Kota couldn't bear to watch as the cobra in front of him was brutally tortured.
His very eyes were cut out from their sockets, and used as baubles for the ornaments of these monsters.
His fangs were then removed and used for a similar purpose.
"AGHH!!!!!!"
The screams of the cobra pierced the ears of Kota, who continuously was filled with terror.
'Am I next?'
'Will they put me through that as well?'
'Please..... no..... just let it be him.....'
Kota hoped and prayed that he would not have to go through such torment again at the whim of these cretins.
"Hahaha!! You wanted to lead your people? You wanted to become a dictator? I suppose you were like us to that extent. But there is one critical difference between us.", the spirit girl whispered into the ears of the mutilated snakeman.
"We actually care for our people. To you, aren't all of your people just outsiders?"
"STOP!!!! STOP IT!!!!!!"
The cobra screamed and shouted in retribution as the spirit laughed at his demise.
"Alright. That's enough of this one.", she said.
The succubus held out her hand and the wounds of the snakeman were partially healed.
His eyes were restored, though his fangs did not grow back.
"Never let us hear your corrupted voice again.", she stated with a condescending glare. "Or we will rip your very vocal chords from your throat and add them to our charms. Your esophagus would make a nice scarf perhaps."
The snakeman reeled back in fear, to the corner of the cell as the demonic male locked the cell with a chuckle.
"Come on.", he said to the spirit girl, who nodded with a crazed smile as she followed behind him, grabbing onto his shoulders.
Pushing his glasses up, the elf then grinned.
"The day is almost over. Let us head back to the palace where we will finish up the work for the day."
"Sounds good.", the crimson demon replied.
And so the four walked off, their footsteps becoming quieter as they exited the hall, and the sound of a door slamming could be heard.
Kota breathed a sigh of relief when the four were gone.
He had survived.
Those beings were not there for him, but rather for the person in front of him.
'If you behave yourself then we will lighten your load. After all, the nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered.'
These were the words he was told by that demon earlier.
Kota looked over at the snakeman in front of him, who was shivering in fear, yet his eyes were filled with rage.
"Those demons..... how dare they.... to me!!!! Outsiders..... outsiders..... I will slaughter them all..... my people... they will save me from those wretched abominations!!!!"
He seemed to be biting his nails while shivering in terror, and shouting these things to himself.
As Kota saw this, he laughed to himself and spoke up.
"Do you really think there is any chance of salvation in this place? In the hands of those demons?"
----
Where the snakemen village once stood, there now lie a desert of flesh.
This desert of flesh created a radial area which spanned 4 km in diameter.
In the center of this sea of flesh was a spherical fence which created a dome around a small plaza, in which around 300 snake people were currently looking around in fear.
The fence flickered with electricity, intimidating anyone who considered trying to escape.
The snakemen knew not of electricity and the way in which it was used here, however they did know of lightning magic, and as such were reluctant to touch this fence.
The snakemen looked back and forth to one another in horror.
"The provider.... will come to save us..... right?"
"He..... has to.... right?"
"No..... he is dead.... we saw it with our own eyes..... he will not come to save us...."
"Even if he is alive.... will he really come to save us?"
As one snakeman posed this question, the hearts of these people writhed back and forth in their chest.
They realized something which they had never before took note of.
Not once had anyone actually ever seen the provider perform the heroic actions which he was supposed to have performed.
Furthermore, they had witnessed the immoral actions of the provider towards any who held even the slightest difference in opinion.
"Maybe.... he won't come...."
"I... don't think he will....."
"How could you all doubt the provider!!! Traitors!!! It is dissenters like you who would be the reason why he doesn't come!!!!"
"Yeah!!!!"
Rumble.
Rumble.
The stomachs of the snakemen began to rumble with hunger.
Many had not eaten yet today, and even those who had only ate a very small portion.
In the village of the snakemen, provisions were extremely limited.
One man found himself crawling over to the edge of the sphere, towards the fence.
"It's.... right on the other side.... this meat... if I can just reach over....."
"Wait a minute!!! It's probably a trap!!! Don't do it!!!!"
The man reached his own hand forward.
Crackle.
Bzzt.
As the man's hand passed through the surface which the spherical fence covered, he was fried to a crisp to the point where his entire body was cooked then and there on the spot.
His eyes popped out and melted, and his flesh burned, emitting a horrible electrical smell.
The others around him watched with horror as this man died on the spot.
"D-don't touch the fences!!! Don't even go near them!!!!!"
However, many others around the area had already been lured by the temptation of the meat in front of them.
Bzzt.
BZZT.
BBBBBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.
50 people had been reduced to corpses in just a few moments.
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"W-what are you all doing!?!?!?!?!", one man shouted. "Stop this!!!!!"
Many people rushed to the center of the plaza, fearful of the contraption which had slaughtered anyone who came into contact with it.
"We're trapped in here....."
"Trapped until our deaths...."
Rumble.
Rumble.
Rumble.
"Mom.... I'm hungry...."
"Can we eat something?"
The mother and father who had been arrested had been reunited with their children in this place, yet these parents held their children tightly as they looked around at the bodies in terror, shielding the eyes of their children.
"Not yet, children....", the father stated. "Just wait a bit.... the provider will soon grant us something to eat...."
"Surely.... there is no way he would abandon his people.....", the mother agreed.
"We.... we are still useful to him, right? He cannot abandon us like this. We still have use. He will return for us....", the father stated as he begun to laugh madly.
"Of course.... that's right.... he will return.... hahaha....."
However, one man stood up with determination, and walked over to the fence.
"No..... he will not return for us."
Bending down, he grabbed one of the bodies and dragged it over to the group.
"And there is no other way for us to obtain sustenance. Therefore.... we must rely on that which is inside this sphere."
Plopping down the body of the roasted snakeman, everyone in the crowd looked at this man as if he was insane.
"If none of you wish to join me, then that's fine. But you will die eventually of hunger, and then you will become sustenance for another."
----
At a certain bar in the industrial district of the Capital of the Ruthobold Kingdom, a certain former noble sat at a table, drowning her sorrows in alcohol.
The armored knight tavern and bar.
"Sniff... waaaaahhh!!!!! Vanessa..... why did he leave me!?!?! Why did he leave me, Vanessa? Was I not good enough!?! Was I nod.... snifff.... not a good enuf.... wibe??"
A woman dressed in a noble dress sat with a mug of beer in her hand, her head on the table and her eyes red with tears.
"No.... of course not, Layla!! I'm sure you were a wonderful wife, and you probably gave him everything he needed in a woman."
Reassuring this woman with her arms on her back was a young woman with brown hair that had been tied into a ponytail. She wore a white bandanna tied to her head and her sleeves were rolled up as she slammed another mug of beer onto the table.
"It's alright.... everything is gonna be alright, Layla. Here. This one is on the house for tonight! Don't worry about that silly man. You know, men can never be pleased, right? Even if you do everything perfectly... even if you're young and beautiful like yourself, and even if you give them everything they could ever want, they still get tempted and want to try out other women."
The bar owner, Vanessa, seemed to glance off to the side with suspicion as she said this.
"It wasn't that you did anything wrong. Just forget about that man!!"
The former noblewoman, Layla, took another chug of her glass as Vanessa said this, nodding while wiping her tears and slamming the glass down onto the table.
"Mother.... should you really be drinking like this? A noble like yourself? What will people thi-"
"I don't care!!! Be quiet, Eric!! You couldn't live up to the same standards as Kyle did!! Why did he have to leave our household!! Why did they both leave!?!"
Sitting next to the former noblewoman was a young boy, aged 12 years. He wore a nice vest and dress clothes, and gave his mother a worried look as she shouted at him in her drunken sorrows.
"Mother.... look at reality please!! Kyle is the one who kicked us out of our homes!! We are no longer nobles because of him!!"
"But..... he was still a better son than you!! He became king!!! You couldn't do that!!"
Eric was stunned at his mothers harsh assessment, but held his tongue.
"But seriously.... I can't believe that he made it all the way up... that kid.... first a hero, and now the king?"
Approaching the three was a blonde man who seemed to be holding his chin in thought.
"That kid? Do you mean that you know of Kyle, Ethan?", Eric asked.
"Do I know him? Haha! I've known him for ye- ER! I've known his father for quite a while!! Haha...."
"Oh really? You've known his father for quite a while? His father the farmer, or his father the king?"
Vanessa's eyes seemed to be on fire as she questioned her husband, Ethan, over the loophole in his story which had been revealed ever since the background of Kyle had gone public.
"Er!! Uh.... I wasn't lying about that!! The farmer.... was his foster father!! Yes!! Even if his real father was the king, he never knew that until recently!! Yes! The man I knew was his foster father who took him in off the streets!!"
Ethan seemed to be flushed as he searched for an explanation to make his story balance out, however Vanessa continued questioning him like a wild dog.
"Oh? Really? His foster father the farmer? Then how exactly do you explain the seven prostitutes who he claims to be his mothers, and has placed in noble positions? Hm? Or do you mean to tell me that he's simply forgotten about this foster father of his, and those women are merely members of his harem?"
With the fact that Kyle had been raised in a brothel having gone public, Ethan's cover story had been blown.
"So tell me, DARLING. How exactly did you ever get to meet Kyle, that former apprentice of yours? Hmm???"
"ER! I.... I have something to do real quick!! Hahaha.... I think I forgot something back at the workshop! Ah, Eric! Why don't you come with me!! After all, you former nobles have to learn how to live as peasants now. I can teach you a trade!! I can put you to work so that you can learn how to provide for your mother as a peasant! It isn't too bad once you get used to it!!"
Ethan seemed to grab Eric by the collar, rushing out of the bar as his wife gave him an evil glare.
"See? Men can never be satisfied with just one woman. They're always looking for more...."
Vanessa seemed to slump down next to Layla, grabbing her own drink and taking a big chug from it.
"No matter how pretty you are or how much you do for them, they're always going to play around with others. It's nothing you did wrong. It's that man's fault.", Vanessa stated.
Layla looked up, wiping her tears again.
"Really?? Is that true, Vanessa?"
"Of course it is."
"But....."
"But?"
"I miss him!!!!!!"
"Sigh..... you shouldn't be missing a man like that..."
"But he gave me so much!!!! He brought my family back on our feet even after my husband was killed!!!"
"Even if you say that, he ended up throwing you aside in the end. Don't even think about him anymore. Here! Drink up some more!! I'll show you what it means to drink like a peasant tonight!!"
The two women ended up drinking until the night was over, drowning out their own sorrows with alcohol.
----
Thomar still wore his military cap, however the four pointed star which once adorned it had been removed.
Instead now on this cap was the symbol of a demonic hand grasping a heart.
He was now the slave of the antiheroes, and he dawned their symbol now.
Sitting in his new home, the young pigtailed snake girl seemed to be happily cooking, exploring the strange new facilities which she was not accustomed to.
"Everything here is very useful. I am glad we came to this place, soldier. I don't even have to worry at all about maintaining this equipment like I did in my home before. Somehow it repairs itself. Is this magic? I don't even know!"
The soldier smiled at the young girl as he thought in a reclining chair.
"That's great to hear."
It was at this moment that a voice resounded in the heads of both Thomar and Pliara.
A screen appeared in front of both people with a matrix of faces.
There were many different people, of all different races.
"What is this?", Thomar whispered.
[You have been connected to a video call]
[Current members: Antiheroes, Determined, Coran, Alicia, Berith, Al, Tiffany, Fina, Ramrod, Ploritan, Brot, Rocko, Igard, Yirald, Fergo, Relu, Arlo, Lance, Melody, Charlotte, Pierre, Thomar, Pliara, Oraguth, Iotar, Hiru]
[Eh? What's going on?]
[What is this?]
[Your excellencies?]
Many people seemed confuse at the sudden screen which had appeared in front of all the people, however Trevor smiled at everyone and began to speak.
[I presume that everyone here is connected then and can see and hear us. Every single person here is someone in which I have some form of business speaking with, however I have decided that gathering everyone into a single area would be inefficient, so I have decided this method instead.]
All the people in the call seemed to stay quiet but instead silently nodded in agreement.
[Now then..... let's get down to business.]
A map of the world appeared on the screen in front of everyone.
On this map, the location of the Capital of the Dictatorship, the slime village, was marked in a dark green.
The fishmen and lizardmen villages were marked in a medium green that was almost as dark, and the ratmen village was marked with a yellow.
The city of Porta within the Empire was marked in a green which was even darker than the Capital itself.
And finally, the insectoid village, which was a light green.
Everywhere else in the world was red, however some places were more red than others.
The snakemen village in particular was a dark red.
[To everyone witnessing this, this map shows the entire world, and their views on us, the antiheroes. As you can see, most of the world is filled with a deep hatred for us. Furthermore, the ratmen village is completely split down the middle. While some people are absolutely loyal to us, others view us as villainous enemies, which there is a reason for.], Trevor explained.
[To begin, I would like to speak with Arlo. It seems that you've done well to convince the insectoids in just a couple of days to view us with favor. Please tell us what has happened.]
The screen then focused on the muscular lizardman and he began to speak after bowing his head.
[Yes, your excellency. After 2 days, myself and the birdmen who you assigned to assist me have convinced the people of the insectoid village to submit to your esteemed selves, joining our nation. However.... I hold some doubts regarding their leader. I believe you should address the situation yourself.]
[Excellent. Just as I have surmised. I will do so. Now then, as for the rest of you, I wish to establish a certain order. Determined. For right now, I wish you to stay within the ratmen village, leading the three former mafia leaders and uniting the people underneath you. There is a chance that someone will arise claiming to be the savior of the ratmen, and in the case that this does happen....]
Trevor's face became serious.
[It will be your responsibility to take care of this person. I leave the method to you.]
The screen then focused on the angelic figure, who smiled brightly.
[I will do what is needed, Theo. I won't allow anyone to hurt our slaves.]
Trevor smirked.
[Very well. Now then..... as far as Porta is concerned.... I wish for Coran and Alicia to stay there for the time being. Berith, I wish for you to return to the Dictatorship immediately after this meeting. We have a task for you to perform in just a bit. Coran, Alicia, it falls on the two of you to defend the people of Porta and report any suspicious actions. Of course we are already aware of the elimination of the 5th legion, which I myself predicted. That is why I sent Berith there in the first place. If any other movements occur, it is up to you to report this to me.]
[Yes, your excellency.], the two spiderlings replied with scratchy voices in unison.
[The same of course goes for you, Oraguth. It is your responsibility to notify me of any actions of the Emperor, and to follow the hero and assist him if needed. Most importantly though, you are to inform me of any information pertaining to the Indeterminant. You are to avoid conflict with the Indeterminant at all costs, but gaining even the slightest bit of information on him would be invaluable. Do you understand?]
[Of course, your excellency. I will use cautious judgement, but I will not give up any good opportunities.]
[Very well. As for Rocko, Brot, and Ploritan, I wish for you three to remain in your villages and inform me if any issues arise.]
[Understood your excellency!!], Ploritan and Rocko both exclaimed.
[Brot help excellency! Brot give you information!], Brot stated with a smile.
Trevor nodded to the three and then moved on.
[And finally..... I wish to create a military unit. Melody will be at the head of this unit. Lance, Pierre, and Charlotte will work alongside her, and they will take our own forms. That is to say.... they will become the antiheroes.]
As Trevor said this, a number of people's mouths dropped.
[EH!?!?]