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"What's all the arguing about? You two do remember that members of the organization aren't allowed to fight each other, right? Even Kuu-chan can remember that." The childish voice came from the seat at the head of the table.
Resting her chin on one hand, Kurma shot Queen Halloween an irritated look. "If you want to fight, come outside with me. I've been in a pretty good mood lately. I've been wanting to see just how tough a Star Spirit's body really is."
Kurma and Krishna had never gotten along particularly well.
But for Queen Halloween to join Ouroboros only recently and immediately start causing trouble, while Kurma herself was present, was frankly embarrassing.
If she didn't say something, people might start thinking the World Dragon King was some harmless little girl.
She clicked her tongue, "Seriously. He's just a Four-Digit rule-breaker. Look at the two of you making such a fuss."
No one around the table responded.
Kurma could dismiss Four-Digit rule-breaker so casually because... She was Kurma.
No one else in the room had the confidence to do the same.
In the Lower Layers of Little Garden, Four-Digit rule-breakers represented the absolute ceiling of power.
Defeating one was possible.
Killing one? That was another matter entirely.
Since Little Garden's creation, not a single Four-Digit rule-breaker had ever truly been killed in the Lower Layers.
That was why Four-Digit rule-breakers were regarded as invincible in the Lower Layers. No one could afford to underestimate them.
And especially not one who possessed Another Cosmology.
That treasure was the greatest secret weapon possessed by every major pantheon. When fully unleashed, it could even contend with a Two-Digit for a brief time.
It was one of the very foundations upon which Little Garden stood.
So Krishna naturally disagreed. "Kurma. That boy from Arcadia can no longer be dismissed with a single sentence."
Her tone grew noticeably heavier. "In a sense... His very existence now threatens the order of the Lower Layers."
If Ryo abandoned all restraint and simply devoted himself to hunting Ouroboros members below, the organization's Lower-Layer forces would never know peace again.
And that future was entirely foreseeable.
A month ago, Ryo had merely been hostile toward Ouroboros.
Destroying one of their major strongholds and causing the disappearance of the executive Mithras could still be viewed as proportional retaliation.
He had attracted attention.
But since he hadn't revealed his true strength yet, no one had considered him especially dangerous.
That changed the moment he displayed Four-Digit rule-breaker combat power.
From then on, ignoring him was no longer an option.
And the slaves he'd just put up for auction... Those unique Spirit Ranks...
That wasn't merely hostility anymore. It was a direct provocation against Ouroboros.
One serious enough that it demanded a response. And even if responding meant exposing parts of Ouroboros that normally remained hidden.
That was precisely why Krishna had used Poseidon's failed assassination attempt as the pretext for calling today's meeting.
Yet before the discussion had even begun... Queen Halloween had declared her position. The situation had become delicate almost instantly.
"..."
Lakshmi quietly watched the exchange from the side.
She looked from Krishna... ...to Queen Halloween... then back again.
Even she hadn't expected things to escalate this quickly.
'If negotiations collapse... Queen Halloween against Ouroboros...'
'No... More likely, Queen Halloween and Algol joining forces against Ouroboros.'
'Two beings equivalent to two-Digits... Hiss~ Are they trying to tear Little Garden apart?'
Kurma blinked in confusion. "Threatening the order? Are you sure the dangerous one is Ryo... and not us?"
"..."
Krishna found herself momentarily speechless.
There really wasn't much to say.
Everyone present knew perfectly well who had caused most of Little Garden's chaos.
Since the Dawn Era, Ouroboros had been behind countless disasters.
From the destruction of the Little Garden Knights... to one colossal war after another.
Wherever there was turmoil, Ouroboros's shadow was usually somewhere nearby.
Compared to them... Ryo was barely an amateur.
"All right. I get your point." Kurma smiled expectantly. "So you want to eliminate Ryo."
Krishna nodded, "Correct."
As one of Ouroboros's supreme leaders, removing obstacles to the organization's goals was simply her responsibility.
To her, Ryo was merely another obstacle.
The moment Krishna confirmed it, Kurma's grin widened. "Then how exactly do you plan to deal with Algol after killing her man? Are you planning to fight Algol to the death?"
Silence.
Question marks practically appeared over everyone's heads.
...Her man? Algol's? Algol had found a boyfriend?
Lakshmi's eyes went wide. So did Poseidon's.
Both of them stared in complete disbelief.
"I tricked that information out of Shiro-chan." Kurma rested her chin in her hands, smiling innocently. "The source should be reliable enough. The truth is, that's why I came today. I meant to warn you. But then I saw everyone having a meeting... and forgot."
She tilted her head. "Oh, right. You already knew that... didn't you?"
"..."
Krishna didn't answer.
She simply sat there expressionless.
Motionless. Completely silent.
The idea that someone comparable to Two-Digit would personally protect Ryo... That possibility had never entered her calculations.
Every piece of intelligence suggested Ryo was nothing more than Algol's tool for escaping captivity. Who could have guessed their relationship had developed into this?
Come to think of it... Hadn't they only known each other for less than six months?
Six months was enough for this? Was Ryo Yagami some kind of legendary romantic?
Or did his Authority somehow involve love itself? Had he literally conquered Algol through sheer charm?
"Ara~ Ara~ So that's the relationship they have." Even Queen Halloween laughed.
She had also assumed Algol and Ryo weren't especially close. After all, nearly everyone among Little Garden's upper echelons knew that Ryo had once sold Algol out to a Buddhist faction.
Who would've imagined the two of them were actually lovers?
Could that whole incident have simply been a lovers' quarrel?
But whatever the truth was... This meeting clearly wasn't going according to plan.
Smiling brightly, Queen Halloween looked toward Krishna. "It seems this isn't just a disagreement between the two of us anymore."
Krishna remained silent.
The situation had become painfully simple.
Option one: Kill Ryo Yagami. Force Algol into an all-out war against Ouroboros across both the Upper and Lower Layers.
Option two: Do nothing. Allow Ryo Yagami to continue systematically purging Ouroboros from the Lower Layers.
A straightforward choice.
Krishna slowly closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, she had reached a decision.
A third option.
Looking around at the fifteen executives present, she spoke calmly.
"I have a mission." Her voice echoed through the temple.
"Invite Ryo Yagami to join Ouroboros."
.
.
.