Velzard had Loki pinned beneath her with frightening ease, her arms wrapped around him like she was holding onto something precious.
Her smile was radiant.
Loki, however, looked like a man being suffocated by affection.
His eyes darted away for a second, then back, as if searching for an escape route that didn't exist.
"…Well," Loki finally forced himself to speak, his voice strained, "I kind of fought a Mage from Falmuth."
Velzard's eyes widened slightly, but her smile only grew.
Loki continued.
"I beat him," he said casually. "Then I dropped a meteor on him."
Rain, standing nearby, looked away as if she wanted to pretend she hadn't heard that.
Loki scratched the back of his head.
"Which he unfortunately managed to stop," Loki added with a sigh. "So now I have to take him as a subordinate."
Velzard blinked.
"…You dropped a meteor," she repeated, sounding genuinely entertained.
Loki nodded like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"After that, I met an interesting guy named Yuuki. Had a small clash with him…" Loki continued. "Then I went to see my friend Shizue. That's about it."
The entire time Loki spoke, Velzard didn't break eye contact even once.
She stared directly into his eyes with an almost predatory curiosity, like she was looking through him, trying to read the truth between every word.
It made Loki sweat from the sheer pressure.
'This woman… her eye contact is way too intense.'
Velzard hummed softly, still smiling.
"Oh," she said sweetly. "And these interactions…"
She leaned in slightly.
"They're just prequels to something more interesting, right?"
Loki's expression stiffened for half a second.
'She's too intelligent.'
Technically, the Yuuki situation was a plan. A plan to stir up trouble in the Holy Empire of Lubelius.
But he couldn't let Velzard know.
If Guy found out he'd shut it down before it even began.
Loki forced a lazy smile.
"No," he said. "Just some normal interactions."
Velzard's smile widened even further, as if she had just been gifted a new toy.
"…Secrets," she whispered, her voice dripping with amusement.
"How exciting."
Her eyes gleamed.
"I get to play investigator."
Loki's sweat increased.
He swallowed.
"Velzard," Loki said carefully, "can you get off the top of me now please?"
Velzard blinked innocently.
"What?" she asked, still smiling. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"
Loki opened his mouth, but his words refused to come out properly.
His brain was screaming at him to retreat.
His pride was screaming at him to not retreat.
And then
The door opened.
Cold air flooded in like a divine blessing.
Guy Crimson stepped into the room with the calm presence of a king, Misery trailing silently behind him like a shadow.
The moment Loki saw him, it genuinely felt like salvation had arrived.
Guy's eyes immediately landed on the scene.
"…Velzard. Loki," Guy said flatly. "What are you two doing?"
But then his gaze shifted, as if he instantly lost interest.
"…Never mind that."
His crimson eyes narrowed as he focused fully on Loki.
"Loki," Guy said, voice colder than the castle itself. "Where have you been?"
Velzard finally pushed herself up from Loki, her movements smooth and unhurried. She dusted herself off as if she hadn't just been smothering a demon in an embrace.
Then she turned toward Guy, her smile playful.
"Guy," she said. "Are you not even a bit jealous?"
Guy didn't even blink.
"If Leon was the one getting that close to Loki," he replied, "then I probably would be."
A flicker of displeasure passed through Velzard's face.
It was subtle.
But it was there.
Then she immediately smoothed her expression, as if the emotion had never existed.
Loki sat up and cracked his neck like nothing happened.
He stood, walked over to the nearest couch, and plopped down lazily, stretching his arms across the backrest like a king lounging on his throne.
Then he smirked.
"Guy," Loki said casually, "I didn't know you were my father now."
Guy's expression didn't change.
Loki continued, voice full of mocking amusement.
"Do I need to report everything I do to you?"
Guy's eyes sharpened slightly.
"No," he replied. "But Loki… we had a deal, didn't we?"
Loki shrugged like it was nothing.
"We did," he admitted. "And I held up my end of the bargain."
He leaned forward slightly, his smile turning sharper.
"So I'll be taking my ten thousand souls."
Guy chuckled, the sound echoing faintly through the frozen chamber.
"And," Guy said calmly, "what was the reason for your rampage in Falmuth?"
Rain immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Guy-sama," she said quickly. "I tried stopping him, but he wouldn't listen!"
Guy waved his hand dismissively without even looking at her.
"Don't worry about it, Rain," he said.
Then, with the cruelest calm imaginable, he added
"I expected nothing from you anyway."
Rain froze.
Her eyes widened as if she'd just been stabbed.
"G-Guy-sama…!"
Her voice cracked, pain leaking through her composure.
But Loki's eyes narrowed slightly.
"But Guy-sama!" she cried out desperately. "Loki is too strong! Even if I wanted to use force to bring him back, I couldn't!"
Misery's eyes narrowed.
"Rain," Misery said sharply. "You have disappointed Guy-sama. Don't speak anymore."
Rain snapped her head toward Misery.
"But Misery!" she protested. "You know what I'm talking about!"
Guy rubbed his temple slowly, as if the very act of listening to them was giving him a headache.
Velzard, meanwhile, stepped forward with a graceful sigh.
"Guy," she said calmly, "just let it off this time."
She glanced at Loki, then back at Guy.
"At least he didn't create large scale destruction or anything of the sort."
Guy's gaze remained locked onto Loki, unreadable.
"The deal," Guy said coldly, "was to cause chaos at the border… and then return."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop even further.
"But you went ahead and did your own thing, Loki."
Guy's lips curled slightly into something between a smile and a threat.
"So unfortunately…"
"The deal is off."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Loki's lazy posture stiffened.
His eyes slowly lifted toward Guy.
Gone was the playful grin.
Gone was the carefree attitude.
His gaze turned cold, so cold it felt like it could cut through the air itself.
"You wouldn't scam me like that," Loki said quietly, "would you, Guy?"
Guy smiled.
"The rules were simple," Guy replied. "And you failed to follow them."
He shrugged lightly.
"Too bad."
Then he leaned forward slightly, voice calm and merciless.
"You could've completed your Harvest Festival instantly."
Loki's jaw tightened.
His teeth gritted so hard it looked like they might crack.
His hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms.
'This piece of shit…'
---
The following day Loki was lying sprawled on his bed, one arm behind his head, staring at the ceiling of his room.
The soft shadows of the afternoon danced across the walls, but his thoughts weren't about light or shadows. They were tangled in strategies, possibilities, and the subtle chessboard of influence he had started setting into motion.
Then—ping.
A sharp intrusion tore through his thoughts.
'Loki-sama.'
He flinched.
"Razen," he groaned, sitting up quickly. "At least warn me before you do a thought communication."
A slight pause, then a faint voice replied.
"Well, uh… I can't exactly warn you, since I'd still have to use thought communication."
Loki blinked and exhaled slowly, leaning back against the pillows.
'…Actually, he's right.'
"Fine," Loki muttered. "By the way, why are you contacting me? I thought I told you, no contact whatsoever."
Razen's calm voice carried through his mind.
"Loki-sama, I just thought you might want to hear this."
Loki's eyes narrowed. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Go ahead," he said.
There was a slight hum of energy in the mental connection before Razen's words came clearly.
"Yes. The King… King Edmaris has called a meeting regarding the events surrounding yesterday. I wanted to ask if you wish for me to hide certain details, or tell them exactly what happened."
Loki sat up fully, letting his legs dangle off the side of the bed.
'Falmuth,' he thought. 'Quite the powerhouse within the Western Nations. This could be… interesting.'
He stretched his arms behind his head, a faint grin spreading across his face.
If anything Loki as a Primordial felt disrespected. He didn't command as much fear as other Primordials did because he was essentially unknown. This could be a good chance to get his name out there. If Falmuth mentioned his existence to the Western Nations. It could be big for his reputation.
He tapped a finger against his temple.
"Razen," he said slowly, "I would never make someone as Elder as you lie. Tell the truth. Every last detail. Exactly as it happened."
Razen's mental voice was steady.
"I will do exactly that, Loki-sama."
But inwardly… Razen thought, 'He's just doing this for his own entertainment. It has nothing to do with me not wanting to lie.'
Loki's mind drifted back briefly. From Yesterday…
Loki actually went back to Falmuth yesterday because he had felt that the Master Lock Seal was too weak to command any loyalty from Razen. So he changed his strategy.
He used Tempter, the Unique Skill he had copied from Diablo during their training.
It wasn't just a skill.
It was… perfection.
With Tempter, he could manipulate the soul of any being he had access to and bend it to his will. Not absolute control, but close enough to make them follow, to make them act with devotion.
'Soul Scholar,' he mused quietly. 'Truly… the most versatile Unique Skill in existence. Not even Ultimate Skills can compete with its range, though it cannot replicate them… yet.'
If we were talking facts. Loki's Soul Scholar Unique Skill had to he the most powerful Unique Skill in the verse. Because it essentially allowed him to perfectly copy any Skill that was tied to the soul as long as he had access to the soul. Of course at this point he couldn't copy Ultimate Skills, but Unique Skills were no problem.
His thoughts flicked briefly to Guy.
'Guy's skill, Prideful King Lucifer… it was formidable, yes. But mine is… adaptable. Flexible. Versatile. If I evolve just a bit more…'
Loki's lips curved into a faint, contemplative smile.
---
Elsewhere, the kitchens of the North Castle were a symphony of chopping knives, sizzling pans, and steaming pots. Misery and Rain moved with practiced precision, the smells of simmering broth and fresh bread filling the air.
Misery glanced at Rain, noting the faint beads of sweat forming on her forehead despite the cool air.
"You spent the entire day with Loki yesterday," Misery said casually. "Did you… manage to assess his strength?"
Rain wiped her brow with the back of her hand, exhaling slowly.
"Misery," she said, her voice low but filled with awe, "Loki's strength… is boundless. Not once did he take a fight seriously. Honestly… if he evolved, he could probably face Guy-sama in a one-on-one."
Misery's sigh was heavy.
"I suppose this… is our new reality," she murmured. "We have to maintain the relationship between him and Guy-sama. If anything, after their battle… it would be ideal if they were friends. Or at least… aligned."
Rain nodded, still feeling the weight of yesterday's events.
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