Published: January 24, 2026
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More than three months have passed since the world became overrun with demonic beasts.
During these three months, the hero party "Amuntzarse (us)" has been secretly hunting demonic beasts across various countries.
The situation was awful when the demonic beasts first appeared on the surface, but it has gradually started to stabilize.
This was thanks to a summit meeting held last month that gathered representatives from each country, where they agreed to join forces to deal with the demonic beasts.
Because of that, the explorers who had been fully occupied with handling demonic beasts are beginning to have some breathing room, and clans and explorer parties preparing for the great labyrinth conquest are starting to emerge one after another.
As for me, today as usual, I'm going around exterminating the gigantic modified demonic beasts—the colossal beast species—that the cult released inside the Principality of Hitia.
But those days are probably coming to an end soon.
(I’ve pretty much exterminated the colossal beast species that were released in the Principality of Hitia. The situation in each country seems to have calmed down quite a bit, so it should be safe to leave the country soon.)
As I open the gate to the mansion Chris prepared for us, I mutter quietly to myself while checking the information about various countries that the newspaper and my companions gathered.
At that moment, something moves at the edge of my vision.
"…Fuuka?"
I turn my gaze over and see Fuuka doing something in the garden.
In her hands, she's holding a pair of fans imbued with mana.
Fuuka slowly raises her arms and spreads the fans.
Then, stepping lightly, her body spins in a circle.
The faint cherry-blossom-colored trail of mana leaking from the fans follows her movements.
Fuuka continues to rotate her body smoothly and rhythmically, spreading both arms wide; her movements combine strength and grace.
"Yo! Demon King, long time no see! What’re you doing?"
As I watch Fuuka, a man's voice comes with the sound of the door opening.
"Mr. Haruto, you’re back. I was watching that."
I show him Fuuka’s elegant movements outside the mansion.
"Ah, a dance, huh."
"That dance-like thing—is it called a dance?"
"Yeah. That’s what they do at the Spirit Dance Festival. Normally someone else performs it, not Fuuka, but every year around this time she says it’s practice and does it."
Haruto-san says this with very gentle eyes.
The Spirit Dance Festival is the Kyokutō festival held in August, if I recall correctly.
"I see... By the way, you came back pretty early. I thought it would take longer to return."
Haruto-san had been staying at Tsutolairu until recently to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
I had told him to come back to the Principality of Hitia because we’re about to launch an operation on Kyokutō, but I’m surprised he returned earlier than expected.
"Actually, I left Tsutolairu even before the recall order came."
"…Did something happen?"
"In the sense of an unexpected event, yeah, you could call it trouble."
Though Haruto-san says so, he doesn’t seem flustered, so it probably wasn’t an urgent matter.
"So? What was the unexpected event?"
"It’s faster to show you than to explain, so come with me."
Haruto-san avoids a clear answer and heads into the mansion.
His expression looks like that of a child about to pull a prank.
"Oh, and don’t use Bird’s-Eye Vision. Using that would spoil everything."
"Got it."
He seems to want to enjoy my reaction.
I have a lot to say, but since I’ve been causing Haruto-san a lot of trouble lately, I’ll just accept it.
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"Shion? What are you doing?"
When Haruto-san leads me to the front of the lounge, I see Shion outside the room with a complicated expression.
"Oh, Orun. No, it’s nothing. If you want to go in, please do."
She doesn’t seem willing to enter and lets me pass.
I find her behavior strange, but just as I reach for the doorknob,
"Okay! Sister Ru, sit here properly!"
Carol’s voice comes from inside the room.
(Wait, why is Carol’s voice here!?)