Golden sun streaks from the overhead blurred past the windows like fireworks that refused to quit, while the sleek black beast under Phei’s control roared with pure, unfiltered attitude into side trees.

The engine didn’t just purr anymore—it growled like it was personally daring the road to try and slow them down.

Phei’s eyes flicked to the glowing system notification hovering at the edge of his vision, but his foot never left the accelerator. If anything, he pressed it harder.

[Emergency Mission: Damsel in Distress!]

[Description: Partially because of the private meeting she had with the Host, Roxanne’s nightmare has increased. And her importance to her husband as the time for the Destined Day closes in has diminished—he no longer holds back on her! Save Roxanne and put Jonathan in a state of fear that would last for two days or more!]

His jaw tightened, a dark spark flashing in his eyes.

Eira had already spilled the details about the silent hell Roxanne was living through—the kind of nightmare even Sierra didn’t know about. He had wanted to step in before, but Eira had shut that down fast, saying it was too soon.

That Roxanne would rather die than let her daughter’s man see her broken like that. That she couldn’t bear Sierra or anyone close finding out.

But the way the system worded this... it sounded like Jonathan had decided Roxanne was disposable now.

Whatever quiet torture she’d been enduring was about to get cranked up to eleven. Maybe worse.

Phei could respect her choice to suffer in silence. He wasn’t some nosy busybody who jumped into every sob story. He wasn’t a shining hero playing savior for the whole damn world. But Roxanne wasn’t "everyone."

She was Sierra’s mother. And yeah—he was at least partly responsible for making things worse after that private meeting they’d shared.

That single moment of real connection had clearly sent Jonathan’s paranoia into overdrive.

He wasn’t about to let her pay the price with her life.

Sierra would be destroyed if anything happened to her mom. And if she ever learned that Phei could have stepped in but chose to look the other way? That would break something between them that might never heal.

Besides... he wasn’t exactly a saint with his reasons. Roxanne was stunning. A stunning beauty that deserved to be worshipped, not used as a punching bag by some spineless coward who only felt strong when he was hurting a woman.

She deserved someone on their knees, thanking every god in existence just for the privilege of having her pussy on his lips and a hard cock ready to impale her.

Yeah. Some of his reasons were definitely selfish. But they lit a fire under his resolve and made it burn hotter.

He was saving her. End of discussion.

[Rewards: Cosmic Dragon Face Manifest!]

[Description: DxD Element... if activated, would instill fear in the target as they get thrown into the jails of their demons and greatest fears!]

A low, dangerous chuckle rumbled out of Phei’s chest.

"System, you beautiful, cruel, supportive little bitch. You always know exactly how to tempt me."

He glanced sideways at Amber. She was still half-lost in her own little paradise, head tilted toward the cracked window, eyes closed, that soft, content smile playing on her lips while the wind playfully messed with her already chaotic hair.

Oblivious. Happy. Free.

Then he looked at Eira through the rearview mirror.

She sat perfectly still in the back seat, eyes closed, looking every bit like an ancient immortal sage meditating on the deepest secrets of the universe. The image would’ve been flawless... if she wasn’t such a shameless pervert who spent half her existence plotting ways to climb into her master’s pants.

What he didn’t know was that Eira was actually in a dozen different places at once—watching, monitoring, quietly moving pieces on boards he couldn’t even see yet.

"Eira," he said, voice calm but edged with purpose. "What’s Roxanne doing right now?"

Her eyes snapped open instantly. That knowing, ancient smirk danced across her breathtaking face—the one that always said I’ve been waiting for you to ask that exact question.

"She’s in her bedroom," Eira replied smoothly. "But Jonathan is on his way home. He just finished meeting with Harold and Elliot Heavenchild... and he looks pissed. Whatever they talked about clearly didn’t go his way."

She tilted her head, amusement sparkling in her eyes. "Where do you think all that lovely bottled-up anger is going to land?"

Phei didn’t need to say it out loud. His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel.

"What about the mission I gave Cassiopeia?" he asked next. "How’d it go?"

Eira shook her head, but there was a strange mix of amusement and something deeper in her expression.

"They got backup. From Dravenna and Chaos. And instead of just investigating like good little girls..." She paused for dramatic effect. "They straight-up stole the witch."

Phei let out a genuine laugh, rich and darkly satisfied.

"So, Chaos is finally getting off the sidelines and actually helping instead of playing mysterious cosmic spectator. Noice." His brow furrowed slightly. "But Dravenna? How the hell did she get pulled into this?"

Eira just smiled wider, clearly enjoying keeping that particular card close to her chest. She knew exactly what he was thinking but let the question hang in the air like expensive perfume.

Phei didn’t have clear memories of Dravenna being part of his father’s old inner circle. Just like so many other gaps in his past he did not know—chunks of his history carved out and hidden, leaving blank spaces where answers should be.

He shook it off.

He’d deal with Dravenna later. Their weird dynamic was still very much I call the shots on when we meet, not you showing up uninvited.

Still... he knew she’d reach out eventually.

Eira had wisely kept quiet about Sienna, and Cassiopeia definitely wasn’t going to volunteer anything unless directly asked. Smart girl. Even as his bound slave, she still had her own sharp mind and sense of timing.

Phei’s smile turned predatory.

"The witch who could help them awaken their precious progenitors," he said aloud, voice dripping with dark satisfaction, "just got kidnapped. Poof. Gone."

Eira shook her head slowly.

"Nope. Not quite the win you’re imagining."

He caught her eyes in the rearview mirror.

"While that’s definitely what they discussed, and yes, they know exactly who took her—and it’s thrown a massive wrench into some of their future schemes—awakening their progenitors and targeting the girls wasn’t solely dependent on having the witch."

Her expression grew more serious.

"The Maxtons already forced her to prepare everything they needed before the theft. The girls are still in danger."

Phei exhaled slowly, processing.

"Why didn’t you tell me that when I sent Cassiopeia?"

Eira raised one elegant eyebrow. "Would that have actually stopped you from sending her anyway?"

He didn’t answer. She already knew.

"Also," she continued, leaning forward slightly, "even if taking the witch didn’t completely derail their plans for the girls... do you realize what kind of wound you just inflicted? You ripped away their greatest weapon. Their biggest advantage."

She let that sink in.

"Do you know how many future atrocities you might have prevented by pulling her out of their reach?"

Phei thought about it for a long moment. She was right. Getting worked up because things didn’t go one-hundred-percent according to his script would be pure arrogance. The world didn’t spin just because he snapped his fingers.

Still...

"Don’t keep useful information from me again," he said firmly.

Eira nodded, but inside she was already quietly regretting the lie. If she ever told him everything—every vision, every coming disaster—it might cost her him. And that was a price she wasn’t willing to pay.

She sighed softly. "So... about Roxanne?"

Phei’s grin returned, sharp and full of energy. "Amber."

The beautiful young woman turned toward him, her windswept hair still looking like it had survived a tornado, eyes bright and sparkling with leftover joy from their wild escape.

"Would you mind if we made a quick detour to pick someone else up on the way?"

She shook her head, curiosity lighting up her face. "Who?"

"Yuki Tanaka."

Amber nodded without hesitation and settled back into her seat, completely trusting.

Yuki had been waiting for him since morning—trying on outfit after outfit, heart probably racing with excitement at finally having a real excuse to see him again.

He was going to pick her up.

And he was going to save Roxanne at the same time.

But no one—no girl, no one at all—was going to see Roxanne in the state she was in right now. Even him seeing her like that already went against her wishes as Sierra’s mother. He planned to keep it that way.

"Eira."

She met his gaze in the mirror again.

"How much fear can you pump into Jonathan?"

A slow, wicked smile spread across her face.

"As much as you can ask for."

She paused, then added with a playful wink:

"But you can only ask me for direct torture a few times until you grow stronger. Your wishes are tied to how much energy I can pull from you."

Phei nodded, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"That’s more than enough."

The car surged forward like a rocket, the engine roaring with fresh hunger as he slammed the accelerator down harder. The midday lights of Paradise blurred into streaks of brilliant gold and white around them.

"Let’s go crash a domestic nightmare and make a coward piss himself for the next two days straight."