Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith-Chapter 178: Metaphysical Locks

Evian blinked. Hard.

"What?" he asked.

"I called you Daddy," Astrid said before raising her sword and pointing the tip of it to Evian's throat, "That IS what you are, is it not? Mother wasn't just another check on your list of conquests, was she?"

The tone that was very close to threatening aside, Evian had another question,

"You know?"

"Of course I do. You don't think Mother got herself a boy toy and neglected to tell me, did you?"

Evian managed to crack a smile, momentarily ignoring the sharp sword pointed at him or the way his heart still pounded in his chest,

"Boy toy?"

"You know, I wanted to meet you. To see the one my Mother would not stop raving about. To see the one who made her indulge in her passion for 'Death'…"

Astrid trailed off at the end of her sentence and Evian stared into her eyes trying as hard as he could to resist the compelling urge to look away. As though her glory, her dignity was just that great.

'It's all a trick. She's messing with my mind…' he repeated to himself mentally.

Despite the pressure Astrid was giving off, Evian believed the real reason he was being made to look away was because of that power she had… the one she had used to demand everyone's attention just minutes before. If it could work one way, then logic demanded it could work in reverse.

"Show it to me," Astrid said, her words pulling Evian out of his roaming thoughts.

"What?" he asked, not sure he heard right.

"Show it to me," Astrid repeated, her eyes looking from Evian's face to his stomach and slightly— even lower.

"Show what to you?" Evian asked.

"'It!' Show me 'It'!" Astrid said with a bit more urgency, "Your face trumps many I have already seen but that isn't what you used on my Mother, is it?

So, I ask again, show me 'It'."

Evian was still confused, freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"You want me to show you my rod?" he asked, his confusion causing an inflection in his tone that let the words roll off as a joke- A confidently made one at that.

Astrid paused as though she did not yet quite understand what Evian was referring to and then her eyes widened while her cheeks started to get red,

"No, you pervert! Show me that energy of yours," she said.

"Oh," Evian said thinking that made more sense but now that a crack had shown in the previously indomitably confident exterior Astrid had shown, he felt it would be a shame not to tease,

"What if I show you both? I assume this space is well protected. No one else has to know you snuck a peek."

Astrid chuckled, her rosy cheeks back to their normal hue,

"This space IS protected but just the energy is fine."

"Suit yourself," Evian said but right when he was about to harness his Eldritch energy, he realized he had been carried away by his desire to tease that he had not thought well about what he was about to do;

He was about to 'out' himself to a high-ranking member of the Martial Temple— Someone whose Arcane Talents have been so praised that she has been sought after by the Arcane Church. If Frida had had just a bit of Purity because of a blessing, Imagine just how much Astrid, a Spiritfolk-human hybrid would have.

Evian knew he had lucked out with Frida being such a fan of death, that he had a way of corrupting her… Her daughter was different and apart from a brief break in composure, he had no idea what her personality was.

The only information Evian had to go on was that Frida had confided details of their relationship with Astrid but for all he knew, that could have been misguided and so…

… He hesitated.

"What is it?" Astrid asked with a chuckle, "Performance issues?"

"… Impossible."

"Then let it out. Let's see what my Mother won't stop praising," Astrid said.

Evian still hesitated with his brows furrowed and this time Astrid read the emotions in his eyes and it caused her to let out a chuckle… and another... And another, before letting out a boisterous laugh that never once shook her sword. It remained as dangerously stable as ever throughout her mirth.

"Haha, look at you. Hesitating like you have a choice!" Astrid said and with an almost impatient edge, she let out an invisible wave of her Spiritual energy.

It slammed into Evian's body, resisted any type of defense that he might have put up, and roused the competitive drive of his Eldritch energy so it started to seep out of his body.

Only now did Astrid put down her sword as she moved a step closer,

"Interesting," she said in a mumble, "Cold, deathly… Oh, the number of souls that must have vanished into that insatiable gullet of yours for you to have such unnatural and frankly detestable reproach all about you.

That you can keep this hidden at all is impressive.

Wherever you go, faced by an Arcanist or a Knight, you should be rebuked."

Astrid spoke like she wished to spite Evian with every one of her words but of course, that was not the case. Evian knew what he was, accepted- No, Loved it actually.

Also, now that she had done as he expected and continued to show he hardly had a choice in their dealings, Evian decided to throw caution to the wind as he let out an amiable and charming chuckle,

"Thank you for the Compliments," he said with false graciousness.

Astrid, whose gaze had been on the grey energy seeping from Evian's body, raised her blue eyes to lock sights with Evian's grey orbs.

"You're welcome," she said, "Fight me!"

Again, Evian blinked and with a small laugh that showed off his canines, he questioned,

"What?"

"You heard me," Astrid said, knowing there was nothing wrong with his hearing, "Fight me!"

"I don't see how or why that is necessary," Evian said.

"Oh, but it is," Astrid said, letting her eyes roam all over Evian's body and then giving him a crooked smile,

"My mother did something so uncharacteristic. She accepted you just for your carnal skills even though I have been taught from infancy that a Renan only respects strength.

She picked you when you clearly have nothing more than your body to offer…"

"My body is perfection. It's more than enough," Evian said with a shrug, "Your mother learned that firsthand."

"Cocky," Astrid said with a mesmerizing roll of her eyes, "But you can't change my mind or weasel your way out of this.

Of course, I am nothing if not fair…"

Evian felt a weird shift in Spiritual energy current in the space they were in and he watched and felt as Astrid began to enforce forceful limitations upon her strength. It was like they were transported into a metaphysical state where locks began to appear behind Astrid's goddess-like body.

The first lock brought her into about the same range as Zayda, except better which Evian assumed meant she had brought herself down to the peak of the Sixth Order.

The Second Lock brought her lower to the Fifth Order.

The Third Lock brought her to the peak of the Fourth Order which technically meant she was now on the same level as Evian.

"Unless I unlock these Locks, we will, for all intents and purposes, be the same.

So I ask again, for the last time, Evian Stygian, Budding Step-Father of mine, Fight me!"

"This hardly seems a place for…"

*shingg*

Evian's words and attempt to call Astrid to reason were cut short by the tiny and almost imperceptible sound of her sword stabbing toward his face.

With his eyes widened, Evian leaned to the side only to grit his teeth when the sword tip sliced through his shoulder, cutting through his upper garment and drawing blood.

"Sloppy dodge," Astrid said, "You won't last long…"

With her sword still over Evian's injured shoulder, she swung for his neck, aiming for a smooth one-swing decapitation…

*Clang!*

… Only for her blade to be stopped in its tracks by Evian's spear which he had unleashed from his Spatial ring. One end blocked Astrid's blade while the other stabbed toward her chest.

With a palm of her hand, Astrid slammed his spear to the side with a smile. She pulled back her sword, did a graceful twirl, and stabbed at his abdomen.

*clang*

Evian blocked, noticing only at the last second that Astrid's blade was glowing faintly and the heavy contact with a weapon was all it needed to discharge the attack that was already being primed.

*Bang!*

With the explosive impact of a projectile, Evian was slammed into the boundary of the isolating space, discovering first-hand just how durable it was.

His ribs cracked.

Astrid did not let up.

She came at Evian with a sword stab aimed at impaling him, however, hurt as he was, Evian's senses remained sharp as he thrust out his Spear, hoping to take advantage of his longer reach.

Again, Astrid slammed the weapon aside with her palm but Evian pulled it back from going astray, and with a grace that came with constant practice with his weapon, he pulled it to be in range to parry his opponent's sword.

*Clang!*

Following his successful defensive move, Evian rose to his feet, dashing at the fullest extent his current level of Decadence allowed until he slammed the stem of his Spear into Astrid's chest, right above the trembling heap of her breasts.

"Nghhh!" Astrid let out and without losing her grin, she grabbed the stem of Evian's Spear forcing it an inch or two away from her chest,

"Interesting bit of fire but still not enough!"

Astrid wrenched the Spear to the side, spun her sword in her hand, and slammed the hilt against the side of Evian's head.

Evian's sights went blurry…

He could hear loud ringing…

And it was then that the Eldritch energy seeping from his body unleashed in greater force and began to congeal to conjure a Wraithic Spell!