Saikai Academy – Rooftop.
The lunch break had ended only a short while ago, yet the sky remained bright under the sunlight that reigned over the heavens, casting golden rays across the academy's stone and glass rooftops. Passing breezes carried warm whispers, playing with strands of hair and stirring the edges of distant window curtains. The scene seemed like a fleeting calm before an unseen storm, as the tranquility of the place did not match the weight of the thoughts swirling above the school's roof.
Asagi stood beside Kojou, her gaze hesitant yet curiosity stronger than her restraint. She lifted her eyes to him and asked, her voice tinged with suspicion:
"By the way… is it really wise to decode the stone tablet that contains the activation commands for Nalakuvera?"
Her words carried a hidden worry, though she knew full well that she had already become part of a plan far larger than it seemed. Kojou, who had anticipated the Black Death Emperor Front's contact with her, had given clear instructions: "Decode it… hand it over to them. Nothing more."
It was no mere randomness—it was a carefully laid trap. Kojou was confident that Christoph Gardos and his men would not resist the temptation to control Nalakuvera, the weapon crafted by the gods themselves, designed to wield power capable of destroying even the Primogenitors.
Kojou smiled lightly, a smile devoid of any worry, while keeping his sharp senses alert, observing the academy and its surroundings with precision unmatched even by the strongest Demons.
"No problem. True, Nalakuvera possesses immense power, but in front of the Primogenitors… it's just a broken toy."
He cast a sidelong glance at Asagi before continuing, his tone growing colder:
"Besides… this is a deserved punishment for Gigafloat Management Corporation. They tried to harm you before, and I did nothing back then due to special circumstances… but I will certainly not let it slide this time."
Kojou's words carried a deadly weight. The day Nagisa had been in danger had shattered part of his hesitation, forcing him to accept, for the first time, the idea of staining his hands with blood irreversibly. Yet the outcome had not been what he expected… every kill he committed did not extinguish anything within him; on the contrary, it fed the savage instincts he had long suppressed. Step by step, he found himself nearing the abyss of madness, fearing he might lose consciousness entirely and drown the island in a sea of blood.
Thus, he had restrained himself then, letting the old chaplain and those behind him escape unpunished. It was not mercy or kindness that held him back—it was fear of complete eruption. Still, Kojou was not a man who forgave easily. He harbored grudges with deadly patience, believing that the right time would always come to repay debts tenfold.
And now… after his venture in the HOTD world, where he had unleashed his desires for killing and destruction to satiation, he no longer needed to restrain himself. This time, he was ready to exact revenge—doubly so.
At that moment, his ears twitched slightly, and his expression darkened as he sensed something. He looked far toward the road running alongside the academy's wall, then remarked in a calm voice:
"It seems they've arrived."
He didn't need to see what was happening—his keen spiritual senses had already detected a large armored vehicle stopping at the gate. Inside were more than just armed men… there were Demons. Their presence was not ordinary, and the murderous intent radiating from them, though concealed, was clear to him like flames in the dark.
"I smell the filthy beasts…" – Kojou muttered mockingly, his features taut as if the very air had grown heavy. His blue eyes narrowed with icy coldness, a faint, merciless smile tracing his lips. His contempt for Beastmen was deep-rooted, not merely because they existed on the edge between beast and human… but because they had tried to harm Nagisa—a sin never erased from his memory.
His gaze swept across the distance; even from the academy's high rooftop, he could see the scene with extraordinary clarity. The black armored vehicle stopped rigidly, its heavy metal doors opening slowly, like a beast ready to devour its prey. Massive men stepped out, their taut muscles straining against their black jackets, eyes glinting with malicious light, breaths carrying the scent of blood and iron. They were not mere mercenaries… they were Beastmen Demons, and their presence alone was enough to unsettle the surrounding air.
The sound of their heavy metallic steps reverberated on the paved ground near the gate, each step echoing like the beat of war drums. Some lifted their heads toward the academy building, sensing surveillance from above, though their primitive senses could not pierce the wall of silence Kojou imposed on himself.
Beside Kojou, Asagi bit her lip in tension, a cold feeling sweeping her heart as she clearly saw his face change. He was no longer the ordinary student she was used to—the one with mischievous jokes and silly laughter… he was something else, a presence with the authority of a predator observing its prey from the shadows.
"Natsuki-chan, thank you for isolating the educational building from the outside," – said Kojou, glancing sideways at the complex purple magic circle that had appeared beside him, from which a beautiful girl emerged, dressed in a black collar-like outfit and carrying a black umbrella.
The purple magic circle pulsed with mysterious light before Minamiya Natsuki emerged, her short black attire resembling an elegant collar uniform, holding the black umbrella that had long concealed part of her enigmatic presence. Her innocent face and delicate features suggested a middle school student, yet anyone who knew her true nature understood that behind those blue eyes lay magic rivaled by very few on the island.
Natsuki raised an eyebrow coldly, replying to Kojou's remark without changing her indifferent tone:
"No need to thank me… you're doing part of my work too. Capturing Christoph Gardos is extremely annoying. Even though we searched the entire island, we found only fake bases or worthless groups of followers."
A light sigh escaped her, like a habitual murmur of exasperation. She knew Gardos was not merely a coward hiding in the shadows but a cunning wolf, adept at hiding behind immunities and agreements. Her gaze shifted slightly toward the distant sea, where the horizon shimmered with sunlight, but she was not truly looking at the ocean—her eyes were on what lay beyond it.
The place she could not touch directly… Oceanus Grave. Vatler's beloved ship, his floating fortress adorned with majesty and mystery. A ship protected by diplomatic immunity, making even its presence in the island's waters a political jest. Such a place was the perfect refuge for a rat like Gardos.
Kojou tilted his head slightly, a cold side smile forming on his lips as he replied in a deep, confident tone:
"No need to worry… I'll make sure Vatler stays in place. And if he dares to mock me and send his offspring to meddle in my territory…" – his gaze rose slightly, eyes gleaming like sharp ice – "I won't hesitate to go to war with the Lost Warlord himself."
Kojou's voice was no hollow threat… it was a promise, like a blade poised above the neck.
The Lost Warlord might be so strong that even Fall Gazer and Chaos Bride could not easily tamper with him, but this meant nothing to Kojou. Though he was not yet complete as the Fourth Primogenitor, he was fully confident in his strength; even if all Primogenitors united against him, he would win, even in his incomplete state.
...
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