Knowing it was in his best interest to blend in, he opted for an all-black ensemble typical of college students (consisting of a comfortable hoodie, and well-worn jeans that hugged his frame without drawing too much attention.) 

After all, he was 20 now. 

Normally, he leaned toward bold graphic designs that reflected his personality, but today was different; he needed anonymity. 

With careful fingers, he had applied concealer to his scar, rendering it nearly invisible, and arranged his bangs to slightly obscure his right eye, offering additional cover.

 To further mask his distinct features, he wore dark brown contact lenses with a built in hologram that hid his heterochromia, blending him into the sea of strangers. 

He had to admit, the colored lenses were the least comfortable part. 

As soon as he heard the automated voice from the metro stating the stop, he finally exited the vehicle, making his way into the city. 

His plan was to mask his face entirely once he was closer to his destination, and so he made sure to slide his mask over his face and pull his hood over his head once he was away from the bustling nightlife, the sun beginning to set. 

He had actually gotten to design the mask himself, and he loved the unique concept he had conjured up for it. 

The hard mask resembled the face of a clock, and he could see through small peepholes hidden within two of the Roman numerals on the clock. 

As he approached the castle grounds, the ancient structure looming ahead, a wave of curiosity washed over him. He found it peculiar that, in the high-tech 31st century, any leader would choose to reside in a castle.

Nonetheless, he was grateful for the unique landmark that made it easier to navigate from the crowded cityscape. With each step closer, he braced himself for what lay ahead. 

Was he prepared? No way in hell.

He was sleep deprived, in a pissy mood, and well-aware of the danger this mission posed to his safety. 

He'd likely have to engage in a brutal face-off with multiple guards. 

With a sigh, he retrieved his iPhone from his pocket and scrolled through his camera roll, examining the peculiar map that had been sent to him through airdrop earlier. 

"How does my boss even have this kind of shit…?" Kasai muttered under his breath, studying what appeared to be some sort of intricately designed garden. 

It struck him as odd that such a high-profile figure would choose a garden—a space typically associated with tranquility and beauty—as a rendezvous point. 

Especially an unguarded one right in the open.

Nevertheless, curiosity caused him to push aside his hesitation, and he set off to follow the winding paths marked on the map.

"Enchanté," he whispered softly into the still air, summoning the shimmering hologram of his potion list. It flickered to life before him, casting a faint glow in the dim light

This wasn't just any hologram; it was a rare artifact that was almost mythical in its accessibility. 

He had chosen the summoning word himself, since he thought that it had a catchy meaning.

The list detailed forbidden black magic spells—dark incantations that had been entirely outlawed. 

For the past decade, since the creatures of the underworld had begun to wreak havoc, authorities had stripped public access to any form of black magic due to its association with the creatures, and the ruler had deemed it punishable by death. 

Given his boss's shady status, he knew he shouldn't be shocked that such a resource was within reach, but it still ignited a flicker of astonishment within him that it was right at his fingertips whenever he wanted it.

He carefully selected an invisibility spell after making sure to slide on his gloves, weaving it into the fabric of his clothes and the contours of his mask, effectively cloaking himself from sight. 

As the spell took hold, an ethereal shimmer enveloped him, rendering his form completely undetectable. If he hadn't covered himself completely before using this powerful enchantment, he would have remained a floating face, which would've probably made any onlookers piss their pants.

The effect in question was limited to inanimate objects, allowing it to interact only with those rather than with living beings. This peculiarity offered a significant advantage, despite the inconvenience of it only being limited to objects. 

As long as a person was cloaked beneath a layer of regular material, the magic would take hold seamlessly. 

Everything had its limitations, so he didn't really have any complaints, and if the mask came off, at least his unique traits were being disguised by makeup and contacts. 

He carefully maneuvered through the dense underbrush, sliding past the gnarled branches that loomed close, their rough bark scraping against his clothes.

 Every step was deliberate, his heart pounding in his chest as he focused intently on not making a sound. 

The glowing dot on his screen flickered like a distant star, drawing him deeper into the shadows of the forest. He took a moment to steady his breath and gathered his thoughts before he quickly opened his texts with his boss and typed in a message.

Kasai:Is there a reason why I was given the hardest possible path? (¬_¬")

Kasai quickly pressed send and awaited a reply. 

Masahiro only replied with a winking kaomoji that had a star. 

Stupid Boss: (^_−)〜☆

That cocky bastard… 

Kasai swiped out of his texts and directed his focus back to the map, feeling a surge of anticipation as he realized he was nearing his destination. 

To his surprise, the sound of crashing waves suddenly grew louder. 

Just a short while ago, the water had been relatively quiet, but now it roared, as if warning him of an ominous danger that awaited just near the shoreline.

He hadn't moved that far while texting, right?

As he pushed aside the last branches, revealing the rest of the magnificent palace before him, he couldn't help but feel a surge of amazement. 

It was clear where much of the inspiration had stemmed from; it bore a striking resemblance to that one stunning cathedral in former Germany. 

He remembered watching old videos from the 21st century, where tourists normally played that one German song in the background with angelic vocals, while filming it. With an important mission ahead, he couldn't shake the thrill of knowing that such a breathtaking view awaited him, and he wondered what remarkable events might unfold in the shadow of this grand structure.

At least if he was being sent on a mission like this, the view was nice.

He opened the settings in his contact lenses, adjusting them to gain a clearer view into the distance. 

His eyes widened in apprehension and alarm as he caught sight of a guy around his age precariously beginning to step onto the edge of a rocky bridge.

 A rush of urgency surged through him as he activated his Mana detection, needing to discern whether the young man was an Elementalist or not before he made any rash moves. 

As he did so, a holographic display emerged from his lenses, flickering to life and immediately beginning to categorize the climber, highlighting vital information in real-time.

"Goddammit.. I hate dealing with Aquakinesis users. They can deal with all forms of water, even solid forms. I could technically try melting any icicles that get shot my way, but it depends on if I'm fast enough to wield it in time." Kasai felt a surge of determination as he prepared to sprint towards the man who had either underestimated the situation, or was just plain moronic. 

With a swift adjustment of his hologram, he increased the speed settings in his sneakers, sensing that every second counted. 

He knew that he had to act decisively. 

Kasai readied himself to deactivate his invisibility spell, picturing the moment when his form would reappear, and he could finally confront the fool who was causing so much trouble. "This is going to change everything," he thought, a fire igniting in his chest. 

He immediately removed his invisibility spell, his form flickering back into view as he shouted out, "Hey! What the hell are you doing, man!? Get down from there!"