[477] Escapees

Facing these vicious criminals, Natsuki Minamiya smiled calmly, showing no signs of concern.

It wasn't arrogance. She knew August's strength and understood this man well. His possessiveness was terrifying, and since he'd set his sights on her, he'd never allow anyone to harm her.

"Natsuki-chan, it's fine if I kill them, right?"

"Do as you please. They're just escapees. Besides, would you even listen to me?"

"Of course I would. I care about you a lot, you know."

Natsuki pursed her lips. She didn't doubt his words—he genuinely cared for her. But even so, he wouldn't change his decisions just because of her.

"Kill me? Kid, aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"

Schtola D, a descendant of the Deva lineage, was naturally proud and brash. August's words ignited his fury. To him, August was a nobody, insignificant.

And it wasn't just him—the other escapees shared the same sentiment.

Each of them had committed heinous crimes and earned infamous reputations across the world. A random kid they'd never heard of? They didn't take him seriously.

"You're Schtola D, descendant of the Deva, right?"

"Oh? You know me, kid? Seems you've got some knowledge."

"Looks like the Deva have really fallen. As their descendant, you're this weak?"

"What? You dare look down on me? Then die!"

Schtola D roared in anger, leaping toward August. His fist, wrapped in a swirling gust, compressed the air with its force.

"Since you're a descendant of the Deva, out of respect for the old gods, you'll die under the Chains of Heaven."

Whoosh!

Golden ripples appeared in all directions.

Silver-white chains shot out, each tipped with a sharp wedge.

"What's this?"

Schtola D dodged the first wave of the Chains of Heaven, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

Pierce!

Before he could react further, a wedge from another angle pierced through his body.

Once the first strike landed, Schtola D became a target. The surrounding chains attacked relentlessly.

In mere breaths, the once-arrogant Deva descendant was reduced to a pincushion, skewered by the silver chains and dangling in midair.

"The Chains of Heaven…"

Natsuki stared at the chains that had dispatched Schtola D in an instant, her heart pounding with shock.

She could sense that these chains far surpassed her own Laeding.

"Chains of Heaven? What's that?" Kojou asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.

"According to legend, in ancient Mesopotamia, the Chains of Heaven were a divine weapon formed from Enkidu, the cherished friend of the legendary king Gilgamesh. They once bound the 'Bull of Heaven,' which plagued the kingdom of Uruk with seven years of famine."

"Huh? Mesopotamia? Uruk? Bull of Heaven?"

As a struggling student, Kojou barely grasped his own country's history, let alone that of distant regions.

But these were just myths, and Natsuki knew that. Such tales were fabrications.

Yet now, she couldn't help but believe. August had told her about this before—how this world wasn't the only one, how beyond it lay countless others.

In some of those worlds, with their own Earths, myths weren't mere stories.

She'd always taken a neutral stance—neither believing nor denying—because she had no grounds to dismiss it. She didn't even fully understand this world, let alone others.

"The Chains of Heaven, the Bull of Heaven—all just myths spun by ancient humans."

Gigliola Ghirardi, an old-era vampire who'd lived since ancient times, scoffed. He knew well that so-called myths were human inventions, some even inspired by vampires.

"Legends are real, just like my treasures. You can doubt them, but you can't deny them."

"Human, you only killed a Deva descendant. Don't think you're invincible. I'm an old-era vampire—I've witnessed humanity's history."

"A mere harlot. Don't pollute the air here."

"What did you say?"

Gigliola Ghirardi flared with rage. It was true, but she hated being called that.

As a descendant of the Third Primogenitor, her inability to endure loneliness had led her to countless men, resulting in her exile from the Chaos Zone.

That fall had broken her. She became a notorious high-class courtesan in Europe, infamous among royalty and nobility.

Five years ago, she'd been caught with a minor nation's crown prince. Fearing scandal, the royal family tried to secretly execute her. Instead, she retaliated, slaughtering the assassination team and several royals, including the prince.

That grave crime landed her in the prison barrier.

"A harlot has no right to exist."

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The Gate of Babylon opened fully, unleashing a barrage of Noble Phantasms.

The other escapees scattered, but Gigliola Ghirardi, trapped by the Chains of Heaven, had nowhere to run.

Pierce!

"Argh!"

Weapons stabbed into her, skewering her like a kebab.

At first, she didn't care. As a vampire, her regeneration was formidable—minor wounds healed quickly.

But then, to her horror, she realized these weapons bore curses that completely suppressed her power.

"No, this can't be—I can't die like…"

Before she could finish, flames erupted across her body, reducing her to ashes in an instant.

August smirked disdainfully. Vampires were indeed powerful in this world, but unfortunately for her, his treasury held an abundance of Noble Phantasms with attributes to "restrain" and "slay" vampires.

Most were C- or D-rank Noble Phantasms, but Gigliola Ghirardi wasn't exactly a powerhouse herself.

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