A War of Primogenitors

by Gakuto Mikumo

  “So the thing that I asked for?”

  “It hath already been delivered.”

  Speaking these words, Lydianne typed on her PC keyboard. After a moment, the vrmm of machinery booting up echoed from the back of the ostensibly empty warehouse.

  With a mirage-like shimmer, a horde of Micro Robot Tanks, each about the size of a compact car, appeared from the darkness—at least thirty of them. Over half of the enormous warehouse was chock-full of military weapons resembling land turtles, built for urban warfare.

  “Ritual spell camouflage, huh? Not bad.” Asagi smiled in satisfaction.

  To have been concealed so well that even Asagi could not sense them when they were right before her eyes—she deeply understood the excellence of the tanks Lydianne had provided. Lydianne had something of a proud expression as she gazed at them.

  “Unmanned Legged Tank Number Four, aka Hoemaru. Although the machines are one generation old, they have all been modernized and overhauled to perfection.”

  “With all of this, I could take over Keystone Gate with one arm tied behind my back.”

  “Were it against the Island Guard alone, you could with half this military strength and have room to spare. Naturally, ’twould be far more difficult against witches and vampire primogenitors.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll manage somehow.”

  Subconsciously toying with her smartphone, Asagi spoke those words with calm. She was saying, if the opponents were witches and primogenitors, she would defeat them if necessary, too.

  “However, Lady Empress… Calling this level of land force together, and even Miss Yume, just what is it that you intendeth to bring about?”

  “What am I—? Er, isn’t it obvious?”

  Asagi blushed a little as she smiled, spreading both arms wide. What did you need three dozen robot tanks and the World’s Mightiest Succubus for? It did not even require thought, for there was only one answer.

  “War.”

  Asagi’s voice reverberated through the warehouse on the beach.

  From the smartphone in Asagi’s hand, someone laughed sardonically.

  “Keh-keh…”

  5

  Enshrouded by a dark mist, Velesh Aradahl stepped onto the ship’s deck.

  It belonged to a large cruise ship on the extreme end of the scale for personal ownership. The ship was named the Oceanus Grave II, owned by the Duke of Ardeal, Dimitrie Vattler.

  “Vattler—!”

  With a large voice backed by demonic energy, Aradahl called out this man’s name. In his hand, he gripped an extravagant sealed scroll bearing the crest of a flying dragon and a tank. The sealed scroll, half crushed in his grip, amply reflected Aradahl’s state of mind at the time.

  “Come out, Vattler. I know you’re here. Or would you prefer to sink to the bottom of the Pacific along with your ship?”

  Aradahl’s pronouncement was more than mere talk. The proof lay in the incredible demonic energy pulsing from his entire body. He possessed the power to sink a ship of that scale on his own; Aradahl’s Beast Vassals were more potent still. If he carelessly unleashed the power of his Beast Vassals, the hull would be rent apart in a single blow.

  And so—

  Though unlikely to have been fearful of such an outcome, Vattler revealed himself surprisingly readily.

  The handsome vampire wearing an all-white, three-piece suit did not employ the power of transformation into mist; instead, he leisurely descended the stairs from the upper deck. Regarding Aradahl, who was shaking with rage, he seemed to be forcing back a smile.

  “What’s the matter, Aradahl? This roughshod visit does not suit you.”

  “Silence, Master of Serpents. State your intentions.”

  Aradahl thrust forward the crushed scroll. Letters of invitation announcing Aradahl’s duel with Kojou Akatsuki were addressed to VIPs of various nations. By happenstance, Aradahl had learned of the letters’ existence, and thus he hurriedly made his way over, angrily shouting along the way.

  “You don’t fancy them? For something made on such short notice, I think they turned out rather well.” Vattler’s voice rang out proudly, daring to provoke Aradahl even further.

  The black-haired vampire’s expression twisted into anger. Unable to withstand the demonic energy flowing from Aradahl, the sealed cylinder ruptured.

  “Don’t play games with me! How do you know of my duel with Kojou Akatsuki?”

  “My… Which of us is playing games here, Aradahl?”

  A slightly strained smile came over Vattler as he made that quiet statement. Aradahl felt a twinge of bewilderment.

  “What?”

  “You are not the only one who desires to fight Kojou Akatsuki. All this time, I have been looking forward to the day I fight him to the death, waiting on this island for him to mature,” Vattler lamented with an exaggerated, theatrical gesture.

  Aradahl knew that his words were not wholly dishonest.

  To immortal vampires, the time spent anticipating an unripe foe’s growth was no chore. And Vattler, who loved conflict more than anyone, was not one to shirk at any sacrifice if it meant being able to fight a powerful opponent.

  Thus, he had remained in the Far East Demon Sanctuary a world away from his homeland, waiting for the incomplete Fourth Primogenitor’s rightful power to return. That was very much Vattler’s way of doing things.

  “And it is such precious prey that you are poaching from me. At the very least, I believe that grants me the right to observe your duel with Kojou up close… Am I mistaken?” Vattler smiled dangerously as he stared at Aradahl, who did not avert his eyes.

  “I am not dueling Kojou Akatsuki for my own amusement. The duel is nothing more than a means to seize the Dragon of the Swamp currently under his protection.”

  “It is the same thing, Aradahl—the very same thing.” An antagonistic air hovered as Vattler slowly shook his head. “For the chairman of the Imperial Assembly of the Warlord’s Empire to duel the Fourth Primogenitor makes this a de facto international conflict. I am not saying that the repercussions will reverberate throughout the world, but I believe it surely should be conducted in public, under the eyes of those who should rightfully attend. I must consider the national welfare of the Empire, after all.”

  “To think the words national welfare would come out of your mouth. What a foul joke,” Aradahl spat. “In the first place, it was one of your confidants that lent his aid to the Dragon of the Swamp’s escape, Vattler— If not for Kira Lebedev, Kojou Akatsuki would have never intervened in this affair.”

  “I am terribly dismayed there was a misunderstanding, Aradahl, but at that point in time, my men and I had not been informed of the Holy Ground Treaty Organization’s view that the Dragon of the Swamp should be disposed of. I believe that the fault where that point is concerned…rests with you.”

  Vattler, in contrast to his usual grandiloquence, remained calm. Aradahl scowled.

  “If I had ordered you to capture the Dragon of the Swamp, I do not think it would have ended with simply this.”

  “That is not true. During this last half year, I have attempted to be quite prudent by my standards.”

  “You have a lot of nerve saying that after spreading these ridiculous letters of invitation around.”

  “It was a golden opportunity, and I thought I’d be generous for an old friend. Ah, it would seem my guest has just arrived.”

  “What…?”

  When Vattler looked behind him, Aradahl’s gaze followed suit. Appearing just then, with a Japanese girl appearing to be an agent of the Lion King Agency attending her, was a beautiful woman with long silver hair, resembling foreign royalty.

  She had pale skin and blue eyes reminiscent of a pristine glacier. On her beautiful face, extolled as the Second Coming of Freya herself, a teasing smile appeared.

  “I pray you are in good spirits, Your Excellency, Chairman Aradahl. I am grateful that you have invited me to Japan.”

  Grasping the short skirt that went w
ith her military ceremonial outfit, she bowed in grand fashion. Thanks to the environment she was raised in from birth and the royal blood that coursed through her veins, her conduct left no openings whatsoever.

  “Princess La Folia Rihavein…?” Aradahl said, recovering from his initial surprise.

  La Folia Rihavein was the crown princess of the kingdom of Aldegia. She had passionate fans not just in her own nation of Aldegia in northern Europe, but all around the world.

  She breathed elegance, and she was widely praised for her deep prudence and benevolence in matters of policy. Only a tiny fraction of her political opponents knew the deeper truth: She was a shrewd, iron-willed businesswoman.

  “Why are you…?”

  La Folia replied to Aradahl’s question with a grin.

  “Kojou is a gentleman destined to be my future partner. It is only natural that I watch his duel to its conclusion. Of course, Your Excellency, I pray for your good fortune in battle as well. Please be gentle with him.”

  “Surely you jest, Princess.” Aradahl grimaced at La Folia’s statement, uncertain whether it was a joke or meant seriously.

  A highly regimented man such as Aradahl found slippery opponents like La Folia to be rather difficult to deal with. Fundamentally, she was cut from the same cloth as Vattler. If he had to put his finger on it, she was a hard, logical realist, the type that was not picky about choosing the means by which to achieve her ends.

  “It would seem that, aside from myself, the attendees are surprisingly numerous. Yes, from the Five Dynasties, even people from the Confederate States of America—”

  “People from Holy Ground Treaty non-signatory nations…?”

  The words La Folia had so nonchalantly stated wiped Aradahl’s expression from his face. He did not want to show the girl in front of him that he was unnerved.

  The Holy Ground Treaty enshrined peaceful coexistence between humankind and Demonkind, but by no means had every nation ratified it. For various historical and religious reasons, or simple territorial disputes, many nations considered demons enemies even to the present day.

  Representatives of such Holy Ground Treaty non-signatory nations had been invited to the Demon Sanctuary of Itogami Island. Aradahl could not read Vattler’s true intent in doing so.

  “Vattler…what the hell are you thinking?”

  “I want as many people as possible to witness your duel.” Vattler was invigorated. His eyes fell to an analog watch on his left wrist. “Furthermore, the betting odds currently have you at six to four, far more competitive than one would think. That’s the fame of the Fourth Primogenitor title for you.”

  “Damn you, you’re running a betting ring for our duel?” Aradahl growled, his anger plain.

  Having made a spectacle of Aradahl and Kojou’s duel all on his own, Vattler intended to use gambling to make a profit from it as well.

  For the Fourth Primogenitor to duel the chairman of the Imperial Assembly of the Warlord’s Empire meant a deadly duel between fellow demons. Naturally, the non-signatories to the Holy Ground Treaty would gladly come and enjoy the show.

  “I expect a beautiful show, Aradahl. Well, I’m sure you of all people would never put on a pathetic display.”

  “My apologies, but it will not be the delightful battle you expect, Vattler.” Barely managing to suppress his emotions, Aradahl spoke in a low voice. “The duel will be over in an instant. I have already gauged Kojou Akatsuki’s might. He is not qualified to call himself the Fourth Primogenitor. It is because you know this full well that you have not laid a hand upon him, yes?”

  “Heh-heh… Good for you, Aradahl. I’m sure your words will have a large impact on the betting odds.”

  Showing no sign of remorse, Vattler offered a cheerful smile. By that point, Aradahl was too angry for words.

  Watching this with obvious amusement, La Folia posed a question in a soft voice.

  “Then, Your Excellency, would you allow me to place a wager as well?”

  “Are you saying that you will bet on Kojou Akatsuki’s victory, Princess?”

  Aradahl turned a sharp look La Folia’s way. The silver-haired princess made a lovely smile.

  “Yes. Should he win, Your Excellency, there is a wish I would like you to grant.”

  “A wish, you say?”

  La Folia nodded. “I wish for you to withdraw the words you have just spoken in a public forum, Your Excellency. In other words, recognize Kojou as a proper primogenitor and invite him to the Garden of Whispers—that is what I desire.”

  Aradahl carefully chose his words as he replied, “That is… Though it may be your wish, those are not terms I can easily accept.” The Fourth Primogenitor was not acknowledged to actually exist. It was the offsetting by the mutual rivalries of the three Dominions ruled by the three primogenitors that upheld the global military balance.

  The emergence of a fourth primogenitor would easily cause that balance to crumble. The Fourth Primogenitor was a dangerous being, its very existence potentially the trigger for a great conflict.

  “That is why I have proposed a wager.” La Folia giggled as she continued to smile.

  “Then, should I be victorious over Kojou Akatsuki, you would need to pay compensation of commensurate value with that wish.” Aradahl grinned, slightly teasing her.

  However, the princess’s expression remained unchanged.

  “Yes. I understand that, of course.”

  “Then what do you intend to wager?”

  “My chastity.”

  “Wait a— Princess…?!”

  The eyes of the Attack Mage guarding the princess opened so wide that they seemed likely to pop out. It was a girl with a ponytail wearing a black instrument case on her back.

  “That’s insane… You would offer me the Blood Memory of the Royal Family of Aldegia? To a vampire of the Warlord’s Empire?”

  Aradahl was just as shocked. At present, relations were peaceful, but Aldegia and the Warlord’s Empire, sharing a border, had been in regular and repeated conflicts. It was a princess of that very Aldegia who had stated she would offer Aradahl her royal blood. That was virtually the same as wagering the nation itself.

  “I believe I have already stated that Kojou is destined to be my partner. I have no misgivings whatsoever to entrust my own fate to his victory.”

  La Folia shook her head without hesitation. Aradahl exhaled briefly. It was a hearty sigh at the incredible gall with which the young princess was so calmly wagering her own nation’s future.

  However, the girl was forgetting that, in the end, the only ones standing at the place of the duel were Aradahl and Kojou Akatsuki. Furthermore, there was nothing that could make Kojou Akatsuki victorious over Aradahl.

  “You have made…a foolish decision.”

  “May I take your words as acceptance of our wager?”

  “Yes, I accept.”

  Looking back at the princess, willful to the bitter end, Aradahl felt a slight twinge of pity.

  La Folia was likely in love with Kojou Akatsuki. Thanks to that, she innocently believed his victory was assured; that was a fatal miscalculation. Aradahl, of course, bore no duty to take her consideration for Kojou Akatsuki into account.

  “I shall eagerly anticipate the outcome of the battle, Your Excellency. May your exploits be bold.”

  The silver-haired princess bowed once more with a dancer’s grace.

  Aradahl watched in silence as she departed, the Attack Mage following close behind.

  Vattler wore a devilish grin all the while.

  6

  It was dusk when Kojou and Yukina arrived at the agreed-upon breakwater, right before sunset.

  They’d traveled the island end to end right up to the last possible minute, searching for a way to win against Aradahl. Though they sought the aid of Nina Adelard, the self-titled Great Alchemist of Yore, and Kensei Kanase, former court sorcerous engineer of Aldegia, neither knew of methods to control Beast Vassals, inherently outside their specialties, so they had f
ailed to learn anything, save how frightening Aradahl was. As a result, Kojou was facing the duel without any effective countermeasure prepared. And then—

  “…”

  Just when they arrived at the breakwater at dusk, Kojou and Yukina stopped in bewilderment.

  Seaward from the tip of Island North, a concrete structure stretched forth. There was a container terminal for freighters next to it.

  The breakwater was conspicuously dreary, with nothing but a large-scale gantry crane and piles of containers to be seen, which made the extravagant ship coming in seem particularly out of place.

  The beautiful hull was ornamented with colored streamers and the flags of numerous nations, lit up by countless LED lights. Banners hanging down from the deck flapped in the wind, reading A DUEL. REJOICE!, BATTLE FOR THE AGES, KOJOU AKATSUKI VS VELESH ARADAHL and other wholly irresponsible pieces of text.

  “What the hell is this…?!”

  “Oceanus Grave II… Why is the Duke of Ardeal’s ship here…?”

  The stagecraft far gaudier than their wildest expectations left Kojou and Yukina rooted to the spot in shock.

  Of course, Aradahl had surely desired no such thing. Kojou didn’t think a hard-ass like him would be happy with a stupid uproar like this. The odds that, just like those letters of invitation, this was the work of Vattler were particularly heavy.

  What is he pulling all this for? thought Kojou in confusion, gazing at the deck of the Oceanus Grave II, when he suddenly realized why. On the deck of that extravagant ship was a slew of unfamiliar guests.

  Their numbers had to be two—maybe three hundred in total. Their species and gender differed, but the sight of foreigners in oddly lavish clothing stood out to Kojou. The sight of them with stout bodyguards on both flanks, binoculars in one hand, made them look like royalty invited to watch a horse race.

  “Vattler… Don’t tell me you…”

  That bastard. Kojou gnashed his teeth. The guest passengers on the Oceanus Grave II were no doubt there at Vattler’s invitation, assembled from every corner of the globe to witness Kojou and Aradahl’s lethal combat. He and Kojou had been completely turned into showpieces.