479. Cer VS Fractured Raoul

479. Cer VS Fractured Raoul

Cer was far from having a stable state of mind. The confrontation of being met with someone that made up for more than half of her thoughts caused her to instinctively freeze. Turmoil brewed from the well of her heart as a rising rage formed a lump in her throat.

To see Raoul puppeted like that caused all facets of rationality to shut down.

Electricity vented past her clenched teeth like the breath of a dragon.

“Terrified?” Terrent, the Disciple of Nilhim, humored at the sight of Cer’s trembling. “Trepidation afflicts all. Terror is a natural enemy of the mind, so much so that living beings cannot avert their eyes from it. But deep down it will always exist, waiting for an opportunity –”

An electrical aberration of a fang was sent his way. He swiftly intercepted it with a black, shadowy fang of his own. The two canceled out each other, creating a dull explosion that sent ripples across the flower field.

“Me? Terrified?” Cer’s crimson eyes began to steadily glow like a red-hot blade. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into. The Deaf Paw must still be alive. What a joke. So you’re confident that you can keep coming back no matter how much you’re killed?”

Her words were spoken as a warning.

Terrent did not see this as such, interpreting her speech as a way for her to stall for time. The pride of an Impuritas was laughable in Cer’s eyes, and she wondered where exactly his confidence came from.

“Is the gift of Marduk not befitting of us who are driven by an inert, most reasonable cause? It’s natural to fear death. The gift of resurrection gives confidence to us who are weaker to go against the titans of this world.” He argued, speaking as if infallible.

Cer scoffed, positioning herself on all fours.

“Big words for pieces of shit that prey on the weak willed. With a tongue like that, I’m sure you’ve never been beaten the brink of death before!” She shot forward, leaving behind a trail of fire.

Her trajectory was not perfectly straight. She zig-zagged her way straight to Terrent, sending bite after bite from multiple directions.

“Can you really fathom to bear your fangs against your own brother!? He who led the Solemn Paw!?” The black paw of a wolf swatted them away right as the two clashed.

“So you’re telling me you’re a human fighting as a Demi-Human? Then you should be able to feel it too.”

A stray bullet fired from the fleeing Sana struck it from the side of the head.

“That healer –!?”

The aberration collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, allowing Cer to fall towards Terrent like a lightning bolt. Electric fangs consumed Terrent. The damage was nowhere near enough to severely injure him, however, he took far more damage than he was expecting. He briefly retreated, throwing himself back as he tried to swat the persistent Cer away.

But she moved as though she could see seconds into the future. Her eyes pierced into his own, never blinking, nevermind straying away. So how was it possible that she could dodge his attacks if she was not focused on them?

“... Animal...”

The wolf aberration appeared again, attempting to intercept her but to his shock, Cer zipped past it. She allowed the wolf’s teeth to lacerate her body in order to bypass it.

At the same time, she was shot with a healing bullet, instantly closing her wounds faster than they were opened.

“Intuition. Instinct. The kind of thing humans have to train for. We are born with it. I didn’t take the Impuritas to think they’re above Demi-Humans! For monsters, you cling onto the image of humanity like it’s the only thing you have left. How fucking laughable.”

Her face appeared inches away from his, her eyes brimming with an unexpected emotion.

“You’re... not afraid...?”

What he saw in her eyes was not fear.

It was fury.