We dive back into the tunnels and watch as tens of Beastkin spread out throughout the labyrinth of passages and different paths. Thankfully, it seems like they think a bit before rushing to listen to my request. I’m well aware that quite a decent chunk of their people aren’t great warriors and some women or even men prefer a bit more gentle roles. Therefore, those less fierce pair up or form groups, lending their senses while being protected.
As for us, we head in the general direction those kidnappers have initially picked up. We can’t be sure if they haven’t made a turn somewhere, but that’s currently our best bet. Since Yuru can contact me at any time, it’s only natural we try our luck at searching too.
I receive a message from Fullen, informing me that Vanessa is in a much better state now, but since she has been giving them a hard time with her stubborn insistence on going into the fray, they have put her to sleep. Magically. Fullen, Natalie, and Kamil will escort her to our mansion before rejoining us.
Shortly after, I sense another gentle spike in my bonds and another person reaches out to me.
~Are you alright, Dear? I just spoke mentally with Shino and she explained everything,~ Lianne asks with noticeable concern.
~Depends on how you define alright. We lost Vanessa’s parents,~ I reply with a sigh.
~That’s not your fault and you know it,~ she reassures me.
~You and I both, but everyone else doesn’t. This won’t look great for our future commissioners.~ I grunt.
~The day is not over. You haven’t failed yet. After you turn it into a legendary chase and recovery, people will flock to you for your professionalism and effectiveness,~ Lianne continues with a slight smile in her voice.
~We’ll see. Right now, the only thing we should worry about is the safety of our clients. I can focus on the reason why those asshats decided to fuck us over to smear our name in the mud later,~ I growl back, obviously not at her.
~While I understand why that might be your first thought, I’m afraid it’s not your fault, as I have said before. This is on us.~ It’s her turn to sigh heavily.
~How so?~ I raise a brow to myself as we run through the tunnels.
~It’s rather obvious that the recent reforms haven’t passed through with a perfect reception. It hurt plenty of less proper businessmen and traders, not to mention straight criminals. We’ve dealt with most opposition through various means, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they banded up somewhere shady and planned this gig. Vanessa’s parents are one of our biggest supporters in this matter. The others might change their mind after realising that their recent voting brought a target onto their backs. And especially when we can’t protect them,~ Lianne explains with some anxiety.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. ~So, this is basically political kidnapping. Ransom for the reversal of the controversial legislation. And also a threat towards those who voted. That’s even better.~
~I’m sorry. We didn’t think they would go this far. The atmosphere in the capital was slowly becoming more comfortable. We should have been more careful,~ she says sadly.
Shaking my head, I take another turn, scanning the stone walls with my eyes. ~No. I bet you did whatever you could. We can’t even guarantee that these idiots are from the capital. They might belong to some big criminal organisation spanning over multiple locations if not the entire kingdom. It’s only real change that can bring bastards like these out of their safe havens. I can’t say that this is a good thing but at least we have a chance to take a few of them down and secure a better future. It would have happened at some point anyway. It’s just our luck that it had to happen during our first official expedition.~
~You are right. I’m just angry. At them and myself. I know how strong you are firsthand but I still couldn’t help but worry when Shino contacted me and described the ambush. Be careful, okay?~ Lianne’s ghostly palm brushes against my cheek. ~I’m sending our men into the sewers to help you. Our patrols are already scouring the city alongside your girls.~
~If you are bringing them here, make sure to emphasise that the Beastkin are on our side and they are not to attack or act hostile towards any. I have my own people sniffing these kidnappers out and they can be compared to a small army. We don’t need more conflicts and confrontations that will fuel racial hate. It’s not Beastkin who did this but Humans,~ I warn her.
~Good thinking. This will actually be beneficial. If the Community plays a big role in rescuing the Human royals, we will be able to use it to further push our current agenda. And perhaps some well-crafted propaganda. Society rejects hiding from Human prosecution help save an innocent king and queen without requesting anything in return. People will love this story.~ A giggle reaches my ears.
~Whatever works.~ I chuckle lightly too. ~I’m sure these guys would never expect their little stunt to turn out with a completely opposite effect. As they say, when life gives you lemons…~
~Suck on the peach instead,~ Lianne finishes the sentence with a noticeable smirk and I stumble over my feet.
~What?~ I blink a few times with a confused frown.
~Oh, you didn’t mean small tits?~ I can literally see her tilting her head at me in my mind.
Only then understanding what kind of peach she has been talking about, I groan and swipe down my face with my palm.
What kind of perverted proverbs does this realm have?
~Al? Are you there? I can tell you are confused. You know, it’s because when a girl’s breasts are too flat, it’s better to—~
~I know perfectly well what it’s about,~ I cut her off with a wry smile. ~Not what I meant, though. And not the time for it.~
Another sweet, but quite mischievous giggle resounds in my head. ~Thought so. You quite enjoyed sucking on my juicy peach. Now I’m kind of in the mood to let you have a lick. But I’ll hold it in. I’ll keep your reward warm and succulent for you. Just don’t delay too much, my hero.~
Rolling my eyes and trying my best to focus on the tunnels instead of the avalanche of images depicting Lianne’s bare, petite pussy dripping with need that the sly nympho Queen has evoked in my consciousness.
She really doesn’t know when to stop.
We continue running for about half an hour more before Yuru connects with me and I hope she has something else to say than that she’s bored and thinking of me.
~Master, we think we found them. One of our old hideouts is taken and there are plenty of new defensive formations and arrays around it,~ the cute Leopardkin reports. ~I’m heading right to you so that I can lead the way.~
~Perfect. We’ll run your way,~ I respond with a mental headpat and receive some adorable purrs of gratitude.
Let’s hope they don’t have many more dummy refuges planted all around the sewers. But, worst case scenario, we can torture those asshats into giving us the information we need. If they turn out to be simple terrorists trying to regain control over the slave trade, I’m not planning on holding back. Who knows what else they might try if kidnappings don’t work? Jerks like them only know how to escalate things, not how to give up.
It doesn’t take long before Yuru shows up with a Boarkin man by her side. Additionally, the girls I have sent to the surface with various tasks return alongside them too. Looks like Fullen has finished taking care of Vanessa and even brought Natalie with her, though maybe it’s the blonde minstrel who insisted on coming. I’m sure they left our friend in good care.
What I don’t expect is Astrea suddenly popping out of one of the side tunnels shortly after they reach us. I pause briefly and stare at my short feline mate, who trots up to me with her usual, calm expression, though maybe just slightly angry.
“I apologise, Master. I couldn’t stop myself from listening in on your conversation. After you mentioned the Community, I felt a mental tug. I’m here to help,” she says.
Pulling the lithe Martial Artist into my arms, I nuzzle our cheeks together. “We appreciate your assistance. This will be much easier now that you are here. Let’s go.”
Diana jumps out of Ressia’s shadow and joins us too, taking a quite sizable part of the tunnel. But, no one says anything besides the boar dude who gasps in shock and awe at the sight of the mystical beast. I don’t tell her to hide again since we can use her sharp senses too.
Sending a mental notice to Shino so that she and the others know what’s going on and where to find us, we resume our chase once more. The Beastkin man needs a bit of convincing from Astrea before he starts guiding us to the place he’s seen but we are on our way in just a moment. I try to scan the path with my skill again and notice the faintest trace of pink swirling through the air in my grayscale vision, definitely belonging to the queen, so we must be on the correct route.
Since we are running at our best speed, additionally enhanced by Natalie’s music, it takes us less than ten minutes to find the correct place. We stop before reaching it, right at the nearest bend, so as not to give ourselves away from the very beginning. There’s always a chance that we’ve been spotted much earlier, but we can’t be sure until we dive in.
Then, Shino jumps out of my shadow, surprising everyone with her sudden entrance. As I’ve been leaning onto the wall to take a peek to the left, she somehow ends up squished between me and the blocky surface, her face right in front of mine as I turn to see the source of the shadowy motion. From a distance, it must look like I’m doing the cliched kabedon on the Japanese cutie and she realises that too, instantly flushing scarlet with a timid smile.
“We are… here…” she says a tad shyly, her eyes jumping down to my lips.
Not wanting to waste this opportunity, I press a gentle kiss onto her soft mouth and step back. “We? What about the surface? Did you find nothing?”
She nods lightly while patting out her clothes to regain control of her blush. “Nothing, unfortunately. We left it to the knights and other mercenaries. Everyone knows about the attack now. Paul-san and the others are right behind me. Give them just a moment. I’m glad to see that Natalie-san is already with you.”
“The more the merrier.” I chuckle at her and turn to our guide. “Is it that passage without a canal? It doesn’t look like anything special. But I guess that’s good for them.”
“Yes it is, Alpha,” he replies hastily and pulls out a small rock out of his pocket.
Stepping forward, he glances around and tosses it at the archway in the wall. We watch as the little stone sails through the air and then disappears before touching the ground. There’s also no noise of any kind. I call upon Lascivious Hunt once more and see a pinkish trail cut off right at the entrance like it’s a solid surface.
“An illusion,” Natalie murmurs. “And most likely a silencing barrier.”
“Can we dispel it before going in?” I ask, glancing not just at her but also at our other magicians.
Suna shakes her head. “Not my speciality, Master. I do sense the wards, though.”
“It depends on the complexity of the spell,” the bard replies. “I managed to level up some time ago and learned Disrupt Magic. I think Dispel Magic is much further on. I can still use the former to break the enchantments but the success rate depends on the Tier and general power of the mages who set them up.”
“If only you had Sensei’s shared stats.” Shino sighs quietly.
I plop a hand on her black hair. “She is still a High Human and a Hero. Tier 3, right? While criminals might have gotten some experience from fighting and killing, I don’t think it was their focus. Let’s give it a try after the others catch up. Ah, looks like they are here.”
Paul, Kamil, Marcia, and Catherine appear behind us after we hear their footsteps. They regroup with the rest of their squad and we stand in our respective parties. Exchanging nods with my German ex-student, I let the Beastking guy go back. His role in this play is finished and there’s no reason for him to risk his life or health by storming this rathole with us. We have enough people and firepower to handle this.
“What’s the plan?” Marcia asks eagerly after our side briefly summarises the situation.
“We let Nat take down the illusion and go from there. It would be bad to walk under another sea of explosive arrays. They clearly have a mage or a few amongst them,” Paul replies and glances my way, to which I nod in agreement. “Our focus is to locate the kidnapped. We can clean up the trash afterwards.”
“So, we run to the end of their base and see if they have the captives here, then we show them what happens when you fuck with the Heroes. I’m in.” Kamil grins and bumps fists with the redhead.
Catherine rolls her eyes while exchanging glances with Paul but starts preparing her small armoury for the next fight. He most likely doesn’t notice it after their gazes go separate ways but she still steals a few peaks at him as he turns to discuss things with his fellow classmates. I catch her returning her attention to her weapons and give the badass military lady a knowing wink and she hastily escapes my scrutiny, most likely recalling our recent conversation.
I wonder if she has a thing for submitting to her superiors. With the correct person in that place, of course. My dad might have not realised it but I did overhear a few of his conversations over the phone he held with his friends during the short visits between his missions. It supposedly was a quite common thing in the military, at least in their units. You supposedly didn’t hear much about it since most upper ranks in commanding positions were total dicks and so unsuitable.
Well, maybe Paul will share the news one day. He is the leader of their party. I’ll place my bets on them getting together in the near future.
With Natalie ready to proceed, we assume a wide formation, surrounding the entrance to the cloaked passage. We are rather spread just in case anything awaits us on the other side or something triggers above us. We haven’t felt any traces of lingering spells earlier, but you can never be sure.
“I’m starting,” the blonde beauty announces and we all tense.
As she closes her eyes in concentration, a complex magical circle appears in front of her palms, one per side, while she holds them in front of her chest. The arrays begin to spin as they grow even more sophisticated with multiple mesmerising rings of power. One side is red while the other is green and they glow beautifully.
With a strained grunt, Natalie smashes her palms together. Or, at least she attempts to as the two formations crash into each other and fuse, stopping her hands around the newly-created orb of magical runes and lines. The mix of red and green bursts outwards and creates a half-sphere around her. Sparks of the two colours zap and crack in various directions inside her arcane domain. She gradually expands it to reach the top and the sides of the entrance in front of us.
Shino fearlessly steps into that fierce storm of mana and places a hand on Natalie’s back. She helps her friend by guiding the former actress forward like a blind person without a cane. When they get in contact with the illusory surface, it crackles with blue energy and resists for a while. But, it soon shatters into a million particles, revealing the hidden tunnel to all of us.
No army of cloaked kidnappers greet us but our fears are instantly confirmed. The walls and the ceiling glow with a multitude of different magical traps, set up in advance. There has to be some trick to their deactivation because I can’t see anyone going in or out of this place without blowing themselves up, but we are obviously not aware of any hidden switches. We do have our own switch, though. A much prettier one.
I ready myself to jump to their aid as the duo of best friends continues onwards. The formations surrounding them sparkle and sputter as they come in contact with Natalie’s field of disruption. None seem to explode or burst outwards, simply dying out with a lot of sparks and flashing, but I’m not going to take any chances, even if Shino should be capable of plunging them into the shadows at a moment’s notice.
Everyone observes the glittering spectacle with tense anticipation, definitely in awe of our friend’s magical prowess. Natalie has always strived to be the best and it’s obvious she put that mindset into her new talents too. As Shino said, it’s too bad she doesn’t have access to my stats because I’m damn intrigued by what she could achieve with them. Maybe someday I’ll manage to learn a way to share more of my peculiarities with ladies who don’t jump into my bed too.
The exquisite pair stops at the end of the visible traps and Natalie’s magical field flickers a few times before bursting outwards as the spell is released free. She slumps lightly but Shino quickly supports her from behind. Keeping an eye on our surroundings, I jog up to them and bring my Rejuvenate into the play, placing a hand against her smooth neck.
“Amazing work. I’ll help you recover a little. This operation must have exhausted you quite a bit.” I smile appreciatively as she glances at me over her shoulder.
“Thank you. With this, I’ll be back up in a moment. Remember that I only disabled them. They will return in a few minutes.” She nods tiredly as Shino giggles and helps her move a wisp of hair off her dazzling face.
The others catch up to us and I let the Heroes fuss around their comrade, taking the lead with my girls. Ressia, Oniri, and Yuru take the front as they have the best senses and we slowly move forward. Suna and Fullen watch for more arrays while I keep my draconic hilt in my hand.
After a few short minutes, we arrive before a reinforced wooden door without any window or peephole. The petite kitsune kneels and brings out something that looks like a needle with a flat bottom to hold onto. She stabs it into the planks and nails it down a bit with her palm. Then, she bends it with one finger and lets it go. The tool starts vibrating with a weird hum as she listens to the funny sound, her long ears twitching rapidly.
“Four people inside. They are wearing cloth. Three have swords, one has a wooden staff. The room is a square thrice as big as this passage. There isn’t a lot of furniture besides what looks like a long counter in the centre, forming an island with an empty middle. Most likely a defensive position. The magician is in there while the others are spread out,” Oniri summarises and opens her icy-blue eyes, looking up at me.
“Impressive,” I compliment her and her bushy tail starts wagging excitedly. “You are a master of infiltration. I’m proud to have you with us.”
I help her up after she retrieves her spying needle and kiss those fluffy ears of hers in appreciation. Oniri sighs blissfully and steps back with a satisfied smile when I let go of her. Paul and the others catch up to us and I share what we have learned.
“Time to smash!” Marcia grins and twirls her dual blades.
“Leave the mage alive. We need to question someone at least,” Paul cautions her, clearly not the first time for him.
“Don’t worry, bossman, he won’t have time to open his mouth and begin his gay incantations before my shield slams right into his dick.” Kamil cackles at the picture he has painted himself. “That should be enough to disable him.”
We all get ready to breach the door on their asses and Astrea takes the front. She positions herself in front of the reinforced door and draws one foot back alongside her right palm. The air around her grows heavier as she gathers energy for her next move and I give her the signal. Her hand shoots forward in a blur and a loud thud echoes through the tunnel as the entire wooden entrance is launched inside without shattering into bits. The door crashes into the opposite wall and only then breaks into pieces, showering the cloaked four in a rain of splinters.
Well, actually three. The mage seems to have gotten smacked by it in the head and he rests sprawled on the further counter on his back, clearly knocked out.
Nevertheless, we waste no time flooding into the square room and go after our targets. I pay no attention to Kamil’s whines about his fun being stolen by my furry chick and materialise a fierce-looking longsword from the hilt. The cloaked bastard on the left gets to uncover his eyes before I stab him right in the chest with ease, confirming Oniri’s earlier scouting data. They wear no additional armour.
She and Yuru jump onto the guy on the right, and the agile foxgirl slides between his legs, stabbing two kunai-shaped daggers into the backs of the man’s knees. As he buckles and folds, the leopardgirl’s greatsword descends from above and she drives it right through his lungs, pinning him to the ground in a pose a pole dancer trying to do a bridge could attempt. With the pole nailing them right through the torso.
The third one raises a crossbow in the direction of the entrance, but Ressia is faster and she hits his weapon with an inhuman precision. He loses his means of fighting and Shino materialises behind him, using his shadow. Her katana mercilessly plunges into his neck at an angle, also running through his jaw from underneath, silencing his cries of agony and despair. Some weak gurgling still escapes the man’s throat before she yanks her blade to the side and decapitates him.
That leaves only one alive and we all turn to the centre of the room. Our final opponent chooses that moment to regain consciousness and rubs his forehead while groaning and opening his eyes. He freezes at the sight of his mutilated companions and a small army of enemies staring right back at him.
He lunges for the staff he has dropped but doesn’t make it anywhere close to the metal rod. Kamil uses some kind of rush skill as his whole figure darts forward with his shield raised and an unstoppable force behind him. He drives through the front counter, blowing it into bits with zero resistance, and smashes into the mage’s lanky frame, stopping only after pulverising the back counter too.
Our cloaked guy flies into the wall with a meaty thud and I’m right next to him in a flash, pinning him to the cracked surface by the throat. Kamil once again complains, this time about missing his dick due to his angled posture and I sigh lightly.
“Are the traps your doing?” I ask with a threatening tone, staring the bastard right in the eyes as he gazes back weakly.
A grin splits his bloodied mouth and he snickers. “Mighty work, ain’t it? Who else could have put them up? Those meatheads?”
I don’t buy his lie in the slightest. He’s too confident for someone whose magic has been easily bypassed. He definitely would have at least tried to resist so as to buy time instead of confirming it right away, knowing that we would ask for the way to disable the arrays.
“Right. A twerp who gets knocked out by a piece of wood being a master of arrays? Dream on. How many of you are there? Who’s the strongest mage? Where are the captives?” I squeeze his windpipe stronger for a moment.
His cheeky smile disappears and gets replaced by furious disdain. When I loosen my grip, he spits blood on my face.
“Fuck you. You are all dead. You have no idea who you are up against. We’ll rip you into pieces and skin those filthy beasts alive—OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!
As much as I wanted to, it’s not me who interrupts his sickening monologue. Glancing down, I see a slender hand clutching his package in a death grip. That pretty palm belongs to none other than Natalie.
“You fucking bitch! When I get my hands on you—”
Suddenly, her hand lits up with an amber flame and the guy’s eyes almost pop out of their sockets. Even I can feel the heat of the merciless fire as it eats through his pants and starts burning his dick off, evoking pained squeals and cries of suffering.
“Answers,” Natalie says coldly and calmly.
“ARGHHHHH! I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY! ABOUT FIFTY MAYBE! AHHHHHHHH! STOP IT! YULIE IS THE STRONGEST! SHE MADE THE TRAPS! FUUUUUUUUUUUCK! AT THE BACK! FAR BACK! CELLS! MAKE IT STOP!” he actually answers after her polite request.
Seeing that he has nothing useful to say and only screams his throat out, I snap his neck and toss him onto the ground. While Natalie’s hand returns to normal, his crotch continues to burn like a small campfire. She flicks her wrist his way and an accurate orb of water douses the flames as it splashes onto them. I avert my eyes before they fully disappear, not wanting to witness the aftereffects.
As I look at the usually withdrawn and cool Natalie with both brows raised, she meets my eyes and shrugs lightly. “Mom always said that the best way to get something out of a man is through his dick. Works for both good and bad things.”
I can only smirk wryly at that piece of wisdom, hoping that I’ll forever remain on the good side of it.
She retreats to her group as I link gazes with Shino and she seems as surprised as me. We exchange smiles and she pulls her best friend into a casual chat. The rest of us put the bodies aside and get ready to move on.
Since there are two exits and most likely two different paths, we split in half. I take my girls to the right while Paul goes left with his team. We remain wary of more magical traps in case the mentioned Yulie hasn’t been happy with just the ones she set up at the entrance. Hell knows she could have sensed them going out or something.
We jog forward through relatively narrow corridors made of stone blocks. I let the ladies lead, relying on their senses and abilities. Oniri and Ressia spot enemies before they notice us and the rest is history. An arrow to the throat, a kunai to the head, or a bolt of lightning through the heart. They try to stay quiet as much as possible, Yuru and Besfi catching the bodies before they fall down.
The next chamber we stumble on looks like a makeshift dining hall and we find a group of eleven just chilling. At least until our group of eight strolls in. Nine if we count Diana, who finally can fit inside.
Our silent staring contest continues for maybe up to three seconds before everyone starts to panic, reaching for their weapons, either at their belts or placed against the tables and benches.
That, of course, doesn’t help them much.
Diana dives through the shadows and her giant head snaps a guy’s lower half from the floor and pulls him inside, silencing his screams in the void. They reappear somewhere behind us and I don’t even bother looking back as an uncomfortable tearing noise follows.
Suna hits the floor with both palms and mesmerising lightning sparks dance all over it, zapping the flailing criminals continuously. Somehow, the ladies effortlessly avoid touching the discharges and massacre the crowd cleanly.
Besfi protects the mage with her shield, parrying a few projectiles and weak spells that trigger the enchantments in her gear. Since all of them are Sirgia’s work, the feeble attempts at attack don’t leave even a mark on those masterpieces.
Ressia peppers her targets with arrows that return to her quiver after she draws the next, nailing the bastards in their knees and other joints, only going for the kill when she can help out one of her colleagues. She watches over everyone attentively and I can tell she is coordinating their efforts through the connection they all share. Such a good leader.
Astrea seems to have joined arms with her Beastkin sisters and she spreads terror on the battlefield alongside Yuru and Oniri. The trio of Beastketeers slice, stab, and punch with incredible grace. It’s such an alluring sight watching them make use of their feline and vulpine dexterity to strike fear in the hearts of men.
And something else in my heart.
I’m content just overseeing their genuine efforts, and soon, there are no more targets to eliminate. Save for one.
The last guy stops behind me with a dagger aimed at the side of my neck, locking my head with his elbow. Naturally, it’s more like I let him do it, acting like I haven’t sensed his desperate play right from the beginning. I too want some action and showing him just how mistaken he is should be an entertaining experience. Holding Diana off was quite a challenge.
“All of you freeze or I’ll slice him open like a fi—”
Unfortunately, he doesn’t get to finish, and again, it’s not thanks to me.
A shiny, onyx spike pops into my view from the left and I tilt my head. It’s pierced right through his wrist, holding it steady and away from my skin. Turning around, I spot two more as I gaze upon his spasming figure. One went through his throat while the other stabbed him right in the heart, lifting his body slightly into the air.
After these spikes flick to the side all at once, flinging the poor dude somewhere to the side, they reveal a petite, white-haired Arachne girl in what you can only call a neat hero suit. One that I’m very much familiar with.
Hecate stares up at me with her usual blank expression, her spider legs dripping with fresh blood. I chuckle warmly and ruffle through her soft hair. I should have figured that my loyal bodyguard would be around if even Astrea came to my aid.
“Thanks.” I lean down to peck her lips and we exchange a few delicate kisses. “I missed you too.”
Showering my silent mate with enough affection, I stand straight again and look over the battlefield. No more threats are present. The girls are ready to continue. I cast Rejuvenate at them as we head for the single passage leading out and venture further in with a new ally by our side. At least in spirit as Hecate disappears behind her reflective webs right away.
I have way too many ladies who can pop out of nowhere any time they want.
We don’t meet anyone else in the following corridors until an archway into a busy hall shows up. We peer inside and find some kind of warehouse or storage section with a single wide tunnel out. A dozen or two of men and women are milling about, but only a few of them interest me. The few that are pushing two human-sized cages, with one already filled by Vannesa’s mother.
“Get the old man back in his cage! We are scheduled to leave in fifteen minutes according to the plan! I don’t care if he shits himself out of fear again! You fuckers want to have fun playing scary, you are going to enjoy the aroma for the rest of the trip!” a rough female voice calls out to them from atop some boxes.
She is fully cloaked and even still wears a mask covering her face. Most of her subordinates have already forsaken them in the comfort of their hideout. We watch two more thugs drag Vanessa’s father under his armpits and it’s clear he now has a different set of pants on him. They look much worse for wear.
“Alright. Here’s what we are going to do,” I whisper while pulling away.
At that moment, Oniri’s fingers brush over a hidden array woven into the brick of the entrance on the other side as she retreats and it glows up. She shoots me a panicked and ashamed gaze but I focus on the chamber, seeing the woman’s masked visage snap to us.
“Intruders! Move! I’ll stop them!” she shouts to her minions and jumps down onto the floor.
We file into the hall too since our chance for a surprise attack is ruined.
At least to some extent.
“You’ve made a terrible mistake following us here,” the woman snickers haughtily. “This is my fortress and its name is your doom.”
“Cliché.” I snort while calling for my longsword again, making it materialise itself between us.
She spreads her arms at an angle, opening up her cloak a little, and its surface lits up with a plethora of different arrays and magical circles. More appear on the floor, walls, and ceiling, filling the dim hall with a rainbow of colours.
“I stand by my point.” I chuckle and prepare to fight.
Saileri
Let's see how fast this shall end.
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We dive back into the tunnels and watch as tens of Beastkin spread out throughout the labyrinth of passages and different paths. Thankfully, it seems like they think a bit before rushing to listen to my request. I’m well aware that quite a decent chunk of their people aren’t great warriors and some women or even men prefer a bit more gentle roles. Therefore, those less fierce pair up or form groups, lending their senses while being protected.
As for us, we head in the general direction those kidnappers have initially picked up. We can’t be sure if they haven’t made a turn somewhere, but that’s currently our best bet. Since Yuru can contact me at any time, it’s only natural we try our luck at searching too.
I receive a message from Fullen, informing me that Vanessa is in a much better state now, but since she has been giving them a hard time with her stubborn insistence on going into the fray, they have put her to sleep. Magically. Fullen, Natalie, and Kamil will escort her to our mansion before rejoining us.
Shortly after, I sense another gentle spike in my bonds and another person reaches out to me.
~Are you alright, Dear? I just spoke mentally with Shino and she explained everything,~ Lianne asks with noticeable concern.
~Depends on how you define alright. We lost Vanessa’s parents,~ I reply with a sigh.
~That’s not your fault and you know it,~ she reassures me.
~You and I both, but everyone else doesn’t. This won’t look great for our future commissioners.~ I grunt.
~The day is not over. You haven’t failed yet. After you turn it into a legendary chase and recovery, people will flock to you for your professionalism and effectiveness,~ Lianne continues with a slight smile in her voice.
~We’ll see. Right now, the only thing we should worry about is the safety of our clients. I can focus on the reason why those asshats decided to fuck us over to smear our name in the mud later,~ I growl back, obviously not at her.
~While I understand why that might be your first thought, I’m afraid it’s not your fault, as I have said before. This is on us.~ It’s her turn to sigh heavily.
~How so?~ I raise a brow to myself as we run through the tunnels.
~It’s rather obvious that the recent reforms haven’t passed through with a perfect reception. It hurt plenty of less proper businessmen and traders, not to mention straight criminals. We’ve dealt with most opposition through various means, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they banded up somewhere shady and planned this gig. Vanessa’s parents are one of our biggest supporters in this matter. The others might change their mind after realising that their recent voting brought a target onto their backs. And especially when we can’t protect them,~ Lianne explains with some anxiety.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. ~So, this is basically political kidnapping. Ransom for the reversal of the controversial legislation. And also a threat towards those who voted. That’s even better.~
~I’m sorry. We didn’t think they would go this far. The atmosphere in the capital was slowly becoming more comfortable. We should have been more careful,~ she says sadly.
Shaking my head, I take another turn, scanning the stone walls with my eyes. ~No. I bet you did whatever you could. We can’t even guarantee that these idiots are from the capital. They might belong to some big criminal organisation spanning over multiple locations if not the entire kingdom. It’s only real change that can bring bastards like these out of their safe havens. I can’t say that this is a good thing but at least we have a chance to take a few of them down and secure a better future. It would have happened at some point anyway. It’s just our luck that it had to happen during our first official expedition.~
~You are right. I’m just angry. At them and myself. I know how strong you are firsthand but I still couldn’t help but worry when Shino contacted me and described the ambush. Be careful, okay?~ Lianne’s ghostly palm brushes against my cheek. ~I’m sending our men into the sewers to help you. Our patrols are already scouring the city alongside your girls.~
~If you are bringing them here, make sure to emphasise that the Beastkin are on our side and they are not to attack or act hostile towards any. I have my own people sniffing these kidnappers out and they can be compared to a small army. We don’t need more conflicts and confrontations that will fuel racial hate. It’s not Beastkin who did this but Humans,~ I warn her.
~Good thinking. This will actually be beneficial. If the Community plays a big role in rescuing the Human royals, we will be able to use it to further push our current agenda. And perhaps some well-crafted propaganda. Society rejects hiding from Human prosecution help save an innocent king and queen without requesting anything in return. People will love this story.~ A giggle reaches my ears.
~Whatever works.~ I chuckle lightly too. ~I’m sure these guys would never expect their little stunt to turn out with a completely opposite effect. As they say, when life gives you lemons…~
~Suck on the peach instead,~ Lianne finishes the sentence with a noticeable smirk and I stumble over my feet.
~What?~ I blink a few times with a confused frown.
~Oh, you didn’t mean small tits?~ I can literally see her tilting her head at me in my mind.
Only then understanding what kind of peach she has been talking about, I groan and swipe down my face with my palm.
What kind of perverted proverbs does this realm have?
~Al? Are you there? I can tell you are confused. You know, it’s because when a girl’s breasts are too flat, it’s better to—~
~I know perfectly well what it’s about,~ I cut her off with a wry smile. ~Not what I meant, though. And not the time for it.~
Another sweet, but quite mischievous giggle resounds in my head. ~Thought so. You quite enjoyed sucking on my juicy peach. Now I’m kind of in the mood to let you have a lick. But I’ll hold it in. I’ll keep your reward warm and succulent for you. Just don’t delay too much, my hero.~
Rolling my eyes and trying my best to focus on the tunnels instead of the avalanche of images depicting Lianne’s bare, petite pussy dripping with need that the sly nympho Queen has evoked in my consciousness.
She really doesn’t know when to stop.
We continue running for about half an hour more before Yuru connects with me and I hope she has something else to say than that she’s bored and thinking of me.
~Master, we think we found them. One of our old hideouts is taken and there are plenty of new defensive formations and arrays around it,~ the cute Leopardkin reports. ~I’m heading right to you so that I can lead the way.~
~Perfect. We’ll run your way,~ I respond with a mental headpat and receive some adorable purrs of gratitude.
Let’s hope they don’t have many more dummy refuges planted all around the sewers. But, worst case scenario, we can torture those asshats into giving us the information we need. If they turn out to be simple terrorists trying to regain control over the slave trade, I’m not planning on holding back. Who knows what else they might try if kidnappings don’t work? Jerks like them only know how to escalate things, not how to give up.
It doesn’t take long before Yuru shows up with a Boarkin man by her side. Additionally, the girls I have sent to the surface with various tasks return alongside them too. Looks like Fullen has finished taking care of Vanessa and even brought Natalie with her, though maybe it’s the blonde minstrel who insisted on coming. I’m sure they left our friend in good care.
What I don’t expect is Astrea suddenly popping out of one of the side tunnels shortly after they reach us. I pause briefly and stare at my short feline mate, who trots up to me with her usual, calm expression, though maybe just slightly angry.
“I apologise, Master. I couldn’t stop myself from listening in on your conversation. After you mentioned the Community, I felt a mental tug. I’m here to help,” she says.
Pulling the lithe Martial Artist into my arms, I nuzzle our cheeks together. “We appreciate your assistance. This will be much easier now that you are here. Let’s go.”
Diana jumps out of Ressia’s shadow and joins us too, taking a quite sizable part of the tunnel. But, no one says anything besides the boar dude who gasps in shock and awe at the sight of the mystical beast. I don’t tell her to hide again since we can use her sharp senses too.
Sending a mental notice to Shino so that she and the others know what’s going on and where to find us, we resume our chase once more. The Beastkin man needs a bit of convincing from Astrea before he starts guiding us to the place he’s seen but we are on our way in just a moment. I try to scan the path with my skill again and notice the faintest trace of pink swirling through the air in my grayscale vision, definitely belonging to the queen, so we must be on the correct route.
Since we are running at our best speed, additionally enhanced by Natalie’s music, it takes us less than ten minutes to find the correct place. We stop before reaching it, right at the nearest bend, so as not to give ourselves away from the very beginning. There’s always a chance that we’ve been spotted much earlier, but we can’t be sure until we dive in.
Then, Shino jumps out of my shadow, surprising everyone with her sudden entrance. As I’ve been leaning onto the wall to take a peek to the left, she somehow ends up squished between me and the blocky surface, her face right in front of mine as I turn to see the source of the shadowy motion. From a distance, it must look like I’m doing the cliched kabedon on the Japanese cutie and she realises that too, instantly flushing scarlet with a timid smile.
“We are… here…” she says a tad shyly, her eyes jumping down to my lips.
Not wanting to waste this opportunity, I press a gentle kiss onto her soft mouth and step back. “We? What about the surface? Did you find nothing?”
She nods lightly while patting out her clothes to regain control of her blush. “Nothing, unfortunately. We left it to the knights and other mercenaries. Everyone knows about the attack now. Paul-san and the others are right behind me. Give them just a moment. I’m glad to see that Natalie-san is already with you.”
“The more the merrier.” I chuckle at her and turn to our guide. “Is it that passage without a canal? It doesn’t look like anything special. But I guess that’s good for them.”
“Yes it is, Alpha,” he replies hastily and pulls out a small rock out of his pocket.
Stepping forward, he glances around and tosses it at the archway in the wall. We watch as the little stone sails through the air and then disappears before touching the ground. There’s also no noise of any kind. I call upon Lascivious Hunt once more and see a pinkish trail cut off right at the entrance like it’s a solid surface.
“An illusion,” Natalie murmurs. “And most likely a silencing barrier.”
“Can we dispel it before going in?” I ask, glancing not just at her but also at our other magicians.
Suna shakes her head. “Not my speciality, Master. I do sense the wards, though.”
“It depends on the complexity of the spell,” the bard replies. “I managed to level up some time ago and learned Disrupt Magic. I think Dispel Magic is much further on. I can still use the former to break the enchantments but the success rate depends on the Tier and general power of the mages who set them up.”
“If only you had Sensei’s shared stats.” Shino sighs quietly.
I plop a hand on her black hair. “She is still a High Human and a Hero. Tier 3, right? While criminals might have gotten some experience from fighting and killing, I don’t think it was their focus. Let’s give it a try after the others catch up. Ah, looks like they are here.”
Paul, Kamil, Marcia, and Catherine appear behind us after we hear their footsteps. They regroup with the rest of their squad and we stand in our respective parties. Exchanging nods with my German ex-student, I let the Beastking guy go back. His role in this play is finished and there’s no reason for him to risk his life or health by storming this rathole with us. We have enough people and firepower to handle this.
“What’s the plan?” Marcia asks eagerly after our side briefly summarises the situation.
“We let Nat take down the illusion and go from there. It would be bad to walk under another sea of explosive arrays. They clearly have a mage or a few amongst them,” Paul replies and glances my way, to which I nod in agreement. “Our focus is to locate the kidnapped. We can clean up the trash afterwards.”
“So, we run to the end of their base and see if they have the captives here, then we show them what happens when you fuck with the Heroes. I’m in.” Kamil grins and bumps fists with the redhead.
Catherine rolls her eyes while exchanging glances with Paul but starts preparing her small armoury for the next fight. He most likely doesn’t notice it after their gazes go separate ways but she still steals a few peaks at him as he turns to discuss things with his fellow classmates. I catch her returning her attention to her weapons and give the badass military lady a knowing wink and she hastily escapes my scrutiny, most likely recalling our recent conversation.
I wonder if she has a thing for submitting to her superiors. With the correct person in that place, of course. My dad might have not realised it but I did overhear a few of his conversations over the phone he held with his friends during the short visits between his missions. It supposedly was a quite common thing in the military, at least in their units. You supposedly didn’t hear much about it since most upper ranks in commanding positions were total dicks and so unsuitable.
Well, maybe Paul will share the news one day. He is the leader of their party. I’ll place my bets on them getting together in the near future.
With Natalie ready to proceed, we assume a wide formation, surrounding the entrance to the cloaked passage. We are rather spread just in case anything awaits us on the other side or something triggers above us. We haven’t felt any traces of lingering spells earlier, but you can never be sure.
“I’m starting,” the blonde beauty announces and we all tense.
As she closes her eyes in concentration, a complex magical circle appears in front of her palms, one per side, while she holds them in front of her chest. The arrays begin to spin as they grow even more sophisticated with multiple mesmerising rings of power. One side is red while the other is green and they glow beautifully.
With a strained grunt, Natalie smashes her palms together. Or, at least she attempts to as the two formations crash into each other and fuse, stopping her hands around the newly-created orb of magical runes and lines. The mix of red and green bursts outwards and creates a half-sphere around her. Sparks of the two colours zap and crack in various directions inside her arcane domain. She gradually expands it to reach the top and the sides of the entrance in front of us.
Shino fearlessly steps into that fierce storm of mana and places a hand on Natalie’s back. She helps her friend by guiding the former actress forward like a blind person without a cane. When they get in contact with the illusory surface, it crackles with blue energy and resists for a while. But, it soon shatters into a million particles, revealing the hidden tunnel to all of us.
No army of cloaked kidnappers greet us but our fears are instantly confirmed. The walls and the ceiling glow with a multitude of different magical traps, set up in advance. There has to be some trick to their deactivation because I can’t see anyone going in or out of this place without blowing themselves up, but we are obviously not aware of any hidden switches. We do have our own switch, though. A much prettier one.
I ready myself to jump to their aid as the duo of best friends continues onwards. The formations surrounding them sparkle and sputter as they come in contact with Natalie’s field of disruption. None seem to explode or burst outwards, simply dying out with a lot of sparks and flashing, but I’m not going to take any chances, even if Shino should be capable of plunging them into the shadows at a moment’s notice.
Everyone observes the glittering spectacle with tense anticipation, definitely in awe of our friend’s magical prowess. Natalie has always strived to be the best and it’s obvious she put that mindset into her new talents too. As Shino said, it’s too bad she doesn’t have access to my stats because I’m damn intrigued by what she could achieve with them. Maybe someday I’ll manage to learn a way to share more of my peculiarities with ladies who don’t jump into my bed too.
The exquisite pair stops at the end of the visible traps and Natalie’s magical field flickers a few times before bursting outwards as the spell is released free. She slumps lightly but Shino quickly supports her from behind. Keeping an eye on our surroundings, I jog up to them and bring my Rejuvenate into the play, placing a hand against her smooth neck.
“Amazing work. I’ll help you recover a little. This operation must have exhausted you quite a bit.” I smile appreciatively as she glances at me over her shoulder.
“Thank you. With this, I’ll be back up in a moment. Remember that I only disabled them. They will return in a few minutes.” She nods tiredly as Shino giggles and helps her move a wisp of hair off her dazzling face.
The others catch up to us and I let the Heroes fuss around their comrade, taking the lead with my girls. Ressia, Oniri, and Yuru take the front as they have the best senses and we slowly move forward. Suna and Fullen watch for more arrays while I keep my draconic hilt in my hand.
After a few short minutes, we arrive before a reinforced wooden door without any window or peephole. The petite kitsune kneels and brings out something that looks like a needle with a flat bottom to hold onto. She stabs it into the planks and nails it down a bit with her palm. Then, she bends it with one finger and lets it go. The tool starts vibrating with a weird hum as she listens to the funny sound, her long ears twitching rapidly.
“Four people inside. They are wearing cloth. Three have swords, one has a wooden staff. The room is a square thrice as big as this passage. There isn’t a lot of furniture besides what looks like a long counter in the centre, forming an island with an empty middle. Most likely a defensive position. The magician is in there while the others are spread out,” Oniri summarises and opens her icy-blue eyes, looking up at me.
“Impressive,” I compliment her and her bushy tail starts wagging excitedly. “You are a master of infiltration. I’m proud to have you with us.”
I help her up after she retrieves her spying needle and kiss those fluffy ears of hers in appreciation. Oniri sighs blissfully and steps back with a satisfied smile when I let go of her. Paul and the others catch up to us and I share what we have learned.
“Time to smash!” Marcia grins and twirls her dual blades.
“Leave the mage alive. We need to question someone at least,” Paul cautions her, clearly not the first time for him.
“Don’t worry, bossman, he won’t have time to open his mouth and begin his gay incantations before my shield slams right into his dick.” Kamil cackles at the picture he has painted himself. “That should be enough to disable him.”
We all get ready to breach the door on their asses and Astrea takes the front. She positions herself in front of the reinforced door and draws one foot back alongside her right palm. The air around her grows heavier as she gathers energy for her next move and I give her the signal. Her hand shoots forward in a blur and a loud thud echoes through the tunnel as the entire wooden entrance is launched inside without shattering into bits. The door crashes into the opposite wall and only then breaks into pieces, showering the cloaked four in a rain of splinters.
Well, actually three. The mage seems to have gotten smacked by it in the head and he rests sprawled on the further counter on his back, clearly knocked out.
Nevertheless, we waste no time flooding into the square room and go after our targets. I pay no attention to Kamil’s whines about his fun being stolen by my furry chick and materialise a fierce-looking longsword from the hilt. The cloaked bastard on the left gets to uncover his eyes before I stab him right in the chest with ease, confirming Oniri’s earlier scouting data. They wear no additional armour.
She and Yuru jump onto the guy on the right, and the agile foxgirl slides between his legs, stabbing two kunai-shaped daggers into the backs of the man’s knees. As he buckles and folds, the leopardgirl’s greatsword descends from above and she drives it right through his lungs, pinning him to the ground in a pose a pole dancer trying to do a bridge could attempt. With the pole nailing them right through the torso.
The third one raises a crossbow in the direction of the entrance, but Ressia is faster and she hits his weapon with an inhuman precision. He loses his means of fighting and Shino materialises behind him, using his shadow. Her katana mercilessly plunges into his neck at an angle, also running through his jaw from underneath, silencing his cries of agony and despair. Some weak gurgling still escapes the man’s throat before she yanks her blade to the side and decapitates him.
That leaves only one alive and we all turn to the centre of the room. Our final opponent chooses that moment to regain consciousness and rubs his forehead while groaning and opening his eyes. He freezes at the sight of his mutilated companions and a small army of enemies staring right back at him.
He lunges for the staff he has dropped but doesn’t make it anywhere close to the metal rod. Kamil uses some kind of rush skill as his whole figure darts forward with his shield raised and an unstoppable force behind him. He drives through the front counter, blowing it into bits with zero resistance, and smashes into the mage’s lanky frame, stopping only after pulverising the back counter too.
Our cloaked guy flies into the wall with a meaty thud and I’m right next to him in a flash, pinning him to the cracked surface by the throat. Kamil once again complains, this time about missing his dick due to his angled posture and I sigh lightly.
“Are the traps your doing?” I ask with a threatening tone, staring the bastard right in the eyes as he gazes back weakly.
A grin splits his bloodied mouth and he snickers. “Mighty work, ain’t it? Who else could have put them up? Those meatheads?”
I don’t buy his lie in the slightest. He’s too confident for someone whose magic has been easily bypassed. He definitely would have at least tried to resist so as to buy time instead of confirming it right away, knowing that we would ask for the way to disable the arrays.
“Right. A twerp who gets knocked out by a piece of wood being a master of arrays? Dream on. How many of you are there? Who’s the strongest mage? Where are the captives?” I squeeze his windpipe stronger for a moment.
His cheeky smile disappears and gets replaced by furious disdain. When I loosen my grip, he spits blood on my face.
“Fuck you. You are all dead. You have no idea who you are up against. We’ll rip you into pieces and skin those filthy beasts alive—OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!
As much as I wanted to, it’s not me who interrupts his sickening monologue. Glancing down, I see a slender hand clutching his package in a death grip. That pretty palm belongs to none other than Natalie.
“You fucking bitch! When I get my hands on you—”
Suddenly, her hand lits up with an amber flame and the guy’s eyes almost pop out of their sockets. Even I can feel the heat of the merciless fire as it eats through his pants and starts burning his dick off, evoking pained squeals and cries of suffering.
“Answers,” Natalie says coldly and calmly.
“ARGHHHHH! I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY! ABOUT FIFTY MAYBE! AHHHHHHHH! STOP IT! YULIE IS THE STRONGEST! SHE MADE THE TRAPS! FUUUUUUUUUUUCK! AT THE BACK! FAR BACK! CELLS! MAKE IT STOP!” he actually answers after her polite request.
Seeing that he has nothing useful to say and only screams his throat out, I snap his neck and toss him onto the ground. While Natalie’s hand returns to normal, his crotch continues to burn like a small campfire. She flicks her wrist his way and an accurate orb of water douses the flames as it splashes onto them. I avert my eyes before they fully disappear, not wanting to witness the aftereffects.
As I look at the usually withdrawn and cool Natalie with both brows raised, she meets my eyes and shrugs lightly. “Mom always said that the best way to get something out of a man is through his dick. Works for both good and bad things.”
I can only smirk wryly at that piece of wisdom, hoping that I’ll forever remain on the good side of it.
She retreats to her group as I link gazes with Shino and she seems as surprised as me. We exchange smiles and she pulls her best friend into a casual chat. The rest of us put the bodies aside and get ready to move on.
Since there are two exits and most likely two different paths, we split in half. I take my girls to the right while Paul goes left with his team. We remain wary of more magical traps in case the mentioned Yulie hasn’t been happy with just the ones she set up at the entrance. Hell knows she could have sensed them going out or something.
We jog forward through relatively narrow corridors made of stone blocks. I let the ladies lead, relying on their senses and abilities. Oniri and Ressia spot enemies before they notice us and the rest is history. An arrow to the throat, a kunai to the head, or a bolt of lightning through the heart. They try to stay quiet as much as possible, Yuru and Besfi catching the bodies before they fall down.
The next chamber we stumble on looks like a makeshift dining hall and we find a group of eleven just chilling. At least until our group of eight strolls in. Nine if we count Diana, who finally can fit inside.
Our silent staring contest continues for maybe up to three seconds before everyone starts to panic, reaching for their weapons, either at their belts or placed against the tables and benches.
That, of course, doesn’t help them much.
Diana dives through the shadows and her giant head snaps a guy’s lower half from the floor and pulls him inside, silencing his screams in the void. They reappear somewhere behind us and I don’t even bother looking back as an uncomfortable tearing noise follows.
Suna hits the floor with both palms and mesmerising lightning sparks dance all over it, zapping the flailing criminals continuously. Somehow, the ladies effortlessly avoid touching the discharges and massacre the crowd cleanly.
Besfi protects the mage with her shield, parrying a few projectiles and weak spells that trigger the enchantments in her gear. Since all of them are Sirgia’s work, the feeble attempts at attack don’t leave even a mark on those masterpieces.
Ressia peppers her targets with arrows that return to her quiver after she draws the next, nailing the bastards in their knees and other joints, only going for the kill when she can help out one of her colleagues. She watches over everyone attentively and I can tell she is coordinating their efforts through the connection they all share. Such a good leader.
Astrea seems to have joined arms with her Beastkin sisters and she spreads terror on the battlefield alongside Yuru and Oniri. The trio of Beastketeers slice, stab, and punch with incredible grace. It’s such an alluring sight watching them make use of their feline and vulpine dexterity to strike fear in the hearts of men.
And something else in my heart.
I’m content just overseeing their genuine efforts, and soon, there are no more targets to eliminate. Save for one.
The last guy stops behind me with a dagger aimed at the side of my neck, locking my head with his elbow. Naturally, it’s more like I let him do it, acting like I haven’t sensed his desperate play right from the beginning. I too want some action and showing him just how mistaken he is should be an entertaining experience. Holding Diana off was quite a challenge.
“All of you freeze or I’ll slice him open like a fi—”
Unfortunately, he doesn’t get to finish, and again, it’s not thanks to me.
A shiny, onyx spike pops into my view from the left and I tilt my head. It’s pierced right through his wrist, holding it steady and away from my skin. Turning around, I spot two more as I gaze upon his spasming figure. One went through his throat while the other stabbed him right in the heart, lifting his body slightly into the air.
After these spikes flick to the side all at once, flinging the poor dude somewhere to the side, they reveal a petite, white-haired Arachne girl in what you can only call a neat hero suit. One that I’m very much familiar with.
Hecate stares up at me with her usual blank expression, her spider legs dripping with fresh blood. I chuckle warmly and ruffle through her soft hair. I should have figured that my loyal bodyguard would be around if even Astrea came to my aid.
“Thanks.” I lean down to peck her lips and we exchange a few delicate kisses. “I missed you too.”
Showering my silent mate with enough affection, I stand straight again and look over the battlefield. No more threats are present. The girls are ready to continue. I cast Rejuvenate at them as we head for the single passage leading out and venture further in with a new ally by our side. At least in spirit as Hecate disappears behind her reflective webs right away.
I have way too many ladies who can pop out of nowhere any time they want.
We don’t meet anyone else in the following corridors until an archway into a busy hall shows up. We peer inside and find some kind of warehouse or storage section with a single wide tunnel out. A dozen or two of men and women are milling about, but only a few of them interest me. The few that are pushing two human-sized cages, with one already filled by Vannesa’s mother.
“Get the old man back in his cage! We are scheduled to leave in fifteen minutes according to the plan! I don’t care if he shits himself out of fear again! You fuckers want to have fun playing scary, you are going to enjoy the aroma for the rest of the trip!” a rough female voice calls out to them from atop some boxes.
She is fully cloaked and even still wears a mask covering her face. Most of her subordinates have already forsaken them in the comfort of their hideout. We watch two more thugs drag Vanessa’s father under his armpits and it’s clear he now has a different set of pants on him. They look much worse for wear.
“Alright. Here’s what we are going to do,” I whisper while pulling away.
At that moment, Oniri’s fingers brush over a hidden array woven into the brick of the entrance on the other side as she retreats and it glows up. She shoots me a panicked and ashamed gaze but I focus on the chamber, seeing the woman’s masked visage snap to us.
“Intruders! Move! I’ll stop them!” she shouts to her minions and jumps down onto the floor.
We file into the hall too since our chance for a surprise attack is ruined.
At least to some extent.
“You’ve made a terrible mistake following us here,” the woman snickers haughtily. “This is my fortress and its name is your doom.”
“Cliché.” I snort while calling for my longsword again, making it materialise itself between us.
She spreads her arms at an angle, opening up her cloak a little, and its surface lits up with a plethora of different arrays and magical circles. More appear on the floor, walls, and ceiling, filling the dim hall with a rainbow of colours.
“I stand by my point.” I chuckle and prepare to fight.
Saileri
Let's see how fast this shall end.
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