'Its level dropped, but...'

  Jinyo checked his remaining power. It wasn't enough to send the grasshopper demon to its death. The young man drew a deep breath into his lungs. The moonlight shining down helped him recover power faster through Moonlight Status. He could feel it clearly—during battle, more than two elements circulated through his planar, nourishing his tendons and bones. It was an unfamiliar sensation. Having two intense elements in his body was a double-edged sword that harmed both himself and his enemy simultaneously.

  But for some reason, the Moon element within him harmonized perfectly with this body. Even the grasshopper demon had been terrified when struck by both elements at once.

  The grasshopper demon radiated a terrifying Intimidating Aura, dominating everyone's minds. Both Adam and Joey were shaken with fear. They didn't know what had happened—why hadn't killing it worked?

  Both bodyguards turned to look at Jinyo, who was trying to recover his power for round two. But when assessing his injured body's condition against his faint planar, Jinyo didn't look like someone who could handle a second round. He was like a boxer who had barely won against his opponent but had to step into the ring for another match. Even if his mind was still clear, his body and spirit were already exhausted from the first round.

  The grasshopper demon screeched. It leaped down from the bridge with its razor-sharp scythe-arms spread wide. Though its power had weakened considerably from before, it didn't change the truth that it was a demon born from Heaven's will. It couldn't be compared using normal common sense.

  Its vengeful hatred was aimed solely at Jinyo.

  Sword Spirit enveloped Poet's Aria. Jinyo raised his sword in a defensive stance. Tension peaked until his nerves were strung taut.

  Just as the grasshopper demon was closing in on Jinyo with its superior speed, an enormous power presence invaded the area. Everyone with power sensitivity was crushed by the massive planar until their minds went blank.

  A pair of eyes pierced the grasshopper demon. A sharp Intimidating Aura stabbed into its heart, breaking its rhythm.

  Jinyo seized that moment to thrust his sword at its heart. The grasshopper demon shifted at the last fraction of a second, causing the blade to only graze it.

  The grasshopper demon's eyes wavered. It looked toward the direction from which the Intimidating Aura had been released.

  A young woman in black clothing wearing long stockings walked along the street. Her body was shrouded in an intense pink aura, but it felt more like scorching flames than flowers. The heavy sound of her footsteps rattled the senses of everyone in the area. The gaze of a queen and the pressure she released—as if this were a stage where she would shine. Captivating charm that drew the eyes and perception of everyone radiated from her every movement.

  Not the charm of attraction between opposite sexes—but reverence and respect that made anyone submit.

  She planted her sword into the street. Her mere presence made the grasshopper demon dare not act rashly.

  "This woman..." Sven thought she might be reinforcement sent by the family. But judging by the timing, that couldn't be right.

  "A true master." Joey, the former Hunter, sensed her strength from the first moment he saw her. Just the amount of planar she radiated across this area told him she existed in a completely different dimension from the family's bodyguards.

  Ruby-red eyes looked at Jinyo in his battered state. Rina let out a long sigh. It was unclear whether she was relieved or troubled. Her gaze slid down to the pink sword in Jinyo's hand, and her heart grew even more complicated.

  "Holding Poet's Aria and you still couldn't handle it. You're still inexperienced, Jinyo."

  "If I didn't have pig-brained teammates, I would have killed it already."

  "???" The pig-brained teammates flinched.

  "I suppose so. I'll pretend I didn't hear your reasonable excuse. Because right now, there's something more important to do."

  Rina pulled out a black case with a silver seal engraved on it. Jinyo's eyes widened—he had seen that same seal in his mother's study when she was still alive. Jinyo had investigated it before but never found which government agency it belonged to.

  "Deploy Territory."

  The instant Rina pressed the button, the power in her body was absorbed by the seal. It exploded outward in the form of three-dimensional plasma that covered an area with a 200-square-meter radius.

  [This detestable human female]

  The grasshopper demon felt extremely uncomfortable. It was cut off from its connection with nature—as if the entire world had abandoned it. Fear of death replaced courage. It thought to find an escape route, but the moment it tried to run, it crashed into an invisible wall.

  "Demon Execution Ground is high magic that creates a special space allowing three-dimensional beings to enter and exit freely. But beings from another dimension like you cannot enter or leave unless the Territory's owner permits it. It consumes quite a bit of power, but there's nowhere for you to run."

  Rina drew her sword from its sheath—an ordinary-looking white blade. Sword Spirit enveloped the entire blade. Pink aura exploded before she lunged toward her opponent.

  Song of a Hundred Flowers, Second Movement: Mirror Flower

  Her movements were so complex they were difficult to follow. The grasshopper demon had no idea which direction Rina would come from. By the time it realized, her blade had already slashed its body.

  The grasshopper demon couldn't think. Peach blossom petals were assaulting its vision, dominating its consciousness. That woman was erasing its will to survive, trapping it in a trance.

  The grasshopper demon exploded with planar, moving its body despite incomplete thoughts. Rina executed Peach Blossom Dance, striking continuously with sixteen sword slashes. The grasshopper demon's scythe-arms couldn't harm her at all. In those ruby eyes was coldness no different from looking at an insect.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  "Rina, I need to be the one who kills it!" Jinyo shouted to Rina.

  Her skill was overwhelmingly superior. Even with injured meridians, the grasshopper demon was no match for her. He needed to be the one to eliminate Unknown to receive rewards from the system. Rina should know this well.

  "If you want it, come take it from me. No hunter gives up prey they've hunted to someone else."

  Rina spoke challengingly. The young woman continued swinging her sword, pressuring the grasshopper demon until its life force dwindled by the moment.

  Jinyo was mentally exhausted but smiled anyway. He circulated planar of both elements and focused everything on his sword.

  Jinyo broke into a run toward Rina and the grasshopper demon. He had enough planar for only one full technique. To have the best chance of stealing the kill on the grasshopper demon, he had to aim for the final moment when Rina would deliver the killing blow.

  Rina's and the grasshopper demon's movements were in Eye of the Sage's database. Jinyo focused his mind, waiting for the golden moment.

  [Why? Why is someone like you in a place like this!]

  The grasshopper demon felt it was being treated unfairly. It glared at Rina and cursed with every thought it had.

  Rina didn't hear its voice—or even if she did, she wouldn't care. Just the words of flies and mosquitoes lamenting their final moments. It held no value worth her attention.

  Because this wasn't the first time she had killed what the system called Enemies from Heaven.

  Hunting them was her way of life.

  Song of a Hundred Flowers, First Movement: Peach Blossom Dance

  Rina employed the most basic first technique of the school. With intense planar and sharp Sword Spirit, she slashed the grasshopper demon's body one strike at a time.

  When she reached the tenth strike, Jinyo—who had been waiting for his chance—channeled all his remaining strength into his legs. His body shot forward with pink and yellow auras intertwined.

  Song of a Hundred Flowers, Third Movement: Wandering Butterflies!

  Swift and faint like a ghost. Elegant and flowing like a butterfly dancing. The sword stabbed straight into the grasshopper demon's heart. Planar flowing through Ether exploded and devoured the soul-like mass of energy.

  [No! No! NO!!!!]

  A howling scream in its final moments. The grasshopper demon's body exploded into meat fragments. The clustered mass of consciousness was swept away and shattered by the sword's power.

  The sensation of waves intruding into his brain vanished completely. Along with a message Jinyo had never seen before.

  [You have eliminated Enemy from Heaven, Level 1]

  [You have received Hostility toward Heaven +500]

  [You have received 10,000 Soul Coins]

  [You have received 100-Day Plant Cultivation Acceleration Ticket]

  [Your produce has +1% increased chance of yielding stat-enhanced products for 100 days]

  [Nameless God's Garden of the Sword +1 Permanent Spirit Essence]

  [You have changed the fate of Luciria Halfrin. Hostility toward Heaven +1000]

  [WARNING! Your Hostility toward Heaven exceeds the limit. Please exercise caution in daily life. Avoid leaving the Garden of the Sword, or your life may be in danger.]

  "The future... can be changed?"

  Nothing made Jinyo happier than this message. The fact that this girl had survived this tragedy meant the future could be changed!

  He wanted a Heaven's Secret Surveillance Ticket to see if Ryse's future had changed for the better. Regrettably, the system didn't give any rewards from helping Luciria—except for the Hostility toward Heaven that increased by another 1000.

  Jinyo now had more than 2000 Hostility toward Heaven. He didn't know what would happen to him, but having saved the life of one pitiful girl was already a great reward for him.

  The moment he no longer had to fight, Moonlight Status disconnected from Jinyo. The strength he once had vanished, leaving only pain until he couldn't stay upright. His knees buckled as Rina ran over to support him.

  "Are you badly hurt? I told you not to push yourself. Don't you have an exam tomorrow? What are you going to do now?"

  Rina raised her voice at Jinyo. Injuries like this wouldn't heal overnight. Tomorrow's exam would definitely be a difficult ordeal. If he wanted to take the Hunter exam again, he'd have to wait until next month. That was too much wasted time.

  "Heh heh heh, sorry."

  "Please don't be angry at him, ma'am. It's our fault." Adam walked over to apologize. Normally, he held the belief that women were always weaker than men. At least, none of the female Hunters Adam knew were as fierce as Rina. He found himself acting deferential to her without realizing it.

  "It's my fault. Actually, this kid should have finished the job already." Joey still didn't know what was going on, but judging from the situation, these two seemed close and knew how to kill that evil monster so it wouldn't come back to life again. Even though it wasn't entirely his fault—Joey had just followed Jinyo's words to go all out. Who knew it would cause problems?

  "No, it's because I communicated poorly. It's not your fault."

  "Forget it. Right now, there's something more important to address."

  Rina looked at the headless corpse lying still near the car. Her expression softened at the sight of the deceased. Everyone fell silent—especially the little girl whose body trembled. Joey and Adam stood in tribute to their fallen colleague. A bodyguard's job was using their life to protect their master's safety. Anyone could die any day.

  "Both of you—I'm Sven Halfrin. I'd like a reasonable explanation. Why did that monster target my sister?"

  Sven walked over and fired questions at Rina and Jinyo, who seemed to know the grasshopper demon well. Jinyo himself knew almost nothing. The better person to answer would be Rina.

  "I don't know why it targeted your sister either. Just understand that it wasn't an ordinary monster."

  "I know that much. But I want to know what it was. A monster that strong beyond its level, plus having to kill it twice—I've never encountered anything like it. My bodyguards aren't weak. They've faced many monsters, but that thing was in a completely different dimension. This doesn't make sense."

  Sven furrowed his brow in displeasure at Rina trying to hide things. His sister had nearly died. One bodyguard had actually died. If he didn't get an explanation, tomorrow would definitely bring nightmares.

  "I'm sorry, but I'm not authorized to give information about it. If you're curious, you can photograph my seal and have it checked with central command. They'll tell you."

  Rina showed the seal again. Sven wasn't satisfied but took out his phone to photograph it. He didn't know what he would discover from this investigation, but just being alive was already miraculous.

  "And also—after this, please have your sister be careful with her movements for a while. There's a possibility something like this could happen again."

  "You mean this isn't over?"

  "I don't know either. We killed the mastermind. But there's a possibility its companions might come back for revenge. If you prepare well, you won't need to worry too much. If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave. I need to take him to the hospital."

  Rina supported Jinyo's injured body and walked toward the car she had rented. Joey and Adam ran over to volunteer helping support him. How could they let their benefactor struggle?

  "Um, excuse me."

  Luciria stood up and ran toward Jinyo and Rina. Both turned to look at the girl who had just barely survived. Her eyes brimmed with tears. A fragile girl still innocent to the cruel outside world—no matter how everyone praised her as a genius or whatever. When the outer skin was peeled away, her true self was still just an ordinary girl.

  "Thank you."

  Luciria wasn't good with words, and this was her effort to communicate her feelings. Jinyo's eyes widened. Warmth overflowed and filled his weary heart.

  "Thank you."

  "???"

  "And why are you thanking her?"

  Rina narrowed her eyes at Jinyo. Had he been hit so hard his brain wasn't working right? This wouldn't do. She had to rush him to the hospital and scan his brain with the best medical technology. She couldn't have the father of her child become someone with brain damage.

  Sven let Rina drive Jinyo to the hospital. He didn't need to worry about not being able to find Jinyo later.

  "Joey, Adam—you two go to the hospital as well."

  "Yes, young master."

  "And contact his family and relatives. Compensate them appropriately."

  "Young master... he has no relatives. The only family he had left was us."

  "..."

  Us, huh.

  Sven looked at the headless body that had protected his sister. Though it had been a short time, if anything came close to family for someone with no relatives, it would be his colleagues and the young miss he had to protect.

  "Just remember him in your hearts. Especially you, Lucy. Even if you forget his face and voice, that's fine. But don't forget that there were people who used their lives to protect us."

  "Yes, Brother."

  Luciria tried to glance at the headless corpse, but her spirit wasn't strong enough to look at it. Sven reached out to cover her eyes, not letting his sister see anything bad.

  "You don't need to force yourself. Let's go home. Grandfather is waiting."

  Luciria had received a traumatic shock. The Halfrin family mansion fell into minor chaos. The family head—Sven's grandfather—was furious. Sven was questioned, and he answered as much as he knew. He gave his grandfather the photo of Rina's seal to investigate. With his connections close to politicians, it shouldn't be hard to find out.

  Joey and Adam's health examination results came back. They were shocking. Externally, they had almost no injuries. But their meridians and internal organs had sustained severe damage. They would need months of recovery before they could resume their bodyguard duties.

  Sven didn't ignore Rina's warning. He quickly arranged for new bodyguards.

  But there was something suspicious. If Sven didn't learn the truth, he wouldn't be able to sleep. Why had Jinyo appeared there and helped him and Luciria in time? Why had Rina shown up at the critical moment when family reinforcements hadn't even arrived yet? And these two happened to know how to kill that bizarre monster.

  Too many coincidences... that was suspicious!

  "Maid, please summon the senior butler for me."

  Sven gave the order to the maid before returning to his room to rest. He wanted to know everything, even if it made him more suspicious. But there was one thing he was certain of—everything must have clues connecting them, and the person most involved was probably none other than the man his new friend had dismissed and branded as incompetent.

  If a man who could handle that monster was called incompetent, then humanity should probably just go extinct.

  It seemed Sven needed to reconsider his relationships—who would be more beneficial to associate with.

  But one thing was certain: Sven owed Jinyo a life debt.

  Meanwhile, Joden had never once impressed Sven.