After our visit with Lilliwood-san, we teleported to a landscape dominated by jagged, rocky peaks—a sight I recognized immediately. We were in the mountain range of the southern Demon Realm, the territory where Magnawell-san resided.
So, was Magnawell-san the next person we were here to consult? I didn't think he was much of an eater... but then again, he did have that human-sized avatar.
As those thoughts crossed my mind, I spotted a familiar winged dragon standing atop a sheer precipice ahead, her arms crossed as she stood upright. It was Flare-san... and wow, did she look impressive. There was a raw, cinematic coolness to a dragon standing atop a mountain like that. Although she had expressed insecurities about her size before, I honestly thought her five-meter stature was perfect—large enough to be imposing, yet small enough to take in her entire form at once.
Noticing our arrival, Flare-san leaped from the peak. She shifted into her human form mid-air, landing gracefully before dropping to one knee in a respectful bow.
"Greetings, Kuromueina-sama. Welcome to my domain. And to you as well, my comrade—it is good to see you. I welcome you both."
"Hello, Flare-san."
"Sorry to drop by so suddenly, Needsveld-chan."
After offering a deeply respectful greeting to Kuro, Flare-san stood up and gave me a light smile. Given her serious nature, she treated Kuro with the utmost courtesy befitting one of the Six Kings, but I also sensed a genuine aura of reverence that went beyond mere status.
"Please, do not trouble yourself. To what do we owe the honor of this visit?"
"I'm on my way to see Magnawell, so I thought I’d stop by your place first, Needsveld-chan. Since we’re here, do you want to do 'the usual'?"
Flare-san’s expression shifted, a look of profound joy crossing her face—though it was tempered with the fierce intensity of a predatory beast.
"I am grateful beyond words. Then... please, favor me with a move."
"Sure thing. Come on then. Oh, and Kaito-kun? I’m going to put some defense magic on you, just in case."
"Wait, what? What’s about to—"
Before I could finish, Flare-san shifted back into her draconic form and soared into the sky.
High above, she spread her wings, and three massive crimson rings materialized in the heavens. An astronomical amount of magic power began to converge, turning the sky a brilliant, blood-red hue. This looked bad. This looked very, very bad. Kuro was smiling as casually as ever, but that definitely looked like a final-boss-tier special move. She’d put defense magic on me, sure, but that didn't stop my heart from racing.
The triple rings contracted, focusing a terrifying brilliance toward Flare-san’s maw.
(—Promediment: Heavenly Destruction's Hellfire!)
The moment Flare-san roared, my sympathy magic picked up the magic power wavelength, translating the name of the technique directly into my mind. A pillar of light cascaded from the heavens... and then vanished instantly.
I couldn't even process what had happened, but when I looked at Kuro, her hand was clenched into a simple fist, and she was wearing a gentle smile.
"Yes, that was good. Your power has definitely increased since last time."
"...And yet, I still cannot even force Kuromueina-sama to use both hands. To be shown the height of that wall once more is a blessing. Thank you for this exchange."
I could only guess, but it seemed Kuro had snuffed out that world-ending flash of light simply by clenching her hand. Seeing Flare-san return to human form and bow deeply, I realized that Kuro must occasionally let her unleash her strongest attack like this. The sheer magnitude of that magic had made me think the world itself might be obliterated if it touched the ground... and yet, it hadn't even reached Kuro. It was a stark reminder of her status as the pinnacle of the Six Kings.
"Oh, right. Since we’re here, I should ask Needsveld-chan’s opinion too."
"My opinion? On what subject?"
Kuro brightly explained the situation. By the time she finished, Flare-san looked as though she was being overcome by emotion. Why?
"To never be satisfied with the status quo, to always reach for greater heights... Even from your exalted position, you possess a spirit of self-improvement as fierce as any flame. I am perpetually moved by your example, Kuromueina-sama."
"Well, baby castella has infinite potential, after all."
"I see. Because they are infinite, one can pursue the summit forever without pause. Truly magnificent."
Ah, I see. Flare-san was someone who valued ambition and the drive to improve above all else. Even if the subject was just baby castella, Kuro's constant search for refinement was, in Flare-san’s eyes, a pursuit worthy of the highest respect. That explained the look of pure adoration in her eyes.
"I do not know if I can be of much assistance, but whenever I hit a wall in my training, I find that returning to the basics often reveals the path forward. While it is wonderful that you are creating so many revolutionary variations, perhaps it would be beneficial to embrace simple thinking for a time."
"That’s a good point. When I try to make something new, I tend to look for something unprecedented, and the process gets complicated. Keeping things simple is an important perspective."
Having gathered Flare-san’s input, we resumed our journey toward Magnawell-san.
~The Stomach Pain Warriors~
① Chronoa The Stomach Pain Warrior of the God Realm. Her primary stressors are Fate’s habitual slacking and Shiro’s impossible demands. However, since entering Part 2, her burden has lightened somewhat as Fate has become relatively more diligent and Shiro has grown more emotionally mature.
② Lilliwood The Stomach Pain Warrior of the Demon Realm. Her stress stems from being the sole common-sense anchor and "stopper" for the other eccentric Six Kings. However, thanks to Kaito’s influence, Isis has matured significantly, causing Lilliwood’s stress levels to drop in Part 2.
③ Kaori Mizuhara A supernova in the world of stomach pain. Her primary source of anxiety is her junior, Kaito. While she is somewhat inconsistent—sometimes triggering flags and other times narrowly avoiding them—as a representative of the commoners, she shows great promise for future suffering.
④ Lilia The original and strongest Stomach Pain Warrior. She attracts misfortune and flags like a black hole; the sheer magnitude of her stomach pain power is something the other three combined could never hope to match. The sheer volume of stomach medicine she has consumed is staggering. Her plight is so severe it draws pity even from the God of Earth, who is usually indifferent to the inhabitants of this world. While the other warriors have seen their conditions improve to varying degrees, Lilia remains the Absolute King. Even in Part 2, her condition shows no sign of stabilizing, and with the impending chaos surrounding Nebula, her reign of terror—and gastric distress—is far from over.