Chapter 3

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.

THIS IS R18 NOVEL — IT CONTAINS NSFW MATERIALS AND I DON’T KNOW HOW TO SPOILER

The apartment Hikawa Kouichi was living in was a 20-year-old property.

Hence, the rent was cheap enough even for a student to live alone, however… it was originally not a property intended for a single person, but a property constructed to be rented for small-scale families — such as a newlywed couple, and at most, with a child.

Because of this, albeit prefabricated, each room had its own bathroom and the toilet was not shared.

Surprisingly, even the kitchen facilities such as the stove and sink were fully equipped. Though, speaking of studio apartments for students, it was not in small numbers where one electric stove and a chopping board would be the only furnishing. And the kitchen in this room was relatively spacious and well equipped, despite not being a separate room.

And so──

“……Now what?”

Astrid’s voice blended with the sound of water splashing.

Right now, with both her hands on her waist, she was staring at the sink — more precisely, staring at the floor just below it.

There were two buckets filled with water, and some kind of jet black living things squirming inside it.

It was an eel. And then a Chinese softshell turtle.

Both of them were representative of ingredients referred to as “you’ll get more vitality if you eat it,” but at the same time, they were representative of ingredients that were troublesome to handle in many ways. It was already troublesome that “it’s alive,” but then, the eel was slimy and slippery, and would run away when you tried to grab them, and the turtle would bite as well. The biggish turtle, in particular, was quite capable of biting off thin fingers if you were not careful so there was even a danger.

In fact, Astrid had already been bitten about three times.

Since she was a vampire, she would be fine even if bitten by the turtle, but it made no difference in how troublesome it was to handle. If she used her material permeation ability, she wouldn’t be hurt by the bite, but at the same time, she wouldn’t be able to grab it.

As a result of having scuffles with these two ingredients, one way or another, the clothes she borrowed from Kouichi ended up drenched, so she took them off, and was now wearing only an apron.

Accidentally, it was the appearance commonly referred to as “naked apron.”

“What do you want me to do? Like… really, what to do?”

The reason she was mumbling to herself while folding her arms was that it was all fine until she bought them, but right now, when she tried to cook them, she realized after all this time that she didn’t know how to do it.

For better or worse, the immortal vampires — as a result of having no such thing like dying of hunger — were rather indifferent when it came to food and seldom had the chance to learn anything about cooking.

To begin with — vampires, who preferred to sip living blood, shouldn’t have disliked living ingredients. To be completely blunt, if Astrid simply were to eat, whether it was an eel or Chinese softshell turtle, she could chew it whole alive from the head up with no problem.

However, these were ingredients that she bought for Kouichi to eat. Supposing that he wasn’t completely averse to something like living blood, he wouldn’t eat them if she presented them to him raw, as one would expect.

“As expected, lately he’s bit… too tenacious, isn’t he…?”

Ever since the matter at the vocational school, Kouichi would crave for Astrid almost daily.

In short, in his own way, he must really have been holding back before that.

But for better or worse, it was like he had stopped holding back, or rather, lost all restraint… and as a result of Kouichi venting out his lust without hiding it, every night, Kouichi would make love to Astrid until his limit, releasing his semen.

Averaging five times a night.

And no matter how young Kouichi was, getting exhausted was a matter of course.

Moreover, as a result of spending so much time having a rich, steamy sex, it also meant that Kouichi’s sleep time had dropped to less than half of what it used to be.

However, from Astrid’s point of view, the bigger the number of times they were doing it, the more magical power she could gain.

Whether she was drinking it directly, receiving it in her vagina, or even in her asshole, it seemed that it would become a magical power supply anyway, so Astrid wanted to continue to frequently have sexual intercourse with Kouichi. That was what she was truly thinking.

So she couldn’t go and admonish Kouichi by saying, “it’s too much.”

In that case, let’s just give him plenty of nourishment, plenty of energy — and so, based on her vague recollection, she obtained an eel and a Chinese softshell turtle.

However, “if it’s something easy to eat, then why not make it into minced meat and roast it into dumplings — ah, but, I think I heard before that eel liver is especially rich in nutrients, did I? Do I cook the organs separately? I mean, separately… but how? I think… for the eel… errrr, eel-liver-soup? Eh? What? Sucking the liver directly!? Not the blood? How? Mash it!? Make it into paste!? Make it all mushy and suck it!? You… you’re unexpectedly gross, huh, humans!?” she muttered something rather strange so on and so forth.

As Astrid was muttering to herself in a low voice, “……Astrid,” while calling her name, Kouichi’s hands smoothly slipped under her apron.

As had been mentioned earlier, right now Astrid had taken off the clothes that got wet and was wearing nothing but an apron. Although it covered the front, the back was stark naked with nothing but the apron string.

Kouichi’s fingers were fondling her breasts, and his hard, erect penis was pressed against Astrid’s firm, white ass. Crawling his fingers under the apron, he found Astrid nipples, and then began to play with them relentlessly.

“Ko… Kouichi?”

Astrid writhed as she was flustered by the suddenness.

“Hey… ju-just, what are you, doing!?”

“…Astrid…”

While breathing roughly, Kouichi hugged her from behind and squeezed her breasts with both hands.

“Because… you are dressed like this, Astrid…”

“No, well, it got wet, so… ah, Kouichi, is this the kinda things you like!?”

“…Shaking your ass so I could see it… I’m sure you’re seducing me…”

“No, I’m not shaking it or any — naah!?”

Kouich’s penis started stroking from the valley of her ass to her vulva. Regardless of what she said, her vagina, which had started getting wet after Kouichi squeezed her breasts, responded to the feeling of being rubbed by Kouichi’s penis, creating a heightened sense of pleasure.

“Astrid… Ast…”

Calling her name like in a daze, Kouichi lowered his hands that were squeezing Astrid’s breasts and grabbed her hips with both hands. While holding Astrid in place so she couldn’t escape, he shoved his swelling, throbbing penis into her beginning-to-wet vagina.

“Haouhh…!”

Astrid moaned as the male organ was rammed in into her with a little foreplay.

Of course, a vampire wasn’t so weak that they’d feel pain if they were violated a little roughly, but… she had no leeway in a sex where she was not taking the lead. Regardless of what was said, she had been a virgin until not too long ago, so she wasn’t used to controlling her own pleasure.

“Naahh… aaaahhhh… s-so, suddenly”

In contrast, Kouichi, as a result of gaining a ton of experience over the past few days, was rapidly getting “better.” And even how to please Astrid, he had mostly understood it.

“Ast… I love you…”

“Wai… ah, ah, that, that, that is, foul play — wa-wait… it-it’s, too much, I’m feeling too much, wait a sec… aaaahhhh!?”

Astrid arched back, unconsciously tightening up her vagina as he whispered in her ear.

“Ast.” It was a pet name Kouichi started using to call her after the deed they had done at the vocational school the other day, however… Astrid, who had never been called in such a way one would use to call someone they were intimate with, was feeling awfully embarrassed.

This makes us look like two ordinary human lovers — so she thought.

For better or worse, she was over 200 years old, feared by humans countless times, and even chased with weapons at times, making her stronger than necessary in her self-awareness that she was a creature different from humans. And therefore, she was hesitant to act like a human being itself. What, a monster pretending to be a human like it’s nothing? Making her end up thinking so self-mockingly.

However, as if not caring about the vampire girl’s hesitation, Kouichi was indulging Astrid.

“Ast…”

Slowly, Kouichi began to move his hips.

Not simply moving back and forth. He pushed in and pulled out his penis — the part of the rod — and went to give variations to the movement itself. He tried to rotate his hips, and tried to thrust up from below.

And each of those thrusts created a different feeling of pleasure, making Astrid feel good.

“Ahh, ahh… nahh… Ko… Kouichi…”

“Looks like it feels good… It feels good for me, too…”

“Ca-can you listen? Kouichi, in the first place, right, now, I’m, cookin──”

It wasn’t like she had done anything worth mentioning, though.

“You can do that later… aahh, it feels good inside you, Ast. It’s so warm, and squeezing. Everytime I thrust, it’s like sucking me in…! Why is it so… aaahh”

“Kuh… ah…aahh…”

Slrrch. Slrrch. As if to make such sounds, his drenched male organ was pulled out of her female organ, and then pushed back just before it was completely disconnected.

Rubbing her flesh folds. Her clitoris quivering.

Her bottom lips made a sound at the pleasure, and love juices foamed up from the rough pounding.

“You… you’re… so good… too good… at this… hiahh… Kouichi, Kouichi”

“I got taught by you, Ast…”

“That… that was…”

Indeed, since Kouichi lacked experience in sex and had the tendency to be reserve, Astrid had been assertively and closely teaching him how to make each other feel good, without being shy, or even making fun of him. That was indeed the case, however──

Like he is improving so fast… like, it’s unexpected…!

Kouichi was absorbing things too fast.

He, who was an overserious one by nature, deadly-seriously studied sex technique. Moreover, he put it into practice again and again. As a result, Astrid was instead beginning to swoon over Kouichi, who had improved his sexual skills beyond all expectations.

It was supposed to be a relationship for supplying magical power..

However, Astrid’s body was wishing for Kouichi, even regardless of the relationship for supplying magical powers.

When he held her in his arms and called her name, when he whispered her pet name, that much was enough to make her body shiver in pleasure.

Of course — Astrid herself wasn’t self-aware of it, but this blonde-haired vampire, for the first time after living over 200 hundred years, was seriously in love with the opposite sex.

And so──

“Ko… Kouichi, Kouichi…!”

With a sobbing-like voice, Astrid called Kouichi’s name.

“I-I don’t like this position, from behind like this──”

“Ast…?”

Kouichi suddenly stopped the movement of his hips because he must have realized that Astrid was serious — that she didn’t like the current position.

With the swinging of his hips interrupted, he hugged Astrid strongly as if to urge her to continue.

“I can’t see your face… we can’t even… kiss… right?” Astrid complained.

If it was just supplying magical powers, sex positions or whatever wouldn’t matter.

However──

“Ast…”

Hugging Astrid — Kouichi lifted her up.

“Ahh…”

Astrid raised her voice at the feeling of Kouichi’s penis slipping out from inside her.

While embracing her in his arms, Kouichi turned her around.

The position changed from having her hands placed on the sink to having her back resting on the sink.

“Kouichi──”

“I’m putting it in”

“…Nnn”

Astrid nodded as she blushed.

After confirming it, Kouichi once again shoved his own meat rod into her meat pot.

“Nn… nnn… nnnnn…?”

Astrid arched her back, placing both of her hands on the sink as she puffed — but, “Ast…” Kouichi propped up her hands on her ass for support as he backed away from the sink.

Naturally, Astrid became unable to support her upper body with her arms, and she hurriedly wrapped her arms around Kouichi’s neck and clung to him. Since that was not enough to stabilize her, she half-unconsciously folded both of her legs as well, trying to hug Kouichi’s ass.

“Ko… Kouichi, what are, you”

“……Let’s… kiss,” Kouichi said.

Since Astrid was already clinging to him with both hands and feet, their faces were close.

When Astrid slightly opened her lips and brought her face forward, Kouichi also did the same — he kissed her with his tongue slightly sticking out. As if to say, “I can’t wait,” Astrid wrapped her own tongue around his, and as if to say, “that’s not enough,” she began to nibble at his lips with her own.

Even though their lower bodies were hardly moving, Astrid was feeling something that felt good gushing out from deep inside her body, chuu, chuu, perhaps because of the sound of their lips devouring each other.

Moreover──

“……”

Suddenly, schlop, she felt Kouichi’s penis diving deep into her.

“──Naah!!?”

Astried moaned, involuntarily separating her lips.

“Kouichi…!” and Astrid realized while calling his name.

Kouichi was walking. While carrying Astrid in his arms.

It wasn’t like Kouichi was particularly robust or strong, but given Astrid’s small size and light weight, he would be able to walk while being connected in this kind of position.

It was the so-called “Stand and Carry” style.

Even if he was moving slowly, sliding his feet, it didn’t change that he was still walking. The shock created from walking instead of swinging his hips made Astrid’s body bounce up and down in small ticks──

“Thi… this is…!! So… deep…”

Moreover, as the result of Astrid and Kouichi slightly sweating, Astrid was slipping and dropping little by little, even though she was clinging on to him. That, in other words, Kouichi’s penis was going deeper inside her, deeper and deeper — and by her own body weight.

“Ama… amazin… Kouichi… your dick… all the way in”

“You’re also amazing──” Kouichi repeatedly rained down kisses on the nape of her neck as she was arching back, “you’re squeezing me so hard… I’m not moving that much and yet, crap, it feels too good.”

“Ko-Kouichi… it’s because… you are, teasing my pussy so muuuch, ah, ah… aaahhh”

Her words were starting to become sensual under the pleasure, but Astrid herself was practically unaware of it.

The dignity and such of a vampire living across centuries had already left with not even a shred of it.

What could be seen there was just a young girl, drowning in the pleasure she had just learned and indulging in the person she was in love with.

“Com… coming… it’s coming out…!”

Stimulated by the rising pleasure, the hands Kouichi used to support Astrid were trembling.

Chu, chu, while making the sound of kissing and dripping love juices onto the floor, they resumed the pumping — rushing up together to the peak of pleasure in one stretch.

“Le-let it out, ah, Kouichi, your semeeen… lots of iiiit, deep in mee… AAAHHH!?”

As the cloudy white liquid spurted up inside her without restraint, Astrid screamed and writhed so hard.

●

The one called “wiretap” continued to evolve quietly.

Previously, the unit was also big, so to hide it — to set it up so that the target getting wiretapped wouldn’t notice it, was something that needed a lot of effort. As a result of technology, the advancement of downsizing of electronic devices in particular, wiretapping devices had become available in a form that was even as small and thin as a postage stamp or a coin.

If anything, they even came up with something that did not require the planting of the device at the actual scene.

Even devices, which emitted invisible a range-finding laser beam into the room where the wiretapped target was located — which measured the minute vibrations of the window glass and converted them into sound, making you able to eavesdrop, were already in practical use. If you were to buy all the parts in a store that sold electronic components, even a person with a little bit of expertise in electronics would be able to manufacture it.

And so──

‘Com… coming… it’s coming out…!’

‘Le-let it out, ah, Kouichi, your semeeen… lots of iiiit, deep in mee… AAAHHH!?’

Even the entire harmonious affair between Hikawa Kouichi and the vampire Astrid was reliably wiretapped through laser wiretap.

View of the window of Kouichi’s apartment — on the roof of a nearby house.

There sat that fortune teller wearing black overcoat, pointing a homemade laser wiretap device at Kouichi’s room. Of course, the window of Kouichi’s room had the curtains drawn, so the inside wasn’t visible, but that was irrelevant since the laser wiretap device only picked up the vibrations of the sound that reached the window anyway.

The fortune teller’s wiretap device was connected to a small sound recorder that continued on to record the two of them, their moans and everything.

And then──

“…Oh so very energetic”

The tone of the fortune teller’s muttering was devoid of any emotion — however — judging by the short but lamenting sigh, even this personage might have been a little fed up with the two of them having the sorts of sex-fueled life just like that of a newlywed family.

●

Moving to the bed — the two were entering the second round.

Astrid embraced Kouichi between her breasts, sandwiching her face between them. Not going against her, Kouichi instead meticulously and thoroughly crawled his tongue over her white skin, sticking his lips on it.

Their lower halves were still connected, but the pumping paused.

It was a sudden change from the previous round — instead of sticking it in and violently swinging hips to rush to ejaculate, they were now slowly building up the pleasure of the intercourse with each other.

“Ahn… Kouichi… going only for my breasts… aahh…”

“I mean, Ast, you like having your breasts kissed, don’t you…”

“Th-that’s, because you, Kouichi — ah, ah”

When Kouichi tenaciously attacked her nipples, Astrid writhed her body and moaned.

Being held between his lips and played around by his tongue, her nipples were getting hard and it seemed that no matter what was done now, she would only feel nothing but pleasure. Even if it was strongly bitten, Astrid raised a high-pitched, seductive voice.

It seemed that this blonde vampire really had a sensitive body.

And such her was really cute.

“…Ko… Kouichi…”

Astrid hugged Kouichi’s head tightly, making his assaults with his mouth and tongue stop, “I’m happy… you know…? I didn’t think… I’d be… so happy… to be wished for…” and said in a somewhat dreamy, relaxed voice.

While still hugging Kouichi, Astrid made a half-turn on top of the bed.

In an instant, Kouichi was underneath her.

“Ast…?”

“Nnnh…”

Perhaps because the angle of Kouichi’s cock inside her had changed, Astrid leaked out a short, enchanting voice as she raised her body. It became “cowgirl position,” and her juicy breasts jiggled, stirring up Kouichi.

“Ast…!”

He squeezed her breasts hard from below.

Her soft, springy white breasts were changing shape as Kouichi’s desire wished. The nipples in the center of them, pointy in contrast to the softness of the breasts, were still light pink like those of a virgin.

“You like… breasts…?”

“I like them. Your boobs, Ast, I love them,” Kouichi answered honestly.

“I just wanna touch them, fondle them, lick them, bite them, and rub my cheeks on them forever… it’s your boobs, Ast. So I──”

“……Kouichi…”

“Uwh…?”

Astrid’s vagina clamped down.

When he looked up, Astrid began to swing her hips, showing an expression like smiling through her tears.

“Kouichi… this time… I will make you cry… kay…?”

“Whoa…”

Regardless of using or not using “charm,” the sex where Astrid taking the lead was intense.

That was what Kouichi had realized these past few days. Truly so intense as if he was completely squeezed out. Perhaps because she was a vampire, or else, perhaps because all women were like that, or probably because Astrid, above all, was the possessor of vagina that what might be called “excellent vagina.”

Schlop, schlop. With such sounds and cums foaming up, Astrid intensely bounced on top of Kouichi. Even though it was still only about a month since she lost her virginity, the way she used her hips was already just like that of a skilled prostitute. She half-unconsciously repeated the movements to please the penis she had swallowed inside her.

Boing, boing. When Kouichi was gazing at the bouncing, well-shaped breasts, he already became so aroused that he felt like he would ejaculate immediately. Her breasts were truly beautiful, obscene, and then — cute.

Before long──

“Kouichi…!”

She must have been about to cum again as well.

She stopped her hips and lowered her upper body down, hanging over Kouichi. Just like a veil, her blond hair was hanging down, wrapping up Kouichi’s head. Inside it, those light pink lips of hers began to be pressed on Kouichi’s cheeks, nose, eyelids, and then lips.

As if to say, “this is mine, mine and mine alone,” Astrid sent rain of kisses to Kouichi’s face and as a final touch, she began loving dearly the inside of his mouth with her tongue.

“……!!”

Kouichi thrusted up his own hips.

Keeping the movement of his hips, thump, thump, he bounced his hips, as though he was trying to shoot up his semen into the depths of her who was on top of him. With their mouths still overlapped, Astrid leaked out gasping voice from the depth of her throat, hugged Kouichi’s head with both arms──

“AAAAAAHHHH~~~~~~~~!!”

And as if unable to endure it, she pulled her lips away and moaned.

Astrid’s body was shuddering all over, and she endured the oncoming orgasm. Kouichi also moved his hips several times along with that vibration, and ejaculated.

However──

“Uwahh!?”

The bed in Kouichi’s room was originally for one person use — a single bed, in other words.

It was a little small for two people to sleep together, as well as to have intercourse. It was barely big enough for them to do naughty things to begin with. And right now — because Astrid’s orgasm caused her to greatly lose her stance, in the next moment, they were both tumbling off the bed.

“NUHYAWAHH!?”

Despite making a weird sound, Astrid extended her hands trying to hold on at the moment they tumbled down — and she grabbed onto something and tried to hold out at once. But in the end, she just caught Kouichi’s bag on a desk nearby and dropped it.

Thud. The two of them, naked, tumbled onto the floor.

“Ouch… eerr, Ast, you okay?” Kouchi asked, worrying about Astrid while raising his body on the floor.

Sex with Astrid had never felt so incredibly good, but there was no such a thing as afterglow with this──

“──Ast?”

And there was no response from Astrid.

Knitting his brows, Kouichi looked over her direction──

“……This is…?”

Astrid — she had something in her hand.

Something made of transparent glass…

“──Ah”

Kouichi remembered.

It was something he had received from a fortune teller, or rather had been forced on him previously, but anyway it was a small bottle of “holy water.” Since he didn’t feel any particular need for it, he left it in his bag and forgot about it. Perhaps because the seal was securely closed, there was no sign of the transparent liquid inside spilling out of the bottle. There was no crack nor chip appearing on the bottle itself either — but.

“……”

Astrid grimaced and was staring at the bottle.

By chance, maybe she could tell the content just by looking at it.

If that was the case──

“Kouichi. What is this? Why do you have something like this?”

“A-ah, that — a fortune teller who opened a booth near my school gave that to me”

It should be better to talk honestly instead of poorly trying to keep it a secret.

So Kouichi answered honestly.

However──

“……”

Astrid was silently staring at that bottle while grimacing.

“Of course I won’t use it. I’m not gonna use it, okay? Actually, that fortune teller said that that was ‘holy water,’ but it was questionable if that’s the real thing or not anyway” Kouichi spoke in fluster.

“……”

However, the blonde-haired, beautiful vampire — contorting that face of hers in displeasure — didn’t say anything.

●

Running his pen over the tablet.

He was drawing lines on the screen along with the unique drawing feel that was different from paper. At roughly the same time, as his hand movement was becoming faster due to the warming up, a time lag occurred, as if he was stuck for an instant. Or maybe even that was just Kouichi’s optical illusion, though.

“……”

Kouichi himself didn’t own a high performance desktop computer, but he did own an old model of tablet computer.

Though nowadays, it was the age where you could even draw manga digitally if you were to use a tablet with a slightly more expensive electronic pen, free manga and illustration software. In the case of a professional manga artist sending their work to a publishing company, there might be a problem with the resolution and stuff, so there might be cases where a tablet would end up inadequate — but it was enough for an aspiring manga artist to practice rough sketch and panel layout.

“Nnn…”

To begin with, the basic principle of practice was to do it as many times as possible.

A tablet was convenient in many ways where, for example, you could immediately start drawing as soon as it crossed your mind… however, “……” these few days, Kouichi had been a little hesitant to draw characters, women in particular.

Kouichi had a self-confidence that he had achieved a certain level of skill in drawing a human in general, as he had repeated, over and over again, drawing using a drawing mannequin and drawing while looking at pose collections such as photographs.

But recently, or rather, ever since he had gotten into sexual relationships with Astrid, he couldn’t help but think that the characters he drew were lacking something, somehow. It was supposed to be correct as a rough sketch, but Kouichi’s inner sense was telling him that “something was wrong.”

It was like a doll. Or in other words — wasn’t true to life.

I wonder if this is me comparing it to Ast or something…

Kouichi, who was once a virgin, had come to learn the real body of a woman.

As a result, it probably meant that he had come to care about various things beyond mere sketches. It would feel somewhat dull if he didn’t somehow incorporate into the drawings aspects that were invincible to the eyes, but would greatly affect the senses — such as the actual softness of the body, body temperature, and even the smell as well.

In particular — setting aside paintings with high realism — in manga where a certain amount of symbolization1 was applied.

And so──

“……As expected… I wonder if I can find a model”

And not a drawing mannequin, nor a photographed human body…

“…Umm, Ast……? Astrid……san?” he tried to call the vampire, who was looking out the window in the corner of the room for some reason.

However, there was no response from Astrid.

He thought that it wouldn’t be likely that she didn’t hear him, but she was just only casting a sharp eye out the window for some reason, and wouldn’t even turn to look at Kouichi. There was a feeling of tension, rather than displeasure, like she was thirsting for blood.

“…If you don’t mind, umm, do you wanna… as a model…”

Despite trying to muster up his courage and continue on, there was still no response.

…I wonder if she’s still angry. About the “holy water”…

Astrid had been like this since yesterday — since Saturday, where she found the “holy water” inside Kouichi’s bag. There was no school on Saturdays and Sundays, so Kouichi was at home with Astrid, but she had become like this all the time, talking very little, and staring outside at every opportunity.

Like a caged bird yearning for the sky — it could also be seen that way.

Naturally, Astrid could go outside whenever she wanted to, and if she wanted to to go outside, Kouichi had no means to stop her.

But──

……Ast…

Speaking of Kouichi, he had already been completely touched by this golden-haired vampire, or rather, in love with, and he couldn’t help but feel uneasy at the thought of her going away somewhere else.

For the time being, right now, he was trying to practice drawing manga, which he had been neglecting for the past week or so because he had been too preoccupied with having sex with her, but he just couldn’t seem to put himself into it.

“……”

Astrid was still looking outside in silence.

As to be expected of an immortal vampire — she was a monster that, even though she had been trapped in a barrier for twelve years, far from ending up dead, she didn’t even seem to lose weight. So in this kind of a situation where she didn’t even eat food, she also didn’t go to the toilet, and she didn’t seem to drink water either.

Kouichi was worried, but he wouldn’t seem to be able to recover if he carelessly talked to her, and got told something like, “I’m fed up with you,” after the thing with the “holy water.”

“Hnnng…”

Kouichi was at loss.

At that moment, splash, there was a sound of water splashing coming from the sink.

“…Ah, speaking of which”

In the end, the eel and Chinese softshell turtle were never cooked, and were respectively thrown into two buckets of water placed near the sink. It wasn’t like the eel and turtle were protesting, “We’ve had enough of this!” however──

“…Anyway, are they able to be returned or something?”

It wasn’t like he could keep them, and he didn’t know how to prepare them either.

Just in case, Astrid had kept the receipt from when she bought the two animals, so he could know the store’s name, address, and telephone number from it. The only option would probably be to bring back the two animals, and to ask them to take them back regardless of a refund, but in that case, the sooner he did that, the better.

“……”

Giving a sigh, Kouichi turned off the tablet.

“Ast, I’ll go out for a bit to return the eel and turtle, okay? I’m also thinking of buying ingredients for dinner while at it, so…”

“……Nn”

Although she looked to be mostly out of it, there was a response.

That should be alright for now. At least she didn’t seem to be in rage nor she didn’t want to talk.

“Then, I’m going out for a bit”

Kouichi picked up the two buckets in the kitchen, and then left the room after taking one more look at Astrid by the window.

●

The turtle and eel were taken back without a problem.

Apparently, from time to time, there would be customers who didn’t know how to prepare them, or that they just couldn’t bring themselves to kill living ingredients after buying them with a gusto. They were bought just yesterday, and neither the turtle nor the eel looked to be weakened, so the fish dealer refunded him almost the full price.

However──

“A blonde girl? Was that really so”

The employee was tilting head in puzzlement, and Kouichi got a little thrown off.

He believed that if a customer with the appearance as conspicuous as Astrid was to buy a live Chinese softshell turtle or eel and such, she would leave a lasting impression. But the employee didn’t remember.

Did she use “charm” or something…?

If you were able to manipulate minds, in the extreme, you would even be able to brazenly steal without having to shop honestly. It would be hopeless to explain laws, morals, and such to a vampire, who was supposed to be living detached from the world’s norms… however, he could tell that Astrid happened to have a certain amount of good sense by the simple fact that she didn’t do such a thing.

By someone’s hand, Kouichi’s body had been placed by a curse known as “vampire fangs repellant.” …But even without it, Kouichi thought that now she wouldn’t forcibly suck his blood if he were to hate it.

She was so passionate in having sex with Kouichi after all.

Or perhaps, such a thinking could be naive.

It might be just that he, towards the person he had sexual relation with, the person he had his first sexual experience with, viewed her as special — or rather, arbitrarily acknowledged her as a good person.

As Kouichi was walking, having such thoughts and holding a stack of buckets in one hand, “……?” he suddenly realized.

No one — no one was on the street other than himself.

It was a residential area during the daytime on the weekend. Although it was not the time nor place to get crowded, it shouldn’t be weird to see a person or two here and there… like children playing on the road, or housewives walking for shopping.

Was it only a coincidence that there were no other people around?

Of course there was that possibility, however…

“……Somehow, it’s really creepy,” Kouichi muttered, quickening his pace to go back to the apartment where Astrid was waiting.

However…

“──Huh?”

The street that should’ve taken a few minutes to go through would not end no matter how much time had passed.

He was definitely walking. He could feel that he was walking, but the scenery around didn’t change. His pace was getting even faster, but nevertheless, Kouichi was walking at the same place on and on.

No. He was made to walk. In this instance.

“…What… is this”

“──It’s a barrier,” an extremely calm voice came to reply from behind the shuddering Kouichi.

“──!!?”

Kouichi turned around, reflexively leaking out a quiet shout.

Standing there was someone of a familiar figure.

It was the fortune teller, who previously gave Kouichi the small bottle of “holy water” near his school.

Just like that time, she was wearing a black overcoat. But speaking of differences, it would be that, right now, she had no desk nor a chair and was standing in the middle of the road.

And then──

“You are──”

“I would like to have some word,” the fortune teller said, taking off the hood she had been wearing so deeply to reveal her face, perhaps to lower Kouichi’s alertness.

And then hair — silver-colored — spread and flowed down.

Long, and without curls, with a glamour that was clearly different from that of old people’s gray hair. It didn’t look wilted, nor withered. If anything, it even gave the impression of being filled to the brim with a sense of stiffness.

And that face of hers as well. It was young. Perhaps in her late teens, or early twenties.

Due to her non-Japanese facial features, he couldn’t tell exactly how old she would be — however — she was a very good looking girl. The vibe from her was completely different from Astrid, but simply in terms of all-around personal looks, it was hard to say who was better.

However, the indifferent tone of voice and the rigid face without expression like that of a mask created a peculiar sense of being hard to approach. In that respect, she was the exact opposite of Astrid.

“You are…?”

“My name is Evangeline O’Donnell,” the girl said, in a tone that still lacked any human emotion.

She slightly tilted her head, and from between her swaying silver hair, ears that looked slightly pointed could be seen. Just like a fairy. Or perhaps — like a devil.

“There is no need for you to introduce yourself, Hikawa Kouichi — the one whom the vampire princess has fallen in love with at first sight”

“……!?”

Just now, the girl clearly said “vampire princess.” Furthermore “fallen in love at first sight.”

In other words──

The one Astrid was saying…

The one called “Demon Hunter.” Or a group.

Most likely an “enemy” to her who was a vampire.

And right now, that enemy appeared in front of Kouichi.

●

She lay down on the bed and sighed.

What she recalled was the small bottle — the small bottle of holy water she saw yesterday.

In the end, it was still sitting on top of the shoebox in the entrance. Kouichi tried to throw it away out of consideration for her — but Astrid stopped him.

“…As expected, this is bad… right?” she threw a question into the empty space in front of her, not saying it to anyone.

She closed those amber eyes of hers — then traced her own memories.

Fifty years ago. One hundred years ago. One hundred and fifty years ago. Two hundred years ago.

In France — as she recalled, Napoleon was fighting his second war.

Astrid was born in the field filled with many dead bodies.

She was not born out of a mother’s womb.

There was no such logical thing — she was suddenly just existing there.

She was born already looking the same as she was now — she just didn’t know how to speak, so she grew stronger by sucking blood from the still warm, dead corpses like a beast. When sucking blood, the consciousness of the dead would flow in along with magical powers — and that gave Astrid some basic knowledge, including language.

‘A mon… a monster!?’

‘Kill it! Burn it to death!’

For the first fifty years of her life, she was just living without a thought.

She soon learned that she was apparently a monster to many humans, so she hid her true identity and wandered from place to place. Nevertheless, her identity would sometimes get exposed, and she would be chased. She would’ve been able to turn the table if it was just a human or two, but the humans would soon gather up and form a group, so there was no end to it. So she ran away — mostly.

She spent the next hundred years searching and thinking.

She would read every literature she could find. She met, asked, and talked to many wise men.

Why would there be such an abnormal living thing like herself.

No. Was she truly a “living thing” in the first place? — was she “alive?”

What was a vampire, no, what was, a demon?

And what was a human?

What was life. What was death.

What was the meaning and value──

‘Some do wish to find the reason, just why so many demons look so similar to humans. Oh dear me! It’s the opposite if you ask me. Truly the opposite, oh beautiful vampire’

‘In the East, it seems there is also the thinking that a person will become a demon through things like malice and jealousy. Won’t you think it’s the opposite? It’s not a person becoming a demon. Those who couldn’t become a person are the demons’

Along the way, she met, collaborated, fought, and parted ways with fellow vampires and other demons alike.

And in the end, what she understood were “I don’t know anything,” “there is no God,” “probably there’s no reason,” “anything and everything is just the result of chance.” Only such boring, but obvious conclusions.

‘Young lady. Oh immortal young lady. In my opinion, being born from a parent’s womb, having a child as a parent, and then leaving the future to the hands of the child and dying one day… I believe everything is the ability of living things. And then you just came into this world, by chance without possessing those. Human flaws. Someone who lacked, so to speak’

In the next fifty years, Astrid decided not to think about her reason for existence anymore.

There was no end in thinking about it.

In that case, it would be easier to not think about it.

Just like a baby who knew nothing, like an animal, no, like a “phenomenon” in the shape of a person, she decided to just exist, idly. She decided to stop thinking and live with ease.

Deliberately not expressing anything, deliberately not wishing anything, and deliberately not achieving anything.

She kept on existing — only and only existing.

Like what immortals before her seemed to have done.

Just living on the sidelines, looking at the world as a bystander.

Stealing and eating when hungry.

Sucking blood when thirsty.

However, she couldn’t bring herself to lay her hands on “someone who was lacking,” and it would have caused various troubles if it caused an uproar, so she usually did it stealthily, under the cover of night.

But nevertheless, she must’ve caused a blunder somewhere.

She got targeted by a group of people called <Demon Hunters>, and chased by them.

The second world war had turned the world into a terrible mess, so it was pretty convenient to run around trying to escape for the time. And family registers, resident registries and such were burned to ashes everywhere, making it possible for her to disguise her identity in the confusion and live in human society.

After the second world war, she lived in the United States for a while.

And then towards the end of the twentieth century, she suddenly thought of going to Japan.

It wasn’t like she was expecting anything in particular.

If she were forced to say it, she had seen, for several times, a somewhat original “view of vampires” in manga, anime, games and such brought from Japan — it was an idea that would likely never have come out in the USA where the influence of Christianity was strong. And, I wonder what kinda people would think such a strange thing, let’s go take a look, was the only thing she had in mind.

However, the eyes of the <Demon Hunters> were gazing at Japan as well — ultimately, she had no choice but to fight them.

They, who had refined and accumulated their anti-vampire tactics, had become much tougher than when she had met them before. After battling five <Demon Hunters> and managing to half-kill four of them, she had completely spent her energy.

That was when she met Kouichi.

A cute, adorable — and kind boy.

She knew from a glance, that he was an ideal “sacrifice” possessing an abundance of magical power.

That was why, partly after having been driven into a corner, for the first time, Astrid thought of making him her own kin. As a result of meeting and exchanging knowledge with other vampires, she knew she could do it, but she was hesitant to create another “someone who was lacking,” making her not create a kin until then.

When she thought about it, she herself, at that time, might have already fallen in love with Kouichi.

With a boy who tried to help a stranger, a stranger who wasn’t even a human, as if it was a matter of course.

In the end — however — she was sealed by the last <Demon Hunter> who had caught up to her at that time, making her unable to make him her own kin.

“…Yep. This is bad,” Astrid answered her own question.

Continuing the current, interminable relationship this way — setting aside Astrid — was no good for Kouichi.

If she wanted to repay the favor to him, she should’ve simply asked him to donate his blood and leave with it, not having a physical relationship with him.

She shouldn’t have rolled him up — not rolled him up into her own abnormal way of life of “someone who was lacking.”

Making him a kin and such was unreasonable.

If she was thinking for his sake — if she loved him dearly, she should never force him into a life where she would never know when the <Demon Hunters> would come to attack.

“It might be a good opportunity that the <Demon Hunters> found out, no?” Astrid muttered, glancing at the bottle of holy water placed on top of the shoebox in the entrance.

She let out a sigh and got up.

“Kouichi is — where is he, I wonder?”

Even though incomplete, the “contract” still had a certain function.

If Astrid were to focus her consciousness even if just a little, she would be able to tell to the extent of where he was and what he was doing.

Maybe I should disappear before he comes back.

However, “………Kouichi?” Astrid’s expression tensed up in the next moment.

She opened the window and jumped out from there.

●

< Demon Hunter> — Astrid’s enemy.

In front of the existence he had heard only through words until now, Kouichi reflexively put himself on guard.

However──

“……”

As for the other party, she made no particular move as if she was observing Kouichi’s reaction. She hadn’t made any move, so Kouichi couldn’t make any move. He didn’t know what she’d do if he carelessly made a move on his own.

But then──

“──KOUICH!!”

A piercing shout echoed.

“Ast!?

Unnecessary to reaffirm it.

Astrid came flying in between Kouichi and Evangeline, flailing her long blonde hair.

“Get down, stay back, she’s an enemy!!” Astrid shouted as if to support Kouichi’s guess, and stood ready to protect him.

Meanwhile, Evangeline──

“──I certainly ‘was’ an enemy, but,” she said in mutter all the while putting her hands inside her chest area of her clothes and smoothly unsheathing something.

It was two rugged knives that looked like for combat purposes — which, most likely, had been hung somewhere like the armpits.

Dropping down the hands gripping those to hang loosely, “please calm down for a bit, Astrid Bernstein,” Evangeline said.

“What’re you saying now!? What are you saying after taking out ‘holy swords!?’”

Perhaps, “Bernstein” was one of the “many names” that Astrid had mentioned.

In other words, this could mean that Evangeline had known Astrid since before Kouichi met Astrid. But in that case, how old would this Evangeline have been twelve years ago? Was she facing off against a “vampire” as an “enemy” at around ten years old or so? Or maybe──

Don’t tell me, this person is one, too? But──

When he took a better look at the knives in Evangeline’s hands, he could see that there was a hole in the blade, and it was in the shape of a cross. It didn’t look like a weapon a vampire would use…

“──!!”

With a sharp exhale, Astrid was the first to make a move.

She kicked the ground, and approached Evangeline like a bird of prey swooping down on its prey from the sky.

Astrid’s hand, with its five fingers pointed together in a sharp shape, was intercepted by the knife held by Evangeline. Shriek! Astrid’s nails and Evangeline’s blade collided and slipped, creating sparks.

In a glance, that seemed to be the only thing that happened, but the fight of these two people was completely different from such an ordinary engagement.

Behind Astrid, a branch of a street tree was cut off from the base as if it had been subjected to an invisible blade, and fell down with a thump. And at the same time, behind Evangeline, there was a small but deep cavity on the ground, as if it had been hit by a hammer which was also invincible.

This was… the phenomenon caused by the after-effect of those two’s magical powers clashing one another.

It was also natural for Astrid to tell him to get down. Were Kouichi to be nearby as these two were having such an exchange, he could also get caught up, and maybe either have his arm cut off or get a hole in his body…

“YAAAAAAHHH!!”

“………”

Astrid yelling, Evangeline quietly responding.

One after another, Astrid’s onslaughts — spear hands — which were even accompanied by afterimages, and Evangeline’s knives that intercepted them. The apparent range of attack was longer for Evangeline — the length of her arms and the length of her knives allowed for a wider reach, which would be considered as an advantage, but their attacks were not what they appeared to be.

“──!!”

“……”

Between them and around them, countless sparks bloomed, and the damages from the after-effects were spreading to the walls of surrounding buildings, street trees, and the ground.

Invincible swords, bullets, and hammers were flying between them and then dodged, causing trees to break, telephone poles to bent, holes to be drilled on buildings’ walls, cracks to spread, and garbage cans to burst up in flame.

It was a blessing that there was no one around.

Were they to fight in a crowded place, in a flash, literally a mountain of corpses and rivers of blood would have surely been built.

“…Kuh…”

Astrid was on the offensive, and Evangeline was on the defensive. And as a result, Astrid looked to be the one having the upper hand, or rather, giving the pressure, but──

“Was the twelve years of confinement that taxing?” Evangeline asked in a matter-of-fact tone, even at this point in time.

“Your attack is light. Your attack is sloppy. It looks like you are weaker than before”

“Shut… up…!” Astrid shouted.

He could see a bead of sweat running down her forehead to her cheek.

Ast… Ast is…?

However, in the next moment──

“──!!”

There was a high-pitched metallic sound, two of them.

The knives were flung away from both Evangeline’s hands after receiving Astrid’s attack.

Evangeline became unarmed with this.

Then this was Astrid’s win — or so it would seem.

“────!?”

Making a spin on the spot like a ballerina, Evangeline swung her right arm, and a new weapon flew out from inside her overcoat — as if a rail or something had been built into it — sliding across the surface of her overcoat, travelling down her right arm, and settling in that right hand of hers.

It was a single, black handgun.

“Please calm down and listen to what I have to say,” Evangeline pointed that long gun barrel at Astrid and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

And then a roaring sound. Astrid, who was now leaning forward to unleash her attack on Evangeline, had the time to avoid it — not.

Perhaps hit in the face, she was greatly bending her back──

“……”

“──Oh?”

Evangeline tilted her head and stared at Astrid, who had stopped moving with her body still bending backwards, as if frozen.

In the next moment, like a clockwork doll, Astrid returned to her original stance with a jerk, and smiled while baring her teeth, no, baring her fangs.

A silver bullet was literally stopped in her jaws. Astrid, who bit the bullet to stop it, was expelling smoke from her mouth as if she were smoking a cigarette, perhaps the folklore that silver had the power to dispel evil spirits was true. However, there was no sign of further damage.

“Dropping your specialized weapon to catch them off guard, and shooting a silver bullet filled with exorcism magic when they rush at you — that’s how you got me before! There’s no way I’m gonna fall for the same move over and over again!!” Astrid shouted, and thrusted out her right hand like a spear.

Evangeline kept shooting as she stepped back.

All of those hit Astrid in the chest, shoulders, and stomach, but that didn’t stop the golden vampire’s momentum.

No matter if it was a silver bullet or something else, it probably wouldn’t do any good if it didn’t hit vital points such as the head or the heart.

──CLINK!

The pistol ran out of ammunition and made an empty metallic sound.

Astrid fingers scraped against the barrel of the gun raised by Evangeline, creating sparks.

And then──

“Was twelve years also long for you, I wonder? You’re weaker now, Damphir!” Astrid shouted, and bent her fingers to grip the barrel of the gun.

Astrid then pulled back her right hand — Evangeline dropped her stance sharply after a moment’s hesitation to let go of her gun.

That was when──

“──Take this!”

Astrid threw a left hook.

That was shot out — beautifully sunk into Evangeline’s cheek.

Greatly, Evangeline was turning in the other direction. And like a spinning top, she was spinning around and blown off, and then fell to the ground.

“…Alright!”

Astrid, however, was not careless. She rushed to the fallen <Demon Hunter’s> girl, and raised one leg.

Whether it was an axe kick or just stomping, at any rate, if it were to be inflicted on the neck of a fallen opponent and was amplified by the power of a vampire, the neckbones would surely break.

However──

“AST!!”

Astrid stopped her movement at Kouichi’s scream-like cry.

“STOP!”

“──What? Kouchi, are you sane? Why’re you stopping me!?” Astrid shouted, looking back over her shoulder.

“No, this person — she’s not an enemy, right!? She’s been trying to have a talk since earlier, too!”

“……”

Astrid knitted her brows and looked down at Evangeline.

A dhampir. In other words, she, who was born of mixed races between a human and a vampire, seemed to also have the ability to heal and regenerate like a vampire. The punch hit on her face by Astrid seemed to be healing, but──

“……”

There was still no expression in that white, pretty face of hers.

Such Evangeline — who didn’t seem to be suffering at all — was perhaps, in the eyes of Astrid, coming out as terribly arrogant, or rather, looking down at her.

In any case──

“We can’t listen to her if you kill her, right!? This person is not the only one, isn’t she!? These ‘Demon hunters!?’ Won’t another one just come if you kill her outright no questions asked!? Rather, we have to keep her alive if we want to listen to her or extract information from her! This is for your sake, Astrid!”

When Kouichi explained his reasoning, Astrid put her foot down, perhaps having accepted it.

“But she is… she is……”

It seemed she couldn’t calm down her feelings at all after all.

And it seemed that the one who had sealed Astrid twelve years ago was also this woman, however──

“Aah geez, then Kouichi!” Astrid pointed her finger at Evangeline who was lying on the ground, “will you rape her!?”

Along with those words, Astrid swung her right hand, and Evangeline’s overcoat was torn off to the left and right, as if it had been grabbed by an invincible giant’s hands. What appeared from underneath was a black, swimsuit-like attire made of leather that would perfectly conform to the body.

To put it bluntly, frighteningly sexy.

Let alone the breasts, even the shape of her abdominal muscles and navel looked like it was visible, and to make matters worse, it was also torn in places, making the skin inside visible — maybe torn off together when Astrid tore off the overcoat.

It was more erotic than just plain nudity.

But, nevertheless, Kouichi would never just go, “alright, leave it to me,” and start raping Evangeline.

“Use your thing to seduce her, and make her do what you say!”

“No, umm, Ast? I don’t have the ability to──”

“There’s no way that’s the case, right!? Even me, I’ll do anything you ask if you ask during that, you know!?”

“──I think that simply because you are obsessed with sex, though,” Evangeline blankly said while lying down.

“Sh-shut up!”

“Actually, Ast. I hate to do that,” Kouchi said.

“Why!? She’s also, like, a half-human, so if something that sweet──”

“I mean, I don’t think I would ever wanna do it with any woman other than you, Ast. I probably, can’t. This person is certainly an incredible beauty, but… umm, the only one I wanna do naughty things with is just you”

“……!!?”

As for Kouichi, he didn’t think that he had said something that special, though.

As if struck by a lightning, Astrid went rigid──

“That… that…”

And Astrid was trembling all over while clenching her fists.

“──That?”

“That’s what I’m talking about, Kouichi!?” Astrid shouted with her face bright red.

And──

“Eh? What is!?”

Speaking of the person in question, as expected, Kouichi didn’t quite understand what would that “that’s what I’m talking about” be.

●

In this world, there existed a group called “Demon Hunters.”

The natural enemy of humans, “demon” — to put it roughly, a generic term for “a monster in the shape of a person but not a person, which surpassed a person in terms of innate ability” — “Demon Hunters” were the ones whose mission was to hunt and destroy them.

In this world that was built under the premise that humans were “an apex without a natural enemy,” they couldn’t possibly openly recognize the existence of demons.

Therefore, for a very long time, they had been making moves in the dark as a secret society while keeping their existence secret from the public. People in power, of course, knew of that organization and were providing various kinds of backing, but they still never publicly mentioned the existence of “Demon Hunter’s.”

And of course — it included vampires as well, which were their target of annihilation.

“…It’s a setting you see a lot in mangas or fantasy novels, but… if you tell me they exist in real life, like, it’s bewildering. Or rather, this sounds impolite, but… it’s fishy, isn’t it…” Kouichi commented.

After the battle inside the barrier.

Due to Kouichi’s proposal of “no matter how the barrier was set up, it’s not something you’d talk about outside, right?”, they all moved to his apartment room. Astrid was unwilling to let Evangeline into his room, but she also had no idea where else to take a sit and talk.

“Regardless of how fishy it may be, we exist and continue to do our activities. It was also we, or rather I, who stopped, pulled you away, and sealed Astrid Bernstein, who was trying to transform you into her kin twelve years ago,” Evangeline said, in between sipping the tea that she had been served.

Although she had fixed her appearance, she was still expressionless. She was a girl who could be described as a cold beauty, whose thoughts were rather difficult to grasp, and──

“You are an enemy as expected,” Astrid said, facing away and pouting.

“I was an enemy, I should say. It is not so simple for us either,” Evangeline shook her head.

“The organization “Demon Hunters” has a very long history, and has branches and affiliates all over the world — but as a result, it was influenced by every culture in each place, or to get straight to the point, there are many factions all over the place”

“…Uhuh”

That was something that was also often heard in the world of religion and academia.

“There is a faction who would go — no matter what, demons shall be destroyed, no questions asked — and there is also a faction that proposes to create a co-existence and co-prosperity with demons, claiming that exterminism is too dangerous in this era. The latter is in an opinion that the ‘Demon Hunters’ organization should play the ‘police’ role, attacking and capturing only dangerous demons”

“…So you, a half-vampire, are naturally on the latter. Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“Of course,” Evangline confirmed Astrid’s words.

“Err, O’Donnell-san──”

“You can call me Evangeline. Or just Eva. The family name O’Donnell was taken from my father, who was a vampire, so it doesn’t sit well in the organization. I’m also not used to being called that”

“I see… Evangeline-san. As you just said, you are, the result of a vampire and a human?”

“Yes. I’m the so-called mixed race”

Evangeline made a shocking confession, however, remaining unconcerned while sipping the tea.

“It is not to the extent of a vampire, but I age slower than a human, and in many areas regarding abilities are also higher than a human. Since ancient times, such a mixed race has been useful for demon hunting, so it’s not uncommon. The organization has been treating us like half-slave until recent years, though”

“……”

By chance, it could be that in order to produce “hunters” with high abilities, they had been purposely creating mixed races between demons and humans. That itself was something common to see in mangas or novels, however.

“Nonetheless, no matter how much of a secret society it is, it is still affected by the changes of times. We are not living in the dark ages of the middle ages, or even in another world, where only the words of the politician or clergyman are considered as the truth after all,” Evangeline said, taking out a smartphone from her pocket and showing it.

Indeed — information was overflowing in this era. It probably could be said that humans were becoming less and less susceptible to being swayed by obscure superstitions. Irresponsible lies and rumors were still circulating in the internet, but statements disproving such lies and rumors would also immediately circulate, making people calm down even if just a little.

“There also has been an increase in mixed races taking up deserving positions in the organization — and it has also been confirmed that there are a considerable number of demons who are able to establish a good relationship with humans. And so, there was a suggestion that the demon hunting organization should change its stance as well”

“I see”

“In regards to Astrid Bernstein over there, she certainly hasn’t committed a serious crime like a mass murder, but a crime such as using charm to suck blood, as well as inflicting injury, fraud, theft, she had those accumullated for staggering two hundred years…”

“……Ast…”

“N-no, I mean — I don’t have a choice, okay!?” Astrid said in fluster after being stared at by Kouichi with half-opened eyes.

“I – we can’t even get a steady job without worrying the demon hunter’s eyes on us! We have perpetual youth, so we can’t even live at the same place for a long time! Strangers are also not trusted in any era, and if you don’t live in the mountains like an animal, you can’t survive without doing criminal acts!”

“That is…”

Now that she mentioned it, it was probably as she said.

“And so regarding Astrid Bernstein, a twelve-year ‘sealing sentence’ was decided, and we have been dispatched to carry it out. Five people were dispatched and four people suffered serious injuries, but we succeeded in sealing her”

“──Sealing, sentence?”

“Wait? Just now, you said twelve-year?”

Both Kouichi and Astrid were tilting their heads.

“Yes. A sealing sentence is a sentence of being locked up in a very small barrier. An imprisonment, I suppose. A vampire is basically immortal and has perpetual youth, so they won’t die being imprisoned in a barrier for a decade or so”

“I was bored to death, you know!?” Astrid said resentfully, “I was endlessly thirsty and hungry!”

“That was a disciplining, or better say, a punishment after all. I’m sure there’s no way it would be comfortable. The twelve years was a predetermined prison term”

“…That means”

“Yes. Hikawa-Kouichi-san, it was not a coincidence that you came to that seal. I led you there using a barrier. The random attacker was totally a coincidence, but I was able to skip a lot of things, so it was good. Originally, I was supposed to play the role of the random attacker and chase you, though”

“……”

It seemed that the random attacker was also used in the fiasco involving Astrid. As for Kouichi, as expected, he didn’t feel pity for the random attacker because he was almost killed, though.

“You seem to be easily liked by demons and other evil beings, Kouichi-san”

“…Eh. D-do I have any traits like that?”

“If you have a lot of magical power in your body, it appears you are more likely to. Not limited to vampires, there are many monsters that take in magical power by eating or killing their victims. As long as the person in question doesn’t learn magic, most of the time they would not realize their own trait, though,” Evangeline said such a frightening thing calmly, “and so, if you are going to be ‘eaten’ anyway, make it sexual”

“──Excuse me!?”

Just what she did even say, this silver-haired demon hunter.

“Like I said──,” Evangeline took out a small device — something that could be put on the palm — and held it up. She pressed the switch, making a small red operating lamp lit up and…

‘Ah… ahh… Kouichi, Kouichi, so good, so good…’

“Ast… I feel, good… too…”

──The voice that sounded clearly like Kouichi and Astrid in the middle of getting intimate came out.

“Excuse me…!? Wh-what did you, were you wiretapping us!?” Kouichi shouted in fluster.

Next to him, Astrid was looking at the ceiling and trembling, maybe, as expected, embarrassed to be made to hear her own moans right here.

“Yes,” Evangeline nodded, not looking at all guilty.

Incidentally, the tapped voices of the two kept being played back.

“Hikawa Kouichi-san is, without having the blood sucked, being sexually ‘eaten’ by Astrid Bernstein — with this, it could be evidence that Astrid Bernstein poses no danger to humans, and at the same time, Astrid Bernstein’s presence could also be a protection for Hikawa Kouichi-san’s personal safety”

The idea seemed to be: if a strong “demon” was on his side and claimed “this is mine,” other demons or evil beings would not come close — even if they did, Astrid would get rid of them.

“This means that both Hikawa Kouichi-san and Astrid Bernstein will have something to gain, making it a win-win, or a situation that looks to be a good compromise for every──,” in the next moment, the small recording device was blown out of Evangeline’s hand.

Astrid had thrown her own teacup.

“That’s no reason for being a peeping Tom, you know?”

Astrid then stood up, picked up the blown off recording device, grasped it tightly, and destroyed it to pieces. It was an outrageous strength, but…

“What do you mean policing demons’ crimes? Wiretapping is also a crime, okay!?”

“Please don’t worry. The data has already been uploaded to cloud storage as ‘proof’”

“That’s only worrying, you know!? Will you delete it!? Forever!?” Astrid shouted, grabbing Evangeline’s collar who was still lacking expression.

●

After this and that, Evangeline left.

Originally, it seemed that she had come only to report that she had learned that Kouichi and Astrid were “getting along well” with only minimal curse-like assurance — the bloodsucking repellant curse that had been placed on Kouichi’s neck — and that it would be used as a material to justify the claim of their “coexistence faction.”

Naturally, both Kouichi and Astrid couldn’t really tolerate the shaming of having their voices during sex recorded and submitted as “proof,” but… after being told that this could reduce the likelihood of Astrid being attacked by Demon Hunters society including the “hard-liners” to around zero, then they could not complain anymore.

Anyhow…

“……Kouichi”

“Yeah?”

While cleaning up the whole tableware for the tea and snacks that had been served to Evangeline, Kouichi looked back at Astrid upon hearing his name called by her.

For some time, the golden-haired vampire girl seemed to have been looking everywhere to see if Evangeline had set up any wiretaps or cameras for peeping photos, but no sign of them was found. According to Evangeline, she was “only” wiretapping them from outside using a laser wiretapping device and did not have such equipment set up in the room, but Astrid did not seem to believe her.

“…Proof, will you show it?” Astrid said with pouty cheeks.

“Eh? Wh-what’s it about?” Kouichi asked back after putting the tableware in the sink.

Astrid was sitting on top of the bed flapping her legs.

Just like a sulking kid. When she’s like this, it’s hard to believe she’s a vampire who’s lived many times as long as I have, actually, it’s really adorable, Kouichi thought, or maybe — this is what they say, that old people gradually return to being children.

“I mean, umm…” Astrid was averting her gaze and mumbling through her mouth for a while, and, “You said, you can’t get erect except with… me, right? You said it, right!?”

“Eh? Ah, yup. I did say it,” Kouichi nodded.

He hadn’t actually tested it, so if Evangeline was made to strip naked and spread her legs in front of Kouichi, his penis might have unfaithfully gotten erect.

Kouichi was just thinking that he wanted to devote all of his energy to Astrid.

If he were to do it, then with Astrid. Frankly, he didn’t care about other women.

It wasn’t such a big talk like good faith or fidelity, but because he’d had his first sexual experience with someone who was equal to his ideal, he didn’t even think of wanting to do it with another woman. Every time they made love was like a discovery of something new, making him not even feel bored.

If anything, the more they did it, the more his love for her grew.

I’m sure that is happiness, Kouichi thought, surely, I had found my one and only, best, partner in this world.

So──

“So, proof — show it?”

“…Now?”

“…Now!” Astrid said with her cheeks dyed in crimson.

As for her, she had doubts that there might be still some kind of wiretap device left behind by Evangeline — but nevertheless — she couldn’t help but ascertain Kouichi’s words, his feelings.

Kouichi thought: even if someone was listening, even if someone was watching, would he be able to, without minding someone’s eyes, and ears, crave for the vampire Astrid? — again, would he be able to, without reserve without a care in the world, crave for the vampire Astrid, crave for her as the opposite sex?

“……”

In the brief space of time, Kouichi was thinking, standing still in front of her. However, “or, did you just make things up?” Astrid lifted her face and spoke, looking impatient.

And then — he nodded, and grabbed a thin towel from a nearby shelf.

“Kouichi?”

“Yeah. I will prove it. If I’m going to anyway then thoroughly,” Kouichi said, and knelt in front of Astrid.

“Astrid. Cover your eyes with this”

“Wha, what!?”

“Ah, this too. This is for a mouth gag. So your voice doesn’t leak”

“Wai-wait a sec, Kouichi, just what is this all for?”

“You’re bothered that maybe there’s still a wiretap or a hidden camera, right? This is so you’re not bothered by those”

“Wh-what’s with that logic!? No, I still get it with the mouth gag! But blindfolding is──”

If there was a hidden camera, it wouldn’t change the fact that they’d be seen.

However──

“Come on, please,” Kouichi asked her with upturned eyes, and Astrid, for moment, had a stunned look on her face, however──

“You… you’re so selfish, huh. Kouichi…”

“Yep. Sorry”

“……”

Despite hesitating, Astrid took the towel from Kouichi and wrapped it around her head to blindfold herself. After confirming that she had properly tied the end of the towel, Kouichi then gagged Astrid’s mouth and tied the end of that as well.

After that, pomf, Kouichi pushed Astrid’s shoulder, and without going against him, she was now lying on her back on the bed.

Her golden, long hair is blossoming on the white sheet, it looks like the time I first had sex with her — Kouichi thought in the corner of his mind.

The differences were: currently Astrid was still wearing clothes, and that she was blindfolded and had her mouth gagged. Perhaps Astrid was anxious that she couldn’t see anything, so she was trembling a bit as if frightened, but──

“Even without using something like ‘charm,’ I love you, Ast, Astrid, and I always wanna do it with you. Really, it can’t be helped, right? Such a cute girl, such a beautiful girl is doing that and this with me — such a girl is doing lots of naughty things with me after all. If I had the stamina, I’d do you for three days and three nights straight, Ast”

“……”

“I’m gonna undress you,” Kouichi said, and took off Astrid’s lower half first.

After removing the jeans, he took off the black panties, which she seemed to have prepared herself at some point. The underwear could be said to be a bit extreme for a girl figure, but it suited her well in the sense that it highlighted her white skin.

“~~~~!?”

She seemed to be surprised that he was taking off the lower half first.

From Astrid’s view, she couldn’t tell what the current Kouichi would do next. She could only guess from the rustling of clothes and some noises.

Just what will he do to me? Will he suddenly violate my asshole? Because my mouth is gagged, probably I won’t be asked for a blowjob, but since this is Kouichi who has a bit of hair fetish, he might go for some kind of perverted play, like twirling my blonde hair on his erect penis and rubbing it.

The more she couldn’t see, the more her delusions ran wild.

And so──

“Oh? Astrid? You’re already wet, you know?”

“~~~~!”

Astrid was writhing her body and complaining about something through the gag, but Kouichi just hung over her while letting out a chuckle.

“Really, Ast, you’re a naughty vampire, aren’t you. You were just a virgin until recently, but now, you’re already getting sopping wet from having a bit of your clothes taken off. You really are so hopeless. Won’t you cum right away if I put it in even without foreplay like this?”

“……”

“But I will,” Kouichi declared and buried his face in between Astrid’s thighs.

“──!!?”

Astrid shuddered.

Just as Astrid prepared herself to “suddenly be violated by Kouichi’s penis without any foreplay,” suddenly, her vulva was licked. He went to lick up with his tongue, tracing the shape of the indecent lips, focusing on the already erect, indecent seed. He licked — and inserted his tongue in between the crack, mixing love juices and saliva.

Immediately after, Astrid arched her back into the shape of a bow.

“What? It feels that good? Are you surprised?” Kouichi asked, pulling his mouth away from her secret place for a moment.

“~~~~!”

“How cute. You really are so sensitive, Ast. You can block something like pain nonchalantly, but pleasure is hopeless. Oh gosh, I just can’t figure out why you’re so cute”

“~~~! ~~~~~~~~!”

Astrid was complaining about something, but because of the gag, as expected, he couldn’t understand a thing she was saying. But she could understand from the reaction of her body that she was pleased. She did not not like it. Rather, she was pleased. He understood that clearly.

Because he understood it──

“Uwah. It’s twitching, your place down there, Ast. It’s lewdly drooling, and opening and closing like lips. Amazing. Licked by me feels good, doesn’t it. Really, you are so sensitive, Ast,” Kouichi described it, purposely, insistently.

So that it could become proof, just how much Astrid was addicted to to having sex with Kouichi — supposing that there was still a wiretap device. So that it could become proof, just how much Kouichi was attracted to her and addicted to her, to her who should not be able to use charm from having her eyes and mouth closed.

Chu. Chu. Chu.

Kouichi, again again and again, put his lips on the inner side of Astrid’s thighs and sucked it. Not strongly, but with increased frequency and relentlessly, his lips went to caress her sensitive spots.

“……”

It must’ve been becoming unbearable.

Astrid slipped in her free hands under her shirt and began to rub her own breasts. She was fingering, gripping, pulling, and then kneading them even more strongly than when Kouichi did it, perhaps because she was rubbing them herself.

However──

“You can’t, Ast”

“~~~~!?”

“Your breasts are mine, okay? My dick is yours, but in exchange, your boobs and pussy are mine, okay? It’s only me who can rub and suck on these after all”

Kouichi grabbed Astrid’s hands that were rubbing her breasts, brought his face closer to those quivering breasts, and began to lick and suck slowly from the areola. As if to say, “no, no,” Astrid twisted her body, but she couldn’t escape since Kouichi was pinning down both of her arms with his hands.

Intentionally making “slurp, slurp” sound, Kouichi was enjoying Artrid’s breasts, Astrid’s nipples.

Perhaps bored of doing only the same spot, he began to crawl his tongue even further. From Astrid’s breast to her armpit. Probably vampires also sweat, and it made her sweet body odor mixed with somewhat sour smell. However, even that was nothing but a source of arousal for Kouichi──

“Aah, Ast, Astrid, my adorable vampire. I love you. I love you so much. I — if it’s your body, I can lick it everywhere, you know? Even your asshole, even your toes──” Kouichi said, and went to crawl his tongue even further. From the armpit, to her flank, and around her belly button. His saliva was thoroughly smeared on her, making her shine with reflected light.

“Feels good? How was it, Ast?”

“……”

Astrid nodded.

She already had no slightest bit of composure, and was on the brink of orgasm, but──

“So it feels good. I’m happy. Ah, Ast… even your nipples are already this stiff… but, you still can’t cum, okay?” Kouichi briefly moved away from her, and then turned over that petite body.

When he pulled Astrid’s hips, who was now lying face down from lying on her back — she understood it, so Astrid got on all fours with her arms and legs propped up on the bed.

Grabbing her butt, Kouichi, slowly and deliberately as if to tease her, rubbed his already fully ready, swelling penis that looked like it was ready to explode at any moment on her labia several times — and shoved it in.

“…aaaaaAAAAAAHHHH!!?”

Astrid’s coquettish voice gushed and leaked out even through the towel gag.

Apparently, just one thrust already made her cum lightly, but…

“I’m sorry. I think you said you’d feel too much just after cumming. But — I can’t stop, you know? It’s your fault for being too cute, Ast,” Kouichi said and began to swing his hips.

While moving his hips, he reached out his arms to grab Astrid’s hands and pulled them.

Kouichi kept on ravishing her from behind, who was arching up just like an angel about to leap into the sky. He changed the angle of his penis rubbing the inside of her vagina… changing the stimulation given to the glans. The difference of the clamping brought out another pleasant sensation.

“Uwah, it’s twitching and squirting… aahh, it’s amazing, Ast, amazing, it feels good, your inside… I’m sorry, you just cummed so it might be hard, but… I will, cum soon… just a little bit, endure… it…” Kouichi said while swinging his hips.

Astrid’s charming figure was reflected on the window.

With each stab from Kouichi, those smallish but well-shaped breasts of her would bounce, and bounce.

Her eyes blindfolded, her mouth gagged, her arms grabbed, and from behind — it was a posture as if she was being abused, however, the voice leaking out from her was delightful, and her whole body was flushed red and trembling with excitement.

“Ast…”

While watching her long hair falling into a mess, Kouichi accelerated the movement of his hips even more.

Squish, squish. Her lewd flesh that would tighten with each thrust was truly lovely.

Kouichi buried his face in her beautiful golden hair, “I will always love you, Astrid. My — lovely and adorable vampire princess. I will always and forever be with you. Please don’t disappear from me again,” and whispered into her ear.

This time, he couldn’t wait for twelve years or anything anymore.

If they were separated, he didn’t think he would be able to stand it. Maybe he would go crazy.

“────!”

Only this — only this was not meant to be heard by any wiretapping device. It was just a pure confession of feelings.

Astrid’s vagina squeezed Kouichi’s penis strongly and strongly more than ever — he, who couldn’t endure that stimulation, was pouring an especially large amount of semen into the depths of her pussy.

“NAAAHH!” Kouichi’s voice leaked out as he abandoned the live coverage, unable to endure it.

A summit of sexual pleasure — and gentle descent followed.

He kept descending. Even that was pleasant despite the languidness.

However…

“……”

As they collapsed on the bed in exhaustion, Kouichi suddenly began to think.

Always together.

That — as expected, I wonder how many months and years.

TL notes:

^1. According to some guy from chiebukuro aka yahoo Japan https://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q12224453042 “Characters in manga and anime are a combination of symbolization. The eyes, mouth, cheeks, eyebrows, hairstyle, and body parts are all symbolized. It’s just that the symbolism of drawing a nose with dots is popular. I think adult characters have noses, just that point noses are effective in expressing an excess degree of childishness.”

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