Chapter 49: You Disgust Me

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: You Disgust Me

It was true. Everything Hana said was true. But what was he supposed to do?

He had desired Mira for so long. A crush that inevitably became love. It only got worse after his artificial awakening.

Back then he had been so happy that he could finally walk the same path with her. That she would finally see him.

But, he had merely awakened as a D–Ranker. Mira was a natural C–Ranker awakened. The gulf between them only got wider.

And with the awakening amplifying his senses, his obsession for her only increased.

It was so bad that he could no longer hold it in, and decided to just vent it on the next best thing.

Hana.

Still, he forced the words out of his mouth, and they came in a whisper.

"Hana, what did you do to her?"

Hana’s smile returned, bright and terrible.

"There is a new drug in town. The folks call it, The Dreamer. Just as the name implies, it gives you the sweetest of hallucinations while enhancing all your senses."

Paul’s eyes landed on Mira. Her breathing was heavy, skin moist despite the cool night.

He swallowed.

Hana noticed his gaze. Her plan was working. She knew it was.

It was time for the final nail.

"Do you remember that centipede boss we fought in that green gate, three months back? I kept some of its venom. Just a little. Enough." She tilted her head toward Mira’s still body. "She’s got about ten minutes left. Maybe less."

Paul’s blood went cold, the realization settling in his mind. "There’s an antidote..."

"No antidote exists for that toxin. Not one any of us could get our hands on in time, anyway. You know that." She said it so casually it made his skin crawl.

"Then we get her to the guild, NOW..." Paul was already moving toward Mira, but Hana stepped directly into his path.

"Listen to me. Just listen." Her hands came up to his chest, pleading now.

"I know you are trying, but you don’t have to hold back. I know what you do with your buddies down town with those normie sluts. I know you want to vent it all out.

And I know I have never been enough. But I don’t mind that. As long as I have you.

I just..." her expression tightened, "...can’t share you with that TRAMP.

All you need to do is... have her. Just this one time... get her out of your system. And the Deamer will make her ENJOY you. That way," she whispered, cherry lips close enough to kiss his ears, "you’d be the last and best thing she ever had."

Paul’s heart beat even faster now.

Fist molded.

Hana could feel it. She knew him well enough to know that his canal desires, fueled by his Ranker’s nature pushed him.

After all, Mira was right there.

Paul swallowed, a thought appearing in his mind, "and... what of the Central Ranker’s Guild. If they investigate..."

"I have a Grace specifically to handle any other problem that may surface. Besides, we just have to pin it on him." She nodded toward Tobi’s unconscious form.

"He’s drowning in debt because of his gambling problem, even his family knows it. All we have to do is say he lost it, that he hurt her because she wouldn’t bail him out financially.

It’s two Rankers’ word against a nomie man. Her teammates. And on top of that," she made calm nearly serene expression, "I am priest of the goddess of the moon. Who do you they’ll believe us, or the one that broke up with her and then proposed tge next day?"

Paul stared at her, horror and disbelief warring on his face. "You’re.. insane. You hear yourself right now?" Even though he said this, he was already licking his lips.

His hunger was obvious.

She caught it.

"I’m being practical." Her voice hardened slightly. "I’ve spent my whole life watching you want someone who was never going to want you back the way I do. I’m not asking for much. Just let me fix this. Let me finally be enough for you."

Paul’s eyes dropped to Mira, chest barely rising, skin already losing color.

"Okay." His voice fell, betraying his craving. His eyes fell on the smoothness of Mira’s exposed skin again.

Paul felt his throat dry, tongue slapping against the roof of his mouth.

’This... Hana did this all for me. Everything thought of, long ahead of time. My oldest greatest wish. Ever since I saw her walk into the campus that day.

Mira.

I have wanted her. To be her man, to be her all. I have dreamt of wedding bells, kids, building a family with her.

But that day, after confessing my feelings for her. She barely gazed at me before walking away.’

His fist squeezed eleven tighter, enough that his veins bulged.

Paul had never recovered from that kind of embarrassment. Not really.

He’d settled for Hana instead, and told himself it was enough, that her love for him could fill the space Mira left behind. It never had. Even with Hana in his arms, Mira stayed lodged somewhere he couldn’t dig her out of.

And in the end, she’d chosen Tobi. Not even a Ranker. An average, unremarkable nerd, and she’d picked him anyway.

Paul’s jaw tightened, old resentment curdling into something uglier.

His knees hit the floor beside her, hands shaking as they reached out to touch Mira’s.

"Paul." Hana’s voice, soft, encouraging, right at his ear. "This is yours. Finally. Just have her."

His fingers hovered inches from her skin, and for one terrible second he let himself believe it, let himself reach for years of buried want like it was something he was owed.

"—And to think I looked up to you two as good people."

The voice cut through the room like a blade.

Paul froze. Hana spun toward the sound, as her face twisted from satisfaction into shock.

Victor was on his feet, ropes hanging torn and useless at his wrists, eyes blazing with pure disgust as he stared at the two of them.

"You two disgust me."

(Author’s note: Normie refers to normal humans that are not rankers. Instead of just calling them civilians.)