[BL] I Didn't Sign Up For This-Chapter 92: In Which We Perform for an Audience (And Azryth Tries Not to Look Murderous)

Chapter 92: In Which We Perform for an Audience (And Azryth Tries Not to Look Murderous)

Seattle at dawn was cold, wet, and thoroughly committed to making me regret every life choice that had led to this moment.

"I hate the Pacific Northwest," I muttered, stepping through the portal into an alley that smelled like fish and regret.

"You’ve only been here for thirty seconds," Azryth pointed out.

"That’s thirty seconds too long."

The warehouse district stretched out before us, all rusted metal and broken windows. Ryota’s team had set up in what looked like an old shipping facility, cameras and monitoring equipment arranged around a rift that pulsed with aggressive purple-black light.

"Welcome to Seattle," Ryota said, appearing from behind an equipment case. "Coffee?"

"Please tell me it’s not Starbucks," I said.

"Local roaster. I have standards."

"I take back every mean thing I thought about you."

He handed me a cup that was actually good, which immediately made the morning forty percent more tolerable.

"Coalition’s already online," Ryota said, gesturing to a monitor showing a grid of faces. "Twelve cells watching live. Some friendly, some..." He trailed off diplomatically.

"Hostile," Azryth finished.

"Skeptical," Ryota corrected. "Let’s go with skeptical."

I looked at the monitor. Several of the faces were openly scowling, one woman looked like she was physically restraining herself from reaching through the screen to strangle us.

"She looks friendly," I observed.

"That’s Chen Wei. Shanghai cell leader, she lost six hunters to a demon incursion last year." Ryota’s expression was carefully neutral. "She’s not your biggest fan."

"Shocking."

Kelvin, Serra, and Kade emerged from our portal, looking around with interest.

"Ooh, cameras," Kelvin said. "Are we doing a documentary?"

"Something like that," Mara said, following them through. "Try not to look too enthusiastic about the violence."

"Where’s the fun in that?"

"The fun is in not getting Riven and Azryth killed by coalition politics."

"Fair point."

Ryota pulled us aside, away from the cameras. "Quick briefing. The rift is standard nested configuration, probably fifty enforcers defending based on energy signatures. Close it like you normally would, but try to look cooperative and professional."

"We are professional," Azryth said.

"I know. Just... remember they’re watching for any sign of corruption or coercion." Ryota glanced at the coalition monitor. "Some of them think the binding is forced, that you’re manipulating Riven through demonic influence."

"That’s their problem, not ours," Azryth said coolly.

Ryota blinked. "Right, well.. just close the rift and answer their questions."

"If their questions are reasonable," Azryth amended.

We moved toward the rift. The camera operators adjusted their positions, getting angles on us from three sides.

"This is weird," I muttered.

"Very weird," Azryth agreed.

"If I mess up, it’s on camera forever."

"Then don’t mess up."

"Helpful."

One of the coalition faces on the monitor spoke, her voice coming through speakers. "This is Chen Wei, Shanghai cell. Before we begin, I have questions."

Ryota looked at us apologetically.

"Of course you do," I said, too quietly for the microphones.

"The binding," Chen Wei continued. "Explain how it works without demonic coercion."

"The binding is mutual and consensual," Azryth said, his tone perfectly level but somehow conveying that he found the question tedious. "We share power through synchronized will. If you don’t understand the mechanics of collaborative essence work, I can’t help you."

I bit back a smile.

"And if one party wanted to sever it?" Chen Wei pressed.

"We’d both die," I said flatly. "That’s rather the point, no coercion necessary when the alternative is mutual death."

Several faces on the monitor looked skeptical.

"The warden’s seal," another voice said. Male, European accent. "How do we know it hasn’t been corrupted?"

"Because I’m standing here talking to you instead of exploding," I said. "Corrupted seals don’t remain stable, they deteriorate and kill the host. I’m still alive, therefore not corrupted. Basic logic."

"That doesn’t prove..."

"That’s exactly how it works," Mara interrupted, stepping into camera view. "I’ve been monitoring his seal for weeks. Zero corruption, zero deterioration, zero signs of demonic influence beyond the binding itself."

"And we’re supposed to trust your analysis?" Chen Wei asked.

"You’re supposed to trust fourteen successfully closed rifts," Mara shot back. "But apparently evidence isn’t compelling enough for some people."

"Can we proceed?" Azryth asked, and his voice had gone cold. "Or would you prefer to debate theory while rifts destabilize and reality tears apart?"

Silence on the monitor.

"That’s what I thought," Azryth said. "Riven, let’s close this rift."

I almost laughed at the collective look of offense on several coalition faces.

We moved toward the tear. It was bigger than Tokyo’s, around twelve feet tall, pulsing with hostile awareness.

I summoned the spectral blade, very aware that cameras were tracking my every movement.

"Don’t mess up," I muttered to myself.

"You won’t," Azryth said quietly.

I activated my X-ray vision, the anchor points appeared, nested three layers deep, reinforced and protected.

"Nested configuration," I said, more for the cameras than anything. "Three layers. Standard Veyrith defense pattern."

"Proceed," Chen Wei’s voice came through the speakers, like she was granting permission.

I struck the first anchor point.

The blade severed it cleanly, Azryth’s power joined mine immediately, our essences braiding together to seal the wound.

On the monitor, several coalition members gasped.

"What’s happening?" someone asked.

"Synchronized essence manipulation," Ryota explained. "Warden structure combined with demon power, neither could do it alone."

"It looks like corruption," Chen Wei said.

"It looks like a collaboration," Ryota corrected firmly.

The rift screamed. And then, because Veyrith was apparently feeling theatrical, it tore itself wider.

Enforcers poured through. Not twenty, not thirty, at least fifty, maybe sixty, all materializing between us and the cameras.

"Perfect timing," I said. "Really sells the ’this is safe’ narrative."

"Just close it," Azryth said, already moving to intercept.

The enforcers surged forward. I watched Azryth catch himself mid-movement, clearly remembering Ryota’s instruction about looking professional.

He incinerated three enforcers with precisely controlled power, his expression carefully neutral.

It looked deeply unnatural.

"Stop that," I called out.

"Stop what?"

"Looking like you’re at a dental appointment. Just fight normally."

"I’m trying to look professional!" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"You look constipated!"

An enforcer got too close to me. Azryth’s control slipped for just a moment, his power blazing as he eliminated it with perhaps slightly more force than necessary.

"Better," I said, striking the second anchor point.

Kelvin, Serra, and Kade were handling the bulk of the enforcers with their usual enthusiasm. Ryota’s team had formed a defensive perimeter around the cameras, keeping them safe and operational.

"The demon is using excessive force," Chen Wei’s voice came through. "This is exactly what we warned about."

"He’s protecting the warden during a rift closure," Ryota countered. "That’s his job."

"It looks like violence for violence’s sake."

"It looks like fifty enforcers trying to kill us," I snapped, not taking my eyes off the rift. "What did you want, a polite conversation?"

I tuned out whatever Chen Wei said next and focused on the third anchor point. It appeared, vulnerable, exposed.

One more strike.

An enforcer broke through the defensive line, heading straight for the cameras.

Azryth moved faster than I’d ever seen him move, intercepting it before it could reach the equipment. His power blazed bright enough that I had to look away.

When I looked back, the enforcer was gone and Azryth was standing very still, clearly trying to look non-threatening again.

"I’m closing it now," I announced, partly for the coalition and partly to distract from whatever Azryth was doing.

I struck the core anchor with everything we had.

The rift collapsed inward with enough force to create a pressure wave. Every remaining enforcer got sucked back through before it sealed.

Silence.

I stood there, breathing hard, the blade dissolving from my grip.

"Rift sealed," Mara announced, checking her scanner. "Complete closure, no corruption detected, clean technique."

The coalition monitor was chaos. Multiple people talking over each other, arguing, demanding explanations.

"The power output.."

"...unprecedented synchronization..."

"..excessive force..."

"..fifty enforcers, what did you expect.."

"ENOUGH," Ryota’s voice cut through. "The rift is closed, fifteen closures total, the technique works, that’s what you came here to see."

"I have concerns," Chen Wei said.

"Note them for the report," Ryota said firmly. "We’re moving to the second target. Denver closure in three hours, same observation protocols."

He cut the feed before anyone could argue.

"Well," Kelvin said into the silence. "That was entertaining."

"That was a disaster," Ryota corrected, running a hand through his hair. "Chen Wei is going to file a formal complaint."

"Let her," Azryth said. "We closed the rift, that’s what matters."

"What matters is coalition support," Ryota said. "Without it, we’re fighting on two fronts. Veyrith and internal politics."

"That’s easy," I said.

Ryota pulled up his tablet. "Denver in three hours. Same setup. Can we get through one more closure without antagonizing half the coalition?"

"Probably not," Azryth said calmly. "But we can close the rift."

"I’ll take what I can get." Ryota started packing equipment. "Three hours, be ready."

"We’re always ready," I said.

We portaled back to the safehouse to regroup, three hours until Denver, one more demonstration for a coalition that was never going to trust us.

Fifteen rifts closed, thirty-four to go.

And somehow, we had to close six more while dealing with hostile hunters and Veyrith’s escalating defenses.

"This is going so well," I muttered.

"Spectacularly well," Azryth agreed.

At least we agreed on something.