Strike the Blood - Volume 12 - Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE 

ON THE FROZEN LAKE 

1 

“—Achoo!” 

It was a temple deep in the mountains with a commanding view of the dam-created body of water known as Kannawa Lake. The quiet temple grounds, hazy from the morning mist, seemed to shudder in response to the loud sneeze of a certain middle-aged man. 

His name was Gajou Akatsuki. 

His skin was sunbaked; his face, impetuous. His forelocks were disheveled, as if crudely cut with a knife, and the stubble on his chin drew the eye. Supposedly, he had a real job as an archeologist, but the air the man gave off was like a mafia man from ages past—or a private investigator behind the times. 

“Ugh… So chilly. Damn, mornings on the mainland sure get cold.” 

Gajou took a break from his push-ups and wiped down his glistening frame with a towel. 

He was in an old storehouse built within the densely packed, sacred grove of the forest. The earthwork building was constructed as if to offer partial isolation from the main temple complex. 

There was a tatami mat on the floor and decent amenities, but the windows were located high up, so he had little way to know what was going on outside. Naturally, the storehouse didn’t come with a television, personal computer, or any other information device. A heavy iron gate had been installed at the building’s entrance, secured with multiple, complex locks. In other words, it was a cell. 

On top of that, his ankles were bound by fetters with chains. 

The bottom line was that Gajou had been locked away. 

In the one week or so since arriving there at Kamioda Temple, Gajou had not set a single foot outside his cell. But in spite of all that, he remained perfectly composed. 

He sat cross-legged on the tatami mat when he called out in a warm tone to the girl standing guard outside. 

“Heeey, Yuiri. You got breakfast ready yet?” 

“P-please do not address me in such a presumptuous manner!” 

The girl’s face flushed red as she approached the storehouse, wearing what appeared to be a high school student uniform. Her height didn’t quite reach 170 centimeters. Her medium-bob hairstyle, with locks dangling to the sides complimented by a ribbon-style hairpin, made her seem refined. 

The girl was carrying a long, silver, full-metal sword on her back. It would be difficult to dispute that the boorish close-combat weapon was unsuited to the stern high school girl. 

When that girl, named Yuiri, looked at Gajou through the cell’s iron gate, she went “Eep!”—her breath catching as if something had frightened her. 

“Wh-why are you naked?!” 

“Ahh, this? Training. Just my daily routine.” 

Gajou Akatsuki, his chest bare, had white steam surrounding his entire body. 

“I’m no spring chicken, y’know. If I’m not consistent, I’ll have love handles in no time. It’s hard to get enough exercise when you’re stuck in a narrow space like this.” 

“Th-that doesn’t mean you should exercise while looking like that…!” 

Yuiri was covering her eyes during her frantic rebuttal. To her, raised in an all-female dormitory from a young age, it was probably her first experience seeing a man’s bare chest firsthand. On top of that, in contrast to Gajou’s own words, his physique was on par with a Greek statue’s, which was more than enough to intimidate Yuiri out of her wits. 

However, Gajou paid no heed to Yuiri’s emotional state, turning over on the tatami mat as he said, “Why don’t you join me, Yuiri? I’d be grateful if you helped me with my stretches.” 

“S-stretches…?” 

“Yes, yes. Come on, do something that feels good with the old man here.” 

Yuiri’s face twitched as she recoiled from Gajou’s suspicious invitation. 

Of course, Yuiri herself appreciated the great importance of stretching. It made sense to do cooldown exercises after weight training, for instance, and she knew that there were stretches that could only be done with two people. 

However, helping this man with stretching meant touching his body, and depending on the circumstances, their bodies might press up against each other, resulting not only in touching his physique, but her flesh being pressed against his. Wouldn’t that be a step toward adulthood? She had never done it with a man before, but it wouldn’t hurt, would it? 

This was the steamy inner conflict Yuiri grappled with before something interrupted them. 

“—Er, nuoahh?!” 

Gajou Akatsuki was lying down when a metallic arrow whooshed right past his ear. A few centimeters’ difference, and his left ear would have been torn off completely. 

“Don’t seduce Yuiri, you filthy beast!” 

“Sh-Shio…?!” 

Yuiri’s face was pure shock as she turned to the person behind her. 

A black-haired girl wielding a silver recurve bow now trained a hateful gaze on Gajou. Her height and build were almost identical to Yuiri’s, but her short hair, long only on the sides, gave off the impression of a strong-willed girl. 

She was wearing a uniform that was identical to Yuiri’s. From beneath that uniform’s skirt, she nocked a new arrow, taking aim at Gajou once more. 

However, when Gajou saw the food tray at Shio’s feet, his eyes woke up as he said: 

“Ohhh, food, food!” 

“I-idiot! Put on some clothes!” 

Seeing Gajou, still bare from the waist up, closing the distance, Shio nervously dropped her arrow. 

Gajou rested upon the iron gate, twisting his body toward Shio as he said, “Incidentally, Li’l Shio—” 

“Y-You are in no position to address me that way!” 

“Shio, then. How long do you plan to keep me in a place like this? You’re from a special government agency, right? It’s not good to keep an upstanding citizen in unlawful confinement.” 

“It is not an issue. This is an emergency measure for the well-being of the public. And stop calling me by my given name…!” 

“Emergency measure… Huh.” 

Gajou slanted his lips with a “Hmm” as he accepted the food tray from Shio. Resting atop it was pickled daikon with a rice-and-veggie mixture, plus beef with additional steamed vegetables. The menu was rather extravagant, but it was obvious at a glance that it was an amalgamation of foods from storage. 

“Besides, Mr. Gajou’s confinement is on Ms. Hisano’s orders.” 

“I still cannot believe it, but are you truly her son?” 

“Tch… That hag again.” 

Gajou clicked his tongue as he listened to Yuiri and Shio’s explanation. 

It was none other than Gajou’s own biological mother, Hisano, who had ambushed and knocked out Gajou upon his arrival at Kamioda Temple one week prior and tossed him into that cell. In the time since, Hisano had not shown herself even once, so Gajou did not know a single thing about the circumstances. It was surely the worst treatment possible toward the son who’d brought over her granddaughter for a homecoming. 

“Still abusing her own son at a ripe old age… She won’t die in peace, that one. So what’s that old bat up to these days?” 

“That is not something you need to know. For that matter, talk or eat—pick one!” 

Shio’s eyes narrowed, glaring at Gajou for continuing his questions while stuffing food into his mouth. 

However, once Gajou made quick work of the food, he said: 

“Hmmm. So the Self-Defense Forces are on the move, huh? Finally.” 

He said it in a nonchalant tone. Shio’s and Yuiri’s faces paled as they listened. 

“If they’re operating with the Lion King Agency, it’d be Narashino’s Special Attack Mage Regiment or something along those lines. The commanding officer would be Three Saints class from the Lion King Agency… Then the target is Avalon, at the bottom of Kannawa Lake?” 

“Gajou Akatsuki, how…do you know about…?!” 

The food Shio had brought to him was not cooked at the temple, but rather, it came from a type of military ration. It was prearranged food made for simplified cooking—the sort supplied to the Self-Defense Forces. 

The fact he was being assigned combat rations meant that those associated with the Lion King Agency, like Shio and Yuiri, no longer had the luxury of taking the time to cook. In other words, they had finally begun proceeding with their operation in earnest. 

Gajou had correctly ascertained all this from nothing more than the change in the contents of his meal. 

The Lion King Agency and the Self-Defense Forces were cooperating in a closely held secret project. Even Yuiri and Shio did not know the exact date or hour when the operation would begin. The girls were rocked by the fact that such crucial information had been unwittingly leaked to an outsider. Then: 

“As shrewd as always, Gajou. I wonder just whom you take after…” 

“Eeep…!” 

“Ms. Hisano?!” 

As Yuiri and Shio stood rooted to the spot, an old woman clad in an aikido-style martial arts outfit emerged from behind them. 

Her slender frame made her appear taller than her actual height. Her long white hair was braided without fanfare down her back. The thick creases of her forehead were appropriate to her age, but her valiant poise retained many traces of the beauty of her youth. 

Gajou looked up at the old woman, putting his chin in his palm with a sulky look. 

“So you’ve finally come out, you decrepit old snake phantom.” 

“Who are you calling a phantom? How rude.” 

Hisano spoke in a manner that kept her irritation in check. 

Yuiri and Shio kept their breathing quiet as they watched the thorny, bizarre exchange between mother and son. 

Hisano’s public position was the chief priest of Kamioda Temple, overseeing the priestesses within. Though this was a venerable and honored position in the priesthood, it did not make her Yuiri and Shio’s direct commanding officer. 

However, in the past, Hisano had cooperated in quelling numerous sorcerous disasters, and she had worked as an instructor in ritual magic for numerous organizations, the Lion King Agency included. Many of her pupils were serving as active Federal Attack Mages to that day. In other words, to Yuiri and Shio, she was pretty much the master to their masters. Normally, they’d hesitate to even directly exchange words with her. They couldn’t help but be nervous in her presence. 

“And Nagisa?” Gajou asked, glaring at Hisano. 

Gajou hadn’t seen Nagisa Akatsuki, his own daughter, even once since being imprisoned in the cell. The only thing he’d heard through Yuiri and Shio was that Nagisa had been in poor health. 

“She is fine, of course. Her body will soon be fully healed.” Hisano’s expression did not change. 

“Is that so?” was all Gajou murmured as he gazed at his now empty tray of combat rations. 

“…So you did bring Nagisa here, knowing of Avalon’s existence.” 

Hisano turned a reproachful gaze toward her son. Gajou looked up, smiling defiantly at his mother. 

“I’ll do anything to save her. Same as you, right?” 

For one, silent moment, Hisano’s breath seemed to catch. Then, she exhaled. 

“How much do you remember, Gajou?” 

“Remember…? About what?” Gajou knit his brows. 

Hisano coolly watched his reaction before piling on an additional question. 

“About those siblings… Kojou and Nagisa.” 

“Ugh…!” 

Hisano’s tone was gentle, but Gajou’s reaction was dramatic nonetheless. The box of combat rations fell onto the tatami mat as he collapsed with a groan. 

Gajou’s cheeks had lost all color. He let out an anguished moan between his clenched inner teeth. He was assailed by a ferocious headache, almost as if his brain was churning. 

“So your memory has indeed been consumed. An aftereffect of the Blazing Banquet—the revival of the Fourth Primogenitor.” 

Hisano spoke to herself in a piteous tone. 

Gajou Akatsuki had lost large portions of his memories of his own children. As he was now, he did not even comprehend the reason why. The fact that Kojou and Nagisa hadn’t noticed was due to Gajou’s meticulous preparations beforehand…and desperately keeping up the act. 

“Why you… What do you know, hag?!” Gajou yelled at her, his emotions bared. 

“Ms. Hisano…!” 

“It’s dangerous! Any farther and…!” 

Seeing Gajou burn with rage, Yuiri and Shio shouted at the same time. Hisano gave the pair a scolding look. 

“Shio Hikawa, I entrust the continued surveillance of this man to you. Keep your eyes on him until the ceremony is complete. Yuiri Haba, come with me.” 

“Y…yes.” 

Cowed by Hisano’s coerciveness, Yuiri and Shio dutifully nodded. However, their eyes contained a fair bit of confusion. 

Gajou’s labored breaths continued as he shouted, “What…ceremony?!” 

His fingers grasped the iron gate as he desperately drew himself closer to Hisano. 

“What the hell do you plan to use Nagisa for…?!” 

“The same thing you tried to use her for, Gajou.” 

Hisano’s voice remained gentle. 

And so, in a tone as calm as a placid lake, she stated: 

“We will kill Avrora Florestina. This time, for good.” 

2 

Nagisa Akatsuki rested her head on the edge of the bath, sighing without a care in the world. 

It was a large bath in the temple dormitory where the priestesses at Kamioda Temple resided—a stonework bath fed by a natural hot spring. 

It was still quite early in the morning, and there was little sign of anyone in the bath area. Nagisa let out another contented sigh as she reveled in solitude. 

“Ahh… This feels so good…” 

She murmured as she floated on the serene surface of the water. 

The bath’s temperature was about 40 degrees Celsius, a comfortable temperature that was neither too hot nor too lukewarm. If rumor was to be believed, the bath was able to heal muscle and joint pain, both speeding convalescence and granting beautiful skin. Most importantly, it was said to be a spiritually infused spring that excelled at healing those whose spiritual energies had been depleted. 

For some reason, Nagisa had lost consciousness and collapsed when she’d arrived at Kamioda Temple the week prior. She’d been asleep for nearly the entire time since. Thanks to that, her winter break homecoming, something she hadn’t experienced in four years, had spectacularly gone to waste. 

It was under those circumstances that Nagisa’s grandmother, Hisano Akatsuki, had commanded she make use of the bath. Apparently, she had said something like Keep her in the bath as long as possible and heal her body. That was why Nagisa was immersed in the hot spring so early in the morning. 

It could be said that the water agreed with her, but actually, Nagisa’s body was quite accustomed to Kamioda’s spirit spring. Even if Nagisa, a priestess who had lost her power, was not consciously aware of it, her endurance had surely been worn down due to being far from Itogami Island’s vast dragon lines. Borrowing the power of the spirit spring, she had finally made a proper recovery. Nagisa’s mood brightened as she felt herself grow stronger. 

“Hot springs really are nice. I wish Yukina had come with me. Kojou’s probably worried sick. I hope he listens to my voicemail.” 

Nagisa mumbled to no one in particular as she thought of her older brother and classmates left behind on Itogami Island. It was Nagisa’s bad habit to speak a lot, a reaction to having endured a long and lonely hospital life. 

Thanks to having suddenly collapsed and the temple being outside of cell signal coverage in the first place, she’d been out of contact with Kojou for an entire week. He was the one who looked after Nagisa, so there was no doubt he was freaking out somewhere at the moment. 

She had made a point of explaining the situation in the voicemail she left Kojou the night before, but there was no guarantee that he’d notice. I hope Kojou doesn’t do anything rash. 

“Come to think of it, the last time I was here, Kojou and I came into the bath together…” 

Nagisa’s face went beet red, submerging her face into the water as she remembered a time when she and her brother both were still in elementary school. For some reason, the unfamiliar bath scared her, so she’d twisted Kojou’s arm into going with her. 

There certainly wasn’t any way they could bathe as brother and sister at their current ages, which made her a little sad. No, wait, we could wear swimsuits, thought Nagisa, beginning to seriously mull the idea over when, in the next moment— 

Rattle, rattle, craaaash, came a booming sound that echoed throughout the bath. 

She then heard a fickle, slightly delayed Hyah! 

“Wh-who’s there?!” 

Nagisa nervously poked her head out of the water and looked back. 

She saw a figure fallen on her rear beside a crumbled mountain of piled-up bath buckets. 

It was a young girl around Nagisa’s age. Her foot had slipped on the wet stone, causing her to fall hard on her back, completely naked. 

“I-I’m sorry. I’m very, very sorry!” 

An “Owww” trickled out of the girl in a frail voice as she slowly rose to her feet and began righting the scattered buckets. At a glance, she seemed quite timid or shy. 

She looked like she was ready to burst into tears at any moment, but that was apparently her normal expression. 

The girl’s hair was white, possibly a condition she’d been born with. It was the same pure, glacial white of an artic fox’s coat. 

However, what arrested Nagisa’s attention was not the girl’s hair, but her bare breasts. 

“Th-they’re huge…” 

Nagisa gulped as she stared intently at the girl’s naked body. 

Almost unfathomable for her petite frame, the girl had a generous pair that bobbed in concert with her movements. Her breasts were immaculate in terms of shape, volume, and breadth, as if Nagisa’s idea of the perfect body had been made flesh before her very eyes. 

Perhaps noticing Nagisa’s gawking, the white-haired girl lifted her head and said, “Ah… I’ve made you see me in such an unsightly state…” 

“No, no, it’s no trouble at all.” 

You’ve been blessed, thought Nagisa, just barely managing to keep herself from blurting the words out loud. 

When the white-haired girl finished tidying up the bath area, she washed her body and sheepishly entered the hot spring itself. She seemed a little too young to be an employee of the temple. Without a doubt, it was Nagisa’s first time seeing her. 

“Um, do you work here at the temple?” 

Nagisa smiled, putting on the most amiable face she could muster. The white-haired girl shook her head frantically. 

“N-no, no, not at all. In light of minor circumstances, I am in their care for the moment… That is all.” 

“Ahh. We’re in the same boat, then.” 

Nagisa grinned as she felt a kinship with the girl. Be it for prayer or ridding oneself of worldly obsessions, Kamioda Temple received numerous guests. The girl was likely visiting for a similar reason. 

“I—I am…Shirona. Shirona Kuraki.” 

The white-haired girl’s voice trembled as she introduced herself and bowed her head. Nagisa returned the politeness in kind. 

“Very pleased to meet you. Er, I’m—” 

“I…I know. Nagisa Akatsuki, yes?” 

Shirona had deduced Nagisa’s identity before she could introduce herself. 

“Well, yes… But why do you know that…?” Nagisa asked, blinking. 

“I heard that Ms. Hisano’s granddaughter was coming.” 

“Ah, so you know Granny, then.” 

“Yes.” 

Shirona nodded, lowering her gaze to her own chest. Her heaving breasts were now a faint shade of pink as they floated on the clear water’s surface. The sight of the deep cleavage formed between them made Nagisa think of picturesque fjords carved from a glacier. 

For a moment, Nagisa lost herself, consumed by the sight when— 

“Um… Would you…like to touch them?” 

Her cheeks reddening, Shirona presented her chest to Nagisa in invitation. 

“Huh? Is it really okay?!” 

Nagisa was thrown for a loop at Shirona’s next comment: 

“I—I am sorry… You just—seemed so interested…” 

The fingers on both of Nagisa’s hands twitched. “Y-yeah. I am, actually… But you’re really fine with it?” 

“Yes. If it pleases you…” 

“Th-then I’m not holding back!” 

I’d better hurry before Shirona changes her mind, thought Nagisa as she cupped the girl’s breasts. Each palm filled to excess as her hands cradled their bounty. Aah… Shirona cooed, a shallow breath escaping her parted lips. 

“Ohh, th-this is…!” 

Nagisa’s tension level spiked at the remarkable feeling in her hands. Her unwavering palms communicated a heavenly sensation. 

“So soft… With just the right amount of firmness. I can feel my fingers getting lost in them… They’re a masterpiece…!” 

“Mmm…Nnf…” 

Shirona bit her lip as she endured Nagisa’s groping. Her face was awash with embarrassment, but Nagisa was only getting more and more into it. She’d unwittingly put more energy into fondling Shirona’s breasts than intended, but their firmness rebuffed her fingertips. That feeling of utter bliss left Nagisa heaving in ecstasy. 

“Haaah… That was close… My mind was in a really far-off place…” 

Having drank deep from the well of euphoria that was Shirona’s breasts, Nagisa pulled her hands away with visible reluctance. Shirona was now glowing red, unable to meet Nagisa’s eyes. 

“A-are you satisfied now…?” 

“Yeah. Wow… That was incredible. Thanks.” 

“I see… However…” 

Shirona finally looked back at Nagisa with teary eyes. Then suddenly, an ominous smile crept over Shirona’s lips. Without warning, her right hand gently grasped both of Nagisa’s hands. 

“Now it’s my turn.” 

“Eh…?!” 

Nagisa let out a yelp when Shirona suddenly pulled her close. When Nagisa tried to flee, Shirona embraced her from behind, pressing her own flesh against Nagisa’s. 

“Tee-hee… Nagisa, your back is so pretty.” 

“Sh-Shirona, hold on a sec…!” 

“I will not. You can’t be the only one who gets to touch others.” 

“Eeep!” went Nagisa, her entire body going rigid at the gentle whisper into her ear. A sensation like an electric current crawled up her back, sapping her limbs of strength. 

“B-but, um, my body’s small, like a little kid’s, especially in the chest, not amazing like yours, Shirona, plus I ate too much for breakfast, so my tummy’s all bloated, and…” 

“No, no. Even budding flowers have their beauty. You should have more confidence in yourself.” 

Against Nagisa’s desperate, rambling explanation, she received only a “Heh” in response. Shirona spoke with a dominant tone that made her seem like a completely different person from the fainthearted girl from before. Her voice became ruthless. The phrasing, reminiscent of a much older person, made Nagisa second-guess Shirona’s age. 

“Sh-Shirona… Th-this isn’t the place for… Hyah?!” 

“It’s okay. You are but a young, vivacious, unripe fruit. I simply must respond in kind.” 

Nagisa let out another yelp when Shirona touched a particularly sensitive spot on her side. Nagisa’s innocent reaction brought a sadistic expression over Shirona’s face. 

Shirona had become a different person altogether. Perhaps it was dissociative identity disorder, or perhaps possession—the exact mechanism at work was unclear, but for whatever reason, her personality had undergone a dramatic change. It was even possible that this Shirona was her true personality. 

Either way, the abrupt change in Shirona left Nagisa completely at her mercy. 

“Heh-heh… Your body is so fun to play with. How does it feel…here?” 

“Ah… Shirona, n…not there…!” 

“Ohhh, resisting, are you? That’s adorable. Well then, how about this, and this?” 

“Nnngh?!” 

Shirona gently stroked the insides of Nagisa’s thighs. Drained of strength, Nagisa was half in a daze as she floated faceup on the water’s surface. With Nagisa in this position, Shirona’s tongue slithered toward her neck. Shirona’s white hair was moving as if it had a will of its own, slowly coiling around Nagisa’s flesh. 

“Shirona, you’re—!” 

Nagisa looked at Shirona with wide-open eyes. Nagisa’s once-limp body tensed in fear. Nagisa was not looking at Shirona herself, but at the nature of the soul resting within her. 

“That is Hisano’s granddaughter for you. To think you could discern my true nature so easily.” 

Shirona stated it in a tone not unlike admiration. Nagisa flailed, trying to break flee from her clutches— 

“There is nothing to fear. I may resemble a demon, but in truth, I am no such thing. If there is a demon present, it would be you… Avrora, the twelfth Kaleid Blood.” 

“N-noo…!” 

As Nagisa continued to resist, Shirona leaned in closer and peered into her eyes. In that instant, Nagisa’s mind was sent reeling. Her vision went white from the massive influx of information. 

“Ah—” 

Her strength seemingly at an end, Nagisa fell into a slumber. The only sounds echoing throughout the bathhouse were the “Haah, Haah” of her short, even breaths. 

Shirona gazed down at the girl as she licked her own lips. 

With Nagisa now unconscious, Shirona picked up the girl’s body with one arm, then made her way out of the bath. 

With a single flash of her left hand, two brand-new white priestess outfits appeared out of thin air. Shirona laid Nagisa down and pulled one of the outfits over her shoulders, clothing herself in white as well. 

As if that was some kind of cue, the golden radiance vanished from Shirona’s eyes. 

Returning to her normal timid demeanor, Shirona gasped when she noticed Nagisa laying right in front of her. 

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” 

Shirona gently whispered to Nagisa’s sleeping face and gently closed her own eyes. 

Shirona Kuraki possessed two wills. One was the will of Kuraki, passed down generation after generation. The other was a girl acting as a vessel for the power of darkness. 

It was Kuraki who decided how that power would be used, but it was she who actually controlled it— 

Once again, she was unable to escape Kuraki’s original sin. 

“I’m sorry,” Shirona murmured once more. Tears coursed down her cheeks. 

Whether she said it in search of forgiveness, even she did not know. 

3 

The only parking lot with a scenic view of Kannawa Lake was packed full of Self-Defense Forces vehicles. 

Most were supply trucks and command vehicles for aerial reconnaissance drones, but they included lightly armored scout vehicles and even APC’s with large-caliber weapons. There were enough reinforcements to occupy a small city or two. 

They belonged to the Self-Defense Forces’ Special Attack Mage Regiment, operating directly under the Minister of Defense—an offensive special forces unit specializing in countering magical disasters. 

A tent deployed at the center of the grounds analyzed surveillance data gathered by the drones without pause. The operators’ faces were thick with traces of fatigue, no doubt feeling the strain of their endless vigil. 

Even so, they maintained focus, for the surveillance data they were analyzing had picked up on the strange presence at the bottom of Kannawa Lake. 

Sensing the atmosphere inside the tent, Yuiri Haba’s face hardened in turn. 

Yuiri, serving under the Lion King Agency, was a complete outsider at that command post. Furthermore, the incident was the apprentice Sword Shaman’s de facto first battle. Under the circumstances, remaining calm was hopeless. Feeling out of place, all she could do was bite her lip and stand in a corner of the tent when— 

“Calm down, Yuiri Haba. What will happen if even a specialist like you becomes tense?” 

Hisano Akatsuki, wearing her dougi uniform, spoke gently in an effort to bring Yuiri to her senses. 

In contrast to Yuiri, Hisano, who had worked as an instructor for many of the Special Attack Mage Regiment currently on duty, was accustomed to the atmosphere inside the tent. She was also the recipient of trust from the Self-Defense Forces’ officer corps. 

And yet, notwithstanding the cold impression she gave off, she showed concern for Yuiri, who was little more than excess baggage at present. Yuiri could understand why Hisano, already retired from her Attack Mage career, was still revered by so many. 

“I—I am sorry. This is my first time, and I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do—” 

Yuiri lowered her eyes and haltingly conveyed the truth. She not only viewed herself as a hindrance, but she was also frightened of the military officers looking at her like she was a pest. 

“Then you should relax a little, I would say. You are a Sword Shaman of the Lion King Agency, so trust not in logic, but in your own senses. You are here because of your Spirit Sight, are you not?” 

“Y-yes.” 

Hisano’s words served to steady Yuiri’s mind. 

A young girl like Yuiri was in that command center because much was expected of her sharp senses as a spiritualist. The officers, too, would surely accept Hisano’s explanation. Subconsciously or not, if felt like the wariness and opposition they held toward Yuiri had softened. 

The change in atmosphere allowed the command post to finally regain its composure, whereupon Yuiri shifted her attention to Kannawa Lake beneath them. A light morning mist surrounded the lake; the quiet, gentle surface of the water was exposed to view. 

To the naked eye, nothing was amiss. Its overflowing beauty made it a tourist attraction. However, Yuiri’s senses as a spirit medium caught the dense mass of power that existed at the bottom of the lake. It felt neither divine nor malignant; the collective mass of overwhelming spiritual energy was simply different. 

The Self-Defense Forces’ underwater search devices had confirmed the mass’s existence as well. The object’s form, resembling the shellfish mother-of-pearl, wavered like a mirage, for which they had dubbed it Avalon. 

It was surrounded by a black bulwark that rejected all, so they knew not what lay within. Even Yuiri’s Spirit Sight was unable to discern Avalon’s true nature. All she felt was a stirring deep in her chest—a portent of ill tidings. 

“Avalon’s status?” 

A new man in camouflage fatigues entered the tent, posing his request to the operator in an urgent tone. 

The man was probably thirty years old, more or less. He was tall with a weathered face that resembled a hunting dog’s. He was Special Major Azama, the unit’s commanding officer. Apparently, he was just returning to the command tent after less than two hours’ rest. 

Azama, noticing Hisano and Yuiri on standby, offered his respects. He showed no scorn toward Yuiri despite the girl’s young age, a sign of a young, capable commander. 

A female officer sitting in the operator’s chair suppressed her emotions as she stated to Azama in a low voice: 

“The rate of activity continues to rise. In the last forty-eight hours, pressure within the shell has risen 1.25 percent. Surface demonic energy density is seven hundred and seventy-four times its base value—it’s dangerous, sir.” 

“Fast,” murmured Azama quietly. 

“Yes,” said the female operator, her voice trembling. “If the demonic energy density continues increasing at the current pace, there will be substantial effects on life-forms in the vicinity within ten days. In the worst-case scenario, it is possible that urban areas may also suffer dam—” 

“We’ll get this under control before that happens. Isn’t that right, Akatsuki-sensei?” 

“Yes, of course,” said Hisano, responding to Azama’s call. “Since ancient times, Kamioda Temple took thorough measures to subdue the awakening houda whenever the signs presented themselves. This time shall prove no different.” 

“Houda?” asked Azama, his brows furrowing. “That is the name of what sleeps inside Avalon?” 

“It is the name recorded in ancient documents. The records were from before this crude puddle they call Kannawa Lake was constructed, but…it is said that houda are the prelude to calamity.” 

“Calamity, you say,” Azama muttered. “I see.” He gave Hisano an impetuous smile. “So Kamioda Temple is the holy shrine founded to quell that disaster.” 

“If that is how you wish to think of it, I shall not object.” 

“In other words, the means to put a stop to Avalon’s abnormal increase in activity has been passed down to you?” 

“It is because I know it that the Lion King Agency has accepted my participation in this operation……Shirona?” 

Without warning, Hisano looked over her shoulder and called out to someone. That very instant, Yuiri felt the air sway behind her. In her surprise, all she could manage was an “Eh?” 

A petite-framed girl with white hair had appeared. Even if she was only an apprentice, Yuiri, a Sword Shaman of the Lion King Agency, should never have let her approach that closely without her noticing. 

“Of course, that is precisely how it is.” 

The girl spoke those words to Hisano in a clear voice—but in a manner peculiar to an old woman. 

“Lord Kuraki…,” Azama addressed the girl. 

Shirona looked over her shoulder, her beautiful white hair fluttering as she smiled. 

“It has been some time, Major Azama. I am glad to see you in good health.” 

“Kuraki…of the Three Saints…?!” 

Having drawn her sword in half a heartbeat, Yuiri took a stance, her entire body seized with tension. 

Shirona Kuraki was one of the Three Saints of the Lion King Agency—and being at the top of the Lion King Agency meant being among the highest class of all Attack Mages in Japan. Even pointing a blade her way was asking for death, and no one would have been able to say anything if she killed Yuiri on the spot. 

However, Shirona did not even glance Yuiri’s way, helping herself to a metal chair beside her as she said, “We shall make full use of the ceremony passed down through the holy shrine of Kamioda, Hisano. I take it you have no complaints? Originally, the task was yours, and it is also for the sake of saving your granddaughter.” 

Shirona’s words, spoken in a challenging manner, were met by Hisano with a solemn nod. “Do the other Saints know of the details of the ceremony?” 

“Shizuka knows not. Appearances aside, she is pure of heart, so it is best she does not know.” Shirona smiled wryly and shook her head. Her expression was like a mischievous child’s. 

“…To be honest, the fact that you chose a drastic measure surprised me,” Hisano said with a deep exhale in a show of resignation. 

The turbulent echo of her words made Yuiri’s body go rigid once more. 

The ceremony Shirona was undertaking was likely a dangerous gamble, enough that even the Three Saints of the Lion King Agency would not see eye to eye. But even if Hisano said Yes, let’s stop this, Shirona was unlikely to be persuaded. Knowing this, Hisano’s expression seemed almost casual. 

Hisano remained stoic up until Shirano said, “I briefly spoke to your granddaughter.” 

It was like she was speaking about a girl far younger than herself. 

“A very friendly child. She reminds me of you in your younger days. You were right around her age when we first met, were you not?” 

“Shirona… You didn’t…” 

When, for some reason, a pained expression came over Hisano, Shirona shot her a shameless grin. 

“I am sorry, unlike the other Saints, I am not working on behalf of the government. I shall eliminate the menace of The Cleansing by any means necessary.” 

“The menace of The Cleansing… A god-killing weapon, then…” 

The sharpness of Hisano’s gaze increased. Then, she faced Yuiri, almost as if she had suddenly remembered something. 

“What do you think of this, Yuiri Haba?” 

“Huh?! M…me…?!” 

Yuiri was flustered from the conversation suddenly being tossed her way. Yuiri, an apprentice Sword Shaman, could not possibly answer a question about The Cleansing, which was supposed to be top-secret. In the first place, no one had told her the core details of the operation, let alone Avalon’s true nature. 

“Um… But I do think ‘menace’ might be a little off…” 

Backed into a corner, Yuiri voiced her honest opinion in a fit of desperation. 

Hisano’s eyebrows faintly twitched. 

“What do you mean, a little off?” 

“I mean… In other words, I feel like Avalon is not a calamity in and of itself. It feels like it’s just sleeping, like it’s protecting something… Er… So that’s why…” 

Yuiri’s voice became fainter as her halting explanation continued. It wasn’t like she had hard evidence to begin with. To be blunt, Yuiri would be hard-pressed to explain just why she felt that way. 

However, Hisano did not reproach Yuiri. Her eyes remained trained upon the girl, silent as she contemplated something, whereupon the elder suggested, “Shirona… Would you mind taking her in my stead?” 

“Oh?” murmured Shirona, seemingly delighted to hear Hisano’s words. Hisano naming an immature Sword Shaman like Yuiri to act in her stead was something of a surprise. 

“How interesting. I do not mind.” 

“Huh? Me instead of Miss Hisano? …What?!” 

Indeed, it was Yuiri who was thrown off. Even if she hadn’t been told the essentials of the operation, Yuiri knew well enough just how important this ceremony was. Furthermore, the very life of Hisano’s granddaughter was at stake. 

Yuiri couldn’t even imagine taking over the duties of a legendary Attack Mage like Hisano under such circumstances. Of course, Shirona did not spare the slightest concern for Yuiri’s bewilderment. 

Clad in white priestess attire, Shirona declared, “Now then, shall we begin? Make the necessary preparations, Major Azama.” 

In that instant, tension ran through the SDF tent as if someone had sliced it with a razor. Without a word, Hisano lowered her eyes; Yuiri clenched her hands out of nervousness. 

“Let us begin…,” repeated Shirona once more, “…the ceremony to vanquish the former Fourth Primogenitor.” 

4 

Nagisa Akatsuki was floating in water. The transparent prison stretched as far as she could see. Everything around her was blue like the deep sky, and a flickering band of light seemed to trickle down from the water’s surface like gentle rain. 

It was not hard to breathe. It was not cold. It was a strange feeling, as if she was floating inside a gemstone. 

“Where…is this?” 

Nagisa murmured as her gaze slowly wandered. Her untied hair was long, trailing her movement like the tail of a tropical fish. Also, there wasn’t a single scrap of clothing covering Nagisa’s body. The pale light shining from the water’s surface traced geometric patterns like waves on Nagisa’s pale flesh. 

“What?! Why am I naked?! Come to think of it, I was in the temple’s bath—” 

Maybe I’m dreaming, thought Nagisa, touching her cheek. There was nothing alarming about her breathing or body temperature, but naturally, the circumstance of being submerged and floating in a body of water was surreal. 

However, Nagisa was certain she wasn’t dreaming. 

The scenery before her eyes was simply too detailed, full of realism not associated with mental imagery. Nagisa’s own consciousness was crystal clear. If anything, she felt even more aware than when she was normally awake. 

Nagisa’s heightened senses detected someone nestled against her as she floated in the water. A white-haired girl’s small-statured body was supporting Nagisa from behind. 

“So…you’ve awakened, Nagisa?” 

“Shirona?!” 

Nagisa turned her body toward the voice of the girl called Shirona Kuraki. Suddenly, she lost her balance. Just as she was about to go under, Shirona caught her arm and pulled her close. 

“Are you not cold?” 

“Ah, no.” 

Actually, the warmth of Shirona’s skin feels really good on my back, thought Nagisa, a hairsbreadth from speaking her internal thoughts aloud. She still didn’t know if what she was experiencing was reality, but the supple feeling of Shirona’s skin was exactly like the first time they’d met. 

“Where is this?” asked Nagisa. 

“Kannawa Lake. Just as they said, it is easier to stabilize a spirit body in the water.” 

“In…the lake?” 

“Only your mind, disconnected from the body. It resembles…an out-of-body experience.” 

“Huh? Out-of-body experience?” 

Surprised by Shirona’s explanation, Nagisa looked down at her own faint, translucent body. Her having become a ghost didn’t feel real, but once it was pointed out to her, a lot of things started making sense. Of course, a ghost wouldn’t feel cold from the water or have trouble breathing within it. 

“So that means you’re a living ghost, too, Shirona? Where are our actual bodies?” 

“Right now, they’re…at the altar of Kannawa Lake.” 

“Altar?” 

Nagisa shifted her mind above her head. She could not directly see it from that distance, but thanks to her out-of-body experience, she immediately sensed the altar’s presence. 

Atop the surface of the sunlit lake, an altar floated, resembling those used for prayer through dance. It was a simplified altar built on a wooden raft. 

Occupying the altar was a girl in a school uniform with a long, silver sword—seemingly watching over Nagisa, wearing priestess attire as she lay there. 

She looked much like she always did. But the one difference from the usual Nagisa was the color of her hair. It was blond, varying in color from time to time depending on the flow and ebb of the light. It was colored like the rainbow, as if from a billowing flame. 

“No… That…isn’t me…” 

“Correct. That is Avrora Florestina, she who was once the Fourth Primogenitor…the twelfth Kaleid Blood, Avrora. You should know her far better than I… However…” 

Shirona’s words became murmurs and melted together, and something coursed into Nagisa’s mind. Her ethereal body wailed at the vast torrent of information. However, at the same time, she felt like some kind of invisible chain binding her mind was being torn away bit by bit. Memories sealed off were resurrected, and she could vividly see scenes that had been locked away in darkness. 

Black wings. Beast Vassals. A vortex of blood. The Blazing Banquet. Root Avrora—these were the abominable memories she had purportedly erased by her own hand. 

The memories of the Twelfth that slept inside of Nagisa— 

Buffeted by fragments of onrushing memories, Nagisa looked up at Shirona and asked, “What are you trying to do with her…?” 

Shirona looked ready to break into tears as she pointed toward the bottom of the lake. 

Nagisa’s eyes wavered as they followed in the direction Shirona indicated. She shuddered, feeling a chill, assailed by a shapeless fear. A black, multifaceted object resembling a spiral shell rested there, seemingly buried at the bottom of the lake. 

Its surface resembled a black jewel’s, shimmering in irregular ways like a mirage. It was a bizarre object that seemed both man-made and born as a living creature—it was unlike anything on the Earth’s surface. 

“What…is that…?” 

“It is the ward that seals the calamity that sleeps within the land of Kamioda. The people of the Self-Defense Forces call it Avalon.” 

Shirona gave a subdued explanation in response to Nagisa’s palpable fear. 

“That’s…a ward…?” 

“Everything is…okay. A great many people are working to quell it. Attack Mages of the Lion King Agency and a special unit of the Self-Defense Forces have gathered together under Miss Hisano’s command.” 

“Granny’s in charge…?” 

“The original duty of Kamioda Temple was to watch over and subdue the calamity sleeping within…so please…” 

“Subdue…?” 

Nagisa trained her gaze upon the black mass at the bottom of the lake once more. The outer shell, shifting in an irregular manner, resembled a thin membrane sealing a vast amount of demonic energy within. One could not look at it without wondering Would, at some point, the pressure grow past the membrane’s limit, popping it like a paper balloon…? 

And just how would you subdue a thing like that? Such were the doubts Nagisa harbored. 

“Avalon’s seal was strengthened by offering priestesses with superior spiritual power… This was the holy duty Kamioda Temple was established to fulfill. The last ceremony was conducted long before, over seventy years ago…” 

“Offering…?” 

Nagisa had a powerful, dramatic reaction to the vague statement Shirona gave in reply. 

For an instant, an image rose into the back of Nagisa’s mind—an image of a girl asleep in a block of ice in a ruin of a foreign land. She, too, had been offered to subdue a calamity. 

Roused by anger even she could not control, Nagisa’s lips trembled as she glared at Shirona. 

“You can’t mean… Human sacrifice? You’re going to offer a living person…?!” 

“I am saying that is what they did in the past. A pure maiden was submerged into the lake to avert calamity—identical ceremonies have been conducted in all corners of the world.” Shirona’s rebuttal was weak against Nagisa’s heated interrogation. “However, this ceremony will be different. The sacrifice is a demon, not a person. Furthermore, she is already…dead, her mind loitering in the living world through nothing more than your power.” 

“Shirona, that sounds like… Don’t tell me, you’re going to use that girl…?!” 

Nagisa looked overhead with a despairing thought. 

Why was her body lying on the altar? And why had only her soul been separated from the flesh like an out-of-body experience? 

She had already grasped the answer. 

It was because Shirona and the others were after the soul of Avrora that slept inside of Nagisa. 

The altar established on top of the lake was probably for the purpose of extracting the sacrificed soul and transferring it to Avalon at the bottom of the lake. However, Shirona’s ability had already temporarily separated Nagisa’s spirit body from her flesh. They were going to use the soul left behind in Nagisa’s body for the sacrifice—in other words, Avrora’s soul only. 

“The sacrifice is an artificial vampire created to seal one of the Beast Vassals torn away from the Fourth Primogenitor. That is Avrora Florestina’s true nature. There is no more fitting sacrifice for quelling calamity. Nagisa, surely you understand this.” 

Shirona wished to confirm Nagisa’s intuition. 

In a certain sense, it was a well-polished operation. 

When Avalon became active, spiritual energy was provided from the outside to strengthen its seal. The source of that spiritual energy was offering up a person—a human sacrifice. And then, Shirona and the others had set their eyes on Avrora. 

They would use the soul of the deceased Avrora as their sacrifice. 

Furthermore, to begin with, Avrora was a vampire constructed as a vessel to seal away the soul of the Fourth Primogenitor. Even if she had already lost her flesh and blood, her spirit still contained off-the-charts demonic energy. If the goal was to strengthen Avalon by providing it with demonic energy, she certainly was the most suitable sacrifice possible. 

And if Avrora’s soul was destroyed, Nagisa would be relieved of the duty of being her icon. Hisano knew this; hence, she was complicit in such a cruel plan to save Nagisa, her own granddaughter, whose body had grown frail from overuse of her spiritual energies. But— 

“No, Shirona. You mustn’t…!” 

—Nagisa spread both arms wide, as if to shield Avrora, sleeping atop the altar above. 

However, in her current state, this was all Nagisa could do. Even if she tried to return to her own body and obstruct the ceremony, there was no escape from the blinding white spirit threads extending from Shirona’s hair; they would entangle Nagisa’s spirit and keep her under the water’s surface. The spirit threads were no doubt the catalysts through which she exercised her ability to freely manipulate the spirits of others. 

“Please, Nagisa. Listen to me. It is too late. If you recklessly approach her now, your soul will be caught up in the ceremony as well… So please…” 

The number of spirit threads increased, and with these, Shirona further bound Nagisa’s spirit. 

The sacrificial ceremony at the altar above the lake had begun. Countless, huge magic circles covered the entire surface of the lake, and a bundle of spirit threads resembling a giant tree stretched toward Avalon, resting on the lake bed. 

It was through these spirit threads that they meant to send Avrora’s demonic energy to Avalon. 

“In the first place, it was reckless to have a Kaleid Blood possess you for several years. No matter how excellent a priestess you may be, the continued possession only whittles down your own life span… Please, this is for your own good.” 

“No, Shirona! I’m not talking about that!” Nagisa shouted, twisting her face in fear. Neither Shirona nor the others had noticed yet. 

Nagisa was indeed a powerful priestess, inheriting the spiritual strength of her grandmother, but at the same time, she’d inherited the knack of a natural psychometer from her mother. That was why Nagisa alone had arrived at the truth that the Attack Mages, Shirona included, had yet to realize: the true nature of that they called Avalon— 

“That’s not a seal. It was there to protect her. You shouldn’t have awakened her!” 

“Nagi…sa? What…are you saying…?!” 

Shirona looked bewildered for the first time. But by then, it was already too late. 

The trunk of the spirit tree stretching from the altar arrived at Avalon; it pulsated as the demonic energy remaining in Avrora’s spirit coursed into it. 

“What…is this…?!” Shirona’s voice trembled as she detected the sudden change occurring at the bottom of the lake. 

Cracks ran across Avalon’s surface. Countless figures emerged from the crevices. These forms had the appearance of living creatures with flesh that glinted like steel. They had the compound eyes of bees and long serpentine tails. 

Their silhouettes were clearly those of organic life-forms; yet, they were creatures with man-made characteristics. 

The appearance of those creatures was no doubt contrary to even Shirona’s expectations. Nagisa could feel her unease through the spirit threads through which she entwined Nagisa’s body. 

However, the surprises did not end there. 

A giant figure appeared in the water, seemingly to strike back against the steel creatures. 

It was a mass of sentient, demonic energy—a summoned beast from another world. Its upper body resembled a woman, and the lower, a fish. Wings sprouted from its back, and it had talons like a bird of prey’s. 

Perhaps it was a mermaid; perhaps a siren—it was a vampiric Beast Vassal, its flesh as clear as a glacier. It was the alter ego sealed inside of Avrora. 

“…No… Don’t…” 

Nagisa looked up at the watery Beast Vassal, pleading as if in prayer. 

But her voice did not carry. 

Cut off from her own body, Nagisa had no way to convey her thoughts to Avrora. 

The vast demonic energy emitted by the siren’s wings were freezing the entirety of Kannawa Lake. This was a destructive cold, a flash freeze that made any kind of matter brittle, reducing it to dust. 

Even the vast magical power contained within Avalon could not withstand such a blow. 

That was why Nagisa shouted: 

“Avrora! Dooooon’t—!” 

In an instant, Nagisa’s vision was arrested by a dazzling blue light. 

All of Kannawa Lake was transformed into a giant crystal of ice. 

White mist and icy snow would cover the mountains all around. 

Dimly aware of this in a far corner of her mind, Nagisa felt the light swallow her spiritual body. 

5 

Shio Hikawa was sitting face-to-face with Gajou Akatsuki, separated by the iron bars of his cell. 

“I’m not sure what…‘doing it my way’ really means…” 

Head bowed, hands holding her knees, Shio put the philosophical question to her lips. Her tone of voice seemed stout, but at the margins, it was immersed in gloom without an outlet. 

Gajou Akatsuki, bound within the cell, listened to Shio’s confession. 

Shio had ignored him at first, but with the obstinate Gajou continually shooting the breeze, her luck had run dry the instant she’d responded. It started with talking about their favorite foods and spread to the topic of which astrological sign they were born under. Once logic quizzes to test one’s personality began, it switched at some point to her talking about her problems. Shio was levying complaints all on her own, with Gajou playing the role of good listener to the hilt. 

Why am I talking to a man like that? the hostile Shio thought, but before she knew it, she was blurting out all kinds of things about her private life to Gajou. As shady as he looked, Gajou had the silver tongue of a host club top pick. Though she had the vague sense it was a bad idea, Shio just couldn’t stop herself at that point. 

“So even I think it’d be good if I can just be like Yuiri. Yuiri’s really cute, I mean. She’s so cheerful, so honest, so feminine… I really like Yuiri, but compared to her, I think I’m pretty pathetic, really…” 

“But Yuiri likes you, too, doesn’t she, Shio? She trusts you completely, right?” 

When the conversation threatened to break off, Gajou murmured with perfect timing. His words, surely with precious little basis behind them, took Shio by surprise, flustering her. 

“That’s just because my ritual spellcraft scores happen to be better than hers… But Yuiri’s the one who’s really amazing. She was the one who was going to get a Schneewaltzer.” 

“Heh, seriously…? That’s really somethin’, then…” 

“Yeah.” 

Shio felt a small sense of satisfaction at seeing Gajou genuinely impressed. For all her complaints, it made Shio happy to hear Yuiri complimented. 

Gajou made no clumsy effort to console her. Instead, he accurately responded to Shio’s real wish, the one she herself didn’t realize. That both irritated Shio and, at the same time, felt oddly pleasant. 

“You’re really something, Shio.” 

Gajou topped it off by praising Shio as well. She soured and asked, “What, are you making fun of me?” 

“No, no. I mean, you try so hard to be someone who measures up to Yuiri, the friend you really like, that you get down in the dumps about it.” 

“W-well, that’s… Of course I do…” 

“Oh, it’s really something that you think this is normal. No wonder Yuiri trusts you.” 

Gajou spoke with an odd degree of confidence. Even as Shio was mildly put off by his know-it-all way of speaking, her cheeks faintly reddened. 

“D-don’t talk about Yuiri like that…!” 

There was no strength to Shio’s rebuttal. Even if she understood this was Gajou Akatsuki’s technique at work, she couldn’t possibly think of being praised like that as a bad thing. Thanks to the one-sidedness of the initial battle, she’d had a rather poor impression of Gajou, but she began to think Maybe he’s not such a bad person. In fact, he was surprisingly easy on the eyes. She might even grudgingly admit that he was rather attractive— 

“Um… Th-thank you…for hearing me out.” 

Shio wrung every last smidgeon of courage out of herself to say those words. Her voice was small, almost a whisper, but they were close enough that Gajou had to have noticed. 

However, he did not reply. Suddenly, his face went blank as he glared outside. 

“Ah… Gajou Akatsuki?” 

“Hey, Shio… Doesn’t the air feel…strange to you?” 

“Eh…?!” 

When Gajou asked, his face dead serious, Shio turned her attention to the surrounding area. An abnormal chill was coursing inside the storehouse. It was too cold, even for the middle of winter. The air had gone white from the precipitous drop in temperature. 

Shio gasped, breathing in hard as she realized the cold air throbbed of demonic energy. 

“What’s this…unpleasant feeling…?” 

A moment after Shio let that murmur trickle out, the land of Kamioda District shuddered. 

It was not an intermittent shaking like an earthquake. It was an instantaneous jolt, as if a giant weight had fallen close by. 

The source of the tremor was probably Kannawa Lake—the direction from which Yuiri and the others were conducting the ceremony. However, the hindrance of the demonic-energy-infused cloud of cold air prevented Shio from learning just what had happened at Kannawa Lake. All she had to go on was the vague unease in her chest. 

“This tremor… It doesn’t feel like just an earthquake… I guess the old hag messed up?” 

Gajou spat insults as he rose to his feet within the cell. Something clattered to the ground. Shio looked down, gawking. 

“Wait a… Why are your manacles off?! How did…?!” 

At some point, the metal manacles purportedly binding Gajou to the cell had come off. The supposedly double-constructed lock components fell away in pieces. 

“As for how, I’m used to this kind of thing in my line of work.” 

Gajou rotated his now free ankle joints as he spoke in a carefree tone. 

Shio stared dumbfounded at Gajou as she insisted, “A-aren’t you supposed to be an archeologist?!” 

“I do field work all over the place, so all sorts of things happen…,” Gajou replied in a lighthearted tone before looking above his head. “Well, damn…! Shio, above you!” 

“Eh?!” 

Reacting to Gajou’s shout, Shio shifted her gaze toward the sky. That instant decided whether Shio lived or died. A glimmering, steel-colored creature broke through the storehouse’s ceiling, right above Shio’s head. 

“What’s…that?!” 

The creature was three or four meters in length. It was a bizarre monster with a head like a hornet, the body of a snake, and dragon wings. The same moment it detected Shio’s presence, it opened its maw, attacking without a moment’s pause. 

If Gajou hadn’t warned her, the creature would have doubtlessly torn Shio limb from limb without her even lifting a finger… 

“Resonate—!” 

Shio shouted as she fished out every spell scroll she had in the breast pocket of her school uniform. With ritual magic poured into them, the spell scrolls transformed into countless birds of prey that assaulted the monster. 

The specialty of Shamanic War Dancers of the Lion King Agency was offensive ritual magic using shikigami. Though the monster easily struck down the first, second, and even the third shikigami attacking it, countless more surrounded it, dulling its movements, finally causing it to crash to the ground. 

She finally managed to stop the steel monster in its tracks by using every spell scroll on hand. Shio had no room to see that for herself; she tottered forward on the spot. 

Shio had used seventeen shikigami for the purpose of counterattacking against a single monster. Shio was something of an honors student at High God Forest, but she lacked the monstrous talent in spellcraft possessed by her old classmate, Sayaka Kirasaka. 

Ordinarily, the steel creature was an enemy on a level beyond Shio’s ability to fight alone. It was sheer luck that she’d barely managed to bring it down. 

However, there was no time to rest easy, for Gajou heard new wingbeats above Shio’s head. 

Creatures greatly resembling the one from before were heading for the storehouse. Furthermore, it wasn’t one or two: There were over twelve, and that was just what he could see. They practically filled the sky in their approach. 

“Such numbers…” 

Shio’s face went pale with despair. No matter how you sliced it, the enemy’s numbers were simply too great. She had no spell scrolls left with which to create shikigami, nor did she have any time to prepare a wide-area ritual spell. 

If only Yuiri were here…, thought Shio, biting her lip. 

With a Sword Shaman skilled in close combat drawing off the creatures and playing for time, even Shio had a card to play: the trump card belonging only to the Shamanic War Dancers of the Lion King Agency— 

“Get down!” 

Shio stood rooted to the spot as a harsh voice rang out from right behind her. The voice spurred Shio to lower her posture without thinking. After she did, the lead creature of the swarm swooped down to attack her. 

Shio was resigned to death as the huge, steel creature seemed to writhe during its descent. 

Then her eardrums trembled from the metallic roar that shook the very air. 

The creature that had appeared right before Shio’s eyes was sent flying from a blow to its side. The exploding flames unleashed by the blow contained concentrated, high-density ritual energy. 

It was an attack from a spell gun, the ritual energy sealed using a bullet made from precious metals. 

“Gajou Akatsuki?! Where did you get a gun from…?!” 

Gajou Akatsuki was standing inside the cell in a shooting stance, a sawed-off shotgun in his hands. The round he’d fired had blasted the steel creature apart, saving Shio’s life. 

The shotgun was surrounded by thin gun smoke as Gajou reloaded it and walked toward the cell’s iron-barred gate. Then Gajou exited the cell, slipping past the bars as if he were a mirage. 

“Physical transmission…?! No…not that… What kind of ability is that…?!” Shio shouted in bewilderment as she watched Gajou casually walk out of the cell. 

Physical transmission was a super-difficult magic on par with spatial manipulation. However, the technique Gajou had used differed somewhat from the usual ritual for transmission. She didn’t sense him using magical energy. It almost felt like…the human being called Gajou Akatsuki was never in the cell to begin with. 

“About twenty years ago, I got lost in a weird ruin in central Asia, y’see…” 

Gajou sent a listless smile the confused Shio’s way. His shotgun spewed fire once more, destroying a third creature. 

“The ruin survey team with me was all wiped out. I was the only survivor, but half my body is on ‘the other side,’ even now.” 

“I see… You returned from death… The Death Returnee, Gajou Akatsuki…!” 

Shio recalled Gajou’s nickname. He was the man who had returned from the Land of the Dead, a being who should not exist in their world—and ever since, his body straddled the boundary between this world and the next. 

Gajou Akatsuki had both been inside the cell…and nowhere in the human world at all. No matter how stout an iron-barred gate, it could not hold a being who had not truly been there in the first place. 

“It came at a pretty high cost, but thanks to that, I can hide things on me…like this.” 

Without warning, Gajou tossed his empty shotgun aside and opened both arms wide. An oversize weapon appeared in both hands, seemingly out of thin air. Across time and space, he materialized the weapons stored in his armory in the Land of the Dead. 

“A—a machine gun?!” 

“Picking ’em off one by one isn’t gonna cut it, so—” 

Gajou then raked the swarm of creatures with automatic fire from the large-caliber army machine gun. It didn’t have the same power as the spell gun, but the density of the barrage—over six hundred rounds a minute—was overwhelming. The powerful bullets, specialized for taking down demon beasts, were highly effective, riddling the approaching creatures with holes. 

“Shio, your demon-quelling bow! Burn them all away!” 

“I—I don’t need you to tell me that…!” 

Shio reached a hand toward the silver recurve bow she kept on a holster behind her hip. Gajou was keeping the creatures busy, giving her what was probably the best possible chance to use her bow. 

“Certify request! Freikugel Plus Proto Three—unlock!” 

Shio lifted up the folded recurve bow as she intoned the activation command. Recognizing Shio’s ritual energy coursing into it, the metallic recurve bow greatly expanded. The safety had been disengaged. 

“Registered archer, Shio Hikawa, confirmed. Freikugel Plus, active.” 

Seeing that the demon-quelling bow had activated, Shio nocked a metallic arrow from the holster on her thigh. 

For an instant, she closed her eyes, burning into the back of her mind the positions of the thirty-odd creatures. Shio’s personal specialty was multi-locking on sorcerous targets. Even if she couldn’t hold a candle to Sayaka Kirasaka’s inborn talent with spellcraft, she was confident that she’d trained every bit as extensively as that girl had. 

Furthermore, Freikugel Plus was the holy armament that had been redesigned to take full advantage of Shio’s abilities. 

“I, Dancer of the Lion, Archer of the High God, beseech thee! Let there be light—!” 

The silver arrow Shio unleashed soared through the sky, tracing multilayered magic circles in its wake. The whistle on the tip of the ritual arrow was able to generate incantations at a density and great volume impossible for human lungs, creating a large-area spell. 

Countless blasts of wind swirled about. 

Shio had generated ritual energy blades resembling thunderbolts. These poured toward the surface with the speed of lightning, unerring in their aim as they impaled each and every one of the steel-colored creatures. 

“…Ohh, nice. That’s a Lion King Agency Shamanic War Dancer for you.” 

Having used up her ritual energy, Shio tottered and slumped forward, whereupon Gajou held her steadily from behind. 

Shio’s attack had swept away the entire swarm of creatures. 

Freikugel Plus was the completed form of the area-suppression weapon the Lion King Agency had continued developing in secret. It was the sheer power of that demon-purging bow that allowed it to overwhelm the horde of creatures. 

As a result, the noncombatants remaining at the temple were spared the danger of being attacked by the creatures, at least for the time being. Perhaps Hisano had left Shio behind because she’d foreseen that possibility from the beginning. 

“That said, this ain’t good. If creatures managed to penetrate even the temple’s ward, does that mean the unit surrounding Kannawa Lake was wiped out…?” 

Gajou twisted his lips as he glared at Kannawa Lake, which was submerged in white mist. 

The interference of dense, cold air infused with demonic energy in the surroundings of the man-made dam meant he couldn’t blithely approach. 

There was no mistaking that the SDF unit observing the lake had become caught up in the incident. Hisano had to be acting in concert with them. 

So, too, had Nagisa Akatsuki been caught in the middle. And so, too, had Yuiri Haba. 

“Yuiri…!” 

Shio’s frail murmur echoed into the mist and vanished. 

Gajou’s expression remained blank as he continued glaring at the lake without a word. 

6 

Asagi Aiba and Lydianne Didier were flying at about three thousand meters over the Tangiwa Mountains. They were inside Pandion—a tilt-rotor cargo plane from Didier Heavy Industries. 

Pursued by the Island Guard, they had more or less fled from Itogami Island only the afternoon of the day before. Arriving at the mainland afterward, Asagi and Lydianne spent the night hidden in a Didier Heavy Industries warehouse located in Yokohama, stocking up on weapons, ammunition, and fuel in the meantime. 

Then, fully prepared for what may come, they headed for Kannawa Lake to search for the missing Nagisa Akatsuki. 

It was quite a ruckus for so early after New Year’s Day. 

At first, Asagi had only meant to help with a little light info gathering. She’d never dreamed that it would evolve into such a major incident. 

However, her circumstances changed drastically when the Island Guard came after her at the airport. 

Apparently, the disappearance of Nagisa Akatsuki involved crucial secrets at the national level. The fact Asagi had searched for Nagisa meant she had already become involved. At that rate, worst case, she’d be handcuffed and sent to rot in jail, no questions asked. Asagi needed a leg up on resolving the incident; she couldn’t return to Itogami Island until she had information she could use as a bargaining chip to strike a deal with the government. 

Why is this happening to me? she bemoaned, but the search for Nagisa came first. At any rate, she needed to get her hands on information. Nagisa was her only lead. 

“Very good. The docking of the multi-seat unit for Hizamaru is complete.” 

Heedless of Asagi’s anguish, Lydianne frolicked about the cramped cargo hold with a miniature console for fine-tuning machines. Asagi estimated her age at twelve years old, give or take. She was a foreign girl with bright red hair. 

Her favorite mount, a red micro-robot tank, had just received a major overhaul, and its appearance had significantly changed. Much of its equipment had been swapped and was now geared for open-field warfare, not urban combat…and a copilot’s seat had been added so that Asagi could ride in it. 

The charming, rounded look remained the same, but various modifications made it appear somewhat humorous, like a cartoon mascot from a slapstick comedy outfitted with instruments of war. 

For her part, Lydianne seemed quite satisfied, even under the forced circumstances. 

“The energy pack upgrade gives it a dramatic boost to operating time, and the firepower hath been greatly, greatly enhanced. Also, to make up for the loss of agility, side thrusters were added, but I knoweth not how well they shall perform.” 

“That’s all fine, Tanker. It’s just… Can’t you do something about this outfit…?” 

Asagi glared at Lydianne, hiding her chest as she put on the pilot suit that had been arranged for her. 

It was a protective suit just like Lydianne’s, skintight and designed like a competition swimsuit. On top of dramatically playing up her body lines, the word box sewn onto the chest had ASAGI AIBA written on it in black marker. It came complete with gloves that reached her upper arms and tights that covered everything down from her hips. When combined with Asagi’s own showy hairstyle, it made her painfully look like she was wearing a costume. 

However, the girl called Tanker tilted her head, blinking with a questioning look that seemed to say I really don’t understand what the problem is. 

“It doth suit you, Lady Empress.” 

“Umm, whether I look good in it or not isn’t the issue here…!” 

“Nevertheless, it is a cutting-edge pilot suit, Didier Heavy Industries’ pride and joy. On top of heavy resistance to water pressure, ballistics, blades, and blunt force trauma, it is also hydrophobic and breathable. What’s more, it is completely machine washable, and even effective as an antibacterial deodorant.” 

“No matter how you look at it, it still looks like a school swimsuit. What kind of interests do the engineers in your corporation have anyway…?” 

Asagi slumped against the armor of the tank. 

Certainly, it was dangerous to wear a loose outfit in the cramped confines of the robot tank’s cockpit—it wasn’t like she didn’t understand that logic. If someone explained writing the name in the space on the chest as a way to identify casualties in the event of an unfortunate incident, she couldn’t strongly object to that, either. 

“More importantly, Lady Empress, it is finally time to embark Hizamaru. We shall soon reach the projected landing point,” Lydianne said as she entered the robot tank. 

The tilt-rotor cargo plane Pandion was an AI-controlled unmanned aircraft. Lydianne was setting the flight altitude, direction, and everything else via her robot tank. 

Lydianne’s sudden announcement of their destination took Asagi by surprise. 

“Projected landing point? What the heck? Don’t tell me you’re going to land all of a sudden?” 

“This plane is a tilt-rotor, so it is indeed capable of a vertical landing. It is better to land and search there to obtain detailed information rather than gaze from afar in the sky, is it not?” 

“Well, that might be the case, but…” 

Asagi sank into thought, bewildered. Certainly, if they were serious about searching for Nagisa’s whereabouts then they would have to land at some point… 

“But the area around Kannawa Lake is sealed off by the Self-Defense Forces, isn’t it? Can we really just land without a care? They’re not going to shoot us down, are they?” 

“Ha-ha, ye need not be concerned. Spare not the slightest bit of concern for an attack helicopter or two. I shall make a spectacle of striking them down.” 

“No, you won’t!! If you shoot down SDF aircrafts, then what?!” Asagi shouted. “Are you trying to start a war?!” 

However, Lydianne had closed the hatch long before. Asagi could do nothing but slip into the copilot’s seat. 

The multi-seat unit of the robot tank Hizamaru was a simple piece of add-on gear. The two pilot seats were completely independent, and no communication was possible between them without use of a transmitter. It had its inconveniences, but it wasn’t a bad setup when considering privacy concerns. 

The seat was cramped and surrounded by electronic devices on four sides, but once she was completely settled in, it was surprisingly comfortable. Thanks to the inside of the cockpit hatch doubling as an external monitor, it didn’t feel especially claustrophobic. 

But all of a sudden, the entire giant monitor displayed a badly sewn mascot character in CG, and even Asagi was taken by surprise. The AI avatar, which could be called Asagi’s partner, spoke to her at a painfully loud volume. 

“It’s me, li’l miss. You can hear me, right?” 

“Mogwai?! What are you doing here, out of the blue?! And your voice is too loud! It’s annoying!” 

Asagi struggled with the unfamiliar control panel as she lowered the voice-chat volume. Mogwai paid no heed to Asagi’s suffering as he continued the conversation on his own. 

“Sheesh, I finally got through to you. Not being able to use your cell phone is a huge inconvenience.” 

“Well, I’m on the run, so it can’t be helped. More importantly, what did you want?” 

“Mm, ahhh… I wasn’t sure I should convey this info to you, but it looks like a bunch of things have gotten troublesome, so I thought I’d better tell you now, just in case—” 

“Wha—? You’re creeping me out. If you’re going to say it, just say it already!” Asagi, irritated, shot back. 

Mogwai put both hands together in front of his own head as he said, “Sorry. I’ve lost that Kojou guy’s location data.” 

“Huh? The heck? You mean Kojou’s gone missing?” 

“Well, that about sums it up.” 

Asagi’s hand stopped controlling the electronic devices as she glared at Mogwai. First the little sister goes missing, then the big brother? What’s with those siblings? she grumbled internally. 

“What about Himeragi? Wasn’t she with Kojou?” 

“The spear-using li’l lady is missing, too. Apparently, they fought an enemy using some weird sorcery, and all the surveillance cameras in the area were wiped out. The only things remaining are leftovers from some pretty spectacular fighting.” 

“Wait a… What do you mean, fighting?! Kojou has my spare phone, doesn’t he?!” 

“Er, about that… He kinda fell into the sea… He’s been out of range ever since.” 

“Fell into the sea…?!” 

This time, Asagi gawked. Itogami Island was an artificial isle floating in the Pacific Ocean. The surrounding waters were quite deep, and the currents were rather swift. It wasn’t that different from being cast right into the middle of the sea. 

Kojou might be an immortal vampire, but that’s bad even for him, she thought. Besides, Kojou was a lousy swimmer. 

“And what do you mean, fought an enemy…? Why was someone targeting Kojou…?!” 

“Ahh, that’s probably beca—” 

A moment after Mogwai tried to say something, his CG display was suddenly scrambled. The fuselage of the Pandion shook heavily from some kind of impact driving it upward, cutting off Mogwai’s transmission. 

“What is it this time?! What happened, Tanker?!” Asagi shouted into the internal radio. 

In far too light a tone, Lydianne replied, “It seems we are under enemy attack.” 

“E-enemy attack…?! Don’t tell me we really are fighting SDF aircrafts?!” 

“No. I shall send thee the external camera feed.” 

Before Lydianne had even finished speaking, she transferred the tilt-rotor aircraft’s external video feed to the copilot seat monitor. The image displayed was apparently the landscape of Kannawa Lake. 

“The lake…is frozen…?” Asagi murmured, at a loss. 

It was a beautiful, artificial lake surrounded by mountains. 

However, there were jagged protrusions on the frozen white surface of the lake resembling a glacier. The entire dam was frozen over. A white mist, created by the extremely cold air, was shrouding the entire lake area. 

No matter what, there was no way it was a natural phenomenon. It was a large-scale sorcerous disaster. 

The sudden constriction of the air had sent the air currents fiercely askew. The fuselage of the Pandion was unstable as it continued to turn. Electrical faults were occurring as well, apparently the result of the demonic energy-infused mist. That was probably what had cut off Mogwai’s transmission. 

“Continuing to gather data while evacuating the area! Emergency power to the engines—!” 

For once, Lydianne spoke with a nervous tone. Her judgment was exceedingly sound. Not knowing the cause of the phenomenon, it was a poor plan to loiter in that airspace. 

But before the fuselage could actually gain altitude, there was a ferocious, discordant sound of metal ripping that echoed throughout the cargo hold. 

“I have been bested…!” 

“H-huh?!” 

“The enemy has us in its clutches…!” 

“Enemy, you mean…? No way…!” 

The outer wall of the cargo hold was being gnawed away by the maws of the steel-colored, hornet-like creatures that had appeared. These creatures, flying with giant, dragon-like wings, had apparently attacked the Pandion. 

“I can find no matching data upon the Net… That would make them a new genus of demon beast…” 

Lydianne stated this in an oddly calm tone. She apparently had enough mental composure to use the images of the demon beasts to run a search. However, even during that time, the creatures continued their assault. The shaking of the fuselage of the Pandion continued to worsen, and Asagi felt like they were gradually losing altitude. 

“Don’t tell me the Self-Defense Forces were surrounding the place to keep a lid on those demon beasts…?” 

Asagi exclaimed as she remembered the closure of the roads and highways in the area around Kannawa Lake. 

Certainly, it was natural for the Self-Defense Forces to deploy if such savage demon beasts had appeared. She thought restricting information was unavoidable so as to avert panic in the surrounding populace. 

The problem being: Just how was Nagisa Akatsuki involved in this disturbance…? 

“Engine output lost. Hydraulic lines severed. Control unrecoverable. At this rate, a crash landing is unavoidable, ’tis it not…?” 

“C-crash…?!” 

A cold sweat broke out from Asagi’s back as she heard a roar and the sound of swirling wind. The rear cargo hatch of the Pandion had let out a discordant sound as it was forced open. Lydianne had opened it by remote control. 

The wires holding Hizamaru in place came loose. One by one, the robot tank’s docking clamps let go as well. 

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing, Tanker?!” 

“I am conducting an airdrop.” 

“What?! Airdrop… You mean we’re jumping out of the plane?!” 

Asagi’s eyes bulged as she looked at the cockpit’s instruments. Even if they were on their way to a crash landing, they were still over a thousand meters from the ground. The terrain was a string of treacherous mountains covered by forest, with not a single safe landing spot in sight. In the first place, airdropping a tank wasn’t something you did unless the tank was unmanned. No matter how much a parachute diminished the speed, the impact from landing while locked inside a mass of steel was nothing to laugh at. 

“Preparations are in order. Hizamaru is equipped with an air cushion for just such an eventuality. It has yet to undergo a live test, but theoretically, there shall be no problem whatsoever,” Lydianne stated in a tone full of baseless confidence. 

Asagi went pale as she vigorously shook her head, whipping her hair around, and said, “There’s a big problem!! We’re gonna die! We’re gonna die, for sure…!!” 

“’Tis through risking the self that one finds opportunity. Let us be off, Lady Empress!” 

In time with Lydianne’s declaration, there was a ka-thunk! sound as the final docking clamp could be heard releasing its load. Asagi was struck by the unpleasant feeling of weightlessness as the robot tank slid out of the cargo hold… 

…And into midair, not a single foothold for the next thousand meters of altitude— 

“You’re…kidding me…” 

The robot tank was assaulted by a thick wall of heavy wind resistance. The machine was buffeted by the impacts, leaving even Asagi unable to let out a cry. 

The tilt-rotor cargo plane under attack from the steel-colored creatures exploded above Asagi’s and Lydianne’s heads. 

The robot tank was showered by flying fragments and blast winds as it fell. 

“N…noooooooooooo—!” 

Asagi’s shriek was swallowed up by the azure sky and vanished. 

Beneath the girls, the surface shrouded in pure-white mist cruelly waited to greet them.