Joining Forces
Joining Forces
From then on, things proceeded at lightning speed.
We'd finished our meal, so there was no reason to linger here any longer.
We climbed onto the black carpet Mirkella had conjured and retraced our path.
For now, we needed to get back to the camper van and rest.
More than anything, we needed to exchange information.
"Haaaa...."
Mirkella herself was clearly troubled, letting out one sigh after another even as she skillfully steered the carpet woven from shadows.
I'd lost count of how many that had been.
Unable to take it anymore, I clicked my tongue and said something.
"All your luck's gonna fly away at this rate, damn."
"Be quiet."
What came back was a cold remark.
She was clearly in a foul mood.
It was like a child who'd been scolded by their parents and was taking it out on someone else.
"Come to think of it, back there before we left, that Cult Leader put his hand on your back. What kind of ritual was that?"
"....."
"You don't have to say if you don't want to."
She hesitated for a long moment, but eventually she opened her mouth, as if my steady gaze was too much for her.
"...He reclaimed my authority."
"Authority? Your trait?"
"No. My power as Saintess. The ability to return people to their original form."
Ah, so she was stripped of the power to turn zombies back into people?
Which meant that power originally belonged to the Cult Leader.
'That's a bit of a shame.'
If she'd kept that ability intact, it could've been useful later on.
Still, this was fine too.
This power to manipulate shadows was still extremely formidable.
I let out a small snort of laughter and said,
"Your dad is the very definition of a broken character. Good thing he couldn't leave the underground; otherwise, he probably could've conquered everything and then some."
"Everything comes at a price, you know. But... could you please refrain from doing that sort of thing in front of me?"
Mirkella glanced sidelong at where Kim Ha-yoon's and my genitals were joined, her cheeks flushing slightly, as if she found it shameful.
Looks like she still hasn't built up any tolerance.
Or rather, in this case, is she the normal one?
"Why? You seemed to enjoy it plenty yourself not long ago."
"I'm just saying... let's exercise a little restraint. You've been doing that... that vul... vulgar act this whole time!"
"Not very honest, are you. You could just say you want to join in, too. Isn't that right, Ha-yoon?"
"...Just, hurry up and fuck me. Haaang..."
If that's what you want.
I held her in a face-to-face sitting position, embracing her while I frantically worked my hips.
Schlrrp. I didn't forget to overlap our lips, either.
We savored each other's warmth through a deep kiss, drowning in pleasure.
At the end of it, as always, was an explosive ejaculation.
Her petite little hole couldn't contain all the semen that gushed out, and it overflowed, spilling over.
"Hnhht... haah.... Huh...."
With sex this gentle and slow, Kim Ha-yoon looked slightly unsatisfied.
But try to bear with it a little.
If we went at it roughly here on this unstable ground, there was a high chance we could fall off.
I stroked her hair as if to comfort her.
This time, she didn't smack my hand away.
Only when our bodies were intertwined like this did she allow my touch.
"Hey, out. I'm next."
The one who pushed Kim Ha-yoon, who was still basking in the afterglow, aside was, of course, Lady Ha.
She picked her up and set her aside in one motion, then sheathed my cock into her own pussy.
"Haaang... good... feels so good... let's just stay like this until we get back...."
Ha Hui-ryeong whispered in my ear with a sweet voice, wrapping her arms around my back and lazily rocking her hips.
'What an adorable little thing.'
As I was enjoying the snug, cozy tightness, someone stealthily took hold of my fingers.
Kim Ha-yoon was lying down catching her breath, so that left only Mirkella.
"....."
Even when I tried signaling her with my eyes, asking what she was doing, she kept silent.
The moment our eyes met, she swiftly turned her head away.
Then, she stared straight ahead, pretending not to know anything, feigning complete innocence.
'This woman's doing something really troublesome.'
Wasn't this an unspoken signal asking me to spare a little attention for her, too?
It was an act of pouting so cute it was ridiculous, but with Ha Hui-ryeong currently monopolizing me, granting her wish was impossible.
This one picks a territorial fight with every new woman who joins.
Once the hierarchy was somewhat established, she'd stop caring, but until then, she was as vicious as a mother-in-law tormenting a new daughter-in-law.
"Hold me... tighter...."
So, Lady Ha first.
As she wished, I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist and caressed her plump, soft buttocks.
"Nnghk... haah... hiit!?"
When I stealthily slipped a finger into her anus, her whole body trembled.
"Our Hui-ryeong's got a weak little butthole, doesn't she? Should I take you here next time?"
"I hate it... hic, let's just use my pussy... okay...?"
"Yeah? Then it can't be helped. I'll just have to settle for Mirkella, our designated ass-pussy girl."
At those words, Mirkella jolted as if struck, her voice turning shrill.
"Wh, whaaat!? D-d-designated what...?"
"Ass-pussy. To put it elegantly, you could say you're in charge of anal sex."
"N-no! Wh-wh-who decided that...!"
"Decided it the first time I fucked you there. What, you don't like it? If you don't, I'll just keep having fun with Hui-ryeong from now on~."
"Nnnngh...!"
In the end, Mirkella couldn't bring herself to say she hated it.
Seems like her body's itching for it.
Well, she'd been watching us mate the whole time; she'd have to be inhuman not to get turned on.
"Yaaa... just keep going with me... okay...?"
"Playing favorites isn't good, right? We gotta include her too, so she doesn't complain later."
"Huuu... you're just saying that because you want to do it."
What sharp intuition.
As I gave a wry smile, Ha Hui-ryeong puffed out her cheeks and lightly pinched my back.
It was a cute appeal for me to stop thinking nonsense and focus on her.
Well, can't be helped.
I was thinking that as I started to pull my hand away from Mirkella.
-Squelch.
Suddenly, a slick, soft sensation enveloped my fingers.
That wasn't all.
This feeling, twitching by the second, was almost... like being inside a pussy.
"Ah, aah...!"
"Hnng...? Look at that. This one's a total slut, isn't she...?"
Ha Hui-ryeong narrowed her eyes and glared at Mirkella, who had started masturbating with my hand.
Her face, drenched in pleasure, was indeed, just as Hui-ryeong said, the very picture of lewdness.
"Didn't think you'd just do it on your own like this. Are you really a former Saintess?"
"Don't know... I don't know..."
She shook her head from side to side, but she didn't stop her actions.
If anything, she shoved my hand into her pussy even more aggressively, pleasuring herself with it.
"You sure you can be doing this? You're supposed to be driving."
"It's automatic... hihk, it goes by itself... haaah...."
It can self-drive?
When I first heard that, I thought she meant it literally.
But every time a sultry moan escaped her lips, the carpet made of shadows wavered unsteadily.
...This crazy bitch.
Tchk.
"Stop fooling around and focus. You trying to drop us all?"
"Ah..."
When I forcibly pulled my hand out, she looked at me with a desperate gaze.
It was just like a kid who'd had a precious doll taken away.
Putting aside the protective urge that briefly surfaced, I had to keep work and personal matters separate.
If we fell now, even if we survived, the vending machines would almost certainly end up as scrap metal.
We finally managed to get three of them; that would ruin everything.
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to close the distance.
What followed was a quick, light kiss.
Peck. Our lips gently overlapped and then parted.
"Hold out with this for now."
"Okay..."
Her face melted instantly.
Once I'd broken through her walls, there wasn't an easier woman in the world.
How long did we travel like that?
After moving through the long corridor for quite a while, we eventually reached the area Mirkella had been managing.
The cavern was completely half-destroyed from the previous battle.
There, something that shouldn't have been there caught my eye.
'Pink...? Isn't that our car?'
The pink camper van.
It was planted squarely in the middle of the desolate cavern.
*
"You're back."
As we drew near the camper van, the door opened and Angelica greeted me.
She walked slowly toward me, then crushed me in an embrace as if she'd break me, inhaling deeply.
"I was worried. My heart was in my throat, thinking something might have gone wrong with you."
"Sorry. I should've at least sent word."
"Huff.... That would've been much better. But it's in the past now; I don't wish to scold you any further."
Then, she released me and flashed a bright smile.
"You've returned safely. That's enough for me."
"Thanks."
Maybe it was because her warm heart came through so clearly, but the corners of my own lips curved up naturally.
As we gazed at each other with affectionate smiles, Ha Hui-ryeong and Kim Ha-yoon beside me chimed in with snide remarks.
"Your attitude toward us is completely different, huh?"
"It sure is. What's with that, some kind of 'husband back from work' move?"
Well, of course it is.
Angelica is the only one who joined me because she genuinely wanted my affection.
Naturally, it's normal for there to be some difference in how I treat her.
"Did it look that way? It wasn't my intention, but hearing you say that makes me a little embarrassed."
"What are you saying, grinning like that? Are you messing with us right now?"
"I'll give you the same answer as before. It wasn't my intention."
"Wow... unni, this guy's really shameless."
"You didn't know? He's always like this. He gets even worse once you get close, so watch out."
The three of them exchanged warm greetings and bonded the moment they met.
As I was watching them with a pleased feeling, someone gently tugged on my finger.
"...Um."
It was Mirkella.
Apparently, Angelica was quite unfamiliar to her, so she timidly called out to me.
"What?"
"No... um, there were... other people...?"
"Didn't I mention it? That I have companions."
"You didn't..."
I guess not.
I've been so out of it lately that I've been letting little things slip.
"There are more inside, so brace yourself. After all, you're going to be living under the same roof from now on."
"Th-there are more...?"
"Yeah. Around a bit more than ten?"
"Th-that many...!?"
Her flustered face was utterly comical.
This woman is more expressive than I thought.
You could practically see the emotional shifts right on her face.
When I first saw her, she had this solemn aura that didn't permit anyone to approach her... how did she end up like this?
I have no idea where that initial bold image of hers disappeared to.
"Come to think of it, where did this woman come from? Is it related to you being out of contact for a while?"
"Ah... I'll explain it to everyone later."
"Hmm, fine. Understood."
It was only then that Angelica tilted her head quizzically and asked about Mirkella.
Under her gaze, Mirkella inched even closer to my side, her eyes darting around nervously.
"Let's just get inside first."
"Ah, okay... Hyihkkyat!?"
As we were climbing into the camper van, a bizarre shriek rang out from behind.
Wondering what happened, I turned my head to look, and it seemed Lady Ha had been up to some more mischievous pranks.
"Heeheehee, did you hear that? She said 'Hyihkkyat,' hyihkkyat. This is hilarious."
"Unni. Your moans are kind of similar to that."
"What? Don't bullshit me! Did I really sound like that?"
....Well, let's just leave those two alone.
Even if I told them to knock it off, they wouldn't listen anyway.
"Oppaaa!!"
As I was thinking that, Jeong Ji-min came running over, loudly calling my name.
She was just about to throw herself bodily at me.
"Huh? Kehk...!"
I snatched Mirkella's wrist and dodged sideways with her.
Coincidentally, the person behind me was Ha Hui-ryeong.
Ji-min had sprinted with all her might, so there was no way she could stop, leading to a catastrophic disaster where she latched onto the wrong person, clinging to Ha Hui-ryeong like a cicada.
"...What are you doing."
"Ah, no... oppa suddenly dodged, so..."
"So."
"Uh... I mean..."
"So what."
"Ah... hehe... sorry!☆"
Bam!
The moment she flashed a cutesy wink, Jeong Ji-min's silhouette went flying.
"Kyaaaahk!!" She let out a piercing scream and tumbled pathetically across the floor.
How tragic indeed.
Well, that's what you get.
"That idiot over there is Jeong Ji-min. She's a bit loud, but unlike the others, she's very sociable, so she'll help you adjust."
"Ahaha... I see."
I could feel that she was pretty bewildered.
Just then, Kang Ha-rin walked slowly over to us.
"So does that mean everyone except Ji-min is not sociable?"
"Aren't I right? Honestly, everyone just does their own thing."
"Well... that's true."
You can't cover the sky with the palm of your hand.
They're all people with strong personalities, so it's an undeniable fact that their social skills are somewhat lacking.
"Glad you're back safely."
Kang Ha-rin gave a faint smile and gently hugged me.
She rested her chin on my shoulder and nuzzled me for a long while, then suddenly gave my ear a light bite.
"I was really worried, you know? I was so anxious when those punks on motorcycles went underground. If something had happened to you... my heart was really heavy...."
"I know, I'm sorry. Next time something like this happens, I'll make sure to contact you."
"Yes. That's all I needed. That's all."
Having said that, Kang Ha-rin subtly patted my back and butt a few times, then finally released me, seemingly satisfied.
...She's really changed a lot since that day.
I only had a moment to sigh internally. Just then, Angelica, who had been outside, finished lifting the vending machines into the camper van with her psychokinesis.
"Anyway, where did you even get these? I'd like an explanation now, if you would."
"Okay. Everyone have a seat. I'll tell you the whole story from the beginning."
I flopped back and buried myself in the large sofa.
"Hey, I already know all about it, so I'm going to wash up."
"Me too."
Ha Hui-ryeong and Kim Ha-yoon, complaining that they felt gross, disappeared into the shower room. The ones left were Angelica, Jeong Ji-min, Kang Ha-rin, and Mirkella.
Mirkella looked like she wanted to follow Ha Hui-ryeong, but perhaps she didn't have the courage to speak up in this situation, so she sat quietly next to me.
"So, how it went was..."
What followed was simple.
Starting from discovering the Order's believers, stealing their clothes and infiltrating the place, to having a bout with Mirkella and fucking her.
And then, to making a deal with the Cult Leader, who turned out to be Mirkella's father—I spilled every detail, one by one, without missing a thing.
"So... in other words, we need to clean up those punks in Dongjak-gu and Gwanak-gu."
"That's about it. Honestly, when I met her dad, my heart was pounding out of my chest. I really thought I was going to die right there."
"That was a close call. But that Cult Leader person is really strange. How could he do that when his own daughter was... raped like that?"
For Kang Ha-rin, whose family was everything to her, it clearly made little sense.
Well, I also thought he was an oddball at first.
But after looking around that place called the Sanctuary, my thoughts changed a little.
"He projects the image of a devout believer, but in reality, he's more pragmatic than anyone. From what I saw, would it be more accurate to say that man is an administrator rather than a religious figure?"
"Even so... I just can't understand it. Couldn't he have some other ulterior motive?"
"He probably does have one. But I don't think it's to harm us. If it were, he would've dealt with us on the spot. Either that, or threatened us with force."
Since he knew all about my ability, he also could've imprisoned me to use me as a food wrapper, a human vending machine.
But the fact that he didn't must mean he finds us more valuable for some other purpose.
"That aside, how did you guys get all the way here? The entrance was narrow; it must've been hard."
"Well, that..."
"Ha-rin unni threw a huge fit about how we had to save oppa, so Angelica used her power to widen the entrance."
"Ji-min...!"
"Huh? Was I not supposed to say that?"
Jeong Ji-min scratched her cheek with a clueless expression.
At that, I looked at Kang Ha-rin as if asking if that was true.
"....."
She simply lowered her head in silence, her face turning red.
That was answer enough.
"That's unexpected. I figured Angelica would be one to do something like that."
"Hmph. A soldier's first duty is to obey orders. My husband said to stand by there, so it was only proper that his wife follow his command. No matter how anxious my heart felt."
Angelica shrugged her shoulders lightly, as if it were nothing.
As expected, a truly consistent one, she was.
Ask one thing of her, and she does that one thing. Ask for two, she does both.
She never oversteps, you could say.
She does exactly what's appropriate, neither too little nor too much.
That's why I entrusted her with guarding the camper van, and looking back, it seems like the right call.
"But you couldn't break through Ha-rin's stubbornness, huh?"
"She was pecking at me relentlessly; I couldn't help it. The way she was acting, if I hadn't agreed, she really would've rammed the car straight into the entrance."
"...Seriously?"
"Ask her yourself."
At those words, clearly spoken with a teasing intent, Kang Ha-rin seemed unable to endure it any longer, as she shot up and headed off somewhere.
As always, it was the driver's seat.
I should probably console her later or something.
I let out a small chuckle, then spoke to those remaining.
"Let's just rest for today. And then we can set out starting tomorrow. Mirkella will guide our way."
"This person? Hmm... she seems kinda unreliable."
"She's strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Hui-ryeong, so watch your mouth."
"...For real?"
You think it's a lie?
When I gave her a cold, deadpan look, Jeong Ji-min wore a puzzled expression, as if she couldn't tell if I was joking or being serious.
"Well, whatever. She's still just oppa's jjot-jip in the end anyway. Mir unni? Um... Mir dongsaeng? Anyway, Mir? Would you follow me?"
"Uh, uhh... yes?"
"Come on. I'll show you what's where around here."
Then, with her signature sociability, she took Mirkella's hand and led her away.
Mirkella, seemingly overwhelmed by Jeong Ji-min's momentum, stuttered and followed after.
'She really is weak against people who push her, huh.'
If we get her to mingle with us like that and build bonds, making her switch sides from the Order to us might not be so hard after all.
I tore my gaze away from those two.
I stood in front of the vending machine.
"Alright, then. Let's check what comes out this time, shall we?"