“I would not know.”
“Hey!”
“—After all, I am merely your watcher. So go on ahead and keep pampering all the other people, stupid senpai!”
“The hell?!”
What did I do? thought Kojou, despondent as he gazed at Yukina, who was clearly in a sour mood.
Shio’s and Sayaka’s angry voices echoed as Yuiri desperately tried to talk them down. Then, Glenda’s voice echoed, too—she just found it all funny. Listening to everyone, Kojou blithely stared at the sky.
“Gimme a break…”
Kojou’s frail murmur was carried away by a coastal breeze and vanished.
He felt like he faintly heard laughter—from a girl who had called herself December.
Keystone Gate, Floor Zero—
Asagi Aiba was standing still in the back of the room dubbed C.
“No way… This is…”
It was a chilly, dimly lit room. The breaths Asagi let out turned white as they froze over…
She was staring at a vast, spiraling room spread before her gaze.
The stone slabs that walled C were filled to the brim, inscribed with unfamiliar writing—writing that had never existed within all of human history.
A record left by someone beyond humankind. Notation. Memory. Information—
“This is C… Cain’s…coffin…,” Asagi murmured, voice trembling.
In a world of sorcery, where reality was overwritten according to the caster’s will, information was power itself.
Shikigami, familiars, and homunculi—born from alchemical knowledge—were no exceptions to this rule.
Information birthed money. Information birthed creation and destruction. Information birthed life, and even…gods.
Then what would the information sealed up in that room, information that ought not exist, create?
If she had to name one thing capable of memorizing and processing such vast information, it would have to be—
“Mogwai…you’re…!” shouted Asagi Aiba, the girl called the Priestess of Cain.
As if responding to her lingering echo, the writing engraved upon the stone slabs faintly began to glow.
There was a voice amid the darkness, synthetic yet strangely humanlike. It laughed, seemingly to mock her.
“Keh-keh…”
Afterword
Hi, it’s been a while—about four months. Just as promised in last volume’s afterword, the publication pace has been increased just a smidgeon (*smugly smiles yet again*). However, as you might expect, this time was a little rough.
So there you have it, Strike the Blood, Vol. 13 has reached stores.
This time, the theme was returning to the point of origin. As the previous volume and the one before that were irregular developments, I consciously pounded out as much of a Strike the Blood–like episode for this volume as I could manage. For instance, expounding on the special nature of the artificial isle and Demon Sanctuary as a stage, the secrets of the being known as the Fourth Primogenitor, Kojou and Yukina facing their various pasts, Yaze’s and Natsuki’s pasts coming to the fore, and so forth. Also, Asagi having a bad day is pretty much a rule of thumb in Strike the Blood… Well, setting that aside, if you had fun with it, I’m glad.
Now then, let’s talk about the new characters. Personally, I rather liked the various people of Tartarus Lapse taking the stage this time around, and they were a lot of fun (and just a little tough) to write. Each have experienced the negative side of a world where humans and demons coexist; I think that with one step in a different direction, it’s possible they’d be on the main characters’ side. And I bet it’d be fun to portray their day-to-day lives that they acted were like no big deal. I’d be glad if, once the Tartarus Lapse members made their choices, everyone was invested in seeing through what Kojou’s and Yukina’s responses would be—and where those responses would lead.
Moving on, this has already been publicly announced, but a new OVA is being made to continue the previous TV anime version of Strike the Blood. Let me thank all of you who have been cheering me on. The story will be completely original, and I helped just a wee bit. Various other developments, including a new drama CD, are in the works, so best regards for all your support going forward.
Furthermore, the Monthly Dengeki Daioh serialized comic version of Strike the Blood is still ongoing—on sale up to Volume 6. Everyone is really worked up to see Kanon and La Folia finally onstage (oh, the tension!). You can even read the latest chapters online, so by all means, please check it out. To TATE-sensei handling the comic version, thank you very much, as always.
Also, a thank you to Manyako, handling the illustrations, you were truly a great help once again at a very busy time. In particular, this volume’s color illustrations were even more marvelous, to the point I had a nosebleed in real life. And wow, Yaze was a real stud there, too.
Also, allow me to offer my thanks from the bottom of my heart to everyone involved in the creation and distribution of this book.
Of course, I also thank all of you readers who have read this book with everything I have.
Well then, I hope to see you all next volume.
Gakuto Mikumo
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The Roses of Tartarus Page 23