Wuoooh! Ciel pulled a ‘trap card open!’ against Lykin!

Viers eyes widened seeing it. He couldn't see Lykin at the moment. From the sound of it, Lykin was injured from the blow. The domain of darkness wavered slightly as she got hit by her own attack. Ciel’s masterstroke had an effect.

Ciel was breathing heavily. The reflection technique seemed to have taken its toll.

“Ugh!?”

“Wait!” Viers shouted.

The fair-haired warrioress gasped as the injured Lykin, eyes shining with purple light, suddenly appeared before her with a savage expression, striking her chest with a palm strike. Armor or not, it made no difference.

Viers felt the shockwave of mana from where he was standing. That was it, he thought. Ciel had struggled mightily and put up a good fight but that was the finishing blow.

“...Ahh, Hells and Damnations. Fighting you Silver Legion guys is always such a pain,” Lykin coughed. Part of her clothes were torn and there was a gash on her left shoulder. She applied a healing Arte on herself and then swiped her messy hair back using her hand.

“Now, water-soul boy, you were saying?”

Lykin released Viers from the flimsy prison and faced him. The Domain of darkness was still active but they could see each other fine.

While Lykin was straightening herself out, Viers examined Ciel. She was still in the position from when Lykin had struck her, frozen in time. Her eyes didn't move in the slightest nor was her heart beating.

“Is she dead?” Viers asked.

“Stasis,” Lykin walked closer to Viers.

“...Can darkness Arte do that? Or fell?”

“Not mine. It’s a stasis magic item. But as she is, I can do whatever I want… You want to save her?”

Instead of answering, Viers waved his hand and a single rune slowly floated toward Lykin. It wasn't an attack.

“Interesting…”

Lykin gave it a flick and the rune shattered. The next thing she knew she was in a small white room with Viers. There was a desk in which Viers sat on one side and Lykin on another.

“A soul space. Now we can take our time speaking because time is slower here,” Viers said.

It was also to establish secure communication. He was still on Chruch’s grounds, which might have surveillance. On top of that, Lykin had deployed her domain, which might have a recording or other undesirable functions. Viers didn’t trust any of them.

“A skillful soul user, aren't you? Such mastery for one so young…” Lykin said with some awe after looking around. Her current appearance was perfect unlike in the after-battle real world. “Truly, who are you, boy? Are you actually a protégé of one of those soul manipulator old coots?”

“Dumuzin? Nahhh. Religions are not really my thing.”

“How did you get this kind of skill without guidance? A master? …On second thought, it doesn't matter,” Lykin waved it off. “What do you want and why should I listen to you.”

Alright, this is it. Girls, get ready if things go south, Viers messaged his tenants.

Viers put out his negotiating face.

“I want to cut a deal for Ciel’s life.”

“Hmm…” Lykin played with the tip of her hair, eyes studying his facial tics. “What is she to you?”

“She’s an investment,” Viers said something that the Church’s people weren't supposed to hear. “There is a life debt between us… or several. She’ll pay me back. She’s too good of a person to ignore it. She’s a duke’s daughter, right? That’s a mighty high standing. I’m willing to pay a reasonable price for you to not go through with the killing contract.”

“For us, not following through with the contract has very dire consequences which I doubt you can shoulder. I suppose if I refuse, you’re ready to fight to save the lady in distress to your last breath?”

“Should you refuse, then it can't be helped,” Viers shrugged.

Lykin waited for the follow up.

There was none.

“...That’s it? Didn't you buff up for a fight?” Lykin saw the ritualistic soul markings on the ground when she entered.

“It’s for precaution. I didn't know who would be coming, how many there would be, in case the other party wouldn’t listen to reason, and so on. I had to be ready. Glad it’s you. As I said, I won’t do anything. I feel bad about Ciel but I won't fight a fight I cannot win. I’m not a hero. I can survive but win? A waste of time and energy to even try.”

If Viers was really trying to not get involved, he would have left the abbey behind and hid in a hole somewhere. Totally doable for him since he could turn into a slime.

“Alrighty then,” Lykin smiled, turning a hundred and eighty degrees. “I won’t kill her.”

“...What's the catch? I haven't said my offer yet.”

“A favor-”

Viers’ face turned ugly.

She wants a blank check? Fuck that shit.

“-not. Think of this as my investment in you,” Lykin changed her narrative after seeing his apprehension, borrowing his word of investment.

“A debt?” Viers frowned.

“Nothing so binding. I like you, boy. Rather than squeezing you for paltry resources, my womanly intuition told me sowing good karma between us would be much better.”

The concept of karma was also present in this world. Viers wondered if it was a universal law.

Viers was considering whether it was worth taking a gift with strings attached.

“...I’ll have the right to refuse when the time comes,” Viers said after thinking hard about it. Farley and Clarissa voted to refuse while Paina voted to accept but it was Viers that made the final call.

Viers saw value in Ciel. If by saying no Lykin would kill her then…

Unfortunately, I have little choice in the matter. Negotiating from a weaker position sucks!

“Splendid! I was right about you. My eyes don't deceive me.”

Lykin stood up and the white room collapsed. She terminated the soul connection. The white room wasn't an entrapment, she could leave anytime. The two found themselves in a pitch-black space, Lykin’s Domain was still active.

Next, Lykin severed Ciel’s right arm. A cut near the shoulder.

Viers didn't flinch.

A massive amount of blood flowed out. Ciel was still in stasis and didn't seem to feel a thing. The cultist put out a bottle for the blood.

While waiting for the container to be filled, Lykin spoke.

“Whoopsie! My true goal is not her life but her blood all along. Ohohoho!”

Lykin put her hand in front of her mouth as she laughed like a haughty noble lady.

“We who got dispatched for the mission were told by the higher-ups to kill her because of the contract and the Arte-fodders seemed intent on doing that without thinking… but not me. You can't survive in this field if you're only good at killing.”

“Boy, you seem to have some ideas about her family but you don't understand the true scope of what it means to be a member of House Valentine. There’s also her identity as Silver Legionnaire… Truthfully, killing her will bring more trouble upon my head than benefits so, I contacted the client and made a deal with them. I’ve negotiated an alternate objective, her blood.“

Lykin didn't tell Viers that even if she wanted to, she couldn't kill Ciel right now. The life-saving measures on the Silver Legionnaire were top-class. However, Ciel being on her mercy was true. Lykin could bring the time-stopped Ciel somewhere and slowly kill her.

Whuuuattt? So I basically got into debt for nothing?!

Viers felt he was scammed!

Not that I intend to follow through with the deal if the cost outweighs the benefit in the first place but still… scammed!

“Don't make that kind of face, darling. My aim is to have a long and healthy relationship,” she chuckled.

Lykin carefully packed the bottle with Ciel’s blood then she stopped the bleeding by applying some medicinal gel.

“I’m done here. I’ll go before someone troublesome shows up. Bye~”

“Wait. The others cannot see what’s happening here?”

Against a Level 4 in the opposition, Viers had prepared to suffer some sort of loss from the start. Viers wasn't happy about being tricked but she’d got no demands. It was still within his acceptable range so he did not pursue the matter.

“Yesss?” Lykin curiously asked.

“Then attack me. Make me half-dead. It’ll make me more credible in their eyes,” Viers was basically asking to get bombed. “Ohh, use a little of that fell attribute of yours. Let me experience- Ghuuuagh!!!”

Lykin gave him what he wished for with a grin on her face. A dark energy blast enveloped Viers until he lost consciousness.

“My, my, my, my, my,” Lykin approached Viers who was now sprawled on the ground; he was terribly wounded, eyes showing their whites.

“Oh?” Lykin felt a whiff of danger from the unconscious Viers. She felt… a gaze? It was as if there was an invisible giant snake coiling Viers protectively and the snake was looking at her with hostility.

“Still have insurance? I like you more and more, Viers my boy. Here’s a gift for being so interesting. Now then, until we meet again~”

Viers didn't hear a thing, unconscious as he was. Neither did he feel the goodbye kiss on the cheek.

Shortly, the Domain was deactivated. The blob of black that cut off a portion of reality was no more. Priest Baker and two other Level 3s that were shepherding the members of the church away took it upon themselves to investigate.

They saw Ciel, missing an arm, crying above Viers’ chest. The boy with a complicated identity was in a wretched state, lying in a pool of his own blood. Although, like Ciel, he seemed to have received first aid.

The assailant was nowhere to be found.

There was only a letter.

***

“Ixi Arte - Life Dew of Restoration!”

A flower grew from a seed on Rose’s palm. It dropped a single dew into Max’s mouth before wilting. Soon, Max gasped as he regained consciousness.

“What happened?” He rasped.

“We’ve escaped the entrapment,” Conn said while bandaging his wounds. “Thanks to you holding the line long enough for backup to arrive.”

Max looked around and found he was in a big room that was turned into a field hospital. From the walls, Max reckoned they were still in the Bone Raven's base. The devil worshipers had made a big underground castle three days' ride away from Valkut city.

There were many injured. The healers and nurses were in a frenzy.

“You’re stable now… but your body is a wreck. It is caused by prolonged use of a Forbidden Arte, right? Max, you can't keep doing that. Your body won't hold,” Rose said worriedly.

“I have-” Max coughed. “-to get as strong as possible. There’s still one more person I have to bring to justice… He’s a stronger soul user than Viers. Wait! We’ve got to hurry back! Wasn’t the abbey attacked?”

“Calm down, friend,” Damon pressed Max, who tried to get up, back down. “Vestal Mita and Abess Unem are discussing it. We might have to mobilize shortly so regain your strength as much as you can.”

“Ciel… be okay,” Wendy looked nervous.

“And the cultists?” Max asked.

“The assassins have been suppressed. We’ve captured those that surrendered. Other groups are just mopping up… Still, we should have known better. It was a diversion. A Level 4 breached the abbey,” Rachel cursed.

“...I don't think it’s a diversion. Rather, Lykin sacrificed the small fries so she had a shot at Ciel,” Bryan looked impatient. He wanted to hurry back to Ciel’s aid as soon as possible.

“Everything is fine now,” Mita approached them, bearing good news.

“I have received communication from priest Baker. The situation has been resolved. No casualties. Unem is already on her way back.”

“Ciel?” Wendy asked.

“Lost an arm, but her life is in no danger.”

“What happened to Lykin?” Damon thought the news was too good to be true.

“It seemed both Ciel and Viers managed to hold back Lykin long enough until someone rescued them.”

“Who?”

“Unknown. The rescuer had already gone before the priests arrived. He or she only left a letter after giving both of them first aid. It said it was because of Ciel's past kindness, keeping their identity hidden.”

“Heheh, doing good is worth it. It’s the result of her good deeds. The Goddess be praised,” Bryan chuckled.

“The Radiant Lady watches over us,” Mita also felt relieved. “Let’s-”

Only Mita felt the tear in the fabric of reality but the rest felt the foul mana that leaked out afterward. The Legionaries were familiar with this mana but the others weren't.

“What? What happened?” Max was confused.

“Legionaries,” Mita said grimly, watching the dark corridor. “Help the injured evacuate. Now!”

Damon, Wendy, Rose, and the others did as they were told. The non-legions were not as efficient. Some were skeptical, some were too injured.

Soon, a tide of demonic beasts came pouring out from the deeper interior of the assassin's base. Mita acted as a one-woman bulwark.

The cultists had used demons!