The night sky enveloped Grove 8, its silence broken only by the rustling of branches in the wind.
Erik stood among the trees, observing the gathering place of The Hound Pets. Behind him, his monsters waited like trained soldiers—their eyes gleaming in the dark, their heavy breaths whispering through the shadows.
"Tonight, we wipe out The Hound Pets." Erik's voice was steel, igniting a bloodthirsty glint in his monsters' eyes.
Succubus Knight stepped forward, unsheathing her sword. Fireyarou conjured flames in his palm, the air rippling with heat. Masaki rested a hand on his blade, ready to cut down any foe. Garnecia Elefantis, massive as a titan, made the earth tremble with each step as he lumbered to the front lines, his low growl rumbling like distant thunder.
The Hound Pets' hideout was a large wooden-and-metal structure, fenced and torch-lit. Patrols circled the perimeter. Erik counted at least thirty men—some armed with swords, others with rifles. A few stood taller than the rest, their scarred faces marking them as veterans.
Erik narrowed his eyes. "Now. Attack!"
Mounting Thunder Dragon, Erik soared into the compound. His monsters surged forward like a tidal wave.
Raising his palm toward the building, Erik activated:
"Spell Card: Hinotama!"
Behind him, Fireyarou hurled a fireball. The dual explosions blasted the roof skyward, raining burning debris. Guards scrambled—some for cover, others for weapons.
Dozens of Hound Pets members spilled out, some singed, others unharmed but ready to fight. Before they could regroup, Mystic Horseman led the charge with Silver Fang and the beast-type monsters. His scythe flashed, claiming lives with each swing.
A rifleman took aim at Erik from a window—but Thunder Dragon struck first, reducing the man to ashes with a bolt of lightning.
"Scatter and attack!" A hulking slaver barked orders—clearly their field commander.
Nearby, Masaki and Fireyarou carved through the ranks of slavers like a storm.
"Burn them out," Masaki ordered, his sword slicing through a rifleman's guard.
Fireyarou grinned, flames spiraling around his fists. "Gladly." He slammed his hands into the earth, and a ring of fire erupted, trapping a group of fleeing slavers.
"Now!" Masaki lunged, his blade flickering like moonlight through a storm. The slavers fell, their screams drowned by the crackling inferno.
"Too easy," Fireyarou scoffed, dusting ash from his shoulders. "These worms aren't worth the kindling."
BAM! A reinforced door burst open.
A mountain of a man emerged—taller than all others, his face scarred from brow to neck, wielding a greatsword. He surveyed the chaos and grinned.
"So you're the pests causing trouble." He cracked his neck. "Let's see if you're worth my time."
He moved like a storm. One swing deflected Fireyarou's fireball; the next forced Mystic Horseman to skid backward, his hooves gouging the earth. Before the centaur could counter, the leader reversed his grip and slashed—a deep wound blooming across Mystic Horseman's torso. The centaur grimaced but refused to fall.
Silver Fang lunged for the man's throat. The slaver let the wolf clamp onto his forearm—then smashed him into the ground and kicked him away like a ragdoll.
"Mad dogs need discipline. I'll teach your 'master' how to train his mutts."
Erik watched from the rear. "This isn't just a slaver... He's a warrior."
The night air crackled with tension as Succubus Knight shot forward and clashed with the Hound Pets' leader. Her blade hissed through the air like a silver viper, striking faster than the eye could follow. The man parried with a roar, his greatsword swinging in brutal arcs as relentless as a tidal wave. Sparks erupted with each collision, painting the battlefield in fleeting bursts of light.
"Is this all your 'master' teaches you?!" the leader sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. A jagged scar ran down his face, a trophy from countless battles, and his eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. "I've crushed stronger fools than you!"
Succubus Knight didn't flinch. Her movements were fluid, precise—a dance of death honed over lifetimes. But the leader's raw power forced her back, his strikes chipping away at her defenses.
A near-miss severed a lock of Succubus Knight's hair. She barely dodged a gutting slash—but not fast enough. The greatsword grazed her side, drawing blood.
"You're skilled," the man panted. "But not enough."
Erik smirked and raised a card.
"Let's see you handle this. Activate: Reliable Defense!"
Golden light enveloped Succubus Knight. Her wound knit slightly; her muscles swelled with power. She pressed the attack, driving the slaver back step by step.
But the man fought like a cornered beast. His counterattacks came faster, forcing Succubus Knight on the defensive.
"This is your true limit?" Erik called. "Then my monsters are more than enough. Garnecia Elefantis—CRUSH HIM!"
A deafening trumpet shook the battlefield.
The elephantine warrior emerged, his greatsword dwarfing the slaver's. The Hound Pets froze—their leader's eyes widened.
"A Zoan-type Devil Fruit user?!"
The ground trembled as Garnecia Elefantis stormed forward, his elephantine frame casting a shadow like a collapsing mountain. With a trumpet that shook the stars, he swung his greatsword.
The earth split—a jagged chasm racing toward the Hound Pets' leader. The man barely leaped aside, his cocky grin faltering. "Who the hell are you?!"
Garnecia's reply was a second swing, the force of a tsunami condensed into steel. The leader's blade shattered, and he crashed into the ruins of the compound, blood staining his torn coat.
"Pathetic," Garnecia rumbled, his voice echoing like tectonic plates grinding. "You barked louder than you bit."
Garnecia's first swing split the earth. The slaver raised his blade—it shattered. The second strike sent him flying through the wrecked compound like a cannonball.
The slaver leader staggered to his feet, clutching a broken rib. "You think... this ends here?!" He spat blood, his pride burning brighter than fear. "I've sold kings to Mariejois! You're just another—"
Garnecia's fist silenced him, reducing the man to a crimson smear.
Silence.
Then—surrender. The remaining Hound Pets dropped their weapons.
Erik exhaled. The crackle of burning wood replaced the clang of steel. He closed his eyes. He remember clearly what the system mission told him.
"Finish them."
Screams filled the night. When Erik opened his eyes again, The Hound Pets were no more.
Stepping through the smoldering ruins, Erik entered the compound's intact wing. The stench of sweat and suffering hit him—dim lanterns revealed rows of iron cages.
Humans. Fish-men. Merfolk. Even long-arm tribes people.
A frail voice called: "Erik?"
In the largest cell, Alfred—the old man Erik had met when first arriving in this world—leaned against the bars, his body gaunt with starvation.
"You're alive." Erik rushed forward.
Alfred chuckled weakly. "Still can't stand injustice, eh?"
Erik summoned Armed Ninja. "Free them."
As the locks clicked open, Alfred staggered into Erik's arms. "Thank you."
Exhaustion hit Erik like a wave. The Hound Pets were gone.
For now.
DING!
Mission Completed. Collect Reward Y/N?
To be continued...