Black String of Fate

"First off, why are you doing this? Why are you turning your back against your tribe?"

"..."

"Haa, fine. I didn't wanna do this in this new life, but here goes."

Xavier drew out his sword and began wrapping aether around it. He went to a microscopic precision to make this liquid as rough and less viscous as he could, and observed his new creation.

'Hmm, doesn't come close to Forbidden Bloodlust, but should be enough to deal with a master.'

He thrust his sword on the thigh of the tied-up master, and after that, the scream that came out of him, it was the loudest they had ever heard come from a human.

"STOOOOP! I'LL ANSWER, STOOP THISSSS!"

"Are you sure? You might get the death you wish so dearly right now like this, you know?"

"PLEEEASE! AARGH! STOP THIS!"

"Alright, fine. If you insist…"

Xavier removed the stabbed blade, and the master screamed for a few more moments due to the phantom pain. It took him quite a few moments to calm down, and throughout all this, Arkham and Cassandra watched with unsettled expressions.

"I didn't know you were capable of torture…"

"I'm not, I just know how to inflict pain. People usually give into that and tell me whatever I want to know."

"...That's a scary method." .net

"It is, I'm self-aware regarding these things."

After the brief conversation between him and Arkham, Xavier turned around and asked the first question once again.

"Why are you doing this? Why did you turn your back against the tribe?"

"...We wanted to not be inferior to the blessed ones for once. Even though the common populace believes that we are treated equally, our voice in the actual decision-making regarding our village is almost nil.

We thought this was a great way to seize some power, so we took that opportunity."

"Hmm, as expected. You know, if it was the past me, I would probably be wielding my blade with you rather than against you. But, now that I'm not as stupid, I know there's more to it. What exactly is that opportunity?"

"...To be honest, we don't really know them very well either. We just know that they are powerful, and they possess methods we could never think about. They even corrupted the phoenix with their magical methods."

Xavier had a serious face after hearing that. In his past life, there was nothing related to mythical beasts getting touched, let alone being corrupted. What he was hearing right now, confirmed that this wasn't some coincidence that didn't relate to him much, but rather a direct butterfly effect.

'The only thing I can suspect right now is Laplace. But why didn't those fuckers do something like this in my last life? What have I done that pushed them to make this decision?

…Don't tell me, was this some kind of backup plan for something? Something that they were enabling Reno to do?'

Xavier then looked at the master again and questioned,

"What exactly did they look like? What were their distinguishing features?"

"...They looked like typical shady people, except they had a sinister, chaotic presence that did not seem solely theirs. It felt like they were connected to something else, something higher."

'...They are definitely Laplace.'

Xavier turned around and looked at his party members with a resolute gaze.

"We'll head towards the Pyriel tribe in haste. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Alright, I'll trust your intuition. What about these two masters? One provided information, but we didn't wake up the second one."

"Kill them."

Xavier said with a cold voice. There was no way these bastards hadn't formed a grudge yet, so it was better to strike them down when they're vulnerable.

"Okay, I'll do as you wish."

Arkham also knew this was the best decision despite being cruel, and he didn't hold any attachments towards them in the first place.

"NO-NO WAIT! WE TOLD YOU EVERYTH-"

*Slash*

The masters were slain in a single slash, and while Cassandra's gaze lingered for a while, she soon looked away and made her way into the carriage.

"May I ask why you're hurrying? What's with this sudden urgency?"

"I have realized who might be behind all the troubles caused at the Pyriel tribe. It's an enemy which is dangerous to the weak, and hellishly annoying to the strong. They have no morals, no sense of reason, all they do is cause chaos.

They're called Laplace. They worship an evil god that gives them unnatural power beyond their ranks, unlike mine which is earned solely through talent and effort."

"...They sound so cliche, like a typical antagonist force in a hero novel. But… such things really existed?"

"Trust me, I was also surprised when I faced off against them for the first time. I had stabbed the heart, but that bastard got up and managed to backstab me. Ever since that day, I hunt those fuckers down with a vengeance."

Arkham could see the vindication Xavier had for this Laplace group. That level of hate, it was something he hadn't seen before."

'I see, along with abilities, an Archon's emotions are on a different level too. But, this can become poison to him if he cultivated such strong emotions before reaching that level of power…

Well, who am I to say anything? He's an Archon, I'm sure he knows what he's doing.'

Unlike Arkham's expectations, Xavier did not really care about his heightened emotions. It felt like a part of him, so he had no reason to deny them.

"Um… You seem like you are experienced with them. Can you guess what their objective might be?"

Cassandra asked with a mix of nervousness and hope. If they have a clear goal to work on, it'll help them immensely in the future.

"A genius can predict a genius, but even gods cannot predict a lunatic. It's a pure waste of energy to theorize about their objective. Once we get there, the answers will reveal themselves."

Cassandra went quiet at those words. It was obvious to everyone present there that she was extremely anxious, but it was understandable, since it was her people and family whose lives were on the line.

"We'll arrive in about 2 days. I don't know any faster routes."

Cassandra said, making both Xaver and Arkham nod in agreement, since they expected this trip to be longer.

The ride continued without any major troubles. There were a few rank 3 monsters, which Xavier took care of easily, showcasing his power to Cassandra, who had not seen it yet.

"Th-this is crazy! How can you kill rank 3 monsters so easily?! You're just a rank 1!"

"I'm built different."

"...Fine, don't answer if you don't want to."

"I just did though."

"As if anyone would believe that."

"It's the truth. It's the combination of my Innate Gift and my talent. I'm simply built different."

"..."

Cassandra could not argue further, because with the genuine tone he spoke with, it really felt like he wasn't lying.

'A mistake from the heavens. Such a level of talent feels forbidden, just what heights will he reach in a few years?

I'm also considered extremely talented, given my age and the high rank I've achieved, but his strength… It transcends rank. He fights like someone who is trapped in a weak body, his display of experience and skills betraying that insight.'

Cassandra was coincidentally absolutely on the mark. Xavier, having experienced the demigod-like strength, fought like someone who was compensating for his body, despite his body being ironically the strongest up to rank 3.

But it wasn't a big deal. The Limitless Ascension Battle Arts he created was for his current body and future growth. The observation by Cassandra applied only to the experience and skills when fighting a battle he displayed, his current art still perfectly suited him without the influence of the past.

Perhaps this was why Xavier abandoned his Supreme Demonic Arts. He might not have come to this exact conclusion, but his instincts might have warned him about this situation by showing him no further path of growth with them.

"It's here, the hideout of the Pyriel tribe."

Xavier and the party finally arrived at their destination, but it seemed like nothing was there.

"Are you mistaken? This is just some empty land."

"Nope, just watch."

Cassandra deboarded the carriage and stepped into the middle of the barren land. She took a deep breath and charged her fire magic, the specialty of the Pyriel tribe.

*Wooosh*

The flames manifested, and the moment Xavier saw them, he was starstruck.

'...I've never seen more beautiful flames in my entire life. Are these the flames this tribe obtains from the blessing of the phoenix?'

The flames were bright red, but they were not too harsh on the eyes. They seemed pure, devoid of any other color except white, and even though they were not too harsh to look at, Xavier could feel the heat from where he was standing.

'...I desire those flames.'