Chapter 387: Crow’s Indirect Help? Nihil’s Doubt!

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"We’ve had a nice exchange, but it is time to end this."

FLASH!

As Riven tried to reach the portal anyway even as Nihil began to rapidly close it, Crow appeared behind him and attacked. Riven turned and met his blade with his own, and the impact propelled them both toward the closing portal.

He had only meant to block the strike, but now he was moving faster. The opening was right behind him! He kept his blade against Crow’s, afraid that pulling away would leave him exposed to another attack.

"?!"

Nihil was surprised. Crow’s attack had seemingly created enough force to push Riven into the portal by mistake. Nihil had nearly closed it, and the others had already forced Riven back once. Yet Crow had struck from the one direction that sent him toward his escape.

Or rather...

"..."

Was Crow helping him indirectly?

"?!"

Riven looked at Crow and realized his smile had never faded. Then Crow finally whispered to him. They were close enough for Riven to hear him over the clash of their blades. Riven hesitated, still trying to understand why Crow hadn’t tried to pull him back.

"Not yet, Riven, not yet. Grow stronger, stronger than anybody. Then, we can have our rematch." Riven stared at him. A rematch? Crow spoke as if they had fought before, as if Riven should already know who he was. He tried to make sense of the words, but the portal was still closing around them.

"You’re...?!"

Before Riven could say another word, Crow roared and swung his blade at him again. Riven blocked, but his sword shattered. The strike cut his hands and body, yet he still passed through the portal. His grip closed around what remained of his sword. He couldn’t stop to look at it. The force of Crow’s blow was still carrying him through, and there was barely any room left.

FLASH!

He made it through just as the portal closed, barely in time.

"..."

Silence.

The other Hands of Inevitability stared at Crow, each reacting differently. The portal was gone, and Riven had escaped. None of them could change that now.

Crow stood where he had landed after the final strike, his sword still in his hand. He didn’t look toward the place where the portal had been. Instead, he turned to face the others, waiting for someone to speak.

"Ahhh, what a pity..." Slob sighed. "I wanted to eat him..." He stared at the empty space for a little longer, as if Riven might somehow come back. Then he looked at Crow’s sword. All that fighting, and he hadn’t even gotten a bite. He clicked his tongue and folded his arms, making no effort to hide his disappointment.

"Fufu... Oh, Crow, you screwed up!" Desire laughed. "I guess it happens. You’re still new, right?" She glanced at Nihil before looking back at Crow. Her smile remained, but she was watching for a response from either of them.

"Huhuhuh... Was that really just an accident, I wonder?" Chatterer chuckled.

"..."

Nihil stared at Crow for several seconds, studying him as if trying to see past his expression and uncover his true intentions. Crow had stopped Riven when he tried to escape. He had fought him, even broken his sword.

Yet that last attack had sent Riven through the portal instead of away from it. Nihil kept returning to that moment. Why strike from there? Crow had been close enough to see that the opening was still behind Riven.

But he could only see the same darkness everyone else in this group carried. Crow offered no reaction to Chatterer’s question, and he didn’t try to defend himself against Desire’s teasing.

He simply stood there. That gave Nihil nothing to work with. An excuse would have been easier to question than this refusal to say anything.

Was it really a coincidence?

Was it really an accident?

"I apologize," Crow finally spoke. "My hand must have slipped. Moving through this place in my true body is difficult. I haven’t gotten used to it yet." He lowered his sword as he spoke, but his eyes stayed on Nihil. He didn’t rush through the explanation or add anything else. After everything that had happened, he made it sound like a simple mistake.

"Oh, is that so? All is forgiven because you’re handsome~!" Desire said, approaching him and wrapping her long, serpent-tipped tail around him. "How about you and me have some fun together in my chambers?" She moved beside Crow before Nihil could answer his apology. Crow glanced at her, but he didn’t move away. Desire leaned closer, still smiling as if the matter had already been settled. The others could keep asking questions if they wanted, but she seemed ready to leave with him.

"Desire," Nihil said. "Stop protecting him." His attention shifted to her, though he kept Crow in sight. Her invitation hadn’t distracted him from the portal or the attack that had let Riven escape. He wasn’t going to dismiss it just because she had decided to. Desire’s tail stopped moving, and she turned to face him.

"..." Desire glared at Nihil in annoyance. She stayed beside Crow, making no move to release him or give Nihil more room. Her smile disappeared as she answered. "Ugh! He just made a mistake, Nihil! Are you planning to fight one of us?! Besides, we need him."

This was ironic seeing how much she had shown she disliked him earlier because he didn’t speak, and how Nihil protected him from her anger.

Now the roles had suddenly shifted, surprising Crow. These beings were simply too volatile, but that was fine by him.

"..."

Chatterer and Slob remained silent, glaring at Nihil. Neither of them stepped forward, but neither looked away. Desire was still beside Crow, and Nihil had yet to accept his explanation. For all their complaints about losing Riven, no one seemed eager to turn this into another fight. They waited to see what Nihil would do.

"...You’re right. We need him," Nihil said. "However, whether he is truly loyal to us and our cause... now seems... doubtful to me." He looked past Desire and straight at Crow. Needing him wasn’t the same as trusting him, and his escape from further questioning did nothing to settle what had happened at the portal. Crow still had to answer for that.

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