Chapter 144: All You Need is the Lower Half (1)
'The tunnel didn't seem this narrow earlier…'
Placing my hand against the tunnel wall, I injected mana to analyze its internal structure. It was similar to how dolphins emit ultrasonic waves and interpret the reflections to understand their surroundings. This technique, a necessity in urban combat, was one that knights with the talent for it were required to master.
Though I wasn't as skilled as Jake, who could map out entire interiors with precision, I could at least tell that the tunnel wasn't as narrow as it seemed. The entrance was tight, and the collapsing soil had caused her waist to get stuck as she attempted to crawl through in her bound state.
"What a mess you've made."
I grabbed her waist to pull her out, but the crumbling tunnel walls made it impossible to get a stable grip. If her torso were fully trapped, I might have been able to find a solid place to hold, but the problem was that her lower half and hips were sticking out while her waist was buried, leaving little to grab onto.
The only spot that offered any real grip was…
"Hmm."
Her ass.
'In this narrow tunnel, in this position…'
I could feel a slight, involuntary reaction from myself.
Of course, this was purely an effort to save her. It was a humane act, ensuring the safety of a prisoner, as was my duty. This was not inappropriate in any way.
'So don't get hard!'
I gave myself a quick, reprimanding tap on the tip to calm myself, then grabbed her hips firmly and began to pull her out.
Rustle…
'It's coming loose… wait, huh?'
She wasn't budging easily. The soil wasn't completely collapsed, so it wasn't a matter of being crushed. The fine sand was tightly holding her waist in place, almost like she was wedged in. And given her body's structure, her hips were wider than her waist, making it difficult to pull her free. However, the main issue was that she seemed to be actively resisting, using her legs to push against the ground and prevent me from pulling her out.
"So, you're still trying to escape, huh?"
It seemed the prisoner hadn't given up on her desire to flee.
Initially, I had tried to avoid having my groin come into contact with her body as I pulled. But since she was resisting so stubbornly, it was clear that this half-hearted approach wouldn't work. I planted my legs firmly and leaned in, letting my groin press against her ass as I gripped her hips more tightly.
Thud! Squirm!
The moment my groin touched her ass, the sniper kicked her legs wildly, trying to escape. But her awkward position meant that even if she kicked my shins, it didn't hurt. I held her tightly and continued pulling with force.
'Her lower body is surprisingly soft.'
From what I'd felt earlier, the cyclops sniper's skin was tough yet smooth, befitting a seasoned warrior. However, her lower body was more voluptuous, with wide hips and a noticeable curve. When I gripped her ass, my fingers sank slightly into her flesh, suggesting that while her upper body was well-toned, her lower body retained more feminine softness.
And her groin, covered in tight, form-fitting pants, was naturally untouched by training. The snug fabric pressed against her thick vulva, and with both of us wearing thin layers of clothing, it felt as if our groins were directly rubbing against each other.
Slide…
She planted her bound feet into the ground, desperately resisting as I pulled. With her waist trapped and my hands gripping her tightly, the situation naturally forced our bodies to press together.
'Ugh! There's no good place to hold on!'
Slip!
Normally, pulling someone out of a tight spot would be easiest by gripping their waist. But with her waist buried and my hands slipping off her hips repeatedly, I kept losing my grip just as I was about to free her.
If only there were a better surface to hold onto. Her leather pants were making it impossible to get a solid grip, so I slipped my fingers inside the waistband to grab directly onto her body.
Slide! Grip!
Her bound feet flailed desperately, trying to push herself back into the tunnel, but with my hand firmly inside her pants, there was no way she was getting away.
"One, two…!"
Pop!
Ignoring the awkward contact between our groins, I gave a powerful pull. This time, with a more secure grip, I managed to pull her out.
Rustle…!
As the collapsed soil gave way, her waist finally emerged, covered in fine sand. I reached to grab her waist directly, but the sand made it slippery, forcing me to grip her pants again.
Grip! Slide!
She squirmed and struggled, but the tide had turned. No matter how much she kicked or resisted, in this awkward position, her attempts to hold out were futile.
"Close your eyes. Sand's going to get in!"
Thud!
I lowered my stance and grabbed her pants to pull her out completely. But instead of sliding out as I expected, I heard a snapping sound, as if something on the other side was caught and breaking.
'What's that? Is something stuck?'
Worried that her body might be caught on a tree root or rock inside, I carefully felt around her waist to check for any injuries. As I touched her stomach, her legs flailed wildly, suggesting she wasn't injured but simply resisting.
If something had scratched or cut her, she wouldn't be overreacting to just having her stomach touched.
'I didn't think she had much of a chest, but is it possible her volume is hidden under that leather outfit?'
Her waist was narrow enough to slide through easily, but her chest could be snagging on the way out. It was possible, considering the tightness of her leather armor.
Still, the tunnel's walls were made of loose sand, weak enough to break through with my hands. Even if she was stuck, pulling hard enough should dislodge her.
"Don't pull! It'll tear!"
"It's happening."
There was no way I could let her go. Without this cyclops sniper, I wouldn't know how to navigate the area and would be stranded, separated from my comrades without any landmarks or guides. If I could get her cooperation—or even just information—I could eventually reunite with my unit.
I gritted my teeth and pulled with all my strength.
Rip!
The sound of tearing leather echoed through the tunnel as her struggles grew frantic.
"If you pull any harder… it's going to rip apart…!"
"Eh?"
But by this point, I was already using all my strength, channeling mana into my arms to ensure I succeeded.
RIIIP!
Her leather pants couldn't withstand the strain and tore apart. At the same time, her body was yanked free from the collapsed tunnel, her upper clothes ripping as well, leaving her chest exposed.
'Huh?'
It was then that I saw them—several large, singular eyes staring at me from beyond the tunnel.
Her comrades. Cyclops warriors, about her age, each with the same distinctive single eye.
"We've been spotted!"
"Sorry, Zika!"
Before I could react, the cyclopses smashed the makeshift tunnel supports and retreated. The already fragile tunnel collapsed completely, sealing the path and preventing any chance of pursuit.
"Ah… Ahhh…!"
The one I had captured—Zika, as her comrades called her—reached out helplessly with her bound hands toward the collapsed tunnel. Despair was written all over her face as she realized there was no way to dig through the rubble.
"No… They left me… in this situation…? Just me…?"
Her large, singular eye began to well up with despair and confusion.
Her hands and legs were still tied, and her torn clothes barely covered her. Her chest was fully exposed, and her lower half was clad in nothing but a thin pair of underwear that barely covered her vulva after I had ripped her pants. She was effectively naked, completely vulnerable, and trapped with me.
"He… heek…"
Her massive eye darted between her own exposed body and the prominent bulge in my pants. Her fear was palpable.
Though I had used the intelligence device earlier, one session wasn't enough to relieve all the pent-up tension. Worse, pulling her free had caused our lower bodies to rub together repeatedly, leaving me in an even more aroused state.
As a result, my erection was now clearly visible, straining against my pants. If my belt weren't tightened, my tip might have already peeked out. Instead, it pressed forward, creating an unmistakable bulge.
"I… I'll never surrender…"
Her trembling voice was filled with fear as she stammered out her defiance.
Most people wouldn't notice such subtle details in someone's eyes, but her single, massive eye made every movement—the dilation and contraction of her pupil—painfully obvious. Her terror was unmistakable.
"No matter what filthy things you humans try to do to me… I won't betray my comrades… or submit…!"
'What the hell kind of impression do they have of humans?'
In the Flower War, humans were generally the defenders and victims, not aggressors.
"Th-that's why…"
She shuffled backward toward the collapsed tunnel, as though she still hoped to escape. But her back hit the debris, blocking her path.
"I… sniff… I won't… submit…!"
"Ah."
I couldn't hold back anymore. I lunged toward her.
"Eek?! No!"
Her pupil dilated in shock as I rushed toward her. I even saw the reflection of my bulge in her massive eye, but I was too far gone to care.
"Emergency armor activation!"
Clank!
Forcing mana into my exoskeleton, I activated the armor plates strapped to my back. The pieces unfolded and began covering my body just as I reached her. Wrapping her in my arms, I curled up to shield her.
Boom!
Almost immediately, a massive wave of soil and debris poured down from the ceiling.
Whoooosh!
It seemed the earlier collapse caused by her comrades had destabilized the area, leading to a secondary collapse. Thankfully, the armor provided a stable structure, keeping the falling debris from crushing us entirely.
But there was a new problem.
'Do we have to stay like this?'
Pinned under me was a half-naked woman, her torn clothes barely covering her modesty. And despite the danger, I was still painfully hard.