C.S.O.

Six days have passed since Kuro disappeared.
Up until now, there have been no clues regarding Kuro's whereabouts.
Flamia continues to search for Kuro at CSO, while Chiaki and Ruko also assist Flamia.

The only lead they have is that Kuro had a fight with Dragonfly and disappeared without a trace afterward.
Based on that clue, they immediately search for the two Valkyrie Maidens who are the masters of the two Dragonflies, but they have been struggling to find them.

Fumiko and Yuya joined in to help after learning about Kuro's disappearance, but there isn't much they can do since they don't really know what actually happened.

Chiaki and Ruko have not revealed the truth about Kuro's disappearance.
If they were to disclose it, they would also have to explain the truth about CSO.
And because they are ordinary citizens, it would pose risks for future events.

Today marks exactly the seventh day since Kuro disappeared, and during this time, Chiaki has been having lunch without Kuro's presence.
She has lunch with Fumiko and Yuya, but the atmosphere during lunch feels cold.

Yuya and Fumiko can't help much, and even though they both want to be involved, this problem is beyond their abilities.

Both of them realize that Kuro is not an ordinary person.
Ever since they met Kuro in CSO, they have realized that they have encountered someone dangerous and extraordinary.
But it doesn't mean they should abandon Kuro.

“Um, Chiaki-san.
Is there still no news?”

Fumiko asked, attempting to break the silence that had settled.

The three of them were currently having lunch in the school cafeteria.
Despite the bustling and cheerful atmosphere in the cafeteria, a different atmosphere could be felt at their table.

“Well, yes, but we have found some clues.
Well, more accurately, I found the clues…
although they are only theories at this point.”

“Hmm?”

Yuya looked confused by Chiaki's vague statement.
That's normal because Chiaki is the type of person who doesn't speak directly, like a detective.

“Have you told Ruko-chan about this?”

“No, not yet.
If I tell her, she will immediately start looking for Kuro-chan.
Until I confirm the clues I found, I don't want to tell them both.”

“Ahaha…
they are indeed like that.”

Fumiko chuckled dryly.

“But I still don't understand how that Harem Bastrad vanished.
Don't you suspect he's seducing another girl again?”

Their marriage with Kuro was already known by Yuya and Fumiko.
In fact, it could be said that all CSO players knew about the strange and extraordinary news.

Initially, both of them were a little surprised and didn't know how to react.
They knew Ruko was a brocon, so they could guess that Ruko would definitely reject it outright.
As for Chiaki, she was a childhood friend who also had feelings for Kuro, so it was understandable that she would reject Kuro's marriage.
As for Flamia, they both didn't really understand the relationship between Kuro and Flamia.
They didn't even know how they got to know each other.

That's why when they heard about the three girls marrying Kuro, Yuya had no choice but to hit Kuro at school and immediately give him the nickname “Harem Bastard.” As for Fumiko, she could only offer her congratulations on their quadruple marriage.

Until now, Yuya still harbored resentment towards Kuro, but that didn't mean it was a reason for him to distance himself.
They were friends.
That didn't change, even though the situation could be considered a bit strange and complicated.

“We know who he seduced, and I think he succeeded…”

“….eh?”

“…but that girl has nothing to do with Kuro's disappearance.
Besides, if that promiscuous woman joined us, Kuro would have told us.”

Upon hearing that, Yuya's eyes turned bloodshot as tears welled up.
He didn't know how to react.

Chiaki's statement seemed to suggest that Kuro's harem would continue to grow, and it appeared that Chiaki didn't mind that.

“Anyway, I will confirm the clues I found first, and then I will inform both of them.”

“What about us?” Fumiko asked.

Chiaki understood that both of them wanted to be involved in finding Kuro, but…

“…I understand that you want to help, but we don't want to involve you further in…”

“Excuse me…”

The three of them were startled by a sudden voice from a girl.
They turned towards the sound and found a girl with a ponytail standing near them with a sweet smile.
Not far from the girl, another girl stood with a few books in her hands.
Yes, they were Mea and Kirie.

“Could you be Chiaki-san, Kuro's childhood friend?”

Yuya and Fumiko wore puzzled expressions, but they realized there was a chilling aura coming from Chiaki.
And they knew what was really happening.
But now they also understood which girl they were talking about.

“That's me.
What are you looking for? No, I think our student council president is looking for someone who's not here, am I wrong?”

Chiaki said calmly and coldly, for some reason, it looked terrifying.

“Ahaha…
I'm glad I don't have to explain it again.
As you probably guessed, I want to ask about Kuro's whereabouts.
Do you know where he is now?”

Chiaki narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

“Why are you asking about Kuro-chan's whereabouts?”

“Don't look at me with that creepy look…
You surely know that since Kuro helped our student council, we are friends.
It's natural for a friend to worry when I've lost contact with him for a week, and he hasn't been coming to school.
Honestly, I'm really worried…”

There was no reaction after hearing that, but Chiaki stood up from the table and walked away.

“Can we talk privately? I think you also want to have a conversation with me, right?”

“…
ha ha…
you're an interesting girl.
I think I understand why Kuro likes you.”

Mea immediately followed Chiaki.
Meanwhile, the three left behind realized that a battle caused by a man was about to unfold.

Chiaki and Mea headed to the rooftop of the school.
No one was there, and the air still felt cold as it was nearing the end of winter.

Chiaki inserted money into a vending machine on the rooftop and took out two cans of black coffee.

“Do you want one?”

“Thank you, but I prefer tea next time.”

Even so, Mea accepted it with a smile.
Chiaki didn't comment much and drank the bitter black coffee.

After taking a few sips, Chiaki leaned against the railing and looked at the students in the schoolyard.

“So, how much do you know about us?”

Mea also leaned but in the opposite direction, gazing at the sky.

“Do you mean about Kuro not being human? About his sister being his fiancée? And that you're one of his wives in the game?”

Chiaki fell silent and analyzed Mea's words.

“If that's all, I only know a few things.
I guess Kuro didn't want to tell me everything.
Am I not trustworthy?”

“No.
I don't think that's the issue.”

Chiaki refuted Mea's assumption.

“Kuro-chan seems to not want to involve you further in our problems…
He's always been too kind.”

“I understand what you mean, and I do feel it, but…”

“What do you choose?”

“Hm?”

“Do you want to continue involving yourself with us, or do you want to stop and go back to your old life?”

“…”

“I think it's still not too late to back out.”

Mea fell silent, contemplating something.
Or rather, considering what Chiaki had said.

“What if I choose to continue being involved with Kuro? Will you prevent me and try to keep me away?”

Upon hearing that, Chiaki chuckled softly.

“Why do you think that way? You make me sound like a villain…
but I guess I am one.”

“?”

“Unfortunately, I won't do anything.
You're free to have a relationship with Kuro-chan or indulge with him every day, it's not a big deal to me.
Even if you make love in front of me, I'll let you do it until you're satisfied like animals.”

Mea distanced herself from Chiaki.

Perhaps Chiaki seemed like a mad person right now, but that's what she would do, no, she was already doing it.
That's the relationship and bond formed with Kuro.

“I'm sorry, you probably think I'm strange, but I'll do what I said earlier.
I don't have the right to forbid you, but I also don't have the right to approve.”

“…..”

“Having a relationship with Kuro-chan means being prepared to get hurt, prepared to feel jealous, to love, and also prepared to share.”

Upon hearing that, Mea understood what Chiaki meant.

“Yes, that's the kind of relationship the four of us have.
Now, are you ready to get hurt like I am?”

The cold wind blew, making Chiaki's words sound deeper and carry multiple meanings.
Mea didn't know what had happened between Chiaki and Kuro, but she knew Chiaki had gone through a lot that may have never crossed her mind.

It's still not too late to back out.
Now Mea understood what Chiaki meant.

At that moment, the bell signaling the start of class rang.
Chiaki immediately walked away, taking her last sip of coffee.
Before entering the door, Chiaki disposed of the empty can and said:

“Think carefully about what I've said today, but one thing you should know, it's not up to me to decide…”

Chiaki disappeared behind the door.
Meanwhile, Mea remained silent in place, gazing at the cloudy sky that now adorned the horizon.

They had strayed from the original topic they wanted to discuss, but their conversation wasn't without meaning.
In fact, because they talked, Mea now knew and realized that if she wanted to be by Kuro's side, it seemed she would have to hurt and be hurt.

But most importantly, she realized that she actually wanted to be with him.

What should she do? Only time could answer that question.

After school, Chiaki went to Kuro's house and logged in immediately.
Ruko did the same but in a different room.
Flamia hadn't shown up in the past few days.
No one knew what Flamia was doing now, but it was clear to both of them that Flamia was trying hard to find Kuro.

———————————————————————————

In the Avantheim sky, a fiery bird soared through the heavens, disregarding the ocean beneath it and the island in its midst.
Flamia was riding on the back of the fiery bird.

As a Valkyrie Maiden, she had a connection with Angela and Horizon, but due to a complicated reason, the relationship among the Valkyrie Maidens could be said to be disharmonious.
That's why the Valkyrie Maidens didn't meet and didn't want to meet.
If they were to meet, it would likely result in war.

That reason also made it difficult for Flamia to contact or meet with both of them.

Currently, she is in the sky of Muerta Island, precisely heading towards the sky of Muerta Island.
This island is mostly composed of giant mangrove trees.
The monsters on this island are mostly large and dangerous, but her goal is not to hunt monsters on the island.

She heads towards one corner of the forest.
There, she sees a giant mangrove tree that is larger than the others.

At the top of that tree, Flamia sees the figure of Liber, whom she doesn't want to see.
In fact, she doesn't want to meet that figure, but at the moment, she has no other choice.

When she gets closer, Flamia leaps and lands not far from that figure.

The figure is a small-bodied girl dressed in gothic lolita attire, gracefully sipping tea as if she has her own world.

“I didn't expect a visitor today…
Would you like to have tea with me while enjoying this beautiful view, Flamia onee-chan?”

Flamia doesn't respond much and continues to approach.

The sight of monsters killing each other is what is visible.
It is definitely not a beautiful sight.

“I don't have time to play with you, Verona.”

Flamia takes out Mistelltein and points it at Verona.
Although being threatened by one of the God Slayers, Verona shows no signs of fear and instead looks down on Flamia, who is being serious.

“You  should know why I came to meet you.
Now quickly tell me what you know, or else…”

“You will kill me with that God Slayer?”

Verona looks calm and cold.
There is no sign of fear in her gaze, and she even seems to underestimate Flamia, who is being serious.

“Fufufu…”

A table complete with a tea set suddenly appears near them.
It seems that Verona doesn't just have weapons in her storage.

“First of all, why don't you have some tea first? Try to calm down! …Besides, is that the right way to ask someone?”

Flamia remains silent for a moment.
She contemplates Verona's words and tries to cool her head.
A complicated expression appears on Flamia's face.
At that moment, Verona seems to enjoy the expression shown by Flamia.

Flamia sighs and puts away Mistelltein.
She doesn't have many options in this situation.

Flamia then sits across from Verona, while Verona brews tea in a beautiful antique white ceramic cup.

“Listen, if you try to deceive me, you will receive immediate retribution from me.
Remember that!”

“Why do you have to use threats just to have tea with your own sister? Haven't we had tea together in a long time?”

There is no friendly gaze from Flamia.
She seems more eager to strike Verona as quickly as possible.

“Ara…
Isn't there any friendliness towards your own sister? I know you've always been like this, but the fact that there hasn't been any change is a bit sad, isn't it?”

Flamia's face turns bright red.
Not because of embarrassment, but because of anger.
More precisely, she is holding back her anger.

“Sorry, I was wrong.
Flamia Onee-chan has indeed changed, now looking more mature.
Ahh…
I can't wait to see my nieces and nephews.
I hope one of them looks like me…
fufufu.”

“GU?!”

Flamia's face turns red due to embarrassment.

Verona already knows about Flamia's marriage to Kuro; of course, she is also aware of Flamia's complicated married life.

“But that's not the problem.
Flamia Onee-chan must have already known about Kuro-niisan's peculiarity, no, he's even too strange even for us.”

“Enough, I know that.
I've known it since we met, and I have even considered the risks of being in a relationship with Kuro.”

Flamia sips her tea and lets out a small sigh.
She didn't expect Verona to be interested in her married life.

“I came here not to discuss this.
You must know what I mean, so can you tell me where, or more precisely, what actually happened to Kuro?”

Verona shows a thin smile.

“…but Flamia Onee-chan, are you sure you're asking for my help? Onee-chan hasn't forg-“

“Do you think I would ask for your help without knowing the risks?”

“…..”

“Honestly, you're the last person I want to ask for help, but I have no other choice.
Right now, there are other people who are sad because Kuro has disappeared.
Although I've only recently met them, I know their love is genuine, perhaps even more genuine than mine.”

Verona showed no interest and finished her tea.
After that, she let out a small sigh.

“Alright, we have a deal.”

After making a pact with the demon, Flamia had no choice but to agree to the terms, but in return, she received something worthwhile.
She found out what had happened and where Kuro was now.
But most importantly, she knew how to heal a wounded heart.

“What did you say? Are you not joking?”

After hearing what had happened, Flamia had no choice but to be shocked to the core.
She stood up and immediately summoned her faithful Phoenix.

“Of course, I'm not joking.
Everything I've said is true.”

“But why did you easily tell me all this? As far as I know, you're not someone who provides detailed information like this.”

Verona only glanced at Flamia with a sharp gaze.

“I also have my own goals.
Flamia Onee-chan, haven't you forgotten that?”

Without receiving an answer, Flamia left Verona, who was still enjoying her tea session.

Flamia flew towards her current destination.
She tried contacting Chiaki and Ruko, but there was no response.

“Damn it!”

In addition to being unable to reach them, the place Flamia was heading to could be considered a special place known only to a few individuals, and only a few knew how to access it.

But there was one thing she knew.

“I believe they will come.”

Even though it would be brief, she knew there was a bond among the four of them.
Despite not seeing or hearing each other, it was that trust that made them know what they had to do.

They would head to the place where Kuro awaited.

Meanwhile, Anna, or Ruko, was on a mountaintop.
Fog and cold air surrounded her.

She appeared calm and didn't seem to be thinking about anything.
Her mind was empty and seemed full of concentration.

A faint aura emanated from her body.
She wasn't using any of her skills but tapping into one of her innate powers.
Throughout her time playing CSO, she had never used her powers.

The main reason was that she didn't know CSO was another world.
It was understandable since, thanks to her experience as a gamer, she was used to virtual worlds.
Although she had felt something was off, she didn't realize the truth until Flamia explained it to her.

On the other hand, the reason Kuro realized the truth when he first played was that he had a sharp instinct.
Another reason was that Kuro played the game in an unconventional way.
Lastly, another world wasn't something strange in the Kanata family.

Since they were young, they were educated to understand that the existence of another world wasn't abnormal or a miracle.
It wasn't a phenomenon found only in anime or similar stories.
But the truth about the world they lived in was a marvel in itself.

But the most important part of their education was the existence of special powers called magic or other names to refer to abilities beyond ordinary humans.

Those powers existed in the modern human life they knew, but most importantly, every descendant of the Kanata family had those powers.

Each individual from the Kanata lineage had their own unique power.
And to preserve those powers, the Kanata descendants were only allowed to marry within the Kanata lineage.
That tradition was born from those powers.

The powers within the Kanata family didn't manifest at any time.
The special powers in the Kanata family would awaken when they were around 6-7 years old, but sometimes, they didn't awaken.
That's why a dangerous ritual was performed to awaken them.

One of the people who performed that ritual was Kuro.

Transparent small birds suddenly approached Ruko from various directions.
They were birds created from her innate power.

Normally, Ruko could only create a maximum of 7-10 birds, but that was in her world (Earth).
But now, they were in another world filled with magic circuits, which made it easier for her to find a source of energy for her power.
But as a trade-off, Ruko's stamina depleted faster than usual.

The magic Ruko currently using was simple magic that created or forms living creatures from water, called [Creator of Water].
In other words, it wasn't just birds that Ruko could create.

Using that magic, Ruko scattered the birds throughout Vanaheim in all directions.
The world she was currently in consisted mostly of water, which made it easier for her to find Kuro because as long as there was water, Ruko could locate that place.

One of the birds landed on Ruko's shoulder, and at the same time, Ruko opened her eyes.
One of the birds had found something, but it wasn't Kuro.

There was a place Ruko couldn't see, and that's what triggered her suspicion.
In the game, it might be some kind of hidden or secret location.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting, Onii-chan!”

Although exhausted after using her innate power, Ruko headed towards the place where Kuro might be.
But Ruko wasn't foolish.

She was currently in another world, but it was also within a game.
That meant she didn't have to worry about her fatigue.

[Blue Potion].

Ruko used an item to replenish her energy.
And it worked.
At the same time, the small birds flying around her disappeared.

“Now…”

A magic circle appeared, and from that circle emerged a metallic object with blue and silver colors.
Slowly, the object revealed its form, resembling a small jet.

Ruko doesn't have a familiar like Kuro and Flamia that can be used for transportation or flying skills, but instead, she has an item with a similar function.
The item is called the [Jet Blue Glass].
In fact, the item can transform not only into a jet but also into other forms depending on Ruko's desire.
Ruko gets on it.
The sound of the engine is heard, and Ruko zooms off at full speed.
Normally, she would use teleportation items, but unfortunately, that place cannot be reached with such items.

“?”

Ruko tries to communicate to inform Chiaki and Flamia about what she has found, but she can't contact them.

(Interference?)

But that's impossible.
In CSO, there shouldn't be any object that can interfere with such a wide area.
At that moment, she remembers something important.

She's looking for news, for several days, communication interference between Liber has been disrupted without any clear reason.
No one knows the cause yet, but one thing is certain: the interference only occurs in Avantheim.

“Ugh…
why at a time like this?”

Meanwhile, Chika or Chiaki is flying on a broomstick.
With a cone hat, she closely resembles a real witch.

She is currently heading to a place she suspected before.
And now she wants to confirm it.

Chiaki uses the data from the ongoing dragon attacks.
There is no definite pattern regarding the location and timing of the dragon's attacks, but now defeating both dragons has become a challenging quest for Liber, who has already reached Avantheim.

But among all those attacks, Chiaki found a small clue about the origin of the two dragons.

“Hm?”

Chiaki gets off her broomstick and lands on the ground.
But it's not just ordinary ground; it's covered in white snow.

Snow or ice is not unusual in Avantheim.
In fact, it's quite common.
The problem is that the place where there is snow is not a normal place because it's a hot area.

Chiaki becomes suspicious.
She then walks around the area.
After a while, she realizes that the snowy area is only about 3 kilometers wide.

“?”

Suddenly, her detection skill warns her of approaching objects.
Not just one, but two objects at the same time.

Chiaki switches her weapon to the strongest staff she has.
At the same time, she prepares her strongest magic skill.

Chiaki is a magic caster type, so she needs to prepare in advance.

(I didn't expect to be attacked by two monsters.
Damn!)

The two objects get closer, but Chiaki is surprised when her detection skill identifies the two objects.
Chiaki immediately cancels her magic skill.
At the same time, the two objects land not far from her.

“It seems the three of us had the same idea.”

Flamia smiles and approaches.
Ruko follows her.

“Yes, I believe you came to this place.”

“That's because we have the same feelings for Onii-chan, but how did you find this place?”

“Anyways, it doesn't matter,” Chiaki answers.
“Now all we need to do is find Kuro, but…”

“……”

Ruko falls silent too.
After walking for a while, they don't know how to react to what they have found.

There's nothing.
There's only an abyss whose depth is unknown.

Ruko picks up a stone nearby and throws it into the abyss.
There's no sound indicating how deep the hole is.

“This is difficult, but what did you find about this place, Flamia? You must have found some clues, right?”

Flamia smiles and answers, “Yes, indeed, but unfortunately, we can't enter that place right now.”

“That place?”

“Do you mean the place where Onii-chan is? Hm? How can you be sure Onii-chan is there?”

“Let's just say I have an accurate informant, but as I said, we can't enter it now.”

Flamia suddenly takes a step forward.
Ruko and Chiaki follow her.

“But the first thing we need to do is find the gate that leads to that place,” Flamia continues.

“Can you explain more about the place you're referring to?”

“I guess I have to explain it.
That place is called the Castle of White Azure, also known as the Eternal Ice Palace.
The palace is located in another dimension, that's why we can't easily enter it.”

“…I didn't know such a place existed.”

Hidden places are common in games, but another dimension is definitely not ordinary.
Information about the existence of such a place has never been mentioned or discovered.
It's no wonder no Liber has found that place in nearly two years.

While listening to Flamia's explanation, they also encounter several monsters frozen like ice sculptures.
The monsters' HP bars are blue, indicating they are [Frozen].
It means the monsters are not dead but also not alive.

Not only that but the trees are also frozen as if they're in a deep sleep.

“Actually, every world has something similar, but that place is extremely difficult to find, even for us Valkyrie Maidens.
In the case of this world, we have to find the Mirror Gate to enter that dimension.”

Upon hearing that, Chiaki squints her eyes.

“But now that place has been discovered, and they are using it as their headquarters.
They truly know a good place to hide.”

Flamia nodded, confirming Chiaki's suspicion.

“But why did they capture Onii-chan? He has nothing to do with all of this, right?”

“That's not true.”

“Eh?”

“Flamia, is that place just a location in another dimension? I'm sure it's more than that, right?”

“Unfortunately, your guess is spot on, Chiaki-chan.”

Chiaki and Ruko looked worried.

“That place connects different worlds together, much like the Heaven Gate that links all worlds.”

Chiaki and Ruko understood what Flamia was about to say next.

“In other words, we can travel to the next world without having to defeat the Demon King first,” Flamia added.

They pondered as they walked around.
They were searching for an object resembling a door, but despite using various detection skills, they couldn't find anything of the sort.

“It seems that the gate is harder to find than we thought,” Flamia sighed softly.
“But as you both know, if we don't defeat the Demon King, we won't obtain the God Slayer, and of course, there will be other consequences.”

“Are you saying that because we cheated, we will face the consequences?”

“Something like that, Ruko-chan…
But that kind of approach is something we Valkyrie Maidens can never take because we have our duties to fulfill.”

“In other words, you're saying that they are not in that place just to travel to another world, and if it's just a hiding place, it's also highly unlikely.”

“Exactly.
And that's why I don't know their true intentions before meeting them.
It's also the reason why they kidnapped Kuro.”

They continued to search and search.
They even split up to be more effective in their search, but for over three hours, they found nothing.

Their problem wasn't just that.
As they approached the abyss, the communication interference grew stronger, making it impossible for them to communicate if they found something.
Fortunately, the “message” function was still unaffected, so they used it to communicate with each other.

After finding nothing, they gathered once again and tried to discuss what they had discovered and, of course, what they hadn't.

While discussing, they had lunch together.
Although it was nighttime in the real world, Avantheim remained bright.

“Are we too relaxed?” Flamia asked because Chiaki and Ruko didn't show any signs of worry.
They even made jokes.

“Maybe you don't know, but Kuro is currently in danger,” Flamia added.

“We know that, but if we panic, it will cloud our judgment and make it difficult for us to solve the problem,” Ruko replied.

“Ha ha…
That's what Onii-chan said.”

Chiaki simply smiled faintly.

“Observe, analyze, act according to the situation, know what can be done and what can't be done.
That is the foundation of Kamikiri-ryuu.”

Chiaki understood the truth of Kamikiri-ryuu.
Although she couldn't easily do it, her actions were always based on those principles.

“Let's reconsider what we have found.
First, we know that the two Valkyrie Maidens and Kuro are in another dimension.
We still don't know their intentions, but one thing is for sure—if they kidnapped Kuro, it means they need him or want to keep him away.
Second, we know that to reach that place, we have to find the Mirror Gate.
But even if we find it now, you said we can't enter it immediately, which is why we don't need to rush.”

Flamia nodded in understanding.

“And third, and most importantly, we still don't know if they are enemies or not.”

Flamia was slightly surprised but understood the reasoning behind Chiaki's words.

Horizon and Angela were indeed Valkyrie Maidens with the goal of defeating the Demon God as quickly as possible, but they had their own methods, and sometimes they contradicted each other.
This was one of the reasons why the Valkyrie Maidens couldn't get along.

“Oh, by the way, can you tell us more about the Mirror Gate? And is that all you know?”

Flamia placed her finger on her chin, trying to recall something.

“Oh yes, I remember her saying, 'The Mirror Gate is easy to find even for fools.' I don't quite understand it because we haven't been able to find it so far.”

“……”

“…..”

Chiaki and Ruko couldn't comment much, but they had the same thought.

“Why are you looking at me like that? …but that's all she said, there's nothing more.”

“But even though it sounds like a joke, those words surely have a specific meaning, right, Chiaki-chan?”

“I also think so, but if that's the case, the meaning of those words might be that the Mirror Gate is easier to find than we thought.”

Chiaki stood up and placed her hand on her chin, deep in thought.

After a while, Chiaki's expression changed as if she had realized something.

“Have you seen a place like a frozen lake or pond in this snowy area?”

Both of them tried to remember something.

“I didn't see it anywhere.
How about you, Ruko-chan?”

“If I recall correctly, I did see a small frozen puddle near that big tree.”

Chiaki and Flamia immediately looked in the direction Ruko pointed.
Indeed, they could see the large frozen tree.

“In that case, let's hurry there!”

Flamia and Ruko nodded.

The three of them walked towards the large tree.
The short distance made them reach it quickly.
And they found what Ruko mentioned, the frozen puddle.

The puddle shimmered like a mirror, but they were somewhat uncertain if it was what they were looking for.

“It's smaller than I imagined.
Besides, it doesn't look like a gate.”

“Yes.”

“But there's no doubt that we found it.
And as you said, the Mirror Gate can be found even by fools.”

“What do you mean, Chiaki-chan?”

“The fool being referred to is not someone who is actually looking for a real mirror but mistakes ice for a mirror.
Moreover, only a fool would think that this puddle is the gate we're looking for.”

“But I don't understand how you can be sure that this puddle is the Mirror Gate?”

“It's very simple, look behind those bushes.”

Ruko and Flamia looked at the small bushes not far from the puddle.
After taking a closer look, they saw a sign that said “Mirror Gate.”

“Ah…
I see now why fools can find it.
I guess we're too smart.”

“I agree, Flamia-chan.
Look, even these bushes are fake.”

Chiaki just smiled, observing their innocent behavior.

“We found it, but you said we can't go through it anytime, in other words, you say the gate only opens at a specific time…
or it may only be open for a few minutes.”

Flamia's gaze indicated that Chiaki's assumption was correct.

“Alright…
when do you think the gate will open?”

“…about 2 hours from now.
Precisely when the sun sets, and as you said, the gate only remains open for 66 seconds.”

Chiaki smiled.
It was a cunning smile that could be considered frightening.

“So, we have plenty of time to prepare a surprise.
A rather unusual surprise.”

Ruko's gaze showed the same determination as Chiaki's.

“I will show what happens when you make a wife angry…”

“And don't forget a little sister.”

Chiaki only smiled faintly after hearing that.
Meanwhile, Flamia could only smile with a hint of worry.

Chiaki and Ruko stared at the sky, which was gradually turning orange.
It was a sign that they had to prepare to face their enemies.

Two hours passed, and the sky had become darker.
The three of them were ready with the items and weapons they needed to fight enemies who were much stronger than them.

But they also had monsters on their side.
Most importantly, could those monsters fight against other monsters?

That's why both of them had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

“I think it's time.”

The sun was sinking further into the west.
The sky slowly began to turn black.
At the same time, the frozen puddle shone and immediately revealed a shadow of an ice palace.

Chiaki immediately jumped into the hole.
Ruko followed, and Flamia entered last.

They finally embarked on a journey to save the ones they loved.
Whatever awaited them, they would face it with all they had.

Meanwhile, in the ice palace, Angela and Horizon were inside a large magical circle.
The intricate pattern of magic was a sign that this magic ritual was not ordinary.

They closed their eyes and appeared to concentrate while reciting incantations.

The magical circle glowed around them, and light radiated from the magic circle beneath them.
It was a sign that the ritual had begun.

But not long after, the magical circle shattered like glass.

They both immediately opened their eyes and showed displeased expressions.

“Another failure today…”

Angela complained while Horizon remained calm as usual.

“…what's missing, actually? …huuuhh…
and why do we have to do this?”

“……..”

Horizon didn't answer and instead walked away.
She passed through several corridors and arrived at a spacious area.

In the middle of that place, a beautiful ice crystal floated in the air, but inside the ice crystal, Kuro was sleeping peacefully.

A small light emanated from Kuro's finger, coming from her wedding ring.

Horizon narrowed her eyes as she looked at the ring.

She knew that the ring Kuro wore was not an ordinary ring.
In fact, there was only one like it in the CSO.

“The Ring of Rinne…
I guess this is no coincidence…
right?”