Chapter 371: If You Dare Perform Sichuan Opera, I'll Beat You to Death
"This will not do, Miss Kirasaka Sayaka. While I cooperate with the Lion King Organization's work, it does not mean I will allow you to offend my guests."
As the voice fell, the surrounding guests suddenly parted to make way, revealing a handsome young man in a white suit walking gracefully toward them.
His figure was tall and elegant, without any sense of intimidation. Swirling a glass of red wine in his hand, he lightly sniffed the aroma wafting from the rim.
A pair of azure eyes gazed at them, carrying a hint of respect.
"Oh? The snake charmer finally shows himself? I thought you were going to hide for the entire banquet."
Mahiro nonchalantly helped Sayaka, who had collapsed on the floor, to her feet, as if the argument and conflict between them had never happened.
"Haha, I'm truly delighted to see you again."
Seeing this, Vatler also laughed heartily, as if reuniting with an old friend.
"Delighted? I don't think so. Last time, I failed to kill you, and you sneaked away from the banquet. What? Have you returned now to finish the job?"
Mahiro spoke calmly, but his words were filled with malice.
The surrounding onlookers broke into a cold sweat upon hearing this.
They knew Mahiro was strong, but was it really okay to speak to the envoy of the Warlord's Empire in such a tone?
As they expected, Vatler immediately flashed a sinister smile, and his Magical Power surged forth.
"Senpai!"
The first to react was Yukina.
She drew a spear from her instrument case, intending to stand in front of Mahiro.
Sayaka also moved to cover Yukina.
All of this happened almost in the blink of an eye.
The onlookers wore gleeful expressions, as if they had already guessed the outcome.
Unexpectedly, however, Vatler's Magical Power suddenly subsided.
"Not at all. I have come here rashly this time only to express my deepest apologies to you."
With these words, Vatler suddenly knelt on one knee before Mahiro, deeply bowing his head, a gentle smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"During the previous banquet, I tested your might and offended you greatly. I offer my sincere apologies here. Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Dimitrie Vatler, granted the title of Duke of Ardeal by our Progenitor, the Forgotten Warlord. It is my utmost honor to have you grace us with your presence."
Countless people were astonished. The only one who could be addressed with such reverence by Vatler would be a noble Progenitor.
Yukina and Sayaka, who were gripping their silver spears, were left dumbfounded by Vatler's sudden change in attitude.
They couldn't even comprehend what Vatler was trying to do.
One moment, tensions were high and a fight seemed imminent, and the next, such a drastic change had occurred.
"Enough. Save such formalities for others. I don't care for them. Why don't you tell me instead why you invited me here?"
"There is no particular purpose. I simply wished to invite you to this party."
"Tch."
Upon hearing this, Mahiro clicked his tongue slightly and spoke without mercy:
"What a pity, then. I don't care for such boring parties."
"My apologies. This was my oversight. I hope you can forgive me."
Vatler raised his head with a smile still on his face—a smile that was both amiable and unsettling, causing Mahiro to frown slightly and feel a wave of physical discomfort.
This guy is as disgusting as ever.
"Duke of Ardeal, I have a question. Why wasn't the Fourth Primogenitor invited as well?" Sayaka, one of the Watchers, suddenly spoke up.
She felt that the Fourth Primogenitor should have been the main guest of this banquet, but she overlooked the distinction between what was important and what was secondary.
Yukina's expression darkened upon hearing this.
Without waiting for a response, she followed Sayaka's words and stared directly at Vatler with a serious expression:
"Please tell me, what is your purpose for visiting Itogami City? Could it be that your goal is to form an improper relationship with the Fourth Primogenitor's Imperial Candidate?"
This girl's attitude is as straightforward as ever.
But in the face of Yukina's accusatory words, Vatler's smile remained unchanged.
"No, my main purpose is to visit His Highness Yotsuba Mahiro. The Fourth Primogenitor is secondary. Besides, I have some official business to attend to on the artificial island, so I had no choice but to come here."
Yukina, however, exuded an aggressive aura and glared at Vatler threateningly as she asked, "What exactly is this official business you speak of?"
Yet once again, Vatler ignored Yukina, who was bristling like an angry cat, and turned his gaze back to Mahiro.
"Your Highness Yotsuba Mahiro, I wonder if we could speak in private."
What he was about to say next was not suitable for others to hear.
And Mahiro had already guessed what this guy wanted to say, but he still followed Vatler's lead and left the banquet hall.
They entered the cabin of the "Oceanus Grave II."
The interior decoration of the cabin was nothing short of extravagant, making the banquet hall pale in comparison.
Mahiro, along with Himeragi Yukina and Kirasaka Sayaka, were seated on comfortable sofas, while Vatler sat opposite them and elegantly snapped his fingers.
Snap!
The sound served as a signal, and a large number of maids filed out from within the ship.
The carts they pushed were laden with plates of food, so luxurious and abundant that the offerings at the party venue seemed almost shabby in comparison.
And most importantly, the maids pushing the carts were each more beautiful than the last.
Not only were they dressed in extremely revealing, gauze-like garments that clung to their bodies, half-concealing and half-revealing their perfect, slender figures.
Even their faces were no less stunning than those of popular celebrities.
They could easily rival Sayaka and Yukina in appearance.
"Tsk, you really know how to enjoy yourself."
Seeing so many beauties gathered here to serve him, Mahiro's tone carried a hint of subtle bitterness, which made Vatler burst into laughter.
"Haha, they are my dedicated Maid Corps, all daughters of royalty and high-ranking officials from the surrounding nations of the Warlord's Empire. Each one is a pure, untouched virgin—perfectly clean."
In simpler terms, they were hostages sent to the Dominion to prevent rebellion, tools for maintaining relations with the First Empire of the Night through marriage.
At Vatler's signal, the girls gathered around Mahiro.
And under Yukina's murderous gaze, they extended their soft, delicate hands, roaming and kneading over Mahiro's body.
He then picked up the prosciutto and various fruits from the plate, feeding them to him.
The massage technique was simply top-notch; even someone as worldly as him couldn't help but calm down and indulge a little.
"If Mahiro-sama likes them, I wouldn't mind gifting them to you."
As soon as the words fell, Yukina was already growing restless due to Vatler's remark.
Even she herself didn't know where this restlessness came from.
But just as she was about to speak, she noticed the intense, indescribable gaze Vatler directed at Mahiro.
"Wait a moment."
It was Mahiro who spoke.
He first extricated himself from the circle of the Maid Corps, then sat up and warned Vatler:
"First, while your maids are good, unfortunately, they're not my type. Second, if you dare perform Sichuan opera in front of me, I'll beat you to death right now."
Upon hearing this, Vatler immediately withdrew the heat from his gaze and raised his hands in a mock surrender gesture.
Was Vatler afraid of Mahiro?
Naturally.
Even the Ninth Prince of the Dynasty of Destruction had his heart pierced and hung on a flagpole by this guy. Even the Third Progenitor, the Chaos Bride Giada, suffered severe injuries at his hands and fled in disarray from Itogami Island.
Though arrogant, Vatler was no fool and certainly didn't want such things to happen to him.
However, it was precisely because Mahiro, as a human, displayed power comparable to that of a Progenitor that Vatler felt such admiration and longing.
Longing for that power.
Craving that blood!
"Duke of Ardeal, let's get down to business."
At this moment, Yukina spoke coldly, breaking the heavy atmosphere in the air.
"Mahiro-sama, have you heard of Christoph Gardos?"
Ignoring Yukina, Vatler smiled and looked at Mahiro, whose brow slightly twitched.
"From the Black Death Emperor Faction?"
"Yes, exactly." Vatler casually picked up a glass of champagne from the tray and calmly explained:
"He is a retired Beastmen soldier from the Warlord's Empire, a somewhat notorious terrorist in Europe, and a cadre of the radical group, the Black Death Emperor Faction."
"I've heard of the Black Death Emperor Faction, but didn't it disband several years ago? Because its leader was assassinated, right?" Yukina asked curiously.
As she spoke, her gaze occasionally fell on Mahiro.
The dissolution and downfall of the Black Death Emperor Faction were also somewhat related to this man.
After all, when this man seized the Twelfth Progenitor on Gozo Island, he incidentally eliminated "Golan Hazaroff," dealing the most fatal blow to the Black Death Emperor Faction after its leader's death.
"That's right, I killed him. Though he was a tricky old Beastmen with some special skills."
Vatler raised his glass and drank leisurely, smiling:
"And Gardos is one of the Beastmen who survived from that Black Death Emperor Faction. But that guy remains unrepentant; he gathered the remnants again and became the new leader."
"Wait, is your reason for coming to Itogami Island related to that man named Gardos?" Yukina hurriedly pressed.
"Exactly. There is intelligence indicating that Gardos has infiltrated the artificial island with his subordinates from the Black Death Emperor Faction."
Vatler nodded in admiration and informed Mahiro and the others in an official tone.
"The Black Death Emperor Faction is a group of Beastmen supremacists with discriminatory ideologies. Their goal is to completely dismantle the peace treaty between humans and the Progenitors, seizing control of the Warring King's domain from the First Progenitor."
"Not only that, but there is also intelligence suggesting they have obtained a power capable of slaying Progenitors from an ancient ruin."
As he spoke, Vatler's gaze inadvertently shifted toward the Snowdrift Wolf in Yukina's hands.
"It's... the Holy Annihilation Legacy, isn't it?"
Yukina slowly tightened her grip on the silver-white spear shaft.
The so-called Holy Annihilation Legacy refers to weapons designed to slay the progenitors of demonkind and the progenitors of humankind.
They are typically excavated from ancient ruins.
The core of the Seventh Style Assault Demon-Slaying Spear, Snowdrift Wolf, in her hands is the Deva legacy, the "Demon-Breaking Holy Spear"—a weapon crafted to counter the Holy Annihilation Legacy.
"The power you mentioned for slaying Progenitors must be Nalakuvera, correct?"
This time, it was Mahiro who spoke again.
His words instantly silenced the room, and everyone looked at him with incredulous eyes.
Even Vatler, after a momentary daze, burst into hearty laughter.
"As expected of you, truly as expected! Every encounter with Your Highness Yotsuba Mahiro brings me unexpected surprises! It's almost like the Pandora's Box from mythology!"
He hadn't expected the other party not only to know about the Holy Annihilation Legacy but also to be aware of Nalakuvera's existence.
With just this one sentence, Mahiro had disrupted many of his plans.
Originally, he had intended to use the Black Death Emperor Faction to decipher Nalakuvera and then test both Mahiro's power and his own strength.
Now, it seemed that wouldn't be possible... or perhaps not!
Suddenly, Vatler noticed a flicker of eager anticipation in Mahiro's eyes.
So that's it!
How truly fascinating!
So you also want to test your own strength using the Holy Annihilation Legacy?!
Vatler suddenly realized that Mahiro not only possessed power but perhaps, to some extent, was a kindred madman like himself!
"Wait, Duke of Ardeal, if the European terrorists' target is the First Progenitor, what is your purpose in coming to Itogami Island? And what is the reason for hosting such a high-profile banquet?"
Yukina spoke again, breaking the intense gaze between the two.
Immediately afterward, she analyzed further:
"Making such a conspicuous appearance on Itogami Island, while remnants of the Black Death Emperor Faction have already infiltrated it, and you, Duke of Ardeal, are the one who killed the former leader of the Black Death Emperor Faction... Are you trying to redirect the Black Death Emperor Faction's target to Itogami Island?!"
These words made Vatler look at this Sword Shaman from the Lion King Organization—who, like the fool by his side, hailed from the same place—with slightly renewed respect.
"I never expected the Lion King Organization to have other intelligent individuals besides the Three Saints. No wonder Shizuka Koyomi placed you by His Highness Yotsuba Mahiro's side."
This was not flattery; aside from the Progenitor and Mahiro, there was no one else worthy of Vatler's flattery.
Moreover, it had to be said that Himeragi Yukina was truly clever—something Vatler had not anticipated.
She was actually able to deduce his purpose for coming to Itogami Island from just a few words.
Indeed.
If Gardos truly obtained the power to kill a Progenitor, they would undoubtedly seek revenge on Vatler first.
"Now is not the time for such talk! If you want to fight, you can return to your own territory. Please don't drag my senior into this, and don't cause trouble for cities in other countries!"
Upon receiving the affirmative reply, Yukina shuddered and scolded Vatler.
"There's no helping it. When faced with a terrorist attack, one can only resort to self-defense. If the battle in the future destroys the artificial island's facilities, I apologize in advance."
Vatler smiled, then shrugged indifferently:
"However, if the Demon Hunters on the artificial island can capture Gardos, I have nothing more to say. Saving trouble is the best outcome."
A complete warmonger.
His personality, which thrived on chaos, was even more detestable.
As long as Vatler claimed self-defense as his justification, the Lion King Organization, to which Yukina and the others belonged, could not stop him.
As a diplomatic envoy of the Warlord's Empire, Vatler could not be expelled from Itogami Island on the absurd grounds that terrorists were targeting him.
"Duke of Ardeal, I appreciate your kindness, but I don't think your concern is necessary," Yukina replied in a cold, clear voice.
"Indeed, if His Highness Yotsuba Mahiro takes action, their chances of victory are extremely slim."
Vatler wore such an expression as he looked at Mahiro, who showed no sense of tension whatsoever.
He was calmly eating grapes fed to him by a maid.
"You've overlooked one thing: we will catch the remnants of the Black Death Emperor Faction in place of my senior."
Yukina, with her strong sense of justice, could not tolerate his wanton destruction of the artificial island or his actions of dragging Mahiro into the fray.
"Yukina!"
Sayaka exclaimed in shock.
When it came to Yukina, her usual composure and competence seemed to falter.
Most importantly, she couldn't understand why Yukina would confront a dangerous terrorist organization like the Black Death Emperor Faction!
The protection of Itogami Island fell to the Witch of the Void; what did it matter to them whether freaks like Vatler and Mahiro lived or died!
"Please be quiet. As my senior's Watcher, that is the natural judgment. Since the other party intends to kill a Progenitor, my senior is likely in danger. We cannot stand idly by."
Yukina emphasized in a stiff tone.
Precisely because of her rigid personality, once Yukina made up her mind, she became stubborn.
"I don't think it's necessary to go to such lengths, do you? From what you're saying, you want to exclude me? Why bother? It's just a mere Holy Annihilation Legacy."
Mahiro had absolute confidence in his own strength and treated Nalakuvera as nothing more than a whetstone for testing his abilities.
If Akatsuki Kojou could accomplish it in the original work, how could he possibly fail?
Back then, during the battle with the Third Progenitor, the power he exerted was not even his full strength—he still had some leeway.
Mainly, he never expected that woman to run so fast, slipping away on the spot as soon as she sensed trouble.
And most importantly, if he really couldn't handle this kind of ghostly thing, he could always run away himself.
So, there was really no need to be as tense as Yukina was.
However, he was still met with a stern refusal from this little Watcher.
"No, Yotsuba-senpai, have you forgotten about the Exorcist of Lotharingia? Do you really think you'll be that lucky every time?! Please, senpai, don't cause any more unnecessary trouble!"
After spending so much time together, how could she not know what Mahiro was thinking?
Precisely because of that, she had to stop him!
That was a Holy Annihilation Legacy, after all!
"In that case, I'll take a moment to see what the Sword Shaman of the Lion King Organization is capable of."
Vatler slowly savored his expensive champagne, a smile on his face, fully prepared to enjoy the show.
Sayaka, on the other hand, looked utterly dejected. It seemed Yukina's scolding-like order for her to stay quiet had dealt quite a blow.
After the conversation ended, Mahiro left with Yukina, showing no attachment to the ongoing banquet and politely declining Vatler's offer to gift him a maid.