"Gathered?" "Yes, we"ve saved them. We meant no harm."
"Then why did you not tell us?"
"Because..."
A blade ran through the Umbra, causing the child to collapse. Mavislin looked horrified as the child"s body fell lifeless beside her.
"Uh oh... Looks like someone got carried away with her mouth..."
The attacker"s laughter further increased the Valkyrie"s fury.
"What the h.e.l.l are you doing?!" screamed the Valkyrie as the attacker got close.
"Aren"t you glad to see me again? Darling," greeted the figure with a Cheshire smile.
The Valkyrie stood up, ready for a battle. Her eyes widened as she saw the person who killed the Umbra. But her heart was clear, knowing the ident.i.ty behind this figure.
"She was just a child! And besides, she was one of your kind! Your family! You didn"t have to kill her!" screamed the Valkyrie.
"Traitors will be eliminated," said the figure, fully revealing itself.
"But she is your family! And she"s just a kid..."
"I have use for such a useless thing if it can"t slay a small Valkyrie."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Power... It"s that simple."
"Those who seek power without a clear focus will find ruin lying in wait."
"Rich, coming from the most powerful being in the Universe."
The Valkyrie was in terror while she held the small body in her arms. Sure, that child may have committed unforgivable crimes, but she was doing so for a reason. Like she had been made into a puppet by some unknown force.
Mavislin shook her head, she had to remain cool. If the enemy knew that she was using her feelings to fight, then it might cause her downfall. She glanced at the attacker once more. And had a second thought about the feelings part.
Maybe, she could use her feelings to power her moves. Nevertheless, the power of a Valkyrie comes from when judgment is at its most powerful. When the Valkyrie wielding the Major Spells has a clear target and an unwavering heart, she can perform Heaven"s Wheel to its grandest.
"Isn"t this great? We meet again, Umbra..." greeted Mavislin, with a disgusted look in her face.
"You sound sarcastic, darling," said the figure, smiling.
"And I wonder why, Umbra. Wait..."
The figure revealed itself, in a human"s body.
"Or should I say, Marquess Dalles..." she mumbled, looking at the Umbra.
"Well, this is his body. I"m just using this fella as a vessel. I"ve already taken his memories and skills. But alas, I"m not him," explained the figure.
"Then where is his soul?"
"Gone. For a very long time."
The Valkyrie"s eyes flashed a sign of pain.
"You"re bluffing! He is still in there! I know of it..."
"And what makes you so sure?"
She bit her lip before coming up with a reply.
"Because I believe in him... I know he isn"t that dumb to let the likes you take over."
"Don"t make me laugh. He is still only a human."
The man smiled dangerously, causing the Valkyrie great pain. Tears of anger peeped out from the corner of her eyes. Her teeth chattered in fury.
Minwoo...I"m so sorry... thought the Valkyrie as her heart clenched. She couldn"t save another innocent life once more. And especially one as lively as him. His smile flashed by her memories, further increasing her guilt.
"But you knew about it, right?" asked the figure.
The Valkyrie was quiet. She held onto that report, hoping it was a scam, hoping it was fake news. That Marquess Dalles was one of the victims who had gone missing. The only reason why she could not remember him was due to the Umbra"s powers.
It was only when he seemingly popped out of nowhere to establish himself once more. That was also the main reason why she had journeyed to a barren wasteland to train alone. It was because Minwoo had gone missing. How could she have forgotten that?
"But you still denied that truth. Even when I went out of character, you still refused to accept that Minwoo Dalles has been dead from the beginning," said the figure, shaking its head.
"He isn"t!"
She clenched her fists rightly, enough to draw blood.
"Still in denial? Continue wallowing in that self-hope and we"ll see where that would lead you..."
"You...Why?" asked Mavislin, looking at the small child on the ground.
"Oh, that?"
She gripped onto the lifeless body.
"Hm... There was no argument on why I did that. Well, it was simple, she had revealed too much of our plan. She had been tainted by human memories."
The Valkyrie remained silent with anger, bracing herself for a battle.
"We never did end up training, eh? How about this, let"s fight until the sun comes up!" yelled the Umbra, grinning devilishly.
"Stop trying to use his memories against me!"