Only by personally experiencing the effects of Return by Death on these otherworldly visitors could Ryou properly prepare for his next steps.
At that moment, under Ryou's gaze, Natsuki Subaru, suffering from excessive blood loss and a destroyed kidney, finally lost all signs of life.
"It's happening!"
Ryou suddenly sensed an immense surge of death energy approaching and quickly issued a warning.
He didn't need to say it; Semiramis and Anastasia both sensed the terrifying power at the same time.
The next second, the three of them, along with Subaru's body, were engulfed in thick, dense black mist.
In an instant, the ordinary surroundings transformed into an abyss filled with darkness and death.
From the depths of the mist, faint murmurs of a girl's voice could be heard, adding a chilling eeriness to the atmosphere.
Ryou, however, focused all his attention on Subaru.
As expected, with the appearance of the black mist, time seemed to rewind—blood spilled on the ground began flowing back into Subaru's wound, and the stab wound healed visibly.
The most important change was that Subaru, lifeless only moments ago, began to revive.
But then, something unexpected happened.
As if provoked, the Time Gem embedded in Ryou's right-hand gauntlet suddenly emitted a dazzling blue light.
In an instant, the black mist dissipated, and the flow of time returned to normal.
"…"
Looking at Subaru's gradually cooling corpse in the distance, Ryou was speechless.
He hadn't intended to do anything to Subaru.
As a fan of the anime, Ryou had a neutral attitude towards Subaru—he neither liked nor disliked him. Aside from thinking that Subaru talked a bit too much, he was just an ordinary Japanese high school student.
Yet somehow, he had inadvertently killed him.
Ryou could only feel as though a wave of malicious intent from the heavens was targeting him.
"Ryou-sama?"
Anastasia looked at him with wide-eyed surprise.
"It wasn't me! I didn't do it!"
Just as Ryou started to explain, Semiramis, seemingly unsatisfied with the smallness of the incident, added her comment.
"Ara~ Master acts decisively! As expected of the man I've set my eye on—you truly have the makings of a hero~ hehe!"
She snapped open her fan, covering half her face as she chuckled, her eyes alight with amusement.
Ryou couldn't help but show a helpless expression.
Sure enough, Anastasia's face now held a hint of suspicion.
He instantly felt a headache coming on.
And he couldn't even properly explain himself. After all, they had seen the Time Gem on his right-hand glow, so any denial would be unconvincing.
But then, Anastasia's next words lifted Ryou from despair.
"Though this boy is indeed pitiful, I believe in you, Ryou-sama. And even if it truly was you, I will always stand by your side."
With that, Anastasia gave a slight smile.
Ryou wasn't sure if her smile could topple nations, but it certainly won him over.
Unlike a certain troublemaking seductress, this was a true angel!
"Ara~ such a bold statement."
Semiramis's amusement deepened, unaware of Ryou's thoughts.
Compared to the boredom of sitting in the Hanging Gardens, following this master was far more interesting.
Just then, a fresh wave of black mist, filled with endless death energy, surged toward Ryou.
The Avenger had arrived.
Ryou's expression immediately turned serious.
Anastasia and Semiramis quickly set up layers of defensive spells in front of him.
However, the defensive barrier they created, which could withstand a full-force strike from an A-rank anti-army Noble Phantasm, shattered instantly on contact with the black mist.
The mist didn't pause as it enveloped Ryou.
"Ryou-sama!"
Anastasia cried out, desperately reaching out her hand, trying to grab the hem of his robe.
"Stay here and don't move. I'll go meet our guest and be back shortly."
Ryou gave her a reassuring look.
In the next second, he was swept away by the black mist and disappeared.
...
Within the endless black mist filled with death, a silver-haired half-elf girl stood quietly, her slender frame draped in a dress woven from shadows. Her exposed skin appeared deathly pale as if it hadn't seen sunlight in years.
The girl's face was obscured by the dense black fog, completely shielding her from view.
Even with Ryou's power, he couldn't see her true appearance.
At that moment, the deathly black mist began eroding Ryou's life force.
Ryou furrowed his brow slightly. Even with his regenerative abilities, he estimated he could only last an hour before the deathly aura would completely consume him.
Though the chances were slim, he still hoped to convince the Witch of Envy in front of him to let go of her hatred.
"Miss Satella, you might not believe it, but this is just a misunderstanding..."
Satella, however, was uninterested in explanations. She continued muttering something under her breath.
Ryou instinctively listened closely, but what he heard sent chills down his spine.
"You took away my light… You took away my love… I will kill you, kill you, kill you… (on endless repeat)"
"…"
Ryou realized that Satella was not going to listen to his explanations.
'Looks like this fight is inevitable…'
With his decision made, his eyes instantly turned cold.
Although he hadn't intended to fight the final boss of this world right from the start, at this point, even if he wanted to call a truce, Satella, who had lost her beloved, wouldn't let him go.
So Ryou acted decisively.
He slowly raised his right hand and—snap! He snapped his fingers.
He was copying a certain purple titan.
It was just that the gesture was simply too cool!
World Source Skill—World Separation!
With that crisp snap of his fingers, the entire world shifted.
The abyss, filled with endless deathly black mist, transformed. Above them was a vast, starry sky, and below their feet was a mirror-like lake that reflected their images clearly.
In an instant, the Witch of Envy, who had devoured half the world and brought endless death, was reduced to a harmless little lamb.
Poof!
Ryou nearly had a nosebleed. With all her powers gone, even the shadowy dress that had been covering Satella disappeared.
Standing before him now was none other than a completely bare Emilia!
No wonder she's ranked among the top three most beautiful women in the world.
Emilia—or rather, Satella—had a slender figure that was neither frail nor flat-chested but perfectly curvaceous. A body where adding one more pound would make her too plump, and losing one would make her too thin.
Her "assets," perfectly shaped to fit in one hand, were balanced by long, graceful legs that made up almost half of her height, with lines that seemed tailor-made for white stockings. Just those legs alone could captivate someone for a lifetime.
Her skin was delicate, as pure and white as fresh snow, and complemented her perfectly shaped oval face, violet eyes, petite nose, cherry lips, pointed ears, and long, mercury-like hair. She resembled the most exquisite, delicate doll, inspiring the desire to cradle her with care.
Suddenly stripped of her clothes and standing before a man, any ordinary girl would instinctively try to cover herself.
But Satella looked utterly desolate, her eyes vacant, unbothered that Ryou had seen every inch of her pure form. Instead, she extended her arms like claws and slowly approached him.
Her expression conveyed only one message:
Even if I lose all my power, I will strangle you with my bare hands! I will bite you to death!
Even if I turn into a demon, I will drag you down to hell with me.
Ryou immediately understood: reconciliation between him and Satella was impossible. Only one of them could leave this place alive.
Ryou didn't want to die, so he could only act ruthlessly to survive.
...
Three minutes later.
Anastasia, waiting anxiously where he'd left her, subconsciously clenched her clothes tightly, her lips pressed together.
Semiramis appeared calm, but her foot was tapping the ground lightly.
At that moment, a flash of light appeared, and Ryou's figure emerged, half-kneeling.
"Ryou-sama!"
Anastasia hurried over to support him.
Just as Ryou stood up straight, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The World Source Skill—Wordl Separation.
This ability was nearly invincible, but such a heaven-defying power came at a steep price. Using World Source Skill required sacrifice and irreversibly weakened his life force, similar to a game where the maximum HP was permanently reduced.
If he continued to use it recklessly, he would soon die from the toll on his life force.
Gaining immense power always comes at a cost.
Equivalent exchange is the true rule of this world.
As Anastasia hurriedly applied healing magic on Ryou, a high-pitched, melodious voice interrupted them.
"You... you killed someone in broad daylight!?"
Ryou instinctively looked up and saw a face identical to Satella's.
The difference lay in their temperament. Satella bore the despair and darkness of someone forsaken by the world, while the girl before him radiated a pure light that had emerged from countless hardships yet remained her own.
She wore a formal white gown, with a dragon insignia embroidered on the wide sleeves—a fantastical outfit befitting a divine attendant.
Her flowing hair, like a cascade of stars, was adorned with a white, flower-shaped ornament. The absolute zone between her short skirt and white stockings was irresistibly charming.
Despite her pure, crystal-like innocence, she exuded an entirely different allure.
Such beauty, if she were in the real world before Ryou's transmigration, wouldn't just draw fans because she resembled the Witch of Envy. Even if she were the actual Witch of the Apocalypse, she would still win countless die-hard followers.
If she was hated, it could mean only one thing: the people of this other world were (censored).
She was none other than Emilia, this world's heroine with a deep, intricate connection to the Witch of Envy, Satella.
Standing at the entrance to the alley, Emilia's initially shocked expression gradually turned serious as she saw the trio's silence.
"Please come with me to the city guard's station, or…"
Ryou frowned, sensing the deep malice of the universe pressing down on him.
He had just transmigrated here, and the protagonist, known as Subaru Natsuki had accidentally been killed by him.
As a result, he incurred the wrath of the Witch of Envy, Satella, who broke free from her seal to seek revenge.
The grudge between them was now irreconcilable. While Ryou had some sympathy for Satella, who looked like Emilia, and felt for her tragic fate, he had still chosen to end her.
Yet just as he returned, barely catching his breath, the real heroine, Emilia, appeared and mistook them as murderers.
This was truly a hellish start.
Ryou frowned, saying nothing, while Anastasia turned her back on Emilia, ignoring her as she continued fussing over Ryou.
Then, a gleam of interest sparked in Semiramis's usually lazy eyes. She put on a villainous expression and spoke in a harsh tone.
"Or else what, little girl? Since you've seen us, we might as well kill you too!"
As if realizing something, Semiramis's eyes lit up with a mischievous glint as she looked Emilia over.
"Hm~ Seeing you now, you're quite the beauty. If we sold you to a brothel, you'd fetch a high price for sure."
A wave of dread washed over Emilia as if her clothes had been stripped off and a venomous snake slithered over her body.
Terrified by Semiramis's menacing demeanor, Emilia's expression was that of a bullied lamb, and she instinctively took a step back.
At that moment, blue and white light particles, like stardust, gathered around Emilia, and a cute little kitten suddenly appeared in front of her.
Amazingly, the kitten spoke in a soft, childlike voice.
"Hold on, lady over there. I can't just pretend I didn't hear that. If you intend to bully my daughter, I won't stand for it."
"Puck!"
Emilia called out joyfully, then waved her hand toward Ryou and the others. Several fist-sized ice crystals materialized from thin air and slammed into the ground in front of them.
"Please don't make this difficult for me. I don't want to use force, so can you come with me to the city guard's station?"
With Puck as her backbone, the once soft and sweet Emilia took on a more assertive demeanor.
This cat, named Puck, was one of the three artificial spirits created by the Witch of Greed. Despite its cute appearance, it was a monster capable of world-ending destruction, known as the Beast of the End.
Semiramis was about to speak when Ryou stopped her.
"The person on the ground was stabbed to death by a white-haired thug. He had an accomplice, a short guy, and a big brute."
Ryou said, looking at the floating spirit, Puck.
"You should be able to tell whether I'm lying or not, right?"