bookcurios Chapter 841 - 841
Chapter 841 - 841
"Hmm?"Attracted by his words, the Primogenitor looked over in surprise.
"That peculiar armor... are you one of the Elect this time?"
"I suppose so."
Eiji thought about it. Whether he had territory or not didn't matter now. Zacharias had handled everything with his own territory, not only delivering several progenitors but also giving up his territory. What a nice guy!
Looking at it this way, I am indeed an Elect. Yes, absolutely!
"I recall you have collected five progenitors. It seems you've been quite diligent in my resurrection."
The Primogenitor nodded approvingly at him, then issued a command.
"In that case, capture the rebels for me. If you succeed, I shall accept you as my servant!"
"I grant you the honor - this is a privilege not even one in a hundred million people receive!"
"Huh?"
Eiji tilted his head, his features twisting beneath his mask.
Kojou Akatsuki and Akira both tensed up, fearing the masked man would immediately turn against them.
Just as Eiji was about to say something.
Suddenly, the entire world came to a complete standstill.
All sounds and phenomena seemed to have been paused, as if time itself had been segmented at this moment.
In the center of the square stood a woman.
She wore a thin veil-like gauze that obscured her face, though she appeared quite young, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old. Dressed in gorgeous shrine maiden attire adorned with gold leaf and numerous jewels, she stood out remarkably.
The Primogenitor's face immediately tightened, her gaze turning wary as she looked at the shrine maiden.
Even she hadn't detected when this woman appeared.
Was she manipulating time?
In the corner, Toyama, who had remained silent until now, revealed a pleasantly surprised smile upon seeing this.
"Though I don't know who you are, this is not a stage you should be standing on."
The shrine maiden-clad girl took a step forward, her jeweled accessories tinkling with crisp sounds as they collided.
"Using the Arbiter's authority, I revoke your qualification as a contestant and judge your actions as foul play - penalty: elimination from the field!"
The shrine maiden ruthlessly raised her hand.
In her grasp was a silver stake about fifty centimeters long, its bright silver surface engraved with countless profound magical runes.
Kojou Akatsuki suddenly froze, his left hand closing around empty air.
Somehow, the Demon-Slaying Holy Spear he had been holding had disappeared!
The shrine maiden had stolen the holy spear from his hand without him even noticing!
Within the frozen time.
The shrine maiden held the holy spear as if offering a sacrifice to the gods, thrusting it forward from a distance.
By inserting non-existent time within the interval of time, this ability made it impossible for anyone to react. Even the Primogenitor showed astonishment, murmuring words like "descendant."
The tip of the holy spear aimed at the armored man's face.
She wanted to first uncover the true identity of the armored man - that was the command given to her from above.
All of this occurred within her own time, so those around couldn't react immediately. Therefore, she would absolutely not miss - the shrine maiden had such confidence.
"Crack!"
The demon-slaying holy spear touched the white mask.
The mask shattered like paper, easily pierced. The armor forged from magic offered no defense whatsoever against the saint-spear designed to break enchantments.
Beneath the mask, a pair of icy eyes met her gaze.
"You...?!"
The shrine maiden's expression shifted instantly.
She recognized him—a karmic bond tied them together, and she would never forget his face.
Her features shifting through a spectrum of emotions, guilt welled up in her heart. Though she had only recently assumed her position four years ago, the arrest warrant for him had ultimately been issued by her.
A complex sigh escaped her lips as she thrust the saint-spear forward.
In the blink of an eye, the spear tip touched his cheek.
Just like that, she would pierce his skull.
Her mind was made up.
No matter what, as the head of the Three Saints of the Lion King Organization, she had to prioritize her duty. All personal desires and selfish motives must take a backseat—or be discarded entirely.
I'm sorry.
She could only apologize to him in her heart.
But—
"Rip—!"
"Gah!"
The shrine maiden let out a short scream, stumbling back three steps in disarray.
Crimson blood dripped down, staining her robes and shattering her confidence.
"...What?"
She lifted astonished eyes, her face filled with profound confusion.
"So you chose this moment to attack after all?"
Eiji remained unshaken, as if he had long anticipated this scene.
He touched his face. The saint-spear lived up to its reputation—even the spiritual armor that could withstand a vampire's familiars had been shattered instantly, as if it never existed.
"I told you long ago, 'After three days apart, view a person with new eyes.' You refused to believe me. Who's to blame now?"
Eiji looked mockingly at Koyomi Shizuka, whose chest was now stained with blood.
She remembered.
When they had met outside the MAR research institute, he had said those very words.
"Impossible... With the Witch of the Void here, how could you...?"
Koyomi Shizuka's face paled, pain causing her entire body to tremble.
She hadn't taken his words seriously back then.
From the beginning, she never believed Eiji could become that powerful—not with Natsuki Minamiya watching over him. Though their relationship wasn't exactly friendly, the other woman's abilities were genuine.
Her deduction wasn't wrong either. With Natsuki Minamiya keeping watch, Eiji indeed had no opportunity to learn magic or curses over these four years, remaining completely ordinary.
At most, he might have schemed in the shadows using his charm abilities.
"A cheater's life—you wouldn't understand even if I explained."
Eiji's tone was cutting, with no intention of offering an explanation.
"Don't get too cocky! Your enemies aren't just me—the Witch of the Void and the Princess of Chaos are here too! They've been lying in ambush all around!"
Koyomi Shizuka gritted her teeth.
Though she couldn't comprehend how her abilities had been countered, and resentment burned in her heart, she still felt relieved she had informed Natsuki Minamiya and the Princess of Chaos in advance.
Those two had long arrived nearby. With them here, they could surely corner him!
"Oh? Then where are this Witch of the Void and Princess of Chaos you mentioned?"
Eiji turned, scanning their surroundings.
Since Koyomi Shizuka had failed, the other two should have appeared by now.
Yet, there was no trace of them anywhere!
Even Koyomi Shizuka froze, a foreboding feeling rising in her heart.
"Do you think I didn't know you were coming to attack?"
Eiji looked at Kojou Akatsuki's eyes as if caring for a mentally challenged person.
Kojou Akatsuki's expression instantly changed, her eyes dimming.
She had been deceived.
Either the Gap Witch or the Chaos Princess had lied to her... Thinking about it, the Chaos Princess was more likely.Nan Gong Na Yue was, after all, a National Attack Mage and not someone who would shield others.
It was probably eighty percent likely that the Chaos Princess had informed him in advance about her planned attack.
Nan Gong Na Yue's absence here was likely because she had been held up by her. Few could stop a witch skilled in spatial manipulation.
This also fit the opposing dynamic between them. From the very beginning, the Chaos Princess had no intention of cooperating with them.
"I'll deal with you later!"
Eiji reached out, aiming for her fair neck.
"...!"
Kojou Akatsuki gritted her teeth, stubbornly activating her ability once more.
Everything around them instantly froze, all sound stripped away.
But the next moment, a tremendous force gripped her neck.
A gauntleted hand broke through her ability head-on, squeezing her neck with enough strength to seemingly crush her in an instant.
A suffocating sensation washed over her like a tide. Kojou Akatsuki's vision darkened, her ability fading helplessly. She desperately beat his arm, trying to seize precious air.
But that large hand remained immovable, like a vise.
Despair spread through her heart.
Eiji freed his other hand and snatched the Anti-Magic Sacred Gun from her grasp.
"Nina!"
"Yes, Master!"
Then he threw both Kojou Akatsuki and the Sacred Gun away.
Nina waved a hand, releasing a surge of bright silver liquid metal that enveloped Kojou Akatsuki entirely, forming a metal prison about the height of a person. The prison, made of Sage's Blood, was seamless, not even allowing a breath of air to pass through.
For a short while, Kojou Akatsuki wouldn't be able to escape.
The Sacred Gun also fell into Nina's hands. She examined it closely, clicking her tongue in admiration.
In just about a minute, Japan's strongest Attack Mage had been utterly defeated by Eiji.
"Lady Kojou...?"
Tōyama's face was filled with disbelief, her earlier composure completely gone.
In the eyes of everyone in the Lion King Organization, that supreme, invincible figure had now been reduced to a captive!
For Tōyama, it was almost like her worldview had shattered.
She suddenly grew alert, stealthily taking a step back.
"Clang!"
But before she could do anything, a golden cage surged from the ground, trapping her like a rat.
"By the Master's command, no one from the Lion King Organization shall be spared!"
Another Nina materialized with a smile.
Tōyama's face turned ashen.
In this game, the Lion King Organization had completely lost.
From now on, the Fourth True Ancestor's fate was entirely beyond their control. Even the destiny of this nation now hung in the balance.
Kojou Akatsuki widened her eyes, her gaze firmly fixed on the armored figure.
"Just a minor incident."
Since it was already the end, Eiji saw no need to hide anything.
After dealing with the Lion King Organization's trouble, he turned to the silent Primogenitor on the other side.
"Brilliant!"
The Primogenitor clapped sincerely, her eyes filled with genuine appreciation.
"Judging from the abilities used by that shrine maiden, she is likely a descendant of the Sin God. To break that ability head-on—that is undoubtedly a miracle even a True Ancestor couldn't accomplish! The wonder of the power you wield is something even I must concede defeat to!"
A descendant of the Sin God?
So the one serving as the head of the Lion King's Three Saints is actually a descendant of the Demon King's progenitor?
Eiji felt a spark of interest, but that wasn't the issue at hand right now.
"What are you doing?"
Eiji looked Primogenitor up and down, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"The air is hot; it's cooler in here."
Primogenitor's expression remained unchanged.
She was enveloped by several layers of crystals that shimmered with a gem-like brilliance.
Before Eiji and Koyomi had clashed, those things hadn't been around her. But once the fight ended, she suddenly started cooling herself off.
"If you say so."
Eiji nodded noncommittally, then smiled meaningfully again.
"Speaking of which, earlier it seemed like you wanted to make me your servant?"
"...That was the case."
Primogenitor paused, her furrowed brows seeming to silently curse her misfortune.
The absolute first-strike advantage possessed by the Sin God's descendant was something even she couldn't break. While she could find ways to counter it, head-on destruction was impossible—at least in her current incomplete state with only the power of nine demon beasts.
Yet this man had shattered it head-on with an ability she couldn't even comprehend!
During her sealed slumber, the world had actually produced such strange and bizarre things again.
How careless!
If she had known this earlier, she wouldn't have spoken in such a condescending tone.
"However, with your talent, being a servant is indeed unsuitable."
Primogenitor softened her tone, though her demeanor remained haughty.
"In that case, how about I bestow upon you one of my ribs?"
Making him her blood attendant!
It would both resolve a troublesome situation and gain her a powerful subordinate.
A win-win!
Meaning she would win twice!
"Are you in your right mind?"
"What did you say?"
Primogenitor's face darkened as she cast an displeased glare.
"Don't understand? I'm saying, save your dreams for when you're asleep!"
Eiji sneered coldly.
He looked at her with eyes reserved for idiots, the disdain practically dripping from his expression.
"Do you find my mercy toward you so laughable?"
Primogenitor's expression gradually turned hostile.
A vicious magical power spilled forth, causing the nearly ruined Quartz Gate to tremble violently. The dense, sinister mana was so concentrated it could whip up a tornado all on its own!
"Ha! Isn't it obvious?"
Eiji laughed heartily without restraint.
"Before, Giada said the same thing to you!"
"The Third True Ancestor?"
Primogenitor was taken aback.
She hadn't expected to hear that woman's name here.
"But I refused!"
Eiji's expression sharpened like a hunting eagle's, his fierce eyes treating the Fourth True Ancestor herself as prey!
"How could being a mere attendant satisfy my appetite?"
"You...!"
Primogenitor's eyes narrowed, her gaze instantly turning piercing.
Eiji lifted his head, revealing an arrogant smile.
"What I want—is you!"
"Such insolence!"
Primogenitor erupted in fury, uncontrollable rage surging from the depths of her heart.
"Insignificant humans—feeble trash who wouldn't possess a shred of power without the Sinful God's blessing—how dare you covet my blood! A thousand deaths wouldn't absolve your crimes!"
Ten illusory wings suddenly beat as one!
An avalanche of immense magical energy surged forth, howling tornadoes shattering every pane of glass in the Quartz Gate.
"Crush my enemies—Kiffa Ater (Yama's Black Sword)!"
In her fury, the Primordial summoned her first familiar with a wave of her hand!
A colossal living weapon materialized over Itogami Island.
It was a massive sword with a blade exceeding a hundred meters in length, its form resembling the three-pronged vajra swords used by ancient deities to vanquish evil.
The gigantic sword appeared several kilometers overhead before plunging downward with violent force!
Dull sonic booms echoed incessantly as its descent broke the sound barrier.
With unerring precision, it fell straight toward the Old Southeast District!