Quest Clear

As morning broke, I headed to the warehouse in District 144 to meet the Gumiho. Should I go see Risanna first, or the Gumiho? After some thought, I picked the Gumiho. Risanna could wait. Hell, delaying it might even be better. I'd slathered her tits and pussy with that cream that heightens a woman's sensitivity— the longer I made her wait, the hotter she'd burn, driven mad with need. She might even beg me to shove my dick in the second she saw me.

'Heh heh heh. Just you wait.'

The thought of shy little Risanna spreading her legs and pleading for cock was enough to make my groin throb.

"...Huh?"

But the fun was short-lived. As soon as I stepped into the warehouse, my face hardened.

"Gumiho?"

The person—no, monster—who was supposed to be there was gone.

I searched every corner, even checked under the bed, but there was no sign of her anywhere.

"...Fuck."

Did she bail on me?!

"Arghhh! This pisses me off! Where's my Gumiho?!"

If I'd known this would happen, I never would've gone to the Gwen mansion! I'd have sealed the deal with her first! No, wait—that's not right. Elis would've gotten taken over by Beelzebub then, so my choice was the right one.

Which meant losing the Gumiho I'd practically had in the bag was because I hadn't played the psychological game right.

"Kuh!"

Dark City's top brain, brought low...!

"Hoo. Fine, whatever. She bolts, she's just a flea anyway. I can catch her again. Make her pay for running then."

The Gumiho still didn't know that Flame Witch and Ice Queen—key figures in the Hero Association—were my women. I could use them to reel her back in easy.

The man who always plans three steps ahead even after victory: me, Dark City's undisputed top brain.

"Kieeeek! Still pisses me off! Fuck this! Gimme back my Gumiho! Gimme my Gumihooo!"

But it still pissed me off! I threw a full-on tantrum, rolling on the floor like a kid nagging his mom for a toy. If I didn't vent somehow, my head would explode from frustration.

"Waaahhh! My Gumiho!"

"...Why am I your Gumiho?"

"Hic, sniff! I hear the Gumiho's voice! Hallucinations! Gumiho withdrawal symptoms!"

"What the hell is this guy doing? Totally unpredictable. Dissociative identity disorder maybe?"

"...Huh?"

I heard her voice from behind but wrote it off as a hallucination. But it kept going. I turned, just in case—and there she was, arms crossed, staring at me like I was insane.

"....."

"....."

I stopped my tantrum and stood up silently, brushing the dust off my clothes. I crossed my arms, stared her down, and spoke in a grave tone.

"Where the hell have you been, Raonjena?"

"Too late to deepen your voice now."

"Damn it!"

Aaaah! Mortifying!

'No! I can still salvage my dignified image!'

"One minute you're all mature and brooding, next you're acting like a damn kid. You sure you don't have dissociative identity disorder? Go see a shrink for real."

"Ahem. Every man harbors the innocence of his youth deep in his heart."

"Spouting nonsense like that so casually—definitely got mental issues."

'It's not workingggg!'

I tried to defend my image, but all I got back was her cold, contemptuous barbs. My dignity was in the gutter...!

'No choice then.'

I'm Dark City's top brain—the man who learns from failure and grows endlessly. Since my dignified facade had flown the coop, time to show my true colors. I'd be more careful next time.

"Anyway, where'd you go? I said you could come and go as you please, but... honestly, I was sad you were gone."

"...Just felt stuffy, so I went for a walk."

"Around here?"

District 144 was a total shithole slum with nothing to see. The only "sights" were crumbling shacks and the streets crawling with beggars, junkies, and crooks. Worst spot imaginable for a stroll.

And she went walking here?

"Wandering a dangerous dump like this alone? What if someone jumped you?"

"Jumped me? Who?"

"Oh, right."

She wasn't some fragile girl—she was a strong, fierce monster. I'd forgotten because she was such a hard counter to me.

"Yeah, true. Anyway, given any thought to my offer? Reminder: this is the last time I'm asking."

"...And if I say no?"

"Kidnap, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠imprison, fuck."

"What?"

"Ravish you nonstop, and you'll submit eventually. The flesh often betrays the will, y'know."

"...You trash bastard."

She glared ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠daggers, but the venom in her eyes was way weaker than before.

"Call me whatever. I want you bad, but I don't know how to win your heart. So I'll use what I'm best at."

"What you're best at?"

"Yeah. This."

"Ah..."

I pointed to my crotch, and her pupils shook. A massive tent was pitched down there.

Even without love, the body could still feel pleasure. The first time I'd fucked her, I'd given her body ecstasy she'd never forget. She might block it from her mind, but her flesh remembered every shuddering detail.

"Using that to claim a woman. You're trash."

"Yup, I'm trash. That's why I'm a villain."

"And women aren't objects. You don't 'claim' or 'own' them."

She kept spitting venom to steady her wavering heart, but she was right, so I didn't argue.

"True, women aren't objects."

"Then why talk like you own them?"

"But what can I do? That's who I am."

"What?"

I closed in and loomed over her, pulling off my skull mask. She flinched and stepped back.

"My possessiveness runs deeper than you imagine. Especially for the women I love—it's unmatched. If someone offered me all of Dark City in exchange for giving up my girl, I'd ditch the city in a heartbeat. Then rip that fucker's limbs off."

"Wha... what?"

"The women I love are precious to me. And the ones who love me back? Equally precious. I want to hold them forever, grope their ripe bodies, own their very souls. It drives me insane."

"You... you psycho! You're out of your mind!"

"Yup. Psycho here. But so what? That's me. If I don't possess women, I'll go mad and die. Gotta claim what I want to survive."

"That's not love! It's obsession! Madness!"

"I know. But like I said—to live, this is my only way. I have to take what I want, or I die."

"Psycho."

"And right now, I want you, Gumiho. No—Raonjena."

"....."

She twitched at her name. I stepped closer.

"Eek...!"

She retreated with every step I took. When her back hit the warehouse pillar—

Thud!

"Ah..."

—she had nowhere left to go. I closed the gap until our breaths mingled. I brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Be mine, Raonjena. Give me your body, your soul—everything."

"....."

She didn't reject me outright. I'd given her time to think, and she'd weighed her options: what she'd gain by being mine, what she'd lose by refusing.

Which way had the scales tipped?

"...If I become yours, what do you give me?"

"Anything!"

"Be specific."

I smirked inwardly. Her asking that meant she'd already leaned my way.

"My power, money, influence—and everything in here." I tapped my head.

"Curious, right? How I know your real name. How I know you crave revenge. Be mine, and I'll tell you everything."

"....."

Her eyes wavered. Money and power were one thing, but my strength and knowledge? Irresistible. I didn't know the details of her family's death, but I could guess who.

'Monster hunters.'

No one but me could slaughter monsters like that. Except...

'...Ah.'

Wait, another monster could've done it?

'Fuck?'

Shit, that'd be bad. I needed to look like the all-seeing genius here. One wrong guess, and she might slap my hand away.

Monster hunter or monster—who wiped out her clan? Logically, monsters. Hunters were human, after all—limited. No way a bunch of humans exterminated her entire clan minus her.

'...Monster hunters, though?'

But my gut screamed hunters. Plus, there was evidence: Valencia.

'Well, if you say so, I'll be blunt. What's your connection to the monster hunters?'

He'd asked me that with Memory Hunter there. Why bring up hunters ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out of nowhere? Gumiho's sworn boss was Valencia—maybe that's why.

"...Fine. I'll be yours."

"Huh? What?"

"I'll be yours."

"...For real?"

Words from Raonjena's mouth. No system prompt, though—meant she wasn't sincere ye—

"But on one condition."

"Condition?"

"My revenge comes first."

"What?"

"Help me with my revenge. Once it's done, I'll be yours. Swear loyalty. Deal?"

"....."

'Hmm...'

I pondered briefly, but my heart was already set on accepting. Just a matter of timing. Once she was mine, I'd help her revenge gleefully anyway. This was no biggie.

"Deal."

I stepped back and offered my hand.

"Allies until your revenge is complete, then."

"Allies? Yeah, you could call it that."

Raonjena took my hand. And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then—

"...Huh?"

Completely unexpected—the quest had cleared.