Sera moved faster than perception itself.
In less than a second, she was crouched over Dillion with a blade of pure purple energy pressed against his throat.
The edge drew a single drop of blood that ran down his neck.
"Wait—" Dillion's eyes were wide, all his bored confidence evaporated.
She raised her blade forcing the S-ranked hunter to match her cold, disgusted gaze. "And why the hell would I listen do a damn thing you say?"
"SERA!" Judas screamed. "Back down. Now. I agreed to this."
She didn't move. The blade pressed deeper, drawing another line of blood. "He hurt you." Her voice was flat and dead. "The system told me. Your vitality dropped to critical. Your bones broke. You were dying."
"It's not a gambler's duel." Judas's voice didn't waver, and he took one confident step toward her, even as the room seemed to sag under the weight of her power. The invisible air blew his hair in all directions, but still, he walked forward never once looking away. "This was my choice, Sera."
Sera could kill him right now without breaking a sweat. But then we'd have the entire Ashford guild hunting us. Hundreds of A-ranks. Multiple S-ranks. Even Sera couldn't handle that. Not while trying to keep me alive.
The realization cut through him painfully.
We can't make enemies here. Not yet. Not when I'm still so fucking weak.
"Sera, listen to me." Judas's voice called out over the chaos unfaltering. "If Dillion wanted me dead, I'd already be a corpse. He's S-rank. He was holding back the entire fight."
Sera's blade trembled. "He broke your ribs and made you bleed."
"And I'm already healing." Judas moved closer without caution. "Please. Trust me."
Still furious, she finally turned to glare at him. The movement was fast and violent, but the blade at Dillion's throat didn't waver. "Then explain. Now."
"It's an assessment. Evie wants to know if I'm worth recruiting. Dillion's testing my limits." Judas kept his voice calm, measured. "This is how the Ashford operation works. It's business. Cold. Efficient. But not personal."
Sera's eyes searched his face, looking for lies.
Dillion, blade still kissing his jugular, actually chuckled. "Perceptive kid." His voice was strained but steady. "I wasn't going for kill shots. Hell, I pulled most of my punches. If I'd actually wanted him dead, he wouldn't have survived the first exchange."
His eyes looked up at Sera with genuine fascination despite the death threat. "And I think I understand how you managed to defeat Marcus King, kid. What an absolutely insane guide you were given."
The pressure in the room lessened as if Sera was considering whether to believe them. She sighed lowering her blade.
Then, all at once, the weight vanished completely.
People on the observation deck gasped for air.
Evie pushed herself to her feet with shaking legs, smoothing down her skirt with trembling hands. Her perfect composure had shattered, platinum hair disheveled, a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead.
Dillion remained on the ground, wisely not moving until Sera fully withdrew.
Sera paced across the room meeting Judas where he stood.
"You have some serious explaining to do later." Her voice was tight like she was holding back a scream. "I didn't even know you left."
"Right." Judas nodded, "I'll give you all my time when I'm done here."
Immediately, the threatening aura vanished like someone had flipped a switch. Sera's shoulders slumped, her expression shifting from monstrous rage to something softer.
She pouted. Actually pouted. "It's... the least you can do after scaring me like that."
The whiplash was dizzying. From terrifying apex predator to sulking in three seconds flat.
Dillion slowly pushed himself to his feet, touching the shallow cut on his neck. Blood stained his fingers. "Well. That was educational." He looked at Judas with newfound respect. "Most D-ranks would've let their guide kill me. You've got control."
Judas took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I want to finish this."
"Finish what?" Sera stepped closer, protective instinct still radiating from her despite the softer demeanor.
"The sparring session." Judas looked up at the observation deck, meeting Evie's eyes. She was still pale, still trembling slightly from being forced to her knees, but her gaze was sharp. Calculating. Impressed.
Evie straightened her blouse with shaking hands, smoothing out wrinkles that weren't there.
"Admirable," she said, her voice carrying across the arena despite the tremor in it. "Reckless. But admirable."
Did she just compliment me?
Sera turned to Judas, her eyes searching his face. "Are you sure about this?"
"No. But I'm doing it anyway."
She studied him for a long moment, reading every micro-expression, every tells that their bond allowed her to see. Then sighed, resignation mixing with frustration. "Fine. But I'm staying. And if he goes too far again—"
"You'll know." Judas managed a weak smile. "You always know."
Sera didn't smile back. She moved to the edge of the ring, arms crossed, every line of her body screaming that she was two seconds from intervening again. The purple energy still danced across her skin, a barely restrained threat.
Dillion rotated his shoulder, testing his range of motion. The bored expression was completely gone now, replaced by genuine wariness. "Your guide is..."
"Protective," Judas finished.
"That's one word for it." Dillion's eyes flicked to Sera, then back to Judas. "Terrifying is another. I've fought dozens of guides over the years. A, B, even a couple S-ranks." He touched his neck again, looking at the blood on his fingers like it was proof of something impossible. "Never felt pressure like that. She could've killed me. Easily. Before I even registered the attack."
"She could've," Judas agreed. "She didn't. Because I asked her not to."
Something shifted in Dillion's expression. Respect, maybe. Real respect. "You've got control over her. That's rare. Most D-rank gamblers get controlled by their guides, not the other way around."
I don't control Sera. We're partners. But I'm not going to correct him.
"Ready to continue?" Judas asked, settling back into a fighting stance despite his body's protests.
From the observation deck, Evie leaned against the railing. Her knuckles were white from gripping the metal, and her breathing was still unsteady. The experience of being forced to her knees had clearly shaken her, but she refused to leave. Refused to look away.
Her eyes tracked every movement Judas made with an intensity that had nothing to do with professional assessment.
He stopped that monster with words alone, she thought, her heart still racing. What kind of bond do they have? What kind of man commands that much loyalty from something that powerful?
Judas met her gaze across the distance, and for a moment, everything else faded. Her disheveled hair. Her flushed cheeks. The way she was gripping the railing like she needed something to hold onto.
"No, I think that's enough." Dillion flashed Judas a warm smile. "I like how battle hungry you are kid but... I believe Ms. Ashford has seen everything she needs to make a judgement." Dillion looked up at the observation deck. "Heiress. Your call."
All eyes turned to Evie.
She stood there, hair still loose around her shoulders, blouse still wrinkled, but her voice was as polished as ever.
"He's rough," Evie said finally. "Untrained. Reckless to the point of stupidity."
Judas's heart sank.
"But," she continued, and the smallest smile touched her lips, "he's teachable. And more importantly, he doesn't quit." Her eyes met his. "I can work with that."
Judas's posture loosened into a relaxed slump.
"Welcome to the Ashford operation, Mr. Crown." Evie's smile widened just slightly. "Try not to die during orientation."
[SUBQUEST COMPLETE: SURVIVE EVIE ASHFORD'S EVALUATION]
[REWARD PROCESSING...]
[+50 SP GAINED]
[+350 XP GAINED]
[S-RANK PASSIVE ABILITY UNLOCKED: FOOL'S RESILIENCE]
[LEVEL UP! 11 → 12]
[+5 SP GAINED]
[EFFECT: When vitality drops below 25%, automatically restore 20% of maximum vitality once per combat encounter.]
[CURRENT SP: 63]
Judas stared at the notifications, his mind reeling from the sudden influx of power.
Sixty-three SP. That's... that's insane. I could unlock an entire branch of abilities with that.
But before he could process any of it, Sera grabbed his wrist. Hard.
"We're leaving. Now."
Her voice left no room for argument.
"Sera, I need to—"
"Now." She yanked him toward the exit, purple light already gathering around them. "Before I change my mind about not killing everyone in this building."
Evie called out from the observation deck. "Mr. Crown, we'll be in touch about—"
Purple light swallowed them both, as Judas felt the familiar falling sensation as they teleported.
The Sanctum vanished, replaced by the familiar shabby interior of Judas's apartment.
Sera released his wrist and immediately began pacing like a caged animal. Her fists clenched and unclenched. Her breathing was ragged.
"Last night," she started, voice shaking, "I made a decision. A choice. To stay with you. To sleep beside you. To be close to you."
Judas opened his mouth to respond.
"I'm not finished." She whirled on him, and there were tears streaming down her face now. "I woke up to alerts. Damage notifications. Bet activations. Critical vitality warnings. Do you have any idea what that felt like? Feeling your pain through our bond but not knowing where you were?"
"I'm sorry—"
"You're sorry?" Her voice cracked. "I teleported to you and found you battered and bleeding in some underground fighting ring! With that woman watching like you were entertainment!"
"It wasn't like that—"
"Then what was it like, Judas?" Sera's hands were shaking. "Because from where I stood, it looked like you were trying to get yourself killed without me!"
The raw emotion in her voice caused his stomach to plummet. He balled his fists and forced himself to speak.
"I needed to do this on my own," he said quietly. "I needed to prove I could handle something without you saving me."
"Why?" She stepped closer, and he could see her cheeks still wet from tears. "Why do you need to prove that? I'm your guide. Protecting my only purpose!"
"Because I'm tired of being useless!" The words exploded out of him. "Every day I'm figuring out this system shit. During my fight with Marcus, I only lived because you were there. You're the one doing all the work while I just try not to die!"
"You're not useless—"
"I am!" Judas grabbed her shoulders. "I'm level eleven now and I couldn't even damage that hunter. What happens when someone stronger comes? What if... you can't handle it alone?"
Sera stared at him, chest heaving.
"Then we die together," she said simply. "Because that's how this works. I'm bonded to you. Your death is my death. So if you go down, I go down." Her voice softened. "But at least we'd be together."
The admission hung in the air between them.
Judas's grip on her shoulders loosened. "Sera..."
"I was terrified," she whispered. "Absolutely terrified. I felt you dying and I couldn't do anything about it. Couldn't reach you fast enough. Couldn't..." Her voice broke completely. "I thought I was going to lose you."
Something in Judas broke completely.
All the guilt, the fear, the desperate need to prove himself crashed at the sight of Sera crying in front of him. This impossibly powerful guide, this SSR-rank entity that could level buildings, was standing in his apartment sobbing because she'd been scared for him.
I'm the absolute worst.
He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. Sera collapsed into him, face pressed against his chest, her whole body shaking.
"I'm sorry," he murmured into her purple hair. "I'm so sorry. I should've told you. Should've brought you with me."
"You should've," she agreed, voice muffled against his shirt. "You absolute idiot."
They stood there for a long moment, just holding each other. Sera's breathing gradually steadied, her trembling subsiding.
When she finally pulled back to look at him, her eyes were red-rimmed but clearer.
"Don't ever do that again," she said firmly. "Don't ever leave without telling me. Don't ever make me wake up to damage alerts. Don't ever—"
He kissed her.
Soft at first, an apology made physical.
Sera made a small sound of surprise, her hands coming up to rest against his chest.
Then she was kissing him back, desperate and hungry, like she'd been holding this in for days and finally had permission to let go.
Judas's hands slid down to her waist, pulling her closer. Sera responded immediately, pressing her body against his, her curves molding to his frame in a way that made coherent thought impossible.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Sera's eyes were dark with painful thoughts.
"Judas..." Her voice was husky. "What are we doing?"
"I don't know." His hands were still on her waist, "but I don't want to stop."
[OPTIONAL SUBQUEST DETECTED]
[DRIVE HER CRAZY]
[REWARD: UNDISCLOSED]
[ACCEPT? Y/N]
Judas's body was already responding, heat pooling low in his stomach, his jeans getting uncomfortably tight as Sera pressed against him.
Amelia. I should be thinking about Amelia. I should—
But all he could see was Sera. Tear-streaked face. Ocean-blue eyes wide with need. The SSR-rank guide, powerful and mighty, terrified at the thought of losing him.
She deserves this. Deserves to be chosen.
"Yes," he said, accepting the quest.
Then he grabbed the hem of her crop top and ripped it off in one motion.