I hadn’t even processed what was happening ahead when he bolted out of the alley, leaving me frozen for a split second.

"Stop! Let her go! What do you think you’re doing?" Saches roared. Peering out, I saw the bubble tea shop where I’d left Weihui earlier. A group of thugs surrounded her and three other girls. One punk had perched himself right on their table, his movements unmistakably harassing.

The three girls huddled together in the corner, trembling uncontrollably—they were clearly the thugs’ original targets. Weihui, caught in the crossfire, sat quietly sipping her drink. Bystanders had formed a loose circle around the scene. No one dared intervene in broad daylight, yet none walked away. They just watched, as if this were free entertainment.

Amidst the chaos, Weihui’s stillness made her stand out. At first glance, she seemed almost invisible. But look closer, and you’d see a remarkably cute girl—which is exactly why the thugs’ attention had shifted to her.

*Sigh.* I’m always the one accused of attracting trouble, yet here she was, tangled up in it. And honestly, Weihui’s plain clothes didn’t help. If they could see she was nobility, which thug would dare bother her?

"Did you hear me? Release them!" Saches’ towering frame radiated raw intimidation. The thugs flinched back. One defiant voice piped up: "Who the hell are you to crash Young Master Luo’s fun?" As he spoke, a sharply dressed young man stepped forward from the group—clearly the so-called "Young Master."

"Friend, this doesn’t concern you," Luo said, eyeing Saches’ muscular build but forcing bravado. His lackeys chimed in: "You know who Young Master Luo is? His father runs a major trade caravan! Cross him, and his guards will take you apart limb by limb."

A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me. Though the time and place were wrong, I felt as if I stood among those thugs myself—arrogant, bullying, riding on borrowed power.

"You heard him," a thug sneered, emboldening Luo. "Walk away now, and we’ll forget this happened."

"Saches! Help!" Weihui spotted him and stood up. Saches strode forward in one powerful step. The thugs shrank back, too terrified to block her path. Weihui slipped through their circle unharmed. Relief flooded me. I’d been ready to charge in, but now I could just retrieve my sister and leave.

"Oh. You know her?" Luo’s tone shifted instantly. "Fine. Take her. I’ll let it slide—for your sake." *Huh. At least he knows when to back down.* I moved to usher them away—but Saches wasn’t finished.

"I said," he pointed at the other three girls, "release *all* of them. Then you can leave."

*Seriously? Why push it?* Weihui was safe. Why risk more for strangers? What did those girls’ fates matter to me?

"Stubborn fool!" Luo snarled, humiliated. "You want trouble? Bring it!" His thugs lunged. A flurry of fists and kicks later, several flew backward with pained cries.

Saches didn’t dodge. Didn’t block. He let their blows land harmlessly before grabbing two thugs and slamming them into the rest. These amateurs were no match for a near-professional like him. Half were down in seconds. The survivors grabbed chairs, swinging wildly. Luo panicked, scrambling to the corner where he seized a sobbing girl. By the time he turned back, all his men lay groaning on the floor.

"You—stay back! Or she gets hurt!" Luo pressed a small knife to the girl’s throat. To Saches, it was a toy. To her, it was death. Saches froze, unwilling to risk her life.

Watching Luo clutch that girl, I saw myself again. If I still stood in his shoes—if I *were* him—would I do the same?

The girl bit his hand in desperation. Luo howled, swinging the knife blindly toward her. It was horrifyingly familiar. I felt like *I* was the one holding the blade, the one snarling with madness.

"STOP!" A beam of light struck the knife, sending it clattering to the floor. The girl broke free and ran to Saches, curling up at his feet, weeping quietly. The other two girls fled too. Luo stood alone in the shop’s center, staring at me—the one who’d disarmed him.

My hand still glowed faintly in the air. Rage surged through me, hot and sudden. I’d acted without thinking.

"Move!" Luo shoved through the crowd, desperate to escape. But my fury hadn’t cooled. With a flap of my wings, I shot into the air—my first flight, effortless and instinctive. I soared over the onlookers, focused only on catching him.

Light gathered in my palm. *Holy Light Bullet*—a low-tier Divine Art I’d mastered even before becoming an Angel. But this wasn’t the tiny orb of my past. This was a searing beam. It cut through the crowd and struck Luo squarely in the back, slamming him face-first onto the pavement.

I landed beside him, grabbing his collar with one hand. He felt weightless. *Is this an Angel’s strength?*

"W-What do you want?" he stammered, all arrogance gone.

His pathetic fear disgusted me. Earlier, I’d only worried for Weihui. When she escaped, I’d almost abandoned the others. But seeing him crumble—this nobody propped up by imaginary power—I burned with fury.

"You’ll destroy yourself like this," I growled, forcing my voice level. "I’m doing you a favor. Go live an honest life. Understand?" I truly hoped he’d turn over a new leaf.

He nodded frantically. I hurled him against the wall.

"Get lost. And stay away from those thugs."