Hellfire dyed the red earth of the Demon Realm even deeper as it surged forward like a tsunami, threatening to annihilate everything. It was a terrifying blaze, capable of incinerating all things and even melting the land itself, but it was immediately met by a pale blue chill. The fire froze solid, preserved even as it burned.
Under normal circumstances, it was impossible for fire to freeze, but this cold air—born of magic and seemingly not of this world—forced the very flames to turn to ice.
Megiddo charged forward, shattering the frozen tsunami that had been transformed into a crystalline wall. Enveloped in black flames that crushed the earth beneath his feet, his gargantuan size made him look like the very Incarnation of Destruction.
Facing him was Isis, tiny by comparison. Shrouded in a pale light as she floated in the air, she remained unfazed by the approaching Megiddo. She simply caused a massive Magic Circle to manifest behind her.
When Megiddo’s black flames and the white cold released by Isis collided, they triggered a colossal explosion. The shockwave was so immense it was impossible to tell how many kilometers had been leveled. Standing at the center of the devastation, the two of them brushed away the dust as if nothing had happened.
"Hahaha! Man, you really are strong, Isis. That Magic Power of yours is especially interesting. The fact that I’d lose a power struggle if we clashed with magic of the same scale means your Magic Power is something special, doesn't it?"
"……Yes…… regarding the Magic Power of Death…… Kuromueina said…… she didn't quite understand it either……"
"Well, it definitely is a strange kind of power. To think you can't suppress it even with your level of magic control."
"……But…… it is more controlled than before…… things no longer die just by being near me…… thanks to Kuromueina."
While Megiddo laughed with satisfaction after the fierce battle, Isis wore a slightly troubled expression. Years had passed since she arrived at Kuromueina’s side, and through her mentor's guidance, she had acquired an extremely high level of magic control.
Thanks to that, she had become able to suppress her Magic Power of Death to some extent... but she could only narrow its range or slightly weaken its effect. She still could not suppress it completely.
It was a relief that she no longer killed plants and creatures recklessly, but in the end, they still fled from her all the same. Nevertheless, it was far better than before, and Isis felt heartfelt gratitude toward Kuromueina.
As the two were talking, Kuromueina’s voice reached them.
"Megiddo, Isis! Let's take a break and have some tea."
"Right!"
"……Understood."
After nodding at Kuromueina’s words, Isis snapped her fingers, deactivating the Space Isolation Barrier that had shrouded the area. The two then traveled toward the massive World Tree that served as their landmark and took their seats at the table prepared before it.
Kuromueina was already seated, and Ein was busy preparing drinks for everyone.
"……Still…… it is…… quiet here…… back when I was alone…… someone was fighting no matter where I went."
"Hm? Oh, well, that’s obvious. Anyone who lays a hand on Kuromueina’s dwelling is just a suicide candidate. You might not know this, Isis, but Kuromueina is famous—she's known as the Strongest of the Demon Realm."
"……I see…… that's amazing."
"Mm. It’s just that I spent a long time traveling all over the Demon Realm in the past. I’ve just become weirdly famous as a remnant of those days," Kuromueina said with a wry smile.
In reality, Megiddo’s words were correct. The name of Kuromueina, the Strongest of the Demon Realm, was known far and wide. Even the inhabitants of the Demon Realm, who lived in a cycle of constant battle under the belief that might is right, recognized Kuromueina as a supreme being on an entirely different level.
Indeed, it was said that if Kuromueina ever decided to conquer the Demon Realm, the most renowned powerhouses would bow before her within days and accept her as their absolute ruler.
"In truth, this place is just a sanctuary. In the rest of the Demon Realm, battles are still breaking out everywhere every day. The powerful ones are all a bunch of stubborn egoists; things won't change unless something extreme happens. Well, it would be a different story if Kuromueina decided to rule the place," Megiddo added.
"I have no intention of doing that. I don't necessarily think fighting is a bad thing, either. I won't say that the strong are right, but that doesn't mean the weak are right, either. When everyone lives with their own various ideas, it’s only natural for them to clash. The current state of the Demon Realm is simply one way for a world to be, and I have no intention of denying it... Well, if someone asks me for help or asks me to mediate, I’ll cooperate."
Kuromueina had a kind and gentle personality, but she also had a dry side toward those she did not consider her family. She gave the impression of observing and respecting the strong and the weak, the good and the evil, with an equal gaze.
Megiddo and Isis were aware of this and did not pursue the topic further. Instead, Isis shifted her gaze toward Ein, who was preparing the cake.
"……Ein…… is something wrong?"
"……I failed."
"……Failed? ……The cake? ……I think it looks beautiful."
"It is no good. Look here. The shape of the cream has collapsed."
Seeing Ein’s frustrated expression, Isis tilted her head in confusion. Ein pointed at the cake with a look of loathing.
Now that she mentioned it, the cream did look slightly distorted, but it was at a level that was almost unnoticeable.
"Hey, it's not like that matters," Megiddo grunted.
"It does matter. Furthermore, I am not satisfied with the firmness of the sponge, and I should have been able to cut the fruit more beautifully! As one who aims to be the Perfect Attendant, I cannot accept an item of this level... Therefore, I shall rewind time and make it again. Please wait a moment..."
"Wait, how many times is this now!?"
Ein declared her intention to remake the cake after stating her dissatisfaction. This exchange happened almost every time they had tea, so it was no wonder Megiddo couldn't help but snap at her.
Ein was a perfectionist who absolutely loathed compromise. She would remake things countless times until she produced something she was satisfied with. Even so, with her current skills, she could not create the ideal finished product she envisioned, leading to her chronic dissatisfaction.
"No, it’s fine as it is. Let's eat," Kuro said.
"……Ugh, if Chrome-sama says so…… Sigh, the road to becoming a Perfect Attendant is truly a long one."
Usually, this kind of back-and-forth continued until Kuromueina finally stopped her. While wearing a dissatisfied expression, Ein followed her master's words and began lining up the cakes. The three of them shared wry smiles as they watched her.
"You should just learn to compromise at some point," Megiddo said.
"Megiddo, compromise is the thing I must avoid most. One who always aims for the ultimate and stands beside perfection is the True Attendant!"
"……Um…… I don't quite understand…… but keep working hard."
The sight of Ein passionately discussing her fixations was a familiar one, and Isis began eating her cake with a faint smile.
"For me, I'd prefer something spicy over something sweet. Hey, Ein. Can't you make a Spicy Cake?"
"Does that even need to be a cake?"
"As long as the taste is to my liking, I don't care about the looks."
"It is certainly like you to say that, but you are a customer for whom cooking feels quite thankless," Ein replied with an exasperated expression as she poured her own tea and sat down.
After watching the scene for a moment, Isis asked Kuromueina as a thought occurred to her.
"……Kuromueina…… do you have…… any favorite sweets?"
"Me? Hmm, I like cake too, but…… I guess I'd like something I can hold in one hand and eat in a single bite."
"……Like cookies?"
"Cookies aren't bad, but they don't quite hit the mark…… I think a soft texture would be better. If a cake were bite-sized... ah, no, would the cream get in the way then? Well, it's just a vague image, so don't worry about it. I like everything, and I don't have any particular preference."
Although she had a vague image in her head of an ideal snack, it seemed difficult to explain, and Kuromueina gave a wry smile.
Following her lead, Isis and the others smiled as well. In the conflict-ridden Demon Realm, this place was wrapped in a strangely peaceful and warm atmosphere.
Isis was savoring this heartfelt happiness, but there was a voice that crossed her mind in a fleeting moment.
—Eventually, you will realize. You would have been happier if you had never noticed...
She felt as if she saw her other self standing in the snowfield of falling black snow. Isis shook her head slightly, brushing away the inexplicable anxiety.
Serious-senpai: "I thought we were going for a truly serious tone, but then it turned into a heartwarming flow!?"
???: "Ein-san from when she was still immature, Kuro-san from back when she hadn't encountered Baby Castellas and her way of thinking was closer to Shallow Vernal-sama's... and the gorilla who hasn't changed a bit. That gorilla seriously never wavers."