Chapter 739: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

The beast was smashed into the wall, and severely injured.

This hammer blow caused more damage than all the injuries inflicted in the previous ten-plus minutes combined.

This is not an exaggeration, but the truth. The secret lies in what Shinji said about weapon characteristics - some weapons are suitable for killing people, some for breaching fortifications, some are fast, and some are powerful. This is determined from the moment the weapon is created. Finding the right weapon makes it the best aid, while the wrong one becomes a hindrance.

The siege weapon was the former against the Beast, resulting in its sturdy shell being smashed open with a shockingly large hole, and the two hind limbs at the end being shattered by the tremendous force of the hammer.

"How about it? Do you understand now?"

Shinji asked Gray, shouldering the large hammer. She nodded vigorously.

"I understand."

"Good, then let's end this."

The siege hammer was raised again. This time, it would surely pulverize the Beast into a pulp.

At that moment, voices came from the observation deck on the second floor.

"Hmm, something interesting seems to be happening."

"What are you doing?"

"That, that is—"

Looking up, they saw familiar faces - the magus residing in the castle: Orlocke, Flueger, Jiroubou Seigen Tokitou, and Rosalind, Heine's sister.

"Sorry to disturb your rest, we're catching the culprit who killed Hishiri Adashino," Shinji said, looking up with a meaningful smile.

"The culprit? Is it that synthetic monster? Let me see, let me see—"

Jiroubou excitedly jumped down from the observation deck and ran towards the Beast.

"Be careful!"

Gray hurriedly warned, but it was too late. The seemingly dying "Beast" suddenly sprang up, opening its huge mouth and pouncing towards Jiroubou.

Jiroubou seemed to be frozen in fear, standing motionless until he was caught in the beast's mouth, only then letting out a belated cry of anguish.

"Help, help me, I don't want to be eaten!"

The Beast ignored his cries and used its remaining hind limbs to flee frantically.

"Trying to escape?"

Shinji tossed aside the siege hammer, his entire body transforming into a trail of black smoke as he blocked the Beast's path, launching into a flying kick.

Surprisingly, this kick wasn't aimed at any other part but directly at Jiroubou, who was still caught in the Beast's mouth, crying for help.

What happened next was even more astonishing. The Beast actually gave up its hostage voluntarily, actively pouncing toward Shinji instead.

Successfully kicking the beast's head and stopping its escape, Shinji wasn't satisfied. Using the momentum from the kick, he accelerated again, still targeting Jiroubou, who had landed safely but was still in shock. It seemed Shinji was determined to kill him.

However, this surprise attack ultimately failed because the Beast once again stood in front of Shinji, using its body to absorb Shinji's attack.

Blocked twice, Shinji didn't continue his assault. He maintained a distance that allowed him to either attack or defend, looking at the stunned Jiroubou and the Beast in front of him with a half-smile.

"As I thought, it's you, Jiroubou Seigen Tokitou. No, the true culprit, the mastermind behind everything!"

The onlookers were all stunned.

From Jiroubou's jump to Shinji's withdrawal, the entire sequence took no more than 20 seconds. During this time, there were five plot twists, leaving people unable to keep up and react.

"Wait, I'm confused."

"Can someone explain what just happened?"

"Mr. Jiroubou was caught, Mr. Smith wanted to kill Mr. Jiroubou, but the Beast was protecting..."

The Beast was protecting Jiroubou, and it did so twice.

The magus who had gathered here were all intelligent people and quickly realized the abnormality, including Heine, who had just been awakened by Luvia.

When he first saw Shinji trying to kill Jiroubou, he wanted to save him, but then there was an unexpected turn of events. Recalling his earlier judgment, he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Not good, Rosalind!"

The young knight, disregarding his physical weakness, rushed out of his hiding place with a rudeness that didn't match his usual demeanor. He ran up to the second-floor observation deck and embraced his sister.

"Brother?"

The innocent girl looked at Heine in confusion.

Heine didn't respond to his sister's call. He used magic to examine the girl's body thoroughly before slightly relaxing.

Among the magus in the castle, apart from the mysterious Orlocke and Shinji and Gray who focused on training, the other four magus had formed two alliances. Luviagelita had hired Flueger, while Heine had found a kindred spirit in Jiroubou Seigen Tokitou, even entrusting his sister to his care when he went out. He never imagined that the ally he had chosen would turn out to be the most dangerous and that his Beast had almost killed him.

"You!!!"

Heine's eyes were filled with rage, both towards Jiroubou and himself for trusting the wrong person.

"Jiroubou Seigen Tokitou, your identity as a Shugendo monk was just a disguise. No, perhaps even your name is fake — your true identity is an heir of Ashborn."

Luviagelita also stepped forward. Beside her stood her maid, who had arrived at some unknown time. She had also put on a coat over her thin nightgown.

"Heir? I've never heard that Geryon Ashborn had a disciple. Young lady, what's going on?"

Flueger asked.

"I'm not entirely sure of the details, but that Beast's roar can stop magic crests from functioning. This is an ability only Tuners possess and not just any Tuner at that. Moreover, I heard from its mouth, '—Ask for the name of the angel. If you cannot answer, let me take it.'"

Heine spoke up: "I can testify for Miss Luviagelita. I heard it too. Because I answered incorrectly, I engaged in battle with it and eventually lost consciousness due to the effect of its roar. If it weren't for Mr. Smith, Miss Gray, and Miss Luviagelita saving me, I might have died."

"I see. It seems this so-called inheritance was a conspiracy from the beginning. Come to think of it, it's strange for the magus to seek out heirs to inheritances in the first place. They're all self-interested, so why would they be so kind-hearted?"

Flueger sighed, finally realizing the situation.

"This time, you were also trying to obtain something from us, weren't you? Is it our magic crests, heir of Ashborn?"

"Oh my, oh my, what are you saying?"

Jiroubou waved his hands dramatically. He tapped his headdress and conch shell and even pulled at his cheeks.

"No matter how you look at it, I don't match Ashborn's style, do I?"

"Then why is Ashborn's Beast still protecting you even now?"

Shinji took a small step forward, and the half-human, half-spider female immediately tensed her body.

"I don't know—"

Halfway through his sentence, Jiroubou suddenly stumbled. When he steadied himself and raised his head again, his expression and tone had changed. His style, which had been at odds with the Castle Adra, instantly became harmonious.

"That's right. I am Geryon Ashborn's son — Glannid Ashborn."