On how PhDs become human evil

"Dong dong!"

A series of urgent knocks on the door pulled Bai Jie back from his reverie. He quickly calmed down, regained his final boss-like aura, and said coldly, "Come in."

The door opened, and Zuikaku walked in first: "Commander, the two of them have arrived."

"Okay, you can leave now. Also, pass on the message that no one is allowed to approach this place without my permission."

“I understand, then I’ll take my leave.”

After saying that, Zuikaku left the office and closed the door behind him, leaving Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu, who had followed him in, inside.

Looking at the two people who appeared in front of him, Bai Jie rested his chin on his hands, adjusted the angle slightly so that the sunlight could reflect off his glasses to show off his coolness, and then said, "You've come. It must have been hard for you to travel thousands of miles across the dimensional rift. Visitors from another world."

Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu's expressions froze for a moment, but the two battle-hardened veterans quickly recovered. Ritsuka asked first, "Why do you know about the dimensional rift? Who exactly are you?"

"Heh, what an impolite little girl, can't you even greet someone?" Bai Jie laughed. "Knowing about dimensional rifts isn't a big deal. I'm just a traveler who's crossed into dimensional rifts myself. Besides, as for who I am... don't you already know?"

“I was also very surprised. At first, I just sensed your arrival, but I never expected that you were from the same world as me.”

Yes, Bai Jie was very surprised, because the moment he saw Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu again, he felt something extremely familiar—magic circuits.

That's something unique to the Type-Moon world; it's the simulated nerves necessary for magicians to perform magic. Fujimaru Ritsuka has quite a few magic circuits in her body.

Mashu was even more astonishing; her entire body was covered in various magical marks, and her life force was pitifully fragile. As a former top student of the Clock Tower, Bai Jie naturally knew what this situation meant.

The excessive traces of magic prove that she is often affected by magic, and her life force is abnormally fragile. So the only possible answers are either that she was used as an experimental prop and subjected to various experiments, resulting in her weak life force, or that she was born with a weak life force and could only prolong her life through magic.

Bai Jie believes that Mashu's situation falls into the latter category.

"I never expected to see a test-tube baby who is this old, especially one that is a product of magic and science. As a magician, I have to say I'm very interested."

Upon hearing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka immediately blocked Mashu's path: "You're a magician?! -- No! What do you intend to do to Mashu?!"

"Don't worry, although I am interested, it's just a little bit, more like a fleeting whim. I won't do anything to her," Bai Jie said with a smile. "I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Bai Jie. Perhaps the name [Fafnir Archibald Schariac] is more familiar to you from that world."

The moment the name Fafnir Archibald Schariac reached Fujimaru Ritsuka's ears, before she could even process it, Roman screamed from her wrist communicator: "Fafnir Archibald Schariac?! Could it be that [Fafnir Archibald Schariac] from the clock tower?!"

"Doctor, why are you shouting so loudly all of a sudden? And is this guy some kind of celebrity?"

"He's more than just famous; he's a genius who changed modern magic! Although he disappeared ten years ago, the magic treatises he left behind, published by El-Melloi II, directly advanced the development of modern magic by fifty years! It wouldn't be wrong to call him the founder of modern magic!"

Bai Jie: Did a familiar name just pop up?

Section 334, paragraph 27. Author: My perfect attendance record!!!

Fafnir Archibald Schariac, or Fafnir Schariac Archibald, ten years ago, this name was only known within the Clock Tower. However, ten years later, if humanity had not been burned, eight out of every magician would know his name and hate him with a passion!

The reason is simple: this person single-handedly changed modern magic, causing ancient magic to completely lose its advantage in the face of modern magic.

Magic becomes more powerful the longer it is passed down. The most compelling evidence is the magic inscription. Which ancient family hasn't passed down their magic for hundreds or thousands of years? All the wisdom accumulated over such a long period is contained in their family-inherited magic inscription.

In contrast, the quality of magic seals from families that have only been passed down for two or three generations, such as the Webber family which has only been passed down for three generations and whose first two generations did not study magic much, is questionable.

Therefore, there is a saying in the magic world: time equals wisdom.

So naturally, it goes without saying which is stronger, ancient magic that has been passed down since the Age of Gods or modern magic that has only just begun to emerge. Even with the addition of El-Melloi II, modern magic has only seen a slight improvement; it's still a long way from truly rising to prominence.

However, the paper left by Bage, published by El-Melloi II, shortened the development time of nearly a hundred years to just three years.

Theories on personal ritual magic, efficient application of magic, and the commonalities between modern technology and modern magic... paper after paper were published, leading to the rapid development of modern magic. Moreover, modern magic is to some extent linked to technological development; any advancement in modern technology increases the potential for advancement in modern magic, especially given that El-Melloi II was the leading figure in the field of modern magic.

Besides his significant contributions to modern magic, Fafnir is famous for an achievement he made ten years ago—the victory in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

Since Kenneth and Waver returned to the Clock Tower, the secret of the Holy Grail War has been revealed. After all, the Matou family, one of the three founding families, is finished, and the heir of the Tohsaka family has not yet come of age. Therefore, the Holy Grail War is no longer a secret ritual.

A wish-granting machine that can grant any wish—who knows how shocked those magicians were when they heard about the Holy Grail's power? They almost formed a group and went to Fuyuki City to restart the Holy Grail War.

The founder of modern magic and the winner of the Fourth Holy Grail War—these are the achievements that Bai Jie left in the Type-Moon world.

"I never expected that the genius who only briefly shone in the Clock Tower would appear in this kind of place in this way."

"Well, I did tell my good-for-nothing brother about it, so it can't really be called missing. It's more like I've been traveling for a long time," Bai Jie said with a smile. "Well then, I've finished introducing myself. Now it's your turn. Those of you from the same world as me?"

After exchanging a glance, Fujimaru Ritsuka spoke first: "My name is Fujimaru Ritsuka, I come from Chaldea, and I am the last Master of humanity. This is Mash, my Servant."

"The last Master of mankind..." Bai Jie murmured the title, narrowing his eyes. His hawk-like gaze pierced through Fujimaru Ritsuka's body. Fujimaru Ritsuka felt as if she were completely naked in front of him, as if he could see right through her.

After a long while, Bai Jie's eyes returned to their normal size: "So that's how it is. Humanity's Incineration, the Magic King, the Seven Singularities, Lostbelts, Alien Gods... So many things have happened since I left."

"Huh? Wait a minute, how did you know about us?"

"I forgot to mention that because I was bathed in the evil of this world during the Fourth Holy Grail War, or as you would say, the Chaos Tide, I came into contact with the Root and gained all the knowledge of our world from the beginning of creation to the end of the universe. Therefore, there is nothing in that world that I do not know."

Bai Jie calmly uttered words that terrified Roman, the King of Magic.

"So, if I wanted to, I could know about your affairs and experiences with just a thought. You've gone through seven singularities, four subspecies singularities, and seven Lostbelts. You've really had a tough time."

"Also, I think I understand why you came here."

As he said this, Bai Jie stood up from his seat, and the flames of magic burned quietly like a campfire, with a trace of pressure sweeping towards Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash.

This oppressive aura was all too familiar to Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu. The aura of the beasts they had encountered before, such as Goetia and Tiamat, was exactly the same as the aura emanating from Bai Jie at this moment!

"Although we're from the same world, I won't let myself be slaughtered. If you want me to leave this world, then let's settle things with our fists—let's make it clear beforehand, I'm very strong."

No one doubted the truthfulness of Bai Jie's words, because Bai Jie's aura had already proven everything.

"Ritsuka! The magical power they're unleashing is undoubtedly at least Grand rank! The scale of their Spirit Origin is immeasurable! Don't hesitate, let's use our power!"

Even without Roman's reminder, Fujimaru Ritsuka knew that Bai Jie was definitely the strongest enemy she had ever encountered. She immediately lifted her coat and opened the box at her waist, but her expression changed when she reached inside.

"Is this what you're looking for?"

Just then, Tsukasa Kadoya, who had been standing silently beside Bai Jie, smiled and opened his palm. Several capsules lay quietly in his palm, emitting waves of magical energy.

When was it taken?

"Shi knows a technique called Dimensional Wall, which is very useful for both stealing and escaping." Picking up a capsule, Bai Jie said, "This is your trump card, isn't it? Without this, how will you fight?"

"How dare you steal my weapon right from the start! Despicable!"

"This is a perfectly normal way to weaken the enemy. If you can't take good care of your transformation item, it just means you're bad, right, Shi?"

"No need for me to give you a hint, I know you want to tag Kiryu Sento."

Putting away the capsules, Bai Jie laughed and said, "Alright, any other tricks?"

What other tricks do you have? You stole all my props! Give them back if you dare! Why are your methods so despicable when you're clearly a human evil?!

Fujimaru Ritsuka was furious. Logically, she should have retreated first, since she had run out of transformation items. But looking at Bai Jie's sly smile, she felt she couldn't resist slapping him a few times.

So, after much deliberation, Fujimaru Ritsuka made a decision—

P.S.: I want to hit myself, really, I want to hang myself up and beat myself up. As far as I remember, I only took one day off last month, and updated every other day, at least two chapters a day, consistently maintaining a perfect attendance of 4000 words. But when I checked my bill today, I found my perfect attendance bonus was gone! After asking a pretty girl, I found out... I only updated 3900 words on the 16th of last month, just 100 words short—just 100 words short! That day, because I updated twice, I subconsciously assumed I'd reached 4000 words, but—my 200+ word perfect attendance bonus! I was planning to buy a Wozniak Galaxy watch!

P.S.: The author is very angry, and the consequences will be severe, so... I'm going to vent my anger by updating a lot today. Are you all ready to subscribe?

Section 335, Chapter 28. The Rabbit Race: To hell with your fair fight!

Fujimaru Ritsuka has many friends, thanks to her naturally outgoing personality and the charm she has gradually cultivated. Basically, she can gain a group of friends wherever she goes.

Some of these friends are her admirers, some are her followers, some are like-minded companions, and some are friends she met through a fight... All of Fujimaru Ritsuka's friends have one thing in common: they are protective of their own. As long as Fujimaru Ritsuka feels wronged, even if she just shouts, they will all rush over to protect her.

Now, feeling that he couldn't beat Bai Jie, Fujimaru Ritsuka chose the most shameless and effective tactic—calling for help!

Gudako: I'm just a weak girl who can't even kill a chicken, how can I fight with boys? I can only ask my friends for help~~~

Therefore, after having her transformation device stolen by Haku and Tsukasa Kadoya, Fujimaru Ritsuka made the following decision—

"Zero! I've been bullied!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly transformed into a complete tomboy, shouting out a sentence in a neutral voice. Just a dozen seconds after she finished speaking, a beam of light suddenly shone straight down from the sky, even passing through the thick ceiling and shining directly into the room!

The light finally fell on Fujimaru Ritsuka, and the next moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka's entire aura changed.

Fujimaru Ritsuka wiped her mouth with a thumbs-up and revealed a smug smile: "Who dares to bully my friend? I'd like to see who's so bold."

Looking at Fujimaru Ritsuka, whose personality had suddenly changed drastically, Bai Jie frowned: "Séance... no, it's more like possession, but you are, after all, the last Master of humanity. Isn't it a bit shameful to call for help when you can't win?"

"Huh? Fujimaru and I are comrades-in-arms, isn't it only natural for us to help each other?" [Fujimaru Ritsuka] curled her lip. "I am Zero, Ultraman Zero. You are Fujimaru's opponent, right? State your name!"

"Ultraman Zero...?"

The moment they heard the name, Bai Jie and Kadoya Tsukasa's eyes sharpened, and they both smiled.

Is it a coincidence or an inevitability? It's unexpected that these two Kamen Riders would encounter Ultraman. Putting aside Bai Jie, Kadoya Tsukasa has already been to many worlds, so he naturally knows about the grudges and rivalries between Kamen Riders and Ultraman, the two giants of tokusatsu.

Although I don't have any competitive spirit, it wouldn't be right not to have a proper exchange with friends from the same tokusatsu (special effects) film set.

"I thought I'd never use this thing again, but since you're the opponent, I'll use it just this once. What about you, Shi?"

"Ah, since you're already planning to make a move, I'll just slack off. I don't really want to use my passion mode."

Tsukasa Kadoya has become increasingly lazy ever since he married Natsumi Hikari. Although Bai Jie knows that he is definitely much better than before, he is just lazy unless Kaito points a gun at him or Natsumi Hikari urges him.

Since Tsukasa Kadoya wasn't going to make a move, Bai Jie had no choice but to fight alone. A bright blue light flickered in his palm, and the familiar Player Driver appeared in his hand, followed by two more cartridges.

"Mighty Action X! Hyper Muteki!"

"Transform!"

Bai Jie coldly inserted the cartridge into the driver, and a dazzling golden light burst forth from his entire body. Amidst an exciting background music, the voice that Bai Jie had complained about countless times for being too noisy rang out: "Bakkan! Invincible! Dazzling! Like a shooting star! The strongest Gamer of Gold! Hyper Muteki Ex-Aid!"

Golden Head & Shoulders... I mean, I'm afraid the Iron Chicken will appear in front of [Fujimaru Ritsuka].

Upon seeing the golden knight before her, Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had previously exuded an arrogant aura, instantly reverted to her original self, her eyes gleaming as she rushed towards Bai Jie: "Invincible player? You really are an invincible player? You're actually a Kamen Rider!?"

[Hey! Fujimaru! Give me your body now, I need to transform!]

"Zero, shut up! This is a Kamen Rider! A real Kamen Rider! I've always wanted to be a Kamen Rider, but the coordinates in that world are so hard to find. I never thought I'd see a Kamen Rider here!"

[Um... are Kamen Riders really strong? Are they as strong as Belial?]

"It's not a matter of whether he's strong or not! It's that... Kamen Rider is a faith!" Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at Bai Jie's belt with envy, thinking about how to snatch it from him.

Inside Fujimaru Ritsuka's body, the rabbit, who was immediately displeased to hear that Kamen Rider was a faith, felt that this was implying that Ultraman was inferior to Kamen Rider. As the face of Ultraman, how could he tolerate this?!

[Fujimaru, give me your body, and I'll help you get your belt back!]