Who was that?!
To appear so close without a sound, completely undetected by him?
Roy's muscles tensed instantly, alarms blaring in his mind. His face hardened as he shielded Claudia behind him, turning toward the source of the voice—only to pause slightly in surprise.
"You're… Fan Xinglou?"
"That's right, it's me!"
Standing before Roy and Claudia was a nine-year-old girl with black hair tied into butterfly-wing-like pigtails. Though her appearance was innocent and carefree, her choice of words was unexpectedly crude.
"Oh my, the student council president of Jie Long Academy gracing us with her presence? What brings you here?"
Recognizing Fan Xinglou, Claudia showed a hint of astonishment. She placed a hand on Roy's shoulder, signaling that there was no need for him to stay on guard.
Because guarding against her would be pointless.
"I heard some noise during the draw and thought it might be interesting, so I came to check it out. Turns out you kids are stirring up something way more fun than I expected!"
Fan Xinglou grinned, her demeanor far more mature than her youthful appearance suggested.
"And what exactly are you referring to?"
Claudia offered a cautious smile, probing for an answer.
"Little girl, you're on the boring side."
"..."
Claudia was left speechless.
Ignoring her, Fan Xinglou turned her attention to Roy, her face breaking into a simple, childlike smile—though it carried a faint, beastly ferocity beneath the surface.
"Kid named Roy, I'm liking you more and more. I knew I wasn't wrong about you—what terrifying ghostly energy! Impressive how well you usually keep it suppressed!"
Fan Xinglou exuded a savage, predatory aura even as she showered Roy with praise.
"...Ghostly energy?"
Roy's gaze darkened in confusion. What did she mean?
Fan Xinglou had likely followed them after hearing the commotion from their private room. Yet, he hadn't sensed her presence at all. Now, he felt an unsettling sensation of being locked onto, as if targeted by a hunting beast. What was she after?
"It's a term from the Japanese—a fighting spirit born from hatred, anger, and all kinds of negative emotions. I love opponents drenched in ghostly energy!"
As Fan Xinglou spoke, her eyes gradually changed.
What began as restrained intensity soon morphed into open aggression, until her entire being radiated an overwhelming desire to hunt.
Her gaze was like the stars in the sky—merely meeting her eyes made Roy's expression shift drastically. A crushing pressure, akin to a tsunami, surged from Fan Xinglou, making every hair on his body stand on end. His muscles and organs trembled as if squeezed by an invisible force.
What the hell is this pressure?!
Roy's guard shot up to maximum alert.
Fan Xinglou was far stronger than he had imagined. Against her, he stood no chance in a direct fight.
His only option was to summon Tiamat!
"President Fan Xinglou, may I ask what your purpose is in coming here?"
At that moment, Claudia suddenly stepped between them, her expression tense as she looked at Fan Xinglou with unease.
The tsunami-like pressure vanished in an instant.
Caught off guard, Roy quickly halted his mental call to Tiamat.
"Hahaha, it's been a long time since I've encountered such a satisfying opponent. I couldn't help but get a little carried away! But don't worry, I won't pluck unripe fruit by force."
Fan Xinglou withdrew her oppressive aura and gave the two an embarrassed smile.
In other words, if the fruit was ripe, she would pluck it by force, right?
This woman was someone who did as she pleased!
Roy couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
Still, it was better to avoid fighting Fan Xinglou if possible.
It wasn't that he was worried Tiamat couldn't win—Fan Xinglou was undoubtedly strong, but her strength and Tiamat's were on entirely different levels. However, if Tiamat were to emerge, it might provoke resistance from the world itself, potentially ejecting them immediately. If the first mission ended in failure, he wouldn't be able to take the benefits he had his eyes on, nor Claudia.
"Hey, kid named Roy—too much trouble, I'll just call you Roy. That Yabuki kid mentioned you know rune magic, a technique similar to my Seisenjutsu. Is that true?"
Fan Xinglou waved her hand, signaling Claudia to step aside, her gaze fixed directly on Roy.
Claudia reluctantly moved aside, allowing Roy and Fan Xinglou to face each other.
Roy studied Fan Xinglou's expression but saw no trace of anger or malice—only keen interest as she questioned him. He quietly sighed in relief.
"I suppose so."
"Oh?"
Fan Xinglou's eyes immediately lit up, and she pressed eagerly.
"Who taught you rune magic? Did they return from the Wonderland?"
"Wonderland?"
Roy was taken aback.
"What are you talking about?"
"You don't know?"
Fan Xinglou seemed surprised by his response.
"Wasn't the one who taught you runes an old man from the North?"
"No..."
"How strange!"
Fan Xinglou frowned deeply, her face full of confusion.
"Rune magic was lost over a thousand years ago when that old man went to the Wonderland. If he didn't teach you, did some modern genius reconstruct and revive it? How come I've never heard of such a thing?"
Wonderland, old man, and all that...
Could you stop talking to yourself?
Roy furrowed his brows.
"What exactly are you talking about?"
"Hmm? It's normal if people nowadays don't understand. I'll explain it to you later."
Fan Xinglou raised her head, her eyes burning with intensity as she stared at Roy.
"First, answer me—where did your rune magic come from?"
"..."
Roy fell into a long silence.
Then, as if struck by a thought, his expression turned slightly odd.
"What if I told you this rune magic comes from another world? Would you believe me?"
The Root hadn't forbidden him from mentioning his own world to people from other worlds—only told him to act as he pleased. So, revealing a little about the Type-Moon world wouldn't violate their agreement.
If he could use this as bait to reel someone in, it would be an unimaginable gain.
"Another world...?"
Fan Xinglou looked mildly surprised.
Claudia, however, gaped in disbelief.
"Yeah, not the Wonderland you know... more like a world beyond this one."
"A world beyond this one?"
Fan Xinglou's eyes instantly gleamed with intensity, her entire aura surging uncontrollably. In the blink of an eye, an overwhelming pressure once again bore down upon Roy.
"Young man, if you dare lie to me, I'll make sure you regret it!"
"Every word is true."
Roy wore an expression of absolute certainty.
"Would you like me to tell you more about other worlds?"
"..."
Fan Xinglou's gaze remained locked onto Roy. Seeing his unwavering demeanor—showing no signs of jest or fear even under her oppressive aura—as if he held complete confidence, she pondered for a moment.
"Let's change locations!"
With a flick of her sleeve, Roy and Claudia vanished alongside her in an instant.
Only Yabuki remained, sprawled on the ground, snoring soundly.
On the rooftop of a nearby abandoned building.
Stella leaned against the railing, clutching her pounding heart, her face filled with shock and disbelief, before slowly sinking to the ground.
A wonderland?
Another world?
***
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