After exiting the metro station, the Gray Street black market was—as always—a place brimming with vitality, where vast quantities of Hollow materials were traded illegally. The Salamander hesitated slightly before stepping out of the station, but in the end, he made his decision and walked forward.
Under the increasingly intense summer midday sun, Ignis felt sweat beginning to form. Although as a Space Marine, his augmented body was long accustomed to extreme temperatures and should not have been affected by such heat, there were things far more scorching than the sun overhead.
For example—a woman.
Jane Doe stood in the shade just outside the station. She wore a black short-sleeved top; perhaps the hem was too long and interfered with ventilation, so she had tied it in a knot beneath her ribs, revealing a firm and smooth abdomen. Between her deep blue hot pants and black thigh-high stockings, a stretch of full, shapely thigh was exposed. The lines of her thighs—no, of her entire lower body—were exquisite, graceful and eye-catching. Ignis recalled her posture in combat: primarily relying on blades concealed in her boots, even gliding across hardened ground as if skating on ice. Her defensive movements were as elegant as figure skating, and the strength of her core was unmistakable.
Today, however, she was not wearing those blade-equipped boots, but instead a pair of ordinary glossy leather boots with a slight heel. A slender tail slipped out from a specially designed opening above her shorts, wrapping loosely around her leg.
The woman crossed her arms over her chest, turned with her gaze, spotted the conspicuously tall Ignis in the crowd, and waved at him.
The Salamander let out a breath and walked toward her. Only when he drew closer did he notice that Jane Doe was wearing light makeup today—simple, understated, yet clearly deliberate.
"You…" Her green lips parted, her tone carrying a hint of complaint. "You asked me out, and I was actually happy. I thought the rock in your head had finally cracked open—but then I saw the location. The black market? Seriously?"
The Rat Thiren woman sighed theatrically, lifting her head. Her upturned eyes shimmered with tears. "Is this really the only kind of place you can meet me?"
Ignis knew full well this was pure acting, yet her tearful expression still tugged at the heart—especially since Jane Doe was both beautiful and alluring. He could feel the stares around him growing sharper, far more hostile than before. If not for his massive frame and unmistakably dangerous presence, who knew how many people might have rushed over to play the hero for a damsel.
"I'm sorry," Ignis said quickly, his tone restrained and serious. "That wasn't my intention. I asked to meet here because I needed Markus and your help. Telling you the purpose only after you stepped out was my fault. As for compensation—you can name it."
"Really?" Jane Doe's expression flipped instantly. The tearful act vanished, replaced by a triumphant, mischievous grin.
"You said it yourself—whatever compensation I want." She repeated his words with a smile so bright that Ignis immediately regretted speaking without thinking.
It seemed that in front of this woman, he was always being led by the nose, the situation firmly under her control. Ignis sighed again. She truly was difficult to deal with—thankfully, she was a friend rather than an enemy.
"…I keep my word," Ignis said stiffly. "As long as it's not illegal and doesn't cross my moral boundaries."
"Good." The Rat Thiren woman smiled wickedly, her joy impossible to hide. "Then I'll have to think very carefully about what kind of compensation I want."
Ignis felt a bad premonition rise. After all, she was still a member of the New Eridu Public Security—albeit one who operated in the shadows. That expression usually meant trouble, and likely something difficult.
Jane Doe looked at the giant whose face was practically etched with worry and let out a soft laugh—the kind of giggle a girl makes when a prank succeeds. She reached out and took hold of Ignis's left hand, or rather, just a few of his fingers.
"Come on, come on. The place isn't great, but couples who shop and date at the black market aren't exactly rare," she said, her voice tinged with mild annoyance. "Hollow Raiders have men and women too. After filling their stomachs, they still have emotional needs."
"…Mm." Ignis's voice was stiff, and so was his entire body.
Two lifetimes. In his first, he had been a safety officer constantly following engineering projects. In his second, a Space Marine waging war across the galaxy for The Emperor. In neither life had he gained any experience in interacting with women—especially not with someone as beautiful and captivating as Jane Doe.
He turned his head. The woman holding his fingers was looking up at him, her eyes brimming with barely restrained laughter.
"What's wrong? Why so tense?" Jane Doe asked knowingly. Her grip shifted from his fingers to his wrist, pressing close as her ample chest armor brushed against him.
Ignis instinctively tried to pull away or dodge, but she held firm. The soft sensation made both of his hearts pound violently.
"Oh my," she whispered teasingly. "The invincible warrior of the Cunning Hares, Nicole Demara's chief battler—shaken by something like this?"
From an outsider's perspective, it looked like playful intimacy, almost coquettish. Only Ignis himself stood there flushed and at a complete loss.
"So, this is some truly shocking intelligence," she continued, her expression vividly embodying sly mischief. "It seems our Mr. Ignis has absolutely no experience with the opposite sex. Oh dear, I thought you lived surrounded by beauties and were long used to this sort of thing."
Completely pinned down, the Salamander stared blankly at the sky, standing there like a fundamental particle. He felt that this woman was far harder to deal with than any Chaos daemon. He would rather charge into brutal melee with a pack of Bloodletters.
Jane Doe finally couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing, even squatting down as she laughed.
After she had laughed her fill, she stood up and took Ignis's hand again. Her movements were gentler now, no longer deliberately seeking physical closeness.
"Alright, alright. I'm not mad at you anymore," she said, tugging him lightly. "Let's go find that flashy-haired guy. Hopefully he hasn't been holding a grudge."
She pulled him along, and the giant adjusted his pace to match hers, walking forward slowly.
Numerous gazes fell upon them. Where there had once been curiosity, now there was envy and surprise. Ignis had thought he was long used to the black market crowd, yet being led by Jane Doe made him unexpectedly shy. A three-meter-tall brute who had wrestled with xenos across the galaxy and fought countless foes here—utterly folded by a single woman.
Who would believe it?
Of course, it might have just been the Salamander suffering internally.
It wasn't that Ignis found accompanying Jane Doe unpleasant—rather, it was the stares around them that made him uncomfortable. Jane Doe was undeniably stunning: tall, curvaceous, beautiful. Walking hand in hand with such a woman should have been enjoyable. Yet the moment he remembered her talk of "compensation," and saw her smiling as she browsed stall after stall, Ignis felt deeply uneasy.
Who knew what kind of condition she would propose?
The most terrifying thing in the world was the unknown, and Ignis's understanding of women's minds was nearly zero. Lost in wild speculation, every heartbeat felt unbearably long.
Suddenly, he felt an itch on his wrist. Looking down, he saw that while chatting with a vendor, Jane Doe had wrapped her tail around his wrist, even slipping the tip into his palm.
Sensing his gaze, she glanced sideways and winked at him, further unsettling his thoughts.
This torment eased only slightly when a blue pompadour finally came into view.
"Oh, I didn't expect the two of you to arrive together," Markus said, pushing his radiation sunglasses up with a finger, his gaze sharp. "What a strange pairing. Judging by the look of you two, could this be a date? Though choosing this place is pretty odd. Last time you were both here, things got very messy—especially you, Jane Doe. You ruined quite a bit of my merchandise."
"Markus, with your information channels, you should already know the reason. There's no need for comments like that," Jane Doe shot back without backing down. "If you want compensation, you know the proper channels. As for whether this is a date—my partner here is a bit tense. Hard to say, isn't it? He probably feels like he's undergoing some kind of punishment."
"You little rat…" Markus's gaze shifted to the giant, the corner of his mouth lifting uncontrollably.
He had read countless reports from the Jaxcalibur Squad about this man. From other intelligence sources, the giant was known as a highly efficient living weapon of war. And yet today, that living weapon was being completely suppressed by a woman. Markus couldn't help but wonder whether something had happened the last time Ignis destroyed that underground pleasure den, something that left him wary of women like Jane Doe.
"Same as always. Let's talk at the firing range," Markus said, turning to lead the way.
The cold lights around them finally helped the Salamander regain his composure. He let out a quiet sigh.
"I'm here today because I still need intelligence support," Ignis said, organizing his thoughts. "Markus, do you remember the anesthetic processing plant incident?"
"Of course. It was brutal—large-scale trafficking of people and organs," Markus replied, his expression serious. "But the case was handed off. I had no reason to pursue it further. Frankly, this kind of thing isn't rare in New Eridu. Experiments using living people to manufacture drugs have always existed."
"'Fantasy,' right?" Jane Doe said as she released Ignis's hand. "I checked some of my own channels. It appeared very abruptly. The source was destroyed, and finished products are now extremely hard to obtain—and ridiculously expensive."
"But recently, there's been word that this anesthetic will re-enter the market soon. Maybe the processing plant was rebuilt somewhere else?" The Rat Thiren woman's gaze turned to Markus.
"Why are you looking at me? My main business is weapons and machinery. Drugs and human trafficking aren't my line," Markus said, then looked at the Salamander. "What's this? You seem unusually invested. Does this mean something special to you?"
"If you've read the reports from my operations with the Jaxcalibur Squad, you should know that something abnormal has taken root in New Eridu," Ignis said, his gaze hardening as the steel-forged warrior stood tall once more. "I'm here to eradicate it."
"Cults and corruption, then. Some kind of arcane technology that turns people into monsters," Markus muttered, recalling reports on the Mountain Lion Gang—especially Razor's mutation.
After the Fall of the Old Capital, even though he claimed not to believe in religion, the shadow of the Creator had always lingered over both the Old Capital and New Eridu. Could these new developments be connected to them? Turning people into monsters certainly sounded like their handiwork.
"So, you want me to help you trace the source of these anesthetic raw materials?" Markus locked eyes with the burning gaze of the warrior. "That doesn't benefit me. Why should I help you?"
"But last time—"
"Last time, my employer ordered it. I have no personal stake in this," Markus cut in. "Besides, their drug business doesn't conflict with mine. In fact, they buy weapons from me—for defense or other purposes." The black market dealer stared into Ignis's ember-like eyes, searching for something within. "Give me a reason, big guy. Why chase this?"
"Why?" Ignis answered without hesitation. "So, no one else gets hurt. Is that reason enough? Or for my own personal vendetta—is that enough?"
He had seen firsthand the devastation Slaanesh daemons could wreak within a hive city.
New Eridu could not withstand that kind of chaos. The sooner the Slaanesh warband was found, the better.
"More than enough, brave righteous man," Markus said, turning away. "I'll talk to my employer and see what I can dig up. Jane Doe, you don't mind him stealing work from the New Eridu Public Security?"
"I don't," Jane Doe replied calmly. "I've already seen what he can do. There are things the Public Security can't easily get involved in."
"Don't worry. I'll help in my own way too," she added, looping her arm around Ignis's again. "But we should remember to exchange intel regularly. Oh, right—you said you'd compensate me. How about going shopping with me in a few days?"
"…What?" The Salamander froze at the sudden turn.
"If you're flirting, take it outside. This is a place of business," Markus snapped irritably.
"How stingy," Jane Doe said, dragging Ignis toward the exit. "Remember to stay in touch."
It wasn't until they left the black market that Ignis finally processed what had happened.
Today, from start to finish, he had been completely led by the nose by Jane Doe.
===BREAK===
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