Rain vanished in a blink... he left behind him an illusory mirage that faded a split second later. As for the real deal? He was already on top of the rope, walking towards Levi with a deadpan expression.
He had messy white hair that covered his sleepy eyes... it kept showing faint hues of red each time a ray of light reflected on it, like a bloodthirsty predator hiding its nature with the color of purity.
His gaze might be unbothered, but it carried a hint of coldness, the kind that didn’t hesitate to go for the kill.
A thin chain rested against his black uniform, barely visible beneath the long, dark coat that swayed with every step... the coat hung loose on his lean frame, brushing against his legs with each step.
He wore tight black gloves and boots, making him resemble a true hired Hitman... Although he looked human before common eyes, under Levi’s Harmonic Spine, his true appearance was far from it.
’What kind of species is he...’
Levi frowned deeply at the sight of a dark red humanoid Chameleon merged on top of Rain’s head... even its head displayed hyena-like features with a prolonged nose, wide jaw, and dotted skin.
Sensing being seen somehow, the Chameleon opened its eyes slowly... its eyes were hollow and emotionless, gazing at Levi, akin to a pest... then it closed its eyes and returned to its dormant state.
"You have slain Fang alone... More respect to you, but..."
Rain gently unsheathed the katana and then lowered it to the ground... the katana started breaking into dozens of small sections. Each section was serrated with faint red lines glowing between them like veins. It appeared like a replica of a Chameleon’s tongue.
Rain dragged the weapon behind him, the blade’s head scraping against the rope’s surface and sending small sparks.
"I can’t allow you to go two for two... our lives depend on it."
Before the last word left Rain’s lips, Levi swiftly used Combustion Leap to launch himself backward... he felt goosebumps course through his skin, warning him that if he dared to remain there for another moment, he might not be able to retreat... ever.
But Rain completely ignored him... he watched him retreat to Arthur and the rest of his allies without a change of expression.
He just kept walking forward slowly until the rest of the Nightcrawlers ascended the rope and caught up to him.
’Mr. Rain... what’s the plan? Give me your orders, and I will relay them.’ Kaeh’thos asked solemnly.
He was The Law Defiers’ captain... after the elimination of Nyr’Kalloth, the Faction’s captain, and the other powerful Nightcrawlers, Rain was the last line of defense at their disposal.
Kaeh’thos knew that it was nearly impossible to defeat the Raiders Faction without Rain’s assistance... Levi had done irreparable damage to their faction’s morale and overall strength.
Kaeh’thos could see it in the remaining Nightcrawlers’ eyes... the instinctive dread of meeting their maker.
’Plan? Oh...’ Rain turned to face him with a deadpan expression and uttered, ’I do have a plan... and you guys are a vital part of it.’
Hearing this, Kaeh’thos’ eyes flickered in hope... he might not know much about Rain, but he understood that the Bishop would never send a liability to carry his business.
Fang had proved that his strength was way above the game’s average... unfortunately, his target had proved to be a much scarier monster than any of them had anticipated. Though when he saw Levi’s limp arms and slight exhaustion painted over his face, Kaeh’thos was certain that Rain should have him under control.
’What do you want from us? Everyone has climbed the rope, and the Toxic Kingdom hasn’t been fully destroyed.’ Kaeh’thos suggested sternly, ’We can accelerate the expansion until their captain is forced to fight you inside of it. This time, we know better... we will avoid his green flames and focus on supporting...’
Slice.
Before he could finish his sentence, the words were flooded with a torrent of blood gushing out of his throat... Kaeh’thos held his sliced neck in confusion, his muddled eyes affixed on Rain’s back.
He couldn’t see the strike... in fact, no one did. It was so fast, they couldn’t comprehend what had transpired before them. If it wasn’t for Rain’s segmented blade covered in blood, they wouldn’t even suspect him!
"You talk too much."
This was the last thing he heard... his lifeless body dropped on the rope’s surface under the stunned eyes of everyone.
Rain ignored their looks and kept dragging the segmented blade behind him... it left a trail with Kaeh’thos’ blood, making everyone realize that this wasn’t a dream.
"Yo..You!! You bastard mercenary!! What have you done!!"
Kaeh’thos’ teammates were the first to snap out of their shock and surround Rain; unfiltered fury engulfed their features... they knew that mercenaries usually were under contractual obligations not to harm their patrons.
However, this rule didn’t apply in events... everyone was free to kill, whoever, whenever.
"What a sudden twist! The Hired Blade Jor’Thyrek has gone rogue!"
Gamemaster Envy’s expression was on cloud nine, loving nothing more than to see Rifters from the same faction turn on each other.
Meanwhile, Arthur and the rest of the Daywalkers were left just as confused... in their eyes, it was simply insane to turn on each other in such a critical moment. They were already behind them in score and Rifters’ numbers.
Now, they had a traitor amongst them? Swiftly, sinister grins took over their faces.
"I don’t know why he did that, but I ain’t complaining." Tyrese sneered, "They should just kill each other and get this game over with."
While the rest of the Daywalkers nodded in support, Levi was left with a deep frown... he was the only one with knowledge of Rain’s true identity.
This made him understand that if Rain dared to antagonize his own allies, it only meant that he either didn’t need their help to finish the mission or he needed them dead for something.
As he expected, once Rain was surrounded, he neither retreated nor asked for forgiveness... he merely yawned wearily and murmured, "Whatever... this is faster, I guess."
Rain stood still as the Nightcrawlers closed in around him with murderous looks... even the last surviving captain joined the witch hunt, realizing that the Bishop had screwed them over by sending this madman.
Worse, he knew that ratting to the Gamemaster was impossible as they had signed an NDA... Bishop Na’thir wasn’t foolish to share such harmful information without precautions.
"DIEEE!!"
"KILL HIM!"
"GET RID OF THE TRAITOR BEFORE WE GET ATTACKED!!"
As the Nightcrawlers roared to the heavens while preparing to launch their unified assault, Rain tapped the tip of the blade on the rope’s surface.
’ Scarlet Noctem Arts: Cathedral of Dread...’
As Rain’s voice echoed in his mind, a thin red mist spread out in all directions rapidly... It rolled across the rope’s surface and passed through their legs before anyone reacted.
The moment the mist of blood touched them, the illusion gripped their minds... and the once-furious mob froze, their rage twisting into raw, trembling terror.
One Nightcrawler began screaming, backing away from something only he could see... he swung his weapon wildly at empty air... Another dropped to his knees, staring at his own hands as if they were covered in blood that would not wash off... A third fired his poisonous ability into his ally, shouting for something to stay back.
There was nothing there... the viewers and Daywalkers were left more confused than ever. Though this time, their pupils reflected a hint of fear, realizing that if Rain was capable of putting six Nightcrawlers in such a state with a single ability, they might not fare any better.
As each Nightcrawler was trapped inside their worst fear, red vapor began rising from their bodies as their panic grew thicker... It drifted toward Rain and sank into him, making his white hair flash red continuously.
The more they screamed, the heavier the mist became... the more they panicked, the stronger he felt.
One by one, the Nightcrawlers dropped onto the rope, their bodies unnaturally shrunken, faces twisted into grotesque masks of fear... it was as if the very sight had scared them to death.
Meanwhile, Rain showed no reaction to the massacre... he merely turned his head to face Levi and his teammates. Then, he showed a tiny smile, a smile so small, so creepy, it sent a shiver down the spines of everyone who saw it.
"Who’s ready to face their worst fear?"
He asked, his voice tinted with genuine care... like he cheered for them to win against their fears. But, he knew, it wasn’t happening.
He had done this thousands of times... and no one had defeated their worst nightmare.
No one.