Chapter 1286: Three Days Is the Limit
"We're back!"
Arcueid greeted them in a loud voice.
Morgan opened the barrier surrounding the house, letting Eiji and Arcueid inside.
"Congratulations. It seems your strength has improved greatly."
Morgan looked Eiji up and down, unable to hold back her amazement.
It was Eiji who had fought the Beast, and he had even managed to defeat a stronger opponent despite being weaker!
When she remembered how just over half a year ago he could barely hold his own against her, the contrast with his current strength—enough to fight and defeat even a Beast—was far too stark, giving Morgan a sense of urgency that time waits for no one.
But on the other hand, she also felt immensely proud.
As expected of my husband!
If only there were fewer vixens around him, it would be perfect.
Morgan shot a dark glare at Arcueid, feeling deeply displeased.
Among their group, aside from Eiji, only she, Melusine, and Arcueid were candidates in the top three tiers. Their lineup could be considered quite powerful, but what she couldn't let go of was that she was only a third-tier candidate, while Arcueid was a first-tier candidate!
Watching Arcueid help Eiji repel the tail's attack like a virtuous wife made Morgan feel exceptionally irritated.
Arcueid noticed her gaze and proudly puffed out her chest, tightening her grip on Eiji's arm.
"Let go of him!"
Morgan's eye twitched, and she immediately pounced like a provoked cat, slapping Arcueid's arms hard.
"I won't let go!"
Arcueid remained completely unfazed, looking down at her triumphantly.
The two women locked eyes.
The air seemed to crackle with electricity.
Eiji kept his eyes fixed on his nose, his nose fixed on his mouth, and his mouth fixed on his heart, doing his best to lower his presence—even activating the Sword of Heavenly Principles.
When women argue, it's incredibly foolish for a man to butt in!
Because the moment you do, the conflict will immediately shift to you!
After a month in this battlefield of relationships, Eiji had accumulated plenty of experience and wouldn't allow himself to make even a single misstep!
"What are you two doing fighting over him at a time like this?"
At that moment, an authoritative voice rang in their ears.
"Ah, Miss Scáthach, it was just getting good. Why did you have to interrupt them?"
Another, somewhat frivolous voice complained discontentedly to the former.
"Read the room, Merlin!"
The imperious voice coldly rebuked Merlin.
"There's always time for fun, but not now!"
Turning to look.
A white-haired scammer and a purple-haired queen had somehow arrived outside the courtyard.
Merlin was eagerly anticipating Morgan and Arcueid's catfight, but Scáthach had very unsympathetically ruined his fun.
Neither of them were Heroic Spirits.
They had returned in their true bodies from the Inner Sea of the Planet and the Outside of the World, both exuding incredibly formidable auras.
Especially Scáthach.
Eiji felt that although this woman was only a second-tier candidate, her level of trouble was probably no less than Kishinami's.
"Merlin…"
Morgan's face darkened.
No matter which Morgan it was, she held not even a shred of goodwill for the white-haired scammer.
The fact that no one resorted to violence upon meeting was already a testament to their restraint.
"Anyway, let's set aside our minor conflicts for now. There are more important matters at hand."
Scáthach decisively suppressed the tensions among them with an authoritative tone.
"And what exactly are these 'more important matters'?"
Morgan, entirely unafraid of her, retorted without hesitation.
"Merlin, since you brought this up, you should be the one to explain!"
"Alright then! Since the fun's over, I suppose we have to get down to business!"
Merlin shook his head with a hint of regret.
"First off, congratulations, Eiji. Defeating a fully manifested Beast must have made you significantly stronger, right? We'll likely be relying on you for our next moves!"
"Let's get to the point. While you were battling Kishinami, I've been using my Clairvoyance to observe this digital world. The conclusion is just as BB said—this world is shrinking constantly. I couldn't see, nor did I bother to look at, what's outside."
"So, what are you trying to say?"
Eiji countered.
"Three days."
Merlin raised three fingers, his expression devoid of any emotion.
"In at most three days, this digital world will shrink to its limit!"
"What?"
"Are you saying—"
"The UO finals only have a three-day schedule?"
Everyone was visibly shaken.
Why?
Three days?
That was far shorter than anyone had imagined!
There were hundreds of thousands of participants here!
Not to mention the numerous monster-level powerhouses, each capable of turning the tables at any moment!
The battles here were bound to be spectacular. Even three to five days would be too short—waiting a month or a year would be entirely worthwhile!
And yet, the finals were scheduled for just three days?
"This is forcing us to act quickly!"
Merlin also wore a helpless expression.
This UO finals was permeated with an atmosphere of coercion and temptation.
The coercion was the three-day countdown to the shrinking limit.
The temptation was the chance to obtain the Spirit Origin of defeated opponents.
All of it was designed to push the participants into slaughtering each other as much as possible!
"From the way you're talking, it sounds like you have some ideas?"
Eiji scrutinized Merlin.
"More or less."
Merlin nodded frankly.
Then he dropped a bombshell without hesitation.
"My idea is, first and foremost, to eliminate all the Beasts!"
Incredible!
You're not that powerful yourself, yet you dream big!
Eliminate all the Beasts?
Do you have any idea how many Beasts are in Konoe City right now?
And what kind of Authorities and privileges do those Beasts possess?
Theoretically, it would take seven Grand Servants joining forces to confront a single Beast head-on! One or two Grand Servants wouldn't even be enough to make a dent!
Even the Counter Force, when dispatching Grand Servants, has to carefully select the one most capable of countering the specific Beast. An ordinary Grand Servant sent recklessly would likely be annihilated without a trace of their Spirit Origin left!
And with that in mind, you still plan to expel all the Beasts?
"Merlin, are you aware that those digital spaces contain resources that allow Beasts to restore their power?"
Eiji stared at Merlin with utter disbelief.
"I know. I overheard it while you were fighting Kishinami."
Merlin nodded without hesitation.
"To be precise, those nutrients weren't prepared for Beasts alone, but for all competitors who haven't reached their peak condition. Not just Beasts can use them."
I never expected BB to be hiding such a massive bombshell!
I really should have pressed for more details back then!
Though the outcome probably wouldn't have changed - this is likely Mooncell's doing anyway. Merlin alone couldn't have stopped it.
"Close enough."
Eiji waved his hand dismissively, wearing an indifferent expression.
"The key point is, with this development, any Beasts appearing in this digital world would all be in their complete forms. The possibility of encountering juvenile forms is extremely low. Do you understand?"
"Of course."
"Then why the hell do you still want to eliminate all Beasts?"
"Didn't I already tell you?"
Merlin looked over with an innocent expression, spreading his hands in a gesture of sincere helplessness.
"The next phase of operations will probably depend on you!"