The forest fell into deafening silence in that instant.
The Spear Knight's face stiffened into a rigid mask, his eyes bulging wide with shock.
Yuiri wore an expression of utter disbelief—stunned, bewildered, and completely unable to process what she had just heard.
Even Yukina, who already knew the truth, felt a flicker of dizziness hearing Rozen declare it again.
"The Fourth Primogenitor… is gone?"
The Spear Knight muttered numbly before snapping back to reality with a furious shout.
"No! Impossible!"
How could such a thing happen?
No—why would it happen?
The Spear Knight's mind was in chaos.
But the truth remained.
"If you know so much about me, then you should also know that I was the one who summoned Cain, the God of Sin, back into this world. I was the one who dragged the cursed soul of the Original out of Nagisa and sealed it inside myself. So if I could manipulate the souls of gods and demons so easily… why wouldn't I be able to destroy them?"
Rozen's tone was almost playful.
"At the time, I hadn't yet reached the point where I could freely control divine spirits, but the Fourth Primogenitor sealed inside me did disappear. I took its magic and its Beast Vassals, burned its soul to nothing, and from that moment on, the world no longer had a vampire called the Fourth Primogenitor—only me, who inherited its power."
His words were a bomb detonating in everyone's minds.
Especially the Spear Knight, who reeled as if struck physically.
The Fourth Primogenitor—the god-slaying weapon crafted by the Devas and the Three Primogenitors, the strongest vampire who had slain Cain, the God of Sin, the being at the very heart of the Holy Annihilation—was gone?
And not only that, but its power and Beast Vassals had been stolen by a human?
"I-Is this true, Yukina!?"
Yuiri, caught in her own turmoil, turned to Yukina for confirmation.
Yukina could only sigh.
"It… seems to be the case."
She admitted reluctantly.
"T-This…"
Yuiri was speechless.
And she wasn't the only one. The Spear Knight looked like he'd been punched in the gut.
But Rozen wasn't done.
"Oh, and by the way—my sister, the Witch of the Void? She's still technically the warden of the Prison Barrier, but right now, that duty is being handled by a puppet. Her real body's already out, living a normal life."
Another bombshell.
"Also, my stalker—no, my monitor—might have been raised as a tool by the Lion King Agency, but right now, she's just a normal middle schooler attending a normal school in the Demon Sanctuary. If not for you people stirring up trouble, we'd probably be celebrating the New Year at home, eating festive meals, instead of fighting in the middle of nowhere."
His voice took on a sharp edge.
"So, in the end, none of the injustices you mentioned actually exist. If anything, you're the ones causing them."
"And yet you have the nerve to tell me not to interfere?"
"Do you really think that's realistic, Knight of the Sinful God?"
Before the Spear Knight could retort, Rozen continued mercilessly.
"And let's talk about your so-called 'twisted world.' You claim Demons are the problem, that they act without regard for humans—but humans can be born with extraordinary powers too."
"Most humans are weak, yes, but some are born with abilities like spiritual power, Hyper Adaptation, or pure-blooded Witch lineages. Some are even more terrifying than most Demons. If Demons were truly as unrestrained as you say, why haven't they conquered the world? Why confine themselves to the Three Nocturnal Empires?"
"Of course, there's another crucial reason—many among the Demonkind themselves value peaceful coexistence with humans. That's precisely why the Holy Treaty, spearheaded by the Three Primogenitors, was established to restrain the more unruly Demons, giving rise to Demon Sanctuaries where humans and Demons can live in harmony."
"Thanks to them, humans and Demons are gradually learning to accept one another. Though it may take time, if this trend continues, true coexistence will eventually be achieved—no more rejection, no more hostility."
"So tell me, oh righteous knight—compared to these Demons, what exactly have you accomplished?"
Rozen's words made the Spear Knight's breathing grow ragged.
Noticing this, Rozen's tone dripped with even sharper sarcasm.
"Let me spell it out for you: nothing. You've achieved nothing but wallowing in your delusions, arrogantly convinced of your own righteousness while accomplishing nothing of value."
"While the Demons you despise established the Holy Treaty, you—who claim their very existence is a blight—have contributed nothing to this world. Instead, you've pursued your fanatical goals by plotting to murder an innocent boy merely carrying Cain's seal. You've targeted civilians on Itogami Island. You sent Wyverns after me and Yukina, who came here only to save our friends. Just moments ago, you ordered your comrades to attack humans without hesitation, showing not an ounce of mercy—your only intent was to eliminate anyone in your way."
"So spare me your sermons about justice."
"You're unworthy to preach."
Each word was a spear, piercing through the Spear Knight's hollow righteousness, exposing the twisted fanaticism beneath.
"Minamiya—!!"
The Spear Knight roared in fury.
But the response he got wasn't from Rozen.
It was laughter.
"Hahahaha! How does it feel to have your hypocrisy laid bare, Knight of the Sinful God?"
The voice came from the treetops.
There, a young prince with magic wings hovered, grinning wildly.
"Iblisveil Aziz…!"
The Spear Knight's face twisted.
Iblisveil only laughed harder.
"Apologies for being late. Dealing with your little pests took some time."
As he spoke, the golden falcon descended behind him, surrounded by a whirlwind that deposited several armored figures onto the ground.
They wore the same magic equipment as the Spear Knight.
The Cleansers.
Then—
"I, too, was delayed by vermin. It seems your faction had more manpower than expected."
A new voice echoed as mist coalesced, revealing three figures.
Vatler, Tobias, and Kira stepped forward, tossing more unconscious Cleansers onto the pile with dull thuds.
"Dimitrie Vatler…!"
The Spear Knight's face contorted in horror.
His plan—his holy mission—had crumbled to dust.