My Cheat Skill Lets Me Copy Powers....But only if i kill-Chapter 27: Crossroads of fate

Chapter 26 -Crossroads of Fate

The stone walls of Valkris rose in the distance, familiar and imposing against the morning sky. The city gates bustled with activity — merchants shouting, adventurers returning from quests, and the clatter of carts and horses filling the air with life.

As the carriage rolled to a stop just outside the gates, Renji stepped down first, his cloak catching the breeze. The scent of baked bread and iron from nearby forges hit him immediately, grounding him in a place that felt both familiar and distant after everything that had happened.

Elara practically jumped from the carriage. "Finally! Valkris! I swear, that capital was too fancy for me."

Lena followed with a grin. "I missed this place... the noise, the chaos, the food!"

Kiera descended calmly, adjusting her cloak, eyes scanning the crowds. "Feels good to be back. No nobles. No palace politics."

Renji remained quiet, his gaze fixed on the city gates, deep in thought.

Elara nudged him. "You alive in there?"

Renji blinked, then nodded. "Just thinking."

Kiera raised an eyebrow. "You're thinking too much again."

Renji shook his head, stepping toward the city. "I'll head to the guild. You three get rooms at the inn."

"You sure?" Lena asked, tilting her head.

He gave a small nod. "I need to take care of something."

Elara smirked. "You just want to avoid carrying bags."

Kiera rolled her eyes but smiled faintly. "Don't take too long."

Renji waved over his shoulder without looking back, already disappearing into the flow of people entering the gates.

thinking to himself

"Something feels off. Like I'm walking toward something... I can't see yet."

As the others headed toward the inn, laughter and chatter around them, Renji's path led straight to the guild — and the start of something far more dangerous than any quest.

As Renji pushed open the heavy guild doors, the familiar rush of sound and scent greeted him — the clamor of adventurers, shouts over dice games, and the mouthwatering scent of roasted meat from the canteen at the far end.

The Valkris Adventurer's Guild was alive as ever.

Renji stepped through the crowd, drawing a few glances. Some recognized him — the swordsman who escorted the princess, the one who took on bandits alone.

"Its Renji."

"Back from escorting royalty, huh?"

"He's C-rank now — climbed fast."

"He's the one who wiped out those bandits solo. No hesitation."

Renji ignored them, walking straight to the front desk where Mira, a familiar receptionist, sat behind a tall stack of scrolls.

She looked up, adjusting her glasses. "Renji, right? Good timing — we've been expecting you."

He nodded. "C-rank, right?"

"Correct." She pulled out a silver-edged tag and a ledger, flipping to his record. "Based on your quest log and your last job, you qualify. Official confirmation — do you accept the promotion?"

"Yes."

She handed him the new tag. "Congratulations. C-rank comes with better quests... and more danger. Choose carefully."

Renji pocketed the tag, eyes drifting toward the quest board where thicker scrolls now hung — beast exterminations, high-risk escorts, rare hunts.

He walked over, scanning them.

Solo quest... beast subjugation east of Valkris... no time limit.

Before he could decide, Mira called out again. "Oh — before I forget."

He turned.

"A girl came in earlier asking for you. Gave a name — Rina Vale. Said she was trying to find you."

Renji's brow furrowed. "Don't know her."

Mira shrugged. "Figured. She's... unusual. Silver hair, intense eyes. Calm, quiet. Like you, but with a different edge."

Renji's fingers tapped the hilt of his sword. "Silver hair?"

"Yeah."

A beat passed.

Nothing clicked.

"I don't know her," Renji said slowly, but his gut twisted.

"Alright," Mira replied. "She's new. Just registered."

Renji glanced at the quest board again, then back at the desk.

"Actually, I'll take this one." He pointed to the solo beast hunt.

Mira scribbled the details. "No time limit. Good luck."

Renji nodded and turned to leave, tension in his shoulders.

"Rina Vale... Silver hair... What are the odds?"

"Just a coincidence. It has to be."

As the guild doors closed behind him, the whispers rose again, but Renji didn't hear them.

His mind was elsewhere — on questions with no answers.

The streets of Valkris thrummed with noise, a chaotic blend of footsteps, horse hooves, and the calls of hawkers advertising their wares.

"Fresh meat! Just in from the eastern plains!"

"Potions and salves! Guaranteed to keep you alive!"

Reina Hurozawa moved through it all like a phantom, untouched by the bustle. She walked with measured precision, her cloak trailing softly behind her. Silver strands of hair slipped free of her hood, and though most glanced at her, none dared approach.

She paused at a corner, her eyes locked onto a pair of adventurers unloading gear outside the guild canteen.

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She approached.

"You two," she said softly.

The pair looked up, surprised by her directness. One was a broad-shouldered man with a heavy axe slung over his back. The other, a wiry woman, her hands full of scrolls.

"You know a man named Renji Hurozawa?"

The man squinted. "Depends. Who's asking?"

"A friend," Reina replied, her tone flat, giving nothing away.

The woman nodded. "Yeah, everyone knows Renji. He's kind of... famous around here. Quiet type, silver eyes. Fought off a group of bandits not far from here, right?"

Reina didn't respond, only waited.

The man shrugged. "He was in the guild earlier, I think. Probably headed back to the inn near the east gate. He and his party stay there often."

Reina gave a slight nod. "Thank you."

She turned without another word, her mind calculating

She continued her path toward the guild, stopping at a small blacksmith stall, where a smith was polishing a dagger.

Reina picked it up, examining the blade. "Workable. Who orders custom pieces here?"

The blacksmith raised an eyebrow. "Mostly locals. But An adventurer named Renji came by last week. Had something forged — a unique blade."

Her grip tightened slightly on the dagger. "Did he pick it up?"

"Not yet. Should be ready soon."

She nodded and set the dagger down. "He'll come. Soon."

As she neared the guild, Reina slowed her pace, scanning the flow of adventurers entering and exiting. None were him.

"Every trail leads to you. The question is, what happens when I find you?"

"You've made a name. But have you made an enemy?"

She stepped back from the road, slipping into the shade of a nearby alley, watching.

Waiting.

Listening.

She wouldn't force the encounter. Not yet. Timing mattered. Control mattered.

High above the bustling streets of Valkris, perched atop a weather-worn rooftop, the demon girl knelt in silence, her red eyes narrowed against the midday light. From this vantage point, she could see the guild hall's front steps, the crowds of adventurers, and the constant flow of life below.

Her cloak rustled slightly in the wind, but she didn't move, body still as stone, like a hunter watching prey.

Her gaze was fixed on one figure — Renji Hurozawa.

She had been watching him for days, ever since his return to Valkris. Tracking his movements, his habits, his weaknesses.

And yet... every attempt to strike had failed. Not because she lacked the will — but because Renji was no fool.

"He's changed. Stronger. Sharper."

"When we first met, he hesitated. Now... he doesn't."

She recalled the last time she confronted him — his silver eyes, his controlled fury. He had refused her offer to join the Demon Army again and again.

"Too dangerous to let live."

"And yet..."

Her hand rested lightly on the hilt of her curved blade, thumb brushing the worn leather grip.

"I need the perfect moment. No mistakes."

Suddenly, movement caught her eye.

A cloaked figure slipped through the crowd near the guild, moving with precision, intentional yet subtle. Reina.

The demon girl's eyes narrowed.

"Not one of ours... Who is she?"

She shifted her weight slightly, focusing on Reina as she questioned guild members, merchants, and adventurers.

Then, she heard it — Renji's name, spoken from Reina's lips.

"She's looking for him?"

The demon girl's instincts screamed.

"Another threat? Or competition?"

She leaned forward slightly, watching the way Reina moved, the way others reacted to her presence — unassuming, yet unsettling.

Her grip on her weapon tightened again.

"I should kill him now. Before more eyes are on him."

"But... if she knows him, if she's close — I need to know who she is first."

Her blade remained sheathed.

For now.

She melted back into the shadows of the rooftop, watching both Renji and Reina with equal intensity.

"Soon. One of them will slip. And I'll be there."

The eastern forest was dense and quiet, the towering ancient trees swaying gently under the overcast sky. Filtered sunlight spilled through the thick canopy, casting long shadows that danced across the moss-covered ground.

Renji walked the narrow dirt path, his steps cautious, senses sharp. The chirping of birds and rustling of leaves seemed distant — too distant.

He stopped.

The silence felt unnatural.

His eyes scanned the trees, hand drifting to the hilt of his blade.

[Skill: Predator's Instinct Active]

Detection: Multiple hostile presences nearby. Estimate: Three.

Renji's heart slowed, body still. He closed his eyes, breathing in the forest air, listening.

A twig snapped.

Not by accident.

He turned slightly, voice cold. "You can come out now."

From the shadows, three figures stepped into the clearing — spreading out in a semi-circle around him.

Front and center — the demon girl, crimson eyes gleaming beneath her hood. Her mouth curled into a smirk.

To her left, two other figures cloaked in shadow. Faces hidden, weapons unreadied.

Renji's stance shifted slightly, ready but not drawing yet. "You again."

The demon girl smiled. "Still refusing to join us? You're becoming predictable."

Renji's eyes narrowed. "And you're becoming a nuisance."

Her hand rested on her weapon. "You've grown strong, Renji. Too strong. That power shouldn't belong to a human. Only demons can wield it."

Renji scoffed. "You're here to kill me, then?"

A pause. Then a nod.

"Yes. If you won't join us, you die."

His gaze shifted to the two hooded figures.

"And them? Your backup?"

Silence.

Then the one on the left pulled back her hood.

Kiera.

Renji's eyes widened. "Kiera...?"

Her eyes were hard, guarded. "I didn't want it to come to this."

Renji stepped back slightly, confusion flickering in his gaze. "Why are you here? Why with her?"

Kiera's voice was tight. "I'm not with her. I serve a different kingdom. I was ordered to watch you — to assess the threat. If necessary... to eliminate you."

His breath caught.

"You've been watching me since the start?"

She nodded. "Every move. Every battle. When you met with the demon... that raised alarms."

Renji clenched his fists. "You think I betrayed you?"

"I think... I don't know what you are anymore."

Silence fell.

The demon girl laughed softly. "You humans and your trust issues. I warned you, Renji."

Renji's hand tightened on his sword. "Enough. I'm done talking."

Then his eyes snapped to the final hooded figure.

"And you? Who the hell are you?"

Silence stretched. The figure stepped forward slowly.

A soft, cold voice.

"You don't recognize me? That's disappointing."

Renji frowned. "What?"

The figure pulled down her hood.

Silver hair. Silver eyes. His own eyes.

Reina.

Renji's world stopped.

"Reina...?"

She smiled faintly. "It's been a while, brother."

His voice trembled. "Why? Why are you here?"