The Eminence in Shadow, Vol. 2 (Light Novel)

by Daisuke Aizawa

  Animals weren’t the only prey she knew. Strife between therianthrope tribes was common, and hunting foes was something else she lived for.

  The moment she laid eyes on the elf, she knew: The girl standing before her was the kind of big game that really got her blood boiling.

  “What…?! How can you still stand…?!” The elf girl started to back away.

  “Grah!!” That’s when the therianthrope girl pounced at her. No ailing person should have been able to move so fast.

  “…?!”

  The elf dodged her fangs and retreated a good distance, but the therianthrope forced her unstable body to pursue.

  “Stop that! I’m trying to help—! Seems like talking isn’t getting me anywhere. I might end up hurting you, so it looks like I’ll need to ask for his help…,” she muttered, then turned around and left.

  “W-wait…wai…t…” The therianthrope chased her for a few steps, then collapsed headfirst.

  She no longer had the strength to go after her.

  The fight had drained the last of her energy…just when she thought she’d have one last chance to hunt a big one…

  Despondent, she closed her eyes.

  For a little while, all she heard was the quiet ambiance of the forest until nearby footsteps caught her ears. She opened her eyes in surprise.

  Standing beside her was a dark-haired boy dressed all in black. She couldn’t feel his presence at all.

  “My name is Shadow…”

  When she looked up into his eyes, her whole body trembled.

  —She wouldn’t win.

  She wouldn’t be able to beat him, no matter how hard she tried.

  What told her that wasn’t logic but instinct, and she comprehended it instantly.

  The only person stronger than her was her father, the chief of her clan, and even he didn’t scare her.

  But this boy was different.

  His strength as a living creature was fundamentally beyond hers.

  When she saw his toned body, she could tell it was built for combat.

  When she sensed his sharpened magical skills, she could tell they were potent enough to blow the entire area to kingdom come.

  When she looked at his steely eyes, she knew he could tell exactly how strong she was.

  The gulf between their strengths was so vast, though, she couldn’t even muster the will to fight.

  She feared his strength and, as a matter of course, obeyed what her instincts told her to do in the face of a mightier being.

  In other words—she submitted.

  “Purr…”

  She flopped over, exposing her belly and wagging her tail.

  “She seems perfectly docile…”

  “When I tried to get close to her, she was rabid.”

  The boy and the elf shared a puzzled exchange.

  “Eh, whatever. I’m gonna heal her now.”

  “Allow me to help.”

  With that, the boy surrounded the therianthrope with his dark-blue magic. The elf awkwardly tried to assist.

  “Purr…”

  As they did, the therianthrope just kept wagging her tail with her belly exposed.

  A little while later, after the first round of treatment was finished, they were joined by two more elves, one with silver hair and one with blue.

  The girl wasn’t fully healed but had recovered enough to be able to walk around again.

  “I’m Alpha. I’m sorry for springing this on you, but I’d like to explain a few things about our organization and your body—”

  As the elf named Alpha began droning on about some incomprehensible nonsense, the therianthrope girl examined her body.

  Thanks to the Shadow boy’s magic, she’d recovered remarkably.

  She would never forget the strength and warmth of his magic.

  Now, she could hunt again.

  “—and because of that, we fight against the Cult.”

  She didn’t fully follow but understood this was to be her new pack.

  She had no objections to that.

  After all, its chief, Shadow, was the strongest being she knew. To serve the strong was her pride.

  As long as it had Shadow, this pack would become the strongest in the world.

  On to world domination!! That thought glistened in her mind.

  “Delta. From now on, that will be your name.”

  “Del-tuh… My new name from Boss man…”

  She liked it far better than her old name. After all, it was something Boss man had given her.

  Boss man was amazing! He was the strongest. As far as she was concerned, he was the best in all the world!

  That was why there was something she needed to do.

  She glanced at the three elves standing around her. The blue one wasn’t even in contention. The silver one was so-so. The blond one, though, was strong.

  Shadow was the pack’s undisputed top dog, which meant Alpha was surely his number two.

  In other words, Delta needed to—

  “Hey, Blondie!” Glaring, Delta pointed at Alpha. “From now on, I’m number two!”

  Fighting to determine pack hierarchy was extremely important to therianthropes.

  “Submit and show me your belly!”

  “—Excuse me?”

  Hearing that, Alpha’s magic started to flare.

  Epsilon’s mornings start early.

  She’s up before the sun rises and stands before a large mirror clad in her negligee.

  She only sleeps for three hours. However, her master taught her a technique that removes fatigue with magic while she sleeps, so three hours is plenty for her. Ample beauty sleep.

  By only sleeping three hours a day, she’s able to spend the other twenty-one productively.

  She takes care of her training and missions, of course, but her number one priority is self-improvement.

  That’s why she wakes up early to stand in front of the mirror.

  The first thing she needs to inspect are her slime-padded breasts.

  Standing before the mirror, she turns the massive slime blobs over in her hands.

  Are they bodacious and shapely?

  Are they firm yet soft to the touch?

  Most importantly, do they look natural?

  She absolutely can’t let anyone find out about her padded little secret.

  They have to be realer than real, more natural than natural. That’s the standard to which she holds her chest as she inspects the slime.

  After almost an hour of rotating and massaging, she finishes her inspection and fine-tuning.

  Next, she makes sure her figure is well proportioned.

  Does her waist corseted in slime cast an appropriate silhouette?

  Are her thickened hips beautiful?

  What about the slim plumpness of her butt, the form of her calves…the length of her legs…?

  By the time she’s finished all of her checks, the morning sun has long since risen.

  She then sheds her negligee, dons a casual dress atop her slime, applies her makeup, and does her hair.

  At this point, she’s finally fit to appear in front of others.

  As the finishing touch, she stands in front of the mirror one last time, twirls, and readies her Epsilon-style Hidden Technique: Master Shadow Come-Hither Pose.

  “Beautiful as ever,” she sighs with a smile. Her voice is rich with confidence.

  All of this is for her master’s sake. This is the extent to which she’s pushed her daily routine.

  However, she holds the Master Shadow Come-Hither Pose longer than usual today. As she maintains the position, which serves to emphasize her slime breasts, an unpleasant smile spreads across her face.

  “Heh-heh… Heh-heh-heh… Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

  She’s smiling because she’s reminiscing.

  Specifically, she’s thinking about something that happened the other day in Lindwurm, back when she was reunited with her master after a long absence.

  She’d elegantly dispatched one o
f the Cult’s assassins as she swooped down before Lord Shadow.

  Whenever she was reunited with her master, her heart always beat even harder than usual. This time, though, he’d been staring right at her…

  …and his fierce gaze had locked on her breasts!

  Epsilon’s beauty, glamour, and effort had finally snatched her master’s attention.

  Her cheeks had reddened, but she’d pretended not to notice her master’s fervent gaze. As soon as he left, though, her feelings erupted, and she let out a loud victory cry.

  “I won! I beat Mother Nature!”

  Immediately after, she snapped back to her senses.

  This isn’t Lindwurm, the Sacred Land. It’s her bedroom.

  However, the memory is etched in her heart: that fleeting moment with her master’s gaze burning into her chest—

  “Heh-heh! Heh-heh-heh…”

  Finally, she releases the Master Shadow Come-Hither Pose. However, the wicked smile is still plastered on her lips.

  That day, that moment, was unmistakably the pinnacle of her life.

  Simply thinking back to it, she can return to the peak of her existence.

  She feels like a phoenix, coming back again and again…

  Thus, Epsilon’s day once again begins at its zenith.

  After leaving her bedroom, Epsilon walks down the hallway and runs into Beta for the first time in a while.

  They trade superficially amiable greetings.

  “Good morning, Beta.”

  “Good morning, Epsilon.”

  The exchange is casual. However, neither looks at her comrade-in-arms’ face for so much as an instant.

  Their gazes are focused elsewhere—each other’s breasts.

  Each of their chests sticks out like a pair of rockets, and they stare at their opponent’s assets as if gazing upon an archnemesis.

  Then, they both thrust out their chests.

  Each sucks in as much air as they possibly can, projecting their breasts forward to their absolute limit.

  This is a battle neither woman is willing to lose.

  The protruding boobs and slime smash into each other, then wobble.

  “Heh-heh…”

  “Rrr…”

  Once again, the victor is Epsilon. After all, she’s shaped her slime specifically to beat Beta.

  Originally, their battle had been one-sided hostility on Epsilon’s part.

  However, as Epsilon used her slime to push up and pad, a sense of rivalry took root in Beta, and today, Epsilon isn’t the only one with something black and ugly stuffed in her chest.

  Still, they are teammates.

  They’ve suffered through difficult training and fought side by side, and the two of them definitely share a sense of comradery.

  Each trusts and considers the other important.

  Most of the time, they’re able to get along peacefully.

  Key word: most of the time.

  Normally, after exchanging greetings, they simply pass by and continue on their ways. Having spent countless hours together since childhood, they feel little need to share prolonged pleasantries.

  However, today is different.

  Epsilon’s mountainous pride refuses to simply let her rival walk off in silence.

  “You know, something surprising happened to me recently…”

  “What could that be?”

  Epsilon breaks the ice, and Beta freezes. The boobs and slime continue their squishy collision as the girls talk.

  “It happened the other day, during the mission in the Sacred Land… I felt our lord’s gaze burning a hole in me…”

  “What?!”

  “I felt his hot gaze…focused…right…here…” Epsilon’s cheeks redden, and she fidgets restlessly as she speaks.

  “Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh—? Th-that can’t be! Y-you must be mistaken!”

  “Oh, no, it was not a mistake. You should know, Beta. We’re very aware when people look at us.”

  “Rrr… Y-you’re right…”

  The two of them are both curvy from head to toe, and they find themselves on the receiving end of the male gaze all the time. They’ve both naturally grown conscious of when it’s happening.

  “That was what I found so surprising. I never thought he would fix so fervent a stare on the likes of me…”

  “Gh… Our lord…? There’s no way…” Mortified, Beta glares at Epsilon.

  “I mean, is it even proper for our lord to fall for someone as lowly as me…?” Epsilon sniggers as she puts emphasis on that last bit. “After all, think about it. Your figure is so much nicer than mine, Beta, and you’re so much prettier!”

  “Wh—?!”

  Epsilon is lording over Beta.

  Her triumphant face makes it abundantly clear she doesn’t consider herself lowly in the slightest.

  It’s the hollow modesty of the victor.

  Her words are the proclamation of a woman whose figure is better, whose looks are stronger, and who’s earned the affection of their lord. Each and every one of her compliments is backhanded.

  Epsilon speaks from a place of superiority. Spurred by her pride, she always does.

  “Your boobs are so big…”

  “Urk—”

  “And your waist is so small…”

  “Urrrk—”

  “And your legs are so long…”

  “Urrrrrk—”

  “Why, you’re so pretty!”

  “Urrrrrrrk—”

  To deliver the clincher to her wounded foe, Epsilon unveils Hidden Technique: Master Shadow Come-Hither Pose and flaunts its overwhelming power directly before Beta’s eyes.

  Tears immediately begin welling up.

  “Surely you must have felt his hot gaze on you before, right?”

  “I—I—I—I—I—I—I—I—I…”

  “Don’t tell me you haven’t.”

  “I—I—I—I—I—I—I—I—I…”

  “That can’t possibly be true…”

  “I—I—I—I—I—I—I…I, I… Boo-hoo!” Beta weeps as she runs off.

  “Heh-heh-heh… All the natural ones should just be culled from the world… Now I’ll be on the receiving end of his affection… Only me…” Epsilon smiles as she watches Beta flee.

  Some say her beloved master once muttered in an empty room, “Epsilon’s head is as swollen as her slime pads.”

  Just as he said, her pride swells beyond the heavens. If her ego wasn’t so big, she would be incredibly docile and caring.

  If she wasn’t so proud, that is…

  Chapter 4

  This Situation Calls for a “Who Is That Guy?!”

  Rose can hear rain falling.

  The sound of the droplets striking outside pulls her attention away.

  She steadies her breathing, then lowers her practice rapier.

  After using her hand to wipe away the sweat trickling down her face, she fixes her hair.

  Only the rain breaks the silence in the dim training facility.

  For a little while, Rose merely closes her eyes and focuses on its noise. The damp air causes a lump to form in her throat, but she swallows it down.

  She’s always found the sound of water to be beautiful.

  Rose was born in the Oriana Kingdom, a land of art and culture. She’d been exposed to countless art forms in her childhood, and her aesthetic sensibilities were superb. Over the course of their lives, every member of Oriana royalty chose a single art form in which to excel. It could be painting, or music, or acting. Each was free to choose as they pleased.

  Although the young Rose expressed great interest in the arts, she was never able to settle on one. In her eyes, all forms of art were beautiful and unique.

  Painting, music, acting, fashion design, sculpture, and the rest were all so wonderful—it was impossible for her to pick just one. Consequently, she dabbled in them all and received high praise for her work in each.

  Every artist in the Oriana Kingdom waited with bated breath to see which artistic path R
ose would choose to continue down.

  But she chose the art of the blade.

  One day, out of the blue, she cast aside all the mediums and began training with the sword.

  “Why the sword?” they all asked her.

  She said little on the subject.

  Only that she had seen beauty in swordsmanship.

  However, the people of the Oriana Kingdom looked down on it as the purview of brutes and savages. Few were willing to acknowledge it as a legitimate art form.

  Ignoring her family’s objections, Rose enrolled in the Midgar Academy for Dark Knights.

  A certain beautiful sword work is etched deep in her heart.

  She’s never told anyone about it, but it’s a memory she holds dear. The sole reason she’s embarked on this path is out of quiet admiration for a single swordsman.

  She knows she’ll never forget the beauty of the swordplay she saw that day.

  Her life’s work is to someday emulate that beauty.

  Nobody back in her own country will acknowledge it, but she doesn’t care. She isn’t pursuing this out of a desire for praise.

  She’s determined to walk this path, even if no one else deems it worthy.

  She’s been fine with that.

  A few days ago, though, she received a letter.

  “Father will be attending the Bushin Festival…,” she mutters, her lips the color of cherry blossoms. It’s a rarity for the king, a man who holds swordplay in contempt, to come watch the event. Rose is certain he’s coming to drag her back home.

  There is a lot of speculation, but one rumor in particular that catches Rose’s attention.

  Word is that a man has been unofficially chosen as her fiancé.

  As soon as she heard that, she immediately sent a letter off to her family asking if this was true. However, she hasn’t gotten a response yet.

  But she’s already decided on another man. That man, who doesn’t fear death and whose soul is fiery and pure, is the one she’s chosen as her life partner.

  That’s why she needs to force her father to see her abilities at the Bushin Festival…with her sword.

  Then, she prays, he just might… Rose slaps her cheeks.

  “Focus,” she mutters, flinging off her sweat-soaked tunic.

  Her skin, glistening with sweat, is laid bare. The only thing hiding her sizable breasts is her sports bra from Mitsugoshi.