Published: July 5, 2025
Leonor approached Ryo with a happy expression.
"It seems like you’ve finished as well, Ryo."
"Yes. Thank you for your cooperation, Leonor."
Ryo bowed politely.
Of course, he knew that Leonor was not helping him out of goodwill.
She just wanted to defeat and kill Ryo with her own hands.
Still smiling, Leonor was about to challenge Ryo to a rematch when she noticed his arms.
Indeed, both arms had been severed, and now he had arms made of ice.
That reminded her.
"I suppose it would be impossible to fight me like this."
She said sadly.
The drastic change in her expression from joy to sadness was quite significant, and even though she was trying to take Ryo's life, he felt a little sorry for her.
That being said, he didn't feel like fighting her right now.
He needed to treat his arms...
He then turned his gaze to the ground.
The body of the phantom being, Marie, whose head he had severed, stood up and placed her head back on her body.
"It's always unreasonable. I feel the fleetingness of human life."
"Well, the phantom beings are quite formidable foes for humans."
Leonor nodded in agreement to Ryo's murmur.
"Do you know Marie, Leonor... the phantom being?"
"Yes. From the East... I believe it's called the Eastern Nations, a native species from there. They have an extremely bad matchup against Spelno and should have greatly reduced their numbers during past conflicts."
"Native species? Wait, are there really matchups between species?"
"That's correct. For example, the Spelno I just fought, they have the worst matchup against dragons, which is one of the reasons their numbers have dwindled."
Leonor explained.
This was something completely new to Ryo's knowledge, leaving his face filled with surprise.
"How about humans? What is their matchup like with other species?"
"There aren't any species that have an absolutely terrible matchup against humans."
"Oh!"
"They're too weak for such discussions to even matter."
"Oh, I see…"
With Leonor stating it so clearly, Ryo, feeling like a representative of humanity, let out a sigh.
As the two were sharing such trivial conversations, Abel approached them.
At the same time, a pitch-black square appeared in the sky once again.
From it, a man descended.
"Hey, Leonor, hurry up and come back! Opening the door multiple times is tiring for me too!"
The devil Jean-Jacques came out, immediately complaining to Leonor.
"Jean-Jacques, it was because you didn’t hurry to open it that it took so long to save Ryo!"
"Not even a word of thanks for the effort I put into opening the door…"
"Of course, I appreciate that… no, wait."
Leonor turned to Ryo as if recalling something.
"Ryo. When we were in the Western Nations, you fought with this Jean-Jacques, didn’t you? Wasn’t that him instigating it?"
"Yes, of course, it was Jean-Jacques who instigated it. I was an entirely one-sided victim."
"Hey!"
Leonor questioned, Ryo answered, and Jean-Jacques protested.
It was brought up again after all this time.
"Ryo, I opened the door, which allowed Leonor to come here and save you! You have no words of gratitude for that action of mine!"
"I do appreciate that. Thank you, Jean-Jacques."
"Oh, as long as you understand."
"But that matter is separate from what happened in the Western Nations."
"Hey!"
Ryo stated firmly, and Jean-Jacques protested again.
"That has clarified things, Jean-Jacques."
"Leonor, stop…"
"Let me punch you once."
"W-wait! We can talk this out…"
"I won’t listen!"
Leonor's fist, moving at an abnormal speed, sliced through the air.
Jean-Jacques dodged with all his might.
"That looks like it would hurt if it hit."
"It would hurt, or rather, it would probably kill me, right?"
Ryo and Abel whispered such a conversation to each other.
"Why has it come to this…"
Jean-Jacques muttered after dodging all of Leonor's punches.
Ryo felt a bit pity for him.
"Jean-Jacques, please come visit the kingdom someday. I’ll treat you to cake… Abel will."
"Me?"
Ryo said, and Abel frowned.
"Seriously? Ryo and Abel both have their good points."
Jean-Jacques' expression brightened at the mere thought of being treated to cake.