Chapter 276 (2/2)
“Uses the Creeping Rot Style…? You have a good eye, you really must have traveled around a bit after you retired from the Frontlines…” Lucretia mused. “But my… transactions have earned me quite a few souls, who want a chance at eternal life. With a little bit of a certain kind of energy…”
Lucretia’s grin was wolfish. “It is very easy to tie some old souls to young bodies, with a spark of life. Even easier when the recipient is willing, but.... Well no point in letting this drag out. Isradius, kill.”
Black Spear nodded, his eyes glowing red. He raised his spear, and Divveltian roared and raised his own, the phantom image of spears appearing behind him, moving to the rising music, sweeping everything else away.
With a huge crash, the two men rushed each other and lashed out, aiming to break the other. Black Spear with a strange dank weakness in his strike, Divveltian filled with music of battle. The shockwave passed harmlessly through Lucretia, and smashed several of the gawking onlookers into nearby walls, inflicting serious injuries.
Divveltian staggered back, but Black Spear was stopped dead too, although he appeared slightly superior, the light in his eyes was immensely diminished.
Lucretia frowned, however, sensing how some of the bones in Black Spear’s arms had shattered, and were healing very slowly. Whether it was the difference in Style or body size and shape, there was something about the soul using the body that was destroying it, at a speed that was unacceptable. But Lucretia was never one to only have one option.
She raised her hand to cue another card, but a voice interrupted her.
“Kukuku… It is for the best then that I came back for a quick drink before the match… otherwise how could I have ended up the hero?” A young man that Lucretia vaguely recognized as one of the Ghosthound’s spear attendants arrived, producing his spear and pointing it at Black Spear.
“Kid, don’t get in-” Divveltian began, but the young man just waved him off.
“Old man, you know there is only one thing I’m good at… and that’s taking blows. There is no need to worry about the glorious I, or my name is not Roger K-”
The young man was struck from behind, a spear smashing into his back and sending him tumbling like a ragdoll. The body hit the ground and bounced, then rolled several feet, then went still. Her second pawn walked forward, his eyes glowing red.
Divveltian’s eyes widened. “You…. why…?”
The wounded young man stirred, even as the wound in his shoulder began to bleed profusely. He got his hands underneath him, and then grunted, moving himself up. Then he grabbed his spear, and pushed himself farther off the ground, even as he trembled.
“An ambush…? Fool… the more wounded I become…. The stronger my will to survive….!”
The young man heaved himself up with a momentous act of will. Although he was a bug to her, Lucretia was so impressed with his determination that she clapped for him. Sensing the applause, the young man grinned and bowed to her, almost falling over in the process, and losing large spurts of blood as his weight shifted.
In spite of herself, Lucretia smiled. He was truly amusing. But what was even more amusing… was the look on his face as he straightened and saw the assailant who attacked him. There was a long silence as the two regarded each other.
The young man rubbed at his eyes. “Holy shit, I must have drank more this morning than I thought I had....”
“Are you really so shocked that I’m strong…? That I’m not relying on you guys for power…?” The voice was filled with barely disguised disgust and fury.
The young man simply shrugged, seemingly at a loss. “Claptrap, what-”
“No, don’t bother to talk,” Claptrap hissed, his body walking forward, his eyes glowing red as the soul Lucretia had grafted onto him seized control to use the spear to its full effect. “I’m tired of it. I’m tired of you all pitying me, of treating me like I’m just a convenience, rather than part of the team. So I’m done with you all. And I will make you pay for every ounce of misery you forced me to experience.”