The moment Leticia's name was brought up, Suzune—despite her youthful appearance—couldn't hide the flicker of irritation that crossed her face.
According to their original plan, Leticia should already have been one of them by now.
As the true progenitor-tier Vampire King and one of the pinnacle existences among the so-called "Little Garden Aristocracy," Leticia's combat power after reclaiming her divinity would have been nothing short of terrifying.
They knew even more than most.
Leticia had once held the Twenty-Fifth Sun Authority—Ophiuchus.
When she invoked that Sun Authority and transformed into a dragon, her strength would soar to the very peak of the Four-Digit level.
Yes, using that power would once again trap her in the endless cycle of revenge games bound to the Sun Authority…
But with His Highness's power, they had been confident they could free her from that curse completely.
More importantly, Leticia was exactly the type of Demon Lord they sought—someone who had fallen not out of ambition, but out of helpless circumstance.
She had been the ideal candidate.
And yet Ren Kuroda had appeared and ruined everything.
All they had managed to obtain was her divinity. Leticia herself had become Ren's possession.
Still… fortune had not abandoned them entirely.
After conducting their investigation, they discovered that the one who had become Leticia's master—Ren Kuroda—was himself a Demon Lord born of circumstance rather than greed.
Moreover, the resolve and strength he had displayed fit perfectly with their criteria.
And most crucial of all—
Ren was not alone.
He was a current Demon Lord.
At his side stood two former Demon Lords: Alger and Leticia.
Ren and Alger both possessed strength at the Four-Digit tier. If Leticia reclaimed her divinity, she too would stand at roughly that level.
There was no denying it—if Ren agreed to join them, His Highness's faction within the Demon Lord Alliance would experience an explosive surge in power. His current powerless standing would be overturned instantly.
After all, although His Highness was nominally the leader of the Demon Lord Alliance—
In reality, he was little more than a puppet.
Even his movements were monitored.
In fact, their ability to approach Ren today was only possible because the individual assigned to watch them was temporarily absent.
Ren listened quietly to everything.
Then he exhaled softly.
"Sorry. Your explanation is thorough and convincing. But it's still only your side of the story. And I don't have any reason to join you."
His crimson eyes sharpened slightly.
"From a positional standpoint, I can't stand with Demon Lords. If anything, I'm more likely to end up on the opposite side."
He paused before adding:
"That said… if your enemies are certain Demon Lords, then under specific circumstances, cooperation isn't completely off the table."
Ren's main quest in this world was to win a Gift Game hosted by a Demon Lord.
And yet, through a chain of absurd coincidences, he himself had become a Demon Lord.
But becoming a Demon Lord didn't mean he couldn't participate in another Demon Lord's Gift Game.
Since arriving in Little Garden, Ren had encountered several Demon Lords—but nearly all of them were former Demon Lords.
A "former Demon Lord" referred to those who had been defeated by Communities or had reformed. They no longer possessed the authority to abuse the system.
Even when they hosted Gift Games, the documents weren't the ominous black contracts used by true Demon Lords.
Defeating such individuals would not complete Ren's system mission.
Suzune smiled faintly at his refusal.
"We didn't expect you to agree immediately. You don't know us well enough yet."
"Stay in Little Garden long enough, and you'll come to understand just how dangerous it is for a Demon Lord to stand alone."
Her gaze sharpened.
"You came here with a wish, didn't you?"
"One day, you'll realize that joining us is the fastest path to achieving it."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Besides… if you hadn't demonstrated the ability to walk away from Shiroyasha unscathed, we might not have even considered recruiting a rookie Demon Lord like you."
"As a matter of fact, during this Fire Dragon Birth Festival, a certain new Demon Lord seeking entry into the Alliance must first pass an evaluation."
Ren's eyes narrowed.
Suzune and His Highness didn't seem bothered by his rejection. They didn't pressure him further.
Instead, they pulled their hoods back up and disappeared into the crowd as quietly as they had arrived.
But the information they left behind spoke volumes.
Today's Fire Dragon Birth Festival would not be peaceful.
As for this "rookie Demon Lord evaluation," Ren didn't know the specifics—but it likely meant causing trouble during the festival.
And their presence here was suspicious.
If they truly didn't care about that rookie Demon Lord, they wouldn't personally appear in the North District.
If they were acting as evaluators… was it really worth risking the nominal leader and strategist of the Demon Lord Alliance appearing before Shiroyasha?
Unless—
Their purpose wasn't limited to targeting the North District's Floor Master.
They might have something else in mind.
Ren turned to Leticia.
"Leticia, is there anything in the lower levels of the North District that's considered extremely valuable? Something even Demon Lords or upper-level Communities would covet?"
Before she could respond, an excited voice echoed across the arena.
Black Rabbit, acting as referee, enthusiastically announced the conclusion of the Creators' Gift Game.
And the victor—
As expected—
Was Alger, the strongest species among Stellar Spirits.
Kasukabe You of No Name had participated as well. But before encountering Alger, she had run into Aisha of Will o' Wisp.
The two of them had fought fiercely, pushing each other to their limits—
Only for Alger to suddenly crash into the battlefield midway through and wipe them both out in one sweep.
Even if it had been a direct confrontation, however, the outcome likely wouldn't have changed.
With her power fully unsealed, Alger now stood at near Four-Digit strength.
As the strongest class of Stellar Spirit, she was on a different level entirely.
Unless Jack of Will o' Wisp revealed his true name and fought seriously, Aisha and Kasukabe You together still wouldn't have had great odds.
They were talented—
But still immature.
The entire stadium erupted in cheers as Alger's victory was declared.
Applause thundered through the colosseum.
And then—
A spectator in the stands felt something brush against his head.
He reached up and grabbed it.
A sheet of paper.
He glanced down—
And froze.
More sheets began falling from the sky.
Then more.
And more.
Until black documents blanketed the entire area like a storm of ink-dark snow.
The festive joy that had filled the arena moments ago vanished instantly.
In its place rose suffocating dread.
The ominous black contract papers drifted downward in endless waves.
And in Little Garden—
There was only one meaning for such a sight.
A calamity.
A "natural disaster."
A Demon Lord had descended upon the North District—
And had invoked their authority to forcibly initiate a Gift Game.