Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 115: Being Followed- Part 1

Auriel’s eyes darted through the darkness, her senses sharpening as she realized they were not alone. Whatever was following them was not human.

She could feel it—a heavy, unnatural presence that slithered along the edges of her perception, hidden within the shadows of the trees.

Her first instinct was to engage, but she hesitated. They were close to the village now, and she didn’t want to cause any unnecessary commotion.

If they fought here, they might alert Lila or her followers.

Turning to Mary, she spoke in a hushed but firm voice.

"I’m going to lure it away. I’ll handle it quietly."

Mary, however, was already gone.

Auriel barely had time to register her absence before she heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire splitting the night air.

"Damn it, Mary!"

She whirled around just in time to see Mary standing in the middle of the empty street, gun raised, calling out the beast without a shred of hesitation.

"Oi! If you’re going to follow us, at least have the guts to show yourself!"

Auriel could have strangled her right then and there.

A guttural growl rumbled through the air, the shadows shifting as a massive figure emerged.

The creature was hulking and grotesque, with limbs too long for its body and glowing red eyes that locked onto Mary with predatory focus.

Auriel rubbed her forehead in frustration.

’So much for being discreet.’

Now that Mary had baited the beast into the open, it was too late to retreat. The only thing left to do was deal with it before innocent bystanders got hurt.

The monster let out a deafening roar and lunged toward Mary, claws slashing through the air.

But Mary was quick—she dodged with ease, rolling to the side before unloading a round of bullets into the creature’s chest. The impact sent it stumbling back, snarling in pain.

Auriel watched as Mary expertly kept the creature at bay, her guns glowing faintly with enchanted rounds. The way she moved was calculated, controlled.

Every bullet found its mark, forcing the beast to retreat step by step.

But the fight was far from over.

The creature, realizing brute strength wouldn’t be enough, suddenly shifted tactics.

With an unnatural burst of speed, it lunged toward a group of bystanders who had gathered at the end of the street, drawn by the commotion.

Auriel didn’t hesitate.

Raising a hand, she called upon her magic, golden light bursting forth from her fingertips. A protective barrier formed just in time, shielding the civilians from the monster’s attack.

Mary, seizing the opportunity, unloaded another set of rounds into the beast’s exposed flank, forcing it to turn back toward her.

"You’re not running away from me, ugly!"

She taunted, reloading in a blink.

Auriel exhaled sharply. This wasn’t working fast enough. The longer this dragged on, the higher the risk of collateral damage.

She made a decision.

Closing her eyes, she summoned her divine power—not to attack, but to bless.

A soft glow surrounded Mary, her movements suddenly becoming sharper, faster. The blessing of a goddess was no small thing, and as it flowed through Mary’s body, her strength multiplied.

Mary grinned as she felt the surge of power.

"Now this is more like it."

With newfound speed, she charged forward, her bullets now hitting with twice the force. The monster, overwhelmed, barely had time to react before Mary closed the distance and delivered a final, devastating shot directly between its eyes.

The creature let out a final, pained howl before collapsing to the ground.

Silence filled the air.

Auriel let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. No one had been hurt.

Mary twirled one of her guns before holstering it, turning back toward Auriel with a satisfied smirk.

"Not bad, huh?"

Auriel crossed her arms.

"You’re lucky I decided to help you instead of knocking you unconscious for your recklessness."

Mary shrugged.

"Hey, it worked, didn’t it?"

Auriel sighed, shaking her head.

"Let’s just go before someone asks too many questions."

With the monster defeated and the civilians safe, the two of them quickly disappeared into the night, heading toward their true destination.

Mary holstered her guns, stretching her arms above her head with a satisfied grin.

"Not bad. I’d say we make a pretty good team, huh? You wanna team up for more fights? I am sure it will be fun to hunt together once in a while."

Auriel, however, wasn’t listening.

Instead, she turned toward the frightened people still gathered at the edges of the street.

Their eyes were wide with fear, some clutching onto each other, murmuring about the monster they had just witnessed being slain.

Auriel took a deep breath, forcing calm into her voice. She had a duty toward these people.

"Everyone, it’s safe now. Please return to your homes. You don’t need to worry any longer."

There was a brief moment of hesitation. The fear in their eyes was evident, but so was their trust in her. She was their goddess, the one who had always protected them.

Slowly, one by one, the citizens nodded and began heading back, though whispers of concern still lingered in the air.

Auriel watched until the last of them disappeared into the safety of their homes before letting out a soft sigh of relief. That could have gone much worse.

Turning back to Mary, she frowned.

"You need to be more careful next time. I won’t always be there to help you if things go south."

Mary let out a bark of laughter, waving a dismissive hand.

"Oh, please. I had everything under control. But hey, if you wanna keep blessing me in fights, I won’t complain."

Mary said cheerfully. For someone who was speaking to the princess, the hunter sure was calm and carefree. It carried it’s own charm, but it was not one Auriel liked enough to engage with.

Auriel huffed but chose not to argue. She knew Mary well enough to know she wouldn’t get anywhere with her stubbornness.

Instead, she simply turned on her heel and started walking toward their destination.

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