Halo gripped tightly to his black and red daggers as the brown bandages of the Magnus Blade wrapped his grip tightly to the hilts.
The Sinner charged without pause, but Halo only needed one moment. His anxiety ticked away like a clock. His eyes narrowed on the creature's neck, predatory and focused.
Once it was within reach, his body moved on its own.
His speed baffled him. It was unlike anything he'd ever done before. Before he knew it, his blade tore through the Sinner's neck effortlessly, forcing the creature to halt.
Yet, the moment he found his ground, he instinctively put a reasonable distance between himself and the Sinner.
Halo scowled, watching the Sinner in bewilderment.
His strike had cut through its flesh, deep enough to touch its bone.
But… no blood. No scream. Nothing.
"What the heck is this?" He muttered, taking steady backward steps.
Halo was caught in a dilemma, but before he could form any assumptions, something unpleasant caught his eye.
His heartbeat quickened.
The damage was starting to take effect. Around the wound began to sweat as the creature instinctively kicked its legs, and its heavy breathing from earlier began to slow.
But Halo wasn't scared this time. He needed to capitalize this.
The creature was having a delayed reaction to the damage due to its oblivious nature and thick skin. Halo knew this, and if this was the case, it was only a matter of time before the creature fully reacted.
He wasn't sure if the Sinner's Flaw was what prevented it from reacting appropriately, and even if its Flaw was Oblivious or something similar, it still didn't explain why there was no blood.
It felt cowardly, not being able to handle a Sinner alone. But he had no choice. He had to summon his clone, Light.
His situation was proving to be above him.
With just a thought, Light emerged beside him and he commanded Magnus to let go of one of his grips before tossing Light a dagger.
No words were exchanged, but they both knew what had to be done immediately.
Without waiting for a reaction from the Sinner, they both charged at it without a pause.
Halo found his new speed and agility quite interesting and compelling, but what caught him off guard were his reflexes.
His Dominant Skill was Reflexes now, twenty-six Sin Fragments from killing Light had changed it. He knew that. And yet, dodging the Sinner's wild anklet swings with such ease… he felt like a completely different person.
Despite his self-admiration, their attacks were futile. They connected. They sank deeper with each strike. Yet no blood spilled, and the Sinner showed no signs of falling.
This had him baffled and lost in thought for a moment before he finally drew a vibrant realization.
The Sinner showed no pain, no sign of defeat. But none of the countless strikes across its body were healing. It had no blood to spill, yet the wounds stayed open, intact.
This had Halo believing their best way to defeat it was to slit its head off completely since it wasn't particularly regenerating.
He and Light paused mid-strike and exchanged glances of understanding.
Halo hung back, watching Light attack the creature relentlessly as he transformed his dagger into an odachi. The longer blade would give him the reach he needed.
He began laboring his breath, waiting for the perfect moment to attack.
His eyes tracked their every movement, and yet he couldn't keep up. Light was his clone. Same movements, same fighting style. He should have been able to predict what it'd do next, but he couldn't.
But the Sinner was different. It was hard to read and it launched both its limbs and anklets. Too deadly, even for Light.
Light had multiple cuts across its body as they slowly reattached, but this made it even more dangerous for Halo.
Previously, he had been striking for the Sinner's blind spots, but now, to slit its throat, he had to face it head-on.
He sneered and spat on the floor.
He had to kill this Sinner by his own hand. If he didn't, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. The horrors of this world had been chains around him for too long, threatening to make him forget who he truly was. He was an assassin. Feared by many!
"I am a pro…"
The moment the words left his mouth, he dashed forward and leaped toward the Sinner's head. The creature reacted instantly and struck at Halo, but before its attack could connect, Light struck at its limb from below, knocking it off balance.
This forced Halo to adjust his sword, but the moment his blade tore through the Sinner's neck and severed its head clean off, his eyes widened in shock.
He landed on the ground, managing his steps carefully, his black attire drenched in blood. He'd avoided the Sinner's main attack, but it had still caught him, leaving a sharp wound across his chest.
He clutched his chest in agony as the Sinner's body collapsed to the ground.
Then the familiar bronze screen appeared.
***
[ Congratulations! You've slain a Perverted Sinner. ]
[ You've received a Sin Fragment: Pride. 31/10000 ]
[ Your reflexes have increased. ]
[ Your clone has grown stronger. ]
***
Halo smiled at the warm sensation coursing through his spine. He'd finally taken down a Perverted Sinner. Sure, he'd needed help and gotten injured, but it was better than last time. When he and Light had fought one, it had been a disaster.
The screen disappeared and reappeared barely a second later.
***
[ Would you like to trade a Sin Fragment for a secret? ]
| Yes | No |
***
Halo sighed and dismissed it immediately.
He watched as Light began to drag the Sinner's corpse deep into Rascal Land.
Something held him captive.
The Sinner's Flaw eluded him entirely. He found himself thinking harder than usual. Why didn't it bleed? Was the Magnus Blade preventing it somehow? Or did the creature itself have some unusual ability?
"I guess you saw it, Halo…"
He turned around. Liam was emerging from the castle entrance, lazily rubbing sleep from his eyes, crows perched on both shoulders.
"That's the thing about Crawlers, wounds mean nothing to them unless you take the head clean off. Some even grow new ones. If you meet those, burn them to ash, or they'll keep coming."
Halo narrowed his eyes and sighed. This was more confusing than he had initially anticipated. The first he killed was barely a Crawler, and even then, he slit its head clean with his first strike, so he couldn't verify this himself.
But why were they called Crawlers if they were this formidable? He had expected them to be slow or incapable of walking.
While he dwelled in thoughts, Liam hurried to him with worry in his eyes.
"You are injured… that's bad."
Most of his crows left him except for one, which rested on his shoulder as he pulled Halo's clothes up to get a better look at the wound.
Halo was uncomfortable for a moment, but he found himself startled by his own wound. It was deeper than he thought.
"This doesn't look good…"
Halo scowled.
"Why? Are Crawlers poisonous?" His tone mimicked his bizarre confusion.
Liam shook his head in disapproval and gestured for his crow to leap onto his hand.
"That isn't it. You are injured."
Halo wanted to smile, but he couldn't. His expression remained detached and cold, even though he was glad for Liam's care.
"Don't worry, Liam. I will be fine."
He tried to pull his shirt down, but Liam stopped him.
"Let me help…"
Halo watched in confusion as Liam's crow vanished into dark smoke and clenched his wound. A cozy sensation coursed through his body, even colder than the sensation the Sin Fragments gave. It was as though there was gentle ice on his wound.
"I didn't know your crows could heal…"
Liam gave him a big grin.
"Nah, that's Seraphim's specialty. She's the only one who can heal, though it only works better on herself. Mine just stops the wound from getting worse and dulls the pain. You'll barely feel it."
Halo wore an unreadable expression and glanced at the dark smoke on his chest. He didn't know Liam's ability to be that impressed. But at this point, he didn't even know exactly what his ability even was.
"Great. Thanks."