King Valtheron was covered from head to foot with filth, and the smell was strong enough to make the Jinns gag.
"Listen up, new recruits!" Pica shouted. "All of you have lost, so whether you like it or not, you are now part of Zion’s army. Within the army, insubordination will not be tolerated. Take a good look at that guy. You see him? That will be your fate every time you don’t follow our Master’s orders."
The Jinns were horrified because none of them wanted to suffer such a fate, which was the main reason why Thirteen had initiated this little boot camp of his.
The Jinns were bound by special chains that greatly reduced their strength, making them feel weak and helpless.
Queen Xeres was the only one spared from this since Thirteen didn’t want her to hold a grudge against him.
At the end of the day, she was still a Majin Queen.
The third strongest being in Pangea, second only to Erasmus, who had taken over King Astrion’s body.
Keeping a good relationship with her was of great importance, more worth it than buttering up King Valtheron, whom Camazotz could easily subdue without too much effort.
The pecking order was important, so Thirteen wanted the Jinn Leaders to not only be afraid of him and Cranky, but also of his other subordinates, including Pica and Pico, who were the weakest among Thirteen’s Monster Army.
"Now, do any of you want a serving of Giga’s Giga Destroyer?" Pica asked.
The Jinns shook their heads.
"I can’t hear you!" Pica shouted. "You will only answer yes or no. Do you want to experience a Giga Destroyer?!"
"All of you will now make a pledge. Big Brother Giga, give those who don’t cooperate a serving of your Giga Destroyer," Pica said before unfurling a scroll given to her by Thirteen with her claw.
The Blaze Skunk turned around, raised its tail, and aimed its bum at the pitiful Jinn Leaders, who realized that they had no choice but to follow the little bird’s orders.
Pica cleared her throat with the grave solemnity of a general about to announce war, which made the scene somehow ten times funnier, given the filth-splattered King Valtheron and the little bird’s dramatic flair.
The Jinns swallowed hard, feeling the invisible weight of Pica’s threat and Giga’s bum, which was aimed in their direction.
"From this day forth!" Pica shouted.
""From this day forth!"" the Jinns echoed.
"I shall dedicate my strength, my pride, and my possibly questionable dignity to my Master, Zion Leventis!"
""I shall dedicate my strength, my pride, and my possibly questionable dignity to my Master, Zion Leventis!""
Pica nodded before continuing the pledge of loyalty.
"I shall uphold his will and never raise my hand against him nor against those who stand under his banner."
""I shall uphold his will and never raise my hand against him nor against those who stand under his banner.""
"I shall guard his name, even when the world turns against him. I shall remember that mercy without purpose is weakness, and loyalty without resolve is hollow."
""I shall guard his name, even when the world turns against him. I shall remember that mercy without purpose is weakness, and loyalty without resolve is hollow.""
"I shall not falter when commanded, nor turn away when sacrifice is demanded. For I am bound by oath, by will, and by the seal of my own pride."
""I shall not falter when commanded, nor turn away when sacrifice is demanded. For I am bound by oath, by will, and by the seal of my own pride.""
Pica nodded. "Last but not least, I pledge to revere Pica and Pico as my Master’s messengers, and their words will be as good as his own!" Official source ıs 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝕟𝕖𝕥
This last part was not at all in the scroll, but Pica still decided to add it because she was sure that her Master wouldn’t mind it!
And just as she expected, the Jinns repeated her words, thinking it was also part of the pledge of loyalty that must be spoken.
""Last but not least, I pledge to revere Pica and Pico as my Master’s messengers, and their words will be as good as his own!""
Seeing that the group of Jinns understood their place, Pica and Pico nodded their heads in satisfaction.
As if waiting for that moment, the swirling black mists surrounding them parted, revealing Thirteen’s figure, as well as Cranky and Kamrusepa, who stood beside him.
"From this day onward, all of us are on the same team," Thirteen stated. "And since we are on the same team, I expect everyone to manage their respective armies for the upcoming war.
"I promise that if you cooperate fully, you will be rewarded with lands, as well as resources that are only available in the world of Artem. I know some of you feel indignant and unwilling to obey my orders, but again, you have no choice but to do as I say.
"The contract you signed is binding, and those who break it will only suffer. So, just cooperate with me and fight under my banner until the world of Artem is conquered."
King Valtheron clenched his teeth and avoided Thirteen’s gaze.
Every instinct in his body screamed to resist, but the magical contract binding his soul burned like molten chains whenever the thought even crossed his mind.
"I... understand," King Valtheron muttered, his voice hoarse.
He had no choice but to keep enduring the humiliation he had just been through, knowing that resisting would have worse consequences.
One by one, the other Jinn Leaders followed suit, bowing their heads, not daring to meet Thirteen’s eyes.
Even Queen Xeres remained silent, her gaze flickering with a mixture of calculation and resignation.
Cranky folded his arms, his aura a suffocating pressure on the room.
Kamrusepa’s presence, while softer, was no less commanding.
In contrast, Thirteen stood quietly between them, his youthful face betraying none of the cold strategy running through his mind.
He might not be the strongest Wanderer in Pangea, but his authority surpassed even that of the Monarchs, as well as those from the Central Government.
His words were law, but his long-term allies and those who fought side by side with him understood that he wasn’t the kind of person who’d abuse his power and authority.
Now that he had completed his mission in Antares, it was time to lay out the foundations of crossing over to Artem.
This time, they would become the invaders.
Thirteen knew that each world had a Guardian.
An ultimate champion who would rise to defend it.
This law was created to give each world a chance to defend itself from any invaders.
Thirteen understood that this battle would not be an easy one since the scope didn’t only cover a continent.
It was a battle to bring down an entire world under his banner.
Strength alone would not be enough to do it, so he would need to use tricks and schemes to earn the advantage over the enemies, who greatly outnumbered his forces and were fighting with a home court advantage.
Laplace Demon and The One observed Thirteen from the Celestial Realm, waiting for him to open the portal that would connect Pangea to Artem.
When that happened, the two of them would erect countermeasures to ensure that no other hostile forces would enter Pangea while their Guardian, Zion, was fighting a battle away from his home.