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　　"Are you sure we should do it? If he isn't here, then we could just end up making him more cautious and even harder to capture than before. The barrier isn't invisible, I'm still working on making it so, at the moment it'll have a purple hue when activated, making it very, very noticeable, especially considering that all our other active barriers are invisible. If he isn't here and hears about it, it's only natural that he'll assume that it's a barrier that can detect his Nullification," Pointed out Luell skeptically. 

  　　"Yeah, I get that, but we can't let him keep running wild indefinitely. A lot of the victims in the last couple of years resulted during crowded events, so it's quite possible that he'll show up. This is our first time hosting the tournament in four years, and considering how many people he's killed and devoured, he's bound to be confident enough to come here," I reasoned in response. 

  　　"I must agree, there is no sense in being defensive……we must be proactive instead of reactive. Otherwise, the peace that Lord Kuro worked so hard to obtain will be destroyed before much longer. We have kept all recent Reincarnators under strict surveillance under the guise of protection, but most of them have likely figured out the real reason……we want to prevent another of them turning out like the Spectre," Added Jhin grimly. 

  　　"This barrier is still a work-in-progress though. It works as intended, but it's too inefficient, it consumes a huge amount of Mana to maintain, most of the nation will go dark if it's up for an extended period of time. Even if our Mana power plant is at full capacity and solely focused on maintaining this barrier, it'll get sucked dry in less than a couple of hours," Replied Luell apprehensively. 

  　　"And? That may prove to somewhat inconvenience many, but in the big picture, it is a minor issue. We can replenish the Mana supply in a matter of days if it is fully drained," Countered Jhin objectively. 

  　　"Right, there's no discussing this any further, we're going through with it. Are the watches and glasses ready?" I asked Luell. 

  　　"Yeah, they are. I've got a total of thirty of each ready for use," He informed me. 

  　　The watches and glasses I mentioned are devices that'll be linked to this new barrier, and display the location of the target. 

  　　The effect of this barrier is to detect any spots where its detection is blocked. In other words, if the Spectre has his Nullification active, it'll immediately detect that spot and keep track of it. And if someone suddenly appears in that spot, as in if he deactivates his Nullification, it'll lock onto him immediately. 

  　　That location will then be shared to those wearing the linked watches, which'll indicate his location with a blinking light. And as for the glasses, they're to make sure that his invisibility won't keep him hidden. 

  　　While wearing the glasses, a red hued silhouette will appear in the user's field of vision at the spot where the target is, so even if he's invisible, they'll be able to see exactly where he is. Sure, they won't be able to see what he's doing or what kind of attack he's charging up, but just knowing where he is will make a huge difference. 

  　　What's more, we've also made sure that both Shiro and Siterra are in their respective nations……but we've linked them to summoning Spell Cards that'll bring them here in an instant, if necessary. 

  　　We figured that the two of them may prove to be deterrents that could keep the Spectre from coming here, so we had them state that they'll be staying in their nations, in case the Spectre targets and attacks them during the tournament.

  　　Who knows, maybe he'll realize that that's a trap and stay away regardless……but we have absolutely no leads to go on, the guy's been elusive as hell, and hasn't even left a trace in any of his crime scenes. 

  　　Over a hundred people have fallen victim to his killing spree over the past three years, enough is enough. It's high time we capture and kill him. 

  　　"You know, I've been wondering……what if he's living out in the open as a normal person, using transform to assume someone else's appearance?" Suggested Luell with a frown. 

  　　"Can't be. The Support Magic transform can only be used for an hour per day, and it only changes the user's outward appearance. Their power level, Mana signature and abilities don't change," I pointed out in response. 

  　　"Indeed, and even if that is what he is doing, if he were using his Nullification, he would not be able to register his Mana signature upon entry, not without undoing his Nullification. And doing so would immediately register him as a new Reincarnator, so he will not do that. All new Reincarnators who visit have their power levels scanned, so he will not risk that," Added Jhin in agreement, before bringing up, "Now, then……when shall we get started?" 

  　　"How about right after today's leg of the tournament is over?" I suggested, after mulling it over. 

  　　"Yes, very well," Nodded Jhin after a brief pause. 

  　　"Oh, but if any deaths are detected, then we activate it immediately. Start handing out the glasses and watches to our best right away, including the two of us, of course," I remarked. 

  　　"Alright, got it," Agreed Luell affirmatively. 

  　　"Okay, the plan's set. Here's hoping it works as intended……," I said with a grimace…… 

  　　———————————————————————————
　　Point-of-View: Damien Romer

  　　———————————————————————————
　　Wow……they're all so weak. Every last one of the competitors this year are absurdly weak. I guess the nations want to have their strongest fighters staying back, in case I use this opportunity to target those nations.

  　　Shiro Blanc is in the Rustlands, and the Earth Sage Siterra is in Idyll, apparently because they're afraid of me. Perfect. Normally, since this tournament is such a big event, leaders from all the nations show up to watch, but this time, that doesn't seem to be the case. 

  　　I've combed the area in and around the stadium, and I haven't sensed anyone who's more powerful than I am. So, who should I target? 

  　　A random, average Adventurer? Or a bigger fish? Perhaps Rai Rumel? There's also Key Angor, his girlfriend, and a pretty powerful being in her own right. Or do I go for the strongest one here, the Demon Jhin? 

  　　Heh, or do I get greedy and target all three? I bet my base power level will jump all the way past 150,000 if I do, giving my True Anima form a power level of over 300,000!

  　　That'll make me stronger than the Earth Sage, putting me just one stop below reaching Shiro Blanc's level of power. And once he's gone, I'll……oops, getting a bit ahead of myself there, gotta stay focused. 

  　　I'll play it safe and only target one person, and then leave. So, the question is……who do I target? All three of the strongest ones, Rai, Key and Jhin, are in the stadium, watching the tournament. 

  　　I'll follow them once today's part of the tournament wraps up, and then target whichever one of them is alone first. 

  　　Yeah, sounds like a plan. And on the way out, if I encounter any above average Adventurers, I'll target them too. My maximum limit is four hearts per day, any more and I'll end up puking my guts out. 

  　　I've eaten so, so many human hearts in the last three years, and that part of the process still grosses me out. Especially since the vast majority of those only gave me average boosts to my power level. 

  　　Still, my Elemental Magic has been strengthened by leaps and bounds, my output is probably on par with the best of them right now. 

  　　Oh, looks like the first round of the tournament is wrapping up, they'll leave the stadium any minute now. If they teleport back to the castle, that's fine too, I can sneak in no problem. 

  　　It's not too far from the stadium, I can get there in a few seconds by spamming teleport. I can hardly wait. 

  　　Whichever of the three I've picked out that I end up selecting as my next target, they'll be my biggest prey since……huh, actually, they'll be my biggest prey ever, at least in terms of sheer power level. 

  　　Lily Curran had a power level close to 40,000, if I remember right, and none of my other victims even came close. With my current potential victims, all three of them have power levels above that. 

  　　After this, I think I'll head to Idyll and target their current leader, Esta Grefiel. Soon enough, no one will be able to stand in my way…… 

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  　　Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!

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