However, the instant he grabbed her wrist…
She disappeared.
Leng Qingying—now adapted as Kiyomi Reiha—who had just been seized, dissolved into a scattering shadow and vanished.
Whoosh!
At almost the same moment, danger warnings erupted from every direction in Kanzaki Rei's senses.
"Thousand-Wave Resilient Layered Guard.""Ring-Burning Lava Layered Guard.""Absolute Repulsion Gale Layered Guard.""Black Erosion Body Guard.""Daybreak Aurora Curtain."
Whoosh!
Layer upon layer of shields instantly enveloped Rei's body!
At the same time—
Four "Sources" shot outward!
The figure hiding within the void, perfectly concealing her presence, was immediately engulfed by a lake of freezing water.
Huu—
Yet in the very next instant, the silhouettes trapped within the lake dissolved like shadows under sunlight.
Illusions…
Rei's gaze shifted toward the entrance of the Advancement Hall.
His eyes had already locked onto a petite figure cloaked in black within the crowd.
The bustling spectators were still watching the commotion.
And her real body… was hiding right in the middle of them.
What an enviable combat style.
Although Rei was extremely displeased with what she had done, he had to admit—Kiyomi's combat method was exactly the type he liked most.
Make the enemy hesitate.Exploit their scruples.Strike where they are weakest.Fight where the opponent is most restricted.
Every condition was satisfied.
Rei couldn't recklessly use large-scale magic here and risk injuring civilians.
He also had to worry about property destruction.
A sudden ambush forced the enemy into restraint.
The assassin's advantage—she had demonstrated it perfectly.
"Looks like I'm being underestimated."
Who do you think I am?
"Mind Severance."
Rei pointed a finger, casting a spell where he stood.
Bzzzt—
Mental magic fired!
Kiyomi's head rang violently—
And immediately afterward, invisible winds transformed into killing techniques that tore toward her entire body!
But just as those winds were about to shred her apart—
Whoosh!
Kiyomi vanished again.
She appeared somewhere else within the crowd.
A position swap?
That ability again?
Luluvi had it.Kiyomi had it too.
Why did everyone seem to possess such troublesome abilities?
Still, her switching distance clearly wasn't very far.
If he unleashed a wide-area spell and blasted this entire place apart, she'd have nowhere left to hide.
But…
The crowd.
Tch.
"Source Body · Flash Step."
Kiyomi had barely adjusted when Rei arrived instantly!
Battle spear in hand—
He leapt forward and smashed down toward her!
Whoosh!
"Assassination Art · Blink."
Just as the blow was about to land, Kiyomi's figure vanished again.
Rei sensed danger from behind.
Mage's Hand!
Four invisible giant hands extended behind him!
"Arcane Tempering – Fifth Form: Extreme Rapid Combo!"
Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang—
Fists flashed like lightning, throwing over a hundred punches in an instant!
The Kiyomi behind him exploded into scattering shadows.
And another Kiyomi—
Was already flipping gracefully in midair.
Whoosh!
She blinked again, landing atop a distant rooftop.
At the same time—
In multiple locations among the crowd, Rei's perception caught sight of other Kiyomi figures.
Each hid in darkness, or blended seamlessly among the people.
This definitely wasn't a skill.
Even if she could surpass and transcend tiers like him, a 4th-tier Assassination skill could never produce effects this absurd.
Rei's vast knowledge meant he was familiar with most mainstream class abilities.
Skills had rules.They followed class progression logic.
Therefore…
It was probably a talent.
And judging from its performance, it was at least Supreme-tier, second only to God-tier.
Or—
Perhaps it was God-tier.
The biggest difference between Supreme and God-tier talents was simple:
Did they ignore—or outright reverse—the fundamental rules of the world?
"Source · Shadow Weaving Net."
Whoosh!
Rei raised his hand.
Five shadow-weaving nets instantly formed around the Kiyomi figures, wrapping them into cocoons.
Pop—
Four of them dissolved into shadows immediately.
Only the final Kiyomi remained.
She struggled briefly like a trapped insect.
Pop—
Then she too vanished like a fading shadow.
Rei's senses continued pursuing her.
More Kiyomi figures emerged from shadows across the area.
Endless.
Kill one—another appeared immediately.
She could also switch positions between shadows at incredible speed.
And even…
Let the shadows take damage for her.
Whoosh!
Danger flared behind Rei again.
This time he didn't dodge.
He simply stood still.
CLANG!
The layered shields trembled from the impact.
Oh?
So the attacks were real?
Or perhaps she switched into her real body the moment she struck.
If every shadow could deal real damage—
Then that was truly terrifying.
After the first strike failed to break his defenses—
Four more Kiyomi shadows appeared simultaneously at his blind spots.
Fast.
CLANG!
Four impacts echoed.
Several shields shattered instantly.
Her damage output was nothing to scoff at.
Unfortunately…
That "not to scoff at" only meant cutting through ten of Rei's shields.
Which was already impressive.
Breaking 4th-tier defensive magic shields was no small feat.
This also confirmed something—
Every shadow could attack.
Rei spun his spear.
BOOM!
"Flame Wave · War Staff: Circular Cleave!"
The spear swept a blazing arc across the sky!
The heavens turned fiery red.
Snowflakes burned into steam before falling as rain.
Kiyomi vanished again.
Assassins were masters of concealment.
She hid every shadow flawlessly.
Rei's perception couldn't be blocked—
But if she deliberately hid among the crowd, distinguishing which one was real became troublesome.
That was why Rei hadn't found all her bodies immediately.
At such a young age, this level of strength was already impressive.
But if the shadows were born from darkness…
Rei raised his hand.
A white sphere like a miniature sun rose into the air.
"Daylight Zenith."
Whoosh!
The blazing sphere appeared—
And instantly erased every shadow across the area.
All darkness became radiant daylight!
Even the sewers below glowed with light.
However—
Kiyomi's illusions did not vanish with the disappearance of shadows.
Rei stood atop the roof.
His senses swept through the crowd.
He raised his hand—
And the Kiyomi figures instantly rose inside spheres of water, freezing into ice.
They shattered.
Vanished.
Then reappeared elsewhere.
So they weren't generated from shadows after all?
Rei had assumed they were, since they always appeared in dark places.
Turns out he was wrong.
Almost no limitations.
Rei was now nearly certain—
She possessed a God-tier Talent.
Good.
That was enough observation.
"Source · Shadow Weaving Net."
An indomitable battle aura exploded outward in an instant.
Thump—
Kiyomi's heart skipped a beat.
And suddenly—
Rei's face was right in front of hers.
I can't win.
The thought flashed through her mind instantly.
BANG!
The spear pierced straight through her chest.
Kiyomi immediately switched to another prepared illusion!
Yet—
Rei appeared in front of her again!
But the distance between those illusions was enormous!
Despair surged within her heart.
She swapped positions rapidly, creating new illusions at the same time.
But—
The illusions shattered the moment they were created.
"You didn't actually think I couldn't find them, did you?"
Illusion appears.
Spell arrives instantly.
The casting was almost perfectly synchronized.
"You like hiding in crowds, so I memorized the approximate appearances and movements of everyone nearby."
"Which makes your inconsistent illusions very obvious."
Rei's tone was cold.
Threatening.
Kiyomi's fear deepened.
The certainty of losing became unavoidable.
Rei thrust his spear forward.
Kiyomi still had hidden illusions—
But switching again would likely be pointless.
She flashed behind him!
Yet Rei's spear immediately reversed course—
Spinning back in a sweeping arc!
"Flash Step · War Staff: Turning Dance!"
Light-speed rotation—
BOOM!
Kiyomi was smashed violently into the ground!
This time—
He felt the impact of a real body.
Her body slammed into the street, blasting out a massive crater.
She clutched her side, coughing blood.
Completely defeated.
Waiting for Rei's execution.
Yet—
Rei suddenly sensed an overwhelming danger from above!
He thrust his spear skyward!
CLANG!
Metal collided in empty air.
Kiyomi's pupils shrank in shock.
How… did he detect it?
Rei glanced downward.
Below, a wounded Kiyomi lay coughing blood.
But above him—
Another Kiyomi was perfectly unharmed.
So illusions didn't disappear after a single hit.
They could even endure damage like the real body.
However—
This was her last illusion.
Rei's perception swept the entire area.
Every new illusion was destroyed the instant it formed.
Lightning exploded where it appeared.
Blinding flashes struck instantly.
Frozen lakes sealed them in ice.
So what if they appeared anywhere?
His magic could appear anywhere too.
Let's see—
Are you faster at creating illusions?
Or am I faster at killing them?
Now the exposed Kiyomi above him was flying backward—
And she had no more illusions left to swap with.
"Source Body · Flash Step."
Rei's spear trailed a long arc of light.
"Invincible Flow – Sixth Form: Dragging Blade Intent · Heaven-Splitting Descent!"
A streak of light arced high—
Then crashed downward!
BOOM!
The earth shook as the attack fell with killing force!
CLANG!
But it struck something solid.
Rei landed on the ground.
Standing before him—
Was a massive figure.
"Stonebro."
Obadus had blocked the attack.
"This is a personal grudge between me and her," Rei said. "Sister Kumiloni already allowed it."
But Obadus shook his head.
His slow, heavy voice answered:
"Killing… illegal."
Rei glanced around.
Everyone was watching.
He was right.
Killing someone here was illegal.
Technically, even fighting in the city already broke the law.
"But she tried to kill me," Rei said firmly. "I'm not letting that go."
"I also… protect you."
Rei frowned.
If Obadus insisted on defending her—
He couldn't continue.
And yes.
It was illegal.
As Rei was thinking about how to handle it—
Kiyomi suddenly walked toward him.
What?
More provocation?
But instead—
She grabbed the tip of his spear.
The blade pointed directly at her.
"You want to keep fighting?" Rei asked coldly.
Kiyomi shook her head.
She stepped forward—
Letting the spear pierce through her heart.
Her eyes were cold.
No hesitation.
"You won."
"Kill me."
Rei's pupils contracted.
Kumiloni rushed forward instantly, placing a hand on Kiyomi's body.
Green runes spiraled around her.
Obadus watched silently like a statue.
He didn't stop it.
"She… suicide," he said.
"You… not illegal."
Then he turned and slowly walked away.
Leaving Rei staring at Kiyomi's dying body—
His emotions tangled.
For Kumiloni, healing a pierced heart wasn't difficult.
Ten minutes later—
Kiyomi had fully recovered.
Even if someone's head were cut off, as long as they weren't completely dead, Kumiloni could probably fix it quickly.
Full resurrection just required a bit more effort.
The damaged street and buildings—
Reparations were paid.
As for fighting in public—
Under the privileges of the Chief Mage, the matter was quietly dismissed.
In truth, even if Rei had killed Kiyomi, it likely would've been ruled self-defense.
After all—
She attacked first.
And most importantly—
Rei was the Chief Mage.
In Loren, his status was practically second only to the ruler.
Sometimes—
The Chief Mage was the principle.
Still—
After the healing, the atmosphere between Rei and Kiyomi was awkward.
Even Kumiloni felt helpless mediating.
"Suddenly attacking someone is wrong, Kiyomi," she said gently. "Don't do that again."
Kiyomi muttered,
"It's not like I always do that."
"I only did it because I knew he wouldn't die."
"And besides… I'm an assassin. Since when can assassins not ambush people?"
Kumiloni smiled helplessly.
Kids these days—
Each one more eccentric than the last.
Even though she herself was still just a young woman.
Why did she feel like she was constantly educating children?
She sighed internally.
When exactly had her life taken this turn?
"Anyway, you shouldn't do that to a friend's friend," Kumiloni said.
"And you still haven't apologized."
"I already let him kill me once…" Kiyomi muttered.
"That's different."
"…Fine."
Kiyomi walked up to Rei.
Rei stood still, expressionless.
She avoided his gaze.
"If you ever need someone killed… tell me. I'll handle it cleanly."
Rei blinked.
That was an apology?
No—that was business marketing.
From a ten-year-old.
Rei turned to Kumiloni.
"I think her education has serious problems."
"I agree," Kumiloni sighed.
Kiyomi finally blurted out loudly:
"S-Sorry! I shouldn't have suddenly tried to assassinate you!"
You bit your tongue there, didn't you?
Rei said calmly,
"Anyone would find it hard to forgive someone who tried to kill them."
Kiyomi asked bluntly,
"What do you want me to do then?"
Rei raised two fingers.
"Simple."
"First—use honorifics when addressing me."
"Second—if I ever need your help, you must assist me."
He couldn't think of anything else.
He'd already killed her once.
She hadn't truly intended to kill him anyway—Kumiloni was present.
If she wanted him dead, she wouldn't have attacked there.
Pure punishment gave him no benefit.
Better to make use of her abilities.
Her assassination skills were excellent.
And frankly—
Rei wasn't great at assassinations.
It was better if someone else handled those things.
Especially in a world with diviners.
Tracing crimes back to him would be harder if someone else did it.
Since he was now a noble—
He should start building his own shadow forces.
"Honorifics?" Kiyomi frowned.
"Like… Master?"
Rei's mouth twitched.
"No."
"…Just call me Rei-brother."
Even though I'm technically younger.
"But the second condition is the main one," Rei said. "When I need you, you help."
Kiyomi nodded.
"Alright. I agree."
"And don't attack me again without warning," Rei added coldly. "Or I'll actually get very angry."
Kiyomi felt that overwhelming pressure again.
She froze—
Then nodded repeatedly.
Rei withdrew his battle aura.
His smile returned.
"Good. That settles it."
Kiyomi went inside with Kumiloni to complete her promotion.
Her 3rd-to-4th Assassin advancement should be easy.
With that terrifying combat strength, she was probably monstrous even among assassins.
Rei couldn't help thinking—
Geniuses didn't seem as rare as books claimed.
Once in a century? Once in a millennium?
They were everywhere around him.
Though none as talented as him, of course.
Soon, Rei sensed a small figure approaching surrounded by adults.
Yuna had arrived.
If the Precognizer Project succeeded—
She might become a rare 8-year-old class holder.
If the research succeeded—
It might completely change the rules of class awakening.
Perhaps one day many 8-year-olds would awaken classes.
But before results appeared—
Nothing was certain.
Rei didn't feel threatened at all.
Because after studying himself…
He realized something.
His Spiritual Age definitely wasn't eight.
It might even be…
Negative.
Equivalent to possessing spiritual awareness before birth.
Maybe even before becoming a fertilized egg.
So even if others awakened at age zero—
Rei still wouldn't feel threatened.
"Yuna!" Rei greeted.
"Rei," she replied calmly.
Compared to the assassin who tried to kill him—
This quiet girl was much better.
She wasn't warm—
But she responded sincerely.
And intellectually, Rei suspected they would get along well.
"Yuna, are you becoming a Scholar today?"
She nodded.
Curious, she asked,
"Rei, why are you here?"
"I came to watch your class awakening."
Her eyes widened slightly.
Basic social etiquette:
If it's someone's event, say you came for them.
Not someone else.
"That's… polite," she said softly. "Thank you."
Her expression remained calm.
She looked toward the inner hall.
Kiyomi's advancement ritual was nearly finished.
Advancement rituals were always quick.
The difficulty was accumulation, not the ceremony.
Soon—
Kiyomi successfully advanced to Level 4 Assassin.
Her presence became even more elusive.
Almost like she didn't exist.
Rei had to focus deliberately to track her.
"Yuna," someone called.
"It's our turn."
She nodded.
A white-robed scholar looked down at her.
Rei guessed that was her father.
Another scholar beside him was likely her mother.
Both looked young.
Behind them stood over twenty scholars in white robes.
The emblem on their chests showed at least 3rd-tier Scholars, many 4th-tier, even 5th-tier.
Rei wasn't wearing White Tower robes today—
Just ordinary clothes.
He didn't even look like a mage.
"Lady Kumiloni, please supervise," one scholar said respectfully.
Kumiloni smiled and took her seat at the central dais.
Apparently it was a seat reserved just for her.
Her status was extremely high.
The outer hall was sealed off.
Civilians were forbidden from watching.
This was a secret White Tower experiment.
Only scholars above Tier 2 could access the research.
But Rei, as Chief Mage, also had viewing rights.
Kiyomi wasn't interested in Yuna's ceremony—
But stayed to wait for Kumiloni.
Yuna entered the inner hall surrounded by scholars.
They began drawing ritual circles.
Preparing artifacts.
Sacrificial materials.
A white bed was placed at the center of the ritual formation.
Yuna lay down on it—
Closing her eyes.
And waited quietly.
..
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