— — — — — —
Ryo drained the last of his tea in one gulp. He rose to his feet, eyes lifting toward the blazing sun overhead. Slowly, he raised a hand, grasped at the air as if seizing something unseen, then clenched his fist tight.
With his back to Shiroyasha, he said, "Three years. Just three years in Little Garden. I'll reach that level. I'll become a human that those parasites must fear."
Seeing the confidence written all over him, Shiroyasha almost spoke up to dissuade him.
Three years to reach the three-digit tier? Impossible.
Countless gods and buddhas had been stuck at that threshold, unable to move forward. So many heroes had gone their entire lives without ever breaking through.
Did he really think breaking past the four-digit limit was something everyone could do like Zeus—something done on purpose?
That so-called "four-digit rule-breaker" rank had originally been created for those who failed to reach the three-digit rank.
Even Canaria, hailed as the greatest game-breaker, and Koumei Kasukabe, the former leader of Arcadia—before their defeat, neither of them had even touched that level.
Sure, Ryo was already far ahead of his predecessors… but could that lead really carry him across?
The words of warning rose to her lips—then stopped.
Right.
Ryo was different. Freakishly so.
How long had this kid been growing? A year? No… barely half a year.
In just six months, he'd leapt from seven digits straight into four digits, with combat power already brushing the rule-breaker tier.
Someone like that… was it really impossible for him to cross that so-called "human limit" in three years?
Maybe not.
"Honestly… since the founding of Little Garden, you're probably the only idiot bold enough to aim for three digits in three years."
Shiroyasha chuckled, shaking her head. She picked up her tea and downed it in one go like it was nothing, then let out a long breath. "Go on, then. Do it."
"No matter what happens, don't be afraid. As long as I'm behind you, I can still protect you."
"You?" Ryo looked at her, a little surprised.
He'd expected at least a lecture. Instead, she just… accepted it.
He'd even been considering spinning this into a classic bet—milk her for food, drinks, maybe even a few other perks.
And now? She just agreed?
Shiro-chan, you're not playing by the script. That's not how this is supposed to go. That's… kind of disappointing.
"Well, anyway, I'm backing you."
Shiroyasha sighed, then looked at Ryo's faintly regretful expression and snorted. "That said, don't drag me into your messes. If you do, I'll be the first to smack you down."
She rolled her eyes, clearly wary of having another massive blame dumped on her.
This brat—maybe he wasn't great at everything, but when it came to stirring trouble and shifting blame, he was unmatched in all of Little Garden.
Seriously, who was the real problem child here?
Ryo burst out laughing and thumped his chest. "Don't worry. If anything happens, you'll be the first one I call to take the hit."
"Get lost!"
"Go deal with your own community's mess already!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Shrugging, Ryo ducked his head and slipped away in a flash, leaving Shiroyasha's territory.
"That brat…"
Shiroyasha shook her head, staring into her cup for a while before letting out a long sigh. "Letting him run wild like this… who knows if it's the right call. Whatever. We'll deal with it as it comes."
---
After leaving the Thousand Eyes outpost at Outer Gate 3345, Ryo returned safely to Arcadia City. Not a single old monster crossed his path.
"Not a single fool, huh."
Standing in the city's administrative center, Ryo shook his head with a faint sigh.
Every one of those ancient schemers had gone to ground, waiting for the right price. They were all holding back, waiting for someone else to make the first move—to test Ryo's limits.
And the result?
No one moved.
Everyone just kept their heads down.
He'd been all fired up, ready for action… and now he just felt awkwardly deflated.
Well, he'd probably have to wait until the first god descended in heretic—or until the first godslayer appeared.
Ryo clicked his tongue. Fine. When those bastards finally came begging, he'd make sure to raise the price.
With that thought, he walked into the building, took the stairs straight up, and climbed all the way to his office.
That was one annoying thing about the city—everything was built ridiculously tall, but there wasn't a single elevator in sight.
Not that it mattered. Elevators were slower than the residents anyway. Hardly anyone needed them.
With a quiet complaint, Ryo pushed open the door to his office.
Inside, a sofa sat in the middle of the room.
On it were Leticia—and a girl with light blue hair, styled in an exaggerated fashion, her expression both alluring and faintly pitiful.
Willa Ignis Fatuus.
Leader of the "Will-O-Wisp" community. Known as the Wisp Demon—a great demon who manifests in the border between life and death.
Behind her stood Jack-O-Lantern and the earth spirit, Ayesha Ignis Fatuus.
The moment the door opened, all three turned toward him.
"Ryry-chan is late."
Willa spoke in a flat, emotionless tone, though it somehow carried a hint of displeasure.
"It's eleven now. We're an hour past the agreed time. So yes, I'm late."
Ryo checked the time by instinct, then shrugged with a helpless smile. "My apologies. I'm a terribly rude man, after all."
He tossed out the joke lightly, then walked over and sat beside Leticia, crossing his legs. "So don't expect an apology. If you want someone to blame, take it up with Kurousagi. She set the schedule."
"You…" Leticia sighed, clearly exasperated.
He could've just said he'd been delayed by a visit from a major Buddhist figure. Instead, he had to dump the blame on the poor rabbit.
Good thing Kurousagi was a self-sacrificing Moon Rabbit. Anyone else would've dumped this guy on the spot.
Willa tilted her head slightly, seemingly puzzled about why Kurousagi was being blamed.
Then her nose twitched.
She sniffed the air—and her expression shifted into faint intoxication.
"There's something… very intriguing about your scent, Ryry-chan. I like it."
Ryo's face twitched.
He caught the meaningful look in Leticia's eyes.
"Even if you flatter me, I'm not lowering the protection fees." He quickly joked, trying to steer the conversation away, though inwardly he was startled by Willa's sensitivity.
After all, he shared part of Algol's spirit rank, the mother of all demons.
But that power had been carefully concealed by Algol to avoid drawing the attention of the gods. And yet Willa picked up on something just by scent?
Unlikely—but she might've caught a trace of Algol lingering on him.
After all, he'd once been parasitized by her. In a way, they'd been intertwined. A lingering scent wasn't strange.
"Alright. As we discussed before, Arcadia is willing to form an alliance with Will-O-Wisp. But I also said I'd give you time to think it over."
Ryo gave a self-deprecating smile. "You've probably heard already. I just offended Zeus of the Greek pantheon—and even sent him packing."
"Joining us now isn't exactly a smart move."
"So, all things considered… I suggest you think carefully."
At that, Jack and Ayesha exchanged a glance, then both looked to Willa.
They owed their lives to her, and their trust in her ran deep.
For small matters, they might decide on their own.
But for something like this—Willa's word was absolute.
If she chose it, they'd follow her through fire and blade without hesitation.
Under their gaze, Willa slowly opened her mouth.
"Alright…"
She had barely begun to speak when a crazed male voice suddenly cut in, "She refuses!"
.
.
.