— — — — — —
Thanks to Ryo's sudden interruption, the already-tense atmosphere in the room got even more awkward.
For a solid ten seconds, the three of them just stood there in silence. Eventually, Natsuki was the first to snap.
Her face completely flushed—whether from anger or embarrassment was unclear—as she glared at Ryo and demanded, "Why the hell do you even know about the Black Bible?"
The moment she said it, both Ryo and Aya turned to look at her like she was dumb.
That's when Natsuki realized... yeah, that was a dumb question.
"You got the memory from the blood you drank, didn't you?"
When vampires feed on witches or mages—especially with certain rituals—they can absorb the target's memories. So when Natsuki took temporary control of the Sixth Familiar, he naturally inherited Natsuki's memories too… including the existence of the Black Bible.
"Looks like your relationship with him runs deeper than I thought," Aya murmured, her tone somewhere between mocking and jealous.
Natsuki, still red-faced, shot an annoyed glare at Ryo."Seriously, why are you so interested in the Black Bible anyway?"
"I was curious about how it nullifies magic," Ryo replied without hesitation, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Natsuki's eye twitched. Hard.
"Then go study it by yourself! Why drag Aya into this?"
Ryo, completely unfazed, responded calmly, "She used it before. I need her firsthand knowledge for reference."
That just made Natsuki even more agitated. "Do you know what she'll do once she gets her hands on the Black Bible again?"
"Let me guess. Try to erase all supernatural power from the world? Exterminate every demon, monster, and spirit out there? Create some perfect little magic-free society?"
Ryo raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Come on. You know Aya better than that. You think she could actually pull that off? She doesn't even have close to enough magical power."
Aya's expression twitched. Her face stiffened slightly.
Hard to say if she was more upset that Ryo used her first name so casually—or that he was openly insulting her magical capacity.
Probably the second one.
Because the truth was… he wasn't wrong.
Even if she did have the Black Bible again, Aya would've had to push herself to the absolute limit just to drain the magic from Itogami Island.
"But if she gets access to the Black Bible, she will use it to destroy Itogami Island," Natsuki muttered darkly.
Aya had a history, after all.
Itogami Island was built on a foundation of magic. Every structure was infused with enchanted materials. So when the Black Bible's power — the ability to reshape the world according to one's desires — activated with an anti-magic intent, it caused absolute havoc across the island.
Seven years ago, Aya had tried something just like that—and Natsuki had barely managed to stop her.
That was the moment their friendship shattered.
One side wanted to protect their school, their friends. The other was chasing some grand mission, no matter the cost.
Two stubborn witches, once close… now enemies.
"Then just plant a suggestion in her head. Program her not to use it on Itogami Island," Ryo offered casually, throwing up his hands. "That's what this is all about, isn't it?"
Aya's eye twitched again, but before she could say anything, Natsuki snapped her fingers and said, "Fine. Whatever. Do what you want."
With that, the Witch of the Void dropped back onto the sofa like nothing happened, picked up her tea, and took a calm sip.
Aya's expression twisted slightly in frustration.
Before she could say anything else, Ryo gently took her hand and led her toward the stairs.
But as they were heading up, Aya threw a bitter remark over her shoulder. "Natsuki, the things you care so much about… they're meaningless."
"I knew you were doing this to get at me, but if you truly cared about the Island and its people, then you should have helped me back then!!"
Natsuki slammed her cup down on the table with a loud clack, shouting in frustration.
"Out of every possible place in the world, why did you have to use the Black Bible on Itogami Island? Why did you have to target Saikai Academy? Why use the lives of students as your power source?! You were clearly targeting me!"
If Aya had used the Black Bible anywhere else seven years ago, would they have ended up enemies?
Maybe not.
Honestly, if it had involved a bunch of strangers, Natsuki might've just looked the other way. Her best friend vs. strange people? No contest.
But Aya had chosen the one place Natsuki cherished most—and used the most forbidden magic in the worst possible way.
There was no other way to see it—it had been personal.
Aya turned, her crimson eyes sharp and cold. "And yet you still cling to those fake emotions—fed to you by the Island Management Bureau. How pathetic."
Natsuki shot to her feet, glaring right back. "Sure, they set things up. But I chose what to do with it."
"That's just surrendering to the fate they assigned you!" Aya's voice actually cracked with anger for the first time. "They just wanted to use you."
"You were just a pawn to them!"
"I know that! But what the hell was I supposed to do?!" Natsuki finally exploded, her voice trembling with rage.
"Even if the Black Bible had worked, what then?! All my friends—everyone on the island—would've died. And in the end, you'd be alone. The Aldegyr Kingdom, Warlord's Empire, Fallen Dynasty and even Chaos Zone would've retaliated. Everyone would die for nothing. Is that what you wanted?! Is that fun for you?!"
"…If you'd helped me back then, we could've handled the backlash—even taken on the Three Primogenitors together."
Aya's voice dropped, just slightly uncertain now.
"Why don't you say that again… in front of Ryo Yagami?"
Natsuki let out a dry laugh, folding her arms. "Go ahead. Tell me—just the two of us. What exactly do you think we'd have accomplished?"
Aya froze. She didn't respond. She couldn't even look at Ryo… or at Natsuki.
Even if she had the Black Bible… even if she had Natsuki at her side… could the two of them really stand up to someone like Ryo?
Judging by the look on Natsuki's face… probably not.
And if he was that strong, what about the other three Primogenitors?
They had ruled the world for so long for a reason. That kind of power wasn't luck or hype.
In the end, Aya realized the truth: her plan from seven years ago would've only led to one thing—everyone dying together.
She had no comeback. No words.
Ryo glanced at the now-fuming Natsuki. After a brief moment of thought, he figured it was best to give the two of them some space to cool off.
With that, he took Aya's hand and led her upstairs toward the guest room.
Natsuki let out a frustrated snort and slumped back into the couch, taking several deep breaths.
Then her gaze fell to the tea cup she'd slammed on the table—its rim now chipped.
"Ugh… a thousand euros a piece… and it's a set…" she muttered in despair. "Damn me… It's ruined now."
She sat there for a while, visibly grieving the damage.
Eventually, she sighed and got up to brew another cup of tea.
But just as she was about to head to the kitchen, her eyes drifted toward the kimono draped over the sofa…
Wait a second.
That kimono belonged to Aya. And Ryo just… took her upstairs.
To their room.
To her room, only in a bathrobe.
Natsuki froze.
Then—
"Wait a damn minute!! RYO—WHO DID YOU JUST TAKE TO MY ROOM?!"
She immediately activated a space magic portal and bolted upstairs in a panic.
.
.
.