The power outage seemed to be resolved quickly.
The emergency power system, designed to kick in during electrical malfunctions, activated almost immediately.

However, when even the emergency system failed and darkness descended a second time,
the atmosphere inside grew tense, as if everyone had sensed something was wrong.

“What the…!”
“Quickly… restore the power…!”

Faint voices echoed from the hallway beyond the door.
It seemed they’d finally realized this wasn’t an accidental mishap but an intentional act.

With so many VIPs gathered here, an incident like this must feel like a knife at their throats.
Of course, when they figure out that the blackout is just the beginning… they might want to pass out entirely!

‘By the way, this fox mask Greg gave me is incredible. Even in this sudden darkness, I can see perfectly. Artifacts really are on another level.’

As I admired the fox mask’s ability to let me see clearly even in the dark, I turned to look at Sabrina.
She was already glancing around the room, her night vision seemingly fully adjusted.

Was it because she was a nocturnal bear beastman?
She didn’t seem to need much time to adapt to the darkness.

Her eyes faintly glowed in the dim light, likely due to her beastman traits. As I quietly observed her gaze, now tinged with unease, she leaned close and whispered into my ear.

“Fox, what’s the plan now? My idiot brother’s on the move. Do you have a next step?”
“….”

A plan? Of course, I still had one.

I’d already disabled Nemesis’s extremely tricky battle robot units.
As long as I made sure Lexi didn’t run into David, the game was practically over.

And how would I ensure they didn’t cross paths?
Simple. Since I had a rough idea of Lexi’s current location, I could just lure her outside for a while when David passed through.

There was no need to fight her head-on. Lexi was obsessed with Raven anyway.
If I brought him up as an excuse, she’d likely play along.

‘Alright, let’s head that way.’

I carefully closed the ceiling panel I had opened earlier and motioned for Sabrina to follow me.

Having watched me disable the battle robots earlier, she seemed to trust me enough not to question my actions. She nodded quietly and trailed after me.

‘With such a massive power outage, sleep gas will probably start flooding the area soon. Thankfully, the gas is heavier than air, so it won’t reach this high up near the ceiling. Still, it’s better to be prepared just in case.’

I glanced at Sabrina from head to toe as she crawled behind me.
She was dressed simply, in a hoodie and what looked like just underwear underneath—likely thrown on in a hurry.

Taking off my jacket and vest, I handed her the lighter vest.
It was meant to cover her nose and mouth if she inhaled any sleep gas.

“What is this for…? Wait, what?! Are you telling me to shove my face into the clothes you’ve been wearing…!”
“…?”
“Ugh, fine! I guess I don’t have a choice!”

Sorry if it’s unpleasant.
I gave her a slight apologetic bow, and she seemed to begrudgingly accept the situation. Sabrina grabbed the vest with a flustered expression, her face reddening.

‘At least this way she won’t pass out from the sleep gas. Alright, time to go mess with Lexi.’

Removing my tie and stuffing it into my pants pocket, I continued crawling slowly along the narrow ceiling space with Sabrina in tow.

While I could have used telekinesis to move faster, doing so would have prevented me from hearing any noises below. This cautious crawl was the best option.

How long had we been moving through this dark, cramped space?
Just as I felt we were nearing Lexi’s location, a sudden, startling noise erupted.

Whip! Crack!

‘Wait… that’s… a whip sound!’

It was unmistakable.
The distinct noise of a whip breaking the sound barrier, creating a small sonic boom, was impossible to miss.

And in this building, there was only one person who would use a whip as a weapon.
I quickly opened a ceiling panel to peek down and assess the situation.

‘…Why?’

My mind blanked in shock.
The scene below showed David and Lexi facing off, staring each other down.

David, you’re not supposed to be here right now.

As the lights flickered, gradually returning to normal, I frantically racked my brain to piece together what had gone wrong.

‘Could it be because Sabrina didn’t meet Raven and give him her request?’

Let’s think this through. In the original story, Sabrina had asked Raven to stop David.
Raven, with his sharp observational skills, had successfully tracked David as he planted gas devices throughout the hotel, cornering him at the last moment.

But now, Sabrina hadn’t met Raven, leaving David unchecked.
So, without any interference, David had managed to reach the VIP banquet hall right as the blackout began.

‘Damn it! This original storyline is useless!’

I felt like tearing my hair out.

I’d planned to keep Lexi away from David by luring her elsewhere, but they’d already run into each other before I had the chance!

The precarious situation seemed to be spiraling into a complete disaster.

But while I was panicking silently from above, the scene below unfolded without care for my distress.

Having already exchanged a move or two, Lexi licked her lips seductively, her eyes glinting with wild excitement as she addressed David.

“You’ve got decent reflexes. Are you a fixer? Did you cause this little blackout?”
“…I have no reason to answer you.”
“Oh, really? Hmm… I wonder if you’ll say the same thing with my whip tightening around your neck?”

Yikes, terrifying.
Even from this distance, I could see the madness in Lexi’s eyes. She truly embodied the phrase “queen of chaos.”

“Snake, bite!”

Whoosh! Crack!

Lexi flicked her whip toward David with a casual motion, as if swatting away a nearby fly.
But the result was anything but casual.

“What… what the hell is that?!”

Sabrina, watching nervously beside me, gasped in shock.
The whip had left deep gouges in the walls and floor near David, as though struck by a massive axe.

It was hard to believe such destruction came from an ordinary-looking black leather whip.
But it wasn’t ordinary at all—it was an artifact from another world.

‘A snake that bites flesh,’ huh? I’d heard it was one of the ego weapons with a will of its own... This is insane. How can a whip be that powerful?’

For an ordinary person, one strike would have torn flesh, broken bones, and left them incapable of fighting.

But perhaps because David was a bear beastman with a naturally sturdy body,
even as blood dripped from his wounds under Lexi’s merciless attacks, he crossed his arms and clashed his fists together, shouting:

“Shock!”
“What?!”

Boom!
A shockwave burst forth from the space between David’s fists, hurtling straight at Lexi.

The force was like a violent storm tearing through the air, and Lexi had no choice but to be swept up by the unexpected attack.

‘That’s… David’s circuit magic!’

I couldn’t help but admire his strength.

Circuit magic.
It was a rare form of magic, practiced by only a few beings who had crossed into this world.
To put it simply, it was like modifying one’s body into a living artifact, enabling the use of magic through physical enhancements.

David, though lacking innate mana capacity, was a beastman with exceptional magical talent.
By inscribing his unique circuit magic onto his body and armor, he was able to wield magic freely.

Of course, while circuit magic was unique, it wasn’t particularly efficient.
Prioritizing extreme optimization, it lacked the raw power of traditional magic.

To give a crude analogy, while others wielded guns and cannons, circuit magic was like melting down a gun to create a steel slingshot.

It only thrived because this world’s ambient mana density was far higher than that of Earth, where traditional magic would’ve been unrestricted.

“Haha! Magic without any mana signatures…! What are you, a circuit magician? It’s been a while since I’ve been caught off guard like this!”

But the limitations of circuit magic were evident.
Even though the shockwave had struck Lexi head-on, leaving her hair disheveled, she didn’t seem seriously hurt.

In fact, the attack had only served to rile her up. Her previously bored expression now radiated a dangerous energy.

‘David won’t be able to handle her….’

David wasn’t trained in proper combat.
He was a pure-hearted romantic, driven solely by his desire to rescue his childhood friend.

On the other hand, Lexi was a high-level fixer who had fought countless brutal battles during the war against otherworldly invaders.
Their skills weren’t even in the same league.

“Fine! Then I’ll keep attacking until you fall!”
“Idiot! Do you think I’d fall for the same trick twice?”

And just as I feared, the tide turned against David.

Anticipating his next moves, Lexi deftly dodged his shockwaves, gliding smoothly across the ground and whipping her weapon with abandon.

Twice, three times, four times... Despite his bear beastman resilience, Lexi’s relentless attacks began to take their toll on David.
Even his unmatched endurance had its limits.

“Damn… my leg…”

David’s clothes were already in tatters, and blood dripped from the wounds visible through the torn fabric.
Finally, one of his legs gave out, and he fell to his knees.

To Lexi, David was now nothing more than a helpless prey.
With a powerful flick of her wrist, her whip coiled around his arms, legs, and neck, restraining him completely.

“Grrk!”
“Gotcha! Now, let’s see… how do bear beastmen scream? I’m dying to find out!”

No matter how tough David was, the strength of her restraint was overwhelming.
Lexi pulled her whip tight and rushed forward, intent on finishing him off.

If this continued, David would be at her mercy!
I was prepared to use telekinesis if I had to, steeling myself for the inevitable.

But just as I was about to act, Sabrina, who had been twitching anxiously like a cat ready to pounce, finally lost her patience and leapt from the ceiling.

“Stop hurting my brother!”
“…What?”
“Huh?”

Green mana spilled from Sabrina’s tiny fist, clenched so tightly it looked white.
She swung her small hand downward with all her strength.

Crash!
Her strike, imbued with all her mana, created a small crater in the floor and sent dust flying everywhere.

An attack exploiting a brief opening where Lexi might’ve dealt serious damage.
Perhaps wary of this unexpected interference, Lexi frowned and retreated slightly.

This brief reprieve created a heartwarming reunion between the siblings.
David, visibly exhausted from Lexi’s relentless assault, looked at Sabrina and managed to speak.

“Sabrina… how did you….”
“Hah… hah… Because you were doing something reckless… I came to save you!”
“I told you to go home! This place is far too dangerous for you. You could die here!”

Of course, Sabrina’s presence was terrible news for David.
In a plan as risky as this one, having his timid sister involved was a nightmare for someone as protective as him.

But Sabrina, forcing a smile, calmly replied to her brother’s scolding.

“Stupid brother. It’s not about being able to do it; it’s about having to do it. I love Rayne, but I love you just as much, David!”

Her heart burned like fire.
David’s unwavering determination to save Rayne had passed to his once-naïve sister.

When there’s something you absolutely must do, you move forward without compromise or hesitation.
Sabrina had learned to embrace this mindset, ready to overcome any obstacle to protect what was precious to her!

“Ha, what is this, some kind of elementary school play? That your little sister?” Lexi scoffed.
“Then if I torture your adorable sibling, you’ll surrender, right?”
“…Tch.”

But reality was cruel, far from Sabrina’s idealism.
Her dramatic entry hadn’t truly changed anything.

Having burned all her mana in that single punch, she was now utterly drained.
Her interference had bought only a few seconds—a brief, insignificant respite.

But those few seconds were enough to change David’s fate.

Good job, Sabrina.
I thought as much, suppressing my tension and leaping gracefully from the ceiling.

“Huh? You’re… that kid from before, with Jin?” Lexi said, spotting me.

I didn’t respond.
Wearing only my dress shirt and slacks now, I must’ve looked unassuming.

But the fox mask on my face and my tied-up white hair were unmistakable.
Lexi stared at me, clearly questioning why I was here.

This was the critical moment.
The one I had agonized over, preparing for endlessly.
The time to enact the final gamble—the only path to a happy ending for David.