VOLUME 3

Chapter 4: Part 12

By the time I landed, only Haruna was there.

“Where’s Sera?”

“There wasn’t enough time to disarm them.”

Haruna pointed at the sky. Don’t tell me that Sera was trying the strategy I’d used!

“If I could only use a lightning spell…”

“Haruna, what did you say just now?”

“It’s one way to disarm the bombs. You hit the circuit with electricity.”

“And you told Sera that?”

“Hueh? Yeah… If the attack fails then the bomb’s gonna explode, but the barrier spell around that bomb is weak against electricity.”

I looked up at the sky.

I see. Certainly Sera could use lightning attacks.

And then…

–

“Dragon Fang Thunder G.o.d Thrust!”

–

I heard a voice from above. And then the cry of thunder.

Nooooooooo!! Stop ittttttttt!! Even though I came up with that name, hearing it is so d.a.m.n embarra.s.sing, so don’t scream it like thattttttt!!

I was happy that she had used the name I suggested, but hearing it screamed was really embarra.s.sing. What was I feeling right now? I held my face in both hands and shook my head from side to side.

“Ayumu, what are you doing?”

Haruna, who was watching, began to bug me.

“No, I’m just embarra.s.sed…”

“That getup makes it all the more embarra.s.sing!”

I turned around at that familiar voice and saw Tomonori standing there.

The clouds cleared. Along with the moonlight streaming down came the sight of descending green wings.

That beautiful sight almost looked like a…

“An angel.”

Someone mumbled that somewhere.

Everyone there, the masou shoujo, the Megalo, the vampire ninjas… Everyone was staring up at Sera.

Or, rather, they were entranced by her.

Even Haruna and I, who saw Sera on a daily basis, were dazzled.

Yuu lifted one of her gauntleted arms into the air. With that gesture, all the Megalo flew into the sky as one.

People came back to themselves and began to follow them, but…

“We don’t need to chase them!”

“Let’s just leave them be~~.”

A commanding voice and a carefree voice sounded at almost the same time, and the vampire ninjas and masou shoujo just glared at the Megalo while they flew away.

“We’re retreating~~.”

The carefree voice echoed through the air, and then the masou shoujo turned into sparkling light.

The vampire ninjas pointed their weapons at the retreating masou shoujo.

“Stop it.”

But the commanding voice stopped them. It was the voice of a woman with a confident, arrogant expression.

“Who were those people? They were… much stronger than we are.”

It was Saras, a vampire ninja who went to the same school that I did. She seemed to be the commanding officer in charge of this area. I might be linked to this girl by fate.

“Why are you asking me?”

“You’re wearing the same outfit as they did.”

Please stop looking at me like I’m garbage…

“Just like you all… they’re, uhh… demon extermination specialists.”

“You think you can just explain it away with a joke like that…? Well, all right then… Seraphim!”

Sera had landed, but Saras didn’t even look at her and called out.

“It’s the traitor…” “She has some nerve showing her face here…”

I heard unpleasant whispers all around me, but Saras dropped her water sword and, as she faced Sera, fell to her knees with her hand on the ground. Her long hair flew in all directions.

“I thank you. You saved us.”

The commanding officer had fallen to her knees. Tomonori saw that and let out a huge smile.

“Seraphim… Seriously, thanks a lot!”

Tomonori gave Sera a thumbs up and then also fell to her knees.

That was probably the way vampire ninjas showed respect.

The other vampire ninjas seemed a bit bewildered, but one after another after another… all the vampire ninjas fell to their knees.

The person most surprised to see that was Sera.

“Please don’t bow! I was the one who defied the laws of vampire ninjas-“

Saras stood up straight, watching Sera with cool eyes.

“Don’t misunderstand! I’m not kneeling for a vampire ninja. I’m kneeling for the angel who saved my life!”

“I never thought that you would also be a tsundere.”

“Shut the h.e.l.l up! Do you want to die?! Everyone, retreat! Quickly!”

The vampire ninjas scattered like baby spiders.

“See ya, Aikawa!”

Tomonori was waving at me furiously and I waved back. Then Tomonori also ran off.

“Seraphim, there is one last thing I wanted to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Why did you save us? There were people here who counted you among tonight’s targets.”

“I wouldn’t expect such a foolish question from you. It’s because they’re my comrades.”

“It’s not a foolish question. If I had asked you that question before, you would have said that it was because protecting the people is what tha law requires of vampire ninjas.”

“Is that so…?”

“Yeah, it is. I have to say, I feel a bit jealous of you. Before your mission, before the law, you can act for the sake of your friends…”

After saying that, Saras suddenly looked at me.

“You’re mocking me, aren’t you?”

“Nah, I was just thinking that, surprisingly, Saras can also be pretty cute.”

A water shuriken sunk into me.

“I don’t want to hear my nickname coming out of your mouth!”

Ahh, tsunderes hurt. Oogh, please don’t twist it.

“So what should I call you, then? What name do you use at school?”

Saras gave me an angry look, her cheeks flus.h.i.+ng slightly.

“My name is Hos.h.i.+kawa… Kirara.”

“Kirara?! That’s so cute! Are you a manga artist or something?!”

“Hey! I told you not to mock me! I’ll kill you! Right now! Everyone! Stop the retreat! Our priorities have changed!”

Hey, hey, don’t tell me… Were all the vampire ninjas here were going to attack me?

…Well, c.r.a.p.

END CHAPTER 4

TRANSLATOR’S NOTES