Chapter 431: Earning Vladimir’s Trust And Loyalty

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Vladimir looked from the arm to Riven, wondering what else he hadn’t been told about it. He had been too busy using it to ask many questions before the fight. Now he couldn’t stop thinking about how much trouble Riven had gone through to give him something like this. He had expected a weapon, not one he could keep using even after being blown apart.

"Hah..." Vladimir felt overwhelmed. "Why are you being so generous?"

"Because I’ll need your strength more than ever for what’s coming next, Vladimir," said Riven. "But above all... I don’t want to just force you to help me. I want your sincerity."

"..."

Vladimir said nothing, looking at the ground for a moment.

He had been ready to hear that Riven needed him for another battle. That part was easy to understand. The rest wasn’t. Riven could have left it at that, told him what to do, and waited for him to stop complaining. Instead, he was standing there waiting for an answer Vladimir hadn’t prepared. He didn’t know what to say without giving away more than he wanted.

How much had he longed to finally find a comrade again?

He missed having people he could return to after a fight, people who expected him to come back. He didn’t like admitting that, especially with Riven right in front of him. It was easier to get angry, demand another rematch, and act like winning was the only thing he cared about. But even if he won, he would still want somewhere to return to afterward.

Even though he still hated him to death, he couldn’t help but respect him a lot more now.

"Riven, I hate you," he said. "And I will never hide that fact. I want another rematch, and I’ll keep asking until I can finally beat you..." He sneered. "But..." He remembered everything he’d been through with this new "pack."

They had taken care of him and made sure he had food, even when he wasn’t particularly pleasant to be around. He hadn’t needed to fight them for every meal or prove himself before they let him stay.

He could tell himself that he was only there because he had nowhere better to go, but that excuse was getting harder to believe. He looked at Riven’s hand again. Accepting it wouldn’t mean he had to stop hating him. Still, he hesitated, annoyed that such a simple gesture had become so difficult.

As a wolf, he couldn’t help but feel some loyalty to his new "pack," who took care of him, fed him, and everything.

"I will help you." He took Riven’s hand and stood back up, nodding at his eternal rival. "And there’s no need to give me your stupid commands anymore... I get it."

Vladimir kept his grip on Riven’s hand until he was sure he could stand on his own. His legs still felt unsteady, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him from saying what he had decided. He had spent enough time arguing about every order. This didn’t mean he would agree with everything Riven said, and he doubted Riven expected him to.

Riven nodded. With his advanced psychic powers, he could detect no deception or ulterior motives in Vladimir’s voice or mind. "Thank you."

He didn’t ask Vladimir to repeat himself or make another promise. He could tell that the answer was sincere, even with the insults attached to it. Vladimir was still Vladimir, after all. Riven would have been more suspicious if he had suddenly started being polite. He tightened his grip for the handshake, accepting the answer without trying to turn it into anything more.

They shook hands. Both still kind of hated each other, both wanted to keep fighting together, and... both wanted to keep protecting what had become important to them.

And above all, they wanted revenge against the same enemies, so it all fit well together.

There would be time for another rematch, assuming they both made it through what was coming. For now, they needed to be able to fight on the same side without wasting every opportunity arguing. Vladimir had finally agreed to that much. Riven wasn’t going to demand that he stop being angry too.

Vladimir released his hand and tried to straighten up. He looked as though he wanted to say something else, but his expression changed before he could get the words out. His knees started to give way. Riven reached toward him again, realizing that standing up had taken more out of him than he had wanted to show.

"Ugh..."

Then Vladimir collapsed onto the ground and lost consciousness almost instantly.

Riven crouched beside him and checked that he was breathing. After all that effort to avoid killing him, it would have been a pretty stupid ending if he had let him collapse and done nothing. Vladimir didn’t respond when he called his name. He had barely managed to finish the conversation before his body had given up on staying awake.

Riven watched him for another moment, using his psychic powers to examine what the sword had left behind. He could still sense the technique’s effects, even now that the attack was over. That explained more than the exhaustion. There had been a change in Vladimir during the fight, and Riven could finally see where it had come from.

"Ah, yeah, you really pushed yourself," Riven said with a sigh, sensing the effects of his technique within Vladimir. The sword he’d used had not only spared him but also replicated a kind of "rebirth" within him. It had allowed Vladimir to burn away and release much of the darkness he’d been keeping inside, effectively purifying him. As a result, he had become more honest as well. "And about you..."

He turned to face an enormous aberration, a monstrous chimera of a giant wolf and a dragon, with three heads, eight arms, and six wings.

This was Vladimir’s Heart Demon, expelled from his body by Riven’s attack. Riven had developed the technique using the teachings of the Ten Thousand Poison Master, who was floating right behind him.

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