An old man with white hair clung to what looked like a TV.

On the screen, a risqué video featuring a woman played.

"Mm, mm! Irresistible!" he exclaimed.

Completely oblivious to my presence, he wore a lecherous grin.

This is my master, Granseiz the Fist God... or so he's supposed to be...

"...Maybe we should just leave," Draigu said.

Whoa, hold on!

Draigu's already talking about bailing!

No way, no way, that's too soon! We haven't accomplished anything yet! All we've done is open the shack's door and see this old perv's face!

We didn't come here just for that!

Alright, let's try talking to him...

"Master."

"Hmm, this girl's not bad either!"

"Master!"

"Oho, look at that!"

"MASTER!!!"

"Shut up! Don't ruin an old man's fun!"

THWACK!!

Gah!!

A pot my master threw hit me square in the forehead...

"If it isn't my disciple, back at last," he said.

"Haha... long time no see, Master. You seem... lively as ever," I replied, pressing ice to my swollen forehead with a wry smile.

What a brutal reunion...

"I told you we should've left," Draigu muttered.

Yeah, I'm starting to regret this a bit.

Ugh, my forehead's killing me... I wish Aasia were here to heal it.

"Sorry, lad! I was at the best part! That girl, she was something!" my master said, laughing heartily.

What kind of something!?

You don't feel the least bit bad, do you? Look at that smug grin!

Also, why a tank top? Why shorts?

You look like some random old geezer!

Where's that white robe you used to wear, the one that made you look like a sage?

"Things have... changed, huh?" I ventured.

"What, these clothes? Had 'em forever. This is just how I am when I'm not training anyone," he said.

"What!? But when I was here—"

Back then, you always wore that sage-like robe, looking all mystical!

Scratching his head, my master chuckled. "Gotta look the part when I've got a disciple. Feels more... official, right?"

That's your reason!?

Sure, training under a guy in a tank top and shorts wouldn't exactly scream "epic journey," but still!

I didn't need to know this...!

So, the master I lived with for two years was just putting on a front...!

"His heart's the same, though, right?" Draigu said.

True. The pervy part hasn't changed one bit.

Nothing's changed about you, Master...

"You meant that to sound profound, but he's just a dirty old man," Draigu added.

Yeah... you're right.

"You're the same as ever, Draigu," my master said.

"Hmph. Right back at you," Draigu retorted.

"And I'll toss that right back!"

"No, I'll smack it back with a bat!"

"I'll punch it right back!"

"I'll blast it with my breath!"

"Oh, I'll—"

"Both of you, stop it! This is going nowhere!" I interrupted.

Are these two friends or enemies? What a way to kick off a reunion.

Still, they're both good people at heart.

"By the way, Master, this shack's changed a lot," I said, looking around.

The exterior was the same, but the interior? Completely different.

Before, it was just tatami mats, a rice-cooking pot, and sliding doors—a sparse, lonely space, perfect for a hermit.

But now?

The tatami's gone, replaced by hardwood floors. There's a bed, a sofa, even a full kitchen with a rice cooker and fridge!

And that TV he was glued to? Never saw that before.

Back then, he had a stone basin filled with water that projected images—very sage-like. Now it's a flat-screen TV.

The place even feels... bigger somehow.

What happened!?

What's gone down since I left!?

Why's he living like a tech bro!?

And what's with that chimney!?

"Oh, this? Just a little remodeling," he said.

"Remodeling?"

"Remember when you told me about your old world?"

"Yeah, I guess."

I'd mentioned my old life, the conveniences, during training breaks.

"So, that's why...?" I asked.

He nodded. "Hearing about it made cooking rice over a fire seem like such a hassle."

A hassle!?

Man, I get how Losward feels now! This guy's a fool!

"And watching on that stone basin? The picture's way better on this, and the girls' movements are crystal clear!" he added.

Noooo!!

This guy's hopeless! He's no martial arts god—just a dirty old man!

Every word's a setup for a comeback! Someone else take over!

Draigu, help!

"Pass," Draigu said.

Cold, man!

"What's that bag you're holding?" my master asked.

"Oh, some adult magazines as a souvenir."

"Since you're here, stick around. Cocoa okay?" he offered.

"Sure."

Cocoa in the Divine Realm? First I've heard of it.

"No idea," Draigu said.

My master stood at a sleek kitchen counter, boiling water. Is that an induction stove!?

This is all wrong...

Minutes later, he handed me a cup of cocoa.

"Here."

"Thanks."

I took a cautious sip.

Huh, it's actually cocoa. Does the Divine Realm grow cacao or something?

My master sat across from me, sipping tea.

"First off, good job ending the human-demon war, Issei. Well done," he said.

"You saw that?" I asked.

"Yup."

Right, he used to watch the mortal world through that stone basin. Maybe the TV does that now?

"Couldn't have done it alone," I said.

"The White Lightning Princess, the Sword Saint, the Crimson-Eyed Sniper—took all of you, didn't it?" he said.

"Yeah."

We shared a smile.

If he's been watching, he probably knows what's happening now.

"Master, you know about the situation down there, right?"

"Losward, huh? So that's why you came to see me..."

"Exactly. I figured you might know something about him."

His face grew serious, and he let out a low hum. Looks like he knows something...

I've got a lot of questions, but first, I need to know about Losward.

"He said he was created and looked at the gods with hatred in his eyes," I said.

"I see... So he..." my master murmured.

"Tell me, Master. Who created him?"

He took a sip of tea, then began with a bombshell.

"In short, he was born from the forbidden acts of some gods in the Divine Realm."

"What!?"

Created by gods here!? How!?

"You know there are good gods and bad ones. Some rogue gods banded together, wanting to claim this world for themselves. Losward was their creation. But they couldn't control him, and he killed them."

He's already killed gods...?

With his strength, I guess that's possible.

What a monster those gods made! Useless deities!

And they got themselves killed because they couldn't control him. What a mess.

My master sighed. "They caused a lot of trouble. When the rest of us, including me, found out, we fought to stop him."

"And the result?" I asked.

"Look at the state of things. We lost. Many gods were wiped out. We managed to wound him, but he escaped to the mortal world."

"You didn't chase him?"

"We considered it, but gods are forbidden from descending to the mortal world. And if we fought him there, it'd destroy everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Gods are like pillars holding up this world. If too many are lost fighting him, the world collapses—mortal realm and all. Even using our power down there could destroy it."

I see...

That's why they didn't pursue Losward. Their power would've wrecked the world anyway.

So, it's up to us to take him down.

"Is there a way to beat him?" I asked.

"You already know, don't you? Ignis, the sword forged by a forgotten god. That's the key."

Ignis, huh.

The sword from the legends of the God of Destruction.

Long ago, humans and demons used Ignis to seal Losward.

"How'd they manage that? I mean, sealing him with that sword?" I asked.

"He was already weakened from fighting us. And the previous wielder was far better with it than you," he said.

Seriously...?

Just how strong was that guy?

"By the way, that wielder was a demon. The Demon King's line started with his family," he added.

"What!?"

"Technically, it began with his son. Since then, the Demon King's clan guarded Ignis, though no one could wield it properly."

No wonder. If any Demon King could master Ignis, humanity would've been wiped out.

So that's why Sirius had it...

He probably didn't want to entrust it to Miu. Too dangerous. It burned my arm, after all.

If I were Sirius, I wouldn't hand it over either. Way too risky.

"How do I master Ignis?" I asked.

"Get stronger."

Wow, profound advice. Not sure that'll cut it in time...

Chuckling, he stroked his white beard. "If I had to say, talk to the sword."

"Talk to it?"

"Have a heart-to-heart with Ignis. Connect with it. You might get a clue."

Talk to Ignis, huh? Never thought of that.

Maybe like communing with a divine artifact?

"Alright, let's try it—"

I started to summon Ignis, but he smacked my head.

"You trying to burn my house down!?"

Oh, right... bad idea.

Where should I do it, then?

"By the way, do you know where Losward was sealed?" I asked.

"The Forbidden Sea, surrounded by the three islands of Dark Territory. Why?"

"Maybe traces of the seal remain. If we analyze them, we might find a way to counter him."

"Smart. Might not defeat him, but it could help."

Dark Territory, huh. That place is crawling with evil dragons. What a pain.

I'll report this to Sensei. Can we even communicate from here?

"If you want to contact the mortal world, I've got something," my master said.

"What?"

"This."

He pulled a smartphone from his shorts' pocket.

Why!?

Why's there a smartphone here!?

This is all wrong!

Am I the source of this, too!?

"Use it to summon a magic circle," he said.

"Uh, okay."

I held the phone to my ear and activated the circle.

—This is Azazel. Issei? What's up?

It worked! The connection's noisy, but I reached Sensei!

This is a real smartphone!

My master's smirking like he's proud. So annoying.

"Sensei, can you hear me?"

Yeah, it's noisy, but I hear you. Did you meet your master?

"Yup. Got info on Losward, so I figured I'd pass it along."

Seriously? Nice work! Spill it.

"Alright, here's the deal—"

I relayed everything my master told me. Sensei said they'd act on it immediately.

I also mentioned I'd stay in the Divine Realm a bit longer to commune with Ignis.

And so, I ended up living with my master again for a while.

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