Alaya remained silent.
Morpheus said calmly, "If you won't say it, I will. Dealing with the forces behind the Umbrella Corporation is different from dealing with devils—we can't lump them together."
"The former is a simple task for me, but the latter could be more troublesome."
"So... it'll cost extra."
In the end, Morpheus's demand was straightforward: Want me to handle the devils backing the Umbrella Corporation?
Fine.
But five Heroic Spirits aren't enough—you'll need to add another five.
If Alaya had human emotions, it would have laughed in exasperation at Morpheus's words.
Opening and closing with demands for five Heroic Spirits, as if they were cabbages?
Though Alaya did hold hundreds of Heroic Spirits, they weren't mere commodities.
Losing even one pained it deeply, and now Morpheus wanted five more.
This was an outrageous demand.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible." Alaya rejected it without a second thought.
But Morpheus smiled and laid out the calculation for Alaya.
"The devils behind the Umbrella Corporation are clearly targeting humanity. If their plan succeeds, at least half the world's population—maybe more—will die."
"And you'll suffer unprecedented damage. Do you think that's not worth five Heroic Spirits?"
Alaya had to admit Morpheus was right.
The Umbrella Corporation's backers were hostile, with devils pulling the strings.
Dealing with the corporation itself was easy, but the devils behind it were a different story.
Especially since that entity lurked in the shadows—Alaya didn't even know its identity.
That made it even trickier.
If Alaya truly sustained heavy damage, who would inherit the Throne of Heroes? Only heaven knew.
But handing over five more Heroic Spirits? Alaya was reluctant—these were irreplaceable, and it hated to part with them.
Morpheus watched Alaya leisurely, fully aware of its predicament.
To put it bluntly, he had Alaya cornered.
No one could change that.
After a long hesitation, faced with existential peril, Alaya bowed its head in frustration. "I agree. Once it's done, you can select five more Heroic Spirits."
"Now that's more like it."
Morpheus grinned. "There's a human saying: Those who understand the times are the true heroes. Alaya, you're the greatest hero I've ever seen."
Alaya replied expressionlessly, "Don't think I don't know that's an insult."
Then, it turned and vanished from Morpheus's dream in the blink of an eye.
Morpheus shrugged it off. After seeing Alaya off, he exited the dream and returned to reality.
Sunlight streamed in—a new day had begun.
After enjoying the breakfast meticulously prepared by Erina Nakiri, Morpheus used magic to create a phantom clone to attend school in his place.
Then, he strolled leisurely to the Umbrella Corporation's Tokyo branch.
He summoned Medea and Paracelsus to his office.
More precisely, the office of the Tokyo branch's executive president, the one in charge.
But Morpheus had hypnotized that executive into cleaning toilets, so the office now belonged to him.
"Last night, I spoke with Alaya. It told me the Umbrella Corporation's higher-ups have sold their souls to devils."
"So, devils are the ones backing the Umbrella Corporation."
"And the ones aiming to destroy humanity are devils."
Hearing this, Paracelsus and Medea both frowned.
In their experience, devils were never good news—chaotic beings bent on destruction. It wasn't surprising they'd target humanity.
No wonder Alaya had handed them over to Morpheus and tasked him with handling the Umbrella Corporation. It all made sense now.
Paracelsus asked, "Did Alaya tell you who the devils protecting the Umbrella Corporation are, Boss?"
Morpheus sighed. "I asked, but Alaya doesn't know."
Medea couldn't help but chuckle.
Humanity was on the brink, and Alaya, as the Counter Force, didn't even know the enemy's identity. What a joke.
Was humanity's guardian this incompetent?
Paracelsus rubbed his temples. He'd thought they were just up against the Umbrella Corporation, but now it was devils.
This was far more complicated than facing a company.
"So, what's our next move?"
Morpheus replied, "Don't worry. Devils, like humans, aren't a monolith. We can pit other devils against those behind the Umbrella Corporation."
Paracelsus blinked. "Boss, you know other devils?"
"Not personally, but I know where to find them."
On his way to the Umbrella Corporation that morning, Morpheus had searched online and found a town called Kuoh in Kanagawa Prefecture, home to Kuoh Academy.
This was familiar territory for him.
When Alaya mentioned devils backing the Umbrella Corporation, Morpheus had suspected this world incorporated elements from that fiery supernatural series.
A quick check confirmed it.
No need to hesitate—time to head to Kuoh Academy.
"You two are coming with me on a business trip today."
An hour later, Morpheus arrived in Kuoh Town with Medea and Paracelsus, locating Kuoh Academy.
Standing at the school gates, Medea's eyes gleamed as she sensed numerous non-human presences within.
Curious, she asked, "Boss, how did you know the people we're looking for are here?"
Morpheus replied, "If I said I saw it in an anime, would you believe me?"
Medea looked baffled. Saw it in an anime? What did that mean?
Morpheus didn't explain, leading them boldly into the school.
Medea casually cast a detection spell.
The ordinary students felt nothing, but the devils inside picked up on the magical fluctuation immediately.
A certain red-haired girl frowned, stood up, made an excuse, and left the classroom.
At the door, she met her queen.
At the stairs, she encountered her friend, Kuoh Academy's student council president, Sona Sitri.
"Looks like we're on the same page, Rias."
"Then let's see who these intruders are."
The red-haired devil, Rias Gremory, smiled faintly.
And so, the group set off together, confronting the uninvited guests at the entrance of the school building.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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