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Deep beneath Arcadia's headquarters, more than a thousand meters underground, lay eight isolated chambers.
They were shelters built by Arcadia's senior members in the past. Each one was spaced over a kilometer apart, surrounded by layers of spells and authority-level traps. They could even evade the forced Gift Games initiated by Demon Lords.
In a sense, this was Arcadia's most secure stronghold. Even if the surface was wiped out, a portion of their strength could still survive here.
Back then, Kurousagi had brought most of the children of the community into this underground refuge, narrowly escaping the surprise attack by Ouroboros's high-ranking members.
But times had changed.
Now, as the newly appointed leader of Ouroboros's Third Alliance, Kalki was the one imprisoned in this place that once symbolized Arcadia's hope.
"Welcome, great leader. Aman is thrilled to see you again."
Kalki raised a brow and looked toward the door.
The door stood twelve meters tall. It was a spirit crafted by Canaria, capable of independent thought, named "Aman," meaning "protection."
"Thanks for your hard work, Aman. Has he caused any trouble?"
Ryo spoke to the enormous eye embedded in the door.
"Rest assured. Our unlovable guest has been quite obedient. Though Aman still believes the execution platform would suit him better."
The door spirit's hostility toward Ouroboros was obvious.
In a way, it had every reason. By the standards of the Little Garden, the creator of a Gift was akin to a parent. And Ouroboros had tried to kill its creator.
"Obedient, huh?"
Ryo chuckled, stepping into the room.
It was a bare space, paved with beige tiles and devoid of furniture. In the middle sat Kalki, cross-legged on the floor.
"…"
Kalki lifted his head slightly, glanced at Ryo, and spoke. "Has Lamia returned?"
"Not yet."
Ryo shook his head.
"Then you're here to take Pisces?"
Kalki didn't sound surprised.
Back in the Campione world, in order to protect Rin, he had promised to hand over Leo to Ryo. And help him find Pisces.
So if Ryo came to claim Pisces now, there was nothing unexpected about it.
Even though his own Another Cosmology still needed time to fully activate, and losing Pisces now would ruin everything he had worked for, Kalki had no intention of going back on his word.
"You think I'm that stupid?"
Ryo rolled his eyes, walked over, pulled a wooden chair out of his Gift Card, and sat down, crossing his legs. "If the Pisces Sun Authority disappears from you before your Another Cosmology fully awakens, what do you think will happen to me once the ones backing you find out?"
Kalki didn't smile.
Because he knew exactly how terrifying that would be.
No matter how approachable that "World Dragon" might seem, once her interests were threatened, no one could predict the consequences.
The wrath of a two-digit being was something no one in the Little Garden wanted to test. Not even others of the same level.
"If that's the case, you'll have to wait three months. Once my Another Cosmology fully awakens through Pisces, you can take it."
Kalki spoke calmly.
Certain Cosmologies required Sun Authorities to activate, but only temporarily.
If Another Cosmology required permanent ownership of a Sun Authority, its limitations would be too severe. No matter how powerful it was, no god would bother creating something so impractical.
Obtaining even one Sun Authority was already a miracle. Getting more, and keeping them long-term? That was a joke.
Throughout the history of the Little Garden, only two Star Spirits had managed to retain fully awakened Sun Authorities.
One was ShiroYoruMaou, who possessed fourteen. The other was Queen Halloween, who held six.
The former had sealed herself and fallen into the state of Shiroyasha, but still had two goddesses backing her.
The latter was even more terrifying. A three-digit rule-breaker who rivaled two-digit beings outright. In a Little Garden where two-digit entities were restricted, she might well be the true strongest.
...
"You're surprisingly straightforward."
Ryo looked a little impressed.
Even revealing the activation timeline of his Another Cosmology… this kid was practically asking to be taken advantage of.
Like a sheep covered in wool, just waiting to be sheared.
With that in mind, Ryo stopped rushing things. If you stripped a sheep bare in one go, you'd only ruin the supply.
"Once Pisces has fully awakened, I can let you keep it for a while. After all, if it suddenly goes missing, I'll be in trouble too, right?"
"…Hmm?"
Kalki looked up, wary.
He might be young, but he wasn't naive. Nobody offered kindness without a reason.
Especially not Ryo Yagami, who was known for devouring people whole without leaving a trace.
"What are you planning?"
"Something that benefits you."
Ryo smiled, his expression almost playful. "I want you to bring a squad of Ouroboros elites and join my war with the Greek pantheon. As allies."
'And while you're at it, take the blame and teach those gods a lesson for using me without even offering proper compensation…'
Ryo sneered inwardly.
"I suggest you pick members you don't particularly like. I'm not interested in a friendly little spar."
"War, after all, isn't much of a war if nobody dies."
Kalki narrowed his eyes, his expression uneasy.
This kind of scheming didn't come naturally to him.
But his stance quickly softened.
He had only just taken over as leader of the Third Alliance. His position wasn't exactly stable.
If he could use this opportunity to thin out some internal troublemakers, that would work in his favor.
Besides, infiltrating Arcadia and stirring conflict between multiple communities and the Greek pantheon… that was exactly Ouroboros's style.
Ally with Greece to suppress Arcadia. Then turn around and use Arcadia to hit Greece. Or use both sides to purge dissent within Ouroboros itself.
If Rin were here, she'd probably love this kind of chaos. It would feel like spring had come early.
For strategists across the various communities, nothing was more exciting than a tangled, high-stakes situation like this.
After all, a strategist's spring begins the moment two enemies they both hate start tearing each other apart.
"What do I have to give in return?"
Ryo's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "One Sun Authority from the Zodiac. Just temporarily, for me to complete my awakening."
"Deal."
Deep within the underground shelter, the two clasped hands.
Agreement reached.
.
.
.