Souta's shout wasn't loud, no louder than an ordinary human's voice.

But with divine spark behind it, the sound pierced straight through the steel walls of the airborne warship, echoing in every corner of its interior.

Since Murasame Reine was inside, there was no way she wouldn't hear it.

And just as Souta expected, she did.

Inside the ship, where she was studying data on Izayoi Miku, Murasame Reine froze the moment the voice reached her ears. Her expression first turned to shock, then quickly to anxiety.

Someone had called out her real name, Takamiya Mio!

Her identity was exposed.

Reine immediately went to the command room.

Inside the wide chamber, Kannazuki Kyouhei and other members of Ratatoskr were already watching the massive screen ahead, tense and ready.

On the display, Souta's figure appeared clearly.

When Reine saw his face, her pupils contracted slightly.

She recognized him.

It was the very same man who had escaped from her five years ago.

"Reine, what's going on here?"

Kannazuki Kyouhei turned toward her, his tired eyes made darker by the deep circles under them.

"Do you know this person? Should we attack him?"

"Have you contacted Kotori?" Reine asked.

"We already sent word to the commander, but there's been no reply. She's not answering calls either."

Concern flickered in Kyouhei's eyes.

"That's unusual. The commander should be at home right now. There's no reason we shouldn't be able to reach her."

"…" A bad premonition tightened in Reine's chest.

Her gaze locked on the figure on the screen as she weighed her options.

Why had he appeared so brazenly?

Was it revenge for that day five years ago?

Should she seize the chance to slip outside and suppress him now?

As Reine wrestled with her thoughts, Souta's voice spread again, reverberating through the ship.

"Your commander, Itsuka Kotori, is in my hands. I advise you not to act rashly, or she dies!"

"And you, Murasame Reine, drop the act. I know you're Takamiya Mio!"

"Itsuka Shiori is also in my hands, as well as the other Spirits. Your plan is exposed, I've told them everything! Come out, I want to duel you!"

Instantly, Reine's eyes went icy cold.

She glared at Souta's arrogant figure on the screen, her fury ignited.

A storm of reiryoku erupted within the command center.

The instruments that measured energy readings screamed with alarm.

The air itself chilled sharply under her gaze.

Everyone sensed that something was wrong.

Kyouhei instinctively stepped back, lowering his voice.

"Reine… you… you're a Spirit?"

"Sorry for hiding it from you all for so long."

Reine inhaled softly, a decision hardening inside her.

Souta's arrival was too sudden, giving her no time to prepare.

If her plans were already exposed to Kotori… then the only way forward was force.

Erase their memories, and she could start again.

Her life was nearly eternal. She had all the time in the world to wait.

"Return."

Her voice was gentle, yet carried resolve.

In an instant, a blurred, mosaic-like figure appeared in the command room, teleporting from nowhere.

"An… an avatar!?" Kyouhei exclaimed.

Before his stunned eyes, the mosaic dissolved, revealing the body of a young girl.

Her features were strikingly similar to Reine's.

One looked pure, the other mature.

The girl reached out her hand. Reine took it.

Fusion began at once.

Before anyone could even react, Reine's figure vanished.

In her place stood a young girl of extraordinary beauty, clothed in a pure white divine gown.

Takamiya Mio had revealed herself completely, without concealment.

Her spirit dress manifested in full. She paid no mind to the stunned reactions of the crew, instantly teleporting outside into the sky to face Souta directly.

Delicate ribbons of light drifted around her body, part of her spirit armor.

Behind her floated a radiant halo, set with ten shining stars.

Only the ragged, tattered teddy bear tied around her waist disrupted the majestic goddess-like image she projected.

"Are you here for revenge… or to stop my plan?"

Mio's voice was serious as her gaze locked on Souta.

Their last battle had already proven it that without using her full power, she couldn't capture him.

She was stronger than he was, but his slippery, eel-like evasiveness made him impossible to pin down and flip him over.

She had to be ready, every moment, for him to sabotage her designs.

It had to be said… this was truly disgusting.

In that case, there was no choice but to fight with the resolve to kill.

Faced with Takamiya Mio's gaze, Souta said nothing.

Without a word, he tossed a spirit bomb.

Carried by divine power, the bomb detonated instantly, the energy blast splattering all across Mio's delicate face.

Winds howled, shockwaves burst outward, and the nearby cloud layers were blown apart.

From the ground, it looked as if a gaping wound had opened in the overcast sky.

For a moment, Mio was stunned.

Protected by her spirit dress, she hadn't taken the slightest injury.

But Souta's actions… left her mind reeling.

It was as if he had come here purely to defile her.

"I see," Mio's eyes chilled, "you're here just to cause trouble."

At once, her Territory unfolded around her.

The Second Angel: Ain Soph, Paradise of Samsara, manifested.

Immediately after, the First Angel: Ain Soph Aur, Sanctuary of All Things In Creation, appeared as well.

High above, lotus-like blossoms and deathly particles of light spread across the sky.

Seeing this, Souta immediately retreated, flying backward.

Even as he flew, he kept teleporting antimatter bombs right in front of Mio's face, mere millimeters away.

And then——boom!

The clash of matter and antimatter unleashed annihilation, tearing apart everything in reach.

The skies split open under the colossal energy surges, vast holes punched through the sea of clouds.

Souta had intended to teleport the bombs inside her body, but her overwhelming reiryoku blocked such cheating methods.

Even so, the repeated close-range blasts left Mio a bit disheveled, her elegant figure now dust-covered and grimy.

Each antimatter bomb carried enough force to devastate half a city.

With so many detonations, even she couldn't ignore them.

Their figures streaked across the heavens, the heat from the violent clashes dyeing the skies blood-red.

The cloud layers split apart like a mountain-sized sword had carved through them.

Rolling thunderous booms shattered every window in Tengu City.

Panic-stricken citizens screamed, fleeing desperately into shelters.

—Meanwhile, in a suburban park—

Kotori and the others gazed up at the distorted sky, stunned.

Tohka's voice rang with amazement:

"Did… did that guy cause all this? Incredible!"

"Kotori, look! The entire sky over Tengu City… it's been split apart!"

Shiori's heart pounded at the sight of the riven cloudscape.

"They're coming this way."

Kurumi stepped forward, her expression sharper than ever.

Her turn was almost here.

She suspected she was stronger than Mio, but until they actually fought, nothing was certain.

She had to be on full alert.

"Don't worry," White Night Demon gave Kurumi a careful look, then nodded with confidence. "You should be stronger than her. I've smacked her over the head once before, so I remember her strength."

"Souta's grown stronger," Kiss-Shot remarked, eyes fixed on the distant sky.

"Based on the stats he's mentioned before, yeah, he's stronger now. But…" Altair's expression turned odd. "Isn't his fighting style a bit too simple? He just… blows things up?"

"It's probably just a way to annoy the enemy," Rin Tohsaka added. "I recall he can manipulate time, and he hasn't even used that yet."

"I see…" Altair glanced at Black Cat. "So, Black Cat... how does Souta compare to you? How much of your strength does he have?"

"…" Black Cat felt an overwhelming urge to strangle Altair.

She had been perfectly fine staying invisible in the background, why drag her into this!?

And besides... what the hell was with that endless barrage of explosions!?

All she saw was the crimson sky, all she heard was the deafening roars.

What on earth was happening? She had no clue.

Wait… was she the only one who couldn't see the battle in the sky? Could everyone else actually see it?

Were gods really this strong!?

Her legs wobbled slightly, but no, she had to endure.

Forcing herself, she let out a "k̵̙̺̺̦̣̜͓̑̋͗̅̚ů̵̢̢̞̟̳̫̹̪̦͓̿͝k̷̻̩̉̍̒͛̏̊̈́͑͐͝͠u̵͎̖̳͚̞̙͛͒̾͊͛̕͝k̷̮̹͑̾́̈́̃̾u̶̠̫͖͍̯͌̓̄͗̍͗́̐̔̈́̈̓̚" chuuni laugh, then declared:

"This level of attack… amounts to maybe five of my—"

"Hold on." Kurumi interjected. "Souta is just toying with her right now, only trying to irritate Mio. He told me before that at full power, he could destroy three Tokyos in one strike. Last time he visited me, he even mentioned he was close to ascending. By now, I'd say his divine rank has fully awakened. He should be much stronger."

"Oh?" Altair raised her brows. "In that case, he could probably wipe out an entire country with ease. For instance, the one we're standing in, Japan."

"…" Black Cat pretended she heard nothing.

She was an ostrich. Yes, an ostrich… Words like destroy three Tokyos or wipe out Japan? Nope. Not a single one reached her ears!

Steady… steady, her trembling legs!

But Altair wasn't done. She turned back to her.

"Black Cat, earlier you were about to say five, right? Isn't that too modest? Souta is just playing around now, while you are a Demon Lord above him."

"No. What I meant was… one five-thousandth."

Black Cat's eyes were calm, her voice cool:

"The god's current display of strength is only one five-thousandth of my power as a Fallen Angel. If this is all he has, then in the rankings, he'll forever remain beneath me."

"…I see. Only one five-thousandth."

Just then, Souta landed nearby right in time to hear Black Cat boasting about how she could crush him several times over.

His eye twitched. He had been considering giving her an out…

But if she insisted on digging her own grave, should he still help her?

Souta thought for a moment, then flashed her a provocative smile.

"Fallen Angel Cat Demon Lord, you sure talk big. Since you're so confident, once this is over, I'll pay you a personal visit. We'll have ourselves a proper fight."

"…" Black Cat's shoulders shrank.

But she quickly forced herself back into composure.

"God, battles are nothing more than diversions in my life." She smiled faintly, calm and aloof. "I'm not like you, obsessed with winning and losing. So, if we fight, it will be only when I have time. Right now, I'm very busy, humans are waiting for me to lure them into corruption."

"That's fine. You're busy but I'm very free." Souta shrugged. "I can wait until you're done."

"…Then it's settled." Black Cat exhaled in relief.

"Just don't make me wait too long," Souta added. |

"Otherwise, I'll come and disturb you myself."

Black Cat's heart shook, she nearly dropped to her knees and shouted, I'm sorry! I was wrong! Please forgive me!

But she pinched her thigh hard and held it in.

At that moment, Kurumi spoke up:

"Mio is here."

Instantly, everyone's eyes turned skyward.

They saw Takamiya Mio, following the trail Souta had left, descending into the skies above the park.

From high above, she looked down at them all.

Her gaze paused briefly when she spotted Kurumi, before returning to calm.

"So, you all know. Then… are you here to settle this with me?"

"No. The one who will fight you is me alone."

Kurumi stepped forward, her sharp gaze fixed on Mio.

"Mio, it's time we settled our debt."