The Freak Show Foreman

Two demons charged at each other again.

The reaper wrapped his body tightly, folding his fluttering wings, while Wonderstein discarded his cumbersome coat and hat, lightening his body.

The fight resumed.

Sharp friction and fierce explosions followed one after another.

The battle continued to unfold in favor of the reaper.

Wonderstein was busy dodging the demon's attacks.

Given her keen eye for martial arts, Ella could recognize the desperate determination in his movements.

The words he had just uttered.

It was the first time he had poured out his inner thoughts.

The kindness and smiles towards the members.

Was it his genuine sincerity, not pretense?

Thanks to that, she had one more thing she wanted to ask him.

But at this rate, she would die before he could answer her question.

The reaper's scythe had a wide attack range, but once he attacked, there was an opening.

Cleverly, the reaper placed the opening within the range of his next attack.

Because of this, Wonderstein couldn't recklessly step into it.

She couldn't understand him.

You… fool?

It's a matter of life and death.

But what does a few memories matter…?

If he had used a strategy to stall until sunrise, she would have understood.

But he continued to attack as if he lacked time.

Watching the duel, she could understand why he rushed the fight.

At some point, his recovery speed noticeably slowed down.

His seemingly invincible strength also had a time limit.

She should have noticed from the fact that he didn't use his specialty, body modification.

It was clear that he had poured all his resources into enhancing his current physical abilities.

Swoosh.

The reaper's scythe swiftly slashed past his shoulder.

[Tissue Resilience: 6.0->5.0］

He lost experience points again.

Wonderstein hesitated for a moment before quickly preparing for the next attack.

Ella sighed deeply in frustration.

What had just been taken from him?

Memories of preparing the script together?

Or memories of fighting against the Ghost together?

Memories of performing together on stage?

But… why 'together'?

Ella blushed.

Unintentionally, she prioritized memories of being together with him.

There's no way memories with her would be that prominent.

Logically, happy memories should be memories with a lover.

'Didn't he and Vergsong share a memory?

Surely, the time when he shared love with her…'

Lost in her absurd thoughts, Wonderstein leaped back into the scythe's range again.

He aimed to seize the opportunity to attack the opponent.

Ella watched him with a frustrated gaze.

His attack and evasion techniques were perfect.

They could be straight from a textbook.

But because of momentary judgment and hesitation, he always missed opportunities.

Even now.

He had several chances, but he couldn't seize them.

That stupid human.

Unable to bear it any longer, she stood up and shouted.

"What are you doing! You should have turned right there!"

But her voice came out much softer than she had thought.

Her frozen throat had not fully loosened yet.

Trying to shout a few more times, only the sound of her throat tearing could be heard.

Just as she prepared to speak, his voice reached her.

'Ella?'

It sounded like he was speaking right next to her.

While looking around, Ella saw him still fighting far away.

'What, what's going on? How are you doing this?'

It's another one of my magic tricks. Even if we're far apart, I can convey sound as if I'm right next to you.'

'What?'

'Fortunately, that horned rabbit won't hear. If you have something to say, go ahead.'

The ability he was currently using was a reward unlocked after the Rose Windmill Cabaret's competition ended and the Circus's reputation surpassed 150.

It was a new member management ability called 'Sound Room', following the 'Dressing Room'.

Like the Dressing Room, this ability was useful for performances. Discover more content at empire

In the member management window, you could adjust the amplification and blocking of sounds for each target, amplifying the sounds of individual members, blocking out unwanted noise during performances, or delivering instructions to specific actors backstage.

Just like now, if Ella's voice was blocked for other targets and the equalizer was adjusted to 'conversation' for Wonderstein alone, it would be like having a 1:1 voice chat telepathically.

'It's a fascinating magic. But how come I'm not hearing you talking?'

'Uh… just because.'

Wonderstein blinked at the notification that popped up in front of him.

["Achievement unlocked: 'Can you hear me?' quest completed."]

The "Can you hear me?" quest was a device that the system used to inform him of the desires of the members.

Ella, unaware of it, continued to focus on him even as he fought.

Blushing slightly, she muttered in a low voice.

'Just glancing around, all you do is keep getting hit.'

'Just getting hit, huh? I've had a few hits too.'

'Noisy. Trying to assert your pride. You haven't landed a decisive blow yet. Do you even have any intention of winning?'

'Of course, I do.'

'Hmph. After work, you promised to answer my question. You're not going to claim memory loss from getting hit, are you?'

'That's not it.'

'Alright. From now on, move as I say. You don't have much time to exert your strength.'

'…How did you know?'

'Hmph. You're giving away that you're in a hurry. Don't you think the other side also knows? So let's finish this quickly!'

'Hehe, alright. Shall we see your skills? Give me your instructions.'

'Leave it to me!'

The reaper nudged Wonderstein to the left with his scythe.

His opponent moved so easily in the direction he wanted.

Indeed, he was a human with excellent skills but poor foresight.

The reaper pushed the handle from the opposite side of the stabbed scythe, directing it in the same direction as the opponent moved.

That's when his breathing changed.

Wonderstein, with agile movements he hadn't shown before, immediately stepped to the left to dodge and lunged towards his opponent's scythe.

As if he had read his opponent's moves.

Thanks to that, the scythe, which was about to swing, was blocked from the handle.

'Kik! W-What is this…?'

'Now's the time! One-two!'

Following Ella's instructions, Wonderstein unleashed a barrage of left-right punches.

Knowing his opponent's incredible strength, the reaper quickly bent his waist backward.

He was taken aback by the sudden attack, but he had a technique to deal with it.

His tongue…

Ella didn't forget what it had caught earlier.

'Don't chase after his head! Strike his abdomen with your knee!'

Wonderstein acted according to her instructions.

Thud.

The reaper's waist was broken.

He extended his tongue, only to have it bitten by teeth.

"Kkiik!"

Spitting out his severed tongue, the reaper rolled back a few times.

He looked at Wonderstein with suspicion.

'What's going on? It feels like someone else suddenly took over.'

'You've become too predictable to play with. Let's finish this.'

His provocation made the reaper grit his teeth.

However, regardless of his emotions, his response was calm.

He knew that there was a time constraint on Wonderstein's power.

Rushing in head-on would only result in more losses for him.

So, he reverted to his initial strategy, calmly deflecting his attacks to buy time.

Of course, Ella didn't stand idly by.

With unparalleled foresight and judgment never seen before, she constantly pushed him.

Thanks to Ella's help, their duel reached an impasse.

A relentless exchange of blows ensued.

'What should we do? He doesn't fall for provocations either. At this rate, my stamina will run out first.'

'I, I know…there isn't enough time to injure him severely.'

At that moment, Wonderstein noticed Valentina waking up from unconsciousness.

She was standing, supporting a man who seemed to be her companion.

Both of them looked at Wonderstein, who was fighting the reaper, with faces of disbelief.

"Miss Valentina!"

"Did you call?"

She straightened up and looked at him with wide eyes.

Wonderstein chuckled at seeing her like that.

"Do you know any other way to defeat the reaper?"

At his question, Valentina stared at him for a moment, then shouted.

"The gate! Push him back into the abyssal veil! But more than that, just stall for time…"

"We don't have time for that! Thank you!"

Wonderstein didn't miss the reaper's momentary confusion.

Her words seemed to be true.

'Did you hear, Ella?'

'Tell me honestly. How much power do you have left?'

'Well, about 10 minutes?'

'We're cutting it close. Let's do our best!'

The reaper had to keep retreating towards the gate, knowing what his opponent was aiming for.

Ella continued to force him with two options.

The reaper had to choose between suffering significant damage or retreating towards the gate he came from.

The reaper inevitably chose the latter option.

He didn't have a compelling reason to kill his opponent. After all, this was just an outing he took for amusement, and there was nothing to regret about withdrawing at this point.

It would have been more problematic if he had chosen the former and ended up suffering fatal injuries, risking his life needlessly.

'But retreating like this is too much of a blow to my pride. Let me take one more thing with me.'

The reaper turned the black cloth that had been protecting his body into the shape of wings once again.

And he had secretly prepared a technique using it.

He had decided in advance whom to use it against and at what timing.

'Now's the time! Charge!'

'Understood!'

Now, the fluttering black curtain was positioned right behind Noua Zakanuba.

Wonderstein pushed him back with a storm-like assault.

The reaper had been waiting for this moment.

He swiftly released the black cloth hanging behind him like a long tail, flying towards his target like lightning.

Directly towards Valentina, who was supporting Bayern!

"Oops!"

Even Ella had not anticipated this move.

Because the cape attached to the reaper's back had not been expected to deform to such an extent.

"Ah, Captain!"

"Valentina!"

In an instant, she, wrapped in the black cloth, was pulled towards Noua Zakanuba.

Bayern reached out to her, but couldn't grasp her, and ended up collapsing to the ground, coughing up blood.

Wonderstein tried to rush forward to grab her, but the reaper extended his hand, restraining him.

"If you come any closer, I'll jump into the gate."

"Ugh, I-I'm sorry. I've, I've been caught."

If he moved suddenly, Valentina would be in danger.

Wonderstein had no choice but to watch the reaper's actions from afar.

The reaper dragged Valentina to a position where he could throw her into the gate with a single flick of his foot.

Then, he untied the black cloth and wrapped it around his weapon.

Ella realized what he was about to do.

It was the long-range snipe that he had prepared.

The reaper poured all his remaining energy from the black wings into his scythe.

Then he aimed it at Wonderstein, preparing to snipe.

"Please stand there quietly and take it. If you dodge, I'll throw this woman into the gate."

The reaper's intentions were clear.

If Wonderstein took the hit and died or suffered a fatal injury, he would have achieved his goal of killing him, and if Wonderstein managed to block it, he would simply retreat into the Abyss.

'What happens if you gets hit? Can you block it?'

'I don't know…'

Wonderstein had seen his Tissue Resilience drop from 6.0 to 5.0 earlier. Consequently, his boosted abilities had also decreased from 12.0 to 10.0. Could he block such an attack with his current defensive capabilities?

The reaper grinned, baring his teeth.

While a long-range snipe didn't have the absolute severing power of a direct attack, if he focused all his strength into the snipe, it would have similar power.

Even if he couldn't kill, he could definitely inflict a fatal injury.

He launched the prepared snipe at Wonderstein.

The black crescent attack silently cleaved through the air.

"Haha! Take this! If you dodge, this woman dies… Huh?"

The reaper looked down at his feet in surprise.

The woman was gone.

She had been taken away by someone who had been hiding near him.

Someone who had seized the opportunity to rescue her.

"Now's the time!"

The person who lifted Valentina was none other than Knight Ivanenko.

After laying Maya on the bed and giving her a sedative to calm her down, he came here to join the fight.

However, seeing their confrontation, he judged it wasn't a fight he should intervene in and quietly hid, only watching for the right moment to intervene.

But seeing Valentina in danger, he seized the chance and rescued her, unnoticed by the reaper.

"Haha! That guy…!"

Being pushed to his limits, the reaper hadn't detected him.

The reaper reflexively tried to chase after them again.

But he couldn't.

Taking advantage of the opportunity created by Ivanenko, Wonderstein dodged the snipe and immediately rushed towards the reaper.

"Well done, Knight Ivanenko!"

His fist approached the reaper's eyes.

For the first time in his life, Noua Zakanuba screamed in terror.

"Kkieeek!"

Wonderstein smiled as he looked at him.

"Goodbye, reaper."

His fist pierced through the reaper's forehead.

Thunk. Squelch.

His skull shattered, and blood, flesh, and brain matter exploded like fireworks.