"Do you really think," Ren Kuroda said quietly, "that I was just making it up?"
Izayoi froze for a split second when he heard that.
From Ren's tone alone, it was obvious—he wasn't joking.
And yet… that shouldn't be possible.
A Demon Lord in Little Garden was a walking natural disaster. A being feared by all. One who could forcibly initiate Gift Games against Communities and obtain Host Authority.
There wasn't just one or two Demon Lords in Little Garden. Whether they formed alliances or not, Izayoi didn't know.
But there was one thing he was absolutely certain of.
Ren had arrived in Little Garden at the same time they had.
They had been acting together ever since.
Before coming here, Ren hadn't even known the name "Perseus," much less possessed intelligence about a Demon Lord targeting them.
That left only two possibilities.
Either Ren had fabricated everything just to gain an audience with Perseus's leader…
Or—
Izayoi glanced at Ren from the corner of his eye, a flicker of suspicion surfacing as a particular possibility formed in his mind.
In the end, he sighed softly and followed the others into the palace of Perseus.
"So it was Shiroyasha who sent you?"
The voice that greeted them was languid, edged with arrogance.
"What do you mean a Demon Lord will attack Perseus?"
Inside the lavish palace, Lios had already been waiting. A crystal wine glass rested in his hand as he lounged comfortably within the extravagant hall he had constructed for himself.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't even acknowledge a Community like No Name. He certainly wouldn't allow such "trash" into his palace.
But if they were Shiroyasha's messengers, some face had to be given.
And the matter of a Demon Lord was not something he could ignore.
The moment Ren saw Lios seated upon the throne—his posture, his mannerisms, the way he carried himself—Ren felt the tension in his chest loosen.
The name Perseus carried enormous weight. And this was Little Garden—a realm where gods and Buddhas walked openly.
Before meeting the leader in person, Ren hadn't been confident he could provoke whoever stood behind that name.
But now?
It was obvious.
The reason Perseus had fallen from a mid-tier Community to the lower levels suddenly made perfect sense.
A second-generation heir with lofty ambitions and shallow ability. A hedonist living off inherited glory.
With someone like this at the helm, Perseus's decline had been inevitable.
As Ren assessed Lios, Lios was also scrutinizing them.
As a descendant of the hero Perseus, Lios possessed considerable spiritual authority. He glanced over Ren and the other "ordinary humans" and dismissed them almost instantly.
Normally, with his lustful nature, attractive girls like Asuka and Yō would have drawn his gaze.
But Lios wasn't interested in teenage girls or petite beauties.
That much was obvious from the fact that even Leticia—whose beauty was almost inhumanly exquisite—had failed to stir his interest.
Instead—
The moment his eyes fell upon Black Rabbit, clad in her alluring bunny outfit, her figure far more mature and voluptuous than Asuka or Yō—
His gaze locked.
It didn't move.
Even as he questioned them, his mind had already begun weaving vivid fantasies of how many positions he could attempt if he pinned that rabbit girl onto his grand bed.
"May I confirm," Black Rabbit said, forcing herself to ignore the disgusting weight of his stare, "that you are the leader of the Perseus Community?"
She swallowed, then pressed on.
"Our former companion, Leticia… the former Vampire King… is she currently in your Community?"
Her hands clenched lightly at her sides.
"If possible, we ask that you return our companion to us. No matter the cost—we are willing to pay it. As long as we can bring her back."
Though Lios's gaze made her skin crawl, the thought of Leticia enduring imprisonment strengthened her resolve.
She finished her request without faltering.
"Oh?" Lios tilted his head slightly, amusement creeping into his expression. "So you're the lower-tier Community that vampire visited—even at the cost of selling her Divinity?"
His eyes narrowed.
"So the talk about a Demon Lord attack was just a lie to trick me? Your goal from the start was that vampire?"
At first, wary of Shiroyasha, he had maintained a veneer of courtesy despite looking down on No Name.
But now that he realized they hadn't come under Shiroyasha's orders—and had in fact deceived him—
His expression twisted.
Lios might be a spoiled heir.
But he valued the glory of Perseus above all else.
After all, everything he enjoyed—his wine, his palace, his indulgent lifestyle—came from the prestige of that name.
And now he had been played by a nameless Community.
It felt like a slap across his face.
An insult to Perseus itself.
"A Community without even a name," Lios sneered coldly, "do you understand the price of deceiving a superior Community?"
He set his wine glass aside and rose slowly.
"Since Perseus has only just relocated to the lower levels of the East District, I would prefer not to make this a large matter."
His eyes gleamed greedily.
"So let's make this simple."
He pointed lazily at Black Rabbit.
"If this so-called 'Boxed Garden Noble' stays with me for a few nights, we'll consider the matter settled."
His tone hardened.
"Otherwise, prepare yourselves to face the wrath of Perseus."
Yes.
The talk of Community honor was a façade.
The truth was far simpler.
From the moment he saw Black Rabbit, desire had clouded his judgment.
He had been wondering how to drag such a rare Boxed Garden Noble—so seldom seen in the lower levels—onto his bed.
Now, the excuse had delivered itself.
Perseus, even in decline, was still one of the most powerful Communities in the lower levels.
What could a nameless group like No Name possibly do?
If he threatened retaliation, wouldn't they collapse in fear?
After all, they were the ones who deceived him first.
Even if the matter reached Shiroyasha, he would stand on the side of reason.
If it came to resolving things through a Gift Game, the fault lay with No Name—they wouldn't even have the right to refuse.
To avoid destruction, they would have no choice but to compromise.
That was how Lios imagined it playing out.
Reality, however, was not so cooperative.
Just as he extended a greedy hand toward Black Rabbit—
A figure appeared before him as if teleporting.
Ren Kuroda's hand shot forward, gripping Lios's wrist with crushing precision.
"Speaking as a fellow man of culture," Ren said casually, though his eyes were cold, "I understand the enthusiasm."
He tightened his grip slightly.
"But grabbing without permission? That's hardly gentlemanly."
He tilted his head faintly.
"And Black Rabbit's legs and chest? Those are assets of No Name."
"Y-Yes! Black Rabbit's legs and chest belong to—"
Black Rabbit instinctively nodded in agreement—
Then froze.
"…Wait, Ren-san, what on earth are you saying?!"
From somewhere unknown, she produced an oversized paper fan and began smacking Ren repeatedly over the head.
"Stop saying weird things!"
"You insolent worms—are you mocking me?!"
Watching Ren and Black Rabbit banter as if this were a comedy skit—
Lios's fury ignited.
A brilliant light flared in his right hand.
And in the next instant—
A sickle-shaped blade materialized in his grasp.