Just as the Ritual of Inheritance was underway, Vel suddenly drew a dagger and lunged toward the Ancient Dragon Magic Stone.
Rei lunged forward instinctively, but just as he came within range to swing Death Scythe, a magic spear thrust out from behind him.
Warned by a sudden instinct of mortal danger, he threw his body to the side. Even so, the spear struck his flank with a heavy impact.
Fortunately, Rei was wearing his Dragon Robe. Though it appeared to be a simple garment, it was a masterwork of alchemy—dragon scales sandwiched between layers of dragon hide, offering physical and magical protection far superior to standard plate mail. It was the only reason his side wasn't skewered.
"Guh—wh-what!?"
Though the robe had spared his life, it couldn't negate the force of the strike. The impact was enough to shatter Rei’s balance just as he was about to deliver his own blow.
Only his superhuman physical ability kept him from collapsing. He caught himself with one hand, his eyes snapping back to see Kyuste—eyes bloodshot and crazed—leveling the magic spear for a second thrust.
"Set!"
"Guruuu!"
Responding to Rei’s cry, Set swung his sharp eagle claws in a horizontal arc—
"No, Lord Rei! If you force Kyuste out of the magic circle now, it will jeopardize Lady Elena’s ritual!"
"Tch! Set, stop!"
"Guruu!"
Understanding his master's intent, Set aborted the slash. Instead, he slammed his weight down from above, pinning Kyuste to the floor of the magic circle to keep him immobilized.
With that threat contained, Rei kicked off the ground again to charge at Vel.
"You were a second too slow," Vel sneered.
Without the slightest hesitation, he drove his dagger into the magic stone. The gem, already seventy percent crumbled from the ritual, shattered completely.
"Stop!"
Rei screamed, swinging Death Scythe with desperate speed, but he knew he was too late.
"Whoops. Careful, careful."
Vel twisted away, leaping backward to put distance between himself and Rei the moment the stone broke.
"Vel!"
"Don't get so worked up. It’s not like I enjoyed doing this... well, maybe a little. But it really is a shame. This was the only hope for the Kingdom of Mireana. Without it, standing against the Bestia Empire will be impossible."
Rei gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening as he glared at the man.
"Actually, shouldn't you be checking on what's behind you?"
Rei stole a glance. The ritual had been violently interrupted. Ara, Kyuste... and Elena. All three had lost consciousness and lay slumped within the magic circle.
He gripped the handle of Death Scythe until his knuckles turned white.
Calm down. Information comes first. Killing him comes second.
"...Why?" Rei asked, his voice low.
"Why what, exactly?"
Rei and Vel stood at opposite ends. In terms of stealth and thievery, Vel was superior, but in a direct fight, Vel couldn't even compare. Yet the traitor stood there with a relaxed smirk, looking as though he were watching an entertaining play.
"You were part of Elena’s Escort Knight Order. Why betray her now?"
"Why do you think?"
"Answer the question."
Rei flourished Death Scythe, the blade cutting the air with a menacing hum.
"Easy now. I know I have no chance in a fair fight. Fine, let's play a guessing game. Why do you think I turned on her?"
"The obvious answer is that you defected to the Bestia Empire."
"Hmm, fifty points. The real answer is that it wasn’t just me—my entire family defected."
"Your whole house? I heard your family were nobles. Members of the Noble's Faction, close to Duke Kerebel himself."
"True enough. But my father didn't believe Mireana could win. The biggest reason is technology. Elena probably told you—Bestia has established a simplified version of the Ritual of Inheritance. They already have a small army of survivors. They call them Beast Soldiers. A bit on the nose, if you ask me."
"Beast Soldiers... So your family switched sides because they were afraid of losing?"
"Exactly. Well, that’s my father’s reason. Mine is a bit different."
"Then why did you do it? You’ve been with Elena for five years, haven't you?"
"Five years since I joined Duke Kerebel's Knight Order, yeah."
"In all that time, you felt nothing for her? You were her guard."
"Oh, I felt something. But you see..."
Vel’s smirk shifted. It was no longer the look of a bored observer; it was the greasy, wide-eyed grin of a lunatic.
"I just thought... killing people for Mireana is fine, but I’d get to kill way more people if I joined the Empire."
"A pleasure killer."
"Oh? I like the sound of that. Yeah, let’s go with that. Vel Sails, the Pleasure Killer."
"...I’m not one to talk, but what is so fun about murder?"
Rei had killed before—the Stars of the Night, the bandits in the exam. But those were necessary acts. He had never felt a shred of joy in the act itself. He couldn't begin to fathom the man in front of him.
"Are you kidding? It’s the best! Holding someone’s life in your hands. The feeling of a knife parting skin and meat. The scream when you scrape the bone! The look on their faces when you mince their organs and show them their own lungs! Ah... it’s addictive."
"I was a fool to try and reason with a madman."
"Madman? You flatter me. But that’s not all. Bestia has the technology to make Beast Soldiers. Real technology, not the half-baked stuff Mireana is playing with. Imagine the abilities I could get. Melting people with strong acid? Maybe a tentacle like an Emerald Wolf? Being a giant like a Spriggan sounds boring, but wait—what if I pretend to be a child to get close, then transform and watch the despair on their faces as I crush them? Yeah, that actually sounds great."
"You really are insane," Rei muttered. He looked over at the unconscious Kyuste, still pinned by Set. "What did you do to him?"
"Who knows? He always hated you. Maybe he just snapped."
"Liar. He hated me, but his devotion to Elena was genuine. He would never have jeopardized her ritual just to settle a grudge."
"Wow. For two guys who hated each other, you really trust him. Fine, here’s a hint."
Vel pulled an ordinary canteen from his belt. Rei remembered seeing Vel offer Kyuste a drink several times during their journey through the dungeon.
"A magic potion?"
"Bingo! That’s what scrambled his brain."
"But you drank from that same canteen."
"Sharp eyes. But didn't you know? Magic potions have antidotes."
"So you drugged him while staying sober yourself."
"Exactly. The best part is, this potion doesn't force you to do something you truly hate. It only works if there's a subconscious desire already there. Kyuste's hatred for you wasn't exactly 'subconscious,' though. It was right on the surface."
Vwoom!
Rei swung Death Scythe, the blade's wake creating a sharp crack in the air.
"That’s enough. I’ve heard all I need to."
"Oh? Are you going to kill me before I can run back to the Empire?"
"No," Rei said, shaking his head. "I'm killing you because I don't like you. Just looking at you makes my skin crawl. Flying Slash!"
He unleashed the skill. A crescent of compressed air flew toward Vel with lethal intent.
Vel didn't stop smiling, even as death approached.
"What!?"
The cry came from Rei. In front of Vel, a cluster of raw, purple tentacles had sprouted, intercepting the Flying Slash. The tips of the tentacles were severed and crumbled into ash, but more immediately grew to take their place, squirming protectively around the traitor. They were emerging from beneath Vel’s leather armor.
"Hahaha! Too bad. This is an escort magic lifeform created by the Empire’s alchemists. It’ll take more than that to get through."
Vel’s eyes shone with a distorted glee.
"So what?"
Rei’s voice was cold and entirely devoid of panic. Vel’s smile faltered into an unpleasant scowl.
"What are you talking about? My defense is absolute. Why are you acting so calm?"
"I wonder. That was just one of my skills. Don't think you've seen everything I can do. Besides, even if you can hide behind those tentacles, your own offense is pathetic. I took a hit from Kyuste's magic spear and didn't even flinch. What do you plan to do? Throw a few knives?"
"Maybe. But you only blocked that spear because of your robe. I just have to aim for your face or your legs."
Vel drew a knife with a sickly purple blade.
"Poison Knife. It’s a high-level magic item. One scratch and you'll be paralyzed for ten minutes. Can you keep up, Rei?"
"Even if it is a magic item, you’re still limited to aiming for the gaps in my armor. Do you really think a back-row archer like you can handle me in close combat? Or are those tentacles going to do the fighting for you?"
"Maybe you're right. I'm not a front-liner. But that just means I need to provide myself with a vanguard."
Vel snapped his fingers.
"Guruu!?"
Set’s confused cry rang out. Rei instinctively dove to the side as a spear tip whistled through the space he had occupied a second ago.
A figure stepped forward, positioning itself between Rei and Vel.
"...Kyuste."