Tokyo, August 31, 6:00 AM.
"So quiet… It feels like the apocalyptic city vibes from movies."
Sitting on the sofa, Nino crossed her legs, scrolling through her phone.
No new notifications, no tweets, no status updates from netizens. The internet seemed frozen.
Seven hours had passed since The Day of Silence began. Now, the vast majority of humanity had fallen into a deep sleep. Only a minority, unaffected by the grand magical ritual activated by Alice, remained awake.
Sitting beside Nino, Miku spoke softly: "Now you believe, don't you, Nino? Everything Itsuki told you last night is real."
"No matter how absurd it all sounds, after experiencing it myself, I'd be a fool to keep denying it." Nino grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.
The previous night, she felt like a character in a sci-fi movie. But the total silence outside, the dead internet, and the complete lack of activity were undeniable proof.
"…"
As Nino and Miku talked, the residents of the Rokuhara household gathered one by one on the sofa—Itsuki, Masha, Alya, Hayasaka, Ririka, and Ichika.
"Ai-san, please turn on the TV. Let's watch the live broadcast of the Prime War." Itsuki requested, her voice tinged with concern.
Among the girls present, only Hayasaka knew how to access the exclusive broadcast available only to humanity's elite.
"Understood, Itsuki-sama."
Following Itsuki's order, Hayasaka picked up the remote, turned on the TV, and quickly connected the TV's internet to a secret site accessible only to those with special privileges on Earth.
*BLUP!*
The 65-inch LCD TV lit up, displaying a complex interface.
As Hayasaka pressed a few buttons, the screen split into six panels, broadcasting scenes from different remote locations.
In each panel, a lone figure stood amidst a desolate landscape.
"Huh? Why are there only six people? Didn't you say there are eight Campiones in this era?"
Nino couldn't help but voice her confusion upon seeing the figures on the TV. She quickly counted the number of Campiones displayed.
"I don't know either. Do you know something, Ai-san?"
Shaking her head, Itsuki directed the question to Hayasaka.
Among Ren's harem, Hayasaka indeed had more access and knowledge about the mystical world than the other women.
"Yes, I know a little. Before that, allow me to introduce the identities of each Campione so everyone can understand better." Hayasaka said, taking on the role of narrator. She became the center of attention in the living room.
"The elderly man with silver hair, wearing a gray business suit with a white shirt, exuding a predatory aura in the first panel, is the oldest Campione, over 400 years old, Sasha Dejanstahl Voban."
"What?! That sinister-looking old man is 400 years old? Seriously?"
Still new to the mystical world, Nino jolted in shock, her eyes wide.
Not just her—Ichika, Miku, Itsuki, the Kujou sisters, and Ririka reacted similarly.
"Campiones have a physiology different from ordinary humans. They can live for hundreds of years if they don't fall in battle." Hayasaka replied calmly, unsurprised by their reactions.
When she first learned about the Campiones' histories in London, she had reacted the same way.
Hayasaka then continued introducing the other Campiones, turning her gaze to the next screen.
"In the second panel, the man in casual American attire is Lord John Pluto Smith."
The next screen shifted to another Campione. "The black-haired man standing atop ruins with a cold gaze is Alexander Gascoigne, also known as the Black Prince."
"Then, the man with long blonde hair, Salvatore Doni, is known as the Sword King."
"And lastly, among the others, Kusanagi Godou, the Eighth Campione, like Ren-sama, hails from Japan."
"Japan produced two Campiones? That's impressive." Ichika said, her eyes gleaming with pride for her homeland. She hadn't heard of Godou before, but knowing Japan had two Demon Kings filled her with national pride.
"What about the other two Campiones? Why aren't they shown?" Nino asked, puzzled, pointing at the TV screen displaying only six Campiones.
"The other two Campiones are women, Madam Aisha and Luo Hao." Hayasaka answered.
"Wow, there are women among the Campiones? I thought they were all men." Masha said, delighted.
At least it proved women could reach heights many men couldn't. It felt like a form of justice in the male-dominated mystical world.
"I thought so too." Alya added, astonished. "Based on the definition of a Campione—God Slayer—it's hard to believe women could become Campiones."
"…"
Ririka listened silently, not offering her opinion due to her shy nature. She only gazed at Hayasaka with curious eyes, waiting for more explanation.
After everyone calmed down and processed the information about the two female Campiones, Hayasaka explained why they weren't visible on the broadcast.
"According to Ren-sama, Madam Aisha isn't participating in this Prime War." Hayasaka began, her voice calm. "Madam Aisha possesses a Divine Authority that allows her to travel across different timelines. In other words, her whereabouts are uncertain, and she's impossible to contact."
"Time travel? That's an incredible power." Miku said, her eyes sparkling. As a former high school otaku, she knew how overpowered and awe-inspiring such an ability was. It was the kind of power often central to anime or manga plots.
"What about Luo Hao?" Ichika asked, curious about the second female Campione.
"Well… Luo Hao is participating in the Prime War. As for why she's not visible on the broadcast, it's because…"
Hayasaka hesitated briefly, weighing how to convey the rather shocking truth.
"It's because of her personality. According to Ren-sama's personal description, Luo Hao embodies the complete set of the five Confucian virtues: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and integrity."
"Luo Hao is a majestic figure who carries herself with royal grandeur. However, she believes her valor surpasses all others in the world, and compared to the lives of five billion humans, she places herself above everyone on Earth."
Hayasaka paused, letting the information sink in before concluding in a simpler way.
"In short, Luo Hao has delusions on the level of chuunibyou."
"Because of her immense arrogance, she considers ordinary humans beneath her. Thus, she doesn't allow herself to be seen by others without her permission. Otherwise, she'd gouge out the eyes of anyone who dares look at her without her consent."
"…"
The atmosphere fell into an awkward, horrified silence.
Itsuki and the others hadn't expected Luo Hao's personality to be so eccentric and terrifying.
They were appalled by Luo Hao and stopped discussing her.
Instead, they chose to focus on the six Campiones visible on the screen, especially Ren's figure.