Chapter 44: Prelims Day 2 (Part 6)

[Rose!] - Malaise, Veronica and Shade

[Hey guys, so what's up with these moron's anyway?] - Rose

[Before that what took you so long? Where were you?] - Veronica

[We might want to deal with the large group of angry human's first so...?] - Rose

Loosely holding the blade of one of the weaklings in one hand I gestured to the much larger group nervously glaring at us. Seeming unwilling to be the first to deal with a new threat they were still keeping their distance while their apparent Commander had gone pale as soon as I showed up and was currently attempting to slip away. Taking in everything at once I relayed what I was seeing to Logic internally while still maintaining my grip on the sword of the moron that still had not attempted to run and was currently continuing to strain against my grip.

[O-Oh right! These idiots suddenly attacked us after Karen went ballistic!] - Veronica

[They seem to have planned this to some extent from their actions so I suspect that they were trying to use us in some way.] - Malaise

[...conspiracy.] - Shade

[I see, you're gonna have to let me know the exact details later but in the meantime...] - Rose

[Did you think you could hurt my friends and live worm?!?] - Rose

Hearing their, probably dumbed down, version of what had led to this point caused the already simmering anger in my heart to boil over as I slowly turned towards the crowd of dozens of now shaking guardsmen. Releasing a bit of pressure as I turned I glared at the Commander in the distance that had broken into a sprint as he attempted to run as far away from what must have felt like impending death from his perspective. Feeling an intense rage surging forth from the power I had awakened during training I attempted to reign it back a little so I wouldn't lose control, causing a bloodbath wasn't my goal... yet.

Letting loose even a portion of my strength had an immediate effect as most of the group between myself and my prey instantly lost consciousness and even a few of the elite member's of the group fell to the ground, including the Commander that had nearly made it into a side alleyway in the distance. Glancing down at the quivering sword still held in my grasp I briefly noted that the man that was holding it was now foaming at the mouth so I let go of the now warped blade, no need to hold onto something that was barely a sword anymore afterall.

Slowly slithering my way through the myriad of unconscious or barely conscious bodies of which only a few reacted to my passing I kept my eye's focused on the target of my Draconic anger who was now quivering in a puddle of his own urine as he attempted to crawl away from my approach.

[I asked you a question trash?!? Do you think I'll let you live?!?] - Rose

[.....!] - Commander "Who the Hell Cares"

[ANSWER!!!] - Rose

[A-Austin? Is that you?] - Familiar Voice

Grabbing the pathetic excuse for a human by the throat I shook the man vigorously since he seemed unable to answer. Unfortunately for him my anger would not be appeased by such a lukewarm reason as that and I had finally lost the ability to hold back my killing intent as I lifted the man a little higher to get a better angle only to freeze in place when a familiar voice came from someone who up till now was silently watching me. In fact her silence and the condition of my friends had been one of the things driving my emotions to such extreme's so hearing her voice instantly brought my anger to a manageable level once more.

[K-Kare Kare? Karen you're okay! Kare Kare!] - Rose

Immediately tossing the garbage in my hand aside I turned to see my beloved slime girl, still much larger than normal, shrinking as she hesitantly approached. No longer caring about my surroundings since I'd been reunited with Kare Kare and she seemed to be recovering from... whatever had happened to her, I flung myself at the towering slime who now seemed more purplish rather than blue now that I was seeing her from up close.

[It IS you! Austin! I thought you'd never make it back! It hurt so much I lost hope! Why did you take so long?!?] - Karen

[I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry!] - Rose

[Ahem!] - Malaise

So distracted by the elation from seeing an unhurt, albeit slightly changed, Karen I completely missed her using my old name as we hugged each other. Or more specifically as I hugged a slime that was increasingly starting to spread around my body. Laughing as we did so I instantly froze, along with Karen, for the second time that day as I heard Malaise clear her throat.

[So Austin is it?] - Malaise

[Austin? What's that all about?] - Veronica

[...] - Shade

[U-Umm I can explain it's umm...!] - Rose and Karen

[Halt! In the name of the Abelis Royal Family freeze where you are!] - Commanding Voice

Realizing what Karen and I had let slip I felt panic replacing my gradually fading anger as I struggled to think of a valid reason for my confessed childhood friend to be calling me by a decidedly masculine name that had no connection with my current one. Luckily, or unluckily depending on how you looked at it, I didn't have to stall for long as an enormous battalion of soldiers came around the corner, a regal looking man at the front followed by several people in similar uniforms to the currently unconscious guardsmen.

[So you're saying that the guardsmen just attacked you for no reason?] - Interrogator

[Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying! I would understand if they had panicked and attacked Karen because of her size and her being a slime but they had no reason to attack us without any warning! Especially since we had witnesses to the assassin's attack beforehand!] - Malaise

[We have no report of any attack before your friend attacked our guardsmen.] - Interrogator

[ATTACKED YOUR GUARDSMEN?!? We only defended ourselves! You should be asking them about this not us!] - Malaise

[Don't you know who I am?!? If my mother hears about this there will be hell to pay!] - Veronica

[Now now, we're just trying to get to the bottom of what happened Lady Veronica de la Satania. We'd really appreciate it if you could cooperate with us.] - Interrogator

[Screw that! Bring my friends! I refuse to answer until I see them! MAL! ROSE! SHADE! WHERE ARE YOU?!?! KAREN! ANSWER ME!!!] - Veronica

[Please Lady Satania! They can't hear you anyways.] - Interrogator

[I DON'T CARE! LET US OUT!!!] - Veronica

[So you and your friends were attacked by assassin's?] - Interrogator

[...] - Shade

[U-Umm, would you answer the question?] - Interrogator

[...] - Shade

[Y-You're the daughter of the Lady Principal Night correct? What would she say of this conduct?] - Interrogator

[...] - Shade

[Are these really necessary?] - Karen

[We have to be sure you won't go... ballistic as you call it.] - Interrogator

[But handcuff's? Really? You know I can just change my hands to slip out of them right?] - Karen

[I doubt it, they're magic sealing and...! How did you do that?] - Interrogator

[See?] - Karen

[I refuse to answer any questions until I see that bastard that hurt my friends.] - Rose

[I'm sorry Lady Amchier we can't allow for that kind of risk. Please understand.] - Interrogator

[What I understand is that a group of pumped up idiot's with swords just attacked my friends and then those same guardsmen are now trying to hold my friends and I and are questioning us like WE'RE the criminals. You can be glad I haven't decided to break out of here yet but if you waste too much time I'll take matter's into my own hands.] - Rose

[Lady Amchier. While I'm sure you're certainly powerful enough to have confidence in your skill you can't possibly ask me to... holy shit!] - Interrogator

[Yeah, you see that wall? That's what I'll do to that bastard that dared to hurt my friends. Now we have nothing else to speak about.] - Rose

[Haaaaaah....] - Interrogator

[That bad huh?] - Guardsman

[You have no idea, not only are they abusive and noncooperative but because of their... unique, positions we can't even hold them for too much longer without causing an international issue.] - Interrogator

[And that's exactly why we're letting them go.] - Captain John

Sighing as he mopped up his sweat the man responsible to interrogating everyone involved on the civilian side of this incident thought about the hell he'd been put through over the last few hours. Those damn foreign noble's acted as arrogant in person as he'd always heard they would be! Didn't they understand that his job was to get the full story?!? It's not like he was accusing either side of anything so what's the harm in just answering his questions?!? It had gotten so bad that he was almost wishing for an excuse to just let them leave, it's not like they had the ability to hold them anyway. Either politically or power-wise.

While he was moping around about the whole situation to a nearby comrade he heard the last thing he expected considering the circumstances. The Captain of the Guard, followed by Lieutenant Kars and Prince Julias.

[S-Sir! I apologize for my inappropriate comment! Sir!] - Interrogator

[At ease, Sergeant I didn't take it personally.] - Captain John

[S-Sir, if I may ask? Why are we just letting them go?] - Interrogator

[Because we have already determined where the fault lies in this incident... Sergeant.] - Prince Julias

[P-Prince Julias! I apologize for my question! It will never happen again!] - Interrogator

[Is he always like this?] - Prince Julias

[I'm afraid so my Prince.] - Captain John

[S-Sir I hate to interrupt you but shouldn't we hurry and release them before they take matter's into their own hands?] - Lieutenant Kars

[Right right. We don't want them blasting any MORE holes in our walls. Dammit Commander Jean why'd you have to go and do something so stupid?!? Haaaaah...] - Captain John

[Sir?] - Lieutenant Kars

[Nothing nevermind. You wanted to see the Slime correct my Prince? I believe her name was... Karen?] - Captain John

[I actually wish to speak with all of them but you are correct in that I only have met Miss Karen. I wish to convey my countries deepest apologies for this entire incident so meeting with the affected group personally is only right.] - Prince Julias

[I defer to your wisdom my Prince just... be careful, they seem to be quite powerful.] - Captain John

[Hahaha! As am I Captain. As am I.] - Prince Julias