Strike the Blood - Volume 4 - Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE 

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM 

1 

The air was stiflingly hot and stagnant. 

The surface of the Pacific Ocean loomed large outside the window of the Itogami City municipal monorail train car; there was nothing to obstruct the rays of the sun as the cab ran across an elevated track alongside the seaside cliffs. The brutal rays of the sun felt more appropriate to the height of summer as they mercilessly roasted the passengers inside the car. 

Kojou Akatsuki looked like he was pressing his face into the aluminum door as he groaned weakly. “Aw, crap…so hot…” 

He was a teenage boy with a languid expression wearing a parka over his high school uniform. 

He bore the ridiculous title of the World’s Mightiest Vampire, but even the lofty abilities of the Fourth Primogenitor were of little aid in this instance. With the train car full with passengers, he couldn’t even move; all he could do was let out an anguished voice as the dazzling rays of the sun poured in from the window. 

The cab gently rocked as the monorail hit a curve, with centrifugal force sending the passengers tilting. The girl next to him suppressed a yelp as his silent pressure pressed down upon her. 

“Yeek…?!” 

This was Yukina Himeragi, Sword Shaman of the Lion King Agency. 

She had unadorned black hair and big black eyes. There was a bit of a childish look about her, but the girl had a lovely face. Her body was slender but without giving any impression of fragility. She had the symmetry, functional beauty, and resilience of a sword forged by a master. 

Officially, Yukina was Kojou’s junior, attending middle school at the same school—Saikai Academy—he attended, but her actual mission was to watch over the Fourth Primogenitor. Yukina had been granted the authority to eliminate Kojou if she judged independently that circumstances warranted it. 

As proof of this, the bass guitar case she always carried with her contained a weapon built with cutting-edge sorcerous technology. It was a demon-purging Schneewaltzer spear for anti-demonic combat, able to neutralize any magical energy and said to be able to destroy even a vampire primogenitor. 

However, even the finest of divine arms was nothing but dead weight inside a monorail during rush hour. 

Tossing the Lion King Agency’s prized secret weapon onto the roof rack to keep it from bothering other passengers, Yukina was pressed against Kojou, her surveillance target, tighter than she had ever been before. 

Surrounded on all sides by a door, the back of a seat, and the passengers packed like sardines, their entire bodies were pressed firmly against each other’s. 

Kojou whispered in low voice as he sensed the refreshing scent of Yukina’s hair and a dangerous dryness in his throat. 

“S-sorry. You okay there, Himeragi…?” 

Kojou had tried to hold Yukina up to keep her from getting squished, but unable to resist the pressure of the passengers, he’d ended up holding her in his arms from behind. A third party might find it to be an enviable pose to be in, but by this point, Kojou’s right hand had long since gone numb. 

“Yes…but, ah…” 

“Sorry. It ain’t like I did this on purpose here…!” 

“I know that. It is the same for me. It—it’s an act of God, so…!” 

The reason Yukina’s face was red was that her left arm, still holding her bag, was buried right between Kojou’s legs. Yukina wanted to pull her bag away from him somehow, but in this tight spot, that apparently wasn’t going to happen. When combined with the monorail’s shaking, the odd stimulation was giving Kojou a pretty rough time. 

“It’s even worse than usual today,” Yukina murmured in a casual tone, perhaps in an effort to take her mind off things. 

Certainly, there was always a mix of large numbers of students and commuters at this time in the morning. However, the crowds were rarely so bad. It was close to double the usual amount of passengers. 

“Tourists from off the island probably. Festival’s gonna start soon.” 

“The Hollow Eve Festival…is it? It’s been a frequent topic among middle school students, too.” 

“Ah, that’s right. You’ve never seen one before, Himeragi?” 

Yukina nodded at Kojou’s words. 

On special orders from the Lion King Agency, Yukina had begun monitoring Kojou just before the end of summer break. 

It hadn’t even been two months since she’d come to Itogami Island, and Kojou was unhappily aware that in that short time, they had faced death together several times over. 

“I knew that the event existed, but I didn’t think it was a festival on such a huge scale.” 

“They go all out. All the businesses on the island close for the day. It gets way easier for people to get permission to come to Itogami Island, too, so we’ve got tons of tourists.” 

As Kojou spoke, he looked up at an advertisement hanging inside the train car. 

The Hollow Eve Festival, opening in the last week of October every year, was Itogami Island’s biggest festival. There were fireworks displays, outdoor concerts, float parades, and all sorts of other events; the commotion filled the whole island. At this time of year, over two hundred thousand tourists came to visit Itogami Island—a shocking number when you considered the distance of the island from the Japanese mainland. 

There was a reason behind those numbers. Normally, no one besides people related to the corporations and research organizations of the Demon Sanctuary of Itogami Island were permitted to enter. If you were a tourist or journalist who wanted to visit, or you wanted to do business with the corporations in the Demon Sanctuary, festival time was your golden opportunity to get into the city in style. 

At any rate, posters for the Hollow Eve Festival had been plastered all over Itogami City for several days. There were TV specials complete with opportunistically targeted commercials, and so forth; there was no mistaking the festive mood stirring throughout the entire island. 

“So it’s based on Halloween, then?” Yukina asked as she gazed at the jack-o’-lantern drawn on the poster. 

“I guess, yeah. Dunno why they picked Halloween, though,” said Kojou in a quietly dubious voice, as though it were somebody else’s problem. 

Itogami Island didn’t have any native people to start with. But a festival, an event that didn’t happen every day, was very effective at pleasing the masses—and stimulating the economy. So, in the name of administrative service, the Gigafloat Management Corporation created the Hollow Eve Festival based on Halloween. 

Put another way, they didn’t have any reason not to base it on Halloween. For all Kojou cared, they could’ve based it on Valentine’s Day or the Star Festival of Tanabata . 

But Yukina replied in an unexpectedly overserious tone. “Halloween was originally a ceremony for driving off evil, after all. I believe it is an event well suited to a demon sanctuary.” 

“Huh…that’s what you figure?” 

“Yes. In the ancient Celtic religion, it was believed the approach of the winter season was a time when paths formed between this world and the world of spirits, making the way for the arrival of spirits and witches. They wore disguises and lit bonfires to protect themselves from monsters, and thus began Halloween.” 

“Mmm,” murmured Kojou, accepting her explanation at face value. It hadn’t even been a year since Kojou had—absurdly—become the so-called Fourth Primogenitor. His ordinary high school–level knowledge of superstition, witchcraft, and the occult had proved pretty much useless. He had no intention of pitting his knowledge against Yukina’s, who’d received special education as a Lion King Organization Attack Mage. 

“So that’s where Halloween disguises and jack-o’-lanterns come from, huh?” 

“Yes. Besides, the Halloween tradition itself is certainly not without basis. After all, it is scientific fact that spatial connections become unstable more easily at this time of year. There are documented instances of encounters with ‘visitors’ from other times and ‘uninvited’ from other worlds.” 

“…Gimme a break. I don’t wanna deal with guys like that.” 

Kojou’s disagreeable look was in complete seriousness. This was a Demon Sanctuary, after all. You’d never catch him saying it wasn’t possible to meet whacked-out things like that. Even without guys like that, he was already thoroughly fed up from bumping into super-rare stuff like Nalakuvera and Faux-Angels. 

And yet, Yukina stared at him with a serious expression. “Yes, senpai, so please do be careful,” she pleaded. 

“Huh?” Kojou looked back at Yukina in bewilderment. “Er…be careful, you say. Is my attitude gonna do any good to invaders from another world or whatever?” 

More than that, Kojou was shocked by the reality that Yukina seemed to think he liked being a magnet for trouble. No student yearned for a peaceful life more than Kojou. And yet… 

“Wha…?” Yukina blinked, her eyes looking even more surprised than his. “I mean, you are the source of the island’s least stable, most dangerous magical energy, senpai. Please do not let your Beast Vassals run wild and warp an already unstable space. In particular, be on your guard for vampiric ur—” 

Before Yukina could finish her line, the monorail began to slow as it approached the station. Obeying the law of inertia, the passengers pitched forward; Kojou, his balance thrown off, found his left hand fondling Yukina’s breast. 

“Senpai…!” 

“W-wait! That was a totally unforeseeable circumstance!!” 

“No, I don’t mean that— her …!” 

Yukina’s sharp gaze was trained not on Kojou but on a commuting schoolgirl a short distance away. She wore a Saikai Academy school uniform, but she was even smaller than Yukina. Her long, glossy black hair and unusually pale flesh stood out quite a bit. 

“A high school student? Feels like a dangerous spot there.” 

Kojou raised his eyebrows as he watched the girl buried in the crowd. She was standing right in a packed corridor with nowhere to run. As the girl bashfully hung her head, a middle-aged man was behaving suspiciously right behind her back. 

“Yes. Perhaps that man standing behind her is—” 

“A molester?! That bastard—!” 

“Wha—?!” 

Kojou began charging toward the man with a vigor that caught Yukina completely unprepared. It wasn’t that Kojou had an overinflated sense of justice, but this was still inexcusable evil to him. To Kojou, who had an adolescent little sister, molestation was at the top of his list of unforgivable crimes. If he ever caught anyone making sport of Nagisa on her way to school, he’d never be satisfied with just catching him and dragging him to the police. 

“Please, senpai, wait! Senpai! We have to be sure before…!” 

Yukina tried to keep up as Kojou pushed his way through the passengers. That moment, Kojou confirmed that the man, already at the little schoolgirl’s side, was extending his hand toward the girl’s thigh. Kojou extended his own hand to grab his—and the next moment, the stopped monorail’s door opened wide. 

Having spent all that time packed to their limits, the passengers rushed onto the platform as one, catching Kojou in their wake. With all his might, he extended his fingertips forward and ended up touching the small girl’s butt. 

That instant, a different hand reached in from the side and firmly caught Kojou’s wrist. 

“Huh?” 

“—Why hello, Mr. Molester. I’ve caught you in the act,” an oddly energetic voice whispered into Kojou’s ear. The voice came from a young woman with red hair worn in a twin bun style. She was wearing a Chinese-style shirt and miniskirt. The outfit seemed sporty enough to play actual sports in, and her posture was very good. He felt like he’d seen her face somewhere before. 

“H…hey, let go! I’m not a molester, I was just trying to help that girl out…!” 

Kojou desperately resisted as he was dragged onto the station platform, but the red-haired woman did not release her firm hold on his wrist. Kojou’s bones creaked from the inhuman power of her grip. 

“From that uniform, don’t tell me you’re one of our students? Wait, Akatsuki’s big brother?” 

“…Eh?!” 

Having finally caught up to Kojou, Yukina stopped and called out in surprise. 

“Ms. Sasasaki!” 

The red-haired woman raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. Seeing this, Kojou finally remembered who she was. 

This was Saikai Academy’s middle school physical education teacher, Misaki Sasasaki—Yukina and Nagisa’s homeroom teacher. 

“And you were with him, too, Himeragi? You need to take proper care of your own man.” 

“It—it’s not like that. H-he’s not mine, nor is he a molester.” 

“Is that so?” 

With Yukina vouching for Kojou, Misaki finally released his wrist. Kojou, in danger of being falsely accused of molesting a girl, took a very deep breath as sweat rolled down his brow. 

Behind Kojou and the others, he heard a lisping but strangely threatening voice. 

“The real molester is over here, you dumb mutt.” 

They heard a man make a pathetic cry. Turning around on reflex, Kojou and the others saw the middle-aged fellow, shaking in terror, his entire body wrapped in chains. Dragging him along was the schoolgirl with long, dark hair who had nearly been a molestation victim but a few moments earlier. Kojou finally realized who she really was. 

“Huh?” 

“…Ms. Minamiya?” 

Kojou and Yukina’s voices were totally bewildered. 

It was Natsuki Minamiya standing there in a school uniform. Saikai Academy’s high school English teacher’s self-proclaimed age was twenty-six. However, based on her face, her silhouette, and the details of her body, the term teenager fit better, if not little girl . 

“Wait, you’re Natsuki? Why are you dressed like that?” 

“On patrol. A lot of students have been molested on trains lately.” 

“…Why a high school uniform?” 

“We can’t be using students as decoys for a molester investigation, so I’m in disguise. I realize it’s pushing it.” 

“Now I see,” said Kojou in acceptance. She might have looked young, but Natsuki was an incredibly skilled Attack Mage. She was so accomplished that her side job was working as an instructor for the Island Guard. Many demons knew and feared her by her nickname, the “Witch of the Void.” Assigning her to draw out a mere molester was titanic overkill. And there weren’t very many teachers who would look so convincing in a school uniform. 

“It’s not pushing it, you’re a total natural in it… If anything, the middle school uniform would suit you better.” 

“You see, Natsuki? It’s exactly like I said, isn’t it?” 

Misaki smiled proudly and thrust her chest out. Though she was a bit short of a hundred and sixty centimeters in height herself, paired with the tiny Natsuki, they completely looked like parent and child. 

Not appreciating this, Natsuki shooed Misaki away. “No one asked you. Besides, I didn’t have any uniforms left over from middle school, so I had no choice.” 

“Left over… Wait, you used to wear that uniform, Natsuki?” 

Kojou reflexively looked all over Natsuki’s uniform. Now that she mentioned it, the size was perfect, even though she was only as tall as an elementary school student. If that was her own personal uniform, it meant Natsuki had graduated from Saikai Academy, which was news to Kojou’s ears. 

“Don’t call your homeroom teacher by her first name.” Natsuki’s lips gloomily twisted. “Why are you so respectful to that dumb mutt when you call me by my first name?” 

“Guess it’s difference in authority and personality,” said Misaki. 

“Stop petting me!” 

Misaki was petting Natsuki’s head like she was fawning over a little girl. Natsuki glared at her fellow teacher. Natsuki, whose ego was unparalleled, somehow had a hard time dealing only with Misaki Sasasaki, whom she’d known since her school days. Maybe it was just in their natures. 

Kojou spoke up as he watched the two teachers tease each other. 

“Well, that’s how it is, so can we go now? We’re already running short on time.” 

Misaki glanced at the middle-aged man wrapped in chains and laughed shamelessly at him. 

“That’s fine. We caught the real molester, after all.” 

Kojou and Yukina made light bows to the pair of lady teachers and walked toward the ticket examiner. It was still morning, but Kojou already felt dead tired. 

That was when Natsuki called out to him. 

“Kojou Akatsuki.” 

“Yes?” Kojou turned to look innocently back, and he saw a strange look come over Natsuki. Not being able to read her emotions was standard, but something about her was different now. She had a smile on her face like one you wore just after meeting an old friend, with longing and heartbreak thrown into the mix. 

“It’ll be the Hollow Eve Festival soon.” 

“Yeah. It will.” Though thrown off, Kojou managed to keep pace with her. 

“Hmph,” went Natsuki through her nostrils. She made the same imperious smile she always did. Then, she spoke with a haughty tone of voice. 

“Classes resume normally at the beginning of next week. Make sure you’re not late getting back.” 

2 

In the final week of October when the Hollow Eve Festival would begin, Saikai Academy went on school holiday starting the day before the festival. 

To the people in clubs that were participating in events like concert band performances and classroom displays, those who would be working on or appearing on floats sponsored by city businesses, those working part-time jobs, or those who simply wanted to enjoy the festival to the fullest, the Hollow Eve Festival was a time of year when the students of Itogami City were frantic with activity. 

There were numerous advisories from the school in an effort to keep the students out of trouble. Consequently, here on the day before the school holiday was to begin, homeroom time was extended so that everyone’s homeroom teacher could drill these advisories into them. 

But this, too, was a yearly ritual. High schoolers who’d heard it all before were even less likely to pay much attention. And that was when something completely at odds with all common sense occurred in Kojou Akatsuki’s class. 

It was a slender, little girl who stood on the teacher’s lectern. 

She had indigo-blue hair and blue eyes. Her beautiful visage had a completely artificial symmetry to it. The girl was a homunculus, born through industrial processes wrought by man. 

Of course, no student in a Demon Sanctuary like this was going to do a double take over a homunculus. But the fact that she was clad in a very exposing apron dress and that she was reading the list of advisories in the capacity of substitute teacher— that was unusual. 

“A maid… Hey, that’s Natsuki’s personal maid, isn’t it?” 

“Why is a maid teaching?” 

“She’s called Astarte, right…? She’s cute.” 

“Hey, the bigger deal is this rumor going around that Natsuki was wearing a school uniform at the station.” 

“…Yeah, she could totally pull that off.” 

Even as the students, who had not yet grasped the situation, fiercely whispered among one another, all eyes were on Astarte’s every word and deed. As a result, she faithfully accomplished her primary mission of conveying the festival time advisories to the class. 

“…What the heck was that all about?” Now that she had done her duty, the homunculus girl returned to the teacher’s waiting room. Asagi Aiba posed the question to Kojou as she watched the girl head off. She was a schoolgirl with a gorgeous hairstyle and a uniform scraping by regulations in just the right places. 

“She said it herself, didn’t she? Natsuki’s absent and asked her to fill in.” 

“Hmm. I guess an Attack Mage would be busier right before the festival?” Asagi murmured back, seeming to tentatively buy it. Kojou had been on the fence but kept quiet about Natsuki going around town looking like she was cosplaying a high school girl. She’d get scary if she heard he’d damaged her reputation in any way. 

Besides, school was going to be out in short order, well before noon. All that was left was putting their things together and heading home. 

The monorail’s probably a lot less packed by now , Kojou thought to himself as he prepared to leave, when he met Asagi’s eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something. 

What? Kojou wondered, casually tilting his head a bit. Asagi seemed resolute as she opened her mouth. 

The very next instant, Kojou was suddenly surrounded by a mob of noisy male classmates. 

“Hey, Akatsuki. You scheduled to get into any Hollow Eve Festival events?” 

“Nah. Hadn’t decided on anything.” 

The classmates had dubious looks on their faces as Kojou replied to the question. Hearing his answer, the boys’ eyes seemed to glimmer. They were like a pack of carnivorous beasts with prey in their sights. 

“That so. Why don’t you work part-time, then? We’ve got an open café scheduled in town, but we’re a few people short. Of course, you’ll get paid for it. How’s 250 yen an hour sound?” 

“Wait, Kojou! If you’re gonna be working, be a salesboy at our booth! We’ll give you a commission of ten…no, twenty percent of sales!” 

“Hold on, Kojou! Don’t forget there’s the legendary Hollow Eve Festival beach volleyball tournament! 

“Don’t you wanna work up a sweat with us with all that sand and fresh air?” 

“Stop right there! Beauty pageants are the soul of any festival. We want you as a special judge. So come to Thetis Mall today like your life depends on it!!” 

“Uh…umm?” 

A guarded look came over Kojou in the face of his classmates’ coercive invitations. Seeing them like that, Asagi appeared displeased. She called over to a good friend. “Hey, Rin…what’s all that?” she asked in a low voice. 

“Hee-hee. Akatsuki’s very popular, you see.” Rin Tsukishima narrowed her eyes and laughed mischievously. Her teasing tone brought an “ugh” from Asagi as her cheek twitched. She was a tall, stylish girl with the air of an adult, classifying Rin as a “cool beauty” type, but she was surprisingly talkative and had razor-sharp intuition. She seemed perfectly well aware of why Asagi was in a foul mood. 

“Well, it’s not so much Kojou as it is Himeragi, y’see,” Motoki Yaze interjected in his eternally flippant tone of voice. 

He was Kojou’s “bad” friend, as well as an old friend of Asagi’s from back when they were primary schoolers. 

Asagi’s mood worsened further upon hearing the girl’s name from Yaze’s lips. 

“Himeragi—you mean the middle school transfer student?” 

Noticing the change in Asagi, Yaze made a worldly looking nod. 

“It’s well-known that for whatever reason, wherever Kojou goes, she goes. If Kojou gets into X , Himeragi gets into X , too, and that’s a big deal. They’ll get lots of customers for sure, then.” 

Asagi voiced her low opinion of the matter. “They’re all a complete pack of idiots.” 

Essentially, they were inviting Kojou as bait for getting Yukina Himeragi to join in. It was true that Yukina was a lovely and captivating girl, and any event she participated in would have customers flock over to get a good look at her. 

As Asagi put her chin in her palms and sulked, Rin asked with a look of even greater pleasure, “You’re all right with this, Asagi?” 

Asagi looked back in annoyance. “With what?” 

“The Hollow Eve Festival. You wanted to go to it with Akatsuki, didn’t you?” 

“Um…” Asagi froze on reflex as the sudden question hit the mark. 

Like festivals in general, the Hollow Eve Festival was a serious matter for couples. There were haunted houses, fireworks displays, as well as fortune-telling, stalls selling charms for deepening bonds—the Demon Sanctuary was just full of stuff like that. The reason Asagi was hesitating about inviting Kojou was that it was hard to make it sound casual. 

Meanwhile, the boys in class continued to invite Kojou to their various events. 

“Ah…er, thanks for the invitations, but I’ve gotta say no.” 

There was a minor uproar within the classroom as Kojou declined with unexpected firmness. “What?! What’s the problem with this?! We’ll even let you drink coffee for free!” 

“How about twenty-f— No, thirty percent, you jerk!” 

“You don’t get it, Akatsuki! You still do not grasp the profoundness of beach volleyball!!” 

“If being a judge isn’t enough for you, how about being one of the male contestants?!” 

The classmates pressed Kojou to change his mind. But Kojou scratched his languid-looking face. 

“Er, I made a promise to go out to the festival with someone this year, so I can’t. Sorry.” 

All at once, bloodlust surged in various people as they heard Kojou’s words. 

“A promise to go out with someone…?! You mean the transfer student in middle school?! Is that it?!” 

“The transfer student? Ah no, nothing to do with Himeragi here.” 

Kojou’s casual reply threw the invitation makers completely off. Without exception, their gazes shifted in Asagi’s direction. 

“…Not…the transfer student?” 

“So, you mean Aiba, then?” 

“Aiba, huh…? Well, we can settle for Aiba.” 

“Yeah, Aiba would work, come to think of it. Can’t be helped. We definitely need Akatsuki in our event now…” 

“….She looks really pissed for some reason, though.” 

The boys’ not-so-private discussion made Asagi’s lips twitch repeatedly. Rin and Yaze only sighed in apparent pity. 

That moment, someone at the classroom entrance called out to Kojou in a loud voice. 

“Akatsuki! Visitor for you! A girl from middle school.” 

This time, the bizarre timing caused a far larger commotion in the classroom. 

“What?!” 

“The transfer student?! Then it’s really the transfer student? Aiba’s just for pretend?!” 

“No, wait! That’s…!” 

“It can’t be! The Saint of Middle School…?!” 

The one calling Kojou’s name was Yuuha Tanahara of the same class. A girl with almost translucent silver hair stood behind her back, as if she was hiding behind it. 

She wore a long-sleeved, long-necked undershirt under her middle school uniform, which made her come off almost like a nun. In a certain sense, her beautiful visage stood out even more than Yukina’s. 

She was Kanon Kanase, a third-year student in middle school. Also known as “the Saint” for her looks and the air of kindness around her, she had many fans even among the high school boys. Though not public knowledge, she was also a princess of the Aldegian royal house. No doubt that accounted for the sublime elegance that made her difficult to approach. 

And just like that, Kojou casually spoke to Kanon, not even noticing the looks they were getting. “Kanase? You came to school, huh?” 

“Ah yes. I’m sorry to intrude upon your class, but…” 

“No, that’s totally all right. You’re feeling better now?” 

“Yes, I left the hospital the other day.” 

Kojou and Kanon were having an intimate conversation, as if they were old acquaintances. The students in the classroom hung on their every word and action. 

Rin Tsukishima lowered her voice and whispered into Asagi’s ear. “How did they become acquainted?” 

“There’s no way I’d know something like that!” 

Blood rushed into Asagi’s head as she replied. She knew that Kojou and Yukina had gotten wrapped up in some kind of trouble involving Kanon Kanase not long before. However, Kojou’s excuses glossed over all the details; she still didn’t know why he’d been involved in an incident like that. And not even noticing that Asagi was glaring at him, there was Kojou, standing next to Kanon and making a frivolous smile. 

“So you came all this way to say hi?” 

“Yes. Also, there is a favor I wanted to ask you.” 

Kojou seemed surprised as he replied. “A favor? Me?” 

Kanon bashfully lowered her eyes a little. “Yes, ah…” 

As the silver-haired girl’s voice hesitantly trailed off, Kojou’s classmates held their breath, waiting for her to continue. Finally, Kanon strongly raised her face and asked Kojou in a voice full of tension… 

“Could I go to your place and…stay over tonight?” 

That moment, what seemed like a cold silence came over the classroom. Only Asagi had an expression of complete shock as she raised her voice in a “Wha—?!” Then… 

Kojou’s demeanor was casual as he accepted Kanon’s request. 

“Sure, I don’t mind at all, but…” 

Asagi’s eyes opened wide and froze like that as her shoulders shook as if she was touching a live wire. 

“Wh-wha—?!” 

Watching from beside her, Yaze made an exasperated-looking shake of his head. 

Rin strongly grabbed Asagi’s wrist and dramatically raised both of their hands together. 

“Hold it right there!” The classroom was shaken once more as if there was an earthquake happening. Even Kojou and Kanon were compelled to notice the odd aura and look over. Rin grinned as she informed Kojou of the resolution. “We will be joining you. You don’t mind, do you, Akatsuki?” 

Kojou had a stupefied look on his face as he replied with a question. “Huh?” 

Asagi still had no idea what on earth was going on as she glanced between the bewildered Kojou, the pleasantly smiling Rin and the others, and her own hand raised up high; then, she shouted… 

“Whaaaaat?!” 

There were two days left until the Hollow Eve Festival. Signs of the rising festive mood came into sharper and sharper perspective. 

3 

Island South was Itogami Island’s southern district full of residential neighborhoods. Here the Akatsuki siblings lived in an apartment building built on top of a gentle artificial hill. 

Their room number was 704. It was arranged in a standard three-bedroom, kitchen, dining room, living room arrangement. The spectacular view from the window contrasted the evening sky with the Itogami City skyline spread below them and dyed red by the rays of the setting sun. 

The large plates on the glass dining table were piled high with food. 

Kanon was standing in her school uniform, looking down at the cooking and feeling very out of place. As an expression tinged with tension came over her face, the sound of fireworks erupted, as if meant to make her cower. 

Nagisa Akatsuki called out as the firecrackers filled the air with noise. “Kanon, congrats on getting out of the hospital!” 

She was a third-year middle school student, just like Yukina and Kanon, and also Kojou’s biological little sister. She looked a bit more childish than other girls her age, but as a whole, she was a very capable little sister. Her looks were on the cute side; her grades were so-so. She was skilled at every kind of housework. Her biggest flaw was her propensity to talk too much, but rather mysteriously, she never seemed to irritate anyone with it. 

Most of the food on the table was her home cooking. 

Kanon looked around with an embarrassed but grateful expression as confetti fell all over her body. 

“Um, ah… I’m sorry to have made you go through all this trouble just for me…” 

Nagisa spoke in an even brighter voice, as if seeing Kanon like that only encouraged her further. 

“What are you saying? You’re today’s guest of honor. Here, sit, sit! Eat, eat! I’m really proud of this salad. It’s got homemade dressing with walnut, peanut, and sesame in it. This here’s Tanaya’s Itogami Croquette Deluxe. This here’s the Nagisa Special Red-Hot Chili Beans Grand Finale. The Neapolitan carbonara pasta’s almost finished boiling, too.” 

Kanon smiled pleasantly but awkwardly, perhaps cowed a bit by Nagisa’s vigor. “Th-thank you.” 

Yaze, brazenly sitting right next to Kanon, immediately reached out with his chopsticks. 

“Whoa, this is delicious. That’s Nagisa for you. Have you gotten even better?” 

Asagi happily put a hand to her cheek as she brought some soup served cold to her lips. 

“It really is. Her being Kojou’s little sister is kind of a waste.” 

Kojou, chased off to the corner of the living room, glared at the girls with a dumbfounded look. 

“Why are you all here at Kanon’s recovery party, too?” 

“Hey, don’t say that. It’s something good to celebrate, the more the merrier, right?” 

“Just so you know, Kojou, I paid for the meat you’re eating.” 

“Ughh.” 

Kojou made an exasperated sigh at Yaze and Asagi’s thoroughly shameless behavior. Actually, Kojou still had no idea why they’d suddenly proclaimed they were coming to his place. 

The fact was, their having come was making it a bit easier for him anyway. 

Even if it was a recovery party for an acquaintance, he naturally felt a fair bit of awkwardness at the prospect of eating a meal surrounded by girls the same age as his little sister. 

Asagi suddenly posed a question while taking a break from her food. 

“…So, what is your relationship to Kanase, anyway?” 

Whatever impression her looks gave, she was a voracious eater. Nagisa plopped new food onto Asagi’s empty plate time and time again. 

“I explained yesterday. Kanase was getting treatment for her illness at Magus Craft, and Himeragi and I gave blood to help out. Right, Himeragi?” 

“Yes. Th-that’s right. I’m sorry to have worried you all because we were in such a hurry.” 

Kojou and Yukina smoothly gave their explanations. They’d made sure their stories matched for just such an occasion. But detecting that such a smooth excuse was unnatural in and of itself, an obvious look of doubt came over Asagi. “So, what’s the business with the princess?” 

“Well, like I said, Kanase’s dad was the royal sorcerous engineer of Aldegia when he was younger, so that’s why she was coming to visit.” 

“Hmm.” 

Kojou and Yukina’s explanation differed notably from the truth, but given the relationships between the various people, it wasn’t much of a lie, either. Though Asagi clearly didn’t buy the whole thing, she apparently gave up on pursuing the matter further. 

Instead, it was the final participant who spoke from the direction of Kojou’s room. 

“Hmm…so this is Akatsuki’s room. Surprisingly normal. Hmm, very interesting.” 

“Could you, like, not go into other people’s bedrooms and look under their beds, Tsukishima?” Kojou called out in a shrill voice, watching Rin from behind as she leaned down to the floor. 

She was known for acting cool and collected with everyone else no matter who they were, but her behavior toward Kojou was a little different. Rin, whose father was a famous scholar of demonic biology, was exceptionally well versed about the characteristics of demons. Thanks to that, Kojou felt that Rin acted from time to time like she’d figured out he wasn’t a normal human being. 

That said, she’d never looked at Kojou with any hint of hostility. Evidently she had no intention of rocking the boat. She came off as the classical amused observer. No doubt her insistence on coming to the Akatsuki residence was part of that inquisitiveness. 

Rin seemed to take great interest in Kojou’s shelf. 

“I found an album. Can I take a peek?” 

“Go ahead, but that’s just something from elementary school. Doubt it’s got anything interesting.” 

Kojou had meant to warn her to take good care of it, but the girls seemed to all get a different idea. Now Asagi and Yukina gathered around Rin, looking much more interested now that he’d opened his big mouth. 

As she flipped the album’s pages, Rin raised her eyebrows in apparent amusement. 

“Aw, widdle Akatsuki. Hmm, he looks much the same, doesn’t he?” 

Yukina stared intently as she conveyed her own impressions. 

“So senpai was an elementary schooler once, too. Cute…perhaps?” 

“What’s with the ‘perhaps’?! Just say I was, dammit!” bitterly complained a dejected Kojou. 

Kanon giggled and smiled as she listened to the exchange. “So this is from just before Kojou moved to Itogami City, huh?” 

Asagi was the one who checked the time stamp on the photo. “Seems that way. All the other ones were clearly taken when he was still in primary.” 

Kojou had met her immediately after moving to Itogami Island some four years before. Kojou had only just entered middle school. 

“Who’s that? They’re together in a lot of these photos.” Yaze picked up the album as he asked. 

Kojou was photographed with a teammate in the same basketball uniform. The youth was heavily sunburned but was a primary schooler with a very energetic face. 

“Ah yeah, that’s Yuuma.” 

“Yuuma?” 

“Someone we played with when we were little kids. Pal from basketball when I was young… We were kinda like two rotten apples in a barrel.” 

“Really,” went Rin, narrowing her eyes in apparent admiration. 

“Quite handsome. Completely wasted on a friend like you, Akatsuki.” 

Kojou lamented, his lips twisted like that really hurt. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?! So what if my friend looks better than me?!” 

For his part, Yaze glared at the photo with an expression that didn’t look fake at all. 

“Shit. I thought I was Kojou’s only good friend, but to think the guy before me looked this awesome!” 

Asagi scowled, looking like she deeply resented this. “You two are both totally creeping me out…” 

Kojou’s eyes bulged on reflex. 

“What, me, too?!” 

Nagisa burst into laughter. “Unlike Kojou here, Yuuma was definitely popular with the girls back then.” 

“Yeah.” Kojou grudgingly nodded. His old friend was very popular with the ladies. 

Then, as if only just remembering, Nagisa whipped out her cell phone and opened up her mail screen. 

“Oh right, I got an e-mail a little earlier. Yuuma’s arriving at the airport at nine o’clock tomorrow morning.” 

Yaze looked back in visible surprise. He stuck out a quivering finger at Kojou’s album. 

“Huh? You mean he’s coming to Itogami Island?” Kojou replied with a tone of indifference as Nagisa carried in a plate full of pasta. 

“That’s right. Apparently a relative twisted some arms and got Yuuma a Hollow Eve Festival ticket.” 

The whole reason he’d dug up the old album in the first place was to prepare for the reunion with his old friend. 

“That’s right, you said you’d promised to show someone around town this year, didn’t you, Akatsuki?” Rin spoke as if her suspicions had suddenly been completely cleared up. 

“Yeah. I promised I’d show Yuuma around the island,” Kojou said as he brought some pasta to his lips. 

Rin had a satisfied look on her face, smiling at Asagi as if to console her. “If it’s to show a friend around, it can’t be helped. Right, Asagi?” 

Asagi, having returned to her seat at the table, assaulted her food once more with even greater vigor. “It’s fine. I figured it was something like that anyway.” 

Nagisa beamed at the sight of her cooking rapidly disappearing. 

Asagi suddenly gave the food a rest and looked at Yukina seated beside her. Asagi drew close to her face and asked in a whisper, “Hey…did you know about Kojou’s friend coming…?” 

“No,” said Yukina, shaking her head in apparent disappointment. “This is the first I’ve heard of his plans for the festival.” 

The two traded a glance and sighed at the same time. 

“That’s just like him.” 

“…It is, isn’t it?” 

What the heck’s that all about…? Kojou wondered; for no concrete reason, seeing the two express such an odd amount of sympathy for the other made him feel uneasy. 

4 

Despite much concern and consternation before it began, the party ended peacefully and festively. 

Kanon, the guest of honor, happily listened to Nagisa’s ceaseless banter and Yaze’s stupid stories without a single disagreeable look on her face; getting to observe Kojou’s private life apparently made Rin content as well. 

Asagi and Yukina were in a heated rhythm and dance video game duel, their tension level approaching desperation for reasons unknown. In one corner was Yukina, boasting superhumanly fast reflexes; in the other was Asagi, possessing a genius’s intuition and deep knowledge of computer algorithms. Their white-hot battle resulted in the pounding out of unheard-of high scores, but ended without a clear winner. Kojou had a hard time telling if they were getting along great or if they hated each other’s guts. 

Since Asagi and the others hadn’t made any preparations to stay the night, they had to leave in time to catch the last train home. Only Kojou and three middle school students remained in the Akatsuki residence. 

Apparently Kanon and Yukina were going to sleep over in Nagisa’s room. Kojou, the odd man out, holed up in his own room and tucked himself into bed immediately. 

Kojou and Nagisa’s mother, who bore the impressive title of chief of research at one of the corporations in the city, didn’t get back home for one or two weeks at a time. For her not to have returned by this hour meant that she was probably sleeping at her workplace yet again. 

That said, surely even she wouldn’t miss out on a home visit when the lab was shut down for the Hollow Eve Festival. Besides, Yuuma was arriving. Tomorrow looked set to be another rambunctious day. 

Kojou stared up at the ceiling for a good long while as he thought deeply about things like that. 

It was business as usual, but he couldn’t sleep. 

Kojou had been a night owl to begin with, and the tendency had only grown stronger since becoming a vampire. It had gotten extreme enough that he would’ve preferred to be asleep during the day and be up at night if he could. 

But that would of course impact his high school life, and besides, Nagisa would no doubt notice he was a vampire if he did such a thing. That was something he had to avoid at all costs. He couldn’t let her know that her own big brother had become a demon. 

In the midst of another sleepless, worry-filled night, Kojou’s ears heard a rather reserved voice. 

“…Akatsuki.” 

For an instant, he thought he was hearing things, but when he looked harder, Kojou saw that his bedroom door was ever so slightly open. He could see beautifully glittering silver hair through the crack. 

“Um, are you still awake?” 

“…Kanase?” 

When Kojou replied in a small voice, Kanon poked her face in with a relieved look. She politely bowed her head and entered the room. Then, she quietly shut the door behind her. 

She was dressed in pajamas that stretched to her knees. The pale blue fabric being the same color as her eyes, they suited Kanon particularly well. 

Kojou turned toward Kanon and sat up, giving her a bewildered look. For a moment, he wondered if this was “stealing into someone’s bedroom” like he’d heard rumors about, but instantly dismissed the possibility. He didn’t think a girl like Kanon, raised by nuns and even dubbed a saint, would engage in such behavior. 

“What is it, at a time like this?” 

“I wanted to have a private conversation with you.” 

“Conversation?” 

“Yes,” said Kanon, nodding with a serious look. 

Kojou moved to the corner of the bed and gave Kanon space to sit down. Kanon blushed a little as she settled her hips down next to Kojou. Then, she put on another meek look and continued, “I wanted to speak to you about Faux-Angel.” 

Kojou’s expression turned grave. 

“…Do you remember when you became an angel?” 

Faux-Angel was a being brought into existence by using sorcerous means to shift a human body to that of a higher being. Kanon, naturally suited to being a powerful spirit medium due to the Aldegian royal blood coursing through her, had been selected as a test subject. And for a time, she had arrived at an angelic form indistinguishable from the real thing. However, she’d paid a heavy price as part of such a reckless experiment, conceived to turn a human being into an angel by force. She’d been pitted into deadly combat against fellow Faux-Angels; finally, Kanon’s own self-awareness began to fade away. Furthermore, the Faux-Angels produced through such means were viewed by others as mere weapons. 

In the end, Kojou and Yukina were able to save Kanon from the horrible circumstances that had befallen her. However, neither of them had any intention of telling Kanon any such thing. 

Besides, the truth was, Kojou had more fought her than saved her. A single misstep and Kojou and Yukina would have killed her. They thought that telling Kanon such a thing would only bring her greater anguish. When they’d heard Kanon had no memory of her time as Faux-Angel, both thought her amnesia was really for the best. 

But if Kanon hadn’t lost her memory of it, that was a completely different story. 

It seemed that Kanon had come to quietly visit Kojou to press him about the events of that day. 

However, Kojou was at a loss as to how to logically explain things while being considerate of Kanon’s feelings. Also, telling her the truth naturally meant exposing the fact that he was a vampire. That was another reason Kojou hesitated. If Nagisa’s friend knew the truth about him, that increased the odds Nagisa herself would learn of it. 

It was a dark room with no light source on. On top of the narrow bed, Kojou met Kanon’s eyes without any clue how he was going to talk his way out of this one. 

It was then that Nagisa suddenly knocked on the door. 

“I hear someone talking. Kojou, are you still awake…?” 

The door opened suddenly without waiting for Kojou’s reply. 

Just before that, Kojou pushed Kanon against the top of the bed, completely hiding her under the quilt as he got under it himself. Kanon was about to raise her voice when Kojou covered her mouth with his palm, telling her with his eyes, Stay quiet! 

Fortunately, Nagisa seemed to buy that Kojou was asleep, not noticing that Kanon was hidden under the quilt. 

“…Geez, Kojou. Don’t set the thermostat so low.” 

Picking up the remote lying on top of a desk, she turned off the air conditioner before making a sleepy-sounding yawn. 

“Mm…bathroom…bathroom…” 

With that, Nagisa left the room. Kojou finally relaxed as he felt her presence grow distant. Hidden under the quilt, Kanon also sighed in relief. 

Quite possibly Nagisa had grown a bit restless when she realized that Kanon hadn’t been sleeping in her room like she was supposed to. It was beyond all doubt that Nagisa would fly into a rage if she saw him with Kanon at a time like this. 

“Looks like we didn’t get busted there,” said Kojou. 

Kanon smiled charmingly as only her eyes looked out from under the quilt. 

“My heart was really beating.” 

Kojou’s own heart was beating just as much. “Sorry for dragging you under the quilt like that.” 

“It’s fine. It was actually kind of fun.” Kanon brought her face right up to Kojou’s ear as she spoke. The unexpected closeness made Kojou’s entire body go rigid once more. He understood that it was only so that her voice wouldn’t carry outside the room, but even so, it was an awfully suggestive position on top of a bed. 

“K-Kanase…um…” 

“I came to thank you. I have learned how you and Yukina saved me.” 

“Eh…?” 

“I heard all about it from Ms. Natsuki…about my father’s research…and what you really are…” 

Kojou drew in his breath in the face of Kanon’s sudden confession. Due to her father’s participation in the Faux-Angel experiment, Natsuki Minamiya was currently acting as Kanon’s guardian. 

So Kanon had already heard everything from Natsuki’s lips: the truth about the incident and the truth about Kojou, too? 

Kanon continued to speak into the shaken Kojou’s ears. Her words somehow held a tone of admiration. “You’re really a hero, aren’t you?” 

“Huh…?!” 

Kanon’s completely unexpected words stunned Kojou into silence. Kojou had not the slightest clue what she was talking about. But Kanon continued in a very serious tone of voice. “Ms. Natsuki told me all about it. How you were captured by an evil organization and converted into a Mystical Warrior, and how you work for the peace of Itogami Island without anyone knowing…” 

Despondent, with no rock to crawl under, Kojou’s voice shook. “Wh…wh-why that…little shrimp…!” 

Either because she couldn’t think of a good explanation or because she decided halfway it was too much trouble, Natsuki had apparently gotten Kanon to believe a story worthy of a comic book. 

In a way it made sense, and it managed to hide the fact that Kojou was a vampire, but he wondered if she couldn’t have coughed up a slightly more sensible excuse. It was very like Kanon to believe it, though. 

“…Um, Kanase. Could you please not tell Nagisa about this?” said Kojou, his voice frail. 

He was having an unexpectedly serious inner conflict about which was better: being exposed as a vampire or mistaken for a cyborg. 

“I understand. A hero’s identity is secret even from his own family,” said Kanon with a firm nod. 

Seeing this, Kojou decided there was no point ruminating about the matter any further and so switched emotional gears. “By the way, Kanase, are you all right? I mean, sleeping over right after getting out of the hospital.” 

“Yes. Physically I’m quite all right. Ms. Natsuki gave me permission, too.” 

“Ah, okay. Glad to hear it.” 

“Yes. Astarte also did a great deal for me.” 

Kanon’s reply made Kojou let out a relieved smile. Apparently her new life at Natsuki’s place was going pretty well. 

But just as Kojou began to relax, he heard footsteps from the corridor once more. Apparently Nagisa was coming back after having taken care of necessities. 

As Kanon became flustered, Kojou pushed her onto the bed once more, pulling the blanket up to his own shoulders. The two were practically hugging each other as they waited for Nagisa to pass by. 

But that moment, Kojou was shaken when he noticed an unexpected sensation he was getting from Kanon pressed up against him. 

“Kanase. By any chance, um, under your pajamas…?” 

“Yes?” 

Kanon looked up at Kojou with a mystified look. On reflex, Kojou averted his eyes, unable to look straight at her guileless expression. 

Something was pressing against his body; though modestly sized, the pressure was a soft and yielding one. His animal instincts were certain of it: She wasn’t wearing a bra right now. Apparently, Kanon was of the persuasion not to wear one at bedtime. 

“Akatsuki?” Kanon asked in apparent concern, noticing Kojou’s small shudder. But right now Kojou did not have the luxury of replying. 

It wasn’t that he was ill. Kojou was being assaulted by a simple biological phenomenon. But this was an abominable, pernicious condition exclusive to the vampire body: namely, the urge to drink blood. 

Though still subject to numerous misunderstandings in the world at large, the species known as vampires did not drink the blood of others for sustenance. The true trigger for vampiric urges was not hunger, but physical arousal; in other words, lust . 

“What is it, Akatsuki? Is it that you’re not feeling w…?!” 

“I’m all right…so, please don’t press too tight. This is just a little, um…” 

Kanon leaned in, peering at Kojou’s face with a look of worry. He was grateful for her concern, but as she leaned, she exposed both her white neck and her breasts, stimulating Kojou even further. 

His field of vision became crimson hued with arousal, and his canine teeth lengthened and throbbed. 

At this rate, he’d completely lose his senses—or so he thought when, a moment later, the sweet, metallic taste of blood spread throughout his mouth. 

Kanon let out a yelp. “Akatsuki, your nose is bleeding?!” 

However, Kojou was relieved to feel the trickle of the nosebleed. The taste had temporarily driven his vampiric urges away. He had no trouble with the taste of his own blood. Even if it meant being mistaken for having a nosebleed from the embrace of a middle school student, it meant Kanon wasn’t going to be hurt, and that was good. 

What smashed Kojou’s fleeting sense of accomplishment to tiny, unrecognizable bits was the quiet voice he heard from the doorway to his room. 

“…What are you doing with Kanase in the middle of the night, senpai?” 

“H-Himeragi?!” 

Realizing who the speaker was, Kojou’s expression froze solid. At some point Yukina, wearing a monochrome set of pajamas, came to stand inside Kojou’s room, her emotionless expression like ice. 

Nagisa was standing next to her in polka-dot pajamas. Her untied hair seemed to stand on end as her shoulders silently quivered. Apparently she was so angry that she couldn’t speak. That was a very bad sign. 

Kojou shook his head with a look of desperation. 

“Wait, it’s not! It’s not like that. We’re just having a really important conversation…” 

But Yukina half-closed her eyes as she sighed icily. “An important conversation in bed?” 

“In a situation like this, anything you say only sounds like an excuse…!” Nagisa declared in a low, suppressed voice. 

Sweat coursed down Kojou’s back. 

“…I suppose so,” said Kanon. 

Not noticing the bloodlust their conversation with Kojou held, Kanon looked up at Kojou, the only one concerned about his bleeding. 

“The nosebleed isn’t stopping. What will I do…? Ah, that’s right…!” 

Suddenly standing up forcefully, Kanon raised her hand high in position for a karate chop. Kojou sensed that she was unintentionally gathering a large amount of ritual energy into her flattened hand. 

Though she was wholly unaware of it, Kanon was royalty—a direct descendant of the Aldegian royal family. If measuring only raw potential, she was a spirit medium rivaling Yukina in strength. 

“I have heard that this can be healed immediately with a blow to the back of the head!” 

Kojou panicked as he realized what Kanon intended. “Wait a sec, you’ve got your first aid wrong! Good girls shouldn’t copy stuff from TV, it’s dangerous—!” 

If she gave a Shrine Maiden Chop to the back of his head, he didn’t think even an immortal vampire would escape unscathed. Even without that, it was dangerous to mix up your first aid. 

However, Kojou’s plea for mercy was in vain, with Kanon bringing her chop down together with her cute voice. “Yah!” 

Kojou’s vision went dark as the lethal blow hit home. 

The last things Kojou saw with the final traces of his consciousness were Yukina, covering her eyes as she told him that he was reaping what he’d sown, and his own sister, with a cold, scornful look on her face. 

5 

In the ninth lunar month, a couple of days after the first crescent with the moon swollen beyond half its size, the southwestern sky sparkled bright. 

The Demon Sanctuary’s night was long. Many demons were fond of the night; also, in cities with a high population of transient demons, businesses offering food and entertainment continued to operate until nearly the crack of dawn. 

On the other hand, somewhat removed from the bustle of the city, the island was surrounded by the dark, wide-open nighttime sea, where not even the light of the neon signs reached. The rough waves of the ocean crashed ceaselessly against the cliffs of the artificial island, spreading cold sea spray all about. A twisted, mocking voice echoed across the swaying, velvetlike surface of the sea. 

A woman dressed in a red outfit spoke. 

“Just as before, a horrid city, my sister.” 

Her clothes were very revealing; you’d think she was a dancer from a foreign country. She wore sensational garter stockings along with a sorceress’s robe and a long hood. All were dyed scarlet, like the color of blood. 

Judging by appearance, she was about twenty. From her clothes, she might be thought a harlot, or, seen from the back alone, perhaps a priestess. However, the ominous atmosphere wafting all around her brought only one word to mind— witch . 

The other intoxicating voice replied to the scarlet woman with a laugh. “Yes, very much so.” 

This woman was in jet-black. She wore a wide-brimmed, triangular hat over her head, a black mantle over her shoulders, and a black leather bondage rider suit; in one sense, the air about her was more erotic than if she had been completely nude. 

Her appearance, too, could only be called that of a witch. 

A scarlet witch and a black witch. 

Calmly walking over the surface of the very sea, the two set foot upon the artificial land of Itogami Island. 

The next moment, a dazzling searchlight rudely shone upon them. 

Fortified against the cliffs on the side of the road was a force of well-armed riot police. Their shields had defensive magical runes engraved into them; their firearms were loaded with special anti-demon rounds. 

This was the Island Guard’s interdiction unit. In accordance with their mission, they were brimming with combat experience and powerful weaponry. 

However, the witches gave the guardsmen a look of scorn, sighing with a lack of enthusiasm. 

“They seem unamused, my sister.” 

“You’d think they’d give us a warmer welcome, returning after ten years like this.” 

As they spoke quite casually, the two continued to walk toward the city. Their behavior was quite arrogant, completely heedless of the gun barrels aimed right at them. 

The Island Guard squad leader shouted. His loudspeaker-amplified voice seemed to make the very coastal air shake. 

“Attention, intruders: You are violating the jurisdiction of a Demon Sanctuary. In accordance with the Special Security Measures Act, you are under arrest. Immediately lower your spell wards and follow our instructions. You have ten seconds. This is your final warning. If you do not comply, we will detain you by force.” 

The guardsmen took the safeties off their weapons. 

They were equipped with large-caliber ritual energy rounds and electrum chip rounds capable of neutralizing even beast men. One solid hit and the witch’s physical bodies would be blown to bits. 

Regardless, the witches’ cold, mocking smiles did not falter. 

“The peasants are in an uproar.” 

“Let us indulge in some amusement, shall we?” 

The squad leader continued his countdown. The two witches continued walking, even past the allotted ten seconds. After a bitter expression came over the squad leader momentarily, he shouted in an unmoved tone of voice. 

“Fire!” 

Blue sparks scattered into the darkness. The sound of countless gunshots blended into a single, thunderous sound that shook the earth. However, the hail of bullets they rained down did not touch the witches whatsoever. 

A giant tentacle split the sea and leaped forth, serving as their shield, blocking all of the bullets flying at them. The guardsmen were in shock at the bizarre sight. 

The tentacle had a diameter of some hundred and fifty centimeters at its thickest point; they couldn’t even get a good look at how long it was. It was a translucent appendage suggestive of a cephalopod; a squid, perhaps. Moving like snakes, more tentacles entered the fray, completely concealing the witches behind them. 

“You live in a Demon Sanctuary. Are you really surprised by a familiar of this level?” The scarlet witch made a haughty laugh as if to mock the troops that seemed ready to flee. 

The black witch cruelly twisted her lips and shook her head. 

“That is an unreasonable request, Octavia. It is a city in which that uncouth little girl dwells, after all.” 

“True, my sister.” 

The scarlet witch spread out the book she had been carrying under one arm. She pressed her palm onto the book. The symbols drawn upon it glowed, releasing an immense amount of magical energy. 

“Then let them at least beautify this filthy city with their own blood.” 

The tentacles moved with even greater force. 

The guardsmen continued to fire, but naturally, even large-caliber rounds could not penetrate translucent tentacles over a full meter thick. The barrage ended when they ran out of ammunition. 

That instant, the tentacles switched to the offensive. 

The tentacles, extending like giant leathery whips, mowed the guardsmen down one after another. 

Shields were meaningless against such an overwhelming difference in mass. The stout troops were tossed aside like bowling pins; the formation enveloping the witches completely fell apart. 

“What the hell are they—?!” the squad leader angrily shouted. 

They were Demon Sanctuary guardsmen with heavy combat experience. No familiar controlled by a magic user had ever chewed them up and spat them out like this. 

However, these tentacles were on a different level. Such a mighty familiar was well beyond the summoning capacity of an ordinary human being. This was a monster that rivaled even vampiric Beast Vassals. Surely the life force consumption required to summon a monster on this scale would instantly burn out anything but an immortal vampire. 

In the recent past, there had apparently been experiments to graft a Beast Vassal to a homunculus, but even their bodies, with natural life spans far in excess of a human’s, were exhausted in but a short time. 

No—there was one way and only one. A shortcut that one could call an exception. 

It was a way for someone to gain enormous demonic power rivaling that of a vampire, even while remaining in human form. 

A devil could grant such a person power in exchange for her very soul. In other words, a witch— 

An operator from Island Guard HQ sent an emergency message straight to the squad leader’s earphone. 

“Spell rune has been cross-referenced using the Gigafloat Management Corporation’s criminal data bank. High probability these are the top-rank criminal sorceresses ‘the Meyer Sisters’ assigned to LCO’s First Branch, ‘Philosophy.’” 

The squad leader’s voice shook with despair. 

“The Meyer Sisters?! The Ashdown Witches?!” 

The Meyer Sisters were international sorcery criminals who had conducted a dangerous magical ritual in the imperial state of Ashdown of the North Sea, and the ensuing disaster had wiped out an entire provincial capital. 

These same sisters had appeared at Itogami Island some ten years prior, inflicting severe, unprecedented damage. 

If those witch sisters had appeared once more, the weapons of the Interdiction Unit were nowhere near enough to deal with them. 

“Quite correct. It seems you do remember us still.” 

“Marvelous. Here is your reward.” 

Looking over the shocked guardsmen, the black witch raised her own book to the sky. The ground at the troops’ feet split open; a malignant miasma rose through the crack. 

Snapping back to his senses, the squad leader tried to order his men to fall back. But it was already too late. A new tentacle emerged from the split in the ground’s surface, ripping apart the artificial island’s steel foundation and dragging the guardsmen toward the bottom of the dark sea. 

When the overwhelming onslaught concluded, a strange silence came over the cliff-side road. 

All that remained on the surface of the ground were two witches, one scarlet and one black. 

The scarlet witch murmured in a bored tone as she put her book back under her cloak. “A pathetic bunch. If they were all we faced, we wouldn’t need help from the Library at all.” 

The black witch nodded. 

“Quite so, Octavia.” 

Lifting the rim of her triangular hat, she glared at the night skyline of Itogami City. 

“But do not forget. Natsuki is in this city…that abominable Witch of the Void!” 

Leaving a wet plop behind, the giant tentacles returned to the sea. 

The two witches melted into the darkness once more, leaving nothing behind save the evidence of their senseless destruction. 

Midnight had passed. It was a new day. 

One more day remained until the wild, blood-drenched banquet was set to begin—