"I want to get a different mission," he responded, his voice firm as he tried to escaped the cycle of repeating past mistakes.
He made up his mind, and decided he would no longer care about her. If she died, so be it. He would not jump in to rescue and protect her like a knight in shining armor.
The days of acting on impulse were behind him.
Reign reminded himself that he was a monster, and he needed to remove all these unnecessary feelings that made him weak and vulnerable.
The manager sighed and said, "That's too bad. I heard rumors that they are working with a suspected Peak high-rank demon. It's a dangerous situation. She might get herself killed and I can't really stop her,"
Reign's eyes widened at the mention of a high-rank demon.
Before he could think it through, he blurted out, "Alright, I'll take the job!"
The manager looked at him, slightly confused
"Are you sure? You just said you didn't want to get involved."
'Damn it,' he clicked his tongue in annoyance.
But the thought of her dying made him uneasy . It was the same feeling she had about Cyril.
He shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, well, I changed my mind.
The manager's expression transformed to a genuine smile.
"Thank you for stepping up. It means a lot. You're doing a huge favor not just for me, but her as well . I'll make sure the mission details are prepared and handed to you right away."
He extended his hand towards Reign. "I really appreciate it. Good luck out there."
Reign sighed deeply 'I hate this feeling.'
He was frustrated, realizing he now had two weakness to deal with.
After leaving the manager's office, he walked back to the lobby.
The place was busy as usual, but he didn't pay much attention.
His mind was still focused on the mission. As he pushed open the doors, he saw Green Viper waiting for him.
She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, a small smile on her face.
She must have already gotten the news that they'd be working together. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of amusement and something else that Reign couldn't quite figure out.
"So," she said, stepping closer, "looks like we're partners for this one, huh?"
She waited for a reply, but Reign just walked passed her.
Reign's dismissive attitude bothered her. He hadn't even acknowledged her properly, as if she didn't matter.
She figured he thought she was just going to slow him down, especially after seeing how skilled he was earlier.
Sure, he had the right to be confident—his talent was obvious—but she wasn't about to let him underestimate her.
She had worked hard to become as strong as she was. She had fought to earn her place among the best, and she wasn't going to let someone like him, who seemed naturally gifted and blessed with overwhelming potential, ignore all the effort she'd put in.
"Hey," she called out.
"Hey, I'm talking to you !"
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.
She gripped her single-handed dagger tightly and glared at him.
"Fine, if you're not going to use a weapon, let's get this over with! ," Continue your adventure at empire
"Just hurry up." he responded.
Without warning, she charged at him, her dagger aimed to kill.
However -
He easily dodged her first attack which only made her more frustrated.
"Come on, where's all that effort you were bragging about?" Reign taunted, trying to make her angrier.
For some reason, seeing her annoyed face made him feel a bit excited.
It was a strange feeling, almost like a weird fetish, but considering how he had fallen for her at first sight with no logical explanation, this feeling was more understandable.
SLASH!
SLASH!
SLASH!
She gritted her teeth and attacked him again and again, this time pushing herself harder.
She darted to the left, then quickly spun to the right, aiming for his side.
When he sidestepped, she quickly followed up with a low sweep towards his legs, hoping to catch him off guard.
But he effortlessly hopped over her sweeping dagger, making it look like a simple jumping exercise.
Frustrated, she twisted her body and aimed a sharp thrust towards his chest, but he leaned back just enough to let the blade pass inches from him.
"Not bad, but still not enough," Reign said, shaking his head as a smile crept onto his lips.
She was pretty strong for a divergent and had a lot of potential, but that's where it ended.
She was limited by her own race, and there wasn't much she could do about it.
Maybe if she became a demon, she would be a formidable opponent, but that was nearly impossible without some kind of magical system to alter her DNA.
The fight continued, but he always had the upper hand, barely putting in any effort.
Finally, he had enough playing around , he caught her dagger with his bare hand, stopping her strike.
"You've shown enough," he spoke up.
Green Viper, panting and frustrated, looked at him with determination.
"I'm not done yet," she said firmly.
Reign stepped back and released her weapon.
"Alright, you've proved yourself," he sighed.
He knew that if he kept rejecting her, she would just keep pestering him—her stubbornness was off the chart.
"I don't need your pity," she spat out, raising her dagger for another round.
"Listen, there's no need to keep going," Reign said, his tone calm.
"The result is obvious—you can't beat me, no matter how hard you try. Just be glad I'm willing to acknowledge your effort"