The kill angle often appeared without warning, but those perceptive could recognize the signs.Like predicting a building's collapse from just a crack in the wall or anticipating a stock market crash from sudden fluctuations, those with the right instinct could detect it. I had that instinct too.
As the Bennett party was chatting casually about quickdraw, I could see a clear kill angle. A drop of cold sweat trickled down my cheek.
The hunter targeting me knew I had sensed it. I had to act—now—if I wanted to survive!
Quickly, I readied a Silence Spell just as the hunter cocked the gun and aimed it.
“Mr. Crazy Wizard, would you like to shoot one off too?”
“Stop. I know exactly what you’re trying to do, and I’ve already figured out your every move. So, stop it now⋯⋯!"
Twitch. Yuna’s ears perked up.
It wasn’t a good sign. Pink-Haired Lesbian was about to speak, and her next line needed to be silenced.
Pew.
I discreetly cast the Silence Spell, but Pink-Haired Lesbian took out an artifact from her pocket, blocking it. Then, she pulled the trigger.“It’s been a while.”
“I said stop-!!”
Click.
I loaded my virtual shotgun and pointed it at Pink-Haired Lesbian. Pink-Haired Lesbian quietly clasped her hands behind her head and laid down on the floor. But it was already too late.
Pink-Haired Lesbian’s words had already hit their mark perfectly.
"⋯⋯What do you mean by ‘it’s been a while?’”
It was chilling.
Her cold, piercing gaze made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I quietly clasped my hands behind my head and lay down on the floor as well. Yuna’s stare was scarier than any gun.
Yuna kicked my shin, and then asked in a soft and deliberate tone.
“I’m asking, what do you mean by that, eung?”
“Well, there were circumstances.”
Pink-Haired Lesbian, like a ghost, added another jab.
“There were indeed... certain circumstances.”
“Could you just be quiet for a second?”
“Are you two⋯⋯ dating?”
“It’s not like that, we’re just friends⋯⋯ no, not secret friends or anything...”
I barely managed to get through it by promising to stick close to Yuna for a few days. The scariest part was that it was all a veiled threat—asking when I would fulfill the ‘promised TS date.’
It was clear she wouldn’t let up until I finally delivered on it.
===============================================================
A few days ago, Yuna and Pink-Haired Lesbian returned from their trip. Since then, everything had returned to normal. I taught my classes, that bitch made fun of me, and Yuna continued to play around.
When the official schedule was over, we all gathered in the lab. There, we’d huddle together on the couch to watch Envers’ heart-pounding attempts to conquer the Tower of Trials.
Our seating arrangement changed daily. Usually, I’d be at the bottom with Yuna next to me and Pink-Haired Lesbian beside her. Other days, Pink-Haired Lesbian would be on top of me with Yuna would be above her, or me next to Yuna on top of Pink-Haired Lesbian. Sometimes, I would be on top of both Yuna and Pink-Haired Lesbian.
Today, Pink-Haired Lesbian and Yuna were both sitting on top of me.
It’s probably not what you're imagining. Both of them were sitting on my back while I lay face-down on the couch.
Pink-Haired Lesbian and Yuna were having a friendly conversation.
“How far have the little brats made it?”
“Floor 6! It’s so much fun shipping Luna and Envers.”
“You’re too focused on shipping them, Tower Master. I really don’t think they’re going to end up together.”
“Uh, why not⋯⋯?! W-Wouldn’t that be the most natural outcome?!”
Yuna was always obsessed with shipping couples, while Pink-Haired Lesbian was indiscriminate, enjoying everything from the romance, to the detailed strategies for clearing the levels, and even the lore.
Lately, though, she seemed to be interested in martial arts itself.
“Incredible magic, really. You just feed data into the AI, wait a bit, and a whole new martial art is born. The potential for development is endless.”
“I appreciate the compliment, but can you take your hand off my butt. That’s sexual harassment.”
“It was meant to be a compliment. One day, you’ll create a martial arts technique just for me, right?”
“I’ve already started working on it.”
I had really begun working on it, though I hadn’t achieved any significant results yet. It would take some more time for a martial arts-crazed Pink-Haired Lesbian to be unleashed upon the world.
Anyway, back to the Tower of Trials.
The climbing party had just managed to dodge James’ Insta-kill Cheat Bullet and successfully cleared Floor 6. Originally, I hadn't planned to make the difficulty so high, but you know how it is. Difficulty is something that could be adjusted.
Since Envers was the main character of the Hidden Piece, I had designed the later stages of the Tower of Trials to be gimmick-heavy, allowing players to clear challenges by thinking outside the box rather than simply out-gearing them. If Envers had participated in the duel, even a normal bullet would’ve killed James.
However, the Red Magic Tower Wizard Selvier brought Bennett's party into the fray, and the story changed.
Bennett's party, as expected, was impressive. Their skills reflected the hardships they had endured. Thinking back to the time I nearly wrecked the session still pricked my conscience, but seeing them perform like this eased the guilt a bit.
I don’t like the saying that results justify the means.
In moments like these, it can’t end like, You’ve become a super genius wizard now, so it’s all good in the end, even if you died getting here.
Floor 7 and Floor 8 were passed quickly.
Envers made a troubled face watching Bennett beat up his master, while Luna and Niolle found common ground as people with ‘sharp vision,’ sharing a conversation.
I liked Luna the more I watched her.
"⋯⋯Do you like her?"
"⋯⋯Not in that way."
As a TA.
What if I kidnapped her, offered money, a lab, and even the necessary catalysts? Would she join me?
As for Envers⋯⋯ since they were brothers, he shared similarities with Roderus. They were both narrow-minded and quite jealous. They harbored a deep fear of their own inadequacies.
Roderus expressed this by looking down on others and taking the ‘You peasant’ route.
It seemed like Bennett was paying close attention to Envers.
Even if it didn’t show, Bennett was constantly offering subtle guidance. He showed him intricate mana control, or narrating the flow of battle and stuff.
However, for Envers, all of this only deepened his frustration. With his mana circuit in shambles, it felt like Bennett was mocking him, like telling someone without legs, ‘Here’s how you jump higher.’
This unintended deceiving from Bennett left Envers trembling in frustration.
When Envers first encountered martial arts, he viewed it as a potential solution to his limitations, but there was also a genuine fascination with martial arts itself.
An interest and fascination with the beauty that the human body can express.
His captivation with Luna’s graceful movements and his unbroken dedication to martial arts training, day in and day out, were all rooted in this passion. I focused on Envers because of this.
He was just momentarily blinded by his inferiority complex.
That’s why⋯⋯ I prepared the combat AI, 『Heavenly Demon』. It was a close-combat monster I had painstakingly created. I intended to show Envers the pinnacle of martial arts that I could manifest.
I’ll show him something hella cool.
Perhaps, then he would realize.
That deep down in his heart, he had always enjoyed martial arts. That his life was harsh, but not something to drown in negativity over and lose sight of what truly mattered.
Bennett must have felt a similar sentiment too.
"Life is hard, storms will rage, and waves will crash down upon you relentlessly. But don’t lose yourself."
Bennett imparted the third most valuable piece of wisdom he held to Envers. The first and second, for the record, were ‘I love you,’ which he heard from heroines.
However, Envers only scrunched up his face.
"⋯⋯What kind of riddle is that?"
"When an adult speaks, just listen."
“⋯⋯!! I am an adult too! We are not that far apart in age⋯⋯!!"
Watching Envers fuming on the screen, Yuna, Yuri, and I all had similar expressions. The type of expression that says, ‘I see⋯⋯' as we let the comment roll off our backs.
Luna came up with the idea for clearing the Floor 9. She suggested destroying the base of the orbital elevator, and then using it like a giant hammer to smash everything on the ground.
I really should get her into my lab.
I skipped the 10th floor due to technicalities. The boss there was 『Evil God』, aka 『Espoir De Eternal dark』, or 『Our Cutie Outer God』. When I asked Bennett if he wanted a rematch, he declined.
I could’ve pushed the point, but I let it slide. Pink-Haired Lesbian and Tower Master had just returned from a trip, so I was very much in a good mood.
After manipulating the beggar to recite the predetermined lines, the hidden door to the Tower of Trials opened, and the party began to enter.
With a wave of my hand, the world was divided. While a six-on-one fight might be fun, encounters like this were best-experienced one-on-one. Each person would meet their own Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon Encounter, begins.
===============================================================
In the pitch-black void.
A man stood on a floating rock with his eyes closed. His long, black hair fell disheveled over his face, and his unkempt beard covered the lower half of his face.
His muscles were thick, protruding beneath the martial attire he wore, hinting at the immense power contained within. He resembled a bear.
However, there was some kind of menacing feeling── it wasn’t something overwhelming.
If it was a matter of muscle size, ogres were twice as large. For sheer presence, Jay of Battōjutsu seemed far more menacing.
Considering the warnings from the beggar, and the tests we had to pass just to meet him, he seemed like nothing more than an ordinary martial artist. Not common, but not discoverable.
So he was able to have courage. Envers carefully opened his mouth.
"⋯⋯Are you the Heavenly Demon?”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
With a Seuruk.
His eyes opened.
Only then, Envers understood.
From that brief eye contact alone, he understood why this man had become such a figure of fear. His Gaze Insight(視線洞察) operated instinctively.
His gaze moved like a machine, quickly and methodically. He swept over vital points like the philtrum, temples, carotid artery, each and every vulnerable spot on the human body. But he didn’t stop there.
The gaze analyzed every habit, the technique ingrained in his body, the shape of his muscles, and even his emotions.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Envers felt as if thousands of people were dissecting naked himself. His organs, muscles, and sinew were all laid out on display, like a fish being fileted. He felt completely exposed and pinned down.
Goosebumps ran up his body.
But, he got himself together. It was just a gaze. He hadn’t even exchanged a single clash with Heavenly Demon yet, nor had he come here with the intent to win.
Even if he died, this was a safe place. He only wanted to witness the heights of martial arts.
"⋯⋯I am, I am Envers Redburn. I humbly ask⋯⋯ for your guidance."
He spoke as if reaffirming his purpose. Amidst the tension, Envers clenched his fist. Then he prepared his stance to use Scattering Bomb Finisher(爆灑結).
It was the Basic Technique he had refined with Luna’s help. They had honed it together, spending time and effort perfecting the moves as they climbed the tower.
As he observed, Heavenly Demon spoke quietly.
“It’s inefficient.”
“⋯⋯What did you say?"
It wasn’t a mockery. He simply spoke a fact. And then he proved it through demonstration.
The Heavenly Demon’s stance changed. At first, it mirrored Envers exactly, like a reflection in a mirror. Then, he began to slowly adjust.
He relaxed his right foot a little more. That seemed better, perhaps.
He widened the gap between his arms. It seems like a good idea. Worth noting. Why hadn’t I thought of that?
He subtly readjusted the position of his fingers. He changed the angle of his toes. The changes were quick. I couldn’t understand. What was he trying to do?
He slightly loosened the tension in his shoulders, opened his knees, altered the distribution of force in his calves. He perfectly balanced his weight between his feet. How is he…? And, and then also⋯⋯.
Like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, martial arts bloomed in an instant.
It was so much better.
So much better that it made Envers' posture seem embarrassing. So much that it made all his hard work feel worthless.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
What could you even call that feeling?
In mere seconds, the Heavenly Demon had stolen his technique, and then upgraded it to a far higher level. Envers was⋯⋯ confused.
He felt small.
"⋯⋯I,I will. I will show you. Take, take this──!!"
With Heavenly Demon responding with silence, Envers finally threw a punch after a hesitation. Ignition(爆灑結). A technique that unleashes devastating power and speed by exploding mana from joints.
PAAANG──!!
The punch shot. On top of the fist, it looked like a butterfly had gently landed on it.
Touch.
With just a slight touch from the Heavenly Demon, Envers’ punch was deflected with absurd ease. Envers froze in place.
It wasn’t overpowering with sheer force. He deflected with strength that even Envers, no⋯⋯ he deflected Ignition with strength even a seven-year-old child could easily exert.
Then, wouldn’t that mean even a seven-year-old child could counter Ignition.
It felt unreasonable. It was like fighting a nightmare. Just like in dreams, where nightmares were designed to win no matter what, he felt like such an existence.
It seemed like the world was falling apart.
⋯⋯⋯⋯.
Meanwhile, Luna saw something else in the same figure. He embodied the ideal warrior she had envisioned. Someone who knew everything and could do everything.
And now, she saw with her own eyes that it was possible.
“Little more.”
"Then, come."
Each punch made everything return to nothingness(無).
But it wasn’t in vain. It was a valuable experience that she could look back to it endlessly,
She had witnessed the extreme precision of skill required to create a gentle breeze out of Ignition. And that precision was born from thorough analysis. She could tell just by looking into his eyes.
The Heavenly Demon's eyes were similar to hers. His skills were just far superior, but they were looking in the same direction.
Challenging continuously.
She might be able to achieve her dream if she followed that. Even just a fragment of his martial art would be good enough. That alone would be sufficient to reach her goal.
⋯⋯⋯⋯.
Their thoughts diverged.
Luna believed that was it, she thought she should follow it.
Envers believed it was impossible, thinking that there was no way he could do something like that.
One saw a tall wall, the other saw a ladder.
And so, the brief duel came to an end.
===============================================================
"So, did you enjoy yourself?"
He appeared suddenly as if a fog was rolling in. He was slapping his lower back with an amusing posture as if he was carrying something heavy on his back.
Bennett’s party was seriously concerned as they were still catching their breath and replaying the battle in their minds.
"⋯⋯Crazy Wizard. Is that Heavenly Demon being, really safe?"
"You’re sealing it properly, right? It won’t get out, right?"
—We need excessive firepower to suppress that thing. Forget about technique, just large-area firepower bombardment.
Crazy Wizard waved his hand dismissively.
"Don’t worry, that’s an illusion. I’ve got it under control. In fact, we can even use it to our advantage. Uh⋯⋯ the professor, you know. It was also used when having a sword debate with him.“
Bennett’s internal Crazy Wizard Translator started to kick off. It would just replace the illusion part with Dimensional Magic.
=> Don’t worry, I sealed it with dimensional magic. It’s safe enough to use for training. Alexon thinks I’m good at sword technique but that was just outsourcing to the Heavenly Demon.
Bennett and Tara eased off their concerns as they nodded.
"⋯⋯Sure, I’ll trust you. You’ll probably do well on yourself.”
"Well, if you⋯⋯ say so. Man, that was really annoying. No matter what attack we threw, he blocked everything, right Bennett? Niolle, did you happen to land any hits by any chance?"
—Just a scratch. But I noticed he was slower to react to rather really strange attacks.
"Uh, Student Niolle, could you please elaborate on that in detail?"
As Crazy Wizard politely requested feedback from Niolle, who had discovered the Heavenly Demon’s deep learning vulnerabilities.
Luna was about to talk about improvements in martial arts in excitement, then she saw Envers soullessly staring at the sky. The alarm went off in Luna’s head.
"⋯⋯I was… My effort was… nothing⋯⋯worthless⋯⋯?"
"Hey, Envers, are you okay? Your speech became normal⋯⋯?"
Selvier also noticed something wrong with Envers and looked at him worriedly. He even broke his concept. At this rate, he’s going to put his hands on drugs⋯⋯!
What should I do? Should I knock him by hitting his head first? Luna cautiously clenched her fist.
"Ah, Luna and⋯⋯ Envers? I have a suggestion if you’re okay with it. I’d like to show one of you the town where the Heavenly Demon lived. Only one of you can go due to certain technical limitations, though⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
You bring that up in the middle of the situation ⋯⋯!!