Seneya?

"Wuw~"

At the foot of Iron Peak Mountain, Seneya shook Kas's shoulders hard. After catching that raven, he had seemed possessed, then gone limp and collapsed.

If Werewolf Lady had been any slower and failed to catch the falling Kas, the Barbarian would have had an intimate encounter with the hard ground.

She stammered out a signal for help to Ancestor. Why wouldn't Kas wake up? He looked as if he'd simply fallen asleep.

Iron Bone hovered in midair. In the skull whose expression was impossible to read, his eye sockets were a dark, inky tide.

He gazed at the Raven Messenger standing atop the cliff, his voice cold:

"Kas's wandering soul has been taken by Lady of Death... This is a trial."

Ancestor stared coldly at the Raven Messenger, his eye sockets a deep, bloody red. A murderous atmosphere spread from the level ground through the ravines in the cliffs.

"Wait patiently for a moment, Seneya."

"Roar~"

Warmth surrounded Kas's soul like a rising tide. A faint, orchid-like fragrance filled his nostrils. Half-asleep, he felt as though he were holding something incredibly soft and instinctively squeezed it, trying to figure out what it was.

A smooth, silky sensation brushed his fingertips, like stroking a piece of silk. A hazy, sleepy murmur of protest instantly brought him to his senses.

"Let me sleep a little longer..."

Kas's eyes flew open. Only then did he realize that the silky smoothness beneath his hand belonged to a woman who had somehow appeared in his arms.

She curled up in the crook of his arm like a cat. Her long, gauzy gray hair spread across the bed like a galaxy, and her slender, gently curved lashes fluttered with each steady breath.

Her shoulders were smooth and rounded, forming a perfect curve along her delicate chin and neck. The soft, jelly-like sensation pressed against his chest made their situation... rather complicated.

Kas glanced down, then hurriedly shut his eyes.

What the hell... Why was she so pink?

He looked around and realized he was in his home in Her Tribe. The ceiling, bed, table and chairs, cabinets, even the spots where the pelts hung were exactly as he remembered.

If he was home, then the strange woman in his arms might be... Seneya?

But could that silly girl really be this beautiful? I can hardly take my eyes off her.

He breathed in the orchid-scented air and knew this had to be an illusion. Then he asked softly:

"Seneya?"

"Mm, mm~" Seneya murmured sleepily. Her body unconsciously wrapped around Kas's waist, and her bare thighs hooked around his legs, letting the Barbarian experience what it was like to be choked by a python's embrace.

What the hell... Kas took several deep breaths. He had to admit it.

Even asleep, with nothing more than a gentle breath and a simple hug, that hazy air about her made the girl seem like a spirit that could ensnare his soul.

Little Kas was reacting... but this was only an illusion.

I have to, have to control myself!

Kas hesitated, then placed a hand on Seneya's smooth shoulder and shook her gently.

"Seneya, wake up."

The sleeping beauty slowly opened her eyes. Her crimson gaze was so displeased that Kas deliberately avoided its scorching intensity.

She said nothing and lifted her head.

Her moist lips pursed slightly, sweet and tempting as a cherry ready to be plucked, yet she still hadn't received what she wanted.

A fierce look entered Seneya's eyes. The cherry turned into a bomb, and she bit Kas on the lips.

A dense, indescribable sensation filled him, charged with such possessiveness that she seemed intent on swallowing him whole.

After a sticky breakfast, Seneya wiped the blood and saliva from her lips on Kas's shoulder. Only then did she seem inclined to speak.

"Your eyes look strange. Have you been eating too many mushrooms?"

She pushed aside the covers and made no effort to hide her slender, elegant body from Kas as the morning sun shone over her.

She got out of bed, her pale jade-like feet touching the wooden floor. With both hands, she lifted the silver gauze that hung down to her thighs. Her hair fell like a curtain, veiling her curves in a soft haze.

Seneya elegantly raised a cup and took a sip. Her voice was as light as a nightingale's, though full of complaint:

"I've told you so many times not to listen to the Great Shaman and Ancestor's nonsense. They only want to turn you into some mumbling shaman who learns ridiculous magic.

"If you go crazy, I'll reluctantly take care of you like a little dog. But what about our daughter? I don't want her to have a dog for a father."

Daughter? What the hell was that about?

Kas figured the illusion had triggered a dream. After thinking for a moment, he asked, rather confused:

"I feel like my mind's a little hazy... By the way, how did we meet, Seneya?"

He was testing her. What if Lady of Death didn't know what had happened on the Forgotten Grassland?

He was trying to find a bug in the dream.

Seneya set down her cup and began putting on a delicate black dress. Hearing Kas's question, she rushed to the bed without even tying her belt, carefully checking his condition.

The clearer her husband's gaze looked, the more murderous her expression became. The snowy peaks beneath her collar rose and fell with her breathing. "I'm going to kill the Great Shaman and Ancestor! They've fed my husband until he's turned into a husky!"

Kas quickly raised both hands to show that he definitely hadn't turned into a husky. "No, I just feel a little hazy... We met on the Forgotten Grassland, right?"

"You didn't eat mushrooms behind my back yesterday, did you?"

Seneya was unconvinced. She sat sideways on the bed, pinched Kas's bearded chin, and ordered him firmly:

"Open your mouth. Let me see."

Kas obediently opened his mouth. He felt that something about Seneya was a little different...

Miss Aowu was silly and adorable. Even after her curse was lifted, she should have been a sweet, gentle girl. But the Seneya before him was more like a domineering flirt.

"You haven't eaten any mushrooms either... Could it be?" A strange blush spread across Seneya's cheeks. For some reason, she gave Kas a shove.

"Stop thinking about such strange things all the time. It's daytime, and our daughter will wake up soon... We can talk about it tonight."

"..."

Seeing Kas remain silent, she thought she had made him angry.

She lowered her gaze and swept her long hair back over her shoulder with her right hand, revealing a delicate ear.

Seneya closed her eyes, her lashes trembling slightly, as if she were waiting for Kas to make his next move.

But that only left Kas even more confused. This dream made no sense.

I really do like rubbing Seneya's fluffy ears, but she always stares at me with those clear eyes. She never gets shy.

So this has to be a dream!

Kas hesitated, then reached out, wanting to try Seneya's delicate human ear.

Then he had another thought: if this was a dream, the woman in front of him might be Lady of Death in disguise. He'd have to try something to make her reveal herself.

He leaned forward and gently bit Seneya's ear.

It felt quite nice, like holding a warm piece of jade between his lips.

The slap or startled cry he'd imagined never came.

A pair of slender but strong hands shoved him down. Seneya's crimson eyes glinted with bloodlust, and beneath her loose hair, her expression was as fierce and vicious as a female ghost's.

She licked her moist lips. Orchid-scented breath escaped her heavy panting, and her face was full of excitement.

"So you're playing this sort of game, Kas... It's a little old-fashioned, but I still can't resist your charms."

Huh?

Kas, who had little experience, realized something was wrong. There was something strange about this woman!

The thought had barely crossed his mind when her moist lips pressed against his again. Seneya roughly tore open the dress she hadn't finished fastening and, bathed in sunlight streaming through the window, attacked the helpless Barbarian with all the fervor she could muster.

The helpless husky watched Seneya tear through his fragile defenses and cursed himself for always asking for trouble. Could he really afford to provoke this woman when she turned into a wolf?