――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow never to invite anyone into my home for the rest of my life.

△▼△▼△▼△

――To clarify, at first, Felt did not agree to Roy's terms with the intention of immediately breaking them.

The 'insurance' the other party put in place was indeed 'insurance.' Felt was aware of its threat, and if she acted carelessly, it could not only cost her life but also cause significant harm to those around her. Therefore, she intended to play the role of Filore Lugunica and observe Aldebaran and the others for any openings, albeit reluctantly going along with Roy's strategy. Naturally, she planned to outsmart Roy, who was trying to outsmart them. However, Felt's resolve was soon forced to change course.

"――Felt!!"

Released from the sealed space, feeling the cold steel against her neck, Felt focused all her energy on grasping the situation. The first priority was to play the role of Filore to prevent the 'insurance'—a threat that could activate regardless of Roy's presence. On top of that, she sought an opportunity to surprise Aldebaran and everyone present. Yet, all these preparations seemed to crack the moment a familiar voice called her name.

"――――"

While being restrained, Felt barely managed to lift her face and saw. At the back of the battlefield, the one who called her loudly was Old Man Rom, whose presence she had already missed after just a few days. Simultaneously filled with joy, she realized she was a hostage for this very reason, and forcibly held onto the mask of Filore that was about to slip off—locking eyes.

Not with Old Man Rom, but with the pale blue eyes of the girl perched on his shoulder.

――In that instant, a torrent of information surged through Felt's mind at an incredible speed.

"――Ugh"

Inside Felt, whose red eyes blinked, a torrent raged as if to make the most of every moment. Apparently, in the midst of battle, with Aldebaran and Yae absent, and only Roy and Heinkel left on the battlefield, a total war was underway, employing divide-and-conquer tactics, led by the impressive Old Man Rom. Reinhard continued to engage the 'Witch,' and there were others, others, and more—

"――Old Man Rom! Get Gaston and the others back! It's coming!!"

Swimming through the relentless torrent of information, Felt raised her voice, convinced this was the best course of action. Even if she continued the act of Filore out of fear of the 'insurance,' there was a high possibility that Roy, cornered in battle, would break his promise to change the situation. After all, the opponent was an Archbishop of Sin. Trusting that they would keep their promise was a mistake.

In the first place, Roy had been lying from the start. The idea of conspiring with Felt to escape by exploiting Aldebaran's gaps was a blatant lie. From the beginning, Roy intended to devour everyone, including Felt, Aldebaran, Yae, Volcanica, and Heinkel.

Therefore――,

"――It's coming out of my shadow!!"

There was no hesitation or doubt in outsmarting Roy. The only fear she had was the inability to deal with the 'insurance,' but the presence of those around her, especially Old Man Rom, dispelled that fear.

――With Old Man Rom, there was nothing she couldn't do. Felt held the same hope in this old giant that many in the world held for the 'Sword Saint' Reinhard van Astrea.

Thus――,

"――Black Serpent!!"

Even if a tremendous torrent of 'death' overflowed from her shadow, there was no fear in Felt's eyes or heart.

△▼△▼△▼△

――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow never to witness the end of someone's life.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　△▼△▼△▼△

――One of the Three Great Demon Beasts, the disease-ridden beast known as the 'Black Serpent.'

Generally, the nature of demon beasts is to harm all of humanity, but the reason the Three Great Demon Beasts are considered exceptional is simply because the scale of the damage they cause, in line with their nature, is overwhelmingly large.

――The 'White Whale,' shrouded in mist, has been the target of numerous subjugation squads in various countries, erasing most of their existence.
――The 'Great Rabbit,' with its disaster-like appetite, devours countless livelihoods and even consumes tragedies.

The terror of these creatures, called the Three Great Demon Beasts like the Black Serpent, needs no explanation. However, compared to the White Whale and the Great Rabbit, the existence of the Black Serpent is even more peculiar and bizarre.
As mentioned earlier, the Three Great Demon Beasts are those that cause overwhelming damage compared to other demon beasts. If strictly adhering to that condition, the Black Serpent should be called not one of the Three Great Demon Beasts, but simply a Great Demon Beast.

The lives taken by the Black Serpent, which once destroyed a great nation and reduced the Five Great Nations to Four, are far more numerous than those claimed by the White Whale or the Great Rabbit.

"Nua――!?"

Upon the announcement of the Black Serpent's appearance, Old Man Rom let out a voice of astonishment at the immediate scene.
In that instant, what erupted from the shadow beneath Felt's feet was a dense mass of miasma so thick it could be visibly discerned—appearing as if the shadow itself had raised its head, it was a manifestation of an overwhelmingly malevolent threat that instinctively evoked 'death' in all living beings.
And yet――,

"What is with those eyes...!"

Despite the terrifying presence of the demon beast felt so closely, the fact that Felt's eyes, looking at him, held not fear but only trust, stirred something within Old Man Rom.
For an old man, it was a luxury to suppress the instinct to cling to life and to want to meet that expectation.

"Petra!"
"Yes!"

In an instant, the body of the girl who responded leapt and jumped off Old Man Rom's shoulder. Nodding at the wise girl's decision, Old Man Rom focused straight ahead—'Compression' activated.

"――――"

A sensation that seemed to leave everything around behind shook Old Man Rom's soul.
If this power had been available in the many battles Valga Cromwell had been involved in, the tactics, the outcomes of the battles, and even history itself might have changed dramatically.
Just witnessing the power of authority and feeling the Witch Factor nearby inevitably conjures such 'what-ifs.' Perhaps that is precisely why those chosen by the Witch Factor become enamored with power, drown in the sense of omnipotence, and stray from the path, descending into abominable existence.
That is――,

"――"

Petra bit her back teeth tightly, enduring with a brave heart.
Even for a short time, the Witch Factor undoubtedly places a considerable burden on her. Despite wanting to release her immediately, reality, conversely, forces her to wield the power. Old Man Rom, too, can only be one of those frustrating realities.
Precisely because it is forced, at the very least, he must bring back the best possible outcome.

"Thunder Eight, Warrior. Flower Eight, Soldier."

The sensation of thoughts bursting and the thick lips weaving words happened simultaneously. Following Old Man Rom's instructions, Petra swiftly made a decision, pulling back Flam, Grassis, and Gaston with 'Compression' and throwing them to the rear of the battlefield. In their place, Old Man Rom leapt forward the same distance, forcibly tearing Felt away from Heinkel, who still had her in a hold, and attempted another escape. However—

"That's terrible, didn't we say we'd run away together?"

In that moment, a sticky, unpleasant voice overlapped with the sound of flesh being forcibly pierced. Old Man Rom groaned at the burning pain that followed, meeting the blood-stained smile and eyes of Roy, whose hand was thrust into his right side. Roy, who should have suffered a fatal wound from Ram and the others' coordinated attack, bared his fangs at them, his small, battered body dyed red with blood.

"You, to Old Man Rom...!"

"I warned you, didn't I? These guys won't listen to what we say properly!"

Roy, gritting his teeth at the enraged Felt, jerked his chin to indicate behind him. A massive pillar of black filth rose, a threat that could devour life just by entering one's sight, let alone touching it. It wasn't a bluff or a threat; the ominous legend of the 'Black Serpent' was there.

"—Ngh!"

Enduring the pain of his gouged side, Old Man Rom's thoughts burned intensely. Trying to deal with this here was the worst of plans. They had to escape beyond the range of the Black Serpent's cursed tongue. However, Roy was naturally going to interfere, making it difficult to escape with 'Compression.' Did Roy have a way to avoid the Black Serpent's curse, or was he prepared for a suicidal mutual destruction tactic? Find the best way to stop him, think, think, think—

"—Protect the daughter of Fold!"

Old Man Rom didn't know why his heated thoughts concluded with that. But the process of reaching that conclusion was compressed to the extreme, and he shouted it out. Responding to Old Man Rom's blood-curdling shout, a man reacted.

"Ugh, aaaaah—!"

The voice, trembling with fear, reflexively flashed a sword, slashing Roy, who was about to latch onto Old Man Rom's massive body, diagonally and sending him flying. The brilliance of that silver light even surprised the wielder, and for Felt, who was saved by it, it was a shock as if the heavens had fallen.

"You..."

"—!"

Felt, eyes wide, stared back at Heinkel, who gritted his teeth and reached out. Not towards Felt, but towards Old Man Rom's massive body that had pulled her close. Unexpectedly receiving a powerful shove, Old Man Rom's body was propelled by the force. And in front of the pushed Old Man Rom and Felt—

"Filore-sama, I—"

Who could describe that expression, mixed with confusion, regret, and love-hate? The words woven by those lips, reaching the pinnacle of complexity, what feelings were they trying to convey? It's all unknown. —Before that answer took shape, Heinkel Astrea was swallowed headfirst by the descending Black Serpent's filth and vanished.

"——"

Bathed in the waterfall-like filth, the earth dyed in ominous black died. Trees withered, flowers and grass rotted, water became murky and foamy. After being invaded by the Black Serpent's cursed tongue, not a single color of life remained, everything was absorbed and uniformly killed. Of course, Heinkel, who was drenched in the filth from head to toe, was no exception.

"—You fool!"
"Ah, what a waste!"

In that scene, ironically, the reactions of Felt and Roy align in frustration. However, Old Man Rom, another party involved, has no right to lament this. He was aware that Heinkel's desperate actions were triggered by his own shout. Regardless of this awareness, Roy's appetite immediately shifts his focus.

"Filore Lug—" "Wind's Second, Hunter!"

Amidst the lethal miasma bubbling up like a spring, Old Man Rom drowns out Roy's voice, which prioritizes his appetite. As the small figure lunges, Old Man Rom twists his body to distance Felt and sends a signal to his perceptive partner, not for their escape, but to break the deadlock of the situation.

"――ッッ!!"
"I don't have the confidence to stop this kid either!"

Responding to that signal, the giant beast and Meili, clinging to it, appear. The roar and desperate curses overlap, the beast's claws catch Roy head-on, and the 'Beast User' points at the miasma conglomerate, gathering strength in her stomach to shout loudly.

"Sit!!"

Meili's thunderous command strikes the beast with an irresistible impulse. Instantly, the movement of the miasma, which was crawling on the ground, spreading through shadows and branching out, falters. Old Man Rom and his group, swapping places with the beast, escape the Black Serpent's range. They escape, resume breathing, and as they turn their heads, they finally take in the full view of the miasma—and are left speechless.

"――――"

It is not a cute creature like a beast, but a phenomenon called 'death.' The miasma, overflowing from the forest's shadows, converges to form a serpentine outline. However, this outline is neither flesh nor scales, but merely countless lesions coincidentally taking that shape. The growths resembling scales covering the serpent's body swell and burst, scattering black droplets like pus, which silently rot away anything they touch. At the tip of what could barely be called a head, when it opens like a petal, countless thin filament-like protrusions writhe like a tongue, tentacles, or a swarm of parasites. It is truly a being worthy of the name 'Worst Beast,' ringing the alarm of life.

If the White Whale devours history from the sky and the Great Rabbit consumes the activities on the ground, the Black Serpent is a calamity that sickens and decays the world itself.

"With that understanding, you're absolutely right—!"

In Old Man Rom's trembling vision, Roy loudly applauds on the ground tainted by the Black Serpent's miasma. Simultaneously, the entire body of the giant beast, trailing its tail high, spews blood and is struck by a palm strike from below, launching it high into the air.

"Shadow Lion-chan—!"

Meili screams, reaching out, but there's nothing she can do. The blown-away beast, Guiltylow, spins helplessly, crashing into the ground tainted by the Black Serpent's miasma, its massive body licked by the foul tongue, rapidly being consumed. With its painful death throes behind him, Roy also stands at the center of the miasma. However, Roy manipulates the blood flowing from his deep wounds, forming legs like those of a crustacean, maintaining a stance without touching the ground.

"Ah, don't cry, Meili. That child will be reborn, just like this."

As Roy snaps his fingers, what was once Guiltylow, swallowed by the miasma and turned into a black mass, swells, transforming the beast's massive body into countless iridescent butterflies. Various sizes of iridescent butterflies dance, and within the Black Serpent's pervasive miasma, Roy laughs wickedly.

"Felt, that guy's got the Black Serpent..."

"He said he couldn't control it well himself, but sneaking it into my shadow with conditions like that, I can't just believe him outright."

"How sad! Did you betray us because you couldn't trust us? Deceiving an Archbishop of Sin is such a vile act, won't the royal blood in you weep?"

"Sorry, but my blood is made of the water and bread from the slums. No matter who my parents are, I don't need to cry or be meek for betraying you."

Felt boldly retorted to Roy's taunts, her gaze briefly shifting to the swirling Black Serpent's corruption—the spot where Heinkel had been swallowed by the black torrent. Considering Guiltylow's recent fate, imagining Heinkel's end wasn't difficult. He was a man who left no good impression on Old Man Rom or anyone in the camp. However, he was Reinhard's father. Felt, who had been a hostage, likely had conversations with him. His end as prey to the Black Serpent was too cruel to be considered just retribution.

"――Ur Goar!!"

That sentiment was scorched away by a rough shout. Flames leapt over Old Man Rom and the others, illuminating the forest as they closed in on the Black Serpent. The collision and explosive flames violently shook the corruption, and the heat brought the stench of decay sharply into reality. The one who mercilessly attacked the Black Serpent was a newly joined fighter—

"Hey, Felt! If you're back safely, give the order! It's your job!"

Rachins, who had thrown in a flashy opening shot as a greeting, urged her on. It seemed he had pushed himself quite a bit, as he was already out of breath despite just joining the fray. However, his urging was immediately effective. Felt widened her eyes slightly, then quickly steeled her expression with determination—

"Old Man Rom, let us win."

"…You're asking for the impossible."

"I wouldn't ask if it were impossible."

"I didn't say it was impossible. I said it was reckless."

With a wound on his side, moving swiftly seemed unlikely. He focused on the tasks he could originally handle, the rush of blood to his head subsiding, allowing him to think calmly. If Felt were touched by the hands of 'Gluttony,' what would happen under the name of Filore Lugunica? Knowing the answer, Old Man Rom suppressed his sentimentality and began to strategize. Observing Old Man Rom's reliable demeanor, Felt slapped her cheeks with both hands,

"Alright, here's the order you wanted. ――Let's do this, guys!!"
"「Oh――!!」"

At Felt's brave command, voices rose, led by Rachins and Gaston. Facing the threats of the Archbishop of Sin and the Black Serpent, genuine world threats, their comrades raised their morale instead of faltering, which filled Old Man Rom with pride. He too slapped his cheeks with both hands.

"Ah――"

Bathing in the hostile gazes directed at him, Roy embraced himself,

"This is unbearable. ――I love you all, so very much!"

△▼△▼△▼△

――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow never to hold anyone's hand in my lifetime.

△▼△▼△▼△

With joy, I want to consume.
With gratitude, I want to consume.
With affection, I want to consume.

Not with anger, sadness, fear, hostility, anxiety, disgust, hatred, resentment, lamentation, mockery, contempt, curses, or malice, but I want to consume. ――From the bottom of his heart, Roy Alphard of 'Gluttony' wanted to consume everyone present.

"But there are so many obstacles for that."

Roy discarded his tattered clothes, exposing his wounded skin to the wind, and licked his lips. The failure of the 『Eclipse』 and the subsequent attack by Ram and her allies caused significant damage, leaving Roy with less leeway than he pretended to have. He used the magic of the 『Blood Tear Demon』 to manage the massive blood loss and repurposed the corrupted beasts and forest creatures killed by the Black Serpent into rainbow-colored butterflies with the power of the 『Rainbow Illusion Lord』. However, under the influence of Aldebaran's curse mark, Roy had no freedom to escape from the battlefield.

That said, even without such constraints, the idea of fleeing never crossed the mind of Roy, the 『Glutton』, when faced with such a feast.

"We're different from Lai, the 『Gourmet』."

Lai, who was picky and selective about his meals, also paid attention to the situation. If necessary, he would use escape or postponement as a spice, but Roy was different. Not being picky meant that he was interested in devouring all kinds of opponents equally. In other words, Roy Alphard wanted to consume every human in this world. Therefore, the idea of running away was unthinkable. If he were to meet someone and never encounter them again, no number of bibs would suffice to wipe away the regretful drool.

"For us, this preparation is a bit troublesome."

He missed the chance to consume Ram, whether as 『Ram』 or 『Ram Mathers』. The change of true name was certain. However, the fact that even the latest 『memories』 of her relatives were unreliable meant that the candidates for her new true name were limitless—and likely, not only Ram but all the frontline members had undergone the same preparation.

"As for 『Witch of Melancholy』 Petra Leyte, I wonder how much of that can be trusted."

The way she introduced herself so conspicuously now seemed like a massive trap. Given the current situation, the only one Roy could almost certainly target on this battlefield was Felt, known as Filore Lugunica, but even that wasn't guaranteed. If by any chance, Felt's case also turned out to be a miss, causing the 『Eclipse』 to trigger a gag reflex, Roy would be finished for sure. Therefore, with a heavy heart, Roy made a decision unbefitting of 『Gluttony』—

"—Postpone the meal for now."

At this moment, identifying the true names of the feast and devouring them all was impossible. To devour them thoroughly, the priority here was to prepare preserved food. Fortunately, the Black Serpent following Roy excelled at this task. Ideally, he wanted to manifest the Black Serpent in a place with more people, but Felt's decision to betray him came at an exquisitely inconvenient time for Roy.

"But that's what makes it worth devouring!"

On the brink of bleeding to death, severely damaged, starving beyond starvation, in a state of utmost hunger—『Gluttony』 in full swing. He clasped his hands in front of his chest, drawing the world from the edges of his vision to the center. The deeply rooted trees snapped, and the earth, compacted by nature, was overturned by the power of the 『Crusher』, blocking the escape routes of the prey that had retreated to a safe zone.

"Gaston! Doltero!"

The two large figures attempted to stop the construction of the solid earth wall by force. The balance was momentary, resistance to the crushing rebounded to Roy's closed hands, forcibly opening them, and flames swirled before his eyes.

"Rachins! Maid sister!"

The three white-eyed fireballs combined with the wind produced by Ram, creating a fiery tornado. Roy countered this by sacrificing three dancing butterflies and using the water spear of the 'Magician.' The butterflies, which emerged from the mana left in the corpses, were destructive on their own but could also be used as external mana tanks for magic. For Roy, who wanted to maintain 'Flow Method' on his dying body with his own mana, the Black Serpent's killings provided an endless supply of auto reinforcements.

"Flam! Grassis!"

The fiery tornado clashed with an iceberg, and the resulting steam explosion obscured the view. The sky turned white, the earth black, and as the world was painted in two colors, the twins launched a rough assault, ignoring Roy's desire for a breather. He deliberately took the attack with the tough skin of the 'Carnivore,' and retaliated with an aggressive combination of the 'Fist King' in his right hand and 'Snow Eater' in his left, slamming the twins into the tainted ground. However, just before the twins were swallowed by the deadly tongue, the bone spear of the Hunger Horse King intervened, retrieving the girls from the brink of death. Another bone spear was thrust forward, but Roy shattered it along with the opponent's arm using the song of the 'Tragic Lover,' and the lack of results made his stomach churn with a sense of hunger.

Then—

"Big Waaaave!!"

Behind Roy, the Black Serpent, stretching its body skyward, slowly toppled like a fallen tree towards the gathered prey. The hunt of the Black Serpent, a mass of destruction where even the expression 'killing intent' was too mild, was crude and unrefined, the behavior of a natural-born conqueror. Simply scattering its mass was enough to kill the opponent, requiring no further refinement. It mercilessly descended upon Felt and the others—

"—Be strong!"
"Live on—!!"

A unified shout became strength, pushing back the Black Serpent's taint that was about to avalanche onto the ground. The strength team tore the earth away, the magic team reinforced it as a shield, and the technique team launched it to intercept the Black Serpent, buying a second for the shield to dissolve and retreat. Everyone acted in perfect harmony and optimal behavior—

"——"

Bold, brave, what audacity. While keeping the Black Serpent, a deadly threat, in view, and facing Roy, who turned the existence of past strong foes (friends) into power, they stepped in without hesitation, their vigor inexplicable.

"Normally, you'd panic, be surprised, or tremble!"

Roy shouted at their actions, bypassing all the chaos, astonishment, and shock. Their coordination surpassed that of family or lovers, their resolve and courage so extreme it seemed abnormal. No doubt about it. They were complete. An extravagant dish, all together as one. As soon as he thought that, his heart leapt at the colorful and varied lineup, realizing there was no appetizer, side dish, or main course. Each was equally precious and uniquely flavorful.

Roy's eyes sparkled with excitement, and Felt, rolling out from the smoke, flipped him off. She bared her sharp canines,

"Stop drooling, you crazy bastard!"

"I'm overwhelmed by how adorable you all are!"

His affection grew for Felt, who took the lead and directed her comrades. Initially, there was anger at being betrayed, but now he was grateful for the betrayal. Being treated so wonderfully, he had to reciprocate, or the name of the Sin Archbishop would be tarnished.

"——"

A quick glance reveals the sluggish movement of the Black Serpent. Originally, the Black Serpent is a demon beast that slowly encroaches on an area with monotonous movements, expanding its damage by contaminating the land without leaving any gaps. Its performance as a hunter is by no means high. It's certain that it's not at its best with just one head, but even so, its movements are poor—

"Sit, now..."

Clinging to the starving horse king with her slender arms, Meili, in a trembling voice, hinders the movement of the Black Serpent. The girl, her eyes bloodshot, is likely suffering from the sensation of her blood burning and her soul being scorched, due to overusing the blessing she received. However, her 'Blessing of Beast Control' is even interfering with the Black Serpent, one of the Three Great Demon Beasts. —Honestly, even considering that, the Black Serpent's response seems sluggish.

"Since we have the chance! Let's! Compensate for that! On our side!"

With the intention of praising Meili, who is sealing off the Black Serpent, Roy clasps his hands together, causing the earth to rise, which is then blown away by rainbow-colored butterflies, scattering the contamination like buckshot. It's a deadly contamination that spells doom upon contact. If the Black Serpent's movements are sluggish, then it's up to them to handle the scattering. Explosions occur two, three times, spreading the black contamination over a wide area.

"Haha, hahaha, hahahahaha!"

Of course, even Roy, at the epicenter of the explosion, would be in danger if he were to be bathed in the contamination. Therefore, Roy coats himself with a blood armor, ensuring he doesn't get hit by the scattering contamination. There are few humans who can dodge rain, and none of those on the feast plate are exceptions, so the Black Serpent's contamination bomb should have mercilessly dyed the battlefield black. There's a limit to how much the prey can protect each other. Ideally, Meili would be incapacitated, but—

"Huh?"

A dumbfounded voice escaped from Roy's throat as he removed his blood face guard. Ahead of his gaze, in the forest rotting away from the scattered contamination, there was a space that had miraculously escaped damage—a group of feasts gathered in one place, standing back to back, successfully defending against the deadly buckshot.

"Impossible."

The defensive scales of the rainbow-colored butterflies, which should be impossible to guard against, are intercepted by the dancing earth's buckshot.

"No way."

The pressure crushing the view from the edge to the center is suppressed at the outset, thwarting its activation.

"Can't be."

The intended halt by the scream piercing the eardrums is drowned out by the explosive sound created by wind and fire.

"It can't be, it just can't be, because it can't be!"

With the power of outsiders, whose very existence was once feared, they overturn the 'Stomach of Souls' and unleash everything they can grasp, causing one natural disaster after another. However, the Aldebarans, centered around Felt, accurately and seamlessly coordinate as if they were a single living organism, continuously responding with optimal actions.

—It's strange.

"――――"

While repeatedly launching relentless attacks that seem to chip away at the world and common sense, Roy questions it. No matter how you look at it, it's strange. Certainly, they are brave. They trust each other. Their goal is singular. They are excellent and capable. They are strong.

—Even so, it's strange.

Humans can't perform such optimized actions to this extent. Yet, Felt and the others continue to play the most effective card from their hand against every attack, at the best possible timing. Roy knows this feeling. It's the same as Aldebaran, who fought in the Prison Tower. Aldebaran, who released Roy from captivity, beat him to a pulp to demonstrate the difference in power. That incomprehensible complete defeat, it's the same—similar, but different. That was solely Aldebaran's abnormality. However, this is the abnormality of all the enemies.

—Clearly, something is wrong.

"――Ah, I misjudged."

In a realm where common sense doesn't apply, where logic can't explain, and where it's not worth discussing. Faced with these abnormal situations, Roy, whose hunger was almost filled with questions, realized an all-too-obvious fact and berated himself.

There was a spirited command, and he was led to believe that the core of the enemy was Felt. Even Roy's guided thoughts were part of their strategy. Realizing that the true central figure wasn't Felt but the mastermind hiding behind her, Roy turned his gaze in that direction. Instantly, the mastermind blinked and said "Ah"――,

△▼△▼△▼△

――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow never to seek reconciliation with people in my lifetime.
――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow never to get angry for someone else's sake in my lifetime.
――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow never to reveal secrets to anyone in my lifetime.
――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow never to show weakness to anyone in my lifetime.
――God, Buddha, Od Lagna. I vow never to watch the sunrise with anyone in my lifetime.

△▼△▼△▼△

"――Could it be that you've finally realized?"

Responding so, the 'Witch of Melancholy', who had 'compressed' the thought processes of all allies present and the discussions to share them, winked with one eye.