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Somewhere in the Underworld, Diablo stood, a broad smile stretching across his face.
"My, my," he murmured aloud, voice calm but tinged with excitement. "What a development. To think he was my brother this entire timeā¦ What an interesting Demon."
He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "It's been a while since I've seen him. Perhapsā¦ I should pay him a visit."
---
Elsewhere, in an elegantly decorated room, a calm and beautiful demon sat with poise. This was Blanc, later to be named Testarossa by Rimuru Tempest.
Her expression was serene, yet her eyes betrayed a hint of shock.
"ā¦So Ultima isn't the youngest," she murmured to herself. "Thisā¦ is very interesting."
Standing attentively nearby, Moss cleared his throat.
"Blanc-sama," he asked carefully, "is something the matter?"
Blanc lifted a delicate porcelain cup, sipping slowly before responding.
"Wellā¦ I wouldn't say it's a matter, exactly. But something did happen."
Moss inclined his head. "Oh? And that is?"
Blanc's gaze remained soft yet focused.
"It seems I have another younger sibling now."
Moss's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of disbelief crossing his features.
"As inā¦ another Primordial?" he asked.
"That's correct," Blanc replied evenly, placing the cup on the table.
Moss frowned, deep in thought. "Butā¦ shouldn't there only be seven Primordials? How does one justā¦ show up out of nowhere?"
Blanc tilted her head slightly, the faintest smile on her lips.
"Even I am not certain," she said calmly, "but I am sure we will find out very soon."
Moss bowed slightly. "Yes, Blanc-sama."
---
Back on the battlefield, Haru and Carrera remained locked in a tense silence, the remnants of battle settling around them.
The Voice of the World resonated through the field, calm, yet carrying immense authority.
[Appointing Primordial Demon Title and Color]
[Primordial Maroon. Name: Bordeaux]
[Attempting Acquisition of Unique Skill: Prototype]
[Acquisition Successful]
[Unique Skill: Prototype]
Prototype allows the user to instantly construct objects from memory, using (Object Manifestation) which does so using Magicules. All objects created through this skill can be remotely controlled by the user's mind and since Objects use Magicules, permanent objects cannot be created.
[Evolution to Primordial Archdemon successful]
---
Haru's thoughts raced, spinning faster than he could organize them. The first coherent thought to escape his lips was blunt, immediate.
"What the fuck."
Carrera's piercing gaze didn't waver.
"Whoā¦ are you, really?" she asked, voice calm but threaded with curiosity and caution.
Haru rose slowly, feeling the weight of his newly evolved body. The drowsiness from the Archdemon evolution pressed on him, but he forced himself upright.
"Uhā¦ I'm just as confused as you are, trust me," he admitted sheepishly.
A flurry of thoughts circled in his mind, forming almost incoherent fragments. Bordeauxā¦ That's my name now. A Primordial Archdemonā¦ Prototypeā¦ Another busted Unique Skill? What the hell is going on here?
Carrera watched him, analyzing the sudden shift in his presence, the overwhelming aura that now radiated from him.
Haru felt it too, the sharp difference between what he had been moments ago and what he had become now. The raw, untamed potential thrumming through his veins.
Primordial Archdemonā¦ Bordeauxā¦ The names felt foreign, yet natural. His identity had shifted in an instant.
Carrera's gaze flicked over Haru.
"You areā¦ a being beyond any conventional measure," she murmured, almost to herself. A huge smile spreading across her face.
Carrera tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing with interest as she examined Haru's newly evolved form.
"ā¦So then," she said casually, "what is your title, little brother?"
Esprit froze.
Littleā¦ brother?
Her eyes darted between Carrera and Haru, confusion plastered across her face.
She blinked rapidly, then spoke hesitantly.
"Juaneā¦ I think you called this Demon 'brother' by mistake."
Carrera's smile widened.
"Nope. No mistake at all." She pointed at Haru. "He genuinely is my brother. And he's a genuine Primordial Demon."
Esprit's jaw dropped open.
Her gaze snapped to Haruāwho looked one second from passing outāand she muttered:
"You'veā¦ got to be kidding me."
Carrera threw her head back and laughed.
"I'm not kidding at all. So heyālook at it this way. You lost to a Primordial. That's far less embarrassing than saying you got beaten by some random Greater Demon, am I right?"
Esprit's eye twitched.
"ā¦I guess thatā¦ makes senseā¦" she admitted reluctantly. Then she frowned. "But what exactly are we going to do with him?"
Carrera brightened.
"Oh! I know."
She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out sweetly:
"Little brother! Big sister asked you a question. Are you not going to answer?"
Haru snapped out of his daze and looked up blearily.
"Oh. Sorry, sorry. My title is Bordeaux."
Carrera clasped her hands together.
"Bordeaux, hm? That's what you shall be known as for eternity. Not bad at all."
Haru nodded weakly. "Uhā¦ thanks, I guess. Now can you please dispel your barrier? I need to find a place to rest before I pass out."
Carrera leaned in with a teasing smile.
"Oh come on, Bordeaux. Don't you want to spend time with your big sister? We are family, after all."
Haru stared at her blankly.
What the hell is this woman talking aboutā¦?
Seeing his deadpan expression, Carrera chuckled.
"Fine, fine. I'll cut to the chase." She pointed at him. "Bordeaux. Become my subordinate. If I remember correctly, Rouge also has Primordials as subordinates, so I should too."
Haru blinked. Then he sighed.
"Huh? Look, Juaneā¦ I don't have the time to play these games with you."
Carrera's smile dropped instantly.
Nuclear energy flared across her palms, humming with lethal intensity.
"Don't be mistaken, little brother," she said coldly. "I wasn't asking you. I was telling you. You don't have a choice."
Haru didn't even flinch.
He simply raised one hand.
Magicules spiraled around his lower arm, compact, precise.
A metallic structure formed from nothing, locking into place in a single smooth motion.
An arm cannon.
Carrera's eyes widened slightly.
"What's this?"
Haru pressed the trigger.
A deafening blast erupted point-blank, vaporizing the entire top half of Carrera's body in an instant.
Esprit screamed.
"JUANE!!"
She bolted forward as dust and heat washed over the battlefield.
Haru, without even looking at the destruction he caused turned and began stumbling away, swaying like a drunk man from exhaustion and sleepiness.
Carrera's body regenerated in a violent burst of magic, her upper half reforming in a flash.
She wiped dust from her cheek, gaze darkening.
"ā¦You've done it now, Bordeaux."
Haru stopped walking.
Turned.
Looked back at her with a tired, annoyed expression.
"You areā¦ so persistent."
Suddenly
Rings of teleportation magic spiraled open in the sky, glowing bright above them.
Carrera and Esprit looked up sharply.
Haru pointed lazily with one finger.
"Enjoy my little parting gift."
A second teleportation circle formed beneath his feet.
Carrera's eyes widened as the runes began to glow.
"Bordeaux!" she shouted.
A massive Nuclear Magic Beam tore through the battlefield but it hit nothing. Haru vanished just as the spell reached him.
The ground exploded where he had stood, smoke erupting into the air.
Esprit stared in silence, trembling slightly.
Carrera turned toward her.
"What's wrong?"
Esprit didn't answer.
She simply raised a shaking hand and pointed upward.
Carrera frowned. "What now?"
She followed Esprit's gestureā
looked upā
and froze.
Twenty enormous meteors blazed through the Underworld sky, falling in a synchronized formation, fiery tails splitting the darkness.
Carrera let out a slow, stunned breath.
"ā¦Well then," she murmured.
A smile crept over her lips. A genuine one.
"Rouge. Noir. And now Bordeaux."
She laughed quietly, almost disbelieving.
"These guys are monsters beyond monsters."
She placed a hand on her hip, still staring upward.
"I'll never admit it to their faces, butā¦"
She exhaled sharply.
"ā¦how in the world did that kid teleport twenty meteors from the Cardinal World to the Underworld? How is that even possible?"
The meteors continued their descent, lighting up the entire sky.
Carrera just stared at them, equal parts impressed and annoyed.
"Bordeauxā¦ you're going to be a real problem."