"Settle accounts, huh…"

Takamiya Mio met Kurumi's cold gaze, her heart stirred.

Tokisaki Kurumi had once been her close friend, and the memories of the time they spent together still felt fresh.

If possible, she didn't want to fight her again.

But when weighed against her friend, her lover still came first.

"Forgive me. I can't allow myself to be killed here. Even if I must become a demon and devour my own friends, I will achieve my wish."

Kurumi gave a faint, mocking smile.

"Then you're bound to be disappointed. Today, everything you planned will end here. It's time to end the 30-year feud."

"Kurumi… it really has been a long time since anyone called you that."

Mio's expression didn't change as she glanced toward Souta.

"If the man behind you is what you're relying on, I'm afraid the one who will end up disappointed is you."

"Reine…!"

Suddenly, Kotori's voice broke in.

"Is that really you? Have you been lying to us all along?"

Though her appearance and attire had changed, Kotori could still see traces of Murasame Reine in Mio's face.

Mio looked at her calmly.

"Haven't you already realized it, Kotori?"

"Why?!"

Even in commander mode, Kotori's face betrayed her shaken resolve.

"Was everything we shared just a lie to you?!"

Mio shook her head gently, her eyes firm after crossing the threshold of guilt.

"You are my one and only true friend. I cherish the others as well. But I've already said it to reclaim Shinji, even if my friends stand in the way, I will devour them."

Her tone cooled, abandoning further meaningless talk.

"Since you've all gathered here, that saves me the trouble of capturing you one by one."

"Henet!"

In an instant, her first Angel unfurled, revealing its deadly prowess.

A flower-like blossom shimmered in the air, releasing countless motes of pollen.

The grains of light weren't swayed by the wind, nor could they be blocked. They passed through any defenses, even territory.

Anyone who touched them, died instantly.

It was truly the "Angel of Death."

Souta's expression hardened at the sight.

So, Mio intended to kill the Spirits who had once been absorbed by Shiori to prevent the phenomenon of "Reiryoku Backflow."

As for those who hadn't been absorbed yet Kurumi, Origami, Miku, and the like, she would likely erase their memories, resetting the "dates" from the beginning.

"Spreading death directly… that's not very environmentally friendly."

Souta spread his arms wide, divine power surging. A faintly golden shield of protection expanded, enclosing all the Spirits.

Normally, his divinity could only absorb damage applied directly to him; projected outward, it had no real defensive power.

But that could be remedied with a wish.

He willed that the shield resist death itself.

And so, the rain of deadly pollen fell harmlessly against the barrier, completely nullified.

It was a clash of absolutes, instant death versus absolute survival.

Concept against concept.

Which would fail first? That depended on whose power ran dry.

"Kurumi, fight without worry. Leave the rest to me."

Souta's voice rang out behind her.

Kurumi's lips curled faintly. Without turning back, she rose into the air, facing Mio head-on.

Meanwhile, Souta strolled to Shiori and the others, conjuring a long table laden with cola, popcorn, chips, fries, pastries, cakes an assortment of snacks and sweets.

Waving casually, he called out grandly:

"Come on, help yourselves eat as much as you like."

Kotori: "?"

Tohka's eyes gleamed as she was about to leap forward, only for Kotori to hold her back.

The twin-tailed commander glared at Souta, wary.

"What are you playing at?"

"I'm restoring my power," Souta answered solemnly. "It's my ability that whenever I create matter, I replenish energy. See that shield? Maintaining it drains me constantly. If I don't keep generating, it won't hold. Look outside, those flowers are Mio's first Angel, the 'Sanctuary of All Things In Creation.' One touch and you're dead. So… eat while you watch. I'm literally letting you save yourselves."

Origami didn't hesitate, she grabbed a plate and started sampling.

Tohka broke free from Kotori, snatching a cake and stuffing it into her mouth, nodding rapidly with every bite.

Kotori's eye twitched. What a bizarre scene! Could eating snacks really restore divine power?

Kuroneko aka Black Cat seemed equally doubtful and voiced the question.

Kiss-Shot answered in Souta's stead:

"It's a matter-creation ability, inherited from me. It seems he's elevated it to divinity. How exactly he uses it to recover, I can't say... perhaps just as he claims."

"He can create anything?" Kuroneko pressed.

"Indeed," Souta pointed toward the crimson sky.

"See that? Those are antimatter bombs I whipped up. The blasts you saw were from them."

"Antimatter… that's unbelievably dangerous." Altair tilted her head, intrigued. "Could you stockpile it in bulk?"

"Yes," Souta replied. "But I use divine power as the container, so the cap depends on my limit. And I always reserve some to teleport the payload... otherwise, I'd blow myself up. So no, I can't hoard too much. Unless I upload it to the chat."

"But in battle, even if you store it, you can't summon too much at once, or you'd still be caught in it," Altair deduced.

"Exactly. Still, the amount I can deploy in a single strike is more than enough to level all of Japan."

His matter-of-fact tone sent a shiver down Kuroneko's spine.

She had actually tried to compare herself to him earlier…

What was she going to do?

He'd already issued her a challenge. And even said that if she didn't respond soon, he'd come to her doorstep himself.

The end of the world, that was how it felt.

A duel with someone who could obliterate Japan in one shot? She couldn't handle this!

Kuroneko was on the verge of tears when Altair twisted the knife further:

"So powerful? Then my estimate was wrong. At this point, you and Kuroneko-san might be evenly matched fifty-fifty, perhaps. Mm, I'm really looking forward to your duel."

She turned, eyes sparkling, and added:

"Kuroneko-san, don't forget to start a video call when it happens. I'll definitely tune in!"

Support? This was assassination by flattery!

Kuroneko wanted nothing more than to pin Altair down and pummel her.

But more importantly, what the hell was she supposed to do now?!