Re: In My Bloody Hit Novel-Chapter 702: Rihanna Vs Brandon von Temperance

The atmosphere in the room was tense—not of mere diplomacy, but of two powerful forces sizing each other up...

The beast woman was known as Rihanna.

The Seductress of the Untamed Sea.

Her name alone carried weight across the lawless waters, whispered in taverns and pirate holds alike.

They said she could tame the wildest of pirates under her banner without lifting a finger, her mere presence enough to turn the most cutthroat marauders into obedient lapdogs.

Some described her as soft, alluring, and deceptively innocent, but the scar on her face told another story—a tale of blood and violence.

And those who had refused to bow to her?

Rumors claimed that they had been more than just defeated—they had been devoured, eaten like the Boar woman she was, on a silver plater.

Now, she stood as an envoy of the Zodiac Families, facing down a man whose authority was just as undeniable as her own.

Brandon von Temperance.

A gold-ranked knight, yet his presence was quieter than hers. His demeanor, calm, almost soft, as if he were indifferent to the world around him. But those who had seen him wield his sword knew better.

He was an incredible talent of the younger generation, his skill only overshadowed by the stigma of his birth.

Unlike most knights of the Holy Church, Brandon did not rely on Spirit Energy. Instead, he wielded Elemental Energy—an ability not learned, but inherited from birth.

That meant his bloodline was mixed.

And for the Temperance family, one of the great pillars of the Holy Church, mixed blood was a stain, no matter how powerful.

This was most expecially true, because the elves were known to have used Elemental Energy.

It was only natural that many in the household only saw him in such a light.

Then again, it was an open secret—his mother had sold herself to the family flame, offering her very existence as collateral just so her son could keep the family name.

Yet now, after years of struggle, he had power. And more importantly—he had ambition.

He had been cast out to the far reaches of the world below the veil, forced to serve under his even older aunt, Selene von Temperance, but he had never forgotten.

And if the chance for glory came, if he could prove himself, then maybe—just maybe—he could erase the shadow of his origins.

His gaze fell on Rihanna, and in his eyes, there was no pity for those below the veil.

To him, they weren't people.

They were stepping stones.

Rihanna's voice was light, almost airy, as if her tusks were nothing more than ornaments instead of the weapons they were, and dud not obstruct her speech at all.

Yet, her words were sharp, precise, like the edge of a well-honed blade.

As she spoke, she swayed—a slow, fluid motion, as if she were dancing with the air itself.

Her hips rolled, her fingers trailed along surfaces, sometimes tempting the men in the room, other times as if she were painting unseen patterns on the walls. It was her permanent demeanor, a mix of seduction and mischief, a predator playing with her surroundings just as much as she played with people.

She tilted her head slightly, her scarred lips curling into a knowing smile.

"Brandon, you're just a boy, still wet behind the ears. This is my sea, and the hunt for Chiron Chilvary belongs to me. Why don't you be a good little knight and leave my waters before you drown in them?"

Her words slithered through the room like smoke, yet beneath them was iron certainty—she had come for Chiron, and she would not be leaving without him.

Brandon, however, barely reacted. He simply exhaled, as if her taunts were a mild inconvenience, not even worth raising his voice over.

"The only reason you're standing on this ship, beast, is because my aunt asked me to be civil with the Zodiac Family's little envoy."

His gaze finally met hers, cold and indifferent.

"She doesn't want to bring the war of the Holy Land to these filthy shores."

Then, his lips curled into something resembling a smirk.

"But if it's prey you're after… I can hunt you like the boar you are."

The room shifted.

The dim light caught the edges of Rihanna's tusks, and for the briefest moment, they glowed—a sign that she was on the verge of revealing her ability.

The atmosphere thickened, tension crackling like a coming storm.

And then—

A cough.

All eyes snapped toward the entrance, where the soldier who had just entered now stood rigid under their combined gazes.

Their stares felt like daggers, boring into him. He swallowed hard, his voice barely steady.

"The two you seek…" He hesitated, knowing the weight of his next words.

"They are not at the hotel."

Silence.

And then, the storm truly began.

Brandon's face twisted in rage, his cold demeanor shattering in an instant.

"Find them! Now!" he bellowed, his voice cracking through the air like a whip.

The soldier scrambled out, nearly tripping over himself as he rushed to obey.

Rihanna, on the other hand, simply sighed, her sharp tusks catching the light again as she rolled her shoulders, stretching like a lounging predator.

"Well then, boys… you heard the knight," she cooed, her voice still playful, but her eyes glinting with something far less innocent.

With a single flick of her fingers, the pirates under her banner scattered, melting into the shadows of the festival like wolves among sheep.

And so, the hunt began.

Within the festival, the once-joyous crowds parted as figures in armor and cloaks pushed through them, scanning faces, knocking aside merchants, overturning carts. Heavy boots clashed against the cobblestone streets, and the sound of hurried whispers rose alongside the festival's music.

Those unaware thought it was part of the celebration, another performance—perhaps a reenactment of Magnus pulling the island from the sea.

But those who knew better?

They trembled.

Rumors of Chiron the Heretic had reached these shores long before his feet had touched them. No one knew exactly what he had done, but whispers spoke of his hand in the breaking of the main continent, an event so catastrophic it had caused massive tsunamis to flood distant islands.

Even this very island had once been at risk…

If not for the secret cultivator who protected it.

Still, as long as the festival remained untouched, the people turned a blind eye.

After all, the holy night of Magnus was sacred.

But then—

It happened.