Sesshouin Kiara (II)

"Alright, I admit, I used that naive little girl."

Kiara admitted with a smile, seeming to understand Arkhan's expression, and dropped her pitiful appearance and harmless facade.

"I just wanted to test what reaction the Counter Force would have to the arrival of a Beast."

'The reaction of the Counter Force, you say?' Arkhan thought with his eyes narrowed slightly as countless thoughts raced through his mind.

The true art of deception lies in mixing a single truth among a pile of lies, especially for masters of manipulation like Kiara.

With his Fenghuang Down operating at full power to assist, Arkhan keenly sensed a slight change in her tone as she spoke. This gave him at least seventy percent certainty that she wasn't lying, at least not when she said those words.

At least, that was one of her motives.

With that in mind, why did she want to test the Counter Force's reaction? What was her objective? And most importantly, what did she want to verify from this test?

However, Arkhan didn't plan to ask these questions.

Partly because he didn't want to let her take control of the conversation, and partly because he didn't believe she would reveal her true motives to him.

From the perspective of the Demonic Bodhisattva, there was only one true 'human being', which was herself. Making herself happy was considered a virtue, while other humans were no different from roadside insects or animals to her.

Therefore, she never deceived herself, but always used words full of lies to entice others, slowly leading them into the abyss of desire, all to please herself.

"Among all the men I've met, you're the first one to be so wary of me, y'know..." Kiara said with a pursed smile. "Are you really that afraid of me? Clearly, the other men I've met quite liked me..."

"You mean liked you to the point of no return?" Arkhan retorted while raising the Might of An-Utu, his black eyes were once again cold as ice. "Enough useless chit-chat. Sesshouin Kiara, what's your true purpose?"

"Such a stone-hearted man..." Kiara sighed regretfully. "Don't be so hostile toward me, please. So far, I haven't done anything wrong, y'know. It's just that you have a unique aura that unsettles me and makes my heart flutter, so I couldn't resist coming to see you... who knew you'd be so cold toward me..."

She dabbed her eyes with her fingers, a pitiful look on her face as if she were a pure-hearted girl abandoned by a scumbag.

Unfortunately, her performance, comparable to an Oscar-winning actress, meant nothing to Arkhan's eyes, who had already locked away his desires.

Meanwhile, saints like Jeanne and Shirou were capable of resisting the allure of the Demonic Bodhisattva even without extra effort.

'A unique aura...?' Arkhan pondered for a moment. 'Could she be referring to the 'Savior'?'

Each Beast held different special skills. Kama had 'Nega-Desire' while Kiara had 'Nega-Saver', in direct opposition to his 'Savior'.

His 'Savior' was an authority unique to those who transcend, symbolizing enlightenment to save all beings, like a Messiah or a Bodhisattva. On the other hand, her 'Nega-Saver' was the exact opposite, signifying her dedication solely to herself and her own desire, not caring about anything else, which was why she was called a Demonic Bodhisattva.

From this perspective, there was no doubt that Arkhan and Kiara were absolute opposites. If she was drawn to him for that reason, it made sense.

"Ahh, men can be heartless sometimes..."

Kiara spoke with a tired tone as she noticed Arkhan's unchanged expression before revealing a smirk on her beautiful face.

"But I have a feeling this won't be the last time we meet. Hopefully, next time we see each other, our relationship won't be so tense."

Behind her, a pitch-black hole suddenly unfolded, with what seemed like countless pairs of eyes peering outward, encompassing all desires of the world.

Kiara took a step back, her eyes fixed on the dark abyss, then vanished into it.

Arkhan remained silent, his gaze fixed on the spot where she disappeared, not speaking for a long while.

===

Looking at the completely collapsed fortress in front of him, Darnic's eyes filled with deep melancholy and confusion.

After more than half a century of planning and scheming, the outcome turned out to be like this.

Could it be that this is the fate of his Yggdmillennia?

"This place is completely destroyed..." Gordes couldn't help but click his tongue, murmuring softly. "Now, the Yggdmillennia is completely finished..."

The homunculi standing behind him twitched nervously, afraid that Darnic would raise his wand and cast a magic shot at their creator's head.

Just as Fiore hesitated whether to step forward and comfort his uncle, she suddenly felt someone approaching her. Turning her head, he saw a handsome black-haired man standing beside her.

'Rider...' Fiore widened her eyes.

"Your family is done for..." Arkhan's eyes were slightly lowered and his tone was calm. "Even so, I promised that guy to protect you all."

He squatted down, placing his hand on Fiore's knee.

A pure white light flashed in his palm, and after a moment, Fiore, who had long been paralyzed from the waist down, suddenly felt a tingling sensation.

"This..."

She stared in astonishment, her mind in a whirl.

"I've healed your legs and activated your slumbering magic circuits for you." Arkhan stood up, his tone unchanged. "But you've been paralyzed for too long, so you may not be able to walk normally for a while. You'll need to exercise more in the future."

Fiore stood dumbfounded for a moment before belatedly nodding to Arkhan in a fluster.

"Th-Thank you..."

Arkhan shook his head and extended his fingers, tracing a few strokes in the air in front of Fiore's eyebrows. Shortly afterward, several faint green rune symbols formed out of thin air, merging into her forehead.

Fiore covered her forehead with her hand, her big eyes full of confusion.

"Mr. Rider?"

She looked at Arkhan's face with a confused expression.

"They are primordial runes. You can use them to protect yourself when necessary." Arkhan lowered his head and met her eyes. "Of course, in your spare time, you can also try to comprehend them. How much you understand depends on your aptitude."

*Cough!* *Cough!* *Cough!*

Beside them, Kairi, who saw and heard their conversation, nearly choked.

'Oh my god, what did I just hear? Comprehend primordial rune anytime, anywhere? Is this a joke?'

What was primordial rune?

It was a powerful magecraft created personally by Odin himself, active in the mysterious and ancient times of the Age of Gods. Primordial rune was the highest form of rune magecraft, second only to the legendary true magic!

Moreover, in this modern era, the primordial rune had long been lost, and it was not an exaggeration to say that any mage who could completely recover the primordial rune could immediately claim the rank of 'Grand'!

However, could this girl really safeguard such a precious thing?

Kairi couldn't help but be skeptical as he observed Fiore.