Hercules Beetle

So the training arc didn't go as planned. To be fair, I was a little harsh on them. I've always wanted to have a training arc, though!

Well, I guess I've learned for next time. The next thing I need to do is simple. Find the other two branches. I don't know how to do that, however.

You know, this would be a good time for a deus ex machina. If only some super convenient situation would happen to lead me to the people I am looking for.

For example, a Hercules beetle insectoid helping an old lady get her car fixed by lifting it into the air and carrying it to the repair man.

That sure would be convenient… hold on. What am I seeing?

Seriously, nothing makes sense anymore. Even the bystanders on the street are looking on weirdly at this.

First of all, Insectoids are rare here. They are literally just insect beastmen, but they aren't common around these parts. They are mostly seen in more temperate climates.

Don't ask me why. I seriously have no idea. I'm no fantastical creature expert, although I guess they aren't really fantastical creatures anymore since they exist and all.

Well, I guess I'll go talk to him. I would worry about the whole "stranger danger" thing, but first of all, he's helping an old lady, albeit kind of weirdly. Second of all, I can just yoink myself outta there through teleportation if things get risky.

…

I will let him finish what he's doing, however. That is a nice thing to do, after all.

I walk up to him after he's done helping the old lady and then wait until he is in a park where there aren't a lot of people.

"Hello, sir? I have something I would like to ask you. Do you know anything about this?" I politely ask him.

"What is it, young lady?" Ooooh, he's the gentleman type. Well, I should have guessed that based on his classy suit and how he helps old ladies on the street.

Now that I look at him, he looks like your model handsome man; if I was a real woman, my heart may have fluttered.

I pull out the branch that I've kept in my arm. When he sees it, he seems slightly shocked, then pulls me by my arm to a place where there is no one. Kind of suspicious. Should I teleport out now?

I'll see where he's taking me first. It could be helpful if I need to report him.

Once we are far from everyone, in the dense forest near the park (not that pretty much everything isn't a forest here. The houses are literal trees), he scolds me, "Don't pull that out in the open, if a Magic Liberator was around you'd be in danger!"

Jeez, who do you think you are, my father?

"I just needed to make sure that you actually appeared because of a deus ex machina… I mean, I needed to confirm your identity." I tell him.

"Just what are you anyway, I can sense you are the first branch, but you also seem to not be at the same time. Like some weird hybrid." He seems to recoil at that idea.

Okay, his gentlemanly persona is completely gone now.

He seems to be the third branch. I think that is confirmed now. I just didn't know the third branch would be such a jerk! I guess that Chiron never mentioned the personality of the other branches.

Seems like he met them, though. Gave off that impression. I guess the all-knowing king would have connections… well, whatever.

I wonder what I should do about this jerk.

"I don't know why you are so disgusted by me! I thought it would be a good idea to meet the other branches, since I have no idea what the branches are in the first place. Now I regret that."

"Hm? You don't know about us? That is strange. You sure are a defect, I guess."

"Wow."

Seems like this is going nowhere. Well, if he's such a jerk, I won't have to feel bad about this. There is this new device that Kari gave me after our last meeting.

I guess it was because I asked for a weapon that would work even when magic was suppressed.

The thing is shaped like a taser, but its design is based on the MPD3, which means that it drains the MP of those it hits.

Not enough to kill, of course. It is simply meant to incapacitate. Well, I've been looking for a subject to test it on.

I yell at him, "If you are going to be such a jerk, I don't have to feel bad about this. Thanks for being a test subject."

"Huh? Wha-" That is all he gets out before I hit him with my new weapon. He instantly falls to his knees, and I feel the ground shake. I guess he's heavier than I thought. Muscles are dense, after all.

Wow, this thing is effective.

"You bi-"

"HEY! We are a family-friendly story. Thank you very much!"

"I was going to say, you bit off more than you can chew, hybrid!"

"Sure…"

I hit him with the MP-draining taser, and he goes down again. Honestly, I could do this all day.

The guy isn't that smart, that's for sure.

Oh, he's getting up again. Well, I guess I'll just hit him with the weapon again.

"I'll show you the power difference between a real branch and a hybrid!"

Oh… I think I realize why he hates me so much now. He must think I'm a hybrid of Yggdrasil and an elf. I'm not one or the other to him, so he sees me as some kind of chimera or something like that.

Jerk.

Well, I mean, he might not be wrong, though. I know I was born to elven parents, but I have at least something to do with Yggdrasil.

I don't know what, though.

Anyway, in the time I was thinking, this beetle has already gotten back up. His form starts to change, and parts of his skin start looking more bark-like. His hair grows silver with golden accents, and his eyes shine a warm yellow.

Oooh, I've never seen such a cool battle transformation before… shoot! I was so mesmerized by the battle transformation that I lost my chance to beat him while he was in the middle of it!

Now I know why the villains always let the hero transform, it's fun to watch. Not that I'm a villain, of course.

He rolls up his sleeves, and a golden ring reminiscent of mine starts to shine, a silver branch with gold accents coming out. It looks very similar to mine, with some small differences. Mine has more wavy accents, while his is more jagged.

Anyway, the branch starts to transform into a giant greatsword! WOW! So impractical!

Is he going to charge at me? Yep. I knew it, he looks and acts like a gentleman, but at the end of the day, he's just a muscle brain.

Anyway, I just teleport above him and land on his shoulders. From there, I grab onto his branch-sword thing and teleport away with it.

I know it'll come back to him, but being disarmed for just a second is fine.

In the time he has no weapon, I bind his fingers together with gravity magic so he can't hold the blade, so when it returns, he won't be able to grab it anyway.

"You are tricky for a hybrid, I'll give you that."

"Thanks. Also, teach me how to transform my branch into a sword later!"

"Absolutely not."

"Thought so."

He starts to charge at me, but I simply teleport behind him. I put my hand on his back and enchant him to make him float. This way, he can't catch a foothold.

This… is too easy.

The branches are supposed to be strong, right?

This guy clearly isn't a fake, but he sucks at fighting. You'd think the guy with the strongest physical strength of the three branches would be the best fighter. I guess not.

Wait… I haven't actually seen him use Enhancement magic yet…

"You've finally realized. Well, it's too late now."

He pushes off a nearby tree and moves faster than I can teleport. Before I know it, I'm stuck in his grasp.

"You know, this is not how I thought this meeting would go. Yeah… this is gonna hurt, isn't it?"

"Yep."

How fun…

He chucks me straight at a bunch of trees. Thinking fast, I teleport myself way above the tree line so that I don't hit anything, then teleport myself behind him so we collide with all the force he threw me with.

HAH! Get hit by your own attack! That still hurt, though…

Oh… he's unconscious.

I WIN!