— — — — — —
The corpse of Golan lay sprawled on the ground. The earth around him was frozen solid. A strange magical residue lingered in the air, and overhead loomed that massive, terrifying Familiar.
Natsuki Minamiya took it all in—the scene, the aftermath—and let out a long sigh under her parasol.
"So this whole trip was for nothing? …Well, I guess I technically completed the mission."
She'd been sent by Dimitrie Vatler, a duke of the Warlord's Empire, to track down the Black Death Emperor Faction.
And now the target, Golan, was obviously dead. If she brought back the body, she'd get the full bounty. Easy payday. No matter how you looked at it, this was a win.
And yet...
Natsuki glanced at the monstrous Familiar, then at Ryo, who stood nearby watching her with amused interest. She felt a dull headache coming on.
"So that's the Fourth Primogenitor's doll? Just my luck—I've stumbled into a massive mess."
It was strange. The Fourth Primogenitor's Kaleid Blood was supposed to be female, wasn't it? But the aura he gave off, that connection to the Familiars—it wasn't something you could fake.
That Alrescha-Glacies mermaid, the Bewitching Princess of Azure Ice, was being controlled by the man in front of her. That alone was proof enough of who he was.
Sure, blood servants who received a portion of a Primogenitor's power could sometimes command a Familiar. But not to this degree. Not like this.
Natsuki let out another sigh and turned toward the siblings huddled nearby—Kojou Akatsuki, panting heavily, and Nagisa, pale and barely conscious.
Her brow furrowed.
"Hey, you over there—the Kaleid Blood or whatever you are. Stop standing around and melt the damn ice. If this keeps up, those kids won't make it."
The Bewitching Princess of Azure Ice's power had turned the place into the freakin' Arctic.
This environment was just not made for kids.
Ryo gave the Akatsuki siblings a glance and chuckled softly.
"You're right. It is a bit harsh for children."
As he spoke, the thick layers of frost and snow began to melt. The icy mist evaporated into a stream of water that floated upward before being absorbed into the vessel carried by the Azure Ice Princess.
In moments, the tomb's temperature rose to a tolerable 25°C. Still cool, but no longer life-threatening. Everyone visibly relaxed as warmth returned to their limbs.
Natsuki fell silent for a moment, then stared directly at Ryo.
She hadn't expected a response—had already prepared to escort the kids to safety. But this guy… had actually listened to her.
After a beat, her expression turned serious.
"So you've got this level of intelligence… I see. You're not just a doll, are you?"
She'd seen the dolls of the Fourth Primogenitor before. They'd been created by splitting his power into twelve bodies.
She'd encountered two of them back in the Warlord's Empire. But those were basically puppets—tools designed to contain the Familiars. They barely counted as human.
But this guy? He was speaking fluently. Expressing emotions. Thinking independently.
That wasn't a doll.
"You're the Fourth Primogenitor himself. The rumors say your soul was sealed in the Twelfth Kaleid Blood. Looks like those rumors were true..."
So that explained it. Why this particular doll was male. Because he wasn't a doll.
He was the original.
Ryo glanced at her and said calmly, "You've misunderstood a few things. But... it doesn't really matter."
His tone shifted, eyes sharp now.
"So, are you planning to fight me… Witch who made a pact with demons?"
Natsuki tightened her grip on the parasol. She stood silently for a moment... then took a step back.
That step said everything.
She wasn't stupid enough to challenge the most dangerous vampire in history.
Even if this Fourth Primogenitor had lost eleven of his twelve vessels, he was still far beyond what she could handle.
Ryo noticed her backing off and gave a small nod of approval.
"A wise decision. You're much smarter than that dead beastman. Interested in becoming one of my subordinates?"
Subordinate—not blood servant. Natsuki caught the distinction instantly.
And it didn't please her.
If anything, she felt even more on edge.
"I'll have to respectfully decline… Your Majesty," she said with practiced poise.
She was an adult. She knew how to handle people—and monsters—like him.
Even if he was just a twelfth of his former self, the Fourth Primogenitor was still a being she had no business provoking.
"What a shame," Ryo said with an almost regretful smile. He seemed genuinely disappointed.
Then he turned his gaze to Kojou, who was finally catching his breath. On his back, Nagisa had passed out cold.
"You don't look like someone who can protect his sister right now."
"I… I know," Kojou said, voice trembling. Still, he stood firm. "But it's not about whether I can protect her. I have to protect her."
Ryo's lips curved upward.
"Good answer."
He reached out and tapped Kojou lightly on the forehead, transferring a stream of energy and knowledge into him.
The method of controlling Reishi (spirit particles)—the power of the Quincy.
"Consider this a gift from fate," Ryo said. "Next time, protect her with your own strength."
The sheer amount of information overwhelmed Kojou almost instantly. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed with a thud.
Nagisa, still slumped on his back, slipped off and rolled to the side.
Seeing this, Ryo turned his gaze upward—to a soul presence only he could perceive—and said: "Relax. I only gave him the power to protect himself."
The spirit form of 'Nagisa' let out a breath of relief. She turned to Ryo and gave a polite bow. "Thank you."
Ryo gave her a gentle smile and waved a hand. With that, he guided her spirit back into her body.
"Time to go home."
And with that, he turned away—ignoring Cyrora's protests entirely. He didn't care about collecting Nagisa's blood.
He wasn't some creep obsessed with stealing a little girl's DNA.
Cyrora, of course, was not happy. She fumed invisibly, unable to manifest, and her irritation seeped through Avrora like static.
— — —
Back in the chamber, Natsuki and Gajou both visibly relaxed as Ryo prepared to leave.
The pressure he gave off was overwhelming. If they could avoid crossing paths with him again, they'd count themselves lucky.
Even if he had shown some kindness toward Kojou, this man was still the Fourth Primogenitor.
The monster who'd wiped out civilizations and committed atrocities at every turning point in history.
Who knew what his "kindness" truly meant? For all they knew, those civilizations had also accepted his gifts—right before being wiped out.
Best to stay the hell away.
Just as Ryo turned to leave, Liana abruptly stood up and called out, "Please wait!"
Gajou's face immediately turned pale.
Ryo paused mid-step and glanced at her.
That look alone froze Liana in place. One foot half-lifted, she couldn't move. Cold sweat trickled down her spine.
After a long, painful silence, she bit her lip. Thoughts of her crumbling family gave her just enough courage to speak.
"Your Majesty… The modern world is very different from the one you once ruled. And there are those out there—pathetic scavengers—who hunger for your power."
"They're no threat to you, of course… But like fleas, they can still be an annoyance."
She lowered her head in deep respect.
"The Caruana family wishes to serve. We offer ourselves in humble service to eliminate such nuisances for you."
In other words—she was begging to be his lapdog. Even the smallest role. Anything. It was shameless, really.
Ryo raised an eyebrow. "So the times really have changed, huh?"
Liana lit up with hope and instantly dropped to one knee, awaiting his command.
But then Ryo turned to Natsuki. "In that case… Witch."
"I'll leave those errands to you."
Natsuki, who had definitely not signed up for this, looked absolutely stunned.
She had already mentally checked out.
Now she just stood there, umbrella in hand, wondering what the hell she'd done to deserve this.
.
.
.