Impending Clash
With the days stretching into weeks, Vahn split his time between familiarizing himself with the Akamatsuverse, making a name for himself in the Arena, helping people in need, and night lighting as Eva. All of these things sent waves throughout the Hellas Empire, but, as expected, the rumors of the 'Dark Evangel' appearing made other matters seem small in comparison. Most people had yet to see how powerful he was for themselves, so it would take some time before he became a household name. Eva, however, had been the nightmare of powerful Mages for hundreds of years, even serving as a 'Demon Queen' for a short period of time.
Though Eva rarely appeared, there had never been any reports of her death, so, no matter how much time passed, people still continued to fear her. As a result, there were an increased number of guards patrolling the city, and, with a few exceptions, nearly every famous Mercenary group had been asked to return. To those within the Hellas Empire, this was a completely normal occurrence, but, from the perspective of other nations, it seemed like they were preparing for war.
Tensions between the Hellas Empire and Megalomesembria had always been high, so it didn't come as a surprise to most that both sides were preparing for a conflict. Rather, the previous war had been nearly forty years prior, granting a period of peace longer than most people expected. This left many people on tenterhooks due to the fact that, when there were long periods of peace, it was often the calm before a much larger storm. The war forty years prior had actually been against Eva herself, so, in actuality, tensions had been building for a much longer period of time than normal.
In preparation for the coming conflict, smaller nations had started to make their allegiances known by sending dignitaries and ambassadors to the larger nations. Very few countries had the option of sitting on the sidelines, and, if you had any resources that might be pertinent to the war effort, you left yourself open to being subsumed by both sides if you attempted to remain neutral. It was better to choose a side early on, as it was infinitely better to become the City-State of a larger nation rather than risk being consumed by them completely...
---
Though it was beginning to seem like each day brought worse news, there were still moments when people would gather in the streets to celebrate. One of these events revolved around the triumphant return of the King of Mercenaries, Jack Rakan. He had become the Hero of many people in the Hellas Empire, so, seeing the muscular man return with the skull of a sea monster that was nearly 10m long, even without the body, massive crowds had gathered to applaud his return.
While common sense stated the monster skull would be pulled along by a wagon, the truth of the matter was that Jack was carrying it with one hand. He had traveled thousands of kilometers with the massive skull in tow, supporting it above his head with a perpetual smile affixed to his face. This was enough to make those with lesser sensibilities question reality while others, having been fans of Jack for some time, just toasted the man with phrases like, 'As expected of Jack!'.
The tale of Jack Rakan was one of the most popular stories-turned-fables in the Hellas Empire. He was the child of a Hellasian father and a Human mother, an origin that caused him to be shunned and ultimately orphaned. Despite this, he never let anything set him back, vowing to become a true man without equal. Even when a gang had cut off his horns when he was a youth, his response was to put in more effort, growing even stronger. Then, instead of using his superior strength to kill the men and seek vengeance, he just beat them into a pulp without killing them, eventually becoming their leader. Afterward, he reformed them into one of the most successful bands of Mercenaries in the entire Empire, turning them from a group of rag-tag thugs to a respectable band with both fame and prestige to their name.
What impressed most people, and ultimately changed their opinion of the half-blooded man, was how he kept his dignity no matter what setbacks he faced. Even when he was blamed for crimes he had never committed, resulting in him becoming a Gladiator in the Coliseum, he never harbored any hatred for the men who had framed him. Instead, he continued to grow exponentially stronger until he had ultimately won his freedom. This ultimately earned him the favor of the Imperial Family, and, as a result, he became a living legend at the young age of twenty-five...
Despite being in hid mid-twenties, Jack was an exceptionally tall man that easily towered over most Hellasians and Humans at 240cm in height. He also had broad shoulders, a tapered waist, and some of the most immaculately sculpted muscles most people would ever witness. His golden eyes, spiky golden hair, and tanned skin only further increased his intimidation factor, and, if not for the smile that was almost always visible on his face, some would consider him 'fiercely intimidating' by default.
With nothing but an open red vest, white pants, brown boots, and a red bandana wrapped around his head, it was easy to see Jack's intimidating physique in all its glory. He didn't even bother to wear formal attire when attending events as the Imperial Palace, earning him the praise of the masses and the scorn of most Aristocrats. Unfortunately for them, no matter what they tried, restraining Jack had become a virtually impossible feat. He not only had the acknowledgment of their Sacred Dragon, but he also enjoyed the favor of both the Emperor and the Third Princess. These things, combined with the fact that he simply 'wouldn't die' had slowly brought about change within the Empire, albeit at a very slow rate...
---
After arranging for a shipwright company to process his prize, Jack marched through the crowded streets with a smile on his face, greeting a surprising number of people by name. He was in a bit of a hurry, but, due to his inability to simply leave fans hanging, it took him more than three hours just to reach the nearest Fishport. There, a contingent of Imperial Guards headed by Magistrate Jagoda had been waiting to both update him on the situation and escort him to the Palace. This brought a smile to Jack's face, as he had always enjoyed teasing the woman who seemed to have a broom pole stuck up her ass.
With a massive grin on his face, Jack approached Jagoda, bending over slightly so that he didn't tower over her too much as he said, "Now this is a rare treat. It must be pretty serious if they sent you out to retrieve me. Tell me, did someone actually try and bully that Tomboy Princess while I was away...?"
Though Jack usually spoke in a very genial tone, allowing him to get along with virtually everyone he met, his aura sharply increased when he mentioned the Third Princess. He was quite fond of the little rascal, and, after she began calling him Big Brother, Jack promised the Emperor he would protect her with his life. He had even threatened the Second Prince directly, leading to the botched assassination attempt that ultimately resulted in the Second Prince laying low for nearly a year.
Doing her best to prevent the twitching of her eye, Jagoda forced a smile on her face as she said, "It is improper for you to address the Crown Princess in such a manner. Now, to answer your question, it does not appear that the Third Princess was targetted. From what we have been able to deduce, it is highly likely this incident all started from a botched teleportation spell...we shouldn't discuss this outside. Come, I'll explain more on the way to the Palace."
Hearing Jagoda's explanation, a thoughtful glimmer flashed across Jack's eyes as he craned his head in the direction of the Coliseum. This caused the Magistrate's complexion to pale slightly, earning an amused chuckle from Jack before he ultimately turned back and said, "Sure. Let's go to the Palace. I wouldn't be called the King of Mercenaries if I did free work, right?"
Relieved by Jack's words, Jagoda allowed a rare sigh to escape her lips as she watched him board the Airfish. They still didn't know exactly how strong this mysterious Emperor was, but, after seeing what he had done to the Arena's barrier, they knew he wasn't to be trifled with. Pitting Jack against him in the center of the city could have disastrous consequences, both socially and economically...
---
Around the same time that Jack boarded the Airfish, Vahn opened his eyes back at the Coliseum with a slight smile on his face. He was honestly impressed by the man's presence, and, at his current level, Vahn was certain their battle would end in the Hero's favor. Though he could guarantee victory if he went all out, Jack's aura, without any enhancements, gave him a Base Power of around 6000. He was known to be a gifted Magic Knight who excelled in both close-quarters combat and the use of long-range armaments. This made Jack an exceptionally powerful combatant, but, what Vahn found most surprising was the fact that an aura similar to Magia Erebea could be felt hidden within his body...
Though Jack clearly hadn't mastered it, Vahn would never mistake the identity of someone capable of using Magia Erebea. It was something he was intimately familiar with, so, even if he was good at hiding it, Vahn could still sense the tell-tale fluctuations of Eva's technique. This would explain why Jack was considered Immortal, but, considering how unstable the aura was, Vahn felt it wasn't too long ago that he learned it. Rather, based on the circumstances, Jack seemed to be the person who had awakened Eva's diorama...
With a better understanding of how, exactly, he had ended up in the Hellas Empire, Vahn rolled to a seated position, displaying the veritable blanket of Elementals that had piled atop his body. There were now thousands of the little creatures in his room, turning the once-lavish chamber into a small greenhouse. At first, vines had started to grow from small cracks in the Coliseum's structure, but, as the days went by, various other types of flora and some small fauna had begun to inhabit his room.
Truth be told, Vahn enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere that permeated the now-desolate region of the Coliseum. Very few people came to bother him unless it was to inform him of his coming match, so it had been relatively peaceful over the last few days, relative being the keyword. As for why, this could be attributed to the silver-haired beauty that was currently sunbathing out on the veranda...
Sensing her Master's approach, Medusa's eyelids slowly peeled open, revealing golden pupils that glimmered with affection. Her tail, covered in golden scales, began to lazily snake around amidst her equally lively silver hair. Then, with a somewhat lascivious smile on her face, she asked, "Hoo~? You seem very excited~?"
Before Vahn could answer the mischievous snake's words, her hair parted like the red sea, revealing her pert buttocks wrapped in skin-tight, dark-purple, fabric. Her golden tail then curled up gracefully like a cobra that was about to strike, but, instead of appearing intimidating, the end began to wiggle in a playful manner like someone gesturing with their finger...
With a 'wolfish' grin spreading across his face, Vahn elicited a girlish 'kyaa~' from Medusa by using his telekinesis to lift her from the ground, pulling her into a princess carry. She took advantage of the close proximity to steal a kiss, her hair coiling around him as if to ensnare him completely. This was a habit she had never been able to break, as the 'snakes' in her hair were simply more honest than the petite Gorgon.
After entangling their long and dexterous tongues for the better part of five minutes, Vahn began to feel his body heating up, compelling him to slowly untangle his tongue from hers. This earned him a look of blame from the smiling girl, but, in spite of her pouting, her tail managed to unclasp his belt buckle in a few deft movements. She had become very carnivorous since the time he had summoned her, a stark contrast to the 'patience' she had shown back in the Nasuverse...
Vahn would normally be all-for another twelve-hour-long mating session with Medusa, but, with the arrival of Jack, things had gotten a little more complicated. Medusa wasn't like normal girls, so, when they had sex, it was a rather exhaustive process that left her unable to move after the fact. It was very pleasurable, but, due to being constricted for several hours at a time, Vahn had apprehensions about starting anything when there was a chance powerful enemies would come knocking.
Though not as sensitive as Fenrir, Medusa was able to understand her Master's intentions, so, with a seductive look in her glimmering golden eyes, she traced her very long tongue along his neck before saying, "There are other ways to have fun without having sex~."
Understanding what Medusa had in mind, Vahn's own eyes flickered gold for a brief moment as he carried her over to the bed. Fortunately, for reasons he was still looking into, the Elementals seemed to understand when not to play around. They quickly made a large space on the bed, retreating to the very edges before plopping down like a horde of little voyeurs.
Ignoring the admittedly adorable blobs of energy, Vahn set Medusa onto the bed, and, after waiting for her to 'restrain' her hair, he also settled into a comfortable position. Almost immediately after his back hit the bedspread, Medusa's hair had practically 'stolen' his trousers in an instant. Then, while a barrage of tiny snake kisses assaulted most of his body, Medusa extremely long prehensile tongue wrapped around his exposed member like thread on a spool...
---
During the relatively short flight to the Palace, Jagoda updated Jack on everything they knew about the Sage Dragon Emperor. This included an analysis of his behavioral patterns and an explanation of his reactions to certain stimuli.
Though there was an increasing number of incidents attributed to the Dark Evangel, Vahn's actions in the Coliseum hadn't gone unnoticed. There were records of all the Slaves he had freed, the people that had mysteriously disappeared, and the changes that had taken place in the vicinity of his room. There was even a dossier on Medusa, but, as they didn't know her identity, there was little more than a brief overview and a few telescopic images that showed her sunbathing on the veranda.
After listening to Jagoda's explanation, Jack had a serious look in his eyes that did little to inhibit the smile on his face. Strong opponents were always welcome to him, but, hearing about Vahn's exploits, he couldn't help but mutter, "So, I'm basically dealing with a bratty lizard who has a Hero Complex..."
Hearing Jack refer to Vahn as a 'bratty lizard', Jagoda's expression became a flawless deadpan as she sat silently for several moments before answering, "Basically..."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Ultimate Hard Worker','Medusa taking advantage of the alone time with her Master (OwO)...','Bratty lizard xD...')
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