"Good job, Hiro."
Yurei's voice was warm, but her eyes held a hint of amusement. She was congratulating him on his shameful—but ultimately enduring—win.
"You helped, though," Hiro said as his transformation unraveled. Fur receded. Tails dissolved. Claws became fingernails. He layed there in human form, exhausted but already standing up.
"That last move certainly wasn't my idea." Yurei's lips curved into a teasing smile.
From the sidelines, Marian jogged over, her signature grin already in place. "Wow, Hiro. Didn't think you had it in you."
"Please don't."
"A tail bite of all things."
"Don't remind me."
---
Hiro's gaze drifted across the courtyard.
The gathered main unit of the Delinquent Base stood in a loose cluster. Their earlier bravado had evaporated. Shoulders hung low. Eyes avoided contact.
Beatrice stood at the front, her arms limp at her sides. Her brass knuckles were gone—confiscated, probably already on their way to be destroyed. Scott stood beside her in human form, still rubbing his backside with a pained expression. Ramona and Felicia flanked them, their beast slaves Winston and Stanley close behind. Sally lingered at the edge, her earlier confidence nowhere to be seen.
"What do we do about this issue?" Marian asked, her voice quiet.
Yurei didn't hesitate. "I've already decided not to report them."
"Good. They deserv—" Hiro stopped. "Wait, what?"
"But, Captain." Marian's eyebrows shot up. "They cheated. They schemed. They—"
"Marian." Yurei's voice was calm but firm. "Remember, you were also like them."
Marian's mouth snapped shut. Something flickered across her face—guilt, maybe, or memory. "Please don't remind me."
---
Yurei walked across the courtyard and stopped in front of Beatrice.
The larger woman flinched but didn't step back.
"Remove our bargain," Yurei said.
Beatrice blinked. "What?"
"The wage battle. Consider it void. I'm not forcibly doing this inspection."
Beatrice stared at her. Confusion warred with relief on her face. "Why?"
"Because you don't need to lose your command. You need to learn how to lead."
Beatrice's jaw tightened. "Fine." Her voice was rough, barely above a whisper. "What do you want me to do?"
"First, you're going to train with my unit. Second, you're going to follow my orders." Yurei's crimson eyes swept across the assembled soldiers. "And third… tomorrow, we begin. Anyone who doesn't want to train can leave. Anyone who stays follows my rules. Understood?"
No one moved.
No one left.
The courtyard was silent except for the whisper of wind through the cracked walls.
Yurei nodded. "Good. Dismissed."
The soldiers dispersed slowly, some glancing back over their shoulders, others staring at the ground.
"Beatrice. Sally." Yurei's voice stopped them both. "Come with me. I want to speak with you."
---
The sun was setting by the time Hiro found Winston and Stanley.He moved his slightly sore body towards them which was already healing through his slave physique.
They were behind the baths, sitting on upturned crates, playing cards by the fading light. A half-empty bottle of something sat between them. Their laughter echoed off the walls.
Marian had split off earlier to chat with old friends from the base—apparently, she had been part of this unit once, long before joining Yurei.
"Hey," Hiro said, approaching slowly. "What's up?"
Winston and Stanley went silent. Their eyes flicked to him, then to each other.
Oh crap, Hiro thought. They aren't friendly.
But Stanley set down his cards and shook his head. "We ain't freezing you out or anything. It's just… standard procedure for a slave to stay with their mistress when they're injured."
"Wait, that's a thing?"
"Yeah, it is."
"Yurei sent me away." Hiro scratched the back of his head. "Said she wanted to speak with your captain and that Sally girl."
"Still." Winston shuffled the deck. "We all saw that nasty punch to the ribs. Mistress Beatrice can be hardcore."
"She said she'd go after," Stanley added.
Hiro hesitated. Then he pulled up a crate and sat down. "Deal me in."
---
The game wasn't serious. Just luck and laughter.
"You sure held your own back there," Winston said, tossing a card onto the pile.
"Thanks. I was kinda winging it."
"Winging it?" Stanley snorted. "You beat Scott. He's the strongest slave here."
"Your technique was kinda sloppy, though," Winston added. "Even for a newbie."
Hiro winced. "I'll work on it."
---
Turns out, Winston and Stanley were pretty chilled guys.
Winston had joined the army after being arrested for stealing a noblewoman's purse. The crime itself was small—a moment of desperation to buy medicine for his sick mother. Normally, that would have ended with a slap on the wrist.
"Should have gone for a househusband instead," Winston joked.
But he'd had the balls to steal from a noble. And the woman had been awakened. She caught him instantly with her blessing.
Stanley's story was simpler. He'd just followed Felicia. She was his gang leader, and when the police caught her, he went with her.
"Damn, dude." Hiro raised an eyebrow. "You must like her a lot to follow her into the army."
Stanley's cheeks flushed crimson. "Shut up."
"He does," Winston stage-whispered, grinning.
"Shut up!"
Stanley's face was bright red now, his earlier composure completely shattered.
"But sadly," Winston continued, ignoring his companion's embarrassment, "she only sees him as a little brother."
"Man, that must suck," Hiro said.
Stanley slumped. "Too much."
The group spent the next few hours chatting, playing cards, and sharing stories. The shadows lengthened. The stars came out. And somewhere along the way, the tension of the day began to fade.
Hiro realized something.
The rumors about men being treated badly in the army weren't entirely true.
At least, not here. Not in the Doghouse.
Here, they were just soldiers.
And that was enough.