In Sumeru City...
"Oh, how interesting. Who would have thought the God of Wisdom had her own library."
Great Perrin Kaelstrom spoke with admiration. Beside him, Lugh, still wrapped in his cloak, stared at the surroundings with wide eyes.
Bookshelves towered so high they nearly touched the ceiling, and motes of dust drifted gently among the neatly arranged old volumes.
Not knowing what else to do, they'd asked Lux directly—the only person here they could communicate with normally—whether there was anything to fend off boredom.
After thinking for a moment, Lux had decided to bring them to the library. More precisely... the 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆.
Meanwhile, the Obsidian Tower led by Archmage Zevrahn Coldwhisper looked awkward outside.
The curious Aranara swarmed around them, tugging at the hems of their robes and staring with round, innocent eyes.
Obsidian Tower was indeed a tower that focused on Darkness Spirits, so faced with these small, endlessly curious creatures toward humans... those stiff people had no idea how to behave.
Honestly, Great Perrin Kaelstrom wanted to burst out laughing watching their antics.
He'd actually wanted to bring them into the library. But Lux had refused.
More precisely, not Lux... but the library's owner.
Just as Great Perrin Kaelstrom possessed humanity's greatest library—the 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗲𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗞𝗮𝗲𝗹—the Forbidden Library also had its own owner. And that person wasn't Lux, but...
A 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁.
"Stop staring at Betty, human. Otherwise, don't blame Betty for being rude."
That cold voice sounded clearly in his ears.
Lugh flinched. He hadn't expected his furtive glance to be noticed.
"S-sorry."
The Great Spirit—Beatrice—snorted in irritation.
"You're lucky, human. No human has ever been able to enter here before. If not for that, forget stepping inside, even peeking at Betty would already have killed you, i suppose."
"Fufu~ That attitude of yours is why other people don't like you, you know~" Restia Ashdoll, the Darkness Spirit, floated nearby, laughing.
"Betty doesn't need other humans' affection. Besides..." Beatrice stared at her coldly. "Darkness Spirit, Betty recalls never giving you permission to enter!"
"Ara~ Don't be so harsh~ Lux won't be happy, you know~"
"Y-you..." Beatrice gritted her teeth.
But the moment she felt a touch on her head, the Great Spirit instantly calmed. "F-for this once, Betty will let it go, i suppose."
"..."
Lugh and Great Perrin Kaelstrom turned to look at Lux—who had somehow managed to calm the Great Spirit with just a single stroke.
Honestly... Great Perrin Kaelstrom had seen many Great Spirits take human form. But this was the first time he'd seen a Spirit so at ease within a human body...
Beatrice sat on Lux's lap, reading a book, though it seemed... she enjoyed being close to the Frost Assassin far more than the contents of the book in her hands.
Unconsciously, Lugh stole another glance.
A beautiful girl, around eleven or twelve years old...
Her face was so sweet that Lugh was certain if she smiled sincerely, no heart could resist melting at the sight.
Her pale cream-blond hair flowed long, tied into two wavy drill-shaped curls. She wore a ruffled pink gown with white accents, its front open to reveal legs wrapped in vertically striped pink and purple stockings.
A small crown perched on the right side of her head, completing her appearance perfectly.
But what drew the most attention was her eyes... those large blue eyes carried a pink butterfly-patterned iris.
"Truly, Frost Assassin. The inhabitants of this place adore you. It can't just be because you helped the God of Wisdom, can it? What exactly have you been doing?"
"Hmph, no need to answer that old human's question, Lux. Betty really dislikes this person, i suppose."
"Hahaha! You truly don't like us, do you. But why to this extent? As I recall, I've never wronged you."
"A meaningless question. Of course..." Beatrice narrowed her eyes and pointed at Lugh. "Ever since you brought that 'stinking' human along, Betty has strongly disliked it. Especially..."
Her face turned disgusted. "Betty doesn't know how, but Betty hopes you discard that thing you're wearing on your finger soon. That creature's scent is so strong it makes Betty want to vomit!"
"..."
Lugh froze while Great Perrin Kaelstrom's gaze instead gleamed with interest.
"Oh, this is surprising. Don't tell me... you know something about that ring?"
"Tsk, why would Betty know something that disgusting?" Beatrice looked revolted. "A legendary item, a cursed ring, or whatever it is. Betty would prefer such a thing not exist at all, i suppose."
"...You're remarkable, managing to tame a Great Spirit like that, Frost Assassin."
"Calling it 'taming' isn't quite accurate. I merely 'happen' to have a good relationship with these people."
"Hahaha! If the people out there heard you say that, they'd surely cough up blood from fury!"
"...It's not that serious." Lux fell briefly silent while calmly smoothing Beatrice's hair.
"But this makes me curious about one thing, Frost Assassin." Great Perrin Kaelstrom looked at him, narrowing his eyes. "Starting from the Unknown Spirit named Takamiya Mayuri, then the Yozakura Family, plus the people here in Sumeru City including the God of Wisdom... Taken altogether, you have extraordinary support behind you. So..."
His sharp gaze pierced straight into Lux's right sapphire eye behind the mask.
"With all that support... don't you have some particular 'ambition'?"
"..."
Lux said nothing. His expression remained calm even though the one asking was one of humanity's strongest Rank SSS.
"Ambition, is it... Perhaps there is one. But..." Lux looked at him calmly. "Why should I tell you?"
"..."
The two of them stared at each other in silence. Then...
"Hahaha! Sorry, sorry, no need to be that serious. I only asked because you're too quiet." Great Perrin Kaelstrom laughed heartily.
But Lugh, watching it all unfold... broke out in cold sweat.
He knew Great Perrin Kaelstrom hadn't been joking at all.
Of course... Lux had noticed it too. He just didn't particularly care, since even if Great Perrin Kaelstrom learned his ambition, nothing would change.
Besides...
'Lugh, huh...'
Lux glanced at Lugh, who looked awkward beneath his cloak.
Initially, he'd barely paid attention to the young man. But after learning that Lugh was actually a Son of Destiny... everything changed.
Honestly, despite having once been part of the Shadow Order, Lux had never once suspected Lugh carried the status of Son of Destiny.
Back when he'd still served in the Shadow Order, there had been nothing special about him. Beyond being a low-level member, Lugh had never displayed any notable trait.
Had it not been for Greater Lord Rukhadevatta, Lux would surely have already ignored him entirely.
Even so, that didn't mean his plans had changed. It was just... perhaps he needed to be more cautious.
The presence of a Son of Destiny meant a significant event was coming. Especially with the 'True Cthulhu' sealed within the ring Lugh wore...
Thinking of this, Lux's expression turned strange.
Seriously... He'd once assumed the Herrscher of the Void template had already finished off True Cthulhu during the Cthulhu Island incident. But the vitality of a Rank Unknown had proven astonishingly tenacious... Even after being struck decisively by the Herrscher of the Void, that Rank Unknown creature had still survived.
'Called Rank Unknown for a reason, it seems...'
Meanwhile... Lugh shuddered, feeling Lux's gaze.
He felt as though Lux somehow knew about his identity.
That wasn't particularly surprising, given Lux's relationship with Greater Lord Rukhadevatta.
Still... it didn't feel comfortable being watched by a figure who'd once been his superior. Lux's position in their previous guild had indeed been higher than his, so it wasn't wrong to regard him that way.
Though their relationship could now be considered severed, since the Shadow Order had been destroyed, Lugh, for some reason, still sensed something unpleasant from Lux...
It felt as though Lux were hiding something, though he couldn't quite pinpoint what.
Of course, Lugh realized harboring suspicion like this toward Lux wasn't appropriate. Lux was a figure trusted by Greater Lord Rukhadevatta.
But...
Why? Why did he feel so uneasy?
As Great Perrin Kaelstrom carefully turned the pages of a book filled with old illustrated paintings, his motion suddenly stopped.
"Hm?"
Unconsciously, he raised an eyebrow, then turned to look.
Not just him. Beatrice, who'd been calm until then, also turned abruptly. Everyone who'd been occupied with their own affairs did the same, including Archmage Zevrahn Coldwhisper.
"What in..."
Everyone was startled.
Somehow, without anyone noticing, a massive circle had formed in the sky. So vast its edges couldn't be seen.
But upon seeing it... Lugh's body shuddered for no clear reason.
"Sir... that..." he called out, his voice trembling.
"Contact the World Organization. It seems we have a problem," Great Perrin Kaelstrom said seriously.
"Y-yes!" Lugh hurriedly pulled out his communication device and activated it.
But in the next instant... his face turned pale.
"What is it?"
"I-it... the device isn't working..."
"..."
Everyone fell silent.
That was when...
𝘾𝙍𝘼𝘾𝙆!
A shattering sound could be heard. This time, Beatrice's expression turned cold.
"It seems someone has broken Betty's protective barrier. Rather bold of them, i suppose."
Along with that...
𝙒𝙊𝙎𝙃! 𝙒𝙊𝙎𝙃! 𝙒𝙊𝙎𝙃!
Pillars of light began appearing one by one from various corners! From those pillars, a network of interconnected energy radiated out, forming a giant prison trapping them all!
Then, a devastating gravitational pressure slammed into the entire area!
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈...!!!
Lugh closed his eyes. He'd expected to feel extraordinary pain, but strangely... he felt nothing at all.
"My, my, remarkable... I hadn't expected that girl could be this powerful..." Great Perrin Kaelstrom's astonished voice could be heard.
Lugh turned to look. Not just him.
Everyone watched the small figure of a girl who, alone, was holding back a gravitational force that should have crushed all of Sumeru's territory.
Her hair was emerald green, shoulder-length, with spiral curls flaring outward at the ends. Her eyes were large with matching green irises, paired with an arrogant expression.
She wore a fitted, long-sleeved black gown with a high collar, its lower portion having four high slits reaching her thighs, making it appear to flutter as she flew. Her body was enveloped in bright green energy.
That girl was none other than... Tatsumaki.
"How long do you intend to keep hiding, coward?"
Then...
"[Heheh... Such a powerful human... Your soul must be truly delicious...]"
That terrifying voice echoed. But hearing it... Great Perrin Kaelstrom instantly knew who it belonged to.
"No, this is a Transcend—"
Before he could finish his warning, their entire field of vision was consumed by a dense, dark fog!
***
"Hm, hm, hm..."
A girl with wavy blond hair and clear, innocent golden-brown eyes hummed cheerfully.
A wide-brimmed black conical witch hat perched on her head, adorned with a large white lace-accented ribbon, while a white collared shirt, black pinafore dress, and white lace apron completed her appearance.
Kirisame Marisa.
She was currently in the Forest of Magic, picking mushrooms one by one and placing them into her bag.
Of course, she immediately chewed a few of them raw out of curiosity about their taste.
But suddenly...
"Hm... I know Rukha invited a lot of humans. But..." The witch girl tilted her head.
"...I don't recall any of them looking like you all."
"..."
Kirisame Marisa looked at the people now surrounding her.
Judging by the full array of weapons they carried, their intentions were clearly not good. And Marisa sensed it very clearly...
"Errr... You're probably looking for Rukha. But she's—"
"Attack her."
"Whoa, wai—"
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈! 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈! 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈!
Several hunters unleashed magic attacks at Marisa without hesitation!
Just as they assumed Marisa must have been hurt...
𝙒𝙐𝙎𝙃!
Somehow, she escaped that attack and shot up into the air on her witch's broom!
No one had expected it, but their leader shouted immediately.
"Don't let her escape!"
Marisa heard it, but didn't care. She merely pushed her broom even faster!
"Hahaha! At this speed, there's no way you can catch u—"
Her sentence cut off.
A dark shadow suddenly covered her.
She looked up, then...
Saw a giant bird.
Not an ordinary bird, but a phoenix.
But not a blazing fire phoenix either, rather... a cold blue phoenix.
𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘅, a summoned creature with power not far behind Rank SS+.
"Oh my god..." Kirisame Marisa felt like crying. "I'm done for."
𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘅 let out a terrifying shriek!
𝙍𝙊𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝘼𝙍...!!
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈...!!!
***
"So, what are we doing here, Boss?"
Vezmir—a bald Rank S hunter from the Chainbinder slave trade—asked his boss directly.
Malgrath Chainbinder, a dark-haired man with white eyes, answered calmly. His right hand wasn't a human hand, but a rune-carved iron prosthetic.
"We just need to wait and block anyone who comes out of that cave."
But... he himself didn't sound entirely confident.
The young man in the white kitsune mask had simply ordered them to make sure the figure inside that cave didn't escape, while helping the other inhabitants of the ruins.
He had no idea who that figure was. But since the reward offered far exceeded what the Kingdom of Nightaris had given... he had no objection to doing something this trivial.
Still, just in case, he'd sent two of his slaves to check the cave's interior. Neither was weak, at least equivalent to Rank B. But...
"Argh! Help!"
"D-don't come closer!"
"..."
Everyone's expression tensed hearing the two slaves' agonized screams. The sound of heavy blows could be heard, followed by a furious tiger-like growl.
Then...
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈!
The cave collapsed into rubble!
From behind the thick smoke, a deep voice sounded, both amused and contemptuous.
"No wonder I smelled something foul. Turns out there are some damn greedy humans bold enough to touch this place."
"Boss..."
"Ready yourselves."
Malgrath gave the order, though his palms grew damp with sweat as he felt the killing intent radiating from the figure before him.
'What race is this? Demi-Human? No... it feels different.'
He studied the figure carefully.
Standing before them wasn't a human but a snow leopard capable of standing and speaking like a human.
Its eyes blazed yellow-orange, sharp, full of rage and ambition. Its fangs were sharp, its jaw sturdy, displaying an intimidating sneer.
"I don't know who you are or why you're here. But daring to disturb me..." The figure bared its claws. "...means you're already prepared to die!"
At that moment, the kitsune-masked young man's final message crossed Malgrath's mind.
"That one is named Tai Lung. Unlike the other inhabitants, he won't hesitate to kill. So... try not to attack him all at once."
***
"Have you all lost your minds? Attacking the God of Wisdom's territory, then attacking a World Organization representative... Do you realize what you're doing?"
Amaterasu no Kitsune spoke with a grim expression.
From the start, she'd personally witnessed how Uzumaki Menma had arranged for certain people to attack and detain every inhabitant of Sumeru City, as if playing a game of chess.
But Menma answered indifferently.
"I'm fully aware. Which is why we need to finish our part quickly."
"You..." Amaterasu no Kitsune stared at him coldly. "I thought you were an intelligent person, but it turns out you're no different from other humans. Foolish."
"..."
Menma didn't respond and continued walking, until...
He stopped.
Amaterasu no Kitsune behind him stopped abruptly as well.
Before them stood two cloaked figures who, whether intentionally or not, blocked their path.
One appeared younger than Menma, judging by their shorter body proportions.
The other was clearly a woman... given her fairly form-fitting bright green cloak.
But Amaterasu no Kitsune's expression changed instantly, because she sensed a Transcendent being's aura from the cloaked woman!
But at the same moment...
The cloaked woman also instantly recognized that Amaterasu no Kitsune was a Transcendent being!
"Solar—"
She was about to issue a warning, but unfortunately she was a step too late because...
"<<𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮>>!"
"<<𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞>>!"
Uzumaki Menma and the cloaked youth unleashed their attacks simultaneously!
A black orb encircled by a white ring collided directly with a beam of scorching light fired from an orange-gold visor!
𝙆𝘼𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈...!!!
***
Grand Marshal Valerian Brightblade, a living legend who held the title of humanity's strongest.
As usual, in his private office, he was processing a stack of documents, mainly regarding permits for scientists wanting to participate in research on [Honkai Energy] and the strange energy used to kill Rank Unknowns.
The old man had assumed today would pass by simply filling out paperwork, until...
"Hm?"
He raised his head. His brow furrowed as an unsettling premonition struck him...
Unconsciously, he turned toward the window, then...
Immediately rose from his chair.
The clouds in the sky began swirling in an ominous direction. From behind those clouds radiated a tremendous pressure, and...
A human silhouette plummeted down from the sky.
𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙈...!!!
Like a meteor, that silhouette slammed into the ground. The World Organization's super-powerful shield shattered like fragile glass!
The impact spread far and wide, causing an unimaginable shockwave!
At that same moment, a Rank S hunter burst open the door to his office.
"Chief! There's been an attack—"
His words caught in his throat.
The strongest human, whom he'd assumed was still inside, had vanished.
All that remained was an open window and a sword no longer hanging on the wall...
That was when...
𝙍𝙄𝙉𝙂! 𝙍𝙄𝙉𝙂! 𝙍𝙄𝙉𝙂!
The entire city's alarm blared loudly, warning every citizen and hunter.
[WARNING! WARNING! AN ATTACK IS UNDERWAY!]
But even without that alarm, everyone in the city already knew what was happening!
Amid the city now gripped by panic, a shadow shot across the rooftops. Wind roared. A white robe lined with gold fluttered wildly.
That was Grand Marshal Valerian Brightblade.
The sword in his hand wasn't yet drawn, but the pressure radiating from the old man's body alone was enough to make the surrounding air tremble.
'This pressure...'
His eyes narrowed.
'Not an ordinary Rank SSS.'
Within a few breaths, he landed at the edge of a giant crater.
Dust still billowed high. Cracks spread for hundreds of meters, and several nearby buildings had already partially collapsed.
Rank S hunters arrived from every direction.
"Chief!"
"The Chief has arrived!"
"Everyone fall back!"
Grand Marshal Valerian's voice wasn't loud. But everyone instantly stopped, as if an invisible hand were pressing down on their chests.
Silence.
Only the sound of falling gravel could be heard.
The dust slowly thinned.
At the bottom of the crater, a silhouette stood upright... a girl.
Her hair was silvery white, as if its color had faded, though the tips still carried a faint trace of its original purple.
Her gaze was empty, like someone who'd lost all purpose in life. She wore a dark purple gown with a cracked gem at the collar, covered by a tattered cloak.
Her skin was pale as porcelain. She appeared beautiful, but that beauty felt like a shard of glass still whole only because it hadn't yet been touched.
But what was most terrifying was... ten swords floating around her, along with a five-clawed talon hovering near her left hand.
The atmosphere was calm. Too calm.
A Rank S hunter swallowed hard. Cold sweat trickled down his temple.
"Ch-chief... the detection device..."
"Speak."
"The readings..." His voice trembled. "The device is broken. Nothing can measure it."
Several hunters drew sharp breaths.
Grand Marshal Valerian didn't answer.
His eyes never left the figure below. He'd lived over eighty years. He'd once cut down three Rank Unknowns with his own hands. But only now... did his combat instincts scream that something was deeply wrong.
Even so... Grand Marshal Valerian Brightblade never retreated.
He stepped forward.
One step. Two steps.
Then he leapt down into the crater and landed ten meters before the girl.
Dust scattered.
The girl raised her head. Their eyes met.
Her pupils were a reddish-purple. Her gaze was empty, but within it... there was something Grand Marshal Valerian couldn't comprehend.
But in that same instant, he heard something that made his expression change.
"...Ki... ll."
And as if following her command... one of the nearby swords immediately drew itself!
BOOOOOOOOM...!!!
Instantly, the entire city was lit up by blazing, burning flame!