Chapter 132 - Descending The Mountain

A few days later.

"So that means that you won't be able to visit me..." Thana's brows crumpled.

"I won't be here, so no," Levi glanced at her.

"Then why not come in and have something to eat?" Her eyes lit up.

"I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't waste time trying to find me." Levi shook his head.

' 'Cause I don't need you making things more complicated for me.' He thought.

"..." He turned.

"Wait, you meant that you're leaving right now?!" She grabbed his sleeve.

"I just said that..." Levi's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Hold on a second!" She ran into the 'house'.

"..."

"Here!" She held out her hand.

"What's this?" In her hand was a rectangular yellow slab with a piece of wood sticking out the bottom.

"Frozen fruit juice. You can use the notches to break pieces off." Levi held the thin stick.

"Oh." He nodded.

"Be safe." Thana waved with a smile.

"... Thanks." Levi's figure flashed.

...

Hallway.

"I see no reason not to eat it." Levi looked it over before saying.

Clang!

"She gave her all freezing this, it seems." He took the steel-like piece of ice from his mouth.

"Huh?" His surroundings changed. He found himself on a dirt path surrounded by tall grass.

'Illusion?' The grass rustled in the wind as Levi followed a trail of blood.

Leaning against a large rock at an intersection was a youth with shining golden eyes. He clutched his bloodied stomach as warmth escaped his body with every breath.

"I-huff-shouldn't have left the sect." The youth muttered.

"I wish that I could have at least blamed someone for my current state, Ha." His lips curled up.

"..." Levi looked around.

"I should have known that without senior sister and senior brother-" The scene squiggled as he swept his arm.

"What should I make of this?" Levi walked into the class.

"What do you think?" A youth tilted his head up.

"A desperate effort to keep your love from leaving? I'm flattered by your feelings, really, but I still have to leave." Levi gripped his chest as he shook his head.

"You-" Laughter erupted in the room.

"Hehe, I didn't know you loved him to that degree." A girl giggled.

"Oh? Let me tell you. It's quite a bother. I try to explain that both of us are men, but-Sigh." Levi shook his head.

"Damn you!!" The youth rushed down as he threw out a blazing fist.

"Why are you getting angry? As the person in your illusion, I should be the only one upset." Levi slapped his fist away before grabbing his face.

"Mmm!" The youth punched Levi's face.

"Unnn!!" His hand twitched from pain.

"Let me show you something in return." Levi's eyes narrowed.

"Huh?" The youth found himself surrounded by black fog.

"Wha-What? What d-do you want?" He stepped backward as two giant golden eyes looked down at him in silence.

"W-Wait, wait!" Black fog snaked toward him, hissing and rattling.

Thin but long snakes wrapped around him. With a single bite, his arm blackened as it fell off.

"Ahhh! Get off!!" He flailed. Their forms scattered before gathering once more.

"Ah-" The youth's eyes widened as long fangs sunk into his throat.

In the classroom.

'I'll stop here.' Levi loosened his grip.

"Ah-Ah! AHHH!!" The youth stumbled backward as he gradually recalled what happened. He clawed at his neck madly.

"Hey, are you ok?" Someone asked.

"Ah! Ahh!" The youth clutched his head.

'I didn't teach you that for you to use it like this.' The demon saint's voice sounded.

'I stopped before anything irreversible happened.' Levi said.

'I told you before. Pulling another person's mind into your inner world is dangerous, even if it's not a deep level.' The demon saint said.

'Even a cornered mouse can bite a cat. And you're not even the cat in this scenario. Your mental energy capacity grew in these two years, but don't be overconfident.' He said.

'I'll keep that in mind.' Levi said.

"What did you do to him? You went too far..." Someone turned to Levi.

"And forcing someone to see themselves dying is not too far." He looked up before walking to his desk.

"But still..." the person muttered.

"Oh. I'm glad they're still here." Levi reached inside the desk.

"Wha-Is that the pouch of pills he won? He left them in there?! If only I knew!" A boy jumped up from his seat.

"What are you getting excited about? What would you have done if you knew?" A girl crossed her arms.

"What do you mean what? I would have-"

"You would have taken them? Are you sure? Look at him, then tell me." The girl pointed.

"..." The youth's face scrunched up, but he didn't say a word.

" That's what I thought. See how that guy sitting beside him shrinks away every time he gets close? I wouldn't touch his stuff if I were you." The girl said.

"Well, I won't be here for a while. Which I'm sure will make a lot of you happy." Levi walked down.

"But don't get too comfortable without me." He looked back.

"Enough nonsense! Get lost!"

"Yeah! And I've been meaning to ask. What is up with your hair? Just cut it if you're not taking it seriously!" Someone slapped the table.

"But, isn't it cute?" A girl covered her mouth as she giggled.

"Yeah. He's less intimidating like this, too." Another said.

"It's still a problem, huh." Levi scratched his head as he left.

"Sir Levi." He bit his tongue.

"Huh?" Levi turned, his brows furrowed.

"I wish you luck on your endeavor." Silas nodded.

"Uh, yeah, Thanks..." Levi nodded.

"..." Silas went back to his seat with a nod.

"Sir?" Levi mumbled as he walked through the hall.

Pok!

"... It's sweet." He broke off a piece of the ice.

A fuzzy warmth spread through his body.

...

At the top of the mountain.

"I'm free! Finally, freedom." Levi raised his arms with a smile.

"Well, no point staying here." He began walking.

"Junior brother..." He heard a voice in the distance.

"... I have a bad feeling." Levi's face darkened as he walked as fast, but as quietly as he could.

"Why are you using this exit? There's a path close to our department that leads down the mountain." A female voice sounded.

"This is where I came up the first time. If I went down a different way, I would get lost." A boy said while humming.

"Oh. I forgot how hopeless you were..." The girl cupped her reddened face.

"But, senior brother, you will get lost either way..." Another girl said.

"..." The boy tripped.

"Hey! Even if it's the truth, watch your words!" Another girl said threateningly.

"Why are you being so loud? Can't you see you're annoying big brother?" Another girl clicked her tongue.

"'Big brother'? WHO ARE YOU ADDRESSING?" A girl's jaw dropped.

"How desperate are you?!" She crossed her arms.

"Can you not be so loud, old lady? Big brother likes the way I call him, isn't that so? See? it's saggy hags like you who should screw off." The girl sneered.

"Sag-You!!"

"Big brother?" The girl turned.

'That was his voice for sure! No mistake! I'm not getting caught up with him this time!' Levi thought.

"Hey! Is that you?" Adam shouted.

"Big brother? Who is that?" The girl followed Adam's gaze.

"W-Who? You've got the wrong person." Levi stiffened before continuing.

"Wait a minute!" Adam started running.

'As if I would listen to you!' Levi thought.

"Cloud step-Oaf!" Something crashed into him from behind.

"It is you! What was your name? Lean? Uhh... Lenny? Hmm. Lilith?" Adam tilted his head.

"... Get off me!" Levi shook him off.

'What the hell?! How did he catch me? How?!' Levi ground his teeth.

"Who is he, junior brother? Your f-friend?" A girl looked Levi up and down.

"Couldn't be..." Another one said.

"..." The entourage scrutinized him.

"What?" Levi's brows furrowed.

"Ugh..." Groans of discontent erupted.

"I-I just can't..."

" His eyes... Ugh, his fingernails!"

"And-Pft-What's with his hair! He should cut it."

They whispered among themselves.

'Are these people mentally challenged?' Levi closed his mouth.

"Hey, how come you're leaving?" Adam asked.

"... I'm doing material retrieval." Levi looked away as he crossed his arms.

'He'll never give up if I don't tell him.' He thought.

"You too?" Adam's grabbed his shoulder.

"Too?! You?!" It took a few seconds to sink in.

"Yeah. I'm doing the material retrieval assignment." Adam smiled.

"Why don't we-"

"No. No, never! Again!" Levi slapped his hand away. He pointed as he walked away.

"He did not just!"

"Humph. Junior brother doesn't need someone like that to drag him down."

'See? These people had their common sense sucked up by that jinx. I'm not about to have that happen to me.' Levi sped up.

"See you, seniors. Juniors!" Adam waved as he walked off.

"Good luck, junior brother!"

"I'll wait for you, so make sure you come back!"

"I love you, big brother!"

"..." The crowd went silent as their gazes shifted.

'This desperate... Sigh.' They shook their heads.

...

On the trail.

"..." Levi walked in silence. The crunching of fallen leaves sounded behind him.

"Stop following me!" He turned around.

"I'm not. This is the only track!" Adam waved as he looked to the side.

...

Night.

A fire crackled.

"... Why are you still here?" Levi's eyelid twitched.

"It's just a coincidence. With outside this dark, I can't complete my assignment." Adam sat on a large rock.

"I can understand that. What I don't understand is why you're eating my food." Levi ground his teeth.

"Oh. I was hung-"

"I never asked!" Levi threw a piece of cooked meat to the ground.

...

Evening.

"..." Levi ground his teeth as he walked.

"Are you telling me that this is also a coincidence? HM?" He closed his eyes.

"Just a coincidence." Adam whistled.

"..." A vein on his face burst.

Levi walked up the hill in silence.

"... That Innkeeper wanted to see you." He said.

"Oh. Ok." Adam nodded.

' You don't even know who I'm talking about.' Levi shook his head.

"Isn't that him right there? Hey!" Adam waved.

'... Is this guy smarter than I give him credit for?' Levi's eyes widened briefly.

"... And why is he always outside? Does he not have work to do?" Levi pinched his nose bridge.

"O-Oh..." The man glanced at Adam before refocusing.

Close to the port was an encirclement of people. Along with the occasional blue flashes.

"Huh? Why is a crowd down there?" Levi waked up.

"Two martial artists are fighting." The man said without a shift in his gaze.

"Huh. Do they all want to die? Standing around a fight like that is just begging for death." Levi crossed his arms.

"I would love to have a better look, but I have to stay here in case anyone wants anything..." The man craned his neck.

"Did you not hear what I just said? Don't you have more important things to do anyway?!" Levi glanced at him.

"Shh shh." The man raised a finger.

"Huh? What are you-"

"Young master!" Aria huffed as she ran, her brows furrowed.

"H-Huh? What did you call me?" Levi craned his neck as he cupped his ear.

"Come with me!" She grabbed his arm as she ran.

"Wha-What are you doing? You will get me exposed!" Levi shouted in a whisper.

"Nerezza!" Aria looked at him.

"What? What about her?" Levi's brows furrowed.

"She's fighting!" Only then did Levi notice a crusty line of dry blood at the corner of her lips.

"What? You're hurt?" He asked.

"I only got in the way. Help her, young master! He has a speer! I'm afraid..." Beads of sweat slid down Aria's face.

"Calm down." Levi gripped her shoulders.

"But-" Aria got cut off.

"I'll take care of it." Levi smiled. A mist-like Qi swept the crowd apart, creating a narrow path.

"Cough!" The end of a thick pole slammed into Nerezza's stomach, causing her to vomit a mouthful of blood.

"..." Levi stopped in his tracks.

"Young master?" Aria reached out, her face pale.

"Stop resisting. Did you think you could beat me because of this arm? Huh?!" With a spin of the speer, the end of the pole knocked Nerezza's head to the side with a 'thunk'.

"..." She panted as she picked herself up from the ground.

"...L-Levi?" Levi's presence drew her attention.

"..." Levi's pupils were paper thin as his eyes shone.

Veins squirmed on the backs of his hands as he stood deathly still.

"What are you doing?"