Fate To Fake: Loved by the Fallen; Fated to Kill the Divine
Chapter 27: Caleindra Pendragon

Chapter 27: Caleindra Pendragon

After barely surviving her reckless driving, Leo and Raphael finally arrived at the house.

During the ride, Leo had made a quick stop to pick up a few things he claimed were for a school activity. That’s what he told Raphael, hoping to keep her from asking too many questions.

He knew how curious she could get, and he wasn’t ready to spill everything just yet.

The car rolled into the parking area, the engine finally falling silent. As Leo and Raphael stepped out, Leo exhaled deeply, still panting. His face was pale, his eyes wide with the lingering fear that they might’ve died ten different times along the way.

He looked like someone who had just been through a war zone rather than a short drive.

’Who the hell gave her a license to drive?!’ Leo thought, a chill running down his spine. ’Did the officer even make it back home after issuing it?’

Raphael looped her arm around his and tugged gently. "What are you thinking about so seriously? Let’s go inside already," she said casually, leading him into the house as if she hadn’t just traumatised him with her driving.

They both stepped inside, the soft creak of the front door closing behind them.

Raphael yawned softly, stretching her arms above her head. "Anyway... are you absolutely sure you need to go to the school tomorrow? I mean, do you really have to?"

Leo gave a small nod, his expression calm but firm. "Yeah... I’ll be fine. Who knows, maybe I’ll remember a few things while I’m there."

Raphael looked at him for a moment, hesitant. A sigh escaped her lips as she crossed her arms. "Fine. But I’m serious, Leo. Don’t do anything reckless, okay? No hero stuff. You’re already injured, and we can’t afford for you to get hurt again. Not even a scratch. You got that?"

Her tone was firm—strict, even—but laced with concern. She was trying to be strong, but the worry in her eyes gave her away.

Leo nodded with a small smile, the corners of his lips turning up gently. "I’ll be fine. Don’t worry so much. I’m not planning to jump into danger."

Says the one who was about to jump into the danger!

Raphael yawned again, this time covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Her eyes were already drooping. "I’m going to sleep now... and you should too. It’s already late. Goodnight, Leo," she mumbled, her voice heavy with exhaustion as she slowly made her way up to the second floor, her steps sluggish and tired.

She hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, and the stress of the day—especially dealing with Leo—had clearly worn her out.

Leo watched her disappear up the stairs, then turned away and made his way to his own room, which was tucked away on the first floor just behind the living room.

He walked over to the switchboard and turned off the remaining lights in the hallway before entering his room.

Inside, Pride was already waiting. She sat calmly on the floor, her back straight, her presence oddly serene. As Leo entered, she slowly opened one eye, her face unreadable, though there was a certain quiet grace in her composure.

"Did you eat the food I left for you?" Leo asked in a soft voice as he stepped closer.

Pride stood up smoothly and nodded. "Indeed, Master."

Leo gave a brief nod in return, walking over to the study table where he placed the things he had brought. From the grocery bag, he pulled out a roll of medical tape, cotton pads, a deck of cards, silver tapes that used for kidnapping... and a few miscellaneous items.

Pride watched silently, her gaze calm and curious, but she didn’t ask about the items. Her eyes followed his hands, but her lips remained sealed.

After a short pause, Leo finally muttered, "Also... don’t call me ’Master.’ It just feels... off." He glanced away, scratching his head. "I don’t know why, but it makes me uncomfortable. It reminds me of this one customer from back at my job... she made me call her ’Master’ once. The way she lit up from it was just... disturbing."

Pride blinked slowly, not understanding what he meant by customer, "But then... what should I call you instead?"

Leo looked at her, and for the first time tonight, his smile felt a little more genuine. "Just Leo. That’s fine."

Pride raised one of her eyebrows slightly, then gave a short nod. "Very well. I will call you by your name, Leo."

She paused before speaking again, her tone growing more serious. "I know you are not a mage, and somehow, you got dragged into this war. But I need you to understand this clearly—I will protect you. I swear it on my name. Caleindra Pendragon will protect Leo, no matter the cost."

Leo’s eyes widened slightly at that name. He looked at her with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "Wait... Pride isn’t your real name?"

Pride gave him a small, soft smile and shook her head. "No. ’Pride’ is the title given to me—the embodiment of the Sin I represent. But my real name is Caleindra Pendragon. And I believe we should talk... properly, before our first battle."

Leo paused in thought, then slowly sat down on the edge of his bed. "Okay."

Pride began to lower herself to the ground as if preparing to sit in her usual meditative posture, but Leo gently patted the space beside him, inviting her to sit with him.

She frowned slightly, hesitating for a brief second, then moved over and sat down beside him on the bed, taking a long, slow breath before continuing.

"My name is Caleindra Pendragon, Leo. You may call me Caleindra when we are alone. But in front of the other Masters, you must use my Sin name. If they learn my real identity... they could strategise against me, formulate counters based on who I was in history. And if that happens, our chances would greatly diminish—unless you wish for that outcome?"

Leo blinked again, thinking it over. "Yeah, that makes sense... Come to think of it, you guys are based on some sort of mythological or historical figures, right?"

Pride nodded. "Yes. You might have lost your memories, but in the past, my House was known for its pride and its strength. The name Pendragon carries weight."

Leo stared at her, curious. ’Pendragon... I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before, but I can’t remember where exactly,’ he thought to himself. Then he asked aloud, "So is that why everyone’s been wearing those old-fashioned clothes and hiding their weapons wrapped in clothes?"

Pride responded by raising her hand. A wooden sword shimmered into view in her grasp. "This is my sword. The moment I reveal its true power, anyone familiar with our history will know exactly who I am. It’s the same for the others. Greed’s weapon, for example—it’s wrapped in layers of cloth, not just to hide it, but to keep its identity secret. We’re all doing the same. Until names are exposed, there’s always an edge to be held."

Leo nodded slowly, now understanding. "I see... So that’s how it works."

A smirk touched his lips. "Well then... Caleindra Pendragon, we’ll fight together. We’ll defeat the other Masters and win that Relic."

Pride tilted her head at him, eyes narrowing just slightly in thought. "Even though you aren’t a mage... You still believe we can win?"

Leo chuckled lightly. "Of course. I summoned you, didn’t I? Even if I’m not a mage, I still pulled off something no one expected. That has to count for something, right? If that’s not a miracle, I don’t know what is. And if I could do that... I don’t see why we can’t win."

Pride’s expression softened. A quiet warmth settled in her gaze as she looked at him. "Very well then. I shall fulfil my duty to the fullest."

Then, after a short pause, her voice lowered slightly. "A-Also..."

"Hmm?" Leo turned to her.

"N-Nothing..." Pride shook her head quickly, forcing the thoughts away.

Leo frowned for a second before letting out a quiet sigh and shrugging his shoulders.’Anyway, if I really plan on stealing the Relic, I’ll need her help. And Valra too... I need her on my side. Otherwise, doing this alone would be downright suicidal,’ he thought, his expression darkening with determination as he began preparing everything he might need.

He glanced around his room carefully. Since Raphael was still somewhere inside the house, probably fast asleep, he knew Valra wouldn’t make any sudden moves. She wouldn’t risk getting seen or causing a commotion.

But he needed open space... somewhere away from Raphael’s presence, away from prying eyes.

Somewhere he could move freely.

Opening his cupboard, Leo rifled through the shelves until he found what he was looking for—dark clothing, tight and muted enough to blend into the night. He quickly changed, slipping into a black shirt and fitted pants, then pulled on a hooded jacket.

Once dressed, he double-checked everything he had packed earlier, tightened the straps of his bag, and quietly opened his room door. He peeked out into the hallway, holding his breath for a second to detect any signs of movement. The house was silent. Satisfied, he motioned with a gentle wave for Pride to follow him.

She nodded silently, stepping beside him as they moved through the corridor. Their footsteps made no sound against the wooden floor as they slipped through the front door and exited the house without making so much as a creak.

Unbeknownst to either of them, back inside Leo’s room, something stirred in the quiet. Under his bed, a faint green shimmer pulsed softly. The silver chain wrapped around the green-colored scabbard glowed momentarily before falling silent again. The scabbard—once hurled during the confrontation with Greed—had slid beneath the bed.

Meanwhile, out on the open road, Leo and Pride walked in silence. The area around them was still and empty.

"You think you can handle that Envy guy?" Leo asked suddenly, glancing sideways at Pride.

Pride gave a short nod, walking confidently beside him. "As long as he doesn’t go all out and unleash his full power, I can manage."

Leo frowned, the thought bothering him. "And if he does?"

Pride didn’t hesitate. "Then it becomes dangerous for both of us. If he uses everything he’s got, he’ll be forced to reveal his true identity. And once I know who he is—truly—I can use that knowledge against him. I’ve studied most of the major mythological figures. But..." Her expression darkened slightly. "My mana is limited. That’s the catch."

Leo’s expression grew awkward. ’Tsk... mana again.’

He already knew the only thing holding her back was her mana supply. And the biggest problem?

His current body didn’t have mana circuits.

But... that made no sense.

’Wait a second... this isn’t even my original body. So why the hell doesn’t it have mana circuits?’ he thought, his brows furrowing deeply. He turned toward Pride. "Hey... everyone born in this world has mana circuits, right?"

Pride nodded without hesitation. "Indeed. Anyone born naturally would develop mana circuits, whether mage or not. It’s part of how the body harmonises with mana in the environment. But you..." she paused, narrowing her eyes. "You don’t have any. And that’s what’s truly confusing. Mana... would never allow something like that to be born. It defies the natural laws of this world."

Leo hummed thoughtfully, his mind spinning with more questions than answers, ’Then how the hell was this guy born? Or was he even born in the first place...? Ugh, this is giving me a headache.’

He shook his head, trying to clear the cluttered mess of thoughts, just as they arrived at a wide, empty field. The ground stretched out flat and open under the starlit sky.

But before he could take another step, a sharp voice rang out.

"That’s enough walking," the voice echoed coldly.

Leo immediately turned around, his eyes scanning the rooftops—

And there she was.

Valra stood tall and proud on the rooftop of a nearby building. Behind her, like a shadow looming at her back, stood her Champion—Envy.

Pride reacted instantly, summoning her sword with a flicker of energy. Her fingers tightened around the hilt, her posture tensing as her expression grew fierce.

Valra smirked confidently, her eyes glowing faintly. With a snap of her fingers, Envy moved.

He raised one hand, clenched his fingers in the air—

The space around them distorted. Like ripples spreading over the surface of water, the world shifted. A wave of invisible force passed over Leo and Pride.

Leo blinked, disoriented. "What the hell was that?"

Pride narrowed her eyes. "We’ve been trapped. He’s activated a dimensional barrier... we’re inside another layer of reality now. Whatever happens here wouldn’t affect the reality of our world... Until we defeat him, there’s no getting out."

Leo stared at her, shocked. "He can do that?!"

Valra chuckled darkly. "Didn’t I warn you? This isn’t some game," she said, her voice laced with amusement as her body flickered with flames. Her eyes glowed brighter as she thrust her hand forward, a jet of fire shooting toward them like a dragon’s breath.

"Envy. Finish her off," she commanded without emotion, her attention already moving past the battle.

Envy grinned wickedly. "I’ve been waiting for this moment!" he said with excitement, his body vanishing instantly.

Leo clenched his fists tightly, heat rising in his chest.

"Looks like things are finally getting fired up... damn."

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