Chapter 118 – Entering

The Golden Age Party’s Weiman Direct Domain headquarters.

At the place he stopped by briefly for assembly activities.

Kaiser went up to the headquarters’ rooftop and looked toward a specific place, along with a pocket watch.

‘It should be about time.’

A moment later.

With a roar that shook the earth, that powder rose up.

A blue flower.

A raging gale swept over the entirety of Weiman, and although Kaiser could not be free from its influence.

The corners of his mouth were clearly curved.

‘It disappears as art.’

Perhaps an explosion was a form of art?

Along with the blooming blue flower, he felt someone’s dream shatter into pieces and fly away.

‘Unfortunately, that romantic dream of yours cannot come true. Because it tramples on everyone’s dreams.’

Kaiser thought of Professor Kane, who would soon face Rashid.

‘When I dealt with you, I killed you as the Face Changer, but this time my friend will kill you.’

In any case.

It was sayonara.

‘Farewell.’

Kane’s building, which he had been involved in granting authorization for, met its end by the Arcane Flower.

And that kind of building was not the only one.

At the very least, everything belonging to Kane for which he had granted authorization should be sublimating into blue flowers at this very moment.

It could truly be described as an artistic sabotage.

“How beautiful.”

As he felt a presence behind him, Kaiser turned around with a bitter smile.

‘When did he get here? I definitely came up while he was sleeping.’

Sure enough, there he was, clinging to him like a ghost.

He thought he had shaken him off as much as possible before coming up to the rooftop.

But how did he know about this place and follow him?

He felt his freedom disappearing and being bound by him more and more.

“Did you follow me already? You should have slept more.”

The gale had not arrived yet.

The voice of the other reached Kaiser, who was holding his hat tightly so that it would not be blown away by the gale.

“Is this your work?”

Kaiser played completely innocent.

“My work? What do you mean by that?”

The expression of Zodiac, casting his eerie golden eyes, slowly sank.

“I have been quietly watching ever since you told me not to help Kane.”

Noticing a vibe different from usual, Kaiser began to guard against him.

‘Oh dear. The atmosphere is somewhat different from until now.’

Zodiac took a step toward Kaiser.

Kaiser naturally responded by stepping backward.

“Although my ears were tickled, your moves were being read.”

“I thought you were infinitely harmless, but you were a harmful one.”

Kaiser was smiling silently, but he was not truly smiling.

On the inside, it felt like death.

At the same time, the words Rashid had said came to mind.

“A tiger playing with a fawn will eventually bite and kill the fawn when it loses interest. It eats it up. So always keep that in mind. Zodiac can kill you at any time depending on his mood.”

He had known, but.

That disaster clinging to him like a leech could not be shaken off at all.

And this was the result.

“Was what you wished for to drive a wedge between me and that man to interfere with his plans?”

“Your assumptions are far too excessive. And didn’t you also abandon Kane because you wanted to?”

“What I am taking issue with now is your attitude of playing with this sovereign.”

“If you had asked politely, the result would have been different too.”

Zodiac’s footsteps stopped, and Kaiser also stopped his footsteps.

In fact, there was no more room to retreat backward.

Standing at the very edge of the rooftop, Kaiser looked down below the building.

Between the fear of being targeted by him right now and the fear of falling.

Which one would actually be better?

“Haha… oh dear.”

“If you have done wrong, you must receive punishment.”

“Punishment? It’s not like I’m a kid.”

“Mistakes are not tolerated, and sins must only be repaid with death.”

“These were the words I always said when I was the leader of the Yellow Dragon Cult.”

Shedding his human shell, he revealed the true identity hidden inside.

Golden scales sprouted through his torn skin, and two horns surged up, breaking through his skull.

The breath he exhaled heavily pressed down on the surrounding air, and the more his long body wriggled, the more the entire area shook.

The moment his identity, which had been confusing until now, became clearer.

Kaiser, who slumped onto the ground, let out a silent scream.

* * *

Late afternoon.

Stepping out of the official vehicle, Rashid saw the surroundings being cleared by the clerics.

University officials and those in charge of security rushed out in a hurry, but those who protested or resisted were, without exception, all cleared by the clerics.

Since the number of clerics he brought was substantial, there seemed to be no major problem in taking over the Magic Tower Academy.

Treating this as no big deal, she spoke.

“It seems you came thoroughly prepared. Normally, the Magic Tower wouldn’t just sit still in a situation like this.”

Ordinarily, it was right for a large number of dharma mages to open a portal and come visit.

That was also the proper picture.

However, no such sign could be found at all.

“I don’t see any dharma mages either…”

Her gaze, which was looking here and there, reached Rashid before she knew it.

Rashid did not even spare a glance, but his figure looked quite resolute.

Students and officials staying on campus began to come out of the building according to the guide broadcast inside the university.

Rashid stood still and silently watched the noisy scene.

Usually, in this kind of situation, Kane often remained in his place without running away.

This was partly because Kane could not flee through a portal since he had not made a contract with a demon, but apart from that, his nature was not one to run away just because he was backed into a corner.

As Karl approached and informed him of the progress.

Rashid said to her, who was next to him.

“I leave the outside to you. Since a person in charge will be needed here as well.”

“Are you going alone?”

“He is more than enough for me alone. And he is my prey.”

“Sure, whatever. I was the one who followed along willingly anyway.”

As she took charge of the field command, Rashid opened the armory for summary judgment.

Subsequently, dozens of clerics, including Karl, attached themselves to him, who was wearing mana armor.

Before entering the scene.

Rashid issued instructions.

“I plan to blow up the entire building. So make sure to send everyone out without a single exception. And I will handle the Chairman. You only need to worry about the rest.”

The university building, which was the core of the plan.

It was a decision made because he could not just leave it alone.

‘Apart from Kane, there will be complaints from the Magic Tower, but it’s better than Zodiac taking over this matter. I will erase it from this world entirely.’

Receiving Rashid’s command in their own ways, they said in unison.

“We will surely fulfill this mission bestowed upon us by God.”

The summary judgment began.

The clerics took the lead and entered the university ahead of Rashid, and Rashid walked unhurriedly while thinking of him, who would be staying on the very top floor.

‘Kane. Soon.’

Entering the lobby, Rashid took the elevator and headed to the top floor.

On the way to the Chairman’s Office.

Rashid thought of him, who was a person of the Magic Tower yet had not contracted with a demon.

‘Most people of the Magic Tower contract with demons, but there is a reason why he did not contract with a demon.’

Usually, contracting with a demon meant losing one’s freedom.

Becoming their minion in exchange for gaining power, that was the essence of a contract.

Therefore, whatever one did required the prior consent of the contracted demon.

However, there was no demon who would approve Kane’s crazy plan.

‘Because demons basically view humans as mere harvests.’

There could be no fool who would wipe out the crops that needed to be steadily cultivated all at once.

Much less for an extremely despicable and trivial reason like longing and love.

That was why.

‘He cannot contract with a demon, nor can he escape through a portal.’

In other words, a rat cornered.

Ding!

The elevator came to a halt.

To go to the Chairman’s Office, he had to transfer elevators once more at a middle floor.

So when he got off to transfer.

A person waiting for him stood there.

Confirming the opponent, Rashid’s visor went up, revealing his face.

“Were you here?”

A witch whose hair, burning with mana, was charming.

It was Veronica.

“Oh my, I wondered who it was, and it turned out to be our darling?”

Rashid looked at her, who was wearing a demonic raiment.

The demonic raiment was like a knight’s mana armor.

In other words, her will could be faintly seen.

“I am on my way to catch the Chairman, do you plan to stop me?”

“The Chairman here asked me. To block the church people coming here. And he gave me a handful of mana stones while doing so. Well, wouldn’t you know they were all high-end class? You know how I like shiny things.”

“So?”

“He said he would give me that much more if I blocked you?”

“So?”

“Just saying.”

Shedding her demonic raiment, she walked to the side and kindly pressed the elevator call button for him.

Subsequently, she winked with one eye.

“Kill him cleanly. We can’t have any future trouble remaining. Besides, it would be troublesome if rumors spread that I betrayed him. It would get in the way of my business next time.”

Because it was so obvious.

Rashid shook his head.

Witches, really.

“Kane made a foolish move.”

“No way. He would have definitely blocked it if it weren’t for you, darling?”

Ding!

The door opened.

Rashid boarded, and just before the door closed.

She saw him off with a smile.

It was a free pass of sorts.

“I would have burned them to a crisp.”

She even had the kindness to wave her hand.

Dealing with her, no, the witch.

Was indeed Kane’s mistake.

The elevator surged upward again.

Ding!

Finally, it reached the top floor.

As the door opened.

Far off.

Kane could be seen standing in front of a glass wall permeated by the sunset light.

He had his hands behind his back and was looking up at the red sunset, wearing various complex expressions.

As Rashid got off, Kane’s gaze also shifted to him.

Kane’s complexion showed a look of question.

“Wasn’t the witch in the middle? There should have definitely been a witch?”

It was a foolish question.

“Do you trust a witch?”

Kane showed a hollow laugh.

He had expected it, but.

Still, to think she would act so predictably.

“I told her I would give her more mana stones, so it is strange. I thought she would at least make a pretense of blocking you.”

“Sorry, but it was a free pass. She just opened the way. She didn’t even show any will to fight.”

“Hmm…”

As if accepting it without any resentment.

Nodding his head, he stood next to his desk.

The vast Chairman’s Office was dark, but not so dark that one could not even recognize a person’s face.

“Are you that inquisitor?”

Kane remembered his face.

He did not remember all the faces of the inquisitors, but he was the first inquisitor to openly provoke him.

Rashid responded with a light laugh.

“Everything is incomprehensible today of all days. I should have definitely activated the Great Transmutation Circle.”

Kane’s gaze directed outside again.

The glass wall was only filled with sunset light.

But in truth, the landscape that should have been visible out there was a giant Great Transmutation Circle embroidered in the sky.

However…

It was not visible.

Like a broken machine.

The plan itself also appeared to be broken.

“Inquisitor. Do you feel this flow right now?”

He traced the flow of mana soaring from below the building.

The energy surging along the giant mana circuit laid inside the university was being felt clearly even at this moment.

Originally, that power should have been the core mana source of the giant Great Transmutation Circle unfolding in conjunction with several Magic Towers.

“I don’t understand.”

In fact.

The one who did not understand was Rashid.

“It is I who do not understand.”

When Kane’s gaze met his.

Rashid walked out to the center and continued speaking.

“You, who are trying to perform an equivalent exchange of everyone in the world just to revive a single dead lover, that is.”