Coreal
patreon
[Crossover] Ch 264: Winning Without a Fight
🕑 Added 2025-09-21 15:43:03 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
The moment the two Kings faced each other, the air turned razor-sharp.
West clenched his fists, his expression tense. If possible, he didn't want Annie and Ryo to clash.
It wasn't that he feared Annie would lose, but the damage such a fight would cause terrified him.
Annie could afford to be reckless. West couldn't. If she and Ryo started throwing punches in the middle of a military base, the fallout could easily escalate into a full-blown national conflict.
And truth be told, without her own established faction, Annie wouldn't stand a chance against Ryo anyway.
This was the man who had subdued both the Copper-Black Cross and the Bronze-Black Cross, defeated Salvatore Doni, cowed Black Prince Alec, seized control of the Witenagemot, and even marched into China to negotiate with the mysterious Holy Cult.
Measured against that record, Annie couldn't compare.
Picking a fight here would only hurt her more than him.
West opened his mouth, ready to advise restraint—
—but Lilianna beat him to it. She stepped forward, teeth gritted, and said, "Lord Charlton, are you seriously considering throwing aside your dignity and starting a war with my Lord Yagami?"
"Oh?" Annie's gaze slid over to her.
She didn't really care about the interruption, but she knew full well that when Kings spoke, subordinates were not supposed to butt in.
Which meant that even if she let it slide, she could still use Lilianna's behavior to needle Ryo.
But before she could press the point, Lilianna went on: "If that's the case, then by all means—reveal your true identity and rally every magic association in America. Declare open war against us."
Open war? What kind of idiot… That sort of thing only ever needed a Campione duel to settle—
Wait... Did she just say reveal your identity?
Annie's eyes went wide.
On Lilianna's pretty, serene face, she could see one blazing word written as clear as day.
Blackmail.
Yup—blackmail.
If Annie pushed this into open conflict, her secret—that the masked, British-accented "hero" Pluto was actually her—would be blasted across the world.
Annie felt her blood run cold.
If she fought, she might just lose. But if that secret came out, she'd suffer total social death.
If she didn't fight, she'd have to eat her own words after just threatening him.
Checkmate.
'So that's how she's playing it…' West realized instantly, glancing at Lilianna.
And he knew Annie couldn't wiggle out of this one.
As long as she still had even a shred of shame, this was the kind of leverage that could keep her in check.
At the very least, it meant Annie wasn't about to make a move now.
Her face paled, her expression souring as she looked at Ryo. She forced a thin smile and muttered, "You certainly have a… loyal subordinate."
"Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing."
Ryo's smile broadened. He looked at her warmly, almost kindly, and said, "Put yourself in their shoes. I think the people of America would adore a leader like you, Pluto. Just imagine—discovering that the one who protected their nation was actually a brilliant young woman. Why, if that came out, you'd be the idol of an entire generation."
God help her—he was even crueler than his subordinate.
Turn her into America's idol? That wasn't social death. That was something worse. That was the end of her being able to live like a normal human being at all.
Annie ground her teeth, face twisted in humiliation. "Then I suppose I should thank you."
"No need for thanks between us." Ryo gave her an innocent look.
"Lily, reach out to every news station in LA. The meeting between two Campiones is too big to leave the press out."
"Yes, my king." Lilianna exhaled in relief, bowing her head quickly.
"WAIT!!!" Annie shot out a hand.
"Can we… talk? Somewhere quieter."
"Oh?" Ryo arched an eyebrow, amusement in his eyes. "You mean… a private meeting?"
"Yes! A private meeting." Annie wiped the sweat from her brow.
"The magical world signed a secrecy pact with the governments. Even though god-slayers stand above it, there are still lines best left uncrossed. Which is why… our negotiation should take place somewhere discreet."
"I don't know if that's a good idea." Ryo frowned theatrically.
"You've surely heard my reputation. If someone like you were seen meeting me alone… people might get the wrong idea."
'Wrong idea my ass…' Annie cursed silently.
To the world, Pluto was a man. Two men in private talks hardly raised eyebrows.
He was just twisting the knife, wringing her for more.
And the worst part? She had no choice but to let him.
'Damn it. Why didn't I just die to that heretic god ten years ago…'
Biting back the bitterness, Annie forced herself to ask, "Then what do you propose we do?"
And just like that, she knew she'd surrendered the initiative completely.
She had handed him the reins.
She couldn't take it back now.
Even though they were equals—both god-slayers, both feared and respected as Kings—standing before Ryo, she felt utterly powerless.
Why did he feel ten thousand times more shameless than she could ever hope to be?
"I think we'll need somewhere private." Ryo's smile sharpened.
"Maybe a quiet little restaurant, or perhaps a hotel with some proper British charm. Of course, if Miss Charlton would rather spend a long, candlelit night… I'd be more than happy to oblige."
Annie's face darkened instantly.
This bastard—he was trying to pimp her out!
.
.
.
