The battle against the Demon King's Army was a resounding success.
This outcome was natural and inevitable.
Once Nero decided to join the fight, victory was all but assured.
Thanks to her Imperial Privilege EX, particularly the Charisma skill it granted, Nero inspired everyone on the battlefield. Her rallying words and commanding presence turned the tide, pushing back the invading Demon King's forces with overwhelming momentum.
Yunyun, Megumin, Darkness, and Aqua all played significant roles in the battle.
The only exception was Kazuma, who charged too far forward, ended up in the middle of a group of kobolds, and… well, let's just say he was torn into several pieces.
After Aqua resurrected him, she mocked him for quite some time.
Because of their valiant efforts, Nero's party and her allies, already well-regarded, were now even more respected and admired.
That battle had been yesterday. Today, a new day dawned.
The banquet hall where celebrations were being held was a familiar place to Nero.
"Umu! It's a shame there's no chance for me to perform this time," Nero sighed regretfully.
Nearby, Yunyun—dressed in an elegant gown—shuddered at Nero's words, a look of lingering fear flashing across her face.
Suddenly, the ahoge atop Nero's head twitched, pointing in a specific direction.
Over there, Aqua was surrounded by a group of people.
"Listen, listen! Join the Axis Cult! When you look back on your life, you'll realize joining the Axis Cult was the best decision you ever made! We have so many benefits right now—join today and…"
That idiot Aqua was once again pestering others to join her Axis Cult.
Normally, Nero wouldn't care, but Aqua's next words made her stop in her tracks.
"Everyone in the Axis Cult is pure and kind! The bad rumors about us? Totally made up by those awful Eris Church people! Even Princess Alice and Nero are part of the Axis Cult! So hurry up and—"
"Take this—Wolf King's Grasp!"
"GYAAAAAHHHH!"
Nero unleashed Lü Bu's second skill, Wolf King's Grasp, on Aqua, draining her health while shielding herself.
"How dare you tarnish my name and Alice's reputation the moment I looked away?" Nero demanded, her tone laced with irritation.
It was one thing to badmouth the Eris Church—Eris herself hadn't complained—but to claim that Nero and Alice were members of the Axis Cult? That was crossing the line.
"Don't you learn from your mistakes?!"
"Why not?! What's so bad about joining the Axis Cult?!" Aqua retorted, struggling against Nero's hold. "You get free access to hot springs, and every day you can receive edible soap!"
"And why would I eat soap?"
Nero felt she was being extraordinarily patient by not wiping out the Axis Cult altogether, yet Aqua still had the audacity to try recruiting her.
After her visit to the Axis Cult's headquarters in Arcanretia, Nero had resolved to keep as far away from them as possible.
Honestly, Nero suspected that if it weren't for the Crimson Demons and the Axis Cult, humans and the Demon King's Army might not even be at war.
The Crimson Demons were constantly spying on the Demon King's daughter during her baths. The observatory overlooking her room had become a famous tourist attraction in their village.
Meanwhile, one of the Axis Cult's daily activities involved spreading absurd rumors about the Demon King, such as him being a lolicon or a depraved sadist.
"It's one thing to slander me, but dragging Alice into this? Do you have a death wish? She's the princess of this kingdom! You do realize you could lose your head for this, right?"
"L-Lose my head?!"
Aqua faltered for a moment but quickly regained her composure.
"N-No way that'll happen! Besides, I wasn't lying. Alice really is part of the Axis Cult! I invited her just yesterday!"
"Do you ever stop spouting nonsense? Why would Alice join the Axis Cult? Sure, she's innocent and a bit naive, but there's no way… right?"
…Why am I losing confidence as I speak?
Damn it!
The thought of her pure and sweet "sister" being manipulated into joining a cult full of lunatics made Nero's blood boil.
Her emerald eyes glinted with chilling intensity as she glared at Aqua, her fury palpable.
"Eek!"
Aqua let out an embarrassing squeal.
She realized, even with her limited brainpower, that staying here any longer would lead to her imminent demise.
"Darkness! Darkness, help me! Nero's going to kill me!" Aqua cried, darting behind Nero and clutching her skirt.
"Darkness, are you going to side with her?" Nero asked, turning around.
But when she looked back, there wasn't even a shadow of Darkness to be seen.
By the time Nero turned forward again, Aqua was already sprinting away, lifting the hem of her gown to run faster.
"…"
For five whole seconds, Nero stood there in stunned silence.
"Did that idiot goddess just fool me?"
First came embarrassment and confusion, followed swiftly by rage so intense it nearly made her head explode.
One could only imagine what cruel fate awaited Aqua when Nero inevitably caught her. Aqua might even regret ever being summoned to this world.
Fueled by anger, Nero easily grabbed Aqua by the head, dragging her out of the banquet hall.
"You're coming with me. I'll take you to see Alice—but first, we're going to have a little chat about how you humiliated me in front of everyone."
"My heaaaaaad! Gyaaaaaahhhhh!"
Even after the heavy doors closed, Aqua's wails of despair echoed through the banquet hall.
Nero had half-expected Kyouya Mitsurugi to step in and defend Aqua. After all, Kyouya seemed to harbor feelings for the self-proclaimed goddess.
Kyouya had wanted to become a hero to save the world partly because he believed Aqua had placed great faith in him. He didn't want to disappoint her.
Yet in reality, Aqua hadn't even bothered to remember his name.
As one of the royal capital's standout adventurers, Kyouya was, of course, attending the banquet.
However, he made no move to stop Nero from dragging Aqua away.
It seemed he'd misunderstood Nero and Aqua's dynamic, interpreting their interaction as a sign of close friendship.
No wonder Kazuma had once called Kyouya "a guy whose eyes are as useful as marbles."
From afar, Kyouya watched Nero, his gaze filled with envy.
He's probably jealous of how "close" I seem with Aqua, Nero thought bitterly.
Seriously, though—who would want to be close to that idiot? Taking care of her is exhausting, especially when she's utterly oblivious to how much trouble she causes.