"If it weren't absolutely necessary, I wouldn't have had anything to do with you."
"So, put aside your anger for the moment, and you'll see that there isn't really any irreconcilable conflict or issue between us."
"You want to beg for mercy?"
Kushustan let out a deep, mocking laugh.
Lynn shook his head. "I hope both of us can step back and not let things get too stiff."
"How odd." It roared and thrashed all of its limbs. "Who would have thought that the madman who dared show his claws in front of a demon would actually consider compromising with me? How utterly..."
"I REFUSE!!!" Kushustan slammed its limbs against the ground, creating a violent tremor. "Right now, you are prey on my chopping block. Where in this world does it make sense for the hunter to compromise with the prey?!"
It laughed madly, its throat brimming with profound malice.
At the same time, it stared unwaveringly into Lynn's eyes, trying to detect any hint of panic.
But all its efforts were futile.
Upon hearing Kushustan's words, Lynn, who was nearly unable to hold his shattered body together, propped himself up with his cane.
Yet his face remained remarkably calm, and he even let out a light sigh.
"The negotiations have failed, then." Lynn tapped the ground with his cane. "If that's the case, there's only one path left to take."
The answer was simple.
Become mortal enemies.
"You think just with the boost from the Sealed Object, you're on a level to be compared with me?!!!"
From its words, Kushustan sensed a hint of contempt, and the manic grin on its face instantly vanished, replaced by fury pushed to extremes.
But Lynn seemed oblivious to this.
He just casually straightened his top hat.
As a magician, one must maintain an air of mystery until the performance is over.
"There's something I should remind you of." Lynn smiled. "Actually, from the very first minute you saw this form, I've been secretly preparing for something."
Kushustan's expression suddenly froze.
"The principle of 'Grafting' is to connect those elusive Threads of Destiny between two people, thereby transferring fate."
"But this method has certain limitations."
"If fate had weight, then for those who have shone brilliantly on the world stage and in history, their destinies would be far heavier than those of the common masses who achieve little."
"And as far as I'm aware, only individuals with similar or identical fate weights can undergo Grafting."
"What are you trying to say?!"
Kushustan interrupted him, increasingly agitated.
At this moment, with its extremely keen sense of smell, it began to sense something was amiss.
This sense replaced its initial eagerness to watch its prey spiral into despair with an ominous premonition.
"I'm saying... despite the difficulty, despite this being the first time I'm using such a power, I succeeded."
"I have Grafted the Destiny Threads on you with those of another presence here."
"What kind of joke is this!" Kushustan erupted in rage, its limbs engulfing him in a flood. "How dare a mere human compare themselves to me?!!"
However, in his state as a Life Player, any power that could threaten his life could be transferred and Grafted away.
Along with the screams echoing from a distant corner, the Transcendents in the bureaucracy realized to their horror that they had become the collateral damage in the duel between the two.
To this, Lynn felt no guilt.
Toward those who sought to capture him for the sake of their achievements, should he really have considered their lives with hands tied?
"You're right." Lynn strolled leisurely through the limbs that surged like roots, "As a High-dimensional Demon, with the weight of destiny you possess, even when it comes to Grafting, I fear it would only be possible with beings of the same level as yourself."
Moreover, Lynn was merely Second Rank.
He couldn't even see the Destiny Threads on Kushustan.
Lynn's aim had never been to defeat Kushustan, but simply to save Tiya's life and drive the former away.
So, rather than erasing the consciousness of a High-dimensional Demon, destroying the vessel of Its arrival was a better solution to the immediate crisis.
The Destiny Threads Lynn had Grafted did not come from Kushustan, but from Burshman himself.
As the serial killer and one of the masterminds behind the demonic summoning incident, he certainly possessed a destiny weight not to be underestimated.
And amidst all those present, there was indeed someone whose destiny weight closely matched his.
Once that person died here, the limb connector Burshman, linked by fate, would also suffer this retribution akin to a law of causality, invisible yet terrifying, and die on the spot.
Lynn made a preparatory gesture as if to snap his fingers.
"Just a while ago, I planted a needle made of condensed pain energy in the brain of the Fourth Prince, who is still unconscious."
"Though it's nowhere near as potent as the one you ingested last time, don't doubt that with such an amount, killing a human is trivial."
"One last time I ask you... Kushustan, will you leave on your own, or shall I send you on your way?"
At that moment, the composure and mockery on the face of the King of Cruelty were gone, replaced by crimson fury and bloodlust.
"If you can do it, then try!" It gritted its teeth. "By snapping your fingers, you should know the consequences!"
"You humans always talk about benefits and costs... If even you cannot continue to live, only for my temporary retreat, can you accept such a price?!!!"
"Just?" Lynn seemed to disapprove of this notion and shook his head lightly, "To be able to protect those I cherish in the final moments of life, how can that be described as 'merely'?"
"Alright, enough of the useless talk, old Kush, it's your turn to choose."
"Dream on!!! Vermin, we will fight to the death!!!"
With that thought, Lynn sighed softly.
He then slowly raised his hand.
At that moment, from a distant corner, there came a girl's urgent cry.
In her voice was an unprecedented level of panic and despair.
[The story deviation rate of the "S-rank Character Tiya Yohusti" has increased to 37.55%.]