Strike the Blood - Volume 15 - Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE 

ALRESCHA GLACIES 

1 

The artificial earth trembled. 

Scattered concrete fragments poured down onto the sea’s surface like rain. The sun’s afterglow dyed the hovering cloud of dust red. The horde of over a thousand Intelligent Weapons unleashed by Aradahl charged over and over, blotting out Kojou completely. 

Yukina and the others gazed at that ghastly spectacle from a lifeboat on the deck of an extravagant ship. 

“—Oh my, a scathing attack from Chairman Aradahl. The Fourth Primogenitor has been sent flying—!” 

The beautiful blond in a ring-girl outfit was doing live commentary from the center of the deck. Listening to her announcements, the guests aboard the ship let out a stir of admiration. Even they had rarely seen such relentless combat between vampires. 

The artificial isle’s construction materials were laid bare from ceaseless Beast Vassal attacks tearing up the ground in all directions. 

Kojou just barely managed to endure Aradahl’s ferocious assault. To fend off the pitch-black short swords, he had deployed a bulwark in front of him that appeared to be made of diamond. 

However, Kojou had no room to counterattack. His entire body was riddled with lacerations, and a mist of fresh blood sprayed into the air. The concrete fragments sent scattering about by Aradahl’s attack were surely what had wounded Kojou much like shrapnel. The amount of blood lost was slight, but Kojou’s face was twisted in agony and nervousness. 

“Sen…pai…” 

Staring at Kojou wounded all over, Yukina clasped both hands as if in prayer. 

Standing at Yukina’s side was Natsuki, her lace-rimmed fan spread wide. Sitting in a chair placed in front of the girls, Glenda was cringing in visible fear. 

The reason for other guests on the deck to send inquisitive gazes in her direction was likely because they knew Glenda was the prize of the duel. But Yukina realized that there was a whiff of bewilderment mixed with those gazes. 

So they truly did not know the real reason Aradahl was after Glenda either— 

“What are you doing, Kojou Akatsuki?! Get it together already…!” 

In contrast, in a place largely removed from Yukina and company, Sayaka was raising a loud voice. She was leaning over the deck’s handrail, quite worked up as she waved around the sword in her hand. 

Gazing rather coolly from behind her was La Folia. 

“Please sit, Sayaka. You are interfering with the other guests’ ability to watch the duel.” 

“But, Princess… At this rate, if Kojou loses…” 

A conflicted look came over Sayaka as La Folia scolded her with a smile. It was La Folia herself whose destiny had been wagered on the outcome of the duel. 

However, in contrast to Sayaka’s inability to settle down, the princess’s elegant smile did not falter. 

“It is not a problem. And the battle has finally become quite thrilling, has it not?” 

“Thrilling or not, this is nothing but Kojou Akatsuki getting thrashed, isn’t it—?!” 

“Is it, now—?” 

La Folia made a suggestive shake of her head. The very next instant, Kojou, supposedly backed into a corner, suddenly launched a counterattack. What appeared in midair, contorting the atmosphere like a mirage, was a bicorn, its entire body shrouded in raging winds. Its roar became a destructive shock wave that indiscriminately mowed the surface of the ground. 

“Here, the Fourth Primogenitor summons a new Beast Vassal. This is incredible; what amazing power—!” 

The announcer’s tension became more heated all at once. The guests on the ship’s topside also looked on in surprise at the destructiveness of Kojou’s Beast Vassal. The shock wave made the surface of the sea choppy, shaking even the purportedly barrier-protected hull of the Oceanus Grave II . 

“—No, that won’t do.” 

Natsuki spoke in a voice bereft of emotion. Yukina turned to her in surprise. 

“Ms. Minamiya…?” 

“It is impressive to the eye, but that’s merely the demolition of the artificial isle. No matter how much demonic energy is scattered about, no indiscriminate flailing will defeat the likes of Aradahl. He is wasting his Beast Vassals.” 

“…” 

Natsuki’s words, delivered with such indifference, prompted Yukina to bite her lip in silence. If unleashed without limit, the Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor possessed the power to wipe Itogami Island itself off the map. Certainly, Aradahl was a powerful vampire, but she didn’t think he outstripped a true primogenitor in total demonic-energy capacity. Perhaps he could be pushed back through raw force—but Yukina’s fleeting hope was erased by the announcer girl’s voice. 

“After coming this far, Chairman Aradahl counterattacks once more! The Fourth Primogenitor is in a daze!! In the face of the chairman’s fierce attack, the Fourth Primogenitor—endures! He endures! He endures! What defensive power! So this is the World’s Mightiest Vampire’s true specialty…or is it?!” 

Clad in the dark armor, Aradahl threaded his way through a gap in the shock wave spat out by the bicorn. Kojou, his vision clouded by gray-colored dust, did not realize this. 

As Aradahl raced like the gale, his right hand gripped one of the dark short swords. Personally poising the Intelligent Weapon he had summoned, Aradahl sliced at Kojou. With control of his Beast Vassal taking up all his concentration, Kojou had no chance of evading the attack! 

“To think that Chairman Aradahl would launch a direct assault! Is this payback for getting punched at the start of the match?! The Fourth Primogenitor’s severed right arm dances in the sky!” 

Snatching his own severed arm out of midair, Kojou retreated. Perhaps because his vampiric powers were so active, when he reattached his right arm, it healed in the blink of an eye. Nevertheless, the mental reeling and the depletion of his endurance had not been restored along with it. An unmistakable air of fatigue colored Kojou’s glowing crimson eyes. 

The moment she saw this, Yukina subconsciously gripped the spear holstered in its case. 

From nowhere in particular, a silver chain appeared, entwining around her wrist. 

“Calm yourself, Yukina Himeragi. In his case, a little spit and polish, and a wound like that will be healed in no time.” 

A thin smile came over Natsuki as she spoke, seeing right through Yukina’s unease. 

“However, if senpai continues losing blood, his consciousness will—” 

“And how does your anxiety help with that?” 

“Urk…” 

Yukina held her tongue. Aradahl had specified that the duel with Kojou was to be one-on-one. If Yukina interfered, that in itself would be considered Kojou’s defeat. Such an action would trample underfoot the battle for which Kojou was risking his life. 

“I understand you being concerned at seeing the man you’ve fallen for hurt, but it is a futile concern.” 

Natsuki turned a sarcastic gaze Yukina’s way. Yukina proceeded to hold her silence for a whole three seconds. 

“—He is merely my target for observation!” 

“Surprisingly rational of you. I am relieved.” 

Looking back as Yukina “corrected” her, Natsuki heaved an exasperated sigh. 

“Yet, it’s all the same in the end. Do not get focused on the wrong person, Yukina Himeragi.” 

“What…do you mean by that?” 

Yukina, slightly thrown off, knit her brows. Natsuki gently stroked Glenda’s steel-colored hair. 

“According to the information I coaxed from this dragon girl, when she was attacked on Blue Elysium by Aradahl, apparently it was Kira Lebedev who aided her in her escape.” 

“Lebedev— The Duke of Voltislava helped Glenda?” 

With deep wariness, Yukina surveyed the topside of the Oceanus Grave II . Kira Lebedev was nowhere within view. However, the fact remained that he was known to be an aristocrat from the militant faction, and he was Vattler’s loyal cohort. There was no question that his actions were connected to Vattler. 

“Of course, upon fleeing to Itogami Island, the dragon would rely on the Kojou Akatsuki of whom she was so fond. That she traced Kojou Akatsuki’s demonic energy to reach Saikai Academy proves the theory correct.” 

“And since the Duke of Severin was chasing after Glenda, he would come into conflict with senpai as a matter of course…” 

“It was no doubt anticipated that Aradahl would demand Kojou Akatsuki fight him in a duel…by someone well aware of Aradahl’s stiff-necked personality, that is.” 

Yukina’s back trembled as she thought back to the uproar on the rooftop that very morning. Kira had aided Glenda, courting conflict between Aradahl and Kojou as a result, with Yukina and Natsuki intervening. Perhaps all of it had been scripted beforehand. All to make the duel between Kojou and Aradahl a reality— 

“Why would someone go through all that trouble?” 

“I have a fair idea what the Master of Serpents is thinking. He is using Aradahl as feed, a stepping-stone to hone Kojou Akatsuki. In doing so, Kojou Akatsuki will draw closer to becoming a complete Fourth Primogenitor.” 

“…He wants senpai to defeat the Duke of Severin?” 

“If Kojou Akatsuki cannot, it means he was not meant to be anything more,” Natsuki coolly explained. 

However, if one looked at it another way, it seemed as if she was certain of Kojou’s victory. The same went for Vattler. If Kojou did not defeat Aradahl, having set up the duel between them would prove meaningless. 

“You are paying attention to the wrong person, Sword Shaman. The issue lies not in Kojou Akatsuki—” 

Natsuki was toying around with Glenda’s hair as she spoke. However, Glenda was concentrating on Kojou’s battle so much that she didn’t even notice. 

On the breakwater, the lethal duel between Kojou and Aradahl continued. The battle was heavily tipped in Aradahl’s favor. Kojou’s Beast Vassal attacks were spectacular, but they had inflicted virtually no damage upon Aradahl. In contrast, the Intelligent Weapons wielded by Aradahl had definitively whittled Kojou’s endurance. His own blood had dyed Kojou’s clothing crimson, which only whipped the spectators into a greater frenzy. 

“Do you not find it strange? Do you think a big shot on Aradahl’s level would come to Itogami Island for one little girl, even if she is a dragon?” 

“That’s—” 

Yukina hesitated midreply. In one sense, it was highly abnormal for a man bearing the title of chairman of the Imperial Assembly to visit the Far East Demon Sanctuary for the sake of a single dragon. If his objective was capturing Glenda, it would have been better had he commanded Vattler, already residing on Itogami Island, to do so. 

“You mean the Duke of Severin had some kind of separate reason for coming to Itogami Island?” 

“This little dragon girl’s existence posed an impediment to his achieving that objective. Do you find my reasoning odd, Yukina Himeragi?” 

“No.” 

Yukina shook her head. Natsuki’s thinking was likely correct. However, in the end, it was nothing but speculation. The only way to find out Aradahl’s true objective was for Kojou to beat him. If Kojou lost, Glenda would be taken from them, and they would forever lose the opportunity to learn Aradahl’s true motive. 

“Senpai…!” 

Staring at the sight of the blood-soaked Kojou, Yukina, as if praying, murmured once more. 

2 

It was right after sunset when Nagisa and company arrived at the breakwater in the open-top convertible. 

With the ominous scarlet dusk in the background, streaks of darkness and light danced about. Two wielders of immense demonic energy were engaged in a vigorous white-knuckle conflict. Their clash made the artificial isle itself tremble, and aftershocks of explosions and raging winds blew over Nagisa and the others. 

“Uwaa, they’re really going at it…,” said the girl in the white dress sitting in the driver’s seat in a guileless voice. She dropped the convertible’s speed, driving onto an empty space at the base of the breakwater. They were some forty to fifty meters from where the pair of demons clashed. Any closer and there was a high possibility of being caught in their cross fire. 

As a matter of fact, a container placed nearby had already been broken several times over, all semblance of its original shape lost. 

“If you like, you can use this.” 

The girl in the black dress in the front passenger seat presented something to Nagisa: binoculars, an expensive version that looked like the type used for military purposes. 

However, Nagisa shook her head without a word. She didn’t even need the binoculars to make out one of the silhouettes fighting. Even a long distance removed, there was no way she could mistake the sight of him. 

“Kojou…” 

Nagisa murmured her older brother’s name. Kojou was fighting, his entire body bearing grievous wounds. He was attended by enormous phantom beasts. Kojou was employing masses of demonic energy summoned from another world so dense, they were sentient and could manifest in physical form. In other words, a vampire’s Beast Vassals— 

“What is this…? Why is Kojou fighting?! Fighting a vampire… Almost like he’s a vampire, too…” 

Still in a daze, Nagisa got out of the car, posing the question to no one in particular. 

Nagisa did not know what was happening. Nor did she know why Kojou was fighting. Then, the confused Nagisa heard the soft, gentle voice of another man. 

“This is because your brother is the Fourth Primogenitor.” 

“…?!” 

Nagisa’s gaze shifted in surprise, settling upon a man in a pure-white three-piece suit who’d come to stand behind Nagisa at some point. He was a handsome, blond young man. There was a smile on his lips that could bewitch the unwary. That grin terrified Nagisa. 

“Fourth…Primogenitor…?” 

“Yes, the Fourth Primogenitor. The World’s Mightiest Vampire.” 

The young man nodded in amusement. As a resident of a Demon Sanctuary, Nagisa knew of the existence of a vampire known as the Fourth Primogenitor. She’d heard any number of urban legends about him since arriving on that island. 

Supposedly, he was a monster who had annihilated numerous cities in times long past, possessing no kin whatsoever, desiring nothing to rule. Served by twelve Beast Vassals that were calamity incarnate, he drank people’s blood, slaughtered, and destroyed: a cold, heartless vampire who existed beyond all doctrines of the world. 

“No way… Kojou can’t be…a vampire…” 

Nagisa vehemently shook her head. She was so scared that her breath caught. 

Her heart was racing. Her vision darkened. Her body could not stop shaking. 

At some point, without her knowledge, the biological older brother she’d trusted to be human had changed into a Demon—and a terrifying, legendary-class vampire at that. But no matter how she might deny it, undeniable spectacles unfolded before her eyes over and over. 

She felt like she’d been deceived. A Demon had crept in a place so very close to her, wearing an innocent face. She was struck by the sense that the world she had believed in had crumbled beneath her feet. She felt disgust, distrust, fear, hatred. Her consciousness was blotted out by negative emotions. 

But deep inside her heart, a voice echoed, denying it all. Someone inside of Nagisa herself, someone unknown to her, was desperately speaking up for Kojou, saying that nothing about him had changed— 

“What are you afraid of, little sister of the primogenitor? Root no longer exists within you,” he whispered in her ear. 

Something trembled at the very bottom of Nagisa’s consciousness. A fragment of some assuredly lost memory floated up, like a shadow behind a canvas. 

“Root… Root Avrora…,” she murmured, dumbfounded. 

“Yes. You destroyed her. Kojou Akatsuki and the other you deep down inside—” 

The young blond man smiled. Nagisa let out a yelp. Her thoughts were a mess, and her vision warped. Her body and consciousness could not cope with the torrent of flashbacks. Kanon drew close in concern, shouting something toward Nagisa, but Nagisa could not hear her voice. 

“Why is…? This can’t be real…” 

Nagisa’s vision was dyed crimson. Inside it, Kojou’s lethal duel continued. Kojou’s expression twisted in agony as a vampire clad in dark armor sliced his body all over. 

“Why, to save you, Nagisa Akatsuki. He quarreled with Root and became the Fourth Primogenitor to save you.” 

Only the voice of the smiling young man reverberated clearly within Nagisa’s mind. Nagisa covered both ears, vehemently shaking her head like a little girl. 

“It’s all my fault… It’s my fault Kojou became a Demon…” 

“That’s right. You’re responsible for all this.” His voice rose, still grinning. Long white vampiric fangs were poking out from his lips. “Had he not become the Fourth Primogenitor, Kojou would not be here in a deadly duel. The opponent he fights is Velesh Aradahl, one of the top-five fighters even in the Warlord’s Empire. As he is now, Kojou cannot defeat him. At this rate, your older brother will be consumed…” 

“Con…sumed…?” 

Nagisa lifted her tear-drenched face. She beheld Vattler, his cruel, snakelike eyes gazing back at her own. 

“Yes. Kojou will be consumed. By the very, very scary vampire—” 

“No… No…” 

Nagisa murmured with hollow eyes. Without realizing it, she began a wobbly gait toward the tip of the breakwater where Kojou and his opponent were fighting. 

“Stop it… If I don’t save Kojou…” 

“Nagisa—!” 

Kanon tried to stop Nagisa. However, before her fingertips could touch her, a powerful and violent blast of wind rushed against her. Kanon was on the verge of being blown away when her bodyguard, Justina, held her tight. 

Nagisa’s ponytail danced about, unraveling from the wind. 

Nagisa was staring toward ground zero, to a patch of earth that had been clawed out, where Kojou had fallen, lying faceup. She could see countless dark short swords impaling his whole body. Fresh blood was spilling out of his tattered limbs, and a groan of anguish trickled out from his throat. 

The instant she saw that, light returned to Nagisa’s ayes. 

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” 

Together with a scream, vast demonic energy was unleashed. Transparent, icy wings spread across the twilight sky, dying the world in merciless, destructive, cold air. 

3 

His sense of time had muddied. 

Kojou no longer knew how long had passed since the battle with Aradahl had begun. 

Perhaps it hadn’t even been a minute, but it felt like he’d been fighting for hours. His endurance had already been whittled beyond his limit; in his condition, he was running on willpower alone. Even so, he could not find a way to defeat Aradahl. For the first time since obtaining the power of the Fourth Primogenitor, Kojou rued his own powerlessness. 

“…C’mon over, Dabih Crystallus!” 

Kojou summoned a new Beast Vassal covered in silver crystals. It was a dragon with a spiral horn and translucent wings that radiated light. 

“…?!” 

Captivated by the radiance of that horn, Aradahl’s Beast Vassals came to a halt. The armor covering the whole of his body forcibly removed itself, leaving Aradahl, its master and host, defenseless. 

The Ability of Dabih Crystallus, tenth Beast Vassal of the Fourth Primogenitor, was mind control—the power of Charm that vampires possessed. That overwhelming power of domination had controlled Aradahl’s armor Beast Vassal. 

“Al-Nasl Minium—!” 

Now that Aradahl had lost his protective iron wall, the scarlet bicorn roared toward him. The cannonball of compressed air burst against the ground, proceeding to gouge its surface. 

Before being enveloped by the explosion, however, Aradahl vanished from sight. He had teleported. He had leaped through a slash through space itself made by a new Beast Vassal. 

“…So you seized the control rights of my own Beast Vassal… A troublesome power.” 

“Wha—?!” 

Hearing Aradahl’s voice from behind him, Kojou turned his head in shock. Kojou didn’t have a chance to catch sight of him; Aradahl had leaped through the void once more. 

Kojou’s face contorted with fear. He couldn’t use the power of Charm if he could not see his foe. And as if to toy with Kojou when he was on the verge of fleeing, Aradahl’s sudden attack sent him tumbling. The naked bloodlust that slammed into him made every hair on Kojou’s body stand up. 

“Butcher, Spelbia—!” 

“Urk— Mesarthim Adamas!” 

Kojou deployed a diamond bulwark. Spawning on the inner side of that bulwark was a crack in space itself, severed by a blade. His bulwark, neutralized by an otherworldly slash, could not stop the pitch-black blade that cut across his whole body. 

“Gu…ah…!” 

Fresh blood spurted out as Kojou fell to the ground. Hovering above his head was the cloud of black-bladed short swords. With Kojou having lost the spare energy to redeploy his bulwark, the tips turned toward him all at once, hungry for blood. 

“—Dance, Ghoula!” 

Aradahl’s Beast Vassal turned into a hail of meteorites, pinning the wounded Kojou to the concrete surface of the ground. Dozens of blades were impaling Kojou, carving delicate portions of his flesh. Kojou made an incoherent scream. 

“Surrender, Kojou Akatsuki. You cannot fight any further.” 

Aradahl arrogantly beheld the sight of Kojou below him. The source of a vampire’s demonic power was from the Beast Vassals that dwelled within their own blood. However, the greater part of that blood had already flowed out of him, with Ghoula damming up whatever was left. The wounds were so grave that any normal vampire would have long since lost their life. 

“Not…yet…!” 

Kojou tried to force himself to sit up, almost ripping his torso free of both his pinned arms in the process. Aradahl heaved a disgusted sigh as he watched this reckless action. 

“Ghoula.” 

“—?!” 

The short swords remaining in midair flew, stabbing Kojou through his chest and shoulders. Kojou coughed up more blood; this time, his movements completely came to a halt. 

“Though I do not think the Fourth Primogenitor’s inexhaustible demonic energy can be fully consumed, from the looks of it, you cannot hope to summon a new Beast Vassal. Acknowledge your defeat, Kojou Akatsuki. Or would you rather endure an eternity of suffering?” Aradahl calmly asked. 

The Beast Vassal he dubbed Ghoula no doubt possessed the power to rob an impaled opponent of his demonic energy. Just as Aradahl had asserted, Kojou presently lacked the strength with which to summon a fresh Beast Vassal. With even bodily movements sealed off, he was thoroughly backed into a corner. 

“A so-called immortal body is a prison for the soul. The peace of death, granted by rights, is something we vampires will never know. Thanks to the continued regeneration of our bodies, our nerves shall never wither. Nor can we lose our sanity to escape from mind-rending pain. How long will you maintain that false courage?” 

Aradahl calmly laid out the facts. As a vampire, he understood the drawbacks of having an immortal body better than anyone. Regenerating only to have more mortal wounds inflicted, over and over for the rest of eternity, was the same as unending torture. There was no way for Kojou to escape that limitless pain save acknowledging his defeat. 

“Shut…up…!” 

From within a consciousness blotted out by anguish, Kojou howled. Glenda’s smiling face floated into the back of his mind. So long as Aradahl sought to dispose of her, there was no way he could acknowledge defeat. 

Besides, he’d promised Yukina. He would win and return to her side. 

But in that moment, Kojou had no strength with which to fulfill that promise. 

“Damn…it…” 

Amid biting pain that seemed ready to break his entire body to pieces, Kojou felt an odd sense of déjà vu. 

The feeling of powerlessness in the face of impending death—Kojou had tasted that feeling once before, long ago. 

That was before Kojou had obtained the power of a vampire. These were the memories of the ruin of The Cleansing that had supposedly been lost. At that time, Kojou had shielded Nagisa, losing his life once as a result. 

And what saved him from that was— 

“Mist…?” 

A questioning look came over Aradahl as white mist began to fill his field of vision. 

Among the Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor was one governing the power to transform into mist. However, at present, Kojou didn’t have the strength to summon a Beast Vassal. Even so, the pure-white mist increased in density, covering the breakwater in the blink of an eye. 

The mist that had appeared without any forewarning was purely a natural phenomenon. The water particles in the air had crystalized due to the precipitous drop in the air temperature. It was not the mist that was imbued with demonic energy—it was the freezing cold air itself. 

“This demonic energy—?!” 

Turning around, Aradahl’s eyes opened wide. The very next moment, he was assaulted by an explosive coldness, enough to freeze even a vampire’s body—a glacial spear made manifest. 

The surprise attack from an unexpected direction blew Aradahl’s body away. Half his body froze and shattered, and for the first time, Aradahl’s face twisted in agony. The bright-white freezing mist proceeded to encase him in an enormous pillar of ice. 

“What…the…?” 

Bathed in even stronger demonic energy, the dark short swords pinning Kojou’s entire body vanished. Left to roll defenselessly on the ground, Kojou slowly shifted his head. 

A small-statured girl wearing a Saikai Academy uniform gently crouched right by his side. 

Her long, unbound hair seemed to slowly change color in the rays of the setting sun, and her baby-like face was struck with grief. 

“Nagisa…what are you doing here…?!” Kojou exclaimed as he forced himself to sit up in midregeneration. 

Nagisa Akatsuki was not a human that should have been anywhere near the stage of battle, and she was someone who could not be allowed to be there. Surely it was unthinkable for her, a sufferer of demonophobia, to be where she might be caught up in a duel between two vampires. 

However, the girl taking Nagisa’s appearance supported Kojou’s wounded body, gently making a halting smile. 

“Thou shouldst blame me, Kojou… For it is I who hath made thee shoulder such a heavy burden, granting thee suffering in the process…” 

“You’re…” 

Kojou’s eyes widened as he looked up at the girl in a daze. 

He remembered her fearful sway, the distinctive tone of her voice. On Itogami Island, she had spent a brief, all too limited amount of time with Kojou, and then, Kojou himself had killed her. It was her—the Twelfth, Avrora. 

“Don’t tell me, you’re…Avrora…?” 

“I am but a fleeting illusion… One that shall soon vanish…” 

She responded to the bewildered Kojou’s question with a vague shake of her head. Then, she quietly lifted her face. 

The enormous pillar of ice shattered, and Aradahl emerged from within. Having already recovered from his shock, he gazed coolly at the girl nestled close to Kojou. 

“Dodekatos… The twelfth Kaleid Blood…” 

“Surely thou dare not assert this violates thy terms, Aradahl? We, too, are part of the Fourth Primogenitor—” 

Replying to Aradahl’s murmur was a new silhouette emerging from within the dense mist. 

This was a small girl in a yukata . Kojou deeply drew in his breath at the sight of her. She had golden hair that looked like billowing flames. And she had blue, blazing eyes. She had the same appearance as the Avrora that Kojou knew. 

“Hektos… I see. Vattler put you up to this…” A bitter, irritated smile came over Aradahl’s lips. 

Dodekatos and the girl in the yukata called Hektos were “dolls”—survivors of the twelve artificial vampires created to seal the Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor. 

Fearful of the revival of the god-killing weapon, the Fourth Primogenitor, the people known as the Devas ripped the twelve Beast Vassals from the Fourth Primogenitor’s body, sealing one in each of the twelve girls. 

“The Fourth Primogenitor art served by twelve Beast Vassals—however, Kojou Akatsuki hath inherited but ten. The remaining two stand here before thee.” 

The girl in the yukata touched a hand to her own breast as she spoke. 

Aradahl was silent for a moment before he broke into a fearsome smile. Behind him, a dark mist gushed forth, materializing into an enormous long sword as supple as a whip. 

“Certainly, it is the Fourth Primogenitor with whom I desired a duel. It would be unfair to deny him your aid— Very well. Accordingly, the dolls shall be annihilated with the master!” 

“Kojou! Take my hand!” 

The girl in the school uniform said this as she grasped the wounded Kojou’s hand. It was not Avrora. It was Nagisa’s voice. Stay back , Kojou’s voice tried to shout, but Aradahl’s surge of demonic energy muted it entirely. 

Aradahl’s sword Beast Vassal swung upward as if wielded by a giant, invisible arm. The long sword, its blade reaching several dozen meters in length, bore down to mow Kojou and the others down in one fell swoop. 

Nagisa glared at the master of that Beast Vassal and raised her and Kojou’s joined hands to the sky. 

“Nagisa, don’t—!” 

From behind them, Kojou could hear Kanon Kanase’s scream. Kanon, an excellent spirit medium, realized what Nagisa was trying to do. 

Nagisa looked back at Kojou and Kanon. For one brief moment, she showed them a brilliant smile. 

Then, she turned to the front and declared in a cool, clear voice… 

“Please, Miss Avrora! C’mon over, Alrescha Glacies!” 

The demonic energy felt nostalgic to Kojou. From Nagisa’s petite figure surged crisp, cold air. Using Kojou’s body as a catalyst, both girls unleashed all their remaining demonic energy. 

What appeared was an enormous silhouette reminiscent of a glacier. 

The upper torso was a human female. Its lower body had the form of a beautiful fish. There were wings extending from its back. It had sharp talons, like a bird of prey. It was a mermaid of ice, or perhaps a Siren— 

This was the twelfth Beast Vassal of the Fourth Primogenitor, the World’s Mightiest Vampire. Its name was Alrescha Glacies. 

“—?!” 

Both wielders of enormous demonic energy, the great black blade and the monstrous ice bird, collided head-on, and it was Nagisa’s Beast Vassal that emerged the victor. 

Aradahl, reeling from the backlash from the excess power of the overwhelming attack, took an icy stake to the heart and doubled over in agony. 

“Avrora… Nagisa…” 

Strength drained from Nagisa’s fingertips as she gripped his hand. Nagisa’s face was pale, seemingly drained of blood, and her fingers turned as cold as ice. 

Nagisa, no more than a mere human, had controlled the power of a Beast Vassal of the Fourth Primogenitor, unleashing its full might upon Velesh Aradahl. The cost of such a reckless act was high. Despairingly high— 

“Nagisa…please…open your…eyes…” 

All the strength gone from her body, Nagisa crumpled, and Kanon held her tight in Kojou’s stead. For some reason, the earnest voice with which Kanon called out felt…distant. 

You are not alone… 

He felt like he heard Natsuki’s voice. Her words had been the truth. It was Avrora and Nagisa who had granted him a chance at victory. Aradahl had not gone down no matter how much demonic energy Kojou assaulted him with, yet, those two girls had brought him to his knees. 

Kojou finally understood. Why was it he could not defeat Aradahl? What was the true reason he couldn’t fully control his Beast Vassals—? 

“So that’s…it…” 

Kojou rose unsteadily to his feet. With unnatural movements, the blood that he had shed was drawn back into his wounds, time seeming to rewind as the wounds carved into his entire body vanished without a trace. 

“So that’s how it is… If I’d just listened to your voices sooner… Nagisa wouldn’t have had to…” 

Kojou’s voice was gentle. If anything, the demonic energy trickling out from him was tranquil. It was like the momentary lull before the arrival of a tremendous storm. 

Simultaneously, the injured Aradahl rose to his feet. Noticing that Nagisa had collapsed, an expression of relief came over him. Kojou himself could not employ Alrescha Glacies—therefore, his victory remained assured. His expression was one completely confident of that fact. 

The white mist was thinning out. It was about time the throng of spectators on the extravagant ship received the conclusion they desired. As if responding to their expectations, Aradahl summoned the Beast Vassal of the enormous sword once more. 

“Awaken, Archadia—!” 

Aradahl’s attack was swift. Perhaps being injured by Alrescha Glacies had made him more cautious. Without warning, the single blow he unleashed must have exceeded the speed of sound. 

But his attack never reached Kojou. 

This was because Aradahl’s Beast Vassal had been slammed into the ground before it could strike. The front paw of a lion shrouded in lightning had intercepted the saw-bladed long sword. 

The lion, sprinting while wreathed in purple lightning, shot the supersonic blade down, proceeding to trample it into dust. 

“Regulus…Aurum?! What have you done, Kojou Akatsuki…?!” 

Aradahl’s handsome face twisted in pain. His right arm, scorched from the shoulder down, vanished. The lightning lion Kojou unleashed had wounded not only the Beast Vassal, but Aradahl himself. 

The reason it had ended at just the right arm was because Kojou had held back. Kojou had missed the attack on purpose. Surely it was none other than Aradahl himself who understood this best of all. 

“Enough. This meaningless duel is over, Aradahl.” 

“What…?!” 

“You’re definitely a terrifying opponent. You’re the strongest I’ve faced until now. I can’t hold a candle to you—but the same can’t be said for the Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor.” 

The voice with which Kojou murmured was tinged with regret. He remembered Iblisveil’s words. 

“It is not I whom you should be asking for advice—” 

He was right. Iblisveil wasn’t the one Kojou should have relied on. 

He should have relied on something closer—something within himself. 

What determined the strength of latent demonic energy was the net weight of one’s personal history. In other words, it was the sum of one’s combat experience. The reason vampire primogenitors were so feared was because of the vast, off-the-scale Blood Memories they possessed. 

Furthermore, Beast Vassals were masses of demonic energy with minds of their very own . The Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor, or rather, the girls in which they had been sealed, had lived for a very long time. 

The combat experience they possessed far outstripped Kojou’s. Kojou would never match Aradahl as a vampire. Yet, even Aradahl was no match for the Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor. 

Nagisa and Avrora had gambled their very lives to convey that to Kojou. 

Kojou didn’t need to “control” them. He merely needed to lend his ears to their voices and command them. 

Trample the enemy before me— 

“Spelbia! Ghoula!” 

Having finished mending his right arm, Aradahl ignored Kojou’s words and commanded his own Beast Vassals to attack. 

The air twisted as one blade made a surprise attack, with the other bearing down as a horde of dark short swords. 

However, Kojou intercepted them like it was nothing. 

As one blade rent space itself, a twin-headed dragon covered in quicksilver scales gouged out the extra-dimensional space in which it hid. The dense mist spewing from a shelled beast corroded the horde of short swords to mere blade shards. 

“Urk…!” 

Sensing that Kojou was counterattacking, Aradahl attempted to turn his body into dark mist to escape. But raging around him was a violent wind imbued with demonic energy. A scarlet bicorn shimmering like a mirage formed a bulwark of raging winds, preventing Aradahl from escaping. 

“You think you can run?” Kojou spat without emotion. 

Materializing once more, Aradahl’s entire body was impaled with countless slender, pointed stakes made of magma. Aradahl cried out in anguish before falling silent. Tormenting a vampire’s immortal body with an eternity of pain—Aradahl himself had taught Kojou this tactic. 

“Surrender, Aradahl. We’re all pretty pissed. If you want this stupid duel to go on any longer—” 

Burning with anger, Kojou summoned a pale-blue water maid—an Undine. This Beast Vassal, governing restoration, could roll back Aradahl’s personal history, annihilating his very being. 

However, just before Kojou could unleash it— 

“That is far enough, Kojou.” 

Someone’s powerful hand grabbed hold of Kojou’s right arm, stopping it. 

Shrouded in golden mist, a smile of satisfaction rose over Dimitrie Vattler as he stood. 

Kojou’s eyes burned crimson as he glared at Vattler, violently brushing off his hand. However, the blond man looked back at Kojou with a gentle expression. Then, the Master of Serpents of the Warlord’s Empire solemnly declared, “This duel has ended.” 

Kojou’s expression seemed dazed as he listened to the words. He did not understand what was being said to him. 

Aradahl had not yet acknowledged defeat. Kojou had to defeat him. He had to protect Glenda. And he had to get Yuiri and Shio back. Why? Because he had promised these things— 

With such thoughts inside Kojou’s jumbled mind, Vattler gazed at him with amusement. 

Then, once more, he gently made another declaration. 

“Victory is yours.” 

4 

Kojou released his Beast Vassals from their summons. 

Freed from the stakes of magma, Aradahl, having lost their support, fell to the ground. Even so, he tumbled with grace. He glared at Kojou with burning eyes as he thrust one hand into the rubble. 

“Do not interfere, Vattler… The outcome is not yet decided…” 

Even as he violently coughed blood, Aradahl asserted he would continue the duel. However, Vattler gazed down at his compatriot with an indifferent smile. 

“Obstinate even on the verge of death, aren’t you, Aradahl? Do not be concerned. The opponent is the World’s Mightiest Vampire. Your approval will not be diminished by this defeat. All the guests are more than satisfied.” 

“Silence… I did not fight for the sake of your trivial approval.” 

Aradahl turned bloodlust toward the smiling Vattler. The statement, with Aradahl’s typical bluntness, made Vattler raise his voice in a laugh of delight. 

“You have done your job just as I expected. Your role has come to an end.” 

“My role…you say… Vattler, why you…!” 

Even though he was having trouble breathing, the look in Aradahl’s eyes was grave. He had realized the possibility that the duel over the dragon girl had been orchestrated from its inception. 

Seeing for himself that Aradahl’s will to continue fighting had trailed off, Kojou let out a small sigh. 

It was then that he felt the air ripple right by their side. 

“—Kojou!” 

A ripple-like teleportation gate spread forth. Appearing from within it was Glenda wearing a white dress. Next to appear was Yukina, wearing her familiar outfit. Lastly, Natsuki emerged, wearing a heavily frilled outfit. 

“Kojou! Kojou, you won!” 

Heedless of her dress being sullied, Glenda clung to Kojou with tears in her eyes. “Guoh!” coughed Kojou, his breath constricted by the impact. The wounds inflicted by Aradahl were yet to be healed. 

“Senpai…your wounds…?!” 

Seeing the blood coursing from Kojou’s body, Yukina’s expression was grave. Glenda, too, asked “Does it hurt?” with a misty-eyed look of obvious concern. 

“I’m fine. More importantly, Nagisa—,” Kojou said in a raspy voice. “Please.” 

Yukina nodded without a word. 

Nagisa’s eyes were closed as she remained limp in the embrace of Kanon’s arms. Her pale skin felt cold, devoid of the warmth of life. Her splayed limbs were completely limp, making her appear like a soulless doll. 

Though the recoil of using a Beast Vassal was what caused her to faint, there was nothing Kojou could do. Even though he was called the World’s Mightiest Vampire, the power the Fourth Primogenitor possessed was only suitable for destruction. As a trained spirit medium, Yukina was probably the only person present who could aid Nagisa. 

However, when she tried to rush over, the girl in the yukata checked Yukina with her eyes and opened her mouth. 

“This one’s time is at an end. Currently, ’tis only the power of the Valkyrie priestess that tethers her soul.” 

“…Are you saying…Nagisa can’t be saved…?” 

Kojou glared at the girl calling herself Hektos. Her glimmering blue eyes narrowed, and the girl with rainbow hair coolly nodded her head. 

“Should we dost wield the power of the Beast Vassal residing in the vessel of our flesh, the arrival of such a conclusion is…inevitable.” 

“Why, you—” 

“Senpai, don’t!” 

Flying into a rage, Kojou tried to grab Hektos by the collar, but Yukina grabbed onto him and held him back. 

Blaming Hektos was not going to save Nagisa. Kojou knew that, too. Even so, Hektos was surely connected to Nagisa having appeared in that place. 

“Miss Justina, may I ask you to call an ambulance?” 

With difficulty, Kanon averted her eyes from the sight of Kojou being so distraught and called out to her female knight bodyguard. “As you command,” said Justina, on standby behind Kanon, stooping as she took out a radio. 

“No need to call them. I will take her.” 

Natsuki spoke those words as she placed a hand on the comatose Nagisa’s shoulder. 

Kanon, guessing what Natsuki had in mind, instantly nodded without hesitation. The next instant, the sight of Nagisa and Kanon slowly melted into thin air and vanished. 

“Y-Your Highness…?!” 

A nervous expression came over Justina as the principal she was allegedly protecting disappeared from sight. Natsuki looked back at the clamor made by the female silver-haired night with visible annoyance. 

“I am sorry, but Kanon Kanase will need to remain with her for the time being. After all, it seems that the spiritual energy Kanon is sending to Nagisa Akatsuki is what is keeping her alive at present.” 

“Kanase’s… I see…,” Kojou frailly murmured as he closed his eyes. 

The blood of the Royal Family of Aldegia flowing through Kanon’s veins probably made her a top-class holder of spiritual energy, even by Itogami Island standards. Even if, unlike when she’d been turned into a Faux-Angel, that power stopped at the edge of human limitations, it did not change the fact that the spiritual energy she possessed was far beyond the norm. By lending Nagisa that spiritual energy, Kanon seemed to be just barely keeping her from wasting away. 

“I have sent them to my barrier. A temporary measure, but she should be secure for the time being.” 

Natsuki bluntly supplemented her words. My barrier no doubt referred to the special, otherworldly space known as the Prison Barrier. Within that world, created to imprison sorcerous criminals, there was no flow of time. At the very least, Nagisa’s condition would probably not worsen so long as she was in there. 

“Sorry…Natsuki. Thanks…a lot…” 

Though Kojou was deflated and on the verge of collapse, a look of relief came over him as Yukina held him up. Glenda, copying Yukina, was holding on to Kojou’s other arm. With the aid of both girls’ hands, Kojou somehow managed not to fall on his face. 

For his part, Aradahl had already finished mending his flesh and was standing up. The sight made it hard to tell just who had been victorious. 

Natsuki arrogantly glared up at Aradahl as she suddenly posed a question. 

“Now then, answer me, Velesh Aradahl—why did you try to take this dragon hatchling into your custody? What is the reason the Holy Ground Treaty Organization fears Glenda?” 

“…Holy Ground Treaty Organization?” 

Kojou knitted his brows at the unfamiliar name. 

“You know about the Holy Ground Treaty, do you not, Kojou Akatsuki?” 

“W-well… yeah.” He nodded. “I know that much, at least.” 

The Holy Ground Treaty was a peace treaty, the signing of which had brought the wars between humankind and Demonkind to an end. In exchange for recognizing that demons had rights identical to humans, Demonkind committed to observe international law. 

Had that treaty not been formed, the killing between humans and demons would no doubt be ongoing to the present day. Nor was it likely that the Demon Sanctuary of Itogami Island would even exist. 

“The Holy Ground Treaty Organization is an international agency composed of signatories of that treaty. Their objective is to maintain peace between humankind and Demonkind, and so, bring about their peaceful coexistence. The Warlord’s Empire is one participant. Japan is another.” 

“…So you were trying to capture Glenda for this Holy Ground Treaty Organization? Why?” Kojou turned his eyes toward his defeated opponent. 

Aradahl was the chairman of the Imperial Assembly of the Warlord’s Empire. However, the involvement of an international agency like the Holy Ground Treaty Organization turned the whole story on its head. 

“I will be the one to answer that question…” 

As Kojou and the others stood there confused, Vattler drew their attention to him with a frivolous tone. The gazes of everyone present turned toward the youthful, golden-haired male vampire. 

“Vattler, stop!” 

Aradahl spoke in a sharp voice. However, heedless of him, Vattler continued. 

“The objective of the Holy Ground Treaty Organization is to maintain peace between humans and demons. It was granted the right to employ military force to eliminate obstacles to this objective.” 

“Military force?” 

“The Holy Ground Treaty Organization Military—by which I mean them.” 

Aiming his reply toward Kojou, Vattler tossed a smartphone his way. A low-resolution image was displayed on its high-precision screen. 

It was an overhead image captured by a military satellite. 

A fleet was pictured. There was an enormous aircraft carrier equipped with a full flight deck. In addition, it had an entourage of escort ships. He could see armored airships among them as well. Even from just what he could confirm on the screen, their numbers exceeded twenty. It was a great fleet able to conquer a small nation with ease. 

In a corner of the screen, he saw that the date was February 13—the very same day. There was some degree of time lag due to the satellite transmission, but the image was apparently being streamed in close to real time. 

“Just a bit earlier, the Holy Ground Treaty Organization sent a dispatch to the Japanese government. To wit—the artificial isle known as Itogami Island has been determined to be a large-scale destructive sorcerous device forbidden by the Holy Ground Treaty. The gist is, they are saying they will proceed to destroy Itogami Island,” Vattler stated, exaggerating his sympathy. 

It was Yukina who was terribly unnerved by his words. “Itogami Island… A large-scale destructive sorcerous device…?!” 

“I see. That is their thinking… So they are treating Itogami Island not as Japanese soil, but as a giant device. For, if it is a simple device, they can destroy it even without the Japanese government’s consent.” Annoyed, Natsuki snorted. 

“The hell does that mean?” Kojou looked between the two girls. “Wait… A sorcerous device? Itogami Island’s just gigafloats, isn’t it?” 

“Meiga Itogami proved that Itogami Island is an altar that can be employed to reproduce The Cleansing…” His teacher glared at him as he spoke in bewilderment. 

The forbidden formula to revive Cain and rewrite the world itself—Kojou was familiar with that power. 

“The Cleansing is a vile sorcerous calamity that, if unleashed, would have repercussions on a global scale. And Itogami Island is a requisite component of that calamity. The Holy Ground Treaty Organization’s judgment is not an irrational application of law. Though, it is rather arbitrary of them.” 

Vattler, nodding deeply in agreement with Natsuki’s explanation, turned his eyes toward the water’s dark horizon. 

“The Holy Ground Treaty Organization’s extraordinarily convened international armada has already been assembled off Iwo Jima. At the earliest, they will likely finish the encirclement of Itogami Island tonight.” 

“What about us…the residents of Itogami Island?” Kojou’s voice was tinged with nervousness. 

Itogami Island was an artificial isle floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Its population was roughly 560,000 people. Of course, if Itogami Island was destroyed, they would not go unscathed. 

“You have been granted twelve hours before the attack commences,” Aradahl answered. “Take shelter during that time wherever you might.” The emotionless, businesslike tone with which he said it was clearly intentional. 

“…Twelve hours…?” 

Kojou was speechless. Far removed from the Japanese mainland, travel to Itogami Island was restricted. It was impossible to evacuate 560,000 people in a mere half a day’s time, something the Holy Ground Treaty Organization was likely well aware of. They hadn’t meant to let Itogami Island’s residents escape to start with. 

“Is there any way to make the Holy Ground Treaty Organization reconsider its decision?” Yukina asked in a hard voice. However, Aradahl merely shook his head. 

Natsuki gave a cold smile mixed with self-derision. “If the Japanese government has the courage to defy the organization, it might be another matter, but that is surely a thin hope. Only a fool would make an enemy of the world for the sake of a single artificial isle.” 

Kojou trembled with anger that lacked an outlet. Glenda gazed upon this with a look of concern. Her beautiful, hematite-reminiscent, steel-colored eyes beheld the sight of the wounded Kojou within them. That instant, Kojou came to harbor a faint suspicion. 

“Wait a minute, Velesh Aradahl… So why did you try to dispose of Glenda? Right before the attack on Itogami Island like this…” 

If Itogami Island was destroyed, Glenda would not be safe, either. Why had he tried to kill Glenda in spite of this? Even to the point of taking the unnecessary risk of a duel with the Fourth Primogenitor— 

“Because she is the guardian,” Vattler answered for Aradahl, who remained silent. 

Aradahl’s expression froze from shock. Kojou and the others did not notice. 

“Guardian…?” Kojou repeated. 

He stared squarely at Glenda. I don’t know anything , said the shake of Glenda’s head. 

Vattler was the only calm one as an intoxicated smile came over him. He smiled like a scientist whose grand experiment had come to an end, delivering the answer he had desired. 

“Yes… The guardian of the legacy left by Cain the Sinful God—the vessel for his information.” 

Aradahl and Natsuki had a dramatic reaction to those words. 

“Vattler, why do you know about that?!” 

“Tch—so that’s how it is, Master of Serpents!” 

Aradahl summoned a sword Beast Vassal, and Natsuki unleashed silver-colored chains. Both were immediately shot down by a torrent of demonic energy Vattler had unleashed. The offensive demonic energy finally changed shape into a serpent that was dozens of meters in length. It was a Beast Vassal of the Master of Serpents. 

“Kojou Akatsuki, protect Glenda! The Cleansing is what Dimitrie Vattler’s really after!” 

Natsuki looked back at Kojou and shouted. Before Kojou could comprehend the meaning of her words, Vattler commanded his Beast Vassal to attack. 

“Shakala—” 

“Snowdrift Wolf!” 

When the Beast Vassal finished completely materializing, it opened its enormous maw and attacked Kojou and the others. It was Yukina who intercepted it. Drawing the silver spear from its case, she intercepted and struck the serpentine Beast Vassal head-on. 

The vast demonic energy scattered about by the Beast Vassal was rent by a dazzling silver flash, dissipating in the blink of an eye. Yukina’s spear, granted the name of Snowdrift Wolf, was a secret weapon of the Lion King Agency, a purging spear able to rend any barrier and nullify demonic energy. 

“The Schneewaltzer … Well defended, as I might have expected.” 

Vattler clapped his hands in a show of praise for Yukina. During this time, silver chains unleashed by Natsuki entwined around Vattler’s wounded Beast Vassal while Aradahl’s swords bore down on Vattler himself. 

Even so, Vattler’s smile remained unchanged as he simply raised his right hand without fanfare. It was a polished and annoying gesture, as if he was ordering wine at a restaurant— 

“Then, how about this?” 

As Vattler stood defenseless, he came to be surrounded by a malevolent, vermillion radiance. Natsuki’s chains bounced off; Aradahl’s sword Beast Vassal vanished without a trace. 

The radiance covering Vattler was, in truth, a veil of minute particles lined with ancient magical characters. Each and every one of those particles was its own magical circle imbued with powerful ritual energy. These vermillion particles of light began increasing in density and brilliance. 

“That power…!” 

“This cannot be…The Cleansing…?!” 

Kojou and Yukina gaped. This was the vile forbidden spell left behind by Cain—The Cleansing, sorcery that could rewrite the world itself. Kojou and Yukina had previously tasted its might, so they knew painfully well that neither the Beast Vassals of the Fourth Primogenitor nor the demonic energy-nullifying Ability of Snowdrift Wolf could fend off that vermillion radiance. The only thing that could oppose The Cleansing was the vast divine essence Yukina gave off when in her angelicized form. 

“I see, Master of Serpents—you robbed Meiga Itogami of his Blood Memory, did you not…?” Natsuki said. 

“Correct, Witch of the Void.” 

Vattler bared his long canine teeth as he smiled. 

Blood drained from Kojou’s whole body. He’d consumed the missing Meiga Itogami, obtaining Meiga’s knowledge of The Cleansing for himself—that was what Vattler was saying. 

It was not that he felt sorry for Meiga Itogami. He was a sorcerous criminal, and in one sense, a dead man already. Vattler drank Meiga’s blood, thereby inheriting his memories. 

All to obtain a new power. 

As if to show Kojou that this was the true nature of all vampires— 

“But who is running the sorcerous calculations for The Cleansing…?” 

The final question Yukina voiced carried a hint of fear. 

Kojou’s heart raced. 

The Cleansing, the magic of the Sinful God, demanded the expenditure of incredible demonic energy commensurate with its power and enormous sorcerous calculations completely impossible for humans. Even if Vattler was a vampire, it wasn’t the sort of thing you could use by yourself. 

The artificial isle of Itogami Island had been designed as an altar for the activation of that Cleansing. The dragon lines coursing atop the Pacific Ocean provided the mystical energy required to activate it. The artificial isle also possessed five supercomputers with which to conduct the sorcerous calculations. 

Though, however excellent an altar Itogami Island might be, that was insufficient to control The Cleansing. The only one capable of completely controlling the magic of Cain was a genius programmer with a godlike level of skill. And no cybermancers of that scale had been confirmed to exist……except for one. 

Accordingly, they called her… 

…the Priestess of Cain. 

“No way…” 

Before Kojou could say more, Vattler unleashed his attack. Vermillion radiance covered the entire breakwater, transforming it into a beautiful crystal of ice beneath Kojou’s and the others’ feet. 

This was an attack via The Cleansing, transforming the very essence of matter. 

This crystal cracked, shattering into smithereens. Fragments of ice danced up like snowflakes. Kojou and Yukina fell like radgolls. 

Glenda let go of Kojou’s hand, instantly reverting to dragon form. But before she could spread her wings, a giant arm reached up from within the shattered ice and grasped hold of her. 

“Glenda…!” 

As he sank into fine particles of frost, Kojou desperately reached out with his hand. 

In reality, the giant arm that had caught hold of Glenda was a metal manipulator arm. A crimson robot tank had emerged from under the breakwater’s surface to carry out Glenda’s kidnapping. 

The robot tank was also enveloped by the malevolent radiance of The Cleansing. And upon that tank’s shoulder was a lone girl, sitting with her legs crossed. It was a high school girl with an extravagant hairstyle. 

“Asagi…why would you…?” Kojou murmured in a daze as he stared at the girl on top of the tank. 

As Kojou did so, Asagi looked down at him, lips unmoving. He felt like he heard the girl’s voice. 

Sorry… 

The breakwater turned ice crystal began to collapse. Seawater forcefully flowed in from the cracks, further accelerating the collapse. 

The robot tank upon which Asagi rode accelerated, vanishing into the twilight. 

Vattler was no longer in sight, either. The only ones left on top of the breakwater were Natsuki and the wounded Aradahl. 

“Senpai—!” 

Thrusting her silver spear into a block of ice, Yukina earnestly reached a hand out toward Kojou. 

However, as he floated amid the freezing seawater, Kojou didn’t even notice.