Chapter 191: A Terrifying Natural Enemy

  "No matter how many times I see it, it’s still incredible," Alex couldn’t help but sigh as he watched the scene before him.

  The battle with Fariagni was over, but now there was a mess to clean up. The entire school had been torn apart by the conflict, and many people had been injured. The only fortunate thing was that they hadn’t had their Power of Existence drained by Fariagni; otherwise, they would have been as good as dead. Now, according to Shana, as long as the Power of Existence was used to restore everything, those affected could return to normal.

  Luckily, Fariagni had absorbed a rge amount of Power of Existence while attempting to devour the city, which meant there was enough to repair the damage. Otherwise, things would have been much more troublesome.

  How convenient... I’d love to learn that.

  Watching everything rewind as if the world were a movie pying in reverse, Alex couldn’t help but feel a deep admiration for this power. The Seal wasn’t a spatial domain, so there was no resistance when it was activated. Within it, no matter how intense the battle became, the real world remained untouched. It could even be used as an escape mechanism in a crisis. However, Alex felt the biggest fw of The Seal was that it trapped everything inside. If it could be refined to exclude powerless civilians, battles would be much easier to handle.

  While Alex was lost in thought, Astor’s voice suddenly rang in his ears.

  "What kind of power did you just use?"

  "Hmm?"

  Hearing this, Alex turned his head and gnced at the pendant on the girl’s chest—the very artifact in which the Crimson Lord, Astor, resided. In this world, this was the only form in which he could exist.

  "I could feel it… In that instant, Fariagni was forcibly expelled from this world."

  Astor’s tone was heavy with seriousness. In truth, he was just as shocked as Fariagni had been. But unlike Fariagni, as one of the Three Great Gods of the Crimson Realm, the Fme of Heaven had a deeper understanding of the immense pressure that had been exerted. Most importantly, it wasn’t Alex himself who had expelled Fariagni—it was the world itself that had cast him out.

  Faced with the rejection of an entire world, even a powerful Crimson Lord stood no chance.

  Astor was certain—throughout his long existence, he had never seen any Crimson Lord or Fme Haze wield such overwhelming power. Even more astonishingly, Alex wasn’t a denizen of the Crimson Realm, nor had he signed a contract with any Crimson Lord. He was just a regur human.

  How could a human possibly achieve this?

  "How did you do it?"

  Alex simply chuckled in response to Astor’s inquiry. But even though he didn’t say anything, Astor already understood the answer.

  Alex had no intention of telling him.

  "Now then, since the boss fight is over, it’s time to collect the loot."

  Stretching zily as he watched the world return to normal, Alex shifted his gaze back to Astor.

  "By the way, earlier you mentioned that this Fariagni guy was really good at using artifacts?"

  "That’s right."

  Though unsure why Alex was asking, Astor still answered without hesitation.

  "Every Crimson Lord possesses a unique nature. Fariagni’s nature is the ability to instantly comprehend the properties and usage of any artifact. That’s why he can wield any artifact perfectly in battle. In fact, today’s battle was only won because we took him by surprise. If he had time to prepare…"

  As Astor expined, it became clear why Fariagni was so infamous among Crimson Denizens. He had built his reputation as the Hunter of Fme Hazes, proving his formidable strength. Had Alex not used a Dimensional Anchor to interrupt his teleportation, Fariagni could have fled and returned even stronger, making him a much more difficult opponent.

  But that was Fariagni’s mistake for not preparing a countermeasure against dimensional anchors. That wasn’t Alex’s problem.

  While Astor continued speaking, Alex’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

  Fariagni himself wasn’t particurly strong, but the artifacts he used were remarkable. And since he was a renowned artifact user, it stood to reason that he had even more stored away somewhere. Now that he was dead, his hideout was probably filled with treasures. This world’s magical artifacts seemed quite useful—perhaps he could find something good to bring back as a gift for Nymph.

  His hideout…

  Thinking of this, Alex cast a Prophetic Vision spell. Then, turning his gaze toward a nearby shopping district, he smirked.

  There it is.

  "…Hey, where are you going?"

  Shana, who had just finished restoring everything, was momentarily stunned as she watched Alex walk away from the school. She quickly called out after him.

  Without looking back, Alex casually responded, "I’m going to that guy’s hideout to see if there’s any treasure. We fought so hard—if there’s no loot at the end, that’d be way too disappointing. If you’re interested, you can come along."

  "W-who would want to go with you?! I don’t care about that kind of stuff!"

  Hearing this, Shana’s face flushed red, and she immediately shouted in protest.

  Alex, however, simply waved his hand dismissively and continued walking down the street toward the shopping district.

  Shana stood there, watching him disappear into the distance. After a moment of silence, Astor’s voice rang out once more.

  "Are you sure about this?"

  "Of course. I have no interest in those artifacts, and you know that, Astor."

  "…Fair enough."

  Faced with the girl’s rebuttal, Astor didn’t argue. He simply acknowledged her words before shifting the topic.

  "So, what do we do next?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "You came to this city to hunt Crimson Denizens. Now that Fariagni has been eliminated, shouldn’t we move on and find our next target?"

  "…………………"

  Hearing Astor’s question, Shana froze.

  Normally, this wouldn’t have been a question at all. Ever since she left Tendoukyuu, her life had always followed this pattern. But this time, for the first time, she hesitated.

  "… Astor."

  "Hm? What is it?"

  "Am I… really that weak?"

  In the past, Shana had never questioned her own strength. She had always trained hard, fought with determination, and defeated every Crimson Denizen she encountered. Victory after victory had given her confidence in her power. But now, in Misaki City, she had faced obstacles unlike anything before.

  Whether it was that strange human named Alex or the terrifying Fariagni, they were both enemies she had never imagined confronting.

  Especially Alex…

  Clenching her fists tightly, Shana could still vividly remember how powerless she had felt when fighting him. It was as if she were nothing more than a pawn in his game, completely at his mercy.

  And Fariagni—the Crimson Lord who had nearly outwitted and killed her—had been eliminated by Alex without much effort.

  No, to be precise, whether she had been there or not had made no difference. From the very start, Alex had never considered Fariagni a real threat.

  Shana, of course, had no idea that Alex was so calm because he had a Soulstone as his trump card. If things had gone wrong, he could have simply summoned Malthael and sent Fariagni straight to the afterlife. For Alex, the only choice had been whether to defeat his enemy with basic attacks or spend some NP to unleash his ultimate move.

  That thought made Shana unwilling to accept reality.

  She was a Fme Haze, a warrior bound by a contract with the Fme of Heaven. There was no way she could allow herself to leave like this. That would be the same as admitting she wasn’t strong enough and running away.

  Like hell she would accept that!

  "… I don’t think you’re weak, but there are indeed many powerful beings in this world. Especially that man. I advise you not to make an enemy of him."

  "Astor?"

  Hearing her contract partner’s warning, Shana was taken aback.

  "Is Alex really that dangerous?"

  "Absolutely. You saw it yourself—he forced Fariagni out of this world without even killing him. Do you understand what that means?"

  "Wait… You mean…"

  Shana’s face suddenly changed.

  "That’s right. Whether it’s Crimson Denizens or Fme Hazes, the fundamental reason we can exist in this world is the same. But that man… he can forcibly expel us without even killing us. Even if it’s only for an instant, the moment we’re driven out…"

  "The contract between a Fme Haze and their contracted Lord would be nullified… and the contract would be dissolved…"

  "Exactly."

  Astor’s voice grew heavier.

  "To both Crimson Denizens and Fme Hazes alike, that man is nothing short of a natural enemy."

  "I’ve made up my mind, Astor."

  At those words, Shana raised her head, looking up at the sky.

  "I’m staying in this city for now."

  "Are you sure about this?"

  "I want to become stronger. Just as Alex said, I’m too weak right now. I almost fell for Fariagni’s trap, and that’s unacceptable. I’ve only been fighting Crimson Denizens weaker than myself, but that won’t cut it anymore. I need to get stronger—much stronger. I need to prove to Alex that I’m not just some burden. I am a Fme Haze, a warrior who hunts Crimson Denizens!"

  She hesitated for a moment, her face turning slightly red.

  "And besides… he did save my life. As a Fme Haze, I can’t just ignore that."

  "………………"

  Astor fell silent for a long moment before letting out a sigh.

  "If that’s what you truly believe, then so be it… Shana."

  (End of Chapter)

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