Unlimited Ambition

I think I'm a little jealous.

To be honest, the fundamental reason Kanzaki initially stayed by my side was to give the Amakusa-style Cross Cult a chance to survive. Because such a weak sect is not worthy of having a saint.

The current Christian order is divided into four factions, two strong and two weak. Resources and territory have been largely exhausted. No one wants another competitor. And a single saint—that's enough to change the Christian landscape…

Kill! Before our enemies grow too strong, wipe them all out! Eliminate them at the root!

This was probably the consensus among all religious sects at the time.

In a way, Kanzaki is quite a lucky person. Although she didn't anticipate this, she believed her "luck" would harm her followers. That's why she decisively sided with the most powerful state church in Jerusalem, thus shielding Amakusa-shiki from disaster.

At first, I didn't really like Kanzaki because she was a saint. I only kept her around to have another person to amuse myself with. However, the longer we spent together, the more attracted I became to Kanzaki. In a way, we were childhood friends.

Therefore, I care about it very much.

The reason Kanzaki is by my side is because of the Amakusa-style cross-shaped cult.

So I'm very jealous.

So I want to destroy it.

Only in this way can I completely occupy Kanzaki's heart.

Seeing Kanzaki still looking so nervous made me feel terrible. I regretted telling her about it. I should have just sent the Dark Knight to Japan, kidnapped her, stole her treasure, and wiped out her entire family. If Kanzaki asked, I could have just said I didn't know.

But since I've already said it, oh well...

"What I mean is, if you can contact the Amakusa-style people, I want to talk to them. The Book of Law is not something anyone can possess. You must know the saying, 'A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.' Of course, I will definitely not let them suffer in vain. I will provide appropriate compensation."

Without the slightest hesitation, Kanzaki nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go to Japan right now—"

"Wait a minute," I interrupted her abruptly. "What are you going to Japan for? What era are we living in? Can't you just make a phone call?"

“…There’s no such thing.” Kanzaki muttered to herself.

"What do you mean, 'nothing'?" I didn't know what she was talking about for a moment.

"I said, I'm helpless against that kind of troublesome stuff!" Kanzaki said angrily.

"Really?" I was slightly surprised. "I already knew you were a complete tech idiot. But you don't even have something as basic as a cell phone?"

"I'm so sorry I'm a complete idiot when it comes to machines," Kanzaki said angrily.

Tsk, this is getting a bit troublesome...

"So, do you have anything that can prove your papal status... Hmm, that doesn't seem right either. At least add a handwritten letter. That should be fine, right? Don't tell me you've lived in Jerusalem for four years and can't even write Japanese anymore."

"What?" Kanzaki gave me a charmingly disdainful look. Next, she went to the study to find paper and pen. However, she had just finished training and was covered in sweat, so she seemed a little uncomfortable. I told her to take a shower first. I had also stretched a bit, so we could shower together, saving me the trouble of changing the water.

"You scoundrel." Kanzaki rolled her eyes at me, but didn't refuse.

half an hour later

after an hour

Four hours later

...Well, there's nothing I can do but wait until Kanzaki wakes up tomorrow to figure it out.

The next day, under Kanzaki's resentful gaze, I gave up. The reason was that when Kanzaki opened her eyes that morning, she didn't see me beside her. Then she found me in Sasha's room…

The following day was the third. Leonard told me that the Roman Catholic Church had dispatched a formidable armed nun unit to Japan. We had already lost the initiative. If we didn't take action soon, it would be too late. He also requested that the Dark Knights be deployed.

I sighed softly. In the end, I still went to find Kanzaki. After that, I thought about it and decided it would be safer to handle it personally. So I led a total of three hundred elite Dark Knights in several separate groups and boarded a private jet to Japan.

Aiwas's abilities are similar to mine. However, I have been conquering and fighting for tens of millions of years, and most of my techniques and routines are known to the public. Aiwas, on the other hand, is as still as a virgin and as immovable as a mountain. If the day ever comes when we truly clash, I might suffer a great loss.

Therefore, I am determined to obtain the Book of Law. With it, I will be invincible!

Chapter Sixteen: The Confused Nuns of the Roman Catholic Church

Are you kidding me? You didn't even come along. Can't you be a little more proactive? I even saved you a seat, you jerk.

I looked at the empty seat next to me and thought to myself with a hint of resentment.

The object of their complaints was Kanzaki.

Although I know this guy is thin-skinned and usually acts like a Yamato Nadeshiko—but you have to consider the timing! Your sect is about to be wiped out. Wiped out!! And you haven't done anything about it?!

Then I remembered what Kanzaki had said to me when I left: "I'm entrusting everything to you."

Please, you idiot! I was planning to wipe them all out this time! I want to kill someone, I'm a potential murderer, you bastard! Why do you trust me so much?! It's made me too embarrassed to do it.

"Fine, you guys are lucky." I rolled my eyes and muttered to the group of Amakusa-like guys I hadn't even met yet.

The Japanese archipelago arrived in the blink of an eye. It's strange, really, that the meeting place these guys arranged is quite close to Academy City. If things can be finished quickly, I might be able to steal a moment to take a stroll around Academy City.

After disembarking and exchanging information with the Dark Knights who arrived one after another, I had an idea. Three hundred elite knights were a sufficient number, but it would be too conspicuous. It wasn't like we were going to war. So I only took a company, a hundred-man squadron of Dark Knights, to meet with Amakusa's men.

The remaining two hundred-man squads were divided up to search—I mean, to search for troops sent by the Roman Catholic Church. If found, no further explanation needed; simply execute them.

And so, we used the origami crane spell we had arranged with Amakusa beforehand to make contact. We heard that Osora and the Book of Law were unharmed, and no trace of the Roman Catholic Church was found. I felt a little relieved.

※※※

What I didn't know was that after this conversation with me, the Amakusa-style acting Pope Kenkyu Saiji was quite dissatisfied.

To be honest, this guy, who isn't exactly old (though he doesn't seem young either), still has some semblance of a sense of justice. Add to that the influence of Kanzaki during his youth. In short: he's actually a good person.

The construction of the palace was likely motivated by a desire to protect the vulnerable, as it sought to offer some assistance to this naturally kind-hearted nun.

However, it wasn't until he received contact from Jerusalem and intelligence that Roman Orthodox forces were approaching that Kenmiya realized he had perhaps underestimated the situation. Faced with the world's two top-ranked Christian sects, the Amakusa School simply lacked the power to protect Orsola; in fact, a single misstep could cost them their own lives.

This forced them to make a choice. The Kengokuchi considered the situation: the Roman Catholic Church had an extremely poor reputation, and it had absolutely no connection to the Amakusa Church. In contrast, the Church of Jerusalem had a much better reputation. Moreover, their pope had previously joined the Church of Jerusalem.

However, there is still a concern regarding the construction of the palace, and that is me.

While my reputation is quite good among the general public, it's rather alarming in the magical underworld. Someone like Kamijou, who calls me a cunning prince, is considered lucky. As for others, they wouldn't dare say anything to my face, but behind my back, they'll say all sorts of nasty things.

Whatever. Reverence and admiration cannot coexist; in my opinion, the former is more appropriate. Hmm… who said that again? Never mind, from today onwards, it's my saying.

Therefore, Jian Gong still cannot confidently hand over Osora to the state church in Jerusalem. However, even if she stays here, it is not safe. Or rather, staying here would be even more dangerous.

Therefore, Jian Gong decided to first relocate Orsola and the other members to another location. Then he would deal with the Crown Prince alone. This way, the sacrifice would only be his own.

As soon as Jian Gong proposed the idea, everyone else objected. They all declared that although they hadn't formally sworn brotherhood with him, their camaraderie was still very deep. Now that the time had come, they didn't ask to be born on the same day, month, and year, but only to die on the same day, month, and year.

And so, the Amakusa School was thrown into chaos, and just as everyone was preparing to work together to turn the world upside down, Osora disappeared.

This really worried the group. Orsola was an Italian, completely unfamiliar with the Japanese archipelago, and working in an office job; he had no way to protect himself. What if he were robbed and assaulted?

After further analysis, everyone concluded that Orsola had overheard their conversation and, fearing trouble for the Amakusa school (or being handed over to the Jerusalem state church), had fled.

At that moment, Jian Gong was internally screaming with frustration. However, as the acting pope, he had hundreds of people in the Amakusa clan watching him. He couldn't afford to lose his composure. He immediately ordered most of his men to go find Orsola, as the Crown Prince from Jerusalem was coming in person and couldn't be neglected. The remaining few men accompanied him to the audience.

At that time, I was still unaware that things had changed on Amakusa's side. I was still dreaming and worrying about whether or not I should take advantage of the situation and wipe out Amakusa.

Just then, a Dark Knight came to report that the Amakusa-style acting Pope Kenkyu Saiji had come to pay his respects.

The meeting place we chose was an abandoned warehouse twenty kilometers away from Academy City. It looked dilapidated on the surface, but the interior had been modified and was a secret base of the Jerusalem State Church.

Along the way, Kenjiro and the several Amakusa-style members beside him were secretly alarmed. The Dark Knights who had accompanied them all the way looked to be teenagers or young men in their early twenties. They were wearing summer uniforms from some unknown high school. They appeared gentle and harmless.

However, Jian Gongzhai was a seasoned veteran of the underworld, having spent over a decade in the game. Upon closer inspection, he immediately noticed the difference. He pulled his companion, who still wore a disdainful expression, aside, pointing to the leather wristbands worn by the Dark Knights, and then to their legs.

Those chosen to accompany Jian Gong were no fools; a single glance was enough to tell something was amiss. The wristband appeared to be made of rubber, but upon closer inspection in the sunlight, it gleamed with a metallic sheen. The man's heart skipped a beat. He knew this thing had activated a mechanism—a retractable fist blade. Its small size suggested a high level of technology, and it looked incredibly deceptive. Little did he know how many had died because of it.

There were six Dark Knights who came to pick up Jian Gong and his group. They were positioned three on each side, chatting and laughing like ordinary students. However, as they moved, they subtly surrounded Amakusa and his group. Their pace was unhurried, as if they had rehearsed it countless times, making a breakout impossible from any direction.

The man didn't believe it, and after thinking for a moment, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The others from the Amakusa clan didn't react; they took another step or two before stopping. Of the six dark knights on either side, two stepped forward, two stopped, and two took a step back. The interval between their actions and the person stopping was only a split second.

This made the other members of the Amakusa group realize that something was wrong. The atmosphere between the two sides became strange. There were vague signs of a standoff.

A few seconds later, the one from the Dark Knights' side who was at the front laughed and eased the tension, asking, "Lord Jian Gong, why is that?"

What else could Jian Gongzhai say? He glared at his companion, then chuckled, "Nothing."

“It’s nothing, let’s continue. It wouldn’t be good to keep His Highness the Crown Prince waiting too long,” the dark knight added.

Kenmiya nodded, and the group continued forward. Only then did the Amakusa group become slightly more restrained.

Upon arriving at the location, the Dark Knights unlocked the warehouse and pushed open the door, but the expected musty smell did not waft out. Although Amakusa and his group found this strange, they didn't ask any further questions and followed them inside.

Inside the warehouse stood the hundred-man Dark Knight squad that had been following me. They were men and women, and judging by their age and attire, they were similar to the six who had led the way. Some sat, some lay down, some talked, some slept. But not one of them glanced at Amakusa and his group.

Immediately afterward, Kenji looked ahead, his pupils contracting sharply, and he saw me sitting gracefully in a chair. Seeing my distinctive attire and the unparalleled charm and confidence I exuded, Kenji knew this was the person in question. Without hesitation, he hurried forward a few steps and bowed respectfully.

"Your Excellency Jian Gongzhai? I've heard so much about you. Someone, bring me a seat." I snapped my fingers. The dark knight beside me brought a chair and placed it in front of Jian Gongzhai. It was the same iron-backed chair as the one I sat in; very ordinary, but very clean.

Kenmiya knew he shouldn't be polite at this moment. He thanked him and sat down. The other Amakusa members didn't ask for any special treatment either. They all stood quietly behind him, without saying a word.

"Your Excellency Jian Gong should know the purpose of my visit. However, Sister Osora does not seem to have come with you," I asked.

After Kenmiya and the others walked in, I sized them up (I glanced at one pretty girl a couple more times). Seeing that these guys were all East Asian with black hair and black hair, and their mannerisms suggested they were all Kenmiya's subordinates, I asked this question.

Jian Gong was not a competent politician, so he naturally didn't know how to hide his true feelings, and his helpless expression was easily recognizable.

"What's wrong? Didn't Sister Osora come with us?" I asked, and the dark knight who was leading the way bent down and whispered a few words. My face immediately darkened.

Upon seeing this, Jian Gongzhai smiled bitterly: "To be honest, Your Highness, Sister Osora is currently...missing..."

Chapter Seventeen: Kamijou's Sense of Justice

I sighed softly, then spoke again. My tone, however, was no longer as calm as before: "Are you toying with me?! My identity, my status—why would I travel thousands of miles to a remote, impoverished place like Japan to meet the leader of a small sect with fewer than a hundred members—what do you think I'm after?! And you say she's disappeared?! Do you think I'm so easily fooled?!"

At the last sentence, all the Dark Knights in the warehouse sprang into action, completely surrounding the group. They were poised and ready, awaiting only my further command before launching a coordinated attack to tear them to shreds. As for the Amakusa group… heaven knows where they pulled out their weapons—long spears, heavy swords, two-handed axes, you name it.

"Please hear my explanation!" Jian Gong saw that his side had dozens of times fewer people than the enemy, and with a super expert like me in charge, he knew that he absolutely could not win if they really fought—and even if they won, it would not benefit the Amakusa faction.

I waved my hand, signaling the few dark knights who were loyally protecting me to step back. Then I said, "For Kanzaki's sake, I'll give you a chance to explain."

At that moment, the sun was setting. The delinquent priest from London knocked on Kamijou's door again. After the boy opened the door, he bluntly said, "I'm going to save the world, kid. Want to come with me?"

Kamijou nodded: "Let's go together, let's go together." So they went together.

Along the way, after hearing the delinquent priest's explanation, Kamijou couldn't help but complain loudly, "Why is it that scheming prince again?! Can't he just give me a break for a moment?"

The delinquent priest rolled his eyes, ignoring Kamijou's simplistic question. In fact, the priest's thinking was quite similar to Aleister's: he viewed Kamijou as a useful, low-IQ henchman. There were certain things he simply didn't bother explaining to him.

"So, Miss Osora, who deciphered the Book of Law, is now in danger. The cunning prince of the Jerusalem State Church wants to capture her and torture her to extract the secrets of the Book of Law, hoping to use this to start a world war?" Kamijou explained in his own way.

The unruly priest exhaled a smoke ring: "That's about it."