“Huh?”
The sudden question threw Yukina off.
“I cannot give a precise answer from a mere photograph, but he is likely either a complete amateur concerning the martial arts, or in beginner territory. He does not particularly appear to have any kind of dangerous fetish on him, after all, and shows no sign of sensing the presence of the photographer.”
“No, I do not mean that, I am asking what you think about him. In other words, do you like him?”
“E-excuse me? What do you…?”
“For instance, if he has a good or bad face, if you like or dislike how he looks, and so forth. What do you think?”
“Um… Are you playing a prank on me, by any chance?” Yukina asked back with a sullen tone. She didn’t know what the elders really intended, but she detected bad faith in their inappropriate questions. She unintentionally stretched her hand toward the long sword sitting on the floor.
The woman on the other side of the bamboo screen made a dejected sigh at Yukina’s reaction.
“Well then, Yukina Himeragi, have you heard of the Fourth Primogenitor?”
Yukina sucked in her breath a little at the even more abrupt question. Most upstanding Attack Mages went silent for a while at the mere mention of that name.
“You mean the Kaleid Blood? The Fourth of the Primogenitors, said to be served by the Twelve Beast Vassals—”
“Correct. A vampire split off from all vampiric brethren, alone, aloof, and the mightiest of all.”
The calm woman’s voice reverberated throughout the hall of worship.
The Fourth Primogenitor, Kaleid Blood—
It was impossible for anyone even remotely related to demons to be ignorant of the name.
After all, it was the title of the world’s mightiest vampire.
Not that it was a self-declared title, but at the very least the world had recognized that it was true. And at the very least, the enemies thereof made no argument to the contrary. That was what kind of being the Fourth Primogenitor was.
“However, I have heard that the Fourth Primogenitor does not actually exist. That it is merely an urban legend.”
Yukina felt as if the woman shook her head at the words.
Primogenitors were emperors who ruled over the clans of darkness. They were the oldest, equipped with the vastest magical energy, the “first vampires.” Each commanded an army of thousands or tens of thousands of their brethren, constructing sovereign Dominions on three separate continents.
“Certainly, there are only three Primogenitors publicly acknowledged to exist: ‘Lost Warlord,’ who rules Europe; ‘Fallgazer,’ who dominates western Asia; and ‘Chaos Bride,’ who rules South America—in comparison, the Fourth Primogenitor possesses neither his own clan nor his own territory.”
“Indeed. However, this is insufficient to disprove the existence of the Fourth Primogenitor,” the man with the rough voice related to her, following the woman’s words. In turn, the voice of the other elder followed his.
“Do you remember the explosions that occurred in Tokyo in spring of this year?”
“…Eh?”
“There was the train incident in Rome four years ago, and the disappearance of a city in China. There was also an explosion in Manhattan’s seafloor tunnel. Also, a great fire in the old section of Sydney.”
“You don’t mean…this is all the work of the Fourth Primogenitor?”
Yukina’s expression twitched. The incidents the elders were so casually referring to were vile, large-scale terrorist incidents with enormous loss of life. In each case, the culprit remained unidentified. However, if these incidents were the work of a Primogenitor, one could only call it fortunate the damage had been no worse than that.
“Though all circumstantial evidence, this indicates the existence of a Fourth Primogenitor,” the first woman related as Yukina paled.
“They always appear at turning points in world history, bringing with them slaughter and great destruction to the world. However, that is not the only concern. The very existence of the Fourth Primogenitor disturbs the order and stability of this world. Do you understand the reason why?”
“Yes.” Yukina nodded stiffly.
Vampires, a species possessing high intellect and vampiric characteristics, were by no means in constant conflict with humanity.
As many of them preferred to live their lives melted away into human society, they had been careful to avoid making an enemy of the entire human race until now.
Furthermore, every national government had signed treaties with the Primogenitors banning indiscriminate vampiric activity, bringing about what seemed like peaceful coexistence on the surface. However, that was the result of the exceedingly precarious balance of power among the three Dominions.
“In the decades since the Primogenitors signed the Holy Ground Treaty, the Primogenitors have remained in a three-sided stalemate with one another. Constantly concerned about the other Primogenitors, they have had no strength to spare to make enemies of humanity.”
“Yes.”
“However, should a fourth Primogenitor arise bearing strength equal to theirs, this equilibrium would surely shatter with ease. In the worst case, humanity would be dragged into a large-scale war.”
“Do you know where the Fourth Primogenitor is located?”
Yukina asked with tension in her voice. She had a bad feeling about this, for some reason.
“Yes. Though not yet unconfirmed, there is likely no mistake.”
“Where is he?”
“Tokyo district, Itogami City—the Gigafloat’s Demon Sanctuary.”
The woman’s words struck Yukina speechless for a while.
“The Fourth Primogenitor is in Japan…?!”
“This is why we have called you here today, Yukina Himeragi. In the name of the Three Saints of the Lion King Agency, we hereby assign you watch the Fourth Primogenitor.”
Though calm, the woman informed her of this in a tone that left no room for dissent.
“I am to…watch the Fourth Primogenitor?”
“Yes. And, should you determine that the target of your observation is a dangerous being, you are to eliminate him with extreme prejudice.”
“Eliminate…?!”
Yukina was shaken and at a loss for words.
She was afraid of the Fourth Primogenitor. She was also anxious about being entrusted with such an important duty. Her training had not been shoddy, but in the end, Yukina was only an apprentice. She was not conceited enough to seriously think she could defeat a Primogenitor. In the first place, a Primogenitor was said to possess the combat power of an entire national army; they were monsters of the first rank.
But, unless someone did it, calamity would strike, and a great many people would lose their lives.
“Take this, Yukina Himeragi.”
The woman presented something through the gap under the raised bamboo screen. The bonfire made the object, a single spear, shine as it floated up in the darkness. Yukina knew its name.
“This is…”
“Mechanical Demon-Purging Assault Spear Mark Seven, also known as ‘Schneewalzer.’ Its name is ‘Snowdrift Wolf.’”
When the woman asked, “So you know of it, do you?” Yukina nodded vaguely.
Schneewalzers were weapons with special powers developed by the Lion King Agency for confronting demons. The spearhead, crafted with refined metalworking techniques, had an elegant silhouette resembling a state-of-the-art fighter aircraft. Truly, mechanical spear was an appropriate name for it.
However, since the weapon employed a priceless ancient spear as its core, it could not be mass-produced; it was said that only three existed in the entire world. Either way, it was safe to say that they were the mightiest of the secret weapons at the Lion King Agency’s disposal.
“You’re giving this…to me?”
As she accepted the spear offered to her, Yukina asked with an expression of disbelief.
However, the woman exhaled with a heavy heart.
“Against a Primogenitor, I would prefer a more powerful weapon to grant you, but this is the mightiest of arms we can provide you in the present circumstance. Please take it.”
“Yes, of course…but…”
As Yukina spoke, a perplexed expression came over her.
The spear had not been all that had been presented through the gap in the bamboo screen. Wrapped in vinyl, there was also a brand-new school uniform ensemble, neatly folded and hand-delivered. Its base colors were white and blue, with a sailor-collared blouse and a pleated skirt. It seemed to be a girls’ summer uniform for junior high school.
“Er, what’s this?”
“A school uniform. It was procured to match with your height.”
“Er… What I mean is, why a school uniform?”
“Your target for observation is a student at a school with this uniform.”
“Wha?”
Yukina was a bit confused, unable to comprehend what she was being told.
“…The target for observation…the Fourth Primogenitor, is a student? Huh?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Saikai Private Academy High School, first year, class B, seat number one. That is the present social status for the Fourth Primogenitor, Kojou Akatsuki. So as you see, we do not have anyone available who can approach him peaceably, save one exception: you, Yukina Himeragi.”
“Kojou Akatsuki… The person in this picture is the Fourth Primogenitor…? What?!”
Yukina’s eyes widened as she looked down at the picture that had been tossed onto the floor.
She somehow felt the strained smiles of the Three Saints through the bamboo screen. Only now did Yukina finally understand why an inexperienced Sword Shaman such as her had been selected for such an important mission.
“Let us amend our orders, Yukina Himeragi. From today forward, you are to make every effort to contact and then observe him. The formalities for your transfer to Saikai Academy have already been taken care of. You are dismissed.”
Leaving no room for any response to their words, the auras of the elders behind the bamboo screen vanished.
Yukina, now the only person remaining in the hall of worship, forgot even to breathe, simply continuing to stare blankly at the spear in her hands.
Fourth Primogenitor. Transfer. Contact. Watch. Eliminate. She wondered if she’d become involved in a terrible disaster. With such thoughts, Yukina let out a small sigh, still beside herself.
✦ ✦ ✦
Though divination was not her forte, she would not know her intuition had been correct until a little later…