The Tenth Unit of the Anti-Demon Corps was located in the central area of Mato, surrounded by eight other units forming a strategic circle. Geographically, this was the heart of all Anti-Demon Corps operations in the Mato dimension.
In theory, this was the safest area—if problems occurred, reinforcements could quickly arrive from all directions. However, the reality was the opposite. The Tenth Unit was the front line in the rapid response system. If other units experienced a crisis, the Tenth Unit had to rush to provide support to every area at the highest speed.
If the Sixth Unit was likened to a fire brigade ready to extinguish fires at various points, then the Tenth Unit was a command tower placed in the center.
Compared to the other nine units, the barrier protecting the Tenth Unit was undoubtedly the strongest.
The reason?
Because the person who installed the barriers protecting Anti-Demon Corps bases throughout Mato was a member of the Tenth Unit herself—a woman named Ginna Bizen with a barrier specialization Peach Blessing.
However, that day, the Tenth Unit headquarters received an uninvited guest.
In Dimensional Displacement mode, Naoki walked through the barrier without triggering a single alarm. The spatial layer where he existed didn't touch the security system installed in the material world. He was a ghost walking between the cracks of reality.
(Tsk. Capitalism is indeed amazing.)
Naoki couldn't help but click his tongue when his eyes caught the view before him.
A large Western-style house stood majestically on flat land, its area exceeding a soccer field. Its architecture was elegant, with white marble pillars and large glass windows reflecting the purple light in the sky.
But that was just one building.
Around it, stretched a complex as large as a university campus.
Dense forest surrounded the area on all sides, deliberately planted to create an illusion of nature in the middle of Mato's barren landscape. A river with clear water meandered between the trees, its gurgling sound soothing. Artificial mountains loomed in the distance, with a small waterfall flowing from their peak.
(If I'm not mistaken, all this was created since Yamashiro Ren took office. Her relationship with the prime minister and important political figures in Japan is indeed very close. For her, abusing power is as easy as turning over her palm.)
Along the way to the main building, Naoki passed many maids.
The young women wore typical Western maid uniforms—long black dresses with white lace aprons, long sleeves, and a large ribbon at the back. Their movements were nimble, their faces professional.
Some carried laundry baskets, some pushed food trolleys, some swept the terrace with traditional Japanese brooms. All worked in organized silence, without a single one talking or joking—military-style discipline applied in a domestic environment.
(That woman really likes dogs, huh...)
Naoki's steps halted briefly when he saw two Shiba dogs, one black and one white, relaxing in the garden.
(No wonder she's so obsessed with wanting to take Yuuki from Kyouka. In her eyes, Yuuki is just a dog that can be taken at will.)
Naoki's eyes narrowed.
Both dogs emanated the same aura as Peach users.
(How wasteful!)
(While other countries have to send their agents to infiltrate Mato at risk of death just to steal one or two Peaches because of Japan's stingy distribution... Ren instead gives her pets Peaches.)
Two dogs with superpowers. Two Peaches wasted on animals.
Naoki shook his head, continuing his steps.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
In the main office.
A young woman sat on a luxurious and magnificent throne placed in the center of the room. Not an ordinary chair—this was a gold-plated wooden throne with a high backrest, decorated with carvings of dragons and phoenixes.
Her legs were crossed gracefully. Tight black stockings wrapped around her slender legs, reflecting glimmers from the crystal chandelier on the ceiling. High-heeled shoes with pointed tips dangled at her toes.
Her clear purple eyes gazed at the document in her hand with a cold and slightly bored expression.
Yamashiro Ren.
Supreme Commander of the Anti-Demon Corps.
The strongest woman in human history.
Unmatched and unparalleled.
"Wakura Yuuki..." Her eyes were still fixed on the report in her hand. "Kyouka found an interesting man."
Ren frowned.
What use was he?
Men couldn't do anything except help with household chores or cleaning. And even that could be handled by lower-ranked employees in companies specifically for women.
"This man..." the corner of her lips lifted slightly—not a smile, more like a thin smirk. "Like a dog."
She imagined.
"This man is like a dog. I also want a new toy... maybe I should take him?"
"...?!"
As her lips formed a thin smile, suddenly an alarm sounded in her mind. A danger warning she hadn't felt in a long time. So long, she had almost forgotten what it felt like.
Since eating a Peach and becoming the strongest, no one dared approach her with malicious intent. Even leaders of other nations were careful in her presence.
But now...
"Someone is trying to ambush me?" Ren didn't panic. Instead, a thin smile appeared on her lips. "Interesting."
She placed the document on the table beside the throne.
"Let's see..." Ren flicked her long jet-black hair, her purple eyes narrowing with full confidence. "What kind of ability gives them the confidence to challenge me."
*SHUA!*
The world suddenly went silent. The flow of time within a 300-meter radius stopped completely.
Maids who were working froze like wax statues.
The shiba dogs that were running stopped mid-leap, their legs hanging in the air.
Tenth Unit members who were training in the yard became statues like the other maids.
Including Yamashiro Ren.
The woman called the Apex of Humanity sat frozen on her throne, with a condescending expression still etched on her beautiful face. Her purple eyes were fixed on one point. Her hair that had been swaying was now motionless.
"..."
Naoki canceled Dimensional Displacement.
He appeared beside Ren's throne, just a few centimeters from the woman's body. His black clothing contrasted with the room's luxury. His hood covered his face, but the inverted cross pattern in his pupils shone brightly.
Behind his back, a glowing golden clock motif with slowly rotating gears—the manifestation of «Golden Hour» amplified tenfold by «Decimal Point».
Naoki gazed at the frozen Ren. The condescending expression on that face—even in a stopped state, still looked arrogant.
"This is easier than I imagined." His voice sounded strange in the absolute silence. "I thought Ren had an ability that made her immune to Time Stop. Maybe her Nullification was passively active, or maybe one of her eight abilities was defense against Time Manipulation."
Naoki sighed.
"Turns out I was overthinking."
In theory, every woman could only eat one Peach and awaken one ability. This world was vast and full of anomalies—exceptions did exist.
If one Peach Blessing had multiple abilities, then that was a phenomenon that could break the common sense that one Peach only awakened one ability.
It was Ren who violated this common sense.
Supposedly, after eating that Peach, she had awakened a total of eight abilities within one Peach Blessing named «Vairocana».
To this day, no one had witnessed all eight abilities. Any enemy before Ren could be completely destroyed with just one or two abilities. No one had ever been able to force her to reveal her entire arsenal.
If there was one person who knew all eight abilities, that person must be Yamashiro Ren herself.
Even Naoki as a Reincarnator—with all his spoiler knowledge—didn't know the complete information.
But that wasn't important now.
What mattered was...
"If I successfully copy «Vairocana»..." Naoki gazed at the frozen Ren, a thin smile gracing his lips behind the mask. "It's like buy one, get seven free!"
Time was still stopped.
He had 40 seconds remaining.
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