"You bastard! You killed Monka! Die!!"
The other members of the Phantom Thief Guild saw Kaien kill the spiky blond and instantly launched an attack.
"Great Flame Bomb!!"
The afro-haired one fired a fireball at Kaien.
"Bala."
Kaien raised his hand and released a Bala. Even though the fireball had just been cast, Kaien's Bala struck first and collided with it midair.
BOOM—!!
The two forces clashed and exploded violently.
"Uwaaahh!!"
The afro-haired man was blasted backward by the explosion.
Kaien said flatly, "Eleven left."
"Bastard!!!"
The remaining members of the guild were completely enraged. They had underestimated Kaien because of his young appearance—but in the blink of an eye, he had already taken out two of their own.
What terrified them most was how effortlessly he had done it. That sense of overwhelming danger made their skin crawl.
"Wind Blades!!"
One raised his hand, unleashing a flurry of slicing wind blades.
Sonído!
Kaien vanished again.
The next instant—
Shlkk!
"Ahhh!!"
Before the man could even react, Kaien slashed him across the chest. Blood burst forth as he collapsed to the ground.
"Ten left."
Kaien pointed his index finger toward the rest of them.
A green glow rapidly gathered at his fingertip, forming a small, emerald energy sphere.
"I'll block it!"
"Earth Style: Wall!!"
RUMBLE!
The earth surged upward, forming a solid stone wall in front of them.
"Cero."
Vmmm… FWOOOOSH!!
A beam of emerald energy burst from Kaien's fingertip and widened as it traveled.
BOOOOM—!!
The stone wall shattered the moment it was struck by the Cero.
"UWAAAAAH!!"
"Aaaghhh!!" …
Five members of the Phantom Thief Guild were annihilated in that single blast. The ground split apart, leaving behind a deep and jagged trench.
"Six left."
"Die!"
A member dressed in tight-fitting ninja garb silently appeared behind Kaien, aiming his blade directly at Kaien's heart.
"Kaien, behind you!!"
Elfman shouted a warning from above—but it was already too late.
The blade stabbed into Kaien's back. Just when everyone thought he was done for—
CRACK—!!
Kaien was completely unharmed. The assassin's blade had snapped in half.
"What?!"
The would-be assassin panicked and tried to retreat.
SLAP!
Kaien grabbed his face in one smooth motion. A terrifying force surged through his palm, slamming the man's head into the ground.
BOOM—!!
The impact created a crater on the floor. Kaien let go, and the assassin lay unconscious, eyes rolled back.
"Five left."
"M-Monster…"
The remaining guild members were visibly trembling. Magic couldn't kill him. Blades couldn't pierce him. If that wasn't a monster, what was? How were they supposed to beat something like this?
"Keep attacking! If one hit doesn't work, try ten, or a hundred! There's no way this freak is invincible!!"
They spread out and began their coordinated assault.
"Futile struggle."
Kaien blinked from spot to spot—then five bodies fell to the ground in succession.
Being able to wipe out a squad of Rune Knight-level mages with ease was no small feat. In any magic guild, they would've been elite-level members.
But before Kaien, they couldn't even lift a finger. Speed, strength, offense, defense—Kaien outclassed them in every way. None of them lasted even a single exchange.
"One left."
Clap clap clap!!
From the beginning, their leader Camille had been watching silently from the side. Now, he clapped.
"Wonderful. Truly impressive!"
"Kid, to be this powerful at your age—remarkable."
Kaien turned his gaze to him. "Your companions are dead. You're celebrating?"
"Companions? Only the strong can be my companions. These ones weren't with me from the start. They killed my previous group and replaced them."
"Kid, with strength like yours, you're really going to waste it working jobs like this? Isn't that a shame?"
Kaien raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what should I be doing?"
"Join me, of course!"
"And what's in it for me?"
"What's in it?! Hahahaha! So many benefits! Join me, and we'll overthrow the Magic Council! Create a world where we make the rules! The whole world will be ours! You'll have freedom, wealth, status, fame, power—women! Anything you want, it's yours!"
Kaien replied coolly, "That's enough."
"Oh? So you've decided to join me?"
"Of course… not."
"What?!"
Kaien scoffed. "I was expecting something dramatic. And that's it? What a waste of two minutes. All that grand talk… and you're just a nobody trying to trick me into joining you? Who do you think you are, the protagonist? Overthrow the Magic Council? Rule the world? Please. You have no idea how small you really are."
Camille's face darkened. "I extended an invitation because I respect strength. Refuse me, and you'll die. Not just you—your companion too."
Kaien ignored his threats. He gripped the blade still lodged in his shoulder, and slowly pulled it free. The moment it came out, the wound on his shoulder began to heal rapidly—within seconds, it vanished completely, as if it had never existed.