Chapter 378: The Smitten True Ancestor
The confident statement "You can't beat me anyway" left Giada speechless, yet she had no way to refute it.
Because she truly couldn't defeat Mahiro.
All she could do was let out a helpless, soft sigh.
"Ah, you're right. I'm already old, so it's no surprise that a young junior like you can overpower me."
As she spoke, Giada even put on a sorrowful expression.
Yukina was somewhat bewildered by the other party's behavior.
Weren't Progenitors supposed to be ageless, immortal, and dignified beings?
Leaving aside the twelve at Mahiro's home, why didn't even the Chaos Bride before her show the slightest hint of dignity?
Instead, she seemed just like an ordinary girl...
That said, Giada's actual age was indeed difficult to pin down.
She looked both like an immature young girl and a bewitching, mature woman.
Her long hair was a pale green like polished gemstones, her eyes gleamed with a jade-like radiance, and her wild beauty brimmed with vitality.
Trying to gauge the age of the Demon Queen using the same standards as humans would almost feel like arrogance.
"There are a few things I need to correct."
Mahiro's brow twitched at Giada's words as he continued:
"First, I'm a human with a finite lifespan, while you're an ageless, immortal Progenitor of the bloodline. Our ages aren't comparable. For example, I'm already an adult, while you might still be in the stage of a young girl."
"Second, let's be frank—what exactly are you here for? Don't tell me you're just here to have fun. I won't believe that."
At first, Giada looked delighted and very approving upon hearing Mahiro's words.
After all, even Progenitors were still girls, and they too liked hearing others praise their youth.
But when she heard his later remarks, her expression suddenly fell, and she sighed mournfully:
"Ah, I'm getting old. Even when I tell the truth, no one believes me. How pitiful~"
How about punching this bewitching bitch to death?
Online advice needed, quite urgent.
But in the end, he chose not to act on his impulse to beat her to death. Instead, he patiently and calmly fixed his gaze on her, waiting for her truth.
Seeing this, Giada also relented and said softly:
"Alright, alright. I heard you took Shizuka Koyomi, the head of the Three Saints, for the first time and even want to annex the Lion King Organization?"
Upon hearing this, Aya, Alpha, and Beta showed no reaction.
Natsuki Minamiya nearly dropped her teacup.
The most shocked was Yukina.
What had she just heard?
Shizuka Koyomi-sama, the head of the Three Saints, actually... did that kind of thing with Mahiro-senpai?!
Is this something I should be hearing?!
For no reason, Yukina felt a surge of irritation.
But the most crucial point was—Mahiro-senpai wants to annex the Lion King Organization?!
Yukina abruptly turned her head, her gaze fixed on Mahiro.
For a moment, she didn't know whether to feel embarrassed and annoyed or to show some other expression.
In any case, her gaze toward Mahiro was quite complicated.
But Mahiro's reaction was rather calm, even with a hint of amusement at the corner of his mouth.
"Oh? That's truly surprising. You even know about this. Could it be that Shizuka Koyomi told you?"
"I have no comment on that."
Giada smiled charmingly, her expression playful.
Since everyone present was exceptionally attractive, their conversation naturally drew the attention and curiosity of many students.
They wanted to approach, but upon seeing the two leopards open their eyes and cast a sidelong glance, they immediately hesitated and held back.
They only dared to watch from a distance.
"By the way, I have one thing I don't understand. Why did you choose the Lion King Organization?"
Giada asked again, and Mahiro simply shrugged.
"Just a whim."
"Really?"
Giada gave him a deep look, then lowered her head, gently stroking the two leopards lying on the ground, smiling with a hint of meaning.
"Isn't it to use the Lion King Organization to consolidate your rule and establish a new Dominion?"
"???"
Upon hearing this, Mahiro couldn't help but slowly type out a few question marks, his eyebrows nearly twisting into knots.
Honestly, he couldn't understand at all what necessary connection there was between taking over the Lion King Organization and establishing a Dominion.
His interest in the Lion King Organization was simply because it had many female members and decent strength, making it worth recruiting.
Most importantly, it could complement the Shadow Garden lurking in the darkness.
Seeing him remain silent, Giada took it as confirmation and chuckled again:
"Although the twelve Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor are already firmly in your grasp, your identity is ultimately that of a human. You don't have the qualifications to establish a Dominion."
"Or do you wish to become an organization like the Black Death Emperor Faction, which isn't recognized by the Holy Ground Treaty?"
Most of those under the Dominion are Vampires, each with their own unique traits.
For example, the First Empire has D-Type Vampires with the ability to turn into mist; the Second Empire has G-Type Vampires; and the Third Empire, represented by the carefree, smiling beauty before him, has ｢-Type Vampires.
Mahiro was aware of these facts.
But what did this have to do with him? He never intended to establish a Dominion in the first place.
However, being compared to a trash organization like the Black Death Emperor Faction, Mahiro's eyes turned cold, and a hint of irritation arose in his heart.
"Hah, the Black Death Emperor Faction? Just a bunch of rats hiding in the sewers, afraid of the light. Do you think I need toys like Nalakuvera to deal with you?"
There probably wasn't a second person in the world besides Mahiro who would refer to Nalakuvera as a toy.
Giada nodded slightly, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her hand as she admitted:
"Hmm, I admit you are strong. I am no match for you, and neither would Ki Juranbarada or Aswad-Guul Aziz likely be. Moreover, the young ladies under your command are also formidable, and you have the support of the Demon Slayer Natsuki Minamiya and the Witch of the Notaria Tokoyogi Aya.
Ah, right, the twelve Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor are also under your control."
Giada had essentially laid bare all his personnel and trump cards.
She had even conducted particularly detailed investigations and observations of the Shadow Garden and others.
Her conclusion was:
Among them, Alpha was the strongest, with strength and Magical Power likely on par with a Progenitor. The others were mostly below the level of a Progenitor but above Vatler.
Among them, even the weakest, Nu, is estimated to be on the same level as Vatler.
It can be said that this is an extraordinary force, and coupled with Mahiro himself, it would be no exaggeration to say they could overturn the world order.
But beyond that?
The twelve Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor are not gathered in a single individual. Scattered power can never be called a whole—it will always remain incomplete.
And whether it's Natsuki Minamiya or Tokoyogi Aya, in the eyes of a Progenitor, they are merely slightly stronger ants.
Due to the Holy Ground Treaty, Natsuki Minamiya, as a Demon Slayer, is able to sit at the same table and converse with them.
Just like today.
Apart from these individuals, Mahiro essentially has no one else to rely on.
He lacks his own clan of bloodline subordinates.
Thus, in her eyes, Mahiro's actions of courting the Lion King Organization and seeking to bring it under his control are preparations to expand his own power and establish a Dominion.
"But what about beyond that? What will you do with the people around you? For example, Aiba Asagi…"
Boom—
Before the words could fully leave her mouth, the dining table and benches were blasted apart. Mahiro seized Giada by the throat and slammed her violently into the wall.
Natsuki Minamiya promptly activated spatial teleportation to relocate all the students present while simultaneously sealing off the space.
The two leopards, seeing their master in peril, tried to rise and assist, but as they transformed into human forms, Alpha's swift sword strikes severed their heads.
The moment Beta stood up, she pulled Yukina close, firmly covering her mouth and restricting her freedom.
Behind Tokoyogi Aya, a faceless black knight materialized, placing its greatsword against Giada's neck. The Grimoire in Aya's hands rustled as it flipped open, its cover marked with "No. 014."
When Natsuki Minamiya caught sight of that book, her expression shifted slightly.
She knew all too well the book's function—
It could manipulate accumulated inherent time.
It was something Tokoyogi Aya had specifically prepared for her, with the aim of reclaiming the Book of the Oath from her.
Who would have thought it would have a chance to be used against a Progenitor?
The Vampires of this world differ from those of other worlds.
For instance, in Hellsing, blood is regarded as the currency of the soul.
In the world of Strike the Blood, the source of a Vampire's power lies in time.
The vast accumulation of inherent time is, in essence, memory.
Just how much time this book could steal from the Third Progenitor, Giada Kukulcan, remained an unknown.
"You know what? The thing I hate most is being threatened, especially when it involves the people around me."
Mahiro slowly tightened his grip, causing Giada's neck to creak as if it might snap at any moment.
At this moment, his face had darkened to the extreme, the chilling intent swirling in his eyes completely unconcealed, like a frigid wind capable of freezing souls.
The murderous aura emanating from him felt almost tangible.
It was hard to imagine how many people he had killed to accumulate such a fearsome killing intent.
Yet Giada seemed completely unfazed.
Even with someone gripping her throat, even with her feet off the ground and pinned to the wall, even enveloped in a murderous intent she had never encountered in her long existence.
She was like a teru teru bōzu doll, being handled casually as if everything she endured wasn't happening to her.
The corner of her blood-stained lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
"Angry? Hehe, impulsiveness truly is humanity's unique flaw."
"As if you weren't human before becoming a vampire."
That's right—no one is born a vampire.
Even the Progenitor of vampires once held a human identity before being cursed.
This is a universal setting across nearly all worlds, with only extremely rare exceptions.
Yet upon hearing his words, Giada let out a charming laugh, her face blooming with delight as she revealed her pure white fangs.
"No, before becoming a vampire, I wasn't human—I was a Deva, and a royal Deva at that."
Though this identity had long been lost to the passage of time, so long that even Giada herself had nearly forgotten, being reminded of it now brought the memory back.
The demigod race of ancient deities, creators of countless species, possessing long lifespans, extraordinary power, and near-immortal regeneration.
They were indeed like the vampires of legend—unable to withstand sunlight, surviving only by drinking human blood.
But in the end, Cain triggered The Cleansing, corrupting the divine race into demons and subjecting them to indiscriminate slaughter.
And so, she, the Lost Warlord, and the Eye of Extinction became the so-called immortal and undying Progenitors.
Did she hate Cain for making her this way?
She held no such feelings.
After all, becoming like this was her own choice, and being able to freely bask in the sunlight was also Cain's doing.
It was just that, after all this time, she had finally met a human as interesting as "Cain" had been back then.
Possessing immense pride and the compassion to protect all he wished to protect.
Even if it meant using any means necessary, at any cost.
A complete madman.
Gradually, as her neck was squeezed, Giada's emerald eyes took on a layer of crimson bloodlust.
Trembling, she raised her head, trying to touch Mahiro's cheek.
But he tilted his head away, avoiding her touch.
"What, is your bloodlust acting up? Craving my blood?"
Mahiro had no idea that Giada had been thinking about so many things in those few seconds. All he knew was that this woman had suddenly become infatuated.
In response to his question, Giada even gave a firm "Mm-hmm."
"I do crave your blood, I want to taste you... Yotsuba Mahiro, I want to cooperate with you. Join my side, and I'm willing to share with you the rule of the Dominion."
As soon as she finished speaking.
Mahiro's expression instantly changed, as if he had encountered a pervert. He immediately let go of her, his face full of disgust as he distanced himself from her.
Is this woman a masochist?
Bloodlust stems from lust, and Mahiro knew this very well, so Giada's current state spoke for itself.
She was in heat.
But Giada didn't seem to mind his disgust. She picked herself up from the ground on her own and asked with a faint smile:
"Not willing? I can offer protection for everything you wish to guard."
"Not willing, and not needed."
Mahiro deliberately took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, disdainfully saying, "My people, I will protect them myself. There's no need for you to worry about it, Miss Giada.
"Also, if I really wanted to establish a Dominion, creating a Progenitor wouldn't be troublesome either, but I have no such intention. Once I finish what I need to do, I will leave,
so don't provoke me either."
Giada, seemingly dumbfounded, chuckled and asked:
"Oh? The candidate for the Progenitor wouldn't be Avrora, would it?"
Of course not.
On Mishima Island, there was still Elisabeth, the [Blood-Drinking Queen] who came from the same world as Alpha and the others.
Although he didn't fully understand the definition of a Progenitor, wasn't the progenitor of Vampires at least somewhat qualified?
However, he didn't need to explain this to this infatuated woman.
He merely coldly tossed out a sentence.
"Leave now, while I still don't want to take action against you."
"Hehe, no way."
Giada, like a willful little girl, playfully smiled at him.
"And it's best if you seriously consider my suggestion. I'll be back."
After saying this, Giada curled her lips happily, then turned and left without looking back.
"Lord Mahiro, should we intercept and kill her?"
The speaker was Beta, who stared indignantly at the departing figure.
"No need. Besides, killing a Progenitor isn't an easy task," Mahiro said softly.
At the very least, he hadn't yet figured out an effective way to kill these Progenitors.
Other than erasing their existence or completely decomposing them into ashes.
But neither the former nor the latter could be considered easy tasks.
Then, he turned his gaze to the golden-haired Elf beside him.
"By the way, Alpha, how are things going with Gamma and Eta?"
"Gamma said she has already made contact with Kanase Kensei, and Eta has nearly finished researching the technology."
As she spoke, Alpha inadvertently glanced at Natsuki Minamiya, only to see the black-gothic Lolita looking at them with a probing and serious expression.
There was also a hint of anger.
It was anger at being disregarded and having secrets discussed loudly in front of her.
Mahiro didn't pay much attention to Natsuki's reaction, simply telling Alpha to prepare to close the net. As a result, he was directly blocked by Natsuki Minamiya.
"What did you mean by what you just said? What are you planning to do to Kanase Kensei?"
"Nothing."
Mahiro smiled slightly, "Just taking precautions. Besides, he has a technology I'm very interested in."
That was the artificial divinity technology.
Ever since Kanase Kensei's attempt to adopt Kanon Kanase was thwarted by him and failed, Mahiro had ordered people to secretly keep an eye on this man.
Sure enough, as expected, this guy had taken the same old path of creating artificial angels, and he was doing it very discreetly.
Since he couldn't stop this guy from seeking his own demise, he didn't mind stealing the research results.
So he had Gamma approach him as an investor.
Then, he had Eta, as Gamma's assistant, record and improve the artificial divinity technology while secretly rescuing and sheltering the failed and dying girls.
However, he couldn't explicitly inform Natsuki Minamiya about these matters, nor did he want to.
Given Natsuki Minamiya's personality, she would definitely try to stop him.
"Wait, senior!"
Just as he had finally managed to convince Natsuki-chan and was about to leave the cafeteria, Yukina, now free again, blocked his path.
"What is it?"
"Mahiro-senpai, don't you think you should explain what happened with Shizuka Koyomi-sama the first time?"
With the kindest tone and the sweetest smile, Yukina asked about the one thing Mahiro least wanted to discuss.
Unfortunately, this time, it wasn't just Yukina who wanted to know.
Alpha, Beta, Aya, and Natsuki Minamiya had all surrounded him, eager to hear an explanation.
Although they already knew what had happened, they still hoped to hear the details directly from Mahiro!
What a mess this was.