Chapter 161: Welcome To My World

Thirteen figures moved through the darkness surrounding Astral Heights.

The three A-Ranks walked near the center while ten B-Ranks spread around them, their Mana suppressed and their footsteps barely disturbing the quiet streets of Celestine Avenue.

The Baal Family had spent weeks gathering information about the Ashcrofts. They knew Emily’s history, her return, and the family’s rapid rise through the rankings. They also knew Reinhard Ashcroft was considerably more dangerous than his official ranking suggested.

The oldest A-Rank, a broad-shouldered man with dark hair, raised his hand as they approached the manor.

"Remember the objective. Emily Ashcroft is the priority. Capture her alive."

"And the others?" another A-Rank asked.

"Eliminate them if they interfere."

The leader flexed his hand. Faint crimson threads appeared around his fingers, their dense Mana trembling in the air. A dark relic around his wrist compressed the threads into restraints capable of interfering with an Awakener’s Mana.

The second A-Rank touched a black ring, briefly distorting the space around him. The third drew a short black blade with silver markings along its edge.

They had come prepared.

Soon, the exact opening Reinhard had deliberately left exposed came into view.

The leader studied the entrance. "No defensive barrier. No guards."

Several powerful defensive systems remained active around the rest of the property, making the unprotected entrance suspicious. However, he soon reached his own conclusion.

"They concentrated their defenses elsewhere. Move."

Inside the manor, Reinhard felt the first group cross the property boundary. He stood with Emily, Maki, Yuna, and Lily, looking entirely relaxed.

Lily glanced toward Maki. "How many?"

"Thirteen."

Lily’s eyes widened. "That’s a lot."

"Don’t worry," Reinhard said.

"Why?" Lily asked.

He smiled. "They’re visiting."

Emily glanced at him. "Please don’t say that while they’re inside our house."

"Why? I’m being welcoming."

Yuna smiled while Maki continued monitoring the enemy positions.

The first B-Rank crossed the threshold. Nothing happened. After several seconds, he signaled the others forward.

No alarms sounded. No barriers activated. Nobody attacked.

The intruders spread through the manor, with one group heading toward the east wing, another moving upstairs, and the three A-Ranks advancing toward the center.

"Keep communication open," their leader ordered. "Don’t damage the building unnecessarily. Find Emily first."

"They’re asleep?" one B-Rank asked.

"No. They’re hiding."

The leader smiled. "Which means they’re afraid."

He continued deeper into the manor.

That was when the first seal activated.

A B-Rank entered an empty room and checked the adjoining corridors. As he passed a decorative pillar, a marking beneath its molding illuminated. Several more seals appeared across the floor, forming a pattern around him.

Mana tightened around his legs, stopping his next step halfway through the movement.

"What?"

He reinforced his body and tried to force his way forward, but the restriction resisted him.

Maki appeared at the opposite end of the corridor. Several magical seals floated beside her, their intricate markings turning slowly.

The B-Rank raised his weapon. "You prepared this place?"

"We prepared for you," Maki answered.

He fired a burst of Mana toward her.

Maki stepped aside, then placed another seal on the floor. The markings flashed, and the restriction around the man’s legs strengthened. When he tried to raise his weapon again, a second seal interfered with his arm’s movement.

His expression changed as he noticed she wasn’t trying to overpower him. She was steadily restricting his available movements. He poured more Mana into his body and tore one seal from the floor, freeing himself enough to charge.

Maki stepped back, allowing him to commit to the attack.

A final seal activated beneath his leading foot. His balance vanished, and he stumbled forward. Before he could recover, Maki placed a seal against his shoulder.

His body locked in place.

"Stay there," she told him.

She turned toward the communication network. "One contained."

...

Elsewhere, three B-Ranks entered a reception room and found Yuna waiting for them.

One immediately recognized her. "Yuna Ashcroft. She’s S-Rank."

Their leader quickly assessed the room. "Three of us can hold her. The others will continue toward Emily."

Yuna tilted her head. "Are you sure you want to split up?"

The man answered by activating his Gnosis. Metallic plates covered his arms as he rushed forward, gathering Mana around his fists.

Yuna raised one hand.

Gravity changed around his body.

His forward movement became difficult as an invisible force dragged him toward the floor. His boots struck the tiles hard enough to crack them, and his attack lost its momentum.

His companions moved from opposite sides.

Yuna altered the gravitational pull around the first attacker, throwing off his balance. Then she reduced the friction beneath the second man’s feet. His charge carried him past her, and he slid helplessly across the polished floor.

The third launched several compressed Mana projectiles.

Yuna changed the forces acting on them, redirecting their trajectories until they shattered against the wall. She increased the gravitational pressure beneath the first man’s feet. He dropped to one knee, unable to maintain his stance.

The second recovered and swung at her. Yuna reduced the momentum of his arm just before the strike connected, then stepped aside and caught his wrist.

"You’re all very eager," she remarked.

She increased the gravitational pressure on his body and pushed him down beside his companion.

The third B-Rank hesitated.

Yuna flicked her hand, increasing gravity in his path. His legs buckled, and he fell hard onto the floor.

She sent a brief message through the communication network. "Three handled. I’m moving to the next corridor."

...

Meanwhile, another group found Emily standing alone in a hallway, Aeon resting comfortably in her hand.

One B-Rank recognized her immediately. "Emily Ashcroft."

"You seem disappointed," Emily replied.

"Capture her!"

The leader pulled a metallic device from his belt. It unfolded, revealing several thin needles made from dark crystal.

"Gnosis Suppression Needles," one of his companions identified. "They can interfere with Mana control if they pierce her Gnosis pathway."

The leader activated the relic.

The needles shot forward.

Emily moved Aeon, distorting the space between herself and the incoming projectiles. The first passed beside her shoulder, while the others veered into the wall.

The leader’s expression tightened.

Emily advanced before he could fire again. A spatial shift carried her past the first defender’s guard, and Aeon struck his weapon with enough force to knock it away.

The second B-Rank attacked from behind.

Emily slowed his movement for a fraction of a second. The brief temporal interference disrupted his timing, allowing her to turn and drive Aeon’s hilt into his chest.

He stumbled backward.

The leader released another volley of suppression needles. Emily opened a narrow spatial corridor beside her blade, redirecting the projectiles toward an unexpected angle. The remaining B-Ranks scattered to avoid being struck.

Emily used the opening to close the distance.

Aeon flashed once. The leader barely blocked the strike, but the impact drove him to one knee. Emily followed with a controlled swing that knocked his weapon from his hand.

She rested Aeon against his shoulder. "Your information is outdated."

The man stared at her, breathing hard.

Emily withdrew her sword. "You should have checked."

She sent a message to Reinhard. "Three opponents. They’re alive and disarmed."

"Wonderful," Reinhard replied. "We’re building quite the collection."

Emily shook her head, though a small smile appeared on her face.

...

On another floor, Lily encountered a smaller group.

One B-Rank frowned. "She’s the youngest. Deal with her quickly."

Lily smiled. "People keep making that mistake."

She raised Crimson Fang as the first attacker rushed forward. The greatsword’s reach forced him to change direction before he could close in, giving Lily enough time to retreat around a corner.

The group followed.

Lily led them through another corridor, forcing them to turn sharply as she disappeared through a doorway. One B-Rank reinforced his legs with Mana and accelerated to catch her.

Lily stopped abruptly and pivoted.

His attack passed her by a fraction, and she struck his side with the flat of Crimson Fang. The impact threw him into the wall.

The other two arrived together, trying to overwhelm her before she could retreat again.

Lily backed toward a section of the corridor where Maki had prepared several seals. The moment the first man crossed the markings, his movement became restricted.

He stumbled.

Lily struck his weapon with Crimson Fang, knocking it aside, then hit him in the chest with the flat of the blade. The second B-Rank tried to retreat, but another seal restricted his legs long enough for Lily to close the distance. She brought Crimson Fang down, stopping the blade just short of his neck.

He froze.

"Finally figured out that running away is a bad idea?" Lily asked.

She withdrew her sword and contacted Maki.

"Your seals work great. I think I found another use for them."

"Please don’t damage the markings," Maki replied.

"No promises."

...

While the smaller battles unfolded, the three A-Ranks continued deeper into the manor.

Their communication devices crackled with reports.

"East wing secured."

Then another voice followed.

"Emily has defeated our group."

The leader stopped. "Defeated them how?"

"Spatial manipulation. She’s stronger than our information suggested."

Another report arrived.

"Three of our men have been restrained by Yuna."

The leader exchanged a glance with his companions.

Their plan depended on the Ashcrofts being scattered and unable to coordinate a defense. Instead, every group seemed to encounter someone waiting for them.

"Where is Reinhard?" one A-Rank asked.

Nobody answered.

They hadn’t seen him or sensed him anywhere in the manor.

"Maybe he isn’t here," one B-Rank suggested over the communication network.

"He is," the leader replied.

"Then where?"

"I don’t know."

That answer unsettled him more than he wanted to admit.

Still, he continued forward.

"Ignore him. Find Emily. We’ll capture her ourselves."

Deeper inside the manor, Reinhard stood quietly near a wall.

His advanced Mana perception spread throughout the building. He could sense Maki’s restrictions holding one group in place, Yuna dismantling her opponents, and Emily disarming the attackers who had tried to capture her. Lily was also doing well, although Reinhard suspected Maki would have a few words for her about the damaged corridor.

The three A-Ranks remained together.

Exactly where he wanted them.

Reinhard smiled.

"Keep going."

The three A-Ranks eventually reached another corridor. They had gone deep enough that retreat would be difficult, and the route behind them had become increasingly complicated.

One of them looked ahead. "We’re almost at the center."

"Then Emily should be nearby," the leader replied. "Continue."

They crossed another threshold.

Then another.

Finally, one A-Rank stopped and looked over his shoulder.

Something felt wrong. The hallway looked almost identical to the one they had passed through earlier, but they had been walking for too long without reaching the central rooms.

He checked his communication device.

Nothing.

He tried to sense the entrance and then his expression changed. "Where is the entrance?"

The others looked back. "Have we been turned around?" one asked.

"Impossible," the leader replied, although he no longer sounded convinced and he raised his hand. "Fall back."

They turned, only to find a series of prepared seals illuminating across the floor. Their markings joined together, forming a restriction formation across the corridor.

The black-bladed A-Rank immediately swung his weapon. The silver markings along its edge ignited as the strike crashed into the formation.

The hallway shook.

The seals flickered but held.

He attacked again, directing more Mana through the blade. Several markings cracked, yet others brightened to reinforce the formation.

"Someone prepared this entire route," he growled.

The leader activated his communication device but there was no response. He tried another channel and again there was nothing. The three A-Ranks exchanged glances. Their subordinates were scattered, their communication had failed, and the corridors had become a maze of restrictions.

Then footsteps echoed through the hallway, making them all turn.

Reinhard walked toward them with his hands in his pockets and he looked completely relaxed.

One of the A-Ranks stared at him.

"Leaving already?" Reinhard asked.

The three instinctively tightened their formation, readying their weapons.

Yuna stepped into the corridor from one side. Maki appeared from the opposite passage, several seals floating beside her hands. Lily arrived near the sealed route, resting Crimson Fang against her shoulder.

Finally, Emily stepped forward with Aeon held at her side.

The A-Ranks stared at the family.

They had entered the manor believing the Ashcrofts were scattered, frightened, and unaware of the attack. Instead, every route had been controlled. Every group had been separated. Every movement had been watched.

And now the entire family stood around them.

"That... that’s impossible," one A-Rank muttered.

Reinhard smiled.

The leader finally understood. They had not infiltrated the Ashcroft Manor but had instead been allowed inside.

"You knew we were coming."

"Of course."

The leader tightened his grip on his weapon. "We still have three A-Ranks here. Don’t think you’ve won."

Reinhard tilted his head. "Did I say that?"

His Mana surged.

The floor beneath his feet trembled, and the walls began to vibrate. The pressure spreading through the corridor was nothing like the restrained Mana he had used to monitor the battle. And then his Mana expanded outward, and countless versions of Reinhard began appearing throughout the corridor.

Each stood at a different angle, carrying the same calm smile.

Domain: Fool’s World: The Theater of False Reality

The world seemed to fracture.

The corridor stretched impossibly far into the distance. The floor split into a maze of shifting passages, and the three A-Ranks suddenly found themselves surrounded by a thousand versions of Reinhard.

Then the mansion began to crumble.

Cracks raced across the walls and ceiling. Stone pillars shattered, and entire sections of the corridor collapsed into dust. The floor buckled beneath the Awakeners as the structure disintegrated around them.

One A-Rank stumbled backward, staring at the collapsing mansion. "What the hell is this?"

"Don’t tell me this is..."

The leader grit his teeth. "Mana Domain... At the S-Rank level."

Reinhard stood amid the destruction, surrounded by a thousand false images of himself and his smile never changed.

"Welcome to my world."