But that was Kojou’s fault any way you sliced it. Plus the idiot had skipped school so early in the term and never even made it back.
She didn’t even need to confirm it. That transfer student Himeragi had been with him, after all.
What surprised Asagi had been how much it burned her inside.
A disagreeable thing was a disagreeable thing, but she didn’t think that Kojou, of all people, had the resourcefulness to skip a class to go out on a date with a younger girl. There had to be some circumstances involved.
What put Asagi in a bad mood was that Kojou hadn’t told her those circumstances, instead trying to cover things up with a clumsy lie. She vaguely realized Kojou was just trying to be considerate of her feelings, but she really didn’t like that.
There was one other thing she didn’t like: the girl, Yukina Himeragi.
Asagi had no evidence to back her intuition, but Kojou probably had a weakness for her type.
She behaved with a resoluteness that didn’t feel feminine in the slightest and spoke very frankly. No doubt the athletic aura she gave off appealed to Kojou, who’d played basketball day and night when he was in middle high.
On top of that, Yukina looked beautiful to Asagi even in spite of their being the same gender. Though Kojou didn’t appear to pay attention to the opposite sex at all, even he might fall for an opponent of that level.
“Not that I think I’m giving up anything in style points…”
Lost in her work, she didn’t even seem to realize she’d spoken out loud. The AI’s sharp ears picked up on it.
“Well, in this world there are rascals who go for all kinds of things.”
“Don’t answer when I’m talking to myself.”
“I’m just having a conversation with my partner.”
“None of your business. And when did I turn into your partner, anyway?”
“Isn’t the reason it’s not going smoothly because you’re not honest with yourself?”
“Y-you don’t have to tell me something obvious like that. But…!”
Asagi’s hands unwittingly stopped tapping the keyboard as she raised her eyebrows in annoyance.
It was the moment right after when a dull vibration and impact shook the room Asagi was in.
Asagi let out a brief yelp. Itogami Island, floating on top of the Pacific Ocean, didn’t have any earthquakes. It was the first impact Asagi had felt since she’d immigrated to the island.
“Mogwai, what was that just now?”
“…Well, this is unexpected. Intruders.”
The AI spoke with something like admiration. Asagi furrowed her eyebrows in surprise.
“Intruders?”
“Yes. They are in combat with this building’s security forces. The vibration from just now was from a support pillar being cleanly broken during combat.”
“Broken… You’re kidding, right?” Asagi murmured in a low voice as her face changed color.
This was no ordinary building. This was the Gigafloat’s underground infrastructure section. Its main support pillars, designed to hold up tens of thousands of tons, were not so easily destroyed, even with explosives.
“It’s not just the support pillar. There’s quite a bit of damage to the upper floors as well. I believe it is still safe here for now, but it might not be possible to escape. The elevator shaft was also destroyed.”
“You mean I’m shut in here?”
“The emergency stairs are still intact, but I do not recommend using them right now. Not unless you want to meet the intruders in person. The security forces have already been routed.”
“Routed?” Asagi asked back, dumbfounded. Even in peacetime, the Keystone Gate was garrisoned with nearly a hundred and fifty security personnel. And they had been beaten?
“Who are these intruders? A terrorist group? Or are we under attack by a Dominion army?”
“Err, no. Neither…”
The AI replied to Asagi, who’d expected some kind of demonic military incursion, with an oddly human-sounding tone.
A fierce explosion shook the room once more.
“…There are only two intruders. One a mere human; the other, a homunculus.”
2
Keystone Gate was the name of the giant composite structure located at the center of Itogami Island.
At twelve stories, its aboveground section was the tallest building on the island. You could look up from pretty much anywhere on the island and see its majestic reverse-pyramid shape.
Within the facility were government administration offices, including city hall, and numerous hotels and commercial facilities built one after another, functioning as the island’s nucleus in both name and fact.
On the other hand, the giant construct also fulfilled one other, crucially important role, performed by the forty levels under the surface of the water as well as the Gigafloat Management Facility.
This structure, just under two kilometers in diameter, bound together the four Gigafloats that together composed Itogami Island.
Keystone Gate was designed to absorb the effects of ocean currents, wind, waves, and so forth, such as bending and vibrations between the Gigafloats. Without this, the four districts of Itogami Island would suddenly collide, or perhaps break apart, drifting atop the Pacific Ocean. It was a critical facility, truly worthy of the name keystone.
Furthermore, it was heavily defended.
Itogami City was under the jurisdiction of the Island Guard, four hundred and forty men strong, divided into three battalions. One of those battalions was assigned to guarding Keystone Gate. This included a platoon of sixty Counter-Demon Agents, numbers equal to those of all CDAs under the jurisdiction of a typical midsized prefectural police headquarters.
Such a large number of personnel had been assigned to protecting Keystone Gate in anticipation of assaults by large-scale terrorist organizations.
In simulations, they could hold out for several days, even against a company of beast men troops from the Dominion.
That was why, that day, people were in utter shock.
That a mere two intruders had shattered the security forces and penetrated the gate—
They had already broken through the tenth underwater level’s airtight bulkhead, heading for the gate’s central section, having not made a single demand.
“—Complete. The airtight bulkhead’s seal has been destroyed.”
The homunculus girl, shrouded in Beast Vassal armor, made an austere report.
Right now the girl appeared to be wearing a twelve-foot-tall golem, glittering in rainbow colors, as armor. A single brush of its fingertips instantly destroyed the barrier protecting the seventh level’s airlock.
This was the work of the DOE sealed within Astarte’s body.
Completely merged with the man-made Beast Vassal “Rhododactylos,” she was able to neutralize various mystical forces and slice through barriers.
It was this ability in particular that Eustach the Armed Apostle had long sought. For it was this, the power to destroy barriers, that was indispensable for the achievement of his fondest wish.
“Go, Astarte. That which we seek lies beyond.”
“Accept.”
Quietly murmuring, Astarte climbed over the destroyed bulkhead.
Ahead was the central section, under the jurisdiction of the Gigafloat Management Corporation, extending down to the twenty-fifth floor underwater.
If damage was inflicted on this block, it was possible that severe damage would be caused to the inhabitants of Itogami Island.
For hospitalized patients, a power outage could be fatal; food could no longer be preserved in the fierce heat of Itogami Island. Here on the Pacific Ocean, three hundred kilometers from the mainland, it was not possible to evacuate some five hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants in a short time frame.
That was the very reason why it had been a target of terrorism time and time again and why security had been beefed up to cope with it.
It had been the Islan
d Guard’s finest that awaited Eustach and Astarte’s arrival into the central section. There were two CDA squads and one heavy, mechanized platoon.
“Hmm… An adequate response for an emergency situation. They are well trained.”
As they spotted Eusatch and Astarte on the path below, they engaged with one great volley.
These were Blessed Bullets for use against demons. Even Eustach’s armor-enhanced clothing would not emerge unscathed from a straight-up hit. Eustach slipped behind a wall to avoid direct hits but appraised with a very calm voice, “Still, it is all for naught. Exterminate them, Astarte.”
“—Accept. Execute ‘Rhododactylos.’”
The humanoid Beast Vassal, glimmering in rainbow colors, assailed the mechanized troops as they continued to fire.
The giant moved with unimaginable agility. The Beast Vassal’s overwhelming power mowed them down.
The barriers that protected the mechanized forces shattered like thin glass; now defenseless, they were dispatched with the greatest of ease.
Having determined that normal Blessed Bullets were having no effect, the CDA fired ballista at Astarte. These were small-scale siege weapons that launched javelins, but when their heads were charged with ritual power, they became powerful weapons against demonkind—enough that their use had been treaty-restricted, being able to inflict lethal wounds to beast men and vampires in a single blow. The javelins, glimmering with a dark gray light, assaulted the humanoid Beast Vassal with a speed rivaling that of a bullet.
And then the armor deflected them as easily as raindrops.
The unbelievable display made the CDAs stop dumbfounded in their tracks.
Only Eustach made a quiet smile.
A Beast Vassal, being a mass of magical power, could not be damaged save by even greater magical power.
However, Rhododactylos was now neutralizing the magic power of all attacks, and reflecting them back.
Now no one could stop the Vassal Beast—or its lord, Astarte. Not even the Beast Vassal of a Primogenitor.
The CDA continued to resist, but with their most powerful weapons rendered powerless, their chances of victory were nil.
With overwhelming physical might, Astarte’s Beast Vassal annihilated them.
This was no longer combat. It was a one-sided slaughter.
“Hmm, a wise decision.”
No doubt they’d noticed that Eustach was the one giving orders to Astarte the homunculus. The several surviving CDAs attacked Eustach directly.
“However, I cannot be defeated by such dull skills. Compared to that Sword Shaman girl, ’tis mere child’s play.”
A grand smile came over Eustach’s face as he struck back.
His physical strength amplified by his augmented robe, swinging his metal bardiche, swept the security force’s Counter-Demon Agents away. He had been an exorcist sufficient to be granted the title of Armed Apostle by Lotharingia. His might far surpassed that of the average for National Counter-Demon Agent.
“—Perhaps things have been put in order?”
Eustach spoke coldly as he looked around at the completely silent security forces.
The vestiges of scattered bullets and of the Beast Vassal’s destruction had changed the floor from a battlefield into a ghastly ruin. All members of the elite force, over sixty strong, had fallen, heavily wounded. No one moved aside from the two intruders.
No—
In a place a short way from the battleground, one girl stood.
She was unarmed. All she had was a cell phone and a little notepad computer. From her posture, she had no combat training; he felt no magic power from her. She was neither combat personnel nor demon, a mere human being.
She had the aura of someone in the passageway by chance who’d come to see what was going on and had happened upon the battle.
As Eustach gazed at her trembling form, his face scowled in suspicion, for the uniform she wore greatly resembled that of the Lion King Agency’s Sword Shaman.
Though the chance they were comrades was not high, perhaps it was best to neutralize her just in—
Amid his thoughts, Eustach shook his head.
It was not necessary. Even if the Sword Shaman herself came after him, she could do nothing against Eustach and Astarte. Not anymore.
Besides, to take the girl’s life here was meaningless.
She would die soon enough as it was. Not only her but every person who lived on this island.
Yes. This forsaken land built by criminals, Itogami Island, would soon sink into the sea.
3
Kojou Akatsuki awoke amid the thin darkness of twilight.
He faintly heard a sound. He didn’t recognize the landscape, but it seemed to be a park near the coast.
His outstretched arm felt cold, perhaps because he was lying atop the concrete on his side. That made it a less comfortable place to sleep. His cheek conveyed pleasant warmth.
“Senpai… Would you mind getting up already?”
Kojou suddenly heard a voice above his head. It was Yukina’s voice, seeming to pout somehow.
“Sorry… Five more minutes.”
Feeling like he was watching a dream, Kojou’s lips meekly made the request. It’d be a waste to pull away from this tranquil warmth that seemed to envelop his head. But…
As Kojou heard a “Good grief” and a light sigh above his head, something pinched his cheek.
“Do not get carried away. This isn’t the time or place to be doing this.”
With an “Ow,” Kojou opened his eyes without thinking, realizing the unexpected existence of a girl at point-blank range looking down at him.
“H-Himeragi?”
“Are you finally awake, Senpai? Making someone worry about you that much… You’re really quite something.”
Yukina spoke in an uncommonly sarcastic tone.
Seeing her expression, Kojou remembered what had happened. He and Himeragi had encountered Eustach at the pharmaceutical company lab; then he’d sustained an attack from a battle-axe meant for Yukina.
A blow powerful enough to slice through his heart and smash his torso to bits.
It wasn’t a wound even a vampire could survive.
“I see… I died, didn’t I?”
“Yes.”
Yukina bit her lip as if remembering what she’d seen at the time. And as her face seemed close to tears once more…
“A little while after you died, your wounds healed on their own… Even the blood spatter came back, as if time was rewinding itself…”
“So that’s why I’ve been sleeping here for a while, huh?” Kojou asked while pressing on his right shoulder. The shoulder, which ought to have been severed by the bardiche, was attached to his torso, which should have been torn to pieces, not even a flesh wound remaining on either of them.
Of course, his uniform shirt was still wrecked, but it was still wearable—as long as he didn’t mind looking a bit like an anarchist.
As Kojou’s fingers wandered, seemingly confirming the state of his wounds, Yukina glared bitterly.
“If you’re going to come back to life, please say that before you die. How much do you think I worried about you…!”
As Yukina spoke, she held Kojou’s head and began beating it with her fist. As Kojou was about to object to the absurdity of that, he realized his head had been resting on her lap. Yukina had been here the whole time until Kojou revived.
As Kojou looked up at Yukina’s tear-filled eyes, he made an exasperated sigh.
“Sorry I made you worry, but I didn’t know. So this is what that Avlora was talking about.”
“Avlora? The prior Fourth Primogenitor said something about…?”
As Kojou slowly rose up, Yukina watched blankly with wavering eyes.
“Yeah… She said, to the Primogenitors, immortality isn’t a power, it’s just a curse.”
“Curse?”
“Primogenitors don’t die. Even if you impale their hearts or crush their heads, they still live on. To
live alone for centuries or even millennia, even if you want to die… Yeah, you can’t call that anything but a curse.”
Yukina watched silently while Kojou grumbled as if making a sigh.
Even though vampires were said to be ageless and undying, that did not mean they were completely invulnerable. In particular, their brains, which controlled their magic power, and their hearts, which governed the circulation of their blood, were lethal vulnerabilities.
Even for the Elders, receiving severe damage to either meant certain death.
However, as the Fourth Primogenitor, Kojou’s body was different.
Even his completely destroyed heart had regenerated; most of the blood he had lost had flowed right back into him.
But there would be no coming back if he managed to get himself turned to ash like vampires in legend.
“Even so, why did you shield me like that?! Curse or not, you had no proof you could come back for sure! What if you didn’t come back to life?!” Yukina asked Kojou with a tone of genuine anger.
“Well, that’s true, but I’m still glad.”
“What are you glad for?!”
“Er, that you’re all right.”
A curious expression came over Yukina as the words came casually out of Kojou’s mouth.
She had an expression like that of a broken doll, too anguished to either laugh or cry.
“…And…that makes you glad?”
Yukina’s lips weaved the words without emotion. Kojou tilted his neck a bit, seeming perplexed.
“Eh?”
“You would have been better off not shielding me. Have you forgotten already? I came here to kill you, Senpai.”
Yukina murmured expressionlessly, seemingly without emotion.
Kojou’s eyebrows grimaced as if to say, The heck are you talking about?
The aura Yukina gave off that moment was just like that of the girl called Astarte. Just like the sad homunculus girl, bound by the orders of her creator.
“What that Armed Apostle said is the truth. I’m a disposable tool. I realized it long before, but I just didn’t want to admit it. My biological parents sold me for money; I was raised as a mere tool for fighting demons… That’s why, even if I die, no one will be sad, but you’re different, aren’t you, Senpai…?”
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