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Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 38

2017-06-21T13:44:12Z

86.52.34.238: Fixed two minor errors.

==Chapter 38: Roller in the Night==
[[Image:Horizon5B_325.jpg|thumb]]
''If you are truly resolute

''Will you give a good answer?

'''Point Allocation (Too Much of One)

Two figures stood in the night.

They stood at a slight clearing on an otherwise tree-covered slope.

One was Sanada Academy Unneeded #5 Anayama and the other was #9 Nezu.

Anayama held nothing and Nezu spread out a sign frame.

They looked overhead where the sky was dyed with the colors of night.

And something was flying there.

“I never thought the elder young master and the Principal would call Musashi here.”

“Shall we board them, Anayama?”

“Given what happened last time, I wouldn’t recommend it. Since they’re traveling to Sanada land, I imagine their defenses will be on high alert.”

“How cowardly of you…”

Anayama nodded at Nezu’s comment.

“I’m glad to see your ellipses are back.”

“Unfortunately, I already used one back at lunchtime. When the wasabi fell in my udon at the cafeteria.”

“Did you say ‘how spicy…’?”

“No. I said ‘I don’t like this very much…’ I prefer not to directly reject anything…”

“Well done,” said Anayama, but Nezu ignored him and looked up into the sky.

“The Principal is back, isn’t he?”

“The elder young master was forcibly sent back as well.”

“That guy…” said Nezu as he held his sign frame up into the sky. It displayed the Musashi from when it was on the way to Novgorod and he overlaid it with the current view of the Musashi to view the differences.

After a few seconds of observation, he jotted down some notes on the sign frame.

“The additional thrusters on the port and starboard of the front central ship are sticking out a bit.”

“If Isa-kun was here, she could probably tell us why.”

“Could you not suddenly bring up the sentimentality I was trying to forget?”

“I think the proper way to remember the dead is to mention those things until they fade away naturally.”

“You like immersing yourself in memories more than I do, don’t you?”

“Testament,” said Anayama. And then…

“Nezu-kun. Anayama.”

They heard the solid sound of someone stepping on the grass further up the slope.

It was the light footsteps of a girl. Nezu looked back and wrinkled his brow.

“Yuri. I could hear your footsteps.”

Yuri’s voice reached them from the shadows of the forest’s depths.

“Our great teacher checked the ‘pulse’ in my leg and said I should do some walking.”

“You must have walked quite a bit. And at lunchtime, you could only manage one lap of the schoolyard.”

“Yeah,” said Yuri as she stepped out into the moonlight.

She had long hair and a white uniform. She wore a scythe on either hip, but she carried a staff in her left hand.

“He told me that going to meet someone would mean walking more while also allowing them to help me if I needed it.”

“He’s too easy on you…”

Nezu breathed an exasperated sigh and lowered his shoulders, but…

“That isn’t the only reason you’re here, is it?”

“Testament. The teachers say they’re going into the ruins.”

“They went in there!?”

“Nezu-kun.”

Anayama raised his right hand to stop Nezu.

Nezu had raised his voice and Yuri faced him with a bitter smile and lowered shoulders. And as Anayama faced both of them…

“—————”

“…That’s not how you do it, Anayama-san. At times like this, the polite thing to do is gently say, ‘…Listen.’ ”

Nezu sighed again and placed a hand on his forehead.

“And I was hoping to wish our teachers good luck.”

“I tried, but Saizou-sensei laughed and mocked the idea of humans wishing dragons good luck.”

But…

“He also said he knows we’re on their side.”

“—————”

“Nezu-kun! So was this the appropriate time for a ‘—————’!?”

“What are you hoping to accomplish, Anayama…?”

Nezu sighed and walked toward Yuri.

Anayama looked up into the sky and pointed toward the Musashi.

“What about this?”

“I’ve already recorded plenty, so let’s hurry back. If the teachers have left, we need to inspect the school building. Isn’t that why you’re here, Yuri?”

“Testament. There are places the other students and I can’t reach.”

“Understood.”

Nezu nodded and walked past Yuri. She looked back and started to say something to him.

“…”

“Yuri-kun! So was that the appropriate time for an ellipsis?”

“Are you okay, Anayama?”

“Knowing how you younger children behave is part of my job.”

“I see,” said Yuri as she and Anayama faced forward to see Nezu come to a stop.

“Hurry up. Have you contacted the others?”

“The young master told Sasuke-san and Saizou-san to go on ahead to Osaka.”

Anayama reacted to Yuri’s words.

“—————”

“See? You can do it, Anayama-san.”

“So I did that right!?”

“…”

“What is that silence for, you two?”

“Well.” Yuri smiled with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. “Thank you, Anayama.”

“It’s only natural for an upperclassman to look after his underclassmen. That said, Kakei-kun and Unno-kun are supposed to be your superiors, but they’re gone at the moment.”

“I hope they can make it back soon…” said Nezu as he resumed walking.

Anayama followed from behind Yuri and responded with a frown.

“Hmm, but their mission hasn’t been called off yet.”

Also…

“If the young master is looking ahead to the Siege of Osaka, then that will be our time to shine. The Musashi might be flying overhead, but at this point, it is nothing more than a source of information to sell to the other nations.”

Yuri and Anayama looked up into the night sky and heard the wind moving gently through it.

The Musashi had begun to brake.

“While remaining wary of a battle with us, they will apparently send down a transport ship for ‘sightseeing’ and an ‘educational investigation’. Of course, our teachers have entered the ruins they will be investigating,” said Anayama. “Now, then. We can see what the future holds for us…but what about the others?”

“Roi-Soleil, isn’t it about time you got to bed?”

A voice was carried by the somewhat humid movement of air that was the summer night wind.

A large garden existed at the entrance of a building that stretched out to the east and west. The white entranceway looked like a stage and a nudist stood upon it with his flared hair blowing in the wind.

He looked back with his hands on his hips.

“Have we received word from Terumoto on the front line, Henri?”

“Testament. She said, ‘Cover up and get to sleep.’ ”

“In that case, you could say that Terumoto is both worried and hopeful for me.”

Henri briefly looked up into the sky with a serious look on her face.

Then another figure appeared next to her with solid footsteps.

“Armand. …I was just thinking how confusing people with hearts are.”

“Testament. I have thought the same thing quite a bit. …Now, Roi-Soleil.”

“What is it, Armand? Have we received further word from Terumoto on the front line?”

“Testament. …Oh, but this is actually for Henri, not you. Hey, Henri. The princess said, ‘If the idiot hasn’t gone to sleep after an hour, aim for his crotch with a wooden sword.’ ”

“Heh. Oh, Terumoto… You mustn’t leave this to others just because you have such difficulty expressing your love.”

“No, Roi-Soleil. Are you an ‘idiot’ as she claims?”

“Most every man who has fallen in love could be called an idiot.”

The Roi-Soleil crossed his arms as he spoke.

He then turned away from Henri and Armand and spread his arms.

He spread those arms as if to embrace and support something:

“This is the nightscape of Paris. …A note in the Testament says it will later be divided into different districts and mostly comprised of high-rise apartments, but in my era, it is an extremely dense collection of wooden and stone buildings. However…” He looked back toward them. “That is why I can see the people at work. I believe this École de Paris has inherited everything Anne saw day by day from her bed. And at this time of night, I wonder if all of those lights indicate the people performing a more erotic sort of activity.”

“That is something I wish Lady Anne could have heard. Oh, and I sent it to Lady Terumoto.”

“How did she respond?”

“ ‘Swing it straight down at him.’ ”

“With such a specific command, I suppose I can’t say she is simply leaving this to others.”

The Roi-Soleil turned back toward Henri, puffed out his chest, and slapped his stomach with his right hand.

“Now, do it.”

Henri immediately did so. A sharp sound of impact rang out and after a while…

“—————”

With no change of expression, Exiv toppled backwards.

He remained motionless for a few seconds, but then he uttered a “heh” of laughter and stood back up.

“Unlike when Terumoto does it, I can’t really feel it in the core of my being. Terumoto’s really sticks with you after the fact.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

Henri sent a divine mail using a ''signe cadre'' and a response soon arrived.

“Roi-Soleil. She says, ‘Ha ha ha. You actually did it?’ ”

“Heh. Terumoto, these are the acts of a fool in love. Do you understand?” Exiv spread out his arms once more and held them up toward the moon. “Normally, you would not think of letting someone strike you in the dick with a wooden sword, would you?”

“Statistically speaking, I have determined it is indeed a strange thing to do.”

“Yes. So even if someone else loves Terumoto, this dick damage is proof that my love for her is deeper!”

“Then it would be that lack of depth that prevented my strike from reaching the core of your being.”

Henri nodded in understanding and Armand crossed his arms next to her.

“Henri. …So is this what love is?”

“Armand. …This is a special case.”

“Really?” Armand tilted his head. “I hear Musashi’s Chancellor often lets their princess punch him in the crotch.”

“Heh. That false nudist has been doing that?”

“Testament.” Armand nodded. “Roi-Soleil. Which is a sign of deeper love: a bare hand or a wooden sword?”

A room was surrounded by white walls and a white floor.

It was a white-tiled bath, but in the center…

“Lady Terumoto, I apologize that we could only supply a free-flowing bath due to the Pension Versailles’s safety standards. But I made sure the tub was made from the cypress you like, so please forgive me.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. In fact, this is more than I could have hoped for, Mouri-01. You and the other biological '' Belle de Marionnette''s need to join me in here.”

Terumoto said that as she placed a towel on her head and leaned back against the edge of the tub.

Mouri-01 was wearing a towel and soaking Terumoto’s clothes in a bucket of lukewarm water.

“Lady Terumoto, you should probably get a new summer uniform before long.”

“Yeah, I tend to be pretty rough on them.”

As she said that, a ''signe cadre'' appeared next to her face. It displayed…

“Mouri-03? What is it?”

“Oh, um, Terumoto!”

Mouri-03 casually wore a summer uniform and clenched her fists as she answered.

“The Roi-Soleil sent a divine mail asking you to punch him in the dick barehanded!”

“Roi-Soleil. …She responded with a single word: die.”

“Heh. Are you feeling shy, Terumoto! But this is a battle between a false nudist and a true nudist! And it is a physical battle with love on the line.”

Armand typed that line into his ''signe cadre''.

“Henri, should I really be doing this?”

“Why do you always question everything?”

The response arrived.

“Roi-Soleil. …She said, ‘Leave it to me.’ ”

In Musashi Ariadust Academy, they had finished the physical examination and everyone was preparing to leave.

As everyone gathered their things in the classroom while drifting toward the entrance, Asama checked the sign frame that Hanami tossed her way.

“Huh?”

She frowned.

Suzu noticed her odd reaction and tilted her head.

“Wh-what is…it?”

“Oh, well, um… Toori-kun just received an odd spam message from Hexagone Française.”

“Huh? What kind of message?”

“Well, it says something about ‘my di-…’, oh whoops! I almost read that out loud!”

“Heh heh. Silly girl. Just reply with an offensive counter spell attached. They’re Catholic, but the Asama Shrine has been researching spells that will work on them, right?”

“You have a point.” Horizon gave Asama a thumbs up. “I approve.”

“R-Roi-Soleil! We just received a Catholic lightning punishment for illicit sex! I never expected a reply from Musashi to include a Catholic-style trap!”

Henri quickly activated a first aid spell as the sun nudist lay sprawled out on the ground with electricity and smoke rising from his crotch. Next to her, Armand crossed his arms.

“Since this worked on him, he must have a proper division between church and state.”

“Naming yourself emperor does come with its own risks.”

But then the Roi-Soleil moved.

He breathed air into his lower stomach and got up. He then took another breath and slowly swept his flared hair back. He also puffed out his chest and turned his sharp gaze toward the two ''Belle de Marionnette''s.

“My eyes have been opened, Henri and Armand. This is a time of war.”

“Henri. …I think I want to say something about that.”

“You are imagining it. Don’t say anything.”

“Silence required,” added a ''signe cadre'' from Isaac.

Exiv narrowed his eyes.

“There is nothing wrong with Terumoto, so the front line must be safe. …But what about the Hashiba forces?”

“Testament. We estimate they will leave the forest region tomorrow afternoon.”

“I see.” The Roi-Soleil nodded. “Will they make it here by nightfall the day after next?”

“We have determined that is their planned schedule.”

“Then,” said Exiv as he crossed his arms and viewed his surroundings.

But instead of the city of Paris, he was viewing the hills around it.

“Will the flooding meant for Mouri’s fortress be ready by that night?”

“Most likely,” replied Armand. “The Azuchi Castle is on its way here, but it will not immediately join the rest of the Hashiba forces. It seems to be timing its journey on the outer edge of M.H.R.R. so it can join them after they pass through the southern forest and arrive above the urban region. However, nudist…I mean, Roi-Soleil.”

Henri lightly kicked Armand’s leg to get him to change how he referred to their king.

“The Azuchi Castle is traveling at low speed,” he continued. “The most urgently needed of the supplies it carries are being sent ahead to Takenaka’s unit with transport ships.”

“Do you know why they are doing that?”

“Testament.” Henri opened a ''signe cadre''. “Roi-Soleil. …I can only provide our best guess.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Testament.” Henri displayed an image drawn with detailed etching. “This is the Azuchi as observed from the metal tower located near Magdeburg in northern M.H.R.R. …Each ship has construction materials visibly loaded on top. And that includes the 1st ships which bear its main cannon and secondary cannons.”

“I see.” The Roi-Soleil nodded. “Do you think they will be using those materials to block off the river downstream of Paris to flood the city?”

“Testament. …Paris is a large city, so they would need a great quantity of materials.”

Henri displayed a map of Paris.

As a whole, the city was a circle. Henri drew a red arc that surrounded the downstream side.

“Paris’s radius is about 12km. To surround this much space and quickly create a dam that will not break, they will likely need to use transport ships as a dam and use the many materials to fill the holes and reinforce the dam. Now, transporting all of those materials at once would normally require a massive number of transport ships. However…”

“The ability of a large transport ship group to safely carry anything is always a concern and managing the fleet on site can be difficult. So they used the Azuchi instead. Is that it?”

“Testament. But we provided a situation that Hashiba did not expect.”

That was…

“New tactics and new weapons. …I have determined the new shells in particular could bring unexpected danger or malfunction to the Azuchi.”

“So not even you think this could bring it down.”

“…Perhaps if we joined the fight using these new tactics.”

“Heh. This is all thanks to the Reine des Garous’s crazy ideas. Her relative ignorance of standard Hexagone Française tactics allows her to come up with all of these unthinkable ones.”

“Testament.” Henri nodded and then hung her head. “It was difficult rejecting all of the unfair tactics that would have stained the honor of Hexagone Française and the princess…”

“Oh? What’s the matter, honey? Why are you covering your face and sobbing? Hee hee. Come now, I only did what I promised. Yes, just as you begged me, this time is for ‘only looking’. If you let me manipulate you just by looking at you, then you lose. If the time runs out, then I lose. …And whoever loses has to make a request to the winner. All I can do is look, so you have an incredible advantage here. There are still 2 hours to go, but I just don’t see how I can win when I can only look. Hee hee. I think I might just lose this one. Yes, and I will make sure to follow the rules. All I will do is take a look. …Yes, take a look at your flavor.”

“The Reine des Garous is willing to lie even to us, so it can be incredibly difficult to judge how unfair or proper her tactics are.”

“Yes, she is a truly free person. Anne liked that about her.”

The Roi-Soleil smiled and looked into the southeastern sky where the Azuchi would be.

“Now not even the Azuchi can carelessly enter Hexagone Française territory. This is the effect of the Reine des Garous, our new weapons, and our new tactics. They will have to remain at low speed at least until they reach flatter ground. And thanks to that…yes, we can send our front line quite far out there. But,” he added, “Hashiba is doing quite well, too. Instead of forcing their way through to flood Paris, they are using their own strategy and changing it when necessary.”

“Yes, but…”

“Testament.” Exiv nodded. “Hashiba destroyed Edo and Satomi with a dragon line reactor, but the lumber used to construct the two cities would have remained in the forest regions upstream of Edo and Satomi. So Hashiba bought that up and negotiated for the reserve lumber to gather cheap materials in a short period of time. …That is a splendid strategy. After all, that gives them two cities’ worth of materials. That should be enough to surround Paris. Also,” he continued. “Even with all that, it seems to have taken two weeks to reach the amount of materials needed for the task. …But I imagine their original plan during the Battle of Novgorod was to provide supplies and support to Novgorod, carry the materials to Lake Biwa Azuchi, and load even more materials gathered from other regions there.”

“But,” said Henri. She compared what Exiv had said to the reports from the various Committee Heads. “During the Battle of Novgorod, Azuchi was unable to move due to the deterrence from Date and Mogami. Thus, they likely determined gathering materials from other regions at Lake Biwa Azuchi was not the best plan. It seems the materials at Lake Biwa Azuchi were redistributed across their territory.”

“I have not received any information about where that went. Have you?”

“No. The transport ships meant to be used for the dam were most likely distributed as well, so that allowed it to scatter around too quickly to track. That is why we do not know where it went.”

“There is no helping that then,” said Exiv as he smiled in the direction of the Azuchi.

The Roi-Soleil’s eyes then turned due east, toward Sviet Rus.

“In truth, that Battle of Novgorod gave us a bit of breathing room.”

The two ''Belle de Marionnette''s could not respond to that.

Accepting their king’s words would mean admitting Musashi had been effective. And as those two failed to respond, the Roi-Soleil spoke quietly.

“And yesterday, the Shirasagi Castle was lost.”

That was the truth.

“As a result, we no longer need to consider one of the more troublesome ships Hashiba could have sent in to support them. A warship that can remain at ultra-high altitude for long periods of time is very difficult to deal with when defending a city.”

“Roi-Soleil, how do you view Musashi?”

“That is a difficult question to answer. Because I should probably make a joint answer with Terumoto.”

Once he said that, they heard a loud sound from the distant sky.

Henri briefly narrowed her eyes and finally nodded.

“That was a dragon. The southern clan has been making a lot of noise since the other day.” She looked to the south. “They handled the majority of the Germanic migration and nearly conquered the land for a time. After they were held in check by climate change and the Testament Cross-Borders Unit, those which sought reconciliation left to the east during the Harmonic Unification War and those who sought to rule remained in Europe but eventually stopped descending from the mountains.”

“What do you think that distant roar meant?”

“I do not know.” Henri tilted her head. “But it sounded like they were seeking more of their kind.”

Mitotsudaira was utterly exhausted.

Back in her own home, she lay face down in her bed with her butt sticking up in the air.

Returning from the academy and sending some quick instructions to her corporations was all she had managed.

…''This is too much in so many ways!

She wanted to know what was going on, but she could not complain when she had been the one making it worse towards the end.

“Honestly…”

With Horizon in control, Horizon and her king were trying to take responsibility concerning the others.

…''Wh-what does that even mean!?

As his knight, could she view it as serving him in his castle as an aide? Except this was more like being part of his family. Or rather…

…''Sharing him!?

How much was she supposed to share?

Of course, Horizon had said something about “until the day we die”, but…

“…Uuuuhh…”

She still was not sure just how serious Horizon had been.

She also wondered if Horizon would continue to think like this.

After all, she had yet to retrieve all of her emotions. But Mitotsudaira knew they could not agree to this while hoping Horizon would change her mind later.

…''In that case…

“Th-this was just my king being fairly accepting of anything and Horizon could always change her mind, right!? Isn’t that all this is?”

She asked her blanket, but it did not answer her. Why had she not asked them that earlier?

“Khhh…”

''I have no guts at all,'' she thought, but that too was an excuse.

…''I am a knight.

If her king gave her something, that would be one thing, but she could not hope for it herself. However…

“My king did say he was okay with it…”

She groaned in doubt and could not find an answer.

Then she thought in silence for a few seconds.

…''What would I do if my king and Horizon were serious?

''Hypothetically,'' she thought.

“Y-yes, just hypothetically.”

She thought about it.

“Well…”

In their “battle formation” the day before, Horizon had been next to her king and she had been in front.

She tried to think about her king’s castle, but this was the Far East and Musashi. There was no castle. That would make the location his home, but where could they make that formation in his home?

…''The Main Blue Thunder?

She pictured it as sitting across the table from him, but that was different from standing out in front of him. She could not protect him if she was facing him across a table.

If she was to do that inside the restaurant…

“I would have to be below the table at his feet…!”

She imagined herself with a collar around her neck, a rope attached to that, waiting for her king to feed her some table scraps, getting too excited, and climbing up onto his lap.

“M-my mind has been poisoned by our class’s jokes!”

She frantically sat up.

She kept her butt off the bed as she fixed her clothing and cleared her throat.

She slapped her cheeks lightly, but…

“H-he wouldn’t actually treat me like a pet, would he?”

The silver wolf placed her hands in front of her and lay down starting with her chin. She raised her butt and reached her hands between her knees.

“That’s right.” She lifted her eyebrows. “Besides, there isn’t really a place in his house where he, Horizon, and I could recreate that formati-…”

She stopped there.

…''Somewhere where the three of us could recreate that formation.

“Wouldn’t that be…?”

Something came to mind. Her eyes widened a bit as she discovered the answer.

…''The bed.

The bed in his room.

She and Asama had borrowed that bed to sleep in the other day, so she knew it was fairly spacious. Three or four people might be difficult, but they could make it work. And the floor was carpeted. If they closed the curtains, brought in Kimi’s bed from the neighboring room, and combined the two beds, six people could fit easily.

“Sniff…”

Without thinking, she closed her eyes and sniffed the bed below her. However, it did not smell like him.

“…Ah.”

She frantically brought her mind back to reality.

This was her own home. It was not the Main Blue Thunder or his room. And yet…

“Wh-what am I thinking!?”

No, this was not something she should be thinking even if she was at the Main Blue Thunder or his room, so she corrected her statement.

“There’s something wrong with me…”

''That is the correct statement. Yes.

''Besides,'' she began in her heart.

…''In that case, I would be in front…

She thought about what position that would place her in.

And at this very moment, she had her butt sticking up behind her with her face half-buried in the blanket. She imagined having someone behind her while she was in this pose.

And a few seconds after she began…

“Th-that’s far too direct!”

She got up. And after lowering her hips into a sitting position, her hair felt in the way behind her.

“If I’m in front, I need to do this…”

She opened a space between the left side of her hair and her back. Would he be able to sit there? She imagined feeling his warmth enveloping her.

“Uuh…”

And she could also imagine Horizon watching her from the side. Also…

“Oh? Mitotsudaira-sama, why are you holding back? Here, here. Broadly defined, you could call this a meat dish.”

“I-I can’t be the only one doing this! You go first, Horizon!”

“Don’t you dare use a knife on my ‘meat dish’! And don’t try give it a salt massage either!? Got that!?”

“Now, Mitotsudaira-sama, say ‘ah’.”

After her imagination ran that far, Mitotsudaira came back to her senses.

She was already sitting up, so she rolled backwards instead.

“If we’re sharing him, then Horizon would have absolute control, wouldn’t she?”

But wasn’t this the same as when they had fed her yakiniku at England? When she thought about it, she realized it had been the same at IZUMO too. Not to mention when they chose her choker at Mito. Which meant…

“…Is this any different than normal?”

But in that case, there was something wrong with her “normal”.

“Ahyahhh…”

Mitotsudaira covered her blushing face with her hands and curled up with her defenseless belly pointed up. Then she looked to the ceiling. She lowered her hands, sighed, and…

“I…”

''I’m hopeless,'' she earnestly thought.

Mitotsudaira sighed again.

She twisted her curled-up body on the bed and brought her right index finger to her mouth.

“I can’t believe myself.”

…''How could I imagine those things about my king and princess?

She thought her imagination had been quite realistic, but even so…

“Getting this excited about it makes me unworthy to be his knight.”

With that, she narrowed her eyes and looked to the left and right.

There was no one around and no sign frames were appearing.

…''I had a feeling a ''tsukkomi'' would be coming right about now.

''Calm down, Nate Mitotsudaira. When you aren’t at the academy or on the battlefield, no one is going to make a ''tsukkomi'' no matter what you think.

''So,'' she added.

“Am I allowed to have lewd thoughts when I’m in a private location?”

…''Yes! That’s right!

''My public and private lives are separate. I am free to do as I wish in my own space. And if I defile something important there, I only need to act in good faith while in public to purify it.

“Even my king thinks about lewd things when he’s alone in his private life.”

She was suddenly curious, so she sent a divine transmission to connect the private with the public.

“Um, my king?”

“Oh? Nate? What is it? I was about to play another porn game. Sis and I are planning to read it aloud together, but you wanna join us? It’s an adventure type, so it’s pretty fun.”

His insanity was a little too direct, so she ended the divine transmission.

And after a few seconds…

…''Oh, that’s right…

Her king was the type to keep everything out in the open. She remembered that he was nude more often than not and he had that sister with him. Plus, if their sharing life began, Mitotsudaira would have to deal with those two and Horizon all at once.

“I get the feeling I would be powerless to resist them…”

''But,'' she thought.

“Why am I always naked when I imagine those scenes?”

Was it because that idiot was her king? Or…

“Ah.”

She grew pale when another possibility occurred to her.

She quickly sat back up.

“Could this be my mother’s blood…?”

That frightening possibility left her dumbfounded. And at that very moment, a sign frame from Kimi popped up.

“Mitotsudaira! The heroine is a dog girl! Come on over! C’mon! Shake! …Oh, you can do it via divine transmission if you want! Repeat after me: ‘Well done making it here. This is Koumon World, the Land of Natto.’ ”

“What are you talking about…!?”

“Silly girl. The study camp starts tomorrow, so we’re finishing up these porn games while we can! We just finished a shrine maiden porn game, so now we’re doing a national pilgrimage game titled ‘Koumon-sama’s Crest’! Ah, foolish brother! Don’t continue on without me. C’mon, Mitotsudaira. Repeat after me: ‘Mh, you’ll give me a bone? Pant, pant, gasp, gasp… No, I can’t take anymore.’ ”

“That heroine fell for you way too fast!”

“What are you talking about? That’s just my foolish brother being really good at choosing the best option! He’s the three-choice technician! The average player would have chosen the peanuts there!”

“Peanuts are from the next nation to the south! And that heroine isn’t modeled after me, is she!?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. No, nothing at all to worry about there, so rest easy. …Yes, she looks nothing at all like you. I mean, all that hair would have been a pain to draw, so they cut it down to three drills. So she doesn’t look like you at all.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever believed something less!”

“Heh heh. You sure are lively. …Oh, what is it, foolish brother? The protagonist can’t stand it anymore after only 3 clicks? You need to do better than that. C’mon, Mitotsudaira, let’s go win over that heroine!”

Mitotsudaira ended the divine transmission, but immediately regretted it.

…''If I had gone along with that, would it have opened up a brand new world for me!?

Perhaps so.

She tried groaning meaninglessly into empty air, but when she thought about it, this was normal for her. If she did try leaping into that world, it would not open up for her. People would only see it as her setting foot on the road leading to it.

“Honestly…”

She decided she needed a change of pace.

She wondered if she could discuss how she felt with someone who had received similar damage and had also been left on the outskirts of that world. So…

…''Let’s see…

“Um, Tomo?”

She heard a voice in response:

“Nn…ah.”

“Wh-what kind of weird noises are you making!?”

Mitotsudaira protested to keep up appearances, and…

“Eh!? N-no, you misunderstand, Mito! That wasn’t me! It was the porn game I’m poison testing!”

“Ho ho?”

“Ah, you don’t believe me, do you!? I’m in the spring to maintain a purified state while I poison test it. Shall I turn up the volume so you can hear?”

This lunatic was rather impressive as well. But Asama said more, perhaps to fill the gap in the conversation.

“The character just now was a lot like you.”

“You’re playing Part 2 of something, aren’t you!?”

Mitotsudaira realized her question had been a careless one. After all, Asama briefly but definitely fell silent. And then…

“How did you know that, Mito?”

“W-well, um. uh…”

There was no point in hiding it. They were friends. So Mitotsudaira cleared her throat.

“I-I received a divine transmission from Kimi just now. She said she and my king are playing Part 1 of a porn game modeled after Mito Mitsukuni.”

“Eh? But just a bit ago, they told me they were playing one based on Konohana no Sakuya, so…”

Asama swallowed the rest of her sentence.

Silence fell.

This time, it was Mitotsudaira’s turn to say something.

“Kimi mentioned that they had just finished a shrine maiden one.”

“Oh, so they went with the one modeled after me first…”

“Yes, and they must have gone with me last…”

When she said that, Mitotsudaira felt a strange emotion appear deep in her chest.

…''Uuh…

First and last.

Tactically, both of those were important positions. Would you head out front or stay in the back? And the same naturally applied to choosing porn games.

You could move out front and launch a high-speed attack.

You could also stay back and launch a surefire ''iai'' attack.

Had he viewed them both as important?

But she could not let those thoughts trap her. So she focused her mind on the virtue of devotion, and…

“Th-they must have been prioritizing the one modeled after you, Tomo. Probably.”

“N-no, they must have been saving the one modeled after you to be the star of the night. Probably.”

…''Oh, no.

She had dug her own grave on this one. And Tomo probably felt the same way about herself. But…

“They probably have one modeled after Horizon for very last, right?”

“No, Mito, automatons and silver hair aren’t very big right now. Things will head back in that direction eventually, but probably not until around fall.”

“A sommelier! Are you a sommelier!?”

''But,'' thought Mitotsudaira.

“I never thought I would be so emotionally involved in how my king played porn games.”

“And Kimi is with him too.”

When she thought about it…

“It would be helpful to have Horizon there too. …She could keep things under control.”

“That’s right…” said Asama before gasping. “B-but I haven’t decided I’m going! I have the Asama Shrine to deal with!”

''She really doesn’t know when to give up, does she?'' thought Mitotsudaira while feeling rather impressed with how stubborn her friend was. However…

“———?”

She heard a distant sound in the sky.

…''Something is falling?

No, that was not it. This was something else. It was definitely an incredibly massive object, but…

“ ‘Musashi’ to all ships! A high-speed flying object is approaching…no, forcibly landing. Over.”

“Musashi’s” warning continued while alarms sounded from Musashino to port.

…''Forcibly landing?

A transport ship collision could be stopped by concentrating several layers of defense barriers, but what could slip past those and then land instead of collide?

''Could it be?'' she wondered as “Musashi” said more.

“We have identified it as a normal student from Sanada Academy. …Sanada has sent identification: this is Student #7, Kakei Torahide-sama. He is a Terrestrial-type flying dragon of the Lindwurm clan. He is approximately 120m long. Any who are capable of shipboard combat, please fight back. Over.”

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 37|Chapter 37]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 39|Chapter 39]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 34

2017-06-05T23:25:36Z

86.52.34.238: Added a missing period.

==Chapter 34: Recipients of the Lap Palace==
[[Image:Horizon5B_225.jpg|thumb]]
''Please notice

'''Point Allocation (I Am Happy)

Masazumi sighed as she looked out the window and into the night sky.

She was in the Student Council Room on the 3rd floor of the academy.

It was 1 AM, but the members of the Student Council, Chancellor’s Officers, and others were lying or sitting on the tatami mat floor.

They had just finished eating the bentos they had ordered and they were now taking a break.

Those who had been up top had to be exhausted. Since they had been a part of the negotiations after that, they were now sleeping on the floor. Naomasa had been in the engine division instead of dealing with the negotiation, so she must have been able to catch a nap earlier.

“What’s everyone sleeping all over the floor for? Couldn’t they at least take a bath first?”

Even as she said that, Crossunite and Mary were covering them all with the blankets they had brought in.

“Naomasa, your bento is over there.”

“Judge. The Asama Shrine ones have a weariness-reducing divine protection added to the included sake, so I’ll wait until later.”

And then…

“You too, Asama-chi?”

Asama was sleeping in a half-sitting position with the empty bento boxes stacked up next to her. And she had two people using her lap as a pillow:

“Aoi and Horizon were on the receiving end of all sorts of scolding from Asama. But…”

“But?”

“Well…you know how Horizon is. After using the Logismoi Oplo so often, she needed to sleep to optimize herself. Aoi initially said he would crossdress and lend her his lap, but the sleepiness won out and this was the result. From there, Asama and then Kimi fell asleep.”

Asama had placed her track suit over the two sleeping on her lap and she had the Aoi Sister’s track suit top placed over her. The Aoi Sister was sleeping while clinging to Asama’s butt and she had Mitotsudaira’s track suit top placed over her.

Mitotsudaira was still awake, but she was clearly starting to nod off.

“Mitotsudaira, we have blankets now, so you can use one to sleep.”

“Aeh? …Oh, I-I’m fine.”

“Do you think you’re the night watchwoman?” asked Naomasa as she handed Mitotsudaira three blankets.

“Three?”

“One for those three, one for Asama-chi, and one for you.”

Sure enough, that would work. The idiot was sleeping face-up and Asama’s left breast was functioning something like an eye mask, but it must have been an accident with no impure thoughts behind it because Hanami did not react while taking care of some leftover work on Asama’s shoulder.

Mitotsudaira placed a blanket over the three lying on the floor and placed one over Asama. She wrapped it around Asama’s front side which hid Aoi and the others, but was that done out of a knightly desire to protect her king?

She then placed the final blanket over her own shoulders and sat next to Aoi, but…

“Mito, Toori’s arm is sticking out to the side there.”

“I-I am not going to lick his hand!”

“I was actually trying to suggest you use his arm as a pillow, but suit yourself.”

Mitotsudaira blushed, but she showed no sign of leaving Aoi’s side.

…''Yeah.

This may have been the battle formation Horizon had mentioned.

It only looked like Horizon, Asama, and that group were with Aoi, but in fact…

“Oh, Futayo is over there.”

She was asleep while sprawled out on the floor by the entrance. That was likely her position as Horizon’s guard. When someone walked down the hall, she would grab Tonbo Spare’s shaft in her sleep, making a troubling noise. It was just like Crossunite to have intentionally kept the blanket off of her dominant hand when placing it over her.

The Tachibana Couple seemed to be taking a break after eating their bentos beyond the partition placed at the entrance, and the others were much the same.

…''Crossunite, Urquiaga, Neshinbara, Bertoni, and the others are here too.

Those were late night group.

Having finished distributing the blankets, Crossunite and Mary were finally starting on the bentos they had not eaten before. Neshinbara was writing up a report on the events of the day. As soon as Bertoni had arrived, he had said “This is my desk, isn’t it?”, chosen one of the two lined up there, and set up a locking spell and other things while communicating with Augesvarer via divine transmission.

It was unusual for all of the officers to be gathered like this.

Noriki, Persona-kun, Ohiroshiki, and some others who held no office were out across Musashi for their respective jobs, but that too was…

“A battle formation, hm?”

With that comment, Masazumi relaxed her shoulders.

''With Aoi as the leader…well, he is the leader, isn’t he? Technically, at least? Maybe?'' At any rate he was at the center and the others either took up position close to him or around him. They had created those positions for themselves even if they were not aware of it.

…''Is my position over there?

Masazumi thought about her position within the geometric pattern formed by tatami mats and blankets.

With bento in hand, Naomasa sighed and approached the windowsill where Masazumi stood.

“…Toh.”

She sat sideways in the windowsill space as if placing herself inside the window frame. She stuck her left half out the window, but she held onto the window frame with her right false arm.

“Keep up the good work,” she said.

“You can eat inside.”

“I might have a smoke and Adele and Suzu don’t like the smell.”

“I see,” said Masazumi as she turned to see Balfette and Mukai sleeping alongside the Satomi Student Council President. They were by the wall nearest Aoi’s group. But…

“…What is going on there?” asked Naomasa.

Mukai was collapsed in a shallow S-shape with her arms overhead, Yoshiyasu’s head rested on her left hip, and Balfette covered her from right belly to chest.

Masazumi thought back on what had happened.

“At first, the Satomi Student Council President felt sleepy and borrowed Mukai’s lap. Balfette was watching her sleep and almost instantly fell asleep herself. Mukai couldn’t support them and collapsed, so she just gave up and fell asleep herself.”

“Yeah, Suzu has a way of letting people do whatever they want if she trusts them.” There was a slight smile in Naomasa’s voice. She grabbed some food with her chopsticks as she spoke. “This is sort of made for someone on a diet, isn’t it? Instead of a lot of food, it makes you use your chopsticks more often.”

“Oh, so it makes you feel like you ate more than you did?”

“I guess you wouldn’t notice since you take small bites regardless, Masazumi.”

''Is that true?'' she wondered.

Naomasa then asked a question while grabbing some boiled sweet potato.

“What are we going to do now?”

“Well.” Masazumi responded to Naomasa’s question. “Sanada’s Principal has already gone ahead to Sanada territory because he has to get everything in order for our arrival. Sanada’s Chancellor should be staying in our diplomatic building to complete the process on our end. …With their help, the plan is for the Musashi to leave the Ariake early tomorrow morning and arrive in Sanada territory by evening.”

“Judge, judge. And once we arrive, it’s 4 days and 3 nights for the study camp, right?”

Naomasa used voice input to convert Masazumi’s explanation to text and then did some typing to fix a conversion mistake. She likely intended to inform the engine division. That said…

…''There’s no real point in telling the engine division this.

“While moving around, we’ll be taking exams in the mornings and having physical examinations and such in the afternoons, so prepare yourself.”

“…So this ''study'' camp is going to be more about testing than studying, is it?”

Masazumi looked over to see Naomasa grabbing more of her bento. ''You take pretty small bites yourself,'' she thought before correcting the other girl.

“We’re students, so we have to take care of our schoolwork first.”

“I’ve never liked schoolwork. I find war a lot more exciting and fun.”

Naruze sleepily sat up and moved her unsteady right hand as if writing in the air.

“Kindred…spirits?”

After writing out those invisible words, Naruze collapsed back onto the floor.

Naomasa looked past her prosthetic arm and at the others.

“Are those idiots going to be okay?”

“I’d say that they’re idiots, they’re okay, and they’re also dangerous.”

“Saying that isn’t going to fix them.”

Naomasa was quite strict. Could she say that because she had known them for so long?

The word “old friends” came to mind, so Masazumi asked a question.

“Where do you think Principal Sakai is planning to take us?”

“Huh? How would I know?”

“You’re from Kantou, aren’t you? You can’t make any guesses?”

“I’m from south Kantou while Sanada is in central Kantou. This was the first I’d heard of Principal Sakai having friends in Sanada. It does make sense that he would’ve used it as a route on the way to Europe. But…”

“Can you think of anything?”

“You know as well as I do, don’t you? Before he came to Musashi, Principal Sakai was demoted and sent to Edo for failing to stop the suicide of Lord Motonobu’s younger brother. He said he went around visiting some ruins.”

“——————”

That reminded Masazumi.

…''That’s right.

Back at Mikawa, he had indeed mentioned that when disembarking.

And at the time, he had said…

“He caused the name inheritor of Lord Motonobu’s heir to commit suicide…”

“Judge. Lord Motonobu’s younger brother had inherited the name of his heir: Matsudaira Nobuyasu.”

That was not the end of the story.

While speaking with Sanada Masayuki, Sakai had first said…

…''There’s nothing about a place you can’t figure out by going there, is there?

And then he had said…

…''I couldn’t figure it out when I was there. Oh, but that was the second time. And I was ordered to go that time.

“The second time?”

“I’d assume the first time was on his way to Europe,” said Naomasa.

“Judge,” replied Masazumi as she thought about this. If that was his first time, “The second time would have been…when he was visiting ruins after being demoted and sent to Edo.”

“Probably. And if that demotion was the ‘order’ he mentioned, whose order was it? And what for? That’s a bit of a mystery.”

“I see,” said Masazumi with a nod. But then she heard a sudden voice.

“Um, M-Mary-dono?”

It was Crossunite.

Tenzou was faced with a new experience.

He had never before come across this situation.

…''Dealing with a drunk busty blonde!

Mary sat in front of him and turned her unfocused eyes toward him.

Her face was red, and occasionally…

“Nn.”

She would tremble as if hiccupping.

What had caused this? The sake, obviously.

The Asama Shrine’s bentos came with sake. That sake of course contained a weariness-reducing divine protection and it would not get you drunk even if you drank it like sake. The intoxication would be purified away as a burden on the body.

But it had been a poor match for a spirit-user like Mary.

The sake spirits that lived in the sake had permeated her body after the weariness was removed. The intoxication would normally be removed as a burden and the sake spirits would be weak enough to ignore.

…''But she must have welcomed the contents of the sake in order to help remove her weariness.

Mary could normally drink wine, ales, refined sake, or shochu. She had grown up in Europe, so she had a greater tolerance for alcohol than Tenzou did.

But now she was drunk, even if only a little. As for why…

…''That would be due to the burden of the battle.

Their lives really had been on the line this time. And Tenzou remembered that Mary had cried when she came to rescue him. “That ninja” was still the 5th most searched term on the divine network. ''I can’t take this lightly.'' But…

“Listen, Master Tenzou.”

“J-judge.”

“Good. You listened.”

…''What was the point of that!?

But Mary patted her left hand on the tatami mat floor.

“Master Tenzou, you have treated me quite well, but I do have one complaint.”

“Wh-what is that!?”

Tenzou realized Masazumi and Naomasa were expressionlessly looking his way from the window beyond Mary. Naomasa moved her jaw to mouth “go on”, so what even was this situation?

But Mary could not see them and she answered his question.

“Let’s move to a bigger room soon.”

“J-judge! That’s right!”

He wholeheartedly agreed with that. After all, he was running out of room to hide the porn games that were piling up with no chance to play them. And they had gathered more possessions as they lived together. So…

“We can start by moving to a 10 square meter room and, um, you know, we can get that pot rack you’ve been-…”

“No, not that.”

Mary bluntly cut him off and suddenly straightened her wobbling head.

“I want to sleep with our futons side by side. No, if possible, in the same futon.”

Naomasa briefly froze in place, but Masazumi soon nodded to say “don’t let it bother you”. She then had Tsukinowa produce a sign frame from her shoulder:

<It’s a necessary step for the history recreation.>

…''Our relationship is being regulated! This is the dark side of a regulated society!

But Mary could not see the goings-on behind her.

“Master Tenzou, I want to be able to touch you while I sleep. I would be so happy if you were right next to me when I woke up in the morning and when I woke up in the middle of the night.”

“Well…”

“Thank you very much.”

…''I still don’t understand and did she just take that as a yes!?

Mary, however, raised her eyebrows a little and her head nodded a bit. He could tell she was sleepy, but…

“Master Tenzou. Do you know how thankful I am for you?”

Tenzou’s words briefly caught in his throat.

He had a feeling “yes” was the wrong answer, but “no” also seemed like a bad answer.

As he tried to figure out what to say, Neshinbara held up a sign fame by the wall.

<Talk about love. A love that will last more than a hundred billion nights!>

''It would seem people actually calm down when their anger reaches the limit.

But Tenzou used the words that came to him naturally.

“I am thankful for you as well, Mary-dono.”

“I am more thankful for you.”

“No, I am.”

“No, I am more thankful.”

“Are you, Mary-dono?”

“I am, Tenzou-dono.”

Mary mimicked his way of speaking and let her shoulders droop.

“After all,” she said. “Ever since coming here, I have wanted for nothing and felt so much happier than in the past.”

Tenzou did not know what to say or think.

…''Mary-dono…

He saw tears in her eyes.

She wiped the tears from her cheeks with a casual movement of her track suit sleeve.

So Tenzou opened his mouth.

“Mary-dono.”

“Wh-what is it?”

She was drunk, so would she remember this conversation? But he felt like this was something he could only say due to that uncertainty.

And he made sure to check on his surroundings.

…''They’re mostly asleep, aren’t they!?

He felt like his future was forfeit simply because the awful merchant was awake and working, but he had no choice. He also saw Naomasa and Masazumi staring out the window while blatantly keeping an ear directed his way.

But he could not let their presence bother him.

This was about Mary. So he moved his knees up toward her.

“Listen.”

''This is the reverse of earlier,'' he thought as he continued.

“I am no more than a ninja.”

That was true. He had no special ability provided by his species like a lot of the others and he was not skilled with spells.

“So I merely devote myself to the things I can do and live my life without asking for much,” he said. “But there is one luxury for which I was willing to turn my back on that lifestyle.”

“You mean…?”

“That is you, Mary-dono.”

Mary stopped moving. Then he raised his right index finger toward her.

“And now that one luxury in my life is saying she is happy with her life here. That is the greatest happiness for me and I take pride in it. I am glad I made the choices and decisions I did and I am glad I have you and everything about you.”

“Then…” More tears spilled from Mary’s eyes. “I need to make sure you make me even happier. And please tell me what I can do to make you happy. After all…”

After all…

“Your happiness is my happiness too.”

Naomasa could be heard choking on her kiseru smoke outside the window. After a while, Tenzou also heard Masazumi saying “That’s right, Naomasa. I know just how you feel.”

Regardless, Mary seemed to have calmed down. She was still drunk, but…

“Master Tenzou?”

“Judge, what is it?”

Mary patted her thigh.

What did that mean?

…''? Am I supposed to focus on her thigh?

It was a truly splendid shape.

But then Mary once more patted her thigh as if prompting him to do something.

''Eh?'' he thought with a tilt of the head. He saw her wrinkle her brow a little.

She was upset.

…''Huh? Um, wh-why? What is all this?

Mary then slapped her thigh twice, but he still did not understand.

“U-um, Mary-dono?”

“…Master Tenzou.”

She seemed to be saying “you had better understand without me telling you”. No…

…''Mary-dono would say “please understand without me needing to tell you”, wouldn’t she!

He corrected himself, but the situation remained unchanged.

“…Ah.”

Only after observing his surroundings did he understand what Mary meant.

To their left, the idiot and Horizon were using Asama as…

…''A lap pillow.

''I see!'' he realized, but he also shuddered.

At home would be one thing, but if he slept like that here, he could not even guess what the others would do if they woke up first. No, he could actually guess ''exactly'' what they would do and it scared him.

…''I would easily fill the entire top 10 search terms on the Musashi divine network!

But Mary…

“Master Tenzou.”

Looking somewhat drunk, she raised her eyebrows a little, but she looked somehow uncertain of herself. In fact, she looked on the verge of tears.

…''Mary-dono is mustering her courage, too.

When he heard her slap her thigh again, he spoke.

“Mary-dono. We are being watched.”

Masazumi saw Crossunite disappear.

…''Oh?

The ninja vanished in an instant.

“Eh?”

Even while sitting right in front of him, Mary’s shoulders jumped in surprise when he vanished. Masazumi could guess this was a ninja technique, but why use it and where had he gone?

“…Ah.”

She suddenly found Crossunite lying with his head in Mary’s lap.

Mary also finally noticed.

“Oh, dear,” she said. “Master Tenzou? Your hat is touching my chest.”

However, she did not try to remove the hat. Crossunite simply pushed the hat down over his face.

And after checking on his surroundings…

“…This is a luxury.”

“Master Tenzou?”

“What is it?”

“Next time, can I use your arm as a pillow?”

Naomasa gathered smoke into her right cheek so fast the end of her kiseru glowed red.

She then blew the pale smoke out the window through the left side of her mouth.

“…Today has been bad for my heart.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. …Hey, look. Naruze is drawing out a storyboard in her sleep.”

Something was also happening with Aoi’s group. Mitotsudaira had lost the battle against sleepiness and collapsed, so her upper body was draped over the idiot and Horizon like a cat.

And in her sleep, the Aoi Sister was opening the stomach of Asama’s inner suit, so just how fully-automatic was that entertainer sister?

''But,'' thought Masazumi as she and Naomasa looked back at them all.

“We’ll be busy in an entirely different way starting tomorrow.”

A few lights were on in the city that night.

The cross-sword information display at the end of the street said, “London – West Soho”. The display’s clock said it was 1 AM.

The road was illuminated by one light source in particular. The light came from a pub known as the Mermaid Tavern and the customers within were divided into two groups: those standing and those collapsed.

The standing group was represented by Elizabeth, who wore casual clothing and carried Ex. Caliburn, and Cecil, who wore her summer uniform. The collapsed group was represented by Jonson and Howard.

“Are you okay, Howard? Should we call your wife?”

“N-no. I-I can stand, I can stand!”

Howard grunted with effort and managed to get up on his knees.

But at that point…

“—————”

He grew expressionless.

Then he collapsed forward as if the string supporting him had snapped. His forehead made a nice sound as it slammed into the wooden floor, so Elizabeth gave an impressed nod.

“Well done, Howard. So you can pull of a prostration even while drunk off your ass. How about you, Jonson?”

“Jonson hasn’t been moving at all for a while now.”

Cavendish had joined in the festivities using a personal virtual ocean spell, but she now lay on the floor while her mermaid tail occasionally flopped weakly against the floor.

Seeing all of them, Drake spoke to Hawkins next to him.

“We’re supposed to be celebrating Mary’s victory and Walter’s recovery after returning from Russia, so this is just pathetic. I’m personally fond of wine milk, though.”

“This was the obvious result of not pacing their drinking properly. And Sir Walter left with Sir Milton after the atmosphere of the celebration started to grow dangerous.”

“Walter’s danger sense is something else,” said O’Malley as she poked the collapsed group with her staff. “Although part of that is his weakness to alcohol.”

Ivy made of ether grew from the floor and gently wrapped around the collapsed people. The ivy was green at first, but it gradually grew red.

“Are you removing the alcohol?” asked Hawkins.

“No, their blood. I’m being selective, though.”

The mermaid started flopping around, but the ivy was stronger than the drunk.

O’Malley took a bite from a skewer of fried fish and asked the Fairy Queen a question.

“You’re in a good mood, Fairy Queen. Is the alcohol affecting you?”

“H-H-H-H-Her Majesty is drunk?”

“Calm down, Dudley. Calm down and eat some desalted chicken.”

Elizabeth made sure Cecil passed some to Dudley, before…

“This is because of that. Look.”

She casually grabbed Ex. Caliburn from her hip and pointed it southeast.

“…!”

Everyone in that direction got down on the floor. And that went beyond just the Trumps in the pub. The people on the street also did so once they noticed. As did those in the building across the street and the building beyond that.

“Wah…!!”

“What is with all of you? I might be drunk, but I still know what I’m doing.”

“Fairy Queen! Fairy Queen!” said Bacon. “How do you fire that!? Show me, show me!”

“If you insist, Bacon. You fire it like this.”

She ended up blowing off the pub’s door, tearing off the roof of the building across the street, and receiving a complaint from northern M.H.R.R. which was along the path of the blast.

“F-Fairy Queen! Tomoe Gozen sent a very disrespectful message calling you a moron and telling you to die!”

“But it ''would'' be dangerous if that hit someone.”

“Fairy Queen! Fairy Queen! How would it be dangerous!? Show me, show me!”

She ended up receiving a second complaint.

Walsingham caught and brought back the blasted door with her arms.

“…Drain?” she calmly asked.

“My sister must be drunk.” Elizabeth turned her flushed face toward the unseen southeastern sky. “We share some sensations. That would be due to sharing our souls. And I have been receiving more from my sister lately.”

“Y-you mean Double Bloody Mary’s power is growing?”

“She was always the one who held me in check. I can produce my wings of light for an instant, but my sister produced enough water lilies to reach the horizon, remember? …That coincided with England’s ley lines and she was trying to protect this country. She has enough power to do so,” said Elizabeth. “But the more our feelings align, the more easily they are conveyed. I am living a happy life, so when my sister becomes aware of her own happiness…”

She laughed a little.

“She must want to let someone know. …I’m not sure if I’m really the person she most wants to know, however.”

“You seem happy, Fairy Queen.”

“This is nothing but an annoyance, Drake. Weird emotions reach me in the middle of meetings. And if they’re strong enough, physical sensations reach me as well. Or they used to. That stopped happening when-…”

“Don’t say it was when she killed the 300. I’m no good with that sort of thing.”

Drake cut Elizabeth off, so she nodded.

“Let’s just say my sister refused to pass any of her pain onto me. And I don’t mean that as an emotional story. It just means Double Bloody Mary looked down on the Fairy Queen. After all, the Testament says Elizabeth was cruel to Mary.”

“That aside,” someone cut in. It was Bacon who had been examining the merchant who had stopped moving in his prostration pose. The Great Seal of England fairy tilted his head. “Can you not send your feelings to her?”

“The thing about my sister is,” Elizabeth grabbed her glass from the counter, “she isn’t used to having things done for her even though she can’t help but want to do things for others.”

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 33|Chapter 33]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 35|Chapter 35]]
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</noinclude>

Clash of Hexennacht:Volume4 Chapter 5

2017-06-01T23:20:36Z

86.52.34.238: Corrected some errors.

==Chapter 5: There Are Also Those Going==
[[Image:Hexennacht_v04_149.png|thumb]]
''If walking together brings us closer

''Are we distant because we aren’t walking together?

The girl had not spoken with another person in a long time, so she tried to judge whether she was doing it right.

Was she talking too much?

Was she getting too excited?

Was she looking down on them?

And so on. She worried about the conversation while imagining what she looked like and how she was being seen.

But it was true that she was not changing herself to match the other person. She had no intention of making that other person uncomfortable, but she wanted to avoid restraining herself to match them.

She did not have to do that with Fleur. In fact, Fleur would not let her.

If Fleur didn’t like something, she would say so. If she liked something, she would celebrate it. But she did not hold it against the girl when she did not like something. They would say what they thought and reply with how they felt, but there was no real criticism there.

The girl asked a sudden question as Fleur paid for the gifts.

“You’re kind of refreshing, Fleur.”

“Yeah, yeah! That’s cause I took a bath!”

“No, not like that. I’m saying you just come out and say whatever you want.”

“Oh, do I?”

“You do,” confirmed the girl.

''How should I explain this?'' she wondered before finding the answer.

“You don’t try to persuade me.”

“Hm? Did I do something wrong?”

“Eh? Well, no.”

“Then it wouldn’t make sense.”

''Could you please make some sense when you speak?'' quietly thought the girl, but those leaps of logic seemed to be Fleur’s thing. That said, the girl could kind of see the logic that filled in the gap.

If she was not being accused of doing something wrong, there was no need of persuading the other person of anything.

…''Ohh.

When choosing the gifts, Fleur had made a lot of comments about what she liked and disliked, but that had all been about personal preference.

The girl had been choosing things based on the region of origin and what a recipient would want, but Fleur had only been looking at things based on what she personally would like.

And the final selections that Fleur had lined up on the corner were the ones that they had both decided would work.

The girl had recommended things based on what was “right”, but if that was all that was needed, the things Fleur liked would have vanished from the counter.

What remained were not things that she had persuaded the girl would work or things she had selected based on some logic of her own. They were simply the things she liked.

“Oh, sorry. I was a little too presumptuous, wasn’t I?”

“Press-ump-chus?”

“Um, what I mean is…I gave some weird advice.”

“That’s fine. I mean, I got to choose them in the end. You’re the better person for helping me out, and making a mistake here isn’t going to hurt anything.”

…''Ohh…

The girl grew painfully aware of her own desire for control, but she also doubted that saying that would actually get through to Fleur.

…''Is she saying I can do whatever I want since I didn’t do anything wrong?

The girl felt like that was not quite right, but she also had another thought:

“I like the way you think.”

“That’s what my mama was like!”

Fleur smiled as she grabbed the bag of gifts which was quite large. She ensured the old woman behind the counter that she could carry it and then turned toward the girl.

“Mama said not to use your power when it comes to grudges or fighting over the TV channel. And I’m bringing these to the people who stopped me when I was close to doing that!”

Since Fleur was not in Shihouin Academy, did that mean she had done something when fighting over the TV channel?

She did not seem like the type to hold a grudge, but the girl had no way of knowing the actual situation.

''Oh, trying to figure out someone else is a lot like trying to read their expression,'' she thought. And…

“——————”

Her thoughts turned to herself.

What had she been like long ago when her sister had made a lot of decisions about – or rather, critiques of – her.

She remembered trying so hard to meet her sister halfway and to read her sister’s expression that she had ended up complaining that “you’re always like this!” despite that contradicting her attempt to meet her halfway.

At the time, she had felt oppressed, so she had felt a need to push her sister back no matter what it took. But…

…''Wow.

She had seen herself as fighting back, but had her sister even been trying to persuade her of anything?

Her sister had often spoken of the logic at the base of her likes and dislikes, but if she had always left the ultimate decision with the girl…

…''No.

That was not it.

Her sister had never said the decision was the girl’s.

But…

“——————”

She had a thought while looking to Fleur.

The decision here had been Fleur’s even though the girl had never said so.

It was contradictory to think the decision was yours only if someone else gave you authorization.

How had her sister seen it?

''What is the point of this?'' she wondered to mentally distance herself from the issue. ''Why am I thinking about this now?'' she also wondered in surprise.

She had met and spoken with people like Fleur before.

So why was it only resonating with her now?

“Is something wrong?”

Fleur peered over at her from the right, so the girl shook her head.

…''I’m not sure.

“Something reminded me of old times.”

That was probably it. She had come here and learned that a familiar person had come here. When she had reached out her hand, that person had scolded her.

So was she able to think like this now because she had grown up? If so…

“Fleur. Shall we go?” The girl pointed out of the station. “You’re incredible, Fleur. More than I imagined.”

“I am incredible.”

When Fleur agreed, hope filled the girl.

“And the people who helped you out must be incredible too.”

“Hey, Hunter! Why do you have to grab the fries with your hands!?”

“Oh, c’mon. It’s too soon to become a mom, Horinouchi. Wait like 5 more years.”

“Brigadier General, please stop placing your order by saying, ‘I want everything from here to here’.”

“Mary, the standard life is not enough! Meeting people is what matters! Meeting people!”

“Wait, that’s way too much, Kagami! Keep it low enough that I can write it off as a Student Council expense!”

“Um, in that case…waiter, I want everything from here to here.”

“What did I just say!?”

Fleur was kind of hopeful about this girl with her.

She had not asked the girl’s name. After all, her mother had often told her it was rude to carelessly ask a witch her name because it might involve her true name.

Fleur’s own name was not a problem because her spell forms had been created jointly with her mother. And she was presently not exactly living as a witch.

They walked down the road.

It was still not quite night, but the late October sky was plenty dark. ''It was even darker at the dorm,'' she thought, but this was normal for here. It was the same as when she had tended to the courtyard. She remembered what the sky looked like at different times.

And she realized something about the girl as she spoke to her.

…''She’s smart!

Back when they had been buying the gifts, the girl had proven to know a lot about the specialty products, geographies, and histories of different regions of Japan. That seemed like a lot of information, but that might just be the way of things for a knowledge-type witch.

And the tempo of conversation was different.

When speaking with her mother, conversations had been all about a rapid back and forth. When they had disagreed on something, they would sometimes just agree to disagree. And even when one or the other conceded to the other’s side, they knew that was a plus. That was all because they were confident in the fact that they cared for each other.

Conversations with the Honors Division had been all about individualism. To show the proper respect to each other, they had generally never gotten any closer to each other.

She had envied the General Division on that front, but she had stayed where she was because her spells and abilities would have stood out.

That had kept her from making any friends and it had extended her life in the courtyard as the Rank 1.

But now she was successfully speaking with the girl walking alongside her.

They were not just throwing words back and forth like with her mother, but she was not keeping her distance from a complete stranger either.

They were talking about things they wanted to talk about. Fleur would tell the girl about things that happened at the dorm. The girl would tell Fleur about her family. If Fleur did not understand, she would make a joke. If it was funny, she would laugh.

Most of it was complaining, but they both partially agreed that that was just how things were.

As long as they did not take the other’s side too readily, neither one of them fully controlled the conversation and they maintained their freedom.

Fleur had learned this from her mother. Her mother had taken her side, but had once taught her this:

“Fleur, I am on your side. I will trust you no matter what. But I will not see your enemies as my enemies.”

“Why not? Isn’t that weird?”

“Because once I make your enemies my enemies, we will be controlling each other.”

She had not understood at the time, but thinking back, it had always been like that.

She fought alongside her mother plenty of times, but her mother had obviously been forcing herself to do it.

And in the very end, her mother had protected her.

If her mother had made Fleur’s enemies her enemies, then she would have attacked instead.

She would have fought back.

Of course, that would have meant using up her power and vanishing.

But her mother had made her own decision, separate from Fleur’s will, and protected Fleur.

To the end, her mother had been on her side but not been controlled by her and acted independently.

That was the reason why. So…

“—————”

Just remembering that filled her with a tremor and anger, but she understood that her mother had done what she had thought was best. Fleur herself might have been the worst back there, but her mother had not been controlled by her.

According to Lisbeth, a servant normally took its master’s emotions into account, but…

“Fleur, you are still ranked too low. Do you understand? …And you should think the same of me.”

''That last part seems like what she really wanted to say, but I guess it doesn’t matter.

At any rate, she had come to understand her mother’s stance while tending to the field in the reconstructed region. She could distance herself from the unpleasant things by staying busy and she had seen a certain meaning in that.

Before, she had felt perfectly happy just remaining by her mother’s side, but she could now think back on their conversations as being quite meaningful.

And when she looked back at her memories like that, she regretted how little she had understood at the time and mourned the loss of her mother here now, but she was glad she at least had the option of reporting on these things in front of her mother’s grave.

She had changed a lot.

She had a lot of thoughts on all this, but so much could remain the same because her mother had made sure everything was in order. If she had been controlled by her mother, she could not have been like this now.

As for the girl walking alongside her…

“What is it?”

The way she looked over reminded Fleur so much of herself.

The sister who often came up in the girl’s stories was the opposite case from Fleur’s mother.

That sister had apparently been a powerful enemy of the girl’s desire to be an author. The girl had tried to get her sister to say she liked her stories, but she had gone too far and ended up getting into arguments.

But the girl seemed to understand that liking something was about personal preference, not objective logic.

Fleur found it interesting how the stories the girl told had the mysterious skill to make her say “Really!?” She often came across it in manga and dramas, but she could now tell that the mechanism really did exist.

She did not understand it quite enough to say “I see”, but she was pretty sure the girl was right about her and her sister not quite being on the same page.

Her sister had her preferences and her sister could explain what those were, but when the girl heard that, she felt like she was being rejected.

But that was not it.

Her sister was merely ''explaining'' that she liked things her way, so she could not quite see what was so great about one particular aspect and she found some other aspect more appealing.

…''Yeah.

The girl wanted to overturn that in her own way, so she likely wanted her sister to fully face her.

And she seemed to have realized that about herself.

“It’s exhausting.”

“Oh, yeah. Knowing that only makes the hurdle taller, doesn’t it?”

“That’s right,” said the girl. “I mean, I need to think about what my sister meant when she would talk about the way she likes things.”

“Isn’t that simple? …After she gave the reasons for her critique, she didn’t tell you to change your story to match, right?”

“You mean…?”

Fleur’s mother had not been controlled by Fleur to the very end.

And Fleur had not been controlled by her mother.

So when her mother had vanished, it had been of her mother’s free will. So…

“She was telling you to do whatever you wanted. And to do it in a way that she and everyone else could understand.”

''I see,'' thought Fleur.

When she saw the girl’s look of surprise, she trusted that she had said the right thing.

Back then, her mother had seen her off while remaining herself as much as possible.

That way Fleur could be with others while remaining free.

This was the same.

So Fleur said more.

“I hope you can make something that can be enjoyed by not just your sister but everyone else – like me – as well. When you do, I’ll show it off to my mama. And to everyone else too.”

“Oh, um, sure…”

The girl looked sort of pale when she faced Fleur.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, um…”

The girl had been trembling a bit for a while now, but now she took a deep breath.

“I’m not so sure.”

“About what?”

The girl responded with a lowered-eyebrows smile.

“Can I really catch up to what I created?”

“Eh?”

Fleur did not understand what that meant. But just from the sound of it…

“That was kind of cool!”

“R-really?”

“Yeah!”

After a pause, the girl gave a thumbs up.

“Yes, yes,” said Fleur to show her approval. The girl then chose the right path at a fork in the road. The path to the left looked brighter, but…

“Oh, if you’re going to that family restaurant, this way’s faster. …This should take us there.”

It did not. “Huhhh?” said the girl with a tilt of her head. Fleur patted her on the shoulder and they laughed together as they walked back the way they had come.

As they did, a sudden voice spoke up.

“You are getting carried away.”

It came from the girl’s handbag. Fleur was a little surprised, but then she remembered the girl was a witch.

“Your servant?”

“Oh, yes. That’s right,” she answered with a tone of resignation but a definite smile. “It’s named Amaze.”

Hunter was more interested in Fleur’s whereabouts than the fries.

She was pretty sure the other girl could make it on her own since they were the same age, but she also wanted to avoid not noticing when she arrived.

…''I really can’t see outside the window…

She had learned over the past few days just how dark it got outside, but it was more of a problem today. But she could not use a night vision spell inside the bright restaurant, so she asked a question of Horinouchi who sat across the table from her.

“Horinouchi, can I use an infrared night vision spell?”

“Going the see-through route, Hunter!?” asked Kagami.

“What are you two planning!?” protested Horinouchi.

“Don’t react to middle school level knowledge,” complained Hunter.

That got annoying fast.

So she instead opened a communication spell circle and contacted the 7th Fleet.

“Oh, hello? I can use GPS, so can you cast some ether detection from overhead on an anti-personnel level? There’s a geosynchronous satellite up there right now, isn’t there?”

“Did you hear that, Song Café!? Hunter’s target is an individual! What has come over that girl!? Is it a rival in love!? Or a guy who rejected her!? Does it even matter!?”

“Don’t open the firing tube without my authorization!!”

''I hope this doesn’t end badly,'' thought Hunter, but she was fairly certain Song Café would help keep things under control. If Song Café was not there at the moment…oh, well.

At any rate, the GPS spell circle she held displayed the surrounding area as viewed from the sky. It was a real time view that updated every 3 seconds. The resolution was 5cm per pixel. Since the disturbance of the air was removed, it was quite well done and a person was displayed with about 6-9 pixels.

It was dark, but by increasing the brightness and reducing the color saturation, the streetlights and lights from homes stood out. She could see the streets quite clearly.

She also saw the people walking there. Due to the ether detection placed over the image, the people emitted light.

The ether light seen through the family restaurant’s roof was brightest for Mary, followed by Horinouchi and then Hunter. She tapped the screen to check on each of them.

Kagami was unable to carry ether with her, so nothing was visible for her. Also…

…''Is this her?

An especially large ether reading was walking from the station along the main road they had seen earlier.

It was Fleur. She was apparently not using spells for her rehabilitation, and that may have been why her ether was only partially leaking out.

At any rate, Hunter had located her.

“Have you located Fleur, Rank 3?” asked Mary who sat next to her.

“Yes, she’s on her way here. She should arrive in about 3 minutes, I think.” Hunter breathed a sigh of relief. “But it would probably be best if we went out to meet her when she arrives. …After all, she’s ''coming alone'', so she might not know this is the right place.”

Fleur realized the girl’s pace was gradually growing lighter.

…''Does she like family restaurants?

The girl had said she often went to this one. She had used it to rest when she was feeling unwell and she had mentioned her sister as usual.

It seemed to be an important place to her.

But Fleur did have a question: The girl had said nothing about meeting someone there, so why was her pace growing lighter?

A word familiar to Fleur suddenly came to mind.

…''A grave?

That was where no one was waiting for you and yet someone was still waiting for you.

Of course, a family restaurant was not a graveyard. Then was it a prominent location from her memories where she went to think about things and report on her current self, just like Fleur did when she visited her mother’s grave?

Fleur had someone waiting for her.

Did that make her fortunate when compared to this girl? And while she thought about that…

“Ah, wait, wait.”

“Eh?”

The girl must not have noticed her pace had gotten so quick. She briefly looked shocked but then smiled and looked back toward Fleur.

“…Oh, sorry. I was feeling kind of impatient.”

“For someone who claims to fall ill easily, you sure are energetic.”

“That might be thanks to Amaze.”

“They do say illness starts from the mind,” said the handbag.

“That’s true,” agreed Fleur. And, “Want to join us inside?”

The girl thought for a bit as they walked below a streetlight. And finally…

“Hmm, no thanks. I’ll stay on my own.”

“I see.”

Fleur nodded and felt no regret. The girl must have been prioritizing her own memories. Probably memories of her sister.

Fleur just had to wait until they left to think about what to do.

“We’ll probably be making a lot of noise, so if you change your mind, feel free to join us.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Fleur waved a hand dismissively as they approached the light shining from the family restaurant.

And then the girl spoke quietly.

“I wonder if people like you will be able to stop me.”

“…? From doing what?”

“When I try to do something bad.”

“Isn’t that for your sister to do?”

“Most likely, my sister is to me what your mama was to you. And…”

And…

“If I can’t stop myself, I’ll never be able to stop relying on my sister.”

…''Hm?

Something seemed off about that. Fleur thought about what it was, and…

“The only options for stopping you are ''us'' or ''you alone''?”

“Eh?”

The girl did not seem to understand what that meant. She laughed as they both entered the light.

“That’s right. Thank you, Fleur.”

As she said that, the family restaurant door opened from the inside. Fleur assumed it would be some customers leaving, but it turned out to be the group she was meeting there.

…''Oh, they’re all there.

Fleur was still with the girl, so she decided it would be best to introduce her.

And when the girl looked straight ahead instead of at Fleur…

“Um, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want, but what is your name?”

As soon as she asked that…

“…Shouko?”

The answer came from straight ahead.

From Kagami.

Everyone looked back at her as she froze in place with the restaurant’s light shining from behind her.

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| Forward to [[Clash_of_Hexennacht:Volume4_Chapter_6|Chapter 6]]
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</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 32

2017-06-01T00:58:19Z

86.52.34.238: Fixed two typos.

==Chapter 32: Giant Arriving Forms==
[[Image:Horizon5B_161.jpg|thumb]]
''I have roared

''Do you ever roar?

'''Point Allocation (Different Paths)

“It seems our teachers have made an appearance.”

A woman’s voice spoke above the dirt and accumulated conifer leaves at the bottom of the darkness.

After a while, there was a mechanical sound, but the next voice came from a different direction than that.

“Stop it, Mochizuki. You’ll just give away our position.”

“Testament. Understood, Kakei-sama. …I thought Unno-sama would be redoing her makeup.”

“Don’t worry about that,” said Unno as he looked up into the darkness.

A forest of tall conifer trees gave occasional glimpses of the dark blue night sky overhead. There was nothing visible in those small regions of sky, but instead…

“Takigawa’s accompanying ships have gone to protect the Shirasagi Castle. Based on the sound of their fall, only the Shirasagi Castle’s starboard ship is in any kind of recognizable shape.”

“Maybe this will reduce how responsible we’re held for retreating. I’m hoping people will look at it as the tenants not standing a chance when their landlady was beaten so badly.”

In the darkness, something was heard being stretched out and attached.

“Kakei-sama, about your bone fracture…”

“I’ll sleep with this repair seal attached. It’s forceful, but I can’t move around until the bone is connected again.”

“Are you planning a second round?”

“Of course. Our teachers have shown up and we haven’t been freed from our job working for Takigawa. P.A. Oda hasn’t checked on everything either.”

Also…

“I seriously doubt the academy is going to ask P.A. Oda if their ninjas can come home. They’re more likely to say their ninjas are fine and can keep fighting. I mean, Miyoshi-san is in charge right now.”

“Yeah.” Unno smiled bitterly. “Musashi is apparently holding a study camp, but they’ll be back here in a few days. Until then…”

“Testament.” Mochizuki tossed a dark sign frame to both of them. “This is your recovery schedule for the 2-3 nights until Musashi returns. I have already been repaired, so you two must follow this schedule starting tonight.”

“I think I kinda like that side of you,” said Kakei.

“Thank you very much,” said Mochizuki with a nod. And…

“…”

A long roar rumbled in from the distant sky.

The leaves shook and the sleeping birds stirred.

And at the bottom of that gathering of noise, Kakei took a deep breath and spoke.

“That would be Sasuke-sensei…”

“Testament.” Unno could be heard lightly spreading out a portable blanket as she responded. “Our teacher is already gone. …I wonder if those 2 feel lonely.”

After all…

“That roar sounded really happy.”

Masazumi heard a dragon laugh for the very first time.

Of course, this was her first clear encounter with a dragon. Behind her, the Date Vice Chancellor felt the need to speak.

“I suppose not even a certain idiotic half-dragon would stand a chance against that.”

“Oh? Do you want my help?”

Curious about that, Masazumi asked her about it.

“Date Vice Chancellor… Are you knowledgeable about dragons?”

“A lot of Terrestrial Dragons live in the north…or rather, in Europe and the mountains east of Kantou. The winged Celestial Dragons, on the other hand, wanted a proper home, so they are more scattered around. …They mostly live in Europe, east of Kantou, or along the line from Chubu to central Oushuu. And…”

And…

“I believe the primary faction of Celestial Dragons chose Sanada as their home. …I think Masamune would know more about this.”

“No, that’s enough. In that case, would they be former nonhuman students?”

“Judge,” confirmed the Date Vice Chancellor. “If he poses a physical challenge, I could take him on.”

“Ho ho?” said Sasuke.

He slowly moved his giant body. The people on the Musashi scattered out of the way as he leaned toward the ship.

“We once took part in the suppression of the Germanic peoples and destroyed Europe, but a little girl thinks she can challenge us? I could fire my dragon cannon here and take care of you all. In fact, I kind of want you to give me the opportunity. I could use a warmup exercise before my first rampage in a long, long time.”

“I apologize for interrupting your excitement, but could you possibly leave?” asked Masazumi.

She checked the sign frame in her hand to make sure the firing unit and defense unit primarily composed of gods of war were spread out in a fan shape around Sasuke.

“With such a sudden visit, we can hear what you have to say, but we can’t be very hospitable.”

“Judge. That is correct,” said Horizon to help out.

Masazumi gasped and checked Horizon’s hands. Beyond Horizon, Mitotsudaira prepared for action and communicated with Masazumi via eye contact

''She isn’t showing any sign of a surprise Logismoi Oplo attack!

''Restrain her if she does!

Masazumi was also worried about the way Neshinbara was staring at Sasuke with an autograph sheet in hand. ''Wait, he has 2 autograph sheets…

Then Horizon took a step forward.

“Sasuke-sama was it? Why are you so concerned about us visiting Sanada? Is there some kind of secret there?”

“Indeed there is.”

“Then how about we make a deal? …If you tell us that secret, we will not visit Sanada.”

…''Calm down…!

Masazumi stared at Horizon’s face, but this was simply too novel. ''In fact, I kind of feel like I haven’t been in control of the negotiations today.

The dragon briefly stopped speaking, but before long…

“I would be willing to tell you if you let me fire my dragon cannon here.”

“Fire it at what?”

Horizon looked around and everyone, including the normal citizens down below, fled or took cover.

Masazumi also looked around at them all.

“We might all be in trouble if this ''dragon'' cannon business were to ''drag on'' much longer. …Just kidding.”

Masazumi heard everything fall silent.

A few seconds passed, a few more motionless breaths passed, and she nodded.

“That must have been too novel for everyone.”

With an odd sweat pouring down her face, Horizon silently placed a hand on Masazumi’s shoulder.

And why were Mitotsudaira and Asama looking the other away and hanging their heads? On the folded-up upper armor of the Ariake’s starboard side, Sasuke faced north.

“Kah…”

He produced a noise from his throat as he breathed in.

“Peh.”

The white dragon spat a phlegmy breath into the sky.

…''He’s certainly confident.

Did that come from his pride as a dragon or his power as one?

But Masazumi saw Sakai open his mouth in a horizontal smile.

…''What?

It looked like he was enjoying himself. And as Masazumi tried to figure out why that would be…

“Huh…?”

Mukai held her hands out toward the port-side to the left of the bridge.

She looked like she was trying to grab and enlarge something in the air, but then she hesitated.

“What…is this?”

[[Image:Horizon5B_169.jpg|thumb]]

She tilted her head.

“Just as the 2nd generation said, you are indeed incredible!”

With that voice, something appeared in the sky to port.

It was a dragon. A pitch black one.

“I am the original generation Kirigakure Saizou. Remember that!”

Asama gasped.

…''He slipped past our local quarantine system!?

''No,'' she answered herself. ''As long as the concept of land exists, any intrusion by an outsider will be detected. We also recently increased the sensitivity for security purposes.'' And…

“What is this…?”

Several sign frames judging him non-local opened around Saizou after he appeared. And a report was sent to Asama.

He had been detected.

But not while he was hidden.

…''What does that mean…?

She did not know. But it was true that Suzu had noticed. Asama made a mental note to ask her about that later, but then she noticed something else.

“Ah! Suzu-san!”

“Oh? So your name is Suzu.”

It happened the instant Saizou turned his giant face toward Suzu.

Surprised by the dragon’s sudden appearance and loud voice, Suzu leaned back to look up into the heavens.

“Wah…”

It started as a simple voice.

“Wahhhhhhhh!!!!”

But she soon wailed at the top of her lungs.

“Nwoh,” said Saizou as he leaned back.

…''I screwed up there!

He had spoken in surprise and joy without thinking.

''Not good, not good. Now that I think about it, whether we’re talking about Unno or Isa, all the girls at our place would only laugh if you shouted at them.

''This reaction is certainly refreshing… No, I was simply careless,'' concluded Saizou. So…

“Yeah, sorry about that…”

But she seemed to have completely panicked.

“Ah…!”

Hearing his voice only brought back the shock from before. ''What am I supposed to do about this?'' he wondered as Sasuke spoke from the starboard side.

“Saitou, you’re such a fool.”

“Damn you…!”

“Wahhhhhh!!” cried the girl.

“See? She’s crying again thanks to your voice.”

“Wahhhh!”

The girl named Suzu trembled and accurately pointed at both Saizou to port and Sasuke to starboard.

“I-I don’t l-like…these people!”

Sasuke wrinkled his brow at that.

So Saizou also moved as if looking up at him.

…''That’s what you get!

Sasuke glared at him, but he did not care. However, this situation was not conducive to conversation. As he wondered what to do, Musashi’s shrine maiden took action.

“L-look, Suzu-san? There’s a butt-shaped cushion on my chest. Oh, but there’s nothing impure about this.”

She comforted Suzu with some contradictory statements. Then some students carrying anti-god of war rifles arrived from the bottom of the stairs and from the academy’s front entrance.

“Are you the ones that made Musashi’s precious bangs girl cry!?”

“You might be dragons, but we stand unified against all who defile our genre!”

“Exactly right! This is our courage! It’s a definite trust that will carry us through to tomorrow!”

There were a few dozen of them, but Saizou was more worried about their sanity than anything.

“Your parents would cry,” he warned them.

“Heh heh. Silly dragon! Have you lived so long you’ve forgotten what parents are like!?” Musashi’s dancer pointed at him from the center of the bridge. “Everyone’s parents’ final genre is ‘my husband’ or ‘my wife’! So as they raise us, they can’t complain when we get hooked on a genre that will eventually lead to the next generation! Everyone looks to reality and learns what their heart desires so they can adjust their genre to match their husband or wife. If you forget that and reject the entire idea of genres, then you end up with nothing more than a mechanical act of combining that is void of all dreams!”

“I see. That does make sense.”

“Yay!” celebrated the dancer as she groped a nearby Loup Garou’s breasts. The meaning of that action was unclear, but Saizou guessed it was some sort of ritual. However…

“That said, we are Celestial Dragons, which makes us a type of spirit. We generally have no parents and are born from the natural world’s ley lines or an ether ‘mold’. So, dancer, we can only understand this idea of yours as a feeling.”

“Kimi! Kimi! He defeated your argument on a species level!”

“That’s fine! Now, Mitotsudaira, you grope me!”

The meaning of that was entirely unclear, but in the meantime, Musashi’s shrine maiden, nudist, and automaton princess had comforted the girl named Suzu and stopped her crying.

…''Hm.

They had visited this unfamiliar land for a greeting while having some fun, but…

“What’s so funny, Sakai?”

“Oh, nothing. I know I shouldn’t be laughing.”

“I feel the need to thank you for that time twenty-odd years ago.”

“You know you can’t do that. It wouldn’t make them very happy.”

“…I am in your debt.”

On the other side, Sasuke also nodded. But…

“This is not in lieu of thanks, but we will give you a warning.”

“Judge, judge.” Sakai waved toward Sasuke. “No need. They’re all going. It’s…well, you know. When I destroyed it, I didn’t really understand anything, but my actions still had meaning.”

Saizou remained motionless in response to Sakai’s words. He simply breathed like normal and followed Sasuke’s lead.

“If they go there and enter our land, there will be a battle,” said Sasuke.

“So you’re sending the young Sanada maser to Hashiba?”

“Testament. He will be given favorable battle results against Matsudaira for a better position within Hashiba’s forces. Sanada has received word that, if Musashi’s forces fight on Sanada land,” Sasuke breathed a glowing sigh, “it will be counted as a recreation of the First Siege of Ueda between Sanada and Matsudaira.”

'''Novice:''' “Now! Tonight’s Super Neshinbara Time has arrived!”

'''Unturning:''' “The First Siege of Ueda is the post-Nobunaga battle in which Matsudaira fights and drives out Sanada after having defeated Hashiba at Komaki Nagakute. …At the time, Sanada was allied with Matsudaira, but as terms for allying with Matsudaira, Houjou demanded Sanada’s Ueda Castle. When Matsudaira attempted to do so, Sanada fought a defensive battle.”

'''Tachibana Wife:''' “Stating the conclusion first and giving the details second? That is an explanation based on the rules of comprehension.”

'''Flat Vassal:''' You can really see the difference in personality…”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “Yes, some people have very roundabout personalities. I won’t name names, but it’s Neshinbara.”

'''Novice:''' “Are you saying that’s just one name and not ‘names’!? Is that what this is!?”

Masazumi crossed her arms.

The request for Sanada to recreate the First Siege of Ueda had likely been made during the previous meeting. A Hashiba member other than Katagiri must have done it.

…''This is real pain.

If they recreated the First Siege of Ueda, they could not withdraw from Sanada and they could not ally themselves with Houjou. But…

“History recreations take priority over school events. For Hashiba, this prevents us from allying ourselves with Houjou. For us, it allows us to complete a history recreation from after Nobunaga’s death.”

“Then will you be doing it?” asked Sakai.

He then asked a sudden question while looking to Sasuke.

“How many are still alive?”

Sasuke took a slow, deep breath before answering.

“Of those from 800 years ago, only 3 Celestial Dragons remain. There are still a lot of Terrestrial Dragons, but not as many as before.”

“Could I visit their graves?”

“Spirit dragons leave no bones behind. The Terrestrial Dragons are different, though. …Have a drink in their honor in Sanada land.”

“I see.” Sakai’s shoulders lowered. “So we ended up as enemies after all.”

“Testament.”

Masazumi saw Sasuke’s body briefly lower down. He was preparing to take flight and leave. His giant body would spring up and float, but…

“Please wait.”

Musashi’s princess fired a Logismoi Oplo at Sasuke.

“Waaaaaiiiiiit!!”

The Sanada father and son yelled at them, but Masazumi ignored it. No true Musashi resident would let this surprise them.

…''I’m not sure how much I want to be a true Musashi resident, though…

“Masazumi! Why are you hanging your head!?”

But it was not just the one attack.

There were two movements.

The first was Futayo, who stood by Horizon’s side, turning to stand back to back with Horizon and raising Tonbo Spare. She then spoke to Saizou who was reflected in the blade.

“Bind, Tonbo Spare…!”

At the same time, something appeared in the sky.

…''Defense barriers!

They appeared in order to separate Sasuke and Saizou from the Musashi group. “Musashi” had lightly raised her hand to protect them. Also…

“I will not allow you to escape. Over.”

The barriers overlapped above Sasuke and Saizou’s heads to form a shallow dome.

Immediately afterwards, the Tachibana Husband raised his voice.

“If this does not hit them, they are the real deal!”

''What does that mean?'' wondered Masazumi just as the result was seen.

Mitotsudaira saw Muneshige fall to his knees with a smile on his face.

Around them, all motion had stopped.

Horizon had fired at about 20% power, Futayo had used Tonbo Spare, and “Musashi” had raised the defense barriers. Those 3 and everyone else spoke in unison:

“They’re the real deal…?”

Sasuke and Saizou had entirely vanished. They were gone. And that meant…

…''They left?

Nothing remained to answer that question, but…

“Nn.”

Suzu trembled while Kimi embraced her from behind. A moment later, a roar reached them from the distant sky. No, two of them did. The first sounded like ferocious laughter and the other sounded like a great sigh.

“I-it’s those…people…”

Asama looked to her sign frame and nodded in agreement with Suzu’s hesitant interpretation. She showed concern for Suzu while also giving Masazumi and Mitotsudaira a raised-eyebrows look.

“They have withdrawn.”

Mitotsudaira gasped a bit at what Asama said.

“I was able to detect them flying away. But…”

“But?”

“I must investigate the sudden appearance of that one dragon. We have increased our security level, so this is nothing but an embarrassment for the Asama Shrine.”

Asama took a breath and relaxed her shoulders.

Mitotsudaira decided to say something to her.

“U-um…”

Even if she said not to worry about it, further investigation was necessary. Not worrying about it would be weird.

Simply telling her to do her best would probably be best for now, but that felt irresponsible.

Trying to cheer her up with an offer to go eat yakiniku would be perfect, but why did that seem too self-serving? And as she considered all this…

…''Wow…

Yet again, she was getting trapped by her own harmless but troublesome thoughts.

But then she remembered something.

About half a month before, on the way from IZUMO to Magdeburg, she had been similarly trapped by these endlessly circling thoughts, but she had managed to shake free of them.

“—————”

She thought back to then. She had been unsure what to do about her situation or how to act around Mary, but what had she done in the end?

The memory she found was not a bad one. What she found was…

…''That’s right.

“Tomo.”

Mitotsudaira realized that her personality caused her to hesitate when it came to worries, concerns, and cheering others up. But if it only made her hesitate, then she only had to look at it this way:

…''It’s okay.

They were classmates and friends. She sometimes found herself questioning their actions, but, well, that was just the kind of relationship it was.

However, that relationship was accompanied by their recognition of each other’s skill. So…

“We will leave that to you.”

Mitotsudaira would not even know where to start with this and Asama had the necessary skills.

So she would leave it to her. That was all there was to it.

There was no need to hesitate.

“Only you can do this, Tomo. If anything happens, just tell me. I will help to the best of my ability.”

The meaning of those words changed Asama’s expression. First, her eyebrows rose and she did not seem to understand what she had just been told. But then her eyes narrowed in a smile.

“I can handle it.”

“You sure can.”

Mitotsudaira looked over to that voice from between Horizon and Futayo. The idiot sat there looking back and forth between Horizon’s skirt and the gap in Futayo’s skirt. He ignored the two armed girls who glared back at him and he spoke to Asama instead.

“You have a pretty good idea of what this was, don’t you?”

“I wouldn’t call it a ‘pretty good’ idea when I have no proof whatsoever.”

Asama’s words were belied by her light tone. She turned toward Suzu in Kimi’s arms.

“Suzu-san, can I ask you about something later?”

“A-about those…p-people?”

“Yes. About them. Also…can I ask you something too, Mary?”

“Judge.” Mary took a step forward from the 1st Special Duty Officer’s side. “There was something that caught my attention about this as well. I think we can figure this out if we all compare what we found odd. And Master Tenzou too…”

“Judge. There was something a little odd about that compared to normal covert ninja techniques. I can at least provide my thoughts on the matter.”

“Heh heh. That settles it then.” Kimi narrowed her eyes toward the distant roars to the west. “We’ll go to Sanada for our study camp. We need to make those dragons cry for mocking us and making Suzu cry.”

“That would be it, yes.”

Masazumi heard a hint of cheerfulness in Sakai’s voice.

He gave a light wave of his hand to tell her to stay here a while longer. And then…

“Hey, Toori.”

“Eh?”

The idiot who had been comparing Horizon and Futayo’s butts was now wrapped in Mitotsudaira’s chains.

“What is it, Principal?” asked the chain-wrapped nudist.

“Well, I can guess how most of this is going to go, so let me tell you as well. …Go to Sanada for your study camp, Toori. These two will probably go on ahead and prepare the place for you. And then fight the 1st Siege of Ueda.”

“Principal, did Sanada help you out in the past?”

“Judge.”

There was a lot they did not know about Sakai’s past, but there was one thing they had learned on the way here. So Masazumi used that knowledge to make a guess.

“Did you pass through Sanada territory to get to Europe when fighting the Pope-Chancellor?”

“Judge. That’s pretty much it.”

He readily admitted it, but that did not account for Sanada Masayuki’s bowing. What had happened?

“Will we find out when we go there?”

“Masazumi-kun, there’s nothing about a place you can’t figure out by going there, is there?”

Sakai raised the corners of his mouth.

“But,” he continued with a hand on his chin. “I couldn’t figure it out when I was there. Oh, but that was the second time. And I was ordered to go that time.”

“The second time?”

“Judge,” confirmed Sakai as “Musashi” glared at him from his side.

“This is all news to me. Over.”

“Well, you were still just an OS back then, ‘Musashi’-san. Do you want to hear about those times?”

“There is no point in discussing a version of myself that I do not remember. Over.”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “Why does she sound so confident that it would be about her?”

'''Gold Mar:''' “Are you gonna draw this one, Ga-chan?”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “That would be undeniable defiance of authority… But perhaps that would be perfect for a Technohexen.”

“But,” said “Musashi”. “We have our own security in place using our management system as automatons. Since we did not detect this until they were that close, I can only judge it-…”

Just as “Musashi” prepared to say “a failure”, Ohiroshiki raised his hand.

''What is this about?'' wondered Masazumi, so she prompted him to speak with an “ah?”

“Wh-what kind of pathetic prompting was that!?”

“Just say what you have to say.”

“Okay, then.” Ohiroshiki looked to the two from Sanada. “Since this is a pain, couldn’t Uqui-kun torture them until they spill the beans on all the dragons’ techniques and such?”

“W-wait!” Sanada’s Chancellor frantically got up. “Sanada’s reputation is on the line here!”

“Papa! Sacrifice yourself for my safety!”

“Damn you!”

But Neshinbara shook his head and looked to Ohiroshiki.

“We would not look very cool if we-…I mean, that would look bad politically.”

“Did about 80% of your real reason slip out there?”

“Don’t worry about it, Ariadust-kun. …Now, to get back on topic, if we did that, all of the small nations would grow wary of Musashi. That would be especially bad with how many people should be defecting to Musashi from here on. Even if they were on the run, we do not want Musashi to be seen as a place that forces people to give us their nation’s information.”

“Yes, we can’t have all of our doujinshis being torture ones.”

“Precisely, Naruze-kun. …Wait, that’s not it at all, Naruze-kun. Please listen.”

“Think before you speak!!”

Everyone yelled at him, but Neshinbara only pushed his glasses up his nose and looked to Masazumi.

“Besides, you know what they are saying, don’t you?”

“I do.” Masazumi nodded and looked to the two from Sanada. “We will still prepare a residence in Mito for Sanada Nobuyuki, but we are visiting Sanada territory for a study camp. I would like for you and Masayuki to return to Sanada territory once more. We will send out a ship, so could you arrange for our arrival in Sanada territory for our study camp?”

“Testament…!” Masayuki bowed his head and forced his son’s head down as well. “If that will help preserve Sanada!”

Masazumi glanced over at Sakai who shrugged and nodded.

The people in front of them were apparently not the type to lie. She had already understood that, but the Principal’s confirmation meant a lot.

“Very good.”

That was all she said before facing south from the bridge.

There was a sign frame there and she spoke to the boy displayed on it.

“Katagiri Katsumoto. …Musashi has decided on its destination for the school event. I assume you have no complaints.”

Katagiri slowly nodded at the Musashi Vice President’s words.

He pictured a map of the Far East from Kantou to Chubu and he thought about the location of the various powers there.

…''Sanada is close to Houjou.

They likely intended to head to Houjou after completing their study camp in Sanada.

'''Kuro-Take:''' “I think that negotiation turned out well, Katagiri-kun.”

That was Takenaka. She was complimenting him, but he had one thing to ask her.

'''□□凸:''' “Takenaka-san, were you the one that suggested Sanada recreate the First Siege of Ueda?”

'''Kuro-Take:''' “Are you mad?”

“No,” answered Katagiri.

'''□□凸:''' “It was your instructions that struck back and drove them to action. I was only losing ground.”

'''Kuro-Take:''' “You prevented Musashi from reducing the length of their study camp, didn’t you? It’s set at 3 days and 2 nights but with another day and night included for travel. …Do you have any idea how much funding and personnel it takes to keep an enemy stopped for 3 or more days in war? That’s how much you won us in this single negotiation.”

If so, he was grateful.

…''I still have a lot to learn.

Katagiri then began searching for someone beyond Musashi’s Vice President.

Was that shrine maiden there?

He was briefly confused when he saw the Asama Shrine’s gunner shrine maiden, but she was different. The real one was blonde. But…

…''She isn’t there.

He could see Musashi’s Chancellor nude but wrapped in chains and being lectured by the silver wolf and others, but what was that about? He thought that boy needed to take his life more seriously.

However…

“Does Musashi intend to complete its study camp before summer break begins?”

“That is our business,” said their Vice President. “We don’t have to tell you.”

“Testament,” he replied. And…

'''□□凸:''' “What should I do, everyone? I think we could send someone to that place.”

'''Llaf:''' “Even if we could use Takigawa-sama, I do not think we should split up our forces at the moment. …I believe our only option is to prepare ourselves for the worst and rely on Sanada’s Nobushige faction.”

'''Tsurugi:''' “My role leaves me emptyhanded, so once I’m ready, I can head near the border. After all, I can move around if I’m within range of Mori-san’s forces.”

'''□□凸:''' “Then please do.”

'''Tsurugi:''' “…”

'''□□凸:''' “Nagayasu-san?”

'''Tsurugi:''' “Eh? …Oh, um, yes, I’ll do my best. I’ll do my best, okay!?”

Had he said anything to surprise her? At any rate, he sent his acknowledgment and then looked to the ''lernen figur''.

To the Musashi forces visible on that screen, they were a large nation. And he was that large nation’s agent. He had corrected Musashi when it came to school event equality, so there was one thing he had to say without fear.

“I hope you make some nice memories during your study camp in Sanada, Musashi.”

“Judge. To be honest, given who’s going, the odds are slim any of the memories will be worth remembering, but that’s just how it is. …You have my thanks for approving this.”

Just as she ended the divine transmission, Musashi’s Vice President spoke quietly.

“Until we meet again.”

“Weren’t you being a little too charitable back there, Saizou?”

“Ninja techniques are always found out eventually. The question is what you do afterwards.”

A voice responded at cloud level while traveling west.

Sasuke and Saizou, the white and black dragons, tore through the night sky.

They turned their eyeballs backwards in their long slit-like eye sockets to view the Ariake behind them.

Their vision contained the light of the place they had just left.

“Compared to the distant past, mankind has eliminated their anxieties by gathering into groups and surrounding themselves with light.”

“Are you a poet now, Sasuke?”

“You have lived as long as I have, so you should understand, too.”

Sasuke flapped his 6 main wings to lift himself higher in the sky. Saizou turned his body to increase the air resistance enough to knock his body higher.

Saizou was a little slower, but Sasuke glided to match.

“Mankind’s methods of driving out their anxieties are always a threat to us.”

“Meanwhile, we are anxiety itself to mankind. So are we mankind’s enemy?”

“That cannot be the case. …How could we coexist in Sanada now if it were?”

“Well.” The strength left Saizou’s voice. “It must be an issue of intelligence and pride. Once we exchange words, we can generally coexist as long as we do not act on emotion. That is what we did and that is why we came here.”

“It’s a little late to ask now…but was remaining in Europe just too much to bear?”

It took several seconds before he answered that question. But…

“You answer first, Sasuke.”

“That was 400 years ago. My memories have faded a fair bit.”

Sasuke used his wings to move out ahead. Saizou followed and tried to fly up alongside him.

The wind loudly struck the dragon’s giant body and Sasuke spoke.

“Being one of mankind’s anxieties is a difficult thing. The Loup Garous must have experienced something similar.”

“Experienced what exactly?”

“Mankind will isolate its most brutal anxieties and allow them to fade. It is a fantastic method. After all…”

Sasuke raised his head somewhat as he looked far into the western sky.

“Those who remained in Europe proudly proclaimed that mankind was ignoring them because they were powerful, but they were really being isolated. …After all, mankind once defeated the dragons. The isolation was only a way of avoiding something troublesome. We had already been weakened, so nothing would change no matter what we did. Not even fighting us was a way of dealing with us without even viewing giving us the dignity of being their enemy.”

Sasuke breathed a sigh wrapped in ether light.

“The most troublesome thing about mankind is the way they don’t brag about being the strongest of all creatures. We have our pride as a higher being, but that is why we were satisfied with our cage of vainglory.”

“That’s because we’re powerful as individuals,” said Saizou with a tone that said “how many times have we discussed this now?” “They only seem strongest when gathered as a group. And since a group can’t be in absolute agreement, mankind as a whole can’t claim that they’re the strongest. So even as a group, they can’t escape the awareness of how small they are. No matter how many anxieties they drive out, they never think they’re the strongest.”

“Do you pity them?”

“What do you think after living with them?”

“Well,” replied Sasuke. “I do not pity them as individuals or as a group. I suppose they only seem pitiful to me when viewed through my own vainglory.”

“If only you had seen it that way 800 years ago or 400 years ago…Commander of the Gaul Suppression Army.”

“There was no helping that, Subcommander. Did you see that just now? That Loup Garou descendent, that shrine maiden, and the others…they all reminded me of that group that intervened as the Testament Cross-Borders Unit. The ones that prevented us dragons from making a long-term invasion of Europe using the Germanic invasion.”

“There aren’t enough of them and I doubt that knowledge has been passed down.”

Sasuke smiled bitterly at Saizou’s words as they flew through the wind.

“Perhaps they do not see us as all that important.”

“You know, it’s your tendency to be really blunt that made everyone in Europe hate you.”

“You and the rest of the 10 Celestial Dragons that came with me were no different.”

“Now it’s only 3, including you.”

Saizou spat out that comment and eventually spread his wings.

He lowered his altitude in a glide.

“Sorry. I’ll be going on ahead.”

“Testament,” Sasuke replied to Saizou.

But he did not lower his altitude.

Sasuke continued soaring while only looking to the western sky until a voice called out to him.

Of the two at separate altitudes, the lower one spoke into the sky above him.

“Commander, there’s something I’ve noticed over the past 400 years.”

“And what is that?”

“When you fly high into the sky, you always look to the west. And I have a thought on that.”

“…And what is that?”

“Well.” Saizou took a breath. “I think your intent to fight now is born from your intent to have Sanada’s land be the last image you ever see.”

There was no immediate response. But eventually, after the two of them had completely moved apart, Sasuke opened his mouth.

He spoke into the western sky.

“We are Celestial Dragons. From generation to generation, we are born by inheriting the dragon ‘mold’ that was created long ago, so you could call us incarnations of the world itself. …But finding pride in that would be vainglory. But if we find no pride in it, would that be modesty or the pride of the powerful? The only person who could answer that question was that man who left us 30 years ago.”

His words vanished into the night sky.

“800 years ago and 400 years ago. …Did I make the right decisions back then?”

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 31|Chapter 31]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 33|Chapter 33]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 29

2017-05-25T23:52:29Z

86.52.34.238: Small errors fixed.

==Chapter 29: Courter at an Unexpected Meeting==
[[Image:Horizon5B_065.jpg|thumb]]
''Which girl do you want?

''I have decided on that girl.

'''Point Allocation (That’s Definitely Not Happening)

…''Oh?

Horizon looked to Futayo.

Similarly, Kimi behind her, Asama and Mitotsudaira next to her, and the others around her…

“Um.”

They all looked to Futayo who was entirely focused on eating.

She was eating an Asama Shrine kudzu leaf meal called Leafstyle and a large yakiniku meal abbreviated as the Large Yak from Mitotsudaira’s restaurant. The Blue Thunder and others had prepared enough for everyone present and more, but the manager had contacted them earlier and said the Blue Thunder’s food was not going to be ready in time.

…''I have determined that is a slight disappointment.

At any rate, Futayo was tilting her head back to stuff more of the Leafstyle’s boiled leaves in her mouth. Then she kept her head tilted back as she poured the tea from the Large Yak in her mouth instead of the sake that came with the Leafstyle.

She used the drink to help swallow the boiled leaves.

“Ngah.”

With a sound halfway between a voice and a sigh, she faced forward and toward Horizon. Then…

“Do not worry. There is enough for everyone.”

“No, Futayo-sama, that is not the issue.” Horizon nodded. “I have some bad news and some unimportant news for you.”

“Then give them in order.”

“She sure is decisive…” commented a few people, but Horizon ignored it.

She sat down and spoke to Futayo.

“Futayo-sama…it seems the food from the Blue Thunder will not arrive.”

“My god…”

The empty container and the chopsticks slipped from Futayo’s hands.

Her mouth fell slightly open and her eyebrows wrinkled somewhat as she looked to Horizon. But…

“Unfortunately, this is reality,” said the automaton princess.

“…How unfortunate indeed.”

Futayo groaned, turned around, and ran off.

Horizon and the others watched her leave. And after the span of a few breaths, Masazumi spoke up.

“Um, hey.”

“No, it is fine, Masazumi-sama. …Uh, Futayo-sama, I secretly brought your serving along with me.”

Horizon pulled a Blue Thunder paper bag from behind her back and waved it around. Futayo returned at full speed. Her feet screeched along the deck as she came to a stop and she fell to her knees.

“If it is a gift from you, Horizon-sama, I will eat it first!”

Futayo took the Blue Thunder paper bag and Horizon said “judge” and nodded a few times. Then Horizon spoke to the girl who was already splitting the baguette and making an extra-thick ham sandwich.

“As promised, I will now give you the unimportant news.”

“Judge. What is it, Horizon-sama?”

“Judge. Someone is saying they wish to wed Honda Tadakatsu-sama’s daughter in accordance with the Testament descriptions. …That’s them over there.”

Futayo looked in the direction she indicated.

Sanada Masayuki and Nobuyuki were there. Futayo viewed the two of them while chewing, but she finally audibly swallowed. And…

“Both of them do?”

“Papa! Were you planning on sharing my wife!?”

“Nobuyuki! How dare you be jealous of your father! Have you no shame!?”

“At least deny the accusation,” everyone muttered as Futayo tilted her head.

“So who do they want to wed?”

“Eh?” said Nobuyuki as his head fell forward. He seemed to be somewhat surprised, but he pointed at the Musashi group after a few moments.

His finger was clearly pointed at Futayo and Futayo looked at herself and then behind her.

“You were planning on inheriting my father’s daughter’s name…Hassan-dono?”

Hassan silently stepped to the right, revealing…

“Oh, it was Ohiroshiki-dono.”

“Eh!? Wh-what!? I-I was only checking my religion’s doctrines on the divine network! I certainly wasn’t doing anything wrong!”

“Ohiroshiki-sama.” Horizon gestured toward Nobuyuki. “He seems to wish to make you his wife.”

“Eh?”

Horizon saw Ohiroshiki look to Nobuyuki. His eyes moved from the man’s feet up to his head.

“Y-you dare imply that is less than 10 years old!? Besides, who decided on this!?”

“The Testament.”

“The Testament!?”

“Yes, it was written in the Testament,” declared Horizon. “As it is part of the history recreation, Ohiroshiki-sama, you must become his wife. Now, you have two options: think of him as less than 10 and marry him, or ask Masazumi-sama or Toori-sama to rescue you. But you will not actually be lost if you are taken as his wife, so I must warn you that our Far Eastern forces will not be very motivated this time.”

“P-please save me! Flat Honda-kun!”

“You think I’ll save you when you call me that!?”

“W-wait!”

Someone interrupted. It was Sanada Nobuyuki. He was blushing and pointing at Ohiroshiki.

“I-I refuse!!”

“Too bad, Nobuyuki-sama. Ohiroshiki-sama refused first,” resolutely stated Horizon. “We win this round.”

“W-wait!”

“If we wait, then we win the second round, so are you sure you want that?”

“What kind of rules are those!?”

“The world of politics is cruel.”

Horizon opened a sign frame to check the time. She counted to 5, and…

“I waited 5 seconds. …We win the second round.”

'''Gold Mar:''' “Aren’t these rules actually extremely simple?”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “Yes. I thought that too last time.”

'''Vice President:''' “Aren’t any of you going to stop her?”

'''Almost Everyone:''' “Say that into a mirror!!”

Horizon saw Nobuyuki sweat bullets and shake his head.

“N-no, wait!”

“You pointed at Ohiroshiki-sama earlier. Are you saying you wish to defy the Testament?” she said. “The Testament is frightening. After all, if it names you, you must die. If it tells you to get married, you must do so. Of course, you can always die or marry without it telling you to.”

Sanyou had stepped out of the entranceway with some guest tea in hand, but she immediately stepped back inside and closed the door. Asama shouted over at her.

“Ah, Sanyou-sensei! Please at least leave the tea!”

“Tomo! Tomo! You’re really on fire today, aren’t you!?”

''This place always has such a nice atmosphere,'' thought Horizon before speaking to Nobuyuki.

“Now, marry Ohiroshiki-sama.”

“D-do I have no rights here!?” asked Ohiroshiki.

“Th-that’s right, Musashi’s princess! Y-you need to respect his rights!”

“…I ''need'' to?”

“Please respect his rights!”

“Judge.” Horizon nodded several times. “Once you two are married, I will personally monitor the situation to ensure he is not a victim of rights-ignoring abuse.”

Nobuyuki’s face passed red and turned purple.

“We win the third round,” said Horizon.

“W-wait! I was pointing to the person in front of him!”

“Oh, so it was Hassan-sama.”

Hassan shrugged.

“I want to eat curry to forget all about this.”

''Indeed,'' thought Horizon. And…

“Understood. There seems to have been a misunderstanding.”

“S-so you’ve finally gotten it into your thick hea-…I mean, you’ve finally been so kind as to understand!?”

“Judge,” concluded Horizon. “I have it all figured out: Hassan-sama, have some curry. Nobuyuki-sama, marry Ohiroshiki-sama and let the guards monitor you.”

“Listen to meeeeeee!!”

“She demoted him to the guards!” everyone shouted, but Horizon tilted her head.

“You leave me no choice. Could you explain this in a simpler fashion?”

Nobuyuki fell to his knees and spent half a minute or so regulating his breathing.

“U-um!”

Once he recovered, he pointed at Futayo who was reaching for her second croquette.

“I will marry that girl, Honda Futayo, as Honda Tadakatsu’s daughter!”

“Futayo-sama? Do you have anything to say about this?”

“Eh?” Futayo looked back and forth and then tilted her head again. “Unfortunately, I intend to inherit my father Tadakatsu’s name. I no longer feel like Tadakatsu’s daughter. I am more like an almost-Tadakatsu, so that would not work.”

“Wait!”

Nobuyuki shouted that word for the umpteenth time today.

…''Wh-what is the meaning of this!?

He did not understand. It was all so crazy. Besides…

…''The daughter will become the father!?

“Papa!? What is this!?”

“Don’t let it get to you, Nobuyuki!”

“Papa! Can we solve this if I don’t let it get to me!?”

“Yes! We can come up with a good idea if you don’t let it get to you! …And you, girl!”

His father pointed at the Honda girl who was eating some bread with vegetables and cheese between it.

“You say you intend to inherit the name of Lord Tadakatsu the Peerless in the East!? If that is why you are rejecting Nobuyuki’s marriage request, then first prove you are stronger than him!”

“Huh? So you want a duel?”

She stood up.

Seeing her casual stance, Nobuyuki took a defensive stance.

…''What is this?

''The title of Musashi Vice Chancellor isn’t just for show,'' thought Nobuyuki.

She was only standing there, but he sensed a presence that felt like an attack coming from somewhere…no, coming from everywhere. And he was overwhelmed by a desire to flee.

…''Sh-she’s good!

''But,'' he thought.

…''I am Sanada’s Chancellor and President!

He knew ninja techniques and was trained in sword fighting. In a limited head-on battle, he was confident he could hold his own against the Ten Braves.

“In that case…”

Sanada Nobuyuki lowered his hips in a combat stance. He held his left arm out front and slightly raised, he reached his right arm toward the sword at his hip, and he leaned his body to the left.

“Let’s do this!”

A careless horizontal swing of the enemy’s spear caught him in the jaw from the left.

'''Unturning:''' “Oh, I didn’t know humans could make that noise.”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “Yeah, it sounded like it had to come from something else!”

'''Silver Wolf:''' “Also, he’s kind of flying away.”

'''Asama:''' “Oh, no. What do I do? He didn’t go through the immigration process, so he doesn’t have a contract and I can’t use any definite healing spells. …Masazumi, quit playing with Tsukinowa. Hey.”

“Hm,” said Futayo as she focused on the tactile feedback.

She had quickly reversed her grip on the spear and swung the bottom end. She had made it look like the attack would come from the right and then instantly switched to an attack from the left.

…''To do that while standing requires anchoring your feet to the ground.

She was only able to pull this off after learning to create an axis line for her strength.

…''I am gradually growing closer to my father’s level.

Meanwhile, Nobuyuki had been knocked away.

“D-…!”

He got up with his hand on his cheek.

“D-damn you! That was a surprise attack! Th-this isn’t over yet!”

She immediately hit him from the right.

'''Scarred:''' “Huh? It sounded different that time, didn’t it?”

'''10ZO:''' “Mary-dono, you don’t mind watching something like this?”

'''Scarred:''' “Eh? But when someone is demonstrating their resolve, you have to watch it through to the end. I see no meaning in feeling displeasure or disgust over something like that.”

'''10ZO:''' “Judge. I agree.”

'''Asama:''' “What!? What is this atmosphere!?”

'''Wise Sister:''' “You don’t know, Asama!? That lovey-dovey couple is using this to rise to their next stage! At the final stage, the air grows too thick to breathe! Here, use this oxygen mask! There’s one for you too, Mitotsudaira!”

'''Silver Wolf:''' “Why are you pushing up your breasts!?”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “Oh, it happened a third time.”

Masazumi watched Sanada’s Chancellor roll along the deck a third time.

He stopped while sprawled out on his back. Even an amateur like her could tell he was taking direct hits.

…''Doesn’t that hurt?

Was this a sign of his pride, or was it something else? Whatever it was, Sanada’s Chancellor looked discouraged. He sat up while crying and with blood dripping from his mouth and nose.

“Papa! Papa! I can’t do it!! There’s no way I can win!”

“Argh! How weak-willed are you!? And you call yourself Sanada’s Chancellor and President!?”

With that final comment, Sanada’s Chancellor hopped to his feet.

''Ohh,'' thought Masazumi as she grabbed Tsukinowa’s front paws and made the anteater dance.

…''That brought back his motivation.

A fourth sound rang out.

Futayo thought:

…''The Sanada Chancellor uses some odd combat techniques.

He left himself wide open and let her hit him.

That was all.

She wondered if he had strong defenses and was trying to wear her out, but that was not the case. She could feel the blows reaching his bones.

She wondered if he had some kind of plan, but after she sent him flying a fourth time, that seemed unlikely.

''No matter how I look at it, his fighting is entirely devoid of technique,'' she thought. He was the leader of a nation, making this a duel against a Chancellor and Student Council President. This had to be some kind of plan.

…''But is there any strategic value to this method?

She was inexperienced, but could she come up with anything here?

“—————”

She could.

“Glasses boy! Is there anything to this!?”

“It isn’t often you see someone rely on others to that extent, Spear Honda-kun!”

''He praised me. Then I need take pride in this.

“Judge. …Because thinking is a pain!”

“Don’t say that so loudly…” someone muttered, but she did not mind. The Secretary would answer her either way. As usual, he pushed his glasses up his nose first.

“This is…yes. Sanada’s Chancellor might be doing this to demonstrate that he will not lay a hand on you. He might be filling you with doubt, wondering why he won’t lay a hand on you.”

'''Four Eyes:''' “Did you hit your head? How about looking at reality every once in a while?”

''That conflicting opinion has helped balance things out.

''But,'' thought Futayo.

…''This is about whether or not I question his actions?

Futayo started by questioning herself and quickly reached her conclusion:

“Thinking really is a pain.”

She could move her body though, so she hit him a fifth time as he got up.

''This is just about over,'' thought Masazumi as she reached for Tsukinowa who was on the floor.

Tsukinowa was always on her shoulder, so he was still not used to the floor. She hoped to teach him how to walk on the floor so she could eventually go on walks with him. But for the moment…

“Okay, we have work to do, Tsukinowa.”

The quick rest and bit of fun seemed to have rid Tsukinowa of his sleepiness. So once on her shoulder…

“Maa.”

“Good, good.” Masazumi rubbed his head and turned to face Sanada’s Chancellor.

“I-I can’t! Papa! If I keep this up, something inside me is going to break!”

“Argh! You sound like a delusional middle schooler! And you call yourself Sanada’s leader!?”

But his father’s scolding did not work a second time. He only continued weeping.

“D-dammit! And I thought I could get a wife in this new land and make a comeback!”

'''Gold Mar:''' “Yeah. Guys have a way of including other people in their schedules without asking.”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “Well, girls have a way of including other people in their own worlds.”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “Yeah, that’s how doujinshis are made, isn’t it?”

'''Righteousness:''' “You people don’t hesitate to take swipes at each other, do you?”

Masazumi could not agree more.

But then Futayo sighed and Sanada’s Chancellor got down on his knees.

“Papa! I’ve had enough! I’ll live alone!”

“Argh! How can you say that after inheriting the name of Sanada Nobuyuki!? And you call yourself a man!?”

Futayo tilted her head at the Sanada father’s words.

“I intend to inherit the name of my father, Tadakatsu. Thus, I cannot marry you as Tadakatsu’s daughter, but if you do want to marry me, you just have to inherit the name of Tadakatsu’s wife.”

'''Asama:''' “I’m sorry. I’m not quite sure what she means there…”

That was hardly uncommon.

But then Sanada’s Chancellor gasped and turned toward his father.

“Th-that makes sense! Papa! I’m going to give up on being a man and become a woman!”

“Damn you!!”

'''Sticky King:''' “I think he would have trouble being a woman too…”

'''Marube-ya:''' “Eh? What are you talking about, Nenji! Being a woman is super useful! If your negotiations aren’t going well, you just have to scream and shout ‘molester’!”

'''Almost Everyone:''' “That’s blackmail, not a negotiation!”

''We’ll have to establish a cutoff point when they’re arrested,'' carelessly thought Masazumi.

Then she asked Futayo a question.

“You’re not really thinking about getting married, right?”

“Judge. I have my hands full simply inheriting my father’s name. It would probably take some training for someone to become my mother or Kazuno-sama, but the Far East has bigger things to worry about right now. …Besides, even if marriage interviews are an option, it would probably be best if it was someone I already knew.”

“Then,” said Naruze as she wrote something on her crop mark frame Magie Figur. “If you were choosing someone from our class, who would it be?”

“Well,” said Futayo as she looked around and spotted the Tachibana Wife using her false arms to shield her husband.

'''Girls:''' “Ohhh…”

Next to Tenzou, Mary only said “oh, my” and held her hands to her cheeks. Narumi and Urquiaga silently ate their portable combat food.

''Everyone responds differently,'' thought Masazumi before Futayo nodded.

“I am not worthy of Kimi-dono, so, well, if I had to choose…I suppose it would be Masazumi.”

Adele and everyone else took a step away from Masazumi.

Kimi played a mellow song from a sign frame while singing “Chalala~ Chala, lalalala, chalala~” and wiggling her hips, but Masazumi still turned back toward them all.

'''Vice President:''' “W-wait! What is that distance for!?”

Naruze and Naito pulled a long table and chairs form somewhere and sat down.

Naruze rested her elbow on the table and pointed at Masazumi with her pen.

“This is some top-tier material. You need to let me know what’s going on here.”

“And Asama-chi, how would this work?”

“Hmm, they’re both from Mikawa, so the contract situation might actually work out surprisingly well.”

''Our class really doesn’t hold back at times like this,'' thought Adele as Futayo asked Masazumi a question.

“Masazumi, do you dislike me?”

“N-no, it isn’t that.”

Everyone immediately looked toward a certain person: Horizon.

Horizon opened a sign frame with the Blue Thunder mark on it and then faced the Sanada pair.

“Another case closed!”

“Horizon! Horizon! The Testament says that’s supposed to be my catch phrase!?”

“My apologies, Mitotsudaira-sama. But I thought I needed to say it until you historically began saying it, and I finally managed to do so here.”

''Does that make it okay?'' wondered Adele as she looked to the Sanada group.

“Um, what do you have to say?” she asked.

“Kh…”

Nobuyuki faced Masazumi and took a combat stance.

“M-Musashi Vice President! I challenge you…!”

“Ah,” said Adele. “This could be dangerous.”

He was hit a sixth time.

Asama saw Futayo stand in front of Masazumi and speak in a dignified tone.

“You! Keep your hands off my wife!”

“Papa! Papa! I have no idea what’s going on anymore!”

Asama could not agree more, but she felt no sympathy whatsoever. Was that because she was on Musashi’s side?

…''Umm, how is Masazumi?

Their Vice President had completely frozen and was not moving.

Meanwhile, Horizon had joined Naruze and Naito at the long table.

“Now, I am worried about Masazumi-sama’s decision.”

“Yes. If she makes the wrong decision here, it will really mess with our schedule.”

As the Technohexen agreed with Horizon, Futayo turned back toward Masazumi and asked a question.

“Masazumi, are you okay?”

“…Eh?”

Masazumi came back to her senses and Futayo said more.

“Despite what I said, I already have a lot on my plate these days. I apologize if I got your hopes up.”

“Eh? O-oh! Don’t worry, don’t worry! You didn’t get my hopes up and, um, we can put this on hold, okay?”

“O-of course you will!” someone shouted.

It was Sanada Masayuki. The veins were bulging from his temples as he pointed at Futayo and Masazumi.

“Two girls!? You dare violate the Testament so flagrantly!?”

“I was thinking nothing of the sort,” insisted Futayo.

'''Silver Wolf:''' “I kind of think she was.”

'''Righteousness:''' “Huh? I thought your rules said she wins as long as she says it.”

But someone glared sharply at Masayuki when he mentioned “two girls”.

…''That would be Naruze…

''Could this end badly?'' wondered Asama when she saw how intensely Naruze was glaring at Sanada Masayuki. She spun her pen in her hand.

“You there. What was that about two girls?”

But before Masayuki could answer, someone stopped Naruze.

It was Kimi. She had been behind Asama earlier, but she had circled behind Naruze on the right.

“No! You mustn’t, Naruze! You mustn’t give in to your thoughts that are shouting, ‘No~, I want to be with Margot~ Smoochy, smoochy~’! Yes! Certainly not with these lips here!”

“H-hey! Please don’t egg her on, Kimi! And Naruze, don’t let that moron get to you! Let’s calm down, okay!?”

When Asama worked at a smile and looked back, she saw Naruze hanging her head, opening her eyes wide, and sweating.

'''Asama:''' “Kimiiii!”

'''Wise Sister:''' “Eh? What?”

She was not listening. But Naruze did slowly lower her hips back into her chair.

“Okay, fine. So you refuse to accept two girls, do you?”

“Um, Naruze?”

Naruze ignored Asama and the Weiss Hexen raised her pen.

“Sanada’s Principal and Chancellor, I understand completely. …You say it can’t be two girls?”

“Th-that’s right! Marriage opportunity must be equal!”

''Wouldn’t that mean two girls would be fine?

But Naruze simply nodded deeply a few times. And she stated her conclusion.

“Then I can only assume you’re okay with two guys.”

'''Almost Everyone:''' “Calm down!!”

“Shut up, all of you!”

Naruze pointed her pen at the Sanada pair.

“I made you into a doujinshi.”

She used the past tense.

“Hey! Guericke! What is this!? Your printing factory in the city is running at full capacity! Why are you running your business at night!?”

“Don’t be silly, Tomoe Gozen! This is nothing unusual! We received a request for a father-son forbidden love manga with a promise that they would use Hemisphere Printing exclusively for the summer event!”

“That’s plenty unusual!”

Asama saw Naruze sigh and sit down.

'''Asama:''' “Just out of curiosity, when did you draw that?”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “Eh? Oh, I was bored when they got here, so I drew it up. With them tripping, falling on their back, kneeling, and falling to all fours, I managed to snap some reference photos. And since the storyboard is important for this kind, I kept them mostly naked in the drawings.”

''Is that how it works? She really is the master,'' thought Asama.

“Ah,” said Naito as she checked Naruze’s Magie Figur. “Ga-chan, I wasn’t doing my job, so look. You missed censoring it here.”

She held it out toward everyone while saying “See? See?”, so Asama quickly covered Suzu and Mary’s eyes.

“Y-you mustn’t look at this! If you do, you’ll fall in the Musashi caste system!”

“That’s right,” said Itoken. He glanced at the Magie Figur and nodded. “You mustn’t look at this, everyone! Everyone’s is different! And we wouldn’t want them feeling inadequate!”

“You’re not helping!”

As everyone shouted their ''tsukkomi'', Masazumi sighed and tilted her head.

“That will get banned, you know?”

“Heh. Don’t be silly, Masazumi. We’ll censor it on site. Obviously.” Naruze sounded entirely disinterested. “Of course, I get the feeling we’ll forget to censor a few which will find their way out into the world. You will forever rue the day you made an enemy of Musashi’s Weiss Hexen.”

“Wait!!”

Both Sanada’s shouted the word this time, so Masazumi held out a hand, said “wait, I guess”, and stood up. She looked to Mitotsudaira and Horizon was the first to react.

Horizon left her chair and held a sign frame displaying the Blue Thunder mark to Mitotsudaira’s right. And…

'''Almost Everyone:''' “C’mon!”

'''Silver Wolf:''' “Eh!? Ehhh!?”

Masazumi and Kimi told her “Now! Do it now!” via eye contact.

Mitotsudaira finally lowered her shoulders in exasperation and breathed in.

“Another case closed!”

Everyone responded in accordance with the Testament.

“Yes, sir…!”

They bowed down toward Mitotsudaira.

'''Llaf:''' “Oh? It seems Musashi and Sanada have reached some kind of conclusion. …Kiyo-dono?”

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “Eh? Oh, s-sorry. Nagayasu-sama is a bit upset.”

'''Tsurugi:''' “I-I am not upset! I’m just worried because Katagiri-kun won’t open a line with me!”

Katagiri had long felt some kind of “weight” in his chest, but now he felt it fading away.

…''How can I be more aware of what it means to be a guy?

“You’re right.” He nodded to the Asama shrine maiden. “Because I was focusing on it so much, I was pursuing the ideal instead of focusing on my current situation. There is a lot I lack, but that’s just the way things are, so I think I’ll start by making up for the things I really need.”

“Hee hee. Yes, make steady progress and don’t rush things. …Everyone feels the same way, but we all start rushing things because we feel like we’re under pressure to pull ourselves together. You need to watch out for that.”

“Testament…!”

Katagiri agreed wholeheartedly and bowed.

On the ''lernen figur'' the shrine maiden smiled and waved.

When Katagiri smiled back, the shrine maiden leaned over.

She pushed up her breasts and moved her lips toward the screen while they shined with pink lipstick.

A light sticky kissing sound followed.

…''Ah.

This was nothing. He saw lips and boobs all the time. And with boobs, he could even see bare ones in the ship’s bath. But…

“————”

Katagiri felt his heart pound extra hard in his chest.

For no reason, he felt his face grow warm as the shrine maiden pulled back from the screen.

…''Wah.

He was worried she would notice his reaction, but that only made him blush more. So to distract her as she waved again…

“U-um, what’s your name…!?”

She laughed, but then moved off the right side of the ''lernen figur''. And then the ''lernen figur'' closed.

“Ah…!”

He reflexively reached out toward the vanished image and his hand clawed at empty air.

Katagiri grabbed at nothing with his hand.

“Kh…”

And he pressed that hand to his chest.

…''Huh?

''This isn’t good.

“My pulse hasn’t settled down… D-did I eat something weird?”

'''Tsurugi:''' “Katagiri-kun!”

He trembled at the voice he heard from the ''lernen figur''.

'''Tsurugi:''' “We have a request for you to continue the meeting!”

''Oh, no,'' thought Katagiri.

If the meeting was with that shrine maiden…

…''Wh-what do I do?

Just imagining it caused him to sweat like he was being steamed.

'''Tsurugi:''' “Um, Katagiri-kun!? You seem extremely nervous…”

'''□□凸:''' “Eh!? Y-you can tell!?”

'''Tsurugi:''' “Oh, yes. I’m monitoring your physical state, so I can see all the endorphins pumping through your brain. …This tends to happen at night once every three days, doesn’t it?”

'''□□凸:''' “Give me back my rights as a human being! Please stop this!”

But to distract himself, Katagiri instructed the PR Committee to open a ''lernen figur''.

He would resume the meeting. But…

…''U-um.

Would that shrine maiden appear again?

What if she did? She had just waved goodbye, so if he showed up again so soon, would she laugh at him? But if she did…

“Okay! As Musashi’s Student Council President and Chancellor, I think it’s high time I gave Hashiba’s Ten Spears a good groping!”

The ''lernen figur'' displayed a nudist pretending to grope something like a rod.

“Dammiiiiit!”

As Yoshiyasu left the medical room and arrived on the bridge in front of the academy, she heard a voice and saw motion.

A sign frame showed Katagiri of the Ten Spears putting his full body weight behind his arms as he beat on the screen.

…''That boy is quite emotional.

But she also saw the idiot wiggling his hips back and forth until Musashi’s Vice President kicked him out of the way. The Vice President ignored the nudist as he rolled away and she spoke to Katagiri.

“Katagiri! State your position! If you lack the appropriate authority, this entire meeting might not be possible!”

“…Testament!”

Katagiri got up, put his headphones back on, and fixed his collar.

“I am M.H.R.R. PR Committee Foreign Relations Chief Katagiri Katsumoto! I request a continuation of the meeting with Musashi’s Vice President!”

That title sounded like trouble to Yoshiyasu.

…''A PR role!?

Generally, only a Committee Head, Special Duty Officer, or higher had the authority to directly speak with a Vice President.

Lower than that, the custom was to get confirmation from their superior first. But…

'''Righteousness:''' “A foreign relations official can take independent action when it comes to receiving information from a foreign nation. So he can convey a message from another nation’s higher officers without going through a Committee Head.”

'''Wise Sister:''' “I think Flat Girl here is more useful than a certain nerd I could mention.”

'''Novice:''' “W-well, excuse me! My specialties are strategy and history!”

''Be quiet. Or rather, I’m not done yet.

Then someone asked the perfect segue question.

'''Sticky King:''' “A PR official… But even with that position, can’t Masazumi shutdown all discussions even if there is a rank discrepancy?”

'''Righteousness:''' “Not this time.”

Yoshiyasu looked to Musashi’s Vice President who had clenched her right hand in preparation to make her decision.

'''Righteousness:''' “Katagiri took over in Hashiba’s place. That means he is a PR Chief acting as M.H.R.R. Vice President Hashiba’s replacement. So…”

“Understood.”

Musashi’s Vice President raised her right forearm.

And she spoke.

“I see M.H.R.R. as the current Testament Union representative. So let us continue discussions with their agent.”

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 28|Chapter 28]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 30|Chapter 30]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 27

2017-05-25T22:18:53Z

86.52.34.238: Fixed two errors.

==Chapter 27: Trio on the Balance Beam==
[[Image:Horizon5B_019.jpg|thumb]]
''Now, which one?

''Now, this one?

'''Point Allocation (Close and Distant)

“Sanada boarded the Musashi saying they want to be friends!?”

In the depths of the night and in a grassy plain with forests on either side, a tall form raised her voice with her blonde hair blowing in the wind.

She stood in the ''jinmaku'' of the field camp in front of a line of black galleys. The girl’s armor was printed with the title “SPEER 02” and she frowned in front of the dinner table.

She placed a ''lernen figur'' next to her face and it bore her name: Katou Kiyomasa. Also…

“Fukushima-sama, is Sanada thinking of abandoning that place?”

She spoke to the girl in the ''lernen figur'' whose side-swept ponytail was tied high on her head. That girl, Fukushima, placed a hand on her chin and spoke with a note of doubt in her voice.

“…I am not so sure.”

“Why not?”

“It was apparently Sanada’s Chancellor and Student Council President who boarded the Musashi. That is not the Vice Chancellor faction.”

More of the Ten Spears voiced their understanding on the divine chat ''lernen figur''.

'''Nari Nari Nari:''' “To preserve the clan after Sekigahara, Sanada splits into two factions: a Hashiba one and a Matsudaira one. The one that joins Matsudaira is the heir to Sanada, Sanada Academy Chancellor and Student Council President Sanada Nobuyuki.”

'''Black Wolf:''' “Does that mean Sanada is already looking to the future and trying to join Matsudaira?”

'''Nari Nari Nari:''' “I have determined that is part of it. Besides, the Sanada Ten Braves, who serve Sanada Nobushige, the younger brother who joins Hashiba, have already opposed Musashi in a number of ways…”

Had Nobuyuki boarded Musashi to demonstrate that he was not Musashi’s enemy even if his younger brother was? But what bothered her was…

'''□□凸:''' “Umm, what am I supposed to do?”

Kiyomasa just about said something in response to Katagiri.

Musashi was apparently trying to figure out how to respond to Sanada’s sudden entrance. They would probably return to Katagiri eventually, but…

…''What should Katagiri-kun do for now?

She could only tell him to wait until they got back to him. But…

'''AnG:''' “Ah ha ha. Kacky, wanna come take a bath? Kime-chan and I will wash you together.”

'''Kimee:''' “Angie, don’t say that. When we’ve done that to Katagiri lately, he reacts like a girl despite having a guy’s body, so it makes me want to upload it to a video site.”

'''□□凸:''' “Wh-why do you always barge in during my scheduled bath time!?”

…''Wait.

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “What have you 3 been doing?”

'''□□凸:''' “I-I haven’t done anything! I just have things done to me!”

''How is that any different?'' wondered Kiyomasa.

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “You three are disturbing the public morals. You need to do better.”

'''□□凸:''' “Yes, ma’am…”

It was somewhat worrying that only Katagiri responded.

But he uttered an “ah” soon thereafter.

'''□□凸:''' “And that hasn’t just happened here! All of you need to realize I put my bath last out of concern for all of you! Due to space limitations in our personal ship, the Ten Spears were only allotted the one bath!”

“Yeah,” said Kiyomasa while placing a hand on her forehead.

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “That’s true. And we are often running late due to training and patrols…”

'''AnG:''' “No. I do it intentionally because Kacky is fun to mess with.”

''Umm,'' breathed Kiyomasa as she watched Katagiri groan on the ''lernen figur''.

…''I need to bring this conversation back on track.

With this and what happened before, Katagiri had to have taken a lot of psychological damage today. She had to help cheer him up before he planned out what to do here.

So she spoke up to prepare things for that:

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “Katagiri-sama, I feel bad that you have to work so hard not to look at us when that happens.”

'''□□凸:''' “…You noticed?”

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “Testament. …I don’t like that us taking a late bath prevents you from being moved to tears as you read a shoujo manga in the bath, hum as you lightly kick your feet in the bath, and go ‘nn’ as you hand wash your body.”

'''□□凸:''' “That’s even worse than before! Way worse!!”

'''Kimee:''' “Wait, why do you hand wash your body? Why not use a scrubbing bag?”

'''□□凸:''' “The person before me always puts them away! I don’t know who it is, though!”

'''Tsurugi:''' “Huh, huh? I thought…I was the last person to take a bath. Am I not?”

'''□□凸:''' “No, you’re not! I am! Yes, my turn used to be between Kiyomasa-san’s and Nagayasu-san’s, but the timing never worked out and you two would be in there during my scheduled time! I wouldn’t be able to leave the bath and I would nearly die!”

'''Kimee:''' “Yeah, being trapped between those giant tits would be pretty deadly…”

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “Um, even if you’re trying not to look, I don’t think you should just stare at the wall the whole time you’re soaking in the bath…”

'''Tsurugi:''' “Right, right. It’s okay, Katagiri-kun. If you have any dirty thoughts, I’ll use a purification to temporarily castrate you. If you ever need something in the bath, just tell me.”

'''□□凸:''' “I don’t get any rights, do I!?”

“Calm down,” sent Kiyomasa.

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “Let’s rework the bathing order. And the girls have more freedom as far as that’s concerned, so you get top priority, Katagiri-sama. Now, about that meeting…”

Katagiri responded to her words.

'''□□凸:''' “Oh, testament. I’m killing time speaking with their shrine maiden.”

When Sanada and Musashi began speaking, Katagiri was receiving advice from Musashi’s normal shrine maiden.

“That’s right. The girls here never, ever see me as a guy.”

“Oh, dear. Then do you want them to see you as a guy, Katagiri-kun? Romantically, I mean?”

“Eh? Oh, no, I didn’t mean it like that. Um, how should I put it?”

He appreciated how she would nod and wait for him to continue. She gave him time to think without pressuring him to speak.

Acting as a negotiator had taught him something: a lot of people would pretend to understand what he was saying while actually using clever words to guide him toward a certain opinion or toward agreement.

…''Some people would have phrased that earlier question as “So you want them to see you as a guy, don’t you?”

They would pretend to understand while seeking agreement and trying to force everything to follow what they wanted.

They placed their conversational partner in their own framework and then forced that partner to follow that.

This shrine maiden was lewd, but she did not say things like that.

She asked questions to learn what he thought. So when he said…

“I think I do want them to treat me like a guy.”

She responded…

“And what do you mean by treating you like a guy?”

She did not decide for him what that meant and she did not simply parrot back the phrase as if what it meant did not matter.

She urged him on and focused on his opinion in order to bring their thoughts closer together.

It almost felt like facing a mirror.

And so…

“Well…”

He thought about something he had only had a vague idea about. And…

“Katagiri-kun? Boys and girls are different, but asking people to change how they treat you because of that can be a difficult thing, so be careful. And it seems the girls around you aren’t the type to change how they treat you, but do you know why that is?”

“Well…”

Once she said that, he caught on.

“Because emphasizing that I’m a guy wouldn’t mean much…”

“Why not?”

“Um, because I’m not very manly.”

“Have you ever tried crossdressing or been forced to?”

“I-I will become more manly!”

“Oh, so you have.”

“I-it was a long time ago! And only because none of the boy’s equipment fit me…”

Katagiri blushed when she giggled in a husky voice.

He could tell he had said too much and made her laugh at him.

'''Asama:''' “W-wait, Toori-kun! Why are you beginning a Shinto counseling session!? You’re not licensed!”

'''Silver Wolf:''' “That’s the problem with this?”

'''Me:''' “What are you talking about, Asama? How can the lewd shrine maiden of the Asama Shrine ignore this boy’s youthful worries!? Just leave it to me. If he’s troubled because he gets mistaken for a girl, then it’s only logical for a crossdresser to give him advice, right?”

'''Wise Sister:''' “Heh heh. That’s right, foolish brother! Win his heart with your crossdresser’s charm!”

'''Gold Mar:''' “Is this a new genre?”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “Hmm, since it’s with one of the Ten Spears I can wait until the pre-Sekigahara event.”

'''Obscene:''' “But, Aoi-kun! That is some excellent counseling!”

'''Vice President:''' “Stop doing unauthorized diplomacy!!”

“Honestly…”

While the crossdresser bought time by talking with Katagiri, Masazumi had to figure out what to do with the person standing in front of her.

…''Sanada Nobuyuki, hm?

They had dealt with the Sanada Ten Braves already. And this was the Chancellor and Student Council President of their Sanada Academy.

He was fairly tall and not exactly bad looking, but there was no confidence in his actions.

'''Uqui:''' “He seems like a coward to me.”

'''Righteousness:''' “His line when he appeared was certainly cowardly. Oh, 6th Special Duty Officer, Righteousness is in the hangar, so take care of it. I made a slash at high speed, so I’m going to visit the medical room just in case.”

'''Smoking Girl:''' “Satomi… Do you not have any information on Sanada?”

'''Righteousness:''' “Unfortunately, they’re just barely outside Kantou. …But I do know one thing.”

Which was…

'''Righteousness:''' “Most likely, not even Houjou knows the internal situation at Sanada Academy. Officially, the Sanada Ten Braves, Sanada Nobuyuki, and his father Masayuki stand out, but the situation within the academy and with his younger brother Nobushige is still unknown. And at the Battle of Sekigahara, his father Masayuki and younger brother Nobushige side with the west while Nobuyuki sides with the east. That split allows Sanada to survive, but do you know what it means for Nobuyuki to be making an emergency visit now?”

'''Novice:''' “Lord Nobuyuki is not considered a valuable member of Sanada’s fighting force.”

“That’s right,” said Yoshiyasu and Masazumi nodded in agreement.

…''I see.

The Sanada clan would later become Matsudaira’s enemy and ally. Their Chancellor and President, representative of the side that would ally with them, had paid them an emergency visit and there was no sign of movement from the side that would turn against them.

Nobuyuki’s appearance was disrespectful to his own position.

But it also indicated a certain fact:

'''Vice President:''' “The Sanada clan is looking beyond Sekigahara and has already internally split into their 2 factions.”

'''Novice:''' “It would seem so. The Testament says that Sanada joins Oda after Takeda’s destruction, but they join Houjou at the Battle of Kanagawa after Nobunaga’s death. But they ultimately oppose Houjou and also oppose Matsudaira when we side with Uesugi. And after they side with Hashiba, they reconcile with Matsudaira and finally join Matsudaira. …Then they split in 2 at Sekigahara.”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “What is with all that back and forth, betrayal and reunion? It sounds like melodramatic fanfiction.”

Masazumi placed a hand on her forehead and thought.

…''This is troublesome.

After all…

“The Testament says the Ten Braves work for Nobushige, the younger brother. That means the older brother who is their Chancellor and President wouldn’t be here to apologize for the Ten Braves’ misconduct. And even if he was, it would mean his younger brother treats him like a gofer and he wouldn’t be a very valuable ally.”

Thus…

“The older brother Chancellor came here of his own free will. If not, he is not even worth speaking with. That about sums it up.”

“Um, Masazumi?”

Mitotsudaira smiled her way, but Masazumi had no idea why.

“What is it, Mitotsudaira?”

“Judge. You were saying all that out loud.”

She checked her right shoulder and saw Tsukinowa nodding off. The way he would sometimes start to fall over and quickly right himself was quite cute, but that was why the sign frame and divine transmission control had been ended.

''That isn’t good,'' she thought as she looked forward to see Nobuyuki glaring at her.

''This really isn’t good,'' she thought again. And on the divine chat:

“This isn’t good. I let out too much of my honest thoughts there.”

“You haven’t entered the divine chat!” cut in Mitotsudaira. “You’re really saying it! Hurry up and rouse that anteater!”

“But I’d feel bad forcing him to wake up. He’s all tuckered out. He was working hard throughout that entire battle.”

Mitotsudaira stepped back and formed a quick scrum with the others. After a while, Horizon left the scrum and faced Masazumi. The automaton princess spoke with her usual emotionless voice.

“Judge. …We will just keep going like this.”

“Horizon! Horizon! I thought we just decided to apologize even if we didn’t really mean it!”

Asama was saying too much as well.

But then someone else joined the conversation: Ookubo.

'''Nagaya-Stable:''' “Vice President. If we can get Sanada to join us here, it will benefit us in 2 ways.”

Inside the lit Musashi Ariadust Academy, all of the classrooms’ desks and chairs were pushed to the back due to the ship-tilting strategy. They had received advance warning of the strategy, so Ookubo and the others had pushed them there for safety.

Ookubo, the rest of the Representative Committee, and the Lifestyle Committee had returned to their classrooms. She and Kanou were currently returning the lectern to the front of their 2nd year classroom, but she could hear shouts from the other classes.

“Oh, no! The shock of the shellfire caused the porn games hidden in my locker to burst out!”

“Ah, whose desk did this ''shudo'' doujinshi titled Shingen-sama’s Mass Multiplication III fall out of!?”

“Who had half-eaten bread in their desk!?

Kanou had opened a sign frame to write up the public morals violations, so that would be dealt with in due time. But for now…

'''Vice President:''' “Ookubo, what are the 2 ways accepting Sanada will benefit us?”

'''Nagaya-Stable:''' “Judge. The first is that Sanada joining us is a history recreation from after Nobunaga’s death but before Sekigahara. Even if it is only in name, Sanada Nobuyuki is Sanada’s leader. His movements will support the history recreation or give us enough reason to begin one.”

''That would be the biggest benefit for Musashi at the moment,'' thought Ookubo.

But there was another benefit from another point of view.

'''Nagaya-Stable:''' “We can eliminate the threat of Sanada from Kantou.”

Kanou mentally agreed with Ookubo as she carried the lectern with her.

…''That is indeed important.

The threat of Sanada to which she referred was the Ten Braves and Sanada Nobushige who backed them.

'''CAN:''' “Sanada Nobushige can be seen as the commander of the Ten Braves and he causes much trouble for Matsudaira at Sekigahara and the Siege of Osaka that follows. At the Siege of Osaka in particular, there is a theory saying Nobushige’s final charge arrives very near to the center of the main Matsudaira formation.”

'''Novice:''' “Judge. They are a dangerous enemy for Matsudaira.”

The Secretary said more.

'''Novice:''' “As I said before, the history recreation has Sanada hopping back and forth between various powerful people after the Battle of Kanagawa, but they oppose Matsudaira in a few of those. We can’t have the Ten Braves attacking us each time as an ‘official history recreation’. So if Sanada Nobuyuki wants to side with Matsudaira here, we can use his authority as representative to get around having to deal with the history recreations in the middle. If we do that, Sanada won’t cause us any trouble until Sekigahara.”

'''Four Eyes:''' “It makes sense, but it sure is cowardly.”

'''Novice:''' “Not all of us are led by a queen who does everything her own way!”

'''Almost Everyone:''' “For once, I agree with him…”

Kanou also agreed.

…''It is indeed cowardly, but it also makes sense.

Sanada was a small nation. Their academy was also small and was supposedly primarily composed of only a few dozen ninjas. The Testament Union’s almanac only listed Chancellor and President Nobuyuki, Principal Masayuki, Vice Chancellor Nobushige, and the Ten Braves who were treated as Special Duty Officers.

It did not provide any lists or specs of divine weapons or special abilities which the other nations generally provided as a show of force against their enemies.

That nation was telling everyone to start spying if they wanted any information.

“Milady, let’s provide the information we have. But…”

Kanou spoke to Ookubo who held the lectern across from her.

“This relationship with Sanada will likely be somewhat troublesome.”

Masazumi sent back some words of thanks when she received information on the Sanada clan from Ookubo.

Tsukinowa was still fast asleep on her shoulder, so Asama had put together a divine transmission control program that used the Mouse’s spare processing power while he slept.

At any rate, she had one thing to think about.

…''I think it would strengthen Musashi to bring Sanada Nobuyuki under our command.

That would provide them with a history recreation past Nobuanaga’s death and leading to Sekigahara.

So she spoke to Sanada Nobuyuki who stood in front of her.

“Sanada, should I interpret this as a request to join Matsudaira?”

Nobuyuki nodded. In fact, he did so a second and third time. Then he opened his mouth to produce a somewhat hoarse voice and got down on one knee.

“Indeed! I visited here today to start down Sanada’s path of survival as soon as possible!”

“I see.”

Masazumi sat down to put herself on eye level with Nobuyuki and she opened her mouth.

“…We reject your offer.”

''We need to deal with Sanada quickly,'' thought Masazumi.

She glanced over at the idiot jiggling his fake boobs and wiggling his butt toward Katagiri.

“Um, Sanada Academy.”

“Y-yes, what is it!?”

Sanada Nobuyuki’s tone grew rough and he stood up. She remained sitting, but he did not look down at her and instead tilted his head.

“Why would you reject my offer!?”

''This is probably more about being angry than strong willed,'' thought Masazumi. ''He isn’t looking down on me and he actually knows how to calmly stop himself,'' she added.

…''He can negotiate.

Understanding that, Masazumi lightly swept her right hand outwards.

She gestured toward Futayo behind her.

She then heard the girl lower Tonbo Spare.

They had no intention to attack and this man would be able to realize what that meant. So Masazumi opened her mouth to tell him something.

“If we were to accept your request, your life would be at risk.”

“——————”

After seeing him fall silent at the word “life”, Masazumi continued.

“Currently, Musashi is on the verge of having an Event Stop placed on us. Do you know what that means?”

‘You mean…you won’t be able to perform any active actions?”

“That’s right,” she replied while looking back at him.

He looked her right back in the eye.

…''I see.

“You don’t want to die, do you?”

“O-of course not…!”

That was likely true. But within Sanada, his younger brother’s faction had to be overwhelmingly more powerful. After all, it would take an impressive force to charge at Matsudaira and reach the center, even if it was part of the history recreation.

So she knew their Chancellor and Student Council President’s status was in name only.

Sanada was preparing itself for the post-Sekigahara period, so he had essentially been driven out of Sanada.

He had no real power and no one supporting him.

But Oda was still a powerful presence in the world. Nobuyuki would later side with Matsudaira, so capturing him could be used to score points with Oda.

And so he would not want to be captured or killed.

…''So ensuring his safety will be the first step in negotiation with him.

Masazumi felt like she had found one of the bargaining chips to use with him.

“So did you leave Sanada and come here because you didn’t want to die?”

But Nobuyuki reacted to that in a surprising way.

“…”

He avoided answering.

Mitotsudaira watched Nobuyuki’s silence.

…''Eh? Wh-why isn’t he answering?

She had a simple reason for her confusion.

…''I mean, when Masazumi asked him if he didn’t want to die, he said “of course not”…

And yet he fell silent when asked if he left Sanada for that reason.

“…?”

When she gave him a questioning glance, he remained silent.

But he was not entirely motionless. He would occasionally twist his lips and look down awkwardly as if he wanted to say something.

It looked like he really wanted to say something about Masazumi’s question.

But he remained silent.

…''Why? He risked his life coming here, didn’t he?

And as she thought that, she heard someone else speak.

The crossdresser said something with his back turned while he gave advice and wiggled his hips toward Katagiri.

'''Me:''' “That guy’s pretty strong.”

When she heard that, Mitotsudaira finally understood.

…''Ah.

It was a simple matter. Sanada Nobuyuki’s silence was not out of obligation for Sanada or any other political reason.

''No,'' thought Mitotsudaira. In that case…

'''Silver Wolf:''' “Judge. I know what this must be…”

Asama, Kimi, and Horizon turned her way.

It was funny how all three of them nodded without paying any attention to each other. That meant they had been in similar circumstances and understood this.

So Mitotsudaira spoke.

'''Silver Wolf:''' “Masazumi, you too should understand how Lord Nobuyuki feels.”

Masazumi nodded.

…''I did more or less understand.

Sanada Nobuyuki’s silence most likely applied to a position she had once been in.

In fact, most of Musashi’s residents had once been ''like that''. But…

…''We stopped being ''like that''.

So she had briefly hesitated in responding to this man who had not stopped.

'''Vice President:''' “I agree with all of you.”

And so she spoke to Nobuyuki while still seated.

“We have information and guesses concerning what Sanada will do next. …Specifically, that Sanada is already preparing for Sekigahara. Can I ask about that?”

Nobuyuki’s reaction was the same.

“—————”

Silence and motionlessness.

He did not respond. He did not nod or shake his head. And seeing that, Masazumi thought to herself.

…''I was right. He really ''isn’t'' fulfilling some kind of obligation to Sanada.

That was not what this silence was.

“No, that is right.”

Masazumi made that contradictory statement, and then…

''Vice President:''' “Hey, idiot. Can I say the rest?”

'''Me:''' “Don’t ask me; ask the guy in front of you. Ask if he’s experiencing the same thing you did.”

''That idiot is as hard to deal with as ever,'' she thought with a bitter smile.

…''“The same thing you did”? Don’t just put it in the past tense like that.

''That’ll force me to realize it really is only in the past now.

But she replied with “judge” and spoke.

“Sanada Nobuyuki. My apologies. …I seem to have asked the wrong question.”

“…?”

He wrinkled his brow in confusion and she stood up.

His eyelevel was indeed higher than hers. But their stance was equal now. They were not creating a difference in position as part of their bargaining.

And as they faced each other, Masazumi nodded and opened her mouth.

“Sanada Nobuyuki. …Musashi Ariadust Academy has decided that your visit and request were made on your own discretion.”

“You mean…?”

“Needless to say, the Nobuyuki faction’s decision to join Matsudaira in advance belongs to no one else. And the Musashi Ariadust Academy has accepted that you made that decision as Chancellor and Student Council President and you visited alone as a sign of good faith.”

So…

“Matsudaira will eventually receive your support, so we thank you for your bravery.”

Everyone watched as Sanada Nobuyuki listened to Masazumi’s words.

“…”

He remained silent, but he did react.

“Kh.”

He hid and wiped his eyes with his thick arms.

He was crying.

But he made sure not to let anyone see.

“I am in your debt…!”

With those words, he lowered his large body to one knee in front of Masazumi.

He lowered his head and breathed in.

“I, Sanada Academy Chancellor and Student Council President Sanada Nobuyuki, shall entrust myself to Musashi!!”

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B School Rules|School Rules]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 28|Chapter 28]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 28

2017-05-23T23:47:17Z

86.52.34.238: A few words were accidentally missing.

==Chapter 28: Leader of the Diving Board==
[[Image:Horizon5B_043.jpg|thumb]]
''No matter how much time passes

''No matter how old you grow

''You are always picky about this

'''Point Allocation (Due to Your Environment)

Someone else watched on as Musashi and Sanada interacted and reached their conclusion.

Two people watched the damaged and smoking Ariake from far to the north. One was the Yamagata Castle’s Mogami Yoshiaki and the other was the Aoba Castle’s…

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “Masamune. Musashi has yet again shown us something troublesome. If they are powerful and yet support the weak, it will be difficult to instigate the smaller nations.”

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “But I don’t instigate the smaller nations.”

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “Heh heh. You’re no fun.”

“Is that so?” replied Masamune with a bitter smile. And she thought about…

…''An understanding of Sanada Nobuyuki, hm?

Even the Date clan had a general idea of the situation in the small nation of Sanada. And they knew how their Chancellor and President Sanada Nobuyuki was probably being treated.

“If Sanada is moving ahead with their post-Sekigahara actions, he will have parted ways with his younger brother’s and father’s faction. With that lost power, he will either be kicked out or he will choose to leave after being left behind.”

'''Katakura-kun:''' “Hi, Masamune-kun! Is it monologuing time!? Are you feeling lonely!? You’re feeling lonely, aren’t you!? I’m feeling lonely too! And now that you know how lonely you are, take a dive into my mental world! Oh, you don’t have to send your knee in first or have your weapon at the ready! Look! Like this! Oh, what are you doing here, Yoshihime-san, Age Thirty…een! No, I definitely said thirteen there, not thirty! Besides, the accurate number would be forty-…ah, what is that bandage wrapped around your elbow for? A lariat can’t enter my mental world! You’re starting with a reverse horizontal!? Yes, welcome! It’s first come first serve and there’s just one opening!”

Masamune broke the sign frame with a reverse horizontal chop. And then she spoke her mind.

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “So they have an understanding of small nations and their leaders.”

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “Yes. To be honest, that is Musashi’s specialty.

Just her words were enough to tell the fox was enjoying this.

This aunt had a habit of saying everything she wanted and having as much fun as she wanted, just like she was toying with her prey before finishing it off. And at the moment…

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “And you are still inexperienced on that front, Masamune. That is why you cannot instigate the smaller nations.”

“That’s true,” agreed Masamune without smiling. But…

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “You said this was Musashi’s specialty, aunt, but do that ship’s residents understand that?”

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “I imagine it’s less that they understand it and more that they are so used to it that they don’t notice it. After all, they all left a situation like that.”

What was “like that”? Yoshiaki explained.

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “Holding vainglorious pride is entirely meaningless. But…when you are alone, it can support you. That is what I mean.”

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “And since the Musashi residents don’t need that…they aren’t alone?”

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “Even if it was unavoidable, do you somewhat regret what happened with Narumi?”

Masamune did not respond.

This aunt could be very perceptive at times. But then she spoke again as if flipping her emotions around.

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “Your silence is the same as Sanada Nobuyuki’s.”

“—————”

Only the words “heh heh” appeared on the screen.

But when Masamune said nothing, there was a pause for a breath and…

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “Once you are no longer ''like that'', Narumi will be able to return at any time for a reason other than to remember old times.”

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “I hate how kind you are, aunt.”

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “That’s fine, that’s fine. Heh heh…!”

There was a pause of a few seconds, presumably because she was holding her sides in laugher. And then…

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “Sanada Nobuyuki. …We can make some guesses about the current state of Sanada Academy, but even a Chancellor and President in name only has his pride.”

So…

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “If he admits to those internal conditions, he will be admitting his visit today was due to being chased out.”

…''So that’s it.

Masamune understood what her aunt was saying.

This was Sanada Nobuyuki’s pride. And to put it in words…

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Even if he is willing to admit he doesn’t want to die, admitting he was chased out would mean he can no longer call himself Chancellor and President even in name only.”

That was likely why.

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Musashi’s Vice President understood that, but she did not speak out of simple curiosity. Nor did she say anything to press him for agreement or to guide him toward her opinion on the matter. But she did decide to treat Sanada Nobuyuki’s visit for what it is on the surface. So Sanada Nobuyuki thanked her for treating him like Sanada’s Chancellor and President and entrusted his actions to them.”

Masamune thought, ''Is this what they call politics?

It seemed like their emotions were given precedence here.

But those actions were corrected by rational decisions, became the decisions of a nation, and moved the world.

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Aunt.”

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “What is it?”

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Is the world moved by emotion?”

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “No. …At Mikawa and England, it was moved by reason and emotion corrected it.”

Masamune felt like she was being told not to rush things.

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “Both emotion and reason move the world. But the Testament says the nations have begun to discuss and research an important question: are there rules governing that? And while we have our hands full ruling a single nation or region…”

No.

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “As someone who failed to rule due to trouble finding an heir, this is not my place to speak. …But, Masamune, you properly ruled a nation and passed it on, so this is an answer you must see. Musashi and Hashiba are the same, as they both bring about a time of peace.”

The fox continued speaking.

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “Musashi is a gathering of those who were lost, went missing, or left. They have all held pride at some point, but they cast it aside. And after casting it aside, they have accepted and been accepted by ‘that person’ and stay with him. …I was worried they would not notice or grow careless because they had already passed that point, but it would seem that is not the case.”

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Aunt, I understand now why this has made Musashi all the more troublesome.”

'''Nine Tail Girl:''' “Ho ho? And why is that?”

“Testament,” replied Masamune while looking to the flat white object in the southern sky.

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Musashi has corrected the other nations’ reason with emotion, but now they have corrected another nation’s emotion with reason. …I think the nations with similar emotions will respond to this.”

Masazumi saw the man kneeling before her take a breath.

And a message reached the sign frame next to her.

'''Tachibana Wife:''' “That was an excellent decision, Vice President. …As a warrior, it would be horribly shameful to explain how I ended up in my current position.”

''I imagine so,'' thought Masazumi.

Those two were where they were now because they had lost a battle. But…

'''Tachibana Wife:''' “Musashi is a strange place.”

'''Tachibana Husband:''' “Is it?”

'''Tachibana Wife:''' “It is.”
''Are we really so bad the Tachibana Wife has to mention it?'' wondered Masazumi, but the girl continued.

'''Tachibana Wife:''' “At Musashi, no one says that we are training to regain our inherited names. They support us as if we are nameless and are working toward our first inherited name. There are times when I nearly forget how it felt to have that name taken from me.”

But…

'''Tachibana Wife:''' “And because no one tells us to forget either…it feels like we are being told to self-regulate our feelings and that we can keep our distance even if we cannot forget.”

Asama felt her heart pound when she heard Gin’s words.

…''Ah.

She had heard something similar once a long time ago.

…''Toori-kun.

“Heh heh. My foolish brother is like that too.”

From behind, Kimi pulled in Horizon, Asama, and Mitotsudaira. Her hair smelled just like his. And with that hint of peony, the entertainer sister spoke.

“When my foolish brother confessed to P-01s, he saw her similarities to Horizon, but he said he didn’t care if she wasn’t Horizon.”

''In that case,'' thought Asama.

…''That confession was a way of saying goodbye to the past, wasn’t it?

How did he feel now? They had not lost Horizon after all, but was this ''a new present'' or ''a continuation from the past''?

“It is hard to say,” said Horizon. “Everyone built up deep relationships with Toori-sama while I was gone. I arrived later and even if I have built up a relationship with him, I cannot hope to match the depth of the relationships Asama-sama, Mitotsudaira-sama, and Kimi-sama have with him.”

“That’s not-…”

Asama started to reply but stopped herself.

Relationships were no one else’s business. There was no point in someone else giving their opinion about them. But there was something she had to say.

“Don’t worry. There are different kinds of relationships.”

“Th-that’s true. Yes,” agreed Mitotsudaira. “For example, mine is a relationship between king and knight. And I think my king sees his relationship with you as a romantic one, Horizon.”

“But…there are combining techniques such as ''shudo'' for confirming the bonds between a king and knight.”

Tension filled Mitotsudaira’s smile when Horizon said that.

…''Ohh.

'''Wise Sister:''' “Heh heh heh! This doggy nearly died just from having her throat rubbed, so I wonder how far she can go!”

'''Asama:''' “D-don’t say it like that, Kimi! If you provoke her, it might ignite her beast power and cause her to overthrow her master!”

'''Silver Wolf:''' “You’re not helping, Tomo!”

But Horizon ignored their argument and tilted her head. She did not seem to understand.

“If it is to include combination techniques, both the wife and concubine relationships apply. In that case…”

Asama listened to Horizon’s question.

“What is a relationship? It would seem actions are not enough to distinguish them. Conversely, if we are to prove that all of our relationships are of equal depth, we must all perform the same action.”

“——————”

Asama was left speechless, so Kimi spoke instead.

“Saying you eat at the same table is similar, but I like the way you’re looking at this, Horizon. A king treating people unequally can cause a kingdom to split.”

She then whispered something else while looking over at Asama and Mitotsudaira.

“So you two should decide what it is you want from my foolish brother.”

“I-I…”

Just as Asama started to speak, she turned toward Mitotsudaira and saw the girl smiling a little.

She interpreted that as a sign that she could keep the lid shut here.

…''Th-that’s right.

At the very least, this was not the time to discuss any further developments.

Asama ignored Kimi behind her and placed her arms around Horizon and Mitotsudaira’s shoulders.

“Okay, okay. We need to focus on Masazumi, not the nonsense from the weird person behind us.”

Kimi whispered “behind us” in the exact same tone, but Asama focused on ignoring her.

Then she saw Masazumi’s words in front of her.

They were words, but they were not sounds. They were text.

'''Vice President:''' “I understand most of what’s going on, but I would like to confirm some things about Sanada Nobuyuki’s career. Give me whatever information you can.”

Masazumi sat down once more.

In front of her, a man kneeled down and took deep breaths to calm himself.

It was Sanada Nobuyuki.

…''This is an interesting person.

''That’s disrespectful of me,'' she thought. ''I’m looking down on him,'' she added before asking a question.

'''Vice President:''' “Neshinbara…how about it?”

'''Novice:''' “You want to know about Lord Nobuyuki’s career, right!? This’ll be long!? Are you sure!?”

'''Wise Sister:''' “Heh heh. Silly boy. How about summing it up in 5 words?”

'''Novice:''' “A life of barely surviving. I guess that would do it!”

'''Almost Everyone:''' “See, you can do it if you try!”

'''Four Eyes:''' “Congratulations…”

'''Uqui:''' “Well done…”

'''Bell:''' “Y-yeah… A-a r-round of applause…”

'''Novice:''' What!? Why are you treating me like the dumb kid!?”

Regardless, what Neshinbara had said was important.

A life of barely surviving.

That described Sanada as a whole. After all, it was a small mountain nation with Uesugi to the north, Oda to the west, Houjou to the south, and the Kantou forces to the east. Which meant…

…''Sanada is a nation that is invaded on the way to somewhere else.

A nation needed territory and people. But even when they tried to gain territory and increase their population, they could not strengthen their nation well with other powers surrounding them on all sides.

So they desperately tried to hold back the surrounding territory while gaining the protection of the major nation they decided would be best. But…

'''Novice:''' “Even so, there are times when they have to fight on their own or with minimal support. On several occasions, Sanada Nobuyuki himself has sent a suicide unit of a few dozen to the center of the enemy forces or used an ambush to achieve victory.”

'''Smoking Girl:''' “But that was probably on the guidance of the Ten Braves, wasn’t it?”

'''Novice:''' “Lord Nobuyuki took part as well.”

''Probably so,'' thought Masazumi.

…''That would be his pride.

He wanted to be Chancellor and President in more than just name, so he joined the battle.

He might have been in the way on the battlefield, but he appeared on the frontline and fought.

He might not have been as useful as the Ten Braves with their special abilities, but he had trained his body and maintained his strength so he would not just be a burden.

And the man in front of her was…

…''A normal person.

Everyone had different tendencies, body types, and dispositions, and those would determine what they could and could not do. Those could be viewed as “talent”, but they could also be seen as “gifts of hard work” when they were overcome.

This man named Sanada Nobuyuki would probably have been a diligent and somewhat strict person if the world was not the way it was. But…

'''Vice President:''' “He’s the kind of person who refuses to lie to himself and will not fall back.”

After typing out that text, Masazumi spoke out loud.

“Lord Nobuyuki. To reiterate, we cannot accept your request at the moment. Musashi is currently trying to see whether or not we can defeat Houjou. If we accept something that brings Sekigahara to mind, we will be forced to reevaluate our relationship with Sanada as well as our history recreation with Houjou and the related nations. …And then you will be a target for the Testament Union, P.A. Oda, and even the nations trying to benefit from a relationship with Musashi. …Thus, we cannot accept at the moment.”

“Th-then when can you…!?”

“Judge. We can hear you out once we have defeated Houjou. But to be more accurate…”

Masazumi breathed in.

“After Nobunaga’s assassination has been completed, by interpretation or otherwise.”

Tenzou sensed the pause to make a decision.

Nobuyuki stopped moving when he heard Masazumi.

Time seemed to flow slowly for a moment. And then…

…''What will he do?

With that silent question, Tenzou lowered his hips slightly and leaned forward.

He was prepared to move in case Sanada Nobuyuki tried something.

Next to him, Mary used her fingertips to push her half of Excalibur toward him. She was telling him to use both swords.

Mitotsudaira and Futayo also prepared for combat.

And then Nobuyuki moved.

He swung his body down low and spoke.

“Judge.”

He clenched his hands and placed them on the floor on either side of his body.

“I leave that decision to you…!”

“Judge. Then, Sanada Nobuyuki, allow Musashi to introduce you as a guest to our ‘health resort’.”

Mitotsudaira listened to Masazumi’s response.

And she raised her hand.

“Mitotsudaira, prepare a safe place for him in Mito territory down below. He will need automaton guards, but he will be our guest and he must not be exposed to any danger.”

“Judge,” replied Mitotsudaira as she opened a sign frame. For the automaton guards, she first checked around Musashi and then sent instructions to the Mito government office.

…''So he is staying at a health resort, not receiving our protection. Given Lord Nobuyuki’s personality, an unnecessarily heavy guard shouldn’t be necessary.

If he cared about his life, he would flee if his pride was not at risk.

So she needed to choose a location with plenty of options like that.

“I will prepare a place with a large longhouse. There will be employment opportunities and he will be able to support himself. …What kind of status should he have?”

Masazumi answered that question.

“He won’t be able to spread his wings if he stands out. …Send him as a reserve lecturer for Ariadust Academy and he shouldn’t have trouble getting along with people. Is that acceptable?”

“…Judge.”

Nobuyuki bowed toward Mitotsudaira and Masazumi over and over.

''Oh, dear,'' thought Mitotsudaira as she sent the instructions to the government offices for Musashi and Mito.

“All done. Approval won’t arrive until later, so for today…”

“Yes,” said Asama. She had already prepared a map of the ship. “You can spend the night at the Atsuta Shrine on Musashi. If you use Musashi as a midway point on the way to Mito, you don’t have to go through Musashi’s immigration process, including the medical and customs checks.”

“I am in your debt…!”

With that, Nobuyuki’s body went limp.

He had relaxed.

His tense expression loosened up and sweat poured from his brow.

…''That’s good.

With that thought, Mitotsudaira nodded toward Horizon and Asama.

But then Asama frowned.

''Eh?'' thought Mitotsudaira when she saw that expression and where the girl was looking.

“…There!”

Asama shouted toward something that appeared behind Nobuyuki. It was a sign frame.

'''“Classification: Unregistered Reaction – Special – Forced Appearance from Covert Mode: Submit.”

Immediately, the air audibly burst behind Nobuyuki and something was blown away.

It flew through the air. And as Mitotsudaira looked up at it, she heard Nobuyuki’s voice.

“…Papa!!”

Masazumi saw a short old man in the sky.

The gray-haired man wore a Far Eastern uniform like a hakama.

“Nobuyuki…!”

Even as he shouted and flew through the air, he made a flip and a half to land on his feet.

And the old man kneeling there was Nobuyuki’s…

“P-papa! Why are you here!? I-I can get by on my own!!”

“You fool…!”

The old man slapped Nobuyuki’s face with his raised right hand.

Nobuyuki shrieked, held his cheek, and shook his body.

“You have guts claiming you can get by on your own, Nobuyuki! Just now, you were getting help from the Musashi Vice Chancellor and Mito Lord!”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “Does this argument mean the only way to get by on your own is to live a wild life while entirely alone and gathering all your own supplies?”

'''10ZO:''' “Well, Sanada Academy is primarily made up of ninjas, so that might actually be how they think.”

'''Scarred:''' “On England’s 4th level, we all helped each other out, so a ninja’s life is so very impressive in comparison. …Hee hee. Now I understand why you saved me and helped me, Master Tenzou.”

“Y-Y-Y-Y-Your Majesty! ‘That ninja’ is rising to the top of Musashi’s search list!”

Musashi’s actions were the center of attention in England’s Oxford as well.

Elizabeth frowned at the information arriving via IZUMO.

“ ‘That ninja’, huh? …It would seem the Far Eastern people see things much like I do.” She snorted derisively. “Friends, I will never accept this just because my sister is happy, so fear not.”

''England must have it tough,'' thought Masazumi as she asked a question.

'''Vice President:''' “Is someone leaking information on this meeting?”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “Whoever’s behind it, it seems to only be information on the ninja and his wife.”

'''Gold Mar:''' “Yeahhh, I wonder who it could be? Ah ha ha.”

'''Marube-ya:''' “Yes, who could it be?”

'''Righteousness:''' “Can’t you blame them all using joint responsibility?”

'''Asama:''' “I can cut off all data to prevent our own people from leaking anything out. What should I do?”

'''Vice President:''' “It’s harmless, so don’t bother. In fact, this helps because it doesn’t look like we’re holding a meeting.”

Crossunite gave her a silent look, but she decided to ignore it.

Anyway, Masazumi looked to the old man standing in front of her. A warning sign frame from the Asama Shrine was opened behind his neck and it was set to prevent any damage to Musashi.

“Old man, who are you?”

“Testament. My apologies. …I am Sanada Academy Principal Sanada Masayuki!”

He faced her in a relaxed pose and lightly nodded.

“I am here to watch over my unworthy son’s departure and marriage!”

''Marriage?'' wondered Horizon with a tilt of the head.

…''On Musashi?

She saw the others tilting their heads as well.

The crossdresser alone was focused on his talk with Katagiri on the sign frame.

“Manliness? But that can be divided into two categories: things you can learn and things such as body type and personality that you can’t. Which one is more important to you? Oh, and I mean important to your ideal and your current self. …Yes, it can be something else. There are no rules for this kind of thing.”

'''Bell:''' “Toori-kun is…amazing.”

'''Wise Sister:''' “Heh heh. My foolish brother quite likes listening to people. He keeps things going at just the right speed for them to reveal everything!”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “This is pretty entertaining, so should I leak it out?”

'''Asama:''' “P-please don’t! What if people start asking the Asama Shrine about it!? My dad has been saying something about starting a new show recently, so this is a dangerous time!”

''It is hard to tell whether he is useful or a nuisance,'' concluded Horizon in her heart. And when she looked forward, she saw Sanada Principal Masayuki facing Masazumi.

Horizon raised her right forearm and asked a question.

“Judge. I am going to get right to the point.”

“So you’ll be thrusting the point right on in there! Right, Horizon!?”

Horizon exchanged a thumbs up with Kimi and then continued.

“You, Nobu-…there are so many similar names I’m having difficulty telling them apart, but you there. You mentioned marriage, but who will be marrying whom?”

“Testament. In this case, it will be following the Testament. Meaning…”

Masayuki looked at someone behind Horizon.

“Honda Tadakatsu’s daughter. You will marry my son, Sanada Nobuyuki.”

It was Futayo.

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 27|Chapter 27]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 5B Chapter 29|Chapter 29]]
}}
</noinclude>

Clash of Hexennacht:Volume4 Chapter 1

2017-05-15T23:23:56Z

86.52.34.238: Fixed an error.

==Chapter 1: People are a Gathering==
[[Image:Hexennacht_v04_047.png|thumb]]
''You mustn’t

''Praise me for nothing more than this

“Everything just got a lot noisier over toward Tokyo Bay, didn’t it?”

“Did you see all of the bulletin boards on the main road switch to ‘stop everything’?”

“Yes,” said the girl as she shook her short black hair in response to the white handbag by her left side.

The sky was illuminated by a late October setting sun.

She walked along the same riverside road as the previous night, but the road was full of cars now.

The lines of cars belonged to the evacuating people. The people had been instructed to use public transportation instead of private cars, but no one was listening.

“And yet they even increased the number of trains and buses,” commented the girl. “They’re running some exclusively for evacuation.”

“The people probably want to get their own possessions out. Not everything is going to go as planned.”

“C’mon, don’t act like you’re better than everyone.”

“I think you should tell that to yourself last night.”

Meanwhile, some horns began blaring down the congested road.

The girl sped up to see what that was about and she found a car stopped up ahead.

“Out of gas?”

“If so, they would only need to refuel, but it doesn’t look that way. Maybe it broke down.”

As the girl wondered what they would do, two people descended from the sky. A male and female police officer wearing lightly-armored uniforms flew down on mass-produced Normal Device cowling brooms.

They hopped down instead of landing and the woman instructed the male driver to get out onto the sidewalk. She held out her hand to the waiting cars and held up a spell circle containing her signature of jurisdiction.

“That was fast,” said the handbag.

“That’s the police for you.”

The girl saw the driver get out with whatever luggage he could hold. The male police officer shook the driver’s hand and got inside the car in his place.

“I wonder what he’s doing,” said the handbag. “Using a spell inside?”

“Maybe securing temporary ownership rights? Guys use passive magic, so I think he’s making the car his possession so his spell can apply to it.”

“What kind of spell? Is he going to lift it up and move it?”

“Lifting it up would be a physical strengthening spell, but I think using that on a car would cause it to bend.”

The girl approached as she spoke and she saw the woman open a spell circle and get the driver’s signature. Then the man got out of the car and placed a spell circle on the hood.

“————”

When the man said something to the woman, she held her palm out to get the driver to stand back and then casually ''lifted up'' the car.

There was a spell circle above her head, but it only displayed authorization to move the car and her qualifications.

“She’s carrying it?” asked the handbag.

“I doubt she would lift it up and support it using one of her active spells. That would cause a continuous burden, making it pretty inefficient.”

“Then…”

The handbag trailed off because the woman “placed” the car over the man waiting in the road.

“Oh,” said the voice from the girl’s side.

“If he’s only ‘supporting’ it instead of ‘lifting’ it, then passive defense spells will work just fine. This way the car won’t bend.”

“That seems more like a play on words to me.”

But the man began walking with the car supported by his raised arms.

He moved nimbly. He likely had a destination in mind. While walking down the center of the 4-lane road, he even positioned it vertically when passing by a bus. That did not seem to dump the contents of the car to one side, so they too must have been “supported” by the spell placed on it.

“They probably have motor pools set up in places so they can gather up everything blocking the flow of traffic,” said the girl.

“And the people responsible will be placed on the public transportation, I suppose.”

The driver bowed and the woman passed him a spell circle telling him where to go.

Then the driver walked off in a different direction.

He left the flow of traffic and was probably on his way to a train station or something.

To clean up, the female police officer erased the spell circles from the road and bowed toward the waiting cars.

After that, she only had to fly away as a witch. Everything was back to the way it was.

The girl looked up into the sky from the sidewalk.

“Witches like that must be going on standard patrols.”

She could see groups of 2 and sometimes of 3 or 4.

“Accidents like this are less than 0.01% of the whole,” said the voice from her side. “So if they remove those, I’m guessing they only need to deal with the traffic congestion like normal. Their thinking is a bit forced, but they know people will use their private cars even if told not to, so having something like this in place is the right decision, even if it doesn’t score a perfect 100.”

“Wow. That scoring really, really makes it sound like you think you’re better than everyone.”

“But if that’s how they’re doing things, I kind of want to see it for myself.”

“There was an elementary school near here, so maybe they’re temporarily carrying them there.”

“Should we go take a look?”

The girl hesitated but ultimately shook her head.

“There’s something else I want to see.”

“You should have gone last night.”

“I wanted to walk through the city at night then. Because I was never able to do that. But…”

The girl looked into the eastern sky.

Beyond a line of buildings, she saw the elevated buildings and roadways along the coast from the Uraga Channel to Tokyo Bay, but she could not see past there. She sighed.

“The world is in motion and connected even in the places you can’t see.”

She began walking. She was headed deep into the congested flow of people and cars. She turned her back on Tokyo Bay and quickened her pace.

“I wonder how much of it has been made.”

Koutarou and the others were helping U.A.H.J. by constructing tents in various places.

They were currently constructing the European U.A.H. Headquarters Expansion in front of Shihouin Academy’s main gate.

While they quickly worked, the Head Maid approached. She stepped into the tent where they were beginning to line up the communication equipment and command desk carried in by an outdoor transportation wagon.

“We are constructing similar tents in Yokohama, Yokosuka, and Enoshima. Enoshima will be our external headquarters. We have already geographically distributed our posts, but we will head there to assist with the advance team with construction once we finish here, so hurry it up, everyone.”

They all said they would and continued working. Then the Head Maid asked a question.

“Head Butler, will you be heading back to the mansion for today?”

“No. The mansion has already been locked up, so we will all be heading out. Most likely to Enoshima.”

Hearing that, several of the maids working on the tent nearby raised their voices.

“Ehhh!? You’re coming with us!?”

“All right! That means those of us here will be safe!”

“Head Maid, please say something to the Head Butler!”

“J-just in case I wasn’t clear enough, all of the mansion’s witches will be going, too!”

“Well, I suppose so.” The Head Maid used a spell circle to link a parabolic antenna to a relay truck. “The Black Witch’s minions do not attack with simple explosions. They use ‘destruction’, so it permeates belowground too. The mansion’s basement may be able to endure the smallest level of ‘destruction’, but from midlevel and up, a direct hit would leave us with no escape. …But why Enoshima?”

“Because we have determined that not even the Black Witch will be able to move freely while fighting Lady Mitsuru and Lady Kagami.”

Magino Device battles naturally covered a wide area, but given the effect that terrain had on the collection of ether and the barrier placed on her, the great “fluctuations” of a city or the mountains would be inconvenient for her.

The best terrain would be the sky above a large river that matched the flow of a ley line. That allowed one to secure the ether welling up from there, but there were no large rivers matching those conditions in Japan. So…

“We think the Black Witch has an all-around strength with no fixed specialty, so she will likely choose to fight over the ocean for the lack of ‘fluctuations’ instead of finding somewhere with a specific advantage.”

“That’ll be the area of fiercest fighting,” said a witch with an eyepatch over her left eye.

She was the maid who had supplied her eye power to the 7th Fleet during Mary’s Ranker Battle.

She opened a spell circle while tying the tent canvas to the poles.

“The 7th Fleet is currently calling the 5th Fleet to Hawaii for backup. It looks like the battlefield will be the backwards ‘L’ of the coast from Tokyo Bay to Kanagawa.”

“Where is the 7th Fleet?”

“In a position where they cannot be seen from an altitude of 10 kilometers at the widest range of the battlefield.”

“They’re using the curvature of the earth as cover?”

Because the earth was round, that curvature would come between two positions with sufficient distance between them.

“Even if the Black Witch’s ‘eye’ applies to all of her minions, the final stage should be fought almost entirely on the surface. The fleet intends to attack them by using the earth as cover and traveling along the appropriate latitude.”

Everyone briefly stopped moving and nodded at what the eyepatch witch said.

When they were mopping up all of the Black Witch’s minions, would they be winning or would it be the opposite? No one had any way of knowing.

But there was something Koutarou had to say.

“Not to worry. …Lady Mitsuru is beginning to surpass her mother. And this time, she has a partner who more than rivals her in strength.”

Let me say one thing.

“We are leaving the mansion and heading into the fiercest of the fighting, but not just to support those of you there. It is so we can praise Lady Mitsuru when she emerges victorious.”

As soon as he said that, light sprayed through the sky.

At the same time, the maids trembled and the barriers opened around their bodies and hair began to glow.

…''Those are…

They were the witches’ persistent defense and protection spells. A large quantity of ether had flowed into them and overloaded them.

He knew why.

“Did Lady Kagami dispel the Devices she had put together?”

She did so as carelessly as she created them.

A look up in the sky showed scattering light and no sign of the 2 giant forms that had been there a moment before.

''She’s causing some kind of commotion again,'' thought Mary as she looked into the sky alongside Hunter who was doing the same.

She lightly raised a hand.

“So are we really having a strategy meeting here, Brigadier General and Horinouchi-san? Oh, and New Headmaster.”

“Yes, that is right, Mary. I am willing to give you some of my valuable time. How about that?”

She ignored her. And…

“New Headmaster, you seemed to be performing an experiment using the Brigadier General, but could you please tell us how the Black Witch’s sealing barrier works?”

“Oh?” replied Lisbeth with a smile on the corners of her lips. “You are a clever girl.”

“It is a natural question. After all…” Mary gestured into the sky. “Earlier, the Brigadier General created a Device as a form of defense, but that consumed a great quantity of ether. That leads to a question: can external ether be sent into the sealing barrier where the battle will take place?”

This was much like a strategy she herself had once used.

After dividing Kagami Kagami from her buddy and taking just Kagami to the North Pole, she had used a certain tactic against Kagami who had a crafting ability and the ability to acquire massive amounts of ether.

“I surrounded that space with a barrier and thinned out the amount of ether within. As a result, the Brigadier General had considerable trouble repairing her Device and attacking.”

“Didn’t that end with you getting hit by some intercontinental arrows?”

''Quiet, Rank 3.

At any rate, that result told her one thing.

“If this barrier is the type that cuts off ether, it is a poor match for the buddy system. After all, the Brigadier General and Miss Horinouchi both use techniques that consume a lot of ether, so they will automatically run out of fuel quite quickly. …In that case, the Brigadier General’s Device repairs will be all the more dangerous.”

“Why don’t you consider the possibility that the Black Witch will be bound by the same conditions?”

“Because the Black Witch is much like a creator god.”

Mary knew that it had been a “god” that destroyed her world and that the “god” had only been a subordinate of what this world called the Black Witch.

This was a being higher than the gods. The normal rules did not apply with someone like that.

“Even though she was cornered during the previous Hexennacht, the Black Witch sent out her minions to turn things around. That tells us that she can be injured and ultimately destroyed and that her creation ability is likely only limited by what she can think of.”

“True… Summoning minions that could cause such great destruction to the surface is not possible using the existing ether conservation laws.”

“While I have brought in my own unique rule while still fundamentally being bound by the rules governing this world’s characters, my sister is most likely using her own unique rule but is bound by that.”

“Why, Brigadier General?”

Mary had a question.

“She would be invincible if she did not construct that rule, so why create it?”

“The pride of an author.” Kagami smiled a little with her eyebrows still raised. “She creates and destroys this world, but she feels a pang of conscience from that act. So by establishing a rule that makes her highly unlikely to be harmed but still technically able to be harmed, she can remain almighty and yet soothe her conscience about what she does to the world.”

“Oh, you mean like how you feel guilty playing a game on god mode, but that guilt almost entirely vanishes when you can still die if you fall in a hole?”

Mary did not know what the Rank 3 was talking about, but there was one thing she understood.

“In other words, the Black Witch can be hurt, but she has excellent means of recovery and defense…”

That led to a certain conclusion.

“Just how obsessed with attack power is the Horinouchi family…?”

Horinouchi realized that Lisbeth and everyone else were looking her way.

''This just took a turn for the worse,'' she thought, but she decided to say something regardless.

“Wh-what is that look for, everyone!?”

“Horinouchi, you said before that you have made a number of improvements over your mother, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” said Hunter while throwing her hands in the air. “And she tested them on me.”

“E-either way,” said Horinouchi, “defeating the Black Witch is our most important task, so greater attack power should be a good thing.”

“Looking at it another way, this means we already have attack power equal to the Black Witch’s, doesn’t it?” asked Horinouchi.

''Now that you mention it,'' thought Horinouchi before saying more.

“It may be somewhat insane, but we can also rival the Black Witch’s defense…or rather, we have a way of repairing our Devices. And on the level of recreating them entirely.”

That was Kagami. And Kagami clearly knew it because she puffed out her chest and tried to get Horinouchi to praise her some more.

…''She sure is full of energy…

Kagami had been messing with a lot of people lately and doing all sorts of unnecessary things. Horinouchi wondered what had her so worked up, but would she answer if Horinouchi asked?

But Horinouchi had another question too. It was the same one Mary had asked earlier.

“How is the sealing barrier formed?”

Lisbeth’s answer was simple.

She took a breath and then spoke.

“Currently, the seal connecting the moon and the earth does block ether.”

That meant the ether inside was limited.

Hunter knew most of this already.

American U.A.H. had not been on the scene during the previous Hexennacht, so they had not been affected much by the Black Witch’s “eraser”. That left them with some information and predictions concerning this Hexennacht’s battle.

“There are 2 problems with an ether-blocking barrier. The first is that it blocks spell communications. Of course, that can be overcome by using optical communication spells that compress the data.”

The other problem had already been mentioned:

“How to handle the fuel efficiency.”

“Rank 3, you make it sound like your Hedgehog has cleared the fuel efficiency problem.”

''Mary’s sharp,'' she thought before nodding.

“The truth is, both Fleur and Horinouchi’s mom had also cleared it.”

“Yes,” said Horinouchi while looking her way. “You mean great size with heavy armor or high density, don’t you?”

“I should have known!” Kagami looked to Horinouchi’s chest. “Great size indeed.”

Horinouchi attacked with a no-motion iron claw.

''That was fast.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow! Your bow-holding grip is truly impressive, Horinouchi!”

''What kind of compliment is that?'' thought Horinouchi since she might as well view it in a positive light.

“Fleur’s giant Device and the Geo Frame are both created with massive amounts of ether. But they are more than just large. They are made to hold ether inside, so they can continue fighting even when the ether density is low.”

She felt a vibration much like a flopping fish from beyond her left hand, but she ignored it. ''I am actually a very good cook. Squeezing juice out of apples, for example.

But Mary spoke after taking a quick glance beyond Horinouchi’s left hand.

“I have a question. …If the ether density drops, won’t the Device come apart?”

Mary’s question was a good one. But…

“A 500m Device might just barely survive, but a Device or Frame larger than 3km will carry its own ‘phase’.”

“That’s right. Instead of a ‘space’ through which ley lines flow, they become large enough to create their own ‘geographic phase’. Then again, that requires more than just size. It also needs a geographic function and purpose, but Devices contain plenty of elements that grant that.”

“Yes,” agreed Horinouchi. “I understand why Fleur’s Device created an ‘environment’ and why my mother’s giant humanoid Device is known as a ‘Geo Frame’. Geo is an indigenous mother earth goddess. So if we can summon the Geo Frame, the Device will maintain its form as a ‘phase’ even within the ether-blocking barrier and it will continue to function based on the ether contained within it. …Of course, that will then become the upper limit of our fuel.”

“When you think about it, becoming your own ‘phase’ is really the work of a god.”

“Your Hedgehog is the same, though.”

That was because the heavy armor of Hunter’s Device increased the density of the ether. So depending on the circumstances, it might create its own “phase” separate to its apparent size.

…''It’s probably on the border of being able to do that or not.

Becoming a “phase” would mean being dragged around by that “phase”. And in the Hedgehog’s case…

“A ‘phase’ made from heavy armor would probably be similar to that of the earth’s crust or of boulders. So once you reached that level, you would probably have difficulty moving very quickly.”

“That’s right. And that’s why I didn’t keep the heavy armor airtight during the Ranker Battles. The swing-by method would require a hell of a lot of power if I was being dragged around by my own ‘phase’ and that would slow me down. …So after winning the Ranker Battles, I was planning to seal it all up in preparation for Hexennacht. …Because if the Hexennacht barrier blocks ether, I wouldn’t be able to use my satellite swing-by method anyway. I would have needed to strengthen the interior.”

“Was that how it worked?” Mary sighed lightly and Horinouchi understood why she felt disappointed. “My Ira was not designed to function in a zero-ether environment.”

“In that case, U.A.H. would have provided advice and assistance, so worry not.”

Lisbeth was right. And Horinouchi felt Mary had done more than enough.

“Your annihilation spell would work against the Black Witch, you know?”

“It didn’t work against the former Rank 1’s environment spell.”

Horinouchi needed to correct her.

“It did not work ‘against’ it. During the final battle, Kagami and I adjusted to match the environment in order to avoid being hit. …It’s all in how you think about it. And we were only able to make that decision after seeing your earlier battle.”

“Miss Horinouchi…”

It still was not clear why Mary called her “miss”, but the girl lowered her head regardless.

“Thank you for your kind words.”

“Did you hear that, everyone!? Lady Mitsuru showed concern for a friend and received respect in exchange! Eavesdropping was worth it after all! You have to accept that now!”

“Head Butler, while I must say ‘well done, milady’, what you are doing is the worst.”

“Yes, thank you for the valuable scene, Head Butler. But you are the worst.”

“That’s right. This deserves a major ‘well done’-ing, but the Head Butler is the worst.”

“Ahh, I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you! This is all thanks to me, so I’ll just ignore all of that! …Well done, milady!!”

''Anyway,'' thought Horinouchi.

…''Our strategy for Hexennacht is becoming clear.

“Once the battle begins, we need to use Kagami’s ability to prevent any damage and then we need to summon the Geo Frame if the battle is going to last very long.”

But a question arose.

“During the previous Hexennacht, the Black Witch called in her minions for reinforcements. If all ether was blocked, how did she do that, Kagami?”

She removed the iron claw and asked her question, so Kagami shook her head and immediately answered.

“Well, that would be because she did not use anything like a spell, Horinouchi. Let us discuss this while we head out for some food. This involves some private information, after all. Mary, Hunter, you come as well. What about you, Lisbeth?”

They looked over to find Lisbeth glaring at Kagami and waving her right hand. She then wrinkled her brow.

“I have work to do!”

''It looks like she really, really wants to come with us.

<noinclude>
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| Back to [[Clash_of_Hexennacht:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Clash_of_Hexennacht|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Clash_of_Hexennacht:Volume4_Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Clash of Hexennacht:Volume4 Prologue

2017-05-15T01:52:38Z

86.52.34.238: Two spelling errors fixed.

''He who holds no aspirations will not find happiness.

''—Aeschylus of Greece

==Prologue: A Walk in the Moonlight==
[[Image:Hexennacht_v04_011.png|thumb]]
''The night is lonely because there are fewer people around

''The night is enjoyable because that loneliness is a relief

A girl stood in a city with a view of the moon.

She was on the outskirts of the city. She walked toward the city’s lights using a sidewalk that began at the river mouth. Her gray uniform blew in the autumn night wind.

Her shoulder-length hair fluttered as the wind carried in the mixed scents of the river and the sea.

“Amazing. …I’m glad I put so much effort into it since it came out so well.”

“I personally can’t recommend this much, but I suppose it’s valuable for you to see it.”

“That’s right,” said the girl with a smile on her lips and in her eyes as she viewed the city.

Her black eyes captured the nighttime lights before her that took the form of a city.

“I’m going to keep going.”

“I’m sure you would do so even if I told you not to.”

“Ha ha. Should we spend the night somewhere?”

“You do ''not'' have permission to spend the night!”

“Yeah, I said it because I knew you’d say that.”

“Why do you always get so energetic when you use your imagination?”

“Because it feels like I can arrive at something even better if I do.”

The girl directed the words “don’t worry” toward her left side. She carried a white leather handbag there and a voice spoke from within.

“We’ll head back together. Of course, we arrived together too.”

“Thanks. What does this feel like to you?”

“It’s the same thing you always do. It’s like flipping through a book and pointing to a word on a page.”

As they walked and approached, the city arrived at their sidewalk. It felt more like it was accepting their walk than spreading out before them. The scents of the river and the sea were overpowered by the sounds of cars, trains, and people living their lives.

The sounds, lights, smells, sensations, atmosphere, and aura were all the product of the people who lived there.

The girl entered that manmade amalgam. She had already passed the increased density of light that acted as a border. So…

“We’ve arrived in Yokohama,” said the girl.

“We should have gone to the center to start with.”

“I wouldn’t be able to bear that. I’d die.”

“Stop exaggerating,” said the voice from her side. “Look. Over there.”

The sidewalk ran along the river, but there were several buildings across the road on the other side. At an even interval between the buildings, information towers displayed spell circles.

A certain announcement scrolled across one of them along with some news and ads from sponsors.

“3 days until Hexennacht,” read the girl.

“That’ll be 2 days once dawn arrives.”

A map from Tokyo Bay to the ocean off of Kanagawa was displayed along with footage of a woman with long white hair, a black suit, and an eyepatch.

Some roads on the map were marked with red lines and those extended toward western Tokyo, western Kanagawa, or northern Shizuoka. They were…

“Evacuation routes?”

“Are the city’s people evacuating?”

“It looks like they’ll start evacuating by block tomorrow.” The girl looked around. “I would think they would have to evacuate sooner, but let’s just assume that means a lot of witches live in this region.”

“I really don’t think you should just assume you’re always right.” The voice from the bag under her arm spoke quietly. “You have to make sure you’re right in the end.”

“Only 3 days remained until Hexennacht.

“On that day, the world would settle things with the Black Witch. They would do battle with and destroy the very person who created this world and sealed herself in the moon.

“That was the day on which mankind had continually lost and received incredible damage.

“It always occurred at the end of October.

“The official date had been determined suddenly but also quite late, and everyone knew why.

“One of the Troika had been lost.

“The Troika were the 3 witches who had competed to the end over becoming the representative for the previous Hexennacht.

“The one who won that competition, Horinouchi Mitsuyo, had already been lost in the previous Hexennacht.

“But one of the remaining two, Cerisier Shihouin, headmaster of Shihouin Academy where the Ranker Battles were fought, was no longer with them.

“This was due to the loss of Fleur Shihouin, the previous Rank 1 in the witches’ Ranker Battles which were used to determine who would fight on Hexennacht.

“Cerisier had been her daughter Fleur’s servant, but she could not ‘last’ any longer.

“She left the fate of the world up to a new Rank 1 who had summoned the Geo Frame, the ultimate witch’s Frame that had also been summoned by Horinouchi Mitsuyo during the previous Hexennacht.

“Thus, Lisbeth, the last of the Troika and the new Headmaster of Shihouin Academy, decided on the date of Hexennacht.

“…How does that sound as narration for the PR Committee’s documentary, Horinouchi?”

“Please stop writing your own script! And Aunt Lisbeth has called for us, so we need to gather in the courtyard!”

A cage surrounded the sky.

It was a circular cage with a diameter of about 3km.

Each of the bars on the cage was a long gunblade.

They were 500-meter Magino Device’s colored a uniform black. 1000 of them were arranged in a circle which surrounded a great expanse of water and the structure that floated there.

That structure was Shihouin Academy.

The floating island’s giant academic facility was not functioning properly.

Classes were in session. A look inside the windows of the school buildings positioned in the cardinal direction would show teachers speaking in front of their lecterns and writing words or drawing diagrams on the blackboards.

But the classes were not academic in nature.

In the General Division building to the south, a teacher in glasses spread her arms in front of her students.

“Listen up. Just like last time, we predict the Black Witch will scatter her minions over a wide area from the sky. You need to consider the possibility that your post will be destroyed or evacuated when that happens.”

They were being taught the means to survive and to fight.

Each division was learning a distinct witch survival method.

“Listen up.”

The General Division teacher raised her hands which had countless stiff scars on them.

Her hands had more scars than fingers. When the students saw that, they gasped, nodded, and continued listening.

“Listen, everyone. This here…is an example of success. Because I’m still alive.”

In that case…

“If your post is destroyed, is your best option to join the U.A.H. troops stationed in a nearby region? You might think so, but you would be wrong. After all, it is likely they will be in combat. So what should you do in that case?”

A student with pine leaves and branches on her desk raised her hand. She had white skin and blonde hair.

“Shihouin students are a part of U.A.H., but we also have our own exclusive communications channel. I think it would be crucial to first search for members of the Special Equipment Division posted nearby.”

Why was that? The answer was given in the Special Equipment Division building to the west.

In front of the students’ lab tables, a teacher in a lab coat drew a map of Japan on the blackboard and drew a horizontal red line between Tokyo Bay and the ocean off of Kanagawa.

“You will be positioned along this line. You are to protect Japan from there. But listen. There are 2 problems about that.”

She tapped the line she had drawn.

“The first is that, assuming things are the same as last time, the Black Witch distributes destruction by dropping down her minions. Last time, she dropped black candy boxes which exploded, but even the small ones spread ‘destruction’ over a diameter of 300 meters. That is the first problem, but the other one is based on your own abilities.”

Meaning…

“The Special Equipment Division is an engineering school. You have trained in two things: combat ability and how to magically construct and repair defensive formations. But that is why you will form the foundation of our defenses while retreating and why you must take command to prevent our formations from collapsing.”

“You’re telling us to be leaders?”

“Not telling you to. I am saying you will have no choice but to.” The teacher smiled bitterly. “I mean, if you see a collapsed formation or a structure that could probably function as a shield with a little work, would you be able to ignore it? But the truth is that only you have that kind of discernment. You need to understand what that means before heading home today because it’s too late once you’re actually out there.”

“Wait a second, sensei. …In that case, well, I guess the General Division isn’t too surprising since a lot of them are only witches for fun, but what about the Spell Division?”

The answer to that was being given in the Spell Division’s school building.

There, an old woman in a black coat walked around the classroom.

“Listen. You all have a role to play. The Special Equipment Division will end up being defenders and assisting in retreat. But what will you be doing? Defending? Assisting in retreat? Or guiding people? Surely you don’t intend to divine people’s destinations or love lives on the battlefield. You’re not going all the way out there just to determine tomorrow’s future from some beer foam, are you? C’mon, you tell me the answer.”

“Of course! …We are to attack. We are to take the initiative and make accurate and effective strikes, especially while the enemy is approaching from outside our field of vision.”

“No, that’s not the answer.” The elderly teacher rubbed the student’s head. “Only a small fraction of you will be able to do anything that cool on the battlefield. And as one of those who couldn’t, let me tell you the real answer.”

She slowly pointed toward the ceiling.

“The moon is there. Ever since the previous Hexennacht, my right hand’s nails have always been able to accurately point to the moon. So…”

So…

“If you aren’t sure what to do and think it’s hopeless and if you think you still have some strength left, then remember this: fire toward the moon. They always come from the moon, so you have a much better chance of hitting them that way than by making a poor horizontal or homing shot or attempting some kind of martial arts. …Listen. The Spell Division is the foundation of our offense. You’re allowed to use this world’s most advanced magic for violence. Isn’t that the best? So don’t just cling to your magic power and die. But with that in mind, don’t forget this: if you survive, you might just get another shot at this. That will mean spending another pathetic and bitter 10 years on this, but you won’t even get that if you die.”

She said “listen” once more.

“Each team will receive a single member of the Special Equipment Division for reinforcement and support. You’re good communicators, right? ''Yes,'' here is where you can use your fortunetelling and foresight. I believe I have raised the world’s greatest attackers with social skills to match. The Honors Division tends to have trouble with that last part, though.”

“But, sensei, the Honors Division…”

“Yes, they lost their most powerful Ranker. Fleur Shihouin has lost her ability to grasp ether, so she is actually weaker than a normal person. I wonder what they’re going to do about that.”

They all nodded in agreement with that.

Fleur had been at the top of the worldwide witch ranking, but she had lost both the Ranker Battle and her power. The greatest advantage of the Ranker Battles was how the losers were not lost, but that did not apply to this result.

“That means everything will likely be focused on the current Rank 1, but how will the Honors Division view that?”

The question was also asked within the Honors Division.

“Sensei.”

That voice came from a closed white space without windows. Fewer than 20 witches sat in floating chairs with armrests.

A few of them kept their hands busy by repeatedly opening and closing locks or making random structures out of floating building blocks, but one of them asked a question.

“Will we be useful at all?”

“Well, all of you have unique powers,” said the sweater-wearing teacher. “But that is why we have long been thinking about how to use your abilities. Your deployment this time will take that into account and the witches in command will have been instructed how to use you, so you don’t need to worry. Of course, that’s what makes it such a disappointment that we lost Fleur who had such incredible power in combat.”

The teacher said “but” again.

“Witches are people. You and we are people. We are analog and cannot be reproduced no matter how many gears you put together. …We can’t blame someone if circumstances and happenstance led them to lose their power.”

“Then…” said a girl holding an origami crane in the air.

Her blue eyes looked to the teacher.

“Do we just have to place all our expectations in the current Rank 1?” She took a breath. “They might have a greater power than Fleur, but we don’t know if they can win. I mean, that Geo Frame they summoned was already defeated 10 years ago.”

“That’s the question I think we’re all asking right now.”

During the Hexennacht 10 years before, Horinouchi’s mother Mitsuyo had been the representative, but she had lost to the Black Witch. And she had summoned the greatest witch’s Frame known as a Geo Frame.

“The daughter is using the same technique that was defeated last time. …Can they really win like that?”

With that question, the crane took flight.

The white origami crane flew lightly through the white classroom without flapping its wings.

“Ah.”

It suddenly opened up.

It did not tear or come apart. It unfolded, and…

“————”

The blue sky spread out within that closed white space. Something opened with a sound like struck cloth.

“A window!? But those were only included during the initial planning stage!”

As the teacher asked that, everyone turned back toward the blue sky and saw something there: a giant blue and vermilion weapon.

Two Magino Devices, which measured more than 500 meters, had appeared in the sky above Shihouin Academy’s central courtyard.

“Hold it! Kagami Kagami! How dare you!! We’re having enough trouble with the evacuation schedule for this area changing on such short notice, so why are you doing something so noticeable and threatening!?”

As the woman’s voice passed in one ear and out the other, Horinouchi watched the silver-haired and uniformed girl in front of her shrug.

…''Now she’s done it.

Horinouchi thought this was absolutely ridiculous, but the other girl did not notice her glare. Kagami simply ignored Lisbeth who stormed quickly over from beyond the courtyard.

“What do you think, Horinouchi? I used the ether I was given and the designs you let me see to summon both Dikaiosyne and Akerindou simultaneously! What do you think!?”

What did she think? There was only one answer to that.

“How in the world did you do that?”

“You cannot tell!?” Kagami struck a pose with her hands and elbows bent. “I was told I could do what I wanted with the ether, so I simply took control of all the ether that is normally collected using the engines. I made the whole thing all at once! The entire Device! I always preferred bananas, but Shouko is so narrow-minded and only allowed the production of strawberries.”

…''Umm.

It took an extra leap of logic to figure out what that idiot had done.

After all, the rules of this world did not entirely apply to her. So…

“You secured the ether needed to summon the Device without using the engines?”

“Yes, that is correct, Horinouchi. It was a request from Lisbeth who is running over here right now. To confirm the Device repair technique I used in the battle against Mary, she wanted to see how much of Dikaiosyne and Akerindou I could ‘construct’.”

Horinouchi understood what that meant because she had checked with Lisbeth about it earlier.

“That’s to see how much of a Device you can repair with your crafting ability, right?”

“Indeed it is!” Kagami spread her arms wide with the 2 summoned Magino Devices behind her. “With my power, I can repair and even create the Devices so long as I have sufficient ether.”

“Hehhh.”

Horinouchi looked to the voice from her right shoulder.

“…Suzaku, was that you?”

The servant intentionally looked the other way and made fake-sounding bird cries, but its identity did not matter at the moment. But just as the Suzaku’s comment was meant to point out, there were some problems with Kagami’s crafting.

First of all…

“Milady! This is the mainland team! Why are you summoning your Magino Devices!? The evacuating vehicles were so distracted they crashed, the trains suddenly lost power and stopped, and U.A.H.J. sent us a message saying, ‘what is it this time’!”

“Tell them it’s ‘the usual’. You must maintain your presence of mind.”

“Well done, milady!”

With Hexennacht the day after the next, evacuation orders had been sent out for the area from Shihouin Academy to the ocean of Kanagawa where the seal would be established. The same was true for the residents along the east-west line where damage was expected from the “reinforcements” summoned by the Black Witch.

They could have done this earlier, but most of Japan was still reconstructing. If those areas could not function for long periods of time, it would cause losses from something other than direct damage. So it had all been calculated out so those areas could remain active right up to the limit. They would also have been preparing everything for evacuation as that limit approached.

“They apparently redid their evacuation preparations last night almost on a whim,” said Horinouchi. “So those areas are a little on edge.”

“Ho ho? Then the sudden appearance of our Devices must have gone a long way toward improving their morale.”

“…It would seem they’re panicking a little because they think Hexennacht might have started early.”

“My, aren’t they quick to jump to conclusions.” Kagami smiled bitterly. “Then again, I hear most of those evacuating are children and the elderly because approximately 1.2 million of the other witches and men with spell training will be assisting from the coast of Tokyo Bay to the Kamakura region. It sounds so incredible.”

“Thanks to Shihouin Academy’s presence, all of the schools in the reconstructed areas have classes in those things.”

For the past 10 years, a foundation for opposing Hexennacht had been established even at the governmental level.

Everyone from high school age to age 50 would generally remain to combat the disaster during Hexennacht. The women as attackers and the men as defenders.

If the Black Witch called in her “reinforcements”, U.A.H. would handle it. But the local people would provide backup for U.A.H. while also handling the disasters and human damage caused by those reinforcements.

The need to protect your own city was a constant lesson in the reconstructed regions.

U.A.H. would make up for their anxiety about intercepting the actual enemies, so they both made up for what the other lacked.

…''So even if a lot of people are evacuating, we don’t have to worry too much about them.

It was hardly surprising that those evacuees would be surprised and concerned when Kagami used her crafting ability to create 2 Devices without warning.

“Heyyy, Kagami, Horinouchi,” said Hunter’s voice. “The internet is going nuts about something.”

“Yes, I suppose they would be,” was all Horinouchi could say.

But Kagami’s crafting had another problem beyond this kind of event.

“Now, then.”

Horinouchi put her hands on her hips and turned back toward Kagami who only tilted her head.

The look on Kagami’s face said “Is there a problem?”, so Horinouchi pointed at the 2 Magino Devices overhead.

“Listen,” she said. “Repairing them without using their actual ‘mold’ and just creating the whole thing at once is definitely amazing. In fact, it seems to reject the very foundation of our techniques. But you won’t be able to activate the engines when they’re made like that.”

…''From a technical aspect, what she’s doing is on the level of a god.

Horinouchi could not help but enviously wish she had the same power because this crafting ability allowed one to directly convert ether into a desired form.

While Horinouchi would use spells and the engines to smoothly process the ether in stages, this was more like taking a giant hand to knead out some clay.

…''It’s just plain ridiculous.

It broke the rules of witches.

When making her giant Device, any witch would first use ether to create the engine system needed to support the gathering and circulation of the necessary amount of ether.

Looking at it like a human body, it was like creating the circulatory and respiratory systems first and creating the rest while sending blood and oxygen to the entire body.

That drastically reduced the burden and stress to a lot of the components when compared to making it all at once.

After all, that meant instantly creating a structure measuring more than 500 meters long.

It was difficult for an individual’s skills to secure the necessary amount of ether and to periodically send it to the various parts of the structure.

Also…

“The engines have enough power to create the rest from scratch, but if you try to activate the entire thing at once, the strain will be too great and it will forcibly shut down.”

“You mean it starts in low gear and rises to top gear by the time the entire Device has been made?”

“So you understand it intellectually at least.”

“My engines took yours into consideration…well, they were mostly copied straight from yours, so I leave a lot of that up to Dikaio.”

“Then…”

Something about Kagami’s crazy abilities bothered Horinouchi a bit, but she put it off until later.

She opened a performance graph of her engine system.

“It might sound like you can just increase the output of the low gear, but starting with too much power right away puts a real burden on the engine system itself.”

“And what do you do about that?”

“You prepare a secondary engine system to act as a starter for the primary engine system.”

In other words, they would create a small engine to turn the large engine.

In response, Kagami looked up at the giant sword and bow floating in the sky.

“That sounds like a pain. …But even with that, there is another problem, is there not?”

She knew the answer already, but she still asked it. Of course, Horinouchi went along with it by shrugging and answering.

“The Device’s ether pathways will be destroyed if it receives too powerful an ether circulation right away. It’s like a sudden spike in blood pressure.”

“How do you avoid that with Akerindou?”

“Accumulated experience,” she said. “Witch techniques are always being reformed, but that happens on a personal level as well.”

As soon as she explained that, someone grabbed Kagami’s shoulders from behind.

“Kagami Kagami! I can’t believe you!!”

It was Lisbeth.

Lisbeth had predicted that this would not happen.

She now realized that had been far too naïve, but she blamed her mistake on assuming Kagami would have anything resembling common sense.

…''How much can you repair Dikaiosyne and Akerindou using your crafting ability?

Asking that had been the problem.

She had guessed the girl ''could'' do this much.

When predicting the accuracy and scope of Kagami’s crafting ability, she had only needed to imagine the girl was the god who created their world.

But she had carelessly assumed Kagami ''would'' not go this far.

After all…

“I can’t believe you! You forcibly stole that ether, didn’t you!?”

“Forcibly? How rude, Lisbeth. …I merely opened things up and found it there, so I took it.”

“Took it from where!?”

She had received reports from within the school that everything from windows to cabinets had unlocked and “opened”.

The same thing had happened when Kagami came to this world, but this was different.

“What did you ''open''!?”

As soon as she asked that, several spell circles appeared next to her face. There were 7 in all. Each one was an emergency transmission.

…''From the surrounding Magino Devices!?

She looked up into the sky just as the voices reached her.

“Mistress! I’m sorry, but I can’t hold on any longer!”

“Emergency! …What is this? Some kind of malfunction!? Or…”

“C17 through C24, evacuate to the surface!”

It was impressive that none of them were screaming. They were surprised, but they were handling the situation even as light exploded in the sky.

More than 1000 Magino Devices surrounding Shihouin Academy and 7 of them suddenly self-destructed.

The Device management spell reports Lisbeth had seen on the way here had told her what this was. And…

“Lisbeth. Even if they are mass-produced, you should not use the same name for so many of them.”

“…Did you ‘open’ them by using the name of that block of Devices!?”

“I needed the ether. Dikaiosyne and Akerindou each seem to need as much ether as a bit more than 3 of your mass-produced models.”

“Your crafting is more wasteful than you might think, so I believe the actual amount is more like 2.7.”

The person more familiar with the girl made a correction.

But as the Devices scattered in the sky, a voice cried out beyond the trees surrounding the courtyard and the other Devices moved to fill the newly created hole and retain the overall balance.

They would not panic and make themselves look bad.

But the situation was still quite out of the ordinary.

…''She broke down the Devices starting from the “name”?

The concept of a “true name” required caution among witches.

Names were the definition of the thing itself. All things physically “existed”, but they also received a name to “exist” as something with meaning.

Give a name to an animal and it became a pet. The name given to a building could turn it into anything from a rundown shack to a frontline base.

Also, the namer became the parent of the named and they gained the right to control it.

From a magic perspective, the name of the magic user could be a difficult issue. If you knew your opponent’s name, the ether could better reach your opponent and produce greater power against them.
But if your opponent knew your name, they could control your spells via your name instead of via the spell itself.

Of course, any higher Ranker would have protections applied to their name to ensure it was grounded. But…

“The internal structure of the Devices was supposed to have multiple names for the various parts to increase their defenses.”

“In other words, you used multiple passwords.”

“They were linked together, so controlling just one part shouldn’t have been able to stop the whole.”

“I did not ''stop'' them. I ''opened'' them, Lisbeth.” Kagami shrugged. “I mean, there was no need to stop them. I wanted the ether as a material, not to control your devices. So…”

So…

“I saw it when you were fighting Fleur near the main gate. When Fleur’s attack destroyed the blade, the individual parts had spells built in to direct the explosions inwards and thus avoid damaging their surroundings. From there, I only had to read the text written on the spell circles.”

“So you found the name and ‘opened’ them?”

“Precisely, Lisbeth! You catch on quickly!”

Beyond Kagami, Horinouchi placed a finger next to her head and spun it in a large circle.

…''Um, yes, that’s about right…

The threat here was not a difference in skill or quality as it had been when Lisbeth had taken on Cerisier and Mitsuyo.

…''She used the name as a hook to “open” it?

What Kagami had done could simply be described as follows:

“You discovered the ‘name’ of something that isn’t even a door, but you still used the control provided by that ‘name’ to use it like a door, didn’t you?”

Using that, she could also “open” people, weapons, the sea, or the sky like a door.

Lisbeth had heard Kagami’s ability was crafting, but that was not actually the case.

“You have the power to control phenomena…and the ether is no more than the fuel and material used for it.”

“That is correct. …I have a pen in my hand and this world is my notebook. I can make anything I want. But I need the proper motivation and the pen I use runs out of ink very quickly.”

“You shouldn’t refer to someone else’s Device as your spare ink,” said Horinouchi.

''You’re the one that just defined it that way,'' thought Lisbeth, but it was an accurate description.

As a result, 2 Devices had appeared and 7 others had been lost.

…''Creating 7 of them all at once is going to be a pain…

The idiot would just keep making them and destroying them, but securing that much ether would affect the amount of ether in the surrounding ley lines. That was why Shihouin Academy was located in the middle of Tokyo Bay where it would have relatively little effect on anything else. U.A.H.’s European headquarters were in the mountains for the same reason.

''We should get the help of the 7th Fleet at Yokosuka to do this out at sea,'' thought Lisbeth before Horinouchi spoke up.

“But Aunt Lisbeth?”

“Don’t call me ‘aunt’.”

“Lisbeth.”

''That’s not great either,'' she thought, but then Kagami whispered in Horinouchi’s ear.

“You must not rush things, Horinouchi. People are slower to make decisions as they age. And what you call someone can be dangerous as it is connected to their name. So, Horinouchi, let us decide what is best here. …What is your relationship with Lisbeth?”

“She’s an old friend of my mother’s, so I’ve always called her my aunt.”

“I see. And what is the safest thing to call her?”

“Well…Lisbeth, I suppose.”

“I see. Then it would be best to put those two together! Go for it!”

“…Aunt Lisbeth.”

“Damn you two…!”

The two turned their backs and ran about 7 steps away as she swung her right fist down, but she was also painfully aware of how much Horinouchi had changed.

…''I’m not sure if Mitsuyo would have liked this change, though.

She knew Mitsuyo would forgive her that much of a criticism.

But then Horinouchi asked a question.

“So, Second Headmaster, why did you have Kagami do this nonsense? Hexennacht is only 2 days away.”

“Well,” began Lisbeth.

…''2 days away, hm?

How had it been 10 years before? She remembered working to cheer them up so Mitsuyo would not be worried, but she now realized it was she who had been worried.

And Horinouchi would remember what had happened 10 years before.

So Lisbeth had a question for her.

“Mitsuru. We weren’t doing this at this stage 10 years ago, were we?”

“At our home, we were living relatively normally. My mother was giving me my normal spell training, teaching me how to do the work around the shrine, and completing those duties herself…”

Yes.

“She assumed those normal days would continue like normal after Hexennacht.”

“In that case, this idiot is a powerful drug that provides an accent to those normal days.”

She looked to Kagami, but the girl only placed a hand on her face and smiled a little.

“Jealous?”

''Of what? Your skin? Are you talking about how young your skin looks…?'' thought Lisbeth, but Horinouchi placed a hand on Kagami’s shoulder.

“Kagami, stop that.”

“You would stop me?”

“Yes. …German witches are scary when they hold a grudge, you know?”

Lisbeth raised her right fist and they fled 5 meters.

“Anyway,” she said with a sigh. They were incredibly lacking in tension, but as a veteran, she tried to understand that was just how the current Hexennacht was going to be.

But she did have one thing to say.

“It’s simple. Hexennacht is a clash between Devices. Even if you summon your Geo Frame, that does not change the fact that it is a fight between Devices.”

So…

“If Kagami can use her crafting ability for regeneration as a superior form of defense, you have a considerably better chance of victory.”

Do you understand?

“The Black Witch has never faced a witch with such a powerful recovery ability. Or witches using the buddy system for that matter.”

''That’s true,'' thought Horinouchi.

“Throughout the history of Hexennacht, the battle with the Black Witch has always been 1-on-1. The battle inside the barrier has always been focused on offense and it has never been focused on a recovery spell.”

“I see. In other words, Horinouchi, you and your mother are witches optimized for Hexennacht.”

“I don’t like what you’re implying there.”

Kagami turned to the side, held her right hand out toward Horinouchi, and opened a communications spell circle.

“Yes, is this Hunter? What? You’ve been placed in charge of us? Why do you sound so glum? I will come by to cheer you up later, so rest easy. …Don’t come by? Now, now. Be honest with yourself. …Anyway, I have a quick question. In your opinion, what is Horinouchi’s greatest strength? Her giant breasts? Yes, her giant breasts. I see.”

Kagami closed the spell circle and smiled Horinouchi’s way.

“My apologies, Horinouchi! A meat-eating American assures me that you are all about giant breasts and not attack power!”

Lisbeth gave her a silent nod, so Horinouchi threw Kagami to the ground.

“I think we got off topic,” said Horinouchi.

“Is it normally like this with all of you?” asked Lisbeth.

“Not at all,” said Kagami as she got up, but that elicited a glare from Horinouchi.

The idiot stood up and brushed off her uniform.

“Listen. Normally, I would ask Mary for confirmation and she would provide a course correction back on topic, Lisbeth.”

A communications spell circle appeared next to Kagami’s face, but the idiot crushed it from the top and bottom between her hands.

“Kagami, what was that?”

“Oh, nothing to worry about. You can pretend it never happened.”

''That was Mary wasn’t it?'' thought Horinouchi, but she left it unsaid. She was afraid what the glaring Second Headmaster would ask. But another thought did occur to her.

…''I’m not at all on my own like I used to be.

Hunter was there and so was Mary. She of course understood that Kagami stood at the center of it all, but she was thought of as “one of the gang” in her current environment.

It was the crazy visitor from another world that had triggered such a change in her and her environment.

And she then realized what Lisbeth had meant earlier.

…''Even if Kagami acts as our healer…

“I understand, Second Headmaster. Even if the Black Witch has never fought someone who used recovery spells, that is only true ''in this world''.”

Lisbeth looked toward her.

The woman was otherwise motionless.

She did not confirm that was what she had meant, but she did not deny it either. So Horinouchi had something else to ask.

“Kagami? Can you tell us? In the worlds you passed through on the way here, has the Black Witch fought any battles like that?”

“To be honest, I do not know.”

Kagami told the truth.

…''Has Shouko ever fought someone with a complete grasp of recovery spells?

She did not know.

Or perhaps it was better to say she was not certain. But there was a reason she did not know. After all…

“Do you remember what I told you before, Horinouchi? …It has finally happened.”

Horinouchi’s eyebrows rose at those final words.

After an “oh” of realization, she gave the answer.

“This is the first time the Black Witch – meaning your sister – has a clear presence, right?”

“Yes. It was originally just the destruction of the world as a phenomenon. From there, it gained a clear cause, became the work of a supernatural being, and ultimately became an act of a god or deity. And here, she is finally…finally seen as a single witch.”

After saying that, Kagami snapped her fingers. A tall figure appeared from behind some nearby bushes.

It was Mary who carried a plastic bag full of drink cans. She entered this part of the courtyard and looked up at the 2 Magino Devices overhead.

“…”

She glared at Kagami and clearly wanted to say something, but Kagami pretended not to notice.

Then Kagami spread out her snapped fingers while raising her hand toward the sky.

“Mary, do you remember what happened to your world?”

“If you are asking if there was a recovery spell squad, that would be the War Wound Healer Division of the Eastern Pure Law Team.”

“Curse Shouko. Did she think it sounded cool to give them kanji names…?”

“Aren’t you reading too much into that?” asked Horinouchi.

“No,” said Mary. “The Brigadier General was always using a powerful translation spell or mutual understanding spell, so I don’t think she noticed, but the Eastern Pure Law Team was read as the Far East Extra Lawyers and the War Wound Healer Division was read as the War Wound Healer Band.”

“Where did the pure part go!? And where did the band part come from!?”

Hunter parted the bushes as she ran over.

“So they used kanji and English in another world?”

“Horinouchi, please tell my sister that the next time you see her. That is a truly bad habit of hers, but she only ever says, ‘But everyone’s doing it!’ ”

“Um, Brigadier General…she didn’t destroy our world because she was sick of having that pointed out, did she?”

''Please don’t suggest something so scary,'' thought Hunter.

But it was nice that she could skip the annoying “classes” by saying she had to look after Kagami and the others. And then they would take her out to eat with them and they would let her borrow a bed that didn’t smell like oil.

…''I can sleep on the floor of Horinouchi’s room!

That was the best. Her family home had wooden floors with gaps between the panels, so sleeping there was the perfect way to end up eye-to-eye with a snake or scorpion from the foundation below.

Regardless, she had to ask about something Mary had said.

“You had a unit like that? So if you can have healers in a battle with a big army, could that be implemented using something as big as a Magino Device?”

“What kind of world are you imagining, Hunter?” asked Kagami.

The answer was obvious.

“If you had a war in outer space with warships the size of Magino Devices blasting each other, you could do some fleet-wide healing, couldn’t you?”

“Too bad! My sister can be very hardheaded, so whenever she has machines appear, she generally only treats them like machines.”

“You couldn’t use a magic wand to heal them like with a Device?” asked Horinouchi.

“When it was a space war, she had injuries dealt with using individual superpowers or a healing pack while machines were repaired using repair equipment. The common pattern was for it to look like the enemy was in the center of the universe, but then everything would gather there and begin to be annihilated.”

It sounded like Kagami was remembering the actual topic at hand. But in that case…

“Is this the first world where things like machines could be healed?”

“Due to the rules of witches, the magic wands were likely given that ability automatically.”

So…

“Even if there had been some development of healing spells, this should be the first time it has been at the Device level. At the very least, I have seen nothing like it in the worlds I visited in pursuit of my sister. Plus, Lisbeth, an older representative of this world, was shocked when she saw what I had done.”

“In that case, will it be effective?” asked Horinouchi.

“Yes,” said Kagami with a nod.

However, she then looked up at the 2 Devices in the sky.

“If I can do it, then she can as well assuming the conditions are right. Besides, she is the creator of this world and much crueler than me,” she said. “Now, I see a way to strengthen our defenses. But that still leaves how to defeat my sister who also has this power. We need to give that some thought.”

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Clash_of_Hexennacht:Volume4_Preface|Preface]]
| Return to [[Clash_of_Hexennacht|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Clash_of_Hexennacht:Volume4_Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 5A Chapter 26

2017-05-14T01:18:42Z

86.52.34.238: Missing punctuation.

==Chapter 26: Realist on the Divine Transmission==
[[Image:Horizon5A_683.jpg|thumb]]
''Annoyingly enough

''A sound argument

''Is not the same thing as reality

'''Point Allocation (Yeah, that happens a lot)

In the northern sky of Oushuu, the Date flagship of the Aoba Castle and the Mogami flagship of the Yamagata Castle had been watching from a distant position in the sky. They had started to return home, but now they had stopped again.

Someone’s long hair blew in the wind as she stood on the deck of the Aoba Castle with the forests of Oushuu below.

It was Masamune and she opened a sign frame.

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Aunt, Hashiba has finally set out for Kantou.”

'''Nine-Tailed Girl:''' “Do you have something to say? Or something to ask? If not, I don’t need you to explain the situation.”

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Hashiba must stop Musashi. And Musashi will most likely be forced to stop. What will we do then?”

'''Nine-Tailed Girl:''' “Mogami will probably monitor P.A. Oda’s other forces in Shinshuu while discussing the future trade route with Musashi since they will have plenty of spare time on their hands.”

Masamune had said “we”, but her aunt had readily ignored that part.

She was implicitly telling Masamune to do as she pleased. So…

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Then Date will sell weapons to Musashi. And use that for trade negotiations.”

'''Nine-Tailed Girl:''' “That sounds like a good idea. Date will be indebted to Matsudaira after the wars. You need to earn debts of gratitude as well as support them now.”

Just as her aunt said that, someone else butted into the sign frame.

'''Katakura-kun:''' “Whoops! Excuse me for interrupting your conversation! It’s me! Me! You know who I am, right? Or do you not? Yes, I’m your all-important Vice President!”

Masamune broke the sign frame with a smile.

She then scooped up the falling fragments and lightly struck them to restart it. She immediately called up the divine chat with her aunt.

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Sorry, aunt. There was a bit of an interruption.”

'''Nine-Tailed Girl:''' “Yes. Katakura, right? But Masamune. You know what that glasses boy wanted to say, don’t you? It got through to me.”

“Testament,” confirmed Masamune.

At that moment, she heard something from the forest below.

She heard birds and beasts.

A flock of birds sleeping in the depths of the night suddenly took flight and soared south. They squawked in alarm and screamed as some of them ran into each other or trees.

The beasts down below were the same. Starting with the quadrupeds such as deer, foxes, and tanuki…

“So the forest beasts, swamp residents, and stone creatures have started moving. In that case…”

As soon as Masamune looked into the sky, it appeared quite nearby.

It was a straight line at least 100 meters long, but it had 6 giant wings. It was made of ether and it glowed with a dull, dark blue light.

Masamune smiled toward it as it flew past and clearly looked over at her.

“The spirit dragons are on the move.”

Masamune watched the dragon shape pass by almost within arm’s reach as it quickly flew southwest.

And there was more than one. 3 and then 4 spirit dragons passed by.

However, the Aoba Castle triggered no alarms when they appeared and approached.

'''Nine-Tailed Girl:''' “Did the dragons stop by to visit? Dragons are children of a great spirit, so I suppose they would line up for the spirit-user known as the One-Eyed Dragon.”

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “They’re still looking down on me, so I don’t think that counts as lining up for me, aunt.”

“True,” said the fox with a laugh. And…

'''Nine-Tailed Girl:''' “There are two kinds of dragons: the Terrestrial Dragons which are beasts with physical form and the Celestial Dragons which are gods or spirits. But things can get confusing because when people hear the word ‘dragon’ they think of the Terrestrial Dragons in the outside world. And even then, usually the low-level ones that really are just beasts. Even you just think of them as something frightening, don’t you?”

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “I have heard there are some Terrestrial and Celestial Dragons in the outside world that can speak. And I’ve heard that Tres España got their help to develop the land there. Of course, relying too much on the dragons could lead to the return of the dragon supremacy that occurred during the Medieval Harmonic Divine States, so both sides are cautious about the other.”

'''Nine-Tailed Girl:''' “Due to that, the cooling that occurred afterwards, and the limited suitable land for them in the Far East, the number of Terrestrial and Celestial Dragons living in the Divine States dropped considerably. If they had been less arrogant at the time, they would not have become such recluses and the development of the outside world would have not have been delayed so long.”

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Aunt, Oushuu contains a few areas of land that humans gave them as a form of atonement. It’s thanks to that land that I was born, so don’t view them so harshly.”

'''Nine-Tailed Girl:''' “My apologies.”

The fox laughed.

'''Nine-Tailed Girl:''' “Foxes and dragons have never got along very well. But putting humans between us as a meal and it works out pretty well. However…”

However…

'''Nine-Tailed Girl:''' “Are they on their way to west Kantou?”

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Testament. That is one of the areas where dragons are allowed to live. It is an abandoned land with some ruins remaining. Some humans live with them there. Most likely, that group is on their way there to get or deliver some information. The Far Eastern dragons are generally distanced from worldly things, but even they must be focused on where the world is headed.”

Masamune looked to the south.

A white rectangle floated in the sky and a giant ship entered it from below.

Their presence in the sky meant something.

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “Musashi has proven that they can fight Hashiba. That forces Hashiba to get involved even as they continue their attack on Mouri. Which means…”

'''Nine-Tailed Girl:''' “Musashi has stepped on one side of the scales weighing who will rule the Far East.”

On the sign frame screen, Yoshiaki opened a new sign frame so that Masamune could see.

She seemed to be intercepting the discussion between Musashi and Hashiba while also tracking those dragons.

And if she was letting Masamune see that…

…''Is she telling me to do the same?

It was hard to tell whether this aunt was kind or strict, but Masamune sent Katakura instructions to take care of the interception and tracking.

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “No nation or species can just watch to see whether or not this Warring States era will change.”

Now.

'''One-Eyed Dragon:''' “How will Hashiba prevent Musashi from intervening? I think this is going to be quite interesting.”

On the Musashi, Masazumi looked at a large sign frame from atop the bridge in front of the academy.

A staticky figure was displayed there.

It was Hashiba.

She was in a mountainous region somewhere. She seemed to be on an iron-clad ship’s deck with mountains and the night sky in the background. She wore an M.H.R.R. summer uniform with long sleeves, a stole, and a monkey mask hat. She looked to the right, gestured some kind of instruction, pointed at herself, and nodded.

'''Worshiper:''' “Are they still preparing?”

Then Hashiba held up a microphone.

“Ah.”

She looked left and quickly lowered her head. Then…

“————”

Some feedback rang loud, so she quickly looked left and adjusted some settings on the microphone as she was told.

“Ah…ah.”

Then she finally looked into the camera. A panel that seemed to have something written on her side briefly entered the screen, and once it was gone…

“Um, Musashi.”

Masazumi realized the idiot was standing in front of her. He held his hand to his ear while turning that ear toward Hashiba’s sign frame.

“…?”

“Eh? Oh, can you not hear me? PR team! Their sound!”

But the idiot tilted his entire body in an obvious way and raised his arms in some kind of gesture.

'''Flat Vassal:''' “A plug…? Oh, no, he means the volume. Raise the volume, maybe?”

Seeing the idiot’s movements, Hashiba fiddled with her mic.

He then made a hurried “raise it, raise it” movements toward the right side of the screen.

…''Umm.

The bad feeling in Masazumi’s heart only continued to grow.

“Uh,” said Hashiba.

The idiot waved his arms at her in an exaggerated fashion. Then he beckoned her forward.

Hashiba responded by moving her face in close and holding her hand to her ear. Then the idiot…

“Good eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevening!!!!”

A great blast of noise knocked Hashiba back and the sign frame turned blue.

The bottom right corner of the blue screen contained a white line drawing of a monkey polishing a gourd with the text “Please wait just a moment.”

And the idiot…

“Ha ha ha! She fell for it!”

Masazumi delivered a solid kick into his back.

A moment later, color returned to the screen. It was mostly black, but not just because it was night.

That was someone’s hair color. A black-haired boy in an M.H.R.R. summer uniform stood on the other side of the screen.

…''Who is that?

Mitotsudaira saw a headphone-wearing boy with his hair worn back. Once he pushed someone off frame, he noticed them and spoke to the crossdresser.

“H-how could you do that to Hashiba-sama!? Don’t you think it’s especially wrong of a shrine maiden to pull such a ridiculous prank!?”

The crossdresser looked back at Masazumi and pointed at himself.

“Shrine maiden?”

“Judge. I would assume so.”

“Of the Asama Shrine?”

“W-well, he would probably think so, yes.”

“I see, I see.” The crossdresser nodded twice and clasped his hands toward Asama. “Heyyy, Asamaaa! Sorryyy!”

“I-I’m scolding you later! I’m so scolding you!”

[[Image:Horizon5A_693.jpg|thumb]]

It was a little worrying how Horizon began cracking her shoulders and fingers, but, well, that was the usual way of things.

But the boy on the screen shook his slender body and pointed their way.

“I am #10 of Hashiba’s Ten Spears! Katagiri Katsumoto! I will negotiate in Hashiba-sama’s stead to correct the current state of Musashi!”

Fukushima was taking a break on the Azuchi Castle’s bridge, but she spat out her tea.

…''W-wait just a second!

'''Llaf:''' “Katagiri-dono! Katagiri-dono! I know thou are our negotiator, but this isn’t what we originally planned!”

'''□□凸<ref>The Katsu of Katsumoto can be seen as these three kanji stacked vertically.</ref>:''' “N-not to worry! They did something awful to Hashiba-sama! I’ll win this!”

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “Um, I’m not really sure what you mean, but is this my fault…?”

Fukushima wanted to say that she did not understand either, but…

…''I mustn’t hurt Katagiri-dono’s pride.

'''Llaf:''' “Katagiri-dono? I thought Yoshiaki-dono and Yasuharu-dono were with thee.”

'''□□凸:''' “Th-those two are sisters and yet they were doing things like t-taking baths together and s-sleeping in the same bed! Th-that’s not right! I think it’s wrong!”

“That’s right! I think it’s wrong too! Yes, this is the first time I’ve found someone in P.A. Oda who actually understands what morals are! And he’s even a fan of Hashiba-sama! I want to be his friend!!”

“And now the tentacle is finally asking for some BL friendship.”

“Wh-what are you talking about? Body language to become friends? Th-that sounds so dirty! Fuwa-sama, you need to stop looking at me with such impure eyes!”

“Ha ha ha. Mori-kun, your heart is so pure.”

“…Can we focus on what matters here? Like Takigawa? The Shirasagi Castle was destroyed, if you’ll recall.”

“That won’t be enough to kill someone like her. And there’s no use worrying about the Shirasagi Castle. It isn’t in our jurisdiction.”

“That’s not what I meant, Fuwa. I mean emotionally.”

Swaying black hair entered the dining hall. With a smile, its owner made an announcement.

“Listen up, everyone! Since I’ve been stuck sitting around here for so long, I made some treats. If you want some, we can have a secret party.”

“Hell yes! So she’s treating the underclassmen to some food! I’m not about to miss this!”

“Na-chan, you can take things way too seriously sometimes.”

“More importantly, isn’t anyone going to watch my future friend’s negotiation!?”

Katagiri saw Hashiba’s head wobbling as she stood by the filming staff.

''How awful,'' he thought.

…''What’s so fun about teasing someone as pure as Hashiba-sama!?

He pointed at the shrine maiden standing in the ''lernen figur''.

“Excuse me, unforgivably mean shrine maiden!”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “He felt the need to say ‘excuse me’?”

'''Hori-ko:''' “He seems like the type who would become our victim quite often.”

'''Gold Mar:''' “Yeah, that’s the feeling I’m getting.”

'''Asama:''' “I’m erasing this part from the records later, okay? And Toori-kun? I’m seriously scolding you afterwards, so prepare yourself.”

“Hey,” Masazumi called over to Aoi while aware she was glaring at him.

She kept her voice too low for Katagiri to here.

“He plans on doing this with you.”

“Eh!? What!? Seijun!”

The idiot looked back and put his hand on his cheek in what he clearly thought was a cute pose. Then he pointed at Katagiri while wiggling his hips.

“That skinny P.A. Oda boy, who looks like he’d get abducted after taking only 7 steps in Osaka at night, wants to do it with me~!?”

The idiot approached the PR Committee’s camera and pushed up on his dummy boobs.

“Hee hee. What exactly do you want to do with me? You can’t touch, but do you want to?”

Masazumi was calm enough to only think, ''Those breasts are really well made.

But on the sign frame, Katagiri blushed and raised his voice.

“This is impure!”

'''Obscene:''' “Yes, it is! Impurity is wrong! We must all live a proper youth!”

'''Sticky King:''' “Indeed. At the very least, acting irresponsibly will lead to unfortunate results!”

'''Uqui:''' “Impure… I see. Sometimes it feels like I’m learning new words every day…”

'''Unturning:''' “Why does this holy man always say things that are so hard to comment on…?”

But Katagiri remained unfazed even as the idiot grabbed the camera and had it pan lasciviously down from his wiggling breasts to his crotch. He pointed straight out at the idiot.

“Musashi’s public morals are in complete disorder! Who is your Public Morals Committee member!?”

Asama hung her head and raised her right forearm. And…

'''CAN:''' “This is Kanou, head of the Public Morals Committee. I completely understand the protest from P.A. Oda. Shall I enact Ookubo-sama’s previously proposed policy of death to molesters?”

'''Nagaya-Stable:''' “That would help clean up Musashi.”

''It would clean it up too much,'' thought Masazumi.

“You have grown negligent in enforcing public morals!” accused Katagiri.

“Yes, yes, I’m sorry,” muttered Asama as she kept her head lowered and blankly apologized into empty space.

“This is why Musashi’s actions have strayed from the academy rules!” insisted Katagiri.

The crossdresser looked back when he heard that.

“Really?”

“Hmm, we might be in a bit of trouble.”

“Is there anything we can do?”

“We’ve been doing a lot lately to that end.”

“I see.” The idiot removed his breasts from the camera and winked at Katagiri. “Could you explain what you mean?”

Katagiri reassessed his opinion of the shrine maiden.

“I thought you were just a lewd Asama Shrine shrine maiden, but it would seem you can be reasoned with!”

“Hee hee. Well, talk is important.”

“That’s right!” shouted a girl beyond the shrine maiden. He was fairly certain that was the Musashi Chancellor’s older sister who was always dancing while half-naked.

''Musashi’s public morals really are messed up,'' he concluded with a sigh.

He had honestly started these negotiations in the heat of the moment, but he had no real qualifications. Position-wise, he was simply “a member of Hashiba”.

…''I’m glad I didn’t have to negotiate with their Vice President!

''She is truly awe-inspiring,'' he thought even as an enemy. On the other hand, while he did not recognize this shrine maiden, she would be a normal student. Even if he did screw up the negotiation, he could pass it off as a discussion between students.

So he calmed himself and spoke.

“Musashi has strayed far from its duties as an academy!”

He raised 3 fingers.

“First of all, you have spent far too long in battle for a mere academy! And not passive battles! You have been actively starting them! That makes you a military attack base, not an academy!”

'''Smoking Girl:''' “It’s not like we can help it. That’s just what happens when we let Masazumi negotiate too much…”

'''Righteousness:''' “Yeah… I’m starting to feel like I have to agree with that.”

'''83:''' “Curry is best when you are feeling down.”

'''Vice President:''' “Well, excuse me! And they technically ''have'' been passive battles!!”

“Second,” said Katagiri while raising his eyebrows. This one actually applied to Hashiba as well. “To take power from the Testament Union, the Far East has implicitly encouraged and warmly welcomed female name inheritors, but what is with Musashi!? What are the guys doing letting all the girls take the lead!?”

The shrine maiden pressed her breasts against the ''lernen figur'', but Katagiri only frowned and ignored it.

“And you girls should show more modesty!!”

The divine transmissions were going nuts in P.A. Oda.

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “U-um, Katagiri-kun, you’re the only guy in the Ten Spears, so what are you really trying to say here…?”

'''□□凸:''' “I can accept putting on makeup when I’m around, but please stop changing in front of me and even asking me to help you because you can’t fit in your clothes! I am a boy! You need to show more shame!”

'''Llaf:''' “Oh, um, Katagiri-dono, thou are an excellent sewer and thou always notice the little things. Oh, but I do not ask thee to help me change very often…”

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “S-sorry, that one’s me. When my new clothes come in, the fabric tends to be stiff… But the real problem is that there are parts that need to be held in place at the same time. I’ll admit my detachable armor is a special case, though.”

'''Black Wolf:''' “Kiyomasa, you need to realize this is a size issue… You too, Nagayasu.”

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “W-well, I do get my measurements taken before ordering, but my chest and butt size tend to change in the time it takes to complete…”

'''□□凸:''' “How many times do I have to tell you to stop talking about that kind of thing when I’m around…?”

'''Kuro-Take:''' “May I interject? Um, Katagiri-kun? That whole thing about the Testament Union and female name inheritors? That’s supposed to remain unsaid. And ''we’re'' the Testament Union right now.”

'''□□凸:''' “Uuh. I-I’m sorry…”

''Not good, not good,'' thought Katagiri as he shook his head.

He looked ahead. It was still not time to lower his fingers. So…

“Third.”

This was the main point.

“Musashi has not fully completed the school events needed before summer break!”

Masazumi listened to the greatest weapon of Katagiri’s criticisms.

“Listen! As stated in the academy rules, the academies are meant to teach and guide the people of the Far East. They are schools! So why are you spending all your time waging war without completing your schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and festivals!? That is your duty as students! You are to complete those things before spending any time on politics or war! Am I wrong, shrine maiden?”

The shrine maiden looked back toward Masazumi.

“Is that a sound argument?”

“It’s unbelievably sound.”

''And hopelessly straightforward,'' she thought.

But on the sign frame, Katagiri lowered his fingers and pointed at them instead.

“It is currently late July. Before making any active international political or military actions, Musashi must complete all of its official events without delay! And of course, if you take care of those now…”

He said it.

“Summer break will arrive right around the time you finish. …And during the official event of summer break, students cannot participate in any active international political or military actions!”

'''Vice President:''' “Normally thinking, that means we can’t do anything for the month and a bit between now and the end of summer break at the start of September.”

'''Marube-ya:''' “Eh? What about Hashiba!?”

'''Vice President:''' “Their attack on Mouri is a history recreation, so it takes precedence over the academy rules. That means they can complete that without anyone getting in their way. And during the break, they can complete Nobunaga’s assassination without interference by settling it all as an internal matter. Then they can spend the month of the break building up the military might needed to take us on.”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “It’s all over then… We can’t reach Hashiba or Nobunaga…”

'''Almost Everyone:''' “That was fast!!”

''But at this rate, that’s how it’ll turn out,'' thought Masazumi as Katagiri began speaking again.

“If you forget all about schoolwork, you cannot call yourselves students! Musashi must return to its duties as students and regain a proper student life! We can speak after that, during summer break!”

''He sure is fired up,'' thought Masazumi just before she heard the wind blowing overhead. Then “Musashi’s” voice echoed through the air.

“Everyone, a dragon is approaching from overhead. It is giving an ID signal. It belongs to…”

…''A dragon with an ID signal…?

''That’s rare,'' thought Masazumi as the answer was given.

“Sanada Academy! The dragon belongs to Chancellor Sanada Nobuyuki-sama! Over.”

Immediately afterwards, someone jumped down from the wind overhead.

The Tachibana Couple and Futayo stepped forward to face someone of medium build.

“Excuse me! I am Sanada Academy Chancellor Sanada Nobuyuki!”

The leader of Sanada inhaled and stared sharply at them.

“I’m sorryyyyy! I’m weak, so please let me be friends with Musashiiiii!”

<noinclude>
===Notes===
<references/>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 5A Chapter 25|Chapter 25]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 5A Afterword|Afterword]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 5A Chapter 17

2017-05-08T19:22:11Z

86.52.34.238: Added some missing words and fixed a formatting error.

==Chapter 17: Three Different People on the Multi Screen==
[[Image:Horizon5A_471.jpg|thumb]]
''Can you see this?

''To no one in particular

''Can you see this?

'''Point Allocation (God)

Wind, gunfire, and spear-strikes raced across the battlefield.

It took the form of two movements. Futayo and Kakei repeatedly crossed paths and circled after each other in what amounted to a long S-shape.

When Futayo used her speed to circle around, Kakei would make a short turn-slide back around.

When Kakei tried to circle behind her back, Futayo would make a wide outward circle on the inner corner.

Kakei tended to move inward and Futayo pursued him from the outside.

Kakei used all his strength to keep up with Futayo and Futayo used all her strength to keep Kakei from taking up a position on the outside.

Their gunfire and spear-strikes clashed, making sparks and evasion constant companions.

They moved across the battlefield and passed between the falling shellfire, but…

“…!!”

If either one made a single mistake, they would lose everything, but they continued making only the right decisions.

They continued on.

And another battlefield was formed alongside their movements.

That battlefield was created by Unno, Tenzou, and Mary who faced each other and exchanged sword-strikes.

Unno fought by swinging her fan swords as if dancing and she spoke to the two from Musashi.

“Look away and you’ll miss the best part, you two!”

Unno waved color into her hands. And…

“Now, let the audience gather!”

She produced more weapons.

Two more to be exact.

She opened the four fan swords and whirled her hands, shoulders, and raised knee around.

“This is a show you can only see close to our home.”

Tenzou saw Unno activate some sign frames.

…''Those belong to the Yamaga Shrine linked to Sanada land!

She opened 3 each behind her and on either side of her, just like an array of mirrors. They reflected her movements, but the 3 behind her did not reflect her back as she danced and waved the fans around.

It instead showed her front side.

But there was no need to confirm what was happening. An enemy was a threat, so…

“Master Tenzou!”

Mary also seemed to sense the threat, so Tenzou moved in close to Unno.

He kept low and he wore Excalibur on his back, so he planned to use its hilt to block an attack from overhead, while…

“I will nip this in the bud…!”

But Tenzou suddenly found himself unable to control his body.

…''!?

He thought he was floating.

But not his entire body. It was just his right leg, but it had not been scooped up; it was floating.

And it was not a rapid rise either. It was the dull buoyancy felt as a slight repulsive force after your foot sinks down into the mud.

But Tenzou did not fight the upward force.

“…”

He lifted the floating right leg to flip to the left.

He left his path toward Unno, but that was fine. He had sensed definite danger in this moment. It was a proper sense of weakness telling him he would be in trouble if he did not do something.

He stuck the landing and regrouped with Mary who approached from behind. He immediately leaned to the left and pulled on Mary’s hand while circling to Unno’s side.

Of course, he also sent Mary some text data on the strange attack he had experienced.

And then he simply moved forward.

But Unno kept her eyes on him. She made a quick back-step to keep some distance between them and she turned her body.

“You have good instincts…!”

That meant the previous floating feeling had come from her ninja technique.

And…

“Master Tenzou, look at that!”

Mary’s voice was not directed at him.

It was directed behind Unno.

The array of sign frames still displayed her dancing form with a background behind it, but those things had entirely changed. Her reflected body looked like it was made of black smoke with a flame colored mouth and the background had become dark, stagnated shadows.

Also, the 3 sign frames on the left and 3 on the right had moved.

They had been stacked before, but they now lined up behind her shoulders and formed a glowing mirror behind her.

The frame of the glowing mirror was made from light that resembled Far Eastern thatch reeds. And beyond it…

“This is the abyss. Ha ha! Do you know what that means? Yes…”

The fan dancer lifted the corners of her mouth in a smile.

“This is Yomi!!”

As soon as Unno said that…

'''Asama:''' “Be careful, Tenzou-kun! Mary! That’s an abyss spell!”

'''Novice:''' “Oh, I know all about that!”

Tenzou hid Neshinbara’s comments.

…''That was a close one.

In Neshinbara’s stead, Asama’s words reached him while Unno’s dance steps kept her at a distance.

'''Asama:''' “Sanada Academy’s primary shrine, the Yamaga Shrine, worships Izanami and Kukurihime. That divine spell should come from their legends. …In other words, the story of Izanagi attempting to retrieve Izanami, his dead wife, from Yomi-no-Kuni and then fleeing from her.”

'''Scarred:''' “That’s from the birth of the god legends I borrowed yesterday, isn’t it?”

'''Asama:''' “Yes. In the end, Izanami felt sorrow and resentment when her husband fled from her, so she pursued Izanagi from the land of the dead as history’s first literal wife from hell. She really made a mad dash for him. But when you think about it, even if Izanami had taken things too far, it was Izanagi’s fault for judging her by her looks.”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “Why is Shinto so inexact about everything?”

''That’s a good question,'' thought Tenzou, but he had a feeling that was just the Far Eastern way. However…

'''Asama:''' “Kukurihime was a god involved in allowing Izanagi to escape, so the Yamaga Shrine has spells to open Yomi and to safely seal it away.”

“Receiving advice from the Asama Shrine of sake-drinking and romance?” asked Unno with a smile. “I’m not actually from the Yamaga Shrine. I came from elsewhere and arrived here as an Unneeded. But, well, I must be a good learner because I can summon the abyss. So…”

Unno held her four fans out horizontally.

“Mary-dono!”

Tenzou and Mary charged forward.

Mary was on the left and he was on the right, but they took a nearly head-on path toward Unno.

“…!”

They made their straight line attack.

Gin watched one of the battlefields on the Ariake while she fired anti-air barriers toward the falling shells using Arcabuz Cruz.

Unno Rokurou.

To be honest, Gin did not know her. The Testament said the historical Unno was born in Sanada. He enjoyed kabuki and, when he danced on stage, Sanada Nobushige was impressed with his skill. After that…

…''He worked as Lord Nobushige’s body double and is theorized to have died while disturbing the Eastern Army during the Summer Campaign of the Siege of Osaka.

But the current Unno had a different past.

Gin had heard that an original Ten Braves had inherited the names early on to support the Sanada clan and this group had taken over as a second generation as the Unneeded Ten Braves.

It was a special form of name inheritance, but it was far from unheard of.

The name of Tachibana Muneshige had been taken away from her husband, so if someone else was given the name, they too would have a different past.

The second generation would take over for the first generation and begin a new age. So…

…''They are “higher up” than us.

There was no set hierarchy for inherited names, but that was their greatest goal. But…

“Why do they call themselves Unneeded?” asked Muneshige as he kept his hips somewhat low to her right. “I think I was somewhat mistaken about them.”

“Eh?”

“Judge. I thought they called themselves Unneeded because the previous name inheritors were superior and the current ones were inferior, and thus the current ones were not needed. But…”

That was not it.

“They have risen to the challenge splendidly and truly fulfilled the position of the Ten Braves. It took quite a lot to finally stop Miss Isa as she made her way across the Musashi.”

“That’s right,” said the 6th Special Duty Officer on the shoulder of Jizuri Suzaku which was firing a sniper rifle to deter the Shirasagi Castle’s 1st unit. She kept her eyes on the sky as she spoke. “Their Unneeded title is probably a product of their stubbornness. Although I don’t know the details and I wouldn’t want to get into the meaning they see in their presence here. But…”

Her shoulders lowered in a sigh.

“If they want to demonstrate that they’re ‘needed’, I really wish they’d aim that insufferable determination at someone else.”

“That isn’t an option, 6th Special Duty Officer. …The Sanada Ten Braves become Matsudaira’s enemies at the Siege of Osaka following Sekigahara. And most of them are killed along with their ruler, Sanada Nobushige.”

Their inherited names ensured their deaths. And one of the Ten Braves, Isa Nyuudou, had already left to never return.

…''But…

They had discovered something from the divine transmissions at the time, the situation after the fact, and the Musashi residents who had interacted with her while she was undercover.

…''Isa was always smiling and she fulfilled her role to the very end…

Was it wrong for the survivors to judge the completed image that a person left behind?

Was it the pride of the victor to think she had done the very best she could?

But if she had sabotaged the Musashi, fought so fiercely, and destroyed her own body to truly give it her all…

“How much must people consume themselves before they’re satisfied they have proven their worth?” asked Gin.

In the sky, Takigawa was looking to P.A. Oda’s future and attempting to fulfill her history recreation. In front of them, the Ten Braves were fighting to prove that they were “needed”.

And…

…''Honda Futayo is attempting to inherit Lord Tadakatsu’s name, Mary Stuart bears the future of England, and Date Narumi has left the Date clan…

“Taking up the defensive position may have been a mistake, Master Muneshige.”

“It is important to view the smoldering of those taking part and to view the determination of those ahead of us, Gin.”

“True enough,” agreed Gin.

Then she saw Mary and the ninja racing toward Unno far out ahead.

“…?”

And she noticed something.

…''Arcabuz Cruz’s aim is wavering?

The shift was small but unmistakable.

The defense barrier shells launched by Arcabuz Cruz were no longer catching the Shirasagi Castle’s shellfire on the center of the barriers.

It was only a difference of a few degrees, but for long-range fire that grew to a great difference.

''What is this?'' wondered Gin as she checked her allies’ line of fire overhead. But…

…''There is no difference in the sniper fire from the 6th Special Duty Officer’s unit!?

The gods of war were accurately aiming for the Shirasagi Castle and their shells were right on target.

''Why just me?'' she wondered and a few possibilities came to mind, such as insufficient maintenance or a malfunction. But she could immediately reject those. After all, the waver was found in the Arcabuz Cruzes on both sides. And it was caused by…

“Buoyancy…?”

Both of the floating Arcabuz Cruzes seemed to be affected by an invisible hand.

And then Gin realized what this was.

She realized what was causing this situation and what to call it.

“Mary Stuart and, um, the ninja!? Be careful!”

“That’s an awful way to warn him!” said everyone around her, but she ignored them. She continued her warning while opening a sign frame to raise the power of Arcabuz Cruz’s spatial anchoring.

“Yomi is arriving over a wide area!”

Tenzou sensed ''that'' as he approached Unno.

''That'' was a floating sensation. It was the eerie sensation he had felt in his leg before, like he had stepped into mud. But now…

…''My entire body!?

He was already caught in its depths.

His body suddenly sank into the water.

Mary saw something envelop Tenzou’s body.

Not long after, ''that'' reached her as well.

A gentle stopping power surrounded her and gave her buoyancy.

…''Water!?

She knew Tenzou had felt this on his foot earlier. He had informed her via divine transmission while they ran.

So she had been prepared.

She had a technique that allowed her to breathe underwater. As a spirit-user, it was a simple technique that only required a glance at a water spirit in the water.

But it did not work.

“This is…?”

It was not water.

Her words were deflected like she had foam in her mouth, but this was different.

Sure enough, she did not see a watery surface or watery wavering anywhere around her.

…''This isn’t even a virtual ocean like the one around the Musashi, is it!?

As soon as she thought that…

“…!”

She could no longer breathe.

There was no oxygen. And yet she could not see anything that might be water around her.

She was drowning.

This was a first for Mary. Never before in her life had she been unable to breathe or had difficulty moving in the water. And now that was her enemy.

Her entire body was trapped by the water. Her legs slowly flailed in empty air and she seemed to trip. Something cold seemed to rub at her scalp and it soon covered her entire body.

''It’s heavy,'' she thought. ''Too heavy to be water.

…''Then what is this?

Just as she sank and started to lose consciousness, Mary realized what this spell was. And she called an important person’s name to convey her understanding. But…

“————”

The “water” obstructed the sound.

And Mary sank into the “water”.

As she danced, Unno saw the result of her spell.

Two people were sinking into the “water” before her eyes.

But this was not mere “water”.

…''It is Yomi.

This spell provided a stagnating abyss to all things.

It had its origin in Izanami, one of the gods worshiped at Sanada’s Yamaga Shrine.

“Everything in this spell’s range, even bullets and attacks, will be stagnated. They all sink to the bottom of the water and lose all movement. And…”

She saw the two figures slowly sinking to the floor.

They were Musashi’s 1st Special Duty Officer and the English princess who acted as his assistant.

“It’s too bad for you, English princess. This ‘water’ is not actually water. So sink to stagnation alongside your beloved. And of course, that stagnation will soon bring all movement to a stop, leading to death.”

''It’s a frightening spell,'' thought Unno.

She could only activate it in Sanada or the nearby regions, but in exchange, it was entirely merciless.

After all, once it was activated, everyone in range was driven to motionless death. As long as she could secure the position of the mirror gate behind her, she could even use it for assassinations through walls.

Of course, she had not always used this spell.

…''Only since I came here.

She had trained every morning at the Yamaga Shrine, but one day she had felt something grab at her leg.

She had assumed it was a mysterious phenomenon because she was confident in her movements and concluded she had not made a mistake.

But when she had peeked below the old shrine stage, she had found nothing there. And instead…

…''A bell rang.

The old main shrine’s bell had rung as something pulled at it.

That dry, quiet sound had brought a faint fog. And then she had seen the reflective water gate formed from a giant loop of thatch reed in the center of the shrine grounds.

It had immediately vanished, but when she had told the teachers, they had immediately thrown a party.

“Did you see that, Kakei? Now we can’t make excuses by saying we’re outsiders.”

She had said that while tossing him a bottle of sake, but he had simply caught it and smiled.

She did know where his ninja technique came from. His was special and came from a god’s game.

But he did not know the meaning of that game, so he could not upset the god that followed him. So…

…''He never did register with the local shrine.

But he had drunk the sake, competed with Sasuke in something halfway between sumo and dancing, and laughed with the teachers.

''That’s right.

“This spell is a Yomi spell, a spell connected to the gate of death, and a spell that causes everything to sink. But…”

But…

“To me, it’s a spell of belonging.”

…''Are they actually in a lot of trouble here?

Narumi continued producing mandible swords as she viewed the battle around her.

They were effectively divided into 5 groups at the moment

One was the god of war sniper unit and the main force protecting Musashi’s Chancellor.

Another was the firing unit and defense unit protecting the central hatch through which those up top could evacuate.

The final 3 were Musashi’s Vice Chancellor, the 1st Special Duty Officer and aide, and Narumi herself. All 5 groups could dodge the shellfire from the sky and they had a clear role on the battlefield. There were a lot of other people around, but they were mainly assisting the first 2 groups.

Narumi guessed they would decide to fall back once 2 of the 5 groups had been defeated.

Not when a majority (i.e. 3) of them had been defeated.

Once 3 were defeated, they had lost.

At 2, they could simply fall back.

''It’s like the difference between serious damage and total destruction,'' thought Narumi. But…

…''The Vice Chancellor is fighting and the 1st Special Duty Officer’s group is in danger.

For a while now, something felt a little off whenever she drew a mandible sword. That would be due to Unno’s ninja technique. It felt like someone was gently holding the tip of the mandible sword between their fingers.

This was stagnation.

''If this were affecting my entire body,'' she thought.

“That would be a problem.”

She wished she could go support the 1st Special Duty Officer’s group, but the enemy in front of her would not allow it.

That enemy was Mochizuki Yukitada.

She was an automaton and she fought by throwing and controlling explosion spells using gravitational control.

Even now, fire erupted with a slight time lag after the spell left her hand.

And she threw more than one. She threw as many as she had fingers on that hand: 5.

…''Eh?

Narumi sensed something amid the danger.

She only barely detected it. It was something familiar, but…

…''What?

She could not remember. It felt familiar, but it was not something close by.

That hint of familiarity reached her from the thrown fire, and…

“…!”

Narumi caught the thrown explosion on a spatially-ejected mandible sword.

One explosion led to another. The sounds overlapped as they beat the air. The girl in a dark green track suit ran through the consecutive noises with a bare minimum of 2 mandible-shaped swords.

The explosions were no longer producing a lingering reverberation in the air.

That was because she caught the flying red flames on her swords and broke through them.

Narumi did that to move forward, and…

…''I sensed something just now.

There was something familiar in these explosions.

Was it the setup of the powder, or was it something else? She did not know, so…

…''I have to focus on the battle.

Narumi continued forward while focusing on defense.

She occasionally sent an attack toward the approaching opponent, but it was always deflected by an explosion.

With the heated blast and firelight in front of her, Narumi held the mandible swords to either side of her face and viewed the enemy through the gap.

The explosive flames were growing stagnant and revealed the enemy’s silhouette in the backlight.

Narumi could see her.

The skinny girl wore her black hair back and wore a compact Far Eastern summer uniform with maid armor attached.

The tights coloration that covered her arms and legs showed the obvious indentations of artificial joints. And…

“This isn’t good.”

Mochizuki was approaching.

She was not running. She removed her leg joint, sent it as far forward as she could, and planted the heel on the floor. A moment later, she stuck her knee forward and pulled her body toward the heel planted on the floor up ahead.

It was the movement of a spider.

Sticking one leg forward and pulling her body toward it was slow going. Her speed had almost dropped in half compared to running by alternatively moving her legs forward.

But Mochizuki had a reason to move like this.

By moving one leg forward and pulling herself toward it in a half-step, her body did not wobble in the slightest and the accuracy of her explosive throwing increased. It also allowed her to immediately move her body back to lessen the shock of the blast.

Like some kind of martial art, she would throw the explosive at her enemy and immediately move back.

Whenever Narumi tried to move close, an explosion was used as a counterattack.

And when she moved away, an explosion would destroy her surroundings.

This was a troublesome opponent.

''Also,'' thought Narumi. ''They’re linking their blind spots.

They would change their position to put their opponents in just the right spot to act as a shield against any attacks from Musashi’s gunners or the main force.

That would be hard to do alone, but with 3 of them, they could keep their blind spots overlapped with the others’ so they could look after each other.

In their strategy, Unno could move the least, so with her in the center, Kakei moved in a distant circle and Mochizuki moved in a close-in circle.

“How about that?”

Mochizuki approached and threw an explosive.

After a time lag, flames flew toward Narumi from the fingers wearing a black fire-resistant glove.

“This is coal.”

The fires began about the size of a fingertip, but they expanded as they approached. So Narumi swept them up and away with her mandible swords.

It had to be upwards.

After all…

…''The smoke is in the way…

The remnants of the explosions falling to the Ariake were producing smoke that blocked her vision.

But there was further trouble.

Her mandible swords had their path altered by the odd “water” that covered a wide range thanks to Unno’s ninja technique.

Of course, she never would have reached Vice Chancellor if interference at this level would screw her up. And as far as she could tell, Musashi’s Vice Chancellor was running around happy as a clam without even noticing it.

'''Unturning:''' “Is it just me or is she a little too focused on the fight for a superior position?”

'''Uqui:''' “She just has too much energy. She’ll stop once she’s had enough, so leave her alone.”

That was quite the strategy there.

But this “water” was a problem. It meant nothing for them, but it was dangerous.

Narumi thought, ''If we don’t do something soon, they could easily take over the Ariake.

After all…

…''Our unit will be defeated.

She realized that this “water” was not just a change to the terrain.

…''It’s a manifestation of a negative chain reaction!

Gunfire rang out.

The Musashi gunners protecting the central hatch had fired once more on Kakei who was running in a large circle while fighting over the superior position with Musashi’s Vice Chancellor.

For Kakei, the volley was fired from behind him.

He had turned his back and made a turn-slide when the gunners pulled the trigger.

27 bullets were launched from the line of rifles.

But there was a difference from before. Last time, Kakei had shot them down from his own back.

But this time, that did not happen.

He did not fire to intercept them.

There was no reason to ask why he had felt no need to return fire.

The very next moment, Kakei remained unscathed even after the moment when the bullets should have reached him.

He was unharmed.

The bullets had all missed.

And yet the gunners had all had him in their sights.

“Why…!?”

“I said it’s Yomi, didn’t I!?”

Unno laughed.

The “water” created by her ninja technique was affecting everything atop the Ariake. Everything nearby was enveloped by the water and then sunk to the bottom, but…

…''Anything further away is only given the buoyancy.

The shells and the swords of those with adequate skill would not be thrown off course. Besides, the buoyancy was not enough to obstruct people’s movements at a distance. However…

“It has a great effect on lighter things like bullets.”

The bullets fired at Kakei by Musashi’s gunners began to float and veered off course.

They missed Kakei and continued on to the person pursuing him: Musashi’s Vice Chancellor.

Of course, she had to have expected stray bullets, but these were truly “stray” bullets that had entirely left everyone’s expectations.

The Musashi group could independently work together.

So if they did something they did not mean to, it would affect their partner in working together.

“It’ll disturb her movements!”

Just as Musashi’s Vice Chancellor attempted to attack Kakei, she was blown away.

Kakei was on the move.

Until now, he had been focusing on evasion. He was up against someone with the monstrous speed needed to dodge shots at nearly point-blank range.

…''It was worth waiting…

From the bottom of his heart, he wished he was not up against a Vice Chancellor.

He kept a calm look on his face, but he was going all out.

His ninja technique was a close-range firing spell, but as a firing spell, it had a limit to the firing speed and bullet speed.

And the speedy idiot he was up against was faster than both.

He was very nearly helpless.

And that was what made his footwork so vital. He used his gunfire to deter her while he stuck to evasion. This kind of movement was the foundation of a ninja’s abilities, so he had many ways of walking or moving his body to take the advantageous position.

He had never expected he would end up using these.

And he had used them so much that he barely felt like he was fighting anymore.

“…Honestly.”

But this enemy was a monster who lived in this world.

He could guess that she saw the speed as herself and she might even feel like her everyday self was the fake one.

She lived in the speed.

…''I can’t keep up.

''No, I can keep up. I’m a ninja. No ninja can’t keep up with a samurai.

And he too had a world he lived in: gunfire.

“Yeah.”

Kakei took a breath, performed a single turn-slide, and fully escaped the enemy firing squad’s line of fire.

“Metal bullets will do, won’t they?”

Kakei’s turn ended with him facing the firing squad. He grabbed his hat, lowered his head, and looked over his right shoulder where Musashi’s Vice Chancellor had been sent flying.

“Thanks. …Unno’s ninja technique doesn’t affect us.”

Sweat poured down his forehead and face as he fired toward Musashi’s Vice Chancellor.

10 shots.

Red light glowed from the fuse in his mouth as he launched those bullets toward her.

…''Oh, no…

Narumi realized the battle was tilting in one direction.

Out of the corner of her eye, she definitely saw 10 muzzle flashes through the smoke. And the 1st Special Duty Officer ninja and his aide had been caught as they charged toward Unno.

“…!”

They were completely trapped by her “water”.

The aide and the ninja seemed to trip and sink in midair.

…''Are they dead?

No, they were not. It was less like they had drowned, and more like…

“…They’re being preserved.”

As soon as Narumi said that, Mochizuki arrived.

She sent her leg forward, pulled her sideways-turned body toward it, reached out her hand, and tossed some fire Narumi’s way.

The explosive light boomed, the sound flashed, and the flames rose into the sky.

And when Narumi blocked it with her mandible sword, she heard a voice. Musashi’s Vice President spoke from the sign frames opened here and there.

Masazumi sighed on the large lift rising to the top of the Ariake.

Yagyuu Munenori had arrived as her bodyguard.

“Do you need something?”

“Eh?”

She looked back, but he was not there. She heard the shell hits from the ceiling and then his voice.

“Oh, um, excuse me…!”

''Oh,'' realized Masazumi. As her servant, he must have thought she needed something when she sighed.

“Don’t worry about it. When you hang around this group, there’s a lot to feel relief, exasperation, and shock about, so sighs don’t mean much. If I do want something, I’ll say so.”

“Judge. No matter where we are, I can fetch a drink in an average of a minute and two seconds.”

“Ha ha ha. That’s pretty good. Our Crossunite has an average of 33 seconds.”

“…”

“What is it?”

“Musashi generally uses the Thales system, so there is a minimum amount of time required to pour the drink in the cup.”

“And?”

“That minimum is 22 seconds.”

“Hmm,” she said while thinking about it, but she was unsure whether that was amazing or not. ''I only have Crossunite to compare it to, after all.

“Well, you do your best.”

She thought she heard someone falling to their knees.

''But,'' she thought while looking to her sign frame. Asama had sent over a summation of the commitment made between Horizon and the Sanada Ten Braves. Masazumi looked back over that as she thought.

…''I don’t know if it comes naturally or not, but Horizon’s decisions are really following our standards now.

Musashi’s standards.

''What are those?'' she wondered as she opened her mouth. She had Tsukinowa open a divine transmission sign frame.

“Judge. …Musashi Vice President Honda Masazumi has a message for the lords of Kantou and the rest of the Far East.”

She took a breath.

“Are you listening?”

“Currently, Musashi is under attack by and fighting back against P.A. Oda’s Takigawa Ichimasu and Sanada,” said Masazumi. “We require no support in this fight. Takigawa’s unit is pure P.A. Oda. Thus, we promise we will defeat Sanada and Takigawa to reconfirm Musashi’s value in battle for the Oushuu nations and to demonstrate our power to the nations of the world. We expect…”

They expected…

“This will reach Mouri and the European nations.”

In Sviet Rus, Uesugi Kagekatsu listened to those words from his throne in the great stone hall.

“Oh?” said Marfa who sat casually on the carpet next to the throne. She held one knee in her arms and raised the corners of her mouth. “Representative of Musashi, you would give us that justification?”

Musashi’s Vice President turned around on the ''sankt okno''. She instructed the anteater on her shoulder to connect her sign frame directly to Marfa. And…

“Hark! Might this ameliorate the misgivings in thine heart! …Tsukinowa-dono! When I spake of an intent for reverential speech, I was not beseeching thee to activate the ‘sermon’ translation setting! …Oh, yes, yes. Much better. Okay, listening, Marfa? Ignore that just now.”

“What kind of international talks start like that!?”

“My Mouse is just so adorably unaccustomed to all this.”

Kagekatsu laughed quietly.

“Heh. Showing love for a small animal? You must be quite relaxed, Musashi Vice President…”

But after he said that.

…''Oh, did I just praise myself there?

That was not a good thing. And showing an animal too much love was also bad. So…

“You must show some restraint in your love. Pamper them too much and…yes, they will grow ill. And that would be sad, wouldn’t it? Heh heh, hah hah…! It is important to keep an adequate distance…!”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “I-I think the Sviet Rus Chancellor is really upset for some reason!”

'''Righteousness:''' “Well, you started talks with the strict and Buddhist-loving Sviet Rus by using the sermon translation. He probably took it as an intentional provocation…”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “That’s a hell of a thing to end with an ellipsis…”

'''Me:''' “Listen up, everyone. Someone like that is actually the best at taking care of a hamster.”

'''Almost Everyone:''' “No, no, not a chance!!”

'''Bell:''' “Eh? I-I think…he actually…w-would.”

'''Almost Everyone:''' “Definitely, definitely, I can totally see it!”

'''Me:''' “Dammit! Why do you respond to her differently!?”

It was about time to feed the hamster, so Kagekatsu sent some instructions to the Lifestyle Committee as he spoke.

“In other words, you were demonstrating your ability to work together at Novgorod, but now you are demonstrating your ability to fight on your own?”

“Judge. You can view it that way. We would like to make good use of this opportunity.”

In the ''sankt okno'', Musashi’s Vice President could be seen breaking the many divine transmission sign frames that appeared nearby. Marfa smiled bitterly next to his side.

“I see you’re as lively as ever, mankind. Things are a lot more relaxing once you die.”

“Alive or dead, I’d be just as busy, Novgorod Mayoress.”

“True enough,” said Kagekatsu with a solemn nod.

…''We have literal piles of things to do with moving to the new Novgorod…!

Novgorod had sunk just the other day, but not having Novgorod would violate the history recreation. That meant they had to make a new Novgorod, but creating a floating city of that size was no easy task. And then there was Marfa:

“You’re the one that gave permission to destroy it, Kagekatsu. Take responsibility.”

“Heh. Leave it to me and I will create a never-before-seen city full of depravity and beasts where the people live their days like obedient slaves. Are you sure you want that?”

“That does sound kind of fun.”

That was always her answer.

…''How lovely!

''If I can make an entire city how I want, I’ll make a park full of flowers, an amusement park, and a zoo!

…''Just you wait, everyone! I’ll show you more joyful flowers than ever seen in this frigid land, we can forget all about work and enjoy ourselves, and we can frolic with the small animals while enjoying a full day obeying the clearly marked pathways through the zoo…!

When he had shown Marfa the plans he had drawn up in a single night, she had looked the other way and muttered “A theme park…?”, but her usual expression had eventually returned. And…

“Kagekatsu, if you are to guide the people like slaves, you will need some servants disguised as beasts.”

“Heh. An excellent idea, Marfa. …They would have to be humanoid with animal heads. Now, Uesugi is Buddhist, so it might fun to have it point to the Six Paths. We can use Musashi’s Mikkyo Mouse for reference.”

“Heh heh. …And we will periodically need to have everyone perform a group Sabbat dance.”

They had laughed and laughed as they enjoyed planning it all out and he wanted to tell Musashi’s Chancellor all about it sometime, but it would be more fun to show the boy once it was complete.

“Just you wait, Musashi Chancellor…!”

Thanks to them, Sviet Rus had endured P.A. Oda’s attack and had entered a period of stability. But Musashi was still fighting.

Kagekatsu temporarily cut the transmission setting and asked a question of those around him.

“Do you think there would be any reason to suggest we support Musashi?”

Saitou raised his hand. He was wrapped in bandages below his summer uniform.

“That would be unnecessary. I doubt Musashi would want it. After all, their next opponent will be P.A. Oda itself. That will be different from Novgorod where they fought alongside us.”

He opened a ''sankt okno'' which displayed a map of Kantou.

“As you probably know, Houjou, Sanada, and Takigawa are all groups in or near Kantou who will oppose Musashi. Sanada’s position is essentially wavering between P.A. Oda and Houjou, but both Houjou and Takigawa are currently with P.A. Oda. And of those, Takigawa is a P.A. Oda VIP tasked with observing Houjou and Kantou. Will Musashi be able to drive off Takigawa in this battle? That will tell us and the other nations just how much power Musashi really has.”

“Testament,” agreed someone. It was Honjou Shigenaga who stood at the bottom of the stone steps. She pushed her new sunglasses up her nose. “But while Takigawa Ichimasu is a problem, they have to deal with Sanada first. Sanada has faithfully caused Sviet Rus some trouble too. Let’s see how Musashi handles them first.”

“I see.” Kagekatsu reactivated the divine transmission and spoke to Musashi’s Vice President through the screen. “We hope to see an excellent result, Musashi Vice Chancellor.”

“Keep your expectations high.”

“Are you sure? It would seem Sanada is causing you some trouble at the moment.”

“Yes.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. …We’ll deal with it even if this doesn’t work.”

''Is she serious?'' he wondered as Marfa exploded with laugher and kicked her legs around.

He then heard a sound through the ''sankt okno''.

It was clearly an explosion. Marfa stopped her legs and her laughter grew more subdued. She brought a hand to her chin and spoke extremely quietly.

“I’m glad to see they’re so full of life. Makes me jealous…!”

Someone on the Ariake breathed the battlefield’s air back into her lungs after listening to the divine transmission.

It was Narumi.

She took a combat stance once more and thought to herself.

…''I can’t just say I’m a freeloader and slack off.

Mochizuki threw an explosive right in front of her.

But Narumi did not block it. She simply leaned to the side to dodge the coal that passed by her.

…''Yes.

She understood something. No, she had remembered something: the identity of what she had sensed in Mochizuki’s explosions.

“Is that a secret technique? You’re still far from being cornered, aren’t you?”

Narumi held out her mandible sword and let the explosive detonate behind her.

“I’ve more or less seen through your explosions, when they expand, and that odd step of yours. I was hoping to wait until I had a more complete understanding, but one of my landlords is hoping for results sooner than that.”

So…

“When my next attack hits, it will defeat you.”

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 5A Chapter 16|Chapter 16]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 5A Chapter 18|Chapter 18]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 5A Chapter 16

2017-05-05T01:23:32Z

86.52.34.238: Corrected some errors.

==Chapter 16: Higher One on the Stage==
[[Image:Horizon5A_437.jpg|thumb]]
''This is where it truly begins

''It had not yet truly begun

''This is where it truly begins

''It has to truly begin here

'''Point Allocation (Show up and you’re the star)

Maska Orge was fired in a surprise attack.

As screams of surprise and shouts of confusion rose from the top of the Ariake, Muneshige viewed the enemy’s actions. A question rose to his lips on reflex.

“Did it hit!?”

“Master Muneshige, why don’t you sound very hopeful?”

“Gin, the Logismoi Oplo…are not easy to hit with.”

'''Gold Mar:''' “Is that a new universal interpretation?”

'''Vice President:''' “If only I was that mentally tough…”

'''Righteousness:''' “You have some guts saying that…”

He did not entirely understand, but it seemed he had risen to the top of Class 3-Plum’s mental caste. Amore.

But he was more interested in the result of firing the Logismoi Oplo.

“Gin, what are Maska Orge’s effects again?”

“Judge. It does not hit your allies and it hits your enemies.”

That was wonderfully simple, so Muneshige asked a further question to hear Gin’s thoughts on the matter.

“Gin, what do you think about the scene before us here?”

“Judge.” Gin nodded. “They have collapsed.”

“…Is that so?”

''It actually feels kind of sad when it does hit,'' thought Muneshige.

''Is this what it is like to have deep love for a problem child?'' But…

“Master Muneshige,” said Gin. “That is…one of the dolls we saw the other day!”

As Gin’s shout raced out, the first to catch on was Tenzou.

…''Is this…?

Naruze noticed a moment later, thanks to her own experience.

And from behind her…

“This is one that Isa left behind. It was going to be ejected because there was no way to maintain it, but it can be of some use like this.”

She heard Kakei’s voice.

“Go ahead.”

Then she heard a mechanical voice followed by something other than one of Kakei’s bullets.

“Kh…!”

Explosions erupted at close range.

Explosive flames burst in the night.

After some cannon blasts from the sky, flames and smoke rose from the floating floor.

But something happened to the explosive fire launched toward Musashi’s main force.

“Into the sky…!”

The flames and smoke flew through the air like they had been hit up by a racket.

The roasting and bursting noises illuminated the night sky like a bonfire.

All of the explosions had been knocked back up. And it had been done by…

“Narumi.”

Urquiaga spoke to Date Narumi. She wore a dark green track suit over her prosthetic limbs and she held a mandible sword in each hand. As she viewed Mochizuki in front of her, the objects that had sent the enemy explosions skyward fell back down.

They were several dozen mandible swords.

Narumi had spatially ejected them and instantly attacked with them.

They vanished before they could hit the Ariake’s upper surface.

“I appreciate that you’ve come to me. That means I can take you on even after leaving Date.”

“Narumi,” said Urquiaga. “You could draw those swords without Unturning Centipede?”

“…Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever introduced myself.”

“…Why do you always answer me with such sarcasm? That is no way to treat a holy man, you know? Didn’t you know defying a holy man is a good way of ending up in hell?”

“If that happens, the holy man will come save me.”

“The trouble you put me through,” said Urquiaga before looking forward.

The automaton named Mochizuki was there. The half-dragon then faced Narumi.

“Need any help?”

“That is some trouble I will not put you through.”

“Is that so?” Urquiaga sighed and looked at Narumi in her track suit. “I am currently playing an elder sister porn game from the gym clothes genre.”

“That’s quite the complimentary excuse there.”

“No,” he replied. “That genre had never quite clicked with me. But…”

He patted her shoulder from behind.

“I just realized it can be pretty nice from time to time.”

“Unturning Centipede is being repaired after I burned out the joints in the Seiryu battle, so I’ll be dressed like this or in my uniform for the time being.”

“Then I need to purchase something from the school uniform genre.”

Narumi sighed and leaned forward.

“It would seem I need to buy some more clothes.”

With that, she raced forward.

Explosions signaled the beginning of the battle and clashing swords signaled the continuation.

Of the Musashi group surrounding the crossdresser, Mitotsudaira, Gin, and Muneshige took the defensive role.

“Over here!”

They all hurried toward Naomasa’s sniper god of war unit. They escaped behind the armor panel shields held by the gods of war and below the defense barriers prepared for the sniping.

But a few of them had chosen to remain in the center and fight.

One of those was Futayo.

…''Explosion spells are quite troublesome!

She took a combat stance as several explosive flames rose from the Ariake’s upper surface like walls.

And a moment later…

“…!”

She sensed a sudden presence and swung her head half its width to the right. The deer horn sensor she wore in her hair swayed, informing her something was approaching.

And she sensed something where her left ear had been a moment before.

…''Wind!?

She sensed the pressure and heard the blowing of wind. It suddenly appeared along a straight line and passed by.

It did not fly past her. An unexpected noise had split the air.

“This is…!” shouted Futayo. “A ghost!”

“It’s a shot from a ninja technique, you idiot!”

A tall and slender figure stood beyond the flames to her right. They were 7 meters away and facing her.

''One of the Sanada Ten Braves,'' she realized.

…''He had a hard-to-write family name, didn’t he?

''I think he had a number in his name, but I would feel bad if I got it wrong.

Then he spoke to her.

“I’ll take you on, Honda Futayo. I think we’ll be a good match.”

“Is that so?” Futayo nodded. “In other words, you think we would be a good match for having sex.”

“Hold it, Azuma. Where do you think you’re going?”

“Eh? Oh, u-um, just to get more tea. Ha ha…ha ha ha.”

“Papa just spat out all his tea.”

The entire battlefield ground to a halt.

Other than the automatically controlled ones, even the shellfire from overhead stopped. All focus was on Kakei who was frozen in place and sweating profusely and Futayo who stood in front of him.

“I am still inexperienced, but doing it with someone skilled will allow us to work together, give it our all, and have a more fulfilling experience.”

“…That would need to be censored.”

“Yes, there would be some blood. But…” Futayo looked satisfied. “Feeling yourself reach greater heights like that is a wonderful thing. Personally, I see it as a kind of sport that lets you work up a sweat.”

“Fulfilling, you say?”

“Indeed. Lately, I have been kept very busy having sex with Kimi-dono. Isn’t that right, Kimi-dono?”

“Kimi! Kimi! This is where both Naruze and Masazumi failed spectacularly, but let’s try to use this to negate your usual behavior! Okay!? Okay!?”

“Heh heh. Asama, you’ve been having sex with me too, haven’t you!? Along with my foolish brother, Horizon, and Mitotsudaira! You often come to our place to have sex, don’t you!? And when my foolish brother gives you what you came for, you say, ‘N-no, it’s so hot. It’s so hot, Toori-kun.’ or ‘Um, I want some bigger meat than this.’ ”

“Waaaaiiiiit!! How could you say that on an international broadcast!? How could you!?”

Asama grabbed the collar of Kimi’s track suit and shook her, but the idiot sister did not care. Mitotsudaira was trapped in a state of equal parts blushing and dumbstruck, but Kimi spoke to Futayo.

“Futayo, we had sex in front of everyone during the special student general assembly, didn’t we?”

“Judge.” The samurai girl lightly raised Tonbo Spare. “I was reborn by that sex. I may have that to thank for what happened at the end of Novgorod the other day. Fukushima Masanori-dono and I repeatedly swapped positions and traded spears as we had some very fulfilling sex.”

'''Kiyo-Massive:''' “…Fukushima-sama, what were you doing back there?”

'''Llaf:''' “I…honestly do not remember that happening… Perhaps I hit my head and forgot all about it when I was slammed into the wall at the end…”

Kakei heard Unno and Mochizuki’s voices far behind him.

They were keeping their distance and speaking with a ninja technique.

“Kakei may not look it, but he’s quite lewd.”

“Is he a beast?”

“I didn’t say this!” he shouted back at them. “And I don’t understand it any more than you do!”

But as he frowned below his hat, he asked a question.

“Just out of curiosity…what do you intend to do with me?”

Musashi’s Vice Chancellor answered him with a deep nod. And…

“Bind…Tonbo Spare.”

Futayo sensed that she had cut the smoke and air before her eyes as well as the figure beyond them.

She did not see it with her eyes. The hit was confirmed by something more like tactile feedback or a sensation that should not have been there.

But she kept moving. She turned to face behind her.

…''He circled around…!

There was a skinny person there.

It was the enemy.

The ninja had already made his way behind her.

There was no point in asking when. The enemy was a ninja. Attacking from beyond their enemy’s senses was their specialty.

…''Of course, that is only against someone who is too dangerous to face head-on.

Did that mean she was somewhat dangerous to them? In that case…

…''I need to be even more dangerous!

Kakei arrived behind Musashi’s Vice Chancellor.

…''She has speed, but…

Her bodily control at high speeds was still poor. Or so he thought.

“…Huh!?”

Musashi’s Vice Chancellor had spun around in front of him.

The movement looked slow, but it was anything but. Not even he was sure how to perceive it, but this movement was nothing like how she had moved back at IZUMO.

…''C’mon, now.

All he knew was that she had acceleration spells shining from all across her body.

None of them shattered and she was definitely guiding them.

The movements looked so slow he could reach out and grab her.

But they were precise.

Kakei watched his opponent. His ninja technique was fired like a gun. That meant to draw a line between him and his enemy. And so…

…''I can understand her movements!

He watched and he reached his conclusion.

“————!!”

“Kakei…!”

Unno saw Kakei quickly slide-step to the right to shift his position from Musashi’s Vice Chancellor.

He did not move away. That was his pride as a ninja. But…

…''What is that?

Unno saw something at the end of Kakei’s evasion.

It was a dance.

Musashi’s Vice Chancellor was dancing.

As someone who worshiped an entertainer god, Unno found her footwork and movements sloppy and amateurish.

But the girl was definitely pursuing Kakei.

She was precise.

When she saw the girl’s line of movement, Unno realized these were the movements of a beginner dancer on the cusp of reaching the intermediate level.

This was the joy of realizing what it meant to express something through dance. Musashi’s Vice Chancellor demonstrated that joy of understanding in the way she bent her body and the way she moved her hands, legs, elbows, knees, and hips.

It was sloppy.

But that was why its essence showed through.

This was the essence of combat.

It was a dance of nothing more than defeating the enemy and keeping yourself alive.

“Kakei! Don’t underestimate her!”

Of course, he would not do that.

That was exactly why he had shifted his position.

Kakei had an innate sense for shooting. That was why he was in charge of guiding Nezu who also used a firing technique. From his perspective, Musashi’s Vice Chancellor’s movements must have looked like she was going to “shoot him”.

And so he had shifted his position.

And because he had dodged his opponent’s first shot…

…''Now he attacks!

Kakei took a combat stance.

He stuck his hands back in his pants pockets.

“…Sorry.”

With that word, a gunshot rang out.

Mitotsudaira saw Futayo sent flying.

It looked like she had been shot. And behind her…

“…!”

Horizon raised her eyebrows and started forward from the group.

Mitotsudaira was briefly surprised by that reaction.

…''Oh?

Horizon had the emotion of anger.

That had been a reflexive emotion upon realizing Futayo had been taken out. It was an impulse that moved her body before she could translate her thoughts into words. Horizon had that now.

''That’s wonderful,'' thought Mitotsudaira.

After all…

…''Horizon does not lament, cry, and feel sad when one of us is taken out.

She would also have the emotion of sorrow.

Beyond that was her greed for being with the others. When viewed as a desire, it was a triflingly small and thus difficult to obtain luxury. And when that desire was broken, Horizon grew angry.

After her anger, Horizon would probably feel sorrow.

So Mitotsudaira spoke.

“Horizon, it will be okay.”

She gestured with her chin for Horizon to look forward.

Futayo was spinning her body even as she flew backwards.

“The Soaring Wings on her body have not shattered. Futayo is still fighting.”

Futayo had taken immediate action against Kakei’s attack.

She had first defended by raising Tonbo Spare’s blade right next to her right ear.

But nothing came there.

Something did arrive in the 2 or 3 centimeter gap between the blade and her ear.

“…!”

It was not a noise. It was a stillness faster than sound, like an aftershock in the air.

She sensed danger, so she twisted her head and then her entire body.

She leaped using her upper-body weight, starting with her head.

She ended up leaning backwards, but it was not enough. The still aftershock spread to cover her cheek as well, so…

“The extension device…!”

She launched Tonbo Spare’s bottom end toward the ground to accelerate herself.

She more powerfully spun backwards and made a compact midair backflip.

As soon as she flipped onto her back in midair, something passed by in front of her chin.

It was a bullet. Her night vision was not perfectly clear, but she saw the bullet as it briefly reflected the light of the shellfire.

''In that case,'' thought Futayo. His ninja technique had to be…

…''I have no idea!

How had he sent a bullet into the space between Tonbo Spare’s raised blade and her face?

''Isn’t that a little too convenient?

If he had something that convenient, she would really like to know how to do it. That kind of ninja technique would really make fighting easier.

So she thought: ''Could he teach me that technique?

…''Do I need to prostrate?

She was performing a midair backflip, so it would be possible to land in a prostration.

If she did so, would it surprise him?

But was there any point in surprising him?

“Mh.”

Just as Futayo tried to figure out what to do, she sensed the enemy moving. The second shot was coming.

''Wait,'' she thought. ''You still haven’t taught me that ninja technique.

So she raised her voice.

“No fair…!!”

Kakei was initially confused by Futayo’s words.

…''Eh? No fair?

''No, wait,'' he thought. ''Isn’t that how ninja techniques are supposed to work?'' After all, a ninja was someone forced to fight while outnumbered and it was their job to steal information from enemy territory and get back alive.

When you were an individual fighting multiple samurai, how could you hope to play fair?

But once he thought about it, he realized he only had one opponent here.

Logically, this might indeed be unfair. After all, ninja techniques were meant for when one was outnumbered, but he was using them against an individual.

''But,'' reconsidered Kakei while making an excuse to himself.

''You’re a Vice Chancellor, ain’tcha?

''And I’m Unneeded and at the same level as a Special Duty Officer… No, a little higher than that. Just a little, little bit higher! That’s what I am. So if I’m up against a Vice Chancellor…

“It isn’t unfair at all.”

He aimed his second shot.

He aimed for her lower stomach as she made her backflip and prepared to land. He was reluctant to target a woman’s stomach, but a bullet wound to the stomach could pierce the internal organs and the bleeding was hard to stop. He concluded that dying from blood loss would be cleaner and feel better than having her head smashed apart.

“…!”

And he fired.

“Futayo!”

Mitotsudaira saw Futayo move.

For some reason, she had been trying to decide whether or not to fold her legs underneath her in midair. And then Kakei prepared to fire at her lower stomach.

Mitotsudaira had no idea how, but his attacks occurred at point-blank range.

With Futayo’s reaction speed and with Soaring Wings still active, she could dodge it, but…

…''Her landing pose is a mess!

Like this, trying to dodge after landing would cause too great a time lag. And any lag here would be deadly.

Mitotsudaira thought about intervening, but Kakei was poorly positioned for that. He was somewhat hidden from her by Futayo.

Perhaps that was his ninja sense at work.

''In that case,'' she thought. ''I’ll knock Futayo out of the way with my silver chains the instant she lands.

But…

“Eh?”

Mitotsudaira saw something happen.

Futayo looked down with an “Oh?” on her face.

Of course, the only thing below her was the Ariake’s roof. That was obvious.

But Futayo’s expression made it look like she could not figure out why that surface was there.

…''Don’t tell me she got distracted!

Kakei’s gunshot rang out.

Futayo landed at the same moment, but it was not a landing.

As she fell with her knees and hands first, light exploded between her and the Ariake’s upper surface.

…''That was…!

Soaring Wings.

The acceleration spell lost control as she failed to connect her landing into her next action. And as a result…

“…”

Futayo was blasted high into the sky, effectively jumping over the bullet fired downward.

Inside the Ariake and on the Musashi, Heidi was inside the basement of the Marube-ya Musashino Shop on the Musashi’s surface.

This was a sturdily-built block that would likely survive even if the Musashi fell apart. It was used to store deeds and seals, and for Heidi…

…''It’s a safe place for work even during battle~

Of course, she had not told the others about this place. Only Asama who managed the Musashi’s interior would know about it, but the modifications had been made confidentially and Asama would only think it was a basement.

''Yes, they shouldn’t know about it. Probably. Surely. I hope they haven’t found out…

At any rate, it was nice having somewhere for work during battle. Shirojiro was up above driving hard bargains on the expendable goods needed during battle. Heidi was supporting him from here, but…

“Heidi! Did you see the footage from up top!?”

“Eh!? Shiro-kun! Did someone die!? There aren’t any of them we won’t get insurance money for, are there!?”

“No, it isn’t that! Look at this!”

She saw recorded footage sent with a 5 second delay.

It showed Futayo being launched into the air. She seemed to have messed up her landing, but some kind of force had launched her back up and she managed to correct her position. And…

“That’s one of the Top 16 Merchant Prostrations! The Launch Prostration!!”

Kakei looked up in the air.

A prostration flew through the night sky.

…''What the hell is this!?

''I have no idea what’s going on,'' he honestly admitted. ''I came here to fight, but I feel like it’s just been one weird thing after another.

''Oh, right. Before leaving, Anayama said Musashi is a dangerous place, but it looks like he was right.

''This is so strange.

But then a dancer with gaudy hair spoke from the Musashi group.

“She’s tightened up her body’s axis, so she can correct her position even when she’s sent flying. She used to get stuck in a wild spin. …Heh heh. Heidi and Shirojiro must be freaking out right now.”

Then the dancer looked to Kakei.

She winked and mimicked a handgun with her hand.

“Watch out, or I’ll say ‘bang’ or something!”

Kakei did not think, ''What are you talking about?

Nor did he think, ''Ridiculous.

He did not even think, ''That doesn’t even mean anything.

…''I’ve more or less figured it out.

He had boarded this ship once before at IZUMO. He had mostly been a guest then, so even on the inside, he had only thought of it as a “lively place” as if viewing it from the outside. But…

“So that’s it.”

He made a turning slide to the right.

It was a quick rotation. The force of it swung around the bottom of his summer uniform’s shirt.

“That’s right.”

A spear tip flew into the position his head had just left.

It was Tonbo Spare.

Musashi’s Vice Chancellor had landed behind him in her Launch Prostration and then she had attacked.

Kakei dodged the spear tip to the right.

He spun his body, looked back over his shoulder to view the enemy, and indeed saw Musashi’s Vice Chancellor.

In that case, the plan must have been for the dancer to distract him long enough for the Vice Chancellor to attack from behind. But…

…''That’s not it.

It was an adlib.

The dancer’s distraction and the Vice Chancellor’s attack had seemed coordinated, but they had not been. Most likely, the dancer had either noticed or predicted the Vice Chancellor’s attack and decided on her own to distract him.

The end result was the same as coordination, but it was an adlibbed assist.

In other academies, that was done by firing at the enemy, not distracting them with an idiot.

“But you all don’t have weapons.”

The Far East had been disarmed.

As a ninja, he knew very well how people would fight under those conditions.

First, they would lure the enemy onto a battlefield that gave them an advantage, such as a forest with lots of obstacles or their home village.

There they would use decoys and traps to disturb the enemy, prevent them from taking another step forward, and place them in a convenient point to attack them.

Only then would those with means of attacking be sent in, but even that would be done with the others’ assistance.

These people were the same.

For the ninja, fighting in the forest or their home gave them an advantage.

But these people used something else instead:

…''Each one of them is like a tree in the forest.

None of them were incompetent.

They placed the incompetent one at the top.

And to keep that incompetent one alive, they created a forest from themselves, disturbed the enemy, and occasionally attacked.

It could look like they were being silly due to the person at the top, but…

…''That’s just the kind of forest it is.

The Far East had no weapons and everything had been taken from them. So when they had joined together and started for the battlefield, they had to have had a single thought in mind: ''We’ve got no choice.

Some of them were not used to fighting and some of them were utter amateurs, but they still did everything they could to intervene.

It was all supported by Shinto. They had the power of substitutions and their individual skills.

So there was a lot of waste, but they were fearsome indeed when it fit together properly. When viewed as a fighting style, their unusual actions could take them to great heights.

''What is this?'' thought Kakei.

It was not Sanada’s “forest”. Nor was it P.A. Oda’s “battlefield”.

''I have no idea.

So he moved. He reminded himself this was enemy territory and that the enemy had made sure they would have the advantage here.

“————”

As he turned around, light arrived from the corner of his left eye.

It was Tonbo Spare. The racing tip gave a twist and reflected the left side of his face. And a moment later…

“Bind! Tonbo Spare…!”

Futayo realized her attack had failed.

She saw Kakei moving. And he was continuing his previous path around her.

He was trying to move behind her.

…''Did I miss!?

No, Tonbo Spare’s cutting had worked. But…

“Bullets!?”

Bullets had struck the left side of Tonbo Spare’s blade.

The tactile feedback reaching the shaft told her it was 5 shots. They had not been fired simultaneously, she felt a slight time lag between them, and each of them had struck at a different angle.

They had hit and shook the blade just before the judgment was made for the cutting power.

As a result, the cutting lock had been disturbed.

“Requires effort,” said Tonbo Spare.

The cutting was produced in a broken form. So…

“Well, I’m not exactly unscathed.”

As Kakei slid his feet around in the right corner of her vision, she saw a cut in his hat, face, and cheek.

But that was all.

And he said more as he moved behind her.

“I said we’re a good match, didn’t I?”

…''Indeed you did!

Futayo tried to turn around, but…

“Sorry.”

Another point-blank series of bullets slammed into Tonbo Spare’s tip.

She was delayed getting the tip back in place.

“…Kh!”

Futayo sensed danger from the left side of her back. That was the opposite side from Kakei, but she sensed a bullet there.

…''This is…

Futayo immediately dodged and raised her voice.

“I still have no idea!”

Kakei could tell Musashi’s Vice Chancellor had dodged his bullet when he heard it graze her.

…''That’s pretty amazing.

But now he was in danger.

After all, this was an away game in enemy territory. The enemy would coordinate through adlibs.

And this was not an official duel. Sanada was making an attack and Musashi was fighting back.

Musashi’s Vice Chancellor had just dodged his attack.

There would be a short delay before she attacked him next.

Normally, he would be left alone in that time. But…

“You all are different, aren’t you?”

He heard a very familiar noise behind him. It was the sound of several rifles aiming his way. An anti-personnel formation had been put together in response to Sanada’s arrival atop the Ariake.

Based on the sound, it was 27 Far Eastern IZUMO-made muzzle-loading matchlock FMG-0071 Kaede-Uchi. 11 of the gunners were amateurs. And the number who properly had him in their line of fire was…

…''Well, I’ll manage.

As soon as he thought that, he heard the firing spells open behind him.

And…

“This is more like it. A ninja’s gotta be outnumbered.”

Several gunshots were fired toward his back.

Asama saw the result brought about by the enemy.

She too had a good firing sense. ''Well, maybe a little. Not all that much.

In her opinion, the Musashi firing squad had demonstrated fairly accurate marksmanship. The rifles that Musashi IZUMO supplied for the guard unit had longish barrels, but that helped increase their accuracy and reduced the number of wasted bullets.

To supply divine protections, the Asama Shrine helped control the targeting spells and some of the internal structures, so of the 27 bullets, at least 19 flew toward Kakei’s back 30 meters away.

That was certain.

But what happened next was different.

Sparks flew from Kakei’s back.

And not just from one spot. The number was exact:

“…19!?”

Kakei was unharmed.

She knew what had happened. He had deflected them with gunshots of his own.

…''Is this…?

Asama realized that this ninja could fire more than one bullet at a time.

His back stood in the battlefield as if to say that singlehandedly taking on a multitude was what made him a ninja.

“Heh heh. That, um, Isa girl from the other day was the same. …For someone calling herself Unneeded, she did quite well.”

“…And those people are going to be our enemy.”

“I think they already are,” pointed out Mitotsudaira.

Just as Asama nodded in agreement…

…''Ah.

Kakei’s back vanished.

He had moved. Futayo was already changing her stance.

“…En garde!”

She resumed fighting too quickly to follow.

Asama’s eyes had trouble seeing the movements of this ground battle. Her left eye, Konoha, gave her additional information, but she could see nothing beyond that. Their movements were fast and tricky, so they were never in the position she expected.

But that meant one thing:

…''Futayo is moving at the same level as him!

Futayo had chosen to disturb her own movements.

What she did was simple: swing her body at high speed to make sure her opponent could not target her.

She was adding an unpredictable element to her dodging and feints.

…''Meaning…

“Moving at random!”

Kakei answered her shout.

“What idiot explains their technique?”

“I prefer to play fair!”

“…Hah. Then bring it on, honest girl.”

“Of course…!”

She brought it.

Her father had been good at this. He would readily distract her in battle by suddenly looking to the side and shouting “Ah!” or taking two right steps in a row and saying “Oops”.

Kazuno had been good at seeing through those tricks. Whenever he had tried one during practice, Futayo recalled her glaring at him and hitting him as hard as she could with the shaft of her spear.

That was so nostalgic.

And now she had to do that nostalgic thing herself. After all…

…''My goal is to inherit the name of Tadakatsu!

So she moved forward using Soaring Wings.

“Ninja…!”

She pursued him.

He tried to circle behind her. No, more accurately…

…''He is moving to my combat blind spots!

Beyond her arm’s range of rotation. At an angle her spear could not reach. Even if he was not outside her field of vision, he would circle around to a spot where her attacks could not reach him or pursue him.

''In that case,'' she thought. ''A samurai must strike her enemy.

''In that case,'' she thought again. ''What must I do to strike an enemy who is staying out of reach?

''In that case,'' she thought a third time.

…''I just have to create a location where I can strike everything!!

She accelerated to keep him out of her blind spot.

“Ohhh…!!”

She sensed his presence trying to circle behind her.

“Outside…!”

Not behind her.

He was running in a wide arc to remain outside of her range.

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| [[Horizon:Volume 5A Chapter 17|Chapter 17]]
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