Chapter 61

Mizra of the 'Evil Eye', Elina of the 'Infinite', Yurie of the 'Anti-Mirror', and Sadina of the 'Sky'.

These four are famous S-rank magic armorsmiths in the empire, and they are not beings that can be easily contained. With the amount of magic power required to reach S-rank, they can break through most bindings with physical enhancements from unaffiliated magic. Even Mizra of the 'Evil Eye', who is not good at physical activities, can tear apart iron chains.

"Hey? Weren't you going to send me flying?"

Luto Rayven, who appeared on the scene as the captain of the Rayven Squad, intended to teach the insolent subordinate a lesson.

This special squad, designed to counter the 'Reaper', is composed of strong-willed S-rank magic armorsmiths. Luto, having taken the position of captain, was determined to establish a clear hierarchy.

Incidentally, Luto Rayven is known as a sadist in the capital.

"Is that all?"

She added a taunt with a smile, looking lively. Elina of the 'Infinite' was irritated by Luto's demeanor.

"N-no... way!"

Elina, who is naturally energetic and rebellious, is the type who never backs down from a challenge. Magic power surged, and a large number of chains materialized out of nowhere. The chains writhed, defying gravity as they rushed towards Luto. The chains, moved by magic power, could be manipulated even within the constraints of gravity. The chains created by Elina could not be melted by heat and could insulate electricity.

She could freely manipulate the properties of the chains to bind and crush her enemies. This was Elina's way of fighting.

"Hmm."

Luto was impressed by Elina's skill in manipulating the chains even in the midst of intense gravity. However, knowing that Elina was an S-rank magic armorsmith, she was not surprised. Moreover, Luto did not feel threatened.

Because Luto was a true S-rank, an awakened magic armorsmith.

She had transcended human limitations and obtained unlimited magic power. She had surpassed the limits and was promised an endless lifespan and boundless growth in magic power. Luto and Elina were of different biological classes.

"Be crushed."

Luto used her gravity magic armor to crush the chains. By compressing them with supergravity, she created a microscopic black hole, which she controlled. The small black hole that appeared in the area vanished with a snap of her fingers.

Even Mizra of the 'Evil Eye', Yurie of the 'Anti-Mirror', and Sadina of the 'Sky' were speechless at this display.

Yurie of the 'Anti-Mirror' possessed a magic armor that could reverse kinetic energy, allowing her to escape from supergravity. However, reversing kinetic energy in this situation would result in a tremendous upward force, sending her skydiving. Unfortunately, she couldn't selectively reverse part of the kinetic energy.

Sadina of the 'Sky', who could fly, was also unable to use her ability. At best, she could use magic.

So, Sadina demonstrated a non-verbal spell.

"Hmm?"

A small amount of magic power—by Luto's standards—swelled, and Luto sensed the activation of the spell. A powerful explosion then struck her head, with enough force to blow a human body away.

Sadina had activated the fourth tier of fire magic, 'Explosion', which causes a powerful explosion at a specific coordinate, making it an excellent spell for personal attacks. It is often used in assassinations, and important figures usually have countermeasures against such spells.

Despite this, the explosion had no effect on Luto.

"You need to conceal your magic power better. If the signs of spell activation are visible, it's meaningless."

Luto had defended against the 'Explosion' with a barrier of unaffiliated magic.

Barriers of unaffiliated magic are popular among magic armorsmiths and come in various forms, such as wrapping the body, forming a wall, creating a dome, or even moving the barrier to crush enemies.

However, this barrier does not defend against all magic or magic armor.

There is a loophole.

"I'll do it."

Mizra of the 'Evil Eye', with one eye open, used her petrification magic armor. She could force her target to petrify, effectively a one-hit kill.

The magic barrier is semi-transparent, allowing light to pass through. Therefore, powers that work through gaze, like the evil eye, or light-based attacks cannot be blocked for physical reasons.

It seemed Luto would be petrified and die.

However, the convenient petrification evil eye has a weakness. While it can instantly kill any target, it is ineffective against those with immense magic power. Since Luto, an awakened magic armorsmith, had superior magic power, Mizra's evil eye had no effect.

"No way..."

Mizra had never lost in terms of magic power. She had only lost to veteran S-rank magic armorsmiths who had served the empire for a long time. Her powerful magic power was the reason she had achieved S-rank despite having a defective magic armor.

Unfortunately, she was no match for Luto, and she gave up with a deflated voice. Being lazy, she was quick to admit defeat when her petrification didn't work.

"Well, that's about it, I suppose?"

Luto nodded in satisfaction after neutralizing the four.

The four S-rank magic armorsmiths were not weak. They were among the top-tier forces in the Great Empire of Subarokia. Only because Luto was awakened could she handle S-rank magic armorsmiths like this.

Now, four out of the five members of the Rayven Squad should understand the hierarchy.

The last one was the 'Flame Dragon', who had launched a surprise attack from behind.

"Hmph!"

"You're the last one... 'Flame Dragon', right?"

The last one, known as the 'Flame Dragon', attacked with a sword. He looked like a young, inexperienced boy, having just graduated from the academy and been granted S-rank status.

When Luto focused on him, the gravity around Ike increased sharply, slamming him to the ground.

"Are you the new S-rank... Ike Aliwur?"

"Gr...!"

The 'Flame Dragon' was the son of Schmitt Aliwur, who had been killed by the 'Reaper' Shu. Despite just graduating from the academy, he had been granted S-rank status due to his immense magic power and powerful magic armor. There were rumors that he was favored because he was the son of a former general, but to avoid such malicious gossip, his information was not widely publicized.

(His magic power is considerable. He is indeed the son of a general, I suppose.)

Ike, pinned to the ground by gravity, glared at Luto with sharp eyes. His magic power surged, and he activated his magic armor.

"I won't... let you!"

Ike's magic armor was of the possession type, which enhances the user by infusing magic power into the body. Heat generated around him formed a swirling, red flame. The flame stayed with him, forming a shape, like a giant dragon, fitting his nickname 'Flame Dragon'.

The possessed fire dragon, unaffected by gravity, lunged at Luto.

"Hmm?"

Luto raised the corner of her mouth and snapped her fingers again.

The local gravity increased dramatically, crushing the head of the fire dragon, which then became a microscopic black hole. Luto controlled the black hole, causing it to evaporate and disappear.

"Damn!"

Ike, struggling to breathe under the supergravity, regenerated the dragon's head. The fire dragon, being a manifestation of his magic armor, could be easily regenerated with magic power. Possession-type magic armors enhance the user by wrapping them in attribute-specific and shaped magic power. By forcibly moving the possessed magic power, Ike could also move himself.

"Haahaaaaa!"

The fire dragon, with deep red wings and exhaling heat, lunged at Luto. Ike remained in the chest of the dragon, constantly releasing immense magic power.

Possession-type magic armors are powerful, combining offense and defense, but require delicate magic control. They are not for the rough. Having just graduated from the academy, Ike was around sixteen years old. His ability to fully manifest a possession-type magic armor at that age was a testament to his skill.

The fire dragon, controlled by Ike, tried to claw at Luto.

Even though it was a possession-type, it was still a fire dragon, and touching it would cause burns.

Luto used a new ability she had gained as an awakened magic armorsmith.

"Blow away."

With that, the fire dragon was blown away.

She used repulsion, the opposite of gravity, to blow it away. Her magic armor had evolved upon awakening, giving her the new power of repulsion in addition to gravity.

She generated a gravity sphere and caught Ike in it.

Luto's magic armor, which manipulates gravity, is a domain-type, making it a terrible combination for both annihilation and capture. Neutralizing a lower-ranked Ike was easy.

"Do you understand the difference in strength? I am Luto, the captain of the Rayven Squad. I look forward to working with you."

While forcefully subduing the five S-rank magic armorsmiths, Luto declared. In the Great Empire of Subarokia, power is everything. To command, one must demonstrate power. Luto followed the empire's culture, using power to gain obedience.

Ike, Mizra, Elina, Yurie, and Sadina all recognized Luto as their superior.

"Our goal is to kill the 'Reaper'. The 'Reaper' allied with the revolutionaries has no value. The emperor has made that judgment. Now, let's start planning our first mission."

Luto's smile captivated Ike.

More than anything, her words fueled his hatred.

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Meanwhile, Shu Arclight, the 'Reaper' and the King of the Underworld, was receiving a letter from a shadow spirit at his home. The snake-shaped shadow spirit moved through the shadow world to communicate secretly with the Black Cat tavern.

Shu had dispatched the shadow spirit to the tavern, where it received assassination requests from the Black Cat and sent them to the 'Reaper'.

This was how the communication worked.

"Hmm."

"Shu? Is it a request?"

"Yes, it seems to be an assassination of a noble. It's a request from the empire. The noble is corrupt, but there's no legal evidence, so they've decided on assassination."

"Will you accept it?"

"I intend to."

The request Shu received was to assassinate a corrupt noble. A substantial amount of money was included as a down payment, and the request even included a photograph of the target. It was thorough.

The condition was to bring back the target's head, but that was not a problem.

There was no reason to refuse.

"I'll take care of it tomorrow."

"Okay."

The assassin and the hunter.

Both would move simultaneously.

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