Ren's boots scraped over scorched concrete as he dragged the two half-dead Lan thugs by their collars.

The night air still stank of smoke and melted wood from the brothel that had fully burned twenty minutes ago.

Behind him, Luxy followed barefoot and naked, the last battle and the fire having eaten every stitch of her clothing. Moonlight painted her skin silver; she didn't bother covering herself, she'd stopped caring about modesty somewhere around the third explosion.

"Ren," she called, voice low but sharp, "tell me again why we're playing paramedic for people who just tried to trick you and attack you."

Ren didn't look back. "Because Daichi's still breathing, and he still got some use. I'm quite curious if he is really scared of this Chiyo Asashi or is he trying to play Ren." He mutterd showing he wasn't doing things out of pity.

Luxy caught up and walked beside him, arms loose at her sides. "Healing Grace isn't exactly designed for… healing others from what I understand. Especially not when you're siphoning from one person to patch another. You sure this is going to work?"

Ren snorted. "Obviously not."

He stopped so abruptly she almost bumped into him. His gaze had snagged somewhere around her chest and refused to climb back up. Luxy raised an eyebrow.

"Eyes up, here."

Ren blinked, dragged a hand down his face. "Sorry. It's just your body is ridiculous. Like, unfairly perfect. The proportions should be illegal. You're beautiful"

A reluctant smile tugged at her mouth, as she felt something inside hearing those worse. "You pick the worst moments to be honest...but thank you!"

Ren shook his head hard, like a dog shedding water. "Right. Let's do this before that man dies."

He dropped the two thugs close to where Daichi was laying. He lays there his chest rising up and down, painful gasps.

Most of his skin looked like charred paper ready to flake off. One of the Lan girls—short black hair, blood crusted at her temple—was barely breathing. The other thug, taller, tattoo crawling up her neck, still had a pulse but not much else.

Ren knelt between them, placed his left palm on the short girl's chest, right palm on Daichi's ruined shoulder. Green light bloomed under his hands, soft at first, then fierce.

He closed his eyes. Sweat beaded on his forehead instantly.

"This is nothing like healing myself," he muttered through clenched teeth. "It's like trying to thread two needles at once while they're on fire."

Luxy crouched opposite him, every muscle coiled. Her eyes never left his face. If the spell backlashed, she'd yank him clear even if it meant letting Daichi die. Ren came first; that was the rule she never said out loud. She would gladly kill anyone to save Ren because he was her hope.

Under Ren's left hand, the Lan girl's skin began to tighten, then sag. Fine lines spider-webbed from the corners of her eyes; her cheeks hollowed. Youth draining out of her like sand through a cracked hourglass. At the same time, Daichi's blackened shoulder knit itself, charred flesh peeling away to reveal angry pink underneath.

Ren's breath hitched. "Almost… keep it steady…"

But suddenly, his hands started shaking.

The flow reversed in a heartbeat. New skin on Daichi's arm blistered and split again. The girl convulsed once, foam bubbling at her lips, then went terrifyingly still.

Luxy's hand clamped around Ren's wrist and ripped him backward. The green light snapped off like a broken bulb.

Ren hit the ground hard, chest heaving. "Fuck!" The curse tore out of him raw. "Fuck, this isn't easy. I felt everything, both of their pain at the same time. One slip and…" He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Misa somehow did same to Kyouka without using any sacrifice. She must've gone through hell to master it."

Luxy's voice was quiet. "Yeah. That's for damn sure."

Ren stared at the dead girl for a long second, then crawled to the second thug, the tall one with the neck tattoo. She was younger, maybe in her teens. Her breathing was shallow but steady.

"This time I've got it," he said, more to himself than anyone else.

He placed his hands again. Left on the girl, right on Daichi.

Green light rose slower, controlled. Ren's jaw bulged from how hard he was clenching it. Veins stood out on his forearms.

The girl's skin paled, but gently this time. A faint sheen of sweat broke on her forehead; her lips lost a touch of color and soon enough the girl started to look like she was reaching the end of her life with how wrinkled her skin was.

Across from her, Daichi's breathing evened. The worst of the burns retracted like tide going out—raw red giving way to tender pink, then scarred but whole skin. His chest rose stronger. The wet rattle in his lungs eased.

After what felt like hours but was probably ninety seconds, Ren let his hands drop. He swayed, caught himself on his knees.

Daichi was still unconscious, face slack, but the death-rattle had stopped. More than half his body looked merely wounded now, not fatal.

Ren exhaled like he'd been holding his breath since birth. "He'll live. Can't carry him home myself too wiped. Luxy…"

She was already grimacing. "You owe me."

"I know."

"I had a scrim tonight. Ranked. My team's gonna flame me for ditching."

"I'll buy you the new skin you wanted. The one with the angel wings on it."

"Two skins."

"Three. And the next battle pass."

Luxy sighed through her nose, stood, and brushed ash off her thighs that weren't covered anymore. She glanced down at herself, then at the dead girl's jacket—charred but intact enough.

For some reason even though she was naked half of the time, she felt embarassed to dress up in front of Ren.

"Turn around," she told Ren.

He obediently faced the other way while she stripped the jacket and pants off the corpse. The fabric smelled like smoke and blood, but it was better than strolling through the city naked.

When she was dressed, jacket sleeves too short, pants tight in the hips. She hoisted Daichi over one shoulder with infuriating ease. The guy weighed only like hundred pounds, so Luxy carried him like a backpack easily.

Ren pushed to his feet, swaying. "Lan Ning's gone, by the way. Slipped away while we were busy."

Luxy's eyes narrowed. "Figures." She adjusted Daichi's weight. "Come on. Sooner we dump this idiot at my place, sooner I get my skins."

Ren managed half a laugh. "You're really hung up on those cosmetics."

"You try playing support for ungrateful ADCs who think 'peel' is a fruit. A girl needs something pretty to look at."

They started walking, footsteps crunching over broken glass. The brothel behind them glowed faintly embers still breathing in its ribs.

Ren glanced sideways at her. The borrowed jacket hung open; moonlight still found the curve of her collarbone. He forced his eyes forward.

"Hey, Luxy."

"Hm?"

"I really am sorry. About today. All of it."

She was quiet long enough that he thought she wouldn't answer. Then:

"You're still buying me three skins now. And the battle pass."

Ren barked a tired laugh. "Deal."

Daichi groaned faintly against her shoulder—alive, hurting, but breathing.

They disappeared into the city's shadows, two silhouettes and one unconscious burden, leaving the burned-out brothel and its some corpses and unconcious thugs of Lan family behind.

***

Luxy pushed open her apartment door with her shoulder, Daichi still hanging limply over her back. The place was dim, a single lamp flickering near the window. She sighed and carried him inside, stepping over a pile of takeout boxes and half-folded laundry.

"I hate this, I thought I was starting to like humans after coming here...but I still hate them." she muttered, lowering Daichi onto her bed. The mattress creaked under his weight, his half-healed body twitching from pain even in unconsciousness.

She straightened, brushing ash from her hands, only to freeze when she heard a soft gasp.

From the crack of the bedroom door, a pair of golden eyes peeked through, wide and glistening.

Luxy's sister stood there, wrapped in one of Luxy's oversized hoodies, the hood pulled up like she was sneaking through a crime scene. Her expression was tragic, trembling, as she clutched the doorframe with one delicate hand.

"Oh no…" Luxy groaned under her breath.

Her sister whispered, voice heavy with emotion. "So it's true… you brought another man into your bed."

Luxy's face went blank. "I'm just helping."

Her sister stepped out dramatically, one hand pressed against her chest like a heroine from the K-dramas she'd been obsessed with lately. "That's what they all say! First comes compassion, then forbidden desire! You've betrayed your human lover, haven't you? Is this the heartbreak mortals always talk about? It hurts… right here…" She thumped her chest lightly, eyes misting. "This must be human sadness flowing through my vessel."

Luxy pinched the bridge of her nose. "You've been watching those stupid dramas again, haven't you?"

Her sister ignored the jab completely, moving closer to the bed and gazing down at Daichi's unconscious face. "He looks so peaceful… yet tormented. Is this the rival? The tragic second lead?"

Luxy stared at her blankly. "He's the idiot Ren told me to keep alive. That's all."

Her sister turned, blinking rapidly as if holding back tears. "So noble… so selfless. You care for one man while saving another. Truly, you live the life of a heroine."

Luxy's eyebrow twitched. "There is no such thing. There is no heroism. There's just me keeping someone from dying on my sheets, which, by the way, I now have to wash because of blood stains."

Her sister looked away, pretending not to hear, mumbling softly, "The cheater's denial… a classic sign of guilt."

Luxy's patience snapped. "For the last time, he's not my lover, he's not Ren's rival, and no one is in love here! Got it?"

Her sister blinked innocently. "So… he's a friend?"

"Yes."

A beat of silence passed before her sister gasped softly again, eyes shining. "Ah! The childhood friend route! Tragic, pure, doomed!"

Luxy buried her face in her hands. "I swear, I'm sending you back to heaven first thing tomorrow."

Her sister just clasped her hands and sighed dreamily. "You can't send away love, sister. It always finds a way."

Luxy turned toward the window and muttered, "Why is she even still here?"

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.