— — — — — —
In front of a dessert shop's display counter—
A chocolate brown-haired girl in a mid-length skirt and leather jacket had a look of pure despair as she tugged at the arm of a short-haired blonde girl dressed casually in a shirt and jeans.
That girl was Veldiana Caruana, the younger sister of Liana Caruana.
Liana had recognized her the moment she saw her.
And the one in front of Veldiana...
"What's that?"
The short-haired blonde pointed at the display case, at a massive five-scoop ice cream sundae.
The shop clerk leaned forward with a smile and said cheerfully, "That's our special house-made ice cream. Want to try it, little lady?"
"I'll have one," the blonde replied with a nod, then turned her head toward Veldiana.
"Hmm?"
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
Tears welled up in Veldiana's eyes.
"Ok, pay for it."
"Understood!"
Trembling, Veldiana pulled out her almost-flat wallet from her jacket pocket, fished around carefully, and finally pulled out her last 10,000-yen bill.
"That'll be 3,000 yen," the shopkeeper beamed, reaching for the bill.
Watching the last of her funds disappear, Veldiana's voice cracked slightly as she muttered, "No. 5— Your Majesty, that was all the money we had…"
"And?" No. 5 Avrora doll turned her head slightly, giving Veldiana a blank stare.
"…As long as you're happy, Your Majesty," Veldiana said, her fleeting courage evaporating.
"Mm."
No. 5 pointed to another item behind the glass, a towering parfait replica. "One of those too."
Veldiana opened her mouth, but the tears threatened to spill over.
"Veldiana?"
A familiar voice called out beside her.
Veldiana blinked, then spun around with pure relief flooding her face. The moment she saw Liana, she launched herself forward.
"Big sis!"
"It's okay now," Liana said softly, patting her back. Then her eyes turned to the blonde girl who hadn't so much as glanced their way.
That was one of the Fourth Primogenitor's dolls, no doubt.
Liana's thoughts began to race.
If—just if—she brought No. 5 to Ryo Yagami, would he consider accepting the loyalty of the Caruana family?
…No, probably not. But maybe—just maybe—he'd at least consider restoring their noble title. That alone would be a massive win.
Liana's eyes lit up.
"You did well, Veldiana." Her tone had a tinge of obsession.
"But how did you find No. 5?"
Veldiana replied, "You said you bought a ticket to Itogami Island… I was worried, so I snuck into the airport and somehow ended up sneaking onto Lord Aradah's plane. Then I followed the three 'Kaleid Blood' to the island…"
"Wait—Lord Aradahl? Velesh Aradahl?"
At the mention of that infamous Warlord's Empire celebrity, Liana's expression shifted. "He came to Itogami too?"
Veldiana shook her head, "No, he didn't stay. Once we landed, Lord Aradahl let them all go off on their own. I originally wanted to follow all three, but only No. 5 allowed me to tag along."
"They were let go… just like that?"
Liana stood there dumbfounded.
The opportunity she had dreamed of for years… Velesh simply tossed it aside?
A strange mix of emotions churned in her chest. But this—this was her best chance.
"In that case, this just got much easier."
Liana lowered her voice and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "You've helped us a lot, Veldiana."
"Hehehe~ it wasn't much~" Veldiana grinned like a kid who'd been praised.
Liana walked over and stopped in front of No. 5, who was still calmly licking her ice cream.
"No. 5."
No. 5 glanced at her briefly but didn't respond.
That alone made Liana breathe a little easier.
She already knew the vessels of the primogenitors didn't have desires of their own—they only obeyed the one who awakened them, up until the Fourth primogenitor returned.
After all, the Caruana family had historically been caretakers of Kaleid Blood No. 1.
They lost their noble rank after being defeated by Balthazar Zaharias—their father killed in battle, territory stripped, and, most crucially, the loss of No. 1. That was the main reason for the attack.
So the Fourth primogenitor caused their downfall in a way—but he also represented their best hope for a comeback.
With that in mind, Liana didn't hesitate.
"The Original—His Majesty, the Fourth primogenitor—has awakened."
No. 5 paused mid-lick, then slowly turned to face her. Her voice was quiet and flat.
"Where?"
Liana forced herself to stay composed. "Most likely near the Witch of the Void… Natsuki Minamiya."
"Lead the way."
No. 5's tone remained completely neutral.
HELL YEAH!
Liana's heart practically leapt out of her chest, but she kept her cool.
"Please come with me."
"Nah, No.5 isn't going anywhere."
A deep male voice cut through the air.
Liana and Veldiana both froze. They turned to see a bearded middle-aged man in a black suit.
Balthazar Zaharias.
"ZAHARIAS!!!!"
Veldiana's eyes flared with fury as she recognized the man who'd killed their father. She reached to summon her Beast Vassal.
But behind Zaharias stood a girl wearing armor—another "Avrora".
"Balthazar Zaharias…" Liana growled through clenched teeth, eyes narrowing.
The other patrons in the dessert shop realized something was wrong. Some quietly called the police, but most? They bolted without even paying.
"Sir! Sir, your tab—!" The clerk chased after one of the fleeing customers, on the verge of tears.
Meanwhile, Zaharias smiled as he looked at Liana, motioning to one of his men.
A vampire stepped forward carrying a large case, opened it, and dumped stacks of 10,000-yen bills onto the counter.
"Here's forty million yen, cash. Think of it as a small apology. It's all yours."
Liana held Veldiana back and said coldly, "What are you after?"
Zaharias, still smiling, replied, "Miss Caruana, I believe we don't have any major conflict, do we?"
"You bastard!" Veldiana almost exploded.
He massacred their family and now had the nerve to say they had no conflict?
Unforgivable.
"What's your angle?"
Liana held her sister back while her eyes flicked to the three vessels behind Zaharias.
"No angle," Zaharias said casually, still smiling. "I'm simply here to purchase the doll in your possession."
"Three hundred million euros. I'll transfer it immediately. And if you'd like, I can even return your family's old territory."
Liana's eyes went blood red. "You—!"
Zaharias gave a graceful bow. "Please don't be rash. The dead can't be brought back. Surely your father wouldn't want you to die here on this little island, would he?"
"Besides, when it comes to dolls—we've got the overwhelming advantage."
As he spoke, the three dolls behind him lifted their heads… and stared directly at the ice cream in No. 5's hand.
Liana was instantly at a loss for words.
"Ho? Now this just got interesting."
A third voice—unexpected—cut in.
Zaharias looked up, only to see a gothic girl with jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes, twirling a parasol and smiling at them.
"If we're bidding now, I suppose I can add a higher number?"
"The Witch of the Void… Natsuki Minamiya," Zaharias muttered.
This just got complicated.
.
.
.