Leticia fell silent when she heard what Ren Kuroda had to say. A thoughtful look crossed her face. After a moment, remembering Black Rabbit's personality, she finally nodded in agreement.
"So you're saying… this year's Birth of the Fire Dragon Festival in the North District probably won't be peaceful? And the reason Black Rabbit and Izayoi's group showed up here… could it be that Shiroyasha invited 'No Name' herself?"
Ever since she had spotted Black Rabbit and the others in the North District, Leticia had felt uneasy. Now, after Ren's careful breakdown of the situation, that unease deepened. She almost had the urge to contact Black Rabbit in secret and confirm what was going on.
Ren folded his arms, his expression sharpening.
"Yeah. There's no way this festival is going to pass quietly. Especially when you combine it with the rumors we've been hearing in the shadows—signs of a Demon Lord stirring in the North District.
"So let's make a bold guess. What if a Demon Lord is planning something during the Fire Dragon Festival? And Izayoi and the others were brought in by Shiroyasha as backup?"
He paused, thinking it through.
"By the standards of the lower levels of Little Garden, Izayoi and Black Rabbit are already pretty strong. And 'No Name's' current banner slogan is 'Defeat the Demon Lord,' right?"
The more Ren thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
He didn't know every detail about this world yet—but Izayoi, Black Rabbit, and their companions practically screamed protagonist party. And when the protagonist party is present, can things ever stay peaceful?
If no villains show up to throw themselves at them and serve as experience points, how are they supposed to grow stronger?
Leticia turned to him respectfully.
"Ren-sama, what should we do? Do we get involved and help Black Rabbit and the others… or stay out of it?"
She hesitated before adding:
"If Lady Shiroyasha is involved, there's always the possibility she still holds a grudge over what happened last time."
Ren shrugged lightly, but his eyes remained thoughtful.
"There's something else," Leticia continued. "It seems Alger has already entered the grand opening Gift Game of the festival. The largest one."
"It's called 'The Creators' Gift Game.' From what I've heard, only participants who possess creation-type Gifts are allowed to enter."
"Alger doesn't just have petrification—she can control serpents and even create them. The rewards are said to be incredibly generous. That's why she decided to join the fun."
Because the Fire Dragon Festival was such a massive celebration, the North District was overflowing with Gift Games of all sizes. Over the past few days, Leticia and Alger had entered quite a few—and won more than their fair share.
For the sake of convenience—and admittedly a bit of fun—the three of them had even created a temporary Community name.
Ghost Travel.
A poetic reference to the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
And despite being newly formed, Ghost Travel had racked up victory after victory in various Gift Games across the district. Their sudden rise had begun to attract attention. They were no longer unknowns.
So when the grand-scale festival event was announced, their Community received an official invitation from the North District's ruling Community—
Salamandra.
The next day, the North District's grand festival reached its climax.
At only eleven years old, Sandora officially ascended as the new Floor Master of the North District—the youngest in history.
At the same time, within a massive arena resembling an ancient Roman colosseum, the stands were filled to the brim with spectators. A large-scale Gift Game jointly organized by the Floor Masters of the North and East Districts was about to begin.
Serving as both referee and commentator was one of the exceedingly rare nobles of the upper levels of Little Garden—one of the "Little Garden Aristocrats."
The Gift Game, titled "The Creators' Game," had attracted an impressive number of participants. The reason was simple: the reward was irresistible.
The ultimate victor would be granted the right to make a reasonable request of both Floor Masters.
Due to spatial limitations, the game would take place in an independent enclosed field. To maximize the potential of creation-type Gifts—and enhance entertainment value—the terrain had been designed with extreme diversity.
Barren wastelands. Dense jungles. Lakes. Deserts.
Every imaginable environment was scattered across the game space.
Participants would be randomly teleported to different locations. From there, they would rely on their Gifts to battle until a single victor remained.
"Jack, we have to win this one! If we do, we can ask the White Night Demon Lord to help Sister Vera with her troubles!"
The girl speaking had long blue-gray hair tied into twin tails. She wore a gothic black dress, her chest as flat as an endless plain, and sat confidently atop a floating creature.
The creature had a pumpkin for a head, wore a black robe, and carried an old-fashioned oil lantern. It hovered slightly above the ground, drifting lazily through the air.
The pumpkin-headed being let out a theatrical laugh.
"Hohohohoho! Winning won't be as simple as you imagine. This Gift Game is jointly hosted by the Floor Masters of the East and North Districts. Many outstanding Communities have gathered here."
"I've heard that Ghost Travel—the Community that's been dominating numerous Gift Games in the North recently—has also joined this competition."
"They may be newly established… but don't underestimate them, Aisha."
The pumpkin specter—Jack—floated higher, reminding the girl not to grow careless.
They were members of Will o' Wisp, one of the strongest six-digit Communities in the North District. Their leader was rumored to be the most powerful demon in the North—a great being capable of traversing the boundary between life and death and interfering with external gates.
However, because most of their members were children with little combat ability, the Community remained ranked at six digits.
Even so, Will o' Wisp enjoyed enormous popularity in the North District. As soon as they appeared, cheers erupted from the crowd.
But they weren't the only ones drawing attention.
In a rainforest zone of the game field, a small purple-haired girl had just been teleported in. With her doll-like face and slightly absent-minded expression, she instantly won the hearts of countless spectators.
That girl was none other than the Stellar Spirit—
Alger.
Thanks to her standout performances in previous Gift Games, Ghost Travel had gained significant fame. And both Leticia and Alger—due to their adorable appearances—had accumulated a surprisingly large fan base.
However, since Ren had removed Alger's restraints and fully restored her power, her appearance and aura had changed dramatically. She no longer resembled the wild, battle-crazed woman she once was.
As a result, neither Black Rabbit—serving as referee—nor the audience realized that the purple-haired girl participating in the game was the very same unruly former Demon Lord.
"Ghost Travel?"
Seated in the VIP section, Shiroyasha tilted her head slightly. For someone who knew nearly every powerful Community in the North District, this unfamiliar name piqued her interest.
Before she could inquire further, a young man beside Sandora spoke up.
"That's a Community that's risen rapidly in the North District recently," he explained.
The speaker was Mandra—Sandora's older brother and the second-in-command of Salamandra.
"Their members seem to be legendary yokai and spirits. They're few in number, but individually quite strong. They've participated in numerous Gift Games lately—and achieved excellent results."
Shiroyasha's eyes narrowed slightly, curiosity deepening.
A newly risen Community of supernatural beings… dominating game after game?
Now that sounded interesting.
And somewhere within the massive battlefield of varied terrain, the members of Ghost Travel—Ren Kuroda's strange and growing circle—were already moving.
The festival had only just begun.
But the storm gathering beneath it was far from small.