After being apart for so long, the Naruse family was reunited, and the three of them had much to say. Ethan wasn't in a rush to send the couple back to the Underworld; the operation would likely begin tomorrow, so letting them stay together a bit longer was no issue.
With the biggest secret out, the couple explained everything they had hidden from Mio, including details about Lars to prevent any misunderstanding. The Naruses were naturally kind and had adopted many devil orphans from the war. Lars was one of them. Because they had so many children, they eventually opened an orphanage, right until Wilbert sent them to the human world to raise Mio. Though they hated to leave the children, their orphanage had only existed thanks to Wilbert's support. Wilbert chose them for their kindness, gentleness, and loyalty. But after they left and Wilbert passed away mysteriously, the orphanage collapsed. That was when Zolgear took Lars in.
The couple also revealed that Lars was a Puppeteer. This ability wasn't particularly strong in direct combat, but it was incredibly subtle and mysterious. It was because of this ability that Lars hadn't been caught all these years.
Watching the happy Naruse family, Maria couldn't help but think of her own mother and sister. She quietly slipped away from the group, not wanting her low mood to affect the others. Ethan was about to go comfort her when Mio walked over with a concerned face. Even while talking to her parents, she had been watching Maria. She had intended to introduce her half-sister to her parents, only to see Maria trying to sneak away.
Ethan stopped and held back the worried Naruse couple. "Leave it to Mio."
They hesitated, but Ethan added, "You have to trust her. She's no longer that ordinary girl hiding under your protection." They paused, thinking of Lars. That little kid had become so strong; Mio, who possessed Devil King blood and power, would surely have a much broader stage in the future. They stopped, watching Mio's back with the bittersweet feeling of parents seeing their child grow up—a mix of pride, uselessness, and a touch of melancholy.
However, those complex feelings turned into warmth when Mio enthusiastically introduced Maria to them. Like Rias, Mio had a special charm. That burning, sincere emotion could be felt even by Ethan.
Kurumi Nonaka, who had been debating whether to report this to the village, was also moved and made the most important decision of her life. "Sister, I don't want to report this," she whispered to Yuki. "If Mio and the others fail, remember to pin everything on me."
Though she was the one monitoring Mio, if things went wrong, Yuki would be implicated—unless they said Kurumi had deceived her and took all the blame. Without childhood misunderstandings, the sisters' relationship was very good. Yuki was cold, but she cared for Kurumi.
"It's fine. Ethan won't fail," Yuki said tonelessly, as if stating a fact. "Once this is over, you and I will leave the village together."
"Huh?" Kurumi jumped, quickly covering her mouth with her hands. "Sister, what are you saying? Why leave the village?"
Yuki glanced at her. "You'll understand when the time comes."
...
The next morning, Lars met up with Maria and teleported away with the unconscious Mio. Since they didn't know if Zolgear had other spies, they decided to play the part fully. Ethan and the sisters arrived a step "too late" to catch them and made a show of trying to track them with magic.
In reality, Lars had already given them the coordinates. Zolgear was hiding in a small pocket dimension or a sub-space, isolated by a magical barrier. Without the coordinates, it was impossible to enter from the outside.
After their "performance," Ethan took the sisters home and used a pre-prepared teleportation circle to jump directly there.
"This is it." Ethan scanned the area. The space wasn't large; it looked like a primeval forest. "Wait for me here."
The sisters' strength was average; together, they could only match Zest. Bringing them would only increase the risk of exposure.
"No way, my mission is to watch you," Kurumi huffed.
"No, your mission is to watch Mio," Ethan retorted. He looked at Yuki amidst Kurumi's glare. "Yuki, when Maria and the others come, teleport back immediately."
Yuki nodded and whispered, "Ethan, be careful."
"Don't worry, that old fossil Zolgear is no match for me." Ethan smiled, then suppressed his aura and headed toward the ancient castle standing in the distance. This small space had only one building, so he didn't have to worry about the wrong location.
A hundred meters from the castle, Ethan saw Lars waiting under a large tree.
"Let's go. As agreed, I'm only responsible for leading the way."
"Have you confirmed where Maria's mother and sister are held?"
"Yes. If you're worried, we can wait a bit longer," Lars said.
More than that, Ethan was worried about Mio's safety. "Let's move."
Deep blue magic wrapped around Ethan. As light distorted, he was replaced by a sleek, agile blue-grey cat. Unless he exposed himself, no one below God-class could see through this form. Combined with stealth magic, it was perfect for infiltration. With Ethan's current strength, his cat form still possessed SSS-rank combat power. Unless he ran directly into Zolgear, he wouldn't even need to change back to take out any enemies he encountered.
Lars looked at the cat by his feet, tempted to pet it. "What kind of magic is this?"
"It's not magic; call it a bloodline ability." The cat spoke in human tongue. Lars was even more curious, but seeing Ethan didn't want to elaborate, he suppressed it. Lars shrugged, a teleportation circle appearing under his feet as he instantly reached the castle gates. The cat followed at his heels, nearly impossible to detect without focused perception.
Just as they were about to enter, Zest suddenly appeared at the door. Ethan discreetly scrutinized the dark-skinned, busty bunny-girl. She was exactly as he remembered. Zest was a homunculus created by Zolgear in his lover's image, but because she wasn't "perfect," Zolgear didn't treat her as a person. She got no praise for good work, was beaten and scolded frequently, and her thoughts were monitored for any sign she needed to be "recycled."
As a homunculus, Zest naturally needed a master. Since she hadn't established a master-servant contract with Mio yet, Ethan wondered if he could make her envy Mio—wishing her master was someone like him instead of Zolgear.
The stray thought passed as Ethan focused on hiding his aura. "Lars, what are you doing back so soon?" Zest blocked the way, curious. Lars had just brought in the succubus and Zolgear's target; why was he back so soon?
"I forgot something. I need to tell Lord Zolgear."
Zest was suspicious but had no evidence. After a moment of hesitation, she stepped aside. Lars gave her a nod and walked into the castle at a leisurely pace. Ethan followed at his heels, slipping in as easily as a shadow.
Once inside, Lars led Ethan straight toward the location where Sheera and Lucia were held. Meanwhile, Maria was stalling for time as much as possible.
"Humph, don't force me to act," Zolgear said coldly. "I said I'll release your family once I've taken her power."
"No! Release them first," Maria yelled, her hand tightening around Mio's neck. "Or I'll kill her right now!"