"Boss, do you have all kinds of fish here?"
While Wazuki no Aruji was seizing Takanashi Rikka's body, Diego was at a supermarket buying fish, carrying several plastic bags filled with side dishes and seasonings.
The boss saw Diego acting strangely and felt he didn't look like a good person. He raised an eyebrow. "I have most of the common fish on the market, but if you want game meat, sorry, I don't have any."
"No fish with small fish bones? Preferably none with the main bone either." Diego stated his requirement.
"No——" The boss subconsciously waved his hand. Then his brain took control of his body, and his expression instantly changed as he piled on a smile. "Ah! Yes yes yes, do you want sea fish or freshwater fish?"
"Sea fish."
"Then how about dragonet fish? It was just delivered not long ago, extremely fresh and lively. Only 1700 yen per jin. (About 85 soft sister coins)"
"Hmm? Is this fish made of gold or silver?" Diego's eyes sharpened as he began the tense and exciting bargaining session. "Make it cheaper, 800."
The boss had originally wanted to bargain back, but for some reason felt a murderous aura and hurriedly agreed. "Okay okay okay, as you say. Why haggle when you're so handsome? 800 it is! I'll weigh it for you!"
"Hmm hmm~~"
Having saved another sum of money, Diego was in a very good mood and took out his wallet to pay.
Puchi!
The white blade brought out bright red blood. The King God Sword precisely pierced through Diego's chest!
"After so many years of frost and time..."
Wazuki no Aruji stood behind Diego and revealed a ferocious smile. "Long time no see, little brother Brando!"
A few drops of warm blood splashed onto the boss's face. He had just finished weighing the fish and was packing it when he slowly reached out to touch it. His face showed terror as he shouted, "Murder! Murder!"
The World...
Puchi...
Time stopped. A small amount of blood seeped from the corner of Diego's mouth. He forced his body to walk out from the blade of the King God Sword.
"Because it was Takanashi's aura, I didn't pay much attention..."
Diego touched the wound, turned his head to glance at the fish in the boss's hands, took the fish and threw down the money, then let out a long breath.
"Never mind, I'll pay you 1700..."
"Memory Spirit, make him forget this part of his memory."
Then, Diego grabbed the hand Wazuki no Aruji was using to hold the sword. With a movement of his figure, he brought her to a deserted suburb.
Time resumed its flow...
"Fuu——..."
"Where is this..."
In Wazuki no Aruji's eyes, this was simply like seeing a ghost!
She had clearly just stabbed the sword into Diego's body and hadn't even had time to say a few face-to-face mocking words when she suddenly found herself in a strange place for some reason.
"You're not Takanashi, are you?"
!!
The moment she heard Diego's voice, Wazuki no Aruji turned around without any hesitation like an aircraft carrier changing course and saw Diego carrying groceries, dressed like a family man.
Wazuki no Aruji was stunned for a few seconds, several question marks popping up in her mind.
What did I come here to do again?
This person is Diego Brando, right?
Isn't he Scary Monsters? Why is he dressed like this?
"Roar, mouth so tough?"
Seeing Wazuki no Aruji not answering, Diego paused time again. He first put down the groceries in his hands, then slowly moved his body a couple of times without hurry.
Because it was Takanashi Rikka's body, Diego had no intention of harming her. He simply silently wrapped his left arm around her throat in a rear naked choke.
"Then, time resumes its flow.."
!?
This ability, is it teleportation?
"Cough— Ahhh——!!"
Wazuki no Aruji let out a violent cough, punching and kicking at Diego, trying to struggle free.
"Huu————" Diego ignored Wazuki no Aruji's kitten-like scratching and blew a warm breath onto her earlobe, asking, "Wazuki, what did you do to Takanashi?"
Wazuki no Aruji instantly felt goosebumps all over her body, but the anger and resentment in her eyes did not diminish. She gritted her teeth and spat out a few words: "You have no right to know. I haven't lost yet..."
"Soldiers!"
She tightly gripped the King God Sword, preparing to use the usurp and bestow ability to escape, but once again Diego's emotionless voice sounded in her ear.
"Come, 『King God Sword』, return to your master's side."
As soon as the words fell, the King God Sword flew uncontrollably from Wazuki no Aruji's hands and floated behind Diego.
The white bone soldiers Wazuki no Aruji had just summoned therefore dissipated.
"Eee!!! " The terror on Wazuki no Aruji's face became concrete, and even this "eee" was shouted in ancient language. "Wait wait wait wait wait!"
Why?
Even the King God Sword betrayed me...
Diego saw through the confusion in Wazuki no Aruji's eyes, poked his finger at his head, and said with a face full of mockery: "Hahahahaha, you really are quite stupid. I, Dio, am not dead yet!"
It is worth mentioning that the condition for soul usurpation and bestowal is direct contact with the King God Sword while in the Divine Might Unsealed state.
In the past, when Wazuki no Aruji failed to seize Diego's body, the successor of the King God Sword was forced to be adopted by Diego.
According to the rules, as long as the successor has not died, the King God Sword returning to Wazuki no Aruji's hands can only be considered borrowed.
Wazuki no Aruji broke down and cursed loudly:
"Sneaky bastard! Liar! Scum!"
"If it weren't for that saint's whisper in your head back then, how could I have failed to seize it! Clearly you were the one stupid enough to touch the King God Sword!"
What Wazuki no Aruji didn't notice was that the expression on Diego's face gradually disappeared, carrying a chill.
She was still cursing:
"You clearly swore that you would take me to see the Land Where Souls Slumber, to ascend to Heaven! And the result?! A scumbag who abandoned the agreement! You left me abandoned in the Elf Village, day after day only able to gather dust in that dark and sunless clan treasury!"
"Disgusting piece of trash! What deep affection are you pretending?! I've seen your memories—what your original purpose was at the very beginning, do you really think I don't know?!"
"Shut your mouth..." Diego's voice was low and deep. The force of the rear naked choke grew stronger and stronger, pressing down on Wazuki no Aruji so she could barely speak.
But the pain and suffocation only stimulated Wazuki no Aruji's rebellious psychology even more—you won't let me speak, so I'll speak even more!
"Cough cough cough——!!"
After a brief coughing fit, she squeezed out a few words intermittently: "One of the conditions is the Stand 『The World』.."
"Condition two is thirty-six souls of great evil..."
"Condition three is fourteen sentences of 『secret words』.."
As she spoke, Wazuki no Aruji felt the force binding her suddenly loosen, which made her feel much more relaxed.
"What else do you know? In the short time you occupied my body, how much did you learn about me?"
That was a question without any emotion or warmth.
But Wazuki no Aruji didn't pick up on it. She sneered: "Hehe... know what? That Alicia's identity, do you want me to say it out loud?"
"Condition four, a trustworthy friend. She must be someone who can restrain desire, with no desire for power, fame, money, or beauty, who regards the laws of God as everything, more noble than the laws of man."
"Weren't you planning to use her to ascend to Heaven? But what a pity! You can't do it anymore, because——"
"You have already lost condition five, 『courage』!"
Wazuki no Aruji laughed loudly.
"How ironic. Someone whose mind was once filled with nothing but ascending to Heaven now chooses to live a stable life in this godforsaken place. If the past you knew, you would definitely want to kill this disappointing guy, right! Ahahahaha!"
"Although I don't know what happened to you later in the Demon King's castle, you definitely had the opportunity to ascend to Heaven, yet you appeared here. This can only mean..."
"...I was afraid."
And at this time, Diego was no longer in a hurry to help Takanashi Rikka regain her body. He changed from his usual self and softly hummed a song.
If Sui were here, she would definitely recognize that this was the song Diego had once hummed in the Land of Beast Demise.
"『Spiral Staircase』♪～『Rhinoceros Beetle』♪~, ~『Ruins Street』♪~『Fig Tart』♪, 『Rhinoceros Beetle』♪~『Via Dolorosa』♪~"
"『Rhinoceros Beetle』♪『Singularity』♪~~『Giotto』♪~"
"『Angel』♪~『Hydrangea』♪~~『Rhinoceros Beetle』♪『Singularity』♪~"
"~~『Secret Emperor』♪"
"Stop fucking singing!"
Wazuki no Aruji was very dissatisfied with this. No one had told her that Diego could also do mental attacks.
"How strange. You should clearly be the type of person who doesn't drag things out when fighting and finishes off opponents cleanly, occasionally throwing out a few trash talks. Why are you suddenly singing..."
Diego suddenly spoke: "Wazuki no Aruji..."
Wazuki no Aruji was lying on the ground panting heavily. Although she was still very unhappy, she still answered: "What?!"
"Actually, everything you just said is correct." Diego released Wazuki no Aruji. No one noticed that his eyes at this moment were vertical pupils. "Even now, I am still struggling with the matter of Heaven. Which side is more important—I can't tell."
Wazuki no Aruji dug at her ear, looking indifferent: "What does that have to do with me?!"
"So just now, I made up my mind." Diego placed his hand on his forehead, muttering words that Wazuki no Aruji couldn't understand. "Memory Spirit..."
"Let me forget the method to ascend to 『Heaven』."
He chose the other side that ran counter to his original intention.