Episode 155

“Meow!”

Meowi shouted energetically.
She began to move swiftly, stepping on the ground with all four limbs.
Even though a person moving on all fours would usually look awkward.
Maybe it was because our Meowi was so cute and lovable.

She showed quite an impressive form.
The sounds accompanying this motion were just as adorable.

Mudadada!
Mudamudada!

The unique sound of her cute footsteps made my lips twitch involuntarily.
Even upon hearing it again, I still couldn’t understand how such a sound came from her paws.
However, the speed was not something to be ignored.

Barely dodging Meowi, which was closing the distance faster than I imagined, I spoke in surprise.

“Meowi, did you perhaps learn the [Quadrupedal Movement] skill?”
“Meow! Plus, [Quadrupedal Sprint] too!”

[Quadrupedal Movement], [Quadrupedal Sprint].
As the name suggested, these skills provided a movement speed boost when using four legs.

They were typically seen in monsters, characterized by a higher movement speed than the usual [Dash].

Naturally, they were highly efficient skills that characters, like the one in front of me now, Meowi, could also learn.

‘However…’

They required the user to move with their hands and feet on the ground, a reason why many didn’t opt to learn them.

Even if given the opportunity, many would choose not to learn them out of dislike.

But our Meowi somehow managed to acquire them.

“M-meow!”
“Whoa!”

Oh no, I almost got tackled.

The elastic body unique to the <Feline Tribe>.
And the agile speed using [Quadrupedal Sprint].

Meowi, moving freely here and there, was like a wild cat.

Snap!

“…!”

In the end, she succeeded in grabbing my arm.
Using the momentum from the run, she exerted force with her tiny arm.
She pulled my arm inward, breaking my guard.

Thud!

“Gah!”
“Meow!”

Without hesitation, she struck my solar plexus with her elbow.
It was an aggressive move, uncharacteristic of Meowi.

She quickly backed away, hissing fiercely.

The full-force ‘Meow!’ was irresistibly cute.

“…Meow.”

Yet, it seemed Meowi was still Meowi.

After hitting me, she seemed bothered, mumbling shyly.

“Since it’s a spar… I won’t go easy on you.”
“Of course!”

If she had hesitated because it was me, I would have scolded her harshly.

The <Hunter vs. Hunter> class was about honing each other’s skills and improving abilities.

This was not only a simulation for dealing with <Monsters>, but also for <Villains and Demons> whom we might encounter anytime, anywhere.

Since it was a sparring match, we must do our best.
That was only proper etiquette…

“Remember the promise we made in the backyard before?”
“Meow! Yes!”

After finishing speaking, Meowi quickly charged at me.

I judged that avoiding it any longer was impossible.

I grabbed the incoming Meowi and engaged in a brief struggle of strength.

“Meow!”

As expected, I couldn’t win in terms of strength, and Meowi slightly slipped away.

I didn’t miss the opportunity and embraced Meowi’s waist.

A soft, squishy sensation that seemed like it would break with a touch was felt in my hand.

Of course, since it was sparring, I didn’t let such personal impressions affect me much.

“So squishy.”
“Meow?!”

Oh, dear…
Hmm… My true feelings slipped out.

It couldn’t be helped.
Meowi’s belly was just too soft and squishy.
How could one resist?

‘I should pat myself on the back just for not tickling her on the spot.’

“B-belly fat? I have none! It’s all muscle!”
“Meowi, even if it’s just a little, this is fat. Very soft, isn’t it?”
“Meow!!!”

Meowi’s face turned red, and she spun around like lightning.
Her movement was so quick, it even caught me off guard.
Using one hand to choke my neck and pressing down on my shoulder with the other.

This technique.
It was one of the techniques I showed her when I taught her joint locks a few months ago.

“Meow…!”
“Good! Meowi! You’re doing great!”

I couldn’t help but feel proud.

Lately, I had seen her practicing only with shields, so I was worried she might not be refining her martial arts skills.

Especially since fighting ‘that guy’ we would meet later would be perfect for a mix of martial arts and joint techniques.

But the skill she displayed now reassured me that my worries were unfounded.

‘This should be quite helpful.’

Well, of course…

“That’s sloppy!”

“Meow?!”

I gathered strength in my back and shook her off in an instant.

After all, it was a technique I taught.

Only my father, who had first taught me, knew the counters better than I did.

“Here I go!”
“Meow!”

A brief tussle ensued.
We showed and presented each other’s skills.
During the process, we didn’t rely on skill manifestations or assistance.

Soon, what started as playful spar between us, resembling a childish argument, stretched on for several minutes.

‘This is my chance!’

In an instant, I spotted a gap that Meowi hadn’t considered and launched a tackle.

“Meow?!”

Perhaps not expecting an attack on the lower section, a cry mixed with bewilderment escaped Meowi’s mouth.

Flash!

As light as a feather, Meowi’s body was lifted instantly.

A finishing throw for the win!

That’s when it happened.

‘Huh?’

Right in front of me.
I felt a soft touch brushing past my eyes.

Like a skein of yarn…
Or should I say hair?

Anyway, the indescribable sensation naturally turned my gaze.

Right behind Meowi.
I noticed a woman with a faint presence standing there.
We locked eyes.

‘Huh?’

I was so surprised, I froze on the spot.
As a side note, it wasn’t just the sudden appearance of the woman that startled me.

‘She looks similar?’

The eyes.
A woman with yellow irises just like our Meowi.
And she even had two tails…
Though I didn’t know who she was, I instinctively felt she was related to Meowi.

She looked at me and smiled faintly.

“Meow! An opening!”
“Ah!”

Meowi soon shouted.

In an instant, using both legs and arms, she clung to my body and, thud, pushed me down with force.

Her elbow aimed at my throat.

“I won!”
“……”

I looked at the triumphant Meowi and then turned my gaze away.
The woman I clearly saw with my own eyes had vanished without a trace.

‘…Was it an illusion…?’

I wasn’t sure what had just happened…
But it seemed best to finish the sparring first.

I smiled bitterly and tapped Meowi’s arm several times.

“Yes, I lost.”
“Meow~”

‘Mehehehe…’

Ma Hana beamed at Yu Seha’s declaration of surrender.

She was happy.
It was truly a Meow kind of joy.

It couldn’t be helped, as Ma Hana had never once defeated him with pure martial arts.

Having won after a fierce exchange, how could she not be happy?

Murmur murmur.

“Meow?”

At that moment, a faint sound reached Ma Hana’s ears.

With her keen sense of hearing, she realized that a crowd beyond the glass window was murmuring.

The fellow trainees who had finished sparring were looking at her and Seha with surprised eyes.

―Oh my goodness…
―Are they really in that kind of relationship?
―…I’m jealous. I’m so jealous of Ma Hana… I wish I could be in the arms of such a handsome guy…
―As expected, it’s a relationship between a man and a woman, it can’t just be ordinary…
―…I heard they’ve already submitted a marriage registration form…

‘…Meow?’

Ma Hana tilted her head, wondering why everyone was acting like that.

Then she looked at the full-length mirror on the wall beside her and froze like a stone.

“M-M-Meow…?”

Her face and training clothes were drenched in sweat.

Especially because she was wearing leggings for smooth movement, they clung tightly to her body.

Her figure was prominently displayed, revealing everything.

The two had just been sparring intensely, their breaths rough.

And finally, as if they were lovers…

They realized they were clinging to each other in an embrace.

“…M-Meow…?”

Only then did Ma Hana realize how she and Yu Seha must have appeared to their fellow trainees.

“M-Meow! Meow!”

The muffled ‘Meow’ she couldn’t voice burst out in a jumble inside her.

Blushing bright red, she muttered ‘M-Meow…’ like a murmuring cat.

“Meowi?”
“Meow!”

Yu Seha, feeling puzzled, lifted himself up.
He placed his hand on her forehead, as if wondering why she was acting this way.

No, as if that wasn’t enough…

“Is your temperature high?”

He brought his face closer, touching forehead to forehead.

A shriek of ‘Oh my!’ was heard from the surprised trainees.

“Hmm? It’s a bit warm, but it doesn’t seem like a cold.”
“M-Meow…”

Soft and white as alabaster…
Then, a manly grip.

Normally, such a hand wouldn’t have bothered her much, but given the circumstances, it was fatally attractive.

Ma Hana’s gaze naturally lowered.

Yu Seha’s upper body, drenched in sweat, was vividly imprinted in her eyes.

Currently, he was in a state where his training clothes were torn here and there from the aftermath of the fight with Bodenov Silla a moment ago.

Yu Seha’s solid abs caught her eye through the split gaps.

“Mm, ah, ah…”
“Meowi?!”

Ma Hana’s eyes spun around.

Shame and embarrassment.

Ma Hana was unable to withstand the rational stimulation she hadn’t felt in a long time.

In her mind, the content of the <Feline Tribe’s Mating Season> class she heard just a few days ago resurfaced.

―Everyone from the Feline Tribe present here! You must be careful. Of what? Of the scent, of course!

A fellow beastman professor was enthusiastically wagging her goat tail as she wrote some supposedly beneficial content on the chalkboard.

―Our beastman race is classified as demi-humans, but we are fundamentally influenced by the animals we originate from.

Thus, most periodically experience dangerously inconvenient days, known as heat periods.

―The most affected aspect during this time is our scent. A person of the opposite sex, whom you have a casual interest in, can suddenly seem irresistibly attractive one day. Beyond that, the scent plays a major role in eliciting even stronger desires.

―Remember this! Always handle it properly!
*** Otherwise, having a baby is no laughing matter! ***

“Meow, meow!”
“M-Meowi?”

Ma Hana shouted loudly as she made her first attempt to flee from Yu Seha.

There was no other choice.

Though she tried not to show it…

‘Meow…’

Currently, Ma Hana was in heat.

She was intentionally acting aggressive, using her body diligently, and engaging in battles for this reason.

The reason she used a skill like [Quadrupedal Sprint], which she normally wouldn’t use.

It was to suppress the continuously rising sexual desire.

She thought sweating it out with Jeon Hee-ju would be enough…

It seemed to be a foolish thought.

For just that to shake it off…

‘Seha is…’

Yu Seha was too attractive.

In the end, Meowi hid in a corner of the training ground.

Begging the hesitant Yu Seha, ‘Please, just leave me alone for a bit…’

And so, that day’s class ended with the embarrassed meow appearance of Meowi.

Meanwhile, at the same time, in the same place.

“……”

Professor Cha Yeo-ju of the <Interpersonal Combat Among Hunters> class.
Her gaze wouldn’t leave Ma Hana.

Exactly…

“……”

She was carefully observing the two swaying tails.

As if… projecting someone from Ma Hana.