Raising A Few Wives in a Beast Apocalypse

Bang!

Again, the shadow panther's claw met ice. Though this time it was attacking while Layla defended. It quickly jumped back to regroup. But Layla didn't give it a chance....

"Ice lance!"

Woosh!

As the panther was jumping back, a huge, half a metre thick and five metres long spear manifested in front of Layla and flew toward the beast.

Bang! Boom!

Again the beast was caught unprepared and the blunt top of the lance slammed into its chest and pushed it back then slamming in onto a building wall. The panther wanted to jump into the shadow realm but immediately felt danger from it so didn't. Jade had already created spikes in the realm at that area. Oddly enough, the shadow element can't hurt physical things...unless they are in the shadow realm.

As the pained panther wanted to make a run for it as it sensed a large amount of mana gathering below it. Its body froze for a second, and the next...

"Shrike's frozen spear!"

Stab!

A huge ice spear extended from the ground and impaled right through its guts as it carried it into the sky. The panther's lifeforce quickly flowed out of its body. It's scorpion tail tried to pock the large ice spear and break it but it was of no use. As it died, its eyes weren't on Layla it's killer but the man standing behind her who just looked at it with an innocent smile from the beginning of the battle to the finish. It knew that without his interference it might have gotten away...but then again, who made it so hell-bent on killing Layla?.

[87 kills left....]

As the last of its lifeforce faded away and it died. Layla fell to the ground on her knees. This fight had left her with less than a tenth of her mana. Main reason being that she didn't know how to regulate her shadow element yet so it was a lot more power draining than her ice element. And her last attack didn't help either.

"You okay?". Muku tapped her shoulder and as he asked.

"I thought you said you wouldn't interfere?". She spoke in a cold voice, she had noticed the beast's momentary pause after all. Remembering when Emily was fighting a giant lizard which couldn't move out of the way of her attack because of a certain someone, she automatically knew what had happened.

"Correction, I don't remember specifically promising anything other than not kill stealing...besides, look at the sun, it will set in a few minutes so we couldn't delay any longer.". Muku defended himself.

"Hmph". For three reasons she didn't argue with him, there was some truth to what he was saying, she was declined to speak let alone argue since she was taciturn and she wasn't Jade who was always looking for reasons to fight with him.

"W-What are you doing!?". Layla uncharacteristically said out loud while stuttering for the first time ever. This was because Muku had crouched down beside her and was holding his hands out towards her. It was obvious that he was trying to carry her.

"H-hey!". She screamed again, her face turning red as Jade, Emily and Chloe looked on with jealousy oozing from their eyes.

The reason why she screamed out a second time was because when she tried to scooch away from him her body froze. It was obvious he stopped her, then under her protests he carried her like a princess. He gave Adam's group a look that all men understood. "Walk a bit behind bastard!, you want to see up her skirt or something!?". The look said. Though to the girls it just seemed like a normal glance. They didn't understand why Adam's group slowed down a bit.

"Stop lashing around, you're out of strength and we're out of daylight, this is the only thing we can do for now. What if another shadow panther shows up if we stay too long...or any beast for that matter". Muku said to Layla while looking into her eyes. She, her face red, noddedas she quietened down, her big innocent eyes looked away from his gaze. Muku felt three gazes hot on his back, but knowing who they were from, he just ignored it. Hope just looked on with sparkling eyes as she carried Layla's bag, no one knew what the little girl was thinking.

From a distance away, the reverend looks in Adam's group for Muku grew. Not only was he strong, but he wasn't afraid to shamelessly display his love for little girls in front of them!

And now they were hundred percent certain that he wasn't the only monster in his group. The little girl he was carrying had literally soloed a beast their leaders dared not attack!. The beast everyone from their base feared. A beast they hadn't even seen the true shape of until now. The one and only Death's Shadow, the Black Pant... cough, Scorpion tailed Shadow Panther.

They soon reached the barrier, passed right through as Muku's group marvelled at the barrier. But as soon as they passed it, everyone in his group frowned, they could all sense that something was wrong here. Jade could even vaguely smell blood from the large structure in front of them.

Everyone resided in the stadium, and since there was really no need for any, they hadn't seen any guards as they walked in. Though according to Adam's group, there should at least be a few idiots who liked hanging at the edge of the barrier but never going out of it. Yet they hadn't seen anyone. Even Adam and his group felt that something was wrong. Everyone's expression got a lot more serious and they proceeded with caution as they approached the stairs that led inside.

"Sir, you can put me down now, I can walk now". Layla said in a soft voice, still embarrassed.

"Are you sure?". Muku asked her as he looked into her eyes.

"N-yes, I am, besides, you might have to fight and I'll only get in the way." Layla almost said no before getting a hold of her self and looking away from his mesmerising gray eyes as she spoke.

"Okay, if you're sure... though you'll never be a burden to me no matter what". Muku said while putting her down. Hearing his later statement, she couldn't help but furiously blush again. Seeing this, Adam's group gave him mental thumbs up for not missing any chances.

When she was out down, she went to the back of her group as she sensed Emily and Jade's gazes on her. Even Chloe would steal glances of her while Hope had a weird smug smile that showed that she completely didn't understand what was going. So to save herself from all this trouble, she chose to walk behind them.

"Ahh!!". A loud scream from a dude was heard from inside. And sounds of muffled cries of many people were also vaguely audible.

"Adam, you and your men should stay here for a bit, were go check out what's going on. Layla and Hope will stay behind with you.". Muku said his gaze still focused in front of him, getting to receive any situation that takes place.

"Okay boss, that sounded like a shout from one of our leaders, I hope you can save him if possible". Adam said, he didn't try to forcibly go with them as he knew he'd be useless.

"But.." Layla wanted to protest staying behind but Muku cut her off by raising his hand. As for Hope, she had already gotten used of her role of taking care of Adam's group so she didn't think much of having to stay behind.

"I know you want to come along, but we don't know what's going on there and you can barely walk. Quite frankly the only reason why I'm asking Hope to stay behind is to guard you as you recover.

Hearing this, Layla blushed and nodded in agreement to staying behind. As for Adam's group, they could only put on wrily smiles hearing him indirectly admit to not carrying about them at all. Of course Muku in reality also cared about them, just that all of them combined weren't worth Layla's toe nail in his eyes.

Maybe it was better that they weren't aware of his thoughts and assumed on their own after all.