Max wandered through the streets of Pride for a while, letting the noise of the city guide him.
Then—
He heard it.
Shouting.
Metal scraping.
A struggle.
Coming from a nearby alley.
Max's expression sharpened instantly.
"…There it is."
He stepped into the alley quietly.
And saw exactly what he expected.
A group of about a dozen sinners had cornered two figures—
Charlie and Vaggie.
Vaggie stood in front of Charlie, gripping her spear tightly, eyes sharp and ready to fight.
Charlie looked scared—but determined.
The sinners surrounding them were armed.
Not just with anything.
Holy weapons.
Knives.
Spears.
Blades that shimmered faintly with divine energy.
Max tilted his head.
"…Huh."
He stepped forward casually, stopping behind one of them.
"How did you guys get so many angel weapons?"
The sinner turned—
And that was his last mistake.
Max grabbed him by the throat and lifted him effortlessly off the ground.
Then slammed him into the wall hard enough to crack it.
"GET HIM!" the leader shouted.
"Forget the girls—kill him first!"
Six of them rushed Max at once.
Max didn't use magic.
Didn't use abilities.
Just raw movement.
He ducked.
Weaved.
Struck.
But holy weapons changed things.
A blade cut across his side.
Another stabbed into his shoulder.
One pierced straight through his arm.
Max winced.
"…Yeah."
"That actually hurts."
He adjusted.
Faster.
Sharper.
More precise.
He grabbed one attacker's wrist, twisted it, and drove the blade back into its owner.
Another got kicked hard enough to snap their spine.
A third lost their head entirely.
Within moments—
All six were dead.
Max stood there, breathing steadily—
But bleeding.
A lot.
Deep cuts covered his body.
The remaining sinners hesitated.
"Damn you!" the leader snarled. "This was supposed to be easy!"
Max looked up slowly.
"…Yeah."
Then vanished.
And reappeared right next to him.
With a simple motion—
Max sliced his hand through the air.
The leader's head fell cleanly from his shoulders.
Max sighed.
"I wanted to do that the fun way…"
He glanced at the wounds across his body.
"…but angel weapons bypass way too much."
The remaining sinners turned to run.
They didn't make it far.
Thin steel wires—set up silently during the fight—snapped tight across the alley.
Slice.
Heads rolled.
Bodies dropped.
Silence.
Max stood alone in the aftermath.
"…Maybe that's what getting stabbed a dozen times feels like."
Behind him—
Vaggie didn't lower her weapon.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
Max turned slightly.
"The guy who just saved you."
He tried to take a step—
And nearly collapsed.
"…Huh."
He blinked.
"So that's what blood loss feels like."
And then—
He hit the ground.
Hours later—
Max woke up.
He was lying in a bed.
Bandaged.
Cleaned.
And—
"…Chained?"
He looked down.
Yep.
Chained to the bed.
"…Rude."
The door opened.
Charlie stepped in, holding fresh bandages and medicine.
"Sorry about that," she said apologetically. "Vaggie doesn't trust you yet."
She gave a sheepish smile.
"You showed up at a very convenient time."
Max chuckled weakly.
"Fair."
He shifted slightly.
"Ah… Princess Charlie Morningstar."
He nodded his head slightly.
"Sorry for the trouble. Not exactly the best first impression."
Charlie waved her hand quickly.
"Oh! You can drop the 'Princess' part."
She stepped closer.
"And no—you saved us."
She looked a little embarrassed.
"I should be thanking you properly… and not chaining you up."
Max smiled.
"It's alright."
He glanced around.
"I actually came this way to see if I could rent a room here."
Charlie froze for a second—
Then lit up.
"Really?!"
"That's amazing!"
She quickly moved toward the chains.
"Let's get you out of those first—"
"No worries," Max said.
His body partially liquified for a moment.
The chains slipped right through him.
Then he reformed normally.
Charlie blinked.
"…Okay, that's new."
"A wolf sinner who can do that…"
She shook her head, impressed.
"Let me help with your injuries."
Max waved her off.
"I've got it."
He stood up—
Then immediately wobbled.
"…Okay, maybe not completely."
Charlie quickly moved to his side and helped steady him.
"Easy," she said gently.
Together, they walked toward the lobby.
Vaggie was already there.
Still cautious.
Still watching him closely.
"…Sorry," Vaggie said after a moment. "For earlier."
Max shrugged.
"No harm done."
"I'm just here for a room."
Charlie clapped her hands lightly.
"Of course!"
She grabbed a clipboard.
"I just need some basic information—luggage, length of stay, and if you'll have any visitors."
Max nodded.
"I've got a few bags."
He paused.
"And… I do have girlfriends."
Vaggie immediately narrowed her eyes.
"…Are you one of those guys who traps people in contracts or something?"
Max raised both hands.
"Whoa—no."
"I actually care about the people I'm with."
He smiled slightly.
"Now and in the future."
Charlie tilted her head.
"How many… exactly?"
Max counted on his fingers.
"Loona—Hellhound."
"Millie—Imp."
"Poppi—Sinner."
"Verosika—Succubus."
He paused.
"And Beelzebub."
Silence.
Charlie blinked.
"…Wow."
Vaggie just stared.
"…You're serious?"
Max shrugged.
"Very."
He leaned casually against the counter.
"And don't worry—I don't go after people already in solid relationships."
He paused.
Then smirked.
"…Though I might if I could get both of you."
Charlie froze.
Vaggie froze.
Max held the look for exactly two seconds—
Then laughed.
"I'm joking. Relax."
He waved it off.
"As fun as that sounds in my head, I'm not here to cause problems."
Charlie let out a small breath.
Vaggie still looked suspicious—but less hostile.
Max finished signing the paperwork.
Sliding it back across the counter.
Internally—
He smiled.
Yeah… this is going to work.
He just had to play it right.