Fantasy Library, Ch 416-420

Chapter 416: Man-Hating Archenemy

Yes, in a sense, Kaiser and Kirasaka Sayaka were indeed archenemies.

At least, that was the case during their time at High God's Forest.

Kirasaka Sayaka, a magus of the Lion King Agency, was a professional War Dancer.

The so-called War Dancer referred to a type of professional magus trained by the Lion King Agency, possessing the ability to manipulate life and death, skilled in curses and assassination, and also responsible for guarding VIPs or conducting infiltration missions—a very dangerous profession.

Due to the nature of their duties, War Dancer were more special than ordinary magi. Even during sleep, they would unconsciously cast powerful curses around themselves. If someone harboring ill intent touched them, that malice would be magnified several times and rebound upon the intruder, making the price far outweigh the gain.

The only people who could touch a War Dancer’s body were those magi of equal or greater level, or those they inwardly recognized and permitted.

Kirasaka Sayaka was one of the War Dancer affiliated with the Lion King Agency. She was only half a year younger than Kaiser, yet she graduated from High God's Forest a full year earlier.

Four years ago, when Kaiser was taken in by the Lion King Agency and sent to High God's Forest, he was trained there as a student of the same age as Kirasaka Sayaka.

Because High God's Forest only admitted girls and had no male students at all, Kaiser’s initial arrival led many of the girls to keep their distance. Some even openly expressed rejection and hostility toward him, adding quite a bit of trouble to his life.

Among these people, Kirasaka Sayaka was the one who most strongly rejected Kaiser and displayed the most obvious hostility.

She suffered from androphobia, extremely disliked men, and even refused to answer routine calls from male superiors during missions. If not for her outstanding abilities, she might not have even been able to graduate, let alone perform regular missions.

That alone was understandable—after all, her androphobia wasn’t directed solely at Kaiser but toward all men. So at first, Kaiser didn’t take her hostility seriously.

However, Kirasaka Sayaka had a junior who had been with her since she was eight, even closer than family—practically inseparable.

Sayaka cherished this junior deeply, doting on her as if she were her own sister. Her affection even went a bit beyond the bounds of normal friendship.

That junior was also someone quite special within High God's Forest. She rarely spoke to anyone, had a rather aloof personality, and always maintained a calm expression while excelling in mock battles and exams. Her results were unparalleled, earning her considerable popularity among the younger girls who admired her.

But Kaiser, through a chance encounter during a mock battle, discovered that she wasn’t actually cold.

She didn’t talk to others simply because she didn’t know how to start a conversation.

She seemed aloof because Kirasaka Sayaka was always by her side, making it hard for others to approach her.

And she always appeared calm during mock battles and exams not because she was composed, but because she was nervous.

Kaiser discovered this during one of their mock combat sessions and casually offered a few comforting words, which earned him her thanks.

And then... Kaiser got targeted by Kirasaka Sayaka.

Being androphobic and already extremely hostile toward men, Sayaka went ballistic upon discovering that her most beloved junior and roommate had interacted with Kaiser.

Especially in the following years, as Kaiser and that junior grew closer, Sayaka’s dislike for him only intensified.

And since Kaiser was deliberately being targeted, he had no reason to passively endure it—he retaliated decisively, leading to their relationship becoming increasingly hostile.

Just like that, the two became bona fide archenemies, often giving their mutual acquaintance quite a headache.

Though this was part of the background story, Kaiser felt as if he had truly lived it. It didn’t feel like a fabricated memory at all.

After all, a fantasy world was born from someone’s imagination. The background life Kaiser drew was the same. When he entered this world with that background, the world began to manifest as reality, and that background became a real part of the past.

It felt to Kaiser as though he had genuinely experienced all of that in this world. Only upon entering the fantasy world did his memories and powers beyond the background awaken, as if recalling a former life.

With that in mind, when he encountered Kirasaka Sayaka, he felt no unfamiliarity—on the contrary, he naturally squared off against her, just like back when they were in High God's Forest.

The only difference was that, thanks to his familiarity with the original work, dealing with this man-hating woman had become much easier for Kaiser.

As a result, Kirasaka Sayaka was utterly and flamboyantly provoked.

“You bastard, people like you deserve divine punishment!”

Sayaka raised the blade she had been gripping the whole time.

It was a sword about 120 centimeters long, made of smooth metallic surfaces. Its shape resembled a fighter jet’s main wing, with straight joint patterns forming ornate markings—a silver greatsword, thick and sharp.

Seeing this somewhat familiar silver two-handed sword, Kaiser raised an eyebrow.

“Heavy Demon-Purging Bow Type Six…”

That’s right.

This silver greatsword was the sword form of the Heavy Demon-Purging Bow Type Six.

As a top student and powerful War Dancer at High God's Forest, Sayaka was granted this Divine Weapon by the Lion King Agency, becoming its wielder and user.

Its official name was—“Lustrous Scale.”

“Come to think of it, you also got a Divine Weapon recently, didn’t you?” Sayaka recalled the intel she’d received not long ago. “Hundred-Type Heavy Armament: Demon Purging Blade, official name ‘Silver Radiance Qilin’—a specialized modified version of my Lustrous Scale, mainly upgraded in sword form, right?”

“Even though it’s supposed to be an upgrade, that weapon sure looks unimpressive.”

Sayaka glanced at the silver short blade in Kaiser’s hand and mocked him, as expected.

“That’s only one part of Silver Radiance Qilin,” Kaiser said, hinting, “Against you, this much should be enough.”

“What did you say?” Sayaka was instantly infuriated and shouted, “Don’t underestimate me! I’ll show you my power right now!”

Saying that, she kicked off the ground and dashed toward Kaiser like the wind.

Though the two-handed sword seemed far too large for her petite frame, her speed wasn’t affected in the slightest. In a flash, she closed the distance and swung the silver blade to launch her attack.

“Swish!” “Swish!” “Swish!”…

The sound of slicing wind echoed as the silver greatsword slashed repeatedly, each arc gleaming coldly as it targeted Kaiser’s body.

Naturally, Kaiser didn’t ignore the attacks from Lustrous Scale.

After all, this was the sword form of the Six-Type Heavy Armament, inscribed with a pseudo space-severing formula—its blade capable of cutting spatial connections. No matter how tough one’s body was, it wouldn’t withstand a cut that could even slice space.

In a sense, this was a magic sword that could bypass defenses. Judging solely by its ability, it wasn’t inferior to Doni’s Authority of the Magic Sword.

Of course, that was only true if the wielder could actually hit the enemy.

Doni possessed divine-tier swordsmanship and could use his Magic Sword to slay gods.

Compared to Doni, Sayaka’s swordsmanship was far inferior.

Kaiser shifted his steps lightly, evading each of Sayaka’s slashes with minimal movement.

“Damn it! Stop dodging!”

“Uh… only an idiot wouldn’t dodge, right?”

“Stupid men deserve to be cut down!”

“And someone who sneaks into her friend’s bed to smell her scent is the real freak here. Don’t think I don’t know—when Yukina’s not in the dorm, you’ve crawled into her bed more than once, haven’t you?”

“What?! Y-y-you… how do you know that?!”

“Because Yukina told me. She said she sometimes found your scent in her bed. I figured it out right away, you girl-loving pervert!”

“I-I’m not a girl-lover! I just like Yukina!”

“That’s even worse. Lesbian freak.”

“Shut up!”

“Yuri girl.”

“SHUT UP AHHHHHHHH!”

While dodging, Kaiser kept verbally provoking Sayaka, effortlessly making her lose her composure. Her originally elegant, dance-like swordsmanship became completely disordered.

“Clang!”

Kaiser seized the opportunity, swung his silver short blade, and deflected the incoming silver greatsword. He then swiftly closed the distance and darted into Sayaka’s arms.

“Bang!”

A powerful palm strike landed on Sayaka’s sword-wielding wrist, making her release her grip on the silver greatsword.

“Crap…?!”

Sayaka’s expression changed.

Then she felt her foot get swept, her entire body lifting into the air. Her collar was firmly grabbed by a hand and viciously flung toward the ground.

“Thud!”

With a dull crash, Sayaka hit the ground hard, back first.

“Ugh…!”

The intense impact forced the air from her lungs, eliciting a pained groan.

“Swish swish swish…”

At that moment, several silver short blades appeared above Sayaka, falling straight down.

They pierced the clothing around her outline, pinning her to the ground.

“It’s over.”

Kaiser looked down at the fallen Sayaka and declared casually.

“You…”

Sayaka’s expression changed again and again, utterly unable to remain calm.

Chapter 417: No Need to Deliberately Show It

Kaiser was someone that Sayaka Kirasaka considered herself quite familiar with.

Though unwilling to admit it, back at High God's Forest, aside from her beloved junior, the person she dealt with the most was likely this detestable, filthy man.

As the saying goes, the person who understands you best is not necessarily the one closest to you, but your enemy, your rival. Sayaka Kirasaka's understanding of Kaiser was arguably unmatched.

Thus, Sayaka Kirasaka knew very well just how strong this man in front of her was.

Due to his unique nature, he was not permitted to learn jutsu, nor was he allowed to study magic. As a result, he never once attended any classes related to spellcraft, didn’t even have test scores in those subjects, making him undoubtedly the bottom of the class at High God's Forest in that regard.

Conversely, in close combat, martial arts, and hand-to-hand techniques, his abilities were exceptional.

In simulated battles meant to approximate real combat as closely as possible, everyone else could use martial arts, jutsu, magic—everything was allowed. In theory, they should all be stronger than someone who could not use jutsu or magic. Yet this filthy man, even without those arts, relied solely on his hand-to-hand combat skills to consistently rank among the top five in practical results—sometimes even reaching the top three, or competing for second or first place. This alone proved how formidable he was in physical combat.

Precisely because of this, when the Lion King Agency decided to custom-make a divine armament for him, they ultimately chose to base it on the sword form of the Type VI Heavy Demon-Slaying Bow, because the sword form's abilities were extremely well-suited for Kaiser.

This sword, engraved with an artificial space-severing formula, not only possessed a blade that could sever spatial connections—granting it terrifying sharpness—but could also create a blockade effect once those connections were severed, forming an absolute defensive barrier that nullified physical attacks. For someone like Kaiser, who excelled in close combat but lacked jutsu and magical protection, it was undeniably the perfect match.

Sayaka Kirasaka had expected that Kaiser would become much stronger after obtaining the Type 100 Heavy Demon-Slaying Blade.

But what she didn’t expect was that the opponent didn’t even display the full extent of the Type 100 Heavy Demon-Slaying Blade, nor had he shown the power of Silver Radiant Qilin, yet he still subdued her effortlessly.

Though she hadn’t used jutsu or magic either, wasn’t the gap in strength just too vast?

She’d only graduated a year ago, and this guy had already become this strong?

“L-Let me go!”

Sayaka Kirasaka’s pretty face turned red—whether from anger or embarrassment was unclear—as she struggled and cried out.

However, she had completely forgotten that the reason she couldn’t move was because her clothes had been pinned to the ground.

When she struggled forcefully, the poor-quality outfit she wore immediately endured pressure it wasn’t designed for.

Then—

“Riiip!”

As expected, a tearing sound rang out.

Sayaka Kirasaka froze in place, unmoving.

Looking down at her from above, Kaiser raised an eyebrow. Seeing the sudden exposure of a large area of her fair skin, he couldn’t help but whistle.

“I know you’ve got a great figure, but there’s no need to show it off to the man you hate the most, right?” Kaiser said, as if pouring oil on the fire. “If anything, I’d rather see Yukina’s instead.”

See Yukina’s…

Yukina’s…

’…s…

That sentence echoed in Sayaka Kirasaka’s mind.

“Go to hell!”

With tears in her eyes, the dancing shrine maiden exploded once more. Her ripped clothes fluttered in the wind like a tattered flag as she raised her hand and scattered a large number of spell talismans.

“Roar!”

“Roar!”

The talismans lit up and twisted midair, transforming into ferocious beasts that pounced toward Kaiser.

But Kaiser, as if he had anticipated it all, suddenly released countless flashes of silver light from around him.

They were silver throwing knives.

Like intersecting flashes of light weaving through space, the silver blades flew back and forth, piercing through the beasts.

“Shlick!” “Shlick!” “Shlick!”...

The blades repeatedly pierced the beasts’ bodies, reverting them back into talismans, which shattered on the spot.

At that moment, Sayaka Kirasaka stepped silently, ghost-like, instantly closing the distance to Kaiser.

“Star Filler / Age Break!”

A surge of dense spiritual power gathered in Sayaka Kirasaka’s palm, which she then thrust toward Kaiser’s chest.

“Eight Generals Divine Technique!”

Kaiser immediately recognized the technique.

It was the Lion King Agency’s silent assassination art, one of the close-combat skills exclusive to dancing shrine maidens.

It used jutsu to enhance physical strength and attack power. If struck by this move, even a strong beastman would be killed instantly.

In other words, a human body couldn’t possibly endure this attack.

This brainless fetishist woman actually went for a killing move. It seemed she needed to be taught a lesson.

“Bakudō #9: Disintegrating Circle.”

At the last critical moment, Kaiser extended his hand and released yellow, rope-like reishi from his fingertips.

The rope-like reishi shot out like a serpent, instantly wrapping around Sayaka Kirasaka before her palm strike could land, tightly binding her.

“W-What is this…?!”

Sayaka Kirasaka froze in shock.

Kaiser appeared at her side, reached out, and touched her waist.

“Hadō #11: Bound Lightning!”

Dazzling lightning burst from Kaiser’s palm.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh...!”

Accompanied by Sayaka Kirasaka’s scream, electricity wildly surged over her body.

The lightning, transmitted at point-blank range, left her scorched inside and out.

“You… Since when… could you use… jutsu…?”

Filled with confusion, Sayaka Kirasaka collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.

“Did you think I’m still the same as before?”

Kaiser finally retracted his palm, speaking as if to vent.

Unfortunately, Sayaka Kirasaka could no longer hear this sentence.

“Take a good moment to reflect here, fetishist woman.”

Kaiser commanded the bird that had become his familiar to fetch a rope from somewhere. He then tied up the disheveled Sayaka Kirasaka to the water tower ladder nearby—in a five-point bind no less.

Originally, the body of a war dancer was extremely dangerous and must not be touched casually to avoid curses. But with Kaiser’s magical resistance so strong it could repel even True Ancestor-class familiars, he could completely ignore that concern.

In other words, if he wanted to, he could pose Sayaka Kirasaka in all sorts of ways and thoroughly train her.

But it was nearly time for class, and the first period was taught by Natsuki Minamiya. If he was late, that old loli would definitely seize the chance to hassle him.

“I’ll let it go this time. But next time…”

Kaiser looked at Sayaka Kirasaka, who hung her head and was tied up messily, and muttered a warning that no one else would hear.

Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a letter had fallen from her body.

“This is…?”

Kaiser was slightly startled and picked up the letter.

It was encased in a luxurious envelope of gold foil, sealed with silver wax.

Kaiser noticed the wax seal’s imprint.

It was an emblem carved in the image of a snake and sword—elegant in design, yet disturbingly eerie.

Upon seeing the seal, Kaiser understood.

“This fetishist woman probably came to deliver a letter. Attacking me was just incidental.”

Remembering Natsuki Minamiya’s warning from yesterday, Kaiser sighed.

“That was fast, though.”

Thinking it over, Kaiser still decided to take the letter.

After all, unless he missed his guess, this letter was likely addressed to Nagisa Akatsuki.

If he didn’t take it, Sayaka Kirasaka might seek out Nagisa directly after waking up.

“You’re just a surveillance agent. Why are you delivering letters for others?”

Kaiser grumbled as he smacked Sayaka Kirasaka’s head, prompting a sleepy mumble from the unconscious shrine maiden.

Annoyed, Kaiser summoned a few cats that had followed him to Saikai Academy.

“Go catch some rats.”

……

“Mmm…”

On the deserted rooftop, after who knows how long, a dreamy groan finally rang out.

“Where… am I…?”

Sayaka Kirasaka finally stirred and opened her eyes.

Her whole body still tingled, and her limbs were weak.

She also felt an obvious sense of restraint—her entire torso was tied up, not just her hands and feet.

As her awareness returned, Sayaka Kirasaka spent a few moments in a daze before recalling what happened before she passed out.

“That filthy man! I’ll never forgive him!”

Sayaka Kirasaka’s emotions spiraled, and she let out a loud yell.

But her cry drew reactions from the small animals around her.

“Squeak squeak…”

“Squeak squeak squeak…”

Hearing these noises, Sayaka Kirasaka’s expression froze, and an ominous feeling welled up in her heart.

“No way…”

She guessed where the noises came from, but didn’t want to believe it.

Yet, when she felt a furry sensation at her feet, her face instantly went pale.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and her neck stiffened.

Trying to deny reality, Sayaka Kirasaka eventually forced herself to lower her head and look at her feet.

In the next second, the sight of several black rats crawling around her feet entered her vision.

Sayaka Kirasaka’s mental state shattered. Tears burst from her eyes uncontrollably.

“Noooooooooooooooo…!”

Not long after, the sound of a girl’s wretched scream echoed across the empty rooftop.

At that moment, a bird perched on the rooftop’s edge finally flew away, seemingly satisfied, leaving behind the broken girl still screaming—a scream that echoed for a long, long time…

Chapter 418: The Person Closest to a True Ancestor

Regarding Kirasaka Sayaka, besides Kaiser, basically no one knew anything.

Perhaps Minamiya Natsuki had noticed, and perhaps Yaze Motoki, who had the entire Saikai Academy under surveillance, had noticed as well. But neither of them showed any signs of it—one continued teaching class as normal, the other remained as laid-back and unreliable as ever, as if they hadn’t noticed anything at all.

Akatsuki Kojou ultimately ended up being pitifully late. He was mercilessly demoted by Minamiya Natsuki to clean the school swimming pool, making him want to shout “What misfortune!”

But thanks to that, today on the way home, Kaiser and Akatsuki Nagisa had one less third wheel and gained a cute girl companion.

That’s right—the one referred to was Kanase Kanon.

This girl had followed Akatsuki Nagisa out from the junior high building after school, saying she still wanted to go home with Kaiser to see whether those adorable cats had learned to backflip yet...

Thus, Kaiser took two cute and beautiful underclassmen home with him again, drawing who knows how many hostile stares along the way, stares so intense they even made someone with Kaiser’s superior constitution feel a chill on his back.

Fortunately, the trip went smoothly. The three of them arrived at the apartment and entered Kaiser’s home, where they were greeted by over a dozen lively kittens.

Kanase Kanon wore a gentle, satisfied smile the whole time. The burst of sacred aura from her made Akatsuki Nagisa’s eyes sparkle—she couldn’t resist and hugged her.

Kaiser also wanted to hug her, but for the sake of his reputation and image, he refrained.

Once Kanase Kanon had become completely immersed in petting the cats, Kaiser pulled Akatsuki Nagisa outside the cat room.

“Someone sent this today. I think it’s meant for you.”

Kaiser took out the letter and handed it to Akatsuki Nagisa.

“What’s this?” Akatsuki Nagisa took the envelope and asked with surprise and confusion, “Is it a love letter I’m supposed to pass on to Kanon-chan? From one of your classmates, Kai-kun? Who is it? Do I know them? Ah... could it be Kojou-kun?”

The overly imaginative girl’s eyes alternated between gossipy curiosity and a touch of dissatisfaction, clearly influenced by some unknown line of thinking.

“Couldn’t it just be a love letter for you instead?”

Seeing this, Kaiser teased her.

“A l-love letter for me?” Akatsuki Nagisa was stunned at first, then quickly waved her hands and shook her head, laughing awkwardly. “No way no way, how could it possibly be a love letter for me? I’m not nearly as pretty as Kanon-chan or Asagi-chan!”

Now that’s a bit of unnecessary self-deprecation, girl.

Though indeed a bit behind Kanase Kanon, Akatsuki Nagisa’s popularity and charm at Saikai Academy were well recognized—she was definitely in the top tier just below the T0 level.

Saying she was a school beauty might be an exaggeration, but calling her the class beauty was definitely not an overstatement.

Even more so, if Kanase Kanon weren’t also a third-year junior high student like Akatsuki Nagisa, Nagisa would absolutely be crowned the upperclassman flower.

And that’s even considering she hasn’t fully matured yet—once she does, she’ll absolutely be a genuine beauty.

Unfortunately, if someone were to say that out loud, Akatsuki Nagisa surely wouldn’t agree.

“I think you’re cute too, Nagisa.” Kaiser casually praised her, then, seeing her grow flustered, shifted to the main topic. “This invitation is definitely for you. If you don’t believe me, open it and see.”

“Invitation?” Though Akatsuki Nagisa still looked very confused, since Kaiser said so, she didn’t hold back. She opened the envelope and took out the letter inside.

Just as Kaiser said, it really was an invitation.

The invitation was written in a very formal style, stating that tonight, at the port of Itogami Island, a very private party would be held.

The party host was none other than the current Duke of Ardeal, Dimitrie Vatler.

He sincerely invited Akatsuki Nagisa to attend the party and hoped that she and her escort would do him the honor.

“Duke of Ardeal?” Akatsuki Nagisa widened her eyes and exclaimed in confusion and astonishment, “Who’s that? Sounds like a really important person, doesn’t it? Wh-why would they send me an invitation, inviting me to a party?”

Could it be a prank?

That was Akatsuki Nagisa’s first thought.

However, this invitation couldn’t have been more real.

“Look at the wax seal on the envelope—that’s the seal of the Ardeal Principality. The wax itself is a special material that can’t be forged.” Kaiser pointed at the emblem carved to resemble a snake and sword on the envelope and said, “That’s the seal of a vassal state of the Warlord's Domain. No one would dare forge or impersonate that.”

The Ardeal Principality, as Kaiser said, was a territory of the Night Empire founded by the First True Ancestor, the Lost Warlord, and one of the autonomous territories that made up the Warlord's Domain.

The principality bordered the constitutional monarchy of Aldegia in Northern Europe and had a standing military force capable of rivaling the armies of Western European nations, making it an extremely important area within the Warlord's Domain.

And the ruler of the Ardeal Principality was the current duke of the Warlord's Domain—a pureblood vampire of the direct lineage from the First True Ancestor, the Lost Warlord—Dimitrie Vatler.

He wasn’t a vampire directly descended from the First True Ancestor, and although a pureblood noble, he was merely a distant descendant of a third-generation elder.

Such a vampire might be powerful compared to humans and other demons, but within vampire society, there was no way he could possibly sit upon the ducal throne of the Night Empire created by a True Ancestor, nor become the ruler of a principality.

A duke of a country, the monarch of an autonomous territory—such a position was typically reserved for at least second-generation royalty, or at minimum, elite third-generation elders.

A mere distant descendant of a third-generation elder, a normal pureblood noble, could never obtain such status or honor.

However, this Duke of Ardeal was an exception.

“Dimitrie Vatler is a very famous noble in the Warlord's Domain, and he’s said to possess power extremely close to that of a True Ancestor. He’s highly valued by the First True Ancestor, the Lost Warlord.”

Kaiser explained, trying to use terms that Akatsuki Nagisa could understand.

“It’s said that even though this Duke of Ardeal is just a pureblood noble, he once devoured two elders.”

Devouring, formally called kin-devouring, is an act where vampires gain strength by consuming other vampires.

As previously mentioned, for immortal vampires, blood is the source of their magical power. It serves both as the medium for summoning their familiars and as the foundation of their existence. Vampires who live long lives usually accumulate powerful memories in their blood through acts of feeding, thereby acquiring immense magical power. Thus, aside from bloodline purity, the longer a vampire lives, the more powerful they naturally become.

However, it isn’t impossible for younger vampires to quickly gain strength surpassing that of ancient ones.

That method is kin-devouring—absorbing the blood memories of more powerful vampires.

As long as one steals another vampire’s blood memory—the core of their existence—they can naturally gain that vampire’s power and magical strength.

Of course, typically, weaker vampires can’t devour stronger ones. Even if they suck all the blood, they risk having their own body and consciousness overtaken from the inside and being devoured themselves instead. But in this world, there are always exceptions. With the right special abilities, it becomes possible to overturn that natural law.

Dimitrie Vatler was a vampire who possessed just such an ability to overturn bloodline concentration.

Thanks to that unique power, despite originally being a distant descendant of the elders—a mere noble among vampires—he gained tremendous power by devouring two elder-class vampires and became one of the beings closest to a True Ancestor in this world.

And then...

“This person seems to have come to Itogami Island.”

The moment Kaiser saw the invitation, he understood. This duke who was obsessively interested in the Fourth True Ancestor in the original work had, just as Minamiya Natsuki said, been drawn here.

The battle maniac Kaiser had mentioned before, and the troublesome individual that Minamiya Natsuki had described as more difficult to deal with than even third-generation elders or second-generation royalty—was this very duke from the Ardeal Principality.

“A-A duke among vampires...?”

Now understanding what was going on, Akatsuki Nagisa’s face immediately turned pale.

As if holding a hot potato, she hurriedly threw the invitation aside and took two steps back.

“Why would such a big shot invite me to a party? I’m not going!”

Akatsuki Nagisa’s reaction did not surprise Kaiser.

It couldn’t be helped. While the other party was indeed a major figure, to Akatsuki Nagisa, who suffered from a phobia of demons, he was just a terrifying monster.

How could she possibly attend a party hosted by such a demon?

Absolutely impossible!

“Is this really okay?” Kaiser had expected such a response from Akatsuki Nagisa, but still said to her, “That person is a national ruler and a favored vassal of a True Ancestor who commands a Night Empire, you know?”

“If you refuse such an important person’s invitation so casually and it triggers a diplomatic incident, that’ll be a huge problem.”

This wasn’t just a scare tactic.

The First True Ancestor, the Forgotten Warlord, as the ruler of the Warlord's Domain, was a true king whose status in the international community was unmatched.

Now his envoy had arrived on Itogami Island, and both logically and politically, they had to greet the Fourth True Ancestor, whose base was this island.

If the Fourth True Ancestor refused to meet, it could be interpreted as a provocation—or even as a declaration of war.

If that caused a diplomatic incident, then both the administration of Itogami Island and the government of Japan would find all sorts of ways to pester Akatsuki Nagisa.

“B-But I...”

Akatsuki Nagisa couldn’t think rationally at all. Just the idea of meeting a demon made her tremble uncontrollably.

“There, there. Don’t be nervous.” Kaiser quickly comforted her, patting her on the head and saying, “If you don’t want to go, then don’t. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up.”

Chapter 419: The Tallest of the Tall

In the end, Akatsuki Nagisa still chose not to accept the invitation to attend Dimitrie Vatler’s party.

In her view, she was just an ordinary middle school girl. Compared to those people who were important figures on the international stage, she was an existence so small that it couldn’t get any smaller.

She didn’t understand why the other party would invite someone as insignificant as her to the party, but no matter what, she simply couldn’t accept the idea of actively approaching a demon race being, especially one so terrifying.

As for causing some diplomatic incident or something... she was just an ordinary girl, how could she possibly spark a diplomatic incident?

Therefore, Akatsuki Nagisa couldn’t muster the courage, and even less could she accept such an unreasonable invitation.

Kaiser, who had already anticipated this, did not force her.

“There’s no way Nagisa in her current state can attend that Serpent’s party, much less meet him.”

After finally calming Akatsuki Nagisa down and sending her off to pet cats, Kaiser silently thought.

“However, with that Serpent’s personality, Nagisa directly refusing him will likely make it hard for him to back off.”

Kaiser knew very well why Dimitrie Vatler had come.

He had come for the Fourth Primogenitor.

He had also come for himself, the vessel of Leviathan.

His belligerent nature made it impossible for him to ignore the presence of such two powerful enemies—especially the Fourth Primogenitor.

Dimitrie Vatler—this person was not only combative but also extremely ambitious. His ultimate goal was to challenge the ruler of his own Empire of Night, the one known as the oldest of the First Primogenitors, the Lost Warlord.

For that reason, he yearned for power, longed for battle, sought relief from mundane daily life, and all the more craved the emergence of formidable foes.

The Fourth Primogenitor—reputed as the strongest vampire in the world—was already enough of a lure.

To be able to fight the world’s strongest vampire, that was the first temptation. If he could defeat the opponent and devour them, he would gain even greater power and go on to challenge the First Primogenitor—this was the second temptation.

And on top of that, at the Fourth Primogenitor’s side, there was the rumored Chaos Dragon, the world’s strongest magical beast. This was like tossing out the most delicious bait possible.

Dimitrie Vatler was that ravenous fish—there was no way he wouldn’t bite.

In this situation, if Akatsuki Nagisa, the publicly acknowledged Fourth Primogenitor, refused to meet him, there was no way he would just let it go.

Kaiser could already foresee trouble knocking soon.

“Well then.” Kaiser suddenly smiled and said, “Let’s see what that snake has in store.”

If the sky falls, let the tall ones hold it up.

And he—was the tallest of the tall.

……

That night, when the buildings within Itogami Island were lit up brightly, the same brilliant lights blossomed by the grand wharf in the harbor area.

The luxury cruise ship named Oceanus Grave was docked here, remarkably eye-catching even from a distance.

On the hull of the massive cruise liner, the name “Oceanus Grave” stood out clearly. Illuminated by lights, the ship shone like a palace in the night, making it hard to imagine this was a privately owned vessel.

According to unverifiable reports, while the claim that vampires couldn’t cross the sea was pure superstition, it was indeed true that their powers would be restricted at sea.

In other words, just the act of a noble from the Domain of the War King traveling over by sea was enough to send a message of intimidation to the host nation, fully demonstrating the individual’s confidence and audacity. Even if the noble traveled not on a military vessel but a civilian one, it was all the same.

Even if it was just a cruise ship and not a warship equipped with weapons, so long as the ship’s master was a vampire noble, the summoned familiars alone would be enough to rival all the firepower of a high-tonnage warship. Not to mention that this person was even stronger than Third-Generation Elders and was hailed as the vampire closest to the Primogenitors.

It could be said that the existence of this luxury cruise ship, for Itogami Island, was like having an aircraft carrier docked at its shore. The amount of attention this would draw from bigwigs was easy to imagine.

Thus, at ten o’clock that evening, one after another, formally dressed individuals began to arrive.

They were invited guests—faces that wouldn’t seem out of place even when seen in the news. Either political heavyweights or financial giants, they were mostly dignitaries of the government or Itogami City.

At this moment, these important figures ascended the gangway one by one, entered the ship, and arrived at the hall where the party was being held. In the end, the guest count totaled no fewer than five hundred people.

The guests conversed among themselves, engaged in notable and recognizable exchanges and dialogue under bright and splendid lights while enjoying sumptuous cuisine.

Unfortunately, in the eyes of the master of the Oceanus Grave, these political and business elites weren’t even worth blades of grass.

The only guests he truly valued were one—or maybe two—and they had yet to arrive.

When the party officially began, Vatler did not appear in the main venue. Instead, he stood at the prow of the ship on the deck, gazing toward the city center of Itogami Island.

“Looks like I’ve been rejected. How sad.”

The blond-haired, blue-eyed, handsome young man in a white suit had both hands in his pockets, letting out a laugh that made it unclear whether he was genuinely disappointed or simply amused.

“My observer hasn’t returned either. I hope nothing went wrong while delivering the letter?”

Vatler chuckled lightly and muttered to himself with apparent nonchalance.

“So, what should I do next?”

“My beloved Fourth Primogenitor and his observer actually refused my invitation. This really was unexpected.”

“But... oh well.”

Vatler’s gaze toward Itogami Island turned completely crimson.

“If you won’t come to me, then I’ll just have to go to you,” Vatler said with a chuckle. “But going just like this seems rather rude.”

“What do you two think?”

His final sentence was directed at the people behind him.

They were two men dressed in formal wear like him, exuding the demeanor of noble sons.

“As Lord Ardeal said, even if we are to extend an invitation, it shouldn’t be you who personally acts from the beginning.”

A boy with a dreamy appearance who seemed about fifteen or sixteen, small and gentle-looking—evoking a protective urge in others—spoke gently.

“Barbarians are always so rude. To dare ignore Lord Vatler’s invitation is a crime deserving of death.”

A peer of the previous speaker in age but considerably taller, exuding an overwhelmingly aggressive aura, with sharp, cold features resembling a blade, likewise spoke coldly with undisguised hostility.

These two were clearly vampires as well—the crimson hue in their eyes was the clearest proof.

The aura emanating from them wasn’t on Vatler’s level, but it was still extremely dangerous and powerful.

“Since even you two say so, then so be it.”

Vatler didn’t look back, speaking with delight as if enjoying an appetizer before a main course.

“Gila, Tebias. Represent me and go pay them a visit.”

“Remember, don’t go overboard.”

“I don’t want to be forcibly deported just after arriving.”

Though he wasn’t afraid, nor did he care—he even thought it might be fun to wreak havoc in this country—a scenario like that would make follow-up matters troublesome.

He wasn’t ready to lose his current standing, nor the opportunity to challenge those above him.

So, a little chaos was fine. Too much, and it needed careful consideration.

“Go.”

As Vatler’s words fell, the two young men behind him immediately bowed.

In the next second, the two dissolved like mist.

……

Itogami Island, South District, residential area, seventh floor of an apartment building.

In Room 705, it was already lights-out and bedtime.

Akatsuki Nagisa and Kanase Kanon had already left, even the cats in the cat room were asleep. None of them came out to wander or cry at night.

Because he had stayed up the night before, tonight Kaiser didn’t plan to stay up again. So, he returned to the bedroom early, lay down on the bed, and drifted into dreamland.

“Flap flap—”

At some point, a flock of birds suddenly flew past the window, producing a particularly sharp wing-flapping sound, causing Kaiser to open his eyes and awaken.

“They’re already here?”

Kaiser scratched his head and muttered with annoyance.

“That Serpent really has no patience.”

Saying so, Kaiser slowly got up and lazily got dressed.

After a while, he left the bedroom, then the apartment, and ascended the stairs past the eighth and ninth floors, arriving at the rooftop of the building.

“Whoosh—”

The wind howled past, lifting dust and bringing a wave of mist, which swirled before Kaiser.

Not long after, the mist gathered and transformed into two handsome young men in formal attire.

“Good evening, Observer.”

The gentle-looking boy greeted respectfully, his dreamy face full of amiability.

“You’re the Chaos Dragon from the rumors?”

The aggressive youth cast a sharp gaze at Kaiser, his beautiful features ice-cold.

“Haa~~~”

Kaiser acted as if he hadn’t noticed them at all, yawning lazily before finally turning his eyes to them.

“Vampire nobles from the Domain of the War King, personal guards of Dimitrie Vatler, huh?”

Kaiser spoke slowly, as if dealing with two unwelcome guests—because that’s exactly what they were.

“I thought that guy would come personally. Looks like he’s more patient than I expected.”

That attitude of being completely unsurprised by their arrival caused both vampire nobles to narrow their eyes.

“To deal with you, there’s no need for Lord Vatler to act personally.”

The cold youth was the first to unleash his magical power.

“This is a greeting from Lord Ardeal.”

The gentle youth smiled as he released his own power.

Under the cover of night, immense magical power stirred.

A deadly and terrifying danger, to any ordinary person, had arrived.

Chapter 420: Is It Over Just Like That?

"This magical power... is truly strong."

On the rooftop of the apartment building, Kaiser stood facing the wind, confronting two uninvited guests, watching as they released astonishing magical power, and couldn't help but feel a bit of emotion.

Purely in terms of magical power, the two before him had already surpassed the level of Divine Beasts. Even if they hadn’t reached the level of a Campione or a Heretic God, they were still beings that humans of the Campione world absolutely couldn't contend with.

Just from that alone, their origins were clearly not simple.

"Not only are they pure-blooded vampires of noble lineage, but they've definitely lived for more than a hundred years."

Old generation pure-blooded vampires!

In terms of background alone, these two were definitely not inferior to Dimitrie Vattler!

Dimitrie Vattler was also originally just a pure-blooded noble, a distant descendant of a third-generation elder. If he hadn't devoured two vampires of elder-class status, he wouldn't be much stronger than these two.

Old generation vampires were already very strong, capable of easily wiping out a small village. If that old-generation vampire was a direct descendant of the Progenitor, a pure-blooded vampire, a noble, then even if they couldn't destroy the entirety of Itogami Island, they could certainly cause it serious damage.

And yet, such powerful vampires were merely Vattler's personal guards. One could imagine how high that man’s standing was in the domain of the War Kings.

Of course, these two pure-blooded old-generation vampires couldn't possibly know what Kaiser was thinking.

"Flame Web Corridor!"

The gentle youth called upon the Familiar stored within his blood, and a mist of blood flew from his fingertips.

The red mist transformed into scorching lava, spreading out like a spiderweb.

And at the center of that web, a spider-shaped Familiar with an amber glow and a body of lava manifested amidst the vast magical power.

"Violent King of Demon Strike!"

The aggressive youth was not to be outdone either. The immense magical power he released took form, and a massive raptor cloaked in light appeared.

The raptor’s body was formed from highly dense magical flames, burning at tens of thousands of degrees Celsius, radiating intense light that instantly dispelled the chill of night.

"Rumble..."

The appearance of two powerful Familiars caused the atmosphere to boom, and the apartment beneath their feet began to tremble, the shaking intensifying.

This made Kaiser furrow his brow.

"Clap!"

Without hesitation, Kaiser suddenly clapped his hands together, releasing intense spiritual power.

"Buzz—"

An orange transparent barrier immediately rose from the rooftop, enveloping the entire area.

Thanks to this, the overwhelming magical power released by the two War King-class old-generation vampires was isolated, and the might of their Familiars was also contained within this small barrier, no longer affecting the outside world.

The apartment's shaking finally stopped and did not intensify further.

"You two, could you be a little more mindful of your surroundings?"

Having previously taken action multiple times in the world of Campione—causing tsunamis, blizzards, storms, and even the destruction of the entire city of Nikko—Kaiser now voiced such a reprimand.

Unfortunately, the two noble vampires’ eyes had already turned blood-red, the mark of vampire ferocity, and they unhesitatingly commanded their Familiars to attack.

The Flame Web Corridor shot out lava-formed spider threads, while the Violent King of Demon Strike transformed into blazing light and, at a terrifying speed of hundreds of meters in an instant, shot toward Kaiser with magical flames.

The shockwaves from the two Familiars’ attacks were terrifying. If not for the barrier, it could have blown up half the apartment in an instant.

Faced with such an overwhelming offensive, even someone like the Trinity-ranked strongest offensive magic user would hesitate to take it head-on.

But Kaiser didn’t even dodge, didn’t take a step back. Instead, he slowly walked toward the attacking Familiars.

"Swish swish swish—!"

In the next second, the lava threads from the spider Familiar of the gentle youth arrived first, whistling through the air and landing on Kaiser.

The temperature of those threads was terrifyingly high—though not as hot as the Violent King of Demon Strike, which reached tens of thousands of degrees—it was still enough to melt steel and sever iron, easily slicing a person into pieces.

However, at the moment they touched Kaiser’s body, those threads of lava instantly melted away.

Following closely was the high-density magical flame, burning at tens of thousands of degrees, which, upon contact with Kaiser, was instantly repelled as if it had encountered its nemesis.

"What?!"

"This…!"

The two attacking youths, both the gentle and the aggressive one, changed expression dramatically.

"Repelled the Familiar... with his body?!"

"Impossible…!"

They could hardly believe what their eyes had just witnessed.

But while they were in disbelief, Kaiser, who had been slowly approaching, suddenly vanished.

"Is it really that unbelievable?"

A faint voice came from behind the two.

"In the end, a so-called Familiar is just a mass of magical power. Though powerful, it’s easy to counter."

"As long as you have resistance to magical power, or means to nullify it, dealing with a vampire's Familiar should be child's play, no?"

"You've never encountered this kind of enemy before? You’ve been really lucky then."

Hearing the voice behind them, the two old-generation vampires instantly had their hair stand on end.

"Flame Web Corridor!"

The gentle youth's dreamy beauty vanished, and like a startled bird, he turned into mist while shouting for his Familiar. In the web of lava threads, the spider Familiar screeched, raised its sharp leg, and thrust it fiercely at Kaiser.

"Steel King of Crushing Blow!"

The aggressive youth lunged forward to increase distance from Kaiser, while anxiously summoning another Familiar.

It was a four-to-five-meter-tall iron-gray ape—a steel golem manifested from dense magical power.

The moment it appeared, it swung a heavy punch, colliding with the spider Familiar's leg as both struck Kaiser.

"Boom!"

With a loud bang, the rooftop barrier trembled violently but didn’t shatter.

The strength unleashed by the two vampires’ Familiars was completely sealed within the barrier, causing no damage outside.

"Swish!"

Kaiser’s figure used Shunpo, like a phantom, closing in on the two vampires.

"————!"

The two saw Kaiser suddenly appear before them, and as their pupils contracted sharply, they instinctively released blood mist, trying to summon more Familiars.

But...

"Too slow."

Kaiser’s hands had already touched their shoulders.

"Bakudō #63: Locking Chain Binding."

Spiritual power burst forth like light and quickly turned into thick serpent-like light chains, crawling from Kaiser’s hands onto the two nobles.

Under the restraint of the luminous chains, neither the mist-form gentle youth nor the aggressive lunging youth could move.

Kaiser then grabbed the other end of the chain and fiercely flung them toward the ground.

"Bang!"

With a dull crash, the two old-generation vampires slammed into the floor, shaking the barrier.

"Cough…!"

The two coughed up blood simultaneously, injured in an instant.

"Shing!" "Shing!" "Shing!"...

At that moment, several silver flashes flew through the barrier, swiftly piercing through the Familiars attempting to save their masters.

The lava spider, magical flame raptor, and steel golem were all mercilessly torn apart.

These silver flashes were the split silver short blades of the Type-100 Anti-Demon Armament: Silver Radiance Qilin.

Under the effect of the triple artificial spatial severing technique, each silver short blade had the power to cut space, and even the Familiars of pure-blood old-generation vampires couldn’t avoid being sliced apart.

With this, the two War King-class nobles lost all ability to resist. Kaiser pulled them before him with a tug, throwing them to the ground in a sorry heap.

"What’s wrong? Is it over just like that?"

Looking at the disheveled vampire nobles, Kaiser spoke with a half-smile.

"Didn’t you say Vattler didn’t even need to show up to deal with me?"

"Didn’t you say this was the greeting he sent you to deliver?"

"That greeting is a bit pathetic, isn’t it? Did the Serpent Bearer trust you too much? Or just underestimate me?"

The sarcastic remarks made the two youths glare at Kaiser.

Especially the aggressive one—his eyes, dyed deep crimson, suddenly emitted a bewitching and eerie light.

"Shing!" "Shing!" "Shing!"...

Silver flashes instantly flew in, mercilessly piercing the youth’s arms, thighs, shoulders, and abdomen, riddling him with wounds, blood gushing.

"Aaaaahhhh…!"

The youth screamed in pain, while the gentle youth beside him turned pale.

"A Familiar that invades and controls the mind of anyone who makes eye contact?" Kaiser watched coldly. "A clever trick, but useless on me."

Even without immense magical resistance, a Campione’s mind and sense of self are extremely hard to invade or control. Unless it involves a god’s Authority, disturbing a Campione’s mind is no easier than controlling a Heretic God.

Kaiser then recalled all the silver blades, which combined in his hand into a silver longsword, flashing cold arcs beneath the moonlight.

"A gift should be returned in kind. Since you came all this way to provoke me, I might as well meet the master you serve."

Kaiser dispelled the barrier. As the orange transparent screen descended, he turned his gaze toward the harbor.

His eyes, shining with silver brilliance under the moonlight, were both dazzling and chilling.

……

Itogami Island’s harbor, the upper deck of the Oceanus Grave.

At this time, the party hadn’t ended yet. Vattler, the host, remained at the bow of the ship, standing against the wind, holding a glass of red wine in one hand, swirling it gently.

"Boom…"

A dull thud suddenly rang out behind him, followed by two familiar groans, causing Vattler’s hand to pause mid-swirl. His eyes instantly turned blood-red.

"What a delightful mood you're in, Lord Ardeal."

A voice he had never heard before but could instantly guess the owner of echoed behind him.

"The guests you invited are still indulging themselves below, either drunk or pretending to hold refined conversations, and yet you, the host, are up here enjoying the breeze?"

"Are you that bored?"

"No wonder you sent two lackeys to disturb our sleep. You needed some amusement, huh?"

Hearing this, Vattler laughed.

He laughed heartily and joyfully.

He slowly turned around to look at the deck behind him.

There, on a white lounge chair, a boy wearing an out-of-place academy uniform lay as if sunbathing in the moonlight, relaxed and at ease.

Beside the chair, his two personal guards were bound tightly in chains of light, either battered or severely wounded, collapsed on the deck and struggling.

"Clap—Clap—Clap—"

Seeing this, Vattler didn’t get angry. Instead, he applauded with joy.

"Brilliant! You defeated my assassins so easily—truly worthy of the legendary Chaos Dragon. As expected, you're no ordinary opponent!"

Vattler spoke with delight, not at all angered by his subordinates being tied up and tossed aside.

"You’re exactly as the rumors say—a bona fide battle maniac, a pure madman."

Kaiser lay back with his hands behind his head, looking nothing like someone here to settle a score—more like he was on vacation.

"Aren’t there plenty of strong fighters in the Warlord's domain?"

"Third-generation elders, second-generation princes and princesses—there’s no shortage."

"At worst, there’s even the Lost Warlord of the First Progenitor. If you want a fight, want a battle, go challenge them. Coming all the way to Itogami Island to find us—isn’t that a bit too much?"

Kaiser’s half-smiling words were met with only Vattler’s indifferent response.

"Those people are my targets too, but with the old man watching, I can’t go all out. So I thought I’d come see the legendary Fourth Progenitor and the Chaos Dragon. Maybe I’d find some surprises."

"And I was right, wasn’t I?"

"I haven’t even seen my beloved Fourth Progenitor, and yet her watcher has already displayed power that thrills me."

Vattler indeed wore a look of mad delight.

"Why not give me a taste of the strongest magic beast in the world right here and now?"

A dangerous and deadly atmosphere was instantly created by Vattler.

(End of Chapter)

Sorry for the delay!