“Even a child wouldn’t fall for this. Did you seriously think this would work?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach sneered mockingly. He was a minor villain with the world’s most taunting smile. The woman emerging from Aegis’s body glared at him with hatred before dispelling her ethereal form and returning to her physical body.

Her wavy golden hair cascaded down her back, her porcelain-white skin unblemished, her almond-shaped eyes sharp, her slender nose regal, and her small lips painted with bright red lipstick. She stood around 180 centimeters tall, her sculpted beauty befitting a model. Clad in a crimson dress, she adorned herself with a necklace strung with gems and rings encrusted with large jewels.

Yet her distorted expression, seething with anger, marred that beauty.

“I thought you were a simple-minded man, but it seems you have at least a modicum of wit.”

“It was such a transparent trick. You all underestimate me way too much.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach maintained his composure despite the glaring tension. With a laugh as if he was sure of winning -just like a classic minor villain certain of victory yet fated to lose- he provoked her further. The woman, visibly irritated, clenched her fists as veins bulged on her forehead.

“Ghost-shan! Papa-shan, Koume will exorshise her, okay? Hamu~ Mitarashi dango~ Dorayaki~” (Koume)

“Me too! I’ll sing that song too-deshu yo! Hamu-hamu, sweet dango~” (Mei)

“Both of you, over here. Don’t disturb Papa.” (Chihiro)

Koume seemed to be reciting the Heart Sutra -probably- with hands clasped in prayer, and the ever-free-spirited Mei was singing some original, unrecognizable tune. Chihiro hurriedly picked up the two and carried them back to the rabbit squad led by Mimi. Maybe I should make traditional Japanese sweets next time, Lanpeach mused.

“Lanpeach-dono, what is the meaning of this? Was Aegis-dono being controlled?” (Bacchus)

“R-Right. What about my esteemed mother? Is she all right?” (Toko)

Bacchus swiftly lifted the unconscious Aegis and retreated with her. His face was serious, but it was clear he also saw this as an opportunity to gain leverage over Aegis. Ever the shrewd man. Toko, meanwhile, looked between the woman and Aegis, clearly flustered.

“Some group has been causing trouble for me lately. They dropped hints pointing at the Yoroizuka family, making it painfully obvious. But I never thought they’d stoop to possessing the head of the Yoroizuka family.” (Lanpeach)

(Though, in hindsight, I might have been the one stirring up trouble.) (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach maintained a calm demeanor as he spun his explanation, passing it off as the truth. Yeah, speak he will.

“Hmm, troubling Lanpeach-dono… I see. While the culprit is unknown, it could be an attempt to pit Lanpeach-dono against the Yoroizuka family and weaken both sides.” (Bacchus)

“Exactly. It seems they’ve been stirring the pot at critical moments, hoping to provoke me.” (Lanpeach)

It was suspicious from the start. An enemy hiding their identity while blatantly using the Yoroizuka surname? Impossible! Who’d fall for such a thing?!

[It’s like a magical girl whose identity is obvious even after transforming. How does no one recognize them?] (Mira)

[Exactly. But if it were real, it would be a matter of whether the transformation would really be the appearance of the original girl.] (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach mentally agreed with Mira’s thoughts. If it were him, he’d ensure the transformed identity was entirely different to divert suspicion. 

[Soldier would probably think of something nasty like stealing someone else’s identity entirely.] (Libra)

[If you’ve got something to say to me, Libra, spit it out.] (Lanpeach)

Bacchus directed a piercing gaze like a knife toward the enemy, while they were engaging in mental exchanges.

“To go this far… Who do you serve? This conspiracy is a grave matter. Holding the Tanabata Festival hostage like this will compel the Armed Families to investigate your backers. Don’t think you can escape.” (Bacchus)

“Ugh, this is becoming such a hassle. I knew I hated this plan… Overreliance on abilities has its drawbacks.” 

The woman ran a hand through her golden hair and scratched her head roughly.

Her ability to foresee must have allowed her to choose the best future for herself. But with Lanpeach involved, her foresight failed, leaving her at a loss.

“Well, there’s no helping it now. Too much noise. I’ll think about it  after killing you first.”

The woman lightly waved her hand. The world’s colors shifted. The artificial building morphed, as though by magic, into a verdant meadow with trees, a fluid brook, and lush grass.

Only Lanpeach and the woman remained in this new setting. Clearly, something strange had been done.

“Wa! What’s this? Where have I been transported? There’s no trace of a teleportation spell.” (Lanpeach)

This was different from the previous dimension gap. There was no flow of mana. What’s going on?

The woman folded her arms as Lanpeach panicked, sneering through her nose. Her arrogant demeanor might have been captivating if not for her condescension. Folding her arms only emphasized certain features… 

“You humans wouldn’t understand. This is my world, one I’ve created. I am the ruler of this peaceful domain.” 

“Peaceful, huh… Looks more like a lifeless world of death to me. So, I’m the only guest?” (Lanpeach)

The people that should have been around were nowhere to be seen. Looks like he has left Chihiro and the others behind.

“Fufu, that’s right. I detested the drawn-out plan to retrieve Mei. Everything would be resolved if I simply killed you, the root of all this.” 

“If you could kill me, you would have already. I’m curious why the remnants of Harkein don’t attack. Judging by those terrorists earlier…your forces must be weak, right? My guess? Your awakened members lack the powers of true demons. You probably need centuries of slumber to level up as demons, right?” (Lanpeach) 

When Lanpeach met the demon in the botanical garden, there was a stark difference in power compared to today’s Baphomets. What does that allude to? He doesn’t know the reason why, but it seems demons need long periods of dormancy -perhaps centuries- to level up. There’s no doubt those enemies would have originally still been sleeping.

It is probably the consequences of someone’s actions. Who knows what minor villain did that, but that’s horrible.

The woman’s face twisted with irritation and surprise, seemingly struck by the accuracy of his deduction.

“Unbelievable that you’ve deduced so much. That’s why it’s best to finish you off here and now.” 

“If you fail to follow orders, you’ll face a court-martial and a firing squad.” (Lanpeach)

“Any shortcomings can be offset by achievements.”

The woman pointed her palm at Lanpeach, gathering mana.

“My name is Botis. Fufufu, once you know my ability, you’ll already be a corpse.”

Two sharp horns sprouted from her head as Botis, the proud high-ranking demon, declared her name with a mocking laugh. The mana surging from her was far greater than the Baphomets.

“Now, perish!” (Botis)

[Unmelting Ice.]

Countless icicles materialized and shot forward once she recited the incantation. At a glance, it seemed like a lower-tier ice spell, but Lanpeach could see that the mana it contained surpassed even the highest-level ice magic.

The grassy plains it passed turned into ice sculptures, and the air grew so frigid that a faint mist formed.

“I could just cut through it, but…I have a bad feeling about this.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach read the trajectory of the icicles, and kicked off the ground to evade them. With his current physical abilities, dodging was perfectly manageable, but…

“What—!” 

Despite taking extra care to maintain distance, the icicles adjusted their course and pursued Lanpeach with unnerving precision. The speed of their trajectory changes was far too quick for manual control. It was as if the caster already knew where Lanpeach would escape to.

When the icicles struck Lanpeach, massive pillars of ice formed in their wake, transforming the once-sunny plains into a frozen wasteland.

“Ufufufu, ahahahaha! I’ve done it. That ice will never melt, not even in death. You’ll never escape from it, no matter what.” (Botis)

Botis laughed triumphantly, wondering why they had been acting so cautious, and was convinced that her actions had been justified.

But…

“Isn’t it a bit too early to laugh? Save it for when you’ve seen my corpse, Botis.”

Lanpeach’s voice echoed from within the mist formed by the extreme cold, cutting her laughter short.

“It should have been a solid hit…” (Botis)

“Yeah, someone did make a sacrifice.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach emerged from behind an icy mountain, completely unscathed.

Within the ice, a girl in a shrine maiden’s outfit stood frozen solid, positioned as if she had been shielding Lanpeach.

“…??? A person managed to infiltrate this world? Sacrificing a girl like that… You’re truly a scoundrel.” (Botis)

“That’s right. I’m a minor villain. But the girl who protected me must’ve been happy to do it.” (Lanpeach)

“Ei! With how badly you’ve been treating me lately, I might not be so happy!”

The girl, who was supposedly frozen, suddenly appeared at Lanpeach’s side, grumbling and complaining.

“Wha—! She was frozen just now…but she’s gone? How did you escape!?” (Botis)

Botis’s ice magic was designed not only to freeze but also to seal. Escaping should have required immense mana and advanced dispelling techniques, neither of which there’s any trace of. It defied belief and comprehension.

The girl puffed out her chest proudly and grinned when Botis shouted at the girl in disbelief.

“I’m the Artificial Spirit, Libra-chan, partner and protector of Soldier! I blocked it with my Ultra Libra Shield.” (Libra)

Libra-chan gladly served as a shield. She could regenerate in just three seconds, making death inconsequential after all. She also possessed the ability to instantly teleport to Lanpeach’s side, no matter where he was.

“Artificial Spirit or not, I was certain I destroyed that form. Even if it could regenerate, that recovery time was far too short. What is going on…?” (Botis)

Artificial Spirits were typically disposable. Their original memories were stored in the Library, enabling them to revive even after destruction.

—However, Botis knew that reconstructing a body and transferring memories required at least 24 hours, even with optimized processes. Furthermore, the resource cost for such revival was enormous. There was no way it could happen so easily.

This Artificial Spirit was abnormal, a new model she had never seen or heard of before.

“It seems there’s more than just you that I need to be wary of.” (Botis)

Botis’s expression turned grave, her demeanor shifting as murderous intent emanated from her.

“Is that so? But you don’t need to worry about it…because you’re going to die here.” (Lanpeach)

[Divine Spirit Fusion]

Lanpeach laughed lightly and fused with Libra, transforming into a silver-haired spirit warrior. He waved his hand in a beckoning gesture, as if daring her to come at him.

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