Standing atop the Endymion’s deck, Leonis glared at the sky. There was no visible change in the cloudy sky yet. At the dock area’s waters, the capital’s fleet began shooting covering fire. But the Endymion remained still. Like a predator crouched in the bushes, it awaited the right time.
“Leo, are you worried about your minion?” Veira asked him with a light tone.
“Why should I have to worry? She’s my minion.”
“…Hmm. If you say so.” Veira twirled a hair on her fingertip. “Well, it wouldn’t do for her to die too easily after I gave her my blood.”
“Heh, so it’s you who’s worried about her.”
“Huh? Wh-what are you, stupid?” Veira said, a puff of flame billowing from her hair.
Leonis easily put it out.
“—Here he comes,” he whispered.
“…Hmm. So he finally shows himself.” Veira smiled boldly.
At that moment—
Crack!
A Void tear streaked through the sky above the Fourth Assault Garden.
Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack…!
The cracks spread like a spiderweb over the sky, producing a massive tear that looked like an eye looking down at the sea. It was almost the same in size as the tear that appeared over the capital. The air trembled—the ocean quaked. The Endymion’s deck shook violently, tilting diagonally.
Leonis folded his arms, fixing his Mystic Eye at what loomed beyond the tear. He could see the Void World’s bloodred sky, and past it, a massive, overbearing upside-down castle that floated in the air.
“Is that… No, it can’t be. The Otherworldly Castle?!”
“What?” Veira raised her voice belligerently.
The Otherworldly Castle—the Devil of the Underworld’s mobile fortress, capable of traveling between dimensions.
“…So the apostles have been using that as their base of operations.”
“What does this mean? Is Azra-Ael their leader?”
“No. I think the Devil of the Underworld makes for a different faction,” Leonis shook his head. “Without its original master, the Otherworldly Castle isn’t capable of travelling the dimensions anymore, so its became anchored in the interstice between this world and the Void World. So that’s what this about…”
“…Well? What did you understand?”
“They did something to the Fourth Assault Garden, turning it into an anchor that would connect the Otherworldly Castle to this world.”
In the past, Leonis read books from other worlds to pass the time. Through these books, he learned about something called the Interdimensional Existence Conservation Theory. With the Fourth Assault Garden and the Otherworldly Castle having had their phases aligned, they became like two sides of the same coin. So if the Fourth Assault Garden moved in this world, the Otherworldly Castle, which was anchored to it, would appear in the same coordinates.
Nefakess Reizaad did used to be Azra-Ael’s lieutenant…
So it stood to reason he would be knowledgeable about other dimensions.
The sea raged, and heavy thunder rumbled. Swarms of countless Voids appeared from the Void tear.
“They’re aiming to destroy the humans’ fleet.”
Leonis smirked, picking up the Staff of Death’s Eye. Its hilt, previously broken by Gazoth, was now pasted together with tape. The tip of the staff shined with mana.
“Dark Lord Battleship Endymion—surface!”
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A girl in a maid’s uniform landed atop the flying ghost ship’s decaying mast. Her dusk-colored eyes coldly observed the Void skeleton soldiers.
“The Wild Hunt—you were resurrected by the Undead King.”
The skeleton soldiers surrounded with miasma instantly turned to look at Shary. It seemed they registered her silent bloodlust as a threat. They let out an eerie cry of malice and charged at the mast.
“Now that you have been reduced to these revolting forms, you’re not worthy to be my lord’s servants!”
Saying this, Shary took off her maid’s uniform, revealing the outfit she wore during her days in the Assassination group Septentrion, the Killer Garment.
✦ ✦ ✦
✦ ✦ ✦
“I was taken off guard on the party the other day, but today, I come in full dress,” she said coldly, brandishing a lethal Refisca dagger in each hand.
She didn’t like this outfit, since it reminded her of the cold, empty days of her life before Leonis granted her a heart of her own.
But even so, donning the Killer Garment stood for her resolve in fighting this war.
“One of the Septentrion’s Killer Dolls—Shary Corvette Shadow Assassin.” She quietly stated her name. “I shall offer up your remains as tribute to my lord.”
The next moment, the heads of three skeleton soldiers went flying at once.