Time turned back slightly...
While Ciel and the others were being targeted by the supremacists, a group of Nosferatu, also dressed in black, were furtively approaching the building ahead.
CLATTER!
Chains flowing with purple light suddenly emerged from the darkness and instantly bound all the Nosferatu.
The chains were called Laeding, the Chains of Commandment, a powerful magical tool created by the Devas to capture mythical monsters. They could ignore all obstructions and strike from gaps in space, possessed a strength that even divine beasts could not break with brute force, and made it difficult for those bound by them to use magical power.
The one using this magical tool was Natsuki Minamiya, who had once slaughtered large numbers of demon criminals across Europe and earned the title of "Demon Killer."
Laeding had practically become proof of Natsuki Minamiya's identity.
"You dare break into my private building. You petty thieves have quite the nerve."
Dressed in a black skirt and holding a black parasol, the doll-like, petite Natsuki Minamiya appeared in front of the intruders. The slight furrow of her brows revealed the girl's displeasure.
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
A burst of applause suddenly rang out.
Natsuki Minamiya's brows immediately furrowed even deeper.
"As expected of the Witch of the Void. Your reputation is well deserved. To think you subdued so many of my men all at once."
The voice that came so abruptly was so affected it sounded like a performance.
A gaunt middle-aged man approached Natsuki Minamiya while stroking his beard. With men in black attending him on either side, he called to mind a circus ringmaster standing onstage before an audience.
Facing the visibly displeased Natsuki Minamiya, he bowed with theatrical poise.
"Good morning. I do apologize for the sudden visit. Might I borrow a little of your time? Heh-heh, what fine weather we're having today."
"Hmph! You people show up at my doorstep first thing in the morning with such aggressive airs, and you still ask for my understanding? Standing so boldly before me—what exactly are you plotting, Zaharias?"
"Oh my, what a terrible misunderstanding. We are all ordinary citizens who work diligently, respect the old, and care for the young... Witch of the Void, I hope you understand that I bear no ill will. I merely wish to discuss a business deal with you."
The man spoke cheerfully, but his eyes held a cold glint devoid of human warmth.
He carefully inspected the subordinates bound by Laeding. There was no concern for his men in his eyes; instead, he showed an unusual interest in the chains.
"Could these be the legendary Laeding forged by the Devas? I hear they can even capture monsters from mythology..."
In the arms dealer's eyes, there were only powerful weapons. Nothing else entered his view.
"Witch of the Void, might I ask you to part with them and sell me Laeding? We can negotiate the price."
"Hoho? Are you trying to provoke me?"
Natsuki Minamiya's gaze gradually became dangerous, and Zaharias hurriedly waved his hands.
"No, no, no. I came to trade with you in complete sincerity. As you can see, I am an arms dealer. To me, there is no weapon that cannot be sold, and no weapon that does not have a price. As long as a weapon possesses excellent performance, I wish to add it to my collection and then sell it for an excellent price. Right now, I have simply taken a liking to your Laeding."
"So the deal you came here to discuss, even exposing yourself for it, is Laeding? What a shame. It's very useful in my hands, and I have no intention of selling it."
"That is indeed a shame... However, my purpose in seeking you out was not to purchase Laeding. What I truly wish to trade for is something else..."
Zaharias shook his head with a troubled expression, as if lamenting someone else's misfortune.
"You see, our partner has lost something very important. Its name is Wiseman's Blood, the culmination of ancient alchemy! The Wiseman is a perfect human created through alchemy. Not only does it possess magical power rivaling a Primogenitor's, it also has immortality surpassing that of a Primogenitor. It can survive without food or oxygen, and even if every living creature on Earth died out and the planet became a dead world, it still would not die. It has no flaws whatsoever. When I first heard of it, I could hardly believe such a thing! To think such a magnificent work was sealed away—what a criminal waste!"
He spoke at length in an emotional rush, then quickly calmed again, revealing a false and solicitous smile.
"We searched the location provided by our partner, but nothing remained there. So we thought we would come here and try our luck..."
"Then your luck is terrible. I've never heard of any Wiseman's Blood. Hurry up and get lost."
"Ah? Is that so? Then we really are unlucky. It seems we made this trip for nothing, so we'll have to slink back home... Did you think I would say that?"
Zaharias beckoned, and two small figures draped in black robes stepped forward from behind him at once. Beside Zaharias, they pulled off their robes, exposing themselves fully beneath the sunlight.
Thus, the full appearances of the two girls entered Natsuki Minamiya's eyes.
Golden hair like surging flames. Eyes like flickering Blazing Light.
And their appearances were fairy-like, full of a dreamlike, illusory quality.
Natsuki Minamiya's expression turned grave, as though facing a formidable enemy.
"Fourth Primogenitor vessels..."
The two blond girls standing beside Zaharias gazed expressionlessly at Natsuki Minamiya. Neither their dreamlike features nor their beautiful eyes contained the slightest emotion. They perfectly fit the label of "weapon."
The identical girls both wore protective suits made from reinforced fibers, with the Roman numerals "II" and "IX" printed on the surface of their clothes.
"Exactly! These are two of the Kaleid Blood vessels I possess, Number Two and Number Nine. They govern the Fourth Primogenitor's second and ninth Beast Vassals respectively. Although each controls only one Beast Vassal, there is no doubt that those are Primogenitor-class Beast Vassals, fearsome powers capable of rivaling natural disasters. As long as they fully release their Beast Vassals, any one of them would have the power to sink all of Itogami Island."
Zaharias looked at the two girls before him as if intoxicated, his tone filled with fanaticism.
"Weapons like these are absolute masterpieces, among the finest in the world! They were left behind from a prehistoric civilization before the Devas went extinct. There are a full twelve such weapons, and they can even transform into a form a level higher, awakening as the Fourth Primogenitor, capable of wielding twelve disaster-class Beast Vassals—the god-slaying weapon feared even by gods and demigods. Could there be anything more magnificent?"
The arms dealer declared loudly, baring his fangs at Natsuki Minamiya.
"Witch of the Void, there could be no better touchstone for testing a weapon's performance. Even you, called the Demon Killer, cannot possibly deal with multiple Primogenitor-class Beast Vassals... However, since I did come here in good faith, as long as you agree to sell Wiseman's Blood to me, then..."
Before Zaharias could finish speaking, an extremely terrifying burst of magical power suddenly erupted from Itogami Island's southern district. A brilliant pillar of magical power shot straight into the sky, throwing the wind and clouds into chaos.
"What is going on? This magical power... Could it be a Primogenitor?!"
Zaharias lost his earlier composure, staring uncertainly in the direction of the pillar of magical power.
Unlike him, Natsuki Minamiya recognized it immediately. This was Ciel's magical power.
"That hopeless idiot little sister of mine... What is she making such a huge scene for?"
"...Number Nine, begin."
Zaharias made a decision in his heart and ultimately gave up on continuing to persuade her with words. He no longer held any hope for that.
He did not know what that pillar of magical power stirring the clouds and wind was, but he knew that the longer this dragged on, the more likely something would change.
And so, the Number Nine vessel summoned her Beast Vassal—Al-Nasl Minium.
The magnificent two-horned horse released a terrifying presence, loudly announcing its descent to every living creature on the island.
"That madman actually summoned a Beast Vassal at my doorstep?"
Her fingers gripping the parasol handle trembled with rage, and flames seemed to burn in her eyes.
The building behind her contained so many precious memories of her and her little sister.
How could she possibly allow the beast before her to destroy it?
To prevent the Beast Vassal from causing too much damage, Natsuki Minamiya focused entirely on defense throughout the battle. The high-frequency vibration waves released several times by Al-Nasl Minium were all neutralized by Natsuki Minamiya.
"Hmph! As expected of Natsuki Minamiya, the Witch of the Void. Even the Fourth Primogenitor's Beast Vassal cannot take you down... Stop wasting time. Number Two, you go as well."
"Come forth swiftly—Cor-Tauri Succinum."
Receiving Zaharias's command, the Number Two vessel also summoned her Beast Vassal.
Boiling, scorching heat appeared beneath the Number Two vessel's feet, turning the earth into lava. From beneath the molten rock emerged a minotaur gripping an enormous axe, its entire body shining with an amber-like luster, crimson magma flowing across it.
The appearance of the star Beast Vassal corresponding to Taurus caused the pressure Natsuki Minamiya faced to double all at once.
Magical power triggered physical phenomena like natural disasters. Lava surged between rising stone pillars, and storms shook the wailing sky.
"Two Primogenitor-class Beast Vassals... It seems this is more or less my current limit. I can't afford to slack off the way I used to from now on."
Watching the enormous minotaur swing down the giant axe in its hand, Natsuki Minamiya murmured a few words, then suddenly raised her voice.
"So I'll leave the rest to you."
The instant her words fell, a brilliant shooting star came streaking straight over, dragging a long tail of light behind it.
In front of the shooting star, Cor-Tauri Succinum pulled back the axe it had swung halfway down and blocked in front of its head.
But that was futile.
"Eat this—[LEOO KIIIIIIICK]!!"
With effortless force, Ciel, transformed into a shining meteor, shattered Cor-Tauri Succinum's axe and head with a single kick, and a third of its body also collapsed instantly into particles of magical power.
"What...?!"
Zaharias, who had been waiting for Natsuki Minamiya to be miserably defeated, could not help crying out when he saw Cor-Tauri Succinum suddenly destroyed. His jaw dropped so far it looked as if a light bulb could fit inside.
The Number Two vessel also could not suppress a muffled groan. However, her condition was somewhat better than Number Five's had been earlier. The Beast Vassal summoned by Number Five, Regulus-Aurum, had been directly stomped into pieces by Ciel, and the backlash to Number Five had been more severe at the time. By contrast, Cor-Tauri Succinum had only had one third of its body kicked apart by Ciel.
"Natsuki-oneechan, what do you think? Was my dazzling entrance just now cool?"
Ciel arrived at Natsuki Minamiya's side, and the first words out of her mouth nearly made Natsuki Minamiya laugh despite herself.
"You idiot. At a time like this, the first thing you should ask is whether I'm all right. I really can't stand you... And you came far too slowly. Did you ride a snail here?"
"That's because I trust you, okay? I believed Natsuki-oneechan wouldn't be in trouble for a while against one or two Beast Vassals, so I first got Avrora and Kanon somewhere safe."
"All right. Since you had a reason, I'll forgive you this once."
"So was my entrance cool or not?"
"...How did we end up back on that topic?"
"Because I care a lot. So was I cool or not?"
"No. You looked stupid."
"Ehhh~~~~! No way—!"
Ciel looked as if she had suffered a devastating blow, wearing an expression of utter despair.
"Sister Ciel... To think it was truly as that person said. You were the most dangerous one. You hid yourself very deeply."
Zaharias had also composed himself during their conversation. His eyes stared fixedly at Ciel as he sighed with complicated emotions.
Before the operation, of course he had investigated Ciel, Natsuki Minamiya, and each of their interpersonal relationships.
Compared to Natsuki Minamiya, who had built a fearsome reputation in Europe in just a few short years and earned the title "Demon Killer," Ciel's record of action was pitifully sparse. The enemies she had resolved were all nameless small fry, and when she encountered a major criminal like the Prince of Death, her older sister Natsuki Minamiya had also been present.
Therefore, Zaharias had believed that the only person he truly needed to be wary of was Natsuki Minamiya.
Yet Kou Amatsuka had told him that Sister Ciel was an even more dangerous and ruthless figure than Natsuki Minamiya.
Although he had taken the other man's warning to heart, he had always remained half skeptical.
It was normal for Natsuki Minamiya to be strong, because she was not human but a witch. But according to the information he had gathered, Ciel was only human. She was neither a demon nor contracted with a demon, so what basis could she possibly have for possessing power greater than Natsuki Minamiya's?
Until just now... when he had personally seen that "ordinary human" kick the head off a Primogenitor-class Beast Vassal, then act as though nothing had happened.
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