"We finally met at last."

Max looked at her with a smile. The girl too stared at him but didn't find any words to say. She didn't even know who this person was to begin with.

Max held her by the waist and flew up onto the terrace.

"Wait a minute.. I will finish this up…" he muttered.

….

"Sh*t!" The man cursed as the girl fell off the terrace. He was asked to capture her but he ended up pushing her off in excitement.

'Leave it be...I will just say that she jumped to death…' he thought before turning around only to see his partner getting crushed under the tonnes of metal.

"Bang!"

The floor shook and it caved in opening a hole to the lower floor.

"Sh*t! I need to get out of here!" the man thought as he moved. But the next moment, he felt his upper body moving ahead while his lower body failed to follow. He lost his balance and face planted himself on the floor splashing the water along.

"Damn! What in hell was that?!!" The man cursed as he turned his head and the next moment his pupil contracted a bit as he noticed a thin layer of broken ice near his feet.

"Tsk... it's difficult...I still can't seem to figure it out…"

The man turned his head up as he heard the mumbling. When his eyes met with Max, he was struck by fear and illusions formed in his mind. The killing intent that Max was directing towards him with a sweet smile on his face was no joke.

'No...I will die at this rate…' the man finally broke out of the fear and raised himself to his feet.

Max looked at the guy. He could clearly see the wound on the girl's body. This man was clearly toying with her.

'Well if he didn't toy around and wasted the time, it would have been troublesome. Even though he didn't mean good, he ended up doing it….'

Max raised one of his hands and the water around rose forming several pillars.

The man who was casting his true spell felt the strong fluctuation of mana and was consumed by fear. He lost his focus and the spell crumbled.

"No!!"

He screamed but the current Max wasn't the one to hesitate when it came to killing people like these.

The water pillars twirled and zoomed towards the man as he continued to scream.

"Shnk!"

"Shnk!"

…

The water turned red and the man's scream came to a stop.

The girl looked at Max with bright eyes. She couldn't believe how easily Max defeated the guy.

She was filled with admiration and gratitude.

This was strength.

She wanted to be strong as Max too. She didn't want to lose anyone dear to her. She wanted to see that person again and stand by her side if she could have enough strength.

Max could feel her gaze and realised that he was still carrying her by her waist. He immediately descended and let her on her feet.

Max looked at her and he could feel her strong gaze.

'Don't tell me she fell for me?' Max thought as he looked at the girl staring at him.

"I want to be strong like you!"

"Pfft!"

Max couldn't help but laugh both at himself and at her. He was mocking himself for having such movie-like thoughts while he laughed at her because he didn't consider himself truly strong, besides they were supposed to be at equal levels.

"You will be strong in no time, I will help you."

Max said with a smile, obviously he didn't say the full sentence.

'...even if it means breaking every one your bones..sigh I hope others are in much better condition…'

"Stop flirting!!" Lear's angry voice entered their ears.

Max turned his head to see Lear crawling out from the hole on the floor. He looked worn out and there were burn marks on his body too.

"Thanks…" Max said with a smile.

Lear who was about to say something shut his mouth and just clicked his tongue as he spoke, "Tsk….a thanks won't do….you better explain to me what's going on and if it isn't like you mentioned, be prepared to face my wrath.!"

"Let's get out of here first…." Max said as he ignored Lear's banter.

"Well….. What's the hurry? You were quick to run earlier too…"

A feminine voice entered everyone's ears and the hair on Max's body rose.

They looked towards the hole in the floor and saw a lady flying out of it. She seemed to be carrying an unconscious person in one her arms too.

'Sh*t!'

Max cursed in his mind as a troubled expression appeared on his face.

'Why in the hell did she have to come here of all the places!' He couldn't help but feel sweat on his face. There wasn't an option for them to get out of here.

He could have tried something if it was only him but with Lear and the girl around he couldn't seem to find anyway.

"You ran away and came to my very own property for causing trouble?"

'Sh*t!' Max cursed again.

"Besides, you even killed that b*stard...even though he deserved it…. It is a bit troublesome...well it doesn't matter now...with your and this guy's head, it will all be fine." She said with a sweet smile.

Max noticed that the unconscious guy in her hand was Derek and his face turned even dark.

Max took a step forward brought his hands behind. He could think of only one way now.

He used his hands and gestured Lear to jump off along with the girl from the terrace.

His gestures were obviously messy and he wasn't sure if Lear would get them or not. But he could only try.

Lear obviously noticed it and he was somehow able to make what Max meant. But as he was about to move, the lady spoke once again, "No, you don't.."

A frightening pressure came raining down on Lear and he felt his body sinking into the ground.

Max sighed, he knew there was no way out now.

"We can talk it out. You yourself said that person deserved death. We just gave him that. I have heard that the Sin of Lust is quite benevolent."

"Well aren't you an interesting one. No one ever said that to me…." The lady said with a light laugh.

At this moment, Venus had used the emergency stairs and finally made it to the terrace.

"So slow….Venus…" the lady said.

"I am sorry, My Lady…" Venus apologised before getting behind her.

"Just stop doing that….How many times do I need to tell you not to apologize…"

"I am sorry, My Lady….I will remember it from now on…"

Ethena shook her head as she muttered, "Forget it…"

She then turned her head towards Max again before speaking, "Fine then, let's talk….but first, take that mask off…"

Max couldn't refuse her, more like he didn't dare to. He unwillingly took his mask off which covered only the upper portion of his face and revealed his face.

Venus who stood behind Ethena looked at Max and suddenly, her eyes turned wide as she seemed to have remembered something.