Not the First

The problem with this deduction, though, was that the Angels had always been here. If these people were from the Angels, unless there was a change in the way their future head did things, then it was unlikely that the Rebirther that Zarek sensed would be related to that.

But the fact he felt the Rebirther the instant he stepped foot into this place…

There was no demarcating line between the inside and the outside of the city. Things weren't that superficial. The only reason he would feel such a strong impulse and change was if the mere act of him stepping into the city had triggered something or the Rebirther was within a very close range to him.

Considering his current stats, that Rebirther would have to practically be face to face with him, and that obviously wasn't the case.

That meant that there was something the Rebirther was doing that was influencing his actions directly, and that answer pointed right to this group right here that was observing him.

'It seems that one of the pillars is on the move.'

Zarek came to a calm conclusion, then looked off toward the Godsfall Tear in the distance.

'Did he come here to block me from getting that Skill? Well, it makes sense, I did kick his ass more than once using it.'

Zarek was already responsible for not just one, but two of that man's Rebirths. When Zarek met him, he sensed the air of a Rebirther on him. That meant that, logically speaking, that man was on his last Rebirth as well.

'Let's dance, then.'

There was a fiery light in Zarek's eyes that didn't ebb away until he felt Priya pull on his arm.

"Zarek, you're scaring me," she said softly.

Zarek blinked, took a breath, and then exhaled.

"I'm sorry. I went to a different head space. I'm here."

After saying this, Zarek questioned the two about the current landscape of the city. Then, with a slight shift of his gun, he killed the remaining two. They weren't of much use to him anymore.

Putting his gun away, he gently rubbed the back of Priya's head and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"The road ahead is a little bumpier than expected. There'll be a very strong enemy soon, but he's someone I've defeated more than once already. And this time, he's blocking a path I'm not even taking."

Priya was slightly confused. The whole returner thing was still novel to her, and she didn't like thinking about it too much because of what it likely meant Zarek had suffered on his own. But Zarek's explanation was enough for her.

What she didn't know was that if that man was here… he would almost certainly get his hands on that Skill. No one else stood a chance against him.

And in the meantime, Zarek himself would be getting himself a Talent that was next to useless. If they fought head to head now, both with the same amount of experience, the end result would be… less than ideal.

However, as much as he trusted Priya, he also didn't want to needlessly worry her. For now, until she was strong enough to carry some of that burden, he would take it all on.

He had no intention of losing to someone he had already defeated once.

Taking Priya's small hand, he pulled her down the building.

"Where are we going now?" Priya asked.

"Knowing that man, he's stocked up on quite a few weapons. The guns we have now are decent enough, but what I really need are blades better than what I have now, ones that don't dull so easily, and ones that can withstand your Godsfall.

"He thought that I would enter the Godsfall Tear he was targeting, but he won't have expected me to miss out on it on purpose, and even less that I would appear in the same city nonetheless. So the protections he left behind on what he prepared will be very limited."

"So we're stealing."

Zarek grinned. "Should I get you a little cat burglar suit? I bet you'd look good in something skintight and black."

"… I can't believe I'm dating such a pervert."

"But you're thinking about it, aren't you?"

"I'm actually thinking about shoving you off this building."

"So kinky."

Priya couldn't help herself and burst into a glittering rain of laughter.

**

The location of the Angel's headquarters wasn't far from Zarek's favorite Godsfall Tear. In fact, saying so didn't quite do it justice. That man was quite bold, putting it within the building itself.

This was clearly something designed for Zarek. In which case, even if Zarek managed to come out on top of the Godsfall Tear and claim the Skill, there would be a backup plan to go all out and kill him.

Unfortunately, this was also the big problem with trying to plan things out when other variable Rebirthers were in play. This would have been a great strength of the man… but it had now become his greatest weakness.

The skyscraper the Godsfall Tear appeared above was just a normal glass building, partially used for tourism, and partially used for high-class financial and law firms.

There were no redeemable qualities to its defensible properties. And with a Godsfall Tear having opened up right on top of it all, practically none of the technology worked properly.

Not the cameras, not the elevators, not even the lights.

It wasn't just the building itself, but even the surrounding infrastructure. It was clear that this Godsfall Tear was on a level much higher than the first Zarek had entered. By the time Zarek and Priya approached a half-kilometer radius of it, the sliver of moonlight in the skies was the only source of light present at all.

It was through this darkness that the couple slowly made their way through.

…

"Still no news?"

"No."

"Report them as dead, then. It isn't as though it's the first scout team we've lost, anyway. You'd think they'd learn to be more cautious."

By a door in a candlelit room, a middle-aged man wearing a leather jacket leaned back in his chair, listening silently.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed and he looked out into the darkness of the night.