Ding!
Two figures streaked through the villa's corridor at an unbelievable speed.
The dagger and the rapier met in midair.
Then the short dagger was utterly outmatched by the longer sword. The rapier flashed as it slashed across the fake Hark's chest, as if striking a piece of tough leather.
Drops of blood slid down the blade.
Aaron gave the rapier a flashy twirl to shake off the blood and clicked his tongue. "You've only opened your first Primordial, right? The Chrysalis's hardened defense is no good... Though if you hadn't defended yourself just now, I would've gutted you."
"Who the hell are you?"
The fake Hark, dagger in hand, roared at him.
He was absolutely certain that the other man was also a Beyonder, but had no idea what Path he followed.
A powerful body, exquisite swordsmanship, and, even more terrifying... the sense that he knew everything about him!
It almost made him think he'd encountered his natural enemy!
"And this human skin... You must have an accomplice, or perhaps a mentor..."
A faint smile tugged at Aaron's lips. The man couldn't see it behind his mask, but he could hear the mockery in Aaron's voice. "This Skinner isn't very skilled, is he? He left such a huge flaw on the back... An experienced Skinner would start at the crown, slit open the scalp, and pour in mercury to get a more intact piece. A true master of skinning would start at places where there were already openings, like the mouth and eyes. The skin they removed would be flawless—that would be a true work of art!"
Olivia had once been just such a master of skinning!
And Aaron had a copy of the Secret Lore of the Chrysalis that the other man had left behind!
"Ah!"
As Aaron