Pendlum, Lana, and Roda kneeled down, nervousness showing on their faces. They could already feel the heavy power that this Empire emitted just from standing there.
Pendlum, brave enough, slowly lifted his head. "Sir, may I ask a question?"
Mekari puased for a moment then proceeds"Go ahead..." Mekari answered.
"Are you going to end us for invading your home? If so, please let both my companions live and take me instead," Pendlum said with honor. Roda and Lana were surprised by his words, all waiting for Mekari's response.
"Are you stupid? I was not planning to. Even when I let you go, it will really make no difference, right?" He looked at Pendlum's eyes so as to catch on.
Pendlum looked into Mekari's glowing yellow orb eyes and realized his intent. "Let me start.....Sorry to have asked you that."
"Now let's get to the real reason why I brought you here," Mekari stood up from his throne, and one of Sora's shadow servants brought a tray. On top was a bag filled with gold coins.
"Right now, I want you to start being under my command in the Tozac Empire. And of course, if that does not fulfill you, I will always pay you, let alone protect you," said Mekari as he threw a bag filled with gold coins to them. They began to look at him and each other in shock.they did not expect this sort of kindness.
"I, Pendlum, will be under your command, Lord Mekari," the three bowed their heads in gratitude but still had a little bit of fear.
"That was easy; money is the oldest trick in the book," Mekari thought sarcastically.
"Now, my summons, you will acknowledge Pendlum, Lana, and Roda as the eighth guardians of this empire," he said with leadership, raising his right arm forward, with an anonymous look.
"Yes, my lord!" they all said.
Mekari stood up and approached Pendlum, then placed a sword on his chest to take. "Pendlum, follow me," he commanded as Pendlum stood nervously from the back and followed.
"L-lord Mekari! What about us?" suggested Lana, then Akrila suddenly held onto both Lana and Roda's shoulders.
Mekari paused and looked back with his eerie eyes. "Don't worry, the servants will take care of you."
"W-what?"
"Lana, just accept it. They are paying, plus I they might be more to this place than you expect" said Roda.
"Now shall we..." suggested Akrila as he began to drag them out of the room in the opposite direction.
◇◇◇◇
In a faraway land, a few kilometers away from the current position, some barbarians were working, seemingly preparing for war, with the clashing of blades and the screams of victory against sparring matches.
However, they were working with a small number of demons, which did not outnumber them.
The leader of the barbarians, Karelo Tukarh, the first in command amongstthe barbarians, was in the high tent observing his progress from a throne made for him. Karelo was masculine, with the top of his body exposing his packs and the bottom covered with a thick layer of animal hide. He had dark skin and short black hair.
"Sir... we have gained intel that the three have disappeared," said one of his fourth in command, Reinga, with his short brown hair.
"I see. Well, so they made their move. Tell the rest to advance immediately," Karelo commanded.
"Oh, is it already time? Anyway, I'm glad again to be of help," said a man walking out of the shadows behind him, with his overall uniform, a black suit, and an eerie grin reflecting his red demonic eyes.
"Gogerias, you know I don't fully trust you, so don't get buddy-buddy with me," Karelo approached close to Gogerias. "I will surely kill you if you try anything funny," Karelo said with an intimidating look upon him, like a murderer.
"My, my, the violence! But don't worry, Sir Karelo, I have no attachment to do such..." Gogerias said, then opened one eye to sound serious. "Besides, we gave you gifts in those cubes, didn't we?"
Karelo walked away unsatisfied, leaving Gogerias inside.
But he was not joking about the cubes; they had monstrous demons to help them through the upcoming battle.
After he was alone he showed his true emotions"Fool of a leader, humans like him don't have any idea what's to be unfold in this war," Gogerias said, then snapped his fingers, alluring another humanish demon behind him.
The demon behind him had a slight hunched back, long dark blue hair, a normal face but with the demonic eyes of a killer and an eerie smile.
"My, my, it's not every day you start calling me out of the blue."
"Quiet, you low tier... that's not the way to speak to your superior, Padeju," said Gogerias angrily, addressing him.
"So... what is it this time?" said Padeju with a sarcastic grin.
"I want you to roam free, create any havoc you desire, and don't worry, I won't interfere."
Padeju's smile widens even more, showing his true colors. "As you wish, Sir Gogerias."
Gogerias snaps his fingers, and Padeju vanishes in an instant, probably sent somewhere.
"Now, humans and all other internal species, what is your plan to this coming future?"
◇◇◇
Back at the mansion, Mekari and Pendlum are in the underground arena having a sparring match.
"Lord Mekari, I'm honored that you have decided to train me as a test, but this seems sort of unfair since you overwhelmed me in power," said Pendlum.
"Really? I thought I was doing it the normal way... hmm, anyway, how about this?" Mekari stood still and concentrated. "Seal!" Then his overwhelming dark magic vanished. Not only that, he changed his form and outfit a little to look more human.
He had brown eyes, black hair, and was short but also had an average height. He wore his normal cape scarf, but it was brown, as well as his long trousers and top, and he had an oversized metal collar that covered his mouth area.
"Mirror," as he said that, a mirror formed in front of him. "Wow... I look like my teenage self back in my world," he thought, posing in front of the mirror.
"Umm, sir?"
"Oh right... what do you think now?"
"Lord Mekari, this is perfect." At that moment, Pendlum launches himself forward, with the point of his blade aiming for him.
As he connected with the blade, it was a direct hit, and the powerful impact created a loud shock wave that threw dust and rubble in all directions.
However...
As the dust clears, Pendlum, to his surprise, sees that Mekari had already blocked it with the base of his palms, defending his face.
"What....?!"
"I guess I lost," said Pendlum, as he steps back and then bows. "Thanks for the sparring match; it was a great experience."
"That's great... but Pendlum, I'm surprised you noticed," answered Mekari.
"Yes! As soon as you blocked my attack, you had an opening on me that I could not block, even if i try to you would have beaten me instantly" said Pendlum.
(Mekari's human form is ten times less powerful than his real form, but it is more open to learning new abilities, while the real form only lets him use dark magic abilities... and the current human form has a lot of close combat power.)
Later that afternoon, Mekari and all the other servants were outside preparing for something.
"Vire, Pendlum, and I will be going to the kingdom... Lana, Roda, Akrila, and Set will be standing guard here... while Medra, Sora, and Kerona look for a potential place to earn resources from."
"But I repeat, don't engage unless necessary," Mekari said, then turned to both Vire and Pendlum.
He patted both of them on the head. "L-lord Mekari?" Vire said with a nervous but confused expression; Pendlum had the same feeling.
The magic from Mekari's hands flew into them, which began to alter their appearance. "Don't worry, we need disguises if we are to be hide our true forms and i cant be the only one."
They nodded their heads in understanding. Pendlum's eyes began to turn blue with dark blue hair, while Vire's hair turned white.
They looked at themselves in amazement.
"OK, now we move."