In The Night

Rama sighed as well. He had suspected that Adrien had no intention of keeping this a secret. Now, Rama regretted using that power.

But there was nothing he could do now, was there? Adrien knew, and he couldn't possibly silence him.

"What have you actually done?" Adrien asked while looking at Rama suspiciously.

Rama scratched his head, unsure of what answer to give. In the end, he chose to tell the truth, but not everything.

"I feel... Something awakened within me since that incident, sir," Rama said.

"What incident?" Adrien frowned.

Rama explained that it would be quite a long story, so he suggested they sit down. Adrien agreed, and they both leaned against the wall.

Rama recounted how he used to be a weak and helpless porter who took odd jobs and wasn't affiliated with any guild because it was the only source of income he could find to afford daily meals.

Then he moved on to the story of Donovan, who forcibly sacrificed him on the altar of a Holy Tomb. Adrien looked shocked, but shortly after, that shock turned into anger. Rama noticed this when he saw Adrien's jaw clenched.

As Rama continued his story, Adrien decided to hold back the curses he wanted to utter.

"After somehow surviving that incident, something strange happened to my body. Suddenly, my body became stronger and developed very rapidly," Rama said.

Adrien fell silent, contemplating what had actually happened to Rama. He knew that a Holy Tomb was a sacred place that held treasures as great as the dangers guarding them. Besides that, there wasn't much known about the Holy Tomb.

It was clear that the Holy Tomb was a remnant of an ancient civilization from the time of the Supernatural Great War. But because no one knew what lay inside, Adrien thought that Rama had been lucky to acquire a hidden power there.

"You're very lucky, kid," Adrien said, gripping Rama's shoulder, trying to give him strength for what he had been through. "You've gone through a lot. Now, it might be your chance to change your fate. And seek revenge."

Rama looked up, surprised when Adrien uttered his last sentence. "Revenge?"

Adrien's face hardened. "Yes. Revenge. Don't you think about getting back at that arrogant bastard?"

Rama smiled, relieved that there was finally someone who understood him. "Yes, sir. I want to get back at him. As soon as possible!"

Adrien grinned. "I can promise you now. I won't tell anyone what happened to you."

"Thank you, sir," said Rama.

"I think, with a physique like yours, you already have the physical condition of a B Rank Hunter. But because you can't use magic, you still can't be classified as one," Adrien said.

Rama nodded. So he still lacked something important to defeat Donovan.

"I don't know if you'll awaken a talent for magic or not. But you can compensate for that weakness with combat skills and good swordsmanship," Adrien continued. "I used to be a Hunter under the Cross family guild. So I can provide you with some information."

Rama looked up, his smile widening upon hearing this good news. "Why are you willing to help me this much, sir?" he asked.

Adrien sighed, looking away, as if revisiting a past event. "Let's just say... You and I have similar problems."

Rama didn't inquire further about that because from Adrien's expression, whatever happened between him and the guild was not something he wanted to talk about. Rather than focusing on that, Rama chose to continue their training. Adrien agreed to that.

~~~

The night finally arrived in Twilight City. It was finally time for Sophia to carry out her plan.

She was a woman in her late twenties, but her appearance could make her look like a teenager trying to be 17 years old.

She had bright blonde hair that cascaded down to her back. Her body had curves that could make any man crave for it, and Sophia used her advantage well for her purposes.

She wore a tight and short skirt under a leather jacket top. Underneath that leather jacket, she had on a similarly tight black tank top.

Sophia entered a nightclub where she could find as many targets as she wanted. It didn't take long for men to approach her with lustful eyes, seeing Sophia as their target for momentary desire.

But this time, Sophia didn't want to prey on ordinary humans. Over the past week, she had already gained many new 'pets,' all of them being ordinary men with various professions. This time, Sophia wanted to try something more challenging.

She recognized a 45-year-old man sitting alone and approached him. She didn't forget to unzip her jacket, exposing her bosom.

"Good evening, officer," Sophia sat down beside him with a sweet smile. "You seem like you need some company for a drink."

The man, a police officer, looked at Sophia with the same lustful eyes as the other men.

"That sounds like a good idea," the officer said.

Sophia smiled. From the outside, that smile looked so beautiful on her already pretty face. However, the smile only concealed the demon lurking behind the facade of the beautiful woman.

And just like that, Sophia had acquired her other 'pet.'

Little did she know that her continuous actions were starting to raise suspicions among the police and some Supernatural Hunters.

~~~