The magic controlling the light sword surfaced in his mind—likely just the tip of the iceberg of his current strength. No one knew how much power Narcissus now wielded or to what extent he had grown stronger.
"From the fact that he coincidentally saved Kojou, it seems he's likely targeting the Fourth True Ancestor too. Once he deems his strength sufficient, probably..."
Though they had only exchanged a few words, he could tell that young man wasn't the type to take losses lying down!
"Hey, old man, what are you thinking about?"
Kojou Akatsuki's cursing voice reached his ears.
"No, nothing."
Kojou Akatsuki shook his head indifferently, pulling his thoughts back.
"Now that you know about your friend's past, what are your thoughts?"
"Thoughts?"
Kojou was taken aback, then seed to rember and started pondering.
"Hmm... Aki was innocent from start to finish."
He let out a long sigh, his expression clearly turning displeased.
"He didn't do anything wrong, right? He was just forced by so bad adults. I've known him for so long—though that guy's mouth can be nasty, he's not a bad person!"
Innocent, huh.
Such a youthful perspective.
I hope you'll still think that way before long.
Kojou Akatsuki's expression turned peculiar.
"By the way, have you seen his face?"
"Of course I have!"
Speaking of this, Kojou got angry.
Damn it, why does soone that handso exist in this world?
It wasn't just discouraging—it was enough to make him lose confidence as a man.
That was exactly how he felt when he first saw him.
"I see, then I'm relieved!"
Kojou Akatsuki, however, sighed in relief.
"You've seen his face but your thoughts remain your own, which proves he hasn't used charm on you. At the very least, he still considers you a friend."
If he had been chard, Kojou should have been so outraged upon learning his past that he'd grab a sword and storm the Pri Minister's office.
"He wouldn't do that to a friend!"
Understanding Kojou Akatsuki's aning, Kojou felt warmth in his heart.
That guy could easily make the world his, yet he still mingled with ordinary people like him, Kisaki, and Asagi—proving he genuinely saw them as friends.
It gave him a unique sense of accomplishnt.
"By the way, has he used charm on Mimori?"
Kojou Akatsuki suddenly leaned in sneakily, unable to hide his tension.
"Huh?"
Kojou first looked confused, then suddenly snapped back to reality.
"N-no way, right?"
"Hard to say. Who knows what that kid's preferences are?"
"Uh... I think he ntioned liking big waves..."
"Hmm... Mimori!"
Kojou Akatsuki clutched his chest in agony.
Mimori Akatsuki had big waves—exactly matching his preferences!
"Kojou, when you get ho, you must test Mimori properly! Our family's happiness depends entirely on you!"
"Cut it out! You're never ho—what right do you have to say that?!"
"All for Nagisa's sake!"
"Then how do you explain your womanizing?"
"Ah, well..."
Kojou Akatsuki imdiately grew guilty.
Kojou Akatsuki shot him a look of utter disdain.
Still, he decided he needed to thoroughly probe Mimori.
Not for Kojou Gajou—that bastard dad had it coming—but to prevent a classmate from becoming his stepfather!
...
Zacharias's expression was grim.
On the wide asphalt road, two Ghoul subordinates and a blonde girl followed steadily behind him, maintaining a fixed distance as they shadowed his steps.
His foul mood was palpable.
"Lord Zacharias, shall we take action to seize the Twelfth?"
One of the Ghoul subordinates shifted his broad shoulders, a low voice simring with killing intent.
"No, there's no need to rush."
Zacharias shook his head, rejecting the proposal.
"The Twelfth is a special vessel, and her master is rely a boy—hardly a threat. We can seize her anyti. The priority now is to secure the other vessels."
His triangular eyes glead with ferocity, yet his tone remained composed, revealing a deeply calculating mind.
"Understood."
The Ghoul subordinate acknowledged in a low voice.
"Has that fallen noble girl been captured?"
After so deliberation, Zacharias's mood improved noticeably as he questioned his subordinates behind him.
"Yes, she was captured by our people shortly after escaping MAR."
"Take to her."
"Yes."
The four figures departed from North Island, heading toward the direction of East Island's harbor.
At that mont, two massive cruise ships dominated the view at East Island Harbor.
One of them, a four-hundred-ter-long giant, was the Oceanus Grave, owned by Vatler, a noble of the Warring States Dominion. Its colossal hull stood out as the most eye-catching presence in the entire harbor.
Zacharias glanced warily at the enormous ship.
Vatler, known as the monster closest to the True Ancestor, possessed unfathomable power and was not to be provoked lightly. Dealing with such an opponent required careful strategizing.
"Hmm?"
Zacharias suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise.
Had he just glimpsed an erald-green figure on the deck of that cruise ship?
"An illusion?"
The figure vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving Zacharias to mutter to himself.
Yet, that vaguely familiar silhouette stirred a subtle sense of panic within him.
The group bypassed the cruise ship and arrived at the other side of the harbor.
Here lay a large cruise ship about a hundred ters long. Though it paled in comparison to Vatler's vessel, it was still considered quite luxurious in this port.
Descending a lowered staircase, Zacharias and his companions boarded the ship.
They proceeded directly to the lower deck, entering a narrow, prison-like room.
"Zacharias...!"
Inside the room, a girl was shackled with chains on her wrists and ankles, bound tightly to a load-bearing column, unable to move. She could only grit her teeth and glare at him with a hatred so intense it seed she wished to devour him alive.
Her brown long hair and assassin-like appearance imdiately revealed her identity.
"It's been a long ti, Miss Veldiana. Since your territory was seized and your family slaughtered, this is our first eting, isn't it?"
Zacharias straightened his collar, elegantly basking in her venomous gaze.
"You bastard! I curse you to hell and...!"
"Bang!"
Before Veldiana could fully unleash her clumsy tirade, a gunshot suddenly rang out.
Her body abruptly tilted sideways.
Veldiana looked down in disbelief.
Her right leg had vanished from the thigh down, the shattered limb lying on the ground like mud, blood flowing incessantly.
"Ah... AAAAAAAAAH!"
Excruciating pain washed over her, forcing a piercing scream from her lips.
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