AZUSA honestly had her doubts. She couldn’t deny this method of travel was easy on her, fast, and lessened the possibility of getting attacked. Her view was incredible and it mitigated the chance of getting lost. Or rather, there was no road to get lost on in the first place. But traveling like this was unbearably embarrassing and terrifying.
“Say, Kouya, can you put me down?”
“You don’t have any shoes, right?”
“I can make do with the sandals you let me borrow.”
“Can you fly on your own?”
“I’m sorry, I cannot fly.”
Azusa was currently flying through the sky—held in Kouya’s arms like a princess. A black mist had hardened into wings on Kouya’s back. They had formed on his back without ripping his clothes. According to him, he had created the wings from the vampire vestiges he had collected over the years, but she didn’t understand what that meant in the slightest. Apparently, he was capable of changing the makeup of his body to grow wings, but he wasn’t fond of the way that option ripped his clothes.
“We can land and walk there, but this is the fastest way to get where you want to go.”
“…Please take me there this way then.”
Azusa’s best option was to rely on him—some discomfort was necessary to achieve her goal. Obviously, it would be better to make it in time for the court of inquiry rather than miss it altogether. She didn’t have a watch, but the sky was dark. It was already nighttime.
“Where are they holding court anyway?”
“At the Patriarch’s manor. They hold other meetings there at the same time.”
“Dad will be there too?”
“It’s just a court of inquiry in name—the person being judged won’t be present. His punishment will be determined based on circumstances and evidence.”
“He can’t even defend himself then!” Azusa shouted.
“Well, I’d expect they questioned him beforehand.”
The situation is worse than I thought. I don’t know what punishment they have in mind for him, but the word kill has come up more than once. The probability of that happening is high considering the difference in common sense between humans and vampires. Azusa stiffened at the conclusion she came to.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Don’t worry. We’ll make it in time,” Kouya comforted.
She instinctively looked up at the sound of his voice and made eye contact with his ruby-red eyes set in a virile face. He quickly averted his eyes.
“Have your eyes always been this color, Kouya?” she asked curiously.
“Yeah, they have,” he answered curtly, his tone stiffer than earlier. Azusa didn’t notice the change.
“I knew it! I thought they might be because your eyes stayed red. When Subaru showed me his red eyes after drinking, they returned to their prior green minutes later.”
“I see.”
“Your eyes are so pretty. They stand out somewhat, but are like rubies,” she complimented.
“……” Kouya blinked several times and turned his face toward Azusa. He had a baffled expression on his face.
“You think so?”
“I do!”
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
They both fell silent after that. Kouya returned his gaze to the sky in front of him, the expression fading from his face. Azusa was starting to get uncomfortable and restless from the silence.
“Is something wrong with your sensibilities?” Kouya broke the silence.
“What? Mine?”
He was the first person to question her sensibilities. Not many people would ask that as a normal question without any contempt or mockery like he had.
“No, no one has ever said that to me before. Why do you ask?”
“…Never mind. Don’t worry about it.”
“Why?” Azusa tilted her head in confusion just as her body started to float. She instinctively tightened her arms around Kouya’s neck. He had begun descending toward land.
“We’re here,” Kouya announced and landed in the entryway to a large Japanese-style manor set on a vast plot of land surrounded by Japanese rock and moss gardens. The doorplate read, ‘Doumeki’. Azusa looked at Kouya.
“Can I ask what your last name is again, Kouya?”
“Doumeki,” he stated matter-of-factly, without a change in expression. Azusa’s facial muscles, on the other hand, were twitching.
“Kouya, is this possibly your—”
“My dad’s house.”
“In other words, your father is—”
“The current Patriarch of the Red Coven,” he affirmed. Not an ounce of regret or guilt colored his expressionless face.
Azusa couldn’t stop from screaming, “You gotta be freakin’ kidding me!”