Strike the Blood - Volume 13 - Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE 

THE BLOCKADE 

1 

Kojou Akatsuki awoke at the sound of his alarm ringing for the third time. 

His back smoldered from the sunrays passing through the curtain. Even though it was early morning, it was humid enough to make him sweat. The air was so thick you’d think it was midsummer. It was the Itogami Island air he knew very well. 

“Morning, huh…? Shit… Doesn’t even feel like I got any rest…” 

With his vision still somewhat hazy, Kojou groped for the alarm clock and silenced it. 

His entire body felt as heavy as lead, like he’d run a full marathon the preceding day. It was no doubt the product of built-up fatigue. After all, immediately following New Year’s, he’d traveled all the way to the mainland; he’d only just returned to Itogami Island. 

Between those two events, for some reason, he had Natsuki Minamiya, one of the Three Saints of the Lion King Agency, and the terrorist Cleansers after his hide; he’d repeatedly come face-to-face with death. Somehow, he’d escaped in one piece, but the accumulated mental exhaustion and the knowledge that winter break was about to end had maxed out his fatigue gauge. Kojou desperately fought the craving to crawl back into bed, stripping off his T-shirt as he headed out of the room. 

The smell of freshly poured coffee wafted about the living room. 

The morning news was quietly coursing through the mounted television. Nagisa was watching it with what seemed to be a mystified look. 

She must have been in the middle of changing clothes, because she was only in her underwear, stroking the uniform neatly folded on her lap. 

“Nagisa…?” 

Kojou unwittingly called out to his little sister, her unusual silence making him feel like something was amiss. 

Today, her hair, usually tied up, was unbound. Maybe that was why she looked so different. The backlight passing through her hair seemed to give it a faint, golden glimmer. 

“Ah, Kojou. Good morning—” 

Finally noticing him, a gentle smile came over Nagisa as she looked back. 

“Heya,” Kojou said, nodding vaguely as his bewilderment deepened. After all, the little sister Kojou knew wasn’t the type to make a fleeting smile like that. One might call her personality naive, meddlesome, very amiable, and boisterous; normally, she’d have ripped the blanket off Kojou and driven him out of bed before the alarm clock even rang. 

“Something wrong with the uniform?” 

Kojou kept his bewilderment off his face as he carefully posed the question. He wondered if maybe she’d messed something up and was down in the dumps. 

“No… It’s nothing.” Nagisa narrowed her eyes. 

Kojou’s breath came to a halt as he was stricken by déjà vu. He superimposed another person’s face over the image of his little sister treasuring the middle school uniform—the face of someone who no longer existed. 

“I just felt…happy. Starting today, I can go see everyone at school again…” 

“Hmm…” 

Kojou maintained his composure as he murmured curtly. 

Then Nagisa blinked, seemingly snapping back to her own senses. She had an exasperated look as she glared at Kojou, still wandering around topless. 

“For that matter, Kojou, put something on. It’s criminal to wander around naked in front of a maiden—criminal!” 

“Hey, I’m wearing my underwear just fine. I couldn’t find my uniform shirt.” 

“Your shirt’s on top of the chair at the dinner table. I ironed it and left it there.” 

“Is that so? My bad.” 

“You really make me work, sheesh. So get dressed already, quick!” 

“You should probably get dressed, too.” Kojou, relieved that Nagisa was finally back to her normal state, lobbed a rebuttal. 

“Huh…?” Nagisa sounded confused and looked down to inspect herself. 

Nagisa, holding her uniform top and bottom in her hands, was wearing nothing but simple white underwear. Finally noticing as much, Nagisa let out a barely audible shriek as she curled up. 

“D-did you see anything…?” 

“Huh… Guess we’re out of milk.” 

“No reaction?!” 

After retrieving his uniform shirt, Kojou opened the fridge door and checked the contents within. It was plain as day that he’d placed a higher priority on assuaging hunger and thirst over the sight of his little sister in forgettable undies. 

“Mnnn… I used the milk to make scrambled eggs earlier!” 

“Oh? I’d better buy some on the way back.” 

When his sullen little sister gave an honest reply, Kojou made his dejection clear. Buying meat and vegetables on the way back from school was chiefly Kojou’s duty. 

“Ah… Come to think of it, there was some freighter accident, wasn’t there?” 

“Yep. There’s been a lot of that lately. It’s really inconvenient being on a man-made island at times like these. Meat, dairy, and fish run out fast, and it’s more expensive buying them here than on the mainland…” 

“Well, it’s not typhoon season, so the next ship’ll come soon enough,” Kojou replied, unmoved. 

For Itogami Island, floating smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, slow or missed shipments were a common occurence. It wasn’t rare for prolonged rough weather to halt imports for close to a week at a time. 

“That’s true, but…” 

“I’m giving the store a check with Himeragi on the way back, so if you need anything else, just tell her, okay?” 

The only thing left in the fridge was dark-green vegetable juice, which didn’t exactly agree with Kojou. Nagisa stared in silence as Kojou grimaced, took out a pack, and poured the contents down his throat. 

“You’re with…Yukina today?” 

Nagisa’s halting murmur sounded almost like she was talking to herself. 

“Huh?” went Kojou, wiping his lips as he looked back. Distracted by the taste of the vegetable juice, he simply hadn’t heard her very well. 

However, Nagisa seemed just as surprised as he was, making an exaggerated shake of her head as she said, “Ah, mmm, of—of course you are.” 

“Yeah,” said Kojou, nodding without really understanding the point. 

Thanks to not having woken up to his first alarm, he didn’t have much time to spare. 

He kicked the troublesome conversation down the road, gratefully accepting the breakfast his little sister had made for him. 

“What was that…?” 

Nagisa was hurriedly dressing herself as she watched Kojou bite into his bread. She let out a worried sigh. 

“What was…with me just now…?” 

Kojou hadn’t noticed his little sister mumble as she pressed a hand to her chest, trying to pin down the misty feeling within. 

2 

Visiting the classroom for the first time in a while, Kojou thought the place came off as particularly quiet. Even though classes were about to start, a good 30 percent of the students had yet to arrive at school. Perhaps they were vacation drunk and had overslept. Should’ve taken my sweet time and slept a little more, thought Kojou with some degree of envy as he arrived at his own seat. 

“Good morning, Kojou. It’s been a…well, no, it hasn’t.” 

The morose voice came from Asagi Aiba, who sat nearby. 

Her extravagant hairstyle and edgy variations on the school uniform, barely shy of breaking school regulations, were the same as always. But just like Kojou, there somehow seemed an exhausted air hovering over her at the moment. Small wonder—she’d been involved in the demon-beast incident on the mainland, having just returned to Itogami Island herself. 

“Mornin’. Feels like it’s been ages since I’ve seen you in a school uniform.” 

“Don’t make me remember something I don’t need to. Just forget about it!” 

Asagi bared her teeth as she glared at Kojou. Her cheeks were faintly reddened. The pilot suit resembling a school swimsuit complete with her name written on it that she’d been forced to wear had apparently inflicted a fair amount of trauma. 

“Good morning, Asagi. Akatsuki, too.” 

From behind Asagi, a tall, mature-looking female student addressed them. This was Rin Tsukishima, the class representative. Just as one might expect, she maintained the constant, valiant impression she usually had, even amid so many students wearing long faces over the end of the holidays. 

“Ah, Rin… Good morning.” 

“Tsukishima…” 

“The two of you seem rather…worn out.” 

Rin’s eyebrows rose with suspicion as she watched Kojou and Asagi reply with leaden voices. 

Asagi smiled listlessly and shook her head. 

“Does it look that way to you?” 

“Well, I just got back from the mainland… So that’s probably why.” 

“Eh? You went to the mainland, too, Kojou?” 

Rin’s eyes blinked in surprise. An inquisitive glint rose in her pupils as she gave Kojou an admiring stare. 

“Asagi was on the mainland until the day before yesterday, yes? Could it be, the two of you were…? My, oh my…” 

“‘My, oh my,’ nothing! It’s coincidence, pure coincidence!” Asagi refuted with ferocious energy. 

Kojou’s shoulders sank with a sigh as he added, “I just picked up my little sister from Granny’s.” 

“I was shopping in the capital. I had Tanker with me. You know her, right? Lydianne Didier. Had nothing to do with Kojou whatsoever.” 

“Hmmm, really? Well, I shall leave it at that.” 

Rin’s lips twisted into a sneer. She had the expression of a world-wise mother ignoring her daughter’s excuses. 

Asagi rested her cheek on a hand, pouting as she said, “Leave it at that or not, it’s the truth.” 

“But you met Asagi over there, didn’t you?” 

“Er, I wouldn’t really call it ‘meeting’ her—” 

When Rin’s gaze abruptly shifted his way, Kojou replied without thinking. 

“You idiot…!” 

Why did you have to go and say that? thought Asagi as she covered her eyes, face raised toward the heavens. Rin let out a giggly laugh. 

The next moment, a male student with headphones around his neck entered the classroom, looking distinctly short on sleep—Motoki Yaze. 

“Mornin’… What are you two arguing about at this hour?” 

“Nothing at all.” 

Perhaps thinking herself unable to endure any further ridicule, Asagi made a shooing motion, as if telling Yaze to get lost. 

Yaze showed not the slightest care about her childish gesture. “Hmm… Well, fine. Here’s a souvenir from Tokyo. Eat up.” 

Speaking those words, he placed a paper bag of chocolates, apparently bought from an airport vendor, in front of Kojou and the others. 

“You went to the mainland, too?” 

Asagi immediately ripped the bag open, plucking out one of the chocolates inside. 

They’d been out of touch with Yaze since the aftermath of the New Year’s temple visit. It was the first either Kojou or Asagi had heard of him having left the island, too. 

“Well, there were some circumstances involved in that… Anyway, I’m tired…” Slumping over his desk, Yaze murmured in a frail voice. 

“Well, whatever. Good you both came back safe and sound, right?” Rin consoled, looking them over. 

“Whaddaya mean?” Kojou raised his eyebrows at her words, oddly rich with implication. “Come to think of it, there’s a lot of people late, aren’t there?” 

“Kojou, didn’t you see the news this morning?” Rin asked, surprised. 

Kojou bluntly replied with a shake of his head, “Nope.” 

Nagisa not having put the TV on at normal volume like usual tugged at his mind a little, but Kojou had been too sleepy that morning to check the news himself. 

“Not a single ship scheduled to arrive at Itogami Island has arrived since yesterday. The reasons seem highly varied, from accidents to running aground, even food poisoning onboard.” 

“Seriously…?” 

Yaze’s dramatic explanation struck Kojou dumbfounded. Nagisa had mentioned incidents involving ships, but naturally, he’d never imagined it was on such a large scale. It was extremely improbable that a string of that many incidents could occur by mere coincidence. 

“Come to mention it, maybe that’s why a parcel I bought by mail order hasn’t arrived?” Asagi pondered, worried. 

“Quite likely. It would seem there have been flights canceled as well. What did you buy?” Rin asked. 

Asagi clutched her head with such drama that one would think the world was coming to an end. 

“Brand-new sweets from a pudding specialty shop and quantum nano memory expansion for PC… Ugh, the expiration date… The state-of-the-art parts…” 

“What is that mystifying pairing…? Well, just like Asagi, I suppose…” 

I shouldn’t have worried, Rin’s sigh seemed to say. 

“The missing flights since yesterday seem to be due to turbulence,” Yaze noted, talking as if the situation wasn’t his problem. 

“Ah,” Kojou said in understanding, “so there’s a whole bunch of people who haven’t made it back to Itogami Island…” 

“And Itogami Island has three or four flights landing every day. An artificial island is inconvenient at times like these,” Asagi said, still crestfallen. 

In other words, the quiet classroom was thanks to the missed arrivals by both sea and air. 

“Would’ve been a little easier for me if flights got canceled just a little sooner…” 

Yaze mumbled to himself with a distant look in his eyes. Kojou wasn’t sure what had happened, but apparently, Yaze’s time on the mainland had been less than pleasant. He kept murmuring complaints under his breath, something about “MAR… Smuggling…” 

Suddenly, he lifted his head up with great force, almost like he’d been struck by an electric jolt. 

“Yaze? What is it?” 

“Oh, nah. It’s nothin’.” 

Yaze looked up at Kojou’s suspicious face and smiled casually like he always did, but his cheeks remained stiff. 

“It’s nothing… Right…?” 

The forlorn murmur sounded like Yaze was trying to convince himself of something. 

It was soon after that the chime for classes began to ring. 

3 

Being an artificial isle, Itogami Island’s degree of ground stability meant the construction of skyscrapers was impossible. In exchange, the city center was packed with blocks of medium-sized office buildings. 

From this swarm of buildings, it was the roof of a particularly plain one among them upon which a single girl was lying, as if asleep. 

She was a little girl not even a hundred and fifty centimeters in height. She looked to be in her mid-teens. Because she was wearing a white shirt and a suspender skirt, she looked very much like an elementary schooler attending a noted academy. 

Her face, too, seemed young and frail. Her big almond eyes were adorable, but her general appearance did not stand out. It did not, save one thing—the large, beast-like ears springing from her head. 

“December, do you read me?” 

The little girl spoke to a smartphone lying next to her. 

“This is December. You’re coming in loud and clear, Carly.” 

The reply from the smartphone was immediate. The person on the other end had a serene tone largely devoid of tension. 

The voice brought an expression of visible relief over the girl. 

“Carly in position. Field of view all clear.” 

“Copy. Vehicle boarded by target moving along Island West Fourteenth Avenue toward Keystone Gate. Will arrive at predicted location within three hundred seconds.” 

“I have confirmed by visual. Preparing to snipe the target.” 

The beast-eared girl calling herself Carly roused herself and opened a case placed at her fingertips. It was a black case for carrying a cello. However, its contents were not a musical instrument, but rather a large military rifle. It was a bullpup-style anti-materiel sniper rifle. 

“Yes, yes. Sending the data now.” 

“Confirmed.” 

The smartphone’s screen displayed various data as measured by December: wind direction, wind speed, humidity, air temperature, air density, and the target’s attire. 

“I’ll leave the rest to you. Fire at will, Carly.” 

“Copy. Thank you, December.” 

“You are very welcome.” 

Carly listened to December’s cheerful voice as she adopted a prone firing position. Through her scope, Carly was only able to see a tiny crack between a tangle of office buildings. But for her, this was plenty. 

The scenery gleaned through the scope was the entrance to a high-class hotel. 

Carly’s superhuman senses allowed her to accurately detect moving cars at a range of nine hundred meters. The screeching of brakes. The footsteps of the doorman. The black-painted, high-class sedan parked in front of the hotel. The opening of the door, the first bodyguard getting out of the front passenger’s seat. Next, the second bodyguard riding in one of the back seats getting out. Then, flanked by those two, a small, old man exited the vehicle. Her chance to snipe would only be good for a few meters between there and the building. 

Relying on the senses in which her body was immersed, she made minor adjustments for the wind and the state of the atmosphere. Carly quietly pulled the trigger. Gas spewed out from the muzzle break, assaulting her with the dull recoil peculiar to a .50 caliber round. Even so, Carly calmly tracked the arc of the bullet she had fired. 

Her acuity to movement, particular to beast people, allowed her to watch the bullet until the moment it sent her target’s skull flying. 

It had all happened in an instant. Killing intent encased in a full-metal jacket had been sent flying from nine hundred meters away. The target probably hadn’t known what had happened to him until the very end. 

“Hit confirmed. Pulling out,” she reported, setting the rifle in her cello case, her duty finished. 

“That’s my Carly.” 

She heard the gentle voice of December over the smartphone from the other end. Even as the words instilled feelings of pride, Carly shook her head a little. 

“No. Thank you, December.” 

4 

It was a corner of the student cafeteria. On a sunny terrace, Yukina Himeragi was divvying up the hamburg steak of her lunch set. She was with her classmates: Minami Shindou, Sakura Koushima, and Nagisa Akatsuki. 

Even among the students, the cafeteria of Saikai Academy was held in high regard, and it was particularly packed during lunch hour. Out of consideration for their high school seniors, the students in middle school did not normally eat the school’s food. 

However, that day only, the empty seats on the popular terrace stood out, and even Yukina and the others were able to make use of them without the concern of inconveniencing others. The unfilled seats were doubtlessly follow-up effects of the ship incidents and the canceled flights. 

Yukina’s class had six students absent all by itself, and with the teacher absent, half the lesson was self-study. Yet, the matter that had bewildered Yukina and the others since morning was a separate issue altogether. 

That issue was Nagisa Akatsuki. 

“Hey, Yukina. What happened to you two on winter break…?” 

Minami Shindou, aka Cindy, twirled the pasta on her plate around with a fork as she posed the question. She sounded as if she was thoroughly at a loss. 

“What…do you mean?” 

Yukina stopped handling her food as she echoed the question back. She didn’t require an explanation to vaguely understand what Cindy was trying to say to begin with. 

“You know. That.” 

“Nagisa?” 

As expected, Cindy’s eyes indicated the side of Nagisa’s face as she sat close to the cafeteria window. Cream croquettes were supposedly one of her favorites, but Nagisa left them untouched as she stared absentmindedly at the schoolyard. 

“This, um, isn’t like her, right? It doesn’t seem like her health’s in bad shape, either…” 

“I suppose not,” Yukina gravely concurred. 

The normal Nagisa was a chatterbox, speaking three times as much as a normal person. That liveliness was part of Nagisa’s charm, so for her to remain quiet that long was eerie to no small measure. It was enough to make Yukina think it was some kind of ill omen. 

Staring at Yukina, Sakura casually asked, “Did she go to the mainland during the winter break?” 

“Yeah. Nagisa was visiting her grandmother.” 

“Just Nagisa…? I see… Then, where were you and Akatsuki, Yukina?” 

“We were—” 

When Sakura questioned her like it was some kind of interview, Yukina unintentionally let the truth slip out. With an “Oho,” Cindy leaned forward with deep interest. 

“Um, on the mainland, Nagisa’s father and grandmother were injured, so senpai and I wound up going together to pick up Nagisa—” 

Yukina carefully explained it away, as if trying to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. Though the sequence of events was…rearranged somewhat, she was mostly honest nonetheless. 

“Ah, was that it? That so? Quite a thing to go through just after New Year’s,” Cindy said out of concern. She was the type of person who was surprisingly considerate. “Maybe Nagisa’s in the dumps about that?” 

“Mmm. I don’t think so…” 

Yukina shook her head a little. After all, Hisano Akatsuki ought to have left the hospital by then, and Gajou Akatsuki was in high spirits, unthinkable for a gravely injured patient; indeed, claims of sexual harassment from nurses had apparently come from the hospital only the night before. She didn’t think it was anything worth Nagisa worrying about to the extent of being morose. 

“Speak of the devil…” 

Sakura abruptly pointed something out. She was staring at the student cafeteria’s vending machine corner. That very moment, Kojou Akatsuki and Asagi Aiba were lined up side by side as they made their purchases. 

Cindy spoke with just a slight bit of envy in her voice. “Ah, Akatsuki. And he’s with Asagi Aiba…getting along nicely, same as usual. Well, they do suit each other…” 

Flattery could not describe the sight of the two arguing over which carbonated drink flavor was tastier—grape or orange—as even remotely romantic, but viewed from a distance, their relationship did seem rather intimate nonetheless. 

Yukina strongly pursed her lips as the scene stirred a faint throbbing in her chest. 

Right beside Yukina, an ominous snap rang out. 

“…Snap?” 

The destructive sound of something being broken caused Cindy to turn back and look at Yukina. 

No, no, Yukina’s nervous shake of her head said. True, Yukina found the scene unamusing for reasons Cindy did not know, but she hadn’t done anything. The individual who had broken the chopsticks in her hand with an emotionless face was someone far less expected. 

Nagisa, gazing outside absentmindedly up to that point, was biting her lip as she stared at Kojou and Asagi. 

Tears were streaming out of her wide-open eyes. 

“Nagisa…?!” 

“N-Nagisa? What’s wrong?” 

Yukina and the others were shaken. However much she’d seemed off that morning, they’d never expected Nagisa to break into tears over such a thing. 

The fact that they didn’t know the cause bewildered Yukina and the others all the more. 

Nagisa and Kojou were siblings that got along comparatively well. But none thought Nagisa would be jealous of Asagi because of it. She was very fond of Asagi, adoring her like a big sister. 

“Eh? Huh…? What am I doing…?” 

Nagisa stared at her fallen tears, speaking as if they surprised even her. Apparently, Nagisa herself didn’t understand why she was crying. 

“Are you all right?” Sakura asked, taking out a handkerchief. 

Borrowing it to wipe her drenched cheeks away, Nagisa giggled a “Tee-hee” and weakly smiled. “Yeah, of course. Sorry. I’m gonna head back early.” 

Carrying the tray with her largely untouched meal, Nagisa walked toward the student cafeteria’s exit. 

Cindy seemed about to go after her in a hurry but apparently reconsidered the action partway, sitting back down. She’d no doubt judged it was better to leave Nagisa alone for the time being. 

“Is she really all right…?” 

Even so, Cindy murmured in apparent concern. Sakura gazed at the vending machine area, where Kojou and Asagi had been all that time. 

“Jealousy?” Sakura asked. 

“It can’t be.” Cindy spread both arms wide. “Why start now?” 

“You have a point,” agreed Sakura with a nod. Kojou and Asagi hadn’t exactly just started being together. It was so taken for granted, you could joke that they knew each other a little too well. 

Why, then, would Nagisa be shocked by it…? As the two inclined their heads, a grave expression came over Yukina alone. 

“Just now… It couldn’t be…” 

She unwittingly murmured to herself as she rose to her feet. As she did, Yukina felt a strong backward yank. When she suddenly looked back, Cindy and Sakura were both grasping the cuffs of her uniform. 

“Hey, you. You’re the last person she needs chasing after her.” Cindy winked at her. 

Yukina blinked. “Eh?” 

“If it really is jealousy, you talking to her will make things worse,” Sakura explained. 

“It… It’s not like that. I…” 

I have an idea why Nagisa’s been acting strangely, Yukina wanted to say, but she swallowed the words. The secret of just what was hidden within her flesh and blood was not something to blithely divulge to others. 

“We’ll do the follow-up. Leave this to us.” 

“So for the time being, return these, please?” 

Cindy and Sakura entrusted their empty dinner trays to Yukina as they headed out of the cafeteria. 

Yukina sighed deeply, watching their backs as the pair departed. 

Within Nagisa Akatsuki slept Avrora, the twelfth Kaleid Blood—the soul of what was once the Fourth Primogenitor. The incident a few days prior at Kannawa Lake had proven that without a doubt. Nagisa herself likely remained unaware of that. But if Avrora’s soul was affecting its host, that would explain Nagisa’s current, unstable mental state. 

It would also mean that Avrora’s soul had begun to bleed into Nagisa’s psyche. Yukina was fearful that the two girls were in a far more precarious state than she had expected. 

What should I do? she wondered, but of course, there was no answer to be had. 

She couldn’t discuss it with Kojou, but she also hesitated to report it to the Lion King Agency. After all, it was their very own attempt to make use of Avrora that was the cause of Nagisa’s erosion to begin with. 

Half beside herself, Yukina rose up in wobbly fashion, cleaning up before leaving the student cafeteria when, without warning, a figure suddenly appeared, standing before her. 

It was a small woman, wearing an extravagant dress like that of a Western-style doll. 

“So this is where you were, transfer student?” 

“Ms. Minamiya…?” 

“Sorry, but I need to speak to you. Would you come with me for a moment?” 

Without any small talk, Natsuki came right out with what she wanted. It was rare for her to be without her usual aura of composure, which threw Yukina for a loop. 

“Speak with…me? But…” 

Yukina looked worried, her words hesitant. In the first place, federal Attack Mages assigned to police duties were in the same field as the Lion King Agency, and relations between the rivals were poor. It was extraordinary for Natsuki, a federal Attack Mage, to come to Yukina for aid. The Sword Shaman had a very bad feeling about it. 

However, Natsuki must have anticipated Yukina’s evasive reaction, for she made a leering, mean-spirited smile as she said, “If you do not politely do as I say, I’ll cry.” 

“C-cry?” 

In front of a wide-eyed Yukina, Natsuki covered her eyes with both hands. “Waaah,” she went, her voice rising unrestrained, deliberately making her shoulders quiver. Though it was crystal clear to Yukina that she was putting on a performance, a third party glancing over would not know the tears were fake. In fact, it would look exactly like Yukina was bullying Natsuki… 

Yukina felt the palpable physical pressure of nearby gazes gathering upon her. Even setting that aside, Natsuki’s presence stood out. A middle school transfer student was making a female teacher who looked like a little girl cry—there was no way such a circumstance wouldn’t gain attention. 

“Um, er… I understand! I understand, so please…” Yukina acquiesced, unable to bear it any longer. In the worst case, more weird rumors spreading about her inside the school might hinder her mission of observing the Fourth Primogenitor. 

“Let us be off, then?” 

Natsuki, ending her false tears on a dime, looked up at the stiff Yukina and spoke with an emotionless look. 

Yukina sighed, tempted to burst into tears herself as she warily followed suit. 

5 

December rode a white scooter through a narrow alley in the office building district. 

With most of the vehicles on Itogami Island operating with electric motors, the old-style scooter running on a gasoline engine was virtually an antique. The obnoxiously loud puttering engine and white gas exhaust stood out as being in exceptionally bad taste. 

December hummed a nursery rhyme in concert with the engine’s vibrations. 

She was a foreign girl with a baby face. She was wearing platform shoes, but even so, her height probably didn’t amount to a hundred and sixty centimeters. Her outfit consisted of a letterman jacket and a denim miniskirt. With a half helmet on her head, she wore goggles like those of a swimmer’s to keep the wind at bay. 

December gradually slowed down the scooter, finally stopping at the parking lot of an old mixed-use office building. 

It was a decrepit, ruined building awaiting demolition. The occupants had already finished moving out, leaving it empty and abandoned. However, December circled around to the back of the site, entering the building from the emergency stairs. She felt a faint trace of human presence in the supposedly unoccupied building. 

“I’m back, Logi.” 

December called out as she reached the top of the narrow stairs. 

An individual lying on the sofa responded to her voice. He was slender and wore a coat with seemingly countless snaps; he was an androgynous-looking, handsome teenage boy. His face had an artificial, perfect symmetry about it, and his hair was indigo, a color that did not exist in nature. These visual characteristics revealed his true nature. 

He was an artificial life-form born from alchemy and science—a homunculus. 

“Did you blow through all of the shopping money, December…?” 

The boy named Logi spoke, discarding the magazine he had been reading. He was staring at the shopping bag December was carrying with an exasperated expression. 

“Making us worry by coming back so late… You might upset Teacher if you keep wasting money like that, you know?” 

“But I really wanted the season-limited New Year’s Nekoma…” 

As December spoke, she dangled a mascot doll attached to a key holder. Apparently, she’d bought up every treat in the convenience store just to obtain the doll she was showing off. 

“I know, Logi. I’ll give the other ones I picked up to you.” 

“Don’t need any.” 

Logi spoke coldly in response to the large mass of mascots December presented to him. “More importantly, what about Carly?” 

“She’s eliminated targets one and two. We’ll rendezvous at the safe house next.” 

“Hmm… So she pulled off the hit?” 

“That’s my Carly for you. Just as I predicted.” 

Watching Logi let out a murmur of relief, December smiled with pride. Logi responded to her carefree tone with an exasperated shake of his head. 

“We’re at the point they’ll finally tighten their guard. Their censorship has to be at its limits, too.” 

“I suppose so.” 

December nodded. 

Even with nearly half a day having passed since the first snipe, no information about the incident had leaked. The Gigafloat Management Corporation had likely twisted some arms to prevent the information from spreading—but two Itogami City VIPs had been assassinated in broad daylight. That wasn’t something that could be kept secret forever. 

“The big one’s next. You’ll be all right?” 

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” 

When December asked out of visible concern, Logi glared at her with a dissatisfied curl of his lips. Without fanfare, he spread his palm, whereupon the blue shimmer within swayed. 

December smiled cheerfully, giving Logi’s hair a good stroking. 

“Of course I trust you, Logi. Love ya.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” 

Logi gloomily squirmed away, but he made no particular effort to brush December’s hand away. 

Perhaps the ruckus from December’s and Logi’s voices had been heard, because the back room door opened, and a new individual emerged. 

Though she had rather good looks, she had an emotionless face and a foul look in her eyes. 

She had a long muffler wrapped around her neck and was wearing a thick, baggy coat. “Welcome back, December.” 

The girl spoke with an inflectionless voice as she ate ice cream from a cup. December stared at the girl in surprise as she said: 

“Raan! That’s my ice cream!” 

“I thought it would be a shame to let it melt, so I’m eating it.” 

The girl named Raan replied with no malice evident in her words. December fell to her knees as if she’d suffered a particularly devastating blow. 

“Uu… My precious limited-edition seasonal flavor that I got from Lulu’s…” 

“It was delicious. But I prefer caramel.” Raan tossed the empty ice cream cup into a cardboard box that was a substitute for a garbage bin. 

December’s cheeks puffed up as if she were a child while she turned an envious gaze Raan’s way. However, Raan’s expression did not change. 

December, at her wits’ end, sighed and said, “…Preparation for the Roses?” 

“Finished. Now we wait.” 

“That so? Hard work, huh?” December said flatly. 

With a tone of dismay, Raan asked, “You aren’t praising me?” 

“Ice cream grudges run deeper than the ocean.” 

“…” 

When December gave her malicious reply, Raan looked back with a neutral expression. 

Even though her face almost never changed, she somehow gave off the air of a lonely, abandoned puppy. 

December must not have been able to stand the sight of Raan like that, because she quickly followed up with “I’m kidding, Raan. Love ya” and hugged the girl with great force. 

“Can’t…breathe.” 

As she was bear-hugged, Raan uttered the words, sounding unmoved. But December did not release her. Logi ignored the horseplay between the two girls for some time, but… 

“December, it’s time.” 

When he abruptly spoke those words, he rose to his feet in an instant, not making a sound. 

When December checked the men’s watch wrapped around her wrist, she clicked her tongue in regret and let Raan go. 

“Can’t be helped. Then begin your end, Logi. Raan, rendezvous with Carly before moving.” 

“And you, December?” Raan asked curtly. 

December smiled and pointed at the homunculus boy as she said, “I’m Logi’s backup.” 

“Don’t need any.” Logi’s reply came without a moment’s pause. He was behaving like a cheeky little brother rebelling against a meddlesome older sister. 

However, December was undeterred. “I won’t interfere. I’ll just watch.” 

“Then I really don’t need help.” 

“Why not?!” 

“Because you’ll just get in the way.” 

“Logi, you meanie!” 

December sulked, stomping on the ground like a little girl. Logi shook his head in exasperation. 

“Do as you like.” 

6 

Kojou Akatsuki was sitting on the sofa in the student guidance office, facing opposite Natsuki Minamiya. 

Visible right next to her was Yukina, dragged into the matter only slightly ahead of him. 

Setting expensive-looking teacups on the table, Natsuki’s assistant and homunculus girl—Astarte—poured black tea, causing a high-class aroma to fill the air. 

Natsuki calmly crossed her legs and opened her lace fan. As she did, Kojou glared intently at her and inquired in a low voice, “—So what’s up with these chains exactly…?” 

Kojou’s arms and legs were bound with golden chains, leaving his body in a largely immobile state. When Natsuki had appeared with Yukina in tow, she’d bound Kojou’s entire body, hauling him to that room against his will. 

“You’re chained up because, even though I called your name in a gentle voice, you suddenly began to run away.” 

So it’s your fault, Natsuki’s tone was saying. 

Yukina, rendered complicit in Natsuki’s act of despotism, could say nothing, a conflicted look coming over her as she averted her eyes from Kojou. 

Kojou’s lips twisted in dissatisfaction, looking back at the pair with a sigh mixed in. 

“I had Natsuki and Himeragi chasing after me. Of course I’d run! Even without knowing your reasons, whatever you want sure as hell ain’t anything good. Our little New Year’s incident should be evidence enough of that…” 

“Y-you’d equate me with Ms. Minamiya…?!” 

Kojou’s frank declaration wounded Yukina, whereas Natsuki feigned innocence as she sipped her black tea. 

“New Year’s? Hmm, what could you possibly be referring to?” the Attack Mage said. 

“Eh, if you’re fine with it, I guess I’m fine with it, too…” 

When Natsuki put on a front brazen even by her standards, Kojou gave up on rebutting her any further. It was almost unthinkable composure for the culprit who’d attacked Kojou only a few short days prior. Put differently, it was as if her battle with Kojou and the others on New Year’s hadn’t been a serious effort on her part. 

“More importantly, let’s get to the point. Astarte, show them the data.” 

“Accepted.” 

The maid-attired homunculus spread a bundle of photocopies over the table. 

There were damage reports with pictures of ships that had run aground or collided with one another. One page was a summary of the others. The data was on shipping incidents occurring across the entire area surrounding Itogami Island. Astarte had apparently pieced the report together. 

“This is that shipwreck incident thing from yesterday? Ships missing their stops at Itogami Island?” Kojou asked with chains still binding his arms and legs. 

He’d heard about it from Rin, but seeing actual data with his own eyes made him understand the gravity of the incidents. 

However, Astarte looked back at Kojou’s sober face and shook her head. 

“Negative. All the incidents in this report took place prior to noon today.” 

“Noon today…? You mean, just today, there’s this many?!” 

This time, Kojou outright gawked as he gazed at the thick pile of paper. Yukina, too, gasped in visible astonishment. 

“The total number of incidents that have been reported is twenty-one. Seven incidents of going off course from engine or electrical trouble. Four cases of collisions or running aground, two incidents of illness among the crew, and the other eight incidents—” 

Astarte summarized the situation in a businesslike tone. However, even without hearing the detailed contents, the abnormal figures made it crystal clear: Mere coincidence could not account for such numbers. 

“This is where the incidents took place. What do you think?” 

Natsuki spread a map over the table. The X marks written in red ink indicated the locations of the various incidents. They were occurring in a seemingly random pattern within a broad range, centered on Itogami Island. 

“You’re asking what I think, but…aren’t the incident locations pretty spread out?” 

“Apparently. The damaged ships have no particular commonalities. They range from coast guard patrol boats to fishing boats, spread out all over the place. They’re not included in the number of incidents listed here, but several ships registered overseas and smuggling vessels have apparently been seized while adrift,” Natsuki explained, though rather bored of it all. “If someone asked me what strongly connects them, I can only muster that all the ships in the incidents were heading to Itogami Island. And unable to arrive, they turned back for the mainland.” 

“Are the ships leaving Itogami Island all right?” Kojou asked, suspicious of the circumstances. 

If that many incidents are happening, is it even possible the ships leaving Itogami Island are unscathed…? he thought, mystified. 

“No damage. The same applies to aircraft. Thanks to that, the island’s harbor and airports have been emptied. Traffic has only been going one way, after all.” 

“So that’s what’s been going on…” 

Kojou’s voice quivered as the gravity of the situation sank in. 

If incidents were occurring to only the ships and aircraft approaching Itogami Island, this was clearly a man-made attack. The culprits’ objective was probably to isolate Itogami Island by cutting off its shipping routes. 

As an artificial isle, Itogami Island relied on shipments from the mainland for most of its necessities for everyday life. Should those supply lines be cut, the continued existence of the Demon Sanctuary was in jeopardy. 

“Ms. Minamiya, I now understand just why you bound senpai.” 

“Do you now?” said Natsuki, raising an eyebrow. 

“You suspected this abnormality might be his doing, did you not?” 

“Mm, precisely.” 

“…What? My fault? How’d it turn into that?” 

Kojou gazed at Natsuki incredulously. Even if she hadn’t done it out of pure spite, that didn’t mean he acknowledged her reason for binding him in the golden chains. 

“What do I get out of shooing away every ship that gets close to Itogami Island?” 

“I bound you so I could get to the bottom of that.” 

“This is an illegal interrogation!! I have rights, you know!!” 

“However, the possibility that these incidents were caused by a sorcerous barrier is high,” Yukina cut in, tone grave. 

“Well, I suppose you’re right about that,” Kojou conceded. 

If it were only one or two ships that were damaged, the incidents might have been caused by sabotage. However, there were simply too many incidents to account for. It was far easier to believe that some curse was affecting only the ships and aircraft headed to Itogami Island, or that someone had deployed a barrier that attacked anything that threatened to breach it. 

In that case, the problem was the effective range of the barrier. 

The shipping incidents had taken place in seas within a radius of over a hundred kilometers, all around the water surrounding Itogami Island. The surface area was sufficient to cover the whole of the Tokyo Metropolis. 

“After all, it would take something on par with a vampire primogenitor to serve as the magical source for a barrier covering such a range. I thought I’d capture you, and that would be that, but unfortunately, my hopes have been dashed.” 

“This has become rather troublesome, yes.” 

Natsuki and Yukina glanced sidelong at Kojou as they sighed in apparent dejection. 

Kojou appeared deeply uncomfortable as he glared at the pair. “Why are you so disappointed I’m innocent…?! For that matter, you don’t need these chains anymore, so take them off already!” 

“All right. For the sake of argument, if Kojou Akatsuki is not the cause—” 

“I told you already, it’s not me!” 

Natsuki ignored Kojou’s annoyed utterance as she shifted her gaze toward Yukina. 

“I would like to hear your opinion as part of the Lion King Agency, as a specialist in sorcerous terrorism countermeasures. Does any ritual to deploy a barrier on this scale come to mind?” 

“I am uncertain…but if I was to speak of possibilities, feng shui, perhaps?” 

Yukina thought for a while before responding in a halting manner. Natsuki immediately froze, almost as if the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. 

“Feng shui, you say? I see, Qimen Dunjia…!” 

“Yes.” 

“Qimen…?” 

Kojou wore a dubious expression as he watched Natsuki remain unnerved. 

“Isn’t feng shui mostly for divination? You place things in certain spots, change the color of your purse to gain greater prosperity, that thing…? What does that have to do with this incident?” 

Even Kojou, someone with little interest in ritual spellcraft, had heard of feng shui. In the first place, there was a famous line of Demon Sanctuary products sold at airport kiosks relating to it, and there were even smartphone apps in circulation. 

“No… The methodology underlying feng shui is used not just for divination but also for large-scale spellcraft.” 

In place of Natsuki, who maintained her silence, it was Yukina who replied: “Among them, tactical qimen is of particular use as a method of warfare—a large-scale military ritual governing the weather, a matter of life and death for troops everywhere.” 

“Military ritual…?” 

“Yes. Climate conditions, battlefield terrain, and the morale and physical condition of the soldiers are crucial tactical elements. Even today, military organizations around the world are conducting large-scale research into freely manipulating these via feng shui.” 

“Seriously…?” 

Yukina’s explanation threw Kojou into confusion. If feng shui had that level of power, certainly it was possible that it had caused these shipping incidents. He could understand the logic of military organizations researching it, too. 

If such a ritual was being employed against Itogami Island, however, didn’t that mean Itogami Island was under military attack? 

“I see. Making use of the dragon lines flowing in the nearby seas, it is not impossible to cover Itogami Island in an Eight Trigrams Formation, is it?” Natsuki said as she placed her now-empty teacup upon the table. 

Yukina gave a vague nod. “Yes. However, I do not know whether a caster capable of controlling such a large-scale circle without anyone noticing it even exi—” 

“Tartarus Lapse,” Natsuki interrupted. 

“Eh?” 

“I know of only one similar case. The case of the destruction of Europe’s Iroise Demon Sanctuary—one of the ringleaders was extolled as a brilliant feng shui practitioner.” 

“Iroise…?” 

Where’s that? Kojou wondered. It was the first he’d heard of the place. 

Yukina put a finger to her temple, seemingly rummaging through her memories, when she said, “That is the incident that caused the abandonment of the Pacific Ocean Demon Sanctuary six years ago, was it not? Were the causes of that not erosion in the city’s power plant and flooding caused by a typhoon?” 

“That was the story given to the public,” Natsuki responded with a slow shake of her head. 

“But that is at odds with the facts. That city was destroyed by sabotage… Sabotage from Tartarus Lapse.” 

“Tartarus Lapse… And they are?” 

“Destroyers. They’re a wrecking crew that commits sorcerous terrorism for profit. At the very least, that is what they call themselves. Even I do not know more than that. Surely the Lion King Agency has more information about them?” 

Yukina answered Natsuki’s question with silence. 

Yukina, at the lowest extremity of the organization, certainly hadn’t been told anything about this Tartarus Lapse organization. Put differently, it meant even the Lion King Agency hadn’t anticipated the current situation on Itogami Island. 

“But six years isn’t all that long ago, huh…?” 

Kojou inclined his head as he murmured. 

Even across the entire world, there weren’t many cities known as Demon Sanctuaries. One among them had been destroyed. There had to have been quite a stir at the time. And yet, Kojou didn’t know a thing about it. 

“Something like that really happened? I don’t remember anything about it, though…” Suspicion was thick in his voice. 

“Of course not,” Natsuki said. “The government of Japan included, various international organizations desperately covered it up.” 

“Covered it up?” 

“A tiny, no-name-worth-mentioning criminal organization had destroyed an entire city. If information like that leaked, it would have set off a worldwide panic… Particularly in fellow Demon Sanctuaries.” 

“So they put out disinformation…? They can really pull that off?” 

Kojou had a grave look in his eyes. Erasing the fact that an entire city had been destroyed—if that was possible, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to believe a single word of publicly announced information again. 

A city had been destroyed, and all news about it had been swept under the rug without people having any chance to learn the truth. Furthermore, the criminals that had caused its destruction remained at large to that day. 

However, That is an exception, bespoke the look Natsuki returned Kojou’s way. She said, “That is because, very conveniently, precious few people knew the truth. Even the survivors of Iroise had little understanding of what had been done to them.” 

“So someone’s hired these wreckers, and this time, they’re out to smash Itogami Island…?” 

“I am merely saying it is a possibility. The method by which this Tartarus Lapse group destroyed Iroise has never been explained, you see.” Natsuki spoke in a cool, rational tone. “However, records remain of an unnaturally large number of incidents in the surrounding seas just before Iroise’s destruction. I do not need to spell out that this greatly resembles Itogami Island’s current situation.” 

“Ms. Minamiya, do you know the identity of Tartarus Lapse’s feng shui practitioner?” 

Perhaps Yukina sensed something from Natsuki’s manner of speech, for she posed the question without forewarning. 

“Hmph,” went Natsuki. 

Kojou could feel the vivid dismay from her exhale. 

She continued: “Takehito Senga—he would be around forty years old by now. A world-leading employer of tactical qimen. Neustria in Europe has employed him as a military consultant in the past.” 

“So if you find and capture him, you can break the Eight Trigrams Formation thingy?” 

Kojou looked as if he was getting his hopes up when he checked to see. The fact that Natsuki acted like she knew this Senga guy’s past tugged at him, but he pretended not to notice. 

“Logically, that would be so. Assuming this is truly Tartarus Lapse’s doing, that is.” Natsuki turned her face toward the homunculus girl waiting attentively behind her. “Astarte, contact the Island Guard. Have every surveillance network on the island look for Takehito Senga. Make it top priority.” 

“Understood,” Astarte replied with a neutral expression as she took out a specialized communication device. 

Watching this unfold, Natsuki remained relaxed on the couch as she elegantly snapped her fingers. The space above the table rippled, and a triple-layer cake stand filled with extravagant treats appeared out of thin air. 

“As a special treat, I shall grant you some of my tea pastries, Yukina Himeragi. After all, even I am out of my element where geomancy is concerned. Your opinion has been quite informative.” 

“No, I didn’t do anything to…” 

Yukina shook her head; Natsuki’s nigh-unthinkable hospitality seemed to frighten her. 

Then Natsuki turned her beautiful, gemstone-like eyes toward Kojou and said, “Just to make this clear, do not involve yourself where you do not belong, Kojou Akatsuki.” 

“I wouldn’t if you begged me,” he said, sulking. 

Even if he was a feng shui practitioner, Takehito Senga’s flesh and blood was surely that of a normal person. Kojou’s power was useless against such an opponent. After all, the Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor, the World’s Mightiest Vampire, were too powerful—not the sort of thing to be used against human opponents. 

“Never mind that, won’t you do something about these chains already…?” 

Lifting his two arms, still bound by golden chains, Kojou glared at Natsuki in dismay. 

Natsuki tossed an annoyed glance at Kojou before spitting out, “Goodness, you make so much trouble for others.” 

“This is your doing, dammit!” 

The instant Kojou’s voice went coarse in outrage, Astarte, operating her communication device, called out to Natsuki quietly: 

“Master.” 

“What is it, Astarte?” 

The look in Natsuki’s eyes sharpened. Astarte reported in a mechanical, businesslike tone, “Emergency message from Island Guard HQ. Code orange has been declared for all Attack Mages assigned to the Gigafloat Management Corporation.” 

“Orange, you say…?!” 

Natsuki let out a brief murmur as she grabbed the communication device Astarte held out. Her highly unusual reaction prompted Kojou and Yukina to look at each other’s faces. 

“What? Something bad, Natsuki?” 

“Earlier, two senior executives of the Gigafloat Management Corporation were killed by a sniper.” 

“…Sniper?” 

Dumbfounded, Kojou echoed the words. They barely felt real. 

Assassinations had occurred on Itogami Island. Someone had shot executives of the Gigafloat Management Corporation. It was surely connected to the continuing blockade of Itogami Island via a feng shui barrier. 

First, halt the distribution of goods. Then, eliminate the corporate managers that would be developing countermeasures— 

One by one, the go stones for Itogami Island’s destruction were being carefully laid in position. 

“So the objective is to throw the Corporation’s command structure into chaos… It’s certain, then. This is a terrorist attack, and the Demon Sanctuary is the target. Someone is attempting to destroy Itogami Island.” 

Natsuki’s voice, lacking its usual youthful lisp, echoed heavily throughout Kojou’s chest. 

“Tartarus Lapse…!” 

Kojou’s unintentional murmur trickled out between clenched teeth. 

7 

An atmosphere of unrest enveloped the offices of the Gigafloat Management Corporation. 

The incident reports involving ships and aircraft had increased without pause. There was the halt in the distribution of goods and the resulting economic losses. And then, the deaths of two senior executives—it was a crisis never before seen. Even when an evil god had emerged, or when Itogami Island was predicted to lose all magical power, the Corporation had never been in this much of an uproar. 

With one branch of the Corporation after another falling into paralysis, countermeasures for the situation fell to Kazuma Yaze, chief manager of the city’s administration office working directly for the city council. 

“That’s right, hurry up and determine the sniping points and the sniper. Dispatch protection teams to all senior executives. Reorganize our security considering the possibility our schedules have leaked.” 

Kazuma issued one directive after another to his subordinates as he perused the reports piled before him. 

The chief manager and his subordinates had been working nonstop since the night before without a single wink of sleep. Even so, the situation had only grown worse. They could simply gaze with astonishment at the sight of damage to the city increasing, with the cause of the string of incidents still unknown. 

“Chief. News from the Aviation Division. As of thirteen hundred hours, there have been six new aircraft-related incidents. Similarly, there have been numerous shipping incidents. An accurate tally is currently being tabulated.” 

“I see. Though, having come this far, there isn’t really room for doubt, is there?” 

When he listened to his blue-haired secretary’s report to the end, Kazuma slumped back in his chair and closed his eyes. 

As he did, the secretary placed a fresh cup of coffee before him and prompted, “Large-scale sorcerous terrorism, then?” 

“What is the Attack Mage Branch’s view?” 

Kazuma inquired without replying to her question. The homunculus secretary showed no sign of her mood being dampened as she replied immediately. 

“At present, a recon team of four Federal Attack Mages has been dispatched to investigate incidents at sea.” 

“Still at that stage when the first incidents occurred over twenty-four hours ago? Taking their sweet time, aren’t they?” 

“Yes.” 

The secretary’s expression did not change as she nodded. 

Kazuma sank into silence with displeasure on his face. The two senior executives who had been assassinated were individuals managing the artificial isle’s internal security and demon registry, respectively. With those two absent, the command structure of the largest source of combat power under the Gigafloat Management Corporation’s aegis—the Island Guard—was in chaos. That was probably why the pair had been targeted to begin with. 

If so, assassinating VIPs and cutting them off from supplies was only one stage in the snipers’ plan. 

Their actions had to have some sort of objective—something fouler, viler. Even though he knew this, there was nothing Kazuma could do about it. They’d been completely robbed of their authority to lead. The snipers had accurately targeted the vitals of the Gigafloat Management Corporation—and the Demon Sanctuary itself. 

“Quite a racket here, Chief.” 

A man wearing a kimono emerged from the director’s office, a look of scorn coming over him as he gazed at Kazuma and his panicked subordinates. 

This was the wielder of the greatest authority in the famed Yaze family, with numerous large-scale industrial concerns under its belt, and honorary chairman of the Gigafloat Management Corporation—Akishige Yaze, Kazuma’s biological father. 

“Chairman Yaze…,” Kazuma murmured in a tone filled with reverence. 

Akishige glanced at Kazuma with a stern look in his eye. “If the man running an organization appears faint of heart, morale in the lower ranks will suffer. Strive to maintain perfect composure at all times.” 

“I have no excuse.” 

Kazuma courteously lowered his head. The men assembled around and walking alongside Akishige trained scornful glances toward Kazuma. Kazuma’s mother was not Akishige’s formal wife. Even if he was the son of the current head, Kazuma was scorned by members of the family as an illegitimate son. 

Perhaps the fact that Kazuma had climbed the ranks on merit alone, enough that he was said to be Akishige’s successor, had fanned the flames of enmity even further, but Kazuma pretended not to notice. 

“Chairman, where are you going?” 

“After meeting with City Councillor Hashimura, I am scheduled to attend the Sorcerous Society’s commemorative ceremony.” 

“Commemorative ceremony…?!” 

Kazuma’s eyes widened in shock. With so many people coming and going, a ceremonial hall was a sniper’s paradise. 

“But the Island Guard is on Alert Level Two…” 

“Are you saying I should seclude myself within a bamboo cage out of fear of mere assassins?” 

Akishige chewed out Kazuma. As the leader of a vast organization and the chairman of a major conglomerate, it was inexcusable for him to show weakness to criminals. Even if it placed Akishige’s life in peril, he intended to see things through. 

“…I will increase security. Please take care of yourself and avoid open areas.” 

“Understood.” 

With a solemn nod, Akishige turned his back on Kazuma, who let out a heavy, strained sigh as he watched the group depart. 

A moment later, the blue-haired secretary addressed Kazuma. “Chief, we’ve received concerning news about Attack Mage Minamiya.” 

“Attack Mage Minamiya? The Witch of the Void… What is it?” 

“This is the data she sent—” 

Peering into the communication device the secretary handed him, Kazuma let out a tiny murmur, for displayed therein was data on the sorcerous terrorism suspects that the entire Attack Mage Branch had been unable to unearth. 

The Demon Sanctuary destruction group—Tartarus Lapse. 

“Why didn’t the Attack Mage Branch realize this?” 

“Information on Tartarus Lapse has been designated top secret. All data has been archived. Regular investigators are not authorized to view it,” the secretary replied calmly. 

Kazuma clicked his tongue. 

“Begin procedures to disclose the information immediately. After that, contact the Lion King Agency. There have to be operatives of theirs inside Itogami City. Request cooperation. And don’t take no for an answer.” 

“Acknowledged.” 

The blue-haired secretary returned to her seat. In his mind, Kazuma desperately tried to calculate the personnel he could assign to apprehend the criminals. 

Now that they’d determined it was organized sorcerous terrorism, they’d immediately request assistance from the Japanese government in any other case. However, even if they demanded extra investigators, all aircraft heading to Itogami Island had already been rendered unable to fly. 

This situation, too, was doubtlessly part of the culprits’ goals. In the end, they had to oppose Tartarus Lapse with only the limited fighting strength left on the island. 

Kazuma nervously bit his lip. “Shit… Do I call Motoki… Heimdall back? But the problem with that is—” 

BOOM— 

Suddenly, there was a dull vibration throughout all of Itogami Island. Even the giant structure that was Keystone Gate experienced tiny tremors. It was an impact reminiscent of a meteorite crash. 

The pile of files scattered all over the floor as the lights within the office cut out several times over. 

“What was that vibration? What happened?!” 

Kazuma turned back toward his blue-haired secretary and shouted. Even in this situation, the homunculus woman was calm. 

“Fire has broken out in the third underground parking lot. It is possible an explosive was employed.” 

“An explosive…?” 

For an instant, Kazuma felt like his mind was receding far away. 

Most of the members of the Island Guard’s security teams were watching for snipers. Did that mean someone had gotten behind them and set an explosive underground? 

“Chief!” 

The face of a staffer taking a call over an internal line twitched as he called out to Kazuma. 

“Honorary Chairman Akishige Yaze’s car was in the third underground parking lot—” 

The staffer’s report, virtually a scream, left Kazuma at a loss for words. 

The blue-haired secretary operated a terminal as she stated in a calm, flat voice, “Chairman Yaze’s vitals…have been lost.” 

8 

Nagisa Akatsuki realized that something had shifted inside her. 

Likely, the trigger for that was the vision she’d seen at Kannawa Lake. 

It was as if she’d woken from a long dream. Everything she could see felt dear to her. 

The clear, blue sea. The midwinter sky. 

She felt such nostalgia for the supposedly familiar sights of Itogami Island that it was hard to breathe. 

And the tightness in her chest when she exchanged words with Kojou was suffocating. 

Just seeing him send a smile Yukina’s or Asagi’s way was enough to make tears pour out of her eyes. 

“Uuu… What’ll I do? I won’t even be able to look at Kojou’s face at this rate…!” 

Nagisa clutched her head in anguish as she stood by herself in a seaside park. 

Just meeting Kojou’s eyes made her chest throb. Every casual gesture of his made her rejoice—I’m acting like a maiden in love, she thought. Even though she thought it was ridiculous, she couldn’t properly control her emotions. At the current rate, it was only a matter of time before her friends from class caught on. 

It was because Nagisa had found those misty feelings too much to handle that she had finally raced out of school. 

“It’s not like I can talk to anyone about this… I mean, really, what’s with this feeling? And I thought I’d calm down a bit once I got back to Itogami Island…” 

Nagisa put her weight against a handrail as she let out an exhausted sigh. 

Nagisa was at the coastal park at the northern extremity of Island South. With the sea between them, the wedge-shaped Keystone Gate was visible on the opposite coast. She had no special reason to go there. After leaving school and walking around for a while, she’d simply arrived, almost as if drawn to the place. 

Even as she gazed absentmindedly at the scenery, thoughts of Kojou remained in a corner of her mind. 

Somehow or other, Nagisa understood the cause. 

Inside Nagisa rested a soul that was not her own. And the memories of the still-sleeping girl were having an effect on Nagisa’s emotions. 

She did not know who the girl truly was. Nagisa was certain she was not an evil being, though. 

Right now, the only thing the young girl desired was to watch over Kojou. That was no doubt why Nagisa had accepted her. 

That said, she’d never thought an issue like this would arise because of it, even in her wildest dreams. 

“What do I do…?” 

Once more, Nagisa put her bewilderment into words. 

She didn’t know who she ought to talk to at a time like that. 

Nagisa’s mother, Mimori Akatsuki, was a chief of research, but while she was a doctor, she was not a spiritualist. Her grandmother, Hisano, was an accomplished spiritualist, but unfortunately, she was deep in the mountains in Kansai, far, far away from Itogami Island. Of course, she couldn’t open up to any of her friends in class, let alone Kojou himself—that was simply out of the question. 

“Kanon might listen to me, but I don’t know how she’ll react, so I’m a little afraid…” 

Nagisa frailly murmured to herself. Kanon was so benevolent, even if Nagisa told her she was in a bind from liking Kojou, she might not actually see why there was a problem with that. Indeed, she might well encourage the two to get along even “better.” 

In the end, with no answer forthcoming, Nagisa absentmindedly gazed at the sea, when— 

“Here.” 

Suddenly, something cold pressed against the back of her neck. 

“Hyaa?!” 

The powerful and completely unexpected stimulus made Nagisa cry out. 

When Nagisa turned around, her eyes were met with a cup of ice cream. An unfamiliar girl wearing a motorcycle helmet was standing there, holding it. 

“Want a bite? Lulu’s ice cream. It’s delicious.” 

Standing there was a foreign girl, her skin as white as snow. She was far more petite than Nagisa’s initial assessment. The girl was wearing platform shoes, but that only left her barely tall enough to not have to look up at Nagisa. 

“Huh?! Um…why?” 

It was not out of wariness that Nagisa prompted back, but simple surprise. 

The girl coercively pressed the ice cream into Nagisa’s hand as she said, “You seemed to be worrying about something. I just happened to notice. When you’re down in the dumps, sweet stuff really is best!” 

The girl was surprisingly adamant about this. 

Wrapped up in the girl’s unique atmosphere, Nagisa unwittingly nodded along. Certainly, the girl had a point. The power of sweet things was tremendous, indeed. 

“Um, thank you very much. I’ll pay you back for it.” 

“It’s fine, it’s fine—you can thank me by putting up with me. I mean, I’d rather eat something tasty with someone else than eat it all alone.” 

The girl spoke as she retrieved her own cup of ice cream from a pocket. It was Itogami Island’s famous Lulu’s brand. Using the little spoon included, she took a bite of the ice cream. 

“Delicious,” she murmured, raising a childlike voice of admiration. “December.” 

“Huh?” 

“My name. I like it, so I’d be happy if you called me that.” 

Sliding her goggles up her helmet, the girl named December narrowed her eyes—eyes that seemed to glimmer blue. 

“Ah yes.” Nagisa nodded. “Got it.” 

“Good, good.” December smiled with visible satisfaction. “And you? What should I call you?” 

“Nagisa. Nagisa Akatsuki. The kanji are written like this.” 

“Mm, mm. Nagisa Akatsuki… Huh.” 

December’s big eyes seemed to peer into the back of Nagisa’s own. Nagisa had the mysterious sense that the girl was looking through her, right to the depths of her mind. Yet somehow, it was a nostalgic feeling. It didn’t seem like she and the girl were meeting for the first time. 

“I see, so that’s what it is…,” December murmured with a gentle smile. 

Nagisa blinked her eyes, perplexed. However, December’s shoulders sank, seeming somewhat in a bind as she said, “I knew she was here, but who would think we would meet together like this… Well, I suppose such is destiny. It’s hard for both of you, isn’t it?” 

“Okay…” 

Nagisa could only vaguely nod. That must have been enough for December, because she explained no further, content to bring more delicious ice cream to her mouth. 

“Um… Miss December, what are you doing here…?” 

“You don’t need to use miss. Miss December, that’s like adding a date to it, yes? Like December the third or something.” 

“A date… Ah, okay…” 

December’s weird hang-up confused Nagisa, but it wasn’t as if she didn’t understand what the girl was trying to say. 

“I came…to observe.” 

“Observe…you say?” 

“That’s right. Because when I told him, ‘I’ll watch over you,’ he said, ‘I don’t need you.’ So I decided I’d eat some ice cream and watch from a nice perch. Should be just about time…” 

“Time?” 

For what? Nagisa was uncertain. If it was waiting for the buildings to illuminate at night, that was long in coming, and she didn’t think there were any events conducted during daylight on a normal day in the middle of a nowhere place like that. 

“Are you watching Keystone Gate?” 

“Mmm, not exactly.” 

December tossed her empty ice cream cup into a nearby garbage bin as she smiled. Somehow, it seemed like a lonely, resigned smile. 

“I came to watch the beginning. The beginning of this Demon Sanctuary’s downfall—” 

“Huh…?” 

Before December finished, a flash of light bounced into the corner of Nagisa’s vision. 

A second later, a roar slammed into her eardrums. Itogami Island’s artificial ground shook, and as a side effect, the gigafloat upon which Nagisa and December stood shuddered as well. 

The exteriors of buildings crumbled, with debris thereof dancing in the sky. There had been an explosion—an explosion under Keystone Gate. A giant explosion sufficient to rock the very ground. 

“Keystone Gate…!” 

Shocked, Nagisa looked at December. How did she know that there was going to be an explosion? What did she mean by the Demon Sanctuary’s downfall—? Countless questions swirled inside her mind. 

But before she could voice her concerns, Nagisa’s entire body lost its strength. 

Her mind was going blank. She was falling into an irresistible sleep. 

The last thing Nagisa saw was December’s eyes. 

Her eyes glowed blue, like a flame.