Chapter 127: Reunion (3)

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Eliminating variables.

That was the element Carl considered most important in carrying out his plan.

The Western Third Commercial District was only a tiny section when compared to the entire underworld of the Empire.

Carl had even taught the executives of NOX martial arts from the Central Plains.

Not all of his power had gathered in the Capital, but if exaggerated a little, within two days he could have crushed every single organization that existed here.

Even so, he had built his plan step by step from the bottom up and moved in the shadows for one reason.

‘Because of people like Lucas.’

It was merely one district within the Commercial Area.

Even if one combined the number of members in all the organizations there, it would not amount to more than five thousand.

Yet the Empire’s underworld was intertwined from its roots, and monsters like him would unexpectedly appear from nowhere.

Who could have imagined it?

That even a lowly underworld group could contain demon worshippers or heretics who believed in false gods.

‘A fight must be ended with momentum.’

That night, Carl had cleaned up Lahan.

He had dealt with Turgar and eradicated the demon worshippers who lurked behind him.

It was as if he had already eliminated every primary threat.

The only thing that remained was the identity of Lucas and the organization to which he belonged.

But since he had gained some information through Besha, it was no longer an obstacle.

‘Unless he is tied to the Imperial Palace or other powerful groups, there’s no need to hesitate when it comes to cultists.’

According to rumors, the Imperial Palace was still scouring the Capital’s underworld in search of the mastermind behind the Bayern entrance exam.

A man of Lucas’ strength could very well have come from the Imperial Palace, and that was the reason Carl had suspected him.

‘My identity was also exposed then.’

Back then, he had stepped forward to stop the Drake, and quite a number of cadets had seen his face.

It had been intentional, so he had nothing to feel guilty about, but circumstances had overlapped, and he realized that an envoy of the Imperial Palace was keeping an eye on him.

He had wondered how to deal with it, but fortunately, the man had not been an agent of the Palace.

Boom.

Inside Flick.

Since people sensitive to survival had gathered there, they had already fled far away after feeling the aftermath of the battle.

With no one left to witness him, Carl unleashed his true martial techniques to the fullest.

‘He had blocked the Heavenly Demon Divine Art well, but…’

Would he also be able to withstand the power of the Primordial Unity Divine Art?

A gray aura flowed down Carl’s entire body, scattering a calm stream of energy.

Though it was not as domineering as the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Lucas could not recklessly charge in as before and let out a groan.

“Ugh.”

A suffocating standoff took place.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at Carl’s suddenly transformed aura.

‘What is this?’

The black demonic energy that had gushed out like an active volcano suddenly faded in color and turned into ash gray.

Could it be the ability to control the color of mana?

Lucas rolled his eyes, unable to grasp Carl’s incomprehensible power.

‘Even so, it is still mana. In terms of superiority, it cannot overcome divine power.’

Among all the energies that existed in nature, divine power stood at the very top.

Aside from the fact that it required faith toward the gods as its foundation, it overwhelmingly surpassed every other energy.

Bzzzt.

Lucas gripped his blue-bladed sword tighter and raised it upright.

He wanted to withdraw from the fight if possible, but since Carl was clinging to him persistently, he had no choice.

It did not look easy to defeat him immediately, so he planned to land one decisive blow and then escape at the right time.

‘For me as well, it’s better that NOX remains standing strong.’

To Lucas, NOX was an unpredictable variable.

He had thought the Western Third Commercial District had been completely taken over by Besha’s group, but NOX had suddenly charged in and snatched it away.

It was better than having a band of demon humans roam around freely.

Swish.

Lucas kicked off the rooftop and charged at Carl.

Since Carl had not moved, Lucas took the initiative to strike first.

Clang!

But the moment their swords clashed again.

“……!!”

He realized something was terribly wrong from the immense backlash that traveled through his blade.

Thud.

Unable to maintain his balance, Lucas was blown away, crashing through the rooftop as he fell.

Carl fiercely swung his sword toward the space above him.

The sword aura shredded the debris to pieces, but amidst the fragments, Lucas’ figure was nowhere to be seen.

“……What now?”

Above.

Having slipped away, Lucas brushed back his disheveled hair and let out a breath.

“You are like an onion. No matter how much I peel, there’s always something new inside.”

“Hiding one’s strength applies to both of us. Since I revealed mine first, should I expect to see yours now?”

“Hm.”

Lucas scratched his chin.

“Can you handle it?”

“How arrogant.”

Carl smirked and raised his sword.

At that moment, his figure vanished, prompting Lucas to also kick off the rooftop and swing his sword in a wide arc.

Slash!

The aura burst forth, tearing through everything in its path.

Buildings collapsed, the street was devastated, and nothing resembled its original form anymore.

‘Where is he?’

Lucas quickly turned his eyes.

Unlike before, Carl’s presence was not sensed through his aura detection.

Was it because the power he used had changed?

“……!”

The web-like spread of his senses finally caught Carl’s presence, but before that, a gray trajectory reached Lucas first.

Slice.

With a sharp slash, the arm holding his sword flew into the air.

Lucas twisted his body as he exhaled a hollow breath, but the severed arm only rolled across the ground, ignoring its master’s will.

“……Hmm.”

He had lost his arm and even dropped his sword.

In a moment of life-and-death crisis, Lucas clutched the stump of his severed arm and staggered backward.

“……”

But Carl’s expression was not one of triumph either.

‘Something feels strange.’

It was fine that he had struck at Lucas’ opening and cut off one arm.

But the sensation of cutting had not felt right.

Rather than slicing through human flesh, it had felt as if he were severing tightly twisted straw.

“An automaton.”

Carl immediately discerned his opponent’s true form.

When he stepped down hard on the severed arm, its shape collapsed and the fragments crumbled.

The scattered pieces were not flesh but something crafted with meticulous precision.

“Hm, I’ve been exposed.”

Lucas scratched his head with an awkward look.

Then he raised his hand in a gesture of surrender.

“Please understand, I’m simply a cautious man by nature.”

“What is your purpose?”

Even if he were a heretic, what priest would wear the skin of a puppet and crawl about in the underworld?

Not one element fit, and so Carl was genuinely puzzled.

Lucas answered with a faint smile.

“I am a priest. And what is a priest’s purpose? To spread the word of the god I believe in. So, what do you think? Are you interested?”

“I am, though in a different way……”

Swish!

Carl suddenly stomped the ground.

Then he stretched out his hand, seized Lucas by the throat, and suppressed his movements.

“There is no need to be so rough. My identity is already revealed, and I was going to leave anyway. Ah, don’t worry. I’ll return in another body.”

“Another body, is it.”

Carl smirked and tightened his grip around Lucas’ throat.

“Hearing you say that only makes me more curious about your real face.”

“Sorry, but I’m rather precious. Which is why I am compelled to move in this form……”

Crunch.

Lucas’ eyes bulged wide.

He felt a strange energy invading him through the channel that connected the puppet.

“……Wha… t… is… this.”

His words slurred and his movements became sluggish.

Yet Carl did not release his grip on the man’s neck.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Art – Soul-Seizing Technique.

To be honest, he had tried it half in doubt.

‘Not sure if it would even work on a puppet.’

It was a technique that interfered with and influenced the opponent’s spirit and soul.

In contrast, a puppet was a shell into which consciousness had been infused.

Still, since the mental channel was connected, perhaps he could invade through it.

Carl had lured Lucas into lowering his guard through conversation and then carefully traced along his meridians to strike back.

Though he had been discovered midway, it seemed he had succeeded in entering.

Shuaaah!

Carl closed his eyes.

To focus better on Lucas’ circuits, he calmed his mind and raised the intensity of the Soul-Seizing Technique.

“You… must… stop…!”

Lucas realized Carl was interfering with his circuits and invading his consciousness, so he tried to sever the connection to the puppet.

That caused his body to rupture here and there under overload, but Carl only gripped him tighter.

Ssshhh.

Energy reversed its flow.

And within it spread a strange power.

‘Divine power.’

Carl engraved the sensation of Lucas’ divine power into his mind as he swam through it.

What god was he serving to plot such schemes?

‘A puppet, a Puppeteer.’

Matthias of the Seven Wings.

In Erendal Forest, the one he had fought had called the man who unleashed monsters there a Puppeteer.

‘There’s more.’

After enrolling at Bayern, during the cadet social gathering.

He had seen a waiter slip something into a cadet’s drink.

He had tracked him down and realized someone was controlling the waiter’s body to commit the deed.

‘Has he infiltrated Bayern as well?’

That, too, was highly likely to have been Lucas’ handiwork.

Was he extending his claws not only into the Capital’s underworld but also into Bayern?

It was still speculation, but based on the circumstances so far, it seemed very likely to be the same man.

『You!!』

As Carl was invading the mind connected to Lucas’ circuit, a great roar rang out.

『In my mind!!』

Unlike before, the voice was a desperate, bitter scream.

『Get out at once!!』

An immense pressure bore down on him.

The attack was so fierce it shook Carl’s mind for an instant.

‘The Soul-Seizing Technique is being overpowered?’

Carl furrowed his brow.

It wasn’t that the technique itself had a higher or lower grade.

It was simply that the opponent’s level was higher than his.

If he made one mistake, the situation could reverse, and Lucas’ mind could end up invading his instead.

‘I can’t allow that.’

If his identity were exposed, nothing could be more troublesome.

Without hesitation, Carl severed the connection.

‘I look forward to the day we meet again.’

Leaving behind a small gift.

“……”

Lucas opened his eyes wide in his dwelling.

He had been forced to discard the puppet that had been his masterpiece.

Would it have been better if it ended there?

But the opponent had somehow invaded his mind and launched a counterattack.

“Are you all right?”

“……”

A woman who had been watching nearby approached with a worried expression.

She lifted a towel, intending to wipe the cold sweat that drenched his face, but Lucas harshly brushed her hand away and leapt to his feet.

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, black flames flared on one side of his face.

Carl’s small gift.

The energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art that had backflowed left a vivid mark.

Clench.

Quenching the demonic fire that burned on his face, Lucas raised his head with a twisted smile.

“Interesting.”

It had been a very long time.

Since a human had provoked him this much.

“……Truly interesting.”

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