3rd day of the month of the gray dragon (March) 3:45 AM

  The prisons were located at the lowest point of the troll mountains. Although they were ordinary rooms carved into the rock and barred with meager wooden bars, the fact that they were guarded by a colossus like a mountain troll made them extremely dangerous. It was in one of these cells that the King of the Lizardmen—Lizard Magnus—had been locked up along with his entourage. He had been tricked like a novice, lured from his kingdom under the guise of an alliance, only to be thrown into a cell. How ashamed he was.

  "Uh-Uh! I see you look bad, Your Majesty!"

  Laplace commented, approaching the bars of the cell. He often came to mock the captured sovereign. He seemed to enjoy it, which is why Lizard never responded to him, refusing to show even a single emotion.

  "So, Laplace...How is our guest?"

  Vennominon asked, emerging from a dark wall, as if he had been there all along, watching.

  "Oh, Vennominon! You're back! Our friend Lizard is fine. What about the young Prince?"

  At the naming of his son, the King looked up, breaking his stoicism for the first time. Fear gripped his heart. Could they have taken advantage of his absence to attack the swamp and exterminate them? The thought alone revived Lizard's muscles, weakened by days of meager and insufficient food rations.

  "What did you do to my son?! What does this have to do with anything?!"

  He shouted in fury, grabbing the wooden bars. Lizard could have broken them, but was certain he was helpless against the combined strength of the clown and the snake. Not even at his best and armed with his trusty trident could he have defeated both of them, especially Laplace. Despite his clownish appearance, the clown had defeated him and his escort without even trying. Lizard suspected he was a demon, but had never encountered one so powerful.

  "Nothing...for now!"

  Vennominon laughed, drinking from a glass offered to him by one of the guards. He wasn't actually thirsty, but he couldn't resist the chance to drink in front of an exhausted and thirsty Lizard. He even waved the glass back and forth, as if to shove it in the prisoner's face.

  "However, you should know that he is a very important pawn in our plan."

  "A pawn?"

  "Exactly! To your notice we're not the only ones who want control of the forest! Your son will be a great distraction for our competitors!"

  Competitors? What the hell is he talking about?

  Lizard tightened his grip on the bars, almost cracking them. He had no idea who these aforementioned contenders for the conquest Laplace was complaining about were. The only silver lining in all that was that these mysterious competitors were a thorn in the side of his captors as well. However, the fact that there was someone else intent on conquering the forest was not good news at all.

  "My son would never be fooled by you!"

  Lizard shouted with ironclad conviction. He was sure Gabiru was completely capable of not being fooled so easily, especially by a snake man. They had already fought against that race, and he couldn't believe his son could trust a being from the historic enemy race of the lizardmen.

  "Yes, indeed! You should have seen him! He was so haughty, so naive!"

  Vennominon commented, laughing beneath his scales. He was managing to unnerve the infamous Lizard, known for being a wise and patient King. It was also a personal victory, since he was present during the war the lizardmen had won, forcing his race to hide underground like common moles. The hatred he felt for his scaly cousins was unparalleled.

  "You bastard! I'll—"

  "Ahahahah! You are ruthless, dear Vennominon! Worthy of your fame!"

  Lizard's complaints were interrupted by Laplace's laughter, who approached Vennominon and began circling him like a top. He seemed amused by the whole affair and was certainly enjoying the spectacle the most. While Gerud was amusing himself in his personal laboratory, called the Slaughterhouse, he had been relegated to guarding the prisoners. He could only entertain himself by making fun of them, and therefore found the assignment boring.

  “Be that as it may..."

  After yet another gyration, the jester stopped right in front of the captive King. Laplace leaned toward him and poked his nose with his finger as if he were a stray dog, obviously intended to taunt the other and enjoy his frustration. Laplace continued speaking in a cold, hard tone, staring the sovereign straight in the eyes. He wore his usual mask, but his red pupils were completely visible, so much so that he seemed almost designed to instill fear. If until that moment he had seemed like an idiotic buffoon, now he gave off quite the opposite impression.

  "Trust me, my dear Lizard...When we're done with this forest, there won't be a single lizardman left here!"

  Laplace stood up and began hopping away, happy as a clam.

  “This was decided by HIM."

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  4th of the month of the gray dragon (March) 2.44 PM

  “Well, gentlemen, since we're all here, I'd say we start this preliminary meeting.”

  Sergio declared, gesturing for his associates to sit at the table across from them. These famous associates were none other than his brothers: Morello, Hardshell, Smaug, Cortex , Conrad, and Soundwave. Shockwave was absent for personal reasons, and those were Nikusa. She would kill them if they dared disturb her during their intimate moment.

  "As you well know, we recently received word that the lizardmen have rejected our offer of submission. This is obviously a direct declaration of hostility that cannot be tolerated in any way."

  “So...what do we do? Send a high-level monster to exterminate them? Or do you think it's better to give someone the command and crush them with an army?”

  “These are all reasonable possibilities, Morello. However, our master has already decided how this will all unfold. Hardshell…”

  Called into question, the giant robot shifted his gaze towards his brother, visibly confused.

  “I'm listening, I swear!”

  “I wasn't calling you about that, don't worry. I just wanted to let you know that Lord Almodeus has decided to entrust you with the complete destruction of the lizardmen.”

  A deathly silence fell in the room, broken only by the hot steam rising from Smaug's pores. Everyone was surprised by that statement. Sending Hardshell seemed utterly excessive. Were these lizardmen really that fearsome?

  “Really? Oh, yes! This will be fun! I wonder how many warriors I'll be able to face!”

  “Am I the only one who thinks this is extremely overkill?”

  Morello intervened, while Hardshell was already savoring the taste of battle.

  “I do not doubt our lord, but I exclude that those reptiles are so fearsome as to require the direct intervention of the strongest among us.”

  “Perhaps I didn’t explain myself well, allow me to enlighten you...”

  Sergio adjusted his suit tie and, with the press of a button on the table, made a sort of hologram appear behind them, similar to a PowerPoint presentation divided into slides. It looked more like a meeting of the top executives of a high-ranking company than a matter of war.

  “Hardshell himself will not commit the extermination.”

  “What? But you said-“

  “You will lead the army. Lord Almodeus has instructed me to forbid you from personally entering the battlefield. You will command the armies he has donated to us for the victory. Is everything clear?”

  “Somehow...No. It all makes even less sense than before, brother.”

  Everyone agreed with Morello's position. If sending Hardshell—who was level 100—to exterminate the entire lizardmen faction alone was considered excessive, having him act as their general seemed the exact opposite: pointless. Hardshell was a beast and the most stupid of them all. Why would he do a job that required the use of a brain he essentially didn't have? Morello or Cortex, who were experienced generals, would certainly have been better suited for such a mission.

  “Lord Almodeus was clear; we all need to be able to do a little bit of everything. It seems obvious to me that he wants Hardshell to gain practical experience.”

  “And if he were to fail? Our master's name would be tarnished with shame! Am I the only one who thinks this is risky?”

  “I have to agree with Morello here...”

  “Same as above.”

  Cortex and Conrad nodded in unison, agreeing with their brother's fears. Hardshell was still scratching the back of his neck, barely understanding what was being said, while Smaug and Soundwave remained neutral.

  "I understand what you're thinking, and it's a legitimate concern. Nonetheless, our master spoke thus, and it's not for us to judge."

  "There's no doubt about that, of course. Our master is beyond our comprehension."

  “Since we're all in agreement, I'd say we move on...Unless there are any objections or anyone wants to weigh in and have their say?”

  No one answered that question. With a wave of his hand, Sergio changed the slide and began explaining the next part of the meeting's central focus: the actual invasion.

  "We'll use an undead army to attack their border villages, starting from the south, to prevent the fugitives from attacking the city of Almy or hiding in the forest. After the outer front has been defeated, the troops will move inland, reaching the heart of the enemy kingdom—the royal palace. Once that's been defeated, it will be a breeze to massacre the remaining survivors. Any questions?"

  Immediately, a few hands went up. The explanation had been simple, even too much—there were a lot of technical details to be explained.

  “One at a time! Morello...Let's start with you.”

  “You said we'll be using an army of undead... How many? And most importantly, what level?”

  "We don't know the exact number yet; the Absolute will decide that. As for the level, it will be around 20-25."

  “20-25? That seems very low to me. Will we be able to win with such a small force?”

  Morello seemed terrified by the prospect of defeat. This was the Fear Tower's first real military action, and the honor of Almodeus’s name was at stake. Any outcome short of a crushing victory was completely unacceptable.

  “It was the Absolute that decided. I have a theory, but I wouldn't dwell too much on conjecture.”

  “I have a question regarding the objective.”

  Smaug declared in a booming voice, crossing all four arms he had.

  "That would be?"

  “You said we need to exterminate all the lizardmen. I assume women and children too, right?”

  "Exactly."

  Sergio replied coldly, without even a hint of pity or remorse in his words. Thousands would die in the war they were discussing, but no one present seemed to care. They weren't all heartless, but their loyalty to Almodeus was unquestionable. If their master ordered, they obeyed—that was all. Whether he asked to kill a man, a woman, or a newborn baby didn't matter to them, and shouldn't had mattered. Their only goal should be to obey the orders, nothing more.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Even if they surrender to us?”

  "Yes. It's too late for second thoughts now; their king has spoken for all the people, even though they knew what they were getting into. Their stupidity must be punished with death. We can consider it a kind of mercy. Our lord was merciful enough to forgive their insubordination, offering them extermination instead of an eternity of suffering in slavery."

  Sergio wiped away a small tear of engine oil that was dripping from his right eye.

  “What a glorious thing. Sniff. ”

  “Yes...our master is the kindest when it comes to punishing fools.”

  “I agree with you, Smaug! If it were up to me, I would have turned them into mindless zombies and sent them to polish the spare parts for us A.L. Bots.”

  Soundwave also joined the discussion, speaking using sign language.

  “That seems excessive even for me, Sound.”

  “I find myself forced to agree with Morello on this.”

  While everyone was arguing among themselves, talking about how magnanimous Almodeus had been, or what they would have done if they had had the power to decide, a hand went up. It was Conrad, who had remained more or less silent during the entire exchange.

  “I have a question regarding a topic related to this.”

  "That would be?"

  “Wouldn’t it be wiser to capture all the women, instead of killing them right away?”

  “Do you want to fuck a lizard?”

  Hardshell asked, scratching his head in confusion. The others also gave Conrad a strange look. They hadn't expected him to suggest using the defeated faction's females as sex slaves. However, in the room, only Smaug and Hardshell would actively oppose that type of use, due to their own code of honor: having not fought personally, they didn't deserve to claim the defeated faction's females.

  “What?! No! Of course not! I'm not saying we should leave women alive for our amusement! What I'm saying is to have Miss Almodea examine them first. Maybe she'll find someone she likes...”

  “Do you propose, then, to take all the captive women and offer them as gifts to Lady Almodea, and then kill those she discards?”

  “Exactly! That seems like a good idea, don’t you think?”

  “That's fucking brilliant!”

  “Even less, Hardshell.”

  "Sorry..."

  Sergio coughed forcefully to regain control of the conversation. Conrad's proposal was excellent, but he doubted their lord would approve. Besides, the women of the defeated species could only cause trouble, seeing Almodea as an enemy. In theory, it was a sensible idea, but in practice, it would cause more problems than it was worth.

  If Lady Almodea were to become sad, we are all dead...

  After deciding what to do, Sergio clapped his hands, ready to give a serious answer.

  “Your proposal is indeed well thought out, Conrad. However, we cannot implement it.”

  "Why is that?"

  “I'll explain it to you right away. If you were a woman from a defeated tribe, how would you react to learning that...let’s say... 90% of your population had been exterminated and that now you had to be the sexual plaything of a young girl you didn't even know or knew was involved in the extermination?”

  “Well...I... Damn! I hadn't considered it that way.”

  “You're not the only one.”

  Morello added, entering the conversation with determination.

  “I had assumed those women would be honored to be considered companions of our lord's glorious progeny, but I doubt that's the case in reality. Those stupid lizards refused the submission we offered them. It was an offer full of good perks!”

  “Speaking of Lady Almodea just for a moment, and then returning to the war after, am I the only one who thinks it will be difficult to her provide heirs?”

  “What are you getting at, Cortex?”

  "Well... This preference for the female sex... how can I put it? Look, I'll be blunt: how can she have children if she likes women? Sooner or later we'll have to serve Lady Almodea much more than we do now, since she'll be taking her father's place. How can we offer our loyalty to any offspring of hers if she's only interested in having sexual relations with beings of the same sex?"

  “It's actually true...”

  After Hardshell's comment, the entire room fell into a long silence. It was indeed a significant problem. Eighteen years earlier, everyone present had been filled with infinite joy when they learned that Lord Almodeus's wife was expecting a baby. They were over the moon. Their master was immortal, but the fear that he might one day abandon them was ever present in their hearts. Having another being to whom they could offer their loyalty was certainly excellent news. However, Almodea's preferences made it logically unlikely that she could bear an heir of her own, at least in theory.

  “Sorry brother, but I don't see the problem with the young lady's preferences...”

  Sergio replied, with a grin that was half mocking and half malicious.

  “How come you don't see any problems? Reproduction between two women is impossible!”

  “Between two human women, perhaps. Need I remind you that Lady Almodea is a very special demon? Besides, there already exist demi-human races capable of reproducing between members of the same gender. Such as minotaurs and various insectoid races. Besides, our mistress is still very young! She has all eternity to have children, and we have no right to judge.”

  Sergio's grin became even more malicious and satirical.

  "To be honest, I find your motion truly insulting to the mistress. Even a little homophobic, yes..."

  “You're disgusting, Cortex!”

  “What the fuck are you talking about, Hardshell? Weren’t you on my side?!”

  “He’s too stupid to be homophobic or racist…or anything other than a fucking idiotic moron.”

  “Thanks, Morello. I'm glad you don't think I'm homophobic.”

  "See? This proves my fucking point!"

  The white-clad robot almost laughed at how thankful his brother was, despite having just been severely insulted. Meanwhile, Smaug exhaled hot steam and raised his arms in the air, almost elated.

  “If Lady Almodea has children, I hope they're boys! I'll be able to teach them swordsmanship and carry them on my shoulders. Maybe they'll call me Uncle! Or Grandpa!”

  “Cool! I hadn't thought of that! Can I be an uncle too?”

  “Smaug, Hardshell...All of you, that's enough!”

  Sergio had to clap his hands several times to silence the room. He struggled to contain his laughter, given the embarrassing situation he found himself in. Cortex was being accused of blasphemy and homophobia, while the two warriors sounded like retired old men talking about their grandchildren. It was all so absurd that it was simply ridiculous.

  “I'd say we calm down for a moment. I was obviously joking about Cortex; his question was legitimate and respectful, so let's not call him a bigot. Now I'd like to return to the issue of the war. Are there any questions about that?”

  “I have an unrelated question.”

  “But for Almodeus' sake, Hardshell! He just said—”

  “No, brother. That's fine..."

  Sergio replied, laughing it off.

  “He has an IQ barely over 60, he’s justified. Hardshell, go ahead and ask your unrelated question.”

  “Well...This morning I took the elevator to come here and-“

  “Can I know what’s so special about you taking the elevator?”

  Morello interrupted him again.

  “I never take it for fear of getting stuck in the door.”

  “For the love of Alm...no, I've already swore too much today.”

  The white robot put a hand to his face, exasperated. Meanwhile, Sergio signaled Hardshell to pick up where he left off.

  “I noticed the nineteen key was missing. Nineteen comes after eighteen, right?”

  “What the fuck are these questions?! Are you autistic?!”

  “I'm not autistic!”

  “Yes, you are! How can you ask a question like that at a war meeting?! And we're supposed to have you lead an army?! No way!”

  “Here I have to agree with him, Morello. He's retarded, not autistic. Those are two different things...”

  “See? I told you I wasn't autistic! Thanks, Sergio.”

  “Oh, but for the love of Alm... Ahhh! I need an oil-based beer! Talking to Hardshell is exhausting me! Anyone want to switch seats at the next meeting?”

  “Okay, okay! Let's calm down for a moment. I missed these meetings, guys...”

  After a hearty laugh, Sergio cleared his metallic throat and promptly became serious again. Hardshell's question—though seemingly stupid—had a profound hidden meaning. It was true that on the Fear Tower elevator, all the buttons for the floors except nineteen were numbered. And there was a reason for that.

  “Your question makes sense, brother.”

  "Really?"

  "Really?!"

  "Really?!!!!"

  First Hardshell, then Morello, and finally everyone else opened their mouths in shock—except Soundwave, who didn't have one. Everyone thought they were dreaming: had Hardshell just said something sensible? It was a day worthy of celebration.

  "As you all know, the nineteenth floor is off limits to us. Only Lord Almodeus and Lady Nikusa are permitted to enter."

  “We understand that, but what's really in there?”

  Conrad pointed out. Being a detective, he really wanted to know what was on that damned floor. A few centuries earlier—in their old world—the Fear Tower had been attacked by a large army. He managed to penetrate the upper floors, reaching the three under the management of the Terror Trio. However, the bulk of the enemy army was devastated and stopped entirely on the nineteenth floor. It was essentially a mystery what was in there. Wild theories began to circulate, like alien races or female A.L. Bots—but the truth remained hidden.

  “I have no idea…”

  Sergio replied, shaking his head.

  “I can only tell you that it's none of our business. I pray none of you are ever sent to that floor as punishment.”

  If everyone had been laughing until a moment before, now no one dared even hint at a smile. Sergio's cold statement sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

  “I'd say we finish with the last things.”

  Sergio declared, changing slides on the PowerPoint behind him.

  "Hardshell, you have orders to report to the camp in five days, when it's scheduled for completion. I repeat, you are forbidden to go down to the battle field and..."

  The robot took a briefcase that he had hidden under the table and passed it to the mechanical giant, who grabbed it with a confused expression.

  “What the hell is that? What’s in there?”

  “You are forbidden to open it until the battle. Then you can do whatever you want with it. Are there any further questions?”

  No one dared raise their hand, and the seat was taken away. Sergio's smile returned and he clapped his hands enthusiastically.

  “Perfect! Then let's go get a glass of engine oil! It's on me!”

  “I told you I wasn’t autistic.”

  Hardshell muttered to Morello as they left the room.

  “I know, I know…”

  The other answered him boredly, adjusting his white hat.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  4th day of the month of the gray dragon (March) 7:19 PM

  “Welcome back, Master Hardshell.”

  Frederica declared, bowing her head as her master entered his personal chambers. She was still new to using honorifics or serving a mechanical being who had defeated her in battle. Normally, females of her species valued strength, but Frederica was quite happy with her old life. She had to admit she wasn't feeling bad now, but she couldn't deny feeling a bit wasted serving a gorilla of questionable intelligence.

  “Thank you, Frederica. Is dinner ready?”

  “I have already prepared everything, Master Hardshell.”

  She declared, pointing to the huge steaming turkey on the table in front of them.

  “Ohhh! That looks delicious! Is that for me?”

  “And for who else?”

  Frederica sighed heavily, watching the colossus devour the poor turkey. It had taken an hour to cook, and in less than fifteen seconds it had disappeared into Hardshell's stomach. She wasn't sure whether to be happy that he appreciated her cooking so much, or angry with herself for being happy about that in the first place. She was serving that mechanical idiot because it had been forced upon her, in exchange for Lila's well-being.

  “Do you want a piece?”

  Hardshell asked her, passing her a small piece of chicken.

  At least he's kind...

  “Thank you, master.”

  She took the piece of meat and began to eat it happily; she even wagged her tail. Honestly, she had truly outdone herself in the kitchen. C had given her a hand, to be perfectly honest. Frederica looked over at Hardshell, who was busy cleaning the rest of the chicken from his metal teeth.

  I think he's so stupid he doesn't notice if I give him burnt food.

  Frederica was certain that Hardshell was being kind to her because he was too stupid to be abusive. She couldn't believe that the giant who had defeated her so easily was kind at heart; he was simply a beast following his instincts. It was a half-human behavior, and that's why she could barely tolerate it.

  “IIIK!”

  It was then that Frederica felt something touch her tail. Her cheeks turned red and she jumped to the side. Hardshell had reached out to touch her tail while she was distracted by the chicken. For some demi-humans, like her own species, the tail was very sensitive, as well as important for possible seduction rituals. She was embarrassed by the little cry that escaped her mouth when she felt the touch.

  “What the fuck are you doing?!”

  She shouted, unaware of the threatening tone she'd used. Hardshell was still her superior and could do whatever he wanted with her, even sexually abuse her. No one would care, and no one would come to her aid. Frederica’s reaction had been rightful, but given the situation, she would now suffer the consequences.

  “Hmm? Sorry, I saw something moving and I wanted to touch it.”

  “What the fuck of an answer is that?!”

  For some reason, Hardshell seemed more confused than angry at Frederica's reaction. This was fortunate for her, as it seemed like punishment wasn't forthcoming. However, the robot's response made him seem even more of an idiot than Frederica had originally thought.

  “Sorry! Sorry! I got distracted...”

  “You're getting a little too distracted! You can't touch a woman's tail without her permission! Would you like it if I touched your ass?”

  “Um...I don't know, I should try it first.”

  “W-What?! N-No! You're a fucking idiot!”

  Frederica didn't know whether to get even more pissed off or give up before Hardshell got angry too. Her face was getting redder and redder, and her anxiety was growing more and more intense with every second.

  “Look...Let's drop this, okay?”

  “Okay, even if I don’t understand the problem.”

  “Changing the subject...How is Lila?”

  “Your friend Yuko usually takes care of it. We gave them their own room to rest in after work.”

  Frederica smiled slightly. She was happy that Lila was okay, even though she couldn't spend much time with her. That was the price she had to pay for continuing to live. The world belonged to the strong, not the righteous; it was the law of demihumans and, very likely, of humans as well.

  “Oh, I almost forgot! Listen here, Frederica! I have some news!”

  "Really?"

  “Exactly! I will wage war against the lizardmen!”

  The wolf didn't know whether to smile and nod, or ask why the other was so happy about it. She opted for the latter; it was the only sensible option at that moment.

  “Good...I guess?”

  “Yes! I’m going to have so much fun! You’ll follow me to camp.”

  “Do I really have to?”

  “You're my servant, aren't you? I enjoy your company.”

  “Thanks...I think.”

  Federica was always unsure about how to behave with Hardshell. He was so much...weird.

  “You’re welcome. Would you like an oil bath? It’s great for oiling joints.”

  “I'll skip it for now. I have other task to do, but thanks for the invitation.”

  “You're welcome, good work!”

  When Hardshell left the room, Frederica sat on the room's giant bed. She had no idea what to do with her new master. He wasn't treating her badly; he was kind enough, as far as he could be.

  Touching my tail like that...You bastard.

  She sighed and began rubbing her tail where it had been touched. Frederica no longer followed the laws of her tribe since she was cast out, but those rules had remained imprinted on her mind. She belonged to a pack of half-human wolves who believed only in strength. There was no space love or mercy—only brute force.

  The law was simple: if someone liked or wanted someone else, they had to challenge him to a fight. If they won, the loser automatically became the winner's mate. There was no way to refuse the fight without defeating the suitor.

  Frederica was cast out of her clan precisely because she refused the chief's challenge. She could never have won against him—he was the strongest wolf in the pack, and no one had ever defeated him. Normally, it would have been an honor to be the mate of the strongest. The problem was that the pack leader already had two other females all for himself. She wasn't against polygamy, but Frederica didn't want to be a mere trophy in the hands of a man.

  Is this life better than the previous ones?

  She wasn't sure how to respond. Frederica felt comfortable serving Marquis Baldur, even though the man was a terrible human being. However, she couldn't deny that now she felt a greater sense of security. As long as she obeyed, Yuko and Lila would be under the protection of those powerful beings.

  “Maybe it won't be so bad...”

  She muttered under her breath, rubbing her tail and losing herself in the solitude of the room.

  Wait...Did Hardshell just ask me to take a bath with him? How stupid he must be to not understand basic boundaries?!