“I…see. Perhaps that might be the cause…”
Yukina pointed toward a large television placed in the airport’s waiting area. There was a grainy satellite image being displayed on the TV screen. The image was from overseas news footage with no Japanese text apparent. It was the scene of some overseas city he didn’t recognize; Kojou could see damaged buildings and people injured by bombs and shells.
“What is that…? A war?”
Standing beside Kojou, Yukina replied, “Yes,” nodding with a grave look.
Having received a specialized education from the Lion King Agency, Yukina’s scholastics were already up to a high school graduate level. Apparently, she could easily read English at the degree used in a typical news broadcast.
“It seems that a civil war has broken out in the Chaos Zone. Apparently, a military unit deployed near the Confederate States of America launched an armed uprising and is demanding its own autonomous region.”
“The Chaos Zone…?” Kojou’s brows rose as he recognized the region’s name. “That’s the country of that Giada woman, right?”
“Yes. It is the Dominion in Central America, ruled by the Third Primogenitor, the Chaos Bride.”
“…Oh yeah? …I’m kinda surprised, somehow.”
Kojou murmured to himself as he recalled the sight of the beautiful, emerald-haired, jade-eyed vampiress.
Kojou had encountered Giada Kukulkin, one of the three publicly recognized primogenitors, only a month earlier. She oozed off-the-charts combat capability and exceptional charisma.
“Surprised?”
“Yeah. I mean, if there’s a revolt, doesn’t that mean her people are unhappy with her somehow? Or is she what you’d call, well, a tyrant?” Kojou said, tilting his head. “It didn’t look that way to me.”
The Third Primogenitor whom Kojou had met came with overwhelming power and majesty befitting the title, but she didn’t seem like an unreasonable individual. If anything, she felt like a very humanlike vampiress, coming off as calculating but playful. The charming personality she’d displayed shouldn’t have been that far off the mark.
“No, certainly the primogenitors rule the Dominions in name, but they do not directly govern their nations. There are elected legislatures and qualified bureaucrats, and besides, the First and Second Primogenitors have not appeared before their populaces in decades.”
“Really?”
Kojou felt even more mystified. But now that he thought of it, he didn’t know what the First or Second Primogenitors looked like. He didn’t even remember seeing photographs of them.
“Among them, only the Chaos Bride is known to ordinarily prowl ab—er, travel around her Dominion, observing her people and speaking to them about their concerns, so she should enjoy zealous support from the population. Nor should law and order or the domestic economy be in a poor state. It seems all this places considerable stress on those tasked with watching her, but…,” Yukina politely explained, even letting her own private thoughts slip in midway.
“I see,” said Kojou in agreement. Apparently, his first impression of Giada wasn’t that far off after all. That made the current state of the Chaos Zone all that more suspicious.
“So why’s there a revolt, then?”
“That is probably—,” Yukina began, but her words suddenly stopped when she seemed to notice something. Kojou, following her surprised gaze, blithely turned his head around.
In that direction was a corridor leading from the arrival lobby to the airport’s central entrance. Furthermore, standing there was a silver-haired man wearing a demon registration bracelet on his left arm. He was handsome and young, his demeanor evoking a cold, edged weapon. He was also someone Kojou knew quite well—and was on his list of individuals he never wanted to meet again.
“Huh?! You’re—”
“Senpai, stand back!”
Yukina advanced to the fore, as if to shield the shocked Kojou. She reached a hand toward the guitar case on her back, poised to draw her spear out at any moment.
The silver-haired youth gazed at Kojou’s and Yukina’s reactions with a scornful sigh.
“Oh, it’s you, Kojou Akatsuki. Just like you to be fondling a little girl’s butt.”
He spoke in a challenging tone. Hearing this, Kojou and Yukina barked back at the same time.
“I ain’t fondling her!”
“He is not fondling me!”
Seeing the two in perfect sync, the silver-haired youth exhaled and laughed indifferently. As he did so, Kojou glared at him with naked animosity.
“You’re the vampire on Vattler’s ship, Kira’s partner—”
“Tobias Jagan! Remember it already!”
This time, it was the blond youth’s turn to make an angry retort.
Tobias Jagan was an aristocrat born in the Warlord’s Empire in Western Europe. He was an Old Guard vampire, a direct descendant of the First Primogenitor, the Lost Warlord.
He resided on Itogami Island as a confidant to Dimitrie Vattler, Duke of Ardeal and also Warlord’s Empire nobility, but his position was closer to an enemy of Kojou’s. Furthermore, for some reason, he acted like he hated Kojou for personal reasons. At any rate, he wasn’t a vampire to take lightly.
Kojou, glaring at Jagan across Yukina’s shoulder, yelled, “What the hell are you doing here?!”
Jagan snorted in visible scorn. “I am under no obligation to answer questions from you, fool.”
“Oh yeah?!”
Indignant, Kojou closed the distance with Jagan. Yukina hastily held the angry Kojou back.
“Senpai, please calm down a little!”
“…You’re in the arrival lobby… So you’re here waiting for someone?” Kojou asked.
“Well, well…” went Jagan at Kojou’s unexpectedly calm observation. He wore an expression seemingly wary of Kojou’s sharp eyes. “Hmph. So even you possess intelligence equal to a kindergartener’s… Color me impressed.”
“Well, don’t be!”
Jagan’s tone, as if expressing heartfelt admiration, only irritated Kojou further. However, it seemed Jagan was not in any mood to humor Kojou.
“Begone, pest.”
Pushing past Kojou and Yukina, who were obstructing his path, Jagan walked straight down the corridor. But as if remembering something, he stopped, looked back, and opened his mouth with a grudging expression. With emotion and reason in conflict, reason seemed to have barely won out.
“Listen up, Kojou Akatsuki. My business does not include unproductive combat with you. Nor is it of direct import with this island.”
“Huh?”
“So don’t bother worrying and carry on…until His Excellency returns at least!”
With that one-sided statement, he ignored Kojou and Yukina and walked off, that time for good.
“What’s with him?” Kojou muttered, shrugging his shoulders as he glared at the departing man’s back. “His Excellency means Vattler, right? What does he mean, until the guy’s back?”
“I do not know… However, he spoke as if the Duke of Ardeal is not on Itogami Island…”
Yukina closed her eyes and quietly sank into thought. Then, lifting her face as if remembering something, she ran outside the building. Kojou, having no idea what was going on, chased after her.
She headed to an open space inside the airport with a view overlooking the sea.
“Senpai, look there.”
As Yukina spoke, she pointed to a pier in the harbor district. Built alongside the central airport, the giant international passenger ship terminal served with the airport as the entrance to Itogami Island, twin symbols for the man-made island’s eastern district. That very moment, numerous cruise ships were moored there.
Even among such company, the Oceanus Grave II, the mega-yacht owned by Dimitrie Vattler, stood out. The privately owned vessel was an ocean liner of such stature that it rivaled a naval destroyer in size.
However, at the moment, that majestic floating castle was nowhere to be seen. The utter
ly unmistakable sight of the huge ship had vanished from Itogami Harbor.
The Oceanus Grave II had departed without either Kojou or Yukina realizing it. Where had it sailed off to and its owner, Vattler, with it…?
“Vattler’s ship is…gone?” Kojou murmured, dumbfounded.
The civil war in the Chaos Zone, Jagan’s mysterious behavior—that series of ill portents made Kojou, who would normally be glad for Vattler’s absence, all the more concerned. The timing seemed especially poor.
That said, Kojou possessed no means of discerning Vattler’s true intent.
“…”
He and Yukina, standing beside him, held each other’s gaze, the two seemingly sharing a sigh. Apparently, Kojou and Yukina were fated to be led around by Vattler even when he was nowhere to be found.
5
In the end, Kojou and Yukina arrived back at their apartment building close to ten AM. They’d spent the excess time searching for Jagan at the airport to check on the whereabouts of the Oceanus Grave II, absent from its pier.
However, in the end, they were unable to gain any leads on Vattler’s location. Even checking the Net—and with the Lion King Agency—had yielded no details. As a result, Kojou and Yukina had spent all that time for naught.
And back in the present—
Kojou was staring at Yukina, wielding a rugged combat knife in the Akatsuki residence kitchen, with a dubious look on his face.
“I shall handle this. Senpai, please go on ahead—”
With those words, Yukina violently swung down with the knife.
The polished blade sank deeply into the mass of meat, severing it without a sound.
“No way. I can’t leave this to you all by yourself, Himeragi!” Kojou earnestly attempted to stop her.
Kojou’s right hand was gripping a sharp blade in its own right—a stainless steel, multipurpose chef’s knife.
“Why can you not entrust this to me?!”
For once, Yukina glared at Kojou with visible emotion on her face. Right beside her was a metallic-colored, two-handed pot, making a soft sound as it simmered over a gas-burner flame.
“Well, what exactly do you plan to do with that mayonnaise in your hand?!”
“Th-this is to add flavor!”
Yukina, dressed in an apron, hid the mayonnaise in her hand behind her back as her shoulders shuddered a little.
With a practiced hand, Kojou lightly peeled daikon radishes as he insisted, “No, that’s not right! This is meat we’re talking about!”
“Mayonnaise has many nutritional benefits. After all, there are cases of stranded mountain climbers having survived hunger thanks to licking the mayonnaise they had on hand!”
“That hypothetical situation’s got nothing to do with this!”
Having tried and failed to desperately explain it away, Yukina grudgingly put the condiment down. Seeing this, Kojou audibly exhaled in relief.
The time was 12:40 PM. They were preparing a slightly late lunch.
With Nagisa absent for the time being, Kojou had meant to stock up on grub and convenience store bento boxes, but Yukina had voiced opposition to this. She claimed ready-made food was lacking in nutrition; apparently, with Nagisa gone, Yukina had taken on responsibility for Kojou’s dietary regimen herself.
Of course, Kojou had little objection to home cooking per se, but—
“That doesn’t mean you need to force yourself to help me, Himeragi. Lately, Nagisa’s been taking care of it, but I was cooking for myself a lot during middle school.”
“No, I can cook, too. I received survival training from the Lion King Agency, after all.” She proudly added, “Leave it to me.”
Apparently, that very training was the culprit behind her waving around a combat knife in place of a chef’s.
“Oh, fine, then. Setting aside flavoring the meat, go ahead and set the sashimi, Himeragi.”
“Understood. Well, then…”
With one hand, Yukina received the plate Kojou offered her as she set the combat knife down. For a moment, Kojou doubted his own eyes when he saw what she had picked up in its place.
“Wait a sec! Why are you picking up the mayo now…?!”
“…Are you saying that ketchup would be better?”
“This ain’t sunny-side up eggs, so cut both out! At least don’t put any on my por—”
“Tee-hee, I am kidding. I am not so bereft of taste for that.” Seeing Kojou seriously nervous sent Yukina giggling with a teasing smile.
“…Gimme a break.” Kojou weakly exhaled, drained of strength. As usual, he couldn’t put his finger on Yukina’s sense of humor.
Yukina focused on earnestly setting the plates for a while, perhaps thinking she’d gone just a trifle too far. Kojou silently peeled the daikon radishes in the meantime.
With calm returning to the kitchen, the only sounds were of boiling meat and the two performing their respective tasks. It was that serenity, with both in close, crowded quarters, that suddenly made each of them conscious of their situation.
For some reason, Yukina’s tone was awkward as she commented, “Y-you know, it’s very quiet without Nagisa around.”
Perhaps she was trying to ease the tension in her own way. However, thanks to her saying Nagisa isn’t here, that fact came into even sharper relief in both of their minds. Yes—Nagisa would not be returning home that day. They were alone with each other till nightfall.
Stay frosty, Kojou told himself.
There ought not to have been anything odd about being alone with Yukina; she was the watcher of the Fourth Primogenitor. It was her duty to be at his side like that.
Kojou had no reason to be tense. The fact that he had Yukina on his mind more than usual was, in his opinion, Gajou’s fault for having run his mouth the day before about wanting to see the faces of his grandkids.
“Geez, kids, my ass. That moron…”
Kojou subconsciously murmured it to himself. Yukina shuddered, her body going rigid in apparent fright as she said:
“K-kids…?”
“Er, n-nope! I definitely didn’t say that! I meant…eggs! We’ve got some eggs left in the fridge, so I was thinking, best to use ’em up ASAP.”
“I—I see.” Yukina’s smiling face was tense as she nodded.
He seemed to have lowered her guard a bit, but the uncomfortable, awkward atmosphere still remained. The more he noticed the awkwardness, the more nervous he became.
“Ah, sorry.”
When Kojou went to take the same napkin Yukina was reaching for, his fingertips brushed her hand. Both Kojou and Yukina stopped moving with their hands remaining overlapped.
“I—I am sorry!”
“No, my bad.”
Kojou and Yukina forced their frozen bodies to move, pulling their hands away. It was one brief moment, but it had felt unusually long. The silence that assailed them once more felt heavy.
“H-how about we turn on the TV?”
“L-let us do that.”
Unable to endure the serenity, both spoke to that effect as they shifted to the living room. It just so happened that the first channel to be displayed was airing the same overseas news service they’d seen at the airport.
“Civil war, huh…”
Setting his eyes upon that cruel reality made Kojou finally feel like his head had cooled off.
Even if the events were taking place in a far-off nation, it was a war involving a fellow vampire primogenitor. Kojou couldn’t manage to feel like it didn’t concern him.
Apparently, the silver lining was that the civil war had yet to escalate into a fully-fledged armed conflict. There had yet to be reports of civilian fatalities.
“Come to think of it, we were talking about this before, but why are they rebelling anyway?”
Kojou continued watching the screen as he posed the question. Yukina had been on the verge of divulging the information back at the airport.
“It is probably…a border dispute, but…”
“…Border dispu
te?”
“Yes. Besides the Chaos Zone, the continent of North America contains two large nations, the Confederate States of America and the North American Union. It is the CSA that directly borders the Chaos Zone, however.”
“Ahh… Come to think of it, I think we had a geography lesson on that.”
Kojou vaguely remembered the countries on a world map. The NAU was composed of everything from Alaska to the Great Lakes region, and the interior of the continent was covered by the CSA. From there, the southern part of North America and the Caribbean Sea were governed by the Chaos Zone—such were the three major countries comprising most of North America.
“It is said that the border between the Chaos Zone and the CSA is a vast treasure trove of mineral wealth. Accordingly, there have been repeated disputes between the two nations over the border territories belonging to them. However, because it has the NAU at its back, the CSA cannot engage in large-scale hostilities.”
“Meaning it’s bad if they got trapped in a pincer, huh?”
Kojou understood the gist of Yukina’s explanation. The powerful NAU was lurking behind the CSA’s back. Depleting itself in a conflict with the Chaos Zone would only be to the CSA’s disadvantage.
“Yes. Therefore, I believe the CSA has instigated rebellious elements within the Chaos Zone. No matter how great the Chaos Bride’s popularity, there are still beast-men supremacists chafing under the rule of vampires and ethnic minorities seeking autonomy.”
“So the CSA next door is pulling the rebel army’s strings… Come to think of it, that makes a lot of sense.”
Kojou made a heavy grimace as he nodded. With that reasoning, he, too, could understand why there was a revolt in the Chaos Zone ruled by the Third Primogenitor. Malcontents were bound to appear, no matter how benign the monarch. If an enemy nation approached such people—and provided weapons and financing—inciting a revolt was surely no difficult task.
“I suppose so. But there is one thing that bothers me—”
“What?”
“No matter how much weaponry and financial support the CSA might provide, if the Third Primogenitor was serious, she ought to be able to wipe out an entire regional capital garrison single-handedly. Surely the soldiers of a Dominion are not ignorant about how terrifying a primogenitor is, and yet—”
Bride of the Dark God Page 4
