Seraphim looked expressionlessly at the increasingly distorted kouhai before her and unceremoniously slapped her hard across the face.
The young vampire ninja's face tilted to the side. The sharp pain left her mind in chaos as she clutched her cheek and stared blankly at the cold-faced Seraphim.
"S-Senpai…"
"Enough. Were you thinking of using Lady Hellscythe's power to revive the clan, or resurrect your own relatives?"
Seraphim stared coldly at her kouhai. After she spoke so bluntly, a flicker of surprise and panic crossed the girl's eyes—caught precisely by Seraphim.
Seraphim's gaze grew even colder, a trace of bitterness flashing through it.
Ungrateful vampire ninjas.
In her mind echoed Raize's cold, merciless words from before, filled with barely concealed disgust toward vampire ninjas.
Harsh words—painful to acknowledge—but in her current desolation, Seraphim couldn't expel them from her heart.
Look at this. This is the self-righteous nature of you vampire ninjas.
Raize's disdainful, mocking expression seemed to appear before her eyes.
Talking about respecting Eu—yet in the end, whether reformist or conservative, none of them had ever asked Eu what she wanted. They had only wanted to use her power to achieve their own goals.
"I really do feel like an ungrateful, traitorous piece of trash."
Self-mockery appeared on Seraphim's face, along with deep self-loathing and resignation.
After saying that, she didn't look at her kouhai's expression again. She turned around and walked away.
Sarasvati and the others, finally coming back to their senses after hearing Seraphim's self-mockery, watched her lonely, despondent back and felt deeply uncomfortable.
Recalling how Raize had been holding Eu's hand so intimately, Sarasvati understood that their relationship was anything but ordinary.
And that lady hadn't even worn the armor that suppressed her power. Beside Raize now, she looked just like a beautiful girl next door.
Remembering what their "revived"—no, "fake-dead"—leader had once said:
"Kid, you're someone by her side, aren't you…?"
Sarasvati realized that Raize—the one who had exterminated their village—was Eu's guardian.
Then had Lady Hellscythe, knowing all of this, tacitly approved of Raize's actions?
Had they been abandoned by Lady Hellscythe…?
No—perhaps it was more accurate to say they had brought it upon themselves.
Watching Seraphim leave, recalling her self-mocking words, Sarasvati's lips turned pale.
Given what the vampire ninjas had done, even if Eu abandoned them—so what?
---
Elsewhere, at a booth crowded with people, Neagleria Nebiros had just sold out her doujinshi. As she packed up, she wore a dazed, silly smile, her eyes full of curiosity and excitement as she looked in the direction Eu and Raize had left.
"Ahaha~~ Eu-chan~ Eu-chan got herself a boyfriend!?"
Feeling excited and conflicted, Nene yawned as familiar drowsiness washed over her. She skillfully pulled out a stimulant from between her astonishingly ample chest, poured out a large handful, and tossed them into her mouth.
With a smile full of delight and curiosity, she was utterly shocked and fascinated by Eu and Raize's situation.
Not only because of how excessively intimate they were, but also because she felt that the familiar Eu from before had returned.
The loneliness and sense of isolation around her seemed gone—assuming the eyes of the strongest being of the Underworld weren't deceiving her.
She had clearly seen shyness on Eu's face, and her beautiful cerulean eyes had become lively again.
"And that power of Eu-chan's is actually on that Raize guy. What exactly happened between them!?"
Nene's perception was sharp. At a glance, she sensed the abnormality on both of them—the power capable of twisting all phenomena of the world now resided within Raize.
She didn't believe Raize had forcibly taken it. While he was ruthless toward enemies, he didn't seem like a bad person otherwise.
Something she didn't know must have happened. And judging by their intimacy, it didn't look like a case of coercion.
More likely, Raize had voluntarily taken on that power for Eu—which made her all the more shocked and curious.
Even if Eu's power could be transferred, with Eu's personality, she would never let someone else bear such a heavy burden for her.
Curiosity—overwhelming curiosity. The changes in her dear friend Eu filled her with joy and ignited an uncontrollable desire to know more.
Curiosity about Eu—and about Raize.
"Ahh~~ If I see you again, Eu-chan, you probably won't hide from me anymore, right?"
Eu's positive changes put Nene in an excellent mood as she blinked and murmured thoughtfully.
Raize's impact on her was immense. To be able to change Eu like this, she sincerely and wholeheartedly wanted to thank him.
It seemed Raize truly took good care of Eu. But that their relationship had developed all the way to lovers—it left Nene so shocked she needed time to process it.
Once she snapped back to herself, she felt an urge to see Eu, to have a proper talk with her, and to personally confirm the changes in her.
"But over on Ariel's side, Raize has already become her enemy. If—no. No one is allowed to disturb those two right now!"
Nene—no, now she should properly be called Neagleria—shed her lazy, drowsy demeanor.
Her eyes, sharp and cold, finally softened as she glanced once more in the direction Raize and Eu had left. She swiftly packed up her booth and departed.
She would not allow anyone to interfere with Eu anymore. Raize had surprised her far too much—she would not permit anyone to destroy what Eu now had.
She had a premonition, and a strong expectation, that Raize's existence might bring even more positive changes to Eu.
Therefore, she would not allow anyone else to meddle in their affairs.
As for Ariel, with whom she had some ties?
Sorry. From now on, we're not acquainted. I'm siding with Raize-kun.
Your ridiculous plan to break the barrier doesn't interest me. If you dare overestimate yourself and disturb Eu-chan, you won't be the only one wanting you dead—Raize won't be the only one.
After all, because Vellier once invaded the Netherworld's territory, even if Nini had some ties with her, they were nowhere near comparable to Eu-chan.
---
After parting ways with Shirogane's group, Raize checked on things at his company's booth. Seeing that Eu had lost interest in continuing to browse and was getting hungry, he took her to a park and brought out the prepared bento for her.
He also cast a spell to drive away bystanders, clearing the area so the two could be alone.
"Aize, you should give the power back to me. You've been bearing it for me for quite some time already."