Chapter 48: It's Not Like I'm Some Kind of Demon
Kaito Shirogane put the Crimson Drop Card away. He had already realized that his [Karma Reincarnator] trait was likely related to killing other Reincarnators. The most obvious perk so far was that opening a Crimson Drop Card granted bonus rewards based on his [Karma Points]. Now, he had just discovered another: even in a "peaceful" cooperative mission world where killing other players was normally prohibited from dropping loot, a Karma Reincarnator still had a chance to receive a Crimson Drop Card.
Tsk. So I really am just a villain-type Reincarnator, Kaito mused. He felt a little troubled by this. He had always considered himself to be a very "orderly" person, but whether it was the rules of this Nexus or his [Karma Reincarnator] status, everything seemed to be telling him that here, slaughter was the correct path.
A smile touched Kaito's lips. He saw that Vincent and the others were still locked in a bitter struggle with the giant-sized demon. Ripples of Hamon began to flow from his hands once more.
BOOM!
With a terrifying stomp, Kaito smashed through the remains of the wooden gate and shot toward the battle like a cannonball, trailing a fierce gust of wind.
Vincent, his muscles hardened, had just tanked another blow and was sent flying. While in mid-air, he heard the horrifying sound, and he turned just in time to see Kaito, his left hand glowing with Hamon energy, leaping high into the air.
CREAK…
With a terrifying sound of straining muscle and sinew, Kaito's left arm twisted backward at an impossible angle, the muscles coiling into a perfect spiral.
Elizabeth, who was providing support from a distance, felt her pupils constrict as she poured her spiritual energy into the battlefield.
[Sage Art - Rakshasa's Palm]!
SQUELCH!
Kaito's palm slammed into the back of the oversized Rokuro. In an instant, the intense force and the horrific spiral-torque erupted. Rokuro's clothes were instantly shredded, and the muscles on his back were twisted and torn apart by the spiraling force. Even more terrifying was the golden Hamon that was carried along with the blow, shattering Rokuro's tough skin and blasting deep into his body.
"ROOOAR!"
Rokuro let out a bestial shriek of pure agony that echoed throughout Kyoto. He swung around and backhanded Kaito, sending him flying.
Kaito spun several times in the air but landed with impossible lightness, not taking a single step back. After the boost from [Mercenary Tao's Pink Robe], his [Martial Arts Aptitude] was at Lv3. He was already becoming a master of redirecting and dissipating force.
"AGH, IT HURTS!"
Smacking Kaito away did nothing to ease Rokuro's suffering. On the contrary, the searing ripple of Hamon was causing a massive patch of flesh on his back to necrose and melt.
This sight made Elizabeth's eyes light up. She began to float into the air, her mouth chanting words at a frequency that the human ear could not perceive. About five seconds later, her eyes snapped open, and she clenched both her hands shut, as if crushing something invisible.
POP!
With a dull, wet sound, a spray of blood erupted from the Lower Rank demon Rokuro's nose and mouth. From Kaito's position, he could clearly see the demon's massive heart suddenly implode. Rokuro's giant body wavered and then collapsed, shrinking back to its normal size as it fell. The demon's eyes were empty, but just before he died, he seemed to be remembering something beautiful from his past. A faint smile touched his lips, and then his body dissolved into ash.
[Lower Rank Two, Rokuro, has died. You contributed 47% of the total damage. You will receive a secondary reward.]
[You have obtained 800 Dimensional Points.]
With a single blow, Kaito had inflicted almost half the total damage required to kill the Lower Rank demon. This was the unrivaled advantage of Hamon against creatures like demons.
But in the next moment, Kaito clearly saw a blue drop card materialize in the hands of the tall woman who called herself Elizabeth. His eyes narrowed. This meant that her attack, whatever it was, had been the true killing blow.
A multitude of theories instantly ran through his mind. Besides his own Hamon, which was linked to sunlight, any ability capable of killing a demon without a Nichirin Blade was likely some kind of magic or prayer—a [Holy] attribute ability that was exceptionally strong against dark or undead creatures. Or... it was an [Instant Death] ability.
The [Instant Death] classification was the counterpart to [Immortality]. In the Infinite Space, there were special lineages like demons and vampires that were immune to most conventional damage. This attribute was called [Immortality]. The stronger the creature, the higher the chance it possessed this trait. A demon's immortality, which could be bypassed by sunlight and Nichirin Blades, was merely the lowest tier of this attribute. [Instant Death], conversely, was an ability that ignored physical durability and vitality to kill a target outright. The effect of a [Death Note], for example.
This woman is dangerous.
Elizabeth collected the drop card, her brief flicker of joy instantly evaporating as she met the "monster's" gaze. She knew that by using her ability to secure the kill, she had certainly aroused his suspicion. But as a Reincarnator, showing nothing but weakness would only get you devoured faster. She met "Mercenary Tao's" gaze with a grim look of her own. After a moment, he looked away, and only then did Elizabeth relax slightly. Vincent immediately moved to her side. He was not in good shape; one of his shoulders was shattered, and he was covered in wounds.
After a moment's thought, Elizabeth spoke up. "We will compensate everyone with 3000 Dimensional Points from Rokuro's drop."
She hadn't opened the blue card yet and had no idea what rewards it contained, but making this offer was a necessary balm to hold their fragile alliance together.
Yanagi, who had been fighting on the front lines the whole time, tossed aside his now-broken Nichirin Blade. He nodded, accepting the deal.
The Professor, clutching her shoulder, emerged from the other side of the courtyard. "I don't need any. I didn't contribute much to this fight."
Kaito watched this scene, gaining a deeper understanding of the Reincarnator ecosystem. [Reincarnator] was just a general label. This space was filled with all kinds of people, but to survive, everyone had to find their own place. Elizabeth's offer of 3000 points and the Professor's refusal of her share were both ways of anchoring their positions within the group.
At this point, everyone turned to look at Kaito. They all knew that the person who had contributed the most to this battle was, without a doubt, this somewhat insane man. He had not only instigated the assassination of the Minister of the Left and triggered the side quest, but he had also fought and defeated the enemy Reincarnators who had defected, forcing one to flee.
And… they were all, on some level, terrified of him. His actions didn't follow the logic of a normal Reincarnator. There was a terrifying madness to him. Even now, neither the Professor nor Elizabeth felt confident that "Mercenary Tao" had accepted them as a temporary team. In their eyes, it was entirely possible that he might suddenly go crazy and try to kill the rest of them.
"Haha, why is everyone looking at me?" Kaito laughed.
"Miss Elizabeth's offer is very fair. It's not like I'm some kind of demon. Or would I really force Miss Elizabeth to do something… even worse?"
He smiled.
But Elizabeth's body went rigid.
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Guys We cross the 1500 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 1600 power stone,come on guys you'll can do it, good luck.
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