Returning to the New Magic Tower, Rotheron surveyed the internal situation.
Perhaps due to the sudden external surprise attack, the New Magic Tower was in a chaotic atmosphere.
After all, a big hole had been punctured in the defense system that the New Magic Tower had boasted about.
Even if someone brought siege weapons, it shouldn't have been breached, but a hole had been carved right in the center of the Magic Tower as if it had been cut out with something.
If there was any consolation, it was fortunate that there was no major damage to the core structure supporting the interior.
If that hadn't been the case, the New Magic Tower would have broken from the middle.
'The Magic Tower wouldn't collapse from just that, but it could have made it precarious. However, that man deliberately avoided causing that kind of damage.'
From the beginning, the goal was to retrieve important items stored in the New Magic Tower, not to bring down the Magic Tower itself.
In other words, it meant that if he had wanted to, he could have collapsed the New Magic Tower.
Despite that, he chose not to, which is why Rotheron decided to trust Rudger.'The New Magic Tower is currently divided into two factions. It's fair to say that the bourgeois faction has joined hands with that man called Nikolai.'
They were the first to step forward as if they had been waiting for the external attack, and they were the ones who used unauthorized automatons and artifacts.
And in reality, they had tried to kill him along with Cravat, thinking no one was watching.
'The problem is that we don't know whether the entire faction has joined hands with them or if it's just a deviation by some of them.'
But Rotheron had no intention of missing this opportunity.
Although this kind of factional political struggle wasn't to his taste, he wasn't so single-minded as to give up advantages that could be utilized.
When he entered his personal workshop, an attendant in charge of research greeted him warmly.
"Lord Rotheron! You've arrived!"
"You must be working hard in the midst of all this confusion."
"Hahaha. It's nothing."
"Would you call the people for me?"
Though it was just a casual remark, the attendant understood its meaning.
The people Rotheron referred to were the proletarian faction.
Specifically, those with considerable influence and rank within it.
The usual Rotheron, like a noble wolf, rarely involved himself in such matters.
This showed how serious the current situation was, and the attendant bowed and immediately left the workshop.
During the remaining time, Rotheron looked out at the Magic Tower through the window.
Though it couldn't be captured in a single glance, he could roughly see the appearance of Isla Machina Island.
All structures were made of metal, with white steam being emitted from chimneys here and there.
For the beast-people who had to live in vast prairies their entire lives, Isla Machina had an overwhelmingly high density.
It was a sight that made one feel suffocated just by looking at it, but Rotheron thought he should adapt to this scenery.
'I thought I had adapted sufficiently, but it seems that was my misconception.'
The view he was seeing now was the same as usual, but there were far more invisible things happening inside.
Rotheron felt a sense of alienation toward it.
That the world he knew was actually completely different.
That the smiling face of someone he considered a friend was just a mask.
He knew that everyone wore masks, but there was a clear difference between knowing it intellectually and accepting it as reality.
Rotheron fingered his iron mask.
Feeling its hard and cold touch, Rotheron cracked a bitter smile.
'I'm in no position to say anything to anyone.'
Just then, the door of the workshop opened with a clatter.
Thinking the people he had called had arrived, Rotheron turned around, but narrowed his eyes when he saw an unexpected face.
"Sixth-rank magician Rotheron."
The inspection team that handled internal affairs in the New Magic Tower was looking at him with a cold gaze.
"On suspicion of conspiring with external enemies who attacked the Magic Tower, you must come with us."
[What were you planning to do by sending that sixth-rank magician to the New Magic Tower? I'm sorry, but I've already taken care of that too.]
Nikolai had blocked all the means that Rudger could use.
[This means you're finished now.]
Rudger thought of Rene.
The image of her from childhood, grabbing his hand and insisting they go play together.
Her appearance at Theon, always diligently attending classes.
Her look of shock and frustration after feeling betrayed.
And finally, her falling into a sleep from which she might never wake.
Yet, the last image that flashed through his mind was her smiling brightly in the sunlight.
"You..."
Rudger's voice sank even colder than usual.
Cravat, who was watching the situation from the side, couldn't help but flinch.
'What...'
Rudger's aura had changed from before.
Perhaps because he usually didn't show emotional fluctuations, the current change stood out even more.
Even Nikolai, watching from a distance beyond the experimental subject, felt a chill run down his spine when he faced Rudger's appearance.
[Hahaha. I never thought you would have such a human side.]
Nikolai was momentarily frightened but laughed and provoked Rudger.
Anyway, Rudger was far away from him.
Even if Rudger tried to chase him immediately, the experimental subjects wouldn't allow it, and in that time, Nikolai could escape through one of the dozens of escape routes he had prepared.
It was as if the entire island was in the palm of his hand.
'And do you really have the luxury to come looking for me? You should be going to save that girl right now if you haven't already.'
Knowing this, Nikolai washed away his fear and found courage.
Of course, there was still a slight residue of anxiety.
Like ticks or dust that wouldn't fall off no matter how much you brushed them away, an inexplicable strange anxiety remained around him.
The remote possibility that all these traps he had set might turn out to be futile and Rudger could achieve victory.
Nikolai didn't particularly deny this.
That's why he was determined to do his best to eliminate even that possibility.
Wasn't it said that a lion puts forth its best effort even to catch a single rabbit?
This was just a figurative expression, not literally true, but Nikolai didn't think it was entirely wrong.
Moreover, the opponent wasn't just a simple rabbit, but rather a terrifying beast that couldn't be taken lightly for even a moment.
To hunt such a creature, no number of layered traps would be excessive.
"Nikolai. I told you. After this is over, I will come find you."
Rudger's tone was the same as usual.
Noble and dignified, and his voice had not a hint of wavering.
However, the subtle anger contained within it showed that, unlike his usual self, he was furious.
"That was my intention, but I'm canceling it. I didn't know you would be so persistent in clinging to me."
[Oh? Has the great John Doe broken his own will?]
"But you shouldn't have done that."
Rudger stared intently at one of the experimental subjects that conveyed Nikolai's will.
"If you wanted to kill me that badly, you should have never revealed yourself in this way from the beginning."
[What do you mean by that? Are you trying to claim some moral victory now that you're at a disadvantage?]
"Have you never considered that your method of deliberately keeping an enemy alive to inflict pain, rather than cutting off their breath in one go, would actually hold you back?"
This was a fight where they were aiming for each other's lives.
And the most necessary thing in a fight was to mercilessly cut off the opponent's breath.
The moment you think you've subdued your opponent enough and let your guard down, it might be you who ends up dead.
"Nikolai. You don't know because you haven't experienced many real fights."
Nikolai has spent his life overthrowing opponents through conspiracy and handling matters by manipulating puppets, so he doesn't know what a real fight is.
A real fight isn't as simple as something that can be finished by someone else's hands.
Here, there are no rules, no referee, no spectators.
There's only the ring for fighting against an enemy where you must kill or be killed.
"Since you don't seem to know, let me teach you."
Even if you've twisted the opponent's limbs and made them bloody, if they can still breathe, the fight isn't over.
As long as they have life.
If they have only teeth left to bite your neck, even with broken arms and legs.
If there are no teeth, then with the gums, or if not that, then using something else.
A desperate struggle only ends when it goes that far.
"I will show you from now on what a real fight is."
[... What are you talking about? Is this just the same lip service that everyone spouts?]
Nikolai no longer mocked Rudger.
Rather, he showed his displeasure without trying to hide his emotions, as if Rudger's attempt to teach him was unpleasant.
[Besides staying there, what can you possibly do to me?]
"Kill."
Rudger's figure disappeared from his spot.
When his form reappeared, it was right in front of the experimental subject that was relaying Nikolai's words.
The experimental subject didn't even have time to react as Rudger appeared, leaping over all the surrounding encirclements at once.
Crack!
Rudger's strong hand, not holding the sword stick, gripped the experimental subject's jaw.
"You."
Crunch!
The grip, infused with magical power, crushed the experimental subject's jaw into powder.
The struggling experimental subject tried to resist by swinging its arms, but it was after Rudger's sword stick had already been swung.
The mechanical arms and legs fell off one by one.
The experimental subject tried to self-destruct as a last resort, but Rudger easily neutralized the bomb installed near its heart by infusing magical power into the experimental subject's body.
After throwing aside the experimental subject, which collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, Rudger extended his hand toward the experimental subject unit Blue that belatedly rushed towards him.
Intense energy gathered at his fingertips, erupting into light, and countless fine lines shot out like porcupine quills, piercing all the experimental subjects.
"This is insane."
Cravat, who was watching the scene from a short distance away, couldn't help but let out an exclamation of astonishment.
As if everything he had shown so far was just a taste, Rudger's prowess was relentless.
Cravat suddenly thought that this Nikolai fellow had really committed an irreversibly stupid act.
Rudger was unstoppable.
Experimental subjects fell one after another without any resistance whenever he moved.
Just then, Whiron, who had been dealing with the artificial magicians, also finished his fight and joined them.
"What? Is it over here too?"
Hisssss.
Whiron, emitting white steam around his body, was bare-chested.
Rather than saying he took off his clothes, it would be more accurate to say that his clothes had all burned away in the heat of battle.
If there was any consolation, it was that his pants were still intact.
"Yes. It's all over. That person cleaned everything up."
"Hmm. Just as expected. But the teacher doesn't look very happy."
Whiron could instinctively tell that Rudger was quite angry just by glancing at him.
Cravat explained why.
"What? Are you saying that the girl and that weakling are in danger right now?"
Whiron reacted as if something very serious had happened.
Although Gabriel was a user of time magic, to Whiron, Gabriel was just a weakling.
All he could do in stop time was escape.
Moreover, how weak was his body to collapse from just poison?
"We should hurry to help now... Huh?"
Whiron noticed in the middle of speaking that Rudger had disappeared.
"He was here just a moment ago, where did the teacher go?"
"What are you standing there blankly for? We need to go too."
Cravat took the bemused Whiron and moved toward where Rudger had headed.
Rudger arrived at a location before anyone else.
Another secret hideout created in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.
This place, which should not have been touched by anyone, was a complete mess.
There were traces of something having clawed through and signs of destruction everywhere.
And even the corpses of some magicians and experimental subjects strewn about.
Rudger passed through them and reached a specific place.
Rudger's gaze went toward a man sitting slumped next to Rene.
"Gabriel Cosmo."
There, he could see Rene sleeping peacefully.
There was not a single wound on her body.
Judging by the surrounding traces, she should have been caught up in the chaos at least 100 times, but it was as if something had desperately protected her.
Covered in dirt and with small wounds all over his body, Gabriel looked up at Rudger while gasping for breath.
"You're here now? I thought I'd grow old and die waiting."
Rudger assessed Gabriel’s condition.
There were no serious injuries. But subtle traces of aging that weren't there before were faintly visible on his face.
"You consumed time."
"About 6 months. Thanks to the automaton, I bought some time."
Following Gabriel’s gesture, Rudger shifted his gaze to see a half-destroyed automaton.
"Judging by its condition, it can be repaired."
"Yeah. I suppose so."
Gabriel let out a dejected laugh.
Although he had protected Rene, his expression had been poor for a while.
Rudger caught this reaction immediately.
"Tell me. What problem has occurred?"
"In the midst of that fight, I desperately protected Rene, but all the materials I had gathered are gone."
Gabriel raised his head with empty eyes to look up at Rudger.
"The materials that could heal Rene have vanished."