The discussion in the side hall concluded.
Shirona and Hisano then proceeded to discuss finer details, dismissing the two girls guarding the entrance.
The pure-looking girl with the silver greatsword and the spirited girl wielding a Western longbow both nodded obediently before withdrawing from the side hall.
"Haaah..."
Once outside, the two girls simultaneously let out sighs of relief.
Exchanging glances, they shared wry smiles.
"That conversation was way above our level, Shio," the pure-looking girl said with visible distress.
"Yeah," the spirited girl sighed in agreement. "Between the leader of the Three Saints being suppressed and the Divine Child who sealed the Fourth Primogenitor coming here—neither situation is something we can handle."
Both were Attack Mages from the Lion King Agency, but they had only recently graduated.
The pure-looking girl carrying the silver greatsword was Haba Yuiri, a Sword Shaman of the Lion King Agency. Like Yukina, she was trained in Demon-slaying arts and Spirit Vision, ranking among the top of the Agency's new generation—almost on par with their year's top student.
The spirited girl with the Western longbow was Hikawa Shio, a Shamanic War Dancer. Like Kirasaka Sayaka, she excelled in curses and assassination, with jujutsu skills surpassing even Yuiri's. They were classmates and partners, having worked together since their debut, practically inseparable.
Much like Yukina and Sayaka, both had trained at the Lion King Agency's Attack Mage facility. Despite their delicate appearances, their combat abilities rivaled those of Demons. Their current mission was to guard Shirona and assist Hisano in dealing with the spiritual entity in Shinjin Lake.
However, the true leaders of this operation were Shirona and Hisano—Yuiri and Shio were merely support. Thus, their standing here wasn't particularly high.
To them, the conversation between Shirona and Hisano felt like something from another dimension, leaving them with a lingering sense of unreality.
Yet, it wasn't entirely unfamiliar.
After all, the extraordinary figures mentioned by Shirona and Hisano weren't complete strangers to them.
"Is that legendary Divine Child really coming here?" Yuiri asked, a mix of nervousness and anticipation in her voice. "Will Yukina-chan be with him?"
"Probably," Shio replied uncertainly. "As his moniter, she'd definitely follow him even if she can't stop him—just to keep him in check if he loses control."
"That sounds like Yukina-chan. She might seem cold at school, but she takes her responsibilities seriously," Yuiri mused, recalling their acquaintance before voicing her concern. "But... the Divine Child sealed the Fourth Primogenitor, right? And I heard he can summon gods. Even the Third Primogenitor lost to him. Will Yukina-chan be okay?"
"Probably...?" Shio's tone remained doubtful before she huffed. "Well, she has the Mechanical Demon-Purging Assault Spear Mark Seven. Even against someone that terrifying, she should manage somehow."
The two girls idly chatted about such topics.
It couldn't be helped—the imminent arrival of someone who made even Shirona and Hisano wary left a strong impression on Yuiri and Shio.
Especially Yuiri.
Because...
"Originally, you were supposed to inherit the Mechanical Demon-Purging Assault Spear. You were even on the shortlist to monitor the Divine Child of Origin—one of the top candidates before Himeragi took your spot. Now that His Highness is coming, you must be curious, right?"
Shio voiced Yuiri's thoughts, making the latter blush slightly in embarrassment.
But as Shio pointed out, Yuiri had nearly been chosen instead of Yukina to monitor Rozen.
Yuiri had first learned about Rozen just before last summer.
Rumors spread that the supposedly immortal, peerless vampire Primogenitor—the merciless Kaleid Blood, who commanded twelve calamity incarnates as Beast Vassals and existed beyond worldly logic—had appeared in the Demon Sanctuary of Itogami Island.
The news quickly reached the students of High God Forest, an elite all-girls boarding school and training facility for the Lion King Agency, plunging them into fear.
As an organization dedicated to preventing magical disasters and terrorist acts, the Lion King Agency would inevitably confront such a terrifying existence head-on.
And they—the students—might be deployed as frontline operatives against such a monstrous Primogenitor. The mere thought was enough to induce panic.
Fortunately, the Fourth Primogenitor was eventually sealed.
The one who accomplished this was Minamiya Nichiyo, a boy their age—younger brother to a Witch, a legendary figure said to have descended with divine majesty.
The Lion King Agency decided to assign a Sword Shaman to monitor him.
And Yuiri's name had been on the candidate list.
Honestly, Yuiri had been both shocked and terrified.
The idea of monitoring the younger brother of the Witch who sealed the Fourth Primogenitor left her dizzy with anxiety.
Yet, at the same time, she had felt a faint glimmer of excitement.
Yuiri had a secret fondness for clichéd shoujo romance manga and often fantasized about similar developments in her own life.
So, she couldn't help but wonder—would monitoring the Divine Child, a boy her age, lead to a romantic relationship?
She had entertained such thoughts more than once.
However, Yuiri ultimately wasn't chosen as the Divine Child's watcher.
There were two reasons.
First—Yuiri couldn't wield the Mechanical Demon-Purging Assault Spear Mark Seven, the Anti-Demon Divine Armament.
As a secret weapon of the Lion King Agency, this armament couldn't be adjusted to its user. Compatibility and aptitude determined whether one could wield it—not skill or ability.
Yuiri's compatibility with the spear was lacking.
Without a weapon said to be capable of slaying even a Primogenitor, a mere human attempting to monitor someone who could seal a Primogenitor would be suicidal.
That was the first reason.
The second reason concerned Yuiri's background.