“Ha!”
Diere stopped her retreat and, like a bullet, shot towards the figure, slashing with her blades.
“Clang!”
With a crisp clash, Diere’s blades were deflected, the force of the impact numbing her hands and almost making her drop her weapons.
“Tsk…!”
Diere clicked her tongue, realizing the newcomer was a formidable opponent.
At the same time, she saw the figure clearly.
“It’s you…!?”
Diere’s expression changed upon seeing the familiar face.
“Hee hee… hahaha… hahahaha…!”
The newcomer let out a suppressed laugh, as if having waited for this moment for a long time, their voice filled with ecstasy.
Capeline, slaying vengeful spirits in mid-air, noticed this scene.
“Wolram Raifurut…!”
Capeline called out the newcomer’s name in surprise.
It was Wolram.
“You’re still alive,” Diere said, looking at him with a serious expression, keeping her distance.
Wolram’s eyes seemed to be fixated on Diere, smiling pleasantly as if enjoying her attention.
“Of course I’m still alive,” Wolram grinned, staring at Diere, “Although when Shien Buztout appeared in the Raifurut residence, I thought I was dead, but fortunately, he didn’t notice that I switched places with my ‘tentacle’ and escaped.”
—”Tentacle.”
Wolram sometimes used this term to describe his “clone.”
Diere, having interacted with Wolram almost constantly during this month in the Imperial Capital, and even seeing him disguised as a Royal Knight in the Royal Capital, already knew what he meant by “tentacle.”
It was Wolram’s Unique Skill.
“By touching someone with a finger and consuming a piece of their flesh and blood after killing them, that finger gains their characteristics. When that finger is severed, it instantly transforms into a clone with their appearance and magic power aura.”
Diere calmly described Wolram’s ability.
“The clone’s strength is only half of the target’s, and it’s ineffective against those stronger than you. The clone can train and improve, but its strength cannot surpass the original body, and its limit is the target’s strength at the time of contact, after which it won’t improve any further, right?”
This was Wolram’s Unique Skill – [Devouring Hand, Divided Self].
“It seems you’ve done your research on me,” Wolram sneered, “That’s right, this is my Unique Skill. It allows me to have ten ‘tentacles’ as clones. Even if the severed finger is healed with Restoration Magic, that finger can no longer become a ‘tentacle,’ so I only have ten.”
It was thanks to these ten “tentacles” that Wolram rose to prominence in the Raifurut training facility, not only surviving but also becoming their best assassin, adopted by Direkiss.
Of course, these “tentacles” had other limitations besides those Diere mentioned.
“Once my ‘tentacle’ dies, it’s truly dead, and not only can it not be restored, but I, the original body, will also suffer some damage.”
Saying that, Wolram pointed at his heart.
“Thanks to this, when you pierced my ‘tentacle’s’ heart in the Royal Capital, I felt that attack myself, Diere Elvenbein.”
Wolram clutched his heart and gave Diere a deranged smile.
“From that moment on, I swore that I would pierce your heart in the same way, take your body, and turn you into my final ‘tentacle’ collection.”
Hearing this, Diere’s expression remained unchanged, simply staring coldly at Wolram.
That cold expression and murderous gaze made Wolram tremble, his heart racing.
He remembered that expression. It was the same expression she had when she killed “him.”
That expression had appeared countless times in Wolram’s dreams, both captivating and maddening him.
He knew that from that moment on, he had changed.
He wanted to kill Diere more than anything.
At the same time, he felt an indescribable emotion towards her.
Therefore, Wolram was determined to kill Diere and turn her into his final “tentacle.”
“In the Raifurut training facility, I lost four ‘tentacles’ in order to survive.”
“After that, while carrying out missions as the adopted son of the Raifurut family, I lost another three ‘tentacles’.”
“Of the remaining three, one was killed by you, one was used as a scapegoat when Shien Buztout attacked, and now, only this last one remains.”
Wolram’s eyes were filled with madness as he shouted,
“I will definitely turn you into my final ‘tentacle’! Diere Elvenbein!”
Saying that, Wolram raised his weapon.
That gleaming sword made both Diere and Capeline in mid-air change their expressions drastically.
Especially Capeline.