From the Warlord's Empire

by Gakuto Mikumo

  It made him think of an airplane wing. It was a long, elegant sword. The blade was about 120 centimeters long. The sword blade was thick, seemingly fused along a pattern of straight lines that ran across its surface. It had a silvery glow as it reflected the rays of the sun, greatly resembling Yukina’s Snowdrift Wolf.

  “You’re…the girl from yesterday…”

  Kojou knew this girl’s name. She wore her long chestnut-colored hair bunched up in a ponytail. Like a cherry blossom in bloom, she had neat, charming, beautiful looks. And she was gazing at Kojou with a menacing look…

  This was Sayaka Kirasaka, War Dancer of the Lion King Agency.

  “What the heck are you doing here? Aren’t you keeping Vattler under surveillance?” Kojou asked as he got on one knee and then rose, glaring right back at Sayaka. Sayaka’s expression did not even twitch.

  “Right now, the Oceanus Grave is anchored outside of Japanese territorial jurisdiction. Dimitrie Vattler is currently retired to bed. My observation mission has been temporarily suspended.”

  “Oh, really. So what does that have to do with blowing up the bench I was sitting on?”

  “…I have been observing your actions until now, Kojou Akatsuki.”

  Sayaka pointed the tip of her sword at Kojou as she spoke. Kojou gripped his head in frustration.

  “You’ve been ‘observing’ me, too?! Is that all people from the Lion King Agency do?!”

  “Silence, criminal!”

  “C-criminal?!” Kojou’s mouth was agape at Sayaka’s unexpected rebuke.

  Seeing Kojou’s reaction, the corners of Sayaka’s eyes rose farther.

  “Don’t play dumb with me, Fourth Primogenitor. You’ve sucked Yukina’s blood, haven’t you?”

  “Uhh…” Kojou faltered as his greatest debt to Yukina was pointed out. “That couldn’t be helped! It was the only way to deal with the emergency situation at the time—”

  “I understand that. Of course I do. If not, my little angel Yukina would never have tamely let a stupid fool of a worthless, filthy man like you suck her blood.”

  “Do you have to put it that way?!”

  Naturally Kojou lost his temper and protested. However lowly he felt on the inside, he didn’t want to hear all that from a girl he only just met.

  However, Sayaka gripped her sword with both hands as she shook with anger.

  “You are the man called the Fourth Primogenitor. If you had been a man worthy of that title, wrapped in a noble, dignified personality worthy of Yukina, with an income of over ten million yen yearly, and castrated yourself as proof of your eternal love and absolute submission to her, I thought I’d spare your life alone, but…”

  “That’s crazy talk! Aren’t those insanely high standards?!”

  “And yet when I came and saw you, you were flirting with other girls…”

  “Wait a sec, what are you talking about?”

  “Playing dumb will get you nowhere. Since morning, you brought a classmate into your own bed, slipped a secret rendezvous in the student council room past Yukina’s eyes, and on top of that had a fun time on a secluded rooftop, eating food, sharing the same chopsticks, I saw all of it. How indecent!”

  Sayaka became furious all by her lonesome as she laid out the charges before Kojou.

  Seeing the glow of her raised sword, Kojou’s cheeks went pale.

  “W-wait! Asagi and I didn’t actually do anything to apologize for…”

  “That’s what all unfaithful men say! ‘Lustrous Scale’!”

  “—Wait, what are you trying to do with that sword?!”

  “Yukina came to this island to watch over the Fourth Primogenitor. If you die, there’ll be no reason for her to stay here, and no actions of yours that can make that girl cry…!”

  “Why does it have to be like this?!”

  Kojou raised an unrestrained yell at Sayaka’s exceedingly overbearing, wildly leaping logic.

  However, Sayaka was beyond reasoning with, swinging her sword down without mercy.

  It was a sword attack so swift that even Kojou’s vampire-boosted kinetic vision couldn’t completely follow it. Kojou rolled, relying mostly on intuition, just barely avoiding a direct hit.

  “Why did you dodge that?!”

  “If I didn’t dodge it, I’d die!!”

  “So die like a man already, Enemy of Woman! How dare you humiliate my Yukina!”

  Sayaka continued to swing her sword as she continued pressing her irrational claims. All Kojou did was run for his life.

  In pure combat proficiency, Sayaka’s swordsmanship was as good as Yukina’s or better. However, thanks to her anger, she was putting in an excessive amount of force, dulling her normal skill in the process. Thanks to that, Kojou was somehow able to evade her attacks.

  “Running your lips across her neck, breathing on it, nibbling on it, she doesn’t even let me do that often! Unforgivable!!”

  “You mean this is just jealousy?!”

  “If it wasn’t for you, she wouldn’t have to face such danger. She has no reason to fight the Lotharingian Armed Apostle and the Black Death Emperor Front remnants at all!”

  “Uhh.”

  Though Sayaka had lost herself to her anger, her words accurately struck the parts of Kojou he least wanted touched. Yukina having to devote most of her daily life to watching Kojou and her being involved in dangerous combat were both attributable to Kojou’s existence. So long as Kojou continued to be watched by Yukina, Yukina would be bound to Kojou’s existence. No matter how stubborn she was, no matter what noisy lectures he might endure, that was why Kojou could not bring himself to hate her.

  “You don’t have just that Aiba girl. You have a little sister, two parents, and lots of friends at school, don’t you?! And you want to take Yukina from me?! My only friend in the whole world…?!”

  Thanks to Sayaka’s yelling robbing him of the ability to concentrate, Kojou was just a moment too late reacting to her attack.

  Sayaka thrust her sword forward with such a force that it was like bloodlust given physical form. As he realized he couldn’t evade it, Kojou girded himself for the impending pai—

  “Oh, crap…!”

  That instant, every hair on Kojou’s body stood up as he realized something was shifting inside him. He sensed the awakening of great demonic power; he had the sense his blood was boiling throughout his body. Responding to Kojou’s instincts for self-defense, one of his sleeping Beast Vassals was waking up: a new Beast Vassal he could not yet control…

  “Eh?!”

  Sayaka’s expression froze as her sword, which should have thrust through him, was deflected.

  Her attack had bounced off an invisible wall that had sprung up with Kojou at its center.

  The invisible wall was really a shock wave. The vibration, rumbling like an earthquake, made cracks run along the concrete rooftop, while Kojou was enveloped in a swell in the air that had become a whirlwind. The Beast Vassal gave rise to this level of calamity even before awakening, using only a small fraction of its magical power. Then…

  “Kojou?!”

  Unable to do anything but stand still, Kojou’s ears heard the shout of a girl. It was Asagi, carrying a plastic bottle, who had shouted. She’d bought her drink and returned.

  Noticing Sayaka confronting Kojou, Asagi came running. Asagi’s willfulness had come out at the worst possible time. Nor could Sayaka, standing still in the face of the unexpected situation, do anything to deal with it.

  “Dammit! Asagi, stay back!!”

  Kojou screamed, not caring how he looked. It was taking all Kojou’s strength to stop the Beast Vassal from running amok; he had nothing left for controlling the leakage of demonic energy.

  “Eh?! Ow…ah…aaaah!”

  The indiscriminately released atmospheric tremor assaulted Asagi as a destructive, supersonic boom.

  Asagi covered both of her ears in anguish and collapsed then and there. She’d lost consciousness, unable to withstand the violent change in atmospher
ic pressure.

  “Kojou Akatsuki! Stop this…!” Sayaka shouted while brandishing her sword. That sword’s protection was no doubt why she was fine despite the same supersonic boom as had hit Asagi crashing over her as well. However, unlike Yukina’s Snowdrift Wolf, it apparently couldn’t completely negate Kojou’s magical energy.

  The destruction of the rooftop, unable to withstand the release of such enormous demonic power, accelerated.

  “Asagi!”

  Kojou raised his voice in anguish as he realized Asagi’s body, lying on the rooftop, would be caught up in the destruction.

  That instant, he heard a shrill ting sound, like two pieces of metal meeting each other, and a small shadow danced above Kojou and Sayaka’s heads.

  “—I, Maiden of the Lion, Sword Shaman of the High God, beseech thee!”

  Her school uniform’s skirt and her black hair fluttering as she landed, a schoolgirl poised a long, silver-colored spear. As if dancing, she waved the spear about, thrusting the tip into the rooftop, which itself was on the verge of shattering.

  “Oh, divine wolf of the snowdrift, let the echoes of thy thousand howls become a shield and repel this calamity!”

  As if responding to her solemn incantation, the silver-colored spear emitted light.

  This was the glow of the Schneewaltzer, the Lion King Agency’s secret weapon, able to rend any barrier and to nullify the demonic energy of a primogenitor.

  As if cowed by its radiance, Kojou’s release of magical energy ceased as well. The ground tremors and atmospheric sounds made by the Beast Vassal on the verge of awakening vanished as well; Kojou’s sense that his own blood was on fire also eased. Though he had not succeeded in controlling the Beast Vassal, the danger of it running wild seemed to have passed for the moment. Though the rooftop looked like a ruin, with cracks everywhere, Asagi was safe, if not by much.

  Kojou and Sayaka, their strength exhausted, simultaneously sank down where they had stood.

  They were still like that as Yukina slowly approached.

  “What are the two of you doing in a place like this?”

  Speaking very curtly, she thrust the end of Snowdrift Wolf into the ground right before their eyes.

  No doubt she’d sensed Kojou and Sayaka fighting and had rushed out of class. Yukina’s slender shoulders seemed to make little bounces up and down as she breathed.

  “Er, that’s… Miss Jealousy here launched an unprovoked attack…”

  “Th-that’s not true. This pervert was engaging in indecent behavior behind your back…”

  Like puppies being scolded, Kojou and Sayaka pointed at each other as they spoke.

  Yukina put a hand on her hip, speaking as if she was a sister several years older.

  “I can largely guess what happened here, but…Sayaka.”

  “Y-yes?”

  “Watching the Fourth Primogenitor is my mission. Do you wish to interfere with that, Sayaka? Do you trust me so little?”

  Sayaka’s back shook like a scared little girl as she vigorously shook her head.

  Yukina exhaled rather deeply.

  “And senpai…of course, you understand what would happen if a Beast Vassal went berserk in a place like this. How would you take responsibility if something happened to all the students here?”

  “…Sorry. I’ll do better. Sorry.”

  Kojou felt like vanishing as he bent his back forward.

  If Yukina hadn’t come when she did, Asagi would definitely have been hurt from Kojou’s magical energy running wild. When he pictured that, his body was gripped by a great deal of fear.

  Compared to his fear of losing Asagi, Yukina’s bitter scolding felt like the gentle reproach of an affectionate mother.

  But Kojou’s relief lasted no longer than that.

  “Yukina! You ran out so fast and hard, are you all right?!”

  Kojou heard agitated footsteps when a schoolgirl in a middle school uniform poked her face out. It was Nagisa’s familiar voice. In surprise, Nagisa looked over at Asagi, lying on the half-destroyed rooftop, and Kojou and Sayaka in the middle of reflecting on their sins.

  “What happened? Wow, what is this? Why’s the rooftop all messed up?! And, Asagi?! Is she hurt?! What’ll we do?!”

  “…Both of you, please reflect on what you’ve done for a while. Nagisa and I will bring Asagi-senpai to the clinic room, so please go. Take care of Snowdrift Wolf for me.”

  Yukina, speaking in a quiet voice, handed the spear over to Kojou in its neatly folded carrying form.

  Certainly they couldn’t just leave Asagi lying down like that; but having said that, she couldn’t waltz into the clinic room with her spear in hand. As she would also have to administer first aid to the unconscious Asagi, Yukina and Nagisa would bring Asagi together with them to the clinic room. As Yukina’s plan was quite logical, Kojou had no special objections.

  With one exception.

  “Eh? By reflecting together…you can’t mean, me and Miss Jealousy here?!”

  “Wh-wh-why do I have to be with this indecent man?!”

  Kojou and Sayaka hurled insults at one another as they fiercely objected.

  Yukina looked down at both of them, her eyes as frigid as a glacier.

  “Is there a problem with that?”

  Kojou and Sayaka silently shook their heads, both kneeling formally then and there to display their willingness to consider their mistakes.

  8

  There was no sign of the special needs teacher in the clinic room; there, substituting for her in her absence, was Astarte.

  Astarte was normally quite close to the clinic room; apparently Natsuki had picked up on the girl’s usefulness, dragging the girl home as her own personal maid.

  Currently, the homunculus girl was clad in a somewhat perverse maid outfit, complete with a white apron, leaning over the side of the bed as Asagi slept.

  Originally, she was a homunculus designed by a pharmaceutical producer for drug experiments. She had the knowledge required to function in a medical setting burned into her flash ROM as part of her basic setup. It was said she had a high degree of medical knowledge equal to a freshly certified doctor.

  “—Medical check completed.”

  Having completed a simple check, Astarte raised her expressionless voice.

  “I deduce light shock caused by a shock wave and a sudden change in air pressure. There need be no concern about aftereffects. However, I recommend rest and quiet for the remainder of the day.”

  “Understood. Thank you very much.”

  Yukina exhaled in relief, thanking Astarte now that her diagnosis was complete.

  Even Yukina’s hardened cheeks regained just a bit of their softness. That Asagi had not been seriously injured was good news. If Kojou learned Asagi was not all right, he would surely be hurt deeply.

  And half hiding behind the relieved Yukina’s back, Nagisa was fidgeting about.

  “Y-Yukina, it’s a maid. I’ve never seen a real maid before. Why is there a maid in the clinic room? Or is that a new style of white gown? Some kind of freebie for the students? Yukina, do you know her?”

  “Er…”

  Yukina was a bit at a loss for Nagisa’s rapid-fire questions. They were all questions to which Yukina was uncertain what response to make. So, in place of the distressed Yukina…

  “Astarte is a maid in my employ, Nagisa Akatsuki.”

  Natsuki, suddenly entering the clinic room, tossed her statement out without compunction.

  Nagisa glanced over, her eyes widening in shock.

  “Ah, Ms. Minamiya. Thank you for always taking care of my brother. Those clothes are very pretty.”

  “A very polite girl, I see, quite unlike your brother.”

  Natsuki returned Nagisa’s polite bow of her head with a brazen, haughty smile. Even the ever-vainglorious Natsuki was happy when complimented for her clothes.

  Then Natsuki glanced back at the still-sleeping Asagi.

  “And this is the result of your lack of rig
or as a watcher, transfer student.”

  “Yes. I’m sorry.”

  Yukina made no excuses and lowered her head. “Hmph,” Natsuki snorted, seeming annoyed. “Then I’ll leave cleaning up this mess to you. I’d really like to go pay that fool Kojou Akatsuki a visit right now, but I have an urgent matter to attend to.”

  “…You know where the Black Death Emperor Front is hiding?” Yukina furrowed her eyebrows as she asked.

  “The sub-float currently under construction. It’s a straight-up hideout. I understand how you feel, but do not stick your nose into this. Handling these terrorists is our job.”

  As Yukina nodded in acknowledgment, Natsuki made a composed smile.

  “I’ll leave Astarte here. If you’re short on nurses, use her.”

  Natsuki left her comment behind as she immediately left the room.

  In the meantime, Nagisa had begun treating the sleeping Asagi.

  Treatment didn’t mean anything special; while adjusting her blankets and checking the position of her pillow, she looked jealously upon Asagi’s long eyelashes, making a sigh of lament, and sniffed her perfume just a little.

  Yukina couldn’t help but make a strained smile at how Nagisa’s form made her muse upon Nagisa’s blood ties to Kojou…

  …The next moment, Asagi suddenly opened her eyes.

  “Er…where is this? The clinic room?”

  Asagi winced in pain as she put a hand to her head, slowly getting up.

  In front of her, Nagisa leaned over with great vigor.

  “Asagi, you’re awake? You know who I am? How many fingers do you see? Does it hurt anywhere? Did Kojou do something to you?”

  Asagi was taken aback for a while at Nagisa’s forceful inquisition.

  “It’s hard getting grilled like that just after waking up. Mm, what happened, anyway?”

  “Errr, seems like one of the roof’s pipes ruptured. That’s when you fainted from shock.”

  “Pipe? Rupture? Ahh, come to mention it I think I heard this high-pitched sound.”

  Asagi furled her eyebrows as if recalling the unpleasant experience.

  “Mm, but I thought Kojou was being chased around by some weird chick with a sword… Where’s Kojou?”

  “I’m sorry, Aiba. She’s a friend of mine. Akatsuki-senpai is safe as well.”