Sheepwolf slowly turned around.

What had landed behind him was a giant red dragon. The serpentine monster smiled with countless yellow fangs. It had a booming English accent. 'WELL MET, MORTAL SCUM!'

Monster Slayer balled his hands into fists. 'The League of Monsters!'

At that moment, dozens of civilians in the crowd transformed into reptile men and equipped laser rifles. These reptilians aimed their weapons at the heads of all the Adventurers and United Worlds Peacekeepers present—including Monster Slayer and Bunny-Bear.

The civilians screamed, but the Adventurer's and United Worlds Peacekeepers kept their cool.

A reptilian with an eyepatch shot a laser pistol into the air. 'Everyone shut up! Put your hands up! No sudden movements!'

Akumi, Emma, and Bunny-Bear looked at Monster Slayer, who nodded.

Everyone in the crowd went quiet and put their hands up.

Akumi suddenly heard Monster Slayer's voice in her head. Party, this is Monster Slayer. I want you to blink twice if you can hear me.

Akumi, Emma, and Bunny-Bear did as they were told.

Good. I'm communicating with you all telepathically through my System. There isn't any time to explain what's going on, so I'm going to give Monster Girl and Gun Girl Systems that'll fill each of you in. While you two get used to your Systems, Bunny-Bear and I will open an exclusive channel and come up with a plan. Be prepared for anything. Blink twice if you understand.

They all blinked twice.

Good.

A text box appeared before Akumi's eyes.

Congratulations! You have been given an Adventurer's Guild System!

Information flooded into her mind. Suddenly, she had an innate knowledge of everything going on around her as if she had been in the Adventurers' Guild for years.

The dragon on the stage was Lord Inferno, a Fire Dragon Lord from the High Fantasy Universe. The reptilians around them were hired Assassins from the Assassin's Guild.

Four figures dismounted from Lord Inferno's back: a Tyrannosaurus rex man, a shark-crocodile woman, a black cyborg man with mechanical dreadlocks, and an octopus girl with tentacle hair.

The first was Tyrannus, a Space Pirate Captain and the former King of Dinosauria, a planet in the Stonepunk Universe that had allegedly been destroyed by the United Worlds for refusing to become a member state. The second was Sharkodile, the Leader of the Manticore Liberation Front, a local terrorist organisation which wanted to free Manticore from what it saw as a military occupation by the United Worlds. The third was Squid, a hacker from the Cyberpunk Universe whose gang had been killed in a United Worlds raid. The fourth was Pussy, a pornstar from Pluto.

Akumi raised her eyebrow. That last one didn't sound right.

Together, these four were the Outcasts, a Gold Rank Adventurer Party from the League of Monsters.

Tyrannus stepped forwards with his hands behind his back and spoke with a Nigerian accent. 'Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm. My associates and I are here on matters of planetary security. We will not inconvenience you for long.'

He certainly had the air of a king; even while holding everyone hostage, he struck Akumi as a wise authority figure.

Tyrannus looked down at Sheepwolf, who was shaking in his loafers. 'Mayor Sheepwolf, you have been judged guilty of aiding and abetting the United Worlds regime on Manticore. You will now be granted a summary execution. Do you have any last words?'

'Mister Mayor?!' Sheepwolf looked around. 'You must have the wrong guy! I'm here to open a mall!'

Tyrannus nodded to Sharkodile. 'Do it.'

Sharkodile grinned and punched Sheepwolf in the stomach. He coughed out saliva and fell to his knees.

Sharkodile spoke with an Australian accent. 'No hard feelings, mate! Just don't want the kids growing up speaking Elvish, is all! Squid, Pussy, hold him down!'

Squid and Pussy constrained Sheepwolf's arms and legs using their mechanical dreadlocks and tentacle hair.

Sharkodile equipped a big bowie knife and raised it over Sheepwolf's head.

Akumi looked at Monster Slayer and Bunny-Bear, but neither of them were moving. Clearly they hadn't had enough time to come up with a plan. This poor guy was going to die!

Something fell out of Yggdrasil's crown and crashed to the ground behind Lord Inferno.

It was a giant Komodo dragon with the arms and legs of a gorilla!

A kaiju chimera!

Akumi recognised this creature as Komodo Kong, the Champion of Yggdrasil and a Gold Rank Adventurer from the Adventurer's Guild!

Four figures appeared on his shoulders: a muscular man wearing a jaguar mask and American flag boxer shorts, a floating astronaut, a man in fly-like power armour with 100 tennis ball-sized, robotic eyeballs floating around him, and a gothy snake girl with an axe guitar.

The first was Jaguar, the Number One Superhero of the Superhero Universe. The second was Astronaut, the Galactic Guardian of the Milky Way. The third was Watchman, the Chief Surveillance Officer of the Megacorporation. The fourth was Snake, the Professor of Transmutation at the Mage's Guild.

Together, they were the Good Guys, a Gold Rank Adventurer Party from the Adventurer's Guild.

Jaguar pointed at the Outcasts. 'Stop right there, villains! No one breaks the law on my watch!'

Tyrannus turned around. 'Ah, the Good Guys, the lapdogs of the United Worlds. It would be nostalgic to dance, but as you can see'—he nodded to Sharkodile and Sheepwolf—'you've arrived a little late to the party.'

'That's what you think!'

Monster Slayer equipped a pair of Giant Silver Greatswords and sliced the heads off the two reptilians holding him and Bunny-Bear hostage.

Bunny-Bear equipped her Repeating Crossbow. 'Rhinodillo!' A rhino-armadillo critter chimera appeared in her crossbow stock. She fired at Sharkodile, who got slammed backwards into Lord Inferno.

Akumi was amazed. Did Monster Slayer and Bunny-Bear form a plan with the Good Guys using their System telepathy?!

Jaguar roared. 'ADVENTURERS, ASSEMBLE!'

All the Adventurers attacked the reptilians.

'Oh, Buddha,' said Akumi.

Things were about to get crazy.