I accepted my presents while keeping an eye on the gaming tournament, wondering if the second bracket would finish soon and if it would be my turn to head out. For the record, the one I just pulled was "EX1." I felt like I had been drawing these EX envelopes quite a bit lately.
"By the way, Canaris-san," I asked. "Are the numbers on these EX envelopes based on the order I drew them?"
"Oh, no. We just numbered them in the order the gifts arrived," she explained. "For instance, EX5 was the second World Creator you drew, but it seems they agonized over your birthday present for so long that their gift was the last to arrive. Taha... Sorry for the haphazard numbering system."
"I see. Still, it’s a blessing they went through the trouble of sending gifts from other worlds... Wait."
My eyes drifted across the venue as I chatted with Canaris-san, and I froze at the sight of a literal hellscape. Shiro-san and Eden-san were locked in a silent glare. Standing nearby were Lilia-san, Elis-san, and Kaori-san, their faces ghostly pale.
Elis-san looked like she was in particularly bad shape. Eden-san was positioned as if shielding her child, Kaori-san, and Lilia-san was near Shiro-san. But Elis-san? She was stuck right in the center, caught in the dead space between Shiro-san and Eden-san.
I recalled hearing that the magic power of beings like Shiro-san and Eden-san exerted an overwhelming sense of intimidation. Even if they were adjusting it, a standoff like this meant they were essentially crushing each other—and anything between them—with their respective auras.
Eden-san wouldn’t direct that pressure at her own child, Kaori-san, and Lilia-san was at least as strong as a Count-class demon. But Elis-san was caught directly in the crossfire of the divine pressure. Her face was so devoid of color I thought she might faint at any second; honestly, it was impressive she was even still standing.
Luckily, the disturbance hadn't spread yet. It was confined to that one corner. If I stepped in now, I could stop it before it turned into a public scene.
"Canaris-san, sorry. Could you take me over there?" I asked.
"Of course! Leave it to me. I’m a god convenient for movement, after all."
I could have asked Ein-san, but I wasn't sure if she could even get close to where the two supreme goddesses were squaring off. I stood up from my chair and, a moment later, I manifested right between Shiro-san and Eden-san.
"Please calm down, Shiro-san, Eden-san... I don't know what's going on, but please stop fighting."
"K-Kaito-sama..."
Elis-san was right next to me. When she saw me, her expression changed to one of absolute relief—like a messiah had just appeared. I knew exactly how she felt; it must have been terrifying.
"Hmm? I wasn't aware we were fighting," Shiro-san mused.
"Indeed. I would characterize it as something closer to a negotiation," Eden-san added.
"Even if that’s your intention, people can't survive being caught in a glare between the two of you. Please stop. If you have to negotiate, do it somewhere else."
My words seemed to register. They looked over at Lilia-san, Elis-san, and Kaori-san.
"Mm... You're right. I didn't mean to intimidate them, but I clearly lacked consideration," Shiro-san admitted.
"Yes," Eden-san agreed. "I suppose I became too heated because it concerned my child."
They didn't have bad intentions, and seeing them admit their fault made me realize how much they were truly growing.
"That was short-sighted of me. I apologize," Shiro-san said.
"I'm also sorry for creating such a hostile atmosphere during my beloved child's birthday festival," Eden-san echoed.
Then, they both bowed.
But here was the problem: if Shiro-san and Eden-san actually bowed their heads in apology, that was an even bigger disaster for the three mortals. I really wish they'd considered the impact of that, too.
Serious-senpai: "Seeing him swoop in to save the heroines like that... truly, he lives up to his name as the Flag King. But then he finishes them off with a strike that obliterates the stomach. That's the Stomach Pain Specialist for you..."