B4 — 57. Follow The Leader

AuthorSME

PoV:

1. Rachel Park (Our Hot Blooded Lunar Hare!)

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Rachel settled into bed in one of Cahira’s empty rooms; it was a little challenging with the number of people they’d collected over Cuba that needed support or the children needing shelter—at a certain point, she stopped correcting the kids that called her a bunny girl.

After devouring direct rays from the Hell Moon, she was utterly spent, and it was only by sheer force of will that she’d been able to keep going, yet she was having trouble letting go of her mind.

Nia fell into a deep slumber hours ago, the second they stepped foot onto the baby Dragon Turtle; it was the first time the rabbit retired before her time limit ran out, but it seemed whatever Sir Robert did to her combat outfit had severely drained the girl and she’d just been trying to put on a brave face.

She expected the Living Denier might be a bit low on energy over the next month as the demonic clothing was repaired, and that was if she made a conscious effort in absorbing moonlight.

“Huu-haaa…”

Ears twitching while shifting to the side of the bed and repositioning her pillow, she listened to the sounds passing through the breaking dawn of morning.

Tom was briefing Clay on the current state of things as the man prepared to relieve him with more of his military officers on the call; the general had been up for over three days and needed at least some sleep.

President Capell had been briefed on the results of liberating Cuba, which felt more like picking up the pieces of an already ruined nation; it was a heavy topic to listen to, but Rachel wanted to know all the elements on the board and where things could go. 

Given the current tally, Cuba had literally been through Hell, losing its military, government, and infrastructure personnel in critical fields such as energy, agriculture, and many other areas that came with the loss of well over a million citizens.

It was impossible for much of the country to recover, given the number of slain people, and there was little when it came to remaining local governments.  Cuba was ruined by the Warlords, the initial chaos that had overwhelmed local forces, and Relica’s invasion.

The topic of foreign aid came up, yet most nations had their own internal problems, and they expressed their sentiments, but tensions between Russia, China, North Korea, the Middle East, and many more minor scale threats, such as the Legend of Blackbeard, were consuming resources.

It wasn’t the same relatively stable world it had been two months ago, and they had their own citizens to be concerned about.  Everyone was noble in their desires until their own safety, way of life, and community were in danger, which Rachel more than understood.

Mexico appeared to be making massive changes with some kind of Magitech various Artificers were popularizing, helping some of the smaller South American countries between Guatemala and Ecuador.

Columbia was more or less handling its own issues, but few countries were accepting any kind of refugees with the threats each was already facing.  Brazil tried and was met with a massive influx of foreign soldiers disguised as refugees that rallied to the Legend of Quonambec, attempting to conquer the territory; now, it dealt with the uprising and local criminal organizations.

Venezuela had been utterly taken over by some Mythickin council of historical monsters that they still didn’t have much information on, which might have connections to Relica’s group; it seemed the woman had been strategically using all of her criminal contacts to wage a campaign across the world.

The Pentagon had been quick in identifying internal threats via local police, FBI, and other organizations across the nation, which was how they discovered Legendkin and Mythickin in the Native American reservations before anything could really escalate.

However, it seemed the Legends were more or less rallying support to uplift their nation in their given land, and the unique tribal craft they employed could bring them a lot of wealth, or so Tom received a report on.

President Campell was currently meeting with many of the tribal leaders across the U.S. to hear their thoughts and desires to see how everyone could come out on top, but the convention had to be interrupted for the Joint Chiefs to have an emergency conference over satellite with the French Prime Minister to discuss the threat of Revilla.

News about deities being real was still kept on the need-to-know, and when it came to someone beyond them, there were many more issues to consider; Rachel was impressed by Tom’s deduction and forethought when he spoke to the Joint Chiefs.

The issue of how secure Revilla was in France was also something the EU would likely question, considering the dangers it brought with Russia planning to push into Ukraine for ‘peacekeeping.’

To Tom, it was an excuse to strengthen its borders and stop NATO from gaining further ground since the U.S. had recently won the oligarchy war in the nation; however, there was a lot going on in the country—such as the Legend of Anastasia rallying many people to her side.

There wasn’t a lot of information about her backstory yet, but just like Jeanne d'Arc, Anastasia had noticeable differences compared to her historic counterpart, such as an affinity for ice.  Blonde haired and stunning blue eyes, her image was plastered over the internet, urging for peace and a more diplomatic solution. 

Unfortunately, as was confirmed by Tom, Russia’s government had been infiltrated by shadowy figures from their past, and their currently puppeted President was about to enter into a hot war with its former territory.

Nobody wanted to test the northern bear to start World War 3, given the current state of the world, which put Ukraine in a difficult spot, especially when some supported the return of the USSR, and that was the big turning point—the USSR Legendkin in the background.

It was a complicated situation since Ukraine wasn’t a part of NATO, and it wasn’t as if the Russian people had the same kind of say the EU or the U.S. citizens did in what their leaders did—specifically when USSR tactics were being employed—suppression was already being seen from the protests in the nation and its leaders disappearing in the night.

It didn’t help that Russian and Slavic Mythickin were in a territory war with various parties of the old USSR supporting each to gain its own upperhand.

In some of the underground circles Tom had ears in, there were rumors that the old Bratva leadership had returned, and there were many Demi being brought into the Brotherhood as it expanded its influence.

Sides were being taken, and when so many other problems were flooding the world’s nations, the planet was a powder keg waiting to explode; no one had the time or resources to support Cuba’s crumbling infrastructure.

After Tom got some rest and Noah finished handling the southern attack with Vasishtha involving the mushroom Demi, the warlord and general were going to discuss the future for his country.

The President presented several options, giving Tom an insane amount of authority, including President Campell’s support in admitting Cuba to the Union, yet ultimately, that would be up to Congress.

He couldn’t see much of a problem in the motion passing the Senate and House, but if they went down that route, it would need to be a majority of Cuba’s remaining citizens that decided to enter into the Union.

If Cuba was inducted into the United States, it would gain the full support of a State of the Union, from financial to infrastructure for its citizens; of course, it would need to abide by the U.S. Constitution and rebuild its local governments.

President Campell didn’t pretend to think it would be an easy change, and they had a substantially rocky history to contend with, yet he guaranteed they would have seats in Congress and the standard two Senate positions.  States were also independent bodies that cooperated with the U.S. government, meaning they could still hold themselves up as Cubans, as much as Californians or Texans held pride in their state.

Overall, it would be a challenging thing to come to a compromise, and Noah agreed that they should hold an election across Cuba to understand the desire of the people; Tom expected Russia would also be vying to offer a similar deal, yet as he could imagine, the U.S. would go to great lengths to have them on their side rather than Russia’s.

Cuba was in a location that Russia would jump at obtaining, and they did have a past; Tom hoped the promise of what the U.S. could bring to the Cuban people would be worth more than what the Russian Federation could contribute.

When it came to France and Revilla, there was also the issue of gods exerting influence over those that might follow them to go after the ungodly immortal, and no one wanted to find out what might happen if they tried to kill the entity, seeing as it could release her from her bindings.

Still, the outerversal threat’s security was assured by Ives Salmon, the French Prime Minister, and Tom surprised both Rachel and Ives by informing the leader that he was aware the Templars had a secret pocket dimension, and it would likely be where she would be imprisoned, yet it wasn’t as if it didn’t see many people going in and out.

Tom explained that he knew the acclaimed corruption of the Knights Templar in the past was historically a political move by King Philip IV since he was broke and the Knights held far too much wealth and power; threatened by the order, he forced false confessions via torture to obtain their wealth and rid himself of a thorn in his side, but he didn’t want to say Revilla couldn’t turn the order to her side.

Ives had many more Legendkin, famous historical figures of his nation, that had sworn themselves to France, and it would not only be the Templars that guarded the entity.  Through Rachel’s explanation he’d seen they have the power to handle her, and if gods were real, one was with France and was interested in keeping her bound.

Further discussion led to Tom figuring each of the other EU nations would demand to have some of their own forces involved once grasping her threat, and as much as each country was trying to look out for their own self-interests, it would compromise security.

So, if France was going to cave to the other nations in the EU, he wanted some U.S. forces to be involved, as well.  Ives said they would play it by ear, but at this moment, France had her in custody, including her accomplices, and it would stay that way.  They had their own experts handling research looking for answers.

Abraxas became the next topic of discussion; apparently, he was a Demon servant of Beelzebub, who Yseress described as a ravenous Hell Lord of the 8th Circle that wasn’t too fond of Izanami, yet kept his peace since they didn’t have to interact.

Tom shared with the French Prime Minister the information her melancholy Devil had given them; Abraxas was from the 5th Circle and hadn’t been able to manifest entirely into their Realm, so he’d created an avatar that would need to gather malicious desire to complete a solidified form.

Many Demons and Devils would flock to him and do his bidding as he prepares the way for Beelzebub to enter the world himself; he would select an isolated place to bring his dominance about without the great nations being made aware.  It would take months and feed on the negative emotion of hundreds of thousands in utter misery to build himself up—Tom had a few theories, but Rachel had one place on her mind—the north of her family’s home country. 

With the business regarding Revilla and Abraxas hitting a roadblock, they turned to Blackbeard and his somewhat troublesome crew hitting port cities, which Tom assumed was a part of his Legend’s Quest.  He came from fog or underwater, showing multiple areas of attack, and had enough power to take out Eurofighter Typhoons.

In the past month, his crew had already killed thousands along the Faroe Islands, UK, Norway, Belgium, and Spanish coasts; there were sightings of his flags as far as Liberia.  It was only a matter of time until they hit France.

Ives rebutted that there wasn’t much they could do about a ghost at this time; they’d keep their ports guarded and fire on sight if the flag was spotted—MI6 had forwarded the information to DGSE.

Coming to a close, he wanted to thank them for taking care of the Beast of Gévaudan; he murdered several dozen people in Lozère the first week after The Oscillation.  He wanted the soldiers involved, Rachel and party, to have a public ceremony to bolster France’s morale.

Tom said he’d pass it on, likely knowing she was already listening if not asleep.  At this point, he’d already told her he expected she’d know everything discussed; it was better to assume she had heard, to Rachel’s amusement.

More discussions followed with the UK Prime Minister Teddy Green, involving their visit to the World Tree, but the government was very protective and secretive about the colossal object right outside of parliament.

It sounded like negotiations needed to be had since they were dealing with their own internal problems, which Tom could respect; the UK suddenly demanding access to Oregon or some other part of their land would undoubtedly be met with a Hell no!

Therefore, Rachel had some time to relax in Miami with her family after all of this was over; it felt weird to think about going back to a normal lifestyle.  Then again, there were the Crystals, which were another point of discussion among the various leaders, but ultimately it ended with each nation wanting to hoard the potential resources in each and refusing aid or information.

There was talk about World Security involving Crystals in nations that didn’t have a government to handle the gates or set up an emergency line for invasions of extreme degree, which was why the U.S. shared its knowledge Rachel’s party obtained from the otherworldly birds, now living the highlife on taxpayer expense for their contribution.

“Hmm…”  Rachel’s lips lifted in a slight smirk as Selvaria got up to find Tom just exiting the command room to retire for some rest.

“Oh!  General Tom!  Hey!”  she cheered as softly as she could.  “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Mgmm…  Selvaria, uh… can it wait?  It’s been a… long night, and we just narrowly postponed two world-ending events in the last three days.”

“Oh, sorry, uh, I just wanted to know if you knew where I could find a really good Artificer, you know, to build a moon base and underwater home.  I’ve been drawing some plans and stuff and need someone who can actually make all that stuff—Cahira said she might fund it!”

“Eh-heh… a moon base…  Go talk to Clay and see if he can add it to my list,” he muttered, waving her off while trudging to a closet he was using as a bedroom, not too picky about where he rested his head.

“Okay!  Thanks, General Tom!”

“Mhm…”

Rachel figured he was joking, but the Leviathan happily walked down the hall to speak to the man.

Rolling to her back to stare up at the ceiling, Rachel sighed.  There was so much going on in the world, and much of what she’d heard was likely only scratching the surface, yet it put things into perspective.  The world was a big place with many cultures and competing interests.

She didn’t want to get pulled into the political stuff Tom dealt with; all Rachel wanted to do was to—to what?

Sitting up as Scarlet groaned in her sleep in the second bed next to her, Rachel’s tired eyes drifted to her own lightly glowing white thighs; she was wearing her bikini for bed since it wasn’t restrictive and provided protection.

Ever since I became a Lunar Hare, I… wouldn’t say I’ve necessarily changed that much…  My appearance and powers, sure, but my personality itself?  No… my direction has changed, but I haven’t.

I’m as competitive as ever… looking to win and finding a challenge, as the lawyer world would have been for me, yet instinctively, I knew it wouldn’t fulfill me after physically changing.  I’ve been searching for conflict ever since meeting Scarlet, and that can’t be coincidence.

Twilight guided Scarlet to meet me, which changed both of our paths.

“Just coming to that conclusion, Mistress?”  Yseress mumbled, voice doing work in showing how unhappy she was.

Heh…  Done sulking in the corner?

“I’m not sulking, hngh, Mistress…  I’m plotting to get Lady Izanami away from Lucifer’s accursed black wings.”

Mmh…  Come up with anything?

“Not… as of yet, but I am working on a plan of action…”

Hmm…  I thought you hated Izanami for abandoning you—being used as a battery for me?

“Yes, well… I was… confused, and it was so abrupt that…  Mmgm…”

Lying back down, Rachel smiled up at the sickly Deviless as red sparkles pulled away to materialize the woman above her; somehow, she still maintained the alluring visage that could snap a boy’s neck on the second glance.

Yseress still wore her red tube-top and skin-tight jeans; Rachel settled into her pillow to look up at her glare at Scarlet.  Only the Lunar Hare could see the Nephilim woman, similar to what Izanami did through her.

“Yes, Twilight has used you, Mistress…  She has used us all for her goals, yet… I cannot conceive of a way for us to overcome Lucifer without her.”

Oh?  What about the Lunar Gods we are going to meet?

“Hah!  Them?!  What could compel them to save a Fallen Deity that would instantly overshadow them and take a superior position in the Heavens?  I think not.  No, I am on my own.”

Rachel’s teeth flashed as she gave Yseress an innocent grin.  Why exclude your new Mistress?  It sounds fun, and it’s not like you can go too far from me.

“Humph…  You underestimate the enemy I face, Mistress.”

Mmh…  I saw that six-winged fallen angel the same as you, Yseress, and our goal isn’t to go after Lucifer but rescue Izanami.

“Why would you help her?”

Because I kind of like her—hehe, she went from menacing Hell Lord to a softy in such a short time.  Can you see the memory of her gazing at me with that knowing look, understanding she wouldn’t make it out, and asking me to take care of you?  Talk about a good master, huh?

What Rachel took as a blush touched Yseress’ face, which is something she suspected was scarce for the Nephilim.

“Yes, well…  I do not understand why Lady Izanami has suddenly been so… personable when meeting you.  She is not typically like this, which makes me think she knows more about you than I.”

Pfft!  I could have told you that!

“What is it she sees in you?  At first, I thought you were a means for her to regain her position or achieve her revenge, yet…  How does getting captured by Lucifer do that?  Can she still communicate to you via the Seed?”

How should I know?  All I know is that she never intended for you to die or be absorbed by me—she knew me at least that well before making the deal—now, I get to see what non–corrupted Yseress will look like.  I bet you’ll look stunning with real wings instead of those gnarled bony branches sticking out of your back.

“Bony branches… the insult—you do not have taste—can you not see these elegant curves… the precision points that overflow with power?”

Hehe.  You do look… pointy.

“Pointy…”  Yseress muttered, blood-red eyes lifting as if unable to believe what she was hearing.

Nia loves you, and I can’t make her cry by seeing you sulk all the time!  So, how long until you look healthy again; she’ll be pestering me about medicine and all sorts of things when she wakes up.

She crossed her arms under her bust, ruby lips pulling in as she refused to make eye contact, clearly not used to people treating her like she was a part of a family or team.  “The rabbit kid is… too clingy.  I will be fine.  We should focus on Izanami’s rescue… if you plan on supporting me, Mistress.”

Mhm…  C’mon, out with it—what can I do to get you better—because we both know you’re of better use to the mission recovered than looking as if you caught the plague.

“I do not look so… undignified!  My skin may be a tad yellow, and my wings… sparse, but I could easily tempt any mortal.”

Not that you’re a succubus or would stoop to such tactics, Rachel mused, adding a smirk and lifting an eyebrow.

Her bony tail flicked to her right in agitation.  “Naturally!  Such uncouth tactics are far beneath me.  Humph…  As for my health…  It is not so easily fixed.”

Seriousness returning, Rachel crossed her legs and arms.  Go on.

“I have not mentioned it because I know you will not be able to accomplish the relief I require…”

Souls?  What you did with Wolfgang?

“It could be spirits…  Not a full soul, but… yes.”

I mean, we’ll probably have some Crystal events and stuff we can buy for you to go suck up a bunch of monster spirits.  That would work.  Right?

“Hmm…  Yes, that would work.”

Sweet.  See?  All you had to do was just trust me to find a solution.  I’m on your side.

“It is… not something I am accustomed to, Mistress.  My master being so… helpful.”

We don’t know each other too well, Yseress, but you’ve been there for me, and… heh, you’ve basically turned into Nia’s babysitter.

“Ugh…”

No, but you’re having a good influence on her.  She’s getting better at communicating with people as she interacts with you.

“She’s so innocent that I cannot even make fun of her without the bunny taking it as a lesson to be ‘cooler’—her words—and she is beyond hyperactive.”

I share your pain!  Rachel laughed.  All she wants is to be accepted, and you’re doing wonders for her.

“It has not been of my free will,” Yseress growled.  “Nia is, in a manner of speaking, an extension of you, by how you have woven her spirit with yours, which means I am bound to her, as well… to a lesser degree, but bound nonetheless.”

Oof!  Don’t tell her that!

“I do not plan to…  I do not need to be ordered to play her silly games.”

Okay, an order from me, then!

“Hmm?!”

You get to be Nia’s big sister and show her how to be a proper girl.

“Big sister is a bit… much, no?”

I think it fits well, and Nia can brag about having a Nephilim older sister; she’ll want to make you proud.

“I… suppose having someone wish for my approval would be nice, and in this relationship, I have power over her?”

So long as it isn’t nefarious—well, heh, beyond teasing her in a fun way that would make me laugh.

“I can work with that,” she muttered.  “What is your plan to rescue Lady Izanami?”

Eh-hehe… one step at a time, Yseress.  I said I’d do it, and I plan to, but I need to gain a better grasp of this godly game.  How much time do we have to rescue her—what’s the timeline from us to the 9th Circle—and be honest.

“Any time spent in that defiling angel’s presence is too long!”  Yseress heatedly responded.

I understand—I’d be the same way if my mother was trapped by Relica—but let’s think critically here.

“Mmgm…  Time isn’t so… finite in the Circles of Hell; a second is an eternity, yet Izanami is no mortal… she is very strong in will—as strong as a deity can be…  And she is not my mother!”

Rachel frowned, pondering the Devil’s response; in a way, Yseress did think of Izanami as her mother, or so it seemed that way.  Yet, she had seen her mother among Lucifer’s fallen angels, and she appeared to be a powerful one, having four wings.

Yseress…  Do you want to attempt to rescue your mother with Izanami?  If they are in the same place, I do not see why it would be an issue.

The woman’s jaw tightened, vision falling to the corner of the room.  “It is… too late for my mother.  She is no longer who she once was… ensnared by Lucifer… in ways I cannot begin to understand.  I wouldn’t know how to save her if I wanted to, but all I know is her tortured screams from the centuries in Asmodeus’ camp… until Lady Izanami came to pay for me during an auction the Hell Lord held…  She bought me to spite Lucifer, who was looking to pay for my mother and me as a pair.”

I can see that.  Rachel’s skin crawled just hearing the Nephilim talk about her mother’s experience; centuries of torture as your daughter was used against you.  So… what do you mean by break?  Did she not break by the time she was being auctioned?

“Just… forcing an angel to fall does not break them but causes them to be barred from entering the celestial realms or accessing that power.  You must… you must shatter their halo… the symbol of their free will, and when I saw my mother…”

She didn’t have a halo, like many of the angels around Lucifer, Rachel muttered.  Hmm…

Not wanting to give Yseress false hope after the tragic life she’d led, Rachel decided to ask the deities if she had a chance; the Nephilim had been corrupted since a child, meaning she’d never experienced her angelic side, and had only known Hell.

“What is with that look you are giving me…  I do not need pity.”

Heh, what about me looks like pity?  I think you’re strong, Yseress, and we’ll get Izanami back; after all, we have a deal—I don’t go back on my promises—even with a Hell Lord.  Eh-heh, excuse me, Fallen Creation Deity.

“You are… a strange one, Rachel.”

Not really.  I owe Izanami, and I don’t like owing people favors; not only did she give me access to the Hell Moon, but she gave me something so sweet, I couldn’t tell you how it felt…  Relica is dead.

“Hehe.  I can understand that emotional satisfaction well, Mistress.  Hmm.  What of this Lion King you are to face?  You do not have your combat outfit.”

Excitement burned in her blood.  In a way, I’m glad I don’t.  Hehe…  It will be me versus him—no tricks—no special buffs—a straight brawl.  I gained so much experience through all of this… I have to spend them somehow, and when fighting Nemesis, I’ll find out where I’m lacking.

“A trial run to see your progress?”

He is strong, and there’s no doubt about it.  Now you have me excited, heh, when I need to sleep.

“Hmm…  I can force you into a dream if you wish.”

Giving her a half-smile, Rachel snickered.  Are you sure you’re not a succubus?

“Humph!  Do you wish me to aid you or not, Mistress?”

Hehe, that would be great.  Thanks, Yseress; welcome to the team.

“Team…”  Yseress whispered, yet the world blurred as she felt gentle hands wrap around her chest—the Nephilim vanished—and in the next instant Rachel was being embraced from behind, she was carried into a deep, dark ocean.

Heated combat filled her dreams, Yseress always somewhere present, and when she awoke, only flashes of the experience remained, yet she felt more rested than she had in a long while.

“Feeling refreshed, Mistress?”  the woman asked with a small smirk.  “You have quite the imagination when it comes to Anthony.  Hmm-hmm.  Such foreplay was rather… amusing.”

Ears instantly standing up at her teasing snickers, Rachel’s vision narrowed.  You…  Why can’t I recall any dreams involving Anthony?  Did you just watch everything passing through my head?

“I need to keep entertained somehow.  Hehe.  I knew there was a Devil in you, but I didn’t take you for a Demon; a savage woman in you demands conquest, Mistress.”

Mmgm…  I’ll let myself be surprised by my latent desires in that regard.

“Ooh, wish to experience it with Anthony yourself?”

Haha…  We can stop the teasing and hints, she grumbled, trying to not let the blood run to her ears or face.  I won’t pretend to know much about romance…  Anthony is my first boyfriend, and I want to experience that ‘with’ him and not as some pleasure fantasy you can invoke.

“Hmm-hmm-hmm.  Who said I invoked it?”

Uh-huh.  Stretching out, she found Nia still fast asleep.  How’s our edgy rabbit teen?

“Holding herself together; this is the first time she has sustained so much damage…  That Sir Robert fellow’s strength was quite formidable; he was skilled enough to only cut the demonic force he saw, leaving you untouched.”

Hmm…  Yeah, the French seem to have some pretty strong Legendkin.  How would you fare in their attack on Revilla?

“Ha!  Revilla was laughably weak for a Devil such as I to handle, yet…  If I were fatigued… they may have caused me moderate damage, given those they brought.”

What Circle of Hell would you be on if you returned?

“The 3rd—if I were pushing myself, 4th—it is because I am a Nephilim that I could be summoned in ways Devils and Demons cannot; similar to how Lucifer can appear on a planet with far fewer requirements than other Hell Lords.”

Interesting.  Well, we will continue more on that in a while.  For now, it’s time to see what everyone is up to.

“Mistress…”

Mmh?

“I…  Don’t let the Lion stomp on your chest.”

Heh.  Thanks.

Getting up, she mentally swapped to her casual clothes, turning to see Scarlet gone; Yseress had helped her sleep until 10 P.M.  Maria appeared to have come in to heal her because she felt terrific.

They were back over Havana, and it seemed between Noah—close-combat—and Vasishtha—long-ranged—the pair had utterly demolished the crew burrowing up from the ground.  Two women had been injured from the initial breakout, yet, as Rachel assumed, Vasishtha wasn’t having that and had protected anyone else from getting harmed.

Selvaria was fast asleep, continuing on her drawings until 4 P.M., and when she walked into the kitchen, she was bombarded by people wanting her attention.

Scarlet was waiting for the contest between her and Nemesis; the whole stadium would be packed for the fight.  Fiona excitedly proclaimed she’d be levitating a ton of people from the air to witness it.

Maria would be nearby if she needed to step in and heal one of them; the Unicorn now had a forcefield she could employ—although, she doubted it would work on their level until it got boosted up a bit more.

However, before that, Ohan and Grace wanted to talk to her after the competition; they had something important to discuss with her.  According to the Samurai, the Southern Indian Legendkin also had some things to discuss with her but was currently occupied, and she could hear with what.

Scarlet excitedly proclaimed that it had been confirmed, Relica was dead, and they’d even cremated her before sealing the ashes in twenty cases to be spread around the world—just to be sure—no one was taking a chance with the woman that had almost caused two apocalypses, and that they hadn’t even stopped but postponed.

The hurricane was over, and Noah had taken a short nap after making sure everyone got back into the city.  Currently, rebuilding was taking place with a census of the current population in preparation for a country-wide vote.

It would take about a month to set everything up, but in the end, all the options Tom had given, including if people were more favorable to Russia’s help, would be on the ballot.  It consisted of checkboxes with everything the Cuban citizen wanted.

Tom couldn’t attend the contest since he was required to oversee other operations, so Clay would be present to confirm the outcome.

After a light workout and combat preparations, Rachel put on some high-quality workout equipment Cahira somehow had on her Island Turtle—she had an unusual assortment of everything—then again, she was a Pirate Queen.

Rachel wondered what she’d think about Blackbeard but had other things on her mind as she focused on the fight, and at 11:45 P.M., Scarlet teleported her to the locker rooms to meet Nemesis before they clashed.

Arriving in the hallway so Nemesis could hear them coming, Rachel walked with Scarlet the rest of the way to meet the Lion.

Mara was with him, her muscle twitches telling an entirely different story than her smooth voice and calm expression.  “Rachel!  You look wonderful after, well…”

Rachel chuckled, flashing her teeth as Nemesis rose his full height to face her.  “No need to worry, Mara; I’m not going for the kill—it’s like a UFC match—we go until we can’t.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Scarlet hissed, eyeing the big man that towered over two feet above her.  “In UFC, they have refs and stuff that will stop you—I know Vash and Ohan will be watching it, but… it just doesn’t feel the same.”

Rachel’s pulse quickened as she saw the look on Nemesis’ face, a small smile on his black lips.  “Nemesis wanted to do it tonight instead of later because it’s a clear sky—full moon bright in the sky—I’m not going to hold back because I know you’re strong.  What were the conditions again?”

“Unable to move,” Nemesis responded, anticipation making his veins throb.  “Any damage your Unicorn friend can take care of…  I win—the U.S. leaves Noah and me to decide the fate of Cuba, and you stay by my side.”

Heh…  Well, they’re already acting as if I’ve won, but he doesn’t know that yet.

“And, heh, if I win?”

Mara flinched, shifting to give Nemesis an unsure look.  “Well—nothing has been decided yet, but…”

“I made my choice, Mara,” Nemesis’ lips peeled back to show his teeth in a grin.  “If you win, I follow you—wherever you go, I follow.”

Rachel’s ears tilted to the right with her head, question crossing her brow.  “Come again?”

“Yeah!  What?!”  Scarlet barked.  “What do you mean wherever she goes, you go?  You can’t just stalk Rachel because you lost!”

“Isn’t that the agreement?”  Nemesis laughed.  “If I lose, Rachel takes my kingdom and does with it what she will.  I will follow you.”

“She has a boyfriend already, Bub!”  Scarlet fumed, face reddening.

Bewilderment crossed Nemesis’ face as he turned to a sighing Mara.  “Okay?”

“She is seeing someone in preparation for marriage or courtship—eh, he doesn’t understand English perfectly—she is having sex exclusively with someone.”

“Odd… but I don’t see the problem with that,” he said with a casual shrug.  “If she grows bored with him, then there is no issue.  I can prove myself far superior, and I have not found a single opponent to offer me the same feeling in my chest that Rachel gives me.  If I must share her, I am not opposed.”

Rachel was totally thrown off by what she’d just heard; Scarlet was practically tapping out by the heat in her face.  “Woah…  Let’s just take a step back here.  What… brought this on?  Y-You, like me, as in…”

“Haaa!”  Mara scratched her lush green hair.  “Nemesis grew up in the African slave trade; he doesn’t understand Western norms but the lifestyle he was given by his master, who was… a terrible human being.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Nemesis muttered.  “I ate, had shelter, water, and whatever else I required…  You’re just too picky, Mara.”

“See?”  she hissed, gesturing at him.  “He’ll do what he wants—he always does—and if he goes to the U.S. with you, I’m going to!”

“Huh?”  Scarlet called for a timeout.  “Hold up!  Why are you acting as if it’s decided?”

Laughter shook Rachel’s chest as she doubled over, silencing the two.  “This is… so weird!  Still, I’m fighting for my pride on the line—everything I am—I can’t tell you I’ll love you, Nemesis… pfft-haha… but if you want to hang out with us back in Miami, spar every so often, I’m fine with that.”

“For real, Rachel?  I mean, he—he practically said he wants to sex you…  He just totally confessed to you like he was talking about lunch!  And you guys are about to punch each other to death—I don’t…  Bah!  No, I guess this is totally like you…

“Haaa…  Okay, I’ll just pretend none of this happened because it is insane!  Gah, I’ll have to deal with it later because…  Gah—Rachel will win, so he’ll be hanging around…”

“Don’t be so sure!”  Mara interjected, now defending Nemesis.  “How do you know Nemesis won’t win—Rachel could be stuck here—and then what would you do?”

“Not gonna happen, Sister!  Rachel is going to mop the floor with your Beast Daddy!”

“My what?!”

“You heard me!”

Yseress’ dull voice echoed in her mind.  “What am I listening to, Mistress?”

Rachel couldn’t stop laughing while guiding an infuriated Scarlet out of the room.  “I’ll see you in the coliseum…”

“I’m serious, Rachel.”  Nemesis grinned and made her shake her head at the absurdity of how things were turning out.  “You are the first woman that has stolen my mind and heart.  I will have you, and if I cannot, I will follow you.”

“Uh-huh…”

Wow…

“He seems nice.”

Really…

“It’s no different for Devils.  You take what you want.”

Ridiculous… heh, but funny.  If he wants to be my Miami battle buddy, then I have no problems with it, and it should keep him out of trouble.

“Mmh-hmm-hmm…  How noble, yet I can feel the beast within you scratching to be free.”

Shut-up.

Her fingernails were itching to touch skin and heat flooded her veins.  Yseress wasn’t wrong; a monster was inside, rattling its cage to be set loose, and she was tired of holding it in.

AuthorSME

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