Prince of Gluttony: Born from Betrayal

When Mira came back with the swords in hand, she glanced around, looking for the impassive red haired girl yet she was nowhere to be found.

"Where'd your girlfriend go?" She asked with a tilt of her head. She was feeling a bit guilty as she thought that she had already started to cause her Sponsor problems and she didn't want him backing out on her now.

Cain let out a soft sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

"She's not my girlfriend. Before last night. I wouldn't even say we were close."

'Phrasing~' Gaius snickered as Mira's eyes went wide in shock.

Her impression of him was changing so quickly it was like a rollercoaster. At first glance, he looked like a devilishly charming young man who would steal a girls heart and much more if they let him. After talking with him for a bit, he seemed like a curious and inquisitive student looking to know more.

But with this new 'confession', she could only see him as a womanizer who took good care of his women. She knew it was wrong but she couldn't help but grow curious about what he would do for her if she became his in every sense of the word.

Meanwhile, Cain had no idea that he had caused this misunderstanding and wanted nothing more than to leave this place and head to class. He only had 20 minutes or he would be late.

Mira quickly masked her thoughts behind a crooked smirk and handed him the swords, clearing her throat.

"Well, whatever she is to you, you better keep an eye on her. Redheads like that? Trouble. The quiet ones always are."

Cain took the swords with a nod, not really in the mood to argue or explain anything further. He slung them across his back, grateful for something to focus on.

Mira folded her arms, watching him with a glint of amusement in her eyes.

"Where are you off to now Boss? Off to break another girls heart?"

Cain rolled his eyes as he started headed to the exit.

"No. I have to go to class. I have a Life and Death Duel to prepare for."

Mira blinked a few times as she thought she had misheard what he had said. Her Sponsor was a student? and he was participating in a Life and Death Duel?! Didn't that mean she would be back at square one if he died?

She hurried after him, her boots clacking sharply on the floor.

"Wait. Did you just say Life and Death Duel?"

Cain didn't slow down. "Yeah. It's scheduled for next week."

Mira blinked in disbelief. "Next week? What the hell for? Did someone challenge you?"

Cain paused, hand on the doorframe. His voice came quiet but steady.

"No. I requested it. There's someone I need to kill."

The way he said it froze her in place. Not a trace of hesitation. Not even anger. Just cold certainty.

Her eyes narrowed. "Someone you need to kill?"

Cain turned his head, just enough for her to see his profile. There was a faint smile on his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"He betrayed me. Nearly killed me and left me to rot. Thought he finished the job." His gaze darkened. "I want to return the favor. Nice and slow."

Mira instinctively took a small step back. It wasn't just the words. There was something heavy in the air, something primal that pressed down on her chest. She could feel it in her bones. Bloodlust. Not wild or unhinged. It was controlled and deliberate. The kind that belonged to someone who had already decided exactly how his enemy would die.

"And what if you lose?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light even as her voice wavered slightly. "What happens to my swords?"

Cain shrugged. "Come to the duel and find out."

She stared.

"You can watch me kill him and walk off the stage. Or you can collect your blades from my corpse."

Then he walked out the door, leaving her standing in silence.

Mira swallowed hard. How could a student be so calm in the face of death.

She stood there a moment longer, staring at the door as it gently shut behind him.

Mira let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and finally moved, pressing a hand to her chest. Her heart was racing.

"What the hell did I get myself into?"

Her voice came out low and uneasy, the usual teasing gone.

It wasn't just that he had casually admitted to wanting to kill someone. It was the way he said it. Like it was already done. Like he had already carved the outcome into stone with his own hands.

She had seen killers before. Bandits. Mercs. Even a few soldiers who snapped when the pressure got too high. But this was different. Cain didn't look broken. He didn't look unhinged. If anything, he looked terrifyingly in control.

And that scared her more than she'd ever admit out loud.

She glanced down at her hands, now empty. Her blades were with him. If he died, they'd be lost too.

But it wasn't just the weapons. She had already started to tie her fate to his, however lightly. She needed him. Not just as a Sponsor, but as someone who could survive in this place. Someone strong.

"...Guess I'm going to a duel."

But by the time that she had made that decision, Cain was already gone. He had blinked in order to save time to get to class.

Mira looked around the street, eyes scanning left and right.

He was gone.

Her lips curled into a slight frown as she let out a small, irritated grunt. "Seriously?He leaves without even saying goodbye?"

She crossed her arms, tapping one foot as the last bits of Cain's presence faded into the background. A strange weight lingered in the air, as if he had taken the warmth with him and left only the echo of bloodlust behind.

"Damn weirdo," she muttered, turning on her heel.

But even as she walked back toward her shop, she found her thoughts drifting. There was no mistaking it now. He meant what he said. That duel wasn't a bluff or a cry for attention. It was a promise. One he was going to keep.

Mira pushed open the back door and entered the rear of her shop. It was hotter here, the forge already stoked from her work earlier. The scent of iron and coal hit her like a familiar slap to the face, grounding her in the heat and sweat of honest work.

She tossed her gloves onto the nearby bench, flexing her fingers as she moved to the worktable.

"He's going to get himself killed," she mumbled.

The fire roared in the forge. She stared into it for a long moment, then exhaled sharply through her nose and grabbed her apron.

No. He wasn't going to die. Not if she could help it.

If she was really going to stand beside him, even a little, then she couldn't just sit around and wait for news of his funeral. She had to do something. Anything.

Grabbing a few ingots from the shelf, she began to sort through the materials she had on hand. Cain was fast. He was clever. But the way he talked, he wasn't going into that duel planning to come out untouched. He was planning for a kill, even if it meant bleeding for it.

Mira reached for her tools.

"If I'm hitching my ride to that bastard, I better make damn sure he stays alive long enough to pay me back."

The clang of metal filled the space as she began working.

She didn't have much time. A week, he said.

She hoped it would be enough.