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And so, another person joined the already kneeling crowd on the banquet hall floor.
Dimitrie Vatler certainly wasn't thrilled about the arrangement. But given he was totally outmatched, there wasn't exactly much he could do about it...
Two minutes later, amidst the wreckage of what was once a lavish party, Bokue calmly dragged over an intact chair and comfortably sat down.
Behind him stood Yukina and Nagisa, positioned quietly at either side.
Directly before him knelt the handsome—golden-haired vampire noble who'd barely gotten through his introductory remarks before being unceremoniously forced onto his knees.
"So, let's hear it," Bokue remarked casually, nudging Dimitrie's cheek with his foot. "What exactly was your purpose for inviting us here?"
As soon as Bokue made that small gesture, every vampire in the hall—and even those out on the open deck—lowered their heads instantly.
After all, Dimitrie was their noble leader, their blood patron—seeing him humiliated in such a manner was nothing short of deeply shameful for his servants.
Dimitrie mustered up an awkward smile, trying desperately to defuse the tension.
"Do we really have to discuss things in this position? Wouldn't it be easier to—"
Without giving him a chance to finish, Bokue leaned back comfortably, propping one leg casually on Dimitrie's neck, essentially turning the noble vampire into a living footrest.
"You know, originally we wouldn't have had to," Bokue sighed nonchalantly, leaning further into the chair.
"But I noticed you don't seem to grasp basic manners. You invited us here, meaning you wanted to meet us. Now that we've come, the least you could've done was personally greet us. Instead, you sent some lackey to summon me?? Since you clearly have no sense of hospitality, I have no reason to show you any respect either. Any objections?"
"But—"
"But what?" Bokue promptly placed his other leg atop Dimitrie's back, causing the vampire noble to buckle slightly under the additional pressure.
Dimitrie grimaced, voice strained but still attempting diplomacy.
"This ship, the 'Oceanus Grave,' is sovereign territory of the Ardeal Duchy—an integral nation of the Warlord's Domain. Attacking the citizens of the Domain here is a direct violation of the Holy Ground Treaty. Such aggression might easily be interpreted as a declaration of war..."
BAAAAAAAAM!
Uninterested in further nonsense, Bokue pressed down with just enough force to shove Dimitrie's head painfully into the polished floor, eliciting a distinct, unpleasant crack as his nose fractured.
"Do you think you're reciting some romance novel script right now?" Bokue said coldly. "Holy Ground Treaty? Tell me, what exactly do you think my strength is for? Besides, wasn't it your Domain that first sent troublemakers to Itogami Island? Sending an invitation accompanied by aggressive familiars that attacked us at our doorstep—wouldn't you call that a declaration of war?"
Bokue then rose from his chair, calmly placing a foot atop Dimitrie's bowed head and leaning down slightly, whispering in a dangerously quiet tone:
"Let me be clear: by myself, I can sink your entire Warlord's Domain into the ocean overnight. Do you believe me?"
Dimitrie fell utterly silent. He had no response—because he had no choice but to accept it as the truth.
Two minutes earlier, he would've laughed off such an absurd threat.
He was Dimitrie Vatler, one of the mightiest vampires alive.
He had singlehandedly defeated and consumed two Elders of the Black Death Emperor Faction.
His power was immense, approaching that of a true Progenitor.
With that strength, Dimitrie had always confidently believed he could hold his own even against gods themselves.
Yet within seconds of confronting Bokue Keikain, that arrogance was decisively shattered. Bokue had simply commanded him to kneel, Dimitrie refused—and that was that.
No dramatic battle, no drawn-out argument. Just the overwhelming weight of raw, unquestionable power forcing him face-first into the floor without negotiation.
How completely unreasonable.
How utterly... frustrating.
Just then, Yukina suddenly remembered something important, her soft voice breaking the heavy silence:
"About that messenger familiar earlier—those familiars are exclusively used by the Lion King Organization for delivering messages. They shouldn't have any aggression. So why did it attack us?"
"..."
No response.
"HEY," Bokue nudged the blond vampire noble with his foot. "She asked you a question. Answer."
"Um, Senpai?" Nagisa gently intervened, softly tugging his sleeve. "Maybe you should ease up a bit? With his face squashed into the floor like that, he probably can't talk properly."
Nagisa playfully demonstrated by pressing her own face into her palms, mimicking muffled speech, then flashed a reassuring smile.
"Oh, right." Bokue realized she had a point and reluctantly lifted his foot slightly.
Taking advantage of the slight reprieve, Dimitrie coughed weakly, managing to push himself up slightly, one hand gingerly straightening his broken nose with a painful crunch.
"Ah... truly, the one Avrora chose has a kind and beautiful heart," Dimitrie forced a smile despite his agony. "It warms my heart to know Avrora once shared such deep affection with me—"
"Please stop dreaming."
Nagisa interrupted flatly with a deadpan, utterly unimpressed expression, her voice monotone and clinical.
"Avrora-chan already told me all about you. She said you only pursued her obsessively because you wanted her blood. Also, she explicitly described you as 'annoying and greasy.'"
Dimitrie's strained smile immediately froze into mortified silence.
"Well, let's leave that aside," Dimitrie hastily redirected, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Regarding your earlier question—that attack was not my doing. Rather, it was Miss Kirasaka's—"
"Kirasaka?" Yukina interrupted sharply, her eyes widening in sudden surprise and excitement. "Do you mean Sayaka Kirasaka? Is Sayaka here on Itogami Island?"
Bokue glanced over at Yukina curiously. "Who's that?"
"Oh! I mentioned her earlier," Yukina said quickly, touching the silver cross-shaped clip in her hair affectionately.
"Sayaka Kirasaka, my old roommate from when I was training at the Lion King Organization. She's the one who gave me this hairpin. She's part of the Dance Maidens and had been away on a mission. I had no idea she was here—"
"Yukina..." a familiar voice called softly from the entrance behind them.
Surprised, Yukina quickly turned around to see a slender, graceful girl standing at the doorway. The newcomer was a beautiful brunette, slightly older, taller, with a proud high ponytail and a high-tech mechanical longbow held firmly in one hand.
"Sayaka?!"
Before Yukina could fully process, she found herself wrapped warmly in a tight, familiar embrace.
"It's been too long, Yukina! I've been so worried. Seriously, I don't know what our masters were thinking, sending you off to monitor that rebellious troublemaker from the Keikain clan! Are you okay? He hasn't bullied you or tried anything weird, has he?"
Yukina blinked, momentarily overwhelmed by Sayaka's rapid-fire interrogation.
Before Yukina could even open her mouth to reply, Sayaka stepped protectively in front of her, like an angry mother hen shielding her chick. She shot a fierce glare straight at Bokue.
"I acknowledge your power is impressive," Sayaka declared defiantly, "but don't think for one second I'll let you have your way with Yukina!"
Bokue stared back in disbelief.
"..."
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