Now Samael had a beautiful four-meter-tall raven: arrogant, solitary... and perfectly capable of killing him at any moment.
Honestly?
That seemed problematic.
Samael was walking back toward Rime's cemetery while the gigantic black creature silently accompanied him through the dark skies of that dead world.
Its enormous black wings beat slowly.
Each movement scattered dark feathers through the air like fragments of the night itself.
After several minutes of silent walking, Samael looked up.
— Hey... do you have a name?
The enormous raven cast a cold glance in his direction.
— That is a human thing.
Its hoarse voice echoed across the empty wasteland.
— I possess nothing so insignificant.
— Can I give you one?
Silence.
Then—
WHOOSH!
A colossal claw descended like a guillotine.
Samael's instincts exploded into action.
CLANG!
He raised Folly just in time to block.
The impact drove his feet into the dead soil while his arms trembled violently.
Even while defending...
It felt as though the bones in his arms were about to shatter.
The raven's black eyes stared at Samael from up close.
Cold.
Ancient.
— Do not tempt your luck.
The threat was delivered calmly.
And because of that, it felt even more dangerous.
Samael breathed slowly while trying to ignore the pain in his arms.
— I'm not joking.
He replied without lowering his sword.
— I genuinely don't know what to call you.
The raven remained silent.
As they resumed walking, Samael glanced toward the dark sky.
I wonder how Liu is doing in the War Realm...
Concern tightened his chest slightly.
Her... and the others too.
But mostly Liu.
Now he understood the absurd burden of carrying someone.
The silence continued for several more minutes before the raven spoke again.
— I shall allow you the honor of naming me.
Samael blinked slowly.
Then he realized something.
The creature genuinely had no idea how to choose a name.
But it was far too arrogant to admit that.
— However...
The black eyes narrowed dangerously.
— If I consider the name unworthy... I will kill you.
...What a delightful surprise.
Samael sighed internally.
Then he began thinking.
He needed something grand.
Something that would not result in his immediate death.
After a few seconds, he asked cautiously:
— What... is your gender?
For a brief moment, Samael genuinely believed another claw was about to come crashing down.
But the raven merely replied:
— Male.
Unlike humans, that clearly wasn't a sensitive subject for him.
— Male... right...
Samael resumed thinking.
The enormous raven continued flying above him in absolute silence.
Waiting.
Judging.
Finally, Samael looked up.
— What do you think about... Tenebrae?
Immediately, he raised his guard.
Just to be safe.
The raven remained silent for several seconds.
Then replied:
— Very good.
Its enormous black wings spread slowly.
— Despite coming from a repulsive creature that serves Weaver... it is a name worthy of me.
Samael let out a small sigh of relief.
I survived.
— You really hate Weaver, huh...
Tenebrae released a harsh sound resembling a contemptuous laugh.
— Hate?
The wind around them grew colder.
— That vile creature is beyond something so simple.
Samael immediately decided not to pursue that topic.
At least for now.
After several moments of walking, he spoke again.
— Do you really despise humans?
— No.
The answer came immediately.
— I have encountered some before.
Samael's eyes flickered slightly.
— Before Rime's death?
Tenebrae cast him a cold glance.
— That does not concern you, vile creature.
— Then you can't talk about it.
Samael muttered quietly, almost to himself.
— There is nothing I cannot reveal. It was after Lady Rime's death.
The raven replied with slightly more irritation.
So it was afterward...
Samael understood instantly.
And that meant something important.
Other humans had reached this place as well.
Trying to hide his growing interest, he asked casually:
— Was it a long time ago?
— I do not know.
The answer dripped with contempt.
— Humans are far too insignificant for me to keep track of such details.
Tenebrae flew slowly above him as they continued crossing the dead wasteland.
— But one of them was interesting.
Samael immediately looked up.
— For you to say that... that person must have been impressive.
— Naturally.
The pride in the raven's voice was absurd.
— Far more impressive than you, filthy Nephilim.
Samael ignored the insult.
In truth...
He was more interested in the other piece of information.
— Did you lose to him?
Samael asked, trying to hide the malice in his voice.
Silence.
Then—
BOOOOM!
A colossal claw descended once again.
CLANG!
Samael managed to block the first strike.
He was launched several meters backward.
But before he could recover his balance—
WHOOSH!
A gigantic black wing crushed the place where he had been standing.
Samael rolled desperately across the ground, escaping by mere centimeters.
The earth exploded behind him.
Tenebrae watched coldly from above.
— There will not be a next time.
Tenebrae replied, having noticed Samael's ill intentions.
The threat made the air feel heavier.
Samael slowly climbed back to his feet.
— Right... understood...
— And no.
Tenebrae answered with monstrous arrogance.
— He was not stronger than I was.
His black wings moved slowly.
— But he possessed potential.
Samael fell silent.
Then he asked:
— If you don't hate humans... why do you keep calling me a vile creature?
The raven's black eyes seemed to pierce straight through his soul.
— Because you are not human.
The answer came cold.
Absolute.
— Filthy Nephilim.
Samael remained silent for several seconds.
Then he remembered his own Attribute.
Nephilim.
Now I'm not even considered human anymore...
The feeling was strangely bitter.
But before he could think any further—
The enormous cemetery appeared before them once more.
White flowers swayed gently beneath the dead sky.
Cold wind drifted through the silent graves.
And for the first time since meeting him—
Tenebrae fell quiet.
Part of his arrogance vanished.
The enormous raven landed slowly before the cemetery.
And adopted a respectful posture.
Like someone standing before something sacred.