-2333- Start a war

At nightfall, the rose magic circle above Itogami Island finally shattered, causing all of the Beast Vassals summoned by the Rose to vanish from this world.

Almost simultaneously, the magic circles on the ground—like doorways—also disappeared, taking with them the horde of demons and monsters that had emerged.

Peace returned to Itogami Island, but the scars it bore were as if the entire place had been bombarded by artillery fire.

Even after that, though the virus in the Special Zone Defense Force's system was purged and the operations of the Management Cooperative were restored, official rescue vehicles—ambulances, fire trucks, and helicopters—were deployed from the Keystone Gate toward all directions to rescue civilians and manage the disaster.

However, the damage inflicted by Tartarus Lapse's assault was unlikely to be repaired any time soon.

Meanwhile, at the port of Itogami Island, a man stood on a luxurious cruise ship, gazing at the aftermath.

"So, it failed after all?"

Dimitrie Vatler neither looked surprised nor disappointed. On the contrary, he smiled with satisfaction.

"Though a little regrettable, this too was within the plan."

Vatler removed the sunglasses from his face and smiled gleefully.

"With the elimination of the original, he's now gained the eleventh Beast Vassal. Although he's still one short of acquiring the full power of the Fourth Primogenitor, it doesn't matter. At this rate, he'll gather them all eventually. I truly look forward to how strong he'll become then."

Saying this, Vatler turned around and looked behind him.

Then he spoke:

"Now do you understand? Everything I said before was true. If you continue wasting your days pretending to be ordinary high school students, this island really will vanish, you know?"

Vatler's words reached the ears of the two people present with him.

Besides Vatler, there were two others.

Both wore school uniforms, clearly students—and clearly human.

"…You really played us, Lord of Ardeal," said a boy in Saikai Academy's male uniform. A pair of headphones hung from his neck. His demeanor was laid-back, almost delinquent, yet there was a roguish charm to him.

"Motoki…"

The one who muttered in a low voice was a girl with striking features, her outfit skirting the edge of the school's dress code. Her beauty was unique, her presence unmistakable.

If Rozen were here, he would immediately recognize these two.

They were Rozen's close friends—his best friends on the island—Aiba Asagi and Yaze Motoki.

Yes.

Asagi and Motoki had shown up here.

Just recently, Tobias Jagan and Kira Lebedev Voltisloa had invited them to observe the chaos that swept across all of Itogami Island alongside Vatler.

Vatler looked at the two seemingly insignificant humans—normally of no interest to him—and now smiled with deep fascination.

"I've had my eye on you two for a while now. The Shaman and Heimdall. For you two to remain unharmed while always staying near the Divine Child—it's impossible for you to be ordinary."

Vatler spoke as if welcoming them.

But Asagi and Motoki were far less enthusiastic, even showing faint hostility.

"What's your goal?" Motoki asked bluntly. "Hiring Tartarus Lapse to attack Itogami Island, then saying all this—you think we'd believe you?"

"Believe it or not, that's your choice," Vatler replied with a carefree smile. "But surely, you've seen it with your own eyes. Itogami Island is a dangerous place—especially in the eyes of the three Night Empires. If you keep sitting on the sidelines, this island will become the world's enemy."

"…So that's your goal?" Asagi muttered after a long silence. Then she glared at Vatler. "You used Tartarus Lapse as a mouthpiece to expose the truth about Itogami Island to the world, making them aware of its uniqueness and danger. What exactly are you after?"

"What am I after? Actually, it's very simple," Vatler laughed—and his laugh grew more and more twisted and manic until it erupted into full-blown laughter.

"What I've always wanted… is war!"

With that declaration, Vatler unleashed terrifying magical energy.

"I've always been so bored, you see. Even though there are tempting foes here, devouring them in one bite would be a waste. This delicacy must be shared! The whole world should be invited to this feast!"

Vatler proudly extolled his grand ambition.

"My reason for hiring Tartarus Lapse, yes—it was partially to let them reveal the true nature of Itogami Island. But also to steer powers that had strayed off course back onto the right path—to help the Divine Child I favor become stronger and more complete!"

Vatler laughed with extreme delight.

"By now, you've both been exposed to the truth of this island—and to your true identities. Especially you, Shaman. What you saw inside 'C' must have shocked you, right? But that is the truth."

Vatler's laughter was met with Asagi biting her lip.

What she had seen inside "C" had indeed shattered everything she thought she knew.

If not for those revelations, Asagi would still think of herself as just an ordinary high school girl with some hacker skills.

But now, she knew—everything had been predetermined.

"Seriously…"

Motoki sighed in frustration.

Of course, unlike Asagi, Motoki had known the truth from the beginning. That's what made the current situation so irritating for him.

There was nothing more they could do now but play along with Vatler.

"Don't worry, I've made full preparations to assist you."

With that, Vatler snapped his fingers.

A person immediately walked in.

He was a refined young man, wearing loose robes reminiscent of ancient sages, and glasses perched on his nose.

"You're…" Motoki seemed to recognize him, his tone surprised. "The only one who escaped from the Prison Barrier during the Harurouin Festival?"

Indeed.

This was the very same man who had escaped during the last incident and had since disappeared—his whereabouts unknown.

He offered a humble smile.

"An honor to meet you, Princess of the Aiba Family and Heir of the Yaze Household. Just call me Itogami Meiga."

At that name, Asagi reacted.

"Itogami?"

Her voice was filled with astonishment.

For people on Itogami Island, that surname was as famous as it got.

But Meika didn't seem to mind her shock.

"No need to be surprised," Itogami Meika said meaningfully. "You two share the same origin as I do—there's no reason to be shocked, is there?"

Asagi and Motoki fell silent.

Seeing this, Vatler once again smiled in satisfaction.

"Itogami, Yaze, Aiba, and Hiina—among the forbidden four of the God of Sin's descendants, three of them are now gathered here."

Vatler spread his arms wide once more.

"Well then, let's begin!"

"To protect Itogami Island, let us start a war!"

"Hahahahahaha!"

Vatler's maniacal laughter echoed through the night sky.