"Wait..." "Don't!" "Time to withdraw, Astarte." "The explosion in Island East last night, thought to have been caused by a massive lightning strike, seems to have calmed down with the coming of dawn." "Although no casualties directly resulting from the accident have been verified..." "The explosion last night knocked out power to 20,000 homes, 10,000 of which are still without power." "Can you see?" "The monorail line connecting Island East to Island South has taken severe damage." "Total damages: 50 billion yen" "Preliminary calculations have estimated the total damages at 50 billion yen." "The effect this is expected to have on the economy..." "You really put on quite the show last night." "They say the total damage is around 50 billion yen." "You are an immortal vampire, so you might be able to pay that off in about 500 years." "Though, that's only if you pay 100 million per year." "Did you already report what happened last night to your boss in the Lion King Organization?" "I'm uncertain if I should." "You weren't the only one responsible for what happened..." "And besides, you saved me." "So, um..." "Thank you." "Y-Yeah, that's right!" "I had no choice but to exercise my right to defend myself." "Pure self-defense." "But there's no evidence." "Evidence?" "I will testify on your behalf, of course, but I don't know if they'll believe me..." "The Lion King Organization isn't on good terms with the police." "The fact that we were on the scene at all might prove to be the greater problem." "I see..." "Track 1 Delayed to Itogami Island Airport" "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience." "{\fad(400,1)}Track 2 Delayed" "All train schedules are in disarray as a result of last night's explosion..." "You really went too far, Senpai." "That was obviously excessive self-defense." "It's not like I did it because I wanted to." "That bolt wasn't gonna take orders from me." "What do you mean by that?" "It's true that I inherited those Familiars from Avrora, the Fourth Progenitor, but the Familiars themselves haven't accepted that." "Under normal circumstances, I can control them, but when I'm attacked by other Familiars, it's not so easy." "That is dangerous." "You need to find a way to keep your familiars under control." "You're pretty weird, Himeragi." "What?" "I don't want to hear that coming from you." "I mean, after what I said, wouldn't it be normal to just decide to eliminate me?" "But this is you we're talking about..." "What do you mean?" "Oh, nothing of significance..." "Just that I don't think you're such a bad person." "You're just a bit lazy and obscene at times." "But why won't the Familiars accept you as the Fourth Progenitor?" "Probably because I'm a virgin vampire." "Virgin?" "As in, an unexperienced one." "I've never sucked anyone's blood or anything." "Oh..." "You meant that kind of virgin..." "Wait, you haven't?" "It's not that unbelievable, is it?" "I was an ordinary human until just recently!" "Also, don't blurt out "virgin" so loudly in a place like this!" "Why not?" "Because—" "Hey, Kojou." "How can you make a girl say something so risqué, this early in the morning?" "Y-Yaze..." "Hey, this isn't Nagisa-chan." "She's a new transfer student in Nagisa's class." "She just happens to live close to my place." "I'm Himeragi Yukina." "Yukina-chan, huh?" "Are you in a band?" "A band?" "No, I'm not really into music." "Really?" "But the thing on your back..." "Oh, yeah..." "That's right." "Hey, Himeragi, weren't you supposed to meet up with Nagisa?" "Meet up?" "Oh, yes!" "Excuse me, gentlemen." "I have to go." "Hey, Kojou..." "She's a little weird, isn't she?" "Y-Yeah..." "Hey, not that I care." "Just don't cause any trouble, okay?" "Huh?" "Trouble?" "Morning, Kojou." "Asagi, you look sleepy." "I am." "You saw the news about that explosion, didn't you?" "I got a call from the Manmade Island Management Corporation." "The disaster prevention mainframe blew out, so I had to put together a backup from scratch." "Sorry." "What are you apologizing for?" "Er, I just meant..." "You're a big help to everyone on the island, including me." "I-It's not that big a deal." "I'm a simple part-timer." "No one "simple" could work as a programmer for the" "Manmade Island Management Corporation." "That's just a talent of mine." "Anyway, want to see my world history report?" "I bet you didn't finish your homework." "I can?" "By the way, Kojou..." "You went out yesterday evening, didn't you?" "That girl you were with..." "Whoa, nice!" "Hey, Orin, what's going on?" "Apparently, a really cute girl just transferred into the middle school." "They got their hands on a picture of her." "Hey, Kojou!" "Your sister's in the middle school class 3-C, right?" "Can you introduce me to this girl?" "Kojou, you..." "Is Akatsuki Kojou here?" "What's up?" "Come to the guidance office during lunch break." "And bring the middle school transfer student with you." "The transfer student?" "!" "Why does Himeragi have to..." "I want to know what you two did after you ran out of the arcade in the middle of the night." "You're going to tell me every detail." "What?" "Hey, what the hell?" "Akatsuki-kun, you've got Asagi." "What were you thinking?" "What do you mean?" "Asagi and I are just frien—" "Wait, Tsukishima?" "!" "If you're looking for Asagi, she's over there." "Hey!" "My world history report!" "Now, then..." "You two are aware of the explosion that occurred in Island East last night, yes?" "Y-Yes..." "The fact is, six similar incidents have occurred in the past two months." "Look." "These are..." "The victims in the sixth incident." "You know them?" "No, but..." "What happened to them?" "One of them was saved, but he's still unconscious." "That's why I called you two here." "The criminal who's been indiscriminately hunting demons still hasn't been caught." "In other words, Akatsuki Kojou, there's a chance you may be attacked." "Thus..." "Until this case is closed, you are to refrain from further cavorting at night." "Okay..." "Er..." "Wait, wait, wait!" "What do you mean by "cavorting at night"?" "!" "At any rate, you've been warned." "Just a minute, middle schooler." "Nekomatan!" "That's yours, right?" "You forgot it." "So Minamiya-sensei knew about it." "Leaving that doll behind was a mistake." "No, I meant about the enemy we fought last night." "That..." "Eustach or whatever?" "Yes." "And the homunculus girl, as well." "Homunculus?" "As in, a manmade life form?" "It seems the police have been pursuing them on their demon hunts for some time, but I don't think they know that he's the Combat Deacon of Lotharingia." "Apparently, we're the only ones who have fought the two of them and got away safely." "Why didn't you tell Natsuki-chan that?" "When the Combat Deacon of the Lotharingia Orthodox Church is involved, it becomes a magic crime of international scale, under the Lion King Organization's jurisdiction." "It was also for your benefit." "The question of whether your actions will be recognized as legitimate self-defense." "Oh..." "Wait, you don't mean..." "If we can prove that he was responsible for the defeat of an Old World vampire," "I think we can clear you of criminal charges." "You are a Progenitor, after all." "In other words, we're not gonna get anywhere unless we catch those two..." "But can we really get to them before the police?" "I believe it's possible." "Only we know that he's the Combat Deacon of Lotharingia." "There are only so many places he can hide." "Actually, I did some investigating this morning." "These are the locations of all the West European Church facilities on the island." "I suspect they're hiding in one of these locations." "I wonder about that..." "Did I make a mistake somewhere?" "No, but we don't even know if that guy is actually a Combat Deacon, do we?" "In which case, the place where he'd look least suspicious to Lotharingians would be among Lotharingians..." "So, someplace like an embassy?" "You mean a corporation that has its main office in Lotharingia?" "Yeah, that's it!" "Places like that!" "I'm surprised..." "I had no idea you could reason like that." "So we need the main office locations of all businesses in the city..." "But even if we petition the Organization, gathering all that information may take a long time." "I'd expect the Manmade Island Management Corporation to have data on all businesses here, but they wouldn't provide it to civilians..." "Businesses operated out of Lotharingia?" "Please look into it for me!" "That Himeragi girl didn't put you up to this, did she?" "No!" "I can't tell you the details..." "But I need to know, for my own purposes." "Okay, okay." "I'll look into it." "Lotharingia... doesn't have anything here." "It doesn't?" "Not even one?" "They probably all pulled out since the yen has been strong lately." "Pulled out?" "What businesses have pulled out, then?" "Or any offices that are still around after the businesses closed?" "You and your bigshot talk..." "I found something." "Just one." "Where is it?" "Island North." "Level 2, sector B." "Scheldt Pharmaceuticals." "Its main office is in Lotharingia, and the majority of its research involves testing of new drugs on homunculi." "When the parent company pulled out of Japan, the laboratory was closed, but the facility is still standing." "Along with a homunculus modification facility." "It fits the conditions perfectly." "Please wait here, Senpai." "Hang on, Himeragi!" "You're not thinking of going alone, are you?" "Yes." "You have the movements of an amateur, you're easily distracted, and you're too restless." "You're of no use in battle." "So please, just lay low." "I'm worried about you!" "Wh-What are you talking about?" "I mean..." "It's not right to make you handle everything alone!" "That doesn't sit right with me!" "All right." "My primary duty is to observe you, after all." "I shouldn't let you out of my sight." "Let's go together." "Himeragi..." "However, if we encounter the Combat Deacon and the homunculus..." "I'll be out of there in a heartbeat." "Yes, please do that." "Um, Senpai..." "Thank you." "Let's go." "We can't get in here." "No sign of anyone going in or out." "Maybe they're not here?" "No, Senpai." "This is the place." "It's elementary magic." "These are..." "These are... homunculi?" "These things?" "Senpai?" "You're..." "No!" "What?" "!" "Warning." "Leave this place immediately." "This island will soon sink." "Make your escape before it does so." "Run as far as you can." "The island will sink?" "What do you mean?" "This is an island of transient earth floating over an intersection of dragon veins in the southern sea." "Once its cornerstone is lost, it can only collapse." "Correct." "Our wish is to find the eternal treasure revered as that cornerstone..." "And I have just attained the power to achieve that dream." "Thanks to you, Sword Shaman of the Lion King Organization." "You've attained the power?" "Cut the crap, old man!" "You planted a Familiar in that girl, didn't you?" "!" "I certainly did." "Familiars serve only vampires..." "But I have succeeded in creating a homunculus that hosts an unhatched Familiar!" "Shut up!" "Do you have any idea what's gonna happen to her?" "!" "Of course." "The Familiar will consuming the host's life at a horrific pace." "Astarte will likely survive another two weeks, at best." "Still, she has prolonged her life significantly by consuming demons she's defeated." "You mean, the one who's been attacking demons on this island..." "One reason was to use their magic as live bait for her Familiar." "And the other reason was to perfect the spell sealed within Astarte." "You've raised her to do all of that?" "You talk like she's just a tool!" "Oh?" "Are you angry, Sword Shaman?" "Are you not a tool raised by the Lion King Organization, as well?" "They buy up unwanted children, instill in them the techniques needed to fight demons, and send them off to battle." "What have you sacrificed in order to gain such powerful attack magic at your age?" "Shut your mouth, old man!" "Between them and myself, who is the greater sinner?" "I told you to shut your mouth, you sanctimonious windbag!" "Senpai..." "So this is the power of the Fourth Progenitor..." "Very well." "Astarte!" "Grant them mercy!" "Accept." "And you..." "Don't just meekly obey his every word!" "Senpai!" "Resonance?" "This power is..." "That's right, Sword Shaman." "A technique using divine vibrations to nullify magic and cut through all types of barriers." "A trump card that only the Lion King Organization successfully implemented in the battle against demons." "I was finally able to perfect it using the data I gathered in my fight against your Schneewalzer!" "No..." "It's my fault Senpai was..." "Farewell, pitiful puppet of the Lion King Organization." "At least you will die at the hand of a human." "S-Senpai..." "Senpai..." "No..." "No!" "Let's go, Astarte." "We shall reclaim the treasure." "Accept." "Next Time" "I'll take your sins upon myself, as well." "I'm your observer, after all." "{\fad(505,1)}The Right Arm of the Saint IV" ""The Right Arm of the Saint IV.""