to provoke! Me, I'm a man, of women I can have my pick! You're just a bitch, who fell to my dick!"

Albert dropped an invisible mic. The roaches gasped. Queen Roach collapsed, reduced to a puddle of humiliation.

"You have my endorsement, Spider Princess," she said softly. "This male…. I have never met anyone like him."

"Well, that's the truth," Tamamo muttered. But she had to admit, Albert had come through when it counted.

"Okay, okay!" Tamamo yelled as the celebration back at the castle continued. "While acknowledging that Spider Princess, or should I say, Insect Queen, is the woman of the hour…"

The assembled cheered, including loli Tamamo, who had taken some time off from her acting monster lord duties to attend the party.

"None of this would have been possible without Albert!" Tamamo finished. "I thought you were a goof, but it turns out you have your good qualities. Maybe that world with male monsters isn't so hopeless after all!"

Everyone laughed, including Albert.

"So now, let's get to Albert's reward!" Tamamo finished, walking up to Albert, a tail swishing enticingly. Albert was mesmerized. As many monster girls as he'd already bedded in this world, those tails were still the best thing he'd ever felt.

The swishing tail darted towards his penis and wrapped around it, stroking slowly. Albert nearly fell over, so good did the soft fur feel.

"Tamamo….." he gasped. "Is that….?"

"My special tail?" Tamamo laughed. "No. It's the second best."

"The….second? It's…. how can anything…. Possibly be better?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Tamamo chuckled. "Cup please!"

Loli Tamamo provided a small cup to catch Albert's semen. Even Sonya and Luka were no longer fazed by this monster behavior. Luka guessed that one could get used to anything given enough time.

Albert shuddered as he poured his semen into the cup. Tamamo actually had to be handed a second cup to catch it all.

"All right now, I want to see if I'm alone here!" Tamamo announced. "Everyone have a taste and tell me your opinion!"

The cup was passed around. All the monsters in the room took a sip. Loli Tamamo grimaced and stuck out her tongue. Spider Princess did as well. Granberia swished it around in her mouth a bit, then shrugged.

"Strong, to be sure, but a taste I could get used to," was her review.

"Reptiles know what's good!" Albert cheered, hi fiving Granberia.

Alma Elma thought it was different, but she loved the richness. Erubetie found it pungent, unpleasant. She preferred the sweeter taste of human semen.

"So what are your plans, now?" Tamamo asked Albert.

"I'm ridin' with you until you get your husband back," Albert answered. "If we have to go over to that world and I have to fight, face hug, or rap battle every mothafucka in that universe, I'll do it just to see you happy."

"You're a good guy, Albert," she said. "In another world… I could possibly like you. A little bit."

"A little bit?"

"Just a little bit," she chuckled. "Thanks, Albert. I know this hasn't been the most dangerous quest ever. But you were a big help."

"I just hope you get your man back, that's all. But in the meantime…. What are the chances I can get more than just… a tail?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Don't even!" Spider Princess cut in, taking Albert by the arm. "You are mine tonight, blue boy!"

Albert looked helplessly back at Tamamo. "She's right, Albert. She owes you. And she's going to pay you back all night long. Enjoy!"

"But…."

"Come, male! There is a debt to repay! Tell me, have you ever been wrapped in silk?" Spider Princess asked as she led Albert away.

"Silk? I'm intrigued!"

Tamamo looked on as Albert was led away, now willingly. She hoped that Luka's quest was going as smoothly. She needed to know that he was okay, and was positive Promestein was hiding something from her.

Alice and Luka entered Grangold, ready for anything, but finding that Grangold seemed to be as peaceful as advertised. The damage had already been repaired to the point where no visitor would even be able to notice that an uprising had taken place.

"Grand Noah was great for coexistence, but this place looks even better!" Luka observed.

"I wonder if they'll have good food?" Alice wondered.

"There isn't likely to be anything exotic here," Luka replied, much to Alice's disappointment.

"What in the world?" Alice started, stopping in front of a huge portrait being painted on the side of a government building.

It depicted a handsome, muscular blonde man, surrounded and mobbed by ant girls. His huge penis stood erect in defiance. Ant girls lay all around him, looking barely conscious, drooling on the ground.

"Is it really okay to have something so inappropriate in such a prominent place?" Alice wondered.

"That's Elias, the hero who saved the city!" a citizen explained, also admiring the work in progress.

"Elias, you say?" Alice asked. "Wait a minute…. Luka, doesn't that look like the guy we encountered in that Sabasan bar? The one who gave you two spirits somehow?"

"Actually, yeah…. That does look like him," Luka agreed.

"And he saved the city? What happened here?"

"We'd been keeping the ant girls as slaves," the citizen explained. "Of course, we didn't see it that way, but then the queen broke from her seal and educated us rather forcefully. She actually planned to punish us, but Elias stood alone against the entire ant army, not even using a sword."

"Without even a weapon? How is that possible?" Alice asked.

"Well, he….pleased the ant girls, and they didn't really want to hurt him," the citizen answered. "Apparently he'd been kind to them while he was staying here. So after a long battle, he convinced the ant girls to refrain from punishing us. Instead, he wanted them to live among us as equals. And they were convinced!"

"Is that so?" Alice asked. Clearly she had a suspicion, but Luka could tell that it wasn't computing. Alice had a theory, but nothing about it made sense.

"Come on," Alice said, dragging Luka behind her.

"Wha? Where are we going?" Luka asked.

"To find Queen Ant," Alice replied. "I want to talk to her."

They found Queen Ant conferring with the king in a warehouse. While the exterior of the palace had been repaired, the interior was still somewhat damaged, and in any case, the ant girls had decided to upgrade it. In the meantime, official business was being conducted in the warehouse.

"Oh?" Queen Ant asked, staring at Alice. "What's a powerful monster like you doing in Grangold?"

"I am Alipheese the Sixteenth," Alice replied.

"The Monster Lord!" Queen Ant gasped. "W-welcoem to Grangold! I hope you are not displeased by what you have found here!"

"Not at all," Alice assured her. "I'm very happy to see humans and monsters getting along, and I'm very happy that you chose to not seek revenge for what they did to you. The cycle of revenge can be hard to break once it gets started."

"I have come to see the wisdom of those words, your majesty," Queen Ant replied. "So…. You believe in coexistence?"

"I do," Alice answered. "But that's not why I'm here. What can you tell me of this hero Elias?"

"Elias? What would you like to know? He persuaded us to forego our righteous vengeance."

"But where is he now?" Alice prodded.

"I sent him to see you, actually," Queen Ant replied. "I suggested that he share his wisdom with the Monster Lord."

"You what?!"

"Was that the wrong thing to do, my lord?"

"No, no… it's just…. It interferes with some plans that I had. But how could he possibly get to Hellgondo? He'd need to awaken the Garuda Girl, and that's impossible."

It was impossible, of course, because Luka possessed half of the orbs needed.

"We ants constructed a tunnel through the mountains," Queen Ant explained. "It is only for our own use, but I decided this extraordinary man was trustworthy enough to be told the secret."

"A tunnel?" Alice asked. "Damn. That means he's way ahead of us."

"Is that a problem, Alice?" Luka asked.

"Not a huge problem, no," Alice replied. "But I can't have him reaching the castle before we do. Luka, I know I've made you walk everywhere, and I was going to make you find the other three orbs. But those plans have changed. I'm teleporting us directly to the continent. Queen Ant, how long ago did he leave?"

"About a week ago," Queen Ant answered.

"A week,"Alice mused. "Okay, he'd need three days to get to Gold Port, then if he got a ship he'd need two days of travel, maybe three. All right, we'll go to the center of the continent."

"Is that where your castle is?" Luka asked.

"No, you're not ready for that yet," Alice said. "Damn, you don't even have the fire spirit! Ugh. We have to stop at the volcano where Salamander lives first! Once you accomplish that, you'll need a little time to train. It's the best I can do!"

"What are you talking about, Alice? What am I going to be doing at your castle?"

"There are a couple of Heavenly Knights that require disciplining, or have you forgotten?"

"And would it be so bad if this Elias guy got there first?"

"Luka, please don't ask so many questions," Alice urged. "I want it to be you. It has to be you. Just… trust me on this."

Emma, invisible, or at least as invisible as she could get with Alice around, pulled out her cell phone and dialed Ben.

"Ben here."

"Ben, we know where Elias is heading!" Emma whispered.

"Yeah, I know!" Ben replied. "I got intelligence in Grangold yesterday! I just left Gold Port. They say he commandeered a rowboat using his hero privileges and said he was going to the Hellgondo continent!"

"A… a fucking row boat? Seriously?"

"Yeah, I know. I'm flying over the water trying to spot him. No luck so far. It's a big sea."

"Keep me posted, okay?" Emma asked.

"Always."

Over the section of the Northern Sea that Ben had just flown over, a head burst out of the water, gasping for air. Behind Elias, a giant manta girl surfaced as well, floating on her back, sighing in satisfaction. Elias was angry. She'd busted his little boat. Now he'd have to swim the rest of the way. Sighing, his mighty arms began to work, propelling him through the water at inhuman speeds. He'd be awfully hungry and thirsty when he made it to shore, but he was confident he could make it.