My skin prickled. Shaman's killing intent had burst out and swept indiscriminately in all directions.
That terrifying presence crushed both earth and man. Even the overwhelming aura of Royal Knight Commander Kashan was helplessly pushed back.
“...Kuh.”
This was the same Kashan who had calmly withstood a siege-tier blow from the Giant Soldier’s Sword○, and now his face was stiffening in the face of pure murderous pressure.
This wasn’t just presence.
【 Shaman is using 『Hunting Territory』. 】
『Hunting Territory』—an 8th-level spatial domination-type ability.
As a [Throwing-type] assassin, Shaman was locking down the enemies’ feet and bodies with this power.
But how the hell did Shaman get here?
Most likely, he used his own information network to rush in after investigating.
It was nice of him to call me his kid, but truthfully, he didn’t need to come. ...I had already survived. I had identified who was behind this.
There was a reason I was thinking this way.
There was one thing that weighed on my mind.
Shaman’s arrival could—just maybe—bring about the worst-case scenario...
‘Professor. Shouldn’t we go out there now?’
Ran asked.
‘...Stay still.’
Moving wasn’t easy.
I tried to shift my body.
My fingers creaked. So did my toes.
If I forced it, I could move, but it would be too risky—my movement was severely restricted.
And with such a massive disparity in class between us...
Mana is the embodiment of will. With only 15% of my mana left, my willpower was too weakened to endure 『Hunting Territory』.
‘Let’s just observe for now.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Just watching this battle would provide us with a wealth of information.
And those thoughts immediately proved true.
“...I’m sorry, but I can’t speak. Dean Shaman.”
Though his ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ jaw trembled, Kashan resisted.
“ So you truly want me to kill you to get the answer. ”
The round lenses of Shaman’s glasses caught the moonlight and gleamed. His eyes were hidden.
Still, Kashan forced a grin that stretched his lips wide.
“...Even if I’m beneath you, I serve the Crown. What I’m doing is right. There’s no one in Hiaka who can order a royal knight—not even you, the fourth-strongest in the Academy.”
With blood trickling from his mouth, Kashan shouted as though chewing his words.
“I will fight.”
At that moment—
Clatterrrrr—!!
Chains sprang up from his neck and traced a circle in midair. They resembled handcuffs.
Ah!
The moment I saw it, I immediately understood what Kashan meant when he said he would “stake his life.”
It was a [Legendary II]-grade necklace—
Hiaka’s National Treasure No.14.
“God’s Toy□”
A [Stigma] necklace symbolizing luck, misfortune, and gambling—tied to the celestial body Fortune-Star□. If the dice roll a 4 or higher, the wearer receives absurdly powerful buffs.
But if the result is 3 or below, they grow weaker. And if it's a 1?
They die on the spot.
【 Fortune-Star□'s gamble begins. 】
Within the circular arc of suspended chains, a die began to spin.
A knight's life-or-death gamble had begun.
Gambling was the realm of [Stigmas]. Kashan was now immune to damage. All Shaman could do was watch.
As countless expressions flashed across Kashan’s face, the spinning die finally stopped.
The result—
【 Gamble Result: ⚄ 】
A five.
God had sided with Kashan.
“Yes!!”
He had wagered his life—and the victorious knight let out a triumphant roar.
【 A temporary [Stigma] of Fortune-Star□ has been granted. 】
Three buffs were instantly bestowed.
His massive greatsword shattered like a flail. Crack! The broken blade revealed a bizarre, ominous-colored sword that hadn’t even originally existed inside it.
His metal boots transformed—something unseen clung to them midair and reshaped them into a stylish form. Just one step sent ripples of energy pulsing through space.
“Graaaaaah!!”
Finally, the energy bursting from his body—his stat coefficients were skyrocketing. At this moment, his total combat power had likely tripled thanks to God’s Toy.
But still...
“ Are you done with your little performance. ”
He was facing the guardian deity of assassins.
⋮
What followed was completely beyond my control. I couldn’t even keep up with their movements anymore. But I followed the flow of the battle with complete clarity.
【 Shaman uses 『Heaven-Piercing Phantom Wind』. 】
【 Shaman uses 『Black Trajectory』. 】
Shaman’s massive body vanished into a speck of light, then began flickering across the world like a stain of radiance. Within that glow, Shaman selectively cast shadows into space. Starfall Mountain, now in nightfall, became a chaotic blend of light and darkness.
【 Shaman uses 『Thousand Needle Illusion』. 】
A thousand magic shurikens flooded the battlefield like a tidal wave. It was a full-blown bombardment. The impact and sonic booms made the world tremble—it felt like my eardrums would burst. This was what a perfected [Throwing-type] assassin looked like—a walking tactical bomber.
But I frowned. This was the exact method I’d hoped to avoid.
Kashan responded immediately.
【 Kashan uses 『Palace Rainfall』. 】
【 Kashan uses 『Immortality』. 】
【 Kashan uses 『Chivalry of Oblivion』. 】
Even as the bombardment swept over him, every time he reappeared, huge mana needles were stabbed into his body and blood erupted. Five, ten, even more. But with his now tripled stats and temporarily transcended skills, he endured.
【 Kashan uses 『Sun-Downing Blade Aura□』. 】
Finally, his stigma-enhanced sword aura exploded into an overwhelming slash, threatening to sweep the entire glowing sky.
【 Shaman uses 『Divine Punishment』. 】
But that massive wide-area strike was pierced like a wave stabbed by a missile at the critical point.
The battle raged on. The longer it went, the more Kashan was pushed back. Mental exchanges passed between them. A few attacks even struck Shaman—his forearm burst open and his abdomen was torn.
But by then, over 200 mana needles had embedded themselves in Kashan’s body. Imagine 200 pencils perfectly stuck in your flesh, and a [Stigma] barely keeping you moving.
【 Kashan: ‘Even after all this... I still can’t win?’ 】
Kashan was quietly appalled. Though he was a three-digit ranked warrior, he was hitting a wall.
But I had predicted Shaman’s victory from the start. My focus was elsewhere.
The worst-case scenario.
And unfortunately, my fear was about to come true.
【 Combat temporarily halted. 】
As the light stains faded, Shaman stood in the air. On the other side, Kashan also froze.
‘...She woke up.’
Ran murmured.
Indeed.
At the mountaintop’s ridge—
The horned demon stood.
Gazing down at the battered decoy Dante.
Expression stiff.
Then, she raised her hand into the air.
Even from this distance, I saw her fingertips tremble.
‘...She’s calling you, Professor.’
Ran spoke. Her hair ornament had changed from a ‘headband model’ to a ‘parrot.’
‘What are you doing?’
‘The witch is transmitting intent.’
‘What?’
Ran was reading non-verbal communication.
‘She’s calling for you.’
Her lips moved silently.
‘She’s calling for you.’
Her eyes narrowed in distress.
‘She’s calling for you.’
Damn it. I quickly sent a thin stream of mana. The smallest interference I could manage without revealing myself.
[Pulse] circuit initiated. The decoy Dante’s heart began to beat.
I made sure to release a faint flicker of mana too, just enough to be noticed.
It was a small change—but one everyone here could perceive.
I had just signaled to the horned demon:
I’m alive.
And with that, her expression relaxed. Her trembling hand moved to her chest. She made a tiny fist over her heart.
Then, she bowed forward deeply. Her hooded hair spilled down.
Though I couldn’t see or hear it—I felt a long sigh escape her lips.
‘...She’s relieved.’
Even without Ran telling me, I knew.
This was the worst-case scenario I’d feared. With two humans already tearing up the mountain, adding the horned demon would push everything past the brink.
But I thought—by signaling I was alive, I had just avoided the worst outcome.
...That was my mistake.
‘She’s angry now.’
What?
‘Why? I lived.’
‘Maybe because you were attacked at all.’
‘.......’
Shit.
And Ran’s words became reality.
As the horned demon raised her head, I realized—
That gentle face now held an expression of cold rage. A flat expression more terrifying than any scowl.
Her mana exploded.
────── .
It was... different.
The sheer quantity was as insane as when Shaman first appeared—but the quality was different.
I had felt it before in our battle—this wasn’t something a human could produce. It was clear. Transparent. Clean.
The sensation of witnessing a disaster with human eyes.
Like standing before a tsunami, powerless.
The horned demon drew her sword and slowly lowered her stance. Her power surged, flinging her hair back.
CRACKLEEEEE──────!!!
Mana spiraled wildly like uncontrolled lightning, bursting across the entirety of Starfall Mountain.
‘She’s angry.’
As Kashan and Shaman froze in alarm, the first to react—
Was the star.
Kashan’s necklace, God’s Toy□, responded.
【 Fortune-Star□, having had its joyous game interrupted, grants another [Stigma]. 】
Another stigma? Literally.
A sinister light poured out and began creating entities—Divine Soldiers.
They were the elite guards of divine shrines.
Three giants, clad in heavy armor, each over five meters tall.
That’s when the horned demon moved.
Slowly. But it was terrifying. With her monstrous power condensed into a 1cm-wide sword aura, she began accelerating—until she crossed space.
CLANG ── !
A flash of light burst. The body of one Divine Soldier exploded. Then a shockwave bomb tore through the area. The horned demon didn’t stop. She crushed the other soldiers.
The Divine Soldiers fought back—creating [Stigma] shields or opening their helmet jaws wide to fire 『Flashburst』.
As the condensed beam of light swelled in size, she leapt, sliced through its leg, and drove her blade into its jaw and skull.
BOOOM-!!!
The crimson light of 『Flashburst』 tore through the atmosphere—illuminating the sky. A hole opened in the clouds above.
It was a fight beyond belief. Those Divine Soldiers were Grandmaster-level. And yet they were getting obliterated in a few hits.
That’s when I realized. In our fight earlier, the horned demon hadn’t even activated minimal self-defense. Like an elephant ignoring a poacher stabbing it with a knife.
But once that elephant moved—
No human could stop her.
“Kuh! What the hell kind of monster is that...?!”
As the last Divine Soldier was destroyed, Kashan grit his teeth and charged.
KRAAANG!!!
Another single strike. Whatever blade he used—it shattered. Then she spun, using the momentum to kick his ribs.
BOOM! The air exploded.
But this time, Kashan wasn’t alone.
He stopped midair.
【 Fortune-Star□, having had its joyous game interrupted again, grants another [Stigma]. 】
Just as his National Treasure No.14, God’s Toy□, began to glow—
The horned demon leapt off a tree and brought her blade crashing down on the necklace.
KRAAAK......!!
Sparks flew. It was like two chainsaws grinding against each other.
“No—!!”
Kashan screamed.
CRACK!!
It shattered. Exploded. Hiaka’s National Treasure No.14—destroyed.
【 Kashan: ‘!!!!!!’ 】
Kashan collapsed in shock and lost consciousness. Though no script displayed it, Shaman’s expression was contorted with rage.
Because this wasn’t just about people.
In a kingdom like Hiaka, built entirely on manpower—warriors like Kashan couldn’t be allowed to die. But even if three Kashan-level fighters died, a National Treasure must not be broken.
Warriors could grow. But National Treasures were ancient artifacts—rare beyond belief.
And one had just been destroyed!
During the impact, even the horned demon’s arm hadn’t escaped unscathed. The stigma backlash crushed her inner bones.
But that didn’t matter. Not to me.
Kashan had come to kill me. I already knew who was behind it. Live or die—he was out of my concern.
“ Witch of the Graveyard―!! ”
But Shaman and the horned demon clearly thought differently. As the two stared across the battlefield, Ran muttered something—but her face said it all.
They were going to fight.
The elephant, and a bear as large as the elephant.
I frantically wrung out half my remaining mana.
⋮
『 World Forgery: Time Forgery [60 sec / 10 frames] 』
⋮
They growled at each other.
When Shaman summoned three autonomous flying daggers—it was the signal.
The bombardier guardian and the dual-horned monster swordswoman were about to clash.
In an instant, blinding light flashed. One arm was severed. A blade lodged shallowly into the other’s chest, crushing three ribs.
But that moment wasn’t visual. It was magical information—I couldn’t tell who hit whom.
But one thing was clear: I had to stop it!
Immediately after, the entirety of Starfall Mountain around us collapsed.
When I opened my eyes, Shaman was speaking.
“ I thought we were symbiotic. ”
From afar, a firebird-shaped shuriken flew and began spinning behind him.
Shit!
That was one of the three signal daggers!
“ Are you truly going to raise your blade against me. ”
Another shuriken flew in and spun in mirrored rotation.
Flickering flames. But it was clearly a weapon. A shuriken. Shaman was preparing the most dangerous attack he had.
That made two.
“No, don’t! Dean!”
The desperate voice came from his assistant, Bugi Bugi—the genius of scouting and reconnaissance.
“T-that’s too dangerous...! You should retreat—”
But the assistant collapsed, clutching his chest. Shaman didn’t even acknowledge the plea.
I had to stop this. Only I could.
But how?
I only had 7% mana left—just 122 units. And I was still trapped in Shaman’s 『Hunting Territory』, unable to even lift myself properly.
“ Move and I’ll kill you. ”
Finally, the third.
A third shuriken flew, forming a triangle. The horned demon also began amplifying her sword aura, now pulsing in and out of existence.
Then came a flash—a gut feeling from that formless, fragmented time-forged moment.
The one pierced through the chest and with shattered ribs—
Was Shaman.
“D-Dean...!”
Bugi Bugi let out a throat-shredding scream.
As the horned demon bent low to charge—and I saw the exact frame I’d witnessed in that forged second—
A lightning-bolt thought struck me.
Wasn’t she supposed to be deaf?
“Shaman...!”
Then, something emerged from the horned demon’s pocket—
Ah.
I instinctively summoned the last of my mana.
“Dean Shaman......!!!”
The horned demon’s charge broke the earth beneath her feet.
Shaman’s firebirds grew, their bodies swelling in flame.
And—
I rang the [Bell] I’d created through illusion.
Ding...
In that instant, the two racing figures froze.
I had burned through all my mana. My vision blurred from [Overload].
The world stuttered—one frame at a time.
All eyes turned to me.
The startled blue ones, too, stared my way.
And met eyes with the real me.
After a brief silence—
The horned demon tossed her sword aside and rushed toward me.
⋮
And thus, the bizarre incident surrounding the redevelopment of Starfall Mountain came to a close.