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"So… this is the past, from a few years ago?"
"That's right. I've returned to my past body. Do you understand now?"
"I understand very well."
Adam's lifeless eyes stared at Pope Milia. Unlike her previous appearance, she now had a confident and cruel smile on her face.
There were many who could make such a smile. But as far as Adam knew, the only one who could smile like that even in front of hundreds of thousands of corpses was Pope Milia.
That's why he could believe it.
And that's why…
Stab!
"Gah!?"
Without a word, without a retort,
Adam immediately pulled out the dagger hidden behind his back and thrust it towards Milia. It was a level of dagger skill that an ordinary Finance Director could never achieve.
Perhaps due to the intense movement, his muscles spasmed, causing pain, but there wasn't a single flinch in Adam's expression.
He was only focused on plunging the dagger into Milia's neck.
"W-wait!"
"...…"
"You crazy bastard…!!"
[Telekinesis]
Even as she barely dodged the dagger and rolled on the floor, Milia hurriedly cast a spell.
A basic Rank 2 magic, [Telekinesis].
It was a lower version of the Rank 4 [Object Control] magic, but precisely because it was so basic, she could activate it in just a few seconds.
However, in this situation where they were already grappling with each other, a few seconds were a fatal amount of time.
Slash!
"Ugh!"
Adam's dagger, swung towards Milia once again, grazed her cheek.
Perhaps because of the deep cut, red, hot blood splattered along with a burning pain. But despite successfully inflicting a wound, Adam's expression remained dark.
It wasn't that he was emotionless even in this moment, but…
It was because he had aimed for her carotid artery, but only managed to 'wound' her.
"Get lost!"
"…!!"
The belatedly cast [Telekinesis] forcefully pushed Adam away. It was a hastily cast magic, so that was all it could do.
Adam, without panicking, landed and immediately lunged at Milia. Even with the few seconds she had, whether it was the original Milia or Pope Milia, she was ultimately just Rank 3. The distance between them had closed, and since they were in a confined room, there was nowhere to run. It would have been a dire situation.
But Pope Milia wasn't an idiot.
Because she was so weak compared to her position, because countless people within the cult were eyeing her position as Pope,
Milia had insurance.
[Telekinesis]
Once again, the [Telekinesis] spell was activated. If successful, she could push Adam away like before, but he would just rush back at her, making it a pointless repetition.
But this [Telekinesis] was different.
The magic circle formed in her hand contained not only mana but also the blood flowing from her cheek.
Milia, with a twisted smile, shoved the completed [Telekinesis] at Adam much faster than before.
Crack!
"...…"
"I'll commend you for not screaming even with your hand crushed. You're still a stubborn bastard."
"…Didn't you say you returned to the past? How can you still use blood magic?"
"Did you really take that into account after hearing what I said? You crazy bastard. I thought it was strange that you were listening to me so obediently."
Blood magic, the trump card of the self-proclaimed Pope.
She could use magic by sacrificing her own or others' blood, and it was greatly amplified compared to ordinary magic. From this perspective, it seemed like a useful method, simply using blood as a medium, but…
If it were truly so, the Holy Kingdom wouldn't be desperately trying to keep it as forbidden knowledge that shouldn't be leaked to the world.
Forbidden knowledge obtained by Milia, who commanded millions of followers and overwhelmed the Holy Kingdom with sheer numbers.
"Curious? You must be. You've always been curious about everything. Otherwise, would you have turned the continent upside down to kill those who killed that annoying monster bitch?"
"...…"
"Look at that fierce expression. But what to do? I have no reason to explain everything to you."
Milia had always been like this. She enjoyed deceiving others, toying with them, and being in a position of power.
But the problem was that after she became the self-proclaimed Pope, her playground became the entire world. And it was also a problem that she had such abilities despite being Rank 3.
The corners of Milia's lips curled up. She looked down at Adam, whose left hand was crushed and bleeding due to the blood magic-enhanced [Telekinesis].
But Adam still didn't let go of the dagger, and…
Milia didn't forget that either.
"So, you do believe me? That I've returned to the past?"
"Do you remember when you returned?"
"I remember it clearly. That's why I'm already using blood magic, prepared for the consequences, aren't I? To kill that woman, I need… Aha, you don't know yet, do you?"
"What nonsense are you—"
"Ruth Spero, she's Rank 6. Doesn't that seem suspicious?"
"…!!"
Adam's expression, which hadn't changed until now, wavered. Milia, enjoying his reaction, laughed while maintaining the [Telekinesis].
Milia's face was gradually turning pale. It was only natural. Blood magic used blood as a price, but 'how much' it demanded was completely random.
Moreover, if she maintained the magic, the amount of blood consumed was intense. Even so, Milia didn't let her guard down and maintained the [Telekinesis].
Even if her opponent was just a Rank 1.
She knew all too well how troublesome that Rank 1 was.
"Are the scenarios playing out in your head? Ruth Spero is Rank 6. Do you think it's a coincidence that you and I returned to the past in this different timeline?"
"...…"
"That's why I'm not killing you right away and even giving you an offer."
Milia giggled and whispered,
In a sly and cunning voice.
"You reunite with that monster bitch you've been searching for, and I return to the cult. And we live our lives without bothering each other."
"Bullshit."
"Of course, I'll become the Pope again. But I won't invade the kingdom. I'll just take the Holy Kingdom and the Empire."
"...…"
"You're not planning on leaving this tiny fishbowl of an academy anyway, are you? Since we both returned to the past, let's not do anything we'll regret. Of course, in exchange…"
"…In exchange?"
"Kill or persuade Ruth Spero. Find out why she became Rank 6, what her true intentions are. At least make sure she doesn't point her sword at me again."
"...…"
"And hand over the sacred treasure, remove my name from the Finance Department records… There are many things you can do for me. And the more you help me, the faster I can create a paradise just for you and that monster bitch."
Milia was already feeling her limits. Ruth Spero was definitely suspicious. But she couldn't approach her at all.
Since they were in different departments, she couldn't meet her unless she actively sought her out. Even if she tried to use the incident during the midterm exams, which the previous Milia experienced, to start a conversation, she couldn't even find her. It was as if Ruth Spero was avoiding her.
Her suspicions grew every time, but there was no answer since she couldn't confront her. After all, she, a Rank 3, couldn't defeat the Rank 6 Ruth alone.
That's why she needed Adam.
"It's not a bad deal, is it? This is the past. The past where everything hasn't happened yet. The princess who went crazy in the ruins of Delphia isn't flying around with the royal palace, the murderous spearman isn't wandering around, the Rank 8 monsters aren't invading the Empire from the western wasteland, and the Holy Kingdom hasn't been destroyed yet. And that monster bitch is still alive."
"…The past."
"I still hate you, and you hate me too. But we can join hands for the sake of our respective causes, our goals, can't we? In the end, we just need to achieve what we each want. Since we've returned to the past, we can easily stop or kill those culprits, right?"
But Milia knew. This Rank 1, Adam Keynes, would never join hands with her.
Of course, things might be different since an unprecedented event like returning to the past had occurred, but Milia and Adam were originally enemies who hated each other to death. There was no way he would readily accept her offer to go their separate ways. It would be a relief if he didn't just swing his dagger at her again.
Even so, she wasn't trying to persuade him by clinging to a faint hope.
She was buying time.
──I understand. Then, to you…
──I'll give you the 'eyes.'
One of Milia's pupils moved. It split in half, and her pupils doubled.
The two pupils revolved, their tails chasing each other like tadpoles.
And those eyes, rotating bizarrely,
Finally formed a magic spell she remembered.
[Whirling Confusion]
This eye, obtained from the deal with the Archmage, could confuse the opponent. Milia chuckled; she hadn't expected to use it like this for the first time.
No matter how cunning and vigilant he was, Adam was ultimately just a Rank 1. His physical and mental limitations couldn't be helped.
And so, Milia's 'eye' confused Adam's mind. Just like her revolving pupils, his mind spun and spun.
It was the eye given to her by the Archmage. Since the magic was contained within the eye itself, she could use [Whirling Confusion], a high-ranking magic far beyond her capabilities.
"It would be best for me to kill you here and eliminate any future trouble. But then I don't know how that monster bitch who's still alive might go berserk, right? It's not out of some pathetic sympathy, but a purely practical offer because you have value to me."
"...…"
"You can use me too. We can use each other. That's how the world works. Surely, you're not going to miss this chance to start over because you're caught up in some petty hatred, are you?"
Logic, reason, appeal, opportunity, emotion.
Using everything to persuade Adam, while simultaneously confusing his mind, Milia was turning this sudden crisis into an opportunity.
The sudden regression of Adam Keynes? Of course, it was bewildering. But if she used it well, things could become much easier.
She could escape her current state as a Finance Department slave, immediately get the sacred treasure back, and perhaps even become Pope much faster. On top of that, she felt a thrill at the thought of manipulating Adam Keynes.
She had wanted to do this for a while, but she couldn't. Because there was another monster bitch next to Adam Keynes.
But now, he had foolishly come alone, so things were different—
"The past… the Headmistress… Ruth… Laura… they're all alive."
"That's right, they're all alive. And this isn't a dream."
"Yes, the Headmistress."
"Changing the future is easy. You know who the culprits are, don't you? Just kill them all and stop them. It's simple, isn't it?"
"…The future."
"The best future for both of us."
"The future, yes. In the future, in the world before I returned…"
Still…
"…Chloe will remain."
"Huh?"
"So, get lost."
Immediately after,
Slash!
A dagger cut through the air. Hot blood splattered.
In that brief moment when Milia had gotten closer due to using [Whirling Confusion],
Adam, dislocating his shoulder and barely escaping the influence of [Telekinesis], gripped the dagger with his mangled hand.
It was such a gruesome sight that it was more accurate to say he wedged it between his fingers than gripped it.
But he didn't drop the dagger.
"Gah, aaaaagh!!!"
With a scream,
"Die."
The dagger plunged down once more.
Thud.