"That won't work," Black Rabbit said firmly as she moved swiftly through the night, her voice low but urgent. "I don't know which Community Leticia-sama belongs to now. But any Community capable of obtaining ownership of Leticia-sama could never be a lower-tier group like Fores Garo. At the very least, it would have to be a six-digit Community.
"Even if we had the strength to force our way through them, it wouldn't be something we could accomplish quickly. And if we alerted Lady Shiroyasha…"
Her expression darkened.
"The consequences would be severe. We would be openly violating Outer Gate regulations. No Name could be forcibly disbanded because of it!"
As she spoke, she didn't slow down. The group leapt across rooftops under the cover of darkness, their figures flickering like shadows in the moonlight.
Black Rabbit kept glancing back anxiously at the four Problem Children following her.
If it were anyone else, she wouldn't be worried. No one in their right mind would challenge the bottom line of a Floor Master.
But these four?
She had absolutely zero confidence.
"Relax," Ren Kuroda replied calmly from behind her. "When I said 'special measures,' I didn't necessarily mean direct violence."
He adjusted his footing mid-leap, maintaining perfect balance as the wind rushed past.
"Like you said, that vampire loli is effectively a Gift belonging to their Community. Even if we destroyed their base, that doesn't mean ownership would transfer back to us."
He shrugged slightly.
"And to be honest, if we're talking about someone like Shiroyasha—a Floor Master—I don't exactly feel confident going head-to-head either."
Ren had cleared Shiroyasha's Gift Game before. But he had never been arrogant enough to believe that meant he could rival her.
The "special measure" he had in mind was something else entirely.
Whether it would even be usable—that depended on what kind of strength this Community truly possessed.
That was something he would judge personally.
Izayoi and Ren each carried one of the girls—Yō and Asuka—while keeping pace with Black Rabbit. The five of them streaked across rooftops at speeds no ordinary human eye could track.
Before long, guided by the mark Black Rabbit had secretly placed on Leticia, they arrived before an enormous, resplendent palace.
It was lavish.
Grand.
Bathed in pale moonlight, it looked like something transplanted straight from myth.
They had barely reached the gates—and were still considering how best to enter—when several soldiers in ancient Greek attire, bronze helmets gleaming, stepped forward and blocked their path.
"This palace is the residential domain of the Community 'Perseus,'" one of them declared. "Without invitation, members of other Communities are forbidden from entering. Any attempt will be considered an act of provocation."
Perseus.
Just hearing the name was enough for most people to recall the legendary Greek hero who slew Medusa.
Clearly, that very hero had also arrived in Little Garden. Through the merit of his living legends, he had obtained a powerful spiritual authority and established the Community known as Perseus.
Originally, Perseus had been a five-digit mid-tier Community—far too high-ranking to appear in the lower levels.
However, after Perseus's descendant, the second-generation heir Lios, inherited the Community, everything changed.
Lios was a vulgar hedonist.
Violent.
Lustful.
Predictably, the Community declined under his rule.
After squandering nearly all of Perseus's accumulated wealth, Lios sold off whatever remained and voluntarily abandoned their five-digit status, degrading the Community to six digits before relocating to the East District's lower levels.
His reason was simple.
Compared to the other districts, the East—protected by the "White Night Demon Lord," Shiroyasha—had the highest safety rating.
And because Perseus relinquished much of its former privileges, it gained a measure of convenience through Shiroyasha's Community, Thousand Eyes.
"We may not have an invitation," Ren stepped forward, impatience flickering in his gaze after Black Rabbit's negotiations stalled, "but we do have important matters to discuss with your leader."
His voice dropped slightly.
"If you refuse us, your Community may very well attract the attention of a Demon Lord."
The moment the words "Demon Lord" left his mouth, the soldiers' expressions visibly tightened.
In Little Garden, a Demon Lord was synonymous with natural disaster.
"You say a Demon Lord will come and that means it will?" one soldier scoffed. "And who exactly are you supposed to be?"
They had entertained conversation earlier because Black Rabbit was a Moon Rabbit—a Boxed Garden Noble. Even in the mid and upper levels, Moon Rabbits were rare. As retainers of Indra, they commanded respect.
But Ren?
He looked like an ordinary human.
Some random seven-digit nobody at the Outer Gate claiming knowledge of Demon Lord movements?
Even if a Demon Lord were planning to attack, why would insignificant trash like this know anything about it?
Ren merely smiled faintly.
"You don't have to believe me. I just hope you don't regret it."
He turned as though to leave.
"Our No Name happens to have a decent relationship with the East District's Floor Master, Shiroyasha. Receiving a bit of insider information wouldn't be that strange, would it?"
At the mention of Shiroyasha's name, the soldiers hesitated.
And when Ren truly began walking away, their composure cracked.
"Wait."
After a brief exchange, they relented.
"We will report this to our leader."
Inside the palace—
Lios stood with a whip in hand, striking a certain runaway vampire loli who had dared attempt escape.
The sharp crack of leather echoed through the chamber.
When his subordinate hurried in with the report, Lios paused mid-swing.
"No Name?" he muttered, brow furrowing.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't spare a glance for a Community that didn't even possess a name or flag.
Though Perseus had fallen from mid-tier glory, its foundation remained. The Gifts inherited from the Greek hero Perseus were still firmly in Lios's possession.
Even as a six-digit Community, Perseus was not comparable to ordinary six-digit groups.
However—
He could ignore No Name.
But he could not ignore Shiroyasha.
If those brats were truly sent by the White Night Demon Lord…
And if there truly was talk of a Demon Lord targeting Perseus…
Could he afford to gamble?
Lios hesitated.
He had already liquidated most of Perseus's former wealth. To settle in the East District, he had spent an enormous sum constructing this extravagant palace.
If he had to abandon it and flee now, he would truly be left with nothing.
After weighing the risks, he ordered his men to allow No Name inside.
He could not afford to bet wrong.
Outside, once the gates opened, the members of No Name collectively exhaled in relief.
Izayoi leaned slightly closer to Ren as they walked side by side.
"Ren-kun, you've got guts," he whispered with a grin. "Using Shiroyasha's name as leverage like that? If that white-haired loli finds out, I doubt your ending will be pretty."
He chuckled.
"Still, compared to storming the place or other reckless methods, this is definitely the lowest-risk option."
Ren responded with a small, ambiguous smile.
Then his expression shifted—subtle, meaningful.
"Who said," he murmured softly, "that I was lying about a Demon Lord attack?"