Appetizer

Augria Sand Dunes.

The wind and sand were blowing everywhere, and the gray sky pressed down on us like a boulder about to fall.

The air was thick with a dry, scorching heat.

Higashino Makoto emerged from the spatial rift, his long, silvery-white hair fluttering in the wind and sand.

In the distance, a towering stone tower can be vaguely seen, appearing and disappearing in the wind and sand, like a nail driven into the sky, lonely and steadfast.

He didn't bring Reisen, Elsa Granhiert, or anyone else this time.

Bringing along Pandora wouldn't be very effective against her; in fact, it could become a weakness.

However, he possessed the Sand Scepter, World Item that allowed him to control the desert.

In this endless sea of sand, it is more useful than any weapon.

The moment he landed, he unleashed his domain.

A purple-gold light surged from his palm and spread in all directions.

The unseen Authority and protections hidden behind the dunes have lost their effectiveness.

Pandora, I know you're there.

No one answered.

Only the sound of wind and sand blowing across the dunes.

Higashino Makoto did not wait.

He charged at the Sin Archbishops, gun in hand.

The spear in his hand transformed into a golden lightning bolt, moving so fast that it was invisible to the naked eye, and its power was as heavy as a mountain.

Sirius was wrapped in bandages, revealing only his red, hate-filled eyes.

"Petelgeuse--!"

Her voice was hoarse and shrill, like a roar squeezed from the depths of her throat.

"You killed Petelgeuse! You killed your husband! You—!"

Higashino Makoto didn't let her finish speaking.

The spear thrust out and pierced her heart.

There were no surprises, no suspense whatsoever.

The Sin Archbishops, devoid of any Authority, was just an ordinary, mortal woman.

Her physical skills were actually quite good, but they were still meaningless to Higashino Makoto.

The gap is too big.

Sirius's body stiffened, his eyes remained open, tears welling up in his eyes, sliding down his cheeks, and dripping onto the bandages.

"Peti... Qiwus..."

"You go down and keep him company."

Higashino Makoto drew his spear.

Her body fell, the sand making a dull thud.

Light surged from her chest, coalesced above her body, and transformed into a crimson mist.

Wrathful Witch Factor.

Higashino Makoto took out a crystal container and collected the crimson mist into it.

Then he raised his head.

On the sand dunes, countless eyes appeared—those of hungry and frenzied Great Rabbit.

Emerging from every corner of the dunes, it resembled a white ocean.

Their numbers are enormous, seemingly endless, and it's a mystery what Pandora fed them to grow to such a size.

Meanwhile, a huge shadow was moving across the sky.

A white, cotton candy-like figure that obscured half the sky.

White Whale.

The misty beast glided silently through the clouds, slowly and calmly, as if surveying its own territory.

Higashino Makoto watched the Great Rabbit surging towards him and gripped his spear tightly.

"Pandora, is that all you've got?"

No one answered.

He didn't wait any longer; he swept his spear horizontally, and golden light drew an arc across the sand.

Great Rabbit were chopped in half and vanished into black mist.

But more Great Rabbit emerged from the dunes, filling the gaps.

"Large quantity, but poor quality."

If magic is used directly, both the Great Catastrophe and the Salt King's Wrath can be easily resolved.

But if that happens, Pandora will probably just run away, right?

To prevent them from escaping, and thus to capture them all in one fell swoop.

He strode forward, the spear in his hand transforming into a golden whirlwind.

Each swing took away more than a dozen Great Rabbit, and each thrust pierced through the bodies of several Great Rabbit.

The Great Rabbit were like ants before him, easily defeated.

But there were too many of Great Rabbit, densely packed, endless, and impossible to kill.

In the sky, the White Whale made a sound, a sound wave like the horn of a large truck, so loud it hurt the eardrums.

The White Whale opened its massive jaws, and white mist poured out, enveloping Higashino Makoto.

The Mist Beast devours memories and existence.

Those shrouded in fog will be forgotten by everyone.

Higashino Makoto did not dodge.

The spear thrust upwards, its golden tip extending like a pillar of light piercing the heavens and earth, before piercing the White Whale's body.

The White Whale let out a mournful roar, its body trembling violently.

But it was too big, enough to keep it alive even after being pierced.

It struggled to rise, trying to escape the spear's attack range.

Just as Higashino Makoto was about to give chase, a beam of white light shot out from the direction of the Pleiades Watchtower.

It was incredibly fast and terrifyingly precise; a white beam of light, carrying destructive energy.

Higashino Makoto dodged to the side, the beam of light grazing his clothes before landing on the sand behind him, blasting open a crater about ten meters in diameter.

"Shaula."

He raised his head and looked in the direction of the Pleiades Watchtower.

At the top of the tower, a figure stood there.

She has large, narrow eyes with a bright gaze, a straight nose, and dresses boldly and revealingly. She also has a unique hairstyle and calls herself "Scorpion Tail."

With long eyelashes and delicate skin, she didn't seem to have been immersed in the sand for a long time; her overall figure was still perfect.

Those who approach the Pleiades Watchtower will die.

She obeyed her master's orders and dealt with anyone who approached the Pleiades Watchtower.

No matter who it is, she will shoot them without hesitation if they enter her attack range.

A second beam of light shot out.

Higashino Makoto didn't dodge; he held his spear horizontally in front of him, forcefully blocking the beam of light.

The golden light collided with the white light, producing a piercing screech.

His body slid for more than ten meters on the sand before he regained his balance.

"Not bad strength."

The third shot, the fourth shot, the fifth shot... more beams of light shot out.

While dodging and slaying the Great Rabbit, Higashino Makoto also dealt with the attacks of the White Whale.

The Great Rabbit were endless, the White Whale circled in the air, and Shaula continuously shot beams of light from the top of the tower; he was fighting on three fronts.

But Higashino Makoto wasn't in a hurry.

He still didn't use magic, nor did he use any of his trump cards.

He was waiting, waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity that could solve all the problems at once.

Shaula's beams of light grew denser, but he managed to dodge them every time.

One kilometer.

As he moved across the ground, he was still one kilometer away from the Pleiades Watchtower.

At close range, Shaula's attacks became more precise and denser.

The number of Great Rabbit did not decrease, and the fog of the White Whale began to permeate the entire battlefield.

He needs to make a choice: leave or move on.

Leaving is the easiest option.

His domain remains intact; within it, the Great Rabbit is merely an ordinary beast. The White Whale's mist has no effect on him, Shaula's pillar of light is weakened within his domain.

He could have simply turned around and left, and come back when he was ready.

But a figure appeared at the top of the Pleiades Watchtower, with long platinum-gold hair fluttering in the sandstorm, dressed in white, and with blue eyes.

Pandora.

Standing behind Shaula, overlooking the battlefield.

She even used herself as bait!