Dragon Wife Grandine
Riding in the subjugation team's vehicle, Lily kept venting her complaints nonstop.
"If we weren't stuck in this thing, I could've flown there solo and wrapped everything up ages ago. Why do I have to drag along like this? Sure, it's fast and comfy for you mana-less folks."
Hearing Lily's gripes, Yukino snorted from across the seat, firing back with mockery.
"Still no sign of any refinement in your manners, I see. Haven't you learned anything from what Hyun-soo has taught you so far? That the people here accomplish missions through efficient teamwork? From what I've read, hotshots who strut around thinking they're all that never last long historically."
"Ha? Oh, right, you've got all the answers. 'Efficiency.' Isn't it way more efficient if I just zip ahead alone, handle it quick, and done? No hassle for anyone else, mission over fast for me. Guess teamwork's a big deal for primitives whose only trick is slinging arrows."
"......What did you just call us? Primitives? As if you don't collapse after ten minutes of basic fitness training, all frail and out of breath—how do you even act so superior? You know you're the weakest in stamina on the entire subjugation team, right? Time you learned some humility."
"W-what...? Frail...? I'm a mage, so I don't need stamina—I've focused on my specialty! You brutes who bulldoze everything with your bodies are the ones who need that crap!"
"Are you done talking?!"
"Not even close—why?!"
Even during settlement support training and the subjugation team job experience, the two would snarl and bicker at the slightest glance. Left alone in the vehicle, they spent the entire ride to Taebaek clawing at each other like they wanted to devour one another.
The driver felt his sanity fraying from the women's verbal sparring in the back, praying the vehicle would just reach the destination already.
After a long drive, the vehicle finally arrived at Taebaek.
Lily and Yukino, who hadn't paused their fight for even a minute, suddenly sensed something ominous the moment they stepped out. They finally shut up and disembarked.
Having stuck to the Dimensional Transfer Countermeasure HQ area lately, the two hadn't had much chance to appreciate natural scenery. They fell into brief admiration gazing at Taebaek Mountain shrouded in thick night fog.
"Hmm... This landscape has its own charm, I suppose. Not quite on par with our Spirra Mountains, though."
"Staring at this foggy mountain at night reminds me of Black Moon Mountain. I hope this place isn't as nightmarish..."
BOOM!
At that moment, they both felt a powerful pulse, like the mountain itself was throbbing. Lily and Yukino stopped mid-sentence.
"?!"
"?!"
The two glanced at each other briefly.
Their relationship was at rock bottom, but after their clash in Cheonan, they both knew neither was an easy opponent. They respected each other's skills to a degree.
"Hey, you felt that just now, right?"
"Seems I'm not the only one."
Confirming it wasn't their imagination, they murmured while staring at Taebaek Mountain, where an immense energy emanated.
Lily and Yukino weren't the only ones—even Lee Min-ho, the First Class Hunter, sensed something on the mountain, but...
"What was that? Just my imagination? Come on, how many ops have I been on? Feeling ghosts on-site at my level."
Unlike Lee Min-ho, who couldn't grasp the true nature and dismissed it casually, the far superior Lily and Yukino exchanged uneasy looks toward the upper slopes before reluctantly approaching him, the on-site commander.
Yukino spoke first—she had better social graces.
"Lee Min-ho? Doesn't that mountain feel dangerous? Something's off..."
From months of subjugation team training, Yukino had pegged his personality: sky-high ego.
Advice from a mere dimensional transferee on job experience—not even official team—would just spark his pride. He'd get reckless to show off. So she tested the waters subtly.
But...
"Aw, worried about me, Yukino? Don't fret! As a First Class Hunter, I guarantee nothing up there can touch me!"
Yukino sighed at how he dropped the formalities without Hyun-soo around.
"Sigh... Call me Kamishiro. And as a First Class, don't you sense anything more? Something weird on that mountain?"
"Hmm! Newbies on their first op often get that from over-tension! But relax—I've got you! If you're scared, stick by my side and lean on me anytime!"
Words falling on deaf ears. Yukino swallowed her irritation and backed off without further argument.
But then Lily jumped in.
"No, as a First Class, shouldn't you be more concerned? You don't feel that? Something's wrong up there right now! Hey!"
"Hahaha, you ladies are so worried on your first deployment. Stick close to me. I'll protect you."
"No, you—"
Lily barely resisted the urge to grab his neck and shake him.
Seeing he couldn't even sense the mountain's presence, she concluded he was too dim and low-level to get it. She gave up wasting her breath.
While the two abandoned conversation, Lee Min-ho led the subjugation team into Taebaek Mountain. Lily and Yukino sighed and followed.
"Ladies! Stay right by my side! I'll definitely keep you safe! The safest spot here's probably my ar—"
They gradually put distance between themselves and his drivel without drawing notice, then split in different directions amid the thickening fog.
Lily levitated slightly with magic, sliding up the mountain. Glancing back at Lee Min-ho's direction, she clicked her tongue.
"Ugh, that moron. How pathetic is this world that a creep like him gets treated like some big-shot First Class? Makes my blood boil how he gropes whenever he gets a chance. Next time, maybe I just snap his neck."
After venting about Lee Min-ho, Lily focused her senses again to probe the fog.
All positions lit up clearly in her mind like a map, but that 'certain presence' eluded precise grasp—as if blocked by someone.
She could pinpoint allies and enemies, but the source of that powerful aura wasn't among them.
"Something's definitely here. Can't pin it down exactly with my power, so it's no ordinary foe... Should I tell the subjugation idiots to bail? Argh, but that clown Lee Min-ho's too busy posing... Guess I handle it solo as best I can."
At the same time.
Yukino summoned lion spirits like will-o'-the-wisps to illuminate around her, enveloping herself in them and floating up the mountain.
She scattered talismans ahead; they hovered, pulsing waves to detect beings inside the mountain.
Like infrared radar, she located every subjugation member including Lee Min-ho—and numerous ambushers higher up.
But she shook her head.
"No... That's not all. This sensation I'm feeling... Something evading my talismans and barriers. What's atop that mountain? If even my talismans can't detect it well, it's no ordinary being..."
Then.
Krunch! Clang!
She felt the barrier spread via talismans shatter in an instant.
'The barrier...!'
Few could detect her invisible barrier, fewer still shatter it so swiftly.
Drawing one conclusion, Yukino hastily nocked her bow. Simultaneously, something hurtled from above at blinding speed toward her.
"INTRUUUUDER!!!"
Human-like in form, but crowned with blazing red hair and a pair of massive horns. Bat-like wings spread from her back.
A scaly tail from her hips, and one arm not human but monstrous, covered in scales.
Yukino urgently infused an arrow with purifying power and loosed it at the closing foe, who swatted it aside with her deformed arm.
BOOM!
The shockwave radiated, halting the charge. Yukino and the enemy locked eyes.
"Blocking that... Not a yokai, then."
"You stopped me...? What was that power just now?"
Not waiting for an answer, the foe flapped her wings and shook her head.
"Doesn't matter what it was. Who the hell are you? Reeking of that damn bastard everywhere—you his errand girl to mock me?!"
"......?"
"Spit it out! What's your deal with him? You two shacked up?! He ditched me 'cause I'm not human and picked a human bitch instead?! Since when?! Why?! What'd I do wrong?!"
"What nonsense have you been— Gah!"
WHOOSH!
The enraged redhead ignored her, spewing a colossal blaze from her mouth.
Yukino hastily erected a barrier to block the flames, but they spread to the surrounding woods, igniting a massive wildfire.
"F-fire... spreading...!"
"Can't forgive... Can't forgive! That bastard who dumped me! And you, glued to him! I'll kill you and dump your corpse at his feet!"
BOOM! BOOM!
Yukino kept widening the gap, firing arrows nonstop. The enemy charged each time, batting them away.
Their powers too evenly matched for a decisive blow, the fight dragged on.
"What's going on up there?! Who's there?!"
"A wildfire?! Water users—put this out!"
Subjugation team members detected the spreading blaze, explosions, and shockwaves, rushing toward the skirmish.
Yukino summoned lion spirits with all her might to bind the foe, but the redhead roared ferociously, shredding the restraints. She spread her wings and soared skyward.
"You damn human bitch...! Fine, you're next after a breather! Got another one to hunt anyway!"
"No way...!"
Whether Lily lived or died was none of Yukino's concern—honestly, the latter would suit her fine. But it'd devastate Hyun-soo.
If Lily died, he'd fixate on her memory over the living Yukino, drowning in grief.
'No...! He must prioritize me above all! If that low-class wench dies, I'll drop in his rankings! Tch...!'
Yukino pursued the fleeing redhead through the forest on lion spirits, vanishing before the team arrived.
Meanwhile, Lily—some distance away—sensed the redhead approaching and shouted.
"This is...! Who are you?!"
"That's my line, human!!!"
Seeing the approaching redhead's form, Lily froze on the spot.
Wings sprouting from the back, tail, scaly arm, horns on the head.
Lily knew that form all too well. Recalling the buried memory, she screamed hysterically, unleashing her strongest killing spell.
"D-d-dragon!!!"