Jino looked out over the Kingdom's landscape while they were still flying on Helios.
The wind rushing past, the forests stretching below. He was deep in thought.
He wasn't particularly good at thinking up action strategies; he was more efficient in direct combat—at that, he was exceptional.
Even so, he had the impression that sending the strongest combatant straight to the front lines immediately didn't seem like the wisest decision.
He reflected for a few seconds, but then let out a breath and decided to drop it.
Aisha noticed his expression and raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Do you have a question?"
"Ah, yes! I have a few…" he replied almost immediately. "But Rygar told me to trust your judgment, so I'm going to do that anyway."
Aisha nodded, not dwelling on it.
"I'll send you the detailed report about the Labyrinth and Begaritt's current situation. I'll also update you—through your communicator—on what exactly your objectives are once you get there. So keep an eye on it at all times."
As she spoke, Jino took the magical necklace and put it around his neck. The artifact would allow him to stay hidden from Hitogami's sight for a few days.
Aisha continued, her tone more serious now.
"But there are three most important things you need to remember before you go."
Jino kept his eyes on her.
"First: don't be discovered. At least not until you know everything about the opponent. The main goal isn't to fight, but to explore and probe. Only fight if you're gathering information about the enemy's strength.
Second: don't fight anyone unless you're sure you have an escape route. Hitogami loves setting up ambushes.
And lastly, don't let the Nether King Vita touch you. Even with the replica of the Ring of Bones you have, there's no guarantee they aren't prepared for that. And if you're fighting Gall Farion… a single moment of restraint could be the end of you…"
She watched his face as she said it and noticed the slightly bitter expression that surfaced.
Even so, she continued.
"Remember that even the Technique God had his mind taken by that thing. Don't let your guard down for even a moment. One touch is enough."
Ever since Rygar identified exactly that the Vita Slime was his enemy—and that it was acting under Hitogami's orders—he had needed to prepare for this.
Not only for himself, but to ensure that his companions, subordinates, and family would not be dominated.
After obtaining information about it with Beethove in the Labyrinth Library, and inspired by how they had dealt with it long ago, he conducted extensive research until he managed to create a replica of the Ring of Bones made by the Death God Laxus—an artifact made exclusively to kill a being like Vita.
Jino touched the necklace and tried to sense any change within himself.
Any different sensation. But he felt absolutely nothing—no change at all.
He soon concluded that it must be a kind of perception he simply couldn't exercise consciously, and let it go.
Aisha then concluded:
"Leave immediately after you say goodbye to your children. And remember: on the surface, you'll be dealing with a matter within the Kingdom's borders. So don't mention your real destination to anyone, understood?"
Jino nodded seriously.
In truth, ever since Rygar left and mentioned he would be gone for months, he had a slight insecurity about Aisha being in command.
He had been taking everything with positive thinking. If nothing important happened during those months, everything would return to normal when Rygar came back. That was how he preferred to see it.
But now, seeing the confidence with which Aisha spoke—the way she gave orders and her clarity in anticipating risks—unconsciously, it made Jino realize that she truly was suited for that position.
Which shouldn't have been a surprise, considering her track record.
Even so, taking the place of someone like Rygar was enormous pressure, and even under that pressure, Aisha seemed to have everything under control.
That reassured him. Not completely—but enough.
He positioned himself at the edge of Helios's back.
"Alright, I'm leaving. Like I said, I have a few questions, but I'll send them through Magic Word. Keep me updated on everything!"
In the next instant, he jumped.
His body dropped straight down through the air.
As soon as he reached the ground, he absorbed the impact and shot through the forests like a blur, vanishing among the trees within seconds.
Aisha watched until he disappeared completely, and then sighed.
She sat down again, letting the wind brush her face as she arranged the complex chessboard in her mind.
Sending Jino seemed excessive, but there was a very clear reason behind it. And that reason was directly tied to Hitogami.
The point was simple, really. There shouldn't have been anyone in Begaritt capable of confusing Hitogami's Future Sight.
So why would Gall Farion leave Pathfier alive?
Was it a personal mistake?
Was he warned and not careful enough?
Or…
Was it intentional?
To draw the Kingdom's attention to Begaritt?
Once that possibility took hold, it became impossible to ignore.
Because the implications were even more terrifying.
Sending Jino—and even giving him the Divine Concealment Necklace—were the best protective measures she had at the moment. Fast enough not to leave them short-handed. Unpredictable enough to surprise. Safe enough to avoid casualties.
Even if he was surrounded on three sides, Jino could still escape.
He was a God in the Beast God Style, and that was something Hitogami still couldn't replicate.
But what truly unsettled her wasn't the mission itself.
It was the timing.
Why draw the Kingdom's attention now?
For several years, Hitogami's Apostles had remained silent, hidden. Limiting themselves to small, isolated actions—no major conflict.
As time passed, it became clear they feared the power of the Beast God and the Dragon God.
And they probably feared even more an alliance between the two.
The fact that both had come out alive from their fight five years ago, retreating more or less intact, certainly planted doubt.
So the question returned.
Why now?
Wasn't the timing too convenient?
Exactly when Rygar left to explore the Dragon God's Hole?
The only ones who should know that were the absolute highest echelons of the Kingdom of Gaia.
If Hitogami knew… the outcome could be complicated.
And more than that—the reason he would know could be even worse.
Could there be a spy?
In the Kingdom of Gaia, that hypothesis was almost never even considered. Beast Emperors were capable of sensing lies clearly through their trained Sixth Sense, and there were at least a few of them in the Kingdom currently.
How could someone hide until reaching the highest echelons? That should be impossible—completely incoherent.
That was what Aisha told herself.
But the more she thought, the more that hypothesis stopped seeming absurd.
Information is one of the greatest advantages in war.
Know your enemy and yourself, and you will emerge victorious from a hundred battles.
That was what she learned from Rygar, and she executed it better than anyone. In fact, sometimes she had the impression she was better at it than the Master himself.
In any case, she already had a few suspicions she intended to verify. She looked into the distance—the City of Tinaver, the Kingdom's Capital, was already in sight.
She sighed once more as she put on the mantle of Rector of the Star Rise Academy.
"I really hope I'm wrong…"
----
Inside Gaslow Province, on the Demon Continent, a group of four people advanced across the desert lands, infested with monsters…
Or at least, it was supposed to be like that.
Surprisingly, the number of monsters in the demonic province was much lower than it used to be. Reduced to about twenty percent of what it once was.
The sand stretched unevenly, the wind lifting small curtains of dust, but the silence was what stood out most. This region was never silent.
"Are you sure we're going to the right place?"
The one who spoke was a blonde woman with blue eyes.
She wore light leather armor, fitted for mobility. But what truly drew attention wasn't her posture or appearance—it was what she carried.
A Precision Rifle was slung by a strap over her shoulder, and at her waist, something resembling a revolver was kept in a holster.
Any resident of the Six-Faced World would look at that with doubt and strangeness. Only three people would immediately recognize that strange weapon.
If Rygar saw it, he would question on the spot why an apparently ordinary adventurer was walking around with a Sniper.
"Hahaha! It really doesn't look like it, but we're on the right path, Miss Sara!"
The reply came from a man with long black hair and a well-groomed beard. He wore gleaming golden armor and carried a staff resting on his shoulder.
Sándor, the Second North God.
Beside him, another voice added:
"I have to agree with Miss Sara. The monsters are strong, but there are actually very few of them."
He had bowl-cut hair and wore glasses. He wore silver metal armor and carried a mace in his left hand. This was Zanoba Shirone.
Sándor looked around, analyzing the terrain with curiosity, and then laughed.
"Ha! That's true! But you should remember… this is no longer territory belonging to just a Demon King. The Iron Legion is active around here now."
Walking a bit behind, wearing a dark brown mage's robe and carrying his staff, Rudeus asked:
"So you mean the Iron Legion exterminated most of the monsters?"
Sándor shrugged.
"Maybe, who knows? But the fact is, I've visited my mother a few times in the past. The monsters were always a constant, and now they're not here. Thinking about it a bit… it was probably them!"
Rudeus brought a hand to his chin, thoughtful.
Sara commented:
"Could it be they're using the place as a training ground?"
Sándor frowned slightly.
Even though they had encountered few monsters along the way, they had found some. Their strength was different from other continents; it was hard to imagine someone using that territory as simple training.
He was about to point that out, but then he remembered what he knew about the current Kingdom of Gaia.
And suddenly, the idea didn't seem so absurd after all.
He smiled.
And then began to laugh even louder.
"Hahahahaha!"
Rudeus and Sara looked at him strangely.
Zanoba kept walking impassively.
Rudeus then turned to Sara.
"How's the new Magic Rifle?"
Sara broke into a bright smile at the question.
"It's perfect! Honestly, I don't think it's ever been this easy to hunt high-level monsters! Most of them have some absurd defense, like scales or thick skin… but this one pierced that Black Drake's scales easily!"
She picked up the rifle naturally and raised it, aiming idly across the desert.
"The old one had some problems with the scope that could deceive perception… but this one is great! It's the best weapon in the world!"
The young woman continued talking excitedly about her new weapon.
Zanoba and Rudeus exchanged glances, both proud, since they had been directly involved in its creation.
Sándor, in turn, listened with interest. That strange creation was capable of reaching absurd speeds, with equally ridiculous power.
Combined with Sara's precision… it made her an extremely dangerous assassin, even to high-level warriors.
Gradually, the four approached Fort Necross, and stopped about a kilometer away. The fort rose in the distance, imposing as it always had been.
Rudeus turned to speak to them one last time.
"Sándor… are you sure you can convince her?"
The middle-aged man adjusted the staff on his shoulder and answered calmly:
"My mother believes in strength above all else. If you defeat her—even if the Beast God already defeated her before—she'll probably listen... probably!"
He looked toward the fort in the distance and added:
"Even if she doesn't listen, I can still make her let us leave… but there's still the problem with the teleportation circle. We'd better be careful."
Rudeus fell silent in thought.
The teleportation circle they had used to come to the Demon Continent had shown strange phenomena when they arrived. Something that normally didn't happen.
It seemed like a problem, but since they ended up appearing exactly where they wanted, they hadn't paid it much attention at the time—though it was certainly strange.
Rudeus looked at Sara and Zanoba.
"At first, we shouldn't get involved in any large-scale conflict. At most, I'll fight her alone."
His tone grew more serious.
"But stay alert at all times. Atoferatofe is known for her unpredictability. And Moore could be a problem. We have to be quick, because he'll definitely call reinforcements from the Kingdom of Gaia… and we don't know who might be nearby."
Zanoba nodded while wiping green blood off his mace.
Sara answered a little apprehensively:
"Alright."
Rudeus checked the armor he wore beneath the robe and adjusted the scrolls.
He took a deep breath, and then the four began to move toward Gaslow's ruler.
The Immortal Demon King Atoferatofe.
-----
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