— — — — — —
There were seven figures.
Kiliga Gilika — a gaunt old man.
Schtola D — a short-statured teenager with short red dreadlocks. He wore a lavishly layered shirt over another and baggy jeans.
Gigliola Ghirardi — a seductive woman wrapped in revealing lingerie beneath a long coat.
Broodt Dumblegraff — a burly man clad in heavy armor.
Meiga Itogami — a young, handsome man with an athletic build and dark purple hair that covered the right side of his face. He wore white-framed glasses and a dark green changshan.
Then, there was a gentleman in a tall hat—likely from the Order of the End.
And finally, at the center stood a stunningly beautiful woman with floor-length hair and fiery pink eyes. She wore a ceremonial black-and-white dress, elegant and imposing.
"The barrier's down? What the hell happened?"
"Did something happen to the Witch of the Void? No way we got that lucky."
"Whatever it is, we're out now. That's what matters."
"Hold up… look down there!"
The chatter among the escapees turned chaotic for a moment, but then quickly hushed as all eyes turned to the ground below.
There stood Ryo Yagami, holding Natsuki Minamiya in his arms, framed against the remains of the shattered prison.
His presence was unmistakable. Impossible to ignore.
"..." x7
One by one, the prisoners sized him up, each mentally taking stock of the situation.
Until finally, the central figure—the enchanting woman with the infernal pink eyes and the calm, unsettling presence—broke the silence with a soft murmur.
"Natsuki… taken down? Seriously?"
"No way!" Schtola burst out, grinning. "Even the executioner's met her match, huh?"
"Looks like someone out there actually decided to help us escape," Broodt added flatly.
Gigliola giggled. "And our rescuer's a total stud, too."
"Well then," said Kiliga with a smile, "sounds like the perfect time to break free for good."
Grins and chuckles spread among the prisoners.
But the pink-eyed woman, Aya Tokoyogi, stayed cold and quiet. She lifted her arm and showed off the silver bracelet still shackled to her wrist.
"Don't get too excited. We're not fully free yet. The prison's control system is still active."
It was a warning—but also a subtle redirection. Her gaze drifted back to Ryo, plainly suggesting he was the key to ending their restraints. Or maybe… their scapegoat.
"What? It's still working?" Schtola D looked panicked. He snapped his gaze back to Ryo and snarled, "Hey kid! Be smart and hand over that witch!"
Ryo raised an eyebrow and looked up at him like he was confused.
"Did you really just try to order me around?"
Schtola blinked, caught off guard. Then sneered and flung an arm out dramatically.
"Yeah, I did. Because I've got power!"
The air around him twisted as razor-sharp gusts of wind materialized and shot down toward Ryo. Each one could've shredded a man apart.
For a moment, Schtola grinned viciously.
Shick.
It was quiet. Just a subtle sound—the kind that accompanies blood splattering from a clean cut.
Ryo now stood behind Schtola, still holding Natsuki in one arm. His other hand held a blade glowing with dark power.
Schtola, wide-eyed, was split down the middle.
"You mean this kind of power?" Ryo asked calmly.
Schtola tried to turn, tried to speak, but he was already dead before his knees hit the stone.
"What the hell—?!" x6
The remaining six panicked, scrambling back as Ryo's form flickered again.
"Schtola, descendant of a deva, taken down in one move?!"
The gentleman in the tall hat looked horrified. He clenched his jaw and began chanting a spell—
Shhhhk.
Ryo stood behind him now.
"Surprised? Just a bug getting squashed."
The man didn't even have time to scream. He exploded into chunks, painting the gray fortress stones red.
Next came the armored man, Broodt Dumblegraff, charging with a broadsword.
One swing.
Halved.
"The descendant of the Georgia House, the Dragon Slayer too?!"
Gigliola Ghirardi turned and fled.
Beside her, the old man—Kiliga Gilika—transformed into a ball of flame, trying to escape in a flash.
Ryo sheathed his blade.
A heartbeat later, Kiliga vanished—erased by a wall of deep crimson fire that erupted from nowhere.
The woman stumbled, stared back in disbelief, and began to laugh, her mind clearly breaking.
"Haha… he… he burned the Weird Giza? That old man had a fire spirit in him, and still... hahaha…"
No escape. No hope. The man they faced wasn't someone they could fight.
He was something else entirely.
"You're done resisting then?" Ryo said gently, addressing the three who remained.
Aya Tokoyogi. Meiga Itogami. And Gigliola Ghirardi.
Gigliola immediately dropped to her knees, trembling.
"Please! I'll do anything! Just let me live!"
She started stripping off her clothes, eyes wild, her dignity long gone.
Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"You're one of Giada's bloodline, aren't you?"
"Yes, yes! I'm a direct descendant of Her Majesty, the Chaos Bride."
She latched onto the name like it was her lifeline. "You… you know Her Majesty, right?!"
Ryo's voice turned cold.
"You're an embarrassment to her."
The smile froze on her face.
Then, with the breeze, her body disintegrated into dust—scattered like she'd never existed.
Ryo turned back to the final two.
The Witch of the Notaria, Aya Tokoyogi.
And Meiga Itogami, the rightful heir of Itogami Island.
He gave them a friendly smile.
"Well then. Now that the distractions are gone, I think we can finally talk."
He paused, then glanced downward toward the ruined castle.
"Oh, almost forgot. There were still a few hundred more prisoners left."
Raising a single finger, Ryo summoned a golden light so bright it swallowed the sky.
When it faded…
All that remained was a vast ocean and a floating stone slab where the three of them stood.
"...." x 2
Then Ryo, cheerful as ever, said. "Used a tiny bit of power just now. But it's fine. Shall we talk? I trust neither of you has any objections?"
Meiga, sweating bullets, pushed up his glasses and said hoarsely. "P-please… go ahead."
"Excellent."
Ryo adjusted Natsuki in his arms and smiled again.
"I've only got one thing to ask."
"It's a simple choice."
"Either you fight me…"
"Or you swear loyalty to me."
"Not a tough question, right?"
"…Yes sir," Meiga said, forcing a shaky smile.
Ryo turned toward Aya, expression soft but steady. "And you, Miss Aya? What do you think?"
Aya felt her heart drop into her stomach.
.
.
.