Lancer felt his life had finally returned to "normal." Thinking back, he'd been here for over two months without any accidents—clearly unscientific and unmagical. Now, within two days, he had met two opponents he couldn't defeat.
'I'm not even surprised. Am I a masochist?'
Lancer still had the mental energy to joke, which meant his mind wasn't in complete chaos.
But the "Youkai Sage," hiding her mouth with her fan, was looking Lancer up and down as if he were a rare specimen. This feeling made Lancer uncomfortable, but the situation was forced. Aside from frowning, he couldn't offer any real resistance.
She soon nodded at him.
"It seems she was mistaken this time..."
She gave Lancer a strange look.
"Aren't you curious?"
"I am not."
Lancer curiosity was average, but his survival instinct was remarkable. If facing an ordinary person, he might chat, but facing a powerful stranger with unknown motives, his vigilance took over.
"Truly a dull man."
Lancer didn't understand why she was here. She didn't attack him, didn't state her purpose, but sat there complaining about him. was she just bored? Or was she actually a "Youkai Slacker"?
"Your gaze is very rude, Red Oni. Fine, I basically know why you're investigating me. So, what price are you willing to pay to get what you want?"
Lancer didn't know if she had truly guessed his thoughts or was just bluffing, but in reality, he only ever had one choice.
"What do you wish for me to pay?"
From the moment she appeared, Lancer had lost the initiative.
"It's very simple~"
The Sage lowered her fan, revealing a charming smile and an answer Lancer never could have imagined.
"Tell me how you came to this world."
"!!!"
Without hesitation, Lancer reached for his suitcase. But his eyes widened; he found his right hand... in front of her.
A strange gap had appeared in front of Lancer right hand, and the other side opened in front of her. He had fallen for it.
He didn't even dare pull his hand back.
True, his right hand was just ice; it wouldn't matter if he lost it. But Lancer didn't know how she opened those cracks. This time it was his hand; next time, would it be his other limbs? Or even—his head?
"Who on earth are you?!"
Lancer didn't think she would answer him honestly, but he was just buying time. She didn't seem to care.
"I am the Youkai Sage, Yukari Yakumo~ Don't forget my name. Now, Red Oni, you should answer my question. Tell me—how did you come to this world?"
"..."
Faced with Lancer silence, she wasn't in a hurry. She stood up from the gap and actually sat on it.
Normally, Lancer might have joked, 'Doesn't that hurt your butt?'
But now, he was only thinking about how to escape.
Teleportation was a skill of the staff; he couldn't use it. His weapon was beside him, but it felt miles away, as he didn't know if he would fall into another gap if he reached for it...
He seemed to have lost the power to resist.
Give up?
Tell her all his secrets?
Lancer didn't mind sharing his secrets with others, but this strange woman definitely wasn't on that list.
Lancer answer was simple—
"My answer is simple—not a chance!"
[Demonization]
As Lancer spoke, a terrifying aura of blood erupted, and Lancer pulled his right hand back at an incredible speed.
Snap!
A small part of his fist vanished, the cut perfectly smooth. But the good news was that the main body was saved. Intense frost began to repair the gap. His entire body turned red; the only difference was the depth of the color. Most noticeable was the "single horn" on his forehead.
The horn was not physical but highly condensed blood aura—a "status light." If the horn vanished, it meant he would drop out of "Demonization."
Facing a bizarre opponent, Lancer didn't attack immediately. Instead, he let the stagnant blood aura radiate outward from his body.
True, this was wasting his limited aura, but it was the only "method" Lancer could think of.
As the blood-colored aura wrapped around Lancer, forming armor-like effects, he rushed toward her without hesitation.
Facing the fearsome Lancer, the "Youkai Sage" remained extremely calm, even smiling slightly—as if curious to see what Lancer would do next.
Lancer, who had been charging, suddenly stopped as if having a cramp, then sidestepped and began circling Yukari Yakumo, sometimes making strange poses.
To an onlooker, this looked insane, but Lancer remained serious. Yukari smile faded, replaced by a strange look, because she had realized the meaning of his movements.
Her "gaps" were terrifying, but the usage wasn't complex. She could open countless "small holes" near the target. If something got close, she could open one.
Moving between two gaps looks like simple movement, but what if a hand is halfway through and the gap closes?
Snap!
The space opened by the gap would recover instantly, cutting whatever was inside in half.
Lancer was using these seemingly strange movements to dodge her attacks.
The blood-red mist wrapped around his body; once it touched a gap about to open, he could dodge it. To an ordinary person, this seemed impossible, but Lancer, with his superhuman reflexes, could barely manage it. By moving, he ensured she couldn't open a gap directly under his feet.
'We just met, yet how did this guy do it?'