Fuck Off, You Bastards!

Maritia shoved her clones into the portal first. Whoooong— The clones were sucked into the portal one by one. Once the last one vanished, she turned her head to look at Ian.

"Let's go."

It was Ian's turn. He was still gripped in her hand. Maritia pushed his back gently but firmly. Into the portal.

Bright light stabbed his eyes. A momentary floating sensation enveloped his entire body. Like zero gravity, until his soles hit solid ground with a thud.

Back to reality. And then—crackkkk— That familiar, horrific sound scraped past his ears.

The instant Ian heard it, he flung himself sideways—scramble-scramble! His bare skin scraped against the floor, but now wasn't the time to care.

"Ugh…!"

Ian let out a small groan as he lifted his head. And right in front of him, something was rolling toward him. Thump. The face that had tormented him endlessly until now. The face that haunted his nights. It was a clone of Maritia's head, severed from its body. The detached head still glared with wide-open eyes.

Then—crack. The familiar sound rang out again. Ian whipped his head toward it.

There… green carapace with razor-sharp blades. A creature blending human and insect. The mantis stood there, its body drenched in blood.

To some, it might be a nightmare they'd never want to face again. But not for Ian right now.

"I've missed you, you fucker!"

Ian had been waiting for this exact moment for days.

Crackkk. The mantis's hundreds of compound eyes all swiveled toward Ian at once, as if it felt the same. A low, sharp hiss sliced through the air. Like a beast finally facing its prey after long starvation.

"Yeah, come at me. You bug bastard."

Ian spread his arms wide in provocation. His lips twisted into a grin. Every muscle in his body tensed, hot blood boiling up like fire.

But the mantis didn't charge. No, it couldn't.

"What the—?!"

One of the clones was already swinging her sword from the mantis's side, charging like a bullet. Clanggg—! Sword met scythe in a shower of sparks. The impact splashed blood from the floor.

Almost simultaneously, two more clones appeared. From the left, from the right. Three swords targeted the mantis at once.

Kachak!Kachak! The mantis's twin blades flashed like lightning. Air ripped in rapid succession. The mantis dominated in speed, but the clones had numbers on their side. Barely blocking three directions with just two blades was all it could manage.

Yet right after crossing the portal, three clone corpses already littered the floor. Heads cleanly severed. Ended in a single strike.

"Hoo…"

Ian exhaled shortly at the sight. The rage boiling in his chest cooled in an instant. He'd been waiting for this moment. The moment Maritia climbed to the second floor!

And then Ian shouted,

"Fuck off, you bastards!"

Without hesitation, he spun and bolted for the portal. The clones whirled in startled confusion at his words, but whoooong— the portal hummed low as Ian vanished.

A brief float, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he was back on the third floor. Maritia's main body was still there. Now the real fight began.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Her voice was low and calm, but a tremor hid beneath it. Ian slowly turned to face her.

"What else? You're fucked."

Her pupils quivered faintly at his sneering tone. Gone was her usual sultry smile; fury and bewilderment twisted her face.

"Last night… you were moaning under me, loving it,"

Her face contorted further. Her voice cracked sharp.

"And now you betray me like this?"

Maritia's voice trembled with rage. Ian smirked at her.

"Loving it? You rapist bitch."

He spat it like mockery. Her eyebrows twitched at the words.

"Hoo…"

She sighed deeply, trying to steady herself. But even that breath was edged sharp.

"You think this changes anything?"

She was right. The collar still bound Ian's neck. With no mana, even if her main body seemed physically weaker than ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the clones, he had no way to handle her.

"This is fun…"

She closed the distance in a flash—tat-dah! Wind whistled past his ear. Ian twisted instinctively to dodge, but crack—! She seized the collar instantly. His head jerked back, body yanked toward her.

"You crazy bitch!"

Ian swung his arms to pry her hand off, but crack—!

"Ugh…!"

Maritia yanked harder, pulling him into her embrace. Unlike the softness and warmth from before, only the hard bite of her armor pressed against him.

"Useless."

She whispered down at his struggling form. Her eyes dismissed him, yet rage still flickered within.

"You're… still mine, Ian."

"Like hell!"

Ian ground his teeth and twisted, but her grip was ironclad. No escape.

That moment—rustle…

Behind Maritia. The bushes there shifted ever so slightly. But her rage-blinded vision missed the tiny change. Her eyes fixed only on Ian.

And tat-dah! Air split with a slash! Something sharp grazed Maritia's neck.

"Aaaagh!"

A scream burst from her. Hot blood sprayed like a fountain from her throat. Instinctively, she released Ian and clutched her neck with both hands. But blood kept gushing between her fingers.

"What… are you?!"

She glared at her attacker, face warped in pain and fury. Ian whipped his head that way too.

There stood a purple-haired woman, utterly naked, not a thread on her.

"Ian!"

A face he'd never seen. Yet she called his name without hesitation. She tossed something lightly his way. Ian caught it reflexively.

"Thanks. Perfect timing."

His voice held genuine relief and familiar warmth, as if he knew her.

To learn who she was and why she appeared now, we must go back to the night before Ian parted from his party.

Ian had laid out several plans before parting from his party.

"Aymdel, head to the fourth floor first and find my comrades."

Aymdel's face stiffened at his words.

"Pardon? Then what about you, Ian…?"

"I'll stay on the third and draw that woman's attention."

To safely send the rest to the fourth floor, one needed to play bait.

"But that means…"

Aymdel knew. Even all together, odds were slim against her. Staying alone was suicide.

"It's fine. She won't kill me easily."

Ian knew he couldn't beat her. And no one understood better how men were treated in this world.

Even when he killed the looters' comrades, they hadn't planned to just kill him—they wanted to toy with him.

"Still, if you're caught, who knows what she'll do…"

Aymdel's voice shook.

"Getting caught is part of the plan."

"Pardon?"

Her voice rose at his cryptic words.

"That's how I'll meet her main body."

She'd only sent clones so far. To face the real one, he had to dive into the jaws himself. That gamble was necessary to kill her.

"I'll lure her up to the second floor somehow."

A subject waited on the second to take her on in his stead.

"You don't mean… the mantis?"

"Yeah. I'll use the mantis."

Ian caught his breath, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then continued in a low, clear voice.

"If I succeed in luring her there, I can take them both out at once."

A desperate gamble, but his eyes burned firm. It was the only way.

"And Aymdel… please find my comrades on the fourth floor and come back."

Ian stepped closer, staring straight at her. His voice dropped softer.

"With her boon, you can help me in secret."

Ian had heard about her boon before.

Her boon specialized ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in concealment. It was why she'd survived alone on the fourth floor.

"I'll come rescue you for sure."

Aymdel nodded firmly, sensing his resolve.

"Yeah, and…"

Ian detailed the plan to Aymdel, then left the party that night.

Fortunately, Ian's plan had worked perfectly so far. But it wasn't over.

They'd inflicted a fatal wound on Maritia, but it wasn't nearly enough.

"Karin! It's not done yet. Finish her off completely!"

"Got it!"

Tat-dah! Before Ian's shout even faded, Karin launched herself at Maritia without hesitation.