Hong Kong wasn't a sprawling metropolis in terms of sheer landmass; rather, it was incredibly compact and densely layered. But because it was a global hub teeming with millions of people from all over the world, it was usually easy to blend in and avoid unwanted supernatural attention.
However, considering how Finn and Akeno looked, blending in was physically impossible.
Akeno was breathtakingly beautiful. With her long, silky black hair tied back in a high ponytail, her flawless, oriental features, and the lewd, overwhelmingly mature curves inherited from her Fallen Angel bloodline, she was a walking magnet for attention. It was a well-known fact in the supernatural world that Fallen Angels inherently exuded an aura of raw temptation, and Akeno wore that aura perfectly.
Yet, despite her mesmerizing appearance, not a single human man dared to approach her. Why?
Because the man standing beside her was terrifyingly imposing.
Finn was dressed simply in a black fitted t-shirt, dark denim, and heavy combat boots. But despite the casual attire and his clean-cut, handsome face, his sheer size and heavily muscled frame radiated an overwhelming amount of testosterone. He looked like the absolute personification of virility and violence—a combination that made women flush and men instinctively step out of his way.
"Mmn~!" Akeno hummed happily, linking her arm through his as they walked.
Perhaps it was simply the biological reality of being a High-Class Devil that made his appearance so physically flawless. While most high-ranking Devil heirs leaned toward a delicate, 'pretty-boy' aesthetic, Finn's rugged, intimidating presence was a refreshing contrast. And he certainly looked a hundred times better than the Devils who embraced their monstrous, grotesque forms.
But enough about appearances. Finn had come to Hong Kong for a specific purpose, but he also intended to enjoy the trip. As soon as they left the Victoria Park mansion, they headed straight for the culinary district. It had been far too long since they had enjoyed authentic human cuisine.
Where did they go?
Kam's Roast Goose, a legendary, Michelin-starred casual dining spot in Wan Chai, founded by the descendants of the historic Yung Kee restaurant family.
"Mmn, so delicious~!"
Akeno closed her eyes in bliss as she chewed a piece of classic, fatty roast goose. The meat, marinated in a secret, multi-generational blend of spices, practically melted in her mouth.
Meanwhile, Finn's attention was elsewhere, even though he had to admit the food was spectacular. The cuisine in his Underworld territory wasn't terrible, but without a natural sun and the specific environmental conditions of Earth, certain spices and ingredients simply couldn't be cultivated properly down there.
"By the way, Finn-sama."
"Hmm?" Finn looked over at Akeno. "Do you want to go to the Ocean Park theme park after we eat?"
"...I would love to, but can you finally tell me your true purpose for coming here?" Akeno asked curiously, casually raising her chopsticks to feed him a piece of goose.
Finn opened his mouth, accepting the food directly from her chopsticks. It was a blatant indirect kiss, something they did so naturally it barely registered. But he briefly lost his train of thought when he watched Akeno slowly, deliberately lick the savory sauce off the tips of the chopsticks—the exact same spot that had just touched his lips.
Her heavy-lidded gaze and the suggestive flick of her tongue clearly implied she was highly eager to do the exact same thing to a certain, much larger object.
To make matters worse, her free hand had somehow slipped under the table, resting dangerously high up on his inner thigh.
Finn sighed, firmly grabbing her wandering hand and placing it safely back onto her own lap.
"Don't start something in a public restaurant. If I actually react, it won't be funny."
"You're right," Akeno giggled, leaning close to whisper in his ear. "It's far too big to hide if it wakes up~."
"..."
There were several profound, exasperated things Finn wanted to say to that, but he swallowed his pride and answered her original question. "A Sacred Gear."
"A Sacred Gear?" Akeno blinked, genuinely surprised. "You want to acquire one?"
"I do."
"...But Finn-sama, you've had dozens of opportunities to buy or steal one before. Why now?"
It was true. With Finn's astronomical wealth and deep-rooted influence in the human corporate world, acquiring a low-to-mid-tier Sacred Gear was practically trivial. Unlike other Devil nobles who wasted their budgets on vanity projects like luxury hotels or vanity tourism, Finn operated like the Wolves of Wall Street.
How was he so consistently successful?
It wasn't just his memories of a past life; it aligned perfectly with his demonic heritage. In human mythology, the demon Balam was a Great and Powerful King of Hell who commanded forty legions. But unlike demons associated with plague, wrath, or destruction, Balam's mythological powers were based entirely on intellect, perception, and information. According to the grimoires, Balam gave perfect answers on things past, present, and to come.
It was the ultimate cheat code for high-frequency algorithmic trading and geopolitical forecasting. No one in the Underworld questioned his terrifying financial success because they simply assumed his bloodline gave him precognitive financial insight.
With that immense wealth, countless rogue magicians, Fallen Angels, and corrupt Exorcists had approached him for funding. Naturally, during those shady negotiations, he had been offered numerous Sacred Gears—the unique artifacts created by the Biblical God specifically for humans.
Because they were designed exclusively for humans, they were theoretically useless to a pure-blooded Devil.
Then again, Sairaorg Bael uses one, Finn thought.
While it was one of the Underworld's most fiercely guarded secrets, Finn knew that Sairaorg had bonded with a Longinus—the absolute highest tier of Sacred Gear, capable of slaying literal gods. The political implications of a pure-blooded Devil wielding a God-killing weapon were staggering, which was why it was kept strictly classified.
The Devil society was currently fractured into two main political ideologies: the old-guard 'Great King Faction' and the reformist 'Four Great Satans Faction'.
Which side did Finn align with?
He backed the Great King Faction. Why? Because they offered him vastly superior tax breaks, territorial autonomy, and lucrative government contracts. Sure, they were incredibly corrupt and wildly cunning, but that was exactly why Finn liked them. In a corrupt system, absolute loyalty was an illusion; everything was a transactional negotiation. It was predictable. It was profitable.
The Great Satan Faction expects everything for free, Finn scoffed internally.
Aside from Ajuka Beelzebub, who mostly just stayed in his lab, Sirzechs Lucifer was incredibly troublesome. Sirzechs expected every Devil to blindly follow his naive, idealistic vision of peace and friendship without offering any concrete economic incentives in return.
It was a beautiful ideal, but given the brutal, extinction-level threats constantly hovering over their world, relying on the 'power of friendship' was a great way to get assassinated. Finn wasn't the main protagonist of this universe. He didn't have plot armor. If he wanted to survive, he had to be ruthless.
Compared to the other Suzukis, I'm practically a villain, Finn realized with a grim smile.
While the other versions of himself across the multiverse seemed to lean toward helping the main characters and acting as supportive mentors, Finn had actively embraced the ugly, conspiratorial politics of the Underworld.
What else could he do? He didn't possess an innate, world-shattering magical ability that could force the entire world into submission. His physical strength was impressive, but without the Manager's recent upgrades, it still wasn't enough to guarantee his survival against top-tier mythological threats.
But right now? With the Manager's optimized abilities fully integrated into his demonic biology? He was absolutely confident.
That was exactly why he had come to Hong Kong and made absolutely zero effort to hide his presence. He was deliberately acting as bait.
As night finally fell over the city, Finn and Akeno walked through the narrow, suffocatingly tight alleys of Mong Kok. The streets were bathed in the flickering, neon glow of overlapping shop signs, tightly packed market stalls, and dripping air-conditioning units.
Suddenly, several figures stepped out from the intersecting alleys, completely blocking their path. They stared at Finn with cold, calculating, and highly malicious eyes.
"You are Finn Balam, the heir of the Balam Pillar. Correct?"
A polite young man stepped forward from the shadows. He was dressed neatly in a traditional Japanese school uniform (gakuran). He was followed by over a dozen teenagers and young adults, all of whom exuded a terrifyingly calm, absolute confidence. They didn't rush. They moved with the relaxed certainty of predators who knew they had already won.
"I am," Finn replied, his voice a low, steady rumble.
Beside him, Akeno's playful demeanor instantly vanished. Her violet eyes narrowed, and a tremendous, suffocating aura of Demonic Power flared around her, crackling with dark lightning as she prepared for immediate combat.
"And who are you?" Finn asked calmly.
"It is an honor to meet you," the young man smiled pleasantly. "My name is Cao Cao. I am the leader of the Hero Faction."
"Do you need something from me, Cao Cao?" Finn asked, tilting his head slightly, his tone laced with dry corporate sarcasm. "If you're here to ask for a corporate donation, you really should have emailed your proposal to my secretary. I don't fund illegal, unregistered terrorist organizations."
"....." The members of the Hero Faction stared at him, utterly stunned by the blatant disrespect.
Cao Cao blinked, then burst into genuine laughter. "Is that so? Well, unfortunately, our funding request is non-negotiable. What if we forcefully extract our 'donation' by cashing in the massive bounty on your head, Finn-sama?"