"... "
The atmosphere shifted.
Even the surrounding pedestrians could sense the change clearly.
One by one, people began whispering to each other and quietly slipping away.
Soon, the area around Fang Li and Stiyl was empty, except for a few passersby who hurried along, eager to avoid getting caught up in the commotion thatis likely to come.
Stiyl, however, paid this no mind. His gaze remained fixed solely on Fang Li.
Upon hearing Stiyl's words, meant to stir emotions, Fang Li did not grow angry. Instead, he laughed.
"Let me guess. What exactly gives you the nerve to say something so forceful?" Fang Li asked lightly. "Don't tell me it's the classic threat, that if I don't cooperate, the Puritan Church will come to retrieve Index or something along those lines?"
Stiyl's eyes narrowed slightly at Fang Li's casual dismissal.
"...Up to now, many have stood by that child," Stiyl murmured, his eyes locking on Fang Li. "Each one of them was drawn to her kindness and innocence. They were willing to sacrifice everything for her. Now, let me see...are you the same as them? Or did you only save her because of what's inside her head?"
Unlike Index, Stiyl clearly hadn't put his full trust in Fang Li.
Which was only natural.
Considering the secretive actions Fang Li had taken over the past year, combined with Index's unique nature, who wouldn't suspect his motives? Surely he had an ulterior purpose to save a girl he'd known for less than a month.
No one readily believes in pure goodwill.
Fang Li was not the sort to inspire such belief.
He was neither saint nor devil. He only reached out to those who mattered to him, not for the sake of vague ideals like the happiness or salvation of humanity.
Had Stiyl been waiting for this moment?
Maybe his real reason for returning to Academy City wasn't just to handle the incident but also to see what Fang Li's intentions toward Index really were.
After all, Stiyl was one of those drawn in by Index's kindness and purity. He is someone who would give everything for her, even if she had lost her memories and saw him as a stranger.
Yet, Fang Li simply smiled.
It was a detached, almost indifferent smile.
In that state, he spoke to Stiyl.
"There's something I need to make clear to you first."
He lifted his gaze and locked eyes with the priest, not beating around the bush in the slightest.
"The whole claim that I don't have the privilege of refusing? That's your first mistake. The one without the privilege to refuse isn't me. It's you. It's the Puritan Church of the United Kingdom."
Stiyl's expression darkened at the words.
"Hmph..." Stiyl snorted coldly, his tone dripping with scorn. "Don't tell me you actually believe that, even if the Puritan Church tried to retrieve Index, we wouldn't be able to?"
He gave Fang Li no chance to respond, cutting straight to the point.
"You possess Mystic Eyes that can kill anything; to you, the world's magic is essentially null and void. In terms of convenience and flexibility when dealing with magic, you're even more effective than the forbidden book Index. Ninety-nine percent of magicians in this world would be helpless against you."
"But that doesn't mean you can ignore every magical power faction," Stiyl said coldly. "If you truly had that ability, you wouldn't need to hide your identity to steal Magic Path book originals. You'd storm straight into the strongholds of those magic factions and take what you want. Why go through all this trouble?"
So, although Fang Li's Mystic Eyes were powerful, they were not limitless.
"You see, your Mystic Eyes still haven't reached the prototype's true intensity. If sight alone could slay a Death God and you truly had that level of power, this world would be your backyard. You wouldn't need to go to such lengths to collect Magic Path book originals," Stiyl continued. "In other words, even if you possess an incomplete Magic-God force, you're not invincible. You can't behave recklessly against the United Kingdom Puritan Church as you claim."
Indeed.
Fang Li was not yet strong enough to dismiss one of the world's strongest magic factions.
For example, the Puritan Church has Kanzaki, a Saint. Fang Li had no guarantee of victory against her unless he were willing to risk his life.
If he were willing to risk his life, he could certainly take someone with him. However, the Puritan Church isn't made up of Kanzaki alone.
If Fang Li tried to defeat Kanzaki one-on-one and died in the attempt, it would simply hand the Puritan Church a decisive triumph.
However...
"Strength in numbers is indeed an advantage for a faction, but it also brings many liabilities," Fang Li said indifferently. "Maybe I can't take on the entire Puritan Church by myself, but if I use every means available, I can shatter them."
"For example..." Fang Li looked at Stiyl, smiling faintly. "I could infiltrate the Puritan Church's cathedral and assassinate their highest archbishops and all the top brass. I should still have that sort of ability, shouldn't I?"
Stiyl's complexion shifted slightly.
Fang Li didn't stop there.
"Also, even if I don't directly attack the Puritan Church, I can still achieve my goals." His expression remained unchanged as he continued, "For instance, with those Mystic Eyes of mine that still haven't reached prototype strength, I may not be able to kill a Death God with a single glance, but killing other things is very easy."
"For example..." Fang Li's half-smile returned. "How are Index's memories doing?"
Stilts froze for a moment before reacting sharply.
Could it be that...
"That 'could it be that,' huh?" Fang Li said, as if he had read Stiyl's thoughts. "I can erase the memories in Index's head—the recordings of the 103,000 original Magic Path books—and make that girl stop being the Forbidden Book Index."
"Once she's lost her value as the Forbidden Book Index, do you really think the Puritan Church of the United Kingdom would pick a fight with an opponent who only has incomplete Magic God power over a mere nun?"
Fang Li's words struck hard, unsettling Stiyl.
"See?" Fang Li said with bored detachment. "Threatening me with taking Index as leverage is foolish. If you only want to keep Index, I have plenty of ways to handle that. On what basis does the Puritan Church claim that I can't refuse and must be manipulated by you?"
He stared directly at Stiyl.
A new, intriguing look grew in his eyes.
"It's not only the Puritan Church of the United Kingdom forcing you to speak like that; it's also Academy City, isn't it?"
(End of this chapter)
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New Fanfiction— 1. One Piece—Maxed Out Conqueror's Haki!
2. One Piece—Master Of Devil Fruits