"Young Lord, are you alright?" Ermond, along with a few guards, arrived hurriedly. They began cuffing Ryken's unconscious body as the butler bowed deeply, his tone laced with both worry and concealed anger—knowing full well that this entire event had targeted Cruxius.
"Yes, I just need to rest. Handle the media narrative. And make sure we get ten times the compensation from the Hero Association," Cruxius said with a calm nod, allowing himself to be slowly guided away by both Ytrisia and Darithi.
He intended to milk the sympathy from Volta while acting injured for a few days—just enough to keep her close and make her fall completely.
"...I will definitely make sure of it," Ermond replied with a cold gaze as he bowed again. He understood one thing clearly—this wasn't the end.
The heir of the Blac Corporation had been harmed. Forget the Hero Association—even the government would have to pay.
---
"Can you give our relationship another chance, Ytrisia?"
Cruxius's voice was rough, yet carefully soft—just loud enough for her alone to hear as they moved down the quiet corridor of the mansion.
The light above glimmered off polished marble, but all he saw was her. He leaned into Volta, letting the weight of his body sink into her slender frame.
Darithi followed silently four steps behind, too far to interrupt, close enough to witness.
"...Okay..."
Her voice—Gods, her voice—wasn't just an answer.
It was surrender wrapped in silk. Barely audible. Fragile. Like snow drifting onto warm skin.
She didn't look at him. Couldn't. Her eyes were lowered, lashes trembling, as if afraid of what she was agreeing to.
But it was enough.
Enough to feel her break, just a little, for him.
Cruxius hid his grin, but inside, satisfaction bloomed dark and fast.
'Good... now I just have to play this right. One night under the stars, acting guilty for what I did—and it's a clean jump from S to S+. Simple.'
Though his senses seemed distracted—maybe even going crazy.
But it wasn't her words that drove him crazy—it was everything else.
The soft, barely-there floral scent of her shampoo, something faintly like jasmine and warmth, made his chest feel too tight.
Her hair brushed against his neck as she kept her head close—like strands of silk dragging along his skin.
Then there were her breasts—full, perfectly shaped, quite big, pushed against him under that skin-tight latex.
The heat of them radiated through the suit, their softness undeniable.
Each step made them shift slightly against his chest, her nipples brushing the fabric and pressing into him just enough to tempt.
They weren't just touching—they were yielding against his firm body, like she subconsciously leaned in closer the more she tried not to.
Her hand on his chest, delicate fingers splayed wide to support him, was a whole other torment.
Slim, elegant fingers that trembled faintly—whether from restraint or emotion, he didn't care.
Her palm rested right over his heart, but the way her thumb moved ever so slightly… it wasn't just support.
It was too sensually arousing.
Maybe it was because he knew her future self—cold and always filled with hatred toward him.
That contrast awakened something sadistic in him.
Both of them had shared a hateful relationship in their past lives, born of being a supervillain and a superhero, and their past sour relationship made it worse.
Everything had been a mess.
And now, feeling her this close—unaware of that hatred—just filled him with arousal.
He could feel her pulse through her hand, just as he was sure she felt the hard beat of his beneath her touch.
And if Cruxius had his way tonight, she wouldn't be wearing that damn suit by the time the sun came out.
"Wait, let me open the room," came the voice, pulling him out of his thoughts as Darithi stepped forward.
Ytrisia—or, Volta—was still supporting him. In that fleeting moment, something crossed his mind. He stood there, watching as the doors to the room slid open.
'Shit!'
He—yelling wildly—swiftly tried to hug Volta, thinking to stop her from witnessing the mess inside, which he had almost forgotten about, entangled in these emotions.
But it seemed Ytrisia was far more prepared than before—not ready to get kissed by him like last time.
She reflexively dodged his hug by leaning down and passing through his side.
"W-wait," Cruxius stumbled forward. Given his leg injury, he was about to fall.
"S-sorry, I did it again on a whim," Ytrisia muttered as she swiftly supported him and realized her mistake due to instinct—just like when he kissed her—she wrapped her hand around him again, helping him up.
The door slid open.
There was a naked woman still asleep.
Naked. On her back. One arm tossed above her head, the other across her chest, just barely covering herself.
One leg dangled off the bed, a blanket clinging uselessly to her thigh—a puddle, dampness, pungent smell, just too vivid to deny the fact about what happened here.
One of Cruxius's socks lay on the floor like it had given up trying to stay part of the situation.
Volta froze mid-step. Her eyes went wide—then narrowed.
'Curse this', Cruxius realized his own situation and luck, which, as usual, were messed up.
"Wait, Volta—!"
She dropped him.
Literally.
Without a word, her arm slid out from under his, and he lost balance completely. His leg, still sore, gave out beneath him.
Thud!
"Urgh!" He groaned to gain some sympathy, face-first on the floor. The pain shot up his side, but it wasn't half as bad as the silence that followed.
Slowly, he looked up.
Volta was just standing there. Looking down at him.
Not angry.
Not shocked.
Just… disappointed.
Like he was a soggy tissue someone forgot to throw out. Her arms crossed over her chest, one brow raised, lips pulled into a tight, judgmental line.
She shook her head and muttered with the weight of a tired sigh,
"…You dirty dog."
Then turned and walked off without another word.
DING!
Emotional Failure Detected
Initiating Downgrade Protocol...
[ Kino Control: Rank S =⟩ A =⟩ B+ =⟩ C+ =⟩ C ]
"Sigh..."
Cruxius groaned and let his head fall back to the floor, clearly seeing that he suffered a very big loss.
'....Should I just kill myself?'