(A/N: When I started writing this novel, Strike the Blood hadn't ended yet, so I kept Ryo unaware of certain information to make it realistic. I already knew the full story, so there's no need to worry. And yes, I know Cain never died—or rather, he never disappeared~)
— — — — — —
Itogami Island, beneath the Keystone Gate, Technology Development Bureau—
"Signal detected from aircraft D412. Signal detected from aircraft D412. Coordinates: Baltic Sea…"
The alarm echoed through a room packed with screens.
Asagi Aiba stood in her white lab coat, hands in her pockets, staring at the map and red signal dot overhead.
"They just left Japan and already got tailed... as he expected."
Beside her, in a space that had been completely empty a moment ago, a girl in pure black Gothic clothes appeared, holding a black parasol.
The Witch of the Void, Natsuki Minamiya.
"There really was a mole on Itogami Island." Natsuki glanced up at the screens and let out a cold laugh.
"Did you catch them?"
Asagi didn't even turn around. Knowing how Natsuki came and went like a ghost, she was long past being surprised.
"Caught about a dozen spies. No clue which faction they belong to."
Natsuki tapped her shoulder with the parasol handle.
"Anyway, I've locked down the airport. Next we'll check everyone who's been near the private jet in the last six months."
"I'll tell Mogwai to cooperate." Asagi frowned.
A voice complained from the speaker mounted above: a blue cartoon cat avatar blinking on the screen.
"Hey hey, don't just randomly dump work on me. The computational load here is already insane."
"Shut up." Asagi shot the screen a glare. "You're a mature AI now. Learn to work hard, got it?"
Mogwai stared, speechless.
"AI, huh?" Natsuki mused, tapping her shoulder again. "Then investigate from when that plane was first manufactured."
Mogwai's avatar puffed out a bubble of static. "Women are terrifying…"
"What did you just say?" Asagi and Natsuki both turned toward the screen.
Mogwai quickly changed the topic. "Connected to D412. Confirming status with the captain… receiving reply from highest authority…"
The avatar's expression twisted into something odd.
"It's an order from His Majesty Ryo Yagami."
"What?"
Asagi stared at the screen, stunned.
Mogwai switched to Ryo's transmitted voice. "Cancel the Aldegyr visit. Lock down Itogami Island against all foreign entrants. Also, activate Nalakuvera and search the island for Order of End members."
"Oh?" Natsuki raised a brow, pleasantly surprised. "Sounds like he found something big."
"Ughhh Are you serious? Suddenly we're locking down the island…"
Asagi grabbed her hair in frustration, then turned to the rows of programmers behind her.
"Lift lockdown of B3, D11 sector, and activate all Nalakuvera units."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Asagi sighed. "We were so close to getting off work. Now we'll be stuck in the Nalakuvera command center all night…"
Natsuki blinked and eyed her sideways. "Complaining directly to the person responsible works better, you know."
She smirked. "Might even score yourself a kiss."
"What?" Asagi's face exploded red. She shot Natsuki a look then averted her eyes from the teasing grin. "Why would I even want that…"
"3, 2, 1. Recording sent to Ryo's phone."
Asagi slowly lifted her head toward the big screen. Mogwai's avatar was smiling.
Mogwai waved a paw. "Good luck with your private life, milady~"
"Mogwaaaai!!"
Natsuki covered her ears as Asagi turned into a red-faced, foot-stomping volcano.
"Still a child," Natsuki sighed.
She narrowed her eyes. "Canceling the Aldegyr visit is going to make things interesting."
With that, her form vanished into thin air.
---
Above the Baltic Sea—
The air rippled, hazy and damp like steam. From within that blur, a jet slowly emerged above the clouds.
"Signal restored. Systems nominal!"
"Encrypted message transmitted as planned. Requesting next instruction."
Listening to the cockpit radio, Ryo picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"Return to Itogami Island at full speed."
"Roger!"
The radio cut off in static.
After getting intel from Kenon, Ryo obviously wasn't going to waste time sightseeing in Aldegyr. Returning to the island took priority.
He'd also brought the displaced demon refugees from Onrai aboard to process their asylum paperwork on Itogami Island.
Although…
Ryo set down his tea and glanced around.
Across from him, Yuno Amase sat with Kasugaya Shizuri, who looked like her brain was still buffering reality.
On the sofa beside them, Touka Fujisaka lay unconscious.
Standing guard over her were Sayaka Kirasaka and Yukina Himeragi, both tense and watching Kato Magatoki, who sat alone in a single-seat sofa like someone waiting for sentencing.
Finally, Ryo turned to the girl sitting right beside him: Nozomi Kamikiba.
"I said you could choose your seats, but don't you think you took that a little too close?"
All eyes turned to Nozomi.
She completely ignored Yukina and Sayaka's warning stares, and didn't care about Yuno and Shizuri's awkward looks either. Instead she happily hugged Ryo's arm, pressing close and radiating warmth.
"As your future blood servant, isn't it perfectly reasonable that I want to be close to you?"
"What a shameless woman…" Sayaka muttered.
"Wow. Senpai, you're so bold," Yuno squeaked, covering her eyes while peeking through her fingers at maximum aperture.
"Senpai… we're just subjects being accepted for asylum, so—" Shizuri started, but Nozomi cut her off.
"Different-blood vampires can only establish hierarchy through feeding, you know."
Her voice had that teasing smile in it as she stared at Shizuri.
"F-feeding? That's indecent…" Shizuri's face turned scarlet.
In this world, vampires could only feed when they felt sexual desire. Which explained Shizuri's reaction.
Having driven her off, Nozomi leaned even closer to Ryo, whispering practically against his ear. "Your Majesty, I know you can smell it. The scent of D-type pure blood…"
Ryo gave her a glance, lifted his hand, and rapped her on the head three times.
"Ow!" Nozomi jerked back, releasing his arm.
Ryo said calmly, "Enough. Sit still and wait until we reach the island. Don't fidget around like a monkey."
"Yes…" she answered meekly.
The other girls instantly broke into satisfied smiles.
Nozomi rubbed her head and quietly curled her lips into a smile of her own.
Idiots. Never heard of 'Hitting is Caring'?
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