"Find the dragon."
This was not only the Lion King Agency's intention but also the shared goal of everyone present.
The group stepped out of the main hall. While Yukina, Yuiri, and Shio remained tense, Rozen, Vatler, and Iblisveil exchanged glances.
Then, Vatler was the first to laugh.
"It seems both of you also wish to find that dragon."
His words perfectly reflected his own intentions—he wanted to locate the dragon from Shinjin Lake and was prepared to take action.
Naturally, Iblisveil felt the same.
"Does the Warlord Dominion intend to monopolize this Holy Annihilation legacy?"
Iblisveil bared his fangs at Vatler.
None of the three great vampire empires would willingly let go of the Holy Annihilation's legacy—and the same went for other nations.
The reason was simple. Just look at the last Holy Annihilation legacy.
The previous legacy was the twelve Matrices of the Kaleid Blood, including Avrora.
Sealed since the era of the Holy Annihilation, they had gradually resurfaced over the centuries, only to reunite during the Blazing Banquet a year ago, nearly resurrecting the god-slaying Fourth Primogenitor. This proved that anything tied to the Holy Annihilation was far from ordinary.
The dragon from Shinjin Lake was no exception. Having slumbered beneath the lake, protected by the Black Shell and guarded by the Horned Serpents, its emergence surely signified something extraordinary.
As such, as meddlesome ancient vampires, neither Vatler nor Iblisveil would let this legacy slip away.
Especially with the involvement of The Cleansers—as inheritors of the three Primogenitors' bloodlines, they couldn't afford to ignore this.
Vatler represented the Warlord Dominion, while Iblisveil stood for the Dynasty of Destruction. As close confidants and descendants of the First and Second Primogenitors respectively, their rivalry over the Holy Annihilation legacy was inevitable.
Add to that their warlike natures, and it wouldn't be surprising if they used this as an excuse to battle right here.
Yukina, Yuiri, and Shio tensed up.
Having witnessed Vatler and Iblisveil's power firsthand, the three girls couldn't fathom the catastrophe that would unfold if these two clashed.
And as members of a national special operations agency, they couldn't allow these two to wreak havoc on their homeland.
Thus, the girls had no choice but to intervene.
Fortunately—
"How could that be?" Vatler raised his hands in mock surrender, his tone dripping with false humility. "No matter what, as a noble of the Warlord Dominion, I cannot act too barbarically or discourteously in front of the two Highnesses. If this escalated into a diplomatic issue, the old men backing us would gleefully join the fray. And with the Divine Child involved, a conflict between three Primogenitor-level beings would drag the entire world into chaos. I lack the courage to pull that trigger."
Despite his words, his elegant smile betrayed his true feelings—he would relish such a scenario.
"What a hypocrite." Iblisveil sneered. "So, are you giving up on the dragon from Shinjin Lake?"
He didn't believe for a second that Vatler would back down.
And he was right.
"If I did, the old man behind me would fly into a rage." Vatler smirked. "So, let's make this a first-come, first-served affair, Your Highness."
"Oh? You want to compete with me, Snake Charmer?" Iblisveil's sneer twisted into a bloodthirsty grin. "Very well. I'll indulge you."
Then, he turned to Rozen.
"And what are your plans, O Sealer of the Primogenitor?"
He posed the question almost perfunctorily.
To which—
"Asking the obvious isn't very dignified, Prince."
Rozen's offhanded reply made Iblisveil chuckle wryly.
"Then let's each rely on our own abilities."
With those words, Iblisveil spread his mana wings and took to the skies, vanishing into the distance.
"With that, we shall take our leave. Until we meet again, our beloved Divine Child."
Vatler offered Rozen a reverent noble's bow, his smile brimming with amusement, before dissolving into mist.
"Farewell."
Kira, ever the polite youth, bowed as well before vanishing into fog.
"Tch."
Tobias merely snorted, dispersing into mist without another word.
Now, only Rozen, Yukina, Yuiri, and Shio remained.
This only made Yuiri and Shio even more nervous.
After all, while Vatler and Iblisveil were gone, Rozen was undeniably the more terrifying presence.
The image of Shinjin Lake's obliteration was still fresh in their minds, and Rozen's cold indifference toward the Lion King Agency during the meeting had left them uneasy, unsure how to proceed.
If possible, they would have preferred to leave with Shirona and Hisano to help exterminate the remaining Horned Serpents.
Unfortunately, someone had to monitor the situation with the dragon, and Nagisa and Avrora—still unconscious under sleep jujutsu, drained of spiritual and magical energy—wouldn't wake for a while. Someone needed to stay and care for them while reporting developments to Shirona and Hisano.
Thus, Yuiri and Shio steeled themselves and stayed behind, waiting to see how Rozen and the others would act.
At least Yukina was here—without her, they'd have been even more anxious.
But then, their jaws dropped at the exchange between Rozen and Yukina.
"Are you really going to keep fooling around with them, Senpai?"
Yukina marched up to Rozen, her voice thick with displeasure and complaint.
"Y-Yukina-chan...?"
"Himeragi...?"
Yuiri and Shio gasped.
First, they'd never seen Yukina act like this.
Second, they couldn't believe their junior would dare speak to Rozen in such a tone.
What if they angered this demon king?
Their hearts pounded in fear.
But then—
"How is this fooling around?"
Rozen shot back, his earlier imperious demeanor gone, replaced by the look of a wronged man.
Yuiri and Shio stared in disbelief.
Yukina, however, wordlessly pointed toward Shinjin Lake.
"Look over there and tell me it isn't fooling around, Senpai."
Rozen glanced at the horrific crater and grimaced awkwardly.
"I was just saving time..."
He muttered under his breath.
"Saving time? By destroying an entire lake!?"
Yukina's anger flared.
"I told you not to go overboard, but you didn't listen at all! This time, I'm going to lecture you properly!
"Wait, I'm the senpai here! Since when do kouhai lecture their senpai!?"
"If you do something wrong, you must take responsibility! Sit in seiza right now!"
"No!"
"Sen! Pai!"
"I refuse—hey! Don't pull out your spear!"
Rozen and Yukina bickered back and forth, leaving Yuiri and Shio's minds utterly blank.
Watching Rozen—the man who struck fear into hearts—flounder under Yukina's scolding, the two girls could only share a single thought:
"Is... is this really the same Divine Child everyone fears?"
Their worldviews had been shattered.