— — — — — —
Bzzzt—
The low hum of machinery rolled across Itogami Island.
From hidden warehouses scattered throughout the city, three-meter-tall metal spiders crawled into the streets. Their crimson optical sensors flickered as they blocked key intersections, scanning for targets.
On the rooftop of a six-story apartment building, a middle-aged man in a black suit stood at the edge, looking down at the mechanical army below.
"So far, the plan seems to be going perfectly."
In the distance, the island's security forces were already exchanging fire with the machines, and clearly losing.
Beside him stood a Western mercenary in camouflage and a helmet. His tone was crisp and respectful.
"We owe it all to President Shahryar's dominance in the information war."
"Without the High Priestess suppressing that Development Bureau chief online, the Dawn Empire's home-field advantage would've been overwhelming. We'd never have secured the upper hand in urban combat."
"Ah, the Priestess of Abel," Shahryar chuckled. "Her hatred for the Fourth Primogenitor and the whole world is proving very useful."
Then his eyes narrowed.
"Still, just in case, we must destroy Itogami's major military bases. If those Nalakuvera units sealed off from the network are deployed, things could get troublesome."
"Rest assured," the mercenary replied with a faint smile. "Of the five bases, we've secured two. The remaining three are fully surrounded. It's only a matter of time before they fall."
"Excellent."
"Still, the island's last real advantage lies in those relic weapons from the Deva era."
Shahryar's gaze drifted toward Keystone Gate in the distance. He lifted a hand, curling his fingers as if grasping something invisible.
"The Fourth Primogenitor guarded against every threat, and in the end, I'm the one who benefits."
"He slaughtered those who opposed him, imprisoned the old Itogami administration, hunted down the MAR members I established. He calculated everything."
"Yet he still missed a single step."
"He let Natsuki Minamiya eliminate my people, never realizing that those he killed were all my political rivals."
"From the very beginning, I was using his power to purge my rivals."
"Step by step, he tightened the noose… without noticing he was the one being cornered."
Shahryar let out a cold laugh and slowly clenched his fist. "With no high-level fighters left to defend it, Keystone Gate will fall into my hands."
"The gateway to other worlds. The true legacy left by Cain."
"It should return to me, one of the Deva."
"Indeed," the mercenary said with a slight bow.
And then—
A woman's soft laughter drifted through the air.
"Oh my. I just heard something very interesting."
Shahryar stiffened and spun around.
A woman stood there.
Emerald hair flowed down her back. She wore white robes, her posture relaxed yet predatory, like a leopard poised to strike.
His pupils shrank.
"Giada Kukulcan?! That's impossible. You should be in the Chaos Zone right now!"
The appearance of the Third Primogenitor shattered his composure.
"Oh, terribly sorry for not staying in my own empire," Giada replied lightly, flexing her fingers and licking her lips.
"But what can I do? Our community leader ordered a gathering."
"Leader?" Shahryar froze. "Someone like you serving under another?"
"That's irrelevant."
Her smile widened. "Shahryar, for old times' sake as fellow Deva… would you lend me something?"
'That's not borrowing, that's robbery,' he thought grimly, forcing down his fear.
"What do you want?"
"Your head."
The words fell.
The emerald-haired predator moved.
— — —
"Roaaaar—!"
In eastern Itogami Island, steel-colored dragons roared through the sky—only to stiffen midair, turning to stone before crashing to the ground and shattering into rubble.
"Move! Faster!"
Isea Nyos, a senior officer of the Order of End, screamed himself hoarse as he forced his subordinates to use magical artifacts to transform every metal object in sight into wyverns.
Parked civilian cars. Official armored vehicles. Even the mechanical units sent by Shahryar as reinforcements.
Everything metallic was twisted into flying dragons.
All for one purpose.
To survive.
To block the woman in the sky.
"Major! We're out of machines to convert!" a soldier shouted, pale with terror.
"The civilian cars! Use those!"
"They're gone too!"
"Then vending machines! Streetlights! Anything! Just hold her back!"
Isea's eyes were bloodshot as he roared the order.
When a soldier reluctantly began yanking out a streetlamp, Isea looked up at the sky.
Hovering above on a pterosaur stood someone with purple-hair, expression cold and detached.
Isea's voice cracked with despair.
"Why? Why is the Second Primogenitor monster here?!"
High above, the purple-haired Primogenitor observed silently.
The outcome was already decided.
---
Inside the Prison Barrier—
"…Where is everyone?"
Kenon, the Vampire King, stared at the empty prison block, mouth hanging open.
"How would I know?" Clade's eyes bulged.
He glanced around again, baffled. "This is definitely the place!"
"Did humans invent unmanned supermarkets and then decide to try unmanned prisons too?"
"I can understand unmanned supermarkets. But an unmanned prison? What's the point of a prison without prisoners?" Kenon shot back, equally dumbfounded.
"Well… maybe… possibly… it still has a purpose."
Clade pointed at the cleanest, driest corner of the room.
There, neatly stacked, were piles of toilet paper, tissues, brooms, dustpans… and even a small pack of sanitary pads, domestic-brand.
Clearly, the owner of this infamous prison that once held the most vicious criminals had repurposed it as a storage room for daily necessities.
Impressive, in a very absurd way.
So absurd neither of them even knew where to begin complaining.
"Is it a trap?" Clade asked uncertainly.
"What kind of trap hides toilet paper?" Kenon rolled his eyes.
Fair point.
"So… what now?" Clade scratched his head. "Do we still jailbreak? Or go back empty-handed? But going back empty-handed would really lower the prestige of the Order, wouldn't it?"
"I refuse to walk out of here carrying toilet paper while Itogami's security forces watch," Kenon said dryly.
He was the Vampire King, not the Tissue King. He had standards.
"Then what should we do now?" Clade grumbled.
"… We should free our comrades first. I've got a bad feeling about this Prison Barrier." Kenon sighed.
"Because of the toilet paper?"
"..."
They moved together toward the massive door at the deepest part of the prison and pushed it open.
The heavy hinges groaned.
The door swung wide.
A grand hall lay beyond.
At its center sat a single chair.
And on that chair sat Ryo, one hand propping up his cheek.
Kenon's throat went dry.
"…Ryo Yagami."
Across from them, Ryo crossed one leg over the other and smiled pleasantly.
"Welcome, gentlemen, to the world of dreams."
.
.
.