IBHJ 1202

Demonic Bodhisattva's face twitched as she took in the scene—three Grand Servants including King Hassan and Zeus. Her knees almost buckled, and she had to fight the urge to cover her face and run away.

"What's a Beast like you doing here?" Kirschtaria stood up, taking charge. As usual, he'd handle the talking while Ritsuka dealt with any fighting that might break out.

"Ah, Mr. Kirschtaria Wodime." She acknowledged him with a nod, throwing a quick glance at Manaka before turning to Ritsuka with a honey-sweet smile. "Lady Ritsuka, what a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

"Do you know me?" Ritsuka asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Of course I do," Demonic Bodhisattva replied smoothly.

"But I've never met you before."

"Oh, that hardly matters. What matters is that I know everything about you," she said with a knowing smile, "including how you inherited Beast VII's power from Olga Marie Animusphere."

Ritsuka went completely still. Next to her, Kirschtaria's expression hardened.

"Though I must say," she continued, her eyes sweeping across the hostile faces of the Heroic Spirits, "I never expected you to gather so many Grand Servants in just a few short years." Her gaze finally settled back on Ritsuka with a gentle smile that didn't reach her eyes. "But since you're a Beast yourself, surely you can sense how dangerous that woman behind you really is?"

Kirschtaria closed his eyes with a sigh. Of course their leader hadn't noticed how dangerous Manaka Sajyou was - Ritsuka's denseness was legendary at this point.

That's exactly why he, the A-Team's vice leader, had become not just her assistant but practically her caretaker. The role should have been Mash's, really, but Ritsuka had severed that contract herself. She hadn't wanted Mash to see her as Beast VII, hadn't wanted to risk hurting anyone with that power. So naturally, the job of professional Ritsuka-handler had fallen to him.

Which was why he was certain Ritsuka must have missed all the warning signs about Manaka, probably just seeing her as someone with a few unusual abilities.

But then-

"Of course I know," Ritsuka said simply.

‘Wait, what?’ his head snapped toward her in surprise.

"You know? No, that's impossible. She's—"

"She's a vessel created to devour Beasts," Ritsuka cut in with a casual smile, pointing at Manaka. "Or more accurately, she's a Beast who preys on other Beasts—an Evil of Humanity that feeds on other Evils of Humanity. That's what you are, right?"

Demonic Bodhisattva's words died in her throat.

Manaka took several nervous steps backward. ‘So Beast VII could sense it all along, but hasn't attacked me yet... Is she just waiting for the right moment to strike? This is bad—I'm at my weakest right now. I need to find some way to escape.’

She spun to flee, only to find Zeus had silently moved to block her escape. Her heart lurched in her chest as she sensed his divine power, radiating an aura that rivaled Tiamat's. But it wasn't just that, she could also feel other divine signatures, concepts of sun and moon woven into his being. With her omniscient abilities, she understood the truth about the Greek gods all too well. This Zeus had clearly absorbed the divine authorities of his fellow gods. In her weakened state, she didn't stand a chance.

She had only one option left - a desperate gamble.

Manaka's eyes flickered with uncertainty before hardening with resolve. It wasn't that she couldn't unleash her full power - she simply hadn't wanted to. Keeping the real Manaka Sajyou dormant while maintaining her own existence had severely limited her strength. But if she died here, everything would have been pointless.

There was no choice. She'd have to withdraw the power she used to suppress her true personality and maintain her existence. One all-or-nothing burst of power to break free and escape with her life.

There was no telling if she'd even survive afterward, but she'd have to leave that to fate.

Just as Manaka was gathering her power to escape, Ritsuka turned to face Demonic Bodhisattva and shook her head. "My instincts tell me she's dangerous, but I'm not handing her over to you."

"And why not?"

"Because Manaka can help me find my sister."

"Your sister? Fujimaru Sakura... or should I call her Lady Kama?" Demonic Bodhisattva's lips curled into a smile. "If that's who you're looking for, I could help you myself."

"No, you can't," Ritsuka said firmly. "You don't have the power to remove someone's Beast nature."

She glanced over at Manaka before continuing. "Ever since I first saw her, my Beast side went unusually quiet. It actually warned me about how dangerous she was and what she could do. That's when it clicked—she could not only help me find my sister, but she could remove the Beast from both of us. We could finally go back to just being normal people again."

"So no, I won't hand her over. Since you know who I am, I suggest you leave. Otherwise..." she pointed at Demonic Bodhisattva. "I'll have to teach you a lesson."

"Using Manaka to remove your Beast?" Demonic Bodhisattva's voice rose to a hysterical pitch. "Have you completely lost your mind, Fujimaru Ritsuka? No... Beast VII!"

"I'm perfectly sane," Ritsuka answered with unnerving calmness. "Actually, my mind has never been clearer. Now get out of here before I make you leave."

At her words, King Hassan slowly drew his blade. Orion and the others got to their feet, while Zeus simply uncrossed his arms, ready for action.

Demonic Bodhisattva ground her teeth, her fingers curling into trembling fists as she forced herself to calm down. She shot Manaka a venomous glare. "Enjoy your victory while it lasts, First Vessel. But if you dare absorb another Beast, I'll make sure you regret it."

As her figure disappeared into the darkness, Ritsuka let out a relieved sigh. Then she turned to Manaka with a bright smile. "There! I chased her away for you, Manaka."

Manaka: "..."

"So... you want to use me to purge both your Beast and your sister's?" she finally asked.

Ritsuka nodded, then realized something and groaned in frustration. "Ugh, this is all Olga Marie's fault. I can't even keep my thoughts to myself anymore."

Manaka's face darkened with rage, her finger trembling as she pointed at Ritsuka. "You... all of you... you're just treating me like some kind of garbage disposal? Sure, I might be at rock bottom right now, but this is taking the humiliation too far!"

"I'm not humiliating you! I'm being completely sincere!" Ritsuka protested.

She denied the humiliation but said nothing about using her as a garbage disposal. Was that really how Ritsuka saw her? Manaka, already feeling awful, looked into Ritsuka's innocent eyes and remembered Tiamat's betrayal. Something inside her snapped. She coughed up a mouthful of black mud, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.

Ritsuka immediately rushed over in panic, trying to catch her. "Is she—is she really this fragile? How does she keep passing out like this?"

"Tsk tsk tsk." Orion shook his head, watching Manaka who had collapsed in a rage. "Another victim of Master's way with words. She's a bit much, don't you think, Zeus?"

"Hmph." Zeus snorted dismissively. "Unlike some people, I'm above getting offended by Master's... unfortunate choice of words."

"Oh sure, of course you are," Orion smirked. "You were just knocked out by Master's punches instead."

"Tch!" Zeus shot Orion a venomous glare. Why was this guy so incredibly irritating? Maybe he should look for an opportunity to get rid of him once and for all.

Kirschtaria watched Ritsuka fumbling nervously and let out a deep sigh. "Leader, you're only a perfect young lady when you keep your mouth shut. Please stop hurting people with what you say. From now on, just let me handle all the negotiations."

"I—I wasn't trying to hurt anyone," she replied miserably.

"That's exactly the problem, you don't mean to cause harm, which somehow makes the damage even worse. Out of all the people you could learn from, why on earth did you pick Karna..." he sighed heavily.