It was quite expected.
Selina had realised it on the day Wren had gone out, saying that he had to negotiate with a reaper.
He was planning for a war from the start.
'Well as long as he doesn't die...no wait, he shouldn't die, how will I live then?' Selina thought as she dodged a flying rapier.
Her opponent was Cassie.
'I can't her kill, we need her till the third nightmare.'
Jumping a few metres back, she summoned a memory, it was a blood-red sword. It possessed a cross-guard and a dark black grip of smooth leather, the double-edged sword was perfectly balanced for thrusting and slashing.
Taking a stance, she dashed at Cassie.
She raised her sword and slashed, the crimson-red blade met by the blade of Quiet Dancer, the force was enough to deflect the floating rapier back, however the user of the strange echo used the moment and slashed her dagger horizontally.
Cassie wanted to kill Selina in a single strike however, the sound of flesh splitting under the force of the dagger's blade wasn't heard.
It was because Selina had jumped above, her movement was so silent that Cassie's sharp senses couldn't even detect it.
Only the sudden change in the air made Cassie realise that her opponent was above her, she grabbed her rapier in an instant wanting to block the incoming blow, however...
The strike never came from the front.
Cassie stood still before falling to the ground, as Selina started to walk away from her, she had knocked down Cassie.
'Looks like those videos about making people unconscious were tr-'
Before Selina could finish her thoughts, something moved through her, through her throat, it was a thin blade.
-thud!
Her head fell, while her violet eyes stared at her attacker, it was none other than Cassie, she had deceived Selina.
'Wow, I got to experience a new feeling, but this is not as brutal as getting squashed beneath a giant foot like a fly.
'I think I should let myself a little loose.'
A few followers of Nephis who were staying away from the fight were brimming with subtle joy as one of their queen's enemies had fallen.
Or they thought so.
The beheaded corpse of Selina which was somehow still standing, bent down to its knees— few thought that the corpse had lost its momentum and was now going down, however, what it did next was something impossible.
The beheaded corpse picked up its own head and then reattached itself, the line that distinguished their severance faded signifying that Selina had reattached her head successfully.
Cassie who had just started to walk away, suddenly felt something pressing her down, if she could describe it, it would be two golden eyes that were looking down at her.
Her echo started to frantically twitch, as if trying to warn her. Cassie immediately turned around, and then she felt it.
An intense amount of bloodlust was directed at her.
'How could this be?' She thought with bewilderment.
The smell of blood was definitely on her rapier's blade, then how? How? Selina was still alive, if she had beheaded her.
-swish!
Something moved towards her with speed, a speed too fast for a sleeper, before she could do anything, the 'something' hit her at her legs.
Cassie let out a pained groan.
Something pierced her legs, and whatever it was something erupted from inside her flesh, and then Cassie fell to the ground—unable to move.
Selina who was standing in front of her, with her first memory, the Hunter's Handgun, she had shot two bullets from it, coated in the darkness that bent to her will.
She had destroyed the nerves of Cassie's legs.
Her steps echoed as she moved towards the limp body of Cassie, nothing had the power to oppose her, not the ones who were standing still.
Even if they attacked her together, she would still win, a nigh-immortal like her can't be killed with mundane things like memories.
As she reached Cassie's limp body, she looked down at her and smirked slightly, she raised her gun and shot two bullets at her Cassie's arms.
"Fear me, I am not doing it for your own good." She said as the darkness, destroyed Cassie's nervous system leaving only her heart and brain working.
She walked past Cassie, her work was done.
But seemed that the rats of Nephis were blocking her path, loyalty was indeed a poison for everything, especially these rats.
'Well...come forth.' Selin raised her gun and sword memories, prompting them to fight her.
No matter what they will do, the outcome will always be the same.
***
In a wreaked up hall of the outer settlement, two swords clashed.
One was made out of abyssal darkness, while the other was wreathing in incandescent white flame.
"Hmm, this is quite a good source of light." Wren said as he blocked a kick, jumping a few meters back.
However, Nephis didn't give him the leverage to maintain his ground as she leapt over him, bringing down her sword in mid-air.
Wren blocked it with his sword, though the force was too heavy to deflect, finding no option, he rotated his sword and pushed Nephis back with his shoulder.
She was pushed back by five steps.
They locked their eyes on each other, as their body moved in circles anticipating any movement.
-swish!
The two of them collided with their blades once again, both of them had calm expressions as none of them wasn't going out fully.
Wren launched a kick towards her stomach, she used her free arm to stop the blow however, the direction of the kick changed immediately.
It was a feint.
What Wren was aiming for was not her stomach but her neck, his blow landed, but Nephis still remained indifferent.
His attack had broken the shoulder guard of the starlight legion armour, but she didn't care.
'She is using her dormant ability.'
Wren thought as he parried the sword attacks, indeed Nephis was burning her out to fight him, shouldn't he do the courtesy to fight her with all his power?
'I could but...if I did, then everyone would be in danger. I can't let it happen.'
He could use his Aspect in full power, but that would let Ark overwhelm him, he can't afford that, Wren knew what kind of person he was.
Greedy, mad, filled with malice and chaos, but in the end he too had a heart...a special one. He was inconsistent, in every way but even he knew how to care and love.
An image of him and Morgan flashed through his mind.
But Ark was much worse than him.
Gritting his teeth, he kicked Nephis away.
'I will tear your arm, nothing more and nothing much.' He thought as dashed towards Nephis.
However, Nephis simply jumped back, behind her were her followers, standing in full gear, ready to fight at any moment.
Standing in front of them was just a single man.
-rumble!
But it soon changed as people started to emerge, remnants of castle guards and the pathfinders, even the handmaidens were now by his side.
There was also an unconscious Cassie, hanged on a wooden cross.
Beside him were Sunny, Selina, Harus and Seishan.
It was quite a wonder, how he managed to bring Seishan to his side, no one knew except Wren himself.
The answer was simple.
He had absolute power—enough to bend someone's will.
The dark armour from the attribute Dark Lord Astaroth covered his body, following it was a fearsome mask.
This fight would decide their future.
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Hmm, so it might look a little off but I just decided to do it, blame the song I was listening to when I was writing this chapter, that sad part made me do this.
But I guess this shows Wren's inconsistency and unpredictableness, as for the subordinates he had gained.
Seishan had a choice, so she chose Wren, well he forced her practically, as for the hunters and castle guard they are just following him due to Harus.
Harus has made a temporary alliance with Wren, why did he? Harus will tell you guys in later chapters.
As for Caster, that guy got off-screened, I was bored with him, so made him die the same death.
Kai and Effie are with Nephis, not that I mentioned it.
I was practically laughing when I wrote the part about Cassie, hanging her on a cross was funny for me.
The next chapter will either come tomorrow or the day after.
Bye Bye~~