“H -Haha… You’re fuckin’ kidding me!”
Those were the first words from Liel’s mouth, eyes cemented on the demon in a woman’s clothing in front of him. She was a new addition to the guild, and as there were precious few women in the guild by virtue of their work, half his guildmates had openly lusted over her.
Liel himself was the same. She never showed so much as a glimpse of skin, and her eyes had an almost dead quality to them. That was no doubt out of caution for her male guildmates—if she wore the same light armor as the average woman adventurer from a legal guild, she would’ve been defiled on the spot. Even so, she was an ample target, as it was clear even through her clothing that she had an ample chest and a well-shaped bottom, testament to her physical prowess.
They were all criminals, and the bait was too tempting for some. Many men followed her, but none were seen again. Liel didn’t understand at all, assuming they had been turned down so harshly they lost all hope. The thought that such strong, competent men could be slain by that twig of a woman never occurred to him.
No…
Now, it was clear he was painfully mistaken. The comrades who had taken Soulgros’s man—her Master, or whatever she called him—were somehow dead, and not even Liel himself could follow how it happened. Looking at her now, with the conflicted mix of joy and sorrow through the tears in her eyes, it was clear she was their murderer. She murdered them, and with such speed and accuracy that not even he, the single strongest man in the guild, could understand her actions. A chill ran down his spine.
“Fuck you!”
Despite yelling at her, his anger was aimed inward. He couldn’t believe that he was afraid of a girl.
“’Tis my line, fool.” Soulgros finally released her man, a solemn determination dwelling in her eyes. Her gaze passed over everyone in the guild. “I was prepared to forgive thy transgressions to a degree, but thou hast committed the greatest of sins to Master himself. None of thee shall leave this accursed place alive!”
Liel hurriedly unsheathed his sword. There was no hope of fighting the beast before him—no, he relied on the comfort of cold steel as a shield, a feeble last bastion against the horror.
“Doth thou believe such a trifle shall save thee?” she sneered. There was mockery in her eyes as she looked at him.
Around them, the most foolhardy of the spectators began to stir.
“The bitch’s got a mouth on her!”
She shook her head. “For what reason should I fear? Slaying thee shall take but a breath.”
“Hah, cocky bitch!”
“You sure you wanna piss us all off?!”
The adventurers finally stood, having recovered from their allies’ deaths to the point where they could draw their weapons.
“What say we kill the man an’ have some fun with the whore when we’re done?!”
“Haha, you got that right!”
From the joviality in their voices, neither man had any intention of revenge. Even if they had, it was the excuse they’d been waiting for to put the woman in her place. They were only scarcely better than Yerkchira itself.
Soulgros’s glare passed over them once more, though there was still no anger in her eyes. They had committed blasphemy in the truest sense in declaring their intent to harm her Master. For that, they would beg for the sweet release of death.
“Funny you care so much ’bout that asshole,” Liel sneered, attempting to regain his composure. “You sure didn’t seem to when you let him get grabbed.”
She twitched. Then, finally, she let out a single long sigh.
“’Tis as thou sayest. I shall submit myself to him for whatever punishment he conceiveth once thou liest dead.”
The so-called Master outright refused to do so with a smile, a trickle of sweat running down his cheek. She poked him jovially in the side, as if to insist, but Liel found him even more confused as to the pair’s relationship than before.
“At any rate, I deserveth his forgiveness not,” she continued. “I shall atone once my business here is at an end.”
“Hah!” Liel laughed. “Like you could kill all us!”
Finally, he could muster a genuine laugh. There was a whole room full of hardened veterans around them, each a master of slaying their fellow man. Even if she could kill two with such speed, their numbers were too great. Surely they would win. Surely, she would—
“It shall scarce take five minutes to slay all of thee.”