Back to the Future 1999: Raining at the Same Time

Marcus's mystical aura spread out, and because of the different task she was assigned, she didn't focus her magic on Kacania this time. Instead, she spread it out, covering as many people present as possible.

From Chenxi's perspective on the roof, it was as if a pale golden magnetic field was gradually expanding and growing around Marcus, with countless pieces of information converging in front of her, forming a small roster.

Well, I don't know if it's because she still has the Knight Golian in her pocket, but the range of this mysterious spell seems to have gotten a little out of control and gradually expanded to Chenxi's front.

"That's not okay."

Chenxi extended a finger to stop the magnetic field from expanding further, and looked down at Marcus, who was seriously flipping through the roster.

Without the mentor's guidance this time, the silly little seagull started looking for names starting with the letter "A". Even if Chenxi's name really appeared on that roster, it would probably take Marcus quite a while to find it.

However, these are not Chenxi's main concerns right now.

If Little Seagull is absent from this part of the story because of his own reasons, not only will Kacania be seriously injured, but Marcus will also miss a segment where he can see the Foundation's growth from the perspective of the general public.

So it was time for Chenxi's big hand to be activated. He grabbed a small piece from Marcus's magnetic field, mixed a trace of his own aura into it, and then put it back into its original place.

It manipulates it to continuously gather the overflowing, unused mystical energy, and then, when it becomes significant enough, completely envelops Kacania.

then……

“Adrian…not this one, Anton…not this one either, Albrecht…not this one either, Browning M1910…hmm? Browning M1910? What is this, the gun in Miss Carcania's hand…?”

The puzzled students looked up and stared at the green figure on the stage.

"Why...why would my occult magic..."

Despite her doubts, information about the duel between the two continued to appear on the pages of the book in Marcus's hands, disregarding her personal wishes.

“Well, Dr. Schwartz… He has dueled three times and never lost—truly remarkable! He has decided to use a pistol again this time.”

Like a student who intended to use his phone to check review materials for the final exam but accidentally opened TikTok, Marcus, immersed in the new content, almost instantly forgot his original purpose.

"But... Miss Kacania didn't bring an assistant, and the two of them only have one witness. This should be against regulations. Does she approve of this behavior?"

Marcus's gaze swept over Kacania, who stood alone opposite Schwartz, his fingertips touching his chin, his tone tinged with worry and doubt.

"This decision is reckless and dangerous. Even mystics need at least one assistant during a gun duel."

"Ok?"

As he was reading, Marcus's pupils suddenly contracted, his breath hitched, and he instinctively took a half-step forward.

"...No—Miss Kacania's gun is faulty..."

"These bullets... Oh no, once the duel starts... she's really going to be in trouble!"

She gritted her teeth, her fingertips digging into her palms in anguish, as if Ms. Hoffman's admonitions were still ringing in her ears.

“My primary task is to find Chenxi, but, but… ‘Kakania’ is also a name that should not exist in this era. She is very likely to be related to this mission as well.”

“But what if she is one of the Reshaping Hands? Alerting her would increase the risk of mission failure… No! But Kacania doesn’t know I’m a headquarters employee, so my chances of successfully striking up a conversation would also increase…”

"No, but how do I know Kacania doesn't know I'm a headquarters employee? Maybe Mr. Karl isn't trustworthy? Hmm? Could Kacania and Mr. Karl be in cahoots? They both have names starting with K..."

"What am I thinking?"

Marcus suddenly stretched out his hands and slapped his cheeks hard. The crisp sound of the slaps was particularly abrupt in the noisy crowd, and the force was so great that red marks instantly appeared on his cheeks.

Several surprised glances swept over, but fortunately, the little seagull, absorbed in its own world, did not notice.

"No, no, no!"

Marcus shook his head violently, his voice filled with the struggle of a tearing apart. He pressed his fingertips to his burning face, the confusion in his eyes mostly gone.

"This isn't the Frannan Islands anymore; I can't keep overthinking like I used to!"

“Thinking about what Ms. Hoffman said, and thinking about the most important task at hand, I have to prevent Kacania from dying in the duel, and I have to get clues about Theophile from her…”

"...If you cannot accurately assess the consequences of your actions..."

Marcus took a deep breath.

“I have completed my assessment, Ms. Hoffman.”

“If I were just a foundation employee who knew nothing… I would do the same!”

…………

Schwartz's chest heaved violently, his hands were clenched behind his back, his knuckles white, his eyes swirling with anger and malice, each word he uttered was so hard it made his teeth ache, and the chill in his voice was almost like ice crystals.

“I need to make it clear to you that this incident is not just about Miss Dietersdorf—this is not the first time you have humiliated my reputation.”

Kacania's lips curled into a nonchalant yet sharp smile. His fingertips casually brushed the Browning rifle beside him. His back was ramrod straight, and his eyes held undisguised contempt. His tone was light, yet every word was piercing.

“Oh, if you consider ‘facts’ and ‘another academic viewpoint’ as an insult.”

Schwartz's pupils contracted sharply, like a wild beast whose tail had been stepped on. His chest heaved violently, his arms suddenly spread open, and his voice rose sharply, filled with hysterical rage and contempt.

"'Another academic perspective'...?! You call Freud's quackery 'academic'?"

"This is truly the greatest insult to science!"

However, Kacania's smile did not diminish but instead deepened. She chuckled softly, her fingertips touching the corner of her lips, and when she looked up at Schwartz, the mockery in her eyes was almost overflowing.

His tone remained calm, yet every word was piercing.

"Really? You really think so? My colleagues have mentioned to me in casual conversation that you sold hypnosis techniques to the military. Is that true?"

Schwartz's face turned ashen instantly, all his angry curses stuck in his throat, his lips moved but he couldn't utter a single word, his fingertips dug into his palms so hard that his fingertips turned white, all the murderous aura around him froze in place, leaving only an embarrassing silence.

……

Kacania tilted her head back and chuckled softly, her laughter crisp yet tinged with contempt. She leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharp as a knife, piercing directly at Schwartz, her tone undisguisedly mocking.

"Haha, so you admit it. You didn't sell the most 'advanced' electrotherapy, but instead used 'charlatan gadgets' that you look down on to curry favor with the ministers?"

He lightly tapped his temple with his fingertips, his eyebrows raised high, and his questioning tone carried an undeniable certainty.

"Is your disdain for Mr. Freud also related to his public rejection of hypnosis?"

Schwartz's jaw clenched so hard it was grinding, his face turning pale and then flushed, his chest heaving violently, but he could only manage to squeeze out a stiff question through his teeth, his voice trembling.

"...What does this have to do with you?"

Kacania straightened his back, took half a step forward, his gaze sharp, and his tone suddenly turned serious, each word clear and carrying an unquestionable solemnity.

“Of course, Mr. Schwartz. Your actions have seriously harmed the interests of my fellow mystics.”

Her fingers clenched tightly, her tone filled with anger and determination, her words resounding.

"Moreover, hypnosis is the most unacceptable method—it completely disregards human free will!"

She slightly raised her chin, her gaze sweeping over Schwarz's ashen face, her tone returning to its usual nonchalant mockery.

“I have reason to believe that you initiated the duel because of a personal grudge—I need to clarify that your wife coming to me for talk therapy has nothing to do with the Viennese people’s opinion that you are lacking in that area.”

"Mr. Schwartz, you've targeted the wrong people. You should be looking for those who are spreading rumors about you in the tabloids!"

Schwartz was trembling all over, pointing his finger at Kacania, his lips quivering, his face turning a deep purplish-red, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time, only broken, breathy sounds remaining.

"you you--"

The notary raised his hand expressionlessly, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, his voice rigid and cold, devoid of any emotion.

Are both sides ready?

Schwartz took a deep breath, suppressing the rage in his eyes. He straightened his back, his tone sinister and resolute, his fingers gripping the gun handle tightly.

"It's completely healed, sir."

Kacania's fingertip rested on Browning's trigger, a nonchalant smile still playing on his lips, about to respond. But he had only just begun to speak.

"Me too—"

"No—no!"

A piercing roar suddenly rang out, and Marcus almost staggered forward two steps, his arms outstretched, palms facing forward, his face pale, and his eyes filled with panic and urgency.

Kacania and Schwartz both stopped in their tracks and turned to look at Marcus, who had suddenly rushed out. Their eyes were filled with astonishment and confusion, and they stood frozen in place.

"...?"

"Miss Kacania is not ready yet!"

All eyes around her instantly turned to Marcus. Those probing, surprised, and disdainful gazes felt like needles pricking her. Her voice trembled uncontrollably, her fingertips clenched until they turned white, and her lips quivered.

Ugh, ugh, so many people... I want to die, I want to go home... Why did I submit an overseas assignment application...?

The panic in her heart was churning like a tidal wave. She bit her lower lip, her fingertips were icy cold, and her steps were weak, but the determination in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Marcus gritted his teeth, shakily lifted his foot, and used his fingertips to support himself against the wall beside him, trying to steady himself and walk gracefully, without crawling, toward the dueling platform.

"I...I'm her assistant, I'll..."

Kacania raised an eyebrow, a hint of amused surprise flashing in his eyes. He gently interrupted her, his fingertips still resting on the gun. His tone was calm, yet carried a precise scrutiny, and his speech was neither hurried nor slow.

“I apologize for interrupting you, miss. But as far as I know, I do not have the means to hire a current employee of the St. Love Foundation as my ‘duel assistant’.”

Oh no!

Marcus's face turned deathly pale instantly. Her gaze fell instinctively on the Foundation's badge on her chest, which gleamed coldly in the sunlight. She hurriedly raised her hand to cover it, her fingertips trembling, her eyes filled with regret and panic.

Kacania slowly withdrew her hand from the Browning, her slender fingertips gripping the handle, and with a gentle twist of her wrist, the Browning began to spin nimbly between her fingers.

The silver gun barrel traced a smooth arc in the sunlight. Her gaze fell on Marcus, a half-smile playing on her lips, her tone laced with sarcasm and clarity.

"So I suspect this is likely some kind of bureaucratic management tactic. Why are you worried? Please see clearly, this duel is fought entirely by human methods—without any mystical arts!"