“You damned fools! I said it’s not what it looks like!” Trig snapped.

Kant hesitated a moment, but Packard was determined, leaping forward with a wide and deadly slash. Trig barely managed to block the attack, stumbling back. With a roar, he seemed to activate an ability which he threw back Packard’s way. His sword slashed out, and then a beam of light erupted from it. Packard’s face went white for a second and leaped out of the way just in time. Kant saw it just a moment too late, and let out a scream as blood as he leaped out of the way.

It had struck his arm, cutting right through the armor and damaging his arm. “What the hell, Trig?”

“He’s become a rabid dog!” Packard snarled.

“You’re the ones who attacked me first!” Trig seemed to only be growing more panicked, pointing his weapon wildly at both men. “Stay the fuck back or I’ll kill you both!”

Kant stood back up, holding his bleeding arm. He shared a glance with Packard that lasted only a moment. Trig noticed it, taking another step back and looking even more frantic.

“Put the weapon down. Surrender, and we’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“What?” Packard seemed surprised by this. “What’s there to get to the bottom of? You saw what he did!”

“Packard, we need to calm down. He deserves a chance to give his case.” Kant pleaded with his friend.

The men weren’t looking at me at that moment, but my hand tightened behind my back. I hoped they weren’t so clear-minded. Packard and Trig were ready for a fight to the death. It was just that damned Kant. I knew I should have worked on him a bit more. He was far too coolheaded. I’d I had made him addicted to me he’d be ready to kill his friend just like the other two.

However, he was deescalating the situation, and there was no telling where things would go after that. I worked my mind, trying to come up with a solution that turned this around again. The only thing I could think of was either to force one of them into submission and then make them fight or to use illusions. Just what illusion would get what I want?

“Fine!” Packard crossed his arms, “But we tie him up!”

“Tie me up!” Trig roared. “Why? So, it’s easy to stab me in the back? How can I get a fair say in that situation?”

I felt a shimmer of hope. Trig was far too riled up to think properly. He was a man on the edge. Maybe I could create an illusion of him being attacked. All it would take is a small thing and this moment of peace would be destroyed.

“Trig… consider it a show of good faith,” Kant spoke in an easy voice. “I promise you that you won’t be hurt. We’ll just tie up your arms, not your legs. How about that? You always said your legs were your best part?”

His attempt at a joke was received by cold stairs, but Kant did seem to calm down slightly, after a moment, he gave a sharp nod, and I kept myself from letting out a hiss. This was not going in the direction I had hoped. In a few moments, the situation would be completely diffused. All of my plans would be for nothing. At that point, my best chance would be to run back to the goblins and give a warning. Then, we might be able to take them with a hard-fought battle. My son would have to fight, and he might even have to risk his life. I didn’t like it at all.

There had to be a chance to use an illusion. Yes, I knew a chance. Kant had pulled out a piece of rope and was approaching Trig. I just had to create an illusion that Kant was trying to pull a dagger on him. Then Trig would attack him at that moment, and the piece would be destroyed. Could I create an illusion that would fool an S-class adventurer? I didn’t have the confidence, but I was an Illusion Master, so if anyone could do something like that, it would be me.

I slowly lifted my hand, preparing to cast the best illusion magic I could conceive. As Trig held out his hands, Kant stumbled suddenly.

“Ahhh…” He let out a long, irritable noise.

Packard’s hands fell. “Kant? You okay?”

“Ah… this…” He grabbed his arm and then started to pull away from the armor.

When his arm was revealed, there was a sharp slice where Trig had landed his blow. The color of the wound was black, and it was quickly spreading down his arm.

“What’s going on?” Packard asked.

Trig’s mouth had fallen open and his face was white. He was just as confused as Packard. Kant’s condition seemed to decline at an alarming rate. He had barely uncovered his arm when it appeared his legs stopped working. He stumbled a few steps and then collapsed to the ground. His body immediately started convulsing. He wasn’t able to say anything, but his eyes shot to Trig, an accusatory look.

“P-poison?” Packard cried out. “Y-you poisoned him?”

“It wasn’t me!” He cried out.

“If it wasn’t you… then cut your arm with your blade,” Packard said darkly.

“I…” He looked at his blade, and there was a flash of fear on his face, then he let out a snarl and chucked the blade at Packard.

Packard leaped to the side. The blade struck a tree, and a sizzling sound emitted from it like the tree was being burned. Trig let out a shriek, turned, and ran away.

“Aria! Go back to my packs and get some antidotes!” Packard shouted before turning and pursuing Trig.

“Yes!” I turned to leave, but I didn’t move far.

I waited until Packard was out of sight chasing Trig, and I let out a breath of relief. Everything worked out as I had planned. Of course, Trig’s blade had been poisoned by me. Kant’s blade was poisoned as well. Had either one of them landed a blow, the results would have been the same. The hope was that they landed the blow together, and they joined each other in the afterlife, but this would have to do.

When he had used that ability that allowed his blade to strike from afar, I had been worried the poison wouldn’t be transmitted. Rather, I had assumed it was, which was why I had thought I had failed. Yet, the poison took a few moments later, and it looked like Trig killed Kant. Now, Packard wouldn’t stop until Trig was dead, and the S class party Sliver was no more.

I started to fix up my dress, putting it on and returning my beauty that had been sullied by Trig’s rough yet pleasurable treatment earlier. Stretching my shoulders in a relaxed state, I heard a gurgle and a thrash. I glanced over to see Kant. It turned out he was still holding on. I had made the poison myself. I wasn’t sure how powerful their anti-poison potions were, but given they were S-class and I had only recently reached alchemy arts, it might very well be enough to undo my damage.

Too bad Packard sent me. If he had ignored his desire for vengeance and focused on his dying friend, there might have been hoping for him. Instead, he got me. I walked over to his body, looking down on him. He was no longer convulsing, and the foam had stopped pouring out of his mouth. His eyes opened, and his hand out and grabbed my ankle hard. I admit he caught me off guard. He looked up at me, his eyes pleading.

“The potion…”

This guy had a family. They probably saw him as some kind of hero, going out on dangerous missions to kill monsters and protect the world. Yet, a single cut, and now he was on the ground, barely clinging to life, begging for the generosity of a stranger. It was something just how quickly fates changed. No matter how powerful you became in this world, it could steal your life in an instant.

I kneeled next to him, smiling gently. “It’s okay, I’m here.”

I reached into my sleeve and pulled out a vial. Opening it up, and slipped it into his lips. He began to swallow it desperately, but after three gulps his eyes widened, and tried to spit it out. I poured the rest in even as he sputtered, but he was too weak to even push the rest out of his mouth. It was, of course, another poison. His eyes twisted into confusion, then realization, and then they started to glass over. He was dead. Did he figure it all out upon death? I didn’t know, and it didn’t matter. Dead men couldn’t speak.

I studied his face for a bit silently until I heard the footsteps of someone returning. That, someone, was Packard. He was covered in blood and appeared to be wounded. As my eyes met him, I burst into tears. I fell onto Kant, wailing more than his wife would likely wail when she found out her husband was dead. Packard walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. I realized he was specifically using one because the other wasn’t working right.

“I tried…” I sobbed. “I tried, but even though… he stopped breathing… he just stopped.”

Packard turned his head to the side, his lips tight with despair. I threw my arms around him my head pressed against his chest as I cried. My tears feel free as I held him over the body of his deceased friend.

“Ahhh!” He shoved me away as I slammed the dagger into his side.

I fell back onto my butt, but that blade was Kant’s blade, the one I had covered in poison while he was sleeping. That was to say that it didn’t matter how deep the cut, it was already too late. Packard stumbled back a few feet, grabbing his side. He lifted his hand to see dark blood.

“Y-you… what?”

I dropped the façade, allowing the mask I was wearing to melt away. I stood, my eyes locked darkly on Kant as my true abilities surfaced. His confusion slipped into shock as the young woman he saw transformed into something darker, more beautiful, and more terrifying than he could ever have predicted. I had prepared Restriction just in case he tried to attack, but I wasn’t that worried.

“You’re probably wondering why?” I asked. “It’s not that difficult to understand. Those goblins you were going after are my family. An S-class adventuring team like you guys never should have tried to invade my territory. It’s nothing personal. If it’s any consolation, I do regret not getting the chance to fuck you before I killed you.”

“You… crazy… bitch…”

“Oh, my. I’ve never heard that one before.” I rolled my eyes. “Oh, I know… thank you for the meal.”

I just remembered I could absorb his lifeforce to increase experience and heal wounds, so I lifted my hand and started to absorb. He wasn’t able to resist. He could only stare hatefully as he fell to the ground, his body slowly losing color and growing lifeless. A combination of Absorb and poison and he collapsed dead in about a minute. Plus, all the sores I had from my previous rough sex were healed. I wouldn’t have to waste Perfection. No consequences at all. That was the best fun.

“No bad, Aria…” I spoke to myself as I headed back to the camp.

As soon as I saw the familiar equipment, which I was planning on ransacking, a person jumped out in front of me. When I saw Trig, my expression went white. That fool! He hadn’t finished the job.

“Hehehehe…” Trig laughed. “I should have known you were behind all of it. You may look pretty on the outside, but you’re an ugly witch on the inside!”

“Oh, you’re breaking my heart, darling.” I snorted, lifting my hand. “Restriction!”

“Cancel!”

My Restriction was blocked, and a moment later I was shoved to the floor. A special skill? Damn it, I should have considered an S-class could still be a threat, even injured and unhinged.

“Stop!” I cried out, panicked.

“As if I’d leave a she-witch like you any last words!” He lifted his blade, and just as I was about to use a position change to escape, I saw something above him, causing me to freeze.

His head left his shoulders, flying to the side. A kick sent his body flying into a tree. I looked up, a slightly guilty expression on my face.

“I-I had him…” I responded, blushing slightly.

King reached down and grabbed me, pulling me to my feet. Around him were a dozen other goblins. It looks like he had come out to look for me. My adorable sweet son had come looking for me. I smiled up at him lovingly, the three dead men already out of my mind.