A War of Primogenitors

by Gakuto Mikumo

  “Why did you dodge it?! You made Yukina a vampire’s vassal—!”

  “Idiot, you’re wrong! Himeragi and I don’t have that kind of relationship at—”

  “Shut up!! You did something to Yukina behind my back, didn’t you?!”

  “I’m telling you: I didn’t… Okay… It’s not that I didn’t do anything…but…”

  Kojou’s retort was halting and awkward.

  Yukina becoming Kojou’s nominal partner was to protect her from angelification, a side effect of wielding Snowdrift Wolf. It had been an unavoidable choice to save a debilitated Yukina from fading away entirely.

  All that said, Yukina had been granted Snowdrift Wolf so she could monitor Kojou, and most of her uses of that spear were directly connected to Kojou personally. He couldn’t exactly call himself disconnected from her circumstances.

  “How dare you… How dare you lay a hand on my Yukina… You repeatedly forced her into depraved acts against her will, didn’t you, Pervogenitor?!”

  “Whaddaya mean, repeatedly?! What the hell are you imagining…?!”

  As Sayaka swung her sword around, Kojou caught her arms, somehow bringing her under control.

  The pair proceeded to get entwined with each other as they collided against the shop’s interior wall. It looked like Kojou was pinning the resisting Sayaka to the wall against her will. Sayaka was tall for a girl, so she wasn’t much shorter than Kojou. As Kojou ended up staring at a misty-eyed Sayaka at point-blank range, he was struck by an irrational sense of guilt.

  “Please calm down, Sayaka. Also, senpai, how long do you intend to stay close to her like that?”

  Yukina gazed coldly at the two of them, practically entangled with each other, as she let out a sigh.

  Yukari’s black cat familiar hopped off Sayaka’s head, landing neatly in Yukina’s arms. Yukina peered into the feline’s pupils as she posed a question in a very serious tone.

  “Essentially, if senpai beats the Duke of Severin, there is no issue, yes? Then it is unnecessary for senpai to worry about regrets or for me to give him any kind of generous freebie—”

  “I don’t remember demanding a freebie from Himeragi, y’know…!” Kojou exclaimed.

  And whaddaya mean by freebie anyway?

  Sayaka, still forced up against Kojou, indignantly thrashed her body around. She did not seem to appreciate that she was pressing her bountiful breasts against Kojou’s chest in the process. However, if he carelessly put any distance between them, she seemed ready to suddenly come slicing at him again, so Kojou couldn’t move away from her at that moment in time.

  “As I have been saying, that is wholly unreasonable. That young lad cannot win against Aradahl.”

  “Well, that sure is putting it bluntly…”

  Kojou no longer had any mental energy left with which to argue. The black cat turned an indifferent eye on him as he sulked.

  “The Fourth Primogenitor is said to be the World’s Mightiest Vampire for one reason: The Beast Vassals that serve him are ridiculously powerful. They were created to sweep the armies of Cain the Sinful God aside, so they are, without exaggeration, the World’s Mightiest Beast Vassals.”

  “Yeah…”

  Come to think of it… Kojou remembered that Aradahl had said something similar. He’d acknowledged the might of Kojou’s Beast Vassals. But he had dismissed them regardless.

  “The issue is that you cannot fully control them. No matter how high spec the race car, in the hands of an amateur, even a tofu delivery truck would leave it in the dust. That’s simply natural, yes?”

  “…Tofu?”

  The example raised by Yukari’s familiar caused Yukina to blink back confusion. With Sayaka finally calm, Kojou pulled away from her, turning his face toward the black cat Yukina cradled in her arms.

  “Control the Beast Vassals, huh… If I could do that, I could go up against Aradahl, then?”

  “Theoretically speaking, yes.”

  Even if that is impossible in reality was the undertone to the black cat’s words. In point of fact, it was difficult to imagine Kojou’s combat capabilities undergoing a dramatic increase during the not-even-half-a-day’s worth of time remaining.

  However, Kojou ignored that and continued his line of thought. “Then, what do I need to do to control the Beast Vassals?”

  “Unfortunately, even I do not know the answer to that. One should ask a vampire about vampire things.”

  The cat’s reply was blunt. Unsurprisingly, Kojou clutched his head.

  “Ask a vampire… Easier said than done…”

  “In terms of vampires on Itogami Island potentially able to stand against the Duke of Severin… I cannot think of anyone save the Duke of Ardeal, but…”

  Sayaka murmured this, as if seeing right through to Kojou’s underlying concern. Her anger had not completely subsided, but she seemed to have abandoned slicing Kojou to ribbons for the moment, at least.

  “By Duke of Ardeal, you mean Vattler…”

  Just remembering Dimitrie Vattler’s snobbishly smiling face brought a look of plain distaste over Kojou. Certainly, among the aristocrats of the Warlord’s Empire known to Kojou, he was a powerful vampire in a different league. A man appraised as the closest thing to a primogenitor himself probably could stand up to Aradahl, but…

  “I don’t think he’s gonna just teach me how to use my Beast Vassals with no benefit to him…”

  “Well, get on your hands and knees and beg. In case you weren’t aware, your life is on the line.”

  “I mean, technically or not, he is a vampire of the Warlord’s Empire, so if anything, wouldn’t he be on Aradahl’s side? And even if he did teach me something, is it all right for me to just believe what he says?”

  “Well, there’s no other vampire who is equal or superior to the Duke of Severin around here, so you don’t have a choice!” Sayaka squared her shoulders in anger as she glared at Kojou.

  Her opinion was a sensible one, but even so, he couldn’t think of relying on Vattler as being much of a plan.

  That man, a renowned combat maniac, normally made no effort to hide his bloodlust toward Kojou. He was dangerous enough that, one false move, and he might say he would slay him by his own hand before Kojou was slain by Aradahl instead.

  In the end, it came down to whether to bow his head to Vattler and brave the danger anyway or to fight on his own—

  Kojou anguished over the two extreme choices.

  “No…”

  Yukina’s clear voice severed that indecision in half. Kojou and company stared at her in surprise. Yukina, confirming her own thought, nodded.

  “There is another… A powerful vampire that seems likely to lend senpai his strength…”

  “Himeragi?” Kojou said in bewilderment. “Who do you mean?”

  But Yukina didn’t reply. Then, with an oddly serious expression, she gave the antique clock hanging inside the shop a glance. The clock’s needle showed that it was a little past noon.

  “Senpai.”

  “Y-yeah…?”

  The tenor of Yukina’s voice, serious even by her standards, made Kojou straighten his back. Yukina stared fixedly at Kojou, and finally, her mind made up, she told him…

  “Let’s go get some ramen.”

  2

  The shop was quietly open for business in a back alley in Island West.

  It wasn’t a trendy shop by any stretch of the imagination. Its storefront was an old-fashioned mix of bright and dark colors, and the interior of the shop had bar-style counter seating with only four seats. Because the shop was so small, four patrons brought it to full capacity.

  However, it was quietly known as a shop of hidden renown among those dwelling on Itogami Island versed in the ways of ramen. Pacific Dipped Noodles was the shop’s name.

  “No matter how you slice it, I don’t think we can simply find him just like that…”

  Not quite on board, Kojou grumbled as he peered into the dim shop’s interior when he felt a little diz
zy, placing his hand against a wall.

  With an oddly bold demeanor, a foreign-born boy appearing to be twelve or thirteen was at the counter, rearranging his seat. He had beautiful black hair, olive skin, and a mysterious dignity that did not suit his youthful external appearance—this was Prince Iblisveil Aziz of the Fallen Dynasty, the Dominion of the Middle East, ruled by the Second Primogenitor, Fallgazer. He was precisely the individual whom Kojou and Yukina had gone to that shop in search of.

  “Why the hell are you stuffing your face with ramen again?!”

  Kojou slumped his shoulders as he commented on the irrationality of it all. Stronger than elation that he had bumped into the person he sought was the sense that he’d been had. We don’t know his whereabouts was the biggest concern Kojou and Yukina had. The prince’s lodgings were a diplomatic secret, and even failing that, it was next to impossible to pursue a high-level vampire who could freely move around in mist form.

  The single lead they had was that Iblisveil was a ramen aficionado. It was from this that Yukina proposed to search famous shops on the island for him. A sketchy plan indeed.

  And as it worked out, they’d located Iblisveil with ease.

  Kojou felt unable to make peace with that fact. He was struck by the overwhelming urge to poke fun, like Wait, you’re a prince, and you eat ramen every day? Well, technically, it was dipped noodles, not ramen, but still…

  “Do you always barge in on other people’s meals and cause some sort of uproar? Honestly, how rude of you, Kojou Akatsuki.”

  Iblisveil looked back at Kojou with a skeptical expression and calmly delivered his reply. His exceedingly correct and proper assertion made Kojou go “Sorry” and bow his head.

  “Yeah, my bad. I seriously didn’t expect to bump into you, so I got thrown for a loop, see.”

  “Hmm.”

  Bringing the dipped noodles to his lips, Iblisveil savored the taste as he raised an eyebrow.

  This golden-eyed boy was the vampire Yukina had meant—one possessing strength on par with Aradahl. He, a prince of the Fallen Dynasty, was not only well versed in the employment of Beast Vassals, but he was also unrelated to Aradahl; he was a neutral party. That didn’t make him an ally of Kojou’s, either, but seeking advice from him was at least worth a try.

  “Well, fine. To coldly refuse a guest and drive him away would bring the Dynasty into disrepute—first, have a seat, Fourth Primogenitor and servant girl thereof. Pardon me, please give my guests the same thing I’m having.”

  Iblisveil spoke in a high-handed manner as he pointed to the seats near him, which just happened to be empty. As Kojou watched, the stout, stern-faced shopkeeper nodded, not speaking a single complaint. That was no doubt the work of the charisma the boy had possessed since birth. Kojou and Yukina politely indulged in Iblisveil’s goodwill. Besides, the scent of soup wafting around the shop reminded Kojou that he was hungry.

  Sitting down on an antiquated chair, Kojou brought a cup of cold water to his lips.

  “Come to think, it would seem that you are to engage Velesh Aradahl in a duel.”

  Iblisveil spoke these words without any change in his expression. Taken by surprise, Kojou immediately began to choke on his water.

  “Why do you of all people know about that—?!”

  “Because I received an invitation to the event not too long ago.”

  Iblisveil took an extravagantly ornamented, wax-sealed scroll out of the sleeve of his outer garment. The back of the sealed scroll had a flying dragon and a tank drawn on it, the crest of the Warlord’s Empire.

  “A letter of invitation…?”

  “The work of the Warlord Empire’s Master of Serpents, most likely. No doubt the scoundrel has some ulterior motive, but it certainly is a match of compelling interest, all the more because it is a battle over the Dragon of the Swamp.”

  “Vattler… That jerk… He’s gonna fool around even with something like this…?!”

  Kojou clutched his head and flopped forward onto the table. He could take from the fact that a letter of invitation had reached Iblisveil that rumors of the duel between Kojou and Aradahl had already spread far and wide.

  Sitting at Kojou’s side, a hard expression came over Yukina as well. She did not understand why Vattler would spread such rumors.

  Iblisveil watched Kojou with amusement. He smiled. “So grasping that you cannot win against Aradahl as you are now, you’ve come to me for training, Fourth Primogenitor?”

  “Yep.”

  Kojou nodded with a pained expression. He proceeded to bow his head deeply.

  “I know it’s very selfish of me to say this, but I’m asking you anyway. Please teach me a way to beat Aradahl. Glenda’s life is on the line.”

  “My… What shall I do? Having you owe me a favor is not unappealing, but is that really worth purchasing Aradahl’s displeasure in turn?”

  “…At the very least, it’ll make for a more exciting duel.”

  “Hmm?”

  A faint trace of curiosity came to life in Iblisveil’s golden eyes. It was the reaction Kojou had expected.

  He’d had an instant flash of inspiration the moment he saw the letter of invitation from Vattler.

  Iblisveil was an unaging, undying vampire. Though he had the appearance of a boy, he had already lived several centuries. The greatest enemy of their kind was boredom. Having already tasted to exhaustion most of the pleasures the world had to offer, living began to feel like a chore.

  To the Old Guard vampires, there was but one pleasure remaining to them—putting their lives on the line in mortal combat.

  Even if he was not recognized as someone as battle-obsessed as Vattler, Iblisveil surely hungered for blood and combat all the same. A man like that could not fail to hold interest in a duel between Kojou and Aradahl.

  “As I am now, I don’t stand a chance against Aradahl. I’ll probably lose in one second, and then the duel will be over.”

  “And you think that if I lend you a hand, you can win against Aradahl?”

  “I don’t know that for sure, but I think it’ll be a better show than it is right now, at least,” Kojou said, holding Iblisveil’s stare.

  He felt like he might waver from the powerful glint in the prince of the Fallen Dynasty’s gaze, but even so, he did not avert his eyes.

  Though nonplussed by the bizarre air hovering over the table, a young server brought Kojou’s and Yukina’s noodles. Iblisveil’s expression abruptly eased. The strained air around them relaxed.

  “I do not understand.”

  Iblisveil murmured this as he audibly sipped his dipped noodles.

  “Huh?” Kojou replied in bewilderment.

  Iblisveil stuffed his cheeks with an entire boiled egg as he looked back at Kojou.

  “Surely you have neither a reason nor a goal for which to take the Dragon of the Swamp into your hands. And yet, why are you trying to fight Aradahl to this extent? He is likely an opponent even I cannot defeat with ease.”

  “That doesn’t mean I can just shut up and watch. Not when the other guy’s trying to kill Glenda.”

  “Knowing full well that the Dragon of the Swamp is a dangerous being?”

  “That’s—”

  Kojou began to speak, but he shook his head instead. He knew neither Glenda’s true nature nor the reason why Aradahl viewed her as dangerous. And he didn’t particularly want to know. That was because Kojou’s decision had nothing to do with anything like that.

  “Nah… I suppose you’re right. It’s just as you said, Prince.”

  “Mmm?”

  “You’re right. I’ve got no reason to save her. I tried to help her because that’s what I wanted to do—that’s all.”

  “And for that reason alone, a death match with Aradahl is unavoidable?”

  Iblisveil drew attention to that point. Kojou mixed in a pained smile as he shrugged.

  “Not that I planned on actually killing him, mind you.”

  “I see. It seems I have harbored something
of a misunderstanding about you… You are a far more arrogant man than I appreciated, Kojou Akatsuki.”

  Iblisveil smiled with a brilliant expression, both seeming beside himself and somehow admiring him for it.

  “Whaaa—?” retorted Kojou in dismay. He could not comprehend why he was being spoken ill of in that manner.

  “Have you realized, Kojou Akatsuki? Without even a reason or an objective, you act in accordance with your desires, deciding even whether your foe lives or dies by your discretion alone—that is a way of thinking permitted only to those of absolute might, a privilege of royalty itself. Perhaps you truly are an instrument worthy of being a primogenitor. That, or you are a truly incorrigible fool.”

  The weight of Iblisveil’s opinion stunned Kojou into silence. He still felt like he was being made fun of to some extent, but the prince’s mood did not seem poor. Whatever he was trying to get at, Kojou’s reply seemed to have left him satisfied.

  “In deference to your foolishness, I will grant you a single piece of advice.” Still grasping his chopsticks, Iblisveil solemnly opened his mouth. “It is not I whom you should be asking for advice—”

  “…Huh?”

  Kojou gaped at Iblisveil, somehow feeling disappointed. He’d called it advice, but in the end, wasn’t that pretty much the same as saying nothing at all?

  “That’s…it?”

  “If you come to realize who you should really be asking, Aradahl will be no match for your blade,” Iblisveil said. “And if you cannot, you are done either way.” He sipped his delicious-looking noodle soup.

  In a daze, Kojou watched him. The advice from the prince of the Fallen Dynasty was at once a simple yet frighteningly difficult riddle. However, Kojou didn’t think he was lying.

  Kojou could stand up to Aradahl. Someone could teach him how. However, that person wasn’t Iblisveil—that was what Iblisveil meant.

  “Once, I lost to a Beast Vassal of the Fourth Primogenitor,” Iblisveil began, almost like he was talking to himself.

  “Huh?”

  Kojou gasped and lifted his face. He realized that this was some kind of crucial hint. A Beast Vassal of the Fourth Primogenitor had defeated Iblisveil, who was probably on par with Aradahl—