Pushing off the ground, I hurled myself toward the nearest tent. Rage boiled inside me, vivid images of terrible things happening to my Syllia consuming my every thought.
"They'll die. Every last one of them," I growled through gritted teeth. "And this time, I won't make it quick."
I felt my magic surge violently through my body as I forced it into my hands. Darkness coiled around my fingers before solidifying into long, razor-sharp claws.
In a blur, I burst into the first tent, startling the orc inside.
"Who are you?!" it shouted.
I didn't answer.
Dashing forward, I swung my claw downward with brutal force. A sickening tear echoed through the tent as my strike connected with its shoulder, ripping the arm clean from its body. The severed limb hit the ground with a heavy thud.
"AAAAAH!"
Its scream filled the air.
Before it could recover, I drove my foot into its chest, sending it crashing violently onto the ground. The confidence that once filled its eyes vanished instantly, replaced by raw panic as it desperately scrambled backward.
I stalked toward it slowly, staring down at its pathetic attempt to survive. Disgust twisted across my face.
With a swift motion, I slashed its throat.
Blood sprayed across the tent, splattering my clothes and the dirt beneath us. For a moment, I simply stood there, grinning down at the carnage I'd created.
"Yes.. this is it, this is what I wanted!, this is the fate of anyone who dares to harm what's MINE!" A dry laugh escaped my throat.
Turning to leave I stopped at the entrance looking over my shoulder at the body.
"..Burn"
Flames erupted from my hands coating the tent entirely.
WHOOSH!
A pillar of flames shot towards the sky alerting the other's, Heavy thuds followed as the rest poured out into the clearing drawn to the flames.
My eye's flared crimson a toothy, wolfish grin spread across my face.
"This.. is going to be fun!"
I moved like a blur through the camp, weaving between them faster than their eyes could follow. My claws tore through flesh and armor alike, leaving only screams and crimson sprays in my wake. Blood painted the clearing while severed limbs and broken bodies littered the ground.
Within minutes, silence settled over the camp once more.
The fire had spread by then, devouring tents and trees alike, bathing everything in an orange glow.
"Haaa…" I exhaled slowly, dispelling the darkness around my claws. "I feel so much better now. I knew this was a good idea."
A strange weight I hadn't even noticed vanished from my chest.
[Congratulations. Your level has increased from 3 → 8]
'Oh, right… I still haven't checked my status, have I? Ah, I'll look later. I miss my Syllia. I should head back for now.'
Leaving the burning clearing behind, I stepped back onto the worn dirt road. Moonlight still blanketed the ground in silver.
'Now that my head's clear, I should probably do something about this mess…'
I glanced down at myself.
Blood covered nearly every inch of me. My hair was matted with it, my face stained crimson, and my clothes looked like they'd been soaked in a slaughterhouse.
'I probably look horrifying right now. I wouldn't want to scare my Syllia.'
A smirk tugged at my lips.
'…Actually, this could work in my favor. That might be fun.'
'Magic can clean things too, right? If I can picture the result clearly enough and have the mana for it, it should work.'
I raised my hands toward my face, focusing only on cleaning the blood from my skin and hair.
"Clean."
A faint glow spread across my body, and the blood instantly evaporated from my skin and hair as though it had never been there.
'Perfect.'
Satisfied, I made my way back toward the village. Since my clothes were still stained red, I avoided the main gate and instead approached the wall closest to the guest house.
With a silent leap, I vaulted over it and landed softly on the other side.
Thankfully, the village was still asleep.
In a flash, I slipped back into my temporary room. Stripping out of my ruined clothes until only my lace bra and panties remained, Quickly burning my clothes in my hands before I crawled beneath the blankets and settled into bed.
By the time the warm golden sunlight crept over the horizon, most of the townspeople had already begun their morning routines. I lay awake beneath the covers, unwilling to move.
'If I'm right, Syllia should be here soon.'
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
Knock. Knock.
A grin spread across my face as I kept my eyes closed, pretending to sleep.
Click.
The door opened quietly, followed by soft footsteps approaching my room.
"Lucy…?" Syllia's voice drifted through the doorway, barely above a whisper.
"Mmm…" I murmured softly, pretending to wake.
"Syllia…?"
She stepped closer until she stood only inches from the bed.
'Now.'
My hand shot out from beneath the blankets, grabbing her around the waist before pulling her down on top of me. The blankets flew up, covering us both once more.
"Ah! W-What are you doing?!"
I wrapped my arms tightly around her, pressing our bodies flush together. Almost immediately, Syllia realized I was wearing next to nothing beneath the covers, and she began squirming in embarrassment.
"W-Where are your clothes?!"
"Hm? I went for a walk last night and they got ruined, so I couldn't exactly wear them to bed, could I?" I replied with a teasing grin.
"But anyway, you're here now. Stay with me for a while… I really missed my Syllia after she left last night, you know."
"M-Missed me? A-And wait, my Syllia?!"
Still pinned gently against me, her face hovered only inches from mine. I could practically watch the blush spread across her cheeks and all the way to the tips of her ears.
Leaning closer, I brushed my lips near her ear. "Mm, of course I did," I whispered softly.
Her body shivered at my words.
I loosened my hold slightly, letting my hands slide down along her sides before settling firmly on her hips.
"Hmnh…"
A soft moan escaped her lips as my grip tightened.
"I missed my Syllia so, so much," I murmured. "You were the only thing on my mind."
"Haa… haa…"
Her breathing changed instantly, turning hot and uneven. Slowly, I lowered my head toward the base of her neck, my lips brushing lightly along her skin.
"Ah—!"
Gently tracing the length of her neck with my tongue, I felt her body tremble. As the heat between us steadily grew, she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck, her hips shifting ever so slightly against mine.
"…Bite me," she whispered breathlessly.
"Hm? What was that? I couldn't quite hear you," I murmured teasingly against her neck.
"Please… bite me," she repeated softly between uneven breaths.
I slowly lifted my head from the crook of her neck, meeting her gaze. Her emerald eyes were hazy and unfocused, locked completely onto mine.
"As you wish, sweetheart."
Gently rolling us over, I settled on top of her while her legs instinctively wrapped around my waist, holding me in place. Sliding my arms beneath her, I pulled her tightly against me before brushing my tongue softly along her neck.
"Mm… Syllia, you taste divine," I murmured against her skin.
Slowly, I let my fangs extend before pressing them carefully to the soft pale curve of her neck, piercing just enough to draw blood.
Syllia reacted instantly, arching beneath me as a trembling gasp escaped her lips.
"Ahh—!"
Her fingers tightened against my back while shivers ran through her entire body.
"Gods… what this does to me…" she whispered between shaky breaths.
The moment stretched between us, heavy and intoxicating. Pleasure pulsed through both our bodies, and before long our hips began moving unconsciously against one another in slow, desperate rhythm.
Applying a little more pressure, I continued drinking from her neck.
Glup.
"Mmph… more…" she whimpered softly.
I paused for a moment, my thoughts finally cutting through the haze.
'I don't want her passing out this time… so I should stop before I lose control.'
With one final pull, I drank deeply, warmth flooding my mouth as Syllia trembled violently beneath me.
"F-Fuck… ahhh—!"
Her back arched sharply before her body finally gave out, collapsing against the bed in a haze of shaky breaths.
Slowly, I pulled away from her neck and met her unfocused gaze. Tears clung to the corners of her eyes, sliding softly down her flushed cheeks.
Reaching up, I gently cupped her face in my hand. She leaned into my touch immediately, nuzzling against my palm as though seeking more warmth.
Resting my forehead against hers, I closed my eyes and whispered softly,
"I'm really glad I met you."
A faint smile spread across Syllia's lips despite her trembling breaths.
"I'm so happy I met you too, Lucy," she whispered back quietly.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An hour had passed, yet neither of us had any desire to leave the bed. Syllia remained curled against my side, clinging to me comfortably beneath the blankets.
"So… how exactly did you ruin your clothes?" she asked curiously. "It was already dark when I left. What could you possibly have gotten up to?"
"Well," I began lazily, "after you went home, I was stuck alone in an empty house. I wasn't tired at all, so instead of sitting around in silence, I decided to go for a walk."
"A walk…?" She tilted her head slightly. "Where could you have gone that ruined all your clothes? Actually, now that I think about it, where are your clothes? I haven't seen them anywhere."
"Oh, right. I threw them away. They were soaked, and I didn't want them staining anything."
Syllia shot upright, staring at me with wide eyes.
"Soaked with what?!"
"…Blood."
"Blood?!" she practically shouted. "What happened?! Are you hurt?!"
I couldn't help but laugh softly as she frantically started checking my body for injuries, only to freeze and blush the moment she remembered I still wasn't wearing much of anything.
Gently cupping her cheeks, I guided her gaze back toward mine.
"I'm fine, I promise," I said softly. "But… if you'd like to perform a more thorough examination, I certainly wouldn't stop you."
"I-I believe you…" she mumbled, face burning red.
"Good." I smirked faintly. "Besides, it'll take more than a few orcs to seriously hurt me."
"Wait… orcs?" Her expression immediately shifted, concern replacing embarrassment. "There were orcs nearby? Close to the village?"
She spoke hesitantly now, her body trembling ever so slightly.
"Don't worry that pretty little head of yours," I replied confidently. "I already dealt with them."
My expression darkened slightly as I pulled her a little closer.
"They hurt you. I couldn't let them live after that…" I whispered.
For a moment, Syllia was silent before letting out a relieved sigh.
"Oh… good." She relaxed against me again. "I'm glad you did. I hate those things."
"They were from the same camp where we first met," I explained quietly. "After leaving the village, I realized that if I let them stay out there, it would only be a matter of time before they hurt someone else."
"Oh… yeah." Syllia's expression softened as she lay back down beside me. "I guess you're right."
"Onto a different matter though…" I said with a faint grin. "I hate to ask, but I don't exactly have anything to wear right now. And I can't really walk around looking like this, so… could I borrow some clothes from you for a while?"
Syllia's eyes lit up instantly.
"Oh! Yes, of course!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I have so many outfits you'd look amazing in! I'll go get them right now!"
Before I could even respond, she practically launched herself out of the bed and rushed out of the room in a blur of enthusiasm.
I watched her leave, unable to stop myself from smiling.
"Hah… she really is adorable, isn't she?" I murmured softly to myself.