"That's enough, then. Goodbye, everyone. I enjoyed our conversation, but for the time being, I have no interest in continuing to play with you."
"But..."
Seeing that the boy holding the magic wand was about to leave, Serafall hurriedly tried to stop him. No matter what it took, she had to reclaim the position of Leviathan for the Underworld.
But the instant she spoke, the boy's placid gaze swept toward her, and Serafall involuntarily fell silent.
His eyes were gentle and calm, without the slightest trace of arrogance. They were so serene that they hardly seemed to belong to the world's strongest being.
It was just that there was no place for her within them.
Serafall had no intention of humiliating herself any further. If the world's strongest had no desire to speak with her, then no amount of skill in conversation would help. She had nothing to work with. If she kept pushing, everyone present might end up dying here today.
Cid was mildly surprised when Serafall chose not to continue. Judging by the atmosphere a moment ago, he had thought she might fail to understand his warning and insist on throwing her life away.
That would have put him in a difficult position. After all, he was at least acquainted with Sona Sitri. If her sister's reckless behavior caused Sona Sitri and Serafall to be separated by death, he had a feeling Sona would cry terribly.
For Rias and President Sona's sake, consider yourself lucky to have survived, Serafall.
To be fair, Cid generally ignored most schemes directed against him. But if someone insisted on rushing over to offer up their head, then he would have no choice but to accept it with tears in his eyes.
He knew that most factions had already drawn up internal plans to "eliminate Shadow." Sometimes, while taking a walk past their conference rooms, he could even overhear their leaders discussing them. As long as they did not wave those plans in his face, however, he simply treated them as jokes.
This time, for his friends' sake, he would pretend he knew nothing.
If Serafall tried to avenge the female Devil he had killed the next time they met, then he could at least say he had shown her every possible courtesy.
Speaking of which... what did I come here for again?
As the thought crossed his mind, Cid noticed Epsilon and Aya Tokoyogi half kneeling on the ground, their faces full of excitement and adoration. Behind them lay the unconscious Yuuma Tokoyogi, her presence suppressed so completely that no one noticed her.
A flash of realization struck him, and his pupils widened slightly.
...Right. I came to find Epsilon and the others so I could return Yuuma Tokoyogi to them.
Remembering why he had come, Cid's mouth twitched.
He had almost forgotten the entire reason for being here.
"My Lord, do you have any orders for me?"
"Your Majesty, is there anything you require of this one?"
Cid had suddenly stopped in front of Epsilon and Aya Tokoyogi. After a moment of surprise, they both assumed he had some task for them, and their faces immediately lit up with excitement and anticipation.
"..."
Cid stared at the two of them in exasperation. He wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but he was too tired to bother.
Instead, he snapped his fingers, and Yuuma Tokoyogi appeared before them.
"Yuuma Tokoyogi? Why is she here?!"
Epsilon's pale purple eyes widened as she stared at Yuuma Tokoyogi in astonishment.
She had already assumed that the girl, whom the Cult of Diablos had used as a vessel for an "Old Testament Devil," was dead.
After all, if a human body were forced to contain the terrifying power of an Old Testament Devil, it would probably dissolve and become part of the Devil in an instant. This was the assimilation of a lower form of existence by a higher power. There should have been no way to reverse it.
This... this...
As expected of my Lord!
Even against such a terrifying enemy and such an impossible power, he had managed to rescue someone who was already as good as dead.
The idea that her invincible Lord could destroy the world with a single finger was no joke. It was simply one of the world's fundamental truths!
Epsilon gazed at the boy before her with worshipful eyes. Even though she knew this was merely another miracle he had casually created, she instinctively clasped her hands before her chest as endless reverence and affection for her Lord surged through her heart.
"My... daughter? You would save even a Witch such as her?"
"As expected, Your Majesty. You are the Savior of Witches we have waited so long for. The names of us Witches shall be engraved upon the world alongside Your Majesty's glory."
Aya Tokoyogi's reaction was even more exaggerated than Epsilon's. She looked ready to tear out her own heart on the spot to prove her devotion to Cid.
As Yuuma Tokoyogi's creator, Aya Tokoyogi understood her daughter's identity and nature better than anyone.
An android whose very existence theoretically defiled the domain of life had never been granted even the slightest degree of human rights. That was especially true of an android created for an evil purpose by having the bloodline of a Witch implanted within her.
Even Aya Tokoyogi herself had always regarded the girl who was nominally her daughter as little more than a disposable tool.
Yuuma's bloodline had only been implanted so that she could control Aya's Guardian. The entire purpose of her existence was to free Aya from captivity. Under those circumstances, the most Aya would have done was overlook Yuuma's existence in gratitude for rescuing her.
What Aya Tokoyogi had never expected was that, even in a world where androids were generally considered inferior to ordinary people, His Majesty would still choose to save Yuuma Tokoyogi rather than allow her to perish together with that Seated Angel.
How could she not be moved?
No matter how much confidence Aya Tokoyogi had in the Emperor she worshiped, she could not imagine that rescuing Yuuma Tokoyogi from inside the body of a rampaging, collapsing Seated Angel had been easy.
One only had to consider how many times the world-ending disaster had returned. Even someone as powerful as His Majesty had been forced to wait until the final moment before defeating the Seated Angel, seizing victory, and preventing the destruction of the world.
In a battle where every second mattered, the difficulty of locating Yuuma Tokoyogi within the Seated Angel's immense body was unimaginable.
Yet even under such dangerous circumstances, His Majesty had still succeeded.
It was simply, simply, simply too wonderful!
Aya Tokoyogi gazed at the boy before her with longing and reverence, utterly captivated by his greatness. For the first time, she truly felt the special favor this being showed toward Witches.
She had already learned of it through the crystal ball she had left outside the Prison Barrier, but only after witnessing it for herself could Aya Tokoyogi say with absolute certainty that her Emperor was the Savior for whom all Witches had been waiting.
"...Take good care of her."
Their astonishing reactions left Cid bewildered for several seconds. Unable to understand what kind of madness had seized them this time, he fell silent before finally stating his original purpose for coming.
Seriously, he had only come here to drop someone off and happened to ask one extra question. How had the situation spiraled into this?
Not that it seemed particularly bad at the moment.
It felt amazing, so that was good enough!
"As you command, My Lord!"
"We will not disappoint Your Majesty!"
Listening to Epsilon and Aya Tokoyogi flatter him one after the other, and feeling the reverent gazes of everyone around him, Cid wondered for the first time whether he might enjoy himself a little before revealing his identity.
He could consider it making use of otherwise wasted resources.
Of course, it was only a passing thought. He could not allow himself to set that precedent, not even once.
He wanted to become an Eminence in Shadow, not an emperor who spent every day processing documents like an overworked corporate drone.
As he thought that, Cid suddenly sensed something.
He raised his head toward the night sky. His black eyes seemed to peer through the scattered stars and glimpse something interesting, and a trace of delight appeared in them.
"My Lord?"
Noticing that Cid had suddenly stopped, Epsilon spoke without thinking.
"It's nothing. I just saw someone I dislike, who happens to be very good at running away, suffer a little misfortune..."
The corners of Cid's mouth rose. He chuckled softly, shook his head, and offered a casual explanation.
Then he raised his hand and snapped his fingers, disappearing from the spot in an instant.
"I'll let you go this time. The next time we meet, we'll settle our score."
The white figure vanished, leaving only those casual words echoing behind him.
Hearing them, Epsilon frowned in confusion.
"Forget it. Since My Lord doesn't seem concerned, it probably isn't anything serious..."
She had no idea who this irritating person who was good at running away might be, but judging by her Lord's relaxed attitude, Epsilon doubted it would cause any real trouble.
After all, even someone as useless as her had been carried this far and practically spoon-fed by her Lord the entire way.
"In that case, Chi, Omega, take Yuuma Tokoyogi and prepare to leave... Are you coming with us?"
Epsilon casually glanced at the other onlookers, then narrowed her eyes at Aya Tokoyogi, who had just stolen the spotlight from her. Her invitation was delivered in a distinctly unfriendly tone.
"Of course. Yuuma is still this one's daughter in theory. Besides, this one must properly teach her junior what it means to respect her Senpai."
Aya Tokoyogi smiled calmly, acting as though she had not noticed the rejection in Epsilon's voice at all, and readily accepted the invitation.
"Tsk..."
Epsilon clicked her tongue in displeasure but said nothing. She merely gestured for her two subordinates and Aya Tokoyogi to follow her.
Aya Tokoyogi did not take offense. She simply turned toward the spot where she had left Natsuki Minamiya tied up.
Then she froze.
The pillar she had hastily created to restrain Natsuki Minamiya had vanished, leaving behind only a trail of heavy footprints.
Aya tightened her grip on the paper fan in her hand until its ribs creaked and twisted.
She wanted to chase after her dear friend immediately and capture her again, but when she looked toward Epsilon, who was already about to disappear from sight, she could only exhale in frustration and turn away.
...
Deep within the darkness of the Dimensional Gap, a series of impacts rang out.
Spiderweb cracks spread across what had previously been an empty expanse of perfect darkness. The fractures grew wider and wider until, with a sharp shattering sound, the void burst apart.
A vast and imposing crimson Dragon emerged from the opening.
"ROAR!!!"
A furious roar erupted from the crimson Dragon's jaws and echoed throughout the Dimensional Gap.
Having finally returned home, Great Red stretched out its enormous body and began soaring through the empty space once more.
"Drip, drip..."
As Great Red unfurled its body and flew through the Dimensional Gap, bright red blood continuously ran from the gaps between its scales and scattered into the void.
As the heavy bloodwater gradually drained away, the dragon's body, which had swollen to several times its normal size, shrank considerably. Charred flesh was exposed beneath its hard scales.
The blackened wounds repeatedly closed and tore open again. Scalding dragon blood, different from the bloodwater coating its body, poured from the ruptured injuries and mixed with it.
Great Red felt intense pain flare across its body from time to time, but it said nothing and simply continued flying through the void.
The wounds looked severe, but with a Dragon's vitality and regenerative abilities, they were not truly dangerous.
The bloodwater would continue inflicting damage, but it had no source and would eventually run dry. At most, Great Red would need a few more days to recover.
So there was nothing to worry about.
The instant that thought crossed its mind, Great Red's wings suddenly stopped.
Its enormous body nearly fell from the Dimensional Gap, and the abrupt movement caused its wounds to split open once more.
Great Red ignored the worsening injuries and stared warily toward the mortal world.
A moment ago, it had sensed someone looking at it.
The gaze was intense and carried a trace of disgust, but that was not what mattered.
What mattered was that the owner of that gaze was powerful. Far too powerful for Great Red to face in its current condition.
Fortunately, something seemed to have prevented the owner of that gaze from immediately coming after it.
Otherwise, Great Red would have had no choice but to flee once more into the deepest reaches of the Dimensional Gap.
...
In a secluded corner of Itogami Island, Cao Cao pulled the Longinus from the body of the escaped prisoner before him.
Bright red blood sprayed through the air, staining the purple robe draped over his shoulders.
"Done. That's a wrap!"
At Cao Cao's words, Siegfried glanced at him, then silently stepped forward and sent the prisoner who had escaped from the Prison Barrier back where he belonged.
"That should be the last one, right? Your big sister is completely exhausted."
Jeanne could not help sighing as she watched Siegfried walk away.
"According to the information provided by the Witch of the Void, that was the last one."
Georg nodded as he recalled the prisoners they had captured along the way.
"All right, everyone. We've fulfilled our promise to the Witch of the Void. I'm sure she'll understand. Let's go."
"But Cao Cao, the Dragon Eater is gone, and something has happened to the Infinite Dragon God as well. We need to find a way to revise the plan."
Georg stopped Cao Cao and pointed out the problem after reviewing their strategy.
Cao Cao immediately felt a headache coming on.
The Infinite Dragon God's "Infinity" was essential to his plan, and he had indeed managed to secure it. The problem was that Shadow's appearance at the crucial moment had never been part of the plan.
Now they needed to find a replacement for Ophis.
"Everyone, I believe you may require some assistance."
A mechanical voice suddenly rang out, jolting Cao Cao from his thoughts.
After looking around, he lowered his gaze to the cell phone in his pocket.