I love time travel the most!

Of course, she was not defeated by this.

The water droplets quickly gathered together, forming puddles, and then immediately coalesced into a human shape.

I feel like I've seen similar magic tricks somewhere before.

"Could it be that……!"

“That’s right. That’s the magic of the water sprite. The [Demon Eater] hunts down the magic circuits of other automatons in order to use their magic.”

"Is that so?"

Now Akabane Raishin understood.

clap clap-

Felix couldn't help but clap his hands and said, "Unlike your rather primitive fighting style of relying on brute force to subdue enemies, Kobayashi, your mind is surprisingly quick."

"Thanks for the compliment."

The person being praised was not happy.

Felix even said, "I really don't want to kill you like this. Hey, how about joining my...?"

"I reject."

Before he could finish speaking, Kobayashi decisively refused.

Meeting the other's puzzled gaze, he sighed and said, "I'm telling you, no matter how you look at it, you're at a disadvantage right now. Besides, wasn't your target my magic circuit? Is it really okay to change your target now? Show some persistence, will you?"

It doesn't feel good to be taught a lesson by the enemy.

Felix chuckled, "I've learned my lesson. In that case, you might as well die."

A faint whooshing sound came from the silent night sky, followed by a huge, swaying iron ball that slammed into Kobayashi from behind with terrifying force. If he hadn't dodged, his fragile human body would have been seriously injured.

"Danger—!"

Before Charlotte could remind Kobayashi, Ryuuzi flashed behind Kobayashi, wielding the scythe under her skirt. With a few swings, the menacing iron ball shun was instantly shredded into eight pieces.

The broken pieces of iron flew in different directions, and the pieces that were about to hit Kobayashi were slashed several more times by Ryuzuki's scythe. The elegant waiter created a safe space for his master.

But passive defense wasn't in Liu Zi's nature. With the scattered metal blocks obscuring their vision, she nimbly and elusively moved towards the battle girl, Eliza. Her scythe slashed at a concealed angle, aiming straight for the enemy's neck.

Clang——

A fierce spark, vanishing in the blink of an eye, burst forth in the night sky.

Aliza hurriedly raised her shield, barely managing to block Ryuu's attack.

No wonder he is one of the thirteen strongest.

Unlike the large iron ball that was easily sliced ​​apart, the shield of the battle girl Eliza was quite sturdy, except for a deep mark.

But that's about it.

Liu Zi's attacks were relentless; she swung her two scythes continuously, and in no time, her shield shattered.

Eliza had to dodge the attack and landed gracefully in the distance.

Although Liu Zi was stronger, she was not completely at a disadvantage. However, one question lingered in Charlotte's mind.

Why wasn't there a liquidation technique to evade attacks?

"Because of the principle of incoordination of magic activity."

As if answering Charlotte's question, Kobayashi slowly said, "To this day, many magicians have tried to perform multiple spells at the same time, but none of them have been able to do it—it's the most basic thing. You're supposed to be a top student, have you forgotten everything that Kimberly taught you, Charlotte?"

"Nonsense! Of course I remember!"

The haughty girl turned her head away, feigning dissatisfaction, and said, "I'm just curious about its flaws, such as whether the conditions for use are too demanding, the cost is too high, or what kind of price needs to be paid."

"It's about cost-effectiveness."

Kobayashi didn't keep anyone in suspense and revealed the answer directly.

Simply put, it's just a magic trick that's used and then discarded. The discarded circuits can't be re-equipped, and there should be a limit to the number of times it can be used.

After all, if one could use the magic circuits they hunted without limit, there would be no need to desperately accumulate stockpiles, nor would there be any need to risk exposing the crime of constantly hunting automatons at night.

"But you are different, Kobayashi."

Felix then opened his eyes, spread his hands, and looked at Kobayashi with burning eyes, saying, "You can use multiple spells, right?"

I've seen you fight before. The various lights you wear have different effects, not only enhancing your physical abilities to intercept trains, but you can even use magic to freeze water.

At first, I also thought that you and Eliza had the same magic circuit, but after getting to know you, I realized that your magic is not rusty at all, as if it were something you were born with.

Therefore, I am certain that you are an automaton that has overcome the drawbacks of incoordination in magical activity.

In other words, once I obtain your magic circuits, I can use multiple spells without limit, and I won't need to hunt down any other automatons. You are the most important link in my path to becoming the Demon Lord, Kobayashi!

……

Such fervent words made Xiaolin rub her arms involuntarily. Being lusted at by a man like that was just too much!

"But I can guess why you abandoned the water sprite's magic circuit."

"Because it's completely useless to you."

While turning into water to neutralize attacks might seem like a good thing, once Kobayashi freezes her into ice, Eliza will be restricted, and thus some other low-level magic circuits will also be unusable.

Felix's eyes flashed with a cold light, sparks of magic crackled between his brows, and his earlier arrogance vanished from his face. Perhaps he instinctively sensed danger, understanding that his opponent was someone he had to fight with all his might to defeat.

However, the rewards for defeating the opponent were also very generous, and their lustful gazes became even more unrestrained.

This guy……

"I'm telling you, I'm really not an automaton. Do you really want me to cut open my chest and abdomen to prove it?"

It's not about how many bowls of noodles we ate.

Felix, now possessed by demons, is deaf to everything. He stubbornly believes that his actions are a crucial part of becoming the Demon King. Sometimes, the truth doesn't matter; they only see what they want to see.

The battle resumed.

Liu Zi and Eliza faced each other from a distance. They both pushed off the ground at the same time, entering a high-speed collision, which immediately led to a series of hand-to-hand combat battles.

Eliza was clever; she decisively dodged the sharp scythe attacks and then used the longer reach of her right-hand sword to launch her own attack first. But Ryuu was not to be outdone; despite her fragile body, she always anticipated the opponent's attacks, then gracefully dodged or parried with her scythe.

The two appeared to be colliding fiercely, but in reality, neither of them caused any harm to the other.

But battles are not static.

As time passed, Eliza, who was slightly slower, gradually began to falter. Just as Ryuji's scythe was about to slash through her body, a wall appeared in front of Eliza. The wall, gleaming with a metallic sheen, seemed to be a magical artifact that specially enhanced defense.

Liu Zi's vision was blocked, and even her attacks were blocked from the side by the opponent, making it impossible for her to form an effective suppression for a while.

Seeing this, Felix did not hesitate to abandon the magic that had only been used once, and instead used another magic that softened the ground, causing Ryuzu to trip and lose her balance.

It's not over yet!

Taking advantage of the moment, Eliza opened her mouth, and a fierce flash of light burst forth, stealing everyone's attention.

—A foolproof bullet!

No, it's a flash magic trick!

This magic trick was extremely effective against Kobayashi, who had superhuman eyesight. When they regained their sight, Ryuu was already bound by a golden chain, with the other end held in Eliza's hand. This was the same magic trick that had previously ambushed one of Kobayashi's ten followers.

But unlike before when he could easily break free, this time the bindings looked much tighter.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that no matter what kind of magic Felix uses, he's far more powerful than the previous weaklings.

But thinking about it, it makes sense.

A leaf that can be made into a flute is unlikely to produce a sound in the hands of an ordinary person, but in the hands of an experienced person, it can be used to play beautiful music.

Similarly.

These captured magic circuits, in the hands of Felix, one of the thirteen strongest, could indeed unleash greater power than their original owners.

"—Chains of Restraint"

Felix explained smugly, "The metal used in its creation can absorb magic and vitality, so your automaton will soon become scrap metal."

Unfortunately, it had no effect on Liu Zi.

If it were the dissolving liquid of the [white fog], Kobayashi would have been a little worried, after all, he didn't know if the barrier released by the magic circuit in Ryuu's body could withstand it, but he didn't expect Felix to only use chains to bind her.

Was it carelessness?

Or are you planning to use that move as your trump card?

After all, there are still two automatons (Yaya and Kobayashi) who are proficient in physical combat that haven't been dealt with yet.

Unconsciously, he used the "Five Visions" to peek into the other party's thoughts and found that it was indeed as he had guessed. Felix even planned to use Ryuzu as a hostage to make Kobayashi obediently submit.

I can only say you're overthinking it.

Felix, confident of victory, said with smug satisfaction, "Well, what's wrong with you now? If you were to surrender..."

click-

A crisp sound came from the side, and the handsome young man who turned around froze.

Liu Zi easily broke free of the chains and gracefully came up behind Xiao Lin, looking at Felix with emotionless eyes, which greatly insulted him.

"One after another..."

Felix glared at Kobayashi through gritted teeth.

Kobayashi, who was being blamed for doing nothing, suddenly said, "I suddenly thought of a way to prove myself. Automata can't generate magic, so they have to stay with their puppeteers. If I infuse Ryuu with magic, wouldn't that prove I'm not an automata? It's such a simple principle, why did it take you so long to think of it?"

Oh, so these small fry aren't worthy of Liu Zi's help. Never mind then.

In that case——

"Then let's give the Demon King candidates who are attending the Night Party a little shock."

Kobayashi's smile was wicked.

This set off Felix's alarm bells.

Without holding back, she immediately caused her automaton, Eliza, to dissolve into mist. The battle girl vanished, and a thick fog appeared in the open space.

He proudly explained, "This is [White Illusionary Mist]. I originally intended to save it for you and Magnus! I admit your cold air magic can freeze liquids, but it's completely useless against highly dissolving atomized liquids! I've also discovered that you and that automaton are both skilled in physical combat, at most using other protective magic, but even then, you'll be slowly dissolved. So this magic is your nemesis!"

Ignore his long-winded explanation.