The Roses of Tartarus

by Gakuto Mikumo

  “Asagi!!”

  “Huh…?!”

  Asagi, suddenly sent flying by Yaze, rolled onto the grass. The melon she’d been eating rolled onto the ground; she scowled at the pain in her back.

  “Wh…what are you doing, idiot?! You don’t have to get that angry over me eating one stupid melon—”

  “Don’t lift your head!”

  “Huh…?!”

  Yaze yelled at Asagi at virtually the same instant that the fruit on top of the table blasted apart. Even the basket containing the fruit burst apart, scattering fragments all around.

  A flock of seagulls was sent into flight by a discordant ripping sound coming from somewhere far-off.

  “Wh-what the…?”

  Asagi was dumbfounded as her gaze wandered about. Yaze, still pinning Asagi down to shield her, clicked his tongue in irritation.

  “Sniper. Some bastard’s aiming an anti-materiel rifle at us.”

  “S-sniper… You don’t mean—I’m the target?!”

  Asagi’s voice quivered. The car bomb from the day before floated into the back of her mind. Someone was trying to kill her—it seemed like an idiotic notion, but the reality of it had just sunk in.

  “Tch…!”

  With Asagi frozen stiff, Yaze yanked her arm.

  Suddenly, Asagi felt something whizz right by her ear. The garden table exploded behind her at about the same time she heard the sound of the gunshot.

  “Someone’s using incendiary rounds in the middle of a city…?! Are they insane?!”

  Blood completely drained from Yaze’s face.

  Incendiary rounds were a type of multipurpose ammunition developed for military use. Following impact with the target, the explosives contained within burst into the surrounding area, causing a large amount of damage. It was possible to fire them using sniper rifles, but they were so powerful their use against humans was banned under international law.

  However, international regulations held no meaning for Tartarus Lapse, a criminal organization to begin with. The sniper after Asagi’s life was simply that fiendish.

  “We have to move, Asagi! Next shot’s incoming!”

  Asagi was petrified as Yaze broke into a run, practically dragging her along.

  In seeming pursuit of the pair, a new round came flying, smashing the apartment building’s fence apart.

  7

  “No good—can’t get through…!”

  Depression was consuming Kojou as he pressed the cell phone to his ear.

  He’d tried calling over and over, but at this point, he didn’t suspect Asagi would answer. An hour had already passed since Logi had met Kojou and Yukina at the park, more than enough time for December and Carly to carry out Asagi’s assassination.

  “Please calm yourself, senpai! It’s all right; we can still make it!”

  Yukina squeezed Kojou’s fiercely trembling hand as she tried to talk him down.

  “Make it?! But December’s already…”

  “Aiba said she was headed to visit Yaze, yes?”

  “Ah…”

  Yukina’s rational words abruptly snapped Kojou out of it. His constricted range of vision expanded, and the gears in his mind finally began to turn a little.

  “I get it. Yaze’s boarding house is in Island West… Close to here…”

  Kojou and Yukina nodded to each other as they left the animal hospital.

  Asagi’s action to go there was on a whim. With school suddenly suspended, she hadn’t gone home, choosing to intrude on Yaze’s boarding house first. There was more than a slight chance that her spontaneous action had caused a delay in December’s assassination plan. He didn’t think even Tartarus Lapse had the low-rent apartment building Yaze stayed at staked out beforehand.

  The downtown residential district was packed with houses, and finding a sniper’s perch would take time. They hadn’t necessarily pulled the assassination off yet. It was no time to fall into a panic.

  “Shit… If only Natsuki were here at a time like this…”

  Kojou unwittingly voiced his lament as he raced through the narrow streets.

  Even if they were in the same area, Yaze’s boarding house was still a good two monorail stations away. Even Kojou’s vampirized leg strength couldn’t cross that distance in five minutes—or even ten.

  Furthermore, with particularly bad timing, the monorail had just left the nearest station. On an elevated track, the silver-colored train was cruelly passing by above Kojou’s and Yukina’s heads.

  At that time of day, it would probably be a ten-minute wait until the next scheduled train. They had no time to wait for the next one.

  “Himeragi!”

  “Y-yes?”

  When Kojou suddenly looked back, Yukina, caught by surprise, came to a halt. As she did, Kojou picked up the small girl without asking first. His unanticipated action left her frozen stiff.

  “S-senpai…?!”

  “Wrooooooooagh—!!”

  And the next instant, the pair was struck by the bizarre sensation of the sky and soil having swapped places.

  With a floaty feeling, as if freed from the laws of gravity, she felt an unpleasant acceleration, like having fallen from a high-up place. Kicking off the the ground, Kojou’s body, with Yukina still in his arms, danced into the city sky above.

  “This power is…?!” Yukina murmured in astonishment as she clung to Kojou’s neck.

  Having become distanced from the surface of the ground with incredible force, they were gently approaching it once more. It was leaping ability impossible by any normal estimation. Kojou’s entire body was enveloped by a pitch-black vortex of demonic energy particles.

  Kojou knew this demonic energy. It was that of the Fourth Primogenitor’s Beast Vassal Number Seven, the intelligent weapon, Kiffa Ater—it was the same demonic energy, with the ability to control gravity, shrouding that enormous sword.

  “That Beast Vassal’s power… You can control it now?!”

  “Control?”

  When a surprised Yukina posed that question, Kojou tilted his head, perplexed.

  “Er, I don’t really get it…but I felt like it was gonna work out!”

  “Y-you can’t just irresponsibly go about…”

  A building’s rooftop approached before Yukina’s astounded eyes. Still holding her in his arms, Kojou was leaping at distances surpassing thirty meters. A large crater formed in the top of the building from the impact of the landing. The more the Beast Vassal used its demonic energy to protect Kojou’s and Yukina’s bodies, the more the damage was shifted to the area around them.

  They had no time to worry about that, though. Heedless of the concrete smashing apart under his feet, Kojou leaped again. His landing point was the roof of a moving monorail train.

  He landed on the monorail with a heavy dent in its aluminum alloy roof. The blow itself sent a heavy creak through the train itself. A single misstep and a great tragedy would have resulted.

  Yukina, about to reproach him for that, looked to him as he rested on one knee. Then she exclaimed out of concern, “Senpai…!”

  “It’s all right… It’s all right…”

  Kojou heaved with ragged breaths as his eyes glowed with blue flame. The pitch-black particles swirling around his entire body spread out in the form of a pair of misshapen wings. Clearly, he was in no normal state. It was the cost of drawing out the demonic energy of a Beast Vassal while remaining in human form. His body was becoming further like that of a vampire.

  “After we’re done saving Asagi, I refuse to do anything this tiring again—not even if you beg me.”

  As Yukina blanched, Kojou shot her a frail smile.

  The Fourth Primogenitor’s watcher pressed closer to him. Her narrow shoulders trembled, like those of a child fearful of being left behind.

  “Yes… I promise…”

  “H-Himeragi, calm down… We’re touching in all…kinds of places…”

  The soft sensation of her body against his unnerved him enough that
he forgot his fatigue.

  It was then that a tiny light flashed in the corner of Kojou’s vision. After a second’s delay, a residential yard burst into flames. He could have sworn he faintly heard a gunshot over the sound of the running monorail.

  “Senpai, just now—?!”

  “That’s from Yaze’s apartment building!”

  Grasping that something had happened, Kojou stood, still holding Yukina. It was an anti-material rifle firing from a long range. Tartarus Lapse’s sniper had fired—and Asagi was her target.

  “Please, senpai. Go!” Yukina shouted.

  “On it!”

  With her voice urging him on, Kojou leaped from the monorail’s roof.

  Holding back for fear of causing damage to the train, his jump got him not even ten meters before he landed on top of a nearby building and regained his balance.

  “One more!”

  “Yeah!”

  Spreading his black particle wings, Kojou kicked off a second time.

  That instant, strength drained from Kojou’s entire body. The demonic energy particles dissipated, and he was struck by gravity reasserting itself.

  “—?!”

  “Senpai?!”

  Having lost his gravity control, his balance was greatly thrown awry. Kojou tumbled back-first to shield Yukina. Protected from the fall, she stood up without injury.

  With a quick motion, Yukina drew her spear.

  She pointed its silver tip toward the sight of a small-statured girl wearing goggles. Controlling Kojou’s Beast Vassal, nullifying its gravity control power, was her doing.

  The leader of Tartarus Lapse stood before them, visibly obstructing their path.

  “So you came after all, Kojou Akatsuki. I left it to Takehito to persuade you, but it seems that he failed.”

  Just like the first time they’d met, December spoke in a carefree tone.

  Kojou wiped off the blood coursing from his forehead and got to his feet.

  “Outta my way, December—!”

  “Unfortunately, I can’t do that.” December took off her goggles. In their place emerged blue eyes that shined and flickered like fire. “Asagi Aiba cannot be allowed to live. She is simply too dangerous a being to—”

  “Don’t try to stop me!”

  He didn’t wait for December to finish speaking. That was because he saw Tartarus Lapse’s sniper lining up her shot. The yard in front of Yaze’s apartment building burst into flames.

  He didn’t know if Asagi was dead or alive, but from that one attack, he did have an accurate read on the sniper’s location.

  She was on top of a building with a direct line of sight to Kojou and Yukina, just shy of two kilometers away. If he used one of the Fourth Primogenitor’s Beast Vassals, he could burn away something at that range with ease.

  “C’mon over, Regulus Aurum!”

  Kojou set his eyes on the under-construction building where the sniper was stationed as he unleashed his Beast Vassal.

  His summoned giant lion scattered lightning all about.

  It didn’t matter who this sniper named Carly was. Kojou’s fully unleashed Beast Vassal would mow her down and annihilate her before she could get her next shot off regardless.

  However, December did indeed bar him from doing so. The Beast Vassal she had summoned unleashed its glowing, silver-colored demonic energy, blocking the lightning lion’s path.

  “Withdraw, Regulus Aurum!”

  “Why, you…!!” Kojou growled. Fresh blood flowed from his lips as he bit them.

  The lightning lion’s movements came to a halt, as if caught by some invisible net. Flickering behind December was a huge Beast Vassal radiating light, almost like some kind of crystal.

  A Beast Vassal that controlled the Beast Vassals of others—

  The demonic energy of the transparent Beast Vassal overcame the lightning lion by force.

  However, this did not cause Kojou to hesitate.

  Asagi’s life was in danger that very moment. If that was how December wanted it, Kojou was left with no choice but to move her aside by force.

  “C’mon over—!”

  Kojou swung both arms above his head. Unleashing demonic energy so vast that it was off the charts, the impact made the very air warp. Dense demonic energy swirled around, coalescing into new summoned beasts.

  “C’mon over, Mesarthim Adamas! Al-Nasl Minium! Al-Meissa Mercury—!”

  “Withdraw, Mesarthim Adamas! Al-Nasl Minium! Al-Meissa Mercury!” December shouted over Kojou.

  The radiance from the transparent Beast Vassal’s entire body increased. It seized full control of the three new Beast Vassals Kojou had called forth.

  But the act was reckless, even for her. The demonic energy required to make multiple Beast Vassals obey simultaneously increased by leaps and bounds. Unable to withstand the strain of the demonic energy, December’s flesh was torn asunder. Her lips contorted in pain, and fresh blood coursed from every pore.

  December was being tormented by the backlash from Kojou’s demonic energy.

  “Senpai, you mustn’t! Any more than this and—!”

  Yukina let out an unfettered shriek. Kojou was being damaged by the demonic energy strain in equal measure. Kojou’s flesh was cracking over his entire body, and blood came up with every ragged cough.

  Even so, he smiled ferociously. December’s ability was not all-powerful. She couldn’t control Kojou’s Beast Vassals without paying a price in the process. Knowing that was enough.

  “—C’mon over, Kiffa Ater!”

  Kojou summoned another. A giant sword appeared, its blade over a hundred meters in length. The tip of that blade was turned toward the under-construction building behind December.

  Twisting gravity to its own ends, the giant sword shot out parallel to the ground. December’s Beast Vassal sustained the blow. The collision of enormous demonic energy caused the ground to quake, forcing buildings to collapse around them one after another.

  “Withdraw…my brethren…please…!”

  December screamed out. Unable to withstand the backlash of demonic energy, she wobbled and fell to her knees.

  However, Kojou had already surpassed his own limits. The possession from December’s Beast Vassal affected not only his Beast Vassals, but Kojou, their host and master. The mental damage alone left him far more depleted than she was.

  “Please stand back, senpai! I will deal with—”

  Yukina poised her silver spear and moved to the fore. Even with the power of Snowdrift Wolf, it was no easy feat to rend the vortex of explosive demonic energy whipping around December.

  Even so, Yukina did not falter, closing the distance with her opponent.

  If Kojou’s and December’s demonic energy continued running rampant, neither would walk away unscathed. The only one who could put a stop to that was Yukina.

  “—!!”

  But when she was only a few short steps from reaching December, Yukina reflexively leaped back. A geyser of incredible flames burst up before the Sword Shaman’s eyes.

  It was an incandescent mirage burning thin air itself—a sneak attack using pyrokinesis.

  “Mr. Logi…?!”

  The indigo-haired homunculus was rushing to December’s side. December’s Tartarus Lapse comrade had appeared to assist her.

  Then, as Yukina stood stiffly, the bang of a cruel gunshot rang out.

  Kojou was down on both knees as fresh blood burst from his back.

  Standing behind Kojou, holding a pistol, was Takehito Senga. He had shot Kojou from behind.

  “Takehito Senga—!”

  Silver spear poised, Yukina broke into a sprint. In a single burst of motion, she closed the distance and struck the pistol out of his hands.

  But before she could do so, Senga had pumped Kojou full of every last bullet remaining.

  Kojou had taken six rounds in total, his entire body smeared with blood. Even so, Kojou never tried to stop summoning his Beast Vassals.

  “…C’mon over… Sadal
melik Albus! Cor-tau…ri…!”

  “Gah…!”

  The two Beast Vassals freshly called by Kojou materialized.

  December spat out blood as she tried to control them.

  Unable to withstand the force of the demonic energy surging out of her, the goggles burst apart, and her helmet fell from her head. The long hair she had kept within unraveled, spreading wildly.

  Depending on the refraction of the light, her rainbowlike hair periodically changed color. Golden hair, like billowing flames—

  “December!”

  Logi and Senga both raced to her side.

  Kojou and Yukina stared at the spectacle in astonishment.

  They were not shocked when they set eyes on December’s unadorned, cherubic face for the first time. It was quite the opposite. Both Kojou and Yukina knew her face. They had seen it many times before…from within Kojou’s own memories.

  “…What the…? Why…?” Kojou murmured in a broken voice. Yukina wordlessly bit her lip.

  As they gazed at December in shock, her smile looked so sad. It was a smile drenched in loneliness.

  “You have done well, December—you’ve done enough.”

  Senga held the wounded December in his arms as wooden spell tablets swirled all around them. The markings carved into the spell tablets glowed, forming a simplified magical circle around them. It was a teleportation ritual.

  “Time’s up. Raan—activate the Roses!”

  Senga directed the command toward his earpiece mic.

  Yukina’s expression froze at the echo of the word Roses.

  However, Senga and the others’ forms grew faint before she could ask what that meant. The teleportation ritual had activated. The group vanished, leaving nothing behind but a faint shimmer, like a ripple in thin air.

  “December… What the hell are you…?”

  Kojou, his strength seemingly exhausted, collapsed then and there.

  Fresh blood flowed out of him with no sign of ceasing, pooling all around him. He bore wounds grave enough that it would be unsurprising for a normal person to have died instantly from them. However, Kojou was beside himself, likely not even noticing what agony he was in.