Chapter 103

Why was Araya here?

At first, I had doubts, but when I thought about it, it wasn’t such a strange thing.

‘That damned Junk Chip.’

Araya had the Junk Chip.

An artifact created by fusing magic and science, capable of turning anyone who used it even once into his puppet.

The Araya standing before me now must have originally been one of the employees working here in Colony V7.

The fusion of Necromancing and the Junk Chip.

It was terrifying to think about, even now.

The Junk Chip, true to its nature as a cyber-drug, spread regardless of identity or status. From the bottom-dwelling scum of Sector E, scraping by on crime, to the privileged elites living in Elysium.

It was sheer luck that I had noticed its existence during the G20 event last time. If I had missed even the slightest clue back then, this city would have already fallen completely into Araya’s grasp.

Just imagine.

The ability to control everyone at will—from street punks to corporate executives, even political giants. That was nothing less than the power to completely conquer the world.

No matter how overwhelming Aaron Stingray’s physical abilities and wealth might be, he couldn’t possibly afford to make the entirety of New Valhalla City his enemy.

“Come crawling out again, Araya.”

“To recognize this humble monk even in such a form? Truly, I am astonished.”

Even though his appearance had changed, Araya’s monk-like tone remained the same. No, it had actually become more like a monk’s speech than before.

Perhaps, like me during Act 4 of Part 1, he was being strongly influenced by the character he had possessed.

At that moment, Evangeline whispered to me.

“Aaron, that is but a puppet.”

“I know.”

I had fought against it before.

“Can’t you use it to track down where the real body is?”

“It is not impossible.”

“Answer me precisely.”

“……It can be done, but it is difficult.”

“Do it, even if it is difficult.”

“T-Time is needed. But his power is far greater than even I—”

Evangeline cut herself off, glancing down at me from above with a faint smirk.

“……I spoke needlessly. Very well, I shall try.”

Then, Araya opened his mouth.

A tense expression flickered across his face.

“I know not what amusing conversation you are having, but might I ask you to pity this humble monk and kindly withdraw from this place?”

“And why should I?”

“Because my plan is nearing completion. Truly, Aaron Stingray, you always appear at the most critical moment to thwart me.”

“Your plan, you say.”

Let me think.

What exactly was his plan?

Why did he appear here at this timing? Was it simply to defeat me?

No, that couldn’t be.

That man was not so foolish. He had scattered eyes and ears all across the city, so in terms of information-gathering, he might even surpass me.

It seemed he had managed to grow his power while evading the Stingray Group’s pursuit, but there was no way he thought he could defeat me in a direct confrontation.

‘If not to fight me…….’

I pieced together every clue I had.

The Colony and Otherworld Transformation.

Communication cut off with the Special Class students.

The Academy, Chairwoman Joy Bennet, the Student Council.

Countless scenarios surfaced and vanished, one after another. It wasn’t easy to read his true objective.

I observed him carefully, searching for clues. He was merely using an ordinary Stingray security guard as a puppet. Nothing particularly special stood out.

Except—the space he stood in was heavily influenced by the Otherworld Transformation.

This place had originally been a warehouse where finished products were stored before shipment, but now it had turned into a wasteland.

The parched, cracked earth. Red dust swirling in the wind. Yellow-brown boulders scattered about.

‘Could it be…….’

The sight sparked a plausible hypothesis in my mind, just as my module flashed a warning: [Mana Disturbance Detected].

I tried to activate [Cloud Spider] to prepare for his attack, but in that moment, Evangeline suddenly swung her arm.

Kwaaaang—!

The space around me shattered like glass. Evangeline’s sharp voice lashed out at Araya.

“You bastard! What pathetic trickery is this!”

Araya’s brow twitched.

I didn’t know what he had attempted, but it must have been a trump card of his, now easily broken by Evangeline. That clearly displeased him.

Yet he forced a benevolent smile, as though trying to hide it.

Evangeline whispered to me again.

“Aaron, beware. Just now, he attempted to trap us here.”

“Be precise.”

“He tried to forcibly draw mana and strengthen the bond between this side and the other. If he succeeded, escaping would have been nearly impossible.”

In short, Evangeline explained, he was deliberately trying to push the Otherworld Transformation from Stage 1 to a higher stage.

I knew he intended to stall for time, but I hadn’t expected him to use such a method.

Damn that original author.

If that had been possible within the setting, why hadn’t they written it into the story? It would’ve made for an insanely fun episode.

As that thought crossed my mind, Araya’s lips twisted subtly.

“You’ve gained yourself a troublesome pet.”

“Wh-Who are you calling a pet! To speak so arrogantly, treating me as though I were your possession, when you’re nothing but a thief who stole my power!”

“……?”

“Is that feeble brain of yours unable to recall who I truly am?”

“Y-You can’t mean……!”

Araya’s poker face finally cracked. Yet only for a moment—he soon regained his composure and smiled benevolently once more.

“……To think fate would bring such an encounter. By what means did you manage to resurrect her?”

“Use your imagination.”

“As expected, that is your answer.”

Displeasure seeped into his voice.

“Do you not think that is rather cruel?”

“What do you mean?”

“You. I speak of your greed, the greed to seize everything for yourself. Have you ever looked into your own eyes, aflame with the fire of desire, burning with worldly attachments?”

“You speak nonsense. Are you really the one to talk, when you tried to swallow the city by distributing Junk Chips?”

“As I have told you before, that was an unavoidable choice made only to survive. Unlike you, who began with everything, I started with nothing. It was the desperate struggle I waged to preserve my life.”

Araya spoke with confidence.

Evangeline asked me what Araya was saying, but I told her to focus on locating his true body.

“In contrast, you are different. Though you already possess everything, you still seek to keep all of it solely within your grasp. Believe me, I never chose such violent methods because I liked them.”

“I see. Seems Ashita-kyo teaches sophistry very diligently.”

“With such a twisted gaze, it is no wonder all you see appears twisted, Aaron Stingray. I implore you, abandon your greed.”

“Greed, huh.”

I sneered at his words.

“Perhaps what you really resented was me monopolizing Iri and the others. Were you so desperate, unable to find the chance to earn Contribution Points, that you grew restless?”

Contribution Points.

The moment I said it aloud, the final puzzle piece clicked into place. Of course—he too was a Transmigrator, and just like me, he needed Contribution Points to unlock privileges.

“Ah, so that was it. Now I understand.”

“…What are you saying?”

“Your true goal was Contribution Points.”

Araya must have realized that the founding of the Student Council was an indispensable event for the beginning of Part 2.

But as a fugitive, he had no proper way of contributing to that process. He might control Chairwoman Joy Bennet as a pawn, but in the end, the Academy’s chairperson was nothing but a figurehead.

Breaking through the corporations’ opposition to establish the Student Council was difficult—no, practically impossible.

But for me, it was possible.

The Stingray Foundation’s director.

The Crown Prince, Aaron Stingray.

“So that’s why you tried to use me.”

Since I also had the same goal of establishing the Student Council, Araya pretended to be an ally for a time.

He used Joy Bennet to spread my videos, stirred public dissatisfaction through the community, and fueled the demand for a Student Council.

“But even that wasn’t enough. You feared that you would fail to amass sufficient Contribution Points and that most of them would fall into my hands instead.”

Therefore, he planned to disrupt the timing.

Originally, I intended to incite an Android rebellion within the Academy, establish the Student Council through that incident, and crown Iri as a hero. But he wanted to stir the students’ dissatisfaction earlier through another method to push for the Student Council’s formation.

And the best timing for that.

Was when I had left the Academy to reclaim Colony V7.

“You intended to use that moment—when I was away—to infect the Special Class students.”

While I remained unaware, focusing solely on the Colony’s recapture, he had been steadily working to steal Contribution Points and take control of the Student Council’s formation.

“How amusing.”

“…Aaron Stingray.”

“Don’t make that face. I know. You were simply unlucky.”

If I hadn’t coincidentally encountered those delinquents during the G20 event? If they hadn’t accidentally dropped the Junk Chip?

Or if I hadn’t happened to meet Evangeline here? If she hadn’t discovered Araya secretly hiding and plotting in this place?

There was no doubt about it.

It would have been my defeat.

“But what can you do? You arrived in the same time, in the same world as me.”

“Arrogance is a sin, Aaron Stingray.”

“Isn’t that a Christian sin? You’re supposed to be a monk. Well, either way, it doesn’t matter.”

I gave him a mocking grin.

Yet his expression remained utterly serene. Smiling as if truly enlightened, he laughed warmly and said:

“Why must you seek to hold the world in your hand alone? Why must you believe yourself to be the sole absolute? Why must you judge the world through your foolish gaze alone?”

He spread his hands.

A sinister aura began to spread from him. Almost simultaneously, Evangeline shouted:

“I’ve found it! His true body has been located!”

“It’s useless. While you were wasting time trying to track me, that delay has played into my hands.”

“Ah, Aaron!”

“So I can kill him now?”

“H-Hurry! He’s about to use something dangerous!”

Evangeline shouted urgently.

But Araya laughed as though it was already too late.

“You are too late, Aaron Stingray.”

The aura surrounding him erupted in an instant. The air roared as if screaming, the ground began to twist.

His form grotesquely distorted, and—

“What nonsense.”

“Gah!?”

In the next moment—

I drew my sword and swung it lightly.

The true form of Lv.5 Arcane Module [Techblade]. Known as ‘Techblade: True.’ The formless blade cut through everything before me, and I deactivated the module.

Ssshhhhhhk—!

My body’s Cooling Module activated, lowering my sharply rising temperature.

Slide—

After several seconds of silence, everything before me split in half and collapsed. Araya’s upper body was also severed cleanly in two.

“Th-This foolish…!”

Those were his last words before Araya’s puppet perished. Evangeline, mouth half-open, stared at the scene before slowly turning her head toward me.

“……….”

“What is it?”

“……….”

“Speak.”

Finally, Evangeline opened her mouth.

“P-P… Please spare me……”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

It seemed I had frightened our little witch once again.

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