Scavratt's muscles bulged as he flexed his claws.
His eyes burned red with fury while roaring.
"You're not leaving here alive!"
He launched forward, claws raised, ready to rip Zain apart.
"I'M GONNA TEAR YOUR FACE OFF!"
But just as he lunged, Zain spun around.
He rushed past the ruined floor, taking Zelia gently into his arms.
Scavratt blinked. "What?!"
Zain's eyes locked onto the jagged mirror embedded in the far wall.
It was still intact from the last clash.
Without hesitation, he jumped through it.
SHRRK—!
Gone.
Scavratt skidded to a halt, claws slashing the empty air.
"COWARD!" he bellowed, spittle flying from his fanged mouth.
"You ran from me?! You fucking rat—get back here and DIE!"
Zain's voice echoed back from within the fading shimmer of the mirror.
"I'm not stupid enough to fight a long battle in your den."
He smirked coldly from the other side.
"Bye bye."
The mirror cracked… and shattered.
Scavratt let out a roar that shook the room.
"DEEEEEEEMOOOOOOON!"
---
Zain stepped out from a mirror into a narrow alley, the night air hitting his face like ice.
He was frowning, breathing slightly heavier now, Zelia held tightly in his arms.
"This place isn't safe anymore…"
He looked around. Broken walls, sirens in the distance, flickering lights.
His eyes narrowed.
"If Scavratt tracks me… if the Rust Rats have anyone else watching…"
He shook his head.
"My house is already known by them. I can't go back."
He glanced down at Zelia, still unconscious but stable. His grip tightened.
"I need to move. Now."
He looked into the cracked window beside a dumpster and took a breath.
"At least I've got money. Those villain corpses paid off."
Without wasting another second, he stepped into the mirror again.
Shrrk!
He popped out in another alley near the edge of CC-2.
A passing patrol car almost spotted him, but he ducked and slipped into another mirror.
Then another.
And another.
Each jump tighter, faster, as he zig-zagged across sectors.
One jump, then two. A blur through dark corridors and shattered windows.
Zain kept moving, never stopping longer than a few seconds.
Finally—he emerged from a small decorative mirror on the side of a boutique building in CD-1.
Quiet. Clean. No signs of Rust Rats anywhere.
He exhaled slowly. "Made it."
Zain adjusted his grip on Zelia, holding her closer as he moved through the quieter streets of CD-1.
But he still looked disheveled.
His coat was torn, soot smeared across his neck, blood on his sleeves.
Civilians might not notice, but another hero might.
He ducked into a narrow alley between two closed shops and gently set Zelia down on a dry patch of ground beside him.
"I need somewhere quiet… just for a while."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a small bundle.
There were some clothes and supplies he'd grabbed during the brief stop at their home before the run.
"Didn't think I'd ever use these."
He soon stripped off the burnt jacket and tossed it aside.
He slipped into a clean black long-sleeve shirt, fastened a new coat over it, and tightened the straps of his boots.
"Better."
Then he brought up the system again.
"Hack me. Full regeneration."
Zain exhaled slowly as the energy surged through him.
His muscles relaxed. Bruises faded. His mind cleared.
"Good."
Zain picked Zelia back up into his arms, carefully supporting her head against his shoulder.
"Alright," he muttered, stepping out of the alley.
"Let's see where the hell I'm supposed to hide now…"
He paused, then pulled out his new phone.
One call might fix this faster.
He scrolled through the contact list, found her name, and tapped Call.
A few rings. Then the line connected.
Savra's voice came through, playful as always.
"Well, well… look who decided to call. What's the occasion, Demon boy?"
Zain let out a breath, lips twitching slightly.
"Didn't expect that tone. I just need a little help."
"Oh?" Savra replied, her voice smooth with curiosity.
"And what kind of help are we talking about?"
"I need a place to stay. Apartment or hotel. Just for a while."
There was a pause.
Then her voice dropped into something more bewitching.
"Why don't you just live with me?"
Zain blinked, thrown off for a moment. "…You serious?"
Savra chuckled.
"What, shocked? You're quite a hotshot despite being a new hero. You've earned a hot meal and a real bed."
Zain scratched his neck awkwardly. "I don't think that'll work."
"Oh? Why not?" she teased.
"Got a jealous girlfriend watching you?"
Zain smirked. "Not quite. I'm not alone."
Savra's voice shifted. "Oh?"
"It's my sister," he said simply.
"We can't stay at our home anymore. I'll explain the rest later."
Savra was quiet for a moment, then her tone softened.
"So it's Big Sister Zelia…"
She sighed, then perked back up.
"Alright. I'll allow it. She's cute, right?"
Zain rolled his eyes. "Savra."
"Fine, fine," she laughed.
"I'm sending the address now. Just come."
A buzz hit his phone.
The location popped up—only a few blocks away.
Zain nodded. "Got it. I'll be there in a minute."
"I'll be waiting," she said, voice smooth again.
"Try not to get lost… or distracted."
Zain ended the call and started moving, sighing.
---
Zain arrived in front of a tall, high-end apartment tower.
He stared up at it. "She lives here?"
Then he frowned slightly.
"No… wait. She mentioned before this wasn't even hers. Association housing?"
He adjusted Zelia in his arms and walked forward.
The moment he entered the lobby, two uniformed guards stepped forward.
"Stop. What's your business here?"
His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the unconscious girl on Zain's shoulder.
Zain said nothing.
He reached into his coat and flipped out his Hero ID.
The guards blinked.
"Heavenly Demon…?" the second one whispered.
They both straightened immediately and gave a quick bow.
"Sir. Apologies. Please proceed."
Zain gave them a slight nod and moved past.
As he stepped toward the elevator, he paused.
Because he saw someone already waiting near the front of the lift.
Savra.
Arms crossed, leaning casually against the wall.
She was wearing a sleek black tank and cargo joggers.
Her lips curled. "Well, well. You actually came."
She glanced at Zelia. "Poor girl. She looks like hell."
"She's alive," Zain said.
"That's all that matters."
Savra pushed off the wall and turned, flicking her hair back.
"C'mon. I'm on the seventh floor. Follow me."
Zain raised a brow as he walked beside her.
"So this your place or the Association's?"
Savra glanced sideways at him with a grin.
"Technically? Not mine. But I'm irresistible, so they gave me the top unit anyway."
Zain chuckled softly.
"Irresistible, huh? You've been calling me 'boy' since we met. Bit clingy, don't you think?"
Savra blinked, then smirked.
"Oh? Look at you, growing a backbone."
Zain smirked back.
"Careful. You invite me into your home, I might start acting comfortable."
She pressed the elevator button, eyes playful.
"That is the idea."
Zain just shook his head.
"You're more dangerous than any villain I've fought."
Savra laughed as the doors slid open.
"And yet here you are. Carrying your sister into my den."
Zain stepped inside. "Yeah. Maybe I am a little reckless."