Chapter 332: Sorry, I Don't Like Prostitutes
Afterwards, Mahiro chatted a bit more with these vicious criminals to build rapport.
Just as he was about to probe for more information, the layout of the prison suddenly changed again.
Like puzzle blocks, the long table and hall vanished, replaced by a not-so-wide corridor.
Rows of doors were embedded on both sides of the walls, resembling a hotel hallway.
"Don't be surprised. The previous area was where we eat and move around freely. This is the resting area for the night," Meiga Itogami explained to him, as if it were completely normal.
Still, he couldn't help but marvel at the power of this prison. It seemed to operate on its own independent system—Natsuki Minamiya only needed to guard it, with no other responsibilities.
It made him a bit eager to analyze this barrier prison.
No, he had already made up his mind to analyze it.
But before that, he had to settle the accommodation issue.
From his earlier observations, he had noticed that the number of rooms in the corridor exactly matched the number of prisoners—not one more, not one less.
And since he hadn't entered through proper means, there was no place for him to stay here.
"What's wrong, little brother? No place to sleep? Or… can't sleep alone at night? How about sleeping with your big sister? My bed is big and soft~"
At some point, Gigliola had already woken up, even placing a hand on his shoulder. The uncomfortable feeling instantly gave him goosebumps.
Mahiro subtly stepped back half a step, avoiding the hand she had placed on him, and replied coldly:
"No need. I'll make do with Meiga Itogami for the night."
After spending some time together, Meiga Itogami was the one he got along with best.
Although this woman had emphasized that she was "clean," and her revealing clothing boldly showcased her figure, who could really know the truth?
Through chatting with the others, he had learned about Gigliola. This woman was known as the [Songstress of the Quartz Theater], an Old Generation vampire directly descended from the Third Progenitor, over two hundred years old.
She had carried out revenge for a royal assassination incident, slaughtering multiple members of the royal family, including the crown prince, and was subsequently internationally wanted.
Having lived so long and even worked as a courtesan to establish connections with European nobility, who would believe this woman was "clean"? Who knew how many men she had slept with?
And most importantly, staying in one room wasn't just about avoiding Gigliola—it was more like using her as an excuse.
He planned to start with Meiga Itogami, this man, to gain more knowledge about this world.
And so, completely ignoring Gigliola's resentful gaze, Mahiro directly knocked on Meiga Itogami's door and stated his purpose.
Meiga Itogami didn't refuse either, immediately bringing him into the room.
A heavy door-closing sound echoed in the empty corridor. Gigliola, mercilessly rejected, stared at the tightly shut door. Her pitiful, alluring eyes showed a hint of grievance and anger, but even more so, greed.
To be able to hypnotize her, a vampire most skilled in mental domination, without any visible effort—such strength must at least be at the level of an [Elder], a second-generation vampire, the strongest beneath the Progenitors.
Moreover, that formidable physical power reminded Gigliola of her own Progenitor, Giada Kukulcan, the "Chaos Bride" also known as the [Ancestor of Martial Arts]. Their strengths seemed almost comparable.
If she could capture and possess him, then by the time she escaped the prison and devoured the Fourth Primogenitor to establish a new Night Empire, wouldn't she become the 'Imperial Consort'?!
At the very least, she could be the companion of an 'Elder'.
Just the thought alone was enough to make her break out in a sweat.
"I will never give up on you, little brother, hehe…"
Thinking this, Gigliola reluctantly glanced toward Meiga Itogami's room before swaying her hips and returning to her own quarters.
Mahiro, who had been invited inside, noticed that the room was completely different from the corridor outside and the dining hall.
Although the layout was simple—just a bed, a bookshelf, and a desk—it lacked any sense of age or decay.
Instead, it felt somewhat cold and austere.
This atmosphere harmonized perfectly with Meiga Itogami's refined temperament.
The only flaw was the absence of windows; the room was completely sealed.
"It seems you're living quite comfortably in prison."
Mahiro pulled over a chair and sat opposite Meiga Itogami.
The man across from him always wore a cheerful smile, and coupled with his gentle aura, he appeared like a scholarly gentleman. But Mahiro knew all too well just how insane Meiga Itogami truly was.
Meiga Itogami was the grandson of Kansaki Senra, the creator of Itogami Island. Originally an Attack Mage of the Lion King Agency, he was transformed by his grandfather into a special existence unaffected by spiritual or Mana forces—essentially a living corpse.
He was also the only one capable of wielding the flawed prototype assault demon-hunting twin guns, "Fangzahn."
Later, he fell in love with Fujisaka Touka, the former wielder of the "Snowdrift Wolf."
Seven years ago, Fujisaka Touka infiltrated an organization worshiping a foreign goddess, rescued Yukina, who was being used as a sacrifice, and fought alone until her death. Due to excessive inhalation of divine energy, she ascended to become a "Mock Angel."
It was because of this that Meiga Itogami went mad, and Fujisaka Touka became the unattainable white moonlight in his heart.
Even now, seven years later, Mahiro could still detect the madness swirling deep within Meiga Itogami's eyes.
He had never given up, lurking like a venomous snake ready to strike his enemies at any moment.
At this moment, Meiga Itogami smiled gently and said, "Perhaps this should be considered Natsuki Minamiya's final act of kindness and freedom toward Tokoyogi Aya."
He sighed softly, but his gaze toward Mahiro was filled with scrutiny.
"Yotsuba Mahiro."
Meiga Itogami suddenly called his name. "I think you came to me not just to avoid the Theater Diva, right? No, I should say avoiding her was merely an excuse. With your abilities, you could easily hypnotize her again."
Meiga Itogami was very clever.
Even the lenses of his glasses seemed to radiate an aura of wisdom, and the sharp eyes beneath them felt as though they could pierce right through him.
Having come this far, Mahiro naturally had no intention of continuing to hide anything. He shrugged nonchalantly and said:
"You're absolutely right. I actually just wanted to have a chat with you. But there's one thing you got wrong. The reason I didn't take action against Gigliola is because I never attack someone who's smiling at me. She held no hostility toward me—she just wanted to sleep with me. Besides, she's a woman."
"Heh, I never expected Mr. Yotsuba to be such a sentimental gentleman," Meiga Itogami's tone carried a hint of teasing and amusement.
"Thank you for the compliment."
His shameless, thick-skinned demeanor left Meiga Itogami momentarily speechless.
Then, with a slight curl of his lips, he smiled, as if conceding defeat with a sigh:
"Alright, go ahead. What do you want to know from me?"
"That straightforward?"
Such a direct attitude caught Mahiro slightly off guard.
In response, Meiga Itogami sighed again.
"What else can I do? You'd just keep pestering me anyway, wouldn't you? Besides, I'm well aware that your existence is far from ordinary."
As he spoke, Meiga Itogami met his gaze once more, his eyes seeming to peer straight into his very essence.
What fueled this suspicion wasn't just the sheer physical strength Mahiro displayed when beating up the blond vampire, but also the momentary change in his eyes when he hypnotized Gigliola.
At the time, Meiga Itogami, being the closest to the scene, had seen it all clearly.
Those eyes were as crimson as blood, much like a vampire's, yet brighter and more vivid than any vampire's.
The magical circles and obscure, incomprehensible runes swirling within them were something he had never seen before—not even heard of. They seemed as mysterious as the "Artificial Angels."
At that moment, he became certain: Mahiro's existence was anything but ordinary.
After all, this world wasn't limited to a single dimension. Higher-dimensional spaces existed, and at the time, he speculated that Mahiro might have come from that elusive, higher dimension.
He was not of this world.
It had to be said, Meiga Itogami was truly clever. Although his conclusion was slightly off the mark, it was still largely correct.
However, Mahiro didn't react much to Meiga Itogama's words. He simply smiled, as if to say, "You guessed right."
Then he asked:
"Mr. Meiga Itogami, could you enlighten me about the demons in this world, as well as the general state of the world?"
As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." At the very least, he needed to learn about the factions he might encounter in the future and the enemies he might face, so he could make some preparations.
Although he already had a rough idea in mind.
"Oh?"
Meiga Itogami first looked at him with keen interest, his gaze carrying a hint of depth, as if weighing something. Then he nodded and began explaining the nature of this world.
Most of his explanation focused on information about demons.
Demons, as they were called, were a collective term for races other than humans. This included beastmen, elves, half-demons, artificial lifeforms, vampires, and other non-human beings.
Among them, vampires were entirely different from what one might imagine.
They are not afraid of sunlight, can even consume human food, and can mate with humans to produce offspring.
On the surface, they appear no different from ordinary people, except for the blood-sucking impulse triggered by their abnormal excitement. Under this impulse, it is not uncommon for them to drain their partners of blood until death.
Additionally, vampires in this world also have a hierarchy—[High-Class], [Old Era], [Nobles], [Elders], and [Progenitors].
Among these, the Progenitors are the strongest, followed by the Elders of the second generation, while the High-Class are the weakest.
Their ranks are determined by the strength of their familiars and their bloodline. For example, Gigliola Ghirardi is an Old Era vampire whose familiars cannot unleash their original island-shaking power,
primarily because her magical power is suppressed by the barrier prison.
As for the strongest Progenitors, only three currently exist in this world.
The ruler of the Eastern European "Warlord's Empire," the First Progenitor [The Lost Warlord] Ki Juranbarada, whose bloodline is Type D;
The ruler of the West Asian "Extinction Dynasty," the Second Progenitor [The Eyes of Extinction] Iblisveil Aziz, whose bloodline is Type G;
And the ruler of the American "Chaos Realm," the Third Progenitor and the only female Progenitor, the [Chaos Bride] Giada Kukulcan, whose bloodline is Type T.
All three Progenitors wield a vast number of familiars akin to natural disasters, feared by the world.
"However, I think if you, Mr. Yotsuba, could escape from here, it wouldn't be impossible for you to become the Fourth Primogenitor."
Meiga Itogami smiled slightly, his expression carrying a deeper meaning.
"Become a vampire? Sorry, I'm not interested."
Mahiro shook his head and refused outright.
What's so good about becoming a vampire? Currently, he has no worries about lifespan, his appearance is already fixed, and while the limits of his magical power are still unclear, it's undoubtedly not low.
So why would he bother becoming something like the Fourth Primogenitor?
Isn't it perfectly fine to remain a proper human being?
However, upon hearing his response, Meiga Itogami's smile deepened.
"Aren't you interested in those powerful familiars? You should know that there is still a vacancy for the Fourth Primogenitor in this world. It is said that the twelve world-destroying familiars in their possession
are currently divided and stored in twelve vessels. If you obtain them, you can rightfully become the Fourth Primogenitor and establish the Fourth Night Empire."
Meiga Itogami spoke persuasively.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Mahiro blinked, revealing a hint of confusion.
The reason for his confusion was not about the Fourth Primogenitor but about the storyline.
He only knew that by the time the story began, Akatsuki Kojou had already become the Fourth Primogenitor, but he had no idea when the [Feast of the Blazing Light] actually took place.
From what Meiga Itogami said, are the Fourth Primogenitor's familiars still scattered out there?
Has Akatsuki Kojou not yet become the Fourth Primogenitor?
If that's truly the case, it might indeed be worth considering—like having one of his own people become the Fourth Primogenitor.
However, he didn't fully trust Meiga Itogami's words. After all, the things this guy knows are already ancient history. The outside world has changed, and who knows what the actual situation is.
He would have to see it for himself.
Meiga Itogami also noticed his interest and added another piece of advice.
"If you wish to become the Fourth Primogenitor, then I'll give you another warning: be careful of the Lion King Agency."
The Lion King Agency—what a familiar name.
Commonly known as the Lion King Matchmaking Service, an organization dedicated to delivering wives.
For example, among Akatsuki Kojou's blood companions in the original story, both Himeragi Yukina and Kirasaka Sayaka were from the Lion King Agency. It's said that aside from them, the Lion King Matchmaking Service sent two more.
They could almost be called great benefactors.
However, Meiga Itogami's warning was well-intentioned. While it was true that the Lion King Matchmaking Service delivered women, their primary purpose was to use these intimate partners to restrain such powerful individuals.
If the target showed any suspicious movements or intended to destroy the world, these intimate partners would not hesitate to take action.
Although no successful cases in this regard had been seen yet, caution was still necessary.
"Thanks, but Mr. Meiga Itogami, you've told me so much. What reward are you seeking?"
Mahiro first expressed his gratitude, then spoke meaningfully.
He understood clearly that Meiga Itogami was also the type who wouldn't act without benefit. He wouldn't play the role of a great benefactor and tell him all this for nothing—there had to be something he wanted.
"Haha, that depends on how much you think this information is worth, Mr. Yotsuba."
Meiga Itogami said cheerfully, even pushing the pricing power to Mahiro's side, still maintaining his composed demeanor.
"Alright then. In that case, to repay you for this information, how about I help you escape from this prison?"
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Meiga Itogami's eyes immediately lit up, and his tone grew somewhat urgent.
"Is Mr. Yotsuba speaking the truth?"
"Of course."
"When?"
"Hmm, the day after tomorrow. I still need to contact someone."
"Could it be Tokoyogi Aya?" Meiga Itogama teased. "That woman has a very cold personality. I doubt you'll find it easy to approach her."
To be precise, no one in the prison could engage in conversation with Tokoyogi Aya unless she initiated it herself.
Aloof like a flower on a high peak, yet no one dared to provoke her.
"I know. I have my own methods."
"Haha, then good luck, Mr. Yotsuba."
Meiga Itogami said no more, and their conversation came to an end.
The night passed without incident.
On his first night in prison, Mahiro had no intention of sleeping at all. Instead, he used his Copy Eyes to analyze the prison's structure.
It had to be said, the construction of this prison barrier was indeed formidable.
The intricate spatial folds alone were dizzying to observe. After analyzing for a night, his head felt somewhat swollen.
He was quite fatigued overall.
But after this night, he had mostly deconstructed the prison's structure. With roughly one more night, the analysis would be complete.
During mealtime on the second day, Gigliola approached him as usual.
Mahiro silently avoided this woman once again.
It was a game of "I flee, you chase, I have no wings to fly away," providing quite a bit of entertainment in the otherwise silent prison.
By evening, when it was time to return to their cells, Gigliola once again clung to him.
The flush on her face was already uncontrollable, and the blood-sucking impulse within her body was nearly impossible to suppress.
"Little brother, why are you rejecting your sister? Just come and sleep with me, I promise you'll feel really good."
Between breaths, Gigliola's soft body pressed closer, her elongated fangs already nearing his neck. With just a slight movement, she could easily pierce his blood vessels and savor the sweet, intoxicating blood.
But Mahiro dodged once again, evading her.
"I've said it before, I'm not interested in prostitutes. Even if you claim to be clean, I despise the identity of a prostitute, understand?"
"You little brat, you're pushing your luck!"
After two days of continuous rejection, Gigliola finally lost her temper. With a flick of her wrist, a long whip reappeared in her hand.
Seeing this, the people around stopped on their way back to their rooms, watching with keen interest.
Mahiro also wore a strange smile as he looked at the furious woman before him.
"What, are you planning to test your strength against me?"
"..."
Gigliola's breath hitched, as if remembering that the blond guy was still bedridden and recalling how he had been brutally beaten yesterday. She shuddered, gritted her teeth, and cursed:
"You win this time!"
With a loud slam, Gigliola stormed back into her room, but the door seemed to have been left slightly ajar.
From within, a subtle gaze peered out, as if trying to determine which room he would stay in tonight, preparing for a Night Raid!