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Manga Review | Amaregulus: Soldier & Soother by Aion Kiu

Title: Amaregulus: Soldier & Soother

Author(s): Aion Kiu

Artist(s): Aion Kiu

Anton was once one of the most powerful and skilled warriors in the kingdom's army. However, after an injury, Anton could not continue fighting within the military. Thankfully, as a praised warrior, Anton is put into a coveted and high-ranking position: Soother. Soothers are retired warriors who, thanks to their immense stamina and unquenchable libido, train their bodies to help sexually satisfy and train the nobility and royalty in the bedroom. It's an honorable role that Anton happily accepts, and after intense training, Anton is finally ready for his first partner. Anton doesn't expect to be posted to the 4th prince, Julius, who just had his coming-of-age ceremony.

Anton's task is to teach Julius about sex and take his virginity, something Anton considers an immense honor. Julius also seems ready and willing, but when Anton tries to do his job, Julius refuses to let him. Julius believes Anton still wants to be a warrior and is determined to get Julius back on the field. He has no intention of using Anton as a Soother, leaving Anton at a loss. While he appreciates how much Julius cares about him, he longs to fulfill his role. Is Julius just not attracted to him? Or is there something deeper that Anton isn't even aware of?

Title: My Bias Is A God!?

Author(s): Fuyu Touji

Artist(s): Fuyu Touji

Mamori is an idol superfan. His favorite group is Gods, a relatively new and temporary idol group. Despite their name, they aren't Gods, but in Mamori's world, Gods often live among humans, gathering worshipers in various ways, including the entertainment industry. But besides their superhuman abilities, such as mind control and flying, Gods don't look any different from regular humans. And though Gods are a normal way of life for Mamori, he's happy that his favorite idol group is comprised of regular, hardworking humans, especially his bias, Kamui. Mamori loves seeing Kamui grow and become the ultimate idol, and he's especially excited to see him perform in person.

But during the concert, out of nowhere, it seems like Kamui talks to him and only him (despite being on stage in front of thousands of people). Kamui calls Mamori his ‘vessel,' which Mamori doesn't understand. Casting this off as a weird moment, Mamori is ready to go home after the concert, only to be approached by security and swept away to none other than Kamui's home. As it turns out, Kamui is, in fact, a God, and Mamori is his chosen vessel. What is a vessel, Mamori asks? It is the person who will literally give birth to a God's divine messenger.

And the only way for it to happen is to do it the old-fashioned way. So, not only is Mamori heartbroken that his bias is actually a God, but he's now confined away and forced to have his baby. All Mamori wanted was to be a fan. What does this mean for his future now?

Title: Heat of the Moment

Author(s): Yensha

Artist(s): Shin Yuri

Yeo-heun is a goblin. He's a half-goblin, a creature that lives beyond the average human lifespan, can carry a pregnancy regardless of gender, and is known to seduce and trick humans. They're feared and hated, so when Yeo-heun was small, his mother scrounged every penny she had to have a seal cast on him. Unfortunately, as a poor, single mother, she couldn't afford a complete seal, and though it sealed away the goblin part of Yeo-heun, it, unfortunately, sealed away his voice and parts of his memories, too. And, despite her best efforts, his identity as a half-goblin is still clearly visible. It can be seen by the color of his eyes: one gold and one violet. And by the color of his hair, streaked with gold. As a result, he and his mother have lived as outcasts on the outskirts of their village, avoiding everyone who wishes to bully and harm Yeo-heun.

All of that changes, however, when the new, young emperor, Ju Hee-yeon, is on the hunt for a goblin. Hee-yeon has been sickly, chronically so, to the point it is impeding his ability to lead. It's all due to his bloodline, which carries the blood of dragons. It has manifested in Hee-yeon with fevers and painful scales along his back. It's said that only by lying with a goblin that he will be healed. So, Hee-yeon sends out a small group of soldiers who successfully hunt down Yeo-heun and bring him back to the palace, leaving his sickly mother alone. The two lie together, and, as expected, Hee-yeon's fever and pain subsides.

But beyond the newfound freedom Hee-yeon has gained thanks to Yeo-heun, Hee-yeon finds himself entranced by the half-goblin. He wants to know more about this beauty and is determined to find a way to remove Yeo-heun's seal. All the while, however, Yeo-heun longs to see his mother again. But when Hee-yeon sends out a party to find his bedmate's mother, there's no sign of her anywhere. Just what secrets lie in Yeo-heun's locked memory? And how will Hee-yeon keep the wily goblin by his side?

Title: Smoky Nectar

Author(s): Akira Minazuki

Artist(s): Akira Minazuki

Mitsuru has been friends with Annaka (nicknamed Anna) since they were in preschool, and though their lives have gone in entirely different directions, they remain close. Anna has become a successful real estate agent, while Mitsuru is often in the trenches as a field journalist, reporting on various local news. Mitsuru is currently on a story that leans toward the supernatural. Still, he's determined to find the truth, whether based on reality or something harkening back to human imagination. A local woman was recently found dead, her blood completely clotted, and with two suspicious bite marks on her neck. The killer is called “The Biter,” a rumored vampire.

Mitsuru is actively seeking the killer, and as usual, he reaches out to Anna, who has a multitude of connections, looking for some information. Anna doesn't have much and spends most of the time insisting that Mitsuru stop inserting himself into such a dangerous scenario. What Mitsuru keeps to himself is that Anna is suspected of being “The Biter,” and while he is looking for additional information from Anna, he's also hoping that he'll be able to prove Anna's innocence. Anna is his closest friend, and Mitsuru wants nothing more than to protect him the only way he can. But if Anna is “The Biter,” what would that mean for their relationship?

More importantly, is Mitsuru safe?

Title: Starfighter

Author(s): HamletMachine

Artist(s): HamletMachine

A Navigator is given the name “Abel,” and he's paired with a Fighter who is given the name “Cain.” They are part of the Federated Alliance Fleet, a military force that protects Earth and her colonies, including Mars, where Cain is from. As Navigator, Abel's role is to pilot a ship through space, while Cain, the Fighter, acts as the gunman. The two have to work together, especially in this time of war with the looming threat of the Colterons, an alien race that seeks to take over Earth and her colonies, even if it means decimating all human life. However, Abel isn't initially keen on pairing with Cain, as Cain starts their new partnership by biting Abel's lips, leaving them scarred.

A scar, Cain says, proves that Abel is his.

Abel is thrown off and not sure their partnership is going to work, but even when he knows he should be hesitant around the unknown Fighter, he can't help finding himself attracted by his dominance. Ultimately, after only knowing each other for a few hours, the two sleep together. What begins as nothing more than a physical relationship quickly develops into an emotional one, one that Abel is determined to protect while out on the battlefield. What Abel doesn't know is that this relationship might not have started as randomly as he might have thought, and Cain doesn't realize just how important Abel will be to him.

Title: Unromantic Romance

Author(s): Jeong Seokchan

Artist(s): Jeong Seokchan

In a world where omegas rule, Oh Hyeon-oh is a lowly alpha. He is a college student who often freelances as a reporter in his free time to pay his rent. Unfortunately, his articles are often overlooked, as he focuses heavily on small local news rather than news on the wealthy. His current article is on a cat killer, who he happened to get a picture of. Once again, his article is criticized for being far too local and small. Hyeon-oh is, of course, deflated. His sunbae at the news feels bad for him, and to help him catch some big fish, he gives Hyeon-oh his membership card to a famous lounge where the wealthy are known to let loose.

Hyeon-oh still isn't interested in the rich and famous, but he decides to check it out out of curiosity. Once there, he ends up alone with someone at the top of the food chain. It's none other than the CEO of Seonghwa, one of the most powerful omega in the country, Chu Ga-in. Ga-in is intrigued by Hyeon-oh, especially since the membership card is from one of Ga-in's closest associates. To Hyeon-oh's surprise, Ga-in ends up inviting him up to a hotel room, and Hyeon-oh, hopelessly smitten, agrees. But once they're in the room, Hyeon-oh is tied up and patted down, suspected of being someone trying to take down Ga-in and, in turn, Seonghwa.

All of the romance and attraction Hyeon-oh has for Ga-in evaporates, and he's instead in what he perceives as a fight for his life. Thankfully, Ga-in and his men don't find anything suspicious, but instead of being let go, Ga-in fully intends on still bedding the young alpha. This leads to one of the most intense and pleasurable sexual experiences either party has ever had. But when Hyeon-oh wakes up the next day to a pile of cash and no Ga-in in sight, he intends to take revenge for the slight (though he's also still intensely attracted to the aloof omega). All while Hyeon-oh is hunting down Ga-in, and Ga-in is failing to shake off Hyeon-oh's romantic and vengeful advances, Hyeon-oh's cat killer article is picking up steam.

And the killer is now hunting Hyeon-oh.

Title: Master's Pet

Author(s): Shroomi

Artist(s): Shroomi

Marquess Joseph Howard has been trying to grow out of his gambling and cheating father's shadow. Unfortunately, that becomes immensely more difficult when his younger half-brother, his father's love child, is brought to his home. The mother of the child requests compensation for raising the child, named Collin, as was promised by Joseph's father before his death. Still compelled to escape his father's past promises and debts, Joseph agrees to pay off the woman, who then leaves young Collin behind for Joseph to raise. Joseph isn't interested in his half-brother, but unlike Joseph, who looks nothing like the long history of Howard Marquess before him, Collin is a spitting image of his deceased father. Joseph is immensely jealous and feels Collin is just a physical representation of his inadequacy as the new marquess.

But Joseph is determined to better the Howard name, so he reluctantly takes in his half-brother. Joseph prepares the young man for his noble education but finds that he is traumatized and wild. In order to make things a bit easier, Joseph brings in another servant, an enslaved man named Ein. He intends for Ein to get close to Collin and help him integrate into his new life within the Howard household. But Ein has a painful past, one that still haunts him and that he openly fears. Joseph is willing to help Ein escape his past forever, but at a cost. During the day, Ein serves and teaches Collin, but Ein acts as Joseph's bedmate at night.

Ein wants to serve in hopes of one day finally breaking free from his past, but when young Collin falls for him, an intense love triangle threatens to tear everything apart. Ein is willing to give his body to his masters. But will he end up giving over his heart, too?

Title: The Flower of Alosha

Author(s): Jang Ryang / Jangryang

Kay is living his best simple life as the vice captain in Lablen. He's a bit of a womanizer, enjoying the company of women, though never more than one at a time. This does come at a price, earning him the ire of his captain, who often longs for the very women that Kay ends up with. It is an annoying but small problem in his life, so Kay is relatively happy at the end of the day. But Kay's simple world is rocked when none other than the Grand Duke, Zigryl Rhyner, arrives in this small, cold region of the empire unannounced.

Zigryl is well-known for his chaotic and cruel nature, and though he isn't the emperor, his brother, the emperor, who has been ill for some time, has no successors. So, he has all the power of the emperor without the shackles of the crown. What is a man with such power and freedom doing in this snow-covered rural region of the empire? As it turns out, Zigryl, alongside his attendant Schumann, isn't here for Lablen but for the subregion of Edor, which is well-known for being dangerous and near-impossible to reach thanks to the surrounding Forest of the Dead. They are after something called the Alosha's Flower, and they need a guide to get there.

Unfortunately for Kay, as soon as Zigryl lays eyes upon him, the Grand Duke wants Kay and only Kay for the journey ahead. Kay, unable to deny the wants of someone with such power, has no choice but to acquiesce. Kay anticipates this mission will only take a few days, and then he'll be able to return and live his everyday life back in Lablen. But what Kay doesn't realize until it's far too late is that Zigryl wants Kay as a guide and a bedmate, and once he gets a taste of him, he has no intention of letting Kay go.

Title: Scandalous M

Author(s): Kimdan

Artist(s): WnB hair

Chanbit is a superstar. He's a beloved actor at the top of his game. He exudes perfection, and everyone loves him because of that. What the world doesn't know that Chanbit's longtime college friend and now-manager Baekyung knows is that Chanbit is gay, an insatiable sexual dynamo, and a masochist on top of that. Baekyung does his best to fulfill these desires so that Chanbit doesn't risk his public image, but Chanbit frequently seeks satisfaction elsewhere. But what Chanbit doesn't know is that Baekyung isn't just bothered by his sexual escapades because he's his manager. He hates it because Baekyung is hopelessly in love with Chanbit.

Chanbit can't fathom anyone loving him beyond the love his fans have for him because of a traumatic relationship he had in college. That relationship also awakened in him a need to be dominated, and he generally enjoys BDSM. As a result, he spends a lot of his off time hunting for partners to satisfy his needs. So, most of Chanbit and Baekyung's relationship is spent with Baekyung trying his best to protect and satisfy Chanbit while hiding his feelings, and Chanbit doing everything he can to keep a safe distance from love and romance, focusing entirely on sex. This tenuous relationship works until a new CEO is announced for Chanbit's agency.

It is none other than Youngha Do, the man who abandoned and traumatized Chanbit in college. They've grown so much since then, so surely Youngha isn't interested in Chanbit anymore, right? Wrong. Youngha is back and fully intends to tie Chanbit to him through any means necessary — through violence, sex, and blackmail. Chanbit wants to protect his career, so he willingly goes along with everything Youngha wants, except for one thing: firing Baekyung. All the while, Baekyung tries his best to figure out what is going on with Chanbit, unaware that his charge is selling himself to the CEO to protect his career and Baekyung.

Title: The Boy Who Stole From the Fairy Lake

Author(s): Sudong

Artist(s): Sudong

Hyosin is a runaway — an adult runaway, but a runaway nonetheless. He hails from a noble family, but he just doesn't fit in, so when he gets the chance to buy his way onto a boat and escape, he does just that. Unfortunately, due to his privileged upbringing, Hyosin has a tough time surviving out in the wilds of this foreign place. But luck shines upon him when he happens upon some clothes waving in the wind on a tree branch. Needing some new clothes, Hyosin wastes no time to snatch them up.

But just when he's thanking the gods for this stroke of luck, he finds a pool of water where a beautiful naked man is bathing. The man's name is San, and he isn't alone. His seven aunts, fairies, are also bathing in the pool, and as it turns out, a thief has been stealing their jewelry while they're in the bath. San is immediately suspicious of Hyosin, his appearance being far too convenient as things are being stolen. Hyosin is quick to claim his innocence but also quick to beg for help from San. San lives nearby, and having spent far longer out in the cold than he would like, Hyosin wants nothing more than to stay with San for a while.

San is hesitant, untrusting of most humans as a half-fairy himself. However, after some gentle pressure from his aunts and pitiful pleading from Hyosin, San agrees to let Hyosin (who introduces himself as Chung) stay with him. Things start off rocky between the pair, but over time, they find that opposites do, in fact, attract. But Hyosin is still a runaway, and his brother is right on his heels. As Hyosin knows, his brother will stop at nothing to get Hyosin back — dead or alive.