When the Kazimierz Chamber of Commerce realized they'd lost all communication with the Knight Tournament, they panicked.
Instinctively, they reached out to Lobotomy Corporation, the primary investor in the tournament, to ask about the situation—but Lobotomy Corporation gave them only one reply:
"If you don't want all of Kazimierz to explode, then stop bothering us right now."
Lobotomy Corporation was frantically deploying Reverse Qliphoth Suppressors capable of enveloping the entire arena… which was absolutely not an easy task.
In fact, this operation had stretched Lobotomy Corporation to the point of near-collapse. Installing a suppressor on such a massive scale was practically equivalent to the workload of an entire branch—and on top of that, it had to be done within an extremely short window.
If Lobotomy Corporation hadn't prepared in advance, merely needing to sequentially activate these suppressors, there wouldn't have been enough time at all.
In a situation like this, no distractions could be permitted.
As for how Kazimierz would explain this?
Lobotomy Corporation had already sent internal details to the Chamber of Commerce, along with a simple explanation: this was a natural event—the birth of an Abnormality. They even hinted it could be treated as something akin to a Catastrophe.
Furthermore, Lobotomy Corporation emphasized that if they weren't present, Kazimierz itself might no longer exist. The best thing Kazimierz could do right now was stay out of their way…
Meanwhile, deep inside Lobotomy Corporation's Kazimierz branch, a machine consuming Enkephalin at an alarming rate rumbled furiously.
Its name was—Memory Incinerator.
"All right, preparations complete…"
Standing at the edge, X gazed quietly toward the massive arena and softly murmured, closing his eyes.
"No issues externally. Now, it's all on you, Don Quixote."
"But then again, I believe you'll manage just fine. After all, that's what our calculations say, and more importantly…"
"Regardless of what happens, the ultimate victor will always be me—no, 'us,' those of 'The City.'"
X slowly opened his golden eyes, murmuring softly to himself.
...
"Ha… Aren't you going to keep looking for those statues?"
Don Quixote panted heavily, quickly readjusting his posture, and asked Hai beside him.
"…Nearl and the Blood Knight are already searching. I tested earlier—the statues aren't particularly durable; those two can handle it. If I keep searching for statues while your defense collapses early, then it'll all have been meaningless."
Hai held the Hana Association lance in one hand, slipping his other hand casually into the pocket of his white coat, speaking calmly:
"So, after careful consideration, I concluded it'd be more useful if I stay here to help you hold the line, buying time for the two of them."
"Don't worry—I'm not so weak as to be mere cannon fodder at this level of battle. Helping you hold out is no issue."
"…Ha, understood. Then next…"
"Yeah, we trust Nearl and the others."
Hai exhaled gently, once again taking the stance for Four Trigrams Slash—unconsciously, he'd already shifted into the posture for the Qian Trigram.
Don Quixote and Hai—fighting side by side for the very first time.
...
Meanwhile, things were far from smooth for Nearl and the Blood Knight.
Too many panicked civilians were blocking their way, yet directly clearing them out by force wouldn't align with either knight's principles.
Thus, they faced a dilemma—stick to their bottom line, or forcibly disperse innocent yet troublesome bystanders… Both hesitated briefly at this decision.
But soon enough, each found a solution of their own.
Using her Hemomancy, Nearl created something akin to stilts beneath her feet, solidifying her blood into sturdy footholds. This allowed her to rise above the chaos, dashing swiftly at a height of roughly three meters, scanning continuously for the statues.
The Blood Knight's approach was similar: his blood spread outwards, becoming extensions of his senses, vastly expanding his vision and quickly revealing another statue's location.
Five minutes after Don Quixote and Hai began holding their ground, Nearl found and destroyed the statue of the King of Greed.
Immediately, Don Quixote and Hai felt their burden ease considerably. Hai's Four Trigrams Slash, an astonishing tool for deflecting endless waves of blades, provided much-needed relief. Now, when faced with the Jester's laser attacks, Don Quixote also found himself increasingly adept. Despite their rapidly diminishing stamina, they were able to endure longer.
Another five minutes passed, and the Blood Knight located and destroyed the statue of the Queen of Hatred.
In the end, only the statue of the Knight of Despair remained undiscovered. This time, Nearl and the Blood Knight reunited, methodically searching every corner of the arena, leaving no stone unturned.
...
Back in the center, Hai and Don Quixote breathed heavily, their gazes meeting each other's disheveled appearance. Both couldn't help but break into laughter at the same time.
"This is the first time I've ever seen you in such a sorry state…"
Hai chuckled weakly. Don Quixote grinned back:
"But I've certainly seen you like this more times than I can count."
"Tch."
Hai clicked his tongue in mock irritation, then involuntarily laughed again.
"Hey… How much longer can you hold out…?"
Lowering his voice, Hai softly asked Don Quixote.
"…I can still hang in there."
Don Quixote's gaze flickered briefly, finally answering resolutely. Hai took several deep breaths, then released all his tension at once.
"Mm… I think it's almost done…"
He murmured quietly, but then paused abruptly. Hai's eyes widened slightly as he saw—the last remaining card in the Jester's hand shattered. He and Don Quixote exchanged a glance, both breaking into relieved laughter again.
Behind them, Nearl and the Blood Knight hurriedly approached. When they reached the center, they slowed to a stop, observing the Jester of Nihil, now completely deprived of its four cards. Both knights stood there, gradually stabilizing their breathing.
Immediately after, the oppressive grayish-white sky above gradually receded, revealing a faint patch of clear blue. Hai raised his head briefly, taking note, and concluded decisively:
"Lobotomy Corporation's setup is complete. The Reverse Qliphoth Suppressors are fully activated."
"…Don Quixote, we've won."
Hai raised his hand, exchanging a high-five with Don Quixote, meeting each other's gaze once more. Turning back toward Nearl and the Blood Knight, they both smiled warmly, then turned away simultaneously.
"Weakened fivefold, its power completely nullified… Looks like it's about done, Don Quixote. I'm exhausted—shall we call it a day?"
"Yeah, let's wrap it up."
Don Quixote replied with a smile. Under Nearl's slightly confused gaze, Don Quixote gently patted her shoulder, as Hai likewise patted the Blood Knight's shoulder.
Then, nearly in unison, the two elders spoke clearly:
"We'll leave the rest—to you."