"Dii hihihi, dii hihihi, DII HIHIHI!"
A certain demonic squirrel was in pure bliss, laughing wildly every time another powerful beast fled before her.
"Tantan is scary."
"Yes, yes. Scary."
"We don't want to play anymore."
"Send us back to Panda Goddess."
"Yes, yes. Send us back."
The pandas were no longer having fun.
At first, everything seemed harmless. They were just strolling around the island, moving slowly while taking in the sights. With the Crown War Tank guarding them, nothing could touch them. When demonic beasts came looking for trouble, Tantan easily sent them running, showing them their place.
Back then, the pandas didn't think anything was wrong. After all, the demonic beasts were the ones who attacked first. So they continued their sightseeing trip, visiting one scenic spot after another.
But the moment they entered the jungle where countless demonic beasts lived, things changed. Tantan began targeting high-level beasts, especially the massive ones, harassing them until they abandoned their territories.
Even after several days, she still hadn't stopped. One by one, powerful beasts became victims of her relentless attacks. The jungle was no longer calm. It was a warzone.
At this point, the pandas were completely uncomfortable with her actions. They had spent their entire lives in a peaceful bamboo forest, where the days passed quietly and the loudest thing they ever heard was the rustling of leaves in the wind.
Tantan also came from the bamboo forest, but unlike them, she was still young and had only recently evolved into a demonic beast. The calmness of that serene place had not yet molded her nature.
The pandas weren't prepared for the kind of violence they had witnessed over the past few days. Their idea of chaos had always been the harmless, playful kind—rolling around, climbing trees, or stealing each other's snacks. Tantan's chaos, however, was something entirely different. It leaned toward the realm of mayhem.
"You guys are really cowards even though you're all much bigger and stronger than me. We're not the ones killing them. They're killing each other," Tantan said with a smug grin.
"But Tantan, you caused it," Kanda replied, his voice heavy with disapproval.
"Yes, yes. You caused it," the female pandas echoed in unison, nodding their heads.
"No, no, no. This princess didn't cause this. They did. Did you forget how many times they attacked us while we traveled around the island?" Tantan asked, puffing out her chest in defiance.
"Uh… we're not sure. We didn't count," Kanda admitted, shaking his head.
"No, no. We didn't count," the others repeated, copying his gesture.
"This princess wasn't asking you to count, but it happened a lot, right? We only made it this far because of my master's great spirit artifact—the amazing Crown War Tank! Without it, weak little demonic beasts like us would've been eaten alive. We're not in the bamboo forest anymore. That place was special. Out here, danger is everywhere. So we have to strike first whenever we can! And with this Crown War Tank, we have the power to defeat them all!" Tantan declared, her tail sticking straight like a banner of pride.
The pandas exchanged uncertain glances. It sounded right… and wrong at the same time.
Tantan watched their hesitant faces in silence, but inwardly, she chuckled. Dii hihihi. That should be enough to fool them, right? They're not that bright anyway.
There was no deeper reason behind her actions. She simply hated huge demonic beasts, especially the ones that acted all high and mighty just because of their size. That was it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The loud pounding snapped Tantan from her thoughts. For a second, she thought another demonic beast had come to attack the Crown War Tank.
But when she looked at the viewing screen, it wasn't a beast at all—it was Leyvi and Anda.
"Panda Boss and Panda Goddess!"
"Yay, yay! They came to pick us up!"
"We can go back home! Yay, yay!"
The pandas erupted into cheers, breaking into their strange celebratory dance.
Tantan's eyes narrowed as she peered at the viewing screen. Tch. What are those two doing here? Come to ruin my fun? Wasn't Leyvi supposed to be in seclusion learning something? she thought, her tail twitching with suspicion.
Leyvi's voice boomed from outside. "Tantan, we're here to pick up the pandas. Let them out!" he shouted.
Tantan tilted her head. "Is that all?" she called back, her tone skeptical.
"What do you mean?" Leyvi asked, puzzled.
"Are you here to stop this princess?" Tantan pressed, her voice sharp.
Leyvi chuckled. "Stop you? Oh, this chaos? Nah, not really."
Tantan blinked. "Why not?" she demanded, caught off guard.
"You know our family motto, right? I'm not gonna be a busybody unless it affects my family. Do what you want. I just don't want the pandas picking up your chaotic habits. I need them to stay adorable and innocent," Leyvi said, his smile easy and genuine.
Tantan bristled. "Hmph! What's that supposed to mean? This princess is adorable too! Master said so!" she snapped, her tail flicking indignantly.
Leyvi blinked, thrown by her outburst. Why's she so mad? he wondered, scratching his head.
Anda giggled at Tantan's reaction, then stepped forward. "Tantan, I want my lovely pandas back," she said, her voice calm but firm.
"Yes, Madam," Tantan replied instantly, her defiance melting. She pressed a button, and the Crown War Tank's rear door slid open.
Leyvi's lips curved into a proud grin. As expected of my wife. One word, and even Tantan obeys without a fuss, unlike with me, he thought, admiration swelling in his chest.
Nobody can disobey my Panda Queen! Hahaha! Leyvi laughed inwardly.
The pandas immediately leapt out of the rear door, rushing to climb and hug Leyvi.
"Panda Boss! Panda Goddess!"
"We don't want to play with Tantan anymore."
"Yes, yes! Tantan is scary!"
"We want to go home!"
Leyvi stood still, enduring the wave of furry hugs. "Why do you all only climb on me every time? You never do this to Anda."
"Hehe." Anda giggled softly. "I'm just a weak woman. If they did this to me, I'd get flattened. Unlike you. They know that, so they act accordingly. Right, everyone?"
"Yes, yes! Panda Goddess is right!" they chorused, nodding in perfect rhythm.
Without another word, Tantan turned and left the area, the Crown War Tank rumbling as it rolled away. Though it would be lonelier causing chaos alone, that was fine with her. She had no problem bickering with Leyvi, but she wouldn't dare oppose Anda. Even her master, who spoke arrogantly to everyone, became subdued in Anda's presence.
Leyvi and Anda watched the tank disappear into the distance.
"Are we going back now?" Anda asked, stifling a laugh when she turned to see pandas still clinging to Leyvi like oversized plush toys.
Leyvi shook his head, a curious glint in his eyes. "Hmm… Now that we're here, let's visit the place where you ladies defeated that commander-level demonic beast last time. I'm curious to see just how strong Cempaka's ultimate strike was."
"Sure. It's not far from here. We're almost at the center of the jungle where it used to live," Anda replied.
"Hahaha! Great! Alright, guys, enough climbing. Go back home. Your Panda Goddess has stocked a fresh batch of your favorite bamboo shoots!" Leyvi announced with a grin. He also just found out about it from Anda.
The bamboo shoots came from the same species that grew in the tranquil bamboo forest. Lilian had successfully cultivated them in a new garden slot within her magical garden, enough to recreate the calming effect of the bamboo forest.
However, the legendary bamboo shoots that occasionally appeared in the wild were still beyond her reach. According to Lilian, the bamboo garden needed to meet certain special conditions before it could produce one, and for now, those conditions were not met.
Even so, Lilian was satisfied. This bamboo species surpassed any found on the Cloud Continent. Its stalks were stronger, the shoots more nutritious, and it carried a soothing effect unlike anything else.
"Yay, yay! Bamboo shoots!" "We love bamboo shoots the most!"
The pandas cheered and leapt toward the luxurious spirit beast bag hanging from Anda's necklace. One by one, they shrank and slipped inside, vanishing into their cozy home with excitement.
Leyvi and Anda moved through the jungle together, the dense foliage parting as they passed. The air grew heavier the deeper they went, thick with the metallic scent of old blood and the faint traces of violence that lingered in the atmosphere.
Not long after, they emerged into the heart of the jungle.
Before them yawned a massive crater, as if the earth itself had been torn open by some divine punishment. The ground was jagged and uneven, marred by deep holes and sharp impressions that pierced the soil like wounds. Each mark carried the shape of a spear thrust, not from a single blow, but from an endless barrage of strikes raining down with merciless precision.
Leyvi's eyes widened as he stepped closer, taking in the devastation. "Amazing. I can see how you ladies managed to defeat a commander-level demonic beast. What was it again? A demonic elephant, right? It must have had terrifying defense."
Anda's gaze swept over the crater, her voice calm but edged with memory. "Yes. But that's why we dared to confront it. If it had been a speed-type beast, someone might have died."