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Under the cover of night, the quiet classrooms of Saikai Academy were supposed to be empty. Yet, Motoki Yaze stood in one of them, his silhouette cast by the faint glow of moonlight.

Not far from him, a small bird perched on the window sill—a shikigami, its blank white eyes glowing faintly.

"Miss Shizuka, what's our next step? Judging by his demeanor, it's clear that August and Kojou can't coexist peacefully."

"There's nothing we can do, I've faced him twice, and both times, I failed."

"You… failed? Are you serious?" Yaze's voice betrayed his disbelief.

"Not in the sense of outright defeat," Shizuka clarified. "Neither of us showed our full strength—it was just a test of sorts."

"But your abilities…"

"They're useless against him. He can neutralize them with ease."

"That's... problematic," Yaze muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. How had he ended up in the middle of such a mess?

Unlike Yukina Himeragi, who was openly assigned as a Sword Shaman to monitor Kojou, Yaze was a true observer—a shadow in the background, tasked with uncovering everything without being noticed.

More than that, Yaze was an Over-Adapted person, a rare individual capable of manipulating magic on par with the best. As Kojou's friend and a member of the Yaze family, he was the perfect candidate to monitor the Fourth Primogenitor.

Power, skill, and loyalty all aligned in him, making him indispensable. But now, with August's unexpected arrival, everything the Lion King Organization had meticulously planned was unraveling.

Originally, Kojou was supposed to gradually embrace his role as the new Primogenitor, building his Empire of the Dawn under their watchful eye.

The plan involved leveraging the Sword Shamans and the Mikos to forge connections with Kojou. The ultimate goal? To guide him toward the Lion King Organization's vision, especially in choosing a Blood Mate—a decision central to their schemes.

"Miss Shizuka, what's the strategy now? We can't just give up on Kojou, can we?"

"Give up? Of course not," Shizuka's voice replied firmly.

Yaze's expression softened slightly. Despite his role as an observer, he genuinely cared for Kojou as a friend.

"That guy is strong. Kojou doesn't stand a chance against him right now."

"He hasn't even consumed blood, let alone bonded with a proper vessel," Yaze continued. "A vampire's true power comes from their familiars, after all."

"Don't worry. The Fourth Primogenitor's value is undeniable. We're not giving up on him," Shizuka reassured.

"Then what's the plan?" Yaze asked, glancing at the shikigami perched nearby.

"I've already dispatched a Sword Shaman and a Miko to Itogami Island. Your job is to ensure Kojou interacts with them."

"Me? Arrange it?"

"Exactly."

"Fine, but… two of them at once?"

"Yes. Kojou doesn't have much time. He needs to grow stronger quickly. While he's inherited the title of the Fourth Primogenitor, he still needs to prove himself worthy of that name."

With those parting words, the shikigami dissolved into a piece of white paper, fluttering away in the breeze.

"Ah, Kojou," Yaze sighed, shaking his head. "Your future is looking bleak."

The weight of the situation pressed down on him. Originally, everything had been planned to perfection. The Fourth Primogenitor born in this land would rise to power, with the entirety of Japan supporting him as the new Emperor of the Dawn.

But August's sudden appearance had shattered those carefully laid plans. Worse still, August had made no attempt to hide his disdain for Kojou's role or his potential.

The real problem, though, was the danger August represented. He was a wild card—unpredictable, uncontrollable, and a potential catalyst for chaos.

One wrong move, Yaze realized, and the entire island could be plunged into turmoil.

...

At Natsuki's House

In the quiet living room of Natsuki Minamiya's residence, Kasane Yase diligently worked on her homework at the dining table. Natsuki, the enigmatic and powerful Attack Mage, was out on an official mission, leaving August alone to contemplate on the couch.

The world he found himself in revolved around a singular truth: Familiars. These otherworldly beasts, bound by curses and hatred, could only be wielded by vampires—a unique, intrinsic power exclusive to their kind.

This, however, was merely the surface understanding. In the original narrative, during the Incident of the Vampire King, a critical revelation came to light. The experimental prototype of the Fourth Primogenitor, known as Unit Zero, who possessed all twelve familiars and power equivalent to the true Primogenitor, unveiled the true essence of familiars:

Familiars were not simply creatures of another realm—they were manifestations of curses, hatred, and despair.

Influenced by the divine destruction brought upon by Cain's Holy Calamity, the polluted souls of supernatural beings morphed into twisted forms. The spirits of ancient gods, born from their rage or despair, became what the world now recognized as the "Cursed Beasts" wielded by vampires.

The Fourth Primogenitor's twelve familiars, in particular, carried a more harrowing origin. These were remnants of the ancient Heavenly Tribe who had sacrificed themselves, offering their very souls to create the ultimate curse. This ultimate curse gave birth to the terrifying familiars that August now pondered about.

For August, curses, despair, hatred, and resentment weren't mere concepts—they were nourishment.

This realization led him to a provocative hypothesis: if familiars were entities born of pure negative energy, could they be consumed like food?

He had encountered familiars twice before. Despite being labeled as "living beings," they felt more like constructs—condensed amalgamations of energy rather than organic creatures.

"Should I try devouring a couple of familiars?" August muttered to himself. Once the thought crossed his mind, it became impossible to ignore.

However, practicality held him back. Hunting vampires to acquire their familiars would not only draw unwanted attention but might also upset Natsuki, who he had come to respect. That wasn't an option.

"Maybe instead of hunting familiars… I could try contracting one myself."

In this world, anyone could theoretically form a contract with a familiar—even ordinary humans. The catch, however, was that the cursed beasts constantly drained the life force of their masters. For humans, attempting to wield a familiar was akin to courting death.

But August wasn't like the others. Contracting a familiar wouldn't be to command or wield it—it would be purely for consumption. If he could figure out the method, this might allow him to feed on familiars en masse without causing unnecessary disruption.

The problem, however, was glaringly obvious: August didn't know how to form a contract with a familiar.

After all, he wasn't a native of this world. His understanding of its magical systems was limited to what he had gathered from following the story as a fan. Everything he knew about familiars and their workings came from his secondhand knowledge, which was far from comprehensive.

"First, I'll need to figure out how contracts work," he thought aloud, leaning back on the couch. The plan was ambitious, but if successful, it could change everything. And yet, without proper knowledge of the world's systems, his grand idea remained frustratingly out of reach.

For now, all August could do was wait—patiently strategizing his next steps.

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