Vatler chuckled lightly, then raised his pale hand toward Nalakuvera looming in the distance:
"But there's no need to worry. I'll make sure to take responsibility and get rid of Nalakuvera."
Silence fell for a moment, broken only by another explosion in the Sub-Floats area. Thick purple smoke rose in towering columns, and the ground shook again beneath the weight of Nalakuvera's steps.
It was as if the sky, the sea, and the city itself had been transformed into a single stage, where everyone was nothing more than helpless beings crushed beneath the appearance of a weapon born from the wrath of gods and the recklessness of men.
"Do you think I'll allow that?" Kojou asked, his tone purely curious, though the aura radiating from him made it clear he wasn't in the mood for Vatler's nonsense.
Vatler laughed again, his ringing laugh blending with the eerie calm that surrounded him. He stepped forward as if he were walking on the very stage painted by sky and sea alike. His silver hair fluttered with the wind carrying the scent of smoke and ash, and in his eyes gleamed a strange light—a mixture of mockery and euphoria.
"Oh… what a terrifying threat." His voice was soft, but it carried a ravenous hunger for a merciless battle.
At that moment, Nalakuvera's clamor grew closer; its metallic cries were like the creak of a hellish gate opening onto the world. Its massive arms tore through the air with each movement, leaving behind violent gusts that threatened to rip buildings from their foundations.
Kojou and Vatler locked eyes: one gaze steeped in deadly coldness, laced with boredom and indifference; the other sparkling with childlike madness at the sight of the massacre unfolding before him.
Kojou slowly raised his hand, dark energy seeping from his body. It was so thick and heavy the very ground beneath him drank it in as though about to burst. Yet his face remained neutral, devoid of emotion, even as his presence screamed that no interference from Vatler would be tolerated.
"This chaos… belongs to me." Kojou murmured softly, though the echo of his words trembled in the air like the final pronouncement of judgment.
He allowed the chaos because it served his interests—not only would it deal a devastating blow to the Gigafloat Management Corporation, but it would also announce his existence. Everyone on the island would know that the one who destroyed the calamity and saved them was the Fourth Primogenitor. He would become the hero who stopped Vatler's conspiracy, the Envoy of the Warlord's Empire, who had plotted with terrorists to wreak havoc in another nation.
"Please, both of you, stop!!"
Two voices rang out simultaneously as two shadows descended from the sky, landing between Kojou and Vatler. Each of them quickly recognized one of the figures.
"You're late, Touka," Kojou said indifferently. His terrifying aura vanished as his eyes shifted to the other figure standing close to Touka, holding a sword resembling her own spear-like weapon.
"Please refrain from causing trouble in another country, Lord Ardeal," said the other figure—a tall, beautiful girl with chestnut hair tied in a ponytail and bright emerald eyes.
She was none other than Kirasaki Sayaka, the one responsible for monitoring Vatler.
A wide grin spread across Vatler's face, like that of an actor welcoming two new characters onto the stage. He bowed with exaggerated grace, as though performing before an audience:
"Ah… how wonderful. Even little angels have descended from the heavens to set boundaries for the devil." His voice was sweet, yet malice crackled behind every word.
The winds swirled around them, carrying the stench of ash and scorched iron, while Nalakuvera roared in the distance, its voice like metallic thunder splitting the skies. Still, the scene here was charged with more tension than any noise there.
Kojou smiled faintly, raising his hand toward both Touka and Sayaka, who were caught in confusion.
"Stay calm for now. I'll deal with the Lion King Organization after I finish matters here." As he spoke, his magical power surged, two magic circles appearing behind Touka and Sayaka. "Gijel!"
In an instant, chains of sorcery shot out from the circles, binding the two tightly. They couldn't move a single muscle, and their spiritual and magical powers were sealed as well.
Sayaka's emerald eyes widened in shock and suppressed rage. The restraints weren't some simple trick; they were a blend of shadow sorcery and blood authority, forged into dark chains glowing with crimson streaks, as if smelted from the very core of a blackened hell.
She let out a muffled cry, her eyes blazing with both anger and fear.
"Fourth Primogenitor! Are you insane?! Do you mean to make an enemy of the Lion King Organization?!"
"…" Touka stared at Kojou in puzzlement, her face showing no anger or resentment—only curiosity and wonder at his reasons for binding them.
"Don't worry, princess. The Lion King Organization has wronged me before, tried to use me. I intend to deal with them once I'm done here. The Gigafloat Management Corporation also requires discipline, and I don't want you interfering." Kojou spoke with a faint smile as he stepped closer to Sayaka, gently tilting her chin so her emerald eyes met his crimson ones.
"…" Sayaka blinked in stunned silence for a moment, before her face flushed crimson. It was the first time she'd ever been called a princess, let alone stood so close to a man she could feel his breath against her skin.
Kojou smiled faintly—colder than frost—his delicate touch leaving behind more than mere physical contact. It was the mark of his overwhelming dominance, that mysterious authority that made all around him feel his presence as a being beyond humanity.
The air trembled around them, as though the magical chains restraining Touka and Sayaka were not just shackles, but a manifestation of Kojou's supremacy over reality itself. Every mote of energy surrounding him glowed dark crimson, resonating with whispers like muted warnings against rebellion.
Vatler, standing nearby, laughed lightly. His ringing laugh pierced through the explosions and destruction in the background, as though he were savoring a live performance on stage.
"Oh~ things are starting to get more exciting." Vatler's mocking tone carried a terrifying delight, his crimson eyes gleaming as he watched Nalakuvera rampage across the city, its metallic roar echoing like thunder and every step bringing devastation.
Kojou raised his hand once more, drawing another chain of shadow from the magic circle, as if the very air had become his weapon. "Now, I won't allow any interference outside my will." His quiet murmur swept through the scene, his aura pressing down with a weight that made everyone feel the enormity of his existence.
Touka blinked slowly, her eyes brimming with curiosity and awe, though she showed no anger. Sayaka, however, was trapped between rage and flustered confusion, her flushed face betraying strange new emotions toward Kojou—respect, fear, and attraction all at once.
The wind carried the smell of burning ash and smoke, blending with the distant explosions, composing the background score for a theatrical display of dominance and chaos—where Kojou stood as the protagonist, and everyone else was but a piece in his well-orchestrated play.
Kojou glanced at Vatler, then at Nalakuvera in the distance, a hidden smile tugging at his lips, as though the chaos he had unleashed was nothing more than a declaration of his coming dominion over anyone daring to trespass on his territory or play dirty games.
"Let's begin the true performance," Kojou whispered softly, his hand movements summoning shifts in energy around him, while the shadow chains binding Touka and Sayaka glowed brighter, promising that any attempt to resist would be crushed before it even began.
...
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