Early morning on October 1st, Year 630 of the Four Saints Calendar.
The location was the naval port city of Sonail in the Ruldain Federation.
Soldiers were boarding the warships floating in the sea one after another.
Nearby, several parliament members and high-ranking military officers stood in orderly rows. They watched the fleet's departure in silent salute.
Everyone present shared the same hardened resolve, even as their expressions stayed tense.
To take back Kyokuto from the Demon Lord's grasp.
Gunnar Shuterun, Chairman of the Ruldain Federation, watched the scene from a short distance away with cold eyes.
"…Late."
As he muttered quietly, footsteps approached from behind him.
When he turned around, a lovely-looking girl with red hair swaying in the sea breeze walked over, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
She was Luari Vert, *Incinerator*, Third Seat of the Cyclamen Cult.
"I still got here pretty early."
Luari replied grumpily, stifling a yawn as she stared up at the sky above the harbor.
"More importantly, why did you put up a teleportation-blocking barrier? I ended up having to move the long way."
"…Teleportation-blocking barrier?"
Gunnar narrowed his eyes.
"We have not deployed any such barrier. The harbor's defensive barrier is operating normally."
"Hmm. Then whose work was it?"
Luari shrugged, looking bored.
Gunnar thought for a moment and changed the subject.
"If there are issues with long-distance teleportation, we will look into it on our end. For now, departure comes first."
Right as he spoke, five sets of light, orderly footsteps rang out. Five boys and girls who had only recently become adults stood there, wearing red cloaks. A faint dark light lingered in their still somewhat childish eyes.
"What's with these kids?"
Luari frowned openly.
"They are the ones who conquered the Great Labyrinth to the east. I had them accompany this military dispatch as my 'eyes.'"
The boys and girls all gave silent bows in unison.
Luari slid her gaze over them without interest and yawned again.
"Same as always."
Gunnar suppressed a sigh.
"I would appreciate it if you at least listened seriously while I explain the mission."
"Listening seriously is exhausting. This body burns through energy fast. I'll only take it seriously if it's exciting enough to blow all the fatigue away."
Luari answered casually.
At that moment, a military officer with gold braid on his shoulder boards approached quickly. He was the admiral in charge of this voyage.
"Mr. Chairman. All ships are ready for departure."
The officer clicked his heels and saluted with a fist to his chest.
"Very well."
Gunnar put on the mask of Federation Chairman and responded, then gave his order.
"Put these six on the flagship. They are under my direct command."
"Yes, sir. However—"
The officer hesitated, his face clouding over.
The next instant, his eyes lost focus and grew hazy, as if covered by a thin mist.
"…Understood."
After a brief pause, the officer tightened his expression and changed his mind.
"What is your mission?"
Gunnar asked as if testing him.
The corners of the officer's mouth slowly lifted.
"To destroy the Demon Lord. No matter how many comrades we lose, even if we turn Kyokuto into a sea of flames, we will carry out this plan to the end."
There was not a single trace of hesitation in his voice.
Gunnar nodded in satisfaction.
The words did not match the noble cause of the expedition, which was framed as 'saving an allied nation.' What he said was clearly inappropriate.
Following the admiral, Luari and the five others boarded the warship.
A ship's whistle sounded, and the anchor was raised. The flagship turned and the rest formed up behind it. The fleet sliced through the sea, leaving multiple wakes behind.
The parliament members and high officials simply watched in silence, saluting as they saw them off.
◇
Gunnar watched the fleet for a while, then turned on his heel.
He headed straight to a building just outside the naval port.
He quietly opened the door to a room with thick curtains blocking the daylight. Inside, a woman sitting on a long chair pressed her right eye, her face twisted in pain.
"…Sorry for pushing you so hard, Philly."
"Fufu. In the end, you still can't manage without me, can you?"
Even while enduring the pain, Philly did not forget her sarcasm. Her tone was light as usual, but her back was tense enough to strain her slender shoulders. She still could not fully control the evil god's magic power she had taken into herself.
Even so, she had applied **Recognition Rewrite** not only to the admiral earlier, but to the parliament members and high officials as well.
Inside Philly's right eye, the dark remnants of demonic power pulsed endlessly.
Gunnar stared at her for a moment, swallowing his words. Eventually he turned around and quietly closed the door.
As the heavy sound rang out, only a suffocating silence remained in the room.
Philly closed her eyes and let out a long breath.
"…Now then, what kind of chaos will you show me next?"
Her small murmur dissolved into the darkness without reaching anyone's ears.
◇
The Federation's warships steadily advanced eastward, slicing through the sea.
Soldiers took their positions, checked the rigging, and adjusted the magic engines, but their eyes kept being drawn to one spot.
Center of the deck.
There, a red-haired girl was sunbathing and taking an unguarded nap in broad daylight.
The devil who ruled over flames, *Incinerator* Luari.
The admiral had ordered, "Do not interfere with them in any way." Because of that, no one could call out to her. The soldiers continued their work while quietly wondering why a child was on this warship.
Eventually, ahead of the advancing fleet, a hazy shadow of land appeared beyond the mist. Their destination — Kyokuto.
The soldiers' expressions tightened and the air on deck grew tense.
At that moment, a sharp voice rang out from the lookout platform.
"Th-there's a person… on the sea!"
Everyone's eyes turned at once.
Beyond the waves, on the sunlit blue ocean, a silver-haired woman — Shion Nastachium — stood as if floating on the water's surface.
Her clear amber eyes stared straight at the fleet.