"Leave our ancestor's relic behind! And after everything you've done to our Community, do you really think you're walking out of Salamandra just like that?!"
If there was a Community that had suffered the most from this entire operation, there was no question which one it was.
Salamandra.
First, during the Birth Festival of the Fire Dragon, they had been attacked by a Demon King. The chaos had spread across most of the Lower North District, dragging down Salamandra's reputation along with it.
Then came His Highness and his faction, infiltrating their territory directly. Numerous members of Salamandra had been injured or killed. Large portions of their land were in ruins.
Even if they began reconstruction immediately, the cost alone would be staggering.
Especially that massive blade mark—stretching straight through Salamandra's entire territory, splitting every structure cleanly in two. Just imagining the expense of repairing that scar was enough to make one's head spin.
…Granted, the one who had inflicted the single greatest amount of structural damage wasn't technically His Highness's group—but rather a certain half-demon detective who happened to favor the company of a petite maid.
Still, in the end, Ren Kuroda had acted to foil His Highness's scheme and protect Salamandra. So if someone had to shoulder the blame—
It absolutely should be His Highness and his people.
First, the Demon King Peste had damaged Salamandra's reputation.
Then the battle had ravaged their headquarters and wounded countless members.
And now His Highness's group intended to walk off with the Star Sea Dragon King's horn and the Simulated Genesis Star Map.
That wasn't just theft.
That was grave robbing.
The Star Sea Dragon King had founded Salamandra. He was the ancestor of Sandora and Mandora. For His Highness to swagger into Salamandra's territory and seize their ancestor's relic—
What was that, if not digging up someone's grave?
First destroy their name.
Then wreck their base.
Injure their comrades.
And finally pack up their ancestor's remains as a souvenir.
There was no exaggeration in saying that His Highness's faction had thoroughly, irreversibly offended Salamandra.
So when he calmly announced a retreat, Sandora exploded forward in fury, attempting to block their escape.
She might be young, but she wasn't foolish.
She understood—no matter how unwilling she was to admit it—that Salamandra alone had almost no chance of revenge. The Demon King Alliance was far beyond them.
Today's gathering of Ren, Lady Shiroyasha, and the others had been a rare convergence of opportunity.
If they let that opportunity slip away, relying solely on Salamandra's strength to settle accounts with the Demon King Alliance in the future would be nearly impossible.
And even if Sandora hadn't spoken up, Lady Shiroyasha had no intention of letting them leave so easily.
From their exchange just now, it was clear—
The Star Sea Dragon King's horn had ultimately fallen into the enemy's hands.
In terms of sheer rarity, the horn could not compare to a Simulated Genesis Star Map.
But if given the choice—
Lady Shiroyasha would rather they had taken the Star Map instead.
Because they already possessed No Name's former flag.
If they now secured the Dragon King's horn as well…
Then the key to releasing the Final Evil would be complete.
Compared to the threat posed by a Simulated Genesis Star Map, Lady Shiroyasha believed the danger of Absolute Evil was far greater.
However—
His Highness had dared infiltrate Salamandra while Shiroyasha herself was in the North District.
Did anyone truly believe he hadn't prepared an escape plan?
Ren's side held numbers. They held power. In a direct confrontation, His Highness's group might very well lose.
But if their goal was simply to withdraw—
Ren's group could not stop them.
After all, earlier, just three of them had managed to stall Lady Shiroyasha's entire side for a considerable time.
Now they had an additional unknown variable in Ayasato Rin.
If they truly intended to flee, there was little anyone could do.
And reality proved exactly that.
As His Highness's group prepared to retreat, Rin produced her Gift Card. A spatial vortex tore open behind them.
Sandora and Lady Shiroyasha rushed forward to intercept—
But from beyond the vortex came the resonant sound of a harp being played.
A moment later, deep roars echoed outward.
Gigantic two-headed giants began squeezing through the portal, one after another, brandishing enormous spiked clubs and swinging them down toward Sandora and Shiroyasha.
It was obvious.
Other Demon Kings were waiting on the opposite side.
How many?
How powerful?
Completely unknown.
"Ren Kuroda," His Highness said, glancing back just before stepping into the vortex. "We'll meet again. And next time… I won't lose."
His tone carried lingering frustration from their previous clash.
Rin smiled faintly as well.
"Ren-kun, think carefully about what we discussed before. You've disrupted my plans more than once… but I still think highly of you. One day, you'll understand."
Her eyes gleamed softly.
"We're on the same side."
And with that—
They were gone.
The spatial vortex sealed behind them.
The two-headed giants that had poured through were swiftly cut down by Sandora and Lady Shiroyasha. Though enormous in size, their strength hovered around the Six-Digit range. Individually, they posed little threat.
But they had been numerous. And utterly fearless.
That alone had delayed pursuit.
Even without the giants, however, chasing through the vortex would have been reckless.
Everyone here had sustained injuries after the chain of battles.
More importantly—
No one knew how many Demon Kings waited on the other side. Nor their strength.
The Demon King Alliance was not a casual gathering. Its members were, by definition, Demon Kings of Little Garden.
If they rushed through and misjudged the situation…
They might very well be walking to their own deaths.
"These two-headed giants are a race from the southern border," Lady Shiroyasha said grimly, staring down at the corpses. Her expression had darkened. "They've always kept to themselves. That harp must have controlled them."
She slowly exhaled.
"And now we know this much—their influence isn't limited to the North and East of the Lower Floor. They've already extended their claws into the South as well. What exactly are they trying to accomplish?"
First No Name in the East.
Then Salamandra in the North.
And now—trouble stirring in the South.
Worse still—
The key to unsealing Absolute Evil had been completed.
A heavy sense of foreboding wrapped around her heart.
The Lower Floor of Little Garden had enjoyed peace for far too long.
That peace was about to shatter.
The Demon King Alliance's objective could not possibly be limited to releasing Absolute Evil.
But their information was painfully scarce.
In fact, if not for Ren Kuroda—
Until today, they wouldn't have even known that a Demon King Alliance Community called Ouroboros existed at all.