Despite her doubts about Gajou's claim, the bizarre wall of ice in front of them did give her hope.
Not even her familiar could scratch itthat alone was reason enough to be suspicious.
Taking a deep breath, Liana clenched her fists.
The Fourth Primogenitor, she had to find him.
For the future of her family.
"Relax," Gajou shrugged. "The one who can break it? Already up there."
"Up there?"
Liana blinked in confusion.
On a plane headed toward Gozo Island
Kojou Akatsuki sat beside his sister Nagisa, both looking a little tired.
"That idiot dragged us all the way out here what the hell is he up to?"
Kojou scowled, clearly annoyed by the sudden mission.
Nagisa, cheerful as always, waved him off. "It's fine, it's fine! Who knowsmaybe"
"he just wants to take us on a trip to the Arctic?"
She beamed with that usual sunshine-y smile, not a worry in the world.
Seeing that, Kojou chuckled a bit despite himself.
"Let's hope that's all it is"
But deep down?
He never really trusted his flaky old man.
And a vacation to the Arctic?
Seriously?
What kind of galaxy brain came up with that excuse?
Yeah.
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
A creeping sense of dread was starting to settle in his chest.
.
.
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The Fourth Primogenitor's Ruins
Kojou Akatsuki's gut feeling had been spot-on.
The moment he arrived on Gozo Island and laid eyes on his fatheralong with the well-equipped team behind himhis eyelid twitched involuntarily.
Kojou glared at his dad, Gajou Akatsuki, and snapped, "This is your idea of a fun trip?!"
Gajou scratched the back of his head, laughing sheepishly. "C'mon! We can still have fun after we finish the real business!"
"...You've gotta be kidding me," Kojou muttered.
"You've got some nerve, old man."
Then he turned to his little sister. "Nagisa, we're going back to Japan."
Pat!
Before he could take a step, Gajou's large hand clamped down on his shoulder. "Now's not the time for you to be acting like a brat, Kojou."
Kojou tried to shake him off, but the grip didn't budge. His eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Was this guy really his dad? Since when was he this strong?
For the first time, Kojou realized he might not know much about his own father.
Still that didn't change the fact that he was pissed off. Dragging him and Nagisaliteral kidsinto this mess just for some job?
What the hell kind of parent does that?
Gajou saw Kojou's righteous anger and sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Hey, hey, Kojou-kun, it's okay!" Nagisa quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
"See? Nagisa's the only one who still loves her poor old dad," Gajou said with a tearful, touched expression.
Meanwhile, Liana Caruana stood nearby, frowning.
"These are the people you said could help us?" she asked, unconvinced.
Two kids?
Liana's mistrust was written all over her face.
Gajou just smiled. "Relax. As long as Nagisa's here, we've got nothing to worry about."
"??"
Liana raised an eyebrow, eyeing Nagisa more closely.
Wait she's the key?
"Eh? Me?" Nagisa pointed at herself nervously.
Kojou stepped in, frowning. "What exactly do you want with Nagisa?"
Gajou patted his son on the shoulder. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."
Yeah, right.
Kojou didn't believe a word of it. His eyes were full of suspicion.
A few minutes later, the group arrived at a large sheet of ice.
The moment Kojou got close, his chest tightened like someone had clamped a hand around his throat.
He staggered, heart pounding, and swallowed hard. "Are are you sure this place is safe?"
Whatever was buried beneath this iceit was definitely something horrifying.
And this guy actually brought Nagisa to a place like this?!
Damn him!
Gajou saw the look on Kojou's face and shrugged. "If you're scared, you're free to leave."
"Tch." Kojou scowled. "If I go, Nagisa's coming with me."
He turned to her, about to speakbut stopped short.
Nagisa's eyes had gone blank, her expression hollow. And then a strange energy began to ripple from her body.
Fsshhh
Suddenly, a gust of wind surged from beneath her feet, and her petite form floated into the air as if weightless.
"Nagisa!" Kojou shouted, heart racing. He rushed forward to pull her down
Smack
His hand was intercepted. Gajou's grip held him back.
"If you don't want her getting hurt, don't touch her," he warned, eyes serious.
Kojou froze. "This is all your fault! You're the one who dragged her here in the first place!"
Gajou didn't answer. He just kept watching Nagisa closely, his normally playful eyes turning sharp.
"So it's true" he muttered to himself.
Just as he'd suspected.
With Nagisa's spiritual sensitivity, she could resonate with whatever lingering consciousness was sealed here.
Off to the side, Liana watched Nagisa float with a stunned expression.
Eventually, she found her voice. "Psychometry?"
Only a priestess with high spiritual aptitude really could pull off something like this.
But if this really was the tomb of the Fourth Primogenitor, then the era it came from was so ancient, its origins were practically lost to history.
Any lingering will would be faint at best.
Most shrine maidens couldn't do anything with something that faint.
But somehow, this girl could.
"She's really your daughter?" Liana asked, eyeing Gajou, then Nagisa again.
Gajou puffed up proudly. "Not bad, huh? Gotta say, my genes are top-tier."
Liana's smile was cold and sarcastic. "Maybe go get a paternity test, just to be sure."
"Just jealous," Gajou thought, smirking. He didn't push the joke and returned his focus to Nagisa.
Liana followed suit, silently watching what would happen next.
Kojou, meanwhile, was losing it. He didn't know what to do, couldn't help, and was terrified of hurting her if he tried.
A few seconds passed.
The wind around Nagisa stilled, but her eyes remained vacant.
She floated slowly toward the frozen wall, lifted her hand
Woom!
A flash of dazzling light burst forth!
In the next instant, the thick ice disappeared.
In its place stood a gaping void, pitch black like a black hole.
"What is this?" Liana stared into the abyss, clearly rattled.
Gajou rubbed his chin, impressed. "So they hid the Fourth Primogenitor's tomb in a pocket dimension? Now that's bold."
"A pocket dimension?" Liana blinked, surprised. That wasn't what concerned her, though.
"Is it dangerous?"
"Don't worry," Gajou said confidently. "The people who built this tomb weren't planning on dying here either."
That reassurance helped, and Liana nodded. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. "Alright. Then let's go in."
"Hold on a sec!"
Kojou suddenly shouted, his face pale. "The Fourth Primogenitor? That legendary vampire? Are you serious?!"
Why the hell had things escalated this far out of nowhere?!
Gajou just shrugged. "Only one way to find outgo in and see for yourself."
"You're actually planning to take us in there?!" Kojou looked like he was about to explode.
He knew his dad was reckless, but this was on another level.
This wasn't some random job. This involved the Fourth Primogenitor. And they were taking kids into a place like this?
He glanced back at Nagisastill floating, eyes lifelessand felt his heart drop.
There was no way she'd be safe in that condition!
But Gajou didn't seem fazed. After a moment's thought, he said, "Strictly speaking, only Nagisa has to go in. You're not really essential."
He didn't know what kind of situation they'd find inside or how much more of Nagisa's power might be needed.
Better to bring her just in case.
"You've got to be kidding me," Kojou muttered through clenched teeth.
Then he took a deep breath and said firmly, "Then I'm coming too."
Gajou gave a faint, amused smile. "You really are a good big brother, Kojou-kun."
"Tch. At least better than you are as a father."
Kojou's tone dripped with resentment, but Gajou didn't seem to mind.
Nearby, Liana tapped her foot impatiently."Are we done here? Let's get going already."
Gajou shrugged. "Looks like we're good."
He shot a glance at Kojou.
Kojou turned his head away and didn't respondbut he also didn't object.
Seeing that, Gajou nodded to Liana, then took the lead and walked up to the swirling black void.
He drew a deep breath, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Even after exploring so many ruins, this was a firstthe Fourth Primogenitor.
Excited? Of course he was.
And the way this tomb was hidden just the entrance alone was unlike anything else.
He couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement.
Then, without hesitation, he stepped forwardplacing one foot into the darkness.
But before he could take the next
A lazy voice rang out from behind them.
"Mind if I hitch a ride?"
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.
.
Cooperation
Gozo Island — In front of the underground tomb entrance
A lazy-sounding female voice suddenly rang out.
Gajou Akatsuki's eyes widened as his foot froze mid-step.
Liana Caruana instantly spun around, her body tense. Her sharp turquoise eyes locked onto the source of the voice with suspicion.
And then they saw her.
A stunning blonde woman dressed in teal stood casually with one hand on her hip. Her eyes carried a hint of passive confidence, and she exuded the calm, mature aura of someone who'd seen her share of battles.
Behind her stood a younger girlblack hair, long and straightcuriously peeking over like she was sightseeing.
"Who are you?!"Liana snapped, instinctively tensing.
"No need to be so on edge," the woman replied coolly, barely glancing at her. "Lion King organization. Mind if we tag along?"
Lion King organization.
Both Liana and Gajou paused in surprise. The name was well-known.
But what the hell was someone from the Lion King organization doing hereon Gozo Island, of all places? And right now, of all times?
Liana's expression grew darker.
After a long pause, she finally asked, "Your organization is interested in the Fourth Primogenitor too?"
She didn't bother to hide her irritation. She'd poured money and effort into this for over a monthand now these people from some high-and-mighty organization just showed up to swoop in and steal the prize?
Sure, her family's influence had weakened over the yearsBut she wasn't some pushover.
Push her too far and she'd take a chunk out of you, no matter who you were.
Besides this was vampire business. What did a human organization think it was doing sticking its nose in?
The more she thought about it, the more pissed off she looked.
Meanwhile, Endou's eyes lit up at Liana's words.
"So this is where the ruins of the Fourth Primogenitor?" she murmured, a glint of excitement flashing in her eyes.
She'd only wandered over with Himeragi Yukina after noticing the unusual activity herelooked like they'd hit the jackpot.
"You didn't know?" Liana blinked in disbelief.
You've got to be kidding me.
But even if they'd stumbled on it by accident, the moment they saw this rift in space, they would've insisted on checking it out.
Which meant
Liana narrowed her eyes, then raised her hand. A faint ripple shimmered through the air.
"Skll" (Wolf of the Solar Eclipse)
"Hati!" (Wolf of the Lunar Eclipse)
With her shout, two massive wolves appeared behind her in a flash.
"Awooooooo!"
Their howls echoed across the island. One radiated molten lava heat, the other a pale moonlit glow. The pressure they exuded made the very air tremble.
Endou raised an eyebrow, visibly impressed.
Sure, she knew "stealing the fruit" like this wasn't exactly nobleBut hey, she was just doing her job for the Devil King, right?
If Liana wouldn't play nice, well she'd just have to force her way in.
"Yukina."
Without hesitation, Himeragi Yukina pulled a long spear from her bag.
Shing
The sleek, gleaming blade caught the sunlight and gave off a brilliant gleam.
Liana's heart skipped a beat the moment she saw it.
Her blood stirred unnaturally, her body heating up despite the cold air around them.
What is this?
She stared hard at the weapon. Something was off.
Very off.
That spear wasn't normal.
Still, Liana didn't back down an inch. The Fourth Primogenitor was her shot at restoring her family's nameshe wouldn't let anyone screw that up.
Tension crackled in the air.
Kojou glanced left and right, then quietly pulled Nagisa behind him, shielding her. He shot a series of wild, exaggerated winks toward his father, Gajou Akatsuki.
"Let's slip out while they're distracted!" That's what his eyes were screaming.
Gajou caught the message and gave him an "OK" gesture, raising a brow with a smug grin.
"Leave it to me."
Kojou: "???"
Kojou stared, dumbfounded, as Gajou casually stepped forward.
"Now now, Liana dear, no need to get so worked up," Gajou said smoothly.
"!???"
What the hell are you doing, old man?!
Kojou could feel a headache coming on.
He meant for them to sneak away! Not waltz right into the lion's den!
Was this guy serious right now?
Gajou stood there, looking completely unbothered. Kojou wanted to scream.
On the other side, Liana narrowed her eyes. "You want me to just hand this tomb over to them?"
"Don't be so dramatic." Gajou shrugged. "Why not work together with the Lion King organization?"
"Think about it. We don't even know what kind of dangers might be waiting inside. Having more fighters on our side isn't a bad thing."
Liana stared at him blankly. "So basically, you just want me to split whatever's in there with them."
Gajou didn't respond right away. Instead, he turned his eyes to the spear in Yukina's hand.
"If I'm not mistaken, that's the legendary Mark Seven Demon-Purging Assault Spear, isn't it?"
"Oh?" Endou tilted her head, surprised. "You're surprisingly well-informed for a human."
Gajou replied proudly, "I am an archaeologist, after all."
She snorted. "Archaeologist, huh? You sure you're not just looting ancient tombs for fun?"
She glanced toward the spatial rift behind him.
Who accidentally digs up a dimensional anomaly?
And he recognized Snowdrift Wolf too. This guy clearly wasn't a regular civilian.
Liana, meanwhile, hadn't relaxed one bit since hearing the weapon's name.
"The weapon that's effective against vampires?"
As a noble vampire, she had enough education to know just how dangerous that spear was.
