After finishing what could be considered an afternoon-tea lunch, the group walked out of the small restaurant. But unlike the happy expressions of the three women, Aiden and Dante looked a bit depressed.
They had eaten enough to be full, but it didn't feel satisfying.
"If a piece of beef were in front of me right now, I think I could still eat it. What about you, Aiden?"
Walking behind the three women, Dante nudged Aiden's shoulder with his elbow. The two hadn't known each other for long, but Dante talked a lot, was totally humorous, and always liked to crack incomprehensible jokes. It reminded Aiden of Leon.
"I feel like I could eat two pieces!" Aiden raised two fingers toward him. But because of the angle, Dante thought he was flipping him off.
Feeling provoked, Dante immediately held up three fingers. "Not the same now. I can eat three pieces. I got hungry the moment we stepped outside."
Looking at the serious face of Dante, Aiden tugged the corner of his mouth. "If I said I could eat four, would you just keep going up?"
"Of course." Dante said proudly, "A demon hunter never admits defeat."
"Great, hope what you're saying is true."
Aiden curled his lips and couldn't be bothered with him. But at that moment, Bayonetta, walking at the front, suddenly exclaimed, "Oh? There's actually a squirrel here."
As if to prove she wasn't mistaken, she grabbed the squirrel that hadn't managed to escape and turned to shake it at Aiden.
"Mr. Cat, if you're still not satisfied, let's roast it!"
Apparently understanding her words, the squirrel in her grasp struggled violently. But Bayonetta had it firmly by the scruff of its neck; there was no escape.
"Be good, Mr. Squirrel. Being eaten by Mr. Cat is your honor."
Bayonetta didn't care whether the squirrel had any spirit in it or not. The firmness in her eyes made it clear to everyone she wasn't joking in the slightest, which made the squirrel squeak in terror.
"Let me go!"
"Oh! Mr. Squirrel can talk!"
A young boyish voice sounded in everyone's ears. They could clearly hear the sound coming from the squirrel Bayonetta was holding.
"Of course I can talk, because I am… Anyway, hurry up and let me go."
Held by the scruff, the squirrel human-like crossed its arms and grumbled at Bayonetta.
"You say let go and I let go? Where's my pride then? But…"
Bayonetta didn't want to listen to his nonsense and simply threw the squirrel to the ground.
However, just as the squirrel thought it had survived, Bayonetta drew her gun, pointing the dark barrel straight at it.
"I've heard some Orientals say animals with spirit are a great tonic. Sorry, Mr. Squirrel."
"No…"
Facing the gun barrel, the squirrel's fur stood on end with fright. Then, a dazzling flash of light, suddenly the squirrel transformed into a hooded little boy.
"You little brat, who are you?"
Seeing her meal turn into a boy, Bayonetta instantly changed her tone. Beside her, Jeanne immediately drew her guns, flashing behind the boy and aiming at him.
"I am…"
Just as the boy was about to explain, a dim blue light flashed before them. A man wearing golden robes and a golden mask appeared in the air above.
Everyone noticed his arrival. Trish especially grew excited, this golden-masked man was the one she had met when she came out of the Gates of Hell.
But Bayonetta and Jeanne became alert. The golden-masked man gave them an oddly familiar feeling. Both witches immediately aimed their guns at him.
To them, the strange boy wasn't nearly as oppressive as this golden-masked man. They even felt he was far stronger than the Balder they had once defeated.
"Who are you?" Bayonetta asked loudly.
'He's your father, the real Balder!'
Aiden really wanted to say that. But seeing the demon hunter Dante also draw his greatsword and point it at Balder, Aiden quickly pressed down his hand.
"Don't act yet!"
The Balder before him was his real father-in-law, a lawful-good man through and through.
"What? He looks like an enemy!" Dante was displeased. He hadn't eaten well earlier and was itching to vent his frustration somewhere!
"He's not an enemy. Otherwise, he'd have already attacked us." Aiden shook his head.
Dante shot him a sideways glance, even more dissatisfied. "Then why don't you stop them?"
Aiden spread his hands. "Because I unconditionally support everything my wives do."
Dante was speechless.
Hearing those words, Balder, floating in midair, turned his gaze onto him. From under the mask, his eyes were full of scrutiny.
"Hey, masked guy too scared to show your face, I asked you a question. What's with staring at my man?" Bayonetta yelled again.
Balder had to withdraw his gaze. Still without speaking, he waved his hand and a magnificent golden double-tipped spear appeared in it.
Then he aimed the spear at the boy crouching on the ground with his head in his arms. Only then did he say, "This has nothing to do with you. My target is him."
"That won't do. This brat was caught by me, so he's our prisoner." Bayonetta aimed one gun at Balder, spun the other around in boredom, then stopped, both barrels pointing straight at him.
Balder looked deeply at Bayonetta, who looked almost identical to Rosa. He didn't reveal his identity. But as a father, he wanted to know just how much his daughter had grown over the years.
"In that case, I can only take him by force." A mocking voice came from under the mask. He pointed to the sky and snapped his fingers.
Snap!
A Gate of Heaven appeared above his head. As the holy chanting of a hymn resounded, the gate opened, and countless grotesque angelic monsters flapped their wings and poured out.
As a Lumen Sage with the Right Eye of Light, he could summon angels to fight for him, just as witches could summon demons.
"A Sage… how is that possible?"
Seeing this, Bayonetta and Jeanne were shocked. Wasn't the last Sage in the world the one they killed on Sun Island?
But now wasn't the time to think about that, because the angels, wielding sacred weapons, were already charging at them.
Seeing his father-in-law put on such a grand display, Aiden was speechless. From the look Balder had given him earlier, Balder had clearly recognized Bayonetta's identity. And now, in his normal state, why had things escalated into a fight so quickly?
But since it had begun, Aiden couldn't just sit and watch. He summoned his sword.
"Can't we not fight?"
Trish was probably the only one besides Aiden who least wanted to fight. She could sense that the golden-masked man calling himself a Sage was a good person, even capable of helping someone like her, with demon blood flowing in her veins. She cried out loudly.
But no one listened. Even Dante swung his greatsword, entering the Purgatory dimension and hacking at angels.
The shockwaves of battle quickly wreaked havoc on the town square. Luckily, it was afternoon rest time, when residents and tourists mostly stayed home for tea.
Few people were in the square, and when the abnormal phenomena began, those who were fled immediately. So there were no casualties.
Inside the Purgatory dimension, Aiden faced a tricky problem. For some reason, his opponent wasn't angels anymore, it was Balder.
Clearly, Balder had been focused only on Bayonetta earlier. But once Aiden joined the fight, Balder locked onto him alone, attacking with brutal force and no mercy.
Still, after unlocking the Devil Hunter profession and with that one's help, Aiden's power wasn't much weaker than Balder's Right Eye of Light. Only because he couldn't bring himself to go all out did he immediately fall into disadvantage.
Seeing him only defending and barely striking back, Bayonetta and Jeanne grew anxious. They wanted to help but were tied up fighting the many angels, unable to break free.
"You disappoint me, boy."
Balder, who had lived for countless years, was terrifyingly skilled. His exquisite spear techniques and effortless magic left Aiden battered. Shaking his head as he fought, Balder spoke.
When fighting Bayonetta earlier, his daughter's strength had already made him proud as a father. That's why he changed targets, he wanted to test whether the man she had chosen was capable of protecting her.
"I just didn't eat enough earlier. Otherwise, beating you would be easy."
Aiden made excuses. He couldn't exactly say, You're my father-in-law, that's why I'm holding back.
Balder, of course, didn't believe it. "That excuse doesn't hold water. Boy, show me your real skills. I know you haven't gone all out."
Blocking the spearpoint, Aiden shook his head. "That would only end up hurting you, sir."
Hearing this, Balder's heart stirred. He definitely didn't think Aiden was the bleeding-heart type who avoided hurting strangers. From those words, he caught another meaning.
'This boy definitely knows who I am.'
Having lived for so long, Balder was shrewd. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, but then he smiled. "So what if a man gets hurt? Scars are a man's badge of honor. Boy, if you can wound me, then I'll acknowledge you."
"Acknowledge me for what?" Aiden asked with a half-smile.
Balder didn't answer. He only glanced at Bayonetta. Then, activating the Right Eye of Light, a massive fist tore through space above Aiden's head, smashing down.
BOOM!
The fist slammed into the ground, blasting a deep crater and leaving the already-wrecked town square completely ruined.
But at the moment the fist appeared, Aiden had leapt into the air. Before landing, his Snake-Belly Sword extended endlessly, reaching nearly a hundred meters long. With a forceful swing, the crescent-like blade slashed at the giant fist.
Rip!
The divine armor covering the fist couldn't resist the sword's sharpness, tearing apart like paper. Even the angelic fist beneath was severed in one strike.
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