Chapter 92: A fight

Ray’s arm muscles bulged with thick, defined veins popping across his skin. A mere twitch of his finger would be enough to blow Theo’s skull into a mangled pulp.

"Ray!"

"Fuck!"

Ace maintained his signature gentle smile, his gaze drifting lazily across the unmistakable evidence of what had transpired inside the room.

Letting out a soft, airy laugh, he slid a blade straight into Ray’s core. "While I was out there risking life and limb, nearly getting torn into eight pieces by that abomination... Theo was in here giving May ’emergency first aid’."

He paused, his smile deepening, growing immeasurably colder.

"Looking at how thoroughly drenched in sweat May is, Theo’s ’first aid’ methods must be... exceptionally exhausting."

The moment those words were uttered, the fragile veneer of calm vanished entirely.

Bracing the muzzle tight against Theo’s head, Ray pressed forward half an inch more. Gritting his molars, he roared word by painfully deliberate word: "I’ll ask you one more time. What... did... you... do... to... her!"

Facing the dark, gaping barrel of the heavy sidearm, not a single trace of fear surfaced on Theo’s face.

He even found the composure to put his freshly wiped glasses back on. Then, raising two fingers, he moved with elegant, unyielding calm to push the firearm slightly away from his forehead.

"Ray, guns discharge easily," he remarked, his tone as flat as if discussing the weather. "I saved May, nothing more."

"Saved?" Ray let out a bitter laugh, the blood-red glare in his eyes threatening to overflow. "You fucking call this saving someone?!"

"May was struck by a toxic spine from the Stitch-Splicer, positioned dangerously close to a major artery. The venom spreads rapidly," Theo stated the fabricated facts without batting an eye. "Conventional methods couldn’t purge the toxins. I had no choice but to use specialized means to accelerate her systemic blood circulation, driving out the venom through intense thermal elevation."

He gestured vaguely toward May’s lower body, which remained wrapped tightly beneath the sterile sheet.

"To save May, I didn’t hesitate to sacrifice my own innocence, using my mouth to help her suck the venom out..."

"Shut the fuck up!"

Ray exploded into pure rage, throwing a devastating punch straight into the adjacent equipment cabinet. The metallic door caved inward with a heavy crunch.

His finger on the trigger twitched, ready to squeeze.

Seeing these men on the verge of turning their weapons on each other in an all-out deadly shootout, May—trapped beneath the shadow of immediate execution—felt her survival instincts spike to absolute maximum.

Shit! If I don’t speak up right now, my harem is getting sacrificed to the heavens!

Drawing a sharp breath, her posture collapsed instantly. Her eyes brimmed red as two perfect, glistening tears rolled right down her cheeks.

"Ray..."

Her voice sounded impossibly soft, trembling with a tearful whine like a defenseless kitten that had suffered immense trauma.

"I... I was almost dying just now... my leg hurt so badly... it was Theo... Theo who saved me..."

As she sobbed, her hands clutched the sterile sheet in a desperate grip, her frame shaking uncontrollably. Her fragile, helpless display was enough to break anyone’s heart.

"It really... hurt so much..."

"Ray, don’t hurt him, please... or I’ll never be able to forgive myself..."

Rather than extinguishing the flames, May’s tearful plea only caused the explosive fury in Ray’s chest to detonate higher.

Now she’s taking his side when she speaks?!

"You son of a bitch!"

Ray’s free hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the collar of Theo’s damp white shirt.

"You fucking take me for an idiot?!"

With immense, raw strength, he hoisted Theo straight off his feet, leaving his toes dangling off the floor.

Facing the dark gun barrel and the suffocating murderous aura radiating from Ray, Theo didn’t even blink. He tilted his chin up, his eyes completely devoid of terror, replaced instead by a thread of subtle mockery.

"So you are allowed to indulge in pleasure while we have to just stand here and watch? It’s not like May hates it––she wants us too!"

"You—!"

Ray’s last thread of sanity was completely torched by that single statement.

"Don’t blame me either, Ray," the curve at the corner of Theo’s lips widened into an almost cruel, matter-of-fact composure. "Who was it that wronged the teammates first? Everyone’s out there putting their lives on the line for you while you enjoy yourself in here. That’s not an easy debt to settle, is it?"

His gaze flicked casually over to Mitch and Ace standing near the doorway.

"Besides, I already formed an understanding with the others. If Ray doesn’t even possess this much magnanimity, this squad is going to be pretty hard to lead going forward."

The moment those words dropped, the expressions of everyone at the door shifted dramatically.

The squad understood full well what Theo was getting at—their unbreakable alliance held strong, yet after seeing Theo take his fill, a bitter pang of jealousy still lingered in their chests.

Mitch instinctively averted his gaze, cursing under his breath as he kicked a piece of gravel on the floor.

I want to stab him to death too, damn it!But Ray looks like he’s going completely rogue! Forget it, if I don’t help now, I won’t get a piece of the pie later either! Guess I’ll play the meek kid for once!

Ace kept smiling, though a dark, malicious edge crept in, eager to watch the world burn.

Looks like I’ll have to find a way to eliminate both of you quietly. How else am I going to have May all to myself?

Jack was the most straightforward of them all. Looking back and forth between Ray and Theo, his honest face turned bright red as he rubbed his massive hands together in sheer panic.

Oh man, what do we do?! Wait, what did Theo say last time? I forgot... Whatever, break up the fight first!

Alex: Whatever, a man without trust is nothing!

"Ray! Let... let go first!"

Mitch was ultimately the first to charge forward, grabbing hold of Ray’s gun arm. "Theo... he was only trying to save her!"

Even he lacked conviction saying it out loud.

Jack snapped into action as well, his massive, heavy frame wrapping directly around Ray’s waist from behind, pulling backward with every ounce of strength he possessed: "Ray! Talk it out! Don’t shoot! May is watching!"

The combined physical strength of two massive men finally managed to loosen the taut string holding Ray back.

"GET OFF ME!" Ray thrashed wildly, the muscles along his arms bulging into hard, rock-like knots.

Every single one of you is acting for me right now! Forming secret alliances behind my back! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill every last one of you!

Seeing the impending bloody clash about to erupt, and noticing a faint flicker of rationality returning to Ray’s eyes, May knew that if she didn’t intervene immediately, someone was going to die right here today.

This is bad! If I don’t take control, the harem is going to blow sky-high!

"STOP FIGHTING!"

Scrambling off the examination table, the sterile sheet wrapped around her body unravelled, revealing her half-torn t-shirt and gleaming white shoulders. Like a terrified little rabbit, she threw herself forward without care, clamping her arms around Ray’s trembling arm, hanging her entire weight off him.

"Ray! I’m begging you! Stop fighting! It’s my fault, it’s all my fault!"

Tears fell like a broken string of pearls, heavy drops splashing onto the back of Ray’s burning hand.

"It was... it was me who initiated it! Theo was only trying to save me! If you guys end up killing each other over me, I’d rather just die myself right now!"

She sobbed so violently she could barely catch her breath, her fragile shoulders shaking as if she might shatter into pieces at any moment.

Ray froze entirely.

Lowering his head, he looked down at the weeping, miserable woman in his arms, her wide, tear-stained eyes brimming with absolute panic and desperate pleading.

The consuming, infernal rage within him felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped directly over his head by those few stray tears.

The suffocating frustration in his chest couldn’t be swallowed down, nor could it be vented outward. It remained lodged right in his sternum—sour, heavy, and ultimately morphing into an indescribable, agonizing sense of utter helplessness.

Fuck.

He, had dominated the apocalyptic wasteland for so many years, slaughtering without batting an eye. When had he ever been driven into such a pathetic state?

And all for this single tiny creature.