"Although he has lost his magical powers, you were able to defeat him so effortlessly. The priest examined me and said, "It seems... you were able to defeat Kuriyama not because he went easy on you."
"Drain the water? " I asked.
Kuriyama was the burly man I defeated in the past, a heretic who used physical enhancement magic.
"Among my subordinates, some believe that Kuriyama's magic is too simple, so it won't be very strong; but I know that's just a superficial view. Sometimes, simplicity is a form of strength." The priest said, "However, Kuriyama is not without weaknesses. His weakness is that he is too soft-hearted. Knowing that I was going to perform a ritual in this beaver city, he kept pleading with me to give up; and after the ritual was performed, he has been constantly immersed in his so-called guilt... how boring. If he was so unwilling, he should have refused to obey the order in the first place. If it were him, he might even have revealed information to the invaders of the stronghold, and even hoped that someone would stop and kill him. It's so stupid that I can't bear to watch." His words seem to be able to explain to some extent the reason why the burly man deliberately revealed information to me.
"Although I don't know how you knew the location of the ritual's core, since you were able to target the other strongholds so precisely, it's not surprising that you also know about this core." The priest continued, "So I've already dispersed the congregation here, waiting for you to arrive. After all, with someone of your caliber as the opponent, even if there were more people, it would only lead to unnecessary bloodshed."
Senseless bloodshed, it's ironic that he would say that.
My heart's words seem to have been seen through by him.
"Even I will cherish the lives of my subordinates. After all, if too many of my subordinates die here, it won't look good for me." The priest said calmly, "Now, I'll give you another chance. Are you willing to join us?"
"I refuse." I said without hesitation.
"Why?" the priest frowned, "don't you want more power?"
"I want to, but I will fight for it in my own way." I said.
"Antiquated." The priest sneered, "Anyway, you must think that we are a cult, that we are evil, which is why you are so resistant to joining us, right? Before I arranged the ritual in Beaver City, I had also investigated the people here. If there were any extraordinary individuals actively operating here, I would have known. The reason I didn't find you is certainly because you've hidden yourself, not letting your identity be exposed, isn't it?"
I am silent.
Whether the Ninghai in this world is an ordinary person or a superhuman, I don't really know. From a probability standpoint, the possibility of him being an ordinary person is relatively higher. But considering that he is also a Ninghai, I have to consider the possibility that he might be a superhuman as well. If he is, then as a fellow Ninghai, I can understand his unwillingness to expose himself.
I don't want to expose myself because I'm afraid of having my life disrupted and don't want to face those uncertain looks.
"You don't really need to do this," the priest said. "What's wrong with the powerful wielding their power? You should fight for the rights you deserve. Look at the people around you, a group of weaklings, ordinary mortals without power; in comparison, what do they have to stand up to you? If you're afraid of being suppressed by the government, you don't have to worry. You can join us, and we will become your shield, letting you use your power as you please. Even the law cannot stop you."
"I've already said, I refuse."
"You're still putting up a strong front. Despite what you're saying, you're actually quite shaken, aren't you?" The priest said in a low voice, "Do you still remember Breeze Aoba, who is by your side? You've always been protecting her, keeping her from danger, but has she ever provided you with any substantial contribution? The reason you've been protecting her, isn't it because you hope to obtain her body? Don't bother about morals, rules, or laws... They are just meant to constrain ordinary people. You should view yourself and everything around you with the eyes of a superior being."
His words touched my heart.
It's not that... I was really moved by these words. I just remembered what happened last night.
Last night, I faced the naked Yukio, and evil thoughts crossed my mind. I wanted to violate Yukio, I wanted to violate Aoba, and I wanted to make them submit to my power, to become my slaves to do as I pleased. This unforgivable thought, no matter how I deny it, cannot be forgotten that it once occurred.
I want to do this.
However, I did not do so.
That kind of approach, that way of being, that imaginary self intoxicated by power, is precisely what I detest.
I don't want to become that kind of small-minded person for the sake of momentary pleasure.
"Abandon the worldly gaze and join us," the priest said temptingly. "We will help you catch Breeze Aoba, and guarantee that not a single strand of her hair will be lost. She will become your slave, and you can do anything to her that your conscience has hitherto prevented you from doing. Whether it's branding your mark all over her body or brainwashing her into a bitch in heat who responds only to you, whatever you desire, you can do it. This is the privilege of being a strong one, the natural right bestowed upon you by the law of the jungle. You need not feel any remorse for this."
"Shut up." I said.
The priest was stunned.
"Is that all you want to say?" I asked.
The priest looked at me coldly and said, "I have said so much, and you are not moved at all?"
"No, I'm smitten. I said, 'What's the harm in admitting it to you? It's true that I've had such thoughts about Aoba before, but I've stopped myself, and I won't be swayed by similar temptations in the future.'"
"Is that what you think?" The priest gave me a mocking smile, "Have you stopped yourself? Will you not waver again? How naive. As long as you still have desires, your wavering will never truly disappear. You are still too concerned with the world's gaze. Face your true self, what are your desires? What are your real thoughts? What is the voice deep within your heart telling you? Follow it, that is the right path. Don't tell me your desire for Breeze Aoba has completely vanished."
"No, it has not disappeared," I said, "but so what? My desire for Aoba is real, but is the shame that arises from this desire false? If I were to give in to the desire and act to possess Aoba, I would do so openly in pursuit of Aoba, as someone who would not be ashamed of myself."
"That's all false!" The priest raised his voice, "That's not your innate idea, you were educated to be this way! This shame is nothing more than an emotion implanted in you over time!"
"Whether it's innate or acquired, it's my idea. This is undoubtedly the case. "I said, "Anyway, I never bother about whether the food I'm eating is entirely natural, so why should I get bogged down in such trivial details?"
I started to approach the priest.
The priest spoke in a cold voice: "Very well, it seems you are determined to become my enemy. I will make you regret this...no, you won't even have the chance to feel regret. Your future will be to become my slave, and to live a miserable life."
Alphonse was struggling on the ground in the rear, as if to provide evidence for the priest's words.
The priest raised his arms and pointed at me.
I suddenly had a strange feeling - that I had been targeted by something.
At the same time, my intuition is also reminding me that he is about to cast a spell.
"Stop." The priest said impassively.
I am certainly not the kind of opponent who would stand still just because someone told me to stop. I continued walking towards the priest.
The priest paused for a moment, then pointed at me and spoke in a more serious tone, saying, "Stop!"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, "There's no such thing as a person who just stops walking because someone told them to, right?"
The priest revealed an undisguised expression of panic.
I watched him.
Wait, could it be......
Was he just using mind control on me?
He was unable to control me
"Stop!!!" the priest shouted in a panic.
I have now approached him and am only one meter away from him.
"It looks like you've reached the end of the line." I stared at him, "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"
"This... is impossible! How could this be possible!" the priest said through gritted teeth, "How could your spiritual power be this strong!"
Spiritual power?
I vaguely guessed something.
I am a superhuman with the ability to use psychokinesis, and the term "psychokinesis" has always been associated with mental energy and the spiritual. Psychokinesis, spiritual power... there seems to be an inherent relationship between these two.
He said my spiritual power is strong, is it because I can use the power of the mind?
I do not have a deep understanding of the so-called spiritual power, and can only make a superficial inference based on the relevance of the vocabulary.
"Is that all there is to the will?" I asked.
"Wait, wait....." the priest said helplessly, "Hold on, I can't die here yet......"
I struck with a karate chop, severing his carotid artery.
The blood gushed dramatically sideways, splattering all over the ground.
The priest had a dazed expression as he touched his neck, and he looked down at his palm stained with blood. He then fell backwards.
The battle is over.
I walked to the side and sat down on the floor.
Now I can finally relax.
What's next? There is only one thing to do.
I gaze at the luminous sphere in the distance.
Ever since arriving at this office tower's top floor, this football-sized luminous sphere has been drifting in midair two meters above the ground. Needless to say, it must be the so-called ritual core.
If you destroy it, you can end the ritual and save Beaver City.
I rested for a little while and then stood up and walked in front of it.
To destroy it... exactly how should it be destroyed? To be honest, I don't really want to touch this mysterious thing with my hands, so using telekinesis to destroy it would work?
Just as I was about to destroy it.
There was the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground behind me.
My relaxed heart strings tightened up again, and I quickly looked back.
Aoba fell down behind me.
How could she be here?
I noticed that there was also a wire mesh near Aoba for some reason; then, when I looked up, I found that the ventilation duct above was missing a wire mesh, and the position of the mesh opening was right above the fallen Aoba.
Could she have fallen from the ventilation shaft?
No, looking at the current situation, it must be this way without a doubt. But why would she be in the ventilation duct......
As I was thinking, Aoba stood up while rubbing his/her butt.
"It hurts..."
"Aoba," I called out her name.
"Ah, yes." Aoba looked at me sheepishly.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"Uh, because I'm being chased by a cult. " Aoba said awkwardly, "I barely managed to escape to this place, and I'm completely drained of energy, so I had to find a place to hide."
"So, you hid in the ventilation duct?"I asked.
"Um... I was discovered by the cult members halfway through, and almost got caught. But at that time, I had regained some of my strength, so I ran to the upper floors and hid in the ventilation duct... After finally getting away from the cult members, I found that I couldn't find the exit of the duct, so I just kept wandering around... Unknowingly, I climbed to this place and saw you and that man confronting each other..."
"That's right."
With Aoba's explanation, I now understand the reason behind the matter.
Aoba, who was being chased by a cult, escaped from the villa and fled to this office building, using the ventilation duct to evade his pursuers, and finally arrived here.....
Wait a moment, no
"Aoba. I said, "You saw... you saw me confronting the priest, didn't you?"
"Yes," Aoba nodded.
"Well then, I ask, 'When did you start coming here?'"
Aoba's gaze was evasive.
I silently watched her.
It has been silent for a long time, Aoba had no choice but to give up the standoff and said: "It's probably from... Do you still remember Breeze Aoba around you?"
Also, the words I said later, "My desire for Aoba is real" and "That will only openly pursue Aoba," were also heard by Aoba?
What to do, the surveillance is so embarrassing
If I knew Aoba was here, I wouldn't have said these words.
I don't know how to face Aoba anymore.
Aoba also seemed not to know what to say, and remained silent with a flushed face.
The silence lasted for nearly two minutes.
Suddenly, there was a strange movement from the side.
I and Aoba simultaneously heard the sound and went to investigate.
From the moment the priest died, Alphonse had remained completely motionless, like a true lifeless object; but at that moment, he began to move, using his arms to prop up his body.
By the way, the helmet that I kicked aside is still lying there.
"Wow!" Aoba was greatly startled, "The armor... the unoccupied armor is moving on its own!"
