Time passed, missions were done, and eventually the split party returned to Camelot Castle to finalize plans for the upcoming war. Everyone met at a table to talk strategy and logistics involving the various nations. This wasn't just a war for independence anymore. Thanks to the military backing of multiple countries, this was more on the scale of a world war. However, Racknar wasn't focusing on that. No, he was thinking more about the war itself and its aftermath. Racknar pointed at points on a map while explaining geographic landmarks that could influence the battle as well as reinforcing the idea that everyone should strive for non-lethal salutations whenever possible.
After several hours of deliberation, the representatives of the allied nations dispersed to think over everything discussed, giving the Monster Mashers time to talk among themselves for a while. Racknar let out an exasperated sigh. “Sometimes I wonder if we're doing the right thing. The Empire and Church may be run by awful people, but not everyone that helps them is evil. They're just scared and trying to defend themselves from something they're told is a threat.” Ariagoria shifts in place. “That's why we're going with non-lethal salutations whenever possible, Racknar, because we know that.”
Racknar let out a sigh. “Yeah, but this is still a war, and even our best efforts will result in deaths, the loss of innocent lives due to collateral damage. Especially considering the enemy isn't going to give us the same courtesy. In fact they'll be going out of their way to kill anything that isn't human, and with the alliance that's nearly half our forces.” Elizabeth nodded and let out her own sigh. “Yeah, I know, it sucks. We'll just have to do our best and be proud in the knowledge that less people died than would have if we didn't take the extra measures.”
Racknar rubbed his face with his palm. “I guess, but still. It doesn't feel great. I guess war never does.” Elizabeth pats Racknar on the shoulder and gives him a reassuring nod. “Don't worry, we'll handle this. Together, as a team.” After a quick response nod from Racknar, the group finalized a few details with the delegates before they head out to their respective leaders to prepare for the upcoming war in a few days. The group still had three days until the war officially started to plan, organize, and maybe relax a little before everything would go to hell and stay that way for a while.
The group decided to call it a day as it was starting to get late and everyone started to split up and head for their rooms to sleep for the night. Just then, there is a crash outside. The Monster Mashers, plus Elizabeth, all head outside to see what the commotion was about. Once in the courtyard they see an older looking human male likely in his forties at the youngest with a mix of blonde and silver hair and blue eyes. The man has what many would call a “dad bod” with a receding hair line and small bald spot on top. He's wearing high grade enchanted armor while holding a spear and tower shield combo.
Racknar gestured to the man, who was standing in a fresh crater in the courtyard. “Who the fuck is this guy?!” Ariagoria went pale as her eyes widened. “T-that's… the older summoned hero. They summoned the current one earlier than normal in order to have two heroes active at the same time.” Racknar groaned. “So this guy is on a similar level to that Kenshi fellow that killed the pseudo-terrasque? Great, just wonderful.” His last sentence was filled with sarcasm.
The older hero lifts their spear and starts talking with a heavy German accent, addressing the queen. “I am here for one reazon. And that, my fair frouline, is to rid zis world of non-human scum such az zat.” He gestured to Racknar. “Zen, I will help turn zis world into a paradize for God's true chozen children. Za superior Aryan race.” Racknar let out an even louder and more drawn out groan. “Aaaaand he's literally a Nazi. That checks out.” The older hero then takes a combat stance. “Come at me filth, so I can cleanze ya from za world.”
Davy bites his lip before muttering to himself. “Don't make a JoJo’s reference. Do not make a JoJo reference.” Racknar turns his head to give Davy a look, and that's when the older hero rushed in for an attack, taking advantage of the clear opening Racknar made. Racknar doesn't even need to look to know it's coming, he dodges just before impact and summons his swords and shields before attacking in retaliation. The older hero manages to block with his tower shield but is pushed back leaving small trenches in the ground where his feet were planted.
Marionette tried to slice up the older hero from behind after teleporting to flank him, but just as she was about to make contact he vanished into thin air. The older hero then showed back up at a small distance away. Krys'tal, Davy, and Elizabeth tried casting magic on him but the moment their attack spells activated they fizzled out for some reason. Seeing this, Ariagoria ran in with her mace to smash the older hero. This attack was met with shield, but the radiant fire still did some damage to him.
Racknar then ran in to flank the man a second time only for the man to teleport again. Racknar growled. “(An ability like that would normally take a “reaction” and he already used it once. This is some bull shit.)” The older hero looked at Racknar, then jabbed at him with his spear, only to meet Racknar's shield. Several attempts, and expertly blocked. Racknar did his best to mimic a smirk with his fangs. “Looks like a stalemate you Nazi fuck.” Marionette then tried to attack him from behind only for him to teleport again.
Davy realizes there must be a sort of anti magic at play, countering spells but not magic abilities. If it was specifically magic spells, this meant he could use his psionic abilities to issue mental attacks with no issues. He attempts it, and the older hero clutches his head and stumbles a bit with a grunt. “You filthy little shit!” Krys’tal then fired her ice beams instead of arrows, the skill being from the bow and not a spell allowing it to go off without problems. The three beams all hit the older hero, chilling him with cold damage.
Elizabeth tried to think of something she could do to get around the spell prevention as well. After a moment she realizes outside of that fluke where she transformed and got into melee she didn't have any real options here. So she took a few steps back to disengage the combat. Racknar tried to think of something, and realized since the radiant fire from Ariagoria’s ability seemed to do some damage he could simply use his abilities to the fullest and hope the elemental damage would eventually be enough. So with blazing fire Racknar activated his rage, used the fire damage of his weapons, and even Infernal Strike to hit the shield as hard as possible.
The older hero was pushed back with a series of grunts coming out of him on impact, completely ignorant to the fact Racknar was actually aiming for the shield. When the barrage was over, the older hero retaliated by aiming for Ariagoria this time. Although some of the strikes hit the shield, his final strike hit her. Thankfully the armor she was wearing took some of the blow. Despite only being a light wound, Ariagoria felt extreme pain. “Something is up with this spear Racknar, it's doing more damage then it ought to.”
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Racknar took a second look at the spear, it looked fairly ordinary as far as its design but just the fact a summoned hero had it meant it was probably a legendary artifact if not a mythic one. His mind sifted through his mental notes of mythic spears, specifically ones that looked mostly plain. “Best guess, Spear of Longinus. In addition to having higher base damage then a normal spear, it has a higher crit range and does double damage to celestials.” Marionette made another failed attempt to hit the older hero only for him to once again teleport away.
Krys’tal once again shot the older hero with ice beams while Davy used another psionic attack causing the man to grip his head in pain. “Cut that out you dirty stinking cheat!” He exclaimed. Ariagoria once again ran in and slammed into the shield with her celestial fire attack. After the attack, Ariagoria disengaged the hero so Racknar could come in from the front rather than trying to flank him. The older man didn't talipot this time indicating that it only happens when he's getting flanked. Racknar grinned with his fangs as he figured this out.
The older hero scowled when he realized that his truck was discovered and the group would work around it from now on. “Damn, I didn't think you'd figure it out so quickly.” He then took a firm hold of his spear before making several jabs at Racknar, managing to get past the shields twice out of the six times he attacked. Racknar grunted in pain, his resistance from being in rage mode countered by the double damage of the spear. Thankfully, his high armor rating still takes some of the damage.
Now that they know the trick, Racknar disengaged the hero to let Marionette in but all she got was the shield and she didn't seem to do any damage. She backed off right away allowing Krys’tal to shoot her ice beams and Davy to use his psionic attack again. This caused the older hero to stagger and when Ariagoria came in from the side she managed to get a direct hit with her celestial fire mace. Her other attacks were blocked but this one clean attack probably did the most damage out of any attack to this point. She then stepped back to let Racknar in.
Racknar once again slammed into the shield right time, twice with each hand, enhancing the damage with fire and using Infernal Strike to do as much damage as possible. The older hero was starting to look a little rough, he was clearly losing this drawn out war of attrition. He was being outnumbered and out maneuvered even if he was higher level and had better gear the teamwork of the Monster Mashers was unparalleled. The older hero was up against a wall, and his equipment wasn't nearly as high end as what his younger counterpart had. The only way he had out of this, was to run.
The older hero was the one to back off this time, trying to disengage before bolting from the fight. Marionette may not be able to do any damage, but her teleport allows her to cut off his escape and force him to engage them in combat again. “I'm not letting you get away that easily!” Marionette shouted as her short swords met the shield. As soon as she was done attacking she created distance to let Krys'tal and Davy hit him with their attacks, forcing the older hero to slow down from the cold and splitting headache.
“You little rat bastards! I'll make you pay for this!” Ariagoria decided to forgo the melee and pulled out her revolvers. The six shots hit his shield or armor, though it seemed the man took some damage from the series of attacks. Then Racknar comes in from the side again. “The only thing you'll be doing, is becoming a corpse, you Nazi bastard.” This time the first of the set of eight attacks definitely hit as Racknar came in with a Reckless Infernal Strike before continuing to his other attacks. Based on the older hero’s stance, the old Nazi was at death's door.
He growled and staggered to his feet. “Fine, if I can't escape with my life, at the very least I can take you all with me!” He pointed the Spear of Longinus at his own body. “Forbidden technique: Martyrdom!” He shoves the spear into his own body before glowing intensely. Racknar switched to four shields and yelled for everyone to get behind him. Then, the old hero exploded with a fierceness and force greater than that of even a tenth tier spell leaving another crater in the courtyard.
The smoke cleared, and all of the Monster Mashers plus Elizabeth standing behind Racknar were fine. Racknar, on the other hand, was not so fine. As soon as the smoke was finished clearing and the dust settled, he collapsed to the floor. Elizabeth and Ariagoria immediately ran up to him to start casting healing magic on him and prevent him from dying. Although not dead, Racknar didn't wake up after the healing was finished, still unconscious on the ground.
Elizabeth called on the help of one of the spiders to move Racknar to his bed so he could rest. Meanwhile, the rest of the party continued to get ready for the war. Elizabeth slapped a few pieces of the battle map. “I can't believe the Church sent a summoned hero to assassinate us three days before the war started. Not only that, I bet they'll say Racknar was the one who preemptively assassinated him just to make us look even more like the villains. This is some bull shit. We're trying to make a better world for everyone. I don't understand why they have such a problem with that.” Davy shook his head. “That's the problem, we're trying to build a better world for everyone.”
Ariagoria nodded. “Yeah, the Church and Empire don't want equality. They want control. They want humans to stand at the apex of the world and treat it and everything on it as property. At least the people at the top are like that. They've manipulated the masses into thinking this is what's morally right.” Elizabeth sighs and shakes her head. “Why did this world have to inherit the worst part of ours? There have definitely been some bad apples to reincarnate or get summoned here, tainting the world with the worst parts of ours.”
Marionette crossed her arms. “And now we're about to enter a world war in this place in order to try and put an end to some of those bad practices. Or at least some of the major players who make things actively worse for personal gain.” Elizabeth sighs. “Well we might as well all get sleep since there's nothing we can do about anything today. Rest well and prepare yourself for the war, because we're well past the point of no return.” With simple nods everyone goes to their rooms. Everyone that is, except Elizabeth. Elizabeth takes a turn, and instead goes to Racknar’s room.
Carefully, slowly, quietly, Elizabeth opened the door. She tip-toe’d her way to his need where he slept peacefully, and slowly reached a shaking hand for him. His breathing was slow, but steady as he laid on his back. She carefully and gently grabbed one of his hands, holding in hers as it shook before kissing it. “I really wish you didn't have to put yourself at such risk, but if you don't then I don't think anyone else will. Ugh, I finally have you as my boyfriend and we're not going to have any time to actually be in a relationship because of this stupid war.”
She moved in and gently kissed his forehead. “You big lovable dumbass. Why couldn't we have had better timing? I guess we'll just have to make time for ourselves whenever we can. Small almost stolen moments we have to sneak in whenever there is space. We'll make it work, somehow. After all, you're far too stubborn to let me go now that you've finally let me in.” Racknar shifts slightly in his sleep, his fangs moving into a smile as if to acknowledge her presence. Elizabeth can't help herself but to smile back, as a warmth spreads throughout her chest.
Elizabeth slowly lifted the blanket and wiggled her way into the covers to snuggle Racknar from the side, feeling his body heat spread into her. She nuzzled into his face before kissing his cheek. “I'm right here, big guy. I'm not going anywhere.” She whispered. He subconsciously wrapped his two arms on the side she laid on around her and pulled her closer to him. Elizabeth let out a short high pitched squeak as she was pulled into a tight side hug. Her body got stiff for a bit, but then she melted into the gesture, enjoying the moment.
Slowly Elizabeth dozed off next to Racknar, enjoying the feeling of warmth coming off him. She slept peacefully through the night nuzzled up to him before waking up in a groggy daze only half remembering a dream from the night. She rubbed her eyes and saw Racknar was still there, sleeping at her side. The slow movements of his chest indicated he was still breathing. She gently placed a hand on his chest to feel the motion and rhythm of his breathing with a smile. She then blushed slightly as she adjusted her hand to be under the robe and started touching his bare chest.
Elizabeth felt her breath hitch slightly as she ran her fingers over Racknar’s chest. Her breathing quickened and her face burned. She hardly did anything, but her mind was racing with thoughts. It was strange, when they first reunited and he had asked for a kiss, she recoiled at the thought despite knowing who it was under the chitinous armor. Now, as she snuggled him and let her hand explore his torso, she found herself rapt with impure thoughts. She bit her lip slightly, wondering if she should act in them and to what extent. One thing was clear however, she wasn't going to do anything while he was asleep.
