The Silent Deity: Saiki Kusuo in Tensura

Diablo, Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera stood silently for a moment, having received Veldora's command. A strange air of seriousness surrounded them—one that even made Gobta, who was usually bouncing with energy, stop hopping for once.

Benimaru, towering with authority, crossed his arms and gave one firm nod.

"Alright, you heard Lord Veldora. We move immediately. Diablo, take charge of the northern sector. Testarossa, you're on the west. Ultima, south. Carrera, east. I'll stay here in the capital and coordinate the main shelter preparation."

Diablo smirked, his eyes glowing faintly crimson. "It shall be done, Lord Benimaru. The shadows of the Abyss move only at your will."

Testarossa adjusted her gloves gracefully, a confident smile on her face. "Oh, how exciting. A hidden city no one knows about? I do love surprises."

Ultima cracked her knuckles with glee. "Tch, finally some action again. I'll make sure everything's perfect down there."

Carrera laughed, spinning one of her swords idly. "Hehe, I bet the people are gonna be shocked when they see the place lord Veldora cooked up."

Souei appeared silently next to them like a wisp of smoke. "Rigurd and I will begin directing the civilians. Gobta, assist with logistics and morale."

"Aye aye, Captain Souei!" Gobta saluted, almost tripping over his own feet as he rushed off.

Geld, the sturdy and dependable orc, turned to Benimaru. "I'll oversee transport and supplies. We'll need enough food and water for weeks, possibly more."

Benimaru gave one sharp nod. "Make sure nothing is left to chance. We'll move fast and move clean."

The entrance to the underground shelter was cleverly hidden beneath the capital's central plaza, masked by enchantments and ancient sealing magic. Only those trusted by Veldora had known of it. It had been Saiki's idea—calm, strange, mysterious Saiki—who had once said during a casual chat with Veldora, "If war ever comes, people need a place to live, not just hide."

Veldora had chuckled at the time, but the idea stuck. And so, quietly over the months, a new city was born beneath the surface—Nebulis Haven, a labyrinth of crystal-lit tunnels, wide boulevards, and majestic domes, supported by enchanted stonework and divine barrier fields. It had homes, hospitals, markets, gardens, and even a small river powered by spirit stones. It looked like a serene glowing version of the capital itself, but far beneath the ground.

Now it was time to finally use it.

Souei's shadow clones appeared in towns and villages all across the Storm Kingdom. With Gobta rallying the local guards and messengers, the news spread fast and calm.

"Attention, citizens of the Storm Kingdom! By order of Lord Veldora, we are initiating an emergency relocation drill. Please remain calm and follow the officials' instructions. This is for your safety."

In the town of Clearwell, a worried mother grabbed her child's hand. "Is something happening? Is the kingdom under attack?"

One of Geld's lieutenants gently reassured her. "No harm has come, ma'am. But a war may soon reach us. We are preparing in advance. Your safety comes first."

In the capital, a group of adventurers looked around uneasily.

"Wait, there's a whole underground city?" one asked, adjusting his backpack.

"This is news to me," said another.

"The Storm kingdom never stops surprising me," an older merchant muttered. "Guess I chose the right kingdom to do business in."

Meanwhile, Rigurd personally oversaw the evacuation of non-citizens. Portals were opened in front of the Great Gate—special transport circles prepared by Carrera and Testarossa. These would carry visitors safely back to their home nations.

Rigurd stood atop a platform, voice booming with charisma. "Citizens of other lands! The Storm kingdom values its allies, and your safety is our responsibility. Please step through the portals in an orderly manner. You shall return to your homelands safely. We will contact your leaders directly."

A group of schoolchildren from the Kingdom of Blumund waved sadly to their tour guide.

"Miss Arla, do we have to go home already?" one boy asked.

Arla knelt beside them, brushing his hair gently. "Just for a little while. When it's safe again, we'll come back. I promise."

In the residential districts, people spoke in awe as they moved underground.

"Whoa… it's like a glowing cave city down here!"

"Look at the lights! Are those crystals?!"

"There's even a bakery down here?!"

"I swear, The Storm kingdom is magic. Literal magic."

"Wait, were they hiding this from us the whole time?!"

"Well, if they were, I'm not mad. This place is amazing."

Children ran through the stone tunnels, laughing and playing. Elderly couples held hands as they walked through shimmering light paths. The people were nervous—but they were also amazed.

Benimaru stood at the control center deep beneath the main chamber, arms folded. Giant crystal screens floated in the air, showing live footage from across the kingdom. He turned to Diablo.

"Status?"

"All evacuation points have cleared, Supreme Commander," Diablo reported with a smirk. "Visitors have been safely sent home. Supplies distributed evenly. Not one civilian injured. Flawless execution."

Benimaru nodded. "Good. Let's move to phase two—military formations. The angels won't wait forever."

Souei's voice echoed softly behind them. "Still... I'm curious. How exactly does lord Veldora know the exact moment and location of the attack?"

Benimaru didn't answer.

He just looked toward the glowing heart of the underground city, where the invisible Saiki was calmly sipping tea by the artificial waterfall, eyes closed.

Gobta peeked around the corner and whispered, "Does anyone else think that lord Veldora is... kinda scary?"

The air was still, hanging like a held breath over the Storm Kingdom, but beneath its surface, beneath the grand towers, the sparkling lakes, the bustling streets… a plan was being quietly put into motion. The moon had just started its ascent into the twilight sky when the meeting with the other rulers concluded. King Veldora, ever the calm storm, stood at the tallest balcony of his citadel, arms crossed, the wind gently tugging at his long coat. His eyes glowed with purpose.

Floating casually beside him, a small figure with an aloof expression and a spoon stuck in his mouth hovered without a care in the world. Saiki Kusuo. To anyone else, he was invisible—no magicule signature, no presence, nothing. But to Veldora, he was a curious ally, unpredictable and full of peculiar wisdom.

Saiki scooped another chunk of his coffee jelly and said in his usual disinterested tone, "So Veldora… the angels will descend in exactly 24 hours. I have their exact portal coordinates."

He tilted his head slightly, then without another word, activated his psychic powers. Veldora's eyes widened slightly as dozens—no, hundreds—of coordinates began forming in his mind like stars blinking into a night sky. The details came like a flood: positions, distances, energy patterns, timelines. It was all there, downloaded directly into his memory like magic beyond magic.

"Interesting," Veldora murmured, a slow grin spreading on his face. "With this information… we can stop them right at the portals. Block them before they even touch the ground."

Saiki nodded, munching casually. "Yare yare. You catch on fast."

Later That Night.....

The sky had darkened fully by the time Veldora summoned his generals. One by one they arrived, standing in a semi-circle in the Grand Hall: Diablo, sharp-eyed and smiling like the devil he was; Testarossa, calm and cold with her eyes darting curiously at Saiki's invisible form for a split second before looking away; Ultima, buzzing with chaotic energy; Carrera, arms folded, wearing her impatience like perfume; Benimaru, always the steady flame, eyes burning with anticipation; Souei, silent, composed, shadowed; Hakuro, ever the wise blade, calm like still water; Shion, proud and alert with her hand on her sword; Geld, the walking fortress, loyal and immovable; Rigurd, a nervous smile on his face, trying to look tough; and Gobta, who somehow showed up late and out of breath.

"Everyone's here," Benimaru confirmed with a respectful nod.

Veldora nodded, and with a dramatic sweep of his arm, cast a magic circle into the air. A glowing, three-dimensional map of the Cardinal World appeared, floating above them like a constellation frozen in time. Red dots flared on the map—dozens of them, each blinking steadily.

"These points," Veldora said, his voice booming with authority, "are where the angels will descend. We have exactly 16 hours before the invasion begins. Our goal is simple: cut them off at their arrival points, destroy them before they spread, and prevent any damage to the world."

Gobta blinked. "W-Wait, how did you get this kind of information?! Is it from some prophecy or—?"

"Gobta," Carrera interrupted, smirking, "you'd break your brain trying to understand."

The room chuckled softly, even Diablo hiding a grin behind his gloved hand.

Benimaru's brows furrowed. "These locations are spread across multiple nations and wild regions. Coordinating forces across them all will require extensive communication and fast travel."

"I already accounted for that," Veldora said, and raised a hand. The entire citadel began to hum. A pulse of energy expanded like a heartbeat through the walls. The sensation was faint, but those attuned to magicule could feel something massive.

"A barrier?" Souei said quietly.

"Not just any barrier," Veldora replied. "I erected a dome—a hidden layer of defense stronger than anything this world has seen. No attack will penetrate it. Not even from beings as powerful as angels."

Shion's jaw dropped slightly. "You did all that and we didn't even notice?"

Ultima clapped. "Ooooh~ sneaky, dragon boss!"

Veldora chuckled. "Of course. I wanted it to remain undetected until the time came. Which… is now."

Hakuro stepped forward. "Then how should we divide our forces?"

"Each of you," Veldora began, pointing to sections of the glowing map, "will take a squad of elite fighters and teleport to these coordinates. Coordinate with the kingdoms nearby if needed. But do not let the angels reach the civilian zones."

Geld nodded seriously. "We'll protect the land, even if it costs us our lives."

"Let's not jump to that part," Rigurd mumbled nervously, and Shion elbowed him playfully.

Then Veldora turned toward Diablo. "You'll take the most critical zone—the central capital. If they break through there, the damage will be immense."

Diablo bowed with a dramatic flourish. "As you command, Lord Veldora. I will personally erase their existence."

Everyone felt the tension rise in the room. The energy. The purpose. The fire.

But no one saw Saiki floating in the back, still eating his coffee jelly like none of this mattered. Testarossa glanced briefly in his direction, then turned back, lips sealed.

"Now go," Veldora said, eyes glowing like twin storms. "Make the Storm Kingdom proud. Show the heavens our wrath. The time of waiting is over."

The generals saluted, each in their own unique way, and disappeared in brilliant flashes of teleportation magic—heading toward their assigned battlefields.

And so, with only 16 hours left before the descent of the angels… the defenders of the Cardinal World began to move.

The storm was coming.

But the Storm Kingdom was already prepared.