It was now the next day as the members of Nameless sat around a table in the library.
"Right I'll go over this again we can't win." Once more Akatsuki confirms it. They stood no chance against the Demon Lord Alistair.
"But you took up a game with him." "Yes I did. My goal is to win but we can't. So I'll at least give him a run for his money." "Isn't that just...?" Picking a fight where you cannot win but refusing to back down after having talked big... As a heavy sigh from all members of Nameless echoes throughout the messy library the atmosphere felt terribly dreadful.
"Anyways let's pick some items from the list shall we?" From his pocket Akatsuki took out a sheet of paper. The same one that Demon Lord Alistair left behind.
"You say that but..." They won't win.
"Why bother?" "What if we do win? Be prepared right?" In the end they won't know till they try even if the odds are not in their favor. "Let's see..." The list only contained item names. The usages of the items are not written there. This may have just been out of spite from the Demon Lord but still picking goods that could be used for the Circle is difficult without knowing the item's utility.
"Why are all of you even trying?" Theia who was sitting at the end of the table looked at the three Nameless Circle members hopelessly. To her they probably just look like a bunch of desperate idiots trying to salvage the situation.
"Cause there's still hope. Akatsuki-san may have said that we'll lose but even if the chances are less than 10% that's completely fine with me. I'll put my faith in his schemes." Even if the chances are less than 10% Inaba was betting on it. She has placed her faith in Akatsuki just like Shirayukihime. 10% is better than 0%, even if the chance had been in the decimals believing in that little amount of hope knowing that it's not complete darkness is still better than nothing.
"Don't call it a scheme, call it a master plan." "No Akatsuki-san's ideas are always schemes." "Oh so the little Inaba's finally gotten a spine." Hearing Akatsuki say that Inaba stepped back a bit warily.
"Whatever. Besides that, you don't want to go back to the Upper Garden do you?" "..." Having been point out Theia goes silent.
"I don't care about the reason really. But you've caused us quite a bit of trouble taking blood from our residents here." Though no one died but a crime is still a crime. Should an act of attempted murder be forgiven without some form of punishment? To Akatsuki the answer to that is no.
"Uuu... I do not wish to go back..." "Then our interests align help us and we'll help you. Work for forgiveness. Not a bad deal is it?" After thinking it through Theia nods.
"The item list if I may." Inaba hands the item list over to Theia.
"What does your Circle need?" "Some form of lighting would be nice in the night. I found myself tripping the other day." Shiriyukihime wanted some form of lighting. As for Inaba she desires for anything that could better their lives here.
"Hmm..." "Anything on that list that could prove to be useful?" "My elder brother has gotten quite a collection after I disappeared." "Then..." So Theia didn't know what all the items on the list could do.
"But I do know that this item the Lumen's Lamp can provide light by projecting orbs of light throughout a residence." "That will work." "Why the hell does a vampire have that?" Weren't they supposed to be afraid of the light? No speaking of which Theia when Akatsuki first met her was surrounded by candles. So maybe that logic of a vampire turning to ash in the sunlight doesn't apply here in Eden?
"It was our late grandfather's." "Late?" "Demon Lord Count Dracula." The connection of the name Dracular and Dracula was obvious. Since Eden is a world filled with many mythological figures when the word vampire came up Akatsuki was hoping to meet Dracula at some point. But the old man was already dead from the sound of it.
"How did he die?" "Overdose." What kind of drug was powerful enough to kill a vampire?
"On?" "Blood." The room went deathly quiet as the answer was given. What kind of vampire dies from overdosing on blood? Was Akatsuki supposed to laugh about this? Was this some sort of sick joke?
"Err...he was already quite weakened from having that lamp in his room at all times." The mythological being known as Count Dracula was a stupid man who collected objects that brought only misfortune on his person.
"Ah um Akatsuki-san the vampire Demon Lord Dracula is still an entity of great fear back in his prime." Inaba attempts to restore the image of the late count.
"I don't care if he's already dead." "Anything else we could get aside from that lamp?" "Shirayuki-san isn't that getting a bit greedy?" Since it was something that will only bring harm to a vampire household maybe they could get more than what they bargained for. The lamp could act as just a freebie since they must be desperate to get rid of it.
"Maybe." Theia answers to Shirayukihime's thoughts.
"Oh more profit. I smell more money in this than before. Cheers to capitalism~." The sharp eyes of Akatsuki seem to glitter with the money symbol.
(Th-This is bad those two only have money in their heads!) "Maybe we should just ask the guy to cough up some money." Akatsuki still hasn't seen this world's currency. Not everything is traded through War Games.
Things like food have to be brought with an actual form of currency right?
"Ugh..." As much as Inaba hates to admit it their finances were in the reds so some money would really help.
"How much do you think we can get?" "20 billion." Theia answers, obviously valuing herself greatly.
"I doubt it." "Wha!?" Offended she begins to speak but is cut off by Shirayukihime.
"One million." "Nah lower." Once more Akatsuki refutes it deflating Theia's value further.
"Y-You...!" Angered Theia got out of her seat and pounced at Akatsuki baring her white canines.
"Not happening." "I just said that I'm not!" This man is an enemy! My nemesis! I'll kill him one of these days! Theia gave Akatsuki a vicious glare as she bares her fangs. As soon as the chance is given she'll strike him down from behind.
"Moving on, we can ask for money and the Lumen's Lamp. Now for an actual strategy meeting, so the bug over there tell us about that lolicon elder brother of yours." Akatsuki beckons Theia for any piece of information on Demon Lord Alistair.
"Ugh..." "I-It's probably hard for Theia-chan to give away the weaknesses of her family member s-so maybe we shouldn't..." "As soft as always Inaba." "How did you survive up to this point?" Being insulted by both Shirayukihime and Akatsuki Inaba droops her shoulders. She just couldn't win...
He gripped the girl by the face while she is still in the air with his iron grip and tossed her aside like junk. Theia crashed into a pile of books as a result and started to cough violently from the rising dust clouds. "I'd rather not get bit by a mosquito." "I'm not a mosquito!" Retaking her seat Theia collects her thoughts before speaking.
"He's...a lolicon..." ""..."" "So I was right." Both Shirayukihime and Inaba went silent by the truth revealed by Theia.
"And also a siscon..." ""..."" "Uwah...just the worst sort of scum isn't he?" Theia reluctantly nods in agreement with Akatsuki. Having to reveal how shameful her brother was cannot be a good thing for her. Recalling from her past memories Theia shivers in fear from the toe up.
"His room is filled with pictures of me from birth to now. He even keeps a record of my growth in his drawer and poems dedicated to me as the theme! On his bed is a full body pillow of me that he had custom made to order from a famous tailor... Aaaah just recalling the first time when I entered his room traumatizes me!" Theia hugs herself as if she will go insane from just remember all of this... This must have been Theia's reason for not wanting to go back to the Upper Gardens. A monster that is perhaps even worse than Akatsuki awaits up there.
"You poor thing!" Inaba comes from the side and hugged her close to her voluptuous chest distorting the round shape.
"I think now I can see why she doesn't want to go back... That Demon Lord is beyond creepy..." "So basically since you fit the criteria of both a loli and a little sister you were perfectly within his strike zone." "After finding that out living under the same roof would be impossible." "Yeah I guess." "Uuuu..." Theia felt like crying as Akatsuki and Shirayukihime chatted amongst themselves.
"Theia-chan it's alright we'll make sure to win this game for your sake!" Inaba clenches her fist in renew determination.
"Before promising that let's talk about that dude's abilities and weaknesses instead of his fetish."