Satoshi Suzuki felt the digestion of his potion surge forward again. The feeling of the potion assimilating, of himself drawing closer to the supernatural, was intoxicating. Perhaps, very soon, he could truly beco a [Magician], a genuine "supernatural being" who could wield mysterious arts in a modern city.
Of course, that was all predicated on him capturing this fat sheep, Kaito Shirogane. Only then would he have enough resources to trade for his next potion.
Satoshi was obsessed with the concept of the "supernatural." He had always believed that Reincarnators at his own [Mortal]-tier couldn't be considered truly supernatural at all. Even if so extre Reincarnators at this stage managed to tap into [Energy] and perform a few feats that seed miraculous to ordinary people, their attacks were mostly just flashy effects. The low level of their [Energy] attribute ant that combat at this stage still relied primarily on physical prowess and weaponry.
The most powerful type of Reincarnator at this stage was the [Shooter]. With a high enough marksmanship proficiency and a powerful enough weapon, they could punch above their weight, killing much stronger Reincarnators and plot characters. Of course, this also made them the most terrifying type of person in the real world.
Satoshi's thoughts jumped from topic to topic, but his senses were incredibly sharp. The two potions he had already consud and digested had gradually begun to make him "non-human." The scraping sound of tal being drawn from the cloth of the sofa was especially clear in his ears.
Katsu's back was drenched in a cold sweat. He felt as if he were right back in that mont, facing Kaito Shirogane again. This mysterious man's skills were, in his opinion, even more bizarre.
Maybe… even Big Bro Kaito isn't his match.
The mont that thought appeared, his impulse to draw the weapon hidden behind his back dissipated.
Satoshi keenly sensed this hesitation. He rose onto the balls of his feet, and his figure beca like a phantom in the dimly lit room, instantly appearing in front of Katsu.
Katsu's forehead was seized in a powerful grip. The imnse pressure on his temples gave him the illusion that his skull was about to be crushed.
"Talk. Where is Kaito Shirogane now?" Satoshi's voice was cold. "That woman who drugged my drink, the one who took the selfie with , and the rest of you… you're all his underlings?"
Akane watched as the young man lifted Katsu from the sofa with a single hand, as if he weighed no more than a cat. For the first ti, she had a direct, visceral understanding of what true power was. She began to tremble uncontrollably, frozen in her chair, not even daring to wipe the spilled liquor from her legs.
"Big Bro Kaito is at the university… He's at Binhai University… AAGH!"
Katsu cried out in pain, feeling his temples were about to crack. His hand went limp, and a brightly polished dagger clattered to the floor.
Satoshi sneered inwardly. He was a cautious man. He perford a new divination before making almost any major decision. He had already known he would walk into a trap tonight and had been ntally prepared for it. In fact, the mont the drugged liquor had touched his lips, he had sensed sothing was wrong. By consuming the potions, he had completed a special milestone, [Poison Taster's Apprentice], which granted him additional poison resistance and immunity to weaker toxins. That was why he had deliberately drunk the cocktail and allowed them to carry him away.
And just as he'd expected, the "trap" was not particularly dangerous. It was just a few mortals.
Satoshi tapped the floor with his left foot. The dagger on the ground instantly flipped into the air. Without even looking, his left hand shot out and caught it. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he threw it.
Thwack!
Akane didn't react at first. It took two full seconds for the searing pain to register in her right hand.
"AH! My hand…!"
Satoshi already disliked this type of woman. Discovering she was part of the plot against him only deepened his disgust. The dagger had pinned her right hand to the wooden table, leaving a bloody hole.
Seeing this from the corner of his eye, Katsu's fear intensified.
On the other side of the room, Chao, who had been standing frozen, unconsciously backed away toward the door. He wanted to run. Every cell in his body was screaming at him to run.
Finally, seeing Akane's hand get impaled, he snapped. He yanked the door open and tried to bolt.
Satoshi instantly released Katsu. His right hand blurred, and in the next mont, a tarot card shot from his fingertips.
Slice!
Chao's right leg gave out from under him, and he pitched forward, smashing his face on the steps, blood pouring from his nose. But he had managed to turn the knob. As he fell, the basent door slowly creaked open.
Satoshi glanced coldly at Chao, whose Achilles tendon he had just severed. He still had Katsu in his grasp and was about to continue his interrogation when his entire body went rigid. A figure had appeared in the corner of his eye.
He snapped his head around, his eyes widening. It wasn't an illusion.
A man in a clean shirt was now squatting at the entrance to the basent, looking down at him with a smile of pure appreciation.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Kaito Shirogane applauded as he casually walked down the steps. With a sweep of his foot, he kicked Chao's body off the stairs and then pulled the basent door shut behind him.
"Evans the Clown," Kaito said, his voice calm as he looked down at Satoshi from the stairs. "I'm starting to admire you."
The scene was even clearer than what he had been told. Akane's agony, Katsu's despair, Chao's terror. The emotions these people were displaying proved that "Evans the Clown" was indeed a qualified Reincarnator. He hadn't been taken down by a simple gang of thugs.
In Kaito's view, a true anomaly would never be defeated by ordinary people, especially when they weren't even ard with guns.
Satoshi's shock at Kaito's sudden appearance quickly subsided. His body beca fluid and flexible once more. Hearing his opponent say the na "Evans the Clown" without any hesitation, he knew this newcor was far from simple.
So, back in the Nexus, I wasn't the only one planting a seed to find my target… This newcor knew my intentions from the start and has been waiting for to show up.
"Heh. Well, isn't this sothing…" Satoshi's mouth stretched into his trademark grin. "A re rookie. Even after knowing I was coming to hunt you, you didn't run to that hound Sato for protection. You actually plan to face yourself…"
"Kaito Shirogane, has anyone ever told you that there's sothing seriously wrong with your head?"
His smile widened, making his mouth look unnaturally large. He let go of Katsu, who collapsed to the floor, and spread his arms wide. From his sleeves, two tarot cards fell into the space between his fingers.
In the next mont… Fwish!
The two cards shot forward simultaneously, making only a short, sharp hiss in the dim light of the basent.
Kaito's pupils trembled, his eyes having already adjusted to the darkness. He took a single step forward, not retreating, but advancing.
Thud!
The sound of the two cards embedding themselves in the wooden door behind him was a single, solid note. Kaito had already leaped three ters, crossing nearly the entire room in an instant, and appeared directly in front of Satoshi.
He threw a punch. The wind from the blow rushed against Satoshi's face.
Satoshi's pupils contracted. His neck bent at an impossible angle, as if it had snapped, his head flopping onto his right shoulder.
Is this guy really a newcor? he thought. That speed, that power… even a professional fighter would need enhancents to do that.
A strange feeling began to creep into his heart. A rookie who managed to gain so much in their first trial mission… could they really be an ordinary rookie?
Kaito hadn't anticipated the neck-breaking dodge. His punch hit empty air, and in the next instant, a fist slamd into his chest.
BAM!
Kaito sank his center of gravity, his feet sliding back over a ter across the floor from the force of the blow. He patted the front of his shirt, a grim smile spreading across his own face.
"It seems," Kaito said, his voice low and dangerous, "you haven't beco a Magician yet… You're just a Clown."
A sudden, icy dread seized Satoshi's heart.
This guy… what in the world is he…?
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