Under the crimson sky of dusk, Lux — in the form of Takamiya Mayuri — still wore an expression of seeming 'indifference'.
To captivate a "Son of Destiny," of course, she couldn't rely on ordinary methods.
Takamiya Mayuri's charm wasn't something anyone could simply ignore. Lux didn't believe Shou would show no meaningful reaction upon their first meeting.
Besides... how could a young man in the throes of puberty remain unaffected by beauty this flawless?
Of course, Lux wasn't naive. She knew beauty alone wasn't enough to shake the heart of a "Son of Destiny."
After all, protagonists like Shou would inevitably be surrounded by countless beautiful girls throughout their lives. Immunity to physical charm was a natural trait among the "chosen" like him.
Furthermore, Shou was the type of protagonist who'd been betrayed by his lover, left with a gaping wound in his heart.
So it was only natural that distrust toward women had become a fortress difficult to breach.
To overcome this, Lux crafted a scenario Shou would never forget.
Their meeting beneath the cherry blossom tree hadn't been a coincidence. Every falling petal, every breath of wind, even the sunlight touching her face, all of it had been arranged perfectly.
Step one, confirm whether Shou was capable of seeing her Angel.
When the System gave a positive response, Lux knew everything was set.
Once Shou saw her Angel, Lux was certain the young man would be swept into the current of his own fate. Otherwise, the title "Son of Destiny" would be nothing but empty words.
A Son of Destiny always held a magnetic pull toward mystery and danger. Like a moth drawn to flame, he would approach trouble even with his life at stake.
And in this case, Lux did intend to become one of Shou's contracted beings. But she couldn't simply approach him directly, that would be far too suspicious.
So she had to set the perfect bait...
And Shou — without realizing it — had walked straight into the net already laid out for him.
The young man had approached her out of curiosity. Just as predicted, he'd proposed the contract.
Not merely out of infatuation, but because his instincts had recognized the extraordinary power hidden behind Takamiya Mayuri's beauty.
There were three reasons Lux had accepted that contract.
First, to keep a close watch on the "Son of Destiny." Second, to see just how many Achievement Points Shou could generate.
And third... Lux was curious whether Shou could actually control Takamiya Mayuri's power, a power even she herself hadn't fully mastered.
***
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙈!
"AAARGGH!"
White lightning shot through the air, but lost control midway.
The figure was thrown hard, crashing into a tree trunk, cracks spreading in every direction.
If he'd still been an ordinary human like before, his body would surely have been shattered to pieces!
[𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?]
"Hah... hah... I'm... fine..."
Shou lay flat on the ground, panting heavily.
Cold sweat trickled down his temples as he tried to steady his erratic heartbeat.
After testing his new power, he had to admit one thing—
'THIS ABILITY IS INCREDIBLY POWERFUL!'
The sensation of an energy flow that seemed never to run dry made his blood surge.
Mayuri's Angel, Kerubiel, was a lightning-element Angel that allowed him to manifest and control lightning for various purposes.
And that was just one of six Angels Mayuri possessed, known as the "Five Angel of Spirit."
As a Spirit born purely from the emotions and feelings of six other Spirits, Mayuri had access to a portion of each of those six Spirits' power.
𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹, 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻 — the sword belonging to a Spirit named Yatogami Tohka. This sword was capable of cutting through anything, even space and time itself.
𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹, 𝗭𝗮𝗱𝗸𝗶𝗲𝗹 — an ice-element Angel belonging to a Spirit named Himekawa Yoshino.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹, 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗲𝗹 — a fire-controlling Angel belonging to Itsuka Kotori.
𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹, 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 — a wind Angel belonging to the twin Spirits Kaguya and Yuzuru.
𝗙𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹, 𝗚𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗹 — an Angel belonging to Izayoi Miku. Through sound waves, it could control the mind of anyone who heard it.
Though Mayuri had access to all five of these Angels, she couldn't unleash their full potential since her true Angel was only Kerubiel.
Shou, still adapting to his new power, was far from accustomed to it. His body needed time to adjust to the extraordinary energy now coursing through his veins.
To prevent his body from exploding under the overload, the System automatically suppressed most of Mayuri's power.
Gradually, as Shou's strength grew, that restriction would be lifted.
Though he still couldn't summon Mayuri's Angel or the other five Spirits, Shou had managed to control a small fraction of the lightning from Mayuri's Angel power.
Cleverly, he'd used it to boost his speed.
In no time, Shou had transformed into a speedster reminiscent of The Flash from DC Comics, though not yet perfected.
But sometimes, Shou still trembled imagining the full potential of Mayuri's power, which spanned nearly every element.
Especially Angel Gabriel, the ability to control minds through sound waves.
It might not be effective against powerful beings, but Angel Gabriel could control the minds of every weak being across the entire world simultaneously!
Imagine millions, no, billions of troops under the control of a single person?
Terrifying.
Shou shuddered, realizing just how devastating Mayuri truly was. If she wanted to, the entire world could kneel at her feet.
Fortunately, Mayuri wasn't the power-hungry type.
She was more like a peaceful girl, always full of curiosity and seemingly calm in the face of anything.
[𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁...]
"Yeah, you're right."
Shou couldn't argue with the System's statement. From every angle, appearance, power, personality, everything about her was flawless.
He even doubted... was there a second being like Mayuri anywhere in this entire world?
Shou struggled to his feet, his muscles protesting from the intense training. "Ugh..."
"You always manage to surprise me. I didn't think you could control it this far..."
Somehow, a figure with long blond hair and pink eyes was already sitting gracefully on a branch above him.
She wore a white uniform that stood in stark contrast to the dusk sky. A lollipop was tucked between her thin lips as her expression remained calm.
She showed no concern at all even as the wind occasionally lifted the hem of her skirt.
Shou's face flushed. He quickly looked away. "S-since when have you been here?"
"Since you started practicing with my power," Mayuri answered without emotion, then leapt down gracefully.
Her pink eyes studied Shou from head to toe.
"Good. In just a few days, you've already managed to control part of my power without losing control."
"Ah, right... you yourself can't control it well either, can you?"
Mayuri nodded once. "True. I assume you already know why?"
"Because..." Shou swallowed hard, "you're a Spirit born from the love felt by six Spirits."
Mayuri tilted her head slightly.
The dusk sunlight caught her blond strands, making them shimmer like gold.
"Your guess is correct. Is this one of the perks of the contract?"
"Y-yeah..." Shou looked away, haunted by guilt.
In truth, their contract had no such perk. It was the System that had told him directly. He felt guilty for having deceived the girl.
Honestly, he still found it hard to believe that information.
How could a being possibly be born from the love felt by six Spirits?
There were, admittedly, some anomalous cases, like consciousness being born from a Talent itself. But born from love? That was truly beyond reason.
'But it's still more believable than my own System...'
Shou sighed, stealing a glance at Mayuri's figure beside him.
The girl's beauty was like a living painting. Her blond hair swayed gently in the wind, her clear eyes reflected the dusk sky, and a faint fragrance drifted from her body.
Shou nearly lost himself in it.
She was truly beautiful...
For Shou, who had always believed the world was unfair and cruel, the existence of a girl like Mayuri felt like a dream. A girl like this existed only in his fantasies, yet here she stood, right before him.
His heartbeat always raced faster every time he looked at her.
'Maybe with this girl... I could...'
[𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗽 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴]
"Huh?!" Shou flinched, drawing Mayuri's attention.
"Is something wrong?" the girl asked flatly.
"N-no..." Shou shook his head in a panic, his face flushing even redder.
"But I sense you're feeling embarrassed for no clear reason."
"S-stop reading my emotions with your Divine Protection! Don't you understand the meaning of privacy?!" Shou shouted in frustration.
Both his feelings and emotions were always laid bare to Mayuri thanks to the Divine Protection of the Life Goddess, the ability to sense others' emotions and feelings.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times Shou asked, Mayuri remained indifferent.
And honestly, Shou envied that Divine Protection.
Because... he desperately wanted to know what Mayuri actually felt toward him...
Perhaps to keep her Angel from slipping out of control, Mayuri always kept her emotions calm.
Shou had never once seen the girl display any emotion on her face. Forget emotion, she never even smiled.
In any situation, Mayuri always maintained a calm expression. Even if the sky fell, she'd probably still look serene.
So... from the bottom of his heart, Shou wished he could see that girl smile...
"What now?" Mayuri asked, catching Shou's gaze.
"I-it's nothing."
"You're feeling embarrassed—"
"I told you to stop peeking at my feelings!" Shou exploded.
It was truly ironic. This girl was nearly perfect in every way, yet sometimes she could be so infuriating!
Shou sighed in resignation, but his eyes still couldn't tear away from Mayuri's figure.
The girl bit down on her lollipop while playing with a fallen flower petal, touching its edge with her pale, slender fingers.
'Maybe with her, my life could change...'
But the image of his unfaithful girlfriend and the handsome man who'd stolen everything from him resurfaced in his mind.
His face darkened.
'I'll get my revenge. They have to pay for everything.'
Sensing the wave of hatred from the young man, Mayuri glanced at him briefly.
"I don't know what you intend to do," she said calmly, "but be careful."
Shou startled, then looked at the girl with shining eyes. His mood instantly brightened.
"Of course!" he replied with a wide smile.
***
Night blanketed the city. Stars scattered across the sky like diamonds on black velvet.
Sitting atop a skyscraper, Mayuri, or Lux (Mayuri), watched calmly.
Her expression was unreadable as the night wind played with her blond hair.
After glancing at Kerubiel floating in the air, she shifted her gaze downward, toward the luxurious residential complex belonging to the Circle Noble Family, a Count-level noble house.
And coincidentally... the son of this family had dared to insult the "Son of Destiny."
'Now show me... how you'll carry out your revenge, Son of Destiny.'
Lux (Mayuri) narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of a cloaked silhouette hiding behind a wall.
That figure was none other than Shou.
Shou's heart pounded fiercely. This would be his first real battle, his first chance to prove himself.
Though nervous, he remained confident.
Over the past two weeks, he'd trained his body and power to their absolute limit. It wasn't an exaggeration to say he was now equivalent to a Rank B+ Hunter!
According to his investigation, the head of the Circle Family's strength was only equivalent to Rank B. Logically, their officials and subordinates would surely be even weaker.
Shou would show them they could no longer oppress him just because he used to be weak!
"Halt! Who are you?! What are you doing here in the middle of the night?!"
Two guards at the Circle Family compound's gate immediately went on alert.
They eyed the suspicious cloaked figure before them, hands ready on their sword hilts.
"Who am I?" Shou answered with a dismissive tone, before his voice turned cold and piercing.
"I am... the one who will bury all of you tonight!"
The guards' expressions shifted. "You—"
Their anger quickly turned to horror as intense flashes of light began gathering in the young man's hands, illuminating the surrounding area with a golden glow!
"DIE—!!"
𝙅𝙀𝘿𝘼𝘼𝘼𝙍𝙍𝙍𝙍!!!
Golden-yellow light exploded through the darkness of the night, blinding and deafening.
From a distance, Lux (Mayuri) observed the way Shou carried out his revenge.
Judging by his personality, Shou was the type of Son of Destiny who wouldn't spare anyone, not even small children or innocent bystanders.
Lux (Mayuri) didn't judge him. She knew that if she hadn't appeared in the young man's life, Shou would surely have plunged endlessly into an abyss of darkness.
Lux (Mayuri) turned, preparing to leave. She could already predict how all of this would end, however...
𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱.
"𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵..."
A soft, gentle, fragile voice whispered in her mind, making her heart beat faster.
Trying to steady herself so as not to lose control over Kerubiel, Lux (Mayuri) took a deep breath.
She fell silent for a moment before finally whispering:
"...Just this once."
[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗺𝗶𝘆𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝘂𝗿𝗶 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿?]
Staring at the chaos unfolding below, Lux's (Mayuri's) expression remained calm.
Releasing the Template Character wouldn't significantly affect anything.
Unless she herself wished it, the Angel Kerubiel in the sky and her contract with Shou would remain intact...
Therefore...
"Release."
[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱!]
Takamiya Mayuri's beautiful appearance vanished in an instant, replaced by a new figure.
Snow-white hair, a pair of striking heterochromatic eyes, the black cloak of the Shadow Order Guild, and a skull mask concealing his identity.
His height resembled that of a fourteen-year-old boy, but the aura he radiated was far older and more mysterious, threatening even in the silence of the night.
'I take back my words. Now show me... just how powerful a Son of Destiny's fate truly is.'
Lux Frost's gaze glinted coldly as an ice sword formed in his hand.
Traces of frost lingered where he'd stood as his figure vanished in an instant, streaking down toward the battlefield.
***
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙈...!!
A tremendous explosion shook the building down to its very foundation.
Dust and debris flew through the air, briefly obscuring the view.
"You! YOU! HOW ARE YOU THIS STRONG?!"
A panicked scream echoed through the half-destroyed room.
The Young Master of the Circle Family stood trembling, his lavish clothes now torn and drenched in blood.
His usually arrogant face was now filled with sheer terror as he stared at the figure before him.
His eyes widened as he recognized his attacker's identity, the figure his family had always dismissed as beneath notice!
"You think I'll answer you?" Shou sneered coldly.
His black eyes gleamed dangerously. "Today... you'll be buried along with your entire Family! This is the price of underestimating me!"
Golden-yellow lightning danced around his fist, coiling and hissing with pure, lethal energy. The air around them grew heavy, pressing against their skin.
A killing aura radiated from Shou's body.
The Circle Young Master staggered backward. "W-wait! About that, I'm truly sorry!!" His voice cracked with fear.
"But if you kill me, the Association and Guilds in this city will surely investigate! Once you're found, your life is over!"
"So what?" Shou glared at him sharply, as if looking at a worthless insect. "You think I'm afraid of them?!"
His voice rang with absolute conviction. Arrogant, perhaps, but behind that arrogance lay real power.
The System dwelling within him had already pushed him beyond the limits of an ordinary human, especially after forming a contract with Mayuri, a being whose power defied human comprehension.
"Then, die!"
"W-wai—"
The Young Master's final plea was cut off by a flash of movement.
Shou's lightning-wrapped hand swept through the air like a samurai drawing his blade.
𝘚𝘳𝘢𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘵!
A soft yet lethal sound marked the head separating from the neck.
The Young Master stared with disbelieving, wide eyes, his hands reaching for his own neck before blood sprayed out like a crimson fountain of life.
His body collapsed to the floor with a soft thud, marking the death of the young ruler of the Circle Family.
Shou shifted his cold gaze toward several servants hiding behind a pillar.
The servants immediately trembled violently in fear.
Shou approached them with a graceful, deadly gait.
"Sorry, but..." His voice was as cold as ice, without a hint of remorse. "Blame yourselves for choosing to join this family."
He raised his crackling hand, ready to slaughter the innocent servants, but—
"...You're truly the type of protagonist I imagined you'd be."
A flat yet intimidating voice cut through the deathly silence.
"?!" Shou startled, his eyes darting wildly to find the source of the voice. "WHO'S THE—"
𝙒𝙃𝙐𝙐𝙐𝙎𝙎𝙎𝙃𝙃𝙃!
Before he could finish his sentence, a high-speed kick landed squarely on his cheek, so fast the naked eye couldn't catch it!
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙈...!!
Shou's body was hurled like a ragdoll, tearing through wall after wall before finally stopping after the fifth one.
The force of the impact caused spiderweb cracks to spread around the point of impact!
"Ugh! Ugh!"
Shou knelt, fresh blood spraying from his mouth.
His vision blurred, his head throbbing as if about to explode.
His consciousness nearly slipped away, but his extraordinary willpower forced him to stay awake.
With half-closed eyes, he struggled to focus on the figure that had kicked him.
Amid the rubble and swirling dust, a slender silhouette stood calmly, one leg still raised, proof of the lethal kick just delivered.
The night wind blew gently, playing with the snow-white hair and the hem of the mysterious figure's black cloak.
A skull mask covered his face, but his right eye, a gleaming sapphire, shone through the gap in the mask, cold, sharp, and full of calculation.
Though his build resembled that of a fourteen-year-old boy, his intimidating aura made the air feel heavy.
Shou immediately recognized this legendary figure, one who constantly appeared on television, the target of pursuit by various Kingdoms, especially... the imperial family.
"Frost... Assassin..." The name slipped from Shou's lips in a trembling tone.
The famous Rank S+ Hunter now stood before him, real and undeniable.
Even at this distance, Shou could feel the suffocating pressure of power radiating from that small figure.
Frost Assassin, or Lux, tilted his head with a mechanical motion.
His sapphire eyes narrowed with curiosity, watching Shou's body and face slowly healing.
'Strange...' he thought.
Normally, his kick would instantly kill a Rank B+ Hunter, but miraculously, Shou was still breathing.
With his 'Mystic Eyes of Death Perception,' Lux could see Shou's death lines shifting unnaturally, as if some invisible force were manipulating them.
But... that was exactly what made all of this more interesting...
"Frost Assassin... why did you show up here?" Shou asked, breathless. Cold sweat trickled down his temples. "As far as I know, I've never offended you."
"True," Lux nodded. "But I don't like your ugly face, so I kicked you."
"..." Shou's expression hardened, his jaw clenching against the anger sparked by such a ridiculous reason.
But he restrained himself. His fighting instincts warned him he still wasn't strong enough to face Frost Assassin. At least, not yet.
"So... could you not get in my way? This is between me and this family."
"Oh, of course," Lux replied indifferently. His eyes glinted dangerously. "...If you can survive fighting me."
Shou's expression turned to horror as a giant ice spear formed from thin air, glowing with lethal blue energy that immediately accelerated toward him.
'DAMN IT!'
With a desperate motion, Shou gathered all the lightning energy from Kerubiel and released it in one tremendous explosion!
"AHHHH...!!!"
𝙅𝙀𝙀𝘿𝘼𝘼𝘼𝙍𝙍𝙍𝙍....!!! 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙈...!!
The collision of the two elemental forces created a shockwave that destroyed the surrounding buildings.
A brief clash occurred between the two energies, but Lux's ice spear ultimately shattered into glittering crystal fragments dancing in the air.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
Shou's breathing was ragged. Steam rose from his body, a sign he'd just unleashed power beyond his body's limits.
[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁! 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄!]
'I know that, damn it! But he has no intention of letting me leave!' Shou screamed in his mind.
In the blink of an eye, Lux's figure vanished like a shadow in the night.
Shou didn't even have time to blink before Lux appeared right in front of him, as if distance were no barrier at all.
Shou's expression turned to panic, his instincts screaming to run, but—
𝘽𝘼𝙈...!!
"GAH-?!"
Without mercy, Lux stomped down on Shou's chest with force strong enough to crack the concrete beneath him.
Cracks spread like a spiderweb from the point of impact, trapping the young man with no hope of escape.
'Now, I want to know how fate will help you...'
Lux stared at Shou, who was still struggling despite his grave injuries, curious about the anomaly he was witnessing.
This teenager should have died several times over by now, but fate seemed to have other plans.
[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗕𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝟮𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀!]
'It can be earned this way too?' Lux was mildly surprised internally.
Learning this fact, his interest was further piqued.
𝘽𝙕𝙕𝙏...!
"Hm?" Lux's brow rose, seeing golden lightning beginning to gather in Shou's hand.
𝙅𝙀𝘿𝘼𝘼𝙍𝙍..!!
The lightning exploded against Lux's face, creating a shockwave that shattered the windows nearby.
But instead of feeling relief, Shou's expression grew even more panicked!
"Not bad, but it means absolutely nothing to me..."
Lux's figure stood without a single scratch.
With a casual motion, he brushed imaginary dust off his cloak.
For the owner of the Divine Ice Emperor, ordinary elemental attacks were barely felt at all.
Except for Kerubiel's full power or Raiden Ei's Electro, a lightning attack like Shou's couldn't even damage a single thread of his cloak.
"Y-you—"
"But that's an interesting power..." Lux narrowed his eyes with keen interest. "I've never seen anything quite like it."
Then... as if knowing nothing at all about the source of Shou's power, he pointed toward the sky, directly at the invisible being floating there... Angel Kerubiel.
"Does your power come from there?" he asked with a dangerously innocent tone.
"?!?!" Shou gasped, his face draining of color. "Y-you can see it?!"
Shou's panic wasn't because the source of his power had been exposed, but out of fear that Mayuri, the true owner of Kerubiel, would be dragged into this dangerous situation.
"Isn't that obvious?" Lux answered casually. "Though most people can't see it, I'm not one of them. I fall into the minority category..."
His voice was so calm as he explained, as if discussing the weather.
"But that's what makes it interesting. That being in the sky should have an owner. It's just that..." He looked at Shou with interest.
"So far, I sense you're not its true owner. I think you're merely 'borrowing' it."
"I am its owner! THAT BEING UP THERE BELONGS TO ME!"
Shou screamed frantically, fury and fear mixing in his voice.
He didn't want Takamiya Mayuri's existence to be discovered. If Frost Assassin could see Kerubiel, that meant he could also see Mayuri, and this was exactly what ignited terror within him.
Not just Frost Assassin, Mayuri's existence could draw the attention of other powerful entities as well.
Though Mayuri possessed unimaginable power, she still couldn't fully control it. There was no way that girl could withstand a horde of high-ranking Hunters all at once.
That was precisely why Shou insisted on claiming Kerubiel as his own, diverting attention away from Mayuri and onto himself.
Only God knew what would happen if Mayuri fell into the hands of those madmen. Especially Frost Assassin, a member of the Shadow Order!
Lux fell silent, seeming to weigh something in his mind. Then, he leaned down and whispered directly into Shou's ear...
His voice was gentle yet as piercing as a dagger.
"...I see, that girl really is hidden away somewhere. This just got a lot more entertaining."
"..." Shou's face went deathly pale, his mind going blank for a moment before a new aura exploded from his body.
"DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO TOUCH HER...!!"
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙈...!!
As Shou's power surged, Lux, without the slightest hesitation, pressed his body deeper into the ground, creating an even wider crater.
But instead of giving up, Shou grew even wilder. Kerubiel's golden energy wrapped around his body like a blazing fire!
Witnessing this phenomenon, the corner of Lux's mouth curled up behind his mask. A rare sight like this deserved to be provoked even further.
"To think you'd react this strongly... it only makes me more curious about her..." His tone carried a veiled threat. "Perhaps, I'll pay her a visit sometime."
"DON'T YOU DARE! I'LL KILL YOU! THE MOMENT YOU TOUCH EVEN A SINGLE STRAND OF HER HAIR! I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN TO HELL...!!" Shou roared with pure madness, his eyes blazing with elemental fury.
Those words... managed to make Lux narrow his eyes.
Dense killing intent gathered in his gaze.
'Let's see, what fate will do to save you...'
Lux wanted to kill Shou and witness whether fate would intervene again, a small experiment that sparked his curiosity.
Lux's killing intent spread through the air like poison, its intensity strong enough to make a Rank S+ Hunter shudder.
But Shou seemed immune, his rage only intensifying further!
With a cold motion, Lux formed a shimmering crystal ice sword.
Without hesitation, he thrust it toward Shou's heart, but at the very last second, his left eye, "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception," widened as the death lines on Shou's body shifted drastically.
Not just one line, but the entire pattern!
Lux froze for a moment, then—
"?!"
𝙆𝘼𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈𝙈𝙈...!!!
From out of nowhere, a fist wrapped in golden flame shot forward and exploded against Lux's figure!
At the same moment, several figures appeared around Shou, their positions forming what seemed like a protective formation.
𝘒𝘳𝘢𝘬...
"So it's no wonder he's called a Son of Destiny..." Lux rose from the rubble, his torn cloak beginning to regenerate.
"He truly is a being incredibly difficult to kill, like a cockroach."
"What a coincidence. I didn't expect the famous 'Frost Assassin' to appear in this city."
A new voice echoed, drawing Lux's attention.
He looked up, his eyes finding an extraordinarily handsome young man. His golden hair shimmered under the moonlight, his red eyes radiating noble arrogance.
Behind him, three Rank S sorcerer-type Hunters followed like loyal shadows.
Sensing the sudden rise in temperature around them, Lux said calmly, "And I also never expected the Third Prince of the Imperial Family to show up here... Vian Lightsun."
Vian Lightsun narrowed his eyes at hearing his name spoken. "It seems the 'Shadow Order's' connections run quite deep..."
His gaze shifted to the scattered corpses. His expression turned cold.
"Slaughtering an entire noble family, not even your Guild will be able to save you this time."
"..."
Hearing that accusation, Lux fell silent, then looked at Shou, who was being treated by one of the Hunters.
'...Is this part of the power of fate too? Even lowering someone's IQ and making them look like a fool.'
Lux felt a strange irony. He hadn't expected the day would come when he'd be misunderstood and made a scapegoat by fate itself, but he had no intention of correcting this misunderstanding.
Besides...
"Are you sure you want to fight me?" Lux asked lightly. "I don't mind, but... this city will surely be destroyed."
"..."
Without using "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception," Lux wouldn't dare claim he could defeat a dozen Rank S Hunters and Vian, whose strength equaled a Rank SS Hunter, all at once.
But conversely, they wouldn't be able to defeat him either.
A battle like that would only end in the city's destruction and countless innocent civilian casualties.
"...Leave. But next time, you won't be this lucky," Vian finally said.
His mission was only to investigate the matter at Life Forest, not to capture the legendary Assassin.
Though he wanted to capture him, the risk of destroying the city was far too great. Reluctantly, he let Lux go...
"That's the right choice, since I don't intend to kill you yet..." Lux answered calmly. "At least, not now."
Vian frowned at that threatening remark, but chose not to respond.
'Frost Assassin... truly an arrogant figure,' he thought.
But it seemed someone disagreed with the decision to let Lux go.
"NO! DON'T LET HIM GO! KILL HIM! YOU HAVE TO KILL HIM! HE'S DANGEROUS!"
Shou screamed hysterically, his eyes wild with fear and anxiety.
His scream, shattering the tense moment, irritated everyone present.
"Don't ask for something foolish. Countless innocent lives would be at risk," one of the Hunters said.
"ENOU—"
"Knock him out."
𝘗𝘢𝘬!
Before Shou could continue his protest, one of the Hunters struck the back of his neck hard. The young man's body immediately went limp.
"Give him my message once he wakes up," Lux said before leaving.
"'That thing in the sky and that borrowed power... will one day belong to me.'"
As he uttered his final threat, Lux's body slowly dissolved into dancing crystal ice fragments before vanishing without a trace.
Confirming that Frost Assassin had truly departed, one of the Rank S Hunters asked his leader:
"Prince Vian, what should we do now?"
Vian glanced at him with an indifferent look. "Contact the Association and Guilds in this city. There's no way they haven't noticed the chaos happening here."
"Y-yes, sir!"
As the Hunter hurried off, Vian recalled Frost Assassin's earlier words.
'That thing in the sky, huh?'
He closed his eyes for a moment, then looked up at the night sky.
'Who would have thought... while other Hunters can't see it, I actually can?'
His red eyes narrowed as he found what he was looking for.
The giant winged black sphere floating in the sky, invisible to ordinary humans...
***
Meanwhile, Lux sat leisurely atop one of the tall building rooftops, the corner of his mouth curving into a thin smile behind his mask.
[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁!]
[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆'𝘀 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹, 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱...]
[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗚𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝟯𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀!]
[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀『𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝗶/𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗻』𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝟱%!]
[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗺𝗶𝘆𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝘂𝗿𝗶 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝟲𝟬%!]
[𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗯𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿, 『𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗳𝘁』 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱!]
Well... the rewards a Son of Destiny gave really were abundant, weren't they?