I, Izayoi Sakamaki, Joined the Chat Group at the Start Chapter 38

"This... excuse me." Hisato Asuka forced a smile, turned, and sped toward a narrow passage.

Of the thirty-six stratagems, retreat was the best.

Facing one against ten thousand, especially a Defense Army that was already powerful to begin with—did they think everyone was Izayoi Sakamaki?

Hisato Asuka cursed under his breath, evading pursuit after pursuit before resting in a small alley.

"I never should've given that guy time to play his flute. Great, now the other side's completely overpowered. What am I supposed to fight them with?"

"Asuka~"

Little Fairy understood their predicament as well. She tugged on Hisato Asuka's hair and, as if making up her mind, pointed in a certain direction.

"You mean... you have a way?"

"Mm-hm. Pied Piper... Dean..."

"Dean? That giant?"

Hisato Asuka froze slightly. Listening to the sounds of pursuit outside the alley, he gritted his teeth. "Fine. We're going to the exhibition now!"

Creeping to the mouth of the alley, Hisato Asuka glanced at the Defense Army still searching through the corner of his eye and directly took out his Gift Card.

"Water Tree, carve me a path."

The enormous Water Tree appeared once more, and its surging waters directly washed aside the mindless Defense Army.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hisato Asuka withdrew Water Tree, put on the Flying Shoes, and raced toward the exhibition.

"Found you, little girl."

Seeing Hisato Asuka fleeing, Ratin smiled faintly and used her flute to control even more Defense Army soldiers, sending them from every direction to surround him.

Hisato Asuka, who was rushing onward, failed to notice them.

It was only when a rain of arrows passed through the buildings and shot past him that he realized his route had been far too obvious. He had already been surrounded.

"Damn it. I got surrounded because I wasn't paying attention. Looks like I'll have to force my way out."

Watching ordinary people and Defense Army soldiers pour out from alleys, streets, and buildings alike, Hisato Asuka sensed trouble and took out his Gift Card, preparing for a desperate fight.

Under the gaze of countless scarlet eyes, even Hisato Asuka could not help swallowing, his heart growing tense.

"Pumpkin~"

Just then, Jack carrying a lantern flew down from the sky. With a strange laugh, he landed in front of Hisato Asuka.

"Pumpkin Jack!?"

Chapter 100: Strength Breaks Through to Three-digit, Hakoniwa Grants Compensation

"It's Pumpkin Jack. Finally, from this close up... cough, cough. Jack, why are you here? Are you all right?"

Born in the postwar era, Hisato Asuka stared excitedly at the legendary monster. Then he realized this was not the time for that and hurriedly asked, "Oh? Little girl, do you mean that flute?"

Pumpkin Jack was delighted to see someone like him so much. Striking a strange pose, he pointed at his pumpkin-like head. "It's fine. Pumpkins don't have ears."

"..."

I see. He really was Ratin's natural enemy... my ass. Not being able to hear made it fine? Was this some kind of strategy game?

"Little girl, go do whatever you need to do. Leave this place to Jack!"

"Then I'll leave it to you, Jack."

Hisato Asuka trusted Jack, who had defeated Kasukabe Yō. He nodded gratefully at Jack, then passed right by him and ran toward the exhibition.

"Fire!"

At the Defense Army's command, swords, spears, and even clubs flew toward Hisato Asuka.

"I said leave this place to me!"

A faint glimmer shone from Jack's hollow eye sockets. Countless flames surged out from his lantern and, under his control, formed a wall of fire that blocked the incoming projectiles.

Hearing the commotion, Hisato Asuka turned back and saw the scene, unable to stop a trace of envy from appearing in his eyes.

When would he be able to command his Gift like that?

"When is that Demon King going to show up? Once this place is cleaned up, it'll be my turn to have some fun."

Seeing that Hisato Asuka and Kasukabe Yō were safe and sound, Izayoi Sakamaki twisted his neck and spoke with some boredom.

The situation was already clear. Wesir was no match for Kasukabe Yō and Leticia together.

And once Hisato Asuka obtained Dean, he would be able to easily defeat that fragile mage, Ratin.

It was just unknown whether the process would destroy this city.

More importantly, the spotted loli Izayoi Sakamaki had been looking forward to still had not appeared. That was a little unfair.

His lackeys were already getting beaten up. Wasn't she, as their boss, supposed to obediently come become his maid?

"Standing by and watching like this, weren't you also forcibly made to sign a Contract Document?" White Night Yaksha's mouth twitched slightly after hearing Izayoi Sakamaki's complaint. He made it sound as though it had nothing to do with him.

"Yes. A battle between Demon Kings—when one side loses, they become the other side's servant. That's what I'm looking forward to most."

"I don't know where you learned so much about Hakoniwa, but I'm getting more and more curious. Are you really human?"

A strange light flashed through White Night Yaksha's eyes. Back then, she had only submitted to Thousand Eyes and become one of its high-ranking officers because she had lost to another Demon King.

As Hakoniwa's strongest being after Decadent Wind, White Night Yaksha had fought countless battles in her life, yet she had only suffered defeat three times.

Every defeat had left her badly wounded.

After her first defeat, White Night Yaksha had been forced to make the decision to let the sun set, and the world was divided into day and night. After her second defeat, the sun's authority was split into three parts. The third defeat had been decisive—even her own Spirit Rank had been ravaged.

Even so, as one of humanity's Final Trials, White Night Yaksha still possessed tremendous power.

"Perhaps someone told me. Or perhaps I was simply born knowing it. What exactly is the truth? Who knows?"

Izayoi Sakamaki smiled faintly without giving an exact answer.

White Night Yaksha looked deeply at him, then shook her head with a laugh. "I originally thought you were a born hero. But now, compared to a hero, you seem more like humanity's Final Trial than I do."

"Oh? Me?"

Hearing White Night Yaksha's words, Izayoi Sakamaki fell into thought.

Leaving aside the fact that he had constantly been growing stronger, as well as the trait that even his acquired abilities strengthened along with him, he had never figured out the true purpose of the Gift known as Unknown Truth.

White Night Yaksha's words gave him a moment of realization.

His Gift was contradictory. Even miracles possessed the power to shatter miracles.

Then if he was destined to overcome humanity's Final Trial, could he himself be humanity's Final Trial?

"Humanity's Final Trial? Hahaha, White Night Yaksha, you really dare to imagine it."

Thinking of this, Izayoi Sakamaki burst into laughter and patted the barrier imprisoning White Night Yaksha. "Well, honestly, I've always had doubts about humanity's Final Trials..."

"Oh? I'd like to hear the details."

White Night Yaksha's interest was piqued by Izayoi Sakamaki's words. She sat down cross-legged, facing him.

"Azi Dahaka, one of Zoroastrianism's Deities, one of humanity's Final Trials—the Absolute Evil that represents humanity's own malice."

"You, White Night Yaksha, are the celestial law that existed before the concepts of heaven and earth were born, ruling at the center of all cosmologies. You represent the primordial mystery."

"The Third Perpetual Motion Machine, one of humanity's Final Trials—a nano Perpetual Motion Machine that infinitely generates energy from environmental information. It symbolizes humanity's limits."

"Sealed World, one of humanity's Final Trials. That one has already been solved, or rather, erased, so let's put it aside for now."

"Decadent Wind."

At the mention of that name, not only Izayoi Sakamaki, but even White Night Yaksha's expression turned grave.

"One of humanity's Final Trials, one of the strongest God Slayers.

It also possesses the function of serving as the time limit for overcoming other Final Trials. An existence summoned from the end of time, only to depart beyond the reaches of memory.

It causes faith to be abandoned, fear to be forgotten, and research to be cut off. A formless, faceless Demon King."

"It should represent the erosion of time."

"And humanity's Final Trials themselves are merely several possibilities most likely to drive humanity to extinction."

After saying all that, the corners of Izayoi Sakamaki's lips curled up slightly. "And compared to those things, how do you think humanity is most likely to perish?"

"A crisis of extinction? That explanation does make sense."

White Night Yaksha quietly listened to Izayoi Sakamaki's words. She no longer wanted to know where he had learned so much. A possibility that shocked her appeared in her mind.

"You mean..."

Suddenly, her eyes widened as she stared at Izayoi Sakamaki in disbelief. If he had not reminded her, she would never have considered such a simple question.

"It's humanity. And I, Izayoi Sakamaki, the Strongest Human in the world, will also become the strongest person in all the heavens!"

Chapter 101: Let Izayoi Sakamaki's Bearing Be Displayed to the Fullest

"That's truly shocking. If it's true, then I really don't deserve to be called humanity's Final Trial. To put it bluntly, I'm only one corner of humanity's Final Trial."

White Night Yaksha opened her Folding Fan, hiding the loss of composure caused by her shock. "If your conjecture is true, then you are humanity's Final Trial itself."

"That's only one possibility. Oh, right." Izayoi Sakamaki paused. "White Night Yaksha, how about we fight again after this incident ends?"

"No need. Your strength has already reached the Three-digit level. As I am now, I'm no match for you."

"That's a real pity. Then I'll have no choice but to find someone else to play with."

"Oh? Going to plague someone else?" White Night Yaksha grew interested. "I can recommend someone."

"Plague them? No, no, no. I'm merely testing whether their strength lives up to their reputation." Izayoi Sakamaki rolled his eyes at White Night Yaksha. "And the person you want to recommend isn't the Halloween Queen, is it?"

"You even know that?"

"Isn't that an open secret? Hakoniwa's former three Problem Children."

"Hehe, you flatter me. You're not bad yourself."

"Hehe, I'm flattered. Compared to you, I'm still young. I haven't accomplished anything noteworthy."

Stella, who was being protected at Izayoi Sakamaki's side, twitched at the corners of her mouth as she listened to the two praising each other commercially. Are these really the mentor and big shot I remember?

Unfortunately, she had not heard Izayoi Sakamaki and White Night Yaksha's discussion about humanity's Final Trials. Otherwise, her worldview would have completely collapsed.

Just as Izayoi Sakamaki and White Night Yaksha were still flattering each other, a massive Storm Doll appeared in the center of the city.

And atop the doll's head, a loli in a spotted dress gazed expressionlessly at the city that was about to become ruins.

Wooo—

Violent winds blew out from the Storm Doll's hollow openings, ravaging the entire city. Any building that touched those fierce winds turned to dust, completing the last leg of its journey through the sky.

"Stop! Demon King!"

A solid mass of blazing flames pierced straight through the rampaging doll alongside a young girl's shout.

The Demon Incarnation born from weather phenomena such as Gales and Rainstorms, the War Doll Schroter, was killed just like that.

"Oh? The Northern Region's Ruler? Even as a Pureblood Dragon, how much Combat Power can someone as young as you possess?"

Schroter's death did not make the spotted loli show even a trace of pity. She looked down at the young fire dragon and spoke disdainfully.

"As long as the people are still suffering, I will definitely win! Demon King, die!"

Sandora shouted, and another mass of flames formed in her palm as she gazed resolutely at the spotted loli.

"Nicely said, but I am a Demon King who has come for revenge!"

The spotted loli waved her hand, and densely packed black dots sprayed from her sleeves. Just as the flames and black dots were about to collide, Golden Lightning struck down from the sky, illuminating the entire darkened heavens.

"The activation of Judgment Authority has been accepted. The Gift Game, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, is hereby temporarily suspended."

Black Rabbit held a Vajra and looked solemnly at the Demon King who had initiated this Gift Game. "Deliberation Resolution begins!"

As her words fell, both the participants and the organizers stopped what they were doing.

Whether it was Kasukabe Yō and Leticia, who were locked in fierce battle...