Act I Panda?

  “Breaking news the only panda of Maplewood, the one gifted by Wu Jianghao, the ambassador of one of our closest neighbors, the Ming empire.” A black haired pale skin, brown eyes typical of a native yamato woman newscasted.

  “Has been stolen! A foreign dressed maid with black hair, was last seen carrying the 90 kilo animal. . .” I started tuning it out as I imagined thinking about it would be nothing but trouble.

  “So princess, Lizel, what do you think?” I said standing up infront of them wearing a brigandine silver plated scale armour made from the scales of the fish people, american mountain cotton, sun blessed silver and reptile leather that should be from a kind of monster snake.

  “It's. . . Shiny?” Lizel said not really sure how best to describe it.

  “Tink! Drop’. . . Well it handles knives pretty well.” The princess said casually after throwing her stake knife and it harmlessly bounced off my armor.

  “Well I still need Rikka to test if the blessing works.” I said as a soft morning light continuously radiated from the armour.

  “Why do you need that leech? Silver works with werewolves too!” Lizel said as she turned one of her arms wolfic.

  “Alright, go for it, but please aim for the chest that has the most armour.” I said standing towards Lizel, as she shook and stretched her arms who was only moments ago lifting dumbbells 50 kilos each, with just her human spindly arms.

  I breathed in deeply and then out waiting for her to prepare herself.

  “Thud. . . Thud. . . augh. . .” Her fist smashed into my chest and I went down, my head clouded, my lungs unbreathing, my vision turning dark.

  “Shiro!” I woke up, looked around and saw I was on the floor, my armor in pieces, a large hole the size of a small boulder on my chest.

  “Sorry, thought your armor would at most dent.” Lizel said helping me up, I saw her wolven hands bloodied and her shoulder dislocated, I helped her realign it.

  “Yeah, it seems I need to keep working on this one. . . Komiko?” I asked her, as she smiled at us while she drank tea.

  “Yes Shiro?” She answered.

  “Are there dragons in your kingdom? Like the ones in human stories, fire breathing with four limbs and pair of wings at there back” I asked as their scales and bones were one of the best materials for keeping the armour flexible even after being plated with alloy.

  “No, they went extinct millennia ago, the only dragonoids left are false and lesser ones.” She said as the thought came.

  “How about hydras or abyssal serpents? Hydras are large multi headed serpents with powerful regeneration and abyssal serpents are miles long deep see eels.” I asked as I took off my ruined armour and started disassembling it for parts.

  “Lesser hydras can be found in the Mudswamp realm, but there's only been a few times a true hydra was seen, as you described them. . . and for abyssal serpents? I haven't heard of beast like that existing, but I know mere folk that might know.” She said honesty in her voice.

  “Sigh. . . well that means, I can’t make any good armour for a while.” I said thinking about foregoing heavy armour and just go try looking for other alternatives. . . maybe I’ll just make a really good robe. . . again.

  “Why do you even want to make armor, Shiro? You know those heavy things are mostly symbolic, most monsters can just break through even the strongest armour if they had maces or picks.”

  The princess spoke as if it was the obvious thing that armor in the monster worlds and human world was obsolete and should not be wasted on.

  “Focus on your gunsmithing Shiro, atleast that thing was able to slay an abomination quite easily.” She said playing with the gun in question.

  She knows about guns but at how undeveloped personal arms were, even in the human realm, it wasn’t surprising that the other realms still used flint locks with paper cast bullets.

  While humans stopped at bolt actions, shotguns and gatlings, while having tanks, ships and artillery almost in the late 22nd century in advancement.

  “Oh. . . I just remembered you should go and visit little Sera, she’s just moved at the manor in the neighboring hill.” The princess said as she motioned at the other hill where a new manor had just finished being built last week.

  Act II Automata

  “That’s a lot of furniture.” I said as I looked up the ten metre high pile of furniture and supplies tied in boxes inside a cart.

  “Well it would be unseemly for a princess to live as a peasant.” She said brushing her hair away from her face.

  “Alright understandable, so where’s Frannel? I can start moving things if she’s busy.” I said as I checked on my feathered necklace, each feather tipped by shining gold.

  A spell to lighten anything to the weight of a feather by momentarily banishing its original weight into oblivion.

  “I honestly have no clue, she left to contact sister, but she hasn’t come back yet.” Seraphim said as I untied the ropes and slowly floated everything onto the ground.

  “Well she might have gone and bought lunch?” I said uncertainty as it was only 9 in the morning, and I had already brought Seraphim some breakfast sandwiches courtesy of my sister.

  “No, that can’t be, I haven’t ordered her. . .” She stopped as shock appeared in her eyes, at the thing behind me so I turned around, and saw it.

  A slim young woman, almost skinny, pale of skin in a maids black and white cloth, her short dark green hair showed her two large steel bolts, appearing like hair accessories.

  And more importantly she was carrying a panda. . . and he’s a big boy.

  “Frannel! What is that?!” She asked expressively in shock.

  “Flugga (A panda)” Frannel said, her face a mechanically expressionless mask of beauty.

  “I know it’s a panda! I’m asking why it’s here!” The girl was acting her age, which made me smile as I went back to working at floating every wooden box down to the grassed covered front yard.

  “Flugga (Sera asked for a friend).” Frannel answered, the language of the royal automatons was still rough for me, even though Komiko had described that it was the most sophisticated language in all her kingdom's realms.

  “But a panda?” Seraphim was still skeptical as she had raised her eye at the scene.

  “Gurahh! (Panda sounds)” The panda sounded, which almost sounded cute as I finished the last of the larger crates.

  “Flugga (Are you sure?)” Huh? That made me turn as somehow Frannel understood the animal!

  “Flugga (Princess, the panda asked to be in your service.)” I stood on watching the scene as oddly it wasn’t the first time this happened, granted.

  The last time this did happen, the animal was a legendary great wolf and the one translating was her half wolven daughter.

  “No! Do you think I will just take anyone who would ask? They should atleast be. . .” She paused and turned around, taking my arm.

  “They should be heroic enough to risk themselves for me!” She said to the Panda, which looked at me and then nodded over and over. . .

  The next few hours were hectic as I saw a panda help push the heavier floating crates into the storage rooms while I and Frannel worked on the furniture.

  Decorating the manor was. . . simple? Like for some reason unlike when I did house moving with friends in my 21th century lives, where we would spend hours talking and rearranging things in their studio apartments. . .

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  This house moving was very organized.

  “Flugga (Yes, a flower pot for the three windows in the middle).” Frannel said as she carried a long table, as three porcelain potted flowering tulips floated at my sides.

  “Alright.” I said as she placed down the table, covering it with a blue and gold tapestry showing a scene of a story I did not recognize.

  After I placed the flowers I stopped Frannel by holding her cold metallic like arms. . . they were not soft, they looked like normal skin, but felt more like the porcelain pots I just placed, than the flesh of a human woman.

  “I want to test something, can I do what I want to you?” I asked her expressionless face as my own was mere inches from her, as I tried pushing her on the table, but merely felt stuck, like I was pushing a car.

  “Flugga? (Test what Shiro the Sorcerer?)” The android said with one confused word.

  “This.” I said as I went for a kiss and grabbed her on her hips. . . nothing, only the taste of metal, but as I expected she and Flenna had the same design as I reached deeper with my other hand and turned off a switch, just above her butt.

  “Flu (Don’t. .) . . .” She tried to say before her power turned off.

  “Whoever designed them, is one heck of a software genius, even with the limited hardware, they can simulate being unbalanced by a simple kiss. . . even though they can’t even able to understand or feel.” I said to myself.

  “Be lighter than a feather, lady anne~” I casted as my necklace gave a soft glow.

  I floated the turned off mechanical servant into her room and placed her on her pedestal work bench, and then started removing her clothes.

  “Steelweave? No, it's another kind of alloy turned thread.” I said to myself as I analyzed her dress, something that doesn’t rip or get damaged much even during intense battles.

  She looked like a doll, a sexless doll who only had the figure of a woman in her 20s. I looked at her groin, which had her charger socket, and the end of her nape that had her data socket.

  I meticulously examined her, taking out some of her porcelain like skin, that was some kind of steel mixed alloy from the way it still smelled of iron.

  “Frannel! Shiro! Where are you two! We're not done yet!” I heard Sera as I finished the basics. I was sad as I only did this with Flenna every so often, but even so I can see the very obvious differences between the two automatas.

  Frannel was a newer model, and designed more for combat rather than just maid service.

  “We're in here princess! In Frannel’s room! She had a power problem!” I said lying as I changed some of the automatas memories and then drained some of her energy and opened up her battery cells on her chest.

  I really do want to study these automatons more, they're so interesting even the star federation had trouble making androids with such sophisticated software! I really want to know if there really just sophisticated programmed intelligence, or if this primitive world actually cracked artificial life.

  Act III Dinner

  In the newly furnished dining hall the ebony table was clothed by golden blues, the meal was fancy and western, much like the meals princess Komiko prefers my sister and I cook.

  “This is good, you're quite the chef Frannel.” I complemented the automata, as I and the princess continued to eat.

  “Gaah.” The panda said as he tried giving some of his bamboo bread to the young princess.

  “No thank you.” The princess said dismissively, as she turned her head away from the panda.

  But he insisted.

  “I said no thank you!” The princess said, pushing away the offered bread, making the panda give a sad groan, as Frannel stood and started dragging the animal away.

  “I didn’t know pandas were this intelligent.” I said while I ate more of the stake with the baked gravied potatoes.

  “You call that smart Shiro?” She said her face questioning.

  “You have low standards Shiro, Pandas are weak Hanic Yaoguai who can barely protect their own bamboo forests from humans and much less from the people of the kingdom's realms, and the other monsters beyond.”

  She explained with a sweet smile why my words were so foolish, which only made me nod, at how cute she was as she pretended to be her older sister.

  “Didn’t know Pandas were considered a Ming empire Yokai, hmm. . . and here I thought they were simple animals.” I said finishing my meal.

  “Ha ha ha! Now that’s better Shiro, they are just stupid animals, but still it’s best to respect them for surviving this long while being so stupid and weak.” The girl smiled after her laugh.

  “I give them my respect, and they are cute little critters, mostly why my people keep them for entertainment.” I responded as we continued with our food and polite conversation.

  Act IV Uninvited guests

  In the middle of a full moon night, in front of a blue and white painted manor, a panda of soft white and brown fur, holding and chewing on a bamboo branch.

  Was with an older boy wearing a simple white buttoned shirt, speaking to a young woman of a maid of expressionless beauty and a young girl in a dark gothic dress, wearing a silver little tiara holding up her hair.

  “Thank you for dinner.” I said to my hostess the small blonde girl no older than twelve.

  “It was my pleasure Shiro, why don’t you stay? I promise you'll always eat like a king.” Seraphim said, cutely in that placating voice of hers.

  It made me smile, but I shook my head in dismissal of the idea.

  “I’ve already taken my oath, princess, why don’t you visit us next time? I promise I’ll cook you something special.” I said, making the young girl blush.

  “Oh! Really! I. . .” She was cut off as she looked behind me and I heard a familiar sultry voice.

  “Good evening, and nice to see you again Shiro.” The decades old vampire wearing the mask of a young senior from a high school, floated above us with her blood red eyes looking us over.

  “Black lace? What wonderful taste you have, my dear vampire.” I said, meeting her smile with my own, complimenting her rather bold lingerie, as I tried reaching for my gun holster. . . I didn’t bring my gun.

  As the realization struck me, I saw Frannel was already infront of the young princess Seraphim, defending her as I looked around us, feeling many hungry eyes watching us in the dark.

  “Do you know this vampire Shiro?” Seraphim said from behind me, confidence in her voice, but I do felt that slight tremor . . . she was afraid.

  “Flugga (She's dangerous princess, go back into the manor).” Frannel warned and I agree with her, with the princess inside a house there's only a few things a vampire could do.

  “This is the first time we meet Princess Seraphim.” She said giving the princess a curtsy, flashing more of her enjoyables.

  “My name is Rikka Chinomi, it is a pleasure.” The vampire said as she kept hovering just out of range of any attacks we can do quickly, well atleast attacks I can do quickly.

  “Tell me vampire, what would your kind want from me?” The young princess expressed her confidence much like her sister.

  “I and your sister have a relationship, and I have an attachment to the boy standing next to you.” She said making me less worried of her and more on the threats I feel closing around us.

  I ignored the stares of the three next to me as I checked on what spells I brought for what I thought was a simple new house visit.

  “Out of respect for her and our friendship Shiro, I came with a warning, but it seems I came a bit too late. . . good luck Shiro, I hope you survive long enough.” Rikka said, floating away, as I finally saw the threats.

  “Krrrick Krrick Rkriikk!” The sounds of monsters appeared.

  “Vampire Arachnids huh?” The young princess said as I saw, giant spiders twice the size of the panda, with green venom leaking from the large black tusk like fangs, and they had bat wings! Six of them on their arms!

  “Vampire spiders?” I asked as I felt more than a dozen eyes were around us, fortunately none were airborne, as they all stood like spiders around us in a half circle.

  “Yes, a night beast native to the night realms, known to serve lower vampires.” The young princess said, as I followed her eyes towards a few humanoid shadows riding atop the larger of the beasts.

  Damn, has the blood price started? And I don’t even have my hunting bag!

  “It seems a court of low vampires are aiming for my Royal blood.” The young princess assumed, as she entered the house for a split minute and then appeared again with a large spear.

  “Ha ha ha! Do not interfere with this Shiro! You're a guest, with me and Frannel. . .” She started striking quite the pose, but then Frannel just picked her up and placed her at the house entrance, with a feathered fan.

  “Aww!” She moaned, rubbing her butt, at her fall and with tears in her eyes, took the fan, as I took the silvered spear.

  “Princess, let me do my job as an eternal guard oath bound to royalty.” I said helping her up, she nodded, standing proud, not letting the embarrassment impede her as she pointed at her fan.

  “Go get them!” She yelled as Frannel charged forward, using pebbles as bullets clearing those who jumped and tried rushing us.

  The panda moved forward standing infront of the young princess.

  “Here's your chance, Panda.” The young princess said, making the panda nod, and then gripped its large branch like a club.

  “Roar!” The panda gave a grizzly-like roar, as it charged into the fray breaking into one of the flanks as the other started surging towards us.

  “I think it’s my turn princess.” I said as I threw wooden beads towards the monsters.

  “Let night see of the garden my lady~ so may the dark know of your thorned beauty~” I sang a small verse of a girl who loved to garden, as a wall of thorns grew from the beads of wood, as the grass around us withered into ash.

  “KRrrr!” The screams of death sounded, as many of the spider bats were stabbed by the sudden wall of thorns, many still alive just pinned by the wall, screaming and struggling in agony. . . like trapped animals in barb wire.

  “Woah, that's amazing Shiro! Frannel kill those trying to climb the wall! Panda keep close!” The young princess said excitedly and started commanding the others.

  The Left flank and middle was secured, Frannel shooting those who started jumping over the barricade, while the bear roared an answer standing behind the wall pushing back those trying to get on our right flank.

  “Frannel! Panda! Give me time!” I yelled as well, as I bled my arms and coated the silvered spear with my steaming blood, I breathed in a deep breath.

  I grabbed the 2 metre long spear with both hands. I breathed out. I thought of my life as a son of Heracles, a warrior king of a society of warriors and slavers.

  “I! Call upon you! Pick up your shields and spears, for I need of you my SPARTANS!” I screamed with every ounce of what I used to be, as I stabbed spear into the dry dirt. . .

  The memories of being one of the leaders of the hundreds that had stopped the armies of the god king of the east, the king who had made sure that prophecies of drugged up woman were not the words of the gods, but there jokes.

  “We answer the call oh White Wolf of Sparta! Aho! AHo! AHO!” Twenty soldiers fully armoured in bronze appeared, in a burst of light, as the silver spear turned to ash.

  Each one with in there hands an iron spear, and legendary shields half their size towards the enemy.

  Their ebony hair flowing with the night wind, their bronze covered backs, caped in red woolen cloaks as they’re focus was towards the enemy.

  “Spartans! To the walls! Do not let these monsters take our hold!” I commanded as they all charged in groups towards the gaps broken into by the giant spiders, as I saw three vampires riding through the gaps, with pistols and sabers, their faces monstrous.

  “Well that’s all I have, princess? Do you have any other weapons I could use?” I asked casually as my whole body steamed as circuits like veins burned of amber fire, all throughout my flesh, the princess can only shockly look towards the chaos of the battle and my magic.

  But then she pointed up, I followed her finger and what I saw made me frown, as I took out an amulet from my pocket as it was already glowing a bloodied red.