The initial reception in the great hall was going quite well; all the high nobles, rich tycoons, and people at the peak of power mingled under the light of the open buffet that Elizabeth had prepared.

She could see it all in real time thanks to the shadows all around, and some mild space manipulation. She could see all the high-ranking [Skill Users] and [Magic Wielders] spreading barriers and skills, attempting to create a mana stable zone.

All in an attempt to prevent each other from using skills or magic, all the while leaving the physically powered in their midst to deal with the surveillance.

The original plan was for Elizabeth's minions to work as a pacifying workforce, but since all the minions had been sealed away, this was the second-best option.

At least from Jenna's suggestion, the other option was for Elizabeth to outright deny the use of mana in the area (That was within her skills after she finished the Heart after all). As this was part of her Domain.

But that spilled way too much of her hand, so she had accepted this second option.

And that was good because thanks to that...

"Entering from the envoys of the American Federation, the Governing Mayor: Malcom Whitford." These people could parade as if they owned the world.

The first to arrive had been the American Federation, Elizabeth was registered as a citizen under them after all, so she had granted them priority, not that it would affect anything.

It had been a surprise, the man that Elizabeth had thought was one of Papa's secretaries to be the actual leader of the American Federation... Elizabeth remembered this one as a nice uncle who brought her candies and toys.

But now? Now he was seeing him act all high and mighty... It didn't match his style to be honest.

As he pranced around and went straight to the raised seat that had been set up for him in one of the sides, the light of teleportation started shining as the magic circle was powering up.

Or well, that was what people thought anyway. Aura's teleportation network didn't need to be powered up or anything, but if they showed that... well, people would get trigger-happy.

So they compromised.

"From the Ancient Land of Talisman makers and shikigami users, the great Shogun of the country of the rising sun: Oda Ryuuuji." The announcer gave way too much pomp to that one, but as the name came... Elizabeth understood it.

The man who materialized afterwards was wearing a traditional Izanami clothing, it wasn't like the ones that Aura used, it was not the garb of a priest or shaman. Instead, there was one that seemed apt for royalty.

"From the same nation, the royal guard: Joseph Von Cavendish." And not a second later [The Beast Master] materialized. He was not wearing his armor, but a suit. One that didn't match the garb of his master.

But no one said anything, and Elizabeth could understand why.

"He looks like royalty from Britannia rather than a bodyguard from Izanami." Elizabeth said as they watched the spectacle.

Elizabeth was projecting what was happening for Rossie and Rena to watch, even if she couldn't personally see them, as both girls had refused to let Elizabeth see them before the wedding.

So while Elizabeth was sharing the sight, she couldn't see or hear them. Annoying.

"From the land that birthed many great Emperors, his majesty the Emperor: Leopold Hohenberg." The next one to enter the great hall was a man with silver (Or was it gray?) hair. He seemed to measure everyone in the room first, and only then walk towards his spot on the other side of the table.

He was sitting in the right corner of the tables while the American Mayor was on the left side of the tables. The seating arrangement was that they had three raised 'Royal' tables.

In the middle of these tables stood a red carpet that split the tables and reception hall in two.

"From the land that raised kings and queens, the Monarch of Britannia: Victoria Anne Von Cavendish." Immediately after a woman wearing a gold-laced dress appeared.

"Cavendish?" Elizabeth mumbled, the woman... did have the same kind of air as [The Beast Master], but was she really....?

Elizabeth did notice that the woman and Joseph gave each other a nod with their heads, and she went ahead and sat in the table next to Izanami.

"From the land of equality and equity, The Great Leader of Zarevia: Nikolai Dragunov von Windsor." The next one to appear in the middle of the teleportation circle was a man who had a peculiar air of seriousness; he didn't quite look like a leader, but more like a soldier.

Not in the same meaning as the Emperor from Germania, but more in the way a secret agent felt out of place in front of a camera.

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Actually, wasn't Shadow Pact's last name that one?

Elizabeth didn't have enough time to think about that as the circle started shining once more, only this time there was a golden tint mixed with the color, and that... wasn't something that Elizabeth or Aura set up.

"Aura?" Elizabeth asked as her eyes narrowed and turned Draconic.

"...Someone's is forcing Prana into the network, attempting to hijack the controls and change the landing coordinates to the middle of the hall." Aura said as a vicious smile showed on her, "Shall I redirect it to the middle of the ocean? I can't help but think that teleporting them drenched in salt water would be fitting."

...Oh right, Aura was screwd over by them before right?

Elizabeth was tempted...

"Not this time," Elizabeth sighed, "Just prevent them from changing the teleportation area. And remove the prana from leaking out of the magic circle."

Elizabeth would deal with them at the right moment, and not a second later.

Back in the reception hall, the announcer sighed in relief as the golden light receded, "From the Holy land of Veritalis. The High Priestess Lucia Di' Medici, and the Pope Giovanni Di' Medici."

For one, [The Prophet] didn't seem perturbed at appearing at the spot she was supposed, instead of the center of the hall as she had wanted.

She merely waved along and walked her table, followed by... a weird guy. She had heard the name of [The Warlock], and instead she was seeing a normal looking non blue, non horned guy walk after [The Prophet].

"...Is he?" Elizabeth asked to Aura.

"His mana signature matches it, maybe he can turn off the blue skin and horns?" Aura answered.

Elizabeth turned her consciousness to him and saw him shudder, but ignored him as he seemed to look around, and sure enough. The man was hiding his appearance behind some very complex magic spells.

But that confirmed it, that was indeed [The Warlock].

Now that the leaders of the nations were seated, the other people seemed to search for their own tables and sit down.

To the right of the reception hall the American Federation, Izanami and Britania. Even if the American Federation guy didn't speak too much with the other two.

Or, well, the woman spoke to [The Beast Master], who merely seemed to just nod and let Oda Ryuuji speak back.

To the left, they didn't talk either among them, but there stood Germania, Zarevia, and the Italians.

"And with this all the guests have arrived." The announcer spoke as the magic circle faded and disappeared, "As you all have been informed, anyone who wishes to teleport away at any moment may do so by raising their hand and stating the word 'Return', the great magic circle has been tested by all of your retainers, but know there will be no teleport back."

The voices quickly started speaking, raising questions and complaints.

"I am merely a messenger and our hosts will answer questions, I will leave the podium back to one of our hosts for the night." The announcer said as he raised his hand and spoke with calmness and decisiveness, "Return!"

A second later his body was enveloped in blue light as a magic circle materialized above his head, and then he was no longer there. The microphone fell to the ground, but was quickly caught by Jenna who was wearing a cute blue dress.

Jenna in a dress? That was a new one.

"Good morning to everyone and thank you for coming for this event," Jenna said as she walked down the stairs that had been used as the teleporting landing area for the leaders of multiple countries and nations, "My name is Jenna Lewis, I know some of you know me already."

Jenna nodded to the members of [The Nine Stars] and the world leaders, "As for those of you who don't know me as Jenna Lewis..." Jenna's body was enveloped in a blue, phantom-like armor.

Her [Juggernaut] armor.

Making a few people stumble back from their chairs, and at least a couple quickly raised their hands and screamed "R-r-return!" Jenna laughed at that.

"I am also known as The Juggernaut, an S-Tier Calamity ranked Power User," Jenna said shrugging and dispelling her armor, "I am the reason why some of you accepted the invitation, while others accepted it for the mana signature, the statement or merely because they had access to the update on the Tier list."

Nods all around the tables, while people in the normal tables started pulling out their own cellphones, tablets and holotablets depending on their status and or preparation.

"Now, as for the reason why we all are here..." Jenna said pointing toward the far end of the reception hall, the walls there started parting ways showing the last segment of the great hall, a part that had been blocked to almost everyone.

Well, it wasn't blocked for Jenna, Rossie, Rena, and Elizabeth.

There stood a raised platform, higher than the spots reserved for the world leaders.

Elizabeth almost laughed aloud when she saw [The Prophet] curse under her breath and eye the other world leaders, their table was... normal, as normal as the other ones. It had a fancy tablecloth, yes, but so did the others; the only thing that made it special compared to the rest was that each tablecloth had the emblem of their country.

While the ones for the people downstairs had the emblem of a Dragon in the middle and a small star around the spot where each plate was set up. Each table had enough space for seven chairs.

Elizabeth still couldn't help but smirk at the fact that she had gotten away with that joke.

"This is not a presentation of our newest official S-Tier super human," Jenna said as she walked down the red carpet, "This is not a statement about were this person stands, or to who she will show allegiance."

Jenna spoke and with each step, she kept the attention of everyone, even that of the Italians who had one cursing under their veil while the other ordered food.

"This is a sacred event, and I am sure the smarter among you know what event would demand to be done in a Cathedral such as this that eclipses the ones in Veritalis." Jenna said turning to the Italians and smirking, "This is a wedding."

And that was her cue.

"Entering into the hall. The one who hails from the American Federation, a young woman who walked down the path of power and rose from F-Tier to where she stands now." And with that as the cue the lights in the hall shut down, leaving only the world leaders visible...

And a single spotlight in the same spot that the magic circle that teleported them in.

"In front of you stands Elizabeth Starbright," The voice said and as Elizabeth's name was said, the shadows started manifesting and turning into solid matter, slowly they grew and turned into the form of Elizabeth.

It was a stark contrast as Elizabeth's white dress looked so out of place as her figure was shown.

A few people couldn't help but stare, while Elizabeth could feel a poisonous gaze turn her way, of course it came from the raised tables, from the Italians.

"[Echidna]!" [The Prophet] said aloud, "Was this your idea?!?!?"

Elizabeth sighed and turned to them, she was still holding her bridal bouquet.

"Silence." Elizabeth said, channeling her anger into the words, and the world answered.

The space around [The Prophet] turned stagnant.

"May I answer, Elizabeth?" And from the lower tables, the raven-haired woman stood, the shadows gave way, and her figure was made visible to everyone, because what was the absence of shadows but light?

"...Might as well." Elizabeth said shaking her head, "Make it quick, we have a program to get with."

"Greetings everyone, you may have heard about me as [Echidna, The Mother of Shadows]." Echidna said giving a small bow to the people around, a couple(The ones closer to Echidna) raised their hands within the cover of the darkness and whispered 'Return', vanishing in the next second, "I am...or was the premier Shadow User within Zaanam. I say 'was' because this girl, Elizabeth Starbright, managed to defeat me when she was B-Tier."

"I think I was C or D-Tier at the time actually!" Elizabeth said helpfully from the side.

"No one will believe it," Echidna said shaking her head, "Either way, I can confirm that she was a better Shadow User than me a couple months ago, and that was before she went ahead and re-registered her own Tier."

"........!" [The Prophet] said angrily.

"....She is asking if you are expecting us to believe that a girl barely an adult managed to defeat you using your expertise, the expertise of someone who has been using their element way before [The Taint] even became an issue." [The Warlock] asked from the side.

"I expect you, and everyone here capable of doing so, to judge by themselves." Echidna said raising a finger and pointing it towards Elizabeth, "[Shadow's Insight]."

Elizabeth felt the wave of mana travel towards her, it was mostly gauging her mana density, a rough estimate of what tier she was.

"As expected, at least [S-Tier]." Echidna said as she sat down, "I expect you all to do the same, either covertly or not... Not that any of you would be able to hide or be more stealthy than Shadows."

Echidna smiled as the shadows covered her once more.

Following that, Elizabeth nodded to the announcer, one of Jenna's more human-looking Echoes.

"Here, she makes her entrance into high society, this is both a coming of age ceremony as is her vow to those she loves." The announcer resumed, "This is not only Elizabeth Starbright, this is the birth of a new adult. The birth of a Heroine, a Villain, a Magical Girl... And more importantly... This is the announcement to The World that The Mistress of Sin has descended upon Zaanam."

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