"Achoo!"
Biba sneezed, momentarily dazed. He snapped his tachi in a short arc and flicked the blood from the edge — he couldn't be getting sick again, right?
Not far away, Ryuji lowered his head and spotted a small damp stain on his own pants. His gaze drifted to Horobi's long trousers — right to the middle, where the fabric seemed to have darkened as well…
Horobi noticed where he was looking and followed his eyes down.
"Ah!!!" Her face went scarlet. She immediately crouched, hands and posture shielding that unmistakable patch.
Back to the "subordinate-killing".
Ikoma ran up to Biba with a face full of disbelief, demanding an explanation.
Ikoma, "Why did you kill him? He was clearly begging you to spare him."
Biba, "Is he your relative? Or an older brother you were separated from for many years?"
Ikoma, "Neither."
Biba, "Then why are you so worked up?"
Ikoma, "Because he was crying for help!"
Takumi hurried over and clamped onto his 'hero' Ikoma from behind, holding him back, "Don't say any more. Lord Biba was clearly in danger just now. Sorry — I'll talk to him properly."
Biba, "…"
If Ryuji heard Ikoma's words, he'd probably snort.
A blade had been at your throat, and you still wanted to play savior right afterward — what a saint.
Huh? Western Buddhism, saving all beings and relieving suffering? If Ryuji's life were threatened, he'd dig up the enemy's ancestral grave, scatter the ashes, then dance on the tombstone.
When Mumei and the others returned to Ryuji, Horobi had already composed herself. Only now, a coat was tied around her waist, which left the girls puzzled.
"Hozumi-chan, Biba is over there." Ryuji nodded toward Biba in the distance, "Aren't you going to greet your boss?"
"Tch. He's just my former boss. It was only a mutually beneficial arrangement. Now I already…" As Mumei spoke, her face gradually reddened, "Ahhh! It's all your fault, you dead womanizer! Pervert! You actually… Hmph!"
She grew flustered. She'd never expected to get 'taken' by someone she'd only met a few days ago.
If she didn't know she couldn't beat Ryuji — and that fighting back would just get her dragged off to "train" until she was dehydrated — she wouldn't be obediently following him around at all.
Yeah. Absolutely not because of the rice.
Horobi stared at Mumei, surprised. She'd never expected the usually taciturn girl at Biba's side to be this lively. But the moment Horobi looked at Ryuji's handsome profile, she understood.
"Horobi, what's with that 'I get it now' face?" Since she couldn't do anything to Ryuji, Mumei redirected her frustration at Horobi.
"It's nothing." Horobi shook her head. She had no intention of grabbing that powder keg.
"Hmph!" Mumei huffed, walked right up to Ryuji, and extended a pale, delicate hand.
"What?" Ryuji blinked. He'd been enjoying the show.
"I want food. I'm hungry!" Mumei pouted and thrust her hand closer.
"Tonight we'll add one extra round of 'rain', plus baguette cream puffs." Ryuji said casually.
Mumei's face turned red instantly.
"You!" She widened her eyes, staring at him as if he'd lost his mind.
Horobi, meanwhile, looked utterly confused. Rain? Baguette cream puffs?
Embarrassment flared into anger; Mumei lifted a foot as if to kick.
"One kick adds two more rounds."
Ryuji's calm remark made Mumei quietly set her foot down again. This definitely wasn't fear.
"One time is one time. Hand it over."
One time is one time… anyway, she wouldn't even be able to get out of bed tonight.
Horobi's expression was a wall of question marks. But when she saw Ayame, Yukina, and Kajika all blushing, something about the atmosphere felt… wrong.
Horobi made up her mind.
Tonight, she'd get to the bottom of it.
If Mumei knew what Horobi was thinking, she'd definitely find it oddly familiar. Sigh… after Yukina and Kajika, another girl stepping onto the road of no return.
Ryuji pulled out a heap of snacks and dumped them into Mumei's hands. As expected, she didn't hoard them — she shared them with the other girls, Horobi included.
On a battlefield after the fight, a bunch of girls gathering to snack and chat… it felt strangely out of place.
Ryuji thought about it.
Then decided not to.
He produced a table, chairs, and stools from thin air and had the girls sit. Before Mumei could react, he slid into her seat — so she ended up dropping right onto his lap.
Mumei had a potato chip in her mouth. She glanced back at him and, instead of getting up, stayed put. After rolling around in bed with him a few times already, this level of contact didn't bother her anymore.
As the girls chatted, Ryuji's hand drifted along Mumei's smooth thigh. Such a petite, delicate leg — yet it housed explosive strength. Truly worthy of anime logic.
While he toyed with that long, shapely thigh, he felt her small, pert hips shift unconsciously as she snacked and talked. Gradually, the 'soft seat' turned into a 'hard seat.' Mumei blushed and, for no clear reason, lifted herself a few centimeters.
None of the girls noticed anything unusual and kept talking.
Mumei seemed to find the thrill irresistible. She didn't make a sound — instead, she moved subtly on her own.
Ryuji nearly sucked in a sharp breath, but forced it down. If he made even a strange noise, the others would definitely notice.
Discreetly, he tugged her safety shorts down a little, revealing pink underwear and the valley beneath, damp from a light drizzle.
The 'hard seat' became an 'outlet,' and the baguette struck straight at the fluttering butterfly's weak point.
"Mmm…"
Mumei had just bitten into a snack when she felt her valley assaulted. A full, stuffed sensation flooded her, and she nearly cried out — saved only because her mouth was full.
"Mumei, what's wrong?" Horobi asked, confused.
Mumei's eyes shimmered with moisture, her face flushed like peach blossoms.
"Gulp… n-no, nothing." She forced herself to swallow and grin awkwardly, "R-right. Um, right — Horobi… uh… how did you… mnh… end up here?"
Ayame, Yukina, and Kajika realized instantly what was happening. They stared at Mumei in disbelief.
In broad daylight — outside, no less… these two were really this wild?
But Mumei had no attention to spare for their looks. All she felt was the baguette relentlessly chasing the butterfly — like a heavy rain about to pour into the valley.
The three girls exchanged glances, cheeks burning, and silently reached an understanding. Without missing a beat, they continued chatting with Horobi, keeping her attention occupied.
Mumei's mind went hazy and hot, like soaking in a scalding bath — blank, floating.
Then she slumped weakly onto the table.
The valley's rainwater drizzled, soaking the wingless little pink butterfly, and the cream puffs all 'hit' deep inside — one wave, then two, then three… then four.
Horobi turned again to look at Mumei, but the girl's face was buried in her folded arms, nothing visible.
"Ahem, Miss Horobi — what did you do before this?" Ayame coughed lightly and smoothly dragged the conversation away.
"Oh. I used to be one of the Hunter troops." Horobi glanced suspiciously at Mumei, then returned her attention to the others, "Later, Lord Biba discovered I was a Kabaneri, so he had me form a squad with Mumei and another Kabaneri to carry out missions."
At last, the 'outlet' softened back into a half-hard, half-soft 'seat,' and Mumei's awareness returned.
She glanced back and shot Ryuji a resentful look, then lowered her head and pretended to be an ostrich. She had no choice — her face was still burning, far too tempting.
Ryuji showed no remorse. He breathed in Mumei's scent and continued stroking her silky thighs.
2D girls weren't just pretty — they had a peculiar fragrance, and they were absurdly strong. Even their thigh muscles were springy, like an ultra-elastic sponge… except the surface was smooth, warm skin.
And whether the retainers fought close-range or slung long-range magic, a layer of fighting aura — or a thin mana film — shielded them, reducing injury and keeping grime from clinging. Otherwise, there was no way the girls would be sitting here eating; they'd be shouting for baths.
As Ryuji played with Mumei's legs, his gaze drifted around — and he noticed Horobi hadn't left with Biba. She sat quietly with the group, snacking and listening.
Fine.
Looks like there would be an extra dish tonight.
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
The moment they returned to Shitori Station, Ryuji sensed the atmosphere was off.
"Lord Yomogawa, allow me to escort you to Kongōkaku." Biba was saying to Kenshō, who nodded.
So before nightfall, the Kokujō latched onto the Kōtetsujō and pulled it out of Shitori Station.
In a certain room within the station, several nobles lay dead in pools of blood — eyes still open.
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
"Lord Biba, Horobi didn't return to the team." Sahari — short blonde hair, sharp eyes — pointed toward the rear of Shitori Station, "She's been following a young man. Mumei seems to be over there too."
Biba raised an eyebrow and waved it off, indifferent, "Doesn't matter. A weakling has no value at my side."
Inside Ryuji's private compartment, all the girls had gathered — Yukina included, even though she'd originally been assigned to drive the Kōtetsujō. Since it was being towed by Biba's train, she no longer wanted to stay in the driver's cabin.
Yukina was cold on the outside but warm within. After deepening their relationship last night, she wanted to stay close to Ryuji.
"By the way, Horobi — you're not going back to Biba?"
Mumei stared at Horobi in disbelief as the mature woman crunched fries across from them.
"Crunch. I'm only in a hired relationship with him." Horobi finished a fry and lifted the snack bag, "Now Lord Ryuji can offer me better pay, so there's no need to go back."
Mumei nodded.
Indeed. After tasting Ryuji's snacks and food, she felt the women's blood she used to drink tasted like filthy wastewater.
"A hired relationship?" Listening, Ryuji realized Horobi's connection to Biba didn't seem close.
Even Horobi — who, in the original story, liked Biba — seemed lukewarm toward him now.
Seeing his curiosity, Mumei explained, "We risk our lives for him, and he gives us women's blood."
As for why women's blood and not men's, Ryuji didn't ask. There was no need.
After dinner, Ayame and the others originally planned to stay, but Horobi had joined them today. The girls were too embarrassed, so they returned to their quarters, leaving Ryuji alone in the compartment.
Just as Ryuji was about to enjoy sleeping alone for once, faint footsteps approached from outside.
After seeing Horobi follow Yukina and the others into the second car, Mumei quietly turned back. The moment she slipped into the first car, she saw Ayame had returned too.
They looked at each other.
Both blushed uncontrollably.
Then, as if by tacit agreement, neither spoke. They moved in silence toward the compartment door.
Click! Bang!
"Hah…" ×2
After slipping inside and shutting the door fast, both Ayame and Mumei let out shaky breaths.
"Ayame, Hozumi… what are you doing?" Ryuji stared at them, confused. He'd just sat on the bed, and now the two had snuck in like thieves.
Maybe because they still weren't used to it, Ayame and Mumei stood there with faces burning, unable to speak.
Seeing them fidget, Ryuji immediately understood.
"You two really are lewd girls…"
Ayame turned her head shyly.
"And whose fault is that?" Mumei puffed up, glaring at him with a red face.
Angry, she climbed onto him and straddled him without hesitation.
"Hmph. If you don't satisfy me tonight, I'm not letting you sleep."
Ryuji met her amber eyes — there was a red glint buried in them. Something about it felt dangerous.
Sure enough, the next second, his battle-hardened baguette felt the girl's weight press down.
"Dead womanizer… yours is… not like it isn't like that too…"
✦✦✦
T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead of this novel for just $1, as well as smut chapters ($2) or spicy images ($5) or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations (free or starting at $1.5): MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)