"You have arrived at your destination."
Five days in this car.
As I stepped out, I felt my legs trembling, and yet, the car… it had been flying.
"FINALLY, SOLID GROUND!"
Rouma knelt down and kissed the ground. He stood up and looked at Shafy.
They were both exhausted, even though they had slept, but in uncomfortable positions. They needed to modify and add a few parameters to Streggas… Oh yes, the car had a name.
"Alright, let's go. We only have 300 meters left to reach Luxmaners' gate."
"Where did you get that information, Rouma?"
"Unlike you, Shafy, I actually paid attention in geography class. Right now, we're in the Mountou Valley."
"Oh yeah, Mountou… That's where thecannibals are, right?"
"Yes, according to a very old story, a cannibal tribe used to live around Luxmaners.
They terrorized and ate the city's inhabitants, and it took the help of the Quennvers to eradicate those monsters."
"Yeah… luckily, that's an old tale. But let's not waste time, I'm hungry and sleepy."
"Let's go… uh, what do we do with Streggas?"
"Aaaah, that's… a tiny detail I didn't think about. How do you hide a vehicle?"
Streggas turned on her headlights and honked twice. Then, she revved her engine and spun around, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Cough… cough… Yeah, this is insane…"
Right before their eyes stood a young android woman. She looked like a schoolteacher, but with exposed wires and a robotic aura.
"I took this form to follow and serve you, masters. How may I assist you?"
She bowed before them, waiting for their orders.
"Uh… you… how did you take this form?"
Streggas straightened up, looked at Rouma and Shafy, then bowed and said:
"You are my creators. It is thanks to your magic and the strength of your friendship that I exist. Without you, I would be nothing more than a pile of scrap metal."
The two teenagers stood there, speechless. Well, if they had learned things like this at school, they might have been much more advanced.
BOOM… BOOM… BAM… CRAK… SCRATCH… BAM!
The ground trembled. The two teens and the android quickly stood up.
Trees crashed down, revealing three strange creatures.
They were gigantic, at least 4 meters tall at first glance.
Each one held a tree trunk, carved into the shape of a sword.
They looked eerily human, but their feet were nothing more than sharp spikes.
In the middle of them stood the male, flanked by two females.
"Darling, look at these little creatures… They seem so…"
The one on the left, who was speaking, stared at Shafy and Rouma before licking her lips hungrily. She then wrapped her arm around her husband's shoulders.
"…DELICIOUS."
Shafy took a step back, aligning herself with her companions. She narrowed her eyes and frowned.
"WHO ARE YOU?"
"Pitiful beings, you don't know the cannibals? Well, here we are!
This is my husband, and my co-wife. And today, you're in luck… It's my turn to cook.
You will make excellent ingredients for my delicious soup."
"Soup? You've got to be kidding me. I'd prefer skewers."
"No one asked for your opinion, b*tch."
"EXCUSE ME, YOU…"
"GROOOOOAHHHHHHH!"
The ground shook violently, and birds scattered into the sky.
"We'll fry them up in the pan tonight."
Said the husband, followed by a collective laugh from the giant cannibals.
"SILENCE!"
Everyone was stunned.
Streggas lifted her head, took three steps forward, and stood in front of the three giants.
"HOW DARE YOU HAVE SUCH ANTHROPOPHAGIC THOUGHTS ABOUT MY MASTERS? YOU WILL NOW TASTE THE PUNISHMENT YOU DESERVE!"
Streggas spun on herself, raising a cloud of dust that morphed into a massive whirlwind.
From within the dust storm, the android emerged, now wielding a robotic saber, electrified and crackling with lightning.
She assumed a battle stance—one hand firmly gripping her sword, one foot bent, the other positioned behind her. Then, in a flash, she was behind the giants.
"Ahhh…!"
The female on the left, the one who had spoken earlier, screamed as her left hand was severed, blood gushing in torrents.
"My arm! Ahhhh… my arm…!"
Streggas remained behind them, as the second giantess prepared to attack, charging straight toward her.
But the android swiftly turned, sprinted at an incredible speed, leaped into the air, and sliced the attacking giantess' throat.
As she landed, she raised her saber high.
A bolt of lightning split the sky and struck the first giantess—the one she had injured earlier—electrocuting her instantly.
The entire area darkened. The only source of light was the giantess struck by lightning, her skeleton momentarily visible like an X-ray.
Both giantesses collapsed—one with her throat completely slashed, moments away from death, the other smoking and charred.
Streggas then turned her gaze toward the male.
In less than thirty seconds, his two wives were dead, killed by this… insect.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH… YOU'RE GOING TO DIE, YOU FILTHY RAT! I'M GOING TO CRUSH YOU, YOU DISGUSTING MICROBE!"
He lunged forward and struck the ground with tremendous force.
"Try aiming properly, dumbass."
Another strike, aimed at where the voice came from. Nothing.
"I'm getting bored… Pick up the pace, I want more."
"You'll get what you deserve, you wretched b*tch!"
The giant suddenly stabbed himself in the chest with his own sword. He roared in pain but stood his ground.
From his wounds, blood splattered onto the earth. The air grew heavy.
Where his blood touched the ground, two massive scorpions emerged—giant, terrifying, their venomous stingers poised to strike.
"Finally, some real action!"
Streggas leaped onto the back of one of the scorpions. The creature bucked, galloped, then tried to stab her with its tail, but the android dodged, flipping in mid-air and grabbing onto one of its pincers.
The scorpion tried to crush her, but her saber held firm.
Streggas snapped her fingers—lightning struck the scorpion, incinerating it instantly.
Without hesitation, she dashed toward the second scorpion, slashing off both its pincers. She rolled across the ground, spun around, and severed its stinger.
The creature was defenseless.
Streggas raised her sword—another bolt of lightning struck it. She dashed forward and sliced both scorpions in half.
The creatures dissolved into a black mist.
"And now… it's your turn."
She walked forward, then sprinted and plunged her sword deeper into the giant's stomach.
She lifted her saber, now glowing with an eerie light, and in a single motion, sliced the giant into four pieces. He collapsed, lifeless.
"Dear masters, the task is complete. No more monsters—the path is clear."
She smiled enchantingly and bowed.
Shafy and Rouma exchanged glances… and then smiled.
They had just gained a powerful warrior ally.
And their adventure had only just begun.