Author Note. So, I wasn't able to finish the Walpurgis chapter on time, so Instead here's a flashback to a certain moment that a lot of you probably waited for a while to see.
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_EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO_
There was, and always has been a significant distinction between those who were strong, and those were STRONG.
That was something Guy Crimson had known since the first days of his incarnation, when he'd dared challenge the heavens and was brought low for it.
Even after Veldanava had stepped down from his position, and the balance of power shifted for the first time.
Guy was witness to the rise and fall of the strong. Many had stood before him with their heads raised high and brimming with confidence because they knew they were strong.
Of course many of those had deluded themselves into believing that. Then there were those who held incredible strength yet bellied themselves as weak.
Finally there were those who were truly strong, without having to even prove themselves, they simply were and no one could say otherwise.
Guy had seen them all, and as he stared at the two people he'd brought to his ice castle, he couldn't but wonder which one they were.
'No, rather,' He smiled. 'Which one is she?'
He'd watched her battle with his fellow Primordial, although defeating the Primordial Violet was not really something he considered all that impressive.
Other than Noir, the gap between him and the rest of the Primordials were simply too much of a chasm for him to measure strength anymore.
Of course, that made this girl strong enough to join his council, and bolster his forces in his game against Rudra.
And yet...
Just looking at her seemed to tickle something in the back of his head. Like he was looking at something incomprehensible and yet not. A feeling of dread and at the same time a disappointment that seeped into his bones.
Kaede Honjou was an enigma, and he'd just brought her to his home.
Beside him, Velzard seemed to tilt her head curiously.
'That reaction. So I was right,' He pondered. 'She also has the aura of a dragon. Let's not forget that she also became the ancestor of the chaos demons, and I can't be certain but I can sense another power within her.'
He chuckled to himself. 'It's preposterous. How can one person possess all of these qualities?'
"The hell are you chuckling to yourself for?" The girl pointed at him. "Is there a reason you've brought us here?"
"Well hello there." Guy smiled in greeting. "I hope you don't mind my summoning you here."
Kaede shrugged. "It depends really. I was kinda in the middle of something you know. And you really shouldn't kidnap people."
"You'll have to pardon me then. I couldn't help but notice you a few moments ago in your confrontation with Viole."
"Ah." Kaede palmed her fist with a look of realization. "You must be the pervert Violet mentioned was spying on us."
"Pfft!" Beside him, Velzard tried and failed to contain her laugh.
Guy's smile twitched. Just a little. "Pervert, is it?" he echoed lightly, one hand coming up to rest against his cheek as if genuinely considering the label. "Perhaps a small briefing with Viole is required."
Velzard let out a soft breath through her nose, amusement still lingering in her expression. "You do have a habit of watching things you shouldn't, Guy."
"Observation, my dear," Guy corrected smoothly. "A necessary trait for someone in my position."
"Uh-huh." Kaede crossed her arms. "And kidnapping people is also part of the job description?"
Guy spread his hands slightly. "Only when they're interesting."
Kaede blinked once. "…That's not reassuring."
"Nothing ever is with my kind," the demon beside her added quietly.
Guy's gaze shifted. He hadn't paid the demon as much attention initially. That in itself was unusual.
Because now that he did… His eyes narrowed just slightly. 'A descendant of chaos. Already? No, it's too quick. Did I miss one during their purging? No, I made sure I was thorough.'
"Now then," Guy said, redirecting the conversation, his tone still light but carrying a faint edge beneath it. "Let's not get off on the wrong foot."
He gestured casually.
Cold air drifted lazily through the massive hall, the frozen walls of Guy's castle reflecting faint light like polished glass. The atmosphere should have been oppressive.
It wasn't.
That alone said enough.
Guy leaned back slightly, studying Kaede again.
'That feeling…'
It hadn't gone away. If anything, it had gotten clearer. The contradiction. The dissonance.
Power, yes, that much was obvious. But there was an odd structure to it.
Too many things layered on top of each other.
"Ah… I see," he said, shaking his head slightly. "So that's how it is."
Kaede frowned. "What?"
"Nothing." He waved it off. "Just confirming something."
His gaze sharpened. "Tell me, Kaede." The air shifted.
"What exactly are you?"
Kaede stared at him.
For a moment, she didn't answer.
"I don't know."
Velzard's eyes flickered.
Guy's smile froze.
"…You don't know," he repeated.
"Yeah." Kaede nodded. "I mean, I was human. Then I wasn't. Then a bunch of other things happened."
She gestured vaguely.
"I know I've always been weird. I figured it was normal you know, not everyone has to be normal. Recently though, I'm not sure anymore."
Guy stared at her.
Then... He started laughing again.
Louder this time.
Velzard sighed, though there was a faint smile tugging at her lips. "…You've brought something troublesome into our home," she murmured.
Guy wiped at his eye. "Troublesome? No, no…"
His gaze locked onto Kaede.
"This is the opposite of troublesome."
He leaned forward slightly. "This is fun."
Kaede narrowed her eyes. "I don't like that tone."
"You'll get used to it."
"I don't think I will."
"Fair enough."
Another pause.
Then Guy's expression shifted.
Not playful anymore.
There was something more deliberate behind it now. "Kaede Honjou," he said. "I'll get straight to the point."
"You're strong."
A simple statement.
"But strength alone isn't what interests me."
His eyes gleamed. "I'm curious."
"Curious how far that strength goes."
"And," Guy continued smoothly, "I'd like to see it for myself."
Velzard closed her eyes briefly.
"Guy…"
"Yes, yes, I know," he waved her off. "I'm being impatient."
He looked back at Kaede.
"But can you blame me?"
His smile returned. "When something like you shows up out of nowhere?"
Kaede exhaled slowly. "…Let me guess," she said. "You want to fight."
Guy tilted his head. "Want is a strong word."
"Let's call it… an invitation."
Kaede looked at him for a long second.
Then glanced sideways at Tomokashi.
"…What do you think?"
Tomokashi met her gaze.
There was no hesitation in her answer. "Please put this lowly demon in his place."
Kaede nodded. "Alright."
She looked back at Guy.
"…But if I win," she said, "you're explaining everything."
Guy's smile widened.
"Deal."
Velzard opened her eyes again, a faint sigh escaping her lips.
"…This is going to be troublesome after all."
Guy rose slowly from his seat. "Shall we? I'll let you get the first hit in as an apology for my impatience."
"You can't be serious." Velzard groaned.
"Peace Velzard." Guy chuckled. "You're here aren't you?"
He turned back to Kaede. "So?"
---
Kaede frowned internally. 'He's rather confident. Artificia, what can you see about him?'
Kaede's eye twitched slightly. 'That's not helpful.'
That made her pause. 'Obscured?'
Kaede's gaze sharpened slightly as she looked at Guy again. He was still smiling.
Artificia continued.
'And?'
Kaede didn't react outwardly. But internally... '…Oh?'
That… was already saying a lot.
Kaede's lips pressed together faintly. 'So… he's way stronger than Violet.'
Kaede exhaled slowly. 'Right. Of course he does.' She tilted her head slightly, still watching him.
'What now?'
Kaede's eyes narrowed slightly. 'Yeah, I figured that much.'
Kaede went still. Just for a fraction of a second. '…How much?'
That was worse.
Kaede clicked her tongue internally. 'So the longer this goes, the worse it gets.'
Kaede blinked once. 'That's… seriously?'
'How do I do that though? If he's way stronger than Violet then I'll have to use an incredibly powerful attack. But if I did that, then I run the risk of killing him, and something tells me I don't want 'that' to get pissed off if I did that.' She glanced at Velzard.
'What even is she? Her presence gives me the creeps.'
'You're not helping Artificia. And besides, I've never been one for optimal. I've got an idea.' She rolled her shoulder once.
Then stepped forward.
Across from her, Guy's smile widened just slightly. "Done thinking?" he asked.
"A bit," Kaede replied.
"Good." He spread his arms slightly. "I'd hate to win before you were ready."
"…You're really asking for it."
Velzard pinched the bridge of her nose. "…Just start already."
Kaede exhaled slowly. "Activate [Machine God]"
The air changed first.
Then the black came, moving across her skin like something settling rather than something burning, flat and lightless, the red following immediately after in thin branching lines that pulsed outward from her chest.
The wings constructed themselves behind her. Geometric. The outer panels deep translucent red, the inner ones solid black, spreading wide and holding without movement.
At her sternum, the core, a star inside a black cage, vivid red, the only truly bright thing in the form, pulsed once. The pulse travelled through every line in her body and bled into the air around her at the edges.
Her eyes went red.
She hovered. The low harmonic of the core the only sound in the room.
The halo of geometric rings above her head rotated once, slowly, and stopped.
Kaede looked at Guy.
"You said first hit." The harmonic ran underneath her voice like a second register. "I'll take it."
Kaede's eyes locked onto Guy. "…Don't dodge," she said.
Guy's grin sharpened.
"I wouldn't dream of it."
Kaede raised her hand and yelled. "And now, take this! Your name is..."
Guy blinked in surprise. "Wait, w-what!? What are you doing!?"
"Guy Crimson!"
The castle went silent in a way that had nothing to do with sound.
Velzard's eyes went wide.
It was a small thing. A fraction. But on Velzard it was the equivalent of anyone else's jaw dropping.
She stared at Guy Crimson.
Then at Kaede.
Then back at her Guy Crimson.
Guy looked down at his hands.
He turned them over once. Then he exhaled, slow, long, the exhale of someone releasing something they hadn't known they were holding.
Then he started laughing.
Not the performative laugh from earlier. This was something considerably more unguarded, rising from somewhere genuine.
"Hah." He pressed a hand over his mouth. It didn't help. "Hahaha..."
"Guy." Velzard said. Her voice had a quality it hadn't had all evening.
"She named me." He said. Still laughing. "Velzard, she named me."
"I'm aware." Velzard said. "I was standing here."
"I didn't think..." He stopped. Started again. "I haven't felt that since..." Another stop. He shook his head, the laughter settling into something quieter, the aftershock of genuine surprise finding its level. "I didn't know that was still possible."
Velzard looked at him for a long moment.
Then at Kaede.
Kaede was still in Machine God, hovering at the same height, wings extended, core pulsing at its normal rhythm.
She was also completely untouched. She didn't look like someone who has just named the tye strongest Primordial Demon, something Velzard didn't even think she would have ever done even if her life depended on it.
Guy looked at her.
His expression had settled into something she hadn't seen from him yet. "I concede." He said.
The words landed in the room without ceremony.
"…What." Velzard said.
"I concede." He said it again, the same tone, completely unbothered by the fact that he was saying it. "She named me. She won." He tilted his head slightly. "The evolution alone would have been sufficient, but the fact that I currently cannot harm her in any capacity removes any remaining ambiguity."
He looked at his hands again. Then back at Kaede. "[Mother Of Monsters] a befitting title indeed. It grants several boons to monsters under you, and yet with this title you've placed upon me nigh unbreakable chains. After all, it is impossible for any monster under your protection to harm on damage in a way, shape or form."
"You." He said. "Sit down. I owe you an explanation."
Kaede deactivated Machine God.
The form dissolved, wings folding back into nothing, plating receding, the red bleeding out of her eyes and the circuit patterns fading until she was simply herself again, landing lightly on the castle floor with the low harmonic fading into silence behind her.