Chapter 9

When the Hero Says Yes to the Villain's Appetite

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Arondight prepared himself...

Electricity crackled as the hero summoned his lightning spear in preparation for his fight against the notorious no. 2 villain, Red Hilt, the man who'd single-handedly ruined his sense of dignity during their last encounter that somehow ended up in a smutty mess, and Arondight swore he wouldn't fall into that temptation again.

After moments of tense silence, the hero's eyes were fixed on the villain. He challenged him fiercely and said, "Come on, let's see what you have this time."

Red Hilt insultingly smiled behind his mask, "I think that's my line," he drawled, "I'm curious what else you can do besides letting me-" he paused deliberately while letting a teasing chuckle, "...get inside you the way you did last time. Believe it or not, I enjoyed what we did back then..."

Arondight felt his jaw tighten. He knew precisely what Red Hilt was implying, and the memories of that encounter sent an unpleasant heat across his face.

"If you think you can convince me to do that again with you, you're wrong!" Arondight snapped angrily as the grip on his spear tightened, "I won't tolerate your...words, or your deceptions, or-whatever else you're plotting! What I want now is for you to fight me fairly!"

The smile behind Red Hilt's mask seemed to grow as he slowly approached Arondight.

"Are you really that desperate to pick a fight with me, huh?" he replied. He didn't know whether to admire Arondight's courage or laugh because he did not seem to understand the gap between their strengths. "You probably know you don't stand a chance, especially in your condition..." Then, Red Hilt's eyes slid down and landed on the slightly noticeable bulge between Arondight's thighs.

The young hero noticed the villain's unwarranted gaze and quickly tilted his stance. His grip tightened on his weapon as heat from the embarrassment rushed into his face. Of all the things this...bastard villain could ever notice, this was what he had to focus on?! He really had no shame!

"D-damn you..." the hero hissed under his breath. "What did you do to me?!"

"Relax...I haven't done anything to you, and that little reaction won't kill you either..."

Red Hilt tried hard to hide the teasing in his eyes. Of course, he expected that kind of reaction. When his men reported they'd used a dose of his latest concoction on the hero (a serum he had been perfecting for months), he was eager to see how well it worked on the hero. Arondight was famously resistant to all known neutralizers. Ordinary ones could only dulled his elemental control for a few minutes, but Red Hilt's formula differed. His formula was enough to weaken not only the hero's powers, but he could even witness its other effects on the young man...

"...guess my little experiment worked better than I expected..." Red Hilt murmured to himself, still hiding that playful smirk beneath his demonic mask.

After a moment of pause, he stared back at the hero. He added teasingly, "Okay, okay! No need to get all worked up. There's an easy way to fix your little problem, you know." Then he responded again. This time, he said more teasingly and almost seductively, "Would you like me to...help you with my hand?"

"You bastard!" Arondight snorted angrily, almost lunging at the villain. But for some reason, he stopped himself from doing so, "Of all the villains I've fought, you're the most shameless and insane of them all!"

"I'll take that as a compliment..." The villain answered bluntly, "But honestly, that's not why I came here..."

Arondight frowned at the villain's words.

"W-what...are you saying?"

"Okay, let me put it simply." Red Hilt lifted both hands to show that he had no intention to strike the hero or engage him in a fight. "Let's forget this hero-versus-villain thing momentarily and join me for a nice, simple dinner? What do you say, sounds like a good deal?"

"What are you saying..." Arondight slightly lowered his weapon and curiously asked, "Dinner? What do you mean...dinner?"

"Dinner." Red Hilt simply repeated what the young hero had said. "You know, good food? A nice glass of red wine? Perhaps a civilized conversation between two unlikely people?"

"I know what dinner means!" Arondight quickly replied. He was starting to lose patience with the villain's constant teasing. "I know you're up to something bad, and if you think you can make me do what you want again, you're wrong!"

"Ouch..." Red Hilt laughed a little at the hero's hurtful accusation against him, "I just offered you a simple dinner, and now suddenly I'm the bad guy again? You really think I always have evil plans?"

"Yes!" Arondight shot back, "After everything you've done to me-"

"Wait, hold on--I didn't rape you or something, we did it consensually." Red Hilt instantly corrected him while lifting a gloved hand in mock surrender. "I asked you, you agreed. You even came with me and we both enjoyed it, so why does it seem like it's my fault? Let's get this one straight between us, shall we? You wanted it as much as I did, so don't rewrite the whole story just because you're too embarrassed to admit it!"

"Well...that's-"

Arondight stopped himself midsentence, as if the words were catching in his throat. Damn it! He hated that Red Hilt was right. He wasn't forced. He'd even...enjoyed it, and that was the worst part. He willingly went with the villain and agreed that something would happen to them that time, so it's not fair to say that Red Hilt was solely to blame. However, Arondight couldn't accept that he played a significant role in that disgrace.

But...why was he even arguing about this now?

"Anyway, my point is..." Arondight continued stiffly, trying to regain his composure, "...still, you cannot seriously expect me to just...sit down and eat with you? After everything we've done...?"

"Why not?" Red Hilt shrugged, unbothered if the hero's no longer comfortable with their discussion. "You admit it yourself, we've already done something far less civilized than having a simple dinner, haven't we? So what's the problem if I invite you to Dinner? You have nothing to lose anymore...Arondight."

"Are you really serious about what you're saying?!"

To be honest, Arondight couldn't understand where their conversation was going. It was clear to him that he would fight the villain, but their conversation was going in a bad direction again.

"Do you really want to see how serious I am?"

Arondight sensed a sudden shift in the air, so he instinctively stepped back. The space beside Red Hilt warped and bent inward like a whirlpool of shadow. Then, a black void tore open, its edges pulsing with crimson light and a chilling hum that filled that space. And then from that unnatural hole, something thick beside Red Hilt spilled like a curling tendril of red smoke, seeping across the floor like a living mist.

That's where Arondight saw Harbinger and the children's outline forming within the red haze. The faces of the children were pale with fear, while their body was bound by streams of living red smoke. They failed to immediately escape the warehouse because they were blocked right outside by Red Hilt's minions, all monsters made of pure red smoke with sharp fangs, claws, and massive bodies.

"How-?!" His voice cracked in shock; his lightning spear was flickering violently in his grip. "How did you-"

"The decision is yours, Arondight..." The way Red Hilt cut through Arondight's words was smooth but commanding, like a guillotine's blade poised to fall on the young hero's head. "Will you have dinner with me or..." then the villain gestured lazily at writhing red smoke monsters circling the children, "...my pets will have them for dinner?"

He knew the villain was up to something bad, but never thought he would use innocent children against him. Because of this, he hated the villain even more, to the point that he wanted to rush in and finish the fight, but he couldn't. If he did, Red Hilt would surely order his monsters to harm the children and Harbinger. His conscience couldn't bear to see any innocent people harmed when there was a safer and better solution.

So, without further ado, Arondight gritted his teeth as his eyes locked on Red Hilt and said, "Fine, I'll have dinner with you!"

For a heartbeat, Red Hilt said nothing. He simply allowed the words to sink in. Then, slowly, he straightened himself and tilted his head as if savoring the moment.

"Well, well..." he purred. His tone was low and dangerous, yet teasing. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Choosing to sit with me instead of letting a few kids die." Then, Red Hilt's eyes glittered mercilessly, yet undeniably amused as he finished his sentence, "...that's my hero."

"But let's make one thing perfectly clear," Arondight snapped. His eyes flashed with controlled fury as he continued, "I'm only agreeing to this for the sake of those kids and my partner. Don't think for a second that I'm playing along with your insane tactics to seduce me or...that I'll ever give in to whatever you're planning to--"

Red Hilt cut him off with a lazy but almost playful smile hidden beneath his demonic mask. "Relax, hero," he said smoothly, letting the words drip with mischief. "Don't worry...your remaining dignity is safe with me, honestly? Resisting me is half the fun..."

Before the hero could react to that, the bloody-red, smoky tendrils wrapped around him, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. His lightning spear sparked in his hands as he struggled, but the smoke moved faster than any force he could summon, curling around his wrists, ankles, and torso like liquid iron.

"Hey, you--you bastard son of a bitch!" Arondight barked, jerking against the bindings, "Let me go, you asshole!"

But Red Hilt didn't listen to Arondight. Instead, the villain enveloped Arondight with red shadows. The hero gradually felt that the world around him slowly blurred, and the space seemed to change.

This was no ordinary attack-he was being transported.

This was the first time Arondight had witnessed how Red Hilt demonstrated his ability to warp from one dimension to another. This was just a rumor among his fellow heroes. Still, no one had ever proven that the notorious no. 2 villain could do it. But now that he had experienced it himself, he felt like he was riding a roller coaster at impossible speeds, where every fiber of his stomach was being pulled and twisted as the environment shifted around him.

But soon, the chaotic movements stopped.

The smoke that had enveloped Arondight's body disappeared. He collapsed onto the soft, plush carpet that smells like an expensive perfume while gasping for air. A wave of nausea immediately followed and churned violently in his gut. He tried to press a hand to his chest to steady himself as his eyes slowly adjusted to his environment. When his vision was cleared, he realized he was no longer in the warehouse. Instead, Arondight found himself in the vast and luxurious dining hall of Noble Seas, one of the 5-star hotels in Galahad City that only a few elite and influential people could afford. Chandeliers that looked like they were made out of diamonds sparkled above him, casting intricate patterns across the room, and the long tables were laid with polished silverware and crystal glasses. The aroma of rich, exotic dishes from the chef's kitchen filled the air, mingling with the faint tang of the sea breeze drifting through open windows.

Arondight slowly stood up, wiped the sour taste from his mouth, tried to shake off the lingering nausea, and scanned the room incredulously.

Noble Seas? Why here?

Of all places in Galahad City, why would Red Hilt choose this ultra-exclusive, gilded hall for a dinner?

But more importantly...

What kind of "dinner" was this villain preparing for him?

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