20. S1: The Calm Before The Storm

Well, here's the last Anne chapter before Reunion. For realsies this time. Not much to say; too tired. So thanks for the reviews. I really appreciate it and, uh, I hope you all enjoy the show!

Toad Tower.

In Frog Valley, this ancient castle acted as the main base of operations for the large and undefeated Toad Army. Across Amphibia, many Toad Towers were built, each led by a captain. But in only 4 of those towers, the powerful Toad Lords took command.

Every year, the towers would task one of their own in tax collection, travelling from town to town and grabbing the demanded fee paid by the locals. In exchange, the toads would provide protection and services, ensuring peace throughout its territory. Though while the towns had their own law enforcement, it's rarely enough to handle bigger and far more dangerous threats. And considering that this was Amphibia, it was quite common.

"Tax collectors incoming!" yelled a toad guard on the castle walls. Hearing that, two other toads began turning a large wheel, forcing their large gates open.

Followed by clouds of dust, the collectors drove into the castle courtyard in their carriage, pulled by a monstrous tarantula and with it, a cart filled with silver, copper and gold. The driver, a large toad with a fully covered helmet, pulled the reins, stopping their steed right at the middle. Immediately, toads of all shapes and sizes rushed in and surrounded them, enthralled by the shiny trinkets in the back.

One toad in the crowd cheered. "Wooo! Yeah!"

"Wow, look at all that loot! You guys are great!" Another praised, happily surprised by the amount carried.

The leader of the tax collectors, a red-horned toad by the name of Bog, laughed. "Haha, yep! The new tax policy brought a bit of trouble but—" He grinned. "—we make it work."

And what trouble it was. Never once in his life did he expect to be chased out of town for performing his duties. Those frogs of Wartwood should've been grateful they even had the toads keeping track of them. A few missing heirlooms were worth the price of their small lives — poor farmers and dumb townies.

Still, it wasn't a complete loss. At the very least, they did get to enjoy their jobs. And for that one girl who decided to fight back? Well, she wouldn't be walking any time soon. His teammate Mire made sure of that.

For now, he was just glad to be back in Toad Tower, among his fellows. No mob of angry frogs or weird lanky girls; just him and his people. Sure, Toad Tower was not in the best of places and it stunk worse than his grandmother's corpse but as the quote was, 'You win some, you lose some.'.

"Are those the taxes you collected? Wow, good job, you three!"

There, at the back, a new voice called out. Bog never heard of anyone sounding so high-pitched before so it's must've been a newbie. It's only fair for him to greet her with the usual toad methods.

"Lieutenant Anne! Look at all this gold!"

Anne whistled. "Yep. That's a lot of gold."

Wait, Lieutenant Anne?

Bog slowly turned to the voice, surprised. This must've been the new second-in-command that he heard so much of. The reports seemed to speak highly of her but he didn't know any Anne before this, so she was definitely a newbie regardless of position.

As he turned to greet her cordially, he was instead met with shock.

Lieutenant Anne was the same creature Sasha was.

"What in the toads?! There's more of you?!" Bog cried out in panic. Quickly, he and his compatriots pulled out their respective weapons and readied themselves. If she was anything like Sasha, then this would be trouble.

Shocked by the sudden aggression, Anne lifted her hands up defensively, instantly anxious. "W-w-wait! I'm friendly!" She exclaimed. She knew early on that some toads would react negatively to her appearance. She's just used to the toads being okay around her.

Although her hands were up as a sign of peace, Bog didn't care for it much and charged at her, the soldiers around them baffled. Hastily, Anne's closest friends here — the skittish Staple and the hard-boiled Wright — stepped to her aid, their weapons out and blocking Bog from getting closer.

Bog was a tad confused but he didn't care. Too hopped up on bloodthirsty rage, Bog continued his charge.

Only to be stopped by his superior officer literally jumping into the fray and landing in-between them. His hideous glare alone was enough to snap the collector out of his anger, causing him to stop. "C-Captain Grime, sir!"

"At ease, all of you. That's an order." Grime snarled. "Now, explain to me why you suddenly attacked my new lieutenant."

Bog stared at him, stupefied. "That's the lieutenant?!" He yelled in astonishment. "I thought you said she was a lanky toad!"

"I said she was lanky. Never said anything about her being a toad." Grime replied. "But now that I think about it, that would've been useful to know." He then turned to the teenage girl. "What species are you?"

Anne blinked. "I'm a human." Weird how he never asked about that before. One would think that'd be important information.

Bog, however, was not satisfied. "Captain Grime! Permission to speak freely!"

Grime sighed and waved his hand. "Permission granted."

"I'm sorry to say this but I cannot for the life of me take orders from the likes of her!"

Hearing that, Anne frowned. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

She was, unfortunately, ignored. Bog continued without pause. "In fact, I object to her even being here! Her kind is a danger to us and it'll just bring disaster!"

"And how would you know that, soldier?" Grime asked, his brow raised questioningly.

While holding back, Bog growled. "Because I met one of her."

…

…

… Oh. It seemed that there was no need to send out a searching party after all.

"I see..." The captain mumbled under his breath. This made things easier but also a bit more complicated. Walking away, he motioned at the two of them. "You and Anne will be coming with me to the command post. The rest of you will be hauling the taxes to the vault."

This required some privacy.

The command post a.k.a. Grime's office: It was a fairly large room with a view of the courtyard, a table for office work, his own bedroom in the side and had a few dummies so he could sharpen his skills without needing to visit the training room. It was also isolated from other rooms, making it the perfect place to discuss sensitive matters other than the dungeon.

"Now then," Grime began, leaning on his table. "Give me your report."

And Bog did. Every single detail from as much as he could remember. Though, he exaggerated and/or altered a few minor specifics here and there — for example, how a stick figure with blonde hair technically beat him first — but it was somewhat accurate. He even told the name of the town which Grime noted immediately. It was the same town where some frog ran for mayor.

He even made sure to tell about how he broke her leg. That caused Anne to squirm uncomfortably, much to his delight.

"And what was her name again?" Grime asked.

Bog nodded. "Sasha, sir. And she's a pain in my butt!"

"I see..." Grime hummed. Sasha, huh? Now that was a familiar name. "Well, that will be all then. You and your team can go take a well-earned rest. I'll be handling your findings from here."

Bog frowned before pointing his stubby finger at Anne. "But what about her?!"

"Anne is under my tutelage and is thus, my responsibility. Her position reflects that. Anything relating to her is none of your concern." Grime replied. "You are dismissed."

"B-but—!"

"You. Are. Dismissed."

Bog's fist clenched. He wanted to protest but in toad culture, social hierarchy was everything. There's a reason why Grime was the captain and he wasn't. Right now, it wasn't his place to complain. Without another word, Bog turned around and walked out of the room, frustrated at his leader, something even Grime was aware of.

Though, Grime wasn't bothered. A single soldier can stay as irritated as he wanted. So long as he didn't try to commit treason, the collector's opinion was none of his concern.

Meanwhile, by his side, Anne was holding her breath. Once Bog was more or less out of earshot, she opened her mouth and let out an ear-piercing scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Grime flinched. "Could you please not?!"

Anne took a deep breath and slapped her own cheeks. "Sasha's here and she's so close! Like, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" She yelled giddily like some schoolgirl. She was one but that wasn't the point. "We know where she is now! We have to go to Wartwood immediately. She'd be so happy to see me and maybe we'll even find Marcy togeth—!"

"No."

Without hesitation, he gave his answer, walking to his chair. Slowly, Anne stared at him, betrayed and shocked. Grime, though, only sighed. He knew this was coming.

"What?! W-why not?!" Anne asked, distressed.

"Because, in case you haven't noticed, Toad Tower is still in shambles. We now have the means to attain the necessary resources to make full repairs but that could still take a while. And I can't leave the tower until I am confident it can take on another attack!"

Anne groaned. "Urgh, but that's even more weeks!"

"Then we'll wait more weeks. It's not like your companion is going to disappear any time soon if the report is accurate." Grime exclaimed. "Plus, you still have training to do. You're far from being able to properly control your powers."

Anne wanted to argue but he wasn't exactly wrong. When she used her powers to cut that armoured dummy in half, it was powered by her frustrations at a certain person, which itself was a problem. Anne needed a way to trigger her powers without going emotionally unstable. After all, her strength wouldn't be very useful if she got mad and broke down a wall in a fit of rage.

She needed to control it. She just… wasn't sure how yet.

Dejected, Anne grumbled annoyedly under her breath. "Mmm, fine..." She really needed to get this whole 'superpower' thing working right now.

With the taxes finally stored and the paperwork done, the Frog Valley's collectors were free to spend the day however they wished. With how much animosity and anger was directed at them, they pretty much deserved it. Not a lot of toads were fit to become tax collectors.

Though, not all of them were spending their time wisely. Despite the assurance, Bog was still sceptical. How was it that the only non-toad in the whole fort managed to get all chummy with the captain? In fact, how was it that she's getting chummy with literally everyone? Not a single toad in sight seemed to be as irritated as he was.

She was up to something. He could feel it.

Just then, his comrade Fens appeared, waving hellos. Much like Bog, she got a free day as well. "Hey, Bog! What's up?"

"I don't trust her."

Fens raised a brow. "Who?"

Bog growled. "The 'Anne' girl, obviously! If she's anything like that Sasha, then she's trouble. I can tell."

Fens, however, disagreed. "I don't know. She's pretty nice."

"Pft, yeah, like a frog." Bog remarked. "I bet at some point, she's just going to turn her back on us, believe me."

And when she does, he'd be there. That was left unsaid.

Though, he didn't know when that'd be. Just to make sure, Bog decided to spend his free time following her around, observing her every move. If he found even the smallest hint of betrayal, he'd be ready with a knife stuck in her back. For now, he'd bide his time.

Speaking of Anne, the teenager was walking around the inner walls, looking for something to do. Although Anne technically didn't have any responsibilities, she still wanted to help somewhat. Staying in the training room all day was tiring and she needed some way to de-stress. She even opened that Muay Thai class to help train the toads but that was a work in progress.

Still, that didn't stop her. Anne continued to give a hand in anything. Her work experience might have been limited to a restaurant but that didn't mean she didn't know anything about construction. Whether masonry or woodwork, Anne excelled greatly. Plus, her friendly personality made it very easy for her to mingle with the other toads.

She just wished she could use that 'strength' of hers to make things quicker.

As she walked around, she noticed Staple, one of the first toads she befriended, nearby. He seemed to be dragging something heavy with great effort. Quickly, Anne rushed to his side and grabbed one end of the burlap sack.

"Here, let me help you with that," Anne said, hoisting it up.

Noticing this, Staple nodded and lifted the other end as well. "Thanks, Anne! You've really got a big heart." He said, leading the way.

Anne blushed. "Aw shucks!" She exclaimed with a smile. She was always weak to compliments. As they continued their path, she accidentally whiffed the bag's odour, causing her to stick her tongue out in disgust. "Ugh, what is in this stuff?"

"Just some poop. Gotta feed the plants somehow!"

"... Ah. Welp, I'm never doing gardening then."

The very next day, Bog looked miserable Surprising since someone like him was rarely miserable.

"Ugh, it's hopeless!" He complained, throwing his arms up in frustration. "I've been following her around for the whole day yesterday and all she's been doing was helping the others and being nice. It's sickening!" He then looked at her from the distance and sneered. "And look at her arms! They're basically twigs! No wonder it was so easy to snap that Sasha girl's leg in half. They're so weak!"

Next to him, Fens shrugged. "Hey man, maybe we should give her a chance. I mean, Captain Grime seems to like her. She's probably a lot better than Sasha."

Bog scoffed. "Really? And how would you know that?"

Fens didn't answer. Instead, she just looked away, fidgeting nervously. At that point, Bog was confused as to her unusual behaviour and began looking closer. That's when he saw it.

"I-is that an eyepatch?"

"Oh, you like it? Lieutenant Anne gave it to me. She said that it helps with the healing." Fens claimed, hesitantly showing it off. The eyepatch had a pink lotus stitched on it. "Also, I think it's really fashionable."

Bog blinked. Immediately, his face flushed red in anger. "I can't believe you! I thought you were on our side!" Bog yelled, enraged.

Now, back in Wartwood, he didn't trust Sasha that much with her being whatever she was but Fens? He's worked with her for years. He knew what she was like and how she acted. She was a bit on the slow slide but Fens was a good fighter and a reliable comrade. Thus, she was definitely someone he could count on to watch his back.

To hear her fraternizing with the enemy? He'd never felt so betrayed.

Fens, on the other hand, tilted her head to the side. "There were sides?"

So shocked by the revelation, he slapped himself in the forehead. It didn't hurt but he really wished it did. "Come on, Mire! One of us has been compromised." He said, turning to his only other teammate. However, he didn't budge. "Mire?"

Contrary to his looks, Mire was a sensitive boy. He wore that huge and ugly helmet not because it protected him from rocks and swords, but because it protected him from harsh words. After all, no one could hurt his feelings when they couldn't see his streaming wet tears. Plus, he couldn't see them either once he squeezed their heads like grapes. You know, because of the tears.

Without Bog knowing, Mire had talked to Anne earlier. The content of the discussion was not important but in short, Anne gave him some encouraging words and told him to 'break out of his shell like a butterfly', whatever that meant.

He appreciated that.

"OH, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Bog complained even louder. He could not believe what he was hearing right now.

Fens frowned. "Come on, Bog. Give her a chance. Who knows, maybe you might just befriend her."

He growled. "I doubt that."

What was the most important part of an army? Was it the quality and advancements of weapons and armour? Nay! Was it the military training and tactical use of soldiers in warfare through combat strategy? Nay!

No, the most important part of an army would be the logistics. In other words, it's the distribution of necessary resource. For example, food.

Much like every other fort on Amphibia or any other world, Toad Tower has its own canteen hall. During breakfast, lunch and dinner, hungry and tired toads would march their ways into the eateries, ready to stuff their faces with semi-delectable meals. None of the food was any great, to be honest, but this was a military compound; not a 5-star restaurant. Nutrition and volume were more important than taste.

So when Anne first got here, she was fed slops of unimaginable horror behind bars. She assumed this was just what the prisoners eat as a method of unusual torture. It did explain the skeleton she was roommates with during her time there. But after being released, her hopes for a decent meal were dashed almost instantly.

Something had to change.

And so, Anne Boonchuy, teenage Thai-American chef and overall self-proclaimed best dancer in school, stomped her way into the kitchen to give the chefs a stern talk. And by stern talk, she meant giving advice because they obviously didn't know what they were doing. They did not appreciate being talked over like that so the response was… aggressive. There were a lot of arguments and thrown knives but by abusing her 'lieutenant' position, Anne won the fight.

From then on, every midweek, it would be Thai Night.

Bog stared at the concoction served to him. In the bowl in front of him was an orange-red liquid, its oil swirling on the surface. Included were lemongrass, onions, a bunch of leaves and a few bits of mystery insect meat. "Uh, what is this?"

Fens, about to take a sip, replied. "It's called tom yum. Some kind of spicy soup. You should try some."

Bog looked uncomfortable. "Ugh, it smells fishy."

"That's because it has fish in it. Shrimp, I think."

"Shrimp? Where the croak would you get shrimp? We're in the edge of Frog Valley surrounded by deadly forests, at the very centre of Amphibia!" Bog said in disbelief. "The closest ocean is hundreds of miles away!"

Fens shrugged which somehow, unintentionally, made him even angrier. Knowing he wasn't going to get a good answer any time soon, Bog sighed, disappointed at his meal. The soup was still warm, as shown by the steam escaping from it. Grabbing a spoon, he took a small portion and shoved it into his mouth. For a few moments, it was quiet as Bog gurgled it within his cheeks. It was kinda nice, actually.

But when swallowed, that's when he tasted hellfire.

"GHAK! ACK!" Bog coughed. Did he just voluntarily drink poison? Did everyone?!

He was still breathing so... No.

Fens laughed at the reaction. "Oh yeah, it's got a bit of a kick. Kinda reminds me of Newtopia but a lot milder. You've ever been there, Bog?"

Newtopia? Why would he ever go there?! A city of pompous nobles and dumb college students!

He wanted to take a break from all of this. Tax season was supposed to be fun but with what happened at Wartwood, no amount of gold or silver was going to lighten his mood. Those frogs and that Sasha creature went too far! And of course, the toad mayor was nothing short of pathetic.

They ruined it. They all ruined this happy holiday. And even when he thought it was over, life just had to throw a curveball in his direction. One with the name 'Anne'.

He has had enough.

"You know what? That's it!" Bog slammed his hands on the table, enraged.

The loud clanking of forks and plates took the canteen's attention, everyone murmuring amongst each other. He then climbed onto the table, stomping on the wood. Anne, who sat beside Captain Grime at the frontmost table, raised a brow at the commotion.

In clear sight, Bog pointed at her with a hiss. "You, human! I challenge you to a TOAD TUSSLE!"

Fens and Mire gasped.

The entire canteen of toads collectively gasped.

Staple and Wright almost dropped their meals.

Captain Grime shook his head in disappointment.

And Anne? She looked just as confused as she's been.

"A toad what now?"

Grime sighed. "Hah, a Toad Tussle. It's a... traditional way of us toads to deal with arguments. Basically, you just fight each other in a ring until one of you can no longer stand. The winner wins the argument." He explained nonchalantly.

"Oh, cool," Anne replied. She respected that part of toad culture. Swinging back, she turned at her challenger. "Hey, uh, Bog, was it? Yeah, I kinda don't want to fight you. I mean, I appreciate the offer but, uh... Not feeling it..."

"Why? Because you'd get hurt? You're afraid of a little flail?" He antagonized.

Anne's brows furled. "Hey dude, those flails are dangerous! Also, I don't have a reason to fight you. Heck, I barely know you."

The crowd whispered audibly. Anne had shut down his challenge with the greatest power ever seen in toad history — common sense. But Bog was no fool. He quickly realized that there was no way for him to coax her into accepting this fight, which meant he needed a new strategy.

Barrel The Brave's Tactic No. #154: 'Two toads are stronger than one toad.'

Bog scoffed. "Keh, and you're supposed to be the lieutenant of the tower? You and your noodle arms?"

"Hey, now that's just mean..."

He turned around to his fellow, the table his stage. "We're toads of Toad Tower! We live, we fight and we survive! And you, our lieutenant, are supposed to be an example!" He shouted with vigour. "Now tell me; how can we put our trust in someone that doesn't live up to our traditions? If we get attacked or, dare I say it, face a rebellion, how can we win when our own leader is 'just not feeling it'?"

Gradually, the whispering grew. While the toads did enjoy Anne's presence, they were still toads; battle was in their blood. Anne was too green and simply didn't carry the discipline and hardboiled-ness of a trained soldier. In short, she lacked strength.

Now, Anne was strong physically. But there was more to strength than just how many weights you can carry.

With the dissidence erupting, Grime had to get involved before it went out of hand. "Alright, settle down!" The captain ordered, silencing the hall. "Anne, Bog; the fight will take place in an hour at the courtyard. Ready yourselves."

"Sheesh, what is that guy's deal with me?" Anne said annoyedly, fixing up her armour. Behind her, Wright was sharpening her sword with a grinding wheel.

"He's a tax collector. They're all jerks." He scoffed, checking the blade's sharpness.

"Aren't you guys being paid by the same taxes they collect?"

"Eh, doesn't mean I have to like them." He replied. "Not after what they did to Louise."

Anne decided not to ask who Louise was.

Knock knock knock!

The door creaked open, revealing Staple. "Hey there, Anne? You, uh, ready? The crowd's really going crazy."

She sighed. "Well, as ready as I'll ever be. Anything I need to know?"

Staple thought about it hard, almost straining himself. The effort eventually paid off and Staple snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah! Uh, don't die."

Anne glared. "Thanks."

Walking out of the dressing room-slash-armoury, the trio headed straight towards the courtyard. Even from behind closed doors, Anne could hear the cheers of the audience. As the toad guards pushed it open, the muffled cheers exploded.

Anne was no stranger to a bunch of people watching her. After all, she was part of the drama club. But this felt way different. For one thing, there was no stage — instead, in the middle of the courtyard was a ring made of rope. At the edge, lines of toads stood, cheering wildly. Some even stood on barrels and boxes to get a better view.

She hissed sharply. "Oh boy..."

"Be careful out there, Anne!"

"Yeah! Beat the croak out of him! Avenge Louise!"

She still wasn't going to ask about that.

There at the centre of the ring, her opponent waited impatiently. In his hands was a mighty war hammer, one that had served him well over the years. Much like Anne, he wore a basic set of toad armour, though his' had seen better days.

Next to him was the referee: a toad wearing a striped shirt. Oddly enough, he also painted his face with the same stripes. As Anne stepped forward, the referee nodded. "Alright, I want a fair and clean fight. General rules apply. That means no maiming, killing or hitting anything below the belt."

Bog chuckled darkly. "No promises. Height difference and all that."

Anne frowned at the response. She'd have to watch out for that, especially since he fought Sasha and won.

The referee, noticing the two were ready, quickly stepped back to a safe distance. With a wooden whistle, he blew hard, signalling the match's start. Though, it was immediately drowned out by the crowd's fervent shrieks.

"Go, Anne! Go!" Staple yelled.

"Hammer down, Bog! Hammer it down!" screamed Fens.

Neither of them it, however, against the clashing steel. Bog did not hesitate at all in swinging his hammer, taking Anne off-guard. Her legs shook against the weight of his weapon, her sword holding it back. Remembering Grime's lessons, she pushed herself back for some breathing room and quickly fixed her stance.

Bog grinned. "Heh, nice form. But it doesn't take an expert to tell how green it is."

Anne didn't bother to reply and focused on the fight. Accepting her silence, the horned toad yelled out a warcry and charged after her. Although her sword was lighter than his hammer, she still wasn't used to its weight.

Regardless, Anne slashed the sword at him, only to be blocked by the hammer's handle. Bog parried the blade to the side, followed by a heavy swing at her thin ankles — a tactic taught by experience. If struck, it would've ended the fight instantly.

Fortunately, Anne anticipated this.

When Grime made her his lieutenant, he began training her personally and oh boy, was it brutal. There were many lessons taught, followed by the consequence of not taking them to heart. He was a very practical person and his lessons reflected that.

Lesson #1: Footwork.

Pulling her leg back, Anne barely avoided the hit. With her foot poised, she then kicked him in the face, the height difference proving advantageous.

"GAH!" Bog yelled in pain, taken by surprise. On his face was Anne's shoe print, red from the bruise. Wincing at the sting, he growled.

Meanwhile, Anne smiled gleefully. She actually managed to get a hit without getting injured herself. Considering her training, this counted as an achievement. The toad captain was not very good at holding back.

"Woooo! I did it! Yeah!" Anne cheered, causing Grime to facepalm.

"Don't celebrate in the middle of a tussle!" He yelled from his seat.

"R-right! Sorry!"

It didn't take long for Bog to fix his footing and charge back in but with newfound confidence, Anne began her counterattack. Focusing on her light feet, she expertly dodged each of his weighted swings and struck back in turn. Bog would pull his hammer to protect himself but with inertia working against him, each block took a sizeable portion of his strength.

"Will. You. Stop. Moving!" Bog barked between breaths.

"Why? Because you're too slow to do any real damage?" Anne replied mockingly. He gritted his teeth, growling aggressively and falling for her taunt.

No matter how many times he swung, Anne would just take a step back. He even almost pushed her out of the makeshift ring if it weren't for her stupid toad friends. Traitors, the lot of them.

Eventually, he started breathing heavily, tired from all the sudden shifts. He usually dealt with monsters and beast who, due to their size, weren't so keen at dodging. As strong and experienced as he was, he could never handle a prolonged battle.

With one tired heave, he swung his hammer overhead. Though, this time, Anne didn't move aside. Instead, she lifted her blade and stopped the hammer in its tracks. After so many moves, his strength had faded, leaving him weakened enough to be halted.

Anne didn't hesitate with what came next. In one move, she twisted her blade and pulled Bog's hammer out of his fingertips, disarming him at the spot. She then immediately kicked him onto the ground, now defenceless. Anne pointed her sword at between his eyes, causing him to flinch.

"Give up!" She ordered, her eyes full of determination.

Looking into them, something sparked inside of Bog. In a week, he lost against a human being twice. In a week, his pride was scratched and stepped on. He was chased out of town and, for the first time in his life, utterly humiliated. Bog was never one who handled loss well and he's the type to hold grudges.

Seeing those eyes again, it filled him with unbridled rage. However, unlike last time, he didn't have his companions to help him.

"... No." He spat. Immediately, he shot out his tongue and slammed the appendage in Anne's face, knocking her back.

"ARGH!" Anne shrieked, letting go of her weapon. She then sloppily tried to rub off the saliva from her face where the very thought grossed her out. "EW EW EW EWWWW!"

So engrossed in her uncleanness, she didn't notice the hammer being right behind her and clumsily tripped over it, falling backwards. "W-WOAH! OOF!"

Anne groaned, her butt and hips feeling sore from the fall. At the very least, she got most of the disgusting drool off of her. It didn't take an expert to tell that the guy had a horrible mouth. Did he ever brush his teeth? Was dental hygiene even a thing here?!

Before she could get back, the hammer under her legs was swiftly pulled away by none other than Bog who, in a turn of events, now stood over her victoriously.

"You" he growled. "are just as much trouble as she was. I've served Toad Tower for years and there's no way I'm letting some ugly creature like yourself tell me what to do."

He lifted his hammer up high. "This time, I won't miss."

Killing was illegal in a Toad Tussle. That was part of the unwritten rules. But toads were hardy folk and often time, their fights would turn bloody, simply because they didn't hold back. This was why discipline was strict in toad culture. Otherwise, you'd have a bunch of barbarians running around, pillaging everything and letting their strength make them mad. To hold back was its own type of strength, one that required a tad bit of wit.

Killing was illegal in a Toad Tussle. That didn't mean it was uncommon.

Staple gasped, realising the direction of the fight. Wright stepped forward but had no weapon and thus, had no idea what to do. In the back, Grime stood up from his chair, ready to intervene at a moment's notice. His fingers clasped tightly around his sword's handle.

No matter what anyone in the audience did, it'd be too late. The hammer struck down with all of Bog's available strength, his killing intent burning hot. No matter the beast, it would be no different than mud against the metal. He will pulverise her and he will see it through.

Mere feet from her head, her life flashed before her eyes. She remembered it all; how she and Marcy hung out at a playground, how a bunch of teenagers bullied them that day and how they met Sasha and became quick friends.

How different would her life have been if Sasha didn't appear that day? Would she still get transported here? Would she ever figure out how to handle those mean girls? And what about Marcy? She was there too that day. How would she be like?

Marcy, poor Marcy... She was here too, stuck in another world and forced to face such hellish conditions. Out of the three of them, she was the least physically fit and good with nature. Not like Anne was any better with the latter but she got lucky, being sent so close to a fort.

Marcy could be dead and she wouldn't even know. And Anne knew for sure who to blame.

Her eyes glowed blue.

BONG!

Bog smiled, his hammer hitting its mark. That sure helped relieve a lot of his pent-up stress and despite how messy it was and how he'd definitely be reprimanded for this, it was totally worth it. At least now, Toad Tower was back to normal.

The red-horned toad tried to pull his hammer but it wouldn't budge.

"... What the toad?" He muttered. Again, he pulled hard but the hammer just wouldn't move. Why was this happening?

Slowly, his tunnel vision lifted and finally, he saw the problem.

At the other end of his hammer was not the splattered remains of his opponent. No, it was worse; his opponent was uninjured and was gripping the thick heavy steel with her bare hands.

Anne's glare pierced through him. She squeezed her hand and the hammer's heaviest part crumpled like a tin can.

"... Oh."

Those were the only words he could muster. Stunned by her display, he was unable to react as she hoisted the ruined weapon up and above her, him included.

"W-W-W-WOAH!" He screamed in a panic. Too stupified, he held on as hard as he could, not like that did much other than turning him into a ragdoll. In the end, she tossed him and his weapon off to the far wall, right over the audience. "GYAAH!"

CRASH!

Bog smacked face-first into the stone wall, cracking the structure. That crack grew and so, the wall collapsed and crumbled, turning into debris. Sand and dirt blew away as everything fell apart on top of him.

As the dust settled, Anne walked forward. There, buried in the rocks and sand, laid Bog. He was bruised both inside and out but from a glance, she guessed that he'd live.

Bog groaned, his body sore all over. Too weak to move, he watched as Anne came closer, stopping just a few feet from him. Like a dog, he spat out. "You're going to finish me off?"

To his surprise, Anne shook her head. "Nope. You're out of the ring." She said, pointing at the rope ring behind her. "That means I win."

It took a few moments for the crowd to process it but when they did, it turned into a huge celebration. The toads went wild, cheering at the top of their lungs, throwing their own equipment up in the air. Wright and Staple quickly ran to her side, lifting her above their heads. Soon, she was paraded at the centre of the courtyard, cheers all around. The only thing missing was confetti and Anne wasn't sure if that was a thing here either.

At the back, Captain Grime let out a sigh of relief. He really thought he had to intervene but seeing her take down a fully-trained toad soldier on her own made his cold and dead chest feel warm.

Was this pride? In someone else?

There's a first for everything.

While Anne was being crowned champion, she glanced behind her and saw Bog pushing himself up. Next to him, Fens and Mire appeared, the former holding a huge smile, the excitement still running through. "That was a great fight, Bog!"

Mire even gave a thumbs up, not like that did much. Bog still lost and this time, that fact was hammered into him. He noticed Anne shoot a stare at him but said nothing. Bitterly, he silently walked away with his two comrades following from behind, leaving the human to watch.

Anne stared at his crushed form, sympathizing somewhat.

"Even after all that, he still doesn't like me," Anne said, feeling somewhat discouraged. "Geh, reminds me of Maggie."

After the fight and a short party, Captain Grime and Lieutenant Anne returned to his office where, much like his usual days, he looked over a few reports and do some paperwork. Seeing that she did pretty well with herself, Grime decided to give the girl a break and postpone their usual evening training session. It didn't explain why she decided to hang out in his office while he's still busy but he wasn't in the mood to kick her out either.

"You can't please everyone and it's a waste to even try. Some toads just don't have the heart for it." Grime replied without looking. "And when you meet such toads, you'll have to deal with them in your own way."

"By being as friendly as possible?"

"I was thinking more of crushing them until they show respect but you do you."

Anne thought about it and there was some truth in his words. It's impossible to befriend everyone — she figured that out early on. But she had to try anyway. Who knows? Maybe it would've worked, as crazy as that sounded. She shouldn't let this one failure discourage her, no matter how much it irked.

Anne sighed, disappointed but accepting. "Yeah, you're right."

Grime's eyes widened. "Oh, you agree with me? Well, that's a first." He muttered before clearing his throat. "A-hem! Well, in any case, I saw that you used your powers. And you weren't even emotionally distressed this time."

"Yeah... I just—" Anne exclaimed, only to pause. "I didn't want to lose. I always hated losing. I've always been more of a solo act in sports but when you're so close to victory, you just want to give your all! So I just, kinda, 'pulled it out', y'know?"

"And that worked?"

She shrugged. "Eh, for a bit. Didn't last though."

"So you're saying that for your powers to work, you have to let your hate flow through you..." He stated cryptically. Considering there was no way to be sure, he nodded nonchalantly. "Eh, why not?"

"That's your response?"

"I'm not the kind of toad that dabbles in magic. I just know a bit of it, mostly so that I can kill magicians properly." He responded. "Who knows what tricks those slimy bastards have up their sleeves..."

Anne rolled her eyes at the reply. She never met any wizards herself but they couldn't be all bad, right? Marcy always said that magic-users like wizards, magicians and witches were the second-best class, right below artificers and rangers. And if she knew anything about fantasy games, it's that dexterity-based classes were trickier than a bunch of old men with funny hats.

Nonetheless, Anne promptly shook her head. This wasn't the time for that. She had a bigger issue to tackle.

"Still, I don't get why you won't let me look for Sasha myself. It's not like I'm going to run away or anything." She stated out loud.

With how unpredictable life had been, Toad Tower was an anchor that kept her grounded. There's no way she would run off without thinking. And Grime knew it too. "That is true. I know you won't leave without notice but… it's not you I'm worried about."

Anne raised a brow, confused and thus, urged Grime to continue. "From what you tell, your friend Sasha does not sound like the trustworthy type. And if the tax collector's reports are accurate, then she's also dangerous."

He then looked straight into her eyes. Even though one was blinded, the Thai girl felt it peered into her. "You must not let your bond with her cloud your judgement. I fear that if I'm not around, then you'll just be taken advantage of again."

"I won't!" Anne quickly argued. But for some reason, her words quickly lost strength. "I know I won't..."

She was strong. No, she was stronger. Grime helped her train and better herself. He's also the one that cleared her to reality. Sasha and Anne's relationship… She wasn't sure what it was now. Were they ever really friends or just fake ones like in TV dramas? Despite all that happened, she still wanted to believe their friendship was real and although not the healthiest, it was genuine.

Will Sasha manipulate her as she always did, wrapped around her finger? There was no guarantee that Anne wouldn't fall to the same scheme. Even though she noticed it now, there was always a chance that she'd follow the same ploy as usual.

That was what Grime was worried about and what she had to worry about herself. Frustrated, she bit her lips and her fists tightened.

In the end, she sighed in defeat. And yet, she turned to the captain with a toothy smile. "Okay, you're right! I won't go yet."

"Heh, again I'm correct! That's two-for-two."

"Plus, this old place might just need a little touch of Handy Anne." She added, showing off her muscles. "Like seriously, how is it that this place hasn't turned to dust by now? I'm pretty sure your table is older than me."

Grime frowned at the description. "Hey, this 'old place' is one of the few Toad Towers still standing from before even King Andrias's rule! It is a sacred place!"

"Dude, it's a fort. My world has tons of them."

"And how many aren't tourist attractions?"

Anne lifted a finger to counter. Unfortunately, her mind returned blank and slowly, her hands faltered.

"… Welp, you're right again."

"Haha, that's three now!"