The Extortion

Bang!

A crushing blow to the chest sent Ren flying, landing hard on a floating platform. He rolled several times before coming to a stop.

The sudden impact broke his connection with the Gem of Desire. He quickly shoved the salvaged consciousness into a generic Puppet.

He couldn't open the Theater of Domination in the Sea of Quanta, but consciousness transfer was still possible.

"Cough!" He spat out blood, several ribs likely broken. Bronya, upon impact, had instinctively activated her shield, protecting herself while sending Ren flying.

Newly licensed Herrschers were so unreliable. Speeding, hitting people, and not even bothering to help them up.

But Bronya was focused on her surroundings. The intense cold of this region was already affecting her. If not for her Herrscher powers, she'd be an icicle by now.

"Mr. Welt, what is this?"

"It's Serpent. I felt this cold during his sealing. It has to be him." Welt responded. Though they hadn't met face-to-face, they'd interacted many times in the Sea of Quanta.

After a moment, Bronya's body temperature returned to normal. Her motorcycle-form Project Bunny was coated in a thick layer of frost, unusable for now.

My brand new ride…

Finally, Bronya noticed Ren on the platform. "Could this be Serpent?"

But he didn't exude a threatening aura. Instead, there was a sense of familiarity, a feeling she'd seen him before.

Then, her eyes widened in recognition as she approached him.

Ren, playing the part of the injured victim, lay there as if on the verge of death, clutching Seele's hairpin.

He wasn't about to get hit by a Herrscher and not get some compensation.

Seeing the hairpin, Bronya's face paled. Why did this stranger have Seele's hairpin? Had something happened to her?

As she reached for Ren, Welt's voice rang out.

"Careful! He's the one who killed my avatar."

"What?" Before she could react, Ren grabbed her ankle. Tentacles erupted, binding her tightly.

Lucky him. Maybe he could steal some of the Herrscher of Reason's power.

The tentacles weren't for his amusement. They were effective, and unlike threads, they wouldn't immediately give away his identity as the Herrscher of Dominance.

Bronya, new to her powers, hadn't mastered them yet. The theft was easy. Ren suspected he could revoke her Herrscher license without Kevin's help.

But with Welt watching, he couldn't be too greedy. He'd steal what he could. It would also restrict Welt. As long as Bronya held the core, Welt couldn't reconstruct his physical body.

"He has the Gem of Desire."

At this range, Welt sensed the Gem within Ren. He quickly warned Bronya.

But Bronya was trapped. She aimed her floating cannons at Ren, trying to force him to release her.

As the standoff continued, Seele, following her sister, arrived.

"Mr. Kindred? What are you doing to my sister?" Seeing Bronya bound by tentacles, Seele was understandably confused.

'Idiot! He's not your sister's friend. He's the enemy. Let me handle this!'

After a brief internal exchange, Seele's eyes flashed red. Veliona took control. Her massive scythe swung towards Ren.

Clang!

Metal clashed against metal as Ren's tentacles formed into blades, blocking Seele's attack.

Kevin had locked down this area. There was no escape. A fight was inevitable. Wiping the blood from his lip, Ren wielded a blade in each hand.

"Seele, don't misunderstand. There was a little accident. I'm just asking your sister for compensation."

His words were light, but his attacks were relentless.

With Seele's arrival, the spatial lock was complete. Escaping peacefully was impossible. Might as well go down swinging and gather as many resources as possible.

"Let her go!" Veliona wasn't as easily fooled as Seele. She didn't hold back. With Ren focused on restraining Bronya, her attacks grew sharper, gaining the upper hand.

Ren resorted to his previous tactic, the one he'd used in ARC City. He pressed a blade against Bronya's throat, forcing Seele to stop.

Veliona didn't want to let him go, but she couldn't override Seele.

The red faded from Seele's eyes, replaced by ocean blue. Her outer persona regained control.

"Mr. Kindred, please don't hurt my sister. I'll take her place." She lowered her scythe and approached Ren, showing her willingness to be a hostage.

"Seele, don't!" Bronya cried out, but Ren muffled her voice.

"Don't worry. I just want some compensation. Your sister hit me."

A Will-o'-the-Wisp joyriding in the Sea of Quanta, rear-ending Ren. And his demand?

A portion of the Herrscher of Reason's power.

Ding! The power was copied. Ren smiled.

Then, an ice spear pierced his chest.

Sizzle…

The wound froze, frost spreading. Ren opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

The strongest MANTIS soldier had arrived.