『Ah...sir?』
The bull's voice trails off in surprise. So surprised he squeaks.
"Mffgh...uff uffh..."
Since the bulls stop their brute act, Jeremy squirms under them to get away, feeling hot steam coming from the flesh brushing against his soaking wet entrance. His hungry body clamors to devour the slick flesh, but Jeremy's legs twitch as he frantically denies it.
『What are you doing?』
『Oh, that...that's...』
None of the bulls dare to speak up. They are frozen to the bone, as though they know that the jackal's golden eyes are staring at them despite the absence of their eyes.
『Guhk...!』
Jeremy takes advantage of their stunned silence to bite the hand that gags him. The bull jerks. He, now free to shout, flails like a fish out of water.
"H-help me, please, help me...!"
It is impossible to tell if this black beast is in league with them or if he is something more sinister, but it is clear that he has the power to restrain the bulls. Jeremy flounders, reaching out to Asterios for help. His eyes are desperate to survive.
『...』
The jackal lowers his head and looks down at the man. The man is disheveled, beyond messy, and devoid of any commodity value. If the media were to see this human, it can do a lot of damage to the factory's image. Asterios is disgusted, not sympathetic.
『Help me...! I-I did wrong, please...』
Asterios' eyes narrow until they close, causing his golden pupils to disappear, leaving only his jet-black hair. He exhales a breath, opens his mouth, and speaks in a calm voice.
『On the count of three, explain to me what you were going to do.』
『Ah, sir Asterios, it's...it's...it's when the human escaped and...』
『Three.』
『W-we're just as guilty but...but...the human tempted us first...!』
『Two.』
『...』
『One.』
He opens his shining eyes back. At the same time, his sharp teeth are also bared forming a frightening sneer.
GNASH!
The jackal bites down one of the bulls' necks!
『GAGHK!』
The bull bit by Asterios screams in agony. Jeremy gasps. His body shivers right away at the sight so terrifying. He did ask the black monster to help him but truly doesn't expect him to do it in this way. He didn't ask him to kill the bull!
Sshk-sshk-!
The jackal shakes his head, ripping away the bull's flesh. Hot blood splatters across Jeremy's face and up his chest, causing him to be even more terrified. He watches the scene in horror. His body freezes and his eyes widen. He now becomes too stiff to plead. He is about to break down.
Had he saved him?
Or should he be worried about being the next target? The bull, bitten in the neck, collapses on the spot. Jeremy forces his stubborn limbs to crawl backward and wraps his arms around his body. A sick feeling rises in the pit of his stomach realizing that the blood also gets swept up by his buttocks, hips, and feet. The fishy scent of it pierces his nostrils.
『I said to explain, not excuse,』says Asterios in a stern voice to the two remaining cows.
Truth be told, he'd been a little hurt to know it was them who found the human first. His dignity doesn't want to admit that he'd lost to a bunch of filthy bastards who thought they could enjoy mating with a human in public.
And lucky for him to realize they had yet to report to the foreman.
Asterios glares at the bulls in victory.
『W-we're sorry, sir Asterios... Please...』
『My warning must have fallen on deaf ears. I thought I told you no excuses were necessary.』
『We're truly sorry...! We just found the escaped human...and it was the one you just killed who had the idea to feel human's taste. We swear, we didn't agree...!』
『You two must have been really good bystanders, if not sympathizers.』
These bastards had chosen to play with the human rather than announce their victory, and that is enough of a deal-breaker.
Asterios debates whether to bite off the other two and declare victory. He has reason enough. Even if they didn't get caught, this human is still the property of the city's factory. They can be charged with property damage. In a factory that is supposed to produce food, attempting to mate with one of the objects is highly disreputable.
"..."
Jeremy watches the bulls squirm in front of Asterios and wonders. Who is this monster? It seems to be in a different class than the naked, barefoot bulls.
The jackal is tall and wears a well-tailored suit. Even in virtual reality, Jeremy had never seen anyone so well-dressed, not even on Nawatuwa Island. He looks like a tall man who can probably be in any movie by Earth's standards.
He must be quite a powerful creature. Did he really understand my request for help? Jeremy's mind races.
Well, if he is going to survive here, he may as well choose the black jackal over the bulls. So Jeremy wipes his sweaty palms on the ground and then stretches his arms out toward the jackal, clutching his pants.
He wants to live, not die. If the buried past had taught him anything, it is to let go of his pride and survive somehow.
"I-I...ungh, please...please help me. I'll do anything you ask, please...please help me."
『What the hell are you trying to do?』
The jackal bares its teeth again. How dare this lowly human touch his pants with his dirty, wet hands. He indeed had wiped his hands on the floor but it is still just as dirty.
The human's frightened blue eyes are red and bloodshot. Face is streaked with tears, and hair is all tangled up. His chest is soaked with milk, his crotch is covered in clear bodily fluid. Not to mention the blood that splashes everywhere. In short, he is a total mess.
"Let me ask you a question. Regardless of the outcome of our bet, what are you going to do with this human?"
『That's...that's up to you to decide, sir, but I'm guessing...he won't be able to produce the same amount of milk again, so he'll be disposed of.』
It is natural for a human who gets exposed to stress will not to be able to produce high-quality raw milk as before, so it is right to dispose of them whose commodity value has decreased.
"Please...! Please save me from them... Just this one time, please take pity on me... Don't kill me."
『...』
The human does not understand what is being said. But probably realizing his fate, he begins to cling even more desperately.
Asterios looks down wordlessly at the cowering human. He is such an odd-looking creature, devoid of any cute features; someone with unusual tastes might have kept him as a pet though, but his monkey-like head is off-putting. Especially since he can speak and has a culture of his own.
The only thing the jackal knows about humans is that their milk tastes so good that there's a growing industry in raw milk production, and that they're very intelligent and difficult to manage. He couldn't get a good look at the individuals in the glass cage because their faces were all covered, but this human's eyes look pretty innocent.
"Please...just this once..."
Despite his hard, cold demeanor, the jackal doesn't kick him. So Jeremy, has yet to give up hope, clings even more aggressively, acting like the most miserable man in the world. The sight of a helpless man who had lost everything is enough to inspire sympathy.
Asterios frowns feeling his legs get hugged even tighter by the filthy human. His burning body is radiating into him.
Damn, I hate this kind of shit.
Don't humans know how to be afraid of hunters? Clinging defenselessly to a creature that could end him in a single bite.
Of course, there have been many who have begged for mercy. Asterios generally just ignored them, sometimes turning their shrieking denunciations into lullabies.
But this time is different. He hasn't even told the human directly that he is going to punish him, and yet he clings to him with all his might. Even the dumbest creatures have the brains to recognize at a glance who is the strongest in this room.
『...』
The lowly creature's demeanor is both absurd and baffling. So unexpected that even his anger at the bulls is almost tempered. Asterios hardens his face and turns back to the bulls.
『What did you see? Answer me.』
『Huh? What...? Oh...that's...』
The eyeless bulls stutter, hesitating to answer Asterios' question. It is a strange one. It should have been self-evident that bulls have no eyes.
『Oh, I didn't see anything.』
The bull, the more perceptive of the two, replies cautiously. Maybe the authority figure isn't really asking what they'd seen, but rather for a cover story. Fortunately, the bull's choice is correct. Asterios gives a small snort and speaks in a quite pleased tone.
『That's right. You didn't see anything. I suppose we can agree that I found the human first, then?』
『Eh...? Well, that's...』
The bulls sweat. They were so distracted that they had forgotten they were supposed to win a bet to find the escaped human. It is only then that they realize they have walked into a trap. Asterios had been asking questions to trap them from the start.
『Yes...that's right. You win, sir Asterios...』
It is unfair, but the bulls easily succumb to power. They don't have the heart to argue their victory when their companion is laying dead next to them. Hearing the bulls' respond, Asterios looks down at them with a snobby air.
『Thank goodness you're not as stupid as I thought. Contact your foreman, and this bet ends in my favor.』
『Yes, sir...』
The cows drop their heads to the ground. They may be able to keep themselves alive for now if they can get Asterios off their backs, but it is only a stopgap measure; they still have to worry about who will be chosen as the sacrifice for this year's festival.
The two ashen bulls are sincerely remorseful. They should have stopped their dead friend, and just should have called their foreman right away.
But their regrets are soon to be for naught. Asterios speaks again.
『And I've told your foreman, if I am the one who wins the bet, we will take the sacrifice from this factory.』
『Yes, yes... That's what you said, sir...』
At the mention of sacrifice, the bulls shudder, as if they have been selected for the sacrifice. Until they hear Asterios' next words.
『This year's sacrifice will be this human.』