Two days later, The Sundown Alley.
"I don't like it here."
Just after traveling through, Elysia cutely wrinkled her small nose, her jade-like hand subconsciously covering her mouth and nose.
A hint of discomfort surfaced in her clear eyes.
Eden was the same, instinctively moving closer to Ryuga.
The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder, stench, blood, and... deeper within, a trace of the 'scent of Honkai.'
"There's Honkai here."
Elysia raised her eyebrows.
Ryuga let out a tsk. As expected of the original Herrscher, Elysia easily caught the scent of the Honkai-infected patients in Aponia's sanitarium.
Currently, the Honkai in The Sundown Alley hadn't spiraled out of control yet, being kept at an extremely low, controllable level by Aponia.
"Hmm, I feel like I've been here before? By the way, Ryuryu, what's this new ability? You're not using the 'Anywhere Door' anymore?"
This time, he had directly opened a teleportation portal instead of the familiar pink Anywhere Door.
"Spatial type."
Ryuga explained.
Due to the spatial chaos within the New Eridu Hollows, he had spent some time extracting the fire seeds of the Titan of Thresholds and the Titan of Romance from the Genesis Vortex.
Now, the two Paths had merged with him.
For this kind of intra-planetary teleportation, opening a spatial gate directly was enough.
Furthermore, Janus, the Titan of Thresholds, didn't just open portals; He also knew the existence and destination of the paths connecting fate.
As he spoke, Ryuga looked around.
The Sundown Alley was notorious and chaotic, with gang wars on the streets being as common as daily meals.
But this gray land had also given birth to many legends.
Mama Aponia, Kalpas, the Grand Cat Pardo, and even Vill-V had stayed here for a while.
"Eden, let's go."
Ryuga turned back and called out.
"Ah, oh~"
Eden was startled, her cheeks suddenly flushing crimson as she hurried to catch up.
Her heartbeat was still a bit erratic.
The scene from two days ago was still branded in her mind.
That night, she had intended to lead Elysia away, but Elysia was picked up by Ryuga around the waist and carried into the bedroom.
Soon, waves of ambiguous echoes began to sound.
It made her face burn bright red, standing there neither able to leave nor stay.
Her fingertips twisted the hem of her skirt, and finally, with a red face, she burst out of the door, fleeing that suffocating space.
For two whole days, she hadn't seen Elysia.
They couldn't have stayed in the bedroom for the entire two days, could they?
Oh my god...
Eden stole a glance at Elysia and then quickly lowered her head, a bold guess flashing through her mind.
Could it be that Elysia was finding a girlfriend for Ryuga because she really couldn't handle him?
Yes, yes, it must be so!
Eden believed she had guessed the truth.
Cough~, in fact, the more beautiful girls around Ryuga, the happier Elysia became.
Well, she truly was 'strange.'
Strangely cute.
...
Behind the three of them, a small girl with brownish-yellow hair and ragged clothes followed quietly like a shadow.
Her footsteps were as light as a cat's.
"Oh~, a big customer."
"Those two beauties must be forced by this villain."
"The 'Phantom Cat Thief' must punish evil and promote good."
The little girl's large eyes darted around, her brow slightly furrowed as she stared at the glittering 'little fish' pendant hanging from the man's waist.
The slanting sunlight reflected an enticing luster off the 'little gold fish.'
Her sharp observation told her it was definitely pure gold.
Seeing a flower girl by the roadside, an idea struck her. She used her last few crumpled bills to exchange for the flower basket.
Then, she trotted around into a side street.
Before long, she rushed out from an intersection, cutting right in front of Ryuga.
"Oh no—" The little girl feigned weakness, her body swaying and staggering as she bumped toward Ryuga.
Thud!
At the moment of impact, her small hand moved like lightning across Ryuga's waist, curling the little gold fish into her palm.
"Ouch~"
Then she let out a low cry, falling onto her bottom and smoothly stuffing the little gold fish into her back pocket.
"Are you okay?"
Elysia hurried forward to pull the little girl up, her eyes full of concern.
"..."
Meeting Elysia's pure and flawless eyes, the little girl's heart skipped a beat.
For a moment, she felt ashamed of her theft.
But when she saw Ryuga, she immediately shook her head, suppressed the emotional turmoil, and feigned composure by holding up the flower basket high.
She used an extremely crisp, childlike voice to entice him.
"Big brother, buy a flower for your two girlfriends."
Eden's face instantly turned as red as a sunset, and she waved her hands: "No, it's not... we're not in that kind of relationship!"
"..."
Ryuga smiled; he had noticed her long ago.
Pardo—the little gold fish was exactly what he had used to bait the cat.
But he had forgotten the timing.
At this moment, Pardo was still a small loli who hadn't fully grown up.
After the Fifth Honkai Eruption, Pardo had tried to 'rescue' the children from the sanitarium, but was discovered by Aponia, and the misunderstanding was cleared up.
After that, Pardo often robbed the rich to help the poor, sending supplies to the sanitarium, and a certain porter uncle had no opinion on this.
After the Ninth Honkai Eruption, Pardo joined The MOTHs and unexpectedly underwent the Meta-Morph surgery, successfully gaining cat ears and a cat tail.
How many years were there between the Fifth and Ninth Honkai Eruptions?
Ryuga couldn't remember clearly.
But between the Seventh and Ninth, it should have been five years.
Most likely, he remembered correctly.
Once the Meta-Morph surgery was completed, one's appearance basically wouldn't change.
So, her age now was about the same as when Cipher first met Aglaea.
"I don't have money, take this."
Ryuga took out a gold bean and placed it in Pardo's palm.
Pardo bit it, and seeing the indentation, she confirmed it was real gold. She quickly stuffed the flower basket into Ryuga's hands and gave a deep bow.
"Thank you, handsome big brother, big customer."
After saying that, she turned and ran, disappearing around the corner in the blink of an eye.
"Pfft!"
Ryuga couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Being called a 'big customer' by Pardo was not a good thing; it usually meant you were about to become her target for theft.
"What an interesting child, she feels like Cipher," Elysia murmured, looking at the receding figure.
"Not just the appearance is similar, look~"
Ryuga pointed to his waist.
The string that had been tied to the little gold fish had been neatly cut.
Elysia and Eden's eyes widened instantly.
"Ah!? The 'Phantom Cat Thief'? The cat you wanted to catch, it couldn't be her, right? But she doesn't have cat ears or a tail."
With Ryuga's strength, if he hadn't allowed it on purpose, how could an ordinary little girl steal the little gold fish right under his nose?
"Because she hasn't undergone the Meta-Morph surgery yet. Come, let's follow her and see."
Ryuga chuckled.
"Hmph~, this child isn't cute at all!"
"And I was kind enough to help her up. I want to see what she's going to do with the money."
Elysia was pouting.
"Elysia, don't be so quick to judge. I don't think she's a bad child."
Eden smiled and took her hand, speaking softly.
Elysia actually knew that Ryuga wouldn't want her if she wasn't a good child, and she could see it too; she was just a bit frustrated.
The three followed quietly.
They saw Pardo stop at a corner, take out the gold bean from her pocket, and use a small pair of scissors to 'snip' off a small piece.
She walked to a shop, stood on her tiptoes, and handed over the gold fragment.
The boss squinted at it, weighed it, and finally nodded, handing over a whole box of freshly baked bread.
Pardo struggled to carry the box, her small body almost submerged behind the cardboard.
Yet she didn't make a sound and turned to leave.
She went through alleys, climbed over back walls, and scaled the windowsill of the sanitarium warehouse like a nimble cat.
Her agility made Elysia and Eden gasp.
Pardo carefully lowered the bread box through the window.
Elysia's mouth hung open, and Eden was also stunned.
"She really is a good child."
Elysia was somewhat moved, but in the next second, she suddenly sniffed, her expression changing abruptly.
"However, the scent of Honkai here is even stronger."
After she voiced her guess, Eden's expression also changed.
'Honkai sickness,' she knew about it.
At most, one would die in two to three years; there was no cure.
...
"You!"
Pardo's pupils shrank, and a chill went from her spine straight to her head.
She turned to run, but in the next instant, she was suspended in mid-air like a cat being picked up.
Her back collar was firmly gripped in Ryuga's hand.
The Grand Cat helplessly gave up struggling, her shoulders slumped, and she hung in the air dejectedly.
Ryuga shook her, but she didn't move, like a dead cat.
"I'll give the little gold fish back to you, but the gold bean was the money for the flowers. I earned it with my skills, don't think about taking it back."
Pardo stiffened her neck, and although she was trembling, she remained stubborn.
"Don't worry, I'm not taking back the little gold fish."
"Not only that, I will give you a place where you can bask in the sun every day, a place where you don't have to worry about food and clothing, a stable 'home' where you can wake up with a smile."
Ryuga enticed her.
Pardo was stunned. How did this person know her wish?
"..."
Before she could think further, she found herself being carried toward the sanitarium.
"Hey, what are you doing!"
"The children inside are all pitiful; they haven't hurt anyone!"
She suddenly began to struggle, her small legs kicking wildly.
"But they have contracted 'Honkai sickness.'"
"If they aren't killed, they will eventually infect everyone on the street. Countless innocent people will die because of them."
Ryuga didn't stop, his voice as cold as ice.
Pardo froze.
"And in reality, those with Honkai sickness only have two or three years at most."
"You've seen the patterns on them, haven't you?"
"Tell me, what would you do?"
"Would you save 100 people, or save a hundred thousand?"
Ryuga's voice suddenly became serious.
Eden frowned, wanting to say something, but was pulled by the sleeve by Elysia.
Familiar with her boyfriend, she knew very well that Ryuga was tricking and calculating against Pardo again.
"But... but I'm fine."
Pardo's voice was weak.
"That's because you have 'Honkai adaptability.'" Ryuga shook his head.
"I..."
Pardo opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound.
"Want me to spare those children? Fine, but you must agree to one condition."
"Tell me."
"Sell yourself to me."
"Huh?"
Pardo suddenly turned her head, staring at Ryuga, her gaze going from shock to disdain, and finally settling on the conviction that "this person is indeed a perverted demon."
"Fine, I agree!"
Pardo gritted her teeth, thinking of the emaciated, pitiful children inside, and almost shouted it out.
Elysia pursed her lips, suppressing a smile.
It was always like this, doing the gentlest things in the harshest way.
Couldn't he just be normal?
Maybe it was her boyfriend's fetish?
Dressing up as a big bad wolf to trick Little Red Riding Hood?
Eden rubbed her brow; she seemed to understand Ryuga better now.
...
Sanitarium.
When they saw Pardo being carried in, a small boy rushed out from the crowd, shouting with a voice that was immature but full of anger.
"Let go of the Chivalrous Thief sister!"
Whoosh!
Hearing that the little girl was the 'Chivalrous Thief' who often sent supplies, the children's eyes widened, and they quickly gathered around.
Whoom~
A black-purple flame exploded out of thin air, like a venomous snake, instantly entangling the small boy.
The tongues of fire licked, and the heat waves rolled.
The boy screamed on the spot.
"Ahhh~, so hot! No—so cold!"
Then he collapsed to the ground, rolling frantically, his hands desperately slapping the flames on his body, but they just wouldn't go out.
The children screamed in terror and fled in all directions.
A few stumbled toward the backyard to find Aponia.
Pardo was stunned.
Looking at the twitching, rolling figure on the ground, her heart tightened, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"You... you lied to me!"
"You said you wouldn't kill them!"
Pardo roared, struggling violently.
Just then, heavy footsteps approached from a distance.
A tall figure appeared at the door, wearing a tactical vest, carrying a heavy wooden box on his shoulder, and wearing an old wood-carved mask on his face with a ferocious pattern, like a wrathful Vajra.
It was Kalpas.
When he saw the child engulfed in flames, his eyes behind the mask suddenly sharpened, and a cold light burst forth.
The wooden box hit the ground with a 'thud,' and he took a step forward, his burly figure like a tiger descending a mountain, a violent aura sweeping the surroundings.
The ground cracked inch by inch under his feet, leaving deep footprints.
Like a wild beast, his fist swung down.
Carrying the momentum to crush mountains and break peaks, it aimed straight for Ryuga's head.
Elysia's pupils shrank.
This aura? The man who tore the Herrscher of Ice apart with his bare hands was this beast-like man in front of her.
She quickly pulled Eden behind her.
Boom!
Ryuga raised his hand and caught the powerful punch, the air pressure exploding like a storm.
Even the walls were cracked by the impact.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Ryuga suddenly exerted force, crushing Kalpas's fist bit by bit, the bones making a tooth-aching cracking sound.
Once Kalpas entered berserk mode, he couldn't be talked down; he could only be knocked out.
With a muffled groan, under the immense force, Kalpas's knees went soft, and he knelt on one knee.
"Ugh!"
Behind the mask, Kalpas's pupils were completely blood-red, and driven by instinct, he was about to turn into a bloodthirsty demon.
It was the first time he had felt such overwhelming power.
...
Just then, a tall and curvaceous figure, with hands in a prayer position, slowly walked down the stairs.
The black-and-white nun's habit swayed lightly with her steps, exuding a different kind of charm.
It was an irresistible gentleness.
"Please restrain your anger."
"Please do not use violence within the sanitarium."
"Please..."
As she spoke, Aponia suddenly stopped, her lips slightly parted, as if her vocal cords were gripped by some invisible force.
Her talent allowed her to easily persuade others.
Her words successfully lowered Kalpas's anger, but they couldn't persuade Ryuga.
At the moment Aponia appeared, Elysia's eyes grew wider and wider.
Hey, hey, hey, does it have to be this big?
She had thought Eden's was already the ultimate in the human world.
But looking at Aponia, she began to doubt her life.
This was too exaggerated.
A kind of almost divine fullness.
Combined with the 'nun style,' it looked like a crime just to watch.
No wonder Ryuryu came here.
She really thought he was here to catch a cat.
Elysia pouted. It was too sinful. Ryuryu, she's a nun; you can't enter a nun, if you do, you'll go to hell.
In this suffocating silence, the small boy wrapped in flames suddenly let out a trembling cry of surprise.
"Eh? The... the patterns on me are gone?"
He suddenly raised his arm, his pupils shaking violently.
Once upon a time, those eerie patterns had gradually spread to his arms, the crazy disease eroding every cell of his body. He felt his body no longer belonged to him, and his self was breaking apart bit by bit.
Endless pain occupied his everything.
Now, the black-purple flames illuminated his dark world.
It turned out the flames weren't meant to kill him, but to heal him?
Pardo's struggling stopped abruptly.
Kalpas's furious expression froze on his face.
And Aponia, the always calm and self-possessed nun, also widened her eyes.
"Let's make a deal."
After a moment of silence, Ryuga spoke slowly.
"Please speak."
"I won't kill them; instead, I will heal them and give them a safe world. And you... must belong completely to me alone."
"You just said 'world'?"
"Yes."
Aponia was silent for a moment: "Fine."
Pardo: Why does this routine feel so familiar?
To be continued…
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