【 Bon Hilde Mark†: <Cain's not here.> 】
【 Bon Hilde Mark†: <I’ve checked every passenger aboard. There’s no child with the mana level of a chief professor.> 】
【 Hessian†: <Fuck, must’ve caught on and bolted. That brat’s just a decoy to mislead us.> 】
...Nope.
I’m the real one.
【 Hessian†: <Should’ve stayed with Team B. Whatever. Let’s just kill him and move on. Prep the totem. Luxong!> 】
【 Luxong†: <The Virgin is with us.> 】
I led Eve out of the VIP room. We passed the 9th car and made our way toward Car 10.
“Excuse me, passengers. That direction leads to the cargo hold. Where are you going?”
“??,,”
Eve bowed her head. I’d taught her to lower her head when being scolded.
『Armory of the Celestial Legion』
I summoned a tranquilizer needle from the inner arsenal and jabbed the staff member. The same type that Conan probably fired into some famous detective’s neck 200 times.
He went down immediately.
“...zZZ.”
We stuffed him in the restroom and kept moving. Eve asked, “Why didn’t you apologize?” I explained. There were four of them. Assassins.
Only then did she close her eyes, feel the surroundings, and nod.
'Things are about to get very messy.'
I knew the Bohemian Assassins’ style. They wouldn’t hesitate to kill thousands just to eliminate one target. Collateral damage meant nothing to them.
And Eve—she had a tendency to freeze when facing death. I needed to find a place with as few people as possible.
【 Luxong†: <They're on the move.> 】
【 Hessian†: <Pursuing. Hilde! Lord Batalion!> 】
【 Bon Hilde Mark†: <Confirmed.> 】
【 Batalion: <Confirmed!> 】
As I moved, they moved. The red dots on the minimap confirmed it—one was inside the train, two others were on top, even at this speed.
They were closing in.
At the same time—Voooom—a resonance buzzed across my skin.
'The Stigma of Grim Reaper Ω.'
The most skilled doctor is also the one who knows the most ways to kill.
Similarly, the people of Kreutz, who’ve invested decades into [Illusion], know its weakest points better than anyone.
【 Hessian†: ‘Got you.’ 】
【 Hessian†: ‘Goodbye.’ 】
I leapt.
CRACKK—KRRRRRRRRANG!!
A spear burst through the top of the train, expanding like thorny vines—obliterating the entire area I had just stood in. Cargo containers exploded. Grain spilled everywhere.
【 Hessian†: <He dodged?! How the hell did they know?!> 】
【 Bon Hilde Mark†: <Continuing.> 】
Next, the walls and ceiling began collapsing inward, as if the whole train car was being crushed like a tin can. The sheer force of the telekinesis was absurd.
'Run!'
...!
Eve and I sprinted into the next car.
They were preparing their [Totem]. That meant they were about to dominate an entire car with it.
【 Luxong† is preparing the 「Domain of Constriction」. 】
Just as I thought—it was a [Totem] that seizes control of space and immobilizes everything inside.
We had to get away—no matter what.
Fighting a [Grandmaster]-level assassin head-on? No. Their reaction speed and reflexes were leagues beyond ours. Even running would get us caught.
Luckily, we’d just exited the Reaper Ω’s influence zone. So I cast [Illusion].
『World Forgery: Perception Forgery [Sensory]』
Mana rippled into the air.
< Dice Roll Result: ⚀ >
It shattered before it even took hold. TCHINK! The mana collapsed in midair. I expected that, so I immediately cast again.
< Dice Roll Result: ⚀ >
< Dice Roll Result: ⚀ >
< Dice Roll Result: ⚀ >
The spell kept failing—KRA-KA-KRAK!—as Hessian’s spear rained down.
< Dice Roll Result: ⚃ >
Finally, a four.
【 Hessian†: <Ghh!> 】
【 Hessian†: <I’m hit by an illusion! My senses are warping!> 】
We’d bought some time.
'So this... this is why they chose this forest.'
A single item can only bear one [Stigma]—that’s a universal law among the stars.
However, in rare places where land and trees absorb the influence of different stars, weird synergies emerge. Even the stars can’t interfere there.
This forest was created when the seeds carrying the energy of Misfortune Star□ scattered over land blessed by Radiant Star⁺₊⋆.
The interaction is complex, but simply put: illusions cast here have a chance to persist permanently.
90% of [Illusion] spells fail instantly.
0.1% last for tens of thousands of years.
That’s why, for decades, illusionists from every nation have come here to inscribe their [Illusions]—repeating the process until they land that one-in-a-million chance.
Now, the forest is filled with tens of thousands of ancient illusion constructs. Reborn endlessly under Radiant Star⁺₊⋆.
'On the flip side, you must pass Misfortune Star□’s gamble—so most illusions here get sealed instead.'
Just like my failed dice rolls.
In other words, the bastards chose this forest to seal the limbs of Cain or me.
【 Hessian†: <They’re moving again! Keep closing in!> 】
【 Bon Hilde Mark†: <Understood.> 】
But as I crossed through another cargo car, my brow furrowed.
The [Mini-map] was swarmed with neutral figures—freight workers.
CLACK!
The door burst open. Chaos was already spreading.
“It’s a terrorist attack! Arm yourselves!”
“Shit! Who the hell is this psycho?!”
Even inside the train, people were becoming aware of the assassination attempt.
But it was already too late.
【 Bon Hilde Mark†: <Blending into the crowd.> 】
【 Bon Hilde Mark†: <Sending them all to the Virgin.> 】
【 Bon Hilde Mark†: <Pax Dominicus Opus.> 】
From far down the train, a mage aboard a personal airship clenched his hand.
And the moment a wave of intense telekinesis tore through the interior—
Splack—
Someone’s head burst.
“What the—!? B-Batima!”
“Is this—terrorism?!”
Then the head of the person beside them exploded.
Then the one behind them, who had just gasped in horror, also went down.
It began. The heads of those with weak mana—bursting in order from closest to the train’s outer wall.
“What the fuck is this!? This way—get over here!!”
“Something’s coming—fucking hell, run!!”
“Run! Run, dammit!!”
As the invisible force approached, some of the workers instinctively understood and bolted for the exit. One of them yanked open the emergency door.
“Jump out! Better that than dying in a bombing!”
“Y-Yeah! If you’ve got a parachute, jump!!”
Several people threw themselves out of the car in a line.
That cleared the way. I ran again, stepping through blood pooling from their corpses.
That strange telekinetic pressure brushed against my own skull. But I wasn’t just some ordinary civilian anymore. The mana dispersed before it could take hold.
I allowed myself a brief moment of relief—but shit. Eve had frozen, crumpling to her knees. The deaths were getting to her, her compulsion against killing overriding her senses.
'What are you doing? We need to go.'
... She nodded.
She tried to get up but her legs gave out again. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet.
And ran.
【 Bon Hilde Mark†: <They dodged again.> 】
【 Hessian†: <What the hell were you doing?! I told you to crush them!> 】
【 Bon Hilde Mark†: <Impossible. Professor Dante. The girl. Both have far greater mana levels than expected. The telekinesis had no effect.> 】
Meanwhile, I kept trying [Illusion].
< Dice Roll Result: ⚀ >
< Dice Roll Result: ⚀ >
< Dice Roll Result: ⚀ >
...
Mana drained like a dam had burst—then, finally, a higher number popped up.
< Dice Roll Result: ⚄ >
Good.
【 Luxong†: <What the hell...? Why are flying cupcakes zipping around? What is this?> 】
【 Hessian†: <It’s an illusion, obviously! Fucking Dante Hiakapo and his damn luck. What about the totem?> 】
Right on the mark.
I’d never actually created cupcakes—but the illusion had taken on a chaotic life of its own, and it was confusing the enemy just the way I wanted.
【 Hessian†: <The totem?!> 】
【 Luxong†: <Still not set. I have no idea where to place it with this going on. Honestly, it’s like they know I’m trying to plant it.> 】
【 Hessian†: <Goddammit!! How the hell are they figuring this out?! Just keep chasing them!> 】
In that time, we reached the last cargo car. I sat Eve, out of breath and shaking, in the inner room of the storage space.
'You okay?'
I’d already explained things beforehand. Told her this would happen. Maybe that’s why she nodded, though her expression remained tense.
'Do you remember what I said?'
Eve’s trembling hand touched her chin. Yes.
'So what do we do?'
'We stop them.'
'That’s right. You can use the Holy Sword.'
'Okay.'
'It’s alright. They’re bad people. It’s okay.'
'Okay.'
She responded clearly. But then her blue pupils shifted upward—and her eyes widened.
I knew without looking.
Reflected in the small window above the rear door, an assassin’s face had appeared.
Eve threw herself forward.
TATATATATATATANG!!!
“...Ugh!”
Gunfire, practically a bombing run, obliterated the interior of the storage room. Eve even cried out in shock.
But once we were in a place where we could fight, there was no longer any reason to run.
Vwooooom—
As Eve drew the 「Peacebringer†」, the overwhelming mana of the Cross Star flared, and the assassins hesitated. A chaotic voice echoed through the 【Script】.
Meanwhile, I sprinted to the very end of the last car, confirmed the enemy’s position via [Mini-map], and drew my sword.
"Raise your blade, O Giant—"
KRAKAKAKAKANG!!!
A colossal hand materialized from the void and lunged for the assassin on top of the train—but missed. The one called Luxong dodged by flinging himself into the air. All I managed was to peel the roof open.
【 Luxong†: <Shit! The totem went off!!> 】
That was the goal.
The totem he’d placed on top of the last car—gone, shattered.
My vision cleared. I saw Luxong now—an assassin leaping through midair, trying to widen the distance. Before, I’d have had no way to fight someone like that.
But things had changed.
『Armory of the Celestial Legion』
The terrifying thing about ‘summoning’ is that I get to choose where the summons appear. Space split open around Luxong, who was skipping through air via [Step Technique], and weapons emerged with blades bared.
“Tch!”
He flinched and dodged again with [Step Technique].
But the summoning zones pursued him like rising waves. Thanks to my 85%+ master-grade proficiency, I could make the summons follow his exact movement path.
Summons tracing his trajectory like a tail—he dodged again and again, until he was finally halted.
A giant cupcake blocked his path.
Another of my [Illusions].
'Seriously, why cupcakes again?'
Anyway—
Formula: [Telekinesis], [Flight], [Projectile]—
The assassin tried leaping to another spot in desperation.
Too late.
── .
Weapons descended from all directions, each exploding with its own [Stigma].
Even if he somehow dodged one or two—
This domain was already mine.
THWACK!
A spear of 「Frost Stigma氷」 impaled his knee. His leg froze over, slowing him down. Then a flaming sword, a thunderous dagger, and a hammer of ⚉Darkness came crashing in.
KAKAKAKAKANG!!!
He barely deflected or absorbed a few. <Block for me!!> he screamed, and somewhere far off, the telekinetic mage intervened, deflecting two or three more weapons.
Seven Stigma weapons neutralized. That alone proved he was [Grandmaster]-level.
But even so, amid the chain of explosions—
A dagger of ○Invisibility slipped through and plunged into the Totemist’s throat.
PHRKK—
His neck twisted. The /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ barrier shattered. More weapons rained down.
KWA-KWAAANG!!
“G-ggh...”
The Totemist plummeted below.
I climbed up onto the roof of the train to watch him fall.
Three remained—but the sense of danger didn’t fade.
Because in the far sky, flying toward us aboard a personal airship, the sniper-assassin Batalion drew a weapon from his belt.
“Dante Hiakapo.”
He called my name. What he held was at least a [Legendary II]-class artifact—a national treasure-grade bow.
And a weapon of ○Shadow Star in his other hand.
"Fly, my falcon—kill him."
As he recited his activation chant, terrifying mana erupted from the bow.