Yuuya disappeared due to a magic casted by a mysterious assailant ── the Evil cult.
"Yuuya…!"
Yuti tried to rush to the position where Yuuya had been but was unable to do so.
Because──.
"Oh, ooohhh! At last… at last, our God has been resurrected…!"
Where Yuuya was just a moment ago, there was another figure.
"──Where is this place?"
It was a person clad in an ominous presence that was reminiscent of Avis, the king of Evil, who was supposed to have been defeated by Night and the others before.
Even standing there, Yuti, Night, and even Ciel, who had defeated Avis, were overwhelmed and unable to move properly.
Without paying attention to his surroundings, Evil appeared on the spot and looked down at his own body in wonder.
"Hmm… strange things happen. My body, which was injured by his attack, is somehow healed…"
"That is because we have summoned you!"
"Hmm?"
Then that Evil, which first noticed the existence of the Evil cult, quietly asked.
"You said you summoned me. Why?"
"Y-yes! We are the Evil cult. We are Evil worshippers! But our God of this time has been destroyed by a certain person…"
"What? In this time? What do you mean?"
"This world has advanced far more than the time when you were alive. A certain man destroyed our God in this time… but by invoking the ultimate magic invented by the sage who had fought you, we succeeded in replacing him with you! Yes… you, who fought that sage. You who is the most powerful Evil of all time…!"
"You mean to say that you have replaced me with the one who destroyed the Evil of this time?"
"Yes! Now there will be no more obstacles in your way this time!"
Hearing the words of the Evil cult's founder, Evil shook his shoulders with a look of satisfaction.
"I see, so that's how it is…. kukuku… hahahahahaha! This is brilliant! I never thought that the magic of the one who tried to destroy me would end up unleashing me into this world! Kuhahahaha!"
The Evil continued to laugh, but there was one person left who calmly spun his words against such Evil.
"──Unfortunately, your days will not be long."
"Hmm?"
Ouma was silently outraged by the misuse of his friend, the sage's magic, and the fact that Yuuya was made to disappear.
Seeing Ouma like this, Yuti and the others can finally feel relief.
That's what they thought…
"What, look who it is… the Genesis Dragon who was pathetically beaten up by the sage. I have no interest in a small fry like you. Get lost."
"….."
Surprisingly, the Evil that appeared did not push back against the pressure released by Ouma but rather countered it.
"Astonished. N-no way, Ouma-san is…"
Yuti stares at the Evil that appears as if in disbelief. Then, Ouma himself quietly opened his mouth.
"It's not particularly strange. The Evil of this era that Yuuya and the others defeated was far weaker. But this one is different. After all, even though he was defeated, he is still fighting against that sage."
"Hahahahaha! You know exactly what you're talking about!"
The Evil smiles at Ouma's words.
And then──.
"Yes, I am the King of Evil── Evil himself!" [T/n: Yes, his name is Evil (イヴィル) in Katakana. It would be pretty odd to translate this from now on since his name is also Evil.]
A tremendous aura of Evil erupted from his body.
＊＊＊
I couldn't understand the young man's words for a moment.
But…
"Ze-Zenovis, you say…? Eh, Zenoviisss!?"
Wait, that cannot be true!
The young man in front of me is… that Sage-san!?
While the information poured in one after another at a rate that my brain couldn't process, the young man… Zenovis-san nodded his head without changing color.
"Yes. I am Zenovis."
"….."
I was no longer even able to speak.
Wasn't Zenovis-san supposed to have died a long time ago in the first place? But if he wasn't Sage-san, that couldn't explain how he had that [Omni-Sword]… Anyway, a lot of guesses were going through my mind.
The only thing I can say is that the attack I saw just now was of the highest caliber I have ever seen. At any rate, the slash that was swung at random far exceeded the polished skills of Iris-san and Master Usagi.
And if he really is Sage-san, then it makes sense that Kuro was so frightened. In the first place, there was absolutely no way I could win.
I was puzzled by the unbelievable situation, but Zenovis-san raised his eyebrows a little.
"Even so… that's troubling."
"Eh?"
"I was just in this place fighting the Evil king or something like that. But just as I was about to finish him off… you appeared."
"Oh…"
Having said that much, I once again recall how I suddenly came to this place.
If I think about it in an orderly fashion, I must have been transported to this place by the magic of Sage-san that the mysterious man used.
Moreover, looking at the situation, it seems that I was not just transported to a different place but was sent back in time far into the past.
And, judging from the words and actions of those men, they must have been the Evil cult that Orghis-sama had told me about the other day.
In other words, I was switched with the Evil of this era by that magic.
"Oh no… what in the world am I supposed to do?"
While I held my head in complete confusion, Zenovis-san called out to me.
"I need you to tell me your situation."
"Eh? B-but it's a lot of speculation…"
"It doesn't matter."
As Zenovis-san said this, I took a moment to explain my current situation in my own way.
Then…
"I see. I guess I was right."
"Eeh?"
You couldn't have guessed that, could you?
Although he was surprised by this statement, Zenovis-san nodded his head seemingly unconcernedly.
"Oh. I knew you were not from this era when there were two of my weapons in the first place. So, if the past is impossible, the answer is the future. Secondly, it would make sense if the Evil I was fighting disappeared and you appeared because of the magic that switched the two objects. Well, there may be some minor limitations."
"I-I see…"
"But that's about all I could guess. I don't understand why someone from the future would go to the trouble of replacing you with the Evil of this period."
"P-perhaps, but there was another Evil born in the future, and I, together with my family and all of the Holy, defeated it. So I guess they thought that if they erased me from the world of that period, it would reduce the obstacles…"
"What? Not even one of the Evil can be easily defeated in your time? That's… unexpected indeed."
"Um… I'm sorry…"
Once told that we were too weak to be expected, all I could do was apologize.
But since both Master Usagi and Iris-san are strong, I think there was just something wrong with this era, or rather with Zenovis-san. No, I want to think that…!
"Oh well. More importantly, you were sent to this period by people who misused my magic… Unfortunately, I can't analyze that magic and send you back now."
"I-is that so?"
"A quick look at your body revealed a faint residue of magic, so I briefly analyzed it and… could not have constructed a more perfect magical theory. But unfortunately, it seems that this magic uses several images that I don't understand at the moment. I suppose I will eventually perfect it… but right now, I can't."
"Huh…"
Once Zenovis-san, the developer of magic, who was my only hope, told me that it was impossible, there was nothing more I could do.
As I was at a loss as to what to do, Zenovis-san suddenly looked up at the sky with a somewhat troublesome expression on his face.
"Huh… again?"
"Eh?"
I looked up in the sky too to see what was in the sky, and something was falling our way!
"──Maaaaaaah!"
"Huh? N-no way…!"
I stared at the object falling towards us with my eyes and… to my surprise, a girl was coming towards us at an incredible speed!
"Eeeeehhh! A-a girl is falling from the sky!"
"Don't worry about it. It happens all the time."
"All the time?"
What's that routine!
As I was startled by the unbelievable sight, the girl's figure gradually became more and more exposed.
The girl has blonde hair in a somewhat divine bob cut and clear blue eyes. What's more, she had angel rings on her head and pure white wings on her back!
The girl plunges straight at us with her eyes fixed on us.
"~~Samaaa! Zeenooviiisss-saamaaaaa!"
"Shut up."
"Fuge!"
Zenovis-san caught the angel-like girl who came charging at him at breakneck speed by grabbing her face with his bare hands without changing his expression!
The girl who had her face grabbed in an eagle grip flailed and resisted on the spot but eventually quieted down, perhaps realizing that Zenovis-san was so powerful that she could not escape at all.
Then, Zenovis-san let out a sigh and released the girl.
"Hah… how many times do I have to tell you. I told you to come normally."
"I-it's because! Zenovis-sama, if I come here normally, you won't take me seriously!"
"It's too much trouble."
"That's why I'm attacking you directly like this!"
Oh, it's an attack after all!
Surprised by the unexpected statement, the girl notices my presence.
"Oyoyo? A somewhat unfamiliar face… Ehh, you! You are not from this era! What are you doing here?"
The girl could tell I wasn't from this period just by looking at me.
How did she know?
Despite my surprise, Zenovis-san continued without paying any particular attention to me.
"It seems that my magic is the cause of his coming to this period."
"Eh, Zenovis-sama's magic? …You're still as talented as ever, aren't you?"
The girl's cheeks tightened at Zenovis-san's statement, and then she turned to me with a new expression on her face.
"Then, let me introduce myself! As you can see, I am an angel, Lanael!"
"Y-yes… I-I'm Yuuya Tenjou…"
"Yuuya, Tenjou… how should I put it…? You're not only not from this period but also from a different world!"
"H-how do you know that much?"
I just said my name, but Lanael-san guessed exactly who I was.
"Of course, I know that much! I may look like this, but I am a messenger of the Observer-sama!"
"O-observer?"
When I tilted my head at the unfamiliar word, Zenovis-san explained it to me.
"An observer is a being not of this world… but of another dimension above."
"A-another one above?"
"Yes. In terms familiar to most of us, it's… a god."
Hearing Zenovis-san's words reminded me of the first time I read his book in the cave.
As I recall, while still alive, Zenovis-san was contacted and solicited by the gods…
Then Lanael-san looked at Zenovis-san again.
"Yes, gods, gods! So why does Zenovis-sama refuse to be that god!"
"Because I'm not interested in any gods."
"Really!"
Zenovis-san made a clear statement, and Lanael-san was also troubled by his words.
"So, what are you doing here today? Don't tell me you're just here to solicit me to become a god?"
Please don't say that like I'm a woman of leisure! I-it's just that… well… how should I say it…"
"…What have you done?"
Sensing something in the sudden change in Lanael-san's demeanor, Zenovis-san asked with a light furrow of his brow.
"W-wait a minute! Why are you talking on the assumption that I've done something wrong!"
"You could have done it."
"What a disgusting trust! No, it's not! It's not that I did anything, but it seems that… um… the power of that 'false god' has flowed into this world."
"…What do you mean?"
For the first time here, Zenovis-san turned a distinctly different color.
"What are the observers doing? They call themselves gods, but can't they even do their jobs properly?"
"Ugh."
"…Well, that's okay. But if the power of the false god has flowed into this world, why am I supposed to help solve it there? If it's an observer's problem, deal with it yourself. Don't bring your problems into this world."
"T-there is no other choice! Observers are always shorthanded! That's why they invited Zenovis-sama to join… A-anyway! Observers are busy dealing with the main body of the false god! So I haven't even gotten into the matter of the power of the false god that has flowed into this world!"
Lanael-san exclaimed in desperation.
Zenovis-san also let out a loud sigh, perhaps thinking that there was no point in talking anymore.
"Hah… so who did the power of the false god flow to, and who became the sentinels of the false god?"
"U-um… that's…"
"What? Come on, say it."
"…..the Genesis Dragon."
"…Maybe I should go and fight you, the observers, once and for all."
"Gyahhhh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Lanael-san apologizes desperately.
To be honest, I have no idea what the story is about… Genesis Dragon, you mean, Ouma-san?
Well, surely there is Ouma-san in this period!
But he wouldn't know about me…
I mean, observers are gods, right? Zenovis-san, who could normally say that he's going to pick a fight with them, is…
As I think about this, Zenovis-san notices that I am the only one left behind and tells me about the situation again.
"Well… I said that the observers are beings from a higher dimension, but there is a fight going on in that higher dimension, just like ours. That opponent is the false god."
"False god…"
"Well, I only know it as knowledge; I have never seen the real thing. After all, it is essentially irrelevant to me. What happens in the upper dimension is resolved in the upper dimension. It should be so, but… sometimes the observer cannot contain the false god, and the power of the false god flows into this world. And that power has a will, and when that power flows to those who seek power, they become the cusp of the false god. Yes, it becomes a sentinel… but more than that, the Genesis Dragon…"
"Um, is that the Genesis Dragon that's sleeping in the valley…?"
"Hmm? Oh yeah. In Yuuya's time, yes. But it wouldn't be that guy. That guy takes pride in his power. Come to think of it, he was flaunting it the other day and was acting up, so I just beat him to quiet him down… He's not the kind of guy who would want to borrow someone else's strength to get stronger just because he lost to me."
It appears that Ouma-san is not the one who has become the sentinel of that imaginary god.
Zenovis-san is right, Ouma-san would probably refuse God's offer to give him power…
…Hmm? Wait a minute? But then, that Genesis dragon is…
"U-um, I have one question: how many… Genesis Dragons are there?"
"Two."
"Eeeh?"
I am appalled at the fact that I never expected that. I had spent a lot of time with Ouma-san, but I had never heard of such a story.
In fact, when Lexia-san and others told me about the Genesis Dragon, they only mentioned Ouma-san… Could it be that he is still alive in that era, but we just don't know about him?
"And you want me to take care of it?"
"Ugh… B-because I can't possibly win against the Genesis Dragon with the power of a false god…"
"Is that so?"
"I-I'm an angel sent by an observer, after all! Even though I live in a higher dimension, I'm not that strong!"
"H-huh…"
"I hope you won't be relying on me for manpower as a result."
From what I hear now, if it were true, the observers would have to do something about the incident, but they themselves are stuck in a battle with the main body of the false god, and Lanael-san, an angel, alone is no match for them, so Zenovis-san's help is needed… so it seems.
Zenovis-san looked stunned, but suddenly he seemed to have thought of something and opened his mouth.
"Hmm… it can't be helped. I wasn't eager to do it, but I can help you with that story."
"Eh, really? Well, then, let's get on with──."
"But I have a condition."
"C-condition…?"
As Lanael-san waited with bated breath to see what kind of conditions would pop up, Zenovis-san told her as if nothing was wrong.
"Yeah. In exchange for helping you with this matter… you will return Yuuya back to his original time."
"Eh?"
"Hmm? That is… I am sure the observers will allow me to use that much power if you help us…"
I didn't think they would make it conditional on me going back to my own time.
"A-are you sure? Under those conditions, Zenovis-san wouldn't get anything out of it…"
"What are you talking about? You do it."
"Huh?"
I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the words, but Zenovis-san continued without changing his expression at all.
"You're going to be dealing with the sentinels of a false god. With this, it stands to reason that you would accept the reward, right?"
"Eeeeehhhh? N-no, no, it is impossible! Because I'm weak, you know?"
"Don't worry. I'll help you."
"H-help?"
I wonder. I have a very bad feeling about this…!
Then, as if to say that my imagination was right, Zenovis-san smiled the biggest smile I've seen since I met him today.
"Well, let's get you trained right away, shall we?"
"N-nooooooo!"
──My screams echoed through the [World's Disposal Ground].