Catgirls And Dungeons (Yuri)

I watch as Eris plummets toward the ice, my breath caught in my throat, my fingers clenched so tightly that my nails dig into my palms.

I know she's strong.

I know catgirls—like real cats—can fall from extreme heights without a problem.

But this?

This is too high.

Really, really high.

Just looking down makes my head spin, a wave of dizziness crashing over me like I'm the one falling instead.

My heart pounds against my ribs, a panicked rhythm drumming in my ears.

Will she be okay?

…

Then—

THUD!

CRACK!

A spiderweb of thin fractures spreads outward from where she lands, the ice beneath her groaning under the impact.

But that's it.

She's fine.

No—

She's more than fine.

Eris straightens as if nothing happened—like she just hopped off a small step, not dropped a hundred meters from the sky.

My jaw nearly unhinges.

Holy shit.

She tilts her head up, her bright blue eyes locking onto mine, a confident glint dancing in them.

Then—

She smirks.

And winks.

…

Hmph!

Show-off.

But before I can mentally prepare myself to scold her for scaring the hell out of me, the real problem begins.

Her landing has drawn attention.

The giant icy frogs—each three times her height and twice as wide—slowly turn to face her, their glowing blue eyes narrowing in eerie unison.

They inhale, their belly swelling up.

And then… as they exhale, clouds of icy mist swirl outward from their open mouths, curling through the air like a warning.

Based on what I've heard from Eris, these are only C-rank monsters at best.

Eris is A-rank.

Logically, I shouldn't be worried.

She won't have any trouble.

And yet—

My heart pounds anyway.

After all, if they come at her in large groups, they may pose some serious trouble… I think.

And furthermore, Eris also told me that even B rank adventurers die here if they underestimate those frogs.

I clutch my coat tightly, my tail puffing up, my ears twitching anxiously.

Be careful, Eris! I silently pray. Don't get hurt!

All of a sudden—

BOOM!

A tongue lashes out, so fast that I barely register it.

I don't even see it happen—one second, the frog opens its mouth, and the next, its massive tongue slams down onto where Eris was standing!

A cloud of ice and mist erupts, swallowing the entire spot in a blinding explosion of frost.

I can't see her.

I can't tell if she dodged it.

Fuck!

My fingers dig into my coat, my tail bristles, my ears flatten, my heart slams against my ribs.

For a second, I can't breathe.

Then—

Crack…

CRANGGG!!

A sharp, shattering noise rips through the air.

The frog fractures—its entire body bursting apart like fragile glass, scattering into a million shimmering shards.

And behind it—

Eris stands.

A wild grin stretches across her face, her hand clenched around the monster's glowing core, its icy remains crumbling at her feet.

What… the heck is going on?

My brain is not braining anymore.

Since when—?!

I didn't even see her move!

And then, before I can even process what just happened—

The remaining frogs attack.

Massive bodies launch into the air, their shadows swallowing her whole—

But—

One by one—

They shatter, exactly like how the first one exploded.

Each impact is a miniature explosion, a storm of frozen fragments scattering like shards of crystal.

And Eris—

Her movements blur, too fast for my eyes to track.

A flash of motion here—another there—before I can blink, another frog is reduced to dust.

She's not even using a weapon.

Just her bare fists.

Smashing their bodies like candies…

Damn.

I can't believe my eyes any more…

Is this… what an A-rank adventurer is like?

…

"Tch…. Come on, this is too boring!" Eris complains, rolling her shoulders before cracking her knuckles with a sharp pop.

In mere seconds, she's slaughtered over twenty of the massive ice frogs as if they were nothing more than training dummies.

She exhales, looking around at the pathetic battlefield she's left in her wake. Then—

"Alright, come at me—ALL OF YOU!"

With a sharp clap, she slams her palms together.

BAM!

A massive shockwave erupts, blasting outward like a sudden storm.

The boom reverberates through the frozen landscape, its echo bouncing off the lake's distant cliffs.

And then—

Every single frog in the area snaps its eyes open.

Thousands of glowing blue orbs lock onto Eris, their cold, unblinking stares filled with raw hostility.

That's not just a horde.

That's a fucking army.

And Eris?

She grins.

"NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!"

—

"Hiiikkhhh!!!"

A sharp gasp rips from my throat as pure terror slams into me like a freight train.

WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING?!

SHE'S INSANE!

She's actually—actually—trying to take on EVERY SINGLE FROG IN THIS ENTIRE LAKE AT ONCE!

And now—

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

The frogs leap forward, their massive bodies slamming into the ice, each impact sending violent tremors rolling across the frozen lake.

The entire ground quakes beneath their sheer weight, cracks splintering outward, the frozen landscape groaning in protest.

And then—

They charge.

A tsunami of frogs, an unstoppable avalanche of monsters, their enormous bodies stacking higher and higher, rising like a monstrous tidal wave, a wall of destruction rushing toward Eris.

They tower over her—

Twenty.

Thirty meters high.

A colossal wall of death, blotting out the sky, ready to swallow her whole.

And then—

CRASH!!!

The wave of monsters collapses, an unstoppable force crashing down, burying her beneath a mountain of their massive bodies.

No. No, no, NO!

"ERISSS!!!"

I scream her name, my voice raw, shaking, a sharp, panicked cry that tears at my throat.

Damn it!

This is my fault!

She was showing off because of me!

And now—

Now she's—

"INKY! INKY!"

I turn to the shadow wyvern, my heart hammering against my ribs, my hands gripping onto his solid, smoky scales as I shake him, barely able to breathe.

"We have to do something! We have to rescue her!"

But—

Do what?!

I'm not strong enough.

I don't stand a chance against this many C-ranked monsters.

Hopelessness twists in my chest, my eyes burning, my vision blurring with tears.

But then—

Rumble…

RUMBLE!!!!

A deep, guttural vibration rips through the frozen lake.

The mountain of frogs trembles.

"Eh…?"

Something is happening.

Something below them.

And then—

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

EXPLOSION!!!

A deafening explosion tears through the battlefield!!!

Frogs go flying, their massive bodies flung into the air like ragdolls, crashing into the ice with thunderous impact.

A shockwave of crystalline ice shards blasts outward, tearing through the mist, reflecting the light like scattered diamonds.

At the center of it all—

Eris stands.

Her fist clenched, her clothes dusted with frost, her breath curling in the cold air.

And on her face—

A mad, bloodthirsty grin.