We

"Whoa."

Jinx saw the figure flying through the air. She lifted her face, her little mouth opening and closing, and couldn't help exclaiming.

Little Jinx stared at Li Ke, who stood where Big Sister had been. Her beautiful blue eyes were full of disbelief.

Oh my god!

What was going on?

Li Ke, who couldn't even beat Craig, had just sent Big Sister flying?

Then why had he been so nice to me?

Jinx endured the pain, puzzled.

S-She'd thought Li Ke had let her stay because he couldn't beat her. Hadn't that been how they'd first met? She'd threatened Li Ke, and that was how she'd gotten this bed.

But now that she thought about it... Li Ke was really strong!

And Li Ke?

Li Ke had no idea what was going through Jinx's head. He merely shook out his arm, then looked toward the figure embedded in the wall amid the Grey Mist.

Li Ke had only used half his strength. Against an ordinary person, that much force would probably leave them missing a limb or two.

But what about Sevika?

That was a big question mark. Li Ke knew perfectly well that Shimmer had already enhanced Sevika's body. After all, that Alchemical Mechanical Arm was attached to her—not as an external prosthetic, but fused directly with her flesh.

So when the arm activated and Shimmer coursed through it, making the machinery roar to life, some of the liquid inevitably mixed with Sevika's blood. Over time, that exchange had made her far stronger than an ordinary person.

Sevika might not have become a full-fledged Glow Enhanced Person like Jinx would in the future, but her physical abilities were definitely far beyond normal. After all, Big Sister had been the second-best fighter in the Black Alley for as long as anyone could remember.

After Vander, Sevika was the second-in-command in the hearts of the Black Alley residents. She just never saw herself that way.

"Big Sister, can we talk things over now?"

Li Ke raised a hand to his forehead to shade his eyes, squinted at the spot, and called out.

The gesture caught Jinx's attention. She watched him, wriggling her frail, hunched-up body on the floor, her little white teeth flashing as her mouth opened and closed.

"So cool."

Jinx whispered.

I'm going to do that next time, too!

Jinx made up her mind.

"Click."

The answer Li Ke got was the sound of machinery turning. A glimmer of purple appeared, followed by a bright yellow glow burning like fire.

"Vroom!"

A streak of purple Sword Light shot toward Li Ke. He leaned slightly to dodge it, then even whistled.

Sevika was getting serious~

"Boom!"

The Sword Light slammed into the wall, which collapsed into rubble. Li Ke couldn't help feeling troubled.

Looks like my home is completely gone now.

But I don't have enough money to rent another place.

As he thought, Li Ke dodged the second streak of Sword Light Sevika sent at him.

"Come on, you brat!"

"Damn, you really have gotten good, haven't you?"

Spittle glistened at the corner of Sevika's mouth as she charged out through the collapsed wall. She raised her right arm, the Alchemical Mechanical Arm swinging down toward Li Ke's head.

Li Ke leaned back and dodged the blade. Glancing at the floor, he saw that Sevika's strike had shattered it, leaving a deep Sword Mark and radiating terrifying heat.

She's trying to kill me now.

Well, Sevika had never been one to let her feelings get in the way. She always put the bigger picture first. That was why she'd betrayed Vander.

Li Ke looked up.

"Big Sister, remember what you taught me and Malson? You said that when you fight, you shouldn't watch your opponent's body. You should watch their eyes. Right?"

As he spoke, Li Ke extended his right leg and fixed his gaze on Sevika's eyes. He planted his foot on her left shin. Sevika cried out in pain and stumbled forward.

Then Li Ke twisted at the waist, turning his body slightly as he raised his left arm, his elbow aimed at Sevika's chin.

Lying on the floor, Jinx covered her face with one hand, shielding her eyes. But her long, pretty fingers were spread wide, revealing a pair of squinting eyes.

"Whoa..."

That's going to hurt!

"Thud—"

The sound of bones cracking rang out.

At the moment of impact, Li Ke had held back quite a bit.

Even so, when his elbow collided with her face, Sevika's eyes rolled back and her jaw tilted to one side. She passed out.

She slumped to the ground with a smack, one of her legs twitching.

Jinx grew a little anxious. "Is she dead?"

"Of course not." Li Ke gave her a look and spread his hands. "Why would I kill her?"

"She's just unconscious."

"That must've hurt." Jinx got up from the floor, clutching her stomach, and walked over to Sevika. She raised a leg, but after a moment's thought, lowered it again.

Big Sister was already having a rough enough time.

Then she looked at Li Ke.

He was packing up, picking up two pieces of clothing from the table before heading to the door.

Watching Li Ke's back, Jinx hesitated where she stood.

She really didn't hate Silco. S-She just hated being bored, and now Li Ke had brought her something new, given her a whole lot of fun. More importantly, being with someone her age like Li Ke helped her forget Milo, Craig, Vander, and Vi.

But now she didn't know if she should follow him.

Sevika had been right. She'd gotten herself into trouble again. If the enforcers came down from the Upper City, following Li Ke would only put him in danger. Silco was happy that she'd brought back the Hextech Gem, but making a weapon out of it?

She couldn't do that.

It was too hard!

Even with that young councilor's notes, she still couldn't manage it.

Every time she ran an experiment, Milo and the others filled her head, loud, grating, and annoying.

That was why she'd run away from home.

Besides, what reason could she give Li Ke to take her along? She'd thought he was just an ordinary person who couldn't beat her, someone she could threaten. But now... Wow, Big Sister had taken a brutal beating. She'd really been put through the wringer!

"What's wrong, Jinx? Why aren't you coming?"

Just as Jinx was rubbing her chin and hesitating, Li Ke's voice suddenly rang out.

Jinx looked up and saw him turn to face her. He said seriously, "We should get going, Jinx. Nobody can live here anymore."

"We?" Jinx froze, her teeth biting into her pale lip.

"Who else?" Li Ke tilted his head.

Jinx looked at Li Ke, biting her lip harder. But a moment later, she shrugged with easygoing nonchalance and said as if it were obvious, "Right, right~ We should get going."

"But wait a second. I've got something to do."

Jinx ran to the rubble by the wall, crouched down, and rummaged through the stones for something.

Then she found what she'd been looking for.

On a street in the Black Alley, a girl wearing a hood, ragged pants, and shoes that clacked as she walked laughed heartily.

"Did you see the artwork on Sevika's face? Cute, right? Pretty, right? But that stuff's really hard to wash off. Silco's definitely going to yell at her when she gets back!"

"I've always said that Big Sister can't get anything done. Ask her to clean, and she'll light the kerosene lamp and burn the place down!"

Leaning her back against a man, the girl let all her weight rest on him and chatted away cheerfully.

Li Ke was laughing, too. Thinking about the doodles Jinx had drawn on Sevika's face, he could imagine Silco's expression when he saw her.

Walking with Jinx toward the edge of the Black Alley, Li Ke felt a little more at ease.

I really am pretty strong.

Here in Zaun, Sevika was one of the strongest fighters around, at least as far as everyone knew. And he'd beaten her with just a few punches.

That made Li Ke feel safer.

As for why he'd decided to take Jinx along after all...

Li Ke wasn't sure, either. When he saw Jinx standing there in a daze, holding one arm as she stood beside Sevika, the words had slipped out before he'd thought them through.

Yeah.

Was it because he didn't want to lose Jinx as a mobile energy source?

Or was it because he wanted to change all this?

"Hey."

"Hey,"

"Hey!"

"I've called you several times. What are you thinking about?"

A little hand appeared in front of him, and Li Ke snapped back to attention.

Jinx's little face was right in front of him.

Li Ke took her hand, looked at her mischievous expression, and laughed.

"I was thinking about what to eat tonight."

"Don't worry, I took all of Big Sister's money." Jinx patted a chest that wasn't much there.

"So you're treating?"

"No problem. Plenty of Muddy Frog meat," she said.

"..." Li Ke was speechless.

I really don't want to eat that.