Caesania never knows peace at night.
From private clubs where nobles and elites gather, to the bustling, neon-lit haunts where commoners numb themselves, this ancient city never truly closes its eyes, be it day or night.
Loki strolled along the streets woven from countless neon lights.
Young men and women flocked here in droves, and the air was thick with a strange blend of perfume and alcohol—a concoction so carefully mixed that it resembled a hallucinogenic elixir, sending hormones and adrenaline surging to their peak.
In such an environment, a tall, handsome youth with black hair and emerald eyes naturally drew countless covetous gazes.
Desire, unmasked in those eyes, seemed ready to ignite the flames in one’s heart.
He exhaled lightly, expelling the dizzying fumes that threatened to cloud his mind.
It had been over twenty years since Loki crossed into this chaotic world.
Compared to his first peaceful and stable childhood, this time he had been raised from a young age by an evil organization known as the Hand of Truth, becoming the infamous Ace Hound that every faction in the world loathed and despised.
But due to his nature as a Soulless, the organization’s usual means of control had no effect on Loki.
So, after years of lurking in the shadows and secretly sabotaging the organization’s operations, Loki finally seized his chance. During a certain ritual, he stabbed the Chief in the back and, with outside assistance, completely dismantled the Hand of Truth.
Loki then, as a matter of course, left the organization and became an ordinary person—or so he wished.
Unfortunately, he was rescued from the ruins by a female knight with whom he had a long-standing grudge, only to be taken elsewhere and made to work like a beast of burden.
Every time he thought of this, Loki couldn’t help but clench his fists.
If she hadn’t snatched him away, and if his strength hadn’t been so greatly diminished that he could only be at her mercy, Loki would’ve long since been living the carefree life of a man with beauties in both arms.
Probably.
And the reason he was here tonight wasn’t for pleasure.
He was here to fish.
Not to brag, but with a face as handsome as his, those seeking revenge could line up from one end of the street to the other.
Especially… the remnants of his old employers.
This trait was promptly exploited by that hateful female knight, Christine—known as the Black Sword—who used Loki as bait to lure all sorts of scum in for the kill.
Since Loki was no longer as formidable as he once was, Christine was usually the one to do the dirty work.
But she didn’t stay by Loki’s side. Instead, she supported him through a Divine Artifact that allowed for limited-time spatial movement—in other words, she was a Fifteen-Minute Pokémon.
Loki had thought about rebelling.
But first, she paid him too well.
Second, he couldn’t beat her.
So, for now, Loki could only accept reality.
Just as he was about to be overwhelmed by the dizzying neon lights—
A young, beautiful blonde woman with curves in all the right places suddenly emerged from the shadows and naturally linked arms with the black-haired, green-eyed youth, trapping him in a soft, voluptuous prison he couldn’t escape.
“Hey handsome~ All alone tonight?”
Her sweet, syrupy voice slipped from those full, pink lips, going straight to Loki’s bones.
Her makeup was exquisite but not overdone; her boldness was tinged with an alluring innocence, like a college girl pretending to be mature—irresistible, like freshly ripened fruit.
Flushed cheeks, a cool top, short skirt, black stockings, high heels—
Yet she didn’t have the air of a streetwalker; she was probably just tipsy and looking for a fling. In open-minded Caesania, this wasn’t uncommon.
Since she was so forward, Loki saw no reason to be polite. He turned and let his gaze linger over every inch of her, making her giggle.
Might as well enjoy it while it’s hot—there wouldn’t be another chance later.
“You’re pretty bold, handsome.”
“The bold one is you, miss. Coming up to a stranger on the street like this.”
“Hehe… I just had a feeling you were special at first glance—especially handsome. So I wanted to get to know you.”
She lowered her voice, her warm breath making Loki’s ears tingle.
“If you don’t like it, I’ll just leave, okay?”
“I never said I didn’t like it.”
Loki smiled, gently holding onto the hand she was about to withdraw.
“Honestly, being approached by a beautiful girl like you is an honor.”
“Oh, you’re making me blush… So, do you want to spend the night together?”
“Sure.”
The two quickly entered a roadside hotel, looking every bit like a pair of love-struck newlyweds.
After getting a room, Loki sat on the soft bed and gazed at the thick curtains drawn over the window.
From the bathroom came the girl’s cheerful humming and the faint sound of clothes rustling.
But the youth wasn’t distracted, nor did he let his mind wander to the beauty hidden beneath her clothes.
His face was stern, with none of the earlier lecherous look he’d worn while cuddling with the girl. His thumb and forefinger gently rubbed together, occasionally sparking with flashes of blue fire.
Soon, the girl finished her bath and slipped out through the glass door, pressing herself against Loki’s back with a charming smile.
The touch of her sheer nightgown was enough to drive any man mad, not to mention the flawless skin beneath, the full curves held by lace lingerie, and the perfect waist-to-hip ratio.
Girls like her usually only appeared in a teenager’s daydreams.
“Handsome, did I keep you waiting?”
“Not really.”
Loki smiled, breathing in her scent.
“Hehe… You say that, but you must be holding back pretty hard, right? You’re so hot, I feel like I’m melting.”
“But that’s okay. I’ll do my best to satisfy you… Let’s begin and enjoy this wonderful night.”
Giggling, the girl gently pushed Loki down onto the bed, her golden hair brushing his cheek like weightless willow fluff.
Or like a cold blade.
“—Traitor.”
Her thighs clamped tightly around his waist, and in her hand—no one knew when it appeared—was a twisted Obsidian Dagger covered in strange runes, driving straight for Loki’s chest.
But the expected scene of blood and gore didn’t happen. The dagger scraped against a shimmering barrier, sending out a shower of sparks before veering off and plunging into the bedding by his side, staining the white sheets an ominous gray-black.
Loki seized the chance to kick her away and jumped off the bed.
There was no fear on his face, as if he’d long known the girl’s intentions. He was as calm as a middle-aged man smoking a cigarette.
But the girl quickly recovered.
To her, Loki’s kick was barely a nuisance, not even enough to cause pain.
She straightened like a serpent, gripping the dagger tightly. The peach-blossom in her eyes was gone, replaced by loathing, hatred, and a venom that threatened to spill over.
“You won’t leave this room alive tonight, traitor—only death awaits you.”
“Traitor?”
Loki straightened, arching a brow at the word she spat, a mocking smile on his lips.
“Interesting.”
“Not only did you lure the Black Sword to the organization’s headquarters, you even ambushed the Chief… That man treated you like a brother, raised you as his own, and you betrayed his trust!”
She sneered.
“And that’s not the half of it, Loki. You have no idea, do you? The Great Ones are screaming for us to offer you as a Sacrificial Offering, to torment your flesh for all eternity.”
“…You really call those ‘crimes’?”
Loki sighed.
“Ever think that maybe we were never walking the same path to begin with? Don’t assume I ‘betrayed’ you. I’d rather be a lonely orphan than be raised by a disgusting organization like yours.”
He frowned, then quickly relaxed.
“Or are you still hung up on the time I stabbed the Chief in the heart right in front of you?”
“Go to hell!”
“Haha, how funny. You never pitied the children made into Sacrificial Offerings or Experiment Subjects, but you rage over the death of a cruel madman.”
“You really are utterly repulsive.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the girl shed her human disguise.
She became even more alluring, with ram-like horns sprouting from her head and a whip-like, triangular tail growing from her waist.
Bulging veins crawled across her skin, and magic poured from her body, whipping up a miniature storm that tore at the room’s furniture and wallpaper.
The youth watched her in silence, not a trace of dissatisfaction in his green eyes.
“Loki! Don’t think I don’t know what price you paid! Daring to spout off with your strength now! I’ll crush you!”
With that, she lunged, aiming the dagger at his chest.
Years of training had made her one of the world’s greatest assassins, her nearly perfect body storing enough explosive power to kill any humanoid creature.
From the moment she set her sights on him, Loki had lost any chance of escape.
As the dagger was about to pierce his chest, Loki quietly reached into his pocket, ready to use a special trick.
But his spell was interrupted at once.
In an instant, the window shattered and the curtains flew open.
A blinding white light streamed into the room from outside, exposing every bit of confusion and terror on the woman’s face.
The blade in her hand stopped a hair’s breadth from Loki’s chest, unable to move any farther.
Countless glowing magical chains surged from every corner of the room, weaving together like a spider’s web, trapping the moth that had rushed into the flames and wrapping her in a glowing cocoon.
*****
W-what just happened?
Loki’s face was full of confusion.
“Wow, that was a close one, Loki. She almost got you,”
At some point, a petite Silver-haired Girl was sitting on the windowsill beside him.
“I can’t imagine what you’d do if I weren’t here.”
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