Cha Hae-In Vs Beru

Jinwoo crossed his arms. "Are you sure?"

Cha Hae-In didn't hesitate.

Her golden eyes locked onto the terrifying figure of Beru, the former Ant King, now Jinwoo's strongest soldier.

"I'm certain," she stated, tightening her grip on her sword.

A ripple of silence passed through the training hall.

Po let out a low whistle, smirking. "Gutsy. I like that."

Jinwoo sighed. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." He raised his hand.

"Beru."

The air itself seemed to tremble as the monstrous insectoid warrior took a step forward, exuding an aura that sent a shiver down Cha's spine.

His glowing blue eyes locked onto her, mandibles clicking menacingly.

"Kehehe… A Queen dares to challenge me? Foolish."

Cha gritted her teeth. I won't back down.

With a flash of golden light, she charged.

CLANG!

Cha's sword met Beru's claws, the impact shaking her entire body.

Fast!

She barely managed to twist away as Beru counterattacked, his razor-sharp limbs slicing through the air.

SLASH!

A thin line of blood appeared on her cheek.

I didn't even see that coming!

Her heart pounded.

"Sword Dance!"

Her body blurred, moving like a golden phantom.

She weaved around Beru's onslaught, dodging his brutal swings by mere inches.

Then—

SLASH!

Her blade bit deep into Beru's side.

For the first time, his laughter stopped.

Cha's breath hitched. Did I actually—

"Kehehe…"

Her eyes widened as Beru grinned.

The wound? Already healing.

"How amusing."

Before she could react, Beru struck.

BAM!

A clawed hand slammed into her gut, launching her backward.

Cha gasped, feeling the wind knocked out of her as she crashed into the far wall.

Dust settled.

Po's smirk faded slightly. "Oof… That had to hurt."

Jinwoo frowned. She should stop now.

But Cha stood up.

Blood dripped from her lips.

But her eyes? Still determined.

"Not… done yet."

Golden energy surged around her blade.

"Sword of Light!"

Her weapon glowed like a miniature sun, radiating pure destructive force.

Beru's mandibles clicked in amusement.

"Very well. Then I shall—"

She vanished.

In a golden blur, Cha struck again and again, her blade carving bright arcs through the air.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

For the first time—

Beru staggered.

Dark blood dripped from several wounds.

Jinwoo raised an eyebrow. "Impressive."

Po whistled. "Damn, girl."

Cha panted, chest rising and falling, sweat dripping from her brow.

But Beru…

He didn't fall.

Instead, he twitched.

Then, his laugh came back.

"Kehehe… Enough playing."

He moved.

Faster than before.

Faster than she could react.

SLASH!

Pain exploded through Cha's body as Beru's claws tore into her shoulder.

Her vision blurred.

Too fast—!

She tried to dodge—

But Beru's next attack was already coming.

A final, merciless strike—

"That's enough."

A blur of red and black intercepted Beru's claws.

The impact shook the entire gym.

Cha gasped.

She wasn't dead.

Because standing in front of her—

Was Po.

Po's strong hand gripped Beru's claws, stopping them mere inches from Cha's neck.

His other arm?

Firmly wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his chest.

"Now, now, Bug Boy," Po murmured, his voice low and smooth. "You almost ruined this gorgeous face."

Cha blinked.

H-He's holding me…!

Her heartbeat skyrocketed.

Beru's mandibles clicked in irritation. "Kehehe… She wished to fight—"

Po grinned.

"Yeah? And I say that's enough."

He pushed Beru back effortlessly.

Then, he looked down at Cha.

"You alright, sweetheart?"

Cha's face turned red.

"I—I—" WORDS. WHERE ARE MY WORDS?!

Po chuckled.

"Damn. You're cute when you're flustered."

Her brain short-circuited.

Jinwoo watched in mild amusement.

Po leaned down, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.

"You know…" His voice dropped into a husky whisper. "You fight like a Queen, but even Queens need a break."

Cha's knees almost gave out.

Po smirked. "How about a date?"

Cha made a strangled noise. "A—A DATE?!"

Po grinned. "Mhm. You, me, somewhere nice. What do you say?"

Cha opened her mouth—

Then promptly covered her face with her hands.

Po laughed.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Turning to Jinwoo, he winked.

"We'll be off."

Jinwoo sighed. "Try not to break her, Po."

Po grinned. "No promises~"

And just like that—

Po scooped Cha into his arms and walked off, leaving the gym behind.

Cha, still blushing furiously, buried her face into his chest.

Po smirked.

"Damn. This is gonna be fun."

To be continued...