The man lunged at Scarlet.
His attacks came with full force and often faked ones. Scarlet parried them, even sidestepped, and did all in her power. But none was enough to win this madman bubbling with excitement. It was clear—he had long waited for this moment. Driving her near the plateau's edge, he told her,
"You won't go down easily, so I guess we have to end things here. Don't worry about a proper funeral. I will send you off with the wagon and everything. Alright?" he smiled.
Then, stepping back, he stamped on her chest. Scarlet reeled afterward. Her body jerked backward until she tumbled down the elevated spot.
...
The man smirked. "I wish I could spit at her nickname. Red Requiem? That's even a kind that we shouldn't allow to spread, not to mention keeping the bearer alive."
Glancing back, he snapped his fingers. The two guys reappeared, and he ordered, "Push the wagon down as well. Should be enough to send her off."
"Yes!" they bowed, walking toward it.
Shortly, the man turned. He couldn't shake off the thought of someone stalling behind him. Moving to the edge, he glanced down. He saw the thick fog shrouding...
"Mm? What are those red fumes?" he mused, furrowing his brows. He thought, his chest pounding, 'She didn't wake back, did she? No, that isn't—'
SWOOSH-SLASH!
He exhaled with a sudden force. For a while, he didn't even look back; his expression soured. Then, the moment he did, he saw her...
Scarlet was back, standing near the wagon. She shielded her nose with her arm, the two clones non-existent anymore. She was a mess, like a typical person who had just taken a rough fall onto the forest floor. But her controlled reaction said something else - the poison was no longer affecting her. But how come? How did she do it?
The man wanted to clench his fist right here. But he knew he should fight this to the end first.
He chuckled, even though his fingers trembled. "Are you now saying the poison didn't affect you...?"
In a flash, Scarlet blurred and appeared behind him. A sharp cut dragged on his cheek, biting and scorching.
She said, "Yes, it did. But I am always a step ahead."
His neck stiffened, but he wasn't done talking yet.
"I see. It's either that Constellation or nothing else. You can even use stealth, meaning your class is also an Assassin. What an extraordinary being you are!"
"Any last wishes? I always ask people that before killing them."
"Beats me..." In a flash, he had already dashed away and past the wagon. Then, he pulled out three grenades. "But I'm not done fighting!" Immediately, he hurled them forward.
SWOOSH!
"Huh?!" he exclaimed.
He saw Scarlet out of the corner of his eye. She said, having appeared beside him, "Never underestimate your opponents. You sure are a rare incarnation, but did you make plans for if anyone were to be something beyond that? And, think about it... why did he send you, not come by himself? It's because he knows better. I had already known he was your client after seeing your tricks."
As the grenades exploded with a boom, Scarlet's knife impaled his neck at the same time. In the aftermath, he collapsed, his head rolling off. Soon, Scarlet drew the tarpaulin off the wagon. She found the guns, potions, and every other thing you could need on a Mecha to Remnora journey.
Most importantly, a black sack called the Arcane Pocket was inside. While as small as a typical sack, there was no limit to what it could contain. It was obtained from A-rank monsters of the demonic species (dark creatures).
As she arranged everything inside, she recalled her trials in the Oracle's Tomb. Loki had pulled another trick, but she passed to ascend to Odin's Hall. Calling this a trial was actually wrong. Instead, you pay costs for what you seek. It was simple, as written on the stone slab on the wall behind the one-eyed skeleton.
'Settle for Odin's missing part, and get what you seek.'
She got the relic—the Key. But that was after paying the "one-eyed" god.
She thought, 'Opening the portal outside Mecha with the relic will be more costly than paying the god. I can manage.'
Her hand relaxed as she remembered knocking out the "easy-to-approach" guy.
She swallowed. 'I guess he hates me now. If only he understands why I had to do that... '
***
Back at the desolate wasteland with ruins looming around...
Leon's back crashed against the ground. He tasted sand. The bars of the pit cage lay wrenched apart meters behind him.
He let out a quiet gasp. Fresh cuts spread across his face.
The guy managed to get them out. But that was all for the failure of their "perfect plan." Leon even wondered—not him expecting inexperienced people to actually kill D-rank beasts. The guy and the lady lie unconscious nearby. And the hobgoblins surrounded Leon. The war chief hadn't even risen from his seat since.
The screen appeared above Leon.
[Energy: 20/100.]
[Regenerative Liquor is automatically used.]
[Consumed liquors: 3.]
One of the hobgoblins loomed over him, grabbing him by the collar, as if he were anything but human.
Leon took measured breaths. 'These things attack to torture, unlike E-rank monsters that go straight for the kill. Their blows are very precise and like metal hitting against my bones. I wouldn't have made it this far without the automatic use of the Regenerative Liquor. I do not have much EXP left, so I should quit experiencing the D-rank attacks and-'
In a flash, the creature brought out a dagger. Leon's eyes widened.
'What?! Trying to kill me already... eh?!'
Gripping the dagger tighter, the hobgoblin drove it toward him. Leon clenched his jaw and thought, 'System, make me...'
"Zorrakh, vel'druun thak!" the war chief grunted aloud, causing the creature to stop mid-attack. Same as he had corded muscles and darker skin, his voice was deeper than the others' too.
Leon's body thudded as the creature dropped him. He steadied his breathing. But most importantly, what language was that? What did the war chief say that made the others stop? Leon hadn't heard any of them say that until then.
He glanced at the larger hobgoblin. 'Those in Dragon City don't even speak, not to mention talking in strange languages. Should I create a paradox yet, or should I stall to learn more about D-rank monsters?'
Meanwhile, at that moment, the lady woke, rising from the ground. Leon, watching the war chief with the same intensity as the others, didn't notice her.
"Zarkath vel'thak, Draak'mor?" the wide creature looming before Leon spoke. It seemed it had just asked a question—Leon imagined due to the tone.
Was this a kind of forgotten language or -?
"Vel'druun thak'zur!" the war chief shouted with great intensity. "Vorkash thak!"
To Leon's dismay, all the creatures began jumping with excitement. He glanced around, trying to piece together what was going on... and what might soon occur.
"What's this ab-?"
"Run, Mister Vale!" The lady's voice erupted in a scream directed at him. He glanced at her. She warned again, "He told them to burn you! Run before..."
SWOOSH! Before Leon could react, two hobgoblins closed in on him. They wrenched his arms behind his back, hoisting him off the ground. And they walked him forward...
Leon glanced back at the lady. His chest throbbed with a faint rhythm.
She cried, "No! They're going to burn you!"
'What? Burn me?' Leon imagined, breathless. Then, looking forward, the monsters were actually taking him close to the campfire. His jaw dropped. 'She's right! She understands their language...'
"Druul'vark thak'zor! Vel'kash nar'zuk dor vak'thul!" the war chief screamed.
The others hollered, "Gor'vash!"
The lady cried, "M-Mister Vale!"
At that moment, the guy's brows twitched as well.
The air was becoming sultry with every second; they got closer to the campfire. He clenched his fist. Stalling time was over. He should create a paradox without delay. He can either become a B-ranker with precise attacks or an S-ranker with a fast killing rate.
Yes, that is what he should do.
But Leon asked himself—where was the fun? Did the hobgoblins kill him right away... but not drag it out? They lived it up when they had the upper hand. Why can't he, too?
He smirked, "That's right."
The screen flashed before him.
[...]
The air was turning very warm. Too warm. Then Leon commanded.
'Create a paradox, system! Make it such that I am an incomprehensible cosmic horror to any D-rank hobgoblin that sees me, a taunting sight that spans beyond their primitive understanding... until they die from the fear of it.'
He smirked.
[PS status: Activating.]
...
The orange flames seemed to smile at him...
...
[Activation failed. ]
'What?!'