In less than a minute, the sea was painted red. The criminals who'd survived Shuo's initial onslaught were left mangled, broken, and utterly unrecognizable.
"What a shame," Shuo said, almost bored. "I'd love to keep playing with you, but time's short."
He raised his hand, conjuring a spear of crackling blue-violet lightning. With casual, rhythmic precision, he hurled it again and again. Each strike detonated a cluster of prisoners, sending bloody spray and shredded flesh tumbling into the waves.
Five seconds. Maybe six. By the time the echoes faded, only Chitose Aya remained alive.
She stared at Shuo, dazed. She'd always known he was strong, but this—this was monstrous. He'd wiped out dozens of hardened criminals as easily as squashing insects.
Once the carnage was cleared, Shuo strode back to Natsuki and the others. He knelt beside the still-recovering Natsuki, weaving a healing spell over her. In an instant, color returned to her cheeks and strength to her limbs.
"Natsuki-chan, how does it feel? Reality's a lot brighter, isn't it?"
For a moment, Natsuki's eyes shimmered with gratitude. The taste of fresh air, the solid ground beneath her feet—she couldn't hide her excitement.
"It's… better than I remembered. I'm actually looking forward to what comes next," she said, gifting him a rare smile.
"Glad you're happy, Natsuki-chan. But what about her?" Shuo nodded toward the immobilized Chitose Aya.
Natsuki followed his gaze, her own expression tangled with old memories and unresolved pain.
Aya, sensing the attention, tensed—face pale, eyes hollow with despair.
Shuo's lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "Chitose Aya, Natsuki-chan doesn't want to kill you. So here's my proposal: you two have a duel. If you win, you walk free. If you lose, you become a maid in my house. Fair, right? I'm nothing if not generous."
The girls around them shot Shuo a mix of incredulous and exasperated looks, silently cursing him as a hopeless pervert. Even Natsuki and Aya rolled their eyes.
But Aya agreed. She had no other choice. With Natsuki's powers halved, her odds looked good—better to fight than surrender.
Shuo, of course, had planned for this. He sliced his finger, letting Natsuki drink a few drops of his blood.
"Heh, Natsuki-chan, the fate of our new maid is in your hands," he teased.
Natsuki shot him a withering glare, but stepped up to face Aya. The loss of her witch powers was real, but the Dragon's Blessing pulsed inside her, making her stronger than ever—if only she could get used to it.
Aya's defeat was inevitable.
While the others watched, Shuo felt a sudden sting on his arm. He looked down to see Dimitrie latched onto him, greedily sucking his blood.
"You little vampire pig, is this really the time?" Shuo groaned.
Dimitrie just grinned. "Hey, your blood's irresistible. What do you expect me to do?"
"Wow, Dim's stealing Shuo-kun's blood again! I want some too!" Nagisa squealed, hugging Shuo and glaring at Dimitrie with big, sparkling eyes.
Even Avrora's cheeks flushed pink as she gave Shuo a shy, hopeful glance.
Shuo could only sigh, ruffling Nagisa's hair. "Alright, alright—but you'll have to wait till we get home."
He felt like ten thousand wild horses were stampeding through his head. Too many vampire beauties, too little blood. Was death by blood loss even possible?
He shivered at the thought.
Soon, Natsuki had Aya bound with the Chains of Commandment. The way she tied her, though…
Shuo's eyes gleamed with mischief as he looked over at Natsuki, voice full of playful suggestion. "Didn't know you were into bondage, Natsuki-chan. Maybe we should try it together sometime."
Natsuki's mood darkened instantly. Her glare could have frozen hell.
This little pervert—what goes on in that head of his? Wolf in boy's clothing, through and through.
Shuo, sensing danger, quickly turned away—only to catch sight of Aya's predicament. His lips twitched in amusement.
"Chitose Aya, you look… surprisingly stylish like that. Who knew shrine maidens wore such cute little panties?"
From his vantage, he could see every tantalizing detail.
Even Aya, usually so composed, blushed furiously. Her mind screamed curses at Shuo's shamelessness. Stylish, my ass!
Staring at someone's underwear without a hint of embarrassment—was this guy even human?
"We had a deal, Aya. You lost, so you're my maid now. No take-backs." Shuo lifted her chin, eyes glinting with a subtle threat. If she tried anything, he'd rewrite her memories without hesitation.
"…I'll keep my word," Aya replied at last, voice tight.
Resistance was pointless. But as she looked at Shuo, a new idea sparked in her mind. Natsuki had always been stronger—she'd hated that. Now, Natsuki was on another level entirely.
If her plans had failed, maybe sticking close to this man was the best path forward. She couldn't afford to fall behind.
And, well, she had one advantage over Natsuki—her body was no match for a loli's, after all. Plus, Yuma was still around. Aya's lips curled in a sly smile.
Shuo, satisfied, leaned in and pressed a fierce kiss to her lips.
He pulled back, laughing. "Alright, let's go home and sort out the rest."
With a wave, the group was whisked back to the castle.
But word of the Prison Barrier's destruction had already leaked—satellites and shadowy organizations were spreading the news. The world was in uproar.
The First Primogenitor was already preparing to descend on Itogami Island, and even the Taishi Bureau was plotting the island's destruction—and Shuo's.
🔥 Want to read the next 20 chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]