*( mood song: "Thousand Foot Krutch - War of Change")

As they were marching down, Erik installed a scanner on his left claw, connecting it to the armors power supply [thanks again Rose, but are you sure this can detect hidden dangers?]

Rose: [yes and no, that's just gonna send me lots of data from scanning the entire tunnel walls composition as we go, every second, and I will process that data myself, anything organic will be easily revealed like this, you won't need to fear those wall huggers like this (ㆁωㆁ*)]

Erik sighed relieved [well, that actually makes me feel safer]

Marching behind him, a great deal of the soldiers were checking up the elders and Erik's bodies, with Erik being the biggest he attracted the most eyes. Almost all neighboring houses had heard Khroom squeal and moan, so as the rebel army had both men and women the looks were dispersed all over his body.

Over at the back, a crab woman slapped a slack mothed crab man "close your mouth! you are almost drolling"

"S-sorry..." The crab man apologized, but kept sneaking obvious glances.

Finally, the crab woman couldn't take it anymore "if you won't do anything about it I will go"

The crab man got nervous though "but your father said we shouldn't speak with them right?"

Earning a scoff from her "come on, I can see they are curious too! you keep sneaking glances at her!"

crab man got nervous "y-you noticed huh"

crab woman: "yeah, but anyway I'm going, I will ask them how they got those weapons and get this over with!"

the crab man got confused then "huh? why their weapons?"

the woman paused, looking at him suspiciously "weren't you looking at their weapons and equipment?" narrowing her eyes.

crab man: "of course! exactly, I was looking at their armor and weapons indeed"

the crab woman smiled "Then I'm going"

the crab man thinking 'phew... I dodged that bullet, but really... --looking at Erik's body-- she looks super hot... I get why Khroom moaned so much while fucking them... they must have great pussies...' slowly getting hard just thinking about it.

As Erik was mentally talking with Rose a cough came from his side, making the Elders, him and Trebetuk look over, seeing a young crab woman there.

Trebetuk was the first to react, taking her to one side "didn't I told you to stay on the back?"

Thanya: "hmm but Alkban was curious about their equipment and kept looking at them, so since he's a coward I came to ask myself, It's just some questions, it will be fine"

Trebetuk frowned "my daughter, you begged me to let you come and I did in the condition you stay on the back, we talked about this already"

Thanya: "don't be such a bore dad, I'm just gonna talk with them, a talk between women you know"

Trebetuk: "but they are not exactly-"

Thanya: "ah jeez! stop with the nonsense already!" and bypassed him.

Thanya got beside Erik, leading the march in front side by side with him, as she observed the blue rays scanning the tunnel walls "wow... how does it work?"

Erik: "...it scans the light reflected by the surfaces and their radiation penetration signature, that way it knows what the walls or anything on them are made off, this will avoid ambushes".

Thanya got visibly excited "wow! can I have one?"

Erik: "...no"

Thanya: "eh? why not? I'm Trebetuks daughter you know? I could put a good word about you"

Erik chuckled "I couldn't care less about what that crab thinks about me"

Thanya frowned "that crab? he's my father, aren't you being a bit rude?"

Erik: "well you see, there's nothing you or your people can offer me except manpower and guides and that we already got it, this is a deal beneficial to both of us, that's it"

Thanya: "hmm... then where did you get all those weapons and equipment?"

Erik: "I made them all, happy?"

Thanya: "...can you teach me?"

Erik: "I could but I won't" and shrugged.

Thanya was getting annoyed with the cold treatment "hmph! what did we did to you?! there's no need to be so rude!"

Erik paused and looked at her in the eyes through his helmet visor "indeed, you in particular haven't, if you want be useful then prove yourself in battle, we will be outnumbered once we arrive, also keep your eyes open, the tunnels are dangerous-"

One of Rose's puppets approached him *commander, there seems to be a wall huggers nest up ahead, they don't seem to be going to attack us though, what should we do?*

Erik: "well, eating them with these bodies would be a bit of a waste, but oh well, we will just kill the ones that are a threat, we could always take the meat back" he turned his head to Thanya "just watch" taking his rifle from his back and aiming at a rock wall.

Thanya was confused but watched as told.

*Bang!* *KREE-...ee...* a screech was heard right after the gunshot, as a bullet perforated a big rock stuck to a wall, the rock bled a blue substance into the surrounding water, soon dying as the sodium cooked its insides.

Erik: "it does that, that super hidden monster, a dangerous wall hugger couldn't do anything against superior technology no matter how deadly, clever or resourceful, the same way the shadow claw tribe will also fall, now get back in line" turning back his attention to the tunnel as Rose's puppets shot down any wall hugger that decided to stay, the smaller ones detaching from the walls and swimming away slowly.

Thanya stood there awed though, her father that had been listening behind her equally awed.

Thanya bowed to Erik then "please! teach me as your apprentice! I will do anything!"

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Erik looked at her and thought 'anything? hmmm I don't even find her attractive, what to do...' finally settling for "alright, prove your worth on this mission and we might have some private classes, what about that?"

Thanya smiled and bowed once more "thank you very much! me and Alkban will be sure to do our best!"

Erik then asked the nearby Trebetuk, "how far are we?" waking him up from his contemplations.

Trebetuk looked around at the cave walls "we should be almost there... I was planning to avoid monster nests so we might arrive early at this rate..."

Erik looked at the dead wall huggers in the ground and thought 'Anhuka would have loved tasting them again... well, I can always come back for more' looking at Trebetuk "well that's fine, we can just go slower and let them be fully distracted by the Fire tribes army.

--- far away into the tunnels ---

The fire tribe army was marching, hundreds of soldiers decked into forged metal bone armor, sharp weapons, and tower shields, as the bones of abyssals contained various metals, forming organic alloys.

With even big ballista crossbows being pulled by groups of big burly crabmen.

In the middle of the army, an 8 meters long tunneler covered in chains pulled a big armoured cart along, inside a big crabman calmly enjoyed a full plate of meat, as a knock was heard.

"general, we are about to arrive at the shadow claw tribes defensive forts, what are your orders?"

The general cleaned his mouth with a fine piece of leather "crush them, they don't have the men to stop us anyway, we charge right to their tribe --chuckle-- a new golden age awaits the fire tribe!"

the soldier excitedly responded "yes general!" running to deliver his orders.

10 minutes later, the first fort was in sight, a fortification of bones and leather, with spear launchers ready on the walls.

As the army approached into range, dozens of spears rained down on them, but they just bounced off their shield as the Fire tribe soldiers moved in a perfect line while keeping their shield walls up.

--- inside the fort ---

The garrison leader talked to the dozens of mean in his fort, their faces somber "we received notice from the tribe, we... won't receive any reinforcements, we will die today, but... we shall decide how we die! we will die like heroes and give our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters back at the tribe a chance to prepare! we will prove those fire tribe bastard why we are called the shadow claw tribe!"

--- back at the fire claw army ---

the knocking was heard again in the leading wagon.

"what is it this time soldier? just annihilate them!"

soldier "but... they stopped throwing spears my general, they seem to have run away!"

The general chuckled loudly as he happily said "what are you waiting for then? take down those walls!"

The burly Fire claw soldiers easily broke open the door with their sturdy weapons, and entering the fortress, with more and more troops going in.

They never noticed as some mud piles slowly stood up in shadowy areas and drank their potions.

"FOR THE KING!!!!!" with a battle cry they impaled and killed the nearest Fire tribe soldiers, stabbing their poisoned spear through the gaps of their armors and jumping at their next foes.

"FOR GLORY!!"

The Fire tribe soldiers had been thoroughly trained though, and quickly made a shield wall, pointing their spears forward, to their amazement though, the shadow claw soldiers just impaled themselves until spearing themselves the fire claw soldiers, dying shortly after due to blood loss, as their potions made them feel no pain, crawling to attack the enemy till their last breath.

Back on the general's cart, the same soldier came to report "my general... we took the fort, but... there were some complications..." falling silent.

"speak up soldier! we don't have all day!" the general got impatient though.

"there was an ambush inside my general... we lost 46 men..."

there was a silence from inside the cart as the general processed the soldier's words "what?! 46? how?!"

"the defending garrison felt no pain and seemed to heal faster my general, we suspect it should be the effect of their potions"

*thud!* the general punched the table as he ground his teeth in anger "those bastards and their potions... give the order, all troops forward! I shall lead the charge!" coming out of the cart a huge crabman decked in heavy plate armor "46 of my soldiers... they shall be avenged!"

--- sometime earlier, at the shadow claw tribe, palace room ---

A messenger ran in as the king nervously paced back and forth.

"my king! they have confirmed the Fire tribes path, the fort in their path has requested reinforcements, what are your orders?"

King: "sigh, just let them die, tell them it should be their honor dying for their king, and to win as much time as they can, and tell all available regiments to fortify the tunnel they are coming from, we will stop them in their tracks"

"...yes my king..."

--- on a secret tunnel leading to the palace ---

All the rebels, elders, and puppets arrived at a granite stone door, a single guard guarding the door.

When they were a few dozen meters away, Erik nodded to Megan "do your thing".

Megan approached the guard with a smile as her pheromone production skyrocketed around her

"halt! you can't be... here... ...you... can you marry me?" the guard quickly getting confused.

Megan giggled "I can't marry a dead man silly" and ripping his head off with her right chainsaw claw before he could react, and turning to Erik and giving him a thumbs up.

The rest got to the door, and Trebetuk turned to Erik "beyond this door is the king's bed chambers, there should only be 2 guards, but beyond that point, there will be many more"

Erik: "that's fine" taking out his chainsword as his chainsword claws also roared to life and loudly knocking on the door.

Trebetuk became alarmed "what are you doing they are trained-" but he was promptly cut off by Erik.

Erik: "they are nothing, now just shut up"

The door opened to 2 fully decked soldiers in thick leather armor, eyes rapidly dilating at the army in front of them, before they could react though *BRRRRHHHH* as the chainsaw sword decapitated the right one and Erik's left chainsaw claw decapitated the left one.

Erik turned to Trebetuk with a smile "as I was saying... they are nothing" and ignored the frowning crabman as he kicked open the door to the next room, coming to a hall with dozens of armed soldiers "well well~ let's get this party started!" and thew a dozen explosive sodium bars inside, the clueless crabmen even picking them up.

*Boom!" the explosions chained as the sodium exploded, soon the rest walked in, finishing off any survivors.

Hearing the explosions, it alerted the veteran garrison who charged in with no fear, but that would help them as the bullets blew up their skulls.

Trebetuk and the rebel soldiers could only occasionally help as they saw Erik and his people annihilate dozens of elite guards and veterans with barely any effort.

The guards tried to use shield walls, but they were penetrated, they tried arrows, but they bounced on their armors, and they tried throwing poison potions, but their masks filtered the poison, they kept throwing their lives away in the name of their king as they were slaughtered.

Finally, they arrived at the throne room, with Erik punching the door open with his claw.

The king was on his throne and yelped at the intrusion "what's with all that ruckus?! will you- w-who are you?!" finally noticing their strange shiny gear.

Erik approached the now fearful king and grabbing his clothes with a claw, easily lifted him up "we slaughtered your army in that cliff and you already forgot about us? what a bad memory you have"

King: "that's impossible! my soldiers know no fear!"

*slap* Erik slapped the king "death doesn't care if you fear it or not, death is unavoidable, did you understand you fatty crab?"

The king nodded, *slap!* but Erik slapped him again *slap! slap! slap!* and continued over and over until the king was barely conscious, that's when he noticed something that made him stop though, the king was rock hard in his full 3 inches (7,62cm), seeing that, Erik just let it fall to the floor, feeling disgusted "so you like pain you disgusting pig?" and stepped the king's crotch.

*Ghhaaaa!!* making the king squeal in pain, and then it happened, it cummed, making Erik even more disgusted.

Erik: [ewww, can't I just kill him]

Rose: [why all this trouble then? we need him so he can tell his people to sign an alliance with the rebels]

Erik: [actually I might have a better idea, after seeing this pig..., why don't we just make him a puppet literally or figuratively?]

Rose: [that's not a bad idea, it wouldn't be too hard either way]

Erik nodded and sat at the throne, then looking at the king "now I'm the new leader of the Shadow claw tribe, announce it tomorrow"

King: "w-why should i..."

Erik: "you either do that or die, who knows, if you do a good job I might even reward you~"

King: "hmph I would never-"

Erik: "shut up you pig, one more word and you won't like the pain I will give you won't enjoy" a wicked smile appearing on his face.

King: "I'm the- GUAAAAHH!" Erik stayed true to his word though, and easily ripped off one of the crab mans claws "guhh... alright... it's yours..."

Trebetuk in the back frowned "this isn't what we talked about"

Erik: "oh, change of plans, you will still receive the alliance you wanted, but with me being the new ruler"

Trebetuk: "well... I guess it's fine-"

King: "you traitor! so you weren't happy with betraying your people, now you bring enemies into our walls? I will be sure to- GAAAHHH!!!!" but Erik cut off his other claw, throwing it to the side.

Erik: "I told you to shut up pig"