{Ren}

  To accurately see what was going on between the two White Werewolf siblings, one would need to be around the same level as the participants. The flashes and clangs of when the blades clash could only be made out in blurred streaks by the majority watching. Even Kala, Lyles’ supposed mate yet known to be the strongest alpha female of the tribe, had to strain her eyes to keep up with the action. To Umeiyon’s, Kenaka’s, and even Rizz’s eyes, however, they can see that Lyles was going on the offensive. He has the advantage of power, reach, and even size with his dual-wielding swords while his speed wasn’t giving Ren any time and room to find an opening as she blocks and parries every one of his strikes with her dual-wielding daggers. On the surface level, it would look like the young White Werewolf girl was being pushed back, that she was at a clear disadvantage against her older brother.

  “Ha ha ha! I must say I’m impressed, Ren! You have not gotten weaker since you left, that’s for sure, or we would have been long done by now!” Lyles exclaimed as he continued striking, not letting up for a second, “It will make killing you so much less regretful, and I can really …”

  As Lyles trailed off, he felt something was off, like something was wrong. His warrior instincts somehow couldn’t pick up what it was, until he looked closely into his little sister's eyes.

  While it looked like Lyles had the advantage, Ren’s face, however, didn’t show any sign of anxiety or pressure of fear from losing. If anything, she was still holding the same face she usually has while going about her day. Admittedly, she was a tad surprised, at first, but as the exchange went on, she quickly became more placid, bored, even.

  “Does that mean this is a warm-up, Brother?”

  Ren’s nonchalant question shook Lyles enough to make him jump back, keeping distance between them. Something uneasy was stirring within him as he locked eyes with her, something he hadn’t felt for quite some time, yet couldn’t put a finger on what that feeling was. Whatever that feeling was, though, it greatly agitated him, more so with how his little sister was looking back with such a bored expression.

  “How’s this for a ‘warm-up’?! [Cross Slash]!” Lyles yelled before swinging both his swords, unleashing razor-sharp arcs of mana formed in an X-shape that was fast approaching Ren.

  “[Cross Slash],” Ren chanted calmly before copying her brother’s Active Skill with her dual-wielding daggers. Because of the difference in blade lengths, Ren’s X-shaped arcs were shorter and smaller in size compared to Lyles’. Despite that, not only was Ren’s [Cross Slash] faster, there was something about it that made the attack more powerful than it appeared, and that was only distinguishable when the two Active Skills clashed.

  "Impossible! A [Cross Slash] that puny on par with mine?! No, it's overpowering mine?!" Lyles exclaimed as he watched the two attacks pushing against each other, only for Ren's to win by destroying his attack and continuing its assault towards him with reduced speed, but still fast enough to be difficult to dodge for most. Lyles was able to avoid it, however …

  "You're open," Ren said calmly as she appeared in her brother's periphery as if coming out of thin air.

  "FUCK!" Lyles cursed as he blocked Ren's incoming attack, followed by her own ongoing assault at speeds even he was having a hard time keeping up with. It was now the brother who was being on the defensive this time.

  "No way, the chief is being pushed back?" one of the White Werewolf tribesmen asked from the peanut gallery before others started to mutter amongst each other.

  "The heck is going on? She was never this fast with ease on our way down here?" Rizz asked.

  "Believe it or not, but it was thanks to her wardrobe change that Ren is able to move this fast," Umeiyon said.

  "Does that daring outfit have some stat-boosting properties?" Rizz asked.

  "That's part of it, but it's really thanks to her new titles from promoting into a Ninja having a synergy to her outfit that's making such a difference," Umeiyon answered.

  ~~

  Upon Ren's class promotion, along with Kotori Family Subordinate, there was one other title that she had earned: Devoted Kunoichi. Devoted Kunoichi is granted when a female Ninja has proven without a shadow of a doubt that she'll devote her very life to serving and protecting her chosen lord, much like how the ninjas back in medieval Japan do for theirs. Wearing the Great Servant's Collar couldn't make Ren's devotion to Jinma any clearer. The title will not only grant her a boost in her stats, but how much is boosted depends on the exposure of her body, thus Ren's choice in dangerously promiscuous attire. Apparently, she'll get the maximum boost to her stats if she fights totally naked. When Jinma learned of this, he asked Obina why such a title, the conditions to earning it, and its effects were created.

  "Think about it: you're in your bedroom, your Ninja lover undresses herself, ready to show her loyalty, love, and respect for her lord and master, when suddenly, *snap*, an intruder barges in to try to take her master’s life. That idiot not only interrupted a seriously precious moment, but they totally killed the mood, and has seen his lover in an appearance that no one but him is allowed to view. Would you blame her if she got totally pissed enough to want to just kill that assassin right then and there, as fast as possible, so she and her master can get back to more important matters? Sure, any woman would likely feel the same, but a kunoichi is as much of an assassin, if not more, than the other guy. Silencing targets is their specialty, more so if they drew the men in with their bodies first, making sure that will be the last woman’s form they’ll ever see. To off them in a near instant, without question, regardless of who or what that attacker is without hesitation, all to keep her beloved master safe, don’t you think ‘Devoted Kunoichi’ is a fitting enough title for a woman like that?”

  “Amazing … and I would do such a thing in that situation, too,” Ren said with full confidence, even excited at the prospect with the way her tail wagged erratically at the time. Whether such a thing would be considered ‘romantic’ is subjective.

  ~~

  Regardless, if one were to evaluate the boost to the little White Werewolf’s stats in proportion to the level of exposure her current kunoichi attire exudes, they would have risen by approximately 90 percent. On top of all that, the EXP and levels she gained from putting on the Great Servant’s Collar are only half of what her master had earned during his surprisingly short time in Raiza so far.

  To put Ren's current powers into comparison, in terms of adventurers, she'd be within the top ten black-ranked adventures in Padimon, at the least, and bronze rank at most.

  "With a title like Devoted Kunoichi, one could say Ren's current and arguably greatest power would come from the loyalty to her master," Umeiyon summarized before shrugging, “Much less love, of course.”

  "It can't be," Lyles said in disbelief as he continued holding back Ren's onslaught, overhearing Umeiyon's explanation in the background, "Ren's servitude to that human, as his pet, granted her this much power in such a short time?!"

  "It's important to be wary of your surroundings, but you shouldn't drop your attention on the enemy in front of you," Ren said calmly as she pressed against one of Lyles' swords with both her daggers, "Isn't that what you told me, Brother?"

  “Shut it, you traitor!” Lyles exclaimed before using his vacant sword to make a downward slash. The blade sliced right through the wolf kunoichi’s form, splitting her in half.

  It seemed like the winner of this Shanakan was decided … until Ren’s split body darkened into pitch black before dissipating.

  “WHAT?!” Lyles exclaimed.

  “[Shadow Ninja Art: Shadow Substitution]. What do you think of my [Shadow Magic] derived technique from my new [Ninja Arts] skill, Brother?”

  Ren’s question heard from the side, just outside of the peripheral, caught Lyles completely off guard as he evaded her dagger slash by a hair and put some distance between them.

  “Since when did you learn [Shadow Magic]?! You’ve only had [Terra Magic] up to now, haven’t you?!” Lyles asked incredulously.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “Looks like Ren’s not up for playing around anymore if she’s starting to use that now,” Umeiyon said from the sidelines.

  One of the skills a Ninja can learn, [Ninja Arts], allows the user to make use of the magic skills they have to be put into a new line of techniques they can learn and train to use. In Ren’s case, she has used the [Shadow Magic] that she just learned upon earning the Ninja class to make into [Shadow Ninja Arts]. Of course, to learn these techniques requires SP and it would usually take much time to train them to raise their proficiency levels. Not only has Ren gained many SP after putting on the Great Servant’s Collar, but thanks to her association to her master, she can also put her SP into raising the proficiency levels of her skills, spells, as well as [Ninja Arts], becoming a master of her craft near instantaneously.

  “Even if this isn’t your best, Brother, I don’t see any point in prolonging this duel any further, not when I have my own priorities that needs attending to as soon as possible,” Ren said before going into a fighting pose, “It’s about time I put an end to this.”

  “Bullshit! Possessing that magic does not make you any better of a warrior! No, it makes you less than one to rely on magic to achieve victory, let alone those items and your so-called ‘loyalty’ to that human that grants you power! You’ll never be a better warrior than—!” Lyles yelled before he was cut off short, “... What?”

  “If we’re talking being a warrior of strength and honor, then yes, you may be right on that, at least in the past; however, what you’ve proved without a shadow of a doubt up to now is who the better leader is,” Ren said, “Though you are my brother, I can never follow you as a leader who allies with a group that singles out and overpower the weak with malicious intent. That is not what makes one strong. I’ll prove to you that not only is my master, Jinma Kotori, the better leader, but he will help guide our tribe to a better life, one that we can be proud of, while lasting for generations to come, despite how dire it is right now.”

  At that moment, Lyles fell forward before its head that was frozen in confusion rolled and toppled from its shoulder, revealing a clean cut of where its head neck should be aligned. Blood quickly started to pool between the decapitated head and its body. Standing above it from behind was another Ren, standing atop of a footstool of her own [Shadow Magic] with fresh blood on her blades after finishing a swing. The Ren that was standing a few feet away from Lyles’ body turned black and dissipated into thin air, another work of [Shadow Ninja Art: Shadow Substitution]. In an instant, a clear winner of the Shanakan has been decided.

  After wiping the blood off her blades and sheathing them, the real Ren approached Lyles’ head and picked it up, not minding the mess. She then closed the head’s eyes, placed a kiss on its forehead, then rested it against her own.

  “Though you’re not a good leader, I know you’ve done all you could to keep the tribe together up to now,” Ren said with care and affection in her tone, “Rest well, Brother. We will reunite and start anew soon.”

  The cavern fell into deafening silence. The remaining White Werewolf tribesmen couldn’t speak a word of what transpired. How could they speak anything out of opposition, as they saw right before their eyes the truth of what happened? What was striking of all was that Kala didn’t even shed a tear of grief or sorrow.

  After giving a moment of silence and respect to her departed brother, Ren took his head and aligned it with his body to where it looked like he was lying on the ground, sleeping. She then hardened her resolve and stood before the tribe.

  “People of the White Werewolf Tribe! My name is Ren, and I stand before you as the winner of the Shanakan, making me your new chieftess!” she announced, “While I understand there are ceremonial procedures to officialize me as chieftess, we will put that off for later! For now, my first decree is that I hereby cut off all our ties to Chaos Barrage and Lord Rowling, and that we align ourselves to support my master, Jinma Kotori! If there are any of you who are against this, you will make yourself an enemy of the tribe under my rule, and I will personally bring you a quick, merciful death just as your former leader has received! Right here and now! If you have the resolve to oppose me, step forward!”

  After witnessing Ren’s overwhelming power, there were none who dared oppose her, but they were not totally willing to be loyal with her, either. She’s aware of this much, but at the very least, they were smart enough to not risk their lives so haphazardly to demonstrate their loyalty to Lyles.

  “... Very well! Now, I want all the females who are of age and have not yet mated to step forward!” Ren commanded, “And do not lie about your chastity! I will know!”

  While werebeasts know whether a female was mated by scent, there are ways to hide their ‘history’, to put it lightly. Despite the efforts, though, a werebeast with a good nose would know whether a female was hiding something, making their shame all the clearer. Everyone in the tribe there knew well enough from Ren’s scent that she mated with a Human, of course, repeatedly at that, and she wore that scent as proudly as the new skimpy ninja attire she’s wearing to please him.

  At the new chieftess’ command, nearly all the female white werewolves who weren’t pregnant followed through. What surprised Ren was that Kala, Lyles’ supposed mate, was among them. Out of disbelief, she pulled that specific werewolf out of the lineup and sniffed her personally, thoroughly, in front of everyone there. Tried as she might, though, Ren couldn’t pick up a single hint of Kala hiding something. She had to pull her aside and talk privately to get to the bottom of things.

  “Seriously, Kala?! Nothing happened between you and Brother after I left?!” Ren exclaimed in whispers.

  Kala smiled wryly, “Unfortunately, it’s true. I really did love your brother, and I tried all I could to give advice to better the tribe’s future. I’ve even … as shameful as it is to admit, tried seducing him out of aligning with Chaos Barrage and Lord Rowling, yet I couldn’t get through to him.”

  “Kala … you’re the smartest and most beautiful female in the tribe, and … while it’s painful for myself to admit, you’d look far better standing by Master’s side than I would, but even with your looks and efforts?” Ren asked in disbelief.

  Kala shook her head solemnly, “It seems his sight had grown narrow since he became chieftain. A number of us have tried convincing him to change his mind with the alliance, but some of us got hurt in opposing his decisions to where we stopped fighting it altogether … myself included. I think my feelings for him have changed by that point.”

  Ren could only glance at Lyles’ dead body with pity, Oh, Brother …

  Much to Ren’s surprise, Kala crouched down and gave her a hug, “That’s why I’m so relieved to see you turned out okay after all this time, and I dare say you’ve become far more beautiful, glowing, even, than I ever could. It makes me curious to see how good this Jinma Kotori is to make you like this.”

  Ren pried Kala off of her, “I know I said you’d look better, but I’m not giving up my spot as Master’s pet to you. I’ll give you this heads up now with our history, but I’d like to appoint you as one of Master’s new concubines from the tribe, and I’ll make you the leader among them, too.”

  “So in your eyes, a pet stands above a concubine, does it?” Kala asked with a raised, teasing brow.

  “I’d drop any hopes you have of becoming Master’s wife,” Ren said, “Lady Mei is Master’s wife, and she’s a Magic Dragon. Lady Noire may be in the running to be his second, and aside from being a vampire, she’s got both power and status. I have no chance of standing equal to two such powerful beauties, but at least with me being Master’s pet, there are certain perks that I would never dare give up. At least that’s how I see things, anyway.”

  “Hmm … and what if I become a pet with you?” Kala asked.

  “... I probably wouldn’t mind that, but I’d still be above you as your senior. There are very complex things we’d have to work out in perks and treatment if Master accepts you, but he’s as kind as he is strong, so there may be hope for you yet. I’d still expect you to look after the concubines from the tribe as my second-in-command, however.” Though Ren said that while sporting an authoritative pose, her tail wagging excitedly revealed how happy she would be to have a fellow pet join the group. It was especially so if it was Kala, who she saw as a sister while growing up.

  “Then, would you mind putting in a good word to your master for me when we meet?” Kala asked while putting her hands together pleadingly, “I’ll prove my potential to him from there, and I swear I’ll keep the other concubines you pick out for him in line. I can also hold myself well enough in a fight, as well, so you don’t need to worry about protecting me, either. May I ask this of you as your first loyal follower in your new tribe?”

  “... Very well, we’ll talk to him together about you becoming his second pet, but only on the condition that when you do decide to give yourself fully to him, I’ll be there to guide you,” Ren said, “Seeing as you’re still chaste, it will be very difficult to accept him for your first time. He’s much bigger than you think, so much so that it tore up Lady Mei’s insides once before he had to cast healing magic on her. I will also warn you that by that point, you may never feel anything for my brother again. Before even becoming a pet, are you sure you want to give yourself to my master as one of his lovers?”

  “... The Lyles I knew and loved died long before his body followed, and I care for the tribe’s well being as much as both of you,” Kala said, “If being his pet assures the tribe’s legacy, then I don’t care how many times Jinma Kotori tears into me, I’ll welcome the challenge. I’m also happy enough that we can be together as sisters again.”

  Ren gave a smile, “Yes, I would like that very much … ah, but this time I’ll be the big sister who leads the way.”

  Kala giggled, “By your will, Chieftess.”