Chapter 46: Ragnarok Descends
Sitting upon the throne, I did my best to project an air of dignity as I looked down at the assembled members of Haru.
Everyone was kneeling respectfully, with Luna standing at the front.
Unlike the others, who kept their heads lowered as if unwilling to look upon me without permission, Luna was staring directly at me with eyes sparkling with happiness.
Silently signaling that they could rise, I waited for everyone to stand before speaking.
“I forgot to mention it during my last visit, but you've done a wonderful job using the knowledge I entrusted to you to take over the market, Luna. I am extremely pleased.”
A bright smile appeared on my face as I praised her.
Luna somehow became even happier.
Small tears appeared in her eyes as she pressed a hand against her chest.
“Y-You honor me with your words, my Lord! I could never have accomplished any of this without your infinite wisdom and the resources you provided me at the beginning,” Luna said emotionally, doing her best to downplay her own accomplishments.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
‘These girls seriously need to learn how to accept praise.’
The thought left me feeling both fond and slightly exasperated.
Unlike Cid, who would simply spout vague nonsense about the Wisdom of the Shadows to fuel his chuuni fantasies, I had actually taken the time to properly teach each girl in the fields that interested them.
For Luna, that meant commerce.
Of course, because she was an actual genius with an eidetic memory, I had ended up teaching her a little bit of everything.
The results spoke for themselves.
Mitsugoshi had become an international powerhouse and generated an absurd amount of profit every month. With Eta recreating inventions from modern Earth and Luna handling the business side of things, they had practically taken the world by storm.
At this point, Luna was likely earning more than a hundred times what her canon counterpart ever managed.
After all, she wasn't relying on random guesses and half-understood stories overheard from Cid.
So naturally...
She deserved to be rewarded.
“Regardless, there's no denying that what you've achieved was accomplished through your own efforts. You should take pride in that.”
Luna looked genuinely surprised by my words.
Then her expression softened into something warm and tender as tears once again gathered in her eyes.
Predictably, she began thanking me all over again.
After giving her a few moments to calm down, I continued.
“With that said, it's only appropriate that your efforts be rewarded.”
Leaning back against one hand, I smiled down at her.
“So tell me, Luna. What is your wish?”
The room immediately became silent.
“As long as it is within my power to grant it, consider it done.”
I deliberately added a bit more authority to my voice, knowing that otherwise she might reject the offer outright.
Luna immediately became flustered.
Fidgeting in place, she looked completely unsure of herself before bringing a hand to her chin and thinking deeply.
Several seconds passed.
Then suddenly—
Her face turned bright red.
I watched as she began stealing shy glances toward me every few seconds before quickly looking away again.
My eyebrow slowly rose.
Whatever she had just thought of...
I had a feeling it wasn't going to be a simple request.
‘This seems familiar,’ I thought silently, recalling the exact same look I had seen on Liriel and Lilim.
“Stop pretending to be surprised, Akari-sama. You know perfectly well that every founding member of Haru, along with several others, has been discussing this ever since Alpha-san asked to become your woman as a reward.”
Ciel's deadpan voice echoed inside my head, lightly admonishing me.
‘Hey, it's no fun if I know everything before it happens. That's why I turn off my Clairvoyance and Emotion Sense whenever I'm around my loved ones,’ I pouted while mentally poking at Ciel.
She squirmed in response.
‘And besides, while I can probably guess what's going on from a dozen different clues, at least let me pretend to be surprised once in a while.’
I received nothing but a cute huff in return before she went silent again.
“I-Is it alright if I tell you later in private, my Lord?” Luna asked shyly, pulling me from my thoughts.
Looking up, I found her avoiding my gaze while nervously fidgeting.
“Very well,” I replied with a nod.
The almost inaudible sigh of relief she released did not escape my ears.
“Now then, let's move on to the main reason I'm here today.”
At my words, Luna's embarrassment disappeared instantly, replaced by a serious expression. The others behind her did the same.
“My Lord, to what do we owe your visit?” she asked attentively.
“With all the progress you and the other members of Haru have made in crippling the Cult of Diablos during my time away, I have come to a decision.”
The room fell completely silent.
“Our time in this world is nearing its end.”
Surprised gasps echoed throughout the hall.
Everyone reacted—
Except Luna.
“Zeta informed us of your decision before departing on the mission you assigned her, my Lord,” Luna explained calmly. “In fact, I have already begun preparations for our departure.”
Despite her composed demeanor, I could still see the excitement shining in her eyes.
It wasn't surprising.
The girls viewed my Demiplane almost like a paradise, a heaven where only those chosen by me were permitted entry.
And Luna wasn't the only excited one.
The girls standing behind her, along with Nu, all looked equally eager and curious, no doubt influenced by the stories they had heard from the others.
“Do you have a specific timeframe in mind, my Lord?” Luna asked.
“Hm.”
I thought about it for a moment before nodding.
“A month. Two at the absolute most.”
“Understood.”
Luna smiled happily.
“I'll inform everyone immediately and begin final preparations.”
“I would offer to help,” I mused, “but thanks to our shared inventory, packing shouldn't be much of an issue.”
Thinking things through, I quickly considered what else needed to be addressed.
“As for the buildings themselves, leave them standing. Just remove everything of value. We can always build new facilities wherever we're going next.”
“Understood, my Lord.”
Luna immediately pulled out a small notepad and began writing everything down.
Watching her diligently record instructions that I personally considered fairly straightforward, I couldn't help but sweatdrop slightly.
Some habits never changed.
Still...
To each their own. And it was admittedly really cute.
“By the way, Luna,” I said, remembering something.
Luna immediately perked up and looked at me eagerly, waiting for whatever I had to say.
“How is the recruitment effort going? What's the total number of Possessed we rescued and are currently in our ranks?” I asked curiously.
“Hmm, let me think.”
Luna scrunched up her face cutely and brought a finger to her chin as she searched through her memories. A few moments later, her eyes widened and she smiled.
“If I'm not mistaken, the number should be around eleven hundred by now, give or take a few,” Luna answered proudly.
I blinked.
Even I hadn't expected the number to be that high.
Still, I nodded approvingly.
“I'm impressed. That's significantly higher than I expected, honestly.”
“Y-You flatter us, my Lord,” Luna replied, blushing happily.
“Have there been any particularly noteworthy recruits?” I continued, my gaze drifting toward Nicoletta.
Noticing my attention, the brown-haired girl immediately stiffened and became visibly nervous.
“As expected of you, my Lord~” Luna said with a pleased smile. “Indeed, there have.”
Her gaze shifted toward Nicoletta as well.
“Nu, step forward. Be proud. Lord Akari has recognized your talent.”
Nicoletta quickly composed herself before stepping forward until she stood slightly behind Luna.
Bowing respectfully, she introduced herself.
“I-It's a pleasure to meet you, my Lord. I have been given the name Nu.”
Her voice carried a slight stutter as she nervously watched my reaction, clearly worried about making a poor first impression.
Smiling, I nodded.
“Stand proud, Nicoletta Marquez. You've earned the right to that name.”
Nicoletta froze.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“H-How did you—?”
“As I told you before, Nu,” Luna interrupted before I could answer.
Immediately, she sent me a look of pure worship before turning back toward the others and beginning to shamelessly praise me.
“Absolutely nothing can hide from our Lord's gaze. His all-seeing eyes pierce all things and know all truths.”
By the end of her declaration, Luna had somehow managed to puff out her chest proudly, looking far more pleased about my abilities than I was.
“I-I see,” Nicoletta said, still processing everything. “Forgive me if my words were disrespectful, Akari-sama.”
“Wahaha, no need to apologize,” I replied with a friendly laugh.
“When I'm spending time with loved ones or trusted comrades, I keep abilities like that disabled. It would be rude otherwise, and it makes genuine conversations difficult.”
Nicoletta listened attentively.
“As for how I knew your name...” I continued. “Names possess power. One of my abilities allows me to perceive the true name of anything I look at.”
I briefly explained the ability not wanting to go too deep since the concept of video games still didn’t exist in this world, and it would be hard explaining that a person's name appeared above their head in a small status window along with their health and stamina.
Unfortunately, my attempt to make it sound less impressive failed completely.
Nicoletta's eyes only widened further.
Meanwhile, Luna somehow became even smugger.
If she puffed her chest out any further, I was fairly certain she'd fall over backward or her breasts would bounce free from her tight dress.
“A-Astounding ability, my Lord,” Nicoletta said, still slightly stuttering.
“Quite,” I agreed before shaking my head and smiling at her. “Anyway, as a reward for your good work, I will personally be empowering you even further.”
“Oh! This is your lucky day, Nu~” Luna exclaimed excitedly. “Only a handful of people have ever been personally granted power by our Lord.”
Nicoletta's eyes widened in surprise once more.
“I-It is an honor, my Lord.”
Waving away her constant thanks, I let my magic envelop her for a moment, empowering her in the same manner Cid had once empowered Rose and the original Seven Shadows.
Then I went a step further.
My Shroud manifested from my back before wrapping itself around her body.
A second later, the process was complete.
The Shroud receded at my command, revealing a wide-eyed Nicoletta staring at her hands in shock and wonder.
“T-This... I can feel so much power flowing through my veins,” Nicoletta gasped happily.
“Make sure to properly train your new strength so it doesn't catch you off guard,” I advised with a nod. “You should be several times stronger than before in every aspect.”
Nicoletta immediately snapped out of her daze and bowed deeply, looking at me with a grateful and devoted gaze that was becoming dangerously similar to Luna's.
“Of course, Lord Akari. Thank you for this wonderful gift. I will continue working hard for your benefit,” Nicoletta declared with determination.
“I'm sure you will.”
I nodded approvingly before patting her on the head.
Nicoletta immediately froze.
A cute blush spread across her face moments later.
“Now then, I should be going. Keep up the good work, everyone.”
Turning toward Luna, I noticed she suddenly looked a little saddened by my departure.
Grinning teasingly, I leaned down and stole a quick kiss from her lips.
Luna instantly turned crimson.
“M-M-My Lord!?” she squeaked, gently touching her lips where I had kissed her.
Winking at her, I answered the question she was too stunned to ask.
“I'll be speaking with you later about your reward~ Consider that a small preview.”
Leaving Luna caught somewhere between embarrassment, shock, and absolute bliss, I made my way toward the exit.
I ignored the looks the other girls were sending me.
I also ignored the fact that I could feel Nicoletta's gaze fixed on my back the entire time.
Then, a moment later, I vanished from sight as if I had never been there at all.
=====
A Week Later
Since my announcement that we would be leaving this world within two months at the latest, Haru had become incredibly busy.
The past week had been spent packing, searching for any remaining Possessed in need of rescue, and hunting down the last surviving members of the Cult of Diablos.
For the latter task, Delta and her subordinate Pi—a fellow dog therianthrope with white-and-black hair, blue eyes, and matching ears and tail—had gone completely wild.
Now that there was no longer any need to keep a low profile, the pair, and especially Sara, had spent every night rampaging through Cult hideouts and massacring anyone unfortunate enough to be associated with them.
Meanwhile, Lilim, or Zeta, and Victoria had successfully returned from the Kingdom of Oriana after completing the mission I assigned them.
Mordred was dead.
The Cult's forces within Oriana had been wiped out.
And they had successfully secured both the Artifact and the Key.
At this point, the only remaining objective was Lindwurm.
More specifically, retrieving Diablos's left arm from the Sanctuary hidden beneath the city.
Once that was accomplished, the Cult of Diablos would effectively cease to exist.
A few low-ranking members with no real authority or knowledge might survive, but the organization itself would be finished.
And once I released Aurora and convinced her to join us...
There would be nothing left tying us to this world.
My final act before leaving would be participating in the Bushin Festival scheduled to take place in a few weeks.
As for the Academy...
The past week had been surprisingly enjoyable.
I had spent most of it hanging out with Rose and Alexia.
Alexia had become increasingly annoyed by the fact that every time she tried to spend time alone with me, Rose would somehow appear out of nowhere and naturally insert herself into our plans.
The worst part, from Alexia's perspective anyway, was that Rose never did it maliciously.
She was either genuinely that innocent...
Or she was the most dangerous airhead in existence.
Since Rose didn't have a mean bone in her body, Alexia could never bring herself to reject her.
As a result, the three of us had gradually grown closer with each passing day.
As for Cid...
The psychopath had seemed unusually happy lately.
Every time we crossed paths, he would enthusiastically greet me as though we were old friends.
Honestly, it took considerable effort not to laugh every single time.
The idiot was probably thrilled that I had handed him a brand-new mystery to obsess over.
A secret organization.
Another reincarnator.
A hidden conspiracy.
I'd basically given him enough material to fuel his delusions for years.
Too bad for him that our actions had already destroyed most of the mystery he would eventually uncover.
“Akari-sama! Everyone is in position as ordered!”
A feminine voice pulled me from my thoughts.
Turning around, I found Lambda—or rather, Zinaida—kneeling before me with a serious expression.
Looking past her, I could see the main members of Haru standing ready alongside numerous Numbers.
Nodding approvingly, I turned back toward her.
“Well done. We begin on my signal.”
“As you command.”
After receiving her confirmation, I glanced down at the device resting in my hand.
Today, we were about to summon the monster known as Ragnarok.
A supposed demon originating from the Fourth Realm.
The very same creature that had once helped Oriana repel Velgata during their war years ago.
Normally, someone from Rose's royal bloodline would be required to activate the summoning.
Fortunately, the Cyber Shroud made such restrictions meaningless.
Technology was technology.
And technology obeyed me.
As for why everyone else was gathered here...
That was simple.
This was a training exercise.
An opportunity to test themselves against Ragnarok and the countless monsters it would inevitably spawn.
Naturally, we weren't foolish enough to summon something like this near a city.
Unlike canon, we had chosen a completely isolated location where everyone could fight without worrying about collateral damage.
“Let's see how this thing measures up against the girls,” I muttered with an excited grin.
Then I pressed the button.
A second later, space itself distorted high above us.
A massive crack spread across the sky.
“Begin!” I shouted excitedly, making sure everyone could hear me.