Yandere Levelling in Her World-Chapter 138 - 139: Nina’s struggle

What it looked like the strategy room was quiet except for the faint squeak of Ren's marker as he cross-checked the whiteboard. Names, dates, locations, everything Astrid had wrung out of the captured Traitors was written in her neat red handwriting. He stopped at the top line and muttered under his breath.

"So the woman everyone thinks is in charge is just a puppet. The real boss is imposter Lan Jia… who never even talks to them directly."

Astrid leaned against the wall, arms folded, one finger tapping her chin. "Exactly what I heard too," she said softly. "Every Traitor I pulled back from the edge said the same thing. Orders come through notes, dead drops, encrypted voice messages to their leader never face to face. Lan Jia is a ghost to everyone."

Ren capped the marker and turned. "She's not even the real Lan Jia. I've seen her switch faces like changing clothes. Some kind of mimic abilityprobably. I don't know who she actually is or why she's doing this, but she's the one steering the whole ship. And for some reason she keeps… following me... so I am connected to everything."

Kyouka, standing near the door with her arms wrapped around herself, felt each word land like a punch. Another secret. Another thing Ren had never told her. Her throat tightened, but she said nothing. She just stared at the floor.

Astrid noticed, but kept talking. "Lan Jia's endgame is foggy. The Traitors' goal, though? Crystal clear. Remove everyone with power. Permanently." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Nina, perched on the edge of a table, gave a dry laugh. "No offense, Astrid, but wiping out the power actually sounds more doable than whatever fairy tale you and the 'real' Lan Jia were selling. Coexistence? Please."

Astrid's eyes flashed. "We knew it was impossible. That was the point." She stepped forward until she was right in front of Nina. "Just because something's impossible doesn't mean you stop trying. We're not cowards who only chase what's easy."

Ren gave a small nod. "She's right."

Nina clicked her tongue, loud and sharp. "Tch. Keep dreaming. In the end it's gonna be them or us. Just like how they want. I don't care either way. I support whatever you want." She hopped off the table and stalked out, boots echoing down the corridor.

Selene watched her go, then leaned toward Kyouka. "She's extra pissy lately, huh?"

Kyouka shrugged. "Isn't she always?"

Selene lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "There's another reason. Pretty sure the supreme bitch-leader is a pussy-licker. Nina's been crushing hard on the red haired leader and getting exactly nowhere."

Kyouka's face twisted. "What the fuck, seriously?"

Both girls grimaced at the same time. In their world, "lesbian" was still the kind of insult people spat like it burned their tongue.

Ren overheard and raised an eyebrow. So those people still exist even here, huh. He filed it away and turned back to Astrid.

"How long are we going to stand around drawing pretty maps?" he asked. "When do we hit them?"

"We're not waiting," Astrid said. She flicked her phone across the room. Ren caught it one-handed. The screen showed a map littered with angry red pins.

"New Traitor labs," she said. "Fresh from a very expensive information dealer. We move tonight."

Ren started zooming in on the coordinates. "Then the plan's simple—"

Astrid snatched the phone back. "You're staying here."

He blinked. "Come again?"

She met his stare without flinching. "I know you're strong, Ren. Stronger than half the women I command, and you've got more pride than all of them combined. But you're still a man. If you're seen fighting on the front line with us, every Traitor on the planet will attack and aim you."

Ren's jaw flexed. He could reveal everything, show them the three powers coiled inside him like sleeping dragons. But only one of them was safe to use in public: the Huntress Domain he'd copied from Kyouka after that night in the shed.

And Kyouka was standing right there. Using her own signature ability would raise too many awkward questions.

He exhaled through his nose. "Fine. You're the leader. Your call."

Astrid gave a curt nod and started barking orders. Women grabbed gear, checked magazines, disappeared into the hallway like a tide going out.

Selene sidled up to Kyouka again, grinning like a cat.

"Hey, your brother's kinda hot. Mind if I take a shot? I swear I'll take it serious."

Kyouka's reaction was instant and nuclear. "NO, YOU BITCH!"

The shout cracked through the room. Everyone froze. Kyouka's face went scarlet. She coughed twice, spun on her heel, and marched out with her head held high, pretending the floor hadn't just opened beneath her.

Ren and Selene stared at the empty doorway.

Ren rubbed the back of his neck. "…What just happened?"

Selene burst out laughing. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."

Ren looked at the whiteboard again, Lan Jia's fake name circled in red, question marks everywhere else and felt the weight settle heavier on his shoulders.

Somewhere out there, an impostor wearing a dead woman's face was still hunting him.

"Fuck! I have a bad feeling. Why is she quiet and haven't appeaerd to meet me in a minute?"

***

The safehouse was quiet, too quiet, after Astrid, Selene, and Kyouka left for the raid. The scientists had locked themselves in the lab again, muttering about possible ways to prevent the disaster. That left Ren with nothing to do except pace like a caged animal.

He found himself in front of Nina's door. It was cracked open just enough to let the rhythmic clank of iron drift out. He pushed it wider and stepped inside like he owned the place, dropping into the only chair and kicking his feet up on her desk.

Nina didn't even glance over. She was in the middle of the room, shirtless except for a black sports bra that clung to her sweat-slicked brown skin. Every muscle in her back and shoulders rippled as she curled two massive dumbbells, slow and controlled.

Her skin gleamed under the harsh fluorescent light, droplets sliding down the groove of her spine and disappearing beneath the waistband of her tight shorts.

Her ass was a work of art, round, firm, flexing with every rep. And when she turned slightly, the swell of her chest strained against the fabric of her bra, heavy and perfect, rising and falling with each controlled breath.

Ren leaned back, arms folded behind his head, and just watched.

Up. Down. Up. Down. The weights rose and fell like pistons. Sweat dripped from her jaw onto the mat. She switched to squats, thighs thick and powerful, glutes clenching hard enough to make the fabric of her shorts look painted on.

After twenty reps she finally let the barbell crash to the floor with a clang that shook the room. She turned, breathing hard, dark eyes narrowing at him.

"Are you just gonna sit there and stare the whole damn time?"

Ren didn't even blink. "It's a feast for the eyes. Why waste it?"

Nina wiped her forehead with the back of her wrist, then stalked toward him. Her hips rolled with every step, dangerous and deliberate. She stopped so close her knees almost touched his, close enough that he could smell the heat coming off her skin.

She leaned down, hands braced on the armrests of his chair, caging him in. Her face hovered inches from his, lips parted, breath warm against his mouth.

"You should be careful what you say to a woman, little brother," she murmured, voice low and rough.

Ren didn't flinch. Didn't back up. Instead he tilted his head and closed the distance, pressing his lips to hers in one smooth, sudden move.

Nina jerked back like she'd been shocked, eyes blown wide.

"What the hell—"

Ren licked his lips slowly, tasting the salt of her sweat. "Heard something interesting about you earlier."

Nina's chest was still heaving. "What?"

"That you like pussy, not dick."

She clicked her tongue so hard it echoed. "Every bitch in this place spreading rumors about me."

Ren tilted his head. "So is it true?"

Nina barked a laugh, short and sharp. "Look at me." She stepped back and spread her arms, letting him take in every inch of her glistening body. "Do I look like someone who doesn't want dick?"

Ren's gaze dragged down, slow and shameless, then back up to her eyes. "From the way you stare at Astrid when you think no one's looking? Kinda looks like you're in love with her."

Nina's face went through three emotions in half a second: shock, panic, then pure rage.

"I am NOT— you stupid fucking brat!"

Ren just shrugged and leaned back again, stretching like a cat. "I don't blame you. Most men in this world last, what, three seconds? I get why some women give up on us entirely."

Nina's jaw clenched so tight he heard her teeth grind. "I don't have anything like that for Astrid."

"Sure," Ren said, standing up like he was about to leave. "Whatever you say."

He made it one step toward the door before her hand shot out and clamped around his wrist, hard enough to bruise.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Ren looked down at her fingers wrapped around his arm, then up into her eyes. They were blazing.

The room suddenly felt ten degrees hotter.

Neither of them moved.

The only sound was her breathing, still ragged from the workout, and the low hum of the lights overhead.

Ren smiled, slow and lazy.

"Well?" he asked softly. "What do you want?"

Nina's grip tightened.

The door was still open behind him.

But neither of them looked like they were leaving anytime soon.