When MI9 posted the announcement, Klein took the chance to glance at it. The several hundred words, written with grandiose rhetoric, essentially boiled down to one thing: George III would deliver a speech addressing the current state of the war, calling on everyone to unite as one, stand firm against the invaders, and protect their homeland.
At that time, His Majesty would personally appear at the frontlines to oversee and command the operations. He hoped that everyone would stand with King George III to defend Loen together.
Klein frowned.
"Could George III's speech be related to his advancement ritual for the Black Emperor pathway? Is he preparing to advance to Sequence 0?"
Although he had long expected this possibility, he hadn't imagined it would come so soon—so soon that he himself was still just a minor Sequence 5, without even the slightest qualification to take part.
"Heh."
Klein let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Even if I climbed to Sequence 4, what difference would it make? I'd still be just as powerless. Better focus on the problems in front of me."
He left the charity hall, took the subway, then switched to a carriage and arrived before a delicate townhouse in the North Borough—this was the house Daly and the Captain had moved into after the war broke out.
However, Klein did not enter immediately. Instead, he waited outside the garden gate.
A few minutes later, Leonard appeared dressed in a worker's uniform, a worn cap pulled low over his head. The moment he spotted Klein, his expression instantly became complicated, as if unsure what he should say.
Even though the Tarot Club had already revealed Klein's true identity, this was still their first genuine face-to-face meeting since the Tingen incident.
After the two stared at each other for a long moment, Klein finally asked, "Why meet me out here? Why not wait inside?"
"…"
Leonard fell silent for a moment.
"I…I still haven't gone to see the Captain."
"What's wrong, are you shy?"
"…"
"Alright, enough hesitation. We've got serious matters to handle."
Klein strode inside first.
Leonard drew a deep breath and hurried after him.
———
By evening, Audrey dragged her exhausted body back home. She had been busy the whole day and hadn't eaten a single proper meal. Fatigue struck her even before hunger could. The moment she entered her bedroom, she curled up on the sofa and fell asleep.
Lilith gently draped a fluffy blanket over her and said to Susie, "Susie, take good care of Audrey, okay~?"
Susie lowered her head to look at her own canine legs and replied, "Lilith, you know I'm just a dog. I might not be able to manage anything too complicated."
"Hasn't your Animagus Transformation Potion already been completed?"
"Yes."
Susie wagged her tail. "But I'm still waiting for a thunderstorm. It's only early spring—there may not be one for months."
"When this matter is finished, I'll find a chance to take you out over the sea. There's no shortage of thunderstorms there."
"Okay~"
Lilith left Audrey's room. A silent figure appeared at her side, dressed in a youthful yellow tiered dress and an old-fashioned black soft hat—it was Bernadette.
"George III is preparing to advance to the Black Emperor?"
The moment she appeared, she asked straightaway.
Lilith replied, "That's right. Tomorrow's speech marks the beginning of his advancement. At that time, he'll complete the ritual in a secret royal mausoleum and ascend as the Black Emperor. Are you ready?"
Bernadette nodded.
"But my intuition tells me this matter is far more complicated than it seems. It involves more than just George III."
"Indeed. He has been preparing for these past few days for far too long."
"Do you think we can truly stop him?"
"Who can say?"
Lilith smiled. "Where there's a will, there's a way. Do your best, Lil Bernadette."
"Alright, go take care of your tasks first. I still have something to do."
Bernadette halted her steps and watched Lilith walk away. Suddenly, she asked, "Sister Lilith, what will you do when the time comes?"
Lilith turned back and thought for a moment.
"I haven't decided yet~ We'll see. Bye-bye~"
She waved lightly, and her body shattered like a mirror breaking apart.
———
Night quietly descended.
The early spring wind swept through the clouds, revealing the bright crimson full moon.
Tonight was the night of the full moon.
In a room illuminated by scarlet radiance, two figures—one tall, one short—stood within a ritual altar. Around them lay rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, pearls, lapis lazuli, and other ceremonial materials.
"Let's begin."
Krismona, dressed in a long black gown, looked calmly at the slightly shorter, round-faced girl.
"…Lady Krismona," Trissy forced out a strained smile, "Why do I have to be the one doing this?"
Trissy had actually been doing quite well lately. The Demoness Sect hadn't come looking for her, and Lady Krismona seemed to have forgotten her entirely. With her Sequence 5 abilities and the innate charm of a Witch, she could live comfortably even in a place as full of hidden powerhouses as Backlund.
Until an hour ago, Trissy had been abruptly yanked out of bed by Krismonaa, who informed her that she needed Trissy's help with something.
Trissy's heart had skipped a beat at the time. You're a Sequence 2 Angel; what could someone like me possibly help you with? And then she heard the rest—that she was to prepare a ritual and converse with the legendary being known as Mr. Door.
Krismona said calmly, "I'm not familiar with Mr. Door."
I'm even less familiar with Him!
Trissy almost blurted it out, but the words lodged in her throat.
"I…what do I need to say?"
"Mr. Door is a great existence second only to the gods. You may ask Him anything. Oh, right—while you're at it, ask Him how one can enter the nine secret mausoleums Emperor Tudor built for his advancement to the Black Emperor."
As she spoke, Krismona took out the sapphire ring she had taken from Trissy previously and slipped it back onto her slender finger.
"This, I should return to you."
Trissy's face instantly paled. After everything she had experienced, she had already pieced together seventy to eighty percent of the Demoness Sect's original plans for her—and this ring had been a key component of those plans.
But given the current circumstances, she knew she had no room left to retreat. She took a deep breath, ignited an unfamiliar strand of hair in her hand, and tossed it into the cauldron.
When the flame dimmed into an eerie gloom, Trissy stepped back two paces. Her expression grew solemn as she chanted in Jotun:
"Great Door of All Doors;
Guide of Endless Cosmos;
Key to all Mysterious Worlds"
As she recited, the surrounding gemstones instantly shattered into fine powder and floated into the air. They glimmered in shifting colours before shooting into the altar's candle flames.
Seconds later—
The fire surging within the cauldron expanded abruptly, intertwining and deepening into an ominous darkness, like an illusory "door" opening toward another world.
In that instant, Trissy felt the surrounding temperature plummet. Countless invisible dangers seeped from the flames, making every hair on her body stand on end. Her spirituality thrashed wildly, transmitting overwhelming terror.
For the first time, Trissy truly understood the being she was about to converse with—A Sequence 1 King of Angels, only half a step from godhood. Even true gods would address Him respectfully as "Mr. Door."
Within the gloom, the expanding flame began to turn slowly. It stretched into a vast and profound vortex. Deep within its centre hid a trace of crimson. Then a faint, razor-sharp voice—one that seemed capable of piercing directly into the spirit body—echoed from the depths, "…Cheek?"
At the sound of that voice, veins bulged violently across Trissy's forehead. It felt as though countless steel needles had been driven into her skull, twisting and stabbing without mercy.
Her black hair lifted without wind, each strand thickening. Her facial skin became translucent, with blood vessels protruding densely like a web.
Fortunately, Mr. Door seemed to realise how dangerous His aura was to Trissy. He retracted His presence and spoke in a comparatively gentle tone:
"So it is Cheek's Blessed…ah, and Cheek's daughter."
Krismona stepped forward from the darkness.
"Mr. Door."
She hesitated for a few seconds before suddenly saying, "I thought you'd start with something like, 'I held you in my arms back then.'"
"…"
Mr. Door seemed momentarily stunned—then let out a soft laugh.
"I really did hold you, didn't I?"
"…"
"What does Lilith want from me this time?"
Trissy blinked in confusion.
Isn't Lilith the Ancestor of the Sanguine? Didn't She fall long ago? Why would Mr. Door suddenly mention Her name?
Before she could think further, a force nudged her gently forward. Trissy hurriedly said, "Mr. Door, I…I wish to seek your guidance."
"Oh? Go on. The years lost in darkness and imprisoned within the storm are unbearably dull. It's rare to have someone to chat with…"
Trissy lowered her head. "…I want to know whether there is any abnormal method to enter the nine secret mausoleums Emperor Tudor built for his advancement to the Black Emperor."
Across immeasurable void, Mr. Door let out a drifting laugh. "Lilith couldn't possibly not know this. Why bother asking me?"
"What exactly are you trying to achieve by seeking me out this time?"
His voice suddenly sharpened.
———
In the boundless starry sky.
An ancient silver mirror the size of a palm appeared out of thin air. Moments later, a streak of light flowed out of its surface and condensed into the figure of a beautiful, youthful girl—radiating vitality.
It was Lilith, restored to her true appearance.
She still wore modern clothing, but over her shoulders draped a cloak that shimmered with star-like sparkles.
Ahead lay the scarlet moon where the Fallen Mother Goddess resided, and beneath them the resplendent blue Earth. She stepped forward, becoming a burst of starlight that shot toward the moon. After several rapid mirror-jumps, she arrived close—perilously close—to the constant pillar-level contamination radiating from it.
Lilith produced a lock of hair belonging to a member of the Abraham family, then crushed it together with dozens of gemstones. She neither set up an altar nor recited Mr. Door's invocation.
The crushed materials collapsed into layered phantoms that gradually solidified into a figure—a being robed in tides of blood-red, whose twisting form reflected scenes of different planets and landscapes. Eventually, it settled into the shape of a middle-aged man.
"Lilith?"
Mr. Door recognised her instantly, transmitting His voice precisely into her ears despite the vacuum.
"Long time no see, Bethel."
Lilith waved cheerfully and circled Him once at high speed.
"Hm, looks like your current state isn't bad."
Mr. Door frowned. "Do you not understand how dangerous your actions are right now?"
"I do. Which is why we should hurry."
Lilith extended her slender fingers.
"Give me a portion of the Key of Stars' Beyonder characteristic."
"…"
Mr. Door paused.
"You're certainly not shy. This reminds Me—more than a century ago, a young man once came to Me asking for the uniqueness of the Door pathway."
"Oh? And did you give it to him?"
"No."
Mr. Door responded lightly, "At the time, I had not regained my sanity…Of course, even if I had, I could never casually hand the Door's uniqueness to anyone."
Lilith blinked.
"Oh, really? Then your uniqueness—do You still have it?"
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.