The tsundere mistress and her fox-eared servant on a yuri journey to defeat demons - Volume 1 Chapter 5.1
The tsundere mistress and her fox-eared servant on a yuri journey to defeat demons
Vol. 1 Chapter 5. The lion-headed demon
Perhaps it was the eradication of the hordes of Lesser Demons, or perhaps it was the effect of Shen Hu’s magic, but the deeper they ventured into the underground canal, the less they smelled the strange odor.
“After walking so much, I think we should be outside the city by now.” Borrowing the foxfire from Shen Hu, Lisa consulted the map she had taken from her bag. Following the shape of the water flows along the path, they could determine their approximate location on the terrain.
“That seems right.” Shen Hu, who had been studying the map with Lisa, nodded and looked ahead. “That could be the exit.” Shen Hu pointed that the end of the canal seemed to be dimly lit. Even without the foxfire, the glow suggested that, as Shen Hu said, the exit was close.
“Let’s go as far as we can. If we don’t find anything, we can turn back.”
“Things are never that easy.” Shen Hu, who started walking ahead, illuminated the canal with her foxfire.
“What is this…?”
Human bones piled around the canal blocked the way. Lisa covered her mouth and took half a step back when a dam of human bones suddenly appeared in the semicircular underground canal.
“Is this… from a mane? It looks like a typhoon’s nest…” Shen Hu, who calmly struck the pile of human bones, lifted a golden and crimson hair toward the foxfire.
Lisa approached Shen Hu, distorting her face at the unpleasant smell of burnt hair.
“Huh, a typhoon, that’s…”
“A lion-headed demon with a mane of golden and crimson hair…” Shen Hu instinctively felt someone’s presence and pushed Lisa with her arm as if to protect her, then took a few steps back.
The next moment…
“……….!!”
With a fierce roar, a sharp claw slashed into the spot where Shen Hu had just been.
“Shen Hu!”
The remaining rounds of the magical shotgun fired continuously, making the typhoon recoil. Countless sparks scattered, and although the beast assumed a defensive posture, it didn’t feel like it was taking any damage.
“There’s no time to reload.” She returned the magical shotgun to her belt and unsheathed the longsword on her back.
“Don’t let your guard down, mistress.”
“I know. So, is that the culprit?”
“Yes. The truth always comes to light!” Shen Hu raised her index finger and pointed at the typhoon. The foxfire concentrated on that finger, spread in a circle, and formed the shape of a shield.
“…Ggrrh!”
The typhoon’s roar turned into countless fireballs that struck Shen Hu’s foxfire shield. She barely managed to block the flames, but the force of the beast’s attack didn’t dissipate, and kneeling on one leg, she was slowly forced backward as she tried to stay on her feet.
“Shen Hu!” Lisa joined in and pressed the foxfire shield with Shen Hu, but it didn’t stop the retreat.
“Die!”
“You wish!”
With a voice that sounded like a curse, a large fireball shot out, and the foxfire shield spun backward to repel the ball of flames.
The fireball struck the pile of human bones, instantly covering the area in ashes.
“…!!”
They quickly covered their faces, but the explosion around the underground canal was unavoidable.
“…co-coff…” Lisa, who inhaled the smoke, coughed violently.
“I’m going to get rid of those fireballs… reckless little one…” The typhoon, with a fierce roar, trampled the remains of human bones abominably.
Lisa quickly reloaded the remaining bullets in her magical shotgun and aimed at the typhoon.
“Do you really think you can defeat us with this?”
“…!!”
Before the typhoon could respond, she fired a magical bullet to keep its movement at bay.
Unlike the Lesser Demons, the typhoon, having some intelligence as a demon, blocked Lisa’s magical bullet with its paw and let out a roar.
“…You’re not just a human… Who are you?”
“Lisa Edelweiss, hunter. I specialize in demons.”
Upon hearing Lisa’s response, the typhoon roared, akin to a howl.
Shen Hu, realizing it was laughter, pulled Lisa’s arm and made her step back.
“Fool! Don’t think you can defeat me…!” With a roar, numerous flaming bullets flew out and chased Lisa and Shen Hu.
Lisa, who had managed to escape the incendiary bullets by slipping through a side opening, was blinded when she saw the blood-stained armor of the Sacred Knights scattered on the floor.
“…This is…”
Bitterly biting her lip, Shen Hu realized what Lisa had seen. The typhoon’s face peered from the other side of the hallway, seemingly mocking her.
“Where are the reconnaissance team of the Sacred Knights!?”
“I ate those humans.”
The typhoon responded as if it were the most natural thing.
“Huh…?”
“They bothered me, so I ate them all.”
“……” Lisa looked back at Shen Hu, who stood behind her, upon hearing those casually spoken words.
Shen Hu made eye contact with Lisa, her face contorted with pain.
“Oh, those eyes know the taste of humans… It seems the reconnaissance team of the Sacred Knights was devoured by this guy…”
…He ate them all.
Every last one of them.
The horrifying reality conveyed by those words sent shivers down Lisa’s spine.
“You will be devoured too, human woman. Delicious.” The typhoon, having decided that Lisa was its target, brandished one of its paws.
The sharp claws, like blades, grazed her by a hair’s breadth, but she hadn’t anticipated the wind pressure it would generate.
“A blood sacrifice.”
It now extended the other paw to catch Lisa’s body.
“…What!?”
“Come here!”
Lisa, who was prepared for the impact and quickly assumed a defensive posture, was sent flying by another force and crashed into the wall.
“…Ugh…” She hit her face hard and involuntarily groaned. She quickly got up with a grunt, checking the typhoon’s figure. She saw Shen Hu confronting it, holding back its left paw as if she had been attacked instead of Lisa.
“Don’t interrupt me, you fool!”
“Lisa is mine. I won’t let a demon like you take a drop of her blood.”
“Then I’ll make sure to kill you first!”
“I want you to try!”
Shen Hu, who had avoided the typhoon’s whip-like tail, retreated toward Lisa.
“Shen Hu!”
As she was attacking it with her foxfire, it was impossible to check for injuries.