"Wait, Su Mo, are you insane?!"
Shiroyasha shot to her feet, eyes wide as she grabbed Su Mo by the shoulders.
If she could barely agree to the previous plan, feeling she could at least be of some help to him, this new plan was simply absurd.
Let Su Mo face the entire Church alone?
No matter how powerful he was, that was impossible, wasn't it?
"I, too, feel this requires further deliberation."
Even the Queen Halloween couldn't help but step forward and, disregarding propriety between men and women, touch Su Mo's forehead to check for a fever.
She had originally thought that among the three problem children, Algol was the most radical and insane.
She never expected Su Mo to be even crazier than Algol.
When Algol declared war on the three thousand worlds of gods, buddhas, and asuras, her wide-area attacks meant she never made a mortal enemy of any single pantheon. But what Su Mo was planning was a direct, blatant act of war against the Church!
At that point, not even the Son of God would be able to tolerate it!
"Lord Su Mo, are you serious?"
Even Canary was dumbfounded.
In the previous plan, her participation was more for show; Arcadia's forces were too weak to make a difference on the main stage.
But this new plan had gone from risky to downright reckless.
To fight an entire pantheon alone, and a powerhouse like the Church at that—with their own cosmology and a Another Cosmology...
Wasn't that just suicide?
Faced with their shock, Su Mo remained calm.
"At this stage, it's not suitable for Shiroyasha and Canary to reveal themselves or interfere."
Shiroyasha's sovereignty was still in the hands of the Twin Goddesses. If she acted rashly, she would almost certainly lose her freedom, win or lose.
She was willing to ignore that price for the sake of Little Garden and out of her trust in him.
But Su Mo had no intention of letting her pay it right now.
More importantly, there was no need.
"As for the Queen, although your position is half-exposed, this is still just a test. There's no need to commit your full strength yet."
Su Mo looked at the Queen Halloween.
"Rather than joining the battle, it would be better to observe and provide support from the sidelines. The other pantheons won't want to completely anger you."
As a special-rank three-digit being who had unified the Boundary Authority, all of Little Garden's Boundary Gates and boundary-type Gifts were a result of the Queen's grace.
Though the Celtic pantheon had fallen into decline, with only a few stragglers left, the patents on her Boundary Gates alone made the Queen incredibly wealthy, one of the richest women in Little Garden.
If she were to become enraged, all of Little Garden's Boundary Gates, including the boundary-type Gifts of the gods and buddhas, would cease to function.
Her influence on the overall environment of Little Garden was far greater than her direct combat prowess.
The fact that she was the only one of the three problem children to have survived to the present day, and the contributions she had made to Little Garden's development, were the main reasons the pantheons tolerated her eccentric personality and overlooked her past misdeeds.
"Support from the sidelines..."
The Queen Halloween paused.
As much as she wanted to fight alongside Su Mo, even she had to admit that her presence as a deterrent was more effective.
It might not work on the Church, but against the other pantheheons, her personal involvement would be required.
"Even if you say that, this is still too dangerous," Canary said, throwing her hands up in a gesture of resignation. "Although I don't have much of a say in this operation, it would be best if you didn't underestimate the Church, Lord Su Mo."
Now that they had a powerhouse on their side, Canary was terrified he would get himself killed through sheer recklessness.
Understanding their concern, Su Mo nodded.
"I know what you're worried about. So, the most important thing I need to add is that no matter what happens, even if I don't obtain power at the Full-Authority Domain level, I have a way to retreat."
He then looked at Shiroyasha.
"Shiroyasha should know this."
At his words, the Queen Halloween and Canary both turned to Shiroyasha.
Their eyes were filled with disbelief. To be able to escape from a two-digit being in the Full-Authority Domain under any circumstances? That was underestimating them far too much.
As the former White Night Demon Lord, Shiroyasha should know this better than anyone.
How could she possibly support Su Mo's idea?
"Huh? Oh, right!"
Just as they were thinking this, Shiroyasha blinked, then slapped her forehead, her eyes lighting up.
"I almost forgot, you can go back directly!"
With the chat group, as long as he sent out an invitation in advance, didn't that mean he had an escape ticket at all times?
The worlds in the chat group were outside the jurisdiction of Little Garden's central hub. While those in the Full-Authority Domain had the power to cross ordinary worlds, they couldn't bypass the chat group's barrier.
In other words, even if Su Mo were pulled into a Gift Game, he could return to another world that the Church couldn't interfere with whenever he wanted.
Little Garden's central hub had no control over worlds outside its connections!
"Then I have no problem! Go for it! Slap the Church silly and see if they dare to scheme again!"
Once she was certain Su Mo's safety wasn't at risk, Shiroyasha's attitude did a complete one-eighty, and she became visibly excited.
Seeing her manic state, the Queen Halloween and Canary exchanged looks.
What was this secret code they were speaking? Did they really believe Su Mo could not be defeated?
And what did "go back" mean? Back to where?
In any case, as long as Su Mo wasn't being impulsive, that was what mattered.
After calming down, the Queen Halloween thought for a moment, then stood up and casually pushed past Shiroyasha to stand in front of Su Mo. She took out her Gift Card and handed it to him.
"Lord Su Mo—no, Su Mo. Given our current relationship, let's dispense with the tedious formalities!"
For her, a being who prized etiquette, to say such a thing left Canary and Shiroyasha utterly baffled, wondering if this Queen was an impostor.
And what do you mean, 'your relationship with Su Mo'? What relationship do you have?!
I was here first!
"There is no need for thanks. As you've planned, I shall watch over you from the sidelines."
"But before that, please accept this gift of my gratitude. It is a trifling thing, but only by giving it can I feel at ease. I hope it will be of help to you."
Though she spoke of dispensing with etiquette, her clear, emerald eyes were filled with a sincerity more important than any formality.
In that moment, the Queen Halloween, who had always kept others at a distance, truly saw Su Mo as one of her own.
No matter what, fighting a pantheon alone was an incredibly dangerous undertaking. Since he was offering his sincerity, she would respond in kind.
This was the Queen's pride, and the highest form of etiquette she understood.
"Thank you."
Even Su Mo was slightly surprised by the Gift she offered. However, under the girl's direct gaze, he accepted it without any hesitation.
Seeing this, a satisfied smile finally graced the Queen Halloween's lips.
Then, to the astonishment of Shiroyasha and Canary, she gave a slight curtsy.
"I wish you a triumphant return."
A rich, sweet fragrance brushed past Su Mo's cheek as the Queen Halloween gracefully turned away.
Seeing the Queen's completely out-of-character behavior, Canary instinctively covered her eyes, though she peeked through a massive gap in her fingers.
She was covering her eyes to avoid angering the thin-skinned Queen, but the gap was to catch all the gossip.
She had thought this was a case of a powerful leader strong-arming two problem children into submission.
She hadn't expected it to be a honey trap!
Yes, more of this!
Give me the R-rated stuff, I love it!
A cold glare from the Queen Halloween finally made her shudder and snap back to normal.
"Wait! I have something that might be useful to Lord Su Mo too, but it's with another community. I'll go borrow it right now!"
Certain that Su Mo wouldn't change his plans, she also thought of a way to help and shot out of the room like an arrow, incidentally escaping the Queen's death glare.
---||---
The next morning.
Little Garden Lower Realms, Western District, a four-digit Outer Gate.
In the heart of the Papal State of Vatican, within St. Peter's Basilica, the sacred ground revered by saints the world over.
The blood of Demon Lords stained the cathedral floors. Flaming swords of thorn, like crimson crosses, had pierced their chests, but not to kill. They were pinned alive to the walls.
These were terrifying Demon Lords, at least four-digit in rank, some even reaching the three-digits—beings capable of destroying worlds—yet they now hung limply, unable to struggle.
Perhaps only the fury and terror in their eyes still betrayed their defiant nature as Demon Lords.
But besides glaring, there was nothing they could do.
For standing before them was the Church's strongest archangel, the nigh-undefeated Vice-Commander of Heaven, the one who had vanquished countless heretics, the God-like Right Hand of God—Michael!
Though he had been meek before Su Mo, against other heretics, Michael could strike with overwhelming force.
Not even within the Demon Lord Alliance was there anyone who could match him.
At his side stood the radiantly shining Angel of Water, Gabriel.
He was the herald angel, responsible for delivering and carrying out the Son of God's commands.
At first glance, the scene might suggest that the Church was vanquishing heretical Demon Lords, contributing to the betterment of Little Garden.
But a closer look revealed a different story.
Putting aside the small matter of how a sacred ground of the Church had become a Demon Lord's headquarters, Gabriel's attitude towards the Demon Lords was far too familiar.
"Didn't you say someone was coming to save you?" Gabriel asked coldly, looking at a shadowy figure with a remarkably thin presence.
"It is for that reason that Michael has allowed you to live this long. A night has passed. Where are your reinforcements?"
"..."
At this, the Storyteller blinked and said with righteous indignation, "You're asking me? Who should I ask?!"
"..."