Chapter 33

The blackout seemed to be resolved quickly, but not for long.

That was because the emergency power system kicked in right away when there was an issue with the electricity.

However, when that very emergency power system failed and darkness fell once again…

The atmosphere inside suddenly grew chaotic, as if everyone sensed something was seriously wrong.

“What the hell is…!”

“Hurry… restore the power…!”

Faint voices could be heard from the hallway beyond the door.

Guess they finally realized this wasn’t some random accident but something intentional.

After all, a situation like this happening while a bunch of important VIPs were gathered?

I bet those people are feeling like they’ve got a knife at their throats in real-time!

Of course, once they realize the blackout is just the beginning… they’ll probably wish they could pass out instead!

‘Anyway… This fox mask Greg gave me is incredible. Even though it got dark so suddenly, I can still see clearly. Artifacts really are something else, huh?’

Impressed by how well I could see in the dark thanks to the fox mask, I watched Sabrina swiftly glance around after her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Maybe it’s because she’s a nocturnal bear beastman?

She didn’t seem to need much time to adapt to the dark.

Her pupils faintly glowed, perhaps due to the Hwipan, and as I quietly stared into her shimmering eyes, an anxious Sabrina whispered softly into my ear.

“Fox, what now? Stupid bro started moving. Got a plan?”

“….”

A plan? Of course, I still had one ready.

I’d already wrecked Nemesis’s entire combat robot battalion.

All that was left was to make sure Lexi didn’t run into David—then it would be game over.

But how exactly was I going to keep Lexi and David apart, you ask?

Simple. Since I roughly knew where Lexi was, I just needed to lure her out briefly when David passed by.

No need to pick a fight directly. Lexi was obsessed with Raven anyway.

If I used that as an excuse to chat her up, she’d probably go along with it.

‘Alright, let’s head over there.’

I quietly returned the ceiling panel I had opened earlier back to its place.

Then, pointing ahead with my finger, I signaled Sabrina to move in that direction.

Thanks to her watching me disable the combat robots earlier, Sabrina followed without suspicion, nodding and quietly trailing behind me.

‘With the large-scale blackout happening, sleep gas will soon start bursting out everywhere. Luckily, since the gas is heavier than air, it shouldn’t reach us up here near the ceiling… Still, we should prepare just in case we end up breathing it in.’

I casually scanned Sabrina’s outfit from top to bottom.

She was wearing a simple hoodie, likely thrown on in a hurry. Was she not wearing anything underneath?

I took off my jacket and vest, handing her the lighter vest.

It was a precaution—if she accidentally inhaled too much of the sleep gas, she could use it to cover her mouth and nose.

“What’s this for…? Wh-what?! You want me to bury my face in your clothes?!”

“…?”

“Ugh, fine! It can’t be helped!”

Sorry about this, but please bear with it.

When I bowed apologetically, she seemed to understand there was no other choice.

Sabrina blushed furiously as she snatched the vest from me.

‘Alright, with this, we won’t have to worry about falling asleep from the gas. Good, now let’s go stop Lexi.’

I removed my cumbersome tie, stuffing it into my pants pocket.

Then, together with Sabrina, I quietly crawled through the space above the ceiling.

Though I could’ve moved faster using telekinesis, doing so would’ve drowned out the sounds happening below. So, we were stuck with this slow march.

How far had we crawled through this dark, narrow ceiling passage?

Just as I felt we were nearing where Lexi might be, a sudden, startlingly loud noise rang out.

Whoosh… Crack!

‘Wait, that’s… the sound of a whip!’

There was no way I could’ve missed it.

Whips made that distinctively loud noise thanks to small sonic booms created by their speed.

And in this building, there was only one person who would wield a whip as a weapon.

I hastily opened the ceiling section where the sound came from and peeked down below.

‘…Why?’

My mind went blank with confusion.

The reason was clear: Down below, David and Lexi were facing each other in a tense standoff.

David, sir, you’re not supposed to be here at this time!

As the flickering lights began to stabilize and return to normal, I rolled my head around, trying to piece together the cause of this already-unfolding outcome.

‘Could it be because Sabrina’s request to Raven never happened?’

Let’s think about it. In the original story, Raven received a request from Sabrina to stop David.

Using her sharp observational skills, she pushed David to the brink as he scattered gas-emitting devices throughout the hotel.

But now, since Sabrina and Raven hadn’t met, there was no interference directed at David.

So, without anyone stopping him, David must have reached the VIP banquet hall the moment the blackout occurred!

‘Gahhh! This damn original plot isn’t helping at all!’

I was seriously tempted to tear my hair out.

I had planned to separate Lexi from David before they could meet.

But of all things, they ran into each other before I could do anything!

The precarious situation spiraled straight toward disaster.

But whether I panicked silently above the ceiling or not, it didn’t matter.

Lexi, whip in hand, licked her lips seductively and spoke to David after exchanging a few blows.

“Not bad reflexes. Are you a Pixie? Was this unnatural blackout your doing?”

“…No reason to answer that.”

“Oh, is that so? Hmm… I’m curious if you’ll say the same thing after being strangled senseless!”

Wow, scary.

Even from afar, Lexi’s eyes were visibly wild.

She truly looked like a queen consumed by madness.

“Snake, bite!”

Snap!

She lightly swung her whip at David.

The motion was casual, like swatting away a fly.

But the result was anything but light.

“What… What is that…!”

Sabrina, watching anxiously beside me, gasped in shock.

Deep gashes, as if hacked by an axe, were carved into the walls and floor near where David stood.

At first glance, it was hard to believe such damage came from a simple black leather whip.

But then again, maybe it wasn’t surprising. Her whip was an artifact from another world.

‘A snake that bites flesh, huh? One of the ego weapons with sentience, I recall… This is ridiculous. How can a whip be that powerful?’

For an ordinary person, it was a terrifying attack capable of tearing flesh and breaking bones instantly, rendering them unable to fight.

But maybe because David was a sturdy bear beastman…

Despite bleeding from Lexi’s merciless assault, David crossed his arms and slammed his knuckles together, shouting:

“Shock!”

“Urk!?”

Boom!

A shockwave shot out like an arrow from between David’s knuckles, crashing into Lexi.

It was like a storm of power ripping through space, and Lexi was swept away by the unexpected blow.

‘That’s… David’s Circuit Magic!’

I couldn’t help but admire David’s hidden strength.

Circuit Magic.

It was a unique method of magic used by only a handful of interspecies beings in this world.

Simply put, it involved modifying the body in a special way, turning it into a sort of living artifact.

David had no innate magical aptitude, but he was an exceptionally talented beastman.

By engraving his self-developed Circuit Magic onto his body and gloves, he could freely manipulate magic.

Still, Circuit Magic, while unique, wasn’t exactly a great method.

Its extreme focus on efficiency meant its output paled compared to traditional magic methods.

To put it simply, while others were using guns and cannons, David melted those guns down to craft steel slingshots.

If Earth’s thin atmospheric mana hadn’t imposed limitations on traditional magic, Circuit Magic wouldn’t have been viable.

“Ahaaa! Magic without mana fluctuations…! So you’re a Circuit Mage! Getting caught off guard like this, it’s been a while!”

And perhaps his weakness showed here.

Despite landing an unexpected shockwave, Lexi only ended up with messy hair and seemed otherwise unscathed.

Rather, her dangerous aura spiked after being provoked clumsily.

‘As expected, David alone won’t be enough…’

David wasn’t someone trained to fight properly in the first place.

He was just a pure romanticist wanting to reclaim his childhood friend.

On the other hand, Lexi was a max-level Pixie who had fought bloody battles against interspecies foes for years.

Their fighting levels were worlds apart, even before considering physical differences.

“Guh…! Then I’ll attack until you fall!”

“You idiot! You think I’ll fall for the same trick twice?!”

And my concerns immediately became reality.

True to her word, Lexi smoothly dodged David’s shockwaves by sliding along the floor and swung her whip freely.

Twice, thrice, four times… Even with the bear beastman’s naturally tough defense, David struggled under Lexi’s relentless assault. His limits were showing.

“Guh… My… legs…”

His clothes were already tattered, blood dripping from the tears.

Soon, David collapsed to one knee as his leg gave out.

Naturally, David, now immobilized, was nothing more than helpless prey to Lexi.

She tightened her whip around his arms, legs, and neck with a sharp snap of her wrist.

“Graaah!”

“Gotcha! Now then… Let’s hear a scream from this bear beastman!”

Even David, sturdier than most beastmen, couldn’t break free from such a strong bind.

Lexi yanked the whip tightly and dashed toward David to finish him off.

At this rate, David would fall to Lexi!

Just as I braced myself to use telekinesis…

Sabrina, who had been fidgeting anxiously like a cat ready to pounce, finally leaped out from the ceiling.

“Don’t hurt my brother!”

“…Huh?”

“What…?”

Emerald mana seeped from Sabrina’s clenched fists, white-knuckling with intensity.

Her tiny fist struck the ground with all her might.

BOOM!

Her ultimate strike, imbued with all her mana, created a small crater and kicked up a dust storm.

A calculated blow aimed at Lexi’s vulnerable moment.

Perhaps wary of the sudden intruder, Lexi scowled and retreated backward.

Thus, amidst the dramatic sibling reunion, David, exhausted from Lexi’s relentless assault, spoke to Sabrina.

“Sabrina, how did you even get here…?”

“Heh, heh… Because you were… doing reckless things… I came to save you!”

“I specifically told you to go home. It’s too dangerous here for Sabrina. You could die!”

Of course, this was terrible news for David.

Having his timid younger sister barge into this uncertain plan must’ve driven him to the brink of anxiety.

But Sabrina merely forced a smile and calmly deflected his worries.

“Stupid brother. It’s not about whether I can do it—it’s about having to do it! Raine is precious to me, but so are you, Brother David!”

Her heart burned with determination.

David’s unyielding will, inherited from Raine, had now passed on to Sabrina, who was once a fragile child.

If there was something she absolutely had to do, she wouldn’t back down or compromise—she’d push forward.

Sabrina had gained the resolve to protect what mattered most, transcending the harsh realities before her!

“Hah, this isn’t some elementary school talent show… So, that’s your little sister? If I torment your dear sister, you’ll surrender, right? Right?”

“…Guh.”

But reality is cold, often different from ideals.

The current situation wasn’t something Sabrina’s involvement could change.

Especially since she’d already exhausted every ounce of mana with that last attack. Her appearance here was meaningless.

At best, she bought a few seconds—nothing more, nothing less. A pitiful outcome.

But those few seconds were enough to alter David’s fate.

Good job, Sabrina.

With that thought, I suppressed the rising tension in my chest and leaped down from the ceiling.

“Huh? You’re… that brat Jin knows?”

“….”

Right now, I was dressed in a white shirt and long formal pants, having taken off my jacket and vest.

But perhaps the fox mask on my face and my tied-up snow-white hair gave me away.

Lexi eyed me as if questioning why I appeared here.

Alright, this was the critical moment.

The final gamble I’d mulled over countless times while observing the situation.

It was time to create the only breakthrough that could give David a happy ending.

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