#171 An Unexpected Twist?
The meeting spot with Han Ji-min was the hill right behind the house. It wasn't some grand mountain—just a nice little knoll perfect for a stroll.
Jina and Elis were pulling an all-nighter at work, so he could've invited Han Ji-min inside, but that might make her wary of him. Better to keep it outside.
"It's getting pretty damn humid even at night now."
He parked in the lot and headed up the well-packed dirt path. With summer closing in, the air hung heavy and sticky instead of cool.
"Summer's the season for the beach."
He pictured dragging all his women to the seaside for a wild, no-holds-barred orgy. Only one guy allowed—himself—and every woman welcome to join the fun! Might as well test his limits: how many hours, hell, days could he go without stopping?
"Can't wait already. Heh heh heh."
Letting out a creepy chuckle, he pulled the hexagonal gadget loaded with nanoparticles from his pocket—the Sanctuary Armor.
He needed to master it before Han Ji-min showed up. Couldn't fumble around like an idiot when she arrived.
But using the Sanctuary Armor was a breeze. Stick it anywhere on your body, hit the little button in the center, and the built-in nanoparticles swarm out, granting superpowers on demand.
How 'bout that? Easy, right?
"..."
Bored already, he plopped down on the ground to wait for Han Ji-min. Twenty minutes had ticked by, and still no sign of her.
"Fuck this, I can't take it anymore!"
No way he was waiting any longer. She sets a meeting with him and keeps him hanging for twenty minutes? No text, no nothing? He never pegged Ice Queen as the type to blow off appointments.
"I'll go drag her ass here!"
If she wouldn't come to him, he'd fetch her himself. Just in case their paths crossed, he left a clone (Mark Two) on the hill and messaged Yuna to pinpoint Ice Queen's location.
"District 19? That's not far at all. What the hell's she fighting that it's taking this long?"
Ice Queen could mop the floor with most villains, but over twenty minutes? Something was off. Who could push her that hard?
"...I've been slacking too much lately."
He had two urges he couldn't ignore: lust and the thirst for battle. Ever since bulking up, he got this itch around strong folks—superpowered ones especially. He had to fight them. Lv. 10 heroes and villains on his level? Instant craving.
He wasn't born a warmonger, but surroundings shaped people, apparently.
"And my bullshit levels have shot up too."
Pent-up energy with no outlet? It leaked into dumb fantasies, nonstop babble, skyrocketing horniness.
"Ughhh... Can't hold it! I wanna fight! I wanna FIGHT!"
"What?! Batman bro, long time no see?!"
Battle lust surging, Batman materialized in his vision. Where the hell you been, man?!
"Let's throw down!"
"RAAAAAAGH!"
"Nooooo!"
Batman was a bare-knuckle master—would've been epic—but he bailed, snapping away like a Thanos victim, mumbling about mom.
"Joker bro?! Thanos! Where's Thanos bro?!"
Joker would scrap or set up something fun. Thanos toyed with Earth's heroes like babies—he'd quench this fire!
"Where are you guys?! Joker! Come back! Thanos! Come baaaack!"
No answer. Pussies!
"RAAAAAAGH! FIGHT! I WANNA FIIIIIIIGHT!"
Howling like a beast, he bolted full-tilt toward District 19.
Familiar voices trailed behind, but his body was already en route to District 19.
*****
WHOOSH!
Flames roared closer, and Ice Queen ducked into the building.
"Ngh!"
"Kuhahaha! Even the mighty Ice Queen can't handle my flaming cum!"
"You fucking psycho! Flaming what?! Have you lost your goddamn mind?!"
Ice Queen gnashed her teeth at the taunts from A-rank villain Ignite, but breaking through his inferno to take him down was no easy feat—especially surrounded by fire on all sides.
Why fire of all things?!
Ice Queen wielded potent ice powers, but she always struggled against fire users. Inevitable matchup issue—ice melts against flames.
Low-level fire users? She could overpower the weakness. Her powers were Lv. 9. But Ignite was an A-rank villain with Lv. 8 flames. Just one level shy, but that gap made shrugging off the elemental disadvantage tough.
Watching Ignite corner her with fire dredged up memories of another flame hero. Always lording above her, sneering with arrogance and contempt—the S-rank Flame Witch.
'You'll never make S-rank. Know why? You're weaker than me.'
"...That fucking bitch."
The words Flame Witch spat echoed, and Ice Queen muttered what she'd thought back then.
'How would a spoiled bitch like you know shit about effort? Ever risked your life? Don't preach about hard work when you've never staked it all.'
"How many times has that bitch ever risked her neck to spew that crap?!"
One curse slipped out, and suddenly she was ranting at absent Flame Witch. Turns out, Ice Queen had a hot temper.
"Where ya hiding, ice-cunt? Come out, spread those legs, show me that frosty pussy, and I'll spare your life."
Ignite's mockery from outside made her bite her lip.
"This bitch and that asshole—same brand of bullshit. Fucking annoying."
But it snapped her back to focus. Losing cool against a bad matchup and daydreaming? Suicide.
'Gotta take this prick out quick to meet Jeong-nam.'
She'd been off-duty today, lounging after a month without a break. On her way home, she spotted a jewel thief and couldn't ignore it—hero instincts. Han Ji-min became Ice Queen to nab him, but it turned out to be Ignite.
'An A-rank villain robbing a jewelry store?!'
She assumed small-time crook. If she'd known, she'd have ambushed properly. Rookie mistake, and she'd been on the back foot since.
"...Until the ice forms."
She eyed the entrance, condensing cold in her palm. More chill gathered, the stronger and colder her next ice would be.
'Come in a bit later.'
Plan: trap him in an igloo, dump all her cold until backup arrived.
Ice Rage would work, but might kill him—save as last resort.
CRASH!
"Kuhahaha! There you are!"
"What?!"
Ignite didn't enter the front. He smashed the window right above her hiding spot—the opposite side.
She'd planned to ambush; he flipped it.
"Salamander!"
"Ngh! Igloo!"
Lizard-shaped flames clashed with her ice. The fire lizard flicked its tongue, greedily devouring and melting her construct.
"It's over, Ice Queen!"
Ignite was certain victory—before the salamander swallowed her.
"...Nope."
"You're done, Ignite."
CRACKLE!
"Guh?!"
Pain from his back made Ignite's eyes bulge. Spiderweb-sharp ice spears pierced him.
Chill surged through, plummeting his body temp.
As Ignite weakened, the salamander shrank too. Her melting ice hardened, engulfing it in reverse.
"H-how...?"
Ignite crumpled limply. Frost rimed his face like he'd been flash-frozen.
"...Igloo?"
Only then did he notice: the whole building encased in faint ice.
Igloo skill activated ages ago. His high body heat from flames blinded him to the chill.
"Whew. Thought I was toast."
Crack!Crack!
Ice Queen exhaled frost, cuffing his wrists and ankles in ice manacles.
Backup comes, hand him off, race to District 85 for Jeong-nam. Done.
But—
"...Ignite."
Fwoosh!
Like her premature victory call, Ice Queen jumped the gun too. Murmuring his villain name, a spark bloomed on Ignite's forehead.
"Still kicking?! Haaah!"
She blasted cold to snuff it, but flames engulfed him first.
WHOOSH!
"...Shit."
Ignite melted the cuffs, rising—a 4-meter fire giant.
[Magma Boom!]
"Igloo!"
BOOOOM!
The building exploded.
*****
"Heh heh... I win, Ice Queen."
"..."
Ignite smirked down at the unconscious Ice Queen.
Magma Boom: pour everything into a lava-blast nuke. Her ace was Ice Rage; his hidden blade, this.
He wasn't unscathed—exhausted, pale as death.
"Worthy of an A-rank hero, huh."
She'd igloo'd just in time, shielding from the blast. No igloo? Dead.
"Ice Queen... heh heh. Gonna fetch a pretty penny. Host'll lose his shit over a hero girl."
Limping forward, he reached for her.
Grab!
"..."
"Why touch a girl someone's already claimed? Huh? No manners."
Someone seized his hand. The mocking voice made Ignite's gut drop.
Black suit, skull-masked giant. No one in Dark City didn't know S-rank villain Steel Armor.