Strike the Blood, Vol. 11: The Fugitive Fourth Primogenitor

“I don’t think there’s any way. Besides, digital data can be falsified in all kinds of ways. There’s no need to brood over it this much, I think.”

“I suppose not. Even if it was a magic circle, it does not mean it was targeting Nagisa specifically.”

“But there’s no proof it wasn’t, right?”

Kojou clutched his head, envisioning the worst-case scenario. Asagi might have felt annoyed at that point, for she ignored Kojou and turned toward Yukina.

“Come to think of it, don’t you know what this is? What magic circle it is—with what effects?”

“I am sorry. I do not know that much…though Sayaka might know what it is…”

“Kirasaka…?”

Kojou, hearing Yukina’s explanation, lifted his face with a start.

Like Yukina, Sayaka Kirasaka was an Attack Mage belonging to the Lion King Agency. She had been granted the title of Shamanic War Dancer, an expert in curses and assassination.

“Actually, this magic circle kinda looks like…”

“Sayaka’s Lustrous Scale, yes?”

Yukina nodded in response to Kojou’s murmur. She’d probably noticed that from the very beginning.

The pattern of light captured by Nagisa’s photograph greatly resembled a large-scale magic circle created by one of Sayaka Kirasaka’s whistling arrows. The pattern’s shape and fine details differed, but its size, and the fact it was written into the sky above, were identical.

“Does someone else have a bow and arrows like Sayaka…?”

“No. Der Freischötz is difficult to handle, and I have heard that Sayaka is the only one who can properly employ it. The ritual energy required to activate it is off the scale, and the compatibility requirements are exceptionally severe.”

“Oh…? That’s kinda surprising, somehow.”

This was the Lustrous Scale that Sayaka had used to try to slice him in half and blast him to death in a jealous rage, waving it around however she pleased, but it was, appearances aside, a surprisingly delicate weapon.

“But there were rumors a while back that they had generated a mass-production model with simplified construction based on Lustrous Scale data…”

“A mass-production model?”

“Yes.”

“So using that, other casters could use the same spells Kirasaka does…?”

“I believe so. However, that should not be…”

Yukina faintly lowered her eyes as she hesitated in her words.

Using a mass-produced Der Freischötz, it was possible that someone other than Sayaka had traced a magic circle in the sky. However, that did not change the fact that the mass-production model was a Lion King Agency construct.

In other words, it was indeed someone related to the Lion King Agency who had involved Nagisa in an incident.

“Shit,” Kojou spat as he checked his cell phone’s incoming call history. He picked out a suitable number and called it.

“Senpai?”

“I’ll try asking Sayaka. If this really was the Lion King Agency’s doing, she might know something about it.”

Off to the side, Asagi glared at Kojou, displeasure plain on her face.

“Why do you know Kirasaka’s phone number?”

“I’m not really sure why, but I talk to her over the phone every once in a while. She calls sometimes.”

“You what?!”

“I said I’m not really sure why.”

At first, Sayaka called with openers such as Tell me how Yukina’s been doing, but lately, her topics for conversation often strayed outside that: grumbling about her superiors or asking his opinion on new snacks—subjects Kojou cared little about. Since it wasn’t hurting anyone, Kojou didn’t mind.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m not getting through. Or rather, it says this number is no longer in use.”

And at a time like this, thought Kojou, glaring at the phone in irritation.

The corners of Asagi’s lips curled up in delight as she teased, “Couldn’t it be that she’s simply blocking your calls? Oh, Kojou, what did you do?”

“What, it’s my fault?!”

“In other words, you’ve had a falling out with Sayaka? Why…?”

“Did you ask her something rude? Like her bust size, or her bra size, or perhaps her three sizes?”

“Like hell I would! What use would there be askin’ stuff like that?!”

Asagi ignored Kojou’s pleas of innocence and exhaled.

Though her words were blunt, they really nagged at Kojou somehow. The coincidences fit together, and the timing made sense.

Losing contact with Nagisa and their father. Sayaka blocking his calls. Neither were particularly big things in and of themselves. However, lined up one after another, these facts painted a picture that wasn’t pretty. He felt like his vision was being obstructed by an invisible wall of malicious intent.

“Himeragi, can’t you contact the Lion King Agency?”

“Of course, I can send an inquiry, but with only Nagisa’s photo to go on, I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to ask of anyone…”

“That’s more of a pain than I thought it’d be.”

“It is…”

Yukina bit her lip and nodded. Kojou remained silent and closed the unresponsive flip phone.

Asagi gazed at the two of them and shrugged her shoulders, almost like she was getting something off her back.

“Well, if that’s how it is, there’s no way around it,” she said.

“What are you talking about?”

Sensing the suspicion in Kojou’s question, Asagi coughed ever so slightly. The peculiar air of tension she radiated made Kojou’s expression harden in turn.

“W-well, you see, Kojou… Tonight, both my parents are out, and no one’s around, so…”

Asagi drew in her breath and steeled her resolve, her cheeks reddening. She squirmed slightly, entwined her two index fingers, and with upturned eyes, she shifted her gaze toward Kojou and continued, “Wanna come to my place?”

Faced with Asagi’s abrupt invitation, Kojou didn’t move a muscle, cell phone still in hand.

As Kojou and Asagi locked eyes, Yukina could only stare at them, astonished.

3

The Aiba residence was on the eastern beach of Island West. Rare for Itogami Island, the houses were separate and lined up in a row on prime real estate surrounded by lush trees.

“…Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve been to Asagi’s place,” Kojou murmured, deeply impressed as he observed the oriental-style mansion.

According to Asagi, this was the first time she’d invited a friend over to her place. It seemed the odd tension in Asagi’s voice when she’d invited him was nothing more than that.

“It is an incredible house…”

Yukina also voiced her admiration as she looked up at the enormous metal gate.

On Itogami Island, a man-made isle with astronomical land prices compared to the mainland, a separate house was a considerable extravagance by itself. Even among the others at the site, the Asagi residence stood out from the pack with its sheer size; the mansion had clearly been built with a lot of money invested into it.

“We have to live here because it’s convenient for security purposes. It’s an old building, so don’t get your hopes up about the inside,” Asagi said nonchalantly as she disarmed the security at the entrance.

Kojou knew she wasn’t being modest—she was speaking the truth.

This was the Demon Sanctuary of Itogami Island. There was no way Asagi would live on an island like that if she were simply another rich man’s daughter. She had domestic circumstances of her own.

“Wait here while I clean up the room. It’ll only take five minutes,” she said firmly, leading Kojou and Yukina past the entrance, which was nicely air-conditioned. There was even a bench for guests.

Even though the wait wasn’t an issue for Kojou, he asked, “Want a hand with the cleaning?”

“Just wait here!”

He was only trying to be considerate, but Asagi’s eyebrows rose as she glared at him. Peek and I’ll kill you, her look suggested. Apparently, she was ditching Kojou because there was something she really didn’t want him to see.

After Asagi left, Yukina gazed at the entrance and quietly murmured, “Security certainly is tight here.”

Kojou seemed a little surprised as he looked around the area. “You can tell?”

“I do not know about the mechanical trappings, but it uses a fairly high-end enchantment for repelling intruders, and a curse reflection ward besides.”

“Huh.” Kojou nodded in admiration.

“Well that’s ’cause Asagi’s dad is an Itogami City councilor.”

“Councilor?”

“It’s kind of like a city parliament. Apparently, that’s how Asagi was brought to the island.”

“Oh…”

Suddenly, Yukina seemed to understand her situation. Many of the students living in the Demon Sanctuary had their own circumstances, and Asagi was no exception to the rule.

She’d been living on Itogami Island since before entering elementary school. At the time, Itogami Island still had numerous law enforcement issues, and many mainlanders looked upon its residents as bizarre. The daughter of a statesman of that same Demon Sanctuary, Asagi couldn’t have had an easy time growing up. That she never talked about it was probably her pride at work.

“Oh my… Guests?”

Perhaps Kojou and Yukina’s conversation had been overheard. They noticed the patter of someone rushing down a corridor, and an unfamiliar woman poked her head in. She had an unadorned and fairly youthful look. Her long, tied-up black hair went nicely with her light velvet kimono.

As Kojou and Yukina stood rooted at the entrance, she gave them a smile of approval, almost like an innocent child’s.

“Sorry for imposing.”

Kojou and Yukina reflexively bowed their heads before they could think of anything else. I thought no one was supposed to be here, he grumbled at Asagi in his own mind.

“H-happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year.”

Seeing Yukina’s awkward greeting, the woman’s eyes narrowed in delight. It was a shockingly friendly attitude toward visitors arriving in the dead of the first night of the New Year.

“Friends of Asagi, yes? Splendid. To think she would bring friends here. You must be hot over there. Come on in—no need to be so reserved.”

“Um, uhh… Asagi…said to stay right here, so—”

“By any chance, would you be Kojou?”

Just as Kojou was trying to beat a hasty retreat, he was intercepted by the woman’s direct line of questioning.

“Yes. Kojou Akatsuki.”

“My, is that so…? So you’re the one. Tee-hee—I’m glad to finally meet you… And this lovely young lady must be Himeragi. Nagisa is off to see family, yes?”

“Y-yes. Pleased to meet you.”

Yukina, completely swept up in the kimono-clad woman’s momentum, bowed her head once more. The woman’s inquisitive eyes glimmered as they scrutinized the pair’s reactions. Though her demeanor was pleasant, it was oddly difficult to get in a word with her. They were going on the assumption that she was Asagi’s mother, so they didn’t know how to react.

“Aaah…?!”

Asagi, returning from tidying up her room, noticed the woman’s presence and let out a puzzled yelp.

“Sumire, what are you doing here?! Weren’t you supposed to be going back to your parents’ place tonight?!”

“Sensai’s work ran late, so the schedule changed.”

As she gave her reply with the utmost nonchalance, Sumire Aiba lifted her head to see Asagi standing on the ascending stairway.

Sumire was Asagi’s father’s second wife; in other words, Asagi’s stepmother. It seemed like the relationship between Asagi and Sumire was a bit complicated—not exactly bad, but it looked like Asagi had a hard time dealing with her stepmother, though that didn’t seem to be the case the other way around.

“After such a long trip, you simply must relax for a while. I’ll prepare some tea. We even have the Iris House dorayaki Asagi is so fond of. Those little red-bean pancakes really are quite tasty.”

“Never mind that. No need for snacks today. I just brought them here ’cause there’s something I need to take care of in a hurry.”

Asagi was desperately trying to shoo her stepmother away. However, Sumire displayed the mysterious strength of her persistence as she said, “Is that so? But they’ve come all this way…”

“You two go ahead without me! Up the stairs—it’s the room on the right!”

“Ah…pardon us. Let’s go, Himeragi.”

“Right.”

Thus ordered by Asagi, who sounded like she had her back against the wall, Kojou and Yukina ascended the stairs which were made from a rare breed of tree native to Itogami Island, something flat-out extravagant.

Upon locating the room Asabi mentioned, Kojou opened the door and went inside.

Boasting a baby-blue and pink color scheme, it was a stereotypical girl’s room.

A closet was crammed chock-full of Western-style clothing. Various magazines, cosmetics, and stuffed animals were strewn around the room. There was a school uniform on a hangar on the wall, perhaps fresh from dry cleaning. The scattered pillows and rumpled sheets made the room appear very lived-in. Of course, Kojou, whose little sister would be furious if he was ever caught in her room without permission, could not help feeling a bit unnerved.

“So this is Asagi’s room… Well, it suits her.”

“Is it really all right for us to let ourselves in?” Yukina asked without budging.

“She told us to, so it should be fine,” Kojou answered, almost for his own benefit.

It being an unfamiliar room of a female classmate made it hard to relax, but on the other hand, devices characteristic of Asagi’s other side were there as well: a Spartan, office-use monitor and a rack-style PC cluster. She did most of her part-time job from home, so she had a ridiculously high-spec computer. The instant he noticed its presence, Kojou faintly understood just why Asagi had invited them to her room in the first place.

“Sorry for the wait. Sit wherever you’d like.”

Asagi returned to the room, carrying a tray packed with tea cakes and drinks. Surely, her looking fairly exhausted wasn’t just a figment of Kojou’s imagination.

“You didn’t go and touch anything you weren’t supposed to, did you, Kojou?”

“I did not. More importantly, is everything okay with Sumire? You didn’t get much of a chance to say hi…”

“It’s fine. To be honest, I didn’t even expect to see her tonight.”

Asagi spoke through a pout like a stubborn child’s.

But after placing the tray on a table, Asagi sat at her computer and revealed an impetuous smile, like she was finally back in her own element.

“More to the point, you want to know how Nagisa’s doing at the moment, right? Just wait a sec—I’ll check things out.”

“‘Check things out’? What do you think you’re gonna do? I don’t think Grandma’s temple is connected to the Net,” he asserted with a rueful tone.

It was a low-tech, run-down temple to begin with, plus it was in a mountain range where even cell tower signals could not reach. He didn’t think Asagi could check on Nagisa’s safety against that backdrop no matter how good a hacker she was.

However, as if such things were minor inconveniences, Asagi smiled boldly and said:

“Computers aren’t just for checking the inside of buildings. Mogwai, put the data I extracted through these filters.”

“My goodness, we only just started the new year. You really run your AI ragged, li’l miss.”

An oddly human-sounding synthetic voice could be heard over the speakers of Asagi’s computer. This was the avatar of the five supercomputers that controlled Itogami Island—the supporting AI that Asagi had dubbed Mogwai.

“Stop flapping your lips and do it!”

“Yeah, yeah. Happy New Year…aaand—!”

Mogwai began analyzing the image according to the program Asagi had input.

Mogwai had a calculation ability on par with the finest in the world, but it was quirky and difficult to use; it was said that Itogami Island had virtually no engineers able to bring out its full potential. But for some reason, it got along with Asagi and dutifully followed her orders—and hers alone. Thus, in the blink of an eye, Asagi and Mogwai completed complex work that would have taken ordinary engineers months to finish.

The screen displayed a shady-looking man with a trench coat and a lively looking middle school girl walking around an airport: Gajou and Nagisa Akatsuki.

“Surveillance cameras…!” Kojou exclaimed when he realized what he was looking at.

Even as he did, the images of Gajou and Nagisa were continually replaced. Using the security cameras in the airport and matching running the image through Itogami Island’s face recognition data, Asagi was analyzing their every movement.

“There are aircraft boarding records, after all, so I thought I’d retrace their path from that point on. If I can get to the credit card history, I’ll know what they bought, too.”

Asagi proudly thrust out her chest, looking very satisfied with herself. Kojou understood the logic of it, but actually executing it had to be far easier said than done. She was invading the servers of public infrastructure and credit card companies, stealing their data, and isolating it to those two individuals. It was enough to make your head spin.

However, if she kept this up, it was indeed possible to check on Nagisa’s current whereabouts.

“Incredible…”

“This is the so-called surveillance society, huh?”

Yukina exhaled in admiration as Kojou’s shoulders cringed in fear.

“Keh-keh.” Mogwai laughed cynically right around when Gajou and Nagisa were coming out of an airport lobby.

“Daddy got a rental car at the airport—under a false name.”

“What’s my dumb dad using an alias for…?”

Thanks to Mogwai, nothing came of it, but if circumstances were different, they might have lost track of Gajou and Nagisa then and there. No, clearly that was Gajou’s intention. He was acting with all the caution of a mafia boss. Geez, just how shady are you? wondered Kojou, beside himself.

Asagi was using police license-plate-recognition cameras to follow Gajou’s car along the freeway. It was a system that checked license plate numbers to assist in searching for wanted criminals.

However, Asagi nervously exclaimed, “Huh?! There’s no route data left… He switched license plates?! Since when?!”

“Keh-keh… Thorough one, ain’t he? I’ll find him using driver-image data.”

“From Haneda, he headed for Tokyo…but he got off the freeway just before Shibuya.”

“Shibuya?” Kojou asked.

Why’d he go to a place like that? he wondered, knitting his brows. It was still a considerable distance to Grandma’s place in Tangiwa.

“There’s a purchase record from a secondhand clothing store in Harajuku… Also, they stopped for cake and drinks.”

“That’s a store Nagisa wanted to go to. She said she learned about it from a TV show a while back,” Yukina added, albeit reluctantly.

What the heck is she doing? thought Kojou, amazed. Incidentally, at around the same time, he was back on Itogami Island being attacked and nearly killed by Divine Beasts and an evil deity, but that was another story.

“They checked in to a hotel and… What is this, a strip club?”

Asagi checked the ticket from Gajou’s credit card purchase history and shot Kojou a look of disgust. Apparently, Gajou had slipped out of the hotel in the dead of night to have some fun at a strip bar.

“I don’t know anything about that! That moron just did that on his own!”

“They went to Dreamland the next morning, huh…and they stayed at the hotel on the grounds, too.”

“Is there even a point to tracking ’em like this…?” Kojou murmured, disheartened.

He’d expected to find out if Nagisa was safe and sound, but before long, it had become an operation to expose the various stupidities of Gajou Akatsuki’s actions. The last image on the amusement park security cameras was of Gajou wearing kitty ears on his head, enjoying himself in a manner disgraceful for a man of his age. As his son, Kojou couldn’t help but be ashamed.

“They’re on the move.”

After that came images of Gajou at a cabaret club and Nagisa visiting old friends of hers from her elementary school days who she hadn’t seen in ages, both thoroughly enjoying themselves; and after that, they finally seemed to remember just where it was they were going in the first place.

After switching to a new rental car, Gajou and Nagisa left the metro. They had finally reached the fourth day since leaving Itogami Island. Seeing this, Kojou breathed a sigh of relief as he said, “Looks like this time they headed for Grandma’s place.”

“This matches up with the dates on the texts Nagisa sent…,” Yukina asserted calmly.

Using the cameras placed along the freeway as a measuring device, it was easy to follow the rental car. Gajou and Nagisa’s four-wheel-drive vehicle did not encounter any particular trouble, finally arriving at Kannawa Lake. Kojou and Nagisa’s grandmother lived at an old temple constructed on the edge of that artificial lake, the product of Kamioda Dam.

The time stamp on the image data left by Nagisa’s smartphone roughly coincided with when Asagi calculated the rental car would have arrived. The difference was about fifteen minutes at most. In other words, Nagisa had witnessed that giant magic circle moments after arriving at the temple they were heading to.

Or perhaps it was possible that the magic circle was triggered precisely because Nagisa and Gajou had arrived.

If the activation of the magic circle waited until their arrival, it would be no mere coincidence: It meant that either Nagisa or Gajou was the target.

“Mogwai, have you noticed?”

“Yeah, it’s odd.”

For their part, Asagi and Mogwai lowered their voices, apparently sensing that something was off.

“What is?” Kojou asked.

“The travel was too smooth,” Asagi replied. “The roads should be packed this time of year, but the car Nagisa and Gajou were traveling in didn’t slow down from traffic congestion at all.”

However, Kojou didn’t really understand why Asagi was so on guard.

“It’s not just a coincidence? Besides, GPS systems tell you the shortcuts nowadays, right?”

“Naaah, because the other roads are like this.”

Mogwai displayed a road map of the area. Apparently, red dots indicated congested roads. The massive congestion breaking out on the major thoroughfare made it so crammed that you’d think it was faster to get out and walk.

“In Tangiwa District…only the road to Kannawa Lake is clear. It’s more like everyone’s subconsciously avoiding the road. Maybe they went onto the other roads, making them even more packed.”

“Subconsciously avoiding the road…? Hey, you don’t mean…?”

“Someone placed an aversion ward…?!”

Kojou and Yukina gasped when they realized the cause of the deviation in traffic.

Without Gajou and Nagisa knowing, someone had cast a curse to drive everyone except them away from Kannawa Lake. Put another way, the ward invited in Nagisa and Gajou—and only them.

Kojou had assumed everything had begun with the magic circle Nagisa had photographed. But he was wrong. This curse was already active before she approached Kannawa Lake.

There was no longer any room for doubt. Someone was after one of them: Gajou or Nagisa.

“There’s a ward on the entire area around Kannawa Lake? You can do that?”

“You can. However, it requires considerable preparation and many casters—”

“So it’s not the sort of curse a single person can fling, yeah…?”

Irritated, Kojou gritted his teeth.

An aversion ward was Sorcery 101. At one extreme, you could establish a minimum strength ward just by planting a single DO NOT ENTER sign on the side of the road. The aversion spells used by Yukina and her kind put ritual energy into small objects, but the basic principles didn’t change.

But however simple the principle, the power and effort involved in maintaining a ward increased exponentially the more you expanded the scale. Something on the scale of driving all unrelated human beings from Kannawa Lake’s environs was a fairly large-scale undertaking.

“Mogwai.”

“Got it.”

Asagi didn’t even need to spell it out for Mogwai to look into it. Once you knew a large organization was in play, deducing its identity was not so difficult. After all, the organizations able to muster an aversion ward of this magnitude were few and far between. Furthermore, the more people involved in something, the more difficult it was to cover it up.

Food, sleep, travel, communications—the traces of the various actions required to sustain activity as a group and the resulting flow of money told you the organization’s identity.

“I see. I get how they’re doing it.”

Mogwai laughed sardonically as he brought up an image on the monitor. It displayed a group of people, all in camouflage and bearing firearms.

“There are reports all around Kannawa Lake that roads are closed due to avalanches or landslides. The Self-Defense Forces have been dispatched in the name of disaster relief.”

“Self-Defense Forces…?”

Rather than be surprised, Kojou was simply confused. Certainly, Gajou’s semi-criminal fieldwork made him an archeologist of some notoriety, but he wasn’t a dangerous enough individual to be targeted by the SDF. That went double for Nagisa, a simple middle schooler. There has to be some mistake, he thought.

“But the group actually calling the shots seems to be called the Sorcerous Disaster Commission. They’re the ones who put up a spell ward.”

“Sorcerous Disaster Commission…?!”

Yukina reacted immediately. Her lips were trembling, and she seemed to be going pale before Kojou’s eyes. With a look of shock plain on her face, she trembled as if seized by fear.

“Himeragi?”

“The SDC is one of the Lion King Agency’s dummy organizations. Its chief missions are researching ways to avert sorcerous disasters and conveying information to government agencies.”

“The Lion King Agency…?! What the heck’s going on here…?”

As Yukina explained, her voice sounded faint enough that it seemed it might vanish. Kojou turned a reproachful look toward her.

The Lion King Agency was an organization that defended against large-scale sorcerous disasters and sorcerous terrorism; at the very least, that was what Yukina had told Kojou. Hence, even when he had seen that magic circle, some part of his heart had been at ease. There’s no way the Lion King Agency is after Nagisa, he thought deep down.

However, the evidence left behind flew in the face of that.

With Yukina at a loss for words, Asagi calmly replied in her place.

“So the SDF and the Lion King Agency are collaborating to seal off Kannawa Lake…in the name of preventing damage from a sorcerous disaster. In other words, this is the reason all contact with Nagisa has been cut off.”

“You mean Nagisa’s…involved in a sorcerous disaster…?”

“Or maybe they called your li’l sister over to create a sorcerous disaster instead. Keh-keh.”

Mogwai’s laugh oozed with ill will. The artificial intelligence’s words sparked a worry in Kojou he couldn’t articulate.

Certainly, Nagisa had been at the center of an enormous sorcerous disaster at one point in the past. That disaster had involved tens of thousands of people, and a gigafloat had sunk as a result. However, that was hardly her fault, and the cause of it was long lost. There was no reason for Nagisa to be related to a sorcerous disaster at that late stage.

Kojou tried to maintain his own calm. Beside him, Yukina’s body wobbled heavily.

“The Lion King Agency… No… Why would…?”

Noticing something was wrong, Asagi cried out, “Himeragi…?!”

Yukina, continuing to take shallow breaths, seemed to go dizzy as she collapsed.

“Himeragi?! Hey, Himeragi!”

Held within Kojou’s arms, Yukina shook her head, trembling in fear. Then she blacked out completely.

4

The horizon over the water was faintly beginning to brighten as Kojou gazed at it and sighed.

The landscape spread before his eyes was the garden of Asagi’s own home. It was not terribly broad, but it was the sort of extravagant, traditional Japanese garden that you never got tired of looking at.

It was almost five in the morning on New Year’s Day.

Yukina, who’d had a mild fainting spell, was resting on Asagi’s bed. “I’m gonna get this kimono off now, so scram,” said Asagi, driving Kojou out of her room.

He figured mental shock was probably the cause of Yukina’s collapse.

Yukina had been shaken by the suspicion that the Lion King Agency had involved Nagisa in an incident—one beyond her expectations. Kojou might be Yukina’s target for observation, but Nagisa was different. She was the closest thing to a real friend that Yukina had. Somehow, the Lion King Agency was involved in her disappearance, and without informing Yukina of a single thing—

The shock had apparently hit Yukina, who had been raised by the Lion King Agency from a young age, a lot harder than Kojou thought it would. It wasn’t as if she was mentally fragile; if anything, being shaken was the natural reaction. Yukina might have been a Sword Shaman and highly capable in combat, but deep down, she was nothing more than a girl in middle school.

That alone made Kojou unable to blame her in any way.

But on the other hand, he was nervous. For all Kojou knew, Nagisa might be in danger while he was standing there like that. All the same, at that point, Kojou had few cards left to play.

Feeling irritated, like he was slowly being roasted over a high flame, Kojou stood in the garden before the break of dawn. It was then that his feet were assaulted by a sudden impact.

“Aaagh?!”

In danger of losing his balance, Kojou’s eyes went wide when he realized what had happened. The first thing his vision caught was a set of sharp canines, followed by eyes with an inquisitive glint.

“A…a dog…?!”

His heart still beating fast from the surprise, Kojou somehow managed to keep the playful pooch at bay. It was a big, muscular dog that seemed over thirty kilograms, and was likely heavily mixed with boxer. Its face was gruff, but it gave off an impression of cheerfulness and intelligence.

Kojou’s shock was still raw when he heard a low, calm voice from behind.

“We tried to raise him to be a guard dog, but he’s a bit too fond of people.”

When Kojou looked back, he saw a casually dressed middle-aged man.

He wasn’t all that tall, and his demeanor was, if anything, gentle. However, there was a peculiar air about him. The first word that came to Kojou’s mind had three syllables, starting with ya and ending in za. The man was far more frightening than the scary-faced boxer.

“How is the young lady who came with you?”

The man opened conversation in a gentle tone that belied his appearance.

“I think she’s all right by now. Some things happened, and she was caught by surprise a little.”

Reflexively, Kojou straightened his back and responded clearly. It was the respectful posture he took toward his elders, which he’d learned in his old athletics club.

“If it is no great matter, that is good, but it is best not to push things too hard… Not for her, and not for you.”

The man gave a generous nod as he spoke. That was when Kojou remembered that he already knew who this man was. They had never directly spoken to one another, but he’d seen the man many times. This was Sensai Aiba, Itogami City councilor—Asagi’s father.

“Sorry for causing trouble on a day like this.”

Kojou apologized to Sensai for imposing in the wee hours of the morning on New Year’s Day. However, Sensai shook his head, somehow seeming delighted as he said:

“I don’t mind. After all, this is the first time Asagi brought you, her friends, over to visit, and it is not often one has a chance to speak with the World’s Mightiest Vampire.”

“…?!”

Kojou was unable to keep his face steady in the face of Sensai’s casually spoken words. His entire body became slick with sweat as he inquired, largely on reflex:

“You…know about me…?”

“Surely, it is nothing that should surprise you. However I may look, I am an Itogami City councilor. Many people in the Gigafloat Management Corporation are friends of mine. They do try to keep me at least minimally informed about potential dangers that may occur on Itogami Island.”

Knowing full well of Kojou’s identity, Sensai displayed a composed smile toward him.

“Now that I’ve broached the subject, may I ask you for one favor?”

“A favor…from me?”

Kojou inquired in a suspicious tone. Even an objective observer would find Sensai’s words unexpected.

Certainly, Kojou had obtained the power of the Fourth Primogenitor, but the ability was largely useless beyond indiscriminate destruction. Kojou himself was no more than a poor, powerless student. When it came to living large inside Itogami Island, Sensai had far more power than he did on every front.

Even so, he narrowed his eyes, giving Kojou what somehow seemed like a forlorn look.

“This is probably something only you can do, Akatsuki.”

“Huh?”

“The favor is for Asagi. Please make that girl happy.”

“……Huh?”

Kojou looked back at Sensai Aiba’s intimidating face as he doubted his own ears.

He could not immediately comprehend what was being said to him. It was almost like what the father of a lovely bride would say to her groom. But though he wondered if this was a joke, Sensai’s look was far too serious for that.

“Er, um… What do you mean by that…? What about what Asagi thinks?”

Don’t tell me he’s gonna make me marry Asagi out of the blue, Kojou nervously thought. Given Sensai’s connections and influence, making that happen was probably child’s play.

Sensai’s expression did not change as he continued in a quiet, conversational tone.

“Someday you, too, will understand, but my daughter was born carrying a somewhat troublesome destiny… In one sense, as much as your own, if not more.”

“Asagi’s…destiny?”

Kojou, affected by Sensai’s calm demeanor, regained a little of his composure. However, no matter how he thought it over, he couldn’t understand the meaning of Sensai’s words. Asagi was an ordinary human being, unlike Kojou and Yume. It wasn’t like she was an Attack Mage like Yukina and Natsuki, either.

When he thought harder about it, the only thing that stood out in his mind was how terrorists had once abducted Asagi because of her preeminent hacking abilities. And yet, he sensed something like unshakable conviction from Sensai’s eyes.

“Therefore, if the time comes that Asagi needs you…will you stand by her side?”

Sensai spoke in a tone full of confidence, almost like a prophet.

Kojou may not have known what he truly wanted, but long before, the answer to that question was set in stone.

“Well, of course.”

“I thank you, Kojou Akatsuki.” Sensai smiled, full of satisfaction. Then he suddenly put on his capable politician’s face as he said, “Incidentally, I have two daughters. I understand you are the firstborn son of your family, but there is the option of entering my family via adoption. I wonder what your parents would think about that?”

“Huh? Adoption?”

So you are talking about that, thought Kojou, ferociously thrown for a loop. What happened to Asagi’s destiny and all that?!

“I am a politician, after all, so it is about time for me to think about who will continue my legacy. Oh, there’s nothing to worry about. The fame of the Fourth Primogenitor will serve very well in an election. And if you are interested in the world of politics, in time, I will mold you into a fine politician.”

“Er, ah, right now I’m not really interested in that stu—”

“But fooling around with girls is a no-no. Just no. If you have female acquaintances besides Asagi, do sort that out as quickly as possible. I will provide whatever money you require.”

“I told you I’m not into that stuff…”

With Kojou hesitant, Sensai endeavored to persuade him with the full force of his skilled politician’s talent. But as the man did so, Kojou made a pained sound as something struck the back of his head. This was followed by a sharp blow that hit the tip of his nose.

“What are you two talking about?!”

“Oww… A-Asagi?!”

As Kojou moaned, putting a hand to his face, he saw Asagi posing with what looked like a whip. Her cheeks were as red as the sun floating over the horizon for the first time that year.

“Goodness, just when I wonder where you’ve run off to… Kojou, you don’t need to humor anything Dad says to you!”

“Er, but as the head of a political party, the issue of a successor is rather—”

“Oh, shut up! Get him, Azar!”

“Nuoooo?!”

Asagi transformed into a beast tamer as she sicced her beloved dog on her own father. The giant boxer dog playfully bowled Sensai over right then and there. His dignity as a stern-faced politician evaporated into thin air.

“Kojou, you wanted to bring Himeragi home, right? Sumire got a car ready, so…”

Asagi pointed toward the Aiba residence’s front door as she spoke. When Kojou looked, he saw Sumire escorting Yukina near the entrance to the garden. The look on Yukina’s face was still a bit stiff, but her physical condition seemed to have improved.

That said, it had been an all-nighter for Kojou, and his physical energy was finally reaching its limits. He was concerned about Nagisa, but to maintain his ability to make rational decisions, among other things, he needed to go back home and rest for the time being.

“Sorry to make you go through all this trouble, Asagi. You were a big help.”

“Oh, that’s all right. I’m worried about Nagisa, too, you know.”

Asagi waved dismissively, as if concealing a blush.

“I’ll gather what info I can, so act calmly, will you? In particular, watch Himeragi so she doesn’t run off and do something reckless. Also, take this.”

“…Huh?”

“This is my spare smartphone. If you have this, you can talk straight to Mogwai. There’s no guarantee he’ll do what you tell him, but I thought you should have it in case it comes in handy.”

“R-right.”

With a hint of concern on his face, Kojou gazed at the garishly pink smartphone that was handed to him.

The model was unfamiliar, and the device had traces of being modified in all manner of ways. The only thing displayed on the screen was an avatar resembling a poorly sewn teddy bear. Of course, Kojou knew that Mogwai was extremely capable but felt deep down that he wasn’t very trustworthy. All the same, his power was necessary to narrow down Nagisa’s whereabouts.

“Keh-keh… It’s a pleasure.”

Whether aware of Kojou’s gloom or not, Mogwai flashed a sarcastic smile.

5

The car Sumire Aiba had arranged for Kojou and Yukina was expensive and painted black. Unexpectedly, it was Sumire herself behind the wheel.

Apparently, she used to be a driver in Sensai’s employ. According to her, right after Sensai’s first wife passed away from illness, he fell into peril due to a trap laid by a political enemy, and while continually on the run, the two fell in love. Kojou didn’t know how far to believe her tale, but Sumire’s driving skills were the real deal.

Since marrying Sensai, she’d settled down as a proper politician’s wife, but even then, she felt calmest when driving a car—or so Sumire asserted.

With those words as the foundation, she engaged in even friendlier chitchat than she had in her own home. She was particularly interested in knowing how Asagi, her stepdaughter, was doing in school. She also lobbed pointed questions about Kojou and Yukina’s relationship.

Since Yukina was still holding her silence, staring somewhere in the sky above, it naturally fell to Kojou to answer those questions. Even in the early morning, the main thoroughfares were packed; Sumire looked like she was enjoying herself, but Kojou’s mental energy was being whittled down bit by bit.

“—I am sorry to interrupt. But could you please bring us to Hill Number Six?”

The car was just crossing a familiar intersection when Yukina spoke, almost as if she’d suddenly remembered something. “Ahem!” went Sumire, strongly coughing at that instant.

It was not surprising this gave her pause. Hill No. 6 was the name of a special place on Island West. It was a row of lodging facilities catering to couples—in other words, a love-hotel district.

“Er, not for that. It’s not like that at all. Hill Number Six is where the Lion King A—erm, an acquaintance of Himeragi’s is running a store. Right, it’s kinda like an antique shop.”

Kojou desperately explained away Sumire’s misunderstanding.

Sorcery-wise, Hill No. 6, densely packed with special structures, had numerous magical blind spots. The Lion King Agency made use of that characteristic, laying down an office that served as a communications relay. To the naked eye, it looked like nothing more than a run-down antique shop, and at any rate, a special ward wiped the place from people’s memories without any trace.

Yukina probably wanted to go there to get in touch with the Lion King Agency, but Sumire didn’t know what Yukina intended.

“It’s all right, don’t worry. I’ll keep it a secret from Asagi. It’s good to be young…”

“I said it’s not that!”

Sumire’s excessive sympathy and consideration only backed Kojou farther into a corner. Certainly, having this exposed to Asagi would be more trouble than it was worth, but having Sumire misunderstand that much was a pain.

“Here is fine. Please stop the car.”

Kojou was so nervous he didn’t even notice that Yukina somehow seemed backed into a corner herself. When Sumire pulled the car over to the curb, Yukina politely gave her thanks and rushed out.

“Now then, I will wait here for about three hours. Take your time.”

“What?! No, ah, please go home. It’s bad for you to wait around in a place like this.”

Kojou shook his head in surprise at Sumire’s excessively generous offer. Whatever the circumstances, he certainly couldn’t put her through that much trouble. Besides, Kojou couldn’t judge whether it was all right to let Sumire, a civilian, come into contact with the Lion King Agency.

However, it seemed Sumire read Kojou’s intent differently.

“In other words, three hours will not be sufficient for your activities…”

“What do you mean, activities?!”

“I’m kidding. You have your reasons, don’t you? But please try not to make Asagi cry too much,” Sumire said with a mischievous smile.

Sly like a fox, thought Kojou as he sighed. He couldn’t tell at all just how much she understood. But he did grasp that she was a woman made of far sterner stuff than her appearance let on. He could understand why Sensai Aiba had chosen her as his wife.

“Go on ahead.”

“Sure.” Kojou bowed his head as he got out of the car. “Sorry for the trouble.”

Yukina was standing at a narrow intersection midway up the hill. Her lips were pursed, her expression was hard, and it felt like she’d lost her usual air of composure.

“Himeragi. What’s up with Professor Kitty?”

Kojou made certain of his surroundings as he asked.

Professor Kitty was the nickname Kojou had arbitrarily assigned to Yukina’s master. She was apparently a formidable Attack Mage, but Kojou had only met her through a cat serving as her familiar.

“…Wait, where was it? The Lion King Agency branch office was around here, wasn’t it?”

“The ward’s enchantment has been changed. Even I cannot decode it.”

Yukina spoke in an almost monotone voice. Kojou realized that the very cold ring of her voice meant Yukina was angry. Apparently, the Lion King Agency involving Nagisa in something behind Yukina’s back had really gotten under her skin.

“Then even you can’t get in? Why’d they go out of their way to do that?”

“I do not know. However, if that was their intention—”

With that, Yukina suddenly moved a hand to the guitar case on her back. From the case, she drew out her silver spear in its folded form.

The spear’s shaft slid forward, making a metallic clang as a three-pronged blade deployed. Even early in the morning with no sign of anyone close, Kojou was flabbergasted that Yukina was wielding her spear in the middle of the street.

“H-Himeragi?!”

“Stand back, senpai— Snowdrift Wolf!”

Yukina wildly swung the silver spear.

Her spear, called Demon-Purging Assault Spear Type Seven, aka Schneewaltzer, was a secret weapon of the Lion King Agency. It had the ability to nullify magical energy and rend any barrier asunder.

Naturally, this effect was fully functional against the aversion ward the Lion King Agency used to conceal its own branch office. After a ting, the ward was annihilated, leaving behind a sound like glass breaking as the look of the surrounding urban landscape changed. A tiny alley appeared, one they had somehow managed to miss until then. Within, they could see a run-down antique shop. It was the familiar branch office of the Lion King Agency.

“That was nuts…”

“It is an emergency.”

Kojou exhaled, seeming beside himself, as Yukina, still brandishing the spear, replied bluntly.

Yukina’s personality, serious to the point of excess, had a glaring flaw: She got very worked up about things. This rampage was the result. Even if the act was out of concern for Nagisa, it wasn’t good. Kojou knew painfully well why Asagi had told him to keep Yukina from doing anything reckless.

When they finally reached the antique shop, Kojou put a hand on the door and listlessly shook his head.

“So they’re closed… Figures.”

It was six AM on New Year’s Day. Of course, the door would be locked. The curtains over the windows were shut, so they couldn’t peer inside the shop.

“I have to say, without Professor Kitty here, it really does look like a simple antique shop. That talk of it being a Lion King Agency branch office—that’s not some kind of mistake, is it…?” Kojou said lightheartedly.

He didn’t intend for his words to come off as a jab, but the instant Yukina heard them, she looked ready to burst into tears.

“Ugh…!”

Then she gripped her spear, turning its tip toward the door of the antique shop. She meant to break down the door. Realizing this, Kojou rushed to pin Yukina’s arms behind her.

“H-Himeragi, wait! What exactly are you going to do after breaking into the shop?!”

“Senpai, please stay out of my way! Let go of me!”

“Just calm down, okay…? No point busting into the place if there’s no one in there!”

“But…!”

“In the first place, ain’t no way an antique shop is gonna be open at this hour on New Year’s Day. Aren’t the Lion King Agency employees out for the New Year’s holiday? They work for the government, after all.”

“They wouldn’t be… At a time like this…!”

Yukina seemed mortified as her shoulders trembled.

It wasn’t as if he couldn’t understand her feelings of anger. On the mainland, part of the Lion King Agency was surely still at work under the name of the Sorcerous Disaster Commission. Besides, Yukina couldn’t possibly accept that her superiors were taking the holiday off.

“You can’t get in touch with the Lion King Agency HQ?”

“High God Forest is isolated from the outside world…”

“How about contacting other branch offices?”

“I…do not know how.”

Yukina’s voice became fainter with each question from Kojou. “I see,” he murmured, sighing heavily. Though she had been granted the title of Sword Shaman, Yukina was on the outer edge of the organization. She hadn’t been granted any way to gather information about the organization as a whole.

“Himeragi, their not telling you anything means the Lion King Agency wanted us thoroughly cut off from information. I mean, we only got ahold of Nagisa’s photo through dumb luck. If it was just some sort of communications lapse, it doesn’t explain why we can’t get in touch with Kirasaka.”

“…Senpai, how can you be so calm about this? The Lion King Agency might have involved Nagisa in some kind of dangerous incident for all we know!” Yukina reproached him.

Kojou shifted his gaze to the sky, looking conflicted, and said, “It’s not that I’m calm about this. I didn’t trust the Lion King Agency much to begin with, so them betraying me wouldn’t be that shocking.”

“Ngh…”

“Ah, nah, it’s not like I ever doubted you, Himeragi.” Kojou added the quick follow-up once he saw Yukina biting her lip and looking forlorn with a downcast gaze.

“But it’s like Asagi told us before,” he continued. “The Lion King Agency’s actions aren’t always just. Besides, you’ll find factions and internal disputes in any large organization.”

“…Internal disputes…?”

The Sword Shaman blinked in surprise. Apparently, Yukina, straitlaced to the bone, had never considered the possibility that the Lion King Agency contained people she could not trust.

“Himeragi, I’m saying that if there’s a side of the Lion King Agency you’ve never seen, that’s no reason for you to feel guilty. I don’t know about Professor Kitty, but at the very least, I don’t think Kirasaka would ever betray you.”

“I… I suppose not…”

Yukina nodded with a frail look. It wasn’t as if she’d put her feelings completely in order, but she did seem to accept that much. After all, it was far from established that the entire agency had betrayed her.

Then, with Yukina having regained her composure, her cheeks suddenly reddened as she looked up at Kojou and said, “Um, senpai. I’d be happy if you finally let go of me now…”

“…Huh?”

Hearing her words, Kojou belatedly remembered that he was still pinning Yukina’s arms behind her. Yukina’s body was delicate enough that the embrace had slipped from his mind, but for all that, she was unexpectedly soft, and her skin was gently and intimately pressed against his.

“Or rather, just where do you think you’re touching…?”

“R-right… Sorry.”

Hearing the ice in Yukina’s voice, Kojou nervously pulled his hands away.