It has been three months since the Hero, son of Eltrio, married Princess Medea and became the Crown Prince of Trodain.

Trodain's auspicious celebrations became a veritable springboard with which the kingdom would launch into greater achievments.

Of late, the diplomatic advances between Trodain and Tryan Gully made the latter a progressive kingdom which would form ties beyond strictly human societies.

On the evening before Tryan Gully Kingpin King Slime the 2nd was scheduled to meet with King Trode, the rather rotund slime of a king received a mysterious letter. Almost poetic in nature, it told him to desist from his current activities and abdicate, or die in the process.

Our story begins in Trodain's throneroom. The following takes place between the forenoon and high noon.

"COR BLIMEY!" a family voice bellowed through the grand chamber. "Together at last, ey guv? I promised you I'd bring Red, Jessica, and Pretty Boy Angelo o're here, and 'ere they are!"

The Hero and the Princess immediately stood up from their respective thrones to greet their dear old friends and comrades. "Yangus!" the Princess exclaimed. "I'm glad you all showed up for this joyous occasion!" Just as the hero was about to open his mouth to form a word, he was interrupted by King Trode and two slime knights entering the room.

"I'm afraid celebration will be a bit premature." Trode announced. "We have reason to believe that King Slime the Second's life and Tryan Gully's sovereignty may be in jeopardy. The Order of the Slime Knights is a organization, but I feel this task is best suited to my son-in-law the Hero, and his brave companions!"

As the visitors assembled and took their seats at a grand table, Jessica contributed, "Well why could he not stay here? Surely Castle Trodain is safe a place as any!"

King Trode nodded, "Yes, that is true, but the problem is that our would-be assassin already seems to know where the King Slime is, and since my son here has been crowned prince, our replacement captain of the guards is ... err ... relatively green. I'm sure he'll be fine with about a year's worth of leadership at the top, but I want to take no chances!"

"Besides ..." King Trode added, "we don't know how deep this conspiacy goes. A Kingdom befriending non-humans and monsters -- this could be something that the whole world wishes to see end!"

Yangus rose from his chair to suggest, "I reckon we could hide the round king of slimes down in Purgatory Island. That place is impregnable. No way any ruffian will get to King Slime -- well, we'd have to clear Purgatory Island of any actual incarcerated criminals first, and then find a place to put 'em!"

"That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard!" Angelo replied, rolling his eyes.

"There's no way that we'd put his majesty inside of a prison! What kind of royal respect would that be?" exclaimed one of the slime knights.

"Oh, that's a bright idea!" Jessica shot back with dry sarcasm. "And what would you do if the assassins killed the men who operated the elevators?"

"Aww, that'd be no problem, miss Jessica!" Yangus replied. "See, Brains has a complete map of Purgatory Island, complete with the secret escape route the designers put in. Most of the guards there don't even know about it!"

"And what if he lost it?" Jessica responded.

"That's a good point ..." Yangus said. "Maybe we could just tattoo the map onto King Slime so he wouldn't ever lose it?"

Angelo blinked. "You know, my friend, you give stupid and inane whole new meanings."

"How would you like stupid and inane fists upside your head?" Yangus grimaced, clenching his fists.

"No more fighting!" Medea interjected. The whole room fell silent.

"That's better! Now, yes, Purgatory Island is the most fortified place you've all been to during your travels, but I can't imagine anyone going to such a dreadful place, so I remembered the next best place."

Angelo cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Really? What place is that?"

The Hero smiled, as he rose from his chair, and took a breath to speak.

"Rydon's Tower, of course!" Red interrupted. Medea smiled, confirming Red's guess.

"Well then, it's settled!" King Trode announced. "We'll move in a procession to Rydon's tower, north of Arcadia, reset the traps perhaps do some fortifying of our own!"

Angelo smirked triumphantly. "Well, then, what are we waiting for, Ladies, gentlemen, and slimes? Let's get started!"

---

Two weeks passed. The party of heroes and monsters arrived at Rydon's Tower. King Trode ordered the Trodain away party's guard detail to conduct joint patrols with the Slime Knights. In addition, monsters from Morrie's monster pit were conscripted to the task of protecting the tower with King Slime inside.

While solid gold golems guarded the doors to the tower, a horde of drakees guarded the skies, flying in a ringed formation just above the top floor. Hawkmen were endlessly flying around the midsection of the tower.

King Trode, Princess Medea, The Hero, Yangus, Red, Jessica, and Angelo appeared on the top floor as they emerged from a flight of stairs. Several Slime Knights were seen flanking them.

"It looks like we're clear." Angelo noted. A slime Knight nodded, while looking downstairs and making a gesture with his hand. Two more Slime Knights emerged from the stairs, along with King Slime the Second and Morrie Mozzarella.

"Monarca Slime, it looks like you are safe thanksa to the denizens of my monstrousa pit! I have one more surprise for you!"

Morrie let out a sharp whistle, and within seconds, a team of heal slimes arrived. "Thesea are my best healing slimes! Should any assassino dare to attack you, they will keep you alive while the ragazzo there takesa care of them!"

King Slime nodded at Morrie with a smile, as the group enjoyed the view, and cool summer breeze.

"Wait!" Angelo exclaimed. "I see something, there in the distance!" The entire group strained to look at what Angelo had found in the distant skies.

"It looks like some kind of airship!" Red offered.

"Il combattimento staziona!" Morrie yelled out. Some trolls appeared, each cradling a handful of metal slimes. They each approached a cannon, one of several stationed on all sides of the tower.

"Attacco!" Morrie shouted. The trolls each loaded a metal slime into their cannons, firing a volley at the mysterious airship. Every slime bounced off the airship, hurtling to the ground below.

"Again!" Morrie exclaimed. They dutifully fired again, only reaping the same result.

The airship drew every closer. As it as directly above Rydon's tower, a tall, wiry figure with blonde hair launched himself off of the ship with a mightly leap, somersaulted, and gracefully touched the ground of the top floor.

Holding a lit cigarette in his mouth, the figure brandished a long polearm, gazing menacingly at King Slime.

The Hero, suited in full dragovian armor, lept between King Slime and the mysterious invader, gesturing him to fight.

The blonde aviator spun his polearm, and executed a powerful thrust strike. The Hero parried the strike almost effortlessly, and in the same motion, chopping the polearm in two with his Dragovian God King's Sword. Yangus tackled the stranger from behind, using his immense weight to keep him pinned to the floor.

"OK, assassin scum, TALK!" Yangus shouted into the stranger's face. "Who are you working for?!"

The stranger let the cigarette slide out of his mouth. "No one." He said simply.

"My name is Cid, and this was my idea. North America and Europe is our territory, not yours! So stay out of it! You guys got a day named after you in Japan, aren't you satisfied with that? I'll skewer that slime with my spear if you keep going where you're not supposed to?"

Yangus looked dumbfounded. "Japan? North America? What the bloody blazes are you talking about? Are you completely bonkers?"

"Hey, we had a movie AND an anime series about us! All you had was the anime series!"

Smirking, Angelo knelt down next to Yangus. "You know, Yangus, I do think we have a good use for your Purgatory Island idea!" whispered Angelo, pointing to Cid.