Published: September 10, 2025
This time, the perspective is not Satou’s.
Correction made on 2017/1/30.
Additional content added on 2017/1/29.
“Back already, Parion?”
A boyish voice greeted the presence who had teleported in with the light.
A radiant young girl illuminated the black-robed boy who stood deep in the dark and eerie hall.
Eventually, the light vanished, and the eerie hall returned to its even more ominous darkness.
“Lord Touya, please stop referring to me that way,” the young girl called Parion, named after a god, said with a tone that carried respect for her superior.
“Then you cease that form as well.”
“Yes.”
At the command of the black-robed boy—known as strategist Touya in the Weasel Empire—the young girl transformed into a glamorous adult with a soft glow.
Her godlike youthful beauty became a plain, featureless face.
After she completed her transformation, the light converged and disappeared into the pendant top she wore around her neck, resembling a mirror.
“Lord Touya, I return to you the ‘Mirror of the Thief God.’”
“I still have use for it. Keep it with you as is.”
“Yes, Lord Touya.”
The pendant she carried was apparently a shapechange artifact known as the “Mirror of the Thief God.”
As if waiting for their conversation to end, a sinister and intimidating tune reminiscent of the arrival of an evil leader echoed through the eerie hall.
“Looks like the leader is making an appearance.”
The two knelt before a throne composed seemingly of human bones at the far end of the hall.
Two gems, one blue and one red, embedded in the backrest of the bone throne began to flicker, and from them came a growling sound.
“How did the irregular go?”
The growling gradually changed into a human voice—a middle-aged man’s voice with a strange accent.
Strategist Touya lifted his face and spoke toward the gems on the bone throne.
“The divide-and-conquer strategy can be considered a failure.”
At the word “failure,” the plain-faced woman bit her lip in frustration.
It seemed she was involved in the “divide-and-conquer strategy.”
“And the collateral damage from divine punishment?”
“According to the spy in the Shiga Kingdom, it seems they survived.”
“Survived the punishment of the Seven Gods? That’s troublesome.”
The leader’s words carried a tone of genuine exasperation with a hint of awe.
“And how about the divine landmine?”
“It seems to have had some effect, but it lacked a decisive blow.”
They spoke of the dragon fang nuclear landmine used by the great Weasel Demon King as a trump card against God Zaikuon.
“Direct confrontation is impossible after all. If only we had about ten thousand more low-rank dragons to use as materials, maybe it would work.”
“That’s just theoretical. Besides, would a god suffer the same trick twice?”
“That’s true. In the end, to defeat the gods, we’ll need our master to step in.”
For them, the Seven Gods were the opponents to be defeated.
The “master” mentioned by the leader seemed to be a god outside the Seven or a being rivaling the gods.
“I have a report for Your Excellency.”
Hearing the leader’s words, the plain-faced woman bowed and spoke.
“What is it? Speak.”
“According to a report from someone we had infiltrate the Weasel Imperial Capital, a girl among the irregular’s faction severely wounded a god.”
She mentally added that after that report, communication from the infiltrator ceased.
“That’s incredible. Has she undergone true demon king transformation?”
“No, she remained human.”
The leader’s voice was filled with disbelief and surprise.
“Really… can we somehow draw her to our side?”
“Don’t. That’s a clear trap—a death flag.”
“That’s true. It’s best not to get involved with the irregular.”
The anxious leader was hastily stopped by strategist Touya, who looked pale.
Perhaps sensing Touya’s tension, the leader’s voice also sounded strained.
“Shin should be among the irregulars, too. Maybe someday he’ll become strong enough to defeat a god.”