The setting sun had already sunk halfway beneath the horizon. Over the vast blue sea, a black figure walked across the water, drawing a faint black line in her wake.
After circling several times, she stopped where the waves churned violently. She turned one slender hand upward, and streams of white Qi coiled around her body.
Beneath the shadow's feet, the restless sea began to move under her control. The waves shifted and parted, forming a small abyss that rapidly widened.
In moments, the abyss had expanded to roughly sixty meters across. There, a humanoid lifeform in one-armed white armor appeared before the black silhouette, posed as if swimming while carrying a monkey-like man.
"Huh? Kuroka? What are you doing here?"
Freed from the water, the figure in white armor removed his helmet and looked at the cat-eared woman in confusion.
"I rescued Le Fay and Arthur, but I didn't see you anywhere, so I asked the Infinite Dragon God for your location and came here specifically to fish you out. What happened to you guys? Why are you in such a miserable state?
"I heard you ran into Cao Cao and his group, but that still doesn't make sense. Even if you were short-handed and really couldn't beat them, Cao Cao's side shouldn't have been able to defeat all of you, Fenrir included."
Using Senjutsu to pull Vali and the others from the sea, Kuroka rose into the air while keeping several meters away from the seawater dripping off them, then carried them toward Itogami Island.
"Vali and I did run into Cao Cao, but it wasn't just them. We were fighting Cao Cao's group just fine at first, then some lunatic suddenly showed up and said we were destroying the surrounding environment. After that, he beat both me and Vali up."
Lying on Vali's back, Bikou answered before Vali could even speak.
"Hah. What kind of lunatic is that ridiculous, beating all of you up, Fenrir included?"
Remembering the sorry state Le Fay, Arthur, and Fenrir had been in when she found them on the island, Kuroka Toujou found Bikou's stubborn attitude rather amusing.
"It was the Child of God, the one who performed on the top floor of the Keystone Gate the night before last. Kuroka, you were on the island too. You should have seen it."
"You mean Roy, the Holy Son whose performance of 'Moonlight' made him famous across the world, and whom the Church has now practically acknowledged as the Child of God?"
The moment Vali said that, Kuroka Toujou understood who he meant. The commotion that night had been far too huge. Two moons in the sky, endless darkness, Holy Light illuminating the world. As long as you had eyes, there was no way you could have missed it.
"That's him. When he appeared on his own, I was actually pretty excited. The God of the Bible has been dead for so long, and then someone whom a powerhouse on Shadow's level called the Child of God suddenly appeared. It stirred up the regret I'd buried deep down back then."
A look of reminiscence crossed Vali's face. For a battle maniac like him, fighting stronger opponents was the one pursuit that would never change. That was why, when he learned the God of the Bible had died in the ancient war, he had been dejected for a long time. Now that he had abruptly learned of the Child of God's existence, how could he not be excited?
With his blood running hot, Vali had ignored Cao Cao entirely, lifted his Longinus, and charged straight at the Child of God. As for the result...
Recalling the miserable state of his teammates, with Le Fay merely knocked unconscious while Fenrir, Vali, Bikou, and Arthur had each ended up worse than the last, Kuroka Toujou could guess how Vali and the others had fared against Roy without needing to ask.
"Ah, looks like we'll need to prepare to face this legendary figure. Vali, how strong do you think the Child of God is? Does he have any flaws in combat? For example, is he bad with speed or grappling?"
Kuroka Toujou suddenly remembered that Roy, the Child of God, seemed to be an enemy of Shadow, the new boss she had only just acknowledged yesterday, so she instinctively began fishing for information.
It might sound a little paranoid, but Kuroka Toujou felt her reaction was perfectly normal. Information on the world's top five was scarce, but not completely nonexistent. Information on Roy, the Child of God, however, was practically zero.
Right now, the major factions only knew that Roy had first appeared on Itogami Island during a major incident involving the lives of people across three cities, and that he had dispersed a moon formed entirely from Magical Power simply by playing a piano piece, returning its power to the world and lifting the curse.
Even his identity as the so-called Child of God only became known because Shadow, who had appeared out of nowhere, mentioned it in passing. Aside from that, the only piece of information anyone could find was one of the urban legends, the "helpful handsome boy."
Although everyone knew Roy must have some kind of connection to the Church, most people were well aware that even the Church itself only had a vague understanding of him.
If the two sides truly knew each other, the Church's Joker would never have been so desperate that he directly blockaded Itogami Island and captured Devils, nearly sparking a war between the two factions.
As for Roy's current status as the "Holy Son"... if someone could save three cities at once and protect the lives of at least several hundred thousand residents, then forget the title of Holy Son. As long as he was willing to join Heaven, they would probably even grant him the same status and rank as a Seraph.
As for the title Child of God... to be honest, although Shadow had said it himself, the Church's God had died back in ancient times, so the Church had only tacitly accepted the title.
"He's absurdly strong. He only needed one look to understand, imitate, and strengthen both my and Arthur's weapon abilities. His Magical Power is even more terrifying and concentrated than mine, and his physical ability can go head-to-head with Fenrir. Where did this top-tier, all-around battle mage even come from?!"
As he complained about the terrifying abilities Cid had displayed in their fight, Vali's expression darkened on the spot. The strongest White Dragon Emperor had been crushed by someone using the power of halving.
"Then how did you survive?"
Kuroka Toujou blinked and looked at Vali and the others suspiciously. From the way they described it, it did not sound like they had escaped on their own.
"He never intended to kill us."
Vali spoke in a low voice, his eyes filled with anger. The White Dragon Emperor ability he took the most pride in had been crushed by someone else, and he had only survived because of the enemy's mercy. For someone as proud as him, either fact was more painful than death.
Seeing that Vali was in a bad state, Kuroka and Bikou tactfully did not go over and say anything. For now, it was better to let Vali come back to his senses on his own.
"Vali, don't get discouraged. That guy may understand my ability to some extent, but I was the first one to wield this power. As long as I spend a little time studying it, whatever tiny advantage he has will be overtaken soon enough."
"And you, Vali, are the White Dragon Emperor acknowledged by me, Albion. Under my guidance, you'll surpass that so-called Child of God, Roy, in no time."
A faint glimmer flashed across the sapphire on the chest of Vali's white armor, and the voice of Albion, one of the Ancient Two Heavenly Dragons, rang out of nowhere. The three people around him, however, were long used to it.
"Yo, Albion. You're awake."
Vali calmly greeted the spirit of his Longinus, then turned his gaze down toward the sea below, completely ignoring Albion's boasting.
"Hey, Vali, what's that supposed to mean? Are you saying you don't trust me? I'm telling you..."
Everyone tacitly ignored Albion as he kept chattering away. They all knew the pride of a dragon like Albion would never allow him to back down.
"Hmm?"
As Kuroka Toujou carried the heavily injured Vali swiftly over the sea, she suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise. She stopped, closed her eyes to sense something for a moment, then opened them again.
"The concealment barrier I set up around Le Fay, Arthur, and the others... someone broke it!"
Kuroka Toujou quickly understood what had happened and cried out. Bikou and the others, who had turned their heads after hearing her, exchanged glances with her.
"What?!"
"Don't overreact. The power used to attack the barrier wasn't that strong. With Arthur's strength, he should be able to defeat them easily... What's with those faces?"
As she spoke, Kuroka Toujou glanced at Vali and the others beside her, only to find Vali turning to look at Bikou on his back. The two were staring at each other with strange expressions.
"Arthur... isn't in his normal condition right now. He might not be able to beat those attackers."
Vali had only passed out at the very end, so he knew exactly what debuff had been placed on Arthur. In that state, the amount of strength Arthur could bring out was...
"Then should I head back now? But what about you guys?"
Kuroka did not ask for the details. It was most likely some curse or debuff that weakened him, so she moved on to the more pressing issue.
"Sigh. Go save Arthur and the others first. Delta is still on the island, but if you're not there, no one can tell her where to go."
"As for us, Kuroka, give me the Phoenix Tears you have on you. For some reason, everything Bikou and I stored in the alternate dimension vanished without a trace. With the Phoenix Tears' effects, Bikou and I should be able to swim back to the island by evening."
"Tsk. You'll pay me back with the same amount of Phoenix Tears later. I keep these to save my own life, you know."
After grumbling at Vali, Kuroka still took two vials of medicine from her kimono sleeve and tossed them to Vali and the others. Then, with currents of air surging around her, she flew toward Itogami Island at an incredible speed.
The moment Kuroka Toujou's Senjutsu stopped supporting them, Vali and Bikou plunged into the sea, sending a huge spray of water into the air.
They did not panic. In the water, Vali quickly split the two vials of Phoenix Tears with Bikou, then swallowed his share in one gulp. His severed right arm began to grow back.
"I knew the effect would be reduced, but it barely restored anything. At this rate, I seriously don't think we'll make it to Itogami Island!"
Feeling the small amount of Magical Power he had recovered, Bikou could not help complaining.
...
The sun was setting in the west, already half-hidden beyond the horizon. Beside the scene that had been sealed off by security personnel, pedestrians glanced over a few times before hurrying away to avoid trouble.
On the street where people kept passing by, a pink-haired girl stood beneath a tree, occasionally looking around with worry on her face.
"Sherry! What... are you doing here?"
Cid had just finished dealing with the gold coins that had dropped from Vali and the others. Returning with the mindset of a criminal checking his own crime scene, he stared at Sherry in shock.
"Waiting for you, Cid."
When Sherry finally saw Cid appear, her eyes lit up and she smiled.
"Didn't we agree earlier that you'd show me around all of Itogami Island today?"
With her hands folded in front of her, Sherry kept that warm, springlike smile on her face as she slowly walked over to Cid.
"So you waited until now?"
No matter how you looked at it, getting caught up in an attack like this should have ended their plans for the day!
"Because... I was really looking forward to this trip with you, Cid."
Sherry said something outrageous as if it were perfectly natural, then quietly took Cid's right hand in hers.
Nee-san, why do I feel like she's actually flirting with me?!
Feeling Sherry's soft palm, Cid's eyes widened as he stared at her, mentally reviewing what part of him could possibly have attracted her.
"Hahaha, please don't flatter me. There's nothing worth looking forward to about walking around with an ordinary guy like me, someone plain, weak, and barely noticeable."
"Don't say that. The way you rushed over to save me just now was incredibly cool."
Case closed!
"That's just an illusion caused by the suspension bridge effect, Sherry. You need to learn to distinguish your true feelings."
"I know exactly what I'm feeling, Cid..."
Sensing the small hand slip out of his and hearing her footsteps suddenly stop, Cid halted and turned back to look at Sherry in confusion.
"Phew..."
Slightly embarrassed, Sherry smoothed her pink hair with her hand and let out a breath. Her beautiful eyes, the same color as her hair, met Cid's gaze.
"I had a wonderful time with you today, Cid."
"Hmm... To be honest, we barely went anywhere today."
"But I was still happy."
A watery sheen flickered in her beautiful pink eyes. Sherry smiled brightly, with a sense of openness and ease.
"It's a pity... happy times are always limited. I have to go back now, Cid."
A tear appeared at the corner of Sherry's eye, but she only pressed her lips together and smiled.
"But today was the happiest day of my life. I'm sure I'll remember what happened today until the day I die."
"It's just... I still have so many regrets. I met you far too late, Cid."
"Why are you making it sound like we're parting forever? We got delayed by other things today, so can't we just make up for it on Saturday or Sunday?"
"No..."
Sherry sighed regretfully and turned to look at the setting sun.
"I have to leave. I don't have much time left to stay here."
"You're going back? That really is a bit of a shame."
So that was it. She only came to Itogami Island for a short visit, and she was leaving tomorrow?
"Then I'll see you off when the time comes."
"Mm-hmm."
With a soft laugh, Sherry shook her head, then took a few steps toward Cid. She lifted his hand, took out a ring, and slipped it onto his finger.
"Sherry, what is this?"
"A farewell gift. Make sure you wear it, okay?"
A ring as a gift...
"I'll take good care of this ring, but Sherry, does this mean..."
"Do you remember when we agreed to start as friends? This is my gift to my best friend."
Sherry, I'm glad you weren't affected by the suspension bridge effect, but what kind of friend gives a ring?
"Goodbye, Cid."
Cid wanted to retort, but seeing that Sherry had already turned and started walking away, he could only call out while tossing something toward her.
"Here, chocolate!"
"...Thank you. I really like this farewell gift."
Sherry smiled faintly. Then they turned their backs to each other and stepped away. This time, Sherry did not look back.