I was in my executive office in the deepest depths of the Abyss with Mei, Aoyuki, and Ellie facing me, all three of my SUR Level 9999 lieutenants shaking with enough rage-filled energy to make my office like an erupting volcano.
What had first set them off was the “postgame” (as it were) report from the team led by Mei that I had sent to capture Doc. While Ellie and my team were busy battling Gira—another Master in Doc’s faction—they had gone to his lab located in a forest just outside of the Demonkin Nation’s capital. Mei and her team managed to successfully infiltrate the lab, but quickly realized that Doc was unfortunately absent.
What they did bring back with them, however, was a bunch of documents Nazuna had found in Doc’s study, containing records of his most successful experimental subject to date in his quest to create a superhuman monster. The document contained the name, height, weight, and other details about the test subject, all of which matched those of my elder brother, Els.
Everyone on Mei’s team had gasped when reading the documents, according to the report. The entire team—which had also included Jack, Suzu, and Lock—was well aware of my brother’s physical description, because I had told everyone in the Abyss what he looked like. But in my mind, I wasn’t ready to rule out the possibility that this test subject was someone else named Els who just so happened to share the same height, weight, and age as my brother. Or at least, that was until we received the most recent report from Mera.
“Based on their profiles I heard previously, I believe I came into contact with the two Masters named Doc and Goh,” Mera had told us a little while earlier in this very office. “They also had someone with them who looked an awful lot like your dear brother, Els, from what I could tell. To my great, great shame, I was too powerless to bring your dear brother back with me, and instead returned to the Abyss immediately because I felt it was my top priority to pass this information on to you as soon as possible. I have disgraced myself in battle, and I will accept any punishment you give me, master.”
Mera had first teleported to the Great Tower as a precaution, just in case she was being tracked via sorcery or a magic item, then after passing a screening at the tower, she teleported to the Abyss, where she rushed straight to my office to deliver the news of what she had witnessed. She even used her powers to shape-shift into the person she had seen in order for me to confirm their identity, and the face she showed me was indeed that of Els.
Mera appeared visibly distraught over the fact that she’d had to leave my brother behind. She even knelt down before me, waiting for me to discipline her, but I wasn’t going to do that. In fact, my immediate thought was to praise her for making the most rational, levelheaded decision she could possibly have made in that situation.
“You did the right thing in coming to me with this news first, Mera,” I told her. “You have nothing to blame yourself for, and I want to thank you for telling me about my brother.”
Mera chuckled humbly. “I don’t deserve your praise, master.” Normally, she would be trembling with joy at receiving a compliment from me, but this time, she showed no sign of being happy at all. Coupled with the documents recovered by Mei’s team, this new bit of info all but proved that Els had been turned into a monster by Doc.
“Thanks to the efforts of you and the Mohawks, we’ve been able to harass Diablo to no end, all while protecting those villagers from raiders. I bet you sacrificed a lot of your body in that fight, so you should go rest up and focus on regaining your strength, because we may need you again real soon.”
“Thank you very much, master,” Mera replied. “If you do need us again, just say the word! The Mohawks and I would gladly lay down our lives and souls for your sake. We’re here to serve you in whatever way you wish.”
In other words, Mera and the Mohawks would attempt to rescue my brother if I ordered them to do so, even if it meant them getting killed in the process. While I was appreciative of this restatement of her pledge of absolute loyalty to me, I was also a little saddened by it, since I could never dream of asking Mera or the Mohawks to throw away their lives like that.
I flashed Mera a half smile and gently dismissed her, leaving just me and my three livid lieutenants in my office. Even I was finding it hard not to feel violently enraged at what I’d heard, although I was equally heartbroken at the same time.
Is there some reason the Goddess makes us humans suffer this much? I grumbled inwardly. What did we do to deserve this cruel fate? Was it something so awful that we needed to be cursed to grind out such miserable lives? But what could ever justify this reality we are living in?
The pain I felt inside was so intense, I was forced to shut my eyes. If the Goddess only exists to make us humans suffer, then maybe I should—
I didn’t want to finish that sentence. I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves, then opened my eyes again. Besides, blaming the Goddess wasn’t going to solve anything. I had to calmly weigh up my options.
“If I could, I’d go capture Doc right now and subject him to a billion times more pain and suffering than he’s made my brother go through,” I growled. “I’d torture him day and night with my own two hands. But saving my brother, Els, comes before anything else. For that, we’ll need to capture Doc alive and force him to tell us how we can return my brother to normal.”
I tamped down my emotions and glanced pointedly at my three SUR warriors. “I need to rescue my brother, but if I go alone, there’s a chance I might let Doc escape with Els, so I’m going to need all of your help. Can you lend it to me?”
All three of my lieutenants chose that exact moment to start speaking over each other, as if they’d been waiting since forever to express their thoughts on the matter.
“Of course we will assist you, Master Light,” Mei said. “On my honor as a maid, I pledge to rescue your dear brother and make sure he is safe and well.”
“Yes, my master,” Aoyuki said coolly. “Your wish is also my wish. These miscreants who see fit to incur your wrath will most assuredly pay with the worst bloodletting and carnage imaginable. When that is completed, I will return your dear elder brother safely to your embrace, master.”
“Our lives, souls, and very existences are your possessions by right, Blessed Lord Light,” Ellie stated. “Our whole reason for being is to serve as your arms and legs so you can achieve your divine mission! Please give us the order to rescue our dearest brother with you!”
I nodded at my lieutenants, greatly heartened by their responses. “Thanks, you guys. Mera’s able to track Doc, Els, and Goh using her powers, so if we all work together, I know we’ll be able to save my brother and capture those Masters.”
After another round of overeager replies, I laid out our objectives.