CHAPTER 42: MANTA-MAN CAN SUCK MY-

Natalia’s hand felt unnaturally warm in mine as we walked back to the condo. The neon signs of New Vein’s commercial district painted her face in alternating hues of blue and pink, highlighting the flush still lingering on her cheeks. The shopping bags swung lightly from my other hand, feeling practically weightless compared to the heavy tension between us.

"You’re quiet," she said, glancing up at me.

"Just thinking about how the night’s going to end," I replied, giving her hand a squeeze.

Her blush deepened, and she looked away, but not before I caught the small smile on the corners of her lips.

Three weeks ago, this girl wouldn’t piss on me if I was on fire. Now she was practically dragging me home, her entire body telegraphing what she wanted.

I mentally opened my System interface, checking my progress.

\[Daily Mission: Successful Date - Complete.\]

\[Schema Points Awarded: +25\]

\[Primary Quest: Seduce and Corrupt Natalia Buzming. Progress: 89%\]

Only twenty-five points? After that performance? The under-the-table move alone was worth fifty.

"Hey, Nel," I thought, addressing the System. "Twenty-five points is kind of stingy, don’t you think? The audience must have loved watching the ice princess melt."

\[The Audience was... adequately entertained. Do not get complacent, Host.\]

I nearly rolled my eyes. "Complacent? Let the sponsors know their star performer expects better compensation for quality entertainment."

\[Your request has been noted. In fact, one of our most prominent sponsors has been so impressed with your... family-oriented approach... that he has issued a special personal quest for you.\]

That caught my attention. "Oh? Who’s the high-roller?"

\[The entity known on your original world’s Earth as... Zeus.\]

I mentally stumbled. Zeus? As in the Greek god Zeus? The serial rapist who couldn’t keep it in his toga?

\[Quest: Earn the ’deep affection’ of your mother, Kimiko Nakano. Reward: 500 SP and the Divine Title: \[Favored Son\].\]

My grip on Natalia’s hand tightened involuntarily.

"Nel," I thought, my mental voice glacial. "You tell that thunder-fucking degenerate that if he wants to get his rocks off watching that kind of filth, he can go find a swan to harass. Decline the quest."

\[...Request processed. The sponsor expresses his... disappointment. Be warned, Host. Offending a Divine Sponsor can have... consequences.\]

"Are you okay?" Natalia asked, looking concerned. "You’re crushing my hand."

I relaxed my grip immediately, giving her an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Just thinking about the entrance exam."

She seemed to accept this, moving closer to me as we approached our building. My anger at Zeus faded to the background as anticipation built. She’d admitted she wanted more. Tonight, I’d give her exactly that.

The elevator ride up to our floor was torture. Natalia stood on the opposite side, maintaining a respectable distance, but her eyes never left mine.

We reached our door, and I fished out my key card, swiping it through the reader. The lock disengaged with a soft click, and I pushed the door open, allowing Natalia to enter first. I followed her in, shopping bags still dangling from my fingers, and kicked the door shut behind me.

The sound of the latch catching was like a starting gun.

Natalia dropped her purse. Before I could even set down the shopping bags, she whirled around, grabbed the front of my shirt with both hands, and yanked me down into a kiss that was pure animal hunger. Her body slammed against mine, soft curves pressing into hard muscle as she staked her claim. Her lips were demanding, desperate, tasting of sake and something uniquely her.

For a split second, I was caught off guard by her aggression. Then I dropped the bags and seized control.

My hands slid down her back to cup her ass, fingers digging into the firm flesh. I lifted her effortlessly, backing her against the door with a solid thud. She gasped into my mouth as her back hit the wood, the sound turning into a moan as I pressed my body against hers, pinning her in place.

My tongue invaded her mouth, turning her desperate assault into a deep, soul-stealing exploration. Her initial struggles melted away as I took charge, soft whimpers replacing her aggression. My hand slid up her stomach, under her shirt, feeling the smooth skin of her midriff. Her breath hitched at the contact, her body arching into my touch.

Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer as if she couldn’t get enough. The pain only heightened my arousal. I broke the kiss, both of us panting heavily. Looking down at her, I took in the sight—lips swollen from my kisses, eyes glazed with lust, cheeks flushed crimson. Beautiful.

I hooked my thumbs into the waistband of her jeans. "Here?" I growled, voice barely recognizable. "You want to do this right here, Princess?"

She couldn’t form words, just nodded frantically, her hips bucking against mine in a silent plea.

I lifted her higher, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around my waist, locking her ankles behind my back. I pinned her more firmly against the door, my erection pressing insistently against her core through our clothes.

"Satori," she gasped, the sound of my name on her lips sending a jolt of electricity down my spine.

I started to grind against her, the friction making her moan. My hand fumbled with the button of her jeans, desperate to feel more of her. We were seconds away from tearing our clothes off and taking each other right there in the entryway.

\[Primary Quest Progress: 95%... 96%...\]

And then we heard it.

Not a key in the lock. A voice. A booming, cheerful voice coming from the living room.

"Kids? You guys back already? Your mother wants to watch that new Manta-Man movie as a family!"

We both froze solid. Natalia’s legs were still wrapped around my waist. My hand was still halfway down her pants. Our faces were inches apart, flushed with passion that instantly transformed into pure horror.

"Oh fuck," I whispered.

"My dad," she mouthed silently, eyes wide with panic.

I dropped her immediately. She landed on her feet with a startled yelp, stumbling to put distance between us. We frantically tried to fix our appearances. She tugged her shirt down, I zipped my fly. Her hair was a wild mess, her lips swollen and red. We looked exactly like two people who had been seconds away from fucking against a door.

"Go," I hissed, shoving her toward the living room. "Distract them!"

Natalia nodded jerkily, running shaking hands through her hair in a futile attempt to tame it before scurrying off to face her parents.

I leaned my forehead against the cool wood of the door, taking a deep, shuddering breath. Looking down at the obvious tent in my pants, I groaned in frustration.

Cockblocked. I just got cockblocked by my own fucking stepdad.

"Natalia, honey! How was your shopping trip?" Kimiko’s cheerful voice drifted from the living room. "Would you like some popcorn? We’re about to start the movie!"

A family movie night. You have got to be kidding me.

I glared at the ceiling. ZEUS! I know this was you, you perverted thunderbolt-chucking asshole!