I love time travel the most!

No, no, no, it's impossible no matter how you look at it.

Although it has been confirmed that Lysette is an automaton, the inability to harm her stems from the fact that the real Lysette cannot be located.

Because if they were to kill her, Felix could easily use the opportunity to retaliate. Given Felix's status and the persona he had cultivated within the academy, he could easily fabricate several reasons to arrest Kobayashi.

Even if there are doubts, it doesn't matter, as long as the culprit is eventually caught, all the problems will have a reasonable explanation. Especially if Xiaolin's college application is forged, it will become strong evidence for the other side to attack Xiaolin.

Similarly, the opponent was also unable to make a move.

Besides lacking absolute certainty, they also had the reason not to reveal that they were automatons, otherwise their plans would be unnecessarily affected.

So after Xiaolin left, she could only kick the bushes next to her a few times.

It was a fit of impotent rage.

Now we'll see whether Kobayashi finds the real Lisette first and exposes their conspiracy, or whether they first pin fabricated charges on the "criminal" to clear their name.

"Seriously, if only the [Five Perspectives] could see right through a doll's mind."

Kobayashi couldn't help but complain softly.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As soon as I returned to my dorm, Akabane Raishin came to visit and got straight to the point as soon as he entered.

"How's it going?"

"Ah, you guessed right, she does have a problem."

It was Akabane Raishin who asked him to test Liselt, since Kobayashi was meeting her for the first time and there was no reason for him to deliberately provoke her.

It was Akabane Raishin's reminder that allowed Kobayashi to use his X-ray vision on Liselt and discover the crucial information that she was not human.

"So all I have to do after that is test her?"

"You're right."

Seeing him pressing his hand to his brow in deep thought, Kobayashi seized the opportunity to give him a hint, saying, "Akaba-kun, Felix once said that he hid his automaton in a [storage locker], which can only be opened with the [master key] kept by the Disciplinary Committee. If Lysette is an automaton now..."

"------!"

Akabane Raishin seemed to have thought of something.

The [storage locker] is a special safe for storing automatons, and it cannot be opened without a specific key.

During the period when the "Demon Eaters" were causing trouble, many puppeteers stored their automatons there, including Felix, one of the thirteen.

That's what they said.

This raises many questions. If Lisette is an automaton, then whose automaton is she, the assistant to the head of the Disciplinary Committee? Where is Lisette's automaton? Where is she herself? What is Felix plotting?

"Tsk. I need to investigate! Yaya, let's go!"

"Yes, Raishin!"

After saying that, Akabane Raishin and Yaya hurriedly ran out together.

They're probably going to check something in the lockers.

Meanwhile, Kobayashi uses his "All-Seeing Eyes" ability in the dormitory to search for the "prisoner" who is about to be falsely accused.

—Charlotte.

From beginning to end, Charlotte was completely manipulated by Felix. Whether he actively approached her to win her favor, deliberately feigned concern about the "Demon Eater," or had Lysette subtly guide her from behind, he made the girl fall into his trap step by step like a pawn.

His previous indifference towards Charlotte was a test to see if the girl was out of his control. After discovering that things had gone as he expected, he inadvertently revealed a smug mockery.

That's why Xiaolin was so angry.

But the academy was so big, and Charlotte was wandering around everywhere, it was really hard to find her location in a short time.

What you fear most is what is most likely to happen.

An hour passed.

Before Kobayashi could even spot Charlotte, Charlotte herself came knocking on his door.

From across the old door, came the dormitory head's inexplicably clear voice.

"Xiaolin, you have a phone call."

"Okay, here we go."

Upon arriving at the lobby on the first floor, the telephone was set up in front of the dormitory head's office. This modern invention piqued Kobayashi's interest, and he thought he could take the old-fashioned telephone back to Axel later.

But there are still important things to do.

When he picked up the microphone that had been lying around for so long—

"Excuse me for bothering you so late. I am Lysette Norden."

"...Oh, it's you. What's up?"

"There's something I need to tell you..."

She deliberately waited a moment, her suspenseful behavior reminiscent of Felix. Only after hearing Kobayashi's breathing gradually slow down did her voice slowly come through the microphone, word by word.

"—We found a large number of magic circuits in Charlotte's room."

"........."

The Magic Circuit, also known as Eve's Heart, is the vital central organ of the automaton, much like its heart, and it is also what the [Demon Eater] has been constantly hunting.

It turned out to be the case.

Is this an implication that they (the mastermind) have set a trap for Charlotte to fall into, in order to throw her into disarray?

That's exactly what Lisette thought too.

I expected the man on the other end of the phone to anxiously inquire about Charlotte's safety, or perhaps hurl some insincere but ultimately meaningless threats. Instead, he didn't seem concerned about the important person in this matter; it was someone else entirely—

"Akaba... no, Raishin Akabane and Yaya, how are they now?"

"You really are a cold-hearted man. You don't care about her at all, but you care about another man instead."

"If you had caught her, you wouldn't have called me. Alright, Raijin Akabane and Yaya, how are they now?"

"Hmph, who knows. That man might have been ambushed from behind and is seriously injured, and he's probably on a stretcher on his way to the infirmary now. As for her doll, it's probably already been dealt with by the disciplinary committee members."

"...I must say, it's an interesting guess."

Kobayashi's tone was calm and indifferent, without any emotional fluctuation, but his expression had become cold, and the surface of the telephone receiver held in his right hand was slightly cracked.

He remained calm and asked:

"So, Miss Lisette, is there anything else you need? You didn't happen to call just because the moon is so beautiful tonight, so you're inviting me on a date?"

"If, I say, yes."

"Place."

"The place where we part ways for the last time today."

"I'm heading there right now."

Xiaolin gently put down the microphone, lowered her head slightly, walked out of the dormitory, and headed straight for their date.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When he arrived at the back garden, someone was already waiting there.

No, to be precise, it's not a person.

It was a fully armed automaton; if you really wanted to describe it, you could also call it a combat girl.

She was dressed in ancient armor, holding a long sword in her hand, and her full-face helmet exuded an imposing aura, like wearing a demon mask.

Although she had covered herself up very well and concealed herself well, in front of Kobayashi, who possessed the ability to see through things, her naked body had already exposed her true appearance.

—Automata Lysette.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be dressed up so formally. It seems you're really looking forward to this date."

"........."

The doll-like girl in front of him remained silent, but she raised the long sword in her hand until it reached Kobayashi's throat.

It's obvious she didn't come here for a date, but to do something bad.

"Hey, hey, hey, is this really okay?"

Kobayashi wasn't afraid. Instead, she sighed, shrugged, and said helplessly, "You exposed yourself so easily? Or do you think a mask can hide your 'intellectual' pretty face?"

The word "intellectual" was emphasized.

Unfortunately, the fighting girl did not answer. Instead, she raised her longsword and slashed at Kobayashi with great force, as if she wanted to split him in two.

The attack was strong but lacked agility, and Kobayashi easily dodged it.

At the same time, his mouth kept moving.

"Besides Ryuu, this is the first time I've been liked by another female automaton, and so persistently at that. I mean, what is it about me that's so attractive? Can't I change it?"

His response was met with even fiercer slashes from the fighting girl, and as time went on, her attack speed gradually increased while the angles of her slashes became more cunning.

Like a true master swordsman, he danced with brilliant sword shadows under the bright moonlight, the sword gleaming with a cold, dangerous light.

Even so, she couldn't touch the hem of Kobayashi's clothes.

During the battle, Kobayashi kept saying, "I originally wanted to give this opportunity to Akabane-kun, but for some reason I couldn't attract too much attention, so I voluntarily withdrew from everyone else's sight. But you have a strange obsession with me, what is the reason?"

"...You, you can't fight if you don't speak?"

Seeing Kobayashi dodge the slash again, the fighting girl couldn't help but sneer, her tone incredibly familiar.

No wonder she didn't speak; she would have given herself away if she opened her mouth.

Ignoring her, Xiaolin revealed the truth directly, saying, "Because you lust after my body, you're despicable!"

"------!"

The fighting girl froze instantly, seemingly not expecting Kobayashi to say something so narcissistic.

Xiaolin's statement is not entirely correct.

To be precise, she aimed for Kobayashi's heart.

"Before entering the academy, Akabane-kun and I intercepted a train. Although it only took up a small section of a news report, you still noticed it. Therefore, you misunderstood—that Kobayashi was actually an automaton. Despite my repeated explanations that I am human, with the automaton Lysette in the picture, you are more inclined to believe that I am also an automaton. Coupled with the exaggerated strength I have shown since entering the academy, you are even more coveting my magic circuit (Eve's Heart), am I right?"