Gustav: A Familiar's Loyalty

A giant, lion-cat beast known as Gustav was galloping through the demon-filled streets of Blendingbrook, rushing to provide aid to his master and friend, Lady Vesperia, or as she preferred to call herself, Mary. Meanwhile, the girls from the Adventurers Guild rode on his back.

"Mr. Kitty, there's a demon flying on the left!" Lydia called, riding in the front.

"Don't worry, I got it," Maria replied.

The red-haired kitchen assistant quickly dug through her newly equipped satchel and pulled out a vial of holy oil. She threw it toward the demon flying down at them from the left. The vial exploded against the creature's body, bursting it into flames as it crashed to the ground.

Gustav still couldn't believe that he had broken his lady's wishes and brought the girls along. But they had been too stubborn. After briefly stopping at the Adventurers Guild to rearm themselves, they quickly climbed back onto his back and rode into battle with him.

They were just humans and simple beastfolk. None of them was even half as powerful as a low-ranking demon, and yet here they were, risking their lives for his master.

They really loved her, didn't they?

"Chanchan, on your right!" Leafy shouted.

The bat girl who had been flying low alongside Gustav quickly maneuvered herself, performing a barrel roll before flinging a vial of holy oil at the creature, bursting it into flames.

"Hey, nice moves, Chanchan," Maria cheered.

"Chanchan says thanks," the bat girl smiled. "Chanchan uses her skills from delivering packages to fight demons."

"Very good, Chanchan," Snowpoppy praised.

Just as they reached the front gates, Gustav began to sense the faint traces of his lady's demonic aura in the air. There was no doubt about it. She must have fully transformed by now.

"So where to, Mr. Kitty?" Lydia called out as Gustav looked left and right, trying to decide which direction to take. He closed his eyes and focused his senses, aiming to pick up the exact direction from which his lady's aura was coming.

"This way."

Gustav announced as he turned left and began galloping in that direction. On their way, they witnessed the devastation left behind by the battle between Mary and Emilia. There was no doubt the two had fought intensely, with trees left destroyed in their wake, and mighty craters dug deep into the earth.

"Whoa."

All of the girls whispered from his back, clearly mesmerized by the level of destruction surrounding them. However, as Gustav continued following the scent trails of his lady's aura, they all heard a loud scream, a roar that pierced through the night with violent intensity.

It was almost deafening. The entire group covered their ears in response. Even Gustav had to stop for a moment to shake off the effects, careful not to accidentally throw the girls off his back and onto the ground.

"What was that?" Lydia questioned.

"Y-yeah, it was so loud," Minimo added.

Gustav turned his head over his shoulder to gaze at them from the corner of his eye.

"I'm afraid that was my lady empress," he said.

"Mary?" Leafy pressed. "What happened?"

"She must have fully transformed into a wild demon. By the time we get there, she may no longer be the Mary we all know."

"What are you talking about?" the girls demanded almost in unison.

"Is there any way to help her? To bring her back?"

Before Gustav could answer, a large, heavy figure flew past their heads, trailing black steam across the sky. The wind it had generated was so powerful, it picked up dust and rocks in its wake. The girls were so startled, some of them nearly fell to the ground.

"What was that?" one of the girls wondered aloud.

Gustav turned his demonic sight toward the sky behind them. Despite the figure moving far too quickly for anyone else to see clearly, his senses were able to pick up brief glimpses of his lady, Empress Mary, now fully transformed into a wild demon.

She was moving through the sky at incredible speeds, systematically striking down the demons flying above the town.

"Is that black smoke thing her?" Lydia inquired.

Gustav nodded his head.

"It is my Lady in her wild demonic state. She must still retain some remnants of her consciousness. That is why she is using her power to destroy the demons and save the town before she loses control completely."

"So she's still in there?" Leafy pressed.

"Yes, but..."

"Then we need to help her," Snowpoppy answered.

Gustav was about to tell them it might already be too late, since his Lady Vesperia was already on a rampage. But before he could speak, he was suddenly cut off as he picked up the scent of an enemy nearby.

Gustav instantly turned toward the left, growling and baring his teeth.

"Wait, what is it?" Lydia called out.

Slowly, Gustav began to move toward a nearby crater. As they drew closer, his senses picked up something unusual.

The girls on his back were preparing themselves for an ambush, their vials of holy oil already drawn. Gustav stopped at the edge of the crater, and the girls peered inside.

A figure was lying unconscious at the bottom.

"Who is that?" one of the girls questioned, staring down at the unconscious girl. She was nearly two meters tall, with short blonde hair and armor as blue as twilight.

"That is Lady Emilia," Gustav answered. "My Empress's half-sister."

"Huh?! That's Mary's sister?! A demon general?!"

Before any of the girls could get another word in, a sudden explosion rocked the ground somewhere close by. They all shook with fear and hung on for dear life as Gustav turned toward the source of the explosion.

Another crater had formed nearby, smoke still rising out from inside.

Gustav galloped over with haste, the aura he was sensing being a familiar one. He was pretty sure he had a good idea of who this would turn out to be.

When he finally peered over the edge, the girls on his back were shocked to find his lady nearly unrecognizable in her new form.

She was well over two meters tall, and unlike her usual appearance, she now possessed ten horns on top of her head, and a body that was barely hers anymore.

Her eyes were as black as night, large and almost diamond-shaped. Her nose had transformed into two narrow slits, resembling some kind of strange monster. Her teeth had become long fangs, though they were still nowhere near as long as her claws. And her wings were humongous, possessing intricate, strange, and disturbing shapes on each side, each one resembling the eye of some hideous creature.

All of the girls upon his back gasped at the sight of their friend. Mary was no longer the woman they knew. This was what she had become. A wild demon. A monster.