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Inside the multiverse chat group—
A blood-red emergency mission panel dropped like a bomb, instantly throwing the entire group into chaos.
Group member Kanae is in danger!Mission reward: 300 points!Bonus: One purple/gold-tier lottery draw for landing the finishing blow!
The sheer generosity of the rewards lit a fire under everyone.
[General of Ice]: "Twelve Kizuki? Upper Rank Two? Sounds like a tough prey. Hahaha! And 300 points plus a draw? I'm taking this mission!"
[Elf Who Loves Collecting Magic]: "Hmm… 300 points could buy quite a few lost grimoires in the multiverse shop. In that case, I'll join the fun too."
Seeing two heavy hitters step forward, Rin Tohsaka, sitting in front of her computer, nearly jumped out of her chair in frustration. Her neat twin ponytails were practically coming undone.
[Elegant Gem Magician]: "This is unfair! System, are you targeting me on purpose?! Why does this mission have a hidden LV.5 restriction?! I'm LV.4! Just one level away! My 300 points! My golden reward! Waaah—give it back!"
[Half-Elf of the Frozen Forest]: "Um… Rin, this isn't the time to worry about points! Look at the mission details—Miss Kanae has already been attacked and is in mortal danger! General Esdeath, Miss Frieren, please hurry and save her!"
[Elegant Gem Magician]: "…Also, crossing worlds probably suppresses your power, right…"
In the office of Sobu High, Lucian watched the rapidly scrolling chat, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Upper Rank Two… Doma, huh…"
As someone labeled by the system as "?"—a being beyond its measurable limits—such level restrictions meant nothing to him.
Three hundred points. A high-tier lottery.
No hesitation.
He tapped [Accept Mission] in his mind.
[Part-Time Exorcist Genius Teacher]: "I'll go take a look. Been meaning to check that world out anyway."
[Ding! Group member 'Part-Time Exorcist Genius Teacher (?)' has accepted the emergency mission!]
[Deployment list confirmed: Part-Time Exorcist Genius Teacher!]
[Constructing cross-world teleportation channel… 3, 2, 1—Teleport begins!]
A mysterious silver ripple spread through the space around Lucian.
Back in the chat, silence fell for a moment.
That existence… the one who could even break the system's logic… had personally taken action?!
Demon Slayer World
Night had fallen. A pale, dying moon hung in the sky, casting cold light over a desolate forest.
But the forest was anything but peaceful.
The air was thick with the stench of blood—and a bone-chilling cold that felt like it could freeze the soul itself.
"Ha… ha…"
Labored breathing echoed faintly.
Kanae Kocho, the current Flower Hashira, knelt on one knee in a frost-covered clearing.
Her butterfly-wing haori was torn apart by blood and ice. Her pale face was covered in fine cuts, crimson blood dripping from her chin and blooming across the frozen ground like tragic flowers.
The worst part was her breathing.
Every inhale felt like countless icy blades slicing through her lungs.
She had inhaled her enemy's Blood Demon Art—freezing mist mixed with ice crystals. Her lungs were already beginning to necrotize.
"My, my… how pitiful," a gentle voice said.
A young man stood about a dozen meters away.
He wore a dark red cult leader's robe, with long pale hair and a blood-splattered hat. His rainbow-colored eyes shimmered beautifully—yet behind them lay a hollow, unsettling emptiness.
In his right eye: Upper Rank.In his left: Two.
Doma. Upper Rank Two.
He idly played with two golden folding fans, a fake smile of compassion on his face.
"As a servant of the gods, I really can't bear to see you suffer like this. So let me kill you… and free you."
"Cough… you monster… who calls slaughter salvation…"
Kanae coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with ice shards. Still, she forced herself upright, gripping her Nichirin blade.
She knew.
She probably wouldn't make it out alive tonight.
Her lungs were too damaged to fully use Flower Breathing. And an Upper Rank demon's regeneration was pure despair.
But…
Shinobu was still waiting for her at the Butterfly Mansion.
If she died here… her hot-tempered, fragile little sister… how heartbroken would she be?
"I'm sorry, Shinobu… big sister might break her promise…"
Despair flickered in her heart—
Then her gentle eyes hardened with resolve.
"Flower Breathing—Final Form: Equinoctial Vermilion Eye!"
Her remaining strength erupted.
Her vision sharpened to an extreme. Like a butterfly bathed in blood, she shattered the ice beneath her feet and surged forward in a streak of pink light, aiming straight for Doma's throat.
"Oh? You can still move? Impressive."
Doma didn't even flinch.
He casually waved his fans.
"Blood Demon Art: Frozen Lotus."
Two massive ice statues of young maidens materialized, exhaling terrifying freezing air.
Kanae's already failing body stiffened instantly. Her speed plummeted.
"Well then… goodbye, beautiful Flower Hashira."
Doma's smile vanished, replaced by cold cruelty.
His fan sliced through the air, sending a deadly frost blade straight at her slender neck.
The blade grew closer.
Death loomed.
Kanae closed her eyes.
CLANG—!!!
A deafening explosion shattered the silence of the forest.
The frost blade—sharp enough to cut steel—was obliterated midair.
Shattered… by a bizarre, thick pink whip covered in vicious barbs.
"…Hm?"
Doma's pupils shrank. He leapt back over ten meters, staring ahead in surprise.
"My, what kind of Blood Demon Art is this? Another demon stealing my prey? No… this scent… not a demon."
Kanae, barely conscious, opened her eyes in confusion.
Her body gave out.
But instead of hitting the cold ground—
She fell into a broad, warm embrace that carried a faint, refreshing scent.
She forced her head up.
A strikingly handsome young man came into view, almost unreal, like an immortal who had stepped out of legend.
"Sorry, Miss Kanae. Looks like I arrived a bit late. Still… just in time, I think."
Lucian held her steady, his voice calm and gentle.
"Y-you're… from the chat group…"
Kanae's eyes widened as recognition hit her.
That "?"-rank existence… the one beyond even the system's limits.
He had truly crossed worlds to reach her.
"It's me. Don't talk. Put this on."
Lucian pulled out a Basic Healing Patch (Green) from his system storage and casually placed it over her wound.
A soft green glow spread—
And her bleeding slowed at a visible rate.
Standing in front of them, blocking Doma's attack, was not a weapon—
But a stunning, dangerously alluring figure.
Guardian Spirit — Flower Vines: Himan
Her crimson-purple hair danced wildly. Thorny vines coiled around her as she guarded Lucian.
"Master~"
Ignoring Doma entirely, she turned toward Lucian, her voice dripping with seductive sweetness. Her fox-like eyes gleamed with bloodlust.
"This guy with the silly fans… is he the target?"
She licked her lips, her long tongue flicking out with a sharp hiss.
"He smells cold… like an emotionless ice sculpture. But… feels very nourishing."
Her smile widened.
"Master… can Himan kill him?"
"....."