…Yun Seung-Ah POV…
Mana coursed through my veins as I ran through the confusing labyrinth of a castle. With each step taken and each breath drawn, my sense of urgency rose.
This bubbling anger in my chest swelled up and down tumultuously.
I was here in France for one reason, to pay back that menace for what she did so many years ago.
Although I hadn't seen head nor tail of my target yet, I was almost certain this spike in mana would have drawn her attention.
Which in turn meant that there was a chance that she'd show her ugly mug!
And if she didn't… well it wasn't very becoming of a hero to turn her back on crime, nevertheless the guild master of Creators Sacred Grace.
My foot skid across the lush red carpet as I made a sharp turn. I looked down towards the furthest wall of the corridor and saw whirling demonic magic.
It wasn't Jain, my target, but something just as dangerous.
It was Djinn. And from the heavy pressure pouring out from behind the wall, there was also a ritual.
'Fun, that means there's at least two.'
My hidden blade was already out in the open as I made my mad dash to the source of the pooling mana.
I'd have to break through a wall to get in, but that wasn't something I had to worry about.
I increased my speed with mana and prepared to cut straight into the room. I couldn't afford to waste anymore time if there was already this much mana being generated.
My own mana made the small dagger obsolete as I plunged it into the wall.
The rubble gave away like glass as the wall shattered inwards.
At the same time a wave of mana streamed out of my dagger, flying and embedding into the nearest Djinn who had been looming over a crystal skull.
The Djinn who was flung back yelled out a curse before tumbling back into the wall.
"Don't stop! I'll keep her occupied!"
The crystal was glowing an ominous purple, one of its eyes lit up dimly while the other was fully illuminated.
The two other Djinn that loomed over the skull kept chanting as though they were fiercely focused on the completion of this… spell.
'The crystal is the catalyst.'
I acted on my conclusion and immediately tried to separate it from the Djinn.
Unfortunately, the Djinn that I had thrown into the far wall was back on his feet and charging forward.
They had disregarded their human form for what could only be described as an Iron minotaur with axes for hands.
"I don't have time for this."
Sliiiik—spuuuurrt!
I cut the head of the Djinn off in a single swipe and turned to the remaining two, who had sped up their chanting.
Sped up their chanting?
"O-Oi! Slow down!"
I was surprised as the glowing eyes of the skull began getting brighter and brighter.
I swung at both Djinn, trying to hit both with a crescent slash, but missed as the length of my weapon came short.
Instead it only hit one Djinn, the other dove onto the skull and scrambled towards the door.
"Shi-"
Cra-Clang!
The window behind me crashed open as a small ball of mana shot in. Embedding into the back of the other Djinn's skull before splattering into black blood.
I stared with wide eyes at how efficient the high speed projectile was.
But I had no time to marvel, the crystal skull was still in play, and it still glowed ominously.
I dashed forward to grab the thing, I wouldn't hit it as there was a high chance that it would explode or do something worse.
The dance floor was beneath this floor and many clueless individuals may be hurt.
The moment my hand landed on the skull it let out an ominous scream, demonic energy that had been concentrated in one eye vanished instantly as the skull roared out.
The scream was filled with sorrow and agony, as if yelling to be let out.
I clenched my teeth and out of instinct smashed it against the floor. Only for it to stop screaming, my hand stopped right before it could reach the floor.
I had lost my rationality for a second.
"Haaa… crap, everyone must've heard that… It's fine. At least the situation is cleared..."
I held the skull and scowled.
"Fuck… I'm not even supposed to be here and now I'm gonna have to make a statement… that damn whore didn't even show herself…" I grumbled in dissatisfaction.
I clenched my fist as the mana burst from my body, splattering the black blood off of my clothes.
With a slight grumble I began making my way to the exit.
…Kim Hajin POV…
The fight had caused a lot of noise and thus, the guests were quickly evacuated.
I paid them no mind as I watched the fight from start to end, ready to fire a shot at any time.
I didn't want to reveal myself so easily, especially when I'm the only competent gun user, but I had no choice.
From what the book of truth said, the crystal skull was a potent catalyst to single use stun spells while also passively drawing those with high mana into random illusion. Those affected by the illusion will see the skull as a coveted item and try to take it away by force.
I bristled slightly, hugging the scope to my eye as I watched Yun Seung-Ah grab the skull and burn its first charge.
But it was no problem as Yun Seung-Ah simply shook it off with a pissed expression. She then clenched her fist and exploded the blood off of her form with a terrifying magic power.
Seeing how she was fine, I looked back towards the vault where Jain had previously entered.
"...gone… she's completely disappeared…"
'Well… that was how the original story was supposed to go, so I guess that isn't so bad…'
I mused before turning my gaze to the evacuated dance hall where the currently unknown possibly hero possibly villain was.
He had mask on and adjusted his glove as he stood by one of the side doors.
'What is…?'
His head turned from side to side before freezing for a moment.
'Wait… did he get pulled into an illusion?'
He then swiftly turned around and opened the door behind him, the corridor just so happened to be the one Yun Seung-Ah was located at.
'That's not good at all…'
…Minori POV…
I sighed as I looked around at the ballroom of fake people, their form coming away to look more like mannequins even without the stars.
I was obviously in an illusion, of what kind or of what nature is still unknown. The threads don't tell me much as everything is made of straight lines and blank spots.
At least I can tell that my body is still being moved as only sight and hearing seem to be suffering the most.
So now I need to decide on a course of action. Whether it was to blast my way out or investigate deeper into the mansion, staying still wouldn't do me any good.
"Guess I'll try my luck with the vault like Pearl did."
I muttered under my breath before turning back and opening the door into the corridor.
The corridor was much the same lavish interior it had previously been. A long length of gold and silver marble, brandished to the extreme with unnecessary furnishments.
'I'm glad the architecture remains the same…'
A carpet that strayed from the edges led all the way to the foot of the stairs.
And at the very bottom step, was a pale cloth mannequin. She was dressed in a rogue's outfit, her body covered in thick black cloth and makeshift armour. Her face was covered but I could tell she was annoyed.
In one of her hands was a dagger, clutched tightly and ready for surprises. In the other was a crystal skull, one of its eyes glowing bright purple while the other was dry as bone.
My intuition blared into life as it told me to get my hands on that item.
My own deduction told me that the skull had something to do with the illusion.
So what other choice would I have but to get my hands on it as quickly as possible.
The rogue mannequin lowered their centre of gravity as the small dagger glowed ominously.
High rank mana control. High rank mana quality. High rank mana output.
She might as well have told me that I can't beat her.
'But I do have an idea.'
…Yun Seung POV…
I arrived at the bottom of the stairs and felt an immediate change in the air, mana that was barely perceptible in other places had now become like a thin mist in this corridor.
'The density of mana in this corridor alone is larger than the entire mansion combined.'
And the source of that increase was standing at the very end of the corridor.
A man in a suit stood upright and stiff. His hands were covered in black gloves, one of which being significantly higher in quality. The man had a head of black hair but his mask obscured any other feature on his face.
The mask was entirely black with two protruding ears. The eyes were hollow and filled with shadow, the mouth sealed shut. It seemed to be a warped perception of the Egyptian god Anubis.
Looking at him, I clenched my teeth in annoyance.
"It's just one thing after another. Let's just get this over with."
I lowered my centre of gravity and prepared to dash at him. Mana poured from my small dagger in dangerous waves. I wanted to end this with a single slash.
But I paused as the dog man raised his hand.
'Stop? Why is he telling me to stop? Or is he trying to tell me something?'
He then pointed to the top of the stairs where I suddenly felt a large quantity of magic building up.
Acting on instinct I turned and raised my arm to block.
Only to see nothing but a crumbling sheet of paper. It peeled off the wall and turned to ash almost instantly.
'A distraction!'
I swivelled and immediately swung.
My blade met air as the dog man slid under and swiped at my legs. His movement was like that of a wild animal. The scaled glove emitted a low hum of mana, causing me to be weary of it.
'Should I tank it?- No, let's not get hit by something we don't understand!'
Thus I jumped over him.
That was the wrong choice as he grabbed the skull from my hands. My fingers provided not much of any resistance as a jolt of electricity made them numb for only a hundredth of a second.
'You've got to b kidding me-'
Yet it was enough for the dog man to retrieve the skull.
He then immediately began booking it for the stair, his body moving faster than before as he dashed up the stairs.
I still had a chance to catch him.
So I swung, sending a crescent slash barrelling towards him.
It was bound to hit him, but moments before it did, he turned and blocked it.
'What? He blocked my attack?'
The dogmans shoulders went up and down as if he was panting. The hand that was holding the skull was behind his back while in the other was an obsidian black blade.
'Where did…?'
Before I could even finish my thought he turned and ran up the stairs, out of sight.
"Shit! The skull!"
I chased him up the stairs, mana infusing into my muscles to make me faster.
Yet when I made it to the second floor…
…there was no one.
He got away.