The Crazy Mage Reincarnated into a Fallen Family

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 219: Dare You Doubt the Clown? (2)

Thousand-Faced Fox's swallowing sound echoed loudly.

She was trying to hide her expression, but the sheer panic in her dilated pupils, visible through the half-mask, was impossible to conceal.

"Say more, fox. Who is the traitor?"

"......"

Weeeeng—

Maintaining eye contact with Thousand-Faced Fox, I began to amplify the mana of the Yin dimension.

The more Circles I opened, the more an inexplicable pressure formed around me, binding my entire body, but I had no intention of stopping.

"Why are you silent?"

Thousand-Faced Fox's pupils trembled incessantly.

It wasn't just Thousand-Faced Fox. White Heron, observing the situation, spoke with a trembling voice.

"......Stop, Clown."

"Shut up."

Even if my current actions differed from the Clown's usual behavior, it didn't matter. I held a powerful trump card that could overturn everything.

I leaned forward, locking eyes with Thousand-Faced Fox.

Crack—

The more I unleashed the mana of the Yin dimension, the more the pressure binding my body intensified, making it difficult to even move a finger.

"How, how could you, Clown...?"

A silence fell.

They were displaying reactions similar to those the real Clown had shown me before his death.

Fear. Death.

The concentration of all the negative energy that fueled the Yin dimension mana was a purer form of power for the demonic beings than any other demonic energy they could produce.

In fact, the higher their individual level, the greater the shock they would experience.

Crackling crack—

The surging mana of the Yin dimension caused the air to ripple, constricting every nerve and muscle fiber.

'Hiss.'

Even with the immense pressure making it difficult to move my lips, I expanded my Circles to the appropriate limit and glared at Thousand-Faced Fox.

The distance between Thousand-Faced Fox and me was still close enough to touch.

She was clearly trying to avoid my gaze, but like being forcibly restrained, she couldn't even blink, staring at me through the half-mask.

Creak—.

Suddenly, in the space between our eyes, tiny cracks began to appear...

"Kaaaaaaaah!"

Thousand-Faced Fox screamed, her voice rising from the depths of her being, and collapsed.

Of course, I hadn't made any physical attacks.

This wasn't a matter of brute force.

Thousand-Faced Fox, exposed to the continuously expanding Yin dimension mana, had simply succumbed to the mental shock and fallen.

Looking down at the fallen Thousand-Faced Fox, I said,

"So, who is the traitor now?"

Her trembling body spoke of pure terror.

Swoosh—

As I slowly withdrew the mana of the Yin dimension, the binding pressure vanished as if it had never been.

I turned my gaze from Thousand-Faced Fox and began to look at the Seven Demons one by one.

"......"

The silence over the round table persisted.

The shock of the unforeseen situation was so great that even the Seven Demons, the pinnacle of the Myriad Demons Assembly, could only blink in stunned silence.

In the shock-filled space, White Heron, who had been moving his lips slightly, finally managed to speak after quite some time.

"The premonition of Revelation...?"

White Heron muttered in a low voice.

Surprisingly, White Heron's voice contained a hint of exhilaration.

"Did you receive a premonition of Revelation!"

"......"

"There was a reason you were out of sight for a while, heh heh."

The premonition was likely referring to the mana of the Yin dimension I had manifested.

Clown. Vassago. White Heron.

Their reactions varied, but they all meant the same thing.

Understanding the situation, I looked at White Heron and asked.

"Do you think I betrayed the Assembly?"

White Heron shook his head.

"......Forget what happened just now. The Great Revelation cannot be questioned. Although the summoning failed, we have witnessed the premonition of a Revelation that will surely be completed."

"What do you think?"

I asked Asura.

The muscles of his lower face, visible through his half-mask, twitched uncomfortably, but he soon declared his surrender.

"I... agree with White Heron's opinion."

Next, I looked at Thousand-Faced Fox.

"Fox. What about you?"

"......"

"Speak."

Having finally regained her composure, Thousand-Faced Fox gritted her teeth and mumbled.

"I believe you."

"What?"

"......I believe you."

The atmosphere had changed in an instant.

There was a reason I was pushing them like this. There was something I had to confirm.

At that moment, Phantom Thief, for the first time, looked at me and smiled.

"A blessing in disguise."

Phantom Thief murmured.

"In the end, one of us received the premonition of Revelation. There's no reason to dig into the cause of the past events, is there, White Heron?"

White Heron looked into the distance and nodded.

"It would only be a waste of energy. Let us discuss the Grand Plan immediately. Is that alright, Clown?"

I nodded in agreement, and White Heron, after taking a deep breath, changed the subject.

***

The situation had turned in my favor, but I couldn't let my guard down.

In truth, my original plan was to rip off Thousand-Faced Fox's mask and check her face when she was cornered. It was a good opportunity to easily identify one of the Seven Demons.

The reason I didn't do it was because I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling about this space itself.

The rule of not attacking each other within the Seven Demons was not just words.

Just opening the mana of the Yin dimension caused a suffocating pressure that seemed to constrict my entire body.

It was presumed to be a high-dimensional magic circle that dominated the entire space, but it wasn't easy to identify.

If I had tried to manifest Dark Lightning or inflict physical harm on Thousand-Faced Fox, unexpected situations might have unfolded.

Moreover, that wasn't the end of it.

The moment I made eye contact with Thousand-Faced Fox at close range, I felt a sensation as if the distance was being severed.

Even though we were clearly face to face, I simultaneously had the instinct that we were far apart.

This was a strange space. There were too many variables. A misstep could lead to a backlash.

Of course, I wasn't some insignificant man who just made excuses based on hunches.

One thing was for sure...

"What's the situation in the North?"

"Almost finished."

"The completion of the Grand Plan is near. Keep in mind that the North is the most crucial."

"Don't worry. There won't be any delays."

"Thousand-Faced Fox?"

"The South is cleared."

I leaned back in my chair, listening to the Seven Demons' conversation and thinking.

'There's one more.'

Even with my sensory perception at its maximum, I could only feel the auras of the Seven Demons, but I was certain there was one more present.

That fleeting moment when I opened the mana of the Yin dimension to its limit and pushed Thousand-Faced Fox to the edge, I felt a subtle, strange sensation.

It was too alien to be that of the Seven Demons.

It wasn't a human aura, nor was it the aura of a half-human, half-demon with their unique, impure blend of demonic energy.

It appeared for a moment and vanished like a mirage, but I was sure I hadn't imagined it.

Vassago. It was an aura similar to his.

'Nobility.'

A Demon Count or Duke.

Perhaps, like Vassago, it was someone I knew.

"......Is there a possibility of the aftermath of Keplan becoming a variable? Was it impossible to infiltrate the area that Carpenter was in charge of?"

"Impossible. In this situation, we should abandon the Alliance."

"I heard the Vassal Clan Banquet is being convened."

"That's not a big problem. The occupation of three regions is already complete."

...I had to reconsider my judgment. What I saw wasn't the whole story.

If Vassago wasn't the first "summoning," as I feared, then a high-ranking demonic being who had already absorbed someone had likely manifested within the Myriad Demons Assembly.

"Those who haven't been assimilated within the Vassal Clans?"

"Individuals can't wield much power."

"Is there a possibility the Divine Clan will participate?"

"No."

"Heh heh. Then, the only variable right now is one?"

"Samael."

As if on cue, all eyes turned to me. White Heron tilted his head with a dubious expression.

"......Samael. We don't have enough information on him."

Just as I was about to reply, Phantom Thief interjected.

"I'd like to hear your evaluation."

"My evaluation?"

"That area was originally your responsibility, Clown."

I recognized the trap hidden in Phantom Thief's words.

This guy was definitely the most suspicious.

"I told you last time, it's ambiguous."

"Oh, was it?"

I didn't miss the subtle sense of security in Phantom Thief's gaze as he casually brushed it off.

White Heron nodded and said,

"That's the problem. It was a clan not even mentioned in the Record of the Underworld."

White Heron turned to Thousand-Faced Fox.

"How's Number 6, who we infiltrated?"

"He's blended in well."

"Quick. Any reports?"

"Low-level. Not worth being wary of."

"Hmm... Ruin Samael is the exception?"

White Heron narrowed his eyes and muttered.

"Either way, we can't deny the summoning failed."

Asura interjected.

"You said there were two. It's more plausible that Baltahar's side was unexpected."

"Perhaps. But the magic Ruin Samael manifested before entering the Demon Realm was real."

"The source of the magic?"

"Incantation."

"That's absurd. Who witnessed that magic? A servant?"

White Heron shook his head.

"The servant lost contact."

"What?"

"We're investigating."

"Betrayed us?"

"Likely eliminated."

"......Discovered?"

"If Carpenter fell, there's no guarantee the servant wouldn't. Now that the Assembly has come into the open, we have to take risks. Don't underestimate our enemies."

Asura was about to retort but swallowed his words, and White Heron continued.

"We'll rank the Samael clan first among the magic clans. It's appropriate to put them on par with the Three Great Magic Towers."

Asura replied,

"That seems excessive."

"It's not a burdensome level anyway."

"......"

"And we'll set a different scale for Ruin Samael personally. If we had Carpenter or the servant, we'd have a clearer picture, but it's ambiguous. There are only indirect circumstances, but he's clearly above the Yellow Magic Tower Head..."

Phantom Thief exhaled smoke and said,

"Let's put him on the same level as the top mages of the White Magic Tower."

"The top mages?"

"The Hundred Council."

[TL/N: Name might change as I get more context later down the road]

This time, White Heron seemed slightly surprised.

"Isn't that evaluation too high? Although Carpenter struggled against the White Magic Incantations of the White Magic Tower, it's hard to believe Ruin Samael is on their level!!"

"It's better to overestimate than underestimate. We can adjust our assessment later if we need to."

After a brief consideration, White Heron nodded.

"Alright, let's go with that for now. We're short on time, so let's quickly share any noteworthy information and conclude this meeting."

"None."

"Me neither."

"Same here, heh heh."

"Nothing."

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]