Combatants Will Be Dispatched - Volume 7 - Chapter Ep

Epilogue

Belial smiles as Astaroth and Lilith wait for her in front of the teleporter.

“Hey, I’m home!”

“Took you long enough! It’s been a mess over here. Somehow the superheroes got wind that you were away and staged a huge counteroffensive.”

Lilith snarks at Belial’s laid-back greeting.

“We tried contacting you, but the teleporter wasn’t working properly. Then when we tried calling Hideout City, but they said you’d gotten lost. And when we finally figured out where you were, we get the news you got hurt and needed to stay there awhile. Just what the heck were you fighting over there?!”

“Six and I went after this ginormous dragon called the Primordial. I brought back a sample as a souvenir, so do what you want with it.”

For some reason, Lilith freezes at Belial’s words.

“O-oh? You went hunting with him like in MonPan...? And a dragon to boot?!”

“Yeah. I also got to rough up a bunch of other monsters. Got to beat back some barbarians and forced a few neighboring countries to bend the knee, too. The details are all in the report."

“‘Bunch of other monsters...’” As Lilith mutters darkly to herself. Astaroth smiles gently at Belial. 

“I’m so glad you’re back. It really is like you to get things done even when you end up getting lost.”

“Hey! W-wait, that makes me sound like I’m useless!” Lilith says in shock.

“Six was telling me how you spent all your time there playing around. He even said he didn't bother trying to keep you there when you left.”

“That son of a...! Get off the teleporter, Belial! I’m going to go give him a piece of my—”

Astaroth grabs Lilith by the collar of her lab coat as she tries to barge into the teleporter.

“Not while the cricket heroes are gathering at our doorstep.”

“I won’t be long. I just need to give him a beating.”

Lilith slips out of Astaroth’s grasp by sliding out of her lab coat, but Belial intercepts her before she can get into the teleporter.

“There’s no way you’d come back if we let you go.

You just want to slack off until we've beaten back the capes.”

“Of course not! You make it sound like I’m afraid of the superheroes! I’m just pissed off Six went off hunting with you. a non-gamer. I wanna go hunting, too!”

"Go hunt superheroes before you go hunting dragons. If I’m honest. I want to go over there, too...”

Astaroth sighs, prompting a smirk from Lilith.

"Oh, so that’s why you’ve been in a bad mood lately. If you want to see Six so badly, you should go visit.”

“I can’t go visit Six while my subordinates are fighting heroes......Ahem. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Hurry up and prepare for battle.”

Astaroth purses her lips and nudges Lilith. Belial snaps her fingers as though the exchange jogged something in her mind.

"That reminds me. Six was worried that he’d upset you, Astaroth. At least try to be nicer to him when you’re video-chatting with him. If you’re not careful, one of the locals’ll end up taking him.”

"Wha?! He really said that?! A-all right. I suppose it’s part of my job to motivate the Combat Agents, so I guess...”

Perhaps pleased with the fact that Six observed her that carefully during their occasional chats, Astaroth un-purses her lips and almost cracks a smile.

Belial’s expression is clouded as she watches Astaroth. but then she adds:

“...Yeah, you better. Else Six is gonna try to sweet- talk me into staying by telling me he wants to spend more time with me or that I should chill out and live there with them.”

'''''''?!''''''

Astaroth and Lilith freeze at her sudden bombshell revelation.

"You mentioned he didn’t even bother trying to get me to stay when I left...”

Astaroth’s brow twitches at Lilith’s muttering...

"Superhero Alert! Superhero Alert! The cricket superheroes have finished gathering and are moving to attack! Mutants and Supreme Leaders, please prepare to defend against them!”

The klaxon blares within Kisaragi Headquarters, warning of an impending superhero attack.

In response. Belial sets down the pack she was carrying and begins stretching her shoulders.

Lilith turns to Belial and says:

"There’s something different about you lately. Belial. You’re not as airheaded as you used to be, but it’s hard to put a finger on it. Did something happen while you were over there? You kind of looked refreshed when you came back.”

Belial finishes stretching and turns to Lilith.

“Well. I did get seriously injured over there. Maybe the shock brought my memories back.”

She smiles teasingly. then dashes off to intercept the oncoming heroes.

“Now's not the time: let's get going. Lilith!”

”H-hey! Aren't you at least a little curious?! She said her memories might have returned! Something happened over there! Something involving Six!”

As they chase after Belial. Astaroth responds.

"Of course I’m curious! But we need to deal with the superheroes first! Then we’ll sit her down and question her properly!”

“Uh. Astaroth. you’re scaring me! That’s why Six thinks you’re mad at him!”

Listening to their banter, Belial arches her lips into a joyful smile and charges headlong into the oncoming rush of superheroes!