Unlimited Ambition

After a series of skillful combos, the wings behind the Angel of Science vanished. Her lower legs were also severed, and her sword-wielding right hand was reduced to bone by the sword's edge. A deep, bone-revealing wound appeared on her face.

The tide of battle has turned completely.

Seeing that my series of attacks had ended, the Science Angel was surrounded by particles emitting white light, seemingly attempting to heal itself. However, I was no pushover either; I rolled my eyes but did not press my advantage.

Self-healing is ineffective.

The angel of science seemed a little confused. It looked down at its lower limbs and then touched the scars on its face—completely ineffective.

The Angel of Science let out an angry roar, her gaze towards me growing even more terrifying. However, just as she was about to rush forward and continue the fight, her body froze, as if frozen in time. Then, the AIM particles that made up her body rapidly dissipated.

If I do the math, it's exactly thirty minutes after my call with Aleister. Did this guy plan this all along?

I gave a soft hum, sheathed my sword, and the three pairs of blazing wings on my back disappeared. I returned to my usual slightly lazy demeanor.

“Very good, very good. As expected of the strongest under God, the ultimate six-winged seraphim Lucifer. I have witnessed your strength. Now, please come to me again, I think we should have a proper talk.”

Aleister's voice came through my ears again. A slightly excited voice.

"Are you an idiot, or do you think I'm an idiot?" I scoffed, and then a flash of sword light enveloped me. The invisible network in the air was severed with a "sizzle." Aleister's voice vanished.

“Well then, now it’s our turn to have a proper talk.” I turned around and looked again at Qianfang Zhifeng, who was still kneeling in prayer, looking slightly dazed.

The young woman was speechless, looking at me helplessly.

"May I ask you to switch allegiance and pledge allegiance to me?" I asked.

The wind ahead was silent.

"So, this question was a bit too direct, wasn't it?" I chuckled and pulled her up. "Well then, you can be my prisoner for now. You saw the fight just now, didn't you? So behave yourself and don't move. Otherwise, I might just turn you into a human stick and take you back with me."

"Oh dear... Although I don't really like this fierce woman, Your Highness, it will be a real headache if you take her back." At this moment, the void to my side distorted, and then a middle-aged man holding an iron rod appeared in front of me.

"The waters of the rear?" I scoffed. "I didn't expect the Roman Catholic Church to be so clever this time. They actually sent two Right Seals of God at once."

"It is my honor to have Your Highness remember my name." The middle-aged man nodded and gave me a chivalrous salute. "Then, Your Highness, could you please return that woman to me?"

I shook my head and refused: "That won't do. This woman is a very important trophy for me."

"It seems the negotiations have failed." The water behind seemed unconcerned, shrugged, and then straightened the iron rod, pointing it at me.

I looked at him like he was an idiot: "You, buddy, you don't actually want to fight me, do you?"

"Although it may seem a little presumptuous, yes," replied the water behind.

"Huh? Are you an idiot? Didn't you see the fight just now?" I asked.

"Of course I saw it." The water behind nodded.

"Or have you become so arrogant that you think you can defeat an archangel?" I continued.

“If Your Highness still had the ability to wield the power of an archangel, I wouldn’t be here.” Water from behind said, raising his iron rod and thrusting it forward.

"Damn it, I've been seen through." Although I said this, I didn't show any anger on my face. Instead, I showed a happy smile and drew my longsword again to meet the attack.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Water from the Rear

Angelic power is a formidable force that doesn't belong to the mortal realm. Moreover, my rank is that of a six-winged Seraph, the highest level. In the mortal world, maintaining an angelic state for ten minutes is already my limit.

Of course, my battle with that angel of science only took a little over six minutes. That means I actually have three minutes left—however, this is one of my trump cards, and I won't reveal it easily.

Therefore, I did not gain any advantage in this contest with the Water Behind. Of course, this was somewhat unexpected. I never imagined that the Water Behind, a mere mortal, could fight me, a quasi-angel, to a draw. It's truly unbelievable.

The Water Behind is quite capable in combat. In his battle against Gu, he held his own. His moves are fierce and powerful, combining skill and strength. His combat power far surpasses that of a young upstart like the Wind Ahead.

In addition, the magical abilities of the water behind are also superior to those of the wind in front.

The two sides clashed with spears and swords, their movements imbued with immense force. Simultaneously, they unleashed a multitude of supportive magical spells, along with extremely powerful offensive magic, further devastating the terrain.

Both sides moved at speeds exceeding ten times the speed of sound, resulting in a vast battlefield. Within moments, the impact extended to the area surrounding the newly formed crater, destroying numerous buildings in Academy City.

As the humanoid hurricane grew larger, it affected more and more people and objects. Gradually, some uninformed members of the Drive Kai forces joined in, perhaps troops under the command of other council members.

It was then disassembled into parts.

"This is never going to end," said Zhi Shui from behind, blocking my attacks. "Is it really okay to drag innocent people into this?"

"This isn't Jerusalem, nor is it Rome." I scoffed. "And—don't get distracted while fighting me, you idiot!"

Immediately afterwards, the Heaven-Slaying Sword in my hand drew a strange arc in the air, and under the incredulous gaze of the person behind me, I made my first contribution, opening a gash in his abdomen.

"Hey..." Shui from behind didn't seem to care at all: "I underestimated you a little... You clearly have an innocent-looking face—"

After saying that, Rear Water got another kick to the face. This attack was no less severe than the one the Angel of Science had given to Forward Wind. It sent Rear Water flying several kilometers away.

However, when I appeared in front of the water behind me using a dimensional leap, he acted as if nothing had happened. After a moment, my expression changed slightly.

"The Virgin Mary?!" I asked tentatively. Surprisingly, the water behind me was quite honest and nodded in agreement.

“That’s right, it’s the Mother Goddess attribute.” Water in the back nodded.

"Tsk, possessing both saintly and saintly attributes at the same time? Should I say you've hit the jackpot, or... hmph." Seeing that the other party seemed like an unkillable cockroach, I was getting a little tired of it. I sheathed my sword and turned to leave.

"What, you're not done fighting? I haven't had enough yet. And what about that woman, Wind Ahead? Don't you want her anymore?"

"Are you a masochist?" I said to him without turning around. "Also, that woman ran away while I was fighting you. Tch, heartless bastard, didn't even say thank you. I even saved her life."

As I said this, I snapped my fingers and used a dimensional jump to disappear from the spot.

The water behind me let out a soft hum, but didn't lower its guard, remaining vigilant of its surroundings. It wasn't until it realized I had indeed left—with a few leaps and bounds—that I was finally out of the battlefield. After traveling some more distance, leaving Academy City, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Overwhelmed with emotion, a mouthful of hot blood rushed to my throat, and I coughed it up with a "whoosh."

Houfang Zhishui smiled bitterly and remained silent, shaking his head as he looked at his slightly trembling hands: "It's fortunate that he stopped at the last minute. Otherwise, I would have made a fool of myself today."

I was naturally unaware of the situation at the rear. Seeing that nearly a quarter of Academy City had been destroyed, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Aleister, you asked for this. I won't pay you a single penny.

As I thought this, I sat down in front of Aleister with a smile: "Well then, I think we can talk now."

Aleister smiled wryly upon hearing this. My battle with the Water of the Rear hadn't escaped his notice. Seeing me rushing to wherever there were more houses, practically demolishing half of Academy City, Aleister knew it was intentional. It was all to vent my resentment from my battle with Hughes Kazezaki.

Knowing is one thing, but saying it is another. Having just witnessed my angelic form's fighting power, Aleister was wary. A man who had spent his life scheming and plotting, he wasn't a simpleton like Rear Water. He wouldn't believe I would actually go all out. Therefore, he was exceptionally polite to me.

"Therefore, our alliance remains valid." I reassured Aleister first. However, Aleister was no pushover. He immediately grasped the crux of my words.

"Is this the alliance between you, His Highness the Crown Prince?" Aleister emphasized the two sides.

“Yes, it’s you, with me. Not Jerusalem and Academy City.” I nodded in acknowledgment.

“I see. In that case, I can rest assured.” Aleister sighed softly. “The Tokiwadai branch in Jerusalem will open in three days. At that time, I will offer up the person Your Highness desires with both hands.”

"Hmph, as if you can make the decisions yourself," I said with a snort.

“I cannot make the decision myself, but the one who can has already arrived,” Aleister said, without keeping them in suspense: “Ms. Misaka Mirei entered Academy City half an hour ago. Her purpose seems to be to take her daughter away.”

"Oh...is that so?" I chuckled softly. "It seems that what she's thinking is similar to what I'm thinking."

"Well? What does Your Highness intend to do with her?" Aleister asked.

"You should still have some cannon fodder belonging to the peripheral forces, right?" I asked.

“There are indeed some,” Aleister admitted.

"Send them out and have them attack Ms. Misaka Mirei. And make sure to tell them that if they fail, they will be severely punished."

"Is...that so?" Aleister gave him an "I understand" look, essentially agreeing to the matter.

Speaking of which, it's been a while since I last saw this lovely lady. I miss her a little.

"Well then, that's settled. Thank you, Chairman Aleister." I snapped my fingers and disappeared.

"Young, so energetic," Aleister remarked. "But to expend their strength just for something like this is a bit too extravagant. An organization that wouldn't regret losing everyone... Come to think of it, there really is one. Skill Out, the armed but powerless group. Let's make good use of them."

After that, I returned to temporary accommodation location number two and spent some time with Himegami Akisa. Since I had sent Fukiyori to Jerusalem under the guise of "treatment," Himegami Akisa was feeling a bit lonely by herself.

After calculating the time, I knew that Mikoto and Kuroko should have gone home from school. I said goodbye to Akisa and left Temporary Settlement Point Two. Then, I made a dimensional jump and arrived at Temporary Settlement Point One (you must have had a hard time jumping around like that).

When Mikoto and Kuroko returned, I told them what had happened that morning. Academy City was no longer safe. And I hoped they would come back to Jerusalem with me.

Kuroko was quite happy. Mikoto, however, hesitated. It wasn't until I told her that I had already communicated with Academy City and that we would be establishing an overseas branch of Tokiwadai in Jerusalem that Mikoto finally agreed.

After that, I told Mikoto that her mother was also coming to take her home.

“Establishing overseas branch schools is one thing, but forcibly bringing students home is quite another.” I said with a slight troubled expression, “In fact, Academy City is a city primarily composed of students. If other parents follow suit and take their children away, Academy City will definitely be overwhelmed. Therefore, the board might make some bad decisions…”

"You mean, the higher-ups in Academy City will make an example of her and harm Mom?!" Mikoto quickly understood what I meant. Having been involved in the Level 1/2 Persona program, she naturally knew that Academy City wasn't as peaceful as it seemed on the surface. Those higher-ups in Academy City would indeed, as I said, take action against her mother for such a reason.

I nodded: "I just heard about this too. But it should be true."

"Then what should we do?" Mikoto asked anxiously.

"First, we need to determine Ms. Meiling's location. I did a little research, and she seems to be the representative of an organization called the 'Recycling Movement.' The organization's goal is to take all their children back before Academy City is hit by war."

Keeping your child away from danger is indeed what parents should do. However, Academy City will certainly see such an organization as a thorn in its side, therefore, this time Miss Mirei has secretly infiltrated Academy City. Finding her will take a little effort.

"So what should we do?" Mikoto asked.

I sighed softly. "I'll continue to use my connections to operate in the upper echelons of Academy City. Besides that, Kuroko, don't be idle. Go ask Haru-san for help. Use her hacking skills to find Misaka Mirei's whereabouts."

Kuroko nodded: "Then I'm leaving." Then he instantly disappeared.

"I'll go out and look for it too. Maybe I'll get lucky and run into it." After saying that, Mikoto ran out as well.

They've all left, so it's time for me to take some action.

In fact, as an ally, my position should be the same as Aleister's, on the opposite side of the parents in the "recycling movement".

Therefore, I decided to give her a little scare. I chuckled and pulled out my phone: "We can begin, Your Excellency Chairman Aleister."

Chapter 40 What happened to Misaka Mirei

Misaka Mirei, who looks like a college student in her early twenties with an excellent figure and face, is actually already a mother of a middle school student. And who knows when she might even become a grandmother. Of course, this wouldn't be possible without my efforts. *cough*

Although she may seem somewhat carefree and even a little silly, Ms. Meiling's insight is actually above average.

Take, for example, the recent boycott of the Japanese archipelago—or more precisely, the Academy City—by the European continent. To most people, it's just a slightly larger-scale protest. Nothing serious. When do those lousy European countries not have protesters?

But Meiling sensed something was amiss. It was as if one—or many—masterminds were orchestrating things from behind the scenes. Meiling had no idea what these masterminds were planning, much less that her future son-in-law was one of them.

But she knew that Academy City was now extremely dangerous. It was no longer appropriate for her daughter to live there.

Therefore, as a mother, she had to take responsibility and evacuate her daughter from danger.

Therefore, after paying a toll of 100,000 yen, Ms. Meiling obtained a spot from the illegal immigrants. She was packed into the trunk of a car and sneaked into Academy City.