Chapter 354: To Be or Not to Be, Make Your Choice
"The galloping electric light, this is the fifth Vessel of the Night Lord of the Blazing Light recorded in the annals, Regulus-Aurum."
Aya guessed what Yotsuba Mahiro was thinking and was about to speak in tacit understanding, but the voice came from elsewhere.
It was a woman.
Judging by her appearance, she was around seventeen or eighteen years old, at most twenty.
Her deep brown, nearly black long hair fluttered in the wind like a stream of silk.
She wore a black leather dress with a camel-colored trench coat over it, a rather incongruous combination in terms of fashion style. In her hand, she carried a large metal suitcase, walking briskly toward them.
She looked somewhat travel-worn, with a hint of an assassin's style.
But what drew more attention was her wrist—beneath her sleeve, faintly visible, was a metal bracelet: a Demon Registration Bracelet!
The woman's identity was self-evident.
However, when she approached within five meters and caught sight of the rainbow-haired little girl following Yotsuba Mahiro, her steps suddenly halted. She was no longer as hurried and urgent as before, instead becoming cautious.
Her crimson eyes were fixed intently on Avrora, tears welling up in their depths.
"My lord... it really is you. I never thought you would awaken without using the Coffin Key!"
Avrora looked at the woman, tilting her head slightly in confusion. But meeting that fervent gaze, all the words Avrora had intended to say were swallowed back, and she timidly hid behind Mahiro.
"Mmm... I don't know you."
None of the courage she had shown earlier when facing the lightning remained.
Well, the little vampire was still as shy as ever.
Treated this way, the woman seemed to deflate, her body swaying slightly as she took two steps back. She opened her mouth but remained speechless for a long while.
Just as she mustered her courage, her words were stolen by someone else.
"Heh, I wondered who it was. So it's the second daughter of the Karnstein family, Miss Veldiana, who has also come to Itogami Island. Could it be that after your sister Liana failed to seize a Vessel and was killed, you now want to seize another Vessel during the Flame Light Banquet, trying to become an Elector through opportunism?"
The merciless words made the woman's face turn even paler.
And the source of this voice came from another direction—the direction from which the earlier attack had occurred.
There, besides the fifth Vessel, stood another man.
He was a slender middle-aged man in a suit, flanked by two figures dressed entirely in black, like bodyguards.
In addition, another little girl stood beside the man.
She appeared similar to Avrora, sharing a resemblance in features, but her attire was different.
She wore protective clothing made of reinforced fiber, resembling a denim suit, with inorganic Roman numerals printed on the surface. Like the fifth Vessel, she seemed like an inorganic weapon.
Similarly expressionless, with the same golden hair and a pair of eyes glowing with blue-white light like flames.
The man noticed Yotsuba Mahiro's gaze resting on the loli beside him. He made no attempt to conceal it; instead, he lightly pushed the loli's back, openly presenting her to Mahiro.
"Are you interested in them?"
These people... Yotsuba Mahiro was at a loss for words to describe them.
It was like a fashion show, with each one making an appearance.
Adhering to the principle of waiting and planning to deal with them all at once, Mahiro did not immediately respond to the man's question. Instead, he calmly withdrew his gaze.
He continued to wait.
However, the woman who had just addressed Avrora as "my king" could no longer restrain herself.
Veldiana trembled violently, glaring at the man with what seemed like a deep-seated hatred, and roared through gritted teeth:
"Balthazar, you despicable bastard! How dare you show your face here? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?!"
The woman's voice was filled with rage, but to the man, it sounded like the mournful cry of a stray dog. He had no intention of paying her any mind. Instead, he smiled and introduced himself to Yotsuba Mahiro:
"You must be the rumored Yotsuba Mahiro, the one who escaped the Prison Barrier with the Witch of the Notaria and Meiga Itogami, correct? Allow me to introduce myself. I am the leader of the 'Nilepsi Autonomous Government'—Balthazar Zaharias."
"I have come here today to propose a transaction with you."
Though his words were flattering and his tone cheerful, there was not a trace of humanity in the man's eyes.
To him, everyone seemed like a commodity to be bought and sold.
This kind of gaze disgusted both Aya and Mahiro. Aya even wanted to take action, but Mahiro subtly held her wrist to stop her.
His pupils also underwent a change.
The Copy Eyes activated instantly!
In the span of a single breath, he had already analyzed the man's body. There was nothing special about it—just trash that could be killed with a flick of the wrist.
Yet, before the man, a strange crystalline shield materialized, shimmering with a gem-like luster under the setting sun.
At the same time, the third Vessel girl bearing the name of the Night Lord of the Blazing Light made her appearance.
"Hah, so afraid of death?" Mahiro spoke lightly, a mocking curve forming at the corner of his mouth.
Faced with Yotsuba Mahiro's taunt, the man seemed unfazed and continued to smile:
"I have no choice but to be cautious. I am well aware of your power, Mr. Yotsuba Mahiro. Killing someone as insignificant as me would be as easy as crushing an ant. You don't even regard the Lion King Organization with any concern."
"Not to mention, you have the Witch of the Notaria—who once sought to overturn the world—by your side."
"If you know all this in such detail, you still dare to come and propose a transaction to me? You have quite the nerve. Aren't you afraid I'll strip you of your Elector qualification?"
His calm, arrogant demeanor and declaration, akin to that of a ruler, made Aya glance at him in surprise.
It was as if she was rediscovering the man who had already occupied most of her heart.
She had always thought of Yotsuba Mahiro as a laid-back man who cared deeply for those close to him, living a simple life. This was the first time she had seen this side of him.
Having experienced many worlds, served as an imperial tutor, and also acted as a royal instructor, it was only natural for him to possess such an aura of looking down upon everything.
Yet this seemed to have no effect on the man before him, as if he held some absolute territory, utterly unafraid.
"I understand perfectly, but please don't rush, sir."
Zaharias crossed his arms, nodding heavily as if in agreement.
"Forgive my boldness, but allow me to introduce the Ninth here. She was imprisoned within the former Caruana County territory of the Warlord's Empire and liberated with the assistance of our Nepalese forces—
The Ninth Vessel of the Night Lord of the Blazing Light!"
Zaharias extended a hand, introducing the girl he had stared at the longest from the beginning.
Golden curls and snow-white skin.
The reinforced fiber bodysuit clinging to her skin further accentuated her luxurious curves.
A girl with a different style from Avrora but equally adorable.
Upon hearing his introduction, Avrora instinctively clung to Mahiro's back, feeling somewhat resistant toward the sisters appearing one after another.
Meanwhile, Veldiana's pretty face twisted almost into a grimace. Liberated? It was clearly these scoundrels who broke into the Caruana territory and stole her!
They even killed her father and all the people in the territory!
Even her sister, Liana Caruana, died at the hands of this scoundrel when she sought revenge afterward!
But under the current circumstances, Veldiana dared not speak up again.
She knew all too well that if she spoke recklessly, everyone's attention would fall on her. In the end, not only would her own goals be unattainable, but even whether she could leave alive would become a question.
Seeing that this foolish woman did not act, Zaharias felt a hint of regret inwardly but continued:
"Mr. Yotsuba Mahiro, you should be able to imagine just how dangerous these beings are.
After all, the Fourth Primogenitor possesses power equal to or greater than the other three Progenitors, and there are twelve of them in total.
Though incomplete, once a situation arises where the Vessels of the Fourth Primogenitor turn on each other, no one will be able to stop it!"
As he spoke, Zaharias accompanied his words with body language, trembling his shoulders as if truly afraid, then smiled again.
"But please rest assured, my profession is in the trade industry, primarily dealing in weaponry.
Though criticized by some as a merchant of death, in terms of weapon management, I pride myself on having no equal!"
"So?"
By this point, Mahiro had already grasped the underlying meaning.
"So, you intend to buy the Twelfth Vessel, Avrora, from me?"
"Exactly! I will offer you, Mr. Yotsuba Mahiro, the most satisfactory price, as long as you sell the Twelfth to me."
"Alright, no problem. But I'm afraid you can't afford the price."
Mahiro smiled brightly as he agreed to the request.
Avrora immediately tightened her grip around Mahiro's waist, almost voicing her unwillingness to leave him. Even Yuuma and Nagisa Akatsuki wore expressions of confusion.
But before they could speak, Est, standing nearby, began to comfort them.
Having accompanied Mahiro for so long, Est was well aware of Yotsuba Mahiro's temperament. He never smiled like that under normal circumstances, but once such a smile appeared, it meant someone was about to face misfortune.
However, Zaharias had no idea and even cooperatively thumped his chest with force.
"Don't worry, whatever price Mr. Yotsuba Mahiro names, I can definitely afford it! Just tell me how much you want."
Zaharias had this confidence—as an arms dealer, wealth and money were merely numbers to him!
Whether it was fifty billion or a hundred billion, he could produce it all!
But he wanted to possess the Fourth Primogenitor; only then could he obtain supreme power and establish his own Dominion!
By that time, he would no longer fear the other three Progenitors!
"Is that so? But what I want isn't money—it's your life!"
In an instant, surging magical energy stirred within Mahiro's body, radiating an intimidation that even Avrora—one of the Vessels of the Fourth Primogenitor and its overseer—could not match in the slightest!
He was furious.
Not because the other party wanted to purchase Avrora, but because after waiting for so long, only this trash was here spouting nonsense!
Damn it, what a waste of time!
"Spell Disintegration!"
Magical energy instantly gathered and rushed fiercely toward the protective shield of the gemstone crystal.
"Haha, useless, useless, Mr. Yotsuba Mahiro. This shield comes from—"
Crack!
A shattering sound abruptly cut off Zaharias's laughter. His eyes widened instantly, and even his voice trembled faintly.
"H-how is this possible?!"
A crack suddenly appeared on the protective shield before him, and it was continuously expanding!
In less than three seconds, the protection completely shattered!
"Impossible!"
Zaharias shouted, grabbing the hand of the first Vessel, Blut, and roared the command:
"Come forth, Mesarthim-Adamas—"
In that moment, as if to protect Zaharias, a massive Beast Vassal emerged from the void.
A monster of incomprehensible strength—
A large-horned ram with a body of diamond.
Thousands upon thousands of gemstone crystals materialized around the Beast Vassal, forming a shield to protect Zaharias.
Originally, Mahiro intended to follow up with another Mist Dispersion, but his peripheral vision suddenly caught a glimpse of a strand of flowing golden hair fluttering behind Zaharias, and he immediately abandoned his initial plan.
Mockingly, he mouthed a phrase to the man—
"Idiot, go die."
Swish, swish, swish—
Three slashes in one second.
Before Zaharias could even process what had happened, he felt the world spin around him.
Immediately after, he saw his own body and that of his bodyguard, all sliced to pieces.
Simultaneously, a golden-haired elf in black tactical gear stood behind him, a steel-colored Holy Sword in hand, stained with blood.
"When... did this happen?"
He never managed to voice that question, as his consciousness plunged into eternal darkness.
"Mahiro, I'm back."
Alpha stepped forward, kicking aside the bothersome head, a bright smile appearing on her long-unseen, lovely face.
Mahiro also stepped forward, crushing Zaharias's chest underfoot, along with a rib from the First Vessel.
Through this rib that did not belong to him, this man had begun transforming himself from a human into a Vampire.
And by using this rib, he could better control the Beast Vassal residing within the First Vessel, becoming a Blood Servant of the Fourth Primogenitor.
But what was the use?
Trash is trash.
Even if he became a Blood Servant, so what?
Immortal?
With the rib shattered, he still had to die.
"Boss, there's still me!!!"
At that moment, Delta also rushed over, throwing herself into Yotsuba Mahiro's arms. Despite her wild nature, the girl with a delicate face gently nuzzled against his chest.
Like a pet seeking its master's affection.
But immediately after, a slender foot clad in a high-heeled boot stomped hard on Delta's head, nearly driving it into her neck.
The owner of that foot stood atop Delta, embracing Mahiro.
"Master, I'm back."
It was Zeta.
Her long cat tail gently coiled around Mahiro's wrist, placing his hand atop her golden short hair.
But before she could nuzzle for long, Delta abruptly scrambled up from the ground, her fur bristling.
"You little she-cat! Don't you dare get close to the boss!"
"Who are you to tell me what to do, stupid dog!"
Like natural enemies, the dog and cat immediately began fighting.
Seeing this scene, Aya still felt a slight pang of jealousy.
But she knew these girls—they were the ones Mahiro had summoned out of thin air back at the castle, something called Shadow Garden.
Through the library organization, she had also paid some attention to these girls' deeds.
It could be said that in carrying out their missions, they had thrown the world into chaos, even venturing into the territories of the three great Dominions—the Warlord's Empire, the Dynasty of Destruction, and the Chaos Zone—to seize Vessels.
Powerful and utterly disregarding the Progenitors.
Now, appearing once again before Yotsuba Mahiro, they acted like pets.
"Alright, Delta, Zeta, stop fooling around."
As soon as Mahiro spoke, Delta and Zeta indeed stopped. They still gripped each other's hair, neither letting go, but they ceased fighting, both turning their heads away from each other.
"You've worked hard, Alpha."
He smiled at the elven girl who had remained silent all this time, but Alpha shook her head and said:
"No, this is what I should do. Moreover, this mission was not carried out smoothly."
Hearing Alpha say this, Mahiro grew curious and cast a questioning glance toward Delta and Zeta.
In response, the dog and cat immediately hung their heads in dejection.
He couldn't help but turn his gaze back to Alpha.
"What happened?"
"It was my fault for inadequate supervision."
Alpha took full responsibility, but before her words faded, another voice spoke up.
"It wasn't Alpha-sama's fault at all! It was all because of that stupid dog, Delta!"
It was Beta. The silver-haired, short-haired elf adjusted her glasses and spoke, immediately drawing a furious glare from Delta.
"It wasn't Delta's fault!"
"Really, it wasn't?"
Beta narrowed her eyes at Delta and retorted expressionlessly.
As a result, Delta's imposing aura immediately deflated, her wagging tail even drooping to the ground.
But this only left Mahiro utterly confused, completely unable to understand.
"What exactly is going on?"
"Allow me to explain, Mahiro-sama."
Supported by Nu to prevent her from stumbling along the way, Gamma gracefully approached and recounted the events of this period.
Initially, following the orders issued by Yotsuba Mahiro, their Shadow Garden had indeed seized the Second, Seventh, and Eighth Vessels.
However, a mishap occurred when attempting to seize the Tenth Vessel, December.
The Tenth, December, was a special Vessel with the ability to manipulate minds. Although that power couldn't completely interfere with the members of Shadow Garden, it still had some effect, such as stimulating Delta's battle lust.
Moreover, the Tenth was under the supervision of the Third Progenitor, the Chaos Bride, so before they could take the Tenth away, they attracted the attention of the Chaos Bride.
Then Delta fought the Chaos Bride.
The outcome was that the Tenth was lost, Delta was defeated, and it took her half a month to recover.
After hearing this, Mahiro burst into laughter and said dismissively:
"So it's just something like that. It's fine if it's gone, no big deal. Anyway, the Flame Light Banquet has already begun. All those who possess Vessels will come to this artificial island. We can just round them all up at once then."
The order back then was merely a whim, intended to speed up the commencement of the Flame Light Banquet.
"And, after all, I bear some responsibility in this matter as well."
"No, it's not your fault!"
Whether it was Alpha, Beta, or Gamma, even Zeta and Delta all spoke in unison.
They had sworn long ago that their purpose was to help Mahiro resolve all troubles.
Now, not only had they failed to assist Mahiro, but they were also forgiven by such a magnanimous Mahiro-sama, making them feel even more ashamed.
"Alright, don't blame yourselves. I said it's not your fault, understand?"
Mahiro used a slightly forceful tone to comfort the girls a little, though it didn't have much effect.
However, he had confirmed one thing: when that arms dealer appeared, the Flame Light Banquet had indeed already begun.
That was enough.
Then, his gaze fell upon the hesitant female Vampire, and he smiled:
"From what that trash just said, I gather you want to take Avrora away from me?"
The moment she was stared at, Veldiana immediately felt her hair stand on end. Without any semblance of dignity, she frantically shook her head and hurriedly denied:
"N-no, that's not it! I just... want to follow in my king's footsteps..."
As she spoke, Veldiana suddenly knelt on the ground, like a loyal subject, and said respectfully:
"My king, I will represent the Karnyana clan and follow you forever! So, I hope you will not refuse!"
"..."
Avrora blinked her eyes in distress, looking up pitifully at Yotsuba Mahiro for help.
"Alright, looking at me won't help. You have to resolve this matter yourself."
He mercilessly pushed Avrora out.
He had no interest in what choice Avrora would make, instead turning his gaze to the three little girls who had been conditioned into weapons.
At the same time, he stepped forward and spoke coldly:
"I now give you two paths. The first is to submit to me, live the same life as Avrora, and I will grant you my protection.
The second is to be devoured by Avrora, allowing her to replace you and become the true Fourth Primogenitor.
Choose."