The Silent Deity: Saiki Kusuo in Tensura

"Not all who smile are fools… but in this room, all fools wear a smile."

Deep within the mountain fortress hidden far beyond the southern borders of the Cardinal World, behind enchanted veils and ancient illusionary seals, a long, crooked table sat in the center of a dark, eerie hall — lit only by the glow of purple torches and the soft hum of cursed magicules in the air.

Sitting at the head, leaning forward with his chin resting in one hand, his eyes full of ambition and vanity, was none other than Clayman — The Marionette Master and self-proclaimed puppet king of monsters.

To his left sat Yuuki Kagurazaka, smiling innocently as usual, dressed in clean adventurer clothes and sipping tea like a guest at a café. But behind those calm eyes... chaos churned.

The room also held the strange and dangerous members of the Harlequin Moderate Alliance:

Kagali, the fallen hero with crimson eyes that flickered with intelligence and spite.

Laplace, the ever-grinning jester who giggled and whispered to himself while tossing a coin.

Tear, calm and cold, sharpening a needle-like dagger with emotionless precision.

Footman, rocking back and forth like a child, his massive frame hunched in the corner and humming something dark and off-tune.

Clayman slammed a fist on the table.

"The world is singing Veldora's name now! A dragon! A monster! A KING!"

Laplace tilted his hat up, grinning.

"Aye, it is a bit flashy, innit? Brought the whole world for a bath and buffet, he did."

Clayman hissed, "This is the Jura Forest! It was always meant to be mine! My plan to raise an orc lord... foiled. My puppet scheme... crushed. Now Veldora stands above us all like some savior. I won't accept it."

Yuuki leaned back, eyes closed and calm.

"He's a threat, yes. But more importantly… he's a disruption. I don't like disruptions."

Tear looked up from her blade.

"He has influence. Even the Rosso family are hesitating now. Veldora's name alone is changing the power balance."

Kagali gave a slight nod.

"And let's not forget… the people. The regular citizens in cities across the world. They're talking. Merchants want to trade with him. Scholars want to study there. Even elves from Sarion are migrating."

Clayman sneered.

"It was supposed to be chaos. Monsters don't build kingdoms! They fight, devour, destroy! He broke the narrative… and now even the Holy Empire of Ruberios is quiet!"

Yuuki finally opened his eyes.

"Then we'll fix the narrative."

Clayman stood and began pacing.

"I will evolve. I still have the plan to gather enough souls to ascend to a True Demon Lord. But this time… I'll use Falmuth. King Edmaris has his doubts, but with the right push, he can be convinced. Falmuth can invade the outer edges of the forest again. We'll create a puppet monster lord… one I can fully control."

Laplace twirled his coin, catching it between two fingers.

"And what of those creepy whispers, eh? 'Storm Kingdom watches everything'? Feels like someone's already lurking in our shadows."

Kagali's eyes narrowed.

"I've heard... unsettling rumors. Spies disappearing. Nobles confessing secrets they shouldn't know. Something's watching."

Tear nodded.

"I tried tracking one of Veldora's diplomats once. They vanished. Like the shadow swallowed them whole."

Yuuki frowned for the first time, though only slightly.

"We have to assume… Veldora has someone working behind the scenes."

And indeed, he did.

Testarossa, dressed in a noble's black coat, stood atop a building not far from the mountain fortress. Her blood-red eyes glowed in the night. Around her, ten shadowy figures — all high-ranking agents from the Crimson Shadows — sat silently.

Below, in the room filled with the Alliance of schemers, none of them felt a thing.

In the distance, in a cave hidden behind a veil, Souei crouched, fingers on the ground, eyes closed. His shadow soldiers lined the hills, listening. Reporting. Watching.

Above them all, floating lazily in the air and invisible to even space itself, was Saiki, upside down and eating his 15th coffee jelly.

"Yare yare," he mumbled. "These guys just don't get it. Villains are supposed to lose."

Back in the fortress:

Clayman declared, "Once Falmuth strikes the edge of the Storm Kingdom, we'll unleash a monster crisis. I'll fake a catastrophe, blame it on Veldora's incompetence. People will panic. Alliances will weaken. I'll harvest souls in the confusion. Then… I rise."

Yuuki smirked, but said nothing.

Kagali added, "But what if the Storm Kingdom retaliates immediately?"

"They won't," Clayman snapped. "They're monsters trying to pretend to be civilized. They'll hesitate. I'll give them something they'll have to talk about first."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Then Laplace grinned.

"Well then, guess we all play our parts, yeah?"

Later that night, Testarossa appeared in the throne room, bowing before Veldora.

"My lord. We have intercepted Clayman's plans. He seeks to manipulate Falmuth. A fake war. A puppet monster just with shinier lies."

Veldora narrowed his eyes.

"They still think they can outwit me… How pitiful."

Souei emerged from the shadows, kneeling.

"Orders, my king?"

Veldora stood, draping his black and silver cloak around his shoulders, his voice deep and kingly.

"Let Clayman play his game. But this time… we'll set the board."

And far in the sky, Saiki floated by the moonlight, snorting at Clayman's stupidity.

"Seriously… trying to start a war in my kingdom? You should've just gone back to playing dress-up."