I Became the Guardian of Big Shots in the Game

After finishing another day of hard training.
Ponya went to bed.
“Yaaawn~”
As she snuggled into the soft bedding unimaginable in the arena.
Her eyes slowly closed.
She should sleep well and start another energetic day tomorrow…
“Eep!”
A beastkin’s senses are sharper than a human’s.
Ponya jumped out of bed with her ears and tail perked up, grabbing her sword at the suspicious sensation.
“W-What is it!!”
“Your reaction passes. Beastkin really are different.”
The person emitting a sticky aura slowly walked out of the darkness.
“Levi?”
“I’m here too!”
“Oof!”
Ponya fell back onto the bed as Hwaryon rushed at her.
“W-What are you doing!”
“Change into comfortable clothes and bring your sword out.”
“But why-”
The dark red aura constricted Ponya again.
“…Okay.”
She had to obey obediently.
For Ponya, Levi was still an insurmountable strong one.
Beastkin as a race are basically greatly influenced by instinct.
Of course, they’re more rational than beasts so they can suppress their instincts.
But the common sense that the strong rule over the weak is stronger than in other races.
‘Someday, I’ll definitely surpass you.’
But for now, she was clearly weaker than Levi.
So Ponya followed orders without complaint.
She put on her leather armor from the arena over her training clothes.
Ponya followed Hwaryon to the yard with her sword.
“What is it? The instructor said not to practice secretly.”
“It’s not practice.”
“Then?”
“To be specific, should we call it real combat?”
“Real combat? What do you…”
Ponya trailed off, startled.
Her hair standing on end was proof that she instinctively sensed intense hostility.
Something dangerous was heading this way.
“What… is this?”
It reminded her of the dangerous monsters she sometimes faced in the arena.
It was similar to the aura given off by starving monsters brought in for human entertainment, getting hit and stabbed with spears.
“Are you joking now? We should tell Sir Rashid about such dangerous things…”
“Stop.”
Ponya stopped immediately.
The aura Levi emitted was over 10 times more intense than before.
“…You.”
“I’d prefer if you called me Levi unnie. Like our Hwaryon does.”
“Levi unnie!”
Hwaryon hugged Levi as if nothing was wrong.
She stroked Hwaryon’s head.
“Th-There’s no time to be relaxed!”
We need to ask Sir Rashid for help right away and evacuate the mansion’s servants.
Even then, it’s uncertain if everyone can survive.
Ponya’s beastkin instincts and gladiator intuition were practically screaming at her.
But Levi was firm.
“This is a stage I set up to see your skills.”
“What nonsense is that!”
“As a servant, will you leave the bugs trying to invade your master’s residence alone?”
“I’m telling you we can’t stop them with just me and her? Even in the arena, they wouldn’t make such a reckless match!”
“You can do it. No, you must do it. Because…”
Levi raised her finger and pointed towards the main gate.
“The chance to back out is gone now. They’ve arrived.”
Several black figures were jumping over the fence.
Even Ponya with her night vision confirmed it.
“If you can’t do it, you’ll die by my hand. You don’t want that, right?”
“…I hate dying.”
“Then go prove your worth.”
“Ugh!”
Ponya reluctantly took her stance and.
Hwaryon smiled brightly as if excited.
Intense killing intent was shot at the two of them.
Soon they clashed.
Levi, watching from a distance, muttered softly.
“Everything is according to His will.”
*
All five pillars dispatched their upper executives to Serdin.
If they sent mediocre ones, they might be dealt with by the other four organizations.
And it’s because they judged the opponent to be a skilled person who can never be underestimated.
The new boss of Serdin’s underworld who annihilated the advance teams of five organizations in just one day.
It was news that instilled fear in their subordinates.
But conversely, it also provoked competitiveness in the upper executives.
“His head is mine!”
The one dispatched from the Scavenger side called himself the ‘Skull Collector’.
After diligently sharpening his cleaver, he showed the eccentricity of slicing off a subordinate’s neck.
“What bullshit.”
Besides him, there was the Traveling Troupe’s conductor, Red Rose’s action team leader, the knight order’s senior knight, and the Secret Order’s mid-ranking priest.
The executives all headed to the mansion with their subordinates.
To avoid drawing attention as much as possible.
They planned to scatter between dark streets and converge on the mansion, but.
“Aagh!”
“It’s an ambush! Left wall! Ack!”
They were intercepted in turn by Special Forces divided into groups of 2-3.
“Boss, what do we do?”
The orders from the underworld pillar meeting are absolute.
Since they decided to take over Serdin at the meeting, they can’t back out here.
“Whether we die here or go back and die by the boss, it’s the same. Break through!”
Even as subordinates died with their legs cut off by traps.
And throats pierced by daggers flying from somewhere.
They advanced.
This much was within expectations.
Even though they lost a considerable portion of their forces, the main combat personnel were still intact.
“We’ll exact a heavy price for our subordinates’ blood.”
“I don’t like the one-armed bastard’s subordinates, but I agree this time.”
“Oh Lord. Please send those vicious ones to hell.”
Finally, those who arrived jumped over the fence.
And.
“Two girls?”
What was standing in the yard.
Was just one armed girl and one unarmed girl.
They came all this way losing numerous comrades.
But only children were waiting.
“Roki, clear them out.”
“Yes.”
The knight order member who received the order came forward with a greatsword.
“Die-”
-Slash!
But he couldn’t finish his words.
His head fell to the ground with just one sword strike.
Thud!
Ponya shook the blood off her blade.
“!”
Only then did the members who crossed the main gate tense up.
They realized now.
They thought the two girls in the yard were for buying time or drawing attention.
“You die instead.”
“I won’t let even one get to big brother.”
But in fact, this was the main force.
*
Hwaryon’s body shone brightly.
Translucent fox tails and ears grew, absorbing the moonlight.
“…You’re a beastkin too?”
“What’s that?”
Ponya was about to answer ‘You grew tails and ears!’, but.
She had to swallow her words to dodge the attacks of the underworld members rushing in.
“Kuh!”
Ponya had experienced matches against multiple opponents alone quite often in the arena too.
She skillfully dodged attacks she needed to avoid while looking for opportunities to swing her sword.
“Urgh!”
She cut down one member.
Turned around and deeply stabbed another.
A sneaky-looking Scavenger rushed in with a dagger through the opening created then, but.
Bam!
“Aagh!!!”
She hit the guy’s face with a spinning back kick while pulling out her sword.
Stab!
She finished by stabbing her sword into the fallen one’s neck.
When three went down in an instant, the members stopped rushing in recklessly.
“What, are you old men scared?”
“You cheeky little…”
The Red Rose member who looked like he would rush in any moment was stopped by the action team leader.
“Come out.”
The action team leader didn’t hold any blades.
Instead, he wore iron knuckles on both hands and took his stance in front of Ponya.
“Brats need to grow up getting hit. That’s how you learn manners.”
Whoosh!
The action team leader rushed in.
Despite his large build, his movements were swift like the monitor lizard monster Ponya faced in the arena.
Even a grazing hit would cause serious injury.
Ponya entrusted herself to instinct and intuition.
She focused on avoiding the action team leader’s attacks while looking for an opportunity.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
After narrowly avoiding the fist strikes that cut through the air.
Tsip!
She succeeded in shallowly cutting the action team leader’s right thigh.
“Not bad.”
“You too, old man.”
The action team leader took his stance.
Somehow it didn’t seem like it would end easily.
Levi, who was watching all this from the roof.
“Hmm. Not yet?”
She seemed to be waiting for something.
Her eyes turned to the left.
The battlefield of Hwaryon, who awakened her ability, was even more chaotic and red than Ponya’s.
“Ack, cough!”
“Done?”
No matter how high-ranking they were in the underworld.
There’s no way Hwaryon, who can easily crush ordinary people when her ability activates, would have trouble.
The Secret Order’s mid-ranking priest and Traveling Troupe’s conductor had already perished by her hand.
The Skull Collector who rushed in confidently saying “I’ll make a cup with your skull!” had his neck cut off.
The members who rushed in to avenge their superiors were all cut into over ten pieces with just one wave of her hand.
Only the senior knight and his knight order members remained.
“You’re a monster.”
“Calling a young lady a monster is rude. Big sister said not to use such bad words!”
The self-proclaimed knight order members were dumbfounded, but.
They knew well that aggravating her would only hasten their death.
“I’m sorry, pretty young lady. Want some candy?”
“B-Boss?”
He gestured to his confused subordinates to be quiet.
“She’s just a kid. Wait a moment.”
Then he took out something round wrapped in packaging from his pocket.
“It’s very sweet. Can we make up with this?”
“Hmm, should I?”
Hwaryon quickly darted over and snatched what was in his hand.
She moved far away again and unwrapped the packaging.
“B-Boss, isn’t that…”
“Yes, it’s new and so potent even hardcore addicts react strongly.”
It was an expensive drug worth thousands of gold per piece, but.
It wasn’t a waste if it was to save their lives.
Sniff sniff.
Hwaryon, who was smelling it.
“Ew, this is something weird. Did you trick me?”
Saying that, she created fire in her palm and burned the drug.
“The smell. Ugh!”
“W-Wait! Uncle will give you proper candy…”
There was no next chance.
The angry Hwaryon slashed the air with both hands.
The knight order members were cut into even smaller pieces than the previous people.
“They really were bad people.”
When she was captured by pirates.
When she was sold at the market later.
They were people who emitted the same dirty aura as the men who tormented her and her sister.
‘As expected, I can only trust big brother.’
Because she only felt warm and gentle energy from Ethan.
Hwaryon’s feelings for him were deepening more and more.
After cleanly finishing off the bad uncles who tried to harm her big brother, Hwaryon turned her head to check on Ponya.
She was still fighting.
She always practiced for a long time.
It seemed like she was trying to enjoy this fight for as long as possible too.
“Should I help?”
“No, Hwaryon.”
“Levi unnie!”
Levi hugged Hwaryon and jumped up.
The two looked down from the mansion roof.
“Shall we wait a little longer?”
“Okay!”
Levi was also a kind, good person to her like Ethan.
Of course, she should listen well to her big sister’s words.
*
“Huff, huff.”
“Getting tired, little one?”
“Bullshit!”
“Such a foul mouth for a brat.”
He was stronger than any opponent she faced in the arena.
Of course, he was weaker than large monsters, but.
She usually fought monsters together with several gladiators, so the situation was better.
Now Ponya was alone.
It’s not that she didn’t think of asking Levi or Hwaryon for help.
But.
‘I can’t pathetically beg for help here.’
If she did that, she’d never be able to catch up to them.
Sir Rashid said that as you train, a moment will come when you have to overcome something alone.
Ponya firmly believed that this was that moment.
Pain rose from her tired wrists.
The sword felt heavier and heavier.
But the opponent still looked fine.
“Let’s finish this. We’re a bit busy, you see.”
Whoosh!
“Ugh!”
She couldn’t avoid the action team leader’s straight punch in time.
She had no choice but to turn her sword to block the fist, but.
Clang!
The blade couldn’t withstand the impact and shattered.
“This is why those who rely on swords are no good.”
The action team leader walked over step by step to finish her off for sure.
‘I have to get up…’
Her legs wouldn’t listen, paralyzed by fear.
‘Please get up!’
The vibrations from the ground signaled the enemy was getting closer.
Greater fear swept over her each time.
“In your next life, don’t thoughtlessly challenge the strong.”
Whoosh!
The action team leader’s knuckles flashed in the moonlight.
‘Ethan-nim! Help me! Please!’
In the end, Ponya desperately called for Ethan.
*
“What’s wrong?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Ah, no, Administrative Officer-nim.”
When Ailey turned her eyes back to the documents.
Ethan checked the notification window again.
[Ward ‘Ponya’ completely trusts you.]
[Bonus generated. Ward ‘Ponya’s ability, ‘Berserk’, is unlocked.]
‘Already?’
The beastkin ability, Berserk.
It should have been too early for Ponya to master it.
‘No, good things are good.’
Ethan closed the notification window.
He went back to scanning the documents.
There was still a lot of work left to do.
*
Bam!
The Red Rose members were about to cheer.
It was the glorious moment when their boss was dealing with the monster who instantly cut down their members.
The dull noise just now must have been the sound of the monster brat’s skull being smashed.
But.
“Aaaaagh!!!”
It was the action team leader who screamed and turned around.
A horrific sight of the bent knuckles digging into his crushed right hand.
While everyone was caught up in confusion.
A beastkin, larger and more solid than before, stood up from the darkness with gleaming eyes.
“I told you.”
Crack!
Ponya snapped the neck of the staggering action team leader.
She rushed at the hesitating members like a beast.
“You’re the ones who should die.”