Chapter 100
Lucas, busy suppressing the demonic mana beast, did not notice the shift in mana until the last moment. His hand moved fast, deflecting the red beam to the side where it struck the lava below.
He rose, floating, his eyes fixed on the direction the beam had come from. As he moved, he cast a spell.
Mana Spell: Aegis
A sphere of blue energy formed around Ashely, ten meters wide, designed to break incoming attacks into harmless energy.
His focus was now divided. The demonic mana beast was trying to destroy the seal, corrupting it because Ashely had blacked out from the intense pain.
Lucas was angry, but controlled. He would not let it affect him.
His eyes locked onto the demon from before. The one who had trapped him in that illusion.
She looked far more human than any demon he had ever seen. And far more beautiful than any woman, human or otherwise, that he had ever encountered in his entire life.
Long red hair flowed down her back like a waterfall of liquid fire, catching what little light remained and seeming to glow with its own inner warmth. Each strand moved gently, as if stirred by a breeze that touched only her.
It framed a face that belonged in paintings and dreams—delicate features, high cheekbones, lips that curved in a way that was both dangerous and inviting.
"It's good to see you again," she said, her voice smooth. "But I didn't expect you to be able to escape my little gift just yet."
She smiled. Her red eyes looked like flowing blood, but Lucas could feel something beneath it—worry. With a single glance, she could tell that Lucas in Astral Mode was far stronger than her. That was also why she had not attacked the moment she appeared here.
"How did you reach here?" Lucas questioned.
"Wouldn't you like to know," she answered.
Lucas chuckled. He disappeared, reaching her location in an instant, as if he had teleported. He spoke at a speed she could not react to.
"It wouldn't end the same way this time."
His fist drove forward—but before it could connect, a magic circle appeared. Completely strange to him, it materialized in an instant. His fist struck a shield of an element he had never seen in his life.
BOOOOMMMM!
The magic circle held tight. A massive shockwave erupted in all directions.
Lucas was shocked. He knew how powerful his punch was in this form, and adding the speed he was moving, the only people who should be able to block it would have some unique power from their eyes or bloodline—besides the leader of the Abyssal Moon, who was a monster.
But what held his strike was a spell formed by a circle that involved runes he did not know existed, runes he could not understand. And it was fueled by her mana.
That meant her mana could move faster than him.
Which should be impossible—unless his perception of reality was limited, or the spell had been prepared beforehand.
Lucas was sent flying. He cast a spell mid-flight.
Mana Spell: Astral Chains
Chains of mana came from all directions, binding the figure close to the seal of the demonic beast—the blue-haired demon from before.
Lucas found it troublesome to stop as he hit the wall at the far end of the cave.
The red-haired demon was also shocked. "To have activated that spell, you would have killed me before I knew it, wouldn't you? But you are too late. The Demonic Mana Beast will escape."
She paused, tilting her head. "But I would like to know your name."
Lucas pulled himself from the wall, his eyes scanning her from top to bottom.
"Okay," she said, a smile playing on her lips. "Let me introduce myself first. My name is Scarlett Zyphros, daughter of the Abyssal King. Though you wouldn't know that, being from this world."
"I know you want to waste my time so the demonic beast can escape," Lucas said. "But I cannot stop it and suppress it at the same time. So—" He floated closer. "My name is Lucas Xineos. You aren't from this world."
"You could say that." Scarlett smiled. "Even with how powerful you are, in my world you would be just an ant. And because you are capable of understanding us, you have a powerful soul."
"What is your goal, then?" Lucas asked.
"Even in this world, we are limited by this realm. We cannot use our magic circles properly because they involve higher runes than this realm can handle. The spell you just saw was a one-time thing, really—because you are the closest person to have come to killing me. The rest I have been able to escape." She tied her hair into a ponytail as she spoke. "I came to this world to gain what you idiots call Mana Beasts."
She smiled. "But Mana Beasts are something else. More than you could possibly know. In a higher realm, one that has grown would be at the level to destroy your entire world. The good thing is that their nature hides them from notice."
She paused. "For me to even be trapped here is nothing more than bad luck."
"As you know, by sealing the demonic beast, I would return to the prison dimension. I am connected to this world by a Soul Contract—which I think you don't know anything about." She pointed at Ashely. "I helped the demonic mana beast escape so it could kill her bloodline. Then I would have it, and return home."
"You're telling me too much," Lucas said, his voice calm despite his shock. "Why?"
Scarlett smiled. "For you to be the second person to know about what is above you."
Lucas was silent for a moment. "Hmm. Okay, then."
The seal shattered.
A wave of demonic mana exploded in all directions. A massive hand emerged from the broken seal—the Demonic Mana Beast rising.
Lucas's eyes narrowed. "I should remove the foreign energy in her body faster."
A spear appeared in Scarlett's hand. The blue-haired demon broke free of his chains, a bow and arrows materializing in his grip.