The residential district of Goron was compact and claustrophobic, the strong buildings constricting around narrow roads and even thinner alleyways.
How these humans lived in a city like this is beyond me; such tight housing and rough roads, topped off with the abundant population of the humans...
Goron smelt like shit.
The roads were relatively clean, but splotches of dark color and small puddles of suspect origin on such a clear, hot day marred the side roads, while some of the buildings were weathered and displayed their age.
This city was constructed in such a way that attempting to siege it would be brutal for the invaders, especially for a majority of the other races...
Tails, bulkier builds, larger heights...
All of it would be constricted here; hells, I doubt even the humans who lived here were capable of living inside this maze comfortably...
Letting out an annoyed sigh, I reached for the daggers on my belt and picked one, nodding to myself at the weight.
Stepping into the network of roads and alleyways, I began to lead my squad through the confusing city, following a certain path.
Adelina had provided a map of the city, albeit a slightly old one, and gave Mom and I key targets to neutralize.
On my side of the city, there was an armory, barracks, and two mage towers; I needed to either destroy or take over those locations, so that we could begin true sweeps of Goron and whittle out those foolish enough to fight against us.
This would by no means be a quick subjugation of the city... if we were to keep it all under our control ourselves.
The Eleventh and Twelfth Cohorts would come back around and leave soldiers to occupy the first of our conquered cities, keeping it under control until the occupational force of the Empire moved in to take complete control of the Kingdoms.
For now though, we needed to get the city ready for those coming after us, and the first step was to begin cutting off the supplies or locations for the citizens and warriors of Goron to utilize against us.
Rounding a corner, I came face to face with a wide eyed, pale skinned man in chainmail.
Without thinking, I jabbed my fist forwards into his nose, earning a satisfying crunch as I shattered it, before stabbing my dagger deep into his chest, piercing the pitiful chainmail easily enough.
Twisting the dagger, I pushed him off my blade, his body dropping to the ground with a thud.
Behind him were eight other men and women, all wearing the same chainmail and wielding short swords and bucklers.
However, as I stepped around the corner fully, revealing myself completely, I watched as the soldiers took a step back in fear, their limbs trembling.
"M-M-Monster..!'
Scoffing, I appeared before the man who spoke and lifted him by his throat, staring him in the eyes as I muttered "Maybe to you small worms, I am a monster... but I don't care..."
Clenching my fist, I snapped his neck easily and tossed the body aside, making the remaining seven soldiers take another step back.
Leone rounded the corner next, her palms coated in dim red light as her spells remained on standby, followed quickly by Liga and Iaso.
Anput brought up the rear, her lance and dagger glittering with silver light as she maintained their morphed shapes.
Seeing the five of us, the remaining soldiers trembled in fear, making me sneer at them.
"Really? This is the pitiful stock that the humans have to draw from to defend themselves? Their homes, their families? A bunch of sniveling cowards who believe themselves superior? Hah!"
Letting out a sharp bark of laughter, I walked forwards slowly, eyeing down the remaining soldiers, my dagger still dripping with their comrade's blood.
One of them stepped forwards, brandishing her sword as she raised her shield, even as her knees shook.
Licking her chapped lips, she managed to shout "C-Come on! Stand your ground!"
Raising a brow, I watched as the others joined her, before chuckling as I watched two turn and flee, stumbling and tripping over themselves as their swords clattered uselessly to the ground.
Hearing that, the woman snarled in anger, before glaring hatefully at me.
However, hiding behind that hate was acceptance; stepping forwards, I casually pushed the woman's blade aside, frowning as she accepted the fact that she was about to die.
Ripping the buckler from her arm, I used the small dish like shield to block her comrades blows, all as she glared up at me with those resigned blue eyes.
Trapping her sword against the wall, I slit a mans throat before a bolt of compressed flame flew past me, erupting against a woman's chest and consuming her.
Swiftly after that, a wooden lance impaled a man before splintering, blinding the remaining soldiers.
Swooping in, Anput made quick work of the squad, before everyone turned to look at me as I pinned the female soldier against the wall.
Staring at her, I frowned again as she snarled "Just kill me already you freak!"
"Why do you so readily accept your fate? Why did you so quickly cast aside any hope of victory, condemning yourself to a guaranteed death? Why did you not fight harder?"
Hearing my questions, the women growled at me, before spitting on my face.
"See? Now that you are faced with the thing you demand of me, you still fight. So why did you give up so easily? Are all humans so... pathetically weak? Weak of mind, weak of spirit, weak of body? So quick to cast aside all chances, no matter how slim, at victory? At survival?"
Her features remained the same, so I just let out a sigh as I released her, watching as she grew confused.
ραпdα nᴏνa| сom Before she could try something, I decided to grant her her wish, slamming my fist against the wall and shattering her skull into small pieces, blood, bone, and brain matter splattering around.
The sudden explosion of gore, paired with the shift in her expressions at the end, only left a bitter taste in my mouth.
These were no warriors, nor were they even something I could consider foes.
They were chaff, waiting to be cut down and forgotten.
To me, this swift massacre was a tedious chore that I needed to do, but to her...
To her, this would have been a work of art waiting to be realized, the splashes of reds and screams of the dying her mediums to paint this city as she pleased.
We were so different, her and I, and yet we complimented each other...
And now, she was gone.
Gritting my teeth, I silently turned away from the slumped body of the woman against the wall, her head gone, replaced instead with a large amount of blood staining the wall behind her.
How could a race of people be so swift to lose faith in themselves?
Were they realists, or simply cowards?
Why were they so imperfect as opponents for me to hone my edge against, but such perfect lambs for her to slaughter?
What was this gap that they created within themselves?
Sadly, my questions would remain unanswered for the time being, as the humans in question wouldn't oblige a Demoness' desire for philosophical debate at a time like this.
No, I would need to let my confusion fade away, alongside my bitter feelings towards the woman that was missing at my side; the laughter and crazed gleam in her eye as she whirled around the city of Goron, painting it red.
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