Chapter 192

Kanzaki Rei pressed one hand down on the man’s head while casually spinning a dagger in the other.

This man’s name... was Dilo.

"D-Don’t... don’t kill me."

"Don’t want to die? Then that depends on how you perform."

Kanzaki Rei’s killing intent condensed into something almost tangible.

「Fear Pressure (Tier 4) (LV: 301)」

A mental-type spell that a Level 3 mage could already learn.

Back then, the malicious aura Iz had used on him had also been Tier 4—but in truth, the spell itself had a weaker Tier 3 version.

Naturally, Kanzaki Rei had learned it as well.

Dilo raised his head and met Kanzaki Rei’s gaze—and in that instant, it felt like he had been dragged into absolute darkness.

Those eyes... staring back at him.

"AHHHHH—!!!"

Through physical contact, mana seeped into Dilo’s body, letting Kanzaki Rei sense his internal condition.

His courage... had shattered?

Was it really that terrifying?

Kanzaki Rei made no attempt to heal him. Instead, he drove the dagger into the ground beside his neck.

"Choose."

"I—I... I’ll tell you!"

Dilo grit his teeth, forcing himself to endure the pain.

"R-Reiga... Reiga... has indeed been taken over by us..."

"Just the king?"

He hesitated—but in the cold gleam reflected off the dagger, he saw Kanzaki Rei’s emotionless eyes.

"No! Not just the king!"

"When did it start? How many of you? Which high-ranking officials have been infiltrated? What role did you play? And this list of yours—what’s the plan behind it? Your strongholds, your numbers... and why there are so many Skinstealers."

"Say it. All of it."

Kanzaki Rei’s voice was ice-cold, devoid of even a trace of mercy.

Maybe... even if he talked, he’d still be killed.

I need to stall... stall this monster...

CRACK!

The moment that thought surfaced—

All ten of his fingers were severed clean at the base.

"Ah—!"

"Perhaps I forgot to mention."

"I know a little psychology. Enough to see through lies."

"I also know about your associates in the royal palace. The prince’s second uncle and third uncle—your colleagues, right?"

"And the hidden chambers beneath the four clock towers. Each one houses one of your Skinstealer companions."

"If you won’t talk... someone else will."

"I can always drag your corpse to the next one."

Kanzaki Rei spoke calmly, no longer pressing him down.

He simply sat on the table nearby, lifted a hand—and the dagger returned to his grasp.

He began idly trimming his nails with its edge.

Relaxed. Casual.

Yet every movement radiated an invincible, unassailable presence.

"Of course," Kanzaki Rei added lightly, "if you cooperate, I can swear an oath."

"I’ll give you two hours. Until you leave this city, neither I nor my companions will pursue you. Not a single hair on your head will be harmed."

"Once you’re outside... whether you live or die depends on your own ability."

His tone was calm—offering what seemed like a path to survival.

"You... you mean that?"

Kanzaki Rei glanced at the kneeling man.

"I swear upon the code of battle. If I break my word, then I am nothing but a cowardly warrior."

"If that’s still not enough..."

He raised the dagger slightly.

"I’ll find someone else."

Silence.

That oath... wasn’t strong enough.

But Dilo had no choice.

Worst case, he’d die anyway—and Kanzaki Rei would simply move on to the next person.

"I... I’ll tell you everything."

"Good. I ask, you answer."

—

With a high-ranking member of the Crimson Shedding Rose in hand, the information flowed freely.

Dilo oversaw the entire Aelrothis region.

As for why there were so many Skinstealers...

It traced back to his parents discovering a special relic site.

Within that ruin existed a class-change ritual array.

With its assistance—and by chanting a specific incantation—anyone could be converted into a Skinstealer.

No secret scroll required.

A ritual like that... actually exists?

Then again, the reason ancient classes differed from modern ones was partly due to lost incantations...

...and partly because ritual arrays themselves had degraded or changed over time.

Ancient class-change rituals were fundamentally different from those used today.

So-called secret scrolls... were essentially portable, one-time-use ritual arrays.

"Skinstealer class-change ritual..."

A shame.

The class seemed powerful—but came with heavy restrictions.

Before launching this operation, Kanzaki Rei had already studied the Skinstealer class in depth.

Not just from interrogation—but also from extensive research within the White Tower.

「Skinstealer」

Level 1 Skill: Skinning

Allows the user to cleanly remove the skin of a living being.

They also possess the core ability:

「Skin Suit」

As the Skinstealer levels up, more abilities tied to this skill are unlocked.

Limitations:

Multi-class restrictionSkinstealers struggle to maintain multiple classes. If they do, their skin target must also possess matching secondary classes.Example: A Level 3 Skinstealer / Level 2 Mage can only wear a skin that also has Mage Level 2.

Level cap limitationWearing a higher-level skin does not grant its full power.Example: A Level 4 Skinstealer using a Level 5 Warrior skin can only exert Level 4 strength.

Maintenance requirementSkins require upkeep. Their power does not grow—instead, it gradually decays over time.

Duration limitationA single skin cannot be worn indefinitely. Duration depends on the user’s training and maintenance quality.

Plenty of restrictions.

But the advantages...

...were equally overwhelming.

Once worn, the skin granted all abilities the original owner had in life.

That alone overshadowed most of its weaknesses.

Of course, wearing a skin also meant being locked into that skill set.

But high-level Skinstealers could shed and switch skins rapidly—greatly reducing that limitation.

—

"Where’s the ritual located?"

"Continue."

—

They had definitely captured the right person.

Anyone capable of impersonating a king—even a puppet—knew valuable secrets.

The Kingdom of Reiga wasn’t just corrupted at the top.

Many key officials had already been infiltrated.

And the timing...

...lined up exactly with the period just before the Month of Death.

Shortly after they seized control, a monster tide struck Reiga.

Had Iz not resolved it, decades of planning would have been wiped out.

"...And yet, just when the crisis passed—some damned thief looted our treasury!"

Dilo’s emotions flared uncontrollably.

That treasure... should have included his share. As the cult leader’s son, he was entitled to it.

But the moment he met Kanzaki Rei’s cold gaze—

His anger vanished instantly.

—

Dilo confessed everything.

Every cultist in Aelrothis.

A full list of Skinstealers across neighboring nations.

Kanzaki Rei scanned it once.

Authentic.

All of it.

—

"Alright. Leave behind all your storage items."

"You can go."

Dilo didn’t dare ask "You won’t kill me?"

He stripped off every storage artifact and bolted for the door.

Kanzaki Rei didn’t pursue.

Instead, he said calmly:

"Luluvi, you saw that?"

"Use this list. Find them all."

Luluvi’s voice carried a hint of annoyance.

"You really do love ordering people around."

Kanzaki Rei flashed outside the palace in a streak of light, smiling faintly.

"Luluvi, please? Help me out."

...Are you even a child?

Sometimes you’re terrifyingly mature. Other times...

Luluvi maintained her lock on Dilo.

Kanzaki Rei shared her perception.

Tracking him.

—

"Alone... no, alone won’t work!"

"They’ll be waiting outside the city!"

"I need help! Belen! Yes—Belen can stall them!"

Dilo fled in panic, pale and broken, ten fingers gone.

No time to heal. No time to think.

Only survival.

—

Thunder rumbled.

Storm clouds swallowed Aelrothis.

Dilo darted toward a palace.

Inside—his ally.

Or so he hoped.

BOOM!

Lightning flashed—

Revealing a blood-soaked interior.

He pushed the door open.

And saw Belen...

Pinned to the wall by a spear.

Dead.

A Level 5 warrior skin—killed in a single strike.

No resistance.

"B-Belen!"

He ran.

Again.

—

Another ally.

Another palace.

But before he arrived—

His senses detected a sea of blood.

Bodies.

All of them... his people.

And then—

A child.

Eyes like stagnant water.

Kanzaki Rei.

Watching him.

[Time of Death: 1 hour]

I said I wouldn’t kill you.

But that was after I adjusted your death.

You’re simply... dying naturally.

That’s not my fault.

—

Dilo fled again.

Madness overtaking him.

Everywhere he went—

Corpses.

Blood.

And that child.

"Why... WHY?!"

—

Final refuge.

A hidden hut.

A ritual circle.

At least... send a message—

CRACK!

Lightning illuminated the room.

And in the corner—

That same child.

Watching.

Kanzaki Rei stepped forward, touching the ritual.

A communication array.

Linked to Reiga.

—

He glanced at Dilo.

[Time of Death: 1 minute]

He didn’t move.

He simply watched.

"How long will you toy with me?!"

"Then don’t."

"You’re free to go."

"I won’t chase you. Not to the ends of the earth."

His tone was calm.

Sincere.

But—

Dilo snapped.

"Then I’ll deny you the satisfaction!"

[5 seconds]

"If you want me dead—!"

CRACK!

He drove his knee upward—

And smashed his own skull down onto it.

Bone shattered.

Soul departed.

He... killed himself.

—

"...Suicide."

"How unoriginal."

Kanzaki Rei watched the timer reach zero.

Perfectly precise.

Originally, Dilo had thirty years left.

But under Kanzaki Rei’s gaze—

Each second burned away a month of life.

Severing his fingers had cost him ten years instantly.

All Kanzaki Rei had to do...

Was watch.

And death would come.

No trace.

After all—

Natural death had nothing to do with him.

—

Akase arrived, frowning.

"That’s it? He just killed himself?"

"Pathetic."

Kanzaki Rei shrugged faintly.

"Fanatics tend to be unstable."

Another figure appeared—Kumironi.

"The intelligence we gained... is troubling."

"The entire Kingdom of Reiga has fallen."

"And we never noticed."

—

Kanzaki Rei glanced at the corpse.

Thinking of another king.

If Lothar heard this...

He’d probably laugh himself sick.

An enemy kingdom—already hollowed out.

—

What a chaotic world.

Monsters.

Invasions.

Cults.

Collapsed order.

—

"Are we going to Reiga?" Luluvi asked.

"We have to," Kumironi replied.

"If they control the core... we may face an entire nation."

"Expose them publicly?" Qingying suggested.

Kumironi shook her head.

"They’ll deny everything."

"Truth alone isn’t enough."

Akase nodded.

"In this world... truth is enforced by strength."

—

Qum arrived last.

"If we waste time arguing... they’ll escape."

—

Akase grinned.

"Then let’s go."

"All targets on Luluvi’s list are already dead."

Qum added:

"I’ve contacted the local church for cleanup."

Kanzaki Rei nodded.

"...Reiga again."

—

And just like that—

They set off once more.

Toward a kingdom already rotting from within.

Toward war.

Toward annihilation.

—

Because the Crimson Shedding Rose...

Had to be completely eradicated.