Parallel Vol. 1
Chapter 35: Song of Death & Deceit

“This is so good!” Iason declared as he wolfed down the food on his plate.

His outburst was concurred by the members of Kashi’s crew, as they too munched on the delicious meat.

Kashi sat with his back to the fore-mast, practicing his sculpting skill. The food he made would grant the crew with boosted stats for a limited time. Considering the scale of the mission, they would need all the added strength they could get. A shadow blocked the sunlight and he looked up.

“You raised your cooking skill?” Lunette asked.

“Yes. I won’t need to waste money on food if I can make it myself.”

“Heeh? You’re the economic type?”

He chuckled. “No, I don’t mind spending money. But with a high cooking skill, I receive a bonus to other skills like Alchemy.”

“But isn’t it boring? Crafting, I mean.”

“Hmm. Depends. Let’s see.. here.” He tossed the figurine he had been working on to her.

“Wh-what’s this?!” She gaped at the terrible caricature of a Frogger.

He shrugged. “They were ugly anyway. My failure didn’t change much.”

Her shoulders shook as she covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laugh. She coughed to regain her composure. “That didn’t answer my question.”

“Well, it’s not completely boring. Especially if you already envisioned the finished work.”

She sat down beside him. “I guess that’s true. I just can’t see myself working on those skills.”

“Could say the same for you. Haven’t met that many bards. Fewer even who go for the voice skill.”

“Haha. It’s odd isn’t it.” She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them.

“I love singing. Beats bashing monsters.”

“I don’t know about that; bashing can be quite therapeutic,” Kashi said as he stood up. “Besides, you should do whatever you want. Never hold back.”

She buried her face in her knees, hiding her smile. “...You’re insane.”

“Maybe.”

“We’re close!” Jero called.

“Now, how about we find you something to wear,” Kashi said. He pulled out some garments from his inventory, as a shadow crossed his face.

Her head shot up, her eyes shrinking to dots when she saw what he held. “...... Eh?”

Kashi’s crew erupted in cheers and whistles once Lunette came topside, dressed in tight armor that revealed far too much. A white scabbard on her side house a sword with a butterfly guard and grip of light brown wood.

“It’s fine,” Kashi said. “This’ll do just fine.”

The detached look in his eyes crushed her embarrassment. What’s with that! It’s like I’m not good enough! No, what am I thinking; I don’t want to be good enough. But it’s so annoying!

“Hmm? Is something wrong?” he asked.

She ground her teeth as she forced out, “No. Not at all. Why did you ask me to wear this?”

“It’s part of my plan.”

“Again. What is the plan?”

“Well, you’ll find out soon enough.” He said as he and Kira walked to the edge of the ship. “I already gave Jero instructions. Follow them and you’ll be fine.” They jumped over the edge.

“...Eh?” She stared at the empty spot he had been, her hair sticking out in confusion.

Kashi looked to the setting sun with trepidation.

This was taking longer than he had planned. If he did not find his targets in the next thirty minutes, he would have to go with plan B. Which would be detrimental to his future plan.

Kira suddenly perked up, eyes narrowing.

Kashi grinned. “You’ve got their scent haven’t you?” She growled in reply and ran off. He pursued closely, goosebumps erupting on his body due to the excitement.

They came to a stop at a short cliff overlooking an expanse of land. A herd of his targets mulled around, snacking on the local wildlife; the undisputed leaders of the food chain in this region.

“Good job,” he said, patting Kira. He took out his bow, and nocked an arrow, lining it with the closest target “Well, then. Let’s get started!”

Lunette shivered as the night breeze tickled her thighs. Shadow watched her with concern, but she smiled to reassure him. I’ll kill that Elf.

They crossed one of the bridges connecting the numerous tiny islands. These islands caused the river to split into smaller channels, turning it into a delta.

Their target was the behemoth placed strategically placed at the mouth of the Delta. It was huge and imposing; a masterpiece made from stones that could withstand tsunamis. Cannons stuck out of the walls, with mortars at their top. Their combined radius could wipe out anything within the delta.

She wrapped a cowl around her, drawing its hood over her head. She shared a look with her brother. He nodded, and they increased their pace.

“Keep alert!” Commanders yelled. Their voices carried across the fort, loud and obnoxious. Froggers and bandits alike jerked to attention.

A bandit cleaned his ears, tired of hearing his superiors’ incessant shouting. This was not what he signed up for. They were supposed to be pillaging, not hiding from a ragtag gang of rebels. Yawning, he looked down from his post at the wall.

“Hm?” Two figures across the moat caught his attention. “We’ve got visitors!”

A man in a purple robe walked up to him. He held out his wooden staff and mumbled something. An orb of light formed in front of his staff. It floated to the figures, pulsed and exploded, bathing them in its glow.

The figures were a boy with white hair and a girl(?) in a hood. Neither matched the description the Froggers had given.

“Who goes there?!” He shouted.

“My name is Shadow! My sister and I seek asylum for the night!”

He turned to the mage. “You heard him. What you wanna do?”

“Ask the captain,” the mage replied.

“Hey, hold on!”

The boy and his sister(?) nodded.

A few minutes later, the captain of the fort joined the mage at the wall. He looked down at the children. “What brings you here?” He did not need to shout. His voice carried well enough to the children.

“We were exploring and ran into too many monsters. We would like to pass the night here. We’ll leave in the morning.”

“And the girl?”

“She’s a bit sh-”

“Tell her to lose the hood,” interrupted the captain.

Lunette steeled herself as she threw off the garment.

Cooes escaped the lips of the bandits as they gawked at the angel incarnate.

The mage’s light danced on her hair giving it a sparkling greenish hue. The revealing armor resembled a flowing river as her skirt fluttered in the opportune wind.

She adjusted her hair behind her ear and looked up at the men with eyes that seemed to switch between blue and green. They were instantly bewitched.

The captain cleared his throat. “Lower the bridge.” He noticed the crowd on the walls staring at the girl. “Hey! Back to your posts!”

The disgruntled bandits shuffled to their posts, mumbling among themselves.

“Che.”

“Don’t worry bro, she’s coming in here.”

“hehe. She’ll do much more than spend the night.”

The iron drawbridge lowered and Shadow accompanied his sister, keeping three steps behind her. He still did not understand what Jero meant when he said Kashi had insisted he act like this. Still, there was something fun about deceiving blubbering bufoons. A sadistic grin crawled up his face, but he pressed his lips together to kill it.

He quickly took in the layout of the fort. There were several houses inside to accommodate soldiers over long periods of time. Except for those, nothing but trees populated its interior. It was built for the cannons and the cannons only.

They stopped in what seemed to be the courtyard. Several bandits leered at Lunette from the walls, buildings and around the courtyard.

“I thank you for your kindness,” Shadow said to the captain. He felt utter disgust for the manner of speech. However, this was the daeben’s operation and he had requested he speak that way. Damn, he was even starting to think in polite terms.

“It’s alright. You have a lovely sister.” Captain did nothing to hide the lecherous glint in his eyes. It was his way of telling the runt not to interfere.

Shadow suppressed a rising desire for murder. That would come soon enough. “That I do.” Captain tried to reach for Lunette, but she backed away and hid behind her brother’s back, clutching his arm.

“My apologies. She is extremely shy.” He gently placed his hand on her head. “She doesn’t react well to strangers.” Lunette tugged on his shirt. He bent down and she whispered something into his ear. “My sister says she would like to sing for your men to compensate for her rudeness.”

“She sings eh? Sure, why not.”

Shadow trembled, terrified by Kashi’s foresight. So far everything had gone as Jero had said. He hid his discomfort behind a smile as he took out a wooden acoustic guitar from his inventory. The shock in the bandits’ eyes was hilarious. He never got tired of using the inventory in the presence of residents.

He sat on the cold earth and plucked a string. It was not the best sound, but it would serve their purposes. His fingers ran across the strings strumming a beautiful melody that caught the bandit’s attention. You ain’t seen nothing yet.

Lunette took a deep breath as she activated <<Projection>> - a skill that distributed her voice across large areas. Once it gave her the notification, she clutched her hands to her chest.

Chills ran up the bandit’s spines.

An angel descended from the heavens and wrapped its arms around them. Fear, anguish, and pain ceased to exist, their insecurities washed away by her soothing voice. The bandits by the wall abandoned their posts and gathered around the blue goddess.

No matter how many times he saw it, Shadow was still stunned by her ability to seize complete control of a crowd. Her song intensified, and guided by her passion, he played even harder.

Nothing was spared from the lure of her voice. Crickets ceased their songs, plants bent towards her, and small animals gathered around for the one-of-a-kind concert.

Their performance continued late into the night. At a point, it seemed the earth itself shook with anticipation. The vibrations intensified and they realized it was an actual earthquake. This was where Jero’s instructions had ended. Wait for the earth to shake, then..

Boom!

“What’s that?!” Captain yelled as he shook his head, trying to regain his senses.

His voice whipped the guards out of their daze and they ran to their posts to investigate. They looked through their spyglasses in the direction of the sounds. The bandits went white with fear as they took several steps away from the wall. “G-G-G-Geruk Frogs! Over twenty of them sir!”

“What?!” Captain screamed. “Man the cannons! Now! Mages to the wall! Archers line up!”

Pandemonium ensued as the bandits, groggy from Lunette’s performance struggled to return to their stations. It took a while, but they soon gathered on the wall.

Captain snatched a spyglass from a bandit and looked to the horizon. A huge lump formed in his throat at the demons rushing in his direction. The frogs were as tall as the fort’s massive walls with different types of fauna growing on their backs. Their croaks echoed all the way to the fort.

Hands shaking, he shouted. “Fire!”

Projectiles from mortars, cannons, mages and any bowman strong enough flew high and long into the sky, then arched downwards to the encroaching swarm.

“That’s our cue,” Shadow said. He and Lunette had been abandoned in the courtyard as all the bandits focused on the east wall.

Lunette grinned proudly and flicked her hair over her shoulders. “Like stealing candy from a baby.”

“Yes, yes. Let’s go.” The duo ran towards the harbor as per Jero’s last words. Wait for the earth to shake, then escape through the abandoned harbor.

As they escaped on a rowboat, Shadow could not help but be impressed by the daeben’s terrifying planning.

Kashi and Kira raced through the dense forests that populated the islands around the delta. Boom! “Ack!” he cried as he lost his balance due to the tremors. He tumbled over, scrubbing the floor, before coming to a halt. Bruised and battered, he gritted his teeth as he rushed to his feet and resumed his run. He never glanced over his shoulder. He did not need to.

Twenty Geruk Frogs chased the foolish human that had attacked them. Each leap brought them closer, but he was irritatingly quick on his tiny feet. However, it was only a matter of time before he ran out of stamina. Then they would grind his bones and use it as a nest for their eggs.

Despite the Daeben’s injuries and predicament, a huge smile played across his face. It widened into a full-blown grin when the night sky lit up with several projectiles.

Cannonballs, arrows and mortar strikes crashed into the frogs, halting their advance. The smoke cleared to reveal the monsters barely harmed. They hopped in place roaring crazily as a gooey liquid oozed out of their backs. They abandoned the chase and turned their focus to the fort that had shot at them.

All according to pla-!

Kashi dodged to the side as a cannonball crashed next to him and exploded. Damn, he forgot to account for how terrible the bandits would be at aiming. He ran behind the monsters using them as cover as they approached the fort.

One of the frogs landed on a connecting bridge, destroying it.

“No you don’t! Come on Kira!” He called. The duo jumped onto the beast’s back. Its back was slimy so he wrapped his right hand around her, and held a tree growing on its back. “Whoo!” He cried in excitement as it leapt into the air. His eyes watered from the opposing wind, then his heart fell to his stomach as they fell back to the earth.

This was what he lived for! No matter what, it was impossible for the real world to give Suzuki this sort of thrill.

The fort came into view and he could make out the smoke from the walls and the people gathered on the walls. The frogs had been cut down to more than half their original number, but this only worsened their anger.

The bandits escaped from the wall as the Kashi’s frog crashed into it. He let go of the tree, and the momentum sent him and Kira flying off its back. Grinning, he held his bow and shot three bandits through their necks. They landed inside the courtyard as the wall and his frog-rode crumbled behind them. “Now, who wants to die first?” He smirked confidently at the confused and terrified bandits.

Six frogs survived the charge and leaped into the courtyard. They crushed the buildings beneath their feet as they glared at the two legged creatures.

“Kill them all!” Captain ordered. His loud voice galvanised the bandits and they roared as they drew their swords and lunged at the beasts and intruder.

“A three-way,” Kashi said as he dashed into the pandemonium.. “The best kind there is.”

Hektor and the rest moored at the pier behind the fort. Like Kashi had said, it was deserted. They jumped out of the rowboat and rushed in the direction of the fighting.

“Aaah!” a bandit cried as he was crushed between the frog’s webbed feet. The monsters shot out jets of sticky liquid from their mouths, slamming the bandits into walls.

The mages shot fireballs and lightning at the monsters. but the beasts kept attacking strong.

Meanwhile Kashi shot the bandits, ending them before they knew what hit them. Three Froggers attacked from behind and he shot three arrows into their respective heads. The bandits who tried to reach him met their end at his arrows which pierced through heavy and light armour with ease.

A squad of four attacked him from all directions and he nocked an arrow... only, he had none left. Shit! He parried the first strike with his bow, then grabbed the hand of the second attacker.

He kicked the first in the stomach, as Kira knocked the third over and chewed his throat out. He blocked the attacks of the last one with the second’s sword, grinning as Kira devoured the bandit before he could retract his sword for another hit. To finish the last one, he twisted the hand of the second bandit around his back and stabbed him with his own sword.

Got to find me some arrows.

He sprinted through the carnage dodging stray fireballs and water squirts. The bandits and Froggers were fully focused on the Geruk monsters, so they rarely noticed him as he pilfered arrows from the bodies of the fallen.

He felt a terrifying presence and hopped back as a Geruk Frog landed where he had just been. It glared at him with unmasked hatred, and he laughed nervously. “Don’t suppose you forgive and forget?”

It roared and shot out its sticky tongue.

He expected the attack and rolled to the side. it whipped past him and picked up debris instead. “I don’t think rock is a healthy diet,” he taunted.

It roared in anger, but regretted it soon after. Kashi shot arrows into its open mouth, grinning at its anguished cry. He dashed forward before it could regain its composure and hopped onto its head. He drew the bow to full length and fired. Continuously. Each strike pierced the exact same spot and the Frog leaped into the air in an attempt to shake him off.

Kash grabbed a tree support, and once it landed, Kira bit a huge chunk out of its hind leg, crippling it. The archer shot at the exact same spot until he bore a hole through the earth on its back. His next hail of arrows tore through its flesh and finally pierced its brain. The Frogger fell to the earth and Kashi jumped off of it.

There were only three Geruk Frogs left. The beasts glanced at their fallen sisters, and prepared to retreat. They would return to their home by the river. Later, they would invade with the help of their siblings and raze the humans to the ground.

“Fat chance!” Kashi yelled and swung down his arm.

Large metal spears drilled through the monsters, killing them instantly. The surviving bandits looked to the wall, to see Iason, and Jero with smoking cannons. They had lifted the cannons onto the walls while the fight raged on below. The spears were the ones Kashi had made earlier; he had said, it would be much more effective than cannonballs.

The twins guarded the sole staircase leading to the walls.

Hektor and Paris walked up to Kashi, weapons at the ready.

“Now,” Kashi turned to the bandits. “Let’s end this shall we?”

Raaah!

The bandit’s cries carried far, but their voices died in their throat as they stared at the three men. Thick aura radiated off them bursting with excited bloodlust. The criminals had no time to overcome it as Kira suddenly ripped into the last surviving mage.

She turned around and lunged at the archers while Hektor, Paris and Kashi attacked the remaining bandits.

It did not take long. They were soon routed and Kashi and his crew stood victorious. It was a lackluster battle, the bandits having lost all of their will.

Well, to be fair, it was not entirely their fault. Lunette’s bard ability had instilled disorientation in the ranks, and lulled their senses. If left alone, they might have recovered, but the added encroachment of the Geruk Frogs caused the Captain to make a bad call.

He focused his men at one point and ordered them to shoot the beasts. The sad thing was the frogs would never have attacked if they had been left alone. Any other day, he wouldn’t have ordered the bombardment, but Lunette’s song was quite effective. In the confusion, Kashi’s crew easily circled around the western wall and infiltrated the southern harbor.

It had all gone according to plan... Probably too well.

Kashi sighed as he gripped the captain by his collar. His eyes bored into the older man’s. They resembled pools of death. Captain shuddered as Kashi brought his face close to his and whispered, “Tell me everything.”

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