Right Arm of the Saint (19 page)

Eustach declared this in a calm, reverberating voice as he poised his battle-axe.

His actions indicated the end of the tale. Eustach’s objective was to recover the holy relic. He had no reason to force combat with Kojou and Yukina. That’s why he answered Kojou’s question.

At the same time, it was to demonstrate his justice—to prove he was in the right.

He could no longer be dissuaded. There was no way to overcome his determination.

“Consequently, we shall recover the holy relic by force. You would do well to withdraw, Fourth Primogenitor. This is a holy war between us and this city. We shall brook no interference, even from you—”

“I understand how you feel, old man. What that Senra Itogami guy did was definitely the lowest of the low.”

Even so, Kojou stood before the bishop, protecting the keystone.

“But does that justify killing five hundred and sixty thousand people living on this island, not knowing a thing, for the sake of your revenge? The same goes for the people you hurt to get here. Don’t go dragging in people who’ve got nothing to do with it!”

Perhaps what Eustach was doing
was
just. Or perhaps he truly was mistaken, but that didn’t matter anymore.

If it was the decision of Rudolf Eustach to destroy the city…

It was the decision of Kojou Akatsuki, of his own free will, to stop him.

“If one compares this scale of sacrifice to what would be required to redeem this city, it is not even a speck,” Eustach announced coldly.

It was Yukina who blocked his path. Her silver spear facing the armed apostle, seemingly to restrain his movements, she yelled out in a voice as clear as a bell, “The use of sacrificial components is now forbidden by international treaty. The usurping of a holy relic for that purpose all the more so…!”

“And what of it, Sword Shaman? Are you saying I should sue in the courts of this nation?”

“With the technology that now exists, it is surely possible to construct a keystone strong enough to link the island together. The keystone can be exchanged and the holy relic returned to—”

“Would you say the same thing if it were your own blood relatives suffering from being trampled upon by others?”

Unconcealed anger seethed out of Eustach’s voice.

Momentary hesitation ran down Yukina’s back. Raised as a Sword Shaman, Yukina did not know the faces of her relatives.

Eustach was provoking Yukina in the full knowledge of that.

“Old man… Why, you…”

Kojou, indignant, moved to close the distance with Eustach.

However, Yukina stretched out her left arm to stop him. She made a strong smile, as if to say,
I’m okay
. The eyes she looked at Kojou with contained a mysterious gentleness.

Hmph
, Eustach crudely snorted.

“It seems any further words shall be fruitless. We shall recover the holy relic. If you stand in our way, we shall simply remove you by force—Astarte!”

“
Accept. Execute ‘Rhododactylos
,’” Astarte, who had maintained her silence, responded with a twinge of sadness in her voice.

The glimmering of the rainbow-colored Beast Vassal increased proportionately to the increase in the force of the magic energy spread about by it.

“So it’s this in the end, is it…?”

Aah
, said Kojou, smiling with a heavy sigh.

His fangs peeked out from between his ferociously twisted lips. His eyes were dyed a dazzling crimson.

“…But have you forgotten, old man? I still owe you one for you slicing my chest apart. Let’s get that settled before all this stuff about revenge on a guy who bought it ages ago.”

“Damn you… That ability has…”

Eustach’s expression twisted.

Lightning enveloped Kojou’s entire body. This was not anger allowed to run amok. This was a Beast Vassal that had awakened with its lord’s blood, responding to his will.

“So, let’s get this party started, old man—from here on, this is
my
fight.”

Kojou roared as he presented his lightning-shrouded right arm.

At Kojou’s side, Yukina wielded her silver spear with a teasing smile, as if cuddling up beside him.

“No, Senpai. This is
our
fight—!”

It was Yukina who struck first.

Wielding her silver spear, the Sword Maiden headed toward Astarte at what seemed like the speed of light. The homunculus girl used the Beast Vassal, whose giant humanoid form enveloped her, to counterattack.

The great blows of its fist caused the entire structure to shake.

Astarte’s Beast Vassal was not a humanoid-shaped life form. It was a dense mass of magical energy materialized in that shape.

Its fists were equal to the rounds from the most powerful of Black Magic Cannons; its kicks, superior to the explosions brought about with arcane rituals.

And its arms were able to rip apart thick bulkheads made of specially reinforced alloys.

This was the overwhelming power that pulverized the Island Guard’s CDAs in a single blow…

But Yukina deftly deflected the attack.

Snowdrift Wolf—or rather, the DOE infused into the Schneewalzer, fended off the materialized Beast Vassal’s tyranny and aimed to rip its flesh apart instead.

However, the Beast Vassal’s flesh, enveloped with an identical divine oscillation, withstood Snowdrift Wolf’s slicing blow.

Snowdrift Wolf’s attack, powerful enough to inflict fatal damage to a demon, made only a shallow wound upon the Beast Vassal’s body, which it regenerated instantly.

Yukina was superior in combat skill, but she did not possess the offensive power to destroy her opponent.

On the other side, though Astarte possessed overwhelming destructive power, Yukina’s skill with the spear and unarmed martial arts made her all but untouchable. Their duel was at a complete stalemate.

However, that was what Kojou and Yukina had been aiming for.

“Ooooooh—!”

Pale blue lightning scattering about, Kojou rushed Eustach with his fist.

While Yukina drew Astarte off, Kojou would defeat the homunculus’s master, Eustach. That was the plan Kojou and Yukina had thought up.

Kojou couldn’t fight Astarte’s Beast Vassal with its magic energy reflection. Having said that, even Yukina’s weapon couldn’t defeat it, either.

However, if Eustach, who was dishing out the orders, fell, Astarte would surely halt. After all, Astarte herself had no desire to bring harm to the residents of Itogami Island. The short conversation Kojou and Yukina had shared with her made them certain of that.

Therefore, for her sake as well, Kojou had to defeat Eustach here and now. However…

“Hnn!”

With unimaginable nimbleness, Eustach’s huge body evaded Kojou’s blow, counterattacking with his battle-axe. The air pressure from the axe alone ripped the cuffs from Kojou’s school uniform. He could taste the axe’s sharpness on his tongue.

Fast and heavy. If it hit Kojou cleanly, no doubt it’d split his body in two just like it had during the day. So there was no way he could let that attack hit him.

Eustach made a hearty laugh as if Kojou’s impatience was all too clear to him.

“Certainly that is impressive magical energy, but such clumsy attacks cannot touch me. Your thoughtless movements are like those of an amateur, Fourth Primogenitor!”

“They’re not
like
—I really am an amateur!”

As Kojou rebutted, he increased his speed. Certainly, in terms of martial arts Kojou was an amateur; in terms of a vampire, incompetent. However, though he had a few blanks, the footwork he’d honed in basketball was still good to go. Evade the pick, defend your own goal. Move quickly and balanced. And feint. Kojou was well versed in how to fight bigger and tougher opponents than he was.

“Hn… This is—!”

He tossed the ball of magical lightning he’d created at Eustach like a sharp pass. The frivolous attack gave off an air of Kojou borderline playing around. However, it made the Armed Apostle’s expression stiffen.

“I take back what I said. I accept that you are not an enemy to underestimate… Consequently, I shall face thee with appropriate resolve!”

“What…?!”

The incredible dark energy bursting from Eustach’s entire body drained the blood from Kojou’s face.

Radiance leaked out from every gap of the Armed Apostle’s vestment. The armor-reinforced clothing under the vestment emitted a golden light. Sharp pain ran through Kojou’s eyes as they looked upon that radiance; Kojou’s light-bathed skin burned.

“O holy garb, ‘Alcazava,’ crafted by the technology of Lotharingia—may thy light remove all obstacles before me!”

Eustach increased the speed of his attacks. His plated armor augmented his physical strength. Kojou, his vision robbed by the golden light, evaded his attacks mostly on intuition. Fresh blood scattered from his cut cheek.

“That’s playing dirty, old man—so you still had a trump card like that hidden away!”

Kojou unwittingly raised his voice in rebuke. However, Eustach did not halt his attacks. He leaped around time after time but the slices had both power and speed behind them. However unsightly, it was all Kojou could do to run and escape.

“Senpai…?!” Yukina yelled out as she looked at Kojou, now purely on defense. However, she, too, was at her limits just to contain Astarte. Besides that, with Eustach strengthened by the armor’s power, even Yukina probably had little chance of victory.

Kojou winked at Yukina, as if to say,
Don’t worry
, as he slowly rose upright.

Eustach stayed his attack, probably out of prudence at the strange aura Kojou gave off.

“If that’s how it’s gonna be, I’ll use this with no restraint, either. Don’t die on me, old man!”

“Hnng…?!”

Eustach leaped back, instinctively sensing danger.

His eyes beheld Kojou thrusting his right arm out, fresh blood spurting from it.

“Kojou Akatsuki, successor to the bloodline of the ‘Kaleid Blood,’ releases thee from thy bonds—!”

That fresh blood transformed into glimmering lightning. The light, heat, and shock wave of the lightning was incomparable to that which had come before. This was the same Beast Vassal of the Fourth Primogenitor that had devastated the warehouse district.

But unlike before, the light did not burst indiscriminately in all directions; instead, its shape condensed, changing into that of a giant beast.

This was the Beast Vassal’s proper form. The true form of a Beast Vassal of the Fourth Primogenitor, completely within Kojou’s grasp.

“C’mon, Beast Vassal Number Five, ‘Regulus Aurum’—!”

What had appeared was the Lightning Lion—a mass of magical energy in the form of raging lightning, as huge as a main battle tank. Its entire body emanated a radiance that dazzled the eyes; its roar shook the air like thunder itself.

Kojou had inherited twelve Beast Vassals from the previous Fourth Primogenitor.

But, in the end, drinking Yukina’s blood had only made this Beast Vassal of lightning recognize Kojou as its lord.

However, he had expected as much.

For, over the space of several days since meeting Yukina, the Beast Vassal of lightning had become livelier for some reason, to a very unusual degree.

And at the warehouse district, it had run amok for the sake of protecting Yukina.

Now he understood the reason full well. This Beast Vassal had been fond of Yukina since the moment they’d met. For it was attracted to the scent of her blood—

“So this is your Vassal Beast—! It is reckless to use such power in an enclosed space such as this!”

One of the Lightning Lion’s front paws swung downward, aimed at Eustach.

The attack only scratched him. From that alone, Eustach’s huge physique was thrown several meters back.

A lightning-generating shock wave scattered sparks all over his plated armor; the lightning’s high temperature melted the blade of his battle-axe.

The attack’s aftereffects were felt by Keystone Gate as well.

The great electrical currents released ran along the Gate’s exterior wall in all directions. The emergency lights and security cameras placed across the area were blown away without a trace. The winch that secured the wired cables let out a groan as well. Neither would emerge unscathed from prolonged combat.

“Astarte—!”

The Armed Apostle finally called his servant. Nothing existed that
could counter the tyranny of Kojou’s Beast Vassal, waving around explosive magical energy rivaling a natural disaster, save her Beast Vassal’s “Rhododactylos.” Surely he had determined it was so.

Shrugging off Yukina’s attacks, the Beast Vassal-shrouded Astarte stood before Kojou’s own Beast Vassal.

Partially disregarding Kojou’s will, “Regulus Aurum” went on the attack. The giant Beast Vassal’s front paw turned into lightning and slammed down upon the Beast Vassal in humanoid form.

That instant, the rainbow-colored light that enveloped Astarte’s Beast Vassal increased in radiance.

The spiritual resonance wave barrier withstood the attack of Kojou’s Beast Vassal and reflected it back—!

“Whoooah?!”

“Eyaaaaah!!”

The uncontrolled magical lightning discharged, raking the ceiling, punching through and breaking apart the thick ceiling of the Gate’s lowermost level with ease. Kojou and Yukina yelled out as they ran around to escape from the incessant downpour of debris.

“Shit…! No good?! So even my Beast Vassal can’t break her barrier…!”

Kojou groaned as fierce uneasiness assaulted him.

Even having taken a blow from “Regulus Aurum,” Astarte’s Beast Vassal was undamaged. Even if the attack was repeated over and over, it would probably end with the same result.

And the structure probably couldn’t endure further combat. If the exterior walls of Keystone Gate were breached, seawater, propelled by the water pressure at two hundred and twenty meters below sea level, would no doubt rush in all at once, crushing Kojou and the others. Yukina would definitely die instantly; even Kojou’s fate was uncertain.

“Senpai…”

Yukina gently approached as if to support Kojou against the debris trying to bury him. Even her expression bore heavy signs of fatigue—naturally, having been fighting such a powerful opponent in the flesh.