Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Möbius
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Möbius.
The seventh serpent candidate of the Whisperer.
He was the one originally slated to conquer the Tower and absorb its Calamities.
His black hair whipped in the wind as he ran.
The reason was a message he'd just received from one of the serpents.
When he heard those words, Möbius showed a flicker of doubt.
And who could blame him? He had received the Whisperer's orders directly.
He'd come here to clear the Tower, after all.
'What could this be about?'
He pondered it briefly, but soon decided to obey.
A man from one of the families lay before him, clutching his throat as he collapsed.
His life force drained utterly dry, his skin clinging to his bones in a gruesome death.
Möbius retrieved the key from the man's pocket, pocketing it out of caution—just in case.
Then he swiftly fled the island.
He plummeted toward the sea.
A skeletal ship rose from the depths to catch him.
Möbius sat atop it and sped across the ocean.
The Whisperer's command had come down.
This took precedence over clearing the Tower.
The bone ship sliced through the waves at tremendous speed.
Its destination: Giant's Isle, where his subordinates waited.
It wasn't long before his eyes shook.
Ash clouds billowed from the direction of Giant's Isle.
Volcanic ash turning the sky gray.
Judging by how far it had spread, the eruption was massive.
'Something's gone wrong.'
Had his subordinates foolishly unlocked a key among themselves?
Mutated Calamity Beasts possessed dozens of times the power of the island masters.
Which meant he didn't need to kill every island master.
Catching just a few would fulfill the requirement to ascend to the sixth floor.
The official clear condition for the sixth floor was to slay all the Calamity Beasts serving as island masters.
In truth, it only required matching the Calamity quota on the sixth floor.
'That's why we summon mutated ones.'
They held far more Calamity than regular beasts. Slaying them would do the trick.
The problem was their difficulty.
'Mutated Calamity Beasts are beyond what my subordinates can handle alone.'
That's why he'd told them: only act when he was present.
But it seemed an unexpected situation had arisen.
And the Calamity aura wafting from there was no joke.
It rivaled the most dangerous mutated beast he'd ever encountered.
'What kind of monster did they unleash?'
Möbius frowned.
Even a rule-breaking summon shouldn't produce something this potent.
He clicked his tongue.
If it came to a fight, it'd be harder than he'd imagined.
'But the Whisperer's command comes first.'
Besides, the Five Great Families were on that island.
They'd take the hit, but they'd manage somehow.
Möbius raced across the sea, searching for his subordinates.
With the island in chaos, they'd surely evacuated.
Luckily, he spotted them soon enough.
Floating on magical orbs, drifting aimlessly.
The problem: a stranger among them.
A female mage.
"Ah, Lord Möbius."
Burns turned at the voice, his face paling instantly.
As if he'd run into someone he absolutely shouldn't meet right now.
Möbius approached on his bone ship, puzzled by the reaction.
"Something happened. You all look like hell."
"Uh, well..."
"Save it. The Whisperer commanded us to leave. Now."
Burns scratched at the scars beneath his bandages.
His tell when things got awkward.
"Burns?"
"Wait a second!"
As Möbius raised a questioning brow, the mage woman thrust her hand up.
Her turquoise hair fluttered as she glared venomously.
"You're their leader, right? Wait. Havel's on his way."
"Havel?"
Doubt clouded Möbius's eyes.
Havel? Who the hell was that?
'She doesn't seem like the one who roughed them up.'
Burns and Spear-wielder were battered, like they'd been pummeled.
Granny looked utterly dazed, muttering "Calamity" over and over.
Her aura-sensing ability outstripped others', so she'd probably glimpsed something dire.
No way this mage had done that to them alone.
She had some skill, sure.
Enough for an non-combatant like Granny, maybe.
But Burns or Spear-wielder? No chance.
Yet at her words, all three tensed up, treating her with uncharacteristic caution.
They feared her—or whatever backed her.
'What the hell happened?'
His subordinates weren't usually this deferential.
'Doesn't matter.'
This Havel she mentioned seemed involved somehow.
"No need to worry. We're leaving now."
Orders were orders. He'd follow them.
That was Möbius.
Havel, this mage—didn't matter.
He'd obey, period.
"Wait, I just told you—Havel's coming soon."
Elasia immediately raised her arm to block him.
"If she's causing trouble, just bring her along. We can hear her out after."
But before Elasia finished, Möbius pulled a crystal skull from his pocket.
As it began to glow, she felt a chill of unease.
A malevolent aura condensed within it.
"W-Wait!"
"Quiet."
Bones erupted from his skull ship, lunging at Elasia.
"Guh!"
The sudden assault caught her off guard as she tried to cast a spell.
But her barriers shattered on contact with the bones.
'Anti-magic?!'
Bones that crushed magic? Impossible.
As she reeled, black flames surged up.
A wall of dark fire halted the bones momentarily.
Elasia dove into the sea without hesitation.
Möbius's gaze slowly shifted to Burns.
He was the one who'd summoned the black flames.
"...Burns?"
Möbius glared, demanding an explanation.
Burns retracted his hand and replied calmly.
"Just trying to stay alive."
She knew Havel. Taking her might draw him straight to them.
A desperate play that just might save their skins.
Even Spear-wielder nodded in agreement.
"Tch. We'll sort it out later."
Möbius activated the crystal skull without another word.
A flash of light—and the four vanished.
The sea rippled.
Elasia's head bobbed up with a splash.
"Haa... What the hell? This is ridiculous."
She sighed, her body shriveled from dehydration.
Havel had crushed Spear-wielder and Burns, dangerous as they were.
But that last guy, Möbius—he was on another level.
She'd bluffed a bit, banking on Havel.
Any longer, and who knows what would've happened.
"Ugh, I just wanna sip hot cocoa and relax."
Why was she even out here?
As melancholy washed over her, a shadow fell overhead.
"If you want, I could arrange for you to drink cocoa for the rest of your life."
She jolted at the casual remark and looked up.
There, predictably, was Havel.
She immediately started babbling.
"L-Lord Havel! I did my best! I swear, I risked my life to stall them!"
She poured out her grievances.
"I saw it all. Not blaming you."
"Y-You saw everything?"
Her eyes widened.
Why hadn't he intervened, then?
But seeing the smile tugging at his lips, a chill ran down her spine.
"Um, Lord Havel, I'm Celestia's magic captain. Very busy."
"Then if Celestia vanishes, you won't be busy anymore."
"I'll resign as magic captain starting today!"
"Kidding."
Elasia didn't find it funny at all.
The man before her had the power to make it reality.
He knew it too—and exploited it.
"Lord Havel, people around you will leave."
"Don't worry. I treat those who stick around well."
Elasia bowed her head, face crestfallen.
Havel grabbed her by the scruff and lifted her effortlessly. She cast a rehydration spell.
He slung her over his shoulder roughly.
"Going after them outside the Tower. Get ready to track."
If she'd known, she'd never have learned tracking magic.
Elasia fought back tears but held it together.
No one here to comfort her anyway.
And she'd caught on to his plan.
Havel aimed to approach the Whisperer through them.
Using them as bait to lure him out.
"Hold on tight."
So all she could do was grip him firmly.
Moments later, Elasia quietly set a new personal record for descending the Tower.
After Möbius's crystal skull glowed...
The four escaped the Tower in an instant.
This skull was another item that bent the Tower's rules.
A rare artifact allowing exit anytime.
Möbius pocketed it carefully and turned to the trio.
"So, Burns. Care to explain?"
His earlier actions had piqued his interest.
Möbius wanted to know what had happened.
Burns glanced back at the Tower.
This spot was far from Babel.
A pre-scouted safe point for emergencies like this.
They could rendezvous with the other serpents quickly.
Yet Burns eyed the Tower's direction anxiously.
"Lord Möbius, how long do you think it'd take to reach the Tower from here?"
"At least three days."
That estimate was by Möbius's standards.
Burns's face hardened at the words.
"Babel's not far from here, right? We should run now, if possible."
"That serious?"
Möbius's eyes narrowed.
He'd never seen Burns this scared.
"Burns, spill it properly. What happened?"
"Ahem. There's this guy named Havel from the Banpellyon family. From what I felt, he's serpent-level."
"Serpent-level?"
Even Möbius faltered at that.
The serpents were empowered directly by the Whisperer.
For Burns, who'd seen them, to say that...
"Maybe we should leave first?"
He might show up any second.
Burns advised earnestly.
Möbius trusted Burns on matters of survival.
He was dead serious when his life was on the line.
Invoking the serpents meant he was staking his own.
Möbius nodded.
If it was truly serpent-class, even he couldn't fight.
As Möbius prepared to depart...
Thud.
Footsteps echoed from somewhere.
A rhythm that oddly commanded attention.
A man appeared in high-heeled shoes.
Perfectly tailored suit, bowler hat.
A cane in hand.
The picture of a gentleman.
Möbius dropped into a stance the instant he saw him.
The other three followed suit.
"Möbius, it's been a while."
His kindly smile belonged to none other than the apostle of the Whisperer.
One of the six serpents: Baphomet.