Special Admission Phoenix Squad (2): Before Surfacing
Before coming up to the surface. Back when I was rolling around in the demon realm, sparring with Chang Yeom and getting real combat training.
"Do you like furries, Perry?"
"What kinda crazy question is that out of nowhere?"
I'd gotten that question thrown at me mid-spar with Chang Yeom.
"If you just hit me with 'I like furries,' how the hell am I supposed to respond?"
"But you like it when they wear maid outfits with cat ears and tails, don't you?"
"Beastkin elements and straight-up furries are a bit different."
I dodged Chang Yeom's sword swing. Like Esta, she wielded a blade, but hers was made of mana shaped into a maid outfit as she came at me.
"They seem similar from where I'm standing."
"That's in a world like this one with actual beastkin races. My world didn't have beastkin as a species."
Chang Yeom had accepted everything about me, including the concepts and knowledge from my world. But as a being from this one, there were parts she couldn't quite wrap her head around.
"Ours was pure fantasy. Here, beastkin are real."
"The otaku fantasy moe beastkin from your world, or ones with like 50% furry density?"
"Both."
What were beastkin in this world? It depended on how much human they had mixed in.
"Hey, Duke. If a bipedal alpaca picks up a sword and dresses like a knight, is that a beastkin or just a beast?"
"Even if it talks and acts human, a pure beast standing on two legs is still a beast."
Chang Yeom parried my attack and stated it flatly.
"Beastkin in this world are genetically mixed with humans. Uh, it's a bit complicated."
"Complicated's fine. Explain it simply."
"In short, catfolk—cat humans—are a distinct species from cats and humans mixing genetically."
Chang Yeom conjured flames into a shape. Slender women with sharp claws lunged at me from in front.
"Cat whiskers on the face, cat-like agility, a tail above the butt. And..."
"Superior physical specs against humans like this!"
Ka-clang.
A mana catfolk slammed her claws into my sword. She'd said it was at my level, but even at similar ranks, the power was stronger than expected.
"If catfolk are this tough, what happens if a dolphin beastkin or deer beastkin shows up?"
"Never even heard of deer beastkin!"
Something sharp came from the opposite direction I'd parried to. I hurriedly raised my sword to block, but it whipped around and coiled my blade like a whip.
"The world is full of all sorts of possibilities~"
"!!"
Cat tail. A long, yokai-like tail wrapped my sword, and the flame catfolk thrust her claws straight into me.
Whoosh.
Death Judgment
"Phew."
I lowered my sword. In a game, it'd be dropping the controller.
"Giving up?"
"Short break."
I raised both hands, and Chang Yeom approached, handing me coffee loaded with ice. Mana-shaped from 'memory,' but still.
"Beastkin, huh. They're really genetically fused like that?"
"Yes. One of the traces from when the gods who made this world were on the surface—they mixed human genes with various animals to create new species."
Chang Yeom grinned, pointing to the cat ears on her head.
"Product of magitech genetic engineering. Oh, don't mention this up on the surface. It's a forgotten secret from tens of thousands... no, even longer ago for humans."
"Red pill on humanity's origins, got it."
"Exactly. Imagine the shock for beastkin—turns out the 'inferior' humans they look down on are their root species, and they're the derivatives."
Chang Yeom stood beside me and chugged a strawberry latte. From a plastic cup of a cafe I'd often gotten takeout from, sucking through the straw.
"Ahh."
"Tasty?"
"Since you ate it sweet and delicious, yeah. Everything I eat is your memories and info."
"Strawberries your thing?"
"Among all that stuff, most universally tasty? Puhuhu."
She flicked her finger forward.
Fwoosh.
"Count your blessings. At least the ancient gods never thought to hybridize strawberries and humans."
"That's horrifying up close."
A strawberry bigger than a fridge with human limbs. Bulging muscles in a pose, but still just a giant strawberry.
"How about this?"
She flicked again. The strawberry's body squirmed like slime, transforming.
"Just a strawberry-flavored slime."
"Add a red sexy bikini."
"Slapping lingerie on it won't make it any less jiggly and gross."
The strawberry-slime thing seemed to think it was super busty and cute, but nope—still a strawberry.
"Then how's this?"
Final flick.
"That's just a human."
A normal pale-skinned human appeared. Unique points: green hair, red dress evoking strawberries.
"But it tastes like strawberry."
"Taste what?"
"Mana?"
"Quit pretending with stuff that doesn't exist."
"You're gonna be a custard cream cheese human, so badmouth that and I'll spit in your face~"
Chang Yeom pulled out a cream-filled pastry and bit in.
"Cat human, strawberry human—doesn't matter as long as it looks good and tastes good."
She snapped, and all sorts appeared behind the strawberry human.
"Dogs, cats, pandas, dragons, etc. gods mixed humans with countless other species., and their descendants linger on the surface."
"Bunnies too."
"Yes."
One form emerged right in front of me.
Rydmila Lionheart. Heroine No. 2. Joins protagonist's team from the start, frontline combat heroine.
A tall silver-haired, blue-eyed woman appeared.
"By lore, 'a bunny born in the lion's den.'"
"Bunny, huh."
Like a mannequin or hologram, long rabbit ears stuck up from her head, and a white furball slightly bigger than a fist poofed from her butt—tail.
"Right. Bunny. Bunny beastkin. Not the kind you were worried about... at least not Rydmila."
Chang Yeom made a new bunny beside her.
"Ta-da. Extra cream."
"Won't get it if you say it like that."
"Oh? Why not?"
"...Say 'petite and cute' and you'd get it."
Beside Rydmila, a mischievous-looking bunny beastkin—
"Isn't that super outdated?"
"...Shut up."
"Don't you think it's too un-MZ yourself?"
"Point is, I prefer humans with just ears or tails added—cosplay level."
I waved my hand at Chang Yeom's furry beastkin creation.
"Not a beast myself, so why would I like full-on that? I like this better."
I pointed to Rydmila, human through and through.
"Hmm, I see."
Chang Yeom snapped, creating new mana beasts.
"Then to prevent that 'apocalypse,' we'll train our hardest, right?"
"...Horrifying."
In front of me.
"That's a horny bunny horde."
The busty, slender Rydmila vanished, replaced by human-ish things reminiscent of Pokémon bunnies, red eyes gleaming, steam puffing from mouths.
"Yes. Genetic extinction of humanity, furries taking over the planet—that apocalypse."
"......."
Humanity extinction scenario No. 2. Heroine No. 2, Rydmila Lionheart.
Correction: [Beast Apocalypse]
No humans there. Just denser beastkin, devolving to pure beasts.
"Now, build your strength. Only then can you break her... the bunny body with a lion's heart, her will."
"We'll fight again, but..."
I ignited mana, flames coiling my fists.
"Even if I lose, I won't actually get eaten by them, right?"
I drew a sword from the flames, shaping mana—but
"That's the fun of game over, isn't it?"
Chang Yeom snapped without answering.
Kishaaaah!!
Furries under 50% human rushed me, attack beginning.
[And now. Esdinas Academy main building, Student Affairs office.]
Step, step.
A silver-haired, blue-eyed woman dragged a large carry-on through Student Affairs. Those puzzled by the steady military boot taps on marble turned—and gaped, chills running down spines.
Some spotted the stark white bunny ears atop her head first. Others, the massive mana pouches impossible to hide under clothes. Some, the white bunny girl suit requiring guts just to wear. Others questioned a casino bunny girl strolling academy halls. And seeing her military gear everywhere sparked suspicions of her identity.
"This is..."
The woman.
"Where my great-grandfather works."
Rydmila Lionheart. Publicly known as [Gale], an A-rank adventurer and famed monster hunter.
Among senior students, commoners dreamed of joining the hunter guild she actively worked for—so some recognized her striding in boldly.
"Welcome, Rydmila."
Students watching her meet the vice principal, Ederson Lionheart, realized.
"...Where's your uniform?"
"In the case, but this is my uniform."
"Even for special admission, wearing it like that..."
"Combat gear counts as uniform, Great-Grandfather."
That Rydmila Lionheart was enrolling as a 'student.'
"More importantly, if that guy doesn't exist, I'll drop out in a year."
Rydmila pointed to the magitech device on her wrist, scanning around.
"Don't see him yet, but you said he was promising."
Rydmila.
"Where's the prime male to sire my second generation?"
Right now.
"The husband material strong enough for good kids, not even in the hunter guild—where is he?"
She was hunting. For a mate to breed with upon turning adult in two years.
Like a lioness descended for a partner.
Bunny beastkin or not.