A trap...?


    The thought had never urred to me.


    How could I, a self-proimed variable, be trapped if my existence in this scenario was never nned?


    How could someone set a trap for someone they didn''t know would be here?


    Traps had to be meticulously nned, well thought out, and personalized, so setting a trap for someone like me, whom you had no information about, would be impossible.


    Yet, it had worked perfectly at this moment, directly refuting my words.


    I was so focused on setting a trap for and hunting the dark elves that I hadn''t even realized I had walked right into another trap.


    As the figure descended into the forest, I got a better look at him, realizing his eyes were yellow, the key indicators of demons/


    He wasn''t a djinn... he was a full-fledged demon.


    Was this one of the demons nning to raid the World Tree...?


    Snapping out of my confusion, I didn''t wait for hisplete descension as I shed my daggers in the air, releasing an elemental sh barrelling right at him.


    Since the figure was a demon, the odds of a mere D-rank elemental even touching him were 0, but the main goal wasn''t to hurt him.


    It was to understand him: his tactics, way of dodging, way of attack, and personality.


    Would he be mad that I had attacked him before hended?


    Staring at the elemental sh of night-ck, the figure snapped his figure, causing an easter bunny to jump out of his hat...?


    Staring at the bunny made of the fire manifested on his hat; I almost apuded as the me bunny jumped right in front of the elemental sh, causing an elemental reaction between fire and dark.


    As a result, a sudden amount of smoke enveloped the illuminated clearing before clearing a momentter, leaving the demon now standing on the solid floor.


    "Bit feisty, aren''t you?"


    He was amused... at my attack?


    Trying to get more information before the battle started, I asked.


    "Says the one who led me into a trap."


    Shrugging his shoulders, he pointed to the familiar symbol on his hat before saying.


    "Orders from the top. You are not, though; this isn''t my style. They are the opposite! Magician acts should be done in front of an audience where people can apud, cheer, and eventually cry at your actions!"


    Talkative and a show-off?


    Seeing that he was still adjusting his suit and top hat without attempting an attack, I inquired further.


    "Cry? Aren''t magic acts supposed to be entertaining, not sad?"


    Tying his tie around his neck, the demon responded.


    "A y without drama and tragedy cannot be considered a y. Unfortunately, in this case, you are the tragedy. *tsk* Such a tragedy, there won''t even be an audience here to witness this world-ss y..."


    "Are you even a magician? That''s a drama, not a magic act."


    "I''m an actor, not specifically a magician, my dear little tragedy."


    Realizing that all the information spewing out of his mouth was useless, I readied my daggers, awaiting his attack.


    Even though he was the demon, I still held the advantage through various cheat abilities.


    I would only reveal these secrets and give up my advantage if I knew using them would guarantee my victory.


    Staring at me with a wide smile, the demon touched his hands to his cheeks before looking downwards.


    The demon slowly rose from the ground until he levitated about two feet above it. Not skipping a beat, the demon took off his top hat, causing three doves made of the air element to fly out.


    Swinging my two daggers, I replied with three of my elemtantel shes before stepping back.


    I knew that mere elemental shes couldn''te close to stopping those covers... but the shes were enough to trigger an elemental reaction.


    What happens when dark and air collide? Pollution and Smoke in a Forest...


    The perfect indication to the main cast and Elves, who should already be on watch due to Lily''s warnings about tomorrow!


    As smoke covered the clearing, blocking the sunlight and the demon''s sight, I swiftly dismissed the three doves using my corrupted daggers and the new third movement I had obtained by upgrading my dagger proficiency.


    The Cataclysmic Burtst.


    The movements channel a devasting amount of magic energy together to create a powerful explosion that takes care of everything around it; however, as it uses magic energy or mana, the explosion cannot damage physical objects but only magic spells or shields.


    Watching the doves disappear from the explosions, I activated the dash''s usage period before peering through the smoke and spotting the demon, who was still levitating in the same spot.


    Jumping out of the smoke, I plunged my dagger into his levitating body; however, he was ready.


    Manifesting a pure-red umbre in his hands, he threw it forward, expanding it to full size, whichpletely blocked my dagger strike.


    Activating my dash, I appeared 10 meters backward and into the smoke, already beginning to disperse.


    An umbre user...?


    Haven''t heard of those, have I?


    As the smoke finally disappeared, the demon dropped to the floor, the umbre over his head, blocking the sun, and said.


    "Such a tragedy that there won''t be an audience. I''ll have to recreate this act when I get back to the theatre... so don''t mind me if you say me taking notes."


    Demons go to the theatre...? Who in the right mind would watch a demon perform!?


    Seeing a moment to regain some mana, I stalled for time by further questioning.


    "And who exactly is your audience eager to witness your ys."


    Shaking his head, the demon pointed into the forest while shaking his head and said.


    "Unfortunately, they''re busy with the World Tree. I don''t know if you''ve heard of it.... if you ask me, it''s not all that. I mean, it''s just a tree! My ys are much more interesting, yet everyone is obsessed with that damn tree."


    ...the attack had changed days from tomorrow to today.


    If this had happened over an hour ago, I would have thought Lily and Company had already been prepared for an attack, even if it had happened a day early.


    But... now it had changed.


    The appearance of this demon and, most confusing, the appearance of the unknown organization.


    If there were only three demons in the book''s battle, I was sure there would be at least ten in the battle now.


    They had reinforcements...


    Enough reinforcements where they could spare a demon just to make some stupid trap and capture a single person.


    *HA~HA*


    Snapping back to reality, I turned around to see the demonughing hysterically in the middle of the illuminated area.


    "HA, SO EVEN YOU''RE MORE INTERESTED IN THAT DAMNED TREE THAN MY ACT WHEN IT''S RIGHT INFRONT OF YOU!? I''LL HAVE TO TEACH YOU A LESSON, WON''T I?"