The ruined village was thick with smoke and dust.
Riku gripped the nicked sword in his hand, watching the mysterious man who had appeared out of nowhere.
Rei Ao's black hair was tousled, prismatic irises flickering with unfathomable light; an aura impossible to gauge radiated from him.
Everyone had just watched this man annihilate all the Demonia in an instant.
To Riku, a being that strong could not possibly be an Imanity.
"Who are you? What race do you belong to?"
His voice carried tension and wariness.
Behind him, the villagers tightened their grips on makeshift weapons, on full alert.
In this brutal world they had learned to distrust anything powerful and unknown—one misstep could spell extinction, as the last attack had shown.
The standoff grew taut until Couronne pushed through the crowd and hurried up to Rei Ao, her soot‑stained face lit with gratitude.
"Master Thank you so much! Without you we'd all have died to the Demonia today!"
The villagers erupted. They stared at Couronne, then at Rei Ao, unable to fathom how an ordinary Imanity girl could know someone this terrifyingly strong.
Riku's frown only deepened; suspicion gnawed harder than before.
"I came for exactly that," Rei Ao said with a casual wave, motioning Couronne not to fuss.
Turning to Riku he added, "You're the leader here, right? You're wary of me—how about we talk somewhere private?"
After a moment's hesitation Riku nodded. He knew that someone who had erased the Demonia so easily left him no room to refuse.
The three moved into one of the few intact houses.
Rei Ao sat wherever he liked, perfectly at ease; Riku remained standing, gaze fixed on him.
"I still want to know who you are," Riku began, "and why you suddenly helped us."
Rei Ao smiled lightly. "What you really want to know is my race, isn't it?"
Riku fell silent, then gave a small nod.
"I can't see traits of any known species on you," he said at last. "The only possibility I can think of is… the Old Deus."
No Elf ears, no Flugel wings, no Werebeast features—Rei Ao looked most like an Imanity, yet Riku dismissed that at once: Imanity simply couldn't be this strong.
Rei Ao read the thought in his eyes. "I'm human."
The plain words drew a shocked, almost reflexive denial from Riku. "Impossible."
Rei Ao only shrugged. "Believe it or not. Couronne is my friend—ask her if you still doubt me."
Riku turned to Couronne, questions crowding his gaze.
"I…" She wrung her hands, unsure how to explain.
Ignoring their silent exchange, Rei Ao stepped outside.
With a sweep of both hands, gentle light spilled over the wrecked village. Time itself seemed to flow backward across the buildings: shattered walls knit together, fallen houses slowly re‑erected.
And as a final touch he laid an invisible barrier around the settlement.
Just then something caught his attention. Glancing into the distance, he told the two, "I have an errand—talk things over while I'm gone."
Before the words had faded, he vanished, leaving the pair staring after him in stunned silence.
After a long pause Riku faced Couronne again.
"Who is he really? Why help us—and what does he want in return?"
Couronne bit her lip. Weighing her options, she decided to reveal part of the truth.
"Rei Ao‑kun is a human from another world, wielding power beyond imagination. He helped because I asked him…"
"Another world?" Riku echoed blankly.
Couronne nodded. "I met him by chance—he's… extraordinary."
Riku tried to digest it, instincts as Imanity's leader warning him it could not be that simple.
"Then what's the price for his help?"
Color rushed to Couronne's cheeks. She lowered her head, twisting her fingers. "The price… is me."
"What?!" Riku's eyes flew wide, too astonished to speak. Not anger—merely disbelief at how light the cost seemed. If offering himself could save the Imanity, he would do it without hesitation.
…
Meanwhile, Rei Ao had teleported to a desolate wasteland.
The silence was eerie; wind moaned through broken walls and toppled pillars.
"Looks like a battlefield," he muttered, scanning the ruins until his gaze settled on the central pavilion.
Someone—or something—was still "alive" there.
A girl.
She sat quietly, body shattered in many places to reveal silver‑white machinery beneath. Crimson eyes glowed coldly in the dusk—an Ex‑Machina girl, waiting.
~~~
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