Roa considered himself lucky, because he had encountered Naoki, a reincarnation vessel unlike any before.
Although Naoki wasn't from a wealthy family, fundamentally, a wealthy family was just a necessary condition to make his movements easier. If the reincarnation object's special abilities were so strong as to be beyond reason, then he himself putting in a little extra effort wouldn't be a problem either.
And Naoki had enough weight to make Roa put in "a little extra effort."
Nero Chaos, and Vlov Arkhangel.
Directly defeating two Dead Apostle Ancestors, as well as an unreasonable Mana capacity, the best magic circuits, and even a body that could coexist with a fairy.
The best body. As long as he could obtain that body—no, as long as he could be born as its descendant, Roa was certain he would obtain power far surpassing the first generation!
So he decisively abandoned his body named Tohno Shiki and, before dying, launched his reincarnation Magecraft.
The Magecraft succeeded. Naoki and Aoko, who had just finished dealing with Vlov and were relaxing, couldn't evade in time. Roa completely entered Naoki's body.
But—
"I wondered who the big shot coming was. I didn't expect that what broke into my territory was just a lowly serpent."
In this world filled with corpses, Sajyou Manaka, sitting in the highest place, looked down at Roa, who had suddenly broken in. Her blue eyes slightly trembled, and all the ins and outs of the incident instantly entered her mind.
Slightly raising the corner of her lips, Manaka unconsciously laughed: "So that's how it is, an existence that constantly reincarnates, a fool who yearns for immortality. This time aiming for this vixen, his taste isn't bad, but his courage is too great."
"An existence like you dares to try something with this person. Truly delusional, a self-ignorant fool who doesn't even realize their own abilities. In the past sixteen reincarnations, it seems you haven't learned anything."
Manaka even wanted to burst into laughter. Someone as foolish as this, in her knowledge, only Naoki could match him.
No, when it came to the level of foolishness, Naoki was even more foolish than him, so foolish that he dared to challenge her with a weak human body and tried to seal her.
Truly foolish.
But, in that foolish moment, Naoki still had enough determination, so Manaka lost.
"Don't compare yourself to the vixen. You're a nerd who has been running away for 800 years. Just you standing here makes me uncomfortable. Disappear."
With a soft flick of her fingers, without giving Roa even a moment to express his desires and generate thoughts, not even knowing who the person in front of him was or why he was about to be killed, Roa was instantly swallowed by the corpses that suddenly rose beneath his feet, then dragged down.
Not looking at Roa's condition at all, Manaka sighed helplessly: "A vixen is indeed a vixen, truly immature. At least consider the situation where there are still other enemies. I even have to take action myself... Hm?"
Turning her gaze upwards, Manaka frowned slightly.
The space she was in was simply a small corner within Naoki's body, a corner of the soul's territory. Because it was sealed by the Mystic Eyes, she could only hide here, and for the past few years until now, she had never found a way to get out.
But now, she actually felt an aura from outside?
'So that's how it is. This is a territory to imprison me, so that I can't escape from here. Its internal strength is maximized, preventing the possibility of damage from within.'
Conversely, the defense here against the outside world was relatively very weak. Even someone like Roa could easily break in.
And at this moment, the door opened by Roa hadn't had time to close.
"Can't be helped. Such a small door, only a small part of me can get out. Even if I do get out, I'll be dealt with immediately. Better not to go out then."
Going out now was just wasting energy, reducing the scale of her own soul, futile and unprofitable, unnecessary.
Manaka thought so. For the day of liberation that would definitely come someday, she had to gather strength. Before that, she couldn't let Naoki sense anything strange.
However...
Looking at Naoki, who was full of wounds, without a doubt, he was currently at his weakest. If it was now, even just a little bit of power she shared should be enough to kill him, right?
The Magician and Tsukihime would definitely come to interfere, but it didn't matter. As long as she could kill Naoki before being dealt with, that would be her victory. After that, Manaka would see the sunlight again.
Should she try? That very small possibility?
"Alright, let's just consider this a lesson for him, and take revenge on him at the same time."
Reaching out to the door that had already begun to close, Manaka couldn't help but laugh: "Locking me up here for so long, snatching my prince away from me, even before that, flirting with other women with a face identical to my prince's..."
"Feel true suffering, vixen!"
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Reality.
After rolling around on the ground several times, Aoko leaned against a broken rock to stop her body. Being hit twice in a row by Naoki, one kick and one punch, even she almost got angry!
But now wasn't the time for her to be angry. If she wanted to be angry, she would at least have to wait until the problem in front of her was resolved.
The jet-black mud fountain towering into the sky slowly subsided. Naoki's figure, which had been swallowed earlier, was visible, but from his appearance, it seemed he had lost consciousness. His head was tilted to the side without moving at all.
'What exactly happened?'
What did he mean by that snake? Why did Naoki's body release these black mud-like things after being bitten? From their nature, they could be called curses, but the concentration of these curses was too high!
"Anyway, let's get him out of there first."
Letting Naoki continue to sink in this black mud pool wasn't a solution either.
But, just as Aoko prepared to move forward, a shadow suddenly appeared beside Naoki.
Saying appeared was also not quite right, because it actually came out of the black mud, like a diver rising from underwater. From the silhouette, it looked like a girl?
"Ugh... hmm~"
As if just waking up, the girl's figure stretched both her arms vigorously, then bent down and lifted Naoki, who was submerged in the black mud, holding his face: "Truly a long-awaited reunion. It's a shame you lost consciousness. Otherwise, seeing me now, I'm really curious what kind of expression you would show."
"But..."
"In short. Long time no see, vixen. I'm back to kill you again."