Eren's methodical approach was akin to a patient gardener tending to his crops.
He allowed the fruits of his labor to ripen before reaping the rewards. He exercised restraint, biding his time with meticulous precision, until the moment of his vengeance was all but certain.
Over the course of nine years, Eren had systematically dismantled the Escalon Guild through a combination of legal maneuvers and shadowy tactics. The guild, once a formidable force within Edinburgh, now lay in ruins, its key members vanishing without a trace. It stood as a testament to the devastating efficacy of Eren's methods, leaving the guild powerless and erased from the annals of Anfang.
In this timeline, the Escalon Guild found themselves embroiled in this conflict with Eren due to the involvement of Demonmir. Ottoman had hired them to disrupt Eren and his city, but when the chips were down, Demonmir abandoned Edinburgh, leaving the guild to bear the brunt of Eren's retribution.
Yet, Reva found herself detached from the fate of the Escalon Guild, the organization she had once called home during her active days in Edinburgh. Instead, she had aligned herself with Isen Osan, another defector from Edinburgh who had joined Layos. Under his banner, she fought to safeguard her rank, but even so, she was inexorably drawn into the battlefield. Deployed alongside Isen, she fought to prove her worth and secure her place.
Raids on Edinburgh's forces became a regular occurrence for Reva under Isen's leadership. It was within the theater of the two kingdoms' conflict that she found an excuse to conduct her demonic rituals, striving to maintain her edge and avoid regression to a lower rank.
It seemed that, at long last, she was making some progress. The unknown individuals who had reversed the Faustian Contracts had surpassed her in ranking status, rendering their attempts to strip away her gains futile. It was akin to robbers abandoning their efforts to pilfer from the destitute, for they had succeeded in reducing their victim to a state of abject poverty.
However, Reva had descended so far into the depths of despair that the prospect of breaking free from her cycle of misery no longer held any allure. Her hope had withered, leaving her resigned to her fate, accepting the bleakness that enveloped her existence.
Reva often pondered the concept of poetic justice, questioning whether it was a mere literary trope or a tangible force at play in her own life.
The irony was not lost on her. As the Paladin of Pain, she had reveled in inflicting torment upon her adversaries, drawing strength from their screams and the anguish that permeated their souls. It seemed only fitting that the tables would eventually turn, and she would find herself on the receiving end of her own malevolence.
***
When Reva learned of Eren's imminent arrival on the battlefield, standing against Isen's company, she willingly joined Lysa's crew as the tenth member. Her purpose was clear—to lie in wait, hidden in the shadows, until the opportune moment presented itself to help her teammates in a pinch and strike at Eren.
Patiently, Reva bided her time, initially believing that Lysa's formidable battle formation would be sufficient to eliminate Grimdawn once and for all. It was the possibility she didn't mind coming into reality at all.
Though her ultimate desire was to witness Eren's demise, she was content with the confirmation of his death and the release it would bring. Nearly a decade of pent-up pain and resentment would finally find its release, allowing her to exhale a breath long held.
Thus, Reva found it relatively easy to await the completion of Lysa's mission. While she would have relished the sight of Eren drawing his last breath before her eyes, she acknowledged her own fear. Fear of a man who possessed the ability to torment her without dirtying his own hands. Fear of the man who had bested her nine years ago, with her survival being a mere stroke of luck.
She had no desire to tempt fate once more by facing him head-on.
Reva skillfully concealed herself from prying eyes, observing as Lysa's team successfully ensnared Eren within their battle formation's domain. From her vantage point, she could not witness the events unfolding within the domain or keep track of Lysa's team as they engaged their formidable opponent. With a mix of anticipation and unease, she fixated her gaze upon the battle formation, patiently awaiting its dispersal.
Her wait proved short-lived, much to Reva's delight.
A soundless chuckle escaped her lips as she relished what she believed to be Eren's weakness. She acknowledged that assessing Eren's abilities in the face of nine opponents simultaneously was an unfair comparison, but her subconscious reveled in his apparent misfortune.
Yet, Reva soon sensed a disturbance. Her attention turned to Lysa, whose countenance betrayed fear and dismay. Panic gripped Reva's heart as she surveyed her surroundings, seeking the presence of Lysa's companions.
The sight that awaited the Paladin of Pain was one of bloodshed and carnage, overwhelming her senses and impairing her ability to rationalize.
A chill coursed through Reva's spine as she watched the red bear methodically slaughter each of her remaining teammates, dispatching them as effortlessly as swatting flies. Gripped by paralyzing fear, she bore witness to the brutal demise of Lysa's companions.
In her former self, the Reva of nine years past, such scenes would not have fazed her. She had reveled in inflicting pain upon others, her hands stained with the blood of both innocents and adversaries alike. The previous Reva would have even found a twisted appreciation for the macabre artistry on display and the artist who bore similarities to her own demonic rituals.
But this was not the same Reva that Eren had encountered years ago. She was but a husk of her former self, driven to flee the battlefield just as Lysa was.
The Paladin of Pain could not muster the courage to step forward and save Lysa or her comrades, despite her role as a healer demanding otherwise.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel