Indra's final warning was rather profound.
Shiroyasha didn't quite grasp it and was about to stop him to ask for clarification, but Su Mo held her back.
"Why not let Us ask a few more questions? That washed-up god might know something!" Shiroyasha stopped as she was told, but she still looked confused.
"Given his position, he's already said as much as he can. It's best not to press him," Su Mo said, shaking his head and glancing at Shiroyasha. "Just like how he didn't ask why you were working with me."
"..."
Shiroyasha blinked, then immediately understood Su Mo's meaning.
Indra still held out hope for the Buddhist pantheon and the other gods; he wasn't willing to pick a side just yet.
As a member of the Divine Army, he not only knew a bit about the Church's scheming but had also sensed the connection between Su Mo and Shiroyasha.
The level of coordination between them, the perfect timing—it was as if they knew in advance that Indra was coming to the Lower Realm to deal with a demon. That was information only a few people knew, Shiroyasha being one of them.
Just as he was unwilling to expose the Church's activities now, he also wouldn't tell the pantheons about the relationship between Su Mo and Shiroyasha.
But if Shiroyasha forced him to take a side, he might divulge the information out of obligation, but he would also then be compelled to reveal their alliance.
That would be a worse outcome.
Most importantly, Su Mo didn't lack intel on the Church—neither about their past, nor their future.
"Alright, then. What's our next move? Should we head back together? Won't that be a little too conspicuous?" Shiroyasha asked, fidgeting slightly.
She wanted to go back with Su Mo, but doing so might arouse the other pantheons' suspicions.
"It doesn't matter." Su Mo shook his head, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Church's domain. "Whether the Church is suspicious or not is irrelevant, as long as the Buddhist pantheon and the others don't get involved. Besides, given your reputation among the gods, they'll think whatever you do is normal."
"Hmph~ Just what kind of image do you have of Us, anyway?" The white-haired loli paused for a moment before puffing out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
"A pervert, of course!" Algol chimed in, sidling up to them. "Tsk, tsk! If you want to capture Master's affection, a problem-child personality like yours is nowhere near good enough!"
"You're one to talk," Shiroyasha said, her face darkening. Aren't you the biggest problem child of them all?!
---||---
When Su Mo's group returned to the Thousand Eyes headquarters, a girl with shoulder-length golden hair and wearing a crimson dress—looking for all the world like a caged bird, yet with a fox-like cunning in her eyes—came forward to greet them.
The girl's manner with Shiroyasha was familiar, but a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes when she saw Su Mo and his companions.
Clearly, it wasn't that she didn't know who they were, but rather that she was surprised to see them appearing so openly alongside Shiroyasha.
"You say welcome back, but We hardly lifted a finger. Still, the problem is solved. Oh, right. This here is Su Mo, a friend We just met in the heavens. The others are his subordinates."
Shiroyasha recited the pre-arranged cover story, her tone a little stiff as she introduced Su Mo's party.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Su Mo. And Miss Jibril, Miss Artoria, and Miss Guinevere."
After letting her gaze linger on the last two for a few seconds in surprise, Canary looked at Shiroyasha with curiosity.
"Lady Shiroyasha, you said you didn't lift a finger? Then how was the conflict within the Buddhist pantheon resolved?"
"Er, Su Mo took care of it. He dealt with the troublemaker," Shiroyasha said, scratching her head.
"Ah?" Canary stared blankly for a moment, then turned to Su Mo and asked hesitantly, "When you say 'dealt with'... who exactly did you deal with? The Asura Prince, or the Asura King?"
The Asura King had started the civil war, but the Asura Prince had lit the spark.
If Su Mo had dealt with the Asura Prince, his power would still be within the limits of humanity. The problem was, defeating him alone shouldn't have been enough to stop the rebellion; it might have even made it worse.
If he had dealt with the Asura King, it would mean he possessed power at the four-digit rank, at the very least, potentially even surpassing the current human record-holder, Kasukabe Kōmei. But that, too, was impossible.
Having asked her question, she awaited Shiroyasha's reply.
She was prepared for either answer.
However—
"Dealt with both."
Shiroyasha's answer was concise.
"What do you mean, 'dealt with both'?"
Canary was stunned, pressing for clarification.
A thought had already formed in her mind, but she couldn't dare to believe it was true.
But Shiroyasha's next words confirmed her suspicion.
"The Asura King, the Asura Prince, and the entire Asura clan with them. All of them have been dealt with."
"..."
Canary fell silent.
To annihilate an entire clan of nearly one hundred thousand innate god-buddha level soldiers, led by a chief at the three-digit rank...
Forget Kasukabe Kōmei; not even the entire Arcadia Grand Alliance could have pulled that off!
After several seconds of silence, Canary spoke.
"Lord Su Mo's power is truly astonishing! But... the Buddhist pantheon had no reaction to this?"
If Su Mo had truly accomplished such a feat, his power must have reached the three-digit domain, and he'd be considered a top-tier powerhouse even among them.
But even so, how could he have wiped out the Asura clan and returned completely unscathed?
Did the Buddhist pantheon not care about saving face?
"They couldn't do anything about it. The Asura King fell and became a Demon Lord," Shiroyasha said with a shrug.
Vanquishing Demon Lords was an absolute rule of Little Garden, one that not even the pantheons could openly defy.
"I see."
Canary finally understood. That was precisely why she had thought defeating the Asura King was impossible. But if he had fallen and become a Demon Lord, there was nothing to be done.
Far from seeking revenge, the Buddhist pantheon would have to commend him for cleaning house on their behalf.
If it took a top-tier, three-digit war god to defeat the Asura King and his clan, then to vanquish an Asura King who had fallen into a Demon Lord was a feat beyond even that. It would require a peak three-digit being, someone on par with Indra himself.
As Canary continued to probe for information, piecing everything together in her mind, Shiroyasha suddenly remembered something and looked at the girl with a strange expression.
"Huh? Oh, right! Canary, didn't you leave earlier? Why are you still here?"
She had taken her leave shortly after Indra departed over half an hour ago. Why was she back?
"What's wrong, Lady Shiroyasha? Am I not welcome?" Canary sidestepped the question, asking with a playful tease.
"It's not that, but..." Shiroyasha shook her head, then looked toward Su Mo.
If she were alone, Canary might have talked her way around the question, but with Su Mo here, she wanted to know his thoughts.
Now that their test was successful, they needed to plan their next move. Canary's mind worked too quickly; keeping her around might lead to leaks.
Seeing Shiroyasha's natural deference to Su Mo, Canary paused. She carefully studied Su Mo's features, and the look in her eyes slowly shifted from surprise to one of knowing amusement.
No wonder Shiroyasha lost interest in pretty faces... so that's how it is... Hmph, interesting!
In response to Shiroyasha's unspoken question, Su Mo spoke up.
"I haven't had a chance to thank you for your advice, Miss Canary. Since you're here, please stay a while. As it happens, some of what we need to discuss concerns Arcadia. If you're interested, you're welcome to listen in."
Slightly taken aback by the direct invitation, Canary nevertheless accepted with a smile.
"Then I'd be delighted to accept!"
With that, she glanced at Artoria and added, "My companion will be arriving shortly. Would you mind waiting just a little longer?"
"Not at all," Su Mo nodded, unconcerned.
"Just don't make Al-chan wait too long! Master may be a magnanimous pretty boy, but as an idol, Al-chan doesn't have that much patience, you know!" the Star Spirit at his side interjected.
Hearing her self-proclaimed title and seeing her attitude toward Su Mo, Canary blinked, once again stunned.
"Al-chan... Are you the Star Spirit of the Gorgon... ahem! Of the variable star ALGOL? The Demon Lord known as one of the Three Great Problem Children, alongside Lady Shiroyasha?"
She recalled the monstrous image of the Gorgon she had once seen in records, and found it impossible to connect it with the slender, beautiful girl before her.
She knew that Medusa the Gorgon was the result of a divine curse, but could the difference really be this drastic?
"Oh? You recognize Al-chan... Not bad! As an idol, it's my duty to spread Al-chan's beautiful image throughout Little Garden. You look like a poet. Al-chan grants you permission to compose a hymn in praise of me and Master!"
Realizing she had been recognized, Algol's attitude toward Canary warmed considerably, and she no longer seemed to mind the wait.
"If that is truly your request," Canary said after a moment's thought, accepting the task.
Then, she looked up at Su Mo, her eyes shining with utter, incredulous amazement.
With her intellect, she had long since figured out the purpose behind Shiroyasha's recent actions and realized that she and the Queen Halloween had formed an alliance.
She had deduced that it would take a powerful, single-minded leader to successfully unite two problem children.
So, she wasn't surprised by Su Mo's appearance, nor by Shiroyasha's attitude toward him, nor even by his peak three-digit level of power.
She was merely curious about how far things had progressed.
But now, seeing Algol's special treatment of Su Mo, she was truly and utterly shocked.
To reconcile two problem children required more than just aligned interests; it required a will stronger than both of theirs, and the charisma to ensure they wouldn't just rebel against that strong will out of spite. That in itself was a miracle.
But to reconcile three of them—to bring the three most terrifying problem children in the history of Little Garden under a single banner—was not a miracle. It was an impossibility!
And yet, here, right before her eyes, the absolutely impossible was happening.
Canary was completely and utterly in awe of the man before her.
Forget a peak three-digit power; not even a two-digit being could get these three problem children to simmer down in the same pot.
But somehow, Su Mo had done it.
In that instant, Canary had a sudden premonition.
This man before her was going to change the very fabric of Little Garden.
She wondered if this was the foresight of a poet.