Edward spoke, suddenly denying his own previous words, then a look of realization dawned on his face.
"I've always wondered why I suddenly accessed 'Mystical Side's' special knowledge when I found out about that thing; it turns out this was all your arrangement."
"You gained access to 'Mystical Side's' special knowledge even earlier than I did, and besides, your Talent is quite extraordinary, so naturally, you discovered that thing."
"Regarding that matter, you felt fear in your heart just like I did."
"So, you also started to seek self-preservation."
"Unfortunately, even though your Talent is great, you don't have enough 'wealth' to collect or buy more materials; therefore, you needed someone who was equally tormented by fear but extremely rich. Then, you chose me."
Edward took a deep breath, his gaze filled with wariness as he looked at Jason's back.
He had never imagined that everything about himself was merely someone else's scheme.
Such a person was simply too terrifying!
He absolutely couldn't let his opponent live!
"However, you overlooked one thing!"
"I am not only richer than you might think, but my Talent is also exceptional!"
"Once I confirmed the existence of 'Mystical Side', I quickly acquired several oddities and completed a number of 'rituals'. You felt uneasy, afraid I would slip beyond your control, so you struck in the shadows, disrupting my crucial 'ritual' and causing severe damage to my mind, forcing me to resort to a 'Reincarnation' ritual!"
"At that time, I wondered why I still failed despite being fully prepared, and by sheer luck, I had measures in place for when things went wrong."
"I even felt grateful for it."
"And now, I still feel grateful!"
"Grateful that I didn't discover it too late!"
At this point, Edward paused.
He had a full understanding of the causes and effects of the situation.
Naturally, he had to kill Jason.
To kill Jason, who had manipulated his life!
"You who so casually manipulate others' lives!"
Edward yelled as he thrust his staff straight forward.
Jason, bound by a special force field, had no chance to dodge, and the staff pierced straight into his back. His defense, capable of withstanding Explosive-level Strength, offered less than a second of resistance against the apparent bludgeon.
The staff that had pierced through Jason's heart protruded from his chest.
But that wasn't the end of it.
Edward released the staff and took several steps back, twisting the Ruby ring on his finger.
A massive blaze erupted from the ring, engulfing Jason completely.
The flames roared fiercely.
The distinct sound of burning fat resounded through the flames.
"I will reduce you to ashes!"
Edward roared, twisting the ring once more.
Instantly, the blaze grew even more ferocious.
John and Brian shouted in the distance, but aside from their cries, they were unable to do anything else, as the faint glow from the staff also enveloped them.
"Since you can't become my Knights, you might as well die too."
Edward said coldly to the two men.
He barely lifted his finger, and John and Brian, bound, each aimed their guns at the other.
But compared to the binding force, their efforts were far too weak.
Seeing the gun muzzles so close, resignation spread across the faces of John and Brian.
Death, they had thought about it more than once.
But they had never expected it to end .
Just when they were ready to give up, the specks of light that bound them vanished.
They regained their freedom.
Meanwhile, amidst the sound of blazing fire, there was another noise, as if something was being chewed—