"Woo—woo—"
The arm clamped around her body was like a steel-reinforced cage, crushing Little Succubus Nainai’s waist. Her feet dangled helplessly off the ground, every struggle futile.
At the same time, the young man’s large palm smothered her mouth completely. Sure, it stopped her sobs—but damn it, couldn’t he leave a sliver of space to breathe? Was he trying to suffocate her?
Looking every bit like a kidnapper fleeing with stolen goods, the youth darted through Ashi City’s East District alleyways, Nainai tucked under his arm like a briefcase. He might as well have been running for his life.
Well, technically he was—running from a potential social death. In a way, that counted as life-or-death.
"Huff…"
Certain no one was around, the youth finally stopped in a shadowed corner he deemed "safe." He exhaled a low, weary breath and set Nainai down.
Her feet touched the ground, but her legs—already trembling from exhaustion—buckled instantly. Flushed and gasping, Nainai braced herself against the grimy wall to keep from collapsing. She wiped away tear streaks and snot with the back of her hand, then glared up at the youth through hazy, desire-clouded violet eyes. Her pink lips parted, voice tight with suppressed fury:
"Fine. You ran. I don’t care why you dragged me here… Just tell me—what do I do now?"
She didn’t wait for his answer. Arms flung wide, she glared at him, utterly done with holding back. Her skimpy clothes clung to sweat-slicked skin, trembling between pain and arousal. The deep pink sigil glowing erratically on her pale stomach screamed that her little succubus body had hit its limit.
"What did you think I was doing? Did you think you looked heroic? That you were saving a damsel? Did you think I had no way to fight back? That those two pieces of trash could actually hurt me?"
Truth was, if Nainai wanted, those lust-blinded idiots couldn’t have touched her. Beyond her hidden Special Ability, she could’ve simply drained their desires—erasing their memories and consciousness in an instant. That’s why this seemingly fragile girl, no Extraordinary Being herself, roamed Ashi City’s East District nights without fear.
She never hunted too many prey. Never targeted those too strong to handle.
Teeth gritted, she hissed through clenched jaws:
"Yes, I can’t eat normal food! Human meals don’t fill me even a little… I survive on men’s desires. I let those idiots catch me to *eat* their lust, damn it! Without it, I starve. And today—I spent nearly three hours finding just *two* prey! You ruined everything with one punch. What am I supposed to do now? Huh? Say something!"
Starvation and fury shattered her restraint. The foul-mouthed tirade poured out as she grabbed his white shirt, shaking him violently.
Whose fault was this?
Nainai fought for survival—a victim in the subhuman attacks, her desire-hunting a form of self-defense. The youth? He’d only intervened, thinking he was helping. His heart was in the right place, even if the result was disastrous.
Maybe the real villain was this messed-up world.
"...I don’t know what to do."
His wavy mid-length hair shifted as she shoved him. After a pause, his low, raspy voice finally answered.
"—You damn idiot!"
Was he insane? Didn’t he get it? Was this gloomy shut-in secretly castrated by the Scavenger Squad? Or gay? Did she have to strip naked and grind against him like some streetwalker to make him *react*?
Fine. If he wanted a show, she’d give him one.
Hunger, arousal, and rage had fried Nainai’s brain. Without thinking, she clawed at her flimsy top. The thin fabric tore easily, exposing swathes of sensitive pale skin—enough to glimpse the faintest hint of pink beneath…
*What the—?!*
The youth’s eyes snapped wide. He lunged, grabbing her wrists before she could go further. His bony fingers locked over her delicate bones, pinning her arms above her head.
An Extraordinary Being versus a subhuman who struggled to gut fish? Her struggles were pointless.
"Idiot! Let go! I need desire! I’m starving! I’M STARVING!" she shrieked, tears welling again.
*Don’t cry. Please, don’t cry—*
Panicked, the youth leaned in close and barked, louder than he’d ever heard himself:
"I HAVE A SOLUTION! STOP CRYING!"
The roar stunned her silent. She froze, lips parted, wide purple eyes shimmering with tears as she stared into his silver irises beneath dark bangs.
"...Ahem."
He released her wrists. His words hadn’t been a lie—he’d genuinely thought of a way.
*When in doubt, call the authorities.*
Living bat wings. A twitching tail. A glowing sigil fused to her skin. A diet of human desire…
This pink-haired girl was undeniably a subhuman.
And subhuman problems? That’s what the Subhuman Administration existed for.
The brooding youth pulled out his phone, scrolled swiftly, and dialed a number tucked in his contacts’ corner.
It rang twice before a polite voice answered:
"Hello, Ashi City Subhuman Administration Liaison Office. How may I assist you?"
"I have an issue," he stated flatly. "Subhuman-related. Non-violent."
*Crucial detail.* Violent conflicts went to the Scavenger Squad. This was their jurisdiction.
"Understood," came the reply, accompanied by scribbling sounds. "May I have your current location, sir?"
"...East District."
