...This Beach will be the end of me. The Wailing Keep certainly should have been conjured on the Beach. It's such a pain to cancel that spell though… It's not fun. I'll just need to make do for tonight… And I'll do it tomorrow. No big deal. The festival takes priority! Mary will NEED the Kitchen. It's a necessity. She's probably still in the Chasms… I'll need to fetch Mary. First thing's first, we need food. And Alcohol. Georgina's got fantastic prices, and I have 666 Gold Coins. I'm serious, okay? I want this party to be the grandest party that's ever been held. I'm talkin like freaking 7500 in the audience, at LEAST! Halloween Town is going to be absolutely jam packed, okay?! All night, the Halloween Town will be open for business. Well, most of the night; anyway. I'm not taking a profit from this festival, it's quite literally my only charity these nights. All of the Harpies and Goblins are clothed, okay? It's not my problem anymore. If they want more clothes, they need to enlist as Monster Knights or simply wait patiently until I feel like upgrading their lack of sturdiness. Nyah~

All of my Candy is spread out around me, and honestly? Takes up most of this room. The Wailing Keep would NEVER~ Come on… It's just 666 Golden Coins~ No need to get all worked up and bloated about it, Sand Keep. I can't believe Lianix spoke to me in my sleep… It was kind of terrifying, but she essentially just came to greet me. She had a different form… Violet colored long straight hair, a body that just wouldn't quit, dark purple flaming eyes, and a skin tone of light purple. I think she's of the Dark Element… But she didn't appear very unique in terms of race… I wouldn't even know what to call her… Even though she was absolutely nude~ Her appearance wasn't what terrified me, it was her demeanor and the elegance she displayed when she walked. We were in an abandoned school, quite derelict. Apocalyptic, even. It was strange, and the poor lighting made it more difficult to appreciate her absolutely rockin' bod. Her overgrown long hair certainly didn't help, either. Lianix, no offense; but you're a total babe. Also, she wasn't very pleased that I ditched her outside the Sand Keep. I just really didn't know how to carry her without being narrowly close to destroying the entire Keep! What, you want me to DESTROY my temporarily living arrangement so that you can sleep closer to me?! We're only like 30 feet apart, sis! CHILL!

Also, Lianix is utterly dismayed that I haven't made the choice to spend my remaining wealth on a better Lantern. One more befitting to her new master... Me. She wants a cool, muscular LEGENDARY Lantern to spend her time with. She wants a boyfriend, and she was quite insistent on that matter... Terrifyingly so. Assuming my larger Human form after taking a few steps from the Keep… I bent down and picked them up. My companions. The Delhn Glass, Siberite Tourmaline Lantern... The Chaos Liannas String Dark Phoenix Claw Broom… And a bag filled with 666 Gold Coins which I actually WAS capable of carrying into the Sand Keep. No offense to the Lantern or Broom, but I honestly dont think I have the coordination to swerve the Broom sideways through the doors with it in my mouth… And well, at that point… I was just too lazy to grab the Lantern. Either way, she would have spent the night in the faux Throne Room alone, or outside the Keep with an apparently boring infant Lantern. Nyah… Because the Siberite Tourmaline Lantern was a commissioned crafting, its Lantern soul is too young for Lianix to enjoy spending time with. Oh gosh… Do all weapons have souls?!

I wonder… If my meow missing Common Broom had a soul… At least the Cerberus String Emberwood Broom was apparently a decent age, but she too did not enjoy the child's presence. Apparently, she didn't have the power to call upon me by herself. It certainly did not help that I had never named her. Okay… Cerbellia! Cheap name, but nyah… She's not even my current Broom any longer. She's like… Graduated or something. She had short orange hair, and purple skin. She had orange eyes. Unlike Lianix, Cerbellia was not very frightening. She was rather chipper, and had a more modest body. She appeared younger than Lianix, but she was probably still at least a legal age. Not that I'd screw a freaking Broom, but nyah~ Terribly sorry, I'm sure you're both GREAT in the bed; but no. Thanks. Imagine ending up with a jealous Broom… I doubt I could impregnate a proper heir out of one, and I'd need to live with them invading my dreams for possibly eternity… Or until I sell them off to Gretel. Don't mess with me, Brooms! I'm not giving the baby a name until it's of a proper age to speak with. I will NOT have some infant calling on me in my dreams because of 'goo-goo' or 'ga-ga'~ I seriously don't know… I don't know how long it takes for a Broom to reach an intelligent age! I can't DEAL with that for a century!

Okay! Looking around, absolutely no one is here. They ALL ditched me and returned to the Wailing Keep. Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to rid myself of the Beach Gate… Conrad, go fetch the Hobgoblin for me~ Oh yes… The best of the Crows is on the job! This shan't take very long~ Conrad, after you're finished; continue leading the Bats and Crows to obtain more berries for the Goblins. Also; make sure to fetch me my remaining supplies at some point. Return them all to the Wailing Keep Treasure Room. Thanks~ You're a peach! Okay… Molag, make sure the others can reach their Fishing destinations. As much as they can, but have them returned in two hours. White Beef Lady and Wilson can protect the ones in the Lost Kingdom. Okay… The Hobgoblin has arrived! He's being flown in at a rapid speed while being carried by Conrad. I can see some Bats and Crows flying far behind him in the distance… Carrying empty buckets. Huh. After Conrad literally dropped the Hobgoblin from like thirty feet in the air, he swept around in a fantastically confusing spiral pattern; before catapulting back toward the Wailing Keep. The Bats and Crows left behind are meow on their way to the Lost Kingdom… I think Conrad intends to handle the transportation of the Monster Knights alone. He's a solo gig, I suppose. The star of the show. So diligent… Maybe I should rethink my stance on Conrad. Maybe he's not the doom flag; but the exact monster I need to be my backbone… He's certainly fast enough… He's TOO fast! He's the most overpowered of all my Clansmen, when it comes to stats relative to his Tier. His fighting style is simple, yet effective if he ditches the Flock Storm… No offense to the Flock Storm, but it's essentially just 100 conjured weak little Tier 1 Crows that survive for literally ONE attack! They repeatedly get summoned after death, and they deal very little damage! It's utter mayhem in terms of inefficiency for MP… I can't afford to have the star of my show die every time he fights, he needs to LIVE to tell the tale! You got that, Conrad?! Ditch the Flock Storm or WATCH as the Werewolf surpasses you!

"You need to watch things here for awhile as I prepare for the Festival." [Nero] beckoned of the Hobgoblin.

"That's strange… I could have sworn that I would be terribly late, but it seems that I arrived just in time for the conversation to begin?" [Vana] chimed in with a grin as she descended alongside Hugo.

"Me too… I suppose Nero will be Nero…" [Kendra] frivolously sighed after running up to the scene..

"It's funny, how he thinks that we'll just ALLOW him to throw this entire thing onto the Hobgoblin~" [Cetilla] chimed in with a giggle, floating above us as her hair effortlessly swirled around in the wind.

"I was going to take turns with him." [Nero] shot back with an exasperated expression.

"We'll ALL take turns." [Cetilla] declared with a terrifying grin.

"You know… I've been meaning to slay some Serpents…" [Rosa Firemane] said as she shrugged upon approach, alongside the Goatman, Jon, Luna, The Vampire Knights, and the Turtlekin Woman.

"If you're here… Then who's going to Fish in Orpia?!" [Nero] boldly asked while dramatically pointing toward the Swashbuckler.

"Eh?! Uhm… The Geckokin Woman alongside the Snow Leopardkin Twins. The Ravenkin will go to the Lost Kingdom alone." [Jon] explained while shrugging his shoulders.

"Okay… Where are Chartreuse and Prussian?" [Nero] asked while squinting his eyes.

"We'll be joining you in your endeavors tonight~" [Chartreuse] explained from behind the Halloween Cat.

"Oh… Okay." [Nero] sighed.

"And I'LL be joining them until a time presents itself for me to take over at the Beach~" [Cetilla] chimed in with a smile as she descended.

"Alright~" [Nero] replied with a smile before taking a seat on his Broom, and ascending to the skies at a slower pace.

"So what are we doing first?" [Chartreuse] asked while flying alongside the two Catkin.

"We need Alcohol from the Human Kingdom." [Nero] explained with a grin.

"Oh? Going back so soon?" [Hugo] asked with eyes wide.

"Should be fun~" [Cetilla] laughed.

...I knew it. Something definitely happened during Cetilla's appearance in Nidallia…

"What did you do?" [Nero] asked while glaring at the Dutchess of Doom.

"Eh… Well, a few radicals attempted to test me~" [Cetilla] sighed while rolling her eyes.

"...Radicals?" [Nero] asked while squinting his eyes.

"Suffice to say, a very nice Tavern lost its roof." [Cetilla] explained while side-eyeing the Halloween Cat.

"...How many died?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide as he tilt his head to the side.

"Around twe-" [Cetilla] began to explain before being brutally interrupted.

"No more than fifty." [Chartreuse] chimed in with a tired expression. To which, Cetilla's hair suddenly stopped flowing as she glared at the Harpy meow giving off an absolutely terrified expression.

"Cetilla… You can't just go and wreak havoc every single time someone displeases you…" [Nero] declared with a stern expression.

"What was I supposed to do?!" [Cetilla] shot back with an exasperated expression.

"I don't know?! Wind Punch?!" [Nero] screamed hysterically.

"I DID!" [Cetilla] shot back with eyes wide.

Oh… I would have assumed it would be a Tornado?!

"It was a Wind Uppercut!" [Cetilla] explained further while raising her open hands as if to detail how it were any less serious.

"Oh… Cetilla… Try just using your STR and leaving out the Wind?" [Nero] asked with a smile while tiling his head to the side.

"Hm~" [Cetilla] shrugged her shoulders as if the issue still was not her fault.

"Incorrigible..." [Nero] groaned while rolling his eyes.

"Hmph! You're just jealous that you didn't strike the first blow on Nidallia!" [Cetilla] shot back with a proud smirk.

"I had very little reason to do so… They're the Human Kingdom, they don't take kindly to Monsters. It's silly, but it's how they live. The Beastkin were just strange because they didn't take kindly to HALF of all Monsters. It was absolutely ridiculous." [Nero] enlightened the Dutchess as he raised his eyebrows.

"Hmph! If someone is strong, then they should respect them." [Cetilla] retorted before glancing forward… To which, her eyes widened in an instant.

What the…?! There's a freaking ARMY posted up on the Nidallia border walls or behind them… And they're arming several trebuchets on the ground, cannons on the walls, and to top it all off… Mages! Mages are posted on the walls as well! Cetilla?! What did you do?! Look at all the people you've meow made me kill when I didn't even want to kill anyone?! I'm aiming to RESTART! Why are you escalating things, you utter fool?! Ah… She's glaring at me with a twisted smile. She's gone… She didn't want this for ME… She wanted this for HER. She's greedy. She wants even more power. I'll never catch back up to her if she launches a war against Nidallia in my stead… This SUCKS! I can't really stop her, as she's the most powerful individual on my side… But I can't just diffuse the situation either, as they're already in it to kill us! Oh Janus… The Cannons have started firing… Grabbing hold of Prussian, I glared at Cetilla; and she reluctantly grabbed hold of Chartreuse. Prussian is meow behind me on my Broom. Cetilla's carrying Chartreuse. It's full speed ahead…

Swerving around and through the Cannons, I carefully navigated my way forward. Cetilla's not the same, she instantly catapulted herself to the Kingdom Walls; beginning a full on assault in a matter of moments. Guerilla warfare style. She's all up in that like a heat-seeking rocket with a hundred lives, and she brought Chartreuse along for the ride. Prussian is glaring at me with a dumbfounded expression, as if to signal that he wants to be there and not here; distracting those manning the Cannons and casting the Magic. There are roles to play, Prussian… I couldn't hold you both on my Broom without transforming back into a very small Cat…. And let's face it, I'm not ditching my clothing right meow. [Barrier]! Ouh… That's pretty~ And distracting… Oh. I was hit. I think it was flame magic, but it was weak. What am I even dodging for?! This is NOTHING! Oh my… I need to re-evaluate my decisions while in combat. Whatever… It was fun, acting like I was in some chaos flight simulation. In reality, I was in no danger at all~

And so, I slowly flew forward with a smile as I enjoyed the light show. Numerously colored spells lit up the skies around me, and sometimes; the catapults actually managed to hit me. It was mesmerizing to watch as they attempted to assault my already fabulously bright barrier… Prussian got the better experience, if you ask me~ Being jerked around profusely by Cetilla at mech speed would have been torment. The fastest and longest rollercoaster ever… But alas, all things must come to an end… It didn't take very long for Cetilla to finish off the last man on the walls, or behind them for that matter. The Trebuchets were the last standing, but they too did not survive long. I saw a tornado in the distance sweep through the nation's edge, not long before the final Trebuchet fired. Bodies could be seen flying through the skies for a mere moment, and screams could be heard the entire time. It's over.

Floating on ahead, we were shortly met by Cetilla holding a very uneasy Harpy; absolutely quivering as a few feathers fell from her body… Yikes. Prussian quickly leapt from my Broom and began to help Chartreuse fly on her own… How sweet. She's too shaken to fly right meow, though. Cetilla has a crazed expression, and she's breathing very heavily. She probably wants more. Both of them are covered in the blood of her enemies, and honestly? Might be time for you two to go home and have a nice, long… Bath.

"So, where will we be getting the Alcohol?" [Cetilla] asked with an excited expression as she fanned herself with a fan that she certainly did not possess five minutes ago...

"You're not going to be robbing Georgia." [Nero] shot back while furrowing his eyebrows.

"Who said anything about robbing?!" [Cetilla] angrily retorted.

"Where'd you get the fan?" [Nero] asked while squinting his eyes.

"Hoh… This?! I was just flying along when suddenly, I found it laying there on the ground; free for the taking~" [Cetilla] sighed with a nonchalant expression.

"That's exactly my point… You'll be taking Prussian and Chartreuse back to the Lost Kingdom. I'll handle Alcohol by myself." [Nero] commanded of the Dutchess. To which, she groaned…

"NO! I want to do something tonight~" [Cetilla] shot back.

"How about performing at the Festival?" asked while tilting his head to the side.

"Well, obviously… But everyone else already gets to do that, so I want something more!" [Cetilla] retorted with a childish expression.

"Oh, I'm sorry… Why not try to score some Candy from the Koalakin? He might have some meow…." [Nero] offered with a blank face.

"Hmph! You know very well that he doesn't~" [Cetilla] shot back with a smile as she lifted her head up and shut her eyes...

Boo-YAH!~ Free pass! Nyoooooooooooooom~! Lianix, thank you… I could never have lost her without you, my trusted and beautiful Broom~ Okay… If memory serves correct, Georgia's should be somewhat northwest of here… Making my way downtown, faces past; and Georgia!~

"What's up?!" [Nero] excitedly asked while slamming the doors open to a familiar Tavern.

"Nero! It's been so long, where have you been?" [Georgia] nonchalantly asked while ripping her hairband off, releasing her wild and curly long brown hair before leaning down onto the bar table as she glanced toward the True Allwe Halloween Cat, revealing her deep green eyes as she smiled and tilted her head to the side; leaning it up against her meow propped arm.

"Oh, you know… Surviving challenging Dungeons and claiming dominion over another Kingdom~" [Nero] replied with a sigh while strutting on over and taking a seat at the nearest barstool as a typical roughneck whistled. To which, a full bottle was swung across the room at impeccable speed before smashing right into his face… Probably leaving numerous scars, but most importantly; leaving the man unconscious with a bloody face knocked down onto the table.

"Sounds interesting… You'll need to fill me in on the details some time~" [Georgia] sighed while twirling her hair before gesturing for the Halloween Cat to follow her into the back.

"So, I've upped my anti." [Georgia] explained with a grin as she opened the door for the Halloween Cat and followed him inside.

"I can tell… This place is even larger than before!" [Nero] exclaimed with a dazzled expression as he glared around the room at the countless bottles and barrels filled to the brim with wondrous Alcohol of varying kinds.

"Oh, yes… It's about twice the size~" [Georgia] explained with a proud smile as she glanced off into the distance.

"So for tonight, I want as much as I can possibly get. I need to intoxicate at least 10000 individuals. What do you think that will come to?" [Nero] asked while lowering his aviators and raising his eyebrows.

"...10000?" [Georgia] asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"10000." [Nero] exclaimed with a grin.

"Well… If you're going for cheap, then… Probably 300 Gold Coins." [Georgia] slowly replied while visibly thinking.

"Very well, I accept your terms." [Nero] happily agreed as he nodded his head.

"Well not so fast… I don't carry enough to be capable of feeding that many with cheap Alcohol… I'm going to need to call on some of my competitors to make this happen." [Georgia] replied with a dejected expression.

"Oh? How long do you expect negotiations to last?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.

"They're all professionals, I'm sure that we can settle this in less than an hour." [Georgia] declared while raising a thumb high.

"I'll leave you to it~ I'll return here in an hour." [Nero] exclaimed with a smile.

And so… I am meow back on my way to the Chasms. The festival will start early, but it won't be THAT early. I should make sure all the Lost Kingdom Villagers arrive first. Jeez… 300 Gold Coins on one festival… I probably shouldn't feed Alcohol to my subjects every damn time. If it were simply the Harpies and Goblins, it would actually be manageable. Reygid is just too populated. Even though I originally desired for this to be a charitable event, I've meow decided that I need to make this into a profitable one. One that breaks even, or comes close to it; at least. I'll charge the citizens for each drink. I'll need staff to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Thankfully, I have exactly 38 Scarecrows. They will handle serving the drinks, with the exception of Mr and Mrs Scarecrow. Those two have far too many songs to perform.

On arrival into the Chasms, I was met with the Golden Retrieverkin Woman. She led the way for me to get back to Mary, the Mantiskin Woman, and the Foxman. They were all relaxing while watching the children in the distance. Chiffonna-Cya-Macaroon was also spending time with them. It was a strangely dull discussion, and honestly; I couldn't help myself. I interrupted the whole thing, right at the good part when Mary was about to explain how she got the Berries into the Goldfish~ Everyone has had it with me already, but this is Halloween!~

"Nero… I was looking forward to that..." [Foxman] snarled with a deranged expression while cradling his baby.

"Tell the story another time, Mary. For now, I have an announcement to make~" [Nero] beckoned while side-eyeing the Catkin Chef with a grin.

"HARPIES!" [Chiffona-Cya-Macaroon] screamed with a monstrously loud and raspy voice. To which, all of the nearby Harpies promptly sat near the ensemble.

"Thank you..." [Nero] began while glancing toward the Harpy Matriarch before ascending to face the crowd.

"I've asked Chiffona-Cya-Macaroon to gather you all here tonight, because I would like to make an announcement! Having claimed dominion over Reygid and avenged our family, I have decided to throw a festival in order to honor our fallen. This festival will be larger than any other that I've held… And all of the Harpies are welcome to join us~ A Gate will be raised here, which you may use to return home at any time throughout the night. Fair warning, that many of the civilians in Reygid will also be attending. I trust that you will play nice, and keep things civil. We're friends meow, if I have my way." [Nero] announced with a smile. To which, the Harpies held mixed emotions. Some cheered, while others murmured.

I suppose you can't please everyone~ It may have been too soon to have the two nations mingle… But what can you do? Throw TWO festivals?! That would be utter nonsense~

"Nero… When will this festival be?" [Mary] asked with eyes wide.

"Soon. Now that you mention it, if you could attain any kind of groceries from Reygid on short notice… So that you may cook more food for the festival… What would you choose and where might one attain them?" [Nero] begged the question with a weak smile.

"...I'll come with you." [Mary] shot back with a tired look in her eyes.

"Mommy! Are we going back to the creepy castle?!" [Cindy] asked frantically after running up to hug the Catkin Chef.

"Yes, sweetie… It's in Reygid now." [Mary] replied with a smile as she pat her daughter's head.

"Oh." [Cindy] shot back as if absolutely dumbfounded before running off to speak with a crowd of children.

"Okay… So what do you need?" [Nero] asked once more while glaring at the Chef.

"Let's get on with it already~" [Mary] groaned while rolling her eyes as she leapt onto the Halloween Cat's Broom.

And so… I'm meow treating Mary to the wonders of a ridiculously fast Broom. She's almost lost her footing several times, but she survived. We've made it! The marketplace of Reygid… Bustling, as always~ After descending, I helped the now extremely disgruntled Catkin off of my Broom… And we are now slowly carousing the streets for ingredients. Everything that we purchase, is swiftly bestowed to a lesser Scarecrow entrusted with the most important of tasks… Carrying our goods back to the Kitchen in the Wailing Keep~ They do noble work, those Clansmen! They're so skilled, it's like watching a factory line the way that those Scarecrows navigate through the streets.

By the time that we had finished gathering new ingredients, I had spent a whopping two hundred Gold Coins. I needed to stop her from making any more purchases. Ridiculous. She wanted to buy literally everything, considering that she'd be feeding a whole nation. I came through with my government funding status and she took full advantage. It's like that. The food? It better be next level, Cat Crewoman Number 6. I'll have you know, that two of the four Cat Crew(o)men before you; they totally died. Don't make the same mistake, by falling in love with the wrong ingredients too soon~ We probably spent around an hour, so after I had returned the Chef to her Kitchen… I made my way back to the Chasms, conjured a new Gate by cancelling the Beach Gate… And happily returned to Georgia's esteemed shop.

As I travelled over Nidallia, I learned that Cetilla had found herself in yet another predicament. She didn't return the Harpies back to the Wailing Keep… She must have still been trying to find me after I pulled my disappearing act… And while doing so, she managed to garner a few new enemies. She can handle it, I think. I can literally see a tornado sweeping dozens through the skies; and I can hear the screams… So it's probably fine. Thankfully, Cetilla's stunt is occurring on the southwestern side of Town. Georgia's more toward the northwest. On entry, I was met with a few unfamiliar faces. They're all posted up near the bar, so it's kind of hard to miss. Most people tend to keep a safe distance from Georgia, on account of their own faults; might I add. The more questionable of citizens with loud mouths tend to find themselves in harm's way should they sit near Georgia. It's like that. These people on the other hand, they're all up close to Georgia; being friendly and stuff! They're my kind of people. We don't shirk from a proud, independent, burly legend of a Barkeep~

"Nero~ This is the one I've been telling you about~" [Georgia] happily introduced the Halloween Cat after dramatically turning her body to face him as she raised a hand to gesture toward the Witch of War.

"Hohh? So this is the one buying out all of our worst?" [Blond Man] frivolously asked as he made several hand gestures.

"Well he's quite the attractive young man…" [Black Haired Maiden] exclaimed with a smile while twirling a strand of her long hair.

"Hello~ My name is Nero Miki. Pleased to make your acquaintance." [Nero] replied with a smile before quickly bowing to the two newly met Barkeeps.

"I'm Rodger Meldrich." [Rogder] introduced himself with a polite demeanor.

"Elise Vonslacht." [Elise] exclaimed bluntly with a twisted smile.

"These two are local Barkeeps who will be helping to fulfill your order." [Georgia] explained while shrugging her shoulders as if to say that she weren't actually associated with them.

"Will these be the only two to help with the shipment?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.

"No, there's one more who should be arriving any moment." [Georgia] explained with a sigh as she rubbed her forehead.

"Oh? Who's going to help us?" [Rodger] asked with a wry smile.

"It couldn't be…" [Elise] muttered before beginning to glance toward the entrance…

"It is…" [Georgia] groaned before finally slamming her own head down onto the counter.

"Who?!" [Nero] asked with an exasperated expression. To which, Elise's face still glancing toward the entrance grew incredibly disfigured… She bore a face filled with lust.

Turning to my right… It's some huge, hunky dude with grey hair. He's got a beard, and these incredibly blue eyes. Like… The primary color, blue. It's just really deep… Rodger can't relate. His eyes are green~ Murky, almost. When this new guy walked through, he carried a lot of attitude. And weight. His steps were loud, okay? They spoke business, those steps… Quite threatening, really~ Oh GOSH! When he exhaled, I could SEE steam shooting out from his nostrils! He's all sorts of trouble, this guy!

"You said something about low-grade Alcohol?" [Mystery Man] begged the question with a gruff voice as he came to a stop; silencing the entire Tavern.

"Yeah, I need a lot." [Georgia] replied bluntly while side-eyeing the hunking grey beard with long lashes and eyes that speak to the soul.

"Is no one going to introduce him?" [Nero] chimed in with a tired expression.

"What kinds were you thinking?" [Mystery Man] asked while squinting his eyes as he glared down at Georgia.

"The quantity and price are what matter to the current client." [Georgia] sighed while glancing toward the Halloween Cat.

"Oh? So he only cares for the cost…" [Mystery Man] muttered with a deep voice.

"THAT is Jolkvich Lelpt. Proudest man in the industry. Stomps on fools for fun." [Rodger] whispered to Nero from the left while side-eyeing Jolkvich.

"I heard that one time, he destroyed his ENTIRE Tavern while stopping a bar fight. Bare handed…" [Elise] whispered to Nero from the right while side-eyeing Jolkvich.

"Where did he get boots that big?" [Rodger] asked with a perplexed expression while still utterly distracted by Jolkvich.

"He did what now?" [Nero] asked of Elise while sipping on a glass of wine.

"Big hands, too…" [Rodger] mumbled hysterically.

"The entire thing was in shambles, and forsaken as a derelict property. He ended up moving across the city and getting a new place; but according to legend… One can still hear the cries of those with the audacity to start the fight in HIS Tavern… And those MUSCLES… They just don't end!" [Elise] muttered with a terrified expression as she continued to size him up.

"Uhhhh…" [Nero] groaned while falling victim to the muscles.

"Are you three done yet?" [Jolkvich] asked with a deep voice as he stood there, in a condescending position… Probably just due to him standing, but condescending nonetheless!

"Did you know that your pecks poke through your shirt?" [Rodger] asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"What?" [Jolkvich] asked with a furious expression while turning to face the blond fool.

"They just… Jump all over the place as he speaks…" [Elise] muttered as drool began to seep from her mouth.

"Excuse me?!" [Jolkvich] shot back while clearly beginning to blush before he immediately gathered his composure...

"Have you SEEN yourself?!" [Jolkvich] begged the question with a hysterical expression as he pointed toward Elise's rather voluptuous upper body.

"Ugh~ Well, yes… I'm glad that you've noticed." [Elise] replied with a twisted grin before letting off an overly seductive wink as she bent up closer to the counter.

...Did a button just fly off her top?

"Owh, what the fuck?!" [Random Man] screamed while rubbing his head.

...Yup. Oh, Jolkvich was caught off guard… He's blushing. Not only for a split second, but longer… Huh. He's not impenetrable, after all. Rodger's off the hook, Elise got to confirm her dastardly good looks; and Georgia got a chance to finally have Jolkvich stop gawking at her. We've all won. Where's my Alcohol? Gesturing to Georgia… Ah. She too, fell victim to his Muscles. She's back meow, and that's all that matters.

"Right, so… I've prepared all of my worst wares in a corner of my Cellar. 3000 Bottles ready for shipment~ Nero, you may begin with obtaining them. I'll ask a total of 60 Gold Coins." [Georgia] explained with a thumb held high.

"I brought mine in three carriages outside, 3000 Bottles." [Rodger] sighed with a weak smile as he averted eye contact from Jolkvich.

"Me too." [Elise] confessed with a grin as she glared at Jolkvich.

"...What?" [Jolkvich] asked while glancing around the counter at everyone involved.

"Hmm?" [Rodger] innocently asked.

"You all already knew?" [Jolkvich] asked with a terrifying expression as he glared at the two other visiting Barkeeps.

"We met up earlier, but realized that we wouldn't have enough to fill out the order." [Georgia] confessed while shrugging her shoulders.

"...Oh. I see." [Jolkvich] let out, while clearing his throat before continuing…

"Then, I too will prepare 3000 Bottles and have them brought here as soon as possible." [Jolkvich] declared while puffing out his chest.

"60 Gold Coins for 3000 Bottles, huh...? The Market's been strange ever since Rin's Stable came down, I guess…" [Jolkvich] muttered as he left the establishment.

"Whew~ I almost thought he wouldn't buy it!" [Rodger] groaned.

"Oh not me, I knew that Georgia could sell it~" [Elise] exclaimed with a smile before high-fiving Georgia from across the counter.

"...Sell it?" [Nero] asked with a tired expression.

"Well, you wanted 10000 served; right? We three could have given you the extra 300 bottles each… But we decided to split our cut down a little… And make it appear as though we needed another 3000 bottles instead. We originally would have earned 100 Gold Coins each, at the cost of 3333 bottles. Now, we're earning 80 Gold Coins each at the cost of 3000 bottles… But the actual order itself will be increased from 10000 bottles to 12000 bottles~ We've each sacrificed 20 Gold Coins to grant you this incredible deal, so you'd do well to pay us back." [Georgia] explained with a smile.

"...So you've essentially upsized the order… With no real gain to myself considering that you still desire to be paid more." [Nero] shot back with tired look in his eyes.

"..." [Everyone] To which, Nero adjusted his aviators.

"You've all just displayed that 80 Gold Coins for 3000 bottles is relatively fine; if they're of your worst quality. So, I'm paying an additional 60 Gold Coins for 2000 bottles… Which doesn't add up. It should be 48 Gold Coins for 2000 bottles. So, you're effectively costing me an additional 12 Gold Coins if I choose to reimburse you. Your choice to split this another way without doing the proper calculations has caused you all to earn less… I can't settle that for you in good conscience." [Nero] explained while shrugging his shoulders. To which, the three Barkeeps groaned.

"Who messed up the calculations?!" [Elise] let out, hysterically.

"It wasn't me! I wouldn't even lay a finger on those grubby documents!" [Rodger] retorted with a pompous expression.

"It was you, Elise! I told you that we needed to charge Jolkvich more!" [Georgina] shot back with a terrifying expression.

"It doesn't matter who it was, my stance won't change." [Nero] sighed while rolling his eyes. To which, all three Barkeeps fell silent and seemed heavily dejected.

Welp… Scarecrows, it would appear that I require your assistance yet again. Please, help me safely carry the Bottles in the corner of Georgia's Cellar out to the front of the Tavern; where I will be. Efficient, as always… The Scarecrows are good folk~ Rodger and Elise are probably having some caddy small-talk about me right now, but it's fine. I don't care, I'm more interested about the location of their illustrious carriages… Ah~ Rodger has three carriages, each guarded by three to five studs. They're horse-drawn. I can tell that they're with Rodger, simply because their clothing matches his. It makes sense, when I glance at them. Rodger keeps hunks in slightly more primitive apparel than his own, while ensuring that they appear connected. Elise also has three carriages, but they're all guarded by various Maids. I can tell that they work for Elise, because they all have flatter chests than her. It makes sense, when I glance at them. Elise keeps cuties with less developed bodies than her own, to ensure that she appears more seductive. Rodger keeps hunks in less developed clothing than his own to ensure that he appears cool, and in control. These two are so much, in comparison to Georgia. Georgia's not like the other Barkeeps~ She's different!

I probably watched my Scarecrows work tirelessly for around half an hour before it had finally ended. All of the Alcohol has slowly amassed around me, in the middle of the street. I've been effortlessly floating atop of the pile for awhile meow, terrifying all of the citizens out of stealing my goods. Cancelling the Chasm Gate, I replaced it with a new one. It's the hack gate. I tried to conjure it over the location of my goods, but it didn't work. Apparently, inanimate objects can not traverse through the Hallowed Gate without having been carried through. It's like… The bottles are stuck in limbo, when they should be disappearing into the depths of Halloween… It was a pain, but the Scarecrows needed to repeatedly leap through the Gate, while aiming to snatch a bottle or two with each leap. After having leapt into the depths of Halloween, they also needed to stick the landing. To help with that effort, we used 10 Scarecrows at all times; as cushioning for the landers. They weren't coordinated enough to stick the landing without a literal failsafe, so here we are… Waiting~

******

Now that the Alcohol hath disappeared, I decided to leave through the Hallowed Gate. Cetilla wound up discovering me around halfway through, thanks to the Hallowed Gate's obnoxious size… But thankfully, she tired herself out and decided to take a quick nap before the show. The Scarecrows masterfully stored all of the alcohol into the southwestern house of this wondrous Halloween Town, and Mary's been working up a storm in the Kitchen. The Bandsmen have been practicing their songs for several nights meow, and everyone in the Chasms has returned to the Wailing Keep. The Fishing parties just got back, so I've got very little left to do… Meow, I suppose I should gather all of the Goblins, and cancel this new gate. It needs to be replaced with a new Chasm Gate. Yep. Okay! Be back soon~

The flight was a little boring, honestly. I'm feeling antsy. I'm ready for the festival! Bring on the foods and the booze! I've spent quite the fair chunk of my fortune on this event, and we've spent more time preparing for it than any other festival… It should have the largest turnout, that's for sure. I'd be happy if it made more people happy than it did last time, but the crowd's going to be tough. Bandsmen~ Absolutely no room for mistakes tonight! If I see even one paw out of place during the 'Tr*ller', I'll go ballistic. There won't be a safe place for you, not in THIS realm~ Nyahahahahahahaha!~ Kidding~ I don't care, just do your best.

Arriving in the Chasms, I quickly replaced the missing Hallowed Gate; and was met with the Harpy Matriarch. Chiffona-Cya-Macaroon popped up, out of nowhere and started asking about her daughter; Chartreuse. It was a heartwarming moment, showing Chiffona-Cya-Macaroon's motherly love; but it didn't last very long. Almost as quickly as her motherly love appeared, it became hilariously distorted… Like a mirror, shattering beneath her wake. She was ACTUALLY interested in whether or not Prussian seemed to be using his newfound freedom to be unfaithful. Ever since Prussian failed at the drinking games within Orpia, Chiffona-Cya-Macaroon's had very little trust in the lad. She's been secretly trying to break the two up, according to Fusciazure. Jeez… Perhaps Prussian and Chartreuse truly left the Chasms in an attempt to get some space between them and the Harpy Matriarch… Hence why she seemed so utterly shocked from their decision to leave. I had just assumed it was because she couldn't fathom a Harpy deciding to live elsewhere… But it's all starting to make sense meow…

Leaving the hysterical Matriarch behind, I found myself back in the Wailing Keep. This time, I was being marauded by questions about the upcoming festival. The main concern right meow, seems to be when the festival will start. Everyone's confused, there are hundreds of Goblins, Harpies, and Beastkin scattered around the Throne Room, and to make matters worse… The Throne Room is quite literally on fire. It always is, nowadays… It's a scene of utter chaos by design; it would appear. Thankfully, taking my seat was an act capable of garnering the attention to all nearby. It may have had something to do with the two dozen Scarecrows who have been following me around whenever they got the chance… But I'd like to think that it's because of my presence, as a well-dressed and respectable leader to these people. Nyah~

"Now, I'm sure that everyone's been wondering… The festival shall begin in around 30 more minutes! Make sure to be here early if you wish to listen to a very special announcement~" [Nero] declared with a smile. To which, cheers arose from the crowd and many decided to sit down while others began to leave.

"Hey Mister… I found some of the kids, but where are the ones from around here?" [Small Bearkin Boy] asked after stepping forth from the crowd alongside four other children.

"Ahh… Well done! As promised, the children which already live with us here in the Wailing Keep should have returned by now. They're either hiding somewhere in Halloween, or should be in the Dining Hall." [Nero] explained with a gentle voice and a smile before continuing…

"Mick~ Would you please show these children around until you find Cindy and the others?" [Nero] beckoned while raising his Lantern… To which, the Vampire Knight appeared moments later.

"Yeah, we'll find them~" [Mick] sighed before beginning to lead the children off down the Throne Room.

A couple of the kids found it cool how Mick appeared from the flames. Cute. They don't understand yet, but a lot of my abilities are eye-catching. They'll love them~ Honestly, I have nothing left to do before the festival. It's all coming along swimmingly, so I suppose… I'll spend the remaining time practicing my song? I'm making my debut, so I'd better not screw it up. Yosh! Leaving the Scarecrows to their own devices, I returned to Halloween; and found that numerous Bandsmen were already practicing. While waiting my turn, I decided to try out one of the arcade games. Penny recommended me one, apparently it's quite realistic. This one is called… Night of Wrath. Huh. Okay, so the first screen was about me choosing my character… But it ended up forcing me to be a Seven Tailed Halloween Cat. It's strange. I can physically see the other options, which are genuinely just a list of my Clansmen… But I can't choose a different character. I can't help but wonder what the purpose was, in having a character selection screen to begin with.

Okay… Woah. My vision went black, and I woke up in a forest. It's dark, and foggy. It's a pretty dense forest, and this game is beyond realistic… It's life-like. The only difference, is that I can see myself in a third-person perspective. Neat. I'm not as large as I probably should be, but I'm still larger than your average Cat. After glancing at my status… I have access to very few of my abilities. Mana Claws, Flame Paws, Pumpkin Bomb, and Swim are my only available abilities. What's more? My stats are ALL out of sorts… I've been massively nerfed. 100 HP, 100 MP, absolutely no resistances, 20 STR, 50 INT, 15 DEX, 5 LUK, and 30 AGI... Fun. I'm weak. Pitiful, even. No access to my Lantern, or Lianix. Oh? I heard a noise, and for some strange reason… I know exactly where it came from. Is this… The great sixth sense?!

After trusting in my gut, I came across a broken twig. I… I heard a twig snap from over 300 feet away… What?! There's another one! Oh my… This is broken. I feel like I'm hunting something, and on closer inspection… I am. I'm hunting a Human. He's got brown hair, and silver eyes. He's got a face of terror, and he's desperately trying to outrun me. He's honestly not very fast, but it's not as though I'm running laps around him. I suppose he was hiding, until I heard him break a twig. This game needs a tutorial. I ended up chasing after him for around five whole minutes on account of his strange running habits. He liked to duck around behind trees, trying to maneuver me; and get behind my line of sight. By the time that I caught him, it was wholly because he had tripped and fell over. Hovering above him, I mercilessly swiped my Flame Paw across his face… And found him to be in all sorts of pain. He's almost… Melting. I feel as though Flame Paws may have gotten an upgrade; I don't think it was this effective the last time I used it… But then again, maybe it's because he's utterly weak?

His screams of torment echoed throughout the entire forest… And when I swiped through his face the final time… His head shot off like a cork and blood spewed everywhere. Literally, everywhere. It was at that moment, when I heard another twig snap. Turning to face it, I broke out into a mad sprint through the woods. I'm starting to get interested in this game. I wonder if I'll gain any levels out of it? Rewards for playing? I'm probably just too greedy~ How many people are there in these twisted woods, anyway? Oh! I found her! She's a blond with breasts far too large for her body, and she's falling all over the place on account of their weight. Every time that she tries to maneuver around me, a shrub masterfully rips a new slice through her clothing… She even dramatically gasps as if she weren't expecting it. Every. Time! After around five minutes of me drooling during the chase, she was practically nude. She's freaking had it. She's done.

"Just kill me already, you perverted demon Cat!" [Overly Sexualized Blonde] screamed in fright after falling down, too weak to get back up.

...Awh… I can't speak. Lame! Bringing my face closer to hers… I exhaled before sinking my fangs into her neck. Well… I tried to do that, anyway… I think I might have landed one in her cheek, and the other in her shoulder; but it's the thought that counts! Shooting my head up, I ripped her fragile little body apart. Blood? Everywhere. I'm soaked… It's just a game, though... Right? Getting back up, I left her mangled corpse in the woods. She might have been alive for a fleeting moment as I walked away… But she's definitely going to die. Now, I suppose I should just wait for another noise? It seems like a waste, though… I'll just try to roam around a little while; and see what happens.

On the hunt~ Nyahahahahaha! Who dare challenge me?! The hot pawed Halloween Cat hath come to spread chaos! What's that sound? Oh it's just the sound of your fellow Humans being ripped to shreds! I'm getting WAY too into this… Okay. I've arrived near a meadow. I'd say that it's quaint, but there's blood casually stained all over the place. It's strange, because I certainly did not murder anyone near here; so it's probably just a design choice. Oh? What's that sound? I can hear someone whispering… Stealth mode! Activate! Lurking through the bushes… I came across two Humans. A black haired boy, probably around the same age as the eldest Ravenkin… And a silver haired girl; definitely around the same age as Cindy. These two are younger than the previous victims. The boy is trying to talk her down, as the girl is absolutely terrified.

"You must be new to this… It pains me to say it, but we honestly stand better chances apart." [Boy] explained with a gentle voice before shrugging his shoulders.

"B-B-But can't we just stick together?" [Girl] muttered while visibly shaking.

"If we stick together, if the demon finds us… We'll both die." [Boy] explained while patting the back of the girl.

"I don't want to die!" [Girl] screamed, clearly angered.

"That's good… If you wish to live, then you need to stay away from the demon. Run, as fast as you can… And then hide. Don't make a single noise until dawn, and you'll be safe." [Boy] exclaimed with a smile.

"But where do I hide?" [Girl] asked with a frightened expression.

"Anywhere. Tell you what… I'll keep a distant eye on you, and if anything happens… I'll try to distract the demon and get it away from you." [Boy] said with a weak smile. To which, the girl hesitantly nodded.

"Alright then… Run along now, I'll be following behind." [Boy] declared with a determined expression.

Ah… So if I don't kill them, they get to live? Is there some sort of hidden timer? How long will it even take? I don't have a whole lot of time to spend playing this game… But at the same time, I don't really want to kill the girl? She's just so… Pure. Was it too much to ask for a mindless killing game? This seems way too realistic. No matter how I think about it, artificial intelligence can not explain the conversation that I just listened in on. These are real people, truly being tormented; by my Clansmen and meow… Myself. The boy seemed multitudes more experienced with this sort of thing than the girl. It would be nice to garner some more information about this so called 'Night of Wrath'... But I can't speak. It's quite troublesome. I can't speak to ask questions, nor can I leave without either killing them all; or waiting it out. I have a festival to host in less than half an hour, and if time is actually genuine in this game… Then it's probably more like 15 minutes.

I have no choice. Time is of the essence, and I must kill the remaining Humans. I haven't heard any sort of noise aside from the girl clumsily running through the woods, and the boy currently glaring in the direction she had left. He didn't just… Tell her to leave and then lie about following behind her, right?! Oh my… To behave so treacherously infront of someone so noble as myself… He's made a grave mistake if he doesn't start following her by the count of 10. I'll give him 10 seconds. 10 seconds to choose his fate. Regardless, I'll probably still need to kill them both. Thing is, if he doesn't stay true to his word; I'll kill him a whole lot worse. Five seconds left, big boy; what's it going to be? 3… 2… 1… Okay, he's done. Stepping out through the shrubs, it seems that he heard me. He turned to face me instantaneously… And his eyes seemed to have gone on alert status. He's determined.

"Thought I sensed something~ Lurking through the bushes, are we?" [Boy] asked with a cool attitude while taking a fighting stance.

...Bro. You have absolutely no weapons, and your status is probably far worse than my own. What do you expect to gain from that stance?! Bending your knees and stretching out your arms as if you're about to grapple onto the jaguar sized Cat?! Ridiculous!

"Ahh… That's right, demons can't speak; can they?" [Boy] mocked with a grin.

"NYAAAH!" [Nero] screamed while pouncing toward the Boy. To which, the Boy jumped out of the way, and rolled a few steps before propelling himself back onto his feet and bursting out into a mad sprint.

...Oh. I missed. Okay, so we're chasing meow. Evading between trees? Top marks. Ducking behind shrubs? Could use a little work. Mad sprints after evasion? Honestly, not too shabby. This guy's good. He knows exactly which trees are too close together for me to pass through, and he abuses them to their fullest extent. After around three minutes, I've probably found myself caught between two trees a whopping 15 times. It's not very fun to find yourself tangled between trees that you would most likely normally be capable of destroying, but at least he's putting up more of a fight than the previous two victims~ It's a challenge... Yosh! Aha! End of the road, bro. He's taken one too many turns, and has found himself on the edge. There's apparently a very steep cliff surrounding these woods. A pleasant surprise, if you ask me~

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Taking a few dramatic steps forward, I watched as he shirked behind the thought of falling to his doom. He fell to his knees, and seemed to have given up. Raising my right paw as if to threaten him, he quickly summersaulted under it; and behind me. Wow. This guy takes dodging to a whole new level. I'm… I'm impressed. I'm genuinely impressed. Okay, leaping back for him a few more times; I managed to shove him down beneath me. He's laying on his stomach, and struggling to get out from under my claws… Which are currently stabbing into his back. The more he struggles, the deeper my claws go… He winces in pain at every attempt, and I'm beginning to feel like the victor. Raising my other paw, I decided to drop a [Pumpkin Bomb]. It was a Pumpkin Spice Bomb. Smashing it right into his face, it exploded into magical orange dust… His skin began to blister, and he needed to force his eyes shut…

After a few moments of my rather makeshift torture; he began to scream in agony. It was at that moment, when I heard another individual shudder. It was my cheat hearing ability; coming from across the forest… We're very far away from the shudder, but I know for a fact that it was the little girl. His scream, it triggered her to make a noise; almost as if it were a game… But in reality, it's probably just because she's scared out of her wits. He's given away her position, and time is not something that I have in multitudes; so I suppose I'll take advantage. Bringing my mouth down and opening wide, I bit his head clean off. It was almost clean, at least. The blood told a different story; to be frank. Spitting his gross head out, I began to run for the noise. I'm sorry, young one… But you must die for meow. I'm sure that she'll probably be revived, considering that the boy had already been around the block a few times... And I highly doubt that he simply got that good at evasion from surviving a plethora of times. He's probably died quite a few times. It shouldn't be too soul crushing to the girl if I do it before she even noticed; right? I'll just be super quick…

Okay. I found her, she's currently curled up into a ball; sobbing while hysterically screaming for the beheaded boy. It wasn't very difficult to find her, and judging by her current position… I actually might be able to kill her without her even noticing. There's only one way for me to do this with one attack. It's called… The Mongerer! I'll need to devour her whole. I'm SO sorry, but you need to be eaten. My stomach, right meow. Hungry. NyAAAAAAAAH!!! Welp… That went down smoother than expected~ Kidding, it was horrible. Didn't taste good, whatsoever. Quite literally needed to spit her out after chomping down a few times… I honestly wasn't prepared for the unyielding crunchiness. It was like a deformed jawbreaker. Arms and legs swirling through one's mouth while still attached to a living host is definitely something that I never intended to have crossed off of my bucket list; but we're here now. Blood in my mouth, blood down my throat, blood on my fur, blood everywhere… Disgusting. We need a Candy game. Who can eat the most Candy in 30 seconds or less. Allwessistant Dott, please make it happen.

Ahh… My vision returned to black, and when I opened my eyes; I was back in the arcade. Penny's glaring at me with a gleaming expression that can only mean one thing. She's wondering how it was… It was terrible, and entertaining at the very same time. Happy? Okay. Oh? There are high-scores… Apparently, they work based on the time you take killing the Humans… The gruesomeness of your kills… Whether or not you get chain kills… Whether or not you spend a lot of time chasing your victims... How terrified your victims are before death… And last but certainly not least; the uniqueness of each kill. You can't just kill all four victims with the same ability being used in the same fashion; that's poor etiquette. I've placed in the top 15 of Clansmen. Mick took top 14th. Robert, the Tier 1 Bat placed top 13th. I got trumped by Robert… The Tier 5 Skeleton took 12th place. Betty took 11th place, which is quite commendable; considering that all of the other Wraiths are far behind. Mrs Scarecrow took rank 10, while Mr Scarecrow fell behind at rank 16. Luna's rank 9. I got trumped by an Unholy Priestess. White Beef Lady took 8th… Huh. You know, it might just be me; but I don't find White Beef Lady to be very frightening. Penny's in the top 7. I got trumped by a Pixie with ONE combat ability. Molag Dregora took top 6. Surprising, considering that he lacks any real combat abilities… Oh. He might have resurrected a fallen Human? Wendel took 5th. What… Did she throw pebbles at them to death? Bash a few heads in with her rock hard abdomen? Benji took 4th place. Commendable. Christina took 3rd place. Understandable. She's quite fast, and terrifying. Leoric took 2nd place. I'm going to miss him... Conrad took 1st place.

There you have it, Conrad is the most suitable choice to be bestowed with even greater power. The Night of Wrath hath spoken, and they think that Conrad is my greatest asset among Clansmen. Wrath, or shall I say; Hoen… Has been ruling Halloween with an iron paw for far too long. If we're to win and outpower them, we need to take advantage of our star players; like Conrad. Hoen said he's the best I have, so I'd do well to heed their advice. They've already been winning for longer than I can fathom… It's not like they have anything to gain by fudging the numbers. Clearly, Conrad is the most terrifying of us all. It really sucks that Leoric's missing, though… Ah! My turn to practice singing has arrived~ Christina's passing me the microphone. Okay~ Kick it, nameless Scarecrow!

"Welcome to o~ur freak show, come meet my monsters... [Nero] muttered with a blank look in his eyes after taking off his aviators and setting them down onto a table.

"Ohhh such a fine collection of stranger things…" [Nero] continued on with a twisted grin as he tilt his head to the side.

"My patience running thinner on this melted clock…" [Nero] mumbled while gazing off into the distance.

"Cerebrum jailed with thoughts most would consider rot…" [Nero] exclaimed while rolling his eyes before slamming his Lantern down onto the table.

"To think you're any different from an animal. A creature sick as you should be put down," [Nero] muttered while rolling his neck to glance all around the ceiling before slamming it down to face the screen and continuing…

"But I can't help myself..." [Nero] whispered with a sadistic expression before exhaling.

And so, Wendel has taken the lead for the next part… Her voice is as enchanting as ever~

"...Welcome to o~ur freak show, come meet my monsters..." [Nero] muttered before letting off a giggle as he tipped his hat and Wendel continued to sing.

"Ohh such a fine collection of stranger things…" [Nero] continued on while twirling his cap around his finger.

"Please don't hide…" [Nero] beckoned while whipping the cap back on before quickly taking Wendel by the hands and beginning to romantically dance with her.

"Your imperfections; nature took two tries… To make the man in white;" [Nero] exclaimed while winking to the Weeping Angel before releasing her from one hand and letting her twirl as he continued…

"No, I don't mind, you are a beauty. Not temptation... You're my creation." [Nero] sang with a smile as he pulled the Weeping Angel in close; before leaving her side and taking a seat on a sofa.

"Freak of Friday night, know I'm the main attraction~" [Wendel] sang seductively as she swayed her hips from side to side.

"Nero! It's time! What are you doing in here?!" [Cetilla] screamed hysterically after slamming the door open. To which, the unnamed Scarecrow dejectedly turned down the volume.

"...Right." [Nero] sighed before picking his aviators and Lantern back up and following the Catkin out of the arcade.

Okay… So, Cetilla led me all the way back to the Throne Room… Which is absolutely packed. Half packed, I should say. Wild. Mary's at the doorway, showing a thumb held high; so I suppose we're on. Clansmen~ Stop whatever it is that you're doing. If you're protecting someone, ensure that they are escorted to the Wailing Keep Throne Room immediately. Every single Monster Knight is to be present. The Tides of Tragedy can wait 10 minutes. It's fine. Be here! Cetilla's glaring at me, and I'm currently standing beside my Throne. Propping Lianix up to the right side, I placed the Lantern on my left armrest. Taking off my aviators, I placed them on the top of my cap. Taking a deep breath, I took my seat. To which, I could hear the Hallowed Howl… Echoing from different parts of the Throne Room, but also from outside of the Keep. Thank you, everyone. Ah~ More individuals are streamlining in through the entrance meow.

"Thank you all for coming to my wondrous home, the Wailing Keep. I am Nero Miki, the True Allwe Halloween Cat currently residing within Melchiadore. I am pleased to announce that Orianna Reygid, the Lionkin Queen has chosen to give me a chance. She will be staying here with us in the Wailing Keep for the foreseeable future. Tonight, as promised; will be a night of fun! A festival shall be held within Halloween. Waiting beyond these two gates, is your ticket to a night of countless possibilities! Come one, come all; enjoy the songs of my Clansmen and the Monster Knights… Bring drinks and food, or buy some of our own. Coming and going during the course of the festival is permitted, but I must ask that you always remain at least five feet away from the gates so that you do not block off anyone trying to come or leave. Each bottle of Alcohol is to be priced at 30 Silver Coins, and may be purchased at the southwestern edge of the Town. We do not sell them in bulk, as they are of a limited supply. If you desire business opportunities with buying or selling this product, please come see me after the festival has concluded. Empty bottles may be returned to the southwestern edge of the Town, where they had been originally obtained. Please do not leave your empty bottles scattered across the Town. Food prices may differ, and the food will also be located on the southwestern edge of the Town. There will be another short announcement upon entry into Halloween, to introduce you all to the Monster Knights and my Clansmen. Throughout the course of this event, and in common times; you will be under their protection… So please treat them with the utmost level of respect." [Nero] announced with a smile before getting out of his seat and walking forth to be the first to enter Halloween as the crowd cheered…

The crowd reassembled rather smoothly, with the focal point being the fountain that I am currently floating above. Clansmen! Bring yourselves and all the Monster Knights close to the fountain! Nyah! Okay… First thing's first…

"To start with the introductions, I would like you all to meet my illustrious Cat Crew. These few of the Monster Knights tend to be involved in helping me personally more often than not… First off, we have Cetilla Vellisroi; the Sorceress commonly referred to as the Dutchess of Doom!" [Nero] exclaimed while pointing to the smirking Catkin with spontaneously flowing hair. To which, the guys of the crowd seemed enthused.

"Second, we have Roah; the (Hob)Goblin Berserker King! Both Roah, and Cetilla were influential for my escaping the Mummy Mansion at Midnight on a Monday, making these two quite noteworthy~" [Nero] exclaimed while pointing to Hobgoblin Samurai Punk. To which, the Hobgoblin got all teary-eyed but stood strong with his puffed out chest stance that all the ladies swooned over.

"Third and fourth, we have Milton and Rei; the Catkin Phantasm and Wraith who tragically died in battle but fell in love~" [Nero] exclaimed while pointing to the couple currently waving to 'aw-ing' the crowd.

"Fifth, we have Gluttatosk; the Shrake who was almost influential for my escaping the Mummy Mansion at Midnight on a Monday… But found himself petrified while trying to devour a Slime instead~" [Nero] exclaimed while pointing to the Land Shark currently devouring something from a barrel as the crowd laughed.

"Sixth and seventh, we have Mary; our prized Chef at the Wailing Keep… And her daughter, Cindy; a talented Chef in her own right. Any food you eat from this Keep comes straight from Mary, so do give her your best~" [Nero] exclaimed while pointing to the two Catkin as they held trays of food and nervously smiled as numerous members of the crowd began to ask them about pricing.

"Last but not least, is Jon; the Swashbuckler! Jon's a brave explorer from another continent, but he's found himself lost and in my clutches. We'll see what the tides may bring~" [Nero] exclaimed with a smirk as he pointed to the Catkin and the crowd began to laugh again.

"Moving on to the Monster Knights… We have the Goatman Shield Breaker, Edgar... Rita, the Rifaleesigal representing the Rifa of the Lost Kingdom. Ben, the Bearoleph representing the Bears of the Lost Kingdom… Lucias, the Mousekin from Monastazia… Lora the Lavendacorn Lamia representing the Snakes of the Lost Kingdom… Wilson the Wolfenrine representing the Wolves of the Lost Kingdom… Kendra the Kitsune representing the Foxes of the Lost Kingdom… Cycleo, the One Eyed Lizard representing the One Eyed Lizards of the Chasms… Chartreuse, the Harpy Matriarch's Heiress to the Chasms; joined by her betrothed… Prussian! Gillie, the Golden Retrieverkin… Vana, the Monarch Flutterfairy representing the Butterflies and Caterpillars of the Lost Kingdom… Hugo, the Tiger Swallowtail Flutterfairy betrothed to Vana… Frey, the Foxman; and his very young daughter… Freida. Chiffona-Cya-Macaroon, the Harpy Matriarch and her other two daughters… Scarlet, and Fusciazure; joined by their respected partners… Tuscan, and Pewter-Merlot. Trudy, the Turtlekin Defender… Grenda, the Goblin helping Roah to oversee all of the Goblins from the Lost Kingdom… Matilda, the Mantiskin, and her daughter; Maddie. Echo, the Geckokin… Pandianna, the Pandakin… The Ravenkin Fliers, Missile… Bristle… And Thistle. Rosa Firemane, the Tigerkin Countess… Rustle, the Rabbit representing the Rabbits of the Lost Kingdom… The Unicornkin, Unit. The Humans, Romeo; and Juliet… The Snow Owlkins, Osset, and Osslet… Eaglynn, the Eaglekin… Tru and Fals; the Snow Leopardkins… The Catkin, Mininero and Cetinot… The Rifale, Ri and Ta… The Werewolf, Will… Awkmin, the Hawkman… and Rachel; the Raccoonkin." [Nero] explained while pointing to each individual, naming several of the Monster Knights as he did so before continuing…

"And finally, we have my Clansmen… Molag Dregora, the Lich Necromancer… Wendel, the Weeping Angel Siren… Wolrietta, the Werewolf Brawler… Luna Pratz, the Unholy Priestess Vampire… Christina, the Corocdae Barbarian… Conrad, the Crowli Aerial Reaper… Penny, the Pixie Jester… Miscare, and Mescarga; the two most powerful Scarecrow Berserkers among my Clansmen… Benji, the strongest Bat Phantom… Skeldoragora, the most powerful of Skeleton Sword Masters among my Clansmen… Betty and Becky; the most powerful of Banshee Wraiths amidst my Clansmen… Phillius and Phillian, the most powerful of Phantasm Wraiths within my ranks… Mick, the most powerful of Vampire Knights among my Clansmen… Andy and Steve, the other two Vampire Knights… Skeldora, the second most powerful of Skeleton Sword Masters… Connor, the strongest of my Crows… Skeldor, another of the Skeleton Sword Masters… Betto, Betta, Beck, and Bet; of the Banshee Wraiths… Phil, Philly, Phi, Pha, Pi, and Pa of the Phantasm Wraiths… Ringo, Roy, Rondala, Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, Scooby, Frederica, Daphnic, Velmstead, Shaggricia, Scoobette, Cosmo, Wanda, Cos, Wan, Commo, Wandy, Com, Wad, Coo, Waa, Coomso, Waadan, Comso, Wadan, Comcoo, Wadwaa, Cosmia, Wandrico, Cosmaconna, Wanderango, Cosmicali, Wandibali, and Cosmoco of the Scarecrows… Skeld, Skelde, Skelt, and Skelch of the Skeletons… Last but not least, we have Edward, Vivian, and Robert of the Bats…" [Nero] announced with a growingly tired expression as he pointed to each individual before continuing…

"So, without further ado… Welcome to our freak show, come meet my monsters~" [Nero] exclaimed with a twisted grin as his song came on… Signaling the beginning of the festival.

******

My debut was epic. The crowd loved it, and I'd like to say that it gave them a different outlook on yours truly… But then again, I'm far too optimistic~ Regardless, my speech took far too long. I need to return to the Beach before things get too out of paw. First thing's first… I made a stop at the southwest edge of town. The lesser Scarecrows are meow handling the selling of product, and they've been instructed to feed all of the Harpies, Goblins, and Monster Knights for free. Children included, but obviously; no Alcohol for them. It's settled. I saw to it myself, so no one can say that I'm negligent. I'm all about equality, but honestly… The Harpies and Goblins require a little bit of financial aide; they're not exactly in a position to even be a part of an economy. Not until now, anyway~ I can't expect them to have rashly gone out and sought employment in Reygid immediately. Assimilation takes time, and as far as I can tell; most Goblins choose to live in the Forsaken Isles rather than Reygid. They probably just feel more comfortable with their families, and stuff.

I was thinking such things as I obtained three bottles for myself, and made my way back to the Beach. On arrival, I was met with quite the terrifying scene… But it quietly scuttled back out into the sea. By 'it', I mean the massive Crab monster surrounded by a squadron of Sea Serpents, Snakes, and lesser Crab monsters. Troublesome. If we actually can't leave this Beach for longer than 10 minutes, then just HOW was the previous Lionkin King capable of keeping the tides at bay all the way from the freaking Castle?! His haki must have been immensely saturated… Is it because so many other royal bloodlines submit fealty to his? It made him appear more powerful than he truly was? All I know, is that this sucks… We need a life hack right about now, Janus~ I'm missing out on a festival that I literally paid 500 Gold Coins to fund. Power play of the freaking century by missing it, most certainly; but still depressing. I actually ENJOY my festivals, okay? I want to be listening to their masterful performances and dancing my stress away; not drinking my sorrows away beside a ridiculous Sand Keep…

The Alcohol is okay… It's not fantastic, but it's fine. I certainly didn't pay for fantastic, so it's fine. I probably won't turn a profit off of it, because I'm charging too low for a bottle and also promising free mead to the Monster Knights... But I'm hoping to get enough of a return to still be capable of attaining my camping equipment, or Candy… Probably Candy. Let's be real, Candy is uber important to my success as a Halloween Cat. The way that I go through it, it might as well be… Well, Candy. It's Candy. I'm the Candy Mongerer, so if I say that we need more Candy; we probably don't… But we'll get more anyway~ I didn't specify a song order this time around for the Bandsmen to rely on… I hope things turn out smoothly, but I suppose a few hiccups never hurt anyone. It's a free festival, take what you can get~ Mary's certainly going to be overworked… I never did bother getting her any extra help, but if some of the Scarecrows could help her by serving and selling the food; it would probably be appreciated. Nyah~

I had been laying down in the sand, counting the stars for around an hour as I drank my night way; until she arrived. A familiar Lionkin Queen, named Orianna. She seemed to have participated in the festival, as she's drunk out of her mind... But she also seemed to have at least eased her worries about us for the meantime. I'm glad. I was afraid that she'd realize our darkest secrets, and resent us forever. We have a few questionable individuals with harrowing tales; so she must have spent time getting to know the more pure. Luck is on our side~ Let's just stuff Molag Dregora, Penny, and Christina into a dark cellar; and lock the door. All of a sudden, I'd be the most problematic of our flock~ Well… We'd still need to deal with Cetilla. There's no locking her away, she'd escape. I have no doubts.

"Which of them is your favorite?" [Orianna] asked while tilting her head to the side.

"Them?" [Nero] asked while furrowing one eyebrow.

"Your Clansmen." [Orianna] replied bluntly as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"...That's a good question." [Nero] exclaimed while glancing up into the sky once more.

"Don't have one?" [Orianna] sighed as she began to drink from her bottle.

"I probably do… But I haven't the slightest clue~" [Nero] casually explained before taking another swig.

"Oh? Do you want to try and figure it out together?" [Orianna] offered with a playful expression.

"...How?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.

"...Elimination?" [Orianna] sighed as she shrugged her shoulders.

"So find a trait that I don't like about one of them, and the last one remaining is my favorite Clansmen?" [Nero] begged the question while smiling.

"Why not~" [Orianna] sighed while glancing off out into the sea.

"Well, to be absolutely fair; I'm only going to include the strongest of each race. I don't spend as much time with the lesser Clansmen." [Nero] casually explained his thought process before continuing as the Lionkin nodded…

"Wendel's always crying or only ever cares about her music… Wolrietta's always obsessing over having more time with Wilson… Conrad can be terribly inefficient with his MP… Molag Dregora has a dark past that he doesn't seem to want to detail too heavily… Christina and Penny also have a dark past, but I'd honestly prefer to have not learned of it… Miscare and Miscarga barely ever speak anymore unless it's during a song… Skeldoragora has always kept near to his fellow Skeletons, and honestly might have never even had a conversation with me… Phillius and Phillian are more or less the same, as are every single Banshee except Betty; and it concerns me deeply. Mick, Steve, and Andy are all obsessed with Luna; and swear that it's their eternal duty to keep her safe… Which is also concerning. Benji and Luna are just great, though… I have no problems with them. I can't decide between them… Benji's truly kind, and Luna's simply innocent. What concerns me most of all, though? My Clansmen can not only hear what I think, but they can also probably hear what I'm saying this very instant." [Nero] explained with eyes wide, giving absolutely no effort to conceal his growing insanity.

"Wow… A tie breaker…" [Orianna] groaned as if the predicament were her own.

"I know right?" [Nero] shrugged as if it couldn't be helped.

"Wait… They can hear you all the time?" [Orianna] asked as if in disbelief.

"Oh, yes… Robert, please prove my explanation~" [Nero] beckoned while rolling his eyes and raising his Lantern.

"Yes, we hear everything he does." [Robert] explained with a joyful sounding voice after appearing through the flaming orange lights.

"...Insane… How long did it take you to learn that?" [Orianna] muttered while glaring at the Bat.

"Too long." [Nero] shot back with a tired expression before taking another swig.

"So even if you're a Halloween Cat, you don't necessarily understand everything?" [Orianna] asked with eyes wide.

"Nope… They basically threw me down here and expected me to figure it out. I came with very limited knowledge, but now that I'm older than three… I have a somewhat reliable advisor known as the Allwessistant Dott." [Nero] explained carefreely.

"My father seemed to believe that you would be better informed…" [Orianna] said dejectedly.

"Oh?" [Nero] let out while tilting his head to the side.

"A Great Holiday Clan Leader… A god among men, capable of turning even the most dire of situations around with the flick of a claw… Or capable of bringing a far greater catastrophe than any Dungeon ever could… They would be venturing the realm while conquering Dungeons and uniting or destroying the Kingdoms. Changing fate as they reign, for better or worse… But would always know exactly what they were doing. Masters of manipulation, cunning to no end. Strong willed, and as inspirational as they are terrifying. My brother and I were told countless tales of your existences while growing up; but many amounted to little more than fairy tales in the wake of your actual presence. Nothing could have prepared me for the genuine arrival of a Halloween Cat…" [Orianna] explained while glaring off into the sea.

"Uhm… That's both a compliment and an insult, but just to clear some things up… Apparently, there are two Leaders to every Holiday Clan. I'm the Allwe Halloween Cat, so I'm supposedly the good one of the two. The Hoen Halloween Cat is probably the type that you've learned stories of… And I definitely don't always know exactly what I'm doing." [Nero] explained with a sigh.

"It's a bit of a relief, to not be dealing with some total god… But it's also frightening to know that our Kingdom hangs in the balance of someone so uncertain." [Orianna] groaned.

"It's a bit of a relief to not be utterly feared or hated by you." [Nero] replied with a smirk… To which, both individuals began to laugh before taking another swig.

We continued on to talk for around an hour... Before Cetilla, Rosa Firemane, Chartreuse, Prussian, Vana, Hugo, and Jon came to replace us. We spent our time talking about the finer things in life… Mostly me explaining the wonders of the Wailing Keep, but we eventually moved on to talk a little more about Reygid. The Tides of Tragedy, specifically… They're to reach their pinnacle in a couple of months; which should mean that the majority of our dealing with them will be limited to one battle. After we cut down their numbers enough, they should back off a little more for another year. They always act up in the months leading to the annual eruption of their numbers, so honestly… Them attacking the Beach right now is to be expected. There's always at least a little leakage yearly, but because we're under new leadership… It might be a little worse this year.

When travelling back to the Wailing Keep, I allowed Orianna to ride behind me on my Broom. Lianix, you're a doll~ When we had arrived back at the festival, Orianna quickly ditched me and I couldn't help but feel as though she were embarrassed to be spending time with me… What, am I not cool enough?! Ah... Whatever~ Roah, Gluttatosk, and Cycleo are all together atop one of the rooves… And, yes~ I'll definitely take a seat and join this original group. First arc male cast only, so no; Ben. You can NOT sit with us right meow~

"Nero!" [Roah] exclaimed happily while waving to the approaching Halloween Cat.

"Hey there~ Like your new name?" [Nero] asked with a smile.

"It sounds cool." [Roah] declared while puffing out his ridiculously sculpted chest.

"I think I liked Cyclozard better… Why did I need a new one again?" [Cycleo] asked with an eye wide.

"..." [Nero] averted eye contact with the One Eyed Lizard.

"Eh? Name?" [Gluttatosk] asked while tilting his head to the side.

"You're Gluttatosk." [Nero] shot back with a tired expression.

"...Oh." [Gluttatosk] let out, as if having had an epiphany.

"Wait, so why did I need a new name?" [Cycleo] asked once more while beginning to watch Lora, Betty, and Rei perform 'B*ck to Black'.

"I honestly liked Cyclozard more as well… Do you want to change it back?" [Nero] confessed while shrugging his shoulders.

"...Well, no one would know if we did…" [Cycleo] groaned.

"Yeah… We missed the moment. Better luck next time~" [Nero] sighed while adjusting his cap.

"Is that your new Broom, by the way?" [Roah] asked with a smile.

"Oh this? Her name is Lianix… She's a Chaos Liannas String Dark Phoenix Claw Broom, and she's invaluable… I'll probably never find a Broom better suited to me, and she's quite literally fused her soul with mine. I don't think I'll ever be capable of getting rid of her, without losing my very life." [Nero] explained with eyes wide as he held the Broom up for everyone to see.

"Ahh… It's cursed?" [Cycleo] begged the question while squinting as he glared at the Broom. To which, Nero simply nodded.

"Does it... Conjure Fish?" [Gluttatosk] asked while tilting his head to the side.

"What?" [Nero] shot back with an exasperated expression.

"Well, you conjure Candy… Why can't the Broom conjure Fish?" [Gluttatosk] explained his reasoning as if he made any sense.

"I wouldn't underestimate her simply because she can't conjure Fish..." [Nero] shot back with a hysterical expression.

"It's probably older than all of us… How can it NOT conjure Fish?" [Roah] let out, clearly withholding the desire to laugh.

"Precisely..." [Gluttatosk] exclaimed while squinting at the cursed Broom.

"If anything, she might be capable of conjuring Candy?" [Nero] sighed while rolling his eyes.

"Lianix, this is a challenge. If you can't produce at least one exquisite Fish every hour; then you're probably not worthy of being Nero's Mount." [Gluttatosk] declared with a face filled with determination as he continued to glare into the fiery Broom.

"..." [Everyone] glaring at the Broom with anticipation.

"What are we doing?" [Robert] chimed in after appearing behind the foolish Land Shark.

"Shh…" [Roah] hushed the Tier 1 Bat foolish enough to fly near the Land Shark.

Moments later… A large gust of orange flames erupt from my Broom… And ruthlessly assaulted the Land Shark. They may or may not have also slain Robert, but it all happened so fast… I certainly couldn't be the one to say~ No, I will NOT be overlooking my status. Oh? He's fine. He apparently gained the hidden ability to detect immense heat before it appeared, so he flew behind me; the seated furnace. Apparently, I'm also quite hot. You can ask Sealina, or Robert. Robert apparently figured that if he hid behind something even hotter that magically does not actually hurt you, then different heat attacks of lesser heat which CAN hurt you; do not. It's confusing, but I'm apparently a no-friendly-fire wall of fire. It's unclear where the friendly-fire rule comes into play, but I can probably cook Fish just by holding them long enough. No need for the [Flame Paws]. It's ridiculous, and disgusting. It's ridiculous, because HOW did I not know?! But it's disgusting because now I feel like I should be spending more of my time hand-massaging dead Fish.

I need to experiment more with my body. This one sudden realization, has forced me to remember… That I was not born as a Halloween Cat. Not truly, anyway. I still don't fully understand myself yet. I'm all teenage drama and stuff right meow~ It's going to be weird, experimenting on myself. I don't really know where I'll begin… But I need to try. Yosh! Moving along, we decided to join some of the others and continued on to try some of Mary's cooking. Oh my… Where do I even begin?! There are all sorts of food here! Peculiarly, they all seem to be recipes including Fish. It's almost like our staple ingredient... Like Mary was experimenting with her cooking and seeing just how she could fit Fish into every single dish~ The Cat Crew tend to spend time experimenting on how best to perform~ We're an innovative bunch. Only the best of felines allowed! Woah… Is that a BURGER?! Okay, it's settled. I'm getting a burger. Yep.

This is ecstasy. Take me meow, Halloween~ I'll sell my soul if it means that Mary can have an endless supply of ingredients! Right here, right meow; don't even bother with the life expectancy buff. Just give me more ingredients on an endless monthly shipment; and leave me to Halloween alongside my Clansmen and Mary. Cetilla can come, if she wants. Actually, just leave it as an 'optional' for all of the Monster Knights. They can choose. The burger has Fish as the patty, but it also has lettuce; some other vegetables that I don't know of… And pickles. It's pretty good. It's a strange pairing, but I think I'm just psyched about the fact that Mary knows of burgers. Back in her day, she worked as a Chef for another prominent family; so maybe she learned from their other Chefs? Hail Mary! Most prominent of all the Cat Crew(o)men, no doubt... It's Mary.

The burger went down smoothly with my fine drinks. Meow, juggling them all alongside my Lantern and prized Lianix… I made my way back toward the crowd. I think Roah went to replace Cetilla awhile ago, so she should be returning soon. Oh? Nevermind~ Roah's on stage. He's just beginning his performance to 'Psych* Killer'. Should be good. Taking a seat at the top of a nearby house after one mighty impressive leap of faith… Let's enjoy the show and chow down on these Fish Chips~ They come with a dip… But I wouldn't be brave enough to claim exactly what the ingredients of the dip were… I just know it's deep fried Fish and a mystery sauce. The consistency screams 'Mushroom Soup'... The color is clearly white… But the taste desperately tries to warn me of ketchup. It's interesting. The odd chunky bit is a little frightening, but Mary's not of the Halloween Clan. I should have nothing to fear. Nothing. To. Fear…

Okay… So I ended up distracting myself during Roah's performance… But I applauded nonetheless. I think he did well… I just can't really say for sure~ Time for another swig… Oh? Penny came to spend some time with me. How kind~ We started off by talking about 'This is H*lloween'. All of the Clansmen want to perform it, but some of the participants are off guarding the Beach. It's a problem… It should have been an opening, but apparently they held off on it due to my being away. Sadly… We'll never have a chance to perform it with all of us here. We just don't have the manpower. I seriously need to move the Wailing Keep to the Beach… But if I do that, the Monster Knights won't be able to take advantage of its benefits.

After discussing it together and coming to no clear conclusion… We moved on to speak about more trying matters. It's the Banshees, the Phantasms, and the Skeleton's lack of communication with myself. Penny's not exactly the sharpest individual in our motley, but she's observant enough to have an opinion on just about anything. The real trouble is getting her to speed along through whatever she's saying. She always likes to make it some sort of game to figure out what she's trying to explain. She's childish, and a hassle from time to time; but I don't overly mind. I've learned to wrestle the information out of her. I had to take a page from Christina's life story if I'm being honest. Christina has tried to get this Pixie to shut up for the majority of Penny's lifespan. It doesn't work, but… If you're persistent enough; you can MAYBE figure out everything she tries to tell you… And learn a few things out of it. Also, if you learn everything there is to know, then all of a sudden; she has less to talk about. Penny becomes easier to spend time with the more you get to know her. It's not her fault, but when she's not singing… Her accent is annoyingly high pitched, and she's ALWAYS going on about some new drama which does not matter; whatsoever. Rambling, really. If you're lucky, she does it while singing. Christina has learned to like having the Pixie around, but you want to know what I think? I think Christina enjoys having Penny around so everything that happens near the Pixie, also happened to the Corocdae. If the two were together as a potential story formed, then all of a sudden; Penny has no real reason to go off into some mad tangent trying to explain her day to you. It's dangerously precarious. Christina knows that she won't get rid of the Pixie; so rather than try to avoid her… She spends every waking moment with her, so that she doesn't need to spend time trying to make sense of what she's saying. She can just tune out the Pixie, and mind her own business… Because there's NOTHING that she could EVER learn from spending time listening to Penny! I think I'm in love with Christina's treachery.

Penny's hilariously pissed off, and for a moment there… I really forgot that she could hear everything I thought… Christina literally burst out into laughter from the stage, interrupting her song entirely… But it's fine. She was only a back-up for that song, anyway~

"Ruthless, Nero!" [Christina] hysterically screamed while laughing as she was holding her breasts in place, leaving a LOT of reptilian Beastkin swooning.

"You're both SO mean!" [Penny] pouted before flying off into the arcade.

Well, anyways… Penny was beginning to tell me that she believed the Wraiths were regarding Betty as their current representative… And that due to my own constant inner monologuing about them… The Wraiths feel underappreciated, and utterly weak. Literally Betty is the only one brave enough to speak to me over an extended period of time. I'm a tyrant, or something. Sorry, Wraiths. Didn't mean to undervalue your hilariously slow combat abilities that only ever were handy in two very particular scenarios; one of which you still failed in due to being too slow. My bad. I'll never think of it again, scout's honor~ Going off of what Penny was beginning to tell me… I would be left to assume that the Skeletons are using Molag Dregora as their representative, or perhaps… Still, Betty. The Skeletons are technically bound to their respective Wraiths… So it makes sense. I could see it going either way, frankly. Molag Dregora loves his creations, but I think the Skeletons are his personal favorite. Why? Because the Wraiths could have easily left the Forsaken Isles. The Skeletons were land-locked. I wonder if Skeletons can swim? Would they be able to walk across the seabed? The Forsaken Isles was a very strange place before I came across it… The Scarecrows, though… They really have no excuse; except for the fact that I ruthlessly merged their souls… It's probably just that. Ugh~ TALK TO ME! I'm lonely~

Taking another swig of my drink, I noticed that Cetilla was back on the stage… Roah is nowhere to be seen. The shift probably shifted. Cetilla is joined with Wolrietta, Wendel, Christina, and Luna… It's 'Lady Marmal*de'. Exciting… I was expecting this one to be a major hit, so I'm all ears~ A promising opening... And a flawless ensemble. They're worked on their harmony since first practicing… They've come a long way~ Wendel absolutely KILLED her part~ I may be losing my mind, but I could have sworn that a few of the lesser Scarecrows and Skeletons were helping with added percussion. White Beef Lady also did quite well… All of the men in the crowd seem dazzled by the femme fatale~ It was a success! Christina did fantastic, and brought all the heat needed. Cetilla's verse was impactful. She really knows how to own a stage, these nights. Luna was essentially back-up, but she mixed well with the crowd. She also took over for Mary who hadn't been present to kick off or finish the song. Good show, girls~ I'm proud of you.

Up next, was Benji, Kendra, and Cycleo; performing 'Scre*m'. While they performed, Cetilla came to visit me for a little while alongside Wendel, and Christina. It was a little strange to watch, but Cetilla was carrying Christina to help her not lose balance on the rooftop. It was only after around five minutes of me zoning out and glaring at the scene that I made the executive decision to move us to a clearing nearby on the road. Okay~ So, we're talking about whether or not Cetilla's actions in Nidallia were warranted. For some reason, Cetilla seeks moral justification. She's probably spoken with one too many Unholy Priestesses about the meaning of life, and is feeling uncertain due to her drunken state. According to Cetilla, it's not her fault that the man questioned her sanity due to bringing a Diamond Coin into a medium grade Tavern… He was insulting, and henceforth; he deserved a painful and slow death causing hundreds of Gold Coins in property damage to not only the ridiculing Tavernkeep, but also everyone in the neighborhood. Ruckus. It wasn't even because she brought two Harpies into a Human Kingdom Tavern. It was the fact that she had the audacity to bring a Diamond Coin and had absolutely no change to use in order to pay for her rather cheap in comparison meal. Apparently, that particular Tavern did not have access to anyone possessing the Alchemy talent. It's a real problem, and it apparently even plagues medium grade Taverns. Who could have guessed?! A medium grade Tavern certainly requires someone proficient in the basic levels of Alchemy, obviously. I can't help but feel sorry for the Tavernkeep. He had no idea who he was dealing with...

These two nervously nodded along to Cetilla's whims… Because, well… Literally neither of them have any concept of the economy. I've never paid them, and I came across them both in rather strange scenarios. Cetilla's of genuine noble birth, and she's a first rate adventurer to boot. Christina and Wendel can't relate. That does it… I'll retaliate. Taking one final swig of my drink… I emptied the bottle and slammed it down onto a nearby windowsill; smashing the bottle instantaneously and dealing a whopping 601 damage to myself. Game face…

"How brave…" [Christina] whispered to the Weeping Angel while side-eyeing the Halloween Cat.

"You know… If you ever need someone to convert your Coins for you, Clive is a great solution." [Nero] offered with a squeamish smile, having thrown in the towel before even beginning after having noticed Cetilla's hysterically bothered temper.

"These two have some serious chemistry…" [Christina] muttered to the Weeping Angel.

"Well, I should never have needed it; you would think that businesses everywhere would make it a priority to ensure that it's a service offered." [Cetilla] pompously exclaimed before whipping her hair.

"It's one of my guilty pleasures to watch them interact." [Wendel] whispered to the Corocdae as she continued to glare at the Catkin from the sidelines.

"Right… I'll ensure to make it a priority for us." [Nero] sighed while rubbing the back of his head.

"What else are you guilty of?" [Christina] whispered while glancing at the the Catkin.

"Good thinking. I'd be damned if we opened a genuine business that didn't offer Coin conversion." [Cetilla] agreed with a determined expression.

"I heard that it's more commonplace in the Demon Kingdom~" [Wendel] sighed as if the ordeal were simply too much work.

"What? From who?" [Nero] shot back as if utterly dumbfounded.

"Oh! Yeah, I remember that… We were all seated at a table in some strange Tavern far north of Nidallia…" [Christina] began to detail with a smirk before being brutally interrupted.

"Right, that Tavern…" [Nero] groaned before continuing...

"It's a shame that I don't recall where it was or anything much else about it though… I think there might have been some sort of enchantment causing memory loss related to it after leaving?" [Nero] explained while side-eyeing the Corocdae who had a particularly wide grin.

"Right… Where were we? Your guilty pleasures…" [Christina] whispered while continuing to glare at the couple.

"Oh? If there's a negative enchantment affecting you… Seek help from a Warlock or an Enchanter." [Cetilla] suggested with a smile.

"Sometimes, when I'm alone… I like to order Vivian and Edward around; they always happily do as I ask… So I've been steadily increasing the difficulty for each task… And sitting back to watch as they crumble under the weight of each ordeal." [Wendel] muttered while still mesmerized by the conversation between the two Catkin.

"A Warlock?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.

"To be completely honest, I do it with the Scarecrows all the time. What else you got?" [Christina] whispered with a grin while glaring at the two Catkin.

"Yeah, they're usually helpful for hexing enemies… But they can also help break enchantments, or when working with seals. Honestly a somewhat rare adventurer to find, I've only partied with one." [Cetilla] explained while seeming upset over her inexperience with the Class.

"Well… I also enjoy drinking the Alcohol while knowing full well that it won't do anything for me. Don't even get me started on the Candy…" [Wendel] muttered while trying to keep her laughter in.

"Cetilla… Just how much do you know about the Classes?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.

"Damn, Wendel. That's twisted. I could understand if you brutally swiped entire platters of Fish in the Kitchen as soon as Mary finished cooking them, and began to try and make her feel as though she were losing her mind… Because Penny does it all the time… But his CANDY?! Whew..." [Christina] whispered before high-fiving the Weeping Angel.

"The basics, definitely… But every Class is different depending on the race and elements of the individual. It's difficult to generalize them, you know?" [Cetilla] sighed while shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't actually taste anything… I think it's more or less about the potential power that I might hold over the other Clanswomen. There are very few with the guts to do it repeatedly and never be caught for it, and even fewer to be willing to confess about it directly to his face." [Wendel] explained with a daring expression.

"Okay… Could you perhaps try and teach me more about the differences between them sometime?" [Nero] asked with an optimistic expression.

"I honestly don't know if he even heard us… It's insane." [Christina] muttered with a sadistic grin on her face.

"I'll try my best~" [Cetilla] replied with a thumb held high.

"Awesome! Also, Wendel… Christina… Penny… You're all dead to me. None of you will ever Evolve again, if I have anything to say about it. No more new song recommendations for you, either." [Nero] declared with a terrifying expression after turning to face the two Clansmen meow pleading at his ankles for mercy.

"Nero… I'll stay away from your Candy, I swear!" [Wendel] hysterically wept.

...Nothing about the Alcohol or the enslaving of Vivian and Edward? Are you kidding?!

"Nero… Don't force me to be weak forever!" [Christina] groaned as if the entire thing were irrelevant to her.

That was definitely not sincere! Who said that you could just… Order around the already mentally traumatized Scarecrows?! Only I get to do that, because I don't order them to do impossible tasks!

"NERO! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?! First, you ruthlessly insult me… And now you're PUNISHING me?!" [Penny] sobbed after appearing out of nowhere, directly in the Halloween Cat's line of sight.

I had no idea… You've been stealing Fish from the Chef. She's already overworked, why must you make things even more difficult for her?!

"Nero… I'll stop ordering Vivian and Edward around…" [Wendel] offered with an optimistic expression.

...Still nothing about the Alcohol?

"Meh." [Christina] shrugged.

...You just don't care. There's nothing that I could punish you with, as you're already in your own hell.

"Nero… I'll only take one Fish every day." [Penny] declared with a dejected expression.

...Fine.

"I'll only drink one bottle at every Festival!" [Wendel] declared with an excited expression, after having witnessed Penny's success.

...Okay.

"...I'll let the Scarecrows be… But I'm telling you, they're bored out of their minds more often than not~" [Christina] groaned before shrugging her shoulders as if to say that she were actually doing them favors.

...Bring some of the Safari Card decks or dice into Halloween… Let them play during the day.

"Okay~" [Christina] replied with a smile before stomping away alongside the regretful Weeping Angel and relieved Pixie.

"Had to keep them in line, huh?" [Cetilla] asked with a smile.

"I'm still dumbfounded that all of this was happening under my nose." [Nero] sighed while rolling his eyes.

"Well, you'd probably be surprised about some of the things going on in this Keep of yours~" [Cetilla] sighed with a playful expression as she began to ascend toward the skies.

"Oh yeah? You got any dirt?" [Nero] asked with a grin as he hopped onto his Broom and followed her along to a nearby roof.

"Rumor has it, Jon and Echo have been hitting it off lately~" [Cetilla] confessed while winking to Nero as she took a seat.

"Oh? Newfound love for Cat Crewman Number 8?" [Nero] asked with a shocked expression while descending.

"Looks that way… We'll see." [Cetilla] muttered with a smile as she glanced down onto the stage.

"I thought you were against love within the Cat Crew?" [Nero] asked while mockingly brushing his elbow into the Sorceress' side.

"I think I was tired… Or frustrated…" [Cetilla] confessed with a weak smile before turning to face the Halloween Cat and continuing…

"Nero. It's like… Ever since we met, we've been on this slow ride with encounters along the way… And every single time, we would overcome them; somehow… But even while overcoming them, we always seemed to find ourselves another step further behind. It doesn't make sense… And it's difficult to explain… But this right here, right now… Capturing Reygid and getting our pay from the Bernardi family... It may be a gain, but what was the cost? Half or more of the Monster Knights died in our absence. Looking back, we freed the Scarecrows but wound up destroying numerous homes in the meantime, and also spewed distrust toward us from the Royal family… Ultimately leading us further down this path. We saved the prisoners of the Lizardmen, and some even came from Reygid before you slayed the Monarch… But one of them still ended up dying before that happened. We performed the cullings in the Lost Kingdom, and brought about several new potential Royal Bloodlines… But even some of those wound up cut down in our latest crisis. We worked the Cyworctus down to near death, but now we're debating on holding out on its death until… When, exactly? It will regenerate, if it hasn't already. We ventured into the Mummy Mansion, at a very precarious time… The time to end all times, wasted a week of our time to save the Beartru; lost half of our comrades in our absence… And we need to return if we hope to gain a lot more Clansmen for you. We're on a dangerous path, with sacrifices piling up... And it seems as though your Clansmen are the only ones guaranteed safety until the day that you perish. We need more of them, no matter what the cost… But leaving things as they stand, it could cost us everything. I'm stuck. I don't know what to suggest at this point." [Cetilla] explained her train of thought on the matter with eyes wide.

"...I need to move the Wailing Keep to the Beach, definitely... But I honestly wanted to allow the Monster Knights a chance to train against the Sea Serpents." [Nero] sighed.

"This indecision. It's causing our downfall." [Cetilla] shot back with a tired expression.

"I know… It's a whole lot of responsibility... I don't think I was ready for it." [Nero] confessed before taking a swig out of his new drink.

"Nero… I've watched you gather legions to hear you speak. You're ready for this… But I'm going to need a little bit more power before I can spew enough of a haki to keep this thing in order while you're off restarting." [Cetilla] shot back before slowly beginning to smile.

"...What?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.

"Think about it… You restart, and get a chance to give free Evolutions to your Clansmen. I'm of the Halloween Clan too now, so you can temporarily capture me; and feed me power~" [Cetilla] explained with a grin while twirling her hair.

"Oh… It's definitely an option, but you're already the strongest one among us; and to be honest… Your abilities just aren't very suited for being my replacement. Luna's a far better option, as she can heal them when I can't. I was debating on giving some power to Conrad, though… I've really been all over the place on this subject, but I think I'm leaning toward Conrad meow." [Nero] replied while glancing at the stage.

"Pfft… Luna's going to need a TON of experience to be at our level~" [Cetilla] shot back with a smile.

"She doesn't need to be at our level~ That's what you're for." [Nero] slammed back with a giggle.

"Ugh… I hate you..." [Cetilla] groaned while rolling her eyes.

"No you don't~" [Nero] slung back with a nonchalant expression as he began to enjoy Penny and Conrad's rendition to 'I FINK * FREEKY'.

"Cetilla! Your song is coming up!" [Robert] chimed in with an excited expression.

"Oh~ You've heard the man, I'm needed on the stage..." [Cetilla] exclaimed dramatically before beginning to happily ascend…

Oh… She's going to do a dramatic doom flag drop from the sky. Interesting. I hope she doesn't break my freaking fountain… I bet my bottle would go great if mixed with Punch… One sec~ Taking a few moments… I made sure to fill my bottle a little more with some Punch, received several strange glances… Needed to explain that it was Punch, and not Blood to several meow relieved or skeptical bystanders… And wound up in the splash zone for Cetilla's entrance. Ridiculous… But now there's nothing to be skeptical about, folks~ Let it be known, that Punch dwells in this Town's fountain. Nyah! I'm off to grab another bottle before swinging on down to the Beach. Cetilla ruined my outfit, and I need to dry off. Her entrance was spectacular, though. It's difficult to be mad when already this intoxicated~

Lianix probably didn't appreciate it too much, so I figured that I should wash her off as well. Sorry, Lianix. I know water probably isn't your thing; but I don't know how else to clean you. After a nice, long soak with my beloved Broom; shared by Roah and Gluttatosk… We all curled up next to… Me, in my largest Cat form to dry. It's strange, but after changing forms… I'm still wet. It's as if it's entirely up to me to dry off, regardless of my form… And my clothing is somehow attached to that frame of logic. It only makes sense to use a form where I have massive flaming paws and eyes if I hope to dry quickly… So that's what I'm doing. Somehow, I managed to become the towel for the others as well. It's fine… Apparently my hidden no-friendly-fire ability is shining tonight~ Roah is laying on my back, on his back… I'm just sort of laying on the ground. Gluttatosk is nuzzled up next to my left side… And Lianix is underneath my front right paw... Basking in the flames.

While we were relaxing, we spent our time talking about the festival; filling each other in for what we may have missed. I made sure to inform them that 'Lady Marmal*de' was a total success, and they were both depressed over having missed it. I also spilled the beans on all of Wendel, Penny, and Christina's treacheries… Roah was shocked to learn that Penny was a secret glutton… But saw it coming with Christina and Wendel. Gluttatosk was furious. He could not BELIEVE that they didn't cut him in on the treacheries. Those terrible women, always leaving him out of the good stuff…

"I'll bet that Cycleo was invited!" [Gluttatosk] angrily let out.

"Cycleo's invited to basically everything…" [Roah] groaned.

"I heard that Lillian used to ask him to help her trim the edges!" [Gluttatosk] jealously added. To which, Roah gasped.

"Say what now?" [Nero] asked with a terrified voice.

"Something about needing 'delicate and careful hands' to get the more challenging spots, I don't know… I lost my shit when Kendra used the word 'hands'." [Gluttatosk] mocked the Kitsune with an angered voice.

"Is that what you were screaming about after you returned from the Orc Mountains?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.

"What? Oh, no… I couldn't play Safari Cards, but then the Kendra thing just stirred it all back up later on, and I lost control…" [Gluttatosk] nonchalantly confessed.

"Oh… I don't think I was present." [Nero] sighed.

"It only happened earlier tonight, actually… It's still a fresh wound, so let's not talk about Lillian for awhile." [Gluttatosk] shot back as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Did you know that Grenda is expecting me to marry her now?" [Roah] nervously begged the question. To which, the Land Shark gasped and stood up just to face the (Hob)Goblin King.

"Honestly, no… That took me by surprise~" [Nero] frivolously replied.

"Me too…" [Gluttatosk] muttered while continuing to gawk at Roah.

"What are you planning?" [Nero] begged the question with a playful voice.

"Well… She's been acting as the Leader to the Goblins ever since Goddin Village Neith Sama died… And I haven't really been there… She was betrothed to the genuine King's Candidate… She's the most powerful of all the Goblinas in our Village… She deserves to be the Goblin Queen more than I deserve to be the King, so marrying her or choosing her as my Candidate would be the proper decision… But marriage? Should I marry a woman that I don't love? I can choose her as my Candidate, but she won't be crowned until I perish." [Roah] confessed his feelings of uncertainty on the matter before taking a swig.

"That's a tough one..." [Gluttatosk] grumbled before continuing…

"Nero~ Take it from here!" [Gluttatosk] beckoned with a carefree expression.

"Roah… Why not just name her as your Chieftess? You're the King, but she's the Chieftess. There's no point to having just one noble bloodline... Let an unofficial one be recognized. Be it a sign of goodwill, that any Goblin or Goblina; even of lowly status may raise their standing among the Monster Knights should they work hard and grow stronger~ Whenever you're off representing the Goblins in the fight for Allwe; the Chieftess is left to command the Goblins. We'll always ensure at least a few Monster Knights to help them during the day, but at night; my Clansmen can take over." [Nero] casually explained his solution.

"Effortless, like always~ Thanks, Nero!" [Gluttatosk] exclaimed with a proud voice. To which, the Cat sighed.

"Okay… That might appease her if the Monster Knights are left under her command as well, we'd need to make her genuinely feel as though she has some form of higher standing among the Monster Knights… At least while they're on the Forsaken Isles." [Roah] requested of the Cat.

"...I don't overly like it… If it were you, I would feel compelled to do so… But I guess, sure. If anyone reports back and claims that she was brutal, though… I'll rescind that right. Any Monster Knights that we send, I also want to be reporting back of any possible treacheries that she may perform. It's not as though I don't trust Grenda, I just… Don't understand why she's being so power-hungry and it concerns me." [Nero] replied with a tired voice.

"I doubt that she'll do anything… It's fine." [Roah] agreed to the terms with a relieved voice.

"Do you think that giant frogs give birth to giant tadpoles in droves?" [Gluttatosk] abruptly asked.

"Uhm… Probably?" [Nero] replied with a curious voice.

"Would they taste good fried?" [Gluttatosk] shot back with a suddenly serious voice.

"If it's Mary…" [Roah] muttered.

"Most certainly." [Nero] agreed while nodding his head.

"Maybe I can Evolve into a giant frog if I try hard enough…" [Gluttatosk] sighed while obviously fantasizing.

"Uhm… No. You're NEVER going to do that, do you understand me?!" [Nero] shot back with a horrified voice as he glared at the Land Shark.

"What about Chickens? I can probably become a Chicken…" [Gluttatosk] innocently begged the question.

"...NO! You can NOT be allowed to devour your own kin!" [Nero] shot back hysterically.

"Why?!" [Gluttatosk] asked as if he were utterly betrayed.

"Because it's messed up!" [Nero] screamed in frustration.

"But the Spiders did it all the time!" [Gluttatosk] shot back as if it were no big deal.

"Do you SEE a Spider in the Monster Knights?! I don't trust them!" [Nero] slammed back with a terrifying look in his eyes. To which, the Land Shark frantically turned to face the Hobgoblin who only sighed.

"You… You killed the strongest Spider, didn't you?" [Gluttatosk] asked as if horrified.

"All you need to know, is that Spiders may prove unlikely to gain a spot among the Monster Knights until we're more powerful. I won't be taking any second chances on those until we're all at least Tier 15. It's too dangerous." [Nero] replied with a serious expression.

"By everyone… You mean?" [Gluttatosk] asked with eyes wide. To which, the Halloween Cat snapped his neck back to face the Land Shark before roaring ferociously loud...

"EVERYONE!" [Nero] roared with flaming eyes wide as flames emit from all over his body for a split moment. To which, the Land Shark simply slammed its own head down into the sand.

"How long do you think he'll be down there?" [Roah] nonchalantly asked while still laying atop the Halloween Cat.

"Five minutes, give or take…" [Nero] sighed while ignoring the muffled primal screams of the Land Shark.

"I give it 10." [Roah] shot back before taking a swig.

"10 whole minutes of emotional trauma, huh? I never pegged him to be the impatient type…" [Nero] laughed.

"Cetilla would be down for an hour..." [Roah] laughed.

"She'd be bent up about it for a week, too~" [Nero] sighed.

"At least she's dedicated to her quest in gaining power~" [Roah] sighed.

"Too dedicated, if you ask me…" [Nero] groaned.

"I see her reasoning… There are other Holiday Clan Leaders, apparently the other Halloween Cat is more powerful than you. She basically needs to stay ahead of you if she ever hopes to stop him." [Roah] confessed with a dejected voice.

"Ugh… I just want to make sure that the Village is sorted through the winter, and; I suppose… Repel the Tides of Tragedy during the winter as well. I expect that to be enough time to me to regain a modicum of my strength… But I also want the Monster Knights and my Clansmen to grow stronger… I can only give them that right by ruthlessly merging their souls together, or by letting them train without being my Clansmen… And I don't really know how to safely offer that without using Luna. She needs to be more powerful to begin with. I cant necessarily release her from my hold, as she's a Vampire and requires Blood… So restarting is my only means of helping her grow… And in turn, a lot of my other Clansmen." [Nero] confessed with an impatient voice.

"When will you restart?" [Roah] asked with a curious voice.

"Probably in the next few nights… I've done mostly everything that I sought to do… All that's left is to make some damn good clothing… And a Spellbook." [Nero] replied with a voice filled with excitement.

"You're going to make a Spellbook?" [Roah] gasped.

"Yeah, Luna needs something better to help her now that she's become a Vampire." [Nero] replied with a sigh.

"What materials are you going to use?" [Roah] asked.

"Uhm… Blood of Unit, and… Night Thorn." [Nero] casually replied.

"You're going to take the Blood of a child?" [Roah] groaned.

"It's for a really good cause, and I won't take too much. I'll write it in increments, adding new abilities that I learn as time passes. It will slowly get better, as I fill more of the pages." [Nero] replied with a happy tone of voice.

"It's going to be a lot to start with… You have a fair few abilities." [Roah] shot back with a tired voice.

"You're right… I'll just do it in increments." [Nero] happily replied.

"I think you're missing the point… Why not use the Blood of several children if that's what you need? You shouldn't take so much from one individual…" [Roah] thoughtfully explained.

"Oh… But I need the Blood of a Unicorn for the best results… And I've never met a Unicorn, but I DO happen to live with a Unicornkin… So?" [Nero] explained his own thought process.

"You ALSO happen to now be ruling a Kingdom with at least a dozen other Unicornkin… Spread the goal, I don't know?" [Roah] shot back with an exasperated voice.

"...Good idea. Glad we had this talk." [Nero] sighed as if he finally understood.

"You're welcome~" [Roah] happily replied before taking another swig.

"Hey, losers. They're looking for you in the Keep, we'll handle this for a few moments." [Rosa Firemane] groaned while drunkenly stumbling on up to the Beach alongside Edgar, the Goatman.

"You sure that you two can handle this?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.

"They're not alone~" [Chartreuse] sighed while descending into Nero's field of vision.

"I swear… Nero NEVER senses any of us~" [Prussian] groaned as if deeply hurt by the sentiment.

"Don't take any offense to it… If you're not a total doom flag, I don't seem to notice." [Nero] confessed while glancing up to the two Harpies.

"What's a doom flag?" [Prussian] shot back while furrowing his eyebrows.

"Who cares? They want to do the song, hurry up!" [Rosa] exclaimed frantically while pointing to the Wailing Keep. To which, Nero instantly regained his Human form.

Sprinting, I obtained Lianix… My final bottle… And my infant of a Lantern. Roah took a moment to regain his composure, but he's strong. He'll live. So will Gluttatosk, if I yank his head out from the sand… Like this~ Oh… His fin might be damaged, you should definitely seek Luna's attention after the song; bro. Yikes… Patting his back for a brief moment, I sighed before offering Roah a seat on my Broom… Waited for Roah to arrive, before grabbing hold of the Land Shark… And ascending as fast as I could. It was a silent gamble, a life or death scenario. To see whether or not I could keep my grip on his undamaged fin while haphazardly carrying him at an immense speed. I wanted to know just what our little friend was capable of, but I quickly learned that the Land Shark was slippery… And I may or may not have dropped him mid-burst. He's probably been slammed against the ground, and dragged for several dozen feet before coming to a stop… He might not have even survived, okay? He's somewhere between the Beach and the Wailing Keep. He's in a zone of an entire CITY! He could be ANYWHERE! The song is about to begin, and Roah seems to care more about the Land Shark. Somehow, I'm being pegged as the bad guy for dragging Roah into 'This is H*lloween' rather than helping him search for the probably dead Land Shark. We'll revive him later or something, but I'm NOT missing 'This is H*lloween'! This song is probably my favorite. It's the one song that's different every single time it's performed. Sometimes, certain Bandsmen are busy… Or new Bandsmen debut, and so they decide to join the performance. They often switch up the lyrics as well. I've never really participated too much in it... Despite numerous requests, as I'm the 'Pumpkin King' that they absolutely need... But it's quite the spectacle, with; or without my help.

So, we watched it. It was fantastic, and I had no regrets. Thankfully, around halfway through the performance… An absolutely mangled Land Shark arrived to watch as well. He was a little dejected, because he was supposed to perform this time… But it was still fine. He's in no condition to perform right meow, it can't be helped. It's definitely not my fault. Nope. He should have warned me that he was still wet. Nyah. He's complaining to me about how bad of a drop it was… Admittedly, it was not clean. I panicked when I noticed that he was slipping so soon into the speed burst… I strengthened my grip… I accidentally tore through his fin, blood may have been spilled. I kept tearing through, and eventually… He just slipped through the cuts… It was horrific. I'm sorry, okay? We all make mistakes! I tried explaining as much, but his response was that he required more food to get over this. Unbelievable… Go back to the freaking Beach if you want to eat more! Well… He's off meow… Wait. Wait! He can't be allowed to swim in the Ocean right meow! He's bloody and likely to attract larger sharks! Robert! Stop him at once! I believe in you! The only one who could possibly stop this tragedy!

Okay… It's settled. Roah's astounded by my newfound luck, in that the Land Shark relatively forgave me. He's right… Things have been seeming to be going more smoothly for me since I've obtained a higher Tier. My terribly low-rate LUK has started to rebound… I'm finally, relatively lucky. Yosh! I can't wait to be over Tier 10 again~ If I succeed in gaining more ability enhancements for each of my Evolutions… I might actually be capable of achieving the next Prestige before my inevitable fall from Melchiadore. I'm optimistic, thanks to Lianix; the cheat Broom with a body that just won't quit! I'll be capable of conjuring the Wailing Keep immediately, thanks to her. I'll have more than enough MP to conjure my first Gate with the maximum MP cost. I have a feeling, that if I cancel and reconjure new Gates repeatedly with high costing MP… I might be able to enhance that ability faster than before. I was thinking such things as Roah and I watched the next performance alongside Cetilla, Wolrietta, Wilson, Lora, Vana, and Hugo. It was a wondrous performance. Wendel was performing her 'D*va Dance'. We genuinely all sat there, atop a house while utterly mesmerized by the display of expertise.