The Fucked Up Rivals

(Henry's POV)

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a golden glow over the penthouse bedroom. My body ached—a reminder of last night's relentless passion. Four hours. And then some.

I blinked away the remnants of sleep, stretching slightly, only to realize something.

Nocturne was staring at me.

Lazily propped up on one elbow, her deep, mesmerizing eyes roamed over me with a gaze that was anything but innocent. Damn. Even after everything, she still had that insatiable hunger in her eyes.

The sheets barely covered her curves, and the way they draped over her body… it was unfair. Completely unfair.

A slow smirk tugged at my lips.

"Stop staring at me like that, or I might just eat you up again."

She arched an eyebrow, completely unbothered by my warning.

"Oh? And here I thought you were exhausted, my King."

I let out a low chuckle, reaching out to trace a lazy finger along her bare shoulder.

"You underestimate me, my Queen."

She shivered under my touch but masked it with a smirk of her own.

"Or maybe I just want to see if you can actually keep up."

That damn challenge in her voice.

I rolled over, caging her beneath me in an instant, my lips brushing against her ear.

"Careful what you wish for, Nocturne."

She laughed, soft and taunting, her nails trailing down my back.

"Oh, Henry… since when have I ever been careful?"

As much as I wanted to pull her beneath me again and lose myself in her, I knew reality was knocking.

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair as I looked at her.

"You know," I started, my tone turning serious, "Samuel and I only have three years before we enter the new world. Before that, we need to get stronger—we need to level up."

Nocturne smirked, and damn it—that smirk. The same one she wore when we clashed as enemies in our second life, when she stood before me as the Lord of Despair, while I was Heaven's Wing, the Divine Executioner. That smirk, the one that always sent a shiver down my spine, was now aimed at me in our shared bed.

Her gaze flickered with amusement as she rested her chin on her palm.

"This is the Divine Executioner talking to me, right?" she teased. "Not my overconfident lover who thinks he can handle another round?"

I groaned. "Nocturne—"

She cut me off with a lazy stretch, her bare form tauntingly slipping from the covers before she turned back to me, her golden eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Alright, alright. You and Samuel want to power up before the new world? Then here's a thought—" she leaned closer, her lips barely a breath away from mine, "why don't you go dungeon hunting? Kill some high-level bosses. Grind your skills the old-fashioned way."

I narrowed my eyes.

"You make it sound so simple."

Her smirk widened.

"Because it is simple. Or are you telling me the great Divine Executioner is scared of a few dungeons?"

Damn her.

I grabbed her wrist, flipping her beneath me in one swift move, her laughter ringing in my ears.

"I'm not scared," I growled, pinning her against the sheets.

She arched a brow.

"Good. Because if you and Samuel don't return stronger, don't even think about touching me again."

I stared at her. Did she just—

Her grin widened as she pulled me down by the collar.

"That's your motivation, Henry. Don't disappoint me."

I groaned, pressing my forehead against hers. "You really are a damn demon, Nocturne."

She giggled, running her fingers through my hair.

"And yet, you're still obsessed with me."

I sighed, pulling away before I lost myself in her again.

"Fine. Samuel and I will hunt dungeons, level up, and get stronger."

Nocturne leaned back, arms folded behind her head.

"Good boy."

I rolled my eyes.

Three years. Three years to prepare for what was coming.

I sat up, running a hand through my messy hair, still processing everything—not just last night, but the insane reality of our lives. Nocturne lay beside me, watching with that damn smug expression, wrapped lazily in the sheets like she owned the world. And in some ways, she did.

I exhaled and muttered, almost to myself,

"I can't believe this… I fucked the Lord of Despair, Nocturne, and Samuel fucked the Lord of Darkness, Roselle."

Nocturne raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained.

I shook my head, chuckling darkly.

"Two best friends ended up fucking the two enemies we've fought in all three of our past lives. What kind of twisted fate is this?"

She smirked, tilting her head.

"Oh, Henry… still acting surprised? Fate has always been a bitch to us."

I gave her a dry look.

"Yeah, well, this is a different level of ridiculous."

She stretched like a damn lazy cat, the sheets slipping just enough to tease me all over again.

"Mmm, ridiculous? Or inevitable?"

I scoffed.

"Inevitable? Nocturne, you literally tried to kill me in our second life."

She rolled her eyes.

"And you tried to execute me. Twice."

"You were a world-ending threat!" I shot back.

She only grinned, completely unbothered.

"And yet, here we are. Naked. In bed. Again."

I dragged a hand down my face.

"Yeah, and Samuel's probably having this same realization with Roselle right now."

Nocturne hummed, eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Oh, I know he is. That poor idiot—he always had a weakness for dangerous women."

I let out a rough laugh.

"Says the woman who literally wielded despair as a weapon."

She smirked, sitting up, the sheets barely clinging to her.

"And yet, you still want me."

Damn her.

I sighed, shaking my head.

"Yeah, I do. And that's the most fucked-up part."

She leaned in, her lips brushing against my ear as she whispered,

"Then stop questioning it, Henry. We were always meant to destroy each other or fall into madness together. I'd say we chose the better option."

I turned to face her fully, taking in the sheer confidence in her gaze.

Maybe she was right. Maybe this was just how things were meant to be.

I smirked.

"Fine. But don't get comfortable, Nocturne. Next time, I'm making sure I win."

Her laughter rang through the room, dark and intoxicating.

"Oh, my love, you can try."

(Henry's POV – The Hunt for a Traitor)

I leaned back against the headboard, watching Nocturne's smug expression shift the moment I uttered my next words.

"But first, Samuel and I need to find the bastard who deceived both the Lord of Despair and the Lord of Darkness for Project Hades."

The air in the room instantly grew heavy.

Nocturne's playful smirk vanished, her golden eyes darkening, the same way they did whenever she was reminded of that one humiliation—the one thing she could never forgive.

A mere human had deceived her.

The Great Lord of Despair.

I could feel the shift in her aura, the way her fingers curled into the sheets, her nails digging into the fabric as if imagining sinking them into the traitor's flesh instead.

"Tch," she scoffed, voice sharp. "Don't remind me."

I tilted my head, watching her closely.

"Still pisses you off, huh?"

She snapped her gaze to me, and for a brief moment, I saw the true Nocturne—the warlord who had razed entire worlds, who had stood at the peak of destruction.

"Of course it pisses me off, Henry," she bit out. "A human. A pathetic, insignificant insect managed to deceive me. To use me."*

She exhaled sharply, gripping the sheets tighter before forcing herself to relax. But I knew better. The fire in her hadn't dimmed—it had only condensed, burning hotter, deadlier.

"And Roselle?" I asked, curious.

She let out a dry, humorless chuckle.

"The Lord of Darkness? Oh, she wants his head just as much as I do. Maybe even more."

I smirked.

"Good. Then Samuel and I will hunt him down. We'll make him beg before we deliver him to you two."

Nocturne finally looked back at me, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, that wicked grin of hers returned.

"Oh, no, my love," she murmured, her voice like silk laced with venom. "I don't want him to beg. I want him to suffer."

I chuckled, reaching out to brush my fingers down her arm.

"Then it's settled. We find him, and you can do whatever the hell you want with him."

Her eyes gleamed with cruel delight.

"Oh, Henry… you do know how to make a girl happy."

I smirked, pressing a kiss against her wrist before pulling away.

"Then let's get to work."