Though ke had always been open-minded and considered the fact that there was a chance that Kate didn''t just simply want to use him to fight some monster but might also desire to risk his life, he had never thought it would be so bad.


    With the whole fiasco at the marketce, ke had believed that the whole team was in on whatever n Kate had for him and so thought less of the danger, but remembering Noel''s words on how this group came to be and now seeing him trying to resist Kate''s influence on his, ke had to quickly rethink his view on Kate as it seemed the woman was actually quite sinister, perhaps as sinister as him.


    All this while, ke had thought he was the sole target, but it turns out the entire group had all been puppets to Kate''s string.


    Pushing himself up from the ground, though ke was left awed by Kate''s ability to heal herself, at the same time, he took notice of how slow the technique was as even now only half her finger had been regrown, and in a battle, that was enough time for an enemy to inflict more damage and even deliver a life-ending one.


    "And I am that enemy"


    With his rejuvenation potion unable to boost his energy back to peak level, ke could only ignore the tiredness and ache in his eyes and bones especially the mental strain he had incurred from fighting Grommash, and now gripping his de which was beginning to feel like a lifeline, he let out a shout, this shout meant to help him ignore the injuries within and outside his body that were still slowly healing and run towards the enemy.


    Watching ke speed towards her, Kate merely smiled at him and raised her left hand, the nails on it growing to about 5 centimetres, and then giving ke a mocking tease she shed his de with her nails when he swung at her.


    "ng"


    Knowing his failing situation, ke was determined to engage Kate in a bout and win and so despite his de getting blocked he pushed against her, taking a step back, and despite the pain in his side, shed again.


    "From two strikes to 5 five strikes and then to 8, ke attacked Kate without stopping, performing every manoeuvre he could think of to get past the woman''s fingernails, but his attempts all ended in vain.


    Performing a thrust and unfortunately only able to watch Kate push it to the side with extreme elegance and dexterity, ke wanted to pull back his de and go for a downward sh but then there was a strong pang of pain in his chest and he stumbled backwards coughing blood.


    "Damn it, that Grommash guy really messed me up well." ke thought.


    "Hmm, seems I underestimated the battle between you and Grommash, for you to be so drained that you can''t even clean his mana out of you and heal yourself, I can only imagine what state you left him in.


    Or is he perhaps dead" Kate said putting her hands to her lips in thought but then shaking her head as it didn''t matter to her.


    What mattered to Kate was that he had done his job of weakening ke for her.


    "As much fun as it is to y around with you ke, I ultimately have a reason for bringing you here and it is about time I get to it."


    Saying these words, Kate walked towards a crouched and heavily breathing ke and then when she was a few steps from him, she spoke,


    "First though, how about I give you a taste of your own medicine. Kneel ke."


    Immediately Kate spoke, ke copsed to his knees, his arms falling to the ground as a powerful pressure erupted from Kate and filled the dome they were locked in.


    "Now this is a powerful aura, how do you like it," Kate said moving forward but as she reached down to grab ke''s hair, and have him look up at her, her instincts red up.


    [Quick draw]


    Putting his all into it, ke who was on his knees shot up, his right hand which had moved to his left side while he was kneeling swinging out and at a point disappearing from Kate''s vision before once again appearing with a sword whose de had already cleanly sliced of Kate''s right arm and had begun digging into her flesh.


    The reality of what had just happened was still settling into Kate''s mind when ke whose de had unfortunately met resistance was forced to pull back his de and with red veiny eyes spun around, the de of his sword catching on fire as he swung it at Kate''s neck.


    ke''s movement hadpletely caught Kate off guard as he moved with such fluidity that it seemed her aura didn''t even exist and now seeing his swording for her neck her life shed before her eyes and she let loose all her power.


    "Ahhhhhh" Kate screamed and despite ke''s determination to stake off the woman''s head he could only watch as potent sinister mana second only to that of Grommash burst out of the woman, brutally mmed into him and actually sted him away.


    "How dare you" ke heard Kate scream and then a second after his body touched the ground, the woman appeared above him and her left hand which had balled into a fist mmed into his stomach.


    "Bam"


    The strength of Kate''s punch pressed Bake into the ground, cracking the floor below him, and he would have let out a cry if it wasn''t for the blood being spat out of his mouth.


    Three times Kate punched ke, her hits effectively damaging him and dimming the light in his eyes and then with her nail extended, she stabbed him in the guts and then lifted him into the air


    "Filthy arrogant human" Kate said with suppressed anger, and at that time, with hazy eyes ke looked down at Kate and noticed that her hair was now red, her eyes simrly red, the fangs which she had shown earlier were now longer than before and the arm which he had sliced off fully grown


    "She''s not human," ke thought in shock and fear, his half-lidded eyes lingering on the malevolent mana he could feel wafting off her.


    Sneering as she saw the light of realization in ke''s eyes, Kate carried him to the centre of the dome she had sealed them in and then mmed him to the ground, eliciting a gasp from him and sending his eyes closing for a few seconds.


    "Pullig her nails out of ke, Kate ignored the blood that dripped from it and instead moved to the side, going out of ke''s vision, her fading voice all he could make sense of.


    "Prepare to start the ritual, I don''t want to dy any longer."