[215] : I Sank Your Ship—Enjoy the Swim Home

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After all the buildup, discovering there was no grand conspiracy, just some pathetic power struggle, left Bokue feeling distinctly unimpressed—like he'd been hyped up for some epic chess match only to discover it was checkers played by toddlers.

Not caring to stay a second longer than necessary, Bokue stood up decisively once he had the information he needed. Without another word, he turned and headed straight for the exit of the ruined banquet hall.

Outside, the night had already deepened. Stepping onto the deck, a fresh ocean breeze greeted him, pleasantly cool in the evening air.

Yukina and Nagisa exchanged quick glances, then hurried after him.

"Senpai..." Yukina started carefully, still preoccupied with the conversation they'd just had. "What should we do next?"

Her thoughts lingered anxiously on Sayaka's revelation about the remnants of the Black Death Emperor Faction. Raised and trained by the Lion King Organization, Yukina had a strong sense of duty and responsibility. The idea that residents of Itogami Island might now be under threat deeply unsettled her.

Bokue, by contrast, seemed entirely unconcerned. He shrugged lightly, completely unfazed.

"We don't have to do anything. Since they're already on the island, it's the Security Force's problem now. They'll probably track leads, perform searches—you know, the usual drill. Though to be honest, it probably won't even come to that."

"Huh? Why not?" Yukina blinked in confusion.

Bokue sighed, patiently explaining, "Think about it. If these remnants really made it onto Itogami Island, then tell me: what exactly is their goal?"

Yukina repeated what Sayaka had theorized earlier. "According to Sayaka, it's probably to trigger international public attention, maybe even to destabilize the First Progenitor's position by breaking the Holy Ground Treaty."

Bokue massaged his temples lightly. "Honestly, at first, I thought that sounded ridiculous. But thinking it through now... Itogami Island's been around for decades—everyone knows exactly what's here. There's nothing valuable enough to justify the Black Death Faction's interest. However, as one of the officially designated Demon Sanctuaries, an attack here symbolizes a direct violation of the Holy Ground Treaty, causing international outrage."

"That... makes sense," Yukina said slowly. "But then what?"

"Then nothing. Like your friend said, they came here to create a big incident—a flashy public attack, not stealthy sabotage. They'll eventually show themselves once they're ready to cause chaos. We'll just deal with them when they do. Easy as pie."

He continued casually, "Best case scenario? This new leader—whatever his name was, Gardos—only took charge because he was the tallest dwarf in a field of midgets. Maybe he's so weak even the island's security can handle him."

"So, what do we do now?" Yukina asked uncertainly.

"Nothing," Bokue repeated easily. "We just go home."

They had already stepped off the luxury ship, descending onto the quiet dock below. Unlike the opulence aboard the vessel, the dock itself felt plain and empty, especially at this hour. The day workers had left; the night shift hadn't arrived yet. Only the gentle waves lapped against the shore.

"Wait... Hold on!" A voice called from above. Sayaka quickly hurried down the boarding ramp after them, looking somewhat flustered. "Are... you three really leaving already?"

Yukina smiled awkwardly. "Well... Senpai said so."

Sayaka hesitated.

Childhood friends reunited after so long—it was disappointing to part again so quickly. But, realistically speaking, the destroyed banquet hall filled with kneeling vampires was not exactly an ideal location for heartfelt reunions.

It'd be pretty strange if they stood around chatting casually, completely ignoring a roomful of subdued vampires glaring resentfully from the floor.

Bokue noticed Sayaka's hesitation and suggested bluntly, "If you still have something to discuss, why not just come along?"

"What?" Sayaka blushed, startled at the unexpected offer. She quickly shook her head, regaining composure. "No way! I'm here on official duty supervising Lord Ardeal. I can't just abandon my responsibilities."

"Oh, speaking of responsibilities..." Bokue suddenly straightened, as if he'd just remembered something important. Golden flames rose briefly around him, illuminating the dark pier.

Then, without hesitation, he levitated calmly upward, swiftly rising above the enormous luxury cruise ship. His single outstretched hand projected a massive golden forcefield, effortlessly enveloping the entire vessel and a vast volume of surrounding ocean water.

He glanced down at the three stunned girls standing on the dock. "Give me ten seconds. I'll be right back."

And then, before anyone could react, Bokue soared off at astonishing speed, dragging the massive ship and a monumental wave of seawater behind him, heading straight toward the deep center of the ocean.

A powerful gust kicked up by his passing tore across the water, leaving the three girls speechless, staring after the rapidly shrinking point of golden light.

Seconds later, thousands of miles away in the vast, empty heart of the Pacific Ocean, a massive explosion erupted upward—a towering column of seawater mixed with dark flames lit up the night sky.

Moments after, Bokue casually reappeared beside the dock, calmly dusting off his hands with a satisfied expression. "There. Problem solved."

Yukina gazed at him with a blank, incredulous stare. "Senpai, don't tell me you just..."

"Sent Lord Ardeal on his merry way," Bokue finished cheerfully, making a relaxed peace sign. "Now we don't have to waste energy worrying about what he's plotting. I dumped them right in the middle of the Pacific. With vampire strength, it'll probably take him—what—about half a month to swim back home to Eastern Europe?"

Yukina's mouth twitched slightly, speechless at how casually he'd just wrecked someone's entire ship.

Nagisa tilted her head thoughtfully. "You know, Big Bro... tonight you're even more aggressive than usual."

Bokue sighed, shrugging slightly. "Well, it's not like I enjoy acting this way. But sometimes, people won't treat you with basic respect unless you're willing to treat them like animals. Give them a little courtesy, and they take advantage of you. Show them some teeth, and suddenly they're ready to play nice."

Nagisa hesitated softly. "Have you met people like that before, Big Bro?"

"Unfortunately," Bokue replied with dry humor, "most of my relatives from the Keikain Clan are exactly that type."

"Oh..." Realizing she'd brought up something sensitive, Nagisa quickly changed the subject, looking toward the two Lion King girls instead. "Well, at least now Sayaka doesn't have to follow Lord Ardeal around anymore, right?"

Sayaka sighed, still processing Bokue's rather extreme method of problem-solving. "I suppose..."

She quickly recovered, smiling gently at Yukina. "By the way, Yukina, where exactly are you living now?"

Yukina's mind immediately sprang to action. She stretched her response, giving her mind precious seconds to carefully review every detail of her current home situation.

She'd already carefully cleaned up all the suspicious "traces" left behind after the previous two nights. Today's activities had conveniently happened entirely next door at Nagisa's place, even bathing there afterward.

She should be safe, right?

Hopefully.

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