After Sion's arrival, the two days passed quickly.
During these two days, although Naoki still went out daily with Arcueid, Tatari did not appear again—perhaps hiding from them, or gathering strength.
And because Tatari remained hidden, the rumors about vampires running rampant in Misaki City recently had also slightly subsided.
This calm before the storm perhaps best described the situation. Naoki and the others knew that Tatari would definitely appear on the night of the full moon. The calmer he was beforehand, the greater the power he would unleash later.
Of course, this wasn't a problem for Naoki. No matter how much strength Tatari gathered, he had absolute confidence in defeating him.
Especially with Arcueid here.
Thus, the battle with Tatari now came down to merely waiting for the moment to begin. After all, in the end, the moment the battle started would also be the moment it ended.
Still, not everyone was as relaxed as Naoki and Arcueid. Ciel was likely the only person in the apartment taking the upcoming battle the most seriously.
While the two fairies wandered around all day, Touko smoked and drank daily, and Ayaka and Sion discussed Magecraft, Ciel had already placed as many Magecraft barriers as possible within the shrine building. Though she didn't know how effective they would be, they were sufficient to handle most possible scenarios.
In the process, she also utilized Sion's intelligence. People from the Atlas Institute excelled in a technique called "divided thinking." Sion was one of the best, capable of splitting her mind into seven parts and operating them simultaneously.
With this ability, Ciel could prepare for various potential situations.
Regarding Ciel's overly cautious behavior, Naoki briefly considered telling her not to be so tense, but he also understood that Ciel, as a former Church member and Executor of the Burial Agency, always regarded Ancestors as her greatest enemies. Such a reaction was not difficult to understand. In the end, he simply let her be.
And now—
"It's almost midnight."
Looking at the clock approaching twelve, Naoki turned to the people beside him: "Then, let's go. Arcueid, Ciel. Sorry to trouble the three of you with guarding the house, Ayaka, Touko, and Miss Sion."
"No need to be so formal—just call me Sion." Sion said, already growing familiar. "And one last question—am I really not allowed to come? After all, this was the task the Headmaster gave me. If I could deliver the final blow, I could return and submit my report."
"No, you can't."
It was Ciel who answered.
"Although with our combat strength, you wouldn't really be in danger, allowing a civilian to participate in the upcoming battle is still quite risky. Please wait for us here, Miss Sion."
"Well, you heard her." Naoki smiled helplessly. "Arcueid and I will be fine. Honestly, bringing you wouldn't change the outcome. But Ciel has a point too. If an accident happened and you got hurt, that wouldn't be good. So please stay here with Ayaka and Touko, Miss Sion."
Hearing both of them say this, Sion sighed slightly regretfully: "Sigh~~ alright, since you're so insistent, I won't trouble you. Be careful on your way. Ayaka, is there anything you'd like to say?"
"Nothing."
Ayaka remained silent for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. She simply gazed quietly at Naoki.
She had already seen Naoki's strength. She also knew that even if his power wasn't enough, in the end, he would surely achieve his goal.
So, she had no intention of saying things like "be careful" or "come back safely." She only needed to wait here until he returned, and then say, "Welcome home."
"Then... let's go."
Turning around, Naoki spread his arms and manifested a teleportation portal before him. He stepped through it, followed by Ciel and Arcueid.
Tatari would fully manifest at midnight.
And to amplify his power, as well as better consume the city, he would choose a high vantage point with a full view of Misaki City.
The Shrine was the perfect location.
Stepping out of the portal, Naoki and the two girls immediately arrived at the highest floor of the unfinished shrine.
Glancing back at the slowly fading portal behind them, Arcueid tugged on Naoki's sleeve: "That portal just now—you manifested it with Imaginary Manifestation, right? How did you do it?"
"Rather than manifesting it, I'd say I imitated it. I know an expert in spatial exchange. I used to watch him use Displacement Magecraft often. That portal was created based on my memory of it."
"Hmm... later I'll see if I can replicate it. That way, I won't have to walk everywhere."
"You two, this isn't the time to talk about something like that!"
Ciel interrupted between them, halting their conversation.
"Look over there. That should be Tatari, right?"
Following Ciel's gaze, a blood-red, moon-shaped vortex of light floated in the air. Crackling lightning continuously flashed around it. Combined with the surrounding unfinished structure and numerous vertical pillars, it resembled a sacred treasure enshrined within a temple.
"I see. No wonder it's called the Shrine... With this terrain and a dome, it really could be considered a temple."
Hands in his pockets, Naoki stepped forward two paces: "Alright. You've been hiding for two days—now you can't hide any longer. The drama you sought to complete after crossing from a parallel world ends tonight, Tatari. You won't escape this time."
Tatari, who had been slowly moving, heard the voice and slightly slowed. He gradually descended from the air.
"—Not romantic at all."
After a brief silence, the voice echoed through the vast shrine.
"Appearing behind the scenes before the show begins—truly not romantic. Even if you're not a magus from the Atlas Institute, one should still possess a certain level of elegance. Have modern humans not advanced even this much?"
"Absolutely disappointing."