Chapter 333 Little Party Tricks

Clint’s eyes bulged with shock and fear, his earlier bravado crumbling in the face of Suzuka’s raw power. She held him there, suspended, her grip unyielding.

“If I touch you?” Suzuka’s voice was cold and dangerous, each word dripping with menace.

“You mean like this?” She gave a slight, contemptuous shake of her arm, causing Clint to flail.

“Or should I start beating you? Because believe me, I can and I will.”

Clint’s bravado shattered completely as he stared into Suzuka’s unyielding eyes, the reality of his situation sinking in. His earlier threats and confidence dissolved into sheer panic, his voice trembling with desperation.

“Please! Please, I’ll do anything you ask!” he yelled, his voice cracking under his fear.

“Tell me what you want, I’ll give it to you, anything in my power, I swear! Just... just please spare me!”

His eyes darted around, searching for some semblance of hope or a way out, but all he saw was the cold, unrelenting gaze.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry! I’m sorry I left you there! I’m sorry for everything! Please, just don’t, don’t hurt me! I’ll make it right, I swear! Just please don’t kill me! I’ll do whatever you want, just please spare me!”

Suzuka’s lips twisted into a cruel, predatory smirk as she tossed Clint roughly onto the filthy ground, the resounding thud echoing ominously through the room. He lay there, stunned and crumpled, while she crouched down, her silhouette looming over him. The playful glint in her eyes was sharp and unyielding, her tone dripping with a mock sweetness that only made the threat more chilling.

“Well, Clint, there’s one little thing I need you to do.”

She leaned in closer, her face inches from his, her breath warm against his skin as she whispered, “If you handle this for me, and I mean really handle it, maybe, just maybe, I’ll consider sparing you. But don’t get your hopes up too high.”

Suzuka’s eyes narrowed, the playful glint replaced by a steely resolve as she continued, “I need you to make Antonio’s debt vanish. Poof! Gone! Just like that.” She snapped her fingers, the gesture mocking.

“Make it disappear into thin air. And that’s not all. You’re going to return his sister, Anna. And she better be in one piece, or I’ll make sure you experience every ounce of pain you’ve ever inflicted on anyone, tenfold.”

With a mocking pat on Clint’s shoulder, she stepped back, her gaze never wavering from his terrified eyes.

“So? What’s it going to be? Are you going to play along and follow through on my demands? Or do I need to make this... a bit more persuasive?” Her eyes flashed with a dangerous light, a promise of retribution lingering in her voice.

His voice turned into incoherent mumbling, his eyes darting nervously from side to side as if searching for an escape that didn’t exist. He raised his hands in a pleading gesture, his face twisted in a mask of desperation.

“I-I’ll do it, I swear! I’ll make Antonio’s debt vanish, just like you said. I’ll return Anna, she’s fine, I promise! Just please don’t hurt me. She is upstairs, in one of the rooms!”

“Antonio, get up there and find your sister. Make sure she’s okay. If Clive is lying to us, I swear, I will start breaking his bones one by one until he confesses.”

Antonio didn’t waste a moment. He dashed up the stairs, his footsteps pounding like thunder. He barreled through doors, each crash echoing through the building, his face a mask of worry. He was driven by the fear for his sister's safety and the burning desire to ensure she was unharmed.

As Antonio scoured the second floor of the building, searching desperately for Anna, Clint’s fear intensified. His voice trembled, quaking with every syllable as he desperately tried to appease Suzuka.

“I swear, I tell the truth! She’s upstairs, I swear it! She’s fine, just please don’t hurt me! None of my men or I lay a finger on her! I’m telling you the truth!”

Suzuka’s eyes glinted with cold amusement as she leaned casually against the doorframe, her presence almost radiating a dark, malevolent energy. Her lips curled into a chilling smile, her tone dripping with mockery.

“Oh, Clive, I believe you. But while Antonio deals with Anna, why don’t you and I have a little chat in your office? We need to sign some papers confirming that Antonio’s debt is settled, with interest, of course. Or would you prefer I start cracking your bones first? Hmm? What sounds better to you?”

Clint’s face went pale, his voice came out as a frantic squeal, desperation written all over his face.

“Yes, yes! The papers! Let’s go! I have them in my office, I swear - Antonio owes us nothing! Please, just don’t hurt me!”

Clint scrambled into his office, his hands shaking uncontrollably as he fumbled with the drawers. In a desperate attempt to save his skin, he pulled out a magic wand topped with a fireball crystal. His eyes were wild with fear and desperation as he pointed the wand at Suzuka and shouted, “Take that, you stupid bitch! Do you think you can mess with me? The Great Clint?! Think again, bitch! Eat fireball, you slut!”

The fireball erupted from the wand, a blazing sphere of destructive power. The blazing sphere shot through the air, crackling with lethal intensity. To an ordinary person, this would have been a devastating attack, capable of inflicting severe burns or even incinerating them completely.

But Suzuka, unfazed and composed, swatted the fireball aside as if it were nothing more than a pesky fly. The fireball fizzled out harmlessly against the wall, leaving Suzuka completely unimpressed.

“Are you quite finished with your little party tricks?” Suzuka asked coolly, her gaze locked on Clint with a steely edge.

“If you’re done playing around, I suggest you start filling out those papers, or I’ll make you.”

But Clint, his fear overwhelming his judgment, tried one last desperate move. He overcharged the wand, infusing it with an excessive amount of mana, and aimed it at Suzuka. He prepared to unleash a massive fireball that could have incinerated the entire room.

Before he could fire, Suzuka moved with lightning speed. She stepped forward, snatched the wand from his trembling hand, and crushed the fireball crystal effortlessly. The handle of the wand clattered to the ground, useless and broken.

“Put away your silly toys and get on with it,” Suzuka said with a chilling calm, “I don’t have all day, you fuck. Fill the damn papers!”

Clint, utterly defeated and overcome with terror, slumped into his chair. His hands shook as he pulled out Antonio’s debt papers, his pen quivering as he signed the documents, officially noting that Antonio owed nothing. Suzuka, not yet satisfied, began to examine the room with her sharp eyes.

Her gaze fell upon a shelf of books that seemed oddly aligned. With a flick of her finger, she tumbled the books aside and discovered a hidden safe tucked behind them.

“Oh, would you look at that,” she purred, her tone gleeful as she admired her find.

“What could be inside, I wonder?”

With brute force, Suzuka ripped the safe open, her enhanced strength making short work of its defenses. Inside, she found a neatly stacked pile of gold coins. Without a second thought, she reached in and began transferring the coins into her magic item storage, her smile growing as the treasure vanished from sight.

With the safe emptied and her goal nearly complete, Suzuka walked back over to Clive, who was now cowering in his chair, his face a mask of fear and resignation. He looked up at her, his voice barely a whisper as he pleaded, “I did what you asked. You got the girl, and you even took all the money we collected this month. Will you leave me alone now? You promised you would.”

Suzuka’s smile was all teeth as she sauntered up to him, her voice dripping with cold amusement.

“Nope! I’m afraid not.”

With a swift, brutal motion, she whacked Clint over the head, sending him crashing to the floor, unconscious. As he lay there, out cold, Suzuka bent down and whispered to his unconscious form.

“Someone else is eager to meet you, and I’d hate for your reunion to be postponed. Sweet dreams, Clive. Because when you wake up you will be in for a surprise.”

As Clive lay sprawled on the floor, unconscious and tied up with his hands bound behind his back, Suzuka made sure every knot was secure. While she worked, Antonio stepped into the room, his expression a mix of relief and concern. By his side was Anna, her eyes wide and terrified, her demeanor almost childlike as she clung to Antonio's arm.

 It was clear she was frightened, her steps hesitant and her face a mask of confusion and fear. She kept her gaze fixed on the floor, peeking out from behind Antonio as though the room itself might come alive to torment her.

Suzuka’s expression softened as she saw her old friend. Her usual playful demeanor took on a warmer tone as she greeted Anna with a bright, cheerful smile.

“Hey! Anna! Long time no see! I missed you! How are you? Did they hurt you?”

Anna’s eyes flickered up at the sound of Suzuka’s voice, her fear momentarily replaced by a puzzled look. The face before her was familiar in manners but so changed in appearance that she couldn’t quite place it. Even the voice was like a ghost from the past, and the person was someone she didn’t recognize.

“Hello… miss. Do I know you? I’m sorry, I’m fine, I think.” Anna stammered.

Suzuka’s smile faltered slightly, her heart clenching at the sight of Anna’s confusion. She took a step closer, her eyes searching Anna’s face for any hint of recognition. The once-unbreakable bond between them seemed frayed, a reminder of the transformation that altered her appearance.

“It’s me, Suzuka. I hope you haven't forgotten about me. As you may or may not know, I was gone for a few years. Got myself into some trouble, you know. Typical me. I may look different now but trust me, inside, mostly the same old me,” she said softly, her tone carrying a mix of warmth and sadness. 

Anna’s eyes widened in shock as she took in Suzuka’s changed appearance. She hesitated, her brow furrowing as she tried to reconcile the woman standing before her with the friend she had lost. The realization began to dawn, but it was marred by the fear and trauma she had endured.