Opening my eyes, I found myself in a temple.

I was crying.

The memories from earlier were now clear in my mind.

I had relived all of Lancelot-san’s memories.

The tears I’d been holding back poured out uncontrollably, perhaps because my heart had momentarily merged with his.

I understood everything that had happened in the past.

The White Clan had sealed the Black Clan and all the magical beasts in a Cube, leading to their demise.

Then, the world was left empty until humans were born, leading to the present day.

That was a forgotten page of history.

Opening my eyes, I suddenly felt faint.

I remembered that my chest had been deeply cut and blood was pouring out uncontrollably.

This is bad. If I die from blood loss, I’d have no face to show to Lancelot-san.

That’s when it happened.

 

System Voice:『Eternal Temple Cleared』

 

A cold voice announced, as if celebrating my victory.

As my consciousness faded, I tried to teleport back using lightning. That’s when I heard something approaching.

This is bad. I’m losing consciousness…

Tap tap.

While on the verge of passing out, I saw something approaching through my blurry vision.

 

Kai: (What… is it?)

System Voice:『It’s okay, just rest. I’ll heal you. Please trust me.』

 

Hearing that voice, I felt a sense of relief and closed my eyes.

It was a very warm voice.

If I had relived Lancelot’s memories, I could trust this person.

 

Kai: (Ah, I can’t… go on…)

 

And so, I fell asleep.

Something soft seemed to embrace me.

 

System Voice:『Thank you… Kai-san. For inheriting his light.』

 

And I was lost to the world.

 

◇ Meanwhile, at the same time, Aya

 

Aya: “I couldn’t sleep!”

 

I wanted to be in top form today.

I had placed cucumber slices on my face, used the highest-quality skincare products, and tried to suppress my excitement as I went to bed.

But in the end, the excitement kept me awake.

 

Aya: “This is the worst…”

 

Aya groaned in frustration.

It was just past 6 in the morning, around the time Kai had set his alarm.

Their date was set for 9, so it might be a bit early, but it’s true that girls take time to get ready.

 

Aya: “Good… No dark circles.”

 

Checking her condition in the mirror, she decided to take a morning bath to get herself in the best state possible.

She applied a fragrant shampoo, hoping Kai would notice and compliment her.

Wrapped in a towel, she returned to her room.

 

Reina: “Whoa, good morning, Aya… You’re up early.”

 

Disturbed by the noises Aya was making, Reina, who had been sleeping in the next room, came to check on her.

 

Aya: “Reina, which outfit do you think looks best?”

 

Clothes were scattered all over the room.

Fashionable Aya, who had many outfits, was struggling to decide on the perfect one for this crucial moment.

 

Reina: “… Anything looks cute on you, Aya. I’m going back to sleep… Have fun, goodnight.”

Aya: “Goodnight. Ahh… I should’ve asked Kai about his preferences. Maybe I should go with the ‘seductive’ look…”

 

Although she had spent the previous night deciding on an outfit, she reconsidered her choice upon waking up.

This indecision led to an endless loop of trying on and taking off clothes, but Aya found the process enjoyable.

 

Aya: “…Underwear.”

 

Her body had cooled down after the bath.

She was about to put on her underwear when she hesitated, wondering if today might be a special day.

 

Aya: “… Black. Yes, black!”

 

For such occasions, black was the go-to color.

Deciding that black was the color for a showdown, Aya chose her sexiest black underwear.

She ultimately decided on the outfit she had painstakingly chosen the night before, had breakfast, and was fully prepared for the day ahead.

 

Aya: “…Phew… Alright!”

 

It was just before 8 o’clock.

Although it was a bit early, she headed to the rendezvous point, her heart racing with excitement at the thought of meeting Kai.

Wondering what they’d say when they met, she put in her best effort to look cute.

Perfect makeup, slightly curled hair; she had done everything to look her best.

The day of destiny.

Their first date.

 

Aya: “I’ll do my best! Let’s go!”

 

Exiting the gate, Aya pumped herself up, determined to make this the best day ever.

And so, she headed to the meeting place on her own.

 

 

◇ Fast forward a bit, just past 8 in the morning. After dragons were spotted from Dragon Island and an emergency message was sent.

 

Akuzawa: “What’s the situation?”

 

Rushing to the new Dungeon Association’s Japanese branch, Chairman Akuzawa arrived.

Having received an emergency message, he drove there immediately and headed to the conference room. As there was no time to lose, he listened to all the reports while on the move.

 

Akuzawa: “Report in order!”

 

With the emergency message, all staff members were urgently summoned to report to work.

No one complained. The greatest disaster this disaster-resistant country had ever faced was approaching.

 

Staff Member 1: “The dragons are heading straight for the Kyushu region! They’re maintaining a speed of about 100 kilometers per hour. They’re expected to reach the Nagasaki coastline in about three hours.”

 

The staff member reported anxiously. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his face turned pale from the gravity of the situation.

 

Akuzawa: “What about evacuation?”

Staff Member 2: “In about 10 minutes, the Prime Minister will issue an emergency declaration and an evacuation order for the entire Nagasaki area. The information hasn’t leaked yet… but it will likely cause a massive panic. Honestly, it’s a challenging situation. Evacuating over a million people…”

Akuzawa: “Fools! Just Nagasaki? Change it to a recommended evacuation for the entire Kyushu region! Even if it’s difficult, the death toll won’t just stop at a million!! Do we want to repeat the catastrophe that befell China?!”

 

He recalled the collapse of the S-Rank Cube in China.

Over a hundred S-Rank demons annihilated every citizen they could see, resulting in a disaster that left more than a million dead. And now, Japan seemed to be facing a similar crisis.

However, the scale of this catastrophe could be even greater. After all, their foes were dragons, the mightiest creatures that ruled the skies.

 

Staff Member 3: “Y-Yes, understood!”

 

However, there was no evacuation manual for over ten million people. But the staff knew that if they didn’t act, people would die.

 

Akuzawa: “What about aid from the US and China? If possible, ask for assistance from Arnold-sama and the Battle God Guild. We’ll probably have to pay whatever they ask for!”

 

Akuzawa’s judgment was precise.

Both countries were originally scheduled to collaborate in the operation to reclaim Dragon Island.

Thus, they should be willing to assist in this dire situation.

 

In Japan, the only ones who could genuinely fight were Reina Ginno, Ryunosuke Tendo, and Yumiichi Amano. Moreover, since Yumiichi Amano was in the US, that left only two people.

 

Staff Member 4: “About that…”

Akuzawa: “What are you waiting for? We don’t have time!”

 

Another staff member interrupted.

He seemed hesitant at first but, urged by Akuzawa’s tone, finally spoke.

 

Staff Member 5: “They refused. Both the US and China. They said they can’t send aid.”

Akuzawa: “What!? Why?”

 

However, the reason became apparent almost immediately.

Upon arriving at the emergency response headquarters, Akuzawa saw the images displayed on the giant screen.

It was news from China and the US.

 

Reporter: “Please look! Both the S-Rank Cubes in China and the US have collapsed at an unprecedented scale! The ground is overflowing with monsters! Roughly estimated, there are close to 300! No, maybe even more!”

 

Reporters from various countries relayed images from helicopters to the world.

The two nations with the world’s most significant military might had their S-Rank Cubes collapse. In China, there was a massive army of demons, and in the US, a huge army of beasts and wolves. Each creature was causing destruction on a scale that could annihilate entire cities.

 

Akuzawa: “Why… How…”

 

Such a coincidence was impossible.

The simultaneous collapse of the S-Rank Cubes in China, the US, and Japan at this scale was unprecedented.

It seemed as if it was orchestrated, as if someone had a purpose.

 

Akuzawa: “What on earth is happening…”

 

The world suddenly found itself on the brink of disaster.