The psychic spell [Ignite], which burned the entire insect swarm to ash, belongs to the Pyromancy discipline.
Those who master these arts are called Pyromancers.
Spell Effect: The Pyromancer summons flames to melt and incinerate enemies.
Although the butterfly Cursed Spirits were weak, their sheer numbers drained a significant amount of Kenmei's Mana.
Generally, Pyromancy spells consume more Mana than Telekinesis spells. This is because it's often hard to gauge the exact amount of energy needed to construct the flames for incineration, leading to overspending.
However, against a numerically superior enemy, Pyromancy has the edge over Telekinesis. Telekinesis requires precise aiming and cutting, whereas Pyromancy doesn't require any technique or brainpower—you just mindlessly burn everything.
---
"Boss, here's the survivor you wanted."
Kenmei heard the brat's screams from a distance. Toji Fushiguro, realizing his boss was approaching, had deliberately pressed his foot down harder to elicit the noise.
"He's still kicking."
Toji hadn't left anyone alive in a long time. From the perspective of lethality and damage, this might actually be the gentlest he'd ever been.
"Look, Boss. I found out this brat is just like when you killed your sister—he just won't die no matter how much you kill him!"
Listen to that phrasing. He made it sound like Kenmei was some cold-blooded demon who slaughtered his own family.
Like a child showing off a new toy, Toji grabbed the unlucky victim's arm right in front of Kenmei and ripped it downward.
Toji's violent tear resulted in a chilling spray of blood and the sound of tearing flesh and snapping bone, which rang in Kenmei's ears. The thick scent of blood filling the air made Kenmei frown.
"That's enough. We didn't put up a 'Curtain' here. It'll be a hassle if we attract civilians."
---
Currently, Mei was encased in a crystal coffin Kenmei had constructed with psychic energy. She looked like she was sleeping, peaceful and quiet, with the white gardenia ornament still in her hair.
The entire crystal coffin was being carried on the back of a robust Flesh Hound, secured with psychic chains. To ensure a smooth transport, the Flesh Hound kept its lizard-like dorsal fins retracted and moved with extreme caution.
Its large, blood-red eyes were wide open, scanning the surroundings for movement, while its nose twitched, sniffing the air for new, unfamiliar scents. Inside the Flesh Hound's shadow lurked another beast, ready to leap out and support at the first sign of trouble.
Kenmei patted the Flesh Hound's hideous head, signaling it to stay alert.
After all, the Flesh Hound was the one that had detected the stranger earlier.
A wise man learns from his mistakes. He was preventing a repeat of the situation where Toji had skewered him through the chest.
This "reality game" wasn't like Temple of All Living Things; Kenmei couldn't save his progress. Beheading, dismemberment—if he didn't use a healing spell before his HP hit zero, he would die for real.
That was why Kenmei now used these Flesh Hounds—whose noses were even more ridiculous than his psychic sensors—as perimeter guards to ensure a rapid response to anomalies.
When Kenmei cast [Ignite], the Flesh Hound had smelled something off. Kenmei immediately sent Toji to investigate, specifically ordering him:
"Take him alive."
Operating on the philosophy that it's better to catch the wrong person than let a suspect go, anyone hanging around the crime scene at this hour was suspicious.
So, under the cover of the firelight, Toji attacked.
Toji was a bit unaccustomed to leaving survivors at first, but after a round of punching and kicking, hearing the familiar screams brought him right back into the groove.
---
Kenmei walked forward just in time to witness the regeneration process of the arm Toji had ripped off.
A red light flashed. Amidst the churning flesh, tiny, root-like shoots formed a skeletal structure. Bone, blood vessels, and muscle built themselves around this frame at high speed. Finally, bright red muscle was covered by skin.
The whole process took less than a second.
As for the severed limb Toji was holding? Once the main body regenerated, the old arm withered instantly, dehydrating and shriveling up like dry wood.
Overall, this regeneration ability was leagues ahead of Mei's, but that didn't stop the kid from getting ground into the dirt by Toji.
Kenmei looked at the withered, twig-like arm Toji handed him. This brat was definitely connected to the "Killing Stone."
---
"I'll kill you! I'll absolutely kill you!"
Lying in a pool of his own blood, the white-haired brat glared at Toji as if he wanted to eat him alive.
"How dare you do this to me!"
Originally, this kid had a Cursed Technique that allowed him to transform his entire body into butterflies, letting him go anywhere he pleased without being caught.
Who could have guessed he'd crash and burn today? Because the [Inverted Spear of Heaven] forces the cancellation of any technique, the kid's magic failed, dropping him right into Toji's clutches.
"You're too loud."
Kenmei didn't spoil him one bit.
earlier, he had avoided using the second Special Grade Cursed Tool he seized from Toji—the Split Soul Katana—because he was afraid of damaging Mei's soul.
But with this brat? There was no need to hold back.
Squelch.
With the sound of a blade piercing flesh, Kenmei reverse-gripped the Split Soul Katana and stabbed it into the kid, symmetrical to where the Inverted Spear of Heaven was.
The agony of a torn soul drew a scream from the white-haired kid that was far more horrifying than when his arm was ripped off.
"Hey. From now on, I ask, you answer."
Kenmei's tone was freezing cold.
"If you disagree, I'll start peeling your skin off with this blade. I'd like to see if you're still this tough then."
Watching the kid sweat profusely from the pain, Kenmei dragged the blade backward slightly, widening the tear in the wound.
Using pain to keep him lucid.
"Are you the one who killed Mei Isayama?"
"Yes. So what?"
"Are you the one who implanted the Killing Stone in her?"
Seeing the kid nod, Kenmei took a deep breath.
"Last question. Why implant the Killing Stone into a dead Mei Isayama?"
"It's simple."
The hair on the white-haired kid's face fell away, revealing that his right eye socket was completely filled by a massive Killing Stone.
He spoke intermittently, his tone suggesting the answer was obvious.
"It's better if they're dead."
"The curse of a dead person is far more terrifying than the hatred of the living."