“We have a slasher!”
Liz cast a glare at Gaion. “What did you do?”
“W-Wasn’t me! But, maybe...”
Leaving her lackey behind, Liz took off running toward the commotion. Demi-humans were gathered in a circle around a lizardman lying on his back, clutching his side.
“Hey! You okay?!” someone asked.
“Where’d the attacker go?”
“I-I dunno!”
“Sounds like someone stabbed him from behind outta nowhere.”
Amid the chaotic scene, Liz noticed a small scrap of paper next to the fallen lizardman. She picked it up, and saw a few lines drawn on it that looked almost like a childish scrawl—a code for Black Guild members meaning, “Hurry up.” A message from the top, telling her to get things done quickly, even if it meant using force. This was how the Black Guild operated. A chilling shudder coursed through her.
Soon after, the crowd parted to the sides. From behind everyone emerged a man in a pitch-black cloak and a young elven girl.
“Where’s the victim?” the man asked.
“Over here, Dr. Zenos,” someone replied. The crowd gathered around the healer.
Liz pocketed the scrap of paper. “Zenos?”
“Huh?” Zenos said. “Liz, you’re here too?”
“Y-Yes, I heard a commotion.”
Zenos knelt behind the injured lizardman. The victim was pale, with blood pouring from his flank, suggesting a major artery had been pierced. Liz had seen enough death during her time with the Black Guild to know this man was beyond saving.
But, well...
“Man, how lucky is it that the doctor was passing through?”
“I know, right? Coulda been bad.”
Despite their comrade’s imminent death, the onlookers exuded an oddly relaxed atmosphere. Even the injured victim wore a somewhat unconcerned expression.
Without batting an eyelash, Zenos placed a hand on the victim’s flank. “Hmm. This is pretty deep. The attacker knew what they were doing,” he muttered, turning his head slightly. “I’ll commence treatment. Repairing the vascular walls and internal organs, rebuilding the peritoneum and muscle tissue, and closing up the skin.”
As he spoke, the hand over the wound glowed white, and a gentle wave of warmth enveloped the area. The shimmering light traced an arc in the air as it flowed into the wound with a dazzling flash.
Instinctively, Liz shielded her eyes, unsure of what was happening but nevertheless sensing it was extraordinary. And, when the glittering iridescence faded, the lizardman’s wound had completely healed. “What?” she mumbled.
“All right,” Zenos said. “All good now. Just don’t forget to pay me, yeah?”
“Of course! Thank you, doctor. I owe you one.” The formerly injured man stood up as though nothing had happened.
“This can’t be real,” Liz murmured in astonishment. What she’d just witnessed beggared belief. A dark thrill, a mix of excitement and dread, came over her.
Zenos, the boy from the orphanage. Not the ruler of the slums, but a simple healer. And yet his power was exceptional. His healing abilities were simply unprecedented. Finally, she understood how the rough-and-tumble bunch of demi-humans had united.
I... I’m not out of options just yet, she mused. Indeed, getting this man under her control could still grant Liz her dearest wish. Suppressing her eagerness, Liz blended into the crowd and left the scene. She met up with Gaion, who’d been waiting around a corner, and said, “Tell the top to wait a little longer.”
“Y-Yes, of course. Are you okay, Lady Liz?” he asked.
Liz nodded slowly. Her attempt to injure Zenos had failed due to his protective magic, and even if it’d worked, his healing abilities might’ve repaired any damage before she’d had the chance to infuse him with succubus blood. That meant this particular plan was no longer feasible.
But she had one other option. “I may not be able to hurt him, but I still have my womanly charms.”
Using her blood was just generally the easier alternative. She still had a last resort—taking his chastity. Protective and healing magic wouldn’t avail him then; she could directly infuse him with succubus magic and turn him into an obedient puppet.
Inferring that Liz had been mumbling about Zenos, a shocked Gaion said, “His...chastity? What do you see in that man?”
“And why do you care about that?” she asked.
“I-I mean, I don’t...”
“You see, Gaion, I must achieve results here, no matter what.”
Zenos was surrounded by women, yes, but they were all weirdos. She was confident they were no match for her in terms of feminine allure. Until now, her primary goal had been to infiltrate the mastermind’s lair and get close enough to scratch him, but this called for a change of strategy.
Now, she would use every last one of her wiles to make Zenos hers.
Liz smiled, bringing her index finger to her lips. “Just you wait, little Zenos. I’ll make your heart beat just for me.”
Chapter 5: Feminine War Tactics
