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The scene shifted to the Kusuki Happiness Enterprises ruins.
As time passed, fog across the ocean surface around the small artificial island had grown incredibly dense. Turbulent waves crashed against the shore, swells rolling larger and larger as though trying to lift the entire island, showing faint signs of spreading toward all of Itogami Island.
At the bridge junction connecting the artificial island to Itogami Island's main landmass, government vehicles that had come for morning inspection were preparing to evacuate.
"Councilor Aiba, the waves keep getting bigger. Even if we stay here, we can't accomplish anything. Let's return to the main island first. If we keep staying, everyone might be in danger!"
"Mm, understood..."
Also recognizing that the current situation exceeded what an ordinary person with modest authority could handle, Aiba Sensai nodded and prepared to board the car his subordinate had opened.
Just then—
"Oh? Where is this? Still Itogami Island? And such thick fog—there seems to be nothing around. Is this right?"
A girl's voice suddenly emerging from the nearby mist made Aiba Sensai's boarding motion freeze. He instinctively lifted his head to glare at the subordinate still outside the car door. The abrupt severity in his gaze made the subordinate stumble back half a step.
His meaning was clear—why were unauthorized personnel breaking through at a time like this??
After all, having received news that Kusuki Happiness Enterprises had vanished without a trace overnight, they'd completely sealed off both ends of the bridge connecting this artificial island to Itogami Island when they'd come to investigate this morning.
Furthermore, they'd confirmed during their investigation that this entire artificial island had been "restored to factory settings"—nothing remained except the bare foundation.
Logically, there shouldn't be any extraneous personnel here!
However, Aiba Sensai fell silent the next second.
"Eh? Bokue-kun, look—there seems to be a car over there. Looks like... a government vehicle from Itogami Island's municipal administration?"
"Oh, that would probably be..."
Accompanied by a familiar young man's voice, Aiba Sensai vaguely sensed something.
Footsteps gradually approached. From within the increasingly dense mist, two figures emerged as though out for a stroll.
It was Bokue Keikain and Serafall Leviathan, plus Eguchi Yume being led along by the hand.
"Long time no see, Uncle Aiba."
Eyes meeting, Bokue greeted the middle-aged man already halfway into the car.
"Asagi just called saying you'd run into a little incident here and asked me to check it out. But everything's fine now—you can head straight back. Leave the rest to me."
"...What's your plan?"
Aiba Sensai didn't immediately move.
Though ten years had passed since they'd last met, he still recognized his daughter's childhood friend at a glance.
Well... apparently upgraded to boyfriend now.
But precisely because of those ten years apart, he didn't know the latter's current capabilities.
Moreover, even he hadn't figured out the current situation, yet Bokue claimed he could handle it... What did that mean? Had he already understood what was happening?
"No particular plan. Handle it however it needs handling."
Bokue took a slight breath. Just as he was about to exhale, he paused, glancing sidelong at the middle-aged man still with one foot outside the car door.
"By the way, regarding Kusuki's disappearance—that was my doing. They pulled some maneuvers that annoyed me, so last night I wiped them out completely."
"As for the fog you're seeing now, that's caused by Kusuki's maneuvers... or more precisely, by what their maneuvers attracted."
Having said this much, the young man finally released a gentle breath.
Instantly, like a hurricane passing through, the overwhelming fog dispersed in a blink. Heaven and earth cleared in an instant.
Bright sunlight once again shone overhead. Without fog's obstruction, vision was no longer limited.
Looking across the distance, upon the turbulent black ocean surface, a pitch-black sea monster the size of a mountain was breaking through the waves, charging directly toward Itogami Island. Its crimson compound eyes reflected dangerous, cruel coldness.
"Wow~ that's huge! What is that thing?"
Serafall shaded her eyes with one hand, leaning forward slightly with surprise.
Though she was a Satan, honestly speaking, even in the demon realm, creatures this massive were rare.
After all, once combat power reached certain levels, size no longer determined everything. Besides, bigger wasn't always better when it came to body mass.
"It's Leviathan."
Bokue kept his explanation concise.
Serafall froze briefly, then her willow-leaf brows shot up in anger.
"What are you talking about? I'm not that ugly!"
"Obviously I'm not talking about you."
Bokue glanced at her sideways.
"It's just that this thing is actually called Leviathan. Supposedly some artificially created god-slaying weapon. When Asagi called earlier, she said this thing's over four thousand meters long. What we're seeing now is only half its head. The whole thing probably... gives off mantis shrimp vibes?"
"Slander! Absolute slander!"
Serafall stamped her small feet in indignation.
"Which mythology system created this thing anyway? How dare they plagiarize the great Leviathan's name!"
"Hard to say. After all, there are so many mythological systems worldwide..."
Bokue spread his hands.
"So what do you say—want a chance for revenge?"
"Of course! As a magical girl, I absolutely won't forgive anyone who smears the great Leviathan's name!"
As Serafall spoke, she produced her star wand once more, then pulled Yume over to the young man's side.
"I'll leave Yume-chan in your care temporarily, Bokue-kun!"
"Oh..."
Bokue acknowledged, taking the girl's small hand. He didn't notice the slight flush coloring the girl's face the instant their fingers touched, turning instead toward the middle-aged man now seated in the car.
"By the way, Uncle Aiba, after you return, explain to citizens that Kusuki Enterprises was eliminated for endangering Itogami Island. As for this artificial island... the location's actually quite nice, and the surrounding waters aren't polluted. I'll turn this into a seaside resort for me and Asagi later. So that's that."
Having finished outlining his intentions, Bokue turned toward where Serafall had departed.
The girl hadn't gone far—she'd merely reached the shoreline.
And when Serafall stepped into the turbulent waves, magical power sufficient to change heaven and earth's very colors erupted from her seemingly delicate body.
The girl bent forward, pressing her palm against the water's surface. The ocean that had been producing massive waves and seemingly wielding earth-shattering force instantly calmed, like a cat whose fur had been smoothed—not a single ripple remained.
Then Serafall slowly straightened, gazing at the distant Leviathan that seemed to have sensed something and slowed its advance. Her cherry lips parted.
"Daring to plagiarize Leviathan's name... how absolutely... insolent!"
As her words fell, in that instant, the ocean froze for thousands of miles.
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