Chapter 196

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Chapter 196. The Mastermind (6)

A ‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍spine-chilling sound of severance, like the snipping of a rose stem.

NovelFire reader preview #d8a82f69f27a (issued 2026-07-20).

Something heavy fell to the floor. A left arm, wrapped in a black coat sleeve.

The cross-section, cleanly severed from around the forearm, was immaculate to the point of being unreal.

"……!"

A moment later, crimson blood erupted like a fountain.

"What a peculiar magic."

Rupert had not grasped the principle behind Meltthrough. He had simply sensed instinctively that it was dangerous, and so had erected a transparent wall between himself and Hanbin through which no substance could pass.

Rupert rested his chin in his hand and studied Hanbin. An arm had been severed. For a human, a fatal wound.

Naturally, he would be rolling on the floor, screaming.

But Hanbin's reaction was nothing like what Rupert had imagined.

Tssshk!

No screaming was heard. What came instead was the sound of cold air crystallising into ice.

"Hmm?"

One of Rupert's eyebrows gave a slight twitch. Astonishingly, Hanbin had used his remaining hand to freeze the entire cross-section of the severed arm solid.

The blood that had been spurting out froze in an instant. Cold sweat poured down like rain and his lips had gone white, yet his eyes—far from showing fear—were fixed directly on Rupert.

"Well, this is……."

Before Rupert could even click his tongue. Around Hanbin, white smoke billowed as though smoke grenades had gone off.

A dense cloud that swallowed the entire room. Using the cover it provided, Hanbin concealed himself in the blind spot behind a pillar.

"Wow, just as the rumours said."

Rupert's laughter drifted out from within the smoke.

"An arm lopped off and not even a flinch. Impressive."

Those words alone revealed exactly how Rupert viewed this situation. To Rupert, all of this was nothing more than a form of pleasant amusement.

And that was, without question, a gap worth exploiting.

"But I have no patience for hide-and-seek."

At Rupert's gesture, the floor across the area jutted upward like teeth. The pillar behind which Hanbin had been hiding was torn apart like a sheet of paper.

Thud—

With no choice but to break from the smokescreen and kick off the pillar, he barely skirted the erupting spikes.

"There you are."

The instant Rupert's gaze fell on him. The particles of the smokescreen transformed into razor-sharp blades that lacerated Hanbin's entire body.

"Ugh!"

Slash! Slaaash—!

His coat shredded and flesh scattered. Hanbin ran with desperate focus, keeping his balance with his one remaining arm.

Behind walls, behind pillars. He threw himself anywhere that could block a line of sight.

"Let's see how far you run."

Rupert was at complete ease. He had the vast reserves of life force obtained by offering Cardinal Vargas as tribute. A game of tag like this—he could keep it up for three hours, or three days if he wished.

"So this is all the fearsome Dark Mage Butcher amounts to?"

The chase and the flight continued. That tedious, repetitive routine. Rupert's voice, which had been cheerfully taunting at first, gradually dropped lower and lower.

Spirit, but no substance.

In truth, this was how things were meant to be. No being in this world could oppose, through force, a Power that warped reality itself. No matter how extraordinary a being might be, no one could defeat the proxy of a god.

It had been a foregone conclusion from the start.

"I'm starting to get bored."

Rupert yawned and glanced at his watch. Though Hanbin was more than capable of fleeing entirely, he was continuing to circle the edges of Rupert's range, deliberately dragging things out.

The reason was obvious.

Buying time. He was wagering his own life to buy time until Penelope, who had escaped earlier, cleared the Sanctuary entirely.

"How touching."

Rupert clicked his tongue. Futile, regardless.

Penelope would return here and alleviate Rupert's boredom once more. Whether by subduing her as he had Clarisse, or by using Penelope's Y&P to seed poison throughout the kingdom.

That was something to think about when the time came.

"Still, it's been a long time since I've had this much fun. I'll let you go without pain."

Rupert raised his hand. His plan was to erase all the walls and pillars in the vicinity, leaving nowhere to hide—and then bring things to a clean conclusion.

Just then.

"You've waited long enough."

Hanbin, who had been fleeing, turned and appeared before Rupert of his own accord.

Had he given up? Rupert tilted his head.

As Rupert puzzled over it, something was different.

A black sphere forming at the tip of Hanbin's right hand. To all appearances, that was the entirety of it.

Whatever technique it was, it looked almost pathetically modest from the outside.

"……?"

Yet Rupert felt a chill running down his spine. A tremor he had not felt in a long time—no, that he had never felt once in his entire life.

"My thanks."

Only then did he see it.

Space was bending around that small sphere as its focal point. The image of Hanbin standing behind it was refracted and distorted.

Rupert was simply too strong—but up until now, Hanbin too had been beyond all standard measure.

But this……

Volume of power? Depth? No. This was density. An overwhelming density, as though an entire mountain range had been crumpled down into the size of a grain of millet.

Could this truly be a force that a mere human could hold in their hand?

"Thanks to you keeping me entertained, I bought myself enough time."

Hanbin was, in all honesty, as rattled as he had ever been. He had made every preparation, yet he had not expected to be put through this much agony.

But Rupert had been arrogant, and had given him far too much time.

—Beep.

The final signal he had been waiting for came through on the receiver.

At the time the Secret Burial Unit had infiltrated the End Order's Sanctuary. Thirty members had each been issued a Dice.

After completing the infiltration—peeling away from the outer edges inward—they had placed their Dice at measured intervals.

A Dice is a vessel for concentrating the force needed for Material Creation. Even for Hanbin, handling two or three simultaneously was impossible.

But what if they were made to resonate at the right distances from one another?

Gravity Element. By compressing mass to its extreme limit, it was possible to create an artificially forged seed of gravitational attraction.

There was no one in Britannia who would know what this truly was.

"Farewell."

The moment the black sphere flew forth.

Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr—!!!

Space itself crumpled, and only a terrible vibration was left to tear at the eardrums.

"Something like this—I'll just erase it…… Ugh?!"

Rupert had tried to use his Power. He had tried to transform that black sphere into flower petals, or into soap bubbles.

But it was impossible.

The principle was simple.

The alteration was continuously at work. But the force and mass were simply too vast—the alteration could not keep pace with the speed.

"Urgh……!"

Rupert's mouth fell open wide. He needed to speak, yet the air was being sucked out of his lungs, and nothing but a stifled groan escaped.

"I…… I…… this……."

—Crack! Crack-crack-crack! Crack!

The floor warped like taffy and began to be sucked inward toward the focal point. Rupert resisted without restraint, pouring out his alteration.

Even so, Rupert's body began to twist in grotesque ways.

His ankles snapped, his knees bent backward. His spine folded. Blood, flesh, and bone were ferociously crumpled inward toward the single point.

"……."

With a final vibration, silence descended. At the centre of the room, nothing remained but a smooth crater barely a metre across.

Rupert died in agony without even knowing how he died.

It was simply the end that came to an arrogant man who had styled himself a god—felled before the overwhelming laws of physics.

—Krrrrrrr!

The earth let out a scream.

The great underground Sanctuary, having lost its central pillar, was collapsing. The cave-in of the subterranean space swallowed up the countless wraiths lurking within the Order along with it.

From within the crumbling rubble, one man walked out. It was Hanbin.

A coat sleeve dangling emptily from his left shoulder. Beneath it, the arm that should have been there was no longer present.

At the end of the path leading to the surface. Where the cold night air of the North pierced the lungs—familiar shadows were waiting.

"He's coming out!"

The Secret Burial Unit members standing by in the snowfield straightened themselves in unison.

"Chief!"

Rick, the first to come running, had a face that had set like a plaster cast.

His gaze fixed on Hanbin's left shoulder. A coat soaked with blood. And an empty sleeve fluttering limply in the wind.

"……."

It was not only Rick. The assembled members fell into stunned silence. Their Chief, who had returned from every hellish battlefield imaginable, had lost an arm.

Just as a heavy silence was about to settle. Hanbin was the first to speak, brow already furrowed.

"What are those faces for? It's not as though anyone died."

"No, Chief. Your arm……."

"If I'm not dead, that's good enough. What a fuss."

Hanbin shook his head as though it were nothing.

One arm. Of course, a great price to pay.

But he had dealt with Rupert—a monster beyond all standard measure, the very core of the Order—and brought Penelope back whole. Beyond that, he had brought the Order's central stronghold down and buried those cockroach-like cultists alive.

Measured against that, it was a bargain.

"No, Chief—you've become even more of a monster over the years, haven't you?"

Reading the mood, Rick forced a cheerful tone.

"I told you. He's an entirely different person now, isn't he?"

Aiden snickered and chimed in.

Of course, the other members had also successfully completed their infiltration, assassination, and diversion missions with skill. But Hanbin had brought an entire vast underground facility down whole, had he not?

Everyone had known that Hanbin during his active years had been monstrous. But even so, not to this degree.

"If he's gotten even more monstrous…… thank goodness I answered the Summon."

"Who on earth did you face in there?"

"I'll tell you later. More importantly……."

In truth, the person Hanbin was looking for right now was someone else entirely.

"Miss Penelope is just over there."

Aiden, sharp as ever, pointed toward the vehicles. In the backseat, Penelope—who had received emergency treatment and fallen asleep—was resting quietly.

"By any chance, does your sister-in-law have an elder or younger sister?"

"Could you introduce us to some of them!"

"She does have an elder sister, but……."

"Truly?!"

Thinking of Clarisse, Hanbin shook his head. Chances were, if he actually made the introduction, they would turn and bolt.

As they traded jokes with weary smiles.

"Jurgen……?"

Penelope opened her eyes. Through her hazy vision, Penelope found a familiar silhouette.

"Where is this…… huh?"

She looked around in bewilderment, and then noticed something.

Jurgen's appearance, revealed beneath the moonlight. A ragged state dusted with debris, and a pale complexion. A left sleeve fluttering in the wind, stained with traces of blood.

"Ah…… your arm…… why is your arm……?"

Penelope's mouth fell open. As though waking from a dream, every incident flashed through her mind like a Revolving Lantern.

The End Order, Rupert who had tried to twist Penelope's perception. And Jurgen, returning with an arm severed.

Penelope was not slow-witted enough to miss the chain of cause and effect.

Tears streamed down Penelope's face. Guilt pressed down upon her chest.

She had done nothing. She had not even sensed the wrongness. While she lay there at ease, the person Penelope cherished most in the world. Her lover had lost an arm.

"Why…… would you do something so foolish? No one even asked you to……."

She knew it was unreasonable, yet she could not help but demand an answer.

Seeing Penelope weeping with tears and all, Jurgen was finally able to smile with an easy heart.

"Would a merchant miscalculate? I gave one arm and brought you back—that's a profitable trade."

"You fool…… you stupid fool……."

Penelope buried her forehead in Jurgen's chest and wept. Jurgen, who ordinarily would have worn a flustered expression, this time held Penelope tightly.

"My, the moon is bright tonight."

"Should we go on a date when we get back?"

"Get lost."

The Secret Burial Unit members made a show of looking elsewhere and pretended not to see the reunion of the two.

"Let's go back."

Wrapping an arm around Penelope's shoulders as she nodded through her tears, Jurgen took the wheel.

Once they returned, many things would likely change.

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