A Flame Of Fancy

--Artwork by lewdamone--

Maki was trying her best not to smash the rookie's face into a pulp, which was ironic since she had left the army to avoid hurting anyone, but she was starting to see why Shinra had rankled like an alley cat when Arthur had arrived. Five separate times she had heard him call her ogre gorilla cyclops and every time she made sure he knew she heard him in their training spars, leading to larger insults and more comments about her freakish strength and how unfeminine she was. And she'd had such hopes for him too, the romantic idiot fancying himself a knight and acting so gallant at first, calling her a princess like she'd always dreamed... then they fought. It wasn't her fault she was strong and it's not like she was doing anything odd for a firefighter during her morning routine though she got looks whenever she bench pressed 300 pounds.

Why were all the men in her life so weak? She just wanted someone who'd sweep her off her feet and not balk at her muscles. All their chivalry would vanish once she kicked their asses, and Arthur's change of language from Princess to Ogre(Gorilla Cyclops) just pissed her off the more she had to see his dumb haughty face. Even his look had changed to one of disgust, like she was a monster he had to slay instead of the romantic she was at heart. As her temper flared so did her fire pets, the cute looking fire homunculi she used to battle fires slowly multiplying as their dopey expressions grew... well okay they still looked dopey, but they could also kick your ass.

Arthur was trying his best not to die under the blows of this she-ogre disguised as a princess, though he really had to stop using those terms. Ogres were never the most reasonable of creatures in knight's tales and sure enough this one had delusional additions to his descriptions whenever he made the mistake of opening his mouth. At first he'd thought of his teammate as a fair maiden like the sister. She had even had similar flights of fancy much like the princesses in his favorite stories. Then she'd revealed herself and utterly kicked his.. errh used malevolent magic to overcome his knightly prowess, but only because it was a surprise! As for the other five losses he'd taken in short order over the course of this spar... well at least Shinra wasn't here to watch him slump to the ground defeated and utterly spent.

Why were all of the people in his life so crazy? He just wanted to band together with a reputable order and live in a magnificent castle instead of this sty, though perhaps that would only make his future accomplishments all the more impressive. The Arthur of stories did start out as a pauper and the castle did at least have one true maiden. The sister was quaint, quiet and pure to his eyes.

"Unlike this ogre..." Shit did he say that alou-

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!" maki growled. Arthur jumped to his feet, his excalibur sputtering to life as he tried to ignore the bruises from the last five bouts. He knew her well enough to know the exaggerations would come nex-

"YOU SAID I'M COMPLETELY UNWOMANLY DIDN'T YOU?! I BET YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT MY GORILLA ARMS TOO!!"

"No you stupid beast I only called you an ogre-"

"WHO'LL NEVER FIND A HUSBAND BECAUSE SHE'S TOO FREAKISHLY STRONG AND MANNISH!?" She cut him off, filling the air with her trademark delusions.

"FINE!! YES YOU'RE A MANNISH OGRE WHO WILL NEVER FIND A MAN, YOU'LL ADD WORSE ANYWAY! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED ME TO SAY?!"

It was not, in fact actually hearing the words almost caused her to burst a blood vessel in her eye, though instead her little flame creatures grew to a roaring combined inferno that burned nearly as hot as the blue flame of Arthur's excalibur. Maki didn't make any noises that were recognizable as English, she was too angry and she'd lost control as she gestured wildly towards the uppity knight, but if she had to put words to her animosity's subconscious emotions, it'd probably be along the lines of "LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT!!" Her lack of control only lasted a few seconds, but by the time she came back to herself, Arthur was surrounded by her pet's flames, it's face ramming itself down his throat.

"C-Come back PusuPusu!" The angry ball of flame didn't show any sign of hearing her, continuing to attack. Crap, where was lieutenant Hinawa when she needed him to put out one of her pets?!

With a great burst of energy, Maki put all of her will into the fire, sending a shockwave through Arthur. The inferno shuddered then broke, dispersing into thousands of tiny embers that soon snuffed themselves out in the wind. There were still some remnants left, but considering what Arthur had been in, the slightly smoldering knight looked much better than he had any right to be, aside the soot stains and various burn holes in his outfit. But all in all leagues better than the smoldering corpse she'd worried would be left behind. Now no longer scared for his life, her worries turned to the lieutenant and what he'd do if he found out about her accident.

"G-Good job rookie!" She grinned with a confidence she hoped she was faking properly. "You survived my little uh... test!" Arthur didn't really respond, he was mostly just coughing and sucking in cool air. "Now you can report to me later and I'll then give a full report to the lieutenant of your progress. The progress reports are pretty boring, not something a knight like you should worry yourself about so just let me take care of it and you should probably not talk about this. With anyone. To uh... surprise the others with your progress! Now go get changed I'll take care of your share of the paperwork while you get yourself looking presentable again."

Maki was happy to see his coughing subside as he gave a curt nod, though she didn't like the way he was swaying. She all but carried him down to the changing area where they kept spare uniforms near the showers and delicately put him down on the benches there. He protested a few times that he could walk, but she didn't want to risk him falling down some stairs on top of everything else. Happy that he was in a stable place and not likely to hurt himself much more severely, Maki left him to his own devices, sweating all the way down as she pretended that nothing was wrong and got to work on two servings of filing work.

Despite his eroded physical state, Arthur found it within himself to shamble towards the showers. A lot had been taken out of him by that blast of ogre magic and he was still burning in his guts and across his skin, that monster’s magic potent and resilient. Familiar with the way Maki had treated him thus far, he suspected even a witch’s curse may have been cast upon him with the intent to dull his soul’s blade. Indeed, there was no greater defeat for a knight than the crumbling of his resolve. Maki bested him every step of the way he hated to admit. He had to prove he belonged here in his new castle, he had to overcome this beast of a woman!

At the entrance to the showers Arthur wasted no time stripping free of his garments. What were once invisible flames painfully tickling his skin suddenly materialized into a more visible form. Arthur could see the small dancing flames along the borders of his body. As the flames billowed larger his skin became more heavily porous, unleashing runoffs of gasoline sweat all over his body that only fueled the accursed flames. Their ferocious burning was trying to outlast the burning of his knight’s pride--his drive to never give in.

“Have at some water you demon flame!” Arthur shouted, his determination as strong as the first time he went into combat as a self-proclaimed knight.

Growing up, Arthur was told the valiant knights he looked up to were not meant for this modern world, but he had always seen things in a different light. It was all still there, the creatures and people from the old stories, the world had simply left them behind. and Arthur had long been determined to prove it all wrong, that a Knight and not a hero--stupid Shinra--was what the world neeeded right now! That is why—!

“I’ll never give up!”

Unleashing his reserves of energy, Arthur hurled himself under the downpour of cooling water from the 8th Brigades locker room showers. He had every shower head running, hoping for a chilling sauna to combat the burning one he felt he was in. The heat persisted however and continued to grow in size and strength, much to Arthur’s surprise. He was all but drowning under his castle’s usually healing spouts, but it may as well have been liquid lava for all the good it was doing.

This wasn’t normal, even his knightly facade was starting to crack, his boyish fantasy dampening under the molten touch of what was supposed to be his salvation. His front of Maki’s intent within his mind was also faltering, he knew better that she would never intend this sort of harm to him, right? A very real fear was building within him. Was he… could he be… spontaneously combusting!?

“No, impossible!” Arthur lamented, shaking his head in order to rid himself of such thoughts. It made no sense anyways. “I’m a third generation, I-I’m a knight! A, a Knight King! Flames are nothing to—”

Arthur then keeled over in shock as he vomited out a thick black smoke, rising out from his throat like a chimney above an overcooked den. No longer could his boasts even challenge the defiant blaze.

His whines of protest rose with every billow, the smoke coming from his burning Adam’s Apple as the lump was reduced to kindling. He spat it out, the small charred lump soon washed down the drainage system of the showers while Arthur continued trying to get the flavor of burning off his tongue. He swirled his tongue around his lips after the smoky flavor had reduced, his mouth getting an odd cottony feeling like it was swollen or something. If he had glanced in a mirror he might have noticed how his lips were bloating, gaining a luscious swell to their shape, but instead his eyes went to his skin as the water finally seemed to work, the flames dying out visibly. For a second he felt relieved, though his skin was much changed from the fire, a layer of burnt, black ash peeling away to reveal a hairless exterior of silky skin that seemed only smoother under the water that wasn’t turning into steam at it’s burning touch. Most of the soot washed away, but a decent amount mixed in with the blonde coloring of his pubic hair and scalp, their powdery blackness overtaking his fairer shading while conditioning every strand they touched.

The flames had become internal, his body temperature spiking as he groaned, his body seeming to melt before his eyes. He grabbed a showerhead for balance, his feet softening on the edges as his internal fires, hungry for sustenance to keep their blaze raging, fed off all that unneeded mass. The flesh just depleted, their masculinity burning away as they shrank down to a petite shape, his toes slimmer, arches raised, though the soles still kept their callouses from constant training. Next to burn was most of his body’s structure, his grip slipping as he slid down the wall into a puddle of cold shower water that was soon brought to a boil by his shrinking, simmering frame.

It was hard to describe what he was feeling, his bones essentially liquidating as inches were fed into the great bellows of his core, the world feeling larger as his frame wickered downwards, his shoulders sloped, collarbone dropped. Yet despite the sudden reformations of his body, or the blazing heat consuming him, none of it felt painful, an oddly euphoric sensation filling him as the next thing to burn was every last spare inch of fat the internal fires could find, his core heaving as his sides popped inwards, giving him a curvy figure that jiggled as his muscle liquidated, his body’s athletic structure reforming entirely.

His broad physique was no more, sensual slopes and a curving posture possessing the manly form that once held firm. To his surprise though and body’s delight, his brawn that always served him well in swinging his sword with intense purpose hadn’t left him. Sure, he had loss plenty of mass in a myriad of areas, but he was also gaining more. His already toned arms shivered and quaked, building even more defined peaks of muscular might. The fiery blood pumping through his body engorged the veins in his arms, illuminating a faint orange glow. It was as if the very power of the flames themselves were spurring his strength to further heights, the wound strands of meat tightening and brimming with a burning vigor. The heat filled up his biceps like a hot air balloon, making them take a strong yet still controlled, well toned shape, like a physique carved from marble. His lower arms were not spared either, ample strength coming to them as well.

The same sudden burst of heat began to cook the meat in his legs as well, more prominently his thighs. As if by an instinctual need to want to experience the growth of even more strength being gifted to him by the Eternal Flame, Arthur gripped at his thighs content yet fierce with newfound power, his arms providing his hands a vice-like grip. What could only be described as large, flat, smooth stones arose from the depths of his thighs and hardened into hot volcanic rock-hard muscle. There seemed to be little room within his legs, the muscles grinding together in a seismic event under his skin. The sensation was bewildering, even more stones began to build within his stomach as well, rising to form a row of rigid, muscular formations upon his core, each one steaming like the smooth rocks from a hot spring.

Arthur found himself crying out for more, but not necessarily for the new strength being amplified. No, he was actually finding the enlarging mass within his ass far more gratifying, the tight, firmly packed muscle mixed with fat creating a powerful showcase of femininity. Indeed, his body was now oozing far more a feminine shape than before and Arthur against his better judgement was starting to crave it. He felt a somewhat sigh of relief even when as he felt his hardening abs leveling out more below some additional strung out fat, their appearance becoming more buried beneath a smoother, yet still finely tuned core, but one that gestured a womanly flair. The texture of it all happening beneath his fingertips sent shocks of awe and glee racing through his body, erupting as a passionate moan. His excitement was set to broil.

He tried to muffle his own cries of ecstasy, ashamed that he was enjoying this at all, yet his body was unable to deny the pleasure of his newfound strength filling him. The coiled muscles in his newly thickened thighs were in a vice-grip lock around his balls, his full erection raging harder than the inferno inside. The fire seemed to be shifting inside him now, it’s work on his core done as it moved lower, coming to a stop in his prostate as his g spot was triggered multiple times in quick succession while reforming.

It proved to be too much pleasure for Arthur’s training to hold back, his balls deflating as his cock trembled, spurts of flaming white cum pistoning out his dick as he shrieked happily, each orgasm better than the last. His prostate gave one shudder before the fires finished their work, the organ moving down and restructuring into a fresh womb, colloquially termed oven with legitimate fire. One final hot wad shot out from his tip, his balls completely empty, body spent, yet still his erection persisted, his body craving something different, something it wasn’t fit to do biologically yet. Desperate for release, he wrapped his cock in a dainty hand, the heightened sensation making him cum almost immediately, but all that came out were puffs of hot air. Still he continued to jerk it, begging for release as the hot air that left with each release dialed up in temperature. His hand eventually had to let go, the hard rod now burning his palm with his fiery releases, the whole thing nearly molten as the pale skin reddened to a deep pink, but the texture seemed odd as he released it.

It was still hard, but when his hand had grasped it, the flesh had dimpled, an alien pleasure running down the shaft to add to the fire beneath it. It was hard to keep his eyes open amidst the shocks of ecstasy burning through his testosterone, but the more he looked at his pulsating cock, the more he could see it finally changing.

His balls were the first thing he noticed, the two shriveled lumps melting under the heat, dimpling and dripping inwards as they pooled together like wax near a great flame. The liquidating mass was soon dribbling inside of him, his body sending waves up as he splashed again and again against the floors of the showers, impossible ecstasy filling him as two tunnels were carved besides his womb, the hot genital runoff diverting down both of his new fallopians. The molten masses eventually cooled down into ovaries now brimming with estrogen, edging the pleasure with a gust of estrogen as they pumped their feminine goodness throughout his body.

There were no words to describe the ecstasy as load after load of burning femininity ran up the length of his cock, the hard masculine rod joining his balls in melting into him like a great wax candle. Every last pleasure nerve was sparking and proliferating, Arthur’s brain sparking under too much stimulation, his shrieks turning into one high pitched cry as drips of dick poured back into him, burning a large channel towards his womb.

Sensing his near completion, the rest of the heat pushed upwards, following the sparking pleasure from his melting cock to his brain as his features smoldered, the sharp lines of his face and elegant knightly masculinity were melted down to something softer, alluring, feminine. A familiar face soon revealed itself from his melting features, the burnt cinders of his growing irises polluting the clear blue of his irises, darkening them to a dusky magenta. His brain was melting, new thoughts and feelings being branded onto the soft flesh as he screamed, the scream interrupted by a fountain of cold water pouring straight into his upturned mouth.

The coolness came as a relief, his brain hardening back into a mix half Maki, half Arthur, Aki swallowing a few quarts worth before coughing out the rest. The cool water did little to quell the heat of her waning genitalia, her cock leaning to the side as more and more it sank into her, the hot flesh of her cock filling her new cavity. Instead she found herself dealing with another source of ecstasy, her male nipples going from a raw pink to a stiff, sensitive well done shade of brown as every drop of water steamed against the magic, becoming fat.

The battle raged on inside of her, but all Aki could do was writhe in pleasure, her nipples swelling with fat, cock shrinking, a spare runoff of water pooling in her ass as the flat cheeks soon grew to a delectable heart shaped ass. With a pleasing hiss her breasts finished expanding, the soft bags of flesh stimulated by the shower streams as one hand pinched her new nipples, loving the new feelings it sent her swimming in as her unoccupied hand hovered around the smoldering remains of her dick.

It was barely out, a misshapen lump of masculinity begging to be put out of its misery, her body straining to be done with it. Through the pain of the heat she brought her hand down, using her second generation abilities to stoke the fire and melt the remaining waxy flesh of her manhood, guiding it to slide into the hungry maw between her legs. The pleasure spiked one final time as she screamed, her body heaving as her hips thrust against her pushing hand, submerging the last of her cock into her body as her fingers pushed it deeper and deeper inside of her, everything building between her legs until there was no more room to push, her melted, inverted cock pulsing one last time before cool air rushed into her gaping vagina. It hardened into ribbed walls and a hard deposit at the bottom that found her singed fingertips as she brushed her clit, new muscles between her thighs twitching as every last spark of heat suddenly came rushing out.

“HYAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAH!!!!!! AAAAAAAAH!!! AHHHH!!! AH! AH! AH! AHHN~!” Hot female juices erupted out of her snatch like volcanic lava, the metal of the shower’s drains melting slightly as her orgasm’s runoff was swept off into the sewer system. Aki’s body splashed violently as she writhed and gyrated, her fingers going in and out as she was bathed in the warm, soupy ecstasy of her first female climaxes. With a final hot spurt she slumped, the heat as spent as her body as a significantly reduced fire friend puffed out of her vagina, leaving the finished clone of Maki behind to gasp and bask in the aftermath of her intense transformation. The cool water pouring on her did wonders to ease her aching muscles, every last one of them properly put through the ringer from her last few minutes of fun. She could just close her eyes and stay there all day. Well, she would have if she didn’t hear her fire friend squeal as it was attacked by multiple streams of cool water.

Aki quickly jumped to her feet, then regretted it as her momentum carried her back down against the slick linoleum tiles. Sputtering, she got back up and ran to the nearest handles, turning them off as quick as she could while her fire friend squealed and shriveled against the cold water trying to snuff it out. She had gotten most of them off when she realized she had missed one near the entrance, the lone stream sending up splashes that were hitting her poor PusuPusu. Sadly she didn’t make it in time, her fire friend sputtering out with a pitiful whine, her emotional high dropping to rock bottom.

In tears over her lost friend, Aki let out a deafening wail, but it wasn’t just her tears pouring out. The molten vaginal runoff from before had melted their way through the plumbing system of the 8th brigade, the drains nearly sealed shut and the pipes distorting as their iron structure liquidated. Soon the burning cum was pouring from breaks in the pipes, sizzling against the structural supports that kept the window facing side of the shower room area upright. Worse, the weakening supports were being burdened with Aki’s excessive shower water, a pool nearly a foot deep slowly tilting more and more to the edge as the walls shuddered with instability. 

Aki’s despairing wails were cut off by the sudden boom as the floor caved in, the outer wall’s structural integrity snapping as sunlight came through the tilting room. She tried to run away, then swim to safety as she found herself caught in the torrent of water now rushing outside, dragging and spitting her out a few feet from the fourth floor. Her cries became directed towards her own safety as the ground rushed towards her faster and faster. Even in her moment of fear however, delusions ran wild and she wondered where her shining champion was to save her.

And just like that, Shinra swooped in on a trail of fire rocketing from his feet. He caught the falling Aki, cradling her in his arms. This brought her to an immediate blush as he carried her down to safety within the Fire Department walls once more.

After letting her to her feet Shinra panicked, his lips twitching into an obviously pleased smile as he noticed her nakedness, but being the gentleman he was, he quickly turned away blushing, trying to change the subject away from the awkward moment. “Jeez Maki, what did you do!? You really did a number on this place.”

Aki’s heart was thumping wildly at the sight of her hero. He looked like a dork, but a lovable one that brimmed with confidence and a devilishly fun smile. His voice was soothing even when balking at a mishap like this. A conflicting roil of emotions poured through her as her nipples hardened and her lips trembled into a smirk. She smiled, feeling something stir below, a few drips of something hot beginning to leak from between her legs.

Even with his back turned, Shinra felt the glare of goo goo eyes from whom-he-assumed-was-Maki was giving him. He nervously scratched the back of his head and tossed his Fireman’s jacket to her for her to cover herself up. The glimpse he captured though was enough to set his heart ablaze, though he’d do his best not to show it.

“You are lucky I was around Maki. What were you-”

“Aki… actually.” The woman nervously sputtered as she hid her mouth a bit beneath the jacket.

“Aki?” a confused Shinra replied. She seemed rather off in her mannerisms, her fidgeting and weird stares she was giving him out of character with the woman he knew. “Did you hit your head? You sure you are alright?”

“Oh, your damsel princess is quite well Shinra, thanks to your gallant efforts. My hero!”

Maki tilted her head and looked cuter than she had any right being. What was with her today? Shinra pondered.

“Damsel… Princess? You been hanging around Arthur too much? In fact, where is that idiot? Weren't the two of you trainin-n-n-nahh!”

“Take me into your arms my valiant Knight Hero!” Maki theatrically and dramatically commanded, disrobing from the jacket she had been given to rush towards her hero.

Shinra backstepped and avoided her.

“Please don’t hurt me! I didn’t peak I swear!”

Aki stopped dead in her tracks with tears in her eyes.

“You think of me to be some brute? Oh… curse these muscles! They are a painful reminder of a past I wish to leave far behind.”

“You mean…. You aren't going to beat me to a pulp?”

“Of course not my Knight Hero Shinra! I abhor violence.”

This constant praising of his heroics by the attractive nude lady in front of him was becoming harder for Shinra’s urges to ignore, his body starting to sweat. He held himself together though, like any good hero should. What the hell was going on!?

Shirna turned away as to not further impede upon Maki’s privacy with his gaze and asked, “Are you sure you are fine M- uh… Aki? You are acting crazy, like some hopeless, lovestruck bride?”

“You think of me as your heavenly refined loving bride?! Oh Shinra darling!”

“Wait, that’s not what I said!”

Shinra was immediately piled on by the nude Aki who was overjoyed by her Hero’s immediate acceptance of her feelings towards him. It was surely love at first flight, their eyes a fiery knot being tied while they were soaring through the air.

Shirna struggled under the always strong body of Maki, her strength keeping him pinned, but this time for a more… intimate retaliation. An intimacy that he found himself finding it harder and harder to deny the more it developed through her assault of his body. Her grooming of his ego by playing up his hero status only fed into the magic of the moment.

“Over here Lieutenant!” Maki screamed out, following the path of destruction near the shower rooms to the scorched exterior of the lieutenant. MeraMera was out, Maki prepared for an enemy attack though she was concerned that she couldn’t properly form PusuPusu as well for some reason. She was worried sick about Arthur after hearing that explosion and hoped the lieutenant might know what to do. “Arthur! Arthur are you-bwaaaahh!!”

Maki stood shocked at the scene before her as the lieutenant briskly walked up behind her and merely adjusted his glasses as he turned back to survey the damage before taking a second glance at the oddity he too was witnessing.

Before them was the spitting image of Maki being railed by Shinra on the ground, the two lovers making sparks, the air electric. Seeing her body having Shinra collide into it again and again, her legs lifted up and to the sides in such a compromising position, Maki’s psyche devolved into a dizzying state. Sure, she had always had her own fantasies on how she’d wished to be treated by a lover, but she wasn't prepared for this from the outside looking in. Shinra was being so rough with her, like a horny schoolboy letting out all that pent up energy.

Maki and the Lieutenant simply stood there for a few moments, soaking it all in. Each thwack of Shinra’s hips against Aki’s firm ass clapped like a firecracker. Their bodies were slick with sweat and their oiled up forms allowed for a disgustingly wet view of the in and out motion of Shinra’s cock. Their eyes were wed to one another in this passionate, awkward moment, the Maki clone desperately playing with her bobbing breasts while imagining it was Shrina who was courting them, though she appreciated the strong grasp her hero had on her thighs as he pumped harder into her.

“Oh Shinra! My Knight Hero! Ahn! Plunge deeper inside your princess! Deeper!”

“Don’t worry! Your hero is here to Justice Smash you! For you I will be Deep-plunge-man!”

Unable to avert her gaze, Maki’s head was about to explode from the stress and imagery and Shinra’s dorky-as-fuck line was the match that set the pyre ablaze, their bodies tensing with anticipation as the fire in her groin became literal, a blaze that enveloped them with the passion of their lo-

“WHAT… THE...FU-”

FSHHHHHH

The sound of a fire extinguisher interrupted Maki, though her cry lasted for a solid half minute. She saw the lieutenant dowsing Shinra and the doppelganger Maki, their fire doused as the two lovers shrieked in confusion and embarrassment. Maki was too confused to be embarrassed, her brain in a state of overheat as if she’d been using her powers continuously for three days. Thank god the lieutenant was here to handle this because she just could not deal with this right now and the glare in his eyes radiated anger. She’d just agree with him and then when her brain wasn’t mush she’d try to figure this thing out and probably cry or ask Sister to baptize the entire area the two had been… Thankfully before she had to think back on the sex anymore, Hinawa began to speak.

The Maki clone tried to stave him from her hero. 

“S-Stay away from my prince charming who rescued me from a witch that flung me off th-” Hinawa just ignored her, his anger focused on the naked shivering boy before him.

“I am disappointed Shinra!” The shark toothed boy tried to cover his genitals with one hand while giving a proper salute with the other, thankful the lieutenant’s angry gaze wasn’t focused on his still erect genitals.

“Y-Yes Lieutenant Hinawa I apologize! I was caught in the heat of the moment sir! We only meant to have some fu-”

“No that’s not what I’m talking about. There is a proper way to do these things. First off any member of the 8th is to follow safety protocol at all times! Did you even use a condom?”

For a second all of them stood still in disbelief at his words. Maki was the one to break the silence.

“That’s what you’re angry about!? Don’t you think there’s something a bit more fucking important to mention right now?!” Shinra’s eyes bugged out at the sight of another Maki, his eyes flickering between the two in confusion. Aki just had a dull look on her face, annoyed that the grand wizard of the court had interrupted them in the midst of her hero breaking her curse of horniness. She blamed her cousin who was clearly trying to take her position as princess just because they looked alike. She hugged Shinra harder while outside her delusion Hinawa just nodded at Maki.

“You are right Officer Oze.”

“Thank you!”

“Why were the two of you goofing around during company time? You have work to do!”

“OH FOR THE LOVE OF-” The lieutenant glared at her, silencing her outburst.

“I will get to you soon, but first I have to deal with our rookies. Shinra I do not allow for such slacking on the job while under the purview of the 8th. I expect this kind of lax behavior from Arthur though I do not condone it. You have never been swayed by him before. And Arthur don’t think I’ve forgotten about you!” Shinra and Maki’s mouths went slack as he turned to the naked Maki doppelganger, their jaws dropping as she turned to respond.

“My name is Aki sir ever since I was cursed by the witch.”

“I thought so. You have the same blank look and you have his same delu… peculiarities in vision.”

Hinawa began to talk about responsibility, making some threats with his adjustable baptized gun to accent the most prescient talking points, but all the formality and order in the world couldn’t stop Shinra from his shocked outburst.

“ARTHUR?! How did- When- Why- D-Did I just-”

“Shhh,” she shushed him with her fingers, draping herself over him as she swooned.

“You saved me my hero! Even during our training at the fourth castle with all the other squires we were always close. As for when…” Aki’s brow furrowed, her mind trying to remember when and how the witch had cursed her. Eventually she shrugged, peppering a squirming Shinra with kisses.

“All I remember was a great flash of light and the 8th’s witch sending me to a dark wet chamber, but let us not think of the past my love. I am the princess of all damsels and I am yours!”

Shinra asked the lieutenant for help as he tried to disentangle himself from his rival, but instead he calmly turned as if nothing was going on, his glare now focused on a sweating Maki. To say the last few minutes had been an emotional rollercoaster would be an understatement, but dread replaced her confusion as understanding came over her. The fire, her clone, the fact that when she had tried to make PusuPusu and MeraMera for fun, PusuPusu hadn’t formed properly. And to top it all off, Hinawa was bearing down on her like a bat out of hell, his eyes nearly crossed from the angle of his glare. She faced it like the ex-soldier she was, gritting her teeth as she stood firm, MeraMera floating behind her with an equally resolute look.

“I thought I told you this before!” She flinched as he cocked his gun.

“NEVER!” The safety was off.

“MESS AROUND!” He aimed it, his finger on the trigger.

“WITH FIRE!!!” MeraMera dissipated with a single shot while Hinawa gave his subordinate his best disapproving look and then signalled them all to listen in.

“Alright all of you shall assist in rebuilding the parts of the 8th that you have destroyed before Captain Obi returns later from his supply run.

“B-But lieutenant!” Shinra struggled to speak under Aki’s continued stifling affection.

“Isn’t Arthur’s situation more pre-”

“That can wait till work is over.”

“But sir she’s obviousl-”

“After work.”

“But my hero’s cock requi-”

“After work!”

“Oh come on you can’t let her defile my body like tha-”

“AFTER WORK! You can clean up this mess after you fix the mess you left for the 8th on company time! There is a proper way to do things and we must do this properly. Any more complaints?!”

The three of them stared sullenly at the lieutenant, each of them upset for a completely different reason, but all of them surrendered undered his continued intense gaze, bowing their heads like beaten dogs as they responded.

“No lieutenant.”

“Good now get moving. We have a lot of work to do before the captain returns and I don’t want to hear a single complaint about things that do not matter until we officially clock out. Brigade 8, Disperse!”