— — — — — —
Inside the apartment, Liana stared at the TV screen, confused by the sight of Zaharias nearly cleaved in half.
"…Did he just die?"
Was her family's centuries-old grudge just… settled like that?
For a moment, it all felt too surreal, too absurd to be real.
"Well, that's letting him off easy," Veldiana muttered beside her with a cold smirk, clearly enjoying the moment.
"He's not dead yet."
Natsuki said as she set down her teacup and reached for the parasol resting nearby. "Knowing Ryo, he's not going to let Zaharias die before squeezing out every last drop of usefulness."
"Ryo Yagami is the definition of a capitalist!"
She opened the parasol and stood up. "You girls stay here. I'm heading out."
"Okay~! Be careful, Lady Natsuki!" Veldiana chimed cheerfully, clearly in high spirits.
Natsuki gave her a side-eye and chuckled. "You really can't hide your thoughts, you little brat."
Veldiana stuck her tongue out but didn't argue.
Turning away, Natsuki glanced at the TV screen again, watching the image of the Quartz Tower. She let out a soft sigh.
"Guess it's finally time to see you again, Aya."
With those words, her figure vanished from the apartment.
…
Southeastern District — Quartz Tower
Ryo stood in silence, his usual smile fading as he looked at the five artificial dolls sleeping inside black coffins.
Below them, the ritual circle etched into the ground pulsed with red light, which slowly deepened into inky black—like congealed blood.
The Blazing Banquet had begun. It was siphoning the memories of hundreds of thousands of people, converting them into pure magical energy for the Fourth Primogenitor.
Natsuki appeared behind Ryo, parasol in hand, sighing like someone already resigned to their fate.
"Well, looks like I've officially boarded your pirate ship."
She knew full well what showing up here meant. Just standing at the site of the Banquet was enough to put her squarely on the "dangerous conspirator" list for Itogami Island's ruling elite.
Ryo didn't turn around, only chuckled. "What, already having second thoughts?"
"Absolutely. I regret this so much," she groaned, one hand on her hip and rolling her eyes. "If I'd known I'd run into you on Gozo Island, I never would've taken that damn snake's request."
"Now look at me—because of that guy, I'm stuck serving you like some glorified pack mule for the rest of my life. Total loss on my end."
Ryo grinned, his tone teasing. "You could still back out, you know."
"Oh, like hell I can..."
She knew full well Ryo wouldn't let her just walk away. And frankly, she wasn't the type to quit halfway either. If she'd made her decision, she was seeing it through.
Honestly, she had been sick of the world's bullshit for a while now.
Her lips curled into a smirk. "Guess that makes us co-conspirators now."
"Alright then. Let's see what the revival of the Fourth Primogenitor really looks like."
Ryo smiled faintly. Behind him, twelve ethereal wings of light unfolded. Seven of them already shimmered with radiant, rainbow hues.
They represented the souls of seven familiars that had already merged with him.
Shlunk!
The remaining five wings extended and pierced the bodies in the coffins. Slowly, color began to spread from the contact points—more rainbow light.
The Zodiac Familiars were synchronizing with Ryo one by one. Along with them came the flood of magical energy generated from the harvested memories.
That overflow of power, however, wasn't for Ryo himself. He channeled all of it into Avrora's body, repairing the damaged soul there.
And through it all, Ryo made no effort to contain his magic.
Vmmmmmm—!
The air itself began to hum and vibrate.
A tidal wave of energy radiated outward from him, spreading across the entire island.
Behind him, his third wing began to twitch and flicker.
The Third Familiar, Al-Meissa-Mercury, Gemini Tritos, The Serpentine Dragon of Mercury, the Dimension Eater.
Under Ryo's command, its devouring power shifted into vibration—an attack targeting the very stability of space itself. He was dragging the hidden Prison Barrier into the open by force.
"Seriously, you love making things complicated," Natsuki muttered, rolling her eyes again.
He could've just asked her to cooperate and forced the barrier out easily. But no—this man never did things the easy way.
Knowing him, he was probably testing out another overpowered technique. Just like the time he casually froze the Third Primogenitor with that ridiculous Diamond Dust.
"..."
Just then, Natsuki's image began to flicker, like a TV losing signal—her form breaking into black-and-white static.
"…You've forced it out already?"
She blinked in surprise, then turned to look at Koyomi who stood nearby, quietly observing everything.
"I'm leaving the rest to you while I'm gone."
Koyomi adjusted her glasses silently. No objections—she understood.
And with that, Natsuki's body vanished.
At the same time, Ryo opened his eyes.
His gaze pierced through the layers of reality, landing on a spot at the very edge of Itogami Island.
There, an ancient and weighty dark castle slowly emerged from the void, slipping into the physical world.
The Prison Barrier.
The legendary dream-prison from the island's urban myths had now fully manifested in the real world under the force of spatial interference.
With a flicker of motion, Ryo appeared at the entrance, pushed open the heavy doors, and stepped inside.
At the center of the ornate hall, with intricately patterned floors beneath her, Natsuki sat in a chair, fast asleep with her head tilted to the side.
"It's already morning, Natsuki-chan," Ryo said with a playful smile. "If you keep lazing around, I'll have to spank you~"
Her eyes snapped open, glaring at him in irritation.
"You dare?"
"Oh?" Ryo raised an eyebrow and took a step forward. "Let me try."
Seeing that, Natsuki's eye twitched. "Cut the crap. Just hurry up and hurt me."
"...Huh?"
Even Ryo was a little caught off guard by that request.
She huffed. "The barrier can be broken from the outside, but not by me from the inside. Let's just say it's my last bit of pride."
"You? Pride? No wait, you mean you can't violate your own demon contract?" Ryo muttered under his breath—just loud enough to echo through the hall.
"Talk less!"
She shot him another glare. Every single time! Why did this man always get under her skin so easily?
Ryo chuckled, raised a finger, and said softly, "Alright. Brace yourself."
Natsuki took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes.
Buzz—!
A brilliant golden light flared at Ryo's fingertip.
The ancient stone hall shook violently—and then collapsed in a deafening rumble, revealing the true inner structure beneath it.
As the castle crumbled, Ryo swept Natsuki into a bridal carry and stepped out of the ruins.
He lifted his head and looked up at the figures standing on the rooftop, one after another—silent Prisoners watching from above
And at the center of them all, his eyes locked onto a single person.
A stunning woman clad in an elegant ceremonial dress, her Pink eyes blazing with calm, otherworldly charm.
The Witch of the Notaria.
Aya Tokoyogi.
.
.
.