Chapter 58 – When Gods Meet Monsters

【Loki PoV】

The inn’s common room was warm. Too warm. The kind of warm that came from too many bodies packed into too small a space, all breathing the same stale air. The smell of roasted meat, cheap ale, and unwashed adventurers hung thick in the atmosphere. It was aggressively mortal.

I sat at the table with my new “savior” and his merry band of idiots, doing my best impression of a grateful, broken soul finding hope for the first time in weeks. It was exhausting.

Kenji, the walking golden retriever in human form, had spent the last twenty minutes extolling the virtues of friendship. His enthusiasm was like being bludgeoned with sunshine. Every word was punctuated with earnest hand gestures and a smile so bright it could probably be seen from orbit.

“—and that’s why we never leave anyone behind! It’s not just about strength, Leo. It’s about trust. About building something greater than yourself!”

I nodded along, my face a perfect mask of cautious optimism. Inside, my divine soul was screaming.

This is what passes for wisdom among mortals? This drivel?

Daisuke, the human mountain, just grunted periodically. His contribution to the conversation consisted entirely of various tones of grunt. It was almost impressive how much he could convey with so little. Right now, his grunt said: I’m watching you, new guy. Don’t try anything.

Amateur.

Ryuuji sat across from me, his expression thoughtful. He hadn’t said much since we’d arrived. He just watched me with those dark, unreadable eyes. There was something off about him. Something that didn’t match his file. The system had flagged him as Pure Hero, but his gaze held a calculating quality that made my divine instincts prickle.

He was planning something.

Good. That would make corrupting him so much more satisfying.

And then there was her.

Reina.

The girl sat to Ryuuji’s left, and she hadn’t taken her eyes off me since we’d entered the inn. Not once. Not even to blink, as far as I could tell. Her silver hair caught the flickering candlelight, giving her an almost ethereal quality. Beautiful, certainly. Dangerous, absolutely.

Her file had listed her as a high-level mage with impressive combat capabilities. What it hadn’t mentioned was the aura of barely-contained homicidal intent that radiated from her like heat from a forge.

Every time I shifted in my seat, her hand twitched toward the dagger at her belt. Every time I spoke, her eyes narrowed fractionally. Every time Ryuuji so much as glanced in my direction, her entire body tensed as if preparing to launch herself across the table.

This was not normal party behavior.

This was the behavior of a woman who was two seconds away from deciding that murder was an acceptable solution to her current problem.

“So, Leo,” oblivious to the tension radiating from his teammate, “what class were you before… you know. Before they…” He trailed off, his expression crumpling into sympathetic sadness.

I let a pained look cross my face. “Shadow Blade. It was a rare hybrid class. Stealth and assassination, but with support capabilities.” I dropped my gaze to the table, the picture of loss. “It’s gone now. They took everything.”

It was a beautiful lie. Tragic. Specific enough to be believable, vague enough to avoid too many follow-up questions.

“Shadow Blade?” Ryuuji leaned forward, his interest clearly piqued. “That’s an incredibly rare class. One of the evolution paths from Rogue, right? It requires perfect balance between AGI and INT stats, and a specific quest chain that most people never even find.”

I blinked. That was… oddly specific knowledge for a so-called “loner” who’d supposedly been ignored by everyone.

“Y-yes,” I stammered, playing up the surprise. “You know about it?”

“I read a lot.” Ryuuji’s expression was unreadable. “Fascinating class. The support capabilities you mentioned—those would be the shadow-link buffs, right? Temporary boost to allies’ evasion by linking them to your shadow? Very tactical.”

This kid knew way too much about obscure class mechanics.

“You have such breadth of knowledge, Ryuuji-kun.” Reina’s voice was soft, but there was steel underneath. She still hadn’t looked away from me. “It’s one of the many reasons you’re so exceptional.”

“Reina’s right!” Kenji beamed. “Ryuuji’s always doing research, always thinking three steps ahead. It’s why he’s the heart of our party.”

The heart? From what I’d observed, Ryuuji seemed more like the awkward tagalong who somehow kept accidentally being useful. But mortals were terrible at self-assessment, so I let it slide.

“That must be… nice.” I let my voice crack slightly. “Having people who value you. Who see your worth.”

There it is. Plant the seed. Make them feel guilty. Make them overcompensate.

It worked like a charm.

Kenji immediately launched into another speech about acceptance and belonging. Daisuke grunted in what I assumed was agreement. And Ryuuji… Ryuuji’s eyes gleamed with something I couldn’t quite identify.

He looked almost… excited.

But Reina didn’t react to my performance at all. Her expression remained cold. Analytical. She was assessing me like a general assesses an enemy fortification, looking for the weak point to exploit.

“Leo.” Her voice cut through Kenji’s speech like a knife. “Tell me about your former party.”

The table went silent.

“Reina, maybe we should—”

“I want to hear about them.” Her gaze finally shifted from me to Ryuuji, softening instantly. “I want to understand the depths of cruelty that could drive people to such an act. It will help me… process.”

The way she said process made it sound like she meant plan elaborate revenge.

Ryuuji sighed. “It’s okay, Leo. You don’t have to if it’s too painful.”

Oh, but I wanted to. This was my moment. The tragic backstory reveal. The emotional manipulation that would cement my place in this party and give me unrestricted access to my target.

I took a shaky breath, letting my hands tremble slightly on the table. “There were four of them. Marcus was the leader—a swordsman. He was the one who found me, told me I had potential.” I paused, injecting just the right amount of bitterness. “Lyssa was the mage. She was… I thought she was my friend. Sara, the cleric, never liked me. And then there was Dante, the archer. He was Marcus’s brother.”

Kenji’s face was a portrait of sympathy. Daisuke’s jaw clenched. Ryuuji leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful.

And Reina’s eyes went flat and cold as winter ice.

“What were their last known locations?”

Everyone froze.

“Reina—”

“I’m simply curious.” Her smile was serene. “In case we happen to cross paths with them during our travels. It would be… unfortunate if they repeated their pattern of behavior with other unsuspecting victims.”

That was not what she meant.

That was absolutely not what she meant.

What she meant was: Give me names and locations so I can hunt them down and ensure they never draw breath again.

“I… I don’t know. They were heading east, toward the capital, but that was weeks ago. They could be anywhere by now.”

“Pity.” Reina picked up her drink, her movements precise and controlled. “Such people should face consequences for their actions.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

Kenji, bless his oblivious golden heart, jumped in to lighten the mood. “Well, you’re with us now, Leo! And we take care of our own. Right, team?”

“Right.”

“Of course,” but his eyes were still on Reina.

She didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she turned her full attention back to me, and I felt the weight of that gaze like a physical pressure.

“I need some air,” pushing back from the table. 

“It’s been… a lot. Thank you all for the food and the kindness. I’m not used to it.”

“Of course!” Kenji stood up. “I’ll come with—”

“Let him go, Kenji.” Ryuuji’s voice was gentle but firm. “He needs some time to process. We’re not going anywhere.”

I shot Ryuuji a grateful look—really selling the overwhelmed victim act—and made my way toward the door. The cool night air would help me think. I needed to recalibrate. Reina was a problem I hadn’t anticipated. If she kept watching me like that, it would make corrupting Ryuuji significantly more difficult.

I stepped outside into the quiet street. The stars were brilliant overhead, unpolluted by the magical lights of more advanced cities. I took a deep breath, letting my divine senses expand.

The mortal disguise was holding perfectly. My power was completely suppressed. There was no way they could—

“Going somewhere, Leo?”

I spun around.

Reina stood in the doorway, backlit by the warm glow from inside. Her expression was pleasant. Her posture was relaxed. But her hand rested on the hilt of her dagger with the casual ease of someone who’d used it a thousand times before.

“I just needed some air,” keeping my voice steady. “It’s overwhelming, being around people again after so long alone.”

“I imagine it is.” She stepped fully outside, the door clicking shut behind her. The sound was unnervingly final. “Being alone changes a person. Makes them… careful. Observant.”

She walked toward me with slow, deliberate steps.

“You’re very observant, aren’t you, Leo? I noticed the way you watched us in the forest. The way you positioned yourself just close enough to be seen, but far enough away to look like you were hiding. The way your eyes tracked Ryuuji specifically, even when Kenji was talking.”

My blood ran cold.

“I don’t know what you—”

“And your story.” She tilted her head, studying me like a particularly interesting specimen. “Shadow Blade is an incredibly rare class. One of the rarest in the kingdom. Do you know how many active Shadow Blades there are in the entire realm, Leo?”

I said nothing.

“Seven.” Her smile was razor sharp. “I’ve made it a point to know about rare classes. About powerful people. About anyone or anything that might pose a threat to Ryuuji-kun. And do you know what’s interesting?”

She took another step closer.

“None of those seven Shadow Blades have been reported missing. None of them have been betrayed by their parties. None of them match your description.”

Shit.

“So here’s what I think, Leo.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I think you’re lying. I think you found Ryuuji-kun in that forest not by accident, but by design. I think you fed him exactly the story he wanted to hear—the tragic tale of betrayal that would appeal to his overdeveloped sense of justice.”

She was close now. Close enough that I could see the unhinged gleam in her eyes.

“I think you’re using him. And that makes you a problem.”

My divine instincts screamed at me to drop the disguise. To assert my power. To remind this mortal insect what she was dealing with.

But I couldn’t.

Not yet.

Blowing my cover now would ruin everything. Amaterasu would be alerted. The celestial oversight committee would get involved. My entire plan would collapse before it even began.

So I did the only thing I could do.

I played the part.

“You’re right,” letting my voice crack. “I’m lying. About some of it. The class, the party—I embellished. Made it sound more dramatic than it was. Because I was desperate. Because I needed help, and I thought… I thought if my story was tragic enough, someone might actually care.”

I looked away, the picture of shame.

“I’m not a Shadow Blade. I’m just a failed Rogue. Level 12. Barely worth mentioning. My party didn’t betray me with some ritual—they just kicked me out because I wasn’t pulling my weight. Because I was weak. And I’ve been wandering alone for weeks, terrified and starving, hoping someone would give me a chance.”

Silence.

I risked a glance at her face.

The cold calculation was still there. But now there was something else. Doubt. Uncertainty.

She was trying to decide if I was telling the truth.

“Ryuuji-kun has a gift for seeing the good in people. Even when it doesn’t exist. Especially when it doesn’t exist. It’s his greatest strength and his most dangerous weakness.”

She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a lethal whisper.

“If you hurt him—if you betray his trust, if you use him for your own ends, if you bring him even a moment of pain—I will end you. Not quickly. Not mercifully. I will take you apart piece by piece, and I will make sure you live through every second of it. Do you understand me, Leo?”

Oh, I understood perfectly.

I was looking into the eyes of a true monster.

Not the magical kind. Not the dungeon-dwelling, treasure-hoarding variety.

This was the human kind. The kind that wore a friendly face and smiled while it sharpened its knives. The kind that loved something so much it would burn the entire world to keep it safe.

Ryuuji Sato, the “Pure Hero,” had a yandere bodyguard.

And she had absolutely clocked me as a threat.

“I understand,” I managed. “I won’t hurt him. I promise.”

“Good.” She stepped back, and her expression shifted back to that serene pleasantness like flipping a switch. “I’m so glad we had this chat, Leo. It’s important to establish boundaries in any new relationship, don’t you think?”

She turned and walked back toward the inn, pausing at the door.

“Oh, and Leo? If you’re still alive in a week, I might start to believe you. Until then…” Her smile widened. “Sleep with one eye open.”

She disappeared inside, leaving me alone in the dark street.

I stood there for a long moment, my mortal heart hammering in my chest.

This was supposed to be a simple infiltration. Befriend the hero. Plant seeds of doubt. Corrupt the pure soul. Watch Amaterasu’s perfect world crumble.

Instead, I’d walked into something far more complicated.

Ryuuji wasn’t a pure hero. He was a schemer who’d accepted my obviously fabricated story way too easily—because he wanted a betrayed ally for some incomprehensible mortal reason.

And Reina wasn’t a loyal teammate. She was an obsessed, highly competent killer who’d somehow convinced herself that murdering anyone who looked at Ryuuji wrong was an act of devotion.

I looked up at the stars, silently cursing Amaterasu, Ryuuji, this entire ridiculous world, and my own terrible luck.

I was a god.

I had toppled kingdoms. I had turned heroes to darkness and saints to sin. I had orchestrated schemes that spanned centuries.

And I was genuinely unsure if I could survive one week with these lunatics.

A window on the second floor opened. Reina leaned out, her silver hair cascading over the sill.

“Sweet dreams, Leo!”

Then she drew one finger across her throat in a slow, deliberate motion.

The window shut.

I took a very deep breath.

This was fine.

Everything was fine.

I just needed to get back to Ryuuji, establish myself as indispensable, and start working on the corruption angle.

Reina was a complication, yes. But she was still mortal. She would make a mistake eventually. They always did.

I walked back toward the inn, straightening my borrowed clothes and putting my mask of grateful humility back in place.

The door swung open before I could reach it.

Ryuuji stood there, his expression unreadable in the shadows.

“Everything okay out here?”

“Yeah. Just needed a moment.”

“Reina didn’t… say anything concerning, did she?”

I forced a weak smile. “She’s very protective of you.”

“She is.” Something flickered across his face—was that satisfaction? “But you don’t need to worry, Leo. You’re under my protection now. Reina won’t hurt you as long as I vouch for you.”

The way he said it made it sound less like reassurance and more like a strategic calculation.

This kid was playing his own game, and I still didn’t understand the rules.

“Thank you. That means a lot.”

“Come on.” He stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter. “Kenji saved you some dessert. He’s very insistent that you need to try the apple pie.”

I walked past him into the warm light of the inn.

Kenji waved enthusiastically from the table. Daisuke nodded. And Reina sat there, smiling serenely, a fork in one hand and murder in her eyes.

Welcome to the party, Loki.

This was going to be a long assignment.