This chapter contains depictions of blood, hunting, sexual abuse, multiple instances of strong language, and graphic content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised ⚠⚠⚠
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The woman raised a lifeless camera and snapped a photo of Ray. He casually leaned in, letting the flash wash over his face. Then he picked up the pen and scribbled a fake name onto the reservation log.
"Persekile Asterlisk."
As the ink dried, the scent of expensive perfume mixed with cigarette smoke drifted in.
"Well, well, well~~~"
A sultry voice purred behind him. A woman in glittery crimson half naked bodycon and matching heels approached the counter, her cigarette dangling between perfectly manicured fingers. Her eyes locked onto Ray with a predatory gleam.
"That's a face worth Squirting for~~."
She leaned in close, her fingertips tracing his sharp jawline with deliberate slowness.
"Come with me sweetheart. I'm going to ruin you."
Without waiting, she took his arm and began leading him down a velvet-draped hallway. Ray walked calmly beside her, hands deep in his pockets.
"If you don't mind,"
He said coolly,
"I'd like a little tour first. Get familiar with the place."
The woman paused, gave him a head-to-toe look, and smirked.
"Mmm. Getting cozy before the carnage, huh? I like a man who plays the long game."
She pressed her body slightly against his side as she walked, swinging her hips with dramatic flair. The brothel was unlike the ruin Ray had seen in the story fragments. The hallway stretched endlessly, lined with ruby red lights and black silk curtains.
Ray's nose picked up a cocktail of odors—alcohol, tobacco, weed, and something sickeningly human.
As they walked, the woman's hands wandered again—fingertips brushing his arm, slipping over his abdomen. Ray stopped and caught her wrist.
"Let's save the thirst for later. I'd like to breathe first."
She bit her lower lip, eyes twinkling with wild energy.
"Oooh. You're a tough one. I adore tough ones~~~"
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Still no sign of Gilobert. Ray scanned every corner of the hallway, but found no trace of the man.
Then, as if losing patience, the woman pushed open a velvet door and pulled him inside a lavish, dimly lit room. She slammed the door behind them and locked it with a loud click.
"Gods, I'm fucking wet for that sexy face."
Her voice dripped with lust as she stepped forward, panting lightly. A line of drool slid from the corner of her lips.
Ray stayed by the wall, running his hand along it.
"Ms…?"
He asked calmly. She gave a breathy giggle.
"Call me Lottie. Lottie the hottie."
She winked, pulling at the straps of her dress. Her every word was soaked in seduction, each breath a promise of sin.
Ray tapped the wall once. pretty Soundproof.
"Tell me something, Lottie…"
He said as he turned toward her.
"You know a man named Gilobert?"
She laughed.
"Know him? Of course, Sugar~~He's the reason I'm here. He brought me in, made me part of this paradise."
She twirled a lock of her hair as her dress slipped lower.
"And don't you dislike it?"
Ray asked, his tone casual, but his gaze sharp. Lottie shook her head eagerly.
"We worship this place. It's freedom, it's luxury, it's pleasure. Everyone wants to stay here."
Ray stepped forward slightly.
"Then do something for me, Lottie. Before we get to your treat, bring Gilobert to me. I've got some business with him."
He smiled, charming and warming.
"Pretty please?"
Lottie's eyes sparkled.
"You're gonna make me work for it, huh?"
She laughed wildly, already halfway out the door.
"Wait for me, darling! I'll be back before your heart filling Pussycat!"
She sprinted down the hallway without even fixing her dress, its straps bouncing wildly off her shoulders.
As soon as she disappeared—Ray's smile faded.
His eyes narrowed.
"You know what you need to do."
A voice echoed in his mind, And then—his pupils changed.
From a deep, bloody red…
…to an unholy, Cat like glowing green.
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Minutes passed. Then...
SLAM!
The door burst open.
"Babe, I'm ba—"
Her voice never finished the sentence.
SPLATTER!
Blood exploded against the walls like a grotesque mural. Her upper skull hit the ground with a wet thud, still twitching. The rest of her body dropped seconds later, spasming like a puppet with cut strings.
Where the blood touched the walls, it sizzled, then ignited.
Crimson flames crept along the brothel's interior like serpents hunting prey, And in the center of it all stood Ray.
Expressionless.
Terrifying.
His face shadowed, save for the unholy green glow in his eyes—brighter than fire. In his grip was a strange, blackened blade, Madoc's sword—still humming with violence.
Ray placed a single hand on the burning wall. The flames responded like a tamed beast. They died instantly, suffocating in silence.
And then—
BOOM.
A deafening blast erupted. But it wasn't a normal explosion. From the outside, the brothel stood untouched—serene, unbothered.
But inside—
Everything detonated. Walls imploded inward. Furniture vaporized. The floor split open like a mouth screaming in agony. Flames surged like a tidal wave, devouring everything in their path.
The survivors burned.
Men and women—half-dressed, half-dead—crawled through fire, their skin melting, their screams splitting the air like glass.
Ray walked through them.
Unbothered.
Untouched.
Divine in horror.
One survivor, his legs aflame, grabbed Ray's boots—whimpering. Ray kicked him aside like trash. Another clung to his waist. Ray stomped her skull without a word.
He moved forward like a prophet of apocalypse. The corridor gave way to the recipient hall, now a arsonscape of shrieks, fire, and writhing bodies.
And there, crouched beneath a faint magical field, was the mage girl.
The only one untouched.
The barrier around her was small, barely enough for her to curl into a ball. But it shimmered desperately, holding back the inferno.
Through the smoke, Ray's vague silhouette emerged. His body wavered behind heatwaves, indistinct—except for his glowing eyes, burning through the flames like headlights from some otherworldly beast.
He reached out a hand.
His voice rumbled, distorted, half-human, half-monster.
"Follow. Everywhere I go... you're safe under my control."
The girl didn't speak. She didn't even flinch. The massacre hadn't stirred anything in her. No terror, no sorrow. Her eyes were glassy, as if long since broken.
Ray grabbed her hand, rough and forceful. She rose, barely able to stand. Not from injury, but as if her soul had atrophied. Her legs moved like something that had forgotten how to walk.
"Where is Gilobert?"
Ray growled. She tried to answer—but the sound didn't escape her throat.
Ray's eyes flashed brighter. He gripped her head with one hand—his palm swallowing her skull like he might crush it. Then he walked. Dragging her. She didn't resist.
They reached the main exit. Without warning, Ray hurled her through the doorway. She flew like a ragdoll, landing in the middle of the street, crashing into the legs of startled passersby.
Before they could scream—Ray snatched two more burning survivors—and flung them through the exit after her. Their burning bodies rolled beside the mage girl, still smoldering.
She looked up....
And saw the brothel.
Untouched.
From the outside, it stood pristine. Clean. Quiet. As if nothing had happened.
But Ray still stood inside— Eyes glowing. Silhouette fading into shadow.
Watching her.
Then—
BOOOM!!!!!!
The entire brothel exploded.
But not like an ordinary blast—this was cataclysmic. The building folded in on itself like collapsing reality. Flame, light, and darkness burst outward—before everything vanished in a cyclone of black fire.