“Wait. Living together? We don't know her. She's——”“——Our only choice. Regardless, she wanted to lend a hand.”He swung his hand and pointed at Ruriko with vigor. He was suspicious of her at the surface level, but as the situation calls it, his emotions were running wild.Ruriko might have been a named celebrity in Moonblighr but that doesn't change the fact that she might be someone that might be their enemy. “You don't have to worry about anything. Besides, you can't hide anything from me. From your brother's death to your origin. People from above know everything about everyone.”Dipping her finger into the tea, Ruriko would bring out her tongue to taste, looking at Cian with a seductive gaze. She was teasing him by acting like this, like a manipulative person, which Cian hated the most. “———”Ruriko knew about the rumors of Magi's death being false. But Cian just had to keep up his act. “W-What do you mean? You——”“If it's information about you, we are not that easy to fool.”
“A Game Master is someone who hands out missions and stuff. It's something someone like you would understand the most, right? A person who hands out the mission and or quests to receive certain rewards.”Still and unmoving, Ruriko stood there with her chin held high. Kurumi was just as shocked as Cian at this instance, but somehow she had a feeling that Ruriko was waiting for something like this. “...”Can didn't retort nor ask anything. He indeed knew the implications of her words. Despite calling herself that, her way of delivering those words made Cian think of her as an important NPC. They were the ones that would give the players the main missions. A mission that would reap a lot of rewards if finished. “——Does that mean... everything is a game for those people above?”Kurumi herself would ask that. She'd already caught into the fray so she might as well know about those who sent her. “Hmm. Not exactly. They want to associate it with such so that it is competitive, and elimi
—As days pass by in Moonblight, the first match of the second stage of the tournament was near. During that period, Moonblight's city was plagued with different news as everyone was distracted by the tournament's preparation.Toru Nagumo has escaped from prison and a wide manhunt for him was enacted around the city.It was certain that it was Pandemonium's doings yet, there were no leads that pertained to them. Not only that, crimes around the city had seemed to rocket up as soon as the time of the tournament event began, with most of them being harmless robberies, some were injured indirectly to avoid activating the Anti-Kill Technology.Some people were worried that the technology might be not working yet, and the Mayor and his daughter would announce a curfew to lessen such events. Starting from the early hour of 9 PM until 6 AM of the morning, the curfew would be in place with human authorities roaming the city and apprehending suspicious individuals outside at that certain tim
As the day of the tournament arrived, the match-up had been decided a day before. There was a list of matches on the first day and every single one of Kira's agency members was one of them.The first match was a bout between Morioka Saeko of the Red Trackers and Midari Sengen of the Viper's Venom. All the contestants were asked to stay in the colosseum's underground mass accommodation rooms to avoid the unfair search for information about their opponents after the announcement. Before the fights would happen, this will be the first day where the contestant's abilities would be revealed. Because of this, contestants are forced to think for themselves 24 hours before they fight in the shapeshifting arena.A rule that made it so that the tournament will always be fair and avoid tricks and underhanded tactics among the participants. ***“Weeeeeeeeelcome back! It's been a few weeks since the last elimination stage and I hope that every participant who survived that had recovered fully
[24 hours earlier]“Ahem. We're with the Tournament's Managing Staff. All of the participants would have to go and spend the next day in isolated rooms in the colosseum while we announce the match-ups. To make the first match-ups balanced and well sought out, we are going to match up people by the level of their combat prowess.”Right at the doorstep of the most poorly maintained agency building of the Red Trackers, there would be a dead-ish face man wearing a certain blue military-style uniform that arrived. “Err... I see. I'll inform the others.”Sabrine had accommodated them after they rang the service bell at the abandoned lobby on the first floor.She was unsure if they were for real or not at first, but seeing as they had ID cards outlined in black, a higher authority than them they were as red, she would quickly go back and inform the others. The rule about being isolated on the day of the match-up announcement had been going on since the second event of the Mixed Magic Arts
“In the ring, we have the supposedly clueless red-hair on the right side, Cian Magicroft from the Red Trackers! But look! He looks different and emits a different feeling than his naive self from before! Will he fight for real now?!”Drowning out the loud cheers of the crowd that craved action and violence from the tournament, the host would shout out to the mic as he described Cian. Cian had made a negative impression on the audience in the last stage of the tournament where he had to be saved from two children. “On the left side, we have Louis Zweist from the Vipers! Right now, he has the biggest smile out between them, is he confident that he can beat Cian in this round?”The host would turn and hover toward Louis who was showered with cheers, responding to it kindly with waves and a big smile.“Would you look at that, the people love me. Don't you think it's a bit embarrassing to be the good guy but be booed off the stage?”Turning to Cian, Louis would stand right at the edge of
“You did something, didn't you?”“Hmm? I wonder what you are saying. Weren't you uninterested in this kind of stuff?”Above the arena that had begun to be covered amid Louis' ability, Ruriko and Mia began to continue their conversation. Ruriko poorly tried to dismiss Mia's assertions, fending it back with few words. “I am, but this is fairly about how you had anything to do about that man's sudden growth. You aren't perhaps favoring them just because they are loyal to your system. Isn't that quite unfair for everyone you forced to sit under your system?”Mia would push further with it, broadening the conversation from some involvement with a contestant into a political imbalance.Ruriko only giggled at her futile attempts to seek an answer from her, and despite that Mia had tried to sound threatening, her whims were just as cute. But maybe this would only warrant one answer, to make her gears going.“What do you think?”Ruriko would leave such a vague answer that led to Mia's inter
——Reality Manipulation. “So it was something one can get from a Unique Magic Acquisition.”Amongst the crowd, a woman flared her emerald eyes across the arena. She had a pen and paper that she listened upon, and with only two matches, there was not much to write from the first. “Sabrine. Cian looks a bit different. He still fights aggressively but... there's this feeling that I am getting.”Narrowly closing her right eye, Teresa would look at Cian's personality. Right now, he was being pinned down by such an ability yet he seemed to be calm.“It could be because he is fighting assertively, instead of being aggressive. It's indeed a change.”Knowing the exact reason for that change, Sabrine left out the details of how it was possible for Cian.Teresa was once again with Sabrine as they both observed the fights that started. The first match had nothing to be observed as it ended within a second by forfeiting.“...You said that they could be using magic that they were granted through u
Chapter 161 "Go back to Newyark after this is done, huh? I suppose I'm being treated like a Deux Ex Machina."Whispering above the roofs of the building, Magi kept himself hidden from the eyes of those who were below him. The Brainless were everywhere as few of them survived, moving towards the office as a battle ensued right outside it, wrecking the place open.However, in his position, he could also see Cian, trapped in a barrier with Mia. It looked like it was because of their technology, however, that wasn't something that they would normally do. "An evil man like me cannot be the hero of this day."Cian fired his pistol, his bullet breaking the barrier instantly before Cian could attempt to stab himself with his bare hands. Cian was startled at first as Magi observed him, but his eyes immediately went in his direction, looking up with a look of gratitude. Even after all this, Cian was still nonchalant with his actions. He still cannot believe that they were twins in blood.T
Chapter 160: "Watch out!"Barely keeping up with Dokuji's speed, Sumire and the others couldn't get closer to force him into a close combat battle as they tried to dodge his attacks.His ranged attacks were too powerful for them to normally dodge as each slash would alter the terrain and create such a large breeze."I can't use my Blood Shackles on him. If anything else, I could use it if he was his normal size!"As Michael stood behind Kalina and Saeko, he was being protected by the ladies.It was far-fetched for a man like him to be useless right now, but he had to admit that he can't do the physical feats they can do right now. As he is now, he'll be a burden if he tried to help them."Tsk. We gotta close the gap somehow. Two people aren't enough to stop him."Sumire's assessment of the situation was right as all of them nodded in agreement. Sumire, Saeko, and Kalina might be able to stop him even by a moment if they worked together, however, that meant leaving Michael to his o
Chapter 159 "Tch!"Flying around, Sumire carried Saeko around as they tried to dodge the debris that Dokuji began to throw, firing and destroying the small ones, but dodging the hopelessly large ones.Sumire couldn't move all that well with someone on her back, and just as she thought Saeko could be the only one that could disable Dokuji, his transformation made it far harder."This is getting out of hand! If we spend too much time here, we'll lure the other Brainless in!"As they looked around, their battle was beginning to attract the other Brainleas that survived their battles, gathering up near them as they slowly walked up them.Their men had been slowly wiped out by the others. However."Boss!"As a voice called them from below, three surging arrows would whistle out as it splits the wind, hitting the other Brainless right into their eyes as they fall, defeated with one arrow each. Their heads were impaled through the eye. This was but an easy fit for someone capable of contr
"R-Red?!"Before her, was the almost disgusting sight of Red whose body was half rotten. On his back, there was a tube that seemed to be suctioning something out of his neck, delivering it to a machine that seemed to produce material on a tube.It was a purple substance that dripped down into a tube that glowed, and as far as Kurumi knew about it, this could be the substance that that Brainless runs with as their blood. "Kekeke... You aren't supposed to be here...""—?!"From behind, a voice suddenly spoke, laughing silently as he lurked within the dark corner of the basement.His eyes glowed green and each of his steps sounded metallic as it stomped into the concrete floor.Kurumi had her guard up, her magic flowing in the environment as she was ready to cast magic."Sniff... Sniff... That's a sweet smell. Do you mind if I...?"Just as the crazed man stepped out of the shadows, he began to suck in air with his mouth, and just as he did, Kurumi felt like her magic was being sucked i
Chapter 157 "Just where the heck are they all coming from?!"Amidst their travel towards the red light, Michael and his mercenary companions encountered yet another group of Brainless.They've been seeing almost countless numbers of Brainless inside the city, and if they were to be released and known to the public, his image was good as gone. Rather, his image was already gone when the whole attack began. As the mayor of this city, he shouldn't have let those criminals fool him in the first place."Tch. Mayor! Go ahead, I'll have my team take care of this! You are to assist the Boss!"The leader of the mercenary group would wield their Grants, taking on the three Brainless with his other companions. He pointed in the direction where the red light originated, urging him to rush."Alright!"Michael nodded in response, following through with their suggestions.Their group of twenty became reduced as similar encounters would happen, leaving Michael with the last three mercenaries that
"Heh. What's wrong? You're making a sad face when you're winning. Are you pitying me?!"Looking at the skies, Violet stood there with a sad expression. Her expression kept quiet for a moment as if grieving someone."Oi! Face me when I'm talking to you—"Unsheathing her blade, Violet had already taken two steps past her. It was all too fast. Violet was just a few meters in front of Asa earlier, but now, she was walking past her, stopping before long.But only then she realized that something happened as Violet sheathed her blade away."GUAAAAAGH!"Her right arm fell off, rolling down as a lifeless limb. No blood came out, but only immense pain came with it as she saw the organic parts that were the inner parts of her limb. "You won't die even if I cut your limbs. This blade severs the limb but prevents the blood from going out of the wound. It was a blade for surgical operations, yet perhaps, for Gods."Asa rolled on the ground as she held her severed arm, crying out as it turned
"That's everyone.""Yep—. Pretty much."Dusting away his hands, Vincent would respond to Kira as they wiped the floor with the enemies. With Kira using her abilities more proficiently with range, Vincent didn't have to constantly teleport in and out, treating Kira as some kind of explosive whenever she attacks. "Let's go."After all that, they entered the backdoor, and just as they thought that things were going smoothly, the corridor was blocked by Sentient Guards."Oh no," Vincent muttered.There were five of them and with both Kira and Vincent blacklisted, they all fired on sight.With less than enough space to dodge, Vincent quickly held Kira by the shoulder and blinked past them."Run!"Both of them ran deeper into the corridor and took a turn, hoping that it would be the way to the office.The Sentient Guards dashed to follow them, but as soon as they took the turn as well, the two were already out of sight, proceeding to clear the corridors."..."Vincent and Kira were able t
Chapter 154 "You're not going out alive."Standing before Cian, Violet, and Mia was Asa Narasu. She was the only remaining enemy and with her absorbing the blood of the Brainlesses as her weapons, she might as well be the final boss of this fight. "That's stupidly overpowered!"Cian muttered to himself observing Asa wield that kind of power.The blood around her flossed and encircled her in a sphere and if any of them were to be caught in it, their powers would be disabled. "Oh? That's troublesome. I might have to put this one away."Although, as Narash had the Blood Shackles on, the flames that were enveloping her hands and the Gravity Magic that made her afloat became weaker, seemingly reacting to the Blood Shackles' ability to disrupt magic itself. They all knew that it was an ability that made a mage a normal person if they made contact with it, however, seeing Asa have trouble using it with other abilities meant that it wasn't built to be along with another.It made Cian thi
"Hup...!"Jumping out of a portal, Magi would end up on another roof again, avoiding confrontation with the others as he helped them from a distance. He was able to get an array of weapons from the helicopter before it exploded such as a pistol and an automatic firearm which was a type he never had used before. He knew weak weapons like this wouldn't work against wouldn't work on Brainless, but he had something that most of the people in the fight don't have. He had deadeye accuracy, and when it comes to the Brainless's weakness, it was the eyes.There was one problem, however. "This is troublesome..."As he aimed down on the surface, there was still a thick cloud of smoke coming out of almost everywhere. He could barely see Cian as he had his back against a building, facing three Brainless that were running after him. Considering the air and the distance, Magi estimated that the bullet would travel less than a second and hit the Brainless, but if he misses, the distance between