In his room, with Forcent napping peacefully on the floor nearby, a soft rumble escaping his fluffy form with each breath, Imuru standing by his clothes storage, pulled up his final boot, securing it snugly around his calf.
He was readily dressed for his encounter with Cat Daughter—and he looked the Part.
A nice blue shirt with an extra add-on of separate white sleeves hugged his frame, the crisp and well-fitted. Paired with matching blue trousers, the ensemble was simple yet refined, elegant without being ostentatious. The colours complemented his complexion, the cut accentuating his form.
He looked, in a word: dashing.
A well-refined fine beauty.
Imuru took a brief and careful look at himself. "Uff. If I cut my hair, would I look more like a guy?" He pondered, curiously. His eyes darted back to his clothes storage; cocking his head he reached in pulling out a simple blue dress he was familiar with.
"Right… Prerent gave me this," Imuru shook his head and smiled reminiscing. "Very strange fellow. I wonder how he's doing these days. If I know from the time I spent with him, he'd probably be thrilled to see where I am today." He held up the dress. "Ah… I miss you Prerent, times were simpler then."
Imuru tucked the dress back into the clothes storage, shutting it, exhaling a deep breath. He picked up his weapon, then unsheathed it.
"A fierce, broken blade." Imuru twisted and turned the sword in his hand for a few seconds, before it was sheathed.
"Forcent. Ready to meet another Great Force?" He looked at the Ennom with a smile.
Forcent grumbled, cracking his eyes open. There was something not quite right with his behaviour, Imuru just couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
"No enthusiasm. That's fine. I get it, I get it. Just look towards the future, once we're down here, you'll go on adventures all around the world. Slaying demons, stopping bad guys, and helping the elderly."
Yosho standing in the hallway beside Imuru's door, patiently awaited him. The second the door slid open, she chirped up to speak. "Great Imuru. There's a slight issue. Arken seemed unwilling to accompany you."
"Eh?!"
"Arken?! No way he'd miss an opportunity like this," Imuru thinks in mild confusion. "His needs really just change on a whim, huh?"
"Yosho," Imuru scratched his head, "where is he? I'll go speak with him."
"He's mediating," Yosho sharply rolled her eyes at her own words, "right outside your front yard."
"..."
"..."
"Right outside my—ugh!" Imuru rubbed his eyes. "Okay. Tsk… of course he is. Well, let's go recruit Arken guys," He said in complete exasperation.
Outside, while the others moved around him while they continued construction of Imuru's front yard; Arken planted himself, dead-flat in the center of the operation….
…..Mediating.
At the side of the house, were Linira and Roll; sweating and nervously chatting up a storm—the conversation directed at the arrival of the trouble maker, unsure of what action they should take against him… Stepping out on the porch, their attention
diverted over to Imuru promptly, the saviour they need for this situation.
"Mr. Dramatic." Imuru thought, marching off his porch up to Arken—Kindly greeting the Deviders and Orcs he passed by.
"Arken—"
Popping out of Arken's shadow in an instant were Keeni and Keeny; a coordinated attack it seemed from their end, but for Imuru they were moving in slow motion.
For any other this would go by in a flash, for Imuru; simply far above their league, was able to observe the twins in the mid-air, like live pictures, his eyes switching from them and Arken multiple times, just thinking how he should handle this, eventually going with the casual option.
The twins struck the area Imuru was occupying, kicking up debris and some dust. Arken flashed a glance over his shoulder, to gauge the result, only for Imuru to be in front of him, eyeing with curious eyes.
"Arken?..." Imuru said, in a hushed tone.
Arken chuckled in pride. "As expected. It's wonderful to see you indeed haven't gotten sloppy, because I am no longer who I used to be. You may, from this day forward, refer to me as; Superior Arken."
Kenni bolted up to confirm Arken's words. "Exactly. This is no longer Arken, but Superior Arken. The strongest Dark Devider there is."
"No one is a match for him. The Superior Arken." Keeny followed up with, delivering the dramatic take as his brother did.
Keeny continued to speak of Arken's superiority, with no end in sight. "No one can challenge Superior Arken… No one even dares to challenge Superior Arken, right Keeni?"
Keeni nodded to firm agreement with his brother, ready to back him up without the need for a thought. "They'd be foolish if they do, Keeny. Once Superior Arken makes his presence known to our enemies they'll crumble in fear."
"The twins. A lively pair." Imuru glanced over to Linira. "Right. I bet there's a bunch more lively characters like them in the group Linira brought back. After this, I should probably go say hi? Or maybe keep the mystic? If I'm not busy, and get the feeling to do a public speech with an even larger crowd…" Imuru nervously laughed internally, from the sheer thought of doing another speech, scratching the back of his head, promptly dismissing the idea as whole, "yeah, I thought so too Imuru."
"Now putting your test aside, I'm meeting another Great Force, you wanna tag along? I asked Yosho to find you and inquire if you'd like to, but she said you rejected, was that so?"
"KAH—HA HA HA HA!!!"
Arken proudly stood up to his feet, crossing his arms across his chest, he spoke. "Just as planned. I predicted you would come to me, seeking my assistance in this small task of yours. You should've simply laid back and let me handle it."
" " "It's Exactly As He Predicted!" " "
Both Keeny and Keeni thought in complete unison, as if they were one.
"Uh-huh…" Imuru narrowed his eyes and nodded along with feign interest. "Wow, aren't you awesome Arken. Though I'd like to know—"
"As you wish," Arken blurted out in sudden performances, cutting Imuru off. He leaned over, taking a glance back at Yosho and the others. "I have finally gained the understanding of my unique inner power. My own Ipsum, I shall call Will Over All."
Imuru's eyes widened at Arken's final words. "You!..." He caught himself from speaking loudly, his eyes flickering over to the others, then to Arken glaring at him. "Um. Sorry about that. Anyway, about the name? Doesn't that sound like a bit too much?"
"Kah!" Arekn grinned. "Too much? What nonsense."
"No, it's cool and all… But I don't know, Will Over All sounds like an end game type thing ya get me?" Imuru crossed his arms across his chest, trying to get Arken to understand his perspective… even a little.
"Hmph!..." Arken shook his head, but his sudden silence, and the constant darting of his eyes, clearly signaled Imuru got to him. "End game. I can understand that perspective. Fine then… I shall go with; Arken Will… Then when it gets stronger I'll go return it to; Will Over All, with Arken infront."
A wide grin crossed Imuru's face. "There ya go, that's more like it."
"Tch…" Arken straightened himself. "To think you'd be able to convince me. You possess one as well don't you? That colorful flame of yours."
"Yep. Belzora. And it's not just a flame, it possesses special properties. To put it simple—"
"Or in the most badass way possible," Imuru slipped in with a thought.
"If you got a skill there's a high chance I can dismantle it."
Arken raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Sounds impressive. Mine on the other hand allows me to be naturally resilient to any attack that feeds on one's will, and allows me to force my own will onto another." Imuru didn't seem in the least impressed, from what Arken saw with his split second side-eye he gave Imuru. "And~that's not all, I can concentrate this to a specific part of one's body. A skilled combatant charged with a mighty swing to take my head; Ha, with my will concentrated in that arm I can force them to swing with less force."
"Wha~t???" Imuru blinked in intrigue, his mind already thinking of all the implications and all the tactical use of such an ability, giving Arken the reaction he was looking for while at it. "If you're clever about it, you'd probably be trouble to anyone on your level."
Arken growled, Imuru's words coming off as some sort of backhanded compliment in nature, he didn't quite agree with, nevertheless he decided to let it rest for the time being.
"Come here boy," Imuru called over the Gray Persudo he returned on, that had been lying down observing. "Let's see, alright tell a few of the others I'm gonna need their services for today alright, and thank-que very much." He ruffled underneath the wolf's neck, then sent it on its way.
"Now, we just need to wait for our ride to get back. Ever rode a Persudo before?"
"I never had a need to," Arken murmured, in convincing superiority.
"It will be fun, trust me, you'll enjoy it, and it's cool too. A nice bonus."
With that response to Arken, Imuru returned to Yosho and the others. "I sent our little Persudo friend there to request a bit more of his friends for a ride. You need one Forcent?"
Forcent huffed. "A particular sense of humor. However, to answer your question, I do not need one, nor would it be possible—size differences."
Imuru smirked, on the edge of laughing, before he could speak again, Linira cleared her throat to gain Imuru's attention.
"Excuse me, Lord Imuru. If you may, can I accompany you on this?" Linira inquired. "If I recall correctly you said it yourself you would allow me to stay by your side in order for me to grasp your needs and behaviour."
In an instant Imuru's happy expression fell to a natural look. "Did I?. Did I?... Did I? I did huh?" Imuru finally recalled, "I'd hope she'd forgotten about that…clearly she hadn't. To grasp my needs and behaviour. Hmm. With some subtle pushes I could make her into another Roll. However it's going to be tricky, and take time, Linira isn't the type to take orders without question."
"Lord Imuru?" Linira gently called his name to shake Imuru from the cloud of his mind. "Lost in thought?" She tilted her head, a gentle-warm smile on her face. "If I have no interest in my company then I would appreciate it if you were forward… you're hurting a girl's feelings here."
" " "WHAT!?" " "
This strange mood swing from Linira's stoic demeanor, to this… flirtatious gal, caught everyone within the vicinity off guard… Everyone other than the Ennom; Forcent, who remained observing his surroundings without interest.
"Has she been replaced?" Imuru reckon, left embarrassed by the situation.
Sliding over to Linira's side Yosho had a few choice words she wanted Linira to hear. "He already has a right-hand, former Lent Head-hand. I don't know or care what you're trying to do, but you better drop it," She whispered, gritting her teeth. Linira was left unfazed by Yosho's threat, ignoring her words as mere emotional chatter.
Imuru's lazily glanced over to Roll's direction, the Dark Devider left stunned in place from Linira's shift in conduct. "There goes Roll," His gaze shifts, "forcent doesn't even seem bothered. I can't tell if he just doesn't care or hasn't noticed her shift—likely the first," His gaze shifted again, and he gulped, feeling a surge of anxiety. "... And Yosho is about to kill someone…"
To bring the awkward situation to a close, I finally decided to speak his words.
"I wasn't refusing, we'll all be happy to have your company."
"Thank you Lord Imuru." Linira bowed, her usual demeanor returning. "You won't have to be worried about my presence, I'll ensure to keep out of your way at all times, unless there is something you need of me."
That being said, a howl distracted them from carrying the conversation any further; the Gray Persudo Imuru sent out, returned with a few more members from its pack.
"There he is, and he brought some more friends as per requested," Imuru nodded with the subtle proudness of a father. "Hmph. Smart pups."
"Our ride is here," Imuru swiftly said out to the others.
"Take care and behalf of the Dark Deviders and Orcs," Roll bowed earnestly, "we all wish you success in your objectives."
"We won't need it."
Yosho was quick to interject, speaking her mind without filter and her words filled with stern unshakable confidence, caressing the Persudo she decided to pick.
Feeding from Yosho's words, Roll straightened up, a knowing glint in his eyes. "I know," He replies to Yosho. "I just had to deliver some kind words to our Lord."
On the back of Gray Persudo, Yosho locked eyes with Roll, matching his proud smirk. Most of the group mounted up… leaving only Arken. There were three Gray Persudos left to choose from, but the Dark Devider stood ramrod straight, twisting his face to something that borderlines disgust.
"Arken?..." Imuru's voice came in slow pressing grace.
"I'll run." Arken's words were swift, a second behind Imuru. If his demeanor alone wasn't enough to express how he was feeling, then his verbal words made it clear.
Imuru narrowed his eyes sharply, "Arken!" He thought very sternly, shooting daggers from the eyes. "Ugh," Imuru rolled his eyes, "shake my head."
He composed himself firstly, taking in a deep breath, then exhaled, before he addressed the Dark Devider. "Arken. Pick a Gray Persudo. These beautiful creatures came here from the goodness of their hearts, don't go wasting their time now."
Arken's gaze clashed with Imuru's own. He stared, trying to decipher that stoned-faced look Imuru had on his face.
"…."
"….."
"..."
Arken couldn't decipher Imuru's expression, and the longer he stared into Imuru's eyes, it seemed there wasn't a soul behind his usually innocent-disarming eyes.
".... Why not?" Arken's pride gave due to uncertainty, finally picking a Gray Persudo.
On a return walk from their temporary camping site they once called home, General Nudge and Gull walked side-by-side, through the tranquil nature of the Lizardmen's territory.
"Was it found?" Gull inquired, eyes heavy with burden and his tone a gentle hush for an Orc.
Nudge opened his palm in response to Gill's question—displaying a necklace that has a silver gemstone. "I did…" He gently brushed a finger across the surface of the gem. "Someday, we will return to seek justice, and make that traitor pay."
"So are our circumstances." Gull sighed, his gaze following the steps he took. "For the time being, we'll follow the Demon Lord; aiding him however we can."
"Hmph." Nudge shut his palm, putting the necklace away, his demeanor shifting slightly. He took him a moment but he went and asked. "Lord Gull. This Demon Lord, can he be trusted?"
"Monsters, Humans—it doesn't matter what we are. We've all been taught to fear a Demon King. I have a feeling that it's unlikely he has any affiliations with the other Demon Kings," Gull replied.
Nudge heard this, trusting Gull's assessment of Imuru, he had no other questions or objections. With a dramatic change, Nudge turned his head to Gull, both sensing something off. They came to a stop, twisting around to see a familiar individual; much to the disappointing grunt from Nudge.
Kigaru stood in a confident pose, his arms crossed across his chest. "Now, what brings you two here? In the territory of the Lizardmen!" He inquired.
"The lizard child again," Nudge mumbled, annoyed, positioning his body forward, whilst Gull looked on with calm casualness. "Do you wish to cause trouble again? You're more unruly than a Persudo."
"HA! You dare mix the great prodigy Kigaru with evil doers? I'll have you know I'm keeping a close eye on your little settlement," He pointed at the pair, "the second a catch wind of any evil doings, not even your Great Demon Lord can save you."
"What are you rambling about?" Nudge was perplexed by Kigaru's declaration, considering the agreements that had taken place between their leaders. "Have you been living too deep underground? Cherishnot and The Underground are on good terms. What's with the threats? Is your father aware of your behaviour?"
"Erm…" Kigaru coughed at the mention of his father. "You must not understand, as the greatest prodigy among my people, I've risen in the ranks, and destined to be the new king; sooner than later. And that wasn't a threat, but a warning," He corrected Nudge like an edgy teenager, gripping his fist. Observing the Orcs reaction, Nudge leaned over and whispered something into Gull's—the silent Orc that had yet to react in the slightest to Kigaru's behaviour earning an irritated grumble. Gull gave a simple nod, the pair turning to continue their walk.
"Uh… Stop this instant!" Kigaru shouted, stomping his feet right after them.