The atmosphere in the living room had frozen completely.
Loki stood before Genichi with her hands on her hips, wearing an expression as though she had swallowed a live fly.
Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her brows were tightly knitted, and she glared at Genichi as though she wanted to bite a chunk of flesh from him.
She was Loki, the Goddess of Trickery and Deception, a being who had lived for hundreds of millions of years and whom even the other gods regarded with caution.
She could deceive people, scheme against them, and manipulate anyone in the palm of her hand. Yet she had never imagined that one day she would be forced into such a predicament.
She had to kiss a human boy.
Fine. A kiss is just a kiss. Worst case, I'll pretend it never happened.
Loki cursed inwardly, though her expression remained twisted.
She took a deep breath, turned around, and looked at Ais standing behind her with pitiful eyes.
"Ais-tan."
Her voice was as soft as cotton candy, carrying traces of coyness, grievance, and a clear demand for praise.
"I'm only putting myself through this for you. You'd better repay me properly."
Ais stood there, her long golden hair shining brilliantly in the sunlight. Her delicate features remained completely expressionless, and her golden eyes were as placid as a still lake.
Her gaze passed over Loki without stopping or wavering, as though a meaningless breeze had brushed past her.
Then her eyes settled on Genichi.
An intense light immediately ignited within them. It was burning, focused, and filled with almost overflowing desire.
She looked at Genichi as though he were a priceless treasure, something precious she had lost and finally recovered, or someone for whom she would willingly trade everything she possessed.
Loki's expression froze.
She stared into Ais's eyes.
At that moment, those eyes reflected another person's figure.
That person wasn't Loki.
It was Genichi.
Loki felt as though something had stabbed straight into her heart. It wasn't physical pain, but agony that struck her very soul.
It felt like a helpless husband being forced to watch his wife cheat on him, unable to do anything about it and even having to tell the other man to be gentle.
Loki's face turned crimson, though whether from anger or embarrassment, even she couldn't tell.
Her lips trembled as she tried to say something, but no words came out.
She clutched the hem of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her entire body was like a taut bowstring on the verge of snapping.
Genichi had no idea what was going through Loki's mind.
If he had known, he would have rolled his eyes.
This wasn't some female-oriented romance novel. Loki had clearly lost her mind.
"Let me make something clear first."
Genichi's voice was calm but unwavering.
"I'll only help Ais revive her parents after I obtain your Authority. If I don't receive it, I absolutely will not revive them."
The corner of Loki's mouth twitched.
She glared at Genichi, her eyes filled with anger and resentment.
"Are you certain kissing you will let you obtain my Authority? What if something goes wrong again?"
"I can't guarantee anything."
Genichi spread his hands, wearing an innocent expression.
"This is how I obtained the Authorities of Astraea and Demeter. If I still fail to obtain yours, then the problem must be on your end."
The moment Loki heard that, her rage soared.
This bastard truly intended to dump all the blame on her!
His method was obviously flawed. He was the one who had failed to obtain her Authority, yet he somehow blamed her for everything?
She had given him her blood, cooperated with him, and done absolutely nothing wrong.
Why should she take the blame?
"So..."
Genichi remained perfectly calm.
"You can choose again. We can continue, or we can end this here. Honestly, I'm not exactly enthusiastic about kissing you either. After all..."
His gaze traveled up and down Loki's figure.
Then he sighed.
The sigh was quiet, but it pierced Loki's heart like a knife.
Loki felt a rush of blood surge into her head. At that moment, the last thread of her reason snapped.
Her eyes became bloodshot, and her teeth ground together. She resembled an erupting volcano.
"Die!"
She screamed and lunged at Genichi, her fingers curled into claws as if she intended to drag him down with her.
She moved with astonishing speed and reached him almost instantly.
Her fingers stopped only an inch from his neck. A little farther, and she would have seized him by the throat.
Then a hand reached out from the side and grabbed the back of Loki's collar.
It was slender and pale, with delicate, well-defined knuckles.
It was Ais's hand.
Loki's body stopped in midair before Ais firmly pinned her against the coffee table.
Her face was pressed against the cold glass, and her limbs sprawled outward like an overturned turtle. She couldn't move at all.
"Ais-tan!"
Loki's voice was shrill and aggrieved.
"Let me go! I'm going to kill that bastard!"
Ais didn't answer.
She merely looked down at Loki, her golden eyes showing neither anger nor reproach, only helplessness.
Her hand remained firmly pressed against the back of Loki's head. No matter how violently the goddess struggled, she couldn't break free.
Genichi crouched until he was at eye level with Loki.
He studied her face pressed against the table, her furious eyes, and the mouth still cursing him without pause. The corners of his lips rose slightly.
"With you lying like that, I can't even tell your chest from your back."
His voice was quiet, carrying mockery, playful teasing, and an indescribable hint of satisfaction.
Loki's entire body stiffened.
Then she began struggling far more violently than before, thrashing with reckless fury.
Her hands slapped against the edges of the coffee table, and her feet kicked against the floor. She twisted desperately like a fish thrown onto dry land.
Her face became crimson, her eyes nearly spewed fire, and a stream of indistinct curses poured from her mouth.
"Let me go! I'll kill him! I swear I'm going to kill him!"
Ais still didn't release her.
Her expression remained calm, but a faint smile flickered through her golden eyes.
Demeter stood to the side, watching the scene with a slight smile.
Of course she knew Genichi was doing it deliberately.
He was intentionally mocking Loki, provoking her, and driving her into a rage.
Only then would Loki forget her embarrassment. Consumed by anger, she might do something she would never ordinarily consider.
Something like kissing him.
Astraea couldn't suppress her smile either.
Watching Loki suffer was surprisingly satisfying.
The Goddess of Trickery and Deception was normally so arrogant and overbearing that she treated everyone else like fools to be toyed with.
Seeing Genichi lead her in circles while Ais pinned her helplessly against the coffee table was more refreshing than drinking an entire pot of fine tea.
"Ais-tan, let me go."
Loki's voice finally became calmer, though anger continued burning in her eyes.
"I'm not going to kill him. I promise."
Ais studied her in silence for a moment before finally releasing her.
Loki climbed off the coffee table and straightened her messy hair and clothes.
She took a deep breath and struggled to calm herself.
When she looked at Genichi again, her eyes contained a complicated mixture of fury, resentment, unwillingness, and a trace of embarrassment she hadn't even noticed herself.
"Fine. I'll kiss you."
"..."
Her voice was quiet, but it carried the grim resolve of someone who had abandoned all restraint.
"I'm going all in."
She stepped forward and stopped before Genichi, raising her head to look at him.
They were so close that she could see the curve of his eyelashes and smell the faint trace of alcohol still lingering on him.
Her heart pounded like a drum, her face burned hot enough to catch fire, and her head buzzed incessantly.
"Close your eyes."
Her voice carried a commanding edge.
Genichi looked down at her, the corners of his mouth rising slightly.
"No."
The corner of Loki's mouth twitched, but she said nothing more.
She rose onto the tips of her toes, closed her eyes, and leaned toward Genichi's lips.
The living room fell silent.
Demeter and Astraea held their breath, their eyes widening as they watched.
Ais stood to the side with a calm expression, though a strange light flickered through her golden eyes.
Loki's lips touched Genichi's.
Genichi bit her lip, and crimson blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
At that moment, Loki felt part of her Authority being taken by Genichi.
Her eyes flew open. She stepped back and pushed him away.
Genichi looked back at her, a glimmer appearing in his eyes.
"Did you get it?"
Loki's voice was slightly hoarse.
Genichi closed his eyes and sensed the new power emerging within his body.
He could feel Loki's Authority merging with his soul.
It was the power of the Goddess of Trickery and Deception. Although he had obtained only a portion of it, that was enough.
He opened his eyes and nodded.
"I got it."
Loki released a long breath, as though an enormous burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
She turned toward Ais, her eyes filled with exhaustion and relief.
"Ais-tan, I did it. Your parents can be brought back now."
Gratitude flickered through Ais's golden eyes.
"Thank you."
Loki froze for a moment before smiling.
The smile was faint and gentle, carrying relief, gratification, and an indescribable sense of fulfillment.
(End of Chapter)
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