Come to think of it, everyone says the Fourth Progenitor is the strongest vampire in the world—commanding twelve Familiar Beasts that are like natural disasters.
But Hikigaya thinks that this “strongest” title only applies if the Fourth Progenitor can actually use their Familiar Beasts.
For Hikigaya, who cannot summon Familiar Beasts, his physical abilities are probably just a tiny bit stronger than a human’s.
Although he can feel the surging magic power within his body—like a dam about to burst—he doesn’t know any magic or anything.
He has absolutely no idea how to use it.
All power, he thought bitterly, and no instruction manual.
Typical.
“Zafkiel. Seventh Bullet.”
Facing the legendary Fourth Progenitor, Kurumi did not dare to be careless at all.
The phantom of Zafkiel appeared directly behind her—massive, ancient, terrifying—and she fired.
The Seventh Bullet.
Ability: to stop time.
He couldn’t get hit by that thing.
Although he didn’t know what its ability was—Kurumi hadn’t exactly provided a user manual—Hikigaya believed it was common sense not to get hit by a bullet.
Any bullet.
From anyone.
Especially from a woman with a clock eye and a gothic lolita complex.
He could see it!
To an ordinary person, the bullet might be impossible to track—a blur of motion too fast for human eyes.
But Hikigaya’s formidable vampire eyesight could clearly capture the bullet’s trajectory.
Every spin.
Every curve.
Every millisecond of its approach.
His legs—thank you, vampire biology—instantly erupted with a speed that humans could never achieve.
He dodged Kurumi’s shot in an instant, the bullet whistling past his ear and embedding itself in the wall behind him.
If he were to participate in the Olympics, he thought wildly, he would probably win so much prize money that his hands would go soft, right?
…Why am I thinking about the Olympics right now?
I’m in a fight.
With a time-manipulating spirit.
And I’m thinking about sports.
What is wrong with me?
Thinking about such strange things—because that was his coping mechanism, apparently—Hikigaya rushed toward Kurumi Tokisaki.
His lifeless dead-fish eyes were gone.
His crimson pupils bloomed like bloody flowers, and Hikigaya, eyes gleaming with ferocity, decided to counterattack.
He smashed his fist—carrying immense force, the kind that could bend steel—down toward where Kurumi Tokisaki stood.
CRACK.
The concrete floor shattered.
Spiderwebs of fractures spread outward from the impact point.
But Kurumi was gone.
Escaped into the shadow?
Hikigaya’s eyes narrowed.
Is it something similar to an earth-escaping technique?
No—it was more like she had escaped into some kind of strange space along her shadow.
She had disappeared even more completely than any ninja he’d ever seen in anime.
“That really is quite fierce.” Kurumi’s voice echoed from across the hallway.
She suddenly emerged from the shadows on the other side—this ability is indeed exceptionally convenient for tracking, isn’t it?—her smile wide and unrepentant.
“But compared to your reputation, isn’t this method of attack a bit too idiotic?”
“Then don’t run away.” Hikigaya straightened up, cracking his knuckles.
“Just honestly take a punch from me.”
“Sigh, sigh, sigh.” Kurumi pressed a hand to her cheek, feigning scandalization.
“As a gentleman, are you going to use physical violence against a lady? Although I don’t dislike abuse…” She licked her lips slowly.
“If I were to actually take that kind of impact, I wouldn’t be able to get back up. It’s too exciting.”
This perverted woman of unknown origin, Hikigaya thought, keeping his eyes locked on her.
He had to admit—she did indeed have a mysterious charm.
The kind of dangerous charm that made bad decisions seem temporarily reasonable.
But Hikigaya believed that her level of danger was higher than any charm she possessed.
Do not be seduced, he told himself.
She has a gun.
And a clock eye.
And probably a body count.
“Although the Fourth Progenitor’s strength is indeed great…” Kurumi raised her pistol again.
“Simple-minded attacks like that cannot do anything to me.”
Simple-minded?
I’ll show you simple-minded—
“Zafkiel. First Bullet.”
Kurumi Tokisaki aimed the gun at her own head like a madwoman.
What—
This only made Hikigaya even more vigilant.
He tensed, ready to dodge, ready to—
BANG.
After the shot, he didn’t see the crazy woman blow her own head off.
He couldn’t see her movements!
So fast!
Was it like moving without needing time?
“I’m behind you, cute Kaleid Blood.”
Kurumi Tokisaki’s lazy, charming voice rang out from behind him—so close he could feel her breath on his neck.
She spoke as if describing the most charming yet most dangerous things, her words curling around him like smoke.
Too close, Hikigaya realized.
She’s too close.
I can’t—
“Resonate!”
A bright, white figure pierced through the air like a shooting star.
With a single strike of lightning magic—a spell that crackled with righteous fury and governmental authority—she blasted Kurumi Tokisaki backward.
The palm strike connected, sending Kurumi skidding across the floor before she caught herself.
Himeragi Yukina gripped her spear, her eyes locked on Kurumi Tokisaki with unwavering vigilance.
Her stance was perfect.
Her focus was absolute.
Was Himeragi-san this cool?, Hikigaya thought, genuinely impressed.
She is a demon slayer from a government agency, after all.
It seems she has quite an imposing aura when she wants to.
“Spirit of Time!” Yukina’s voice rang out—clear, sharp, authoritative.
“Please stop resisting immediately, otherwise I will take the next step. As a serious criminal, I have the right to execute you in an emergency situation.”
“A demon slayer?” Kurumi Tokisaki dusted off her gothic lolita skirt, completely unimpressed.
“I advise you to leave, young demon slayer. Interrupting others while they are flirting comes with a price.”
Flirting?!
“Who would flirt with you?” Hachiman Hikigaya rolled his eyes so hard he nearly strained something.
“Even if I starved to death—even if I jumped off this school building—it is impossible for me to date a dangerous person like you!”
“Senpai is not that kind of person.” On this point, Himeragi Yukina was willing to trust Hachiman Hikigaya’s character.
After all, he was a vampire who had never drunk blood.
He should be very self-disciplined.
“You can tell by looking—Senpai is clearly not the type who could mess around in relationships.”
“…I can’t tell for a moment if you’re complimenting me or insulting me, Himeragi.”
“It’s a compliment, Senpai!”
“Even though I said you could have anything, you didn’t accept it.” Kurumi twirled her pistol, her smile turning playful.
“So you like this younger type, huh?” She glanced at Yukina.
“Is this the wife the government issued you? She looks quite pretty. She should fit your aesthetic.”
Yukina’s face flushed bright red.
“That—that’s not—!”
“Divine Son of Suanni and High Sword Shaman—” Yukina raised her spear, her voice rising into something that sounded like an ancient chant, desperate to change the subject.
“I pray here: Dawn of Demon-Breaking, Divine Wolf beneath the snow, quickly use the divine might of steel to help me subjugate the evil gods and hundred demons!”
…Is that a real spell, Hikigaya wondered, or is she just making sounds at this point?
Either way, the hallway was now filled with magical energy, a ticking clock spirit, a blushing sword shaman, and a vampire who desperately needed a nap.
Just another day at Sobu High, Hikigaya thought.
Just another day.
As if out of embarrassment and anger—mostly embarrassment, Hikigaya noted—Himeragi Yukina solemnly chanted the incantation.
The magic power within her body rapidly condensed, concentrating on the spear shaft like lightning gathering before a storm.
Kurumi Tokisaki frowned.
She had originally thought it was just a novice Sword Shaman—nothing to be afraid of, a child playing at being a soldier.
But the terrifying fluctuation condensing on the spear shaft made her realize something was very, very wrong.
Not a child, Kurumi’s expression seemed to say.
Not even close.
“Zafkiel. Fifth Bullet!”
Kurumi Tokisaki used the Fifth Bullet on herself—the bullet that allowed her to see into the immediate future, to predict her opponent’s movements before they happened.
But then she suddenly discovered something that made her clock eye spin wildly:
The future of this body was a blank slate.
Nothing.
Void.
She couldn’t see anything.
A flash of silver!
Himeragi Yukina was like an arrow released from the bowstring—no, faster than an arrow.
She was light itself, compressed into the form of a girl with a spear.
A cold glint arrived first.
And then the spear struck like a dragon.
Thrust.
Pierce.
Withdraw.
The motion was so clean, so precise, so professional that even Hikigaya—who knew nothing about spear fighting—could recognize artistry when he saw it.
“Zafkiel. Fourth Bullet!”
Pierced by the spear, Kurumi tried to use Zafkiel’s Fourth Bullet—the bullet that could revert an object’s state, rewinding time on a wound to undo the damage.
But no matter what she did, she could not affect the wound pierced by the Sekkarou.
The wound remained.
The pain was real.
“So that’s it.” Kurumi’s voice was strained now, the theatrical lilt replaced by genuine calculation.
“That spear must be the Lion King Organization’s latest masterpiece. The Type-7 Assault Demon-Slaying Lance.” Her clock eye fixed on the weapon.
“The weapon touted as being able to break all laws?”
“Since you understand…” Yukina’s voice was steady, cold, professional.
No trace of the blushing girl from moments ago.
“Surrender quickly. At least you can spend the rest of your life in a special prison.”
Heroic, Hikigaya thought, watching her.
Stern.
And holding a spear like she was born with it in her hands.
Yukina held the spear with both hands, dealing with Kurumi Tokisaki vigilantly.
Although it looked like victory was in hand—the wound was real, the blood was real, Kurumi was clearly injured—the opponent was the notorious Spirit of Time.
If she were really that easy to deal with, she wouldn’t still be at large.
There’s a trick coming, Hikigaya’s instincts screamed.
Something’s about to happen.
“I’m sorry, little Sword Shaman of the Lion King Organization.”
The voice came from behind them.
But the Kurumi in front of them—the one with the spear wound, the bleeding one—did not speak.
What—
The phantom of Zafkiel appeared.
Massive.
Ancient.
Hungry.
Countless pitch-black hands emerged from the shadows—dozens, hundreds—swallowing the wounded Kurumi into the darkness.
She dissolved like sugar in water, like smoke in wind, like a nightmare retreating at dawn.
And then, from the same shadows, a brand-new Kurumi stepped elegantly forward.
No wound.
No blood.
No damage at all.
She gently lifted her skirt—as if she were at a ball, not a crime scene—and bowed to Hachiman Hikigaya and Himeragi Yukina with theatrical grace.
“Good day, Fourth Progenitor.” Her smile was radiant.
“And your little darling Sword Shaman.”
“I am not Senpai’s little darling!” Yukina’s face flushed crimson again, the professional mask shattering instantly.
“You murderer—shut up!”
“Indeed.” Hikigaya nodded, his voice flat.
“Himeragi and I are not in that kind of relationship.”
We’re not, he added mentally.
We’ve known each other for like a day.
She’s a middle schooler.
I’m a high schooler.
She’s supposed to kill me if I go bad.
This is not a romantic comedy setup.
…Why does my life keep feeling like a romantic comedy setup?
“Oh?” Faced with the flat denial, Kurumi Tokisaki smiled slightly—a knowing, insufferable smile.
“Does that mean I still have a chance?”
“No.” Hikigaya didn’t even hesitate.
“Absolutely not.”
No chance.
Zero.
None.
Go away.
Your aesthetic is exhausting and your conversational style makes me tired.
“Anyway…” Kurumi waved a hand dismissively, as if swatting away an inconvenient fly.
“That immature version of me caused you all trouble. My apologies.” She stepped back toward the shadows.
“I am feeling unwell today, so I will take my leave first.”
“Don’t run!” Yukina raised her spear, ready to pursue.
“Spirit of Time!”
But clearly, Himeragi could not stop her.
Although Himeragi could suppress Kurumi in a direct fight—the Sekkarou was clearly a hard counter to her time-manipulation abilities—Kurumi Tokisaki’s powers were quite strange.
Versatile.
Deceptive.
And she easily escaped into the shadows, fleeing the scene like a ghost retreating into the night.
The hallway fell silent.
Yukina stood there, spear still raised, breathing hard.
Hikigaya stood there, five bottles of drinks still in his arms, expression unchanged.
“…Well,” he said finally.
“That happened.”
“Senpai.” Yukina turned to him, her eyes wide.
“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”
“Vaguely.” He looked down at his bottles.
“My yogurt’s probably warm now.”
“Senpai!”