In the end, Ciel brought Avrora home.
She was a homeless little girl with fragmented memories. More importantly, she possessed one of the Fourth Primogenitor's star Beast Vassals, as well as Primogenitor-level magical power rivaling a dragon vein—enough to turn all of Itogami Island into a field of ice.
Calling her a mobile natural disaster was no exaggeration.
Ciel was not comfortable letting such an uncontrollable bomb wander around outside.
She had only gone out to buy curry, yet she came back with a blond little girl. Who knew what Kanon would think...
All right, Ciel's worry was completely unnecessary. Kanon accepted Avrora very quickly, and the two even chatted happily.
Sincerity met sincerity, and they got along extremely well.
The person she truly needed to worry about was not Kanon at all, but Natsuki, who had returned home.
"My dear little sister, is there perhaps something you'd like to say to your big sister right now?"
The gaze Natsuki fixed on her very clearly said, "I'm angry."
"Oh... Oh! Natsuki-oneechan, you're back? Thank you for your hard work. Would you like some black tea?"
"Spare me the time-wasting pleasantries. Sit down here first, and let's have a little private sisterly chat. How does that sound?"
Natsuki's voice carried an unmistakable force that allowed no argument.
Even black tea can't distract Natsuki-oneechan? Tch. Looks like this is going to be rough...
Avrora had already been cowed by Natsuki's pressure and was about to cry... Fine, she was already crying.
It felt as though Natsuki needed only one sharp look to scare Avrora to death on the spot, putting her name on the list of "Most Embarrassing Primogenitors in History, Past or Future."
Kanon very considerately led Avrora out of the living room.
Natsuki's gaze remained on Avrora for a long while, until Kanon closed the door and only Natsuki and Ciel were left in the living room.
The atmosphere seemed to grow somewhat heavy.
Ciel could feel the meaningful weight of Natsuki's gaze.
"You see... every day, after finishing my main job at Saikai Academy, I still have to busy myself with my side job, deal with those idiots from the Gigafloat Management Corporation, and clean up the messes they make."
As though talking to herself, Natsuki began to complain. But Ciel knew perfectly well that every word was meant for her.
"Those MAR researchers are the same. They clearly lost something important, but they refused to cooperate with our investigation no matter what. Aside from urging us, making demands, and causing trouble for everyone else, they're good for nothing. Whenever we questioned them, they clammed up. One 'That is not something you need to know' or 'That has nothing to do with your investigation,' and they thought that was enough to dismiss us."
"They may be experts in their respective fields, but how is that the attitude of someone asking for help? Isn't that exactly like those idiotic bosses who learn that it takes one man and one woman ten months to produce a child, then decide to give you ten couples and demand that you hand them a child in one month? There's a limit to making things difficult for people."
"While your big sister was outside, searching for the stolen twelfth Kaleid Blood on one hand and dealing with those intellectually concerning idiots on the other, I was exhausted in both body and mind. Then, when I finally came home, I found that my little sister had not only failed to prepare a delicious, relaxing dinner, but had even brought back the twelfth Kaleid Blood that should have been stolen by the attackers."
"My dear little sister... may I hear your explanation? As your big sister, I will listen respectfully, so please speak freely."
Natsuki narrowed her eyes and shot Ciel a piercing look.
The fact that she was asking Ciel to explain, rather than directly taking Avrora away to hand her over, showed that Ciel still carried a great deal of weight in Natsuki's heart.
For Natsuki, who had always been sternly impartial, rule-abiding, and just in carrying out her duties, that was all the more rare.
"Natsuki-oneechan, when MAR was attacked, I was still teaching at school. I have an alibi."
"One clone technique would solve that. What kind of alibi is that?"
"Clone technique? What am I, some Mizukage ninja...?"
Though she could indeed produce hundreds or thousands of clones if she wanted. She had more than enough magical power, after all.
"Stop being glib. I didn't say you were the criminal who attacked MAR. If you had wanted to do that, you would have done it long ago. Why would you wait until now? Besides, with your abilities, the defensive measures and guards in MAR's research facility would be as fragile as paper. They'd be less effective than a traffic light. At least when you see a red light, you'll subconsciously stop for a moment."
Natsuki said all of that in an irritated tone, leaving Ciel unsure whether it counted as praise or criticism.
"So?"
"So I'm asking whether you ran into the real attackers on the way, fought them, and took No. 12 from them."
Natsuki glared at Ciel and spoke impatiently.
She no longer beat around the bush, speaking quickly and directly. It seemed Natsuki was no longer willing to waste time with Ciel.
"Ah... So that's what you thought, Natsuki-oneechan."
"Half an hour ago, the park also detected an abnormal surge of magical power. A section in the middle of the park lake froze over. This is Itogami Island. Even in winter, the temperature is around twenty degrees. Ice forming there was clearly artificial. It should have something to do with the stolen twelfth vessel, shouldn't it?"
"Actually..."
Ciel felt that it was about time she cleared up this misunderstanding.
She told Natsuki the truth, letting her understand that the Avrora in their home was not the one MAR had been researching all along, but the soul that had been sleeping inside Ciel's body the entire time.
Of course Natsuki remembered that matter. She had never forgotten it.
"But didn't you say that was the Fourth Primogenitor's soul?"
Natsuki frowned slightly.
Ciel had explained to her that among the twelve vessels, only No. 12, Avrora, was different. Inside it was not only Avrora's soul, but also the soul of the true Fourth Primogenitor.
The twelve vessels each sealed one of the Fourth Primogenitor's twelve Beast Vassals, but the twelfth vessel had sealed not only a Beast Vassal, but also the Fourth Primogenitor's soul.
"Even I thought it was the Fourth Primogenitor's soul, but I was wrong. She has no memories from before, and she can summon No. 12's Beast Vassal. She should be Avrora herself—the seal. As for the true Fourth Primogenitor... based on my guess, it's most likely still in Avrora's body and was stolen by the attackers."
Ciel leaned back against the sofa and sighed.
"I was the one who reshaped Avrora's physical body."
"Oh? You can do that too? Alchemy? No, wait, that isn't the part I should be surprised about... You, who always shout about exterminating vampires into dregs whenever you see one, actually reshaped a body for a vampire? How rare. You weren't possessed by someone, were you?"
Natsuki came to Ciel's side and pinched her cheek.
Does she think I'm someone else wearing a mask and pretending to be Ciel?
Honestly, how stupid is that? This world's technology and magical engineering are both highly advanced. Who would still use such an outdated disguise method?
"Even I think what I did was ridiculous. Damn it, I don't know which wire got crossed in my brain for me to actually help a vampire..."
Ciel wore a troubled expression.
And while she was troubled, she also had to endure Natsuki's teasing gaze, which made her feel even worse.
The conversation ended very quickly.
From the moment Natsuki learned that Avrora was not the one stolen from MAR, she had no need to keep pressing Ciel. Her little sister had neither committed a crime nor clashed with the attackers.
If anything, the only issue was that the magical power that froze the lake had erupted in the park, wasting the Island Guard's time and hers. She could originally have come home a little earlier.
They still had not eaten dinner. Ciel had originally planned to finish dinner before Kanon was done bathing, but a pile of unexpected events had delayed her until now. She could not let Kanon wait too long; she was still growing.
"Wait. Why is it curry again? Other than that blasted curry, do you have no other options?"
Natsuki should have noticed the curry Ciel had gone out and bought long ago, but Avrora's appearance had drawn away most of her attention.
However, thinking about it carefully, she probably had no need to be so surprised... It was not as if this was her first time learning how much Ciel loved curry.
As long as Natsuki was not watching, Ciel would gladly eat curry for every single meal.
Curry rice, curry noodles, curry bread, curry pizza, curry soup, cream curry, curry pancakes...
Although Ciel had also said, "Curry is not necessarily better the spicier it is," one could often see her ordering curry ten times spicier than normal at a curry shop.
If curry were used as bait, Ciel would probably be the "big fish" that stupidly bit the hook.
"Natsuki-oneechan, what do you mean, blasted curry? Curry is a proper and noble food, the pinnacle of culinary culture created by humanity on Earth. Are you saying the curry I make doesn't taste good?"
When it came to curry, Ciel would not yield even before the fully imposing Natsuki-oneechan.
"If I had to choose between good and bad, then of course it's good. But no matter how good it is, you can't eat it every day, every meal! Kanon is still growing. Can't you think a little more about nutrition?"
"It has meat and vegetables, so the nutrition is very balanced. Besides, when I said we'd have curry tonight, Kanon-chan agreed quite happily."
"Kanon is accommodating you. Can't you tell? Also, do you perhaps think that as long as there's meat and vegetables, it counts as balanced nutrition?"
This was a clash of principles.
Similar scenes had happened plenty of times before.
Kanon was already used to it, but this was Avrora's first time seeing it, and she was so frightened she looked ready to cry.
"Is... is this my fault? Has my identity caused them to turn against each other?"
"That isn't it, Avrora. Ciel-oneesama and Natsuki-oneechan haven't turned against each other. They're like this because they're close."
Kanon comforted Avrora with an extremely approachable smile.
However, Avrora looked utterly confused, even tilting her head.
Why would people who were close argue?
Was that not a contradiction?
The innocent Avrora was like a window, exposing every thought in her heart, even if she herself did not want to reveal them, and even if the person looking at her was not deliberately trying to read her mind.
The argument between Ciel and Natsuki finally reached a conclusion.
Tonight's dinner was decided to be curry, complete in color, aroma, and flavor! In the end, Natsuki lost to Ciel's passion for curry.
From one perspective, the vampires of the TYPE-MOON world who had originally been human had actually regressed. After becoming vampires, they developed more flaws than humans, and their cells continually broke down. They had to drink blood and obtain normal parts from humans or animals to compensate for their own defects and replace their necrotic cells, thereby achieving a false immortality. Otherwise, they would become corpses.
Unlike the vampires of the TYPE-MOON world, the vampires of this world could take in ordinary food normally, just like humans. For them, the act of drinking blood was mostly an impulse caused by sexual desire.
Avrora's presence meant that Ciel needed to make one extra portion for dinner.
That in itself was a small matter. There were enough ingredients, and Ciel had bought back plenty of the curry roux that Natsuki had quietly thrown away.
Only...
Ciel pouted as if sulking.
"Why do I have to make food for a vampire...?"
"What nonsense are you spouting at this point? Aren't you the one who brought Avrora home?"
"Because I couldn't possibly leave such a dangerous person outside. Even if a tiger in the jungle has no intent to kill and only wants to play, it would still tear weak creatures apart and kill them, wouldn't it?"
"That's true, yes. But why did you reshape her physical body? Wouldn't keeping Avrora imprisoned inside your body forever solve the problem perfectly? It can't be that you couldn't stand having a vampire Primogenitor inside you, can it? Two years have already passed, and I haven't really heard you complain about it."
"Ugh... Well..."
Natsuki was right.
Ciel could have kept Avrora's soul imprisoned inside her body forever. She could even seal all of Avrora's senses, leaving her unable to speak or observe the outside world... In fact, if that soul had been the Root rather than Avrora, Ciel would have done exactly that.
But when it was Avrora, Ciel had taken completely different measures.
Why was that?
If she had to say...
Being unable to see anything, hear anything, touch anything, with not even darkness around her—only a void...
"If I did that... it just felt like she'd be a little too pitiful..."
Ciel's mouth moved on its own, and she said those words very quietly.
---
T/N: TSUNNNNNNNNNN
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