Standing atop an enormous cliffside within an underground cavern, with a palace of shells and coral behind him, a being stood proudly before a crowd of fishmen and women.

This being was a mix between a man and a tiger shark, and he looked down on his people with a smile.

Standing next to him was a creature which resembled a blob of flesh with a face. His lips drooped, and his beady black eyes gazed into nothingness. A line of drool dripped from the edge of the massive mouth of this creature, which had arms and legs sprouting from it's massive body.

These two were Ploritan and Brot- the slaves of the antiheroes who had been placed in charge of the fishmen village.

"Destruction..... was all that awaited us."

Ploritan spoke softly, yet his voice carried throughout the caverns, echoing within the ears of those who stood before him.

Stepping forth, he looked down on his people with saddened eyes.

"With Kota as our leader, the Determined was angered. He spoke to her in an unforgivable tone, provoking her wrath. He ignored her well intended advice, shaking her off as a mere outside who knew nothing of our state. Yet..... she knew more about us than even ourselves."

Holding back his emotions, Ploritan continued to speak of the one he served.

"The Determined is a woman who will one day rise to the position of the Queen of Evil. The legends state that the humans will consider her to be the very aspect of evil itself, and that they will rally themselves against her.... in order to promote their justice."

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath in, Ploritan whispered to himself.

"What a facade."

Opening his eyes, he looked forth with determination.

"It was the Determined who made such efforts to save us from the humans who were attacking. It was the antiheroes who helped our people after they were slaughtered within our own town. And it was the antiheroes who united myself and four particular humans..... forcing us to understand one another."

Placing his hand to his chest, Ploritan spoke to all with a loud voice.

"I have spoken with her eminence and their excellencies a number of times. I have seen their actions. I have seen their results. From an external perspective, many of the things which they have done would be considered evil by any and all standards. We ourselves have been enslaved, and labeled as nothing more than property. Yet..... I do not believe for even a second that their excellencies and her eminence are truly evil."

With a light smile, Ploritan remembered his own conversation with the Determined.

"Her eminence was..... how do I put it? It was almost as if there was a strong and innocent will within her, prepared to do what was right. Yet also within her was a grim darkness, raging with a hatred for evil. And it is this darkness.... which will cause people to label her as evil beyond all else."

Holding out his hand to the people, Ploritan smiled with confidence.

"The appointed time has come, my people. Many here were revived and reunited with their families by the healing powers of their excellencies. Hearts have been healed by the leadership of our Dictators. And through our slavery.... we have become able to understand true freedom. Then, will you all not stand beside me as we fight even demons for their excellencies and her eminence?"

As Ploritan asked this, silence overtook the stage.

Moments passed, and not a single person said a word.

Ploritan looked on at the faces of the people, who watched him carefully.

And then, a single voice.

"What are you asking, Ploritan!? Will we stand by her eminence and fight demons for her!?!? Have you lost your mind!?"

One man shouted this, causing everyone around him to look at him.

The man however, laughed to himself, chuckling with his eyes closed as the entire group focused on him alone.

"Of course we will."

And with this single sentence, the crowd exploded.

Cheers filled the caverns like never before, causing a rumbling equivalent to an earthquake.

The very ground shook, and even then they did not stop.

They held no fear, for they would fight for those who had saved them.

The beings of ultimate power who they had dedicated themselves to.

Even in their relative powerlessness, they did not hesitate for a moment.

At one point, the people of the fishmen may have seen demons as an unsurpassable wall.

The peak of power, with the Hosts of Sin topping all other demons due to their strange and unique abilities which allowed them to manipulate the world around them.

Yet compared to those demons, their masters were far greater.

And so, they rallied.

They celebrated.

And they shouted for minutes, until finally quieting down.

"Is there anything you have to say, Brot?"

Turning to his 2nd in command, Ploritan spoke with satisfaction.

With a quick nod, Brot stood forward, flopping his gelatinous body forth.

Looking onto the crowd with blank eyes, he said one thing.

"Brot... hungry."

Closing his eyes, the drooping lips of the blobfish formed what looked like it could perhaps be a smile.

"Brot..... will eat."

At first, the message confused the people.

Everyone looked to one another with question marks above their heads, however Ploritan placed his hand on the shoulder of Brot with a smile.

"That is right, Brot."

Stepping forth, Ploritan made one last statement.

"How hungry we all were before the appearances of their excellencies. But now..... we will taste victory for sure."

And the cheering resumed.

----

Stepping out of her own room, a gorgeous girl with long silver hair walked with confidence.

A gentle smile plastered her face, and her eyes carried the resolution of a mad demon.

She wore a pitch black dress which was lined with bones, with a high rising collar which gave her a horrible and demonic beauty.

On her neck, she wore a necklace which was laced with miniature skulls which had likely been taken from her victims only to be reformed and miniaturized.

Atop her head, a halo hovered, and behind her back two angelic wings sprouted- contrary to her own devious outfit.

She walked in high heels, however her movements were flawless.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Her eyes were filled with a combination of sweetness and disgust- a strange mix, yet one which seemed to fit this woman perfectly.

As she walked out of the room towards her office, she entered boldly, preparing to take on the new day with a demented smile and thinned eyes.

Inside her office, three people awaited her.

One an older ratman, wearing a monocle and sporting a tophat and a cane.

The second a female ferret with mahogany colored fur and bright red eyes, wearing a leopard mink and a pure white dress, as well as a sunhat.

The third was a female gerbil with dark grey fur. One of her arms and one of her legs was replaced with an aluminum cybernetic part, however she was not effected by this in the least.

She wore an industrial outfit with a brown tophat and a pair of goggles, and a jacket over her suspenders.

These three knelt immediately the moment the angelic woman entered, for the one before them was their master- the Determined.

These three were the former mafia leaders within the city of smog.

Ramrod- the leader of the rats.

Fina- the leader of the gerbils.

Tiffany- the leader of the ferrets.

"Ah! You all are ready to go? I just finished prettying myself up, so I'm ready too.", Claire stated.

"Of course, your eminence. We've been awaiting your orders. The mafia members and all inhabitants of this city have been informed of the events of today, and are prepared as well.", Ramrod replied.

"I see... that's very diligent of you all. I suppose I'll have to put on a real big show today, eh?"

Walking over to the window, the girl thinned her eyes with a slightly saddened smile.

"It's going to be a war.... so many people might get hurt or killed. I don't want anyone to suffer..... the pain of death. It is a horrible thing to die, you know."

Placing her hand on the window, the woman continued talking as the three remained still, kneeling to her.

"But.... I suppose in order to reduce the overall suffering.... I have to let that sacrifice happen. Even so.... I will do everything I can to make this victory as smooth as possible."

A wicked smile enveloped the woman as she looked out the window with bloodthirst.

"And I'll wreck the minds of those who try to stop me."

A shiver was sent down the spine of the three at the sudden change of demeanor of their master, however they were becoming used to such a thing.

For this was a normal occurrence.

The soft hearted girl who cared for all, and the demented monster who wished to destroy all who stood in her way.

They were one and the same.

"Then, let's go!"

Pumping a fist to herself, the skulls on the necklace of the girl clacked against one another, and the four were teleported from the room.

----

"Wake up, soldier."

Poking the cheek of a snakeman who lay asleep in his bed, a small snakegirl with her hair in the style of twin tails ordered the man to awaken with a serious expression.

"Wake up."

The girl continued to poke at the cheek of the snakeman until he opened one eye, looking around him slowly.

"Ah..... good.... morning, Pliara."

"I.... made you breakfast. Eat it."

The girl placed a platter on the bed of the man, forcefully shoving her cooking onto him while he gathered his bearings.

"Oh.... this.... what is this?"

The man looked at the platter with a combination of interest and confusion, to which the girl smiled lightly.

"This is called eggs and ham, soldier."

"Eggs.... and ham?"

The soldier sat up, grabbing the fork with a smile as he looked at the girl.

She was a young girl, but she was earnest and hardworking.

From a young age, she had lived on her own- surviving in a city where her discovery would lead to nothing less than enslavement or death.

In the end, she had died just before this man was killed as well- only for the two to be revived and incorporated as slaves to a new set of masters.

These two people were Thomar and Pliara.

Placing his hand on the head of the girl, Thomar smiled as he praised the girl.

"Thank you. You're very skilled and considerate, Pliara."

"You're welcome, soldier...."

The man began to slice into the food, eating it bit by bit as the girl watched with anxiety.

"Is it.... good?"

"It is very good. I've never had any of your cooking that isn't good, Pliara. You really are resourceful. Even when presented with something new that you've never seen before, you always manage to turn it into something good."

"Thank you...."

The girl averted her eyes with an innocent smile.

"But what is this 'ham'? I've never seen any meat like this."

"Oh! You see soldier, apparently there are these animals called pigs. The ham comes from them. According to what his excellency Gary told me, they have a massive stock of pigs within their freezer right now, and so that was what I used to prepare this."

"Pigs? Pliara, I know what a pig is. Back in the snakemen village there were plenty of pigs that were harvested for their meat. But this meat is definitely not the meat of a pig."

"Is that so? Maybe that was another one of the lies of that shitty provider."

"Hmm.... I suppose so."

The man dug his fork into the meat, taking a large bite with a smile.

"It's delicious."

"Hehe...."

Time passed and the two spent the morning simply talking with one another about simple, trivial things.

Their new daily lives, the small nuances of their new work, and so on and so forth.

When Thomar had finished eating, he stood up with the platter.

"I'll wash it. Give me it."

"You spoil me too much, Pliara."

"I'm.... preparing to become a wife."

"I see. I'm sure you'll become a great one."

The girl took the platter, heading over to wash it.

"So everyone is gathering this morning for a big job. Apparently we're going to war with.... the Hosts of Sin.", Thomar stated with concern.

"The Hosts of Sin eh? Those legends? I guess if it's their excellencies they should be fine.... maybe."

"If it is them, I have no doubt. They were able to.... bring us back from the dead."

Thomar looked at his own hands to see them quivering.

"With an ability like that, I can't imagine even the Hosts of Sin having power over them. And somehow.... I feel that such an ability is only the beginning of their endless power."

"Hmm.... well, if you say so soldier. You're the one who has fought on the battlefield before"

"The battlefield....."

Thomar thinned his eyes.

He had never before fought on a battlefield.

He fought on a 'battlefield'.

He fought against innocent civilians, slaying any who disobeyed the provider.

He fought against a group of terrified, defenseless, fleeing opponents- cutting them down without mercy.

"I have never before fought on a battlefield, Pliara. Nor have I ever fought a foe who fought back."

"Is that so, soldier? But you fought back.... against that commander, didn't you?"

Closing his eyes with a sour expression, Thomar nodded.

He recalled being strapped to a table, questioned for information, and killed after he was told the horrible fate which the girl before him had suffered.

He recalled his useless struggle and his furious shouts.

"Perhaps.... that is the only time in my life in which I have fought a true battle."

----

Five figures walked through the fleshy halls of the dictatorship capital building.

An angelic figure wearing the outfit of a true demon walked in front of two literal demons, a spiritual figure, and an elf.

These five were the Determined and the antiheroes.

"So you've captured two Hosts of Sin..... enslaved another..... and I killed the fourth one. That leaves three to fight during this battle, and their abilities are as you've explained."

"Exactly so, Determined. I cannot say that the plan will go on without a hitch, but if things go well then without a doubt..... things will turn in our favor."

Claire and Trevor exchanged information, to which she nodded with resolve as they approached the door.

"This is where you've been keeping our chef?"

"Indeed. She is a unique woman. She loves her family quite dearly, however she is also.... highly unstable. I believe she is a very good person at heart, however she has been put through a large amount of mental trauma to come to the point where she is at. Therefore, I have done what I can to.... ease her trauma."

"I see. How thoughtful."

"So basically she's a real wackjob like the rest of us?"

"Don't say something like that. We've all been through a lot, haven't we?"

Clarice let her own comments slip, at which Trevor pushed up his glasses with a smile.

"It would seem that other side of you has become quite prominent in your figure, Determined. That must be why you can accept such things with such ease?"

"Yeah, that's right. This girl would probably break down crying if I wasn't here to fuck her mind up like I do."

"Don't say that. My mind is perfectly fine being fucked up."

"See? I've effected her quite well, don't you all think?"

The five all laughed together with a slight amount of insanity in their laughter.

Entering the vault, they descended the staircase to see a woman chopping up some meat on a cutting board, with her two children and her husband at her side helping her.

"Now bring this over to the stew pot. We've gotto prepare a whole lot for tonight!!! We only got one day!"

"Yes mama!!"

"Mhm!"

The four were working together well.

Next to the woman, piles upon piles of human body parts were stacked up, and she grabbed an arm as she continued cutting it nicely.

"So this is our kitchen, huh? And you are our chef?", Claire asked.

The woman turned around at the unfamiliar voice, noticing the demonic angel and the antiheroes.

"Ah..... your excellencies. Who might this be? A new face?? How are ya doin'? I'm Bella, the chef here. I was just choppin' up some of the livestock for the feast tonight. Their excellencies told me it's gonna be the biggest one ever, so I better get started bright and early."

"So you are our chef. I am the Determined, but you can refer to me as your eminence."

"Your eminence..... I see."

The two children rushed back, at which the woman grabbed them, bringing them in close.

"Durst, Faux, this is her eminence. Say hello to the beautiful woman."

"Hello, pretty woman!"

"Hello!"

Claire smiled at the two, bending down to pat their heads.

"Hello, kids. How are you doing?"

"Good!"

"I see that you're helping your mama out. That's great."

Standing up and looking Bella in the eyes, Claire gave a nod of approval.

"You have such wonderful children, Bella."

"Aren't they? I love em to death. Klyde, get your ass over here and say hi to the guest."

"Of course, darling. Good morning, your eminence."

The man stood forth, bowing his head politely.

"Good morning. I see that you all are working very hard here, so I shouldn't keep you. We're here for something else, so I'll be taking my leave. Please keep up the good work. Ah, your cooking has been very delicious, Bella. I look forward to more later."

"Of course! Come by any time ya please!"

And with this, Claire walked off towards the dungeon, with the antiheroes behind her.

"Hey, did you not even realize anything? Or maybe you just don't care?"

"Hm? What are you talking about?"

"You saw those bodies, right? Human bodies. They were going into the stew."

"Yeah. What about it?"

"You..... don't care?"

Claire stopped in her tracks as she came to a horrid realization.

Turning around once to see the bodies once more, her face was filled with un uncontrollable terror.

However this terror only lasted a moment.

"I see. Those are the remainders of the scum who attacked the fishmen, slaughtering women and children..... no?"

"That's right."

"I see."

Walking forth with a disturbed expression, Claire stepped into the dungeon.

"Then it's a good thing that they're being put to use. I suppose if there is anything disturbing here, it would be the fact that such filth would enter my mouth. Although, they were quite tasty..... so even that is acceptable."