Page 346 of Light Leech

Five health remaining.

Four.

One card stuck out.

I can’t use this one, can I, Zhu?

He could neither squeal nor answer with the tentacular seductress keeping him sucked in with her mouth as much as her tentacles.

Three.

Zhu, please answer!

The announcer laughed. “Are we going to see PetNeb lose because analysis paralysis has frozen him? If so, he is no scholar!”

No.

I have to.

I tapped the card.

A Victorious Sacrifice: Eliminate one of your legends to deal one damage to your opponent. This damage cannot be blocked.

Zhu exploded. Flesh shredded like a popped balloon, exposing light-infused gore that rained all over the intestinal battlefield with one final pop.

I hung forward, back hunched as I stared in silent agony

“A surprise save for PetNeb! Congratulations! You have won the first round!”

Chapter twenty

Di Xin

Ihad stared at the palace for too long, wondering if I should return.

Naoma.

Of course she was the reason to stay and to leave.

I disgusted myself. Kell deserved it. This time I felt that, rather than treating it as just another justification.

Returning was a risk to her. If anyone knew what I had done, I endangered her and anything attached to her public image.

What about the vile indulgences I had seen? The vile sex-capades and objectivity of fans for their gain?

I took the first step, and continued.

Leaving Naoma was much worse. I had seen what she was capable of and doubted she needed me to protect her, but she wanted me there. I still had lingering doubts about her admiration of me, but she voiced otherwise. If she wanted me there, who was I to deny her. None of the other celebrities were denied their vices at the dynasty. She deserved it more than any of them.

I entered with a group of inebriated twenty-year olds who had slipped out to enjoy some of the more pungent substances the Finians had offered them.

Petya: I’m done. Where are you?

Naoma: Fourth Floor, everything good?

Petya: Yeah, I think so. Did anyone notice?

Naoma: Yeah, but they forgot it after the next three fix or alcohol-driven fights. Some people might wonder why Kell didn’t show up to the recovery bay in the basement, but the Meat and Wine thing people are talking about should start soon.