Little Garden East District, 2105380 Outer Gate—this was the headquarters of 'No Name.' After leaving the Thousand Eyes branch, and passing
Little Garden East District, 2105380 Outer Gate—this was the headquarters of 'No Name.'
After leaving the Thousand Eyes branch, and passing through the fountain square, they walked for fifteen minutes before finally reaching the gate of the 'No Name' residential area. Looking up at the gate, they could see the marks where a banner had once hung.
"Our commonality is inside. But it's still a bit of a walk to the headquarters. Please forgive us. And there are… traces of a battle nearby…"
"Traces of a battle? From a battle with someone with a wonderfully terrifying name like a Demon Lord?"
"Yes."
Kuro Usagi replied, her expression bitter.
"Perfect. Let's see the scars left by Little Garden's most ferocious calamity."
This suggestion was unanimously approved. Kuro Usagi looked troubled and hesitantly opened the gate. A dry wind blew from inside.
As they shielded their faces from the dust, a vast expanse of ruins came into view.
"This…?!"
Seeing the damage to the streets, Kudou Asuka and Yō gasped. Sakamaki Izayoi narrowed his eyes.
Arthas keenly sensed the presence of death.
Sakamaki Izayoi entered the ruins of a wooden house and picked up a piece of debris. With a slight effort, the wood snapped.
"Hey, Kuro Usagi. The Gift Game with the Demon Lord—was that centuries ago?"
"Just three years ago."
"Ha, that's interesting. Very interesting. This level of weathering in just three years?"
Indeed, Kuro Usagi's 'No Name' commonality had been utterly destroyed, as if by centuries of neglect.
The once beautiful, neatly paved streets were buried in sand. Wooden buildings lay collapsed and rotting. Steel reinforcements and wires were twisted and rusted. The trees lining the streets stood withered like tombstones. The scene was far removed from the bustling streets of just three years prior, shocking the three problem children.
"I can say with certainty that no force could have caused this damage. The way these wooden structures collapsed suggests natural decay over a long period."
Even with this impossible conclusion, Sakamaki Izayoi felt a comfortable chill down his spine at the sight of the ruins.
"It wasn't caused by force… but…"
Looking at the sorrowful scene, Arthas felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. He seemed to have witnessed this kind of devastation and cruelty before.
It was a vague memory, buried deep within his mind, so blurry that he couldn't recall his role in it. He could only feel the sorrow and the silent weeping in the lifeless world.
"Not force… what then?"
Kudou Asuka and Yō looked at the ruins curiously.
"Rules, or perhaps laws. Like Shiroyasha, who uses her will to shape a world. The Demon Lord who destroyed this place used their will to taint this land."
Arthas was different now, steeped in the sins of this world. He understood true power—a force beyond imagination, indescribable in words.
Those powerful beings could influence the entire world simply by standing there, let alone fighting.
That's why, when powerful Gift Games begin, battlefields like Shiroyasha's are prepared.
The battle between Shiroyasha and Arthas was largely a playful game. If Shiroyasha had been serious, she could have killed Arthas instantly.
Comparison breeds disparity, and this further fueled Arthas's determination to grow stronger.
Too weak… in this Little Garden, how could he leave this cruel, dog-eat-dog world and return to them if he didn't grow stronger?
Thanks to their clean water source and the welcome of new members, the 'No Name' commonality celebrated until late at night before finally quieting down.
The young members, exhausted, succumbed to sleep, leaving only Arthas and a few others awake.
"Hibari, Yō, the bathhouse is clean. Want a hot bath before bed?" Kuro Usagi poked her head out from the bathhouse, smiling brightly.
"That sounds wonderful!" Kudou Asuka exclaimed happily. As a noble young lady, she maintained a daily bathing routine.
"Please." Gesturing for the two women to enter, Kuro Usagi then shooed Sakamaki Izayoi and Arthas out of the hall.
"Sitting so close to where ladies bathe is something only perverts do."
"Aaaaaah, alright, alright. Hurry up, I want a bath too."
Sakamaki Izayoi said lazily, turning to leave. Arthas touched his nose and followed.
"The Gift Game starts tomorrow. The young ladies are quite relaxed."
Sakamaki Izayoi shook his head, amused. He didn't intend to interfere in the Gift Game. First, 'Fores Garo' and their leader, Galdo Gasper, didn't interest him. Second, as he'd stated earlier:
This was their fight, and they would resolve it themselves. He wouldn't interfere.
"What do you think about tomorrow's Gift Game?"
Sakamaki Izayoi asked Arthas, who was unusually quiet.
"I won't interfere. If I did… the outcome would be predetermined."
Arthas said honestly. His arrogant words made Sakamaki Izayoi smile.
"That's quite fitting for you. I wanted to say the same thing. If I interfered, that Galdo Gasper would be easily dealt with."
The boy beside Arthas said boisterously. Arthas smiled faintly.
"As companions, we need mutual understanding and respect. I imagine Hibari and Yō are under a lot of pressure."
Everyone knew Arthas's strength, and Sakamaki Izayoi was equally powerful. Hibari and Yō were both strong and proud, naturally wanting to prove themselves.
____________________
for more advance chapters visit my p@treon
[email protected]/kane45
Casual Reader - 20 Advance Chapters
Intermediate Reader - 40 Advance Chapters
Expert Reader - 60 Advance Chapters