Chapter 143: Japan’s Glory

’Japan is home to Emilia, the Sword Saint.’

Sylvia’s voice immediately sharpened with curiosity.

[I’ve heard of her on the news with Mihui. Isn’t she The S+ Rank Awakened called Japan’s Glory?]

’The very same.’

Emilia was the most powerful Awakened in Japan, and among the rare individuals who possessed the ability to enchant another Awakened’s skill.

There were only two known Enchanters in the world.

And Eden intended to make use of that fact.

’She lost her parents to demonic humans,’ he explained.

’Since then, she’s made hunting them down one of her personal objectives. She’s exceptionally strong, but that doesn’t mean she can handle every threat alone.’

[And you intend to help her?]

’Sort of.’

Eden’s smile widened slightly.

The Sword Saint’s abilities were precisely what he needed. His own skills were powerful, but even he understood that there would come a point when simply accumulating more levels and improving his attributes wouldn’t be enough.

An enchanted skill could provide the breakthrough he needed.

Naturally, Emilia wouldn’t simply agree to help a stranger for no reason.

Which was why Eden had already begun considering the most effective way to earn her cooperation.

’Here’s the plan,’ he continued. ’I’ll investigate the Demonic Syndicate and make certain their activities become increasingly difficult to ignore. If possible, I’ll encourage the situation to escalate until they summon a sufficiently powerful demonic creature.’

Sylvia remained silent.

’And when that creature becomes too dangerous for Emilia to handle alone, I’ll appear, defeat it, and save the day.’

[...You intend to manufacture a crisis so you can play the hero?]

’I prefer to think of it as creating an opportunity for growth.’

[That is an extraordinarily generous description of what you’re planning.]

’...Thanks’

[That wasn’t a compliment, Master.]

’I’ll accept it anyway.’

Sylvia sighed inside his mind.

Eden could practically imagine her pinching the bridge of her nose.

[And what do you gain from all this?]

’Emilia owes me a favor. Ideally, a very large one.’

[And you intend to use that favor to make her enchant one of your skills.]

’Bingo.’

[Can’t you just ask her?]

’A Skill-enchanting skill like hers has limited uses. Even if I was to befriend her the normal way, she probably wouldn’t use it on me.’

Eden’s expression remained pleasant as he stepped through the building’s main entrance.

’People are much more cooperative when they believe you’ve saved their lives.’

Sylvia didn’t respond immediately.

When she finally spoke, her voice carried a faint note of exasperation.

[Sometimes I wonder whether you’re actually the hero of this story.]

Eden smiled.

’Who said I was?’

He had no intention of pretending to be righteous from the start.

He wasn’t going to Japan to save innocent people out of some noble desire to protect humanity. If he could dismantle the Demonic Syndicate along the way, so much the better. But his primary objective was to obtain the power he needed to keep moving forward.

Everything else was secondary.

Still, even Eden understood that his plans weren’t guaranteed to succeed. The Demonic Syndicate might prove stronger than expected, and Emilia might turn out to be far less cooperative than he anticipated.

There was also the matter of the Association’s warning.

Japan had its own political complications, and he couldn’t assume that every powerful Awakened there would welcome a foreigners interference.

But those were problems for later.

For now, he had another destination in mind.

The Empty Gates.

---

Several days later, Eden stood before the entrance of an abandoned industrial building on the outskirts of the city.

The weather was overcast, and a cold wind swept through the surrounding streets. Rusted metal fences enclosed the property, while weeds had begun growing through cracks in the concrete.

Eden glanced at the woman approaching from a few meters away.

An athletic body and long silver hair highlighted by her green striking eyes.

Seraphina looked considerably less enthusiastic about their meeting than he did.

"You’re certain this is necessary?" she asked.

"Weren’t you the most curious one about what awaited inside these empty gates?"

Seraphina closed her eyes for a moment, seemingly reconsidering every decision that had led her to this point.

Eden found her reluctance somewhat surprising.

The last time they’d spoken, she had been willing to share information about the Empty Gates, even if she remained cautious about what they might contain. Now, however, she seemed almost unwilling to approach the entrance.

It was unusual enough to catch his attention.

"Something bothering you?" he asked.

"No."

"Convincing."

She shot him a glare.

"I simply don’t think you understand what you’re getting yourself into."

’Did she discover something new?’ Eden wondered.

"Then explain it to me."

Seraphina hesitated.

For a moment, she appeared ready to say something. Instead, she glanced toward the abandoned building.

"The man you encountered inside the first one..."

Her voice grew quieter.

"Ryuhei."

Eden’s expression changed slightly.

The masked man had certainly left an impression. His knowledge of the Abyss, his strange statements about the Lower Realm, and the way he had spoken about the Ruler of Sorcery suggested that he possessed far more information than he was willing to reveal.

More importantly, he had shown an interest in Eden.

And that alone was enough to warrant caution.

"What about him?" Eden asked.

Seraphina looked directly at him.

"Be careful around him. I don’t know what he wants, and I don’t know how much he knows about you. But I have a feeling that encountering him again won’t be a coincidence."

Eden considered that.

Then he shrugged.

"I’ll keep it in mind."

"That’s all you have to say?"

"What else would you like me to say? That I’ll tremble in fear every time I see a masked man?"

"You can’t—"

"Seraphina. Have some faith."

She stared at him.

He stared back.

Eventually, she let out a frustrated breath.

"You’re impossible."

It didn’t take long Seraphina to find an empty gate. Eden knew her skill made it easier, but finding one in record time was still remarkable.

Eden looked at the gate, before glancing back at Seraphina.

"Thanks for bringing me here."

She crossed her arms.

"Don’t thank me yet. Just make sure you come back alive."

Eden smiled.

"I’ll do my best."

He stepped forward.

The distorted space swallowed him without a sound.

For a brief moment, Seraphina stood alone outside the gate, staring at the place where he had disappeared.

Then she lowered her gaze.

’I hope he won’t run into Ryuhei.’

’Or worse...’

’That Abel guy.’