The Land of Death, situated at the northernmost edge of the Demon Realm. Within the castle of the Death King, Rasal was currently reviewing a document handed to her by Vulpecula—a girl who, while technically a subordinate, currently occupied a position closer to Isis’s pet.
Rasal had been instructing Vulpecula in the arcane arts for some time, making her effectively the girl's magical mentor. Vulpecula’s current ambition was far more than simple humanization; she aimed to reconstruct her physical form entirely to become a beastman-type demon. To that end, she had brought a draft of her proposed magic formula, seeking Rasal's professional assessment.
After studying the document—a sheet covered in an incredibly intricate magic formula—with a look of grave intensity, Rasal let out a weary sigh.
"You really are a terrifyingly brilliant brat. To think you constructed a formula of this caliber when it hasn't even been a year since you started learning magic. It’s still riddled with flaws, obviously, but if we use this as a foundation and refine it, your wish should become a reality in... oh, about fifty years."
"Fifty years? Are you serious?!"
"If you were willing to compromise, we could finish sooner. However, the 'Complete Mutation' you're chasing requires such microscopic precision that anything less would be pointless. If you just wanted to change your fundamental nature while keeping your original body—say, turning from a human into a similar type of demon—it wouldn't be all that difficult, but..."
"That’s no good! I want to be a beastman-type demon who has the traits of both Isis-sama and Kaito-sama!"
"So you want to be a demon with a growth rate comparable to a human's? That’s no small feat. Normally, it would be flatly impossible... but because the magic power of both Isis-sama and Kaito-sama is currently swirling within you in a blended state, it’s frightening how achievable it seems with the right approach. Still, we have no precedent to follow. We have to be careful. You don't want to end up a failure, do you?"
"Ugh, you're right... Sigh, I guess I really have no choice but to take my time and do it slowly. It’s so frustrating."
While her shoulders slumped in disappointment, Vulpecula nodded as if she had expected this outcome to some degree. Watching her, Rasal wore a somewhat exasperated expression.
(This project would normally take millennia, maybe tens of thousands of years... but with my knowledge, the leftovers of past research, every reference material available—including the forbidden books in Isis-sama's collection—and Vulpecula’s own instinctive genius... honestly, I suspect we could finish in ten years. But she's still a brat with no patience. Completion estimates are better left long; it’ll force her to be thorough. Even fifty years is a pace that's frankly absurd...)
Rasal looked at her disciple—a girl for whom the term "absurd genius" was a perfect fit—with a mix of exasperation and quiet pride. Then, checking the wall clock, she realized the time.
"It’s nearly time to start the preparations for the tea party."
"Oh, right! We’re finally trying Kaito-sama’s black tea! It's his original brand, so I know it'll be incredible, but since we agreed to wait until the launch day to drink it together, the anticipation has been killing me!"
The entire Death King faction, Isis included, planned to hold a celebratory tea party today to sample Kaito’s original blend. Vulpecula wagged her tail with unrestrained joy. It was still a bit early, but it was the right time to start getting things in order.
"Iris and the others might have already started."
"Probably... For now, we need to make sure that idiot Sirius stays as far away from the kitchen as possible."
"Ugh, yeah. I don't want a brawl right before tea. I definitely agree about keeping Sirius out of there."
Sirius was a disaster in the kitchen. Between her blunt personality and the palate of an insectoid-type demon—which compelled her to season everything with an unholy amount of sugar—her cooking was notoriously horrific.
However, when the two of them reached the kitchen...
"...Ah... Vul and Rasal... you're... here too."
"Isis-sama!?"
There stood Isis, wearing an apron and beaming as she prepared what appeared to be a cake.
Serious-senpai: "The flirting with Anima was title fraud... W-What? No... you're saying... it's not?"
???: "I think it's just that pattern. Once 'Each Reaction' wraps up, we'll probably get a separate story with Anima-san."
Serious-senpai: "Doesn't that just mean things are going to get even worse for me?!"