Army of the Damned

VOLUME 16 Chapter 3

Walking along the golden beaches of Woodstock, the sunkissed sand was so clear and wonderful that James felt as if he could enjoy the rest of the day just sitting by the ocean as a party was going on the pier with a large ferris wheel on it, the tip going far out in the edge as the empty unbuilt Space Elevator was being deconstructed by large barges and ships.

James had his hands on his back, admiring the players living on their lives as if they were back on Earth, many donning modern clothes, and his eyes unable to believe the skimpy bikinis the women were wearing. Bahamut who was walking beside him was busy on her smartphone watching the group chat go on by as Elizabeth and Jackson took photos of the paperwork stacking up on his desk.

"Goddess." Turning to her right and looking up a bit, the Grand Prince points his finger at an oncoming player wearing multicam combat pants and combat boots but on top was a civilian shirt with a logo on it. With a baseball cap on his head, he was pointing out some litter that was thrown mercilessly on the asphalt path on the sandy beach. "Who do you think you are?! What is this? Your house? Throw your shit somewhere else! Take it and go!"

The Dragon immediately steers clear of the fuming man infront of them but it was too late for James. Due to his very manly build, he couldn't properly squeeze through the tight two lane path, having to choose between bumping into the man or Bahamut. "Tsk! What's your problem buddy? On a pretty walk with your girl huh? When is the end of the world is nigh infront of us?!"

He immediately lifts his hands up his shoulders and smiles with a sweat. "N-No sir. I am just walking by. I apologize." This didn't calm the man, looking at Bahamut who wasn't in her signature gown but instead in her pencil skirt with the Eldwood General Leather greatcoat over it. "Huh? Look at you two, some Danish Viking ass motherfucker with Miss Universe. Look, you know what I saw in my time?"

Bahamut just had an expressionless face as she crossed her arms. "Looking through it, you seem to be suffering from when you were on the frontlines." This made the player silent. "H-How did you know that?!"

"You were stationed in one of the star shaped fortifications that surrounded the outskirts of the city." This made him grab her shoulders tightly. "HOW?! So... so you saw it too! The skies! They... they were blotted out by the bombers! Oh God... the sounds!" seeing how tight his grip was, James immediately peeled him away from her as Bahamut just put her hands on the sides of her shoulders. Her head tilted down to the sides. "You have a similar condition to Master. I suggest you get yourself someone to take care of you."

"Hah? Why do you think I am stuck in this fucking shithole of a planet? My country lost the war and the economy went down to the pits of Hell and now, foreign soldiers are patrolling my city! Imagine! Peacekeepers from those slant eyed fuckers shit stained third world countries are now in my streets!" James kept his hands gripping on the player whose eyes had forgotten to blink. "I waste my life playing Full Dive to escape the actual shitty life I live now, in that dystopian hell hole where everything has been stained by defeat. It reeks like a whore!"

"Sir, sir, how about you try to practice? Some sort of a hobby? One my Uncles had a condition like yours after he returned from a campaign. What my Father did was practice sword fighting with him and he seemed to have mostly recovered." The player brushes away the Prince's hands. Fixing the Militia Armband on his left arm and lifts his fist up him. "Grrrr... you remind me so much of those asshole social workers checking up on me. Both of you! Stop acting like everything is normal and PREPARE!" he scoffs and as walks away, he turns around to them. "IN A MAD WORLD, ONLY THE MAD ARE SANE!" As the two of them left looking at each other as the player was puffing and fuming like a steam train as he pushed away players, walking to the concrete stairs up to the street.

James then turns to Bahamut, with a deal of concern in his eyes. "Lord Jackson has the same condition?" The Dragon just turned to the Pier and started walking again, making the Prince catch up to her as she sighed. "Yes, Master suffers from that same thing. Even the eyes had the same reaction."