tight business huh?

After the weighty conversation had come to a close, Dazai rose from his seat, his ever-present smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Just as he reached the door, he paused, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Oh, and since we're on such agreeable terms, send a few of your trusted adventurers to collect the mana crystals. Naturally, you'll receive your ten percent cut," he said, his tone light yet laced with unspoken command. "You've got ties to the current king, don't you? Draft a proposal — mana towers across Astra's borders. Why? I'll explain when the time's right. For now, just trust me."

He gave a lazy wave and stepped into the hallway, leaving Rose with nothing but silence and the lingering scent of incense and mischief.

The guild master leaned back, fingers steepled, and let out a long, measured sigh.

"Like father, like son," she muttered under her breath, though a faint trace of amusement softened her voice. "Always needing to have the last word."

---

Outside the guildhall, Dazai found Levi waiting, and beside him, Akatsuki — barely upright, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Without ceremony, Dazai grabbed the boy by the collar and began dragging him along.

"Sorry, I'm borrowing him," Dazai said, the apology entirely hollow.

Akatsuki groaned but didn't resist, knowing resistance was pointless when it came to Dazai. Together, they returned to the Carnage estate, where Maria stood waiting near the training hall, bowing her head slightly at Dazai's arrival.

"Welcome home, my lord," she said softly. "The demon remains chained, and I've procured additional crystal orbs. You'll need them, I assume — for the gun?"

Akatsuki's eyes gleamed with unfiltered excitement, though Dazai rolled his own, muttering a curse under his breath. Without another word, he stepped forward, crushing the crystal orbs in his palm. Flames — faintly tinged with crimson — flickered to life as he pulled Eve's trembling hand into his.

"Alright, demon," Dazai said, voice low, almost gentle, yet brimming with menace. "You've got two options — die like the pathetic creature you are, or pour your mana into this vessel."

Eve's growl reverberated through the room, but even her stubborn pride couldn't resist the inevitable. Her mana flowed into the molten mass, tendrils of dark energy swirling with the liquid flame.

Dazai turned to Akatsuki, gesturing at the glowing pool.

"Your turn, idiot," Dazai said flatly. "Touch it — and imagine the weapon you want. Focus. You only get one chance."

Akatsuki stepped forward, placing his hand into the searing heat. His eyes clenched shut, mind narrowing to a single image — a shotgun, heavy and deadly, etched with traces of dark veins.

The room erupted with a flash of pink flame, light swallowing every shadow. When it faded, Akatsuki stood with the weapon in hand, its surface pulsating faintly with Eve's lingering presence.

Dazai exhaled, snapping his fingers with a whispered command.

"Authority — Eternal Binding."

The spell took hold, Eve's essence forcibly merged back into Akatsuki's body. The demon's growl became a whisper in the back of his mind, her will bound to his command.

"Congratulations," Dazai said dryly, sinking into a nearby chair. "You've got your gun. Eve's power is yours to tap into — infinite ammunition, courtesy of her mana supply. But only while she's bound inside you."

Akatsuki frowned, clearly unsettled by the thought of being tethered so closely to the demon. Before either of them could speak, the air shifted — reality itself peeled away into a blinding white void.

Dazai groaned, already recognizing the telltale sensation.

"Again?" he muttered. "Athena… shouldn't you be wasting time arguing with the Olympian pantheon right about now?"

Athena stood before him, her ethereal form shimmering faintly against the blank backdrop. Her expression was stern, but there was a flicker of something beneath it — concern, perhaps.

"Time flows differently here, as you well know," she said. "As for the gods — they're furious about Poseidon's… condition. Fortunately for you, they won't be descending upon my world anytime soon."

Her words faltered, her gaze sharpening as it raked over him. "But what have you done to yourself?"

Dazai arched a brow, feigning innocence. "Care to be more specific?"

Athena's lips pressed into a thin line. "Your body… it reeks of conflicting mana. A demonic dragon, a heavenly dragon, a guardian beast, even the touch of a gorgon. And that's on top of your own. Do you even realize what you've become?"

Dazai's smirk faltered — just slightly. "So? What does that mean?"

"It means," Athena said, her tone like steel wrapped in silk, "that your core is fracturing. No mortal body was meant to house so many incompatible forces. You're unraveling from the inside out."

Dazai stood silent for a heartbeat, then exhaled through his nose. "Is there a cure, or are you just here to deliver bad news?"

Athena allowed herself the faintest smile, impressed — if only mildly — by his composure. "There's a way. You remember the Heart of Astra, don't you? The ancient conduit beneath my temple — the one your little 'tower' is built over?"

Dazai's eyes narrowed. "Go on."

"The Heart is connected to the mana flows of all seven kingdoms. It's a gateway to Olympus itself. You'll need to siphon some of its energy — enough to stabilize your core. But there's a catch."

"Of course there is," Dazai muttered.

"You'll need to reseal the gateway after drawing the mana," Athena said. "If you fail — if you lose control even for a moment — the backlash will tear you apart. And even if you succeed, the chances of survival are slim."

Dazai laughed softly, the sound devoid of humor. "Fantastic. Just another day in paradise."

---

Meanwhile — The Obsidian Depths

Far from the reaches of Astra's light, in the bowels of the infamous Silent Raven Guild, a lone figure stood before a gathering of six. Cloaked in shadows so dense they seemed to devour the surrounding air, the figures knelt in silence — awaiting their orders.

Coy Slytherin stood above them, the faint flicker of dark magic coiling around his fingertips like restless serpents. His voice, low and venomous, echoed through the chamber.

"I have a mission for you all," he said. "Erase the Carnage bloodline from existence."

The figures shifted slightly, though none dared question him — save for one.

"What of Guild Master May?" the voice asked cautiously. "Has she sanctioned this?"

Coy's glare cut through the gloom, his patience worn thin. "This isn't her concern," he spat. "You will obey. Now go."

Without a sound, the six vanished into the darkness, leaving Coy alone with his rage.

His laughter echoed off the stone walls — hollow, bitter, and steeped in ancient hatred.

"Ryomen," he whispered, the name like poison on his tongue. "You betrayed everything we were. But I will erase your legacy. Every last trace."

His fingers curled into a fist, and the darkness surged.

"I will destroy everything you built."