out of mana, right? Then I put my blood into it. It's basically just one big ball of my mana. I can use it as an intermediary for all sorts of different spells." "That's all?" "That's all." Kaito nodded frankly. He then hurriedly wiped at the trail of blood quickly trickling from the corner of his mouth. Valisisa heaved a long, deep sigh and shook her head in exasperation. "You're really starting to deviate from how magic works in this world, you know." "I mean, you're not wrong. Most of my mana comes from the pain I get from my connection to Diablo's pillar, after all. Diablo's like an observer from a high plane; it's not like me or you. But the basic principles behind this are pretty similar to the ones behind that, aren't they?" Kaito gestured with his chin toward Valisisa's finger. Wrapped around it was an extravagant ring composed of a large, glittering crystal set in a loop of silver ivy. Pink flower buds rested within the crystal. It was a rare beauty, like spring itself had been captured in ice. Valisisa wasn't wearing any other ornamentation on her body. She didn't seem the type to enjoy dressing up. However, Kaito could sense a great deal of mana coming from within the ring. It was clearly a powerful magic device, and not a mere piece of decoration. The beastfolk were lacking in magical talent, so it was a surprising article to see one of them wearing. Valisisa snorted as she stroked the ring. "We've been pouring mana into this little by little for generations, ever since the Three Kings of the Forest bestowed it upon one of the members of the first imperial family. Disrespectful, don't you think, equating it to that thing you made on a whim?" "Oh, sorry. Well, now that I've gone and ruined the mood, I guess it's as good a time as any... The pillar is getting ready to release the fourth wave, so things should be quiet for a little while. Sorry I'm so busy, but would you mind if I teleported out for a bit?" "You being busy is only natural. The thought of you having free time is almost comical. You have my leave. Go." "I owe you one." "But be certain you return before the fourth wave hits. Without you, this shore will be annihilated. And when the foundation of a pile of stones is shattered, the result is self-evidentâ€”everything falls to ruin." Upon hearing her weighty words, Kaito nodded. He promised her he'd be back. Then, after asking her permission again, he placed his orb on the floor. The blood within slowly began oozing out of the glass. It then started to inscribe a pattern atop the rug, as though it were alive. Azure flower petals swirled up gently within the tent, dancing splendidly through the air as they spread. They then melted together and hardened, forming cylindrical walls around Kaito. On the other side, Valisisa spoke detachedly: "Farewell, then. And give my regards to the Saint." And with that, Kaito abruptly lost consciousness. 3 The Saint Awakens It's a weird thing, being powerful. That was what Kaito Sena thought. All someone had to do was possess incredible power, and others would instinctively show them deference, fear, and respect. Even if the end of the world hadn't been nigh, the number of people following that person would probably be above zero. They would be like demon worshippers, true, but demon worshippers had existed for countless ages, after all. At the moment, Kaito was in constant pain. It felt as though his entrails were being toyed with by a windlass, his cranial nerves were being directly lit ablaze, and someone was carving up his bones. As long as he didn't throw in the towel, though, he could generate an endless supply of mana. It was a technique born from several combined influences: his experiences from his past life, his immortal body, his contract with the Kaiser, and the fact that he possessed the Torture Princess's heart. As a result, not a single person in the world was his equal. What word would even be fitting to describe such a peerless individual? Almighty? Omnipotent? Strongest? Unbeatable? Invincible? Hero? Messiah? ...Mad King? Regardless... ...None of that actually means anything. That was what Kaito Sena thought. Power was supposed to carry inherent responsibility with it. A person's strength was fundamentally useless if they lacked a purposeâ€”something to use that power for. It was little more than a parlor trick. Kaito understood that fact implicitlyâ€”if he couldn't fulfill his promise, then all the power and accolades in the world wouldn't mean a thing. As a matter of fact... ...It would piss me off if they did. Kaito slowly opened his eyes. The azure wall before him cracked, then a moment later shattered like glass. ...H-huh? He blinked a few times. He'd just been deep in thought about something; he was sure of it. But he couldn't for the life of him remember what it had been. He must have lost consciousness for a short bit. Kaito heaved a deep sigh, then shook his head a little and covered his forehead with his hand. "What, again? Fuck." Activating the teleportation circle itself was easy. However, this situation had started happening more and more frequently. The root of the problem lay in the fact that his pain disappeared during transit. Then it would all come back at once, causing his body to die of shock and have to automatically revive. I guess I should be glad the blood didn't get stuck in my trachea, at least. Getting it out before I choke to death and die a second time sounds like a giant hassle... Depending on how bad it got, I might even have to rip out my throat... And I'd really rather not... If someone saw me before I healed, they would definitely cause a scene. His thoughts barely coherent, Kaito spat out the blood that had accumulated in his mouth. The ground was dyed sticky and red. He didn't hesitate for a moment as he strode over the puddle of his own blood he himself had made. As he walked, he reminded himself how long it had been since the pillars had gone up. It's only been two days... Or maybe I should say it's "already" been two days? He had to get everything done within the next five days. If he didn't, everyone would die. The people he loved, the people he hated, the people he didn't care about one way or the otherâ€”everyone. But panicking wouldn't accomplish anything. There was something important that Kaito was lacking in order to carry out his objective. There're just too many things that I don't know... I guess my only option's to keep doing what needs to get done. As he walked across the lush, high-quality moss, Kaito cast his gaze upward. Looming in front of him was the colossal World Tree. Even with the end approaching, the rich foliage blotting out the sky was as splendid as ever. The gigantic, aged tree was still releasing consecrated energy. Because of that, its surroundings were free of underlings. Free of living underlings, that was. Their corpses littered the ground here and there. The beastfolk lands had suffered damages in the war, but those damages only went as far as the round river, which originated from the pure waters in the earth's depths and surrounded the forest containing the World Tree. Even now, the beastfolk were fighting alongside Kaito's special appointee to prevent the underlings from reaching the bedchamber of the Three Kings of the Forest. From time to time, the underlings' numbers would allow them to break through the defensive line, but they would be so wounded by that point that they wouldn't be able to endure the World Tree's sacred aura. As a result, they would unceremoniously explode. I'm gonna need to come back later and check up on the World Tree's defenses, but it looks like they should be able to hold for now. The underlings' corpses were strange. Their ribs had sprouted outward like flowers. After casting a sidelong glance their way, Kaito headed for the entrance. At the moment, the entrance was sealed by a tangled web of ivy. The various shades of green were wound together so tightly that not so much as a caterpillar could get in. It looked almost like a wall that had stood idle for centuries. However, when Kaito arrived, the door began writhing without even waiting for the doorkeepers' orders. The ivy peeled away, forming a hole through which he could enter. Much to the doorkeepers' surprise, the World Tree had extended Kaito a warm welcome. It was undoubtedly the wills of the Three Kings of the Forest at work. "G-good work out there. Enter at your leisure." "Thanks, you too. It looks like the defensive line is holding up pretty well, so none of the enemy forces should be able to reach you unscathed just yet. You guys can take it easy for a bit longer." "Yes, sir." The doorkeepers bowed their heads. However, their tails had curled up unbidden. They'd failed to conceal their fear. Pretending not to notice, Kaito walked inside alone. The Three Kings of the Forest still hadn't left the room they shared, which was beside the underground lake on the World Tree's lowest level. Even after the Mad King's advent, the three of them had stuck firmly to their policy of neither reigning nor governing. Given the World Tree's reactions, though, it was clear they'd been getting information from the imperial family and had made some sort of judgment. Well, they don't seem hostile toward me, at least. That's something to be thankful for. As he was thinking, Kaito kept walking. The inside of the World Tree resembled that of an ant colony. Holes ran across the walls every which way, leading to rooms of various sizes and complex sets of passages. It made for a location that was easy to defend and hard to attack. Because of that, various important members from other races were permitted to take shelter here as privileged guests. Kaito had heard the young human king was afraid of war and had squirreled himself away in one of the guest rooms. There was no shortage of people lamenting his fragile spirit, but Kaito didn't care much one way or the other. As long as the king didn't hand down any stupid orders, that was plenty as far as Kaito was concerned. By promising them preferential treatment in protecting their land and riches, I was able to sway all the aristocrats the king left in charge to my side, except the Church diehards. La Christoph assembled the saints. And there isn't anyone in the paladins or their subordinate group, the Royal Knights, who'll get in my way, either. I don't have anything in the way of formal supporters, but bit by bit, things are moving along. It would be a pain if the king went and got in the way now. The king had value simply by virtue of being alive. Kaito asked nothing more of him. The person whom Kaito had come to visit was somebody else entirely. As a matter of fact, the issue of their custody had been the subject of no small amount of debate among the dignitaries. Kaito continued deeper and deeper down through the holes. The farther down he got, the fewer people he passed by, so much so that it started becoming hard to believe everyone was in a state of high alert. He began wondering if all those who worked here had just vanished. After following the winding, spiral-shaped corridor, Kaito finally reached the very bottom. The ground lost its slant and became level. The path veered off to the left, but it was blocked off by entangled roots. At first glance, it looked like a dead