Chương 20: Fall. In. Line.

Veronika's neck was as stiff as a log. She was starting to think Rolan kept her on the couch to interrupt her sleep. It was hard to murder your coworkers without suitable rest. Unfortunately, Veronika could fall asleep on anything, though that didn't stop her muscles from complaining about it. Reza glared at her throughout breakfast. Veronika either smiled back or remained neutral. It was weird how much she was enjoying this. It was just part of the mission, right?

After they ate, Veronika and Reza marched side-by-side to the training grounds. They didn't look at each other or speak a single word. Veronika had burnt every bridge with this woman through sheer physical prowess. Reza was an obstacle now. Her survival was incompatible with Veronika's mission.

"So, should I go first, or do you want to?"

"Shut up," Reza groaned.

"If I go first you're going to start while I'm running anyway, so just go ahead."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Veronika said in her most neutral tone.

"I hope your feelings of ineptitude don't cause any problems for the group." Reza clenched her fists, but took a deep breath and managed to hold back the punch Veronika knew she was preparing. Good. She could save it for later after she had wasted her energy trying to beat Veronika's time. The obstacle course was child's play at this point. Veronika didn't get a spec of XP from completing it. She'd have to ask LOA to help upgrade it in the future.

It was strange how useless the course was compared to the fortified base just meters away. The witch hunters that were here before her clearly did not have their priorities in order. Reza only started when Veronika was fully off the course. Her first and second runs didn't come close to Veronika's time. On the third, she stopped in the middle of the track and put her hands on her knees. It looked like she was panting, but when Veronika got closer she could see that Reza's body wasn't moving.

"Come on, don't run yourself to death," Veronika said.

"You can't beat my time. Training this intensely isn't helpful, even for a brute like you. Why don't you sit down and take a breather?" Reza squeezed her knees. She started shaking and taking deep breaths. When Veronika compared Reza to a kettle she didn't mean it literally, but the woman looked like she was about to blow her lid.

"How did you manage to pass the military's entrance exam?" Veronika asked.

"They do psych checks. Were you always this temperamental or did that start recently? A coworker being better than you isn't a viable reason to lose your cool." You are such a bitch! I love it!

"You wouldn't get through the front door with your attitude. Mommy really did pull strings, didn't she?" Reza responded.

"Training for assassins is different. I wouldn't expect you to know that. Your general knew you'd only be good as a meat-shield." That one did it. Reza's eyes went wide and she shot up. She brought her fist in the air as she turned to face Veronika and slammed it into Veronika's throat. Veronika looked down at the hand that failed to push her back a single inch.

"Are you done? I have better things to do than-" [Trial by Ordeal] was activated on you. You've gained the [Accused] condition.

"That's your move? Forcing me to join a weird game I was already planning on participating in?" Veronika grabbed the arm that was currently hitting her neck and slammed Reza into the ground behind her. She put her foot on Reza's neck and pressed down.

"Use all the skills you want. I don't need the devil's power to defeat a worm like you." Veronika twisted Reza's arm. The woman bit her lips in an attempt not to scream. It didn't last when Veronika twisted her arm in the other direction. Reza used her free arm to grab a knife from her belt and jammed it into Veronika's foot. A hammer made of light formed above the knife's hilt and struck it further into her foot. That part actually hurt. Veronika's black and tarry blood started bubbling up around it.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. [Mallues] was activated on an attack against you. You lose 40 resistance points.

"Okay," Veronika whispered.

"If we're gonna play that way we should take things somewhere more personal." She let Reza stand up. They weren't too far away from the cliffside. Once the fight was close enough to the ledge, a lethal accident was all too predictable. But there'd be hunters watching them soon, and Veronika needed to look like she wasn't leading Reza there on purpose.

"Hey, Officer Pereira!" LOA yelled from the roof.

"Officer Reza just stabbed Madame Veronika! Come help!" Veronika's entire posture changed. Her air of confidence vanished and she curled inwards, reaching towards her foot. She limped backwards just fast enough to keep Reza a few feet away. Once they were out of the training grounds, Veronika turned around and bolted towards the edge of the cliff. She could hear Reza running behind her and the voice of Officer Pereira calling from the base.

"Oh shit! Ladies, get back over here! No sparring near the edge of the mountain!" Reza tackled Veronika and they started rolling together towards the edge. Reza forced her arm out and grabbed the jagged ground, bringing both of them to a halt. Veronika scooped up a fistful of dirt and threw it into Reza's eyes. She coughed and started rubbing at her face. Veronika peered back at the base. LOA was rushing towards them, as Veronika expected her to, but Pereira was just standing there with her arms crossed.

Maybe she knew Reza's death was inevitable. Stepping in would only prolong everyone's suffering.

"No, this is not happening," Reza said.

"If you want me off the mountain, fine, but I'm taking your sorry ass with me." Your opponent activated [Writ of Attachment] on you based on your [Accused] condition. A purple line extended from Veronika's chest into Reza's hand. She closed her fingers around and pulled Veronika towards her.

"I'd gladly sacrifice everything to keep you away from my team." Reza turned around and jumped off the cliff, dragging Veronika's body with her by the string. Veronika grabbed the ledge and tried to hang on, but the pull was too strong. The skin of her palm tore open on the rocks as she started slipping away. Her palm was coated with the toxic mixture of her blood and Perfluorohexane. The line of thread had to be made from the same energy that powered magic.

Since it came from the devil herself, activated skills still affected her, but surely there was a limit. If the skill created something physical like the thread, she'd have to try direct contact. She quickly switched which hand was holding the ledge and grasped the thread with her bloody palm. A sizzling sound came off the thread along with small streaks of smoke. Veronika could feel the burning, but she pushed through and moved her hand down the length of the string.

She felt a snap and a sudden release of pressure. The weight pulling on her was gone, and Reza's body vanished into the drop below. LOA pulled Veronika up and started fussing over her injuries. Veronika just kept looking down. This was technically her first kill on Ring. It was certainly the first time she had ever killed a fellow witch hunter. Role-limit satisfied for [The Witch Hunter]. You can all sleep easy tonight. Pereira and LOA carried Veronika to the infirmary despite her insisting she could walk herself.

They treated her injuries in silence. Captain Rolan was still cloistered away in his room. [Rina Ring!] Congratulations, my vicious little puppy! You bested your opponent in a [Rina Rumble], killed a fellow pawn, and brought your role back down to the five person limit! You get +500 XP for resolving the limit, and +300 XP for killing pawn Melody Reza (damn who named such a brick of a woman Melody?) You've barreled straight to level five. Tier up! You're now ranked Pawn II, which means better rewards, baby!

Veronika turned away from the screen and looked at Pereira.

"Hey. LOA can handle the rest. I know you're probably pissed at me, so you don't have to stay here and force yourself to treat me."

"That's not…" Pereira scoffed and turned away.

"Yeah. Sure. Have your alone time." She left the room and gently closed the door. Veronika wasn't necessarily trying to keep all of her skill choices a secret, but she didn't want Pereira to know how much XP she got from killing a teammate. It just didn't feel right. You've gained +3 [Resolve], +2 [Brawn], +2 [Presence], and +1 [Mobility]. At Pawn II, [Second Nature] had gained the ability to sniff out heretics. Get close enough to a true sinner and you'll feel them trying to claw their way out of your skin.

[Purgation] has reached level two, and now lasts for 48 hours on the target instead of 24 hours. And finally, please choose one skill from the list below: [Question Extraordinary] lvl 1: You passed on this one before. Here's another chance to master the witch hunter's favorite activity! Torture! [Crimen Exceptum] lvl 1: Consume resonance to target any pawn you know of with the [Guilty] condition. For 12 hours, you may bypass any protective skills, conditions, or items I've blessed the target with.

[The Great Noise] lvl 1: Consume resonance to alert everyone with [The Witch Hunter] role to the location of the nearest pawn with [The Witch] role to you. This skill can only be used once a week. [Fama Publica] lvl 1: This is a passive skill. If thirty pawns agree that one of their fellow pawns is a heretic, that pawn gains the [Notorious] condition, and you learn their name, location, and suspected sins. She rubbed her chin.

"I'll take Question Extraordinary because something tells me you're going to keep offering until I take it. I'll be coming for Crimen Exceptum when I can use it, though." Yes! I know you'd want the torture one. Have fun, puppy, and keep up the good work. The Thorned Devil is very interested in your exploits.