Chapter 137: You're Just After My Body, You Slut!
Swords were drawn!
But that was all. After deliberately provoking Lisette, the two of them went their separate ways.
Did you think a battle would break out?
No, no, no. No matter how you thought about it, that was impossible.
Although he had confirmed that she was an automaton, he couldn't make a move on her without finding where the real Lisette was.
Because the moment he took her out, it could easily be used by Felix to counter him. Given his status and his long-cultivated persona in the academy, he could fabricate several reasons to have Kobayashi arrested. Even if there were suspicious points, it wouldn't matter. As long as the "culprit" was caught in the end, all problems would have a reasonable explanation. This was especially true given that his admission application was a forgery, which would become powerful evidence for the other party to attack him.
By the same token, the other party couldn't make a move either.
Besides not having full confidence, there was also the reason that she could not expose herself as an automaton, otherwise their plans would be unnecessarily affected.
So after he left, all she could do was viciously kick the bushes beside her a few times.
It was a case of impotent rage.
Now, it was a race to see whether he would be the first to find the real Lisette and expose their conspiracy, or if they would first succeed in pinning a trumped-up charge on the "culprit" to clear their own names.
"Honestly, if only [Spectator] could see through an automaton's heart," he couldn't help but complain softly.
As soon as he returned to the dormitory, Raishin came to visit, getting straight to the point the moment he entered.
"How was it?"
"Ah, you guessed right. There's definitely something wrong with her."
It was Raishin who had asked him to test her. After all, it was his first time meeting her. Why would he have deliberately provoked her for no reason?
And it was his reminder that had made him use X-ray Vision on her, confirming the key piece of intelligence that she was not human.
"So all we have to do now is test her?"
"That's right."
Seeing him press his fingers to his brow, thinking hard, Kobayashi took the opportunity to give him a hint. "Akabane-kun, Felix said before that he hid his own automaton in the 'lockers,' which can only be opened with the 'master key' kept by the Disciplinary Committee. If the current Lisette is an automaton..."
"————!"
Raishin seemed to have thought of something.
The "lockers" were special safes for storing automatons; they couldn't be opened without a specific key. During this period of "Cannibal Candy" causing trouble, many puppeteers had stored their automatons there for safekeeping, including Felix, one of the top thirteen.
—Or so he had said.
This raised a huge point of suspicion. If the current Lisette was an automaton, then as the adjutant to the head of the Disciplinary Committee, whose automaton was she? Where was the real Lisette's automaton? And where was she herself? And what was Felix plotting?
"Tsk. I'm going to investigate! Yaya, let's go!"
"Yes! Raishin!"
With that, he and Yaya hurried out. They were probably going to the lockers to confirm something.
And Kobayashi, in his dormitory, used [Spectator]'s ability to search for the "culprit" who was about to be framed with a trumped-up charge—Charlotte.
From beginning to end, she had been played in the palm of Felix's hand. Whether it was him taking the initiative to get close to her to win her favor, or deliberately acting troubled by the "Cannibal Candy" case, or having Lisette guide her from behind the scenes, it was all to make the girl, like a chess piece, fall step by step into the trap he had set.
His coldness towards her before was to test whether she had escaped his control. When he found that things were just as he had thought, he had inadvertently revealed a smug, mocking expression.
It was precisely because of this that he was so furious.
But the academy was simply too large, and she was running all over the place. It was really hard to find her location in a short time.
The more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen.
An hour passed.
Before he could find her, the other party found him first.
From the other side of the old door, the dorm head's strangely clear voice came through.
"Kobayashi, there's a phone call for you."
"Okay, I'm coming."
He came to the first-floor hall. The telephone was set up in front of the dorm head's office. The modern product was quite interesting to him; he thought he might take an old-fashioned telephone back to Axel later.
But he had important business to attend to now.
When he picked up the long-neglected receiver—
"I'm sorry to disturb you so late. This is Lisette Norden."
"...It's you. What is it?"
"There's something I need to tell you..."
She deliberately paused, a suspense-building tactic very much like Felix's. After hearing his breathing gradually slow, her voice came slowly through the receiver, one word at a time.
"—We have found a large number of Magic Circuits in Charlotte's room."
"..."
Magic Circuits, also known as Eve's Hearts, were the central core of an automaton, as important as a heart. They were also what "Cannibal Candy" had been hunting.
I see. Are you implying that they (the masterminds) have already set a trap waiting for her to step into it, thereby throwing me into disarray?
That was indeed what she was thinking.
She had thought that the man on the other end of the line would anxiously ask about Charlotte's safety, or angrily throw down some empty threats. She hadn't expected him not to care about the key figure in this matter, but another—
"Akabane... no, Raishin and Yaya. How are they now?"
"You really are a cold-hearted man. To not care about her, but to care about a man instead."
"If you had captured her, you wouldn't be calling me. Now, Raishin and Yaya, how are they?"
"Hmph, who knows. That man may have been sneak-attacked from behind and seriously injured, and is now lying on a stretcher on his way to the infirmary. As for his automaton, she has probably already been sanctioned by the Disciplinary Committee."
"...I must say, a very interesting guess."
His tone was light and airy, without any emotional fluctuations, but his expression had already turned cold, and the surface of the receiver he was holding was slightly cracked.
He still maintained his calm and asked:
"Well then, is there anything else you need, Miss Lisette? Don't tell me you saw that the moonlight was beautiful tonight and specifically called to invite me on a date?"
"What if... I said... I did?"
"Location."
"The place where we last parted today."
"I'm on my way."
He gently put down the receiver, lowered his head slightly, and walked out of the dormitory, heading straight for the meeting place.
When he arrived at the back garden, someone was already waiting there.
No, to be precise, it wasn't a person.
It was a fully armed automaton. If one had to describe it, one could also say she was a combat maiden.
She wore ancient armor, held a longsword in her hand, and her full-face helmet was imposing, as if she were wearing a demon mask.
Although she had wrapped herself up tightly and hidden herself well, in front of him, who had [Spectator] and could use X-ray vision, her completely naked form had already exposed her true identity.
—Automaton, Lisette.
"Yo. I didn't expect you to dress up so grandly. It seems you're really looking forward to this date."
"..."
The automaton girl before him was silent, but she raised the longsword in her hand and pointed it at his throat.
It was clear she wasn't here for a date, but to do bad things.
"Hey, hey, hey. Is that really a good idea?"
He wasn't afraid. Instead, he sighed, shrugged, and said helplessly, "To expose yourself so easily... or do you think a mere mask can cover up that 'intellectual' pretty face of yours?"
He put a heavy emphasis on the word "intellectual."
Unfortunately, the combat maiden did not answer, but instead raised her longsword and decisively slashed at him, a powerful and heavy blow that seemed to want to cut him in two.
All offense, but not enough agility. He easily dodged.
At the same time, his mouth didn't stop.
"Besides RyuZU, this is the first time I've been liked by another female automaton, and one who is so persistent at that. I say, what is it about me that's so attractive? Can't I just change it?"
What answered him was an even sharper slash from the combat maiden. And as time passed, her attack speed gradually increased, and the angle of her slashes also became more tricky.
Like a true sword master, she danced a brilliant sword shadow under the bright moonlight, the cold glint of the blade full of danger.
But even so, she could not touch the hem of his clothes.
In the middle of the battle, he continued to speak. "I originally wanted to give this chance to Akabane-kun. For certain reasons, I can't attract too much attention, so I took the initiative to withdraw from everyone's sight. But you have a strange obsession with me. What is the reason?"
"...Can't you fight without talking?"
Seeing him once again dodge a slash, the combat maiden couldn't help but mock him. Her tone was incomparably familiar.
No wonder she didn't speak. It turns out that opening her mouth would expose her.
He, however, didn't care. He directly revealed the mystery. "Because you're just after my body! You slut!"
"————!"
The combat maiden's movements instantly stiffened. She seemed to have never expected him to say something so narcissistic.
His statement wasn't entirely correct.
To be precise, she was aiming for his heart.
"Before I entered the academy, I stopped a train together with Akabane-kun. Although it was just a small news report, you still noticed. Therefore, you had a misunderstanding—that I am actually an automaton. Even though I repeatedly stated that I am human, with the precedent of the automaton Lisette, you were still more inclined to believe that I am also an automaton. Coupled with the exaggerated strength I've displayed since entering the academy, you coveted my Magic Circuit (Eve's Heart) even more. Am I right?"
"..."
She was silent.
However, both sides knew that this was the truth of the matter.
He had also been very strange at the beginning. The other party could have directly pinned the crime on the "culprit" to obtain the final victory, yet they had to take such a huge risk to make a move on him at the moment of victory.
Even if there was the suspicion of taking the opportunity to eliminate a potential enemy and throw the dirty water on the culprit at the same time, he had clearly stated that he would not participate in the Night Party, so he could not become a potential enemy.
Therefore, the reason was not valid.
"But, if we assume that you are 'Cannibal Candy,' then the reason for doing so becomes self-evident."
He had a confident smile on his face.
The combat maiden became more and more silent, and the aura on her body also became more dangerous. It seemed that all of his reasoning was correct.
"But you should have just said you were after my body."
He, on the contrary, started to blame the other party. "Although I can't give you my body, I can still let you taste a part of it."
"Taste a part of it?"
"Mmm, a part."
He lowered his head and looked at his pants.
"..."
"..."
Both sides fell into silence at the same time.
But then, the combat maiden said with a disgusted, sharp tongue, "Save your sleep-talking for when you're asleep, you bedbug!"
His generous offer was only met with the girl's scolding and violence. The longsword in her hand was brandished in a way that was much more ruthless than before.
But that was all.
An automaton without a puppeteer by its side could not use magic. Did she really think she could defeat him with just swordsmanship?
She was underestimating him too much!
Seeing that her prolonged attack was ineffective, the combat maiden also opened her mouth to try and disrupt him, saying coldly, "You bedbug. If only you were as easy to deal with as that cockroach."
Her meaning was none other than that Raishin had already been dealt with. She wanted to use him as a threat to throw Kobayashi into a panic.
He, on the contrary, smiled.
"Hahaha— did you know? A cockroach's life force is very tenacious. I believe he absolutely will not go down that easily."
"I told you to save your sleep-talking for when you're asleep... what?!"
Just at this moment—
The ground shook, followed by a sudden gale.
Crimson mana transformed into a violent tornado that shot into the sky. The surrounding trees rustled, and a powerful pressure slowly spread out. Even from a great distance, it was enough to make one's heart palpitate.
As expected of an automaton produced by Shouko Karyuusai. Its power was a bit ridiculous.
"Hahaha—, the tables have turned. What are you going to do now?"
His malicious teasing followed.
The combat maiden looked at the tornado of mana rising in the distance. Without any hesitation, she immediately created distance, shot into the sky, and flew off into the distance.
"Do you think you can escape?"
He pushed off with his legs and also shot into the sky, chasing after her.
The commotion created by Yaya had also disturbed the other battlefield.
The "culprit"—Charlotte—who had been lured out by the bait, the ten members of the Disciplinary Committee who were surrounding her, and Felix, who had an expression of deep sorrow.
After feeling the pressure from the distance, the members of the Disciplinary Committee became flustered.
But under Felix's command, they calmed down and were then arranged to go and provide support at the place where the riot was happening.
After everyone had left, and the surroundings had become quiet.
Felix finally revealed his usual smile and said in a low voice, "This way, we can have a good chat, Charlotte."
"Felix..."
A chill went down her spine.
The smile that had once been able to bring her warmth now made her feel incomparably afraid.
Her throat was dry, and she asked in a hoarse voice, "...Don't tell me you believe that I am 'Cannibal Candy'?"
"Of course I do. Otherwise, I would be very troubled," he gave a nonsensical answer.
What did that mean?
Before she could ask, he spoke again. "I was originally planning to let Kobayashi get rid of you, but that guy is too smooth. Fortunately, that guy, for your sake, was obediently lured out."
"...Kobayashi?"
She had a strong, ominous premonition and quickly questioned, "What did you do to him?!"
"Him? He was just dealt with a moment ago. My companions will help clean up the aftermath."
"You killed him?!"
"...I just destroyed him."
"Why...!"
"Because he has an excellent Magic Circuit."
What? An excellent Magic Circuit? What was he talking about?
She couldn't understand at all.
In her chaotic mind, another sentence quickly flashed past.
—Kobayashi was lured out because of her.
She questioned again, "Why? Why did you do this?"
"...Sigh. I originally had a rather high opinion of you. I didn't expect your head to be so slow." He sighed and shrugged, his face full of mockery.
And an idea flashed through her mind like lightning.
"You... used... me."
"Because it was too much of a coincidence, Charlotte. If you must hate, then hate fate. Hate that you and I would happen to be in the same year of this demonic erosion, and attend this academy at the same time. No... hate that your [Dragon's Roar] is so similar to my [Cannibalism]."
His words dealt a heavy blow to the adoring girl.
Fake. It was all fake.
Everything had been meticulously arranged by him. Whether it was the words he said, the gentleness he showed, or the kindness he released, it was all fake.
The girl's heart was smashed to pieces.
Just as she was in despair, feeling the automaton rapidly approaching, Felix raised his right hand and said excitedly, "Perfect! My automaton has arrived! It's time to end this 'Cannibal Candy' commotion!"
The next second.
BOOM—
An automaton descended from the sky, decisively smashing a deep pit into the ground. And as the dust flew, a figure slowly appeared before the two of them.
He was stepping on the combat maiden below him, an unpleasant smile on his face.
He greeted the two of them:
"—Yo. Good evening, you two."
(End of Chapter)