The air around Akira was so heavy he felt as if his lungs were tearing apart. Diablo didn't move an inch, but his demonic eyes were swallowing all the light in the room. The pressure radiating from him wasn't physical; it was purely "spiritual" pressure. It was slowly crushing Akira's will.
"Do you have anything to do with my Lord's disappearance?"
The question echoed in Akira's mind like a death sentence. One lie, a mere quiver of doubt in his voice, and this demon would erase him from existence. Akira remembered his mother. He remembered the dark computer screen. He remembered that feeling of absolute helplessness that overwhelmed him before he was dragged into this world. He had nothing to hide, because he inherently had nothing. Akira raised his head slowly, and looked directly into the two gates of hell that were Diablo's eyes. — "I... don't even know who your Lord is," Akira said in a low voice, yet it was strangely steady. — "I didn't kidnap anyone. And I didn't plan anything. Just hours ago, I was holding my mother's hand as she took her last breath... then the world tore open and threw me here like trash. That is all I have. That is my truth." Diablo stared at him for a full second. Then... his eyes flashed with a terrifying crimson color.
[Alert: Soul breach attempt detected.] [Source: Primordial Demon.] [Automatic firewall activated. Allowing reading of the emotional surface only and concealing deep data.]
Akira felt an icy coldness invade his mind. It was as if invisible fingers were flipping through his memories, touching his sorrow, his pain, and his despair. It only lasted a moment, but it felt like a thousand years. Then... the coldness retreated suddenly. — "Kufufufu..." Diablo's soft, deep laugh echoed on the balcony. The demon took a step back, and bowed with exaggerated respect, placing his hand over his chest. — "I apologize for my rudeness, Akira-dono. I have seen your soul. It is full of fresh scars of sorrow, pure and sincere. There is not a speck of deceit in your words." Diablo raised his head, and his smile widened. — "But... there is a solid black wall behind your emotions preventing me from seeing the rest. A wall that the mana of this world could not build. Kufufufu, you are a truly fascinating being. No wonder Benimaru-dono decided to keep you alive." — "Kuwahahaha!" Veldora burst out laughing, and slapped Akira on the back with his massive hand, a blow that nearly broke his spine. — "I told you, Diablo! This kid is too weak to be the mastermind behind anything! He can barely stand after my friendly pat! Kuwahahaha!" Akira coughed violently as he staggered, trying to regain his balance. "Friendly? You almost knocked my heart out of my mouth!" he screamed internally. — "Alright, that's enough terrifying the guest." A sober, calm voice came from behind Akira. He turned to find Benimaru standing by the sliding door, wearing his usual red military uniform, his face bearing a strict expression. — "Veldora-sama, Diablo, I hope you haven't scared off our future tour guide to Japan. Akira, follow me. It's time for you to see the capital." Akira didn't argue. He followed Benimaru silently, while Diablo vanished into the shadows with a faint laugh, and Veldora leaped from the balcony to fly into the sky like a blonde meteor.
Akira walked behind the Commander-in-Chief through the castle's corridors, until they reached something that looked familiar yet strange at the same time: an elevator. But there were no buttons; instead, there was a glowing magic crystal. Benimaru placed his hand on it, and the glass elevator descended with astonishing speed and in total silence toward the bottom of the floating castle. And when the doors opened... Akira stepped into the heart of "Tempest." His eyes widened until they nearly popped out of their sockets. The streets were wide and paved with a material resembling asphalt, but it gleamed like black pearl. The buildings weren't just ordinary skyscrapers; they pulsed with lines of magical light that supplied them with power. But what truly shocked him wasn't the technology... it was the citizens. A group of Orcs passed by him, but they weren't barbaric monsters. They wore elegant formal suits, carried leather briefcases, and were discussing stock market indices in earnest. Above his head, small delivery drones flew by, piloted by Goblins wearing goggles, distributing packages with speed and efficiency. At the street intersection, there was a Dragonewt (dragon-man) wearing a police uniform, directing traffic for metallic vehicles that hovered above the ground, powered by mana crystals instead of fuel. — "This... this is madness..." Akira muttered in shock. — "This city surpasses Tokyo by centuries!" — "We built it on the foundation my Lord left behind," Benimaru said, his voice carrying immense pride, yet tinged with a touch of sorrow. — "500 years ago, Lord Rimuru gave us a vision of a world where all races live in peace. The technology you see here is the result of merging pure magic with sciences from your world... my Lord's world." Akira walked beside Benimaru, feeling like an ant walking in a city of giants. The monsters here weren't just powerful beings; they were a civilized society, terrifying in its efficiency. And as they walked through a massive square filled with illuminated fountains, Benimaru suddenly stopped. In front of a colossal glass building bearing the sign "Central Research Facility," stood a woman. She was tall, slender, and breathtakingly beautiful, but what truly caught Akira's attention was the stark contrast in her appearance. She wore a very tight and highly elegant black office suit that accentuated her figure... but resting on her shoulder was a giant sword (Ōdachi) that was almost taller than she was! A single black horn protruded from her forehead from amidst her dark purple hair. It was Shion. The First Secretary and the Commander of the invincible "Yomigaeri" legion. As soon as she saw Benimaru, her face lit up, but when her eyes fell on Akira, she stopped. Her purple eyes narrowed, and in a single step, she closed the twenty-meter distance to stand right in front of him. Her speed wasn't visible. It just simply happened. Shion leaned in slightly, bringing her face so close to Akira that her hair brushed his nose. She began to sniff the air around him like a hungry wolf. — "A strange scent..." Shion whispered, her voice a mix of danger and curiosity. — "The scent of someone from my Lord's world... but mixed with something very dark. Is this the boy Souei spoke of?" — "Calm down, Shion," Benimaru sighed, placing his hand on his forehead as if suffering from a chronic headache. — "Don't cut him in half right now; he's still under investigation." Shion smiled an innocent smile that completely contradicted the giant, bloody sword on her shoulder. — "Of course I won't cut him, Benimaru! I'll just feed him some of my own cooking to make him confess all his secrets!" Benimaru's face instantly went pale, and he involuntarily took a half-step back. Even Akira, who knew nothing about Shion, felt his survival instinct screaming in warning.
[Alert: Unintentional killing intent detected (Chemical hazard). Retreat advised.]
Before Akira could react to the terror of "Shion's cooking," a sudden alarm blared throughout the entire capital. A sharp, ear-piercing sound, followed by the artificial sky above the city turning from clear blue to crimson red. The smile vanished from Shion's face instantly, and Benimaru's features shifted to absolute seriousness. — "What is that?" Akira asked in terror. — "An attack on the eastern border," Benimaru said in a cold voice, drawing his sword slightly from its scabbard with a terrifying metallic click. — "It seems the Empire of Angels has forgotten the lessons we taught them a century ago." Benimaru looked at Shion. — "Keep an eye on the boy. I'm going to crush them." And in a flash of crimson flame... the Commander-in-Chief disappeared, leaving Akira alone with the terrifying secretary, and the sky of Tempest burning with alarms.