Her—or rather, his—skills were objectively exceptional.
This individual had forged connections with countless Heroic Spirits, mastered illusions capable of deceiving even inanimate objects, and possessed catalysts belonging to figures like Paracelsus and Blackbeard. Her method of body-swapping, distinct from Touko Aozaki's, was so peerless that she continued to operate in a fresh vessel even after being 'killed' by various luminaries of the magecraft world. In the first place, had her secret art been anything less than exceptional, a form of body-swapping that transcended human common sense...
Furthermore, her talent for magecraft was so superb that another version of her was even recorded within the Throne of Heroes. One could safely say that her practical skill in magecraft would not pale in comparison to most Casters.
Of course, she fell short of Merlin, the world's undisputed strongest illusionist, in many respects; however, that man held a Grand Saint Graph, making him an outlier. As she technically fell into the category of a living 'human,' she belonged to a class of powerhouses that were truly off the charts.
"[In. This. Place. Illusion. Does. Not. Exist.]"
Naturally, even such mastery held no meaning before the Unified Language, which restructured reality itself.
*
As the illusions draped over the area like a shell were stripped away, the hideous truth hidden beneath the glamorous scenery was laid bare.
The staff who had been dealing cards and rolling dice like machines vanished instantly. Those who had been staring with bloodshot eyes at their chips, shouting 'raise,' suddenly realized they were thrashing about without even being properly dressed.
Excrement from people who had lost track of time while immersed in gambling was scattered everywhere. Those few who managed to regain their senses were struggling desperately to escape the premises.
"This is nothing short of Sodom and Gomorrah."
"That person was always fond of such things. No, it is difficult to even call them human..."
"It seems you're quite acquainted with her? I've heard stories that you've killed her a few times."
"I killed her several times because she interfered with my hobbies. She backed off once she realized she couldn't win, so it wasn't a major issue... Well, I suppose attacking her from this side can be considered karma for those past deeds."
The higher we climbed the floors, the more sophisticated the illusions became. Figures appeared who were indistinguishable from Prelati's pawns or genuine magi.
However, every trap composed of illusions was dismantled by the Unified Language, which altered the world where the illusions were etched. Any magus who attempted to intervene was immediately retired after having their magical energy drained by a single application of Seal Absorption.
When we finally entered the room on the top floor, a woman dressed in obscene attire appeared against a backdrop of gloomy, viscous energy.
Blatantly exposing her underwear, wearing white stockings held by garter belts, and donned in a flashy black-striped Gothic Lolita outfit, her appearance was decadent—more 'trashy' than erotic.
"...Goodness, I didn't expect a linguist who should be in the Far East to find my home. And even a Grand-ranked magus... I suppose since you've been doing well lately, you think you're above everyone else?"
"I have no words if you put it like that. The fact that you are even speaking normally is already outside my common sense."
At that exact moment, a massive blade appeared before my eyes and pierced straight through my head. Though it was an illusion, a normal person would have surely reacted despite knowing it wasn't real.
Godword Mayday watched this and began muttering in the Unified Language to dispel the illusions Francesca was casting. Whenever Godword altered the world to dissolve an illusion, Francesca would overlay another onto the reality, initiating a battle for dominance.
In an instant, the hotel transformed into a sheer precipice, then into something resembling a massive active volcano. Perhaps her sensory-manipulating illusions weren't just for show, as I could feel the heat throughout my body. But then, the illusion was instantly dispelled. Francesca, who had lost an arm, bit her lip and hurled ropes and gags formed from illusions at Godword.
After Godword shattered the restraints and used the Unified Language to erase the 'air' inside the room, Francesca used an illusion to distort space. She then smashed all the windows in the room to expand the range of his Unified Language, allowing the air to circulate again.
After a back-and-forth exchange, the battle concluded with Francesca being bound tight by dozens of linguistic restraints. Karma and Godword looked down at her as she lay prostrate on the floor, firmly tied up.
"I thought you would kill her, but you didn't?"
"She doesn't stay dead even if you kill her anyway. Actually, if I intended to kill you, I would have brought many more people... many more."
"Haha... Even if you were granted a Grand rank, do you really think a brat like you could kill me? You were just hiding behind that Unified Language like a lamb!"
"Well, technically speaking... you're incredibly weak, aren't you?"
Just as her face began to contort with rage, I reached out into the 'seemingly empty' air and activated my gravitational pull.
The pull of Bansho Ten'in distorted space, dragging Francesca out of the 'seemingly empty' air. Before she knew it, she was pulled toward me and I caught her firmly by the throat.
"Hmm, so you were there? I did think it was a bit too easy, but it seems you were focused solely on concealing yourself from the start."
"Impossible... You saw through my illusion so easily? Even the Grands of the Clock Tower shouldn't be able to pierce my illusions that easily, so how..."
She asked how, but the truth was that immunity to illusions was practically a passive trait for me.
All illusions are, ultimately, a form of magecraft activated using magical energy. They use magical energy to disguise the world, hiding or transforming it to deceive people.
...And my Rinnegan can see every flow of magical energy.
To put it simply, it's like using a wallhack in an FPS game.
"Heh, heh... So, do you intend to kill me?"
"Hmm? No, why would we kill you? We just came here to buy some information from you."
"Wait, Karma-kun, if you just tell her that..."
I could easily tell what Godword was worried about.
He was probably concerned that Francesca would hide the information to the very end after hearing that.
"...After putting me in this state, you have the nerve to spout that nonsense. I don't know what you want, but do you think I'll give it up easily?"
"You're quite resilient. I thought you were just a loser who got shredded by the Unified Language."
"Who are you calling a loser... Brat, the scale of time we've lived is completely different. I am a being who has lived since the Age of Gods... I'm not at a level to be compared to the likes of you!"
She once again unleashed an illusion to confuse my eyes.
Even though I felt her neck in my hand, it was a fascinating sensation to feel as though I were gripping the throat of a giant beast.
"Ack...!"
"Just so you know, if you try that again, you're going to have a terrible time."
"...?"
"The hedonist, Saint-Germain."
"...!"
"You know I was awarded my rank by Lord Brishisan and the Marshal of Magic, right? And you surely know that a Magician of the Fifth Magic and the Witch of Fairy Tales live in my hometown, Misaki City."
"W-Wait. How do you know all that..."
"I recently recruited some interesting personnel to our side. Have you heard the name Arcueid? It's a connection I made through her... A wealthy Dead Apostle living in Morocco or Monaco, was it?"
As Francesca's face turned pale, I performed my final act. I pulled out my phone and pressed the top contact in my favorites.
After a few rings, the call connected, and a listless, slightly annoyed voice began to drift through the speaker.
[...Communication security, you damn bomber.]
"Communication security confirmed. You sound sleepy, were you taking a nap?"
[It's 3:00 AM here, you blockhead...! What are you calling for?]
"Ah, it's nothing major..."
Glancing at the shivering, bound girl, I spoke loudly so she would definitely hear.
"I was just wondering if you knew someone named 'Francesca Prelati.' Isn't that right, Touko Aozaki-san?"
"...Hic."
In that instant, Touko-san's sleepy tone vanished. Her presence shifted violently, her voice filled with a heated rage as if an angry bull were about to charge.
[That name. Where did you hear it? No, it's obvious. You said you were going to America this time, so that rat-like woman was hiding there...!]
Touko-san abruptly hung up after saying her piece. I turned toward Prelati, who was staring blankly at the ceiling, and spoke with a wide smirk.
"Well? Would you like to go have a pleasant interview with Touko-san like this?"
She remained silent for a moment before speaking with a trembling smile.
"Um..."
"Yes, go ahead."
"...Could we call it a draw?"