Epilogue 2
Part 1
---[Underwood Underground City], New Dormitory.
Yō was sitting alone at the corner of the room, completely lost in her state of depression.
The cause of this situation arose from the incident that happened close to the river bank, just after the summoning ritual had ended.
It all began when Yō appeared with the headphones on her head and Asuka throwing herself on Yō in a hug with those eyes of hers sparkling with wonderment.
"Ooh, Kawaii! Kasukabe-san! Those headphones are really kawaii neh!"
"Ka……Kawaii?"
What's that about? Yō felt doubtful as she took off the headphones from her head to make a confirmation.
Instantly, blood seemed to drain out of her face and caused her to turn pale. She was sure that the headphones worn on her head were definitely a pair of normal headphones. However, the headphones that she held in her hands now---no matter how anyone looked at it, they would surely say that it looked like headphones with nekomimi on them.
"How…How come? It's the same brand with the flame logo, but why did its shape change?"
Feeling troubled, Yō allowed Asuka to hug and exclaim for all she wanted.
The others had also used a subtle look that couldn't be described in words to gaze upon the nekomimi headphones.
"Do…Do you want to give those nekomimi to Izayoi-san?"
"Um…about this… I think we should let Yō-san to make the judgement?"
"Yahoho…… We don't know about it yet do we? Maybe he might be even happier?"
The group that was giving off an irresponsible laughter were making their way over.
Whereas Faceless, who completed the ritual and didn't look worn out in any way at all, quietly sheathed her sword before walking over to Yō's side to gaze at her silently.
"……"
"?"
"Is there anything wrong with me?" Yō tilted her head quizzically. Since the other had her face covered by the mask, it made it impossible for her to judge her thoughts. Hence Yō could only return the stare.
Jack could only smile wryly as he got between them for he was afraid that two laconic individuals might not be able to have a smooth conversation.
"Feisi, what's wrong?"
"……I wish to see her Gift for a while."
"Eh?"
"During the summoning, the star trajectories have significantly veered away from my original predictions. This is the first time I've met such a situation. If my summoning failed, the only possibility would stem from the Gift she holds."
So she wished to confirm it for herself, Faceless reached that conclusion.
Although Yō was a little troubled by that, she still removed her pendant---[Genome Tree] to pass it to Faceless.
Accepting the pendant, she then started to do a careful inspection of the pendant on her palm.
"……This is?"
"My Gift that my father made for me."
"YES! Yō-san's Gift is called [Genome Tree]. By establishing a friendship between other races, it can materialize the unique characteristics of the race in the format of a Gift! It's quite a valuable item!"
Kuro Usagi perked her rabbit ears as she felt proud for her comrades.
Faceless lightly touched her chin with her hand, seeming to be in deep thought. And after a while later, she abruptly asked Yō:
"……You said that this allows you to obtain the Gifts of other races right? Then could these inward and outward spirals be explained as the representation of the Phylogenetic tree[115]?"
"……Nn, Perhaps."
"……I see."
After Yō had nodded to give her affirmation, Faceless also nodded her head seeming to come to an understanding as she handed the pendant back to Yō before turning her back to the crowd.
Although she had already left the crowd in a stately manner, she chose to stop at the edge of the cliff as she seemed to have remembered something at the very last moment.
"---I will just count it as a compensation for the failure in the summoning, albeit reluctantly……Here's a piece of advice. That pendant's ability isn't only [Obtaining the Gifts of Other Races]."
"Eh?"
"What I mean is that the purpose of the pendant isn't just a Phylogenetic tree that records the facsimiled[116] data. But it's a Phylogenetic tree that needs to gather many DNA samples to create a unique development and progress from there to evolve to the next stage---Taking samples from the [Genome Index], to [Evolve] and also to [Combine]……Those should be its original purpose."
"Eh……Nn……Huh? You could talk that much?"
Due to her inability to grasp the flow of the topic, Yō had tried to forcefully steer the conversation to another direction. Although she thought that it was her best attempt yet at a conversation, when those words were heard by others, it would most likely be thought of as an insult.
Though Faceless fell silent for a moment, it was impossible to determine if she had taken offense at Yō's reply, but she did open her mouth once more to say in a soft and almost inaudible voice:
"---Be careful. Because in normal cases, that Gift tends to be beyond the control of the Human realm."
Leaving her words at that, she then leapt off the cliff to disappear without a trace to the [Underwood Underground City] below. The rest who were left behind were momentarily dazed as they watched the back of Faceless disappearing into the distance without moving an inch from their original spots.
After a while more, Kuro Usagi was the first to recover her wits.
"……In the end, the problem of the headphones was still left unsolved?"
Yō gave a small "Ah". And there, still held in her hands were the nekomimi headphones that had the flaming brand pasted on it---[Crescent moon No.16].
---After that, using the time before Izayoi's arrival, Yō and the others who had already given up on the ideas of repairing or summoning had combed the Harvest Festival Plaza for accessories or small items that might be able to replace the headphones. However, all the items that they came up with were all lacking in some way or another and they had come to the conclusion of [Give this nekomimi headphones to him] to help conclude the whole matter.
[Although the headphones were really cute……but to let Izayoi wear nekomimi headphones?]
……As expected, that was still too far-fetched.
"Haiz~" Yō huddled even smaller at the corner of the room as she gave a very weary sigh.
Calico cat had also sighed as he felt guilty and regretful about the incident.
Shortly after, Izayoi and Leticia would have arrived in [Underwood Underground City].
Part 2
---OuterGate number 7759175, [Underwood Great Waterfall], Fir Bolg Hill.
The sun had already set in the west and it was the time for the first stars to shine brilliantly in the skies.
Immediately upon his arrival in [Underwood], Izayoi had his gaze that seemed to sparkle in excitement transfixed by the Great Tree before him. The culture and view that could be said to be a big contrast against the North Side caused him to feel a swell of emotions within him that led him to give a sigh as he stood on the hill top to scan the surroundings around him.
"---The greenery, clear waters that flow from the river and the sky-blue stage. Haha! It's totally the opposite of the stones and flames of the North Side! Doesn't it feel a little too perfect? NO. I'm real glad to accept this kind of situation! In fact, I'm so happy to the extent that I want to get close and intimate with it! So, Leticia, can I go for a while to get close and intimate with it?"
"Okay. I will help to tell Kuro Usagi and the others."
Leticia wore a wry smile as she agreed to Izayoi's request.
Izayoi seemed like he couldn't stand a moment longer as he started to dash forward, running towards the Great Tree of [Underwood].
He then lightly leapt with a *Doink Doink Doink*, easily climbing up the Huge tree branches.
Upon reaching the highest point of [Underwood], he then reached out his hand to test the branches and leaves by exerting some pressure as he planned to nest himself amongst them.
The succulent leaves displayed an unbelievable amount of compressive strength as they were resistive to Izayoi's pressure and was pushing back at his hand. And so, it would seem that the mattress made out of these succulent tree leaves and branches would be much more comfortable than he thought.
"Good. This is good. It's great! In fact in this situation, it could be said to be awesome. But if only there's some food, it would be even better……Ah, forget it. I will just have the starry skies by itself tonight."
Allowing himself to fall back onto the tree leaves behind him, Izayoi didn't bother to reduce the force of the fall. Although he did have some thoughts of finding Kuro Usagi to ask about the Titan situation……Izayoi just felt like doing some stargazing alone for tonight.
While enjoying the pounding water sounds of the [Underwood Great Waterfall], he too looked up at the starry skies of Little Garden.
"……Hmm. The position of the stars in the world of Little Garden seems to be at the same location without any changes……"
Deneb, Altair, Vega……Izayoi counted with his fingers as he traced the Summer Triangle of the three stars.
In the past, Izayoi had often gazed upon the Starry Skies just like that. But recently, his mind was occupied with the things that happened around him and that made him realize something.
Living that dull and monotonous lifestyle in the past, he would never have thought that he could live his life in the way that he did currently. And that showed how fulfilling his current life was. Smiling wryly, Izayoi was experiencing that truth for himself.
[I wonder if Suzuka and Homura are doing fine……Forget it. Those two should be living their lives out with much vigor and would have continued their lives as though no one was beside them in the first place.]
Izayoi shook his head slightly to dismiss that nostalgia that didn't suit him.
Just then, he heard the rustling sounds of the leaves and twigs behind him as they started to shake and he turned his head lightly.
"……Kuro Usagi? What's the matter?"
"What's the matter, you ask? It's precisely because you, Izayoi-san did not come to greet us. So Kuro Usagi came over to find you. Expressing your thanks to the [Host] is quite an important matter you know?"
"Oh well, chill a little can't ya?[117] Scouting out the enemy's condition is also an important matter you know?"
"Enemy's condition……You mean the Titans?"
"No. I meant this [Underwood Great Waterfall]."
"---eh?" Kuro Usagi tilted her head and rabbit ears.
Izayoi stood up from amongst the densely interlocking twigs and leaves as he turned clockwise to scan the whole of [Underwood] before opening his mouth with much emotion in his voice:
"This water stage is one of the top views of the South Side Lower levels. Although it's scale and the force that it exudes is much inferior to the [World's end], even for me, I must say that this is still a piece of beautiful land…I say. Kuro Usagi, don't you feel that we should also aim for the construction of such a stage?"
Izayoi looked towards Kuro Usagi with a fearless smile.
This question was so abrupt that Kuro Usagi wasn't able to respond for a moment. But after understanding the implied meaning of his words, she immediately replied the question with a question:
"In other words, the enemy's condition that Izayoi-san refers to…… is to be the [Region Master] to construct a stage that exceeds [Underwood] in grandeur?"
"That's right. And this plan doesn't have to be confined to the Outer Gate of 2105380. If we can increase our Community Grounds, the things that we can do will also increase. It will also be much easier for us to collect Gifts……Although we are currently still at the level of tidying up our farms and water facilities, but I heard that this [Underwood] only spent ten years to revive. So, we must be able to strive towards this level within the span of ten years. For this kind of water stage view is definitely good enough to be aspired towards."
"Wahahahaha!" Izayoi gave his wild laughter……Come to think of it, ever since he arrived in the world of Little Garden, he had already grown used to this style of laughing. Even saying that this is his [Mask](laugh), might not be far from the truth.
Forget it. Since the laugh was that merry, it didn't matter.
Izayoi indulged himself in his loud laugh for a while before turning back to tell Kuro Usagi this:
"……Displaying our flag in the stars and being the most magnificent Community on the ground. With that, our name will spread to everyone's ears and even to those companions who are still lost to us."
"----Uu!"
The unexpected revelation of the true significance behind the plan caused Kuro Usagi to suck in her breath and clasp her hands before her chest.
Pretending not to notice, Izayoi pointed his finger towards the direction where the Titans had invaded from previously.
"However, our priority now is the Titans. Although I don't know if they are the remnants of the Demon Lord or something, but their acts sure show little self-understanding[118]. There's no need to wait for the ascension of the [Draco Greif] Alliance. I will just take this opportunity to take on the side of the aggressor to completely solve the problem. For it would be intolerable if they were to continue making trouble when the Harvest Festival starts officially."
"……Hehe. That sure is Izayoi-san's style. Then Kuro Usagi will also be willing to be an aggressor to play a part in annihilating the criminal Titans." Kuro Usagi perked her rabbit ears as she proudly puffed up her chest and held her head high.
Izayoi didn't contradict her but only nodded his head as he continued:
"Well then, let's give them a welcome clash as we go head to head with them tomorrow. But for now, we should conserve more of our strength."
*Doink!* Izayoi fell back onto the Water Tree leaves and twigs once more.
Kuro Usagi also sat down beside him as she lifted her head to gaze at the starry skies. Before starting awkwardly:
"Actually, Kuro Usagi has something that must be told to Izayoi-san……that… is about the headphones……"
"Oh, that? Kasukabe's Calico Cat has already confessed?"
"Eh?" Kuro Usagi's rabbit ears perked up in surprise.
Izayoi had a sly smile as he took out a little bottle with Cat fur from his pocket.
"Seeing how the person left such an obvious evidence, it made me totally unmotivated to even play detective…… At first, I had suspected that Kasukabe might have ordered Calico Cat to do it but she didn't show any suspicious signs to even make it remotely possible. Moreover, if it were Kasukabe, she would have been able to do it more perfectly. With that in mind, I assumed that Calico Cat was acting alone for that would be the most plausible conclusion."
Saying that, Izayoi tossed the little bottle with the Calico Cat fur to Kuro Usagi.
Frantically catching it, Kuro Usagi held on to it tightly as she asked worriedly:
"……Are you angry?"
"Nope. I've also told Leticia that as long as it is a thing that a layman can construct, there's totally no monetary value in it. I only wanted to follow Homura's wish, to help him wear it upon my head as a live advertisement only."
"Is…Is it really?"
"Rather than that, I'm more interested in the favored subject of the [Halloween Queen] or something that I saw being mentioned in the letter. Is that person strong?"
"Very."
This reply was without hesitation and to hear Kuro Usagi give this kind of high evaluation that could be said to be very rare, Izayoi's curiosity had also started to rise.
"……Really very strong?"
"Yes. If there's someone that can defeat you, Izayoi-san, there might be no other person other than her."
For Kuro Usagi, that should already be the highest evaluation.
Izayoi nodded his head in satisfaction as he lifted his head to the starry skies.
"Is that so…… Then, I guess I will have to thank the Titans for that one upside to the situation. It's all thanks to them that I managed to get this extended duration to join in the Harvest Festival. Needless to say, since there's such an interesting fellow here, then I must find a way or another as long as I can get the other to spar with me."
"To chase for the throbbing sensation[感动][119]?"
"That's right. Living in this world, if Humans do not have that throbbing sensation to inspire them[感动][120], they would just fall into idleness and regression! As long as there's a chance, I must completely replenish my reserves of it."
"Wahahaha!" Izayoi laughed heartily.
Kuro Usagi looked at Izayoi quietly as she smiled.
"……Actually, in the past……there was a person who also said something similar to your words."
"Oh? Then that sure is a promising fellow."
"Hehe, do you still need to say that? After all that person is the one responsible for being the Community's strategist-sama with role of playing [Host]. Suggesting ideas in that same bossy manner every time. And with that serious expression to tell Kuro Usagi something like: 'It's the job of the host to give the participants a heart-throbbing experience[感动][121]. If it were only the exchange of money, it will be the end of the fate that brought us together. But if it were to be the sensation of the heart[感动][122], it will not be able to disappear completely. For that sensation[感动][123] is an indispensable nutrient for those who live in the world' and other similar theories."
But the count of the customers that returned was really quite good as well, young Kuro Usagi happily recounted.
Izayoi was surprised like as though a sneak attack were to be launched at him and he quickly asked in return:
"……Oh? That fellow is a female?"
"YES! She's also golden haired but of a different hairstyle from Leticia-sama and also a very attractive female!"
"……Oh? That fellow is quite close to you?"
"Not only close, she's also the one who let Kuro Usagi join the Community and be under her protection when Kuro Usagi was young becoming her benefactor! She also likes children, has a lively character and is very intelligent……is Kuro Usagi's idol."
Kuro Usagi stood up, squinting as she gazed upon the starry skies.
"No matter what happened…… she would always be safe and untouched---that's the kind of feeling that she gives to everyone. It's really very incredible. Hence, facing this kind of situation in the Community, Kuro Usagi should work hard and press forward to repay her debt in the past! And I would also want to introduce Izayoi, you guys[124] to the others, to live everyday better and more merrily than our current lives!"
"Nn!" Kuro Usagi set her determined encouragement for herself to work harder.
Izayoi on the other hand was keeping his silence and watching the night skies quietly.
Compared to earlier, his gaze seems to be much further than before but yet not seeing anything. The expression that was so unlike his character, it caused Kuro Usagi to feel a little worried.
"……Izayoi-san. What's the matter?"
"No……I'm just thinking which one was Altair."
Izayoi used his finger to trance along the starry skies, muttering in a way that it seemed like he were trying to change the topic.
Kuro Usagi who was beside him was pleased to point it out to him.
"Really now~ Altair is the first star of Aquila. It must be in that---"
---Just then, Kuro Usagi suddenly let out an "Eh?".
Izayoi had also immediately returned to his wits as he sat up abruptly.
Following that, a gust of ominous breeze of the night blew past the both of them. And if they hadn't been mistaken with their eyes---Just a while ago, numerous stars had lost their radiance in the sky for a moment.
"……What was that just now?"
Izayoi furrowed his brows in astonishment.
However, the strange events were happening one after another.
---Be awaken, the golden whisper that's as lovely as an apple.
At the instant when they heard the ominous singing voice,
The music of the Golden Harp being strummed reverberated throughout [Underwood].
Part 3
As Leticia was heading towards the dormitories, a grumpy looking teenage maid, Percher, had come out to welcome her.
"……You are……"
"Good night there, pure blood Vampire-san…… I never thought that there would come a day that I would be wearing the same maid outfit as you."
Percher sighed gloomily. Leticia who initially couldn't understand why she could have run into Percher in this place was suddenly reminded of the Gift game contents that sprang to mind. And she started to infer though not after being boggled.
"…..Is that so? It's the meeting of all the winning conditions of [The PIED PIPER of HAMELIN] that successfully made you a subordinate?"
Leticia murmured, seeming to be in sudden realization.
---If one wanted to make a Demon lord submit to being a subordinate, one must obtain a complete victory in the Game that is forcefully hosted with the Demon Lord's [Authority of Host Master].
According to the original rules of [The PIED PIPER of HAMELIN], the game would have been cleared as long as one of the two winning conditions were met.
However due to changes to the rule during the [Trial Jurisdiction], it increased the difficulty of the clearing criteria to that of meeting both the winning conditions.
In the end, to carry out the contract of subordination, Percher was summoned to Little Garden once more.
"……that's how it is. But honestly speaking, I've never thought that the rules governing Little Garden and its Demon Lords were that strong to this sort of level. If it were just the physical body, I could still understand. But it was a case where the soul was supposed to be shattered and it turns out that the original look can still be restored. That, is something that hadn't cross my mind before."
That's right. Percher was summoned back into Little Garden even though the game was finally cleared by the shattering of her soul.
The person in question, Percher, was speechless as she too realized how absurd the power that resurrected her was.
But Leticia was still smiling as she squeezed Percher's shoulders.
"There's no need to look so down. Didn't a proverb say [With a lush green mountain remaining, there's no need to worry about finding firewood]? Although we might still have some misgivings at this point in time, but I will still welcome you gladly. And it's been a while since I started hoping for a new maid to join me---From now on, we're comrades fighting together under the same flag, so please take care of me, [Descendent of the God of Black Death]."
"……Hmph! Look at what you're saying, when you don't even have a flag in the first place!"
Leticia still held that warm smile of hers on her face.
In contrast, Percher just shrugged her shoulders disapprovingly.
"After placing your baggages, head over to Jin's room. It seems like you will have to go greet the [Host] later tonight as well."
Percher said all that she needed to say and flounced her maid skirt as she entered the dormitory. Although Leticia was smiling wryly, she just walked over to her own room without a word.
She had already entrusted Kuro Usagi with the task to find Izayoi and in that case, Kuro Usagi shouldn't be returning anytime soon.
……If she wanted to have a private conversation with Jin, now would be the only chance.
[I can only take this chance to tell Jin about Canaria being thrown into the outside world. It's precisely due to the fact that their Community was starting to grow in strength……that a discussion about its future had to be held now.]
Even though she had already set her heart to the task, Leticia was still quite unsure.
Opening her own room windows, she looked up to the starry skies through the gaps in the web like patterned tree roots.
Cherishing the memory of her companions in the past---Leticia murmured to herself mournfully:
"Canaria………… Was it you who sent Izayoi to the world of Little Garden?"
Leticia's monologue disappeared like a bubble as it didn't even get a chance to be heard by others.
In the past, they had once been under the same flag, carrying the same [Name], fighting in battles hand in hand with their comrades.
But now, she guessed that there wouldn't be a chance for her to fight alongside her in battle in the future anymore. For that person hadn't been able to make it back to her homeland and had already……quietly stopped her breath in another world outside of Little Garden.
"……"
Regarding that, Leticia was saddened of course. During the time when she was caught by the Demon Lord, hadn't she felt the same homesickness? For the sake of returning to her Community, she hadn't cared a bit about having to reveal the ugly side of herself, as many times as it may have required her to. Needless to say, Canaria who had been thrown to another world should also have felt the same.
Just that, she felt a sense of guilt for being the only one who made it back successfully. In addition, she had also learnt of her comrade's death in an unknown land…… It was no wonder that she was suffering from such a deep mental anguish.
Even so, the confusion that was born in her heart was similar to grief or of a higher intensity than that. Staring at the skies that seemed to be brimming with stars that blinked from time to time, Leticia was unable to contain it anymore as she vented out her thoughts into the night:
"For Canaria to be actually thrown to wander outside of the world of Little Garden……then…… what other types of misfortune may have befallen upon the rest of my comrades?!"
---That's right. And that was the true reason that tormented Leticia's heart.
Take Lily's mother for example, there was totally no news of her ever since the day that they were forcefully taken away by the Demon Lord.
If Lily's mother were to be thrown outside of the Cities within Little Garden, there might still be hope of finding her. But in the case where she were to be thrown to wander outside of this world of Little Garden, where all time frames and worlds will surely intersect at one point or another, then---
"It would be more difficult to find a person than to find a grain of sand from the sea of stars……"
Leticia muttered to herself……, her voice was so weak and soft that it could just dissipate into the wind. While her hands were subconsciously exerting force on the window frame that it seemed almost at the point of breaking under her hold.
Leticia who had already lived for many a hundred years[125] knew it clearer than anyone else how impossible a task that would be.
However, it shouldn't be kept as a secret for that wasn't much of a plan either. She had to tell the truth to Jin and have a careful discussion on the Community's direction in the future. For the current determination that had pushed all of them to work harder had all stemmed from the desire to save their comrades.
However, speaking realistically, that shouldn't be possible anymore. The Community had to change its direction. Even if her comrades might be angry and talk behind her back, Leticia was determined to carry out her act of persuasion even if her blood had to be spilt for the thought of suggesting such a thing.
She had even thought of ……If possible, the Community should be disbanded and rebuilt for that would allow it to have a new [Name] and [Flag].
[……But Kuro Usagi and Lily would surely cry upon hearing those words right……?]
On one hand, it was her foster mother.
On the other, it was her own parents.
Thinking about their reactions upon learning how they have worked hard over three years while clenching their teeth to bear with the pain of bereavement to be met with the reality that the reward they had worked for ceasing to exist, Leticia couldn't help but feel very miserable.
[However, this should have been done long ago. But in the end, I had been blinded by the dreams that Izayoi and the others seemed to inspire within me……and even led to giving them unnecessary pressure.]
Now was the time to restart the Community on the right path.
Leticia carried her determined heart as she turned away from the window.
---In the next moment, an ominous voice could be heard.
---Be awaken, the golden whisper that's as lovely as an apple.
Murmuring an "Eh", Leticia suddenly lost her strength.
At the same time, the three notes played by a harp caused her consciousness to become cloudy.
Leticia couldn't understand what was happening. But she struggled with the last ounce of strength in her disappearing consciousness to look behind her. And she saw a bard dressed in long robes giggling behind her.
"---Strategy Trojan Horse sure is successful! It's been some time, [Draculea Demon Lord]. Did it sound good, the music that holds the divinity of the Titans?"
"You……You scoundrel …… who are you……"
"Oh my, Oh my. It's only been a few months and you have forgotten our previous encounter…… that sure is a little too much. Oh well, not that you will have to care about these things very soon. Because---"
---you will soon revive as a Demon Lord once more.
Part 4
---O wake once more, the golden whisper that's as lovely as an apple.
O wake once more, the frame that has four corners reconciled.
Be it summer or winter, may the melody of the harp be carried to your ears
O wake faster than the sound of a flute, Clarsach Orga[126]---![127]
Hearing that chant like verse, Izayoi lifted his head abruptly.
"This verse……This is bad! Kuro Usagi! Where's the [Golden Harp] that was snatched from the titans currently?!"
"That……It should be under the charge of Sala-sama……"
"Break it immediately! That harp is---"
"---Yes, you are right. As you have surmised, that harp is a Tuatha De Danann divine weapon that has been summoned from the pages of <The Book of Invasions>. It's a godly instrument that can perform a piece of awakening even if it stands in enemy's lands."
It was a low and slow voice that would make one think that it belonged to an old person. However it could have been a voice that was already tampered with to prevent the knowing of its source for it continued to echo in the surroundings.
Hearing the unidentified mysterious voice, Izayoi and Kuro Usagi had stood back to back and heightened their alertness.
However, the owner of the voice did not appear even after some time but only continued in a mocking voice targeted at Izayoi and the others:
"There's no need to hurry, [Highborn of Little Garden] and your comrades. Tonight is the night of the grand opening. First and foremost, I would like you to be happy about the revival of the Vampire princess---[Draculea Demon Lord]---!"
In a flash, the night skies were suddenly split into half. The night skies that were initially clear were now obscured by a curtain of dark clouds that were releasing lightning from time to time and causing the skies of [Underwood] to be dyed with a dusky hue.
And following the gap between the skies that have been split in two, Izayoi witnessed--- a scene from the Myths.
"That…Could it be…"
"That's right. It's the strongest life form that exists in Mythologies---A Pureblood Dragon---!"
"GYEEEEEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaa!"
Just by that astounding roar that surpassed common sense, the whole of [Underwood] was shaken to its core. Although the dragon head could be barely made out, but its immense body was still obscured by the dense sea of clouds that swirled around it.
"Drag….Is that a Dragon?!"
Never experiencing such an immense pressure pressing down upon him like this before, Izayoi had also shuddered.
Following the appearance of the huge Dragon and the distortion of the Heavens, there was also a silhouette of what might be a huge castle that could be seen faintly on its back.
Flashes of lightning seem to respond to the roar of the huge dragon as they continued to strike downwards, burning up the tree roots that once covered the Underground City of [Underwood] within moments. And screams and wails could be heard traveling from the direction of the residential areas.
Then came the tolling of the bells from the sentry on duty, seeming bent on throwing the situation into more confusion.
"Ba…Bad News! The Titans have also started their invasion!"
"What!"
"Damn! For them to actually use this chance during such an emergency to add to the chaos!"
In addition to the roars of rage and shouts of commands that seem to undulate in the situation, the frenzied roar of the huge dragon and the flashes of lightning just caused [Underwood] to be shaken more intensely. As the dragon's roar shook the whole region, scales had also started to rain down upon the ground below it. And these scales started to morph into huge turtles or snakes that started to attack the City.
Seeing the abnormal situation below, her face had turned pale as she gave a cry:
"The formation of new races from the pieces of scale? It can't be a real pure-blooded dragon could it? How could a real one of the strongest race actually…… appear in the lower levels?!"
"Now's not the time to mutter to yourself up there! We have to get down immediately!"
Hearing Izayoi's admonishment, Kuro Usagi had also recovered her wits.
The both of them were just about to jump off the top of the tree, but something from the ground that was flying up caught their eyes--- A long robed bard and in the arms of the bard---
"Le…Leticia-sama!"
"Kuro Usagi….Izayoi!"
Upon hearing her name, Leticia's cloudy eyes slightly regained a little of its consciousness.
Leticia lifted her head to the skies and confirmed the huge dragon and castle in the skies for herself and finally got a grasp of the current situation.
[My seal on the [Authority of the Host Master] has been released! Could this person be……]
The true identity of the enemy caused Leticia to go pale immediately but she couldn't find the strength to struggle free from the holds of the bard's music.
Seeming to accept her fate, Leticia closed her eyes and shouted to the two below:
"---Aim for the THIRTEENTH…..SUN!"
"Eh?'
Both of them had perked their ears trying to catch the muffled shouts of Leticia.
While Leticia who was brought higher into the skies used all her strength to shout:
"The THIRTEENTH…Strike the Thirteenth Sun! That's the only way to clear my game---!"
Following the shouts that seemed like the death throes of one in pain, Leticia was swallowed by the huge dragon and fragmented into a patch of bright light. And from that light, it soon became pieces of black geass rolls…… the Geass Rolls of the Demon Lord that seemed like droplets of water that rained down upon the city of [Underwood].
<<GIFT GAME NAME: "SUN SYNCHRONOUS ORBIT in VAMPIRE KING">>
List of Participant(s):
*All living things engulfed by the Circle of Animals.
*#Upon the disappearance of the Circle of Animals, the game will be put on hold for an indefinite amount of time.
Defeat Condition(s):
*None [Death of Participants will not be counted as being unable to clear the game]
Prohibition(s):
*None.
Punishment(s):
*A time limit will be imposed upon all the participants who have targeted and fought against the leader of the game.
*The time limit will be a continuous time loop that occurs every ten days.
*The choice of punishment will be chosen randomly from [Impaling], [Crucifixion], and [Immolation].
*The only way to be freed of the punishment would be to clear the game or during a pause in the game.
*#The death of the participant is not included within the conditions to be freed from the punishment and they will continue to suffer indefinitely.
Winning conditions of the Host:
*None.
Winning conditions of the Participant:
*Kill the leader of the game: [Draculea Demon Lord].
*Kill the leader of the game: [Leticia Draculea].
*Gather the broken fragments of the constellations, and bring the Circle of Animals to present to the throne.
*Following the proper procedure and using the Circle of Animals that have been restored to the throne as a guide, strike the heart of the revolutionist who is bounded in chains.
Oath: I hereby respect the above conditions in the name of pride, our banner, and the Host Master to uphold this Gift Game.
" " Seal
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