Chapter 128: The Hounds

In the stride of a single second a mark of a tick formed on Bertilaks forehead and he stomped his foot down, "I ain't no dog woman!" he screamed at Carmine who's head tilted, eyes creasing from the loud noise entering her ear.

When the ringing of Bertilak's voice died down Carmine picked her ear with her pinky and gave him a deathly glare, "do I look like I care?" she replied, "either way the kid has to die for what she did to Queenie's men." Carmine huffed, flicking a piece of wax towards Bertilak and cleaned her finger on Bertilak's arm, earning a furious twitching from his cheek.

"Let's just get this over with Red," grumbling Bertilak turned his attention to Parc who was stood not far from them, hand on hip a sly smile on his face that sent a small chill down Bertilak's spine.

Lifting his empty left hand up, Parc summoned the Concubine treasury screen of his System, plucking from it a red and black ring, "hey Bertilak," he called to the six foot, six inch tall man. "You may not be a dog, but let me show you a real one." And tossed the ring out to his side.

As it spun through the air it began to shimmer, the world around it distorted as it grew in size, shifting in colouration to a pale skin tone that morphed into a hand leading into an arm and a body before finally the distortion retracted to reveal a short, black haired girl in black sailors uniform. Atop her head were two triangular dogs ears with tufts of white fur poking out of them. Her forearms were clad in red gauntlets and from her hip hung a katana with strange symbols engraved on the sides of the hilt.

Stood still, Kurome blinked rapidly, her head spinning around and sniffing the humid air of the village she had just been summoned to. Her eyes soon finding purchase on Carmine and Bertilak, lingering for a moment on them both before skipping towards Parc with a giddy smile. Her arms opened and latched around Parc's stomach, nuzzling her cheek into his side saying, "I missed you master" in a soft, whimpering tone.

Gently patting her back Parc replied, "I know, I know."

Remaining silent for just a bit as she refilled her supplies of her master's scent, Kurome released him and turned to face the two intruders. The eyes which had once been filled with love and hearts for Parc had darkened considerably into those of her assassin's persona, her hand lingering overtop Yatsufusa's hilt. Tossing a long look to Carmine before asking, "does master wish to have the lady join us?"

Parc gave a quick nod, "I would actually."

"Understood." Her gaze diverted from Carmine and onto her target, Bertilak, "I shall take the pet." Taking Yatsufusa from its sheath her head tilted down slightly and kept her eyes stuck to Bertilak like glue.

"Huh," Bertilak exclaimed, "he can turn rings into little girls. Can't say I've seen that before." Bertilak's expression quickly fell to a wide toothy grin at the sight of Kurome with her Katana out a ready. "I'm taking the brat. Looks like she's going to be a fun fight." With nary another word Bertilak stomped towards Kurome who in turn dashed towards him. Dodging beneath a wide swing of Bertilak's chained mace, Yatsufusa cutting through the air towards Bertilak's chest only for her to be knocked away by Bertilak's empty other hand curled into a fist sending her flying with a surprising amount of strength.

Righting herself in the air Kurome caught herself on her feet feeling a dull pain coming from her arm where she had just blocked Bertilak's punch. Her gauntlet had deformed into the shape of the mans fist and was pressing uncomfortably into her arm. Otherwise to her it was a superficial injury that she was sure her master would be more than willing to nurse for her.

Bringing Yatsufusa under the straps of her gauntlet, she severed them and let the metal wrapped leather fall from her arm and to the ground. Across from her Bertilak was laughing with a rumbling vigour, "oi-oi-oi! You don't even have your aura unlocked!? Fucking perfect!" and charged her, every step he took cracking the earth. Kurome prepped herself for guerrilla tactics and awaited Bertilak to get close enough.

Not far away Carmine and Parc were stood across from eachother, Parc with his dagger in hand and Carmine flourishing her sais, spinning in her palms. A tension stuck between the two locked set of red and golden orbs. Each analyzing the other for the perfect moment to strike. They would remain like this for many a breath until finally Parc broke the tension and spoke.

"Want to make a bet?" he asked, getting a snort from Carmine in return.

"Oh? And what would we be betting on?"

He nodded to the clashing Kurome and Bertilak, "which of those two wins. Me for Kurome, you for Bertilak."

Carmine nodded along, "and we'd be betting what exactly?"

"Who get's to be on top."

For a second Carmine ground to a halt but quickly restarted and threw her into a fit of laughter. As it died down her head began to shake and she sheathed her sais into her belt, "Alright, I'm in." Turning to the side she made her way to a fallen building, its wall crumbled to the point it had formed a flat enough surface for her to set herself on and cross one leg over the other. Patting at the stone besides her inviting Parc to join her. Which he did, arriving besides her not a few quick strides later.

Resting himself down Parc leaned into the crumbled stone backing of the 'bench' watching as Kurome was able to get a single slash in across Bertilak's arm only for a dull green shimmer to rise from his skin and protect it from getting cut.

"She's got skill, not many could get a hit in on Bertilak like that," Carmine commented. Her eyes turning to slits as she analyzed the battle seeing how Bertilak was quickly growing more frustrated that every attack he made was either dodged or used by Kurome to make some distance between the two. Even the shots from his pistol were dodged with Kurome lightly jumping just before they landed to give her a boost away from the explosion. Which, while not exactly safe, she was able to do with some amount of preparation for the sudden acceleration before rushing back in to get another slice in somewhere on Bertilak's body.

"That's Kurome for you," Parc said, head turning slightly, eyes ogling across her body. Taking in her bust which burst forth from her navy-long-sleeved crop top with a large window letting him peek down into the ample crevice her breasts formed. Moving down her body onto her open, tan and toned belly, spotless bar the stylized tattoo. Finally ending on her legs which were clad only in thigh-high leather boots with a belt around one leg. Her tattered booty shorts ending right at the precipice of her crotch. "She's always been one of the strongest girls I know," Parc grinned, eyes still crossing Carmine's body, a fact which she couldn't not notice and make full use of by pinching the centre of her crop top and pulled it open to the point where her nipple was nearly on display.

"Oh really? And what would that make me then?" Carmine hummed in a sultry tone.

"I haven't fought you yet, so I couldn't say," he chuckled.

"Hmm," Carmine glanced to the ongoing battle before leaning towards Parc, "how about we have a fight then," she leaned into his chest, trailing a finger down it and towards his pants where a tent was already forming within. "let's change up our bet a little, first one to make the other cum gives up. I lose, I'll let you take one of our bullheads and I won't tell my boss about what you did. But if you lose, well, you become my plaything. Maybe I'll even show you to queenie if you're good enough."

Parc's throat thrummed a contemplative tune, "that doesn't sound very fair. If I win, I just get to leave but if you win I become your slave. Let's change that, if I win, you become my slave and vice versa," Parc pinched Carmine's chin and tilted her head up, his thumb pushing to pull her plump red lower lip down but she tipped her head forwards, tongue snaking out to drag it into her mouth where she began to suck and tease it with her tongue.

"Sorry, but I can't do that," she whispered, "I'll only ever be one person's slave, and that sure as hell ain't you. My previous offer, take it or leave it."

A huffed pushed its way through Parc's nose and he leaned to Carmine's ear whispering, "I wasn't making an offer." Lifting his hands up, Parc placed them onto Carmine's shoulders and pushed her down onto the slab of fallen building with himself coming to hold above her.

As she dropped, Carmine let out a soft yelp but her lips were kept curled up. Her hand danced through the air, pointing towards the village and quickly, with assistance from her semblance taking hold of the mist surrounding the village, she dragged it inside, drenching the entire ruined settlement in a thick screen of fog, crafting the perfect barrier to hide what exactly she and this boy were about to do.

All the while the battle between Kurome and Bertilak grew softer and slower as the two were brought blindly into the mist with Kurome soon finding her foot within it to continue the fight.