Accidental Ascendance

Reia gazed out of the window of the Thorne room, her eyes narrowing as she witnessed the bursts of flames and the cascading blade of water in the city square. The chaos was spreading like wildfire, and she could feel the weight of the situation settling on her shoulders. "This is a problem..." she muttered, her voice a mix of concern and frustration.

As she stood there, a sensation tugged at the edges of her consciousness, a feeling that someone or something was approaching. Reia sighed heavily, as if already anticipating trouble. "I guess we have a guest," she mused aloud, her voice laced with resignation.

Just as she finished speaking, a sudden, searing pain tore through her. A large red scorpion tail pierced her figure, and she gasped in both shock and pain. The audacity of the attack caught her off guard, but Reia was not one to be easily defeated.

The cloaked figure responsible for the attack let out a triumphant laugh, his arrogance evident. "She was an S-ranker? Pathetic," he sneered, clearly underestimating Reia's strength.

However, his premature celebration was interrupted by a sound—a slow, deliberate clap that echoed through the room. The man turned towards the source of the sound, his eyes widening as he saw Reia sitting confidently in the Thorne chair, clapping with a mocking smile.

His eyes darted to the spot where he had stabbed her, only to find it empty. Confusion and realization dawned on his face as he tried to make sense of the situation.

Reia crossed her legs and leaned back in the Thorne chair, exuding an air of nonchalance. "I'm impressed," she said, her voice carrying a mix of amusement and superiority. "You almost entered the Thorne room undetected. However, your blood lust gave you away."

The cloaked figure's response was to shed his cloak, revealing his wiry frame and spiky black hair. His face was concealed by a mask, and his eyes were an unsettling pure white, devoid of any color. He assessed the situation, his mind racing to find a way out of the predicament he had unwittingly walked into.

Reia sat regally upon the Thorne, her posture exuding a mixture of confidence and mockery. She gazed at the cloaked man before her with a raised eyebrow, her lips curling into a taunting smile. "What's wrong, you would-be assassin?" she scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain.

As the man tried to process what had just transpired, a whirlwind of thoughts raced through his mind. "How did she escape my grasp? I swore I hit her. Could she be a unique type mage? I will have to stall while I come up with a new plan of assassination..." His mind was a frenzy of calculations and possibilities, all while he struggled to maintain his composure.

Taking a deep breath, he finally managed to regain a semblance of control. He had to be careful, strategic. He couldn't afford to make any more mistakes. Reia was no ordinary opponent.

"Reia Fleet, the second hand to the king. S-Rank," the man began, his voice laced with a mixture of respect and acknowledgment. "I have heard a lot about you from my guild. However, we have no recorded data on your magic."

Reia turned her head slightly, regarding him with a gaze that seemed to penetrate his very thoughts. Her voice was soft, almost teasing, as she replied, "Well, there's a reason for that."

His mind raced again, trying to decipher her meaning. What was she hiding? What kind of magic did she possess that was so elusive?

The man began to pace back and forth, his movements restless as he searched for an opening, a weakness in Reia's defenses. "Why is that, my lady?" he inquired, his tone attempting to convey a sense of curiosity while he strategized internally.

Reia stood up gracefully, her movements deliberate as she removed her eye patch. The action was slow, deliberate, as if savoring the moment. His eyes widened in subtle surprise as he noticed that her eye appeared perfectly fine despite the eye patch. Confusion flickered across his features, and he opened his mouth to speak, only to be met with Reia's soft words.

"Because no one who sees my magic ever walks away to tell the tale."

The man's breath caught in his throat. The implications of her words sent a chill down his spine. He was facing an opponent who had no qualms about leaving no witnesses, no survivors to recount her abilities. His heart raced, and his mind spun with the realization of the dangerous territory he had ventured into.

As Reia took slow, deliberate steps toward him, his mind continued to race, trying to come up with a strategy, an escape route, anything to turn the tide of the battle in his favor. He had underestimated her, and now he was faced with the consequences.

"Why do you wear that if you have no injury?" he finally managed to ask, his voice a mix of curiosity and skepticism, desperately hoping for any hint of information that could help him navigate this perilous encounter.

Reia's gaze remained unwavering as she closed the distance between them. Her reply was a simple, almost nonchalant, "Because it looks cool."

The man scoffed, a mixture of frustration and incredulity bubbling up within him. He had walked right into her trap, underestimating her, and now he was left grappling with the reality of his dire situation.

The man's mind raced, his thoughts a chaotic swirl of calculations and desperation. His every instinct screamed at him to strike, to find an opening in this battle against an opponent he knew almost nothing about. "What do I do? She's an opponent I know nothing about. Her magic is a mystery, and her demeanor exudes confidence like she already won. I need more time to think!" His inner monologue was frantic, a desperate search for a strategy that would give him an edge.

As Reia halted in her tracks, the man's heart skipped a beat. Had she sensed his unease? But then, her next words caught him off guard. "Oh, I almost forgot," she began, her tone almost casual, "I take no joy in snuffing out a life, so could you please tell me your name?"

The man's mind seized on this unexpected moment, a chance to gather himself and regain control. His expression shifted subtly from tension to a composed confidence. "My name is Na'Mer..." he stated, his voice steady and strong.

Reia's response was unexpected. She clapped her hands together, her face lighting up with realization. "With a name like that, you must be from the Ivory continent. That would explain the tail. So you're a beast kin. We don't see much of that here in The Union, so I was confused. What is a beast kin from Ivory doing here, fighting for Fest?" Her tone was almost gleefully surprised, a stark contrast to the tension that had hung in the air just moments ago.

Na'Mer took a few steps back, subtly increasing the distance between them. His mind raced, processing her words and the implications of their exchange. He had been thrown off balance by her sudden change in demeanor, her seemingly genuine interest in his origins. But he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

"I am part of an organization hired for this little job," he explained, his voice smooth and composed. "You see, my organization has a vested interest in the dealings of the current political climate, and we wish to see them steer in our favor." With each word, he found a better position, a stance that would allow him to strike if necessary.

Reia raised a finger, a spark of realization in her eyes. "Oh, you mean you are part of the Umbra Fang, huh?" she said with a touch of glee, as if piecing together a puzzle.

Na'Mer's lips quirked in a half-smile, acknowledging her astuteness. "You are smarter than you look, my lady," he retorted, his tone holding a mix of respect and caution.

But even as their words hung in the air, Na'Mer's body tensed, his movements coiled like a spring ready to launch. With a sudden burst of speed, he lunged at Reia, his movements fluid and precise as he aimed to catch her off guard.

With a swift kick aimed at Reia's midsection, he hoped to catch her off guard. But Reia was ready, her reflexes sharp. She blocked his kick with a graceful parry, her expression unwavering as she met his attack head-on.

However, Na'Mer wasn't done. His tail, as deadly and agile as the creature it was named after, shot toward Reia with startling speed. Reia's eyes widened just slightly as she evaded the tail's lethal trajectory, narrowly dodging the attack. A grin tugged at the corner of her lips as she spoke amidst their dynamic struggle, "Hey, we were having a conversation. That is just rude."

As the adrenaline-fueled battle continued, Reia's senses heightened. Something was off. And then, she felt a warm trickle of liquid down her cheek. Blood. Na'Mer's attack had grazed her, leaving a thin cut that marred her otherwise flawless complexion.

Na'Mer chuckled softly, his pride and arrogance evident in his demeanor. "Apologies, my Lady," he retorted, his tone dripping with a mixture of mockery and confidence. "I was never raised for courtroom etiquette. However, I was raised to always finish a contract, and this fight is already mine."

Reia's expression remained composed, her gaze unwavering as she wiped the blood from her cheek with the back of her hand. "Is that so?" she replied, her voice steady.

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