— — — — — —
In the swirl of twisted space and time, Scáthach stepped back into the castle—the one shielded only by a thin veil of sky.
When she returned, she found herself in the sunlit yard.
Her heels clicked softly against the white marble floor. Around her bloomed flowers of all seasons, perfuming the air with impossible life.
But behind that beauty, pairs of feral eyes glinted from the flowerbeds—the gaze of countless monstrous beasts lurking in the garden's world, silently watching her every move.
"No matter how many times I get used to it, being stared at like that still feels awful," she muttered with a sigh, striding forward.
...
At the courtyard's center stood a pavilion.
And seated there, beside a stone table, was a woman.
Her hair shimmered like gold under the sun, her crimson gown flickered like fire itself.
She was beautiful beyond human, both innocent and deeply seductive—a being poised perfectly on the border between girl and goddess.
She was the Celestial star spirit Who Governs the Boundaries, the heart of the Celtic pantheon—the personification of Halloween, born from the green sun of the Little Garden.
Queen Halloween
The Queen looked up as Scáthach approached, setting down her half-empty teacup.
Dressed in her butler's attire, Scáthach moved with practiced grace to the stone table, picked up the teapot, and poured fresh tea into the Queen's cup.
On the table lay small sweets—matcha mousse, donuts, diced melon—delicate and fragrant.
Queen Halloween speared a melon cube with a silver fork, popped it into her mouth, and asked in a tone dripping with boredom, "So, did you get what I asked for?"
Scáthach blinked, then sighed softly. She reached into her Gift Card and pulled out a tin can, setting it on the table.
"Per your request," she said helplessly, "I bought ten tons of it."
A can of surströmming—fermented herring from Sweden, infamous for its revolting stench.
Queen Halloween raised her hand and brushed her fingertips over the can.
Nothing visible changed, but Scáthach knew what that meant—the Queen had infused it with divinity.
Then, resting her chin in her hands, the Queen said lightly, "Report the situation with the Last Embryo."
Scáthach's mouth twitched. She glanced briefly at the cursed can before beginning her report.
She described everything: the investigation involving Ryo Yagami, Heracles, and Uesugi Kenshin, their cooperation, and the tangled mess that followed.
When she finished, she lowered her head respectfully, waiting for the Queen's response.
But before the silence could stretch too long, the Queen slid the can toward her.
"Eat."
Scáthach froze. Then, realizing her power had suddenly been suppressed to the level of a normal human woman, she looked up in disbelief.
"My Queen… isn't this going a little too far?" she asked carefully.
The Queen blinked innocently, then smiled playfully. "Breaking faith between allies deserves punishment, don't you think?"
Punishment? Using the herring I bought? Scáthach's expression twitched. She suddenly understood why the Queen had asked her the other day, 'What food do humans hate most?'
Still, she forced herself to respond politely. "Didn't you say this was for punishing someone else?"
At this point, Scáthach was seriously starting to think that "someone" might be her.
The Queen beamed. "Since it's a tool for punishment, we should at least test its effectiveness, right?"
Your expression says you're enjoying this, not testing it, Scáthach thought grimly, keeping her face neutral as she tried to redirect the conversation.
"As I mentioned earlier," she began, "someone powerful is clearly moving behind Kalki…"
The Queen nodded. "Yes. Which is why I decided to get involved myself."
Scáthach's head snapped up. "You… got involved?"
Had she heard that right?
"Surprised?" Queen Halloween tilted her head with a mischievous smile. "Why do you think I'd support Ouroboros in destroying my adorable disciple?"
The Queen had very few disciples still alive—and of them, only Canaria, Arcadia's former strategist, remained.
So by "adorable disciple," she clearly meant her.
Ouroboros… That was the name of the faction that destroyed Arcadia—and apparently the one backing Kalki.
Scáthach's heart quickened, but her tone stayed calm.
"Could it be that you find amusement in destroying what Canaria built?"
"There's no fun in that."
Queen Halloween smiled sweetly. "Watching her perform miracles over and over again to annoy the gods—that's far more entertaining."
"Then why support Ouroboros?" Scáthach asked, genuinely puzzled.
The Queen chuckled, eyes gleaming with a hint of malice. "Scáthach, do you know when it's the best time to kill someone?"
"..."
Scáthach almost said 'In a fair duel,' but she knew that wasn't the answer her Queen wanted.
The Queen's smile widened, voice smooth and cruel.
"It's when you've already become one of them—when you're right behind them, close enough to stab them in the back. That's when it hurts the most."
Scáthach immediately understood.
And then the Queen added, still smiling, "Just like how I've been letting Ryo Yagami grow, slowly earning Shiroyasha's trust."
Scáthach's eyes narrowed. Then she sighed quietly.
"I think you'll be disappointed. He doesn't strike me as the kind of man who betrays his allies."
"You say I misunderstood." The Queen looked genuinely surprised.
Scáthach shook her head. "What I mean is, you're too late. You've already missed your chance to interfere."
"Oh? Is that what you think?" Queen Halloween covered her perfect face with both hands, laughing softly.
"Isn't it?" Scáthach asked, testing for more.
Queen Halloween, of course, saw right through her—but didn't seem to mind.
"Do you really think the first one to find him was that dim-witted disciple of mine who barely managed to grasp the basics of divinity?"
Scáthach's mouth fell open in disbelief.
Queen Halloween tilted her head again, eyes narrowing with amusement.
"Go to Gate 33454 and wait for orders," she said lightly. "Take my projection—and the can of herring."
"…As you command."
Scáthach sighed, bowed, and turned to leave, resigned to yet another of her Queen's whims.
"You don't see me. Please, don't see me," she murmured under her breath, backing away carefully.
But before she could take another step, her body froze—paralyzed by the Queen's will.
Queen Halloween smiled and picked up the self-opening can of herring.
"My butler," she sang softly, "come here. Ah~ don't even think about running away."
"…Didn't make it after all," Scáthach muttered bitterly, pinching her nose and opening her mouth.
— — —
September 25th, 10 PM—
—Gate 33454, Demon City.
In the bustling metropolis of monsters, a lone bar sat near the city center.
Outside its entrance stood Ryo Yagami, dressed in a rumpled suit, tie loosened, hair deliberately messy—playing the part of a young man who'd just had his heart broken.
He lifted his head to glance at the sign.
{Big Boys Bar.}
He adjusted his collar, sighed, and pushed open the door, his mind heavy with thoughts.
.
.
.