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Two or three minutes earlier—
Thick black smoke mixed with crimson fire had begun surging into the night sky above the industrial district on the western edge of Itogami Island. Perched atop a nearby water tower—no more than fifty meters from the blast zone—stood a lone sword-wielding shrine maiden.
"Just as I thought…"
Yukina Himeragi gripped Schneewalzer tightly, her sharp gaze immediately locking onto the two figures locked in battle below.
One of them was a middle-aged vampire who looked like your average overworked salaryman in a suit.
The other was a long-haired blue-haired girl—expressionless, wielding a massive, disembodied white arm like it was part of her own body. She looked young—maybe even younger than Nagisa, though it was hard to tell under the long cloak.
And standing to the side, watching the fight, was a broad-shouldered blond man with a double-bladed battle axe strapped to his back.
Their clash had already decimated the nearby electrical substation—toppling towers, wrecking equipment, and setting the surrounding area ablaze. Explosions burst from burning machinery as sparks leapt into the sky.
If a rapid-response crew didn't arrive soon, the fire would undoubtedly spread—causing even more damage. But no repairs could begin while this battle was still raging.
Thankfully, the fight appeared to be nearing its conclusion.
With one powerful strike from the white-arm wielding girl, the salaryman vampire—now without his familiar—was sent flying like a rag doll.
"Nice job, Astarte!"
The deep voice rang out with excitement as the blond priest finally joined the fray. Leaping from his perch, he grabbed his giant axe and lunged toward the downed vampire.
From the way that blade glinted, it was clear—if that axe hit, the vampire would be cleaved clean in two.
And for normal vampires—not True Ancestors, not noble-blooded elites—a fatal body-split like that was catastrophic.
Especially when it came from a priest of the Church, someone who specialized in anti-demon warfare. Their weapons were often enhanced specifically to deal extra damage to vampires and other supernatural beings. It wouldn't be surprising if a single blow meant instant death.
"So this… is where it ends…"
The wounded man lay on the ground, blood trickling from his lips, despair beginning to replace the frustration in his eyes.
He hadn't done anything wrong—he was just a factory supervisor doing his routine evening rounds. Then out of nowhere, this bizarre duo showed up and ambushed him.
Especially that blue-haired girl… She wasn't even a vampire, and yet she could summon a familiar—and not just any familiar, but one that could devour other familiars?
"What the hell is happening in this world…"
His crimson eyes reflected the descending axe as he closed them, bracing for the end.
And then—
CLANG!
A shower of sparks erupted midair as steel met steel. A silver spear intercepted the killing blow, stopping it cold.
Yukina landed gracefully between them, spinning her spear down into a protective stance.
"Stop right there. Attacking an incapacitated vampire violates the Special Measures Law on Demon Interference."
Seven concentric magic circles bloomed around Schneewalzer's spear tip as she narrowed her eyes at the blond priest.
But the man just snorted in amusement—like she'd just tried to explain traffic laws to a murderer mid-chase.
He lowered his axe and laughed, rubbing his forehead.
"That law was written by traitors who cater to demons. You expect me to follow that nonsense?"
"Still… that weapon of yours—Demon-Purging Twin Spear Type Zero, isn't it? Engraved with a Divine Oscillation Effect Technique… one of the Lion King Organization's secret arsenals. Heh… can't believe I'm seeing it again."
The last part he muttered almost to himself—then suddenly burst out laughing and sprang backward.
But not to flee.
It was the signal of an all-out attack.
"Come on, little lady! Let me introduce myself properly—Rudolf Eustach, Apostle of Lotharingia! Let's dance!"
"What?!"
Yukina's eyes widened.
She knew that name well.
The Apostles of Lotharingia were essentially the Western European counterpart to Japan's Lion King Organization.
They weren't enemies per se—in fact, you could call them distant colleagues.
But while the Lion King Organization operated under official Japanese governance and followed rules, the Apostles were known for being extreme—zealots who rejected any form of compromise with demons.
Some of them even dreamed of wiping out all vampires from existence.
Whether or not they could actually pull that off… was another matter entirely.
"But why would a Lotharingian Apostle be all the way here in Japan… hunting vampires?"
"I don't owe you an explanation!"
The priest roared, swinging his giant axe in a wide arc. This time, the blow carried even more force than before.
This guy—he was dangerous.
Yukina braced herself, ready to parry, when suddenly—a tremendous burst of vampiric magic surged behind her.
"Leave Yukina-chan alone!"
Nagisa dropped from the sky like a comic book superhero, landing beside Yukina with a thunderous crash.
Her blood aura flared like a wildfire. Her soft reddish-brown eyes had turned a vibrant, predatory crimson. Her lips pressed tightly together, revealing two tiny vampire fangs glinting in the light.
She raised her right arm high, and in the next moment—her pale skin turned pitch black, covered with glowing crimson markings like energy circuits.
"GET HIM, BIG GOLDEN KITTY!!"
ROAR!!!
A deafening lion's roar split the sky. A massive bolt of golden lightning shot down from the cloudless sky—and as it touched ground, it took the shape of an enormous golden lion, gleaming like it had been forged from sunlight itself.
"W-What in the…"
The blond Apostle paled, his face contorting in shock. The reflection of the beast danced across the lens of his monocle.
The sheer pressure radiating off the beast was enough to make him instinctively take a step back.
"The rumors… they were true after all. I heard whispers of a Fourth Progenitor awakening here on Itogami Island… and it's real?!"
He didn't hesitate another second. His eyes darted toward the blue-haired girl who had remained eerily silent the whole time.
"Astarte, we're pulling out!"
"Command received."
Astarte's voice was flat and emotionless. She spun on her heel and followed Rudolf into the shadows, disappearing into the labyrinthine steel forest of the industrial zone.
Almost simultaneously, atop the golden lion's massive head, a boy in a yukata appeared—carrying a golden-haired girl in matching clothes.
Bokue Keikain surveyed the scorched battlefield with a raised brow. Around them, only ruins remained.
He casually nudged the golden lion's fluffy head with the toe of his sandal.
"You did all this?"
"…Mrow~ (Nope)."
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