Epilogue
The white void world resounded with a relentless pounding.
It wasn’t an actual sound shaking the air, yet everyone present could distinctly feel the impact as if a metal sphere was crashing into a wall.
The source of the sound was the body of the Sinful King, Vesuel, lying dormant in a glass container.
For now, he was still a corpse. However, having absorbed fragments of Remnant fragment, his heart had started to beat. Parts of his charred skin began to regenerate, faintly revealing a semblance of his form from when he was alive.
Under Ermenhilde's watchful gaze, Lilium leaned silently against the container.
He couldn’t approach the pulsing center—the overwhelming sound felt as though it was tearing his body apart, leaving him with an unbearable headache. Lilium, for her part, seemed equally affected, yet as long as she could stay by Vesuel's side, she didn’t care if her head was splitting.
With a complex mix of emotions, Ermenhilde fixed her gaze on Lilium’s back.
Just then, two figures entered the white void world.
Even amid the reverberations, their presence was so powerful it was unmistakable—proof of their high standing within the "Lustrous Flame."
Ermenhilde turned to greet them.
"I'm truly glad to see you here, Barothel and Anrelia."
One of them was a man, Barothel.
He had strikingly bright, orange hair and eyes sharp as a beast’s. Dressed in all black, with black pants and a matching jacket, he seemed to have claimed that color as his personal emblem.
The other was a woman, Anrelia.
Her blue hair was tied into two buns at the sides, with strands cascading down like silk threads. She wore a qipao with a shockingly low neckline, a piece she had acquired after the Great Magic Disaster. She had always maintained a personal rule of going without any underwear.
"Hey, Ermenhilde… I heard about the situation. Looks like things are getting more interesting," Barothel said with a grin.
"Never thought we’d find remnants of Diasarthes’. Gave me quite a shock! Looks like we’re all in for some more fun together," added Anrelia, equally delighted.
Though they were an unruly bunch, the members of Remnants held Vesuel in the highest regard as their leader. The possibility of both Vesuel and his wife Diasarthes returning filled them with unbridled excitement, and their smiles were the most genuine they’d ever shown.
"Yes, I called you here to discuss exactly that. But before we get into it, there’s something I need to talk to you about… Keep it down, though, don’t let Lily-oneechan hear."
"Huh? Don’t tell me it’s about your love troubles again? You cheeky brat," Barothel teased.
"It’s not that!"
"No need to be shy, Ermenhilde. That sweet, innocent love of adolescence is a part of growing up," Anrelia said kindly, patting Ermenhilde’s head.
"Stop treating me like a kid, Anrelia."
Ermenhilde owed the two of them a lot. Back when the huge “The Sinful King's Steel Remnant” had fused in the violent district, he had claimed to Lilium that he’d handled it alone. In truth, he’d had the invaluable support of Barothel and Anrelia.
"I’m not here to help boost your reputation again, so spit it out. Or don’t blame me if I don’t hold back," Barothel smirked.
"Don’t worry, big sister here will comfort you," Anrelia added with a gentle smile.
"I told you, it’s nothing like that. This is serious, and I’m sure you’ve already noticed… Lily-oneechan can’t maintain the white void world on her own."
"Ah, so that’s what this is about," Barothel muttered, his expression turning contemplative as he accepted Ermenhilde’s concern.
This white void world was an artificial magical space crafted within a black hole, sustained by an immense amount of magic power, which Lilium was currently maintaining alone.
"I wish I could be of more help… but honestly, even if I pitch in, it’s not enough. So I was hoping the two of you could share the load with me."
"I don’t mind. Besides, we discussed this when we first created the white void world. It was Lilium who insisted she could handle it alone."
"Lilium always takes everything on herself. She’s strong and… kind of adorable," Anrelia noted with a gentle smile.
The three exchanged wry smiles, gazing at Lilium’s back as she leaned beside the container.
The reason they formed Remnants was to revive the Sinful King, Vesuel. Lilium was the one who originally proposed this goal, and naturally, every member agreed with her. But, if Lilium hadn’t suggested it in the first place, it’s unlikely anyone would’ve thought of bringing the dead back to life.
Ermenhilde, Barothel, and Anrelia all chose to stay in Remnants almost solely out of a desire to support Lilium in her mission.
"Alright then. Anrelia, could you rewrite the white void world structure? Just make sure Lilium doesn’t notice. You’re good at this kind of thing, right?"
"Leave it to me. How should we divide the magic?"
"I’ll take fifty percent, Lilium thirty, and you twenty. Based on our power levels, that should be the best distribution."
Barothel stated confidently.
"Barothel, always giving himself top marks," Anrelia teased.
"What was that? Are you picking a fight?"
"Don’t bully me now," she replied with a playful pout, taking a step back with a wiggle.
With a huff, Barothel relented and lowered his spear.
"What about me?"
“Enough of this. This isn’t a job for kids, so why don’t you step aside, Ermenhilde?” Barothel remarked dismissively.
“Tch.”
Annoyed at once again being treated like a child, Ermenhilde sulked. Just then, Anrelia hugged him from behind, pressing her chest against the back of his head. Given her refusal to wear any undergarments, the softness of her body was perceptible even through the thin fabric of her qipao.
Ermenhilde quickly broke away from her, moving aside.
Lilium remained focused on the glass container, seemingly oblivious to what had just happened, and Ermenhilde let out a small sigh of relief.
“Alright, let’s get down to business. Lily-oneechan! Barothel and Anrelia are back!”
With that shout, Lilium finally snapped out of her trance, turning around and letting out a surprised gasp as she noticed them. She jogged over, cheeks flushed.
“I thought you weren’t coming.”
Lilium looked at the two of them, her face reddening as she spoke.
“Don’t be ridiculous. What kind of people do you take us for? We may be a little rough around the edges, but we’re still Vesuel’s followers—we haven’t forgotten that.”
“Exactly. I’d love to experience Divine Destruction with everyone once more…” Anrelia added, her voice laced with nostalgia.
Not just Barothel but even Anrelia seemed filled with sentimental memories. Ermenhilde, once part of the army of the mightiest demon king in history, Vesuel, felt a surge of pride and a hint of anxiety at being part of this circle once again.
“Though… I suddenly feel lighter somehow. Did you two do something?” Lilium asked, puzzled.
“No, I’d say it’s because Vesuel’s potential revival has you so excited that your energy returned. So simple, Lilium,” Barothel teased, running a hand through her hair and tousling it. Lilium scowled, pushing his hand away from her head in annoyance.
It seemed that Anrelia had already adjusted the distribution of magic needed to sustain the white void world.
Yet, the timing of when she pulled it off was completely undetectable—her speed was astonishing.
Meanwhile, Barothel, now bearing fifty percent of the load, remained perfectly composed, as if it posed no strain on him at all.
Five: three: two: zero—though the distribution felt a bit frustrating, it was undeniably the correct call.
Lilium looked at each of them in turn.
“Th-thank you…”
She whispered her gratitude softly.
“No idea what you’re talking about. Anyway, Ermenhilde, didn’t you call us here to share some good news? Out with it,” Anrelia urged. With every movement, her chest swayed, offering glimpses of her skin beneath the low neckline, along with hints of places perhaps best left unseen. In front of Lilium, Ermenhilde found it hard to know where to look.
“Right… First, let’s reaffirm Remnants’ primary mission—”
“Vesuel’s resurrection. Do we really have any other goal?”
“That was our only objective at the start, and up until recently, it still was. But we’ve discovered a lot lately, haven’t we? So, I thought it might be good to clarify our priorities.”
“Ah, I see…” Barothel nodded with a grin, and Ermenhilde understood his enthusiasm. But to avoid any endless sidetracking, he pressed on.
“Remnants’ main objective remains the same: to revive Vesuel. For that, we need to collect the ‘The Sinful King's Steel Remnant.’ However, I believe this mission can be temporarily set aside. Given recent events, I propose prioritizing our secondary objective—reviving Diasarthes.”
The “The Sinful King's Steel Remnants” were scattered across Japan, and the exact number of fragments was unknown. In contrast, Diasarthes’ whereabouts were clear—she was located in Nagisa City.
“Hold on a second. What about that human kid, Natsuhiko Sanzeji? Veronica bit him, and yet he’s completely unharmed. Doesn’t that all but confirm his identity? Plus, he’s a disciple of Streim…” Barothel emphasized the name “Streim” with particular intensity, as though, to him, that connection was more significant than Natsuhiko’s actual identity.
“A mere human, trained by Streim… Interesting.”
“I get how you feel, but let’s set him aside for now. Our ultimate goal remains Divine Destruction, and getting involved with him at this stage wouldn’t be ideal. Barothel, if you come across Natsuhiko Sanzeji, avoid fighting him if you can. Your temperament’s too impulsive—you might end up accidentally killing him…”
“No need to worry. I’ll do my best to steer clear.”
That “do my best”—especially stressed by Barothel—filled Ermenhilde with a deep sense of unease.
In terms of demeanor and personality, he was quite different from Vesuel, yet at his core, Barothel might just be the one who most closely resembled him. This made him both their most powerful asset and their most dangerous one.
“Ermenhilde, leave the kid to me. Now, as for Diasarthes, what’s the concrete plan to bring her back?”
“Hmm… We don’t have a specific method yet, but in order to research this—”
Ermenhilde paused, scanning the faces of those around him.
Then, he laid out the next stage of their plan.
“We need to capture Orihime Yomogita.”
※
High above the White Void World floated the Ten Thousand Demons Palace, where other plots were stirring in the shadows.
Though the Demon Realm was governed under the benevolent rule of the Merciful Emperor, it was far from united. Countless schemes extended in every direction, weaving an intricate, geometric web of intrigue.
At that moment, one such scheme was germinating within the mind of a young girl.
From a human perspective, she appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old, looking rather small and out of place in the Ten Thousand Demons Palace. Yet, despite her appearance, her status was so prominent that nearly everyone in the palace knew her name.
She was Shukora Mimikos.
As the No.6 of the Hall of Demons and the Chief’s proxy, Shukora oversaw the Hall’s operations entirely, commanding the Demon Realm’s fiercest combat unit with a single order.
However, despite her prestigious rank, Shukora was not a pure “Lustrous Flame.”
She was a hybrid demon, a product of a dog-type demon and a flame-born demon, evidenced by the dog-like ears on her head.
To counterbalance her disadvantage of not being pure “Lustrous Flame,” Shukora relied on careful calculation and crafty strategies.
Her recent goal was to curry favor with the Council of Elders.
“Now then, which card should I play next? Lately, the interesting pieces are dwindling, making things too quiet. It’s about time to put on a good show.”
Her voice was sweetly innocent, yet her tone was cunning, exuding an intense aura of danger. There was nothing childlike or innocent about her, despite her adorable appearance—if anything, she seemed more wicked than anyone. In terms of sheer combat power, many demons could surpass her. But when it came to using others as stepping stones, she excelled above them all.
At that moment, two files lay on her desk, each containing information on different humans.
One was Natsuhiko Sanzeji.
The other was Orihime Yomigita.
“This time, I’ll choose these two as sacrifices. Sacrificing others to fuel my ambition… heh heh, it never fails to thrill me each and every time.”
——.