"Pet?"
The word hung in the silent arena like a guillotine blade waiting to drop.
Ayaka Saionji stood before me, radiating an aura that wasn't just magical—it was financial. Her dress probably cost more than the entire gross domestic product of my neighborhood.
She reached into her cleavage—a movement that made half the male audience lean forward instinctively—and pulled out a checkbook.
It wasn't paper. It was made of thin, gold leaf.
She scribbled something with a pen that glowed with mana.
"Here," she said, flicking the golden slip toward me. It fluttered through the air and landed on my chest. I caught it reflexively.
I looked at it.
It was a check from the Saionji Group.
The 'Amount' line was blank.
"Fill in whatever number you desire," Ayaka purred, stepping closer until the scent of her perfume (which smelled like crushed roses and superiority) overwhelmed the smell of burning ozone. "In exchange, you belong to me. Exclusively."
(Oh my god. It's blank. It's actually blank. I could write 'One Billion Yen'. I could write 'The Moon'.)
My hands trembled. Not from the Mana Void this time, but from the sheer, overwhelming urge to scream "YES PLEASE" and dive into the back of her limo.
I was broke. I was dying. This piece of gold leaf was my salvation.
But then I looked at her eyes.
They were cold. Predatory. She wasn't looking at a partner; she was looking at a handbag she wanted to buy.
If I took this check, the "Sovereign" persona would die. I would just be a high-priced gigolo. And once she got bored of her new toy... the System would punish me.
[System Warning: Accepting submission destroys the 'Sovereign' archetype.] [Penalty: Title Revocation and Immediate Death.]
(Right. Death. Always with the death.)
I took a deep breath. It felt like inhaling broken glass.
I held up the check. The audience watched with bated breath.
"You think..." I started, my voice low and dangerous.
I gripped the gold leaf with both hands.
(Goodbye, lobster dinners. Goodbye, rent money. Goodbye, medical care.)
RIIIIP.
I tore the check in half.
Then I tore it again. And again. Until the golden flakes fell from my fingers like expensive confetti.
"You think you can buy me?" I laughed. It was a harsh, arrogant sound that masked the sound of my soul weeping. "I am not for sale, little girl. The sun does not belong to the person who stares at it."
The arena gasped.
"HE TORE IT!" "HE REJECTED THE SAIONJI HEIRESS!" "IS HE CRAZY? THAT WAS A BLANK CHECK!"
Ayaka froze. Her smile vanished. Her eyes widened, not in anger, but in shock.
No one had ever said no to her. No one had ever torn up her money.
She looked at the confetti on the ground. Then she looked back at me.
Her breathing hitched. A flush crept up her neck.
"You... refused me?" she whispered.
"I am a Sovereign," I lied, turning my back on her to hide the single tear threatening to escape my eye. "I belong to no one. If you want my attention, you will have to earn it. Not buy it."
(Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me.)
I started to walk away. Runa was already at my side, glaring at Ayaka with feral intensity.
"Let's go, Runa," I said. " The air here smells of... cheap desperation."
(It actually smells like burnt ozone and my own fear sweat.)
We walked toward the exit tunnel.
Behind me, I heard a low, chilling laugh.
It wasn't a happy laugh. It was the sound of a hunter who had just found the ultimate prey.
"Earn it..." Ayaka murmured. The sound was amplified by the silent arena.
I stopped. I didn't turn around.
"You're right," she called out, her voice ringing with terrifying resolve. "A pet that comes easily is boring. A wild beast... is much more fun to break."
I felt a chill run down my spine that had nothing to do with the Void.
[Target Identified: Ayaka Saionji.] [Desire Potential: Critical (Yandere Type).] [Status: Obsessed.]
"I will not buy you, Renji Amagiri," she shouted, her voice echoing off the concrete walls. "I will catch you. And when I do... I will make sure you fit perfectly in my cage."
I kept walking, forcing my legs not to run.
"We should hurry, Master," Runa whispered, glancing back nervously. "That woman... her killing intent is spiked with... affection. It is disgusting."
"Agreed," I croaked.
(She's going to kidnap me. She is absolutely going to kidnap me.)
As we disappeared into the tunnel, leaving the cheering crowd and the unconscious Daichi behind, I checked my notification log.
[Desire Points Gained: +2,000.] [New Quest: Survive the Heiress.]
I looked at the points. It was a lot. But it wasn't a billion yen.
I sighed, patting my empty pockets.
"Runa?"
"Yes, Master?"
"Do we have any instant noodles left at home?"