"Hmph... my, Dio's, first time, huh..."
"It was already taken by that sneaky Sui long ago."
"Even so, I can't stay around Serie for too long. I need to hurry and rescue her from the All Things to Gold magic."
The argument between Hayasaka Ai and Shinomiya Kaguya over something reached Diego's ears word for word, bringing back memories of that tsundere figure once again.
He leaned against the wall and took out his own forget-me-not flower ring from Silver Bullet's storage—of course, also carved from a Cosmic Stone.
Diego examined it carefully for a moment, then chuckled softly and slipped it onto his ring finger.
"For the journey ahead, I'll take the lead once more, I, Dio."
...
Seventy-nine years after Diego Brando's disappearance, the day after the Level 1 Special Privilege Award Ceremony...
——Northern Nations, Magic City Oisast, Continental Magic Association Branch——
"Ah, Dio, you're awake!"
Inside the inn room, Mabel—who had been dozing off—noticed the little dinosaur in her arms stir. Perking up, she looked at the small dinosaur in her embrace with delighted surprise as it opened its eyes.
Alicia hurried over at the sound and asked concernedly: "Dio, how are you feeling now? Using the lingering necromancy technique repeatedly causes soul wear, right? While you were sleeping, I treated you properly. Is there anywhere that still hurts?"
"Roar, I'm fine." Diego shook his head and wriggled out of Mabel's arms.
Then he shed his camouflage and slowly returned to adult human form. Glancing around, he asked: "Where are Frieren and the others?"
"Um, let me think... This morning Frieren was whining about using her last bit of pocket money to buy magic books. Fern and Stark went on a date. Sein heard there was a big-sister type at the Level 1 Magic User exam venue and couldn't wait to see if she could run into her on the street—so she just ran out too." Alicia tilted her head upward in thought, counting off on her fingers with each name.
"Anyway, it's really great that Dio's back. Now we're just missing Elf-san—we don't know where she is right now..." Mabel beside her pulled out a map. This was the route map the four of them had agreed on for splitting up and advancing.
She sprawled on the table, studied it carefully for a long while, then let out a wail: "Uwaaah—she set out ahead of us. With an elf's speed, she's probably already at the Demon King's castle by now."
"So we still have to go to the Demon King's castle? I really don't want to leave the inn—"
Hearing Mabel talk about Sui, the light in Diego's eyes dimmed subtly.
Knock knock knock...
At that moment, a knock came at the inn room door, accompanied by a faint, strange odor. From Diego's years of culinary experience, this was the absolute forbidden zone of human-edible cuisine.
"Alicia-san, are you in? There's something I'd like to ask of you." Übel's slightly languid voice drifted in from outside.
"I'm here. Please wait a moment."
Tap tap tap...
Creak...
Alicia opened the wooden door. Übel immediately poked her head in. When she saw Diego, the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted a little.
"Ah, Mr. Joestar is here too. Perfect—no need to trouble Alicia-san then."
"..."
Damn it—I knew I shouldn't have used a fake name just to smear the Joestar family!
Facing the consequences of his own actions, Diego found Übel's way of addressing him utterly grating.
Übel, unaware of Diego's inner turmoil, walked into the inn room with her hands behind her back. Sharp-eyed Diego immediately noticed she was hiding something.
"Mr. Joestar, I heard you had some kind of accident at the Level 1 Magic User third-round exam venue—and that Denken was the one who brought you back.
As for me, I had nothing better to do, so when I got back I carefully studied 『magic that can cut through almost anything』 and tried making a love-filled bento to come visit you.
It's my first time cooking, but maybe the taste isn't bad?"
Übel held out the bento box from behind her. Invisible slashes severed the packaging string, revealing the contents.
A fish that had clearly suffered inhuman torment—either before or after death—appeared before Diego. Its skin was completely charred, and it seemed she'd impulsively added some "this might make it taste good" seasonings. Diego even vaguely saw purple miasma symbolizing poison wafting from it.
No way... is this actually food a human can make?
Übel, you really aren't planning revenge on me, are you?
"Is this the bento you made to kill your enemy?"
"Correction: this is the bento I made to visit Mr. Joestar."
"...If I may ask boldly—have you tasted it? Are you sure it's edible by human standards?"
"Probably... maybe."
Diego fell silent for a moment. The World appeared behind him, glaring menacingly at Übel with iron fists twitching, seemingly ready at any second to make this venomous woman eat her own poison comparable to Pan Jinlian's brew.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Go on, eat." Übel urged with a smiling squint.
[When receiving a gift made with someone's heartfelt feelings, you should say: Thank you.]
His mother's teachings rang clearly in his mind, making Diego hesitate on his original plan to refuse.
Is this really a gift made with heartfelt feelings? Well... whatever. At least you can tell it's a fish. Maybe the taste isn't terrible?
"Huff—thanks..." Diego exhaled deeply. In an instant he transformed into a dinosaur, opened his blood-drenched maw, and swallowed the whole thing—bones and all.
"Yee~"
Even dinosaur taste buds protested.
"Cough cough—Mabel, Alicia—I'm heading to Serie's place. We'll set out the moment I get back." Diego bolted without stopping.
"Wait for me, Mr. Joestar—I'm coming too."
Übel seemed to thoroughly enjoy the process.
...
——Continental Magic Association, Infirmary——
The second-round examiner Sense stared blankly at the ceiling in boredom. She said nothing, her eyes vacant and lost.
The horrific injuries inflicted by Diego's clone—her severed upper and lower body—had already been reattached under Alicia's treatment. Her beautiful long black hair had regrown through magic. Currently, there were no major issues.
Sense very much wanted to be discharged soon, but Serie had issued strict orders: rest properly for a full month to avoid any lingering aftereffects.
[Though Miss Sense is recovering very well, you should still minimize unnecessary activity for the time being...]
After all, following medical advice is never wrong—especially when it comes from Alicia, who is revered throughout the entire Continental Magic Association.
Today, as usual, Serie came to the infirmary to visit Sense.
She helped the bedridden Sense sit up, then took a seat on the nearby chair. With a flash of golden light, a comb appeared in Serie's hand.
Comb comb...
"Serie-sama, even if you're very free..."
Sense's long hair moved on its own. With perfect courtesy, she took the comb from Serie's hand and began brushing her own hair.
She asked in confusion: "You should know my magic lets me comb my own hair, right?"
"Don't move, Sense." Serie lowered her gaze, took the comb back, and spoke soothingly:
"I understand how you feel. It's completely normal to feel a huge gap after being easily defeated as a Level 1 Magic User."
"But there's no need to belittle yourself. The enemy you faced this time is Diego Brando—even I can't guarantee a guaranteed win against him."
"Being defeated by the strongest warrior in the current world is no disgrace."
As she spoke, Serie's movements paused. A hair tie appeared in her hand, and she gathered Sense's loose long hair and tied it up.
High-ponytail Sense makes her dazzling debut!
Serie cupped Sense's face. A faint smile curved her lips—she seemed very satisfied with the hairstyle.
"...Even Serie-sama can't guarantee victory?" Sense shifted her gaze and curiously asked another question. "Then, Serie-sama—have you ever fought Brando-sama?"
Serie nodded, expression unchanged.
Sense asked again: "Who won?"
"I've never lost once." Serie answered instantly.
Ohhh—never lost once? So that means she won every time?
Somehow... Serie-sama seems really happy about it.
Sense silently swallowed that thought and didn't ask.
"..." Serie paused. Her gaze shifted toward the wall behind her. She smirked lightly. "Perfect timing—that stinky brat is here. If you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself."
Hm? What is Serie-sama talking about? Stinky brat? Could it be...
Creak...
The door to the room they were in slammed open with a bang.
"Serie—did you miss me? I, Dio, came to play with you! Gotta say, it's really hard to see you even once. Good thing the receptionist magic user lady told me where you were." Diego raised his right arm at 45 degrees, fingers together pointing forward, appearing in both their lines of sight.
"Miss Sense, how's your recovery going?" Übel poked her head out from behind Diego and gave a light wave in greeting.
Heard before seen—Diego Brando and Übel, two people who could effortlessly crush Sense, had raided the infirmary.
"..."
Sense simply shrank deeper into the blankets in silence.
Shivering...
"Hey, you two are scaring the patient." Serie shot Diego a sideways glance and scolded angrily.
But in the end, knowing Diego's personality well, she let out a soft sigh and said with faint dissatisfaction: "We only met not long ago, right? What would I miss about you? Miss you coming here to piss me off?"
"Don't be so petty." Diego played dumb, walked over to Serie's side, then adjusted his expression. Suddenly pitiful, he gazed at her. "Serie, listen—I, Dio, got bullied."
"...Huh?" Serie stared at Diego expressionlessly, like she was looking at an idiot.
Not just Serie—even Übel and Sense felt their ears had been personally insulted. And not just mildly—this was like being gang-stomped by a hundred alpacas.
So what you're saying is: the brutal beast who single-handedly conquered entire human nations, killed the Demon King, and terrorized the demon race for half a century... got bullied by an ordinary human?
What kind of ordinary person could be that strong?
"It's exactly what it sounds like. Your dear junior got beaten up—aren't you going to help me get revenge?" Diego stood with one hand on his hip, the other shamelessly reaching toward Serie's head, acting completely entitled.
Serie laughed. She couldn't wait to counter: "Heh, the other side can still breathe, right?"
Snap...
"Hm?" Serie looked up, following the sensation on her head.
A large hand pressed down on Serie's golden long hair and rubbed it vigorously up, down, left, and right at high speed.
If I say I'm going to touch it back, then I'm going to touch it back—this is the price for not giving me, Dio, the magic to turn things into money!
"No wonder you like head-patting so much... the texture really is pretty nice..."
Mid-sentence, several terrifying dragon-slaying magics blasted straight toward Diego's face.
Boom—!
"Did you really have to resist that hard?! Anyone else would've died after just a few hits!!"
The smoke cleared. Under Serie's precise control, Diego emerged without serious injury—he merely staggered back two steps and removed his unruly paw from Serie's head.
But at the same time, a flower crown remained on Serie's head.
"This is...?" Serie froze for a second, slowly reached up to remove the flower crown, and stared at it with her mouth agape—her turbulent emotions plain to see. Recognizing the familiar weaving technique, she asked: "How do you know about this?"
"Yeah... how exactly do I, Dio, know about this?"
Diego curled his lips slightly, pressed a fingertip to his chin, and explained: "I read Flamme's notes. I asked Frieren to conjure these flowers with flower field magic, then wove them into a crown using the method recorded there."
"There seems to be a diary entry written like a cute little girl's—detailing the process of a wicked master rejecting her pitiful disciple's heartfelt gift."
"Serie, how could there be such a hateful person—who throws away a disciple's carefully prepared gift? And if she secretly picked it back up when no one was looking, that would be even worse."
"At the end of the diary, Flamme recorded the detailed weaving technique. By chance I, Dio, felt inspired and casually learned it."
"I figure she hoped that one day Frieren could make up for that past regret. But elves are all stubborn types. Relying on Frieren alone might take tens of thousands—hundreds of thousands—of years before she truly understands what Flamme meant."
Listening to Diego's words, Serie's gaze grew increasingly downcast as she involuntarily recalled the scene from back then.
After a few breaths, she steeled herself and moved to throw the flower crown away just like she had back then.
Snap...
Diego—who couldn't dodge Serie's earlier attack—now firmly pinned her hand in this instant.
His dinosaur-transformed face appeared. His tone was full of threat: "You dare throw it—try me?"
Then, as if realizing he might have come on too strong, Diego looked away, proactively offering a way out, and muttered softly: "If you don't like it, just set it aside. But don't throw it away."
"I'll be leaving Oisast soon. When I reach the Land of Sleeping Souls, I, Dio, will pass on your regards to Flamme."
Dealing with an ultra-tsundere like Serie—pure soft tactics won't work. Sometimes you need a mix of carrot and stick.
Diego said no more. He turned and walked straight out of the room.
Of course, Übel followed right after.
"Stinky brat..." Watching Diego's retreating figure, Serie muttered a curse under her breath.
Using the exact same method on me... really no respect for your elders...
Sense to the side: This is so weird—what exactly is the relationship between these two?
Today's victor: Sense, victory!
(After everyone left, a 33-layer Rubik's cube was found on the bedside table. Once the rules were understood, it became a toy to pass the time.)