*GROOOWLLL!*

Just as the werewolves were about to pounce on Kira, a deafening growl tore through the air.

From the largest building in the area emerged a towering werewolf, standing at an imposing seven feet tall, clad in impressive dark armor.

His crimson fur gleamed under the blood moon’s light while his dark green eyes were brimming with sheer rage.

The chief’s presence alone commanded immediate respect and submission; every werewolf in sight.

“Chief Boragor!” they chorused, a mixture of awe and fear in their voices.

The roar from their chief not only halted the impending attack but also jolted the charmed werewolves back to reality.

They shook their heads, bewildered, their expressions shifting from confusion to shock as they tried to comprehend the bizarre control they had just experienced.

Kira, unfazed by the commotion, turned her gaze towards Boragor and greeted him with an unfaltering smile, “Chief Boragor,” she began, her tone laced with mock sympathy, “You should really train your underlings to not be so rude to a poor woman like me.”

Boragor stepped forward, his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the area.

His piercing gaze, full of menace, fixed on Kira, “It seems like you are more than just the Temptress Supreme. No ordinary succubus can charm the minds of my people and be considered a threat by those bloodsuckers,” he growled, his voice deep and resonant, “You have a minute to tell me who you really are and why you came here before I grant you a somewhat quick death. Otherwise, your death won’t be pretty as you.”

Kira’s smile never wavered, even under Boragor’s threatening gaze, “You shouldn’t threaten someone who came here to help you,” she replied coolly, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

The surrounding werewolves snarled in annoyance at her audacity, their growls echoing around them. Help their chief? Did the fear of getting caught mess with her head?

“I will just tear the answers out of you then,” Boragor said with a sinister growl as he walked towards her.

But Kira remained unfazed, even as Boragor’s patience visibly thinned, “Don’t you want to avenge your son’s death, my dear chief?” Kira’s words cut through the tense air like a knife, making Boragor’s steps freeze.

Her statement hung heavily, charged with implications that instantly shifted the atmosphere.

Boragor’s menacing stare faltered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of confusion, and a clear burning desire for revenge.

However, he narrowed his eyes, suspicion etched deeply into his rugged features, “What nonsense are you trying to pull before me?” he challenged, “It’s impossible for you to have participated in the quest. Even more, you can’t know who killed my son. No one witnessed his death. I’m not even sure if somebody killed him or if a dungeon monster got to him.”

The other werewolves also grunted in unison, feeling that this bitch came here to seek the protection of their chief after getting hunted by the bloodburners.

Kira responded with a subtle shake of her head, her tone laced with a hint of disappointment, “Do you really think your genius son would make the foolish mistake of picking a fight with a monster beyond his rank? As his father, you should know him best.”

“Of course, he wouldn’t,” Boragor growled, his voice heavy with conviction.

“Then isn’t it obvious that somebody killed him?” Kira pressed on, her eyebrow arched in question.

“Who?” The word came out almost as a snarl from Boragor.

“Who else but the recently crowned king of the Bloodburn Kingdom. He killed your son, Chief Boragor,” Kira stated, her gaze piercing and unwavering.

“That alien brat? Impossible. A weakling like him couldn’t have killed my son,” Boragor retorted, his voice dripping with contempt.

Kira exhaled a soft sigh, her head tilting slightly as if lamenting Boragor’s ignorance, “It would be better if you stopped underestimating threats like him just because of his age and origins,” she advised, “He even defeated that powerful Umbralfiend, General Vraxos, and absorbed the Deviar he won in the blink of an eye, as people say. Even if you don’t believe that, you have to acknowledge he still absorbed the Deviar within a year, a feat nobody in our world has accomplished.”

Boragor’s expression shifted subtly, a mix of skepticism and begrudging consideration.

Boragor’s eyes narrowed, his gaze a blend of suspicion and curiosity as he questioned Kira’s motives, “Even if that’s true, why should I believe you that he did it?” he asked, his voice gruff.

Kira’s smile broadened, a hint of playfulness flickering in her emerald eyes, “As you know, I’ve spent many years in the Bloodburn Kingdom, gathering knowledge others wouldn’t have. And Asher, he was my secret patron. He visited my chambers almost every other day,” she divulged, her tone laced with hidden implications.

The werewolves surrounding them growled in envy and anger, their minds swirling with thoughts of their hated enemy enjoying the company of the most renowned succubus in the world.

Kira continued, her voice smooth as silk yet carrying an edge of steel, “And as you have witnessed, I have a way with words to make people listen or…tell me things. But Asher spilled some things on his own. One of which was his boastful claim about killing the son of the Rustblood Clan’s chief…your son. It wouldn’t be the first time those bloodburners crossed your people.”

Boragor’s eyes shook while the other werewolves had their eyes widened.

Kira went on with a pained look, “But recently, when I refused his offer to become his secret mistress upon his coronation, he tried to kill me in a fit of rage. That’s why I was labeled a traitor, and why he was seen at my establishment, trying to paint me as a criminal. How cruel of him after I served him for all this while,” She shook her head with glistening eyes, making even the werewolves standing around her feel their hearts clench upon seeing a beauty like her being wronged.

Boragor’s expression shifted as he considered her words, his mind working through the possibilities.

It wasn’t beyond belief that the alien, in a bid to impress or perhaps intimidate Kira, would brag about such a heinous act.

The idea of him reacting violently to rejection also fits the reaction of any man who would rather kill a beauty they can’t obtain than let others have her.

Boragor nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on Kira, “I believe you,” he said, a trace of confidence in his voice.

But then, his expression twisted into a malicious grin. “However, you still deserve punishment for your impudence in entering my territory uninvited and toying with my men.”

With predatory swiftness, Boragor lunged toward where Kira had stood, his clawed hand outstretched to grasp her neck.

“Ora~ Don’t embarrass yourself, my dear chief,” Kira said with an amused look.

Boragor became enraged upon hearing her insolent words. But as his fingers closed around her, she and the vulpini behind her dissolved into nothingness, like smoke being swept away by a gust of wind.

The werewolves around him gasped and stepped back in shock, their expressions mirroring Boragor’s disbelief, “Impossible…” he whispered, his voice barely audible while his eyes shone in realization.

Then, from behind him, an elderly voice laden with wisdom and age spoke up, “I also feel the same, my chief, but what we witnessed unmistakably was the power of a Caleumbra…to project such convincing illusions from far away…Truly magnificent.”

Boragor spun around to face the speaker, who stood with a look of awe on his face.

The elder’s white beard and robes gave him a sage-like appearance, and his eyes gleamed with the sharpness of a mind honed by centuries of experience.

“How is this possible, Elder Moru?” Boragor demanded, his tone a mix of shock and intrigue, “Aren’t they all supposed to be dead?”

“Apparently not,” Moru mused, stroking his beard thoughtfully, “This one is a half-ling, no doubt about that. It’s possible she is the rumored child of the fallen king of Eclipsion. What a pity we couldn’t capture her. Her existence alone is a revelation. But it would be a fool’s errand to try and capture her now.”

Boragor’s face hardened, his thoughts shifting from the intriguing mystery of Kira’s heritage back to his desire for retribution, “That’s not important right now,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous, “It’s time for the kingdom of those bloodsuckers to suffer another setback.”

lightsΝοvεl ƈοm As he said this, all the werewolves howled with one mind, mirroring their chief’s desire for blood.

At the same time, dozens of miles away, Kira and Shoichi were standing on thin air up in the skies while looking at the vast expanse of land below them.

“I wasn’t expecting Your Grace to lure them like that. But would they believe what you said? They don’t have a solid reason to do so,” Shoichi conveyed his doubt.

Kira had her arms folded as she stared down at the small patches of land and answered with a subtle smile, “That doesn’t matter. Didn’t you see how they were thirsty for blood, especially their chief. All they need is someone to kill, and I just gave them what they wanted. They will convince themselves it’s the truth to satisfy themselves.”

Shoichi nodded with a look of realization and then said with a concerned look, “But Your Grace didn’t have to depend on them. I can personally finish him off. All I need is just a single opportunity if you may allow it,” Shoichi said respectfully but with cold determination while standing behind her, his back slightly bent.

Kira slowly shook her head, “No, Shoichi. You should have known by now that we don’t have to get our hands dirty when others are willing to do it for us. He also wouldn’t be alone. We have no reason to take unnecessary risks.”

Shoichi lowered his gaze and said with a look of contemplation and then asked, “Is there any reason you want to go after him first? He isn’t the biggest threat.”

Kira turned around and answered with a dark glint in her emerald eyes, “For now. But I have this feeling in my head that he is going to be very dangerous the longer he lives. Rowena made him the king not only because she loves him. She might be young, but she isn’t naive.”

Shoichi slowly nodded with a serious look while Kira turned to look up at the skies and said, “As our people said when they knew they were going to be slaughtered, we should have crushed the egg before the dragon hatched. The least we can now do is not repeat the mistake our people paid for with their lives,” Her eyes shimmered with a myriad of emotions as she mumbled, “Soon, all of them will reap what they sowed.”

“Yes, Your Grace. You are right. As long as we can make them all pay, it doesn’t matter how we do it,” Shoichi said with cold darkness in his eyes.

Kira’s expression relaxed as she then said with a nostalgic look, “Come. Let’s go back to that place and check on them. Soon, we may not get that chance.”