The streets of Glen Waverley were completely deserted, the shops shuttered tight with thick wooden planks nailed over their windows.
The wheels of the mana-powered vehicle ground over the gravel-strewn, sandy roadbed, the dull thrum swallowed instantly by the empty streets.
Even inside the car, one could feel the tense air of the imperial border.
"The person we're going to contact is a spy named Miss Unity. It's only because the parliament over in the Western Hub places great trust in Florence that they're letting us make direct contact with the Allied elite undercover in Brierda."
The Great Snow Demoness set down her newspaper and spoke to Hyperion.
Outside the speeding vehicle's windows, the buildings gliding past seemed to have lost all their former luster, turning drab and desolate.
Soldiers could be seen everywhere throughout Glen Waverley, setting up checkpoints at every street and alley, standing in battle readiness.
A shielding boundary was currently active inside the car, marking the last window of time they could speak freely before reaching the city-state station and boarding the mana rail train.
To some extent, once they reached the capital, Brierda, they would also need to protect Unity. As an Allied spy capable of accessing intelligence on mana fission, she was irreplaceable.
Yet with such efficient espionage, the Imperial Special Operations Division would undoubtedly pull out all stops to trace the leak. Unity would at times be stretched too thin, needing reliable, capable operatives to support her.
"Sigh, fortunately Miss Florence is helping to guard Ikerite. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to leave with peace of mind," Hyperion replied from the back seat.
Normally, a vital Hutton stronghold like Ikerite would require at least one national protector stationed to defend it.
Following Loren's death, it was sheer luck that the Great Snow Demoness and Florence—two pseudo-bishop-rank senior figures of the Church of the Goddess of Fate—happened to be stranded in the Hutton Kingdom due to the war.
Had Florence not been there, the Great Snow Demoness wouldn't have been free to leave Ikerite either.
"She was originally supposed to be fighting alongside the Western Speaker and the others on the front line in the Western Hub. Now that she's been reassigned to rear-guard duty in relative safety, she feels guilty all day. Perhaps the battlefield really would suit her better."
The Great Snow Demoness sighed helplessly.
After all, any rational person knew how brutal the front lines were—incomparable to the comfort of the rear.
Over in the Western Hub:
The Third War God, Gyath of the Sardonyx Seat, had already arrived on the western battlefield. The Western Speaker, already slightly weaker than the Second War God of the Obsidian Seat, now had to account for the Third War God's entry as well. The pressure on him would be immense; a Tier 8 Allied combatant was desperately needed to pin Gyath down.
"Sigh, I just hope a turning point comes soon. Every day, the people of the invaded kingdoms across the Southern Continent are living in misery."
Hyperion had previously made a promise to Miss Florence.
The next time Miss Florence went on a date with her close friend Loren, Hyperion was supposed to help her remotely, coaching her in real time on how to interact with a male friend.
Yet before that day ever came, war had swept across the Southern Continent.
And that promise could never be fulfilled now.
Even the return of peace seemed impossibly distant.
Florence, too, had finally come to regret.
Though Florence had always believed that due to her complicated family background, it was impossible to interact with Loren truly as a woman, the moment she heard news of his death, her heart had been filled with endless remorse.
Hyperion hadn't known how to comfort her.
Before departing, she had visited Florence at the Temple of the Church of the Goddess of Fate in Ikerite. Seeing Paladin Commander Florence still working tirelessly on Loren's behalf, having cut her auburn hair short, Hyperion had found herself all the more at a loss for words.
She couldn't comfort Florence.
If one day Lanqi were gone, she imagined she would understand Florence's pain all too well.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she couldn't afford to let any more chances slip away.
"I originally thought it improper for Florence to stay at Loren's house. But now... it's good that someone is looking after an old friend's home. Rumor has it that powerful beings with deep obsessions might become undead after death, drifting back to the place they consider home even after losing their memories, waiting foolishly. It's nice to have a place to return to."
As the Great Snow Demoness spoke, a trace of sorrow tinged her silver eyes.
The time she had spent with Loren was but a drop in the ocean of her long life.
She knew she had a bad temper. She had never let her guard down around Loren, nor had she ever given him a warm smile.
"I knew all along that human lives are short, so why did I never bother to understand him better..."
Her voice began to choke up.
"Look on the bright side, Almis. Eleventh War God Simonro of the Emerald Seat isn't using the Wind Slate right now. That's the most promising clue that Loren might still be alive,"
Antanas tried her best to comfort her.
Among the Twelve War Gods, only Eleventh War God Simonro of the Emerald Seat was best suited for 【Original Slate - Wind】. Logically, the empire should have awarded the trophy to Simonro to bolster his combat strength.
Granted, on a logical level, this was wishful thinking—the Creti Empire might have various considerations and might not equip the pseudo-bishop-rank Eleventh War God Simonro with an epic treasure like 【Original Slate - Wind】 just yet. Still, a glimmer of hope could be gleaned from this fact.
"What if everything is part of the High Priest's plan?"
Antanas eagerly hooked her hands over the back of the front seat, leaning in close to the Great Snow Demoness's ear.
"..."
The Great Snow Demoness choked up, her gaze turning dazed.
It seemed Antanas's words had prompted her to imagine some horrifying scenario again.
If an enemy bore the face of an old friend, what would she do then?
"Did I say something wrong?"
Antanas scratched her head, unable to comprehend why her comfort had made the Great Snow Demoness shudder. By all accounts, it shouldn't have terrified her.
"Just say less, Antanas..."
Pranay glanced back at Antanas and warned.
The stronger a creature's obsession, the more extreme they would become once that obsession shattered. Not everyone was like Talia, able to take things up and lay them down so easily—giving up a century-old dream of restoration just like that simply because she had settled into life in Ikerite.
The Great Snow Demoness was clearly an obstinate woman.
Loren's death had begun to melt the iceberg within her heart.
Yet if she were to see Loren resurrected, that frigid iceberg might not only refreeze, but freeze over forever.
Or, of course, she might succumb to despair and fall into corruption out of a feeling of utter helplessness against him.
After a long while.
The vehicle slowly rolled across a low stone arch bridge. The autumn river beneath was as crystal-clear as ever, yet devoid of the carefree laughter of citizens enjoying leisure.
Passing through streets guarded by imperial troops, Pranay slowed down according to signs held by soldiers, and gradually, the silhouette of the train station on the other side of the city came into view.
The border station of Glen Waverley was teeming with heavily armed imperial soldiers. Temporary bulletproof walls and mana barriers had been erected at the entrance, with soldiers directing the flow of passing vehicles.
"Right... in the Creti Empire, could I... could I maybe see Mother?"
Hyperion's timid voice broke the silence in the car.
Once they got out, they wouldn't be able to speak freely anymore.
Earlier, during her communications with the Kingdom of Posen, she had learned from Tata that Miss Aetio mentioned Iphatia likely went to ancient ruins in the Creti Empire to search for an ancient potential elixir, which was why she had been missing for so many years.
So if that were true, would Iphatia be there in their destination, the Creti Empire?
The wish felt too surreal to her.
For over a decade, night and day, she had imagined what kind of demon her mother, Iphatia, was, and how she would treat her when they met. Yet now that there was a faint glimmer of a chance to meet Iphatia, she began to feel afraid again—afraid that she wasn't good enough, afraid her mother would be cold to her, and even more afraid that she wouldn't see her at all.
"Spot on! I can't wait for the moment I see Teacher Big I!"
Antanas pumped her fist excitedly.
Realizing she had seemingly put her foot in her mouth earlier and made the atmosphere awkward, Antanas decided to liven things up again.
As good sisters in the gossip appreciation club, Antanas always felt that bustling Ikerite was missing one person.
Pranay was too steady, Sinora too demure, neither particularly eager when it came to juicy gossip. And the Great Snow Demoness was stiff and rigid, like a block of ice who rarely even smiled.
Iphatia was different. She hated studying, but she loved to play. Invite her out to play, and her eyes would snap open instantly!
"Wait, if Lanqi took Talia into the Creti Empire too, then counting the four of us and Iphatia, wouldn't the old Demon Realm crew practically be reunited?"
Sinora lightly touched her lips, murmuring in surprise.
According to her brother's hypothesis, one couldn't rule out the possibility that Lanqi was in the Creti Empire.
And Talia, as his bodyguard, would certainly go to the Creti Empire as well.
"Indeed,"
the Great Snow Demoness nodded from the front seat.
She had already composed herself.
Although bonds between demons weren't so affectionate, after not seeing one another for so many years, there was inevitably some sentimental nostalgia.
"I have a feeling Yabo is around too, if he's still alive,"
Pranay gripped the steering wheel and muttered with a furrowed brow.
"Yabo?"
Hyperion asked, puzzled.
"That's the surviving demon general. His name is always changing. Because he worked in rear intelligence, no one knows his real name, but we all call him Yabo,"
Sinora patiently explained to Hyperion.
Back then, the Great Snow Demoness had been an anti-war factionist, the two princesses were non-interventionists, the three in the imperial prison were conservatives, and there was one advocate for surrender.
Of all the demons in the car, only Hyperion didn't know the Demon King's Army's last remaining general.
"Yabo is super fun! His greatest pleasure in life is defeating those guys who act all arrogant and invincible, and then savoring the sight of them breaking down."
Antanas leaned back against her seat and clapped her hands happily, as if reminiscing about those days in the Demon King's Castle.
"...Isn't that just toxic noob-stomping?"
Hyperion was speechless for a moment before speaking.
Playing the pig to eat the tiger—letting the opponent think they had an easy victory in the bag before turning around and slaughtering them—might be understandable if done unintentionally or out of necessity. But if done on purpose, Hyperion had mixed feelings about it.
At the words "noob-stomping," Sinora's heart gave a jolt.
In reality, she was the demon race's undisputed noob-stomping champion.
She had taken collateral damage from Hyperion's remark without even realizing it.
"No, he's not just noob-stomping. He doesn't care whether the opponent is strong or weak,"
Antanas wagged her index finger and said seriously, looking at Hyperion.
"..."
Hyperion was struck speechless once again.
She felt that this General Yabo was probably no longer among the living.
The truly strong dared to swing their swords at the even stronger.
And General Yabo was indeed just that bold.
"If Yabo is still alive, out of fellowship with our kind, he might lend us a hand. He counts as the strongest among us surviving great demons,"
the Great Snow Demoness said from the front seat.
In the current situation where Tier 8 combat strength was scarce, Yabo, as a support-oriented bishop-rank powerhouse, could be considered a top-tier ally.
Unfortunately, Yabo might not even be on the Southern Continent; he could still be roaming and toying with the mortal world somewhere unknown in the Northern Continent.
"It's fine. Lanqi and I made a deal to clear the final Shadow World of Blood Clan history. If we enter together, it should help you teachers grow a bit stronger too."
Hyperion patted her teacher's shoulder from behind.
Although the boost from a Shadow World was already minuscule for Tier 8s like them, at high tiers, even an increase of a single level was substantial.
"You're planning to bring us along into a Shadow World?"
Antanas asked in surprise.
In truth, as long-lived species, none of them were keen on leveling up through Shadow Worlds. With their vast lifespans, demons could achieve far better results simply cultivating in peace than gambling their lives in a Shadow World, unless they were desperate to get strong quickly.
Of course, Lanqi's baby bus was an exception. If they could get a free ride through a Shadow World, why wouldn't they?
"Let's go together. We can visit the old Demon Realm,"
Hyperion nodded.
The once-in-a-century Tier 9 Shadow World had already descended; there wouldn't be another Tier 9 Shadow World for the next century or two, and the remaining Shadow Worlds would have their cap locked at Tier 8.
If she brought these great demons in, the Shadow World's historical projections of original demon generals would likely be replaced by Antanas and the others.
"Yay! Long live Baby Hyperion!"
Antanas cheered.
Running a Shadow World with Boss Lan? She wasn't afraid at all—all she had to do was get carried!
"I'll introduce you to my Xigelei! She's so cute it's unbearable,"
Hyperion whispered to Antanas and Sinora.
That feeling of having immense joy but no one to share it with was something she had experienced deeply in the last Shadow World.
This time was different—her friends and family were joining her in the Shadow World.
The mood in the back seat suddenly turned joyous as they chattered back and forth, while the vehicle drew closer and closer to the Glen Waverley city-state station.
From there, taking the train would take a few days to reach the imperial capital, Brierda, located in Botswana Province. And within the empire, Void Gates leading to Shadow Worlds could be found in most city-states.
"..."
Pranay's scalp was already tingling with dread, but he strove to remain motionless and focus on driving.
He had long heard from Lanqi that in the previous Shadow World, the Darkest Solar Eclipse Realm, Lanqi and Hyperion had encountered a historical projection named Xigelei.
No matter how Pranay listened to the tales about Xigelei, she sounded like a youthful version of the Bishop of Domination, with countless intricate ties to Lanqi.
In the ancient demon texts he had read in the Demon Realm in his earlier years, there were indeed legends of dreams intertwining and manifesting into reality—resembling past lives and present incarnations—and the Goddess of Fate was precisely a deity who possessed such power.
The next Shadow World would likely be perilous, and not in the ordinary sense.
May they survive all tribulations with sisterhood intact, and meet again with a smile that washes all enmities away.
Chapter 734