Capítulo 187: The Brave(?) Visit The Devil(?).
[Annihilation Maker (admin): *Sigh* I know I might have angered the world with my blasphemous actions. I fully understand that my choices have consequences—like that side mission (I still have PTSD)—but...]
Sitting in the darkness on the edge of a soft bed, Leo stared blankly at the ceiling. A chuckle escaped his lips, quickly escalating into an eerie laugh.
[Annihilation Maker (admin): To be betrayed by someone close to me... someone I barely trusted. It's never a good feeling, if I may say so.]
He tightened his grip on Yamato, driving the blade deeper into the picture of a blonde girl in a swimsuit, shredding it to pieces.
[Annihilation Maker (admin): I know I might have drop-kicked her, called her art garbage, broke her weird sword with a karate chop, and sang her song better than she ever could, but...]
[Bri-Bri: But?]
[Annihilation Maker (admin): But she didn't have to bribe my parents!!! Where are the ethics and morals in this world?!]
The blade ignited, burning the picture as the sparks cast a dangerous glow on Leo's pained face.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Those two words don't go well with a Roman Emperor... Empress? Wait, if she's courting you, does that make you the wife?]
[Bri-Bri: Neither of those words suits either of you.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Hush, child. I'm asking the important questions here.]
[Annihilation Maker (admin): This world is hopeless; I should give Gaia a mud bath.]
[Gudako (Chaldea's admin): ???]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: So, did your parents sell you or what? I'm curious—how much is an angel worth?]
[Bri-Bri: A lifetime debt to a World's Will. This reminds me—isn't the angel from my world? I'm not comfortable with what you all are hiding from me.]
[Annihilation Maker (admin): Technically, I am your world. She used my parents to drag me into a beach vacation in Italy after I told her, politely and with all due respect, to fuck off.]
The Chat Room fell silent as members took a moment to process the information, just as several new members came online.
[Annihilation Maker (admin): My phone's been spammed with pictures of her in swimsuits, and my parents saw them too. I can't even look my mother in the eye now. My tough-guy reputation, 18 years in the making, is completely ruined.]
"..."
In the middle of the night near the adventurer's guild, Kazuma stared at the goddess of water who was busy puking, the half-dead explosion magician tossed out with the trash, and the paladin who watched with envy. He then turned his gaze to the moon.
It was so bright and round... beautiful. It filled him with so many emotions that he slowly began to type.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Leo, my guy, my man. Can you do me a tiny, simple favor and shoot yourself in the head? Thanks.]
[Big Sister Lion: Huh? What's so bad about this? An invitation to the beach from a rich, beautiful woman—do you know how many people would wish for that?]
[Annihilation Maker (admin): You don't understand anything! Because she's been running around showing everyone pictures of us together, now the whole neighborhood thinks I've found a rich woman to raise me as her boy toy! Even my father patted me on the shoulder and gave me the most complicated yet proud look of my life!! I swear, the Holy Grail within me rolled over several times. I-I… I'm way richer than she is!]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: ...]
[Big Sister Lion: I don't think Kazuma is feeling alright.]
[Bri-Bri: Shouldn't you behave and be more worried about what you saw in the side mission? How can you joke around when something strange is dropping corpses into your world?]
"A vortex of entangled branches phasing through time and space, overlap, overlap... What am I reading?" Misaka stared at the summary Leo had uploaded, frowning. The poor description made it hard for her to picture anything clearly.
But she decided not to complain. The last time she did, that bastard angel dropped a fish emoji alongside her picture in a Pikachu outfit. Sparks of electricity flew from her forehead as she gritted her teeth and made new notes in her notebook.
[Annihilation Maker (admin): Fine, I'll behave. But only when Old Man Whitebeard…]
[The Strongest Man in the World: Hm?]
[Annihilation Maker (admin): Grows a beard.]
[The Strongest Man in the World: ?!?!?]
[A Hero For Fun: Pffffff!! *Cough* Ah, sorry. The chat sent my thoughts too quickly.]
[The Strongest Man in the World: ...]
[Gudako (Chaldea's admin): It's nice that everyone here has such a great relationship.]
The kind where they find new ways to insult each other daily. Perhaps this could lead to problems or conflicts in the chat because, for Ritsuka, the chat members are no different from Heroic Spirits in their origins and behavior.
[Gudako (Chaldea's admin): Cú Chulainn placed a curse on Chaldea's kitchen, causing everything Emiya-san cooked to burn. Now, they're fighting to the death.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: I have withstood pain to cook many dishes. Yet, those hands will never burn a dish.]
[Bri-Bri: Ehhh, isn't it a bad idea to let them keep killing each other?]
[Gudako (Chaldea's admin): It should be alright. They're reliable most of the ti---... I think I can hear Romani screaming.]
To her, most Heroic Spirits are just a bunch of man-children with massive weapons of destruction. Unfortunately, the fighting had already begun, and the second round was looming near.
[Annihilation Maker (admin): Don't lump me in with the likes of these peasants. This young master refuses to be associated with these frogs at the bottom of the Midwest rivers in the USA.]
[The Strongest Man in the World: Frogs?]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: That's oddly specific. Why is Kaguya absent when you need her?]
[Annihilation Maker (admin): Indeed, where is my best friend? Only having her here could make this place bearable. I miss her already.]
[A Hero For Fun: Are these feelings mutual?]
[Bri-Bri: I believe she thinks the opposite.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Even delusions have limits.]
[Annihilation Maker (admin): Tsk, tsk, ignorant fools. After facing the dangers of death and madness together, my best—no, my dearest best friend—and I have formed an unshakable bond. Witnessed by the fiery stars above, only she can truly understand this king.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Damn it, Gilgamesh! Go back to your other channel and take your clay doll with you!]
[Gudako (Chaldea's admin): Screenshot]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Oi.]
[Annihilation Maker (admin): Maybe I should check on my best friend. I heard her world has an activity called danmaku. I'm sure my dearest best friend would cheer up if I played it with her.]
[The Strongest Man in the World: Traveling with your debt-ridden points? Aren't you still running from the world's will debt? Guhahahahaha!!]
[Bri-Bri: A bullet barrage as a game?]
[Annihilation Maker (admin): Yes, inside her house, facing her computer.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Ah, yes, that makes more sense. By the way, Leo.]
[Annihilation Maker (admin): Hm?]
Dropping Aqua on the floor, Kazuma checked his clothes for any puke stains before taking a deep breath.
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Knock, knock…]
[Annihilation Maker (admin): Who's there?]
[Chat member Advocate of Gender Equality requests to enter your world. Do you accept? Y/N?]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Open the goddamn door. ( ͡°ʖ ͡°)]
In the darkness, Leo glanced at the new pop-up screen that appeared in front of him. He blinked a few times before humming and touching the twisted horn on his head.
The brave (???) visiting the devil?
...
Meanwhile, in another world, inside a barrier separating fantasy and reality…
An antique mansion stood tall within a bamboo forest, shrouded in fog and hidden from the world. Inside this mansion, filled with a mystical atmosphere, a girl with long black hair lay on a mattress, her expression peaceful—if you ignored the sweat dripping from her forehead.
"Emmm, this is…"
As soon as she woke up, Kaguya's mind was blank, unable to form coherent thoughts. The last scene she could remember was the world shattering as that fool protected her.
"What happened?"
The terrible buzzing in her head blurred her vision, but her tired eyes still caught a glimpse of a 'purple creature' holding a colorful tube near her mouth.
The 'purple creature' noticed her awakening and was pleasantly surprised. Overjoyed, they quickly brought the strange liquid to Kaguya's mouth.
"Haaa... You damn rabbit... haaahaaa... what are you trying to do?!"
Struggling to keep the colorful, bubbling tube away from her, Kaguya breathed heavily as she glared at the confused rabbit girl.
"Forgive me, Princess! You must drink this—if you don't, I will have to!" Despite her frail appearance, the bunny girl pressed down with surprising strength, belying her delicate form.
"Just this once, allow me to be willful, just this one time!" The girl's eyes shone with a dangerous red glow. "It's not like it's the first time you've drank it. One more time won't hurt."
"WHAT?!" Kaguya turned pale and exclaimed in horror, striking the potion and flinging it to the side.
The tube shattered into several pieces, and the liquid inside spilled out, sizzling as it 'ate' through the floor, leaving a large hole within seconds.
The two girls stared in silence as the horrible smell of corrosion filled the room.
As the red glow faded from her eyes, Reisen returned to normal, only to meet Kaguya's hollow gaze. The burning glare, which seemed to scream 'I'm going to cook you alive,' caused the rabbit girl to jolt in fear and hide behind a woman with long silver hair.
"Princess Kaguya, I'm glad you're awake. You had us all worried."
"Eirin..."
Looking at the woman dressed in red and blue, Kaguya's emotions slowly calmed down—until the hole in the floor puffed out a cloud of dust as if it had burped.
"..." x2
"Ahem... I'm glad you're alright, Princess." Eirin coughed lightly, ignoring Kaguya's numb expression. "I apologize for disturbing you right after your recovery, but I can't delay this any further."
"Where and how did you manage to injure yourself so badly that your 'history' had to be erased to heal?"
Though Eirin wore a smile, Kaguya felt a chilling coldness behind it. One wrong answer, and her games could end today.
What was she supposed to say? That she went out with some friends she met online? As if anyone would believe she had friends and went outside! It would be more believable to say she was trying out new ways to commit suicide!
Faced with the choices, Kaguya decided to carve her own path!
"Reisen, give me another potion—no, give me two!"
"Huh? Princess, no! Don't pull my ears!"
Watching Kaguya chase after Reisen, Eirin sighed before shaking her head. There was no need to rush the inquiry, but she would need to keep a close eye on Kaguya lately.
Her instincts told her that the princess might have been meddling with some troublesome people.
"Mudkip," a blue creature, filled the hole with water and started swimming inside before tilting its head at Eirin.
"The princess must be sweaty after recovering. Why don't you go and refresh her with a bath?"
"Mudkip!"
Watching Mudkip accumulate a big water ball while chasing after Kaguya, Eirin shook her head before walking away. The smile on her face faded into an indifferent, cold glare as she stroked the strings on a bow that suddenly appeared in her hands.
To have stolen the princess away without her noticing would require someone far stronger than her in mystics or someone with a special ability. And in this fantasy town, only one Yokai had such capabilities...
With this thought, Eirin's expression darkened before she faded into the shadows.
A certain hibernating Gap Yokai shuddered in her dreams, unaware of the moon shining brighter than usual tonight.
...
[My Praetor, what do you think of my new swimsuit? Does it make you excited? How about this?!]
[Fishe au chocolate.gif]
Leo scrolled through his phone in boredom, emojis flooding his screen under Kazuma's watchful eyes.
"You..."
"Hm?"
"No, nothing."
Kazuma opened his mouth to say something, but then thought better of it and fell silent.
"By the way, is it alright for me to dress like this? I won't get arrested, right?" Kazuma asked, noticing the frequent glances they were attracting as they walked through the streets of Kuoh. Maybe it was his adventurer outfit and the sword strapped to his side.
"Just say you're a cosplayer. If you're feeling uneasy, you can speak in chunni dialect," Leo replied nonchalantly, waving his hand as if swatting away an annoying fly.
"Sorry, I don't speak your mother tongue," Kazuma said sincerely, wearing an honest expression.
Leo froze for a moment, then stared at Kazuma without blinking. "I don't recall messing with you lately."
To show up in his world, right in front of him, so close to punching range, and then mess with him? This guy had guts.
Kazuma subconsciously avoided eye contact, confused for a moment, but then anger quickly replaced his hesitation. "You dare say that?!"
"Do you think I'd forget what you did to me in my world?!" Kazuma's voice rose, drawing glances from passersby.
"No one but my party even knows my name." Kazuma lowered his head as if suppressing something before yelling, "Everyone calls me DIO!! They refuse to believe my name is Kazuma!!"
Pointing at Leo's nose, Kazuma spoke rapidly, his words accompanied by droplets of saliva.
"Then the guy who caused all this shows up, hits me with a Rick Astley cutout, and implants something in my head without my consent. How am I supposed to sleep at night knowing there's something inside me that makes a Duke of Hell respect me?! You expect me to say thank you?!"
Kazuma took a deep breath and noticed Leo looking at his pointing finger in silence, so he quickly hid it behind his back.
"Mom, look at those two. That guy's wearing weird clothes. They're all dirty—is he homeless?"
"Cosplayers? Are they doing some kind of street performance?"
Kazuma's eyebrow twitched as he saw more people gathering around, a sense of shame crawling under his skin like ants.
"AHH! It's the scary guy who punched himself and exploded into blue sparks! Run before he sees us!"
A group of kids pointed at Leo before bolting away, leaving Kazuma to give Leo a blank stare.
"No need to wonder—I'm very popular here," Leo shrugged, waving at the kids as they ran faster.
"Forget it. All in all, just wait for me. One day, I'll make you eat that Rick Astley cutout," Kazuma declared with a determination that caused Leo to tilt his head.
"So, you came here to get revenge on... me?" Even as he said it, Leo couldn't quite believe it.
{Ah... No way, this is interesting. Too interesting.} Leo's eyes gleamed ominously, causing Kazuma to step back.
"Eh? Of course not. I'm not stupid." Kazuma shook his head quickly, without hesitation. "I'm here mainly to relax in the modern age. Life as an adventurer in a medieval civilization is exhausting."
"But don't worry, you'll get what you deserve sooner or later." Kazuma added in a deep, manly voice that didn't match his looks.
"Oh, oh."
{The plan is working.} Kazuma thought to himself as he extended his hand to Leo.
His face filled with devotion and sincerity, an expression full of awe and respect, he said, "Can you give me some money? You can't bear to see me sleeping on the streets, right? Wait, didn't you promise me a vacation in your world?"
Leo, amused, looked at Kazuma deeply. "Are you asking an angel to fund your indulgence in sin and depravity? Are you sure you want to do this?"
In the colorless world seen through his eyes, something dark and nasty, resembling a saw, entangled Kazuma's lower body.
"Sorry, demons don't hold a candle to you. Don't question my determination," Kazuma retorted immediately, reaching out to catch the card Leo tossed his way.
"Fair enough. You should know your own affairs best. The money on that card is what I got after liquidating the assets of some nasty people. I think I've cleared most of them, but if someone comes after you for it, take care," Leo shrugged as Kazuma, who held the card happily, jolted in fear.
He quickly hid the card and looked around warily, only to realize that people were completely ignoring them. The area where he and Leo stood had become a vacuum, completely isolated from the lively scene of the busy street.
Since when? Kazuma didn't know. A chill ran down his spine as he looked at the unblinking young man before him. Was it because of the usual impression in the chat room, or maybe it had just been a while since he'd seen Leo, but something about this guy felt creepy, especially those strange eyes.
"Uh, your eyes... why do they feel so off, like..."
"Like jewels?"
"Yes! No, it's not that. I'm just saying..."
Kazuma finally found the right word but quickly shook his head in denial. He knew people often used jewels and gems to describe beauty, but he couldn't bring himself to call another man's eyes pretty.
The thought crossed his mind because, in Leo's eyes, he saw something that reminded him more of minerals than any human feature.
"It's nothing. Just some weird stuff from merging with several worlds' power systems," Leo said after a moment of silence, then changed the subject. "If you're done, I've got things to do."
"Ah, wait! Can you tell me what I should be aware of in this world? Should I keep mysteries hidden at all costs, or are there some taboos I need to watch out for?" Kazuma hurriedly asked, fearing Leo might vanish suddenly, only to remember they had the chat room for communication.
"Taboos? Well, hiding mysteries isn't that important, but don't go overboard. Looking at you, try to avoid conflicts with mythical races, or at least call me before you do. Just know that most religious places and historical areas are gathering spots for those beings. But don't worry too much; regular people go there, so there's no reason you can't. Just don't draw too much attention to yourself."
"You probably won't stay in Kuoh for long, but you should know this place is considered devil territory. They're like neutral civil workers, handling some threats and conducting business. Don't rely on them, though; you're a suspicious character. On a funny note, try telling them Leo Arisaltek sent you. Maybe they'll be confused long enough to try to capture you alive."
"Is it okay to reveal your identity? Won't that cause you trouble?" Kazuma asked, concerned.
"It used to be a problem, but now... whatever comes up isn't worth mentioning."
Arrogance.
Leo waved his hand nonchalantly, making Kazuma wonder if the Lucifer within Leo was surfacing, but he decided to ignore it.
"Okay, aside from those places, what else?"
After a moment's thought, Leo replied, "You might want to visit some yokai on the outskirts of the city. Just tell them the terrifying guy with the katana sent you. If that doesn't work, find Nero or a gray-eyed loli in Gothic clothes. Tell her the foolish silence told you to help her recover the silence or something. That's your best bet if a bored god decides to smite you."
"Foolish silence?" Kazuma wanted to ask more, but Leo's dangerous glare made him think twice.
Listening to all this, Kazuma couldn't help but feel discouraged. Of all the members of the chat room, the only two with modern worlds were the most dangerous. It made him mad—couldn't the chat room summon someone from a cute slice-of-life world?
"Can your heart really leave the weak and helpless me alone in this world where devils and gods dance?"
"How do you plan on taking revenge on me if this is your limit?" Leo's smile dazzled Kazuma into a spiral of regret.
"Oh, right. Here, take this." Reacting quickly, Kazuma caught the smartphone Leo tossed at him.
"It's more convenient to have a phone. Anyway, if you're done, I've got to go walk the neighbor's dog, then read a book. By the way, want to join me? It's great to strive for education these days."
"A book?" Ignoring the comment about walking the dog, Kazuma glanced at Leo, who pulled a thick, old, wrinkled book out of his pocket. The cover was a mix of brown and white, with nothing particularly special about it—until Kazuma noticed something odd about its shadow.
An eye, with a red pupil, had grown on the solid ground and was staring at him. A cold shiver ran down Kazuma's spine, rooting him to the spot until he heard a smack and the eye disappeared.
"Why are you so dishonest?" Leo smacked the book several times as Kazuma watched, speechless.
"I think I'm good. Have fun with your book. No, wait, aren't you concerned about what happened with the side mission? I agree with Misaka—this shouldn't be the end."
"Oh, there's no need to worry too much about it. If the World's Will is silent, let Kaguya wake up, and we'll discuss it then." Leo shook his head, giving Kazuma his signature smile.
"Welcome to the world of devils and dragons, where perversion is praised, and worshiping boobs is better than hundreds of years of training. Take care."
With those words, Leo disappeared into the crowd, leaving Kazuma with a confused expression.
"What the... Boobs or something? I need to ask Kaguya about this world's plot." Shaking his head, Kazuma felt a headache coming on.
He slapped his cheeks and smiled at the dazzling sun, feeling that from tomorrow, he'd live the extravagant life he always dreamed of!
He opened the phone and searched for a nice hotel to stay at for the night, but his attention was quickly drawn to the news on the screen.
'Today, in New York City, the ground was torn open by a huge tree trunk that suddenly appeared, causing several injuries and two deaths.'
'From the pictures and videos taken by pedestrians, the tree seems to have burst out of the earth, then opened up. Authorities are baffled by this phenomenon, especially after finding that the inside of the trunk is hollow and roughly shaped like a human body, but no body was found inside.'
"Huh? Do supernatural phenomena happen casually in front of people here?" Kazuma wondered as he watched the video, only for his vision to suddenly go dark.
"Ah, I forgot to tell you something." Leo appeared like a ghost before Kazuma, causing him to jump in fright.
"I don't want to involve myself in your affairs, but I think it's better to deal with this infertility curse on you. It might not be a problem in your world, but in a place that takes superstition seriously..." Leo glanced at Kazuma's lower body and made a scissor-cutting motion.
"Anyway, see ya." Leo vanished as quickly as he had appeared, leaving Kazuma pale and trembling.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?! ANSWER ME!!" Kazuma's scream echoed through the busy streets of Kuoh, drawing stares from passersby who treated him like a plague and called the police, prompting him to run away quickly.
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