Southern District of Itogami Island, apartment.
By the time the streets outside had grown noisy—signs of some event or parade in full swing—Kaiser had returned home with Yukina Himeragi in tow.
"Come in. No one else is here besides us right now."
Opening the door and stepping inside, Kaiser casually said something that, taken out of context, could be rather misleading as he kicked off his shoes.
"Excuse me."
Yukina, thankfully, didn't think anything strange of it. She gave a polite, almost timid greeting before following him into the living room.
"That's my room over there. This one here is where Kanon Kanase is staying. The First Princess of Aldegyr used to stay in this room, but she probably won't be coming back, so you can share with Kanon."
Kaiser gave a quick rundown of the place. Yukina nodded seriously while asking,
"Will that be okay? Will Kanon Kanase agree to share a room with me?"
Yukina might be a little lacking in everyday common sense, but she wasn't so dense as to miss basic social etiquette. She knew that sharing a room with someone you'd just met was something most people would hesitate to agree to—same gender or not.
As for herself, she didn't mind. She'd already mentally prepared for this, and with her mission in mind, being close to Kanon Kanase was ideal. But whether Kanon would be okay with it… that was another matter entirely.
"No need to worry—Kanon's easy to get along with," Kaiser said with a smile. "She's actually a little afraid of being alone. If she finds out she's made a new friend, and the two of you are close enough to sleep in the same bed, she won't reject you—she'll be thrilled."
This was the girl who could fall asleep in his bed without a care—sleeping next to Yukina would be nothing. Knowing her, she'd probably be happy to agree.
"I understand." Yukina nodded solemnly, then pointed toward another door. "Senpai, who stays in that room?"
Kaiser didn't answer. Instead, he walked over and opened the door.
"Whoa!"
The moment Yukina saw inside, her eyes lit up, and for the first time she let out a girlish squeal of delight befitting her age.
"Mrrrow~~"
"Mrrrow~~"
Inside, over a dozen tiny kittens bounded toward the door, mewing like chicks greeting their mother's return.
"Cats! Cats, senpai! So many cats!"
Her excitement was like she'd become a different person. She grabbed Kaiser's shoulders and shook him, her eyes sparkling brighter than he'd ever seen as the kittens swarmed toward them.
"Mrrrow~~"
"Mrrrow~~"
The little cats gathered at Yukina's feet, instantly melting her usual composed expression.
"Ahh, so cute… good babies…"
She crouched down without a second thought, setting aside her guitar case—complete with the Schneewalzer anti-demon assault rifle—and scooped one up, rubbing her cheek against it with a smile of pure happiness.
Kaiser just chuckled knowingly. He'd long been aware of her love for cats.
Back in High God Forest, she'd collected cat-themed merchandise, filled her dorm with plushies, and even stuck cat stickers or sketches on her notebooks. If she had a phone or watched TV, he had no doubt she'd spend hours watching cat videos.
Unfortunately, cats weren't allowed in the Lion King Agency's dorms. The only one she ever saw was the black cat familiar belonging to her master, Yukari Endō—and petting that was out of the question.
So with over a dozen mewing kittens suddenly in front of her, there was no way she wouldn't be overjoyed.
"I've turned this room into a cat room," Kaiser said, smiling at the girl crouched in the middle of her dream come true. "So I can't give it to you—sorry."
"Cat room…" Yukina looked up with wide, pleading eyes. "Are you sure I can't stay here?"
She clearly already wanted to move in with the cats.
"It's full of litter boxes and cat food. Aside from the toys Kanon and Nagisa bought, there's nothing else in here. How could anyone live here?" Kaiser said with a laugh.
"I don't mind! I don't need a bed, just give me a cardboard box."
"Denied." Kaiser rolled his eyes. "If Sayaka heard I made you sleep in a cardboard box at my place, she'd shoot me with her Koukarin."
"The cats are here every day—you can play with them anytime you're home. They're well-behaved. But you're staying with Kanon. No sneaking in to sleep here."
It was an order, and Yukina puffed her cheeks in frustration.
"…Fine."
Her disappointment lasted all of two seconds before she was back to smiling at the kittens surrounding her.
Just then, the apartment door opened.
"Kai-kun, you home?!"
Without warning, Nagisa Akatsuki—who had a spare key—stepped inside and peeked in from the hallway, spotting Kaiser and Yukina.
"Fourth Progenitor!"
Yukina's reaction was immediate and extreme—she snatched up her guitar case and reached for the zipper.
"Calm down!" Kaiser grabbed her shoulder before she could draw the Schneewalzer.
"Eh? Huh? What?!" Nagisa froze at Yukina's outburst, her face draining of color. "Fourth Progenitor? The Fourth Progenitor? The one from the urban legend? Is there really a vampire progenitor here?!"
Given her fear of demons, the words hit her like a lightning bolt—her hands trembled.
"You calm down too," Kaiser said, holding her hand to steady her. "What kind of big shot vampire would be in an apartment like this?"
"Y-yeah… you're right." Nagisa exhaled, still shaken. "You scared me half to death—thought the urban legend had come knocking."
"…I'm sorry, that was my fault," Yukina said quietly, bowing. "I'd just heard some urban legends about Itogami, and overreacted."
"Ohh, that's all?" Nagisa's smile returned. "That's normal—this is a Demon District. Legends about the Fourth Progenitor, the Prison Barrier, all that… if you want, I can tell you some later."
Then she blinked. "Wait, who are you? Kai-kun's friend? I've never seen you before. Are you from the mainland? Here for the Saikai Academy Festival?"
Her eyes sparkled suddenly.
"Wow, you're gorgeous—just as pretty as Kanon, like a real princess. What's your name? Fourteen, right? Did you come here alone?"
"Kai-kun, you never told me you had such a beautiful friend coming! Are you two dating?"
She rattled off questions like rapid fire, leaving Yukina momentarily stunned.
"My name's Yukina Himeragi. I'm fourteen—fifteen in two months. I came to Itogami alone," she quickly cut in before Nagisa could continue. "And no, Kaiser-senpai and I aren't like that—we went to the same school before. I'm here because I transferred, and he's letting me stay so I won't be left without a place to live."
It was the cover story Kaiser had given her before arriving—just tweak their shared past and it would pass.
"Yukina-chan, huh?" Nagisa beamed, grabbing her hand. "Even your surname sounds like royalty! You're transferring here? To Saikai Academy? If you're fourteen, we'll be in the same grade—maybe even the same class!"
She squeezed Yukina's hands. "Please, come to Year 3 Class C!"
Clearly, Nagisa had taken to her instantly.
"Senpai…" Yukina gave Kaiser a look of silent plea.
"Well, she doesn't mean any harm. Probably just likes your looks," Kaiser said with a helpless shrug. "Think of her as a less intense Sayaka and humor her."
Compared to Sayaka Kirasaka—who might literally kidnap Yukina to cuddle all night—Nagisa's chatterbox enthusiasm was nothing.
"…Traitor," Yukina's eyes seemed to say.
"Come on, Yukina—let's go to my place!" Nagisa said, tugging her toward the door. "I'll introduce you to my friends—and Kojou too. Kai-kun, you come as well! I've made dinner for everyone."
"Ah! Wait—the cats!"
Yukina looked back at them wistfully as Nagisa dragged her away.
Kaiser chuckled. "Alright, you guys, go back for now. I'll check in later."
"Mrrrow~~"
The kittens—already transformed into familiars and his divine servants—obediently padded back inside. A few leapt out the window to patrol the neighborhood.
Then Kaiser followed the girls to the Akatsuki home.
…
Like Kaiser's, it was a three-bedroom apartment with a kitchen and dining area—a bit cramped for a family, spacious for one person. Having lived there four years, the place was well-stocked and homier than Kaiser's, though more cluttered.
When they arrived, Kojou Akatsuki was chatting with a girl in the living room.
"Yukina! Kojou! I brought Kai-kun and his friend!" Nagisa announced brightly.
The two turned to look.
"…Why'd you bring him?" Kojou's face soured the moment he saw Kaiser.
"Are these Nagisa's friends?" the girl asked with a lively smile.
She was strikingly beautiful, with a graceful air. Her hair was cut in a short, slightly curled bob, and she wore a sporty hooded tunic with shorts, showing off long, slender legs and toned calves above basketball shoes—a perfect mix of lively and pretty.
"Let me introduce you," Nagisa said, taking over. "This is Yuuma Tokoyogi—Kojou and I grew up with her. She was our neighbor until we moved to Itogami four years ago. She's our childhood friend!"
"Nice to meet you, Nagisa's friends," Yuuma said in a clear, mid-range voice that was both pleasant and distinctive. "You must be Kai-kun—Nagisa's mentioned you. Thanks for looking after her."
"Just happened to be living together—not that she mentioned me much," Kojou cut in, frowning.
But even as he grumbled, his gaze slid to Yukina.
"…And who's she?" he asked, curiosity and a hint of interest in his tone.