Red Evil Mercenaries
"No, that's..."
Ian scratched the back of his head. Then—plink—his pupils seemed to hollow out as he slowly closed his eyes and collapsed limply.
"Darling...? Darling!"
"What the hell, why's Ian suddenly—?!"
"Yeonja?!"
Three women cried out in unison. Cheong-ah, closest to him, swiftly caught his falling body.
"Nngh..."
She felt his considerable weight pressing against her. My darling's gotten heavier than I thought...
She could barely recall how gaunt and skeletal he'd been at their first meeting, like skin and bones barely clinging together. Now, after nearly a year of grueling training, his body wasn't just healthy—it rivaled any decent knight from a kingdom. Sure, without mana, he couldn't win, but in pure physical prowess alone, no knight would outmatch him significantly.
"What the hell? What's going on all of a sudden?"
"Grumpy one, why's Yeonja like this?"
"I don't know. He just fainted out of nowhere..."
Even as the soldiers advanced on them, the women ignored the threat entirely, focused only on Ian's well-being. But when spear tips thrust right up to their faces, they snapped to attention and scattered forward and back.
"...Tch. Hey, Cheong-ah. Take care of him for now—keep him safe from stray arrows."
"This side's mine. But beast, what about our bet?"
"You worried about the bet right now? Ian collapsed—?!"
In that instant, Ian's body flashed black, and a pitch-dark pillar of light erupted skyward.
Fwosh—
A column of dark radiance shot up, devouring the sunlight like a black hole. Made of blackness deeper than the night sky, it blazed so brilliantly that the encircling soldiers—along with anyone watching from inside buildings or afar—couldn't even glance at it without being blinded.
Yet strangely, it left the other three women untouched. Cheong-ah, Bella, and Dina felt no harm. Instead, uncanny vitality surged through them, impossible strength flooding their limbs.
And the one who first grasped what was happening amid the shifting sensations in her body? Bella.
"Ha, fuck... Ian, that bastard really did it."
The light pouring from Ian's body flowed into theirs. Sensations sharpened in an instant, physical abilities leaped tiers higher. A profound sense of security washed over them—someone protecting them.
I told him never to use it, and he goes and does it anyway.
Bella sighed. She'd begged him not to, but here he was. She'd stick to her usual style—not trading blows but dodging everything to hit back harder—but once he woke up, she'd give him an earful. She gripped her greatsword tight.
Meanwhile, Cheong-ah and Dina realized the same buffs from Ian's power had enveloped them, their faces turning bittersweet. Cheong-ah gently laid the unconscious Ian on the ground, then knelt, pillowing his head on her lap so the hard earth wouldn't hurt him. Stray arrows? Nothing for someone of her skill.
Stroking his forehead, Cheong-ah thought: Darling...
Did he not trust them? No, that's not it.
There was no way. She knew that. So why use the ability after begging him not to? Obvious. The sheer number of enemies—he feared even a scratch on them.
Ian had always been like that. No matter how weak he felt himself, no matter how strong they were. He hated seeing his lovers—anyone—hurt even a little. He fretted over the tiniest scrape. It was adorable.
...Such a gentle soul.
Though in bed, he was wildly rough, unleashing his instincts fully. But that was just his way of loving them. Whatever it was, deep in her heart, Cheong-ah felt their profound, mutual devotion warming her like sunlight.
"...Rest easy, darling."
I'll make sure nothing touches you.
As Cheong-ah reaffirmed her love for Ian, Dina—racing toward the soldiers behind her—had shed her childlike form for that of a mature woman.
"Hm..."
Adulthood brought a mindset utterly unlike her childish self. The petulance she'd felt moments ago over Ian's actions had given way to understanding why he'd used his power.
But Dina's thoughts veered... oddly.
Is Yeonja a pervert, perhaps?
Ian might be a masochist who enjoyed pain. A pervert.
I know little of such carnal matters between man and woman... but I once heard from saints and heroes of old that some delight in agony...
My Yeonja, such a deviant? At least not a pedophile—that utter depravity. Small mercies.
Hmm. Should I let myself get hit a few times on purpose? If that's what my Yeonja desires, gladly. But... Glancing back, the beast-girl Bella was dodging every attack—unlike her usual brawling. Letting herself get hit felt... pride-crushing.
Sorry, Yeonja. I'll indulge your perversion next...
One planned to scold Ian. One felt warmth toward him. One harbored a massive misunderstanding.
And Ian, passed out and defenseless, would soon feel wronged, a bit pleased, then wronged again.
§
Arrows and spearheads flew at Dina. She dodged the blades with agile twists, snatched arrows midair, and hurled them back at their origins.
"Gaaah! The arrows are coming back!"
"What the hell is that?! Damn it—archers, don't stop firing!"
"It's just one opponent! Don't panic!"
In a flash, Dina closed in on the soldiers. Green mana rippled around her.
"I'll end this quickly."
She had a bet with the beast, after all.
Rasad Ryu Fist King Style, First Form: Heavenly Seamless
Like lightning crashing down. Mana coiled around her thrusting fist.
Boom...! Bang! Bwoom...!
Fists whipped through empty air, detonations exploding in their wake. The shockwaves became a gale-force storm battering the soldiers.
"How the hell are we supposed to beat that?!"
"What the fuck is that monster?!"
A mere swing felled dozens. Approaching was impossible. Her mana-wreathed punches now outranged spears, bombarding them relentlessly.
But the opposite flank was even more gruesome.
Bella, her thick red lion-mane hair whipping wildly. Her greatsword cloaked in crimson mana matching her locks. Each swing cleaved dozens in half, blood spraying.
Those punched were merely knocked out—or dead if unlucky. But this madwoman with the greatsword? She butchered mercilessly. Killed, killed, killed again. Ensuring none rose.
"Guh... guhgh..."
"P-please... spare me."
Still breathing? She wrapped her bulging, mana-charged legs around their heads and crushed skulls like melons.
"Die, you fucks...!"
Krunch...!
Her downward greatsword cleaved a man in half, shattered the road, and sent stones flying.
"A-a man in half..."
"R-run... ruuuun...!!"
Panic-stricken soldiers fled backward. Knights, fed up, finally drew their own blades.
"Damn it! Fall back—I'll handle her myself!"
"And who the fuck are you?!"
They became greatsword fodder in seconds, armor and all, crumpling like the rest.
"Fucking nobodies mouthing off."
Bella, having bisected the knight, swung back toward the enemy—only to find...
"...Huh? What the."
The area empty. Save one in a black robe.
"Hey, you shit. You're the one who nabbed Karlson, right?"
Bella pointed her greatsword, head tilted.
"But... you look familiar. Where've I seen you?"
"......"
"Hey, I'm talking to you—ignoring me? Fucking arrogant prick. Wanna go?!"
No reply from the silent robe. As Bella scratched her head, wondering if she'd imagined it—
Swish...!
"Whoa—?!"
Before she could blink, it was in her face, dagger slashing her throat. Bella instinctively arched back, dodging.
"Fuck, you sneaky bastard—interrupting when I'm talking?!"
"......"
The robed figure ignored her protests, dual daggers flashing relentlessly.
Swish—! Whoosh—! Swish—!
"Hey, fuck...! Hol-hold on...! Agh, shit...!"
One strike could critically wound Ian. That thought drove Bella to desperately evade every blow. But even amplified by Ian's power, the figure was faster—rivaling peak Cheong-ah.
"Quit dancing around, damn it...! Fuck, stop already, you prick!"
Bella specialized in overpowering with brute force, not evasion. Limits hit fast. The dagger lunged for her eye.
But—
Kreeeen...!
Ian's power shielded her. The dagger scraped harmlessly off the barrier.
The robed figure tilted its head. Bella's boiled over.
"...Fuck."
Why'd she dodge everything just to tank this for him...? Tears welled in her eyes. No matter how tsundere or foul-m mouthed, she loved him. Imagining Ian in pain ignited fury.
"You... motherfucker..."
Her hand shot out, seizing the robe's collar. Normally untouchable, but the figure had hesitated at the blocked dagger—long enough for her grab.
Yet it shed the robe like snakeskin and leaped back.
In that moment—
"Ha, fuck... it was you, you bitch?!"
Bella snarled at the revealed woman, rage hardening her face.
Black garb head to toe. But inhuman: round black ears atop her head. Near-black skin. Her face veiled, but piercing pumpkin-yellow slit pupils with black vertical slits gleamed. Clingy clothes hugged sensual curves. A stubby tail swished between her legs.
A beastkin. Among the fiercest: specialized in assassination and hunting.
Black panther beastkin.
Her name—
"Regina...!!"
Known continent-wide as Black Leopard or Shadow Panther. Queen of all assassins.