CHAPTER 26: BOUNTY HUNTERS [II]

Luna inhaled sharply, her chest still heaving from the shock of nearly dying.

She hadn’t been in this kind of duration before.

The phantom sting of Mist’s blades lingered in her mind, though they had never touched her.

"There was a wall?" she whispered, disbelief threading her voice.

Hesitantly, she reached her hand out in front of her.

Her palm pressed into something solid yet it was unseen.

Her fingers curled, testing the surface, but it didn’t budge.

She pressed harder, then shoved with both hands.

It was immovable.

"There really is one," she murmured, eyes wide.

Lucius stood beside her, calm as though explaining the weather.

"Yeah. One of my space spells. I call it Infinity."

Luna blinked. "Infinity...?"

He gave a faint smirk.

"A wall of space, impossible to break. No matter what strikes, it stops. Well—" his eyes glimmered mischievously "unless you’re powerful enough to cut through space itself."

Her breath caught.

A spell that no one could pass?

Meanwhile, Lucius’s inner monologue was far less majestic.

’Gojo isn’t here, and it’s not like copyright companies can reach me in this world,’ he thought smugly. ’If he doesn’t exist here... I’ll simply be this world’s Gojo.’

Luna’s lips parted in awe.

She couldn’t even comprehend how such a power could exist.

"Well, anyway..." Lucius’s tone shifted casually. "You’re no longer safe."

Without waiting, he dropped toward the rooftop Mist had been standing on.

"I hope you’re not uncomfortable with coming to live with me later on."

Luna’s brain short-circuited.

"...Uhm...."

The chat detonated.

[@HotSauce69: HE JUST ASKED HER TO MOVE IN??]

[@EggBeater: Bro skipped 99 side quests straight to marriage arc]

[@MoonGoddess77: GIRL SAY YES WTF]

[@BreadKnife: This man doesn’t even flirt, he just kidnaps wives 💀]

[@SaltyMage: He really said ’pack your bags or else’]

[@RogueKnight: I would move in IMMEDIATELY]

[@PineappleOnPizza: Nah this stream is actually wild]

Lucius landed gracefully on the rooftop, Luna clinging to him.

Her voice stammered, "I-I’ll do it."

"Good." His tone was nonchalant, as though he hadn’t just secured a roommate under duress. "Now, I apologize."

Luna blinked. "Apologize... for what?"

"For putting you in danger." His voice hardened as his body tilted slightly to the right —

FWOOOM!

An arrow screamed past them, grazing the rooftop before exploding midair with a flash of ice shards.

The fragments rattled around them, shimmering under the city lights.

Lucius straightened as though nothing happened.

"I can’t let you go alone right now. They could kidnap you. Until we’re safe and shake them off, you’re with me."

"...Okay," Luna whispered, still trembling.

The comments rolled in, half simping, half unhinged.

[@CrabLegs: He just explained Infinity like he’s a physics professor and then dodged? This man’s aura farming is illegal]

[@SkullCandy: Protecting her AND flexing the drip — Peak husband material]

[@PickleRick: Bro didn’t even blink when ICE EXPLODED behind him]

[@ClownPrince: He’s literally multitasking — rizz, lore dump, dodging arrows]

[@MommyMilkers88: Can I be in danger too pls 🙏]

[@YamchaMain: He’s the kind of guy who’d propose mid-boss fight]

[@TrashCan: This is the most entertaining near-death date I’ve ever watched]

[@DogFood: SHE SAID OKAY TOO FAST 💀💀]

Lucius’s smirk sharpened as his eyes locked onto the direction the arrow had come from.

A figure stood poised on a far rooftop — bow in hand, another arrow already nocked.

Lucius raised his voice. "Wait. How much is my bounty? There are already too many of you guys here."

The archer’s lips curled, and though the distance was far, Lucius twisted space, pulling the man’s voice close as if he were right beside them.

"Your bounty is one hundred billion royals," the man announced.

His bowstring tightened, glimmering with mana. "Alive, three hundred billion. So stay very, very still."

Luna gasped audibly. "Three hundred... billion?"

Lucius blinked. "Wait — a hundred to three hundred billion?"

The archer nodded once.

Lucius tilted his head, dead serious. "Can I turn myself in and cash the rewards?"

The man’s composure cracked.

"NO! I have a family of ten kids to feed! Why would I let you?!"

He loosed the arrow in fury.

Lucius casually sidestepped it.

The arrow streaked by, detonating in an icy explosion behind them.

The chat went feral.

[@NotADad: 10 kids?? Bro discovered multipliers]

[@BananaKing: Should’ve used a condom, my guy 💀]

[@MeltedCheese: 10?? That’s a raid party, not a family]

[@StepBroHelp: At that point just start a guild]

[@StarDust: Bro is risking his life for child support 💀]

But before Luna could even catch her breath, the archer raised his bow again.

His mana flared — then split.

Multiple arrows shimmered into being, each tipped with a different element.

With a snarl, he released them all.

The sky rained arrows — fire, ice, lightning, wind.

They slammed into the rooftop in rapid succession, exploding with deafening force.

Flames licked upward, frost spread across the concrete, sparks sizzled in the air.

The archer sighed in relief. "Finally..."

CRACK!

His words cut off as a boot smashed into his face with meteoric force, driving him into the rooftop.

The impact cratered the concrete, dust and smoke billowing outward.

Lucius stood above him, heel planted firmly on the man’s head.

His eyes gleamed. "Whoa. You’re durable."

The archer twitched once, then went limp, unconscious.

Lucius crouched, plucking the remaining arrows from his quiver. "Don’t mind if I do."

With a flick of his hand, space warped — and the arrows vanished, deposited unceremoniously onto the ground far below.

Luna hurried over, still trembling from the bombardment. "Uhm... Lucius?"

He glanced back at her, utterly unbothered. "Yes?"

Her face paled as her eyes scanned the horizon. "We... we have company."

Lucius followed her gaze.

Dozens of figures emerged across the rooftops, silhouettes forming against the neon skyline.

Some brandished blades, others guns, others still shimmering with magic.

All of them were looking at him.

Lucius exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"...Holy shit."

The stream exploded into chaos.

[@FrogLover: BRO THIS IS A RAID BOSS FIGHT]

[@PotatoKing: THEY’RE SPAWNING LIKE NPCS 💀]

[@IceCreamLord: Lucius about to solo the whole damn server]

[@UwUKitty: THIS IS THE BEST STREAM OF MY LIFE]

[@DeathDealer: They really brought EVERYONE for that bounty]

[@BluntForce: One hundred billion explains it, ngl]

[@SimpMode: Protect Luna at ALL COSTS 😭😭]

[@DumpsterFire: Lucius about to farm so much EXP he’ll prestige]

Luna gripped his sleeve tightly. "W-what do we do?"

Lucius smiled faintly, aura radiating around him, bending the very air.

"Simple," he said. "We run."