“...Did you get stood up, Boss?”

“Shut up.”

Talker, the Spinning Fire Wheel, snickered as he said that.

He had been serving the Prophet for a long time, but this was the first time he ever saw her being this pouty.

After Dowd left, she stayed seated inside the room, resting her chin on her hand while glaring at the door.

…This is the Leader of the Devil Worshipers that are spread all over the continent?

Seeing her like this, calling her a pouty cat would suit her better than that.

While he couldn’t see her face behind the mask, pouting seemed like it was going to fit the atmosphere around her.

“What did I tell you? He isn’t someone who’d easily come to our side even if we bait him.”

“I said shut up.”

At her brusque reply, the Spinning Fire Wheel barely managed to hold back the laughter that was about to burst out.

Oh my, the burn.

This woman was amazing, that was for sure.

There was a reason why a man of his level respected her and called her his boss.

Since she was the only person who could create variables in this world, along with Dowd Campbell, who was the variable that made the whole world ‘twist’.

As he thought so, the Prophet continued, still in a sulky voice.

“...That man… He’s going to die soon because of a Devil.”

“But we can’t be sure that the Gray Devil’s the one who’d do it.”

“It’s certain that she’s the one with the highest probability of doing it.”

Hearing the Prophet said that in a low voice, the Spinning Fire Wheel scratched his head.

This woman was the leader of the Devil Worshippers, but ironically, she harbored hostility towards those Devils. And among them, her hostility towards the Gray Devil was especially strong.

It’s not even guaranteed that Devil would end up doing it, but she’s already out for her blood. Is this normal?

“I get that you have a lot of knowledge about ‘the other worldlines’, Boss.”

That was probably the reason why she wished to kill the Devils so much, especially the Gray Devil.

Perhaps, the Gray Devil was the one who had killed Dowd Campbell ‘the most’ in the countless wordlines the Prophet had been observing.

“But things simply never go the way you thought they would. You know, just like when that man engraved the Fallen’s Seal onto his body.”

Hearing that, the Prophet clenched her fists.

It seemed that just by hearing those words was enough to evoke her anger.

As if she was seeing someone who should originally have been ‘hers’ being taken away by something else.

“...Whatever. This time, he’ll need my help anyway.”

She continued in a low voice.

“A Vessel bearing three Fragments could change their surroundings just from their awakening. The life forms of the Pandemonium would already be quite hard for him to handle.”

It felt as if she was reciting those facts to calm her anger that had hit the roof.

“And that’s only the first hurdle he has to face. What’s coming up next would be even harsher than that, so there’s no doubt—”

However, about that specifically…

There was something he needed to say to her.

While wrapping his hands around the Catalyst, the Spinning Fire Wheel opened his mouth.

“Well…”

He continued, holding the Catalyst in his hand.

“I won’t be so sure about that.”

He formed a few words using his True Speech, making them linger in the air. At the same time, the Catalyst began to project a transparent ‘window’.

In that window, a video of the battle that was happening nearby was reflected.

“...What’s this?”

The Prophet said in a dumbfounded voice.

A natural reaction to have after seeing the scene that was reflected on the screen.

“Boss, you said that the Devil’s Vessels won’t be able to give him significant help, no?”

Someone who knew the details about the Devil’s Vessels would know very well how ridiculous the scene in front of them was.

Whether they liked it or not, Vessels would be influenced by their Devils.

Which meant most of them wouldn’t get along well with each other, as most of the Devils themselves didn’t get along with each other.

The White Devil and Gray Devil, the Blue Devil and the Purple Devil, the Red Devil and the Brown Devil…

Conflicts between them had evolved into a long-time enmity, lasting since the Pandemonium itself began to exist.

But…

“...Seeing this, that doesn’t seem to be the case, no?”

In the open space, where the Gates of Pandemonium were opened on all sides by the Red Devil’s awakening…

Sword Slashes containing Gray Aura appeared here and there. At a glance, they looked like simple slashes, but in it contained the aura of ‘weakening’.

Time and space froze. The movements of everything there became extremely slow.

Eleanor, who had drawn her sword with a fluid movement, soon got ready for her next move. She aimed to end the things that became slow after getting caught in the range of her attack at once.

However…

A ‘Blue Aura’ intervened and crushed the slowed Sweepers in one blow.

“5 points! Thank you!”

Riru said with a wink.

She then flung another group of Sweepers as if throwing them around.

“...That thieving bitch.”

As Eleanor muttered so while narrowing her eyes, the screen shifted.

Someone seemed to have not been accustomed to the Devil’s Aura completely yet—As she didn’t bring the Purple Devil’s power out and fought with her bare body instead, holding daggers in both her hands.

If Eleanor was crushing the Sweepers with fancy movements akin to dance moves, this person was doing it by using clean and efficient movements.

Every time she extended her hand, a life was lost. Even when they weren’t completely dead, she would have done enough to neutralize them completely.

She didn’t seem to consider keeping her distance or retreating, instead she demonstrated the fighting style of an assassin, bearing power that was beyond imagination within each of her blows in the best way possible.

Though these creatures were the life forms of the Pandemonium, their gut was in a different location, they had different ways to move their muscles, and different vital points and weaknesses, she was able to stick to such a style—befitting of her title as a Grand Assassin.

Of course, just like Eleanor, her hunt didn’t go that smoothly.

At that moment, someone ‘walked in’ between the Sweepers she had just neutralized.

And just like that, all the Sweepers within the range were completely destroyed.

Just like fruits after being stuffed into a mixer.

“...”

“...”

Seras looked at the other person in a daze.

Her expression looked like that of a child whose all snacks she had hidden to eat later got stolen.

“...What are you doing?”

“3 points.”

“But, I let them be so that I could finish them all at once later…!”

Yuria looked away, not even pretending to listen to her. Soon after she continued to walk silently.

Just by doing that, the Sweepers who were within three steps of her range were completely destroyed.

Seeing her continue her slaughter with blank eyes, without saying anything, while exuding an extremely depressed atmosphere like that was terrifying to say the least.

“...Is that nerd for real?”

Seras, who unknowingly felt overwhelmed by her, grumbled as she swung her daggers.

There was also a hint of bewilderment in her movement due to her realization that Yuria participated despite her being in that state because she didn’t want to give up that damn ‘first night ticket’.

“...You know, Talker.”

Just like that…

The life forms that came out of the gates were slaughtered without being able to do much.

As she saw the sight while swiping back her hair, The Prophet called out.

“Yeah?”

“Those are the life forms of the Pandemonium, right?”

“Right.”

“...Those things could create an actual disaster in the Material Realm even if only dozens of them were released, right?”

“Right.”

“...”

And yet, such beings were slaughtered without even being able to resist.

It was to the point that she felt bad for them.

The Prophet was at loss for words. Seeing that, the Spinning Fire Wheel continued with a chuckle.

“So, has this ever happened at least once in the ‘worldines’ that you’ve seen, Boss?”

“...”

“You know, this moment when the Devil’s Vessels are ‘cooperating’ with each other all for the sake of one single fucker?”

Seeing each one of those Vessels, they didn’t seem like they got along with each other. Even when they were gathered like this, their battle styles, though powerful, were very individualistic.

If anything, they looked like they would stab each other in the back.

However…

Even despite all that…

The thing that was currently happening was already beyond common sense.

Those were the beings who were at the top of all dimensions, phases and rulers, along with the Seraphim.

“...”

And those beings…

Though they didn’t show their ‘real personality’ and those Vessels only borrowed and used a small part of their authority…

Those Devils…

Every single one of them…

For the sake of one man…

“It seems like he’s going to pass the first challenge easily thanks to these guys, no?”

“...”

Indeed…

She couldn’t refute those words at all.

●

“...”

“...”

This situation is urgent, but… Ugh, it’s awkward…

That was what Iliya Krisanax thought when she saw Dowd, who was running next to her.

Normally, in this kind of urgent situation they’d talk to each other at least, trying to strengthen their friendship, but now, they only ran without saying anything to each other.

She heard that while the Devil Vessels were blocking the life forms that were coming out of the gates, she and Dowd had to get to where Faenol was.

-You’re the most important person in this incident.

Did he really say that?

Normally, she’d be in so much joy that she wouldn’t know what to do, but now it wasn’t the case.

The awkwardness that was going on between the two was proof of this.

“...”

No, actually, he was just being himself. It was her who was avoiding him.

Her gaze constantly landed on the amulet on Dowd's wrist.

She had never looked at it carefully before, but when she looked at it with the Eye of Truth, she could feel a ‘familiar’ presence for sure.

The presence of the person she had been looking for.

At least once. Just once, she wanted to see him.

She had been in denial so far, but the moment she saw it with her own eyes, everything became clearer to her.

Her brother was already dead.

He was ‘stored’ there, in the shape of a soul.

“...”

Her hands were trembling.

The Crimson Night incident that occurred so suddenly, her biggest trauma…

Her brother’s death that she had confirmed with her own eyes…

And Dowd, who had never revealed it to her, despite him knowing about it all this time…

Just one of those things was hard enough for her to take in. She wanted nothing more than to hold her head and sink it to her knees right now.

What the hell is going on?

“The Holy Sword.”

Suddenly, Dowd, who was running with her, said those two words.

“...”

That… I’m important…

That was what he said…

She began to think that it wasn’t her who was the most important, but ‘Iliya who was chosen by the Holy Sword’.

As she thought so, Iliya replied in a sullen tone before she realized it.

“...I brought it with me.”

Hearing that, Dowd nodded.

“Good.”

Once again, silence fell between them.

Their surroundings were eerily quiet. The sounds of their footsteps were the only thing she could hear.

“You…”

Suddenly, Dowd opened his mouth, breaking the silence.

“...I’m guessing you have a lot of questions you want to ask me.”

“...”

It was as if he had read her mind.

“I’ll explain everything after this is all over, I promise, so please, bear with me now.”

“...”

And that…

Was when Iliya realized…

The fact that she was extremely weak for this person that she came to like.

When she heard him say that, she felt as if all of her negative emotions were released.

She wondered how weak she was for him that what he said was enough to cause her to unknowingly keep her head down and only nodded despite her pent-up emotions.

“Anyway, what I was saying—”

“...That's enough.”

Iliya mumbled in reply as Dowd was about to continue his words.

“You must’ve had your reasons. I don’t mind as long as you can explain everything properly.”

“...Is that so? Thank you, but I still have to—”

“No. It's really fine.”

Iliya said with a smile.

“...Honestly, I want to hear everything from you, Teach! Even if I needed to beat it from you! But still! I’ll forgive you for everything!”

“No—”

Dowd said while reaching out his hand to Iliya, who was smiling brightly.

A slight frown was formed on his forehead.

His face suggested that he had no idea what she was talking about.

“Actually, I wanted to ask you to give me the Holy Sword.”

“...”

“Don’t worry, I’ll give it back to you later.”

Huh.

Actually, I should just beat him up right now.