The information network of assassins worked as follows:
The moment chaos broke out on Starfall Mountain, a faculty member who had been stationed nearby sensed an abnormal surge of mana. He, too, was a former assassin. He activated [Concealment] and utilized a Level 5 movement technique known as 『Buoyancy』—a slow but high-altitude ascension skill.
Mana, by nature, is internal. It cannot be detected until released. But once its latent state is broken, it becomes observable.
So, the faculty member ascended high into the sky, roughly pinpointed the source of the surge, and transmitted the coordinates—to none other than his “business contact”: the Kashan Knights.
— Confirmed.
Kashan responded.
Moments later, an elderly administrative officer from the Royal Special Division's management office belatedly learned of the Knights’ deployment. Unlike other operations, this one had no listed objective—and its communication logs linked directly to the princess’s royal guard.
So the clerk decided to inform a “friend” of his.
He didn’t actually know what the Knights were up to, or why—but figured it was worth reporting. After all, the elite demon-assassination unit was moving toward a school full of assassins.
— Hey, old friend. Hohoho... Hm? What’s that?
The playful tone vanished from the voice of Dean Shaman, whose jowls had likely quivered on the other end of the receiver.
— Where.
***
Tick, tick-tick—
Bullets didn’t work. I realized that after firing three times. The witch ducked in a panic, widened the distance, and when she finally seemed to read the trajectory, she deflected the shots with the back of her hand.
But would she be able to see this?
An invisible giant sword came crashing down on her. I had deployed it as discreetly as possible. Undetectable.
And yet, whether she sensed the mana or something else—the witch suddenly threw herself to the ground, narrowly dodging it. That confirmed something.
She wasn’t an assassin.
She was a warrior—and a fast one.
KWA-A-A-AANG!!!
The ground cratered beneath the impact. Somewhere in the dust, the witch drew a sword.
A crude, pathetic chunk of steel.
Useless.
『World Forgery: Form Forgery [Mana Distortion Field]』
『World Forgery: Phenomenon Forgery [Ambush]』
『World Forgery: Spatial Forgery [Forest of Blades]』
『World Forgery: Perception Forgery [Near Death]』
Spherical nodes burst forth from all directions. Sensing the threat, the witch threw herself sideways at lightning speed.
At the same time, the surrounding forest warped—the leaves morphed into blades that lunged for her.
As the witch leapt high, attempting to land in the treetops, she lost balance and crashed down. Right as the 『Mana Distortion Field』 descended upon her.
That’s when I saw it.
A pure white energy gathered at the tip of her blade.
Internally, I flinched.
Sword energy.
But not just any kind. In training sessions I’d observed, ordinary sword energy was like sand—whereas this one was like milk. Smooth. Pure. Exceptionally refined sword energy—on a blade that looked like scrap.
KAGAGANG!!
With that, she shattered the distortion field.
Simultaneously, dozens of phantom assassins charged in. A manifestation formed through the [Ambush] formula.
THWACK, THWACK—
Each time the witch swung her blade, another exploded—clang!—instantly.
But it wasn’t enough. Even now, she could still evade my strikes.
The giant soldier’s sword lifted a bit higher.
While I timed my moment—
Assassins with blades flanked her from all directions.
The witch chose her answer with precision. Cut down a few. Then launched herself high and away, evading the entire kill zone.
Incredible. Her combat instincts.
If she’d been even slightly off, it would’ve ruined my setup. Thankfully, she responded just as I’d hoped.
Normally, a warrior in midair has no means to change direction.
───── .
The giant sword crashed down.
A blow powerful enough to shatter castle gates. Enough to crush even Jinksythe’s monstrous limbs.
I had no doubt this would kill the witch.
So when I saw it—
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
──KAAAANG!!!
The witch caught it.
With that lump of junk metal.
Both feet planted on the ground. As if she’d blocked a ballistic missile with a toothpick.
How was that even possible?
It was like an apartment complex plummeting out of the sky—and being stopped dead by a flimsy blade tip!
KWA-KWA-KWA-KRAAAANG ──
Of course, she couldn’t stop the shockwave. The area exploded again.
The trees formed by [Forest of Blades], the earth itself, everything beneath her feet was obliterated in a ten-meter radius.
The witch was blown back, flicking the sword away—but then her nose began to bleed.
She dropped the weapon, quickly switching hands. Her wrist was probably broken. A repercussion from blocking a siege weapon-tier strike.
Her upper body trembled.
I dashed in.
But I’m not stupid enough to go toe-to-toe with a warrior. I moved with a swarm of [Dantes] and [Ambushers].
KANG!! KAKA-KANG! KANG! KAKANG!
The witch moved like a demon. Parrying blades, dodging shurikens, deflecting sniper rounds.
She vaulted across trees, bounding ten meters at a time, trying to escape—but my illusions chased her down instantly.
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA!
A mini 『Kaleidoscope』 trap deployed—its beams from 「Liberator⁺₊⋆」 engulfed the witch.
But she shattered the mirrors and broke free.
Even so, the light from the Stellar Throne⁺₊⋆ struck her leg. The bottom of her dress shredded. Her leg looked like it had been thrown into a blender—glass shards embedded, blood flowing freely.
But where the witch landed, thinking it safe—
I’d already launched a powerful strike half a second prior.
KAAAAANG!!
And even that was blocked.
With one hand.
She caught the force of my two-handed attack with just one arm.
A pure strength contest followed.
Now close enough to see her face again—that scrunched expression. Confused. Almost ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ pleading.
As she reached out—
I kicked her.
Then came a barrage of strikes.
Far heavier than anything my phantoms could dish out.
KAANG! KAAANG!!
The weight of this assault finally registered. Her expression grew even more distressed.
She must’ve realized—destroying my phantoms meant nothing. It wouldn’t end.
But I was frustrated too. Even with all my stat boosts, none of my attacks truly landed.
She was a bicorn demon, even in a weakened state. The witch was absurdly strong.
At this rate, I’d never land a critical hit—
SHREEEEEEEK—
The twist came from Ran.
KWAANG!!
The witch deflected her sword with the back of her hand—Ran’s strike, fast as lightning.
But that hand burst open, blood flying.
“I’ll assist!”
“I said stay out of it!”
“I’m fine!”
Wearing her signature Excalibur headband, Ran began pressing the witch hard.
This opportunity couldn’t be wasted.
I swapped swords again and gripped the 「Giant Soldier’s Sword○」.
Then—
ZIIIIING...
A vile tremor ran through the blade.
After being blocked by a few toothpicks, this bastard of a weapon finally turned on me.
<○ The Sword questions your worth and begins a trial.>
You rotten piece of shit.
It’s blaming me?
I planned everything perfectly. Executed the timing flawlessly.
It was the witch who brute-forced her way through it.
<○ Defeat your enemy.>
However, this time, I had found the strategy.
And unexpectedly, Ran became the decisive move.
Wearing the Excalibur headband, Ran was an assassin from the [Movement Technique Branch], and she was as fast as most [Master]-rank professors.
“I’ll draw their attention!”
That kind of speed is what gives warriors the most trouble. In-and-out. Strike, withdraw, find the angle—they can’t react fast enough. Here, the witch and Ran were moving in a different “density of time.”
What struck me for a moment was that the witch wasn’t counterattacking. But how could I know? Who knew what kind of twisted hobby an Aspected Demon might have. If she said she didn’t kill, maybe that meant she didn’t counterattack either.
Once again, countless instances of 『World Forgery』 rained down.
[Tree]
The witch, stepping backward, suddenly found a tree sprouting up behind her—her retreat blocked.
[Near-Death Severance]
Right after barely blocking Ran’s blade, she felt as if her arm had been cut off.
[World Inversion]
The world flipped upside down—sky and earth reversed—and she clutched the tree branch tightly. With her left hand severed, she gripped the sword handle with her right. And just like that, she stepped right into the trap I had so neatly prepared.
Even if she could block the blade of the Giant Soldier’s Sword○, a thrust was a different story.
Once more, the invisible sword began pouring down on the witch—from its very tip.
───── .
It pierced through a single point, pushing aside the surrounding air, magic, and the entire world. Not even Zeus’s lightning, a god’s staff, or a missile could rival that force.
A single strike that could obliterate an underground fortress hidden fifty meters below.
Die.
KWA AAAAAANG!!!!!
The mountain range, the graveyard, the ancient mound Eve was standing on, the trees and the vast land—all of it detonated, ripped apart at the seams.
And yet, the witch raised her sword once more and blocked it.
Was she insane?
I pushed harder. Crushed harder.
Her body tilted under the pressure. Her legs, spine, and forearms were being subjected to incomprehensible strain. And yet—she held her ground.
This wasn't brute strength. It was magic. Just how powerful was her magic to endure this?
My raw combat power is only at the [Master] level. But my weapon wasn’t.
If someone took that strike head-on—
A [Grandmaster] would be dead.
A [Challenger] would be critically wounded, possibly dead if they were a mage.
Even a [Constellation] couldn’t emerge unscathed. That was the calculated damage.
Drip. Drip—
Blood began to leak from the corners of the witch’s eyes, unable to withstand the pressure.
I saw it as my last chance. While still pinning down the Giant Soldier, I surged forward through the collapsing space. I didn’t even have time to switch swords.
I stabbed the witch directly.
But the witch would dodge. Ran would twist the trajectory once more from the right—then I’d deliver the final blow...
Schlk―
The blade sank into her abdomen.
She didn’t dodge.
...What?
“......”
Silence fell in that fleeting instant.
Something felt wrong.
I’d suspected it all along, but when she blocked that last strike, the suspicion had grown stronger.
It was like the witch was holding back against me...
No—
It felt like she had no intention to fight me at all.
I had assumed she was just on a higher tier than me, but this—this was far beyond. If she truly moved to attack, I would have no way to defend. All I could do was stall.
And yet, she never attacked me.
That meant it wasn’t that she didn’t want to fight me—
It was that she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
It was like... an elephant that had fallen in love with a poacher.
I have no idea why that was the metaphor that came to mind. But that’s how it felt.
This elephant—even if I shoot it, it just lets itself be shot.
And as that realization sank in—that this creature was a demon—all the blood that had been running hot since the beginning of the battle started to cool rapidly.
What the hell...
Why?
What the hell is she doing?
So she wasn’t faking that cautious demeanor when we first met?
At that moment, Ran started creeping forward.
“...Stop.”
“Yes.”
The blade in the witch’s abdomen was the deepest I’d ever stabbed her. I pushed it a bit deeper. The tip of the blade sank further inside.
“......”
Her face contorted from the pain. Her torso curled inward.
Even then, she looked up at me. That same expression as before.
She looked... sad.
“This is the only opportunity we’ll have. Should I kill her?”
Ran asked.
What do I do?
I didn’t know.
I’ve never experienced anything like this before in my life.
Why the hell is she doing this?
If you’re a demon, act like one. Attack humans. What the fuck is this?
And then, the witch moved her hand.
She reached out to me. Slowly.
She might’ve been trying to tear my wrist off. I raised my hand to block hers. Don’t touch me.
Her fingertips touched my palm.
It wasn’t an attack.
It was refusal.
My expression froze.
“......”
Even so, the witch moved again.
With her left hand gripping my blade, her right hand fumbled around her ragged cloak’s waist.
She pulled something out.
A knife.
Ah, of course. Should’ve just killed her right now—
But the witch tilted her head, then placed the knife on the ground.
And began fumbling again at her waist.
She pulled something else out.
...A bell.
What the hell kind of bell...?
There was no context, no narrative logic. Just something completely artificial, unnaturally placed.
My eyes glanced at her nametag. [● Eve 『Curse of Forgetting』] And then from the curse name, a thought—a shocking theory began to take shape.
The Curse of Forgetting causes one to be erased from the world’s and people’s memories.
If that’s the case...?
Ah.
...Fuck. Don’t tell me—
It’s because I’m a player. Because I’m almost completely immune to mental contamination in this world. I never imagined this could happen even to me.
“Professor. The witch is starting to regenerate.”
“......”
“Should I kill her? I can do it now.”
Ran pressed me for a decision.
In that instant—
I thought of many things.
And I looked into the witch’s eyes.
Those round eyes that, even now, showed no aggression.
This wasn’t a bond formed in a single day.
Something I couldn’t remember, she clearly remembered.
I pulled the sword out.
“...First aid kit.”
“Sorry?”
My voice trembled.
“Bring a first aid kit. ...First aid kit...”