330 Forewarned is Forearmed
A Fate Appropriator harbored two primary abilities:

Firstly, the capacity to magnify a corresponding fate tributary, thereby setting in stone an imminent destiny for the target. This process could be expeditious, yet its future influence spanned a mere ten seconds. The resulting efficacy was contingent upon environmental compatibility; a more congruent backdrop augmented the probability of the event materializing in the forthcoming future.

Secondly, the ability to swap an accumulated fate for a fragment of the target’s own destiny. Absent a premeditated arrangement, one had to either kill the adversary to access their fate or employ their personal fate as a substitute. Relatively more protracted in execution than magnifying an impending fate tributary, this method prohibited one from assailing the target or inducing harm mid-process.

At this moment, Guillaume Bénet, who wasn’t fighting one-on-one, clearly didn’t want to engage in a fate exchange. His plan was to utilize the current environment and magnify Lumian Lee’s female companion’s fate tributary of being affected by the Abyss Demon Flower’s anesthetic gas to make it a reality.

Of course, as the woman in the black hood hadn’t fallen asleep and wouldn’t be paralyzed or knocked unconscious for ten seconds, the sole recourse was to expedite the process while steering it toward the most dire outcome.

In a similar vein, this elucidated one of the rationales behind Guillaume Bénet’s abstention from interfering with Lumian Lee’s fate tributary.

What he refrained from attempting was the exchange of the adversary’s fate or the inversion of key tributaries into the principal course, lest he suffered the backlash invoked by Inevitability. He wouldn’t have a problem if he only made Lumian Lee slip and fall, achieving futures that wouldn’t have significant impact.

The mercurial river encircling Franca was reflected in Guillaume Bénet’s lightened eyes. After some discernment, he grabbed at one of the tributaries formed by the mercury symbol that wrapped around itself.

Concurrently, Franca arched her neck, thereby unveiling her supple neck and moist vermilion lips under the hood’s shadows.

Peculiarly, a palpable flutter stirred in Guillaume Bénet’s chest, reverberating to his nether regions as he recollected scenes of his liaisons with courtesans along Rue de la Muraille. Yet, these recollections paled in allure compared to the figure opposite him, despite her visage remaining partially veiled.

Despite his momentary lapse, Guillaume Bénet promptly reinstated his focus.

Capitalizing upon this fleeting respite, Franca—enlightened to the general scope of a Fate Appropriator’s abilities courtesy of Lumian—sparked latent black flames, engendering frost that enshrouded her form.

Opaque filaments converged, manifesting palpable encasement amid the frigid shroud, akin to a cocoon.

Unperturbed, Guillaume Bénet’s lips curled into a smirk, unfazed by the unfolding situation.

If a Fate Appropriator’s abilities were so easily rendered ineffectual, they wouldn’t be called Fate Appropriators!

Furthermore, as long as the target’s fate tributary was magnified or underwent a fate exchange, they wouldn’t be able to break free even if they used a substitute.

With measured deliberation, Guillaume Bénet extended his right palm and executed a slight wrist rotation, magnifying a particular fate he had chosen.

Nonetheless, in this precise instant, he perceived the hooded lady’s fate river adopting an uncanny semblance of illusory ambiguity, an etherealness so pronounced as to border on feigned fabrication.

A decoy!

Guillaume Bénet’s endeavor to augment the fate tributary was abruptly thwarted. The cocoon disintegrated, frost fragmenting and black flames metamorphosing into coruscating beams of light.

Yet, the focus of the protection wasn’t Franca herself, but rather, a mirror!

Capitalizing on Guillaume Bénet’s momentary bewilderment, a casualty of the Demoness of Pleasure’s allure and his self-imposed adverse effects, Franca seized the initiative. Employing Mirror Substitution, she ensconced herself in layers of black flames, frost, and spider silk, confounding the adversary while concealing the real lethal peril.

Thus, she extricated herself from the figurative crosshairs, evading the adversary’s targeting.
Simultaneously with the failure of Guillaume Bénet’s attempt to amplify the fate tributary, a figure garbed in an Assassin’s attire manifested behind him, its visage partially obscured by a classic brass revolver, aimed steadfastly at the enemy’s cranium before pulling the trigger.

Bang!

The iron-black round collided with the dodging Guillaume Bénet’s head, emitting a distinct metallic clang.

Guillaume Bénet’s head, bedecked in a metallic sheen, yielded to the impact, though its structural integrity endured, deflecting a potentially lethal strike.

Nearly in tandem, Lumian, having used Mirror Substitution to evade the effects of Draynere Gland Poison, and draped in flaming clothes, emerged nearby. Dropping to a genuflecting posture, he pressed his palms to the ground.

In response, twin crimson fire serpents surged into being, consuming the incendiary vines while spreading the flames along their trajectory, ultimately converging to form a colossal pair of fire dragons.

Both entities surged toward Guillaume Bénet. However, their purpose wasn’t to ingest their quarry, but to intertwine and coalesce, giving rise to an ostentatious and brilliant conflagration-blooming flower.

As the fiery flower unfurled before him, Guillaume Bénet grappled with comprehending Lumian Lee’s intentions.

With his Steel Body, his resistance to flames was steadfast for the time being, but the other party wouldn’t go as far as wasting an opportunity and do nothing but perform fire magic, right?

This was Bribe!

Lumian had “gifted” Guillaume Bénet with a blazing flower—an emblem signifying incineration and obliteration. Capitalizing on the Decency brooch, he had completed a Bribe, thereby attenuating the adversary’s defenses.

Although Lumian Lee’s true motives remained opaque, Guillaume Bénet’s intuition kindled with the conviction that this augured unfavorably.

In rapid succession, Guillaume Bénet invoked Light Incarnation anew, fragmenting into three iterations as he advanced toward Lumian. As Franca’s assault faltered, she vanished anew.

Witnessing the three iterations of the metalized Guillaume Bénet rapidly engorge, Lumian conjured a new cohort of Fire Ravens and distributed them evenly amongst the trio of adversaries.

Then, turning his form and slowing his pace, he primed himself for a prospective evasion of the ensuing Water Cannon conjured from Draynere Gland Poison.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! The crimson Fire Ravens landed precisely on the three metalized Guillaume Bénets.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

They exploded simultaneously!

A torrent of dark-green liquid surged forth from one of Guillaume Bénet’s forms—Water Cannon. Lumian, braced for the assault, deftly evaded, his gaze fixed upon the collision of aqueous impact against the rocky wall, a tremor rippling through the Bottle of Fiction.

Yet, as Lumian’s evasion completed, he detected a colossal shadow enshrouding his feet. Thereupon, a medley of pallid-white and obsidian-black arms extended forth from this obscurity.

In contrast, Lumian’s other choice of direction was shrouded in a dark shadow.

At Sequence 5, Light Incarnation permitted Guillaume Bénet the creation of up to three incarnations, each incarnation fake. One harbored Draynere Gland Poison, while the other pair wielded Shadow Burial, intent on ensnaring Lumian within their shade-infused grasp.

Curved, grotesque limbs ensnared Lumian’s ankles, striving to haul him into the nebulous depths.

Amid this peril, a figure emerged from the inky depths—a half-naked, metallic-finished Guillaume Bénet.

Shadow Burial was a form of shadow concealment for him!

By capitalizing on three Light Incarnations—which consumed a large amount of spirituality—to veil his position, thereby detaining Lumian temporarily, Guillaume Bénet engineered his stealthy approach via the shadows, orchestrating a decisive assault.

His body suddenly expanded as he punched Lumian behind the ear.

A thunderous crack resonated as Lumian’s form fragmented akin to a glass pane, fracturing into myriad minuscule fragments subsequently claimed by the pallid-white and obsidian-black arms.

Mirror Substitution!

It was precisely due to the implementation of Mirror Substitution that Franca refrained from intervening on Lumian’s behalf when she saw him restrained by the strange arms extending from the shadow. Rather, she bided her time, anticipating Guillaume Bénet’s advent to administer a terminal blow.

Amidst the cracking sounds, Franca’s hooded, black-robed figure involuntarily appeared once more, quickly spotted by the padre.

Guillaume Bénet had been waiting for this opportunity to stop himself from being affected by the charm and turn his blue eyes light-colored again.

He saw the mercurial river of fate and began to choose the fate of being paralyzed by the burning gasses of the Abyss Demon Flowers.

Yet, an abrupt surge of peril seized Guillaume Bénet’s consciousness, compelling a stark realization: interference with the adversary’s fate would undoubtedly yield cataclysmic repercussions.

Impossible! Moments earlier, such consequences hadn’t arisen! Yet, as he scrutinized the figure before him, Guillaume Bénet, who had been able to interfere with his target’s fate normally previously to near success, saw a hooded woman hiding behind the hooded woman. The woman behind her held a palm-sized mirror that illuminated his figure.

In an instant, Guillaume Bénet understood what was going on.

The hooded woman standing in front of him, revealing the river of fate, was Lumian Lee!

After activating Mirror Substitution, he took the initiative to appear in front of his companion. Seizing the opportunity, he used a Transfiguration-like ability to change his appearance and disguise himself as his companion!

You do realize, using the same trick won’t work twice? Franca, who was hiding behind Lumian, chuckled when she saw this.

Seeing Lumian under attack, she took out her teammate’s Mirror Substitution and threw it in front of her. Taking advantage of the cover and the enemy’s drawn attention, she aimed another mirror at Guillaume Bénet.

Without hesitation, Franca’s palm was enveloped in black flames as she swiped the mirror’s surface.

Curse!

Demoness’s Curse!

In a simultaneous eruption, a quietly smoldering black flame ignited from within Guillaume Bénet’s metallic form.

Elated that his Steel Body rendered him impervious to conflagration, inflicting only minor wounds, he soon perceived an anomalous drain on his spirit, coupled with indications of severe ethereal scorching.

In the span of an eye’s flutter, the Cordu village padre emitted a tormented cry.

Instantaneously, his metallic semblance plummeted to the earth with a cacophonous clatter, reconstituting into a form unadorned by metal, starkly naked and manifestly fleshy.

At the same time, Franca, too, experienced a visceral tremor, her countenance assuming a pallid hue.

“Rebirth!”

The contract ability in question facilitated Guillaume Bénet’s revival within the slayer’s body!

Guillaume Bénet’s spirit smiled and hastened to replace the woman holding the mirror and take control of her body.

Yet, he confronted a disconcerting reality: before him stood an enshrouded woman brandishing a mirror, baring her lower visage in a manner reminiscent of malevolent allure.

She’s in front… Then whose body did I Rebirth into? A disorienting befuddlement inundated Guillaume Bénet.

Meanwhile, Lumian, ensconced within Franca’s semblance, donned a knowing grin, gradually retracting his right palm from the padre’s lifeless cadaver, the Decency brooch aglow with a dusky-golden luminescence.

Distortion!

How could he not guard against Guillaume Bénet’s Rebirth ability when he already knew that Guillaume Bénet’s mistress had chosen such an ability?

Lumian couldn’t overtly commandeer Guillaume Bénet’s Rebirth with his seal and corruption alone. Nevertheless, Lumian, resembling Franca with uncanny precision, had already instructed Franca to bring the Earth Blood ore.

Innately repellent to even the Montsouris ghost, the Earth Blood ore imposed an unseen force field compelling Guillaume Bénet’s Spirit Body’s circumvention.

Leveraging the Distortion afforded by the Decency brooch, coupled with the Earth Blood ore’s obstructive efficacy and the Niese Face’s transformation, Lumian orchestrated Guillaume Bénet’s Rebirth within his very body!

Although Lumian’s visage paled and his frame quivered slightly, a smile graced his lips as he extended his hand towards his left chest, gently declaring, “Padre, everyone is waiting for you.”