From the Warlord's Empire (10 page)

“Yeah. Y’see?”

On the other side of the phone call, Yaze raised his voice in apparent triumph, really annoying Asagi in the process.

“So what should I
do
about it?”

“Hmm…how about you throw a wrench in her plans by seducing Kojou?”

“Huh?! Why do I have to s-seduce…?!” Asagi yelled back in panic at the line, irresponsible even by Yaze’s standards. But even now Yaze spoke with a serious tone of voice.

“Now, now, the sexy approach is one of your intel-gathering basics. Y’know, honey traps.”

“Motoki…you’re having a really good time with this, aren’t you?”

“Oh no, what are you saying. I’m thinkin’ serious for once for the sake of my childhood friend. I wanna help Kojou as a friend, too, seeing he’s all worried and can’t talk to anyone ’bout this.”

“R-right…as a friend. Friends through and through.”

Though well aware that Yaze was up to no-good scheming, Asagi had a hard time disputing his logic when he put it like that. But even if she did try the sexy approach, she was at a loss how she should go about it given her and Kojou’s relationship. If it was that easy to rope in that blockhead, Asagi wouldn’t have had this much trouble to begin with.

“Well, it’s time for me to call Hiina. We’ll talk about this another time.”

Suddenly interjecting, Yaze cut the call short from his end. Hiina was the name of the older girlfriend Yaze had met on summer vacation and was currently dating.

“Wai—I wasn’t finished tal—Is that how you behave toward your precious childhood friend?!”

In spite of Asagi’s vehement objections, the call was already over. Asagi crudely discarded her cell phone, tossing it onto the bed.

“Geez, if it’s not one thing, it’s another…”

Grumbling to herself, she sat in front of her desk. Western clothes poured out of her closet.

There were magazines, cosmetics, and stuffed animals here and there. Asagi’s home was a very girlie room.

But the corner around the desk was the sole exception. A spartan office-use monitor was connected to a rack-mounted, parallel PC cluster. The computer was on par with those used at IT corporations or university lab rooms, but here it rested on a simple study desk. It was something of a surreal scene.

Though none but her closest friends knew, Asagi was a highly gifted computer programmer. Of course, she didn’t call herself this, but the world of hackers had granted her the embarrassing nickname of “Cyber Empress.” She put her personal hobby to good use doing part-time, high-paying work for enterprises on Itogami Island and the Artificial Island Management Corporation.

That said, she didn’t feel much like working today. Thinking she might complain to Rin Tsukishima, too, if she was still awake, Asagi checked her messages and noticed the existence of an unfamiliar e-mail.

The sender’s address was from the Kano Alchemical Industries Corporation. It was a large-scale enterprise that had contracted Asagi to do work numerous times before.

But this wasn’t a request to do a paying job. The message contained only a pair of words.

“Requesting Decipher…”

“What’s this? Doesn’t feel like a virus e-mail, but…”

As Asagi inclined her head, she opened the attached data.

An assortment of bizarre characters of unknown origin was displayed before her. The system was exceedingly complex, the arrangement completely bonkers. It differed from any language known to exist among the peoples of Earth. But it differed from the spells used in sorcery and ritualism. No doubt any linguist, or even teams of magic users, would find this difficult to decipher. But…

“A puzzle? You have a lot of guts to be challenging
me
.”

Asagi chuckled amusedly, repositioning herself before the monitor.

Her hacker instincts told her that these were not characters that existed for the sake of men. That’s why they couldn’t be deciphered by any ordinary linguistic approach.

This was a language written for something that was not human. It
was
a program…command codes for controlling something with special architecture unknown to modern man.

Asagi immersed herself in deciphering the characters; in part, it was out of spite and to escape the realities of real life, and also, because she’d been stimulated out of pure intellectual curiosity. The dismantled, bizarre characters formed a translated word on-screen.

“Nalakuvera…?” Asagi muttered brusquely as she gazed at the single word that came over the monitor’s surface.

In the Demon Sanctuary of Itogami City, the night wore on…

It was a room in an apartment building overlooking the sea. Bathed by the rays of the morning sun leaking in from the window, Kojou Akatsuki awoke.

“Kojou! C’mon, Kojou!”

The voice that had awakened him was Nagisa’s, ringing in his ears with 50 percent more shrillness than usual.

Having long changed into her school uniform, she wrenched open the curtains of Kojou’s room, stripping away the towel blanket under which he tried to escape from direct sunlight.

“It’s morning. Wake up. You’re gonna be late. What’ll you do about breakfast? Aaah, you turned off your alarm clock again, didn’t you?! Did you get your textbooks in order? Your homework? And your clothes are all over the pla—Wait, what’s this?! Why is this tuxedo all burnt?!”

“Sorry, Nagisa…can you lemme sleep thirty more seconds?”

Kojou made a vague moan in a broken voice as he buried his face into his pillow.

By the time Kojou and Yukina had finished their meeting with Dimitrie Vattler and gotten home, it was past three in the morning. Of course, he was short on sleep. The charred tuxedo was naturally the fault of Vattler’s attack; that had only added to his fatigue.

“You said that just earlier, Kojou! Geez, it’s not my fault if you really are late!”

He felt Nagisa leave the room, sighing in apparent resignation.

Covering his face with the towel blanket he’d recovered, Kojou made a sigh of relief. As he heard his little sister’s footsteps grow more distant, Kojou’s sleepy head recalled the details of their conversation with Vattler the night before.

“…That aura just now, Regulus Aurum, eh…? How unexpected. It seems coming to confirm the rumors of an ordinary human having consumed the Fourth Primogenitor was very much worth my time.”

So spoke the aristocrat from the Warlord’s Empire, completely lacking any concern despite having suddenly attacked Kojou.

The upper deck of the cruise ship
Oceanus Grave
was huge. As the night breeze made the edges of his coat flap around, a look of pleasure came over his face.

“…You know about Regulus Aurum…?”

With a bewildered look, Kojou glared at Vattler’s innocently smiling face.

Though he looked like a young man in his twenties, he was an Old Guard vampire through and through, a monster who had lived many times longer than he appeared to be. Of course, he possessed a far greater amount of memories than Kojou. Vattler had to know a great deal of things Kojou did not. And it was likely that knowledge concerning the Fourth Primogenitor, in other words, Kojou himself, was no exception.

“It’s the fifth Beast Vassal of Avrora Florestina, the Kaleid Blood, yes? I’d heard it is quite wild and difficult to control, but you’ve tamed it rather nicely. The spirit medium’s blood must have been very nice, indeed.”

Kojou wordlessly scowled his face at Vattler’s casually delivered words. “Kaleid Blood,” Avrora Florestina…the ring of those words unsettled Kojou’s psyche, bringing a headache that was difficult to endure.

Though he must have met her sometime in the past, Kojou could not recall even a shred of it. Kojou’s memory had been stolen, as if sealed by a powerful curse.

“What relation did you…have with Avrora?” Kojou asked while he endured the fierce headache with no apparent cause.

Behaving like an actor onstage, Vattler put his palm to his own chest, a yearning in his narrowed eyes.

“Did I not say that at the start? I love her. I swore my eternal love to her.”

“Swore love…? Aren’t you part of the First Primogenitor’s clan?”

“Well, yes. But our primogenitor is not the sort who cares much about that kind of thing, you see.”

As Vattler spoke, his grin exposed his white canine teeth.

“If the ‘blood’ is strong, it’s all good. Strong blood families survive, regardless of who their ancestors were. Is that not how it is with vampires? So, shall we speak fondly of love, Kojou Akatsuki?”

“Wait, wait, wait, why is it like that?!”

Kojou hurried to fend off the approaching Vattler.

“Mm?”

“Isn’t Avrora the one you swore your love to?!”

“But she no longer exists. You consumed her, did you not?”

Kojou swallowed his breath with an “urk” at Vattler’s casually tossed words.

Kojou had no memory of that night. He couldn’t remember what happened. But Kojou, who had been a normal human being until but a few short months prior, had gained the power of the vampire known as the Fourth Primogenitor right around then.

The only thinkable possibility was that Kojou had
consumed the primogenitor
, merging with and consuming the preceding Fourth Primogenitor, seizing her abilities and very being.

For Kojou, a supposed mere human, to consume a vampire…he imagined it must have made an abominable sight.

However, there was nothing in Vattler’s tone of voice that suggested he was scolding Kojou.

Indeed, his smiling face seemed to be praising Kojou when he licked the corner of his upturned lips.

“…However, I dedicate my love for her to you, the inheritor of her ‘blood.’ Having sworn my eternal love to her, my conduct is very natural, is it not?”

“I’m tellin’ you that logic’s all messed up! So, what, anything goes if it’s the same bloodline?!”

“But of course. That you inherited the power of the Fourth Primogenitor means that she accepted you. Compared to that, the two of us being men is but a small, trifling thing.”

“It is
not
trifling. It’s a
big
problem! And would you stop using your tongue like that?!”

Kojou yelled at the young aristocrat’s provocatively flicking his tongue.

Then, pushing the thin-tempered Kojou back, Yukina stepped in front of him, instrument case in hand.

“Duke Ardeal…there is something I must ask you.”

A mystified look came over Vattler at the unexpected and unbidden intrusion. It seemed he had not taken more note of Yukina’s existence than that of a pebble until now.

“And you are?”

“I am called Yukina Himeragi, Sword Shaman of the Lion King Agency. I have come tonight as watcher of the Fourth Primogenitor.”

“Hmm…I see. Miss Sayaka’s colleague, then?”

Vattler looked down at Yukina, murmuring at her formally identifying herself.

“Incidentally, Kojou’s body carries the same scent as your blood… Were you the spirit medium for Regulus Aurum by any chance?”

“…?!”

Yukina’s entire body awkwardly stiffened at Vattler unexpectedly hitting the mark.

Kojou’s expression froze solid as well. Kojou had inherited twelve Beast Vassals from the previous Fourth Primogenitor. However, they had not recognized Kojou as their master, making them uncontrollable, a dangerous situation that continued even now.

Among them, Regulus Aurum was the only one he had managed to tame. At the end of many twists and turns, Kojou had finally managed to bring one Beast Vassal under his control through sucking Yukina’s blood.

Of course, they had not been so careless as to speak of the fact he’d sucked on the blood of the girl watching over him to others, but…

“You mean…you can tell even that from the smell of blood…?!”

Kojou was heavily taken aback as he responded with his question. He felt a penetrating gaze from behind. He knew the source without even bothering to look back. It was Sayaka Kirasaka, glaring at Kojou with hate-filled eyes.

A chill ran up Kojou’s spine at the pure bloodlust levied at him. Sayaka had called herself a specialist in curses and assassination. Certainly, that level of bloodlust was more than sufficient to put a killing curse on a person or two.

“No, I lied. I just wanted to say it.”

Vattler’s smiling face looked quite satisfied, as if he was quite pleased at rocking Kojou and Yukina onto their heels.

“But well, you see, if you are indeed a candidate for being Kojou’s ‘blood companion,’ that makes you my rival in love. As a show of respect, I shall make an exception and answer your question. What do you wish to ask?”

“There’s a lot wrong with that preamble. She’s no candidate or your love rival!”

Though Kojou refuted him in earnest, Vattler let the words slide past him as if not listening whatsoever.

Yukina made a heavy exhale, a sharp look on her face as she gazed directly at Vattler.

“Please share with us your reason for visiting Itogami Island. Or is it your objective to establish an unseemly relationship with the Fourth Primogenitor?”

Even Yukina’s provocative manner of speech did not cause Vattler’s smiling facade to crumble. Indeed, his brows rose in apparent pleasure.

“Of course, that is very much my objective. Ah, but I am remiss, there was another matter as well.”

“So you did come for that!” Kojou muttered in annoyance. Yukina, shrouded in a hostile aura, glared at Vattler as if trying to intimidate him.

“And this other matter is…?”

“I had to make somewhat proper arrangements. I thought, if this Demon Sanctuary is indeed the territory of the Fourth Primogenitor, I must first make a proper greeting. After all, this might be somewhat troublesome for you.”

As Vattler spoke, he gracefully snapped his fingers. On that signal, a horde of servants emerged from the ship interior one after the other. The food wagon they hauled in was filled to the brim with various dishes. There had been food brought into the assembly hall for the party, but it felt shabby compared to the exquisite cuisine here.

“…What do you mean by ‘troublesome’?” Yukina asked without even glancing at the food that had been brought out.

Vattler, engaging in bad manners by picking up a slice of raw ham with his fingers, made a smile.

“Do you know of the name Kristof Gardos, Kojou?”

“No, who’s that?”

As Kojou shook his head, a man who seemed like Vattler’s butler handed a wineglass over to him. Since Kojou was underage, he began to refuse, but gave in upon seeing the man’s face. Though his demeanor was calm and intellectual, he was an aging man with a stern face that bore an incredibly overpowering aura. There was a large, old scar on one cheek, making one think he’d lived a rough life.

Vattler similarly accepted a glass from the butler, raising it to Kojou as he declared a toast. Kojou had to reluctantly admit it was picture-perfect.

“He is a former soldier native to the Warlord’s Empire, his name known briefly in Europe as a terrorist. As a leader of a group of radicals known as the Black Death Emperor Front, he was responsible for the takeover of the National Assembly in Prague some ten years ago, resulting in over four hundred deaths.”

“I’ve heard of the Black Death Emperor Front. But weren’t they wiped out years ago? I’m sure their leader was assassinated…,” Kojou murmured as he vaguely recalled an old news story. Kojou remembered it from back in his primary school days, so it had to have been a pretty big incident.

“Yes. I killed him. Though he was an elderly beast man with a somewhat troublesome special ability.”

As Vattler tilted his wineglass, he answered with a casual smile. Kojou silently stared at the young aristocrat before his eyes. In spite of his current frivolous behavior, he felt keenly that this was an important figure in the world at large.

“Gardos is a survivor of the Black Death Emperor Front. Or, to be more accurate, Gardos serves as the new leader for the remnants of the Black Death Emperor Front. He has an illustrious career as a terrorist, after all.”

“Wait a sec. You mean your reason for coming to Itogami Island is related to this Gardos guy?” Kojou asked as he suddenly felt a bad premonition. Vattler made what seemed like a nod of admiration.

“Your quick wits make this easy, Kojou. Precisely. It has been reported to me that Gardos, and his Black Death Emperor Front subordinates along with him, have infiltrated this island.”

“…What would European radicals come all the way to this island for?”

“Who knows…? They surely have something in mind.”

Kojou grated his teeth at the young aristocrat’s feigning ignorance. Having silently watched until now, Sayaka suddenly spoke to Kojou in a businesslike tone.

“The Black Death Emperor Front is a beast man–supremacist group. Their objectives are the complete rupture of the Holy Ground Treaty and striking down the First Primogenitor who rules the Warlord’s Empire…”

Without thinking, Kojou made a peevish look at Sayaka’s cold attitude, which seemed to be saying,
You didn’t even know that?

“That’s got even less to do with this island.”

“No, senpai. That is incorrect.” Yukina rebuked Kojou in a small voice.

“Quite so,” said Vattler, making a mischievous wink.“Itogami Island is a Demon Sanctuary…a city established according to the Holy Ground Treaty. To them, that is cause enough to create an incident here. The Black Death Emperor Front does pride itself on its symbolism.”

“Wha… What kind of one-sided logic is that?” Kojou said with a low groan.

“Having said that, Japan is not the only nation with a Demon Sanctuary. It’s natural to presume that they have some other reason to come to Itogami Island in particular.”

“Some other reason…like what?”

“That I do not know.”

Vattler made a careless shake of his head. His voice was oddly buoyant.

“If I was to venture a guess, hmm, they might be searching for a way to defeat a primogenitor, as killing the First Primogenitor is their final objective.”

“…And what, you’re fine with that?”

Kojou made a sigh with a dumbfounded look.

Primogenitors were the oldest, most powerful of all vampires. If the Black Death Emperor Front obtained the power to defeat that primogenitor, it meant they posed a threat to the existence of all other vampires as well. Vattler should have been in as much danger as anyone. But…

“I don’t really mind… Well, that’s what the old man would say. In light of various circumstances that concern me, I can say no differently.”

Opening his arms wide as if it was someone else’s problem, Vattler let out a laugh rich in meaning.