Getting Stronger

Lucifer downed a glass of whiskey in one gulp.

"Then why could he resist?"

"If he couldn't resist, would you really have slept with him for a night, my lord?" Mazikeen stood nearby, holding a wine bottle, her face full of curiosity.

At this moment, the bar was dimly and ambiguously lit, the old photographs on the wall appearing even more mysterious in the interplay of light and shadow.

"Of course, if it were him, I wouldn't mind trying."

With a snap, the wine bottle slipped from Mazikeen's hand. She was utterly shocked. At first, she thought Lord Lucifer was toying with humans, or would eventually create a clone or an illusion. She never expected it to be for real.

"Lord Lucifer, with your status, there's no need to go to such lengths."

Lucifer tucked a stray lock of hair behind its ear with its pinky finger. Its perfect profile was even more captivating in the dim light, making Mazikeen's heart ache slightly.

"You know why I betrayed God."

"...Legend says you couldn't stand the order of Heaven," Mazikeen said after a moment's thought.

"It's related, but the main reason is destiny."

"Destiny?"

"Yes, destiny. It was fated that I would betray God and become the Lord of Hell. I am God's created dark side, my existence is an anchor, a tool.

But to resist destiny, I still betrayed God and destroyed the world. However, no matter how many times I destroyed the world, God would recreate it. So, I grew weary, came to the human world, opened a small bar, and quietly waited for destiny to arrive."

Lucifer stirred the orange liquid in its glass with a finger, lost in memory. Its eyes became deep and distant, as if it could see all the past through this small wine glass.

"So, you're really sure that human can take you away? That's God!"

The bar was so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard, making Mazikeen's voice seem exceptionally loud.

"When he first appeared, I could still sense the aura of another world. But in just an instant, his aura had merged with this world, becoming no different from other humans, like ink dropped into the ocean, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye."

"Then why did you let him leave just like that, turning him into your slave..."

Mazikeen's throat felt as if it were blocked by something, and she couldn't utter a word.

She could only kneel on the ground, her knees bearing immense pressure, causing the floor beneath her to crack. Its golden pupils emitted a powerful pressure that made it difficult for Mazikeen to breathe.

"Mazikeen, this is my only chance. There can be no mistakes, do you understand?" At this moment, Lucifer truly revealed the majesty of the Lord of Hell.

"Yes... Your Majesty." After saying this, Mazikeen prostrated herself on the ground, gasping for air.

"I'm going back to Hell for a visit."

Only after the bar fell completely silent did Mazikeen lift her head, her eyes filled with adoration.

She went to the wine left by Lucifer and greedily lapped it up.

"Lord Lucifer."

Mazikeen, Lucifer's most trusted demon, and also a lesbian.

Meanwhile, Kino arrived at a rooftop carrying Mandarin.

The city, shrouded in darkness, spread out before them. Gotham, the city of sin, permeated with an aura of decay and depravity.

Dim streetlights cast faint glows in the mist, barely illuminating a small area at their feet. The distant skyscrapers were indistinct, like behemoths hidden in the darkness.

Kino fiddled with the ring in his hand, quietly waiting for time to run out.

3, 2, 1

Mandarin's head lolled back, and he collapsed onto the ground.

What's going on? I should have turned that guy into ashes. And my face hurts so much.

"This is another one of your abilities, rapid healing, spatial movement, invisible attacks..."

Mandarin noticed Kino standing at the edge of the rooftop.

"Not this time."

Kino turned around. Mandarin stared intently at the ring in his hand, unable to believe his eyes. He reached out his hands, only to find that the Ten Rings that belonged to him were gone.

"Those are my Ten Rings! When did you steal them?" Mandarin's voice was filled with anger and confusion.

However, without the rings, he was just a long-lived ordinary person, no longer possessing superpowers. Thus, he dared not act rashly.

Kino said, "Actually, I should thank you. You're the first person who made me feel fear. The fear of having Venom taken away, and the fear of almost dying, both made me realize that no matter which world I'm in, I'm not powerful, nor can I rely on my ability to traverse worlds to be at ease."

With that, Kino casually picked a ring and put it on his index finger. His brainwaves automatically connected with the ring, and he understood how to use it.

Seeing this, Mandarin quickly shouted, "Wait, we can talk this out!"

"I don't want to listen."

As soon as the words fell, the ring on Kino's finger shot out a dazzling white light, instantly engulfing Mandarin's entire body.

The light was like daylight descending, illuminating the entire rooftop. In the blink of an eye, Mandarin's body turned into countless specks of dust, scattering with the breeze and disappearing without a trace.

Spectrum Ring: The energy beam released destroys all bonds between the atoms and molecules of the impacted object.

Kino felt no pleasure of revenge, only a wave of nausea.

In the past, it was Venom who killed, and he could lie to himself that he wasn't the one doing it, like watching a movie. It just felt exciting.

"Ugh... Thank you, Venom."

Kino felt nauseous and wanted to throw up, but the feeling quickly disappeared. He understood that Venom was controlling his internal organs.

[Why didn't you let me do it?]

Venom's head popped out and asked confusedly. It knew about Kino's past experiences; he hadn't even killed a chicken before.

"Because I want to become stronger. I can't always rely on you. I want to be able to protect you when you're in danger, not rely on luck or find others to protect you."

Kino hugged Venom's large head.

[Hmph~ You idiot.]

"If I'm an idiot, then I'm an idiot."

Kino walked alone down an alley. The surrounding walls were mottled and dilapidated, emitting a decaying smell.

Before long, he was surrounded.

"Kid, if you don't want a hole in your body, hand over your money."

"Wait, this kid is so good-looking. Let me carve up his face a few times."

"Idiot, of course, we should sell him. I happen to know a boss who likes that sort of thing."

Kino frowned, looking at the group of thugs. They were dressed in rags; how much money could they possibly have? He had even sacrificed his looks, only to attract this kind of trash.

"Forget it, Venom, take action. Break their limbs..."

"You bastards, stay away from him."

A delicate shout echoed from the alley. A green woman emerged, leaning against the wall.

Her body seemed unstable, her green hue flickering in and out of existence. The faint moonlight shone on her, revealing her distorted figure.

"Hahaha, what kind of freak are you?"

"It doesn't matter, we'll sell you too."

"A green-skinned monster will definitely fetch a high price."

Pamela Lillian Isley's body had mutated after her professor tricked her into injecting a serum. She had been researching her body during this time.

She hoped to return to a normal human state, or at least be able to control her body's toxins freely. Otherwise, living in the human world made her a source of plague.

To avoid being discovered, she had taken an alley she normally wouldn't, only to run into an armed robbery.

"Who are you calling a monster?"

Pamela felt a surge of anger. She manipulated vines from the ground, smashing and whipping the thugs until their flesh was bloody and mangled.

The vines were thick and strong, with sharp barbs, whistling through the air.