A large blue vehicle proceeded with Barakiel at the wheel as he followed the instructions of the car's navigation system, into which the destination had been entered.
Alexandre was in the front passenger seat. The three people in the second row were Tobio, Sae, and Lavinia, while Natsume, Cao Cao, and Samejima were seated in the third row.
As for Jin and the other Independent Avatar-type Sacred Gears, Jin, being the only one with a large constitution, slipped into Tobio's shadow, Byakusa accompanied them inside the car, and Griffon appeared to be flying outside.
With the time to put their plans into action having arrived, all of them had prepared to intercept their enemies.
[I honestly can't believe you slept with Suzaku,] Albion's surprised voice echoed in Alex's mind.
The latter gave a slight smile. After his conversation with his cousin, he ended up sleeping with Suzaku before joining the others.
He couldn't help but recall the sensation of the priestess's body pressed against his, her soft body, those smooth lips against his. For a priestess, Suzaku had a body that would make even Fallen Angels jealous.
"I see no issue," Alexandre responded to his partner.
"She's your cousin!"
"So what?" Alex ignored Regulus's tone. "Haven't you heard the saying: God made cousins so you don't sleep with your sister?"
[You don't have a sister.]
"That's a mere detail."
The Dragon and the Lion gave up trying to instill any integrity in their partner and simply fell silent.
While driving the car, Barakiel asked a question.
"Have you looked at the material?"
The material in question was a file they had received while making preparations at the apartment complex.
Barakiel spoke.
"With all likelihood, in this case, the probability of exchanging blows with the remnants of the 'Utsusemi Agency,' the wizards, and the Sacred Gear users is extremely high."
Indeed, the recorded data was information about Sacred Gear users. There were even photos attached of the individuals.
It was the data on the Abyss Team.
Everyone nodded. After that, they continued in silence for a while. As they approached their destination, a sense of tension naturally began to grow inside the vehicle.
That's when it happened.
"Before we reach our destination, I'd like to tell a short story."
The one who broke the silence with these words was Lavinia.
As everyone listened attentively, she began to speak.
"…I was born in a coastal town in Italy."
She—Lavinia Reni—despite possessing a talent for magic, was not born into a genuine magician family. She was born into an ordinary family.
However, when she was born, she possessed a supernatural ability. From childhood, an ice doll had manifested by her side—the Longinus [Absolute Demise].
As a young girl, she knew nothing about it and feared the ice princess that no one but herself could see, calling it an 'Ice Demon.'
It was when she was about nine years old. A major incident happened to her.
—Her parents died in an accident.
For a nine-year-old girl, having gone through the death of her parents, she suffered greatly, even understanding the situation.
Since she, who always talked about the 'Ice Demon,' was considered strange by her relatives, it was difficult to find someone willing to take Lavinia in.
Lavinia narrated.
"For me, back then, compared to how I've been since, due to the loss of my dad and mom, I was deeply depressed—and I was enveloped by hatred for this 'Ice Demon.'"
In fact, because she had the impression that what had killed her parents was the 'Ice Demon.'
She felt resentment, hatred, and malice toward the 'Ice Demon' that never left her side. If observed by people who couldn't see anything, they could only perceive Lavinia as a troubled girl who raged loudly at the void.
Even for Lavinia herself, the memories of that time were quite vague.
Due to excessive sadness, excessive fear, and the enormous negative emotions she carried as a young girl, she sealed those memories in her own heart… or perhaps, in the Sacred Gear lodged in her body.
However, she clearly remembered this. Having gone for a walk in her home's garden, Lavinia experienced a sudden, strange sensation, and before she realized it—she was in a place with an unfamiliar landscape.
The place was surrounded by tall trees. Before she realized it, she found herself standing in a forest somewhere. Surprised, Lavinia began looking around, and what she saw was… a wooden structure like something out of a fairy tale. It was an old, isolated house with a slight roundness, like one where a witch might live.
Standing in front of the isolated house was an elderly woman with an ordinary smile. She wore a pointed hat and a cloak, held a staff, and had the appearance of a prototypical witch from a storybook.
The old woman spoke.
—Everything is alright now.
The elderly lady—the Witch of the South, Glenda, who was Lavinia's mentor—took her in and taught her how to handle her Sacred Gear, as well as how to deal with magic.
Upon meeting this kind teacher, Lavinia's heart, which had been sealed, gradually began to thaw.
Glenda, due to certain circumstances, had moved from the world of Oz to live in this world. Her goal was to study Sacred Gears.
Life in Glenda's forest was simple, and for Lavinia, it was a time of irreplaceable happiness.
It was there that Lavinia cultivated her talent for magic.
It happened when Lavinia was thirteen years old. Glenda suggested that Lavinia spend time outdoors with magicians of her generation.
In other words, it was Glenda's judgment that, if there were other magicians present in this world, she should cultivate relationships with them.
Shortly after, Glenda entrusted Lavinia to 'Grau Zauberer.' Lavinia suffered from being separated from Glenda, but beyond missing her teacher, she resolved to dedicate herself to studying at the magical association.
It was after she spent several years with 'Grau Zauberer.'
More bad news reached Lavinia.
Glenda was attacked by a witch who came from Oz.
"Having received that report, I returned to the forest that was my second hometown. However—"
The isolated house in the forest where she had spent so much time had been burned down, leaving only the charred ruins of a house behind.
Glenda's well-being was unknown; however, if it was only about the wizards who came from Oz, she knew how to track them.
Lavinia pursued the wizards, and in the midst of this, she became involved with the matter of the 'Utsusemi Agency' and the 'Four Fiends Project' the other day—
Natsume then asked.
"…So you're fighting to learn about your master's condition?"
"…They didn't give me a direct answer. Therefore, whether they went directly to Oz or remained in this world to continue meddling, either way, I decided to pursue them. To that end, as this is my situation, I'd like each of you to fulfill your own goals. I don't want to be a hindrance. Even if it's just me, I'll pursue them."
Saying this, Lavinia's expression, unlike her usual demeanor, displayed an attribute of coldness.
Upon learning of Lavinia's goal, silence swept through the vehicle for a brief moment.
"You don't need to worry," Alexandre was the first to break the silence. "We'll all help with everything we can."
"Alex is right," Tobio nodded. "We'll always help!"
The rest of the group nodded to the Ice Princess, who could only return a beautiful smile.
"Everyone, thank you so much."
.
.
.
.
.
The location they were heading toward was changing. The car had entered a valley, and the further they went, the fewer houses there were. It seemed even the road was getting slightly narrower…
The sun had already fallen from the sky, and darkness had set in.
According to the time displayed on the clock inside the car, it was 9:00 PM.
The dark road was illuminated by the van's high beams, but the world a little ahead was shrouded in darkness.
The number of trees in the vicinity increased, becoming a forest for the first time, until finally, they were traveling on a forest road.
Even with the cars, it was different, as the vehicles that had been passing earlier were no longer there.
"Wow… This certainly isn't a popular place."
While observing the situation outside the window, Natsume expressed some of her thoughts.
This van might have been akin to the coffin of a reckless person diving into hell.
The view outside was enough to give someone chills. Perhaps because it was eerily covered with various unknown trees, the atmosphere was enveloped in a peculiar darkness.
"By chance, will we be fighting in a forest for the first time?"
Tobio murmured while looking at the forest. Barakiel then spoke.
"We're close."
The cursor on the car's navigation system was starting to overlap with the destination point.
For a short period, perhaps because they were nearing their destination, the navigation system's guidance voice had been speaking frequently.
They would reach their destination very soon.
Beyond him, Sae shouted.
"Ahead!"
The headlights revealed what appeared to be a person on the road in front of them!
Barakiel quickly stepped on the brake, and the car came to an emergency stop. With everyone in the car being jolted by the sudden stop, Sae and Natsume reflexively let out screams of "Kyah!"
Samejima leaned forward from the back seat to ask.
"What?"
"A person! There's what looks like a person ahead!"
It was Natsume who answered Samejima's question.
In response to the sudden event, Barakiel unbuckled his seatbelt. Before getting out of the car, he spoke calmly to Tobio and the others.
"…Around here, it wouldn't be unusual, even if something had already happened. Don't let your guard down."
Having spoken thus to his students, taking a flashlight in his right hand, he opened the door and headed toward the figure ahead.
Tobio held his breath. Cao Cao was the model of composure. Meanwhile, a cheerful smile appeared on Alex's face.
Barakiel pointed the light of his flashlight forward and investigated… but the figure, which seemed to be a person, didn't become visible.
It had been a misunderstanding… a mood of apology ran through the car. If a villager had appeared, that would have been fine too. The current situation, where no one appeared, was the most threatening.
This was because the phenomenon itself, given their opponents' abilities, could be a trap. This was something everyone present recognized.
A sense of tension ran through the car's interior, but Barakiel, who was outside the car, perhaps having noticed some indication, pointed the flashlight at a certain spot, and his expression grew puzzled.
"Is someone there?"
Outside the car, Barakiel asked as much to someone.
Everyone's gaze in the car focused on the direction Barakiel addressed.
For a moment, there was silence. Then, from the shadows of the trees beside the road, there was a single figure—
When Barakiel pointed his flashlight there, what appeared was the frantic form of a lone girl.
She was blonde (part of her long hair was braided) with dark features that suggested she was a foreigner.
Tobio, Sae, Natsume, and Samejima were surprised to see her familiar face.
According to what they remembered, she had distinctive mismatched colored eyes. Her right eye was blue, and her left eye was black.
With beautiful looks, she was Nanadaru Shigune. Said to have been the most beautiful girl at Ryoukou High School, she was a biracial girl who was part Japanese and part Western. She had been called "Shigune" by those girls she was closest to.
Shigune was wearing the school uniform of the school she had transferred to… but it was dirty in several places, and there were even torn parts. There was also some mud stuck to her face. She was breathing heavily, making it clear she was fleeing for her life.
She appealed to Barakiel with a voice that seemed to take a lot out of her.
"…Please help."
Before Barakiel or anyone could do anything, a blur shot toward Shigune.
"Alex, what are you doing?!"
"Shut up, Cao Cao, my damsel-in-distress sensor is going off."
For Nanadaru Shigune, everything happening was too much.
She had been kidnapped by a group calling themselves 'Chaos,' and discovered she possessed one of the Four Fiends Sacred Gears. She and her friend Koga tried to escape, but he had to stay behind to distract their pursuers.
As she ran through the forest and finally saw a light, her body suddenly gave out as she ran out of strength.
When the young girl was about to fall to the ground, her hand was grabbed by someone.
Shigune blinked in surprise as her body was pulled and pressed against another, a hand gently wrapping around her waist, and looking up, she saw her savior.
A man with black hair that she thought looked very soft, and gleaming golden eyes—above all, someone Nanadaru would classify as extremely handsome.
"No need to worry. Now that I'm here, nothing will happen to you."
Even the young man's voice brought a strange calmness to her heart.
"Alex, what are you doing?"
As Nanadaru turned her gaze to the others accompanying the young man.
"…Minagawa, and Toujou…?"
Having seen familiar faces, a relieved smile escaped the girl's lips.
The young man who saved her slowly helped her balance with a smile on his face.
"Sorry for being rough, but upon seeing such a beautiful young lady needing help, my body acted on its own," Alexandre Ikuse said with a charming smile.
"O-Oh, I'm the one who's thankful," Shigune cursed herself for stuttering in front of the handsome young man.
Alex merely gave a smile before being smacked on the head by Cao Cao.
Shigune couldn't help but find it a bit amusing but quickly shook her head when she remembered something important.
"Koga! Everyone, Koga is…!! He's fighting in the village over there!"
Shigune's expression was urgent as she pointed toward the village.
Hearing the girl's words, the entire group nodded as they advanced toward the village entrance pointed out by Shigune.
Alexandre, while running, was more interested in what was in the arms of the heterochromatic girl.
In her arms, she was holding a small quadruped wearing something like a mask over its face. Two horns were growing from its head. The mask, however, had some kind of pattern like that of a character.
This was displayed as the pattern related to Toutetsu of the Four Fiends presented in Toutetsu's engravings. In other words, the mysterious creature Shigune was holding was a Sacred Gear, one of the Four Fiends, known as Toutetsu.
"You really surprise me, Alex, hitting on every girl you see," Cao Cao said with a sigh.
"You just haven't learned the joys of life. One day you'll be like me," Alex boasted, but his gaze soon went to Nanadaru's Sacred Gear. "Besides, she has something quite interesting."
The pair was a bit separated from the rest, so they spoke without being overheard.
"You mean the Toutetsu?" Cao Cao murmured, looking at the small demon.
"The strongest of the Four Fiends and the Demon of Gluttony, capable of consuming anything with its endless appetite," Alexandre said with a smile on his face.
Although this Sacred Gear wasn't a Longinus, it boasted overwhelming and terrifying power.
If Alexandre recalled, Toutetsu had been capable of consuming even the sacred flames of [Incinerate Anthem], which could kill Gods and Satan-class Demons, as if it were nothing.
To be able to consume even the power of a Longinus made Alexandre wonder what kind of destructive power it would have during a Balance Breaker.
"Besides, Sacred Gears align with their wielder's personality," Alex's smile soon turned lascivious. "I'm very interested in her blowjob, after all, she has the Demon of Gluttony—she's a glutton."
"I can't believe you turned a serious conversation into this," Cao Cao felt like slamming his head into a tree.
"What? She was born for it!"
The wielder of the Supreme Longinus chose to ignore his adoptive older brother.
Soon, they finally arrived at their destination, the small village.
Houses were built here and there. There was no sign of people. Just looking from the outside, there didn't seem to be any light inside the houses.
The surrounding landscape consisted only of fields and mountains. After that, there was nothing but the darkness of the night.
There was light from streetlamps installed at regular intervals, but the light they produced was unreliable. Compared to the darkness covering the village, the light was wholly insufficient.
While looking around the area, Alexandre instructed his adoptive younger brother.
"Cao Cao, are you good to investigate the surrounding houses?"
Accepting the instruction, Cao Cao entered the garden of a nearby house.
From the village entrance, Tobio and his companions made a rudimentary survey of the surroundings. Being in the mountains far from urban areas, it was extremely cold. Was this just the nature of this region, or…?
After entering the village, they were assailed by a rather chilling sensation. Perhaps it should be called pressure. Something they couldn't see was making their skin crawl.
There were several dark places. It felt like they were being watched by that eternal darkness.
Ri-ri-ri-.
In the darkest night world, only the cries of insects resounded.
"An unpleasant environment…"
While shivering, Natsume hugged herself as she murmured.
Several minutes passed since they entered the village. There was no sign they could detect of the people living there.
That's when…
"Kyaaaaa!!!!"
Natsume let out a scream, alerting everyone.
"What happened?" Tobio and the others immediately prepared, thinking she had spotted an enemy.
"It's just that something… is touching my butt!"
"It's just me."
"Ah, it's you, Alexandre," Natsume let out a relieved sigh but soon turned completely red. "Wait, what?!"
Alex quickly stepped back to dodge a hook from Natsume while laughing, and the rest of the group sweated at how the Hakuryuukou acted.
Soon, Cao Cao returned, and seeing the mood, for some reason, he felt like hitting Alexandre.
"In every house, the residents are sleeping. However, they're not sleeping just because it's night. It would be correct to say there's an effect forcing them to sleep."
That's what Cao Cao informed them.
Shigune spoke as if realizing something.
"…So that's why, even when we shouted for help, no one came out…"
It seemed she had asked for help from this village.
Upon hearing this information, Alexandre put his hand to his chin and pondered.
"If the people from the 'Utsusemi Agency' or the witches of Oz anticipated a battle possibly occurring here, they might have used a technique to put the villagers to sleep. It would be so they wouldn't see anything unnecessary."
If there was a chance it could become troublesome, they would put the entire village to sleep.
"However, if the situation gets complicated, it's possible the entire village could be wiped out."
With that single statement, Tobio, Sae, and Natsume shuddered. Indeed, such a thing had been planned for their comrades and themselves as well.
Suddenly, everyone felt something abnormal. Most there couldn't comprehend what it was, but Barakiel, Lavinia, Cao Cao, and Alexandre could sense it as a massive pulse of power.
"That's… at three different points, three different powers are gathered…" Alexandre narrowed his eyes. "Right now, the enormous aura from the mountain ahead was extremely similar to a certain phenomenon."
"…A certain phenomenon?"
In response to Tobio's question, Alex continued.
"When a Sacred Gear and its wielder achieve a dramatic change in body and spirit, it's a different domain they reach—the Balance Breaker."
The phenomenon was one Tobio already knew about, as Azazel had told him recently. Tobio had learned that, since he was born, he had already been stepping into that domain.
The Balance Breaker—the power of a Sacred Gear that manifests when someone reaches a certain domain, a phenomenon considered the ultimate achievement of a Sacred Gear.
Fundamentally considered an impossible level of power, depending on the wielder, this phenomenon would form an exceptional power.
Regarding this thing Tobio had mentioned, Alex gave his affirmation.
"Exactly. The wave of that aura was extremely similar to this phenomenon."
If that's what Koga Hyousuke had become…
Shigune spoke cautiously.
"…Koga also called it that… In that case, it might just explain that power…"
Shigune, who had apparently already seen Koga's power, was able to agree with Tobio and Alex describing it as a Balance Breaker.
Natsume asked Alex.
"So Koga, cooperating with those who, if forced to choose, would bring chaos, was able to evolve his Sacred Gear to the point of transcending ours?"
However, Alex gave an ambiguous response.
"…No, it only seemed like that. I have a good understanding of Balance Breakers. Consequently, I find this aura incomprehensible…"
Alexandre narrowed his eyes. This aura was almost like a forced Balance Breaker, but at the same time, artificial.
"I think it's better if we split up."
"Are you sure about that?" Barakiel asked seriously.
"I think so," Alexandre nodded. "Barakiel, Tobio, and the others go to Koga. Cao Cao, head to the base of the mountain, where I sense another aura. I'll check out the last point. Cao Cao and I will catch up with you after dealing with our enemies."
The entire group nodded at the White Dragon Emperor's words as they quickly made their way.
.
.
.
.
.
Tobio's group finally arrived at the source of the aura.
Lavinia produced light using her magic and illuminated their surroundings.
As for what was there…
"Ugh!"
Natsume's involuntary reaction was to be left speechless.
What was revealed by the magical illumination was a gruesome scene covered in blood.
All over the area, there were men wearing business suits who had been turned into horrific corpses. Those who were cut to pieces, those whose arms and legs were removed, and those whose heads were crushed into pulp.
The scene had become something they couldn't bear to look at.
Sae and Shigune forcibly suppressed their screams with their hands, having turned their faces away.
Perhaps out of consideration for them, Lavinia adjusted the light to not illuminate the remaining bodies.
In this scene that made people avert their eyes, there was only one living thing moving.
Lavinia directed the light toward it, and there was a single boy.
The boy had disheveled black hair with golden streaks here and there, and an indescribably sinister thing was wrapped around his entire body.
He was Koga Hyousuke.
He was wearing his old school uniform from when he transferred from Ryoukou Senior High School.
There was something like a gauntlet equipped on his right arm, which concerned Tobio. When he looked, it seemed Lavinia and Barakiel were also concerned about Koga's gauntlet.
Even as Koga was looking at the light, he was wiping the blood of the men from his face with his hand.
Koga noticed Shigune was there and spoke with a cheerful expression.
"Ah, if it isn't Nanadaru. So you're back. Something going on… besides that…"
Becoming aware of Tobio and the others around Shigune, he began counting them one by one, pointing at each in turn.
"Let's see, Ikuse, Same-, Minagawa, and Toujou… and two foreigners besides. By chance, the Four Fiends' formation… unexpectedly turned into the Six Fiends?"
As he tilted his head while letting that comment slip, beside him existed a body that seemed like a mass of deep black fur.
Looking closer, it appeared to be a black, furry dog. With a protruding mouth like a dog and four limbs with claws, the creature seemed to embody the characteristics of a dog, but with skin covering the area around its eyes, its face was indiscernible.
A long-haired breed wasn't what it seemed to be. The aura the creature was clad in was a stagnant black, to the point of inducing feelings of discomfort.
Having noticed Tobio's gaze on the dog-like creature, Koga spoke.
"Ah, this is Blitz. He's what you'd call my Sacred Gear."
…As expected, that creature was Koga's Sacred Gear, the last of the Four Fiends—Hundun.
Directing his gaze to Jin, who was beside Tobio, Koga was astonished.
"That dog… it's just like my Blitz. By chance, are Ikuse or Toujou one of the Four Fiends?"
Tobio shook his head.
"…No, Sae and I aren't of the Four Fiends. Jin here is my Sacred Gear."
Hearing this, Koga looked at Jin with great interest.
The black dog—Jin—and Blitz also made eye contact with each other.
Tobio and Koga watched as the Sacred Gears stared at each other. Then Koga shrugged.
"Well, whatever. Leaving that aside…"
Koga's gaze fixed on the depths of the mountains. Jin and the other Sacred Gears also reacted, looking in the same direction as Koga.
"Looks like our guests have some business with us."
Upon hearing this statement from Koga, Tobio and the others simultaneously went on alert and prepared.
From the depths of the mountain, what appeared along with the darkness was an elderly foreign woman with the appearance of a magician in a purple cloak.
The sharp glint in her eyes was familiar.
When he was taken to the 'Utsusemi Agency' fortress, Tobio had encountered this old woman.
Augusta of the Purple Flame, there was no doubt that's what she was called.
Augusta had appeared, bringing a girl in gothic-style clothing—her disciple Walburga—along with several wizards.
"We've been surrounded."
Lavinia spoke while looking at Augusta, who stood before them.
As she had said, people who appeared to be female wizards wearing cloaks had, unbeknownst to them, surrounded Tobio and the others.
Not having noticed when they were surrounded, Tobio and the other Ryoukou students were especially surprised.
Augusta observed Tobio and the others one by one while narrowing her eyes.
"Since I had heard there was a tough fight against that guy from the 'Utsusemi Agency,' if I came here with my disciples, I'd find out that the dog from before and Glenda's disciple would be here too."
Augusta spoke with a pleasant voice.
Subsequently, a chill began to dominate the area. The atmosphere shifted to a cold one, which floated throughout the area.
The source of this surge was Lavinia. Her expression became frighteningly cold, and as her breath turned white, she said the following.
"That's great. While helping Tobio, Natsume, and my other comrades, I'll eradicate all of you."
To Lavinia's provocation, the old wizard displayed a fearless smile.
"Those scary eyes are so unlike you, Glenda's disciple."
"…That was caused by all of you."
In this state of rising tension, a loud voice resounded in the sky.
"One of the Longinus, [Incinerate Anthem], so you're the Witch of the East," Barakiel said seriously.
Koga, though watching this cautiously, broke the silence and spoke while scratching his cheek.
"Somehow, I really don't understand, but is it okay to say the purple grandma is our opponent?"
From the tip of Augusta's staff, a magic circle for using magic formed in the air as she herself spoke.
"That's fine. It seems people like you understand."
With the old woman's response, Koga nodded and said, "I see, I get it now."
Subsequently, after giving a single strike to his Sacred Gear beast Blitz, he took a single step forward.
"Well then, I guess this is the continuation. Blitz."
Koga, advancing along with Blitz, extended the gauntlet on his right hand from before and operated a slide on that gauntlet with his left hand. As soon as the gauntlet began to glow, it started releasing a sinister shine.
Simultaneously, Blitz, who was beside him, began releasing a deep black aura from its entire body, which resonated with the gauntlet's glow.
The vibrations made the atmosphere tremble violently, and when a sound was emitted from the gauntlet, Koga raised his voice.
"—Balance Breaker."
'Si-xiong HúnDùn Over Booster!!!!'
A massive aura filled the area with Koga and Blitz at its center, and a dazzling glow spread along with it…
When the light ceased, what was there was a lustrous black exoskeletal suit. It had a beastly form where the head and limbs resembled those of a dog, and what appeared to be hardened long fur grew from the back of the head.
In the center of the body—at the middle of the chest—shone something that looked like a gemstone.
It seemed that, using the gauntlet-like thing he wore on his right hand, Koga could manifest that motorized suit, which he then wore…
Blitz, who had been beside him, had disappeared, while the motorized suit exhibited an appearance very reminiscent of Koga's Sacred Gear.
Augusta, who was watching this, brought her hand to her chin with great interest. She was observing the gauntlet on Koga's right arm.
"…He used that to force the Balance Breaker… No, it seems like a kind of frenzy. Is there some degree of compensation for that? In any case, one could say this man is relentless. I suppose we should act as well. Walburga."
At her master's call, a girl wearing gothic lolita-style clothing appeared from behind, dancing as if delighted to step into the spotlight.
"Yes, sir, Oshi-sama."
"You must cooperate with the Abyss Team along with the other wizards and go wild with that boy."
"Ufufufun. Right! What an interesting idea."
Walburga's gaze landed on Koga and Tobio and the others. Her innocent eyes also held a cold-hearted look.
"Now then, I'll…"
Augusta's eyes turned to Lavinia.
"I suppose I should tell you about Glenda. That is, if you can defeat me. Come with me, Ice Princess."
Augusta calmly vanished into the darkness of the mountain night.
"…!"
In response to Augusta moving away from them, Lavinia was conflicted about what to do next.
She wanted to pursue, but she couldn't just leave her comrades behind. Lavinia chose her comrades and formed a magic circle directed at Augusta's subordinates.
In response, however, Natsume, with Griffon perched on her arm, shouted to Lavinia.
"Do something! You can finally grab a clue about your master, so it's no good not pursuing her! We'll manage somehow on this end!"
Tobio and the others also agreed with Natsume's comment. Everyone was behind Lavinia.
During the battle with the 'Utsusemi Agency' the other day, she supported Tobio and the others. This time, it was their turn.
Lavinia's expression filled with emotion at her comrades' kindness, and she immediately turned her attention to the direction Augusta had gone.
"Natsume, everyone, thank you!"
Lavinia ran off in pursuit of Augusta.
Natsume spoke to the running Lavinia.
"If you think it's a trap, escape immediately!"
"I understand!"
That exchange served as the signal for the start of hostilities in that location.
With Augusta and Lavinia leaving, Walburga gave instructions to the wizards.
"Well then, first, let's start making a ruckus!"
When Walburga raised her hand, the wizards also extended their hands in preparation, forming magic circles.
The entire group prepared; a great battle was about to begin.
.
.
.
.
.
Far from the scene, Alexandre Ikuse advanced through the forest until he reached a clearing, his golden eyes narrowing.
"I know you're there. How about saving me some trouble and showing yourselves?"
In response to Alex's provocation, four men and one woman revealed themselves from where they were hiding.
There was a man with sunglasses, a young man with a fine physique, a man with a bandage wrapped around his right arm, and a woman with a braided hairstyle holding a tattered teddy bear plush in both arms.
They were all dressed in a uniform similar to that of 'Nephilim.'
"So, you're the so-called Abyss Team," Alexandre murmured with interest, recognizing their appearance from Barakiel's documents.
The opponents exuded unease from their bodies, especially from their eyes. As if cursing the entire world, their eyes reflected a terrible corruption.
Their circumstances were also described in the materials.
As the Sacred Gears they carried in their bodies were atrocious, they had been neglected by those around them since childhood. Even their true blood relatives kept their distance, and more than a few people tried to kill them.
Having lived seeing only the ugly side of humanity, they were thoroughly warped, from their personalities to their abilities.
It was also said that none of them hadn't become killers. Being that kind of people, according to Grigori's policy, they would naturally have been eliminated before they could cause any harm, and yet…
By taking them in, Satanael organized them to make use of them instead of discarding them.
The woman carrying the plush, taking a step forward, asked Alex.
"Hey, hey, you're a Sacred Gear wielder too, right?"
In a complete twist from her cute smile, she shifted to being malicious as she continued asking.
"—How many people have you killed so far? Five? Ten? Or is it even higher?"
In response to these words, the male group also let out sinister laughs.
Alexandre raised an eyebrow at the question.
"Well, I try to avoid killing, even if it's to survive."
The woman tilted her head at Alex's statement.
"…You mean to say that even if it's to survive, it's not right to kill people? But if we don't kill, won't we be the ones killed? Ordinary humans, despite being powerless, try to kill us."
The woman's expression was distorted with anger.
"All because we were born with this cursed power!"
Alexandre, hearing the girl's words, scoffed.
"I see. You kill and destroy, and in the end, you blame others to feel better. Typical," Alexandre mocked.
"What do you mean?! They hunt us and try to kill us; we're just defending ourselves!" the woman growled as the men's expressions also shifted.
"It's always easier to blame others, isn't it?"
"As if you understand our suffering! If it weren't for that damned God who gave us this, we'd have a normal life!" the woman shouted angrily.
Alexandre merely smiled as always, seemingly unbothered by her outburst.
"So what do you want? Revenge? Please, don't act like you're the only one who suffers in the world. There are plenty of people in much worse situations who don't go around killing others. Don't act like only your suffering matters."
"What do you know?!?!" the girl screamed. "If it weren't for the power that God—"
"Stop blaming God," Alexandre shouted, silencing the girl. "He may have given you that power, but you decide what to do with it."
"No supreme power can judge us. No higher being looks after us to punish us for our sins. In the end, only we can defend ourselves against our obsessions. We decide the price for our sins."
"What do you mean?"
As the girl growled, Alexandre let out a sigh.
His hand slowly went to the hilt of his sword.
"Evil is evil, girl," Alexandre narrowed his eyes. "Lesser, greater, middling—it's always evil. But I'm not judging you. I haven't spent my entire life doing good."
The sword at Alexandre's waist was slowly drawn from its sheath.
"But I have no God to ask forgiveness from, nor Demon to blame. I, and I alone, am responsible for my actions."
The sword was pointed at the Abyss Team members.
"Take responsibility for the mistakes you've made. Don't blame others. Some call it maturity, or responsibility."
The golden eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Surrender, and I guarantee your safety."
In response, the woman merely let out a scream.
That became the signal for the battle.
The teddy bear plush the woman was holding separated from her hands, fell to the ground on its own, and then grew to a gigantic size.
What appeared before Alexandre was a teddy bear plush reaching three meters in height.
The plush opened its mouth with a 'gupah,' extended sharp fangs, and razor-sharp claws appeared from within its fingerless hands.
This woman's Sacred Gear was an Independent Avatar type. Its special characteristic was protecting the woman autonomously, but due to possessing tremendous power from birth, without her control, the Sacred Gear ended up attacking people around her indiscriminately.
Moreover, the claws and fangs were endowed with deadly poison.
All the others around her also summoned their respective Sacred Gears and prepared for battle.
In response, Alexandre merely sighed.
"Well, you can't save those who don't want to be saved."
The golden eyes turned cold as Alexandre Ikuse hardened his heart.
"Therefore…"
The Zanpakutō was swung, flames enveloping it in its entirety.
"Reduce all creation to ashes—Ryujin Jakka."
.
.
.
.
.
Cao Cao advanced through the vast forest, his poleaxe Houtengeki in hand as he headed toward the point.
The place he finally arrived at was an old Shinto shrine that had been a place of worship in the village.
"Well, look at that, a lost child."
A voice alerted the young Chinese man, who assumed a battle stance.
The one who appeared from the shadow of a large tree was a tall man dressed in a battle suit used by Fallen Angels.
The man who said this had brown hair over masculine facial features, and his silver eyes could be seen gleaming suspiciously even in the darkness of the night.
The man continued while brushing his hand up through his hair.
"The god worshipped here won't appear if someone from the village gets hurt, so unless someone enters that complex, it doesn't matter what they do. When it comes to the gods of this country, it seems that, for many of them, regardless of which mythological system the other party originates from, they basically don't care, as long as you don't pollute their territory."
The man shrugged.
"On the contrary, it's as if the people nearby who worship these gods are the ones strict with foreigners."
The eyes of the young Supreme Longinus wielder widened as he saw the man.
Ten black wings, dark as night, emerged from his back, proof of his power—a Fallen Angel rivaling an Ultimate-class Demon.
The silver eyes of the Fallen Angel seemed amused as they looked at Cao Cao's figure.
One of the leaders of Grigori, and the one responsible for everything—Satanael.
A smile slowly formed on the Fallen Angel's lips as the descendant of the Chinese Warlord hardened his resolve to face an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.
"Let's have some fun, kid."