From the very beginning, Rozen had sensed something off about this situation.
Shizuka Koyomi's attitude regarding Nagisa and Avrora had been far too confident.
The Paper Noise had repeatedly assured Rozen that, no matter what, the Lion King Agency would ensure Nagisa and Avrora's safety.
On the surface, that sounded unreliable.
But upon closer thought—why would the Lion King Agency risk provoking him by targeting those close to him?
If they dared to act, they must have had absolute confidence they wouldn't incur his wrath.
Otherwise, the retaliation of a man who had sealed the Fourth Primogenitor, defeated the Third, and even resurrected a god was the last thing the Lion King Agency would want.
It would only invite disaster upon the nation itself.
Yes, the Holy Annihilation relic at the bottom of Shinjin Lake was dangerous—but after being sealed for so long, was it truly more dangerous than Rozen himself?
Sacrificing Nagisa and Avrora to reinforce the seal, thereby earning Rozen's enmity, would be an idiotic move.
Moreover, Natsuki had agreed to this operation.
Rozen refused to believe she would betray her own students for the sake of national interests.
Thus, he was certain—there was something he didn't know.
Something that made both Natsuki and the Lion King Agency absolutely sure Nagisa and Avrora would be unharmed.
Only with that certainty would Natsuki consent, and the Lion King Agency dare to risk Rozen's wrath.
Even the Akatsuki family's involvement suggested as much. Regardless of Hisano's stance on tradition, Akatsuki Gajou would never allow his daughter to be endangered.
True, Gajou had often dragged Nagisa along on his ruin expeditions—but his love for her was absolute. That was why he had sent her to Itogami Island while continuing his own search for a way to save her from her condition.
If even Gajou had brought Nagisa and Avrora out of Itogami Island for this operation, it meant he was certain of their safety.
Which led to the question—
"What made you so confident that Nagisa and Avrora would be unharmed?"
Rozen voiced his deduction before the entire group.
"I assume it's because you already knew what was sealed at the bottom of Shinjin Lake."
That was it.
The Lion King Agency must have known about the swamp dragon—likely through Kamioda Shrine or Akatsuki Hisano.
"If The Cleansers knew what slept beneath Shinjin Lake, how could the shrine's priests not know?"
Rozen suspected that the shrine maidens "sacrificed" to the lake in the past had never actually died.
The Black Shell sought knowledge, not spiritual energy. It didn't reinforce the seal—the swamp dragon was merely a guardian of the God of Sin's legacy, not a calamity.
Thus, in Shirona and Hisano's plan, they could use this opportunity to purge The Cleansers from the Self-Defense Forces.
So—
"The Lion King Agency had two objectives in this incident, triggered by the Fourth Primogenitor's revival."
"First: neutralize the threat of Shinjin Lake."
"Second: use the dragon to expose The Cleansers within the Self-Defense Forces."
Rozen's gaze locked onto Shirona.
"In other words, you never intended to use Nagisa and Avrora to reinforce the seal."
"The ritual was just a facade."
"You only wanted to quell the lake's anomalies and eliminate The Cleansers."
Since the Black Shell sought knowledge, not life force, Nagisa wouldn't die. And since it wasn't a true seal, Avrora wouldn't be affected.
Thus, Shirona and Hisano had believed that by having the Black Shell absorb Nagisa and Avrora's knowledge—as it had done in the past—it would simply return to slumber.
In that scenario:
Shinjin Lake's anomalies would cease.
Nagisa and Avrora would remain unharmed.
The Cleansers would be exposed.
The Lion King Agency and Kamioda Shrine would emerge as the absolute victors.
That was why, when Rozen announced his intent to intervene, Shirona and Hisano hadn't halted the ritual—but rushed to complete it before he arrived.
Yet for all their calculations, they had overlooked one critical detail—
"You never expected that this time, after absorbing Nagisa and Avrora's knowledge, the Black Shell wouldn't subside—but shatter, awakening the dragon and unleashing the Horned Serpents, bringing true calamity."
This, they truly hadn't anticipated.
Their earlier regret and solemnity had been genuine.
In the end:
They had exposed The Cleansers.
Nagisa and Avrora were unharmed.
But the cost had been steep—
The Horned Serpents had inflicted heavy casualties on the Self-Defense Forces.
The serpents still roamed Mount Tanzawa, threatening further losses.
The terrain had been devastated by Rozen, Vatler, and Iblisveil's battles.
In short—this operation was not a success.
At best, it was a pyrrhic victory. At worst, an unforeseen disaster.
And if not for Rozen's intervention, The Cleansers might have succeeded in stealing the swamp dragon, rendering the Lion King Agency's efforts a complete failure.
So—
"You really should be thanking me."
Rozen's smirk was razor-edged.
Shirona and Hisano fell silent.
Yukina, Yuiri, and Shio had no rebuttal.
Only Glenda tilted her head, utterly lost.
Finally, Rozen's smile faded.
"Since you never intended to harm Nagisa and Avrora, I'll let this slide."
His tone was icy.
"But if there's a next time—I'll pay a visit to the Lion King Agency's headquarters myself."
With that, he turned and left without another word.
Leaving the others behind in stunned silence.