User blog:Nuka Kazan/A Fake Wolf: They Are Still Monsters

Author's Notes
From what I've been told by the few who took the time to read the first part of this ongoing journal archive, each individual story told could, well... ... be a little longer. I'm not sure how long each part should be before we risk tl;dr territory, but I'll continue with this trial and error and we'll adjust with each problem as they come.

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'DUE TO RECENT RESTRICTIONS ENFORCED ON THIS WIKI, IT IS ONLY FAIR TO WARN THAT THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS HUMAN/MAMONO COMBAT, ALBEIT IN LIGHT DETAIL. REST ASSURED THERE WILL BE NO VIVID DESCRIPTIONS OR GORE, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WILL BE A FIGHT.'

If you're okay with that, please enjoy this chapter :I

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This did not take long...
To anyone reading this, I write in a slight frenzy. The sun has just risen, and I am riding a carriage to a new location. I take this brief moment of peace to explain a new predicament, and to keep myself awake.

My time in the village was short-lived. As of right now, I'm being pursued once again. I'm surprised at how quickly this situation escalated. The unsettling part? The pursuer is not that bitter knight Nolte, nor is it a representative of the Human Order.

No, this time, it's one of the villagers. And she is ''stubborn... ''

Two Days Prior...
"Mr. Kazan?"

After escaping from being renamed and bound to the king, I spent a week in the shadows, evading any member of the Order who would see me either arrested or killed. Word of mouth spread fast, and the name 'Nathan Hughs' echoed everywhere I stopped. 'Nathan Hughs', the name the Human Order wished to replace my name with... ...

Even here, in this tiny village, where Humans and Monsters coexisted peacefully, I could hear the residents gossip about this 'powerful Hero-slayer who betrayed Humans.' I payed the local inn for shelter for a few days. Even in here, I can hear the gossip. Some were disgusted or angered by the idea of a Human doing such a thing, but some saw this as a challenge. Many people, clearly fighters, showed a desire to fight this man, completely unaware that it was me they were looking for.

Including this woman here who spotted me in the inn's dining room.

She was a Lizardman who tended the front desk, welcoming any new guests. I almost didn't hear her through the noise of eating and general conversation of all the other lodgers here. As I got a better look at her, watching her make a beeline towards my table, my attention was drawn towards her flowing, burgandy dress. Its long sleeves helped to take attention from her rather large, scaled hands. Her hair was tied up in a rather neat bun, and I smelled just a faint hint of makeup on her face.

"Mr. Kazan, there you are. I wanted to know if you were enjoying your stay." Her face was calm yet cheerful. It was a look I'm sure she practiced thousands of times in the mirror to make sure she could properly greet people.

"Oh, yes. I have no complaints." I answered her after gulping down a mouthful of food.

They really know how to cook here. I've eaten my fair share of rabbits during my time as a nomad, but never has it hit the spot like the rabbit I just tasted. I had already gone through two of them the night before...

"I'm happy to hear that, sir. In fact, I'm glad I was able to catch you while you weren't too busy; you've barely been out of your room since you've been here. But if you will hear me, I... have a request..."

"A request? For me, specifically?"

"Yes, sir. My work shift will end in a few hours. I would like for you to accompany me to the village square at that time. I'll... ...explain the details later. I have to get back to work, but I will come to your room today when I am ready."

She then bows, immediately turns and walks off without even letting me answer. This was more of a declaration than a request...

... ... ...

As I turn back to my food, I notice the sounds of everybody else had stopped. Everything had gone silent; not even a fork could be heard scraping at a plate. I look up and meet the gaze of all the other diners. Why were they all staring at me??

One man finally spoke up: "My friend, I hope you are as good as she thinks..."

"Care to explain?" I asked, feeling rather uncomfortable with all the stares.

"She sees something in you, Emelyn does. She has an eye for strength, can see if a person's a warrior or not."

A second man stands up, his torso heavily bandaged. "She does this to every guest who looks strong. Be prepared to get hurt, bud."

Everybody slowly started to got back to their food. I could see some shaking their heads in pity. The bandaged one made his way to my table, carrying his mug of mead.

"Yes, you don't look like you're from anywhere near here," he casually began to speak. "This village is rather well known among warriors who don't really mind Monsters. And Emelyn is one of the reasons why. We all want to try our hands at fighting Monsters, but to be fair, most wars nowadays are against other Humans. But here, we get a little taste of what our ancestors did: The ultimate test of Humans, to face off against one of the Demon Lord's very own. Some Monsters here provide a little friendly competition, and let us have a go against them. We never win, mind you, but it's all in fun."

"I see... ...but, if that's the case, why the sudden shock? Why did everybody react like that just now?"

He laughs. "Because Emelyn is also the exception! She's not the 'fun' one to fight. Not only does she not lose, she does not hold back. Word of advice, bud: Grab some really good armor before she comes to get you today. She damn near impaled me~" To emphasize his point, he places his hand upon his bandaged wound. Despite his humored smile, I could tell he felt sorry for my situation.

I can't say I don't see the appeal. though: Many Humans who live in modern societies and big cities don't always get the chance to actually encounter a Monster. Many "Heroes" probably only get one encounter before they were either killed or taken in by those Monsters. This Emelyn must really show them just how much more powerful Monsters are than Humans.

But, there's more to winning a fight than mere strength. I've come across a few Monsters before, and while I did not fight them, I did outsmart them long enough to make an escape. I'm sure I can use my cunning for a situation I can't escape from...

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KnockKnockKnock

"Mr. Kazan? It's me."

The sounds of knocking followed by a familiar, yet oddly stern voice rile me from my thoughts. After eating, I had immediately returned to my quarters, packed my belongings, and equipped my weapons. I had then spent the next few hours preparing; stretching my muscles, running through possible fighting scenarios in my head, et cetera, until this very moment. Upon hearing Emelyn's voice, I calmly walk to the door and open it.

Emelyn was out of her formal dress, now wearing a green, scaled armor fully emphasizing her identity as a Lizardman. Her hair bun was undone into a relaxed ponytail, and her once mellow, cheerful face was replaced with a rather hostile, no-nonsense glare.

"You were preparing for me, weren't you, Mr. Kazan? Wise decision. Come with me now."

As we exit the inn, we could hear the other lodgers talking to each other in hushed tones. I believe someone was even praying...

During the walk, I payed close attention to Emelyn's gear and equipment as she led the way. Attached to her waist was a rather large sword, almost the length of her leg, its hilt resembling something reptilian. I, on the other hand, had donned my cloak to conceal my two blades and instill the idea that they were not the only things I had hidden.

Before long, we make it to the village square, marked by the large statue standing in the middle of it all. I'm not sure who it was, I assume the founder of the village. I didn't have time to wonder, as the sound of a sword being unsheathed brought my attention back to Emelyn. As she thrusts the naked blade at me, she finally introduces herself...

"I am Emelyn Ward, Undefeated in 484 Battles! I sensed your warrior's spirit, and now mine cannot be contained! I hereby challenge you to a battle! Do You Accept?"

Heh, like I even had a say in the matter...

"I...am Nu-Ka Ka-Zan, of the Black Fang. With the Spirit of the Wolf as my guide, there is no one, Human or not, whom I cannot defeat. Your Challenge... ...I Accept!"

Reaching into my cloak with my right hand, I pull out one of my two blades. It was about the length of my forearm and slightly curved like a wolf's fang.

I didn't realize that our mere introductions had already drawn a crowd. Not that it mattered, but it did create a small arena for us as the crowd surrounded us to watch the spectacle. Definitely no way out of this now, other than to win.

Every swing from her sword was ferocious. Her eyes burned with an intense glare like she wanted not only to win, but take my head off. Having been used to fighting foes with large weapons, my main goal was to disarm her. However, knowing what to do and actually doing it are two entirely different things. No human could swing such a heavy sword with such speed, so I couldn't treat this swordswoman as I normally would. Thus, I pictured the sword like a staff, very fast, very easy to be hit by. With this quick change in mindset, it allowed me to calm myself and adjust my movements to keep out of the blade's range.

The problem, though, was that my adjusted game plan also kept me out of my own blades' range. All this looked like, for minutes on end, was a fancy game of tag. Not only was the crowd getting a little restless with my lack of action, but Emelyn was getting more and more frustrated...

"Grrrrr, you coward! Stand and fight!"

I was so focused on dodging her sword, I completely forgot one of her traits as a Lizardman; her tail. A flash a green popped into my peripheral, and suddenly, my vision became blurry. Her tail got in a quick, clean hit to my chin. I dropped to my knee, barely holding onto my blade. My vision cleared just in time to see Emelyn rear her sword back, ready to thrust it forward.

"Hmph! Serves you right, chicken!"

She was aiming to impale me! Just like the guy at the inn! This was a very bad pickle I was in, but not exactly unexpected. The opportunity for a counter attack should she try to impale me was one of the scenarios I had run in my mind many times while waiting for her at the inn. I figured if she were strong enough, a very unorthodox--in other words, extremely risky--manuever may catch her off guard. Just when I saw the blade come forward... ...

"This victory is M-- UWEH?!"

I had jumped from my crouched position and, using my left hand for balance, landed on the width of her blade. Emelyn was so taken aback, she just stared, not even pulling her blade back to defend herself. So, I decided to just take the opportunity, and jumped towards her and jabbed at her hands with my blade. I couldn't get both hands, but I did manage to stab the left palm, causing it to let go of the sword. Emelyn jumped back, and tightened her right hand's grip on her sword. She lowered her stance, tail seized up and ready to strike again.

Even with one hand, she was dangerous with that sword. She started to become a little more reckless, sometimes spinning with each swing of the sword, using her momentum to fuel another swing. The force of these new swings blew quick bursts of wind that took me by surprise and made me worry even more about what would happen should the sword hit me. She stopped after a moment to regain her footing--and maybe she had gotten a little dizzy--and I took the pause to try rushing in. But out came the tail again, to keep me out of my range. Emelyn's tail smacking me also helped gauge her own range, as she knew that she could reach me with her sword again.

Chopping down, spinning strikes, reckless thrusts, you name it, Emelyn was relentless with her attacks, and her tail made sure I could not get close enough to attack her back. That tail was getting extremely annoying... ...but I have to get in somehow. There was only one way to do so, but there would only be one shot at this...

I rushed in again when I saw Emelyn stop and recover from another one of her flurries, and raised my blade in my right hand. I saw the tail come in from the right, and it swung right into my blade. With a sharp cry, Emelyn jerked her tail back and swung down her sword at my head as she saw me continue to come forward. Catching the sword's blade with my own blade, I try to power through. But, Emelyn's strength was slowly pushing me down.

"Grrrr, you're a tricky bastard, aren't you...?"

"I guess... ...wanna see another trick?"

Without letter her answer, I reach into my cloak wtih my left hand, and pull out my second blade. Honestly, I didn't want an answer; this was more of a declaration than an offer...

Knowing this was going to hurt, I pull my right hand back--allowing Emelyn's blade to come down on my left shoulder--and finally get into my attacking range, right in front of her. With a fierce snarl, I jump at Emelyn with both of my blades' edges aimed at her throat. She tries to jump back, but I had already gotten close enough to trip her up by hooking my left leg around her right one. As she moves back, her tripped knee bends and she falls flat on her back with me going down with her. In the advantageous position of this fall, I quickly straddle Emelyn's torso and thrust my blades under her chin.

We both stay in this position, panting and bleeding. Emelyn looks down to her chin, knowing my knives are at her throat, then up at my face. The look in her eyes was no longer that of ferocity, but of suspense. She seemed confused as to whether I was going to actually cut at her throat or not...

"Huff... ...huff... ...do you--do you... ...huff... ...concede?" I ask her.

"Haa... ...haa... ...I... ..." Her look softened a little. "I concede."

... ... ...

There was that awkward silence again. I look around, and the villagers looked on with a combination of disbelief and I believe worry. Suddenly, from the crowd, came that bandaged man from the inn.

"My goodness, bud. That was an intense finish~"

With him breaking the silence, the villagers watching suddenly burst into cheers. I could hear applause and compliments for both myself and Emelyn from them all. The bandaged warrior, much to my amusement, pulled out a roll of bandages as he looked at us. "It's okay, guys, I'll patch you both up real good~"

I couldn't help but laugh with the man. But my laughter slowly faded as I felt a warm, scaly sensation brush across my right cheek. I look down and see Emelyn staring right back at me. She was grinning.

"I knew it," she whispered as she brushed my hair back with her tail. "You said you were Black Fang, yes? All of the others are gone; this must be destiny~"

"I'm sorry, what are yo-- whoa!"

I couldn't finish my question when the bandaged man pulled me up to my feet and guided me back towards the inn.

"Something I forgot to tell you, bud. Then again, I didn't think you'd win... ...you're gonna wanna leave this village soon, because she's gonna--"

"Wait!" Emelyn called out to us. We stop to look at her.

"Mr. Ka-- no, Nuka! I have one more request!"

"Don'tlistentoherdon'tlistentoherdon'tlistentoherdon'tlistentoherdon'tlistentoher--"

"... ...What is it?" I ask, despite the bandaged man's protests.

Emelyn eyes flashed with seriousness again. This made her grin all the more... ...unsettling.

"...Become my husband."

"... ... ... ... ...what?"

As I Now Write...
That man showed me a book he smuggled from the king's main city's church. He told me to keep it secret, which I had no problem doing; I couldn't care less about the king.

This book contained a large amount of information about the Monsters of this world, including profiles for many of the known species. I took an generous amount of time reading up on those which inhabit this particular continent, and this of course included the Lizardman. Now I know why beating Emelyn wasn't exactly the best option... ...

Appaenty, a Lizardman craves battle, and a strong warrior who can best her in battle may suddenly strike her fancy. Unfortunately, Emelyn was no exception; that night at the inn, she snuck into my room and mounted me, offering marriage again, among... ...other things...

I snuck out after evading her and I'm currently on a carriage en route to another town. This is actually the second carriage I had to ride; she found the first one and--I kid you not--cut down the horse pulling it and attempted to fight me again. I then decided not to sleep until I make it to the next town. I didn't expect Monsters to behave in such a violent manner after their transmogrification and coexisting with Humans, but they are still Monsters, after all.

I'm going to have to be very careful in the future. Also, I can't shake this feeling about what Emelyn said about my clan. How did she know the rest are gone? I have the feeling that things are about to get much weirder.

Let's just hope I can handle whatever comes next.

May the Spirit of the Wolf guide us always.

-Nu-Ka Ka-Zan