Gnarl – POV
I waited in the East corridor, nearly trembling with excitement—my first battle in decades. Oh, how I've missed the chaos of the field. Ordinarily, I would never do something like this, but thanks to all those magic items Sire has acquired, I can afford a few risks. Besides, the ShadowKhan are ready and waiting to intervene should my life truly be in peril. How I adore those shadow ninjas—they do exactly as told and never speak unless it's to convey intel. They're not even truly alive—just constructs made from shadows. But I digress.
As I was musing to myself, my victims finally arrived. Leading them was a man nearly as old as I am, clad in green armor and carrying a spear. Behind him stood four younger fellows—none stood out, of course; they all looked identical, like soon to be charred corpses.
The old man stroked his beard—an affectation I suspect is common among the elderly—and cleared his throat. "Monster," he announced grandly. "I am Parpatra Ogrion. I am here to slay your Master. If you tell me where he is, your death will be quick."
I rolled my eyes inwardly. Why do these fools feel the need to introduce themselves? Their fate won't differ in a few minutes, so why bother? Shrug.
Out loud, I croaked in old-world politeness, "Oh dear… whatever shall an old man like me do? I'm all alone against so many… Hold on just a moment—let me find my glasses."
Remarkably, the idiots actually waited—politely—while I pretended to search. Then, with a flourish, I pulled out the strange bomb Sire gave me. I'm pretty sure he said it was called a Boogie Bomb—a strange name, but I didn't question it.
I pulled the pin and hurled it at their feet. It exploded in a bing, and suddenly, a giant glittery mirror ball descended above them, casting colorful lights across the corridor while catchy music began to play.
They stood there, entranced—forced to dance.
Fighting a chuckle, I retrieved the amulet Sire gifted and pointed it at them and shouted. "Eye of Dashi!"
A torrent of lightning burst from the amulet, washing over them in a crackling wave. The corridor was immediately filled with sizzling. Their flesh hissed and seared—soon they were nothing but charred husks on the ground.
My eyes widened in shocked delight.
I planted a kiss on the amulet and murmured, "You're Gnarl's new best friend."
To my surprise, the music still played. What the hell? I thought, but it felt… fun. So I leaped beneath the mirror ball, my body seized by the rhythm—and I didn't care.
I shouted, "Get in here, ShadowKhan!"
On cue, five ShadowKhan leapt in and began dancing in perfect sync beside me.
Unable to resist, I boasted, "I must give my report—right after this—but first, watch this move!"
I flopped onto my back and spun in several flawless circles. Just as the music reached its climax, I stopped perfectly on my side, head propped on my hand, looking every bit the theatrical old coot.
After a brief dramatic pause, I called out, "ShadowKhan—carry me. I seem to have broken every bone I have."
Stheno — POV
Euryale and I sat waiting for our playmates to arrive. We typically relax like this while Medusa takes care of everything—but she isn't here. I'll have to fix that later. For now, we'll enjoy ourselves.
I can't wait to dismantle whoever's unlucky enough to arrive. It's curious—I'm usually not this bloodthirsty. Maybe having an evil Master has darkened me a bit. But that's fine. I'm having fun. And so is my sister.
Euryale shifted beside me, tilting her head and fiddling with the blue sash our Master gave her. "Stheno," she murmured softly, "I'm bored… When's the enemy getting here? I want to try my new toy."
I smiled coolly, brushing a lock of hair off my shoulder. "Now, now, sister… they'll be here soon. In fact, I hear their footsteps now."
Just then, a small procession appeared—one dwarf clad in silver armor, flanked by four men: a mage, a priest, a rogue, and a knight.
The dwarf stepped forward and bowed with exaggerated politeness. "Good evening, young ladies. I am Gringham. My companions and I seek the evil fiend who rules this place. If he has captured you, we can protect you."
One of his companions added, trying for charming earnestness, "Yeah—leave it to us, pretty ladies. We can get you out of here."
Euryale and I exchanged a brief, almost bored glance.
I sighed softly, voice smooth and mocking. "I guess only Master is different. He hasn't tried anything since we arrived—but these idiots see poor, innocent maidens in trouble… at first glance."
Euryale grinned wickedly, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Yes… and they probably think they'll get a reward from us too. I mean, look at that one," she said, pointing to the man in the back who was staring at us with slack-jawed admiration.
I shivered with playful disgust. "Euryale… kill the mage."
Gringham's eyes widened. "Wait—what—?"
Just then, an arrow whistled past, embedding itself with a sickening thud into the mage's eye socket.
Gringham spun around, only to find Euryale standing deadly calm, short golden bow in hand. I, meanwhile, had already slipped behind the priest and the knight.
I exhaled, conjured a swirl of pink mist in my palm, and blew it toward them. As the mist cleared, I could see the hearts gleaming in their eyes.
"Kill your friends," I murmured softly, voice smooth as silk.
They both smiled—and then attacked without hesitation.
The knight lunged forward, his blade flashing in the dim light. He chopped into the rogue's neck, releasing a geyser of blood.
Gringham raised his weapon, hissing in outrage, "Charm magic—how dare you! You—no! Women! You're devils!"
I tilted my head, voice cold and disdainful: "Perhaps… but you were the ones foolish enough not to notice—until it was too late. So… you only have yourselves to blame. Regret your naivete in the afterlife."
Before he could respond, Euryale's arrows rained down into his back. He staggered forward, his ax lowering as blood oozed from his wounds—creating the opening the knight needed. He plunged his blade through Gringham's chest.
The dwarf slumped lifeless.
I smiled and stepped beside my sister, letting the corners of my lips curl into a grin.
Then I said, "You two—front and center," and my two brainwashed goons stepped into place before me, standing rigidly as they whispered in unison, "Yes, Goddess."
Then I turned to my sister, a malicious sparkle in my violet eyes, and said, "Your turn."
Euryale's lips curved into a mischievous smile as she said. "Third-arm sash,".
Her blue sash began to quiver and coil as though alive, snaking across the air with preternatural grace.
Then it lunged forward, grabbing the knight by the head with eerie precision—suspending him midair just long enough for the sash to squeeze, then pop his head like a ripe watermelon in its unfeeling grip.
Without pause, the sash whipped around again and impaled the priest, skewering him with lethal fluidity.
And just like that, all our targets were dead.
"Well… that's done. It was fun, but brief," I said softly. "Let's return to our Master now."
Euryale nodded and followed me gracefully, the battlefield already quiet behind us.