“Major Azama of the SDF, the officer in command of this operation…”
“Hmm… I see.” Iblisveil smirked suggestively.
When Shio saw that smile, another light went on in her mind. Asagi’s words, Gajou’s reaction, and now the doubts inside Shio herself—her doubts only piled higher.
Special Major Azama’s feet came to a halt in front of Shio and the others as he inquired, “Attack Mage Hikawa, who are these people? And is High Priest Akatsuki injured?”
Gajou Akatsuki replied to the question in a joking tone, “She ain’t hurt all that bad. That hag’s in stupidly good shape.”
“Are you a civilian…? It seems you are gravely wounded,” Azama said as he examined the blood-covered Gajou. Then he glanced at Iblisveil and said, “And that is a demon? I want to hear about this in detail afterward… But treating the wounded takes priority. First, please hand over the girl…Nagisa Akatsuki.”
Azama’s gaze shifted to the still sleeping girl in a priestess outfit.
The next moment, Shio went to Nagisa Akatsuki’s side, seemingly shielding her as she glared at Azama, who slightly knit his brows at Shio’s inexplicable behavior.
“Attack Mage Hikawa?”
“Unfortunately, I cannot obey that order.”
Shio stretched a hand to her hip holster, gripping the silver recurve bow mounted therein. “Freikugel Plus Proto Three—unlock.”
She nocked a fresh arrow to her bow, silently pulling the drawstring.
“Please stay where you are, Major Azama.”
With that statement, Shio angled the tip of her arrow, pointing it at Azama’s heart.
3
“The prince…of the Fallen Dynasty?”
Sitting on the shoulder of a winding mountain road, Kojou peered at the screen of a modified smartphone. He was speaking to an avatar resembling a badly sewn teddy bear.
“The heck? Why is a guy like that with Asagi?”
“It seems that Li’l Miss Asagi and company managed to reel him in with a cup of ramen.”
“Wait—reel him in?”
Reeling a vampire prince in with a cup of ramen—Kojou had no idea what that meant. But it seemed Asagi was not in any imminent peril.
“I don’t really get it, but anyway, seems like Nagisa and the others are safe. For now, I’ll let your side take care of it. Tell Asagi it’s gonna take a little more time to meet up with her.”
“Roger that.”
Leaving those words behind, Mogwai vanished from the screen. Kojou let out a sigh as he returned the smartphone to his parka’s pocket. The modified smartphone’s battery charge was finally reaching a worrisome state.
“Nagisa is safe and sound, I take it?”
Yukina, sitting opposite Kojou, seemed to have posed the question to remind him of the fact. Seeing her look of relief, Kojou mixed a pained smile with a nod.
“Yeah, everyone seems more or less all right.”
Seems Dad almost bought it, though, he added in his mind.
It was then that the girl called Yuiri rushed to Kojou’s and Yukina’s side, bowing her head. She was practically prostrating herself before them.
“I’m very sorry!”
“Eh?”
Kojou was taken aback as he looked at the girl.
Yuiri was a bit taller than Yukina. Her hair reached her shoulders, and she gave off the impression of an honors student, perhaps because of the forelocks framing the sides of her face. Quite unlike his initial perception of her, she was overly serious and prone to fiercely set her mind on something. He couldn’t help but be reminded of Yukina.
In self-reproach, Yuiri said, “Really, I was the one who was supposed to be protecting your little sister, but I lost sight of her…and Nagisa faced danger because of that—”
“Y-yeah… But she ended up safe and sound, so…,” Kojou replied, a little perplexed.
“No, I was woefully insufficient. I am very sorry.”
Yuiri bowed her head deeply. Conflicted, Kojou shook his own head as he turned to Yukina.
“Hey, Himeragi… Is she really in the Lion King Agency?”
“Yes. She is in the year above me, a particularly exceptional Sword Shaman candidate.”
“Oh. That’s kinda surprising.”
“In what way?” Yukina inclined her head a little, blinking curiously as she stared.
“Hmmm,” went Kojou, seriously mulling the issue over when he said, “Nah, I was just thinking, she has her head screwed on pretty straight for someone involved with the Lion King Agency.”
“I’m sorry?”
He felt like there was an audible krik as Yukina’s cheek twitched.
“Are you somehow implying…I have some kind of personality issue?”
When Yukina replied with half-lidded eyes, Kojou stuttered a “Well, you know” as he twisted his lips and gave an assenting nod.
“The people in the Lion King Agency who I know pretty much all tried to kill me the first time they met me, you know? First you, then Kirasaka, then that Paper Noise chick just the other day—”
“A-at the time, it was because you looked at me with indecent eyes, senpai—!”
“I did not! That was an accident—a total accident!”
Yuiri watched the raggedly voiced argument between Kojou and Yukina, her face full of surprise. Her mental image of the watcher of the Fourth Primogenitor crumbled away—so said her face, at least.
As Yuiri, at a loss, stood rooted to the spot, a tiny figure rushed toward her. It was the dragon girl, her long silver hair fluttering behind her.
“Yuiriii!”
“Glenda? What happened? Where did you get those clothes…?”
Yuiri’s eyes widened as Glenda leaped and embraced her, nearly bowling her over.
Glenda was wearing a large military jacket and combat boots, accentuated by earmuffs.
“We went ahead and had her pick from the stuff we had left over.”
Along with Glenda, the Oceanus Girls had returned. Yuiri had an almost frightened look, bowing her head to the troupe of beautiful girls of uncertain nationality.
“Th-thank you very much,” Yuiri said. “They look good on you, Glenda.”
“Eh-heh-heh.”
Praised by Yuiri, Glenda narrowed her eyes and smiled happily. It was an unbelievably adorable smiling face for a girl who’d been an enormous dragon not long ago.
“Um, incidentally, who are all of you…?”
With the dragon girl still coiled all about her, Yuiri regarded the Oceanus Girls. It was an obvious question to ask.
“I have been most rude,” said the beautiful blonde in the red bandanna, elegantly curtseying in her military fatigues. “Forgive my late introduction. I am the Fourth Primogenitor’s wife.”
“What?!”
Yuiri blinked hard and her jaw dropped open, the unexpected answer rendering her speechless.
With calm, collected faces, the four remaining foreign-born girls smiled and revealed their relationships with Kojou one after the other:
“Similarly, I am his concubine.”
“Lover.”
“Sex buddy.”
“Harem member, you could say…”
“Huh?! Wha…?!”
Yuiri was so surprised that her head was like a swivel as she looked between the girls’ faces and Kojou’s.
Kojou, unexpectedly finding himself the victim of slander, hastily wedged himself into Yuiri’s exchange with the Oceanus Girls and insisted, “Don’t believe them! It’s not like that, not one little bit!!”
“B-but the Fourth Primogenitor could have five or six wives or lovers, and no one would—”
“I said it’s not like that! Himeragi, say something, please!”
Kojou sought aid from Yukina, believing she should establish his innocence. However, Yukina simply shook her head in an emotionless sulk.
“I am merely your observer. I have an abnormal personality after all.”
“You’re still mad about that?!”
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His last hope cut away, Kojou clutched his head and made an exaggerated wail.
For a while, Yuiri stared at the panicked Kojou in amazement until finally, unable to bear it any longer, she let out laughter in a giggly voice.
“Yuiri?” Yukina meekly addressed Yuiri out of apparent concern.
Yuiri laughed as she shook her head and said, “Nothing, I was just thinking, Kojou really is like him. He really is Gajou’s son.”
In an instant, the corners of Kojou’s lips twisted in deep annoyance.
“Ah?!”
“Wahh, I’m sorry. B-but if I call you by your family names, I’ll mix you up with Gajou so, ah… Sorry.”
Yuiri hastily apologized. She apparently misunderstood, thinking Kojou was angry she had addressed him by his first name in an overly familiar manner.
“No, no,” said Kojou, waving a hand in front of his face. “Nah, I just mean, I’m nothing like that guy. I’m not worried about how you say my name at all.”
“Is—is that so? Ah, er, I see. Sorry. You can address me by my given name as well, so…”
When Yuiri immediately gave a proper apology, Kojou muttered “Ahhh,” making a lukewarm nod. “She really is super normal…in spite of being in the Lion King Agency.”
Yukina simply stared. “Just what, exactly, do I seem like to you?”
I’d better change the subject before her mood gets even worse, thought Kojou, instantly averting his eyes and looking toward Glenda as she clung onto Yuiri.
“So we have some questions, too, like…who is that girl?”
“I do not know the details myself. I only learned just earlier that she calls herself Glenda…”
Yuiri furrowed her brows as she spoke. She herself seemed perplexed as to why the mystery girl had become so fond of her, seemingly for no reason.
However, Glenda had approached and granted Yuiri her unconditional trust. Perhaps it was because she detected no hostility, and when their eyes met, she returned Kojou and the others’ looks with smiles, too. Kojou felt like he was watching a friendly little critter.
It was this Glenda who twitched her ears and began making a low growl. She was glaring in the direction of the mountain road that continued to Kannawa Lake.
“Yuiri, they’re coming. Again.”
“Eh?”
Glenda’s words were followed by a short pause; then Kojou heard a deep sound of engines. Three SDF armored vehicles were heading toward Kojou and the others. When the armored vehicles stopped, an armed group in camouflage fatigues disembarked. Yuiri moved to shield Glenda as the apparent squad leader approached.
“Attack Mage Haba of the Lion King Agency, I presume?”
The squad leader posed the question to Yuiri in a nominal show of politeness.
“I am First Lieutenant Ueyanagi, Second Company, SDF Special Attack Mage Regiment. Major Azama ordered us to escort you due to receiving a report that a unit retreating while carrying wounded came under attack by a dragon.”
“Attack by a dragon…?”
Yuiri’s eyes widened in visible surprise.
“No, that’s wrong. It wasn’t the dragon who attacked us. If anything, I’d say it was she who saved us—”
“Yuiri…”
Glenda called out to Yuiri in a frightened voice.
Without a word, the troops behind First Lieutenant Ueyanagi raised their firearms. These were Personal Defense Weapons used exclusively by Special Attack Mages. As this made Yuiri’s face stiffen, Ueyanagi stated to her with a highly coercive tone:
“We are in command here, Attack Mage Haba. Please hand Glenda over to us.”
His voice was filled with hostility.
4
“What do you think you are doing, Attack Mage Hikawa?”
Azama calmly posed the question right back at Shio, still aiming at him with her recurve bow. It was valor worthy of the field commander of the Special Attack Mages.
But even so, Shio’s aim did not waver.
“I had a bad feeling from the start. Everything about this operation was strange.”
Shio made the statement with calmness in her voice that surprised even her.
Iblisveil gazed at the exchange between Shio and the officer with an expression of delight.
“The Lion King Agency seals sorcerous disasters away every day before breakfast. Even a single Sword Shaman of the Lion King Agency possesses the power to destroy the World’s Mightiest Vampire—yet, I find it strange why, this time only, we needed to borrow the strength of the Self-Defense Forces out of fear of demon beasts that have never appeared before. I don’t understand the reason you were involved in such a dangerous operation.”
“…We are merely cooperating with the Lion King Agency. In point of fact, even the Lion King Agency’s Attack Mages cannot cope with the large numbers of houda that have appeared, yes?”
Azama was composed as he rebutted. Shio could accept that the explanation made sense. That was why Shio had not harbored any doubts about the presence of the SDF up to that point.
“I suppose not. At first, I thought that myself, so I accepted it. But, Major Azama, your unit was fragile against the demon beasts. No, rather, it was too fragile.”
Shio kept an eye on the wounded soldiers as she spoke.
The houda were powerful demon beasts, but not beyond the capabilities of Shio and the others to deal with. She certainly didn’t think they were powerful enough to overwhelm SDF Special Attack Mages to such an extent. But that would only remain true if the Special Attack Mages in question were in tip-top shape.
“The reason is simple. Your unit was not equipped with enough gear to deal with a swarm of houda. Thanks to that, you were simply overwhelmed by superior firepower. Is that not unnatural? Even though you were encircling Kannawa Lake, on guard for the appearance of demon beasts, you had a visible lack of equipment to deal with them.”
“Unfortunately…our activities are constantly under budgetary constraints, and the plan came with uncertain elements. It was never anticipated that there would be such a large outbreak of houda.”
“If that is the case, what, exactly, did you expect to come out, Major Azama?” Shio rebutted in a gentle voice.
That instant, Shio detected that Azama’s expression had gone faintly awry.
The houda were demon beasts that had appeared with the dragon. The swarm of houda nested around Avalon like birds gathering on the backs of elephants and water buffalo, seeking the protection of the mighty beast.
That was what had thrown Azama’s plan into chaos. The large outbreak of houda was a wild card to Azama and the Lion King Agency alike.
“Or rather, did you know from the very beginning that there was a dragon sleeping inside Avalon? That is why you had your subordinates on standby around Kannawa Lake—to determine the position where the dragon would emerge faster than the Lion King Agency could.”
Azama did not reply to Shio’s assertion, merely shifting a dark gaze toward her instead.
Had there not been the large houda outbreak, Azama would likely have determined the dragon’s whereabouts with ease. Furthermore, his comrades were no doubt attempting to capture the dragon. After all, the Special Attack Mages had not been granted weapons with which to take down a dragon. It was none other than Azama who had equipped them as such.
“I get it now. You didn’t equip your troops with powerful anti-demon beast weapons…and that’s why the SDF was in such a hard fight with small-fry demon beasts. It wouldn’t do for your men to steal your prey before you captured the dragon yourself.”
“Heh-heh.” A laugh rose from the back of Gajou Akatsuki’s throat. “Pursuing the dragon from the start explains why you dragged Nagisa along to be the sacrifice this time around. It just happened that Nagisa was the only one who fit the bill for the sacrifice that’d wake the dragon up. Mind finally telling us who was pulling the strings and feeding you that info?”
Gajou spoke in a defiant tone, perhaps having a very good idea who the master
mind was.
Shio nodded a little, in agreement. Even within the government, there were few people with the clout to put the Lion King Agency into motion against a blood relation of Kojou Akatsuki, the “Fourth Primogenitor.” Through Azama, this individual had used not only the Self-Defense Forces, but the Lion King Agency as well. If they put Azama in irons, finding that individual ought to not be such a difficult task.
“I genuinely do not understand what you two are trying to say, but…”
However, Azama gave Shio a look of visible scorn. Shio’s words were speculation without any tangible proof behind them. Knowing this, his expression seemed one of mocking laughter.
“I, too, have heard the eyewitness reports of a dragon. However, even if I was to capture it, just what would I do with it?”
“That is obvious.”
It was not Shio who replied to Azama’s question, but Iblisveil.
“A dragon is the guardian of a treasure. It has always been the job of a knight to slay the dragon and take its treasure—is that not so, Knight of Cain?”
“I’ve had quite enough of this—”
Azama spoke, interrupting Iblisveil’s words. “If you wish to make a complaint, file it in accordance with proper procedure, but I am the operational commander here. Here and now, Attack Mage Hikawa, you will obey my commands—if you resist, I will simply have you all arrested.”
Even if she distrusted Azama’s true motives, the orders of a commanding officer were absolute. The troops surrounding Shio and the others followed Azama’s instructions, training their personal defense weapons on them all at once.
Shio clenched her teeth as she lowered her bow. She feared that engaging in foolish defiance would drag the wounded Gajou into it.
“A mere human—arrest me, you say? A poor attempt at humor. You are more suitable for the role of jester than knight.” Iblisveil’s shoulders shook as he laughed.
Azama drew his pistol and trained its barrel upon the vampire prince.
The ammunition of a pistol wielded by a Special Attack Mage was likely to be a silver and gold alloy of electrum anti-demon bullets. Even a vampire would not escape a direct hit unscathed. Even so, Iblisveil’s raucous laughter did not cease.
The Knight of the Sinful God Page 16