Note: I mentioned this on the Discord server, so I'm sorry if it's late here on RR, but I will be changing the posting schedule starting this chapter. New schedule will be M-W-F-Sat or Sun. The time is meant to ensure I continue giving you guys quality work without rushing the story. Thank you for understanding. But, if you want to read advanced chapters, you can find 51 chapters out now on Patreon.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Clash of Wills

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With her thralls defeated, the mad nymph sitting so vulgarly on her thick root finally rose to her feet. Gone was the playfulness she’d expressed when they arrived. In its place was a hostility that flowed off her in waves that seemingly caused the hall to tremble…and with her wrath came the marching of the forest.

Tangled vines thick as pythons slithered across the ground in search of prey. The twin rows of pines—three to either side of the hall—began to shake, their trunks transforming into crooked humanoid forms at least twenty feet tall. Leaves with sharpened tips flew into the air, carried aloft by an ill wind… The sight of these terrors caused the party’s banter to die down, forcing a foreboding chill to climb up their spines.

“Holy shit,” Bridget’s gaze was fixed to the nearest tree monster, “what are they?”

As if it had been waiting for such a question, a new nametag appeared floating over the six tree giants.

Lesser Treant Formed of Corrupted Earth

Surprisingly, these lesser treants’ tags were only yellow despite their size and menacing appearance. It didn’t mean the party would have it easy though. After all, they were outnumbered and surrounded.

“Well, gang,” Chris let out a deep breath, “some of us might experience our first deaths today…remember to take notes.”

The Texan’s gallows humor was proof he understood what Bram already knew; a single shield wouldn’t be enough to block this tide of terrors. Fortunately for Chris, Rowan wasn’t the only experienced sorcerer in their party.

A flower with petals formed entirely of flames blossomed on a patch of ground between the party and Loveless’ creeping flora. These petals spread open one by one, causing intense heat to sweep through this side of the hall to herald the fiery form waking within.

The otherworldly creature was a scrawny-looking urchin with skin as bright as a roaring fire. Its long dark hair was styled in a topknot that twirled around its back in braided plaits. Curved ivory horns protruded out the sides of its head. The creature’s eyes were black as a starless night sky, but the tattoos that slid down its cheeks to twirl around its chest and its arms shone like hot coals. Instead of legs, it had a smoky tail made from wispy vapor of a fiery tinge.

“Apologies for the delay, Your Highness,” said the creature who sounded too much like Ravi Samal. “Summoning my djinn takes five minutes of painstaking calculations and prodding.”

Noticing the pride in its voice, Bridget asked, “Is five minutes good?”

“Five minutes is excellent,” the djinn replied, and then explained, “A regular summoner would need at least twice the time and ingredients to summon a lesser spirit than this second-tier elemental…”

Having experienced a long wait time summoning Earthers into Aarde, Bram couldn’t refute the vice master’s claim. His tension also diminished, though he was less in awe of Ravi’s djinn and more reassured that he now had one more soldier to fight Loveless with.

A quick look over his shoulder showed him an interesting sight.

Ravi sat on the floor beneath the floating Rowan. Like her, he too seemed to be deep in concentration. Meanwhile, Alkaid and Phecda—now covered in matching traveler’s cloaks—stood guard around the two sorcerers focused on their spellcasting.

“You’re in full control of it?” Bram asked.

The djinn who’d just finished absorbing the remnants of its flower nodded its head. “This is easier than giving it commands that might conflict with yours…though I can’t keep this summoning up for long.”

“Worry not, Vice Master…my command’s simple.” Bram flashed the djinn a mischievous grin. “Burn us a path to her.”

“It would be my absolute pleasure,” the djinn’s tail wrapped its smoky tendrils protectively around the party, “Your Highness.”

The elemental cut its palm with a long-nailed finger. Hot blood gushed out of the wound to splash at the ground in fiery sparks. From there, blood stretched outward like molten veins stretching across the earth. Magic burst forth from these lines, turning the djinn’s blood into rivers of lava that then exploded in sprays of fire, molten rock, and ash reminiscent of a volcanic eruption.

With the rising fire reflected in his gaze, Bram knew it was the perfect moment to prepare his next move. “Emulate…”

Meanwhile, the djinn displayed such control of its spell that not a single drop of its magic touched the party, or the unconscious Stargazers sprawled on the ground behind them. The same couldn’t be said for the thick vines, lesser treants, and blades of leaves seeking to harm Ravi’s companions. Loveless’ minions burned at the touch of the djinn’s sorcery, causing shrieks of pain to resound in the air alongside the smell of burning wood.

‘Crackle.’

The djinn’s spell came and went like a lit match. One meant to start a fire in an overgrown forest. When it was done, the devastation was considerable. Not a single leaf or tendril survived in a round space roughly thirty feet in diameter. The stone floor was scorched and blackened with ash, ensuring no shrub or tree would grow there for a while.

Ga~~ah!

A mental scream resounded across Bram’s brain as a familiar pain began to ignite inside of him. To his credit, the prince didn’t pass out this time. Instead, he just gritted his teeth while his body was in agony.

Fuck~~k!

ALERT! [Status Emulation Lv.1] was successful. Your status will temporarily be updated to reflect the boons earned from the target’s data. Please wait while the system performs the necessary calculations…

Meanwhile, two of the six lesser treants caught fire. One was set ablaze, its entire body engulfed in flames. The other lost its arms to the fire. In terror, it turned on its heel and fled, colliding into a third lesser treant that caught fire thanks to its comrade’s touch. The three who remained became frightened of the djinn and would not approach, leaving a path open for Bram’s party to rush headlong at Loveless—and that’s exactly what they did. Rather, that’s what the prince chose to do on his own.

ALERT! The system has finished its calculations. Your status has been temporarily updated.

Before he left though, Bram gave another simple command. “Kill the treants…then follow after me.”

One of Hajime’s eyebrows hitched upward. “You’re going to fight her alone?!”

“We can’t fight enemies…on two fronts,” Bram insisted, his voice strained. “Besides, they’re a part of her… Killing them first might wound Loveless too.”

CONGRATULATIONS! A secondary job has been temporarily added to your status. You are now a [Blood Champion Lv.1]!

Bram had his back to them, so when he turned around, Hajime couldn’t help but cringe away.

“Y- Yōkai…?”

Bram knew that activating ‘Status Emulation’ would change his features just enough to make him seem less human, and he could already feel his muscles expanding underneath his padded jacket. He didn’t think his change would warrant Hajime’s fear though.

“Y’all know you’re crying tears of blood, right, Boss?” Chris explained.

No, Bram didn’t know that. Indeed, he only just now felt the stickiness falling on his cheeks. It shared a strange symmetry with the pain still coursing through him.

“His eyes are like Rowan’s now,” Bridget chimed in. “And his skin’s gotten all sparkly too.”

Bram didn’t know this either. Though he recalled a hazy reflection of Rowan’s true appearance when she’d first risen from the abyss and assumed he would resemble her just a little when emulating her power.

Fortunately for Bram, he had an excuse to escape their strange observations of his new form.

“Hurry to my side when you’ve finished with the treants.” With his pain diminishing, relief filled Bram’s expression. “I can keep her entertained for two minutes…no more.”

“That’s about as long as I can keep my djinn under control,” Ravi admitted. “Rowan told me to tell you that hurting Loveless as much as possible may lower the spirit’s resistance to the exorcism.”

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“That was my intention.”

“I know the fault of this possession lies with her, but please try not to maim or kill my master…”

Through the djinn’s mouth, Bram heard the plea in Ravi’s voice. He gave the djinn a nod, and then he was off and running headlong into danger.

Becoming a [Blood Champion] fills you with power. Based on probability and threat assessment calculations, your physical attributes are temporarily tripled.

STRENGTH 66 DEXTERITY: 48 CONSTITUTION: 84

Bram hoped for more, but the Loom seemed to think Loveless’ threat was merely at Baer’s level.

ALERT! Your HP and SP have temporarily increased. [HP: 660] [SP: 840]

ALERT! Emulation will last for 2 minutes. Your body may receive penalties once it ends.

What should have taken him four times longer at a sprint, Bram achieved in ten seconds—crossing through the divide between them to reach the other end of the hall where the mad nymph stood in vigil.

WARNING! Your SP is rapidly depleting due to your body’s incompatibility with [Blood Champion]. You will earn more fatigue with every action you take.

Bram let out a gasp.

His leg muscles throbbed from the strain of his mad dash, though it was manageable enough that Bram remained standing while he faced the corrupted nymph glowering at him from above the thick root protruding a good fifteen feet off the ground.

“Hello there!”

Bram wasted another precious second starting the breathing method he needed to sharpen the resolve in his heart. Loveless, on the other hand, seemed impatient to get things going.

“Have. You. Come. To. Love. Me…?”

Surprisingly, even at the start of their deathmatch, her thoughts were still conflicted with desire. The changing expressions on her face—angry one moment, happy the next, tear-jerking sadness besmirched by a wanton look—were proof of her madness. Although with all that she’d been through, Bram couldn’t deny that Loveless had a right to go mad.

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…”

He didn’t mean to repeat those lines. They came out of him unbidden, though their effect was instantaneous. Like the snapping of fingers, Loveless’ emotions shifted again. Fury showed on her face now.

“Why…? Why? Why?!”

Her once handsome face turned grotesque and murderous.

“Why?! Why?! Why?!”

Pity…

If Loveless were even a little penitent, Bram might have conscripted her to his cause just as he sought out the rebel trickster of legend. But no, this mad nymph was too unruly.

“Why won’t you”—thunder filled Loveless’ voice, causing the ceiling to rattle—“Love me?!”

She flew down from her root with arms outstretched as if readying to hug him, though the sharp claws extending from her fingers told a different truth.

‘Boom!’

Bram heard Hajime’s familiar cheer of “Yatta!” from behind which he took as his cue. He chose not to wait for Loveless to crash into him. Instead, the prince kicked hard at the ground and used the force summoned from his borrowed strength to launch his body into the air.

‘Ba-dump.’

The effort of his ‘Kick-Off’ caused pain to spike up his feet, one born from a broken toe or two. He managed to stifle it somewhat by recalling a lesson Ser Anthony used to drill into his head.

To challenge a stronger foe is not the height of folly, but the perfect opportunity to surpass yourself…

‘Ba-dump.’

Bram pulled his longsword back, his fingers tightening on its handle…

You’ll have one chance to prove your strength…to scream to the heavens — I am here!

…Readying his blade for that single chance…that one moment that could decide victory or defeat.

So, strike the spark in your heart, and like a fireball igniting, draw the sword growing from its embers…

Loveless shrieked at him from above like a harpy diving in for the kill.

Wield it with resolve and it shall become a blade without peer…

‘Ba-dump.’

“…One that can cut the whole world!” Bram roared.

They met mid-air, Loveless from above swinging sharp claws at his face, and Bram from below, his blade hurtling up at her.

‘Ba-dump!’

It was a clash that was his to lose for gravity was a strong boon to any attack that could harness its power. And yet, as steel met bone, each grinding against the other to send sparks flying, it wasn’t steel that bent for it was steel empowered, not just by a fragment of a legendary trickster’s strength, but with the determination of a daring young man seeking to change his fate.

There was the sound of a blade slicing into bone, and then came the shriek of pain that heralded the blood splashing across Bram’s nose.

There goes my promise not to maim her host…

They landed back on the ground mere feet from each other, and Bram was quick to cut at the vines creeping at him from below before Loveless could trap him in their folds.

Another shriek of pain.

“You!”

Bram had just enough time to cut his left palm and coat his blade with his life’s blood before Loveless lunged for him.

ALERT! You have successfully coated your longsword with [Iron Blood Lv.1]! A fourth of your remaining HP was consumed to activate this ability.

He was glad his gamble worked. He wasn’t sure the system would allow it. But so long as he held his longsword, the Loom seemed willing to accept it as part of him.

[HP: 820/840] has dropped to [HP: 615/840]

The longsword’s blade fortified with ‘Iron Blood’ collided with Loveless’ fist, and the impact caused the air between them to explode outward.

“W-What?!”

To Bram’s surprise, his sword was blown back first. His surprise vanished though after he caught a glimpse of Loveless’ fist and the hardened plates of bark newly coating it. Strangely, instead of feeling fear at seeing her power thwart his, Bram felt elation. Ser Anthony was right. To fight an opponent stronger than yourself could be an exhilarating experience.

“Again!”

Bram dug his feet into the ground and pushed against the pressure threatening to blow him away. With his borrowed strength exploding into his sword arm, he swung his blade a third time and hacked at Loveless’ hardened fist as it came at him.

‘Boom!’

Their next collision caused the ground to shake, the air to crackle, and even forced Bram back a step.

Bits of hardened blood fell off his blade, requiring him to sacrifice more health to reapply its coating. More problematic for Bram was how badly his arm ached. His hand shook from the effort of holding his sword's hilt. His resolve remained strong though, and it wasn’t only because he was stubborn. From what his eyes could see, he wasn’t the only one to suffer.

Loveless’ hands were a bloody mess. One was missing two fingers while the other had lost several of the hardened plates coating it, causing blood to spill from its torn flesh. It didn’t seem like she minded the pain. Although, from the way she glared at him, Loveless seemed intent on gauging his eyes out—and she would attempt exactly that a moment later.

“Fine…once more!”

Though it would cost him another broken toe, Bram ground his right boot into the ground, and recalling Ser Anthony’s advice, used his lower body to generate the power necessary for a single decisive blow. To enhance this deathblow even more, he gripped his longsword’s hilt with both hands and swung it in a crescent arc at the incoming nymph. She met his slash with her claws, and despite hearing the crunching of bone against steel a second time, Bram knew he’d lost this round’s clash of wills. Though he’d broken one of Loveless’ hands, and possibly an entire arm too, she also broke his weapon so that a third of its blade was blown away.

Sudden doubt flitted across Bram’s face. He couldn’t help it. Could he defeat her now when even a blade empowered with the might of a blood champion proved weaker?

Damn…

Try as he might, he couldn’t shake off the doubt. It slowed his reaction just enough for Loveless’ other arm—the one whose hand lost two fingers—to reach out for his neck like a noose. She would have caught him too if fortune hadn’t shown its favor.

ALERT! The [Ring of Three Protections] senses the danger to its wielder. [Barrier] has been activated [1/3].

As Loveless’ claws brushed against the skin of his neck, a bright golden aura wrapped around it like ghostly armor strong enough to withstand the mad nymph’s rampage. More than blocking Loveless’ attack, the ghostly armor around Bram’s neck blew her back by shattering into hundreds of golden shards that pierced into her naked flesh like shrapnel.

Loveless’ pained shrieks filled the air.

With his mouth agape, Bram noticed a familiar countdown.

15 Seconds…

“Phoebus’ cock…”

Anger filled his chest. Not for the mad nymph writhing in pain, but for himself for nearly giving in to despair.

‘Boom!’

An ungodly shriek had come from behind him too, and Bram guessed that the others must have finished killing off the last of Loveless’ treants. Otherwise, the mad nymph wouldn’t have elicited such a mournful cry in the same breath.

Bram, you bloody fool — how can I surrender, when my companions are proving their worth?

The safer choice would be to step back and wait for the others to regroup with him, but Bram didn’t like the idea of needing to be rescued. He didn’t like the thought of losing even more.

So, instead of backing away, he charged right into Loveless’ range. It was a gamble, for certain, but Bram renewed his trust in the Loom’s power. More importantly, years of training in all kinds of martial studies have instilled in his body a sixth sense of danger. It was this ‘Danger Sense’ he turned to now to dodge Loveless’ attempt to grab hold of him at the last second. With this feat achieved, he slipped past her outstretched arm, twirled around it, and managed to take the nymph’s back.

“You want intimacy?”

Twin arms enclosed around Loveless’ waist.

“I’ll give it to you…”

He couldn’t see her expression from his place behind her, but there was surprise flitting across the nymph’s face. One that was quickly replaced by excitement. Clearly, Loveless misinterpreted Bram’s intentions yet again.

“…Intimacy that’ll leave you—with a bloodied face and ragged breath, Bram used up the last of his borrowed strength to lift her high—“breathless!”

8 Seconds…

Only then did Loveless realize the danger, but her realization came too late. Bram was already flipping her over, sending Loveless slamming headfirst onto the hard stone floor with a ‘Lotharian Suplex’ meant to knock her down—and it did.