Coreal
patreon
[Anime] Ch 242: The Fourth Primogenitor's Ruins
🕑 Added 2025-05-15 16:28:18 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
Kojou Akatsuki's gut feeling had been spot-on.
The moment he arrived on Gozo Island and laid eyes on his father—along with the well-equipped team behind him—his eyelid twitched involuntarily.
Kojou glared at his dad, Gajou Akatsuki, and snapped, "This is your idea of a fun trip?!"
Gajou scratched the back of his head, laughing sheepishly. "C'mon! We can still have fun after we finish the real business!"
"...You've gotta be kidding me," Kojou muttered.
"You've got some nerve, old man."
Then he turned to his little sister. "Nagisa, we're going back to Japan."
Pat!
Before he could take a step, Gajou's large hand clamped down on his shoulder. "Now's not the time for you to be acting like a brat, Kojou."
Kojou tried to shake him off, but the grip didn't budge. His eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Was this guy really his dad? Since when was he this strong?
For the first time, Kojou realized he might not know much about his own father.
Still… that didn't change the fact that he was pissed off. Dragging him and Nagisa—literal kids—into this mess just for some job?
What the hell kind of parent does that?
Gajou saw Kojou's righteous anger and sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Hey, hey, Kojou-kun, it's okay!" Nagisa quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
"See? Nagisa's the only one who still loves her poor old dad," Gajou said with a tearful, touched expression.
Meanwhile, Liana Caruana stood nearby, frowning.
"These are the people you said could help us?" she asked, unconvinced.
Two kids?
Liana's mistrust was written all over her face.
Gajou just smiled. "Relax. As long as Nagisa's here, we've got nothing to worry about."
"…??"
Liana raised an eyebrow, eyeing Nagisa more closely.
Wait— she's the key?
"Eh? Me?" Nagisa pointed at herself nervously.
Kojou stepped in, frowning. "What exactly do you want with Nagisa?"
Gajou patted his son on the shoulder. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."
Yeah, right.
Kojou didn't believe a word of it. His eyes were full of suspicion.
A few minutes later, the group arrived at a large sheet of ice.
The moment Kojou got close, his chest tightened like someone had clamped a hand around his throat.
He staggered, heart pounding, and swallowed hard. "Are… are you sure this place is safe?"
Whatever was buried beneath this ice—it was definitely something horrifying.
And this guy actually brought Nagisa to a place like this?!
Damn him!
Gajou saw the look on Kojou's face and shrugged. "If you're scared, you're free to leave."
"Tch." Kojou scowled. "If I go, Nagisa's coming with me."
He turned to her, about to speak—but stopped short.
Nagisa's eyes had gone blank, her expression hollow. And then… a strange energy began to ripple from her body.
Fsshhh—
Suddenly, a gust of wind surged from beneath her feet, and her petite form floated into the air as if weightless.
"Nagisa!" Kojou shouted, heart racing. He rushed forward to pull her down—
Smack
His hand was intercepted. Gajou's grip held him back.
"If you don't want her getting hurt, don't touch her," he warned, eyes serious.
Kojou froze. "This is all your fault! You're the one who dragged her here in the first place!"
Gajou didn't answer. He just kept watching Nagisa closely, his normally playful eyes turning sharp.
"So it's true…" he muttered to himself.
Just as he'd suspected.
With Nagisa's spiritual sensitivity, she could resonate with whatever lingering consciousness was sealed here.
Off to the side, Liana watched Nagisa float with a stunned expression.
Eventually, she found her voice. "Psychometry…?"
Only a priestess with high spiritual aptitude really could pull off something like this.
But if this really was the tomb of the Fourth Primogenitor, then the era it came from was so ancient, its origins were practically lost to history.
Any lingering will… would be faint at best.
Most shrine maidens couldn't do anything with something that faint.
But somehow, this girl could.
"She's really your daughter?" Liana asked, eyeing Gajou, then Nagisa again.
Gajou puffed up proudly. "Not bad, huh? Gotta say, my genes are top-tier."
Liana's smile was cold and sarcastic. "Maybe go get a paternity test, just to be sure."
"Just jealous," Gajou thought, smirking. He didn't push the joke and returned his focus to Nagisa.
Liana followed suit, silently watching what would happen next.
Kojou, meanwhile, was losing it. He didn't know what to do, couldn't help, and was terrified of hurting her if he tried.
A few seconds passed.
The wind around Nagisa stilled, but her eyes remained vacant.
She floated slowly toward the frozen wall, lifted her hand—
Woom—!
A flash of dazzling light burst forth!
In the next instant, the thick ice disappeared.
In its place stood a gaping void, pitch black like a black hole.
"…What is this?" Liana stared into the abyss, clearly rattled.
Gajou rubbed his chin, impressed. "So they hid the Fourth Primogenitor's tomb in a pocket dimension? Now that's bold."
"A pocket dimension?" Liana blinked, surprised. That wasn't what concerned her, though.
"Is it dangerous?"
"Don't worry," Gajou said confidently. "The people who built this tomb weren't planning on dying here either."
That reassurance helped, and Liana nodded. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. "Alright. Then let's go in."
"Hold on a sec!"
Kojou suddenly shouted, his face pale. "The Fourth Primogenitor? That legendary vampire? Are you serious?!"
Why the hell had things escalated this far out of nowhere?!
Gajou just shrugged. "Only one way to find out—go in and see for yourself."
"You're actually planning to take us in there?!" Kojou looked like he was about to explode.
He knew his dad was reckless, but this was on another level.
This wasn't some random job. This involved the Fourth Primogenitor. And they were taking kids into a place like this?
He glanced back at Nagisa—still floating, eyes lifeless—and felt his heart drop.
There was no way she'd be safe in that condition!
But Gajou didn't seem fazed. After a moment's thought, he said, "Strictly speaking, only Nagisa has to go in. You're not really essential."
He didn't know what kind of situation they'd find inside or how much more of Nagisa's power might be needed.
Better to bring her just in case.
"…You've got to be kidding me," Kojou muttered through clenched teeth.
Then he took a deep breath and said firmly, "Then I'm coming too."
Gajou gave a faint, amused smile. "You really are a good big brother, Kojou-kun."
"Tch. At least better than you are as a father."
Kojou's tone dripped with resentment, but Gajou didn't seem to mind.
Nearby, Liana tapped her foot impatiently."Are we done here? Let's get going already."
Gajou shrugged. "Looks like we're good."
He shot a glance at Kojou.
Kojou turned his head away and didn't respond—but he also didn't object.
Seeing that, Gajou nodded to Liana, then took the lead and walked up to the swirling black void.
He drew a deep breath, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Even after exploring so many ruins, this was a first—the Fourth Primogenitor.
Excited? Of course he was.
And the way this tomb was hidden… just the entrance alone was unlike anything else.
He couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement.
Then, without hesitation, he stepped forward—placing one foot into the darkness.
But before he could take the next—
A lazy voice rang out from behind them.
"Mind if I hitch a ride?"
.
.
.
