Strike the Blood - Volume 22 - Chapter 3.5

5

Bathed in light shining through the window, Yukina slowly awoke.

“Uuu…”

The first thing she saw wasn’t her own room—and yet the ceiling felt familiar to her. She was enveloped by an oddly comfortable scent. She was confused, wondering if she was still dreaming, for Yukina had awoken in the apartment that was the Akatsuki residence. She was in a cluttered study used by a male schoolboy. In other words, Yukina was lying in Kojou’s bed.

“Ahhh, Yukina, are you awake? Good morning! You all right? Do your wounds hurt any?”

Perhaps sensing Yukina had awoken, Nagisa opened the door without knocking and entered the room. She must have been making breakfast. It didn’t seem as if she was wearing an apron over her uniform for show.

“Nagisa…why am I…?”

Yukina put a hand to her forehead as she asked. Yukina remembered fighting Kojou and the others at Keystone Gate’s lowest stratum and taking a mental attack from the black Beast Vassal, but she couldn’t remember anything else.

She’d plotted to sink Itogami Island and had even tried to kill Kojou—she couldn’t comprehend any reason why someone like her had been sleeping in Kojou’s bed.

Nagisa, though, looked back at the bewildered Yukina with mild amusement.

“Since you asked why, Yuu brought you, Kojou, and the rest back here in the middle of the night. Your upperclassman or superior or whoever was with you, the triple-braided older girl.”

“Eh…?”

“I mean, wow…I was so surprised. They told me you fainted in the middle of a fight with Shizuri. Your clothes were all a wreck and you had such a bump on your head… I wanted to have Mimori take a look at it but she was, like, that’s barely an injury, she’ll be just fine and stuff. Ah, Mimori took your upperclassman to the hospital, though. Mimori was really ticked off about her forcing herself to move when she was hurt that bad to begin with.”

“I-is that so…”

Sitting on the bed, Yukina nodded vaguely, overwhelmed by Nagisa’s verbal barrage.

The upperclassman who was brought to the hospital must have been Koyomi Shizuka. Participating in combat despite her injuries really must have put a great deal of strain on her body.

She was glad that a doctor as capable as Mimori Akatsuki had been the one to examine Koyomi—or maybe she should have thanked Kojou for bringing them home so that Mimori could do so.

“Ah, these are your clothes, Yukina. I washed and ironed them for you.”

Nagisa dropped the clothes she clutched against her chest at the foot of Yukina’s bed. It was then that Yukina realized she was wearing Nagisa’s pajamas. When she looked closer, she saw that her entire body was covered in brand-new compresses and adhesive bandages. Mimori had probably done that, too.

“So why were you and Shizuri fighting anyway? It’s because of Kojou, right?”

“Er…that’s, ahhh…”

The question posed in such an innocent tone made Yukina go uhhh, hesitating to reply. The situation made it really hard to tell Nagisa she had been stopped while trying to sink Itogami Island.

Showing consideration for Yukina being caught red-handed, Nagisa giggled and smiled with amusement.

“Well, fine. If you can’t say it with me around, just talk to him and settle it between yourselves quick. I’m going to Keystone Gate so see you.”

“Keystone Gate?”

“Yeah, Asagi called me over.”

Later, waved Nagisa, leaving the room. Finally, Yukina heard the patter of steps as Nagisa headed out the front door. Yukina was still sitting at the edge of the bed, listening to that sound in a complete daze.

She was overcome for another two to three minutes before she finally regained her senses.

Snowdrift Wolf hadn’t been left inside the room. To Kojou and the others, Yukina was clearly an enemy—someone who’d tried to destroy Itogami Island on the government of Japan’s orders. Of course they’d disarmed her.

The issue was, why had Kojou brought Yukina into his own home, then? Furthermore, she wasn’t restrained or even under guard. She knew that Koyomi had been brought to the hospital, but she didn’t know how Yukari or Natsuki was being treated. She had no grasp of the situation whatsoever.

“…”

Yukina sighed a little and put a hand on the buttons of her pajamas. She wasn’t going to solve anything staying in the room by her lonesome. She figured it’d be best to leave the room and gather information.

Stripping off the pajamas borrowed from Nagisa, she put her hands on her freshly washed uniform. She was a little thrown off that even her underwear had been washed. Right after Yukina picked up her bra—

Fwaaa, yawned a relaxed voice with a creak of the sofa.

Yukina, half-naked, lifted her head, only then realizing that the door to her room was still open.

She could see the Akatsuki residence living room straight ahead. On the sofa at the center of it rested Kojou, stretching his back. Looking like he’d just woken up himself, he noticed Yukina standing still, blinking his eyes with a mystified look. For a while, Yukina and Kojou looked at each other like that.

“Eh…?”

“Ah?”

After a brief silence, Yukina and Kojou let out their voices at virtually the same moment.

Apparently, because he had lent the wounded Yukina his own bed, Kojou had slept on the living room sofa, upon which he was just now waking up. Remembering that Nagisa had said just earlier to settle it between themselves, she apparently meant Kojou was right there in the apartment.

“H-Himeragi?”

“Y-yes…er! How long are you going to look at me like that?!”

Yukina covered her breasts with the underwear she’d just grabbed and objected in a shrieking voice.

Kojou swiftly averted his eyes.

“Er, wait, Himeragi. I was just waking up; you were the one suddenly standing there naked, right?!”

“I was in the middle of changing! I never imagined senpai would be here, and besides—”

“I get it already! Sorry! I’ll turn this way so change clothes quick…er, shit, tissues! I need tissues…!”

Pressing both hands over his nose, Kojou let out a muffled yelp. Apparently his nose started bleeding from arousal. It was something you’d never expect from the mightiest of vampirekind.

The sight of Kojou’s languid figure felt oddly nostalgic, leaving Yukina feeling bewildered. His attitude toward her was so very normal, so usual.

“…It finally stopped… Damnit, why do I have to go through this in the middle of the day…”

Pinching his nostrils, Kojou let out a weary sigh.

Glaring straight at him, Yukina wrung out a tiny voice as she inquired.

“Why…are you?”

“Er, why, I was just surprised…seeing Himeragi’s…breasts all of a sudden…”

Kojou blushed as he awkwardly replied. Yukina’s face flushed red as she hid her body behind the door.

“That is not what I meant…! I betrayed Akatsuki-senpai and tried to sink Itogami Island! Why aren’t you saying anything about that?! It’s only natural for senpai to hate me…!”

“Betrayed…whaddaya mean?”

Kojou looked at Yukina with a questioning look. His reaction left Yukina utterly confused.

“Eh?”

“Himeragi’s an agent of the Japanese government to be the watcher of the Fourth Primogenitor, right? You’re the one who said at the start you came to eliminate me, so what’s this betrayal business?”

“Th-that may…be so…”

Like a rusty gear, Yukina made a creaky nod. Certainly, just as he’d said, Yukina’s main mission was to watch Kojou, to determine the true nature of the boy named Kojou Akatsuki, and if she judged his existence was a threat, she was granted permission to eliminate him. That was the righteous purpose for which she had been granted the divine armament dubbed Snowdrift Wolf.

“An Attack Mage ordered by the government to come and kill me got ordered by the same government to sink Itogami Island. That all makes sense, right? It’s not like I think you betrayed me, Himeragi, so I don’t have any reason to be ticked at you…”

“B-but…but…I…!”

Without thinking, Yukina raced out of the bedroom, closing the distance with Kojou.

She understood why Kojou’s attitude was unchanged, but she couldn’t simply be happy about it. In the end, just how much did he think of her as a watcher, and nothing more?

That said, she had no business blaming Kojou for that. Yukina herself was the one who’d put her Lion King Agency mission ahead of her bonds with him and who’d tried to destroy Itogami Island.

“So, Himeragi, if that doesn’t sit well with you, that’s your problem.”

Kojou calmly spoke those words. He was neither blaming nor admonishing her. He said it in a soft tone of voice as if he were speaking to his own sister.

“My…problem?”

Yukina murmured weakly. Yeah, nodded Kojou, with a serious expression she’d rarely seen on him.

“You girls failed in your mission. Ms. Kitty and the Three Saints lady both got captured, so new orders from the Lion King Agency ain’t reaching you any more, Himeragi. You’ve gotta think it over and decide for yourself what you’re gonna do from here out. You gonna go to wreck the island, or lend me a hand and help save it?”

“Save…this island?”

Yukina looked at Kojou in surprise. With the Holy Grounds Treaty Organization signatory nations falling silent owing to the Beast Vassal Warheads, the three primogenitors included, there was only one way to save Itogami Island—to sell the island to MAR and live under the Devas’ so-called protection.

“Senpai, do you truly intend to sell Itogami Island to MAR?”

“…Maybe I do.”

Kojou curtly replied to Yukina’s earnest question.

Yukina instantly dismissed his words.

“Liar.”

“Eh?”

“That is a…lie. You absolutely will do no such thing… Someone arbitrarily determining the fates of others, is that not what senpai hates most of all…?!”

Yukina declared it without the slightest hesitation. Yukina had watched him all that time. She knew. When Kojou had possessed the power of the World’s Mightiest Vampire, he had never even tried to use it for his own sake.

He’d sought power to protect the weak—like his little sister, Nagisa, and the twelfth Avrora—from those who would toy with their destinies and trample upon their dignity through violence. Those were Kojou’s enemies.

That was why he would absolutely never accept Deva rule. Kojou could never accept Shahryar Ren’s way of thinking, seeking to rule humanity through fear via the Beast Vassal Warheads.

“However, senpai, should you reject Miss Ladli’s proposal, MAR will probably use the Beast Vassal Warheads, and millions of people will pay the price… If that happens, you’ll be shouldering the responsibility for those who die all by yourself… That’s why…!”

Yukina’s teary eyes wavered. Her voice was incoherent; her words caught in her throat.

Kojou seemed perplexed as he looked back at Yukina.

“Himeragi, could that be the reason you tried to sink Itogami Island? Because you didn’t want me to feel responsible for mass genocide…?”

“I didn’t know what else to do…!”

Yukina raggedly shook her head like a little girl.

Kojou wanted all peoples to be safe—Yukina’s feelings couldn’t compare to that. She thought she could at least bear the sin of destroying Itogami Island in Kojou’s place.

“…It’s all right, Himeragi. We’ll deal with the Beast Vassal Warheads somehow.”

Since Yukina wore a desperate expression, Kojou stood up and gave her head a gentle pat.

Yukina wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

“You will…senpai?”

“No. We’ll deal with it. We’re not gonna let Shahryar Ren do whatever the hell he wants.”

Kojou said this in an oddly firm tone. Then, seemingly just remembering, he handed Yukina a musical instrument case standing behind the sofa. It was a case for a bass guitar.

“So, Himeragi, I’m returning this to you. Do whatever you want with it.”

“Snowdrift Wolf…”

Yukina widened her eyes in surprise as she accepted the gig case. With Snowdrift Wolf, Yukina could go and try to destroy the keystone all over again. Kojou surely understood as much, but it was as if he was saying, I don’t mind. I trust your decision, Himeragi.

“…Er, it’s this time already? Yikes, I overslept. I’d better get ready and go.”

Realizing it was past three in the afternoon, Kojou hastily began dressing himself.

“Get ready?”

Yukina inquired, still hugging the case. Yeah, nodded Kojou casually.

“I’m meeting Ladli Ren tonight at seven PM right after sunset. What are you gonna do, Himeragi? Coming with me?”

“…I’m not…qualified to participate in a meeting with MAR, not anymore…”

Yukina weakly shook her head. Yukina had tried to sink Itogami Island to obstruct negotiations between Kojou and MAR. How can I show my face at the meeting now? thought Yukina.

“Qualified? I don’t think Asagi or Cas are qualified for that, or me, for that matter.”

Kojou looked at Yukina with a mystified expression. Then he shrugged his shoulders, thinking, Well fine.

“…Guess you can’t give an answer at the drop of a hat, huh. If you wanna come, come. Decide whatever you want, Himeragi. Later.”

Plucking several pieces of candy off the table and popping them in his mouth in place of lunch, Kojou hurriedly went out the door. Not even locking the door seemed like careless behavior, but Yukina thought it was just like him.

It was the same as giving back Yukina her spear. He trusts me sounded a lot nicer, but the point was, he was far too open and trusting with people. Did he really plan on working as Itogami Island’s ruler armed with great vampire powers and that half-baked personality? She couldn’t help but worry. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

That was why she had to watch him, diligently, properly.

“Goodness…what a troublesome vampire you are…”

Furiously wiping the tears from her eyes, Yukina sharply lifted her chin.

There was a powerful glint in her eyes—the glint of someone who’d put something behind her.