"Alright, alright, everyone! Come to Jefferson's Butcher to taste the freshest beef tenderloin! Full with a bombastic taste, guaranteed to leave your mouth and stomach wanting for more! Come and-"
"Hey Jeff, weren't you caught last month on the charges of selling Lonkey meat disguised as high-grade premium cow shank? How're out so early...?"
"Shut it Vondur! I-I mean, don't listen to that man falsely claiming that I'm scamming you poor sucker- I mean, my beloved customers..."
"Hey, it is you Jeff! Where is my money at, the one that you said you'll give me for trafficking Rocky Bear paws for!?"
"Uh, sir, you've got the wrong man here..."
As the merchant trio began pointing fingers at each other and began their boxing match with a flying kick, Natsuki, all the while, stood to the side watching the entire commotion, sucking on a stick of fried squid(?) he didn't know what it was, nor wanted to know- it tasted good nevertheless, and let's just keep it at that...). Just when the man they called Jefferson was about to strike down the redhead with a wooden stool from somewhere, he felt his ears being tugged from the side.
"OWOWOWOWOWOW!"
"Come on, Dunderhead, let's get a move on. We don't wanna stay here and watch these greasy men wrestle themselves to death..."
Yeah, you don't, but I do: I want to know how will Jeffesron defeat the monstrous trio, and whether or not we had that Lonkey 'steak' for lunch...
Grumbling in disappointment, he quickly trudged behind Vylara, unwilling to experience her Inferno Ear Twist again (to be honest, it was his fault: he was caught leering at a woman whose buxoms were tearing apart from cleavage, something which Vylara took great disappointment at- I mean, have you seen the size of those badongas!- A lecher unwilling to repent)
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Going down the busy streets, Natsuki and Vylara took in the colourful streetlife with great gusto, sampling food from every stall (Though not a lot, and you readers know why anyway). Though he did not know why, even after eating a crap ton of food, he felt...
Nothing
Sure, he tasted everything that was being fed to him (much from the Elf- Don't treat me like a garbage dump!), but besides the taste, he felt no sensation regarding the food that was being passed down his gullet. Even the various festivities, such as the passing clown juggling various objects, to the pantomime being held in the centre of the square, all felt empty, hollow...
As if they were not real
Though he felt discrepancies here, just as in Feonia, the people here seemed somewhat more alive here than there. As he ruminated over the possible causes of this 'Uncanny Valley' feeling, he bumped into a soft, yet firm, wall. Angry at being disturbed from his thoughts, he gazed up, only to be met with the playful gaze of Vylara. "What, noticed they were acting too much like Scaramond's stupid robots? You're not the only one who noticed this, ya know! Take my advice: just enjoy today, for it seems that the one responsible for this shit doesn't want to do anything for now. Anyway, wanna go and see the puppet show? I heard rave reviews from the 'people' who went~"
Seeing her smile, Natsuki felt his entire world fill with light. Ever since he was betrayed by his mother, sisters, childhood friend, childhood crush, and girlfriend, he felt that it was meaningless in the world. It was only after joining BOR that he felt he had any semblance of life (literally- he came here after being yeeted by Scaramond's stupid truck!). Though the wounds were still there, ot no longer ached like before.
"By the way, what are Scaramond and the old man doing? And where are Duval and Mikano anyway...?"
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A lone sword is seen standing tall on a rock; its blade embedded deep within its stony belly. Though revered as the sword used by the hero to defeat the Shadow Monarch, only it knew that the Monarch could not be killed, only sealed.
Felling the wretched being deep within the prison of Turtamul, it stood vigil, waiting,
Waiting for the time when a true hero shall arise to defeat it
And its efforts had borne fruit, for it has finally found the being that would put itself and its master out of their misery
Soon, very soon...