Riser sat on the throne of the Phoenix Nest, his body still, his posture relaxed only on the surface. Hancock stood to his right, spine straight, gaze firm. Sandersonia and Marigold remained just behind her, silent, watching every movement.
"I just received word from Merlin." Riser's voice was steady, unhurried. "She started her part."
Hancock turned her face slightly toward him, her hair shifting only a little, controlled.
"So I can begin my revenge, dear?" The question came direct, with no detours.
"Yes." Riser did not look away. "We're not waiting anymore. You and your sisters are free to do whatever you want."
The silence that followed wasn't empty. Hancock closed her eyes for a brief instant, just long enough to steady her breathing. When she opened them, there was no hesitation in what came next.
Sandersonia was the first to kneel.
Her knee hit the floor firmly. Her torso leaned forward, head lowered in absolute respect. Marigold mirrored the gesture right after, precise, without delay.
"Thank you for granting us this." Sandersonia's voice was low but firm. "This debt will never be forgotten."
"We are allowed to exist because of your name." Marigold kept her head bowed. "And now we can repay everything that was taken from us."
Riser raised a hand.
"Stop." The order was short and direct.
Both halted instantly, still kneeling, waiting.
Riser rose from the throne. The motion was single and complete, needing no reaffirmation of presence. He walked down the steps slowly until he stood in front of the three of them.
There was no visual confirmation that the Revolutionary war had begun. No message indicating the first strike had been launched. No flag raised publicly. But it didn't matter anymore.
The moment of restraint was over.
The decision had been made.
If the Revolutionary Army had initiated the clash, the world would collapse on multiple fronts. If it hadn't, it would collapse anyway. Mary Geoise would be hit regardless.
Riser's eyes turned red instantly. The Mangekyō Sharingan rotated slowly, active.
Space in front of him folded.
Kamui opened in absolute silence.
Hancock, Sandersonia, and Marigold were engulfed first. There was no resistance. Their bodies vanished one by one, swallowed by the black distortion. Riser triggered the same effect on himself.
The Phoenix Nest ceased to exist at that point.
___
KAMUI DIMENSION
Darkness was total, but not empty. Solid platforms extended in controlled levels, suspended in nothingness. The ground did not vibrate. Space did not react to presence. Everything stayed stable.
Sandersonia slowly rolled her neck. Marigold watched the nonexistent horizon, eyes tracing the line of platforms.
"This is my husband's domain." Hancock held her posture firm. "You don't need to worry, sisters."
"She's right." Riser spoke without moving. "It's just an ability. Nothing more."
They nodded in silence. No questions. No rash reactions.
Riser stepped forward.
The void responded.
An opening formed ahead like a suspended panel in the darkness. The image stabilized, clear and sharp. Mary Geoise appeared before them.
Marble buildings still reflected wealth and opulence. Golden columns still stood. But between them there was panic. Servants fled. Nobles screamed. Guards repositioned without coordination. Something had already broken the balance.
Explosions flared in distant points. Alarms echoed late. Flags trembled without clear command.
Riser kept his gaze fixed.
"No doubt." He slowly closed his hand. "Something already started."
The panel dissolved before any other reaction could form.
Another opened.
This time the scene was different. Open sky. Strong winds. Dragon faced Figarland Shamrock, both in solid stances. Revolutionary troops moved in the background. Holy Knights aligned in response.
Dragon will lose, but in the end… it doesn't matter.
Riser turned his head.
Hancock remained motionless, but her hand was clenched hard enough to tighten her fingers. Her eyes stayed fixed on the point where Mary Geoise had been shown. Sandersonia and Marigold said nothing. They only watched.
Riser stepped toward her.
"Hancock, today you will take your revenge. Hold that anger and unleash everything on the Celestial Dragons."
She didn't answer immediately. The pressure in her hand eased slightly.
"Of course, dear."
Her body relaxed just enough to align her posture. Her breathing stabilized. Her gaze stayed cold.
Riser faced forward again.
"It's time." His voice came firm. "I go first."
Kamui activated again.
His body vanished from the dimension in a single instant.
___
MARY GEOISE
Riser appeared in the center of the upper complex. The marble floor remained intact at the arrival point. Ahead, a reduced group occupied the immediate area. White masks marked CP0 members. Two Holy Knights held lateral positions, swords braced against the floor, bodies aligned.
"Invasion alert!" One Holy Knight stepped forward half a pace, blade raised. "Central sector compromised!"
"Visual identification negative." The other adjusted his stance and pointed at Riser. "Contain the target and initiate restraint!"
The metallic blare of alarms cut through the complex.
WOOOOOON!
WOOOOOON!
WOOOOOON!
"What unnecessary noise." Riser stepped forward and lowered his center of gravity. "This ends now."
His fist came down.
BOOOOOOM!
Demonic magic detonated on impact. Black fire expanded in a circular wave from the contact point, low and dense. Marble was swallowed first. Masks shattered. Armor melted in the initial surge. The nearby bodies lost form instantly.
The Holy Knights tried to advance. The flame caught them mid-motion. Their swords touched the floor before vanishing. The fire continued without losing intensity.
Riser kept his fist on the ground for one second longer. The circle of destruction closed completely.
CRAAASH!
The central sector collapsed. Columns failed. Golden arches dropped. Side passages were torn from their base. The fire consumed everything within the immediate radius and kept pushing into connected corridors.
Riser lifted his fist from the floor. The fire stayed active for a few more instants before extinguishing at the limit of the effect.
The space ahead was ruined. Structures reduced to burning debris. Nothing standing within direct reach.
Residual heat still hung in the air. Smaller flames fed on what remained of columns and façades, consuming ornament and foundation at once. Where organized presence had been, there was now only continuous collapse.
The two Holy Knights were gone. No bodies. No equipment. Only scattered ash mixed with construction dust. Mary Geoise, at that point, had been reduced to an open field of destruction.
Riser swept the area with his eyes. The scene required no further confirmation.
I'm very strong. Well… I'll bring the girls here.
He began lowering the local temperature, controlling his own magic's effect to allow the next movement. The fire receded gradually, opening enough space for safe displacement.
Before acting, Observation Haki activated.
A presence was approaching.
Not armed. Not in formation. The movement was slow, disorganized, incompatible with what remained of the field. A fat man emerged through smoke and wreckage, walking without any caution. The expression on his face stayed arrogant, disconnected from the ruin around him.
"What is happening here?" His voice was far too loud for the destroyed space. "This heat, this noise… who dares disturb the sleep of a God?"
He walked through still-active flames, ignoring the fact the place had been an execution ground moments earlier. Fire didn't stop him. Destruction didn't make him hesitate. The contrast was absolute.
Riser kept the thermal reduction active, halting the spread of heat just enough to stabilize the immediate environment. That scene had not been part of the initial calculation.
I knew they were arrogant idiots… but this…
If he'd come a few seconds earlier, the remnants of my magic would've killed him.
The Celestial Dragon took a few more steps and finally stopped, registering Riser's presence ahead. His gaze ran over Riser's body with no recognition, no fear, no sense of danger.
"Hey, you." He pointed carelessly. "Make this heat stop and tell me where the others are. Mary Geoise is destroyed. Do something before I torture you."
The gesture hung in the air a second longer than it should have.
Riser didn't answer.
Kamui activated.
Space beside him folded without sound. The black distortion opened and, in controlled sequence, Hancock appeared first. Sandersonia and Marigold followed, their bodies stabilizing the instant their feet hit the ground.
Their presence filled the space without any adjustment. No words were spoken.
The Celestial Dragon turned toward the three of them, his gaze changing only enough to register immediate interest. The destruction around him stopped mattering.
Riser remained still for a brief interval, measuring the framing of the scene.
Then he spoke.
"I was going to kill you."
"But I think you'll do a better job."
Hancock took one step forward. The movement was contained and precise, enough to claim the centerline. Her body stayed aligned, no visible hesitation.
The Celestial Dragon twisted a crooked smile at her.
"Hey, you." His voice carried the same arrogance as before. "Come serve me before I call an admiral."
Sandersonia took a half step behind Hancock, keeping a lateral position. Marigold stayed motionless, focus locked on the target ahead.
Riser did not interfere.
The city kept burning around them. Fragments of structures still gave way in distant points, throwing sparks and smaller debris. No organized force approached that sector. No reinforcements had arrived.
The scene was isolated.
The Celestial Dragon still held his finger up, expecting obedience that would never come. His body remained relaxed, convinced of his own superiority, unaware that there was no longer any authority left to uphold it in that place.
Hancock remained silent.
The distance between them shrank only as much as needed to signal intent.
Riser watched without moving.
The right had been granted.
The revenge had been delivered.
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