Chapter 351: One Mistake, and You're Done!

Cornelius Aru Ba heard words that seemed to anticipate his arrival, and felt only strangeness in his heart; the female fox called Red Fox was anticipating seeing him.

【No, impossible; her jealousy toward him wasn't well hidden at all. Though they were old classmates, privately, this guy probably knew of her hatred toward her.

Anticipating seeing her? Probably not; it must be for that girl kidnapped by Araya Souren?

The girl who awakened the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception—could she be Aozaki Touko's disciple? Forget it; anyway, this female fox will die here tonight, and such things don't need too much consideration.】

Thinking things over, on the face of the blond, handsome mage over fifty but looking no more than twenty, appeared a few apologetic smiles as he said to Aozaki Touko, "I've kept you waiting here for long."

While speaking, Cornelius Aru Ba also quickly swept his gaze over the others present.

Five girls and two boys; besides two being young men, the rest were furry children.

【The Tohsaka Family's Thousand Gold...】

His gaze first passed over Rin Tohsaka.

【A mere martial artist?】

It came to Kanata's body.

【A living puppet, truly made lifelike; the female fox's puppet-making skill is exquisite, I just don't know if it has combat strength...】

It paused on Karen's body.

【Who is the owner of the Magic Eye?】

It then came to Sakura and Asagami Fujino; as for the little nun beside them, she didn't look like someone from this country at all, and could by no means be a descendant of the Demon Hunter Family Asagami Family.

【Forget it; anyway, children of this age, even if they have Magic Eyes, how strong could the Magic Eyes be? We'll deal with them later—just have the two of them attack together.】

Finally, Cornelius Aru Ba's gaze fell on Broly, who looked the smallest.

Yeah, an ordinary little ghost, the kind not worth a second glance.

Though he didn't know why Aozaki Touko brought such a strange group of children, it didn't matter.

Anyway, killing one more person tonight and killing several more made no difference at all.

"No need for more words, Aru Ba; tell me, I want news of the person I'm looking for."

Aozaki Touko got straight to the point without wasting words, afraid Broly would casually toss that terrifying energy bullet onto the ground.

"Come in with me first; I'll tell you where she is."

Aru Ba led the Poodle over and walked straight into Xiaochuan Apartments.

The other's ink-stained posture made Broly feel itchy hands and want to hit someone.

But thinking the other might not be a bad person, but rather a kindhearted person who provided missing info on Ryougi Shiki,

this gave the Saiyan boy some patience toward him, and a group followed him into Xiaochuan Apartments.

"Aru Ba, are you the criminal who kidnapped Ryougi Shiki?"

Walking down the long corridor, Aozaki Touko asked amid the footsteps.

"I am not."

Aru Ba directly denied it; the matter of kidnapping the girl indeed had nothing to do with him.

"Then, is Araya the criminal?"

Aozaki Touko asked again.

"That's right; he did the kidnapping."

Aru Ba nodded, admitting it on behalf of Araya Souren.

"Why did Araya do this?"

"You aren't very clear about the reason he did this? When you two were at the Academy, didn't you once discuss together the ways to reach the Root?"

"Reaching the Root is a very private matter; what does it have to do with outsiders?"

"Opening the passage to the Root will be obstructed and slaughtered by the Counter Force, but what if it's just walking a passage that already exists?"

"As expected, his goal is the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception?"

"No, no, no; simply having the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception cannot help a person reach the Root. What Araya truly wants is that body capable of giving birth to the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception."

"Wait, could that guy want to transplant his own brain marrow into Ryougi's body?"

"Exactly."

"Araya is crazy; doing that might get him nothing, only kill himself, kill others, and even implicate the whole world."

She turned to look at Broly and found the boy's face was extremely gloomy, as if he might attack at any moment.

"I don't know if Araya is crazy, but aren't most mages like that? They have a strong obsession with the Root, and for it, even if killing countless people or even sacrificing themselves, they don't hesitate."

Aru Ba did not hide his sarcasm toward such mages who pursue the Root Vortex; he himself had no interest in pursuing the illusory Root Vortex.

This person believed that to touch the realm of gods, one only needed to pursue worldly truth; there was absolutely no need to pursue the so-called Root.

"Then how did you know about this matter?"

"Have you looked over the structure of this Xiaochuan Apartments?"

"No, what's wrong?"

"Spiral of Paradox, Taiji Structure; this is a conceptual diagram for opening the Root that you once designed. I was invited by him to complete the construction of this building."

"You are Araya's assistant, but you're not someone interested in the Root. From your tone just now, you don't seem to think Araya can succeed either."

"That's right; I'm indeed not interested in the Root Vortex, and I don't think Araya's plan to reach the Root can succeed."

"So, you contacted me to have me stop him?"

Aozaki Touko asked.

"Hmm?"

Aru Ba made a sound of confusion.

At this time, he had already brought everyone to the Lobby inside Xiaochuan Apartments.

"Do Araya and I look like we have a good relationship?"

He retorted to Aozaki Touko.

"That I don't know; perhaps you two have a good relationship in private."

Aozaki Touko shrugged.

"You're always like this, self-righteously giving me all sorts of evaluations; I'm doing this entirely for you!"

Aru Ba turned around, raised his hand, and pointed at Aozaki Touko.

"For me, could it be you have a romantic interest in me..."

Aozaki Touko looked at Aru Ba with some surprise.

"Dog shit, this is to kill you!"

Aru Ba directly broke down.

"To kill you, this guy who always stole my limelight back in the Academy days, treated me like an assistant pack mule to order around haphazardly, causing the old geezers in the Clock Tower to lower their personal evaluation of me, thinking I'm an inferior product not as good as you, you bastard!"

"Alright, I've completely understood your resentment; now it's time to tell me where Araya is, and where the girl he kidnapped is!"

"Hmph, Aozaki, you still have the leisure to mind other people's business? However, forget it, telling you doesn't matter; Araya is right here, and that girl he abducted is also in this apartment building, but as for the specific location, I don't know."

Broly closed his eyes, once again using Ki Sense on the whole apartment building, but he still didn't find Shiki Ryougi's Ki.

But this isn't unexpected either; it's estimated that Araya Souren, with that special Ki, did something to hide Shiki Ryougi's presence.

Or perhaps...

Thinking of the possibility that Ryougi Shiki might already have been killed, Broly's killing intent surged.

"Don't worry, Shiki should be fine."

Fortunately, the Doll Master's one sentence temporarily soothed the Saiyan boy.

"Leave the current matter to me to handle; originally Araya was introduced by me, so I should bear the corresponding responsibility."

In terms of taking money to do a job, Aozaki Touko still has principles; she stepped forward.

"Araya, since I've already come, you should show yourself too, right? Or rather, are you counting on this guy Aru Ba to deal with me?"

She looked around, and spoke in a loud voice.

"Damn it, Aozaki, you actually still dare look down on me; I'll turn formless into form, Flame Serpent, go, devour that woman completely!"

The reason Aru Ba is called the Red Magus lies in him being very skilled at Flame Magecraft; with just a brief chant of under two seconds, a flame python constructed of Magic Power, with a temperature reaching over a thousand degrees Celsius, was summoned by this person.

The moment it appeared, the flame python lunged at Aozaki Touko.

"King's Manifestation!"

But before it could reach her, it was imprisoned in the air, as if solidified in jelly, and directly flung to the side.

"Araya, what are you doing?"

Aru Ba angrily turned his head, looking at Araya Souren who had appeared at the second floor stairs, yet it was the opponent who stopped his attack.

"Aru Ba, don't forget the agreement between us; I need you to help me deal with the others."

Araya Souren spoke in a low voice.

If it were only Aozaki Touko arriving alone, he wouldn't mind letting her suffer a bit.

But Aozaki Touko came as a regiment; to avoid capsizing in the gutter, he still needs this idiot Aru Ba to assist.

"Araya, it was you who deliberately had this guy Aru Ba attract me over, right?"

Aozaki Touko asked.

"Precisely."

Aru Ba's obsession with Aozaki Touko is completely evident; regarding the matter of him deliberately contacting Aozaki Touko, Araya Souren isn't surprised.

Or rather, this is the result he intentionally obtained; compared to letting a person who might hinder his Reach Root roam outside, possibly tracking over here at any time to form an obstacle, he'd rather lure the obstructing person into his own Barrier and kill them a step ahead. Of course, if Aozaki Touko didn't come over after receiving Aru Ba's contact, that would be the best result, because that would prove she wouldn't become his obstacle.

"I deeply regret that you chose to come."

"Shiki is my client, so of course I have to do good after-sales service; otherwise, wouldn't my agency's reputation stink?"

【Of course, there's one more reason now.】

"Araya, tell me, is Ryougi Shiki, whom you abducted, still alright now?"

Aozaki Touko asked.

"She still maintains the state she was in when I brought her here; I plan to clear away all Counter Force obstacles first, then proceed to the Root Vortex."

Araya Souren answered truthfully.

"Since you haven't done anything yet, there's still a chance to retrieve everything; hand over the person now, the consequences of laying a hand on that girl aren't something you can bear, and it might even cause this world to be utterly destroyed."

Aozaki Touko persuaded.

"Aozaki, you think mere words can make me give up on Reaching the Root?"

Araya Souren asked.

"Almost no Magecraft user who Reaches the Root can return from that side.

Araya, what exactly makes you want to Reach the Root at all costs? I remember you were originally a Monk, while Magecraft was just a halfway conversion, right?"

Aozaki Touko cannot understand Araya Souren's obsession.

"Just an answer; that answer can only have a conclusion after Reaching the Root."

Araya Souren replied.

"Before that, everyone who stops me, I'll regard as Counter Force obstacles, and will kill and clear them without hesitation."

"So it's down to a single battle?"

Aozaki Touko opened the suitcase, and a black cat crawled out from inside the box.

"Aru Ba, the others are yours; Aozaki, I'll deal with."

"If I kill the others and you still haven't killed her, then let me personally kill this female fox; you assist me from the side."

Aru Ba's words had just fallen.

Broly's figure vanished from the spot.

"Who did you say you want to kill?"

A small hand grabbed the Red Magus's hair and lifted this person up effortlessly.

"Ow, so you're the martial artist, you little ghost!!"

Feeling the pain of his scalp being yanked hard, Aru Ba's reaction speed was not slow either.

"Raging fire, submerge him for me!"

This person summoned flames, attacking the boy who was grabbing his own hair, lifting himself up, and floating in mid-air.

A high temperature of over a thousand degrees ignited; Aru Ba believed no one could use their body to withstand this terrifying heat.

However, the next moment, this person widened his eyes, because he saw his summoned flames isolated one centimeter outside the boy's body; not to mention harming the boy before him, they couldn't even burn the clothes on his body.

"How is this possible, this is my thousand-degree flame magecraft."

Aru Ba couldn't believe it.

This person didn't know that a temperature of over a thousand degrees, to Broly, didn't count as high temperature at all.

If not for the need to protect the clothes on his body, he wouldn't even need to put up a protective Qi shield.

He might be able to resist the flame's scorching with just his flesh body.

Broly let go of this person's hair, and his small fist smashed over in the next moment.

With a boom, the mural in the lobby of the Xiaochuan Apartments behind him was destroyed.

A headless corpse appeared in a muddy state, embedded in the collapsed rubble.

For the guy who wanted to harm his wife, Broly had only one attitude: eliminate.

The boy turned his head, looking at Araya Souren.

"If words can't persuade you, can my fist?"

He asked.

Araya Souren: "..."

He also didn't expect the biggest threat to actually not be Aozaki Touko, but this boy.

"Wang Xian!"

But at this moment he also couldn't afford to retreat; he decisively struck first to gain the upper hand, manipulating the barrier to attack the other party.

Broly's figure vanished again, and with another boom, the second-floor stairs of the lobby were directly destroyed.

However, Araya Souren's figure appeared directly inside the first-floor hall.

"Your speed is so fast, you actually made even me unable to see you?"

Broly frowned; the other party being able to dodge his attack somewhat exceeded his expectations.

"His isn't fast speed, but the effect of his Origin ability; this apartment building is now equivalent to his body internal, able to let him eliminate space inside at will; simply put, inside this building, Araya possesses an ability similar to teleportation magic."

Aozaki Touko helped explain.

"Your destructive power is astonishing, but if you can't hit me, it has no meaning."

Araya Souren vanished again, and the ground gained a large pit dug out by the Saiyan boy with his fist.

"No meaning?"

Broly spread his small hand, and an energy bullet condensed directly in his palm heart.

Araya Souren: "..."

He had the same feeling as Aozaki Touko just now.

"Rin, you all leave here."

"Broly, can't use energy bullets, Shiki Ryougi might still be in this building."

Rin Tohsaka's words made the boy preparing to blast the whole apartment building stop.

"No energy bullets, I still have other methods."

Broly switched a method; Absorption Touch was used by him, and he prepared to indiscriminately absorb the life Qi within range.

"A trick to absorb life force? Pity my Origin ability is Stillness; you can't absorb anything from me."

Standing at the edge of the broken stairs on the second floor, Araya Souren felt a force pulling his life force, and after stopping it with his Stillness ability, he spoke.

Seeing Absorption Touch was also useless, Broly furrowed his brows, but the next moment, he continued charging with his fist raised: "Since that's the case, I'll just keep chasing you and hitting you; I don't believe you can keep teleporting to dodge my attacks; even if you can keep teleporting to dodge my attacks, as long as you make one mistake and get hit by me, you're done for!"

"Araya, you haven't harmed Ryougi Shiki yet; hand over Ryougi Shiki now, and for the sake of us being friends, I can put in a good word for you."

Seeing she didn't need to intervene, Aozaki Touko started using persuasive words on the side to disturb Araya Souren's teleportation.

"Fighting me you might still have a chance, but fighting him you have no chance; give up, wanting to use Shiki to reach the Root is an impossible thing; even if you succeeded, you'd only be killed by this child, and you'd bring a huge disaster to this world."

"I can guarantee, if you hand over Shiki and haven't harmed her, then I'll just beat you up once."

Broly also heard Aozaki Touko's words and expressed recognition of her words.

However, beating you up, beating you until only one breath remains, also counts as beating you up once.

Inside the Xiaochuan Apartments lobby, shadows swayed; Araya Souren tried using his methods to attack or restrain the boy, but the result was completely useless.

Restraint would be broken free instantly; attacks couldn't even break skin; the other party was simply invincible.

As for wanting to grab the others to threaten the boy, Araya Souren discovered doing so was even more dangerous.

The Tohsaka family's little girl had already arranged some trap magecraft around her surroundings, seemingly just waiting for him to come sneak attack.

"Biu~"

An energy beam instantly pierced the wall, leaving a small molten hole.

Araya Souren had no doubt that if he was hit once, this body would die.

"Let's make a deal; I'll guarantee Ryougi Shiki's brain safety, just borrow her body to reach the Root; after I reach the Root, regardless of success or failure, you can all dig out my brain and put her brain back into her body."

While continuously teleporting to dodge attacks, Araya Souren proposed a deal, but was decisively refused by Broly.

"Aren't you worried I'll kill Ryougi Shiki?"

"Then I'll just kill you one step ahead."

Araya Souren: "..."

This boy doesn't consider This Side at all, and still has the capacity to threaten Ryougi Shiki's life.

"You won't do that. If you kill Ryougi Shiki, you'll just be killed by Broly. Even if Broly fails to kill you, with Ryougi Shiki dead, can you still reach the Root through her?"

Aozaki Touko paused, then persuaded again: "Araya, you only have two choices now. One is to not give up on Ryougi Shiki and be chased to death. The other is to give up on Ryougi Shiki and survive. You have no third choice. And if you die, you'll have nothing. Only by living do you have the opportunity to continue pursuing the Root."

Araya Souren seemed persuaded; his teleportation had a moment's Pause.

The next moment...

"Boom—"

His body was blasted into slag, fresh blood splattering like Rain.

Broly stopped, yet looked somewhat bewildered.

The man who kidnapped Ryougi Shiki he had already Solved, but where is Ryougi Shiki? "She should still be in this Xiaochuan Apartments, everyone search."

Glancing at the remains of Araya Souren who died without a whole corpse, knowing this building has Aozaki Touko who has the Function of isolating the Counter Force, he Retracted his Gaze and spoke.

(Chapter End)