Ch.316316. Highlight

Professor Mobius stared ahead with a deeply furrowed brow.

‘The Grey Demon’s Vessel.’

Elnore Erinarise la Tristan.

Seeing her sudden appearance made him feel like a headache was coming on out of nowhere.

He sighed and glared at Darwood beside him, who clearly looked exhausted.

‘After I had cornered him so perfectly.’

He had meticulously prepared a stage to drive such magnificent prey into a corner, and now this interloper appears.

Talk about the worst possible leak.

Mobius sighed and rose from his seat.

Centered on Elnore’s heart, the “colors” of the surrounding world were fading.

The scenery remained intact, but the colors were gradually draining from within, as if someone were “erasing” the world with an eraser.

“…From the beginning, this was a mutually agreed upon ‘conditional deal.'”

“If you have no intention of honoring the request when the other party wins, it’s not really a deal, is it? ‘Swindle’ would be more fitting.”

“That’s too harsh. This is truly something I created with sincere intentions.”

He casually brushed back his hair as he spoke.

“If you can defeat me one-on-one, you’re welcome to take this.”

This control key is the only means to control Professor Astrid. I brought this valuable item that was specifically designed for this purpose, and to be accused like this is certainly unfair—

“…”

Mobius flinched and stopped his train of thought midway.

No.

This isn’t right.

This wasn’t the plan he had ‘originally’ been thinking of.

“What… did you do?”

He barely managed to utter those words while clutching his throbbing head.

Something, something was wrong.

He examines himself.

His body, mind, emotions—nothing feels strange. The probability that the opponent has done something to ‘him’ is extremely low.

But.

Something has changed.

Something very important has changed very seriously.

“Indeed.”

And before his eyes…

Elnore was peeling sweat-soaked hair from her forehead.

While he was clutching his head in pain, his opponent didn’t look much better either.

Even at a glance, it was obvious that she was drenched in sweat, seemingly drained of all energy. She looked as if something had completely sapped her strength.

“Still not perfect, I see. Indeed, as my roommate said, there are limitations to a human body.”

“What?”

“It seems miraculous ‘alterations’ are impossible. If it takes this much just to change one minor fact, trying to change something related to life and death would probably cost me my life.”

“…”

“Besides, you noticed something was wrong right away. Perhaps it’s because you’re in a place where you can observe other worldlines.”

A series of statements with incomprehensible meaning.

But upon hearing those words, Mobius’s brain sank heavily. He checked each possibility one by one.

This was the brain activity of someone who sat at the head of the Demonic Spire, a gathering of those called superintelligences.

Even with seemingly useless information, the time it took him to derive an approximation of the ‘correct answer’ fitted to the current situation was almost instantaneous.

‘—Causality manipulation?’

He inwardly groaned as he recalled such a term.

He already knew from gathered intelligence that the Grey Demon could exercise powers related to ‘time.’

And that…

If one were to apply all sorts of philosophical, scientific, and abstract concepts, theoretically, controlling time could extend to the theory of interfering with ‘causality’—the accumulation of events.

But that was merely theory.

If it were truly possible.

That would be.

That would truly be.

A being that could rightfully be called a god.

“—You.”

Yet, despite such a being standing in opposition to him…

Mobius first displayed a smile filled with ecstasy.

A research subject.

One that could instantly provide answers to the mysteries he had been searching for all this time!

“I’d like to keep you as a research specimen for a long time. I don’t want to let you go at all.”

“I’m already taken. I’ll have to decline.”

“Even if you want to decline, you won’t be able to escape. Thank you. For so openly revealing the fact that you’ve incapacitated yourself—”

“Are you a fool?”

“…”

It would be an unfamiliar insult to someone who could be called the highest intellect among humans.

But Elnore was continuing with an expression that suggested she was truly sincere.

The look in her eyes was almost one of contempt and disdain.

“Didn’t it occur to you that if I’m freely giving you this information, it’s because it doesn’t matter?”

“—You’re clearly in a state where you can’t draw out any more magi. What could you possibly do—”

“Don’t worry about that.”

With a smirk, those words fell.

“The one who will bring retribution upon you isn’t me.”

I told you, didn’t I? What I’m doing is merely ‘balancing’ things.

Before Mobius could properly understand that sentence…

——-

——-!!!!!!!!!!!

A scorching blow landed directly on his face.

If it weren’t for the defensive barrier generated in response, it wouldn’t have been strange if his head had exploded from such a vicious strike.

“An automatic defense barrier? Perfect equipment for a coward.”

“—I don’t want to hear that from someone who hides behind a woman’s skirt.”

After being pushed back considerably, Mobius responded with a deeply furrowed face.

How had he approached so close in an instant?

He could see Darwood spitting out phlegm and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Aren’t you ashamed? Receiving help from others in everything you do?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

“If it bothers you, why don’t you find yourself a good woman too?”

“Hmm. They do say that supporting one’s husband is the first virtue of a good wife.”

Mobius let out a deep sigh.

Irritation filled his head.

He had been tricked. He didn’t know exactly what kind of trick, but…

Anyway.

It was clear that nothing would go well unless he handled it properly himself.

“…Birds of a feather flock together, they say.”

Eventually, he tightly gripped the mechanical staff he always carried.

Even in a one-on-one battle, he had no intention of backing down.

The pinnacle of human technology was the Demonic Spire.

And his ‘body’ was the culmination of that technology.

Combat was definitely one of his strong suits.

“Since you two seem to have such a good relationship, I’ll make sure to bury you together.”

The battle against Mobius.

Begins.