The arrival of the blazing spear knocked aside Levtor's Sword of Dawn, while the Flame Spear shooting out of the flames struck Sifa and pierced straight through him.
But the impaled Sifa quickly turned into a thin, burning paper figurine. The real Sifa appeared in a corner of the captain's cabin. He had used Paper Figurine Substitute to evade the attack, but his chest was still charred black. Indescribable pain coursed through him, his chest burning. Even the slightest movement cracked the scorched skin, drawing blood and exposing the muscle beneath.
The injury alone was enough to leave Sifa barely able to fight.
But he was wearing the Thousand-Faced Traveler mask. Besides allowing him to transform into anyone at will, the mask possessed another ability: Damage Transfer.
Sifa pressed his hand to his chest and swept it sharply across. The wound on his chest shifted to his left hand, turning a serious injury into a minor one. Only then did he let out a breath.
"Hmph, a Seer!"
The flames swirled and condensed, forming a figure.
His blond hair was slightly disheveled, and the dark circles around his eyes made him look haggard, but Shevich still exuded the oppressive presence of a demigod.
Sifa's pupils contracted slightly. "You didn't leave? You didn't go to the naval base?"
Shevich sneered. "When I was at Sequence 6, my potion was called Conspirer."
"You were the one who impersonated me and blew up the warship last night, weren't you? You deliberately drove a wedge between me and the royal family. Did you think I wouldn't recognize a conspiracy?"
"Yes, I did leave, but I turned back halfway. And I went to considerable trouble to keep you from noticing."
Sifa chuckled. "You disobeyed the royal family's orders. Aren't you afraid they'll hold you accountable?"