"Awakened? You mean the Storm Dragon Veldora, the one sealed by the Hero?" Leon's voice was sharp, calculating. "It was said to have vanished recently, right?"
"Yes," Guy replied calmly, leaning back against the ice terrace railing. "I had considered intervening if he settled down before disappearing. I found it… amusing how his presence had faded. Even sealed within the Hero's domain, I could feel him. Perhaps someone had pulled him deeper into their own subspace."
"Hoh… fascinating," Leon said, eyes narrowing. "So someone actually freed him. The Unique Skill Infinity Prison was the Hero's alone—impossible to remove with normal magic. Only your power or mine could do it. That means… someone had skill comparable to ours."
"Exactly. Still, he hasn't rampaged after being freed. That's… unusual for him. His response is far weaker than before. Normally, going on a rampage is practically his nature," Guy observed.
Leon nodded slowly. "Weak or not, I have no intention of confronting Veldora myself. If you or Velzard want to bring him into your circle, do as you wish. Either way, our paths meet at Walpurgis."
"You're leaving already?" Guy raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. That's all you wanted to discuss, right?"
"Wait, don't rush. Have you succeeded in your true goal—the specific summoning?"
"…Not yet," Leon admitted. "Honestly, neither Walpurgis nor this new demon lord matters much to me. My concern is that my collaborator claims someone interfered with my summoning experiments."
"Ah, that person—Atem, I assume?"
"Indeed. That's why I need to see him myself. If Ramiris hadn't been involved, I'd ignore him entirely."
Guy leaned closer, intrigued. "Who exactly is this collaborator, then?"
Leon's expression hardened. "I don't know. Summoning 'otherworlders' demands enormous magical essence, precise conditions, and countless factors. Even for my techniques, narrowing conditions lengthens the time between summoning. I can only attempt once every sixty-six years. If the next one fails, the following attempt won't come for ninety-nine years. So I let this person carry out the summonings in my stead."
Guy's brow lifted. "You sound… frustrated."
"I have failed repeatedly," Leon admitted plainly. "Even with divine protection from Ramiris, my attempts yielded nothing."
"That is… unfortunate. Is it truly that important?"
"Yes. More than anything else in the world, it matters."
Guy was silent for a moment, considering the weight of his friend's words. "Then I can only say this: be careful with that collaborator."
Leon's lips twitched. "Uncharacteristic of you to give advice. I will heed it. Thanks. Well then—see you at Walpurgis."
With a shimmer of light, Leon disappeared through Spatial Transfer, leaving only crystallized air behind.
Guy watched him go, a faint wry smile playing across his lips. "Impatient as always. That's Leon for you."
Velzard's cold, clear voice cut through the silence. "Reckless, even for him. He doesn't know who his collaborator truly is. Shall I remove them?"
Guy shook his head, serene as ever. "Better not. Taking unnecessary action would anger Leon. I don't want my friend to hate me."
Velzard nodded, recognizing the wisdom in his words. "Then I'll leave it."
Thus the matter was settled. Leon's attendance was confirmed, and Guy knew his friend well enough to trust him—even under compulsion, Leon would act as he deemed proper. A summoning feast might force Leon's hand, but he was not concerned. Guy himself had ignored such feasts many times, and trivialities like that were beneath him.
Alone, Guy turned his gaze toward the aurora sweeping across the frozen continent. Walpurgis. A festival of schemes, politics, and power.
A demon lord acting behind the scenes. One who had fallen—even if a minor player. A shut-in friend beginning to stir. The emergence of a new demon lord. Fascinating. His heart raced with anticipation for the first time in centuries.
And then… the Hero. When had he last checked on her? The one who had invaded Leon's castle. She had retreated without a fight, yet was rumored to be incredibly powerful. Mortal by nature, she should have been near her end, yet Ramiris insisted she was "special." Her methods, her timing, her appearances—they were outside any rule or expectation.
Guy's lips curved ever so slightly. A fight with her—once, just once—would be enjoyable.
This Walpurgis, he realized, would not be a mere gathering of demons. Saints, humans, heroes, and legends—all could converge. The stage was set. A storm of power, intrigue, and danger awaited.
And in the heart of the snow and ice, the master of the frozen continent waited. The game had begun.
All thoughts of the new demon lord vanished from Guy Crimson's mind. To him, demon lords were insignificant, fleeting powers in a world he had long dominated. They mattered little, mere chess pieces in the grand tapestry of existence.
No, this time… this time he sought something far more intriguing. The Hero. The one who had invaded Leon's castle. The one who had vanished without engaging him, yet whose presence had been impossible to ignore.
A slow, bewitching smile spread across Guy's face as he gazed at the shimmering aurora above the frozen.
"She has appeared in my world… and yet she defies the natural order," he murmured, voice low, almost a caress to the cold air. "A human, yet unmatched. A challenge I have not felt in centuries."
Velzard, standing beside him, crossed her arms, icy blue eyes narrowing. "You seem… unusually interested for someone like you."
Guy chuckled, low and velvety. "Unusual? Perhaps. But she is different. A power that cannot be measured, a mind that cannot be predicted. The new demon lord—trivial. Milim—childish. Clayman—pathetic. But the Hero… she intrigues me."
Velzard's gaze softened slightly, as if recognizing the rare spark of anticipation in her master. "Then you will meet her at Walpurgis?"
"Of course," Guy replied, the crimson of his hair catching the aurora's light. "I intend to see her with my own eyes. To measure her strength, her resolve, her intellect. And perhaps… to test her limits."
A silence followed, charged with the kind of tension that could freeze even the icy winds of Eterna. Guy's mind wandered to the possibilities—alliances, betrayals, combat unlike any he had ever witnessed. This was no ordinary feast of demon lords. No petty squabbles or schemes would occupy him this time. He wanted the Hero herself.
"And if she proves… lacking?" Velzard asked, voice measured.
Guy's smile widened, sharp and unnerving. "Then she will serve as a lesson. But I have no doubt… she will not fail to fascinate me."
The frost around them seemed to shimmer, reflecting his anticipation. Even the aurora seemed to dance in tandem with the intent in his eyes. Guy Crimson, the eternal master of the Frozen Continent, the Lord of Darkness, felt something stir within—a thrill long absent from his immortal existence.
He turned his gaze back to the horizon, where distant lands and unseen players stirred. "Prepare yourself, Velzard," he murmured. "Walpurgis will be… exceptional this time."
And with that, all else faded. Demon lords, schemes, the trivialities of mortal or semi-divine power—they no longer mattered. There was only one figure occupying Guy's thoughts. One presence that promised a challenge worthy of centuries of patience.
The Hero.
And the game… had only just begun.