Side Story: Blood Hunt (Part Two)

Watching Sheva and Arnold carry off Endyr, Kulkiri turned back onwards the others and walked to catch up with them. While her vision was limited, Ruby was confidant the trio would make it back to the surface just fine. The two Adventurers would hopefully make it back in time for the final battle against Kismet if they hurried too. Kulkiri had a feeling they would need everybody they could get against an Epic Vampire. While it was only the first step of the Transcendent bracket, there was an insurmountable chasm between an Epic and Grandmaster. One was the peak of biological capabilities, while the other was simply superhuman. At Epic Tier and above, even decapitation wasn't a guaranteed death, since all Transcendent possessed unimaginable vitality compared to Mortals. Against a Vampire, this was naturally even worse.

Moving beside the twin Priestess' and looking at Isabelle, he opened his mouth. "You two said you have a way to deal with the Viscount, correct? May I know what you plan to do?" he asked politely. The two girls were only Grandmasters, albeit ones near Ascension, so dealing with the Epic Kismet would be incredibly difficult for them even in a two-on-one fight. Sensing his doubt, Anne released a cryptic smile. "My sister and I have been bestowed with a special artefact by the Abbess to deal with the heathen. He will be greatly restrained during the fight, and we are confidant in our chances of killing him in his weakened state."

"What artefact is it?" Kulkiri asked with furrowed eyebrows (not that they could see with the mask) as he failed to notice anything on either Priestess. Exchanging looks, Isabelle reached into her uniform and fished a small wooden box from inside. The symbol of the Harvest Church was drawn on it, and an earthy scent tickled Kulkiri's nostrils. The sight of the box caused him to stiffen momentarily as his thoughts turned sluggish.

"This is called Return to Roots, a 4-Star Artefact scavenged from the corpse of a Fiend with a Nature Affinity. It caused all those around it to gradually transforms into wood, eventually turning you into a tree, resulting in death. For those who posses Wood, Earth, Life or Nature Affinities, then the process is exaggerated. And guess what power Kismet holds?"

Kulkiri narrowed his eyes as Kismet's portfolio flashed in his mind. "An Earth Affinity" he answered slowly. Isabelle nodded and stowed away the Artefact. "The longer Kismet fights us, the worse his situation will get. Therefore, all we have to do is stall until the effect kicks in. A Vampire's regeneration doesn't counter this sort of attack, and may even make things worse since the regrown flesh has a chance to be wooden."

"Sounds like quite the brutal way to kill someone" Kulkiri said with a grin. Isabelle and Anne looked at each other before breaking out in a smile together. "A murderous heathen like Kismet deserves nothing less" they replied brightly. Kulkiri let out a hum in agreement and stepped away from the twins, moving up the Shifty Bros in the vanguard instead. 

"You two are disciples of a Cadre, aren't you?"

His opening question caused the two brothers to stop walking and look back at him, their eyes hidden by the darkness of the tunnel. After observing him for several seconds, they resumed moving, talking as they did so. "Indeed we are. My brother and I received some training from the Freelancer in our youth, but he has since cut contact with us. We're under the Ghost's apprenticeship now."

"The Freelancer and the Ghost...two Cadres honoured as foremost amongst the Nightblades' upper echelons. Also said to be the least active and most mysterious of all the Cadres too., You sure know how to pick 'em."

Erich scoffed in derision. "The Freelancer taught us the basics because he had nothing better to do. And all the Ghost was throw books at us and told us to learn whatever we wanted ourselves. Neither of our "teachers" actually did anything other than give us the initial opportunity. If we had learned from someone else, we would be Epics by now..."

Kulkiri nodded and glanced over his shoulder. "So why did two Nightblades decide to take this mission anyways?" Johan tapped his foot against the floor as he walked, creating a soft rhythm "The money was good, and the EXP was bound to be bountiful. Of course, we also happen to be on break so we had nothing else to do. Add in the chance to increase our Guild Rank, why wouldn't we take this mission."

"So you're not here to pull of some super secret mission?"

"Ha! Nothing of the sort, Mistwalker. Our placement here is entirely normal and simple. Can't say the same about the others though."

Kulkiri ignored the term Johan used and instead focused on his other words. "You suspect the girl is a spy or double agent?" he probed. 

"Something about her is off for sure. A Grandmaster tends to attract attention, especially if they are an Adventurer. But I've never seen her or heard of a Water Grandmaster matching her description in Sky Cross before, and we've been here for several months at this stage. Plus there's the issue of her name..."

"What's wrong with her name? Sure, naming your child "Endyr" is a bit strange, but I've heard stranger. Or is it her surname that bothers you?"

"The latter. You wouldn't know, but there are...a few Syndrines in the Nightblades."

Kulkiri narrowed his eyes as he took in Erich's words. "So you recognise that girl from your organization then?" he asked, only to be met with a shake of the head. "No, no such individual exists as far as I know. At the very least, the Gaian branch has no record of her. There was  a silver-haired Syndrine in the Nightblades, but she was detected as killed in action a short while back, and other features were also different from Endyr."

"Some sort of relative then" Kulkiri guessed, only to be shut down again, this time by Johan. "All the Syndrines are either dead...or in no position to show up in Sky Cross. Le'garde would never let one inside the city walls anyways. So whoever that girl is, she isn't what she's advertising."

The trio fell silent as they sensed a change in the atmosphere. They had reached the end of the tunnel, and their conversation with it. Breaking off from them, Kulkiri drew his twin silver blades, admiring the light they admitted once again. The Artefacts had cost him a pretty penny to borrow from his sister, and if he lost them, then his head would shortly follow. As such, he was quite careful not to damage them, though he had a feeling such care would no longer be possible in the upcoming fight. 

He noticed Isabelle touch her breast pocket out of the corner of his eye as Menes, Aryll and Himmel assumed vanguard position. As a dim light ahead starter growing bigger, Kulkiri couldn't help but wonder who would be left standing when the battle ended.