Crack! With only a slight shift of his body, the beer cup landed on the round table beside him, shattering into a mess. Yet, as the gunshot rang out, he didn't so much as flinch—seeming to instinctively recognize it as a trick. Amid the chaos of the beer-drinking gamblers either crumpling to the ground clutching their heads or scattering in panic, his body leapt upward with the spring-like agility, his gaze fixed on the reserved adventurer at the entrance, dressed in a hat and formal attire. Germain Spauld... His pupils dilated, his mouth opening slightly, as if about to utter the foul language from the depths. At that very moment, Caine finally pulled the trigger, sending a pale golden bullet—seeming freshly plucked from hot water—straight toward the "Butcher," whose bounty stood at 9,500 pounds. Yet, Gilchais merely lifted his right hand, spread his fingers, and a delicate blue flame ignited in his palm, astonishingly seizing the bullet within his grasp. The bullet plunged straight into the "prison," freezing in the pale blue flame; the sunlight it had released was barely sufficient to offset all that. At Gilsheis's side, two figures rose successively—one a short woman raising both guns, the other a rugged man wearing gloves. Clearly, he had come to Toscana Port for supplies not alone, or else he must have partners he knew here! Three extraordinary beings... Gilsheis might even be a Sequence 5. At this moment, Caine almost said something like "Sorry to disturb you." An attack on a "Demon" could not be pre-arranged—it had to rely on chance, and required no hesitation, or the opponent would immediately sense malice and danger. Yet, in this situation, it truly remained uncertain which of them stood at a greater advantage. Klein turned without hesitation, took the revolver, and swiftly surged through the crowd of patrons, clearing the heads of the kneeling, drunken gamblers, and reached the stairwell leading up to the second floor. As he stepped inside, a pale blue fireball struck the edge of the stairs and instantly expanded, exploding with a thunderous roar. The lower section of the stairs collapsed partially, and the entire bar began to tremble, releasing a strong sulfurous odor. Gilsheis and his two companions immediately leapt over the collapsed section, chasing after Germán Sparo with frantic urgency. With quick, determined strides, Klein raced up to the second floor, simultaneously activating a rapid scan of the "spirit thread" along the way. This enabled him to easily locate a spacious room devoid of human presence. With a simple twist of his waist and a firm step, he prepared to pivot and leap through the window, escaping the bar. At that moment, Gilsheis and his two companions reached the second floor. As soon as they saw the scene, they instantly split up—Gilsheis continued pursuing, while the other two entered adjacent rooms to intercept from below. And Caine had been waiting precisely for this moment! Suddenly, he half-turned, lifting his left hand—dressed in all-black gloves—and gently twisted it in the air. The woman with the dual rifles and the man in gloves remained completely unaware, carrying on with their movements as if nothing had happened, entering other rooms, leaping down through the windows, and vanishing into the distance without a backward glance. The purpose and actions of their "divergent interception" had been subtly altered by Caine, using the "distortion" of the Baron of Corruption, now reinterpreted as simply "divergent actions." Though this would not last long, it had granted Caine a brief moment of one-on-one engagement! With a soft thud, Caine, having completed his distortion, collapsed to the ground and rolled inside, successfully evading the consecutive pale-blue fireballs launched by Gilsheis. A continuous roar echoed, and the building housing the bar swayed, as though it had been struck by an earthquake. Immediately, Gilsheis surged forward, entering the spacious room. Watching Germán Sparo move with practiced grace, avoiding direct confrontation and maintaining remarkable composure, the "Slayer" opened his mouth and uttered a single, foul-sounding demon word in his native tongue: "Slow!" For a moment, everything in the room seemed to halt—Klein's rolling motion grew sluggish, no longer fluid. Gilsheis swiftly locked onto him, delivering another demon word: "Dead!" Klein's form instantly stiffened, then froze in place, gradually fading and thinning until he became a paper figure stained with patches of rust. At the same time, he appeared at the doorframe, wearing a half-high silk hat and a black double-breasted suit, extending his left hand—donned with strange black gloves—and grasping the handle, pulling the wobbly door inward with steady force, sealing it firmly. Clang! The outside noise vanished, and the room seemed to have become an isolated, solid prison. Gilsheias saw this and his body suddenly swelled, stretching his garments one inch at a time. Instantly, he transformed into a massive being nearly three meters tall, his skin appearing dull yet deeply dark and eerie, with curved goat horns rising from his head, adorned with countless mysterious patterns. Behind him, enormous bat-like wings unfolded, wrapped in pale blue flames, radiating a strong sulfur scent. Whizz-whizz-whizz! A volley of pale blue fire orbs burst forth like a thunderous barrage, covering the area near the door. At the same time, the crimson in Gilsheias' eyes intensified, and he emitted a foul, demonic speech: "Fallen!" This too was a ranged attack. A pale blue light filled his eyes. With his left hand—wearing a strange yet noble glove—Klein tightened his grip and swiftly twisted it halfway. Instantly, the fire balls lost their trajectories, swirling chaotically as if undergoing irregular microscopic motions. They struck the ceiling, hit the door, fell to the floor, and flew backward toward Gilshias. The room resounded with a continuous roar of thunder, the sealing effect generated by the "distortion" power suffering intense strain and tremors, though no clear signs of structural damage emerged. A surge of pale blue flame rose, mingling with a strong sulfur scent. Suddenly, Klein bent forward, a slightly viscous black liquid coating his body. *Crack!* His form exploded, dispersing into fragmented sheets of paper and drifting black mist. Moments later, he reappeared on the opposite side, his skin noticeably duller, and his garments torn and frayed by the force of the explosion and the flames from the depths. The range-based "decline" effect exerts a certain restraint on his "paper man" substitute, inevitably impacting him, while the aftermath of the explosion—things beyond Kline's control—also inflicts damage. Yet already at their first meeting, he had "presented" Gilthias with a glass of beer, completing the "bribery," which significantly weakened the attacks and control effects targeting him! Gilthias was clearly surprised that Germain Spaulo hadn't suffered severe "decline" effects. Just as he drew forth a magnificent, purely fiery longsword and was about to unleash a furious, swift and powerful assault, he saw the gloves on his opponent's left hand transform as though forged from gold. Blinding streaks of lightning erupted in Kline's eyes! "Mental piercing!" "Ah!" Gilthias cried out in a sharp, piercing scream, as if a hundred vials of holy water had been poured into his mind. He had extensive practical experience and knew that once his spirit faced a mental shock, he would inevitably endure a relentless series of consecutive blows. Thus, instinctively, his spirit flowed into a dark liquid and spread out toward the ground and surrounding areas. These liquids, embodying the most hidden and sinister desires deep within human hearts, surged through the room like a contaminating force, sweeping everything in their path and converging upon Germán Sparrow. The posture was simply too perfect—every encounter, for either side, would always involve some degree of under-preparation and incomplete understanding. Fortunately, he had always remembered that when facing a remarkable figure suspected of being a "Daimon of Desire," he must completely suppress his own desires and emotions. Klein did not retreat. His left glove quickly absorbed the pure, clear sunlight. He extended both arms, allowing a sacred beam of light, wrapped in golden flames, to descend and illuminate every corner and shadow of the room. The beam struck the areas where the dark liquid was most concentrated and radiated outward, spreading in rippling waves. Within this bright and holy light, the dark liquid rapidly evaporated, vanishing halfway. Gilsheias hurried to solidify his form, reshaping himself near the window. He remained in his nearly three-meter-tall demon state, as always calm in mind, yet his intense thirst for blood and desire to fight made him restless. At this moment, he felt notably weak and could no longer afford to wait or maneuver, hoping for a shift in Germain Sparo's emotional state to master his impulses—so he decided to forcibly ignite the two curved, mysterious ram's horns atop his head, aiming to directly impact the enemy's psyche and inevitably stir emotions within him. Once desire and emotion arose, the situation would inevitably fall under the control of the "Apostle of Desire." Just then, Gilsheias suddenly felt a numbness in his head, nearly losing the very thoughts he had just formed. After both parties reached within five meters of each other, Kline remained in a passive position, barely holding his ground with the "paper figure" and the "corroded count's" "distortion" abilities, thus buying time—because he had been distracted, managing the "spirit threads" of Gilsheis! Though a spirit strength of level 5 in the "Slayer" sequence should have allowed him to act more swiftly, the "bribe" of the beer had weakened Gilsheis's defenses and resistance, and subsequently, the "Aperture of Desire" had suffered a "spirit piercing," undergoing a profound purification by the "Divine Light" and becoming notably vulnerable. Therefore, even while Kline was distracted and using other abilities, he managed to initially stabilize Gilsheis within about 15 seconds. The intense combat in the room suddenly quieted down. Although Gilsheis's thoughts had grown sluggish, he still retained the capacity to execute actions and could actively resist the control emanating from the depths of his spirit. The crimson in his eyes was restrained, reflecting the silhouette of Germán Sparrow. The curved horns atop his head began to burn fiercely, emotions and desires—hatred, greed, lust, rage—spreading outward like tangible waves. Klein entered a semi-meditative state, remaining calm and focused, deepening his control with steady determination, striving to swiftly render Gilsheias powerless in resistance.