— — — — — —
"Pardon me."
The door opened with a quiet creak as Koyomi stepped into the room.
As she entered the lounge, she saw Ryo seated on the couch, with Natsuki Minamiya sitting across from him.
Ryo greeted her with a casual smile. Natsuki, on the other hand, gave her a sharp look and said in a less-than-friendly tone. "Well, well, nice work, little matchmaker. You actually finished your mission this fast?"
'I'm not a matchmaker,' Koyomi thought to herself with a quiet sigh. Out loud, she kept her expression calm and said. "The Chaos Bride, has already sent the dolls to Itogami Island. The ones Iblisveil handed over earlier have also been received without issue."
She continued in the same flat tone. "Due to Lord Aswad's lack of oversight, the third, fourth, and fifth dolls have already begun moving independently across the island. We're currently in the process of tracking them down."
"As for the first, seventh, and eleventh dolls—they've been confirmed to be in the possession of the arms dealer Zaharias. He appears to be searching the island for the remaining dolls."
With that, Koyomi pulled a USB stick from her pocket and held it out.
"This contains the data the Chaos Bride sent—specifically, details on how to reconstruct the Fourth Primogenitor."
"Good work," Ryo said, taking the USB and tucking it away. He turned his gaze toward the doorway.
"So, the five people outside… they're the remaining dolls?"
"Yes," Koyomi adjusted her glasses.
"Outside, we have Numbers Two, Six, Eight, Nine, and Ten. Including Number Twelve, which is currently under your control, we now possess exactly half of the Fourth Primogenitor's Kaleid Blood. That meets the minimum condition to begin the 'Blazing Banquet'"
Possessing at least six of the twelve dolls—along with the cursed soul of the original Fourth Primogenitor—was the core requirement to forcibly initiate the Blazing Banquet and resurrect the Fourth Primogenitor.
And now, with Ryo in possession of over half the bodies, that condition was officially met.
At that moment, Natsuki let out a sharp scoff from the side.
"So three are still missing, huh? That bastard still managed to be a pain in the ass."
Ryo shrugged, unfazed. "In the end, it's a minor inconvenience at best."
He took a sip of tea and glanced at Koyomi. "Alright. Bring the girls in."
"Yes, sir." Koyomi bowed slightly, then clapped her hands twice.
With soft footsteps, five young girls entered the room quietly.
In an instant, the space was filled with dazzling gold hair that shimmered like sunlight on water.
The five "Avroras," all still in their early teens, wore different outfits—each one styled like a fashion model stepping onto a stage. Their beauty was ethereal and surreal.
"Oh?" Ryo's eyes lit up slightly. His gaze landed on Number Six—her expression serene, her appearance and clothing seemingly tailored to his tastes.
"Now this is unexpected. You've already developed a sense of self, huh?"
Number Six, dressed in a kimono with her hair swept elegantly to one side, glanced at Ryo and asked in a calm, curious voice. "The original?"
Ryo shook his head with a smile.
"She is asleep right now—injuries from earlier. Want me to wake her?"
"No need."
Her tone remained composed, her eyes meeting his without flinching. Though her face was identical to Avrora's, her demeanor was entirely different—serene, graceful, and mature.
"If the original has accepted you as the Fourth Primogenitor, then we are yours. That is the law we follow."
Ryo raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued.
"Don't you want to live?"
Number Six tilted her head, as though the question itself was strange.
"Why should we cling to life? These human forms are just prisons. Our true nature lies in our beastly selves. Dying in this shape is liberation—a release from constraint. We are familiars, not dolls."
"..."
Ryo opened his mouth, then closed it again, chuckling.
"You're nothing like Number Twelve. That one won't stop begging for ice cream. She's determined to stick around."
"I see..." Number Six murmured, then looked at him again.
"In that case, new master—let's make a deal."
Ryo blinked. "A deal?"
"Yes." Her voice was calm as ever.
"You promise not to absorb Number Twelve against her will, and in return, we'll willingly become your power again when the time comes."
Ryo gave her a puzzled look. "Why would you offer that?"
The five girls exchanged glances. Then, all together, they turned to stare at the shadow beneath Ryo's feet.
And in perfect unison, they spoke. "We are creatures born without dreams. If Number Twelve has one… then we will make it ours."
A sharp, scornful snort rang out from the shadow.
Cyrora, the original, had woken up.
Her voice came through, cool and disdainful. "Pay them no mind. That form is nothing but a hollow imitation. If needed, you can always make more."
Ryo scratched his head and replied casually. "You're not worried the familiars might rebel against you for saying stuff like that?"
Cyrora scoffed.
"Would sand dare compare itself to the Sun?"
Ryo raised an eyebrow, catching the implication and using similar golden colors.
"So… Now I'm the sun and you're the sand?"
Cyrora fell silent.
That logic… unfortunately made sense too. That made her even more frustrated.
Couldn't he just shut up and sit in a corner for once?
Her sour mood practically radiated from the shadow, causing the five dolls in the room to instinctively take a step back.
At that moment, Number Six spoke again in her usual calm voice. "Let's begin the re-integration ritual."
Koyomi glanced at Natsuki, who paused for a beat, then clicked her tongue and shot a glare at Ryo.
With a wave of her hand, she cast a spatial spell and disappeared along with Koyomi.
Ryo blinked. "Huh. That was weird."
Before he could process it, he realized he was completely surrounded by the five dolls.
"What's going on?" he asked, confused.
Number Six stepped forward and gently pulled down the collar of her kimono, revealing her pale, smooth neck.
"Drink our blood, our new king. Drain us completely. Use us."
Ryo blinked, his expression suddenly awkward. "Even if you say that…"
Sure, he'd inherited Avrora's vampire abilities—but draining them entirely was a bit too far. Even for him, that crossed a line.
"Number Six," said Number Nine from the side, in a matter-of-fact tone, "To initiate the transfer, the king must experience a strong blood-lust."
"Understood." Number Six nodded and then turned back to Ryo. She reached up and cupped his face in her chest, her tone still composed.
"Please use my body."
"..." Ryo was suddenly at a complete loss for words.
— — —
Meanwhile, near the entrance to Itogami Island, in a small dessert café...
Liana Caruana sat at an outdoor table, slurping glumly at her juice with a lifeless expression.
"So the king abandoned me…"
She'd been searching for Ryo and Natsuki all day, ever since she arrived at the island's checkpoint.
And it was now painfully obvious: she'd been left behind. Rejected. Cast aside by the newly awakened Fourth Primogenitor.
At that moment, a blonde guy in an unbuttoned shirt strolled over with a smirk and sat down across from her.
"Hey there. What's with the long face? Boyfriend dump you?"
Liana glanced at him, her eyes unfocused and distant.
"Do you know what it feels like to worship a great being with all your heart… and then get tossed aside like trash?"
"Uhh…" The guy blinked. "Maybe? Sorta?"
"Well then," Liana said flatly, "you should understand how I feel."
The man gave an awkward chuckle. "I mean… look, if he ditched you, just find someone else. Move on. I know a great bar, very fun place—"
"I can't leave."
Her voice was eerily calm.
"Eh? Why not?"
"He told me to hurry up and finish the island's checkpoint. I figured… if I stayed here after passing, he'd come back for me."
The man stood there for a beat, then cursed under his breath as he walked away.
"Damn. Full-on simp mode."
Liana didn't even blink. She sat there, silent and expressionless.
Until suddenly, a familiar voice rang out in the distance.
"No more ice cream, please! Let's wait until after the ceremony!"
.
.
.