Playboy Cultivator in the Apocalypse

"Jake, we're priming you first; sit in the lotus before me." Kiera announced, leading the blonde-haired man to the front, "Stats, you'll go last.

I expect you to appreciate Kaze's benevolence in sending me to help you by the time you're up."

Sage responded with a sarcastic smile. However, her expression twisted and warped as the day progressed.

It started when Jake cultivated the technique and screamed at full volume without pause, hyper-ventilating to continue.

Unlike Evalyn, who had her meridians healed to full health repeatedly for twelve hours, he didn't get any healing. So it was similar to running a marathon after pulling his leg muscles.

It was so bad that he couldn't cultivate, and his breathing was too erratic for Kiera to alter the Qi around him.

Veronica used Calming Heart to get his breathing on track, allowing Kiera to alter the Qi safely. Once she did, the results were night and day.

Kiera cut Jake's pain to 1/5 like she was turning on a light switch. It stunned everyone, increasing their appreciation for her—except for Sage, who sat silently, watching with complex expressions.

"I hate to break it to you, nooblets." Kiera sighed after helping Jake lie down, "Jake had that sky-grade technique for a month before ya'll got it.

So Kylie, prepare to calm Veronica from the start, I'll modify as quickly as possible."

"You got it...." Kylie gulped nervously, feeling the gravity of helping others with the technique.

"I'll try to keep focused." Veronica said stoically, "I trust you, Kiera. Whenever you're ready."

The black-haired pixie tried to keep focused—and failed. She was far worse than Jake, and Kiera had to cultivate near her to remove Qi completely just so Kylie could use Calming Heart. It was a harrowing experience.

Contrary to expectation, Kylie did the best, as Kaze traced her meridian network naked and helped her cultivate. She was his partner, after all.

Kiera worked tirelessly around the clock, telling jokes, building people up, and shit-talking their complaints until it broke their spirit.

The slang riddler's energy was never-ending, and her charisma had skyrocketed, making people laugh and adore her. Her reputation reversed in the blink of an eye—except with one person.

"You're up, Sage." Kiera said seriously, "Don't worry, I've gotten much better at this, Jake has healed enough to cultivate near you, and Veronica and Kylie can calm you."

"Are you pitying me?" Sage scoffed with a resentful expression.

"Dear lord, give me the strength to earn my cake." Kiera said, hands clasped, staring at the sky, "You've given me a trying challenge I mildly resent.

I've been risking my life by manipulating Qi like a boss for [5 hours straight]. Yet this sado-maso-psycho is still projecting, thinking I'm a low-class sadist who juiced up to see her pain."

"I don't think you're a sadist; I just don't need your pity." The redhead scoffed, turning away.

"I know you're a sadist, and I don't need you to succeed to get strawberry cake." The slang riddler countered coldly, catching everyone off guard, "So stop living up to your reputation.

I'm only doing this to help Kaze and ease his plate. However, he will get angry if I risk my life to help you and get sass in return. That's not speculation—that's a fact."

Sage seized, hearing the bloodlust in the pink-haired teen's voice. "Why has this escalated so far? I've been silent this whole time."

"Yeah, I'd be too if I was emotionally and sexually confused, Little Ms. Beg Me for Pain." Kiera smiled maliciously.

The atmosphere froze, and the two women locked eyes, sending threatening signals.

"Do you think that I enjoy this?" Sage asked coldly.

"Watching people's faces light up in rapture when they got offered this brutal torture?" The slang riddler mused, "Obviously.

I bet you'd be rushing away to touch yourself if you weren't also a [pain begger] today. Even at 1/10th enthusiasm, you looked like you were ready to hit the glory hole at a furry party."

"Hey, please… calm down, both of you." Veronica said, standing weakly between them.

"Awwwww, how come?" Kiera groaned cutely, "No one's complaining when she does it. Well, I suppose blackmail plays a key role in that... mah~bad."

"Kiera, what's gotten into you?" Kylie asked with trembling eyes, confused.

"Isn't PR crisis mitigation your job, Kylie?" The slang riddler asked coldly, "If so, you should check this woman's publicly-posted RP allocations and question the people she's paid.

Once you do, I expect you to be on my side, or I'll never accept you—ever."

"We're all grateful to you, but you're still speaking to a cabinet member." Jake panicked, watching Kylie shut down, "Whatever problem you have, please talk about it with Kaze."

"Kaze accepts this witch because she's skilled and follows the law." Kiera said coldly, gazing at the redhead in the eyes, "That's because he's the fair and benevolent savior we don't deserve.

However, that also makes textbook psychopath here his natural enemy—someone who twists his compassionate ideals into nightmares.

That's why it's up to us to protect Kaze for his sake. I refuse to let this twisted harlot malign his ideals, reputation, and country."

"That's enough, Kiera!" Veronica snapped, standing up and pulling back her hand. "You need to—"

An icy bolt of anxiety pierced her heart when she felt the Qi around her become foreign, fighting against her meridians.

"If you release an attack in that, your arms will explode." Kiera warned coldly, watching Sage smirk amusedly, "Don't you dare threaten me on this witch's behalf."

"You're taking this way too far, Kiera…." Jake swallowed nervously, fighting past his pounding heart while watching Veronica back away, "Kaze is too smart to let someone ruin him—you know this."

"This woman's a lose-lose, Jake." She replied chillingly, "Kaze must degrade his reputation and ideals by destroying a law-abiding citizen or allow her to spit on everything he believes.

Intelligence doesn't factor into it, Jake. That's the problem."

Kaze's regent took a sharp breath, noting his partner was safe and accepting her logic.

"Is that all, Kiera?" Sage asked relaxedly, "Is there anything else you want to say to me?"

The atmospheric pressure multiplied as the redhead smirked at the vicious teen with a [I'd like to see you try] expression.

"Yeah, I have a few things to say before I leave you here to suffer alone." Kiera said chillingly, "You will [not] use Kaze's philosophies for predation.

If I ever learn your twisted deals involve sex, I'll destroy your entire meridian network.

Then I'll drag you into Meridian City, rip out your ovaries, and feed'em to the zoms after I staple your naked body to a popular apartment complex.

That's an analogy—what I'll actually do to you is far, far worse."

"We must honor people's [right] to make decisions for their benefit so long as they're not forced into them." Sage's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Isn't that what—"

"Don't you dare fucking use Kazey's philosophies for your assault fantasies, you cunt." The slang riddler warned, making everyone take a sharp breath.

After the redhead defended against Kiera's seemingly-extreme contention, their perspective on the situation changed completely. They looked at her warily, making her click her tongue.

"You're undermining Kaze's beliefs right now." Sage warned, "If you challenge power dynamics, Kaze will be under immense scrutiny."

"Hear that, Kylie?" Kiera asked mockingly, "This leg spreader is threatening Kaze's reputation if she isn't allowed to leverage her power to make underhand sex deals.

I'm not sure what to say about that, but I'm pretty sure you do, PR lady."

Kylie opened and closed her mouth, realizing how grim the situation was. The same was true of everyone else, who felt Kiera was going too far, but unwilling to defend Sage.

"This isn't going anywhere." Sage said coldly, "So let's hear the other things you want to say."

"Gladly." Kiera smiled viciously, "I can't stop Kazey from having sex with women, but you're off the menu. Try opening your legs for him again and I'll smash your clit and spayed you."

The redhead gritted her teeth, holding herself back from attacking. "Are you done?"

"I am done here; that means you're on your own for priming the technique." The slang riddler said coldly, "If I see anyone trying to help or heal you, they're on their own, too.

Helping you succeed would ruin strawberry cake for me forever, and that's one fucking thing I won't give up."

Without further discussion, her ring lit up, and she walked through the spatial rift to her room, leaving the four cabinet members at the lake.

The atmosphere around the group was extremely awkward. No one wanted to accept the teen's ruthless behavior, but at the same time, they didn't want to associate with the redhead.

"Sage." Kylie said softly, conflicted, "Potential scandals—speak."

Sage scoffed and stood up, silently walking through the metal gate and leaving the others alone.

"Should we tell Kaze about this?" Jake asked nervously, his eyes on the ground.

"There's no need." Veronica said pensively, "I realized at the end that Kaze did this on purpose. He wanted us to know what's going on."

═─┈─═─┈─═

Kiera walked through the spatial rift with overflowing emotions, feeling like she wanted to smash the world but feeling incapable of lifting anything. "Kaze is in trouble, I need to protect—wait, is that...."

The firey teen froze when she saw a small plate with a piece of strawberry cake on the nightstand.

"Why?" She asked, eyes welling with tears as she grabbed the card on it.

-

[I'm leaving this note in the event you get home before I do.

You were super cute today, love. I left with a bright smile—thank you for that.

I expected you to protest me tying Sage's success to strawberry cake, but it seems your love and loyalty are boundless. So I'm protesting it for you.

This strawberry cake is for you simply because you deserve it.

I can't wait to see you tonight. So make sure to wait up for me.

With love and devotion, Kaze Maxwell Lexicon.]

-

Knock! Knock!

"Y-Yes!?" Kiera called out, holding back tears with a confused yet bright smile, "Who is it?"

"It's me, princess." Marilyn said from the other side of the door, "I'm bringing you camomille tea and giving you messages from Kaze."

The pink-haired teen nearly refused both outright but reversed course when she heard her magic word. "Can I just get the messages?"

"Sure." The secretary smiled mysteriously, "Kaze has asked me to ensure that you two are alone tonight. He also asks that you to reconsider the camomille tea."

Kiera burst into tears and laughter, walking up to the door with a strange confidence and opening it.

Marilyn's eyes widened, seeing her puffy eyes, and she quickly put the tea tray on the dresser and opened her arms. "Come here, honey."

The slang riddler gulped nervously, wanting to refuse love from Kaze's other partner, but drawn to the unreasonably agreeable woman.

Kiera gave up and flew into the brunette's arms, sobbing into Marilyn's warm embrace.