Cid's expression beneath the mask gradually grew serious. As the battle below intensified, his face became increasingly grim.
"No, no. This script won't work. I'm the Eminence in Shadow, not some ally of justice."
After rejecting yet another scenario that had popped into his mind, Cid experienced something he had never felt before. Writer's block.
"You idiot mastermind with a hole in your brain. You'd better pray I never find out who you are."
As the Eminence in Shadow, he was neither good nor evil. He could be an ally of justice or the protagonist's enemy. Which role he took depended entirely on what position the Eminence in Shadow was supposed to appear in during the event.
But situations like the one below, where both sides had valid arguments, were the ones Cid hated the most.
In cases like this, helping either side could be considered wrong, but also right. The proper stance for the Eminence in Shadow in such a scenario should be the mastermind.
He would appear as a third party observer, someone enjoying the spectacle. Only at the final moment would he step forward, reveal that he was the mastermind behind everything, and declare that he would not interfere. Instead, he would act as a judge and decide justice based on whoever emerged victorious.
But now the role of the mastermind had already been taken by someone else.
He could not just steal a role that someone was already playing.
So how exactly was he supposed to insert himself into this incident as the Eminence in Shadow?
Just as Cid was struggling with this dilemma, two people suddenly rushed in and joined the battle below, drawing his attention again.
"That's... Kojou! Why is he so weak?"
Golden arcs of lightning wrapped around one hand as it collided with the white giant. The next moment, the golden lightning was destroyed by the divine vibration wave formula engraved on the giant's surface, sending the owner of that arm, Kojou Akatsuki, crashing into the wall.
The sudden arrival of the newcomers made the three fighters stop their attacks and turn toward them.
"The Fourth Primogenitor? Why are you here? Wait... my Shikigami!"
Yukina Himeragi, who had been forced back by the two of them, was the first to recognize Kojou Akatsuki. After all, he was the one she was assigned to monitor.
"The Fourth Primogenitor is this weak? I didn't expect to run into him here. What a rare opportunity. Astarte, don't hold back. Kill him."
"Order accepted."
After hearing Yukina Himeragi's words, Rudolf also realized Kojou Akatsuki's identity. With Rudolf's command, the white giant arm controlled by Astarte visibly became more solid. At the same time, the silver spear in Yukina Himeragi's hand was aimed at Kojou Akatsuki.
This was not difficult to understand.
For Yukina Himeragi, although several days of surveillance had shown that Kojou Akatsuki did not seem like someone plotting to destroy the world, she still remembered what the Lion King Organization had told her.
The fact that her surveillance Shikigami had been destroyed at this moment and that he appeared here made it very difficult for her not to suspect that the past few days had been an act by the Fourth Primogenitor, and that he was now using this opportunity to carry out some scheme.
As for Rudolf, there was no need for explanation. As an Armed Apostle of the Church, he was naturally an enemy of vampires.
If Kojou Akatsuki truly had some kind of plan, the three people present would not hesitate to temporarily join forces and eliminate him first.
"Wait, Yukina Himeragi. This is an order from the Lion King Organization. For now, join forces with the Fourth Primogenitor to resolve this crisis. The Armed Apostle will be handled by the Fourth Primogenitor. The two of us will deal with this artificial lifeform."
Just as the three were about to attack, a girl wearing a red uniform charged toward Astarte while speaking to Yukina Himeragi.
The spear in the girl's hand collided with the white giant's arm. After the metallic clash, she was pushed back by Astarte's overwhelming strength.
The exchange ended with the girl being suppressed. When she landed, her hair moved with the motion, revealing two bite marks on her neck.
"That's... the Lion King Organization uniform. And..."
Confusion filled Yukina Himeragi's mind. She could no longer understand what was happening.
Why had the Fourth Primogenitor been brought here by someone from the Lion King Organization?
Why did this girl wearing the Lion King Organization uniform have two bite marks on her neck that clearly came from a vampire?
Why was the legendary Fourth Primogenitor so weak?
Despite all the confusion, she still recognized from the girl's spear techniques and uniform that she was, like herself, a Sword Shaman from the Lion King Organization.
After hesitating for only a few seconds, Yukina Himeragi chose to follow the order. She raised her spear and charged toward Astarte alongside the girl.
Rudolf glanced at Kojou Akatsuki, standing before him wrapped in golden arcs of electricity, then looked toward the two bite marks on the other girl's neck as she fought Astarte together with Yukina Himeragi. A look of sudden understanding appeared on his face, only for it to darken the next moment.
"I see. I see. So this is the world covered by spiderwebs that Shadow spoke of? I was being used."
Seeing the Armed Apostle standing there with a dark expression, muttering things he could not understand, Kojou Akatsuki swallowed nervously and tried to persuade Rudolf to give up on sinking the island.
"Um... mister, I learned the truth on the way here.
It is true that Meiga Itogami was a complete scumbag, but the people on this island are innocent..."
Before he could finish, Rudolf cut him off with a swing of his giant axe.
Caught off guard, Kojou Akatsuki could only block the blow with a barrier of Magical Power.
"Hey, old..."
Kojou Akatsuki tried to keep talking, but Rudolf was already closing in again, giant axe in hand, chopping at him once more.
Kojou Akatsuki knew there was probably no way to talk this out now. He could only channel the power of the Beast Vassal inside him into his fists and clash head on with Rudolf.
Now both sides were finally fighting seriously.
There was no need to mention Yukina Himeragi's side. Even though it was two against one, for Astarte, whose entire body was covered by Rhododactylos, victory was only a matter of time.
Rhododactylos's defense was simply too strong. It was not something two girls without strong burst power could break through. Normally, in situations like this, Yukina Himeragi would ignore the defense and attack the Beast Vassal's master directly.
The problem was that to attack Astarte, she first had to break through Rhododactylos's defense. In theory, the Demon-Purging Assault Spear, Sekkarou, which could nullify Magical Power, should have been able to pierce Rhododactylos's defense. But now the surface of Rhododactylos had been engraved with the same divine vibration wave formula as Sekkarou, so the two abilities canceled each other out.
There were many factors that decided a battle, but when one side had no need to defend at all while the other would lose the moment they were hit, the outcome was already decided.
As for Kojou Akatsuki's side, in Cid's view, if Kojou Akatsuki could use even one tenth of the Magical Power inside him, he could defeat Rudolf with ease. But just as Cid had said, why was he this bad?
His fighting style was basically that of a street thug, and his use of Magical Power was horribly wasteful.
It was not obvious in ordinary fights, but now that Kojou Akatsuki was practically on the verge of death, more than half the Magical Power in his body was still lying dormant.
"Hey, Sword Shaman of the Lion King Organization, and you still have not figured it out. You really are an idiot."
Even while fighting Kojou Akatsuki, Rudolf still had enough spare strength to keep an eye on the other side, and he noticed the confusion on Yukina Himeragi's face.
"You still do not understand? Your Lion King Organization offered you up to this Fourth Primogenitor as his Blood Partner, and the reason I was able to invade this place so easily was all part of your Lion King Organization's scheme."
On the surface, Yukina Himeragi seemed not to react, but the way her movements slowed after Rudolf finished speaking proved that she had heard every word.
That brief hesitation gave Astarte, controlling Rhododactylos, an opening. She threw a punch and struck Yukina Himeragi directly, taking away her ability to fight.
They had already been struggling even in a two on one fight, so after losing Yukina Himeragi's help, the other girl was also struck down and defeated in the very next exchange.
The defeat of Yukina Himeragi and the other girl affected Kojou Akatsuki as well. He had already been on the defensive, and now his movements slowed for just an instant. Rudolf seized the chance and brought his giant axe down hard.
"Mister, I really do not want to kill you. Do not force me."
Pinned to the wall by the giant axe, Kojou Akatsuki finally wavered in his determination not to use his Beast Vassal.
As the vampire Fourth Primogenitor, Kojou Akatsuki naturally possessed Beast Vassals within him. But to use one, he first had to drink blood. Today was the first time he had ever done so, and the person whose blood he drank was the girl who had suddenly dragged him over here.
After that first feeding, he had naturally gained the right to use one Beast Vassal, one with tremendous destructive power.
But this was his first time using it, so he could not control its power. On top of that, they were in a confined space. That was why he had kept hesitating over whether to use that Beast Vassal, and why Rudolf had managed to drag the fight out until now.
"You talk too much."
Hearing that, Kojou Akatsuki completely gave up on the idea of holding back his Beast Vassal.
"Kojou Akatsuki, heir to the Kaleid Blood, I hereby release your shackles!
Regulus Aurum!"
Magical Power turned into a howling storm that swept through the cramped space. A golden lion wrapped in crackling lightning burst out of Kojou Akatsuki's body and charged straight at Rudolf.
Facing that attack, Rudolf did not dodge. Instead, he tore off his cloak, revealing the battle armor beneath it that radiated holy light.
"When I stepped onto this island prepared to die, I already felt this armor stirring. At the time, I did not understand why.
But the moment I met the Son of God, everything became clear. This is God's revelation to me. Now, filthy vampire, witness how this Alcazava, empowered personally by the Son of God, destroys you, the Fourth Primogenitor."
The two attacks collided, and golden light filled the pitch black chamber.
"The outcome is decided. What a dull fight."
Even though the two below were still locked in a struggle, Cid had already turned around and was preparing to leave.
Under normal circumstances, that armor could not defeat Kojou Akatsuki. The armor's energy supply was limited. For someone like Kojou Akatsuki, who barely knew how to use the enormous Magical Power inside his own body, once the fight reached a stalemate it would mean Kojou Akatsuki had already won.
After all, using SSS level Magical Power to produce attacks that barely reached S level meant he was probably regenerating energy faster than he was spending it.
Yes, Cid had already given up on the idea that Kojou Akatsuki might be an Eminence in Shadow.
To him, Kojou Akatsuki felt more like the typical light novel protagonist who had obtained incredible power by luck but was limited by various conditions.
But that did not mean Kojou Akatsuki was winning.
What Cid meant was that Rudolf had already won.
For some reason, that armor was behaving like a phone that was being used while charging. Something that should have needed time to replenish its energy was now producing power endlessly.
If both sides had unlimited energy, then the fight would be decided by skill and mistakes. Kojou Akatsuki barely knew how to fight, so how could he compete with Rudolf, an Armed Apostle who had fought countless battles? That was why Cid said the outcome was already decided.
As for himself, he had been thinking about it for so long and still could not come up with a reasonable way to appear as Shadow. Forcing his appearance would only ruin the presence an Eminence in Shadow was supposed to have, so he had no choice but to give up.
Right now it would be better to hurry back and move some things before the island sank, minimizing his losses.
Should he move the wine cellar on the west side first, or the treasure vault on the north side? As for the piano on the east side, he would decide later if there was still time to move it.
Just as Cid was thinking this, he sensed an illusion barrier on one side of the lowest floor and casually glanced over.
His footsteps stopped.
There was a girl with braided hair.
Two plain braids hung down along her cheeks, and a pair of unfashionable glasses, just like the ones worn by Asagi Aiba, covered her deep blue eyes. Her gaze looked calm and gentle as she concealed her presence in a hidden corner.
While watching the battle below, she raised what seemed to be a communication device to her ear.
"Yes, I understand. If Kojou Akatsuki loses, I will execute Plan C and personally intervene."
"Do not worry. I have already prepared the replacement keystone for Plan D. If anything happens and the Holy Relic is damaged, I will notify you immediately so it can be replaced."
"I understand. The Holy Relic can be returned to the Church, but it cannot be returned in the form of being taken back by force. I understand."
The call ended.
At the same time, the stalemate below also came to an end. Just as Cid predicted, Rudolf had won.
Seeing that result, the braided girl sighed. A silver spear appeared in her hand, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes as she silently descended.
What the braided girl did not notice was that behind the place where she had been hiding now stood a figure wearing a black coat and a mask.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Cid's mouth, and an excited voice escaped his lips.
"I... just figured out how to make my entrance."