Micchi Versus the New World - Chapter 120

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Chapter 120

A whole bunch of us were meeting in the palace throne room, mulling over what to do next. Even though we beat the shit out of Yusef and swiped his turf, Amarinth wasn't going to just bend over. Loraine didn't say a word and watched as the faction of Amarinth's nobility argued at the foot of the throne. Kain and military officers from both Jinwa and Scoth stood across from them, also arguing amongst themselves.

"This discussion isn't getting anywhere," Prince Kain finally said what everyone was thinking. "We need to press our forces into Mou'nan while Queen Ririko is still unaware of Sultan Yusef's defeat. Waiting too long will waste our element of surprise."

Jouann, the pretty boy elected to be speaker of Amarinth's newly established council, emerged from the crowd to protest.

"Prince Kain, I understand the need to end this war swiftly before dealing with the demons. However, understand that Amarinth had little resources going into this war to begin with. The former sultan stretched our food stores thin. Many cities might not even have enough to last the winter. We must concentrate our efforts against the greater threat while we may still fight."

When I glanced over to Loraine, her hands were folded in front of her mouth in thought. They had a tough choice ahead of them. Move their armies to fight Ririko and starve, or move their armies to fight the demons and also starve.

Someone rushed into the throne room and dropped to all fours. He was a Scoth soldier, gasping for air as sweat dripped down his forehead. Palace guards helped the guy up and offered a shoulder each to bring him closer. All eyes in the throne fell to him.

"Easy. Catch your breath and drink some water first," Kain said, bringing his own canteen up to the soldier's cracked lips.

"I… I bring news from Chieftain Breila and the Kazaar front! Commander Anya has been captured by Mou'nan forces," he said.

"Anya?" I inched forward and clenched my fists. "No fucking way."

"The former viscount of Ash'tar?" Jouann raised a brow.

"It was… an ambush… They hit us from everywhere at once so fast with such powerful magic…"

"Anego," Yui whispered. "No way Anya got done in by small fries. It's gotta be that caked-up bitch or Chika."

I was in agreement. The first time we fought, Ririko was strong enough to beat back me and Anya together.

"That towering freak show… Guess we gotta go save her." I sighed.

"Lady Loraine—" Kain stepped closer to the throne only for the Amarinth Council to block him.

"Sultana." Jouann squinted.

"Sultana, we all know how strong Lady Anya is. If they were able to defeat her, then it's imperative we move to face this threat now and rescue her," he insisted.

"I got a better idea," I chimed in. "We don't gotta send an army. Just let me and Yui handle this. Rest of you can stay here and figure out your food problem or whatever."

Loraine looked me in the eyes and nodded.

No surprise everyone was skeptical about sending us out there on our own, but we were their best bet. When the meeting ended and people were starting to disperse, Kain caught up to me.

"It could very well be a trap. You're absolutely sure about this?" Kain asked.

"When have I ever let you down?" I grinned, patting him hard on his shoulder plate.

"Well, if you put it that way… At the very least, I'm sending a small detachment of soldiers to join you. Best of luck," he said.

"Micchi," Loraine called to me from behind.

Kain excused himself, and Loraine took his place next to me.

"You gonna be okay here?" I asked.

Loraine looked over to Yui and Kawa wrestling on the ground. "Kawa's protecting me, and I'm surrounded by loyal councilors. I'm more worried about you. It's rare to see you shaken. Hearing about Anya's capture must have been a shock."

"That musclehead is tough, so I ain't worried. Yui and I will be peachy," I assured her.

Kain, Loraine, and Kawa saw us off at the docks. We boarded a ship with a group of twenty soldiers back to Ramatarj. From there, we loaded up supplies and got going in the direction of Kazaar.

"How long is this ride again?" Yui asked a mounted soldier behind our wagon.

"A day to Kazaar. Few days more to reach Yowan. Best get some rest for now. It's a bumpy ride once we hit the forests," she said.

Yui let herself fall backwards. She blew her bangs out of the way and stared up at the cloth tarp over the wagon. Stacked crates of weapons jostled around whenever the wheels ran over a rock or ditch.

"What's the matter, Yui? You bored? Wanna go hit some cactus outside?" I suggested.

"I'm not that bored! Well, I'm pretty bored, but… I'm just thinking about Anya. Hope she's okay," Yui said.

That made two of us.

I laid down next to Yui to join her, but she had already fallen asleep. As soon as I shut my eyes, sleep took me, too.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"We're allies of your Chieftain Breila!"

"Shut up! Put your weapons down and on your knees"

I woke up to a commotion going on outside. When I opened my eyes, Yui's foot was pressed right up against my cheek. She slept sprawled out on top of my legs. How the hell did she manage that?

"Hey, check that one. Sounds like there are people inside," a growling voice ordered.

After shoving Yui off, I scooted towards the back of the wagon. Someone beat me to it. They opened the flap from the outside. The face of a beastman snarled at me.

"Hah? Get outta my face, dog breath." I headbutted him away from the wagon and hopped out to a dozen weapons pointed at my face.

The twenty soldiers under my command were all on their knees, weapons on the ground, and hands at the back of their heads.

"Commander, you're awake!" the captain cried.

"The hell happened?" I asked.

"Th-They're from the Semaris Clan! Chieftain Breila's people! I'm not sure why or how, but it seems like there's magic controlling— ahh!"

A towering beastling knocked the captain to the ground before she could finish her sentence.

"No more outta any of you! And you with the club, put your weapon and no one gets hurt. We're taking you prisoners."

"The only thing I'm putting down is a smackdown. Come get some!" I shouted.

Ten of them jumped me at the same time. A spear snapped on my chest, a sword shattered swinging down on my shoulder, and arrows clattered off my chest.

"W-What the…?" The one with the broken spear gawked at the missing metal point, then smashed the shaft over my head.

"I didn't feel shit, but you—" I clocked him over the head with Sacchan.

My blow cratered him into the ground, and an ensuing shockwave knocked everyone off their feet.

The captain lifted her head only to have her jaw drop. "C-Commander, those are our allies!"

"Well, whaddya want me to do instead?" I picked up the feline beastling, who was seeing stars and shook him back to consciousness. "Snap out of it before I beat you up some more."

"Ow, my head… what happened?" He groaned.

"That's my line! The hell are you thinking, attacking your allies? We're UKD. You're Semaris Clan, right?"

"Semaris Clan… That's right! We were attacked by— Uguh!" The beastling seized up. His eyes glowed with a slight shade of pink. In a surprising burst of strength, he wrenched himself free and backed away.

Three winged, female demons descended from the canopy. They were half naked and might as well be wearing lingerie. One of them, a red-skinned demon with black sclera, landed behind the beastling and wrapped her arms and wings around him.

"Ara ara~ What do we have here? I had noticed our control over a group of beastlings had been severed. We've come to find that you were the one to do this?" the demoness asked.

Scoth and Jinwan soldiers alike swallowed hard, backing away from the demons out of absolute terror.

"They're… succubus…" the captain stammered.

"Suck-a-what?" I threw her a weird look.

"Succubus!" she repeated in exasperation. "Sex demons with magic powerful enough to control our bodies and minds by preying on our most vulnerable memories… The demon lord must really be pulling out all the stops to send succubi at us."

"I don't really get it— Oh! Like those kinds of demons guys at my school used to always drool over?"

One of the demons appeared behind me and threw her arms around my neck.

"How about I show you what you desire most—"

"Don't touch me." I elbowed the demon in the gut, grabbed her by the hair, and tossed her back to the other two. "If you're really what you say you are, I don't know where those hands have been."

"You… You'll pay for that!" the demon cried, wiping the blood from her nose.

"Get her, sisters!" the red one shouted.

All three of them flew right for me. I wound Sacchan up to fight when Yui jumped out of the wagon all groggy and yawning into her hand.

"Yui, watch out!" I warned.

"Huh? Is the fun over?" Yui asked.

A succubus embraced Yui from behind. She tensed up. Her eyes brightened to a shade of pink just like the beastling.

"Hahaha! What a catch. This one is strong! Can you hear me in there, my sweet?" she asked.

"Ehehe…" Yui fell under their control and hugged back, rubbing her cheek against the succubus' stomach. "Anego… is it just me or did you lose your abs?"

"The fuck is that demon showing you? That ain't me! Snap out of it, you idiot!" I yelled.

"Kyaaa~ This terrible demon is threatening me. Please, Yui. Won't you protect me from her?" The red succubus smirked at me.

"Hahh? Is someone screwing with Anego? I'll beat 'em up. Ora ora! Bring it on, bitch!"

I sighed into my hand.

The trio of succubus started cackling like a bunch of hyenas.

"Aww, look at her. Frozen with fear."

"What now? Afraid to hurt your own friend? Despair, human! Like all the rest who cannot lay a hand on those they know!"

"Just give up and fall under our control. We'll let you fight beside your precious friend again!"

Yui pounced at me. I grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the ground, then raised Sacchan above my head.

"Wakey-wakey, Yui!" I smashed Sacchan down on her with explosive force.

The succubi staggered back with their jaws unhinged.

"What… She didn't hesitate. Is she a monster?"

"This is out of our depths. We have to warn Lady Lilim! Hurry!"

They bolted into the canopy and out of sight.

"Oi! Get back here, you bimbos! Tsk… Gone already…" I pulled Yui out of the rubble. She was barely conscious but back to her senses.

"Anego… is that you?" Yui croaked, reaching out to grope my stomach with both hands. "Whew… it is you… Thank goodness you still have your abs…"

"For fuck's sake…" I rolled my eyes and threw her back into the wagon.

"Commander Micchi! You were incredible! To scare away three succubus like that is nothing short of extraordinary," the captain gushed.

The beastlings were coming back to consciousness now that the succubus magic on them was waning.

"Let's get these guys back on their feet and get going!" I ordered.

"Yes, Commander!" everyone boomed.