The fierce battle had transformed a section of the Tanzawa mountain range into a desolate wasteland, stripped of all life.
Yukina and Yuiri stood amidst the shattered landscape—cratered earth, collapsed mountains, and annihilated forests stretching before them—staring blankly at the devastation.
"...Sigh."
"...Sigh."
After a moment, the two girls exhaled in unison, then blinked at each other before sharing a bitter smile.
Rozen, meanwhile, paid them no mind as he gathered the unconscious Cleansers, confiscating all their cursed artifacts.
Though only the spear and armor wielded by the lead knight were genuine relics of Cain, the God of Sin, the rest being mere replicas, they were still remnants of the heretic god's legacy. It wasn't as if Rozen could just discard them—even if they were utterly useless to him.
The Foreign Erosion could nullify all supernatural forces, but its flaws were too glaring. Rozen had far superior alternatives, like Tenyuryo, the holy spear that severed all barriers. While limited to negating magic, its reliability far outstripped the niche, flawed artifacts of the God of Sin.
As for the power to extract data from objects and animate them as monsters or puppets?
Pathetic.
Compared to Rozen's mastery as a summoner, it was child's play.
Still, he collected them anyway.
As for the Knights of the Sinful God themselves...
"Let's see who you really are."
Rozen grabbed the collar of the unconscious spear knight, yanking him up to tear off the steel mask concealing his face.
Beneath it was a man in his thirties with sharp, hound-like features—someone Rozen didn't recognize.
But Yuiri did.
"Lieutenant Colonel Azama Tatsumi...!?"
Her voice trembled with disbelief.
"You know him, Yuiri?" Yukina asked in surprise.
Even Rozen turned to look.
Yuiri's face stiffened.
"He's... Azama Tatsumi, commander of the JSDF's Special Attack Unit. He was assigned to assist the Lion King Agency at Shinjin Lake. How could he...?"
She swayed on her feet, then suddenly rushed to the staff-wielding knight she had defeated earlier, tearing off that mask as well.
Another familiar face.
"First Lieutenant Okiyama...!"
Okiyama Mitsue—Azama's adjutant and leader of the 1st Squadron.
Both had been snatched away by the Horned Serpents when the black shell at the lake's depths ruptured, their fates unknown.
Yet here they were—as Knights of the Sinful God.
With growing dread, Yuiri removed the mask of the gun knight Yukina had defeated, revealing another JSDF officer she vaguely recognized.
"Second Lieutenant Ueyanagi of the 2nd Squadron..."
Pale-faced, she unmasked the rest.
Every single one was a JSDF member.
The truth was undeniable.
"The JSDF... has been infiltrated by the Cleansers?"
Yuiri's voice was hollow.
"...It seems the military has been compromised," Yukina murmured grimly.
Rozen, however, remained impassive—even understanding.
"No wonder they knew I was coming."
If the Cleansers had infiltrated the JSDF, then Rozen's arrival—relayed through the Lion King Agency's channels—would have reached them instantly.
It also explained the origin of the attack helicopters and armored vehicles.
Only the military could procure such equipment so easily.
"They joined the JSDF specifically to exploit its resources—manufacturing an army of monsters and puppets."
Viewed that way, the scale of infiltration made sense.
Even their head start in locating the swamp dragon was now clear.
"They already knew what the Holy Annihilation relic in Shinjin Lake was. They had scouts across Tanzawa, monitoring the lake, tracking the dragon the moment it emerged."
Likely, even their "abduction" by the Horned Serpents had been staged—a pretext to disappear and seize the dragon unnoticed, only to later return as "survivors."
A flawless plan.
Pity they crossed Rozen.
"I—I need to report this to Lady Kuraki! The JSDF can't be trusted!"
Snapping out of her shock, Yuiri frantically pulled out a talisman, whispered an incantation, and released it as a messenger shikigami in the form of a white dove.
"What should we do with them?" Yukina asked solemnly, eyeing the captured Cleansers.
Rozen shrugged, disinterested.
"Fanatics with delusions of grandeur. Handle them as you see fit."
He turned away.
"I've got a more pressing matter to deal with."
His gaze shifted behind them—where the wounded dragon stood, watching them with surprisingly docile eyes.
Despite its bloodied scales and grievous injuries, it showed no hostility, remaining in place as if waiting.
According to Azama, this dragon was a Guardian of the God of Sin's legacy—a living vessel carrying critical data.
But what that data entailed, or what exactly Cain had left behind, remained unclear.
"First, let's patch you up."
Rozen drew a talisman from his sleeve.
"Order."
Infusing it with potent jutsuryoku, he flung it onto the dragon.
"Shing—!"
Verdant light enveloped the beast, its wounds visibly knitting together.
"Roar...!"
The dragon let out a pleased rumble—
—then exploded in radiant light.