— — — — — —
Blue Elysium, beneath the shadow of a half-finished high-rise.
Kiriha Kisaki leaned against the wall, with a girl in a baseball cap standing beside her in the shade. From the outside, they looked like old friends hiding from the sun. In reality, they were chatting through a concealed telepathic array.
"So the Bureau of Astrology's Six-Blade Priestess defected too? Don't act like you're any nobler than us," the girl muttered.
"I'm different. This was a personal choice," Kiriha replied lightly. "But for the Lion King Agency… well. As one of the Three Saints, Endou-sensei, is a key successor. If she defected, that's basically the whole agency switching sides."
Her tone was playful, but inside she was massively relieved.
Letting a minor player like her know that the Lion King Agency had defected was practically a declaration that Itogami Island meant no harm.
After all, if she were a double agent, all she had to do was send that information home. The Lion King Agency would be purged overnight. At best they'd be flayed. At worst, erased.
Still… the Lion King Agency really did plan to defect.
Kiriha felt a wave of emotion at that thought.
If Endou hadn't subtly tested her—hadn't hinted at the possibility—she would never have believed that the Lion King Agency, renowned for its unwavering loyalty to Japan, could ever betray it.
Yet, viewed objectively, her own life within the Bureau of Astrology had hardly been pleasant.
In truth, none of them had it easy.
They endured a lifetime of indoctrination, bound by ideals carved into them since childhood. The Bureau of Astrology in particular bore constant harassment and degrading orders from the Ministry.
But endurance did not mean acceptance. They had never truly adapted.
And they never wanted to.
The Bureau of Astrology and the Lion King Agency. Both organizations were filled with orphans raised together. They had strong bonds. Hurt one, and you hurt them all.
Once one side found a better place to go, it was only natural to pull their sisters along.
After defecting under a perfectly justifiable banner of "righteousness," the Lion King Agency had immediately set its sights on their sister organization.
There were probably plenty in the Bureau of Astrology who wanted out too.
The higher-ups thought they were easy to bully because they had no families. But having no family also meant having no shackles.
When Endou, the instructor who had raised and trained all their Six-Blade Priestesses and Sword Shamans, chose to defect, that decision alone could drain both organizations dry overnight.
Serving those fat politicians? Please. Serving the Fourth Primogenitor was obviously better.
At least he paid properly. And he didn't squeeze them layer by layer like parasites.
"Endou-sensei wasn't even the first of the Three Saints to defect?" the girl beside her muttered.
Kiriha's expression didn't change, but inside, a storm exploded.
What did that mean?
The Three Saints as a whole had defected?
If their sister organization had fully switched sides… what about the Bureau of Astrology?
Wait... No wonder her teacher had hinted that this mission was dangerous. No wonder she'd suggested Kiriha consider defecting.
So that was it.
The upper levels of the Bureau had had enough of being squeezed by the Ministry. They were ready to flip the board.
If both agencies were hollowed out in one sweep, would Japan dare declare war on the Dawn Empire?
Please. Japan would never risk it.
If war broke out and the Dawn Empire sent assassins after them, what then?
Natsuki Minamiya, the Witch of the Void, was unmatched in spatial magic. Who could guarantee protection against her assassination?
Better to cling to their inherited political seats, remain lofty and untouchable, and continue squeezing civilians dry.
Why start a war they couldn't win? With the Fourth Primogenitor standing behind the Dawn Empire, who could promise victory?
"Heh. Looks like I showed up a little late," Kiriha said with a soft laugh.
Too slow to defect properly.
Compared to the Lion King Agency's clean escape, the Bureau still seemed tied down by the Ministry.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been assigned to protect Yume Eguchi.
Um... So they were planning to use Yume, and the Leviathan intel, as bargaining chips to ease the Bureau's transition?
'Does that make me the Bureau's envoy to Itogami Island?'
'…No. The other way around.'
'I'm Itogami Island's envoy to the Bureau.'
"Maybe," the girl beside her replied. "Late or early depends on how you look at it."
Her tone softened.
"My name's Sayaka Kirasaka. And you?"
"Kiriha Kisaki."
Kiriha's tone eased as well.
Facing a colleague, even one from the Lion King Agency, she naturally relaxed. In the future, they would likely be colleagues again anyway.
Sure, the Bureau of Astrology and the Lion King Agency would probably continue competing under the Dawn Empire. But without Japan's political scheming muddying the waters, they could at least be openly friendly about it.
"Have you made contact with Lilith's vessel?" Sayaka asked.
Her primary mission was to confirm the vessel's location and create an opportunity for contact.
"I met her early this morning," Kiriha replied. "But she's under Kusuki-Elysée's security. Extracting her won't be simple. We'll need cooperation from Itogami's authorities."
A faint smile curved her lips.
As a Six-Blade Priestess, she had more than enough methods to spirit away a little girl. Taking Yume Eguchi would not be difficult.
What came after—that was the real problem.
And she wouldn't be acting alone. Sayaka was clearly cut from the same cloth.
Two high-level mediums could extract Yume without much resistance.
The complication lay elsewhere.
Kiriha's expression turned grave. "Lilith—the strongest Succubus. Her mental manipulation may even rival that of a Primogenitor."
"It's fine. She won't escape." Sayaka's voice was full of confidence.
"Oh? The Lion King Agency has a way to control Lilith?" Kiriha asked, surprised.
"Not the Lion King Agency."
A new female voice cut in.
"It's us."
Kiriha's expression shifted sharply.
She turned to look ahead.
From empty air, a gothic-clad girl holding a parasol stepped out of a rift in space.
"The Witch of the Vpid…"
Kiriha's face changed again.
This was no longer within her expectations.
The Primogenitor's consort appearing in person was not necessarily a good sign.
And then—
She froze.
There was someone standing beside Natsuki Minamiya.
A man with short black hair. Sharp features. Thin lips. Deep, unreadable eyes. A faint, gentle smile resting on his face.
He stood there without any warning, as if he had always been there. No presence. No pressure.
Yet he drew all of Kiriha's attention in an instant.
He stood at Natsuki's side, and she had subtly stepped half a pace back, yielding the main position to him.
A man who could make the Witch of the Void yield.
No way…
Kiriha's heart pounded violently.
She hadn't even dared imagine this.
On her first day landing on Blue Elysium Island, she was standing face to face with the master of this island.
The ruler of the Dawn Empire.
The one hailed as the strongest Primogenitor in the world.
Ryo Yagami.
.
.
.