Brot did not understand why, but on a particular day around a month ago, the sun had gone out.
'Did sun run out of food?'
This was the thought that Brot had on that day, the day of the mission.
Brot had been ordered by the Determined to follow Melody into battle against the humans on that day.
It was a day like any other, but there was one thing which confused Brot.
"We fight humans. Does that mean humans are bad?"
Brot would have come to this conclusion, however something was off.
"But Melody is human. Melody is not bad. Melody serves eminence. Melody is good."
Closing his eyes in thought, Brot strained himself to find a solution.
However, none could be found.
"Brot doesn't know."
On that day however, Brot had stepped forward and fought, just as he was ordered.
"But Brot doesn't need to know. Eminence is good. Orders from eminence are good. Brot will always follow eminence."
Having come to this conclusion, Brot was now living a normal life in his hometown, acting as the 2nd in command next to the chief, Ploritan.
The Dictatorship underneath the Determined spanned far and wide across the world, and there were none who were not under her rule.
Monsters and humans alike now inhabited every city on the planet, including Brot's hometown.
"Eminence let good humans come to Brot's village. Brot do best to help good humans and good demons."
Not just humans, but monsters and demons of all type were now traveling around the world, intermingling with one another from city to city in this realm of darkness.
It was a world where no matter who or what you were, you could go anywhere.
The wall had been destroyed, and the very concept of the monster realm and the human realm ceased to be.
There was now only a single realm.
The realm of the Queen.
Walking through the streets to see a variety of people, Brot smiled at them as he passed, though to call such a thing a smile would be an offense to the word.
Brot was currently in the underground fishmen village.
Surrounding him was a city made from shells and marble, resembling a marine paradise.
The majority of inhabitants of this village were humanoid fishmen, however now that so many people were visiting, the city took on a new air.
"Whoa! Look at that, mom!!"
"All the houses are made from shells! How pretty!"
Two young children- a boy and a girl- dragged their mother along through the city as the woman looked around nervously.
"Don't..... don't get too excited. And stay by my side, will you? Don't leave my sight for a second."
"Ah! Look at tha-"
The boy rushed around with excitement before running right into Brot, who turned around with a blank expression.
His two beady eyes beamed down on the child, who had now fallen back and was looking up at the hunk of flesh in horror.
"I..... I'm sorry....", the child whispered as the mother rushed over to him.
"I..... I told you not to run around like that!! Please.... forgive my son!! He didn't mean any harm!!"
Brot merely looked at the family, staring with blank eyes at the entire incident.
"Brot... doesn't understand. Why are people apologizing to Brot?"
Stepping forward, Brot came closer to the family, towering over them as they stood breathless at the monstrous hulk before them.
"Boy is too thin. Girl is too thin. Not good. Not good at all. Woman and children come with Brot."
With this order, Brot turned around, waving for the three to follow him through the streets.
'We..... are too thin!? Is he considering eating us!?', the woman thought. 'Ah..... I should have never come here!!! The monsters who moved into our hometown weren't all that bad..... so I forgot for a moment who they truly are.....'
"Why not follow Brot?"
"We..... we're coming!!! Please wait!!!"
Intimidated by the fishman, the woman stood up, looking around her with fear in her eyes.
'What do I do? Does he intend to eat us? Or to fatten us up first? Wait a minute..... he said that my children were too thin but not me!? Why that little..... who does that tub of meat think he is to call someone else fat.....'
"HEY! YOU! What do you think you're doing ordering us to follow you like this, fatass?"
"Mom....."
"What are you doing, mom!?"
The boy and the girl watched as their mother stormed forth towards the blobfish.
"You..... are talking to Brot?", Brot asked while turning around.
"Who else would I be talking to!?", the woman shouted. "Who do you think you are to-"
"Woman is loud. Brot's hearing holes hurt. Brot's mama never yells at him like this. Is your mama always loud?", Brot asked while looking over to the two children, ignoring the woman.
"HAH!? Loud!? I'll show you-"
"Yeah. Mom is always loud."
"She's always screaming at us, telling us what to do and how to do it."
"Wha- how can you say something like that in front of me!?", the mother shouted, now looking back to her children.
"It's true though....", the boy whispered.
"Brot understand. Eminence can be scary too, but eminence can also be kind. Is your mama like eminence?"
"Mmm..... yeah."
"That's right."
The two nodded in agreement, to which Brot once more turned around.
"Come to Brot's home. Brot's mama will fatten humans up real good."
With that, the two children looked to one another with curiosity.
Standing up, they walked off, following Brot.
"Ok!"
"Alright!"
"Hey!! What do you two think you're doing!? That's a mon-"
"That word is banned, mama. You're not allowed to call people that anymore. You'll invoke the wrath of the Queen of Evil if you do so."
Following the fishman, the mother grit her teeth but quickly realized that if she didn't follow them she would lose track of the two.
'Ah..... they don't know what's good for them! They're being led right into danger and they don't even know it!!'
[Even if they were being led into danger, is there anywhere in this world which is safe?]
As the woman thought this, a chilling voice entered her mind, reminding her that even the recesses of her own thoughts were not free from the Dictator who had invaded the privacy of all the inhabitants of this world to an unreachable extent.
[From me, that is.]
'I suppose.... that is right.'
Following the four, the woman and her children eventually came to a small home.
It was one of the smallest homes in the entire area, yet it had one of the largest and widest doorways.
"Mama!! Brot is home, and Brot has brought guests!! Another mama and her children are here to eat and play with Brot!"
Opening the door, another blobfish stood at the entrance with a drooping smile.
"Oh!!! Brotta is so happy!!! Come into Brotta's home! Brotta will cook for guests!"
"Whoa! It's another one!"
"They look exactly the same!"
The two children couldn't help but find themselves laughing at the similarity between the two, to which Brot merely folded his arms with pride.
"Brot's mama is best cook in world. Brot's mama will cook. Other mama, keep Brot's mama company. Brot and kids will play. Come with Brot."
Stepping inside, the two children looked to one another, giggling before they entered the home.
"Thank you for inviting us!", they said as they passed Brotta.
"Sweet children. Even willing to keep Brot company..... Brotta might cry."
Looking over to the woman, Brotta smiled at her.
"Come inside like children? Brotta will cook now."
The woman looked over with suspicion, however she eventually gave in.
"Fine. I'll come in. Only because my children are here."
"Raising children..... difficult. Right?"
Speaking with sincerity, Brotta looked to the woman, who froze at this.
"You... how can you even understand something like that?"
"Brotta has Brot. Brotta remembers changing Brot's diapers and feeding Brot when he was little baby. Brot grew up to be strong and big, but Brot is still Brotta's little boy. Brot never have friends.... Brot always alone. Brotta is happy to see Brot bring people home."
As Brotta said this, the woman came to a realization.
'They..... have families?'
'These monsters..... they can have families?'
Overcome with the humanity of those she considered to be monsters, the woman was caught speechless.
'They have mothers and children..... relationships with one another..... personalities..... how.... is that possible?'
"Come inside. Outside is not comfortable.", Brotta said while holding the door open.
'They're just.... monsters..... right?'
However, despite her conviction, the woman was torn.
Stepping inside the home, she then was even further ripped apart.
Memento's lined the walls and the house was decorated in such a manner that resembled the very word 'home'.
It gave off that nostalgic feeling of returning to one's home after a long day, their mother awaiting to hold their child in their arms.
'Wha-'
"Sit at counter. Brotta will cook."
Immediately putting on an apron, Brotta begun to get to work.
"You... you really are a mother..... aren't you?"
With shock in her voice, the woman walked over to the counter, taking a seat where she had been notioned to sit.
To this, Brotta merely turned around, and for the first time the woman felt as if even through those droopy lips, she could see the imprint of a smile.
"Of course. What else would Brotta be if not a mama?"
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