The three walked alongside the Beastfolk, who either looked at them oddly or ignored them as they reached a small settlement.

Cleo: Oh, thank god we made it somewhere we can stop. We have been walking for hours...

Itsuki: Why do these countries look so much smaller until you walk them...?

Akeru: I don't care...I want to sit down anywhere.

They walked into the unnamed settlement as Itsuki looked around.

Itsuki: This place has no name, it is crawling with Beastfolk, and it looks shabby...

Cleo: Probably because of how the world treats them, they probably have no money and no support..., especially with the capital towering over them on the mountain top.

Akeru: That's terrible...it isn't their fault!

Cleo: It doesn't matter if they are or are not at fault...just look at my sisters and me...

Cleo shook her head as Itsuki had his head down, walking past them.

Akeru: Itsuki...?

Itsuki: None of this shit is right...HEY BEASTFOLK!! SHOW ME THE LEADER OF THIS SETTLEMENT; I NEED TO-

Cleo quickly covered his mouth and glared as a group of Beastfolk just looked at him funny. Cleo whispered to him.

Cleo: You idiot! You can't just yell stuff like that out! We don't belong here, so let's just-

Cleo saw a shadow towering over them. It was a dark green-colored lizard man with a long white mustache.

Lizard: What do you want with me, human?

Itsuki got Cleo off of him and looked up at him. The lizard was intimidating, but Itsuki took a big gulp and stood firm.

Itsuki: I-I want to know more about this place. I want to help you-

The group of Beastfolk just started to laugh at him. The lizard just shook his head, smirking a bit.

Lizard: Help us? You? What in the seven hells are you going to do for us?

Itsuki: I-I don't know but-

Lizard: Listen, you better leave this place. You might bring in some unwanted attention-

Itsuki: Then I'll kick their ass! I'm sick and tired of the AWF-

The Beastfolk all glared at him as soon as he mentioned the Federation. Then, finally, the lizard man death glared at him, exhaling.

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Lizard: Leave, never mention those bastards around here, or we will kill you and any humans who come after you!

Akeru and Cleo just stood quietly with their heads down.

Akeru: I-Itsuki, let's just go. We have a journey still to get through...

Cleo: Exactly, let's not waste their time any longer or our own.

The lizard man looked at Cleo with a raised eyebrow.

Lizard: I...know you from somewhere-

Cleo just turned and walked away, dragging Akeru.

Cleo: Itsuki, come on!

The beastfolk blocked them from leaving, surrounding the three in a circle as Cleo clicked her tongue.

Cleo: Move out of our way.

Lizard: So you brought her with you then, the great Sultana! Come to enslave us to do your damn bidding, now?!

Cleo: If you don't get out of my way, I will use force.

Lizard: You think we are scared of-

Itsuki: Cleo is a good person; she would never!

The beastfolk all just laughed at him as Cleo gritted her teeth.

Lizard: You obviously know nothing about her! Do you think she is a nice person? She kills for sport; she doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself! If anything, she is exactly like those bastards at the Federation-

Itsuki instantly slugged him hard in the face as the beastfolk started getting rowdy. However, the lizardman didn't fall; he just looked down at Itsuki.

Itsuki: Not another damn word...don't you ever compare them to the Federation! Any of the Witches, besides the Beast-

The lizardman slugged Itsuki in the gut, causing him to fall to his knees.

Lizard: You have some nerve to mention her name around a Beastfolk, or you are just stupid...

Cleo: Itsuki...

Cleo clenched her fist as she tried to control her anger. Akeru just put her hand on Cleo's shoulder and shook her head.

Akeru: D-Don't...you will only make this situation worse...

Itsuki got up in the lizard man's face, the two glaring at each other.

Lizard: Kill them all! I'm tired of -

Itsuki: The Beast Witch is dead, and the AWF will be too by our hands!

The laughter started again as Itsuki kept yelling.

Itsuki: It isn't right to be treated like you are, just because of what created your race! We are going to stop them, I promise!

Lizard: So we are supposed to trust some punk who just strolls into this settlement?! As if... you are wasting our damn time!

Itsuki: But we...-

Cleo: Itsuki, stop wasting time. You can't change their mind, and you are only making things -

Itsuki: Fine, if you don't want to listen to me, I'll get the Ash Witch herself to support this damn place!

Lizard: The Ash Witch? Heh, you really think she gives two flying shits about us?!

Itsuki: Not yet...but we will change her mind, I promise! We are unifying the Witches; we want the AWF gone...I...I want you and your kind to be able to go wherever you want without worry!

The beastfolk stop laughing and just look at each other as the lizardman starts cackling.

Lizard: Unifying the Witches?! You have a better chance at making the Federation bastards admit they are wrong!

Akeru: It's true! We already-

Cleo: Akeru, Itsuki...stop right now!

Itsuki: But we-

Cleo: Don't make promises...just because we have done what we have done already doesn't mean our future is promising...we can still lose everything instantly, you know this...

Itsuki: This isn't fair...

Cleo walked to him and sighed, the beastfolk still blocking their way and on their toes. She patted his shoulder as she looked up at the lizard man.

Cleo: I never once enslaved a Beastfolk...because I agree, the way their race is handled is disgusting! Listen up, you lot, I don't like to repeat myself!

Cleo turned to the crowd and pointed to the capital on the mountaintop, Eval.

Cleo: We will have five Witches on our side after knocking some damn sense into my sister's head! You can be damn sure that we will die trying...we may or may not succeed...but we will try...

Itsuki: No, we will unify the Witches and defeat the AWF! I killed a Seat Commander; we can kill them all just like they have killed innocent lives!

The beastfolk all went silent as they stared at the two. Even the lizardman grew quiet as he had his head down. He started chuckling and then laughed loudly at them, the beastfolk confused. The three also looked confused as he stopped laughing, smirking at them.

Lizard: How many years...have we waited for people as dumb as you to come? Fine then, let's make a deal.

Itsuki: A deal?

Cleo: On what terms...?

Lizard: If you recruit the Ash Witch and convince her to support our settlement, we will be confident that you truly are going to do as you say...we will offer our support and contact other Beastfolk, telling them of your heroisms...but should you fail, you three will pay the price. Eternal damnation!

The sky started to turn black as Cleo's eyes widened a bit.

Cleo: A Soul Contract?!

Itsuki: A Soul what?!

Lizard: If you refuse, we will kill you now or die trying!

The beastfolk all ready their weapons as Cleo gritted her teeth.

Cleo: Fine then, we accept your damn terms.

The three felt a slight shock happen in their body as the lizardman laughed again, walking away from them. Then, the beastfolk returned to what they were doing as the sky returned to normal.

Itsuki: This Soul Contract...it's like Amani's Special Grade, isn't it?

Cleo: In a way, yeah...Amani's is more complicated. A standard Soul Contract is an Ungraded spell, the ruleset resembling a bet. The fact he cast that without us knowing...who is this old lizard...?

Akeru: It doesn't matter now; we need to get going. As much as I want to stop, we need to keep walking.

Itsuki: Yeah, we need to get to the Ash Witch!

The three nodded to each other and walked towards the capital city, Eval.