I’d rather be dismantled than aid oppressors like you! In the name of Thundering Gale, the pony pantheon’s war goddess, I swear that I – Starshot, bow of the Steel Storm – will never help you!

The defiant speech brought a smirk to Carnelia’s lips, one hand coming up to push her glasses up her nose.

“What makes you think you have any choice in the matter?”

Before she’d even finished speaking, she brought the now-empty iron flask up, waving it toward the truculent weapon.

Immediately, symbols of binding began to glow along the length of the container, shining with silver light. Simultaneously, identical markings appeared along Starshot’s length, the bow letting out a telepathic scream of rage as it struggled against the enchantment. But Carnelia already knew how the contest would end, since if Starshot was capable of resisting the flask’s power, it would never have been captured in the first place.

She was proven right a moment later as the symbols on the flask faded away, the ones covering Starshot disappearing as well. But despite no longer being covered by the sigils, the bow gave a telepathic groan of defeat, sounding exhausted despite its artificial nature.

The entire display left Yuyan’s eyes wide, her gaze shifting between Carnelia and the bow before settling on the former. What is this thing? What have you done?

Hold that thought.

While Carnelia – like all devils, as well as numerous other creatures – had an innate ability to communicate telepathically, her time in Bel’s service had given her several insights where mental discourse was concerned. One such lesson was that, while it was preferable to verbal communication in most circumstances, it wasn’t as secure as was commonly believed. With the right spells, or if a natural telepath had the proper training, it was possible to “tap” into a telepathic conversation.

And while Carnelia had no idea if any of the creatures surrounding them at the moment were capable of such feats, she wasn’t willing to take a chance. They were going to have to fight their way out of here, and while Carnelia felt confident that Starshot would be able to create an opening for them to escape through – she hadn’t had much time to interrogate the weapon, but its status as a divine artifact had been easy to discern by how even the potent wards on the flask had been taxed by its incessant struggles to break free – she wanted to leverage the odds in their favor as much as possible.

Don’t resist the spell I’m about to cast.

Starshot grunted, trying to do exactly that, but the binding kept it from being disobedient. Yuyan also hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Glad for the lack of pushback, Carnelia silently laid a thought-concealing spell on them all. It was probably redundant where Starshot was concerned – as a living construct created by a goddess, trying to read its mind was almost impossible; having tried and failed to read its mind while it was still within the flask, Carnelia knew that much from personal experience – but adding the layer of additional protection couldn’t hurt.

Nor could the additional spells she laid down, helping to hide their auras, bolster mental defenses, and heighten their situational awareness, among a few other mild boosts.

The psychic magic she’d studied was mostly geared toward deceiving and manipulating others, but Carnelia hadn’t neglected to learn other ways of employing mind-manipulation.

If you have anything that can improve our chances of getting out of here, you’ll want to use them now, she informed Yuyan after she’d finished.

The vixen bit her lip, glancing outside the barrier.

The tiger-men didn’t seem to have any spells of their own, but had tightened their ranks. With two of them ushering Guang and his concubines out of the pavilion, another gently helping the weeping Lanying after them, and the fourth carrying Wubian’s body, the remaining dozen had positioned themselves around the force field in two concentric rings, ensuring that even if their first line of defense was breached, the second would be waiting to step in and attack.

Further back, the mist giants were readying themselves as well. The sight of Starshot had made them all erect wind walls in front of themselves in anticipation of deflecting arrows, and just behind that they’d raised clouds of glitterdust, golden dust clouds that would not only cling to any creatures that passed through them – negating invisibility – but also potentially blind them.

Even the crimson moths seemed to anticipate that violence would soon break out, lightning crackling between their wings as they swooped and whirled faster, while the walking-lotuses shifted back and forth at the edges of the pavilion as though restless.

Realizing how bad things looked, Yuyan turned back to the devil, her features tightening.

I can stimulate my ki pathways to enhance my physical prowess, resist magic, and strengthen the soul’s alignment with the body, she replied at last. The augmentations won’t last very long, but they should be enough to see this through.

Carnelia nodded. Good. Use them on yourself first, then me.

Yuyan blinked, looking surprised by that. What?

Carnelia scowled. What do you mean “what”? I used my powers on you, so use yours on me.

But I’ve never studied a devil’s ki pathways! protested Yuyan. I have no idea-

Can you do it or can’t you? interrupted Carnelia. Because I’m willing to bet that someone out there – probably one of those giants – is calling for backup right now, which means that we’re running short on time. Not to mention the longer we’re gone, the more likely it is that someone tells His Highness what happened...if he doesn’t already know.

The mention of Lex did the trick, as Yuyan squeezed her eyes shut, seemingly pained at the thought of Lex seeing her predicament.

Alright, she murmured a moment later, sounding just as defeated as Starshot had a few moments earlier. I’ll do my best. But you’ll need to undress.

Carnelia raised a brow at that. Oh?

Manipulating your ki will require me to interact with the meridians in your body, explained Yuyan, closing her eyes and slowing her breathing as she started to alter the flow of her own ki. And anything which prevents me from directly touching your skin will make that more difficult.

Ah, and here I thought you were suggesting that we use erotic warfare.

The comment made Yuyan grimace, before she let out a slow breath, recovering her equilibrium. I’ll be ready in a few moments. You can keep your footwear, eyepieces, and undergarments on.

Nodding despite knowing that the vixen had her eyes closed, Carnelia began to strip down, keeping her movements slow and deliberate while still being efficient and businesslike. That was for the benefit of everyone watching, of course; unlike when she’d taken her clothes off on the journey here, her actions this time were designed to be a juxtaposition of formality and sensuality, making her look like she was preparing for a sexual encounter without showing the slightest hint of eagerness or arousal.

The spectacle deliberately sent mixed signals, being a combination of overt desire and passive disdain, throwing viewers off-balance...presuming that they were attracted to her in the first place.

But given how the tiger-men were reacting, Carnelia knew she didn’t need to worry about that not being the case.

As she undid her blouse, keeping her head unbowed and her expression chilly despite not making eye contact with anyone, she could already see multiple jaws dropping, gazes falling immediately to her chest as she folded the garment and placed it on the ground. Nor did she rise from where she’d bent at the waist, undoing the catch on her skirt before sliding it down her legs-

“What are you doing?!” shouted one of the tiger-men, the indignation in his voice imperfectly masking the hunger she heard there. “Taking your clothes off like that, are you a woman with no virtue?!”

“Baring yourself so brazenly!” cried another, though like his companion his voice was a mixture of condemnation and appreciation. “You should have more shame!”

“Who would have thought that the Pimao Jingzhi’s associate was a lady of the night!”

“Such a vulgar display!”

Carnelia paid the shouting no mind as she stepped out of her skirt as last, folding it and laying it atop her blouse before moving on to her hose, causing the comments to grow in frequency as well as in volume. But there was one in particular that caught the brachina’s attention.

They’re right about you, you know, spat Starshot, the bow’s telepathic voice having a sulking tone. Fighting is supposed to be a clash of weapons and willpower, a decisive match of technique and determination, where the combatants give everything they’ve got to find out who’s the best. Trying to undermine your enemies by confusing their aggression with their breeding urges is as cheap as it is cowardly.

I’ll take a cheap and cowardly victory over a brave and noble defeat, answered Carnelia without hesitation.

And that’s why your kind are all trash! spat Starshot. You don’t care about the fight itself, feeling the thrill of pushing your limits or the exhilaration of living purely in the moment! Your only goal is “get the job done,” and you’ll sink to any low, use any dirty trick or underhanded tactic, to do it.

Of course we will. Stepping out of her shoes, Carnelia sat down and raised her legs skyward as she pulled off her hose. Winners are the ones who get to inherit the future, while losers console themselves with talking about how their opponents didn’t fight “fair” or weren’t “just” or used “dishonorable” tactics, as though that means they didn’t really lose. But the truth is...

Placing her folded hose atop the rest of her clothing, Carnelia gave her bra and panties a quick tug to make sure they hadn’t gotten disheveled, incidentally causing the ruckus among the chiao to grow louder.

...if you’ll only be satisfied with a certain kind of victory, then you need to be able to force your opponent to fight you on your terms rather than theirs. If you’re not strong enough, not smart enough, or not skilled enough to be able to do that, then you have no right to complain about not getting the fight you wanted.

That’s the most self-serving-

Forgive the interruption, announced Yuyan, opening her eyes as she stood up. But I’ve finished my preparations.

So have I. Putting her hands on the back of her neck, Carnelia arched her spine slightly, presenting herself to the vixen. “Go ahead,” she continued, making sure to speak out loud. “Touch me wherever you wish.”

Just like her movements, the statement was delivered in a cold tone that contrasted with the implied eros of the words themselves, and that – combined with the unsubtle hint of imminent girl-on-girl action – was enough to break the chiaos’ discipline completely, their ranks collapsing as they rushed the force field, climbing over each other to get a better view of what was about to happen.

“Get out of my way, bastard! Are you really so enamored of such a perverse display?!”

“Stop distracting me! I’m trying to break down this barrier so we can gain the initiative, is all!”

“Such debauched acts between two women are against the Mandate of Heaven! I have to watch closely so I can report this depravity later!”

The cacophony was enough to make Yuyan wince, giving Carnelia a pleading look. Can you do something to block their view of us?

I’m afraid I don’t have any magic that could do that, she replied honestly, not bothering to add that even if she had, she wouldn’t have used it. Now hurry, before they get their act together.

Grimacing, Yuyan slowly stepped forward, hands reaching out...

The chiao gasped in unison when her fingers made contact with Carnelia’s skin.

For her part, the devil didn’t have to fake the occasional shudder or soft gasp that left her lips as the vixen went to work on her, finding the sensations of her so-called “ki” pathways being altered to be more stimulating than she’d anticipated. Even so...

You’re being too clinical, she noted as Yuyan moved around behind her, slim fingers reaching around to press at certain spots along her midriff. You should let your hands wander a little more. Caresses rather than firm touches.

She felt a sharp exhalation against her shoulder blades as the vixen huffed. This IS clinical! I am augmenting your ki pathways and nothing more!

The more sexually-charged you make this seem, the more lust-drunk those fools become, and the better our odds of escaping.

Those “fools” weren’t wrong about such contact being against the Mandate of Heaven! snapped Yuyan, making Carnelia grunt as one fingers jabbed her solar plexus.

You and I both have ki with far more yin than yang. The only time it’s acceptable for bodies such as ours to be joined in passion is if there’s a greater source of yang there to offset the imbalance! And as concubines who belong to the same lord, thar privilege is reserved for him alone! For these disgusting louts to even think of taking his place is shameful in a way-

Your hands stopped moving, noted Carnelia, lowering her arms and placing her fingers over Yuyan’s, trapping them against her. Does that mean you’re done?

Her question came as she slowly turned her head, looking back over her shoulder at Yuyan and bringing her lips within inches of the vixen’s.

The sight sent the chiao into a frenzy, weapons being dropped as they began to pound on the barrier with their fists.

Her breath catching in her throat, Yuyan tried to pull away, but once again the devil’s grip was too strong for her to break. Y-yes, but-

Then get ready. I’m going to drop the barrier, at which point Starshot will begin shooting as many of those oafs as possible-

Yuyan’s eyes widened at that, her tails fluffing up. What?! No! You can’t kill them!

It’s them or us.

You cannot kill them! insisted Yuyan. Even if Lanying is corrupt, these are all honorable servants of the Celestial Bureaucracy! Slaughtering them will lend legitimacy to the idea that the Pimao Jingzhi has been justly condemned!

I told you before, that’s not my concern.

You know as well as I do that this matter has become too much to keep from our lord, retorted Yuyan. An indictment from the Celestial Bureaucracy against the Pimao Jingzhi – which he is now the head of – on charges of apostasy and murder cannot be kept hidden from him. Do you wish for there to not only also be charges of committing a massacre, but having to tell him that particular crime is true?

Carnelia sighed at that – making sure that it looked like she was parting her lips for a kiss – as she realized that Yuyan was right.

She wasn’t the only one, as Starshot snickered. What was that you were saying about forcing your enemies to fight on your terms?

Ignoring the petulant glee in the weapon’s voice, Carnelia instead focused on how to deal with this new hurdle. Are you able to disable enemies without killing them?

Yes, answered the weapon, its smug tone disappearing as the flask’s enchantments forced it to answer honestly.

Alright, then on my signal, be ready to cover us as we run for the forest. And make sure to keep up.

Starshot grumbled at that, but Carnelia wasn’t paying attention, instead focusing on Yuyan once again. Are you ready?

The question seemed to unnerve the vixen, swallowing as her eyes darted to where the tiger-men were trying to break down the force field, now wild with lust. I...I suppose...

Carnelia frowned at the lackluster response. Don’t focus on them. Just focus on following me, understand?

In her mind, Yuyan gave a mirthless laugh, her telepathic voice conveying anxiety. That’s easy for you to say. I have had no warrior training, nor was I ever-, MMPH!!!

The kumiho’s frightened rant cut off abruptly – and the chiao all roared as one – as Carnelia pressed her lips to Yuyan’s, her tongue invading the vixen’s mouth.

Like I said, just focus on me.

Breaking the kiss a few seconds later, Yuyan didn’t reply, her eyes wide as she gaped at the redhead in shock, her nervousness completely forgotten.

The sight made Carnelia smirk. Don’t worry, we’ll have His Highness give us some of his yang later to, as you put it, offset the imbalance.

Yuyan couldn’t had no answer for that, her tails standing out stiffly with their fur standing completely on end.

Now let’s go!

Then Carnelia dropped the barrier.

Author's Note

Making their preparations, Carnelia and Yuyan begin their attempt to retreat back to the village!

Will Starshot be able to get them past the guards? Will things be the same between the brachina and the six-tails if they’re able to make it back?