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A cold voice leaked out of her mouth, chilling Ornis to his very soul.

“Mind your words, Ornis… In that child, in Basara’s body, her blood flows, and to protect the honor and glory of that person, no one is allowed to slander his existence.”

“Even if you say that, wasn’t her death due to this very youth!?”

Receiving Hasegawa's murderous intent, the shaken Ornis tried to point out the error in her reasoning, and despite how his expression distorted from fear, he felt pure joy from once again seeing Hasegawa’s true self.

“To you, Toujou is probably your enemy, no? But yet you abandoned your position for this guy, and even sealed your power and came to this Universe… and even ended up protecting him like this. Actually, I know about all of it—“

“Silence! You understand nothing!”

Ornis was speechless, he couldn't understand…

“Why…Why do you care for him so much?

“Why? Why are you so obsessed with this youth…?”

This question, caused Hasegawa to touch her earring with her fingertips, a veritable mix of emotions stirred in her eyes as she replied to him in a resolute tone…

“Because this child – is the proof that she had once lived. That she existed among us.”

What Hasegawa said while gazing at Basara, were emotions that she could never give up on – They were Chisato Hasegawa… the goddess, Afureia's, true feelings.

Basara Toujou was the child her venerable cousin wanted to give birth to even if it meant sacrificing herself in the process. She was a special woman who was far older and wiser than Hasegawa herself, someone who Hasegawa held a sister-like admiration for.

To protect this child, Afureia resolved to do anything and everything. She could go to any and all lengths necessary if it meant that Basara would be safe from any harm. She had sworn this to herself fifteen years ago on the day the boy was born.

“Is that so – then, it seems that I have no other choice.”

The moment Ornis announced his resolve, a radiance surrounded Basara who was cradled by the chains in the air.

That radiance was similar to a magic circle, but in fact, as dissimilar as it could be – just like Hasegawa, it radiated the sacred golden glow— a vestige of the Etoulde gods, perhaps.

“As long as Toujou exists, you will continue sacrificing more and more for him, maybe in the end you would even go as far as the venerable goddess had once gone – in order to set you free, in order to save you from that fate, I will have to kill Toujou.”

Ornis spoke, his tone brimming with murderous hostility.

“This is the holy circle I had constructed to extract the power of Banishing Shift. Although I had never expected that Brynhildr would go out of control, Basara Toujou right now is bound by you, so disposing of him wouldn’t be a problem.”

“I see… However, do you really think that I will continue watching as you cause trouble?”

“Toujou’s Banishing Shift is an ability that can eliminate my flesh at the level of the soul – its completely wiped out, or rather maybe severed?, from my very existence. No matter what I do, be it the gods of this world or the Evies in our world, once they know of this, this guy will be as good as dead.”

He smirked, a feeling of triumph brimming inside him…

“Why not let me first extract this ability, this power called Banishing Shift? Once I bring back this ability, I will be able to send you back to the position of the Ten Gods again. You shouldn’t be forced to live as a human in this dirty universe like this.”

He then extended a hand to Basara,

“Return back to the God Realm with me Afureia-sama!!!”

Seeing Ornis extend a hand, Hasegawa became silent for a brief instant before speaking in a rather unexpected tone— one of mocking…

“Is this all you prepared?”

“You are free to become angry. The situation right now is different from the past, you can no longer stop me. Other than for self-protection, Lord Chimune Chipaoti [1] had sealed virtually all of your powers – that was the condition of you coming to this Realm, is it not? So—“

Ornis tried to continue speaking – but was cut off by Hasegawa, in the literal sense.

Simply swinging her right hand, she completely smashed Ornis’ saint circle.

“How…!?”

After that, Hasegawa nonchalantly replied to the stunned Ornis…

“Fifteen years ago…When I decided to abandon everything, I received a lot of condemnation, especially from the rest of the Ten gods. However, there were still a few, who were willing to stand by my side. Such as Lord Chimune herself.”

And in the end, Hasegawa reached a [Compromise].

“Indeed, the majority of my powers have been sealed, but if I meet a certain situation, I can release as much power as I could previously in my prime. Do you know why I let you speak so much until now?—”

—If I am ever faced with a situation where I must protect Basara, my seal will be canceled temporarily.”

This seal was extremely binding. When she came previously, the one who was in need of saving was Ornis. Not Basara. This was why she couldn’t use her full powers. But the moment he tried to kill him… All the pieces were placed together.

Announcing that, Hasegawa began to slowly walk towards Ornis.

Perhaps finally realizing just how close to death he was, Ornis suddenly became flustered.

“T-This is a joke right?… Didn’t you just stop Toujou from eliminating me? If you really wanted to protect Toujou, you only just had to watch him—“

“—I did not stop Basara to save you.”

Hasegawa coldly smiled – and then uttered the truth behind her actions.

“If Basara had killed you in that situation, your soul would have been erased and things would’ve happened just like you predicted – with those meddlesome people finding out of his power. No matter what, I must prevent that from happening.”

ExE also had its own cycle of reincarnation and place for the Soul. But those that Basara killed could never reincarnate.

“Just wanting to kill Basara is enough to make me not let you off alive. Moreover, because of your stupidity, I have to reveal everything to him before I even had the time to make our relationship mature.”

Just the possibility that Basara might hate her after knowing the truth was haunting her senses. How could she leave this bastard alive?

“Afureia-sama! …I-It was for you that I—”

Those words that he blurted out, became his last words.

The power Hasegawa released for a brief instant was enough to wipe out all of Ornis' existence from reality itself, but at the last moments she uttered out in a voice full of ridicule…

“What you wanted to say at the end… couldn’t be that you want me to let you live, could it?”

Hasegawa sighed and spoke out…

“If you say that you wanted to kill Basara for my sake – that would be no different from asking me to kill you, no? How could you be so foolish?”

It was in this misbegotten way that the once arrogant god named Ornis was completely erased from reality…

———

[Europe]

The short reverberation of Basara's power was felt all over the world.

Somewhere in Europe, in a distant place that few could reach, an elderly man with long, grey hair, and a matching beard wearing a gold and white monocle over his left eye, and a blue robe was having fun in a bar when he suddenly frowned and looked up, ignoring the sexy women who were trying to entice him.



It had been for a brief instant and he had a hard time finding the exact location, but he could feel it.

A power that was extremely familiar to him.

“Brynhildr…”

“My lord? You are calling for me?”

Standing behind him was a beautiful woman to the point of being described as transcendental, with long light blue hair clad in a professional black suit that gave her a valiant look.

Odin shook his head, “No…I was thinking about the very first.”

During his war against the angels and Christianity as a whole he had lost Brynhildr, his most loyal warrior and also the strongest Valkyrie to ever exist. She was so powerful that most couldn't even fathom why she put herself to the mere position of a warrior, but she stayed faithful to her role to the bitter end.

Since she sacrificed herself to stop an evil spirit, God decided to make her a holy woman and allowed her blade to hold the vestige of her soul before being transformed into a holy weapon.

Ever since then, the name became a title bestowed to the strongest Valkyries of the period.

It had always been a sour spot in his heart, but since no Exorcist of the church was able to use the sword, he had never cared for it much.

But now… He was sure that he had felt her aura and the direction was…

“Japan?”

It was surprising. Why was the sword not in the Vatican? Was someone able to use it or did they lose it?

Odin frowned. It seemed like he would have to deal with the Shinto gods.

“Brynhildr, call Rossweisse. It’s time to finally move these old bones of mine.”

“Understood.”

[1]: Also known as Chichigami. She told Issei he needed the 12 heavenly breasts to win against the Evies. I think I might really keep this concept. It was funny.