Trigger Warning:

- rape

- gang rape

- orgy

- blood

- murder

- drowning

- sexual assault

- nonconsensual kissing

- panic attack

- fire explosion

- cremation of dead and alive

- crude language

Thus far, everything has gone smoothly.

Honestly, I did not expect it to.

And that fact scares me.

Madam Ahearn brought me ten-inch pump heels instead of stiletto heels. She said they would be more comfortable for my arthritic feet. On the contrary, all heels are torture devices for my feet. Especially when I had to leave my cane behind. Then she dropped me off two kilometers from the fortress with the body bag. We agreed that when the first explosion, she would return with backup in tow. After more explosions, I would display an illusion of a woman with fiery red hair running away from the scene, and Madam would shoot. Said illusion would fall where I would place the burnt corpse, and the building structure would collapse on top of it. But that's easier said than done.

I had thought there would be four difficult parts to executing this assassination and mock death. The first would be infiltrating the manor; the second: setting up the explosives; the third: retrieving the dead body from the forest and burning it beyond recognition. All tasks without getting caught. And the last would be practically impossible: to face my victim without cowering. However, the first task went without much complication. Fortunately, interaction was minimal. My role was simply to collect their I.D. cards, verify them in the catalog, and return them. The only sounds I made were grunts of approval, and the only movements I made were "you-may-proceed" hand motions. After the delivery was completed, entering the manor was simple.

Now arrives the second part of this risky plan. Also, the other difficult part. With my victim's own arsenal of explosives, I have to stealthily place them in all areas of the manor and prepare to blast them at the right moment. All glory of the Phoenix empire burnt to ruins. That's right. My last victim in this country is the leader of a notorious weapon mafia organization known as Phoenix. His predecessors were leaders long before him, but at that time the gang was called the Eagles, and before that, the Scorpions. What marked the leader during his reign was the tattoo of the respective creature on their backs. Their executives had similar tattoos designed on their forearms, and lower subordinates had the symbol on their wrists. But no matter the name or creature, the mafia was every bit formidable. Its power only grew with time. The organization's current leader is the one who I will kill tonight. He once told me to call him Inferno, his nickname reserved only for me. To call him that in the bedroom, in the bathroom, in the closet, and on practically every furniture in the bloody fortress. Especially in his favorite room, where he conducts orgies. And I'm thinking, why stop there? Why not get rid of the gang all together? Eliminate every blasphemous disgrace in this hell.

I saved this particular rapist for last because he was the one I was most afraid of, more afraid of than Hanada-sama's sons. How Hanada-sama got involved with this creature, I will never know. All I know is that approximately two years ago, I was sent to the creature to cater his lustful desires. And he was the last one with whom I occupied the bed until Hanada-sama shifted his business headquarters to Japan. He said he had a preference for young girls who contrasted his dark red hair and eyes. Who were icy instead of fiery. Who were scarred instead of unmarred. In fact, he told me that was the basis for what he would call me from now on. I remember his words even now. He was only two years older than me - I had just turned fourteen; he was sixteen. One night, it was his birthday, and Hanada-sama sent me as a present to him. "A boy his age has needs, and his father doesn't care how he meets those needs, as long as he does not get caught," were his words. "Just do what you have always done, Selene."

And I did what I had always done: stifle my misery and let my tormentor have his way. Inferno knew everything about me. My name, my reason for being here, my 'profession', my age, and how wrong all of this was. But he did not care in the slightest. After hours of what was bliss for him and agony for me, he was finished. I was thoroughly tangled in the sheets with him: naked, hot, and sweaty. He carried me out of bed and ran a bath for me. He even had the audacity to wash my hair and massage my shoulders. As though the events that occurred just prior were ordinary. As though it was perfectly normal to lavish the girl you just raped. Oh, how I wanted to pull his sick face into the water and drown him then and there. The feeling intensified with his words. "My dad has told me all about the arrangement with your dad. Just so you know, this isn't a one-time thing. I have permission to treat you however I want as long as I don't kill you. Believe me when I say I have years of practice in killing. So as long as you're a good girl, I won't have to dispose of you and give a pitiful excuse to your dad why I did so. Got it?" Don't you dare patronize me, I had thought. Against my better judgment, I summoned all the wrath culminating inside me and shot him a lethal glare. He had the gall to grin. "You know what? Never mind. I like your anger. I like you. Your eyes, your hair, your smooth skin marked with scars … you remind me of the moon. So intriguing. Such a contrast to my sun-like physical features. Even your fury is icy instead of fiery." His hands slipped from my shoulders to my breasts, toying with them. "This is quite the birthday present. You're unforgettable, pretty girl. I think I'll call you Elysium. For if my rage is fire, then I'm hell incarnate. And if yours is frost, then you're paradise." Then one hand grasped my neck and the other rubbed down my stomach to my sex. I hated the sensations he elicited from me. I hated that my body betrayed me in such a despicable manner. I hated even more that Inferno knew this. He grinned viciously and bent close to my ear. He whispered, "I'll have fun breaking you. Let's see how long it will take until my fire destroys your ice, Elysium." I was wrong when I thought he was done for the night. Our game had only just begun.

Inferno, you succeeded in breaking me. That's why I'm so afraid of you. But that will be vanquished tonight. If I was ever Paradise, I certainly am not anymore. Fight fire with fire, poison with poison. I fell and became Hell. Hell with the wrath of necrotizing ice and the pride of snow mountains. I will fight your hellish fire with my nether ice, and I will prevail. You terrified the most. In your quest to break my spirit, you put made me go through your trials of fire. You threw me into the den of vipers you called orgies and watched them feast on me. You strangled me until my vision darkened before releasing me. You held me at gunpoint and ordered me to defy you unless I wished to die. And yet I faced your challenges and survived. However, there was one thing did splinter me. Shattered me. That one thing petrified this girl in fear for months. The fact that you manipulated my body to enjoy the vile things you did to me. Until you, I had never felt sexual pleasure. There was no reason to because everything happened without my consent. But you changed that. You forced me to feel the erotic sensations to the fullest, to gasp your name in ecstasy when I wanted to tear your throat out instead, to imagine what every night of orgasms would do. Even on the last day, the day before I went to Japan, you kept me to yourself, making me relive that torture again and again.

If I am Lucifer Morningstar, then you are part of the reason why I have become so.

Memories of my past threaten to crumble me. I won't let them. Finding an empty changing room, I lock it and fall to my knees. I won't panic now. Not when I'm so close. My enemy and all his comrades in one building … it is too good of a chance to let it escape. My breaths quicken, and my heart beats like a drum. I drop to my side and curl into fetal position. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. I cradle my arms against me and focus on the meager happy memories of my life. Almost all of which involve a boy with peppermint hair and multicolored eyes. I try to push past the initial shame and concentrate on the pleasance. Gentle touches that bring comfort, sweet words of encouragement, gifts that touch the soul, his attention on me and just me, his tender care during my arthritic flares. I remember his smile, his undeterred confidence, and his innocent teasing. It's working. I feel my body gain some semblance of normality. But then the image of his smile warps into a grimace. His confidence turns into distrust. His teasing turns into shouting. Shame returns with a vengeance. The ever-growing fear of the implications of my actions and the self-disgust at just how undeserving I am of him choke me.

I can't breathe anymore.

I feel like my heart will burst out any moment.

The shadows of the changing room seem to distort just as my eyes shut for good.

When I wake up, I bolt upright.

How long have I been unconscious?

I don't know how much precious time I've wasted. But I can't waste anymore. I take a moment to collect myself, but when I unintentionally turn the light switch on of the changing room, I realize how pointless it is. At the first glance in the mirror, I stumble back. Is this really me? Mascara encircles my eyes in rings and streams down my cheeks in lines. Lipstick is smudged across my lips. Concealers, lighteners, and blushes coalesce into flaky bits. I look like every woman's worst nightmare on her date. And I cannot leave this room looking like this. I'm sorry Calliope, but your effort is going to go to waste a second time. I promise to compensate you properly. With the faucet water, I scrub my face till my skin is tinged pink. Even the wig is a tangled mess, so I toss it into the dust bin as well. I loathe having to reveal my true face, but it is a risk I must take. And if I'm already putting so much of myself out there, I might as well go all the way. The torture contraption of heels and clip-on earrings go into the trash. The red contacts crush under my feet and are replaced with my spare, colorless, and prescribed ones.

There were some things I had not mentioned to Madam Ahearn while we were strategizing. Crucial things, but I knew what she would say if I had told her. She would tell me not to do it and scrutinize over finding another way. It's commendable, and I respect that she would be willing to do that for me, but I could not let this opportunity escape. And if seizing the opportunity meant entering that den of vipers again … so be it.

I know that Inferno is in his favorite room - the orgy room - and I will kill him there.

But first, the explosives.

Still wearing the drab uniform customary for the workers, I sneak out of the changing room and search for the holding area for the newly arrived weapons. There are two burly men keeping guard over the shipment, both unaware of the shorter girl approaching them. I stab their necks with my daggers, cushioning their falls with my lap. Neither had the chance to scream. Such a pity, I think sarcastically. I unlock the first crate. Handguns. Then the second. Rifles. The third and fourth are not useful either. It is the fifth that contains something I can use. Timer bombs. The latest these bombs can count down from is one hour. Within an hour, I have to assassinate my enemy and bring the dead body here.

I transport the bombs into my interdimensional vault and vanish myself from any searching eyes. I doubt this is the only holding area in this fortress. There are definitely more on this floor and the floors above. This is the gun mafia stronghold, after all. Once one explodes, the sparks will induce all the others, timed or not, to blast as well. I should place the ones in my possession where I suspect the nearest holding areas will be.

Keeping mind to remain invisible, I leave the holding area and head toward the main entrance. The one reserved for esteemed guests, executives, and other high-ranking members of Phoenix. Since I'm the only one who can retrieve the bombs from the vault, I summon one, switch it on, and set it to one hour. I toss it high above the doorway, within the shadow of a phoenix mantelpiece so that only someone with a keen eye can spot it. Then I spot a central pillar. Another bomb there. One inside the kitchens, two within the drawing rooms, three outside the corridor. I climb the stairs to put many more on the higher floors, and plenty on the rooftop. It's not easy to slide past tens of armed guards and hundreds of idle gang members at every post. I pause for a moment, recalling the blueprint of the structure to verify that no part of the manor has been left untouched. There is one - the orgy room. But I will save that one for last.

Now the cadaver.

Searching for a blind spot within the cameras' visions is wasteful at this point. Instead, I search for a secluded area where no one is looking. Taking care to swivel unassumingly around the congregation of chatterers on the rooftop, my gaze drops to the shadow created by the open rooftop entrance doorway. Quickly, I summon Kurogiri's portal and step through into the surrounding forest. I kept the dead body hidden from prying eyes, kilometers deep within the forest, besides a small pyre of firewood. No one ventures this far in, and the stench of burning flesh will be undetectable to those at the manor. If tendrils of smoke manage to escape the foliage into the open sky, it can be easily mistaken for clouds or an illusion. The only thing I have to be careful is that my flames do not accidentally cause a forest fire. That will undoubtedly be noticeable. There was no rain in England today, and that only increases the chances that this plan falls apart. So first, I drag the body atop the pyre and enclose it and I in a circle of ice. Thick, enormous boulders of ice form a ring around us - can a dead body and a living person be called 'us'? - and serve as a barrier between the trees and fire. Traditional pyres usually take six hours to burn completely. A pyre as small as this should take around two. By then, the corpse will be burnt beyond recognition, all the ice will have melted, and no damage to the forest will occur. If I am not satisfied with how the cadaver appears, I can simply use Shigaraki's quirk to decay it some more. Blue flames alight on the woman's body, and I send a quick prayer. I'm sorry for disrespecting you like this after death, but I hope you find solace wherever you go from here.

Now to confront Inferno.

I divest myself of the dull uniform and leather gloves, only to shiver in the almost see-through, black lingerie underneath. Reaching up to unravel my hair hurts. The cold night air is not doing wonders for my joints. But I pull through, regardless. There is an entrance reserved for prostitutes like me. It was how I was brought into the fortress during those two miserable years. I still remember the chamber clearly, and I teleport just outside of it. The person responsible for checking me in is preoccupied with a magazine, so I cough lightly. His gaze bolts to mine, and he swallows nervously. "Miss, are you the girl that Lady Primrose sent?"

I assume this Lady Primrose is a brothel caretaker. Maybe a partner of Phoenix. "Yes," I reply coyly.

"But I was told that a girl with darker skin, blue hair, and black eyes would arrive tonight. You have lighter skin, white hair, and grey eyes, miss."

"She caught the common cold earlier today. Madam Primrose cannot send a sick girl to cater you, so she sent another girl she thought would be to your liking," I lie instantly.

My use of 'you' instead of 'your superiors' does not go unnoticed. He blushes, both in agitation but also in anticipation. I knew he would like it if I referred solely to him. He would be more amiable, too. "Oh, but you see, miss, it's my bosses who requested a girl for tonight. My job is to bring you to them."

I cover my mouth daintily with a hand. "My mistake. I apologize."

"It's okay, miss. If you could just wait here, I'll inform them you've arrived."

"My pleasure," I respond coyly again. The sofa I lie on is soft, and the tea and sweets are excellent. I desperately need that tea because my nerves are rising again. There is no doubt that Inferno will recognize me. But knowing him, he will not make a scene. Not in front of his comrades. He will bring me close to him, and that is what I need to end him.

It is now or never, Selene. I will not panic again.

The man who was reading the magazine returns and ushers me inside. These corridors, these security measures … all of them are familiar. I pass through a metal detector with no issues, and a guard pats me down for 'further measure.' Given the guard's salacious thirst in his eyes, he must have requested such an inane job position to be created just for him. After all, I am just a prostitute. What honor do I have? I resist the urge to pluck his eyeballs when his hands linger for too long on my hips. Before he insists on checking beneath the lingerie, I move away and request to go inside.

It is debauchery inside. A massive chamber, lined with sofas, couches, chaises, and chairs. Tables adorned with fruits and sweets and wines. Sconces and chandeliers casting seductive shadows on the burgundy walls. Large windows hidden by curtains, containing the decadence within. Raucous laughter and shouts erupt everywhere. Moans and groans echo in the small, dark alcoves throughout. I am not the only comfort woman here. One man wraps his arm around the waists of two girls, taking turns to put chocolates between their mouths and kiss them. Sometimes, he makes the girls kiss each other. Another woman bends to her knees in front of a man sitting on a couch. From the way his head arches back, I have a very good idea just what kind of pleasure is being exchanged. On one chaise, one woman's legs are parted for her lover's mouth, while her own mouth is open for a second man's length. A third pours wine between her breasts and drinks. Some distance away, a male tosses a girl over his shoulder and then onto a sofa. Giggles and moans follow soon. Clothes are strewn all about.

These sights are not unfamiliar to me. Many a time I came to the chamber of orgies and saw plenty of other girls being ravished. I always wondered what they felt. How did they end up in such a situation? Did they run away from home? Were they sold? Were they doing this willingly, or was it just a desperate mean to earn money? Were they abused? Were any of them like me? Most of the girls were a few years older than me. It was rare to find someone my age or younger. Even rarer to find a male prostitute. But my gaze drops onto a little boy, perhaps no more than five years, whose eyes dart from person to person and bodies tremble violently.

I approach him, and seeing me, the boy whines. "I'm scared. I want to go home. Where's Daddy?"

He doesn't deserve to die along with these vermin. Not him and not the other girls here. I see myself in this boy. This boy probably got lost when going out with his family, was kidnapped, sold, and now brought here. He doesn't know much of what is happening here, except that it is bad, and he doesn't want to partake in it. I bend down to the little boy's height. "What's your name?" I ask him.

He wipes his tears away with the back of his hands and sniffles to suck up the snot dripping from his nose. Good. You'll need whatever strength you can muster for what I am about to tell you to do. "Azul. Who are you?"

I debate telling him my real name. "Nice to meet you, Azul. My name is Lucifer Morningstar, but you can call me by my initials, L. M. Azul, I do not know where your Daddy is. But I know someone who can help you find him. I can help you escape if you do something for me."

He nods vigorously. "Anything, Miss L. M."

I cannot help but smile at the little honorific he uses. "Azul, I want you to play a game. Sneak around and tell the girls here that they must run away from here while they can. Tell them a raid is coming. Hide in the forest and wait for the police. Do not tell them that it is me passing the message. Do not mention me to the police, either. Then get out of here yourself."

Her eyes fill with doubtful hope. "But the men here are bad. They have guns. What if they k-k-kill me?"

"Don't worry about that. I'll make sure they won't hurt you. Just be quick and quiet. You'll be back with Daddy dearest in no time."

"Thank you, Miss L. M." And then he scurries off.

I scan the room again. This is the one room where the gang members possess the least number of weapons. During acts of intimacy, a gun accidentally firing off and the following splatter of blood would ruin the atmosphere. Answering why a prostitute died to the brothel caretaker would not be a pleasant conversation. Or why a half-clothed man has a hole in his stomach would be a mockery to the gang. The most that anyone can carry in this room is a knife. Only for knife play and showing off. What I need to do is steal the knives from these men. How easy!

The first man approaches me. It is the one who was playing with chocolate earlier. Both women seem to have been taken away by other partners, so now he is feeling lonely. "Do you like sweets?" he asks me. I do not respond, and instead lean into him. He parts my lips to put a truffle inside. I oblige and bite his finger alluringly in the process. He has very little control. He pushes me into the nearest wall and kisses me hard. His hands roam up my thighs, beneath the lingerie slip, and into the band of my lace underwear. Perfect. With his hands somewhere else, I can roam mine where I need them. As he deepens the kiss and toys with my tongue, I slip my hands into his unbuttoned shirt and run them along his muscles. I feel for steel and leather. There. In the waistband of his jeans is a knife tucked. I pull it out, taking care to brush my fingers against the ridge of his spine. I reverse our positions, pushing him against the wall, pushing my sex further into his hands. He groans into my mouth, and just when I feel the last vestiges of his self-control fade, I break the kiss and look him in the eyes. Those lustful eyes widen in shock, then dull into glass as the knife runs along his jugular like water. Blood doesn't spurt in a gush. It falls in a quiet stream. It was a quick kill. He falls onto me, so I drag us into an alcove and toss his body there. I keep his knife in my interdimensional vault while summoning a timer bomb and tossing it into the darkness.

Onto the next ones. I don't know how many minutes pass like this. There was a clock outside the orgy room that read ten minutes to ten p.m. So I would estimate about half an hour has gone by since then. My slip comes off at some point. Then my underwear disappears, leaving me completely naked. At another point, I am pressed between two men, both penetrating me from different openings of my body. The man with the penchant for wine traces my letter scars and drinks from my breasts. Another insists on tasting the space between my legs. More simply thrust into me. I lose count of the number of times I am raped. I try to disassociate myself from the pain and focus on what is more important. Slowly, Azul's message is passed around. Each girl makes some sort of excuse for leaving. ("I have to go to the restroom." "I'll go find more bottles." "You're not wearing a condom. Please wear one.") Eventually, I am the only prostitute left. Thank heavens, Azul is gone. No one notices, though. They are too preoccupied with satiating their lusts, and I am just to their appetite. While it is much easier to steal their knives from them - and pass them back when they want to implement their knife desires on me - it is not possible to slaughter every one of them stealthily. There are those who are more promiscuous and show me off in front of everyone. There are those who don't prefer the alcoves or being near the alcoves. There are those who want to ravish me on the floor rather than on the furniture or walls. The luckiest I get is to toss a timer bomb into each of the alcoves, but I've only disposed of six men out of the tens. More disappointingly, I have yet to see Inferno at this congregation of sin. Was I wrong when I thought he would be here? If he doesn't come, then all of this endurance would be for naught.

Finally, my luck shines.

The door to the chamber of orgies opens, and immediately all noises hush. The only sounds that can be heard are the sounds of leather pacing across the soft carpet. I would recognize those footsteps anywhere. Inferno preferred polished black leather oxfords because he could easily hide a knife in their sole and still walk comfortably. Then I hear salutations and praises exchanged to the viper of vipers by his subordinates. Eventually, those footsteps stop by me and the person currently thrusting into me on the chaise. It seems the person is so consumed with lust and ecstasy that he fails to respond even when Inferno calls out for his attention. His lips cover mine, suck mine, in utter unawareness. It is only when Inferno places a hand on the person's back does said person regain some sense and looks up. He withdraws instantly and hastens to put his clothes on. "S-Sorry, Sir. I didn't realize when you arrived. It won't happen again, I swear."

"Make sure it doesn't," he orders. His voice is deeper than it was before. How old must he be now? Seventeen? Eighteen? Through intentional half-lidded eyes, I take him in. That familiar velvety crimson hair, burgundy eyes, toned muscles unhidden by his black three-piece suit. I can almost imagine the blazing phoenix tattoo covering the entirety of his back. I open my eyes slowly, watching for recognition to dawn on his face. He shows nothing. I reveal nothing. But the message is clear as water and bright as fire: I remember you. I don't make any move to rise from my languid position on the chaise, even though I would love nothing more than to pierce his heart with knives. "Where are the other girls?" he inquires. The men snap out of their euphoria and look around.

I cannot let them suspect. I need a distraction. Again, the thought to tear him apart comes to mind, but I shove it aside for now. Rather, I raise a leg leisurely, running it along the length of the other. I arch my back just a little while slipping one hand into my unraveled long hair and the other down my breasts, my stomach, my sex. Inferno watches my every movement, as desire begins to fill his eyes. Let the victim become the seductress. "My partner just now was doing an excellent job of driving me to boundless ecstasy. But thanks to you, the job is left half unfinished," I whine cutely. "It is rude to leave a woman unsatisfied." Then I roll onto my back and prop myself on my elbows. I feel his piercing gaze study every curve and every scar. Every curl of hair being pushed aside as I toss my head. With one cheek resting in my palm, I raise a brow. "Someone needs to attend to this girl. The loss is driving her mad. Sir …" I reach for him and my voice drops to an alluring whisper. "You look like you want to be driven mad. Join me. So we may be both driven to perfect madness." My distraction works. His subordinates catcall and whistle at my boldness.

I feel successful. He cups my chin with one hand and runs his thumb along my lips. His hungry gaze reveals his desire to devour my lips. I tempt him by parting them and sucking the tip of his thumb. He leans in close and smiles, and his comrades cheer for him. I reach for the buttons of his shirt, and I relish the moment he will fall into my trap. But then he murmurs, "Not so fast, Elysium." And he pushes me back onto the chaise. Shame and rage color my cheeks, but I manage to mask it as wantonness. He sits in the couch across, props his legs on the table, crosses his ankles, and speaks. "Men, you know my tastes. It takes a lot for me to feel aroused. Entertain me. Make me want to ruin her. To break her."

Oh, I know very well about your depraved tastes, you voyeuristic animal. I was incorrect when I called all of them snakes. Snakes strike solitary. I am the snake. These animals descend on me like wolves for the kill. The person who I called my partner comes back with newfound lust and pride. He practically pounds into me and growls in my neck once he finds release. The moment he extricates himself, another comes to replace him. And another. And another. And many more. I feel my mouth open for kisses; my hands twist around lengths; my legs shiver from fingers; my back and breasts twinge from pinches and flicks; my ears tingle with whispers, shouts, and groans of pleasure; my head hurts from my hair being pulled back for neck bites. You've lived through this before, Selene. You can do it now. This is the only way you can get close to Inferno. Imagine all these bodies erupting into pieces from the bombs. This hellhole collapsing onto itself. No more girls will be hurt. No more boys will be hurt. You will never be hurt here anymore.

I imagine I am in the gazebo. The pond water ripples gently. The lotuses and water lilies are in full bloom. Moonlight filters from the clouds above, and stars shimmer like glitter on the water surface. The fragrance of moonflowers permeates the air like magic. The whole scene is magical. And I'm not the only one in this magical place. Shouto-kun is with me. We laugh; we talk; we sit on the edge of the pier, dipping our feet into the water; we hold hands in sweet silence; we dance all night. There is no shame to be felt here. No regret, no disgust. Only a secret world of joy and beauty and safety, occupied by the water, the moon, and the blossoms of the dark.

I should take you there one day, Shouto-kun. Despite all the secrets I keep from you, this one I should share with you. I will share it with you. Of all the promises I made and failed to keep, I vow to keep this one to you. I have no right to love you, but I cannot stop. For everything you've done for me, the least I can give you is this.

When their feast ends, I do not feel relieved. There is still one more person's lap I have to climb into. But the men are exhausted. Most decide to fall asleep in this room, half-clothed or unclothed, depending on their state of undress. Some bid goodnight and stagger out of the room. A few decide to stay behind, but Inferno dismisses them. When it's just us left, he beckons me to follow him. Outside. Outside the manor, away from the bombs, into the cold night. I want to run away, but I ignore it. With my head lifted high, I pass through the door he so courteously opened for me. What if I snapped his neck between the door? Outside is a large swimming pool and a hot tub. Both quite a distance away from the manor. He ushers toward the hot tub. I climb in, and for a moment, absorb the relaxation that the hot water brings to my joints. Then he joins me, just as naked as me. Inferno sidles next to me, then loops his hands around the back of my thighs to seat me on his lap.

"Long time, no see, Elysium," he nuzzles into my neck. Water drips down my head and shoulders as he cups it in his hands and pours it on me. He's washing me of all the sweat and ejaculate coating me. "I didn't think you'd ever come back. But I think I know why you are."

"Care to elaborate?" I susurrate in his ear, waiting for him to drop his guard just enough for me to strike.

"To destroy me. To break me. I know I broke you when you were mine, and now you're here to return the favor. You want to kill me." His fingers grasp my chin again, only to slide down my throat and between my breasts to my sex.

"You are not wrong." It takes an effort to say it calmly, as his fingers induce anything but calmness inside me. I loathe that my body still reacts to him that way. A digit enters me, and I involuntarily lean into the sensation. "You did break me, and I wanted revenge."

He kisses along the slope of my shoulder and inserts another digit inside me. My thighs demand to clench together, but he keeps them open with his other hand. "Of course you do, my paradise. I would be upset if you didn't. Those icy eyes were always formidable and chaotic." He raises his head to look me straight in the eyes. "It was the promise in them that made me covet you and throw everything I had at you."

"It would serve your ego immensely to break the spirit of a daunting girl. That's why you did it." It's getting harder to keep control. I dig my nails into his shoulders and look away in shame.

He tips my chin toward him and coos, "Come now, Elysium. There is no fun in simply fucking. I could get that from any girl. But not from you. You were a tempest. A challenge I wanted to conquer no matter what."

"Like I said. I was just there to satisfy your ego. And you got what you wanted," I point out.

He bends his head down enough to kiss my breasts. "No. I didn't. I thought I did. But the fact that you're back, with more scars than before and the willpower to make it through the orgy without crumbling, only shows that you've been repaired." He cups my cheeks with both hands and mutters, "My paradise is reborn. Now the true challenge begins." And he kisses me. Devours me. Inferno angles himself and slides into me with ease. At the same time, he bites and pulls at my lips. With my chest pressed against his, there is no gap between us. My feet are trapped by my sides and toes are clenched as he eases me back and forth along his length. His fingers move from cheeks to the back of my head and my waist. Digging into my skin. I feel myself losing to him. Moans climb up my throat and threaten to escape. I won't let that happen. Slowly, I drag my hands underneath his shoulders and around his back, feeling those muscles flex. I trace the outlines of the phoenix tattoo. He releases my mouth, only to lavish my throat. "You're mine, Elysium. Mine to fuck. Mine to break. Mine to devour. Mine to destroy. Every night will be ravishment most exquisite and blissful. I promise to claim every part of you every day. Your mouth. Your arse. Your cunt. They're all mine," he groans with every few kisses.

No, you vile creature. Not anymore. Lucifer Morningstar bows to no one. I feel hotness inside me and watch him slump back, pulling me against him. Though, he makes no move to remove himself from inside me. From my position, I can see the entirety of the manor. Not much longer now. "Inferno," I breathe into his ear as I take the lead and trail a finger down his chest. His length hardens again, and the sensation is palpable. "You destroyed your paradise. What was reborn was hell." And then I twist his head to look back, just the first bomb blasts.

"That was the entrance," I murmur as his eyes practically pop out of his skull. I grin diabolically at the first sign of terror he has shown. Another blast. "The main hall." He tries to escape, but I pin him down. "The kitchens," I purr as the third blast erupts. One by one, each bomb explodes, orange mushrooms of fire bloom, screams follow, and I relish Inferno's growing expression of horror as I name each ravaged room. He pushes at me, shoves me, bites me, does everything he can to throw me off him. But I don't give him the chance. "There is a saying to never put all your eggs in one basket. Well, in your case, it should have been never to put so much ammunition in your own home." Realization dawns in his eyes, and he fights me with more energy.

"The girl of moon and ice bested the boy of sun and fire," he sneers. "You were a phoenix, through and through. You rose from the ashes with vengeance and venom. Phoenixes rise from ruination. I should have known it would be impossible to ruin you." He wraps his hands around my throat, suffocating me.

"So do snakes, Inferno," I choke. "Never rub salt in a serpent's wounds, for it returns to exact revenge with a hatred like no other. Watch your death delivered with my icy venom." I return the deadly gesture and shove him into the water.

He releases his grip from me and thrashes, clawing at my arms, gasping for the air I am stealing from him. I'm hovering above him on my knees, head above the water. His knees jerk into my back, so I adjust my position to sit on top of him. Inferno lets go of my throat to pull at my hair, so I tighten my hold on his neck.

"Water is the master of fire. It cools lava. It soothes burns. It douses flames. Goodbye, Inferno. There can only be one Devil. And it is me: Lucifer Morningstar."

His movements slow. His mouth stills. Eyes now glassy and limbs inert, there is no doubt that he has drowned. I get up and out of the hot tub. His body rolls over and falls to the bottom, although in a few hours it will rise to the top. I glance at the rest of the manor burning on itself. All the bombs have blasted. All that remains is to bring the burning corpse. I use Kurogiri's quirk to transport myself to the pyre. Indeed, the ring of ice has melted, and the corpse is burnt beyond recognition. I hear police sirens in the distance. With no time to waste, I levitate the corpse through the warp gate and toss it underneath an ignited pillar.

I spot Madam Ahearn arrive with her team. One of them finds Inferno's body and calls for the entire team there. Hiding behind burning furniture, I create the illusion of a woman in her mid-twenties with bright red hair running from the direction of Inferno toward the burnt body. Madam shoots at it several times. The illusory woman tumbles below the pillar. Seconds later, the pillar tumbles over, crushing the corpse to putty and vanishing the woman in flames. The police do not dare to approach any closer - they are already hundreds of meters away - in fear of the fire harming them. They inform the fire department. It will be hours by the time the flames are completely doused.

My job here is done.

The last of my victims on this island is dead, along with his gang.

The Phoenix empire went down in flames, and it will never rise.

I never have to return to England again.

Police officers find the girls and Azul hiding in the forest and seat them inside ambulances.

I teleport to Madam Ahearn's back garden.

Calliope, who was resting on the swing, jolts awake and begins to ask why I am naked.

"Can I use your bathroom?" I interrupt her.

"Go right ahead."

"Thank you, because I don't plan on coming out for at least two hours."