The dreadful pressure radiating from the banshee made Muen’s breath catch.

Third Rank Peak—an entire stage above him.

Adding her other methods on top of that, just from the surface level of strength alone, she already surpassed him far too much.

Muen couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

The banshee was truly a terrifying opponent.

Her terror wasn’t only in her strength—it was that she was far too cautious.

From the Red Flame Gang’s kill plan, to the cannon fodder just now. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Even when meeting him directly, her first method had been to use Shali’s personality to mislead him, then plant a suggestion—trying to take him down bloodlessly.

Only after all of those plans failed did she step into real confrontation. Even then, her opening moves were probing his strength and techniques.

Step by step, careful testing, until she was sure of absolute victory—only then would she reveal her full power, to cruelly trample her enemy, treating them like worthless ants. It left one doubting who was really the Second Rank that should be cautious, and who was the Third Rank towering above.

Under such cautious scheming, even some opponents whose paper strength might surpass her could still end up outmaneuvered and killed.

Truly worthy of being the kind of ruthless figure who could sneak into the Academy, even go so far as to implant suggestions into herself to create a new personality. No wonder the Silent Bureau had hunted her for so long without catching even a hair.

Unfortunately for her, she could never have imagined that there were certain things on his body that simply couldn’t be accounted for.

“Didn’t expect I’d get the protagonist treatment one day... no, from start to finish, I’ve been way more miserable than a protagonist.”

At least the protagonist met enemies they could defeat if they worked hard enough. But look at the monsters he had provoked—corrupted Love Gods, Silent Moon... were those things a little yellow-haired villain like him was supposed to run into?

But one who seeks to defy fate must inevitably be hated by it. This truth, Muen already knew better than Anne’s underwear size.

Drawing in a deep breath, he lifted his head to face—aside from those chaotic Evil Gods—the very first life-and-death enemy since coming to this world. He restrained the emotions in his eyes, Elizabeth lightly tapped, his alchemy domain sparking out like an arc of lightning, as he murmured:

“Come, banshee.”

“Giggle... looks like you’ve already resolved to die.”

Like watching an ant’s dying struggle, the banshee, certain she could crush him, had only been quietly observing his brooding. Time pressure wasn’t hers, so she had no need to hurry.

But when Muen gripped his twin blades, she no longer hesitated—she launched her assault at once!

Like countless threads of rainfall disturbed in an instant, the banshee lunged out like a serpent from the shadows, striking at his weakest point.

Her twin crescent blades gleamed like rising new moons. Cold moonlight reflected on Muen’s pale face.

Her attack was ferocious. Backed by Third Rank Peak battle aura, even without martial skills, the well-honed strikes already carried greater force than her previous assaults.

A needle-prick sense of death jolted his nerves. This time, Muen obeyed instinct. He didn’t foolishly block—he dodged!

His back burning hot, the alchemy core spun—Tenfold Time, activate!

In Muen’s eyes, the banshee slowed. In hers, his speed multiplied, his form blurring into an afterimage in a single instant.

Not only did he evade, but as he bent low he swept Elizabeth in a sharp, cunning motion—an upward flick!

A flick didn’t mean it lacked power. With Elizabeth’s edge, even a brush could slice through the banshee’s scales as hard as steel.

But the banshee ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ wasn’t panicked. The mockery in her eyes only deepened.

I’ve already seen this sudden acceleration trick. Did you think I wouldn’t be prepared?

From the darkness came a sudden whistle of wind.

A massive serpent tail, at the very instant Muen’s blade rose, split air and rain alike as it lashed at him!

Launching his attack meant leaving his chest wide open. The tail struck there with perfect precision.

Even though Tenfold Time let him clearly see the tail, Muen’s expression didn’t waver. He let it slam into his chest with crushing force.

But—his move suddenly changed!

That light flick, carrying no real force, now showed its true purpose: he could switch moves without resistance!

A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. His upraised arms bulged with veins, and with a fierce gleam—he chopped down!

Blood spattered.

The banshee screamed.

Elizabeth’s edge had severed the banshee’s tail clean off.

Her mocking expression twisted into a snarl. Agony drove her to a frenzied counterattack.

But Muen had already used the tail’s force to fling himself backward, dodging her furious strike instead.

“Cough—cough—well? Was it good for you?”

Muen sprang up like a carp leaping from water, hacking up blood mixed with meat, his face still curved in mocking laughter.

In his eyes, a crimson fire flared and vanished—the Withering King’s flame was already knitting his body back together. An injury that would kill an ordinary person was nothing to him.

Likewise, for the banshee a severed tail wasn’t fatal. But in this moment, fury nearly tore her apart.

Suppressing him with a whole major realm, layering countless tricks, yet at the first exchange she lost her tail to Muen. How could she endure such humiliation?

“I’ll kill you—I’ll kill you! No, I won’t just kill you, I’ll make you suffer the most terrifying pain this world can offer!”

Her tail stump writhed, clearly regenerating fast. But rage wouldn’t let her wait. She shot forward like lightning, pouncing at Muen.

“Perfect. That’s exactly what I wanted to say.”

Muen smiled faintly, steadying his mind once more.

The brief clash had only confirmed what he already knew: in a direct contest he had no chance—unless he burned her with the Withering King’s fire.

But the Silent Bureau’s battle sounds still echoed closer and closer. His alchemy domain could conceal the fire’s aura enough for self-healing, but using it to incinerate the banshee would be like raising a beacon in the night—tantamount to shouting for the Bureau to come cut him down.

So this battle had to end blade against blade. He had known it from the start. That was why he had used his tools without hesitation.

And even in close combat, there were ways.

If brute force wouldn’t work, then he would use the field where he excelled most—to crush her!

Conveniently, all her cautious scheming revealed her greatest flaw: a clear lack of experience in true frontal combat.

Had it been one of the maid assassins or that adventurer recorded in the Black Book, they would never have made such mistakes.

And even more conveniently, after being slaughtered countless times in those two records, Muen lacked nothing—least of all experience in battles of life and death.