Volume 4 - CH 23

Act 4-23: Secret Manouver of The Evil God

【Babel】’s Top Floor.

In the headmaster’s room located on the topmost floor of Babel’s tower, a sacred beast and dozens of people were staring at the nightmarish spectacle projected before them with projection magic.

And then, the moment the fly monster with the crown made its appearance, the projection had suddenly cut off.

「Please forgive me… I… can’t do this anymore…」

The blonde-haired woman with long ears who wore a navy blue robe and pointy hat, the one who used the projection magic could barely squeeze her voice as she apologized to everyone in that room. The moment she finished saying her remark, she fell right on her knees, crying as she vomited so many times.

Her name was Chloe, the chief of the research division, and also the most trusted aide of the grand headmaster. She was either the best or second-best user of remote surveillance magic in this world. When everyone was dumbfounded in seeing the reaction of the woman whose calmness was to the point of annoying in a normal situation,

『I’VE TOLD YOU RIGHT!? DON’T MESS WITH THAT!』

The white sacred beast―― Kouma was speaking to them with trembling, almost hysteric voice.

「Chief Chloe, is the fly monster summoned by him really that dangerous?」

The slit-eyed man with a black robe, Sigma Rockwell was asking the question that haunted everyone’s mind as he patted Chloe who was still crying like a girl on her back.

『Y-YOU PEOPLE STILL DON’T EVEN UNDERSTAND AFTER SEEING THAT!?』

Kouma was looking at Sigma’s face with a dumbfounded look on her face as if she was looking at the most idiotic man in the world but, her expression returned to normal immediately.

『Done… We’re done for… ALL OF US ARE DONE FOR!』

Looking at Kouma’s disordered state while also observing the state of the other person,

「Don’t worry, Kouma. Even if he noticed our action behind the scene, He won’t point his blade toward us. Right, Ralph?」

The headmaster, Inea was asking the small, yet muscular man wearing a red robe who stood by her side, Ralph Excel.

「Yeah, in the end, this is your secret manoeuvring since the only condition for that is none of the test-taker sacrificed.」

Ralph replied with a curt, and sour look on his face, everyone gulped their spit upon hearing that.

To Ralph, Inea was someone akin to a foster parent and his former teacher. Thus, in a normal situation, he wouldn’t speak so harshly at Inea. From the way he spoke to Inea, the latter’s action had clearly enraged him so much.

「I have zero interest in your plan but, what do you think going to happen when a victim comes out of the test-taker?」

The blue-haired youth who supervised the grand headmaster was asking Ralph while touching his chin.

「Crushed. Kai is certainly obeying the rule of humans. But, that’s only until the other party doesn’t cross the line. Once we cross the line, we’re going to be crushed so thoroughly till nothing is left by Kai. Yeah, just like that pitiful man in that projection.」

Hearing Ralph’s answer,

『NOO! I’VE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PLAN OF THESE IDIOTIC HUMANS!!』

Kouma was wailing until she caused a rain of saliva. All who were present in that room could only look dumbfoundedly at her show of desperation.

「In my eyes, he looks like your normal, everyday youth which you can find anywhere though. Surely, I have no idea just how powerful that fly monster appears in that projection is, but don’t you feel that your fear is going overboard here? I mean, there’s no way he can beat Babel by himself.」

The bewildered words spoken by the blue-haired youth were the major opinion of everyone in that room.

「You foolish humans are truly dull eh…」

Chloe who had finally settled down muttered those remarks while wiping the area around her mouth.

「What do you mean, Chloe-sama?」

Chloe stood up upon hearing the blue-haired youth asking with a sullen voice,

「FIGHTING THAT YOU SAY!? WE, AGAINST THAT!!? IMPOSSIBLE! I’M TELLING YOU, IT’S ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE! THAT MONSTER, NO, MAYBE EVEN WORST! Let me ask you, can you win a fight against star, or the sun floating in the sky? THAT’S WHAT IT MEAN TO PICK A FIGHT AGAINST THAT!!」

And then replied with a bloodcurdling voice, bright red bloodshot eyes. As if that wasn’t enough, her line of sight moved to the grand headmaster, Inea with a demon-like face,

「Inea-sama, I respect you. Or should I say, respected now!? I mean, this action of yours is total madness. It’s a march to destruction! Tell me your real intention in this matter. If not, this might be the time for us to part ways.」

And didn’t even hesitate to declare that she, the most trusted aide of Inea would leave unless Inea told the truth. Seeing that most people had yet to understand the severity of the situation even after that,

「It’s okay. Everything will be fine. I’ve told you that, right.」

And just as expected, Inea replied with her usual calm and composed voice as she smiled to Chloe.

「Even if I’m in this place with you, I won’t help you if it turns out that you’re making an enemy of Kai. I’m only coming to this place to see the situation. As long as we break the rule as the academy side, Kai will exterminate us till there’s nothing left of the existence of our organization in this world.」

Ralph was making sure of his standing but,

「I’ve already negotiated that part. Right, Girimekhala-sama?」

Headmaster Inea straightened her back as she stood from her chair, and looked at the direction of the window beside her as she addressed someone’s name.

At that moment, a monster with a long nose appeared right where Inea looking at. The air in the room trembled because of the dense, jet-black mist emitting from his entire body, cracks were running along the wall due to the pressure of his mere presence.

And then, the monster’s three bloodshot eyes were squinting as he looked at the people in the room, everyone in that room except for the grand headmaster fell on their knees immediately.

At that very moment, three atypical beings appeared one after another. One of them was floating in the air, another one was standing upside-down on the ceiling, and the last one was sitting haughtily on the desk of the headmaster.

In this situation that felt like the entire room was filled with gunpowder, the monster with a long nose spread his arms,

『OUR DESIRE! IS TO MAKE THE PEACEFUL FUTURE ENVISIONED BY OUR SUPREME RULER INTO REALITY!

OUR DESIRE! IS TO OFFER OUR PURE FAITH AND POWERFUL TOWNFOLK TO OUR SUPREME RULER!

OUR DESIRE! IS TO EXTERMINATE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE LOWLIFE WHO DARES TO DISTURB OUR SUPREME RULER!

GIVE YOUR PRAISE! TO OUR REVERENCE MASTER!

GIVE YOUR PRAISE! TO OUR SUPREME FATHER!

GIVE YOUR PRAISE! TO OUR ABSOLUTE GOD!』

And spoke with a loud voice that was enough to make the air tremble.

No one dares to raise their face. Every single one of them knew by instinct just what kind of existence those monsters were.

The only sound that could be heard after that was the sound of everyone’s grinding their teeth at once.

「My deepest gratitude for your special visit to this place.」

Headmaster Inea placed her right hand on her chest as she spoke, and bowed respectfully to Girimekhala.

『How’s the progress of the plan?』

「Including the member of Empire’s Six Generals who vanished in the test site, we’ve finished with the adjustment of the practical test.」

『Take care of the post-processing too.』

The monster with the long nose nodded in satisfaction upon hearing Inea’s reply and then vanished like smoke. The other three atypical beings have also vanished before they realized it.

And then, in the room that regained its tranquillity,

―― Those who trembling like a newborn calf with pale white faces resembled corpses.

――Those who tried to take a breath to calm themselves and yet failed and ended up coughing non-stop.

―― Slit-eyed man wearing a black robe who was mumbling something like a prayer while biting his thumbnail till he unintentionally bit his own thumb with bloodshot eyes.

――A white dog-like sacred beast who had already passed out while blowing bubbles from her jaws.

Amidst such various reactions,

「Inea-sama, is this the reason why you say that everything will be fine?」

Hearing Ralph asking with a tired voice,

「Yeah, as long as we’re not deviating from the scenario that the preparation for us, Kai Heineman will not turn his hostility toward us. Naturally, inquiring more about this matter will bring more harm than good. So we should just know what we need to know.」

Inea declared so as she replied to Ralph.

""

「That’s… Should be safe.」

Ralph heaved a sigh as he replied so, sitting in the nearest chair to him.

「We shouldn’t think too much about Kai Heineman after this and just focus on giving our everything to provide support for him.

Well, it’s about time for the plan to move to the next stage. Let’s head toward the plaza.」

Inea clapped her hands as she urged everyone to move out with whole face smile on her face.

While Chloe’s face twitched upon seeing Inea who acts cheerfully as if she was about to go for a picnic,

「Inea-sama, you really broke to the core of your very being.」

That was what everyone in that place felt right now.