Strike the Blood - Volume 7 - Chapter Aft

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Afterword

So Strike the Blood, Vol. 7, seventh in the series, finally made it. And with this volume, crucial information about Kojou’s past and the true nature of the Fourth Primogenitor is revealed. It is with enormous gratitude toward all of you who have stuck with this series to this point that I wrote my heart out with an as-yet-unrevealed episode, crucial secrets, new characters, and little spoilers. If you enjoyed it, I’m very happy.

Readers have probably already noticed, but this volume is written in the somewhat irregular format of four years ago ? present ? (mostly) one year ago, jumping from one period of time to another. This is because the story is not about the past that is confined to the past, but previous events that have great importance to the present and future lives of Kojou and others. The individual episodes work just fine as is, and you could always read them in chronological order, though. Of course, enjoy reading them in whatever style you like.

Incidentally, if immortal and unaging vampires did exist, I think historians and archeologists would have just about the crummiest jobs out there. You’d go through all that trouble to investigate an ancient ruin and make hypotheses, and then some vampire primogenitor who was there seeing things in real time would go, “No, you’re wrong,” and all your work falls to pieces.

Actually, from the vampire’s point of view, archeologists might find some trace of the sins of their youth or some long-ago piece of dark history he or she would prefer left forgotten, making them mortal enemies in a sense. So that’s kind of how one character appearing in this volume, the suspicious middle-aged guy, came to be. I had fun imagining how he and Mimori must’ve gotten along. For that matter, it looks downright criminal. (There’s a ten-year-plus age difference and all…)

On a personal note, I really enjoyed how I got to portray the underlying sentiments and emotions for Yaze, who normally hides all that. If the opportunity arises, I’d love to write about Kojou and Yaze in their middle school years again. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but Yaze seems to wind up in worse and worse spots the more time he gets in the story… Anyway, in one sense, Yaze is even closer to the center of events than Kojou, so I think it’s fair to expect him to get a lot of screen time from here on out.

Once again, Manyako’s illustrations have been an enormous help. On top of publishing every other month, there are a number of new characters, plus changes to the designs of existing ones, so I think it is fine work indeed. I am extremely appreciative!

Also, I am grateful as always to TATE-sensei for his handling of the comic edition. The girls are even cuter than in the original version, even Kojou looks dashing, and the combat scenes are very cool. I’m enjoying each and every issue. Keep up the good work!

Beginning once again with Yuzawa’s editing, I thank from the bottom of my heart everyone involved with this work and its publication (especially for all the scheduling trouble).