Ch.320320. Execution (2)

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“You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Why so scared?”

“…”

“Aren’t you going to attack?”

Hearing the mocking voice before him, Mobius forcibly suppressed his increasingly rough breathing.

“-System. Intercept.”

[Executing.]

Another barrage of attacks pours forth, but it’s the same pattern that has continued endlessly until now.

He dodges without taking any damage. Once again, Darwood Campbell advances slightly.

‘What the hell is this bastard trying to do!’

That thought rises first in his boiling mind.

Rationally, he knows that letting anger consume him further would be dangerous.

So far, this man has effortlessly evaded every strike he’s launched. Without even a single counterattack. He can’t even begin to guess what other tricks the man might be hiding.

“What are you aiming for?”

“Specifically? Nothing?”

“…”

What nonsense is this now?

He has to admire the man’s nerve, still trying to mock him in this situation.

“…I don’t enjoy wordplay. If you stop now, I’ll at least ensure you die without pain.”

“No, really, I’m not specifically aiming for anything?”

“…”

Honestly.

By this point, it’s painfully obvious that his opponent is deliberately stalling for time.

And he knows that he currently has no means to stop an opponent who’s dragging things out like this.

‘…How long has it been?’

Having the “initiative” taken away, being forced into a passive position where he can only react to his opponent’s moves.

He can’t even properly remember the last time this happened.

‘-Well, it’s not like this doesn’t suit my style.’

If his opponent won’t reveal his cards, he’ll just have to force them out.

If they’re both going to stall for time, the benefit isn’t just for that man.

Mobius took a deep breath and prepared a different attack.

“…Indeed. You’re not ordinary. You feel somewhat different from opponents I’ve faced before.”

Calmly acknowledging this, Mobius changed his grip on his staff and fiddled with his artificial eye.

This guy is clearly no ordinary opponent.

But that’s where it ends.

This is the Demonic Spire. The pinnacle of all technology.

The reason he hasn’t fully unleashed the technology capable of observations across dimensions is simply because his opponent is valuable “research material” that he wanted to preserve in some form.

He snaps his fingers. From among the nearby research facilities of the Demonic Spire, equipment with maximum firepower is prepared one after another.

Dimensional distortion device, void generation battery, particle crushing wave generator…

A mountain of weapons whose “side effects” are so severe that even activating them requires careful consideration, but ultimately necessary to seriously confront his opponent.

“From now on, I’ll be serious. Even if I turn you into a corpse, there are plenty of ways to make you a valuable research specimen.”

“…Ah~”

But Darwood’s response to his words…

Was merely picking his ear as if annoyed.

“I heard your excuse.”

“…”

This sentence too was clearly meant to grate on his nerves, but this time Mobius took a deep breath and pushed down the anger rising in his mind.

But he won’t be deceived by mere words anymore. Whatever the man babbles, he’ll just crush him with full force.

“But you seem to be misunderstanding something.”

Just before Mobius could fire his weapons after taking a deep breath.

Suddenly, with a smirk, he spoke.

“Why do you think I haven’t counterattacked even once?”

“…What?”

“No, I mean.”

Just before those weapons could be unleashed.

Darwood, whose expression hadn’t changed at all, let out another chuckle and continued.

“Have you forgotten what my purpose was in fighting you?”

And with those words.

Darwood, who had been making eye contact with him until just now, vanished without a trace.

Seeing him transform into yellow particles that suddenly scattered, Mobius’s gaze shook intensely.

“…-?!”

An illusion?

No, that’s impossible.

The observation equipment he possesses from the Demonic Spire can penetrate any deception or illusion. A technological collective capable of breaking through dimensions and reading a target’s past couldn’t possibly fail to see through such an obvious trick.

Yes.

Unless it was one of those “non-standard” beings with the highest status across dimensions.

Recognizing the “nature” of the energy emanating from the particles that had taken Darwood’s form and were now scattering, Mobius violently expelled the air pushing into his lungs.

‘-Demonic energy?’

Yellow demonic energy.

A Yellow Demon? He’d never even heard of such a thing.

He had blocked all observable demonic energy, but he hadn’t accounted for the existence of a demon outside of observation!

“I told you.”

As Mobius was thinking this, such words suddenly dropped beside him.

No, saying “beside” isn’t quite right.

With his hearing enhanced by all manner of mechanical augmentations, it sounded as if the speaker was right next to him, but the sense of distance felt in the voice was clearly different from where Darwood had been fighting him just moments ago.

Unconsciously turning his head, there was…

“When you’re angry, you can’t think rationally, right?”

“…”

Darwood, who had been far away from the “stage” where they had been fighting until now.

At some point, he had obtained the key card that could control Professor Astrid Campbell’s life support system and was resting his chin on his hand.

“…”

Seeing that, Mobius instinctively scanned through the things that should have been “originally” there.

Astrid’s “vital organs” that he had control over, and her “new body” that he had never permitted to be taken outside.

Just now.

While Mobius himself was engaged in this nonsense with this man.

More precisely, while he was fighting a meaningless battle with the “illusion” that man had planted.

That man had rescued the greatest hostage Mobius had captured to control him.

“Even though all the authority for the life support system can be handled with this one card… you’re the type who would physically destroy everything if something went wrong. It was quite a struggle to safely transplant the organs into the new body and send her to a safe place.”

“…Y-“

It makes sense why he could dodge all attacks.

It was an illusion from the start.

The reason he made no counterattacks and only gestured to slowly approach while making his intentions unreadable is also clear.

By confusing him, he could buy more time.

Perhaps.

If Mobius had been able to think straight even a little.

If he could have been suspicious just once, it would have been a shallow ploy easily seen through.

“Actually, I was a bit surprised at how easily you lost your composure.”

“Darwood Campbell…”

“Maybe it’s because you’re so full of arrogance and vanity, but you flip out so quickly with just a little provocation that it’s almost funny.”

“Y-…”

When you’re angry.

You can’t think rationally.

Just as he had set a trap for that man.

He himself.

Had been played by such a pathetic deception.

From beginning to end.

The master of the Demonic Spire, with his superintelligence.

By a damn guy who should have been nothing more than his “research subject”-!

“You, son of a bitch—!!”

With rage erupting like a volcano, Mobius raised his staff and aimed at Darwood.

All the weapons he had prepared earlier directed their fire toward him, enough firepower to certainly kill even a demigod.

But.

This time, his opponent’s eyes also gleamed with a sinister light.

“I told you. Ten minutes.”

With a beep, an alarm sounded from Darwood’s wristwatch.

It meant that the pre-set time of ten minutes had elapsed.

Perhaps that was the meaning of the ten minutes.

The time needed to evacuate Astrid to a perfectly safe place, ensuring she wouldn’t be caught in danger.

“Ready to die?”

With those words.

Black demonic energy began to flow from Darwood’s body in streams.

●

‘-I spoke confidently, but.’

I barely manage to calm the energy that’s frantically ravaging my heart.

Handling the yellow demonic energy feels much more strenuous than usual.

Yellow demonic energy. Its power, as just demonstrated, can be used as an “illusion.”

With certain conditions met, it can create illusions that no observation device can penetrate.

‘…Still, there’s more.’

I’ve held something back. A proper way to use it.

[…Proper use aside, can you even withstand that?]

“…Who knows?”

-So.

I’ve somehow made it this far.

With those words, I scratch my head and look at the Demonic Spire facilities gathering around.

“…These are complete moving fortresses.”

I say dejectedly as I look at the “research wings” of the Demonic Spire lined up around me.

No, this place is supposed to be a research institution, but looking at the facilities inside, it seems like it could wage war against the entire world single-handedly without much trouble.

[What are you going to do next?]

“…Well, something?”

[…I thought you’d say that.]

I’ve always been a bit lacking when it comes to finishing things.

I do have a few more hidden moves, but still.

Honestly, I could use some help, any kind would be good.

Doing this alone is going to be quite challenging, you know?

“-Teacheeeeer-!”

Suddenly.

An unmistakably familiar voice called out from beside me.

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