Hati shielded Lin Shu behind her, separating her from Miya.
A stronger wind suddenly swept across the cliff, blowing Lin Shu’s cloak and her loose black hair into a wild frenzy.
“Put the knife down!” Hati roared, her voice piercing the gale atop the mountain.
A low growl, like a beast’s warning, vibrated in her throat.
Miya was startled by Hati’s appearance and took half a step back, her pale lips trembling. “Hati, why have you become like this?”
“I’ll say it one more time. Put the knife down.”
“No! It’s impossible. I won’t allow it! Either you form a contract with her right now, or you give the key to me for safekeeping!” Miya gripped the dagger tighter, pointing the blade at Hati and Lin Shu.
*Snikt!*
Hati’s wolf claws suddenly extended, and she took a step toward her.
“Stay back!” Miya screamed, pressing the dagger against her own neck with a reverse grip, her wrist shaking.
In her agitation, the sharp blade sank into her skin, leaving a thin trail of blood. She held the handle with one hand and clutched the crucifix at her chest with the other, as if it were her final lifeline.
“What are you doing!” Hati stopped in her tracks.
“I know I can’t beat you, but if you still have a shred of responsibility as the Hunter Captain, do as I say. You wouldn’t want to return to the Sacred Race and report to the Saintess that your entire squad was wiped out because of your blind faith and mistakes, would you?”
Lin Shu couldn’t see Hati’s expression, but the werewolf’s ears were pinned back, reflecting her current mood.
“Must you go this far, Miya?”
“But what choice do I have…?” Miya’s lips quirked into a smile that looked more painful than crying. “She was clearly someone who served the Demonic Race, yet you trust her more.”
Lin Shu sighed inwardly. ‘I knew Miya was guarded and hostile, but I didn’t expect it to explode at a time like this.’
If she had any strength left, she might have been able to cast a Sleeping Charm on Miya to at least restrict her movements, but even lifting her hand was difficult now. The terrain was unfavorable; they were on a mountain peak with no vegetation for cover. If they delayed too long, they might be spotted by the Blood Clan on the battlefield, making their evacuation difficult. They had to hurry.
Lin Shu managed to voice her broken thoughts. “Hati, don’t stay here… too long. Fulfill the… agreement…”
Lin Shu leaned against Hati’s back as she reminded her. At the very least, the key couldn’t be given to Miya; she had an eerie obsession with it. Lin Shu didn’t know how much longer she could hold on. If she exhausted her mental energy and passed out, she wouldn’t know what happened. She was willing to trust Hati’s character, but she couldn’t guarantee what Miya would do.
Hati frowned and countered, “No, we don’t need to be coerced by her.”
“You are the Hunter Captain. Don’t let your comrades… fall into danger because of me…” Lin Shu forced a smile. “The contract… it’s fine.”
“Lin Shu, are you sure?” Hati turned her head, checking on her with concern.
Lin Shu didn’t speak, only nodded. She had already done what she could to help Drago within her abilities. Dragging this out any longer would be bad for both her and Hati’s group.
“Alright, if that’s what you want.” Hati retracted her claws and turned around, her eyes reflecting Lin Shu’s image. “This is only temporary, Lin Shu. You will always be free, I promise.”
Lin Shu looked into those eyes, which were filled with sincerity and apology. After speaking, Hati leaned in close. Lin Shu felt a soft touch press gently against the center of her forehead.
The center of her forehead burned slightly as a strange, restless power poured into her body. Her original power began to change, and that familiar energy gradually faded away.
‘I probably won’t be able to use the rose vines anymore…’ Memories of fighting alongside Sefina surfaced uncontrollably in her mind. ‘Goodbye, Sefina. I have to go now; I need to find my own answers with the Sacred Race.’
Although she had prepared herself long ago, a single tear still escaped Lin Shu’s eye and rolled down her cheek.
***
Miya stared at everything before her, the hand holding the dagger slowly dropping. But she still couldn’t let it go.
‘No, this isn’t enough. Lin Shu’s vampire master killed my teammates. As a familiar, she doesn’t have to pay any price, and now she’s being protected by Hati on her way to the Sacred Race? It can’t end like this.’
She gripped the dagger tightly and instinctively took a step forward.
*Squelch!*
The sound of tearing flesh interrupted her steps. Hati swung her claws, leaving deep gashes across Miya’s chest.
“Miya,” Hati turned her head, her voice low. “Your scent disgusts me.”
Miya shrieked, “She’s the disgusting one!”
A humming sound echoed as the rocks beneath their feet suddenly burst with white light. The crucifix array Miya had set up emerged from under the stones, surrounding them. She raised the dagger high, about to lunge at Lin Shu.
Lin Shu wanted to warn Hati to dodge, but she saw a dark-red shadow rush over even faster. A swarm of dark-red blood-shadow bats shrieked as they lunged at Miya, instantly piercing through her chest.
“Guh… cough!” Miya’s eyes widened. A crimson trail of blood leaked from the corner of her open mouth, and the surging blood choked her throat, preventing her from making another sound.
Lin Shu’s eyes widened as she watched Miya’s body get riddled by the blood bats, a horrific bloody hole appearing in her chest. Warm liquid splashed onto Lin Shu’s face—Miya’s blood.
Miya collapsed weakly backward, the massive amount of blood gushing from her chest instantly forming a pool on the ground.
Blood-shadow bats?
Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned her head toward the sky. That familiar carriage was hovering in the air, and a purple figure stood by the door.
Sefina’s purple hair whipped in the wind. She held her specialized parasol, its tip pointed at Miya. Her blood-red eyes were filled with fury and murderous intent.
It really was her. It hadn’t actually been long since she left Sefina, but so much had happened in between that seeing her again made Lin Shu feel as though ages had passed.
“It’s you.” Recognizing the newcomer, Hati let out an instinctive low growl and quickly retreated while holding Lin Shu.
Sefina leaped from the carriage, landing on the edge of the cliff and stepping directly over Miya’s corpse. The high-altitude wind fluttered her hair and the hem of her dress.
“Lin Shu, you—”
Sefina had much to say, but when her gaze fell upon Lin Shu’s face and swept over the Familiar mark in the center of her forehead, she felt as if she had fallen into a frozen pit. Her unfinished words caught in her throat.
The mark was no longer a rose, but a paw print.
The Familiar contract had changed—and had Lin Shu been willing?
Sefina’s heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, making it nearly impossible for her to stand. She felt something inside her shatter. Her strength seemed to drain away as she looked at Lin Shu in disbelief.
“…Why?”