Chapter 275
Chapter 275
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 275
Chapter Title: Wrong Path Taken -3
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"Nothing else to prepare?"
"If I could, I'd love to prep more. But my brain tells me it's more efficient to cut the enemy's prep time by an hour than to spend two more hours on ours."
"From the briefing, he seemed pretty mentally fragile. How about we film ourselves getting intimately tangled up in bed and broadcast it?"
"He's not human..."
I shuddered at Yuri's chilling idea, just imagining it.
It had taken about thirteen hours to cleanse my head from the Phantasmic Illusion, recover my energy, steady my nerves, get the Violet Tower mages battle-ready, and activate the teleportation circle for the assault.
A short time that could be filled with just lunch and dinner.
I clapped my hands and stepped onto the magic circle. At this point, I'd gathered every available force we had. This should be enough to take down even that pig of an evil god bloated on mana.
And we had a hidden card up our sleeve.
He didn't know about Selbia. He had no clue that his childhood friend who'd run away had awakened as a badass burst-damage myth, capable of unleashing insane DPS in an instant!
We'll roast him in one go. And if Evil God-chan gets caught this time, she's really done for. I've got ten wardrobes worth of outfits ready for the traitor.
"Let's go! Clean sweep and wrap this up! No matter how much that jerk prepared, how much could he really have done?"
(1) Suppressing Violet Magic Tower Master Yuna Yurensuto Violetiris
The doppelganger had worn a faint smile ever since declaring "performance." It didn't look relaxed, but sharp.
Wisdom slowly swirled in those red eyes.
"Evil God-chan, can you beat the Violet Magic Tower Master?"
"No way."
"Thought so... The more I chew on it, the more it feels like cheating. Even if we could handle her raw apotheosis output, there's no way to counter her sublimation ability."
She was pure overwhelming skill. No matter how you twisted spells or schemes, a single flick from the giant hand blotting out the sky would flatten you.
Without dealing with her, defeat was certain.
He had a sub-plan in motion—brainwashing Irid to summon the boy knight—but even that wasn't guaranteed. It was true the empire's sword saint served the imperial family, but his true intentions were unknown.
Still, there was a way to handle her.
"We can suppress her. The Violet Tower Master doesn't hesitate to kill, but 'me' does. She'll put on a show worrying about being hated. And 'me' will tell her not to kill if possible."
"How exactly?"
"Quantity over quality. We'll swarm her with masses of troops. The fake's crew lacks AoE. There's a ninety percent chance she'll step up."
"...First, there'll be Defense Bureau soldiers under Irid, and maybe manipulated civilians. But that alone won't be enough, right?"
Exactly.
Just dumping fodder wouldn't cut it. Half-baked numbers would get nullified instantly by her illusion magic, without even needing sublimation.
"Mima's quick to judge. She'll come soon—within a day at least. Can we gather trained troops by then?"
"Raising new ones? Obviously impossible. But bringing them in? Easy. We've got black mages, remember?"
"......?"
Smoothly—
The doppelganger donned the skin of the succubus queen, a woman who seemed to embody all the world's lust and seduction. He giggled and beckoned with a finger.
"The succubus queen handled imperial noble recruitment. She was crazy about 'me,' but we didn't clean out all her followers, did we? Some are still waiting for their dead queen's return."
"What if that's not enough numbers?"
"We'll poach from other black mages' forces. With the 'Heroine's' authority, the dead queen's intel, and a top-notch actor... easier than twisting a kid's arm."
The doppelganger, empowered by Evil God-chan, extended his info-entity webs to the max. Like at the academy, he unleashed dream demons to tap into random minds.
Linking dreams. Building temporary nests of linked psyches, spreading poison called love and pleasure, just like the queen did.
"Oh, ooh... My soul's master, I knew you'd return!"
Troops from nobles who still worshipped the succubus queen, unable to forget her.
"Daddy, where are you going...?!"
"She calls... The goddess calls."
Civilians for psychological pressure via hostage drama.
"...S-subordinates' black mages are defecting! O 'Lasso that Etches Despair'! And a reaction from the supposedly dead 'Number Virgin'...!"
"......"
Some of Duke Redburn's minions.
Balancing difficulty was key. Not too many, not too few; not too strong, not too weak.
Too hard, and she'd slaughter them without hesitation to save her crazy mage. Too easy, and she'd mop them up and join the main battlefield.
The max forces to drag time without crossing the line. Simple math. His brain, holding 51% market share, was no slouch—but above all...
"...I know her best. Better than anyone."
Well enough to read her psyche and guide her moves.
(2) Bolstering Apotheosis-Level Forces
"In the end, elites decide battles. Just you and me might drag it out. The fake and Yuri synergize well. We'd win a long fight, sure, but..."
"You think the Violet Tower Master will clear her field and join before that."
"Yeah. There are ways through, but more prep is better. Need more playable cards."
He scanned his mental checklist. Northern front? Too far, too slow. Evil God-chan's portals weren't spammable. Pass.
First Princess Elaine? Far and not easily swayed. Pass. Bennett? She'd discern fake from real. Using her sister as hostage instead.
Apotheosis talent near Crown Hall, persuadable now.
"Ah, let's use Envers."
"That kid?"
"Surprisingly, his apotheosis counters illusion magic. Floods the area with info overload, jamming spellcasting. The fake will love chucking him at us."
Evil God-chan nodded, convinced.
Persuasion or brainwashing would work fine. Envers had convictions, but compared to other session players, he was soft and green.
Show him Nangong siblings illusions—'You're the Nangong pride, fight!'—and he'd bite.
"...Other players left in the capital besides Envers. Two more."
"I know. Too risky, so we're eliminating them."
(3) Eliminating Capital Knight Commander Lulu and Roderus Redburn
One, high risk.
"One more hostile sublimation powerhouse, and we lose."
"......"
Two, lacking personal bonds.
"No guarantee they'll fight for me. From Roderus's view, I'm just an assassination target. Even showing up as Oh Hye-in would look weird."
"A magical girl and her mascot asking for a hit? Even an idiot would sense something off."
"Exactly. Better to cut them clean. If they side with the fake, disaster. So, Evil God-chan, mind if I step out?"
Grooming the fur by the sleeping Hayang's (former Faceless) head, Mongae's tail suddenly puffed up at a creepy sensation.
"......"
Mana stirred from downstairs. Faster and more precise illusion magic than anyone's. The crazy mage's.
Main body back for a visit?
Perfect timing. He'd sorta explained his bond with the crazy mage to Mongae, but needed to hash out details.
But something felt off. The mana flow wasn't gentle. Like an attack. Uneasy vibes.
Lulu and Daesoo were probably prepping dinner all lovey-dovey downstairs...
Mongae warded Hayang's area just in case, then cautiously hopped down.
No signs of life.
"...Daesoo, Lulu, where'd you go-meow?"
No reply.
They always said if heading out. Lulu even asked if she wanted chicken skewers on the way back. Weird.
"Main body, you there? If something happened, show. Gotta set story and rotate out. Getting tired sticking 'meow' to everything."
"Sure?"
Chilling.
At the voice behind, Mongae instinctively blasted illusions everywhere. Fog, texture breaks, swarms of mosquitoes and flies. Emergency escape combo.
But a hand burst through, shattering every illusion.
Throat grabbed. Nails digging lightly into the nape poured malicious info. Mongae writhed and screamed at the blatant mental assault.
"Aaagh...!"
Then red eyes appeared.
The doppelganger, wreathed in savage menace, softly purred while crushing Mongae in real time.
"Tired? Rest then. I'll retire you."
"Wh-what about Daesoo and Lulu...?"
"Connected passage, remember? Rode the Phantasmic Illusion backdoor, remotely turned him into a magical girl via session. Same principle. Took 'em from inside."
They were saving the city with Oh Hye-in in their dreams.
Threat returned, inevitably summoning you—season two magical girl intro. Roderus suspected something, thrashing in the dream.
But how could they wake? Their minds were ruled by that crazy mage.
Crack—!
The doppelganger watched Mongae's distorting emotions, then crushed with a squeeze. Not a shard absorbed into him.
"Good. Sleeping Daesoo and Kim Lulu are yours, Evil God-chan. Sudden kill intent might wake 'em, so take it slow. Soul's fine too if you want."
"...Your players, though?"
"No trap question, don't worry. Just... you're more precious now. Eat your fill. No work needed. Enjoy dinner there; I'll handle the rest."
"......"
He left to tie up loose ends.
Only defenseless sleeping Lulu and Roderus remained before Evil God-chan. Apotheosis and sublimation souls rich with emotion—prime power sources.
She extended sharp black scales like claws. Placed on Roderus's nape. Hesitated long.
And.
"Oh, ate already? Clean, no corpse."
"...Yeah. Too sweet, tasted bad."
"Coffee? Lotsa ice."
"Pass."
She didn't kill them. Hid them secretly.
Already betrayed, chance to revert form—should've devoured for power. But no. Even protected them from the doppelganger.
A decision even she couldn't understand.
When we reached the imperial capital Crown Hall, an army filled the streets awaited us. Half a day hadn't even passed.
Civilians, black mages, knights, agents—packed to the brim.
"Damn psycho prepped hard..."
More time, and he'd have ripped dragon hearts from the palace? My double or not, it was absurd; I laughed.
Selbia beside me gawked wide-eyed, tugging my sleeve.
"Oppa, wait. Is that... Envers...?"
"Yeah. Wait, why the hell's he there...?"
Cold sweat.
Overwhelmed by fear, I scanned around, pulsing mana waves for senses. If that doppelganger bastard brainwashed my precious players to attack me...
Bennett denouncing me as the evil god, Roderus calling me 'Fallen Archmage Demonlord Lucifer Zekniel'...
I might just scream.
But luckily, only Envers stood with them. Failed to sway the others?
"Wicked mad mage plunging the world into chaos! Nangong Cheonghwi shall judge you!"
"Why're you there, idiot!"
"Selbia, yelling's pointless. Look at his eyes—hypno app deep. Can't break short-term... Shit. Apotheosis guy this weak to hypnosis?"
Less trials?
Kill a dozen clanmates, clan crumbles, tempered by Heavenly Demon Supremacy—would he be sturdy?
Sel-teacher's adage—"Academy kids need trials"—hit deep today.
"No time to space out, Mima. Incoming."
"Crap... Yuna, take that swarm! If they all fly, Irid's hypno breaks and no sleep for me! Selbia, Yuri—with me to smash doppelganger!"
"Y-yeah! G-gentle shots!"
We assigned roles, formed up.
A fight for future happiness. Doppelganger prepped, but still winnable. Or so I thought—till his opener stabbed in.
"...Mima, apotheosis won't activate."
"What?"