4 The Kinky Tavern

I was woken up suddenly by Briggo. He shook me by the shoulder until I opened my eyes, and then he offered me some water from his canteen.

"I found a stream not far from here, so I filled up on water for both of us," he said. "Time to get up, Birito. We'll be leaving soon."

I took a sip of water without thinking, and then I rubbed my eyes and tried to get a grip on my surroundings. It was early morning and the sun was out, but it was still low in the sky. I put on my glasses and slipped on my shoes. The shoes were dry now, but they still smelled like urine. I turned to look at Truck-chan, and I quickly realized that she was no longer human. She had transformed back into a truck, and I had been lying there in the grass and spooning one of her rear wheels.

"Good morning, Birito-kun," she said cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"

"Ugh, yeah, I guess," I muttered, still trying to get my bearings. I was half-asleep. "You… you're a truck again."

"Uh huh, I'm back to normal!"

"I woke up at daybreak and she was a truck," Briggo explained. "I didn't see it happen, but it looks like my theory was correct. She is a truck during the day and a human girl at night."

I nodded and took another sip of water, then I handed the canteen back to Briggo.

"So how did you sleep, Truck-chan?" Briggo asked.

"Oh good, it was fine. Well I did feel this pointy feeling once in a while, like something was poking me from behind. Being human is weird."

"Oh yes," Briggo said with a smirk. "Gentle poking at night is a normal part of being human, right Birito?"

My face turned red. "I'm gonna go take a look around," I said and stood up. I wanted to get out of this awkward situation as soon as possible. And since this world was still completely new to me, some independent exploring might do me good. But most importantly, I needed to pee again and I wasn't about to drain snakes together with Briggo, so I needed an excuse to sneak off on my own.

"Sure thing, Birito," Briggo said. "But please don't take too long. I'm going to warm up the meat from last night and then we need to leave. We should be on the road within the hour."

"Oh, that food was so good," Truck-chan said and giggled. "I'm still so full… UwU."

I nodded and walked towards the trees as Briggo held the rest of the meat up to the fire. I tried to calm myself down and look at things rationally. The sooner I make my peace with the insanity of this situation, the sooner I can find a way to get back home. And I need to find a way back. I doubt that I'll be able to maintain my sanity for long.

She actually said uwu again!

I didn't see anything too strange as I walked past the trees and down a clearing full of plants and flowers. Some of the flowers that I saw were similar to the flowers in the real world, and others were clearly different, like these giant blue roses that were nearly the size of my head. The same goes for smells. Some were familiar, and others were vastly different. The giant blue roses in particular had a scent unlike any rose that I had ever seen before. I would have sworn that they smelled like coffee.

Ditto for the insects. Some seemed familiar, while others looked utterly bizarre, including what can only be described as purple bees. These bees were loud and menacing, and they seemed to be especially interested in the giant roses. I kept my distance from the bees, and as I looked around I saw nothing but grass and trees all around me. Off in the distance there were only hills and mountaintops. No cities or villages here, and no real signs of civilization of any kind. I drained my snake in private next to a nearby tree, and then I headed back to the spot where Truck-chan and Briggo were waiting.

We ate the meat quickly, packed up the few belongings that we had with us, and then we took our leave. I sat inside the truck and Briggo climbed up on the roof, just like before. Truck-chan's fuel gage was back to full, something that didn't even surprise me at this point. In the perpetual state of confusion within which I found myself, Briggo's story about the Equine Princess made about as much sense as any other crazy thing in this world.

Truck-chan drove slowly and carefully over the grass until we reached the gravel road again. Then she resumed the drive at a more reasonable pace, and before the rising sun emerged from below the mountaintops, we were well on our way.

It was a long and mostly uneventful trip. Every once in a while, we would come across some manmade structures. There were farms and barns, a few houses clustered together, and on rare occasions a larger structure like an Inn would pop up along the road. Many of these buildings were run down or even abandoned altogether, and I was beginning to wonder whether this entire fantasy world was a crumbling wasteland. However, Briggo assured me that this was not the case. He explained that we were currently traveling through the Lawless Lands, an area that lies on the periphery of what was once Twigoslavia. This part of the country is isolated, sparsely populated, and it has almost no economy to speak of. As a result, once Twigoslavia broke up into the rival kingdoms of Animakistan and Nuxturia, neither kingdom wanted to take responsibility for this part of the country. Trying to keep order in such a remote and economically stagnant region required more resources than either kingdom was willing to part with, so this part of the country became known as the Lawless Lands ─ a rugged no man's land full of smugglers, bandits, and pirates.

But as the sun began to set again on a long day of travel, Briggo assured us that unlike the Lawless Lands, Animakistan was a safe, stable, and wealthy country. We were almost there, he said, but before we arrived at the border we would have to find a place to spend the night. After all, Truck-chan was about to become human soon, and that would stop our current method of travel in its tracks.

"There," Briggo said, pointing up ahead. It was another Inn, or at least that's what it looked like. A large building made of wood and stone was rising before us, and we could see dozens of lights shining through the opened windows. Many horses were tied up outside, and the rambunctious voices of the Inn's patrons could be heard long before we arrived at the building itself.

"A friend of mine owns that Inn," Briggo explained. "Dakota Broskie is his name, and he was once the greatest bartender in all of Twigoslavia. We'll rest here tonight, and before lunchtime tomorrow we'll be in Animakistan."

"Okay," I said as Truck-chan pulled up to the building. Several of the Inn's patrons were chatting and smoking outside, and they couldn't help but stare at Truck-chan as we arrived. They also quickly noticed Briggo sitting on the roof, and they began talking amongst themselves in hushed tones.

"Service!" Briggo called out as he jumped down from the roof.

Seconds later one of the building's wooden doors flew open and a neatly dressed young man emerged.

"Yes, boy, hello," Briggo said and the boy nodded politely.

"What can I do for you, sir."

"Is Dakota here tonight?"

"Yes sir, same as every night. He's serving drinks at the bar."

Briggo smiled. "Serving drinks to the customers, or to himself?"

"About half-half," the young man said and smiled back.

"Tell him that an old friend is here to see him. Briggo's the name."

"Yes sir," the young man said and bowed. He rushed back inside and not 30 seconds later the door flew open again.

"BRIGGO!" someone called out, and then the figure of a man appeared in the doorway. The man had a strong muscular frame and piercing dark eyes. He had a goatee and long dark hair tied up in a ponytail, and most interestingly of all, he wore a black tailored suit with a red bowtie. Briggo and his friend smiled and embraced each other firmly. It was the manliest hug that I had ever seen, complete with aggressive slaps on each other's backs and shoulders.

I watched the entire scene unfold from inside the truck. Some of the characters who stood by the building looked suspicious, maybe even outright dangerous, and I was hesitant to step outside. I could swear that one of the men who stood outside the Inn had horns on his head, but I thought that maybe he was simply wearing a horned helmet and I was imagining things in the creeping darkness of twilight.

But the man Briggo had called his friend seemed friendly enough. His choice of clothing told me that this man must have also been isekai'd from the real world at some point in the past, since he looked like a classy bartender from an uptown lounge in Tokyo, not a lowly innkeeper from a medieval fantasy world.

"What brings you to my neck of the woods?" Dakota asked Briggo.

"I'm here with some friends. We're looking for a place to spend the night, then we're heading to the border in the morning."

Dakota nodded. "You're more than welcome to stay here, my friend." He called out to the same young man from before, and the boy hurried to make the necessary preparations.

"There are 3 of us," Briggo added. "That's my friend Birito right there." He pointed at me and I waved through the window. Dakota waved back. "There's also a girl, but she's… uhm… she's inside the carriage."

"Oh my, oh my," Dakota said as he finally took notice of the truck. "Where'd you find a carriage like this out here in the wilderness? It looks like a truck from our world."

"Yes, it's quite a rare specimen. I couldn't have made it here so quickly without it, and time is of the essence. Have you heard of the Demon Lord Havoc?"

"I've heard rumors about his growing power."

"He's gathered a large army in the north, and he's been invading kingdoms left and right. It won't be long before he comes knocking on the doors of Twigoslavia. I need to get through to Animak and Nuxanor before it's too late."

Dakota nodded. "I see. I've been so isolated out here that I lost track of world events. At any rate, I am at your service. I'll do anything I can to help."

"Thank you, my friend," Briggo said. "Oh, by the way, would you happen to have some women's clothing that I could borrow? The girl I told you about… she was robbed by some bandits and her clothes were ruined. She's of average height, but her chest is… well, above average, if you know what I mean."

Dakota chuckled. "Yes, I know what you mean. I don't have much here that fits that description, but I'm sure that I can find a barmaid outfit that will fit her."

"Perfect, thank you!"

"No problem, my friend. No problem at all. Now Briggo, shall we drain the snake together as all friends should?"

Briggo laughed. "Well of course. Would I come before an old friend with a dry snake? Let us go, there, to those trees." Briggo pointed to a group of trees that were a dozen steps away, and then he turned to me to ask if I wanted to join them. I waved them off and mouthed that I didn't have to pee, and Briggo nodded. He said that he'd be right back and then the two men proceeded to engage in a round of social urination.

I saw them talking and laughing and slapping each other on the back while relieving themselves, and then Dakota went back inside the Inn while Briggo approached the truck again.

"Okay Birito," he said. "Dakota has some empty stables at the back of the building. Let's take Truck-chan there and wait for her transformation to occur before going inside. I don't want anyone to see it happen; it would raise too many questions. I even lied to Dakota about it, and I despise lying to friends. I just don't want curious bandits and mercenaries snooping around. They could delay our journey, and if that happens, we might be too late to stop the Demon Lord."

I nodded. "Sure, I understand." Honestly, I agreed wholeheartedly with Briggo's cautious approach. I was completely clueless and helpless in this world, and I was hoping to attract as little attention as possible while looking for a way back home.

Truck-chan drove slowly and carefully until we made our way around the building. Briggo opened the doors to the stables and Truck-chan squirmed inside. It was a tight squeeze but she managed, and thanks to the empty stables her appearance was concealed from the outside world. Briggo removed his giant sword from the roof of the truck and strapped it to his back.

"It's dark in here, Birito-kun," Truck-chan said softly.

"Don't worry, we'll be out soon. The sun is almost down."

"Briggo!" someone called from outside. It was Dakota, and he was carrying several articles of clothing.

"We're in here," Briggo said. He cracked the door open slightly and Dakota slipped the clothing through the opening.

"Here, Birito," Briggo said and handed me some of the items while he turned to get the rest from Dakota. In that moment we felt a warm breeze, and when we turned around again the truck was gone. In its place stood a naked woman.

Truck-chan was human again.

"Thank you," Briggo told Dakota and closed the door again. Because Briggo had opened the door only slightly, and because his large frame stood between the opening and the truck, Dakota hadn't seen the transformation happen. He simply asked us to join him at the bar when we were ready and then he walked away.

"Here, Truck-chan," I said, handing her the clothing. Thankfully, it was too dark for me to see her clearly, so my nose wasn't spewing blood. But I could still see the outline of her figure, and I certainly couldn't forget what I had seen the night before, so I struggled to subdue my racing imagination.

"Uhm, Birito-kun…"

"Yeah? Here, just take it. I'm holding out my hand."

"Okay, I'll take it." She took the clothes that I was handing to her. "But… I don't know how to put these on."

"What?!"

"I'm sorry, but I've never worn clothes before. I don't know how to put them on."

I sighed sharply. I looked at Briggo but he just shrugged. Don't look at me, his expression said. You're on your own.

I took a deep breath. "Fine, okay… fine. Those long white things I handed you. Those are stockings. They go on your legs. Just slip them on, one on each leg. You put your foot in it first and then you just pull it up above your knees."

"Okay," she said, and I heard her struggling with the stockings. "Okay, I'm done… I think."

"Yeah, it's easy," I said. "You've seen me change before ─ I've even done it inside the truck once or twice. You know how this works."

"Ugh… yeah, I guess."

"Okay, good. Next we have what appears to be a one-piece outfit, a skirt and top combo. You just slip it on and then you adjust it according to, well, your measurements."

"And I have the shoes right here for when you're ready," Briggo added. He was standing guard by the door with a pair of women's shoes in his hands.

"Uhm, okay. So I just slip it on all together?"

"Yeah. It's a one-piece outfit so it's all connected."

"Okay." Truck-chan squirmed and shuffled with the outfit. At that point I felt an ominous moistness in my nose, and I had to look away.

A few minutes passed and then she finally said: "Done! Is this right, Birito-kun?"

Assuming that she was now fully clothed, I not only looked at her but I also approached her and reached out with my hands to check her top. But as my hands made contact with Truck-chan, instead of fabric my hands were greeted by a pair of large and still completely naked breasts.

"Agh!" I screamed and pulled my hands away. "You're naked, you're still naked!"

"What?!" Truck-chan squealed. "What do you mean? I put the clothes on!"

I had no choice but to look and assess the situation. A single drop of blood escaped from my nose as I turned, and then I saw it. "You're wearing it upside down," I said and slapped the palm of my hand to my face. "You put your legs through the sleeves!" No wonder her breasts were still bare. She was wearing the top part over her legs while the bottom part ─ the skirt part ─ just hung limply below her naked chest.

"What do you mean, Birito-kun? This is how you always dress. You put your legs through the leg hole thingies, and then you pull the clothes up."

"Yes, but those are pants," I said, shaking my head. "This is a skirt. Those are not holes for your legs, they're sleeves for your arms."

Truck-chan shrugged. "I'm confused."

"Okay," I said, wiping my nose with my sleeve. "Okay, just take it all off and turn it the other way, so that your arms go where your legs are currently located. Put your head through the big hole in the middle, put your arms through the sleeves, and then the skirt will fall over the lower half of your body, covering it. Do…you...understand?"

"Uh, I think so," she said. She shook and shuffled until she got the outfit off, and then she turned it around and put it on correctly. "I'm ready."

I braced myself, knowing full well that I would have to inspect her again. "Here goes," I muttered, but to my surprise, she had done it! Truck-chan was finally dressed, with thigh-high white stockings, a short black skirt, and a white top with a collar and off-the-shoulder ruffle sleeves.

"Great job, Truck-chan!" Briggo said. "I have your shoes, just lift your legs one at a time and Birito can help you put them on." I nodded and knelt down to help.

"Yay! Okay, great," she said cheerfully, and then she raised one of her legs high above the ground. This wild motion of her leg lifted her skirt, revealing the contents beneath.

I clenched my eyes shut and snapped my head sideways as blood gushed from my nose. "Briggo!" I screamed in a nasal tone. "UNDERWEAR! We forgot her underwear!"

"What?!" Briggo said, and then he looked around. "Oh my, you're right Birito. You're absolutely right. It seems that the underwear got stuck between the shoes. I am so sorry." He pulled a small piece of white fabric from the space between the two shoes, and he handed it to me.

I looked at Briggo with murderous intent as I took the panties from him and handed them to Truck-chan. I was careful not to look at her directly. "Take this and put your legs into the two holes. Legs, not arms. Then pull it all the way up until it's covering your butt and… other stuff. All right?!"

"Okay," she said and took the panties. A few moments later she said she was done.

"Great, now let's put the shoes on and we can go."

"Hold on a minute, Birito," Briggo said. "You have to make sure that she put the underwear on properly."

"Nah, that's fine. I trust her."

"Now Birito," Briggo continued, "we can't have Truck-chan walking around without any underwear in a place like this. Lots of shady men come to drink here. I'm sure that many of them are violent perverts."

I sighed again. "Fine." I helped Truck-chan into her shoes. They were plain black women's shoes with no laces, so they were easy to slip on. Then I grabbed my nose and squeezed it to prevent any impending bleeding before glancing up quickly.

"Yes, looks great," I said and jumped to my feet. "Looks beautiful─NO, wait, not beautiful, I mean everything looks… fine. Yeah, everything looks to be in order, you know, down there. All right?!"

Briggo nodded. "Thank you. Now come, follow me. I'll take you to the tavern. Food and drinks are on me!"

***

The tavern was a lively place full of loud, excited people. The walls were made of stone and all the furniture, including chairs, tables, and the bar itself were made of a dark wood that gave off a strong spicy scent. As soon as we entered, we could smell cooked food and strong liquor, and we saw Dakota at the bar serving drinks with the help of a beautiful barmaid. The barmaid wore the same black-and-white outfit as Truck-chan, although Truck-chan still had my Spamazon hat, and her ludicrous chest size made the top of her outfit look much tighter than the barmaid's.

Briggo told us to take a seat at the nearest empty table as he walked up to the bar and greeted Dakota. Once I sat down, I couldn't help but stare at Truck-chan. She was looking around excitedly and smiling like a child on Christmas morning.

"Wow," she said. "I've never been inside a bar before! This is amazing… UwU!!"

She was practically jumping in her chair from all the excitement, and I was forced to turn away. The bouncing of her ample cleavage was almost hypnotic. It was only then that I realized something. Many of the people in this bar weren't exactly people. What I mean to say is… they weren't exactly human.

In the far corner of the room I could see two large lizard men sitting and drinking what looked like green beer. Two tables over a man with purple skin and horns sat with a petite woman who had long elf-like ears, and the longest table in the tavern was occupied by a dozen drunk and rowdy gnomes.

This is crazy, I thought to myself. How is any of this possible? All this time I've been trying to convince myself that I was just having some sick isekai nightmare, and that I was bound to wake up eventually. But no matter how long I waited, and no matter how many times I tried to pinch myself, the nightmare just wouldn't end. In fact, it was getting crazier with each passing moment.

I didn't want all the mythical creatures in the tavern to think I was staring at them, so I looked over to the bar where Briggo was still talking with his friend. But then I noticed something. Two women were sitting at the bar, not far away from where Briggo was standing, and one of these women was staring right at me. I thought I was imagining it at first. She must have been looking at someone else in my general vicinity. After all, no one knows me here and I don't know anyone either. But then I took a closer look, and yes, this woman was staring right at me from across the room. There was no doubt about it.

And she was smiling.

I felt awkward and looked away, and in my confusion I nearly failed to notice the woman's strange features. I took another quick look, and that's when I realized that both of the women who were sitting at the bar had large cat-like ears growing out of their heads. They also had long cat-like tails, and they were both wearing light armor that reminded me of something that an amazon warrior woman might wear. But this was an isekai world after all, so the armor still managed to show off the women's curves and other assets.

"Hey, baby," someone said, and the deep voice seemed to be coming from somewhere above me. I looked up and saw a tall, burly man with a cape and leather coat. He was looking at Truck-chan. "What's a beautiful specimen like you doing with a pitiful weakling like this?" He pointed in my direction without even looking at me.

"Huh?" Truck-chan said. "Who are you?"

The man laughed "I am called Todd, and I am the greatest smuggler in this part of the borderlands! A great piece of tail like you belongs with a real man. Ditch this fool and let me ravish you like you deserve to be ravished!"

I felt like this might be one of those times when I was supposed to do something brash and heroic, like challenge this man to a duel in order to defend Truck-chan's honor. But this guy was a lot bigger than me and Truck-chan was literally a truck, so I said nothing.

"Did you hear me, girl?" Todd demanded. "Get up and come with me. Come on, I'll show you a good time." He moved as if he was about to grab Truck-chan's arm, but he froze at the sound of Briggo's heavy footsteps.

"HEY! What's happening here?" Briggo asked in his thundering voice. The entire tavern suddenly fell silent and all eyes in the room quickly turned to Briggo. He placed a tray full of drinks on the table, and then he looked down at Todd with contempt.

Todd was a large man, but he was still dwarfed by Briggo's massive frame. Todd looked at Briggo nervously, his eyes bulging. He was clearly scared.

"His name is Todd," I told Briggo. "He said he was going to ravage Truck-chan."

"He said what?!" Briggo roared and banged his giant fist on the table.

"NOTHING!" Todd cried. He raised his arms and backed away. "I'm sorry, madam," he said to Truck-chan. "I thought you were someone else. Please, forgive me."

"Get out of here before I unsheathe my sword," Briggo said. "I'll be damned if I let some fool named Todd insult my friends."

"Yes, sir," Todd said. "I'm sorry, sir." He bowed and backed away, then ran for the door and vanished from our sight.

"What a strange man," Truck-chan said. "I think there is something wrong with him. A dark puddle appeared on his pants after Sir Briggo hit the table. Maybe his oil is leaking?"

"CHAHAHAHAHA," Briggo laughed. "His snake is as cowardly as he is. Here, help yourselves!" Briggo handed us each a large mug of that green, fizzling beer that I saw earlier. The others in the tavern slowly turned away and went about their business. Truck-chan drank the green liquid without a second thought, but I was more cautious. I placed a small amount of the liquid on my tongue first.

The drink tasted a lot like beer, but with a splash of citrus and mint. It was quite good, to be honest, and I gulped down more of it. "Thank you, Briggo. It's really good."

In that moment we heard the already familiar rumbling of Truck-chan's stomach. "Uh oh," she said. "I need to be filled up again."

"Not to worry!" Briggo said. "I've already ordered our food. It will be here soon."

"Did someone mention food?" an unknown female voice said. I turned in the direction of the bar. The two cat women who had been sitting there were now approaching our table. "Mind if we join you?" The one who was staring at me earlier was also the one talking.

"Well hello there, ladies," Briggo said, smiling. "By all means, sit with us. There is plenty of food coming."

There were two extra chairs at our table so the cat women sat down. I couldn't help but stare at their armored bras and the long cat tails which seemed to have a mind of their own.

"My name is Blair," the talkative one said. She had dark hair that fell down the side of her face and ended just below the jawline. The color of her ears and her tail matched the color of her hair. "And this is my comrade, Sophia."

The other woman nodded politely. She had long blonde hair that fell down her back in a neatly tied braid. Her ears and tail were also the color of her hair, and her armor was of a lighter color. Both women had piercing green eyes.

"You must be travelers," the talkative one said. "That one's clothes are clearly foreign." She pointed directly at me.

"Yes, we are," Briggo replied. "My name is Lor D. Briggo, and these are my friends, Birito and Truck-chan. We are traveling to Slavograd, the capital of Animakistan."

"Ohohohohoho," Blair laughed. "What a coincidence! So are we. What brings you to Animakistan?"

"We have to meet an old friend," Briggo said. "How about you?"

Blair sighed and rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand. "We've been through a lot, you know. We're from the island of Nekonia, where a fierce rebellion had been raging for years. The two of us served in the same unit, but then the conflict ended and our unit was disbanded. We've been soldiers for most of our lives, and we didn't know what to do or where to go. Then we heard about Animakistan, and its handsome ruler, Animak. Most countries obsess over the beauty of young women in their teens and early twenties, but Animakistan holds mature women with life experience in the highest regard."

I was confused by this. The cat women looked like they were in their early or mid thirties, and they were both certainly attractive. I didn't understand why they would be valued more in Animakistan than in any other country.

"Oh, that much is true," Briggo said. "Women are like fine wine, Animak always says. Only time can bring out the full range of their flavors."

Both of the cat women nodded. "We knew instantly that this was the land for us. And who knows, maybe one day we'll get to meet the Slavic Adonis himself. Isn't that right, Sophia?" Sophia nodded and smiled. She seemed like she was blushing.

"But let me be honest, Briggo," Blair said. "When I decided to approach your table, I had ulterior motives."

"Really?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Your friend here… you said his name was Birito?"

Briggo nodded. I didn't say anything. The cat woman's green eyes were fixated on me, and I had to look away. It was like she was staring into my soul.

"You see, Briggo, I have this weakness," Blair said. As she spoke, her long cat tail began to caress my leg. "My weakness is small, fragile men like Birito. I simply cannot resist them." Her tail swirled around my leg, climbing higher.

"Wait, what?!" I said and swallowed my spit.

"OH! I see, Blair. I see," Briggo said and smiled.

"Would you mind if I borrowed your friend, just for one night?" As she said this, Blair bit her lower lip and I could swear that she was beginning to purr.

Suddenly, Truck-chan slammed both her hands on the table. "Get your filthy tail away from Birito-kun, you hairy, beastly woman!"

"Excuse me?"

"That's right, you heard me!" Truck-chan screeched. Her purple eyes were fierce. "Birito-kun and I are in love, and if you touch him again I will crush you beneath my wheels like a stray cat in the street!"

"Ara ara," Blair said, and her tail slowly released its grip on my leg. "So this fragile little treat has already been taken. I can't say that I'm surprised," she said and licked her lips. "He looks very… tasty."

I had no idea what was happening. It sure sounded like two gorgeous women were arguing over me, but this was so far removed from my normal life that I couldn't quite process it. Luckily, in that moment the server brought out a massive plate filled with meat. As soon as the plate hit our table, both Truck-chan and Blair grabbed large chunks of meat and began to devour them. They stared each other down as they ate. I didn't know what type of meat this was or what strange animals it came from, but it smelled so good that I didn't care. I took a piece of what might have been some type of chicken, and I ate it in complete silence. Briggo and Sophia helped themselves as well, and before long we were all gorging ourselves with juicy, delicious meat.

Some time passed without any of us talking. We ate so much that the server brought seconds, and this second plate was just as full of meat as the last one. Truck-chan was consuming an incredible amount, but Blair was attempting to give her a run for the money. And then, in the middle of all of this, the doors of the tavern suddenly slammed open. The sound was so loud that everyone in the bar stopped eating and drinking. We all turned our attention to the door.

Two men entered. They were dressed in dark hooded cloaks and their faces were barely visible beneath the black fabric. "Lor D. Briggo," one of the men said. "That is a lot of meat, but where are the potatoes?"

Briggo dropped what he was doing and stood up instantly. The two men removed their hoods. One of the men had dark brown skin and a beard, while the other had lighter skin and wore glasses with thick black frames.

"Evanito and Kor," Briggo muttered. He seemed surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"No, what are you doing here, Briggo?!" the bearded one demanded. "TELL US NOW!"

"Calm down, Evan," the other man said. "Briggo, we were sent by Lord Nuxanor. His orders are to bring you directly to Nuxturia. He wants speak with you."

Briggo frowned. "I will go to Nuxturia and I will speak to him, but first I must go to Animakistan."

The bearded man shook with rage. "Uhm, did you not hear what he just said?! LORD NUXANOR HAS SUMMONED YOU! Follow us now or you will regret it."

"Evan, please," the man named Kor said. "Briggo, I don't want to fight you, but we have our orders. We have to take you to Nuxanor before you cross the border into Animakistan."

"CHAHAHAHAHA!" Briggo's laugh thundered through the tavern. "You think you can take me anywhere against my will?! I never thought that Nuxanor would send his henchmen here just to be humiliated in front of all these people." With a fierce grin on his lips, Briggo began the process of removing his armor. "Birito, Truck-chan, listen carefully," he said. "These men are Kink users. This will get dangerous so keep your distance."

As Briggo continued to remove his armor, something strange happened. His entire body began to glow as a powerful golden aura surrounded him. It was as if a sudden storm of energy was coming to life all around him. And the other two men ─ Evanito and Kor ─ began to glow as well. Evanito's aura was blue while Kor's aura was silver.

The entire tavern was completely silent as tension filled the air. Dakota ran over to Briggo. "I'll help you," Dakota said. "Attacking you inside my Inn is unacceptable."

No," Briggo replied. "I don't want you to make an enemy out of Nuxanor. It's me they're after, and they're about to get exactly what they bargained for." Briggo looked at the two intruders as his aura continued to surge wildly. "Gentlemen, shall we take this outside?"

Evanito looked as if he was about to shout again, but Kor raised his hand and stopped him. "Of course," Kor said. "We apologize for this, Dakota."

Dakota said nothing as the two men walked out of the tavern, followed by Briggo. Truck-chan and I walked out after Briggo. The cat women came too, and so did all the other patrons from the bar. I didn't know what exactly was about to happen but I knew one thing: it was going to be big, and everyone wanted to see it.

Evanito and Kor walked into a clearing that was located about a hundred meters away from the Inn. Briggo followed them, but everyone else kept their distance. As Briggo finished removing his armor, only his tank-top and golden underwear remained. And he was now holding his sword, which he had removed from the strap on his back. Even from a distance, we could see their auras growing and swirling with energy,

And then it happened.

Each man's aura intensified, jumped into the air, and took on an entirely new shape.