[Later]
The sun was shining over their head, Marco was wearing a normal swimsuit, if they were able to make sex robots then why not a simple swimsuit?
Right now he was making a big sand castle with Alice, and both of them seemed to have fun. Alice used her tail to get more sand while Marco used Undine's powers to wet it and help Alice making the castle.
Dozens of minutes later, they finished it.
Alice: What do you think about it?
Marco: It's marvelous! Now let's add the last touch.
Marco laid a palm on the sand castle and used Salamander's powers to transform the sand to glass, when he finished, he stepped back and admired the glass castle.
Alice: ...Woah…
In front of her there was a 5 feet tall castle made entirely of clean glass, one could even see the halls inside it, the light of the sun fell on the glass and formed rainbows everywhere, transforming the previous sand castle into something never seen once.
Marco: And here it is! What do you think about it?
Marco asked the same question Alice did, and she covered her mouth in surprise and happiness, seeing this gesture made Marco happy, maybe being at her castle for so many years without a real maternal figure made her a bit childish, but Marco didn't mind it.
When Alice realized what she was doing, she immediately glanced to another way and crossed her arms under her big chest.
Alice: I-It's really good, yeah… This fits in my standards…
Marco covered his mouth and silently giggled at her failed attempt to not ruin her image. Now he remembered something and asked with a curious tone.
Marco: Hey Alice, have you ever heard of a spirit named Lily?
Alice: Hmm? Lily, huh… Probably the spirits told you about her, there was a tale about Lily, however some high level monsters recognize her as the Thunder Empress.
Marco: Thunder Empress?
Alice: There was a legend about her… How was it… Oh right. It said that every time a thunder appears, it means that she is listening to everything that happens in that area, something like that, if you want to know more you should read the book at my library.
Marco: Alright… So, want to fish?
Alice just looked curiously at him.
[Later]
Marco was in a small boat, but was still able to carry both Marco and Alice in her monster form, if she was on the boat…
Marco had a straw hat on his head to cover him from the sunrays, he was smoking a cigarette, and on his hands there was a fishing rod.
Beside him there was the supposed bait, which was revealed to be a steak, he took it and put it on the hook, before throwing it with the fishing rod on the sea.
Marco: 'I can't believe I'm really doing this… *Sigh*'
Some seconds later, Marco felt something pulling the fishing rod and used Chakra Gate, then, when the fishing rod was being pulled, he just held it on his hands, but when he didn't felt any pulling, he himself pulled, pulling the prey too.
Some minutes of fight later, Marco made a last pull and something came out from the water, he laid down the fishing rod and extended his arms forward, and then a shadow fell in his arms.
The shadow was revealed to be a happy Alice munching on the steak like an hamster.
Marco: Well, the plan worked…
Then Marco laid Alice in the boat and took the oars, rowing back to the beach.
When they reached the beach, Marco carried Alice like a princess, while she just munched at the steak with taste.
Marco: 'Jeez… This girl's weight isn't a joke…'
Then he looked back at the glass castle, and noticed something moving inside, he laid Alice in the sand, deactivated the Chakra Gate to not alert the other party, and walked there with curiosity showing on his face.
He knew somewhere nearby should be the Crab Girl they encountered the other time, but he discarded that possibility because the creature that was moving was too small, and it was inside the castle.
When he reached the castle, he narrowed his eyes and observed what was moving, revealing a natural-sized crab… No, a tiny Crab Girl, she had short pink hair tied up in two ponytails, and turned around to see Marco.
After a moment of hesitation, she pointed at him and yelled with courage.
Mini Crab Girl: THERE'S AN INTRUDER!!!
Suddenly, at least 30 mini crab girls appeared at Marco's feet, and jumped at him.
Marco: AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Due to the force that the mini crab girls carried with their jump, Marco fell in the sand, and then they started to pinch his entire body.
Marco: Fuck! No! Not ther-OUCH! Crap! Ugh…
While they were pinching his body, two of the crab girls entered in the swimsuit and tried to make him hard, but Marco was unable to feel anything due to the pain… Meanwhile, Alice noticed the situation and started to roll on the sand from laughing too hard.
Marco got angry and used Chakra Gate, before covering his entire body in flames, sealing the mini crab girls in tiny crabs… However…
Marco: FUCK!
Someone pinched his dick, he had enough and yelled with anger.
Marco: I'll double dare you to try to pinch me again! I'll cook you if you do it! Try me! Fucking try me!!
There was a moment of silence, and the tiny crabs started to leave as fast as possible, Marco deactivated the Chakra Gate and sighed in exasperation.
Some seconds later, Alice calmed down, and rubbed her eyes filled with tears.
Alice: That was good...
Marco: ...Tch.
Marco walked away, but some seconds later he heard something crushing the glass castle, he turned around and instead of the mini crab girls, there was the same one Marco kicked away when he had the Upgrade Quest.
Crab Girl: ...Finally I found you again… I'll take my revenge on you!
Marco: …*Sigh*
[Meanwhile]
In a forest, there stood silence, the only things moving around were the grass and the branches, there was no sign of a monster, except for a small puddle of red liquid, that was blood, there were some imprints of boots that got towards a tree.
In that tree, isolated from the others that got cut away as if there was a fight, stood a kid with a katana in his hand.
?: Miranda, Papi, Leone… I'll avenge you…
The kid's complexion was pale, his teeth were sharp, and his little body stinked of death, but the most eye-catching thing was the hole on his chest that was getting smaller with time, this was caused from the monster blood he took, it came from an undead.
Not a simple undead, but a Zombie Dragon Girl, this was why he was able to unleash such strength against his foe, even if he got killed later from him.
If Marco was here, probably he would have yelled "Fucking Plot Armor!" at him. Time passed, and Paul, who turned back from death, got in alert due to the sound of footsteps nearing him, then he turned around and found a shadow passing nearby.
The shadow was humanoid and had a feminine shape, she had a tail behind and a cape, which covered a giant sword.
Paul's eyes were filled with hope, recognizing the figure of his idol, and he called her.
Paul: Hey! You!
The silhouette stopped moving and turned around, revealing Granberia.
Granberia: Huh? What is doing a ki…
She was unable to finish her sentence when she saw the hole on his chest, and was left shocked for a moment before she put an hand over her sword's hilt to prepare for an attack.
Paul: Wait! I'm not an enemy!
Paul raised his hands to reveal he was unarmed, and Granberia calmed down.
Granberia: *Sigh* What do you want, kid? And you need to explain to me what is the deal with that hole…
Paul: I… Please teach me how to use the sword! I am already able to use a bit of Sword Qi thanks to Nanabi and I have monster blood so I am strong, too!
Paul kneeled down, while Granberia sized him up, surviving from that hole in the chest was a big deal, so it means that the monster blood he took came from a strong monster.
Human hybrids weren't unique like it sounds, at Sabasa Kingdom the royalty came from the Sphinx, who caused the descendants to have monster blood, even if still dormant in them, there were other ways to have monster blood, like transfusion or magic.
But if the human gets the blood of a strong monster, they are able to surpass the monster from which they took the blood from if they are trained enough and grown up.
Granberia: Sword Qi… We will see, I noticed you have a good katana, let's spar. If your results are satisfying, then I will teach you…
Paul was overjoyed, but he froze when he heard her next words.
Granberia: However, I have a question for you… Why are you taking the path of the sword?
Paul: ...If you asked me around a week ago… I would answer that it was to become the strongest swordsman, for passion… However, I lost 3 people really important for me… Everything happened in less than 1 hour…
4 against 1… Papi died crushed from the giant claw of his…
Miranda died with a hole in her head due to a strange weapon of his…
Leone died from the loss of every liquid on her body, just a touch of his made her that way…
Then he killed me, with a strange orb which exploded when it touched me… He made a giant hole in my chest, and then he left my corpse…
I am taking the path of the sword because I want to avenge their deaths, I can't let him live peacefully, even if I become a ghost, I will haunt him until I stop exist…
Granberia put her hand on her chin and closed her eyes. Some dozens of seconds later she said.
Granberia: Alright, we will start the test now, pick up your weapon. 'A giant claw, a strange weapon, and be able to use magic to drain every liquid and create a orb that explodes… I would say that it could be a magical cyclop… But he said "He", so it isn't a monster girl…
Bah… I'll ask him later…'
She unsheathed her giant sword and took a stance, ready to test the young boy in front of him.
[SPECIAL QUESTS]
1st. Kick Gabriel's ass
2nd. Achieve coexistence between Monsters and Humans
3rd. Kill Illias
4th. Return to Lucifina's grave
5th. Visit every places in Illias Continent, Sentora and Hellgondo
6th. Turn back to Sabasa Kingdom
7th. Make Alice happy
8th. Rescue Sara, again...