''It is an honor to have finally met you, Lady Silaerob.''

''...''

Amidst the dreadful atmosphere, Valstein bows lightly toward Aurora, acting as though he is a proper gentleman. Above, the sun has been blocked by a grotesque creature whose size rivals that of a large castle. Aurora can still see that even behind Valstein, its half-metallic, half-organic tentacles roam freely in the air, threatening to destroy the city at any moment.

Nevertheless, it still hasn't done anything. Even the deceased hero has stopped moving. This means that Valstein probably wants to convey something first before clashing with her.

So, Aurora calms her nerves as she straightens herself up, confidently facing Valstein's overwhelming aura.

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Name: Valstein

Race: ??? Title: ???

Level: ??

HP: ??/?? MP: ??/??

STR: ??? INT: ???

AGI: ??? STA: ???

Skill: ???

State: ???

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'As expected.'

Befitting one of the last bosses, Valstein naturally possesses [Deception], so gauging his exact strength is virtually impossible. Even in the game, his status screen is never revealed, so the player base has to guess his skills based on numerous boss battles. Among the myriads of overpowered skills, there is one that takes the attention of most.

[Dark Magic].

If light element holders are exceeding rare, then dark element holders are practically extinct. Aside from demons, very few have been recorded as having this skill. Moreover, Valstein has many trump cards, those being his 'creations,' so to speak.

At this point, the two masked figures have been silently staring at each other for a while. Claudia and Alice below silently take a breather as they turn their gaze to the sky, their bodies unconsciously shrinking in the presence of multiple calamities.

''...I didn't expect you to turn up this early.''

Not knowing what to say, Aurora speaks whatever she has on her mind. At this, Valstein rubs his chin.

''Oh? Do you mean you have expected me?'' He questions before letting out a wild laugh. ''What an honor! That's right! I wasn't wrong! You do know about us, after all!''

Valstein nods frantically as he adjusts his hat.

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''What are you doing here, exactly?'' Aurora sighs under her mask.

''Well? If you know us, things will be much, much simpler.'' Valstein extends his hand. ''Join us, Conqueror of Zircon. We have long been observing and evaluating your existence, and your potential is truly boundless. A mind of a monarch, a fluid presence as though seeing the future, and an army enviable by all—you can become one of us, Silaerob!''

In an instant, the spectators widen their eyes in absolute astonishment. Realizing the sure horror that will occur if Silaerob is to join Ravenous Moon, they can't help but shiver in fear. Beyond that fear, the shock of witnessing an unprecedented invitation directly from an Advent looms.

''If you pass certain tests, we shall give you a seat in the Advent Council.'' Valstein continues. ''You will gain access to our enormous resources all across the globe. How about it?''

Sitting in the Advent seat means guaranteed power—power that rivals a country's best of the best. Some will undoubtedly fall into temptation, and there is a chance Silaerob will, too, according to the spectators' worry.

''...What if I refuse?'' Aurora replies.

''It's simple.'' Valstein shrugs. ''War.''

''...''

''You know, losing reach inside the academy is quite painful. Moreover... you have been killing off quite a lot of his spawns, which is not what we condone.''

''...I see.''

''So? What would you choose, dear Silaerob?''

''...''

The wind blows. In the sky, the grotesque creature stares intently at Aurora, threatening to annihilate her existence in a moment of notice. Below, the deceased hero calls upon his enormous mana, and right in front of her, Valstein floats intimidatingly.

Thinking about just how ridiculous the situation has been so far, Aurora lets out a chuckle.

''You know.'' She says. ''There's actually something I've not told you.''

''Hm?''

As Valstein tilts his head, Aurora tightens her hand holding the Blackstar.

''Don't you think your cult is a little too edgy, Lucius Calistaire?''

BOOM—!!

Before Valstein can comprehend how she knows his real name, something wrapped in a golden aura swoops in from the side, ramming itself into him while carrying the momentum of a supersonic artillery shell.

As he gets pushed away, he instinctively raises his hands to guard against the attack.

''I didn't think you would dare to come out like this, cultist.''

Pressing him further and further with his fist is a seemingly young man radiating an intensely burning aura akin to that of the sun. Graham's brilliant blonde hair and golden eyes shine under the shade, signaling a marvelous comeback of the empire.

''Hah! A grandmaster, hm?''

Grinning under the mask, Valstein snaps his finger, releasing the leash of the two monsters on the ground and in the sky.

''Let us enjoy the destruction!'' He yells excitedly. ''—Huh?''

At that exact moment when the monster's tentacles are about to strike the ground, virtually every sound in the world abruptly disappears. In the suffocating silence, Valstein, who is being pressed down by Graham, has his eyes widened as he gazes at the sky.

''Hahah...''

A mosaic black portal of unimaginable size has covered the whole sky, painting the city pitch-black. Not even a second later, the giant rift vanishes as though nothing was there in the first place, leaving behind... nothing. At some point, the grey clouds have parted, letting sunlight envelop the city again.

'I didn't think she possesses power this great...!'

Valstein thinks as he stares at the figure with the galaxy mask. Even he has heard reports of her utilizing some sort of space magic to combat, yet he certainly didn't expect it to be this potent.

Aurora, while stalling for Graham, an NPC helper in the original Valstein scenario, to arrive, has calculated the coordinates for when she will activate the portal.

Over time, Aurora finds out that the initial rule of her only being able to teleport something directly into the Backrooms once a day isn't exactly what she had imagined. She doesn't need to touch the thing directly; instead, only the substance of the portal needs to touch it.

Judging that the giant monster is out of the question, Aurora eventually decides to use her only teleporting chance—her trump card.

''Hah...''

The operation is a resounding success, evident in the monster's confinement in a corner of the Backrooms. As for the sacrificing formation...

''Aurora, absolutely remember this.''

''Hm?''

''If somehow, the Valstein scenario pops out of nowhere, just know that I can handle the sacrificing formation. You can forget the city teleporting stuff and use your trump card.''

''...Wouldn't that be risky?''

''What? Are you doubting me right now? I'm a veteran at this game!''

'...I believe in you, Chloe.'

This time, Aurora snaps her finger, and another gate descends behind her. From within the realm of the infinite, multiple pointy-headed creatures swim out, led by a glamorous crystal orca.

—————————!!

Accompanied by the dominating wail, snow begins to fall in the capital of Astra Empire.