The news that Kaito would be opening a stall at the Sinfonia Kingdom Founding Anniversary Festival spread among those who knew him at a remarkably early stage.
Within the Land of Death in the Demon Realm, at the castle of Death King Isis, the mistress of the domain wore a troubled expression.
"...Kaito’s stall... I want to eat there too... but going... is difficult."
Isis emitted a constant aura of death. While the sense of intimidation she projected had softened considerably of late due to her immense personal happiness, it remained practically impossible for anyone below peerage-class to approach within several meters of her.
It was a foregone conclusion that if Isis appeared in a crowded public space like a festival, it would trigger a massive panic. Thus, it was difficult for her to visit in person.
"In that case... how about I go and buy some for you?"
"...Spica?"
"Yes, indeed~ I’m not famous at all, so I reckon I can go and buy them without any trouble. Besides, I haven’t actually met Kaito-san yet, so the timing is perfect. Isis-sama, if you wait at the ceremony venue, I’ll bring them straight to you."
"...Then... could I... ask that of you?"
"Yes, indeed~ Leave it all to me~"
"Kyu!"
"Oh, Vul, are you going to help too? In that case, shall we go together?"
The matter was settled; Spica would visit Kaito's stall on Isis's behalf. With that decided, Isis sent a letter to the Kingdom of Sinfonia formally announcing her intention to attend the Founding Anniversary Ceremony.
Meanwhile, in another city within the Demon Realm, War King Megiddo received the same report from his subordinates.
"Hoh, Kaito is running a stall? Now that sounds interesting... Hey, Bacchus!"
"At your command!"
"Send word that I’ll be attending the Sinfonia Kingdom Founding Anniversary Festival as well."
"As you wish."
Intrigued by the news of Kaito's venture, Megiddo decided to attend the ceremony in person and ordered Bacchus to notify the kingdom.
Usually, Megiddo rarely attended the ceremony himself, typically sending Bacchus or Agni as his proxy. His personal attendance was a highly exceptional development.
At almost the exact same time, Magnawell was discussing the same topic in the mountain ranges of the Southern Demon Realm.
"This sounds like quite the amusement. It just so happens I have acquired an excellent split body, making it much easier for me to visit places like the Sinfonia Royal Capital."
Due to his unfathomable size, Magnawell was so massive that his presence alone could cast the entire capital into shadow if he positioned himself poorly. Consequently, he had never attended past festivals, always sending a proxy in his stead.
However, thanks to a deal with Alice, he now possessed a special split body that allowed him to participate in a humanoid form.
"Let’s see now. I believe I shall attend the ceremony, and perhaps I’ll stop by to see how Miyama Kaito is faring along the way."
There was no way the Phantasm King, Alice—who monitored information from every corner of the globe—could be unaware of these developments. News of the other Six Kings' movements reached her as a matter of course.
"...Hmm. Now what should I do about this? Most of them should be fine, but there’s a chance that Shitty Gorilla or one of the others might do something impulsive... It’s going to be a nightmare for Ryze, but I suppose I should send a split body of my own to play the role of a 'stopper' and make sure nobody gets too rowdy."
Lilliwood, who already had deep ties to the Kingdom of Sinfonia, attended every year without fail. With Alice's decision to join, it was now set in stone: the Six Kings would gather in their entirety for this year's festival.
Of course, Alice only intended to attend the official functions via a split body; her main body was fully committed to helping out at Kaito's stall. Regardless, for the sake of Kaito’s enjoyment, she intended to keep a close eye on the other Kings—particularly Megiddo—to prevent any thoughtless disruptions.
"...And what about the Supreme Gods? It depends on Shallow Vernal-sama’s whims... but for now, she has no intention of visiting the site, so the chance of her acting is low. As for Fate-san, she’d never willingly participate in a crowded festival. She’ll just wait to have Kaito-san make her some Baby Castella later. Chronoa-san has her connection to Lilia-san, so she might attend. Life-san won't bother unless Shallow Vernal-sama moves... Which leaves only the God on the other side."
After mapping out the likely movements of the key players, Alice decided to pre-emptively check Machina, who was the most likely to go on a rampage. Using a special gear, she departed for Machina’s location.
Meanwhile, at the Royal Castle in the capital of Sinfonia, King Ryze was overseeing the festival preparations as he did every year. Since the Founding Anniversary Festival was a regular event held every year outside of a Hero Festival, it was a routine affair for him. This year, he was moving at a relaxed pace, using the occasion to mentor the Crown Princess, Amalie.
"...Your Majesty! It is an emergency!!"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Regarding the upcoming ceremony... In addition to the World King, who had already declared her attendance... we have just received confirmation that the Underworld King, the Death King, the War King, the Dragon King, and the Phantasm King... all of them will be attending in person!!"
"........................Eh?"
It was the moment when a routine anniversary celebration was transformed into the first festival in the history of the Kingdom of Sinfonia to be attended by all Six Kings simultaneously.
[Underworld King] Eager for Baby Castella! [Death King] Wants to support Kaito's stall... [World King] Attends every year anyway. [War King] It sounded like a bit of fun. [Dragon King] Grandpa is feeling a little overexcited now that he can walk around in a split body. [Phantasm King] Participating solely to act as a stopper for Kuro, Megiddo, and Magnawell. As always, she is a devoted lover supporting Kaito from both the shadows and the spotlight. [Deus Ex Machina] Was pre-emptively scolded by Alice before she even did anything.