“What, you’re gonna drag up that old story now…?!” Asagi squeaked, her face bright red.
Judging from her demeanor, Yaze’s tragic tale was the gospel truth. Noticing the gazes of her classmates falling on her, Asagi hastily cleared her throat. “…I-I mean, don’t judge people on info from years before like that. I can cook as well as the average person now.”
“Huh…”
“What’s with that look of doubt?!”
As Yaze’s expression projected a complete lack of trust in her story, Asagi grabbed the oil near her hand and splashed him with it. This was peperoncino oil, which Kojou was using for the secret ingredient of his dish. Bathed in the spicy oil from garlic and red pepper, it was the perfect ammo for Yaze to press his hands to his face and dramatically faint in agony.
With a very mature expression, Rin coolly surveyed the two childhood friends as they took potshots at each other.
“Well, it’s fine, isn’t it, Akatsuki? I think it’s wonderful for a boy to specialize in cooking. Don’t you agree, Asagi?”
With the topic abruptly tossed onto her lap, Asagi’s voice became shrill. “Eh?! W-well, that’s certainly one theory… Th-though it’s just one popular view among many!”
However, Kojou was too involved in his cooking to notice her awkward response.
“…Whether it’s cool or uncool, there’s no way I’m gonna get this done on time on my own. At least set the dishes, geez!!” he snapped.
Rin giggled and smiled as she added, “Come to think of it, Akatsuki’s little sister is a great cook.”
Ah, yeah I guess, Kojou haltingly agreed.
Nagisa’s cooking skill was definitely up there by middle-schooler standards. That was a result of their mother being absent from home so much, which forced her to do the housework. Kojou could cook half-decently himself, but he and Nagisa weren’t in the same league.
“That’s ’cause she’s had to do lots of cooking lately. Besides, frozen pizza’s the only thing our mom can cook.”
“If I married you, I might be able to enjoy that little sister’s cooking for the rest of my life,” Rin said. “A pleasant thought…”
Kojou, unable to comprehend, sighed and set about refuting her. “…Er, no, that doesn’t make any sense.”
Figures, thought Yaze as he wiped his oil-drenched face, silently voicing agreement with Kojou. “I mean, Nagisa’s gonna get married at some point, too.”
Kojou’s voice squeaked. “Married…?!” He fought to remain calm, but he was unable to completely hide his unease. “There’s no way Nagisa would… Th-there’s no one who’d be marrying—hot!”
Asagi, watching Kojou completely lose his cool with obvious scorn, murmured, “Whoa… He took it seriously, gross!”
She didn’t actually say, Damn him and his sister complex, but her frosty glare conveyed it directly to his mind, loud and clear.
“Sh-shaddup! It’s only ’cause you guys said all that stuff!”
In contrast to Kojou looking ready to flee, Rin serenely inquired, “Isn’t the third year middle school field trip just about to begin? What will you do for food in the meantime?”
Kojou wiped the sweat off his brow. “Oh, yeah, that. Er… I didn’t think of anything in particular, but I’ll just buy something good and eat that. It’s hard to cook for one person, y’know.”
“Hmm…” Rin narrowed her eyes, looking even more delighted as she looked up at Asagi, her chin in her palms. “It’s the perfect opportunity, Asagi. How about you make something for him?”
This time it was Asagi’s voice that squeaked. “Wh-what?!”
Kojou was aghast at how Rin, who was normally chilly and unsociable if anything, seemed vibrant and full of life as she twisted the knife into Asagi.
“Wh-why do I have to—?!”
“You’re good at cooking now, aren’t you, Asagi? Food doesn’t taste as good when you eat it alone, so I was thinking you could have dinner with Akatsuki, just the two of you—”
“J-just the two of us…?”
Asagi glanced toward Kojou as if prodding him for a reaction. However, Kojou made none. His entire nervous system was devoted to skimming scum from the top of his beef stew.
“I’ll do no such thing…!” Asagi continued. “N-not that I’d mind eating out somewhere together…”
Kojou let his classmate’s sullen words roll right over him. “Mm, sure.”
For whatever reason, Rin and Yaze met each other’s eyes. They’re hopeless, they sighed together.
After a brief pause, Yaze asked something else to restore the mood. “Hey, Kojou, is that middle school transfer student gonna go on the field trip, too?”
By his standards, he had an oddly serious expression on his face. Kojou thought that was rather suspicious as he looked up from the stew.
“Himeragi said she was gonna, but… What of it?”
Yaze immediately returned to his usual frivolous tone as he ran a hand through his spiky, combed-back hair.
“Ahh… Nah, I was just a little jealous. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to appreciate her in street clothes, her sleeping face, getting into the shower…”
Asagi, listening to the boys’ chatter, sullenly grumbled, “You’re both complete morons.”
“Hey, I didn’t say anything!” Kojou complained aloud as he cracked an egg. He bore an unusually serious expression as he prepared to soft-boil the egg for the omelet rice.
Watching Kojou from the side, Asagi began to nibble on some chopped-up lettuce. She murmured, nearly inaudible, “I see… She’s gonna be gone, too… I see…”
Shortly after, Kojou’s cell phone signaled the arrival of a text.
4
Soaking up the rays of the setting sun, Nagisa Akatsuki raised her voice in bewitching admiration.
“Ahh… Yummy…”
She sat at the outdoor table of a café terrace in a commercial district’s shopping mall, licking a giant, three-flavored ice cream cone. It was an extravagance almost beyond description, weighed down with so many toppings that it barely held its shape.
Kojou and Yukina sat at the same table with her, along with a girl who had silver hair and pale blue eyes. She had a beautiful Northern European face far removed from Japanese norms, with a gentleness that made her seem reminiscent of an angel. This was Kanon Kanase, “the Saint of Middle School.”
Nagisa drowned herself in ice cream like a child would. “Yeah, Lulu’s ice cream is just the best. The taste is luxurious and just melts in your mouth.”
Though Kojou’s little sister was fond of talking to begin with, she was particularly chatty during mealtime.
What are you, a food critic? Kojou grumbled internally, his chin in his palm. His face was visibly dismayed.
“Geez… I was wondering what this ‘big favor’ was, but it’s nothing but being your mule. Just what do you think your seniors are here for?” he continued.
“Well, that’s why I’m treating you to ice cream, isn’t it? You can at least come shopping when it’s your cute little sister asking. We can’t take our time at the shops if we’re lugging all that around, can we?”
As Nagisa spoke, she pointed to the large bags sitting at Kojou’s feet. There were three people’s worth of street clothes and bags. It was enough luggage that you’d think she was moving out.
“If you needed a travel bag, we’ve got one at home.” Kojou pointed at the largest shopping bag as he spoke. It was luggage Nagisa had bought on impulse, handing over an extravagant sum at the counter.
However, Nagisa grimaced, nose scrunching. “You mean the sports bag you used before? No way. I mean, that thing stinks from all the jerseys in the boys’ locker room.”
“Oh, come on, it doesn’t stink that much!” Kojou sullenly replied.
Yukina, unable to contain herself any longer as the siblings quarreled, let out a small chuckle.
Nagisa puffed up her cheeks in an emphatic pout. “You just complain too much, Kojou. And in front of these gi
rls, too! A lot of guys would get sex changes if it meant being able to go out with Yukina and Kanon.”
Kojou clutched his head as he groaned. “I think that’s overstating it a little… Middle school guys aren’t that messed up, right…?”
He thought she had to be joking, but that he couldn’t completely dismiss it terrified him. That was how off the charts Yukina’s and Kanon’s looks were, beautiful enough that they were actually very hard to approach, but—
Noticing that Kanon was gazing into space rather than joining the conversation, Kojou asked, “What is it, Kanase? You’re spacing out there.”
Kanon blushed a little. She shook her head, swaying her seemingly transparent silver hair. “I’m sorry, the tasty ice cream just made me so happy.”
Her smile and delight in such an ordinary thing completely captivated Kojou.
Born as an illegitimate child of the former King of Aldegia, she had no conscious appreciation of the tremendous spiritual power exclusive to the royal line that she’d inherited. Lacking any memory of either parent, she had been raised since infancy as an orphan at an abbey. But she’d lost that home due to some incident, and her adoptive father modified her into the monster known as Faux-Angel—Kanon’s past was a nigh-unbearable series of painful experiences.
Yet she was able to smile with such happiness in spite of it all. Her gentle expression was truly worthy of what they called her: a Saint.
His face red and eyes turned away, Kojou offered the remaining ice cream scoop in his cup.
“You can have this, too, if you want…”
There was just too much of Lulu’s ice cream that Nagisa loved for Kojou’s stomach to handle.
Kanon’s eyes seemed to twinkle in delight.
“I’ll have one bite, then… Actually, I’ve become rather fond of strawberry.”
“Good to hear.”
Seeing Kanon as happy as a puppy, Kojou sighed with relief and patted his chest, when suddenly—
“Ah, Akatsuki, you have ice cream on your face.”
“Eh?”
As Kanon spoke, she wiped Kojou’s lips with a napkin. Kojou, frozen in surprise, felt several dagger-like stares from nearby. Nagisa and Yukina were indeed glaring at him, though he had no idea why.
“Err… Did you girls…want to have some strawberry, too?”
“That is not it.”
“Idiot!”
Both girls gave him frigid responses. Kojou grimaced without any clue as to what was going on.
Nagisa, giving in to her anger, wolfed down her remaining ice cream.
“Oh yeah, there! We’re going in that store!”
As Kojou and Yukina spotted the store Nagisa was pointing out, they exclaimed at virtually the same time:
“Eh?!”
The display window was adorned with mannequins wearing gorgeous lingerie. It looked like an underwear store, any way you sliced it.
What kind of grudge do they have against me? Kojou frowned, but the looks of interest coming over Yukina’s and Kanon’s faces showed they were intrigued. Apparently it wasn’t a total turnoff to the group.
“And hey, there’s a sale, too. I mean, we’d better have the right underwear for the field trip, don’t you think?”
“Hey, I think that one’ll look good on you, Yukina!” Nagisa announced. “You can let me pick yours, too, Kanon. I’ll do awesome coordinating. Oh, and Kojou, you stay put outside!”
“I wouldn’t go in if you begged me to!!”
Nagisa grabbed the hesitating girls and pulled them into the underwear store.
Watching the girls’ backs as they left, Kojou sighed, dead tired.
He always felt worn out from shopping with Nagisa, but she seemed even higher strung than usual. No doubt she was looking forward to the field trip just that much. Because, while he did find it hard to keep up with her, he knew Nagisa had another reason for being excited: Four years earlier, demons had gravely wounded her in an incident, resulting in prolonged hospitalization. This was her first trip abroad since her discharge—of course she was dancing on a cloud.
Hope nothing bad happens with her all full of herself like that, Kojou brooded. When he lifted his head, he noticed an unfamiliar man approaching.
He was wearing a pure white jacket; his tie and hat bore a red-and-white checkered pattern. His left hand was gripping a silver cane. By external appearance, he seemed about twenty years old, give or take, but he looked like he could be considerably older—or younger—than that.
Either way, the figure gave off the air of a stage magician. In fact, he stopped right in front of Kojou and tipped his hat by way of greeting.
“G’day.”
Kojou stood up and returned the greeting. “Same to you.”
On reflex, he’d fallen back into his old athletic club habit of always politely returning a greeting. Perhaps the man found Kojou’s reaction unexpected, since he narrowed his eyes but smiled in delight.
His eyes were frightfully red, like the color of fresh blood—
“That silver-haired girl just now. Pretty, isn’t she?”
“Well, yeah.”
Though the man’s suspiciously chummy attitude put Kojou on guard, he promptly agreed. He had no reason to say no.
“You seem to get along with her very well… She wouldn’t be your lover, by any chance?”
A misunderstanding would have been troublesome, so Kojou replied honestly. “No, just a junior at school. She’s my little sister’s friend.”
Kojou kept himself from saying any more than that. He was starting to sense a malevolent aura around this man. It was…the scent of blood.
“So who are you, anyway? You don’t look like you’re recruiting for the circus, so…?”
“Me? I am One Who Seeks the Truth.”
Kojou was momentarily at a loss. “…Huh?”
Abruptly, something from the man’s right arm whipped out like a snake.
It was glittering metal along its length, a viscous steel-colored liquid. It snaked around Kojou’s arm and began to invade Kojou’s very flesh. It felt like his skin was dissolving, giving him profound malaise, and yet, an oddly pleasant sensation—
But only a single layer of Kojou’s skin had been dissolved when the fluid suddenly seemed to boil and snap back. It exploded and dissipated, unable to withstand Kojou’s vast magical energy, much like being electrocuted after grabbing a live wire.
Kojou glared at his company, scowling as the strange sensation stuck to his flesh.
“What the hell was that?!”
Kojou seriously didn’t want to imagine what would’ve happened to him if he’d been an ordinary human being and that liquid had completely corroded his body; he was certain it would’ve been a disaster.
The man looked at his own right arm, scrutinizing it.
“Hmmm. You managed to stop it. I had an odd feeling about you earlier, but… You’re not human, are you? An unregistered demon… A vampire, yes? It would seem you’re not some kind of bodyguard dispatched by the Aldegian royal family, though. I wanted to kill you quietly without attracting attention, but—oh well!”
“Uh—?!”
The man raised his right arm once more.
The silver liquid gushed from his fingertips. It transformed into a slender, sharp blade, slicing horizontally at Kojou with incredible force. Even with his vampiric reaction speed, Kojou couldn’t completely track the attack.
As he hit the dirt, a lamppost behind him was cut cleanly in half.
This was no mere liquid. It was liquid metal, with a weight comparable to quicksilver, re-formed into a high-density blade. Its own weight and centrifugal force made for a powerful weapon.
Kojou desperately evaded the man’s second attack as he countered, voice hard, “Wait… You’re here to kidnap Kanase…?!”
The assailant knew Kanon’s relationship to the Aldegian royal family. The odds of him trying to kidnap her for ransom or use her as a political pawn were high. The point of invading Kojou’s
flesh was simply to force him out of the way, so that the guy could approach Kanon without suspicion.
However, the man only laughed, plainly mocking the suggestion.
“Kidnap? You mean drag her off somewhere…? For a vampire with so much magical power, you sure focus on the most banal things! That girl’s not going anywhere. I just thought she’d make a good offering.”
“Offering…?!”
“What, you didn’t know?”
The man spat on the ground, as if the ignorance offended him.
“Sounds like you don’t know about the incident at Adelard’s Abbey five years ago, either.”
Fleeing the attacks, Kojou came to hide in the shadow of the building. “What’re you talking about?!” he shouted back, irritated.
The offensive power of the man’s steel blade was a menace, but he was no match for Kojou. If Kojou summoned a Beast Vassal, he could no doubt blow the guy away in an instant.
Beast Vassals were summoned beasts that dwelled in vampires’ very own blood; such was their incredible might, even more so for the Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor, the World’s Mightiest Vampire.
But that was precisely why Kojou couldn’t use them: He didn’t know what kind of damage would be done, unleashing their power in the middle of a city like this. One wrong move and Nagisa and the others, still nearby, could be caught in the crossfire.
Fortunately, the guests and staff at the terrace café had run for the hills as soon as the man had attacked—they were residents in a Demon Sanctuary. They were used to stuff like this.
Though he was grateful they hadn’t attracted onlookers, Kojou had no doubt someone would call the authorities; the Island Guard would be on them in no time. He, an unregistered vampire, had no desire to tangle with the guardsmen… Not that he could actually do anything about it. Currently unable to launch a proper counterattack, all Kojou could do was sweat and wait for the cavalry to arrive.
“It’s nothing you need concern yourself with. You’ll die before knowing the truth!”
“Ugh—?!”
The steel blade lashed out, slicing apart a concrete wall. The fragments that fell blocked Kojou’s avenue of escape.
Strike the Blood, Vol. 6 (light novel): Return of the Alchemist Page 3
