I really want to kill someone...
Epsilon frowned as she looked up at the two masked women in the sky, each with wings on her back like an Angel, fighting one another.
The "Angels" beat their white wings, sending razor-sharp attacks tearing toward each other. Blossoms of blood burst open in the air.
Yet the two Angels in battle paid no attention to their own injuries. They simply kept tearing into each other like wild beasts, as if this were a fight to the death and they would rather be wounded than let the other survive.
But before either of them could kill the other, the stray aftermath of their battle rained down recklessly onto the ground. Blades of light swept through the surroundings, and the flames they ignited swallowed everything.
If this had not been a deserted testing ground prepared by Magus Craft, such a commotion would undoubtedly have drawn people from the surrounding area.
"Stop!"
The female Vampire standing beside Epsilon gave an order to the two figures in the sky, but the two Angels, already lost in the fight, ignored Beatrice completely and continued their slaughter.
"..."
Seeing this, Epsilon could not help casting a doubtful look at the female Vampire beside her.
Sensing Epsilon's gaze, Beatrice's expression stiffened, then anger followed. She took a remote control from her body and pressed a button. The two Angels fighting in the sky froze mid-combat as if they had entered standby mode, then beat their wings and descended in front of Epsilon and the others.
Only once they were close did Epsilon see the Angels' true forms. No matter how she looked at them, those terrifying faces had nothing to do with the holy Angels of the current Biblical God Faction.
Their twisted wings were asymmetrical, as if they had simply been shoved into their backs at random. The pure white feathers concealed ugly, bulging veins beneath them, along with closed scar-like slits that resembled eyes, as if hiding something.
Distorted incantations were carved into their limbs, and the masks on their faces were covered in blood-red eyeballs dense enough to kill anyone with trypophobia on the spot.
On the few parts of the two Angels that still resembled normal human ears, there hung devices like earphones.
Disgusting...
Epsilon gave her judgment inwardly but did not say it aloud. She merely looked quietly at the woman beside her.
"What do you think, Shiron-sama? These are the Faux Angels developed by our Magus Craft. Such astonishing power, and yet they were transformed from ordinary people who had never received any training..."
"But their flaws are obvious too, aren't they?"
Epsilon cut her off coldly, looking at Beatrice as if she were already dead. Of course Epsilon knew what these things were. Before coming here, she had already read the materials the other party had provided.
A technology that modified the human body to obtain high-dimensional divine energy and thereby gain tremendous power. Its name was Faux Angel.
As for their power, it was indeed strong. According to the strength rankings currently popular outside, even the weakest Faux Angel possessed destructive power above S-rank. In the later stages, reaching SS-rank was not impossible.
If one looked at it that way, it was indeed an extremely powerful technology. Unfortunately, its drawbacks were just as great.
First, Faux Angels had faint emotions, the kind that would be worn away as time passed. Of course, for certain people, this was not a flaw but an advantage.
Second, Faux Angels had no reason and were extremely prone to losing control. In the end, they would become nothing more than battle machines that destroyed everything around them.
Finally, these things would ascend on their own. Literally ascend.
Absorbing too much divine energy from a higher dimension would cause the absorber to be summoned by that higher dimension. After causing massive destruction and being fully assimilated by the higher dimension, they would spread their wings and go there.
In other words, they were missiles that could only be created to wreak havoc everywhere, could not be recovered, and had a terrible cost-performance ratio. With that much free time, one might as well just make a bomb.
"Yes, Shiron-sama. We believe you understand the flaws of the Faux Angels very well. After all, Dr. Kanase gave you the materials beforehand. But what if I told you that the materials Dr. Kanase gave you were fake?"
"Hah?"
Beatrice did not get angry after being interrupted by Epsilon. She merely smiled at her with extreme flattery and spoke with utmost respect.
"Indeed, at first, my partner and I firmly believed Dr. Kanase's explanation. We thought Faux Angels could only be used as disposable weapons of mass destruction. However, by chance, my partner and I discovered something was wrong..."
At this point, a violent gleam flashed in Beatrice's eyes.
"That old man deceived us. The magical patterns of the Faux Angels do not destroy the original body's emotions. It is only in the later stages, when the original personality is suppressed and falls into slumber, that the Faux Angel is controlled by its desire to destroy."
She raised the remote control in her hand and pressed the button. The two Faux Angels standing beside Epsilon immediately stepped back twice and knelt on the ground.
"Based on this, the other scientists of Magus Craft proposed a hypothesis. By using the emotions these test subjects had toward the people they cared about before transformation, we could awaken the personality inside the Faux Angel that had been suppressed by the desire for destruction, thereby controlling it."
Beatrice smiled smugly. Clearly, this hypothesis had succeeded. They had successfully controlled Faux Angels that should have been ruled by destruction and the desire for completion.
"But this is not the final form, is it? You cannot prove your hypothesis to us."
Epsilon poured cold water on her enthusiasm without changing expression. She reached out with a trace of pity and placed her hand on the wing behind the Faux Angel before her, sensing the power inside that had yet to reach its peak.
The moment she said this, Beatrice's smug expression froze again.
Indeed, they had successfully proven the possibility of this hypothesis to her. The problem was that the two Faux Angels before them had only undergone one spiritual modification. They had not yet plundered anyone else's spiritual organs, so their personalities had not sunk very deeply into slumber.
They could be awakened, but what if it were Faux Angels that had undergone more modifications, had awakened most of the spiritual organs in their bodies, and had completely suppressed and controlled the original personality? Would this so-called "awakening the personality through emotions" still work?
"My Lord, although we have not yet conducted the experiment, judging from the behavioral logic of the two Angels before you, we have already proven that controlling Faux Angels is feasible..."
Under Epsilon's gaze, Beatrice's voice grew softer and softer. In the end, as if she had finally made up her mind, she made an inviting gesture.
"In that case, allow us to prove the feasibility of this theory to Shiron-sama."
"How will you prove it? Surely not with these two pitiful things in front of me..."
Epsilon mocked the woman before her while silently sentencing her to death in her heart. Her purpose in coming here had never been the Faux Angels. Coming here was only a pretext, so her words grew even more unrestrained.
"Shiron-sama, Dr. Kanase is currently in his laboratory adjusting the Faux Angel with the highest completion rate in the current Faux Angel Project. That Faux Angel is already infinitely close to being complete, and only a little remains before the Ascension Ceremony..."
Listening to Beatrice's explanation, Epsilon understood what she meant. She glanced with some surprise at the deferential Vampire before her, then let out a mocking sound.
"You mean..."
"Yes. Because of your arrival, Shiron-sama, we have already captured someone important to the other party. We can now prove the controllability of Faux Angels to you, Shiron-sama."
Epsilon narrowed her eyes at the humble woman before her. Considering that Beatrice was clearly hiding this from Dr. Kanase, Epsilon smiled.
"Lead the way."
"Yes. Thank you for giving us this opportunity, Shiron-sama."
Beatrice answered excitedly and walked ahead of Epsilon to lead the way.
At the same time, Epsilon signaled to her two subordinates, who had been following Beatrice's Beastman partner to inspect the testing ground, telling them to follow behind her.
[How is it? Did you find anything?]
After regrouping, Epsilon gave Omega a look as they walked, wanting to know what they had discovered during that time. Omega only shook her head.
[Sorry, Epsilon-sama. There are too few clues. We cannot determine exactly what connection they have to the Cult of Diablos.]
Finding nothing there, Epsilon looked at Chi, who was walking beside Omega, but Chi's answer was no different from Omega's.
Damn it!
Epsilon rubbed her forehead with a headache. She truly had not expected that after going to so much effort to come here, watching such a boring experiment and enduring the urge to cut down these disgusting people, the result she obtained would be practically nothing.
Angered by that conclusion, Epsilon's expression twisted slightly. Her flat chest rose and fell unevenly for a moment, causing the slime on her chest to surge like waves.
Forget it, forget it, forget it, Epsilon. This isn't your fault. It's all the fault of those idiots in the Witch Society who kicked Yuuma Tokoyogi out without thinking, forcing you to investigate through Magus Craft. Shadow-sama will understand.
After letting out a breath and comforting herself inwardly, Epsilon tilted her head slightly and gave her two subordinates an inquiring look.
[What do you think we should do with them?]
Epsilon trusted her subordinates not to ask a stupid question like "Who?" As long as Omega and Chi did not suddenly turn foolish, they would understand that she was asking for their opinion on how to deal with Magus Craft.
After all, their official reason for this trip was to investigate Magus Craft. If she could not provide a suitable answer, those Witches who had disliked her for a long time would definitely come looking for trouble.
Epsilon's original plan had been to cooperate with them if they had value, treat them as guests, and take them in as dogs. If they had no value, she would expose them directly, cut ties, step on their corpses to climb higher, and then make a profit afterward.
But that would not work now. Her original plan was no longer suitable. The other side really had produced a Faux Angel Project that looked feasible and controllable.
Cooperate with them? Take them in as dogs? Sorry, but Epsilon found that revolting. In her eyes, anyone who freely toyed with other people's feelings, treated those feelings as tools, and used them for profit deserved to be sent to the stake.
So taking them back was out of the question. Those utterly heartless Witches definitely would not mind such a disgusting technology.
Exposing them would not work either. Handing them over to the authorities was the same as handing over the technology. There was no guarantee some higher-ups would not see it and immediately be tempted, allowing officials to set fires while forbidding commoners from lighting lamps.
As her thoughts shifted, Omega and Chi, who were following behind Epsilon, had already given their suggestions.
[Just kill them, Epsilon-sama. They really do disgust me.]
[Let's investigate a little further, Epsilon-sama. The Yuuma Tokoyogi lead was already cut off because of those idiots in the Witch Society. Right now, this is the only lead we have that may be connected to the Cult of Diablos.]
[...All right. In that case, we will wait a little longer. If this has nothing to do with the Cult of Diablos, then kill them all. We cannot allow anyone to obtain this technology. But we also need to destroy the control method she mentioned. If the data is true, then we might actually be unable to defeat a nearly complete Faux Angel.]
[Understood, Epsilon-sama!] x2
After calming down and thinking for a moment, Epsilon combined Chi and Omega's suggestions and set the tone for their next course of action.
To be honest, Epsilon was now a little unsure what scheme the Cult was plotting this time. They had investigated for so long without finding anything useful, yet the investigation report said this place was very likely connected to the Cult.
"BOOM!"
A trap!
While she was thinking, the ground around them shook and interrupted Epsilon's thoughts, causing her to instinctively move to take down the two people in front of her.
"Cough, cough, cough. Shiron-sama, please calm down. How could we possibly have the nerve to attack you? This should be... just an earthquake. Yes, just an earthquake."
Pinned to the ground and looking at the weapon Epsilon had drawn, Beatrice's face nearly turned green with fright as she hurriedly explained.
"Just an earthquake?"
With her dagger pressed against Beatrice's neck, Epsilon saw that her two subordinates had already pinned down the Beastman. She looked around and found that, apart from the tremor just now, there really was no other movement.
"Fine. Then keep leading the way."
After a moment of silence, Epsilon put away her weapon and stood up. At the same time, she gestured to her subordinates behind her, telling them to release their targets.
"O-okay, Shiron-sama. That person's cell is not far ahead."
Panting heavily and fearfully looking at the woman with cyan twin tails before her, Beatrice continued leading the way in terror.
After walking for a while, Epsilon, under Beatrice's guidance, arrived before a large door. Behind it should be the person Beatrice had mentioned, the one meant to serve as the control method.
I'm sorry, innocent one.
Epsilon silently apologized in her heart to the innocent person she was about to kill. After all, no matter how she looked at it, there was no way this kind of experiment was voluntary. Then she pushed the door open with the back of her hand.
And then Epsilon saw Cid lying on the ground, staring at them with a dispirited expression, a hint of astonishment flashing through his eyes.
What do you do when your misdeeds reach your own boss? Waiting online, urgent!