Fuyuki City was a coastal city, with a great river named Miyakawa flowing through its heart and into the sea.
Not far from the park stood a long steel bridge stretching across the river, connecting the two districts.
Dawn was just beginning to break.
Bluebeard stood atop the water's surface, his magic tome open in hand. He chanted eerie incantations with focused intensity—like a sorcerer from the Dark Ages. Just hearing him would send chills down anyone's spine.
He was summoning a Sea Demon.
That was the function of the grimoire in his hand. Its "magical core" effect allowed him to bypass the caster's own mana limitations and directly summon and control monstrous entities from the deep sea to unleash devastating magic.
In their earlier skirmish, Bluebeard had quickly realized how terrifying Garp's speed and strength were. His usual aquatic summons likely wouldn't even be able to catch up, let alone withstand that monstrous punch…
Bluebeard clasped the grimoire shut.
From the misty haze, the deep blue waters beneath him began to boil. A multitude of sea monsters emerged beneath his feet. One by one, mucus-covered tentacles burst forth, winding around him.
Tentacles tangled and fused together, wrapping him in a cocoon, until he was entirely submerged in a grotesque, fleshy mass. A nauseating stench filled the air.
He burst into maniacal laughter, shrill and frenzied.
"Ryuunosuke, my dear Master—soon, you'll witness the most beautiful masterpiece of all!"
"Oh arrogant gods, oh merciless deities—!"
---
Meanwhile…
Garp had no idea what was happening over at Miyakawa.
In a 24-hour fast food joint, he was devouring mountains of food like a man possessed, shoveling tray after tray of dishes into his mouth.
The staff were completely stunned.
Was this guy even human?
It was like his stomach led to another dimension—he downed dozens of plates and still showed no signs of slowing down.
Sakura sat quietly next to him, taking small, dainty bites. She barely drew any attention.
Ryuunosuke, on the other hand, stared at Garp with eyes glowing with fanaticism.
So strong…! He's truly a divine masterpiece!
If such a being were to die… what would his intestines look like when pulled out? Would they differ from ordinary humans…?
"Hahaha, delicious! Hey, shopkeep—bring me another round of everything I just had!"
Garp wiped his mouth and let out a hearty laugh.
Experiencing this world's cuisine filled him with genuine joy.
He reached over and gently ruffled Sakura's hair.
"You can't just eat that little—you're still growing."
"…," Sakura didn't reply, but her eyes narrowed slightly like a content little cat.
Maybe she was tired from being up all night—or maybe she was just used to it.
Suddenly, a distant roar rumbled through the air—mixed with screams and blaring car horns.
Still sipping his porridge, Garp turned his head—and nearly spat it out.
"A Sea King?!"
Between the high-rise buildings of dawn, a massive creature—easily hundreds of meters tall—was crawling rapidly through the city.
It looked like a gargantuan, multicolored squid, but its entire body was covered with countless writhing tentacles dripping with foul slime. Eyes blinked all over its skin and limbs.
It was like a Deep Sea Demon straight out of myth.
As it crawled, it crushed buildings beneath it. Tentacles shot out like bullets, snatching screaming civilians and tossing them into its body. It even grabbed parked cars and swallowed them whole.
It devoured all life with mindless greed.
Screams.
Crying.
Even the fast food staff dropped their trays in shock.
But this… wasn't a Sea King.
Garp's expression turned cold.
Sea Kings were dangerous, sure—but they usually stayed offshore. They wouldn't storm inland to massacre people indiscriminately.
Besides… this thing wasn't quite the size of a real Sea King. It looked more like a supersized sea beast.
"Whatever you are… if you're interrupting my meal with my granddaughter—then I'm ending you right now."
Garp picked up his white Navy cloak and ruffled Sakura's hair again.
"Sakura, wait here for a bit. I'll take care of this big guy, then we'll continue eating…
And you! Shopkeep! Stop gawking and get more food ready!"
With a booming laugh, Garp marched out of the restaurant.
His white coat fluttered behind him—emblazoned with one word:
Justice!
---
Even after Garp left, Ryuunosuke stood still, staring blankly at the raging sea monster in the distance.
He could feel it—Bluebeard was inside that thing.
A twisted smile crept across Ryuunosuke's face, like a child unwrapping their favorite present.
"So cool…! Just watching people getting crushed, turned into mush… organs splattering, blood spraying—
It's the greatest form of art! Boss, you're the coolest!"
Yes.
This guy was a complete psychopath.
Nawaki couldn't help but shudder as he glanced at Ryuunosuke's ecstatic expression.
He didn't value life much himself—he could watch Reincarnators destroy entire worlds without blinking.
But he definitely didn't enjoy killing.
He thought to himself:
Would someone like this—who views murder as art—thrive in the system?
Before he could reach a conclusion—
BANG!
A gunshot rang out.
Ryuunosuke froze.
Looking down, he saw a bullet had pierced his chest. Blood flowed freely.
Yet his lips curled into a morbid smile.
"So… it was here all along.
I kept searching, but it was always inside me…
Heh… I finally found it… the most vivid shade of red…"
As Ryuunosuke's life faded—
A tall, gaunt man in a black suit stepped out of the fast food restaurant, holstering his pistol.
On the back of his hand gleamed a crimson Command Seal—a sign of a Master in the Holy Grail War.
"To think I'd encounter another participating magus here…
That youth must have been the Master of the Caster who summoned that thing."
He looked into the distance at the rampaging monster, eyes dark and sharp.
Something didn't sit right with him.
From the side, Nawaki smiled.
Just as planned, all the magi and their Servants were gradually being drawn toward Garp—subtly influenced by him, even without them realizing it.
This was a different use of the Disguise Function.
It couldn't alter memories, but it could subtly steer people's thoughts—nudging them to head toward a certain location without conscious reason.
The Lord God System couldn't just watch the story unfold.
It had to control it—to seize the narrative and shape everything to its will.
~~~
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Remove the parentheses btw