Volume 8 Chapter 2 The Orange Mermaid
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The sharp clack, clack of two sets of metal boots echoed down the narrow alley.
The fishy stench that always hung around fishing ports clung to the air, mixing with the sticky damp that wrapped itself around their bodies. A salty breeze swept through, brushing over their skin like ghost fingers as they held their breath and glared down at the stains on the cobblestones.
The footsteps passed by.
Once they judged the danger gone, they eased the door open. No sign of patrolling soldiers anywhere. Slipping out of the shabby hut, they strode off toward the town’s housing district, then merged into the larger flow of people as they stepped out onto the main street.
”Cianie.”
He tugged her hand and pressed forward through the tangled side streets until they spilled out onto a slightly wider road. Blending in was easier here, surrounded by a thick stream of people moving about their early morning errands.
”This place is totally occupied now. Were those merfolk just now?”
”Yeah. They walk on land using human legs, but they’re easy to spot—fins on their ears, hips, and ankles. Kind of flashy.”
The Rushelora port gleamed under the early sunlight. It had been months since Klock and Cianie last set foot on the Human Continent, and after warping in by teleportation, they had quietly slipped into town. People were walking around like everything was normal, which almost made him think the place had been spared—until he saw the patrolling soldiers. They weren’t human.
This town had fallen to the Demon Lord’s Army.
It wasn’t surprising, but it still made Klock frown. On the surface, the residents went about their days like normal. But they weren’t safe—they were hostages, being kept alive, not living freely.
”What’s our next move?”
He watched the people around them. He could hear talking, but no laughter. No bright faces. Everyone walked briskly, glancing nervously at the patrolling soldiers.
So this was what an occupied town looked like. The air was heavy and stagnant in a different way than the slums had been. He could barely remember how the place had felt the last time he visited, but it hadn’t been this grim.
”—Klock?”
Her hair caught the sunlight like threads of glass as she stepped slightly ahead, turning to peek back at him.
”This port links the sea route to the Beast Continent. Ideally, we’d drive out the merfolk and reclaim it, but… it might be rough. If they’ve got this much control, forcing them out now won’t be easy.”
”Why not? I can take them all on by myself.”
It was so bluntly reckless it almost made him laugh. She always said she’d leave the planning to him, which meant her thoughtless comments weren’t because she was stupid—they were just her way of teasing.
”Because this place is occupied, we can’t just smash through. The ones who’ll suffer are the residents. Picking off soldiers one by one isn’t realistic either. When they’re this organized, any trouble will be found out fast.”
The town was already in their hands. The people were living their so-called daily lives under watch. That made things complicated—everyone here was basically a hostage.
As long as enemy soldiers walked among the people, they’d be used as shields. Any outside attack would only paint the streets in bodies. Silent assassinations wouldn’t work either; a handful maybe, but wiping out an entire occupying force? Impossible.
Just driving out the Fishkin troops wouldn’t be hard for Cianie alone. But trying to do it while protecting the civilians under enemy control—that was the problem.
Klock had read enough old war records to know how this went. Once a town was occupied, even if it was later taken back, it was always too late. The people would be hauled off as slaves, the houses stripped bare, the women used up, and the defiant or elderly slaughtered.
”We start by gathering intel. We’ll split up and grab what we need quick.”
The moment he said that, Cianie tightened her grip on his hand. Maybe she was worried. Or maybe she just wanted to hold on to him a little longer while she could. Either way, it was kind of cute—and a bit itchy for the grown-up in him—so he handled it in the most mature way he knew how: by giving her butt a firm squeeze.
”What should I find out?”
”When the occupation started, how things are now—basically, if life’s even functioning. Then where the Demon Lord’s Army commander in charge is stationed. And also the name and location of the town mayor or whoever’s acting as the leader. That’s the most important. Anything else interesting, just remember it.”
He rattled it off in one breath, and she blinked at him, then nodded once with a tiny pause.
”You’ve got your Sunset, so I’m not too worried… just try not to make a scene. Beating up a few soldiers to make them talk is fine. But don’t start a full-on fight yet.”
”Got it. I’m good at torture.”
Sunset was her first Stellar Skill, part of her Stellar Manifestation abilities. When she used it, people simply stopped noticing her—like how no one thinks about the sun at midnight. They could still see her, but unless they actively fought or talked to her, their minds just slid past her. So even though she was doll-like in beauty, she could walk through the streets without anyone giving her a second glance.
”Alright, one last thing. Remember—you’re not the Hero. You’re just swordswoman Cianie. You heard about the Human Continent crisis while in the Beast Country and only came back because you got dragged along by me.”
”I’m Cianie Livorno. Klock’s wife. I don’t know anything about heroes.”
Somehow, they were married now. He stumbled for a second at the unexpected addition to their cover story, then pushed on.
”If a fight breaks out, just use your sword. We can’t risk you slipping up with anything else. Of course, if it feels like that’s not enough, use your judgment. Hiding that you’re the Hero matters, but it’s not the top priority. Also, if you get stuck on anything social, just act like you need to check with me. If you can sell it like you’re a girl being dragged around by some guy, perfect.”
”Understood.”
Combat would be her job. Klock would handle everything else. This war was between Humans and Demonkin, but Humans were allies, not friends. If anyone tried to trick or corner her, he’d deal with them.
”They’re probably on edge about the Hero’s whereabouts. We can’t let them suspect you’re here.”
”Right. I’ll do my best.”
He gave her a small wave and they split up. Her hair fluttered as she walked away. He watched her go with a faint weight in his chest, then ducked into a side alley himself.
Keeping her identity hidden was crucial. He’d told her it was only to avoid alarming the enemy, but that wasn’t the only reason.
Four months had passed since the war began. Who knew what people thought now about a Hero who hadn’t shown her face in all that time?
News of her lack of heroics would have spread by now. Not every corner of the continent was connected, so they could bluff their way through questions, but it was clear enough who the people would blame for the current mess.
Humans were selfish creatures. She didn’t owe the world anything, yet if she revealed herself, they’d probably throw stones and curses at her.
The Demon Lord’s Army wasn’t their only enemy. Maybe it was just his cynicism talking, but Klock trusted humans to be like that. Hiding her identity wasn’t just for strategy—it was to protect her too.
”Well, let’s see… where to start.”
He passed through several alleys, drifting toward the outskirts. Few people were by the port; most were in the commercial district, but soldiers patrolled heavily there, so he couldn’t risk anything obvious.
Trying to ask questions under merfolk surveillance would be way too suspicious. The townsfolk were too scared to talk anyway. If he wanted to get info, he’d have to find a quiet corner first.
He wandered toward a place he’d visited months ago. In his mind, he saw flashes of a red-and-white catgirl in a dress, all charm and coy smiles as she draped herself over him back then.
”Kyah!! S-stop—”
A faint cry slipped from a narrow side alley as he passed. He glanced in and saw a man and woman tangled up, the man shoving her against the wall, hips jerking rough and fast.
It looked like a r**e scene.
Given the state of things, it wasn’t surprising—stress made people ugly. Better to move along before it got messy. If she screamed loud enough, the Fishkin soldiers might show up, and butting in on someone’s s wasn’t his problem.
Still, why hadn’t the merfolk imposed martial law?
The usual move after taking over a town was to lock it down—curfews to stop rebellion. No gatherings meant no chance to plot uprisings. Letting people roam freely was asking for trouble.
”…No one around, huh. Figures.”
Klock reached a familiar building. The club Deep Cat. He’d met Mina and Meina there one night. But now there are no lights and sound. He tried the door but it didn’t budge, blocked from the inside.
He checked the nameless inn nearby. Dark too. The door wasn’t locked, and he stepped inside to find it completely deserted. No guests, no Nyan Law Corps either.
He stood at the empty front desk, half-expecting the brown-striped landlady to pop out.
”Nothing sadder than an empty house.”
With that, he stepped back out and kept walking. This area had been full of nightlife spots, but now he couldn’t even tell which buildings were which. Maybe it was because of the occupation. Or maybe just because it was daytime. Either way, the streets were dead, like a hollow ghost town.
As Klock wandered aimlessly, a noise of shouting broke the stillness again. He froze, slipping behind a wall and peeking around it.
…Another r**e scene.
Wow. The security here had gone completely to hell.
It was a dim, narrow alley wedged between two slightly taller buildings. A man was forcing himself on someone. The woman sat crumpled on the ground, chest half-bared, her long ears marking her as a beastkin—a big rabbit type.
”—Oi, oi…”
He was about to leave when the man suddenly got shoved back. He must’ve underestimated the girl’s beastkin strength. As she tried to bolt past him, he snarled and yanked a knife, blocking her escape.
Klock drew his own blade on reflex.
He chose the newer of the two hanging from his holster. The silver edge cracked faintly, thin lines swelling like veins along the surface.
”Yo. Mind handing the girl over to me instead?”
”…Hah?”
He strolled up from behind, voice lazy. The man twisted around—and at that exact moment, Klock swung his arm down in a wide arc.
The handle of the knife smashed through empty air. The man jerked like something had slammed into his back, then collapsed. The rabbit girl blinked in stunned confusion, as if she hadn’t seen him move at all.
”Ah—th-thank you, so much! You saved me!”
She scrambled to her feet, bowing her head over and over. Tears clung faintly to her eyes. Her face was youthful, almost childlike, but her posture, her well-kept nails, they marked her as an adult woman. More than that—
”A street girl? Was he… a client?”
”Yes. He told me to do it for free, and when I refused, he attacked me…”
So it was a client dispute. Whether he really counted as a “client” without paying was another question, but trouble like this wasn’t rare for the girls who worked these streets.
”It’s dangerous alone. You should team up with friends or join a house. If not, someone’ll snatch you off the street and sell you.”
”Ugh… I usually work with my friends. I just thought he was safe because he’s a regular… I got greedy.”
”…Greedy?”
”Business is almost dead now. When he called out to me, I… didn’t tell the others…”
She mumbled it as she fixed her torn clothes, ears drooping slightly.
”Hey, mind telling me a bit more about that? I’ve been… out of the loop. Didn’t even know the fishfolk were here until just now.”
”Eh? Were you bedridden with something?”
He fished a copper coin from his pocket and flicked it toward her. Her eyes went wide. She caught it, then frowned thoughtfully and started talking.
The fishfolk had arrived half a month ago, she said, and since then this whole district had gone silent. The town was basically sealed. Trade had stopped. Everyone was barely scraping by, and it wasn’t just the night shops—every resident was struggling to survive day by day.
The man who’d attacked her had worked on the docks before. Lost his money, lost his mask. There were plenty like him now—too broke to buy, too angry to care. Even the women had no one left to sell themselves to.
”No protests? What’re the officials doing?”
”Nothing so far. No one knows where the mayor is. The fishfolk said the Federation is gone, and that Rushelora will now be protected by the Fishkin.”
”Protected,” huh. So that was their excuse for the occupation.
Maybe that meant there hadn’t been any real fighting here. Otherwise, that word wouldn’t fly.
They must’ve slipped in quietly, blades at everyone’s throats. The Humans hadn’t fought at all—just surrendered, because they couldn’t stand up to the Demon Lord’s Army.
He left her there, pressing a few more coins into her hand with a lazy grin and telling her she could pay him back in bed sometime. Just hush money, really. From the shock on her face when she realized the coins were silver, she clearly hadn’t caught that part.
As he walked away, though, something gnawed at him. He turned his steps toward the port.
Normally, as a random civilian, he’d be planning an escape from this town. But right now he was supposed to be helping kick the Demon Lord’s Army out. Scouting the enemy was worth the risk. If they ended up needing Cianie to cut loose, knowing the situation here would make all the difference.
Honestly, though… this might be impossible.
Even if Cianie tore through them, the townspeople would be taken hostage. Dozens might be executed as examples. Negotiation wouldn’t work, and they had no leverage to force a retreat. If this really was how far things had gone… they might have no choice but to abandon the whole town.
The sea wall loomed ahead. He reached the edge where land met water—and froze at the sight.
Ships clustered in the port, none of them Human-made. They were covered in strange carvings, dripping with an alien style. Fishkin walked down ramps from a ship shaped like a dragon’s head, while mermaids with shimmering tails patrolled nearby waters holding tridents.
Klock swept his gaze around, lips pressing tight.
The entire sea around Rushelora was ringed with merfolk. There were far more stationed at sea than on land.
”…You’ve gotta be kidding me. We’re supposed to drive all that out? Just us?”
Fishkin heads dotted every visible stretch of water. There were so many he couldn’t even guess the number. The sheer sight of it made his face twist like he’d bitten down on something bitter.
It felt like they’d gathered every mermaid in the world here.
They were too many, too strange—and for the first time, a chill of real fear crept up his spine. Cianie could fight them. But if she did… the townspeople wouldn’t survive it.
This might be hopeless.
As he watched, a group of Fishkin stepped off one of the ships. Each wore a similar outfit, but with small personal touches. And among them was one who stood out.
A mermaid with orange fins.
Wait—no way. Was that Primjune, one of the Four Heavenly Kings? He remembered hearing she was called the Goldfish Princess because of her orange color.
From here, she only looked graceful. Not the crushingly powerful presence he expected. There were others just as flashy—rainbow-sheened fins, hair like blazing red silk—so maybe orange wasn’t that rare after all. Could be just some other soldier.
He stayed in the building’s shadow, hesitating. Maybe it was time to head back and meet up with Cianie. But then—
”…?”
The group of merfolk began splitting off, heading out into the town. The orange one walked toward the streets, a trident strapped across her back. The others stayed behind, replacing the previous guards. A shift change.
”So the ones with tridents are soldiers…? Hard to tell when they’re all basically in swimsuits.”
Klock slipped away from the wall.
Quiet steps. Steady breath. He trailed after the orange mermaid.
Maybe… he could do this.
He’d been spooked by their numbers earlier, but he couldn’t just do nothing. They’d come all this way fired up—if he backed down without trying anything, Cianie would think he’d chickened out. That was unacceptable.
When they were one building apart, he drew his knife.
The blade creaked, cracks glowing faintly, and the air around him bent like thin glass warping.
—Now!
Klock swung. The handle of the knife cut through empty space, and something invisible slammed against his hand.
”—Ahh!?”
The orange mermaid crumpled forward, her body hitting the stone with a dull thud. She didn’t move.
He glanced around—no one was watching—then crept closer, his steps measured, cautious. A tentative nudge of his boot against her side. Nothing.
Good. That made things simpler. Now all he had to do was tie her up and get the answers he wanted.
His hand brushed the knife at his belt, and he couldn’t help but smirk. The thing was absurdly useful. Honestly, every assassin alive would kill to own one like it.
He slid it back into its holster. A gift from Cianie. He’d named it the Cianie Knife, since it had been made from her own weapon—the giant shears she fought with, which she only used because she said they were “easy.” The shears were part of her body, formed by her second skill. This blade had been separated and shaped from them—so it was literally part of her too.
It worked just like the shears. Attacks from it leapt through space. He’d only used blunt blows so far, but it could send slashes too. That was probably its main use. Honestly, this thing could probably kill any normal human on earth in one hit.
Alright… where to take her. The landlady’s inn was closest. Could he sneak her there? He’d like to meet up with Cianie, but that might have to wait.
He bent down and hefted her over his shoulder. For a moment his knees dipped—she was light for a person, but still a whole person. He steadied his stance, then broke into a run toward the town.
Notes:
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Rushelora – A port where demons are allowed to stay at embassies under special circumstances. It is a location where humans and demons have trade relations.
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Mina – The red-haired cat girl is a hostess who leans in closely, her blushing cheeks indicating her interest, but she plays hard to get.
• Primjune – She is one of the Four Heavenly Kings, appeared as a scaled and finned figure, known for executing the saint’s kidnapping plan.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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