"Come to think of it, Sayaka, are you a Sword Shaman? You were using a bow," Shichen asked, feigning ignorance.
"Who said you could call me by my first name?" Kirasaka Sayaka shot him a look of disgust.
"And don't call Yukina by hers, either."
"I'll call her whatever I like. Yu-ki-na, Yu-ki-na. What are you going to do about it?" Shichen said, smug.
"Ugh! Shut up! You're going to defile Yukina!" Sayaka was so furious she looked ready to lunge at him.
"Sensei… don't bicker with Sayaka. You're both acting like kids," Himeragi Yukina said, embarrassed.
"Sayaka, you too—or I'm not talking to you."
"Seriously…?"
"Sensei, Sayaka is a War Dancer of the Lion King Agency," Yukina explained.
"War Dancer? What, like… a dancer?"
"Absolutely not!" Sayaka retorted, cheeks flushing.
Yukina smiled lightly. "Sensei, War Dancers and Sword Shamans are both operatives; we just train in different arts."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Hmph."
Sayaka gave a proud little snort and took over: "A War Dancer's real specialties are curses and assassinations—which means erasing a creep like you who won't stop clinging to Yukina is exactly my forte."
"Say that again?" Shichen's eyes went cold.
"Mm… What if I don't?"
"Heh. For the record, the Agency sent Yukina to monitor me. If anyone's being pestered, it's me."
"Don't act so pleased with yourself! I'm not jealous," Sayaka said—unconvincingly.
"I almost believed you."
"Sensei… do you really think I'm pestering you?" Yukina couldn't help asking.
"How could I? I'm happy to have you by my side."
"Really…" Yukina blinked, unable to hide her smile.
"Yukina?" Sayaka stared at her, as if realizing something awful.
"What is it, Sayaka?"
"N… nothing." Sayaka shook her head—and glared at the culprit, Shichen. Yukina clearly hadn't realized anything; saying it out loud would only make it worse.
"What are you glaring at? Aren't you supposed to be leading the way? How long are you going to stall?" Shichen shot back.
"You're so annoying! Fine, I'll take you—keep up!" Sayaka hooked her arm through Yukina's and set off.
Shichen strolled after them, his gaze—pointedly or not—dropping to her pert backside. From this angle it looked even perkier. His hand itched. Maybe he should find another chance to "discipline" Kirasaka Sayaka; judging by that attitude, last time hadn't been enough.
Dimitrie Vatler wasn't on that deck. Following the two, Shichen climbed to the uppermost deck. He didn't need to probe—his vampiric senses told him a powerful kin was near.
Against the black sea and sky stood a single young man on the wide deck, clad in a pure white coat, tall and elegant, smiling, strikingly handsome. The moment he saw Shichen, he tossed his golden hair, azure eyes locking on—and in an instant Shichen was wrapped in a mantle of white light.
"Sensei!"
Yukina reacted at once. She yanked the spear from her case and whirled toward Shichen.
"It's fine." Bathed in light, Shichen merely waved her off.
"Sensei?" Yukina still looked worried.
Within the glow, Shichen sensed the truth: a familiar—a radiant flame-serpent, a vampiric beast brimming with scorching energy.
Playing with fire, in front of him, of all people… talk about trying to show off at a blacksmith's.
Boom—!
In a blink, golden fire blossomed from his body, swallowing the white glow and searing the familiar's true form.
"Hss—"
The serpent hissed—no, screamed. Familiars are curses made flesh; under sacred flame, the damage is doubled.
The beast was unleashed at lightning speed—ordinary onlookers wouldn't even process what was happening.
White fire tangled with gold, and Shichen stood untouched at their center. Only for a heartbeat; then the gold devoured the white—and the serpent itself.
The snake vanished without time for a last cry, reduced to nothing.
The golden flame still burned, shaping itself into a firebird, arrowing toward the culprit—Dimitrie Vatler. But Shichen recalled it into himself, staring at Vatler with a blank face.
"Nrgh—!"
Vatler grunted; blood welled at his lip. A familiar burned to cinders hurts its master, too.
"A-amazing…" Sayaka finally found her voice. The clash had looked simple, but she knew the power of familiars—and Vatler was a vampire closest to a Primogenitor. Yet his beast had been erased—effortlessly.
A chill ran through her. She'd actually tried to assassinate this man earlier—she had to be insane. Good thing he hadn't taken her seriously… Maybe because of Yukina. And he'd… even come back to heal her, however handsy that had been.
"Sensei… are you really okay?" Yukina, less shocked than concerned, checked Shichen over. That was a familiar's strike—and so sudden, engulfing him head to toe. What if he'd been hurt?
"I'm fine. Do I look hurt?" He patted her head with a smile.
"Really? Don't lie to me."
"I wouldn't about this," he said, then glanced at Vatler.
"A-as expected of the Fifth Primogenitor…"
Even injured, even with blood at his mouth, Vatler's smile didn't fade. He applauded, strolling forward to lick the blood from his lip, face returning to its gentlemanly calm. "Ahh, as I thought—this level of familiar won't wound you."
As if he hadn't been the one who sent it.
"You think a line like that gets you forgiven?" Shichen asked evenly.
"Of course not."
Suddenly he dropped to one knee, giving a courtly bow.
"I beg your pardon for testing your might. My sincere apologies. I am Dimitrie Vatler, invested with the title of Duke of Ardeal by the Lost Warlord, our Primogenitor. It is my great honor to welcome you tonight."
The aristocratic courtesy wasn't for show; Shichen found himself almost persuaded.
"So you're Dimitrie Vatler. Why did you summon me?" Shichen asked from above.
Sensing Shichen's ire cooling, Vatler looked up, joy flickering across his handsome face—along with a warm, cunning smile.
"First, allow me to say what a pleasure it is, Shichen-sama—my dear Fifth Primogenitor, the impossible Fifth Primogenitor."
He gazed at Shichen with what almost looked like adoration, arms spreading as if to embrace him.
Shichen frowned. He'd been willing to forgive the earlier offense—but this man really was interested in him.
Should've killed him.
Without warning, Shichen's hand closed around Vatler's throat and lifted him like a chick.
"Sensei…?!"
"Eek—!"
Yukina and Sayaka cried out.
Shichen ignored them, eyes like ice on Vatler. "You didn't really think I'd forgiven you, did you?"
"N… no," Vatler choked. Under the crushing pressure, face pale, he still didn't struggle—just let Shichen hold him there.
Which made it hard to go through with it. If the man would just fight back…
Bored, Shichen let him go.
"Hah—" Vatler exhaled. The smile remained; the gentleman's poise returned.
"Sensei…" Yukina stepped to Shichen's side.
"Relax. I know my limits. I just wanted him to learn not everyone is his to offend," Shichen said, hand finding her head again.
"That's good… I thought you were going to kill him on the spot. That would've been… problematic," Yukina whispered.
"Any 'problem' can be solved. I just don't like using violence—Natsuki would be upset."
"Minamiya-sensei…" Yukina pressed her lips together.
"You, too," Shichen added suddenly.
"Eh?" Yukina stared up at him, wide-eyed beneath his hand.
"You don't want trouble either, right?" he teased.
"True… So you held back because of me?" she asked softly.
"Couldn't have been for Sayaka."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean? And get your hand off Yukina's head!" Sayaka cut in at once.
"What's it to you? Yukina hasn't complained—she likes it," Shichen said, rolling his eyes at her.
"I don't believe you!"
"Ask her yourself."
"Yukina?"
"Mm…" Yukina couldn't find an answer. Shichen's words had made her quietly happy, leaving her a little dizzy. Her hesitation only convinced Sayaka further.
"Yukina…" Sayaka looked crushed.
"If you don't mind—could you not flirt in front of me?" Vatler finally spoke up.
"We… weren't flirting," Yukina denied, mortified.
"Deny it if you like, but be aware—I already regard you as a rival," Vatler said.
"Rival?"
"You're a Sword Shaman of the Lion King Agency, yes?"
"I am. Himeragi Yukina. I'm here tonight in my capacity as the Fifth Primogenitor's monitor."
"I see," Vatler said, clearly uninterested.
Noting the indifference, Yukina pressed on anyway. "Mr. Vatler, what do you mean by 'rival'?"
"I love the Fourth Primogenitor. But the Fourth has been devoured by Shichen. Naturally, my love transfers… to him."
"But… isn't the Fourth still alive?"
"Not the same. Those are only vessels. The true Fourth is gone."
"Oh. But… the two of you are men," Yukina said—and couldn't help flicking her eyes at Shichen.
"What of it? Love has no gender."
"R-right…" Yukina's expression went peculiar. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shichen's face—blank.
"In any case, since you deny it, I needn't consider you. I'm free to approach Shichen as I please, yes?" Vatler confirmed.
"No," Yukina said crisply.
"And why not?"
"The two of you together is too dangerous. It will cause serious problems."
Their identities, positions, and factions guaranteed misunderstandings and fallout.
"And what's that got to do with me?" Vatler spread his hands, unconcerned.
"Please don't joke. You didn't come to Itogami to 'connect' with Sensei, did you?"
"No, that is my main goal—though I did forget to mention something."
Vatler turned to Shichen, smiling brilliantly. "I'm here to pay my respects. Since this demon special zone is the Fifth Primogenitor's territory, I thought I'd say hello—because I may soon be causing you trouble."
Shichen couldn't be bothered to look at him; his gaze drifted over the sea. Yukina asked instead: "What kind of trouble?"
"Shichen, have you heard the name Christoph Gardos?" Vatler said.
Shichen brought his eyes back and answered coolly, "I recall he's a retired soldier from the Lost Dominion. A minor celebrity among European terrorists."
"As expected of the Fifth Primogenitor—you're well informed," Vatler praised.
"Spare me. Why bring him up?"
Unbothered, Vatler continued, "He was once a cadre of the Black Death Emperor Front. About ten years ago, he led the National Theatre siege in Prague—over four hundred civilian casualties."
"What?" Yukina's face hardened.
"Wasn't the Black Death Emperor Front dismantled?" Shichen asked.
"It was. I killed them. But Gardos survived—and the remnants hired him as their new leader."
"So you came to Itogami because of Gardos?" Shichen asked, bored.
"As expected—quick on the uptake. Intelligence suggests Gardos has infiltrated this island with Black Death remnants."
"What? Why would European extremists come here?" Yukina cut in.
"Who knows," Vatler shrugged, obviously playing dumb.
Sayaka, who'd been silent, spoke up: "The Black Death Emperor Front are beastman supremacists steeped in discrimination. Their goal is to destroy the Sanctuary Treaty and wrest the Lost Dominion from the First Primogenitor."
"I see," Yukina nodded, catching his drift. Itogami was founded under the Sanctuary Treaty. If they caused an incident here, the symbolism would be huge—proof to the world the Black Death Emperor Front still lived.
"Japan isn't the only country with a demon special zone," Sayaka added. "There must be other reasons they chose Itogami."
"Other reasons?"
"Perhaps…" Vatler's tone turned excited.
"They might acquire some means to kill a Primogenitor. Their ultimate aim is to slay the First, after all."
"Sensei…" Yukina looked at Shichen, tense.
If the faction could get a Primogenitor-slaying weapon, all vampires would be threatened—including Shichen. In her eyes, he was a Primogenitor too.
"Relax. No 'means' will work on me," Shichen said lightly.
"Quit bragging," Sayaka muttered.
"Sounds like you're asking for another lesson," Shichen glared.
At the phrase "another lesson," Sayaka flinched, hands flying to cover her backside.
"Mm?" Yukina noticed—and frowned. Come to think of it, how had Sensei punished Sayaka?
"Shichen, since you're so confident, I'd love to see your true power," Vatler said, eyes burning. No one had truly witnessed it—other than the night of the Flaming Banquet, when his mana had been overwhelming and his familiars shook the heavens. His only recorded feat was devouring the Fourth. His actual strength was unknown.
"Heh. Didn't you just get a taste? Here's some advice: drop it. Or you won't even know how you died," Shichen warned coldly.
"Dying to the Fifth Primogenitor would be an honor," Vatler said, almost eager.
"Beyond saving…" Shichen shook his head, then changed the subject. "So you came to Itogami to kill Christoph Gardos?"
"No. He's hard to find, and I don't care to scour every corner. Unless you let my familiars burn the whole city, which would make it easy… but you wouldn't approve, would you?"
"You can try," Shichen said—answering a different question, but the threat was obvious.
"I'll pass. I don't want to upset you." Vatler smiled. "But if Gardos comes for me, I can't exactly refuse, can I? That would be self-defense."
"Looks like you do have a brain," Shichen said.
Vatler had already said he'd killed the faction's leader; he was their enemy. If Gardos really got a Primogenitor-killing power, and Vatler was right here in Itogami's harbor, of course he'd come for him. That, then, was the real reason Vatler was here.
"So you're baiting the terrorist—drawing him out?" Yukina understood.
"No, no. If you want the real reason, it's to see my beloved Shichen," Vatler said, gaze brimming with affection.
"Stop looking at me like that—unless you don't mind losing those eyes," Shichen said flatly. "And this is my turf. I don't need your help."
"Exactly!"
Yukina planted herself at Shichen's side, solemn. "Duke of Ardeal, thank you for the concern. But this is Itogami's affair. I will work with Sensei to take down the Black Death remnants."
"Eh? Yukina!" Sayaka blurted, stunned.
~~~
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