Multiverse Gacha

"By the way, Asagi, has anyone anonymously sent you encrypted files lately?"

"Encrypted files?"

"Yeah."

"Now that you mention it, I did get something last night—an anonymous file filled with weird data. Took me hours to crack it."

"Impressive as always, Your Majesty, Empress of the Digital Realm."

"Ugh, don't call me that~"

'Empress' was her online moniker. She didn't mind it in private, but having it shouted out in public like this made her squirm with embarrassment.

"How'd you know about it, though?"

"You didn't hear? You're not the only one who got it."

"Not the only one? What do you mean?"

"Someone's running a filter."

"A filter?"

"Exactly. They're sorting out who can decrypt it and who can't."

Asagi's pupils shrank at August's words. Her father was a high-ranking official on Itogami Island.

As his daughter, she had access to knowledge far beyond the reach of most—especially now, employed by the state corporation managing the island. She knew things.

In the original story, if Kojou Akatsuki had revealed his true identity to Asagi from the start, it would've saved a mountain of trouble.

"Hey, now that you mention it, I feel like I'm in danger here."

"Nah, relax. This is Caihai Academy—you'll be fine. Don't sweat it."

August knew full well the Black Death Emperor Faction was likely targeting her by now. Still, he had no intention of meddling in this plotline.

Heroically saving the damsel was a cliché, sure, but it remained one of the surefire ways to win a woman's heart.

On Itogami Island, Asagi Aiba was a singular existence. As Cain's Witch, she was untouchable here.

The island—including the "Blue Elysium"—was an artificial city defying the laws of nature. For Cain, cursed by the earth itself, this place was a massive altar.

And as Cain's Witch, everything on this island was Asagi's ally.

Coincidence and inevitability alike would shield her. As long as she remained on Itogami Island, no one could kill her—not even the Fourth Primogenitor, not even with the Seven-Type Demon-Slaying Assault Rifle.

In the original tale, the Taishi Bureau had tried multiple times to erase Asagi by unleashing Leviathan to destroy the island. They'd failed every time.

Even Mogwai, a creation of Cain, had once declared that as long as she was on this island, he'd never let anyone harm her.

Most crucially, Asagi could wield the "Holy Annihilation." In the future, whether it was Akatsuki's sister or Vatler, their access to that power was a trick—an imitation. Asagi alone could truly harness its might.

"Let go of Asagi, you bastard!"

The interruption came like a thunderclap—Kojou Akatsuki's furious voice cutting through the air.

August and Asagi turned to see him storming over. The sight of them standing face-to-face sent Kojou into an uncontrollable rage.

Ever since August appeared, the people around Kojou had drifted away. Natsuki-chan, Asagi, even Yumeha Yorita—who'd once fed on his blood—and now even his sister Nagisa orbited August instead.

Worse still, August had humiliated him time and again, grinding his pride into dust. The last straw? Sending a subordinate to abduct Yumeha and Shio Hikawa outright.

"Kojou?"

Asagi watched the fuming Kojou approach, a mix of confusion and a faint spark of delight flickering within her.

His reaction to her chatting with August—it had to be jealousy, right? Even now, her lingering feelings for Kojou whispered that hope.

"Asagi, you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be? What's going on between you and August?"

"Stay away from this guy. He's bad news."

Asagi frowned slightly at Kojou's intensity. This wasn't the Kojou she knew—he'd changed.

August, meanwhile, offered a faint, unbothered smile. Kojou's opinion of him? Irrelevant.

He'd already poached most of the girls. Even Yumeha and Shio had been whisked away by Beatrice. Kojou? He was left with nothing.

Well, almost nothing. There was still Asagi standing before him.

Her feelings for Kojou had taken root years ago—a seed planted by chance, nurtured over time into something sturdy.

But her personality, paired with Kojou's obliviousness, had led to repeated dead ends. She'd nearly given up.

Yet, as the old saying goes: childhood sweethearts rarely outshine a fated newcomer.

"Kojou, is there some misunderstanding here? August doesn't seem like a bad guy to me."

"Asagi, don't let him fool you. This jerk's rotten to the core."

Hearing Kojou hurl insults again, August's patience began to wear thin.

"Kojou Akatsuki, watch your mouth. Slander me baselessly, and I might just end you."

"See? Look at him! How could someone like that be good?"

Kojou spun to Asagi, gesturing at August as if he'd proven his point.

But Asagi didn't see anything wrong with August's response. If anything, Kojou's overreaction felt excessive.

He'd insulted the guy first—did he expect no pushback?

"Talk about impotent rage," August mused. "Kojou, your score in my book just dropped a few more points."

"I don't need your damn rating."

"Seriously, why'd she pick you? You're utterly useless—no awareness, no sense of responsibility. All that power, completely wasted."

"You—"

Kojou opened his mouth to retort, but a sudden memory—a fleeting glimpse of a graceful figure—surfaced.

Pain stabbed through him, and he clutched his head, dropping to a crouch.

"Hey, Kojou, you alright?"

"I'm… fine…"

He forced the words out to Asagi, but his lost past gnawed at him harder.

What had happened back then? How had he stumbled into becoming the Fourth Primogenitor? Why had he killed Aurora? What was the truth behind it all?

August observed Kojou's torment, piecing it together. The missing chunks of his memory—swallowed by the former Fourth Primogenitor—were haunting him.

Recovering those wouldn't be easy.

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