As Arlo and the lizardmen family were approaching the slime village, a giant wall of flames burst up completely surrounding the group in a circle.

A wave of heat reached Arlo's skin like he had never felt before. As a lizard who needed moist skin, the heat alone was suffocating him and the family beside him was no different.

The three adult lizardmen backed up to each other, forming a triangle with the two children in the middle to shield them.

Even so... the children did not have the slightest fear in their eyes.

Amazing. These two would become great warriors if they lived long enough.

However, now was not the time for that. The flames did not seem to be dying down.

There could only be one person who could do something as powerful and as precise as this, without even being nearby.... and for it to be flames, it didn't take a genius to figure it out.

It had to be the spirit girl.

"This is...", Arlo coughed.

"This is just a tiny sliver of the power that one of the antiheroes can exhibit... have they found us to be enemies, and decided to eliminate us here? .....no, she could have done that easily without trapping us here... meaning that she wants to contain us and investigate why we have come.", Arlo reasoned.

The man and woman fearfully stared at the fire while shielding their children.

Since they left the village, they were ready to die, however on staring death right in the eyes, their hearts wavered. However, this was only for a moment. On knowing that their children were right there with them, they were ready to defend them with their lives.

----

The antiheroes approached the circle of fire with caution, and Ashley waved her hand to dispel the flame wall.

[Intelligence Roll: Maximized] [Effect has been canceled by the discretion of the player]

The bags under Ashley's eyes drooped and she stared at the lizardmen with a confident grin on her face, and Samantha looked Arlo in the eyes with a serious look.

[Mind control]

"Step back", She said.

Arlo, and the entire family of lizardmen slowly stood back.

'Ah, it looks like they will all listen to me even if they aren't under mind control... let me try something else...'

"Do a T pose"

The father and the mother seemed to be looking at each other, confused. The children, on the other hand, looked at Samantha with a determined look in their eyes.

"What is a T pose, miss?", the boy asked.

"That.", Samantha responded, pointing to Arlo, who had gone full T pose.

Trevor and Garett were behind Samantha barely containing their laughter at Arlo doing a T pose. For a bulky warrior to be making such an indignant pose with such a mindless stare in his eyes, it was almost as if someone had created a 3D model for a meme video.

However, they knew better than this.

Upon realizing that Arlo was one of the people who had arrived, Samantha felt slightly relieved that she could use her mind control on him. They weren't complete strangers, and Arlo had some respect for them, so she wouldn't do anything bad to him, but she didn't want to use these children for experiments like this. It was better to use a warrior who was prepared for anything.

This proved that Arlo was fully loyal to Samantha, and would do exactly as she said, while under mind control. Not only this, but Samantha's will and knowledge would be transferred to the person she controlled.

Otherwise, Arlo too would have had a question mark above his head when he was asked to T pose.

"Now break dance"

Arlo jumped down landing on one hand and swirled his legs around in a circle before thrusting his entire body up with the hand holding him up, and catching himself with the other hand, all while continuing the circular motion with his legs.

"Amazing.", Ashley indifferently commented, her tone of voice completely opposing her words.

"Haha! Who knew that mind control could be so interesting!", Garett exclaimed.

'Mind control!?', the father lizardman whispered.

'Did he say mind control!?! No... as expected of the antiheroes. Arlo said they control power beyond imagination. This much should be nothing more than fun and games', the mother whispered back.

"Stand up"

"Release"

Arlo stood up and his eyes then changed back to his normal look, and he shook his head as if he had recovered.

"My... memory is hazy... what just happened... oh! Antiheroes!"

"What have you come here for, Arlo? And with this family?", Trevor asked.

"Ah! That's right!"

Arlo bent the knee, and the family behind him also got down on one knee each, as if submitting themselves to the antiheroes.

"Out of the entire tribe of the lizardmen, we five are the ones who wish to come under your rule and reside here in the slime village. We pledge our loyalty to you! Consider our servitude as an apology for the disturbance caused by Pilir."

Arlo stared at the ground with closed eyes as he said this, shaking. He was nervous. Not only was he speaking with beings who held absolute power, but he also was concerned that they would not forgive the lizardmen for their transgressions.

However...

"So you intend to become our new slaves?", Garett asked.

'So after all, it will be slavery, eh? I suppose I shouldn't have allowed that family to come with me... but what is done is done. They have made their decision.'

"If that is what you wish..."

Trevor then stood forward, and lifted the head of Arlo with one hand.

"Are you sure you wish to walk this path? Once you say yes, there will be no going back."

"I have made my decision.", Arlo responded.

"I as well."

"Me too."

"Also me"

"And I"

How mature even the children were.

Trevor looked at them with a face that had some pity, but mostly simple respect.

To be this brainwashed at such a young age was not exactly comforting, however....

This could be used.

"Then... you there. The mother. Are you willing to die for us, by coming into our service?"

"The Determined once showed my husband and my children a great service in sparing us. If you were to take our lives now, then it would have been a net of zero."

"Good answer. How about this then. Kill your two children. If you do that, I will allow you three to become laborers for us.", Trevor suggested with his usual businessman smirk.

Arlo began to feel the pressure he had felt before from Trevor.

It was suffocating, however it was nothing compared to the flames that they had previously endured.

The mother looked distressed.

Of course she wouldn't be able to do this. Trevor was merely testing her to see her reaction. Would she beg for their lives? Would she make a run for it? Would she stand up against him? Or perhaps, she would offer her own life? Trevor could tell that this mother loved her children deeply, and unlike a certain set of parents, that these children were not simply tools to be thrown away in order to gain position and prestige. No, she legitimately cared for their well being.

Arlo regretted not forcing this family to go back to the lizardmen village. Even if they seemed resolved, they were just a regular family at the end of the day.

This was Arlo's fault for not seeing ahead far enough.

The mother however, looked to her children. She seemed sad, however resolved to do what was best for them.

"If that is what it takes to serve under these people, then do not hesitate to kill us, mother."

"Indeed. We all left the village with the resolve to die. If we are to give our lives for your sakes, it would be a great honor as warriors."

Trevor was shocked at this.

He had not in the least expected this outcome.

Trevor had given Samantha a signal with his hand, and she quickly understood what she meant.

The woman bowed her head.

"While it pains me to do this, it is what is best for my children. If you will not accept them as your laborers, then it would be better for them to no longer have to suffer in this world. I will do as you say, antihero."

The mother said this while biting back her emotions, but she truly did believe that she was making the right decision for the good of her children.

She raised her claw to strike her own child, the son.

She swung down, hard enough to kill the child.

However...

Clang!

The sound of claws scraping a glassy surface erupted throughout the valley.

Samantha had formed a barrier in front of the child to protect him.

The father had not done anything to stop the mother, nor had Arlo, who was sitting there staring at the ground in a cold sweat.

The fact that nobody had done anything- not even the children- meant one thing.

Every single person here was absolutely and completely loyal to the antiheroes and their will- even if it meant sitting back and watching the deaths of these children.

What resolve.

How did these people obtain such respect for the antiheroes?

Was this a result of their fame spreading so quickly? No... the mother had said something about the Determined...

Just what had she done to invoke such respect in these people?

Trevor would have to ask her later.

"Eh? What?", the mother murmured in confusion.

"It seems that the five of you have what it takes to become our slaves.", Trevor stated sinisterly.

Ashley slithered over to the children and put a translucent hand on each of their shoulders.

"You two will make fine additions to our meat piles... I mean, to our nation. Work hard."

"Your names?", Garett asked, smiling demonically, pleased with the unwavering loyalty shown by the group.

"I am Hiru, and this is my wife, Lolop, and my children Gotek and Wara. We pledge ourselves to your service, antiheroes!"