Inside the dimly lit antique shop, Sensai stepped in, his eyes narrowing slightly. He pulled a talisman from his pocket, activated it, and dispelled the magic around him.
In a place like this, where magical crimes ran rampant and demons and humans coexisted, as an Itogami Island executive, he had several means of self-protection.
Or rather, without such protective measures, he might not have reached such a high position. He could have been killed or controlled by other demonic or magical criminals from who-knows-where, like Aslan.
Of course, Aslan was an exception. Even their talismans, using the most advanced magical and scientific technology, couldn't resist him in the slightest. There wasn't even a chance to fight back.
Almost the next second after the magic was activated, a black cat casually strolled toward Sensai.
"I'm curious—what brings the esteemed Mayor to have the free time to visit the Lion King Agency?"
Seeing Sensai's face, unable to hide his panic, even Endou Yukari—who had lived for thousands of years and competed with Sensai for years on Itogami Island—had never seen this man show such a panicked and terrified expression.
On Itogami Island, fully controlled by the Itogami and Yaze families, this man had a critically ill wife and a daughter who was a Miko of Cain. He wouldn't have become the mayor of Itogami City without a strong mentality.
Though Itogami Island was nominally a city in Japan, it was more like an independent kingdom, with Japan's control over it minimal. The executives in Japan's parliament surely coveted retaking control of this goldmine, Itogami Island.
Sensai took a moment to compose himself, organizing his words. Then he spoke gravely.
"Endou Yukari, I don't have time to waste with you. I'll get to the point."
"Itogami Island needs the Lion King Agency's help. I'm here to ask for assistance."
Hearing the word "help" even the usually nonchalant Yukari was stunned. She recalled her black cat Familiar, and a green-haired, curvaceous elf stepped out from behind the door. She looked at Sensai seriously and asked.
"Mayor Aiba, do you realize what you're saying?"
Asking for help wasn't something to be said lightly. If Itogami Island sought help from Japan, it gave Japan a reason to meddle in its affairs. It could even be seen as Itogami Island unilaterally surrendering all its interests.
So, what kind of issue made the mayor of Itogami City come begging for help? No one knew better than Yukari that the so-called mayor was just a surface-level target. The real power holders of Itogami Island were the Itogami and Yaze families, hiding in the shadows.
Appearing in public in a world where magical crime groups emerged endlessly meant being exposed to their sights and vulnerable to attack at any time.
The noble Caruana family of the Warlord's Empire was attacked by an arms dealer, losing all status and wealth, leaving only a pair of sisters. A mere small-time mayor was nothing. Even major figures like the three Primogenitors rarely appeared in public.
Sensai was just a shield, and now this shield was out asking for help? Yukari's heart tightened. The situation was beyond her control.
"I know, but I had to come for help." Sensai paused, glancing around warily, and stopped speaking.
Yukari immediately understood his meaning. Sensai feared someone was watching. The matter was so critical that he had to hide it like this.
Yukari extended her hand, drawing several runes in the air. A barrier rose, enveloping the dim antique shop.
"Alright, speak. Inside this barrier, no information will leak." Yukari asked curiously, what was the issue?
"All of Itogami Island's executives are mentally controlled by the Fourth Primogenitor."
"What did you say? Mind control? Not a threat?" Yukari stared at him in shock, wondering if she'd misheard.
"The Fourth Primogenitor's Tenth Beast Vassal—Dabih-Crystallus—isn't it still in the Chaos Empire? That's the Third Primogenitor's territory."
Dabih-Crystallus had mind-control abilities. But the corresponding No. 10 matrix was still in the Chaos Empire. The Third Primogenitor, Chaos Bride, wasn't someone easy to deal with.
The Fourth Primogenitor had just awakened; he shouldn't be able to reclaim his Beast Vassals so quickly, right? The Blazing Banquet hadn't even started.
Though rumors said the true Fourth Primogenitor had awakened, and the Tenth Beast Vassal was extraordinarily powerful, it didn't have mind-control abilities.
This also sent a more disturbing signal. Why was the Fourth Primogenitor controlling Itogami Island's executives? Did he no longer trust human executives?
If so, what should "loyal subordinates" like them, who wanted to offer "loyalty" to the Fourth Primogenitor and help him build the fourth Night Empire, do? They offered "loyalty" for greater benefits, not to sacrifice everything.
Now the situation was extremely awkward.
"Yes. And it seems he's using some unknown black Beast Vassal to control them." Sensai recalled the scene, his body trembling slightly. He knew exactly what he'd done while controlled, even remembering every thought clearly.
Those were inhuman thoughts, wanting to bring the entire world under the Fourth Primogenitor's control. All for a single word of "loyalty" from him, and to earn his praise.
It was terrifying.
His daughter had fallen into the hands of such a being. He didn't dare imagine what would happen, but even so, he had to do everything to save Asagi.
However, after Sensai finished speaking, he didn't hear a response from Yukari for a long time. Even Yukari herself had vanished, leaving only her black cat Familiar listening to him.
"Wait, Endou Yukari, where are you?" Sensai anxiously pulled back the curtain and walked into the inner part of the antique shop.
He saw someone packing items, stuffing various valuable materials and books into a snake's belly behind them.
No way? She was just running away?
Sensai panicked instantly. The Lion King Agency was the only savior he could turn to now.
Though there was still the Astrology Bureau, they were too extreme. If they knew, their first thought would be to blow up Itogami Island, letting the Fourth Primogenitor and the island destroy each other.
As for his daughter? The Miko of Cain was already on the Astrology Bureau's top surveillance list.
The Astrology Bureau would never miss a chance to kill his daughter.
Yukari was his long-time rival, so he knew her better and might have a chance to negotiate.
"Endou Yukari, I beg you. Please help the 560,000 residents of Itogami Island just this once."
Sensai knelt before Yukari, hoping she'd act. For his daughter, he was willing to sacrifice everything.
Yukari was stunned for a moment. She sighed and leaned against the wall. "It's not that I don't want to help, but the Fourth Primogenitor with such immense magical power—how can we help you? A regular Primogenitor-level Beast Vassal requires three Saints to act together."
"Let alone one whose magical power rivals a continent's Dragon Vein."
"So, my advice is there's no hope. Just give up; maybe you can still get an intact corpse."
"…" Sensai fell silent.
But before Yukari could finish packing and leave, a black crow flew in, dropped a letter, and left.
After reading it, Yukari couldn't help cursing. "Damn it! How dare those old fools think like that? They're ordering the Lion King Agency to eliminate the Fourth Primogenitor and reclaim the twelfth matrix?"
Realizing the Fourth Primogenitor couldn't be controlled, they decided to eliminate him? Take advantage while he only had one Beast Vassal? Then extract his power to create a more controllable Fourth Primogenitor?
Hah? They were ordering the Lion King Agency to deal with the Fourth Primogenitor? To face a monster whose Beast Vassal's magical power rivaled a Dragon Vein?
The Blazing Banquet wasn't the first of its kind. Even extracting the Fourth Primogenitor's power wasn't new. After all, the Fourth Primogenitor always had a Logic Bomb in his body that destroyed each previous Fourth Primogenitor.
The Logic Bomb was a safety mechanism that annihilated the Fourth Primogenitor to turn him fully into a magical resource, entering a frozen mode.
That's why the Blazing Banquet could be held multiple times, and the Fourth Primogenitor never lasted forever in the world.
Now, Japan's executives wanted the Lion King Agency to find a way to activate the Logic Bomb in the Fourth Primogenitor's body, then create a Fourth Primogenitor more aligned with their ideas. They'd even chosen a candidate.
But activating the Logic Bomb wasn't easy. Wasn't this just sending the Lion King Agency to their deaths, to fight with all their strength for a slim chance? After activation, how many Lion King Agency members would survive?
Yet Sensai couldn't help feeling a bit hopeful. Maybe this way, his daughter would be safe, right?
Then he heard Yukari's phone ring.
"Hello? Have you figured out what kind of girls the Fourth Primogenitor likes? Petite ones? Then pick a few from the cadets."
"Hah?" Sensai stared as she raised her eyebrows smugly.
Yukari waved her phone, displaying a photo of Aslan, Aurora, Natsuki, and Asagi.
"Bet you didn't expect this? I made the Lion King Agency surrender!"