Whoosh—!!!
In the next instant, the sharp sound of something slicing through the air rushed in from behind.
The youth didn't even bother turning around.
He simply pushed off the ground and leapt into the air.
Whoosh—!
The moment his figure rose—
A crescent-shaped crimson slash swept past beneath him.
The blood-red blade tore through the parking lot as if it were nothing but tofu, followed by a deafening roar.
Midair—
The youth performed a clean, effortless backflip.
He landed lightly on the ground, hands still tucked casually in his pockets, his expression calm and unruffled.
Beep—beep—beep!!!
Honk—honk—honk!!!
In an instant, nearly every car alarm in the parking lot went off at once, the shrill noise flooding the entire space.
Seeing this—
The black-robed man let out a sinister chuckle.
"Kid, your reaction speed is pretty good."
"I thought I could cut you in half."
"Hahaha!!!"
Hearing this, the youth casually raised a hand and brushed off imaginary dust from his clothes, completely unmoved by the mockery.
"Then I truly must apologize, Senior."
As he spoke—
He placed a hand on his chin and strolled toward one of the blaring cars, examining it with curiosity.
From afar—
Everything looked normal.
But in reality—
Almost every car in the parking lot had just been "upgraded" into a convertible.
All it took—
Was a gentle touch.
The roof would slide off cleanly.
The edges of the cuts were smooth and flat, yet stained with dark red, viscous residue that glimmered faintly in the dim light, emitting a strong metallic scent.
The youth clicked his tongue in admiration.
"As expected of Senior Blood Butcher."
"To be able to manipulate blood to such an extent… truly impressive."
His tone was sincere.
His expression carried just the right amount of admiration.
Yet—
In Blood Butcher's eyes—
This so-called sincerity was nothing but naked provocation.
In an instant—
Those crimson pupils erupted with a sharp, blood-colored glow.
Dark red patterns spread wildly from the corners of his eyes like living veins, quickly covering his aged face, intertwining with the bulging blood vessels beneath his skin.
At the same time—
A suffocating stench of blood surged from his body, mixed with decay and rust, forming a thick, oppressive mist in the air.
His gaze cut forward like a blade.
Cold.
Indifferent.
"Stop pretending, kid.
That was just a small lesson for disrespecting your senior.
Next time, remember your mission—and your place.
If there is a next time…
I guarantee I won't miss again."
Blood Butcher Ren-Gui—
A First-Level Esper renowned within the Holy God Church.
Even among those of the same rank, he stood at the top.
Such a blatant threat—
Would make nearly anyone in the Dragon Country lower their head.
But clearly—
The youth before him was not among them.
"Hahaha—"
The moment the threat ended—
The youth suddenly burst into laughter.
Clear.
Sharp.
Almost like he had just heard the most amusing joke in the world.
"Heh, Senior…
Of course I haven't forgotten the mission. Otherwise, why would I come all the way to Muyun City?
But…"
His laughter gradually faded.
His tone shifted.
"You seem to have misunderstood one thing."
"…Misunderstood what—"
Before Blood Butcher could finish—
His entire body froze.
His blood-red pupils shrank violently.
Crack—!
From beneath the youth's feet—
The ground began to fracture.
The cracks spread rapidly outward.
A dark red glow seeped out from within them—
Like blood slowly leaking through the earth.
At the same time—
The youth's laughter stopped completely.
He slowly turned around.
His gaze—
Filled with naked disdain—
Fell directly upon Blood Butcher.
Behind him—
Space itself shattered like glass.
Countless fragments floated in the void, refracting distorted light.
The sky dimmed at an alarming rate—
Until it became a deathly, suffocating crimson.
An indescribable pressure descended.
Heavy.
Overwhelming.
Like the weight of an entire world bearing down.
"The one who hasn't understood their place…"
The youth's voice was cold.
"…is you, old geezer."
The moment those words fell—
The surrounding space completely collapsed.
In an instant—
They were no longer in the parking lot.
Instead—
They stood within a horrifying realm.
Mountains of corpses rose into the sky.
Severed limbs and scattered organs floated within vast pools of blood, forming a grotesque and suffocating scene.
Blood flowed endlessly from torn flesh—
Gathering into dark red rivers.
The sky itself—
Was dyed crimson.
As if even the heavens were bleeding.
"This… this place…
What is this…?"
Blood Butcher's body trembled uncontrollably.
His limbs felt heavy, as if weighed down by lead.
Compared to the scene before him—
His own so-called bloodlust—
Was nothing.
Not even worth mentioning.
But in the next moment—
Everything vanished.
Like a fleeting illusion.
They were once again standing in the parking lot.
As if nothing had ever happened.
Then—
The youth's mocking voice rang out.
"How ironic.
The great Blood Butcher Ren-Gui… who revels in slaughter and grows stronger through blood…
When faced with a true mountain of corpses and sea of blood…
You actually look afraid.
Tsk… tsk…"
Faced with the ridicule—
Blood Butcher said nothing.
At this moment—
All his earlier contempt had disappeared.
Replaced by—
Deep vigilance.
And a trace of fear—
He refused to acknowledge.
The youth didn't seem to care.
He simply waved a hand casually.
"Alright.
I'll leave the rest of the mission's progress to you, Senior.
It wasn't easy coming to a place like this—so I'm going to have some fun.
When everything is ready and the mission officially begins…
Remember to contact me."
With that—
He turned and walked away.
Hands still in his pockets.
Steps relaxed.
Only then—
Did Blood Butcher pull his robe back over himself and call out,
"K-Kid… what's your name?"
The youth didn't stop.
"…Vain."
…
Blood Butcher stood there, watching his departing figure for a long time.
He hadn't expected—
The higher-ups to take this mission so seriously.
He had thought the youth was merely there to fill numbers.
But that strength…
It was monstrous.
And most importantly—
He was so young.
To remain calm and indifferent even in the face of such overwhelming bloodlust—
His potential…
Was no less than that "Witch."
Perhaps—
Before long—
The Holy God Church would gain another terrifying Special Grade Esper.
At that thought—
Excitement slowly crept into his expression.
Unless that damned "Witch" personally appeared—
No one would be able to stop them.
"Heh… heh… heh…"
Blood Butcher Ren-Gui licked his lips greedily.
"As long as the plan succeeds…
The entire Muyun City will fall into ruin.
And my strength…
May even break through to Special Grade because of it.
I'm really looking forward to it…
What kind of spectacle…
That Vain will create in Muyun City."