Chapter 1

Sunset painted the sky in warm orange. The bustle of the shopping street was gradually dying down, and the air still held the scorched smell of battle and gunpowder, mixed with the octopus-ball aroma drifting from the street stalls.

Wang Chaoyang wiped the sweat from his temple. In his tactical comms earpiece, Chen Shuyi's voice came through a little breathless, but still gentle.

“Chaoyang, confirm for me: the residual energy reaction in Zone Three is gone, right?”

“Yeah, confirmed. Everyone worked hard.”

Wang Chaoyang's voice came through the public channel, steady with a hint of fatigue that was hard to notice.

He was standing at the temporary command post under the eaves of a convenience store, a portable terminal in front of him flickering with streams of complex data.

As the comms officer, he did not have to go to the front line himself, but the strain on his nerves was no less than that of the warriors in the middle of de-transforming.

Not far away, the light gradually converged.

Chen Shuyi was the first to appear.

Pink particles of light fell like cherry blossoms, revealing her true form.

Her soft chestnut hair was a little messy, clinging to the sweat-damp side of her neck, and the collar of her school shirt was slightly open, revealing delicate collarbones.

She let out a soft breath, lifted a hand to tuck a stray lock behind her ear, and those almond-shaped eyes that always held a smile looked toward Wang Chaoyang. The corners of her mouth lifted naturally.

Next was Wang Yuyan.

The sea-blue glow ebbed away like a receding tide. She stood straight, and the long sword she had condensed from energy and shaped at will dissolved into points of light.

Her dark blue hair was tied into a high ponytail with meticulous care, showing little sign of disorder even after the fierce battle.

She pressed her lips together, her ice-blue eyes scanning the surroundings. Only after confirming there were no missed threats did she look toward her teammates.

Her posture carried the upright discipline typical of a martial family, though her chest rose and fell slightly with each breath, making the extraordinary fullness beneath the tight combat suit even more eye-catching, while a little dust had clung to the black over-the-knee stockings.

“Ha! Done!”

With that energetic shout, golden light burst outward as Dongfang Yuying canceled her transformation.

She flipped her dazzling short golden hair back, planted her hands on her hips, and flashed an unabashedly smug grin.

Compared with the other two, her fighting style was wilder and more direct. At this moment, fine beads of sweat covered her forehead, and the generous curves beneath her sports top rose and fell sharply. Her black skirt and matching stockings outlined the long, athletic lines of her legs.

“This teamwork was pretty solid, huh? Yuyan-jie nailed the timing on those slashes! Shuyi's healing support came just in time too. I almost got clipped by that thing's tentacles.”

Dongfang Yuying strode over to Wang Yuyan and lightly bumped her with an elbow. Wang Yuyan frowned slightly and shifted aside a little.

“Focus during combat and avoid unnecessary risks. You're fast, but if you push too deep, you'll drift out of Shuyi's support range.”

Her voice was cool, carrying that usual lecturing tone, but if you listened closely, there was a trace of barely noticeable concern. “Yeah, yeah, got it, Student Council President~”

Dongfang Yuying stuck out her tongue, not taking that ‘sternness’ seriously at all. Then she turned to Wang Chaoyang, who was jogging over, and her eyes lit up.

“Chaoyang-ge! How was my performance? Wasn't I super cool?”

Looking at the bright, unshadowed smile on the girl's face, Wang Chaoyang's taut nerves eased a little, and a gentle smile appeared on his own face too.

“Yeah, you were great. We cleared it that fast only because everyone worked together.”

His gaze could not help drifting over the three girls.

Even after the transformation ended, the physical effects caused by the Beast Soul seemed not to have fully faded.

Chen Shuyi's cheeks were faintly flushed, her breathing a little quicker than usual; Wang Yuyan's expression was still cool, but a subtle blush had colored the roots of her ears, and her arms crossed in front of her seemed to tighten unconsciously; Dongfang Yuying was even more obvious, chatting as she was while her toes idly tapped the ground, her whole body carrying a hard-to-describe restlessness.

Wang Chaoyang looked away and suppressed the faint strangeness in his heart.

He knew this was an unavoidable side effect of transforming, something the warriors usually held back with sheer willpower.

As the comms officer, he understood better than anyone the pressure hidden behind that wildness.

“Everyone's unhurt, right?”

Chen Shuyi came forward and carefully examined everyone with her gentle eyes. As Beast Red, her abilities leaned toward healing and long-range support, so she was especially sensitive to the condition of her teammates.

“I'm fine. What about you, Shuyi?” Wang Chaoyang asked.

“I'm okay too. Just a little tired.”

Chen Shuyi shook her head lightly, then let her gaze settle on Wang Chaoyang's face, filled with undisguised dependence and affection.

Chaoyang looks really tired too... I want him to rest properly.

At that moment, two figures came from the other side of the street corner.

Leading the way was a tall woman with a distinctive air about her.

Crimson wavy hair was loosely pinned up, with a few strands falling by her neck. In the dimming light, her crimson eyes looked especially sharp and... languid.

She wore a well-cut off-shoulder black cocktail dress, a short fur stole draped over it, and stiletto heels. Her long legs, wrapped in black stockings, moved with leisurely grace.

Unlike the three who had just come through battle, she looked spotless, as if she had merely stepped out for a fashionable stroll.

“Yo, you're all still alive.”

Cassia Scarlett spoke, her voice carrying a unique magnetism, the tail end of each word lifting slightly in a way that was impossible to describe as anything other than teasing and obnoxious.

Behind her followed a petite girl.

Her dark curls hung softly around her, almost covering most of her face, leaving only a pair of timid, startled, glass-blue eyes.

She wore an olive-green knit vest over a neatly pressed white shirt tied with a red ribbon, and beneath her dark brown pleated skirt were slender calves wrapped in white knee socks.

She clutched a tablet computer tightly in her arms, fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, the whole of her seeming ready to shrink behind Cassia.

“Th-thank you... for your hard work, everyone...”

Lulu's voice was so faint it was almost a whisper.

“Cassia-jie, Lulu, how are things on your side?” Chen Shuyi asked with concern.

Cassia was Beast Red's counterpart in red, with extremely strong assassination and ambush abilities, while Lulu, as Beast Green, had almost no combat power, but her ‘absolute defense’ barrier was the team's most important safeguard.

In the earlier fight, the two of them had been responsible for flank suppression and maintaining the barrier.

Cassia walked up to Chen Shuyi, extended a finger painted with bright red nail polish, and gently hooked a strand of her hair. In those crimson eyes, amusement rippled with a playful smile.

“My little Shuyi is still such a worrier~ Don't fret, with my little cupcake around, the barrier is rock solid. It's just that some certain little leopard kept charging around headfirst...”

She gave Dongfang Yuying a pointed look.

Dongfang Yuying immediately flared up.

“Hey! You slimy snake woman, who are you calling headfirst? That's called a tactical assault!”

“Sure, sure. A tactical assault that nearly got you straight into the monster's mouth. If Yuyan hadn't hauled you back, we'd be collecting your body right now.” Cassia snorted, then ignored the puffed-up Dongfang Yuying and turned to Wang Chaoyang. “Comms guy, the cleanup and report afterward are yours. That sort of manual labor isn't for delicate ladies like us.”

“...Got it. Leave it to me.”

Wang Chaoyang was already used to Cassia's tone and nodded.

Delicate? Who was it that just used a high heel to pin a small monster straight into the wall...

He silently complained to himself.

Lulu cautiously poked her head out from behind Cassia, her glass-blue eyes darting at Wang Chaoyang before she shrank back again, her fingers tapping quickly on the tablet.

Wang Chaoyang's tactical terminal immediately received a message: Chaoyang, the barrier energy consumption data has been synced. Is everyone... really okay? A tiny hand-drawn worried face followed it.

Warmth spread through Wang Chaoyang's heart, and he replied: Yeah, everyone's fine. Thank you, Lulu.

When Lulu saw the reply, a faint blush colored her pale cheeks, and she buried her head even lower.

Looking at the noisy, somehow harmonious scene in front of her - mostly Dongfang Yuying being one-sidedly suppressed by Cassia - Wang Yuyan's ice-blue eyes flashed with a trace of softness deep inside, but it was quickly replaced by her usual seriousness.

She walked to Wang Chaoyang's side and said in a low voice, “Chaoyang, I've already done a preliminary inspection of the scene. I didn't find any signs of Breed senior officers operating here, so this should just have been a routine harassment incident. Still, the battle data needs detailed analysis. I'll send you the report later.”

“Thanks for your hard work, Yuyan-jie.”

Looking at how meticulous she was, Wang Chaoyang felt a little emotional. This sister who was not related by blood always took the heaviest responsibilities onto herself.

Yuyan-jie's chest... it seems even bigger than after the last battle... No, what the hell am I thinking!

Wang Chaoyang quickly snuffed out the inappropriate observation that had suddenly surfaced in his mind.

The side effects of transformation on the female body were objective, especially for people like Wang Yuyan and Chen Shuyi, who were already well-endowed. The changes were even more obvious.

He knew they were all silently enduring that accompanying restlessness and desire, the kind that was hard to speak of.

The battle cleanup proceeded in an orderly fashion.

The government's aftercare team arrived soon after, beginning to handle the monster remains and repair the slightly damaged streets.

The members of the Beast Squad then left first and headed to Wang Chaoyang's home - the place where they usually gathered.

Wang Chaoyang's home was a spacious Japanese-style house with a courtyard, a property left behind by the late Canggong family parents.

As the squad commander and de facto guardian, Chen Shiyin often prepared meals here for the kids.

At that moment, the living room was filled with the aroma of food.

Chen Shiyin had prepared a lavish dinner to celebrate another successful day of protecting the city.

She wore an apron, a gentle smile on her mature, alluring face as she greeted everyone to take their seats.

“Come on and eat. You must all be exhausted. I made your favorites today - Guo Bao Rou and sweet-and-sour spare ribs.”

As she spoke, the beige knit sweater beneath her apron was stretched into a breathtaking curve by her full breasts, which trembled lightly with her movements.

Her lower half was dressed in fitted dark trousers that outlined her rounded hips and straight, long legs.

Even at home, she wore sheer flesh-colored stockings, her ankles slender and delicate, feet in soft slippers.

A fragrance of maternal warmth mixed with mature feminine allure washed over them.

Watching Chen Shiyin's busy back, Wang Chaoyang's heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and he hurriedly lowered his head to help set out the bowls and chopsticks.

Aunt Shiyin is still so beautiful... no, I can't think nonsense like that.

Everyone sat around the dining table, and the atmosphere relaxed.

Dongfang Yuying was already starving, and she dug in without restraint.

Chen Shuyi ate in small bites, occasionally glancing gently at Wang Chaoyang and helping him pick out dishes.

Wang Yuyan sat properly, eating at a steady pace with flawless manners.

Cassia cut into her pork chop with elegance, occasionally teasing Lulu beside her and making the latter blush all the way to her ears.

Lulu nearly buried her face in her bowl, showing only the red tips of her ears as she took tiny bites.

Before long, the conversation shifted from the battle just now to daily life at the academy.

“By the way, speaking of the academy, have you heard? About that Ying Ni guy.”

After swallowing a mouthful of rice, Dongfang Yuying suddenly spoke, her face twisting with undisguised disgust.

The atmosphere at the table stiffened for an instant.

“Ying Ni? The photography club president who transferred here last semester?” Wang Chaoyang frowned. He had a terrible impression of that man. The way he looked at women made him deeply uncomfortable.

“Who else would it be?” Dongfang Yuying curled her lip. “He has a bit of money at home, and he's the photography club president, so he goes around with a camera all day snapping pictures of girls. His eyes are disgusting. I heard he was secretly running some kind of ‘photography model loan’ scheme?”

Wang Yuyan set down her chopsticks, her ice-blue eyes sharpening.

“It's not a ‘photography model loan’ scheme.” Her voice was cold. “It's something even worse. I received a few scattered anonymous reports saying that he offered some girls short-term high-interest loans, but the collateral wasn't property. It was... nude photos and videos. If they couldn't pay it back on time, they had to use their bodies to ‘repay’ the debt.”

“What?!” Chen Shuyi covered her mouth, her face full of shock and anger. “Th-that isn't a crime?!”

“Of course it's a crime.” Wang Yuyan's tone was grim. “But the problem is evidence. The reports are vague, and no specific victim has stepped forward. Apparently, he only picked girls who were temporarily short on money but actually came from decent families. In the end, they all found ways to pay him back and recover the collateral. Because it involves privacy and reputation, no one wants to publicly admit they took out that kind of loan, let alone accuse him.”

“So the rumors got out, but nobody can do anything to him?” Cassia swirled the glass in her hand. It was filled with ice water, and a mocking curve lifted at the corner of her lips. “That's textbook scumbag behavior. Exploiting girls' shame and hesitation.”

Nude loans... repaying with their bodies...

Wang Chaoyang felt sick to his stomach.

He could not imagine that in a place like Saint Franciste Academy, such filthy transactions were hiding in the shadows.

What made him even angrier was that Ying Ni also seemed to be one of the sponsors of the academy's secret organization.

Chairman Qian's attitude was equally ambiguous.

“Yuyan, are you investigating this matter?” Chen Shiyin asked with concern, worry showing between her brows.

“Yeah.” Wang Yuyan nodded. “As student council president, I can't just let this potential danger sit there. Especially if he might know some of our... secrets.”

She did not say it outright, but everyone at the table understood.

The ‘secret’ referred to the Beast Squad's identity. Sponsors had access to part of that information.

“That's too dangerous!” Chen Shuyi grabbed Wang Yuyan's hand. “Yuyan-jie, that person... he feels very far from simple. Don't act alone.”

“I know what I'm doing.” Wang Yuyan patted the back of Chen Shuyi's hand, but her gaze remained steady. “Besides, I don't think he'll move against me so easily. My identity and family background are trouble for him too.”

Even so...

Looking at Wang Yuyan's stern profile, the unease in Wang Chaoyang's heart only grew stronger.

The way Ying Ni looked at people did not seem like the sort of gaze that would care about ‘trouble.’

It was a purely condescending kind of amusement, as if everyone, especially women, were objects he could appraise and even toy with.

“In any case, everyone should stay away from that man when you're out,” Chen Shiyin concluded, her tone serious. “Especially you girls. Yuying, your personality is impulsive, so be extra careful.”

“Got it, Aunt Shiyin~” Dongfang Yuying drawled, though her expression had grown more serious too.

Dinner continued under a somewhat heavy atmosphere.

Everyone deliberately avoided the subject of Ying Ni and shifted to summer vacation stories and plans for the new semester.

But that name was like a thorn, stuck in everyone's heart.

Especially Wang Yuyan's.

Nude loans... I have to get to the bottom of this. If there are really victims, that scumbag must be brought to justice. And what is his real goal in sponsoring the squad? Is it just to get close to women? Or is there something deeper behind it?

Deep in her ice-blue eyes, an unshakable flame of justice burned.

After dinner, Chen Shuyi and Dongfang Yuying took the initiative to help clear the table and wash the dishes.

Cassia dragged Lulu to a corner of the living room and looked at something on the tablet, every so often letting out a low laugh while Lulu weakly protested.

Wang Chaoyang went back to his room and started organizing today's battle data report.

Watching the children all busy with their own tasks, Chen Shiyin's lips curved with warmth, but deep in her eyes there was a worry that would not go away.

She quietly returned to her temporary room - the guest room Wang Chaoyang's family had always kept for her.

Once the door closed, the noise from the living room was shut out. The gentle smile on Chen Shiyin's face gradually faded, replaced by gravity.

Chen Shiyin collapsed into the wide leather office chair. The screen of the tablet in her hand glowed with piercing red light, illuminating her mature and beautiful face.

The screen lit up and required multiple biometric verifications.

After she passed them, an internal government document stamped “Top Secret · Urgent” popped up.

The title was stark and unmistakable: Warning Report on the Awakening of the Lust Demon King's Authority and Initial Signs of Activity.

Chen Shiyin's heart sank hard. She read through the contents quickly.

[Warning Level: SSS]

[Codename: Lust Demon King Asmodeus]

[Status: Confirmed to have awakened recently]

[Threat Assessment: This individual possesses extremely strong mental control and bodily transformation abilities, and can release hypnosis waves through sight, sound, touch, and other media. Its power source is female debauchery and depravity. Once infected by it, victims will completely lose their sense of shame and be reduced to female beasts that know nothing but mating.]

[Special Notice: All members of the Beast Squad are suitable female candidates. Extremely dangerous.]

According to the report, monitoring of global energy fluctuations and ancient seals had confirmed that the demon king authority corresponding to the concept of ‘lust’ had awakened recently, with its activity zone suspected to be in the eastern continent, especially the southern cities.

That authority exerted a suppressive effect on women, greatly amplifying and distorting the target's desire and emotions, and it might also possess some form of forced domination.

Historical records showed that during the previous Lust Demon King's period of activity, multiple regions suffered the collapse of social and moral structures, with female warriors, clergy, and similar groups being especially devastated.

The report emphasized in particular that the Beast Squad of Saint Franciste Academy, whose members were all female except for the comms officer Wang Chaoyang, already had relatively fragile resistance to desire because of the side effects of the Beast Soul, making them highly likely to become this demon king's primary targets or breakthrough point.

It recommended that the squad immediately raise its alert level, strengthen psychological monitoring and protection of the members, and consider applying for more resources to carry out targeted reinforcement.

At the end of the report, the government higher-ups had left a cold directive: Resource requests must be accompanied by detailed assessments and results reports. The fiscal situation is tight; priority goes to verified threats.

Chen Shiyin panted heavily, her chest heaving violently. Yet as her emotions surged, a more hidden, more shameful heat quietly woke deep inside her body.

This was the Beast Soldiers' curse, and nature's cruelest joke on a mature female.

Intense emotional fluctuations, whether love, murderous intent, or anger, would be transformed into pure bio-energy under the influence of the Crimson Soul Stone.

And for Chen Shiyin, who had gone more than a decade without sex and whose body was ripe like a peach, that energy had only one outlet: lust.

"The Demon King of Lust... extremely dangerous to women..." In her mind flashed Shuyi's gentle smile, Yuyan's stubborn, serious gaze, Yuying's full of energy, Cassia's seemingly carefree but actually attentive concern, Lulu's timid but desperate effort to fit in...

And Chaoyang. That kind, gentle boy who could only stay in the rear because his power was lacking, yet still carried such a heavy sense of responsibility.

"I have to protect them..."

She opened her eyes, and her gaze steadied once more.

But beneath that determination was a deep sense of helplessness.

The government's directive was very clear: if they wanted more resources, they had to produce reasons and a plan proving the investment was worthwhile.

And right now, aside from this warning report, they knew nothing about the so-called "Demon King of Lust."

No concrete image. No activity pattern. They couldn't even confirm whether it had already infiltrated the people around them.

Money. Gear. Intelligence. Training facilities. Everything required resources. Chen Shiyin's eyes fell on the directive at the end of the report, and her fingers tightened unconsciously.

"Looks like... I'll have to have a more thorough 'discussion' with Chairman Qian Zuchang and those sponsors."

She thought of the topic at the dinner table - that transfer student named Ying Ni, the head of the photography club, and one of the sponsors. A scumbag running a "nude loan" racket.

"If the Demon King has really awakened, and might even be hiding right beside us... would someone like Ying Ni..." A chilling possibility rose in her mind, then she forced it down.

Without evidence, she couldn't jump to conclusions.

But caution had to be raised to the highest level.

She closed the file and began drafting a detailed resource request and team reinforcement plan.

Under the lamp, her mature, beautiful face looked especially focused, and especially tired.

The apron had already been removed. Her knit top clung to her curves, and her long legs wrapped in skin-toned sheer stockings were pressed together and angled to the side beneath the desk, forming an enticing scene - though no one was there to admire it now.

Outside the window, night was deepening. The last heat of summer was fading, and the coolness of early autumn was quietly seeping in.

From the living room came the faint sounds of Dongfang Yuying and Chen Shuyi laughing and making a fuss, along with Cassia's teasing remarks laced with amusement.

In Wang Chaoyang's room, the sound of typing rang out at a steady rhythm.

Wang Yuyan was in her own room, staring at her computer screen and searching for every trace related to "Ying Ni," "transfer student," "photography club," and "loans."

Her ice-blue eyes, lit by the screen's cold glow, were sharp as blades.

And in Dongfang Yuying's room, she was lying on the bed and stretching comfortably, then feeling around beside her for her phone...

"Huh? When did I download this app that looks so damn indecent?"

Seeing the pink, flirtatious app on her phone, named [City of Desire], the curious girl subconsciously tapped it, apparently wanting to find out what the app did.

The light reflected in her bright eyes, gradually covering that innocent clarity, leaving only that lewd purple-pink glow...