A few weeks had passed...
ðœððð! ðœððð! ðœððð!
A succession of explosions shook the air like thunder splitting the sky.
Dozens of giant eagle-shaped monstersâsavage beasts with wingspans as wide as ancient treesâshrieked with a pitiful fear.
Their cries echoed among the mountain peaks as their huge bodies scattered in every direction, trying to flee from an unimaginable figure.
Heartrending cries of pain rang through the thin mountain air.
The once-ferocious predators could now only fall silent, helpless, their sharp eyes full of fear as they looked at the "human" standing indifferently before them.
A cruel ironyâat first they had thought the creature before them was easy prey, a weak human lost in dangerous territory.
But reality had reversed their fate: they were the prey!
A tall, majestic figure stood calmly amid the destruction.
A flowing white cloak covering his body stirred gently in the mountain wind, while a mysterious hood concealed part of his face.
Most striking were his two arms, blackish-brown in color, adorned with golden patterns that glittered like living ancient carvings, radiating an undeniable aura of power.
Yet of all the terrifying things, it was his golden eyes that made the giant monsters tremble to the marrow of their bones.
That cold, deep gaze seemed able to see into their very souls, looking at them with a calm more terrifying than rage.
"I will not repeat myself a third time," his voice flowed cold as a winter wind piercing the bone.
Every word that left him held undeniable authority. "Tell me... where is your queen's palace?"
The giant eagle monsters let out weak growls, their wild instincts rebelling, wanting to fight back.
But when they saw the entire expanse of ground around them vibrating as if aliveâhuge boulders floating, golden cracks spreading like a spiderweb, and most terrifying of all, a long golden-brown spear glowing with killing intent in the figure's handâŠ
They finally surrendered.
With their pride shattered and their lives threatened, the monsters at last revealed the location of their hideout in their primitive language of growls and shrieks.
Strangely, the figure seemed to understand completely.
"Very well, thank you very much for the information." His tone softened slightly, though it remained full of authority.
"Please accept this as an apology for my rough treatment earlier."
The figure raised his right hand and from his palm appeared a captivating sphere of lightâa mix of pure gold and warm brown, glowing with a purity almost blinding to the eye.
The light spun gently before he tossed it toward the wounded monsters.
A miracle happened in the blink of an eye.
Instantly, all the wounds and cuts on the monsters' bodies closed perfectly, leaving no trace.
But even more astonishing, they could all feel the power flowing through their bodies surge dramatically to an entirely different level!
An instant evolution that left them too shocked to speak.
The hatred and grudge burning in their chests suddenly vanished completely, replaced by sincere gratitude.
They bowed their heads respectfully to the mysterious figure before flying away with their new abilities.
Not far from the arena of chaos, a petite girl with shimmering golden hair and eyes as clear as the deep ocean stood stunned, wearing a similar white cloak.
She had watched the entire scene with an expression of irrepressible awe and wonder.
Unconsciously, a whisper of admiration escaped her small lips:
"Amazing..."
***
A few days passed like a dream that felt real.
Silvana, the six-year-old girl, had begun a life-changing journey with the figure who had saved her life from death's graspâMorax, known as the God of Contract.
At first, the little girl's heart was filled with worry and anticipation.
She had thought this journey would be an exhausting trial full of dangerous challenges.
She had even prepared herself mentally to face every obstacle that might block their way, determined not to be a burden to her savior.
But reality astonished herâher expectations were completely off.
Challenges?
There was almost nothing that could be called a real threat to the two of them.
Every time a pack of savage Magical Beasts or a band of bold bandits blocked their path, Morax would resolve the problem in a single elegant motion that didn't even seem to require effort.
Under the God of Contract's attacks, not a single creature could put up meaningful resistance!
But the sight that truly made Silvana's jaw drop was when she watched Morax casually drop a meteor from the sky!
Good heavens!
Silvana could only widen her beautiful blue eyes as she watched the giant object from outer space fall at terrifying speed, creating a huge crater and a tremor that shook the earth!
Even among the elite forces of the famously powerful Heavenly Sky Kingdom, only a handful of top-level mages could perform magic on such a scale, and even then it required lengthy ritual preparation and the help of dozens of other magesânot like Morax, who did it as easily as waving a hand!
What stunned Silvana even more was... who in their right mind would drop a meteor just to fight a band of ordinary bandits?!
That was like using a dragon sword to cut vegetables!
Her journey with Morax truly gave a completely new perspective and experience to a girl who had once been confined within the walls of a luxurious palace.
Although it hadn't even been a full month, it felt as if she had lived an epic adventure lasting for years.
Every day brought new surprises, every location they visited held its own wonders.
This experience... made her soul feel more alive and fervent than her monotonous, confined life in the royal palace.
She truly enjoyed every second of this life-changing adventure.
Besides... if people assumed Morax was a perfect being thanks to his tremendous power, they would be shocked to learn the truthâŠ
At first Silvana had thought the same.
In her naive imagination, she had regarded Morax as a "perfect" being without weaknesses because of his overwhelming power and deep wisdom.
But that assumption... was completely wrong.
Morax's fatal flaw, which nearly made Silvana faint, was... he always forgot to pay!
Not a metaphor or figure of speechâMorax literally had a chronic habit of forgetting the concept of payment!
This shock began when they stopped at a luxurious restaurant in a trading city.
They ordered delicious dishes in very large portions, enjoyed the best food available, and when it came time to pay... what happened?
That's right.
Morax rose from his chair and walked calmly and dignifiedly out of the restaurant without taking out a single coin, as though the concept of payment were foreign to him.
At that moment, not only Silvana was shockedâeven the restaurant waiter, the cashier, and all the other patrons were stunned to see this unusual behavior.
Unsurprisingly, Morax's act of leaving without paying was considered a crime.
He was forcibly brought back by the restaurant's security guards and when asked firmly for his reason...
After thinking for a moment with a serious expression, Morax answered:
"...I forgot."
That brief answer left the restaurant owner, the security guards, and everyone who heard it speechless with gaping mouths.
They had not expected the reason behind the "crime" to be so... absurd.
Fortunately, before the situation could develop into a bigger problem, Silvana quickly took out all the Magical Beast cores Morax had killed during their journey.
The girl had originally collected those shiny objects out of curiosity and thought they might come in handy someday, but had never imagined her idle collection would save them from an embarrassing situation!
Silvana thought the incident was just a small, understandable mistake in daily life.
She even found it funny and thought it natural for a being as strong as Morax to make a trivial mistake like that now and then.
But how wrong she was to think so...
Not just once, but repeatedlyâat almost every place they visitedâMorax would commit the same "crime" with the same serious face!
No, seriously!
What god could forget a fundamental concept like money?!
Even a five-year-old child understood that money was needed to buy food and goods!
This made Silvana begin to wonderâŠ
Did gods think differently from ordinary humans?
Were they so strong and powerful that they regarded money as a concept irrelevant to their lives?!
Morax's image as a calm, wise, and perfect god began to crack and shatter into pieces in Silvana's mind...
But when asked whether the girl began to hate him or lose respect for Morax because of this...
The answer was no, not at all.
On the contrary, she liked this human side of him, because Morax's weakness made the figure who had once felt so high and unreachable seem closer and more familiar.
She could feel a warmth and closeness that had never existed before.
Even so, it also meant Silvana had to take full responsibility for the two of them financially.
After all, she didn't want to be arrested and executed just because her divine protector forgot to pay for a mealâwhat a shameful and ridiculous reason to die!
It would be fine if she had to die for being accused of treason against the kingdom or of murder, but dying over an unpaid restaurant bill... even Silvana would weep in the afterlife over such a ridiculous reason.
For that reason, every time they joined a Magical Beast huntâwhich Morax always won with easeâSilvana would diligently collect the cores from the slain monsters to trade with the traveling merchants or independent Hunters they met along the way.
True, the price was only half the official market value at the Hunter Association, but that was no big deal considering the extraordinary quality of the cores from the Magical Beasts Morax killed.
Even half the price of a single high-quality core was enough for a middle-class family to live comfortably for several years.
Silvana's present condition could be called Morax's personal "walking bank," and the little girl had to stay by the god's side wherever they went...
When asked whether the role of the god's personal treasurer was burdensome or troublesome... once again the answer was no.
Her decision to sign the contract with Morax was the best decision she had ever made in her life, one she would never regret even if she had to make the choice a thousand times over.
She was deeply grateful and happy that fate had brought them together.
For that reason, she was firmly determined to do her best not to be a burden to the god who had saved her life...
Fortunately, according to the contract they had agreed upon, Morax was also committed to training and developing her abilities...
***
The two of them were now heading to a fairly large city, said to have a Hunter Association branch with complete facilities and a good reputation.
As they passed through the grand city gate, Silvana's eyes immediately sparkled with curiosity.
The sight before her was very different from the small towns they had visited beforeâthis place was far more advanced and modern, filled with high-tech equipment that amazed her.
Tall buildings soared with futuristic architecture, wide clean streets, vehicles moving with magic technology, and what caught her attention most were⊠digital information boards displaying various announcements and advertisements in bright colors.
"Follow me," Morax said in his usual calm tone, without turning.
"Y-yes, but Lord Morax seems quite familiar with this place. Have you been to this city before?" Silvana asked curiously as she followed Morax's long strides.
There was a pause of a few seconds before the white-robed man answered, as if recalling an old memory.
"...Yes, I've come here a few times in the past."
"Lord Morax has such rich and long life experience. That makes me a little envious..." Silvana murmured with admiration mixed with envy.
"There's no need to be envious," Morax glanced at her briefly with a gentle gaze.
"A life that is too long is filled with countless twists and troubles. Besides..." His golden eyes seemed to gaze far into a dark past. "...sometimes living too long is not a good thing."
"..."
Silvana fell silent and, for some reason, felt guilty for having touched on a topic that seemed to hold bitter memories for Morax. It seemed she had unintentionally reminded him of something unpleasant...
Fortunately Morax was not too bothered and said in his usual indifferent tone. "We've arrived. Let's go in."
"Y-yes!"
The two entered a magnificent five-story building with a "Hunter Association" sign gleaming above.
The building looked very modern with glass walls reflecting the sunlight and architecture that combined technology with art.
As soon as they stepped inside, their ears were greeted by the characteristic racketâthe busy atmosphere of a large office that never sleeps.
Dozens of pretty receptionists spoke through magical communication devices in various dialects and languages, and several Hunters proudly showed off their achievements as Rank D or C Hunters to others, laughing loudly.
In the corners of the room, representatives of various large and small guilds in colorful uniforms were actively trying to recruit new members by offering various attractive benefits.
There was also a group of nervous-looking people queuing for Talent awakening tests, hoping to gain a special ability that would change their lives into Hunters...
Silvana, witnessing all this hustle and bustle, could not hide her great curiosity.
In her previous life as an isolated princess, she had often heard that the Hunter Association was the most prestigious and influential organization in the world.
Now she could finally see for herself how that legendary organization operated.
A big question arose in her mindâŠ
How strong were these people called Hunters, really?
Were there any among them who could rival Lord Morax's power?
But after thinking more deeply⊠she realized how naive the question was.
It felt very unrealistic to compare these ordinary Hunters with Morax, who could drop a meteor from the sky with ease.
Yes, it felt rather unfair and even insulting to compare Lord Morax with these people.
After all, Morax was a true god, while these people... were merely ordinary humans with clearly visible limitations.
There was no use comparing the heavens with the earth.
Morax's appearance with his unique lookâflowing white cloak, mysterious hood, and strong aura of authorityâdrew a little attention from other visitors.
On top of that, he was accompanied by a tiny girl like Silvana, and their combination looked quite conspicuous from any angle.
But they soon turned their attention back to their own business.
The Hunter Association was not short of people with eccentric and unique appearances.
Morax and Silvana's looks were still within reasonable bounds compared to some Hunters in strange costumes roaming around there...
Silvana felt relieved when people's attention lessened, though it did not reduce her vigilance.
Her traumatic experience in her first life as a princess who was constantly watched and judged made her very careful in crowded public places.
"Why have we come here, Lord Morax?" Silvana asked in a near whisper, trying not to draw attention.
"There are some important things I need to ask the people here. As for you..." Morax looked at her for a moment.
"Do whatever you wish to gain experience, but remember well. Don't go too far from here."
Silvana nodded eagerly. "Yes, I understand!"
She was used to Morax's habit of frequently seeking information about various things. That was what the god had been doing since their journey began...
All this time Morax had continued gathering information about various rare items and artifacts.
Silvana had never heard the names of those items before, but she remembered some of them from the ancient books in the palace library... Those items were legends nearly impossible to find, and even their existence was doubted by many experts.
She didn't know exactly what Morax's purpose was in searching for information about those legendary artifacts, but she was determined to help as much as she could if needed...
Silvana's eyes roamed the entire large room.
There was a counter dedicated to serving professional Hunters, an area selling various items and equipment, but what she was looking for was... a place that handled exchanging Magical Beast cores for currency.
After walking around for a bit, she found the right counter and approached it with hesitant steps.
"Excuse me, I have some Magical Beast cores I'd like to exchange. Can I do the transaction here?" Silvana asked politely of a young brown-haired receptionist.
The receptionist was slightly surprised to see the petite girl in a white cloak before her. She seemed hesitant for a momentâperhaps questioning whether a child so small really had Magical Beast coresâbut still smiled professionally and said kindly. "Of course, please. Which cores would you like to exchange?"
Silvana didn't want to attract too much attention or create a commotion. So she carefully took out only a few Magical Beast cores that weren't too conspicuous or rare.
Cores from Rank C and B Magical Beast hunts... she took out about five cores of fairly good quality but not too eye-catching.
But the receptionist's expression turned somewhat stunned.
Although this city had a fairly large Hunter Association, the quality of the local Hunters was not very high.
The strongest were perhaps a few Rank A Hunters, and even then they could be counted on one hand.
So it was very rare for anyone to successfully hunt a Rank C Magical Beast, let alone a Rank B, which required a team of experienced Hunters...
"Sorry for asking, but did you come here alone?" the receptionist asked carefully.
Silvana furrowed her small brow and then pointed at Morax, who was talking with another receptionist. "No, I'm with him..."
The receptionist followed the direction Silvana pointed and looked at Morax's figure with eyes that widened further.
"Oh, you two are from outside this city?"
"Yes, that's right..."
"No wonder," the receptionist nodded with an understanding expression.
"If you're from outside the city, then it makes sense. Many strong Hunters do often pass through our city in transit."
This also made the receptionist rather surprised because she could guess that the white-robed man was most likely a Rank A or even A+ Hunter.
After all, only a Hunter of that caliber could hunt a Rank B Magical Beast alone without a team's help.
"Here is your payment, but I advise you to be careful. There are many people with ill intentions around here, so don't show this much money to just anyone," the receptionist handed over a silver payment card with a fairly large amount of credit displayed on its small screen.
"Yes, I understand and thank you for the advice."
Silvana nodded politely as she carefully put the card away and then started walking off, not wanting to attract further attention.
As she walked away from the counter, her gaze suddenly stopped at a large screen displaying a list of bounty prices for various criminals being hunted.
Right... it was a digital notice board showing photos of people targeted by Bounty Hunters, complete with the reward offered for each head.
Hunters could choose their targets by touching the photos on the screen.
ButâŠ
Silvana's expression turned deathly pale when she saw one of the photos on that screen...
Among all the bounty targets, her own photo was clearly displayed with a number that nearly made Silvana's knees give out.
1 billion credits.
Silvana's body began to tremble and she panicked, pulling her hood deeper over her head, hoping no one would recognize her face.
Cold sweat ran down her back.
She felt that the Heavenly Sky Kingdom's royal family had truly lost their minds... how could they put such a high bounty on their own princess?!
One billion credits was enough to buy a small city!
"What's wrong, little girl? You don't look well?"
"?!!"
A large hand suddenly patted her tiny shoulder from behind.
Silvana panicked at once and nearly jumped in fright, her body freezing as though she could not move, especially when she saw that the person who had patted her shoulder was a rugged-looking Bounty Hunter with various weapons hanging from his body.
The Bounty Hunter raised a thick eyebrow at the little girl's exaggerated reaction.
"Little girl, are you all right? Where is your famâ"
"She's with me."
A calm, authoritative, familiar voice interrupted.
Silvana felt immensely relieved to see Morax's figure standing not far from them.
She hurriedly ran over and hid behind the god's tall body, tightly gripping the hem of his white cloak.
"...She's rather shy and easily startled. Please don't mind it," Morax said in a flat tone.
The Bounty Hunter scratched his bald head and said in a more casual tone.
"Well, no problem. As long as she's okay and not separated. My advice as a fellow hunter, next time don't leave a girl that small alone in a place like this. The Hunter Association is not a safe place for children."
"I will remember your advice."
Morax answered briefly but politely.
The Bounty Hunter no longer cared about their business.
He gave a quick nod and then walked away, muttering about his next mission, leaving Morax and Silvana standing in the corner of the room.
"He's gone. There's no need to be afraid anymore." Morax said indifferently.
"S-sorry for troubling you, Lord Morax. I-I didn't mean to..."
Silvana whispered in a trembling voice, still not daring to lift her head.
Silvana's small grip on Morax's white cloak tightened until her knuckles turned white.
The tiny girl seemed to be trying hard to calm down and appear independent, but her effort was futile because her body was still deathly pale and trembling like a leaf in a strong wind.
Fear was still plainly evident in her every movement.
Suddenly, that small hand, cold with fear, was gently clasped by a larger hand, brown with beautiful golden patterns.
The warmth of that touch immediately spread through Silvana's trembling body.
"Calm down⊠As long as I'm still here, no one will dare bother you."
The assured words calmed Silvana little by little.
But the girl still did not seem to dare release her grip on Morax's cloak, as though he were the only anchor keeping her from drowning in a sea of fear.
A big question mark seemed to appear above Morax's head when he noticed Silvana's grip wasn't loosening even though the situation was safe.
Silvana felt that puzzled gaze and her face instantly turned bright red.
Her head dropped even lower as she said shyly, "S-sorry, may I keep holding your hand a little longer, Lord Morax? I feel much safer like this..."
Her voice grew smaller until it sounded almost like a soft whisper nearly swallowed by the air.
Morax just let out a small "oh" and nodded with a still-calm face.
"Of course. It's no problem."
Silvana felt relieved to hear such an understanding response.
Behind her hood, a small warm smile began to bloom on her flushed face.
But that little happiness didn't last long because Morax suddenly straightened and looked toward the entrance.
The atmosphere inside the Hunter Association building suddenly turned suffocatingly silent.
Everyoneâwhether seasoned Hunters or the usually busy receptionistsâall fell silent and exchanged uneasy glances.
Even the sound of footsteps and small whispers vanished, replaced by an uncomfortable silence.
The reason for this sudden silence soon became clear as a young man with messy brown hair and deep black eyes walked in through the main door, casually dragging the corpse of a giant bear-like Magical Beast whose body was covered in deep wounds.
A trail of blood followed his steps across the clean marble floor.
Silvana blinked in confusion as she observed everyone's reactions around her.
She found them all looking stunned, a few even looking frightened and stepping back.
A tense atmosphere immediately blanketed the whole room.
'What? What's so special about that person?'
Silvana studied the young man carefully, trying to find out what made him so feared.
But she found nothing too striking about his appearance, except that his aura gave off an impression of being "quite strong."
Even so, compared to the majesty and power radiated by Morax⊠the young man was still far behind.
It was just that⊠for some reason, something nagged at Silvana's heart.
A strange feeling she couldn't explain.
The young man looked rather pitiful with his ragged clothes and tired face, yet the people around him clearly did not dare underestimate him.
Even the burly, fierce-faced Hunters seemed to avoid his path.
Small whispers began to be heard as the young man carried the still-dripping corpse of the Magical Beast to the reception desk:
"He did it again? I'm starting to wonder why someone like that is still roaming free in our city."
"They say he's looking for an extremely strong creature, but the strongest creature around here is probably only Rank B, right? Is he still not satisfied?"
"That's just an excuse to cover his true intentions. He must want to snatch all the profitable hunts in this city. Just look at that guyâhow dare he exchange his catches at the Hunter Association when his status is just an Irregular Hunter..."
Irregular Hunter.
Silvana had heard that term before.
Irregular Hunters were Hunters who worked actively but were never officially registered in the system database.
They deliberately concealed much of their personal information, so they were often shunned and suspected by other Hunters.
Everyone in this city seemed to look down on and dislike the young man's presence, but at the same time... they also seemed very afraid and did not dare confront him directly.
The proof was that even though the young man had the dubious status of an Irregular Hunter, even the receptionist, who was usually strict about enforcing the rules, did not dare refuse the corpse he brought.
On the contrary, the woman looked nervous and broke out in a cold sweat as she served him.
Was he a bad person?
Silvana wondered in her heart.
But it seemed rather unlikelyâŠ. If that person were truly bad, he would surely have been arrested or expelled from this city.
That meant he was still within tolerated limits... then why was everyone so afraid of him?
While she was still lost in those confusing thoughts, Silvana's expression suddenly changed as she realized the Irregular Hunter had begun walking toward where they stood with steady, purposeful steps.
Silvana immediately felt nervous and hid even tighter behind Morax's back. Her heart pounded with unease.
But surprisingly, the Irregular Hunter suddenly stopped in his tracks as if given a dangerous warning by his instincts.
His expression, already gloomy from the start, grew even darker and more serious.
His sharp eyes stared intently first at Silvana, then shifted to Morax with a gaze full of wariness and... respect?
"You..."
The Irregular Hunter began to speak in a very serious tone, but carefully chose each word he would say.
He seemed to be weighing the risk of every sentence.
"Someone with power at your level... why are you in a small city like this?"
"There is something important I must settle here," Morax answered in a calm tone that nevertheless carried irrefutable authority.
"I see..." The Irregular Hunter nodded slowly with an understanding expression.
"That's all I wanted to ask. And as for the girl with you..."
He fell silent for a moment, glancing at Silvana with a hard-to-read gaze, and then seemed to give in to something.
"I want to remind you that the girl has a certain dangerous power she herself may not be aware of. Take good care of her."
Morax's gaze narrowed sharply, showing that he did not take the warning lightly.
But he still nodded calmly.
"Yes. I will."
The Irregular Hunter felt the brief conversation was enough and no longer cared.
He turned and walked away with the same steady steps, leaving Morax and Silvana alone in the still-tense atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Silvana, who had heard the entire conversation, hesitantly gathered the courage to ask.
"That person... do you know him, Lord Morax?"
"Not well. I just know who he is." Morax answered in his usual indifferent tone.
"Let's leave here. We need to find a safe and comfortable place to spend the night."
"Yes..."
Silvana nodded obediently, though her curiosity about the mysterious Irregular Hunter was not fully satisfied.
***
When night had fallen deep and Silvana lay asleep soundly in their simple bed, Moraxâor more precisely Lux, using the Morax Templateâstood by the window thinking deeply about the unexpected encounter earlier.
'What a surprise... I never expected to meet the Son of Destiny who once had a connection with Mayuri in a place like this.'
Yes, the Irregular Hunter who had frightened the entire Hunter Association of this small city was no ordinary person.
He was Shou⊠a Son of Destiny who once had a very deep connection with Takamiya Mayuri.
An individual who possessed a very rare and powerful cheat in the form of a system called the Divine Contract System.
And what was even more interesting⊠it seemed that, unlike his earlier appearance, which had looked desperate and broken when he was separated from Takamiya Mayuri, the young man's appearance had now changed significantly.
He looked more mentally stable and able to think clearly, though⊠there was an aura of darkness enveloping him.
Lux (Morax) was a little curious about this development.
Considering he was a Son of Destiny with exceptionally high luck, perhaps Shou had managed to form a contract with a very powerful being through his Divine Contract System?
Most likely, thanks to his system, Shou also knew some important things about the "secret" hidden within Silvana.
From his reaction earlier, it must be an extremely powerful and dangerous power, to the point that even a Son of Destiny like him was interested in approaching the little girl.
But because Lux (Morax) was present and standing at Silvana's side, the young man had ultimately abandoned his intention and chosen not to seek unnecessary trouble.
'What an interesting sight... a Son of Destiny wanting to make a contract with another Son of Destiny.'
Lux (Morax) wondered to himself.
If two Sons of Destiny gathered together for a long time, would both their lucks reinforce each other and become even more formidable, or would it be the oppositeâtheir luck and fate colliding and causing chaos?
This thought made Lux (Morax) want to conduct a small experiment to test the theory, but for now it was still too early and risky.
He would save the idea for the future.
Rather than think about that, he was more interested in the reason for Shou's arrival in this remote little city.
From the information he had gathered earlier, the young man was looking for extremely powerful beings to contract with.
Judging from how he had suddenly approached Silvana⊠he seemed to be in a great hurry in his effort to increase his power.
As for the reason behind that haste... it was not too hard for someone like Lux to guess.
'He must be planning to rescue Takamiya Mayuri.'
Thinking about this, Lux (Morax) felt Shou's efforts would most likely end in vain.
Currently Takamiya Mayuri was in the Holy Spirit Empireâthe strongest empire humanity possessed in this world.
Even if Shou were a Son of Destiny with extraordinary luck, it would be very difficult for him to break through the Holy Spirit Empire's layered defenses.
After all, there were many deadly Rank SS Hunters there.
Not to mention the fact that the empire had two or even three Transcendent-tier beings as its main protectors.
Most astonishing of all⊠they even had five High Spirits who were literally equal to Takamiya Mayuriâwho herself was a Pure Spirit of very pure power.
In his other identity as the "Frost Assassin," had it not been for the power of the Divine Ice Emperor Talent and the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception he possessed, Lux would have nearly died many times when facing the forces of the Holy Spirit Empire.
And even then he had been lucky not to have been too rampant in his assassination activities within the empire's territoryâŠ
To attack and break through the Holy Spirit Empire head-on, one would need at least power on the level of a Rank Unknown like True Cthulhu or an entity with truly unreasonable power like the TemplateãKiana Kaslana - Herrscher of the Void VersionãâŠ
But setting aside all that strategic analysis, there was one thing that made Lux curious.
'I wonder what kind of being is his main contract partner right now.'
To hunt extremely powerful creatures the way he did, Shou naturally needed the power of another being who had become his main source of strength through the contract system.
Borrowing power from another being by forming a mutual contract, but in compensation having to grant the requests or wishes of the contracted being... that was the essence of Shou's Divine Contract System.
'The Morax Template I'm using right now isn't very good at sensing or analyzing the power of other beings from a distance, so I can't tell who the being he's contracted with is or how strong it isâŠ'
Lux (Morax) thought for a moment as he analyzed various possibilities.
Shou was a Son of Destiny who had previously succeeded in forming a contract with Takamiya Mayuri, whose power was at the Rank SS level.
So for the next contract⊠it was very possible that he had obtained a being of Rank SSS power or even Transcendent level.
As for a Rank Unknown being... Lux did not even seriously consider that possibility.
A Rank Unknown being was an entity that could already influence the fate of death itself.
Even a Son of Destiny could not easily influence or contract with a being of that level through luck alone.
It would take something far greater and more dangerous.
And to know for certain the type and level of power of Shou's contracted being, it seemed Lux himself would have to step inâŠ
He fell silent for a moment, then slowly scrolled through the rows of Template cards that began to appear before him like shimmering holograms.
Each Template card radiated its own unique light and color, reflecting the personality, power, and special characteristics of each Character Template.
Of course, the most striking and eye-catching colors were the pure gold and rainbow cardsâŠ
Lux (Morax)'s sharp gaze finally stopped on a bright gold Template card that radiated a dark, evil, yet very alluring aura.
The aura the card emitted was so strong that the air around it felt heavy and oppressive.
Considering the characteristics and special abilities of this Character Template, the card was very suitable and effective for dealing with Shou, who very likely had a powerful monster or being as his contract partner.
But before changing Templates, there was one important thing he had to do first.
Lux (Morax) glanced toward the bed where Silvana still slept soundly.
The girl's innocent face looked peaceful in her sleep, unaware of the complicated plans and calculations taking place in his head.
Slowly, he approached and placed both palms on Silvana's warm forehead.
A soft golden energy began to flow from his hands as he murmured in a voice almost inaudible.
"<<ðð¢ððð¢ð§ð ðð«ðððŠð¬ ðð§ð ðð¢ð¬ð¢ðšð§ð¬>>"
This was one of Morax's own techniques, a technique that allowed its user to give others beautiful, peaceful, and pleasant dreams.
The technique not only made the target sleep more soundly, but also protected them from nightmares and mental disturbances during sleep.
Yes⊠Lux (Morax) deliberately gave Silvana a very beautiful and soothing dream.
The reason was clear⊠it would be troublesome and dangerous if the girl suddenly woke up when he wasn't at her side, especially alone in a place still unfamiliar to her.
Of course, this action was also closely tied to the sacred contract he had made as a God of Contract.
Pitiful as it was, this was the greatest weakness of the Morax Templateâevery contract made had to be taken care of and fulfilled very seriously, no matter how small or trivial the contract was.
Lux could not even refuse or ignore it even if he wanted to.
As if to prove how seriously he took every contract made, Lux (Morax) even unconsciously began to summon one of the true Geo Archon's special legendary items.
"ðððŠðšð«ð² ðšð ðð®ð¬ð€."
A warm and soothing golden light began to softly illuminate the entire room.
In Lux (Morax)'s hand, a uniquely shaped cube-like artifact slowly appearedâmade from a mixture of pure gold with intricate patterns that shimmered, giving an impression of both luxury and mystery.
Memory of Dusk... it was only a copy or replica of the real, stronger Memory of Dusk, but at least this artifact would provide very strong protection for Silvana if anything unwanted or dangerous happened.
With this protection, unless the attack was equivalent to a nuclear bomb or a power on that level, Silvana would not suffer any wound or injury.
"Now... let's begin."
Lux (Morax) stood upright with full confidence, and a gold Template card radiating a dark aura appeared and floated in his hand.
The card trembled slightly as though impatient to be used.
[Ding! Does the Host wish to install this Character Template?]
The mechanical voice of the system sounded in his head in a neutral tone.
"ðð§ð¬ððð¥ð¥."
[ðð¶ð»ðŽ! ð§ð²ðºðœð¹ð®ðð² ð¶ð»ððð®ð¹ð¹ð®ðð¶ðŒð» ð¯ð²ðŽð¶ð»ð»ð¶ð»ðŽ... ð£ð¹ð²ð®ðð² ðœð¿ð²ðœð®ð¿ð² ð³ðŒð¿ ðð¿ð®ð»ðð³ðŒð¿ðºð®ðð¶ðŒð»...]
An intense golden light began to envelop Lux's entire body, signaling the start of the Template-switching process...
***
The quiet night suddenly felt oppressive. In a dim corner of the city, a young man with a face cold as winter ice sat alone.
Dull brown hair and deep black eyes reflected the darkness of a hidden soul.
His pale hand held a glass of cold water, trying to quench a thirst that would not go away.
Shou looked like an ordinary young man drowned in gloom, but who would have guessedâŠ
That behind his shabby appearance lay a power capable of shaking kingdoms?
His brow furrowed slightly at the sound of a voice that had bothered him far too often.
"[ððŒðŒð¹ð¶ððµ ðµððºð®ð»! ðªðµð ð±ð¶ð± ððŒð ð¹ð²ð ððµð®ð ð¹ð¶ððð¹ð² ðŽð¶ð¿ð¹ ð·ððð ðŽðŒ ð¹ð¶ðžð² ððµð®ð?! ð'ðð² ððŒð¹ð± ððŒð ðºð®ð»ð ðð¶ðºð²ð, ððµð² ð°ðŒðð¹ð± ð¿ð²ðððŒð¿ð² ðºð ð¹ðŒðð ðœðŒðð²ð¿!]"
The woman's voice, full of anger and arrogance, echoed in his head.
Its cold tone implied a deep-rooted superiority, as though the world belonged to her alone.
Shou, already accustomed to the foul temper of the being inside him, merely looked at the transparent figure before him with an irritated gaze.
His lips formed a cynical smirk as he answered in an indifferent tone, "If you want to die sooner, don't drag me along with you."
"[ððŒð ð±ð®ð¿ð² ððŒð ðð®ð ððµð®ð ððŒ ðºð²! ððŒð»'ð ð³ðŒð¿ðŽð²ð ððµðŒ ðŽð®ðð² ððŒð ððµð² ððð¿ð²ð»ðŽððµ ððŒð ðµð®ðð² ð»ðŒð!]"
The being snapped in a voice trembling with fierce anger and hatred.
"But without me, you'd have been a corpse long ago. So shut your mouth," Shou retorted coldly, as if cutting an artery with his words.
"[ð¬ðŒð ðð¿ð²ðð°ðµ! ð¬ðŒð ðð²ð¿ð² ðŒð»ð¹ð ð¹ðð°ðžð ð¯ð®ð°ðž ððµð²ð»! ðð³ ð¶ð ðð²ð¿ð²ð»'ð ð³ðŒð¿ ðºð ð±ð¶ð¿ð² ð°ðŒð»ð±ð¶ðð¶ðŒð», ððµð®ð ð³ðŒðŒð¹ ððŒðð¹ð± ðð®ð»ð ððŒ ð²ð»ðð²ð¿ ð® ð¹ð¶ð³ð²-ð®ð»ð±-ð±ð²ð®ððµ ð°ðŒð»ðð¿ð®ð°ð ðð¶ððµ ð® ðð²ð®ðž ð®ð»ð± ðœð®ððµð²ðð¶ð° ðµððºð®ð» ð¹ð¶ðžð² ððŒð?!]"
Though the being's voice was full of anger, Shou knew she wasn't entirely wrong.
His gaze turned colder, but⊠in his heart he admitted the truth.
He really had only relied on blind luck when he succeeded in forming a contract with the being before him.
The figure now standing transparent before him was a woman of extraordinary beauty.
Her perfect body was wrapped in a thin, translucent gown that provoked more than it covered.
Diamond hair shimmered like pure crystal, flowing long, adorned with a magnificent crown set with nine multicolored crystals, each radiating a different elemental energy.
Her intoxicating beauty could stir the desire of any man at a single glance, but Shou would never be deceived.
He knew very well the true form of this enchanting beingâone of the most feared Transcendent entitiesâŠ
ð¡ð¶ð»ð² ðð¹ð²ðºð²ð»ðð®ð¹ ððð±ð¿ð®.
And now, the Nine Elemental Hydra was a being he had managed to contract through that mysterious system.
It was ironic.
With his extremely weak power, and with his very first "contract" having shattered to pieces, Shou had no chance at all of even touching a Rank B creature, let alone a Transcendent entity like the Nine Elemental Hydra.
So how had he contracted her?
The answer was simple⊠pure luck that was almost impossible to occur.
At that time, Shou was drowning in deep despair.
He had been so frustrated searching for a powerful being to contract with so he could grow stronger and escape the slump of his life.
But unfortunately, there was not a single creature that met the requirements to form a contract with himâa weak human with a pitiful Rank E Talent.
Until one day, fate led him into a forbidden forest and he found the Nine Elemental Hydra, dying, gravely wounded from a fierce battle with an unknown enemy.
Shou seized that golden opportunity with all the courage he had.
He tried to form a Divine Contract with that legendary creature while explaining the extraordinary benefits of contracting with him.
Of course, the Nine Elemental Hydra did not believe that nonsense at all.
After all, what fool would believe a mere ordinary human could grant any wish just by forming a contract with him?
But unfortunately⊠the Nine Elemental Hydra's condition, on the verge of death, left her with no other choice.
Reluctantly and unwillingly, she finally formed a Divine Contract with Shou.
From then on, Shou and the Nine Elemental Hydra became "comrades-in-arms" bound by a life-and-death contract.
Their relationship was at first very bad and full of quarrels.
But as time passed⊠the Nine Elemental Hydra was forced to admit Shou's extraordinary talent for using her power.
Not just anyone could master the power of a Transcendent being as easily as Shou did.
It was just that the positive impression vanished instantly when Shou stubbornly refused to bring along the human girl who had the ability to restore the Nine Elemental Hydra's power!
At the Hunter Association earlier, the Nine Elemental Hydra had sensed an extraordinary aura from the little cloaked girl.
She was sure the girl could instantly heal her severe injuries, and perhaps even raise her power drastically!
Unfortunately, Shou had no intention of helping, leaving the Nine Elemental Hydra to brood with burning anger in her heart.
'[ðð³ ð¶ð ðð²ð¿ð²ð»'ð ð³ðŒð¿ ððµð¶ð ð°ðð¿ðð²ð± ð¹ð¶ð³ð²-ð®ð»ð±-ð±ð²ð®ððµ ð°ðŒð»ðð¿ð®ð°ð, ð ððŒðð¹ð± ððð¿ð²ð¹ð ðµð®ðð² ðŽð»ð®ðð²ð± ððµð®ð ð¯ðŒð±ð ð®ðœð®ð¿ð!]' the Nine Elemental Hydra thought furiously.
Shou, feeling the wave of anger from the Nine Elemental Hydra, chose to stay silent.
He shut his ears to every cold and threatening sentence from the Transcendent woman.
Honestly, Shou had also noticed something very "unique" and interesting about that girl through the Divine Contract System he possessed.
But unlike the Nine Elemental Hydra, who wanted to devour the girl, Shou wanted to form a Divine Contract with her.
His Divine Contract System had reached level 3, which meant he still had two empty slots for new contracts.
The problem was⊠when he tried to approach the girl, the white-robed man beside her made him shiver down his spine.
The Nine Elemental Hydra had not sensed it because she was still severely wounded, but Shou could tell the horrifying level of danger of that robed man through his system's evaluation.
A being with power equal to Rank SS+ or even higherâŠ
With his current strength and the Nine Elemental Hydra's condition, which was only as strong as Rank S+, Shou did not dare make an enemy far beyond his limits.
For that reason, with a heavy heart Shou had been forced to abandon his intention of forming a contract with the mysterious little girlâŠ
'Actually, it wouldn't be bad if I could form a contract with that robed manâŠ'
Besides making him far stronger, he would also have a Rank SS+ being as his protector and supporter.
Right now, he badly needed power.
He needed more and had to become strong as quickly as possible...
"That way, I can save you sooner..." Shou murmured softly in a voice almost inaudible.
The image of a very beautiful and graceful girl in a white sailor uniform, with soft blonde hair and mesmerizing pink eyes, flashed through his mind.
Her calm and peaceful face always made his heart feel warm.
The only girl who was the bright light and hope in the darkness of his world.
The only one who had made him feel what is called "loyalty" for the first time in his lifeâŠ
"[...]"
The Nine Elemental Hydra beside him raised an eyebrow with a hard-to-read expression.
During the long journey with him, she of course already knew the identity of the person Shou meant, and that was also part of the reason he was making this dangerous, death-risking journey.
But frankly, the Nine Elemental Hydra felt like laughing out loud in contempt.
Pure Spirit... the Nine Elemental Hydra certainly knew something about that rare being, but if Shou thought he could win the heart of such an entity, she could only mock the young man's foolishness.
A Spirit born from the essence of the pure love of six women for one manâeven a fool could know where that love would flow at her birth.
And Shou would never have a chance to interfere in that.
His presence in the Pure Spirit's life was merely coincidence.
Besides, every appearance of a Pure Spirit was certainly beautiful and captivating, while Shou had no beauty or charm worthy of standing beside her...
To the Nine Elemental Hydra, Shou's attitude reflected the classic saying, "a toad wanting to eat swan meat"âan impossible and ridiculous dream.
Rather than that, the Nine Elemental Hydra was more interested in the mysterious "Frost Assassin" who had stolen that Pure Spirit from Shou's hands.
In her view, she was better suited to the Frost Assassin, who gave off a dark and dangerous impression.
While Shou was gazing at the bright full moon in the night skyâŠ
Suddenly his brow furrowed as he realized⊠that he was being watched by someone.
He turned with a swift motion and found that the one watching him hadn't even bothered to hide his presence at all.
A mysterious figure with jet-black hair, wearing a white kitsune mask with a captivating pattern.
He wore a dark blue-gray cloak layered with gray and a luxurious-looking fur collar, along with a gray-blue robe.
Black fingerless gloves neatly wrapped in red-brown leather straps studded with metal spikes, loose black pants comfortable for moving, and red-brown sandals.
His appearance was rather suspicious and raised questions, but Shou did not think too deeply about it.
He merely intended to walk past the masked figure indifferently untilâ
"This is truly an unexpected surprise... meeting you in a place like this."
A deep, husky voice came from behind the young man's mask.
"..." Shou's steps stopped at once.
He frowned suspiciously and asked in a piercingly cold tone, "Have we met before?"
"In one sense, yes... but in another..." The masked figure glanced at him indifferently, as if looking at a disgusting insect. "...the two of us are enemies."
"?!!!"
Shou's eyes widened in shock as the masked figure before him suddenly threw an extremely fast, devastating punch with terrifying force!
ðœðŒðð...!!
The punch created an extraordinarily powerful shockwave, causing tremendous destruction to the area around them.
The ground cracked, trees toppled, and the air shook violently.
"Oh?" The masked figure's voice sounded interested and slightly surprised.
"Quite impressive. You actually managed to take my punch head-on."
Indeed, instead of choosing to dodge quickly, Shou surprisingly chose to block a punch that could have knocked a Rank B Hunter unconscious instantly.
What was interesting was that Shou's hand was covered in a shining silver diamond layer that looked very sturdy and beautiful.
Shou's expression was cold as ice on the highest mountaintop.
"Who exactly are you?"
True, he had once had hostility with several arrogant nobles, but to avoid troublesome continuing problems that threatened his life, he had killed everyone who was hostile to him down to the roots.
Could it be from the Light Sun Kingdom?
Impossible, the possibility was extremely small.
Apart from his complicated relationship with the third prince a few months ago, there was no strong reason for the Light Sun Kingdom to be hostile toward him.
Then who exactly was this mysterious person?
While Shou was sunk in thought with a frown, the deep voice of the kitsune-masked young man sounded again in a bothersome tone.
"Very unpleasant and disgusting."
"Huh?" Shou did not understand his meaning.
"Truly extremely annoying. Your presence in this world... I feel utterly disgusted and sick seeing you."
'What is this lunatic?'
The furrow in Shou's brow deepened as he grew more confused by the strange person before him suddenly uttering annoying sentences for no clear reason.
But he had no time to think further because the masked young man again threw a devastating punch, much stronger than before!
ðœðŒðð!!
The shocking punch was like a tsunami wave obliterating everything in its path, but Shou did not panic at all.
Instead, he narrowed his eyes sharply and said in a terrifyingly cold tone.
"So you won't answer my question nicely... then I can only force you to talk in a harder way."
"What a very funny and laughable statement." The masked young man's voice sounded amused and contemptuous.
"With the half-borrowed power you take from another being⊠do you think you can defeat me?"
"?!!"
Shou's eyes widened in total shock.
"How do you knowâ"
His words were cut off as the masked figure shot toward him at high speed, almost invisible to the eye!
'Damn!'
Shou's expression turned very grim and serious.
He reached out his hand and one of his eyes turned a blazing red like hellfire.
Then a tremendous and terrifying blast of flame shot out at high speed!
ðœððð!!
The masked figure dodged it with a light step, causing a huge explosion behind him like a grenade blast, but Shou did not stop attacking.
His red right eye changed to a shining silver and his body was suddenly enveloped in dazzling white lightning!
Shou's figure flickered and in the blink of an eye he appeared right in front of the masked young man!
Thenâ
ðœðŒðð! ðœððð!
Shou's punch, wrapped in terrifying white lightning, struck the masked young man's body directly.
But Shou's eyes widened in disbelief because his punch had stopped right in front of the young man, as if some sort of very powerful invisible shield blocked it!
"Is that all your power?"
Shou's expression changed drastically.
He was about to retreat quickly to keep his distance, but the masked young man seemed to have already predicted the move and immediately gripped Shou's arm with crushing force!
Without ceremony or feeling, the masked young man twisted it in an utterly inhuman direction until Shou's arm was torn from his body and sprayed fresh blood horrifyingly in every direction!
A horrifying expression of extreme pain formed on Shou's face.
The young man wanted to scream in pain, but he suppressed it fiercely and instead made the silver lightning on his body blaze with insane intensity!
"<<ððð±ð¢ðŠð®ðŠ ðð¥ððŠðð§ððð¥ ðð®ðð©ð®ð: ðð¡ð®ð§ððð«!!>>"
ð ðð¿ðŒðŒð...!!! ðœððð!!
Both the masked young man and Shou were engulfed by that tremendous white flash.
Although Shou was the cause of the lightning explosion, he could not avoid the fact that he too was gravely injured.
His body was slightly charred and gave off hot steam, showing severe burns.
Shou's white right eye then changed color again to a calming sea blue.
A soothing mass of water enveloped his body and miraculously, all the damage he had suffered vanished perfectly as though nothing had ever happened.
It was only that his clothes had become very tattered and shabby.
But Shou felt neither happy nor relieved.
On the contrary, he grew even more vigilant and wary, because he knew for certain that his enemy was still alive and well.
Sure enough... the sound of calm footsteps came walking out from behind the smoke of that white lightning explosion.
If the masked young man had been gravely wounded, Shou might not have felt so gloomy.
But unfortunately, far from a serious wound, his clothes merely gave off a little smoke from the strong electrical pressure earlier.
"Although the power you borrowed is still half-baked and imperfect, it seems you've been able to make the most of it quite well. But I'm more surprised by something else..."
The masked young man's voice sounded full of interest.
"From what I've heard, you're not the type to do something like sacrificing your own body for victory. You've truly changed surprisingly."
Shou took a deep breath to calm himself and then asked in a more careful tone,
"Why did you suddenly attack me? Maybe there's a misunderstanding between us?"
From their brief exchange of attacks, Shou had immediately realized that the masked young man possessed truly terrifying power beyond his reasoning.
At the very least, the present him could not win easily, and might not be able to win at all.
"A very laughable and silly question. As I recall, you just said you would force me to talk? Where's your blind confidence from earlier?"
"..."
Shou's face turned gloomy and sour, but he still tried to control his emotions hard.
"For my impertinent words earlier, I sincerely apologize. But if I can still avoid a life-threatening fight, I'd rather let myself feel embarrassed."
"I see... that's an interesting sentence." The masked figure tilted his head curiously.
"Then, what if I told you that I know important information you've been wanting to know all this time?"
Shou's body stiffened drastically upon hearing that.
He tried to look calm, but his tone still trembled uncontrollably, "...What do you mean? What information do I want to know?"
The masked young man chuckled softly.
His voice sounded indifferent, yet it succeeded in making Shou tremble and grow even more nervous, "Still wanting to pretend? Who do you think can give me detailed information about you?"
"..."
Shou's pupils dilated hugely with deep fear.
The masked young man walked with calm, relaxed steps, then whispered in a soothing yet terrifying toneâŠ
"Frost Assassin... I'm sure you'll never forget that name, right? He's the one who told me everything about you, and you know what? I wanted to burst out laughing hearing his stories about you."
He continued, not caring about Shou's increasingly shattered emotions and feelings, "Threatening a Pure Spirit with your worthless life? Who do you think you are before such a special being?"
"...Enough."
Shou's voice began to tremble with suppressed anger.
"Though I admit your nerve in using her power in public is very high and bold. Yes, courage based on pure stupidity. Too bad, that Pure Spirit had to be captured because the human she contracted turned out to be just a pitiful piece of social trash."
"I said stop talking!" His anger began to peak.
"What was that Pure Spirit's name again? Ah, if I remember correctly..." The eyes behind the mask shone with a terrifying malice.
"...Takamiya Mayuri? That's her name, right?"
"?!!"
ðœððð...!!
As if a trigger had caused a tremendous explosion, Shou's body immediately released an extremely frightening and terrifying aura!
His footing directly caused a great, deep crack in the ground beneath him.
Shou, his body enveloped in fierce, blazing red flames, roared with uncontrollable anger,
"I WILL KILL YOU!"
A terrifying punch full of hatred was aimed straight at the masked young man, but the deadly attack was blocked easily by the young man's fist.
"An attack like this will never be able to hurt meâ"
His words stopped when he found his palm beginning to feel very hot and burning.
He looked at Shou before him, whose appearance was slowly changing drastically.
Part of his hair had a blazing red color, the pupils of both eyes had turned red like hellfire.
Most striking of all, on his forehead was a kind of red crystal sphere pulsing with terrifying energy!
"<<ðð¥ððŠðð§ððð¥ð¢ð¬ð: ð ð¥ððŠð>>!!"
ðœððð...!!
A tremendous explosion of blazing red flame instantly blew the masked young man's body far backward!
The masked young man quickly regained his balance as he performed several elegant somersaults.
He glanced at his slightly burned shoulder with a surprised expression.
But his thoughts were immediately diverted as truck-sized fireballs shot toward him one after another at terrifying speed!
ðœððð! ðœððð! ðœððð!
The fireballs were like nuclear bombs falling from the sky, directly causing huge craters and burning the entire area into a sea of fire!
ðððð!
The masked young man's figure flickered and shot toward Shou at high speed, but suddenly Shou's form changed again surprisingly!
What had been all red now turned a yellow-brown like earth and stone!
Without the slightest hesitation, Shou slammed his fist into the ground with full force, and hundreds of terrifying, countless earth stakes erupted from beneath, trying to pierce and target the masked young man from every direction!
But as if he had predicted all these attacks beforehand, the masked young man simply released a faint purple gravitational thrust that easily obliterated all the earth stakes!
However, just as the masked young man had predicted Shou's attacks, Shou had also anticipated this, so he quickly switched to a different element!
"<<ðð¥ððŠðð§ððð¥ð¢ð¬ð: ðð¢ð ð¡ð!>>"
His hair and eyes turned a golden color shining as bright as the sun and something like a giant magic circle appeared behind him with a dazzling light!
"DIE RIGHT NOW!!"
Accompanied by his roar full of hatred, the terrifying, destructive beam of light shot out at the speed of light with unmatched energy, obliterating everything in its path!
The masked young man had not anticipated this attack at all.
With amazing reflexes, he spread a wave of dark energy from his bodyâa terrifying thrust that could normally paralyze a Rank A Hunter instantly.
But in vain.
The golden light split through his dark defense like a hot sword through butter, piercing every layer of protective energy he formed!
ðœðððððððð....!!
A tremendous explosion shook the entire city district!
The shockwave spread within a radius of hundreds of meters, lifting dust, rubble, and shards of glass into the air!
The traditional-style houses and modern buildings behind the young man vanished in an instantânot just destroyed, but utterly annihilated, leaving a gaping crater five meters deep with edges still glowing from the residual heat of the light attack!
White smoke billowed from the crater, creating a thick fog that smelled of burnt metal and ozone.
Shou stood calmly amid the destruction, his glittering golden eyes looking at his handiwork without emotion.
Even if his opponent had been a Rank S Hunter, they would have vanished without leaving so much as a speck of ash under the power of "Elementalist: Light."
"[ðªð®ððð¶ð»ðŽ ðð¶ðºð². ðªðµð ð±ð¶ð±ð»'ð ððŒð ð±ðŒ ððµð¶ð ð³ð¿ðŒðº ððµð² ððð®ð¿ð?]"
The Nine Elemental Hydra's irritated voice echoed in Shou's mind.
Shou's phenomenal increase in power was indeed thanks to his contract with that Transcendent being.
The Nine Elemental Hydra, as her name suggested, was a creature with nine heads, each commanding a certain one of nine elements.
The nine elements she mastered were: Flame, Water, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Light, Dark, Diamond, and... Time...
As her contract partner, Shou had access to all of those elements.
But because his human soul was still very weak, he could only use one element at a time.
The "Elementalist" technique he had just used was a temporary form in which he and the elemental power were perfectly synchronized, allowing elemental manipulation at a higher level.
In this mode, Shou's power instantly leapt to the level of a Rank S Hunterâperhaps even more!
But this technique had an expensive price. He could maintain it for thirty minutes at most.
He had actually been reluctant to use this technique, but the masked young man's wordsâespecially the ones touching on Mayuriâhad truly burned his anger to the crown of his head.
"Spouting nonsense about Mayuri, that person needs to be taught a lesson," Shou muttered, the golden aura around his body flickering like a raging fire.
"[...]"
The Nine Elemental Hydra fell silent, but her gaze turned contemptuous as she looked at Shou.
"[ð§ððž, ðµðð¿ð¿ð ððœ ð®ð»ð± ð³ð¶ð»ð¶ððµ ððµð¶ð ð®ð»ð±â]"
"Heh... hahaha... HAHAHAHAHA!"
Wild laughter full of madness suddenly boomed from the direction of the crater.
Not only Shou was startledâeven the Nine Elemental Hydra blinked.
The two of them turned with wide eyes and the sight they beheld was completely beyond their expectations.
The masked young man was still standing upright in the middle of the gaping crater!
Although his black cloak was in tatters and giving off thick smoke, although the exposed skin showed severe burns, he was still aliveâeven still laughing in a tone that made the hair stand on end.
"I see... no wonder this feeling is so annoying and unpleasant."
The masked figure walked out of the crater with strangely steady steps, even though his body trembled from the damage he had taken.
Large cracks began to spread across the surface of his white kitsune mask, like a spiderweb ever widening.
"A truly disgusting feeling... even though you're very weak, strangely your elemental power is extremely strongâeven the being inside me is thrashing, wanting to get out and flee. But that's precisely what makes you even more interesting to destroy..."
ðŸððŒðŸð!
The cracks in the kitsune mask widened further and thenâ
ðŸððŒðð!
The mask that had hidden his identity all this time shattered into pieces, its white fragments scattering on the cracked ground.
What was revealed shocked both Shou and the Nine Elemental Hydra.
The young man was actually very youngâperhaps around fifteen years old.
His face had sharp features, but most striking were a pair of eyes with glowing red pupils bearing a vertical black line down the middleâlike a predatory reptile's eyesâand three whisker-like lines on each cheek.
But it was not his physical appearance that shocked the two, rather...
ðððð¿!
ðð®ðð¿ð²ð±.
ðð®ðð¿ð²ð± ððµð®ð ðð²ð²ðºð²ð± ððŒ ðµð®ðð² ð»ðŒ ð³ðŒðð»ð±ð®ðð¶ðŒð» ð®ð»ð± ð»ðŒ ð¹ð¶ðºð¶ð.
ðð» ð®ðð¿ð® ððµð®ð ðð®ð ðð²ð¿ð ð±ð®ð¿ðž, ð³ðð¹ð¹ ðŒð³ ð® ðð¶ðð°ðŒðð ðºð®ð¹ð¶ð°ð² ððµð®ð ð°ð¹ðð»ðŽ ð¹ð¶ðžð² ðð®ð¿.
This was not just ordinary negative emotionâŠ. It was hatred that had crystallized into something even more terrifying⊠Hatred that seemed to have become part of his existence, like a vital organ that could not be separated.
"A being with Transcendent power..." The young man grinned with a chilling expression.
"Even KyÅ«bi is no match for you under normal conditions. It's just thatâ"
His grin widened, revealing rows of teeth that looked sharper than they should.
"âdefeating me won't be as easy as you imagine."
ððððððððððð! ððððððððððð! ððððððððððð!
At that moment, the city's emergency warning sirens suddenly sounded loudly and repeatedly, an alarm usually used only for national-disaster-level threats.
Red warning lights across the city began to flash, warning that a high-level attack was underway that threatened the safety of all residents.
But neither the mysterious young man nor Shou paid it any mind, both focusing only on staring at each other with an intensity that could burn the air between them.
Only one thought kept circling in Shou's mind...
How... how could a humanâeven one still so youngâharbor hatred that great and that dark?
A level of hatred like this should have been enough to make someone lose their sanity... yet he could still think clearly and even control extraordinary power...
"[...ðªðµðŒ ð®ð¿ð² ððŒð, ð¿ð²ð®ð¹ð¹ð?]"
The question came from the Nine Elemental Hydraâwhich was quite surprising, as this Transcendent being rarely showed interest in others.
She now looked at the young man with an unreadable expression...
The young man looked at the Nine Elemental Hydra with his sinister grin growing wider, but he chose not to answer the direct question.
Instead, he shifted his attention to Shou with a threatening gaze.
"Shou... that's your name, isn't it?" His voice was low yet piercing.
"Even though you're just an ordinary human with a trash Rank E Talent, somehow you were able to form a contract with a Transcendent being... even the strongest Rank S Hunters cannot do such a thing."
He began to walk with calculated steps, each footfall leaving a small crack in the ground.
The pair of red eyes reflecting pure evil radiated a terrifying auraâlike the gaze of an apex predator considering the most painful way to kill its prey.
"The secret that allows you to contract with such a powerful being... Kyūbi inside me doesn't like it at all. So what do you think about me, its host?"
His body slowly began to be enveloped in thick red energy that moved like liquid fire, radiating a malevolent, hate-filled air.
The air around him began to distort from the heat he gave off.
"âWhat KyÅ«bi feels, I feel too, many times more intensely. Guess..." He held half his face in a horrifyingly theatrical gesture.
"⊠What do you think I want most to do to you right now?"
The red energy around his body thickened and churned further.
"The desire to kill you. Do you understand what I mean? This feeling is just like when you wanted to kill me earlier with that light attack, but my desire to see you die is many times stronger. So..."
His grin turned into a truly psychopathic expression.
"Why don't you just die and save us both some time?"
ðœððððð....!!
A dark red aura spread explosively in all directions like a tsunami of energy, creating a destructive vortex that destroyed everything in its path!
The ground cracked in radial patterns for hundreds of meters, the houses around the battle area suffered severe structural damage with shattered glass strewn about, and several power poles even collapsed from the tremendous vibrations!
Shou, still in his "Elementalist: Light" form, felt profound dread witnessing the destructive power the young man unleashed.
He hurriedly said to the Nine Elemental Hydra in an urgent tone, "Help me raise the elemental output to the maximum! Otherwise we're both going to die here!"
But instead of hearing and responding to Shou's request, the Nine Elemental Hydra kept staring at the young man with an extremely unusual lookâa mix of curiosity and deep interest.
"Are you not listenâ"
"STOP MOVING THERE! YOU ARE ALL UNDER DETENTION!"
A harsh command voice from outside suddenly boomed through a loudspeaker.
Shou turned with a slight start to find that an elite Hunter force and a special security force from the city had arrived at the scene!
Not only that, military forces were also on standby in full formationâcombat helicopters hovered in the air, reconnaissance drones roamed above the battle area, and armored vehicles formed a security perimeter.
Shou did not panic at their arrival.
On the contrary, he felt frustrated and cursed their foolishness in his heart.
Couldn't they sense how terrifying the aura of the young man before them was?! This was not a fight humans could intervene in!
"Ah, I almost forgot about you all."
The young man shifted his gaze toward the newly arrived forces with a highly conspicuous look of contempt.
"City guards and soldiers, is it? I'm not in the mood to be bothered by weak insects like you."
"What did youâ"
The Hunters and troops who heard the words were stunned, then their faces flushed with anger.
But the next second, their expressions turned to horror as they felt the terrifying spiritual pressure and the hate-filled aura emanating from the young man!
The young man then performed a series of complex, precise hand movementsâhand seals.
"<<ðð®ðŠðð§ ððšð°ðð€ð... ððð¢, ðð²ðð€ð®, ðð¡ð®, ððð§, ðð®, ððð§, ððšð€ð®, ððð§, ðð²ðšð€ð®...>>"
As he spoke each name in a tone full of power, a giant mandala glowing with dark red light began to form above his body.
Complex symbols appeared in perfect sequence, forming a geometric cross pattern that was beautiful and terrifying at once.
The energy radiating from the mandala made the air vibrate and created visual distortions around it.
"Come to me, <<ðð®ðŠðð§ð£ð®>>!"
ðððŒðð! ðððŒðð! ðððŒðð!
As the incantation finished, supernatural creatures began to appear one by one from the mandala floating in the air!
Nine different entitiesâfive in beast form with terrifying auras and four in humanoid form with various weaponsâdashed downward and immediately attacked the forces, who were stunned at their appearance!
What the hell was this?!
Expressions of disbelief and horror appeared on the faces of all the troop members because the power of each summoned creature was equal to a Rank A Hunter, and some of them even reached Rank A+ level!
This was power usually held only by major guilds!
There was no way to avoid it anymoreâeveryone was attacked mercilessly by the summoned creatures!
ðœððððððð...!! ðŸððŒðð!! ðœðŒðð!!
Successive explosions occurred throughout the area, creating utter chaos!
Screams, gunfire, and the roar of explosions blended into a horrifying symphony of death!
But Shou's gaze remained fixed solely on the young man, who was now also looking at him.
Shou took a deep breath, trying to calm his churning emotions.
Then, in a slightly trembling voice, he said:
"You said you have information I very much want to know, didn't you? The information you mean is..."
The young man looked at him with a grin that widened further and showed sadistic anticipation.
"Yes... Takamiya Mayuri. You want to know where that Spirit is right now, don't you?"
"..."
Shou's breath seemed to catch in his throat and the Light element energy around his body began to rub against the air uncontrollably, creating golden sparks that showed his emotions were in total turmoil.
He had thought the information meant was data about a powerful creature or the location of a hidden dungeon, but who would have guessed... it was information about the most impossible thing.
Shou took deep breaths again and again, trying hard to stay calm and not lose control.
But it could not be avoided that his body trembled a little, especially since this concerned Takamiya Mayuri... the Pure Spirit who had vanished without a trace.
In a cold voice trembling with suppressed emotion, he saidâŠ
"It seems... I must bring out everything I have without reserve. So don't die before you give me that information."
"Hahaha! I wanted to say the same thing to you... I mean..." The gaze with the evil red pupils sharpened like a knife.
"Please die as quickly as possible."
The two stared at each other in a suffocating silence for several seconds that felt like eternity...
Thenâ
ðððŒðð!
Both moved in a flash of contrasting golden light and dark red!
ðððð! ðœðððððððð.....!!
Two mutually repelling forces collided with truly terrifying intensity, creating a destructive shockwave that not only split the night sky, but also created small cracks in the air itself!