Miles POV:

A few minutes passed by, and the situation remained the same. There was no escape for them.

I stood on a nearby rooftop, observing the flow of battle from above as their numbers continued to fall. As a result, some of the Watchers and Vices had begun to turn their attention to evacuating civilians who got caught up in the raid.

My gaze continued to sweep over the wide battlefield, making sure that no one was in any danger. Administrator Brunaulf seemed preoccupied with an interesting opponent, so I took over his role secretly.

“Hmm...”

I put my hands in my pocket when I suddenly felt a familiar Ki darting about on the right side of the Pit. I moved instantly, not wanting to wait till she injured someone.

“We need support!”

In that short time frame, she had managed to pin two Vices against the wall while being under the influence of Distortion.

The gap between the two of us closed rapidly as she raised her blade high into the air, leaving a blurry trail of light behind it.

“!”

My hand shot forward, catching the falling blade between my two fingers. The force of her swing caused the ground beneath me to crack apart; a testament to the vast potential she held inside of her.

“You’re coming with me.”

I wrapped my arm around her waist and dashed away before the two Vices realized what had happened.

“...You!”

The rage in her voice contained a hint of bashfulness as I darted towards the boundary to District 2. Unfortunately, Esmeralda refused to accept my intervention; she struggled to break free from my grip desperately.

I continued to move, holding her close to my chest as I restricted her movements. Her face went a darker shade of red, and her punches began to lose their power, resembling something akin to a cat pawing away at a ball of string.

We reached the end of Distortion in this area, and Esmeralda flipped. She abruptly became more aggressive, causing my grip on her waist to slip as my fingers ended up wrapping around a large soft mass.

‘Oops.’

Her fist crashed into my jaw, launching me into a nearby building while Esmeralda completely regained her senses. I got to my feet, shrugging off her blow as my hand contained an energy like no other.

‘That softness...’

I watched her whole body tremble with rage and embarrassment as she pointed her finger at me. Her face let off steam while her pupils dilated to a frightening degree.

“...I am going to kill you!!”

I let out a helpless sigh, closing the gap between us before she could react. It wasn’t my fault she kept struggling, but more importantly, I wanted to help her wake up.

“You can drop the act now. I know you don’t want to side with District 1.”

She had a faint scar on the side of her cheek and other wounds on her neck that weren’t present the last time we met.

Esmeralda noticed my gaze, and her eyebrows quivered; the rage instantly left her eyes as she looked down at the ground. She gripped her trembling arm tightly while mumbling.

“...You don’t know me.”

“You’re right, I don’t. But I know you threw away everything because you're scared.”

I took a step closer, and sweat began to form on her brow. She remained silent, actively choosing not to deny the words I was saying.

“You hate yourself for what you did to your own people in District 3. You hate yourself for betraying your best friend in order to save your own life. Choosing the strongest side? That’s all a lie.”

Her back hit against the wall, and her eyebrows crumpled together. Esmeralda opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t say anything. Her body visibly shook as she clenched her teeth in frustration.

“...Stop it. You make me weak... I see your ability is linked to the mind...”

She refused to make eye contact with me, muttering nonsensical things instead. Her black and green ombre hair fell over her forehead as her breathing became increasingly unstable.

I had heard most of the story regarding Esmeralda from Izzy, since she liked my input on her designs. The one thing that bothered me was how easily Esmeralda abandoned Isabelle; it was just too sudden.

It made more sense to guess that she had been secretly approached well before she sold out Isabelle. Whatever they did to her during those meetings, they succeeded in breaking her down to get what they want.

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After living in a place like this all your life, it became a lot easier to connect the dots with situations like hers.

“Trust me.”

I stretched out my hand towards Esmeralda. I wanted her to know that she could still change; she just needed to take a leap of faith.

Esmeralda stared at my hand for a few moments before looking up at me with shy eyes. She may be an enemy, but she was a human being first and foremost.

‘!’

Her hand moved forward when I sensed someone from above. I pulled my hand away, jumping back as the heel of a shoe barely grazed past my cheek. I skidded to a halt while observing the enemy who had just shown up.

“Why waste your time on trash like that when you can spend it with a real woman like me?”

She was moderately tall with jet-black curly hair that reached down to her wide hips. Her large breasts were held back by a white tank top that was ripped at the bottom.

“Don’t call her trash.”

I flickered forward, appearing in front of Esmeralda, who looked up at me with hopeless eyes. I glanced back at the woman who put her hand on her hip without moving an inch.

“Esmeralda.”

“!”

The tone in her voice changed, and sweat poured down Esmeralda’s face immediately. I watched the blood drain away in an instant as her fist blurred. It smashed right into my chest, launching me back in front of the woman.

I slid along the ground, narrowing my eyes at the sudden change in Esmeralda. The woman's lips curved upwards as she pulled down on the dark red snapback that covered most of her forehead. Her bright amethyst eyes flashed while locking onto me.

“I’m Lucy, Rank 17. Although, I used to be Rank 14 a few months ago...”

Lucy’s demeanour suddenly did a 180; she looked more vulnerable. Her face made a childlike expression, as if she was recalling an unpleasant memory. Her eyebrows curved inwards, quivering towards their tapered ends. I avoided her innocent eyes, trying to draw me in.

I turned my attention to the intricate tattoo that ran down her left arm. It had a flower pattern that surrounded a large heart on her bicep. That pattern connected to several smaller hearts that decreased in size until it reached a fingerless black glove. Lucy noticed my gaze and gave me a sweet smile.

“Used to be?”

I cocked my head to the side as my eyebrow rose. I wasn't surprised that a Royal Guard was here. The true nature of war was unpredictability, and that was the exact reason why I stayed behind.

“Yes... But it wasn’t my fault. It was an accident...”

Lucy folded her arms tightly against her chest. Her eyebrows bent further inwards, and her lip trembled. Despite the seriousness of our situation, I could tell that she was being genuine.

“Accidents can happen. I believe you.”

I answered honestly, and her lips spread into a soft smile. She took a step forward, examining every nook and cranny of my body.

“You do? Really?!”

Her eyes beamed like a little child's as a cold shiver ran down my spine. Her cheeks turned rosy red while the gap between us closed significantly.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Finally! Someone understands!”

She giggled cutely and stretched out her hand towards me. At the same time, some Watchers and Vices arrived to provide support.

“Miles!!”

“Ahhh, guys. I’m good here. Go support the others.”

I glanced back, urging them with my eyes to leave as soon as possible. Their gaze shifted between me and Lucy's outstretched hand.

“...Well... Alright, Miles...Be careful!”

I nodded my head, and they reluctantly headed back into the Pit. I shook her hand as she paid zero attention to anyone else in the area but me. Her eyes shone while her examination deepened.

“So why don’t you tell me what happened? It must have been tough to be demoted like that, right?”

She placed her other hand on top of mine and stroked it gently.

“Right! Let’s talk!”

Lucy smiled brightly as her large butt smothered the ground below. I narrowed my eyes, instantly realizing the amount of potential District 1 had.

She beckoned for me to join her, and once I sat down, our conversation began.

***

“I-I mean... It was a simple mistake! Anyone can confuse sugar with salt... It happens, right?!”

‘...Wow.’

I scratched the back of my head in amazement at how ridiculous her story was. Someone called Elinor demoted Lucy for using the wrong ingredients in a birthday cake for the Ruler.

“Personally, I love a woman who can cook or bake, so the fact that you’re so good at making cakes is a bonus for me~”

“Mm... Well, maybe one day I could bake you one...”

Her amethyst eyes never left me once throughout the whole conversation. Sometimes she would twiddle her thumbs in embarrassment, occasionally blushing deeply whenever I complimented her. Other times, a serious tone would slip in with her words.

‘...I wonder how Jess is doing? Oh right... She’s probably still upset about last time...’

I sighed inwardly while Lucy batted her long eyelashes at me. There was no doubt about it; she was a beauty, but it was time to bring an end to this game of chess. I wanted to go and check on Jess.

“Well, there’s going to be a new King today, so we’ll have plenty of time to hang out if you want.”

Her face stiffened followed by the slight twitch of her eyebrows. I noticed a subtle glow in her eyes while a thin smile spread across her face.

“What a shame... The more we talk, the more you intrigue me. It's not good, you know. You’re making me fall for you~”

Her Ki exploded, shattering her childlike demeanour as well as the windows in the surrounding area while remaining completely fixated on me.

“Hmm, really? But I’m more interested in Esmeralda. Look at how cute she is~”

Esmeralda’s face went ghastly white as the veins on the side of Lucy's head bulged.

“You need a woman who can match your standards, not trash like her. It’s annoying that I had to clean up Solina's mess, but I got to meet a guy like you as a result of that.”

Her eyes popped while her cheeks flushed. Her true colours were starting to show.

“I can’t wait any longer.”

“!”

I caught her speared hand centimetres away from my heart as she bit her lip seductively. The impact rippled through the air, destroying the ground behind me.

“Uhh, can’t we talk about this?”

I got to my feet, still holding her slender fingers securely.

“...It’s your own fault. You’re too enticing! Every guy that I like dies by my hand, but you... You’re different. I can tell there’s more, and I want to see it!”

Lucy's pupils dilated as her flushed face entered a state of euphoria.

“I’ll preserve your body, so I can experience that feeling of my hand piercing through your heart again and again!!”

‘...Yep. There it is. It was only a matter of time...’

I stared at her as a small sigh escaped my mouth. She broke free from my grip and sent an uppercut towards my chin. I blocked it with my guard, but her raw strength launched me into the air.

Lucy flickered by my side, her foot crashing into my jaw as I spiralled to the ground with a loud bang. I rolled back to my feet and dusted off the dirt that clung to my clothes.

“...You're not a Watcher. You’re not a Vice either...”

She cocked her head to the side while licking her lips.

“Miles, who are you really?!”