Chapter 81: Fate Convergence - VI

Let’s step back a moment before all the drama shot this trio out of nowhere. I needed to get context on what their relationship was.

’Okay, so... Kuvie is a part of <Angel’s Bane> and has more than one secret identity on top of her original one. Clementine is a Snakespawn of the Vielour Family with a rich history—her personal history is one filled with quite a lot of bloodshed, now that I’m checking...’

I moved my gaze to Reazue.

’As for this guy, ah, I see. Was his clan annihilated?’

[Absolute Awareness] peered into his memories.

A burning, bloody village. Werebats being skinned alive and defanged.

The cold, calculating gaze of a butcher looking over his livestock emanated from every blue-clothed individual.

Reazue survived by hiding in the soil, nearly burying himself alive and suffocating to death.

When he eventually escaped, he was picked up by a caravan on its way to Walvaskaz. There, through his adventures and treasure hunting, he eventually learned of certain practices involving the enslavement and harvesting of some species of the myriad races.

One of such targets had been the Werebats—because of their <Blood Arts>.

The Werebats thus became a hot commodity for Mages and Martial Artists.

After dissecting and studying the Werebats’ physiology, the school of Blood Magic was born.

Martial Artists then took this data and created compatible Martial Arts that successfully mimicked the Werebats’ specialty.

In fact, the Orc Race was the most successful in this regard, becoming the inventors of the Berserker Class.

...But this was about four hundred years ago, when Reazue was still much younger.

Still, having experienced the brutality of his race being hunted down for research gave him scars that would never heal.

I could hear his heart breaking, bursting at the seams from the rage and memories. However, Kuvie was his friend.

But it was because he knew his friend well that it hurt his heart a lot more.

She knew of his scars. Of his fears.

Of the world he despised.

Kuvie had a great affinity for Nature Magic, as that was what her race was known for. There had been no Satyress or Nymph capable of Blood Arts, even after the Werebats were dissected.

What did that imply?

’No wonder Reazue seems so betrayed.’

It was likely that more research had been done on Blood Arts, and it was very likely that Werebats were included in the process.

And Kuvie did not have a way to respond.

***

Facing Reazue’s question, Kuvie paled. She was younger than Reazue by almost a century, but she had long heard of the emergence of Blood Magic during her studies.

"I..." Kuvie lowered her hand.

—Whoosh!

But Reazue exploited that window of hesitation and rushed forward. Black, leathery wings, stained with a blood-red light, unfurled behind him.

In his hand was a fireball fueled by his own ichor.

"Kuvie! Tell me!"

The Satyress hurriedly stepped back, with no intention of fighting her own friend.

But Reazue only saw guilt and cowardice. His blood literally boiled as the fireball grew, swirling in his palm.

It was Clementine who stepped forward.

[Immovable Fortress].

[Flowing Water].

The risky gleam of two conflicting Martial Arts flashed as Clementine merged the two techniques.

Planting a wide horse stance parallel to the hallway’s length, she anchored herself to the ground, creating cracks beneath her feet. The brown light of stability

—Swish!

Her blade moved to intercept the sphere of flames, trailing with a beautiful azure sheen.

"Reazue, still your mind." Clementine’s voice was a chilling hiss. "Your rage burns for a tragedy nearly half a millennium ago."

"Shut up, you damned emotionless Coldblood—"

—BOOM!

Clementine’s sword was thrown back by an inhuman force, but she yielded not a single step back.

Instead, her blade flowed like water, retaining the blinding momentum to slash thrice in an instant.

The sound barrier was shattered thrice, creating bursts of wind that blasted through the flames.

—Shhhk!

In exchange for such a magnificent display of physicality, Clementine’s tendons tore, ever so slightly, sending a sharp yet numbing pain across her shoulder and arm.

Unfortunately.

—WHOOSH!

Reazue’s fist, bleeding from two deep cuts from Clementine’s rapier, emerged from the chaos.

"!!!"

The Snakespawn’s vertically-slit topaz eyes shrank. Her hair, singed by the surrounding flames, fanned out as the fist met her jaw.

[Snakebite Counter].

A venomous snakebite seemed to flash as Clementine’s rapier delivered two swift stabs. Droplets of venom lingered in its trail as the Snakespawn bared her fangs.

—BAM!

Clementine got two strikes in before her entire body flew backwards. Her <Immovable Fortress> stance was torn apart, leaving her defenses open.

Unfortunately, Reazue could not follow through with his rage.

"...Gods,"

His vision waned as a comfortable warmth spread throughout his body, originating from the two wounds near his heart.

"Damn it..."

The thud of his unconscious body sounded.

Clementine, in the meantime, just wiped off a drop of blood from her lip. The green scales that usually hid beneath her skin had surfaced, gleaming against the blood-red light of the burning cave.

"Cough! Cough, cough."

Still, Reazue’s fist had rattled her brain. She looked at the pale-faced Satyress behind her and opted not to ask any questions.

"Kuvie, put the guy to sleep and get out of here."

At least, not yet.

This wasn’t a place to be suspecting her friends. Taylor had been kidnapped by some crazy gnome, and the air was beginning to thin.

"I still have something to do."

Kuvie did not know how to respond to her commands. She was a little afraid of Reazue’s rage.

What if he woke up due to some secret Blood Art?

Having been involved with <Angel’s Bane>, she knew just how terrifying Blood Arts and Blood Magic could be.

’It’s all that guy’s fault.’ Biting her lip, Kuvie leered at what remained of the Wolfman she had been forced to work with on a mission.

Who would have expected him to have such a deep-seated hatred for Clementine in particular?

She failed a mission all because of him, and she even exposed a portion of her hidden persona to her friends.

These two worlds should never have met.

Looking at this impending tragedy, I could guess what role <Fate> wanted me to play. However, until the moment arrived, I wouldn’t know for sure.