Published: January 24, 2026
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What appeared before my eyes was a scene completely different from the Kyokutō I had imagined.
The first thing I saw after teleporting was trees and ground dyed in pure black, and rain falling from the sky that was also pure black.
Next, I heard the distant screams of people.
No doubt about it.
Something terrible was already happening in this place.
"...What the hell is this..."
Mr. Haruto, standing in stunned silence, muttered in a hoarse voice.
"Luna, Mr. Haruto! First, check the surroundings!"
While giving orders, I also surveyed the area using my bird's-eye vision.
The view from above the sky could be summed up in one word: abnormal.
What covered the sky was no mere dark cloud.
The entire sky was dyed a deep black, as if ink had been splattered over an overcast day.
"This isn't normal rain," Shion murmured, looking up at the sky.
The amount of rain wasn’t heavy enough to be called a downpour, but it was falling with definite density.
Normally, my clothes would be soaked by now, heavy and cold.
But the pure black rain slid off my clothes as if repelled by waterproof fabric.
It neither soaked the cloth nor transmitted cold.
It was something completely different, resembling rain yet not rain at all.
"...This is mana," Oliver said quietly, staring at the droplets on the back of his hand.
"Yeah. And not just ordinary mana. — It's very close to the evil god's mana," I added.
"!!"
Everyone gasped at my words.
It felt similar to the sinister mana derived from the evil god that Belia had wielded when we fought in the Royal Capital of the Nohitant Kingdom a few months ago.
"Shion, Oliver, and Telshe, can you three explore around here?"
"Got it. We're on it."
The three left the spot after receiving my orders.
It was then.
"N-no... don't come here!"
I heard a girl's scream nearby.
The moment I heard it, Fuuka immediately sprang into action.
She ran toward a monster I had never seen before.
The bipedal creature was formed entirely of pure black mana, slowly reaching out its hand toward the girl.
The girl seemed paralyzed with fear, collapsing onto the ground, only able to shed tears.
Fuuka swiftly intervened between the girl and monster, drawing her sword and cutting off the monster's arm in one stroke.
With a returning slash, she decapitated the monster, which collapsed to the ground instantly.
...As expected of Fuuka. She finished it in a flash.
I was admiring her graceful swordsmanship when—
"!"
Fuuka scooped the girl up under her arm and jumped back to put distance between them and the monster.
Immediately, the other arm of the monster—cut but not destroyed—swung down.
The impact gouged the ground, and the spot where they had stood collapsed pitifully.
Furthermore, from the severed hand and neck that had been flying through the air, the pure black mana began crawling and spreading.
The extending mana reconnected the severed parts, restoring the monster's form as if nothing had happened.
(Immortal... no, that's not it. If its body is made of mana—)
I used distance shrinking to close in on the monster in one instant.
Wrapping the blade of the Schwarzhase I summoned in qi, I cleaved the monster in two.
Then, like a water balloon bursting, liquid-like pure black mana splattered around.
I remained on guard for a few more seconds, but the monster did not revive.
"Phew..."
After confirming the monster's disappearance, I turned around.
The girl Fuuka had saved was still crying but repeatedly expressing her gratitude.
Ms. Katina and Mr. Huey comforted the girl beside her.
I decided to leave the girl’s story to them.
While contemplating our next move, Fuuka approached.
"Did you use demon-slaying?"
"No, just normal qi. If you use qi, you can defeat that monster."
"I see. Good. Then I'll go cut down all of them. Judging by the situation, there must be many more."
Fuuka's expression was her usual emotionless one, but her aura was filled with anger — it was clear she was furious.
"Fuuka, I understand how you feel, but please wait a moment."
As I tried to hold her back, Luna and Mr. Haruto arrived.