"Boom!"
A heavy impact rang through the empty room. Diodora, who had just been beaten by Cao Cao, had his arm twisted, and left in a sorry state, was now seated upright in a luxurious chair while two Peerage Members in black coats bandaged him.
"Damn the Hero Faction! Damn Cao Cao! And that Cid Kagenou, how dare he interfere when I was taking Asia away! I'll kill all of them. No, before I kill them, I'll make them suffer the most extreme torture imaginable!"
His left hand pulled free from the armrest he had crushed, opening and clenching again. Diodora's originally delicate face was now filled with brutality, and his words overflowed with rage and arrogance.
"Ah, Diodora Astaroth. I didn't expect to see such an ugly, repulsive display the moment I arrived. Seeing you like this really makes me question whether entrusting that burden to you was the right choice."
The sudden female voice brought Diodora's outburst to an abrupt halt. A woman wearing a dress with a high slit in the skirt walked in.
The two Peerage Members beside Diodora instinctively tried to stand in her way, but Diodora shoved them aside.
"…Katerea Leviathan. What brings you here?"
Diodora stared gravely at the alluring woman in revealing clothes, then waved for the two Peerage Members at his side to leave and stand guard.
"Watch your tone with me, little brat of the Astaroth House. Don't forget how you obtained your current position. Without the help our Old Satan Faction gave you, you would be nothing!"
Diodora knew what Katerea wanted.
"…Understood, Leviathan, Your Majesty!"
After a moment of silence, Diodora still knelt on one knee and performed the noble etiquette the woman before him imagined, satisfying her vanity.
For these heirs of the former Demon King government, remnants who had been defeated and expelled by the current Devil government and stripped of their family names, what they desired most was to restore the old order, correct everything, and reclaim all they had possessed in the previous era.
"Good. Rise, Diodora. No matter what, you are still a talented young man who joined our Old Satan Faction. I couldn't truly do anything to you, could I?"
Having satisfied her vanity, Katerea chuckled and let Diodora stand. She spoke as if she were easygoing, then found a seat in the room, crossed her legs, and looked at him.
"Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness. Then may I ask, Leviathan-sama, what purpose brings you to this subordinate's place?"
Diodora stood again, his face dark as he looked at Katerea, who had taken his seat. Even so, he did not flare up immediately and simply repeated his earlier question.
"I only came to take a look. Creuserey has already set off to seize the Red Dragon Emperor. If your mission fails too, that would be quite amusing."
"Especially in front of our allies. Hmph, even if our alliance with the Cult of Diablos is only temporary, the Old Satan Faction can't afford such a disgrace."
Katerea's dark purple eyes glanced at Diodora, and her meaningful words placed heavy pressure on him.
"Please rest assured, Leviathan-sama. There are no problems with my current mission. Tonight will be the end for those foolish heirs. We will use their corpses to announce the Old Satan Faction's arrival to the world."
"Are there really no problems? If there are no problems, then what happened to the wound on your arm?"
Following Katerea's gaze to the half-bandaged wound on his arm, Diodora seemed to finally snap back to himself and hurriedly nodded.
"There was indeed a slight accident, Leviathan-sama. Today, I encountered the Hero Faction, who serve under the Khaos Brigade like our Old Satan Faction. Cao Cao and his people…"
Diodora then told her everything that had happened with Cid and the others that day.
"I see. The Hero Faction. Cao Cao…"
After listening to Diodora's account, Katerea lowered her head and began thinking, quietly muttering to herself.
"You don't need to concern yourself with that. Even if we are colleagues, one still has to consider the owner before beating the dog. Once tonight's matter is over, we will deal with those filthy Humans from the Hero Faction for you. I also heard that the Hero Faction has gotten into conflict with Lucifer's bloodline."
"In that case, thank you, Leviathan-sa…"
"But before that…"
Diodora had just started to thank Katerea with a hint of secret delight on his face when she cut him off directly.
As she spoke, Katerea grabbed Diodora by the collar with one hand and yanked him in front of her, her eyes filled with mockery.
"As punishment for doing something so stupid at such a critical time, provoking unnecessary enemies for the sake of a mere Church Saintess, let me vent a little."
A cane-like staff appeared in Katerea's hand. She swung it, and the staff tore through the air with a sharp whistle as it smashed into Diodora.
"Boom!"
Diodora's frail body was sent flying, instantly smashing through the wall of the room and crashing to the ground.
"Master!"
The two Peerage Members Diodora had previously sent out to stand guard cried out when they saw Diodora fly out of the room. One hurried forward to check on him, while the other looked warily at Katerea, who had revealed her true Devil form.
"Stop. This is only a little joke between Leviathan-sama and me. I don't need you idiots here. Go clean up the aftermath."
Diodora rose from the rubble and slapped the Peerage Member who was watching Katerea warily, ordering them to deal with the effects. Then he limped back into the room and knelt before Katerea, who was calmly seated in the chair.
"Thank you, Leviathan-sama, for your encouragement. May I ask if you wish to continue…"
"No need. That much punishment is enough."
Seeing Diodora's respectful, obedient manner, Katerea laughed a few times and did not continue beating him. After all, she still needed Diodora to execute the Old Satan Faction's plan tonight. She merely picked up the banquet guest list nearby and flipped through it, frowning after a few glances.
"Why is that damned bitch Serafall not on tonight's guest list?"
If there was anyone Katerea, a remnant of the former regime, hated most, it would be Serafall, one of the current Four Great Satans. She was clearly from the Sitri House, yet she had seized the Demon King throne of "Leviathan." Katerea, after all, had inherited Leviathan's bloodline.
"Your Highness, the banquet I am holding is a private gathering between us noble heirs. By convention, high-level figures like Serafall would not participate."
Listening to Diodora's explanation, Katerea glanced at him, closed the guest list in her hand, and accepted the explanation.
"A decent reason. But since she is on this island just like me, then as the heir to Leviathan's bloodline, I should meet this person who inherited the name 'Leviathan' no matter what.
"In that case, spread the news during the final stage and invite her over too. I'll kill her here and reclaim my title while I'm at it."
Katerea stood and looked down at Diodora, who was kneeling on one knee, with a disdainful expression. Then she seemed to suddenly think of something.
"Mm. Since killing someone too scared to even take the title of Demon King is still killing, and killing a group of new-generation Devils too stupid to even count as idiots is also killing, I may as well kill the Hero Faction too."
She slowly walked past Diodora, and at the same time, the staff in Katerea's hand sent him flying once again. But Diodora only struggled back to his feet and knelt on one knee again, watching Katerea leave.
"Although that guy Rizevim said keeping the Hero Faction around is still useful, it doesn't matter anymore. Once we take that thing from them, anything they can do, we can do too."
"After killing Ophis, Ophis's power will be divided among our Old Satan Faction. After that, once we grasp the power of that world's Devils and the New Infinite Dragon God, we will kill all those so-called New Devils and take back what originally belonged to us…"
Words full of hatred and venom came from Katerea's mouth, while Diodora, kneeling on the floor, simply kept his head lowered in silence. As if to show his respect, he only dared to watch Katerea leave from the corner of his eye.
Only after Katerea had completely disappeared did Diodora raise his head. His originally handsome face was now utterly distorted.
"Damn it!"
The chair Katerea had just sat on was instantly smashed to pieces by Diodora. Twisted, swelling Magical Power erupted at once, and continuous roars rang out as he vented the humiliation and fury in his heart. The two Peerage Members he had ordered to guard the door did not dare approach when they saw this. They could only stop and try to calm the disturbance.
"Hah… hah…"
The "Snake" continuously supplied Diodora with the power he had lost, but after smashing up everything around him, Diodora finally stopped, gasping heavily as he vented the resentment in his heart.
"Master…"
The voice of one of his subordinates came from outside the door. Diodora turned to look outside. Seeing the two Peerage Members staring at him in fear, rage surged up inside him.
"Boom!"
With one punch, he easily sent one of the Peerage Members flying. Just as Diodora was about to attack the other terrified Peerage Member, he seemed to think of something and stopped.
"You. Come with me!"
"…Yes, Master."
Faced with Diodora's order, the Peerage Member who had not fallen hesitated briefly, then answered lifelessly and followed Diodora out of the room.
"Ah… I originally thought that by joining the Old Satan Faction within the Khaos Brigade, I could do whatever I wanted and freely carry out everything I wished. I never expected those idiotic pieces of trash to dare look down on me like this. They really are exactly what that damned Cao Cao called them. A bunch of dumbasses…"
Listening to Diodora complain, the Peerage Member behind him followed step by step, silent and expressionless.
"Looking at it now, not handing this thing over together with what the Cult of Diablos told me back then was truly the wisest choice. Since you Old Satan Faction treat me like this, it wouldn't be excessive for me to take all your preparations for myself, would it…?"
Amid Diodora's one-sided complaints, the two passed through the corridors and stairs, arriving at the deepest part underground.
"And that Katerea. She really is stupid beyond belief. Does she actually think that with the Snake given by the Infinite Dragon God, she and her old lover can defeat Her Highness Serafall? Pfft…"
Diodora let out a mocking laugh, then stopped with the Peerage Member behind him in front of a room. Layer after layer of defensive magic covered the doorway.
"Power. I need more power. Only then can I kill all those dumbasses. I will also give the cruelest punishment to anyone who dares get in my way."
Diodora took out a large handful of Ouroboros, twin snakes coiled in the shape of an "8," and swallowed them. His frail body swelled at once, a roasted-looking purplish-red color spreading over his skin as large amounts of steam poured from his body.
"It's not enough. Still not enough. What I need is the power of legend. The Devils of this world aren't enough. I'm going to devour Devils and Angels alike."
The door opened, revealing a "heart" sealed beneath layer after layer of restraints before Diodora and his Peerage Member.
Powerful, twisted dark Magical Power seeped through the gaps in the seals, spreading through the gloomy chamber buried deep underground.
The instant the Peerage Member following behind Diodora saw that mass of flesh and blood, every hair on her body stood on end.
To her, the heart before them radiated a terrifying pull, like a black hole craving her body. She instinctively tried to step back and leave the room, but Diodora seized her arm.
"Well then, my Queen, it's time for you to offer me your loyalty. Don't forget, I was the one who took you in after the Church cast you out!"
"What…!"
Before she could finish, Diodora clamped a hand over the Queen's mouth and dragged her toward the heart. She tried to resist, but her attacks had no effect on Diodora after he had swallowed so many "snakes." The magic bullets she fired could only make Diodora, whose body had swollen to its limit, feel a slight discomfort at most.
"Cao Cao, Cid Kagenou, the Old Satan Faction. I'll kill all of you. Your comrades will all suffer the most brutal punishments, and Asia will be mine…"
As she struggled, Diodora's deranged muttering accompanied her as he dragged the Queen closer and closer to the heart. Faced with the tremendous pull emanating from it, she let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Her horrifying screams echoed through the underground chamber buried deep beneath the earth, continuing for some time before finally fading away.
...
In the vast hall, the Third Primogenitor of the Vampires sat lazily upon her throne in formal attire. Around her, the servants she had brought with her remained on guard against any potential enemy while kneeling on one knee in respect to their mistress.
"Creak…"
The heavy door was pushed open from outside. A middle-aged man in a scientist's white lab coat was led in by a group of well-trained Vampire servants and walked toward Giada, who sat upon the throne. The Vampires who had been kneeling around her sprang to their feet at once, and a tremendous pressure instantly bore down on the middle-aged man brought before them.
"Tap, tap, tap…"
"Greetings, Your Majesty Giada Kukulcan, Ruler of the Chaos Zone Dominion, revered Third Primogenitor of the Vampires. I am…"
He was clearly an ordinary human with not the slightest trace of power, yet faced with such an oppressive scene and the pressure released by the Third Primogenitor herself, he ignored it completely. He gave a gentlemanly bow, then raised his head and stared with feverish eyes at Giada, who was dressed magnificently yet covered from head to toe.
"Lord Laugus, Eleventh Seat of the Cult of Diablos. On behalf of the Cult of Diablos, I offer you our friendly greetings…"
"Is this what you call friendly? That look in your eyes, and the way you're standing there now?"
Her earlier laziness vanished. Giada raised a hand to stop the Vampire servants who were about to act, then looked down at Laugus, who was putting on the air of a gentleman below her, with a meaningful gaze.
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty Kukulcan. This is simply my everyday attire, and my rudeness toward you is because…"
"You want to dissect me for research, don't you?"
Laugus froze for a moment when Giada, seated on the throne, stated it with such certainty. Then he gave a shy smile.
"Yes. I want to dissect Your Majesty Kukulcan's body, which appears to come from another world while also being fused with the body from your initial transformation. I didn't expect Your Majesty Giada to notice."
Magical Power extended from Giada's body, stopping the Vampire servants who had been about to rush forward and tear Laugus apart after hearing his words. With a casual wave of her hand, the suppression of a higher-ranked Vampire left this group of renowned experts unable to move.
"Perhaps that gaze of yours reminds me of someone. He once examined the lifeforms on this planet with those very same eyes…"
Giada chatted idly with Laugus, as if she had not noticed the outrageous thing he had just said. But in the next instant, her voice suddenly drew out.
"You seem to know quite a lot about things even people in our world may not know."
A terrifying atmosphere engulfed the hall. An invisible pressure descended on Laugus, cracking the floor around him, yet Laugus remained completely unfazed.
"It's merely a simple comparison. That, and the fact that you never bothered to hide your origins."
"Hmph. I suppose that barely counts as a pass."
Seeing the smile still hanging on Laugus's lips, Giada gave a cold laugh and withdrew the pressure, as though she had decided to let him go. Then she abruptly changed the subject.
"If you had come to see me openly under your true identity, that would be one thing. But as I recall, the reason I granted you an audience was not for some friendly exchange between my Chaos Zone and whatever cult you belong to.
It was because someone claimed to have found a great secret concerning the Primogenitors' Beast Vassals. If you came here just to meet me, thinking your position would protect you, then that is the crime of deceiving a sovereign. How do you intend to calm my anger?"
"Mm-hm. Your Majesty Kukulcan, I had no intention of deceiving you. However, this matter concerns the origins of you and the other two Primogenitors. I thought it would be better to keep it confidential…"
"I don't care. Give me a proper explanation, or die."
A phantom image of a Beast Vassal appeared behind Giada, and an overwhelming aura erupted in an instant. Even Laugus, who had remained calm from the beginning, lost his composure and collapsed to the floor.
"Very well, Your Majesty Kukulcan. Then allow me to take some time to explain…"
Pressed against the floor, Laugus struggled to speak beneath the pressure. As he opened his mouth, the Magical Power enveloping the hall vanished. Freed from the suppression, Laugus finally managed to stand amid the wreckage of the hall.
"Go on, then. If this so-called secret concerning the Three Primogenitors turns out to be a joke, you die."
Seated high upon the throne, Giada looked down at everyone below, all of whom had been knocked down by a single strike from her Beast Vassal, and spoke with a smile. Behind her, the illusory Beast Vassal had not disappeared. It was still letting out low roars.
"Rest assured, I won't disappoint Your Majesty Kukulcan. But before that, I would like to know a few things I ought to know. Or rather, I'd like to verify my suspicions."
"Why should I tell you?"
"Perhaps… because I can help you perfect the constitution of you Vampire Primogenitors, the one rejected by the world…"
"Hum!"
Ripples spread out from Giada's body, instantly and precisely knocking unconscious every Vampire servant in the hall who was still awake, leaving only Laugus and Giada herself.
"It seems you truly do know some extremely hidden secrets, and you aren't like those idiots who dare to parade around after learning only a tiny fragment of the truth…"
Unlike her earlier playful tone, this time Giada truly regarded the scientist before her seriously.
"I believe I said earlier that it was mainly through comparison, along with the fact that you made no effort to hide yourselves…"
Laugus spoke modestly, but Giada had no intention of underestimating him. Yes, the Three Primogenitors and the Deva had indeed never gone out of their way to conceal their origins, but after the passage of time, those origins had long since become blurred and indistinct. Anyone capable of uncovering their past from the faintest traces deserved to be taken seriously.
"I am rather curious. What exactly do you mean by 'comparison'?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. I compared the Vampire world you inhabit, which I named World No. 2, with the mythological world I named World No. 1, as well as the Diablos World where I live, which you named World No. 3. By comparing the differences between the three worlds and analyzing the information I gathered on your World No. 2, I obtained this data…"
As he spoke slowly, Laugus smiled faintly and interrupted the Third Primogenitor, who seemed to have fallen into thought.
"If Your Majesty Kukulcan is interested in the information I mentioned, then once Your Majesty Kukulcan helps me verify my conjectures, I can consider giving Your Majesty Kukulcan exclusive access to the information I currently possess."
"Oh? From the sound of it, aside from you, I would be the first to know this. Aren't you the Eleventh Seat of the Cult of Diablos, as you said? Doing that would be betrayal, wouldn't it?"
Keenly catching the word "exclusive" in Laugus's statement, Giada's face once again took on an amused smile as she asked a fatal question.
"Because they're boring and have no value to exploit. Besides, the Cult of Diablos was always just an alliance of mutual benefit, so this doesn't count as betrayal. It's not as if this is my first defection.
That said, I must correct you on one point, Your Majesty Kukulcan. You're not the second person besides me to know this information. Strictly speaking, you're the third. The second is a scientist Elf, just like me."
As if he hadn't noticed the deadly trap at all, Laugus bluntly revealed a large amount of information to Giada.
"Oh? So what you're saying is that you're willing to tell me all this because I have something you want?"
"Exactly. After all, I'm merely exchanging known knowledge for unknown knowledge. That is the selfless spirit we scientists love most, and it's a deal where we profit without losing anything."
"Hahaha…"
After hearing Laugus's words, Giada clutched her stomach and burst into laughter, as if she had just heard something hilarious. It took her quite a while to stop.
"A talent like you is only ranked eleventh in the Cult of Diablos? Are all of them as interesting as you?"
"Unfortunately, they're nothing but a pack of useless fools who haven't made the slightest progress in over a thousand years. Not even in knowledge. If they didn't offer so much potential, I wouldn't even want to go back.
Compared to them, I much prefer my dear elven friend. At least in the beginning, exchanging knowledge and inspiration with her was genuinely enjoyable."
When he mentioned his own organization, Laugus clearly looked down on them. It would not be an exaggeration to call it disgust.
"I even considered finding a chance to take what the Cult of Diablos gave me and run off to join my dear friend. But she said she envied me instead, so I knew she'd been caught just like I had. It's already been a week since our last contact…"
"Ha. That's enough joking around. I heard there's an academic city in World No. 3 also called Laugus, named after the city's late founder and academy head. Don't tell me you're that person?"
"Hmm. That does seem to have been the location of my first laboratory."
The smile on Giada's face deepened. She snapped her fingers, and a Beast Vassal appeared, instantly throwing the unconscious Vampire minions lying on the ground outside and sealing off the entire space.
"You're qualified to speak with me, but I won't tell you about my past. I'll only deny your guesses when they're wrong. Once I've denied you a certain number of times, you can feed my Beast Vassals."
"Of course. In fact, I wanted to obtain confirmation from Your Majesty Kukulcan in the first place, to satisfy my curiosity.
How about this? If I'm wrong, I'll provide information of equal value in return."
"No problem…"
A dozen or so ethereal Beast Vassals slowly appeared around Giada. She made an inviting gesture, then sat firmly on her throne to watch his performance.
"…Then let us begin with the source of your World No. 2, the Deva Realm from ancient mythology."
After thinking for a moment, the middle-aged man before her began speaking slowly.
"In the ancient era of World No. 2, when your planet was still a barren wasteland, the Devas of your mythology descended. To put it in modern terms, you were a group of aliens who came from another planet. But to the humans who were still living in a primitive age, you were no different from gods.
I don't know why you left, but you found a planet suitable for habitation and enslaved the humans living on it at the time. It's even possible that you brought the humans there yourselves…"
"Stop. That part is wrong. Humans weren't brought there by us. Like the Elves and Beastmen, they were a native species of that planet."
Giada interrupted Laugus's explanation and looked at him with amusement. Then she lifted her chin slightly, signaling that it was his turn to exchange something.
"I see. Then let me explain the Cult of Diablos's exploration of World No. 3. It also serves as one of my points of comparison.
The histories of our two worlds are different. In our World No. 3, the ancient era was the Age of the Ancient Dragons, and humans had not yet been born. Later, a world collision occurred, and Magical Power was born in our world, changing the environment. It was at that time that the humans of World No. 3 used the world collision to arrive in World No. 3 from another world."
Laugus was not angered by the failure of his guess. He nodded and, without hesitation, recounted the origin of humanity in his own world.
"You Deva gods descended upon this planet while it was still in a primitive era, then used your far superior technology to enslave the life on that planet and turn them into your servants.
During that process, the Deva Clan combined your own knowledge with World No. 2's unique resources, creating one new technology after another. In the end, you even created Magical Power, a brand-new energy source."
At that, Giada's brows rose slightly in surprise. The fact that he had guessed Magical Power in their world had been created by them was rather impressive.
"In the end, for some reason, perhaps a slave rebellion, perhaps internal conflict, or most likely both, most of you aliens became Beast Vassals…"
"That part is wrong."
"Ha. So your situation actually leans closer to the possibility my friend mentioned?"
Laugus suddenly laughed. When that absurd conjecture had first been brought up, he had dismissed it entirely as idiocy that would only be possible if someone's brain had been flooded with water.
"You dug up the Beast Vassals, those superweapons, only to be wiped out by internal conflict until only the three of you were left. Then the three of you used some kind of world-altering super-technology to turn yourselves into immortal and indestructible Vampire Primogenitors. Am I right?"
In response to Laugus's question, Giada simply smiled, signaling that he should pay the price for an incorrect guess.
"I believe I already said it. The Beast Vassals were dug up by you, Magical Power was created by you, and Spiritual Energy comes from the world."
Giada did not answer, but the two Beast Vassals beside her instantly closed in on Laugus, making her stance perfectly clear.
"Tsk, how greedy. Fine. Perhaps you're too close to the situation to see it clearly. Then let's discuss the right to name a world. The first name given to a world from outside it, and heard by that world, will be remembered by the world. Don't you think names like Number One and Number Two sound a lot like serial numbers?
Or rather, don't you think there's something very wrong with naming worlds World No. 1 and World No. 2? Is the fusion between worlds truly just a coincidence?"
"!"
Seeing Giada's shock, Laugus sighed inwardly. As expected of a native!
"All right, let's continue examining the past of your World No. 2.
In short, after the fall of the Deva Realm, you three Primogenitors had a change of heart. To wear down the restless Beast Vassals inside you by your own efforts, you chose to let the world develop on its own.
During that process, thanks to your immense power and deliberate intervention, you three Primogenitors established the three Night Empires, each of which endured for a thousand years before the worlds merged.
Of course, when a powerful civilization destroys itself through internal strife, it doesn't merely cause civilization to regress. It also inevitably leaves behind a considerable amount of technology far ahead of its time, scattered across the world. Because of that, the civilization of World No. 2 was influenced to some degree by the Deva Realm's legacy, The Cleansing.
But aside from those few things, before the three worlds merged, you no longer exerted even the slightest influence on this world.
The formation of human society, the Witches who made contracts with Devils, the energy that turns people into Angels if overused, and even the God worshipped by the Church all emerged naturally. Am I correct?"
"Although you left out a great many things, the overall process you described is basically correct. So, after reviewing the entire course of development, what do you think?"
Giada smiled as she acknowledged the past of her own world, watching the scientist before her with keen interest. She wanted to know what his true purpose was.
"I do have some thoughts…"
"Oh? Let's hear them."
Giada waved her hand casually, wanting to see how this scientist viewed the history of their world.
"It feels a little like the Age of Discovery, where colonizers discovered a new continent, only to be beaten by natives wielding spears…No, wait. In your case, you defeated the natives and caused plenty of destruction, only to provoke something even stronger and get wiped out in one wave, then get turned by the world into natives who use gold and diamonds to prop up table legs.
Your downfall was ridiculous, but it certainly satisfied my curiosity."
"I didn't tell you to be that blunt!"
Giada spoke with a dark expression, but she still did not attack him, because what Laugus said was indeed the truth. She was not so lacking in contractual spirit.
"Fine. Since you've said this much, you should tell me what your purpose is. Otherwise, after getting so much information from me for free and mocking me on top of it, I really will get angry!"
Fine, she was still a little annoyed. Who the hell did this guy think he was, talking to her like that?
"I've said this much, and you still haven't noticed, Your Majesty Kukulcan?"
"Noticed what?"
"Sigh…"
Seeing that Giada truly seemed not to have noticed, Laugus sighed, looking extremely disappointed by her response.
"If you don't want to talk, then die!"
A green Beast Vassal appeared beside him. From atop her throne, Giada glared at Laugus with a dangerous expression. She had no interest in listening to riddles.
"Your Majesty Kukulcan, it isn't that I don't want to say it. But there are some things you won't believe until you see them with your own eyes, especially when you're already caught up in the situation…"
"So you're saying you don't want to talk?"
The terrifying Beast Vassal opened its bloody maw and moved another step closer to Laugus, but Laugus merely shook his head.
"Would you be interested in attending tonight's banquet? There, you will witness the truth of the world, Your Majesty Kukulcan."
"I have no interest in waiting…"
The serpentine Beast Vassal had already coiled around Laugus's body, but Laugus remained calm and continued speaking at an unhurried pace.
"Don't you want to know the truth behind everything? For example… the method to calm the Beast Vassal inside you, Your Majesty Kukulcan. Or rather… the method and the key that will allow the world to accept your existence. After all, what your body desires most is silence…"
The serpentine Beast Vassal, now close enough to strike, did not stop. It continued moving toward his head, but Laugus said nothing more…
"Hum…"
The serpentine Beast Vassal bit down, but it did not harm Laugus's body. Instead, it merged into him.
"I'll go to tonight's banquet. If I'm not satisfied, that snake will take your life."
"Rest assured. I will satisfy Your Majesty Kukulcan."
After giving one final bow in farewell, Laugus turned and walked toward the door, leaving Giada alone in thought.
"A method to calm the Beast Vassal inside me…"
Sensing the Beast Vassal within her, which had slipped out of its calm state yesterday and was faintly showing signs of returning to that berserk condition, Giada thought of the "key" Laugus had mentioned. For some reason, a certain person came to mind.
"Does it have something to do with that little guy, Cid? But if we go by what he said, then the identities of those two worlds don't match…"
Setting Giada's thoughts aside for the moment, Laugus passed through a corridor where Vampire minions watched him like hawks, left the residence, and got into a sedan, his face showing boredom toward what he was about to do next.
"How did it go?"
"About the same as our previous conjecture. You were completely right."
A Magic Circle appeared in Laugus's hand, and he casually replied to the person on the other end.
"I can't continue researching for now. My escape plan was discovered, so I've been confined these past few days."
"Your Master is that strong?"
"Because my Master is God!"
"I don't understand how you think…"
Laugus was speechless at the other person's mindset. He did not deny the possibility that God existed, but he still could not understand his friend's way of thinking. He really did not get along with fanatical religious types like this.
"Forget it. Are you still taking people on your side? I'm starting to feel like changing jobs. Those idiots in the Cult of Diablos want me to do those boring experiments again, the kind where you can see the ending at a glance."
"Unfortunately, I'm just as restricted here. Shadow Garden's morals are even higher than most factions. You might as well ask Azazel. He might be recruiting…"
"Good idea!"
With that suggestion, Laugus rapidly came up with a plan and smoothly switched to another channel, striking up a conversation with Azazel on the other end.
...
After declining yet another invitation from a high-ranking noble, Epsilon flicked her cyan-blue twin ponytails, passed through the gate, and sat in the back seat of the car, issuing an order to the dark-skinned Elf with gold and silver heterochromatic eyes in the driver's seat.
"Omega, drive!"
At her command, the black sedan started moving, following the road toward their next destination.
"Ah… Chi (Kai), tell me. What's our next stop?"
At the order, the short-haired blonde Elf on the other side took out a schedule, checked it for a moment, then answered Epsilon.
"Epsilon-sama, barring any accidents, we only need to attend a few more social invitations from the Gigafloat Management Corporation in Netheril's name, and that should be the end of it."
"Ah…"
Epsilon rubbed her forehead and let out a pained groan. Once again, she felt these tedious formalities were a real headache. She had actual work to do!
"Kai, estimate how much longer it'll take before we finish these social obligations and can meet Kensei Kanase, who's suspected of colluding with the Cult of Diablos."
"…Probably not until tonight!"
"Sting operations are such a pain!"
After grumbling, Epsilon pulled herself together and flipped through the documents again. A moment later, she closed them and shut her eyes.
"Where is Yuuma Tokoyogi?"
"We can't find any trace of her. She is still missing."
"That's exactly what I mean… Those idiots in the Witch's Association are nothing but trash. All they do is drag Shadow-sama down. Sooner or later, I'm kicking every last one of them out!"
She clenched her fist and waved it in the air, but in the end, she lowered it again with a sigh.
"Forget it. Ignore those Witches who have no idea who Shadow-sama truly is. They're just a bunch of losers I'll kick out sooner or later. It isn't their fault they failed to notice that the Cult of Diablos outright rejected Yuuma Tokoyogi.
I'll repeat the mission priorities. First, find Yuuma Tokoyogi, who is definitely connected to the Cult of Diablos.
Second, make contact with Magus Craft, who is suspected of being connected to the Cult of Diablos.
Third, if Magus Craft has no connection to the Cult of Diablos, expose him officially. If he does, destroy him directly.
Our goal in coming here is to hit the Cult of Diablos. Of course, if we encounter Shadow-sama, then Shadow-sama's orders take absolute priority!
Understood?"
"Understood, Epsilon-sama!"
Inside the moving black sedan, their voices rang out in perfect unison, only to be sealed in by the car's excellent soundproofing.
…
Looks pretty ordinary.
Wearing a set of well-fitting casual clothes, Jeanne trailed behind Cid and Asia with little interest, making no attempt to hide at all.
How should she put it… With those two in front of her, she felt there was absolutely no need to hide. One was a healing nun with zero attack power, and the other was a little deaf-and-blind fool with zero spiritual perception. She could walk around openly without the slightest problem.
Cao Cao, if you don't give me an explanation later, then this big sister really is going to get mad!
Thinking this with boredom, Jeanne even used her Sacred Gear to create a Holy Sword and started playing with it. Even then, the two people in front of her still failed to notice her.
Honestly, if this were the kind of mission she usually handled, she would have already created a Holy Sword with a special attack against those with wicked hearts and slapped him with it as a test.
If the other party dodged, that meant there was a problem. If they failed to dodge but coughed up blood, they were a great villain. If it only left a red mark, they were a normal person… So why hadn't she done it?
Jeanne blinked and looked at Cid suspiciously. It seemed… she instinctively didn't want to?
"Eek!?"
Before Jeanne could fully understand that feeling, Cid suddenly shuddered and let out a startled cry, drawing her attention.
"What is this!?"