Chapter 162: Ittou Shura, Desperado, Fate, Vampires, Magicians...

"You sneaky little scoundrel, this time I'll make sure you're properly punished!"

Stella glared furiously, her eyes burning with anger.

Boom!

Violent flames roared like a dragon's breath, surging along the blade of her sword as she thrust it forward.

"!!!"

Ikki Kurogane's expression changed drastically.

He hadn't expected Stella to go all out right from the start.

Originally, he had planned to test her with his swordsmanship, but it seemed he couldn't even get close to her now.

Gritting his teeth, he was forced to play his trump card: Ittou Shura!

This was Ikki's ultimate pseudo-sword technique, created to help him overcome overwhelming enemies with all his strength.

However, it could only be used once per day.

The technique compressed all of his power into a single minute, forcibly concentrating his magical energy to enhance his physical abilities tenfold.

As Stella's fiery attack closed in, Ikki's entire body flared with a blue, flame-like aura—his magical energy so dense that it became visible to the naked eye.

Though his body became significantly stronger, the price was steep: once the technique ended, his body would rapidly weaken.

Stella suddenly noticed a flash of light.

Her dragon's breath flames were cleaved apart with a single slash.

Emerging from the dissipating fire, Ikki Kurogane stood tall and composed, his figure sharp and resolute.

"Hm?"

Stella immediately sensed a change in his aura.

Ikki, his gaze icy and focused, began to murmur to himself:

"Humans are living beings, driven by an instinct to survive. Even if one forces themselves to push their limits, their instincts will always hold back enough strength to preserve life."

"Instinct separates and safeguards the energy needed to maintain vital functions."

"But I…"

He tightened his grip on his sword.

"…have used my willpower to break free from those instincts."

He explained how he concentrated all of his remaining strength into a single minute, draining himself entirely to achieve explosive power in that fleeting window.

By using Ittou Shura, Ikki's magical energy increased. However, this wasn't a technique designed to enhance magic—it forcibly drew out latent energy that a living being's soul was never meant to access.

In this world, magical energy was considered the power of one's will and destiny. Aside from individuals who became "Desperado," everyone's magical capacity was fixed at birth.

To acquire greater magical power, one had to surpass their own destiny and step into the realm of the Desperado.

Though Ikki hadn't yet crossed that threshold, he was undeniably on the path to defying fate itself.

Stella didn't fully understand the meaning behind his words, but she could clearly feel that Ikki had grown stronger. She also began to grasp why Rei Ao had warned her.

If she let her guard down, there was a real possibility of losing.

"Hmph, looks like I underestimated you. From now on, I'll take you seriously and defeat you!"

Her expression turned solemn.

The flames around her grew even fiercer, transforming her long hair into blazing fire. The very air in the arena seemed to heat up as her power intensified.

Ikki's eyelid twitches.

He suddenly regretted provoking Stella in the first place.

"She's not even giving me a chance to get close!"

The moment this thought crossed his mind, a massive blast of fire surged toward him. He had no choice but to evade.

In the observation deck's adjacent room

Hijiri Kasuga and Shinoa Hiragi, who had been placed there, were watching the battle unfold.

Hijiri Kasuga was astonished.

"They're using magical energy, but it's not like the magic I know. There are no magic circles, no incantations… it's as if Stella's magic naturally takes the form of whatever she wants it to be."

Shinoa Hiragi, having recovered from the earlier revelations about Shikama Dōji and the First Progenitor, was no longer preoccupied with those matters.

Shikama Dōji was dead, and her cursed weapon was still functional. She had also gained a clearer understanding of Rei Ao's strength.

Now, as she watched Stella and Ikki's fierce battle below, a hint of envy arose in her heart.

It was a yearning for power—strength that didn't rely on experiments or cursed weapons.

"If humans could wield such power, they could surely defeat vampires," she thought.

Hijiri Kasuga noticed her thoughtful expression and decided to initiate a conversation.

"Um… my name is Hijiri Kasuga," she said, introducing herself.

Shinoa Hiragi turned to her and responded with a polite smile.

"Hello, I'm Shinoa Hiragi."

Seeing that Shinoa was willing to converse, Hijiri felt a sense of relief and began to relax.

"I overheard your conversation earlier. It sounds like humans in your world are in a pretty dire situation," Hijiri Kasuga remarked.

"Yes."

Shinoa Hiragi sighed with resignation.

"The conflict between humans and vampires is inevitable."

She turned to Hijiri and asked, "By the way, do you know about vampires?"

"I do," Hijiri replied with a nod, but then immediately shook her head.

"Though I'm not sure if the vampires I know are the same as the ones you're talking about."

This piqued Shinoa's curiosity.

"What are vampires like in your world?"

"Well, I've never seen a real vampire," Hijiri admitted.

"In my world, there's an 'Outer World' and an 'Inner World.'"

She proceeded to explain the basic structure of her world.

The Outer World was where ordinary people lived, oblivious to the existence of magic.

The Inner World, on the other hand, was a mysterious realm filled with magic and mystery.

In most cases, the two worlds didn't interfere with or overlap each other. Ordinary people rarely came into contact with the magical aspects of the Inner World.

"What a strange world. So, since you know all this, does that mean you're a magician?"

"That's correct!"

Hijiri spread her right hand, and in the blink of an eye, a small, intricate book appeared in her palm.

"This is my grimoire, Astil Manuscript. Magicians record spells into their grimoires, and once inscribed, the spells can be cast by reciting them."

"That simple?" Shinoa's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

This was a completely different power from the cursed weapons of her world.

"Can I learn it?"

Hijiri hesitated, her expression apologetic.

"I'm sorry, but only those who possess grimoires can use magic."

"And it's not something to be taken lightly—magic can backfire if you underestimate it."

She explained that magic wasn't an easy power to control. On the contrary, it was inherently dangerous. Many magicians, driven by curiosity, had become lost in the labyrinth of magic and could never return.

These unfortunate souls fell into madness, consumed by their power.

"I see… that's unfortunate," Shinoa said, her disappointment evident.

Hijiri put away her grimoire and returned to their earlier topic.

"Back to vampires, then."

"Vampires don't actually exist in my world. They're more like creatures from folklore and stories."

She described them:

"They're pale-skinned monsters that can only move at night. Sunlight kills them, and they feed on human blood."

"Only active at night, afraid of sunlight…"

Shinoa was stunned by this description.

In her world, vampires had no such weakness to sunlight.

"Are the vampires in your world like this? The First Progenitor didn't seem to have those traits," Hijiri asked, curious.

"If only that were the case," Shinoa replied with a bitter smile.

If sunlight could kill vampires, humanity might have had better methods to fight against them.

"In our world, vampires are less like monsters and more like a race of beings with unique origins."

"They have civilizations, hierarchies, societies, and… cities, just like humans."

This was the biggest difference between the vampires of her world and the monsters Hijiri described.

They weren't simple beasts. They were intelligent, organized, and cultured—while also being far stronger than humans.

To Shinoa, humanity often felt like the inferior race.

"What?!"

Hijiri was taken aback.

"Civilizations and cities… doesn't that mean your conflict is a full-blown racial war?"

"Yes, it is," Shinoa admitted.

War was far more terrifying than a mere struggle against monsters. It meant more death, more destruction, and potentially the annihilation of both sides.

"Sigh… I suppose that's just the fate of our world," Shinoa said wearily.

No matter what, she would fight against the vampires, just as her sister had. But now, there was something else she needed to uncover—the truth behind the forbidden experiments known as "Seraph of the End," carried out by both vampires and humans.

The mention of "fate" sparked a thought in Hijiri.

"Could it also be fate that brought you into this Trading Chat Group?"

"Hm?"

Shinoa froze, her expression thoughtful.

Trading…

Hijiri's words reminded her of something.

The man they had just encountered—Rei Ao—was undoubtedly the chat group's leader. He had allowed them to travel between worlds and had effortlessly destroyed the First Progenitor's soul.

That meant he was stronger than the First Progenitor!

If she could make a deal with someone like him…

Shinoa's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden scream.

"Ahhh!!!" Hijiri shrieked, startling Shinoa.

"What's wrong?" Shinoa asked, instinctively glancing toward the dueling arena.

Stella and Ikki were still locked in a fierce battle, neither side gaining a clear advantage. Nothing seemed to have changed on the battlefield, and there was no immediate danger.

So why was Hijiri screaming?

Shinoa, confused, looked at Hijiri, who was blushing furiously, her face as red as a tomato.

Covering her eyes, Hijiri stammered, "Th-the livestream in the chat group!"

"Livestream?"

Following her lead, Shinoa opened the livestream in the chat group.

"???"

The scene that appeared on her screen left Shinoa utterly dumbfounded.

~~~

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