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Early morning, just after sunrise.
On top of the watchtower overlooking the port district of Itogami Island…
A small figure stood quietly, taking in the island's scenery from above.
It was a young boy—black-haired, brown-skinned. Despite his childlike features, he exuded an air of unmistakable nobility. He wore a flowing white robe in Middle Eastern style, adorned with ornate golden jewelry around his neck, arms, and forehead.
This was Iblisveil Aziz, a direct descendant of the Second Primogenitor—and the appointed overseer of this Blazing Banquet.
Standing atop the watchtower, Iblisveil squinted up at the blazing sun and grumbled, "Seriously? This place is even hotter than the Middle East…"
He wouldn't have bothered coming to this godforsaken island at this hour if it weren't for the Second Primogenitor's direct orders—to eliminate the arms dealer who stole one of their precious dolls.
Sunlight didn't actually harm him, but as a vampire—a nocturnal creature—too much exposure still wore him out quickly.
While Iblisveil was grumbling to himself, a golden mist shimmered to life beside him.
"A 'Demon town' all the way out in the East, huh? Gotta admit, the view's not bad."
With a relaxed tone, a tall blond man in a white suit appeared beside him.
Iblisveil barely spared him a glance. "So the Warlord's Empire sent you, Dimitrie Vatler?"
Dimitrie Vatler—one of the most infamous vampires in recent years. He'd risen to power within the Warlord's Empire by devouring several vampire elders using a rare ability to fuse with familiars. His strength had earned him a Duke title and the personal favor of the lost Warlord.
Vatler placed a hand on his chest and gave a graceful bow. "Ara~, what an honor. To think I'd meet the Prince of the Second Primogenitor himself. It's truly a surprise to see someone of your stature come all the way to this tiny island in the East."
"Cut the crap, you snake." Iblisveil snorted, clearly annoyed.
After all, one of the Second Primogenitor's dolls—meant to be kept under the guard of noble vampires—had been snatched by some backwater arms dealer. The entire situation was already a joke among the Three Night Empires of the three Primogenitor.
Now that he, the Prince, had to come clean up the mess, Vatler acting all surprised was just salt in the wound.
"Did your Warlord's Empire bring all your dolls?" Iblisveil asked, voice cold.
That was a threat. A blunt, unmistakable one.
His orders were clear: eliminate Balthazar Zaharias, the arms dealer. The Blazing Banquet itself? The Second Primogenitor didn't give a damn.
But if Iblisveil were to snatch Vatler's dolls while carrying out his mission… well, the humiliation would shift. The Second Primogenitor might've been embarrassed, sure, but the Warlord's Empire would become the laughingstock if they got their dolls stolen next.
Vatler raised an eyebrow at the threat and smiled calmly. "Oh, those little darlings? I've already let them loose."
"…You released them?"
Iblisveil looked at him like he was a complete idiot.
He'd just dumped assets worth billions out into the open—basically inviting anyone to come pick them up. That's how Iblisveil saw it.
But after a moment, he narrowed his eyes, realization dawning. "…You're trying to throw a lit match into a powder keg, aren't you?"
A bunch of lone Primogenitor dolls scattered across the island? Of course the candidates in the Banquet would go after them. Conflict was inevitable.
And once that happened, the war would break out. Vatler, who had just thrown away all his trump cards, wouldn't stand a chance.
Did he really think those dolls were weak? Even if they weren't the fourth Primogenitor, the familiars they carried weren't just for show.
Iblisveil exhaled in disbelief. "…You're even dumber than the rumors said."
Then, an unexpected voice joined the conversation: "That's exactly why this 'banquet' is going to be fun."
Both vampires turned sharply toward the source of the voice—and saw a wild, predatory-looking woman perched casually on the edge of the watchtower railing.
She had long, light green hair, eyes like polished emeralds, and an aura of a jungle cat on the prowl.
She wore denim shorts and a simple white shirt, but even in such plain clothes, her untamed charisma was unmistakable.
The moment Iblisveil saw her, his brain practically short-circuited.
"The Third Primogenitor: Chaos Bride?! No way!"
Vatler, for once, dropped his calm expression. He quickly lowered his head and bowed deeply.
"If my Lord knew Her Majesty had come in person, he'd be absolutely livid that he missed it…"
"Majesty, princess, royal this, royal that…" the woman rolled her eyes and shrugged. "It's all a pain to hear. Just call me Giada, okay?"
Then she turned her head and looked toward a seemingly empty part of the tower. "You too, little cub from the Lion King Agency."
Snap!
A book shut with a crisp sound.
Out of thin air appeared a girl in a middle school uniform, braided hair, and dorky glasses—Koyomi—standing on the tower like she'd been there all along.
"…Understood, Giada Kukulcan."
Vatler straightened back up, eyes practically glowing with excitement. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning, itching for the chaos that was about to unfold.
Iblisveil, on the other hand, just scoffed. "So this is one of the Three Saints of the Lion King Agency? Man, you're young."
Koyomi's expression didn't waver. She responded calmly, "My name is Koyomi Shizuka. I hope we'll work well together."
As she spoke, she walked to the center of the watchtower, naturally drawing everyone's attention.
Giada looked around with an amused glance and muttered cheerfully, "Huh. Looks like we're still missing two… the arms dealer, and the one who can control Number Twelve's familiar."
At that, Koyomi responded flatly, "Lord Zaharias already informed us he won't be attending. He said he'll respect any decision made in this meeting."
Too scared to show his face, huh? Iblisveil sneered.
Even Vatler lost all interest. He'd expected that arms dealer who dared to snatch a Primogenitor's doll might at least be entertaining. But if he couldn't even show up? Lame.
"And as for Lord Yagami…"
Koyomi paused. Her eyes flicked to the space beside Giada Kukulcan.
"…He's been standing there this whole time. Hasn't he?"
Giada's pupils shrank. Her body tensed instantly—like a panther sensing danger before a hunt.
Then… she felt it.
Warm breath brushed across her neck.
A chill shot down her spine.
Only then did she realize… she was leaning into someone's embrace.
"…What the hell?!"
"Nice figure."
Ryo gave Giada's toned waist a light tap, then looked around at the others with a casual smile.
"Guess I don't need to introduce myself now, do I?"
Iblisveil twitched. Hard. Especially after watching the Third Primogenitor get touched like that without even reacting… His expression twisted in disbelief.
Maybe… just maybe… coming to this Blazing Banquet was a huge mistake.
Meanwhile, Dimitrie Vatler's eyes were practically glowing. He looked at Ryo the way a starving wolf would look at a fresh steak.
A monster.
An absolute monster.
Someone strong enough to suppress the Third Primogenitor while remaining completely undetected.
"Incredible… so incredible…"
Vatler was practically trembling with excitement.
Then, Ryo looked at the gathered candidates, his grin widening.
"Well… looks like everyone's here."
"Yes." Koyomi nodded coolly, still clutching her book.
"Excellent."
Ryo nodded, then clapped his hands together with a bright, cheerful smile.
"Let's get to the only item on today's agenda, shall we?"
He paused for dramatic effect, then said with a grin that could freeze blood:
"Please hand over all MY dolls."
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