Strike the Blood - Volume 21 - Chapter 5.1

CHAPTER FIVE

BLOOD RED

1

The steel-colored city was on fire.

This artificial metropolis, the quintessence of highly matured technology, was burning to the ground.

The beautiful skyline, the public transport pathways tracing geometric, spiraling arcs, the Goplam tower standing tall—all were scarred and crumbling to pieces. The sky glowed red from the blaze. Even the sea was dyed crimson.

Yet amid destruction of such scale, the city was strangely silent.

There were no voices to be heard—no screams, no cries of anguish or resentment.

The city’s population, purported to exceed a million souls, no longer dwelled on that island.

In a far corner of the deserted ruin, the last two men left behind faced off against each another.

One was a Deva. The other was a human…no, a youth who was human no longer.

“—Brave hero, you have my compliments for making it this far.”

An innocent, teasing smile came over the Deva man’s lips as he spoke those words.

He was slumped against the wall of a collapsed building.

Fresh blood trickled out from his pale-blue lips.

His chest bore a deep gash. The internal organs that should have been there had vanished without a trace. Even with the vitality of the Devas, he was beyond saving. They were mortal wounds that no one could treat.

“Is this really the time to joke around, Cain?”

The other man shouted this weakly. Tears flooded out of his eyes. They were bloody tears of anguish and regret. The spear made a dry, hollow sound as it fell to the ground. It was a silver lance, its tip drenched with blood.

“Why? You knew it would come to this. Why did you…?!”

“I did as I pleased—that is all.”

A small grin came over the wounded man as he murmured. It was the same gentle smile he’d worn since way back.

“Those twelve special Beast Vassals are the only ones I cannot entrust to Ki and the others. They already have enough of a burden to shoulder.”

“Couldn’t you of all people have come up with a better way?!”

The youth fell to his knees before the man. He shook his head as he gazed fondly at the crying youth.

“No, this is for the best. You’ll probably understand that soon enough.”

The man smiled cheerfully as he lifted his head. His gaze fell on the creature perched atop Goplam’s peak. It was a huge dragon with a silvery mane.

“Glenda, I’m sorry. I entrust the rest to you.”

Hearing the words the man spoke like a prayer, the dragon made a small nod.

The dragon was embracing a number of young human girls, who each clutched a carnelian tablet in turn. These were priestesses who Cain had raised.

Seeing that the girls were safe, he let out a heavy, satisfied sigh.

The next moment, a dazzling light shone upon the side of his face. The sun of Nod was about to poke its head over the horizon of the vermillion water. Soon it would be daybreak.

“Cain!”

The youth instantly moved to shield the man.

Yet he faltered when the wounded man turned his serene eyes upon him. The youth bit his lip in silence. He remembered. This was the wounded man’s final wish. This was the sight he had dreamed of seeing.

“Ahhh, so beautiful. So this is…the light of dawn…”

The man murmured with the innocent wonder of a child.

Bathed in the light, his body began to collapse like a pile of sand.

“Farewell, Fourth Primogenitor. I pray for the happiness of whoever inherits your Blood Memories—”

“Cain—!”

Kojou Akatsuki shouted as he remembered.

These were the memories of the youth, the artificial vampire who had once been the Fourth Primogenitor.

Dragged along by those memories, Kojou was seized by anger, sadness, and despair.

The Beast Vassals dwelling in Kojou’s blood increased their power in response to those dark emotions.

They howled as they attempted to force their way through the prison of darkness that encased them.

Space creaked. There came a sound of something shattering.

The cell door opened. Light shone through.

And so the beasts were released unto the land of the Demon Sanctuary, unto Itogami Island, once more—