[I have put the images of the characters for some clarity in the chapter comments so please check them]
"So," Natsumi-san said gaining everyone’s attention. "What do we do about her?"
She pointed at Tatara who tilted her head confused with her expressionless face not changing one bit. We were on our first mission and we find out that there will be a big attack on VEO by twelve but now ten nobles along with their servants. In short, a small army is about to attack the VEO and they probably don’t know about that.
"Tatara, do you know when this attack will happen?" I asked her and nodded her head.
"Yes Shiba-sama, the attack has been decided to be done tomorrow as the sun sets," she said. "A total of ten nobles and approximately six to seven hundred novices are going to be in this attack. They are really planning on wiping out the headquarters of the VEO in Japan. Also, please call me Akira. I am more used to being called that."
"I see," I said, and then my widened. "Wait a minute, why are you calling me using "sama"?"
"It is something I have been doing for my past life and I cannot change that way of me addressing you so please bear with me," she said in a respectful manner bowing down. "Now that you have killed my former master, you have taken the place of my master."
"Okay…" I said and looked at Ai who was puffing her cheeks.
The fact that they knew that I am in VEO right now can only possibly be known by someone who has been in the VEO. This means that there is a snitch there and we don’t know who it can be. Just thinking that it is a vampire is just too naïve and stupid so that just broader our options and makes it hard to track down that person.
Then there is also that ten nobles and about seven hundred novices are going to invade the VEO. The number is too big and if we don’t hold up properly, we are done for sure. These many vampires are would probably be enough to wipe out an entire prefecture if not kept under check and they are probably doing something similar to keep up their strength for the attack tomorrow.
"Akira, do you have any idea about who the person was that gave you the information?" I asked her and she shook her head.
"I am really sorry but I don’t know that," she said and Natsumi-san patted my shoulder.
"It’s fine, knowing this much is enough," she said and took out her phone and started fiddling on it. "And send…I told James about it and before going home, you are coming to the VEO. It would be better if you would be in the discussion."
"Sure," I and Ai said in unison.
"That also counts you," Natsumi-san said to Akira.
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"I will only do anything if Shiba-sama tells me to. I won’t be taking orders from anyone else," she said politely in a monotone voice.
"You are coming with us," I said to her and Ai whined. "Also, just use my first name. Hearing Shiba-sama just feels weird to me."
"As you wish Kazuki-sama," she said bowing down and I looked back at Ai who had her cheeks puffed.
"You are mine," she said latching onto my arm.
"I know that," I said and pat her head and we all head back to the worn-down building.
I and Ai quickly changed our clothes with our backs facing each other but not before I unzip her back. Soon, we were back in the clothes we arrived in and were now on our way to the VEO.
Akira kept walking behind me and Ai the entire time. She did not look like someone from here at all but her name is very Japanese. I wonder why that is so but I don’t think that is something I should ask or worry about now. The attack on the VEO is something that can affect me too.
I don’t care much about them because I am just like James. Like he is using me for his selfish purposes, I am the same. I still have no idea about a way to save Ai and I am not going to let anyone stop me from doing that.
No one.
"And that is how it is," Natsumi-san finished explaining everything to James and he sighed and rubbed his forehead. "This one is going to be a lot bigger than before."
"This one?" Ai asked raising her eyebrow.
"We have been attacked some times before too but that about only five to six nobles but to think that they brought together twelve nobles for this is really worrying," James said and let out another sigh. "And here I was hoping to go home and have some father-daughter time with my princess."
"You can have that after the father is safe and sound, now find that snitch," Natsumi-san said and James nodded. "And put the noble in our team. She will be under our supervision."
"I was already about to do that anyways but are you sure she can be trusted?" James asked narrowing his eyes.
Well, his doubts are not baseless honestly. The way that she is willingly helping us or me is just going too smoothly. It may be that she is either saying the truth or walking us into a trap but we can’t tell which it is at this point.
But…
"You can trust me on that," I said to James. "I will make sure she doesn’t do anything like that."
"You are making quite a bold statement, you do know that right?" James said and I knew what he meant.
"I know what I am doing so don’t worry but there is something I would like you to do for me," I said and handed him a folded piece of paper. He looked at the paper and read the contents and I saw him let out a little chuckle.
"You sure are a lot more interesting than I thought," he said and looked at me. "It will be done."
"Okay then, I will be taking my leave. Call me if you need anything else," I said and started walking out of the room. Ai hugged my hand tightly and Akira followed me obediently.
"Are you sure about this though?" James asked me right before I was about to take my step out.
"Honestly I am not," I said and turned around facing him with a little smile on my face. "But these are things I have to do nonetheless."
I head out of the room and hopped in the elevator. The entire time, Ai was holding my arm tightly and glaring at Akira. I mean, she is not going to steal me from her but I know that from Ai’s personality, her behaving like this is not really a surprise. I might act the same way if I and Ai changed positions and Akira was a boy. Now that I think about it, she does have a name that can be used for both boys and girls.
"Akira, what are you going to do now?" I asked her.
"I will be following Kazuki-sama from now on till death, that is my duty," she said.
"Whose death?" I said raising my eyebrow.
"Either one of our death and until then, I will be following you diligently," she said.
"You did go against Leo back then which really doesn’t reassure me when you say that."
"That is because I had already decided on changing my master. It was already decided that he was going to be killed by your hands so I made you my master," Akira said. "I can tell by looking in a person’s eyes and also seeing the air around him. It tells a lot about someone. For example, your wife has a very possessive and obsessive air around her. She is probably thinking of me as a love rival."
Well anyone could have deduced that from seeing how Ai was acting but oh well.
"I see," I said and then it hit me. "When where will you be living then?"
"At you pl-"
"Never!" Ai shouted holding my arm tightly and the elevator door opened at that exact moment meaning everyone in the reception heard her scream. They all looked at us weirdly and then looked away thinking the wrong things. "You are never going to live at our house!! I have been quiet for all this time but that doesn’t mean I accept you being around my Kazu-kun!"
"Young love," someone said there and I looked around not able to find who it was. I let out a sigh.
"Kazuki-sama, is something the matter?" Akira asked me and I rubbed my forehead.
"I just want to go home quickly," I muttered.
"As you wish," she said and as I opened my eyes I was standing before a familiar door. Wait a minute, what?!
"H-how did you…"
"You want to get home quickly so I quickly warped us there," she said. "It is not actually warping since I just swapped the air around us with the air around your home and we moved along with that. As you said, I can make a weapon with air but that is not exactly what my ability is. I can manipulate air as I want."
How did I possibly defeat someone with such a broken ability?
"But how did you know this was my home?" I asked her.
"I am very aware of the air of this prefecture so it is not hard for me to track you down," she said.
"Can we go inside already?!" Ai said annoyed and I looked at her as she had a frown on her face. "I want to be alone with Kazu-kun already!!"
Now, what do I do about Akira?
I thought about it a bit. Letting her live with us is not possible since there is only one bed in the house and she won’t be sleeping in that. Ai will definitely not allow that I am not letting her sleep on the floor or the couch. Even if she is a vampire, I can’t let a girl just sleep on the floor or the couch.
"Akira, if possible, can you like rent a place nearby?" I asked her and she thought about it and nodded her head. "Okay then, please do that and I will call you when I need you. Wait, do you have a phone?"
"Those things are really inefficient," she said shaking her head. "Just call out my name and I will be there."
"Okay then, goodnight, I guess," I said and unlocked the door, and entered the apartment.
The familiar sweet scent hit my nose and I closed my eyes and leaned back on the door but I was grabbed by my collar and pulled. I opened my eyes only to see a green and red orb right before me and my lips feeling a soft and cold sensation. I was being aggressively kissed and I did not fight back at all and let it happen.
Ai pushed me against the wall and kept kissing me and then stopped and dug her teeth in my neck. I wrapped my arms around her and saw her pearl white and slender neck. I don’t know what came over my but I leaned down and started biting the neck.
Ai’s body shuddered a little due to this but she kept soft sucking my blood as I kept biting her neck. My mind was slowly going blank and one thing overcame me. I wanted to my teeth to go even deeper down.
"K-Kazu-kun," Ai said as she stopped sucking my blood but I did not let go of her neck.
I held her hands and pushed and pinned her down on the floor with her hands over her head. I looked down at Ai and saw my blood dripping on her face slowly. My breathing was very heavy and I bit my tongue which brought me back to my senses.
I did not say anything at all but I felt Ai’s hand on my neck and my bleeding stopped. She had a soft smile on her face and she held my face and brought it down on her soft chest.
"I know what is going on with Kazu-kun," she said softly and my eyes widened. "You are acting like a vampire aren’t you?"
"What are you talking about?" I feigned ignorance in the hope that she thinks she misjudged something.
"I there is even the slightest change in your mood, I can easily tell that," she said and started stroking my hair. "That mark you gave me was also because of that, wasn’t it? That is why I said that I am your wife now."
My eyes widened at the realization of the fact.
"So you knew the first time it happened to me?" I said.
This is why Ai was so adamant about it. I was acting like a vampire back then even if I was a human and marked her in that form. Ai knew it and that is why she said that. She knew about this fact.
At least she doesn’t know everything.
"Your questions also said the same," she said and kept stroking my hair. "Even if Kazu-kun were to turn into a vampire, I will do everything for him. Even give him all my blood."
I wrapped my arms around Ai’s waist and hugged her tighter.
"I am sorry, for hiding this from you," I muttered.
"I am not angry," Ai said. "I can never be angry at you, you are just so precious and perfect that I can’t be angry at you even if I try."
"Your body feels nice to hug," I said and Ai giggled.
"I am very huggable you know," she said and started playing with my hair. "I am all for you to hug and kiss as much as you want. I love you Kazu-kun."
"I love you Ai."
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