Ryuuto thought Hela would haul things away one by one, but the moment he finished talking, the entire store was stripped clean.
Shelves, trinkets, food — gone.
And Hela was gone too.
Right. Goddess of Death. Moving matter across realms probably counted as a warm-up for her.
When she reappeared barely half a minute later, all the goods had already been stacked neatly inside Yuki Palace — her underworld estate.
Ryuuto blinked. "...Still can't tell how your powers actually work."
"I'm like an onion," Hela said, brushing invisible dust off her gloves. "Layer after layer. The deeper you peel, the less you understand."
Ryuuto smirked. "That's one hell of a sales pitch."
They left the toy shop together, chatting like two tourists. The store owner, however, was pale and trembling in the corner. Even though they looked like an oddly fashionable couple, something about their presence screamed predator.
If he had known the cheerful woman was Hela, Queen of the Underworld, he'd probably have dropped dead from fear instead of awe.
For the next couple of hours, Ryuuto played tour guide — street food, arcades, even a few street performers. Hela seemed fascinated by mortal life, watching everything like a goddess visiting an anthill.
Then Ryuuto stopped dead in his tracks.
Down the alley ahead, two men were dragging a screaming girl by the arm.
Ryuuto's eyes narrowed. "Hela, stay close."
By the time they reached the alley, it was empty.
No sound, no bodies — just a faint shimmer on the wall.
Ryuuto frowned. "...Wait. That color—"
"The wall breathes," Hela murmured. "That's no wall. It's a soul disguised in flesh. A mutant."
Then a muffled voice cried out:
"Please—don't—let me go!"
A man's laughter echoed. "No one's gonna help you, sweetheart. My buddy here's blocking the exit, and once we're done, we'll—"
Ryuuto's voice cut through the alley like a blade.
"Enough."
The "wall" rippled, shrinking inward until it condensed into a man — a mutant with gray, stony skin and a crooked grin. The other stood behind him, tongue flicking unnaturally long like a serpent's.
"Wait, wait! You're Ryuuto, right? The Red Mirage!" the stone-skinned one blurted out, eyes lighting up. "Boss! We've been trying to find you!"
"Yeah!" the other added eagerly. "Didn't expect you to look this good in person! Thought the news footage was fake!"
Ryuuto's expression didn't change. His gaze drifted to the girl cowering in the corner, trembling.
"What are you doing to her?"
"Relax, boss." The man chuckled. "We're just having a little fun. Mutants rule now, right? Humans are just toys. You can go first if you want. We'll take turns."
"I don't like what you're doing."
"What? C'mon! You know how they treat us! They look down on us, spit on us—"
"Then go protest," Ryuuto said flatly. "Go demand rights. But you touch an innocent girl and call that power? That's not rebellion. That's rot."
The mutant sneered. "Protest? That's for cowards! You know what's fun? Watching 'em scream. Yesterday I killed one with my tongue—stabbed her right through. Ha! You should've seen her face—"
That was it.
Ryuuto's hand flicked.
A flash of crimson steel.
[Summon: Beheading Blade – Released]
Two heads hit the ground before the laughter died.
The girl fainted instantly, collapsing against the wall. The alley fell silent except for the drip of blood and Hela's soft chuckle.
Ryuuto looked at the blade, still wet and gleaming. "I don't care about whether mutants and humans can coexist," he muttered. "But filth like them makes me sick. Doesn't matter what species you are — trash is trash."
Hela stepped closer, her voice lilting. "Their souls are already in my realm. I marked them myself. When I return, I'll make sure they suffer properly."
She smiled. "Still... you kill without hesitation, Ryuuto. So clean, so cold. You'd make an excellent King of the Underworld."
Ryuuto dismissed the blade in a swirl of energy. "Trying to recruit me already?"
"Merely speaking the truth," she said. "Only those who can kill without flinching deserve to rule."
Ryuuto's smirk returned, faint but sharp. "Then maybe I'll just rule all the worlds. Not just one."
Hela's eyes gleamed, somewhere between admiration and desire. "You say that like it's impossible. But gods... you're beautiful when you're arrogant."
Ryuuto exhaled. "You really need to work on your flirting, Queenie."
She leaned close, whispering with a grin. "Or maybe you need to work on surviving it."