Things were getting tricky.
WaitThey actually gave that kind of weapon to a high school girl?
Gajou leaned over and said in a low voice, "Liana, you know exactly how effective that spear would be against someone like you."
"Don't need you to tell me that," she muttered, brows furrowed.
Restoring her family's honor really was turning out to be a massive pain in the ass.
Gajou, watching her frustration grow, couldn't help but smile a little.
After all the lectures and nagging she'd given him as her "investment," seeing her take a hit for once? Delightful.
He quickly wiped the smirk off his face and asked, "So? What do you want to do?"
Liana shot him a glare, then fell silent.
Finally, with a heavy sigh, she recalled her familiars.
Whatever. She was here to serve the Fourth Primogenitor.
Letting these two tag along wouldn't cost her anything probably.
She took a deep breath and said coldly, "Fine. We can work together."
Endou smiled slightly, then gave a signal to Yukina.
Yukina understood and slid Snowdrift Wolf back into her bag.
Liana let out a sigh of relief.
No point talking about reviving her family if she got herself killed right here.
Still, if they were going to team up, she couldn't make it look like she caved out of fear. She had to set some termssave face.
Her gaze flickered, and she said, "I agree to the cooperation, but"
She glanced at Kojou and Nagisa. "Once we're inside, you're responsible for keeping those two safe."
"Huh?" Endou looked mildly surprised.
A vampire worried about human safety?
Seriously?
She eyed Liana curiously.
Maybe this vampire wasn't all bad?
Kojou was surprised too. He hadn't expected her condition to be his and Nagisa's safety.
Even if they'd been dragged here without warning This blonde older sister might actually be kind of decent?
Still
It looked like there was no avoiding this underground expedition now.
He glanced over at Nagisa, who still stood there like a zombie, and sighed internally.
"Alright. I accept," Endou replied without hesitation.
Even if Liana hadn't said it, the Lion King organization would never have left two kids in danger. Protecting civiliansespecially kidswas standard procedure.
So really, that demand meant nothing to her.
"Good. In that case, let's get moving," Gajou clapped his hands, eager to get things underway.
The group exchanged glances, then nodded and approached the dark rift in front of them.
—
MeanwhileUp above, hidden in a fold of space
A small figure crouched silently in the shadows, watching everything unfold.
.
.
.
Please Die
After Endou and the others stepped into the dimensional rift, a figure quietly appeared in the skyMinamiya Natsuki.
Hovering in mid-air, she looked down at the dark, swirling portal, her brows slightly furrowed.
"So this is what they call archaeology these days?"
She pulled out her phone and glanced at the message from the client. Her expression turned a little grim.
She just wanted to make some extra cash. Buy some fancy tea. How the hell did she end up wrapped up in something this dangerous?
"Fourth Primogenitor."
The words barely left her lips, but the weight they carried made her expression grow serious.
This wasn't a joke.
Natsuki sighed when she looked at the unpaid balance on the job.
"Whatever. I'm already here."
If she didn't get that money, then what was the point of coming all this way?
Besides, the client didn't give any specific requirementsjust said to tag along with that group and "do some archaeology."
Honestly, she had no idea what the client was thinking.
Drag her all the way out here just for some casual tomb-raiding? Or was this really just a way to pull her into the mess that was the Fourth Primogenitor?
Natsuki mulled it over for a bit, then gave up.
Whatever. With her spatial control magic, there wasn't much she had to worry about anyway.
But if that guy tried to ghost her on the payment? Oh, she'd find him. No question.
Having made up her mind, Natsuki disappeared in a flash and reappeared right in front of the dark rift.
Without hesitation, she stepped inside.
Inside the Underground Tomb
Endou and the others had just stepped in whenA wave of ice-blue light filled their vision.
Chilly cold instantly surrounded them.
"Sh-shit!"
Kojou Akatsuki immediately began shivering violently.
He exhaled, and a cloud of white mist floated from his mouth.
"Wh-what the hell!? It's freezing!"
He rubbed his arms furiously, trying to warm up, but his lips were already trembling.
But nobody answered him.
Because... well, everyone else here wasn't exactly "normal." So it was only him.
Kojou: ""
He stared at them with his signature dead-fish eyes. Especially at his father.
The others were a vampire, a supernatural, all that jazz.
Finethey had an excuse.
But his father? That big, burly, supposedly "normal" man?
He wasn't shivering at all.
Wait. Did even he betray the normal humans?
That's when it really hit Kojou.
His so-called archaeologist dad was mixed up with vampires and God knows what else.
And this tomb? This place? Yeah, it was definitely not a normal dig site.
Don't tell him all of his dad's "archaeology missions" were like this?
His expression twisted.
His old man definitely not a regular guy.
Oh crapwhat about Nagisa!?
He quickly turned to look for his little sister
Only to see her floating calmly in mid-air like it was just another day.
Kojou: ""
So he was really the only one freezing to death here?
He curled up and sighed.
This felt like he'd somehow stumbled into a pack of wolves as a lone husky.
Meanwhile, Liana quietly took in the biting cold in the air. Her expression eased a little.
"This chill It's the real place."
Which meant, this really was the Fourth Primogenitor's tomb!
Just thinking about it sent a thrill through her.
Her clan's revivaleverythingwas within reach!
Breathing faster, she instinctively moved forward, deeper into the tomb.
The others followed quickly after her.
Before long, a crystal-clear ice coffin appeared before them.
Inside it lay a slender figure, as if peacefully asleep in a dream.
Golden hair, delicate features, and a petite, doll-like frameshe looked like a real-life Sleeping Beauty.
"Is that?"
"Th-The Fourth Primogenitor, Your Majesty!"
The instant Liana saw the girl in the ice coffinand felt the overwhelming aura from her bloodlineShe knew exactly who this girl was.
Without hesitation, she dropped to one knee before the coffin.
"I, Liana Caruana, Sixth Head of the Caruana Family, humbly greet Her Majesty the Fourth Primogenitor!"
Her voice echoed solemnly through the tomb.
But
Silence.
An eerie, suffocating stillness filled the chamber.
"?"
No response.
Liana's heart tightened.
She stepped closer and gently touched the coffin, eyes fixed on the sleeping girl inside.
"She hasn't awakened yet."
Liana blinked in surprise, then looked more carefully.
Sure enough, the girl's eyes remained shut. There was no reaction.
"Doc, is there any way to wake Her Majesty?" Liana asked, frowning.
Gajou shrugged. "Yeah, that's not really in my skillset."
They'd found her, sure.
But there was no sign she was waking upeven after they barged into her tomb.
Liana fell silent.
Compared to her anxiousness, Endou seemed a lot more relaxed.
Actually the fact that the Fourth Primogenitor hadn't woken up was a huge relief.
The last thing she wanted was to tangle with a living legend.
Turning to Yukina, she said, "Yukina, send a message to Lord Lynn."
"?"
Liana whipped her head toward Endou, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean by that?"
Endou hadn't even tried to lower her voice, which immediately drew the attention of everyone around them.
With a lazy grin, Endou said, "You guys want her to wake up, right?"
"As your lovely partner in this little endeavor, I'm just doing my part~"
Liana hesitated, then quickly asked, "Waitthis person you're contacting can they really wake Her Majesty?"
"Of course," Endou replied, nodding confidently.
Well, she was just here because of Lynn.
So that was just an excuse to appease Liana.
As far as Endou was concerned, once Lynn showed up, whatever happened after was not her problem.
She'd completed her part of the job the moment the Fourth Primogenitor was located.
Liana, of course, had no idea. If anything, she looked grateful.
On the side, Gajou gave Endou a weird look.
Was she seriously bullshitting someone that naive?
And the girl was really that dumb?
Gajou just shook his head.
Well, sometimes people needed to get burned to learn.
As Liana's "friend," maybe it was good for her to gain some experience.
Elsewhere, Yukina pulled out her phone and sent off a message to Lynn.
Then
Dozens of footsteps echoed through the tomb.
Liana and the others instantly went on high alert.
"Hmph!"
"So this is where you've been hiding the Fourth Primogenitor!"
A loud, rough voice rang out before its owner even stepped into view.
Seconds later, a group of soldiers in teal-green military uniforms poured into the tomb, blocking off their exit.
A tall, burly man walked past the soldiers, grinning wickedly at the group in front of him.
"Haha! Thanks for leading me straight to the Fourth Primogenitor."
"But now You're useless."
"So"
"Would you kindly go die now?"
.
.
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Black Death Emperor Faction
Gozo Island The Fourth Primogenitor's Underground Tomb
A rough, chilling voice echoed throughout the crypt. Combined with the stifling heat, a sudden wave of cold dread washed over Kojou Akatsuki.
Beastmen?
Gulp. .
He swallowed hard, Adam's apple bobbing as his eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the figures approaching from the tunnel.
Tall. Muscular. Clad in greenish-blue military uniforms.
But Kojou's eyes were fixed on one thingtheir heads.
They weren't human.
Thick brown fur, beast-like features!!
Wolves? Bears?
Kojou instinctively stepped in front of Nagisa, shielding her with his body. His gaze was grim.
Endou, watching the beastmen approach, smirked slightly.
"Well, this place sure got busy"
"Didn't think even the Black Death Emperor Faction's executive would show up. What's wrong? Beastmen interested in the Fourth Primogenitor now too?"
"Black Death Emperor Faction's executive?"
That got a reaction. Both Gajou and Liana flinched in shock.
So he wasn't just some random guy either!
"Tch."
Liana scowled.
What the hell was going on? She'd spent a ton of effort and money to get results hereand now everyone was just showing up to steal the prize?
First, it was the Lion King Organization, now the beastmen.
If another faction suddenly dropped in, Liana wouldn't even be surprised at this point.
But, did everyone seriously think she was just some glorified excavation tool for digging up the Fourth Primogenitor?
Yeah. She was pissed.
...
Meanwhile
Now that his identity had been exposed, the Death Emperor's executive, Golan Hazaroff, crossed his arms and coldly glanced at Endou.
"Looks like you're not so simple yourself."
Golan kept a poker face, but inside, he was surprised.
Wasn't this supposed to just be some down-on-her-luck vampire noble?
"Lion King Organization," Endou said lazily, casually dropping her affiliation.
"The Lion King Organization."
Golan narrowed his eyes.
Even among demons, that name carried weight.
But, right now, it didn't matter if it was the Lion King Organization or even the Warlord himselfthere was no way he was backing down.
Especially not when they were a terrorist organization, after all.
And a terrorist organization had to act like one.
Golan grinned savagely, his fur-covered face twisted with wild glee.
"Lion, tiger, whateveryou can forget it. The Fourth Primogenitor is mine!"
Endou paused, giving him an odd look.
This guy was a textbook definition of "all muscle, no brains."
You want to claim the Fourth Primogenitor?
Never mind the fact that Lynn had his eye on it too
Even just talking about the power of the Fourth Primogenitor You think some random beastman could actually control that?
"Enough talk."
Suddenly, Liana stepped forward and snapped:
"If you want the Fourth Primogenitor, you'll have to go through me first!"
She might have had her doubts facing Yukina's demon-slaying Schneewalzer.
But a beastman? He didn't have the power to truly kill a vampire.
Liana's emerald eyes gleamed as she raised her arm. With a wave, two massive wolvesone crimson, one blueappeared beside her.
"RRAAHHH!!"
The twin wolves roared and, without hesitation, charged straight at the beastman, Golan!
"ROOOAAAAR!!"
An answering bellow shook the entire tomb.
Golan's troops let out a terrifying war cry that made the walls tremble!
The sheer force of it whipped through the chamber, tossing hair and cloaks in every direction.
Kojou clutched his ears as the roar echoed in his skull.
Holy crap!!
He was completely stunned.
Seriously
Why was this happening during what was supposed to be a relaxing summer break with Nagisa?!
This sucks!!
Kojou looked like he was about to cry.
...
On the other side
Liana's wolves weren't the least bit fazed.
Golan's expression didn't changebut his magical power exploded outward.
BOOM!!
A terrifying wave of power ripped through the air.
RIP
His body surged in size. His uniform shredded instantly.
"ROAAAARRR!!"
His monstrous form now filled the entire tomb, fur bristling with raw power!
CRASH!!
With a swipe of his enormous claw, the twin wolves were sent flying, slamming into the icy floor with a bone-rattling THUD!
Liana's eyes went wide. "Skll! Hati!"
She stared in disbelief as her wolves whimpered on the ground, twitching.
What the hell?
This guy was that strong?!
Kujou's father, Gajou Akatsuki, took one look at the battlefield, then cast a serious glance toward Kojou and Nagisa.
Way too many unpredictable things were happening.
The Lion King Organization was one thing But the Black Death Emperor Faction?
They weren't exactly the type you could negotiate with.
Gajou was starting to regret ever dragging Kojou and Nagisa into this mess.
