"..."
Kasper cups his chin curiously, as he ponders the system that governs his domain after talking to a homeless demon camped near the front office.
...That is of course before, his gaze is ultimately drawn behind him...
"..."
And to the shadowy figure that appears to have been tailing them since they left Renee's Shack!
"...hm."
The young lord allows his eyes to glance behind him to the figure tailing them without turning back."..."
Before he taps the shoulder of Sariel and the pair walk over to the Vita Slums Front office!
-A Short While Later-
"..."
The shadowy figure continues to tail Kasper and Sariel in district twenty three.
Promptly keeping good enough distance from them even as they cross the bridge to the office.
"..."
Whoever they are, they appear to be skilled.
"...", the figure stays their place, watching silently from a distance as the young lord and his aide are stopped at the door's front.
Before the young lord of Ashgate produces a peculiar medallion from his coat that allows them entry.
"...so that's how it is"
The hooded figure mumbles to themselves curiously before...
"Hu--Whoa!!!"
!!!BAM!!!
They are suddenly hit over the back of the head!
*KLINK! KLINK! KLINK!
And tossed into a dimly lit alleyway!
Slamming into the metal trash cans at the back to an echoing effect.
"Ah-owww...."
The hooded figure exclaims in pain.
Pulling down the cloth wrapped around their nose and mouth to unveil a familiar face.
*Whistles..."Just my luck, its not everyday you bag one this cute... Right Jim?"
"Ain't that the gospel, Grant."
The two burly men who attacked the hooded figure share a satisfied exchange, impressed with their find as they allow their eyes to lurch upon the feminine structure of the once hooded figure and the way in which her blonde hair is tied up in a ponytail!
But of course. This is none other Tai.
The less annoying but equally brash and prejudiced twin to Tay and member of Renee's party!
But what's she doing here?
"..."
Tai gazes up ahead at the two grunts with defiant eyes, slowly rising to her feet as she scans the alleyway for potential escape routes!
None.
Whatever the reason she tailed Ashgate's heir, one can only hope that throwing someone into a pair of trash cans is just how people extend their greetings this side of the slums.
"...After we got screwed by those damn robes it's only fair that their perverted god would reimburse us yeah?"
"Only fair, only fair."
Tai's attackers grin deviously to each other as they begin to approach the female twin.
"...wait hold on Jim."
Before Grant pulls his arm ahead of his partner in a halt .
"What?" Jim asks with a blank tone.
"Isn't she..?..--"
"--Whoa hold on you're right!"
"She's one of Renee's brats isn't she!!"
Jim shouts aloud, throwing his arms in the air for dramatic effect!
"Hey... you don't think that perverted god is actually trying to recruit us right?"
"If these are the types of blessings the disciples get, maybe I would've joined them a long time ago."
"You got that right."
Grant says, staying in their place as they stare down a defiant looking Tai.
"Renee, Renee, Renee..."
"You know I'm still not over how she treats us all."
"You and me both Grant, that cold hearted bitch's brother was literally shitting over himself and she still didn't accept any of our favours!!"
"Aye, even if she believes she's better than all of us she could still try to act a little more... 'human'."
Jim moans the word disgustingly as he reminisces on his previous encounters with the twin's de facto guardian.
"Well... Not like our favours were ever anything that considerate either... hehehe"
The burly man chuckles to himself self aware as his partner joins in.
All the while making the female twin more and more uncomfortable, her expression, tensing with every word.
"So what do you say little girl? Will you come with us peacefully and take our favours... or will we have to force you to do it."
"Yeah! Hehehehe..."
The grunt poses the question in a rhetorical tone that pops Grant who breaks into a more sadistic laughter.
"Dude."
"Hehe...What?"
"Nothing...hahahahahah!"
The pair laugh?
"Tch."
Tai clicks her tongue aggressively.
Her expression now more contorted and angry.
They're toying with her.
I'm guessing meeting the two grunts and being chucked into an alleyway wasn't on her to do list today.
"..."
Grant and Jim wait for an answer silently as their laughs die down.
"...Well, it's not like you have a choice anyway.--"
"--Yeah let's get this over with Grants my boy."
The pair conclude their hyena cackles. Leaving Tai with closing words that foretell her Ill fate at their hands.
...With sickly grins on their faces the pair of grunts begin to creep towards Tai.
Forcing the female twin further and further back before she inevitably comes into contact with the wall behind her.
"Hey Jim, remind me again, is anyone ever allowed to leave the followers?--"
"--Nope! But that bitch just up and left the moment her brother crocked!"
"...Being the kind people we are of course, we let it slide...--"
"--Honestly she should have atleast had the decency to take our favours into consideration.--"
"--True.
"But with this little runt in our hands now, something tells me she'll be more than willing to take them on now.--"
"--I agree, but first..."
The two grunts, pausing right before the increasingly frightened twin, ready themselves to pounce on her with greedy eyes.
"...We should have her fulfil Renee's favour."
"Ihehe, I like how you think."
Jim raises his hand slow, pointing to the defiant twin with a snarky expression as his counterpart continues to lap it all up.
The frightened twin can only stare down the two hopelessly as it quickly dawn's on her just what kind of predicament she's found herself in.
"...wait a second Jim... I could have sworn I heard someone say the kid who likes to hang around Renee was a dude?"
"...so?"
"Ehehe... Nevermind."
Grant laughs, surrendering to Jim's serious and unchanging expression and preparing to grab the twin when...!
"Ee--"
"--Th-THATS ABOUT AS FAR AS YOU GO!!!"
From the entrance to the alleyway comes a defiant shout!
It's unsure but arrogant tone immediately ringing familiar to the twin who was just about to call out for help!
"M-m-m-move any closer to my stupid sister and I'll blast ya!!!
"I-i swears it!!!"
Hands raised up and clamped together to form a finger pistol. Tay is the only person who can be both this arrogant and stupid.
Oh brother....
"..."
-silence-
"..."
"Pfft."
"AHAHAHAHA!!!!"
Grant breaks into an immediate laugh as Jim watches the boy with a blank expression.
"Th-That idiot!!"
Tai thinks to herself anxiously as the absurdity of this whole situation starts to dawn on her.
"So there's two of you."
Jim says casually looking back to Tai.
"G-G-G-GOOD!!! I can see you're paralyzed with fear!"
Tay shouts, his fear more than apparent from kilometres away!
Deluded to the hilt this kid...
"S-so if you could walk away from her slowly then--"
"--Hey Grant is he an idiot?"
"Ah!"
Jim looks to Grant who bursts out in more laughter as Tay stands there with increasingly bright red cheeks.
"If-if I was you I'd be getting out of here right now??--"
"--No you idiot you should be getting out instead...ah."
Tai, unable to hold it in anymore, cuts her brother off.
Shouting at him to escape subconsciously before cupping her mouth when she realizes the attention of the grunts is brought back to her.
"So you can talk."
"I wonder what else that mouth can do..."
Grant smirks deviously, licking his lips at the shook twin who flinches disgusted in reaction.
Yuck.
"... A two for one deal."
"Seems the perverted god is more generous than we gave her credit for."
"Hmph."
A resolve renewed, it's about time these antics came to an end.
Both grunts deciding two is greater than one, decide capturing Tay, before partaking in their feast, is the most appropriate way forward. And as such begin to approach Tay, much to Tai's dismay.
"No...no...no.... This can't be happening..."
Tai thinks to herself with a rising blood pressure. "I've already... We've already lost so much already!"
She thinks, when...
"T-TAY--"
"--gods you're loud."
Finger pistol Tay says calmly, cutting off her cries before she can even form a sentence.
"Can't you just trust me for once?"
"Big sis."
The younger twin asks snarkily.
Something about the way he said that rung sombre.
Staring away from Tai, Tay returns his focus on the grunts.
"...Tay"
Tai mumbles to herself when her eyes meet his determined blues.
"You done?"
Jim says as the grunts halt right before Tay.
"Yeah!"
Tay responds promptly, his tone full of conviction!
"Good, we'll let you take the first shot then."
"Yeah. Hehe."
The grunts say in tandem, beginning again to reach for the other twin when just then...!
"..."
-silence-
"..."
"Oh? Well if you insist."
Tay smirks smugly when a hand suddenly appears from behind him?!
"Huh?"
"Eh??"
Curious exclamations escape the mouths of Jim and Grant when they see it but by this point its already too late!
*Plop
Slowly reaching out from behind Tay, the hand steadies his aim and from his hand erupts a small fireball!
Rotating slow like a tiny sun the size of a crumpled up paper, it floats slow to the two grunts when suddenly!!
"--Huh"
"What the??--"
"Bang."
A simple command is uttered from a voice behind Tay!
*Sshhiiiiinnngggg!!!!
!!!!BOOM!!!!
And the tiny sun immediately explodes in a tremendous flash!!!!
"--Aaahh..."
"Shii--"
Shocking and blinding not only the grunts but also the twins in an instant!
A flashy enough showing for the mysterious spellcaster behind Tay to walk out as the flash dies down....
A swagger in his step and flanked by his aide, its none other than the young lord of Ashgate of course.
Effortless, cheeky and efficient.
Honestly, who is Renee to call into question the next ruler of the demon-realm?
"..."
"..."
-To Be Continued-