An elderly-looking man with a large gray handlebar mustache sat at a table relatively small for him.
He had a monocle attached to his left eye, was wearing what looked like a vintage suit with a red striped shirt underneath and a black bowler hat.
He was really fair-skinned for someone who hadn't received the sun since he was trapped in that dungeon.
The old man was incredibly human, as was Venya. The only thing that set him apart from an ordinary person was his draconic yellow eyes.
The old man was sitting at the table with a rag doll that looked like a child. Dark color, silky hair and green button eyes. There were thousands identical to this one scattered around the room.
Lance was approaching slowly with short, shrewd steps. Venya was close behind, her sharp nails prepared to cut the man's jugular should he attack them.
An incredibly calm voice graced them as they advanced towards the man.
"Welcome to my humble home. I have chairs for the two of you, you can settle down if you like." The old man spoke softly, revealing a small smile.
"I didn't come here to play tea. I have a proposal." Lance's voice really thickened after he became a kaiju.
The man stared at him for a few seconds, placing the teapot on the table and standing up.
The brown shoes along with all the clothes gave the impression of being someone powerful.
And he was.
"A proposal you say? What is it?"
It was unlike all the videos Lance had seen about the lord of the dolls.
Normally he would go on the attack like any other boss, without a second thought. He would talk some nonsense here and there, but he would continue to act the same way.
But in front of Lance was a shrewd and considerate man, not the madman he'd always feared.
"Join me and together we will kill the pantheons."
"Straight to the point! This is exactly what young people today lack." He said as he circled around the place, holding his hands up and waving them continuously.
"And how exactly would we do that? How would we kill pantheons?"
Something was wrong. Lance still wanted to know why they weren't attacked.
"First, answer me why you didn't attack us."
The old man turned to Lance and said.
"The Ruler has warned me of your presence. It had been years since I'd gotten a message that wasn't 'You're coming back' any minute I died. Lance Fehrman, isn't it? "
He clenched his fists, Brian's sword strapped to his back. The old man noticed and chuckled.
"You know, the Ruler offered me the chance to kill you here and now. The message said that if I killed you, I would regain my freedom and be transported to my old world."
So he really wasn't from Earth, Lance thought. The old man was adjusting his monocle.
"So is that what you're going to do? Kill us and go back to being another one of that bastard's toys?!" Venya filled her lungs before screaming.
The atmosphere changed drastically. Not so dark, but not so bright either. They were silent for a while before the old man started talking again.
"I never said I would accept becoming a toy for that idiot. I was a trader in my world, a big trader actually. I loved bringing joy to the children, that's why I created all these dolls." He said.
"So the Gods and the Ruler contacted me, taught me how to use magic. Everything got easier, I thought it was a blessing, but I was terribly wrong. That was a curse."
He went upstairs again and sat down at the table. He knocked on the chairs as if calling them to sit down. Lance went to the chair and sat down, Venya did the same thing.
"They invaded my world and infested it with butcher monsters. The children to whom I dedicated my life to bring them joy were dead, torn apart, amputated, completely destroyed. I myself swore revenge against each of them that day and then I was subjugated to this world. Trapped in an old, stinking dungeon with the toys of the kids I tried to save." He said as he poured more tea into the cup in front of the doll.
"I'm sorry for what they did to you, I really am. But you still haven't given me a clear answer." Lance spoke with his head down, unable to meet the man's eyes after hearing his story.
"Are you talking about getting me out of this dungeon like you took the mistress of beasts out of hers?"
Venya repositioned herself in her chair.
"He warned me about it too. To be honest, I didn't even know there were other dungeons before this message. It's interesting to think that we're from other worlds and yet we understand each other's language. I think because we're monsters, they don't limit our language."
Lance stared at him for a brief moment, waiting for a concrete answer. The old man noticed and couldn't contain his laughter at the impatience of the young kaiju.
"But of course I would like to run away from here and kill those bastards! Do you really think I would accept anything from the dipshits who trapped me here in the first place? If I had accepted, you would probably already be dead, by the way my name is Hermmus Vilagrande. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Lance held out his hand to Hermmus, who greeted him. Venya revealed her name, which the old man was extremely pleased to hear.
"How can I trust your word?" Lance asked cautiously.
"You don't have to. But I'd like to earn your trust some day." Hermmus said smiling.
Fehrman entered the scene expecting a great battle and found a new ally in the most unexpected way possible.
No need to kill him a thousand times, he simply accepted in honor of the dead children he so wanted to help in his old life.
"Ready to get out of here, old man?" Lance said getting up from the table and walking down the stairs.
"Give me a moment."
He picked up his wristwatch that Lance hadn't noticed before, using some kind of magic that allowed him to automatically pack every doll in the room like a massive backpack.
They were pulled by a frightening pressure, as if the clock knew each one's location, even the most distant and hidden ones.
In the end, there were no dolls left in the hall. Not even the four doll heads that were glued to the door were left.
"Let's go!" He said smiling.