Crossover: The Problem Human of [Arcadia]

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Ryo had heard of the Maxwell Demon.

A calm and collected psycho, basically.

Rumor had it that in the year 2020 of some alternate world, Maxwell had triggered a Paradigm Shift and successfully ascended to become a four-digit Demon Lord.

He was also a member of Ouroboros—though barely qualified to be called a mid-level officer.

To Ryo, the arrival of both Maxwell and the so-called Demon King of Confusion confirmed one thing:

{Ouroboros was still keeping a close eye on [No Name], afraid they might make a comeback.}

That alone erased most of Ryo's previous worries.

Lovecraft had said it best: "The deepest fear of humanity is fear of the unknown."

Before, Ryo wasn't sure if Ouroboros was still watching or even remembered his existence. That uncertainty had been gnawing at him. It's only human to feel fear and anxiety in such a situation.

But now that he knew they were watching?

He wasn't scared anymore.

If you're coming for me, then so be it. Worst case? We go to war.

At this point, while Ryo didn't have the strength to fight Ouroboros entirely, he was more than capable of defending himself.

In the lower levels of Little Garden, the most powerful beings that could operate freely were those with four-digit rankings—barely exceeding the limit.

Push beyond that, and the central system of Little Garden would automatically step in and restrict your output, locking down your top-tier abilities to prevent spatial instability or outright destruction of the lower realms.

That ceiling worked both ways. If Ryo couldn't exceed it, then neither could his enemies.

So unless Ouroboros was just monitoring him out of caution, if they did decide to attack him directly, he'd just go all out—even if it cost him his life.

After all, the Gold Saints from the Saint Seiya world were madmen who didn't hesitate to burn away their massive lifespans just to defeat enemies on the same tier as gods!

Ryo couldn't match that level of sacrifice, sure, but he was confident he could take down a single overpowered four-digit enemy if it came to it.

The Gold Saints' willingness to die for the win made even gods afraid of them. If the gods of Saint Seiya feared Gold Saints, what chance did Ouroboros—who probably didn't even understand what a Gold Saint was—stand?

Honestly, if someone from the Saint Seiya world heard that someone without a "Cosmo" wanted to challenge a Saint, they'd probably jump out of their wheelchair just to laugh in their face.

You don't mess with lunatics who'll literally burn their lives to kill you. Only idiots pick that kind of fight.

And now that he had Cosmo, Ryo finally felt a sense of peace—at least for the near future.

Ouroboros definitely had some overpowered four-digit members. Their backers were likely some big-shot gods from the Cross pantheon, after all.

But judging by how they were operating, they clearly weren't willing to use those heavy hitters openly.

What made Ouroboros dangerous was their ability to slip under the radar of higher-dimensional beings.

Little Garden was full of Demon Lords causing chaos—there were new ones every year, each making a flashy entrance just to show off and flex their existence.

But Ouroboros? They kept a low profile, stayed in the shadows, sharpened their fangs, and waited for the right moment to strike. They were more like the underworld mafia of Little Garden.

They had ties—visible and hidden—with people at the top. They were dirty, crafty, and extremely patient. That's why their plans usually worked.

Take [Arcadia] for example. When most of its powerhouses died in a war, Ouroboros sent in a Demon Lord with banishment abilities and snuck in a surprise attack—quietly taking out Arcadia's command center.

Head-on, that would've been impossible.

If they'd waited too long, and Canaria caught on, she would've exposed them and shredded them like paper.

Even after she was exiled, Canaria didn't really care about Ouroboros. Her eyes were already locked onto the real threat—the Final Trial of Humanity.

That was her true goal. The danger of the Cross Pantheon.

As for [Ouroboros]? If she ever got the chance, she'd just wipe them out on the way.

In the end, they only succeeded in breaking [Arcadia] because they relied on information asymmetry and ambush tactics. They stole Arcadia's flag, forced their alliance into decline, and dipped.

That kind of play only works once. Try it again, and you're dead.

So right now, if Ouroboros did want to deal with Ryo, they wouldn't throw in everything. At most, they'd send one or two of their top four-digit operatives.

Against an already ruined Arcadia and a Ryo Yagami who had only just started showing four-digit potential, Ouroboros wasn't willing to take too big a risk.

Ideally, they'd love to quietly eliminate a reawakening [No Name] before it became a problem. But if that failed, then surveillance would do just fine.

Besides, Shiroyasha was still in the East Area's lower levels.

If Ouroboros exposed themselves now? She'd probably smash them with a literal solar-powered divine punch.

Their backers were powerful, with huge ambitions. They had no reason to go all-in against some "mud-legged" [No Name].

...

Looking at the straightforward and unbothered Demon King of Confusion in front of him, Ryo stroked his chin and asked:

"Besides you and Maxwell, anyone else involved?"

The Demon King of Confusion didn't even hesitate. He answered directly:

"There were a few backup members, but they're just five-digit nobodies. No serious firepower."

"So... this was just a recon mission?"

Ryo's eyes narrowed slightly as he pieced together Ouroboros' plan.

Both Maxwell and the Demon King of Confusion were known for being ridiculously good at running away, so they weren't too worried about getting caught.

Honestly, even Ryo wasn't confident he could stop the Demon King right now. He didn't fully understand what his opponent's powers were yet.

Bottom line: Ouroboros was testing the waters.

And Ryo was starting to see a new angle.

He squinted at the Demon King. "So… what's your position in Ouroboros anyway?"

The guy grinned and shrugged. "Got recruited like, yesterday. You tell me."

"…You're a temporary?"

Ryo's expression twisted into something between amusement and disbelief.

The Demon King clicked his tongue, sounding kind of annoyed. "Basically. Maxwell was supposed to run this operation, but I happened to be in the East Area's lower levels and got unlucky—ran into them."

"You've been operating in the East Area, huh?" Ryo smirked. "Come on now. You've been spying on me for over six months, haven't you?"

The Demon King of Confusion went silent.

He really had been tailing them for half a year.

He knew Canaria was Sun Wukong's prized disciple, and if she went missing, the Monkey King wouldn't sit still.

So when [No Name] hit rock bottom, he started keeping watch.

You could say he'd watched Ryo grow stronger step by step.

And because of that, all he could think was: this guy is seriously freaky.

A normal dude just randomly becoming a four-digit powerhouse… then seeing through his hidden Gift… and even knowing about Ouroboros?

Was this guy even human?

Even as a half-star spirit, the Demon King of Confusion couldn't shake the feeling—Ryo just didn't seem like a regular person.

…Wait.

Not like a person?

The Demon King suddenly narrowed his eyes, staring hard at Ryo.

Male. Ridiculous power spike. Dating the Moon Rabbit. Passed Algol's trial. Knows about Ouroboros...

A god disguised as a mortal? Some ancient schemer from the three-digit realms?

Who could he be?

And then it hit him.

A name—or rather, a god—flashed through his mind:

Indra.

The top guardian deity of Buddhist heaven. One of the War Gods of the heavenly army. The chief among the Twelve Devas.

He is also the patron god of the Moon Rabbits.

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