Walking into the hotel with Rias and Akeno Himejima, Cid did not immediately see any sign of the banquet they had mentioned. Instead, several waiters were waiting for them at the corridor entrance.
"Welcome, Miss Rias of the Gremory family and Queen Akeno Himejima. You've finally come in. Our master, Diodora Astaroth, has been waiting for some time."
Seeing their arrival, one of the waiters stepped forward, nodded politely to Rias, then extended a hand in invitation, signaling for Cid and the others to follow him.
Rias exchanged a nod with the waiter and took the lead, following behind him. Cid, however, looked around. This path did not seem to lead toward the stairs. No, that was not quite right. This was not even a hotel anymore...
Looking at the badge on the waiter's chest as it flashed, Cid saw a bubble-like ripple pass through the completely unaware Rias and Akeno Himejima.
"Don't worry about it, Cid. After all, Itogami Island isn't territory of our Underworld, so it's impossible to set up the same level of security as we have back in the Devils' homeland.
"For safety, and especially to prevent outsiders from sneaking in, when a Devil noble holds a banquet, we directly construct a sealed alternate dimension at the chosen location as a security measure.
"And a small alternate dimension like this naturally has to be anchored to the real world. That's why Diodora chose this hotel as the entry point. You can only enter if someone leads the way..."
Even though Rias could not see the spatial ripple passing through them, she could still feel that brief sensation of sinking into water. Noticing Cid's confusion, she turned back and explained with a smile.
"So the hotel outside..."
"Yes, of course. We paid to rent out the entire hotel for this banquet. Diodora's character isn't that poor."
Rias seemed not to have expected Cid to be curious about that. After thinking for a moment, she gave him a definite answer, leaving Cid silent.
Although this was not the first time he had seen something like this, although he had become wealthy with the support of some kind-hearted people, and although his birth in this life could also be considered that of a minor noble, please forgive Cid. He still could not understand how these nobles' minds worked. Spending this much money just to buy a decent entrance, was there something wrong with their heads?
"That really does make it feel very safe..."
He was complaining inside, but on the surface, he was still a guest Rias had brought along. So Cid merely smiled brightly and praised the other side's security measures.
"There's no helping it. For some reason, the world has been getting more and more chaotic lately. Under these circumstances, people from every faction have to be careful even when gathering and socializing. After all, who knows whether those lunatics might launch an attack to weaken our strength?"
When the topic reached this point, Rias instead looked a little unhappy. If possible, who would want to be this cautious about safety even at a party? Was building an alternate dimension so easy? Wasn't it tiring?
But there was no other choice. The children of so many high-ranking faction members were gathered together. If someone wiped them all out at once, that faction's future would be more or less ruined.
"Is that so?"
Cid murmured softly. Magical Power flowed as he looked at the ripples engraved in the void and tilted his head slightly.
"That's right. But don't worry, Cid. Since an alternate dimension has already been opened, no matter what those terrorists try, there's no way they can launch an attack. This is an alternate dimension, after all."
Perhaps misunderstanding something, Rias smiled sweetly, patted the slime on her chest, and proudly spoke about the safety of this alternate dimension.
It really did sound safe. Since the venue was arranged by their side, it was the same as fighting on home ground. Since the entrances and exits were controlled by their own people, it was like catching a turtle in a jar. They could also dispel the alternate dimension and return to reality at any time.
"But aren't artificially created alternate dimensions like this something that can be forcibly broken from the outside?"
Thinking back to how Natsuki Minamiya had spent only a little over ten minutes today breaking through the alternate dimension Georg had temporarily created with Dimension Lost, and how a few days ago the alternate dimension Kuroka Toujou had used to trap Natsuki Minamiya had been broken through in a few minutes, Cid did not believe the security of this alternate dimension that Rias was so confident in.
"Well... nothing is absolute, after all. If the gap in spatial ability between the two sides is too large, then being breached is only a matter of time..."
Hearing Cid's question, Rias raised a finger to her lips and explained, but then seemed to think of something funny. She covered her mouth with a smile, parted her cherry lips, and continued.
"But that's only a hypothetical. Even a space-type expert on Natsuki-chan's level would need several dozen seconds to break through the simplest and lowest-level alternate dimension. And during that process, it would be impossible for the owner of that space not to notice."
"A few dozen seconds is enough time for us to leave, retreat, or even counterattack. As for breaking through an alternate dimension without alerting anyone, there shouldn't be anyone in this world capable of doing that."
Looking at Rias's confident expression, Cid showed a strange look and said nothing more. Only...
"This sounds... why does it feel so much like luring someone into a trap and the Hongmen Banquet?"
Cid frowned and spoke hesitantly. He did not know why, but those two phrases had somehow come to mind.
This kind of security measure was hard for terrorists to deal with, but it seemed about the same for the invited guests, didn't it? One wrong step and it would turn into a Hongmen Banquet. How did Rias dare come here?
"Eh?!"
Startled by Cid's words, Rias, who was walking in front of him, stopped in her tracks. She widened her eyes, looked at Cid, and opened her mouth.
"Cid, why would you think that? This is a banquet hosted by the Astaroth family. No matter what, they couldn't possibly harm us, their allies."
Rias lowered her voice and leaned close to Cid's ear to avoid being heard by the waiter ahead. Her slightly mature voice sounded beside his ear. Clearly, Rias did not quite understand why Cid would say something so harmful to unity.
"It's just my mind wandering. It's nothing. Don't worry about it, Rias."
Cid scratched the back of his head and apologized to Rias somewhat sheepishly. What he had said really was a bit rude.
"Huh? Oh, that's good. Cid, remember, it's fine to say things like this to us, but don't say them carelessly at the banquet later."
Rias, who had become nervous because she thought Cid might have noticed something wrong, sighed in relief after hearing his explanation. At the same time, she warned Cid, hoping he would not say such things during the banquet.
"Don't worry. I won't cause trouble for you, Rias."
Cid raised a hand in assurance. Seeing Rias sigh in relief and walk ahead of him again, Cid smiled.
Actually, what he had just said could count as a lie. Saying his suspicion came from scattered thinking was not wrong, but the main reason was that he was putting himself in the other side's shoes. There was no helping it. That was the instinctive quality of a bad person.
If he were going to launch a terrorist attack, then without a doubt, this kind of alternate dimension would be his best choice. As long as he used Magical Power to slip in along the patterns, control over the entire alternate dimension would fall into his hands.
At that point, the alternate dimension, cut off from the real world, would be an isolated island. No matter how much commotion he caused inside, no one outside would discover it. And because the entrances and exits were under control, no one could leave without his permission.
To Cid, this so-called alternate dimension had the beauty of prey running into the pot to hide from the hunter. Unfortunately, he could not make a move today.
Thinking of this, Cid sighed. He liked this kind of grand stage, but he did not like participating after being invited in like this. Didn't that make it hard for him to act?
Forget it. I'll go kill all those guys who kidnapped me later to vent.
Just as Cid thought this, they reached their destination. The waiter pushed open the doors, and what entered Cid's eyes was a resplendent golden hall. People moved about inside. At the center was a group that was clearly the focus of everyone present, and among them were several familiar figures.
"You waited at the door for so long that I thought you'd left and sent your Queen to look for you. So, did the person you were waiting for finally arrive?"
As Rias's close friend, Sona Sitri was the first to notice her arrival. She teased Rias with a smile, then froze when she saw Cid beside her.
"Yes, he arrived. Sorry to keep you waiting, Sona."
Rias answered Sona Sitri openly, waving with a bright smile as she walked toward her.
"Hey, Rias, you're finally here. I thought you weren't planning to come."
The second person to notice Rias was Sairaorg, who had met Cid before. In a manner perfectly matching his fighting style, he greeted Rias loudly and casually.
For some reason, Rias kept smiling and chose to ignore Sairaorg. After receiving that response, Sairaorg merely laughed guiltily.
"Long time no see, Rias."
A woman wearing a blue robe and glasses noticed Rias through the reactions of those around her. She nodded in greeting. From the look of it, she seemed to know Rias, and quite well at that.
"She's Seekvaira Agares, the next head of the House of Agares, the Archduke family."
Perhaps knowing that Cid did not recognize her, Rias introduced her to him, then responded warmly with a bright smile.
"Yo, Rias, you sure think highly of yourself, making all of us wait for you alone. And who's this pretty-boy you brought with you? Looks like he really is..."
This person had an especially foul mouth. His face was tattooed with magic-effect markings, and his green hair stood upright, making him look like a punk. Cid did not know him, nor was he interested in getting to know him, because in the next second, he was already lying on the floor.
First, Sairaorg punched him flying. Then Sona Sitri caught him with water magic. Finally, Rias blasted him unconscious with the Power of Destruction, leaving him collapsed on the ground in a rather miserable state.
"Nice work. I've been sick of that guy for ages."
The woman wearing glasses seemed to have a grudge against him, because the moment she saw his miserable state, she burst into mocking laughter.
"That was Zephyrdor of the Glasya-Labolas family, the birth family of His Majesty Asmodeus. But there's no need to pay him any attention, Cid. He's only acting like a big shot because there's no one stronger around to put him in his place. "
Rias clapped her hands and explained to Cid, then turned to the host of the banquet, Diodora, who had remained silent throughout the farce of three people attacking his invited guest.
"I'm sorry, Diodora. I injured one of the guests you invited. But as you saw, Zephyrdor was the one who insulted me and the companion I invited first. If you feel I've offended you, I can leave right now."
"Hahaha, how could that be, Rias..."
In response to Rias's apology, Diodora immediately laughed aloud and waved his hand, indicating that he did not mind the small disturbance at all.
"That's just Zephyrdor's personality. After all, he only recently became the next family head, so it's normal that he doesn't understand our strength very well. After being beaten a few more times, he'll probably restrain himself a little."
Just like his appearance suggested, Diodora walked up to them and stood unhurriedly before everyone, defending Zephyrdor on the ground. If that could be called a defense, and if Zephyrdor did not mind being insulted like that.
"Besides, I think you were absolutely right, Rias. Someone so unruly ought to be taught a lesson.
"Hello, Cid Kagenou. I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
Diodora said this in agreement, glanced at Cid behind her, and spoke complete nonsense with his eyes open. He even put on an act as if he and Cid were quite familiar.
"Diodora, you know Cid?"
Rias did not look pleased. She frowned at Diodora, seemingly puzzled as to how Diodora had gotten to know Cid.
"Of course. I met Cid this morning. I had quite a proper exchange with him. He left a very deep impression on me. In the end, I suppose we could call it friendship born from conflict."
Diodora's tone was extremely natural. He acted as though he had taken the initiative to step back and give face by letting the matter pass. He directly ignored everything that had happened with Cid and chatted with Rias and the others as if the events of that morning had never happened at all.
If Cid had not seen Diodora's expression stiffen slightly the moment he saw him, he might really have been fooled. But now there was no need. Just as Rias had said, there was no need to worry about the other side suddenly attacking.
"Cid, is what he said true?"
Rias fell silent. Looking at the extremely natural Diodora, she could not tell at all whether he was telling the truth or lying, so she turned to Cid, wanting to hear the events directly from him.
Cid looked at Diodora's pretentious smiling face, then at Rias's concerned expression, and nodded.
"More or less, Rias. But there's one thing he got wrong. He was the one who picked a fight. You could say he and I are enemies."
"Of course, I paid him back on the spot, so you don't need to worry about me, Rias. But I'd advise you to be careful of the guy in front of you."
Cid lowered his voice. He knew perfectly well that the others would never believe his side of the story alone, so he could not be bothered to tell them what had happened that morning. He only reminded Rias to avoid being tricked.
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