Chapter 368

"Lady Eltima, your previous instructions... were for us to preside over the ritual."

"Not for you to intervene personally."

They weren’t fools. Doubt still lingered in their minds.

Although Kanzaki Rei displayed countless traits resembling Eltima—

There were simply too many inconsistencies.

They couldn’t abandon their prior orders based on a few words alone.

Telling one of them to remove their skin—

Was also a test.

Because if he truly were Eltima, then disobeying his command would be an act of defiance.

Kanzaki Rei’s voice remained cold and even:

"This concerns the transition of the Lunar Sovereign. How could I allow you to know the entirety of the plan?"

"What—are you questioning my identity?"

All four of them were still suppressed by the restrictions.

Though the tearing of their skin had lessened compared to before—

The pressure now forced them firmly to the ground.

Each of them had no choice but to kneel on one knee.

Even the mage who had formed his own barrier—

Now that his magic had been forcibly stripped—

Was also kneeling.

Three figures—

Plus a writhing mass of worm-like flesh—

All presented a posture of submission before Kanzaki Rei.

"We wouldn’t dare."

"It’s just that this matter is of utmost importance. If any mistake on our part were to ruin Lady Eltima’s grand design, it would be an unforgivable sin."

"May we receive your divine oracle?"

"If it is the familiar command... we will obey without question."

As expected—

They wouldn’t comply so easily.

A divine oracle...

Despite all his talents, Kanzaki Rei had no way to fake something like that.

Their resolve was firm.

Even if he refused, they would continue pressing for it—

And eventually, the truth would be exposed.

And with the commotion he had caused...

Eltima herself might already be aware.

"Heh."

"My true body is currently preparing for the contention of the Lunar Sovereign."

"I cannot respond to your oracle."

"However... this fragment of my soul, clad in this vessel—"

"Can allow you to feel whether I am genuine."

A trace of irritation crept into Kanzaki Rei’s tone.

As he spoke, he walked toward the mage.

Shua—

In a flicker—

He appeared directly before him.

Still without any trace of movement.

No one could see how he moved...

Even a Level 8 warrior couldn’t perceive it.

Everything Kanzaki Rei displayed—

Made it feel as though he existed on an entirely different plane.

Though his actual strength was weak—

Perhaps that was merely due to the vessel he used to descend.

While controlling restrictions, stripping magic, and moving beyond perception—

Those were the divine authorities of Eltima.

Kanzaki Rei lightly placed his hand on the mage’s chest.

"Then I’ll let you experience it."

[Divine Talent · Beacon of All Laws]

The act of stealing magic—

Kanzaki Rei had practiced it countless times in simulation.

There was always a process.

The higher the tier of the spell—

The longer the "wind-up" required to steal it.

The required time depended on distance, movement, and his preparation state.

From dozens of kilometers away, even stealing a sixth-tier spell was difficult.

But at a distance of only a dozen meters—

Stealing an eighth-tier spell became much faster.

And if he wanted to steal magic undetected—

The process would take even longer.

Right now—

His palm pressed against the mage’s chest.

His eyes faintly lit up.

Hummm—

The mage’s body suddenly trembled violently.

Streams of light began flowing toward Kanzaki Rei!

"Y-you—!"

The mage’s entire body shook as he felt the magic within his skin rapidly vanish!

"This... is the proof you asked for."

"The skins you wear all originate from my power. If I wish to reclaim them, I can do so at will."

Eltima hadn’t placed life-or-death restrictions on them...

—

"Bullshit!"

But suddenly—

BOOM!

The warrior drew his blade and erupted forward!

"Don’t be fooled by this fraud! Lady Eltima has issued a divine oracle—he’s fake!"

...Sigh.

Exposed that quickly?

Kanzaki Rei glanced toward the sky.

The island’s restrictions had already isolated external information.

And yet—

A divine oracle had pierced through that isolation.

At the warrior’s shout, the mage snapped awake and immediately raised a hand!

He attempted to cast a rune—

But the moment he lifted his hand, he forgot how to release it.

Then—

He forgot what enemy he had been facing.

[Firmament Flow — Fourth Form: Oblivion · Void]

Even Eltima herself would be forced to forget—

Naturally, these Level 8 advanced class users were no exception.

Shua—

Though the contact had lasted only a few seconds—

At such close range, and with the opponent completely off guard—

Kanzaki Rei had already stolen nearly all of the mage’s eighth-tier magic.

As a Level 8 mage, he didn’t possess many eighth-tier spells to begin with—

Only seven in total.

Now, after that brief contact—

Every single one of his eighth-tier, seventh-tier, and even foundational spells—

Had been taken.

A mage—

Unable to use magic of his own level.

For a moment—

He raised his hand, intending to attack—

But hesitated in confusion.

What should he even use?

Sixth-tier magic?

But that would be worse than fighting in his true form as a Level 8 Skin Reaver.

At least in his original state, his combat strength matched a standard Level 7.

But using only sixth-tier magic—

He would be reduced to the power of a Level 6 mage.

Splurt!

In that moment of hesitation—

A burst of crimson light erupted nearby!

The writhing worm-like mass—

Exploded instantly!

Killed by Kanzaki Rei.

Take one out first.

Shua—

At once, a spectral form condensed beside Kanzaki Rei—

The undead of that creature.

And the moment it formed—

The assassin’s skin reappeared!

The worm-like entity immediately burrowed into the empty skin!

Shua!

The skin filled instantly.

The assassin’s eyes snapped open once more—

But now—

He was no longer an enemy.

He had become a Level 8 Hall Assassin—

On Kanzaki Rei’s side.

Lottie’s lips twitched again.

Turning slain enemies into undead servants...

What kind of ability is that?

Shua—

A blade of light slashed instantly toward Kanzaki Rei’s position!

Aldrius transmitted to the warrior:

"I have no magic left—I can’t fight!"

The warrior roared in response:

"This bastard is too damn strange! Damn it—right now it looks like only me and Merso can fight!"

"Merso! His body is hard to kill—but his soul might be the weakness. It’s up to you!"

But as those words fell—

The figure surrounded by floating souls—

"Merso"—

Did not respond.

The warrior spun around sharply—

Only to see the countless souls surrounding Merso rising into the air—

Converging toward a single point.

This Skin Reaver was indeed special.

He hadn’t entered the skin with a physical body—

Instead, he had used his soul to wear the flesh.

A unique method of donning a complete vessel.

What a coincidence.

You...

Are exactly my favorite type of enemy.

Merso dropped to his knees.

His eyes went empty—

His soul had already been bound within Kanzaki Rei’s grasp.

With a casual motion—

Pop!

The soul was annihilated instantly—

And in the very next moment—

Like a flame reigniting—

It reformed as Kanzaki Rei’s undead.

A powerful, resilient soul.

Snap—

That soul was thrust back into the body below.

The vessel known as "Merso" rose once more.

But the warrior’s instincts screamed—

This was no longer an ally.

He was now on the same side as that boy.

An enemy.

At the same time—

The restrictions burned through his body.

It felt as though his skin and flesh were about to separate at any moment.

On the other side, the mage had collapsed to his knees—

Having forgotten nearly all his magic, he was effectively useless.

What had once been a four-versus-one battle—

Had, in the blink of an eye—

Become three versus one.

One—

Against him.

Three—

Against them.