The white dress she wore seemed thin and light, yet it suited her perfectly.
Giada paid no attention to Lianna and the two young vampires kneeling behind Vatler. Compared to Vatler—whose power was second only to that of a Primogenitor—the three were hardly worth acknowledging.
"As you command."
Vatler responded smoothly to Giada's casual words, then rose gracefully from his kneeling posture.
Seeing their master stand, Lianna and the others quickly followed, quietly returning to their positions behind him. None of them dared to make a sound.
"Aside from us, the Chaos Dominion, which other factions have you invited tonight?" Giada asked lightly.
"I'll let you find out for yourself soon enough. They should be arriving shortly," Vatler replied with a calm smile, deliberately withholding the full guest list.
As soon as his words fell, a third voice echoed across the deck.
"We're not late... are we?"
Everyone turned toward the sound, and in the next moment, two figures—one tall, one short—appeared before them.
"My, my... what a surprise. I didn't expect someone as distinguished as you to grace this remote 'Demon District' in the Far East. It seems our old master made quite the mistake by not joining us tonight."
Vatler's expression shifted to one of genuine astonishment. He hadn't expected the Second Primogenitor to personally appear here.
After all, it had been over a decade since that individual last left his domain.
Just like when he'd greeted Giada earlier, Vatler immediately dropped to one knee before the newcomers. Naturally, Lianna and the others followed his lead without hesitation.
"Welcome, Second Primogenitor, and Prince Iblisveil Aziz!"
As Vatler raised his gaze, his eyes glimmered with excitement and a faint battle-hungry spark as he looked upon the newcomer's beautiful face.
Standing before him was a striking figure dressed in an elegant black suit—a glamorous youth with long purple hair tied into twin tails and a flawless, porcelain complexion.
This was none other than the ruler of the Extinction Dynasty, one of the Three Night Empires, known across the world as the Prince of Dynasty of Destruction—the Second Primogenitor.
Though he appeared to be a beautiful girl of about fifteen, his true identity was that of a man.
But to him, gender was irrelevant—beauty was his ultimate pursuit.
Beside him stood a smaller figure: the Second Primogenitor's direct descendant and Ninth Prince of the Extinction Dynasty, Iblisveil Aziz.
"Such an amusing... development. How could I possibly miss such a spectacle... hm~?" The Second Primogenitor spoke with a faint, teasing smile, his tone languid and musical.
He paid no heed to Vatler's subservient demeanor. Instead, his gaze drifted toward Giada in the distance, a familiar, playful expression lighting his face.
"It's been quite some time... hasn't it, Princess of Chaos~?"
At the sight of his smile, Giada's previously relaxed expression turned sharp. Her dazzling emerald eyes narrowed slightly, betraying rare caution.
The ever-proud ruler of the Chaos Dominion seldom showed such visible emotion.
"Prince of Destruction, I didn't expect you to leave your den. Knowing your temperament, you wouldn't come all the way to Itogami Island just for the Fourth Primogenitor, would you?"
Her tone was cold but steady.
The Second Primogenitor's smile didn't falter.
"Oh, my purpose here isn't merely the Fourth Primogenitor... You've heard the rumors, haven't you? The one said to be stronger than the 'Witch of the Void'... Aren't you even a little curious?"
"Curious, perhaps. But how certain are you that this report is true?"
"That's exactly why I came—to see it for myself. You came here for the same reason... didn't you?"
"I won't deny it," Giada admitted with a faint smile. "But more importantly, they stole several of my 'Kaleid Blood' cores. Naturally, I came to demand an explanation~."
"Oh? Is that so...~?"
To the Primogenitors, those so-called 'Kaleid Blood' vessels were little more than playthings—dolls, nothing of true value. The Second Primogenitor naturally didn't believe Giada had come to Itogami Island merely because a few of her vessels had been stolen.
He smiled faintly, choosing not to expose her pretense, and instead turned his gaze toward the distant road.
"It seems... we have more guests arriving~."
Following his words, everyone—including Giada—shifted their eyes toward the portside road. There, a convoy of five luxury cars was slowly approaching the cruise ship.
Trailing behind them was an unremarkable, ordinary-looking sedan.
Moments later, the convoy and the sedan came to a stop beside the ship. The doors of the four front and rear vehicles opened simultaneously, and from each stepped four young men and women dressed in black suits and dark sunglasses.
Sixteen in total—clearly elite bodyguards. They swiftly surrounded the central car, taking up defensive positions and covering every angle of potential attack.
Two of them moved to the rear doors, opened them simultaneously—and from within stepped two figures, one tall and one small.
The first was a towering man over two meters tall, his muscular frame exuding raw power. A massive battle axe was strapped across his back.
Beside him stood a petite, silver-haired girl whose beauty rivaled even that of Giada and the Second Primogenitor.
After stepping out of the car, the two didn't immediately approach the ship. Instead, they turned their eyes toward the modest sedan that had followed behind them.
Within seconds, the driver's and passenger doors opened—and once again, two figures emerged, one large and one small.
The first was a rugged man wearing a traditional black kimono-like garment, while beside him stood a twin-tailed schoolgirl with braided pigtails and round glasses.
Noticing the gaze from the tall man and the silver-haired girl, the pair exchanged a brief look before walking toward them.
Before they even reached one another, the burly man in the traditional garb laughed heartily and spoke first:
"Were you two waiting for us, King Lucas Rihavein—and Princess La Folia Rihavein?"
Lucas laughed in return, his deep voice carrying warmth and confidence.
"Of course. I didn't expect the two of you—two of the Three Saints of the Lion King Organization—to show up together."
"Well, since even His Majesty of the Aldegyr Kingdom himself made the trip, it wouldn't do for us to stay behind, now would it~?"
Standing before one another were four of the most influential figures in their respective realms: King Lucas Rihavein and Princess La Folia Rihavein of the Aldegyr Kingdom, along with Munechika Hedate—one of the Lion King Organization's Three Saints—and Koyomi Shizuka, who had recently inherited the title and position of the "Paper Noise."
"Good evening to you both," said La Folia with a graceful smile, lifting the hem of her white gown in a refined curtsy that perfectly reflected her royal upbringing.
"Good evening, Your Highness," replied Munechika politely, while Koyomi simply nodded, her beautiful face remaining as expressionless as ever.
After that brief exchange, the four said no more and proceeded together toward the cruise ship.
Neither Lucas nor La Folia brought their guards aboard, leaving them stationed by the cars instead.
Before long, the group of four ascended the gangway and stepped onto the brightly lit deck—where the gathered vampires turned their gazes toward them.
"It seems our decision to come personally was the right one indeed," Lucas said with a courteous smile. "To think both the Second and Third Primogenitors themselves would attend this banquet—it's a great honor to have received this invitation."
The moment his eyes met those of Giada and the Second Primogenitor, Lucas bowed respectfully. Although the Aldegyr Kingdom was a major power in its own right, it still paled in comparison to the might of the Three Night Empires.
Compared to the Primogenitors, King Lucas's standing was far inferior—his power, no matter how great, could never bridge the chasm between mortals and true ancestors.
...
Nearly ten minutes passed. Only thirty seconds remained before the banquet's scheduled start, yet the key guests—Natsuki Minamiya and her companions—had not yet arrived.
Even so, Vatler and the others on deck remained composed. Not one of them showed irritation or impatience at their absence.
As each second ticked away, the final countdown to ten o'clock began.
Ten... nine... eight... seven...
When the clock struck exactly ten, spatial ripples suddenly shimmered across the open deck.
Sensing the familiar pulse of space magic, Vatler and the others turned their eyes toward it—just as the figures of Natsuki Minamiya and Avrora materialized before them.
At that same instant, within the chat group, a system notification chimed softly as a new live broadcast room opened.
Several idle members of the group instantly joined the stream—among them Eriri, Arifureta, and Shinobu, who had chosen not to attend the banquet in person.
The moment they entered, they were greeted with the sight of Natsuki Minamiya dressed in her gothic lolita attire, standing beside the elegantly dressed Avrora—facing Giada, La Folia, and the assembled dignitaries.
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 7, Stage 2): Finally! A livestream! Have they already arrived at the venue?]
When Natsuki had received the invitation, she had mentioned it in the group chat, asking Eriri whether she wished to attend as well.
Since Eriri wasn't particularly interested in such gatherings, she declined—but she did suggest that Natsuki stream the event live, in case something entertaining happened.
Given Natsuki's overwhelming power, no one in the group worried about her safety. If anything, they were looking forward to some spectacle.
Of course, if necessary, Eriri wouldn't hesitate to tear open space herself and intervene directly.
[Kuroneko (Level 7, Stage 2): Isn't it obvious? Just look—there's the Second and Third Primogenitors, and even La Folia. This lineup's insane.]
[Risa Shiramine (Level 7, Stage 1): Looks like a pretty high-class banquet.]
[Risa Shiramine (Level 7, Stage 1): On deck alone, we've got the Warlord's Dominion, the Extinction Dynasty, the Chaos Dominion, the Aldegyr Kingdom, and the Lion King Organization. I wonder if there are more factions inside the ship.]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Doesn't matter how many show up—we're just here to watch~.]
[Moeha Fujiwara (Level 7, Stage 1): True enough!]
[...]
While the group chatted casually in the livestream, Natsuki and Avrora faced Giada and the others across the deck.
"It's been a while, Witch of the Void."
Giada took several graceful steps forward, stopping less than two meters away from Natsuki and Avrora. Her emerald eyes locked onto Natsuki, blazing with fierce fighting intent.
Ever since her previous defeat at Natsuki's hands, Giada had longed for another battle—an opportunity to reclaim her pride.
Among her familiars was one whose very nature was spatial—a beast that was a dimension in itself. Yet even with that power, she had been utterly defeated by Natsuki, who wielded space with effortless mastery.
It was a loss Giada had never truly accepted.
At the time, Natsuki hadn't been strong enough to completely overwhelm her, which had only deepened Giada's conviction that, with the right preparation, she could one day turn the tables.
Perhaps that was the very reason the proud Chaos Princess had deigned to attend this banquet at all.
"Giada Kukulkan... I didn't expect to see you here," Natsuki said flatly, her tone calm and devoid of surprise.
"To be honest, I came for only one reason—to fight you again. I've been preparing for this for quite some time."
"Is that so..."
Natsuki's expression remained impassive. Giada's declaration stirred no visible emotion in her.
"If you're so eager to taste defeat once more," she said evenly, "then I'll gladly oblige you."
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