Chapter 69 - 69: This... Makes Perfect Sense

[No. 5 Tulip Street] When Edward appeared, it suddenly hit him—this place was now nothing but ruins. He hesitated for a moment, then, after confirming no one was around, raised his wand and cast Reparo Maxima. As though time had reversed itself, everything was restored to how it once was. Then, his figure twisted and vanished once more, reappearing just outside Tingen City. He casually picked up a stone and cast Portus on it before slipping it into his pouch. What followed was a series of continuous Apparitions—his spirituality was still recovering, but he still had enough magical power. Before long, he arrived in Backlund. His first stop was the St. Samuel Cathedral. From a distance, he gave Archbishop Anthony a brief nod before heading straight to the Goddess's Library. A few minutes later, he left in a rush. Second stop: 88 Minsk Street. Edward pulled Lilith out of his pouch. She rubbed her tail against his leg affectionately, glanced around, and then obediently sat on the ground. Tilting her head up, her gemstone-like pupils fixed on Edward. "Lilith." Edward squatted down, looking into her eyes seriously. "You wait here, alright? I'll be back very soon." "Meow?" She curled her tail around her little paws, her face showing a hint of worry. "Good girl~" He gently patted her head, then stood up. Edward took a sip of Emlyn-brand Polyjuice Potion. His face and height began to shift and change. Then, he pointed his wand at his clothes, completing the outfit transformation. It wasn't the first time he'd 'transfigured' in front of Lilith, so she merely tilted her head at him, a trace of confusion in her eyes. "Next up…" Edward reached into his pouch. When he withdrew his hand, he was holding a delicate golden hourglass timer. A "magical artifact" from the world of Harry Potter— The Time-Turner. "Dumbledore once said that when using a Time-Turner, you must always remember: 'What has happened is fixed and must not be changed!'" "But the so-called has happened, the so-called fixed, are only fixed from the user's point of view. In other words, if I believe it's a fact, then it is a fact. And if things don't unfold the way I expect, I can absolutely intervene—as long as the final outcome still matches the version I initially saw." "This fits perfectly with the 'mind-over-matter' rules of magic in the Harry Potter world." "This...makes perfect sense!" Edward held the golden timer with one hand and gently twisted it with the other. Click. The timer jammed in place, marking the two-hour limit. He released his fingers. In the next second, everything around him zoomed backward at high speed. Shapes of clouds streaked past his vision in a blur. Something pounded in his ears, but he couldn't hear a sound. The wildly reversing scene gradually slowed until— Ding! With a crisp sound, the Time-Turner shattered into fragments, and the world returned to normal. Edward was still in the room in Backlund. Only—Lilith was nowhere to be seen. "Just as expected…single-use only." He pulled the stone he'd enchanted with Portus from his pouch again, cast the spell a second time, successfully turning it into a Portkey. He gripped it tightly. The next moment, it felt like a hook had yanked him forward from somewhere behind his navel. His feet left the ground— —and he vanished. ——— [Tingen City] Klein and Leonard were riding a carriage, heading to the company. Leonard absentmindedly flipped through a poetry collection, then shut it with frustration and asked, "What did Edward even mean back there? If he has something to say, can't he just say it plainly? Why the cryptic act?" "Maybe it's not that he didn't want to say it," Klein replied, "but that he couldn't. Didn't you see the flyers that rained down from the sky yesterday? The ones about Church traitor Ince Zangwill?" "Huh?" Leonard looked blank. "I've been busy tracking down Lanevus these past few days." Klein pulled out one of the flyers he'd saved and handed it over. "My Cleric Friend: Ince Zangwill and His Feathered Quill? What kind of ridiculous title is this?" Frowning, Leonard read silently. First, he froze. Then, as though hearing something, his expression shifted. His pupils shrank. "What the hell? How can something this terrifying even exist? Wait! So that quill…it knows about me now too? Then it—" The old man's raspy voice echoed again, "Relax. I may be in poor shape, but not so bad that I'd let that quill see everything. At most, it can only sense that you're hiding secrets." "So what this flyer says…it's all real?" "Exactly. And judging by Edward's behavior just now, I suspect that Ince Zangwill and his quill are targeting your Nighthawk squad." After a moment of silence, Pallez added, "I recommend leaving Tingen immediately. The farther you go, the better." "No way!" Leonard rejected the idea on the spot. "Old man, is there really no way to fight that sealed artifact?" "…There isn't." "Damn it!!" Leonard slammed his fist hard against the side of the carriage. Klein looked at him in surprise. "What's wrong with you?" "…" Leonard stared blankly at Klein for a moment before saying, "You just divined that the company's in danger, right? Did you also figure out that the danger comes from that quill?" "…Yeah." "Did you find a way to deal with it?" "No." "Then why are you—" "I want to go back and get everyone out of the company immediately." Leonard's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands. "Yes! That's a great idea!" He banged the carriage wall a few more times and shouted to the coachman, "Faster!" Thanks to Leonard's urging, what should have been a twenty-minute journey only took ten. They reached the company in record time. Captain Dunn was currently speaking with a well-dressed man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, discussing the gas explosion from a few days ago. Rozanne set down the coffee she was holding and quietly approached them with her tray. "That man is the Mayor of Tingen," she whispered. "He's here to inquire about the gas company explosion." Leonard whispered back, "Rozanne, could you help get the captain for us? It's urgent." "Ah? But…" Just then, the mayor slammed his hand on the table in anger and stormed out. Captain Dunn escorted him all the way to the reception hall and watched him board his carriage and leave. Klein and Leonard rushed up. "You're back. Where's Edward?" Dunn asked. Klein replied seriously, "Captain, the company is in danger. Please evacuate everyone immediately!" Dunn's expression turned grave. Without hesitation, he said, "Understood!" Rumble— The mayor's carriage had only just left when a sudden, oppressive wave of blood and malice swept in. ——— At the same time, Edward—disguised as Emlyn—had also arrived near the company. He found an empty alley and quickly set up a ritual, summoning a black bird. "What do you need?" "Help me locate someone. He should be hiding nearby. A one-eyed man holding a quill. Try not to let him notice you." Edward tossed over a spare wand he'd purchased earlier. The black bird swallowed it in one gulp and immediately looked pleased. "Yes! This kind of stick—I like the taste!" "You've been paid. Get to work." "Alright." The black bird happily circled him once, then vanished. "The tale of Ince and his quill has spread throughout the city. Edward is already locked in a game with the Numinous Episcopate. Now, there's just one unfamiliar face, deeply focused on writing his tale. You wouldn't think much of it, would you? This, too, makes perfect sense. —— Lanevus stepped forward, one step at a time, expressionless—but in his pupils, only madness remained. "The key. Give me the key!!" Klein gripped the Flaring Sun Charm tightly and backed into the reception hall. He quickly pulled out paper and pen and scribbled a few words: "Mr. Azik, help!" He took out his copper whistle and blew hard. A giant skeletal messenger appeared before him, took the letter, and vanished. At that moment, Lanevus charged. An aura like that of a god radiated outward from him, shaking everything nearby to the core. Even before he reached Klein, Klein already felt his blood freezing over. Klein didn't hesitate any longer. He channeled a portion of his spirituality into a thin golden plate etched with arcane runes and hurled the Sunfire Charm at Lanevus. "Sun!" A dazzling beam of sunlight pierced through the third floor of the security company, flooding the reception hall. Darkness and gloom were banished in an instant. The Flaring Sun Charm merged with the sunlight above Lanevus's head and suddenly expanded, forming a glowing orb wreathed in countless flames. It wrapped around Lanevus like a miniature sun, the fire soaring and ash spiraling—a blaze that seemed to consume everything in an instant. BOOM! The entire building shook violently. Glass shattered across nearby streets. "AAAHHH!!—" Lanevus's agonized scream echoed from within the flames. "He's not dead!" Before the flames and light had even faded, Klein knew the truth. He immediately turned and sprinted toward the underground, heading straight for Chanis Gate. Just as he arrived, he ran into Leonard and Captain Dunn coming back with sealed artifacts. Captain Dunn was holding St. Selena's Ashes while Leonard carried Sealed Artifact 2-105: Blood Vessel Thief. "Other than Seeka, who's guarding Chanis Gate, everyone else has evacuated through the other exit. What's the situation outside?" Dunn asked. "I just hit Lanevus with a very powerful charm, but…it didn't work that well." Klein hesitated, then said to the captain, "His strength might be far beyond our capabilities. Maybe we should…" Dunn's expression was resolute. "No. We are this city's protectors. If we run, what happens to the ordinary people?" "…" Leonard clapped Klein hard on the shoulder. "You go pick a sealed artifact too." "…Right." Klein entered the underground vault behind Tingen's Chanis Gate. Standing before the various sealed artifacts, he quickly made a decision. Among the options that could actually harm Lanevus, only two remained: 2-078: The Door of Death 2-030: Inexhaustible Poison But the Door of Death had a living will. One wrong move, and it could turn against the user. The poison was even worse—though extremely toxic, it constantly tempted people to drink it. High-Sequence Beyonders wouldn't be tempted, so the only way was to force it down. Either choice was a trap. "Wait…" Klein pulled out an old-fashioned key. Edward had given it to him before leaving, saying it could help him escape through walls. If the Door of Death lost control and turned into a door…maybe this key could be the countermeasure? Alright. I choose you! ——— [Note]: Here is the promised Extra Chapter! Enjoy~ I'll post another one if we reach 360 Powerstones by tomorrow. Go, VOTE!