Phantom Demon Master

"Hehe, look what I found—a Nightmare Stone, such a huge piece of Nightmare Stone. Could today be my lucky day?"

All of a sudden, a voice rang in the ears of everyone aboard the Bauhinia. It sounded like a seven- or eight-year-old child, yet it lacked a child's innocence and naivety, carrying instead an eerie, seductive charm.

Angel heard a commotion on the deck outside, along with sailors crying out, "How is this possible? The Mirror Spell has failed!" Angel thought to himself that Flora, the Blood Witch who terrified all Wizard Apprentices, must have arrived.

He wanted to sneak over to the window and see what was happening outside, but before he could rise, Irene seized him tightly. Tears filled her eyes as she kept shaking her head, silently mouthing: You'll die. Don't move.

On the other side, Alan also clutched Angel's sleeve tightly, fear in his eyes.

Angel curled his lip, thinking these two siblings were complete cowards.

However, he did not know—

When Flora's body passed through the Mirror Spell barrier created by the Nightmare Stone, streams of magical power rippled through the air like waves on water. At that moment, every mortal present was crushed breathless by the aura leaking from those ripples. That aura filled all mortals with fear and the urge to flee. This was originally the effect of the Mirror Spell, but once the spell was broken, its effects naturally dispersed into the air. Still, a tiny portion had seeped stubbornly into the mortals' flesh.

Even though it was an inferior Mirror Spell cast by Wizard Apprentices, to mortals, even the faintest trace of supernatural aura was as lofty as a mountain they could only look up to.

This was the source of Irene and Alan's inexplicable terror. Some sailors on the deck were even so frightened that they climbed over the railings and jumped into the endlessly deep and gloomy Devil's Sea.

Angel had not been affected by that aura, but there was another reason for it, one that would not be mentioned for now.

While Angel was inwardly mocking the cowardly siblings, an angry shout came from outside. "Stop! Flora, think this through! If you dare touch the Nightmare Stone, you'll be provoking our Sky Mechanical City!"

"Sky Mechanical City? Hehe, I was wondering who was so deep-pocketed. So this is your ship? Tsk, tsk, tsk, there are even three shabby little organizations stationed here. Is this an induction ship?" Flora said, "What a pity, though. There isn't the slightest smell of blood. The reserve apprentices brought in by an induction ship like this are probably all weaklings like you."

Angel, a reserve student from one of those "shabby little organizations," silently wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The voices outside went back and forth. As he listened, Angel quickly sorted through the information he had heard.

The ones verbally sparring with Flora clearly were not members of the three great wizard organizations. Wizard Apprentices would never dare talk back to Formal Wizards. Flora had just mocked them as "shabby little organizations," and all they could do was nod and accept it.

Anyone who dared speak bluntly to Flora had to be a Formal Wizard of the same level.

"Sky Mechanical City." Angel pondered inwardly. Moro had once said that the Bauhinia's background might be extraordinary. This must have been the confidence that let the Bauhinia ride the wind and break the waves. "I heard aboard the ship that a Formal Wizard was stationed on the Bauhinia. That must be the Sky Mechanical City wizard outside trading barbs with Flora, then?"

Everyone present had been pressed breathless by the aura of the Formal Wizards. Angel was probably the only one with the leisure to analyze all this and that.

.

The voices outside gradually faded. Flora and the wizard aboard the Bauhinia seemed to have reached some agreement. Before Angel could listen more closely, the two of them left completely.

By the time Angel stood at the observation window and looked outside, he saw only two figures flying toward the Cloud Whale.

One was the broad, male figure seen from behind, presumably the wizard from Sky Mechanical City. The other was a petite figure in a red gown and black veil, holding a delicate parasol. That must have been Flora.

As he watched Flora's retreating figure, Angel vaguely felt that a dark shadow was circling behind her.

Was it... just his eyes playing tricks on him?

Before Angel could think further, the two little ones beside him launched into full-scale wailing.

Irene and Alan seemed to know that the danger had passed. The tears they had held back before now poured down like rain, their cries rumbling like thunder.

Angel rubbed his temples. Helplessly, he took out a spare silk handkerchief from his inner lining. Resisting the urge to leave, he lowered his voice and began soothing the siblings.

As Angel softly comforted them, the observatory door was pushed open and Moro walked in. His face was somewhat pale, his brows furrowed as though something troubled him.

When he saw Angel caring for the siblings, Moro's expression toward Angel softened slightly.

"Grandpa, has she left?" Irene asked tremblingly between sobs.

Moro nodded. He did not tell them about Flora. He simply rubbed Irene's hair and comforted her, telling her not to cry.

Once the siblings had stopped sobbing, Moro led the three children out of the observatory. Only then did Irene cautiously ask, "Grandpa, why did that wizard come to our ship?"

Moro shook his head. "It's best not to speculate about the affairs of those great figures."

When they reached the cabin door, Moro used testing their Triangle Guidance Method as an excuse to take the siblings upstairs. After saying goodbye to them, Angel silently returned to his little nest.

As Angel walked, he scratched his back. For some reason, it felt a little itchy.

The itchy spot was precisely where the Queen of Cards' nail had scratched him before he escaped that strange illusion during the talent test.

After the test had ended, Angel had deliberately checked himself in a mirror. The place where the Queen of Cards had wounded him in the illusion showed no sign at all in reality. There was not a single wound on his back.

But why had it suddenly begun itching now? Angel reached back to touch the spot, but there was nothing unusual there. The smooth skin felt no different from anywhere else.

After Angel scratched it for a while, the itching stopped.

Angel guessed the itch had come from some kind of flea or insect. With that thought, he decided that he absolutely had to visit the communal bathhouse for a wash that night.

At the same time, atop the Cloud Whale.

A miniature estate resembling a ranch had been quietly built upon the Cloud Whale's broad back.

.

The estate contained tents of all sizes, but the most eye-catching was the enormous, lavish tent with a domed roof at its center.

Inside the tent, the burly man who had flown up from the Bauhinia—Sabo, the Formal Wizard from Sky Mechanical City known as Crazy Bear—was speaking cautiously and deferentially to a lean middle-aged man with his back turned to him. There was not a trace of Crazy Bear's usual wildness.

The lean middle-aged man wore a black tailcoat, a white shirt trimmed with lace, and a round top hat. With his curly green hair and refined features, he looked like an elegant nobleman.

No one could have imagined that this middle-aged man with such aristocratic bearing was the great figure whose strength alone commanded the awe of the entire Southern Region—Sanders, a Second-Level Wizard known as the Phantom Demon Master!

Sanders' attention was clearly not on Sabo. Wearing a gold-rimmed monocle, he watched an experiment to one side with intense concentration. Smoke rose from his hands as all manner of illusions sprang forth. Sabo merely stole one glance before pain stabbed through his eyes, making him too afraid to look up again. He could only keep his head lowered as he spoke.

"...The location of the Barbie Restaurant drifts unpredictably. We've sailed through the Devil Sea for several weeks, but the sea-domain locator has found no trace of Lady Gloria," Sabo said respectfully.

Sanders clenched his hand, and the illusions in his palm burst like bubbles and vanished. Then he turned and looked at Sabo.

"It's normal not to find the Barbie Restaurant right away. Gloria enjoys this sort of hide-and-seek game. She's obviously a gourmet wizard, yet she always insists on playing at that mysterious talk of fate and affinity from prophecy wizards. If you want to meet her, you have to rely on a bit of luck." Sanders smiled and shook his head. "Since that is the case, if Sabo has the time, I'll leave the next part to you."

Sabo froze, then abruptly lifted his head toward Sanders. All he saw was a faintly smiling face.

"What? You're unwilling?" Flora spoke from where she sat on a tall stool to one side. She wore no shoes, and her bare, delicate little feet swung rhythmically, making her seem utterly carefree. Yet the fleeting Gloomlight in her eyes when she spoke sent a chill through Sabo's heart.

"No. How could I be unwilling? I'd be more than happy to. I'll arrange for the Bauhinia's captain to patrol the nearby waters and search for the Barbie Restaurant until the dust settles." With the situation stronger than him, Sabo ultimately nodded. Even with Sky Mechanical City behind him, distant water could not put out a nearby fire. For now, he could only take one step at a time. Sending the gifted ones back to the Southern Region was not urgent anyway. What Sanders wanted with the Barbie Restaurant was none of his concern. He could only wait and see. At the very least, until they found the Barbie Restaurant, the Bauhinia should remain safe.

After Sabo left, Flora muttered softly, "At least he knows what's good for him. Otherwise, hmph hmph..."

Sanders merely shook his head without saying anything, returning his gaze to the experiment at his side.

Suddenly, Sanders frowned and let out a soft sound of surprise as he looked outside.

Flora asked in confusion, "Teacher, what is it?"

Sanders said nothing, but inwardly found it strange.

"Strange. Why is there an aura from the Nightmare Realm leaking out here?" Sanders lowered his eyes. "Could there be an unknown passage in the Devil Sea connecting to the Nightmare Realm?"

If there really was a passage...

A flash of delight flickered through Sanders' eyes and vanished.

Sanders closed his eyes and carefully sensed that aura, which was almost of the same origin as his own. After a while, he opened his eyes. The delight was gone, but his confusion had deepened.

The moment he sensed the aura of the Nightmare Realm, it had actually vanished instantly? Now, not even a trace of aura leaked out anymore.