Higan walks towards while Casablanca and Hibiscus follow suit. She looks at me with her default deadpan face that made me think if there is something wrong.

“Higan, what’s wrong?”

“What what’s wrong?”

“You’d usually go for a jumping hug or an immediate skinship…”

“Oh? Asagao, even I matures, you know? OH?! Do you really want me that much?”

“That’s…”

Higan shows me her most annoying grin that I deeply spite. It always pisses me when she played me like this. I know I’m repeating myself but I really missed her but, there are things that I am fine without seeing again, for example, her smug face.

“What’s this, what’s this? Asagao is being a baby? Do you want to some spoiling?”

I thought that they would completely stray away from each other but oddly, Higan and Mimi has a weird camaraderie on them when it comes to teasing me. Higan’s smug face is already annoying enough but for Mimi to go running here when she saw me troubled and do a smug face like Higan, I am now annoyed as hell!

Casablanca and Hibiscus throttle toward me with adorable smiles that will let me bear with the whole day. Emby flies above us for the reason we are avoiding each other inconspicuously so people won’t worry.

“Asagao, why didn’t you tell us about dear sister Higan?”

“Yeah, such cool and intelligent elder sister…I am happy…”

“So, the four of us are sisters. Even though that means papa has other women, I don’t think that’s bad.”

“To get such adorable siblings…to have elder sister Higan and Asagao as sisters…I am really joyful.”

The clings to my arms as they said those words but they don’t know that I am the one blessed the most here to have them, to have everyone in my life.

One thing though, what did Higan told them? Elder sister?

If I remember correctly, Higan is only eleven years old and the twins are twelve years old. However, if you look closely, Higan looks older and mature than us, even the atmosphere and the air around sometimes fluctuate to a more dignified one.

Is it because of her aspiration to be the next in throne to be the beast queen?

Topaz nonchalantly finds her own spot in the meeting. She sat in a shade below a tree as she nibbles on the cream bread Mimi was baiting her earlier slowly.

Alstroe has been talking to Gria the whole time while laughing and chatting loudly. I think they are talking about how Gria flew so far when Alstroe kicked her back then. Of course, Higan doesn't care about Gria and ignores anything about him.

Instead, Higan’s countenance, even though deadpan, exudes seriousness.

“Asagao, I’ve been ignoring this for a while now since it looks natural for you but, I wanted to know about…that girl…the girl who looks like your previous maid…Topaz. Why is…a devil like her here?”

She didn’t say it in a low voice instead she flaunted those words for everyone to hear and to gather attention. Even if she didn’t say it like that, Susanoo, Gria, Shouta, and even Cattleya are aware of her existence and are visibly wary of her.

In an instant, the atmosphere changes for the worst as attention gathers towards Topaz.

The constrained air is now blowing towards Topaz and sure enough, she felt it and she stop everything she is doing.

Gria walks towards Topaz while exuding his magic power as if to intimidate her.

“Why is such a disgusting devil disguising as human?”

“Ah…ah…?!”

“How do you feel when you tore down homes and killed countless of people?”

Guh…!

Gria’s fear strike also struck me and now, I cannot move from my place. It seems he took initiative of what everyone wants to do, to know Topaz motives and what is she and why is she here…

I can understand their suspicion but, Topaz can’t take too much of such hostility…!

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“For…for a devil…killing and taking lives is normal. It’s an absolute order gave to us by our God, Lord Erestri. Before I became like this, I’ve killed countless of people…”

“Oh…?”

“However…I was a mindless entity that time…I…it’s not…my fault…it’s not what I wanted…”

BAM!

Gria’s hand flew towards Topaz neck in a heartbeat and pinned her to the tree. Everyone was surprised but did nothing. I want to jump in but…my body won’t move…

It’s like, my primordial instinct as a living person fears what’s in front of me. This is Gria’s fear strike…striking fear into the heart of his enemies. My body is paralyzed but my mind is fine…

Topaz instinctively held on to Gria’s wrist as she got held up against a tree. The bread she was eating fell to the ground but that doesn’t matter anymore. Topaz, knowing that there’s a threat to her life struggles to break free from Gria’s grip.

“Not your fault? You can’t play the victim here you know. You and your kind caused grief and fear all over our lands. Even my child, even to Cattleya, the demon lord, suffers from the destruction you all caused. I see no excuse that can save you.”

“No…I don’t want to die…! I…feel so sorry about it…ever since…gaining emotions and feelings…I began to understand what pain and fear are…I began to understand what people think whenever I kill them…! I feel horrible about it but, I can’t do anything about what I did back then!”

“A devil like you…”

“And so…I don’t want to die…because I want to be happy…”

Topaz…

I know, she wasn’t born good like what Senya said but right now, even now, Topaz is doing her best to overcome her evil nature and wishes to become normal and happy.

Suddenly…

BAM!

Gria’s face was planted on the ground in front of Topaz. Everyone was dumbfounded at the scene, even Topaz who tries to catch her breath. There, Alstroe stands beside Topaz with her fist brought downward where Gria’s face is planted.

No one noticed her move and even Gria didn’t notice her approaching with such punch. Everyone was holding their breath as Alstroe shows something incomprehensible with her strength, a strength that far exceeds anyone here.

The phantasmal bind that held me down in fear dissipates and my body was able to move again.

“What are you doing?! Can’t you see she’s crying?! Why are you bullying her?!”

“Alstroemeria…that child is…a devil.”

“Eh? She is?”

With a blank and dumb face, Alstroe looks at Topaz, unquestioning anything but only looking at her with a surprised face. Alstroe is someone who doesn’t think of anything bad and strives for everyone and everything’s welfare.

That’s what I truly love about her.

“She is? Wow! Amazing! I never knew a devil could look like this!!”

“That’s right. She is a devil…”

“Hey, Asagao, this kid here, what is she to you? I’ve seen you talk to her several times, also, she likes eating and eating!~”

From Alstroe question, everyone directed their sight to me. I have no need to hold back and I don’t need to deny anything. Topaz is Topaz and she wants something to change even if it is hard.

I walk towards the trembling Topaz as watchful gazes are still being directed to her. I stand in front of her and face everyone.

“Topaz…is someone important to me. Some of you may know that she looks exactly like Milin, however, that’s not the reason I want to protect her. She is…somehow, someone, I want to see change for the better. That’s why, please, don’t hurt her.”

In my words, Higan started walking towards me. She sprouted a smile in her deadpan face and stands beside me.

“Alstroe and I will stand beside you Asagao. Whatever you do, we are your allies.”

“That’s right Asagao! We know you are a good person! We are friends and families so I will protect who you consider friends and families too.”

“After all, we are the one who understand you the most, the pain you endured, your suffering and everything. We believe in you and I am certain that you believe in us, right?”

Higan’s last words weren’t just her pure feelings. It was a slight provocation towards Ichirou which she momentarily looked at with a scoff.

Gria stands up and scratches the back of his head and speaks…

“Me against the three of you…Alstroemeria on top of it alone can beat the crap out of me. Pursuing it is pointless too, however, it means that she has a certain importance in this meeting, right? Since you let her come when you know that there’s a lot of aggressors here.”

It is as what Gria said. I let Topaz come here knowing that there are a lot of people who hates the devil. Even the timid and shy Cattleya could only look at Topaz with a dim face. Shouta and Susanoo kept themselves neutral and stayed out of the problem.

Casablanca and Hibiscus broke into a smile as they approach Topaz with a smile. Topaz could only smile back at the two and later on, can only cling again to my clothes as I walk towards the center again.

“Asagao…”

“What is it, Topaz?”

“Thank you…for believing in me.”

“I’m sorry…I want to protect you but, right now, I also want you to be honest with us.”

“Asagao…okay!”

Senya comes closer to me as I got to the center. She then caresses Topaz’s and my head. She looks at Higan and Alstroe and sent them a smile. Higan reacted exaggeratedly as she acts as if a strong lovely shiver struck her body and Alstroe just smiled back.

“Asagao, by the way…the girl with silver hair… what is she? Her ki…is so abnormal…”

“Alstroe? She is just a clueless dumb maiden but…she is certainly strong with ki…she herself doesn’t understand too…”

“Such powerful Ki. If I compare mine to hers, it’s a droplet of water in a pond. I’d love to have a talk with her but right now, I want you to begin…”

“I know…”

I clasp on Topaz hand and faces her. Topaz is the only one who can give us clues after all. She is the only one who can give us everything we need and may know.

“Topaz…who is this Lord Erestri you are talking about?”

As I drop the bomb, everyone’s attention was brought back to us as I ask something, a question that quickly catches the interests of everyone. Topaz didn’t mind it and only look at me while she squeezes my hand. It seems she I ready to answer now.

Previously, Topaz didn’t want to say anything to anyone, but now, it may sound like I am using her but, as I got closer and got her trust, she started opening up to me.

“Lord Eresti created Erestivatria, the red moon. He created it to destroy this world but his attempt was stopped by Nivalis, the goddess of blessing ten thousand years ago.”

“M-Mother did…?! How?!”

“Nivalis created a double and tricked him. After that, Erestivatria was sealed. Erestivatria is where we devils are born and respawn…”

A…double…?!

Eh…? What…but…this body…is…

“Topaz…that’s…!”

“Also, Lord Eresti is the one who created Arcana magic, it is similar to Nivalis blessing but its root is deeply tied to a person’s personality and disposition.”

“What…What about Nil…?!”

“Lord Eresti hates Lord Nil for controlling the devil using arcana magic…sorry…I don’t know any more about Lord Nil though…”

A conflict…between Nil and this Eresti which is the god of devils…

As I thought, there’s a third party…

Nil is trying to prevent something we don’t know. Eresti considers Nil as his enemy but…there are still something I don’t understand…

Think…

What more did Nil tell me…

Ah…back in the cavern where we last met…he parted with a clue…

“Topaz…do you know what flooding is?!”

“Flooding? Un…”

“What is it?!”

“It’s…the time where Lord Eresti will completely unseal Erestivatria and…floods the whole world with countless of devils…killing everything.”

My face pales as I heard that. Everyone sprouted a dim and shocked face as they heard of the grand scheme that is Eresti’s doing. Could this mean that what Apollo said about revision is due to the fact the Nil failed to stop the flooding?!

Everytime the flooding happens, the revision will occur…that’s the only hypothesis I can think of right now…

However, we still have time to think for countermeasures…

“We have more or less three months for preparation.”

“Hmm…? No…”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The flooding will happen…in two weeks from now on…”

……Ah?

BAM

A tree falls down as Ichirou’s fist collides with it…

“DAMN IT!  Apollo! This is not what you said?!

Senya and everyone realize that we only have two weeks…to save this world…