Chapter 308: Arrangement (2)
Honestly, it wasn’t a particularly grand proposal.
My ultimate goal was to kill Mobius—who was standing right over there. Everything I had been doing here was just another ‘stepping stone’ toward that goal.
You could say that, it also served as a warning.
“It’s nothing much, really.”
[Then just spit it out already—!]
“I have some data I’d like to collect from a professor of the Magic Tower myself. I’d like to conduct my own ‘experiment’. Would you mind cooperating with that?”
It was an absurd request.
For me—the test subject—to ask him to come down here was strange enough, let alone telling him that I’d be collecting data on him.
But as the saying went:
When someone got really, really angry, they became unable to think rationally.
At this point, he would probably agree to anything if it meant getting me to stop.
[Just stay right there!]
Before Mobius could burst into a furious roar, Klein, who was clutching the megaphone, stomped down from the control room.
I watched him descend the elevator while continuing speaking with a smile plastered on my face.
“Professor Klein.”
“What?”
“I’ve heard you have done lots of research on the human’s brain.”
This was something that Alpha had told me.
While he had developed numerous weapons—supposedly to curry favor with Mobius—his primary field of study was the brain.
The problem was that he had killed quite a lot of people by experimenting on living humans’ brains to test out his own unique theories.
Since that was the case, I figured that it’d be fair to pay him back for that.
‘Well, isn’t that convenient?’
[...What is?]
‘That his field of study just happened to be the brain?’
[What kind of fucked up plan are you up to this time...?]
While having this conversation with Caliban in the Soul Linker, I calmly spoke up.
“Can you promise me one thing?”
“Hurry up and say it! What is it?”
“You’ll fully cooperate with my experiment, right? No matter what the results are?”
“What kind of nonsense are you asking about? As a researcher, of course I would—”
“Good enough for me.”
I cut him off before he could continue his angry rant.
Perfect.
He said it himself, didn’t he?
No one could complain anymore after this, right?
“I want to find out how much physical trauma the human brain can withstand.”
“...What?”
Before Professor Klein’s baffled voice even finished echoing through the space...
A single punch—one strengthened to the extreme—was driven into his skull.
The force I unleashed wasn’t much different from when I crushed Count Nicholas’ head.
The sound of his pulverized skull rolling on the floor echoed through the room.
“Ack.”
“...”
“...”
Well, you see...
I figured it was a fitting experiment to conduct on someone who had killed countless people for his ‘research’.
It’s not like he’s gonna die from this anyway, no?
They told me that the whole point of this experiment was to torment me without actually killing me.
Which meant, he shouldn’t die from just this much.
“...Wow.”
Watching Klein’s body convulsing on the floor even with his head blown apart, I couldn’t help but frown.
The pain had likely exceeded the threshold and he was going into shock. The uncontrollable convulsions and trembling were almost pitiful to watch.
How he was even alive, or still feeling anything, was beyond me. I guess it was true that highly advanced science was indistinguishable from magic.
These cock-suckers probably would have laughed and enjoyed themselves while doing this to me.
That was why, one could say that...
I was just returning their ‘gift’ back to them. This was exactly what they had planned to do to me.
As I said earlier...
This was a ‘warning’. A pretty good one if I may say so myself.
“...”
I chuckled while glancing up at Professor Mobius, who was sitting silently in the control room.
He wasn’t a fool.
There was no way he didn’t understand the meaning behind my actions.
Don’t play with such obvious tricks, or you’ll die.
That was probably how it could be summarized.
I could see his face contorting even from all the way here.
Must be feeling pretty bad, huh?
[...He’s probably feeling even worse than you expected.]
Well, that would be better then.
It seemed Caliban wasn’t exaggerating, as Mobius suddenly stood up.
Oho.
Unlike Klein, who came down with the elevator normally, this guy used a rather extraordinary movement.
As he swung what seemed like a baton—the same one that he always carried in his hand—some kind of ‘portal’ appeared in front of him, and he stepped through it.
No magic was involved; it was purely a product of advanced technology.
In an instant, Mobius emerged from a tear in the space before me. His gaze was as cold as ever as he spoke.
“...I could take this as a declaration of war against the Magic Tower, Dowd Campbell.”
“You said that but it’s okay for you to try to kill me under the guise of collecting data on Demonic Aura?”
“...”
“Let’s stop playing games, shall we?”
As I said that with a smirk, Mobius flicked his baton again. A blue barrier was forming around us.
“People outside won’t be able to hear what we’re discussing here.”
As the barrier activated, Mobius spoke again in a low voice.
“What do you want?”
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“...”
I looked at him silently and scratched my cheek.
“...And why are you asking that?”
“Because this matter still could be resolved peacefully.”
He continued with an emotionless tone.
“My objective is to continue research on the amount of Demonic Aura you can utilize. I admit that my methods so far have been extreme, so I apologize for that. If you have any requests, I’ll do my best to accommodate them.”
“...”
Oho?
Ohohoho?
Now, this was a completely unexpected response.
I fully expected him to have another outburst here. I thought that he’d threaten me or issue some kind of ultimatum or something. But he actually apologized and told me that he was willing to meet my demands?
What a nice and accommodating guy.
But...
You see...
“Do I look like an idiot to you?”
I calmly said those words to the fucker in front of me.
Mobius narrowed his eyes.
“You and I both know that you’re the type of person who’d dispose of anyone who has outlived their usefulness once you achieve your goals. Let’s not play dumb here.”
“—If you hear me out, even you might find my objectives reasona—“
“Honestly, I could give you all the data or whatever you want, as long as you made it worth my while.”
“...”
“But...”
My voice dropped.
“You messed with the people around me.”
“...”
“At that point, I couldn’t care less about your goals or whatever anymore.”
Unless he was a complete idiot, it was impossible that someone as sharp as him was unaware that Astrid and I were trying to overthrow him.
Despite that, he still continued with this ‘experiment’. Not only that, even when I was deliberately provoking him this much, he was taking a submissive stance instead. This all pointed to one conclusion:
The research on Demonic Aura was really, really, really important to this guy.
You could tell just by the fact that he hadn’t immediately blown Profesor Astrid’s head off, despite my uncooperative attitude.
“Still, there’s still one thing that I want.”
And...
That was why...
It was possible for me to bring forward a rather interesting proposal.
“The world is full of people who think what they’re doing is justified. Trying to convince them otherwise is a waste of time, wouldn’t you agree?”
“What are you getting at?.”
“I’m saying we should cut the pleasantries. There’s no way we can come to an agreement with each other anyway.”
Listening to a villain’s monologue was just as tiresome for me as it was for him.
Rather than continuing to waste each other’s time, it was better for both of us to lay everything on the table.
“Give me a chance to settle this with you directly, Professor Mobius.”
Mobius let out a hollow laugh.
He must have instantly grasped what I was getting at.
“Are you suggesting a duel?”
“Do whatever you want. I don’t expect you to play fair, anyway. Go ahead, set up whatever twisted scenario you want to try and defeat me. However...”
I continued calmly.
“You need to be willing to take a hit yourself. That’s my only condition.”
“...”
“Feel free to use anything in the Magic Tower, bring everything you’ve got. If I lose, I’ll cooperate with you unconditionally. If you don’t trust me, I’ll even sign one of those creepy ‘soul-binding contracts’ of yours.”
“And, if I lose?”
Is there a need to ask that?
I grinned before replying.
“Then I’ll kill you.”
“...”
“Too bad that I can only do it once.”
Of course.
When I got to it, I’d definitely do it properly.
Even if it was just once, I’d make the whole thing satisfying enough.
No one could touch my family and get away unscathed.
“...”
Mobius let out a scornful laugh.
In his eyes...
Right now, I...
Was all by myself. I had nothing.
And I did what was practically the equivalent of declaring a war on the Magic Tower.
But he’d definitely accept it.
I knew that already. That was why I went along with this ridiculous experiment or whatnot in the first place.
“Of course, if you prefer that I keep on toying with your fellow professors, I can work with that too. It’s just a matter of how long do you want me to keep humiliating you anyway.”
The truth was, Mobius maintained control over the Magic Tower through the group’s unique nature, and through fear.
But if I kept on winning every confrontation, the longer it went on, the weaker his control would become.
After a long silence...
“...Dowd Campbell.”
“Yes?”
“You’d better watch that arrogance of yours.”
With that, he dismissed the blue barrier.
“The saying that arrogance brings down the strongest fortress doesn’t only apply to us.”
Then, with those words.
He opened another portal and vanished.
“...”
Haaa...
With this, I got it.
The chance to deal with that motherfucker.
[...But.]
As I kept my gaze on Mobius’ retreating figure, a voice came through the Soul Linker
[How do you plan to handle this?]
Hmm?
[This is the Magic Tower, dude. Up until now, you’ve gotten by with your tricks, but this time, the head of the tower himself will be coming after you for real. It’s a completely different matter. With their technology, they’ll probably even seal off your Demonic Aura before coming for you.]
That could happen, yeah.
One of my main combat advantages would likely be blocked.
But...
I still got something left to use.
Uhh, let’s see...
It should be waiting for me back at my quarters by now.
[...Was there something that amazing in your place?]
Of course.
My trump card that even the Magic Tower must have overlooked.
●
“...Dowd.”
Chancellor Sullivan called out in an incredulous voice.
This was her reaction to the words I had just said. Her entire body was shaking.
“...What did you just say...?”
Hmmm.
Maybe she didn’t quite catch the term.
Tilting my head, I repeat myself.
“Let’s become one, Chancellor.”
“...”
“It might hurt a little at first, but I’m sure it’ll workout somehow.”
“...”
Hearing that, her body went stiff.