The Predator's Mother
"Whew..."
I let out a heavy sigh at the suffocating heat and quickened my pace. After walking for dozens of minutes, darting from one patch of shade to another, I finally spotted familiar figures standing guard in front of the wooden palisade over the hill.
"Ugh..."
I muttered, grabbing onto tree branches as I made my way down the slope. Clods of dirt crumbled beneath my feet with every step. As I struggled down, two women guarding the palisade slowly approached me, their spear tips leveled in my direction. I raised both hands to show I meant no harm, and one of them, recognizing me, gasped and lowered her spear.
"H-Hello there!"
The woman greeted loudly, her brown ears twitching as she walked toward me. Recognizing her face from my previous rounds with Eruka, I returned her greeting warmly. I tried to keep my distance, self-conscious about my neck being drenched in sweat from the sweltering heat, but the two women sniffed the air and gradually drew closer to me.
"*Sniff, sniff...*"
"It really is him...!"
Bemused by their strange behavior and cryptic murmurs, I quickly changed the subject. "May I go inside?"
Taking in the sight of me dripping with sweat and carrying a heavy backpack, the two guards snapped out of it and hurriedly stepped aside. I gave them a brief nod, adjusted my pack, and hastened toward the entrance.
"What a shame..."
"The Captain was right..."
Normally, I might have flirted back a little, but I was too hot and exhausted to bother. Ignoring their whispers, I entered the village, exchanging nods with the guards stationed inside, and headed straight for Tsuruka's house.
The village was buzzing with noise, seemingly much more crowded and restless than during my last visit. *I'll have to ask Tsuruka what's going on,* I thought. As I walked, I noticed a group of women dressed in remarkably similar attire stealing glances at me.
"Is that the human male...?"
"So the rumors were true..."
Women clad in leather armor similar to Eruka's tight black gear whispered among themselves. Paying them no further mind, I kept walking until I finally stood before Tsuruka's house.
*Creeeak.*
I pushed open the unlocked door and stepped inside. Basking in the familiar, open layout, the warm scent of sunshine that always clung to Tsuruka, and the tranquil atmosphere, I slowly made my way up to her office.
The empty hallway was unusually quiet. Sensing something amiss, I sharpened my senses as I approached the office. I could detect three presences inside. Two of them were intimately familiar—undoubtedly Tsuruka and Eruka—but I couldn't quite place the third.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
As I rapped on the door, a sudden wave of tension gripped my chest, making me swallow hard. The aura radiating from the unknown person inside was the most ferocious I had ever encountered. They felt stronger than any veteran mercenary I'd ever worked with, and rougher than the desert raiders who used to kidnap mercenaries for ransom.
"Please, come in."
Hearing Tsuruka's clear, melodious voice, I forced myself to relax. A powerhouse of that caliber would easily read any sign of nervousness. If I let myself be intimidated from the very start, I'd lose any upper hand I might have had.
*Slidde.*
"Hello," I greeted as I opened the door and stepped inside. Eruka stood tall behind Tsuruka, clad in her tight leather armor. She had been glaring intensely at the figure seated opposite her sister, but the moment she saw me, her tail began to wag furiously even as she desperately tried to maintain a stoic expression.
"You have arrived, Seobang-nim."
As if she had anticipated my arrival, Tsuruka welcomed me with her usual calm grace, her golden tail swaying gently. An undeniable joy flickered in her crescent-shaped eyes, and her adorable fox ears twitched repeatedly, betraying her excitement.
"Hmph."
The woman sitting across from Tsuruka let out a low grunt, her massive, intimidating breasts shifting slightly beneath her clothes, matching her ferocious aura. Her long, dark gray hair cascaded down, pooling on the floor. She narrowed her sharp eyes, glaring at me with piercing golden irises. She wore a tight white martial arts uniform that clung to her voluptuous curves, so thin it was almost translucent enough to reveal her undergarments.
*Ah...*
She was stunningly beautiful, easily ranking among the most gorgeous women I had ever laid eyes on. A scar running across her right eye only heightened her wild, predatory charm, while her fierce gaze and plump lips exuded an inexplicable, raw sensuality. Her gray ears twitched as she sized me up. Placing her hand firmly on the table, she spoke in a commanding tone.
"Sit."
Unable to resist her overwhelming authority, I obediently took off my backpack and walked over to the seating area. As my heavy pack hit the floor with a dull thud, Eruka reached out to tidy it away, but a sharp glare from the older woman made her instantly retract her hand and stand rigidly behind Tsuruka.
*Plop.*
The sweat that had temporarily stopped due to the tension began to pour down again. Ignoring the perspiration drenching my spine and neck, I looked toward Tsuruka. Meeting my gaze with a bright smile, Tsuruka clapped her hands together as if remembering something.
"This is Lady Haruna, who served as our priestess before leaving the village. She is also the mentor to both Eruka and myself."
"Indeed."
Haruna nodded, keeping her eyes locked onto me. Her blunt, silent demand for me to introduce myself almost made me chuckle. She was incredibly curt.
"My name is Casanova. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"So, you became the Chief."
Straight to the point, just like that? Taken aback, I shot a pleading look at Tsuruka. Seemingly flustered herself, Tsuruka avoided my eyes and instead tapped my hip with the tip of her swaying tail. Feeling like a child being pushed onto a stage by their mother, I gave her a resentful glare before speaking.
"If you've heard the rumors, then yes, that is how things turned out."
"I had high expectations since I heard you defeated Eruka, but you look rather frail."
Haruna shifted her gaze to glare at Eruka. Eruka pouted and looked away. A surge of annoyance washed over me at the realization that the sisters had apparently spilled everything to her. Of course, they couldn't have hidden it from someone with an aura like hers, but leaving me to deal with the fallout alone was cold. *I'm going to punish them thoroughly tonight,* I resolved, before managing to speak.
"It was a stroke of luck."
"Then Eruka, who lost to mere luck, must be a worthless weakling."
At this blunt criticism, Eruka clenched her fists tightly and hung her head. Seeing her like that, I couldn't just stay silent.
"That's a bit harsh. It was a fierce, hard-fought battle. I was actually on the verge of losing."
*Tap, tap.*
Haruna tapped her sharp fingernails against the table. I clenched my fists and stared back at her, meeting her disapproving gaze head-on. Reading the defiance in my eyes, she let out a smirk and stood up.
"Let us have dinner together tonight. I shall go inspect the village for a moment, so the three of you may catch up."
*Creeeak.*
With light, graceful steps, Haruna opened the door and left the room. The oppressive, invisible pressure suffocating the room finally dissipated. Only then did Tsuruka catch her breath and cling to me.
"Seobang-nim! You arrived at the perfect time!"
"Hmph. Aren't you a bit late? Keeping us waiting like this..."
Now that Haruna was gone, the floodgates of conversation opened. I snorted and teased Eruka.
"Isn't that your mother, Eruka? How can someone be so terrifyingly blunt?"
"Indeed, she is. To be precise, she is the mother of both of us."
"Mother has grown even stronger since I last saw her. Meanwhile, I am... utterly pathetic..."
As the two sisters nodded in agreement, my mind went blank. That woman, who looked like a voluptuous older sister, was their mother? To put it bluntly, she was the mother of my female slaves—in other words, my mother-in-law.
"She's really my mother-in-law?"
At my question, Tsuruka and Eruka blushed furiously and covered their mouths. I let out a dry chuckle at their embarrassment but quickly composed myself.
"Oh my... Seobang-nim..."
"You call us your female slaves day in and day out, yet you still think of us as your wives."
Looking secretly pleased, Eruka cleared her throat and offered an explanation.
"She is our mother and our mentor. After the prophecy was revealed, she became the leader of the Hardline Faction. We haven't had any contact with them, so her sudden arrival was a surprise."
"According to Mother, a new prophecy was handed down for the first time since the village split."
"And having received it, Mother came to the village to investigate the truth of the matter."
I nodded, processing the information they took turns sharing. The mother-in-law, who also happened to be the leader of the Hardline Faction that split from the village in opposition to a human Chief, had returned to investigate a new prophecy...
"Did they receive a prophecy about me as well?"
After discussing it to death with the sisters, we had already concluded that I was the subject of the original prophecy. Investigating the truth meant this new one had to be about me too. In response to my question, Tsuruka nodded, sliding close to slip her arm through mine.
"She has not shared the contents of the prophecy with us yet. I expect she will tell us during dinner..."
Tsuruka sniffed the air, her nose twitching. Her face flushed red, and her voluptuous body squirmed against mine. As I wrapped an arm around her waist, squeezing her soft flesh, Eruka, who had been standing nearby, took a step closer.
"*Sniff, sniff...* You've sweated a lot...! Leave your clothes to me and go wash up."
"Oh my, no monopolizing him! That's not fair!"
"But Sister, you got to hold him first!"
Leaving the bickering sisters behind, I stood up and stretched my stiff lower back, turning to Tsuruka. "She seemed incredibly strong, though."
"She is likely the strongest being in the entire jungle."
"Her strength is easily great enough to rival the powerhouses of the Human Empire and other kingdoms," Eruka boasted, puffing out her chest with pride as if she were the one being praised.
"Mother's epithet is Void's Fang—a ferocious predator who tears defenseless prey to shreds with her claws in the depths of the jungle."
"Eruka absolutely adores Mother. Personally, I dislike her."
"Sister...!"
I kneaded Eruka's breasts as she gushed with admiration for her mother, using the physical contact to help organize my thoughts. "Ah!" Eruka squeaked, squirming in my embrace. As I fondled her, I came to a very simple conclusion: *I'm screwed.*
"No matter how I look at it, I doubt this is going to end well."
"I agree, Seobang-nim. It might even lead to an all-out clash."
"Do not worry. As long as Eruka, the Crushing Fang, is here—"
Was she always like this? Eruka buried her nose in my neck, inhaling my scent deeply as she babbled in an excited voice. Noticing my bemused expression, Tsuruka giggled, covering her mouth. "She seems thrilled to see the two people she loves most together after so long... Isn't she adorable?"
"That's...! No, it's not like that! Mother is an opponent I must surpass one day...!"
I massaged Eruka's toned body, slowly sliding my hand downward. The moment my hand brushed against her crotch, I felt a damp warmth. Grinning, I traced the seam of her trousers with my fingertips and whispered in her ear, "You're already wet?"
"N-No, I'm not...! It's just because of the heat...! Get off me...!"
"Seobang-nim..."
Tsuruka stood up and draped herself over my back, clinging to me like a backpack. Eruka, despite turning her head away, wrapped her arms around my front. Suddenly sandwiched between the two sisters, I felt their radiating heat, and my cock throbbed in response. Feeling my hard length pressing against her crotch, Eruka blushed furiously, cleared her throat, and tried to pull her hips back.
"We have plenty of time before dinner, right?"
"Hehe, I have already prepared everything..."
"Honestly... is that all you ever think about? Fine. It's not like anyone else could handle you besides the two of us anyway—"
*Creeeeak.*
"I forgot the way to the training ground. Show me..."
The door creaked open slowly, and my eyes locked with Haruna's as she walked back in, blinking. Caught red-handed in a sister sandwich, fondling their breasts and grinding against them, I slowly pulled my hands back and folded them politely in front of me.
The three of us scrambled apart in unison, blinking awkwardly as we waited for Haruna to speak.
"Follow me," she said simply, turning on her heel and walking back out without another word.
Relieved, I let out a breath and went to pack my things, hoping to get some rest. But Eruka suddenly grabbed my wrist in a tight grip. I snapped my head up and glared at her. "What is it?" Actually, the moment she grabbed me, I knew what she wanted. She was going to drag me along. Even though I glared at her with clear refusal, Eruka just smiled brightly and pulled me out of the room.
"Let's go together! We have to show Mother what we're capable of!"
"Hehe, then I shall stay behind and unpack your things, Seobang-nim."
Tsuruka gently slipped my heavy outer coat off my shoulders. Feeling a cool sense of liberation, I finally gave in and followed Eruka out of the room. With quick, light steps, Eruka hurried down the hallway, down the stairs, and out of the building.
"Hmm..."
Haruna stared intently at the two of us as we ran out together, then turned around. Only then did Eruka release my wrist, darting ahead of Haruna to lead the way. Feeling slightly awkward, I kept my distance and followed behind them.
"Casanova, was it?"
Haruna's voice broke the silence as we walked toward the training ground. Her tone was surprisingly gentle, clear and resonant like fine crystal. I swallowed hard and replied, "Yes, Lady Haruna."
"I apologize for earlier. Seeing my daughter defeated made me speak more harshly than I should have."
Surprised by her candid apology, which contrasted sharply with her initial hostility, I accepted it gracefully. "It is fine. As I said, the match between Eruka and me was incredibly close."
"Indeed, seeing you just now, I can understand why. For two girls who have lived entirely apart from males, a man like you is lethal."
"Pardon?"
"The moment you entered, the room was filled with your raw masculine scent and your predatory nature. Though I find it hard to accept, there is no doubt that you are the outsider spoken of in the prophecy, Casanova."
Haruna nodded calmly, explaining and convincing herself all on her own. I had plenty of objections, but I kept my mouth shut and followed. "Excuse me, but... I wouldn't call myself predatory..." Honestly, I felt a bit wronged. I had greeted her politely and barely said a word, yet she was calling me predatory.
"Eruka told me you choked her into submission."
"Ah."
*You again?* I glared at the back of Eruka's head. Walking ahead of us, Eruka flinched, glanced back at me, blinked rapidly in a silent plea, and mouthed: I'm sorry.
"A chokehold filled with lethal intent, showing no regard for the opponent's life... I didn't think much of it when I heard it, but seeing you now, it makes perfect sense."
*Slide, slide.*
Before I knew it, Haruna had closed the distance, her hand gently stroking my forearm as her eyes gleamed. I was taken aback by her casual touch, but the surprises didn't stop there. Standing right next to me, she subtly twitched her nose, inhaling my scent. I barely managed to catch her doing it.
"Hmm..."
After stroking my forearm for a while, Haruna pulled away as Eruka jogged ahead. Eruka ran back to us, catching her breath as she reported, "We... have arrived... *pant, pant*...!"
"Good work."
The training ground located at the edge of the village was essentially just a sparring arena. Guard equipment was neatly organized in one corner, and a row of training dummies and various tools lined the other side. Haruna swept her gaze across the spacious dirt clearing, then turned back to call out to me.
"Step up."
*Pardon?* I stared at her in confusion, but Haruna had already walked to the opposite side of the clearing and begun stripping off her martial arts top. As she pulled it off, I realized that the undergarment I had glimpsed through her translucent uniform was a sports bra, just like the ones back on Earth. The tight, supportive fabric squeezed her massive, voluptuous breasts firmly.
"Let us test your skills with a light spar."
She began to stretch, her slender arms pressing against her enormous breasts. The contrast between her slim limbs and her massive chest, along with her narrow waist and defined, chiseled abs, presented a breathtaking display of raw physical power. Feeling a wave of tension wash over me, I stripped off my own shirt and stepped onto the clearing.
"Ho..."
Haruna's eyes practically licked my body with intense curiosity, and she slowly ran her tongue over her lips as she stared at me. Shivering at the rare sensation of being the prey, I forced my body to calm down and slowly approached her.