Shogo cracked his knuckles and sneered.

"Demonstration? Sure. I've been dying for some action."

"You won't chicken out, right?"

"After all, we can be resurrected, huh?"

"If you're scared, that just proves you're a lying sack of—"

The smile stretched wider across his face.

Perfect. Whether Chishiya accepts or backs out, he wins either way.

If he accepts, Shogo would just kill him. If he refuses, he proves he's a fraud.

So either way, the advantage is his…

Or so he thought.

Because the moment he finished thinking that—

Chishiya simply smiled.

"Sounds good. Let's begin."

Shogo's expression dropped.

He clenched his jaw, clearly annoyed by Chishiya's composure.

Even Kyoya and Kirara beside him looked surprised at first.

But then they smirked.

After all, in terms of raw power, Shogo wasn't even inferior to that old nun from the Holy Church—Hinata Sakaguchi.

There's no way a random city manager could be a match for him.

This would be entertaining to watch.

"Mr. Vanir, what should we do…?"

Wiz fidgeted nervously.

Problem customers were her weakness. If it were her, she'd be in full panic mode by now.

Vanir chuckled and pushed up his mask.

"Fascinating. So this is their little plan."

Wiz tilted her head. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Nothing," Vanir replied, his grin widening as he gazed at the trio.

"I just look forward to seeing their faces when it all goes up in smoke."

"Delicious negative emotions incoming."

——————

Ten minutes later.

A massive crystal screen lit up in the middle of the square.

It was made of the same material as the crystal ball Chishiya had once taken from Gelmud.

With the help of [Great Sage]'s analysis, Chishiya had reverse-engineered a broadcast screen. He even improved it to include live audio.

The square was packed.

All eyes were glued to the screen, chatter buzzing everywhere.

"Damn, that guy's got guts. What if the resurrection thing's fake? Isn't he gambling with his life?"

"The boss must be confident. With a whole crowd watching, wouldn't he be scared of messing up?"

"I don't get it. Guess we just wait and see. I still don't buy this resurrection stuff though."

"Same here, but why would he lie at a moment like this?"

Meanwhile, Chishiya and Shogo had already entered the Labyrinth.

When they reached the first-floor lobby, Shogo froze.

Reception desk. Lounge. Semi-open bar.

It looked like the lobby of a luxury hotel.

What the hell?

Why do these monsters get to live like this?!

And me—a "chosen one"—I'm stuck being controlled like a pawn?

Not even allowed to live freely?

He scanned the lavish interior. Greed flared in his eyes.

Boom. Boom.

The central stone door slowly opened.

Chishiya stepped through first.

Shogo followed behind, eyes sharp with murderous intent.

I'll kill you. Then everything here will be mine.

The heavy doors sealed shut behind them.

Chishiya turned around, still smiling politely.

"Dear guest, before we begin, I should inform you."

"Even though you'll be resurrected afterward… the pain doesn't go away."

"So I recommend mentally preparing yourself."

Shogo shrugged indifferently.

His Berserker ability, when activated, granted him overwhelming speed and strength.

Even the court mage Razen once said his strength rivaled that of Hinata Sakaguchi, Paladin Commander of the Western Holy Church.

She was a fellow otherworlder, reportedly as strong as a Demon Lord.

So why should he fear a guy like Chishiya?

Shogo sneered.

"Hey. You said we can be resurrected, right?"

"Then you won't mind if I kill you first, right?"

Back in the square—

Everyone watching the screen fell silent.

"Whoa. Did he just say he's going to kill the boss?"

"Damn, that guy's crazy. So that's why he agreed to the demonstration…"

"Haha! What a twist! This is like watching a real match!"

"That boss is in trouble now. No way he saw this coming."

"Wait… does this guy hate the boss or something? He's going full murder mode."

The crowd held its breath.

Everyone was waiting for Chishiya's reaction.

After all, anyone could see this guy was clearly here to start trouble.

Surely the boss would lose his temper, right?

But...

Chishiya didn't even flinch.

That same professional smile stayed on his face.

"No problem, guest. Whoever dies can be the demonstration subject."

"Ready? Then let's begin."

Shogo's eyelids twitched.

That calm response caught him off guard.

Tch. Let's see how long you can keep that smug face.

His expression darkened.

"Fine then—let's go!"

"Berserker—Activate!"

An intense surge of aura erupted from him.

Speed, power, perception—all maxed out in an instant.

He was in his peak state.

"DIE!"

He surged forward—

Just as Chishiya casually raised his hand and made a finger-gun gesture.

Huh?

Shogo blinked. Was he joking?

And in that exact moment—less than 0.01 seconds later—

BOOM—!!!

A deafening sonic boom shook the air.

Then—

SPLAT.

A shockwave hit him like a sledgehammer.

Flesh burst open.

Right before everyone's stunned eyes…

Shogo's entire upper body exploded.

A bloody spray coated the ground.

Only his lower half remained standing.

"!!!"

Kyoya and Kirara's eyes nearly popped out of their skulls.

Shogo… was dead.

Not even a counterattack. Instant kill.

They knew exactly how powerful he was.

Shogo could go toe-to-toe with Special A-Class monsters.

And he was an isekai cheat-holder.

Yet this… native just nuked him in a single strike?!

Silence.

The entire square held its breath.

"Dead… he's dead?"

"Wait, what kind of magic was that?! There was no chant, no cast animation!"

"That was insane…"

"I swear the boss was just holding back this whole time…"

"But—can he really be revived? He's literally in two pieces."

All eyes stayed glued to the screen.

If Shogo was really dead, this would turn into a massive scandal.

And then—

Chishiya stepped forward on the screen.

"Thank you, everyone, for supporting our brave guest!"

"Actually, I hired him ahead of time to demonstrate the Labyrinth's resurrection feature."

"He'll show us firsthand whether someone with such severe injuries can be brought back."

"I should warn you, the process is extremely painful."

"This adventurer is truly selfless!"

"I hope everyone gives him a warm round of applause!"

Chishiya clutched his chest and stomped the ground in mock emotion, eyes gleaming with fake gratitude.

The voice wasn't even trying to be subtle.

It was all emotion. Zero technique.

(To be continued.)

***

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