"————!"
In that fleeting moment, on the rooftop of a skyscraper, Shana suddenly sensed something amiss. She forcefully turned her head, gazing in a particular direction.
In that direction, a dissonance with the world, like a vortex, appeared within Shana's senses, even though it was at an extremely distant location.
Moreover, it was not just any dissonance; it was the aura of a Denizen.
Crimson World Denizens are entities not native to this world. Therefore, when a Denizen appears in this world, a feeling of discord, as if rejected by the world, emerges in the surroundings.
This sensation intensifies with the strength of the power used by the Denizen. Hence, if a Denizen deliberately conceals its aura and refrains from using power, it can go unnoticed, especially at considerable distances.
However, when the aura is openly displayed, the sense of discord becomes pronounced. Even from a great distance, a perceptive entity can detect it.
Shana immediately grasped this feeling of discord.
"No."
"No, it's not just one aura."
It was two auras.
As she gazed in the direction of the dissonance, Shana muttered, "Finally decided to show up, huh?"
In front of Shana, the pendant containing the will of the contracted contractor, Alastor, resonated with his voice.
"Do you sense it?" Alastor's voice carried a hint of gravity. "Those two auras are approaching extremely fast, and both are formidable."
"That 'Hunter' actually sought assistance?" Shana asked calmly. "Alastor, what should we do?"
"Go!" Alastor spoke without hesitation. "The opponent is likely already heading towards him, and since there are two adversaries, even he won't be able to handle both of them at the same time. If Friagne enlisted the help of a Crimson Lord of the same caliber, and if we don't join the fight, the Reiji Maigo (Midnight Lost Child) will absolutely be taken away. We must hurry over!"
Hearing this, Shana did not reply. However, her waist-length jet-black hair surged abruptly, transforming into a blaze of Flame-Haired.
"Boom!"
The next moment, Shana shattered the ground, flames erupting beneath her feet. Like a meteor soaring towards the sky, she charged in the direction of Fang Li.
On the other side, Fang Li naturally sensed the discord brought by the Denizen.
Although it was limited to the circumstances of this world, Fang Li's combat instincts were sharp. If the aura from a Denizen could cause such a strong sense of discord, even Fang Li could perceive it.
Of course, Fang Li also sensed the presence of two auras.
"Did that guy seek assistance?" Fang Li made the same judgment as Shana.
Yet, Fang Li didn't express surprise; instead, a slight smirk formed on his lips.
"Better than continually hunting like looking for a mouse, right?"
In response, Fang Li tightly gripped the dagger in his hand and forcefully slashed to the side.
"Boom!"
Beside him, a Torch that had just passed by directly ignited, turning into ashes and disappearing.
Fang Li surveyed the surroundings. The bustling commercial street was filled with people, and the air resonated with noisy chatter and lively crowds.
"Let's change the location!" Fang Li decisively made this decision.
Turning around, Fang Li walked in another direction at a leisurely pace.
Surprisingly, it was the bank of the Mana River.
...
Three days had not brought any changes to this location, which coexisted with Misaki City.
When Fang Li arrived, there was still no one around. Not a soul was on the pathway above the riverbank, only the distant sounds of people and car horns from Misaki Bridge could be heard from this place.
With unhurried steps, Fang Li, as if taking a casual stroll, entered this riverside area.
At the same time, the world underwent a transformation.
"Hum!"
An Unrestricted Spell, resembling a totem, unfolded suddenly in the sky above the riverbank. It rotated geometrically, like the orbit of a globe revolving around the Earth.
"Boom!"
Pale flames explosively rose around him, forming a barrier of shimmering heat that enveloped the entire riverbank. The vibrant colors of the world were replaced by a vivid crimson, becoming the sole color in this space.
The Unrestricted Spell that severed causality unfolded at this moment, turning this space into a battlefield.
Everything fell into stillness and only an elegant voice slowly resounded in the area.
"Before, in this place, you forced me to leave in disgrace."
With the emergence of this voice, a white curtain appeared in the sky above the Mana River, like a drawn curtain, revealing its master shining behind the white fabric.
Looking at Fang Li standing on the riverbank, Friagne suddenly smiled, yet a cold light flickered in his eyes as he spoke leisurely.
"Today, I will make you completely disappear in this place, never to exist in this world again."
Hearing Friagne's words, Fang Li only smiled indifferently. Shortly afterward, he turned his head, gazing in the direction of Misaki Bridge.
There, on the edge of Misaki Bridge's railing, Sydonay with his arms crossed, leaned against the cold steel. Under his sunglasses, his eyes stared directly at Fang Li, and he chuckled with interest.
"Is this the human you mentioned? Indeed, he exudes an impressive imposing attitude and power. Moreover, he can move within the Fuuzetsu/Seal and challenge a Crimson Lord alone. A human like this, challenging a Crimson Lord alone, is the first time I've seen it in so many years."
Sydonay's words caused a slight ripple in Friagne's eyes.
Although he had expected that Sydonay might not be interested in such a peculiar human, it was not what Friagne hoped for.
If Sydonay discovered that Fang Li possessed the Reiji Maigo (Midnight Lost Child), it could become troublesome.
As for Fang Li, upon seeing Sydonay, his eyes suddenly sharpened.
"Is it him?" Memories dormant in his mind were awakened, making Fang Li acutely aware of the background of the assistant Friagne had brought.
Thus, Fang Li developed a thought identical to Friagne's, even surpassing it.
"This is becoming troublesome."
In the Bright Red World, two Crimson World Crimson Lords stared intensely at the lone human in this space.
A surging and dangerous aura began to emanate from their bodies.
The battle was about to begin.
...