Fantasy Library, Ch 411-415

Chapter 411: Letting Her Stay Out All Night

In the end, Kanon still agreed to Kaiser's approach and consented to let him take care of the dozen or so kittens she had been raising on the hill behind the academy.

She had originally been planning to find someone to help adopt these kittens anyway. As long as Kaiser was truly capable of taking care of them, she naturally had no reason to refuse.

However, out of worry over the matter, Kanon still requested Kaiser to let her help bring the kittens over.

That way, she could see for herself whether the dozen or so kittens she had painstakingly raised could really settle in well under Kaiser's care.

Kaiser naturally had no objections and readily nodded in agreement.

The two agreed to go home together after school, then parted ways and returned to their classrooms.

As for the little kitten, Kaiser kept it with him for now.

He wasn’t worried about getting caught—after all, with the Authority of the King of Beasts, if he told the kitten to go east, it absolutely wouldn’t go west, nor would it suddenly meow and reveal its presence. He just needed to find a place to stash it.

However, when Kaiser returned to the classroom, he quickly realized that while the little kitten in his arms did attract attention, people were more interested in his relationship with Kanon Kanase.

“Kai-san, are you close with the Saint of the Middle School Division?”

“Kai-san, what’s your relationship with Kanase-san from the Middle School Division?”

“Kai-san, do you know the boys from the Middle School Division are already digging into your background, getting ready to collectively curse you?”

“Kai-san…”

All afternoon, Kaiser was approached by countless people. Besides Kojou Akatsuki and the others, even his classmates came over one after another to strike up conversations, all subtly or directly probing about his relationship with Kanon Kanase.

Especially the boys—when they looked at Kaiser, their eyes were completely different from before. It was like they were staring at a flower thief about to pluck the most delicate blossom of Saikai Academy. Some of them didn’t even bother to hide their envy and resentment.

This left Kaiser somewhat surprised and a little puzzled.

“Looks like Kanase’s popularity at Saikai Academy is a lot higher than I thought.”

Even high school boys were quite taken by her, and yet she claimed she wasn’t popular…?

If he didn’t know she truly thought that way, he would’ve assumed she was just humble-bragging.

Kaiser had to admit, Kanon Kanase really was very pretty—especially that fragile, obedient, gentle, and holy aura, pure and untainted. It added countless charm points to her.

Right now, Kanon Kanase was still young, only around fourteen or fifteen. Once she grew older, she might be able to form a perfect nun duo with Asia.

A blonde saint and a silver-haired saint, both exotic beauties with angelic faces and holy hearts—stacking all those buffs together, wouldn’t that be even more exciting than a pair of twin beauties?

Anyway, just the thought made Kaiser want to introduce the two of them.

“I wonder if Asia would be interested in proselytizing?”

Kaiser mused and couldn’t help but chuckle.

If Asia really tried to preach to Kanon Kanase, they might actually end up forming a nun duo.

After all, Kanon Kanase wasn’t just kind—her own disposition matched the nun profession very well.

She had been an orphan from a young age, raised in a convent. Her background was quite similar to Asia’s.

The difference was, Asia had always been raised as a nun within the Church, believing in God from a young age, whereas the convent Kanon Kanase lived in had been destroyed in a disaster, forcing her to be adopted and gradually drift away from the life of a nun.

But even now, Kanon Kanase still retained some of the habits from her convent days. Her kindness and compassion had been cultivated then, and she had always admired nuns. If she could choose her own life, she would surely want to become one.

Unfortunately, Kanon Kanase couldn’t choose her own life.

“…………”

Kaiser narrowed his eyes, his mind repeatedly recalling everything from the original work related to Kanon Kanase.

“She’s worth keeping an eye on…”

With that thought, Kaiser spent the noisy and bustling afternoon.

After school, just as Kaiser finished packing up and was about to leave, Kojou Akatsuki called out to him.

“You… you’re not planning to go see Nagisa again, are you?”

Kojou looked at Kaiser defensively.

He had more or less realized by now that Kaiser and his sister might continue to get entangled.

“What are you looking at me like that for?” Kaiser, seeing Kojou’s wary expression, couldn’t help but feel exasperated. “Relax, I won’t let her stay out all night again.”

This remark didn’t get a reaction from Kojou. Instead, it left Asagi Aiba and Motoki Yaze stunned.

“Stay out all night?” Yaze exaggeratedly exclaimed, “You and Nagisa? Are you serious?”

That deliberately loud voice immediately drew everyone’s attention.

“What? What did he say?”

“Stay out all night?”

“Who stayed out all night with who?”

“Nagisa? Isn’t that Kojou’s sister?”

The classmates all started murmuring, and Kojou’s face instantly turned beet red.

“Hey! Yaze! Stop spouting nonsense!”

Kojou pounced on Yaze, wrapping his arm around his neck, nearly choking him.

Although he didn’t like how close Kaiser was getting with his sister, for the sake of her reputation, he couldn’t allow Yaze to stir up gossip.

What if rumors spread?

His sister’s innocence would be ruined!

“I give up, I give up! I won’t say it again…!”

Yaze frantically patted Kojou’s arm, looking like he was about to pass out.

“You really didn’t lay a hand on Nagisa, right?”

Asagi Aiba went over and confronted Kaiser, her gaze sharp.

She had a good relationship with Nagisa and liked that girl a lot. If a classmate dared to take liberties with her, she wouldn’t show mercy.

“You’re getting involved too?” Kaiser looked at Asagi with a strange expression. “What, worried that your future sister-in-law might get played by a bad man?”

“Wha…” Asagi’s sharp gaze immediately faltered, and she visibly panicked. “That’s not it!”

“Sister-in-law?” Kojou turned his head with suspicion. “Who’s becoming a sister-in-law?”

“None of your business!” Asagi glared at Kojou and snapped, “Definitely not you!”

Kojou, bewildered by the scolding, was left dumbfounded.

Kaiser found the three of them amusing as they clowned around, then waved a hand and said:

“You guys have fun, I’ve got stuff to do. I’m heading out.”

With that, before they could react, Kaiser turned and walked out of the classroom.

“Wait—”

Kojou panicked and was just about to chase after him when Yaze tackled him.

“Damn it, Kojou! You really were trying to strangle me back there! Take this!”

“What? Hahaha! Stop! Hahahaha…!”

As Yaze tickled his armpits, Kojou laughed uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face, unable to move.

Asagi squinted at them coldly.

“Idiot Kojou… Any girl who falls for you is cursed…”

The girl’s helpless and bitter mutter was lost to the wind.

Unfortunately, no one heard it.

…………

Meanwhile, Kaiser smoothly made his way to the middle school building and reunited with Kanon Kanase. But he didn’t leave right away—instead, he stayed where he was.

“I’m still waiting for Nagisa. Once she gets here, we’ll head over together.”

Kaiser said this, which left Kanon slightly surprised.

“Senpai and Nagisa-san planned to go home together?”

Previously, Kanon had already learned that Kaiser was neighbors with the Akatsuki siblings—they all lived in the same apartment building.

In class, Motoki Yaze had also mentioned that Kaiser and Nagisa were already quite close. But Kanon hadn’t expected them to be close enough to walk home together.

“We did plan it.” Kaiser didn’t try to hide it and said, “I already messaged her. She said she’s not attending her club activities today, so she’ll head back with us.”

Although Nagisa was part of the cheerleading squad, she didn’t always attend every club meeting.

She had been in poor health since four years ago. Even though she was much better now and could attend school and club activities normally, she still occasionally had flare-ups and had to take time off.

Normally, with Nagisa’s personality, she wouldn’t want to skip club activities unless necessary. But after what happened last night, and with Kaiser planning to take in so many of Kanon Kanase’s cats today, she naturally had no desire to go to club. The moment she received Kaiser’s message, she replied that she’d come over to help.

Speak of the devil—just as Kaiser and Kanon were discussing this, a lively voice rang out from the school building.

“Kai-kun! Kanon-chan!”

They turned to see Nagisa Akatsuki waving as she ran toward them with light steps, full of energy. Her skirt fluttered as she moved, drawing quite a few admiring glances and brightening the atmosphere.

“Nagisa-chan!”

Seeing one of her few close friends, Kanon's gentle face showed rare cheerfulness.

“I’m not late, right?” Nagisa ran up to them and said excitedly, “I heard about it! Kanon-chan is letting Kai-kun adopt the cats from the back hill? That’s amazing! Congratulations, Kanon-chan!”

As Kanon’s good friend, Nagisa naturally knew how much trouble she’d gone through for those cats.

Now that someone was willing to take them all in, of course she’d be happy for her—especially since that someone was her friendly neighbor whom she’d gotten close to over the past couple of days. It was double the joy, and she couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.

But amidst her happiness, Nagisa couldn’t help but worry.

“But are you sure this’ll be okay? Ah, I don’t mean I doubt Kai-kun’s ability—it’s just that our apartment really doesn’t allow pets. Even if Kai-kun said he’d try to convince the landlord, I think it’s a long shot. That guy’s super stubborn. I heard someone recently tried to negotiate their rent and got flatly rejected. That man’s totally heartless!”

Nagisa’s chatterbox nature flared up again, and she rattled off a long string of words, leaving Kanon Kanase a bit stunned.

“I’ve already taken care of it,” Kaiser patiently waited for Nagisa to finish before smiling and saying, “I contacted him during lunch break.”

Just like Nagisa said, the guy was indeed stubborn. As soon as he heard that Kaiser wanted to raise over a dozen cats in the apartment, he rejected the idea outright. Even revealing his status as a National Mage Officer didn’t make him budge much.

But in the end, Kaiser only had to say, “If you won’t make an exception, I’ll let my superiors have a word with you,” and the man finally relented.

Clearly, no matter how stubborn he was, he didn’t want the authorities knocking on his door for a friendly chat.

“So I’ve got permission now—I can raise cats in the apartment as an exception, as long as I don’t cause trouble for others.”

Kaiser’s words brought visible relief and joy to both Nagisa and Kanon.

“That’s awesome!” Nagisa was even happier than Kanon Kanase, cheering energetically. “Kai-kun, you’re amazing—being able to convince that guy! Even if we can’t all raise them ourselves, just being able to keep them close by is great!”

“Hey, Kai-kun, can I come over to your place often to see the kitties?”

“I’ve wanted a cat for ages!”

Nagisa looked at Kaiser hopefully.

“M-me too,” Kanon quickly added, “Can I also come by to see them when I have time?”

It was clear she still felt uneasy.

“Of course,” Kaiser had no reason to refuse. Ignoring the envious and jealous stares from the crowd around him as two beautiful girls begged to visit his home, he told them, “You can come by anytime.”

Hearing that, both girls smiled happily.

Next, Kaiser and Nagisa followed Kanon to the hill behind the academy.

There, surrounded by green trees, was a small park with a gray building in ruins. From its appearance, one could still vaguely discern traces of a former convent.

This convent wasn’t just abandoned—it had suffered a mysterious explosion five years ago. It looked as if it had been burned down, with scorch marks everywhere.

It was said that many people died in that incident, and the convent was subsequently closed and left abandoned for five years, completely forgotten.

Thus, it became a good hiding place—used by the only survivor from back then, Kanon Kanase, as a shelter for abandoned cats.

More than a dozen kittens hid there, and at Kanon's call, they began to poke their heads out one by one.

Soon, the three of them gathered up all the cats and left the convent, heading toward the apartment.

Chapter 412: My Future is Still Long

Apartment, Room 705.

In this room that would be a bit cramped for a whole family but overly spacious for a single person, laughter from a girl and joyful meows of kittens were constantly echoing from one of the side rooms.

“Wah, this little one is so cute. Come here, come to big sister, let big sister hold you!”

“Here’s some catnip for you, Nagisa-chan.”

“Thank you, Kanon-chan, but is it okay to give such a small kitten catnip?”

“Just a little bit is fine.”

“Alright~~~ Come on, be good, be good.”

“Ah, don’t go near the window.”

This warm scene of Akatsuki Nagisa and Kanase Kanon playing with the kittens was unfolding in the side room, accompanied by silver bell-like laughter that echoed constantly through the space.

Off to the side, Kaiser, who was preparing the cat litter, found this scene especially pleasing to the eye. He couldn’t help but take out his phone and snap several photos of Nagisa and Kanon, who were surrounded by cats—with kittens lying on their shoulders and knees.

“Kai-kun! Don’t take pictures of us secretly! Secretly taking photos of girls is a crime, you know!”

The sharp-eyed Nagisa noticed the scene first, feeling a bit shy at first, then puffing up angrily to protest.

Kanase Kanon had already noticed Kaiser taking photos of them. Though she didn’t understand what was worth photographing about someone like her, she still gave a slightly embarrassed and shy smile, which made Kaiser snap even more photos of her.

“This is the price for coming to my house to play with cats,” Kaiser said matter-of-factly without putting his phone away. “Even cat cafés charge a fee, right? I’m just taking a few nice photos—it’s a reasonable price, don’t you think?”

“There’s no such thing as charging people without notice! If there’s such a price, you should have said so in advance! Otherwise, you really will be taken to the police station!” Nagisa wasn’t as easy to fool as Kanon. She snorted lightly and said, “Anyway, Kai-kun, you can’t just take pictures of us. What if the photo doesn’t look good?”

Alright, that last line was the main point.

Girls, after all, don’t really hate being photographed.

As long as the photos turn out good, they might even wish for more to be taken—shoot for a whole day without issue.

The only thing they truly can’t accept are ugly photos. Such pictures are absolute anti-humanity records that must not exist.

But Kaiser wanted to say this to Nagisa:

“Do you two have some kind of misunderstanding about your looks?” Kaiser sighed and said, “With faces like yours, no matter how I shoot, the photos will turn out great, okay?”

Needless to say for Kanase Kanon—she was the saint of the middle school division. Clearly just a girl under fifteen, yet she was already practically the school beauty of Saikai Academy, making even the high school senior girls feel overshadowed.

Although Nagisa wasn’t quite as stunningly beautiful as Kanase Kanon, she was still a bonafide beauty in the making. In the future, she might not fall short compared to Kanase Kanon.

So, no matter how they were photographed—left, right, top, bottom, even upside down—they would still look good. Even making silly faces would come off as cute.

Kaiser openly said these things, making both girls a bit embarrassed.

“Geez, it’s not as exaggerated as you say, Kai-kun,”

Nagisa said this with her mouth, but the visible joy on her face showed that she was still quite pleased with Kaiser’s compliments.

“Nagisa-chan is definitely very cute,” Kanase Kanon said. “Unlike me.”

“Kanon-chan, are you joking with me?” Nagisa was a bit dumbfounded. “You’re the saint of the middle school division! It’s not just your class—there are tons of boys in our class who like you too, you know?”

“How could that be?” Kanase Kanon didn’t quite believe it, fiddling with her hair and saying, “No one really wants to talk to me. I can tell.”

This girl—she’s way too unaware of her own beauty.

“See, it’s that line again. Didn’t I already tell you, it’s not that people don’t want to talk to you, it’s that they don’t dare to,” Nagisa slapped her forehead and looked toward Kaiser as if asking for help. “Kai-kun, you tell her too. Let Kanon-chan properly realize how pretty and popular she really is.”

“Forget it. She’s fine the way she is,” Kaiser didn’t go along with it and said bluntly, “As long as Kanon remains unaware of her looks, I can keep boosting favorability by constantly praising her. Hm, this strategy’s difficulty is really low.”

“This isn’t a game! You’re not allowed to use underhanded tactics to win over girls’ hearts! Stupid Kai-kun!” Nagisa was unhappy, huffing angrily. “I was even thinking of treating Kai-kun to dinner tonight, but now… hmph! No dinner for you!”

Was that a threat?

You’re using this to threaten a God-Slayer?

What kind of God-Slayer would accept such a threat?

“I apologize, I’m sorry.” Kaiser immediately changed his tone and said, “Please, Lady Nagisa, spare me just this once. Don’t let me starve to death at home tonight.”

Upon hearing this, Nagisa burst out laughing.

“I’m telling you, Kai-kun, you’re being way too dramatic.”

Seeing Nagisa laugh, Kanon also laughed. But in her glacier-blue eyes, a hint of envy quietly appeared.

She envied the close relationship between the boy and the girl, close enough to mess around so casually.

She also envied that the two were neighbors, able to eat dinner together, laugh together, and spend a beautiful evening together.

Unlike herself…

Thinking about what she had to do after returning home, Kanase Kanon’s gaze lowered, hiding the gloom that nearly surfaced.

But watching the kittens running around and rolling freely in the spacious room, playing happily, Kanon unconsciously felt at ease again.

Kaiser’s apartment was the same type as the Akatsuki household—three bedrooms, one living room, with kitchen, living, and dining areas. It was definitely a bit large for just one person.

Especially the rooms—Kaiser only needed one for his bedroom. Of the remaining two, he planned to turn one into a computer room.

As a demonic zone, Itogami Island was at the forefront of researching demons, and many new technologies were born here, including internet tech.

So, even though the world’s current timeline was in 2011, in a place like Itogami Island, some science and tech were still quite advanced.

Kaiser had discovered many online games in this world that he had never heard of before and became interested—thus the idea of converting a room into a computer room.

Because his gains from the previous world were already enormous—not only becoming a Campione and acquiring a very special physique, but also obtaining around ten Authorities—Kaiser didn’t have such grand ambitions this time.

So this time, Kaiser didn’t plan to deliberately create an exciting life for himself. He planned to enjoy life a bit and relax.

After all, even if he did nothing, as long as he existed in this world, this fantasy world would gradually turn into reality. So what’s wrong with taking it easy for a while?

There weren’t any especially appealing armaments in this world either. Given that, slowing down the pace of growth might not be a bad thing.

Now, Kaiser had already basically passed the early phase of being weak and lacking in power—there was no need to be so obsessed with chasing strength anymore.

This idea also came from that conversation with Athena.

“My future is still very long. With the Hōgyoku residing in my body, I am destined to be undying and immortal. So for hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of millions of years to come, must I keep obsessively pursuing strength like this?”

There was no need at all.

He absolutely didn’t want to become like those battle maniacs, who could only find stimulation and entertainment in combat in the future.

With that in mind, Kaiser decided to slack off temporarily—take it easy, and occasionally stir things up with a fight for fun.

As for power… leave it to fate.

He was already strong enough.

Then, the last room—Kaiser had originally planned to use it as a storage room, but now intended to convert it into a cat room.

From now on, the dozen or so cats in the house would live there—their eating, drinking, and bathroom needs would all be taken care of inside.

Devoting an entire room to raising cats…

It had to be said—that was quite generous.

And this was what made Kanon feel reassured. She believed that Kaiser would never mistreat these kittens.

…………

Just like that, Kanase Kanon stayed in Kaiser’s home for over an hour before finally saying goodbye and leaving.

Kaiser and Akatsuki Nagisa didn’t walk her out.

“Someone will come to pick me up.”

Kanon only said that one line, then left the apartment with a somewhat ethereal smile.

After Kanon left, Nagisa also went home, saying she was going to make dinner.

However, before leaving, she said this:

“It’s been a long time since I saw Kanon-chan smile so happily.”

According to Nagisa, Kanon didn’t seem very happy at school. Occasionally, she would even show a sad expression, which made others feel uneasy.

At first, the reason she approached Kanon was because she saw that sorrowful look.

“I heard Kanon-chan used to live in a convent five years ago. She’s an orphan. After an accident at the convent, everyone died—only she survived…”

“Kanon-chan must be very sad, right?”

“Thank goodness someone adopted her.”

Leaving those words behind, Nagisa left.

“Thank goodness someone adopted her… huh?”

Kaiser watched Nagisa leave and murmured softly.

“That might not necessarily be a good thing.”

Perhaps that was just the beginning of another kind of sorrow?

With this thought, Kaiser returned to the cat room.

“Come here.”

With a single command, all the kittens came running to him.

Spiritual power surged within Kaiser’s body, and the Authority of the King of Beasts quietly unfolded and activated.

“Buzz…”

Waves of the Authority spread out, reaching each of the kittens.

Before long, the eyes of each kitten became bright and intelligent, as if they had been enlightened and gained wisdom.

Under the influence of the King of Beasts, these kittens had now become magical creatures—Kaiser’s familiars.

“Chirp chirp chirp——”

Outside the window, flocks of little birds flew over, landing on the sill. Their eyes were just as lively and humanlike as the kittens'.

No one knew that these seemingly ordinary birds and cats had already become soldiers under Kaiser’s command—no longer what they appeared to be...

Chapter 413 – Isn’t He Just a Rotten Man?

Approximately 230 kilometers off the southern coast of Tokyo.

At a time when the sun had not yet risen and the night had not fully receded, a brightly lit ship was sailing upon the dark sea.

It was a ship roughly four hundred feet in length, of a standard comparable to that of a military destroyer, magnificently decorated, even more splendid than a luxury cruise liner, and from a distance, it looked like a palace floating on the sea—a giant cruise ship.

Such a giant cruise ship, by reason, should not belong to any individual.

However, the reality was just the opposite.

This luxury cruise ship named “Grave of the Deep Ocean” was a genuine personal possession, a palace at sea belonging to a single individual.

At this moment, that person was standing on the deck of this giant cruise ship, at the ship’s bow, gazing into the distance.

“Is that Itogami Island?”

That person, as if eagerly anticipating, spoke with a smile.

“The Demon District of the Far East... it's been a while.”

The one uttering these somewhat nostalgic words was a young man dressed in a pure white suit, with blond hair and blue eyes, possessing handsome features so refined he didn’t seem human.

His apparent age was somewhere in his twenties, and he exuded an aura of elegance and nobility, just like an elite of upper society or a nobleman from a prestigious lineage. His entire being radiated a noble air, perfectly matching the image of a prince on a white horse in the hearts of young girls.

“After the Blazing Banquet a few months ago, I haven’t stepped foot here again. It’s really a pity when I think about it.”

The noble youth put both hands in his pockets, smiling as if recalling something.

“If I had known things would turn out this way, I should have intervened back then. It definitely would have been entertaining.”

A few months ago, Itogami Island held a ceremony for the resurrection of the Fourth Progenitor.

At the time, besides the twelfth body that had been sent to Itogami Island four years prior, the other eleven bodies were safeguarded by major factions and sent to this island for various reasons.

The noble youth had the honor of representing the Warlord’s Dominion and bringing several of the bodies they safeguarded to Itogami Island, personally witnessing the appearance of the Blazing Banquet.

Regrettably, he did not participate in that ceremony, nor was he permitted to intervene, which he found somewhat unfortunate.

“Number Twelve, Avrora Florestina, the original vessel…”

The noble youth held a document in his hand, with a profile photo affixed to the top right corner.

It was, clearly, a photo of Avrora.

Gazing at the face shared by all twelve bodies, the noble youth revealed a look of infatuation in his eyes.

“To think the one who finally became the Fourth Progenitor was you.” The noble youth, as though speaking to a lover far away, smiled and said, “As expected of the most special existence among the bodies—though an artificial vampire, you defeated the original, overcame the mechanism left behind by the Devas, turned the impossible into possible, and ultimately became an existence worthy of being called a Progenitor.”

“My most beloved Fourth Progenitor, I wonder if you still remember me?”

“It’s fine even if you don’t, even if you’ve fallen asleep.”

“In any case, I will definitely awaken you and make you remember me.”

“At that time...”

Whatever he was thinking, the noble youth began to laugh.

That laugh was somewhat dangerous, and also a bit ferocious.

At this moment—

“Please forgive my impertinence, Your Excellency.”

A voice rang out behind the noble youth.

It came from a young girl who had, at some point, silently approached the noble youth like an assassin.

The girl was very young, her face suggesting she was only fifteen or sixteen years old, yet she had a tall and shapely figure, with a beautiful and graceful presence.

Her skin was fair, and her hair was pale in tone, tied into a ponytail that swayed gently in the sea breeze, evoking the image of cherry blossoms in full bloom.

She wore the uniform of a prestigious local girls’ school, and carried a black instrument case, presumably for a keyboard, in her right hand—at a glance, she looked like a high school girl in a music club.

However, no high school girl would appear here, nor would one display the cold, predatory gaze that seemed ready to strike at any moment from behind the noble youth.

While the noble youth was immersed in anticipation and intoxicated with his own world, the girl poured a bucket of cold water over him.

“Don’t forget, this is still Japan's administrative zone. Even if you are a Duke of the Duchy of Ardeal, and a descendant of the Lost Warlord, if you act recklessly here, it could trigger a diplomatic incident and make you a magical criminal.”

This was undoubtedly a warning.

And a rather merciless one at that.

Such a strong warning was something the noble youth hadn’t encountered in a long time.

After all, with his current status, the number of people who could speak to him this forcefully could be counted on one hand, let alone someone as young as this girl.

“Become a magical criminal, huh?” The noble youth didn’t mind the girl’s strong tone and said cheerfully, “That does sound interesting, but the old man would probably get angry. I don’t want to provoke him right now, so let’s drop it.”

Hearing this, the girl’s eyes wavered slightly.

“May I take that as your assurance that you will not act rashly during your visit to Itogami Island?”

The girl questioned him so.

“Of course, I won’t act rashly.” The noble youth smiled as he gave his assurance, saying, “Isn’t that exactly why this island nation of the Far East sent you to monitor me?”

“What was it called again?”

“Ah, yes... Lion King Agency?”

The noble youth spoke as if he were praising—or perhaps mocking.

“I’ve heard this is the organization that gathers orphans with spiritual aptitude from all over and trains them into weapons. You must be one of those weapons, right?”

These words did not cause any change in the girl’s expression.

She simply spoke calmly.

“If you have any complaints, please direct them to our homeland. I am merely a War Dancer of the Lion King Agency, a professional magical assault specialist sent here to monitor you.” The girl said in a cold tone, “The instructions I’ve received are: if you show any sign of crossing the line, and if such actions threaten Itogami Island, I am to immediately conduct extermination.”

“Exterminate me?” The noble youth seemed amused, or perhaps even delighted by this development, and said, “I don’t mind that, but can you actually do it?”

This was not mockery, merely a statement of fact.

To the noble youth, human magical assault specialists were as insignificant as ants, unworthy of his attention.

For a human to pose a threat to a vampire of his caliber would require someone like the Three Saints of the Lion King Agency—the strongest human assault specialists—armed with divine weapons meant to slay demons or gods. Only then would it be remotely possible, and even that was not guaranteed.

Yet now, a mere girl of fifteen or sixteen had dared to speak such bold words. Though the noble youth wasn’t angered, he couldn’t help but offer some provocation.

“I advise you not to try.” The girl responded expressionlessly. “Though I’m just a recent graduate and a novice, thanks to this mission, I’ve been authorized to carry a divine weapon specially crafted by the Lion King Agency.”

“Even if I personally lack the strength, an assassination might still be enough to kill you.”

This was her profession, and the girl naturally would not back down.

Even if the man before her was one of the most terrifying vampires in the world aside from the Progenitors, capable of destroying a city or two with ease and vanishing her from existence in an instant, she could not show fear.

Otherwise, this mission would be impossible to complete.

Fortunately, the noble youth did not seem to regard her as a threat and therefore did not take offense at her statements.

“I’ll look forward to seeing what you can do.” The noble youth smiled as he spoke. “It’s a shame that it wasn’t the one from the rumors who came. That would’ve been far more interesting, don’t you think?”

“The Chaos Dragon… Isn’t he also part of your Lion King Agency?”

“If you had sent him over, there might actually be a chance of killing me, right?”

Hearing this, the girl’s expression changed for the first time.

It was an expression of resentment, defiance, and even gritted-teeth frustration.

“There’s no need for that guy to act. I’m more than enough.” The girl said with displeasure, “Besides, that guy is already assigned as the Fourth Progenitor’s observer.”

In other words, even if that man had the ability, he wouldn’t be coming to monitor you.

Because you’re not a Progenitor, you’re not dangerous enough to warrant the Lion King Agency’s trump card.

To her surprise, this made the noble youth even happier.

“The Fourth Progenitor and the Chaos Dragon—the world’s strongest vampire and the world’s strongest magical beast, what a combination.”

The noble youth’s emotions surged inexplicably.

“That’s truly… a pairing that stirs the blood.”

As he spoke, a terrifying magical power, akin to a physical force, surged forth with his rising excitement, causing the entire luxury cruise ship to tremble.

The surrounding sea began to churn, the waves grew turbulent, as if a peerless beast had emerged—an overwhelming terror.

“Your Excellency!”

The girl’s expression changed, her hand reaching for the black instrument case.

“Relax. I won’t make a move here and give you all an excuse to send me back.” The noble youth withdrew his magical power and said leisurely with a smile, “I’m still looking forward to meeting those two—for a grand encounter of the century.”

“My beloved Fourth Progenitor… and the mythical beast of the divine era. Just imagining meeting them makes me thrilled.”

“Until then, I’ll behave myself.”

The noble youth didn’t turn back to look at the girl. He continued to gaze toward the distant sea.

There, the shadow of the artificial island had already come into view.

“Truly something to look forward to...”

The noble youth’s ever-smiling lips revealed faintly sharp fangs.

Seeing this, the girl’s grip on the instrument case tightened slightly, and her face once again showed a look of indignation.

“That so-called Chaos Dragon… isn’t he just a disgusting, rotten man?”

The girl muttered bitterly.

“I’ll see for myself, now that he’s left the High God’s Forest, just how much he’s actually improved.”

The luxurious cruise ship sailed resolutely toward Itogami Island—

Bringing new chaos to that island.

Chapter 414: Still Can't Accomplish Anything

At this moment, Kaiser still didn’t know that the troublesome individual Minamiya Natsuki had mentioned earlier had already quietly arrived at Itogami Island.

However, even if he knew, he probably wouldn’t have done anything in particular. At the moment, he had no intention of actively engaging with those people, even though he had already anticipated that contact with them was only a matter of time.

Since he had decided to take it easy during this visit to the fantasy world, Kaiser naturally wouldn't keep his nerves tense. Instead, he was eager to enjoy himself, to be entertained.

So, when the luxury cruise ship named Grave of the Deep Sea arrived at Itogami Island’s port, he had just gone to sleep, ending his night of staying up late.

Yes, Kaiser had stayed up late last night.

After having dinner at the Akatsuki residence, Kaiser returned home, locked himself in the computer room, and played games the whole night.

It wasn’t until dawn was nearly breaking that Kaiser finally returned to his bedroom, lay on the bed, and fell fast asleep.

As a result, he hadn’t slept long when the doorbell rang.

“Is it already morning?”

Kaiser sat up from the bed, looked at the dim sky outside the window, and felt like he had only taken a fake nap.

“Didn’t I just lie down?”

Scratching his slightly messy hair, Kaiser eventually got up, went to the entrance, and opened the door.

“Good morning! Kai-kun!”

Outside the door, Akatsuki Nagisa cheerfully greeted Kaiser with a bright smile on her face, holding a bag of breakfast in her hand.

“Morning, Nagisa.”

In contrast to the energetic Nagisa, Kaiser replied weakly, which made Nagisa widen her eyes slightly.

“Why do you look so tired, Kai-kun?” Nagisa exclaimed in surprise, then seemed to think of something, puffed out her cheeks, and said, “You didn’t stay up late last night, did you? Let me see your face!”

Nagisa grabbed Kaiser’s hand, staring at him with her round eyes as if trying to find dark circles under his eyelids.

But just as the girl leaned in, her forehead got flicked.

“Don’t get so close all of a sudden. If Kojou sees this, it’ll be endless trouble again.”

Kaiser said grumpily, making the forehead-rubbing Nagisa look displeased.

“Kojou-kun’s not even up yet. Seriously, I have to wake him up every day. Even when I do, he doesn’t want to get up. If he’s late and gets scolded by Teacher Minamiya, I’m not helping him,” Nagisa nagged like a worried mother, then earnestly said to Kaiser, “Kai-kun, you mustn’t be like Kojou-kun. Staying up late is bad for your mental and physical health. My mom often stays up late, and just the other day she was complaining that her skin condition dropped several levels...”

Seeing that the girl was about to go on and on, Kaiser resisted the urge to yawn and quickly interrupted her.

“Come in first, Nagisa. Don’t just stand at the door. Give me a moment.”

With that, Kaiser welcomed Nagisa into the living room, then went alone to wash up.

“I’m going to check on the cats, Kai-kun. I put the breakfast on the table—don’t forget to eat it!” Nagisa’s voice came from behind. “Oh right, can I turn on the TV to check the news? I mainly want to see the weather forecast. I don’t want to get soaked again like yesterday when it suddenly rained.”

“Go ahead,” Kaiser’s voice came from the washroom. “Do whatever you want, no need to ask for my opinion.”

Upon hearing that, Nagisa first set down the breakfast, then ran to the cat room to look at the cats.

By the time Kaiser finished washing up, changed into his uniform, and walked out of the bedroom, Nagisa was sitting on the sofa, holding a drowsy cat in her arms and watching the news attentively.

Kaiser was just about to speak but was instead drawn in by the news content.

“Yesterday, a monk from the Western European Church suddenly launched a terrorist attack on the Keystone Gate. Despite interference from the Special Zone Security Force, he broke through multiple defenses and reached the lowest level of the Keystone Gate, nearly causing irreversible damage.”

“According to the investigation, the monk is a magical arms exorcist—a high-ranking clergyman and also a Purger. Tasked with exterminating demons, he is the natural enemy of demon-kind and revered as a hero by believers of the Western European Church.”

“Currently, the reason for the attack on the Keystone Gate is still under investigation...”

Upon hearing this news, Kaiser raised an eyebrow slightly.

“A terrorist attack?”

His muttering was overheard by Nagisa, who was attentively watching the news.

“To think something so serious happened just yesterday, it’s hard to believe,” Nagisa said with lingering fear. “And the target was the Keystone Gate. If the attack had succeeded, wouldn’t we all be in danger?”

The so-called Keystone Gate refers to the massive structure at the center of Itogami Island, built at the junction of the four gigantic floating structures that form the artificial island. It serves as the foundation of the entire island.

This structure is the tallest building on the island, shaped like an inverted pyramid. Inside are government offices, hotels, and commercial facilities, making it the top fashion hub of the entire island.

The Keystone Gate has twelve above-ground levels and forty underground levels.

The forty underground levels extend deep into the seabed and house the island’s management facilities. With a diameter of less than two kilometers, this building serves as the connecting point, linking the four floating structures of Itogami Island into one unit.

Distortions, vibrations, and swaying of Itogami Island caused by ocean currents or wind are all absorbed and buffered by the Keystone Gate. Without its functioning, the island’s four districts would collide and disintegrate.

Thus, the Keystone Gate is not only the symbolic structure of Itogami Island and the landmark of Itogami City, but also the foundational core of the artificial island. Any problem with it could lead to the entire island disintegrating.

Thanks to this, the Keystone Gate is highly prioritized by the Artificial Island Management Corporation and is a heavily guarded facility. Around 150 security personnel are stationed there at all times, each equipped with the latest weapons, capable of fending off even powerful vampires.

However, according to the news, the terrorist from the Western European Church broke through the security line and reached the bottom level of the Keystone Gate, 220 meters below sea level, touching the very foundation of the artificial island.

If he had done anything to the foundation, Itogami Island could have been destroyed.

Under such circumstances, it was no wonder that Nagisa had such a lingering sense of fear.

“Magical arms exorcist from the Western European Church...”

Kaiser murmured.

He vaguely remembered that there was indeed such a person in the original work—a villain who appeared at the beginning of the plot and was eventually defeated by Kojou Akatsuki, becoming the stepping stone for Kojou to awaken his first Familiar.

Unfortunately, unlike Kojou, Kaiser wasn’t so warm-hearted and hadn’t encountered the person. Naturally, he didn’t get involved in this event or act as the shadow hero who saved Itogami Island.

“So what if he’s just a foreign terrorist? Even without the protagonist stepping forward to fight him to the death, he still couldn’t accomplish anything!”

A place as important as the Keystone Gate—how could it possibly be infiltrated by just a mere terrorist?

Even if he did get in, how could damage be done so easily?

If a Progenitor-level vampire had shown up, that would be a different matter. But some so-called clergyman who popped out from who knows where? Did he really think Itogami Island was some easy target?

The original even dramatized it like if the protagonist didn’t step in, Itogami Island would’ve been doomed. But the truth proved that even without the protagonist, Itogami Island wasn’t a place that any random nobody could mess with.

“Ah, Kai-kun, look!” Nagisa suddenly exclaimed and pointed at a photo on the TV. “Isn’t that your and Kojou-kun’s homeroom teacher, that super cute Teacher Minamiya?”

Kaiser was immediately drawn by Nagisa’s words. He turned his head and the corner of his mouth twitched.

According to the news report, the person who stopped the Purger last night in the bottom layer of the Keystone Gate was none other than Minamiya Natsuki—guidance officer of the Special Zone Security Force, English teacher at Saikai Private Academy’s high school division, and a national Attack Mage Officer.

“Well then, so it was you who stole the protagonist’s spotlight, Natsuki-chan.”

Kaiser made a sarcastic remark but felt it was quite reasonable.

Minamiya Natsuki was the national Attack Mage Officer known as the “Witch of the Void,” also nicknamed the “Demon Slayer,” who had once made demons throughout Europe tremble, having resolved countless magical crime cases.

With her stationed on Itogami Island, one might not say the crime rate was low, but no one would believe they could cause trouble here while bypassing her.

Since becoming an Attack Mage Officer, Minamiya Natsuki had arrested countless criminals. Because of this, she held a very special status. How could an average terrorist run rampant right under her nose?

Moreover, this legal loli wielded extremely high-level, high-difficulty space control magic, able to appear at any corner of Itogami Island in an instant and come and go freely. Forget being 220 meters below sea level—even if the intruder had gone ten times deeper, they couldn’t escape the pursuit of the “Witch of the Void.”

“You’re working so hard, it makes me look like a total slacker of the Lion King Organization...”

Kaiser mumbled a few words, but didn’t really feel much about it.

To be honest, he really had no interest in these so-called incidents.

As long as it didn’t involve him or the people around him, he couldn’t care less.

He honestly didn’t believe that without the Fourth Progenitor or a special agent sent by the Lion King Organization, Itogami Island would collapse in the face of all the incidents from the original story.

You had to know, this artificial island wasn’t simple either. Like Minamiya Natsuki, it had a very special background and secrets.

If a real crisis appeared, he believed those hiding in the shadows would come out and resolve everything.

And even in the unlikely case that something really did go wrong, Kaiser could calmly fix it all.

In conclusion...

“I’ll just keep slacking off.”

As for how long this mindset could last, that would depend... on whether certain people behaved themselves.

Chapter 415: What Kind of Devilish Metaphor Is That?

Half an hour later, Kaiser and Akatsuki Nagisa left the apartment and boarded the monorail train.

When the two of them left the apartment, there were still faint screams coming from Room 704. It could be foreseen that the person inside was most likely going to be late for the first class of the morning.

And the first class this morning was none other than Natsuki Minamiya's English class...

"…I'll take care of your remains, Kojou."

Kaiser silently mourned for his unfortunate classmate and neighbor, then resolutely set off for school together with Akatsuki Nagisa.

Fortunately, today wasn’t as hot as yesterday. Though it was still around 30°C, perhaps because of the heavy rain the day before, there was at least a bit of coolness in the morning.

Walking up the gentle slope in front of the academy, bathed in the cool breeze, and with the chattering voices of cute girls in his ears... one had to say, this kind of scene was rather pleasant.

Only, the leisurely life that Kaiser had decided to enjoy ultimately didn’t last long.

“Hm?”

At a certain moment, Kaiser’s steps suddenly came to a halt, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

“Kai-kun? What is it?” Akatsuki Nagisa also stopped immediately and looked at Kaiser, surprised. “That expression... you look like Yaze when he’s out shopping and suddenly gets a stomachache but can’t find a public bathroom.”

…What kind of devilish metaphor is that?

Also, Yaze Motoki, just what have you done in front of Nagisa?

Kaiser’s eyelid twitched slightly, then he shook his head at Nagisa.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go to school.”

Upon hearing that, Nagisa was still somewhat confused but didn’t think much of it and continued chattering as she walked toward school.

Just like yesterday, the two parted ways upon entering the school—one headed to the high school building, and the other to the middle school building.

However, unlike Nagisa, who went directly into the middle school building, Kaiser once again stopped halfway.

Suddenly—

“Bang!”

The stone tiles on the ground exploded.

A silver arrow suddenly tore through the air and struck the spot where Kaiser had been standing, piercing through the floor.

Kaiser had already stepped back a second before the arrow appeared, directly dodging the incoming arrow and causing it to miss.

But just as he dodged the first arrow, from the top of a distant building, several more arrows rained down.

“Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” “Whoosh!”...

With successive sounds of air being pierced, silver arrows shot through the sky like bullets, continuously aimed at Kaiser.

Some of the arrows were fast, some slow, some ahead, some behind. They carried waves of magical power and subtly enveloped the area around Kaiser, sealing off all his escape routes.

“This archery…”

Kaiser was slightly taken aback. He found the scene before him somewhat familiar.

Not only was the archery familiar, but even the magical energy on the arrows had a familiar feel to it.

Based on this sense of familiarity, Kaiser instantly determined that these arrows were imbued with a curse-type spell. Once they made contact with the human body, even the strongest person would fall severely ill.

“To think they even added a curse…”

Kaiser had a pretty good idea of who the attacker was.

However, that was something to be dealt with later. For now, he had to handle this wave of attacks first.

“Bakudō No. 39: Enkōsen.”

Kaiser invoked Bakudō, and a circular spiritual shield appeared in front of him.

“Clang clang clang clang clang clang…!”

The incoming silver arrows collided one after another with the circular shield and were deflected away.

However, once these deflected arrows hit the ground, they began to transform.

They first quickly melted, then changed shape, like curtains losing their hooks. After becoming thin metal sheets, they stretched out flexibly, gradually reshaping and swelling into sharp-angled plates, eventually forming intricate beast-like figures out of folded steel.

“Roar!”

“Roar!”

The steel beasts all let out roars. Their wild appearances made them seem like they had truly come to life, but there was no sign of vitality on them—only magical energy, indicating that they were still dead objects.

And for dead things to behave so lifelike, there could only be one explanation.

Someone was controlling them from behind.

“Roar!”

“Roar!”

At once, the controlled steel beasts roared as they pounced toward Kaiser, surrounding him from all directions.

Kaiser didn’t move. Instead, he looked toward the direction from which the first arrow had come.

The surrounding steel beasts launched merciless attacks, about to swallow Kaiser’s figure whole.

But just as they were about to strike, a group of black shadows suddenly flew in from the sky.

“Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!”...

With dull crashing sounds, the steel beasts attacking Kaiser were all knocked away.

The ones who sent these massive beasts flying were actually a flock of birds no bigger than the palm of a hand.

“Chirp chirp chirp—”

The flock of birds let out angry cries while flapping their wings, actively flying toward the steel beasts.

In an instant, a surreal scene unfolded in this area where people had long stopped appearing or passing through—flocks of birds clashing fiercely with a horde of steel beasts.

Though the silver-arrow-turned steel beasts weren’t particularly powerful magical creatures, they were massive in size and entirely made of steel. Logically, they should have been far more threatening than large carnivores. A flock of tiny birds shouldn’t even be enough to fill the gap in their teeth.

Yet, under the repeated assaults from the airborne birds, not a single steel beast was left standing. They were sent flying as easily as rubber balls.

The birds were incredibly fast and agile in flight. Despite their tiny appearance, they carried astonishing power for reasons unknown, easily smashing away steel beasts that weighed hundreds of kilograms.

Thus, the terrifying steel beasts—more fearsome than real wild beasts—were mercilessly trampled by these birds. Some were knocked away, while others were pierced straight through by birds that flew like arrows, creating an overwhelming sense of contrast.

But in truth, all of this was only natural.

Empowered by the Authority of the King of Beasts, these birds had already been transformed into magical beasts. Even though they were small in size, their bodies contained tremendous power, far exceeding that of wild beasts.

Though they were just ordinary birds, after being empowered by a god’s Authority, even if they hadn’t reached the level of Divine Beasts, they were still equivalent to Divine Servants—certainly not inferior to the monkey Divine Servants once controlled by the Heretic Sun Wukong in Nikko City.

Those monkey Divine Servants were difficult opponents even for Great Knights like Erica and Liliana.

If Erica and Liliana’s combat strength was a ten, then these Divine Servants were a four or five—already half as strong as a Great Knight.

Such Divine Servants were by no means just tools for reconnaissance.

At the very least, in this world, ordinary magical beasts were no match for them. Average combat mages might not even be able to defeat a single bird, making them despair-inducing beings capable of shattering people’s confidence.

As such, even if those steel beasts were more difficult than typical large monsters, to magical birds possessing Divine Servant-level power, they were nothing more than tough, mobile sheets of metal.

“Shunpo!”

Taking advantage of the chaos as his magical birds trampled the steel beast horde, Kaiser used Shunpo and instantly vanished from his spot.

By the time he reappeared, he was already on the rooftop of a nearby building.

Then, almost at the very moment he appeared, a figure lunged at him.

“Slash!”

A silver slash suddenly descended, aiming at Kaiser’s shoulder, tearing through the air with ease.

“Clang!”

The next second, the silver slash was deflected.

Amid the scattering sparks, Kaiser—at some point—was holding a silver short blade and had easily deflected the incoming attack.

“Tch…!”

The attacker let out an unmistakable sound of annoyance, their attitude extremely foul.

She distanced herself from Kaiser, leaping seven or eight meters away, facing him from afar.

Only then did Kaiser clearly see the attacker’s appearance.

She stood nearly 170 centimeters tall and appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old. She had chestnut-colored side ponytails, fair skin, a graceful face, and a slim figure that was quite attractive—enough to make one’s eyes light up.

The person before Kaiser was an exceptionally pretty girl.

Upon seeing her, Kaiser finally confirmed that his earlier guess was correct.

“As expected, it’s you, pervert girl.”

Kaiser didn’t hesitate and blurted out the nickname.

And that sentence thoroughly set the other party off.

“Who are you calling pervert girl, you filthy man?!” the girl shouted furiously. “I’m Sayaka, Kirasaka Sayaka! Call me Lady Sayaka, you degenerate man lurking in an all-girls school!”

“Who lurked in an all-girls school?” Kaiser immediately retorted. “How many times do I have to say it? It was the Three Saints who threw me into the High God's Forest! I didn’t sneak in there on my own!”

“Hmph, do you think that’s enough to hide your wicked intentions while mingling in a girls’ school?” Kirasaka Sayaka’s attitude couldn’t have been worse. It was like she had encountered her lifelong nemesis. She glared at Kaiser with gritted teeth and said, “Now that you’ve graduated and started taking missions, you’re still hanging around a middle school girl, going everywhere with her. You really are the root of all evil!”

“If I’m the root of all evil, then you’re a suicide truck, aren’t you?” Kaiser crossed his arms and spoke with a cold smile. “I heard you don’t even answer calls from your male superiors, just keep shouting Yukina, Yukina all day long. Even ambulances and fire trucks aren’t as loud as your sirens, right?”

“A woman, and a senior at that, yet you’re always obsessed with your junior…”

“And you say you’re not a pervert girl?”

Kaiser’s words made Kirasaka Sayaka so furious that her chest heaved violently.

The atmosphere between the two of them couldn’t have been more hostile—like mortal enemies.

(End of Chapter)