Two hours' walk from the tournament venue, a young man sat atop a building. He had dark black hair with light white tips that reached down to his ears, and deep, dark eyes. He wore a charcoal-black jacket and trousers—crafted from the hide of a "World-Devouring Dragon"—along with matching boots of a modern design.
This was Rikudo Navi, known as the Ruler of Darkness and Light.
As he listened to music, he sent a message via his phone to Yuta Caseral:
[ Yuta 🖌️☯️ ]
[ It seems he's coming, just as expected. ]
He then slipped his phone into his pocket, stood up, and let himself fall from the rooftop.
Plummeting toward the ground at high speed, he kept his eyes closed, a faint smile playing on his lips as he savored the breeze brushing through his dark hair:
"What an incredible feeling... such a refreshing breeze."
Upon reaching the ground, he dissolved into a cloud of black smoke and vanished.
The Encounter with the Red Scorpion
Several kilometers away from Luxembourg City—where the magic tournament was being held—Rikudo Navi sat on a tree trunk, waiting for someone.
A look of amusement crossed his face as he glanced toward the sky, spotting a man who appeared to be in his forties. The sight brought to mind his earlier meeting with Yuta. Flashback
Yuta cast his gaze toward the distance, where a young man stood atop a pillar, watching him with a faint smile. A subtle smile appeared on Yuta's own face as well, for he recognized the youth—who seemed to be about his own age:
"How are you, my friend—the Ruler of Light and Darkness, Rikudo Navi, or perhaps 'servant'..."
Rikudo's body began to dissolve, fading into shadows that receded into the air. He then reappeared at the base of the very pillar Yuta had been standing upon, prompting Yuta to descend.
Once he reached the ground, Yuta looked into Rikudo's dark, inscrutable eyes—eyes devoid of any emotion, yet containing at their core a light capable of erasing everything in its path. A faint smile touched Rikudo's lips as he reached out to shake Yuta's hand:
"I am well. And how are you, my old friend—the Creator, Yuto, or perhaps 'master'..."
Yuta shot him a mocking, wry smile, then placed his hands against his own forehead, his tone dripping with feigned exasperation: "You're quite the sly one, Rikudo!"
Rikudo snapped his fingers, conjuring a chair out of thin air, and sat down. He looked over at Yuta, who was now watching him with a hint of mild annoyance:
"Hey, Yuta—if you want a chair, make one yourself! I'm not your servant!"
Yuta let out a deep, heavy sigh, trying to compose himself, before turning his gaze back toward Rikudo. Yuta was long accustomed to Rikudo's sharp, biting tongue and his utter lack of respect for anyone—a trait that had persisted since their past lives. Consequently, Yuta wasn't truly bothered; after all, Rikudo was one of his closest friends.
Yuta's expression turned serious, causing the mocking smirk on Rikudo's face to vanish instantly, replaced by a look of equal gravity.
"Listen, Rikudo Navi. I've asked you here because I need you to handle a few things:"
"First: Create a puppet—it must be 100% lifelike—and have it attack Beatrice the moment she reaches the exit gate of the arena."
"Second: You and Gowther are to wipe out all the subordinates of the 'Scorpion' organization—except for those in the room where Young Yu-jung and his grandson are being held; I have business with them. Make the killings look natural—don't let it appear as though a cosmic entity was responsible, understood? At the same time, however, ensure that they discover your presence."
"Third: Lead 'Red Scorpion' outside the city of Luxembourg. He will attempt to kidnap you to extract information on how you discovered their hideout. Engage him in battle—wait, no—do not kill him. He is a key member of the Scorpion organization, and the group is still useful to me; it needs to maintain its current level of strength."
Rikudo listened to Yuta with complete, undivided attention, not once interrupting him.
"I understand what needs to be done. But won't Beatrice be able to dodge it? You know the true extent of her power." "I know that. Beatrice is terrifyingly powerful; even with her current blessing, her strength doesn't amount to 1% of her true power. That's why I need her on my side—not that I strictly *need* her, theoretically speaking, but I still want her with me. Besides, I made a promise, and I have to keep it."
Rikudo sighed as he listened to Yuta, reflecting to himself:
"He's changed so much; I can no longer tell what's going on in his mind. The 'Ruler's Eye' detects no emotions within him—it's as if he has none, or perhaps my ability simply doesn't work on him. I honestly don't know."
Rikudo then stood up and walked toward the edge of the building.
"Alright, I'll get to work. Let's meet up once the rounds—or the competition itself—are over. Farewell."
With that, he vanished instantly, dissolving into a cloud of blackish-white dust.
[End of Flashback]
Rikudo's gaze was fixed on a man who appeared to be in his forties, dressed in a gray suit with a pale pink flower tucked into the breast pocket. His expression was cold—like a king looking down at a servant, or a ruler observing his subjects. This was 'Red Scorpion' (Usagi Kurotagi), the right-hand man to the leader of the Scorpion organization.
"You—come with me. You have plenty of secrets you need to spill."
A malicious grin spread across Rikudo's face as he looked at Usagi Kurotagi.
"And if I don't come with you—are you going to cry? Or maybe call for your mommy?" Usagi's gaze turned cold, and a murderous intent began to emanate from his body:
"So, you want to settle this with violence? No problem at all."
His tone was as frigid as ice, devoid of even a shred of emotion.
Yet, a malicious smile remained etched on Rikudo's lips:
"When did I say I wanted to fight? I don't strike dogs like you—my apologies, truly."
Usagi's expression shifted to one of rage; Rikudo could be quite provocative, especially when dealing with arrogant individuals like him. Furthermore, Rikudo was confident in his victory for several reasons: he is considered one of the most powerful beings in this world—surpassed only by Yuta and a handful of others, numbering no more than the fingers on one hand—and, moreover, he is an entity that originates from beyond this world—from entirely different realms.
The world of the novel was filled with realms This world was an infinitesimal fraction of the novel's entire universe—less than 0.0000001% of its total scale.
A dark, reddish energy erupted from Usagi Kurotagi's body, forming an overwhelming aura that tore trees up by their roots. Yet, Rikudo's expression remained calm and indifferent; he was capable of defeating his opponent with absolute ease.
In a split second, Usagi closed the distance to within ten inches of Rikudo, driving a powerful punch toward his face. Rikudo, however, remained unperturbed—as tranquil as the surface of a lake reflecting the moonlight on a full-moon night.
As Usagi's fist reached Rikudo, it passed straight through him, as if the young man were nothing more than an illusion.
Shock washed over Usagi's face as his hand phased through Rikudo's body like a translucent specter.
"What the hell is happening?"
Usagi wondered, stunned. He recognized the ability: it was "causality manipulation"—a power that could negate damage. When Usagi struck, his blow would have caused harm; by negating the "cause" of that damage, Rikudo ensured he remained completely unscathed. It wasn't that Usagi's hand had vanished; rather, it had simply passed through Rikudo's body as if he were a transparent phantom or a mere mirage. A faint smile appeared on Usagi's face as he stepped fifty paces back from Rikudo:
"So, you're quite skilled at manipulating causality! Tell me, boy—what's your name? I like to know the names of my opponents so I can carve them onto their tombstones."
Rikudo chuckled inwardly as he listened to Usagi:
"Alright, alright—fair enough. There's no need for you to know my name; it would be a disgrace to die at the hands of a dog like you."
Veins bulged on Usagi Kurotagi's forehead at Rikudo's provocative remark, and he lunged forward at blinding speed. Yet, Rikudo dodged every one of Usagi's strikes with ease, occasionally parrying his blows.
"You're truly strong," Usagi said, his tone now laced with genuine respect—a sentiment Rikudo had no time for.
"Yeah, yeah—that's just what the weak say to justify their own weakness."
Driven to a frenzy by Rikudo's taunts, Usagi's speed surged even further.
Still, nothing changed; Usagi failed to land a single blow, never once touching Rikudo—except, that is, when his attacks were being parried.
Rikudo took several steps back, clearly preparing for a powerful strike. Usagi began to mutter under his breath as he rushed toward Rikudo at great speed:
A layer of *kono*—energy—manifested around Usagi's hands, taking the form of crimson scorpion claws. He launched an attack at Rikudo, who wore a faint, subtle smile. With a casual flick of his wrist, Rikudo parried the strike using a charcoal-black dagger—a blade 50 centimeters long and 20 centimeters wide, its edge punctuated by circular cutouts. Rikudo deflected the assault effortlessly, then countered with a powerful blow to Usagi's chest, shattering the mana armor that had taken the shape of scorpion claws.
Shock etched across Usagi's face as he spat out warm, red blood, sent reeling several meters away from Rikudo.
"What's happening? How did he do that?"
Usagi asked himself, struggling to grasp the situation. He hadn't noticed Rikudo carrying any weapon, nor had he sensed any killing intent. The situation was both bizarre and terrifying; he was facing an opponent who embodied a contradiction—a lethal blade in his hand, yet an aura radiating life and profound peace. The energy surrounding him was serene, even as he wielded a dagger meant for killing.
"I need to call for backup!"
Usagi pulled out a blood-red stone, marked with the emblem of a scorpion, and crushed it.
A brilliant light shot into the sky—a one-time-use distress signal. Arrival of Reinforcements and the Next Step
Several kilometers away, a man who appeared to be in his forties—bearing a striking resemblance to Usagi Kurotagi—took notice of a distress signal. It was his twin brother, Yuchira Kurotagi.
"That's my older brother Usagi's distress signal! He must be in danger—I have to go help him."
The man pulled out a communication-type rune stone:
"I need backup. We're facing a dangerous enemy 50 kilometers outside Luxembourg City."
A reply came back, delivered in an indifferent tone:
[ Understood. Two hundred fighters—ranked between X and XX—will arrive at your location in 30 minutes. Try to hold out until then. ]
The man tucked the phone-like rune stone into his pocket and, moving at the speed of light, dashed toward the source of the signal, muttering under his breath:
"You'd better be alright, big brother."
Meanwhile, Rikudo Navi reflected internally on how events were unfolding exactly as anticipated. Earlier, while sitting on the rooftop, he had received a message from Yuta:
[ Yuto 🖌️☯️ ]
[ Yuta, if Usagi Kurotagi fails to defeat you, he'll likely send out a distress signal to summon someone from his organization—there's a 90% chance it will be his twin brother, Yuchira Kurotagi. Good luck! Also, don't kill them; inflict injuries, but make sure they aren't fatal. ] "And if anything new comes up, I'll let you know immediately."
Rikudo turned his gaze toward the east, noticing someone approaching them at high speed. It was Yuchira Kurotagi—known as "The Iron-Tailed Scorpion"—a fighter of the "Supreme Demonic Ruler" rank, just like his twin brother, Yusagi Kurotagi, who held the same status.
Upon his arrival, he looked directly at his brother, Yusagi, completely ignoring Rikudo Navi's presence:
"Are you alright, older brother Yusagi? How did you sustain that wound?"
His tone was filled with concern and astonishment; after all, Yusagi was exceptionally powerful.
Meanwhile, Rikudo—who had been checking his phone—received a message from Yuta. As he read it, a sinister smile spread across his face before he slipped the phone back into his pocket—the smile of someone promising total annihilation. Another dagger, identical to the previous one, appeared in his right hand:
[ "Hell-Breath Dagger" – Rank: Beyond-Existence ]
Rikudo's aura—which had been black ...interspersed with flashes of white—it possessed a terrifying power, obliterating every tree within a six-kilometer radius as if they were nothing more than sheets of papyrus. The ground beneath his feet was transformed into a perfectly smooth, featureless surface.
The expressions of the two brothers shifted, consumed by shock at the sheer, overwhelming, and tyrannical power of Rikudo:
"Who in the hell is this guy?!"
Their voices were laced with terror and dread, yet they managed to regain their composure. Yusagi consumed a healing potion; the wound on his chest vanished entirely, leaving no trace or scar behind—as if it had never existed at all.
Yusagi and Yuchira assumed a combat stance, blue and red auras erupting from their bodies. Growling in unison, they leveled their weapons—a pair of katana swords, each engraved with a scorpion motif. The red blade belonged to Yusagi, the blue to Yuchira:
"Prepare to die, you wretch!"