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The sky had darkened to a soft twilight hue.
Docked quietly at Itogami Island's port, a luxurious, massive cruise ship towered silently, the long boarding stairs stretching elegantly from the pier up to the brightly illuminated upper deck.
Normally, lowering such boarding stairs indicated that guests were boarding or disembarking—or perhaps both. But right now, no one could be seen either climbing the stairs or stepping off.
Instead, graceful music drifted gently down from above, accompanied by soft, radiant lighting that stood in stark contrast to the dark and deserted dock below. Rather than a simple port stop, it looked like an extravagant banquet was underway—just awaiting its final guests.
And indeed, that was exactly the case.
At the same moment, down below on the dock—
"Hey, Senpai… does this dress look weird on me?"
Yukina, dressed in formal attire instead of her usual sailor uniform, timidly posed this question again.
The gown had been specially prepared by the Lion King Organization for tonight's event. Unlike her typical school clothes, it was sleeveless, with the front adorned by an elaborate French bow, making Yukina appear like a blooming white lily.
For Yukina—who'd always lived a simple, disciplined life at the shrine—this lavish style felt utterly foreign, like an ordinary neighborhood girl suddenly stumbling into high society.
Both the dress she wore and the event she was attending made her feel profoundly out of place, prompting her to repeatedly seek reassurance ever since she'd changed into it.
"Don't worry, Yukina-chan!"
Beside her, Nagisa, also decked out beautifully in her formal gown, cheerfully grabbed Yukina's hand to encourage her warmly.
"Didn't Big Bro already say it? When someone's naturally beautiful, anything they wear will look great. You really need more confidence in yourself."
"It's not really about confidence…"
Yukina's eyes darted aside awkwardly, her bare shoulders exposed by the sleeveless gown trembling slightly in the cool evening air. She hugged herself lightly, feeling somewhat insecure.
"It's just… this dress feels kind of strange on me."
"Well, even if it's strange, it's way too late to change now."
Bokue turned around from slightly ahead, smoothly handing Yukina her trusted spear, Schneewalzer, which he'd been carrying for her.
"Besides, it honestly looks great on you."
"Ah…!"
Surprised, Yukina unconsciously reached out and took her spear, the cool weapon pressing comfortingly into her palm. Only then did she realize this was actually the first direct compliment Bokue had given her outfit tonight—a compliment that was clear, straightforward, and extremely positive.
Her face immediately flushed slightly.
"R-really? Do you mean it?"
"Wow~!"
Nagisa teasingly interjected, smiling mischievously as she stirred up trouble.
"See, Yukina-chan? I complimented you so many times, and you barely reacted. But Senpai says one nice thing, and you instantly turn bright red. You really value boys' opinions more than your best friend's, huh?"
"I-I didn't mean it like that…!"
With Nagisa's words reminding her vividly of their afternoon, Yukina shyly looked away, her blush deepening.
At that angle, a sudden silver glint in her hair caught Bokue's eye.
"Hmm?"
Bokue lifted an eyebrow slightly, finally noticing a small, silver, cross-shaped hair clip Yukina wore.
"That hair clip…?"
"Hm?"
Following his gaze, Yukina lightly touched the small accessory, suddenly smiling softly in gentle reminiscence.
"Oh, this? A roommate gave it to me back when I was training at the Lion King Organization. Sword Shamans usually aren't allowed extra accessories, so I never wore it before. But since we were dressing up today anyway, I figured… why not put it on too?"
Her voice trailed off as realization dawned, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"Wait, Senpai. Are you seriously just noticing this now? So earlier when you said my outfit looked good, was that all fake? You never even looked properly at me, did you?"
"Of course not. Your clip was crooked and hidden under your hair—come here, let me fix it."
Bokue stepped forward decisively, gently removing the clip and repositioning it neatly. His fingers brushed softly against her hair, the warmth from his fingertips making Yukina's ears redden further.
"Ah… t-thank you," Yukina murmured softly.
Bokue nodded casually.
"So, your friend—is she also a Sword Shaman?"
"Oh, no. She's with the Dance Maidens," Yukina answered promptly.
Dance Maidens…
Bokue had no particular feelings about them. But still—a Dance Maiden gifting a cross-shaped accessory to a Sword Shaman, who then wore it to a vampire's banquet?
Why did that suddenly feel like deliberately provoking trouble?
Well, he wasn't really in any position to criticize others on that front, though.
"Alright. You're all set now."
Finished, Bokue stepped back slightly, his hands dropping casually. Adjusting the wide sleeves of his own relaxed robe, he turned and began ascending the grand staircase to the cruise ship deck with an air of comfortable ease.
"Come on, it's time."
"Right behind you," Yukina replied softly.
"Let's go, let's go~!" Nagisa sang cheerfully.
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Moments later—
Even though she had mentally prepared herself, Yukina's eyes still widened slightly upon reaching the deck, overwhelmed by the extravagant sight before her.
Under dazzling neon lights, the massive open-air swimming pool glittered invitingly.
Countless delicate hors d'oeuvres and glasses of sparkling wine drifted leisurely upon trays across the water's surface. In the pool sat a plump, wealthy-looking middle-aged man—wearing nothing but swimming trunks, surrounded by youthful, laughing girls playfully splashing water around him.
Inside the banquet hall adjacent to the deck, elegantly dressed gentlemen and ladies danced gracefully to mellow waltz music or chatted merrily over fine drinks.
Golden light spilled lavishly from the grand crystal chandeliers overhead, casting a luxurious glow that saturated the atmosphere itself with the scent of wealth and sophistication.
So this is what the high life looks like…
Feeling utterly out of her depth, Yukina nevertheless followed Nagisa, stepping closely behind Bokue as they entered the banquet hall.
Inside, the atmosphere of opulence only intensified. Both girls, who were from ordinary middle-class backgrounds, felt slightly uncomfortable amidst the sheer extravagance.
Yukina glanced around cautiously, but there was no sign yet of Dimitrie Vatler—the mysterious host they were supposed to meet.
Could he be somewhere else on the ship?
"Senpai, it seems Dimitrie Vatler isn't here yet—ah?"
As Yukina turned back to face Bokue, she paused, momentarily stunned.
In the short time she'd looked away, Bokue had apparently circled around the room and returned. Now, in his hands was a large plate stacked generously with roasted lamb ribs, crispy duck legs, french fries, hamburger steaks, and more.
Frankly, he looked more like someone at a casual $20 all-you-can-eat buffet than a guest at a high-society gala.
Noticing Yukina's increasingly bewildered stare, Bokue calmly lifted his plate, casually chewing on a roasted duck leg as he asked vaguely:
"What's wrong? You two aren't going to eat?"
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