In the warmly lit hall, Lyra gazed at Akira, who was being playfully squashed between the two like a hapless sandwich. A wicked smile curled on her lips, her eyes glinting with mischief.
With a voice full of teasing, she purred, "I can't let you off so easily. You'll have to make it up to our poor, terrified hearts."
Even though she had known from the start that Zald wouldn't actually harm them, she couldn't deny the chill that had lingered in her chest. As a Level 2, the pressure had still been suffocating. And so, no matter what excuse he tried to come up with, Akira was not escaping tonight.
He had to accompany her until she was satisfied. Besides, it wasn't like she could take it anymore either.
She was barely holding back as it was, so what about Akira?
Understanding the implication behind Lyra's words, Akira raised both hands in mock surrender, his expression equal parts helpless and resigned.
"Yes, yes. I get it."
"Hmph. That's more like it." Kaguya huffed before finally releasing her grip from Akira's cheek with an audible squelch.
Ryuu also let go of her hand, her expression softening slightly. She lowered her gaze and muttered in a voice so quiet it barely reached his ears, "Akira... did I hurt you?"
"It's okay, Ryuu. We were all just messing around." Akira rubbed his slightly reddened face and offered a warm smile to comfort her.
That said, deep inside, he was grumbling bitterly.
Blame that merciless black-haired woman next to me. She was way too ruthless.
As if she could hear the silent accusations in his heart, Kaguya narrowed her eyes slightly, her pupils glinting with playful menace. Her gaze drifted toward Akira, and a dangerous smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"Hmm? Are you secretly saying bad things about me, Akira?" She asked sweetly.
Akira forced the brightest, most innocent smile onto his face. "How could I? I would never, not even in my heart, call Kaguya-oneesan a rude, violent black-haired girl."
Because I've already said it out loud.
"Huh?" Kaguya blinked, caught off guard by his unexpectedly honest denial. Then his words replayed in her head.
Her eye twitched. "You're getting bolder by the day."
She lunged at him, her hands outstretched like claws aiming for his ears. Akira's reaction was lightning-fast. With a smooth, backward sway of his body, he dodged her attack by a hair's breadth, slipping just out of reach.
But Kaguya refused to give up. Her eyes narrowed with determination, and she swiftly lunged again, this time aiming low to grab at his thigh.
"Wha—!?"
Akira lost his balance in an instant. His body wobbled, and with a dramatic thud, he fell backwards, his head landing directly onto Ryuu's lap.
"Ah...!"
Ryuu's face flushed an instant crimson as she instinctively flailed her arms in a panic, letting out a few flustered yelps. Her whole body tensed up like a startled cat as she stared down at Akira, wide-eyed and frozen.
But the chaos wasn't over. With the precision of a seasoned predator, Kaguya climbed onto the sofa and pinned Akira with her knees, intertwining her hands with his as if preparing for a duel of strength and will.
Lyra, still processing the situation, suddenly burst into laughter, tears welled in her eyes as she slapped the armrest of the sofa with barely contained glee.
"Akira, quick! Hook her feet! Hook her feet!" She commanded between breaths.
With no other choice, Akira slid his foot through the loose folds of Kaguya's kimono and tugged at her ankle, causing her to lose balance as she cried out in surprise.
In an instant, the two of them became a blur of motion, rolling across the sofa like children in a playground brawl. Pillows flew through the air, some bouncing onto the floor, others flung with force toward innocent bystanders.
The entire hall burst into laughter at the sight, everyone doubled over, unable to contain themselves. The atmosphere was light and infectious, the sound of joy echoing throughout the room.
Time passed like that, no one keeping count.
Eventually, Astraea, who had been sitting calmly the entire time, smiling at the boisterous scene, gently clapped her hands and said with a warm chuckle, "Okay, everyone, that's enough fooling around. Let's return to the main topic."
As the laughter subsided and everyone settled down once more, the mood gradually shifted.
Alise began, flopping into a plush leather sofa like a defeated warrior, "Since those two's curses have been lifted, why would they still choose to join Evilus?"
She raised her head slightly, her eyes regaining a faint glimmer of excitement. "Could it be... they're planning to wipe out Evilus from the inside? Like, a grand infiltration to catch them all in one sweep?"
"That's basically the gist of it." Akira nodded, reclining into his seat and laying out the situation without reservation.
It wasn't like he planned to hide things from them. These people were practically family now. He wasn't the type to play games behind closed doors. Besides, as long as the information didn't leak, the spies lurking within the Order Familia wouldn't catch wind of it.
Kaguya interjected as she combed through her slightly ruffled hair with her fingers, "So you're saying, they intend to stay embedded in Evilus, to lull them into a false sense of security so they'll strike Orario without holding back."
Akira nodded. "Exactly. That way, both the forces in the open and those hiding in the shadows can be wiped out in one go."
He paused before adding with a shrug, "Also, even though they didn't say it directly, it's obvious they plan to leave the rest to us. They won't be helping much."
"According to them, we, the current Order Familias, lack experience."
Akira sighed and raised his hands in mock despair. "Those two really are something else. Just throwing the hard part on us."
Lyra's eyes widened at that remark, her expression twisting with indignation.
"What do they mean 'lack experience'? We've risked our lives countless times in Orario."
She pouted, her cheeks puffed up slightly. "Aren't they just looking down on us?"
Far from Orario, in the eastern part of the continent, lay the city of Bergen, a place known by many names but to those who understood its true nature, it was simply the City of Sinners.
Though called a city, it was no more than a colossal prison, a festering cage built to hold the cruelest criminals the world had birthed. Even monsters from the Dungeon itself paled in comparison to some of its residents.
After being stripped of their Falna and severed from their gods, these prisoners lived in endless torment. A punishment with no end, a suffering meant to last forever.
Whether the legends were true or exaggerated was uncertain. Some said the gods themselves joked it was "hotter than hell."
And in that inferno…
A little pallum girl had been born. Had she not escaped with the help of others, her fate would have been sealed long ago, torn apart, body and soul.
Back in the hall, Alise sat up straight, her expression thoughtful.
"But if you think about it, what they said does make some sense." She admitted.
"Zeus and Hera Familias were involved in countless wars. Their members have been forged in battles far grander than anything we've seen."
Neze yawned nearby, her fluffy animal ears twitching as she lazily stretched. "Mmm, true. Maybe they're hoping this operation against Evilus will serve as our trial by fire."