Everything Is Ready

He was born without emotions. When the magician's village was destroyed, all he could think of was, "Thank you for allowing me to carry out my righteous revenge."

He believed the world was beyond redemption, and the only way he could feel "pleasure" was to cover reality with "Neighboring World," completely erasing all possibilities and choices.

An incurable madman.

"What a pity I didn't get to see that scene. So, you're here to kill me and save the world, hero?"

"I'm here to kill you, but I'm not a hero. I'm here mainly to ask for something."

What is that?

"You have the technique to seize Mio Takamiya's power, right?"

Isaac's fingers tightened slightly.

He stared at Higashino Makoto, his gray eyes swirling with complex emotions.

It was a kind of excitement and pleasure that was hard to describe.

"You want to seize the power of the Primal Elf Kingdom? And then what do you plan to do? If you want to destroy the world, I wouldn't mind giving it to you."

"That's my business. You just need to give me the spell formula; the rest is none of your concern as a prisoner."

What if you don't give it to me?

"Heh, interesting. You think you can refuse me? Refuse me, someone with the ability to Memory Manipulation?"

Higashino Makoto raised his hand, and the massive surge of magical energy caused Isaac's mind to go blank. Then, a magical short staff that controlled his memories appeared in his hand.

Isaac's body trembled violently, and his eyes became empty.

The magic penetrated his brain, turning the pages of those memories one by one, until he found the page he was looking for.

A technique to seize Mio Takamiya's power.

The principles, steps, and required conditions were all in his mind, word for word.

Higashino Makoto retrieved the magic threads, packaged those memories, and stored them deep within Huginn's consciousness.

Isaac swayed, his staff slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a dull thud.

He knelt on the ground, his hands supporting him, panting heavily.

Looking at Isaac kneeling on the ground, his gray eyes were empty and lifeless, his mouth slightly open, like a statue whose soul had been taken away.

The technique is already in hand, the memories have been copied, so whether this person lives or dies makes no difference to him.

But keeping him around poses a risk.

Isaac is the kind of person who will try to turn the tide as long as he has a breath left, Higashino Makoto doesn't like to leave any hidden dangers.

His finger twitched.

The magical threads wrapped around Isaac's temples again, penetrating deep into his cerebral cortex like tree roots, embedding themselves in every groove and then exploding.

Leukotomy, a surgery mentioned in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".

It won't kill you, it will only make you lose your will, your judgment, and your personality.

It's quite suitable for this kind of villain.

Isaac's body trembled violently, his eyes widened, and his mouth opened, emitting a hoarse, breathy sound that seemed to be squeezed out from deep in his throat.

Then his eyes went completely vacant.

His body was still breathing, his heart was still beating, but his consciousness had ceased to exist, like a computer whose hard drive had been removed.

Higashino Makoto retrieved the magic threads.

A raven flew out from the tattoo near his ear and landed on Isaac's shoulder. Its black feathers gleamed with a bluish light under the lamp, and its eyes sparkled with Wisdom.

Muninn lowered its head, pecked Isaac's temple with its sharp beak, and then closed its eyes.

A few seconds later, Isaac opened his eyes again, his gray pupils rolled, focused, and then he stood up, straightened his tie, and bent down to pick up the staff that had fallen to the ground.

The movements were fluid and natural, exactly the same as before.

"Owner."

His voice was exactly the same.

Muninn has taken over his brain, his memories, and his behavioral patterns.

From the outside, he is still the founder of DEM Industries, and still the villain who orchestrated everything.

But every decision he made became Higashino Makoto's will.

"Continue to impersonate Isaac, but remember not to kill the Elf Kingdom, and not to kill Shiori Itsuka. The rest is up to you."

"Yes, Master."

Isaac bowed, then turned and walked toward the control panel deep inside the hall.

Higashino Makoto watched as he began operating the console, his fingers flying across the keyboard, lines of code flashing across the screen.

From this day forward, DEM Industries is no longer a threat, but rather a pawn he left in this world.

He arrived in the small world and saw Ellen and Artemisia lying on the ground.

Ellen lay on the floor, his short blond hair falling across his face, his blue eyes closed, and his breathing steady.

The combat suit was torn in several places, revealing fair skin and a few shallow wounds.

Artemisia lay a few steps away, her golden hair disheveled on the ground, her spear still embedded in the dome, its butt still trembling slightly.

Her hypnosis had been lifted, but the past few days felt like a nightmare, constantly haunting her mind, hence her furrowed brow.

Higashino Makoto crouched down, picked them up, and carried them on his shoulders.

Ellen was relatively light, Artemisia wasn't heavy either; for him, it was like carrying two sacks of cotton.

After throwing him into the room and notifying the guardians to help take care of him, I left him alone.

"One week."

Higashino Makoto said in a low voice.

This was the time limit he had sensed since he transmigrated; the power of the Sixth Bullet could only be maintained for this long.

No, this is the result of extending my time using my talent.

When the time is up, he can either use the remaining Sixth Bullet to extend the time or jump to another timeline, or he will be sent back to the future.

He didn't want to time travel again; it was too much trouble.

He must obtain Mio Takamiya's power within a week.

Two days later will be the best time to seize Mio Takamiya's power. This was determined through the angels' search and by having Muninn confirm it in Isaac's mind.

Mio Takamiya will be won over by Shiori Itsuka and will transform into a spirit vein floating above Tengu City. This will be the best opportunity for me to seize power.

Isaac has the coordinates of that location in his memory.

He also had the technique.

Higashino Makoto returned to his room and took out the stack of parchment covered with spells from his backpack.

The principles behind the technique were more complex than he had imagined.

It requires a specific timing, the bloodline of a magician, and the moment when Mio Takamiya's power is at its weakest to activate the technique, and then transfer that power into one's own body.

Bloodline issues have never been a problem for Higashino Makoto, and he quickly mastered the techniques with the help of Huginn.

It's theoretically feasible, but problems may still arise in practice.

Higashino Makoto spent an entire day repeatedly analyzing the scenario.

For every step, every link, and every potential point of error, a solution was devised.

Midway through Shiori Itsuka called to ask how things were going.

He said it was resolved and that she shouldn't worry.

Tohka Yatogami snatched the phone and said, "Higashino, do you want to come over for dinner? Origami made curry today."

Higashino Makoto said he couldn't go, he had something to do.

Tohka Yatogami's voice noticeably lowered; she said "oh" and then hung up the phone.

The following evening, Higashino Makoto emerged from his room, full of energy and magic, every detail of the spell etched into his mind.

Next, we just wait.