When Raynare directed all her murderous intent at me, I waited for her to come to me.
At that moment, she disappeared from my field of vision for an instant before reappearing mere centimeters away.
I raised my left arm, grabbing her forearm and thus parrying the first blow.
The sound of the impact echoed across the pier, and the ground beneath my feet cracked slightly.
"Are you really trying to kill me?" I commented with a wry smile as I let go of her and turned my body to dodge the second attack.
"And you think you can play with me, human?" Raynare growled, advancing with a rapid combination of thrusts and slashes.
My feet slid across the uneven pier floor as I studied her every move.
"I just think that innocent girl mask of yours must be pretty uncomfortable to wear all the time," I replied, dodging another blow.
Her gaze narrowed. "You know too much."
Raynare turned the spear of light upwards, and the energy at the tip of the weapon began to vibrate. It was clear she was preparing to launch a projectile of light.
I sighed. I didn't want to prolong this, but I couldn't let her hit me straight on either.
When she launched the attack — a beam of light energy coming straight at me — I knew I couldn't avoid it any longer.
My right hand closed into a fist, and I summoned my Stygius Sword. The sword appeared in my hand as a pool of blood solidified into its form.
The beam of energy from the spear hit the Stygius Sword, and the impact created a shockwave that pushed Raynare and me backwards. Even the waves of the sea were silent now.
When the dust settled, Raynare stared at my sword. "That... that sword..." She squinted as she stared at my sword.
"That's definitely not a holy sword. What is it?"
I moved the sword a little away from my body, turning it slightly, then looked at it with a carefree smile.
"I told you I'm not from the Church, remember? I don't use holy swords."
Raynare took a step back and stood up straight again. "Then... what are you? Some kind of devil? But your aura doesn't feel demonic..."
I let the Stygius Sword rest at my side, without dispelling it. I didn't want to give the impression that I was letting my guard down completely.
"Why do you want to know what I am?"
Raynare narrowed her eyes. "If you don't tell me, I'll find out another way. And I guarantee my method won't be pleasant for you."
I laughed softly. "Fine, but you won't like what you hear. I'm not from the Church, I'm not a demon, and I'm definitely not an ordinary human. But let's just say that if you continue to attack me, things could end very badly for you."
Raynare could be many things, but one thing she wasn't was dumb. The arrogant confidence of before was giving way to an uncomfortable caution.
"You want me to believe you're some kind of superior being, yet you hesitated to attack me. Why didn't you finish me off when you had the chance?"
"Because you could be useful to me."
That was the line I'd decided to take. Killing Raynare would grant me a lot of Fusion Points, but where was the fun in that? Having another life, being reincarnated in the universe of an anime, and possessing the power to change everything? Now that was exciting.
"And also because you were my first love," I added.
If I couldn't win her over with logic, I'd try with emotion.
Raynare's eyes widened for a moment before she burst into laughter.
She laughed so hard that the spear of light in her right hand disappeared as she clutched her stomach.
"Hahahaha... Ouch, ouch... Don't tell me you're actually in love with me," she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye while still smiling. "Wait, you didn't really think I went out with you because I liked you, did you?"
I put away the Stygius Sword. "Not even for a second. Like I said, you can be useful to me."
Her face turned serious. "That subject again." She straightened her posture. "Look, you may be powerful enough to overpower me, but if you think I'm going to betray my race to—"
"Betray? Who said anything about that? Anyway, it's getting too late to talk about this." I turned around. "Tomorrow, meet me at that café where we first met at 4 p.m. We'll talk more then."
"What if I don't show up?" she asked, watching me walk away.
"I know you will."
[Ding! The Master chose the 1st option! Reward: 1 Fusion Point]
In this second meeting with Raynare, things were much more exciting than the first. And thanks to that, I gained a lot of Fusion Points.
[Ding! Master used 117 Fusion Points. +117. Current Progress: Lv. 1 (117/100)]
[You've leveled up!]
[Current Progress: Lv. 2 (017/500)]
[New Skills Unlocked: Cast of Bloodstones, Twin Fists Invocation, Primordial Divine Vigor Lv. 2, Blessing of Artemis Lv. 1, Athena's Tender Resilience, Summoning the House of Hades.]
The changes in me were immediately noticeable. I was becoming more like Zagreus himself.
The colors seemed more vibrant, the sounds clearer. I could hear the rustling of leaves in the park across the street. It was as if the whole world had been tuned to match my frequency.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror and noticed how much more defined my muscles had become. My hair was silkier, and a crown of golden and red hues now adorned my head.
I smiled, removing the crown and placing it in the drawer of my bedside table.
"Even the garments of Hades are obtainable through this system. I wonder... could I bring my own family into this universe? Yes, family. That's what Hades and the others feel like now."
*
*
*
Support me to write more and read chapters ahead of all regular readers!
P-atreon.com/palmer1998
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
In chapters R-18, there are original and exclusive images for the patreons!
Discord: https://discord.gg/2pn9Twxrng