I love time travel the most!

But Kobayashi was very clear-headed.

"If I could get them, the Demon King's throne might really be within my grasp, just like you said. But unfortunately, I still refuse."

"What's the reason?"

"reason……"

He paused, then slowly began, "I once intercepted a runaway train with Yaya, and I witnessed her fighting prowess firsthand. The terrifying pressure she exuded still lingers in my mind. To put it bluntly, if she went all out without any restraint, even Liu Zi wouldn't be able to affect her at all. In comparison, you can imagine how powerful 'Snow' and 'Flower' are."

...provided that Ryuu doesn't use the imaginary number switch.

Otherwise, the ridiculously high priority of "Time Stop" would end the battle before it even begins.

Hanayagi Shoko took a drag of her cigarette, tilted her head slightly, and said with a hint of pride, "Right? Yaya is worth a warship, not to mention my technical expertise. If it weren't for that kid's (Akaba Raishin's) poor piloting skills, these Demon Lord candidates in the academy wouldn't stand a chance."

The reason for imposing restrictions on Yaya is that Akabane Raishin does not have enough life force and magic power; otherwise, the [Machine Doll] form would have drained Akabane Raishin dry.

"That's the problem. Giving me such a valuable doll girl so casually, it's impossible that there's no ulterior motive. At the very least, there might be an intention to monitor me."

"...Being too smart is not a good thing."

"If you're not smart, you'll be fooled by sweet talk and then be manipulated by some wicked older sister."

"Hmph, maybe that's true."

Seeing that the boy in front of her was unmoved by reason, Hanayagi Shoko had no choice but to give up.

"So... that's the end of the pointless probing. Can we now move on to the pleasant, mutually beneficial cooperation phase?"

"Impatient men are not popular."

"I'll pay attention."

After that, the two began to pull against each other for their own interests.

"First of all, I requested to be present throughout the entire process of transforming Liu Zi. After all, I'm very uneasy about entrusting my 'family' to strangers."

He emphasized the word "family," implying that the other person had just given him the doll in a frivolous manner.

Hanayagi Shoko completely ignored the barbed words in Kobayashi's speech, and instead said, "Your purpose is not to take this opportunity to steal my mechanics, is it?"

"But you can also learn Liu Zi's techniques, can't you?"

Xiaolin's question was a tacit admission.

He then added, "Intricate gears need guidance. Liu Zi's body contains too many complex gears; without explanation, it will take a lot of time to even grasp the basics. And..."

As he spoke, his fingers moved back and forth at a speed far exceeding that of a human.

"My hands should be able to help."

"……really."

Hanayagi Shoko was slightly surprised when she saw it. Her fingers moved so quickly that she could perform very precise manipulations. She was a great assistant and had no reason to refuse.

"You're really mysterious. How many more strange and wonderful things are you keeping from showing us?"

"It's just some trivial skills that can't be presented in a respectable way."

"But even with this seemingly insignificant skill, so many doll makers want it, and even I've become tempted."

"Unfortunately, this is a matter of personal talent."

To avoid trouble, the [God's Hand] has already been completely fused with him and cannot be separated, so for now, let's just treat it as his personal talent.

"And then there's one more thing..."

"Kid, you have a lot of questions. I'm starting to think about whether or not I should cooperate with you."

"Don't say that. We both need to take this issue seriously."

"What is it? Tell me."

"—Absolutely no mass production, absolutely no use in war, and absolutely no handing over of research results to others."

Kobayashi spoke very seriously.

Liu Zi's [Imaginary Number Switch] is a technology different from the existing technology in this world. If not handled carefully, it can change the power structure, plunging the world into more intense war and causing countless innocent civilians to suffer.

This is something he doesn't want to see.

Therefore, it must be made clear from the beginning and strictly adhered to.

Hanayagi Shoko exhaled a puff of smoke, her expression becoming somewhat blurred, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

The atmosphere gradually solidified.

"Kid, is this kind of agreement, which has no binding force, really necessary?"

"That depends on your own ability to control the situation. If you don't keep your promise, then the absurd yet incredibly real information, 'Shocking! This is how Hanayagi Shoko's bionic dolls are made!', will appear on the desks of every doll maker. Hanayagi Shoko will become a laughing stock, and she will no longer be the number one in the bionic doll industry."

Sacred craftsmanship was Hanayagi Saisho's long-cherished wish.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have given Yaya to Akabane Raishin out of greed for the blood of the Crimson Wings, making him a power source for Yaya to become a sacred machine.

They were even willing to exchange their cherished "snow" and "flowers" for new technologies.

While trying to entice her, he also revealed his weaknesses. This was the means of control that Kobayashi provided, and it was also the source of his confidence.

"Those are really harsh conditions..."

So... to trade or not to trade?

"Of course it's a transaction."

Just as he expected, Hanayagi Shoko would definitely agree.

"Let's not delay, let's do it now!"

He naturally wouldn't refuse an invitation from a glamorous and mature woman, but he didn't expect her to be so eager to learn, squeezing out all of Xiao Lin's meager knowledge in just a few days.

Just when Kobayashi thought things would turn out well, he received bad news:

—Hanayashii Glass cannot modify Ryushi!

Chapter 143 The combination of magic and technology may be the world's most...

boom--

A fist slammed hard on the table, the loud bang echoing through the old dormitory.

The boy glared fiercely at the beautiful mature woman who had drained him dry, then ignored his hard work in watering her and told her it was forbidden.

"Hey! What exactly is this about Liu Zi being unable to be modified? Explain it to me right now!"

The forced lowering of her voice and the dangerous tone clearly showed that Kobayashi was extremely angry.

He barely managed to sneak in here without the academy's inspection, and went to great lengths to help Akabane Raishin get a chance to meet him. He even used Ryuu's own automaton technology to make an unequal exchange.

After all this build-up, they're saying it can't be modified?

How could he not be angry!

Irori stood in front of Hanayagi Shoko, nervously watching the enraged Kobayashi. Her body temperature dropped slightly, indicating that she had entered battle mode.

The man in front of me is a puppeteer who is skilled in physical combat, just like Akabane Raishin. It would be very dangerous if he got close to me.

But Kobayashi remained rational.

Hanayagisai Shoko wasn't the type to kick someone away after getting something in return. Besides, he still had some of the manufacturing data on the [Hanayisai Doll] that the other party was afraid would be spread, so saying something like "no" must have encountered some obstacles.

Thinking about this, Xiaolin understood.

In addition, the necklace on her chest emitted a faint glow, preventing her anger from rising again. She clicked her tongue in annoyance and took a deep breath, after which her anger slowly dissipated.

Open your eyes and regain your usual clarity.

Hanayagi Shoko smiled seductively and said, "Oh? I thought you would pounce on me angrily."

It's unclear whether this is praising Xiaolin's strong self-regulation ability or belittling Xiaolin's inability to control her emotions.

Kobayashi rolled her eyes and sneered, "Even if I pounced on you, you'd probably have the older sister next to you forcibly 'calm me down,' right?"

I subtly stung her with a corny joke.

Irori's ability is to absorb a large amount of heat from the surroundings in an instant to lower the temperature and freeze it into ice. Even Kobayashi, who can use magic, cannot stop her from having her body heat taken away. That's why Hanayagi Shoko is so fearless.

I don't need to defeat her, just stop her while giving her time to explain.

"Alright, then tell me your reasons."

Xiaolin rested her hands on her chin.

Although the hostility and murderous intent had disappeared, his eyes were still filled with a dangerous look. If the other party did not provide a reasonable explanation, he would lose his temper on the spot.

This unspoken warning was conveyed to Hanayagi Shoko, but she did not panic; instead, she asked a question.

"Do you know how many gears are inside Liu Zi's body?"

"Four trillion two hundred and seventy-six billion and eight hundred and forty-three!"

Without any hesitation, it was blurted out instantly.

Hanayagi Shoko was stunned. Her hand, which was about to light the pipe, froze in mid-air, the flame burning her fingertips until they turned slightly red.

It wasn't until the pain reached her nerves that she realized what was happening and threw the match away.

"it hurts."

"Owner!"

Irori quickly stepped forward and used her magic to freeze and cool the burned finger.

While the master and servant were frantically bandaging her wounds, Kobayashi continued to press, "And then? There are a total of 4,207.6 billion and 8,643 gears inside Ryuu's body, so what?"

"No, it's nothing."

Hanayagi Shoko shook her head, gave another alluring smile, and asked in return, "The neural circuits connected to her?"

"Sixty-two trillion nine hundred and fifty-six billion three hundred and fifty-seven thousand four hundred and seventy-eight!"

Without hesitation, he blurted it out.

"You...you really are a good master." Hanayagi Shoko sighed inexplicably.

Liu Zi did not have any design drawings.