Interlude8
Part1
---In the skies of [Underwood], 3000 meters up.
Sparks flew with the violent clash of metals while a pair of wings continued to weave a quick pattern in the air.
The battle between Leticia and the Gryphon was still playing out in the air. The Gryphon being the Lord of the Skies but the enemy was one that possessed Divinity. Possessing more than just the upper hand in agility, Leticia also possessed the Gift to create countless of weapons that could be fired repeatedly from the Dragon’s shadow. Izayoi had been knocking away the spears with his trident all these while but he could see that it would be an uphill task to land on the Citadel judging by the current situation.
Gry temporarily descended and pulled away but did not take his eyes off Leticia as he stared at the figure with growing frustration at the current predicament.
“Damn it! What the hell is that guy?! There’s completely no flaw in the defence for me to make a landing!”
“Yeah. Although that thing doesn’t chase us when we draw away from the Citadel and maintain our distance, it actually makes the situation trickier. The specialised guard is much tougher than I thought.”
They had tried nearing and backing away, soaring from left to right to try bait the guard away but it would seem that the shadow of Leticia wasn’t one to jump for the bait. Izayoi had actually planned to just leap into the Citadel and get things settled in the straightforward fashion, but he had decided to leave off that thought after considering the high risks.
“I’m really at my wits end. Is this what they call exhausting all options?”
“Oi! This isn’t the time to be joking man, you stupid lad!”
Gry chided in reply while Izayoi shrugged his shoulders at that. But it was true that the battle this time was one that really gave him much headaches.
In addition to it being this first aerial battle riding on another’s back, he was also wielding a weapon that he was unaccustomed to. Hence his predicament was still within the confines of being understandable.
In his world, though he had experience with using a gun out of mercy, swords or even weapons of the pole-arm varieties were totally new to him. And for Izayoi who had always welcomed the challenge which he went to fight with just his fists alone, the aerial battle of today would really be a bad disadvantage for him since the very beginning.
“……As long as we can successfully land on the Citadel, we can solve the problem but for now, we can only continue to spar with her. So I’ll apologize in advance for I’ll need to trouble you to make preparations for a long drawn out battle.”
Izayoi raised his trident and swept it back in a swing while Gry gave a grunt in response.
They were both reviewing their next strategy when a brilliant light from below halted their train of thoughts.
The light was so intense that it illuminated the far end of the skies for miles around.
Gry’s face immediately became ashen.
“That’s ……[The Ray of Balor]……?”
“……Are you sure about that?”
“Mhm…Yeah. That’s the same ray that I’ve witnessed ten years ago. Could it be that the enemy has used [The Death Eye of Balor] already…?”
Gry was so shaken by shock that he did not even bother to hide it. For he who had witnessed the events of that day would surely understand the full meaning behind the fear of [The Ray of Balor] that brought death to all that it touched.
All trace of amusement had also been wiped off Izayoi’s face as he loosen his hold on the reins while declaring:
“……Looks like we will be leaving it here.”
“What do you suggest? Are we going to support the rest on the ground?”
“No, you are free to go there alone for I will just try my luck at jumping to the Citadel.”
Izayoi stood up on the saddle and started to judge the distance between him and the Ancient Vampire Citadel.
And that caused Gry to be alarmed.
“No, Wait! Didn’t you say that the risk was too great and decided to abandon that idea earlier?”
“Yep. It’s much easier to target a person jumping in mid-air and there’s no certainty that no other defensive measures have been placed around the Ancient Citadel ……but since there’s no other method currently, I just have to give up the thought of landing with my body unhurt.”
“That’s why I said to give it some time right---?”
“It’s precisely because we do not have that luxury anymore that I made this decision. Since the enemy have already used [The Death Eye of Balor], it would mean that they plan to finish things up in the cease-fire period. And that would just mean more danger for Kasukabe and the others who are in the Citadel.”
Gry couldn’t help but to draw a sharp intake of breath upon hearing that for the possibility was indeed quite high.
“That’s why I’ve decided to sneak into the Citadel of the enemy to meet up with Kasukabe and the others and confirm their safety. And after telling them the conditions to clear the game, I will take a somersault back to land as that will be for the best arrangement.”
“But if you are injured, wouldn’t all our efforts just now go to waste?!”
“Nope, it’s fine. As long as I have my limbs attached, it won’t be a problem. With a good sleep and sufficient nourishment, I will be as good as new.”
Izayoi laughed loudly as he lowered his stance in preparation for a jump.
“……as for those guys down there, I’ll be leaving them to you. Though Ochibi-sama might say ‘Leave it to me’, but he’s still a small lad who hasn’t matured fully. So before I get back, please help me to look after them.” Added Izayoi in a serious tone as his muscles had already wound up for the leap.
“…Uu…”
Hearing those words, Gry finally understood that Izayoi already had it in his mind all along.
This guy had intended right from the start ……to solve everything on his own.
Rescuing the comrades who have been imprisoned above, solving the difficult mystery of the Game’s riddle, defeating the main culprits of the enemy and last but not least, to defeat the Demon Lord.
To accomplish all these alone. If it were words that came from another’s mouth, it might have been taken as a joke that would invite mockery……but for this guy, it might just be possible.
And precisely due to the ray of hope that could be seen from this guy---Gry steeled his resolve.
“……I won’t agree to that request.”
“What? Why?”
“Didn’t that lad tell you to leave it to him? And if you had agreed to leave it to him only to send him support later, that can be seen as a kind of betrayal to the resolve of your comrade.”
“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant---”
“The same goes for me. I’ve already told you that I’d become your legs and wings in this battle didn’t I? So, if we start talking about throwing everything into the gamble---then let’s start it with mine!”
A fearsome cry marked the end of Gry’s words as he proudly lifted his eagle head and shuddered as he summoned whirlwinds from the atmosphere while lunging towards the direction of the Citadel.
Izayoi who stood on the saddle had frantically grabbed the reins and tightened his grip on the trident as he shouted against the winds:
“Oi…..What are you……!”
“Here it comes, Izayoi! Get ready!”
The strong limbs of the gryphon bounded across the air as it sped on with all its might.
Leticia’s shadow was expressionless as usual as it took its place to welcome them with its strikingly golden hair and jacket dancing in the wind.
The [Dragon’s Remnant Shadow] seemed to pelt its relentless attacks like an intense rain as they shot towards Gryphon from all directions. This time, the number and intensity of the attacks were much different from the previous ones. In this sort of situation, even Izayoi was starting to doubt his ability to block all the attacks that would mean the difference between life and death for them both. And it was in that kind of situation that the Gryphon continued to press on towards the Citadel with only the goal in mind.
“WUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHH!” [magref notes67]
It was now just a hundred meters away from the Citadel. And in terms of a Gryphon’s speed, that would be translated into a distance that would be covered within a blink of an eye. Even so, each and every attack and block with the Trident seemed to feel much longer and Izayoi did not have time to talk as he solely focused on his task---Smacking away the attacks that seemed to grow into a torrent of black long and sharp raindrops.
The barrage of fierce attacks continued to fire from the front but Gry did not pause in his steps.
The both of them galloped to the point where they could almost touch the drop off cliff face that marked the edge of the Citadel--- Suddenly, Gry’s wings were bitten off by the shadow.
“Gaargh…..!”
“GRY!”
The dark shadow spears had morphed into sharp fangs bit and chewed at Gry’s wings.
Instantly, a spray of blood dyed his lion back a bright shade of red and a sharp burning pain seemed to pierce to the roots of the wings. Although suffering such a shameful wound---the loss of the Eagle wings that symbolised the Gryphon’s pride, Gry continued to press on in the air.
Gripping the wind with his front talons, he propelled Izayoi and himself forward with a kick of his hind legs.
Falling into a tumble, they crash landed into the Outer wall of the Citadel where Izayoi immediately got up to carry Gry on his back while smashing through the tightly closed door with his foot to take cover inside the walls.
“You idiot……Didn’t I say it from the start? What’s most important is to have our body intact!”
“…Don’t… Don’t mind it… The hope that are carried by my…my wings are incomparable to that of your hands and legs. I think it should be clear who here is more likely to be able to save [Underwood].”
For [Underwood], just a pair of wings would be a good sacrifice---Gry who had beads of cold sweat beading his body continued to smile as he said those words.
Izayoi clicked his tongue in irritation as he took off his school jacket to tourniquet Gry’s wing. Having been torn at its sleeves and now torn up some more to create a makeshift bandage, it would seem that there won’t be a possibility of him wearing it ever again.
“Oh darn. That’s the only set of clothing that I have you know? How are you going to pay for that eh?” Izayoi continued to click his tongue in displeasure.
“Well, that’s really unfortunate……”
Gry breathed heavily as he forced a wry smile.
Izayoi who had finished with the bandaging looked from a crevice in the ruins to scout the situation outside and managed to catch sight of Leticia’s shadow framed in the skies.
“……she’s searching for us.”
“Is that so?......Well, I will hide while you search out Yō and the others---”
“No. There’s a change of plans…… It’s all the fault of some idiot that gave me a reason to defeat her.”
“What?” Gry asked in disbelief.
Izayoi ignored the question as he left the ruins with eyes filled with rage.
With a leap, Izayoi stood on the Outer wall of the Citadel and looked down upon the Citadel.
(……is this what they term as [Glories of ancient battles becoming just another pipedream]? [magref notes68]But talking about a Citadel of the skies, shouldn’t it be a wondrous piece of ancient architecture? What’s with this bleak look that doesn’t seem to be worth a penny to look at?)
Izayoi gave a dissatisfied sniff. Though he might rarely meet out such harsh judgement with his opinions, it was something that couldn’t be helped for he was thoroughly not in the mood then and had never felt worst in his life.
In the lifespan of his seventeen years, Izayoi was sure that there wasn’t anyone in his memory whom he had owed his life to and he sure didn’t owe it to Canaria either.
Never did he expect to be indebted to someone so quickly after arriving in Little Garden and one that was this big too. In a sense, it sure felt like a waste.
And so Izayoi raised the Trident, battered and badly weathered down by the many blocks that he managed to knock away with ---
“I swear that I will collect the debt with interest….. YOU FAKE COPY OF LETICIA---!”
The challenge was declared with the throw that travelled faster than the Third cosmic velocity towards the Leticia Shadow.
And the shadow that suddenly detected the imminent attack spun at the last minute and narrowly missed becoming a pinned specimen on the Trident.
However, chunks of the Outer Wall were sent closely after the first attack by Izayoi’s kicks.
And these were chunks that were much tougher than dealing with bullets for each and every brick like rubble were closing in at that high speed and individually packing a devastating blow with every impact. To which Leticia quickly expanded the cloak around her to form a shadow screen which she hid behind after making the judgement that such an attack was unavoidable. The sound of the explosions as they hit their mark echoed loudly but Leticia herself seemed to be unhurt.
That did not mean anything to Izayoi who was glad to have stolen her sight albeit momentarily. Clenching his right fist, he lunged towards Leticia.
Leticia continued to use the Shadow cloak to protect herself while materialising hundreds of shadow spears around it, some of which pointed towards Izayoi’s direction. It was clear that she believed herself to be safe as long as she attacked all that was around her.
Even so, Izayoi leap straight for the porcupine-looking defence that would have been a flawless attack if launched at the same time.
There was no fear in his eyes for the word ‘retreat’ had never been in his mind from the start. Not caring about the black spears that came flying towards him like a heavy downpour, Izayoi continued to press on in that selfless style, which was unlike his usual self as blood flowed from his cuts, to land a strike that shattered the shadow cloak.
Gry who happened to see it from the crevice was so surprised that he gave a low growl:
“That……How can it be……?!”
Witnessing Izayoi’s chain of attacks, Gry finally understood that the words declared by the boy weren’t just a stubborn steak that didn’t want to admit defeat. The words that came from his mouth ‘As long as we can successfully land on the Citadel, we can solve the problem’ was what he had just shown. For Leticia had already been successfully suppressed by him.
Grabbing Leticia by the front of her clothes to draw her out of the protection of the broken shadow cloak, Izayoi flung her into the nearest sector of the Outer Walls. The battered Leticia twitched a little after slamming into the structures before all motion ceased from her.
Izayoi caught up and straddled the figure to pin it down while staring it at with such a ferocious gleam in his eyes that Leticia couldn’t help but widen her eyes while being stumped for words---
“Caught ya……! Times up, bye now Leticia’s fake!”
Followed by a barrage of fists.
Seeming like a person out for revenge against the previous attacks he suffered, Izayoi swung his fist down repeatedly, not even allowing the tips of her hair to escape his punches. The intense concentration followed with his focused punches would have made one worry about the stability of the Citadel in fear of it collapsing under the stress he gave to it.
Displaying the vengeful spirit of returning a received punch a hundred fold to the person, he smashed the body of Leticia with a violent and cruel flurry of attacks that would have likened him to the demonic spirit Rakshasa.
---And just a minute past the start of the battle, the shadow that had the appearance of Leticia was no more to be seen.
Standing up in the huge crater that he had created, Izayoi patted the dust off his clothes---
“……Although it might have possessed Divinity, it will only be at that sort of level if it isn’t the main body.”
“---!”
Gry was so shocked that he couldn’t close his beak. If it weren’t for his back that was throbbing with pain, he would have been utterly stupefied by the sight.
And when Izayoi returned to the ruins, Gry asked awkwardly:
“……Could I have done something unnecessary?”
“Hm?”
“No, to tell the truth …I just saw what you did out there and I sure didn’t expect for you to be able to pin down the opponent that easily……”
(Oh, you were referring about that…) Izayoi frowned a little as he placed a hand on his hip.
“Nope. The words that I’ve said are not lies. If I were to try land on my own, it would have been a high chance for me to be knocked away to somewhere below. In fact, it might also be likely for me to lose my limbs in the process. So… Um well…how should I say it…Yeah to be honest, you were a great help. Thank you Gry.”
Izayoi rubbed at the speck of dried blood on his forehead as he thanked Gry politely.
“This is a debt that I swear to repay you. But here, let’s put more pressure on that and stop the bleeding for you shall we, before we go off to find Kasukabe and the others.”
“I got it……Ouch---”
*Lan~tern ♪* came the sound from the entrance of the ruins to which Izayoi and Gry turned to look in surprise.
What stood there in mid-air was a puppet holding a lantern hiding behind a pillar peeking at them.
Part2
---Ancient Vampire Citadel, Throne room of the Eliptical paths.
“---Ah….Ugh….AAaahh……!”
With a violent jerk of the body, Leticia regained her consciousness. Hot steamy sweat covered her body and her skin looked hot and flushed as a heavy sense of weariness took root in her body.
Shaking her golden hair that shone brightly with its own light, Leticia regarded her surroundings through her hazy consciousness.
“Haah… Haah…Where am I?”
The room that had no windows to illuminate it was steeped in shadows and there was only the smell unique to structures constructed out of stone masonry that stimulated her nasal cavities.
And it would seem that this was a place that she knew quite well for the smell in the room was very nostalgic.
Turning her head to give the room a sweep with her eyes, Leticia only realised where she was after making out the sparking crystals above her head.
“Elip…Elliptical Throne Room? How did I end up……”
“Ah, Leticia. You’ve awaken?”
Leticia hurriedly looked around her surroundings once more before making out the figures of Yō, Jack and Garol-dono standing beside her.
“Yō… Jack……! Eh?...... Even Garol’s here---”
“Oh, Leticia, it sure reminds me of the old times when I see you. It’s been twenty years since the last time we met right?”
Garol flashed a wide smile that showed his healthy looking set of pearly white teeth. Though on her first look Leticia might not have understood the reason of Garol’s presence in this place, a look at the chains holding her down to the throne seemed to have surmised everything she needed to know about the situation she was in.
“I see……I’ve become a Demon Lord once more, didn’t I…”
Leticia muttered with a melancholic look on her face as she could now relate to the reason for the feeling of having been battered up and the soreness she now felt on her body.
(That sort of battering……it would mean that someone have already defeated my shadow?)
But who could that be---Although the question had just formed in her mind, Leticia immediately arrived at the answer. Or to be precise, who could it be other than that person? Having reached that conclusion, Leticia couldn’t resist a slight smile even though she was in that sort of predicament.
“Come to think of it, it sure was shocking at that time when Canaria-san had said something like ‘I’ve defeated [Demon Lord Draculea]!’. I actually thought that she had you under her contract already……”
Garol’s words were hesitant before trailing away, leaving his sentence hanging and unfinished. Leticia had also bent her head as her expression grew dark.
The reason for Garol’s in-depth knowledge about the happenings concerning the Vampires was all thanks to Canaria’s explanation after having saved Leticia from the Citadel.
Leticia shifted on the throne as she gazed up at the ceiling---
“Due to various matters at that time, Canaria chose to let me escape this Game though the meeting of the conditions that would cause the Game to enter a [unlimited hold for the game] instead of clearing it.
“Oh so that’s how it is… Then, what about Canaria-san’s whereabouts? Did she also disappear without a trace three years ago?”
“Ah……Mhm Yeah. But you should know that sort of person must be enjoying herself somewhere no matter where she goes right?”
“Well, I guess that’s quite true as well.” Garol gave a hearty laugh at that.
Seeing his cheerful face, Leticia’s expression was more melancholic than before.
“Oh……right, Garol, what are you doing here?”
“Of course it’s to solve this Game of yours that I’ve come to this place right, Yō-ojou chan?”
Hearing Garol call her name, Yō who was feeling and looking around the throne looked up at them.
“Nn. But we’ve only managed to solve the third clearing condition.”
Yō went back to inspecting the throne after saying that. The floorings had already been inspected and what’s left was to carefully inspect the walls of the stone room. It wasn’t long after that the sound of something sinking into a depression was heard.
“Found it! Jack! Which direction did it come from?”
“Hm, I think that should be from the direction of Virgo.”
“Thanks you, please bring the fragment for Virgo over here and as long as we use this point as the reference for the other twelve sectors……”
*Kazhak* came the sound as the piece slid into place into the depression. Leticia who didn’t know of such a mechanism in her own Castle had also widened her eyes in surprise.
“Yō……isn’t that the item that we place inside the shrines? What are you doing with……?”
“Hm? Leticia doesn’t know about the contents of the Game?” Yō gazed back at Leticia in surprise.
Leticia’s heart almost leapt out of her mouth but with things the way it is…she grudgingly concede at the point that there wasn’t a point to keep it a secret anymore.
“Actually about this game……it’s something that I’ve asked others to construct for me and the contents of the game are totally different from the original game that had the [Authority of Host Master].”
“Is that so? Then the mechanisms in this room really isn’t related to the Game after all.” Yō said while pushing in another piece of zodiac fragment before pausing to look back at Leticia. [magref notes73]
“Leticia, This Floating Citadel is originally a satellite---No. Hm… is a Castle that continuously revolves around the World right?”
The abruptness of the question caught Leticia off guard and her heart skipped a beat in surprise.
“Nn, yes. That’s because my race did not want to create trouble for the Phylogenetic Tree of the world and decided to observe from afar. For acts of Vampirism were also a cause for mutation in the other races.”
“Is that so? Then it would be an observatory satellite……Hm and that’s the thing that I can’t figure out.”
*Kazhak* The sound of the third fragment clicking into place echoed in the room.
“What I’m slotting into place currently should be the objects that allow the Vampire Citadel to fly in its actual orbit, which is also the answer obtained through the solving of the second clearing condition……the fragments of the [Celestial globe].”
At the same time that Leticia drew her breath sharply in surprise, the sound of the fourth fragment clicking into place echoed in the room.
---Let’s have a look at the third clearing condition of [SUN SYNCHRONOUS ORBIT in VAMPIRE KING].
Firstly taking the words of [SUN SYNCHRONOUS ORBIT in VAMPIRE KING] to apply to the idea of being in synch with the Sun’s orbit, we can follow up that thought with linking up ‘The circle of animals’ to the ‘Zodiacs’.
And from there, we can continue to grasp the meaning of ‘The broken constellations’, and the division of the Heavenly bodies by the [Twelve Zodiacs].
But if the line of thoughts were to end just there, one would end up with a strange phrase of ‘Presenting the Twelve Zodiacs’ which made little sense if we looked at it logically.
Since the clearing condition was to ‘Present the (broken fragments of the constellations)’, then the phrase of ‘broken fragments of the constellations’ should be a subtle way of hinting that it is a tangible object that can be presented to the throne.[magref notes70]
As Yō inserted the tenth fragment, she beamed with pride as she puffed her petite chest.
“I then applied the same riddle solving method of [The PIED PIPER of HAMELIN] for this game. Just like the ‘false legend’ and ‘true legend’, something that can be ‘shattered’ and ‘raised up’. And when talking about the object of ‘the broken fragments of the constellations’ that can be ‘broken, presented’ and relating to the constellations---one can only arrive at the answer that it’s this Celestial globe.”
“Oh…my goodness, is that true…?!” Leticia gave her heart-felt exclamation upon hearing that. For she did not expect that Yō who had been distressed before the start of the Game to be able to solve the Gift Game hosted by her.
“That’s really impressive……! You really make me see you in a new light, Yō! No, my master!”
“That…that way of addressing me doesn’t feel right with me, so please do not call me that……and the reason for me being able to solve this riddle is all thanks to Garol-san, Jack and the others who have chipped in their help. And most importantly, I had followed Izayoi’s lead having seen him in the process of solving of the riddle in [The PIED PIPER of HAMELIN].”
“That’s not something you should be modest about! Learning from your comrade’s achievements to pave the way to yours, that’s the most ideal way for the Community to progress!” Leticia was in a rare fervour as she showered praises on Yō.
Yō who always had a lonely shadow about her to be able cooperate with others to solve a Game and acknowledge having learnt from her comrade’s previous success...
As the oldest member of the Community, there was nothing that could be more heart-warming that.
(I’d only thought of them as just some problem children all these while…… but it seems that they are still growing and developing in their own ways……)
And as Leticia continued to stare at Yō, she leaned back on her throne seeming to have shed her burden from her shoulders as she felt comforted at the thought that the impression which she had on the first meeting with them wasn’t wrong after all. For as long as these three were around, she could safely leave the Community to them. Leticia tilted her head up as she let out a long breath.
Seeming to be embarrassed by the praises, Yō scratched her head before reaching out with the twelfth fragment.
“And this is the last piece.”
“Yahoho! With that, the game will be cleared!”
Yō nodded her head as she slotted the fragment into the mechanism in the wall. With a sound of *Kazhak* that echoed in the room, it clicked into place before silence greeted them---
“……”
“……”
“……?”
But, nothing happened.
“……………………………………….eh?”
Yō’s face was pale as blood seemed to drain out of it. Could it be that the reasoning that she had confidently came up with……is incorrect? That’s surely a possibility that she didn’t want to entertain. And just as everyone were tilting their heads and looking at each other in puzzlement, Leticia suddenly broke the silence---
“…It’s starting.”
“Eh?”
“The Game has resumed! Take the opportunity while I’m still able to hold back the huge dragon to completely cleart he winning condition! Otherwise I ……might cause [Underwood]……!”
“---GYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
The sound of a dragon’s screech reverberated throughout the Ancient Citadel and lightning forked the skies overcast with thunderclouds, lighting up the room’s interior.
The huge dragon that had almost destroyed [Underwood] a few days ago had made its reappearance.
Kirino who had been waiting in the cloisters was out of breath as she ran into the room with terror written all over her face.
“Every…Everyone! The screech just now…could it be…..”
“The …the game has really resumed?”
“But why did it resume? Isn’t it still in the midst of cease fire? Could it be that the Host has overstepped her……”
Yō froze up at those words and the others had also held their breaths as they seemed to have reached the same conclusion.
“……Could it be……that because of my actions of trying to clear the game……that the ceasefire has been forcefully terminated…..? All because of my mistake in reasoning that the dragon has……”
“No! Yō’s not wrong! It’s precisely because it was the correct answer that the game has resumed!”
“Eh?” Yō looked at Leticia with a frantic expression. Leticia was similarly shaken but her eyes were still calm as she spoke in a steady voice to try influence Yō to be calm and rational:
“Yō, look at me. Your conjecture is surely in the right direction and that’s why the Game has resumed…… Do you get it? It’s because the Game is almost cleared that the ceasefire has come to an end.”
“Uu…? Eh? But what does that mean?”
“In other words, you still lack something that would lead you to clear the game completely.”
Leticia had calmly informed Yō that she was just a step away from clearing the game and Yō had also realised that this wasn’t the time for her to feel depressed as she slapped her cheeks to refocus her thoughts.
“……Garol-san, may I have another look at the Geass Roll? I might have missed out something just now.”
“Okay, here.”
Answering in a short and crisp manner, Garol immediately took out the goatskin parchment.
<<GIFT GAME NAME: “SUN SYNCHRONOUS ORBIT in VAMPIRE KING”>>
Winning conditions of the Participant:
3.*Gather the broken fragments of the constellations, and bring the Circle of Animals to present to the throne.
Following the proper procedure and using the Circle of Animals that have been restored to the throne as a guide, strike the heart of the revolutionist who is bounded in chains.
“Do you get it?”
“……”
No I don’t. Yō silently answered in her heart but she did not dare to say those words.
The howl of the dragon outside the Citadel intermingled with the peal of thunder and the combined noise shook the entire Ancient Citadel. Although it’s said to be restrained by Leticia, the dragon would still descend to the lands below soon enough. And it was crucial to find the answer quickly, even if it were just a minute or second earlier. Garol’s sturdy arms gripped Yō’s shoulders to encourage her.
“Don’t worry, calm down and you will eventually solve the riddle. Ojou-chan have the talent to understand the workings of this Game. I can swear that it’s true. So don’t give up now!”
“Uu……”
Yō was clenching her teeth so hard that a layer of enamel would have been almost worn off by the force. For if this were to continue, she would be causing harm to her friends on the ground.
And that fear, pressure and responsibility were weighing upon her.
By the time that she regained her control, Yō noticed that her hands were sweaty and starting to tremble.
(---I don’t get it……!)
Where did I go wrong? The reasoning of ‘The Circle of Animals’, ‘the broken fragments of the constellations’ and regarding the ‘present to the throne’.
“Could it be that up till there everything was right? Or was it a small part that was wrong? But if a small portion is wrong, it would mean that all the connected thoughts would crumble and in other words, if everything was right there’s still something more and what could that something be? If I can’t find it quickly, everyone would be in danger and……!”
“Calm down, Kasukabe Yō! You being like this…… Can you still be called Kasukabe Koumei’s daughter?!”
“--- ……eh?”
In that moment.
Yō’s brain momentarily blanked out.
The interpretation of the Game, the current situation, the dragon and everything had been tossed to the back of her mind and her brain was completely a blank sheet of white.
“……Garol-san?”
“Yes, I did know your father quite well and I’m not the only one here who knows him well….. am I right, Leticia?”
Garol turned his head to regard Leticia keenly.
On the contrary, her expression was that of having received a blow from the news.
“Kou…Koumei….? You mean that Kasukabe [Shaomei]…that Koumei?”
“……Is that so? Leticia only knows of the name that he used while he was a sculptor?”
Garol looked a little sad as he stared at Yō’s eyes as he supported her by the shoulders while chiding:
“Yō Ojou-chan. Your father was an amazing person. I’ve already lost count on the number of times that he has saved me. And it’s not only me for the person who rescued [Underwood] from the Demon Lord ten years ago is none other than your father.”
“…..Uso. You must be lying……”
“I’m not lying! Okay if you have any doubts about my words, you can come to my house to see the portrait of him that hangs in my hall! Your father is a wandering sculptor who likes to wear tattered clothes, laconic and clumsy. When meeting an awkward situation, he would talk in a whisper and is a person who has a perfect and envious stature and appearance of a really handsome man……!”
Garol described his friend fondly with mixed feelings.
“And most importantly…… he’s a man who uses his power for his comrades!”
---“Yō must also treasure her friends”. Her father’s words flashed in her mind.
“As his daughter, Ojou-chan should not be unable to clear this sort of low standard Game! You will be able to clear this game and save everyone! Kasukabe, find your confidence and bring it out!”
Garol shook Yō’s shoulders while shouting for her to get a grip of herself. And as his words got through to Yō, she took a deep breath.
---That was the first. The first time that someone had ever described her father in such a fond way for no one in her former world had ever done before. And hence she had many questions that sprung to mind for Garol.
About her father, she wanted to ask for more details on him, wanted to talk and be proud of him.
But if she wanted to boast of her father----if she wanted to help her comrades, this wasn’t the time for that sort of conversation.
Lifting her head to look at the skies, she looked to the Geass Roll once more.
<<GIFT GAME NAME: “SUN SYNCHRONOUS ORBIT in VAMPIRE KING”>>
Winning conditions of the Participant:
3.*Gather the broken fragments of the constellations, and bring the Circle of Animals to present to the throne.
Following the proper procedure and using the Circle of Animals that have been restored to the throne as a guide, strike the heart of the revolutionist who is bounded in chains.
“……how is it?”
Yō who was keenly focused in her thoughts did not hear of Garol’s question.
For she was slowly chewing and digesting each and every word in her mind by repeating them a hundred, no , a thousand fold.
The scrambling of the word sequences, changing the perspective to look at the matter and to link up all the words to form a the proper---
“---Following the proper procedure …… the Circle of Animals?”
“……yes?”
“Proper, Circle of Animals……yes that’s right. It refers to the ‘correct sequence of the zodiacs’!”[magref notes72]
Yō stood up abruptly.
“And since there’s a ‘correct sequence of the zodiacs’……that also means that ‘there’s a mistake in the original’…… and linking it with the other three clearing conditions…… ‘Zodiac’ or should I say the ‘Twelve zodiacs’…… No, maybe it’s the celestial divisions itself that has been mistaken!”
Yō retrieved the [Fragments of the Celestial Globe] from the wall to inspect the edges to see if they fit nicely as she placed the fragments of Aeries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio together---
“Yō Ojou-chan. How…How is it? “
“…… It’s as I thought. The fragments of Scorpio and Sagittarius cannot be fitted together. The number of constellations along the elliptical path of the Sun isn’t twelve but thirteen……”
The Twelve celestial divisions of the Zodiac had existed since the ancient times. And since this Ancient Citadel served a role of being an observatory satellite, the Vampires should have been able to obtain a more in-depth knowledge of astrology.
Leticia looked up sharply upon hearing those words.
(Could that be…… The thing referred to as the [The Thirteen Sun]?)
Yō quickly picked up the remaining fragments that were brought by Kirino to piece them together but none of them were fragments that would close the gap between the two constellations. It was a fragment that hasn’t been found.
Yō stood up and quickly gave orders to the rest.
“Everyone, get moving and search for the constellation between Scorpio and Sagittarius! If the Outer wall is really constructed with the Celestial globe in mind, then it should lie somewhere in the middle of those two sectors. The last constellation will surely lie there---!”
“---No it ends here, little girl!’ the voice interrupted Yō’s words.
The windows darkened with the shadow of the enemy before they were violently shattered by the enemy’s entrance.
Jack who stood guard in the corner immediately assumed a fighting posture by bringing out his lanterns that blazed with the Purgatory flames.
“It’s my miscalculation……Kasukabe Ojou0chan! Please get away from here!”
To have allowed the enemy to get this close without sensing the presence, Jack lamented over his inattentiveness summoning the Purgatory Flames from three of his lanterns. Although this was the last reserves of his power, but Jack had immediately recognised that the enemy was a formidable one and had decided to throw all the Purgatory Flames towards the enemy.
“That’s barely warm enough! You inferior demon!”
With just a slight waver in the silhouette of the enemy in the flames that crashed towards him in a wave, all the flames were snuffed out accompanied by a ferocious roar of rage.
“Wha…What?!”Jack spluttered in surprise.
But the thick strong talons of the enemy got hold of the pumpkin head and shook it before flinging towards the stairs leading to the cloisters.
“Ja… Jack-san!”
“Kirino! Don’t! Just run now!”
Yō was now feeling the pricks of cold sweat as she shouted to Kirino.
Kirino who felt her legs go jelly sat down before the doorway and being the closest to see the enemy’s full appearance, she gasped in a trembling voice:
“Back…Black Gryphon?”
Kirino’s face had paled and sweat had formed on the surface of her forehead. And hovering above her was the Gryphon that was completely black from the feathers of the Eagle’s head to the fur of the Lion’s body.
But the most impressionable part of him would still be the [Genome Tree] was carved before his chest and the huge dragon’s horn sprouting from the middle of his forehead.
Garol had also paled though he stared angrily at the enemy.
“Gra…Graiya…. You are still alive?!”
“Well, well, it’s been some time since we last met isn’t it, Garol-dono. Ever since my departure after the ascension ceremony, we haven’t had the chance to meet right?...... but I don’t have the time to converse leisurely today!”
Graiya spoke loudly to intimidate his audience while flapping his black wings to generate strong wind currents. Garol who had been caught up by one of the gusts had been slammed into the wall behind him and had slid down haplessly.
“Wuoh!”
“Let’s say that I will spare you for the last looking on the account of our old times’ sake. But currently, I’ve an important person to take care of first.”
The Black Gryphon spared another glance towards Garol before darting his eyes back to Kasukabe jubilantly.
“It sure is a fortunate and happy occasion, Koumei’s daughter. To actually be able to solve the answer of the Game’s riddle to this extent, it sure is expected of you…… I can’t thank the fate of the stars enough for this!”
“……wha…What?”
“My name is Graiya Grief! And you who hold the bloodline of the one who managed to defeat my older brother Draco Greif! Let’s put the pride of our bloodlines to the bet and have another rematch---!”
The black Gryphon gave a majestic roar before charging towards Yō. Yō who narrowly dodged the attack called to the others:
“Go and search for the thirteenth constellation! This person is only targeting me!”
“Bu…But, Yō Ojou-chan!”
“Go now!”
Yō shouted her last request to them before whipping up a whirlwind to take the fight outside as she noticed that it would be bad to have it in that confined space with the other’s around her. And Graiya had also pursued after her relentlessly.
The whirlwinds of the Gryphon coupled with the flames of the Dragon Horn. The power of the two had swirled into a vortex that summoned a storm of flames and winds that tossed Yō into the air.
Yō who managed to regain her footing immediately recognised the difference in power levels.
(Really….Really strong!)
She feared that this might just be the strongest of the opponents whom she had faced till date.
In that sort of foreboding and fear, Kasukabe Yō had drawn the curtains for the last battle.
And [SUN SYNCHRONOUS ORBIT in VAMPIRE KING] has entered its final stages.
[magref notes67]seriously… I want to laugh at my poor imitation of sound effects… actually I’m laughing but I bit my lips and if I laugh with my mouth…hmmm *it bleeds* zzz ulcers really suck…Ok here’s the direct sound translation: Wuwowowowowowowowowo and from another source Houououououououou! Wonders what it was in jap… but oh well…. Lols… just had to apply the Bonjela gel on it again… most of the sounds are just direct translation of sound effects… if you have read other sound effects in other light novels, please suggest them to me or you will just get this kind of sound effect standards… been a long time since I read other translations…. And I’ve been reading Chinese text to translate…. And well the English books that I read don’t have these sound effects -.- like which serious novel in English would have these stuff?
[magref notes68]Proverb translated as best as I can if you need more explanation on it, it’s as follow: Izayoi thought that the Sky Citadel would be more impressive since he expected it to be made of the top-notch architects and constructed with the best materials since it was supposed to have withstood many battles with Demon Lords and the likes…. But it was all a pipedream for him as he realised that reality was much different from his envisions of it.
[magref notes70] (note this part seems to be a part that is also said by Yao to Leticia but it has been made into a text block that seems to be also a thought process, nothing is clear about it so I’m gonna italicise them just to mark its difference from the normal text the author had separated this part by spacing too 1 line space above, one line below, which I also implemented here.)
[magref notes71]ok here’s the thing…. It may seem a little different from Volume2 if readers do remember the text from it…. The words when translated can mean ‘making the true legend known’ or to ‘raise up the true legend’ if it were to be translated with prior knowledge of the story, one would understand that the game intends to make the true legend known but since it is a Game and a direct translation is what the Game intended to do: confuse people, I choose to do a direct translation and leave it as ‘raise the true legend’ Hence the phrases of ‘shattered’ and ‘raised’up.
http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... _Chapter_5 last portion for the Geass Roll contents.
http://mondaiji-tachi-ga-isekai-kara-ku ... of_HAMELIN
[magref notes72]ok…. Procedure and sequence is both translated from the same term: 形式. Another display for the riddle’s ambiguity.
[magref notes73]ok this part seems confusing but oh well, I just picked it straight off as what I see…. Direct translation is isn’t related… though logic might tell me otherwise.
I assure you that it will be somewhat a good news. 
but I'm sure that I will be killed for it.
My guess is that someone also did that to the volume3 chapter4 too.... then asked me to complete it :p zzz by the way, if you want to blame someone for the slow translations , curse magref for having found an interest in MonsterHunter PSP game XD....and he's also crafting a letter for his uni application follow up documents... haiz.... getting some nightmare about uni... been too hikimori lately that I start to fear the outside... oh well... needs to put it into schedule to go out too... zzz vol4.... hahahaha I wont let it be later than the end of this month 
sounds like a lot of stuff
and curse myself for also feeling happy that magref have an interest in MH 
well thank you for translate the novel, i'll be looking forward your work. 