After much hesitation, Tsubaki finally made her decision. She would leave the village behind and acknowledge Sebastian as her teacher. She longed for further breakthroughs in her strength, just like Kikyo.
"You were born with exceptional talent," the old witch muttered from the shadows. "You could have been one of the greatest among us. What kind of power does Sebastian possess to make you abandon everything for him?"
There was no expression on the old witch's wrinkled face. With a weary sigh, she shook her head and drifted back into the darkness.
"Brother Sebastian, I'm back." Inside the Battle Lab, Sebastian was bent over a table, studying his latest projects. When he looked up, he saw Kikyo entering quietly from the side.
During this time, Kikyo often left the village to hunt demons. Some days she didn't return at all, vanishing for nights on end. Although Sebastian had been maintaining the village's safety, Kikyo never neglected her duty as an exorcist, continuing her missions with unwavering resolve.
When Sebastian saw Kikyo's slightly pale face, he frowned and gestured toward the tray of snacks on the table, "Sit down. Eat something."
Though her strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, Kikyo was still young. Exorcising demons day after day left her exhausted, her body not yet accustomed to such relentless strain. She slipped the quiver from her back, hung it on the nearby rack, and lowered herself beside Sebastian.
The girl had grown so close to him that she now poured tea with a gentle, practiced ease, setting a steaming cup in front of him. Her eyes lingered on him with faint worry.
"There have been more and more monsters gathering around the outskirts lately," she said softly. "Some of them are frighteningly strong. But strangely enough… the powerful ones never fight me directly."
"Cunning cowards," Sebastian replied after blowing on his tea and taking a measured sip. "They're letting weaker monsters rush you first, waiting for the right opportunity to strike from the shadows."
Of course, he already knew about the encroaching horde. He had chosen not to act, deliberately leaving the battles to Kikyo and the others for training. At the same time, he was allowing the monsters to gather in greater numbers. When the time was right, he would strike them all down in one decisive sweep.
"By the way, Sir Sebastian," Kikyo asked, glancing curiously at the strange work on his table, "what are you so busy with now?"
"Preparing to welcome some friends." Sebastian's lips curled into a faint smile.
Suddenly, a massive portal tore open before him. From its depths, silhouettes emerged one by one. At the front strode a towering skeleton clad in ornate robes.
"Monster!" Kikyo gasped, stumbling back several steps before hastily snatching up her bow and arrow.
"Don't panic," Sebastian said with calm amusement. "They're not monsters, they are my allies. That one, in fact, is a necromancer."
It was Ainz and his floor guardians who stepped through the rift.
"Ah…?" Kikyo hesitated. She sensed no malice, no taint of corruption clinging to these beings. Trusting Sebastian's words, she lowered her bow, though her eyes remained wary.
"Sebastian!" Ainz greeted him. Behind him, his guardians bowed in flawless reverence.
Meanwhile, far away, an old demon perched atop a massive boulder let out a weary groan. Leaning on his ghost-headed staff, he gazed across the valley.
The journey should have taken a week at most, but his curiosity had led him astray. Fascinated by the prosperity of human cities, he had wasted weeks wandering off course. Now, at last, the sprawling human settlement spread out before him. Jaken's wide, disc-like eyes gleamed with astonishment.
"Is this… the territory of that human, Sebastian?" he whispered. "Why does it look so unlike the others? And why… is the aura of malice here so thick? Could it be true, the rumors that the Jewel of the Four Souls lies in Sebastian's hands?"
He sat on the stone, taking a slow sip of wine. Even here, far from his homeland, he could feel the sinister energy in the air. Sebastian's fame had spread even to the distant. Defeating the God of Death alone had made him a figure of awe and dread.
Rubbing his wrinkled chin, he narrowed his eyes. His original mission had been to seek out Inuyasha, but after scouring the land, he had found no trace of the half-demon. Simply wandering aimlessly was pointless. Yet if he could seize the Jewel of the Four Souls and bring it back, it would be a victory beyond measure.
And since he was traveling alone, he could decide for himself how long he lingered. With the demon kingdoms locked in endless battles after the fall of the general, it was far safer for him to remain hidden among humans.
"Hmph… let's see just how divine this Sebastian really is," Jaken muttered, humming a strange little tune as he set off again.
Back in the G.D.I. Territory, within a lonely blacksmith shop, two figures slouched in their chairs, idly staring into space. They were Izumo and his disciple. To better conceal themselves in enemy lands, they had opened a humble smithy on the outskirts of Sebastian's domain. On the surface, it was a place of honest labor, but in truth, it was a cover.
Yet no customers came. Their forge lay silent. The reason was simple: there was no need for traditional ironwork. Sebastian's production lines created superior arms and tools in vast quantities, leaving their master craftsmanship obsolete.
Izumo, once a renowned weapon master, had never imagined a day when no one would seek his blades. Still, he could not deny it; Sebastian's creations were astonishing, far surpassing his own. And the more he saw, the deeper his curiosity grew about Sebastian's true origins.