[A/N: Don't you just love it when you finish editing a chapter and Webnovel decides right then is the perfect time to log you out and you lose everything you were working on...? No? Just me?]
[City of Mantle]
Rosella shuts the door behind her quickly and slips through the dimly lit corridors, beginning her infiltration mission. She moves in silence, unnoticed, advancing stealthily through the shadows.
She hears footsteps. Female voices approaching. This isn't the time for a confrontation. Without thinking, she pushes off the ground and leaps onto the ceiling, her claws hooking with precision as she hangs there, motionless. Her black hair spreads around her, wrapping her in darkness, camouflaging her almost completely.
She waits. Letting them pass. There's no rush to kill them. Everything in due time.
When the trio finally vanishes from sight, she drops down gracefully, landing without a sound. She knows she has to hurry—at any moment they could discover the bodies she left outside, tossed into the dumpsters. She has to move.
She picks up the pace, carefully avoiding those who cross her path. She glides through hallways, swift and silent, until she finally reaches her target: the fuse room.
There's someone inside. Maybe the person in charge. Or maybe someone who decided to sleep there because the electrical control room seemed like a decent hiding spot. Honestly, she doesn't care.
"Who are—?" he tries to ask.
They don't finish. Rosella morphs her arm into a beast-like clawed limb. Without a word, she swipes and tears off their head.
Right after, she lunges at the control panel. Her claws rip through the wiring, slashing carelessly. A mess of cables bursts into sparks just as the lights go out. Everything stops. Doors, cameras, devices… the building's entire electrical system dies instantly, including the security locks, which jam shut.
There's no way out.
The darkness doesn't last long. Emergency lights kick in, bathing the halls in a faint, muted red.
And with that color, comes the scent.
Rosella smells it instantly. Fear. It's everywhere. Rising. Spreading.
"Perfect."
She knows no one can escape. No windows. Thick walls. Doors sealed under the emergency protocol. The only exits are blocked.
These idiots' attempt to build a secure bunker has become their own trap.
She begins to transform. Not completely—she can't risk it. There are still hunters in the area, and if she changes fully, she'll lose the pockets where she keeps her little sleep bombs.
Her arms lengthen, so do her legs. Claws grow. Fur thickens. Teeth gleam, razor sharp. Her eyes, now a glowing orange, emit a disturbing light.
She can already hear them. Coming toward the fuse room.
She runs to her prey without waiting. She can't hold back.
The moment the first figure appears, she leaps.
"What—?!"
That's all they manage to say before Rosella grabs their head and smashes it against the wall.
Exploding in a rain of blood that covers the wall. And her.
She can't help but feel exhilarated.
"BLOOD!"
The scream erupts like a monstrous roar, shaking those who were following behind. The same ones who just witnessed their teammate dissolve into a red puddle.
Rosella drops the body without a second thought, letting it fall to the ground with a dull thud. Instantly, everyone around draws their weapons and opens fire—but she doesn't stand still. She moves fast, almost playfully, leaping from wall to wall as the bullets zip past her harmlessly.
As soon as she reaches the second woman, she grabs both of her arms and pulls with brutal force. A sickening crack echoes, followed by a scream that shakes the hallway.
"AHHH!" the woman cries before collapsing, her arms torn from her body.
Rosella doesn't flinch. Before the rest can regroup or resume firing, she drives her claw into the chest of the next one, piercing through with no resistance. She tosses the body aside like a discarded sack, and without losing momentum, lunges at another in the group.
She slashes her face in a swift, merciless motion—just like she did to the boss barely a day ago. But this time, the wounds aren't shallow. Her face splits open in deep, bleeding lines, carved with no restraint by Rosella's claws.
"Hehehe," she chuckles under her breath, eyes gleaming with a wild light.
She can't help it.
"They're like sponges… hehehe," she murmurs, savoring every second. It almost feels ridiculous how easy they are to kill.
Farther back, someone who had witnessed it all but stood slightly away from the group can't hold in a scream at the sight of the massacre.
"GRIMM!" they shriek, mistaking Rosella for one. It was the only thing they knew that could cause such carnage.
Their scream echoed through the building, though outside it was barely audible; the reinforced walls allowed only muffled traces of gunfire to leak through.
That person, trembling, spins around and bolts in the opposite direction, dodging others who were just arriving—drawn by the gunshots and the scream.
Rosella feels their fear. She savors it. And she can't help but smile. She finds it… amusing.
Without wasting time, she gives chase. She charges down the hallways at full speed, crashing into more and more people. She doesn't stop. Her claws slice through like blades through butter. The bullets? She doesn't even bother dodging anymore. They bounce off or pass through her body without causing lasting harm. Her healing factor kicks in instantly, closing every wound—and, in turn, stirring her hunger.
She grabs a woman by the shoulders and lifts her effortlessly. In that instant, her face changes.
Only her head shifts, taking on the lupine shape of her true form.
"AHHH!" the woman screams as she sees Rosella's transformed face.
Rosella silences her immediately, snapping her jaws shut around her skull. She rips it off with a crunch and chews through it without effort.
The sound of bones breaking fills the hallway in a deathly silence.
No one dares to move.
Rosella watches them as she chews, savoring the terror in their faces. She takes another bite from the torso, but the flavor quickly becomes dull. Uninterested, she drops the body, which hits the ground with a wet, sickening thud.
Several drop their weapons, frozen in place. Her head shifts back to its human form—feminine, almost innocent. Half the group opens fire, panicked. The other half runs toward the exits without looking back.
Unaware they're sealed.
When they arrive, desperate, they pound on the doors, shoot, scream, kick. Nothing works. The locks remain shut.
No one enters. No one leaves.
"Where are you going?"
Rosella's playful voice echoes through the halls.
She moves forward slowly, as if relishing the moment—but her body reacts in an instant. She jerks to the side with brutal agility, dodging a spear that slices inches from her head.
She spins toward the source of the attack.
A woman stares her down, a faint glow rippling across her body.
A Huntress.
Rosella hears whispers from the others—relieved murmurs, like a savior had just arrived. She doesn't need confirmation. She already knows. This woman is one of the Huntresses working for the mob boss who runs this place.
No words. No useless threats. The woman charges straight at her.
Rosella reacts without hesitation. Time to test her plan. She quickly pulls a small orb from her pocket and tosses it just as the Huntress closes the distance.
There's no time to dodge.
The orb's dull color blends perfectly with the dark. It hits her square in the face.
A brief pop—followed by a small purple cloud.
The Huntress has no choice. She breathes it in.
"Cough! Cough!"
She coughs, staggering, trying to stay upright—but her legs give out. She collapses, barely able to glance at Rosella one last time before losing consciousness.
Rosella doesn't give her a chance to recover.
She steps in and drives her arm through the woman's chest, pinning her to the ground.
No one dares intervene.
A Huntress—one of the last defenses against the Grimms—has fallen in seconds.
Rosella pulls her bloodied hand back and inspects it. She sniffs. Smiles.
She doesn't hold back.
She crouches and begins to devour her, tearing into the body without shame, with methodical, savage movements.
The few who haven't fled yet watch the morbid scene unfold.
"Such a good flavor~~~" she purrs, eyes glowing with delight.
Tastes a bit like the boss. Not quite as exquisite—but still deeply satisfying.
Rosella's words as she devoured the Huntress were enough. The remaining thugs scattered like headless chickens, vanishing into the hallways of the building, desperate to find an exit—or at least a place to hide.
Rosella didn't chase them. Not yet. She knew they couldn't escape. She'd find them eventually.
For now, she just wanted to finish her meal.
But she didn't get the chance.
Two new Huntresses burst onto the scene.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!"
One of their voices thundered through the corridor, seething with rage.
"Probably her friend," Rosella thought, not bothering to reply.
She ran. She knew better than to face them both head-on. She needed a plan.
And it worked.
Both gave chase, attacking without pause. One wielded a hammer, the other a sword.
Even while fleeing, Rosella took the liberty of ripping apart several more people in her path. The hallways turned crimson. Claws. Screams. Severed limbs and mangled torsos littered the way.
When she ran into a larger group trying to escape, she took the opportunity. She grabbed several of them—still alive—and hurled them at the Huntresses.
The victims screamed as they flew.
The Huntresses didn't hesitate. They struck the bodies blocking their view without a second thought.
But the one with the hammer paid the price.
As she knocked one of them aside with a brutal swing, Rosella was already there—she'd used the body as a distraction.
Without wasting time, she threw more of her sleep bombs. Several at once.
The hammer-wielder couldn't dodge them. But the one with the sword did—she leapt back just in time.
"What the hell was that?!"
The Huntress snapped, eyes locking on her partner—who had just collapsed, clutching her throat, choking. Her aura flickered… then vanished completely.
"You idiot! Keep your aura up!" she shouted.
But it was too late.
Rosella didn't miss a beat. She landed a kick so hard it twisted the woman's neck with a loud, dry snap.
She stopped moving instantly.
Instant death.
"AHH!"
The sword-wielder roared, transforming her weapon into a gun. She opened fire without hesitation.
The first bullets hit Rosella—one, two, five. The Huntress didn't stop.
She fired more. The bursts pushed Rosella back. Her body jerked, torn apart, bleeding heavily, until she finally dropped to the floor, motionless.
The Huntress moved forward, trembling, breathing heavily.
"DIE, YOU BITCH!"
She aimed at the chest and emptied the rest of the magazine. She didn't stop firing until the gun clicked—empty.
She stood there, panting, finger still on the now-useless trigger.
The body was still there. Shredded. Drenched in a dark pool. She wanted to keep shooting. Wanted to kick it, burn it, scream at it.
But her fury started to crumble when she turned and saw the bodies of her fallen friends.
That second of distraction was all Rosella needed.
Her body twitched, then leapt from the ground in one smooth motion, catching the Huntress completely off guard.
"SURPRISE!" she cackled, hurling several more sleep bombs.
There was no room to dodge. The Huntress was too close. She inhaled the gas and dropped to her knees, paralyzed, her wide eyes fixed on Rosella—whose body was already beginning to regenerate.
"Fooled you, didn't I~~?"
She couldn't help but laugh as she stepped closer—one firm stomp was enough to snap the Huntress's neck. No resistance.
Rosella paused, sniffing the air.
"Mmm… I think there's one more Huntress left," she muttered.
She sniffed again, searching for that now-familiar scent—the rich, savory aroma of a Hunter. She didn't know what caused it. Maybe a side effect of unlocking their aura? Didn't matter. She'd figure it out later.
Now wasn't the time. She ran, tracking the scent.
The hallway opened up into a larger space, where she found another armed group. But this time, something was different. Someone stood at the center. A woman, flanked by others, clearly better equipped.
Rosella picked up on it instantly. The way they shielded her. That smell.
The last Huntress.
"Hey, you! I'm guessing you're the boss!"
Rosella raised her voice without restraint, drawing every eye to her.
"Tell me where the money is, and I'll let you live."
She glanced around at the stacked bodies.
"Correction—I'll let whoever's left live. Good deal, right? Hehehe."
The leader wasn't amused. She immediately backed away, flanked by her guards, leaving behind the more heavily armed fighters, who opened fire in a coordinated burst.
Rosella dodged a few bullets, but quickly realized it wouldn't work for long. Without hesitation, she shifted—fully embracing her werewolf form. The transformation was fast and caught everyone off guard.
The screaming began instantly.
"HUMAN GRIMM!!"
Panic exploded through the room as Rosella lunged forward, unfazed by the metallic ring of bullets bouncing uselessly off her skin.
The bravest—or dumbest—tried their luck with blades, thinking maybe steel would work better. The rest just kept shooting, clinging to the hope that bullets might finally make a difference.
They didn't.
Rosella tore through them in seconds, wasting no more time than necessary. She'd already spent too long playing around. Her target was the leader of these punks. Finding her wouldn't be hard.
Just follow the scent.
It didn't take long.
The woman had barricaded herself in the heart of the building, hidden behind crates, overturned furniture, and what looked like the remnants of her final defense.
The moment Rosella peeked down the hallway, she heard the voice.
"SHOOT! SHOOT, DAMN IT!!"
Bullets zipped through the air again, but she was already slipping between them, using bodies as improvised shields while ripping through the rest without losing momentum. Flesh. Bone. Screams. All blended together.
"Where the hell are my Huntresses?!"
The leader's voice cracked in pure desperation.
The leader's desperate scream rang out clearly. Rosella's sharp hearing picked up every word without effort.
"They're dead, ma'am," a trembling voice answered.
"How the hell did she kill three Huntresses?!"
"Well, the—"
He didn't finish.
Rosella snatched a metal pipe from the floor and threw it without hesitation. The impact was brutal. His body folded in on itself with a wet crunch. She wasn't about to let them say anything useful.
Last thing she needed was that final Huntress prepping a countermeasure for her sleep bombs.
"Come out, coward!" the woman shrieked from behind her barricade.
"You know," Rosella started, trying to spark some small talk, "I just found out people with aura taste way better than the ones without."
"Monster!" the woman spat back, more horrified than angry.
"Ahh… there it is," Rosella thought, annoyed. "That's why you can't have a decent conversation with anyone. Everyone's so damn rude."
"If you'd just given me what I asked for, we could've skipped all this circus."
"You're lying… you would've killed us anyway," the woman snapped.
Rosella let out a dry laugh. Didn't even try to deny it. She was right. She would've killed them anyway.
"My name is Vanta, and—"
Rosella tuned out the moment she started with the name. Blah, blah, blah. Who cared? The longer she talked, the stronger the urge to crush her skull.
The second she saw her aura start to glow, Rosella didn't hesitate.
She threw a sleep bomb straight at her face.
Thud. The woman dropped instantly.
Just like the others, Rosella crushed her skull as she walked past, not breaking stride.
Finding the office was easy. Still smelled like her.
Rosella followed the trail until she found the right door. Inside, there was already a decent pile of lien scattered across the desks—but that wasn't what she was after.
She went straight for the big prize.
The moment she spotted the safe, she shifted fully again, pouring all her strength into a single pull ripping the door clean off.
What she saw inside made her smile.
A mountain of lien.
"The boss is gonna be real happy," she thought, tail wagging with satisfaction.
But there was one tiny issue.
"…How the hell am I supposed to carry all this?"
[40 minutes later]
It took her a while to get everything ready.
Before leaving, she restored power to the building to unlock the automated doors.
With the way clear, she took her time checking the place one last time. Needed to be sure—no security cams, no survivors.
She found nothing. No recordings. No witnesses.
She stood in the middle of the lobby.
Listened.
Sniffed.
Felt.
Nothing.
Not a single soul left alive.
"I think that's all of them," she thought, chin lifting slightly with a mix of pride and satisfaction.
Hadn't been all that hard, really.
She slipped out through a side door that led straight to the street. No one saw her leave—or at least, she was pretty sure no one did.
Once outside, though, it was impossible not to draw attention.
How could she not?
A cheerful girl walking calmly through the streets of Mantle, dragging a whole row of metal carts behind her, tied together with improvised rope. Each one hidden under thick, dark blankets.
People stared as she passed.
Quick glances—one, maybe two seconds. Doubt. Suspicion... then nothing.
No one said a word. No one asked anything.
No one got involved.
And no one had the slightest clue that under those blankets rode a small fortune in lien... and four fresh Huntress corpses she'd snack on later.
Rosella hauled the makeshift caravan all the way to the abandoned warehouse, beaming with the satisfaction of a job well done. Efficient. Clean—well, kind of. Fast.
What she didn't know was that in the very building she'd just left behind—the one that would soon be called The Great Mantle Massacre—someone was still alive.
A woman.
The only surviving witness.
Hidden under a pile of severed bodies, barely breathing, completely still, silently praying to the brother gods that the human-Grimm monster wouldn't come back for her.
-//-
Author's Note:
No, I'm not making up that she can turn into a regular wolf. Here's proof: [Image].
I know these chapters weren't to everyone's liking… not to say no one liked them. Sons of bit— deep breath —anyway! I wanted to write something, so I wrote it.
I took a little extra time and finished the chapter early, to spare you the suffering (you're welcome) and as a thank-you to that one person who commented 20 times on the chapter—he alone is half the comment section. I see you, champ.
I have to remind myself this is a smut story, so I need to add more 18+ scenes.Oh, and Rosella has a PhD. So do GLaDOS and Aegis, but his is in kicking ass. Just wanted to put that in writing. It'll matter later.
Anyway, hugs and kisses 💋