Seiichi flipped through the book in front of him, murmuring softly to himself.
"If the other party is a reincarnator like me, then they absolutely wonât ignore anything related to reincarnation inheritance."
"Even though I canât track their whereabouts right now..."
"If I can determine where theyâre bound to appear, then itâs not impossible to find them."
"So what I need to do... is set up a trap that any reincarnator would inevitably walk into."
...
As he read, he simultaneously sketched and wrote on paper, sinking into deep concentration.
Kanzaki Rei observed the diagram he was drawing.
A forbidden killing formation designed for absolute executionâcombined with chained level 7 mechanical constructs.
"The bait also needs to be somewhat genuineâat the very least, it must be attractive enough."
"Come to think of it... that Altar of Samsara might serve as perfect bait."
Every word of his muttering reached Kanzaki Reiâs ears.
...Yeah.
From now on, better not talk to myself while thinking.
Wouldnât want someone overhearing.
Under normal circumstances, the space Seiichi was in was completely sealed, layered with restrictions... even the entire room was constructed from special materials.
Even an 8th-tier powerhouse wouldnât be able to send their perception through without triggering the barriers.
The moment anyoneâs senses touched the restrictions, Seiichi would detect it.
How could he possibly imagine that there was a complete anomaly hovering right above himâsomeone who could perfectly manipulate restrictions without triggering a single effect?
As for the special materials that blocked perception without relying on formationsâ
They were effortlessly penetrated by "God-Tier · Absolute Perception."
His senses could not be obstructed by any means.
In such an environment, even muttering to himself could be overheard...
At that point, there was simply no helping it.
Kanzaki Rei could feel the manâs resolve.
If they ever truly confronted each other, even if they admired one another, Seiichi would still kill him without hesitation.
That was his determination.
At the same time, Kanzaki Rei had already mapped out the entire underground structure.
Above ground, the streets of Atlant City bustled with endless traffic.
A picture of prosperity.
But beneath the surface, it was anything but peaceful.
Entering through the sewers, winding through vast, twisting tunnels, there was a place known as the "Thievesâ Den." Deeper still, a hidden passage led to a black-market trading hub.
Beyond heaps of tightly packed refuse, one could find a secret alchemical workshop.
The underground was a sprawling networkâfilled with things that couldnât see the light of day.
And yet, these regions were sharply divided.
For example, the "Sanctum of Hidden Knowledge" and the "Coreforge Furnace" were separated by barely ten meters.
But that thin layer of earth and stone created an absolute boundary.
Traveling between them via normal surface routes would take dozens of kilometersâ
And along the way, one would have to pass through at least four different faction territories.
A truly labyrinthine underground world.
In such a chaotic mix of forces, Seiichiâs small cellar was completely unremarkable.
Countless houses in Atlant City had basements just like it.
"Xiao Leng."
Kanzaki Rei thought for a moment, and a vial of colorless liquid appeared in his hand.
Reina Kuroyuki glanced at it.
"...Whatâs that?"
"Water."
"...Are you sure?"
For some reason, anything this guy pulled out felt inherently suspicious.
Kanzaki Rei grinned brightly.
"Just kidding. Itâs actually a deadly poison."
Reina looked at him with a completely unsurprised expression.
At this point, nothing he produced could shock her anymore.
"So... who exactly are you planning to kill?"
Kanzaki Rei paused slightly.
"What if... the person I want to kill isnât actually a bad person?"
Reina replied without hesitation,
"I donât need to know that."
"Whoever you want me to kill, Iâll kill them. I donât care who they areâeven if theyâre a good person."
Kanzaki Reiâs lips twitched.
Xiao Leng...
That way of putting it sounds extremely dangerous.
After a momentâs thought, he replied seriously,
"I think... when it comes to killing, itâs better to have your own judgment."
Reinaâs expression turned slightly displeased, her cheeks puffing faintly.
"Iâm not helping just anyone. I only help you and Kumironi."
"And itâs not like I just met you. If you want someone dead, thereâs definitely a reason."
"If you told me to kill Kumironi, I wouldnât do it."
"But for anyone else... what does their morality have to do with me? I promised to help you kill, so I will."
...So thatâs how it is.
In truth, Kanzaki Rei hadnât interacted with her all that much.
Most of the time, they only sparred occasionally, with little conversation.
So his understanding of her had been limited to a competitive girl who liked killing.
"...Yeah. Then I misjudged you."
Kanzaki Rei smiled gently.
He reached out and placed a hand on her head, lightly patting it.
"Not bad. Youâre an assassin who thinks for herself."
Children needed recognition.
After what heâd said earlier, sheâd probably felt like she was being lectured.
His feelings toward these kids were... complicated.
On one hand, they were his peers.
On the other, he couldnât help but look at them from an adult perspective.
"...Whatâs with you all of a sudden?"
Kanzaki Rei continued,
"Anyway, the person I want you to kill is..."
With a thought, he shared his perception with her.
Though he wasnât an Observer, that didnât mean perception-sharing was impossible.
It just lacked the depth and duration of an Observerâs abilities.
And it only transmitted what Kanzaki Rei himself focused on.
The moment Reina connected to his senses, she immediately saw the underground chamber below.
Inside the roomâ
A child sat quietly, reading a book while jotting notes.
"Thatâs your target?"
"No wonder you felt the need to explain... youâre really planning to kill a kid. Thatâs downright evil."
Kanzaki Rei replied flatly,
"Heâs not actually a child."
Reina shrugged.
"No need to explain. I donât care."
...No, you really should care.
Otherwise, I feel like Iâm being misunderstood.
"But if itâs just one person, you should be able to handle it yourself, right?"
Kanzaki Rei sighed.
"Itâs because normal methods wonât reliably kill him..."
If a battle of that level broke out in the city, it would cause huge problems.
And if he failed to kill him, Seiichi would escape.
As a mage, Seiichi could use random teleportation.
And not just any mageâ
A former peak 8th-tier mage.
Kanzaki Rei couldnât guarantee his own magic could completely lock down space and prevent escape.
On top of that, once combat started, Seiichi could call reinforcements.
And fighting within the city risked harming civilians.
Kanzaki Rei wasnât cold-blooded enough to ignore innocent casualties just to secure a kill.
What he sought wasnât battleâ
But a guaranteed kill.
A method with a 100% success rate.
Reina narrowed her eyes.
"Heâs that strong?"
"Not necessarily stronger than me. But if he escapes, itâll be troublesome."
"Based on what I know, heâs currently a level 6 Scholar, level 6 Mage, and level 6 Mechanist."
All knowledge-based classes.
As long as the knowledge remained, leveling back up after reincarnation was trivialâalmost like inheriting previous levels.
Especially Mechanist.
At level 6, he was already close to his former peak at level 7.
Reina tilted her head.
"...Thatâs just three level 6 classes."
Kanzaki Rei stared at her.
Reina... youâve gotten way too confident.
Youâre only level 4, and youâre dismissing three level 6 classes like that?
Anyone overhearing would think youâre some ancient powerhouse.
"Thatâs not an ordinary level 6."
Reina nodded.
"So... you want me to poison him?"
"...Yeah."
"With your spatial magic, couldnât you just swap his drink with poison directly?"
Kanzaki Rei sighed.
"Iâd rather not use magic."
He was thinking of Iz.
Iz had extremely sharp sensitivity to magic.
And Seiichi, as a former 8th-tier mage, likely had similar perception.
During simulations, Kanzaki Rei had already felt how keen Seiichiâs magical awareness was.
If he used origin magic to tamper with the drinkâ
There was a high chance it would be detected.
Using Reinaâs abilities would be safer.
"Oh..."
"So all I have to do is poison him? No fighting?"
Kanzaki Rei tilted his head.
"I canât even guarantee I can kill him. And you want to fight him?"
Reina clenched her fists on her thighs.
This guy...
Was insulting her.
She exhaled slowly.
"So I strike after he leaves the room?"
"No... I want to observe a bit longer."
"Letâs wait for the right opportunity."
Seiichi was being extremely cautious in his attempt to kill him.
Kanzaki Rei had no intention of alerting him prematurely.
Andâ
He glanced at the vial in his hand.
...Was this poison even strong enough?
...
Unknowingly, midnight passed.
It was now March 26.
Kanzaki Reiâs four simulation attempts had refreshed.
Whooshâ
In his first simulation, he directly tested the outcome of poisoning Seiichi himself.
During the day, after Seiichi left the chamber, Kanzaki Rei activated the restrictionsâ
But turned them to his own use.
He blocked Seiichiâs perception of the room.
In the next instant, Kanzaki Rei used spatial magic to enter the chamber.
And stood there safely.
...So his concerns had been unnecessary?
No.
There was no such thing as being too cautious.
After poisoning the drink, he left.
Then he followed Seiichi throughout the day.
In the morning, Seiichi went to the headquarters of Reincarnation...
There, he listened to reportsâmatters concerning the Sea of Moons, intercontinental conflicts, internal faction disputes, resource allocation...
By noon, he visited several schools in Misril.
At the center of one stood a statue of Seiichi himselfâmodeled after his current childlike form.
...His school?
Kanzaki Rei checked the archives.
It really was.
Established to provide structured education for those with average talentâmages, mechanists...
And within that education, the history of the Reincarnation faction was embedded.
These students would become future reserves.
Though they didnât worship a god, their faith centered on a being who walked the world and could never truly perish.
In influence... it rivaled religion.
In the afternoon, Seiichi went to the slumsâ
Together with major orthodox churches, setting up food distribution.
Atlant City had slums too.
But conditions were far better than in Knoloya.
Even here, the "slums" were low-rise buildings.
Churches provided aidâfood, clothing...
As long as one was a believer, they could receive assistance.
Most residents were disabled, orphans, or otherwise unable to work.
Because any normal class-holderâeven level 1âcould find some kind of job.
Repairing schools. Feeding the poor.
This wasnât just "not evil"â
He was practically a righteous figure.
Kanzaki Rei sat quietly in a corner, observing.
...Then shook his head faintly.
Nightâ
After a full day outside, Seiichi returned to the dark, narrow cellar.
In the corridor, two cloaked confidantsâone in black, one in whiteâreported confidential matters.
After issuing decisions, he returned to the cramped chamber.
Kanzaki Rei could feel his exhaustion.
Only here...
Did he finally relax.
...Youâve had a hard life too, Seiichi.
Seiichi reached out, picked up the wine flask, and poured himself a cupâjust like every night.
He seemed accustomed to drinking before bed.
Above, Kanzaki Rei waited silently...
For him to drink.
Butâ
Seiichi glanced at the cup.
Then set it down.
"...Sigh."
"Never thought... even my final place of rest could be infiltrated without a sound..."
He slowly stood from the stone stool.
Hands behind his back, he scanned the room.
"My friend... are you still watching?"
"Since you already know youâve been discovered, thereâs no need to keep hiding..."
"To harbor killing intent toward me, even knowing who I am..."
"...You must be the one who took my reincarnation."