“Civilians can use magic, as well. It must be some sort of enchantment to boost their productivity,” Gevanni thought, as he walked past by the civilians around the town using magic in their daily life—From carrying large cargos easily with their bare hands to people using magic shows to make their shops stand out.

“Well, What’s your next plan?” Izuna changed the topic, “You caused a lot of trouble in the throne room. Does that mean you already know something about the grimoire? For example, letters hovering out of nowhere.”

“No, I barely know anything about the grimoire. Unless you tell me about it, after all, you’re the previous owner.”

Izuna was genuinely surprised as if Gevanni was supposed to know that. “I hate to admit it, but the grimoire chooses its own rules to fit in their master. But if you really insist, I might write it down for you. There’s no way you’ll remember them all.”

“I already figured that, but there’s some sort of restriction to my power. Only some can sense my mana,” Gevanni thought, as he looked into the unusual face of Izuna.  

“If someone is capable of killing me, they would have already done it a long time ago. They’re being wary of us since our moves are unpredictable.” 

“Uwaa. It feels like I’m boasting the abilities that I received from her. No, more like a curse from the False God!” Gevanni thought.  

“With great power comes great responsibility, you know,” Izuna said.

“It’s kinda embarrassing if you say it with a straight face like that. This is—”

Gevanni commented, but he was interrupted.

“This is not an anime. Most of the isekai’d protagonists do their best to get stronger, right? But who would even want to do all of that stuff just because a higher position told them?” Izuna said.

“Can you please stop making everything that comes out of your mouth look like a reference!?” Gevanni flipped out and couldn’t keep his usual calm demeanor. 

“Tee-hee!” Izuna teasingly said.

“Well, it would be better if you acted at least the same as when I first met you.”

“Ara, ara, ara?” Izuna still continued her jokes. 

“Ah! I forgot I have no money!” Completely ignoring Izuna, Gevanni realized.  

“You’re such a klutz. You could’ve asked the majesty for some money.”   

“Is that so? I think I’ll head back—” Gevanni said and stepped back. However, he stopped for a moment when Izuna snatched his hand. 

“Even if nothing here is enjoyable… I don’t mind spending the time with you,” she said.  

“I don’t understand her fondness of me,” Gevanni thought. “I like what you are right now. It feels more humane.” 

“Don’t say such embarrassing things. Geez! Let’s go!”  

Faces filled with contempt and confusion are directly charged towards Gevanni. They always reminded him of Apocope—the cursed God of Severance whose only purpose is to preach and convert beings to serve the Old Gods in manipulative and destructive ways. However, some murmurs about Izuna being “The daughter of the Fallen” is circulating. When seeing both of them together, they couldn’t do anything and just continued minding their own business. It’s as if they acknowledge the existence of something that is not supposed to exist.

Bells ringing, vendors shouting, and people walking back and forth seems like this marketplace is busy. However, it’s the opposite. Wounded mercenaries are being carried away by horse carriages. They were naive to use magic too much and damaged their bodies. The elder is in disbelief and couldn’t help but look down and chuckle. The younger ones keep on buying and hoarding supplies and charms to protect them from their journey. 

“Is it around this time?” Gevanni thought as he looked above momentarily.   

Soaring into the sky, a group of birds distanced themselves into formation and are heading from the opposite direction that Gevanni and Izuna took. Various stacks of boxes fell, and the uproar kept on getting stronger and near to their location. 

Dashing through the streets like a maniac, a bald thug threw flasks and covered the place with mist. 

The contents of the box were Sabertooths and forced their way out. Gevanni instinctively covered Izuna’s face with his hand and tumbled into the corner. The shops were destroyed and fell like dominos. 

Civilians being crushed by the Sabertooths, and some challenged these beasts only to be chewed on like a watermelon. The rampaging Sabertooths roared and ran in all directions and extended mayhem around the shopping district.

 

Shards of window glasses fell, and small debris fell into Gevanni. He opened his eyes. “Everything Is clear now, Izuna. Don’t worry.” 

“Are you an idiot!? I could’ve fought them easily!” Izuna shouted as she broke free from Gevanni’s embrace.

Gevanni lay his back unto the brick wall. “If you could, then you would have cast your magic faster than I can react. Defeating everyone in one blow.” He said as he rested his arms on his knees.

“Hmnph! I guess you saw through me.” Izuna turned her back from Gevanni.

“Of course. A little accident.” Gevanni replied. It’s as if Gevanni implied that Izuna used this accident to get more closer to him.

“What a party pooper.” Izuna murmured.

“Isn’t this a good opportunity to showcase our—” Gevanni was interrupted by a white-haired girl dressed in a jet-black outfit with caramel-colored fur. She bent her body and examined Gevanni’s eyes.

They both locked in their eyes and it’s as if they’re about to fight.

Horim’s dead fish eyes didn’t bother Gevanni but what made him interested to her is two God’s tear plates that are embedded in her jacket.

“That Horim Asphye…” Izuna mumbled as her eyes widened in terror. Unbeknownst to them, Gevanni and Horim have different shadows and slowly distorted their shadows and resemble the monsters dwelling inside them.

Gevanni’s shadow looks like a gigantic figure wearing an outfit that covers their body except for their head. It has three demonic horns on its left and elven ears. At the same time, Horim resembles Gashadokuru—A skeletal figure walking like a spider, and a body of a man with a long neck where their heads act like a serpent.

Gevanni’s shadow opened its mouth and forcing Horim’s shadow to revert into her.

“You… No, it looks like you didn’t do it.” Horim offered her hand to Gevanni.

Gevanni accepted the offer. “Did the higher-ups decide to stage this accident? To test if I have the power of what I promised earlier?”

“There’s a great difference between assuming and predicting things. Be careful next time. It might cost your life.” Horim said as she checked for the tracks around. 

“You spout such an interesting ideology.” 

“Trust no one, including yourself,” Horim replied.

“So edgy…” 

Horim left the battered place without batting an eye to Gevanni.

“Is there something wrong, Gevanni?” Izuna asked when she saw Gevanni’s tail in discomfort. Its spots change from blue to reddish in color and the whole tail turns into Mahogany instead of Pitch Black. 

Gevanni felt every part of his body. His white suit that was prepared by the Royal Tailor is still in perfect condition but his grimoire is missing. “Tsk! That baldie stole my grimoire.” 

“There’s no time to panic, Gevanni! Let’s go find him!” Izuna insisted as she was about to follow the tracks near the demolished stores. 

Gevanni looked around and everyone was unconscious before making a decision. “Yeah. After an hour, we’ll meet here again. Whether we find it or not.”

Izuna nodded and they both parted ways in search of the grimoire.  

 

His body feels burning as he catches his breath and slows down his pace. The bald thug reached for the grimoire at his back and opened it.

Flipping through pages and pages, he looked for the most complex skill. He couldn’t understand anything he saw and when he found the “one”, he stopped. Overwhelmed by what he saw, “I can sell this for 50 gold coins per page!”, he shouted and ripped the page.  

As he was about to put the ripped page into his pocket, the text became blood and dripped into the ground. He felt something sticky from the grimoire.

He promptly opened the grimoire and every page of it is devoid of any text. “What is with this grimoire!?”

The ripped page caught his attention. It was written in blood with the words “It’s useless. You’re just watching me” in Orslenian.

The bald thug fell onto his knees as he punched his head over and over and shouting, “Get the hell out of my head!”

“Insignificant. Failure. No value. Parasite. Disgust. You don’t deserve to grow.” The voice kept repeating.

The bald thug charged his fist with magic and punched his head. As he was about to collapse, the ripped page went back to the grimoire and reverted into its original form.

He couldn’t produce any sound as he watched with no hope of making it alive. His body shooked wildly as if he's experiencing below absolute zero temperatures.

Lumoireux revealed their true form by opening their jet-black robe. It consisted of a nightmare that even Gods are afraid of. The imagery is something that couldn’t be comprehensible. It was a sensation similar to “True death”. Removing the remaining consciousness that was attached to one’s soul.

The bald thug opened his jaw as Lumoireux siphoned the life out of him using their finger.

“Here I thought humans have evolved. This is truly a disappointment. It’s not even worth being called a snack. It seems Gevanni is a special main dish.” Lumoireux commented before reverting back into their grimoire form.