After arriving back at the mercenary guild after a long day of hard work, the antiheroes contacted Claire.
"We had better find out what's been going on in the fishmen village, so that we can decide what to do from here on out.", Garett suggested.
"Of course. Let us contact her.", Trevor replied.
Ashley was fast asleep at this point- she had passed out from too much alcohol. Of course, she only had a tiny bit, however this was enough to make her pass out quite quickly.
"Zzzzzzzzz...."
Trevor opened the menu and made a call to [The Determinant].
"Determinant? Are you there? I have an update on our status, and I would like to hear about what happened today. Is now a good time?"
"Ah, yes right now is fine! I am currently traveling back to the slime village. Would you like to hear my report first?"
'This woman seems somewhat... unpredictable.... last night she seemed completely ticked off, however tonight she seems perfectly fine... did something good happen, or is she always just bipolar like this?'
"Then, if you don't mind I would like to hear your report first. What happened regarding the competition and the new chief of the fishmen? Was he a reasonable leader, or is he someone who could use a personality improvement?"
"Well... to begin, I planted one of those camera's that Garett created in the fishmen palace, so you all will be able to witness any footage which it has picked up... as a matter of fact, you all can probably view my interaction with them yourselves, as it was set to record even before it was planted... but... there is something that I have to admit to you all that happened to me today which I am somewhat unsure about... I need some guidance... and you all are the only ones I can come to."
'The Determined is asking us for guidance? She sounds pretty concerned about it. I suppose there is no issue in hearing her out.'
"Go on."
"Well... today I became two people."
"Huh?", Trevor muttered.
"What?", Samantha questioned.
"Did you lose your mind as well today?", Garett remarked.
"Wait! Just hear me out before coming to any weird conclusions... I'm... I'm concerned about my own stability... I don't know what's going on with me... and I don't really know what to do... I need your help..."
"I'm listening.", Trevor said firmly.
"This seems like a big matter. Alright. What's wrong?", Samantha inquired.
"When I was viewing the tournament today... something... came over me... it was as if my mind had split into two.... I had two sets of thoughts that were contradicting themselves and I couldn't figure out which one was the real me... it was as if there was an angel and a devil on my shoulder arguing with each other... and then... well... perhaps you all would understand better if you simply witnessed it..."
Trevor went to the recorded video section of the database and selected the spidercam which had been with Claire.
The three sat and watched the scene of Claire's meeting with Kota.
They watched as Claire stormed through the hallway of the palace in a split form- half demonic, and half angelic. They witnessed Claire's dominant tone with the leader of the fishmen, and the practical yet harsh suggestions that she made for them- and the idiocy of Kota to sit back and pretend like he was being some sort of figure of justice.
Trevor's feeling towards this scene were complicated, however he knew one thing.
'This woman... the Determined... she has finally awaken to her full potential as a leader...'
Trevor smiled.
'Wonderful...'
"You did a great job at captivating that room... despite the fact that those lower beings didn't bother to listen to your warning... perhaps we should invade them before the humans do and show them that they were wrong to ignore our kindness...", Samantha pondered out loud.
However, there was something more important.
It was then on the video that Claire took her complete demonic form, and terrorized the fishmen openly.
"Were just like twins, wouldn't you say? We should definitely try to match sometime.... hehe!", Samantha commented.
"Wait... wait... this is what I was trying to tell you... I am one person... but there are two mentalities living within me... there is this demonic yet logical side which resides in a part of me... yet the me who is speaking to you right now is my regular self! I... I don't know what to do... there is... there is this evil living inside me... an evil which was born of my own hatred... I... I don't know how to live with myself knowing that I became such a monster! Sniff..."
Trevor smiled.
"Determined."
"Yes?"
"You claim that there is corruption living inside you? That evil plagues you? That it was your fault? Most importantly... that you have become a monster?"
"Yes..."
"That's where you are wrong. That side of you... that evil within you... the fact that you have a side of you which wants to help others and a side of you which wants to choke others and see them suffer... that isn't something to be ashamed of."
"What?"
"That is what it means to be human. Every human has an evil lurking within them. It is in balancing the good and evil within us, that we are able to truly thrive... do not fear the monster within you. Embrace it."
"Embrace it? How..."
"It must have been painful.", Garett said, with just a slight hint of sympathy. "I know how it feels for others to do wrong and get away with it, while I am sitting here working hard in order to do the right thing... so I know how you must feel about your own death... about the Indeterminant... about his manipulation of others... I wouldn't say that we are any better... but there is one single difference between us and him."
"What is that?"
"We don't pretend to be heroes. We are villains... dictators... slavemasters... torturers... murderers... psychopaths... lunatics... maniacs... sadists... do you know what we aren't? We aren't heroes. While the Indeterminant spent his life on earth trying to please others... trying to get them to look at him as a hero... the only difference between us and him, is that we have never once tried to appear as kind or loving to others. They can think what they want, because whatever evil perception they have of us...."
Garett's eyes thinned in pleasure, and he smiled maliciously while licking his fangs.
"Is likely true."
"Even when that strange demon overtook you... even if that is a manifestation of your own corruption, you have to admit that it did what was logical... it spoke in the manner of a true leader, taking on an opponent. Would you have been able to do that on your own? The answer is no. That part of you... that is what will allow you to become a true figurehead.", Trevor said with a grin.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
"It's just as he said... while you won't exactly be popular with that form... it certainly will get the job done.", Samantha added.
"You all.... so are you saying you will accept who I am, even with this... even when I don't even know myself who I am? Or what is happening to me? Even if I have taken this abominable form?"
"What are you talking about? Are you missing eyes? Two of us are demons. What is one more to the pack?", Samantha said with a laugh.
"T-thank you all... you really are dependable...."
"More importantly... I would certainly like to get to see more of this demonic side of you... she certainly could be of use....", Trevor commented.
"I'm not going to allow her to take over so easily..."
"I look forward to the time when you are overridden by rage and she emerges once more. Now then... I suppose we've seen everything regarding the fishmen village from that video.... so there is no further need for explanation... it seems that they are a group of fools in which there is little to no benefit in assisting. With such an incompetent leader, he would be difficult to control. If he was such an idiot as to not even fear you in the presence of that demonic form... then I have nothing more to say. He is simply too dumb to even understand the concept of fear. Or perhaps he is fearful, but has chosen to ignore that fear in order to look strong in front of his subjects? Either way, he is not the type of person who I would like to associate with. The fishmen are a lost cause, and not worth putting any more thought into. However... we cannot simply allow the Empire to trample their way into the monster realm either... perhaps we should simply eliminate both?", Trevor recommended.
"I don't have any issues with that.", Garett responded.
"The world would be a better place if the inferior beings who don't recognize our greatness were to be purged.", Samantha stated with a sadistic grin. She was becoming more and more narcissistic by the moment.
"Please wait!! We should try to form a peace between the two groups!! Is there any way we could try to arrange a meeting between the leaders like we did with the birdmen and the lizardmen before?"
Trevor gave Claire a look through the video call as if she had just said something ludicrous.
"Arrange a meeting? Between those two groups? Impossible. Now then... where were we..."
"Why is it impossible?! You did it before!!"
"Before was a special case. The humans of this world see the fishmen- as well as any other intelligent monsters, as nothing more than that- monsters. They couldn't even hope to negotiate with them in their current state. To further matters, the idiot leader of the fishmen would never agree to something like that, which you should know for yourself."
"Isn't... isn't there anything we can do?"
"Well..."
Claire looked at Trevor with hope.
"No."
Claire's head dropped as Trevor said this.
"However... I suppose we could try speaking with the fishmen leader ourselves... perhaps if the Empire is at their doorsteps they will have a change of heart... do not expect any miracles though. No matter which simulation I run, that fishman keeps on rejecting any offer I make them."
"What if that fishman was not their leader?"
"Then things might go differently."
"There was another fishman... the former chief... he seemed much more reasonable... perhaps if he was the leader then we would be able to reason with him..."
"So should we kill off the current one?"
"No!!! We can't just kill someone off!!!"
"Why not?"
"Because... that's... that's immoral!!"
"So? It benefits us, does it not? What does that even mean, to be immoral? There is no clear line anywhere. If killing him off can save the entire species, then would it not be an ideal sacrifice?"
"Grr.... but we can't just.....kill him off.... wouldn't we be no better than him if we do that?"
Trevor let out a sigh at Claire's persistence.
"Fine. I understand. We will speak with the current leader, and I will do my best to get him to agree to a reasonable set of terms.... if we can get him to agree, then perhaps a show of power will allow the humans to be reasonable as well... but as I said, do not expect any miracles. I will do what I can and nothing more, and I will not allow myself nor my comrades nor the people of the dictatorship to come under harms way. Is that clear?"
"I understand. Please do what you can."
"Then, it's settled... ah, regarding our report... there was a certain resistance group which we dominated today and took over for use... along with a band of idealistic mercenaries who seemed to have joined them... I intend to send Oraguth to keep an eye on them while relaying information to us about the developments here in the Vythguard Empire."
"I see... wait! Isn't Oraguth a goblin!?!? Will he be alright???"
"There will be no issues. The resistance is an underground group, and he will not make contact with any other humans as of right now. As a matter of fact... I was also considering sending Coran to the human realm as an experiment to try to see what would happen if monsters were to interact with humans... however I am concerned about his well being.... I will touch on that later once I have worked out the details."
"Oh... okay..."
"At any rate, for now the plan remains to attack the fishmen village with the Empire under the guise of mercenaries. When we arrive, we will sneak ahead of the pack and try to meet with the leader of the fishmen. If they are unreasonable, we will allow the two sides to fight and pick off the survivors depending on the circumstances. We will save anyone who we deem to be worth saving."
"I don't like that answer.... but I'll deal with it for now..."
"Anyways- just return to the dictatorship for now. I am certain that those two spiderlings have done a fine job at ruling, however you know just how tiresome it can be. Please relieve that burden from them as soon as possible."
"I understand. Well then... goodbye."
[Video Call with Determined has ended]
[5 days until the attack begins]
----
Lance was filled with uncertainty.
When he first viewed that group of mercenaries beating down those rapists, he felt a sense of ruthless yet unyielding justice from them, as if they were hidden heroes willing to dirty their hands in order to better the situation of the people.
But after hearing the stories of the members of the resistance... and after seeing those mercenaries so carelessly torment them, for no reason...
Lance was unsure.
He was captivated when they gave a speech about changing the world... about turning things on their side, and they felt so human when he originally ate and spent time with them... but were they really doing things for the better?
Lance respected these people of the resistance greatly after hearing their stories and their purpose... he truly did believe that they too were working for the greater good, which was why he, along with his party members wished to join them.
But also, he was scared.
He was scared of those creatures who would seemingly do anything to crush the minds of others in order to get their way.
He had misjudged them.
They were not heroes. They simply were monsters who crushed anyone and everyone who got in their way, scum and just alike.
Charlotte felt similarly. She had been so impressed at Samantha and Ashley's resolve... at their ability to stay strong in the face of such evil, and act perfectly... however...perhaps that was simply because they were the very incarnation of evil itself.
They were not human.
They were demons... spirits... monsters... it was no wonder that they didn't blink an eye even when those men were clearly lusting them, and thinking all kinds of horrible things.
Charlotte shivered just thinking about it.
What did it even mean to be just?
What did it even mean to do what was right?
Was joining up with these resistance members the right thing to do?
'We will redefine the meaning of justice.'
Those words replayed themselves over and over in Charlotte's mind.
If they were going to define justice... if their version of justice was going to become what was just... well, she didn't know what to think.
But she was scared.
She was too scared to do anything about it.
Charlotte had always been the weakest member of her party, and while she was not by any means weak physically, she could never kill. Lance was the same, but his alchemist abilities allowed him to get away with not killing or harming anyone.
At the end of the day, Melody always made up for her mistakes and her inability to finish anyone off... and things had been fine that way... but that was why she couldn't help but respect those two women when she first saw them.
However, unfortunately, that respect was reduced significantly. It was replaced with complete horror and fear.
As for Pierre... he was at first in awe of the elves and their abilities, however soon became suspicious of them.
Even so, he could never have expected this.
The group of resistance members in front of him were all staring forward blankly, unsure of their very existence.
Pierre had originally suspected that the mercenaries were in line with these bandits... but after coming to know who they were, and seeing the members of the resistance overtaken by panic and despair so quickly... he knew that his conclusion was incorrect.
Just how powerful were these beings to be able to drive this many men to insanity without even lifting a finger?
It was something much more fearsome than when they had stopped those men in the alley from moving.
It was much more terrible than the mutilation of the genitals of the rapists.
Pandemonium.
That was the only term which could describe what had happened here.
Some of the men were foaming at the mouths, while others were still holding their heads in anguish even after being released from the chains of whatever horrors they witnessed.
Melody, however... was unphased by the chaos.
'So they really were like that..... wonderful... I might have finally found a worthy host to cling to...'
----
The antiheroes prepared to head to sleep, however just before Garett turned out the lights, Samantha mentioned something.
"Hey, there's something that has been bothering me...."
"What is it, woman?"
"Well... three of those mercenaries we met were your average kindhearted people... they wanted to do what they could to help others... however one of them... there was one woman who's thoughts I couldn't really get a grasp on..."
"Explain further."
"She would think things like 'These people know what they're doing.' 'I would love to follow these people and become the parasite that clings to them...'"
"Interesting..."
"I didn't think anything of it at first... however... I just realized... even after we terrorized those members of the resistance, she was still thinking the same things. No, it seemed even more... rejuvenated after she witnessed that."
Trevor's eyes went wide, and a devious smile drew across his face.
"Excellent.... I had a feeling she would agree with our methods and way of thinking... I will have to inform Oraguth about this... she will make a wonderful pawn when the time comes... if she wishes to leech from us, then we will allow her to do so, as long as she provides a symbiotic relationship which we benefit from. She can become the bacteria which prevents other prokaryotic filth from living within us."