Titaera returned. As her expression was slightly brighter than before, it seemed like Yu IlHan's request had been approved without much difficulty on her side.
[I have returned. I also have a positive answer about the artifacts. One will be prepaid, and the other will be paid afterwards once the war concludes successfully....]
"You won't go back on your promise, right?"
[If it's my life, I can swear on it.]
"This is about a God-ranked artifact. There's no way I'd be satisfied with just the death of a 6th-class high angel.]
[...]
Yu IlHan extended his hand to Titaera, who had lost her words.
"I want to receive the one Miss MiRae will use first."
[Understood, let us leave together.]
Yu IlHan moved those who would go with him aboard the Flying Fortress and those who would remain behind in the Guardian Fortress. Not only the Dragon's Army, but even Kang HaJin also had to stay this time.
"Although it's very insulting, I guess I can't help it."
"Please take care of Earth."
"I'll also show you that I can reach the 4th class before you come back."
"That's very reassuring."
When Yu IlHan came back after putting the Guardian fortress and those on it on Earth, Titaera looked at him from head to toe once, in disbelief, and muttered with a sigh.
[It will be a tremendous matter once Kang MiRae and your power are combined. I... do not think that is bad, but there will be many who will dislike the giant change that occurs because of you.]
"You know? Usually, the ones who dislike it are the ones who say so. Let's go."
Yu IlHan said a line that made a wrinkle on Titaera's forehead and followed her into the fortress with the others.
The transport was done with the gate made by Kang MiRae, and Yu IlHan was dumbstruck after watching her create the gate that traced Titaera's movement path, and muttered.
"This is not done through the use of records. It's using the traces of mana."
"You're right."
If Yu IlHan's warp worked by absorbing, analyzing, and chasing the source of an object, Kang MiRae's gate was closer to forcibly twisting a closed path. With the two's power combined, there was nowhere they could not go.
"There won't be a lot of higher existences with this kind of ability, right?"
"If there are, would Titaera ask Kang MiRae for help? Going to and from worlds is not easy even for higher existences. And moreover, creating gates that allow for mass transfer... as far as I know, Kang MiRae is the first one who can do it."
"At least she is indeed the first one who created gates by tracing mana. It is definitely true since the blessing of the god of magic was bestowed on her, which even I couldn't get."
Erta's body, while she explained, was trembling slightly. Yu IlHan caught on that she was feeling slightly inferior, and did not touch on that.
"Well, then. Let's go."
"Yes."
The place they headed to was the main headquarters of the Heaven's Army, 'Heaven'. It was too vast a world to be called a world at all after it had experienced an unknown number of Great Cataclysms.
"It's been a while..."
[Liera, you're welcome again anytime if you want to come back.]
"No, no. I like where I am currently."
Liera looked at the sky above the clouds, a tinge of sadness in her eyes. She shook her head at Titaera's words. Looking at her locking arms with Yu IlHan, Titaera's expression loosened a little.
[I'm really happy that you have found a reason to be happy. I mean it.]
"I know. Thanks."
Titaera immediately led them to Heaven's treasury. In front of it was a male angel with three pairs of wings.
[Lord Leciel.]
[I was waiting for you, human.]
Ignoring Titaera's greeting, the archangel Leciel cast a cold glare at Yu IlHan and spoke to him.
"Give me the artifact."
[You will pay for your arrogance one day. Did the mountain you climbed look so high?]
"Give me the artifact."
[...So you are a human that words don't work on.]
He was going to go back without a care for the safety of Heaven or anything if this guy talked nonsense one more time, but, as expected of a 7th class, Leciel immediately stopped his lecture upon noticing. Then, he closed his eyes and opened the treasury.
A five-coloured light caught the group's eyes.
"Wao."
"So blinding."
"This is amazing."
"A sneak eye attack, that's cowardly!"
Of course, Yu IlHan kept his eyes wide open even as everyone else closed theirs. Wasn't this a world where your nose would be cut if you closed your eyes? As long as he was still in the Heaven's Army main quarters, he did not plan to let his guard down.
[The treasury of the Heaven's Army is vast. All items here are those that may pose a threat to us if even one of them gets stolen and therefore, aren't easily taken out, and remember that those who aren't 7th class angels cannot even borrow the items here.]
"And so? Where is this item that is suitable for a mage, that is, Miss Kang MiRae?"
Ignoring Leciel's threats, Yu IlHan offered the perfect words, leaving no room for retreat! Creasing his face, Leciel tapped the ground with his staff. At that moment, another round of light poured from the treasury before a silver-translucent circlet appeared.
"That's worse than what Mr. IlHan made me!"
"Do you really have to go boasting everywhere?"
Na YuNa retorted, but Leciel wasn't shaken by that and gave the circlet to Kang MiRae.
[The Crown of Wisdom. It accelerates all neural activity, allows you to activate two magic simultaneously without additional mana consumption, and even raises the league of mana by a tier. Until now, this never made it out of the treasury as no one fulfilled the criteria.]
"Criteria.... Oh."
Yes. The circlet's equipment requirements were none other than the blessing of the god of magic! Before Kang MiRae could put it on with satisfaction, Yu IlHan's hand lightly touched the circlet.
"What is it, Mr. IlHan?"
"It's nothing. I just thought that they might have tinkered with it, but it looks like the Heaven's Army doesn't do strange things to equipment like these."
[Just what do you consider us as? I have an issue with your impression of us.]
Leciel's expression creased once again. However, Yu IlHan only shrugged. Now that the safety was confirmed, Kang MiRae put the circlet on without hesitation, and at that moment, the crystallizations of mana around her started to emit more multi-colored light.
"Amazing, to think the mana I wield can become so different..."
"The option to increase the league of mana is definitely an amazing option, but..."
"Of course, it's an amazing option. It is indeed an amazing option. Eih, eih."
Yu IlHan complained internally that the Crown of Wisdom's function was slightly lacking for a God-ranked artifact, but seeing Kang MiRae satisfied, he decided not to say so. Meanwhile, Liera, swinging her sleeves of the Feather of Temptation, was quite… considerably cute.
[You look happy, Liera.]
"Huh? Yeah, I'm very happy."
[How foolish...]
Leciel looked like he had something to say to Liera as well, but didn't say anything. Instead, he only glared at Yu IlHan. Titaera coughed awkwardly and made the group retreat.
[Are you satisfied?]
"Yes, we did indeed receive the prepayment. Now please speak about what you want to request of Miss MiRae. Miss MiRae, will you be alright?"
"Yes. I'm ready."
[Very well, then before we move on, we'll switch locations.]
When Titaera said that, the group and the Flying Fortress were instantly transported elsewhere in this world. This was a show of power that made him realize what the ruler faction can do in their own world!
[This is the entrance to the battlefield.]
Yu IlHan decided to hide the fact that he could resist teleportation with the Dimensional Adaptation skill before Titaera could activate it, and raised his head.
At that moment, he subconsciously exclaimed.
"...Wao."
"Mr. IlHan, you were completely polluted by me. Like this, if your heart can also be... Kyaaaaak!"
Yu IlHan was overwhelmed to the point that he didn't even realize Na YuNa was being iron-clawed by Liera.
A gigantic space that made even the Flying Fortress look like a speck of dust in comparison; beyond that was a truly humongous wall. It was so large that the wall itself could be called a world.
[Kyahahahahahahah!]
[It's been a while... I'm back, o Heaven!]
With the wall in the middle, countless angels and their enemies were clashing. Amongst the enemies were monsters, black-winged fallen angels, and those that looked perfectly ordinary on the outside. Yu IlHan, who had experience fighting them all, could identify them without much difficulty.
"What the heck? You were having a 2nd round here?"
[It's frustrating... but that's a suitable expression.]
It wasn't just the Destruction Demon Army. Not to mention the Army of Brilliant Light; even those belonging to the Garden of Sunset were trying to destroy the wall. And naturally, the number of angels paled in comparison to the other side.
"How the hell did that happen!?"
Screamed Liera. Titaera replied with a depressed expression.
[The Destruction Demon Army schemed against us. They brought other factions to their world, Elo Katra, and are trying to push us back...]
"That doesn't make sense. They tried to bring the other factions in to harm the Heaven's Army? The foolish ones cannot be more foolish like that!"
[That's why the Heaven's Army is frightening, Erta.]
"How can that be...."
The time was truly strangely precise. All factions were very annoyed by the incident in Dareu, and their hostility towards the Heaven's Army, which had sustained relatively little damage compared to the rest, was boiling over. In such a situation, the Destruction Demon Army played a super underhanded move of bringing the others to their main headquarters!
"That means their boss did something?"
[It seems like he didn't actually move himself. However, at this rate... there might really be a terrifying battle.]
"That's a nightmare! You guys, it's really fortunate that you guys succeeded in persuading IlHan..."
Although that sounded positive, in truth, this was no different from Liera drawing a line between her and the Heaven's Army. Titaera realized that there would never be a time when she would stand side by side with Liera again, but tried her best not to show it on the surface.
[I'm even envious of your endless faith in him.]
"But now that we're on the same side, IlHan will do something about it!"
"Unfortunately, the spotlight isn't me this time, right, Miss MiRae?"
"OH, oh, yes!"
Kang MiRae lost her cool after seeing the war on an unbelievably large scale, one she had never experienced before, but eventually looked at Titaera calmly.
"Now, please tell me what I have to do."
[Kang MiRae, what we want you to do is only one thing.]
Titaera bit her lips before speaking.
[Please trace the main headquarters of the Army of Brilliant Light and open a gate to there. At that moment, their alliance will be dissolved all by itself.]
"...Sorry?"
Kang MiRae asked back to confirm. Titaera explained in kind.
[The majority of the Destruction Demon Army are beasts that only want destruction. If you open a gate leading to their main headquarters, about half the monsters charging towards the Wall of Chaos like mad will rush there, and the Army of Brilliant Light will panic and try to guard them. Just that will probably fulfill our objective.]
"That means...."
[We're making the enemy divide. And direct their rage at each other!]
Yu IlHan thought when he heard that.
That this may be even messier than Dareu.