Kei and the girls spent their time on the beach, away from the broken town. They had to make do with what the had on, and enjoyed the water. Even going nude.

Eating all sorts of food, fishing, drinking, swimming, and nightly activities.

Four days passed and everyone was worned out.

Polin and Kori was laying down on the sand. "Please, no more *burp* fish," said Polin. Both Polin and Kori laid there with bloated bellies.

Kei clapped to get everyone's attention, at least the willing ones. "I have contacted our ride to pick you guys up."

"You're not coming along hubby?" Said Bridget.

"I'm going straight to the capital and conqueror all the islands. While, you guys visit the winter island and enjoy the hot springs. I will catch up in no time."

Like that, Kei went solo to continue his campaign of world conquest.

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Since the girls were heading to a winter island, they tried to wear the thickest clothes they had. It wasn't much and hoped that there was a store to buy more suitable clothings.

The same black dragon flew the group towards the winter island and it's freezing! They needed to find a town fast! Vetros was turning into an ice statue!

They arrived what looks like to be a town. Kei told the dragon to stay by the group for safety. The dragon blew hot steam on Vetros to defrost her.

"Our first objective is find an inn with hot springs. Simple..." Bridget said before a group of armed men surrounded them. 

But the armed men were scared out of their wits.

"We're not gonna do anything. Um... Is there a inn with hot springs?" Polin asked.

But none of the men listened to what she had to said. Then the dragon roared and spewed blue flames on them. They were lit up and their flesh were burning off! They screamed in pain and rolled around in the snow, but the fire was still going. Then, along with their armour, they turned to ashes.

Jacklin slapped the dragon's side and yelled: "What are you doing!?"

The black dragon spoke: "My Lord told me to protect you all. That's what I did." The dragon puffed steam out of its nostrils.

Then their surroundings became quiet. Everybody stayed indoors and locked their doors once they saw a dragon landed and started killing!

"Coo---coolldd," Vetros's teeth was chattering.

Bridget looked around but it didn't seemed anyone will let them in. But there was one large building on a higher hill top, looking over the whole town. It could be the ruler of this town, or the whole winter island.

Bridget decided that's their destination.

****

As the group got closer and closer to that large building, people after people with weapons in their hands came to block their path. They were killed or incapacitated by the dragon, Jacklin, Vetros, or Bridget. Soon, they left a string of bodies on the ground.

"I wonder, if this is what is like to be like Kei?" Jacklin said. "Like slaughtering people as he walks."

"I'm quite enjoying myself. These people can't use their eyes and see that we can't be trifle with." Bridget said. She wrapped herself with her arms and shivered, it was beginning to snow. "Let's quicken our pace."

Once they reached the top, they met lots of soldiers, hundreds of them. Bridget was getting annoyed and planned to tell the dragon just to slaughter these people. 

Then a fit middle-aged man with a white fur coat and white fox ears, stood behind the army. He was on a horse and shouted towards the group: "You invaders dared come to my home! Since you humans can't fight us, you hired demons! Revolting!"

Everyone in the group was quite confused. Maybe since Bridget was the only human and walking in front of the rest, he assumed Bridget was the leader. Well, it was more or less the truth.

Then he saw a little beastman girl holding Polin's hand. The fox-ear man said: "You even taken a child as a hostage! Dispicable!"

Before he ordered an assualt, Polin suddenly waved her one free arm and screamed: "Kirin! Kirin! It's me! Hiii!!!!"

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Kirin had her head above the wall to see what's all the commotion. Then she saw the people who she never want to meet again!

Kirin saw the dragon and saw her father's army! They're about to fight, what to do!?!?

Kirin jumped over the wall and landed right in front of her father, waving her arms around.

Kirin shouted: "Stop! Stop! No good! No good! Please STOP!"

The horse was alarmed with Kirin frailing around but the father got it under control. He said: "What are you talking about! Get inside! You there, take her inside!"

A soldier followed his order and grabbed Polin and rushed deeper inside of the mansion.

Then battle ensued.

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The gate slowly opened and revealed to be the intruders. Anyone who witnessed the battle from inside from higher viewpoint, saw that the army lost. And the intruders had entered their grounds.

What goes in the minds of the residents of this massive mansion was many things. The lord died, whose in charge now? Are they all gonna die? Should they flee?

Once the intruders entered inside their home, they demanded lodging and asked if there were hot springs here. The first person who gracefully accommodated them was the lord's wife, Lady Chelin. This was a surprised to the servants. They killed her husband and yet she was acting servile.

Lady Chelin gave them a guest room and pointed the way to where the hot springs were.

***

A week had passed since the arrival of the intruders and Chelin tried to accomodate them as best she can. While the other family members were not fond seeing Chelin pleasing the intruders, they can understand why.

Then she called on all the family members for a meeting! This was what everyone was waiting for.

Chelin, Kirin, Kirin's siblings, and other various members of Fowudo Clan sat down in a large room.

Chelin sat at the end of a long table with her three children sitting behind her.

Chelin then brought this news to the table. "I had spoken with the human. Apparently, their initial reason for coming here was to enjoy the hot springs."

Several people began to argued and an elder slammed the table, and yelled: "What nonsense! They killed our soldiers and Kotun! Now that he's gone, the next succesor should be lil' Sho."

Kirin's eldest brother, Sho, perked his ears.

Another elder complained. "Once the lord is gone, the wife is the next lord. Sho isn't capable of leading!"

Then began a rile discussion of succession, it's Chelin, it's one of her children, or it's another relative.

In Chelin's mind, the crux of the problem wasn't in everyone's eyes! Forget succession, they could be dead!

"Enough!" Chelin howled in fury. Once everyone calmed down and stared at her, Chelin continued to speak. "Have you forgotten that the intruders are in our home!" Chelin slammed the desk and silence followed.

After Chelin regained her composure, she gave everyone a question that it didn't came in their mind. "I had spoken with the human extensively. Do you know who she is, or her companions, or whose controlling that dragon? Who they belong?"

"They're not with the Cloq Kindom?" Someone said.

Someone smacked the guy who asked that. "You idiot. Haven't you gotten the news! Cloq Dukedom is finished! The war is finally over!"

Then Chelin gave them the answer, "Deco Parade."

While a few people were shaken, most of them don't have a clue!

"Who?"

Chelin's brain just went numbed on how questionable the level of intelligence were in her family!

Actually, most of family lived the life of ease, not paying attention of other nations' affairs. The lord of the clan and a few elders communicated with outsiders of their island. Since the Cloq Dukedom didn't even had their gazes on their island, the family didn't felt any danger. Hot springs were appealing but... Who would want an island that was always cold!

An elderly spoke: "For those who didn't know, Deco Parade is the world's enemy. Some nations had fallen because of them, including Cloq Dukedom. But that was a half year ago, since they disappear."

A woman then asked: "They can't be them right? There was no army. It's just them."

"And look what happened with just them." The old man grumbled. "Chelin, who are they? Soldiers? Envoys? Diplomats?"

"From what I gathered... The human and the half-demon are his wives. The spider demon is his lover. The dullahan is his slave and the dragon is a summoned beast. And the beastman girl is his... daughter."

There were a few mixed reactions: some thought it was questionable, few laughed, and some outright denied it.

"Wife and daughter to who exactly?"

"To the leader of Deco Parade."

A man laughed hysterically and said: "What a load of bullshit! Have anyone heard of a summoner to summon dragons!? Where is this 'leader' of this infamous army!? Huh!! It been a week and no one came!"

Chelin yelled in full force: "This leader is busy conquering the other islands, you dolt! Did you not understand that his family is in our home!"

"Lies! A bunch of lies that you believe!" The man got up and riled up everyone in the room. "The dragon is their ace card. The human magician and spider will be hard to beat. The others can be killed by normal soldiers. I have gather more men to kill them! If we can appeal to the dragon to be on our side or kill it first, then the others will fall!"

While more and more people were beginning to love the idea, Kirin stood up. "Wait! Wait! It's true! It's true!"

The group's excitement stopped when they see their little princess in distress.

Kirin told them how she met them. Of course, she felt shameful to tell them she was a slaved to Kei, the leader of Deco Parade. So, Kirin told her family that once she was captured, Elen saved her when saving elves. Then she met Kei by chance. It was almost true...

Even if what she said was true, then Kei will surely come and put them into submission. If they were to take his family as hostages, then they have an advantage.

In Chelin and Kirin's mind, it was a horrible idea.

"Well, that's a horrible idea!" Said by someone.

But the voice didn't came from anyone from the room, it was someone by the door. Someone with horns, wings, and in a bathrobe!

"Ma--ma--Master!" Kirin instinctively yelped. To Kirin's brothers and mother who were closed by, why did Kirin called this demon master?

"Oh. Hey Kirin!" The demon waved his hand towards her. Then he focused his attention towards the men and women on the table. "I heard that you guys are planning to do something naughty towards my family. Tis tis tis." The demon wagged his finger like he was playfully scolding children.

Before anyone spoke up, Kei cut to the chase. "I'm offering two choices: submit or die?" The demon coldly stared at everyone.