"These crows..."
After sending Rias a signal and arranging to meet, Zeroy waited in the park.
While waiting, she suddenly noticed something unusual about the number of crows around her.
Normally, when walking down the street or in a park, it wasn't strange to see one or two crows.
Although as Zeroy looked around, on tree branches, power lines, and the grass, the number of crows added up to more than ten.
And they all seemed to be watching her.
A thought struck Zeroy, and she beckoned to one of them.
That crow actually responded, flapping its wings and landing on her hand.
"It actually responded."
Zeroy was quite surprised.
Patchouli, standing nearby, also gave her a puzzled look.
From her perception, these crows were just ordinary little animals, not the mutated ones from Highschool of the Dead, and they weren't under any control either.
So she looked at Zeroy—had Zeroy done something?
Zeroy also noticed Patchouli's questioning gaze.
After a moment of thought, she said, "It should be... that the crow I left back in HOTD has already formed some kind of change or connection with the idol I left behind."
"God of Crows?"
"Not nearly at that level yet. But if things keep developing, it might become something like that."
"..."
Patchouli nodded silently, saying no more, simply watching Zeroy interact with the crows.
...
"Boss... that should be the Lord of Crows, right?"
In a cabin on the outskirts, three people were using a special tool to observe a certain location in Kuoh Town.
They had just returned from gathering intel outside, planning to kill the main cast and then seize the True Longinus.
—Killing the main cast would completely alter the story, and they could also seize their Sacred Gears.
Anyhow, it was a big move. Once they did that, they wouldn't be able to stay in this world anymore, as they would inevitably be hunted by the Transcendents backing Rias.
So even though they had long confirmed the main cast's location, they hadn't acted yet.
Instead, they had first sought the location of the True Longinus, though that too came with heavy risks.
Regardless, their plan was set: kill the easier-to-handle main cast first, then immediately snatch the True Longinus.
Once they had it, they'd complete the mission and escape.
However, upon returning, they discovered Zeroy's invitation signal to Rias.
"Boss, maybe we should let this go... We've already completed the mission of altering the story, there's no need to provoke the Magician of the Seven Luminaries... and besides, there's that Lord of Crows who doesn't look easy to deal with... we should probably avoid them for now..."
"Idiot! Avoid them?"
The burly leader smacked his subordinate's head with a palm bigger than his face, leaving him dizzy.
"The Lord of Crows is just a newcomer, only eccentric in her ways. And the Magician of the Seven Luminaries, though a veteran, is sickly..."
A scornful smile curled at the man's lips.
"I've always had the tiniest doubt about whether they are really stronger than me."
Besides, to stumble upon such a world—where the heroine's group had both beauty and figure, but not yet much strength—
If he didn't seize the chance to capture and enslave them, it would be a waste!
An opportunity like this, right before his eyes, like an unguarded treasure—how could he let it go?
"And besides, I am no longer who I used to be. Now..."
On his left hand appeared a crimson gauntlet.
"I'm terrifyingly strong!"
"Attack! No matter what they want with the main cast, I won't let them succeed!"
...
Rias and the others' teleportation magic was suddenly disrupted by a violent force.
At the same time, a massive explosion shook the park outside the school, the destructive force causing tremors like an earthquake.
Rias's expression instantly changed.
She immediately opened the window and flew out.
"Quick, set up the barrier!"
They had to act fast. Whether it was an attack or not was unknown, but even if it wasn't, at the very least a powerful battle was happening in her territory.
And the shockwaves from such a battle could easily wipe Kuoh Town off the map.
When Rias arrived, she saw the two sides facing off.
The blonde sword maiden, the purple-haired magician, and the blonde nun.
On the other side...
"The Red Dragon Emperor—!? Why is he here?"
Rias's face was full of shock.
By now, the park had become a giant crater, the park itself completely gone, as though a chunk of the earth had been gouged out.
The one responsible for this strike was undoubtedly the Red Dragon Emperor.
Now things were bad.
Rias's expression grew grim, but she moved fast.
Whether they were friend or foe—or both not allies—she had to set up a barrier to contain the destruction!
Among the many Sacred Gears, the Red Dragon Emperor's was one of the most destructive.
In terms of combat ability, it might not be top-tier. As a Longinus among the Sacred Gears, the Red Dragon Emperor's gauntlet was only mid-ranked.
However, its destructive potential surpassed its combat tier—higher-ranked Longinus might not even compare.
After all, the gauntlet's effect was brutally simple—every 10 seconds, the wielder's power doubled.
The epitome of brute force.
If they didn't set up a barrier quickly, the whole of Kuoh Town would end up like the park.
"You dare kill my crows..."
Zeroy and the others had not been injured by the sudden attack.
After all, it had been Zeroy herself who released mana to invite Rias. She trusted Rias, yet still kept her guard up against a sneak attack.
Even if Rias didn't attack her, there might be others—like reincarnators she hadn't yet encountered.
And sure enough, her guess was right.
Though she wasn't hurt, her crows were gone.
The ten or so crows in the park, and even the one that had perched on her hand, were all annihilated.
The massive energy blast had swallowed them whole.
Murderous intent rose in Zeroy's heart as she glared coldly at the attacker.
"So that's it, the protagonist has already been killed... No wonder I didn't see the male lead when I met Aisia."
The instant the attacker appeared, even though their face was hidden beneath the full Red Dragon Emperor armor,
Zeroy instantly understood everything.
...
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