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Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 8 Chapter 4

2016-07-20T21:33:22Z

Naiwayo: Edited image's translation (Worlds on grey boxes were misplaced).

==Chapter 4 – Setting Off==

===Part 1===

Kizuna looked up at the three huge shadows above his head.

“Somehow……it looks amazing.”

The silhouette of a ship with length that might even reach two kilometers in total was floating in the sky of Ataraxia. The battleship that became the flagship of the allied army of Lemuria and Izgard that Kizuna once boarded and fought together with.

The core members of each army that gathered in the vast testing site of Nayuta Lab raised shock voices from the sudden appearance of the huge battleship.

“Our battleship [Ataraxia] huh. It’s unforeseen that I can meet it once more.”

Gravel who stood beside Kizuna murmured with deep emotion. Himekawa also crossed her arms and looked up at that battleship.

“So you all rode that to come save us didn’t you……also, that one is called [Oldium]?”

Himekawa asked after looking at the one other ship with an outline that was even larger than Ataraxia.

“Eh? Himekawa, you know it?”

“Yes. If I remember correctly it’s that ship……we once, sang on its deck――”

“That’s right isn’t it. Sometimes its deck was lent for a photo session or anything else to be broadcasted through the empire.”

A beautiful girl like an angel arrived with her pink hair fluttering behind her. Her small statured but splendid body was covered by small ornaments that were shaped like wings, she was walking towards them gallantly.

“Grace! You are fine already?”

Her arm was still in a sling, but Grace answered with a bold smile.

“Yes. I made you worry Nii-sama. Now I’m completely fine already.”

“Is that so! Aah, I’m really glad.”

Looking at her energetic figure, Kizuna’s voice reflexively became excited. However, Zelsione who was standing by behind Grace was making an unpleasant face.

“What’s the matter? Preside……Zelsione.”

Zelsione glared fiercely at Kizuna, but she then sighed deeply in resignation.

“How can this be fine. Even though her injury isn’t healed yet, her majesty still said that she will come together on this journey.”

[[Image:Masou Gakuen HxH V08 187.jpg|thumb]]

“Obviously! Even though this is the journey to search for Nee-sama, how can I just stay quiet house-sitting here!”

And then she looked up at the largest battleship among the three ships floating in the sky above.

Its total length far surpassed two kilometers. Its hull was long and narrow depicting streamlined shape, its top was crowned with a luxurious and gorgeous fortress. And then from its side until its bottom was colored with beautiful ornaments and painting. It was a grand battleship that was once even called as the flying imperial villa, the other world’s greatest flying work of art.

Oldium was the symbol of the royal family, it was also the embodiment of the Vatlantis Empire’s strength. Because Grace didn’t deploy at the previous battle against Kizuna and the others, it was placed at the rearmost row of the fleet and didn’t have the chance to participate in the battle. However, Oldium had the trust of the Vatlantis army that even resembled a faith, that as long as Oldium was there then they would win the battle.

“Besides, if I don’t ride on board Oldium, then nothing will progress. Isn’t that so, Zel?”

Zelsione shrugged her shoulders exaggeratedly while whispering ‘By your will.’

Kizuna suddenly felt like spouting out. When he looked at his side, Gravel was staring at Zel with eyes as if she was looking at a strange thing.

Even Zelsione, after they were leading school life for some time it seemed that her personality had grown to be more amicable, that was how Kizuna got the impression from her. It felt annoying to agree with what Nayuta was saying, but certainly the period of grace she gave them all with this school life was bringing on various effects for them. That was a fact.

“Say, that is……”

Himekawa who was raising her hand reservedly pointed at the remaining ship with a perplexed expression.

“That is, the remaining ship……rather than that, is that an animal? What in the world is that……”

“Aah……I too don’t really get just what that is.”

Kizuna also frowned, he stared at the strange-looking large object floating in the sky.

“That is the flagship of Baldein that is like our guardian deity, the [Golden Dragon].”

The queen of Baldein, the commander of Baldein army Ruleo and her staff officer Mora finally arrived. Landred today wasn’t wearing her white robe of the school nurse, she was in the style of a queen that looked nearly stark naked. It seemed that she had recalled her past as the queen.

And then Ruleo and Mora were also not in school uniform, they were wearing military uniform with high exposure rate. Kizuna had met them before, but it was as high school students of Ataraxia, this was the first time he saw the two as military officers of Baldein.

Ruleo was twirling her wavy light blue hair with her finger while looking up proudly at the shining gigantic golden dragon.

“That’s right! That is exactly the protector god of our Baldein! The great dragon that ruled at the summit of magic weapons, the Golden Dragon!”

A golden gigantic dragon. Kizuna had the memory of seeing its appearance when they were invading Zeltis. He had heard that it came running to help the Lemuria and Izgard allied army from their pinch and was the leading actor that reversed the war situation.

It looked small compared to Vatlantis’s flagship, but even so its total length was about five hundred meters. Just the length of its neck was more than a hundred meters, its tail was easily twice longer than that. The length of its torso was also more than a hundred meters, the four huge wings growing from there had large size that wasn’t inferior even compared to a normal battleship.

Inside that torso, a facility for commanding officers to live inside was arranged neatly. As a matter of fact one could assent if it was applied as Baldein’s flagship. However it was surprising that a living space existed inside a magic weapon even as a joke.

“Ohohohohoho, all of you from Vatlantis had witnessed how it scattered away everyone on the occasion of the Zeltis invasion hadn’t you all? That gallant figure had been burned behind my eyelids forever!”

“That’s, it only because the flagship of the Vatlantis Empire [Oldium] didn’t sortie out.”

Sparks went off between Grace and Ruleo. Even now they were going to jump at each other, but Reiri’s voice called out before that happened.

“Everyone is here already.”

Reiri and Kei came from the research tower adjacent to this ground just in time. Kizuna nonchalantly moved in between Grace and Ruleo and talked to Reiri.

“Nee-chan. Just where in the world did we get those battleships? Are those also inside the data taken back from the Deus ex Machina?”

Faster than Reiri could answer, there was a figure that appeared lightly from thin air above.

“No. Those are freshly made brand new articles.”

Taking out a folding fan from her bosom, Hida Nayuta then sharply pointed above.

“Those ships’ designs entered inside my head, so I created them after adding some improvements.”

Everyone present there was taken aback from Nayuta’s careless remark.

“If I could just understand the design, building a ship is even simpler than in Lemuria. That’s because weapons like magic weapon and battleships are created using magic power. With my current power, there is no problem at all to create those.”

However, Grace was in a state where her mouth was opened unable to close anymore.

“……What are you saying. That ship was built by several hundreds of Vatlantis’s magic engineers for several tens of years you know?”

Now it was Nayuta who tilted her head in surprise.

“How strange. That’s just too inefficient. Did your people have no motivation, or did they just not have the ability, isn’t it because one of those things?”

Even Grace couldn’t help but admire Nayuta’s power. Not only as a machine god, but her level as a magic engineer was just on a different scale. Grace once again thought that her appointment of Nayuta before for Genesis’s repairing and armament’s improvement wasn’t necessarily mistaken if only looking at her ability. It was just, there was too much problems with her personality, so in the end it was a failure.

Reiri crossed her arms and looked over everyone there.

“With this our preparation is in good order. It’s finally the time to depart.”

The place became still as death. It felt like they could hear the sound of gulping throats.

<nowiki>*ba-*, Nayuta opened her folding fan with that sound.</nowiki>

“Let me explain the strategy for this time once more.”

Saying that she flapped her fan and a transparent cube appeared in the air. The transparent box was floating in the air.

“Please think of this cube as a world.”

Inside that cube, there was a round sphere floating.

“This is the space. And then inside it are stars and planets, and also living things. Everything is settled inside the unit called the world.”

Kizuna asked in suspicion wondering what was she talking about.

“……It’s really a grand scale story huh. Talk in a way that we can understand.”

Nayuta smiled thinly and waved her fan once more. Thereupon three more cubes appeared and there became four cubes in total.

“Each Deus ex Machina has their own world. This one is Hokuto’s.”

The cube Nayuta pointed then showed the figure of Hokuto floating in it.

“And then, this one is Thanatos.”

It was the Deus ex machine in the style of Greek that destroyed Genesis and deleted Atlantis and Lemuria. Her appearance was pasted in the second cube.

“The detail of the other two is unclear but I know that they are called [Osiris] and [Odin].

The remaining two cubes had those names carved in them.

“These four Deus ex Machina collaborated to create two worlds.”

Particles of light flowed out from each four cubes and gathered in one place. From that, two cubes appeared.

“These are our worlds, Lemuria and Vatlantis.”

Black sphere was created inside the cube and stars were flickering inside it.

“The civilization of earth has commonness in image with those Deus ex Machina, but if we think that in the first place those machine gods were the ones creating our world then it can be understood.”

“Eh!? Even the civilization of our world is something given by those machine gods?”

Kizuna asked back spontaneously. He understood that the Deus ex Machina created Atlantis and Lemuria, but he didn’t think that even their civilization was because of the Deus ex Machina.

Kei immediately typed on her keyboard.

“In that case, that means they were intentionally giving us their civilization. What meaning does it have?”

Nayuta smiled sweetly and nodded.

“Good question. That too will surely become clear if we defeat one of them.”

Nayuta largely waved her hand and cubes representing the worlds appeared one after another, they were being piled up towards the sky. The four cubes of Deus ex Machina also slipped inside those piles and he lost sight of them.

[[Image:Masou Gakuen HxH V08 195.jpg|thumb]]


:''White box in the top: Chain of countless world''

:''Transparent cubes: World''

:''Right top corner box: Hokuto’s world''

:''Right bottom corner box: Osiris’s world''

:''Left top corner box: Thanatos’s world''

:''Left bottom corner box: Odin’s world''

:''Left white box: Atlantis (AU)''

:''Right white box: Lemuria (Earth)''

:''Black box at the center: AU Collision''

:''Black box at the bottom: Miniature world created by the four Deus ex Machina modeled after their own worlds.''


“What is called as the world exists in countless numbers. Passing over the boundary that exist between worlds and reaching a new world is a pain. To find the Deus ex Machina, we have to actually travel through space-time and step into different worlds.”

The boxes of the worlds were still piling up while Nayuta was saying that with the momentum that the pile might have even reached the battleship floating in the sky already. Looking up at that tower, Reiri let out a low voice.

“In other words, there is no other way but using our legs and steadily looking for them, is that what you mean?”

Nayuta looked up at the two battleships and one magic weapon standing by in the sky.

“Just as I said before, I performed some improvements to those three vessels. In addition of refining their magic mechanisms, I loaded them with the function to generate Entrances. That is to say they are able to move between worlds.”

She was saying that they were ships that could possibly generate AU collision by their own power and move between worlds.

Everyone in that place couldn’t believe Nayuta’s words so suddenly. But, when they thought of Nayuta’s ability as a machine god, they couldn’t just discard it as a lie.

“In exchange, I distributed the majority of my body that finally began to recover to the magic mechanisms of the three ships.”

“What?”

Kizuna spontaneously raised his voice towards that concerning phrasing of Nayuta. However, it felt like it would touch something unpleasant if he asked in detail, so he instead chose to not ask deeper.

Reiri put her hand on her waist and spoke once more.

“The operation will begin after this. Each person is to begin the preparation to board each ship.”

Until now they kept being done in one-sidedly by the Deus ex Machina. It wasn’t any different like being tossed around by mother nature like a typhoon or an earthquake that human power couldn’t match.

‘――But, it will be different from here on.’

Reiri yelled sharply.

“It’s hunting time.”

Killing intent like ice was burning up inside those eyes.

“The prey is god!”

Even humans exploited their knowledge and efforts to the limits and resisted in order to subdue the raging nature.

“We will let those creators know the strength of humanity!”

Here, in this place, was the beginning of the genuine counterattack against the Deus ex Machina.

Flames were lit inside the eyes of everyone.

“……Just you wait and see, god.”

Kizuna clenched his fist tightly.

===Part 2===

Two battleships and one gigantic magic weapon departed from Ataraxia.

The flagship of the Vatlantis Empire Oldium was used by the Vatlantis group just like that. The main crew was Grace, Zelsione, Quartum’s Clayda, Elma, Lunora, and Ramza.

In Baldein’s Golden Dragon, Baldein’s army including Queen Landred and then Gravel and Aldea of Izgard’s army embarked inside.

And then the flagship of the Izgard-Lemuria allied forces, the battleship Ataraxia. The one embarking it were Kizuna and Himekawa, also Reiri and Kei and also Nayuta together.

Because it was still difficult for the other members to participate in the battle, they were continuing to receive treatment in Nayuta Lab.

“It would be great if everyone quickly got better isn’t it.”

Himekawa kept staring outside the window while talking to Kizuna.

Both of them were looking at the streaming scenery visible from the window at a corridor that was distanced from the bridge. The battleship Ataraxia was currently in the middle of sailing between worlds. The scenery visible from the window were lights that looked like falling stars in the middle of darkness, sometimes it looked like a flowing river. The scenery was so beautiful that it would make one sigh in admiration, it wouldn’t make one get bored no matter how much one looked at it.

“Yeah……but, what’s the matter for you to suddenly say that?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Himekawa smiled shyly.

“The sight outside the window looks like shooting stars somehow……I suddenly feel like wishing for something.”

Kizuna narrowed his eyes as if he was looking at a cute kitten.

“I guess. It’s absolutely impossible to see this kind of sight in the previous world.”

Kizuna had seen a sight that was similar with this previously. That was when he was fighting Vatlantis and rushed through the Entrance towards Zeltis. That time when he passed through inside the Entrance, the sight was extremely similar to this.

“Come to think of it, Hayuru, you had never seen the scenery inside an Entrance haven’t you.”

“Yes. Because, weren’t we locked inside a cell without windows when we were taken to Vatlantis. After that Kizuna-kun returned to Lemuria but, I kept staying at Vatlantis all that time since then.”

“You’re right……after all, you are the national idol of Vatlantis.”

“Wai……ple, please stop! That thing doesn’t matter anymore!”

Himekawa’s cheeks reddened and she glared at Kizuna sullenly.

Kizuna was laughing while directing his eyes outside the window once more.

Actually, what they were doing was moving between worlds, similar to an Entrance, so perhaps it was only natural that the scenery was similar. What was different now was there were others flying side by side with them.

Oldium and Golden Dragon. The comrade ships fighting together with them.

“Which reminds me, now is the time for the periodic contact……let’s go back to the bridge soon.”

Kizuna said that and began to walk, Himekawa also replied “Yes” and followed behind him.

Both of them walked through the wide corridor and headed to the bridge. When they came near the entrance’s door, the heavy door opened soundlessly. And then inside the bridge was an interior that was like an extremely luxurious parlor as usual. No matter how many times he saw it, Kizuna couldn’t think of the room as something inside a battleship.

There was the ship captain’s seat at a high position inside, Reiri was sitting there similar to the time when they stormed Zeltis.

Ahead of the captain’s chair, at the left was a table where Shikina Kei was sitting. At a glance the table looked gothic, but it had the function to govern the ship’s navigation.

With a good timing, the transmission from Oldium and Golden Dragon came at that time. Large windows opened at the front of the bridge. Each window projected Grace and Gravel respectively.

{Nii-sama! This side is in the middle of smooth sailing. How about that side?}

Her arm was in a sling, but Grace seemed to be full of energy.

“Yeah, this side also has no problems. What about your side Gravel?”

{Our side is the same. Well, though compared to the other ships, this one is quiet cramped.}

Thereupon Ruleo’s voice could be heard across Gravel’s shoulder.

{Come now! That’s rude!! In the first place, other countries’ battleship is just pointlessly using too much space. If there is just space as much as this Golden Dragon has, then there won’t even be anything inconvenient!}

Looking at Gravel who was soothing Ruleo with a troubled face, laughter spontaneously occurred.

The sailing was going favorably right now. There was no big problem, but if there was anything they were concerned of, it was that they didn’t understand when they would arrive at the world of the Deus ex Machina.

Kizuna peeked at the window floating above Kei’s desk.

It was displaying a graph of square grid like a chessboard. It seemed that it was displaying the condition of the space. Kizuna didn’t really understand it, but he recalled Nayuta and Kei talking about something like that. That was why he was really concerned that the graphic was greatly distorted.

“Shikina-san……what’s with this?”

Kei stiffened. Her fingertips were trembling above her keyboard.

‘――Don’t tell me,’

Kizuna reflexively yelled.

“We discovered an alternate world here!”

“What? Kei, the detailed report!”

Even while Reiri was asking, the graph displaying the space was increasingly distorting more, turning into a huge vortex. It was just like a typhoon that was photoed by satellite.

Kei who returned to her senses typed on her keyboard in panic.

{A terrifyingly huge AU collision is occurring! It is swallowing multiple worlds and expanding even more! The distortion of space-time is attacking like a tsunami! I don’t understand what will happen if we get dragged in!}

“Wh……at?”

The battleship Ataraxia began to vibrate fiercely. The ship tilted and started accelerating as if it was being sucked by something. Kizuna clung at Kei’s desk and frantically asked.

“Can we avoid it!?”

{Unknown! How to deal with something like thi}

{What should we do!? The control is not working here!}

It seemed the situation was also getting disastrous at the other side. The screen was fiercely shaking, the crews of the ship were moving about in confusion. At that time, the battleship Ataraxia was attacked by a fierce impact. And then with a turn the ceiling became reversed.

Kizuna and the others were already being swallowed by the space-time tsunami caused by the AU collision. The fierce shaking continued and the whole ship’s body raised creaking sounds.

Reiri was clinging on her chair while desperately giving out instruction.

“{{furigana|Excavator|AU Wall Excavator}}! Put it out!”

Kei ran her hand through the control panel without a moment’s delay. Responding to her fingertips, several dozen holes opened on the bow of the battleship Ataraxia, particles of light were ejected from there. And then the whole bow of the ship began to rotate. It was like a drill used on the occasion of digging into underground got enlarged to an unbelievable level.

What was called Excavator was the equipment that made it possible for navigation between worlds. As long as no Entrance was created, it was impossible to go to another world. However, Nayuta made this new equipment, this Excavator dug out the wall of the world and by opening a tunnel, it made it possible to enter the world thorough that. It was something that forcefully created an Entrance.

“For the time being we will escape to the nearest world! Anywhere is fine so dig into that wall!”

Yelling voices also could be heard from Oldium and Golden Dragon’s windows.

{Don’t be late to react on our side too! Don’t let Oldium get separated from Ataraxia!}

{Match the movements with the other ships! If we get blown away to a different world, perhaps we won’t be able to meet again for a second time!}

The rotating bow of battleship Ataraxia crashed into something invisible. It was like the ship suddenly stopped in place, a fierce impact attacked the ship. Sparks scattered on the bow and distorted the light flowing in the surroundings.

“Kei! Did that do it!?”

{We caught it. Fixing at the outer edge of another world.}

“Don’t let go! Cut in just like this! Oldium and Golden Dragon too――”

At that time, a shockwave that felt like a punch struck the battleship Ataraxia. The bow of the ship coming into contact with the wall of the other world was separated once again.

{We are separating from the other world, a big one will come again. Everyone be care――}

At that moment, the sky and ground became reversed. And then everyone on the bridge was thrown away from their chairs and tumbled on the floor. It was like a gigantic hand was holding and shaking the ship. The vibration towards all direction was continuing and strong impacts as if the ship crashed into a rocky area were attacking incessantly. The creaking of the ship’s frame was resounding like a scream.

“KYAAAAAAAAAA!”

“UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

The transformation of space became a gigantic undulation that attacked the ship. It was like a tsunami, swallowing and toying with Ataraxia, Oldium, and Golden Dragon. Power that cared not of their effort threw the three ships into a chaos of whirling world.

The windows floating in the bridge turned off all at once. Oldium and Golden Dragon’s transmission was cut off. In continuation, the lighting inside the ship was vanishing one after another.

{Control……isn’t working.}

With a portable keyboard hung down from her neck, Kei was just barely able to type in those words before she lost consciousness. The figures of Ataraxia, Oldium, and Golden Dragon disappeared between the waves of space-time.

===Part 3===

“Kizuna, wake up.”

It was a nostalgic voice. Mother’s voice――it sounded extremely young, but the quality of the voice was certainly that of his mother. Even when he was a child, his mother had come several times to wake him up. Because she would be troubled if the experiment didn’t start exactly as scheduled.

“How long are you going to sleep. Stop relaxing and open your eyes.”

But, this time he was feeling unbearably pleasant. He wanted to keep like this, just for a while longer――,

“The machine god is coming to hunt us.”

That voice made Kizuna jump awake.

“Here!? Is everyone safe!?”

The crews had fainted on the floor of the slanting bridge. Everyone didn’t even twitch. The inside of his chest became cold instantly, but Nayuta was fanning calmly with her fan.

“Calm down. Everyone has just lost their consciousness.”

Kizuna sighed in relief and stood up unsteadily.

“Mm……”

A female student that fainted at his side moaned.

“Hayuru?”

Kizuna raised up Himekawa’s body and gently swept away the hairs clinging on her cheek. He caressed her face and checked if she had bruises. With a faint sigh, Himekawa thinly opened her eyes.

“Ah……Kizuna-kun.”

“I’m glad. Your consciousness is back.”

Himekawa he raised her body and put her hand on her forehead.

“I, fainted……?”

“Yeah. I also just awoke only now though……rather than that, are you not hurt?”

He lent his hand to Himekawa and helped her to stand up somehow. She had some bruises but it seemed she didn’t have any serious injury. Kizuna faced Nayuta and asked.

“What happened after that? This place……where is it?”

“Looks like we landed on a different world. Confirm it by your own eyes.”

“Even if you tell me to check……”

Kizuna walked together with Himekawa towards the window.

“Wh……what?”

The scenery spreading outside the window entered his eyes and he reflexively lost his words.

It looked like earth.

At afar, continuing mountain areas consisting from thin and long mountains like reversed icicles. Green forest was continuing from those mountains like flowing waves. There was a vast city divided in gird shape spreading before those. There was a lot of red tiled roofs and various sizes of buildings were standing in a clutter. That scenery looked like a city somewhere on the earth reproduced here, it gave Kizuna a mysterious feeling.

“This place……is this, the world where we originated from?”

“It looks similar, but this is somewhere different. Look at that.”

Ahead where Nayuta pointed was something that was obviously bizarre. Small islands were floating in the sky. Those islands were created from gigantic rocks, trees and plants were growing from there and water was flowing down. Those small and big islands were floating in the air. Himekawa also opened her eyes wide and gazed at the abnormal scenery.

“What miraculous……”

“Where we are is also on one of the islands floating in the sky.”

Nayuta projected an image of the battleship Ataraxia captured from overhead view on her palm. On top of her small palm, a miniature map was floating. The battleship Ataraxia did emergency landing at the edge of the island. They were on a plain distanced from the city. Considering that the total length of the ship was two thousand meters, it seemed that the diameter of the island was about ten kilometers.

Kizuna felt that the city on this island and the image of the clothing of the Deus ex Machina Hokuto overlapped.

“Don’t tell me……this is Hokuto’s world?”

“If that’s the case, then that means we drew out a coincidence with a terrifying probability……I cannot think of this as anything but as the work of someone’s will.”

“Someone you say……just who can do this?”

Nayuta put her finger on her lips and pondered for a while. For someone like Nayuta who usually replied back with immediate result, this was something rare.

“……Anyway, let’s investigate. We are going out for field work.”

“Bu, but, is the outside an environment where humans can live?”

Himekawa asked in a fluster.

“The composition of the air is no different with earth. The temperature and humidity are also relatively warm.”

Having said that they still couldn’t rest assured, but it appeared that there was no problem for the moment if it was just going outside.

“However, let’s go outside after two or three more hours. There is something to do before going out.”

Nayuta smiled after saying that. Looking at her smile, Kizuna’s breath got caught. It was different with the thin smile she usually pasted. That smile was like a pure girl’s one.

“Something to do……what’s that?”

“The reinstallation of your own Eros.”

Nayuta untied the sash of her kimono. She loosened her collar and exposed her immature breast.s

“Wha……-!?”

Kizuna and also Himekawa spontaneously stiffened without being able to say anything.

In contrast to the two, Hida Nayuta floated a smile overflowing with curiosity.

“You will be doing Climax Hybrid with Okaa-san, Kizuna.”

Himekawa cut in with a bright red face.

“Wha, what absurdity are you saying! I, I, i-impossible! Whether ethically or morally, such thing is wrong!”

“From here on it’s a time of parent and child without outsider’s interference. Then, excuse us.”

Nayuta waved her finger and the figures of the two disappeared from in front of Himekawa.

“Ah…..whe, where are you going? KIZUNA-KUUUUNNN!?”

To look for the vanishing two, Himekawa was about to go out of the bridge.

“Uu..mm”

Reiri who lost consciousness on the floor turned over and groaned. Himekawa immediately judged that looking after the fainting everyone should be prioritized. Himekawa crouched down before Reiri and shook her shoulders.

“Please wake up, Commander! Chief Shikina!”

Himekawa called at everyone one by one and looked around to check if anybody was injured.

‘――Then, should we start soon?’

Nayuta whispered to Kizuna with a low voice.

Both of them weren’t teleporting or anything. Nayuta only gave fake information into Himekawa’s optical information and showed an image as if they suddenly vanished. The theory was similar with the Love Room.

Kizuna sighed inside his heart and he went through the door with his hand pulled by Nayuta.

And then they walked inside the slanting ship. After walking for about five minutes, they arrived in front of a splendid door. He followed Nayuta who entered inside like it was only natural and inside was a sleeping room no matter how he looked at it.

“What’s this place?”

“It seemed that this room was created for noble visitors. This is the most pleasant bedroom, so we will do the reinstall here.”

Floor and wall that looked like marble. The room was like a suite room of a super high class hotel. The room itself was wide, so even the bed that was bigger than king size looked small.

“But, reinstall you said……that means Eros will also power up?”

“Unfortunately, its basic performance as a single gear won’t change. But, its power-up after doing Hybrid will drastically increase. And then, it will be added with a single weapon.”

Nayuta suddenly raised her hand and the kimono she was wearing vanished as if it was torn away. Her unripe young limbs were exposed in front of Kizuna without a single string covering it.

“Wha……oi-! What are……”

Nayuta walked until in front of Kizuna and poked at Kizuna’s chest with her fingertip.

“!?”

With unhindered motion her hand was buried inside Kizuna’s chest until her wrist. And then, Kizuna’s clothes also vanished into nothing like dry paint that was torn off.

“Uooh!?”

Kizuna jumped back in reflex and hid his crotch.

Nayuta stared at Kizuna’s naked body with a wide smile.

“You have grown quite splendidly. It was worth it to give birth to you.”

“Wai……just, what are you planning to do!”

“Please don’t ask the same thing repeatedly. I told you we are going to do Core reinstall right?”

When Nayuta opened her hand, a black metallic capsule was placed on her palm. Its diameter was smaller than a centimeter, its length was only about two centimeters.

――Eros’s Core.

He had only seen it once when he was a child. At that time it was also Nayuta who installed it in him. Although, at that time it was done using surgery.

The Core placed on Nayuta’s palm became light particles and vanished.

“Ah!?”

Kizuna raised his voice reflexively, but Nayuta was staring at him in amusement.

“No need to worry. It’s fine you know.”

The light particles drifting in the air was circling around Nayuta before beginning to converge on her palm once more. The particles of light began to crystallize. And then a brand new Core appeared with beautiful black luster.

“That’s……the upgrade is finished already?”

“Yes. Perhaps it looked simple, but it was really difficult you know?”

With Core in hand, Nayuta was slowly approaching Kizuna with a sweet smile.

“I will reinstall this Core into Kizuna with my own hand.”

Kizuna was drawing back as if to match Nayuta’s movement.

“No, wait a second! How!?”

“Even if you ask how, Kizuna, you yourself have done this twice already haven’t you.”

Kizuna’s countenance paled.

“Wait wait wait! That’s bad! In various meaning……uwaa!”

He got tripped by the edge of the carpet and Kizuna collapsed on a sofa. Without any delay Nayuta straddled above him.

“There is no problem isn’t it?”

“There is nothing but problems! We are pretty much parent and child even as a joke you know!? Furthermore aren’t you a young girl right now!”

Even Kizuna himself didn’t understand anymore just what he was talking about.

“So it’s about something like that. No need to worry.”

Nayuta bent her flat white breast that had small pink ring on it.

“I’m not a human anymore. I’m god. And so, I’m not tied down by that kind of trivial rule of humans. There is no problem at all.”

“I cannot accept that!”

Nayuta laid down on Kizuna’s stomach and rubbed her flat chest on Kizuna’s chest.

“It’s fine. It’s not going to hurt.”

“That way of talking is too suspicious! I got nothing but bad feelinggggg!”

“WAITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!”

With her beautiful glossy black hair getting disordered, Reiri rushed in while being out of breath.

“Ne-! Nee-chan!?”

“Oh Reiri? Today I’m not chartering a bus you know?”

“Annoying! Don’t treat me like a driver! Even this ship, it’s not a cruiser for the sake of you bastard. Most of all, don’t make me be the driver of a tourist bus! Of all things to happen, Himekawa and Kizuna’s……flaunting off something like that!”

“That, don’t tell me……that bus when I did Himekawa’s reinstall, Nee-chan was the driver!?”

“Gu……tha, that’s right……if I didn’t do that, this hag, throwing tantrum saying she won’t cooperate with the reinstall! Are you a brat! Shit-!”

Reiri seriously launched a low kick from the bedside.

“Ne……Nee-chan.”

His big sister was breaking down from her severe anger. Kizuna was staring at that state of her in dumbfounded expression. However, the tourist bus the other day was also strangely driven roughly, but now he could understand why. She was forced by Nayuta and so she became considerably irritated.

“Reiri, I don’t understand what you are saying anymore you know?”

“You are the one most not understandable here! Aah, enough already! I won’t allow you to do whatever you please anymore than this! I cannot leave Kizuna to someone like you!”

Nayuta was looking up at Reiri with cold eyes.

“In this emergency time, being jealous like that is not admirable at all.”

Reiri’s face flashed red.

“I, I’m not jealous or anything! I have the responsibility to protect Kizuna from you bastard!”

“Except me, there is no other existence that can perform reinstall to Kizuna. There is no leisure of option here.”

“Gu……kuh!”

Nayuta poked at Kizuna’s arm.

“Eh? Uwa!”

Mysteriously, Kizuna’s body was lightly floating just from being lightly poked and he fell on the bed. Nayuta’s small body also climbed on the bed.

“Now, let’s begin. The ritual of love.”

A completely naked young girl straddled Kizuna’s body and stood imposingly. Across her smooth slit, he could take a peek at her smiling face that seemed to have fun.

Nayuta took a glance at Reiri’s direction. Tears were gathering in Reiri’s eye and her shoulders were trembling. Nayuta suddenly raised her face as if she remembered something.

“……Right right. Vast magic power will be needed for Eros’s reinstall. I guess it will be better if there is another possible partner that can do Heart Hybrid with Kizuna so as to produce a large amount of magic power. Reiri?”

Reiri lifted her face in sudden realization.

“Take off your clothes quickly and come up to the bed.”

“Bu, but……”

Kizuna raised a panicked voice at the hesitating Reiri.

“Wai! Kaa-san, what are you saying!”

“My? You are reluctant Kizuna?”

Kizuna hesitated to say in front of Nayuta who shamelessly asked.

“Eh……I, I’m not reluctant or anything but……”

And then Nayuta didn’t miss the change that happened in Kizuna’s body.

“My♪ It became splendid. Kizuna is also getting in anticipation aren’t you?”

“N, no……this is”

It was too late to hide it right now and he had no way to make an excuse. Looking at Kizuna’s thing that was facing up, Reiri’s eyes moistened.

“Kizuna……”

And then Reiri’s throat gulped. Nayuta made an exaggerated troubled gesture.

“Raising up this kind of siblings, as a mother I feel complicated. Did the way I raise you two mistaken I wonder?”

Reiri took off and threw away her jacket and untied her necktie.

“I don’t remember being raised up by you.”

She pulled down her skirt and there was only her underwear left. She hesitated for a moment, but she immediately circled her hand to her back and unfastened the hook of her bra. Her imprisoned breasts spilled down at once. It shook like jelly, shaking up and down. That large breasts which was far from a Japanese person in average didn’t submit to gravity and pointed up.

And then she put her hand on the panty that wrapped her large ass before pulling it down smoothly, she then slipped it off her toes. The body of his sister that was without a single string covering it made Kizuna’s thing react even further. It twitched in pulsation as if to demand that body. Looking at that motion, Nayuta narrowed her eyes.

“Ufufu……then how about we begin.”

Nayuta sat down at Kizuna’s side and reached out her hand to his crotch. However just before she could seize it, Reiri’s hand stole it first.

“Le, leave this to me.”

“My, how greedy, Fine, I will take this side then.”

She grasped at under that thing, at the two balls wrapped by limp skin.

“Uwaa! O, oi! That is……-”

“I understand. This is something important right? I will handle it carefully, so rest assured.”

Inside that small hand, his largest vitals were seized. Even if he was told to rest assured, Kizuna was greatly anxious. However, the sensation of the small soft hand softly rubbing was something he never experienced until now.

While he was being rubbed gently, his anxiety was rapidly disappearing, he was falling under the control of tranquil pleasure gradually.

“Kizuna……how about this side? Is it better to do it a little bit stronger?”

On the other hand, Reiri’s fingers entangled him and moved up and down, sending him a direct intense pleasure. It was a gentle stimulation that tended to be reserved, but right now it felt good.

“Hmm. About that much……feels really, good.”

Reiri showed him a delighted smile. The honey overflowing since before dirtied Reiri’s palm and fingertips, causing her hand to slide well. It increased the pleasure for Kizuna even more and his waist unconsciously floated up.

“Kizuna……”

When Reiri took her hand off, she then brought her face towards the thing she grasped until now. Her tongue reached out and touched at the tip wetly. At that moment, taste that stimulated Reiri’s sensuality was spreading from her tongue to her whole body.

“Ne, Nee-chan……”

Reiri sucked as hard as she could at her little brother’s thing that was pointing up teasingly. The taste of a man spread a lot inside her mouth, she traced that shape inside her mouth with her tongue.

When her mouth separated away with *chuu* sound, Nayuta snatched it without a moment’s delay from the side.

“Ah! You bastard-”

“Fhon’t ve vhoivhy, I hem honhehrahing”

The small mouth spread as wide open as it could, Nayuta then held Kizuna’s thing deep inside her mouth. It was to the degree that made the one watching even got worried if Nayuta’s jaws would get disconnected, but she was moving her face up and down with an entranced expression. Looking at her state, Reiri was being taken aback.

“……It reach until that deep?”

Like that, won’t that thing reach until deep into the throat? Reiri gulped down her saliva. Kizuna’s thing slipped out from Nayuta’s mouth with slippery sound then. That thing which was glistening bright from the saliva of the two stood tall even harder. Without even minding her face getting dirty, Nayuta rubbed her cheek to that.

“Reiri, let’s lick it together.”

“A, yeah……”

Reiri also brought her face closer once more and began to lick at the shaft part. Soft tongues were licking up from both sides left and right. The sensation of something like a mollusk animal creeping around was mercilessly stimulating Kizuna’s lower body.

When Reiri crawled her tongue at the vital place which Nayuta was toying with her hand before this, she then held it inside her mouth.

“kh……-!”

Inside the feverish mouth, the ball was rolled around. It gave completely different pleasure compared to when Nayuta grasped it with her childish hand. While that happened, Nayuta was licking around at his tip and sucked. And then when her mouth let it go, she licked around the whole standing tall thing with Reiri together once more. That combination with their breaths matching each other made Kizuna’s limit rapidly rise up from inside Kizuna’s waist.

“Ka, Kaa-san, Nee-chan-, I’m already!”

Both of them began to lick with even more strength in their tongues.

“If’s hine, hust fhike fhat, fet hit hout”

“Fhome”

“Kuh!”

From Kizuna’s tip, life energy spurted out when he passed his limit. It mercilessly scattered everywhere on Reiri and Nayuta’s face and hair, dirtying their bodies.

“Aa……♥”

“Nfu……♥”

The two received the white liquid with entranced faces. In their eyes, light in heart shape was floating.

Reiri and Nayuta embraced Kizuna from left and right, between them, they rained down kisses on his body.

“Aah, Kizuna-, Kizunaa♥”

<nowiki>*Chuu, chuu* with those sounds, from his waist to his stomach, his chest, from his shoulder to his neck, the kisses were climbing up. Kizuna also responded to the two, his left hand at the mature body, his right hand at the unripe body, both hands were caressing lovingly.</nowiki>

His left hand was on the large breast that couldn’t be grasped just with one hand. But the breast’s tip became completely hard even before he was rubbing, it was standing up largely. His right hand was on a chest so flat that he could say there was nothing there at all, even so the pink colored tips were swelling out plumply.

“Even without you doing something like this……isn’t it fine, with only Kizuna feeling good?”

Reiri took off her usual mask of a strict commander and showed a face of a woman. With a bewitching smile, she was kissing at Kizuna’s body.

“But Nee-chan. If Nee-chan and Kaa-san doesn’t get aroused too……the reinstall won’t succeed.”

‘Fufu’ Nayuta leaked out a chuckle.

“Even without you worrying like that, we are already completely aroused here.”

Nayuta stood up and then she kneeled at the side of the lying down Kizuna, her finger crawled on her own crotch. And then, she made a display of opening her secret valley with her fingers. Thereupon, a string of glistening honey was trickling down from the completely drenched place.

“Come on Reiri, show him yours too.”

Reiri was looking shy for a while, but before long she gave up and reached out her hand at her important place, she then spread it open to show him with wet sound. Honey of sexual desire was overflowing out as if she was peeing. The honey trickled along her thighs and made a stain on the sheet. From that valley, hot honey that might even give out steam was thickly welling up, dripping down from her groin.

“Just from sucking at your thing, I become like this……are you disillusioned now?”

Reiri looked down at Kizuna with an anxious gaze.

“There is no way I’ll think like that right? For Nee-chan to feel like that from someone like me……I’m, really happy.”

“Kizuna……”

Reiri’s eyes trickled out tears.

Kizuna reached out his hand at their honey pots that were overflowing with sexual fluid.

“Hyaann!”

“Fu……aah!”

The body of the two bent into ‘<’ shape and pleasure struck them with shivers.

His fingers caressed at the slippery and soft valleys. The overflowing honey wetted Kizuna’s fingers and the fingers that became able to slide well scratched the valleys even more.

“Ku……aaah”

Nayuta slumped down on Kizuna limply, while she was breathing out sweet sigh on his chest, she was also moaning. It was a sight that was hard to believe. Nayuta who was reborn as a machine god with that transcendent ability was raising an unbecoming voice and became gasping from his finger.

“……! Nnaah!”

Reiri’s body jumped and bent backwards.

“Ki……Kizuna……”

She wetted her finger with the honey overflowing from her groin and she once more entangled her fingers on Kizuna’s rigidness. And then she was moving up and down rhythmically.

[[Image:Masou Gakuen HxH V08 225.jpg|thumb]]

“Uu! ……Ne, Nee-chan-”

That movement felt like it was shaving away his patience. Kizuna was nearing his limit rapidly. In order to resist, Kizuna also parted through the two’s valley’s even deeper.

“Haaaaa! Nnaann!”

“Uh, ku……aah!”

And then he discovered it at their entrances. He pushed against it with the fingertips of his right and left hands.

“Ah……Kizuna, that’s……”

Reiri showed a bewildered expression for an instant. When Kizuna sent her a questioning stare, she could only nod.

Kizuna thrust inside the two with his fingers.

“Hih! HIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

“Guh! AHAAAAAAAAaNNNAAAAAAN!”

He was advancing through the caves of soft flesh that were feverishly slippery. Reiri’s one was also tight, but Nayuta’s one was so narrow that it made him wondered if his finger really could enter.

“Guuh!”

Nayuta showed a pained expression and her body bended.

“……Kaa-san?”

Nayuta’s head hung down limply and her back shivered.

“Do, don’t mind it……do it, just like that.”

“Kaa-san, don’t tell me……”

“Ufufu……this is because I was reborn. Since my body became like this, receiving this kind of stimulation is the first time. But――”

Nayuta embraced Kizuna’s neck. Her disarrayed hair was clinging on her sweaty cheek. Her white skin and blushing cheek looked really lewd.

“Mother whose first is stolen by the son is also not too bad.”

“N, no, the logic, or the sequence is strange like that, besides……doesn’t it hurt?”

Nayuta stared at Kizuna with a dazed face. And then she laughed in amusement.

“That’s not something someone who had half-killed me should say.”

“U……”

He was lost for words. Kizuna fell silent awkwardly.

“This immoral act will create it. The Corruption Armament of yours……”

‘――My, Corruption Armament?’

“Wait a second, Kaa-san said [Corruption Armament] just now right!? My, Eros’s, Corruption Armament, such thing exists!?”

“It exists. We are creating it from here on.”

Nayuta answered with a red face.

“By materializing this Corruption Armament, the Core will also get improved. And then the improved Core will be installed by a person possessing the ability as a machine god. In order to realize that install, we will use the supply of magic power of our kind, an existence that is close to me and Kizuna. These three factors are necessary.”

“That is……”

Kizuna looked alternately at Nayuta and Reiri’s face.

“That’s right. This is different from common Climax Hybrid. Till the end this is an act for the sake of obtaining Eros’s Corruption Armament and reinstalling the Core. Eros’s Corruption Armament will be a weapon created by Reiri and I, and then Kizuna, by the three of us. And then this is exactly――”

Nayuta bent her sweaty body flexibly.

“The true trump card to defeat the Deus ex Machina.”

‘――The true, trump card?

My Corruption Armament will?

But, just what in the world, is that?’

“And then, even further ahead of Corruption Armament. There, a further divine mystery is surely awaiting.”

“Even further ahead? Divine mystery……what does that mean?”

However, Nayuta directed to Reiri a bewitching smile as if she didn’t hear Kizuna’s question.

“Now, we are continuing Reiri. If you are so inclined, before we are made to come, we will wring him out several more times.

“Eh?”

Kizuna’s spine shuddered.

With eyes that reflected heart marks, Reiri smiled obscenely. And then she put strength on her fingers tightly and changed her movement to wring out from Kizuna with certainty.

“Shi, shit-! Even I!”

He once more pushed in his fingertips into the bodies of the two.

“Kya♥……ahn!”

“Fu, fuaaah!”

Sticky watery sounds echoed. The liquid that was overflowing even more rapidly trailed along Kizuna’s hand until his elbow.

“Ah, aah♥, a, AAAAAAAAAA♥!”

Reiri was surely near her limit. Her body warped and convulsed twitchingly. Each time she twitched her large breasts were shaking shiveringly, her sweat became grains of light that scattered around her.

Nayuta shrunk her body and endured the pain. However her stiffness was gradually taken and her body slackened. Her inside that was only stiffness now changed into softness that enveloped Kizuna. And then with a carnal face, she crooked her leg in fretfulness.

“Au, fuah, ahn, aah♥”

Even her voice was gradually mixed with something sweet. Her body was tinged with faint pink from arousal and her whole body was expressing the delight of her pleasure.

Reiri desperately moved her waist matching the movement of Kizuna’s thrusting finger. At the inside Kizuna’s finger also didn’t let go and the tightening from the soft flesh was increasing. Each time Reiri moved intensely, her large breasts shook and the tips stood so pointedly it looked like they were going to burst. Even Reiri’s pleasure was on the verge of rupturing. Her voluptuous body began to emit beautiful particles of light.

“Aah! No, no more. I’m, coming, I’m coming.”

“Ne, Nee-chan. I, I too, am no good already!”

Nayuta slide up her body and peered at Kizuna’s face.

“Kaa-san……?”

Nayuta’s eyes showed heart marks where glittering light was dancing in them. And then inside Kizuna’s eyes too, there were beautiful lights flowing. After ascertaining that, Nayuta smiled in satisfaction. And then she opened her mouth.

“…..That’s”

On her tongue, Eros’s Core was placed there.

Nayuta’s opened mouth was approaching near him. Kizuna also opened his mouth to welcome it and reached out his tongue. The tongues of the two touched each other and then their lips overlapped.

Inside the glued mouths, the tongues of the two were entangled. Together with Nayuta’s saliva, Eros’s Core was sent into Kizuna’s mouth.

The moment he gulped down the saliva of the two of them and the Core――,

“NHaa♥ AAAAAAAAA♥♥, KIZUNAaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA♥♥!!”

Reiri welcomed her climax and her body bent backwards. The tips of her breast quavered. Her thighs that closed as if to hold down Kizuna’s hand was convulsing quaveringly. And then from the valley there, hot liquid spurted out like pee.

From Kizuna’s thing that was seized by Reiri’s slender fingers, life energy surged out vigorously. Reiri accepted that white splash with her chest.

It awakened Reiri’s climax even more and Reiri drowned inside the waves of climax that repeated many times over. The flying proof of love so hot that it felt like it would scald what it touched drew parabolic arc and rained down on Nayuta’s back too. When she felt that heat on her back, it was at the same time when she drank down the saliva of Kizuna from their entangled tongues.

And then, she also welcomed her climax.

<nowiki>“♥~~~~~~~~~~~♥♥♥♥♥”</nowiki>

The two who were exchanging passionate kiss with their tongues licking each other also gulped down each other’s coquettish voice along with each other’s saliva.

And then radiant light was emitted from the body of the three.

It was different from Heart Hybrid and Climax Hybrid.

That phenomenon was obviously different from the phenomenon carried out between fellow holders of normal Cores.

The light shining in multicolor.

It filled their field of vision to the limit, brightness that felt like it would swallow even the world.

‘――How, beautiful.’

Nayuta whispered so inside her heart.

Most likely that was the first time, for her to feel that the sight reflected in her eyes was beautiful.

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>

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| Back to [[Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 8 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Masou Gakuen HxH|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 8 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 6 Chapter 1

2016-06-11T18:23:58Z

Naiwayo:

==Chapter 1 – Powerful Enemy Reunion==

===Part 1===

“Kei, could you confirm the result of Kizuna and Gertrude’s Climax Hybrid?”

Inside the Nayuta Lab’s central control room, Hida Reiri was staring at the monitor floating in the air. After the Climax Hybrid inside the fully packed train succeeded, the ability experiment of Kizuna’s Eros and Gertrude’s Sigura was carried out at Nayuta Lab’s experiment facility. Just now all the experiment list had been completed and currently that data was being analyzed.

{We obtained the result that is almost exactly as we hypothesized. The destructive power of Sigura’s particle cannon has increased by 50%. Each of Eros’s specs are also upped to be equal with Sigura. The creation of the particle cannon by Eros also succeeded. The destructive power of that creation is also equal with Sigura.}

“I see. If that’s the case we can feel relieved for now then.”

In contrast with her words, Reiri looked unsatisfied somewhere.

‘――If it’s about the Core aptitude and the compatibility with Kizuna, then this me is……!!’

{What’s wrong Reiri?}

“No……I think that compared to the Climax Hybrid with the girls of Amaterasu, there is a large gap of spec here.”

{That cannot be helped. Compared to Ros-series, the Core’s specs are different in the first place.}

“If I had the Core of Ros-series installed in me……what would happen?”

Kei made slightly shocked eyes and stared hard at Reiri.

“……It’s just a jest. Forget it.”

Reiri averted her eyes and stared at the Core storage case that looked like a safe which was left alone at the corner of the room. It was the case where Taros’s Core was once stored. Taros’s Core was installed inside Sylvia’s body and now the inside of the case was empty.

There was no more reserve Cores in Ataraxia. Their only lifeline was just Kizuna and Gertrude. Right now what they needed to do was to win with just these two Heart Hybrid Gears. They had to focus at just that. She understood that. Even so she unconsciously thought of this.

‘――Even though if we just had more Cores, I also can fight.’

At that time, the door of the central control room opened, Kizuna and Gertrude had returned from the experiment room.

“Nee-chan, Shikina-san. What is the experiment result?”

The two of them entered the room still in their pilot suits, they looked around the floating windows floating in the air looking for the one that might display their data.

Kei typed on her keyboard in order to display her text at the window they looked up at.

{We obtained the result that was roughly as we hypothesized. With this we can carry out the next operation.}

Kizuna unconsciously clenched his fist.

“I see……with this I can go there one more time!”

‘――To the AU.’

“Just wait, everyone……also, Aine.”

Gertrude looked up at Kizuna who was like that anxiously.

“But boss. No matter how you look at it, isn’t it too reckless to come to blows with them with just the two of us? No, it’s not like I got cold feet after all this though.”

“I told you not to worry. We are not going to sell a fight right to their faces. This operation is properly thought out.”

Kizuna smiled to Gertrude. When she looked at that smile, her anxiety mysteriously vanished, it made Gertrude surprised about herself who was like that.

“It seems……recently, boss has changed, haven’t you?”

“Hm? No, I don’t think that I’ve changed anywhere.”

Somehow, the atmosphere Kizuna had when she first met him was different compared to now.

After he returned from the AU, especially after going through the battle with Clayda and Elma of the Quartum, the air clad on his body was different. It felt like he was extremely reliable, or he was worth to be relied on.

There was no basis to it.

It was just, that was how it felt like. For that reason, she didn’t feel like resisting even in the Climax Hybrid. Rather, she even felt happy. Though she couldn’t say this out loud by any means.

“……Somehow, I got a little angry. Don’t get carried away okay.”

“? What’s the matter? You are odd since just now.”

“Boss is the odd one here. After this we are going to AU with the objective of recovering Masters and Amaterasu. No matter what, we won’t be able to avoid fighting.”

Faster than Kizuna could answer, Reiri interjected into the talk.

“Eventually it will become like that. But, first there is the need to know the enemy.”

Reiri brushed her hair and flicked the touch panel of the console. Thereupon, the landscape of Zeltis, the imperial capital of Vatlantis that Eros recordered automatically was projected.

“Even if we rush into the Entrance of London, we also want to grasp what happens at the other side. The information that we currently have acquired all came from the observation of Kizuna when he became a prisoner. At the very least we need to get the general map of Zeltis and the place where Amaterasu and Masters are being held. In other words the next mission is to sneak from the Entrance and scout the enemy’s capital.”

{According to Kizuna’s information, the members of Amaterasu and Masters seem to be locked in the prison of the castle. However with Kizuna’s escape, there is also the possibility that their imprisonment location was changed. Other than the deciding of that information, the route from the Entrance until the rescue location, the place where the enemy security is strict, and reversely the place where security is lax. We need to obtain the information for our infiltration path and withdrawal path.}

Kizuna didn’t have any objections about that operation. But there were still factors he was uneasy about.

“It’s fine to do scouting mission, but what should I do? There are no men in the AU. If I walk inside the city, I’ll get found out as the enemy instantly. A countermeasure regarding that is needed.”

{No problem.}

Kei’s letters were displayed in an extremely strong assertion. He got the feeling that the font size was double from the usual.

“Eh? Aah, do you have some kind of idea?”

This time it was Reiri who answered with a somewhat fidgety look.

“Yo, you can say that……regarding this matter, you don’t need to worry. Though it will take a little time.”

“What’s the matter? Is this just my feeling……you two seem to be having fun.”

“Don’t say such stupid things. There is no such thing.”

Reiri averted her face.

‘――That’s absolutely a lie.’

Reiri’s face broke into a grin and she wasn’t composed at all. Just what in the world was she scheming about……?

“Then, I have one more thing I’m uneasy about. It’s the lack of combat power. Gertrude has recovered and it’s possible to do Climax Hybrid with her, even so the level is different compared to a Ros-series. If an enemy at the level of Quartum appeared again, we might not be able to repel them like before. Besides……”

Kizuna’s look became grim.

“If Aine really becomes our enemy and appears here……in front of Zeros’s [Code Breaker], no matter how powerful a weapon is, it will be meaningless.”

“Certainly that’s true. Especially regarding Aine, currently we have no method to deal with her. The only method we can take is to avoid having direct confrontation with her as much as possible. We can do only that.”

The photo of the situation at London which was taken by unmanned drone was displayed at the monitor. There, the figures of people leading a life that was the same like before the Another Universe Conflict was projected.

{Similar with Tokyo, the whole of London is becoming a magic power plant. The only difference with Tokyo is that there is no deployment of large force like a fleet or anything here. In exchange there are a great number of magic weapons. Also a lot of the magic weapons deployed are the powerless small type magic weapons.}

“There is nothing to fear from us anymore, that’s what they are saying huh.”

Reiri murmured in annoyance.

{It’s easy to reach London. However if you go there, the magic weapons will soon notice. Thereupon their large number is troublesome. With the current Kizuna and Gertrude, the two of you will not be defeated by something like magic weapons, but it’s also difficult to scatter them in one go. And if reinforcements appear from the Entrance during that time, it will become hard to deal with them. The problem is how to send Kizuna and Gertrude to the Entrance without the enemy noticing.}

Kizuna raised his hand as if he was struck by an idea.

“There is a little something I want to consult……there is promising reinforcements for us, I’m wondering how about borrowing those guys’ strength? Though it’s necessary for the research department to make a little effort so that we can have them fight with us together.”

{Reinforcements? Who do you mean?}

“I too only got to know them just now. Right, Gertrude?”

Even though the talk was suddenly directed at her, Gertrude completely didn’t understand what Kizuna was talking about.

“Haa? ……What are you planning to do? Boss Kizuna is……”

===Part 2===

London was welcoming a gentle day of Autumn.

The people were leading their usual life. In London that was also a sight-seeing city, many tourists were visiting even today, the people visited famous places like London Tower, Buckingham Palace, and so on which were well known in the world, raising cheers with sparkling eyes. They did that today, and yesterday too, and then from now on forever.

The magic power plant constructed in London was something that reflected the experiment result in Tokyo. In Tokyo the plant made use of Yamanote line, creating a physical barrier, but here in London that was unnecessary. An unseen barrier was surrounding the whole London area, restraining the hearts of the people. They could leave if they wanted. But the people under the brainwashing had the very concept of leaving this city stolen from them.

And then magic weapons were lining around the city, obstructing infiltration to London.

The tourists visiting by chance couldn’t go home to their country for a second time, also there was no new tourists coming into this city.

But, today was different.

New visitors were trying to enter into the prison without cage.

The city outside the magic power plant was destroyed, there were only ruins continuing without end. It was a wasteland with bricks and concrete mixed with rebar that had become pieces scattered everywhere. Amidst that, magic weapons [Albatrosses] were standing. The ruins and the green hill area far ahead of it, and then the cloudy sky that continued for far away. The Albatrosses that were like gigantic statues without a single movement were directing their bayonets to the sky for a long while.

There was an object drawing a parabola from the sky beyond with tail of flame dragging behind it flying at them. It was a rocket or possibly a missile. The Albatrosses protecting the magic power plant of London from outside enemies judged like that.

They readied their bayonets and sniped at the soaring object.

Together with dazzling flashes and intense blast sounds, bullets were fired from the bayonets.

The bullets hit the flying object and caused a large explosion. Black smoke was rising and three large fragments separated, falling into London city.

――Shot down. Albatrosses who judged so overlooked the falling fragments. The capsule-shaped fragment was spewing out black smoke while passing above the Albatrosses and falling at the park in front of Buckingham Palace. But that fragment spurted out fierce flames from its four corners right before crashing.

That capsule, the middle range ballistic missile style replenishment room, the Love Room was performing posture control with its reverse thrust and landed levelly.

“Boss! We landed safely!”

“Yosh, operation start! Gertrude!”

“Roger! Now, let’s go flashily!”

The hatch of the Love Room opened, from the inside black and pink colored armor, and gun metallic and yellow armor rushed out. The two armors cut through the park with speed equal of short range sprinter and came out to a large street.

“How is it Gertrude?”

“There is no problem. It’s going well! At this rate we can go at full speed until the Entrance!”

The Entrance was at the other side of London Tower and Tower Bridge. With their current speed they could arrive in enough time.

But, the Albatrosses that noticed the abnormality were chasing from the sky. However the human sized infiltrators were running in the middle of the city. With the Albatross’s weapon, the surrounding city and the humans that were the energy source of the magic power plant would also get blown away together if they used their weapon here.

In exchange of the Albatrosses that couldn’t get the targets, the small type magic weapons [Brigands] were rushing inside the city. Their height was around two meters and among the magic weapons their combat ability was inferior, so to speak they were existences like infantry. However, for public order maintenance and combat versus humans, there was a way to use their size. In order to catch the intruders, those Brigands were running at the street where many brand shops were lining up.

“They caught up!”

“Yeah, it’s inside the range of prediction!”

The two intruders crossed an alley and came out at a main street of Trafalgar plaza. What was left to reach until Tower Bridge was mostly just to run at a straight line.

They further accelerated to raise their running pace――at that instant, suddenly a figure of a Brigand appeared from the road corner. It headed to the intruders and struck its steel arm like a counter. That stout arm directly hit the throat of the intruder, the body that was hit rotated like a circling movement. The body was thrown largely to the air and then crashed on the ground head first.

The Brigand’s attack and the falling impact tore off the head.

The head was rolling on the ground. It hit the curbstone of the street and the head stopped moving. The Brigand was slowly approaching and picked up the head.

It was not a human head.

The Brigand stared alternately at the collapsed body and the head with wonderment. Anyway they had cleaned up the intruders with this. And so they returned to their normal duties. The moment they decided so, another different intruder rushed through from beside.

The new intruder turned on the corner and this time the intruder headed to a different direction from the previous intrude, running towards the direction of the Great Britain Museum. When it tried to pursue, another different intruder arrived, this time it was running away to the direction of the Big Ben.

The Brigands inside the city began to move about in confusion. Right now inside London ten-odd intruders were rushing about everywhere.

“All of you extra dummies, go berserk! The magic weapons are also falling into chaos nicely now, boss!”

The true identity of the intruders was the experiment dummies which were used for the practical experiment of weapons in Ataraxia.

They were the extras which were used at Kizuna and Gertrude’s Climax Hybrid.

“Yosh! We too are also going!”

The water surface of Thames River suddenly swelled up, the figure of a bizarre existence that didn’t suit the flowing river of the metropolis showed its appearance. It split the river surface, and half of a ship’s long hull that had black luster was rising.

――A submarine.

The small submarine that launched from Ataraxia went upstream the river and arrived until here. The dummies were sent using Love Room was for the sake of diversion to confuse the magic weapons.

That operation succeeded, now the Entrance was already right before their eyes.

Manifested at the other side of the Tower Bridge, its length and width even reached several kilometers, it had the shape of a rectangle with dim luminescence. That was the point of contact with AU, an Entrance.

The submarine slipped through under the Tower Bridge and the hatch at its deck opened, Kizuna and Gertrude showed their appearance from inside.

“There is only a little under two hundred meter until the Entrance! Here we go, Eros!”

Kizuna who stood at the deck was wrapped in pink radiance. Light particles converged and clung on Kizuna’s body, it increased in density and crystallized into armor with black luster. The black armor with beautiful luster was circulated with pink luminescence of magic power. It was the manifestation of Kizuna’s Heart Hybrid Gear [Eros].

“Roger! Sigura!”

Gertrude also called the name of her Core and equipped the Heart Hybrid Gear [Sigura]. Headset that looked like cat ears. Gun metallic armor with yellow light streaming on it, particle cannons were dangling down at her left and right thighs. Then there was the unit at the back that was like small wings, and a generator equipped at her waist with shape like a tube that was set horizontally.

The two Heart Hybrid Gears that were standing in front of the London’s Entrance emitted light particles from their thrusters and flew up from the deck of the submarines. The two gears that had been applied with Climax Hybrid accelerated with instantaneous force that was far higher than normal and rushed into the Entrance in one go.

And then their figures vanished from earth.

{Kizuna, Gertrude, the existences of the two are terminated. It seems that they are succeeding in breaking into the Entrance.}

At the sea several kilometers distanced from London, Ataraxia gave up tracking the two.

Reading Kei’s report, Reiri crossed her arms.

“What’s left is only to wait believing in those two……”

The destination of Reiri’s gaze was the screen where the image of London’s Entrance was projected.

Kizuna and Gertrude were currently moving right inside there. Inside the Entrance was a huge tunnel. Inside the tunnel were lights in various shapes and colors coming and going. The lights seemed to be some kind of energy that was coming and going between earth and AU. Those lights rushed about inside the tunnel, sometimes they changed shape into various geometrical patterns or three dimensional objects in the middle of flight.

It was a very beautiful, unrealistic, and mysterious corridor.

Before long, a strong light from the beyond was approaching.

――The exit.

“S……so this is, the AU.”

The two who came out from the Entrance hid their bodies at a rocky cliff of a wasteland. Gertrude was looking around restlessly at the surroundings with deep interest from the shadow of the rock.

“It’s comparatively cold here……London is also in autumn, so it feels similar.”

“I guess. When I came here before too, it also felt like this. Perhaps the seasons don’t really differ.”

“Bo-, boss. What’s with that sky!?”

When he looked up, there was a crack at the slightly cloudy sky. That was a very bizarre sight. The sky was cracked, just like a crack that entered a wall. Jet black darkness peeked out from the gap of that crack.

“So this is the aforementioned cataclysm huh. There is no point worrying about that right now. Rather than that……”

Kizuna stared hard at the black castle wall ahead of the wasteland. The gigantic wall that had the height of around three hundred meters was continuing endlessly. The imperial capital Zeltis was inside that.

“I heard the story but, that’s really a big wall isn’t it……”

“Yeah, first we need to somehow get in――”

At that time, huge battleships were passing through above Kizuna and Gertrude one after another. The battleships were scrambling forward, their figures vanishing into the Entrance where the two of them just came out from.

“It seems, they heard about the commotion in London and set out, haven’t they?”

“Yeah. In exchange the defense here is getting thinner. It’s a huge success.”

Looking at Kizuna who burst out into a broad smile, Gertrude informed him with a severe expression.

“But, from now on the greatest obstacle is waiting for us ahead.”

“Yeah……seems so.”

Gertrude lowered down the backpack she shouldered and took out a tube and a bottle from inside.

“Perhaps this will leave a scar that cannot disappear from boss’s life forever.”

Gertrude faced Kizuna with a serious gaze. Those eyes gleamed glaringly.

“Have you resolved yourself, boss?”

Kizuna’s throat gulped audibly.

“……Yeah. Since this operation was decided, my resolve had been made. Give me all you’ve got!”

===Part 3===

The three layers of castle wall protecting Zeltis. The outermost wall was left open.

At that gate, a large number of people carrying large baggage were passing through.

“Refugees, advance slowly! Running or rushing is strictly prohibited! It’s safe already, so there is no need to panic!”

The guards standing at both side of the gate were raising their voices. It was unclear whether their voices were heard or not. The people with tired faces dragging their feet were processing forward through the tunnel dug in the castle wall.

A lot of baggage was piled up on luggage carrier which was pulled by people joining strength. There were people crowding together in confined carriers of a ragged vehicle. Each of their birthplaces and status were different. However what was the same was their haggard faces and dirty appearances, and then their reason that they had to abandon their home town.

The cataclysm caused by the malfunction of Genesis.

Earthquake and drought, desertification and tsunami, and so forth, various cataclysms caused these people to lose their living place and they crossed the wasteland to arrive here.

It was an emergency situation, making it impossible to check the background of every single refugee who arrived in large number. Outside the castle wall, the people who arrived looking for help were making a refugee camp, and while they waited for the deliberation whether they could enter inside or not, they followed the course where the cases of people passing their limits of exhaustion were dying keep increasing. The emperor of Vatlantis Empire, Ainess Synclavia grieved for this situation and opened the outermost third castle wall for them.

“Boss, in the end we can enter inside the castle wall easier than expected.”

Gertrude who was wearing a mantel with hood attached couldn’t be distinguished from the people of Zeltis. She lightly wore the hood, hiding her face to the degree that was not frankly suspicious. The short mantel that reached until her waist to hide her body on the other hand, the exposure rate under her face was conversely high. With a top that was like a band wrapped around her flat chest and low-rise hot pants. These clothes were created in Ataraxia before the start of the operation. This appearance would inevitably become conspicuous if they were at earth, but from the research of the image Kizuna brought home from AU about their fashion, they understood that clothing with abnormally high exposure rate was preferred here. The researcher tallied the virtually recorded clothes, selected the most innocuous design, and created the clothes for use in infiltration.

“It seems so. It’s fortunate that we can slip between the refugees……however, the world over here is also really chaotic huh……”

What Aine said, that Vatlantis was on the verge of danger, it seemed that it was true. Furthermore the situation was quiet dire.

Kizuna recalled the appearance of the people walking beside him when he passed through the castle gate. Ragged clothes with thin body from hunger and exhaustion. Amidst them there was also a girl around the age younger than an elementary school student, her hand pulled by a person that seemed to be her mother. It seemed that she had cried miserably. Traces of tears were distinctively remaining on her dirty face. But right now, even her emotion to cry had already gone, not even tears were coming out from the girl’s blank eyes.

Thanks to this chaos Kizuna and Gertrude succeeded in infiltrating the capital Zeltis. However, along with the nervousness of infiltrating, a disconsolate feeling ruled inside his heart. Although this was an enemy country, witnessing the appearances of their citizens suffering this much made him unable to feel good. The reality of AU that Aine told him made a dark shadow fall in his heart together with the feeling that it was all real.

“…….Nevertheless, this is…”

Gertrude stared fixedly at Kizuna and grinned widely.

“What’s with you, grinning like that.”

“No―, even if I say so myself but I really did a satisfying job. As I thought the raw material itself has also already been good from the beginning.”

There was nothing but females in AU. That was why, it was impossible for Kizuna to infiltrate and investigate by himself. When they considered this operation, this was the point Kizuna felt anxious about the very first.

However, until this current situation where they had slipped through the castle wall and walking inside Zeltis, there was no one that suspected Kizuna.

The reason was――,

“Reallyy~ Boss is really cute you know? That I even feel offended looking at it.”

“……Shut up. Don’t mention about this matter more than this.”

The tall beautiful woman walking beside Gertrude replied. Her long black hair and sharp look were making impressions. She was wearing a mantel in the style of the AU similar with Gertrude, although the exposure rate of her body was not high, the line of her body was firmly drawn due to the jumpsuit she wore.

“It will be bad to be suspected because we are talking carelessly.”

Beautiful pink lips. However, the voice that came out from there was Kizuna’s voice.

“Wai-, boss! This is bad!”

Gertrude took out a spray in panic from under her mantel and sprayed it at the girl’s face.

“Geho-, oi, don’t spray me so suddenly like that!”

The throat that inhaled the spray once more let out a cute girl’s voice.

“Haa……the voice is properly female now. Boss yourself, pay attention at yourself. No one will care of the conversation of someone they passed through, but that voice is bad news.”

“Ku……I got it already.”

Kizuna whose voice was changed into a different person started to walk side by side with Gertrude once more.

Thanks to Gertrude’s make-up and the body adjusting suit that Ataraxia’s research department developed, Kizuna was splendidly tailored into a female.

In a nutshell, he was cross dressing. He was a girl. No, he was a boy girl.

Kizuna sighed deeply.

“……This kind of appearance, must absolutely not get shown to the members of Amaterasu.”

Gertrude easily replied towards that troubled murmur.

“Is that so? I think they will be happy though.”

“I don’t understand that feeling. Why do you think so?”

“No, because, the commander at boss’s place, your onee-san also got delighted didn’t she?”

A deep crease formed on Kizuna’s forehead.

Before the operation started, a rehearsal was carried out at Ataraxia. At that time he put on make-up for the first time and covered his head with a long hair wig. And then the liquid for changing voice cord was sprayed in his throat and they confirmed that his voice was changed into a female. Furthermore, the disguise suit that the research department developed for spying activity was also retailored for Kizuna’s personal use. The tight places like waist were tightened, and the places where it should swell like hips and breast were filled with silicon jelly inside.

When everything was over, what was reflected inside the mirror was not himself, but a beautiful girl that anyone would accept if she was called as Reiri’s little sister.

The splendid disguise using the latest equipment made even Kizuna himself surprised.

And then it was the first time he saw his sister and Kei to be that delighted.

“Both of them even brought out cameras excitedly and held out a little photography exhibition that time. Well, even I took boss’s photos that I think I can publish a photo album with all those photos……with this I won’t get troubled with spending money for a while.”

“Wait a second. Didn’t you just say something I cannot overlook just now?”

“Really―, your face is really similar isn’t it? If boss is lined up with the commander, you two will look completely like sisters.”

“Oi.”

“Look, the commemorative photo is also like this.”

Gertrude showed a glance of her information terminal in the shape of a smartphone from the corner of her mantel. A photo with Reiri and the cross dressing Kizuna in it was fully set as the wallpaper.

“Erase it right now!”

Dodging Kizuna’s extending hand smoothly, Gertrude stored back her smartphone inside her mantel.

“Now now, let’s quickly finish our work. First is to create a map, and then we confirm the place of the target.”

Saying that, she began to walk briskly as if she was going inside a city she knew well already.

“Shit……just remember this. This guy and that guy, all of them are really”

While his clenched fist was shaking, Kizuna chased behind Gertrude.

“First we should go look at the castle.”

Kizuna looked up at the gigantic pillar and the castle that was under it. The castle was supposed to be considerably big, but the hugeness of the pillar made it look in contrast small.

Both of them were walking at the main street with the Genesis as the landmark. This was the street that Kizuna passed inside the prisoner transport when he was first taken away to the AU. Right now there was no human crowd and welcoming decorations, so he could understand well the situation of the city. Clothing shop and restaurant, general store that looked like a supermarket, greengrocer that displayed vegetables he had never seen before, fish dealer lining up fishes with strange shape, and so forth, the view of shops lining up in a row was truly magnificent. There were a lot of commodities he was not familiar with, but the atmosphere of the shopping district wasn’t that different with earth.

Of course, with how many of the things sold here were things he didn’t understand, like items that seemed to be suspicious sorcery tools, shops that sold swords and shields, all those made him feel the difference with the earth.

If there was an aspect of living here that was close to earth, there was also a part that made him feel the large difference. The same thing could be said about this very city of Zeltis itself about that.

The townscape resembled Europe, but because the whole city was created from black material, with the streets and walls streamed by colorful lights, the impression was greatly different with Europe.

“If I remember right, there should be a castle gate if we follow this path straight. And there will be the castle after we passed two gates like that.”

Kizuna recalled the path when he was taken away here.

“This kind of city will still continue ahead of here?”

“No. The nearer we get to the castle, the city will feel even more polished and luxurious. Perhaps, there is a difference in livelihood level or status here.”

After walking for a while, they came to see the second castle wall. However, that castle gate was different with the third castle gate located at the outermost, the gate was firmly closed and they couldn’t easily enter inside.

“The number of guard is……perhaps there are around a hundred from a glance.

“There are three people wearing the imperial guard uniform. Those guys should be able to equip magic armor……how troublesome.”

When they got nearer, there were magic weapons [Blue Head] and [Albatross] lining up along the castle wall, around thirty of them.

Kizuna and Gertrude observed the situation of the checking station built in front of the castle gate from a distance. The front of the castle gate was enclosed by fence and there was only one place of entry. Around that place, the guards’ eyes were sharp as if to say that they wouldn’t let a single bug get through. However, it seemed by showing something like a card to the guard someone could enter into the fence of the checking station. Since the two of them started observing, more than ten groups already entered inside the fence. And then the groups passing went until before the castle gate and were standing by there. There, several dozens of citizens, and several dozens of platform trucks for transporting luggage, and cars were lining up.

Before long the gate slowly opened. It only opened a little gap so that a vehicle could pass through, the people and vehicles standing by were entering through that gap.

“This place looks tough doesn’t it……”

“Are those vehicles transporting goods……it will be great if we could slip into it.”

Gertrude turned back at the main street of the shopping district. Several vehicles were parking in front of the stores.

“But, we don’t know which vehicle will pass through the gate.”

“Yeah, it’s impossible to quickly pass through that gate. Besides, perhaps there will be other ways to enter or other entrances. First let’s try investigating the outer city a little more.”

“Roger. So, which way are we going?”

“…….There is a place I want to go a little.”

Kizuna returned through the path they came from and turned at a large intersection. Then they went up a street that was a little steep like a hill.

“If I remember right I think it’s around here……oh, looks like I’m right.”

At both sides of the street, there were a lot of food stands where it seemed customers could eat while standing and souvenir shops.

“Just what are we looking for here boss?”

“The Colosseum.”

There was the huge Colosseum at the end of the hill. The place where Kizuna fought Gravel.

“I say, it’s quite bustling here.”

Around the Colosseum was a park which was taking considerable space, but in there people were crowding fully that there was little space left.

“Perhaps, today there is a match here. Because of that……”

‘――Don’t tell me,’

Kizuna’s heart was beating like an alarm bell. His pace naturally became faster.

Weaving through the crowd, he advanced to the entrance gate of the Colosseum.

Posters were pasted on the wall near the entrance. Using some kind of mechanism, light particles clung on the wall, moving by itself to draw the image.

‘――That’s the match card.’

His bad premonition was swelling uncontrollably. He couldn’t look straight at the poster and his gaze dropped on the ground, he kept looking down while advancing to the wall. He then lifted his head while praying.

“……Ah”

He couldn’t read the letter, but all the fighters had their photos attached in the projection. There were no faces of Amaterasu and Masters put on the poster.

“I’m glad……they were not made to fight.”

“Boss, don’t suddenly disappear on me like that! What am I going to do if I lose sight of you!”

Gertrude also finally arrived after swimming through the sea of people, she found Kizuna and then looked up at the poster herself.

“Aah……so it’s about this.”

Gertrude also guessed the reason Kizuna’s face changed.

“Well, it can be that they only don’t have matches for today though.”

‘They already fought and died, such thing…….there is no way that happened! Don’t think about stupid things!’

Shaking off his unpleasant thinking, Kizuna shook his head.

“――So, what will we do after this?”

“Let’s see……let’s progress as it is and try going to the other side of the city to observe there.”

“Roger.”

Kizuna looked up at the poster one more time. Amidst the faces projected there, there was only one face he knew about.

A beautiful girl with long blue hair. However that face had a large scar.

If he remembered correctly, that girl was one of the Quartum, the girl called Lunora. Two of the Quartum, Clayda and Elma were already defeated. Only two remained. This Lunora, and the red haired Ramza.

Clayda and Elma were strong. Most likely he also couldn’t face this girl with an ordinary method. He didn’t understand, why this girl who had a high position even in the imperial guard was making an entry in a match at the Colosseum. However, he guessed that she appeared here surely because she had considerable confidence.

“What’s the matter boss?”

“No, nothing……let’s go.”

Perhaps he would fight her too eventually. While thinking about that, Kizuna lined up with Gertrude and left behind the Colosseum.

After they descended the hill from where they came from, and went to the opposite direction, there they met a city with another different atmosphere.

“What’s, this?”

Gigantic fissure ran in the middle of the city.

“Is this a ground fissure? No matter how I look, I don’t think that it’s originally a part of here.”

‘Is this also the influence of the cataclysm occurring in Vatlantis?’

Kizuna was pondering that, but he had no way to confirm it. Looking from afar at the fissure that was surrounded by fence forbidding entry, he then headed to the direction of the business district.

Compared to the area from before, there were a lot of small shops here with complicated alleys. A nice smell was drifting from the street corner. When he looked around tempted by that smell, there was a small shop that was like a stand.

“Uwa, what is this?”

It looked like they were selling meat roasted whole and scraped off like kebab, but there were six legs at that lump of meat hung down from the ceiling by its large tail.

“It seems to be a living thing characteristic of this world. The appearance is like that but……the smell entices the appetite.”

Its surface was roasted crispy and meat juice overflowed from the inside while raising flame. It was cut already so they didn’t understand its original shape, because of that they weren’t really bothered about it. They were assaulted by the impulse to eat, but unfortunately they didn’t have anything like this world’s currency. Kizuna pressed on his noisy stomach and passed the stand.

However even ahead of that there were still many food stands continuing ahead. Next to that stand was a stand selling boiled cooking, this food was also cooked with peculiar spices, it was giving off unbearable aroma.

“This is the city of the common folk……I think.”

When he was a prisoner, he couldn’t really look around the city. That was why there were only few things he could see and hear. If the fact that there were only females here was removed, it felt like he was having a trip at a foreign country.

“Boss. For some reason there is a great crowd there see.”

At the direction Gertrude pointed was a gathering of a large number of people. It seemed to be a plaza place at the city center, but it was really packed full with people.

“Yeah……what is the commotion there?”

Their interest was tickled, but the onlookers were surrounding that place in many layers, so the two didn’t understand what was happening inside there. What they could hear was only ‘kyaa kyaa’ cheers. Before long, a loud voice that seemed to use a megaphone resounded.

“From now on the shooting of [Vatlantis city strolling] will begin―! Please stay quiet.”

The content really shaved off their nervousness.

“It seems like a recording of Vatlantis’s TV show isn’t it?”

“It’s really similar with our world like this……then those crowding people are the curious onlookers of the celebrity acting here, maybe they are even something like groupies here.”

“A star of this world is it, what kind of mug they have? Let’s take a little peek.”

Gertrude hopped around *pyon pyon* trying to sneak a look at the other side of the crowd, but it was completely pointless. What she could see were only the heads of the spectators, although she tried to peek aiming from the gap, the waving hand of the spectators obstructed her and she couldn’t see anything.

“Gertrude, let’s go soon.”

Kizuna unnaturally moved only his eyes at another direction. Gertrude peeked at that direction during a natural movement. At a spot a little distanced from the crowd, there was a knight wearing imperial guard uniform standing on top of a three storey building. Looking carefully, there were several imperial guards placed among the crowd.

“I say……there must be really important people here like this.”

“It’s futile to stay for long here. Let’s leave inconspicuously. Slip along the stream of people naturally.”

Kizuna and Gertrude pretended to enter a nearby store and then entered into an alley, they slipped into a crowd and left that place.

Right after the two left, the preparation of shooting at the plaza began. So that the camera could project the situation of the city nicely, the gathering gallery was made to move. When the crowd stepped aside, the filming location’s state became bright.

At the center were the number one idols of Vatlantis Empire, it was not an exaggeration to say that right now this idol group was the national star.

“Then, we are starting the main event! Start!”

Voices of three girls came out with matched rhythm.

“ “ “Amaterasu strolling the city of Vatlantis~!” ” ”

Amaterasu who was in the height of popularity was playing the role of presenter in an information variety show.

Himekawa, Yurishia, and Sylvia matched their voices to call the show title. The spectators who heard the voices of the three in live raised their cheers in great delight and roared applause that split the air. Every time, they visited the cities of Vatlantis and the surrounding countries and introduced the locality while delivering various information about Vatlantis and Lemuria to the viewer, this was a popular show.

Himekawa who stood at the center of the three began to talk with the signal of the director.

“Previously we were delivering from the country of snow and ice Baldein but……”

“It was really cold there desuu~”

Perhaps the sensation of the cold was revived in her, Sylvia hugged her body while trembling.

“This time it feels like we have returned to our home ground after a long time aren’t we? Yes, today we are delivering this show from here, the imperial capital Zeltis as you see★”

Yurishia faced the camera and winked one of her eyes.

“Where are we going today desu?”

Himekawa faced the direction of the camera and answered with a firm tone.

“First is from Tisura Market in front of us right now. This market has ancient and honorable origin since the long past, there are a lot of delicious things here.”

“Recently you see, many natural disasters due to Genesis made this place receive damage, however this place is still going strong! Even the shops that sunk from the fissure are doing business energetically with their temporary stores. In any case, if you viewers think that ‘that shop is gone already eh~’, then you are greatly mistakennn”

Himekawa smiled at Yurishia who was full of playfulness.

“Besides, there are many cases of the people who recently came to Zeltis from outside opening their shops, so you can also eat a lot of food that is overflowing with the sensation of foreign country here.”

“Even outside Zeltis there are a lot of desertification and ground crumbling, so there are also a lot of people evacuating. The shops that those people opened, as expected it must have authentic taste. Just walking around this market while eating will make you feel a little like in a travel. Well, as for us right now we are exactly in the middle of a trip in an alternate world though aren’t we?”

The gallery surrounding them gave off laughing voices.

Sylvia took a step forward and raised her hand while facing the camera.

“For the sake of supporting those people too, I want you honorable viewers to also show up here by any means desu.”

Himekawa looked around the surrounding with a twirl.

“Well then, fist which shop should we start going to?”

“I guess, it’s a little hard to choose but……ah! How about that one I wonder?”

Yurishia pointed at a lump of meat that was like a lizard with six feet hung by its large tail from the ceiling. It was roasted whole and scraped off by sword to eat, a hearty cooking.

“Uwaa~ it has nice smell desu!”

“Then, should we go?”

And then the camera circled to chase the three heading at the store. The director staring at that situation from a slightly distanced location narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. And then she began to talk to the female that seemed like a carrier woman standing beside her, the producer in charge of Amaterasu, Marisu.

“Geez― really nice aren’t they, Amaterasu. Recently it feels like they are increasingly getting in the mood see―”

Marisu also grinned cheerfully from those words.

“Thank you very much. The three of them are getting in the mood after all―”

“Who can imagine that idols who came from Lemuria will become this famous. Well, the way of living of those girls are also dramatic. When looking at those girls, it makes even me want to go to Lemuria. That magic power plant is fine, but I wonder if they will hasten the colonial policy there soon enough.”

“It really is as you say.”

After that the shooting was progressing without problem and it was over three hours later. There were the tidying up of the equipment and various kind of work for the staff, but Amaterasu and Marisu had to immediately move to the next scene without delay.

The limousine that was exclusive for Amaterasu’s use was specially made and prepared by the publicity department of Vatlantis Empire. The shape of its front half imitated dragon head and upper body while the rear half was for the passenger room. The car frame that was created in magic weapon quality was sturdy and could protect the passenger even in the small chance they were attacked by terrorists.

“Haa― I’m tireddd~ uuuuu”

Lying down on the fluffy seat, Yurishia raised a groaning voice as if spewing out her stress.

The seat were placed U-shaped and Yurishia was lying down at the farthest behind seat. At her left side was Himekawa sitting at the seat installed at the side of the car. She drank a glass of water with a single gulp and sighed in relief.

“For some reason, especially recently the work feels like it increased though……”

“Unyuu……Sylvia ate too much, and feels really sleepy desu.”

At the opposite side of Himekawa was Sylvia who was sitting looking like she was really sleepy, her body was beginning to stagger left and right like a pendulum.

On the other hand, Marisu was full of vigor. When she came around to the back seat from the assistant driver seat, she sat next to Sylvia.

“It’s fine to sleep you know―. I’ll wake you up when we arrived!”

“Sorry, desu……desu”

Marisu pulled Sylvia’s body to herself. Sylvia’s body collapsed feebly following the pull and she began to breath like a sleeper on Marisu’s lap.

“So……where to next I wonderr?”

Yurishia who kept lying down let out a fed up voice.

“Err― let’s see, next is Holzon Hospital at Zeltis’s outskirt. It’s a visit to the hospital specialized for military personnel.”

Yurishia’s complexion changed.

“That’s……isn’t that quite strange? Because, they are the opponents we fought right?”

Hearing those words, Himekawa also knitted her eyebrows from the realization.

“Certainly……people resenting us…….”

Marisu waved her hand with a smile.

“No no, of course we will avoid the patients that participated in the battle against Lemuria. It will mainly be the patients that came from the civil war and war with the surrounding countries……the injured soldiers from the war with Izgard and Baldein.”

The car finally came out the street and traversed the wasteland. Himekawa and Yurishia were shocked that inside the castle wall there were areas other than the city. According to Marisu’s story, it seemed that previously this area was a ranch area and grasslands.

Before long they came to see Holzon Hospital from afar. Similar with Zeltis, it was a black splendorous building. The hospital’s size was near the scale of a university hospital on earth, but above all the fact that the hospital was colored black made Yurishia and Himekawa feel discomfort.

The sleeping Sylvia woke up and the three got down the car while still harboring anxiety. Marisu said that just now, but as expected wouldn’t there be many people that held antipathy to them. They were anxious about that matter.

But, the hospital staff that welcomed them, and then the patients welcoming attitude quickly blew away that anxiety. The instant they entered the hospital lobby, shockingly there was welcoming paper crackers raining down at them. It was not really paper but light fragments made from magic power, the fragments sparkled and melted when touching the body before vanishing.

What surprised them next were the welcoming words pasted on the wall. Those words were also written by sorcery, but what made them surprised was that they were written in Japanese and English.

“How is it? The patients were the ones preparing those words handmade you know?”

A nurse asked with a cheerful voice.

Yurishia shrugged her shoulders and murmured awkwardly.

“I say…….I’m beaten. I give up already.”

They quickly mingled with the patients, greeting them at the lobby and after that, for the sake of the patients that couldn’t wake up from the bed they made a round at each hospital ward.

Even the injured people lying down on the bed had their eyes sparkling when they saw the figures of the three.

“Even now I cannot believe that the three of you really came visiting here. It’s like a dream……excuse me, can I ask you for an autograph……”

A patient with both legs injured lying down on the bed timidly presented a transparent board from under the blanket. It was like the square cardboard for autographs on earth.

Himekawa answered with a smile.

“Yes, that’s fine. For whom I’m signing this? Or else do you want the other two signing this too?”

“I, I’m the fan of Hayuru-chan! Please Hayuru-chan sign it!”

“Eh? M, me?”

Himekawa got slightly flustered, but she still signed the board wholeheartedly.

At that time, there was a little commotion from the corridor. The nurse guiding them around made a dubious look and stared at the direction of the door.

“I’ll go look for a little.”

The nurse left from that place and opened the door to peek at the situation outside. At that moment, a small shadow slipped under the flank of the nurse and rushed into the room.

“Ah! Hey, wait!”

Shaking off the restrain of the nurse, the one who finally came before the Amaterasu was a petite girl. Her height was around the same like Sylvia. Looking from the patient gown she was wearing, she seemed to be a hospitalized patient. Her forehead was sweating, perhaps from running or arguing with the nurse outside, her breath was also ragged.

The nurse trying to pin her down from behind was stopped by the raised hand of Yurishia. Yurishia smiled at the sudden intruder.

“Do you have any business with us?”

The girl didn’t answer Yurishia’s question. In exchange, she faced Sylvia with tormented eyes.

――Sylvia opened her eyes wide at that girl’s appearance.

“Yo……you are……”

The girl opened her mouth resolutely.

“Sa, say-, you are Sylvia-san of Amaterasu……aren’t you?”

“……-!”

Sylvia’s lips trembled. However, no word came out from that little mouth. Her purple eyes shook from surprise.

She had seen the girl who came before her eyes before.

Petite body. Rolled twintails. Large eyes and cute face.

However, why was she here she wondered.

Noticing how odd Sylvia’s state was, Yurishia called to her worriedly.

“What’s the matter Sylvia?”

Himekawa also tilted her head.

“This child, I feel like I have seen her somewhere……by any chance, is she Sylvia-chan’s acquaintance?”

――Acquaintance.

Could that way of saying it be used?

Even though once they had the relationship of scrambling for each other’s life.

The girl’s name was Ragrus.

At the occasion of the Tokyo recapture operation, she was the opponent she acted a mortal combat with.

Ragrus controlled a gigantic magic armor Demon, she was a member of the imperial guard. In a fight where life was staked with Sylvia’s Taros, Ragrus wrung out all her magic power and released her trump card [Inferno]. And then, Sylvia had thought that Ragrus might have lost her life due to that.

Right after that, Sylvia and the others became prisoners and were taken into this Vatlantis, so she didn’t know of what happened with Tokyo since then. Naturally, she also had no way to know about the life and death of Ragrus.

But the one in front of her eyes was undoubtedly Ragrus of that time. And then she was sending Sylvia a heated gaze. That gaze fastened the beat of Sylvia’s heart and then made her heart beat fiercely. It felt like even now her heart was going to leap out.

Ragrus squeezed out a trembling voice.

“E, err, I, no, no matter what, wanted to……meet you.”

“-……!!”

Fear was born inside Sylvia’s heart. The inside of her chest was cold like a refrigerator, and cold sweat flowed on her back.

What would she do to her Sylvia wondered. Did she want revenge, to kill her? Had what she did to the opponent in front of her was really that much she wondered.

Tears blurred Ragrus’s eyes and she announced with a loud voice where she seemed to muster her courage.

“I’m-, a big fan of Sylvia!”

For an instant, the inside of Sylvia’s head was pure white.

“……Eh?”

Ragrus looked down with a bright red face. And then while the fingers of both her hands fumbled at each other, she began to talk with a small voice.

“That, it seems that I was discovered at Lemuria but……I don’t remember anything. I don’t understand anything at all about before I came to this hospital.”

Sylvia gulped.

‘――That’s, because of Sylvia’s fault…….’

“The captain of the imperial guard visited and said that I was a member of the imperial guard, that really made me surprised. But, I don’t understand……what should I do from now on……my, magic power is gone, and I cannot do anything……”

The last part was said with voice that seemed to vanish into thin air. And then she stayed quiet for a while without saying anything.

Sylvia didn’t understand, what kind of reply that she should say to her.

An apology? Maybe sympathy? Or else explanation?

Looking at the figure of the first enemy she encountered and defeated, Sylvia felt like she was bound hand and foot and became unable to move.

Ragrus glanced up with a sad face and stared at Sylvia. Thereupon, her gaze was rapidly changing into an entranced gaze.

“Bu……but, at that kind of time……I saw Amaterasu on TV.”

Ragrus put together the fingers of both her hand and slowly closed her eyes.

“The debut live, it was really amazing……it looked like the world of dreams. Sylvia-chan looked like an angel, it was like the self that I lost in Lemuria, was discovered back by Sylvia-chan……I know that there is no such thing but, that’s how I felt. I felt really inspired then.”

Ragrus spoke dreamily. It was as if the memory was vividly scorched into her mind, where she replayed it inside her head many times over. At that time Ragrus’s expression looked really happy.

“That’s why, when I heard that Sylvia-chan is coming to this hospital, it felt like my heart was going to stop.”

Ragrus opened her eyes while letting out a giggle.

Those pure eyes constricted Sylvia’s heart. The pain that squeezed the inside of her chest caused an indescribable emotion to trickle down.

“I was told that I cannot meet you, but I want to convey my feeling no matter what……because I was saved by Sylvia-chan. That’s why――”

At that time, tears spilled out from Sylvia’s eyes.

“E……eh!? E, err, Sylvia-chan?”

“I’m sorry……desu.”

Large beads of tear were overflowing one after another without stopping. Sylvia looked down while covering her face with both her hands. From her lips that was trying to endure, a sobbing leaked out. Himekawa rushed to her in panic and embraced Sylvia’s shoulders.

“Wa, wait Sylvia-chan!? What’s the matter?”

However the one who panicked the most was Ragrus. She was restlessly looking around with a bright red face.

[[Image:Masou Gakuen HxH V06 BW 03.jpg|thumb]]

“That, I, something……th, that, what to do……I’m sorry! I did something, to Sylvia-chan……aa, really I’m……sorry! Anyway I’m sorry-”

Sylvia shook her head towards Ragrus who was flustered a lot and apologized earnestly.

“That’s not it desu. You didn’t do anything bad desu. I’m sorry…….desu.”

Marisu quickly cut in front of Sylvia.

“I’m sorry. Err, Ragrus-chan right? It looks like Sylvia-chan is not feeling too well. We are happy that you went through trouble to come greeting Sylvia-chan but, today seems like……see?”

“Bu, but……I, being hated by Sylvia-chan is……I don’t understand, what is this about……I, what should I……”

Ragrus was in a really panicked state.

Yurishia immediately embraced Ragrus’s trembling body.

“It’s okay. You are not actually hated or anything by Sylvia-chan. I guarantee that! Rather Sylvia is really happy right now. She is deeply moved by you.”

“Bu, but……”

Caressing the head of Ragrus who seemed to be still anxious, Himekawa also cheered her up.

“It’s true. This me too guarantees it. That’s why, can you please forgive Sylvia for today?”

“That’s! Obviously. No, this is not about forgiving or not forgiving!”

“Is that so, thank you.”

Smiling at Ragrus who replied firmly, Himekawa and Yurishia separated their bodies. After promising that they would come again, the two of them embraced Sylvia from both sides and exited the hospital room.

After Marisu informed the director about the photo session suspension and the cut of the event, she led Amaterasu and exited the hospital. And then after they got in the car parking at the front gate, they left behind Holzon hospital. The car was running on the street of the wasteland heading towards the center of Zeltis.

In the middle of the way, they were able to hear the particulars of the story from Sylvia who had recovered her calm.

Yurishia crossed her arms and nodded largely.

“――I see now. So she is the pilot of that large magic armor at that time of Tokyo recapture operation. I had never met her face to face, so I didn’t notice.”

Himekawa too was in a state that couldn’t hide her surprise.

“I had a chance to come in contact with her for just a little at Okinawa but……she is really like a different person now, that I couldn’t immediately recognize her. Sylvia-chan, are you okay?”

“I’m fine desu. I’m sorry to make all of you worried desu.”

Sylvia smiled powerlessly.

“……But, all this time until now, Sylvia and the others always thought that we are the victims desu.”

Sylvia stared at the hospital that was getting distant from the rear window.

“But, that’s wrong desu. Sylvia is also a perpetrator desu. Surely Sylvia…….made Ragrus-san’s life into a wreck desu.”

Yurishia and also Himekawa couldn’t reply to those words. The heavy air inside the car, felt like it wouldn’t allow anyone saying any careless words.

“But, the one who can decide that is not Sylvia-chan.”

At first, they didn’t understand whose voice it was. Sylvia looked for the owner of the voice and her gaze reflexively roamed around.

“Marisu……san?”

She talked not with her usual light tone. It was sharp and serious words. And then her expression also didn’t have any trace of joking around. It was a serious and firm expression that made people feel her unshakeable thought. It was like something constructed from many experiences coated in layers.

Sylvia, Yurishia, and Himekawa were taken aback by the state of Marisu that they had never seen until now. Yurishia barely managed to ask with a stiff smile.

“Err……you are Marisu, right? What’s wrong, so suddenly. Geez, did you eat something wrong?”

“Yurishia, right now we are having a serious talk.”

Yurishia shrank down like a puppy that was scolded from the severe gaze.

“……Sorry.”

Marisu once again stared straight at Sylvia.

“Are you listening? Sylvia-chan. That is a part of war, unrelated to personal good and evil or grudge……it’s only natural that it cannot be so easily distinguished like that. I think it cannot be helped that you hold guilt. But, if someone sees you crying from sadness and regret like that, have you wondered how Ragrus that you met just now will think?”

“That’s……”

“Surely Ragrus will feel sad. After all that child received encouragement from the smiling face that you displayed on the stage.”

“……”

“What you currently can do is not to apologize at that girl’s past, but to work hard for the sake of the smiling face of the current her, isn’t that right?”

Perhaps that was only an idealist talk.

But, she couldn’t deny such thing.

After all idealist talk, was a beautiful and magnificent thing.

She honestly thought so.

Marisu’s words easily slipped into the heart of the three.

“Hm? ……”

Himekawa’s eyebrows knitted tightly.

“Marisu-san. You mean to say, that we need to work even more?”

“……”

“……”

The three gathered dubious stares at Marisu. Marisu whistled unnaturally and averted her gaze.

“My― did you interpret what I was saying like that? Stop that, that’s just your persecution complex―.”

Yurishia couldn’t hold it and burst out into laughter.

“Aahh―, geez! I’m already honestly in admiration here! Give me back my admiration-!”

Himekawa also burst into laughter following Yurishia.

“Really, Marisu-san really has no oversight.”

Sylvia also wiped her tears while raising laughter.

“Really true desu.”

Sylvia looked back at the hospital one more time. The building of the hospital already disappeared behind the hill and she couldn’t see it anymore.

“But, the thing that Marisu-san said……I also think that it’s true desu……Sylvia, wants to make everyone smile desu…….both Lemuria and also Vatlantis.”

===Part 4===

The night at Zeltis was fantastical. The black townscape looked like night since the afternoon, but when it actually became night, it brought about one more change in the atmosphere.

The city that melted into the darkness of night was lighted up by the light of magic power that was streaming into the city itself. The magic power streaming throughout the city changed the streets and buildings into artworks of light. Rather than calling it light of neon, it gave off the atmosphere like a modern art.

The magic power flowing like water when seen at night became a level more beautiful in its clarity. The flow of magic power delicately changed its path, its thickness, it was like a living thing that elegantly twisted its body. Marvel and vitality could be felt from the thing the flow of beautiful light passed through. It even felt like this world was a single living thing with the tide of magic power as the blood circulating inside its body. That radiance wouldn’t make one tired of it no matter how long one looked at it.

“Boss, this soup is delicious you know?”

Kizuna who was charmed by the beauty of the city was suddenly pulled back into reality.

What Gertrude was eating was a soup that looked like pot-au-feu in a glance. Vegetables he didn’t really know and meat of something he didn’t understand were put a lot into it as ingredients. She scooped the unknown meat with her spoon and brought it into her mouth without hesitation.

“Nn― it’s delicious like beef. The taste of the soup is also permeating into it, and when bitten the meat juice spreading together with the soup inside the mouth feels really good.”

Kizuna also took the bowl made from something like plastic material put in front of him. A lot of meat and vegetables were put in it, certainly it looked very nutritious. He brought into his mouth the leaf that looked like cabbage or lettuce in a glance.

The taste was like carrot.

“…….I don’t want to admit it but, it’s delicious.”

“A large tent was put up at a plaza. It was a long rectangle shape with the frontage of twenty meters and depth that was nearly a hundred meters, it was more like a temporary warehouse rather than a tent. Under that tent there were simple tables and chairs lined up, opening a simple dining hall. In general there were around two or three hundred people here. Slipping into the hustle and bustle, Kizuna and Gertrude were having a meal. Around them was noisy so he thought there would be no problem, but so that their talk wouldn’t be heard by other visitors, he picked an empty spot and sat there.

They had continuously walked around investigating the city of Zeltis, but after walking for the whole day, as expected they were getting tired. Besides, the surroundings were also rapidly getting dark. The sky was cracked, but even so when time passed the sun would set into the shadow of the city. The weather had been cold since the afternoon, but when it became night the air got even colder. Furthermore their stomachs were getting hungry. However they didn’t have any currency of Vatlantis. For the time being they had emergency rations, even though it was few in number, but they wanted to save them for the time of an emergency.

After thinking what they should do, they heard about the emergency food distribution for free. It seemed that this was a measure for the sake of the people who lost their homes and evacuated due to the disasters that happened because of the cataclysm.

“Unexpectedly their social welfare is carried out properly.”

“Isn’t that right? Though I got the image that these people were more bloodthirsty and would say, ‘people that cannot eat just die’, like that.”

Inside the tent was a large number of people eating soup and something that seemed to be bread. There was a large screen around 100 inches inside the tent, everyone was eating while watching that screen and chatting lightly with each other. What was broadcasted seemed to be a Vatlantis telecast.

For Kizuna and Gertrude, they curiously watched the news program of the AU.

“It’s the same with the free food, but I’m also thankful about the television. We can get the information about the world here huh. What kind of livelihood the citizens of AU lead, what is their way of thinking, we can understand those well with this.”

“Boss……that girl, isn’t that the girl whose photo came out at the Colosseum?”

Gertrude looked at Kizuna’s direction while pointing her soup at another direction. Just when Kizuna looked at that direction without moving his face, a group of imperial guard entered into the tent.

And then among them, there was an existence that was conspicuously attracting attention.

Long blue hair and white skin. Her attire that was only putting on the imperial guard uniform like a coat on top of her underwear figure made him doubt if she was actually just getting outside in the middle of changing clothes. However the said person looked like she was not concerned at all with her appearance, she was glaring at the inside of the tent with a cold expression like a doll.

A beautiful face that looked artificial. The deep scar carved on that face was painful to look at no matter how many times he saw it.

The girl was one of the Quartum, Lunora. A swordsman that was called as the god of death of the Colosseum.

“What we saw at the Colosseum before was her competition card right? Didn’t she have a match there?”

“Besides, that girl is supposed to have quite a high position even in the imperial guard. Why is she in a place like this refugee camp……”

The people inside the tent were also beginning to notice the imperial guard Lunora. The bustling and joyful air was suddenly changing into bewilderment and stir.

“Oi, isn’t that Lunora-sama?” “Re, really, that’s Lunora-sama!” “Why is she in this kind of place?” “But, she is the real thing no matter how you look at it.” “Why is the god of death of the Colosseum……”

The girl called as the god of death who looked beautiful even with her scar opened her mouth.

“Ladies.”

All of a sudden the surrounding became deathly silent. The gazes and interests of the people who happened to be present inside the tent were gathered at Lunora.

“Eh……e, err……you ladies……that……”

Lunora shrank her shoulders and her gaze dropped to the floor. In her incoherent state, no one understood what she wanted to talk about. She was completely like a child that got stage fright from being suddenly pulled out in front of a large crowd.

‘――What? The aura of her appearance is really different with her image that is titled as the god of death.’

Lunora’s face also became red, she seemed to be frantically troubled of something. The people were patiently waiting for her word. As expected, when tears were starting to appear in Lunora’s eyes, even Kizuna became wanting to cheer her to do her best.

At that time, a red haired girl approached quietly from the side and embraced Lunora’s shoulder.

“Aah― okay, okay, really, this is because our god of death is a very shy person after all.”

“Ra, Ramza……”

Lunora’s face became bright in a flash. However, she soon pouted her mouth in displeasure.

“Wha-, su, such thing is not true at all. E, even I――”

Not minding such Lunora, Ramza clapped her hands and pulled the attention of the people.

“Okay, o―kay, then, this unworthy Ramza will speak as the proxy of this god of death Lunora about what she wants to say, so everyone listen well okay―. The people here were all chased out from the places where you used to live in and came here to rely on the benevolence of the emperor of our Vatlantis Empire, isn’t that true?”

The people inside the tent were staring fixedly at Ramza with anticipating faces that were a mix of anxiety and expectation about what would happen from now on.

“By the way, today Ramza was doing matches at the Colosseum, I wonder if everyone knows?”

Ramza took a pose of putting her hand at her ear as if she was really waiting for a reply, the people faced such Ramza and timidly raised their voices.

[[Image:Masou Gakuen HxH V06 BW 04.jpg|thumb]]

“Ye, yes we know.” “I went there to watch the match.” “Err……me too.” Before long the voices overlapped in succession and the place became noisy.

Ramza nodded in satisfaction and showed a smile that was like the sun.

“Yep yep. The matches of Lunora this day were against a ferocious beast captured at Izgard, the newest model of magic weapon, and then the hero of Baldein, Alexis, a three series of battles! And then―, the result of the match was―”

Ramza thrust both her fists up.

“Complete victory!”

The people in the tent also thrust up their hands and raised cheers.

“The goods and monetary awards that Lunora obtained from today’s victory, she wishes to share those to all of you who are not blessed, that was what she suggested! For such a kind god of death, everyone, applause―”

A grand applause surged out.

With that voice as the signal, alcohol casks and plates filled with foods were brought in from outside the tent one after another. Happy voices ‘ooo-‘ from the people present could be heard.

“Thank you very much! Lunora-sama” “Our gratitude! Lunora-sama!” Words of thanks were poured at the Lunora who was hanging her head down with a bright red face.

Inside the tent, cheers were erupting. Fists were raised and all present called Lunora’s name.

Kizuna and Gertrude were also swallowed inside that wild enthusiasm whether they wanted it or not. Pretending to be excited, they also clenched their fists and waved them around.

“She is really popular.”

“Yes, she is like a popular sport star when all’s said and done.”

Lunora who finally raised her face was slightly bursting in a smile.

“Everyone……thank you.”

Ramza waved around her arm and raised a loud voice.

“Now― for tonight, drink, eat, sing, have fun all you want―!”

Inside the tent was overflowing with cheerful liveliness. The people rushed to the food and alcohol and expressed words of gratitude to Lunora unanimously.

“Let’s slip in this commotion and withdraw.”

Kizuna whispered and Gertrude also nodded.

“Right. It’s futile to stay for longer than this.”

Kizuna and Gertrude quietly stood up from their seats and headed to the exit.

At that time, a loud cheer was raised inside the tent. Lured by that voice, Kizuna calmly turned around. The people were all staring at the screen while raising cheers. Kizuna too sent his gaze to that screen.

“Wha-!?”

He stopped still, unable to move.

Kizuna whose expression froze and kept standing still made the people around him staring with dubious look.

Gertrude pulled the sleeve of the pale faced Kizuna and whispered with small voice at his ear.

“Wai-! Boss, what are you doing standing out like that-! Just what is――”

While pulling Kizuna who stood upright, Gertrude also sent her gaze to what Kizuna was staring at.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!?”

A scream burst out from Gertrude’s mouth.

It was reasonable.

At that screen, something that was beyond these two’s imagination was projected.

{Everyone―! Good evening― Amaterasu de――su-!}

Himekawa, Yurishia, and Sylvia wearing showy and flashy clothes were waving their hands with smiling faces. And then, the five person group standing beside them also let out their voices in unison.

{Good evening―! This is Masters!}

Scarlet, Sharon, Clementine, Henrietta, and Leila were likewise wearing sparkling clothes on their bodies while taking a pose with smiling faces.

It was completely like the live broadcast of idols. No, this was nothing else but an idol’s live concert.

“Thi, this is……”

‘――Just, what in the world?’

The brain of the two became panicked.

They couldn’t understand at all just what was going on.

“What’s the matter, you two?”

When they returned to their senses because someone talked to them, there was a girl with bright red hair standing right nearby them.

‘――Ramza!?’

Kizuna was sweating coldly for an instant.

“Ah, no. Nothing――”

Hearing his own voice, Kizuna shut his mouth in panic.

‘――My voice is going back to normal!?

Shit-! What bad timing this is.’

Kizuna clicked his tongue inside his mind.

Gertrude who was still bewildered from shock tried to answer somehow in Kizuna’s place.

“E, eer, this is. She is just feeling a little unwell see, so she was going to breath a little of the outside air for now you know.”

“Hm―m, that’s how it is. But rather than getting out, it feels more like she is getting dumbfounded there though?”

“Eh!? A, about that seee……no, she was looking at something unfamiliar and got taken aback……”

Gertrude was sweating buckets while answering incoherently.

“Hm? You don’t know about Amaterasu and Masters? Just which countryside were you coming from?”

“Ye, yes……ahaha, that’s how it is. It’s really far out in the sticks……the, these people, are they really that famous?”

“Yeah of course……wait really, just where did you come from?”

“Tha……that is, it’s embarrassing to say it, see.”

Ramza’s look became grim.

“O, oi. What’s the matter?”

Lunora came along and called with a worried face. Ramza’s face softened and she turned back,

“Eh? Nope, there is a little――”

It was dangerous to get involved more than this. Kizuna who thought that exchanged looks with Gertrude.

“――Er, the, then, please excuse us.”

After Gertrude declared that in fluster, she turned her back on the spot. Kizuna also followed behind her and he slowly walked towards the exit.

He felt a gaze on his back.

Most likely he was suspected. But it was no good to run. He pretended to be a normal AU person who was nervous because he was just coming from the countryside.

He was too nervous that he even forgot how to walk that his movement completely became awkward. If, he was suddenly assaulted, at that time there was no other choice than to fight back. With his nerve stretched tight, he walked while being cautious of the presence behind. He could hear familiar voices from the screen behind. This voice was Himekawa.

{Right now, this world is being exposed against a great danger. And that is also the same with Lemuria.}

Next was Yurishia’s voice.

{We have to overcome this danger with everyone.}

And then Sylvia’s cute voice.

{The thing needed in order to do that, that is the people’s――}

And then the voices of the three were in unison.

{{{furigana|Bond|Kizuna}}.}<ref>Bond, in Japan is read as ‘kizuna’. Though Kizuna’s own name actually doesn’t mean bond. Kizuna’s name is written with kanji of kizu(wound) and na(none)</ref>

At that time,

At that word,

Kizuna couldn’t stop himself from turning back reflexively.

At the large screen largely projected, were the figures of his missed comrades.

And then, there was a figure standing in front of them.

The eyes of the girl with flaming red hair were shining glaringly.

“Is that so……you are, Kizuna……Hida Kizuna aren’t you?”

Lunora also put herself on guard and extended her hands at the two swords hanging on her waist. Her mouth was pursed tightly and her eyes were also half-closed sharply. Her embarrassed state from just now was completely gone.

The imperial guards accompanying the two of them also had their countenance changed all at once.

“Lemuria’s demon king!?” “That’s impossible! Why is he in this kind of place-!?”

Fear was spreading among the citizens hearing their voices in the blink of an eye. Inside the tent became noisy, the people escaping while raising fearful screaming, and the imperial guards trying to capture Kizuna, between the two sides, the situation became a pandemonium inside.

“We are retreating! Gertrude!”

“Agreed!”

Both of them jumped over a table and got outside with a roll. Keeping their momentum they rushed through the street and sprinted inside the city. When they looked back, they could see the figures of the imperial guard in pursuit while raising loud voices.

“Like this, the infiltration and investigation are impossible already!”

“Yes! Now that it has come to this, let’s go flashily boss!”

Kizuna grinned broadly.

“Yeah, here we go-, Eros!!”

And then Gertrude also responded with a bold smile.

“Sigura!”

The bodies of the two instantly equipped their Heart Hybrid Gears. A giant body descended down on their path just a little after that. It was a knight with grown wings, an [Albatross].

“An Albatross!”

“Just leave it to me!”

Gertrude drew out her pistols from the holsters on her thighs and pulled the triggers at the same time. It was Gertrude’s quick draw. There was no way it wouldn’t hit the gigantic frame of the magic weapon.

The bullets fired from Gertrude’s particle cannon really easily pierced the armor of the magic weapon, opening wind holes at its torso and head.

The giant body that collapsed violently exploded before it could crush the building of the city, its figure changed into beads of light and vanished. From the other side of the street corner, this time a human sized magic weapon [Brigand] was running here. Several dozen appeared from all over the alley and attacked aiming at Kizuna and Gertrude.

“Boss, it’s a group this time!”

Kizuna opened his arms and particles of light gathered responding to his will. When the radiance burst open, guns were manifested inside his hands. Similar with what Gertrude was using, they were particle cannons.

“Take care of half!”

He aimed at the rushing Brigands and pulled the triggers. The bullet of light flying from the gun nuzzle opened a large hole at a Brigand’s chest and blew away the body that was nearly two meters high. The body rotated in the air and crashed on a wall, then it crumbled down as it was on the ground before disintegrating into fragments of light.

Kizuna and Gertrude were shooting through the crowding enemies one after another with the two pistols at both their hands.

The Brigands came charging as if crawling on the ground, many jumped down from atop a building, there were those that were running to attack from the front. The two intercepted the Brigands, the nozzles of the guns at both their hands were shining incessantly.

In a little under fifteen seconds, 180 shots of bullets were fired from the guns of the two and the same number of Brigands became fragments of light and scattered to the wind.

“Newcomers! Ger-san!”

“Don’t call me Ger-san, I told you that already-!”

Imperial guards wearing magic armor were coming in pursuit. Most likely they were different in strength than the magic weapons. Gertrude faced the imperial guards and rapidly fired her guns.

“GUAA!”

An imperial guard member received a bullet on her chest and collapsed after her armor broke apart.

“It works!?”

Gertrude’s gun didn’t work at Clayda in the previous battle. But, this time it worked. There was the factor that Clayda’s magic armor was specially powerful, but above all the Climax Hybrid that they had done had done wonders. Gertrude’s gun itself was obviously powered up.

“Boss, this thing can do it!”

Shooting down the approaching imperial guards one after another, they were unable to even approach Kizuna and were crushed. The imperial guards with a gun as their weapon came out to the front and it became a gunfight, but the Life Saver of Eros was solid, the attacks didn’t reach Kizuna and Gertrude. Conversely the bullets of Kizuna and Gertrude destroyed the Life Savers of the imperial guards like a joke and inflicted damage on the magic armors.

“Yosh-, at this rate we will suppress the enemies and get over the wa――”

The line of the imperial guards parted and a figure rushed forward.

‘――Lunora!?’

Lunora whose blue hair fluttered with magic armor put on her body was running like an arrow. That magic armor seemed to be created matching Lunora’s body line, a thin armor. With white and black coloring, its design gave the impression like a uniform of a school somewhere. And then it looked like there were folded wings on her back, a large unit in the shape of / \. There were several spare swords stored there, where the tips of the swords were peeking out. It even looked like wings with feathers of swords.

“Kuh!”

Kizuna aimed at that figure and rapidly fired the guns at both his hands. Lunora’s both hands were holding swords and came straight at them without dodging. They were short swords around 50 centimeters long. Those swords were swung with a speed that the eye couldn’t follow. A total of six bullets were fired from the two guns in one second, but all of them were cut down.

It was the same thing that Clayda did. Furthermore, different than Clayda’s Selene, Lunora was a two sword style user. She looked like she could defend with even more leeway for her safety.

The distance was closed in the blink of an eye.

“Chi-!”

Kizuna lowered his guns and ignited his thrusters seemingly to draw back.

Lunora moved both her hands to her back and accelerated.

However Kizuna was not moving behind, he went forward all of a sudden.

“!?”

He stabbed at the opening of the instant she thought he was running, Kizuna charged forward as if to make his counter.

The more the distance closed would just make it harder for a sword to strike. Kizuna shifted his direction a little from Lunora’s route and plunged forward.

He pulled his triggers at the distance where Lunora’s swords were at the distance that barely couldn’t reach him.

The flying out particle bullets were cut apart by Lunora without any change of expression. However behind Kizuna, Gertrude was performing covering fire. Gertrude’s bullets grazed Lunora’s blue hair.

“――”

Lunora fully opened her thrusters, she changed direction as if she bumped into an unseen wall and bounced back. She pursued after Kizuna with her back still turned.

“What-!?”

Lunora rotated her body in the air and slashed at Kizuna. Gertrude’s support fire was still firing even during that time. However she received the bullets skillfully with her sword while slashing at Kizuna.

“Chih!”

Kizuna blocked the sword with the gun in his hand. Thereupon without the slightest resistance, the gun barrel was bisected like paper. And then the impact of the slash attacked Kizuna’s body.

“GUAAAA-!”

The sensation felt like a shockwave that passed through the Heart Hybrid Gear and directly cut at his body. He somehow stopped his consciousness from leaving him. Unable to maintain his posture, he fell down and rolled on the stone paving street. He tried to support his body with his arm but just like that he crashed into a stand that sold vegetables.

“Iyahhou! I’ll give the finishing blow―!”

A red haired girl descended down from the sky.

‘――Ramza!’

A bikini armor. It was patterned like flame with a unit of small wings growing on her back. And then what her both hands were swinging was a huge tomahawk.

That tomahawk was wrapped in flame. With bizarre vividness, it emitted ominous radiance. The instant he saw that light, Kizuna’s instinct informed him of danger. A tremble drove through his back.

“I don’t know what’s that, but that looks dangerous-!”

He couldn’t dodge if he stood up. He kept lying down while opening fully his thrusters. The Heart Hybrid Gear scarped the stone paving while scattering sparks. He slid like that and got away.

Within a hairbreadth, Ramza’s Tomahawk struck the ground.

Fierce light and heat scorched the surrounding. With Ramza as the center, flame was whirling and melted away the stone paving.

“Aa―, you aren’t allowed to evade there!”

Flame was produced from the surrounding of the standing up Ramza and spilled over. The flame was moving around like a living thing and twisted like a long slender body of a dragon, coiling around Ramza.

Ramza turned the stall into dust with the flames she created, the flame was spreading from neighbor to neighbor. Even the stores that faced the street caught fire from the excessive heat and went up in flames one after another.

Kizuna jumped to his feet and took distance. Right at that time, Gertrude slipped into his side.

“Boss, are you okay!?”

“Yeah. As expected these guys are formidable…….can we get away?”

The flame coiling around Ramza was increasing even more in power.

“Now, here I go! Lemuria’s Demon King!”

There Lunora was running at him with nimble movement. However Lunora didn’t pay attention to Kizuna and Gertrude and stabbed her sword at Ramza’s throat.

“The one who is no good is you! Are you planning to burn Zeltis to the ground!!”

The sharp blade clung right on Ramza’s soft skin. If it was moved for one more millimeter, blood would spurt out, it was a serious threat.

“I, it’s o―kay I told you. Even I, can properly……”

However Lunora glared at her with a sharp gaze. Even now her arm looked like it would be swung anytime to scratch Ramza’s throat.

“Got it, I got it already. Really you……isn’t that really cruel to stick a sword at your friend’s throat?”

“Who are you calling a friend.”

Averting her gaze from the sulking Ramza, Lunora directed her sword at Kizuna.

“Unable to stop someone who is going to massacre a large number of people, just how can one call herself as a frie――”

After saying until that far, her face went red and she closed her mouth.

Ramza floated a really wide smile of satisfaction and crossed her arms.

“Fufu~n♪ Then, I’ll leave it to you. Oh friend Luno―ra-chan.”

[[Image:Masou Gakuen HxH V06 BW 05.jpg|thumb]]

“That’s why, who is……ah?”

Lunora looked up at the sky and opened her eyes wide.

A blimp showed its appearance from the shadow of a building. Its shape was like a blimp with wings growing, a vehicle that was moving using magic machine. It floated above the building barely in low altitude, it felt like it was glaring this way.

“Boss……looks like there’s still a newcomer coming.”

That blimp was decorated luxuriously with golden and silver ornament, looking like something that was ridden by a really important person.

The hatch at its side opened and the figure of a person appeared from inside.

At that instant, Kizuna’s heart felt like it would stop.

“Aine……”

Without any doubt, it was the face of Chidorigafuchi Aine. But, her appearance had completely changed into that of the emperor of AU. Her naked flesh was adorned with silver and gold ornaments in order to emphasize the beauty of Aine’s body to the maximum.

Without getting shy of her appearance, she was glaring at Kizuna and Gertrude with majestic attitude.

“Just what in the world this commotion is?”

With Lunora as the first, the members of the imperial guard got shocked by the sudden entrance of Vatlantis’s emperor.

“A, Ainess-sama! Why is your highness, in this kind of place……”

Aine jumped down from the blimp and landed on the ground softly. And then she glared at the imperial guard threateningly.

“Rather than that, answer my question.”

The backs of the imperial guards straightened and cold sweat traced their cheeks. Ramza acted as their proxy and answered the question.

“Yes, we were in pursuit of the intruder from Lemuria.”

Lunora glanced at Kizuna.

“The intruder is the demon king of Lemuria……Hida Kizuna.”

Aine slowly turned towards Kizuna.

“Kizuna……”

The red eyes staring at Kizuna looked as if they were filled with yearning, happiness, and possibly sadness, various thoughts were whirling inside.

“……Aine.”

Even with her outfit changed, Aine’s appearance didn’t change. Same like before, she looked beautiful and lovely. If he had to say what had changed, the tips of her silver hair were changing color to pink, forming a gradation of color at her hair.

There was Aine in a distance where he could embrace her if he rushed to her.

Even though he had wanted to meet her all this time, his voice didn’t come out.

‘――Just what should I convey to Aine?

Should I apologize to Aine for rejecting her before this, should I resent her for imprisoning and then throwing me to a death match, or should I blame her for taking prisoner our comrades?’

Even though he was teeming with emotions and thoughts, he couldn’t form them into words well.

And then, they were at a distance that their hands could reach if they reached out, but it felt really far away.

Lunora once again readied her sword.

“Ainess-sama, while I think this will dirty your highness’s eyes, but I will cut down this intruder right now. Can I beg you to please wait for a while?”

The other imperial guards also drew out their swords and surrounded Kizuna. The ring was gradually getting smaller and Lunora who stood in front of him advanced to the inside of the circle.

“Wait!”

Aine’s sharp yell resounded. As if they were frozen, the imperial guard members stopped their movement.

“Lemuria’s demon king, Kizuna, will be defeated by this me……Ainess Synclavia.”

When Aine faced Kizuna and moved forward, the imperial guards broke the encirclement and quickly emptied a path.

“Zeros!”

Aine’s body equipped Zeros.

Was the emperor herself really going to fight here? Such question was asked by the imperial guards in half-doubt, half-convinced. They couldn’t go against the emperor. However, if in the worst chance that something happened to Ainess-sama’s body――if they easily let the emperor get hurt while they were nearby, just how great a sin that was……when they imagined the death penalty that would be waiting for them if that happened, they felt their hair stand on ends.

The members of the imperial guard strengthened their cautiousness to Kizuna even more than when they were the ones actually fighting in a certain meaning.

‘――Even if this is the order from Ainess-sama……to let Ainess-sama fight herself is…….’

Just when Lunora was going to grasp her swords again, the hilt of the sword vanished from her hand.

“E……-!?”

Lunora didn’t understand what happened. In order to confirm that there was nothing inside her hand, she closed and opened her hand several times.

‘――This is……Code Breaker!?’

At Aine’s back, a ring created from Zeros’s parts was built. The light produced from it drew a pattern and a magic circle floated up.

At the next moment, Lunora’s magic armor was disintegrated into letters and formulas of light, vanishing as if it was melting into thin air. It was not just Lunora. With Aine as the center, the magic armors of the imperial guards were vanishing in succession.

“Kizuna……I won’t let anyone else, no matter who, interfere.”

Happiness spread on Kizuna’s face, as if a light was lit up.

“Aine! I too――”

“You……will be dealt with by this me, that has been decided.”

“-……!?”

He received a shock as if his head was suddenly struck.

‘――Dealt, with? She means, killing, me……is that what she said?’

Kizuna closed his jaw and clenched his fist tightly.

Aine with a magic circle at her back was directing at him sorrowful eyes fixedly.

‘――Is that, how it is?’

“Aine!! Are you serious!?”

Particle guns were manifested once again at Kizuna’s opened hands.

“It’s pointless how many weapons you create. After all, everything will be erased by me.”

Aine’s magic circle became a step larger. It raised a low sound and slowly rotated. At the same time with that, the same magic circle was spreading from under Aine’s feet. The circle rapidly increased in diameter and the magic armors of the imperial guard members standing on top of that were deconstructed.

“What are we going to do boss! If that thing got us, even our Heart Hybrid Gears will vanish-!”

“Kizuna……just be obedient.”

The influence radius of Zeros’s Code Breaker was magnifying.

“Do you really have to do this, Aine!”

Kizuna pointed his gun muzzle at Aine.

“Kizuna-!”

Aine kicked the ground.

The next instant, Kizuna’s field of vision became pure white.

‘――What!?’

Between Kizuna and Aine, an intense light burst out.

At the next moment, a shockwave blew away the bodies of the two, blast smoke and flames spouted out. A pillar of light flying from the sky pierced the ground, fierce explosions were occurring in succession.

The blown away Kizuna crashed onto a wall. Gertrude who was standing right beside him was also similarly blown away.

“Bo, boss, just what is going on here……”

Gertrude groaned with painful voice. Kizuna also endured his pain and propped his hand on the wall to stand up.

“I don’t know……shit-, what’s that just now!?”

The one who didn’t understand what was going on also included Aine. Her body that floated in the air landed with a superb posture control. And then she looked up at the sky in order to confirm the enemy who bombarded them.

“Just, who is……?”

There was a silhouette at the direction where the light came from. That person was holding a huge gunsword in her hand.

Looking at that figure, the imperial guards also raised their nervous voices.

“Tha, that’s!?” “Impossible! Why, is she in this kind of place!”

Kizuna was also familiar with that figure. It was an opponent that once acted a mortal combat with Kizuna for the second time.

That was the hero of the frontier. She flew the banner of revolution against the Vatlantis Empire, the general of Izgard.

“Gravel!”

Kizuna called her name with an excited voice.

Gravel smiled broadly and directed the Corruption Armament [Sword Gatling] in her hand at the imperial guards.

“Gravel of Izgard, is giving her assistance due to righteousness!”

The Sword Gatling spouted fire. The large caliber particle cannon that possessed severe destructive power even in one shot was attacking the imperial guard in rapid-fire. Huge fire pillars were raised one after another, the ground where the imperial guards were standing was also dug up. Just a single Corruption Armament made Zeltis fall into a pandemonium.

Gravel dived down using that chance and landed nearby Kizuna.

“So you are still alive, Kizuna.”

Her speech was blunt, but her tone seemed happy somehow.

“Gravel, why are you……”

“What a fine thing to say asking me why. I have come rushing to this kind of predicament with great pain you know.”

“Wait, both of you. Save the talk for later. It will be troublesome if we get caught by the Code Breaker.”

Cutting off the conversation of the two was a beauty with pretty green hair descending down.

“Aldea!”

“A fast ship is waiting in the sky right now. It can easily shake off the likes of the empire’s battleship, so let’s quickly escape.”

At the same time when Aldea was finished talking, a gale blew off. A wind was whirling and blew away the blast smoke.

At the other side of the cleared smoke was the figure of Aine with her fist thrust forward.

“Kizuna-!”

Aine kicked on the ground. In exchange of the collapse of the stone paving, Aine’s body shot out towards Kizuna.

Aldea immediately cut apart the ground under her feet with the spear in her hand. At that moment a remarkable distance was opened between them and Aine.

“This is!”

Aine opened her eyes wide towards the irrational phenomenon.

Even though she was supposedly approaching them, their figures got distanced far away instantly.

Aine’s brain revived her memory when she fought Aldea at Guam. Aldea’s magic armor [Zeel] possessed six shields, each shield had the ability to distort the space. The spear Aldea held was a shield that had its shape changed. By warping the space between Aine and Kizuna just now, their physical distance was widened further.

“――Kuh, this kind of thing. With Code Breaker!”

Zeros’s magic circle emitted strong light.

“Right now! Fly, Kizuna!”

Obeying Gravel’s voice, all four of them fully opened their thrusters. Gravel, Aldea, Gertrude, and then Kizuna soared to the sky. Under their feet, the magic circle of Zeros was rapidly expanding its diameter. Looking at that, Kizuna urged all of them to be careful.

“If we get swallowed by that, that’s the end for us!”

However Gravel didn’t show any panic.

“Don’t worry. Rather than that, pay attention to the front! Don’t get late to get on board!”

“What? What are you talk――”

The cloud above the sky parted and a slender high speed ship appeared.

It was as if it had waited for the timing when they flew, it headed straight towards Kizuna and the others.

“UWAAAA! WE ARE GOING TO CRASHHHHH-!”

Exactly as Gertrude’s screamed, that high speed ship was aiming at Kizuna and group without hesitation in a collision route. The four of them endured the impact of the collision and somehow clung at the deck.

“Yosh! Fly-. If we get caught by that magic circle, that’s going to be the end of our road! Fly until your magic engine burned off!”

It seemed that the high speed ship had already entered a retreating readiness and was in the middle of rapid acceleration. It passed through the castle wall and in the blink of an eye put a distance from the city of Zeltis.

“You really saved us there, Gravel! Nevertheless, what a rough welcome!”

“Hmph, if you got any complaints then I’ll leave you here! We too were coming here to Zeltis for recognizance. But thanks to the commotion you guys raised it all came to nothing.”

“So that’s how it is……sorry.”

“N, no, it’s not so big you’ve to apologize. There were circumstances, and abandoning you will just make my sleep uncomfortable after all. That, it’s not like we don’t know each other.”

“What are you saying, geez. After all you just rushed out the moment you knew that Kizuna was here.”

“Wha……Aldea!”

“Hmph.”

Aldea made a huffy face and yelled with a clear transparent voice.

“Accelerate even more! Please fly until the magic engine raises sound!!”

Reacting to Aldea’s voice, the high speed ship whipped its large engine that didn’t match its size. Large amount of magic power particles and propulsive force were surging out while it was flying to the other side of the horizon in the blink of an eye.

While at Zeltis, the magic circle of Code Breaker that lost its target was rotating around Aine’s body. And then Aine was looking up fixedly, at the sky where Kizuna had disappeared.

“Kizuna……”

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>

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|-
| Back to [[Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 6 Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Masou Gakuen HxH|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 6 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 5 Chapter 2

2016-06-06T16:16:16Z

Naiwayo:

==Chapter 2 – {{furigana|Colosseum|Circular Arena}} Duel==

===Part 1===

The citizens of Zeltis were walking on the street with smiling faces that were overflowing with expectation.

It was the city of the common citizens which was surrounded by the most outside castle wall. At the sides of the street, stores aimed at that procession were lining up. Not to mention beverages and snacks, there were also various things like opera glass and souvenirs sold. That sight was exactly the same like the shopping district that was adjacent with tourist attractions or sport facilities on earth.

The people were talking with enjoyment, they ran their thoughts of the fun things that would happen after this and made their heart swell with anticipation. And then, ahead of that procession, the facility that was their destination was displaying its dignity proudly.

It was something that was completely like the Colosseum of the ancient Roman Empire.

On its outer wall that was created by the same black stone, several reliefs of angels fighting were carved. Slashing with sword, stabbing with spear, grappling with bare hands. Their figures were completely unlike angels. As if to color those reliefs, light of magic power was flowing on the wall. How the colorful radiances were flowing even looked similar to the flow of electricity that ran inside integrated circuits.

As if being invited by those angels and magic power lights, the people were being absorbed one after another into the entrance of the Colosseum. When they came out of the passage, there a huge battle field was spreading with diameter that surpassed five hundred meters. And then surrounding it were audience seats where a hundred-odd thousand people could watch the battle at the same time.

The extent of this Colosseum was for the sake of the battle between magic weapons, and even possibly between people wearing magic armor.

Similar to the ancient Roman Empire, Vatlantis made criminals and prisoners fight, which was exhibited as a spectacle event.

The most popular was the competition between fellow humans wearing magic armor. The appearance of magic armor was nice, each one was rich with personality, with various weapons making the people watching entertained. Besides being granted magic armor was also the proof that the person’s ability was recognized as suitable. There was a showy impressiveness in a battle between fellow strong warriors, it was only natural that the audience would be excited.

However, if they fought using that kind of weapon, the audience too wouldn’t end up safe. There, this whole Colosseum was constructed by means of sorcery mechanisms. The battle field was wrapped by many layers of Life Saver, creating a solid wall that was invisible to the audience’s eye. Thanks to that, there was not a single worry that stray bullets or blown away magic armor would plunge between the audience seats. At the same time, it also served as the cage so that the prisoners fighting in this place couldn’t escape.

Several huge floating windows were opened above the battle field and the audience seats. And then phrases to promote today’s show were streamed, heating up the audience’s excitement in one go.

The gathered hundred-odd thousand people understood. That the match today would be a special competition card which they had never seen until now. And then, that this match was also attended by the emperor who returned after ten years and the second princess.

It was the beginning of a festival without doubt.

Aine who was sitting on the throne which was prepared for the sake of royalty was overpowered by the Colosseum which she witnessed for the first time and the excitement that ruled the place.

“This is……what’s this commotion?”

“Yes. This is one of the events to celebrate Ainess-sama’s return. Magic knights with pride in their strength will devote all their strength and skill as attraction. Especially since there is Ainess-sama and Grace-sama in attendance this time to watch, so I had prepared a treasured card.”

Aine made a frown and looked over the audience seats and the battle field.

“Making people fight as an attraction like this……it’s not a good hobby.”

“However Nee-sama, didn’t you say that in Lemuria there is also a similar attraction like this that made people fight each other. Something like……boxing or pro-wrestling?”

Sitting on the two lined up thrones, at the right side was Aine and at the left side was Grace. In contrast with Aine, Grace was waiting for the start of the match in a cheery mood.

“Those are just sports, it’s not killing each other like this.”

Aine answered without looking at Grace. It even felt like there was a tear growing in her voice.

Zelsione who was standing by beside the two took a step forward and lowered her head reverently.

“Ainess-sama. The objective of this match is not for killing each other. Until the end it has the objective of pitting each others’ skill, it doesn’t mean that one side will die for sure. Besides, the people fighting here are not just enemies or prisoners. For example there are Clayda and Lunora there who are members of the Quartum, they originated from this Colosseum.”

Zelsione pointed at a blonde eye-patched girl and a blue haired beautiful woman among the four Quartum standing still behind her.

Clayda was the girl who led away Kizuna from the cell in the battleship into the prisoner transport. Right now she was not in her imperial guard uniform, but she was wearing a battle outfit that clung tightly to her body. She wore a no sleeve short vest with vertical line in it. Together with that was a hot pants with size that was abnormally little. And then on her back she was armed with a thin sharp sword that looked like a crescent moon.

The other one, Lunora, was a female with elegance and beauty like a daughter from a good family rather than a swordswoman. However, the atmosphere her body was clad in seemed bizarre somehow. She put on the white shirt of imperial guard and a see-through camisole under it. At her lower body there were only panty that was tied with strings at the left and right sides and tights until above her knee, her appearance looked like she was coming outside in the middle of changing her clothes. Her look was really inflammatory, but she wasn’t merely sexy but also caused a bizarre pressure towards those watching her.

The cause for that were the large gashes carved on her beautiful face and body.

There was a diagonal painful-looking scar from her forehead until her cheek that seemed to be coming from a sword cut. The wounds were not only on her face. There was a large scar along the valley of her breast that was like a vertical stitch. Similar scars were also carved on her neck and abdomen, and her legs and arms. It made one wonder just how many life and death battles she had acted in this Colosseum. Aine felt a shudder in her back just from imagining it.

“I grew to desire them no matter what while watching the fight of these two many times. They were scouted by this Zelsione truly.”

Grace was staring at the proud Zelsione with astonished eyes.

“What scouting. Isn’t that just your quick hand, or your bad habit of philandering huh?”

Behind Zelsione were the Quartum and then also Aldea who recently was added as a close-aide standing in a slightly distanced spot.

“I feel obliged by the praise your highness bestowed me.”

Zelsione made a theatrical bow. Aine spontaneously leaked out a smile looking at them. She then asked Zelsione while once again staring at the faces of the four Quartum.

“Other than Clayda and Lunora……the other two didn’t originate from the Colosseum?”

“Yes. Elma is a native-born of the imperial guard.”

Elma was a beautiful girl with an atmosphere like a caged lady. She had cute charm points with her long gently wavy white hair as her characteristic, and her ears which were a little like beast ears with how it pranced up.

The combat uniform she was wearing was also like a feminine dress, there were frills arranged on it making it seem like young lady, her skin was exposed in places like the valley of her breasts or her stomach, its exposure rate was high. Besides a large slit was inserted right in the middle of her skirt, her thighs and panty were in plain sight, the essential places weren’t hidden. The modesty of lady was combined with obscenity in that figure, creating a dangerous feeling of immorality.

She pinched her skirt and bowed elegantly.

“Ainess-sama, it’s lovely to be in your presence. This is truly a great honor to serve as your highness’s guard in this occasion.”

“Yes. Take care of me, Elma. And the remaining one is……”

A girl with flaming red hair.

“She is called Ramza. There is a little special circumstance――”

At that time, a powerful music began to flow in the Colosseum.

“Oo, it will begin soon Nee-sama.”

Grace raised her voice happily.

At the same time with the opening of the battle field’s gate, white smoke blew out. Inside it a figure with light brown skin was walking. A splendidly tight body with the muscularity. Her short cut blonde hair and the white costume that hid the body unsatisfactorily suited the light brown skin.

Aine had seen that figure before. Rather, it was someone she couldn’t possibly forget even if she tried.

“That’s Gravel!? ……Why is she?”

She was a soldier of Vatlantis who assaulted Ataraxia and struck Aine with her gunsword. The opponent who acted a mortal combat with Kizuna at Okinawa.

“Ainess-sama, Gravel is under the suspicion of the crime of treason. Right now she is being entrusted to me and is under investigation.”

“Treason……?”

Just what in the world happened? Aine stared fixedly at the back figure of Gravel who was slowly walking to the middle of the battle field. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but it looked like there was tiredness seeping on her back.

If she remembered right Aldea should be her comrade…….

Aine who thought that took a glance at Aldea who was behind Zelsione. However Aldea was expressionless, it seemed there was no particularly strong emotion welling up in her even after looking at Gravel’s figure.

The music suddenly stopped and a different tune began to flow.

And the wall at the opposite side of Gravel opened and similar white smoke like before was blown out. Cheers thundered in the Colosseum. From inside the misty smoke which was like mist, the figure of the opponent appeared.

The instant she saw that silhouette, Aine gulped.

She wouldn’t mistake that person even just from his figure. Aine’s heart was ringing like an alarm bell.

“Ki……Ki, zuna?”

With his whole body swaying the white smoke coiling around, Kizuna’s figure appeared. In place of his pilot suit, Kizuna was wearing top and bottom which was prepared by the promoter for him, he was walking while looking straight ahead. His clothes had similar design with Vatlantis’s military uniform, giving a masculine style to Kizuna. The fighting warriors wouldn’t liven up the place if they had shabby appearances, so Kizuna was made to wear that for the production.

Aine’s clenched hand was trembling hard.

“What is……the meaning of this?”

Zelsione tilted her head as if she didn’t understand the meaning of Aine’s words.

“The meaning?”

“Why is Kizuna over there!? Don’t tell me that you plan to make Kizuna fight――”

“Of course. There is no other meaning than that for someone to stand in the battle field.”

Aine’s astonished expression hardened.

“Is something the matter?”

After returning to her senses with a ‘hah’, Aine lifted her eyes.

“Stop this match right now! Zel-! I should have told you already to treat everyone courteously! Yet……what’s, with this-!”

Zelsione kept back Aine with a wheedling voice to calm her down from her agitation.

“Please rest assured Ainess-sama. This is just an entertainment you know, entertainment.”

“Entertainment……you say?”

“Yes. This is the unveiling of the black magic armor……Kizuna. This is to let the people of Vatlantis to know, and recognize of Ainess-sama’s friend. Ainess-sama also wished for them to live as a member of Vatlantis correct?”

“Tha, that’s……if that’s the case, that’s certainly fine, but this is too rushed or……no! If they die before that then it will all come to nothing.”

“Kizuna is a really strong magic knight. I think he doesn’t compare unfavorably with Gravel. Rather, Kizuna has defeated Gravel once hasn’t he? Then there is nothing to fear. Besides, this Zelsione who has actually fought him gives his strength my stamp of approval.”

Grace too had her eyes shining from deep interest, she chuckled ‘fufu’ after hearing that.

“Hohou, I’ll look forward to this then. Moreover the opponent is that beast with tanned skin.”

Zelsione nodded as if to say ‘that’s exactly what I think too’.

“Yes. Furthermore combined with the fact that he is a rare species of male, there is no doubt that he will become the star player of this Colosseum.”

Unable to endure, Aine yelled with a loud voice.

“You’re wrong. At his current state, Kizuna’s strength is the same like being nonexistent! He is going to get killed by Gravel!”

Grace and Zelsione reflexively looked at each other. For the two of them who didn’t know about Heart Hybrid and Climax Hybrid, they couldn’t comprehend at all just what Aine was talking about. However, they at least understood that Aine was worrying about Kizuna’s safety.

For just an instant, cold light flashed in Zelsione’s eyes. That light wasn’t noticed by anyone before her expression changed into a troubled one. Zelsione then whispered into Aine’s ear as if she was reluctantly exposing a secret.

“Of course, there is also the case where the fighters bet their lives. However, just as I told your highness before, this is an entertainment. This is not a battle where they are taking each others’ life, but it’s nothing more than two fighters displaying their respective strength. They are not really fighting for real.”

“Eh……”

‘――That means, this is a fixed game?’

Aine’s expression softened a little.

“Ainess-sama, if Kizuna can suddenly become famous here, surely he will be able to regard Vatlantis as his second home and live a happy life here.”

“……!?”

With a violent shake, Aine’s heart was greatly wavered.

‘――Living together with Kizuna in Vatlantis. A happy life……’

Aine stared at the center of the battle field with trembling eyes. Surrounded by cheers that shook the Colosseum, Kizuna and Gravel confronted each other with glaring eyes.

Kizuna was staring hard at Gravel that he even forgot to blink.

Previously she was an opponent with whom he acted a battle that was on the verge of life and death, but mysteriously he didn’t have any ill feelings or hatred towards her.

“Gravel……it’s strange to say long time no see, but why are you in this kind of place?”

On the other hand Gravel’s eyes felt down, her face looked a little lacking in vitality. Her glossy tan skin also seemed to be somehow dull.

“Kizuna……that’s your name right? I am already not the me of before. Right now I’m merely a captive……I’m in the same position as you. No, now that I have received utter humiliation, perhaps I’m even lower than you.”

Kizuna felt a shock that even resembled an impact from the murmur coming out of that dark expression.

She was completely like a different person than the Gravel he once crossed swords with. The killing intent, ambition, the power of soul that he felt amidst the defense and offense in paper thin difference, he couldn’t feel at all of all those things from that time.

“What’s wrong? You are really down.”

Reacting to Kizuna’s voice, Gravel lifted her gaze with upturned eyes.

“You are concerned about the opponent you will kill each other with after this?”

Kizuna knitted his eyebrows. He recalled the thing Zelsione announced to him in the cell.

{I’ll grant you the chance to be liberated. Tomorrow, if you can triumph in the duel that will be carried out in the Colosseum, you will be free. But, if you lose――}

“Killing each other……huh. So this is an attraction where people watch the prisoners kill each other.”

“That’s right. I never thought that I will be able to see you again in this kind of place and shape.”

Gravel’s mouth was slightly smiling. However that was a self-deprecating smile, that sneered at herself.

“So it’s true that the one who loses in this match will die?”

“That’s right.”

“But, I also heard that if you win you can be free.”

Gravel snorted.

“I was also told that. But don’t believe those guys’ words. Even if you win you will only be put in the next fight anyway. And then, you will continue to kill your opponent to win and advance to the next round, and die when you lose.”

“Something like that……I want to refrain from that huh.”

“This body is smeared with humiliation. I don’t feel precious of something like my life at this late hour……but if there is still a sliver of hope……if my life can still become useful, then there is still something that I have to do!”

After letting out a deep breath, Gravel yelled with a tensed voice.

“Zoros!”

Together with that voice, orange light enveloped Gravel’s body. That radiance was compressed and crystallized, creating a magic armor.

“Eros!”

Kizuna too immediately called his own Heart Hybrid Gear. In response to that voice, pink particles equipped Kizuna’s body with armor possessing black luster.

As if already estimating the timing, fireworks were launched all at once around the Colosseum. Fierce explosive sounds thundered, beads of light fell from the sky, amidst all that, cheers that resembled screaming welled up from the audience who reached the peaked of their excitement.

The gong of the battle rang.

Three line particle cannons were floating behind Zoros in wing shape. Twelve cannon muzzles in total from the four wings were directed at Kizuna. While they were just the common equipment, but it was Zoros’s main equipment that possessed powerful destructive power. The street of office buildings of Ataraxia was cruelly returned to ashes after receiving the volley from them. Gertrude of Masters had her Heart Hybrid Gear destroyed after receiving bombardment from close range. And then she became heavily wounded to the degree that all the bones in her body broke and she wandered between the boundary of life and death.

“Here I go Kizuna!”

Kizuna too deployed several layers of Life Saver.

“Yeah, I too cannot die in this kind of place!”

Zoros ignited its particle cannons. Flame explosion rose up at the spot where Kizuna was standing, Kizuna’s figure was hidden by the flame. Surprised and disappointed voices leaked out from the audiences who thought that he was instantly killed. However, Kizuna’s figure who flew out from inside the explosion like gliding made cheers to be raised once more.

“Shit! That’s too severe for a preliminary attack!”

His Life Saver quickly reached the limit with the attack just now. In his condition without Climax Hybrid, Kizuna didn’t have any method of fighting. What he could do was just continuing to lay out Life Saver and blocked the attack. Cold sweat flowed down Kizuna’s cheek.

“Damn it! I’ve got to quickly think of a way to defeat Gravel!”

Gravel ignited her thruster and chased after Kizuna. However she was putting a fixed distance between them from what might be a precaution.

“What’s wrong Kizuna. Escaping forever like this is not like you.”

“Ku……-”

He didn’t have any way to pick a fight even if he wanted it!

He wanted to speak back like that, but he endured with an effort. He raised the output of his thruster and could only run away. But, Gravel was gradually closing in on Kizuna. Although it was a spacious battle field, Kizuna was soon cornered to the wall.

Gravel reached out her hand to the gunsword on her back.

On the large caliber particle cannon that was like a bazooka, there was a huge and wide single-edged sword buried into it. The sword part elongated even more ahead from the gun muzzle and its length was even taller than Gravel’s height. There was a trigger in the hilt and an ammo cylinder at the gun barrel. By changing the bullet that was inserted into the cylinder, it could be added with a special attack.

Putting aside the Corruption Armament, it was Zoros’s strongest weapon.

However, Gravel was also hesitating whether to draw out the gunsword or not.

‘――Why doesn’t Kizuna come to attack?

His movements are also slow, there is no speed for him to escape.

Is he inviting an attack from me?

What is he aiming at?

No, there will be no end to it if I’m hesitating!’

Gravel’s fingers grasped the hilt of her gunsword. She accelerated at the same time and closed the distance in one breath.

Kizuna sensitively sensed her presence.

‘Here she comes!’

He made a spin-turn near the wall and faced Gravel.

“HAAAAAAAAA-!”

Gravel’s gunsword was swung down at Kizuna.

‘――Now!’

Kizuna’s leg kicked on the ground.

He leaped aside with the maximum instantaneous force the current Eros could use. The gunsword that cut empty air slashed the wall and fierce sparks scattered.

That wall was the entrance from where Kizuna arrived to this battle field. It was the door he entered from.

“Yosh-! Did that do it!?”

For Kizuna who didn’t have a weapon, he made use of Gravel’s strength and tried to destroy the Life Saver that was enveloping the battle field. If it was the gunsword that destroyed even Kizuna’s Life Saver, then perhaps it could destroy this wall.

Kizuna was staring fixedly at the dazzling light and sparks that the conflict between the gunsword and the Life Saver emitted while holding his breath.

‘――Just now was a speed that Eros can only barely create. A movement that I can only do after training for a while in the prison. If I’m still the same until now, perhaps I’ll get killed by that attack.’

The sparks the gunsword caused stopped and Gravel raised her sword. She swung around the gunsword lightly and then pointed its tip at Kizuna.

“You won’t be able to get out from this Colosseum using this kind of petty trick.”

“What-!?”

The door of the entrance was completely unharmed.

“The Life Saver enveloping this battle field is firm. Your Life Saver is also hard, but the one here is even harder than that. If it’s possible to break through with the gunsword, then I’ll have done that a long time ago.”

Kizuna groaned with a face as if he was chewing a bitter bug.

“Shit-, so your gunsword is also no good……even though it destroyed my Life Saver in Okinawa like a joke.”

“Certainly if it is my Corruption Armament [Sword Gatling] then……if I use that then even the Life Saver of this battle field can be destroyed. However, it’s impossible right now.”

“Why!? If there is your Corruption Armament, then we can escape from here without killing each other!”

In contrast with the frustrated Kizuna, Gravel answered disinterestedly with an expression as if she had given up.

“In order to draw out Sword Gatling, a large amount of magic power is necessary. My magic power is insufficient. Before this, I was confined in a special prison. That prison has the function to absorb magic power, I cannot store a magic power above a certain amount.”

Kizuna recalled of the prison where he was locked at.

“Is that the prison that looked like ice?”

“I see……so you too were in the same prison. If so I can understand of the half-hearted way you fight. It looks like your magic power was absorbed even more than me.”

“……uh huh.”

Gravel comprehended it as she pleased, but that actually wasn’t it.

‘Even if I have magic power……Hybrid Count enough, I still don’t have the power to fight.

When I haven’t done Climax Hybrid with someone, my combat power is equal to zero. Shit-, if I just had the chance to be together with Himekawa or the others……’

“It seems that the power you showed at Okinawa……the power to create an inexhaustible supply of weapons is unusable huh.”

Gravel stared hard at Kizuna as if she was trying to see through the inside of Kizuna’s heart.

“Most likely that miraculous power was accomplished by consuming a vast amount of magic power right? The secret of your strength is due to the absurd storage amount of magic power that surpassed our common sense. But, the current you is nothing more than a huge tank filled with only a few drops of water……am I wrong?”

“……Something like that.”

He whispered his true thoughts inside his heart while replying ambiguously.

‘――That’s totally not it!

Rather than something like that, there is something I’ve got to think about.

What do I do to defeat Gravel?

What should I do so I can escape from here?

Honestly speaking, there is no plan I can take. I’m walking blind here.’

Gravel directed her gunsword at Kizuna and fixed her stance.

“Kizuna. Even if you don’t have any way to fight right now, I am not allowed to sheath back my sword in this situation. Also I’ll, live……I have something that I have to accomplish at all cost. That’s why, no matter how low I have to live in disgrace……I cannot die here no matter what!”

In the face of Gravel who wrung out a painful voice, there was not a single speck of happiness from being convinced of her victory. What was there were only dark shadows and tragic determination.

“Gravel……what in the world are you fighting for? I understand that it’s not only because you value your life. For what, for whose sake that makes you try to survive here?”

Gravel glared at Kizuna with a bitter expression as if her wound was widened. After glaring at him for a while, she suddenly sighed and lowered her gunsword. Her gaze also fell to match that movement. There was nothing but the ground ahead of her hung down gaze, but those eyes were staring at the far beyond.

“Two things.”

Two things?

Kizuna didn’t understand the meaning of those words. However, he had the feeling that a door inside Gravel that wasn’t opened until now was going to open.

“I have things I want to save……one, is my motherland and its people.”

“Motherland? This Vatlantis Empire you mean?”

“No. My country is a small country in the corner of this continent that lost the battle with Vatlantis. Right now it’s nothing more than an administration sector of Vatlantis.”

‘Is that so……so this world originally wasn’t a single united country. There are multiple countries like on earth, war happened, and amidst that there is a powerful country that is the Vatlantis Empire that ruled at the top.’

“However, I thought that if a just government and administration are carried out, it will be fine even like this. There is not only bad things from being under the umbrella of a large empire. Being obsessed to independence and uselessly prolonging the fight will hurt the people……but, Vatlantis is not a country that one can have expectations to.”

“Gravel……”

“The Genesis is not working normally, this world is heading to its collapse. Nevertheless, this country continues to skirmish with the surrounding countries, and the senior statesmen are only obsessed with the power struggle in the imperial castle. Even the forceful invasion to your Lemuria, is far off from righteousness.”

‘Aah, is that so.

Even the people of this world are the same like us. Even in our world, if there are good guys then there are also bad guys. And it’s similar here, there is no way that all the people of the AU are man-eating fiends.

Besides, Gravel’s position is really similar with us, how her country is under the rule of Vatlantis. Gravel and her motherland are perhaps the figure of us in the future.’

“That’s why, I have to escape from here. And then I’ll return to my country, and call out to the neighboring countries to fly the banner of revolution.”

There was a single thing Kizuna was convinced at in regards to Gravel.

‘――This woman is someone that is worthy of trust.’

“I see now, I really understand that. And then, what is the other thing?”

Gravel sent her gaze at one corner of the audience seats. Over there was a place that common audience couldn’t enter, the noble seat exclusive for the royal family.

Seeing the figure of a girl who was sitting there, Kizuna reflexively raised his voice.

“Aine……-!”

There was the figure of Aine who was sitting on a splendid chair. The instant he discovered that figure, Kizuna’s heart was beating fiercely. Beside her was a girl slightly younger than Aine with pink hair. At their nearby were Zelsione and the Quartum, and then also the figure of Aldea who they had fought against several times.

“The other one is……a personal story. There is someone that I want to rescue no matter what.”

He didn’t understand clearly just where was Gravel’s gaze looking at. But, even Kizuna could imagine that who she meant was Aldea.

“Is that so……so she is an important existence for you huh.”

“No, I don’t think of her as important. If it’s thinking of wanting to kill her then I had such thoughts several times. In the first place, we were trying to kill each other at our first meeting.”

“……Wait a second. Didn’t you want to save her?”

Gravel’s lips floated a smile. It was a real smile that he saw for the first time since they met here.

“But, I cannot abandon her.”

“Is that so……”

‘――She is also the same with me there.’

A strange feeling of solidarity was born inside Kizuna. Perhaps it was only a one-sided thing, but he began to harbor a feeling that resembled friendship towards Gravel.

Kizuna and Gravel faced each other once more.

“Kizuna, that time I fought you. That fight, in that time, in that instant, was when I felt the most fulfilled in my life. It was the best time. I even feel that every single second of that with affection.”

Gravel said that and her eyes narrowed. As if feeling nostalgic of an important memory.

“Aah, me too. But……my bad. Honestly, I cannot show a power like that time.”

“I know. But, I cannot go easy on a soldier of your level. I’ll come with all my strength.”

Gravel took out a cartridge from her waist and inserted it into the cylinder of the gunsword. And then she faced Kizuna and aimed.

“Bullet!!”

“Ku――”

Kizuna immediately jumped away. Fierce flash caused explosion in front of his eyes.

“UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

He avoided direct hit, but after that he was swallowed by the spreading shockwave. His body danced in the air as if he was just kicked flying by a giant, then his body bounced on the ground and rolled.

“Gah! Hah……”

His body was numbed. However, he had to stand up soon, Gravel was coming.

“Kizuna! Dodge to the right!”

“!?”

He could hear a familiar voice.

He reflexively obeyed that voice and flew to the right.

Sharp blade ran through his left side. He rolled just like that and jumped up with the momentum.

Gravel had stabbed the gigantic sword of the gunsword to the ground where he was just at.

‘――That was dangerous. But, the voice just now?’

“That’s how you do it Kizuna-kun!’

“Captain! Please do your best desu!”

“Everyone!?”

At the audience seats right nearby, the members of Amaterasu were there at the front row. Himekawa, Yurishia, and Sylvia looked worried for Kizuna and raised their voice desperately.

But, they were not here as audience to watch the battle. All of them had their limbs restrained and surrounded by ten-odd imperial guards with their swords drawn.

“Don’t you die, Kizuna! Win and save me here!”

Scarlet yelled so vigorously that her throat got hoarse. The Masters were lining up at the row behind her, all of them opened their mouths largely and cheered for Kizuna.

‘――I see, so they plan to show how I get tortured to death.

That’s right. This is not just my problem.

I cannot lose.

It’s for the sake of saving everyone too.’

Kizuna ignited his thruster and took distance from Gravel. However the bullet of the gunsword hit Kizuna’s body.

“GUAA-! Shi, shit-”

Even though he intended to evade with irregular trajectory, but he was hit accurately. Kizuna’s body was toyed by the gunsword’s bullets like a joke. A severe attack snapped him from his feet. Shockwave blew him away, he was rolling on the ground of the battle field.

‘Damn it! Something, some kind of way, the way to defeat Gravel.’

He stood up with staggering feet. He thought that Gravel wouldn’t waste time to attack him, but she was unmoving with her feet staying still.

In the brief moment where he took a breath, Gravel inserted a bullet into the cylinder.

“Shit-! That thing will come again!?”

The cylinder created a metallic sound and settled inside the gun barrel. Gravel didn’t aim the muzzle at Kizuna, she grasped the handle and lifted the weapon overhead. It was handled not like a gun, but as a sword. So to speak――,

‘So it’s light sword this time!’

It was the weapon that shot down Scarlet together with her barrage with a single attack at Ataraxia.

Gravel pressed the trigger at the handle. Thereupon, the sound of firing hammer shot at the bullet resounded, light of magic power ran along the sword and elongated to the sky.

“Reaver!”

“Kuh!!”

Kizuna materialized shield of Life Saver in layers. Many layers, many piles, and then they blocked the sword of light.

“UGUOWAAAAA-!”

Several layers of Life Saver broke and scattered apart. The remaining Life Savers somehow blocked the cutting edge of the light blade, but the shockwave mercilessly pierced Kizuna’s body.

“GAAH! ……-……kuh!”

The impact made him feel like he was hit by a truck. Kizuna’s body rotated strangely and crashed onto the ground of the battle field. Pain that made him wonder if all the bones in his body were broken made Kizuna’s consciousness feel far.

“Shi, shit-……in, in this kind of place!”

He desperately yelled in his attempt to hold on to his consciousness.

He got on his knees and hands from laying face-down and somehow rose up his body. The scenery looked warped. In his warped eyesight, there was the figure of Gravel walking to him with her gunsword in one hand.

‘Damn it, it’s useless with only Eros.’

Kizuna looked at the audience seats with an unfocused gaze. He could see the figures of Himekawa and the others who were yelling at him with worried faces.

‘Shit-, even though if Himekawa or Yurishia was just nearby……I can do Climax Hybrid. If I can do that my Hybrid Count will be recovered, I can even fight Gravel. If it’s a Ros-series, Corruption Armament will even become usable.

But, right now it’s impossible to do Climax Hybrid with Himekawa or the others. Everyone is captured and the wall separating us cannot be broken.’

A footstep was approaching.

Gravel finally arrived at the distance where if the huge gunsword was swung down, it would be able to cut down Kizuna. Her toes entered the sight of Kizuna.

When he raised his face, there was Gravel wearing a magic armor that shined orange looking down at him.

――Gravel who was wearing the magic armor Zoros.

Kizuna suddenly leaked out a snort.

“I’m an idiot.”

A way existed already in front of his eyes since the beginning.

“Hey, Gravel. You want to save your country and Aldea right?”

“That’s right. That’s why even if I feel bad……but you――”

“If right now, I restored your magic power fully, what are you going to do?”

“――What?”

Gravel showed a perplexed face that didn’t understand what Kizuna was saying.

“Even if you win against me, perhaps you still won’t be freed. You said that yourself just now. But……if your magic power is recovered right now in this place, if you can use your Corruption Armament, what are you going to do?”

Gravel’s eyes opened wide.

“That’s……if that’s possible. No! Such thing is impossible. What are you scheming now that it has come to this!? You are just trying to invite agitation in me!”

Kizuna understood that Gravel’s heart was shaken.

“No, I can do it! If what I’m scheming can only be realized! And then by combining our strength, we are going to escape this place. And then we will save our respective important people!”

Will to fight was disappearing from Gravel’s eyes.

“Bu, but, such thing is impossible. Don’t talk of a pipe dream that you cannot even do! Or else are you saying that you will cause a miracle!? Just what kind of miracle can you do!”

‘――Got her.’

“It’s impossible to cause a miracle with just me alone. But, if it’s you and me……the both of us can do it! This thing called miracle!”

Kizuna straightened his knees in one go and leaped at Gravel’s legs. He hugged at her thighs and pulled her down. Gravel who was taken by surprise fell on the ground looking up and got pinned down by Kizuna.

“Wha……Kizuna, you cowar――HAAann!”

Kizuna’s hand quickly grasped Gravel’s large breast. It was not too strong and not too gentle, he was rubbing with a superb control of strength. Gravel’s body was suddenly driven by a sweet sensation.

“AHAaAn……ii-……n!!”

Gravel blocked the gasping voice that reflexively leaked out from her mouth with her hand in panic.

By all rights, she wasn’t supposed to raise that kind of unseemly voice this easily. However, her body that had been thoroughly broken by Zelsione now would react even from a little stimulation.

Gravel felt an outrageous humiliation and shame from that fact. Her cheeks reddened and she bit her lips.

“Ki……Kizuna-! Even you are trying to humiliate me……-!”

Kizuna brought his face in front of Gravel’s eyes. They stared at each other in a distance where their nose tips could touch each other.

The eyes of Kizuna that were staring at Gravel were serious.

Gravel’s words stopped inside her throat from that serious gaze. Suddenly the inside of her chest pulsed poundingly.

“Gravel. How did I acquire the ability to create weapons and won against you? I’ll teach you the secret. This is the way to cause that miracle!”

“Ah……wha, what are you……kyann!”

Kizuna’s hand traced the undulation of Gravel’s body. She was the AU human that he touched for the first time. Kizuna thought that and touched Gravel’s body as if to ascertain the shape of her body.

But if he really thought about it, he remembered that Aine was also a human of AU. There was nothing different at all with a normal human. The toughness and the soft sensation wrapping it that Gravel’s body possessed was characteristic of her. Her body was virile like an athlete, suppleness without any pointless fat. Caressing that body felt like an act of taming a wild animal with excellent vigor.

“Fu-……ku……st, sto……I, don’t……aan”

Gravel tried to resist, but she couldn’t oppose the pleasure that was given to her.

‘――Ju, just what happened, to me. This is, I am feeling this……even more than with Zelsione? I cannot feel my strength. This is……even though I should be able to easily push him away……I cannot think anything, from the pleasure.’

There was Kizuna’s face in front of her eyes. It was like her expression that was feeling it was observed, it felt like her body would be scorched with shame. Above all, this place was packed with a hundred-odd thousand people as audience. To do something like this in front of them all, wasn’t something that could possibly be allowed.

――But,

“Haa……n, no-NOOoO……AAAAANNNNhN”

The body that was developed by Zelsione was reacting over-sensitively just from a slight caressing.

“Kuh……wha, what happened to me……this kind, this kind of obscene body……AaN!”

Even the audience seat began to create disturbances from the strange stage of the two.

The audience too at the start were thinking that Kizuna was bringing the fight into pinning techniques. However they gradually began to notice just what the two of them were doing, their agitation became a spreading commotion. That wave was radiated in succession and in a flash the whole Colosseum was enveloped in an uproarious commotion.

Inside the bewilderment and agitation that was occupying the Colosseum, there was only a single person raising a loud laughter.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! Interesting! Now you really did it! You really made this enjoyable instead! I’m really pleased here black magic armor Hida Kizuna!”

Zelsione clapped her hands in a great delight from the act of love that the two suddenly started.

Aine’s mouth stayed open while thinking about what Kizuna was doing.

‘This is……no doubt about it. Kizuna is planning a Climax Hybrid with Gravel as the partner……should I stop this?

If I stop the Climax Hybrid, can I protect Kizuna by putting him nearby? However, even when I intend to protect him it still comes to this situation. Then should I overlook this? However, if I do that Kizuna will fight Vatlantis then.

――He will come, as my enemy.’

Aine grasped the elbow rest of the throne. She put so much strength to her fingertips until they became white.

“Wa……just what are you starting in front of the public presence like THISSSSSSSSS!”

It was a scream that burst out Himekawa’s wrath aura. It even felt like the temperature around her was going up from the flaming rage.

Even while making an astonished face, Scarlet didn’t let her eyes go from the act of the two.

“This is already not in the level of in front of the public……as expected from Japanese. Their perverted level is unreachable no matter how.”

“I really feel admiration to Captain’s mental power desu……but, this is――”

Yurishia winked toward Scarlet who was knitting her eyebrows. Noticing what that meant, Sylvia shut her mouth.

With a grim look, Yurishia stared fixedly at Kizuna and Gravel who were entangling with each other on the battle field.

“I’ll specially allow this, so……absolutely don’t fail this Kizuna!”

Kizuna was sweating coldly with a hard expression. He felt even more nervous compared to the usual Climax Hybrid, he also didn’t have any composure in his heart.

He absolutely couldn’t fail this. The lives of him and his comrades hanged on this. Despite so, he didn’t really understand about his partner. Furthermore he had to hurry. He didn’t know when the security or the imperial guard would enter to stop them.

Kizuna’s hand tried to touch Gravel’s breast directly and slipped under the pilot suit. The suit that was a white bikini type was easily slipped off with Kizuna’s hand movement, causing the tanned breasts to spill out.

“-! ……ya”

Gravel tried to hide her breast with her hand. However when Kizuna’s hand caressed it like kneading a dough, Gravel’s hand was only overlapping Kizuna’s hand and she couldn’t put strength to tear off Kizuna’s hand.

“Sorry, Gravel.”

“Eh……”

Her reaction to Kizuna’s voice was slow. It seemed that the inside of her head was completely melting from the pleasure.

“All of a sudden, in this kind of place……I feel bad. But, it’s fine if only for now. Believe in me. If you let me into your heart, I absolutely won’t let you die. I’ll save you for sure. We cannot die just like this. Both I, and you.”

Gravel’s eyes became drowsily moist from Kizuna’s earnest gaze.

Why was it?

The human named Kizuna in front of her eyes. An unfamiliar race called male, furthermore even though he was a soldier of Lemuria, all about this man, made her feel dearness that couldn’t be expressed in words.

It was a yearning that was in a different dimension with Aldea.

She was not protecting, this was the comfortableness of being protected. It made her want to entrust everything to him.

Gravel’s cheeks were dyed pink, her expression was changing into a loose and melting look. In that look there was already not a shred of the hero that was feared as the tanned beast.

“In any case……this is a body that already received disgrace in public……it doesn’t really matter after this late. That’s why……”

Gravel smiled bewitchingly.

“You can……do as you please.”

That expression and voice, made shudders drive through Kizuna’s spine.

He couldn’t hold back and sucked on the breast that was jiggling in shivers in front of his eyes.

“Aann, so, so strong like that…….UFUAAaaa!”

He sucked up the pink colored circle which was floating on the tanned skin. Kizuna licked up with his tongue at the pointed center. As if to trace its shape, he diligently licked and put it in his mouth to suck up.

“It’s already this hard, it’s standing tall see.”

Gravel’s cheeks were dyed in shame and she twisted her body.

“If, if you do something like that, that’s just obvious.”

She crossed her arms trying to hide her breasts, but the breasts weren’t hidden completely. Rather the breasts were turning into the pressed and lifted up shape. As if saying that it wanted to be licked more. And then, the tips of the breasts were standing up largely, pointing at Kizuna’s direction. It was as if they were pleading, that the breasts also wanted to be touched by Kizuna.

Kizuna answered that expectation by putting one into his mouth, while pinching at the other with his fingers.

“FUuNn! Ku……AAAA-, go, good-”

Gravel’s body became moistly sweaty. Luster was created on her tanned skin, changing the body into an even more indecent one.

The commotion around them didn’t enter their ear anymore. Voices that resembled scream and jeering were raised from the audience seats, but all those felt like something from another world. People who criticized, people who thought this interesting, each one were jumbled together in a great chaos, but there wasn’t a single person that didn’t harbor an interest. All present looked bloodshot fixing their eyes upon the two.

Kizuna caressed Gravel’s cheek with one hand. Gravel captured the fingers of that hand and put them into her mouth adorably.

“A……n. Un……u, NN-”

Wet sound was created, she was sucking diligently at the fingers one by one. Furthermore, her tongue was also thoroughly crawling between the fingers obsessively. Kizuna’s excitement was also heightened from that soft slipperiness.

He separated his rubbing hand and stroked around from her side to her stomach where well-trained abs were sleeping.

“Haa……ann, ah……aan, don’t, that tickles-”

Gravel’s body was trembling in twitches and writhed. She was toyed by the mixed sensation of ticklishness and pleasure.

Kizuna moved his hand further below and forced his way through Gravel’s groin.

“HYAAAAAAAAAAN-! The-, there AaaaAAUUuNu!”

The way she became disheveled was the most intense until now. It seemed that the pleasure granted to Gravel from here was special. Kizuna slid his fingertips softly along the valley of her groin.

“Aaan, don’t, don’t-, the-, Ki-, I feel ……STRANGEEEEE”

The cloth between the groin became wet in the blink of an eye. And then, immediately a surprising amount of honey began to overflow. A really nice aroma drifted from that honey that tickled Kizuna’s nose. That aroma further invited Kizuna into Gravel’s body, an aroma of temptation.

The suit that covered Gravel’s groin was something similar to the swimsuit of a bikini. He inserted his finger into the opening and tried to shift the suit aside.

“Ah……do, don’t!”

“Eh?”

“I don’t……want to show that place.”

Gravel supplicated with a face that seemed almost crying. Kizuna lightly smiled, patted Gravel’s head, and caressed from her cheek to her neck. Gravel frolicked to Kizuna’s hand like a cat and closed her eyes in a happy face.

In the end, Kizuna kept the suit as it was and inserted only his finger inside the opening. And then, he directly touched at the flower which emitted the nice aroma.

“Hii……!?”

Gravel bent backwards. In that tempo her thigh pressed on Kizuna’s groin.

Kizuna directly tortured the source of Gravel’s honey with his fingertips. The honey that gushed out copiously enveloped Kizuna’s hand thoroughly. And then Kizuna’s thing too was stimulated by Gravel’s soft but tight thigh, it became completely hard.

“This is……what?”

Gravel who held discomfort to that sensation reached out her fingers and touched Kizuna’s groin.

“No, wait. That is!”

His restraining voice didn’t enter her ear, Gravel slipped in her hand under the suit of Kizuna.

“So something mysterious like this, is attached to Kizuna……but, what? Over there became hot. It’s mysterious……”

Gravel held Kizuna’s thing with a backhand grip and began to stroke up and down.

“Kuh, at this rate……-“

In order to resist, Kizuna crawled his fingertips into inside.

“AAAAAAAAA-! Nn, aah-! Hiuu!”

He bent his finger inside and vibrated it. Gravel’s legs stretched tautly, and her body began to convulse. As if to give her the finishing blow, Kizuna rubbed up the bud that was nearby the entrance with his palm.

“NOOOOOO♥AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN♥!”

At that moment, light particles overflowed from Kizuna and Gravel’s bodies.

‘――Success!’

But this was still only Heart Hybrid. With this Gravel’s magic power should be recovered, but for him it would be the main act from here on.

“My bad, but I’ll have you accompany me a little bit more. I will――UWAA!”

Kizuna was overturned with a quick movement and Gravel straddled him.

“Wha-……o, oi”

Gravel straddled the lower body of Kizuna and she was looking down on him with half-closed eyes.

Something cold ran through Kizuna’s spine.

‘Don’t tell me……Gravel, you. I――,’

“No good……it’s still, not enough.”

With her cheeks reddened, Gravel made a charming smile.

“……eh?”

“Under my stomach is hot, it feels fuzzy……I don’t know what to do.”

Kizuna gently caressed down her breast.

“Is that so……so it’s the intoxication result of Heart Hybrid. I got panicked for a second.”

“Hey, this is the first time I feel this painful. What should I……nn?”

Feeling something out of place between her groin, Gravel looked below.

That was because she accidentally straddled just right above Kizuna’s thing. The thing standing hard was pressed down by Gravel’s groin, its head was coming out from between her groin.

“Aa……nn”

Gravel made a really delighted face.

“I don’t really understand but……perhaps, I think I need to use Kizuna’s this. Like this……”

After murmuring deliriously, Gravel began to shake her waist back and forth.

“Gr, Gravel……-!”

“Haa……it feels good……an♥”

The honey overflowing out from Gravel’s flower petal wet her panty, revealing the shape of the body under it vividly. The valley of the groin was becoming thoroughly sticky, sandwiching Kizuna’s thing softly.

“An-, an-! Haahn, aaaaa-, good-!”

Gravel who was drunk from the intoxication effect of the Heart Hybrid became dazed and continued to shake her waist.

Kizuna’s rigidity stimulated Gravel’s valley by scraping, rubbing at the sensitive bud. And then while Gravel’s slippery honey was dripping down, Kizuna’s thing was wrapped by the soft small valley.

Light particles began to shine inside their respective eyes.

Both of them were nearing the limit.

And then Gravel raised her head and bent her back like a bow.

“A♥! HAAAAAaauuuaaAAAHNNNNNNNNN♥♥”

Tears flowed out from Gravel’s eyes from the excessive pleasure. Climax pierced through her body, making her body greatly convulse. And then, matching with that motion, fierce light was emitted from the bodies of the two.

“Haa……n……? Thi, this……is?”

Having her consciousness back, Gravel raised a perplexed voice of the light wrapping on her body. And then she felt surprised from the strength that filled her body.

“I never…..the magic power, is returning. No, not only that. This is――”

The endlessly overflowing magic power snapped apart the magic power restraining bracelets that were wrapped on Kizuna and Gravel’s arm.

“Strength is gushing out inexhaustibly……this kind of miracle”

Kizuna answered Gravel’s gaze that seemed to look for an answer.

“This is Climax Hybrid. The mixing of two people’s heart and love. This is exactly the true ability of Heart Hybrid Gear!”

“Heart and……love. I and, your……you say.”

Gravel’s cheeks reddened.

“Now! Gravel, we are escaping!”

“Eh? Ye, yeah!”

Gravel manifested a magic circle at the space before her eyes and inserted her hand into it. And then from inside the magic circle, she pulled out a gigantic gunsword. That was different with the normal equipment. Several gun turrets were linked in ring shape, the Sword Gatling.

“Here we go!”

She fired the Sword Gatling towards the sky. Bullets with destructive power that were more than equal with Bullet were fired rapidly with terrific speed. Furthermore it was added with the power up from Climax Hybrid.

The Life Saver of the Colosseum which was that firm was broken apart. Screams were raised from the audience who were watching the success of the Climax Hybrid in surprise.

“Kizuna, what should we do after this?”

Gravel asked with a tone that sounded completely like she was talking with her war buddy.

“I’ll accomplish my mission. Gravel too, accomplish your own mission.”

“……Got it. Don’t die.”

“Yeah, someday let’s once again together――”

When Kizuna started to say that, Gravel’s face became so bright red that it felt like smoke would come out.

“Stu-, stupid! That was because of the emergency situation, that’s why, that……it’s not unpleasant though.”

Gravel spoke incoherently with ambiguous words.

“Gah! If you survive, we will do it again! That’s why don’t you die!”

Zoros’s thruster spewed out particles and Gravel flew to the sky instantly. Looking at her retreating figure, Kizuna murmured.

“Let’s, once again together fight with me……will you?”

The gate of the Colosseum opened and soldiers that seemed to be the guard rushed in.

“So they are coming here too! Mode Zoros!!”

The luminescence of Eros changed color to orange. And then the same wings like Zoros were created on his back.

“I’m going!”

He aimed at the rushing in guards and fired a volley with the three-line particle cannons. Flame explosion occurred and the guards were blown away in succession.

“It’s an amazing destructive power as expected huh. But, still not yet!”

Kizuna reached out both his hands and particles of light began to converge between his hands. And then the particles grew into a single long and thick rod. When Kizuna’s hand grasped the handle, the light was torn off and a Sword Gatling appeared from inside it.

“Now, I’m going to blown away the hindrance wall!”

The audience were already beginning to evacuate. He aimed at the block that became empty and rapidly fired the Sword Gatling.

‘――Where is Aine!?’

However the royal seat had already become an empty shell.

‘Shit-! The way they run away is fast.’

This time he searched for the audience seat where Himekawa and the others were at.

“Kizuna―!”

He looked at the direction where he heard the screamed voice. There, a red ponytail disappearing at the emergency exit of the stadium was reflected in his eyes.

“Over there!”

Kizuna ignited his thruster and rushed to the emergency exit.

“!”

However, over there the imperial guard had formed a line and aimed gun muzzles at Kizuna.

“MOVEEEEEEEEEEE!”

Kizuna pulled the trigger of the Sword Gatling.

Consecutive explosive sounds were resounding inside the Colosseum.

That sound also reached Gravel’s ear. Thanks to that Gravel also understood that Kizuna was fighting the imperial guard.

‘――Can Kizuna accomplish his mission?’

Such worry floated inside her heart for an instant. However, she immediately pulled herself together and searched for Aldea’s figure amidst the audience seats. Her aim was her motherland, but she wanted to recover Aldea no matter what.

“Aldea, where are you!?”

When she landed nearby the royal seat, she called out with a loud voice.

She was supposed to be nearby here just now, but right now she couldn’t see her figure. Was she accompanying the emperor and her group? No, that wouldn’t happen. It was a different story if Zelsione commanded it, but as expected she couldn’t think that Aldea was that trusted.

‘In that case――!?’

Space was crooked on the guest seat and a hole was opened. And then from there Aldea with spear in hand leaped out.

“Aldea!”

Gravel flicked the spear that crooked the space with the belly of the Sword Gatling. Sparks scattered, Aldea whose spear was shifted rotated around and took a distance from Gravel.

And then she readied her spear once more and glared at Gravel.

“I won’t allow you to escape! I also won’t let you oppose Zelsione-sama!”

The tip of the spear was lowered and cut apart the ground. Thereupon the space was crooked and the distance was shrunk instantly.

Foreseeing the motion of the space distortion, Aldea unleashed a thrust of certain kill.

“Really, what a troublesome woman! You!”

Gravel flashed the Sword Gatling even faster than the thrust. That sword snapped the spear and dug into Aldea’s delicate body.

“Guh!”

However Aldea’s body didn’t split into two. She leaned against the Sword Gatling and slide down to collapse on the ground.

The attack that was severe even when done by the back of the blade stole the consciousness from Aldea.

“This thing is……what a surprise. It’s really strengthened.”

Gravel reflexively stared at her own hand. She never thought that she could snap the spear with one attack and defeated Aldea completely.

She felt shock from feeling for real the effect of the Climax Hybrid that was exerted on her. But, she also couldn’t take her time leisurely. Even during this time, the squad of the imperial guard was gathering one after another.

“Gravel! Don’t think you can escape!” “Return to your prison quietly!”

Gravel was surrounded from a distance even while several yells were thrown at her.

“……It’s futile to stay for long in this kind of place.”

Gravel shouldered Aldea’s body and then she fully opened Zoros’s thruster and flew up.

“Don’t let her get away! Chase her!”

The imperial guards wearing their magic armor chased from behind, but the speed of Gravel after Climax Hybrid was different. In the blink of an eye she had vanished beyond the sky.

“Kuh……we cannot catch up, at all. That’s impossible!”

The imperial guard members who gave up pursuit in frustration received transmission from the other members. The member reflected in the floating window kept talking on with an impatient state.

“There is still the one remaining Lemuria guy! Right now we are in the middle of battle outside the Colosseum! It looks like he is trying to rescue his comrades. Requesting urgent reinforcement!”

Not to mention the troops who let Gravel slip away, the imperial guards which were in the Colosseum and the security guards were assaulting towards Kizuna’s location all at once.

“UOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Kizuna swung his Sword Gatling.

Its splendid destructive power was defeating the enemies like they were just a joke.

“Really, how irritating!”

However impatience was gradually growing bigger inside Kizuna. His Hybrid Count was decreasing rapidly, but the enemy reinforcements were in a state of increasing without pause.

“YOUUUUU!”

The enemy was surrounding Kizuna right now in three, four layers. At the other side there were several battleships anchored, they were trying to board Yurishia and Himekawa above the battleship. On top of being restrained, they were connected by a chain and getting pulled by the imperial guard.

While defending the attack using Life Saver, he swung his Sword Gatling. Shining shockwave traced the trajectory of the sword and flew out. Blade of light that cut apart the sky mowed down the imperial guard.

“Yosh! I’m going now――gaha-!”

An attack of different level than what he received until now attacked Kizuna.

It was a sword that was rotating like a boomerang in the air. The sword that drew an arc like a crescent moon cut at Kizuna’s back before returning to its owner with a large rotation.

“That’s as far as you go Kizuna. I’ll have you return to the prison.”

A blonde haired girl with an eye patch was standing.

“Clayda huh……that thing is quite tough isn’t it.”

Clayda wearing her magic armor was attacking Kizuna. The crescent moon sword in her hand was slashed from left and right with a terrific speed.

‘――Chih, fast!?’

Clayda threw that sword from close range. Kizuna bent his body backwards and evaded it in a close call.

At that moment, he received a terrific impact on his back. He didn’t understand what happened for an instant.

When he thought that his neck fell behind and his chin lifted up, his body was flying in the air. He plunged into the stands lined up in the street and Kizuna stopped after cutting a swatch through the tent.

“Ki, Kizuna-kun!”

Even while being dragged by chain, Himekawa raised a worried voice.

“Shit-, fresh reinforcement still coming!”

Kizuna twisted his neck and looked for the enemy who attacked him.

A white haired girl carrying a gigantic hammer that didn’t match her figure was smiling. Elma of the Quartum.

“Hmm my, you didn’t fly far just now. Then for the next……I’ll not make you fly, but crush instead.”

While chuckling, she swung up the hammer that was twice her torso with one hand.

Himekawa and the others that were being taken away felt in tenterhooks from the appearance of formidable enemies one after another.

Sylvia wasted no time to yell.

“Captain! It’s dangerous desu. Please escape quickly desu!”

Kizuna became obstinate from the voice that was worried for him and yelled back.

“There is no way I can do that! I’ll save you guys for sure. And then we are all going back!”

‘Shit! Just……just a little more!’

Between Kizuna and Himekawa and the others, there was the army of imperial guards standing in his way. And there were further Clayda and Elma of the Quartum. In addition enemy reinforcements were arriving one after another.

‘If it’s like this then it will be a brute force approach! I’ll push through forcibly!’

He ignited his thruster and just when he was going to thrust into the imperial guard, Clayda and Elma cut in on his path.

“Chih, you think I’m scared! Here I go!”

Kizuna kicked the ground and right when he accelerated, a clear piercing voice resounded.

“Just what are you doing Kizuna! Are you stupid!?”

Kizuna suddenly halted.

“Yu, Yurishia?”

From the deck of the enemy’s battleship, Yurishia glared at him with a furious face. Being scolded by the one he was trying to save made Kizuna spontaneously get taken aback.

“That’s really pathetic! Are you really missing our breasts that much!?”

“What-……!!”

Yurishia was getting teary-eyed. It was a seriously angry expression that Yurishia showed him for the first time. She faced Kizuna and yelled angrily as if to make her throat hoarse.

“Think calmly! At this rate you will only make the chance that you created at great pains be wasted!”

Kizuna felt like his head was punched from Yurishia’s yell.

Kizuna who returned to his senses once again confirmed the situation around him. He was right in the middle of enemies with enemy troops surging in from all directions. Not only that. Even battleships and magic weapons were deploying in heap. The more time passed, the more the situation would worsen.

‘――Certainly. What Yurishia said is right.’

“Captain! Please desu, if no one escapes, the situation won’t turn for the better desu!”

“That’s right! If Kizuna is captured here, that’s exactly what being hopeless is like!”

Sylvia and Scarlet too faced Kizuna and yelled desperately.

And then Himekawa too yelled with a teary voice.

“Kizuna-kun! We will be waiting! That Kizuna-kun will come to save us! That’s why return to Ataraxia and report this matter!”

Kizuna gritted his teeth so hard that his teeth were going to crack.

His thruster began to emit dazzling light.

“Everyone……I’ll return, for sure……I’ll come to save you for sure. Without fail!”

Kizuna’s body floated in the air. Zoros’s powerful propulsive force launched Kizuna’s body to the sky in one go.

The moment he passed over a battleship floating in the air, his eyes met Aine who was inside the bridge of that ship.

‘――Aine!’

It was really just an instant.

‘――Kizuna!?’

He felt like Aine was calling for him.

But, that was all.

After passing the battleship, Kizuna changed his direction and flew towards the gigantic Entrance that was nearby Zeltis.

“Damn it! I……I!”

Together with tears that overflowed even when he held it back, Kizuna vanished into the Entrance.

===Part 2===

About two weeks had passed since the Tokyo recapturing operation. Currently Ataraxia, Megafloat Japan, and West USA were stopping in the Pacific Ocean far distanced from Tokyo.

Losing Amaterasu and Masters all at once made them to be at a loss. They really had nothing that could be done and now they could only drift in the ocean. They were already preferred giving up taking back their countries or anything and thought that maybe it would be better to just live their whole life above the sea. Among the citizens, such atmosphere was beginning to hang in the air. Above all, losing Amaterasu and Masters which were their only way to resist the AU was decisive. Their life and death was unknown, but the viewpoint of despair was gaining strength.

――It was at such a time.

“Kizuna came back you said!?”

Reiri’s color changed and rushed into the lab’s intensive treatment room.

{He is sleeping on the bed over there.}

Even before she could read Kei’s floating window, she discovered the figure of her little brother lying on the bed. Tears were immediately overflowing from Reiri’s eyes.

“Kizuna-……!”

Reiri jumped and embraced the sleeping Kizuna.

The title of commander and dignity were all irrelevant. Without any shame and honor, she expressed her heart and emotion straight.

She had already given up. She thought that perhaps he was dead. She had already understood that he was her irreplaceable important family. But, the feeling of loss and shock when she lost him was far bigger than she could even imagine.

“You……you did well coming back……”

She hugged Kizuna and rubbed her cheek on him. The tears were touched on the cheek, wetting Kizuna’s face. Tears and body temperature were transmitted to Kizuna. Kizuna opened his eyes to that warmth.

“Nee……chan?”

Returning to her senses with a ‘hah’, Reiri separated their bodies in panic. And then she turned her back to Kizuna and nonchalantly wiped her tears.

“Kizuna-……no, sorry. I woke you up. Just sleep like that.”

“No, I’m glad you woke me up. We have to, think of a countermeasure soon.”

Reiri sharply yelled at Kizuna who tried to get out from the bed.

“It’s fine already, just sleep! Kei, what about Kizuna’s diagnosis? Has his examination finished?”

The letters that Kei typed were displayed on the floating window like a stream.

{It’s roughly finished. There are bruises and lacerations on the whole body, but there is nothing serious that will affect life. However, the Hybrid Count is endlessly near zero.}

Kizuna bore the pain and raised his upper body while distorting his face. He raised an embarrassed wry smile at Reiri who was looking at him worriedly.

“On top of getting into a scuffle, I also came out in Britain. As expected I feel a little tired from all that. Well, it’s impossible for me to fight without Hybrid Count, but I’m fine if it’s just walking.”

After crawling out from the bed, Kizuna stood up even while staggering. He even did calisthenics practice in order to confirm his body movement.

{Britain? Why did you come out in that kind of place?}

“Aah, I flew into the Entrance that was the nearest of the enemy’s……Vatlantis’s capital, but it was connected to Britain’s London. From there I came here going halfway around the earth……It saved me that the Climax Hybrid with Gravel’s Zoros had high efficiency.”

“What?”

{Eh?}

“Nn?”

Reiri and Kei were making a face that seemed to say ‘What are you saying?’, but Kizuna didn’t understand the meaning of their expression and tilted his head.

“What were you doing with the enemy……no, I’ll listen to your story slowly, so first return to the bed. We cannot grasp at all what happened since in the middle of the Tokyo recapture operation. After you were almost killed by the enemy’s general, suddenly all communication was cut off, and we became unable to understand the situation in Tokyo. Just what in the world happened?”

The figure of Aine releasing Code Breaker passed through Kizuna’s brain. He reflexively clenched his fist.

“Aah……I’ll tell you, everything.”

And then Kizuna spoke of the unknown happening at the Tokyo recapture operation. While in the middle Kei and Reiri interjected with some questions, it easily took three hours until he finished the whole story.

Leaning her body on the chair of the treatment room, Reiri brushed up her long black hair.

“……If Kizuna wasn’t watching a dream, then this is a really surprising fact.”

It was her honest impression after finished listening to the story.

“Aine has already completely become the emperor of Vatlantis……that’s what you mean?”

“No……I don’t know.”

“However, she tried to win you over, and when she failed the next day you were thrown into a death match right? If that’s the――”

“Wrong! No……I think, that’s wrong.”

Putting his hand on his forehead, Kizuna recalled the face and voice of Aine at the scene of that time.

Aine said to him that she wanted to consult him. She was really troubled and her face looked like she wanted to cry. ‘Just why did I say such things that spurned her over?

Aah, shit! I hate just how petty my caliber is.

But, Aine came to the Colosseum. If she came then why didn’t she try to save me? By any chance, she was really trying to have me executed……no, that’s stupid!’

Kizuna scratched off his hair.

‘――Aine.

Aine, have you really become an enemy?’

“……It’s fine already, you are tired right? Rest for now.”

Reiri forcefully pushed down Kizuna’s body on the bed. And then she closed his eyes overbearingly.

“I want to meet her one more time……meet her, and talk……”

“Kizuna?”

When he lied down, Kizuna immediately began to have sleeper’s breath.

Reiri sighed to reassure herself and fixed the blanket covering Kizuna.

“Kei, you listen?”

Kei nodded to that voice and exited the room after Reiri.

The two of them headed to the central control room of the lab. As a matter of fact, it had become Kei’s personal room where there was no one inside, it was convenient for a discussion of the countermeasure with just the two of them.

Entering the room, Reiri suddenly began to talk after the door was locked.

“What do you think?”

Kei separated from her keyboard and spoke not with text on a monitor but with her own voice.

“I examined him but……there was no abnormality in Kizuna. He is sane, by no means he was seeing an illusion.”

It was a feeble voice, like a delicate work of candy floss. There was no one who had heard this raw voice of Kei other than Reiri. Her vocal cords weren’t used except at the time when there were just the two of them together.

“If it’s really true……then that means the Entrance that is the nearest to the capital of the AU is in London. Then, we should not focus on Tokyo, but it’s better to assault them directly from London’s Entrance.”

“But, Re-ri. In the present, our combat strength consists only of Kizuna and Gertrude whose wound isn’t healed yet you know? Even Gertrude, with her current wounded state, it’s impossible for her to do Climax Hybrid with Kizuna……maybe.”

“What about the development of the new weapon for use against magic weapons?”

Kei dropped her gaze while looking troubled.

“Everyone in research department is also doing their best……they had tested several in the actual combat at Tokyo recapture operation, so they want the test feedback from Kizuna.”

Reiri nodded quietly. She went until the cooler that was in the corner of the room and opened its door, she then took out a cold beer bottle from inside. She pulled the cork and gulped the content in one go. The carbonic acid stimulated the inside of her mouth. The cold liquid wetted her throat and cooled the inside of her body.

She separated the bottle from her mouth and Reiri stared at empty air with a grim face.

‘――That woman. What is Professor Nayuta thinking?’

For Reiri, she felt shocked about the information of AU, but she also felt eerie that she didn’t know what Professor Nayuta was thinking about.

“……But, we won’t progress if we only keep being cautious. Leave behind Megafloat Japan and West USA here, only Ataraxia will head to Britain.”

“But……our combat strength is overwhelmingly lacking. We only have two Heart Hybrid Gears, even if we entered the Entrance of London……”

Kei was staring at Reiri with forlorn eyes.

“We are going to try coming into contact with the other megafloats while heading to London. We are heading to Europe while collecting battle strength. Even if for example we don’t find any megafloat……there should be Europe’s megafloat at the Atlantic Ocean.”

“Tha……that’s, right.”

Kei nodded several times with a smile that didn’t seem confident.

Both of them didn’t speak of the possibility that the megafloats of the other countries might be already sunk down.

===Part 3===

A week after Kizuna returned to Ataraxia. Ataraxia separated from Megafloat Japan and moved from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. From here they planned to circle the African Continent and aimed towards Britain. They were looking for other megafloats while moving, but they didn’t find anything at all.

At the wall of the lab’s central control room, the surrounding of Ataraxia was projected. When looking at the panorama of every direction, it felt like oneself was Ataraxia itself. The blue sea had gentle waves, white clouds were drifting in the clear sky. As far as the eyes could see, not to speak of artificial objects, there wasn’t even any shadow of living organism that could be seen.

“There is still no response from other megafloats yet?”

Reiri asked Kei, but the answer was the same.

{None. We are calling to all directions for twenty four hours.}

Sense of danger was drifting in the whole of Ataraxia from how there was no contact with other megafloats. But the one who felt impatient the most was Kizuna.

“Shit-! Why is there no one replying? Just where in the world the megafloats of the other countries have gone!?”

This was incomparable with loitering around the ocean around Japan. They had sailed until this much distance. Even if they couldn’t confirm it by sight, there should be a good chance that they would come into contact with another country’s megafloat already.

“Calm down Kizuna. We won’t find anything even if you make a commotion.”

He certainly didn’t think that they would find other megafloats quickly. But the days where they didn’t pick up any noise continued, and his impatience and anxiety were becoming even bigger reluctantly.

“But, no response came at all even after this far. Don’t tell me……”

{There is no basis for this, so I don’t want you to take it seriously, but the possibility……that they had fought the AU and sunk down……couldn’t be denied.}

The bad premonition that Kizuna hesitated to say, was given shape by Kei with her letters. Having that possibility thrust before him, it felt like that possibility was approaching with a pressure like a fact.

However, Reiri faced the two with a calm attitude and reminded them.

“That too is nothing more than a guess. When people become impatient, they will have their wild delusions swell, whether to an extremely bad direction, or to an extremely good direction. Calm down.”

“I know that but……but if we don’t compensate our combat strength, we won’t be able to do anything when we arrive at Britain. It will be meaningless like that.”

Kizuna hit his fist to the wall.

“I……have the responsibility, to go save everyone even for a second faster.”

‘Yes. I came here by leaving behind everyone in the AU.

They told him to leave them behind and escape alone, Himekawa and Yurishia, and then Sylvia and Scarlet, he recalled their expressions. The other members of Masters whose figure he couldn’t confirm.

And then――Aine.

‘Is everyone made to fight like me in the Colosseum?’ When he thought that, his breath stopped and it felt like his chest was stabbed.

“Even while we are doing this, just what is happening to everyone……”

Besides just what was Aine thinking about and what was she intending to do? If she was actually only pretending to defect to the enemy, then she would save everyone and then return with a face as if there was nothing that happened. And then, she would abuse him with her poisonous tongue just like usual. He was having such a dream everytime.

“Kizuna……”

“Shit-! What should I do!?”

Reiri looked at the figure of her brother suffering and felt pain in her heart. She involuntarily almost dropped her mask as a strict commander.

But, she held on desperately to the mask that was covering her heart. She was burdened with Ataraxia, with Megafloat Japan, and in addition to this world. And then above all she had to protect Kizuna. And she could only do that by not giving him kind words or by not hugging him and letting him depend on her.

Reiri whipped her own heart and cheered herself.

“Then Kizuna. Do what you can do right now. Kei, you have work you want to request from Kizuna don’t you?”

Kei stared at Reiri with a little surprise, but she immediately ran her fingers through her keyboard.

{Yes. I want your feedback of the research department’s anti magic weapon.}

“Anti magic weapon?”

Suffering expression vanished from Kizuna’s face, in exchange he stared at Kei with eyes that were harboring question.

“We more or less tried them in actual combat in the Tokyo recapture operation but……is it about that?”

{Yes. Since then there are also improvements added, new weapons are also in the middle of development. First it will help us if you give your impression of using them in actual combat, and then also telling us your opinion regarding the new model.}

“……I understand.”

Kizuna exited the central control room together with Kei, and he headed to the research department’s evaluation and examination hall.

When they exited the research building, they rode a small commuter that was stopping at the entrance. Even though the place was called with the short name of Nayuta Lab, it consisted of a gathering of various facilities inside a vast ground. It would take time going by foot so this couldn’t be helped.

After riding the commuter for two or three minutes, they arrived at a wide place that was like an airfield. The gigantic hangar adjacent to here was the place where they carried out the preparation for the Tokyo recapture operation. In front of it there was a railgun which was longer than five meters in a half disassembled state left there, a maintenance staff member was working on it.

Even from afar, he could distinguish that the person was wearing the designated fatigue of Ataraxia high school’s technical research department. After all Kizuna was a student of the same high school.

Perhaps because the person had been working for a long time that it felt hot, or perhaps because of the weather now that was near the equator, the maintenance staff member had deliberately lowered the zipper that closed the clothes’ front. It was as if a fruit had its skin peeled, young and lustrous ripe fruits were spilling out from inside heavily. The breasts that were like a peeled white peach were supported by a black bikini.

Just when that girl was taking off the upper part of her wear and tied the sleeves on her waist, Kei drove the commuter. That girl got startled and turned around, when she looked at Kei’s figure, her expression became happy.

“Chief Shikina!”

She was a cute girl with how her expression was constantly changing. Perhaps because it became a hindrance to her work, her brown hair was tied up and fixed in place with a hair clip. She looked a little young, but she looked about the same age as Kizuna.

Her arms and waist were slender, she really didn’t look like a laborer that was maintaining a large weapon. She looked more fitting to sit in a stylish café while reading.

That girl took of her gloves while rushing near with a jog.

“What’s the matter Chief? So suddenly――”

Her face suddenly cramped and she stopped still.

“Co, Combat Department second year first group’s……Hida Eros.”

“Don’t call me a strange name as you please!”

“Kyaa!”

She ducked her head due to Kizuna who reflexively yelled angrily.

Kei took out a portable type keyboard and typed *pochi pochi* with both her thumbs. A window appeared in front of the girl and Kizuna.

{She is still a student of the high school section, but she is really a superior talent, so I have her working in the research department. Momo, introduce yourself.}

That girl coiled both her hands awkwardly while looking up at Kizuna with upturned eyes.

“Err, I’m from Ataraxia high school research department second year second group, Kurumizawa Momo.”

[[Image:Masou Gakuen HxH V05 BW 04.jpg|thumb]]

After the self introduction finished, it was as if she remembered something and wiped her forehead with a towel hanging down from her waist. Her skin was dyed in cocoa color from sunburn, but he guessed that she was fair-skinned in the beginning. Perhaps she was wearing running shirt previously when working, there were traces of a suntan like a school swimsuit distinctly remaining on her skin. The contrast of the sunburnt cocoa skin and the white skin was strangely sexy. It seemed that she noticed Kizuna’s gaze that she was fidgeting her body shyly.

“Recently there were a lot of times where the work was outside……before this I forgot to put on the sunscreen, and it left a distinct trace like this. It’s embarrassing……”

Each time she fidgeted her body, the voluptuous breasts wrapped in the black bikini were shaking like pudding.

‘――You aren’t embarrassed about having your upper wear taken off?’

Getting troubled of where he should look, Kizuna looked up to the sky to look for an escape place for his gaze.

“It’s obvious that you will get sunburnt with the sunlight this strong, isn’t that the proof that you put your work as the first thing seriously? You don’t have any need to feel shame for even a little, rather if I have to say it, on the contrary you look eroti……ah, no.”

Momo’s cheeks reddened and she patted around the railgun that was in the middle of maintenance shyly.

“Ge, geez, don’t make fun of me. Isn’t that right, Rogaa-chan?”

‘Ro, Rogaa-chan?’

“Ah, this child, I called him Rogaa-chan. Treat him well.”

Her smiling figure while caressing the steel barrel was like someone stroking her pet dog while introducing it.

“You gave it a name……”

He had heard that the research department had many peculiar people in a different meaning with the one at the combat department, but now he once again comprehended it.

“Aah, I too need to introduce myself. Combat department second year first group’s――”

“I know. Rather, I think there is no student that doesn’t know about you.”

‘Perhaps that was so. After all I’m standing out in various meanings……it’s not strange for Kurumizawa-san to know about me.’

“I’m told that you are the owner of a lust dozens of times than that of normal people, the devil that sucked the vitality of beautiful girls to obtain energy. Alias [Demon King Eros]. Everyday you change girl students in the combat department like someone changing clothes, and the combat department is changing into Eros’s harem or――”

“You ain’t know anything at alllllll! That’s just too cruel even for a false rumor!”

“Eh? It’s wrong?”

“Obviously! What Demon King Eros-! I know that everyone is talking whatever they like, but that’s the first time I heard that alias!”

Momo blinked her eyes as if she was startled from the bottom of her heart.

“But…..everyone is believing that though? Like, I heard that you are extremely fond of beautiful woman with especially high status……your particular favorites are the best three that are the cream of the crop whether in ability and beauty, Chidorigafuchi-san, Yurishia-san, and Himekawa-san, I heard the rumor that they are becoming the demon king Eros’s slave. The combat department is an amazing place isn’t it?”

“Rather, it’s your common sense that is doubtful here for believing a rumor like that!”

Kizuna sighed and once again stared at Momo from the top of her head until the tips of her toes.

“No, if I’m actually really that demon king Eros, then what are you going to do huh? Is it okay for you to expose that kind of stimulating appearance in front of me? Normally you are going to think that you are going to get assaulted by me won’t you?”

Momo tilted her head in a slump with a wondering face.

“Because, Ero――Hida-kun doesn’t have any interest except towards beautiful girls with high status, and excellent beauty and talent right? There is no way you are going to notice someone like me, so there is no need to feel scared.”

“……Is that so?”

For some reason he felt like nothing really mattered anymore. Just when he thought that perhaps he should go home already, Kei’s window was streamed with words.

{Momo is serving as the leader of the development of anti-magic weapon. The weapons used at the Tokyo recapture operation the other day were also the weapons Momo was in charge of. In order to capitalize of the test for the development from now on, we want the frank opinions from the battlefield. Feedback the experience of using the weapons and we will improve them even further from hereon.}

Recalling his original business, Kizuna straightened his back.

“Aah, I’m happy to cooperate if it’s for that……but”

When Kizuna took a glance at Momo, Momo leaned her body forward readily.

“Tell me by any means! Hida-kun is someone who participated in the Tokyo recapture operation, and right now you are the only returnee. For the sake of the development from here on, please tell me without fail about what kind of contribution was made by the weapon that I developed at Tokyo!”

Momo grasped both his hands and her eyes were shining with anticipation. Surely she had the confidence in the thing that she created herself. That expression had a close resemblance with an elementary student that wanted to be praised by her teacher.

Scratching his head while looking troubled, Kizuna spoke to emphasize something.

“I cannot say only things that will be pleasant to hear. I’ll do it if you’re fine with that.”

{Naturally. It will be meaningless if it’s not like that.}

Kizuna nodded and with a serious gaze he stared at the nervous Momo.

“Honestly, the weapons were not really usable.”

“――Eh?”

Momo’s cheeks cramped and twitched, her body stiffened.

“Certainly its effect towards the enemy had been heightened. I think that’s a great progress. But fundamentally we only used Heart Hybrid Gear’s own weapon. We are more familiar with them, on top of it the destructive power of the two cannot be compared in a large gap. In that case it’s more effective to use our own weapons.”

“Bu, but……you can use them as support weapons right? Just like the students of research department. Besides even Heart Hybrid Gear also needs auxiliary weapons.”

“Certainly, I think it’s better for the development to be progressed in that direction. But presently all of research department’s new weapons are large and heavy. Furthermore it consumed a large amount of electricity and bullets, so our equipment becomes even larger and heavier. Like that our mobility drops down strikingly. If even Heart Hybrid Gear is like that, then it will be even more difficult to be used by the common soldier.”

“Bu, but. It had effect towards the magic weapons right-? They defeated the enemy?”

“Yeah. We were able to defeat several with them. I think that’s amazing.”

“Waaa♪”

Momo raised a delighted voice and clapped her hands.

“But, the equipment was too heavy. Inside that chaotic battle, that mass and volume became nothing more than a shackle. There were also a lot of us that immediately threw them away after the first attack. Aine and Masters were using them for a while, but they ran out of bullets quickly. In that case, it also hurt that we couldn’t reload.”

Momo’s smile froze, her gaze dropped to her feet.

“Unfortunately, we cannot use them currently in various meanings. Of course there is a possibility. But, throwing them into real battle has a lot of problem. What’s left is, they are lacking in offensive power above all. Putting aside category-B magic weapon, they don’t have any bite toward A-class above and magic armor……eh, Kurumizawa-san? Is something wrong?”

Momo who cast her eyes down was murmuring to herself in mumbles.

“You……you didn’t need to say it like that……even though we had worked so hard……”

Momo’s body was shaking in small trembles. She surely had never imagined that she would be told of things like that. However she forcibly made a smile with a pale face and wrung out a trembling voice.

“Ri……right. Those were still in the middle of development after all……bu, but, enter inside! There is even miniaturized railgun that is in the middle of development right now!”

Momo trotted inside the door of the hangar and turned around at Kizuna.

Kizuna peeked at Kei’s countenance to confirm. Looking at Kei nodding expressionlessly, Kizuna followed after Momo and entered the hangar.

Inside was a workshop for new weapon development. The atmosphere was more like a large scale research room rather than calling it a workshop. Inside the clean and immaculate facility, small guns until large cannons were lining up orderly.

“Hey, Hida-kun. Look at this!”

What Momo introduced while spreading both her hands proudly was a new type railgun. Its shape was a combination of linear design and level surface. A part of the cover was taken off and the mechanism inside became laid bare.

“This is a railgun that was miniaturized until an assault rifle’s size you know? Its firing range is short, but it has the initial velocity of mach 2. In addition the warhead has been miniaturized so its portability is also good. His name is Chobi-chan.”

“As I thought it also has a name……”

Kizuna reached out his hand to the railgun. When he tried holding it, a profound weight rested on his arm. It would be fine if he was wearing his Heart Hybrid Gear, but for common soldiers this was severe.

“Certainly it has the size miniaturized, but this size is not including the battery isn’t it?”

“Ye, yes……the battery is outside the casing.”

A large box connected to the rifle with a cable was put on the floor.

“It’s going to be severe like this……how much destructive power it has? Can it break a magic weapon’s armor?”

“No, this is manufactured by pursuing the portability so……”

Kizuna put back the railgun and crossed his arms with a groan.

“Then it won’t be usable like that. Show me things that at least have an effect on the enemy.”

Her shoulders dropped a little, Momo then led Kizuna to the neighboring section.

“It’s this……I think. I called him Yuujirou-kun.”

“Suddenly it has a normal name! Rather, there is no explanation of what this is in the name!”

Looking at a glance, it was close to a large anti-material rifle. Its length was around two meters. It looked destructive from its appearance.

“You can pierce magic weapon’s armor using this. It has its output upped by 10% compared to what was used at Tokyo recapture operation. We also succeeded in reducing its weight for 20%.”

However this thing wouldn’t even move an inch when the one trying to carry it wasn’t wearing a Heart Hybrid Gear.

“How many bullets does it have?”

“There are five shots in its chamber. Later if it can be attached with a bullet belt……though for that, it will be heavier.”

“I see……at least it needs to be lighter by half, if not it will be too much a sacrifice in mobility. I also want you to think of how to carry it when it’s not in use. Only carrying it by hanging it on a belt will make us unable to move freely. Also there is a limit in the number of bullets we can carry, so there needs to be some kind of way. In its present state, it can only be used in limited situations. Perhaps it will be good to use as a fixed battery to stop the enemy in its tracks, but in that case a larger caliber will be better.”

Momo gritted her teeth while looking down.

“You……don’t keep saying anything selfish like that.”

Her voice was trembling.

“Even I, even the other staff, have been doing our best desperately you know? Do you think about what kind of feeling we had in making this!? You don’t know anything about our hardship!”

Momo’s eyes were wet with tears. Never would she have thought that she would be beaten down until this much. Looking from Momo’s view point, there was no mistaking it that she felt like she was thrown down by an unreasonable slander.

“You just keep complaining! Not usable, not usable, that’s not it, just think for yourself the way to use it skillfully. Even I’m working hard here!”

Kei’s window stood up in front of Momo.

{Momo, you must not say that. We are――}

However, for Momo whose blood was rushing to her head, those letters didn’t enter her eyes.

She had shaved off her sleeping time, repeated experiments many times over, before she managed to complete these weapons in the end of her hard work that was soaked in her blood. Even the magic weapons that once couldn’t be affected at all by mankind’s weapons had become something manageable with these weapons. She felt like her prided children who she had raised splendidly were made fun of.

“You guys are using them so nonchalantly, but you have never thought just how difficult it is to make them right? Before this weapon reached your hands just how much――”

Kizuna held back Momo in a panic.

“Wait, just wait. I’m just saying frankly my impression from using them in the battle. I’m not denying Kurumizawa-san’s effort or anything. But, in the practice we are the one who are actually using this. And then more than just using this, we are entrusting our lives to them. I have the responsibility to protect everyone’s lives. That’s why, there is no way I can irresponsibly line up sugared words. Understand that.”

However tears were still flowing from Momo’s eyes as she wrung out her voice.

“I don’t get it! Besides, even if you say everyone, there is no one anymore isn’t it! Even now your Heart Hybrid Gear doesn’t have any weapon, so you came here to look because you need it right! Don’t talk extravagantly here!”

“Wha……”

Those words gouged out Kizuna’s chest. His calmness left from his heart with loud footsteps.

Kei typed on her keyboard with a panicked state.

{Both of you, stop there. Your respective position w}

However Kizuna lost all restraints while Kei was typing.

“Yeah, that’s right! My Heart Hybrid Gear is just useless when everyone else is not here. Even those everyone right now are the enemy’s prisoners. All of this and that, everything is my responsibility! Yet despite so, I abandoned everyone and returned here alone! I was……everyone.”

“Eh……tha, that’s.”

Momo was overwhelmed by Kizuna’s dangerous look. That shock made Momo’s own rage shrink down and she recovered her calmness.

“I abandoned everyone who helped me and returned back here. Someone like me, who cannot do anything at all when alone, who doesn’t even have a proper weapon, this me!”

The man that was ridiculed as demon king Eros was throwing out the words of his heart with a really painful look.

“Tha, that, I, don’t mean……”

Momo regretted running her mouth carelessly. However, words that had been said once couldn’t be taken back. Not knowing what she should do, she could only get in dithers.

“We are fighting while gambling our lives. Are you making weapons with your lives on the line? Is this really the limit? It’s just as you said, right now Amaterasu and Masters are gone. There is already no one else but me. And then I cannot fight alone. That’s why, give me a weapon I can fight with! I beg you here! If not I cannot fight. I cannot save them! Even Aine!”

Momo felt like she was touching Kizuna’s heart directly. Fear, rage, regret, those things were transmitted to Momo’s heart.

And then, she also felt an unexpected shock from looking at Kizuna’s face that was almost crying.

Just from hearing the rumors, Amaterasu was like a gathering of monstrous superhumans. It was even the more for Kizuna who was the captain, she didn’t feel like he was really a living human. According to the character image created only from the rumors that the students said, he was exactly a monster.

That was why Momo, she had never even imagined that her words would make Kizuna this angered and hurt.

Kei pulled at Kizuna’s sleeve. Kizuna finally noticed this late of Kei’s text that was floating in front of his nose.

{Kizuna. Let’s stop here. There is another thing I want to show you. Follow me.}

“……Got it.”

He turned right-about face and headed to the entrance. Both of them exited from the door that Kei opened.

When Kizuna and Kei’s figure vanished, there was only Momo alone left inside the huge hangar. And then unable to sort her chaotic head, she stood stock still in a daze for a while.

Before long she lied down on the nearby bench and closed her eyes.

Even after time passed, her chaotic head and stirred up heart could not recover their calm.

But, she understood the thing that she had to do.

Momo woke up and declared to Kizuna who was not there.

“Fine then……I’ll prepare a method of fighting for you. And then I will make you……”

‘――a real Demon King, not just demon king Eros.’

She sat in front of the console of the development facility and slid her fingers on the touch panel. And then the trump card that was in the middle of development. The blueprint of the weapon that was prepared to be the strongest weapon in Ataraxia was opened.

===Part 4===

“Big……”

Strangely the place where Kizuna and Kei went after they left the hangar was the one that Momo had just opened the blueprint of.

Dozens of floor underground, there was a stratum that was nearby Ataraxia’s center. And then there was a gigantic cave that pierced that stratum continuously straight. It was a tunnel with diameter around twenty meters. Several pipes and wires were running along the wall.

“I mean, just how long this thing is continuing forward?”

He couldn’t see the end of just how far this tunnel was continuing. At a glance it looked like a multipurpose underground utility conduit, but the pipes and cables crawling inside the tunnel were obviously engendered with a different atmosphere.

{This tunnel pierces through the center of Ataraxia, it is continuing until the end of the other side.}

“For there to be a hole this big……so, what is this used for?”

{The main cannon of Ataraxia, an electrically charged particle cannon. This is the particle accelerator for that.}

“Particle cannon? This is!?”

{Yes. A particle cannon with a large caliber and a large output. It’s still not completed yet, but it has been developed until the level where a test firing is possible. There were things like this created experimentally until now, but it couldn’t reach the level where it could endure a practical use. But this time it’s the real thing. A particle cannon is a normal equipment for a Heart Hybrid Gear, but when we try to make it with our own technology, it becomes this big in the end.}

“I see……even so this is amazing.”

{The acceleration distance is the diameter of Ataraxia itself, three kilometers. The spec we are using as a benchmark is Cross’s Differential Frame, that is our target.}

‘I see. When they are trying to reproduce Yurishia’s Cross, it turns out that a facility this large is necessary.’

{The original concept came from Professor Nayuta. I gave it shape and right now Momo is the one finishing it.}

“That girl is……”

Kizuna’s chest was a little painful. He snapped before and yelled angrily. It was like he vented his anger on her.

{If it’s about Momo then you don’t need to feel bothered. Momo was the bad one just now.}

“No, but……”

{Besides, Momo is a strong child. Surely around now she is reflecting and strives to do her work even more. Rather it even became a good medicine. I’m grateful.}

Even if he was told that, Kizuna couldn’t calm down. He thought to look for a chance next time and properly apologize so they could make up with each other.

{If this particle cannon is completed, it will be possible to attack the enemy directly from outside their radius of action. On the contrary, we can bombard the enemy’s capital directly.}

“I see, this thing at London……that’s why, it’s necessary to bring Ataraxia itself there huh.”

After walking through the tunnel even further, he could see bright light ahead. Over there was Ataraxia’s most outer part. When Kizuna stood on the edge, blue ocean reflecting the light of the bright sun in the blue sky was spreading before him. And then nearby the horizon, a faint shadow of land could be seen.

But, a strange thing was visible above the land. A round luminous body floating in the sky.

“That’s?”

Kei manipulated her keyboard and displayed a floating window with the image of an external camera. When the image was zoomed up, it was a large magic circle floating in the sky.

{Most likely, it appears to be the magic power plant put on that area.}

“What did you say!?”

The state of Tokyo was resurrected inside Kizuna’s brain.

“Shikina-san, quickly do something to that magic power plant with this thing!”

Kizuna talked vigorously, but Kei typed on her keyboard in a clam appearance.

{That’s impossible. This thing still cannot be fired.}

“Eh? But it’s already in the level that can be test fired you said!”

{A test is possible, but it’s not on the level of practical use. The biggest reason is the lack of energy to operate this weapon. That problem hasn’t been resolved yet.}

What?

{This particle cannon needs a vast amount of electricity to fire. The problem is where to obtain that electricity.}

“That’s……if we focused all the electricity in Ataraxia then…!”

{Even so it can only supply 50% of the electricity needed. Creation of electricity storage with good efficiency and the construction of a power plant are being done urgently.}

“Shit-! There is a magic power plant in front of our eyes, and we cannot do anything……”

Kizuna once again gnawed on his powerlessness.

‘With this kind of situation, can I really save everyone?

The captured Himekawa, Yurishia, Sylvia. And then Scarlet and the others from Masters. Even while I’m doing this, perhaps they are being approached by danger.

Perhaps, they are being made to kill each other at the Colosseum just like me……furthermore, they might be faced against each other.

“SHITTTTTTTTTTTT-!”

He faced the sea and yelled with all his strength.

‘――Aine. You won’t possibly do something like that won’t you?’

He looked up at the sky ahead with the feeling as if praying.

‘Surely even now everyone of Amaterasu and Masters are being put under harsh experience, there was no doubt of that. But, do your best. Survive!’

“I will……I will for sure, COME TO SAVE YOU AAAALLLLLL-!”

Facing the blue sky where there was no one, Kizuna raised a roar of oath.

However the sky and the sea, nothing replied back to Kizuna. There was only a quiet gentle breeze fluttering Kizuna’s hair.

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>

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| Back to [[Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Masou Gakuen HxH|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 5 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 11 Chapter 2

2016-05-18T02:25:06Z

Naiwayo:

==Chapter 2 – Weak Person’s Blame(Black is the Color)==

===Part 1===

Kazuki saw a strange dream.

The dream had a vivid realism even more than the virtual reality that he had experienced with Kamimura-san ― as if he was synchronized with someone’s memory.

In reality, the dream made him think that it might be a past of sometime somewhere. No, he was convinced.

There were mountains of rubble as far as his eyes could see.

The perpetrator that brought about this destruction, that was as if it was done by a large monster, had already received damage to the degree that he almost entered magic intoxication, while feeling the sensation of the rough rubble at his back, he collapsed spread-eagled.

While that man was lying spread-eagled ― he was looking up at the opponent that had beaten up himself.

A high-statured woman that stood tall. A smart black suit. Long reaching blonde hair that beautifully and fiercely made one think of a lion’s mane. Backing the light, her face was mostly unseen.

The ferocious blonde haired woman was looking down his way while talking.

“It’s my first job since I became King but, defeating an old friend like you who was like my older brother is… karma isn’t it, Red Metallica.”

She still looked young but the echo of her voice was deep.

“Kill me…” The fallen down man ― Red answered like that.

“Before I become someone that is not me, kill me, Clark. My head is already in pieces.”

“Don’t say such a pathetic thing, Aniki.” (TN: Elder brother, or older man.)

He couldn’t see well because of the back-lighting but, he was certain that this woman who was called Clark was having a crisp smile.

“Let’s reminisce a little yeah.” The tone of the woman turned just a little familiar.

“…Both of us were supposed to be two people who didn’t have a common ground at all. I was a street child in the slums without any parents, that lived my days merely stealing randomly. You were the son of a distinguished owner of an Indian casino. But you felt doubt towards the Indian identity you were born with and came to the streets. And then you and I met. For us to strangely hit it off when we tried talking to each other, that was truly a mysterious happening but… that rotten bond didn’t continue long, I didn’t even go to school and became a gang member, and you graduated from an elite university before joining a large company at Silicon Valley… both of us becoming estranged from each other was only the natural course of events.” (TN: The rotten bond, in Japan meant an undesirable but inseparable relationship)

A tone that spoke of the past affectionately. Red lent his ears toward her talk with a gentle feeling.

“But why in the world did it become like this? In this reunion after several years I am the [King], and you… an illegal magician. This is really karma.”

“…Hearing your nostalgic voice, just for an instant, it feels like I returned to the past.”

Red talked with a hoarse voice.

“But as expected I’m at my limit already. Kill me. I doing something like this is in no way the result of <Baron Samedi>’s manipulation. In reality there was my will in that action. It was something I did with my own will in it.”

“Kidnapping white girls of very young age then using the company’s facility to repeat human experiments and then you slaughtered them wholesale… if you said that this is your own will then certainly you really are an excellent serial killer. The present time Blue Beard(Gilles de Rais).”

“…To make the sweet unification with Diva to last eternally, a mechanical body that can endure against the Diva’s encroachment and a mind expanded by pharmaceutics are necessary. If the remodeling to those girls goes well… I plan to perform the operation on myself for remodeling, but… unfortunately…”

“The modus operandi of your kidnapping was turning rougher and rougher day by day. And then finally, the authorities exposed you, where you rampaged and destroyed the city. Look around you, the splendid company headquarters where you worked at now isn’t even a shadow of itself. Did you want power that much, Aniki.”

“I wanted it, really wanted it.”

“Even though without contracting with something like a Diva, you were already a human of the elite side.”

“All along I was far weaker than even a pauper like you. Even if I had money and position, but a human that doesn’t have an identity in his heart is weak. Since the old days I hated myself. Even without getting involved with a Diva… I myself wanted to remodel my body and become [the new me].”

“For that sake, your guinea pigs are [little white girls] huh. Indeed, certainly the crime that you committed was the manifestation of your own will and desire. You red pervert.”

“Do me a favor and kill me. Even that broken me… is right now changing from the root becoming something that isn’t me. Like this my latent dark part will be exposed under broad daylight, in the end I will become the fodder of a Diva and become the enemy of the human race…”

“Even though you hate yourself, but you hate to become something that is not yourself?”

“Just that I won’t recognize. I wish to die shouldering my sin and ugliness, as myself…”

“I won’t allow that. That’s just running away. I cannot kill you, Red Metallica.”

“Run away you say? Before I become not myself, wishing to die by the hand of my dear childhood friend ― no, with the hand of the ally of justice(American Justice), you are saying that’s an escape?”

“Become my right-hand man. I’m going to get eaten soon, see… you are talking exaggeratedly like that but, if you rest for a while you can still hold out for a while right? And then hand over the data of your human experiments to my gamble. If we use people and money to advance systematically, your experiments can be implemented immediately. If we do that, you are going to become a cyborg, and you can lengthen the time to hold on to your sanity a little more.”

“…You, are you still a gang leader? You have been awakened to the power of King already.

“My days as a King is still short, I’m holding the post as gang boss and an ally of justice concurrently. Well, during that time I plan to hijack the government with my gang and unify them.”

“…Further you said that you want the data of an inhuman body remodeling you say? …Kuhaha-“

Red laughed amusedly from the bottom of his heart.

“American Justice Mythology huh… why were you chosen as King by them I wonder?”

“That’s obvious. That’s because they can’t choose the method. Unfortunately America that was an economic power once, right now is just a Mythology minor country. America won’t survive if we don’t use mafia methods. If it’s me, I’m the best in the world in that kind of field.”

“Can you win…? Not only against South America, even against the other Magic Advanced Countries too.”

“For that, first your research data and cooperation is required.”

“Aren’t you desperate? Since when did you become that kind of patriot, Clark?”

“Unexpectedly all of those poor people raised badly are patriots. No matter what kind trash those poor scoundrel are… they won’t run away from the fact that they were born and raised in America. We survived in America relying on our bodies alone ― that’s why they themselves have pride, we feel gratitude just to America. In other words, they are a [prideful] bunch. The sole important thing that I have.”

“Pride huh… Since I was a brat until now, the more I grew into an adult the more I lost that. And then now I’m being eaten by a Diva…”

“Don’t run away. That’s what I’m saying as running away. Fight. Fight, recover your pride. Become my right-hand man, devote yourself until your real limit for this country. Remodel your whole body into a machine until the extreme, stab electrodes into your brain and reinforce your brain unshakably, if by doing that you still cannot get away from the Diva, then until you become raving mad, until your real breaking point, use up yourself for the sake of the Stars and Stripes! Fight until there is not even a single scrap left! You can be killed by someone… only after you become a real messed-up cripple.”

Kazuki who was immersed in the dream world, was back to himself only in that instant from his shock.

The Red Metallica that Kazuki knew was… a human that he absolutely couldn’t forgive. Every single word that he spouted out, was truly preposterous.

That was why Kazuki fought and defeated Red. Red died due to machine breakdown.

Perhaps this dream, if it was truly a past that had really happened ― then Red had truly ended up like this woman’s prediction.

The one who was assigned the role as the god of death, was Kazuki.

But this scene, was it the [moment where evil was born by mistake]?

The woman continued with strong words.

“Die as the hero of this country’s defense, die as a madman that won’t be praised by anyone of this country!”

“…How harsh. That’s surely… very tough huh.”

“America is in that much of a pinch right now. It’s completely covered in a pitch black destiny. Since I became King, the more I comprehend the situation, I know… this country only has a one in a thousand chance of victory. In my hopeless bet to become the world’s strongest… it’s necessary to work out every single plan possible. This is the way the gang works.”

Slavery. Alchemy that converted human minds into wealth.

An absolute capitalism country that became stronger the richer it was.

What Kazuki found unacceptable and rejected ― the muddy black hidden side of the resplendent America.

But was this scene really the [moment where evil was born by mistake]? Was the woman’s deed evil?

“America is it… Certainly even though I hate everything, I have never thought of leaving this country. Was there something definite even in me? Just like the Indians in the past that loved the earth… I too, towards this country, towards America”

“Now stand up. Right now, you too had lost everything except your own body and America. That’s including your given moral sense. From now on, you are going to fight without choosing your method. Take my hand!”

Red’s body was heavy like mud. Most of the mental area of his brain was all destroyed, he devoted all of the little part that still functioned sanely to his conversation with Clark. But Red mustered a willpower that seemed as if pulverizing his soul and raised his left arm. That woman ― Clark grasped that hand tightly. It was the soft hand of a woman, but it was a terrifyingly heated hand.

A resolve to not give a damn whatever method he chose ― a jet black will was burning inside him.

“…Which reminds me, this is also a difficult topic but, it seems like in South America my little sister has also become the Indian Mythology’s King.”

Clark changed the topic completely. Her tone was easy but mixed with a deep sigh just a little.

“Since a long time ago she was completely immersed in things like yoga, spiritual, occultism and so on saying absurd things like [discovering the origin of magic power in the cosmos of oneself] and whatever, that fickle otaku girl is the King of Indian Mythology, can you imagine? Even though I was going as far as stealing to earn tuition for her, just when I thought if she was hanging out with a strange group that felt organic in the school, what in the world did she learn from them? During the time I was busy she ran wild towards a preposterous direction.”

“Eimi is…?”

When he called that name, Red’s voice tone was colored with a completely different emotion than what could be felt from him until now.

“It seems the founder-sama of a religious sect in South America that introduced herself with a nonsense name like [Medicine Wheel] is that girl. That’s based from the investigation of the guys from my organization. What the hell, Clark and Eimi, what absurd sisters we are. Even though I did my best industriously like this, that girl denied the whole human race’s self and is trying to return everything to Mother Nature, dragging all of the Americans and American culture in it.”

“Denial of self huh.. .that’s completely… running away alright.”

“Before that girl really becomes a part of Mother Nature, we’ve got to win in our battle against the Indians. You, in the past you liked that girl right?”

*KAA―*…Kazuki who was watching the dream was filled with the feeling of shame that floated in Red’s chest and head from his synchronization.

Clark laughed a little in jest.

“How’s that? You too now want to do your best until your last right? Now, stand up. For America, fight until your body, your heart, even your morals turns into ashes…”

―Kazuki woke up at the same time with Lotte.

Leme was lying down between the two of them, but this girl didn’t show any sign that she would wake up yet.

Inside the room that was still dark, Kazuki and Lotte were staring at each other in confusion.

“Kazuki-oniisan, I, saw a weird dream. Red Metallica came out in it…”

“So you too Lotte? No way this is a coincidence right?”

Kazuki reflexively stared at his hand luggage that he put at his bedside. He had secretly stored Red’s goggle inside the student bag. When they dealt with all the traces at that fortress, for some reason he became concerned with it and brought it back. While hiding them from the people in the hotel, sometimes he observed the construction of the machine in his own way, but…

“Does it react with our mind?”

Lotte murmured. Lotte who was too excellent in Telepathy magic and unconsciously Telepathized with other people was beside him, that was why that possibility was also the first one that came into Kazuki’s mind.

The residual thought that dwelled inside the deceased Red’s article was reacting with Lotte, then through his bond with Lotte, Kazuki also saw the dream… Unconsciously his spine shuddered. To be connected by Telepathy with something that was left behind inside the deceased’s article was just creepy.

Since magic appeared in this world, an argument that [might ghosts possibly exist] had become popular.

Mental power possessed powers of physical influence and could be manifested, it was hard to deny that existence.

Not to mention in the other countries that had become religious countries, even Japan that was a civilization country and then most likely even America, the number of people that advocated spiritual ideology increased rapidly.

There was the foundation for that from the fact that scientism which attached too much importance to reasoning couldn’t bring happiness to society at the deathbed in the previous era where magic still didn’t exist.

By believing the existence of a soul and the world after death, the number of humans that ran away from the unhappiness of reality increased.

But despite having obtained the power of magic at great pains, making the power of magic as the foundation and entrusting their wishes to the world after death, in the end was such an interpretation of the world a correct one he wondered.

[Denial of self huh… that’s completely… running away right.]

Red’s words from the dream flashed inside Kazuki’s head. His appearance was completely like a different person from the Red that Kazuki encountered. The vestiges of madness was still thinner than what he showed to Kazuki… there was also an aspect of him that showed embarrassment from the name of the girl called Eimi.

The figure that Kazuki saw in reality ― was that the result of resisting until his limit, the mere shadow of his former self after being driven mad until the limit.

He had carried out the ideal of North America’s King.

Was it correct, or was it mistaken.

“Just as we thought… this country is really sad desu…”

Lotte murmured to herself.

It was neither correct nor mistaken, but sad.

That was the most appropriate expression to express this feeling that blocked his chest right now.

===Part 2===

And then, it was the breakfast time in hotel Yggdrasil that they had repeated many times.

“Somehow there is an inconsistency in the chef’s cooking last night and this morning isn’t it?”

Hikaru-senpai that was strangely sharp in some aspects pointed out while chewing her food.

It seemed that everyone around him also felt it somehow and they nodded.

“Aren’t they trying out alchemic cooking?” Kazuki answered.

Yesterday morning Kazuki put into practice preparing American style food with alchemic cooking where he then introduced it to the chefs here, that might be the cause. But their control of magic power was still not perfect and the completed cooking was not uniform.

Having said that the result was better by doing it with alchemic cooking rather than by not using it, so it didn’t mean that the chefs were making the customers their guinea pigs.

“As expected Nii-sama’s cooking is the best, rather Nii-sama himself is the best!”

“Don’t say things as if you are hungering for me.”

“Nii-sama plate where sashimi is served on top of Nii-sama’s naked body… Nii-sama cake where fresh cream and fruits are decorated on Nii-sama… those cannot be realized, except in dreams!”

“That’s it! …Let’s do that after this.” Kaguya-senpai said that with a serious face while everyone around also nodded simultaneously.

Wait everyone, wait a second. You all are stepping into madness you know?

“I’m not going to do something like that okay―!”

Kanon-senpai stood up energetically and yelled.

“If you are going to do that kind of thing than you can put sashimi or fresh cream or whatever on top the nude body of this history strongest former student council president Kanon-sama instead―☆”

“Abstain―” “Abstain♪” “Abstain please.”

Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, and Koyuki, those three poured out vehement booing at Kanon-senpai, making her sit back in dejection.

“…Come to think of it Kanon-senpai, where is Akane-senpai?”

“If it’s her, right now she is going for her routine check of Queen Kaguya, she hasn’t come back yet.”

“It’s strange for her that she still hasn’t come back until the breakfast.”

“She might be stopping somewhere on the way. Perhaps she found a café that has delicious sweets or an interesting toy shop, then she secretly hustle without telling anyone, no doubt about that-☆”

“There is no way she would do that, she is not Kanon-senpai.”

“Mugii―, talking like you know anything! Even though you still don’t know about me that well!”

Kanon-senpai suddenly picked up a mini tomato from her salad with her fingers and threw it at Kazuki.

…To do outrageous thing so suddenly!

Kazuki immediately read the trajectory of the flying mini tomato and caught it in his mouth with a snap before chewing it noisily. “What!?” looking at Kanon-senpai whose eyes were wide open, Kazuki clapped his hand and provoked her “Hey, hey, heeey!” “You punk-☆” Kanon-senpai further picked another mini tomato, then boiled egg and sausage too before throwing them. Kazuki caught them altogether with his mouth and enjoyed it deliciously, not wasting the food.

When Kazuki showed a broad grin, Kanon-senpai also grinned broadly.

“Fuh-…you are quite good. But don’t think that I will recognize you as the greatest in the Knight Academy with just this much! But I’ll recognize you as the rival of this me-☆”

A heart mark of positivity level-up flew at him airily from Kanon-senpai.

“…Kazuki is the same level as Kanon-senpai.”

Hikaru-senpai’s eyes turned into dot.

“Even though fundamentally Otouto-kun is a serious child, but sometimes he shows absurd moods and reactions doesn’t he? Saying ‘hey, hey, hey’ like that…”

Feeling astounded gazes from everyone to him, Kazuki immediately justified himself.

“This kind of mood is because since I was small I was raised doing brother-sister manzai with Kanae. The fault comes from that. That my tension gets completely raised when an outrageous idiot comes, is because of Kanae’s fault.”

“Nii-sama!? Please don’t talk of me as if I’m the root of all evil! From the start Nii-sama is a superbly happy person you know!!”

Kuh-, he didn’t want his childishness where he completely got fired up in the spur of the moment to be recognized…!

At that time the door of the dining hall was opened, Akane-senpai and Mary entered inside at the same time.

Both of them raised their voice “Kazuki!” at the same time.

And then they looked at each other before Akane-senpai gave up her turn saying, “Please, you first.”

“Well then,” Saying that Mary looked right at Kazuki.

Mary Mayweather Junior. Along with Virginia Dance(Ginny), they were upper echelons of the North American Knight Order and also comrades that agreed with Kazuki’s thinking to betray the King of North America.

“Kazuki, the preparation for the meeting with King is finished.”

The group turned noisy. Kazuki too unintentionally felt nervous on his back.

…Finally huh. However, what kind of preparation that was needed for something like this?

Was it about how much Kazuki could be trusted, were they finally finished collecting proof and information?

Or perhaps they detected signs of South America coming in to attack and so called to meet in panic?

“Understood. When and where?”

“When King stays in Las Vegas, she stays in Las Vegas’ oldest hotel [Flamingo]. It was the hotel that was built by the legendary gangster [Bugsy]. Right now, it’s the meeting place for the upper echelon guys… the nine close aide of King, the [Numbers]. After a bit longer, come with me to go there.”

“She respected the gang even though she is the king?” Kaguya-senpai tilted her head.

Mary laughed and answered “Bugsy is like the person that is the ancestor of Las Vegas after all.”

Kazuki recalled the dream that he saw this morning ― the America’s King who ascended from the gang even now still acted like a gangster.

A woman who didn’t care what method she used for the sake of her objective. A woman that possessed a peculiar aesthetic.

Continuing after Mary, Akane-senpai opened her mouth.

“There was a contact from Japan to Queen Kaguya. Germany is moving. In order to talk directly with you, right now the Basileus of Germany is heading to America it said.”

…That’s unexpected, Kazuki felt his spine shudder.

It was simultaneous. At the same time, the situation began to move from two directions in one go.

If he could say what he wanted, then it was to make clear of what Germany was going to do from here on, and only after that he wanted to meet the King of America. But the events couldn’t develop in that order.

Around an hour after the breakfast finished, Mary and Ginny came to Kazuki’s room and called him “The preparation is finished, come along.”

Kazuki gave a call and gathered all his comrades in his own room.

“Does everyone plan to go?” Mary’s eyes turned round.

“We also need bodyguards right? After all there is a chance that if we show our faces alone we will be ganged up on and beaten up.”

Besides, thinking from the other side’s position that was not a bad idea actually.

Someone who couldn’t be trusted as an ally but it would be bad if they sided with the Indians. If they concluded as such, then it was possible that Kazuki and co. would be tricked and eliminated.

His gathered comrades had a chilly nervous atmosphere hanging around them. Seems like only a few among them had the readiness to proceed toward battle after this. However Ginny smiled wryly.

“I think it will be okay. Kazuki can trust me and Mary, in our group we are the side that insisted that we should join hands together in order to beat the Indians.”

Ginny said that and then Mary continued after her saying “Believe us.”

“Thank you, Mary, Ginny.”

From the beginning Mary and Ginny held animosity towards slavery, and when they knew about Kazuki’s thinking, they promised to cooperate with Kazuki. In short they wouldn’t betray North America, but they only betrayed the King alone. …If they really cooperated with Kazuki for real.

Kazuki believed the humanity of the both of them. …However he also couldn’t believe them 100%, it was a difficult position for him. It would be endless if he started jumping at shadows.

The other party that who he would meet after this, was a woman that didn’t hesitate no matter what method she used…

Since before the meeting, Kazuki already had a presentiment of a steel-like impression for that woman.

Kazuki and his group exited hotel Yggdrasil and headed to hotel Flamingo that was located in the south of the strip. They could immediately see the hotel’s majestic appearance.

The historical hotel kept its trademark of a pink flamingo and a palm garden even though it had been mostly reconstructed because of deterioration from old age.

The hotel that was named [Flamingo] from the nickname of Virginia Hill, the lover of the legendary gangster, had its outer wall shaped round with lustrous light pink color, it was a sexy atmosphere while also giving off a feeling of liberation. Saying it in a strange way, it had the feel of a love hotel with southern country taste added in it, making it a hundred times more gorgeous.

When they went through the gate and traversed the courtyard, there were real flamingos walking around leisurely.

“Otouto-kun, that’s, that’s cute!”

“The two flamingos are facing each other and their long necks look like a heart shape isn’t it?”

“It’s true-! Otouto-kun is romantic!!”

“But senpai is cuter than even those flamingos, surely senpai is even more beautiful than Virginia Hill.”

“What are you saying Otouto-kun~, geez~!”

Kaguya-senpai’s cheeks reddened with a puff and then she hit Kazuki’s shoulder repeatedly.

Looking at Kazuki like that, from the side Hikaru-senpai was,

“For Kazuki who got carried away, Flamingo Attack!!”

Hikaru-senpai stuck out her right hand and propped it at her lips imitating a beak, then that beak attacked Kazuki repeatedly.

“What’s with these guys.” Shouko was looking at them ridiculously. Don’t look here with that eye.

Ginny was looking at them with a lukewarm smile.

“If we have to classify hotel Flamingo, it’s a hotel that’s popular for families.”

Palm trees were growing thick in the courtyard, there flamingos were released and left to their devices. The hotel’s wall that were opposite of the courtyard was glass sided, allowing the customers that ate at the restaurant to watch the flamingos of the courtyard while enjoying their meal. Certainly it was something intended for a family, an enjoyable arrangement.

However for the King to stay at a hotel whose business was intended for families made for a curious gap.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.11 160.jpg|thumb]]

“It looks like there is no security at all though.”

When they entered the entrance, Akane-senpai asked in curiosity.

“King and all the close aides are in full force here after all, security is unnecessary.”

Hearing Mary’s reply, Akane-senpai pressed her forehead with her hand and hung her head down.

“…I’m acting stupid again from being taken by common sense. That’s right isn’t it, even Kazuki usually doesn’t have any security at all staying in the Witch’s Mansion, isn’t it?”

Kings were carefree because they were supreme beings. Just like how Arthur and Regina also came to Japan alone.

The number of people were few, but after this the Basileus of Japan and North America were going to meet face to face leading their respective elites, that was why it was the same as two large armies facing one another.

Everyone rode the elevator and ascended to the highest floor.

The highest floor where they got off was a monotone floor where everything was made from marble. It was wide, but there were only five rooms. There was a large door of a huge room when they exited the elevator, then there were two rooms each at the sides.

Mary and Ginny pushed open from the front the left and right of the large double doors.

The heavy doors opened with a creaking sound.

The sight made one vaguely reminded of the [audience room] of western castles.

Of course there was no antiquated throne inside the room―in the center of the huge room, there was a large marble table. At the seat located directly across the entrance, a lone woman was sitting. The black suits wrapped on her body really made one feel the gangster atmosphere. This woman, was King.

Behind her were six women standing by. When Kazuki and co. entered the room, Mary and Ginny closed the door and joined the six women. Originally there were nine people, but after losing Red the [Numbers] became eight people.

The sitting King purposely didn’t stand up and met her eyes with Kazuki. Seemed like she was someone that didn’t particularly like things like manners or diplomacy etiquette.

Being prompted by that gaze, Kazuki also sat at the opposite seat wordlessly.

It was a hard marble chair without cushion. There was only a single chair at the table. Kazuki’s companions were standing by behind Kazuki like the Numbers at the other side.

To prepare just two chairs, was she saying that the talk itself was just between the two Basileus?

“Clark Moore. America’s King.”

The woman sitting in front of him talked with a dignified and lustrous voice like marble.

She was the very same person as the woman he saw in the dream.

In the dream her face couldn’t be seen clearly from the back-lighting, but ― she was a woman with intensity.

Her face was well-ordered, but because she was too intense she didn’t feel like a beauty. She was a different quality human ― she felt like a female wild animal. However she kept her cool with her fierceness hidden inside.

Her blonde hair that was like a mane reminded him of a lion. She had a rough hairstyle, but the glossiness of her blond hair was sparkling like pure gold.

Her skin was pure white but ― there was a large scar on her face. It was the proof that she had a rough life since she was but a little girl with immature magic power.

Her sharp eyes were staring at Kazuki straightforwardly but, she was expressionless as if staring at empty air. It was completely like a sculpture made from marble.

However if her scar was hidden by makeup, her hairstyle changed, and her face showed a smile, surely her impression would change completely. Kazuki had a basis for thinking that.

“I’m Hayashizaki Kazuki. …So you are not a hotel-keeper are you?”

Kazuki was lost whether to match the other in talking casually or talk politely but, in the end he talked in a way that was easy for him to talk.

“Aah, that’s right, this is not our first meeting.” Clark answered without changing her expression at all.

This woman was… that hotel-keeper who appeared at the end of his date with Kamimura-san and threw him an extremely dangerous question to probe him.

“My bad for that time. I wanted to try talking to you once.”

Even though the talk would be easier if she would just show a smile or shyness even for a little but she was not.

“Then I wonder if there was a deep meaning in the question that time?”

“Yeah, I understood that you are someone who didn’t let your guard down from the conversation that time. The nastiest kind of guy.”

As if stabbing at him with a naked blade, Clark said out hostile words.

“What do you mean?”

Kazuki too played dumb without changing his expression.

“Anyway, guest from Japan, my thanks for expressing your cooperation with us.”

“Of course, so you are going to accept our help then?”

“But of course. Surely everyone’s cooperation will become a decisive card to break the rivalry of the South and North.”

Clark didn’t behave modestly at all. As if she had seen through that there was no possibility of Kazuki and his group to side with South America.

“We will show you that we will be useful to end the war without fail. We cannot overlook the destruction they bring to the town and the people.”

“Thank you.” Clark answered without even a smile.

“Well then it might be too sudden but let’s talk about the future. First can you share the information about South America… those Indians? How much do you know about them?”

Kazuki talked about everything that he knew.

“They have an ideology to aim for becoming one with Mother Nature by throwing away the self of all the human races, then they have the special characteristic where the more death they bring about, that death will become the power of the Mythology… that’s as far as I understand it.”

Becoming one with Mother Nature meant to die.

Therefore they didn’t fear death, the more death there were, their strength increased. They also killed their opponents.

“That recognition is true. I’ll add more to that… the name of the Indian Basileus is [Medicine Wheel]. It’s not the real name but a mnemonic name. [All creation become one, circling without beginning or end, therefore one must not have attachment to oneself], that saying for them is the meaning of the world principle.”

It matched with what he saw in the dream. In other words that was the little sister of this Clark. The family of this marble-like woman… such thing was beyond his imagination, but in the dream Red showed a smile and easy tone regarding her.

“And then the important thing… the ability to turn death into power is attached with demerit. Those guys have ideology that aim for unification with Mother Nature, but the Basileus of the Indians completely embodied that ideology. With the faith and the more the Mythology’s power increases due to death, the Indian Basileus is unifying with Mother Nature… she was restrained to the earth and became unable to move from her spot.”

“…!? Is that true? How can you ascertain such a thing?”

The Indian Basileus was located deep inside their stronghold, but with how their war front was currently in a struggle for supremacy, ascertaining that figure was supposed to be difficult.

In order to answer that question, Clark first added the explanation regarding the enemy’s headquarters.

“At the southern tip of Great Plains, [Texas]’s capital… no, those guys don’t do anything like setting up a [city]. Their headquarters, or rather their stronghold is located there. In that grasslands area, there is a jungle that is growing luxuriantly with shape like an overturned bowl. Its size is around the same scale like this dome city Las Vegas. This jungle is exactly the famous holy land in Indian Mythology, [Wakan Tanka]. At its center part, there is a huge baobab tree towering high like the world tree. In its trunk, Medicine Wheel is unifying with Mother Nature as if she is being crucified. It seems like her wrists and ankles are buried.”

One of the Numbers that was standing by behind Clark showed a pose spreading out both her arms as if giving example. Without even looking back, Clark waved her hand as if saying that there was no need to do that.

“You talk as if you have seen it yourself.”

“Until now we had sent more than a hundred people to scout, one of the spies accidentally managed to breakthrough until that far and witnessed the sight, he then managed to return back. Other than that guy there was no one else that came back home.”

More than a hundred people…! Kazuki unintentionally gulped.

They didn’t return. Was there a chance that they were treated as prisoners…

“I guess they were unified with Mother Nature already.”

Clark talked as if seeing through inside Kazuki’s heart. The prisoners were probably massacred.

More than a hundred deaths. War… he understood that but he couldn’t really feel it.

By the blessing of defensive magic power, there was almost no deaths that came out from the war between Japan and Yamato.

Even though it was the same civil war but this side was far more gruesome. The Indians who slaughtered prisoner were also merciless, but… Clark that understood that yet continued to send spies was also merciless.

“Thanks to that meritorious feat, we could confirm that Medicine Wheel won’t participate personally in the invasion. That’s an information that’s worth the life of a hundred people right?”

Certainly it was a valuable information. For the Basileus to be unable to come out to the front line was a big handicap ― however in that one point Clark was supposed to be similar. Ginny had said that Clark’s ability was [consumable type]. The more that power was used, it would diminish and couldn’t be recovered easily.

American Justice Mythology became stronger the more wealth they acquired. Most likely Clark’s [King’s Authority] was also like that. Clark became stronger the wealthier the country was, he didn’t understand in what kind of form she became stronger, but the more she fought the more the wealth of the country decreased and the whole part of the Mythology would also weaken.

Whether it was American Justice Mythology or Indian Mythology, they amplified the original strength of the Mythology by carrying some demerit.

If they could make use of it skillfully they should be able to overturn the difference of strength with the other Mythologies.

“Medicine Wheel won’t appear on the battlefield with her focusing just on defense. Therefore our current enemy are Medicine Wheel’s close aides―the seven battle Chiefs.”

Kazuki had met one of those [Chiefs], Crazy Horse where he had actually talked with her.

There was no hierarchical relationship in Indian society, but the people who had some kind of field they specialized in carried out the role to teach and guide their surrounding people in that field. That was the Chief.

So he guessed that the expert in battle was this Combat Chief.

“The strength of those Chiefs unfortunately surpass my close aides the Numbers.”

Behind Clark there were eight close aides standing by including Mary and Ginny. Originally it seemed that there were nine people, but ― with Red Metallica gone right now the Numbers had eight people.

Clark continued her story. Her expression didn’t change at all, her sharp gaze kept staring straightforwardly at Kazuki without any wavering. Kazuki was constantly receiving a feeling of oppression. While conversing, he felt he was being observed by an unshakable will.

“There is a strong barrier put up at the holy land [Wakan Tanka], making all kind of magic power invalid. All the spies that tried to infiltrate there were stripped bare of their magic power, that was why it was only obvious they couldn’t survive and come back… Looking at the wavelength of that barrier’s magic power, most likely it was something the seven Chiefs put up. If we defeat all the Chiefs, surely the barrier will naturally vanish. As long as this barrier doesn’t disappear, our side won’t be able to attack the holy land.”

“So in other words, first we have to assault and defeat these Chiefs then.”

Crazy Horse was at the battle that Kazuki witnessed before but these Chiefs were showing their figure elusively at all battlefields. Even if they tried to aim for these Chiefs, they couldn’t detect at all in which area of South America’s nature they were hiding at.

North America was constantly forced to the defensive stance while protecting their cities.

”I wanted to immediately come out in an attack, but this is unfortunate.”

Kazuki was talking with enthusiastic words before but this was his true opinion. He wanted to clear away the dark clouds whirling above this American continent for even a second faster, he also couldn’t leave Japan unprotected for long.

Clark shook her head.

“But now that it has come to this I think that it’s not a long stretch anymore. South America should already know that the reinforcements from Japan has allied with our side. You also made an appearance at the other side right?”

Kazuki nodded. His face was saying ‘We didn’t make any detour though, we also know nothing about the factory or Red.’

“The battle strength of our side has increased in one go. Until now the Indians were dispersed on a wide range in similar numbers to attack us, but now, even with the other areas staying even with the Indians just like until now, they will definitely have the tables turned on them here at Las Vegas. The thing the other side feared the most is to have their battle strength crushed one by one.”

“In other words… the Indians plan to gather and attack next time with all their battle strength?”

“I estimate that it will become like that. Surely those guys will have all seven of the Chiefs lead their whole army and attack. Most likely it will be on this Las Vegas.”

“And at that chance we will turn the table, and destroy the barrier.”

“Exactly. I want to have everyone from Japan along with Numbers to crush these numbers. If the barrier is broken, I will also participate and attack the holy land [Wakan Tanka].”

“…Wait a second, you are not going out to the battlefield yourself and just make the Basileus of your alliance partner to bear the brunt of the all-out war? If we lose then it’s the end of your side’s all-out war right?”

After the all-out war it would be the attack to the enemy’s stronghold… of course the one that would be the fiercer battle from those two was supposed to be the first all-out war. Clark shook her head acting as if it was really regretful. For the first time her pressuring gaze was off just for an instant.

“Because of the circumstance of my King’s Authority, I won’t go out to the battlefield carelessly.”

“What kind of Authority is that?”

“Of course I cannot say that.”

Of course Kazuki didn’t think that she would give the answer. If Ginny’s words wasn’t a lie, Kazuki already had a prediction of what it might be, however, just because of that didn’t mean he could stay quiet.

Kazuki imagined himself fighting formidable enemies while behind him this Clark was watching fixedly at his back. It was a chilling thought.

“I cannot say it but, it’s a type of Authority that will have repercussions later if I use its power too much. If I don’t constantly preserve my power, you will be able to do whatever you please to this country right?”

For the first time Clark showed her expression while saying that, she grinned broadly in provocation.

‘This woman…’, inside his heart Kazuki regretted bitterly. She didn’t have any intention at all to fight together shoulder-to-shoulder. Far from his side making a careless mistake, she was frankly directing suspicion at them.

“I’m not proposing cooperation from selfish desire to do as I please towards America!”

“What sincere words huh.” She talked with a mocking tone mixed in it.

Of course Kazuki was… harboring the treacherous thought of wanting to dispose of this Clark from the seat of North America’s King because he couldn’t tolerate North America’s slavery.

He was going to make North America win while searching for the timing to betray Clark and defeat her. That was Kazuki’s objective but… sure enough how should he advance the talk to smooth this?

Even though at the very least they had to first cooperate with each other in order to win against South America…

At that time there was a flurried sound from the back, the door opened.

Without any knocking, a knight of America barged inside.

“King, it’s an emergency!”

“What is it, so noisy.”

The knight stole a glance at Kazuki and co. in worry. Clark shook her head.

“It’s okay to not pay any attention to these guys and talk. They are allies after all.”

“Ma’am! A woman that introduced herself as Germany’s Basileus is violating our territory with frightening speed, she is already above the land. However there is no sign of her inflicting harm to our side. She is looking for a meeting with King!”

‘She is coming right now at this timing?’, Kazuki thought dumbfoundedly.

Even Kazuki, that knew that Germany was coming, was startled, yet Clark didn’t even show any surprised expression hearing the report. This woman… was she really made from stone or metal?

“So after the Basileus-sama of Japan and Britain, now it’s Germany. Well, that’s fine. Bring her here courteously.”

“Ma’am!” Giving out a sharp response, the knight turned back on his heel and exited the room.

“Even though I made you guys wait for long, but giving out immediate reply like this to Germany, sorry for that, but…”

Clark was grinning provocatively again.

“Seems like she is you guys’ company right? I’ll deal with all of you altogether.”

The door was quietly opened. That woman was gracefully entering inside the room.

“Nice to meet you all, everyone. I am called Hrotsvit Lesedrama. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

If Clark Moore was heavily calm like a marble, this woman was softly calm like silk floss. She was smiling at Arthur “Long time no see, Arthur” like a blooming flower, and then she also turned her gaze at Beatrix.

“Beatrix too, it’s good that you seem energetic.”

“Ma’am-!” Beatrix replied with an unusual nervous feeling floating from her.

She was a gorgeous woman that was far removed from what came to mind from the word [Basileus].

She was wearing a calming deep blue robe with a veil put on her head, giving off an austere appearance. She was holding some kind of long staff, only her silver hair that spilled out from the veil was dazzling like platinum.

Her eyes were thinly giving off a mysterious silver color.

Together with the gentleness that could be felt from her tone, her atmosphere seemed like a pious nun.

“I’m Hayashizaki Kazuki.” Kazuki stood up and greeted her.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki… that’s a good name. In Norse Mythology a tree symbolized a strong warrior.”

Clark gave off instructions to the knight that led Hrotsvit here.

“She should have things she wants to talk about. Prepare a chair.”

On the other hand Arthur was kept standing. It seemed that for Clark, a chair was purely and rationally offered based on whether the other side had something to talk or not. It was not something to express etiquette or respect.

Arthur too didn’t seem to hold discontent with that, but leaving him aside Hrotsvit was courteously saying “Thank you very much” and sat on the brought chair.

Hrotsvit sat at the right side. The gaze affixed at Kazuki changed. Now Clark was staring fixedly at Hrotsvit rather than Kazuki. On the other hand Hrotsvit was… as if ignoring that gaze of Clark, she was staring fixedly at Kazuki. Kazuki was alternately looking at the two.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.11 173.jpg|thumb]]

“I came here to cooperate in this battle.” Hrotsvit faced Kazuki and opened her mouth.

And then with her voice tone keeping its calm, devastating words continued from that.

“This is a wonderful event. When the battle ends, we will divide America evenly between Japan and Germany won’t we? And it looks like the land has been already divided into two just right, I love nature, so I’m fine with South America and the South American continent you know. As for you all, how about taking North America and Canada?”

The queen of Norse Mythology kept her gaze away from Clark, with her calm voice tone, and her unchanging peaceful expression ― she demolished the atmosphere of the room.

Hrotsvit Lesedrama completely ignored the country called America.

She treated them as if they were nothing from the start, as just a worthless fiction.

―With a shudder, Clark’s atmosphere changed. Her expression was cold like marble without any change. But the thin aura of magic power she was clad in flared up like flames from the raise of emotions she couldn’t suppress.

Even the Numbers were shaken. “…You bastard!” One person raised her voice.

“The ladies standing at the corner are directing aggressive intent towards us, but is it fine for me to attack them? I will kill and offer them like broken flower stalk though.”

“Stop it.” Clark commanded the Numbers behind her.

“Please do that. When the battle is over all of you will be entered into Hayashizaki Kazuki’s rank of subordinates right? Let’s not throw away life meaninglessly.”

“Just wait a second, I don’t have any intention of that. I want to respect America to stay America. I don’t have any desire for any territory. I have respect for this country.”

Kazuki flusteredly interjected into Hrotsvit’s audaciousness.

“Oh? Then what is your objective?”

“Japan is opposing Loki. He is a Diva from your Mythology. Even though Loki is a Diva of the Chaos Side he joins hands with China and Russia, right now he was turning into a threat towards Japan… no, towards all Magic Advanced Countries. I want America to become an ally for opposing them. That’s my only wish.”

Hearing Kazuki’s serious appeal, Clark moved her strong gaze from Hrotsvit to Kazuki.

“Seems like you are saying your true feelings just now.” Clark murmured who knew how much of her true feeling in it.

“Then you and Arthur are telling me to cooperate in a battle where there is no plunder that can be obtained? You are telling this me, the Basileus of Norse Mythology ‘don’t plunder’?”

“For the sake of opposing the threat to the world.”

“I understand that there is a need to gather into one in order to oppose Loki’s threat. However rather than making America into an ally, I think it’s more advantageous to use them as a plundering target though.”

“This is not a problem of loss and gain.”

“I like battle, but I dislike battle where there is nothing to gain. Putting aside battle to show your honor as a warrior, pillage is necessary. Please allow me to plunder. After all at the end of wholesome plunder, eventually all the human race will be gathered under the protection of Norse Mythology.”

She couldn’t be talked with.

But… he also couldn’t say that he didn’t have any will at all to concede her wish.

Among the cooperating countries the one who was the most proactive to participate in the battle of America was Japan. But it didn’t have the position to say to Germany that it was not allowed to pillage without listening the other side’s wish.

After all if Kazuki couldn’t earn cooperation from Germany, he had to go back home to Japan.

Most likely Hrotsvit understood everything and so she acted like this. For Clark and also for Kazuki, whether Hrotsvit cooperated or not was an Achilles heel.

The one who controlled this place was Hrtosvit, she indirectly insisted her opinion using her violent nature in a roundabout way. …Kazuki thought because she was Damian and Beatrix’s boss that she would be more like a hearty warrior but, the one who came seemed similar to them, yet a completely different type.

Now that he thought back Odin was a god that had a completely different personality than Thor. Odin was similar with Thor in that they liked battle, but he was known as a god that won battle using strategy rather than head on battle.

“Hrotsvit.” Suddenly Arthur called on her name.

Kazuki also looked back. Arthur didn’t say anything more than that and he was staring at Hrotsvit with strong eyes. The voice he was calling with, also his thrown gaze, both were sharp like a fired arrow.

“…If you also plan to participate in the talk, do I need to prepare a chair?”

Clark called out from her chair.

“No thank you. There is no need for more words than this. I am here as nothing more than Hayashizaki Kazuki’s addition.”

Hrotsvit negated her smile and showed a pondering expression for a while. And then,

“If that person Arthur Basileus went as far as insisting that he is just an addition, then I’ll go along with it for now. I’ll hear your real intention later on. …Well then, please continue your discussion before I came here. The talk for the sake of winning the war.”

Hrotsvit said that and smiled once more. However, as usual, that smile was ignoring Clark.

However this Hrotsvit, she made light of Clark too much.

American Mythology was weak. However she recognized that weakness, consequently she was a crafty King that was resolute in using any kind of method available. ‘There is no one more unpleasant than this woman to make into an enemy’, Kazuki thought.

It couldn’t be helped for Kazuki to think of her as the number one monster in this place.

That Clark opened her mouth.

“Now then… what talk I wonder. If I remember right the talk of the plan for the battle after this was finished. All the Chiefs of South America are going to attack here leading their army. My North American Knight Order and Japan’s reinforcement will intercept them. After winning that all-out war the seal of the holy land will be unbound and we will immediately attack there. If we have talked that far, there is nothing more that needs to be discussed.”

“Don’t play dumb. That talk is still not over yet.”

Kazuki interjected. Before he realized he had lost the will to use polite language against these guys.

“We absolutely cannot accept that you yourself won’t come out to the battlefield. In the first place the information that Medicine Wheel is really unable to move hasn’t been ascertained yet isn’t it? I think there is not enough guarantee that we can treat this war as a settled matter like that.”

There was also a possibility that Clark lied to Kazuki. Kazuki glared to Clark, his eyes saying that ‘I’m doubting that here’. There was a basis for Kazuki’s suspicion. He had justification for it.

“Certainly it’s just like what you said huh. …There is not enough proof to decide that she cannot move.”

Clark was unexpectedly opening her eyes wide.

“Also… that’s right huh. You have already conveyed from your heart enough that you are going to fight for the sake of this country. Certainly if after that I’m saying that I’m not going to fight it’s lacking in manners. That’s not fair. At the all-out battle, let’s do exactly just as the words imply, an all-out battle with me also going out to the battle.”

Perhaps she thought to make Kazuki into a wall against the threat called Hrotsvit. Clark made a complete change and softened her attitude. Kazuki agreed and nodded. Then Hrotsvit interjected.

“Well then, I’ll go home to Germany and prepare for Loki, China, and Russia. That’s the form of my cooperation, adieu.”

Saying that nonchalantly, Hrotsvit stood up.

Kazuki reflexively ‘This woman…’ glared at her. What she was saying was correct, but even though she had already insisted for her own privileges until that far and not giving any help in his argument for the King’s involvement in battle, she just so easily proclaimed that she would return home, as expected it made him angry.

However Clark was already in a state that stopped paying attention to Hrotsvit and ignored her.

“I’m sending scouts to South America to probe. When we catch their attack timing, I’ll let you know immediately. Until then… just enjoy Las Vegas as you’ve done until now. Everyone is our important guests here.”

Clark settled the talk saying that and finished the discussion.

===Part 3===

“Skyscrapers that make one think of the Tower of Babel, mechanical vehicles that fly, tearing across the sky… this is a city that gives form to people’s greed and pride. It makes one unable to calm down a little, doesn’t it, Beatrix.”

“Tha…that’s right isn’t it? Still I came to get used to it though.”

“You must not get used to it you know.”

When they exited Hotel Flamingo, Hrotsvit looked up to the sky and said that. Beatrix was quite nervous. As if she was hiding something shady.

Because their timing of coming out matched, it felt as if she was added into their group.

“Hrotsvit, is it fine to talk a little?”

Arthur grabbed her shoulder and pulled her closer.

“My my.” Arthur led Hrotsvit, that let herself be treated like that, into the back alley like a yankee. At the same time his empty hand was also signaling Kazuki to follow.

Telling his comrades to go back first, Kazuki followed them along.

Arthur pulled Hrotsvit forcefully and whispered into her ear.

“The tactics that you did just now, everything is meaningless.”

Rather than an intimidation, Arthur was saying that calmly as if to inform her. His voice was low, he was freezing the air around them so that other people couldn’t hear.

“For us, there is meaning at all even if we increase our territory in this late hour.”

“What do you mean I wonder? Our Mythology will increase in strength the more number of people that believe in them. …This late hour, what do you mean?”

“It’s something that has to be pondered in short term vision. …Before long the time when everything is going to be settled will come.”

Arthur released her shoulder. Hrotsvit turned around to Arthur from the front.

“I heard from Regina that if I cooperate with you I can learn an important secret. So can you teach me the secret now in this place I wonder?”

Was there such a verbal message to Hrotsvit? Regina was like a gofer doing that.

“I cannot say it now. I’ll tell you after the battle of America has ended in the shape that we desire.”

“Just a verbal promise like that? Although, what is called information is something that loses its value the instant it’s taught to others.”

Arthur took out a thin wooden plate from his breast pocket. When he ran his finger on it, the surface of the plate was carved with thin words of light.

“This is a rune of oath. In the case I break my promise, I’ll lose the power of Basileus.”

While saying that, Arthur handed over the wooden plate to Hrotsvit.

“The famous ogham script in Celtic Myth, [geis(pledge)] isn’t it? …But trying to move someone using information as a bargaining condition is unpleasant isn’t it? The legacy of Basileus Basileon in Britain… originally shouldn’t it be something that is all shared between the Magic Advanced Countries I wonder? To use that as a bargaining condition, is that something the country of chivalry should do I wonder.”

“I don’t intend to use information as compensation. This is not a bargaining condition, it’s a selection. I cannot give important information towards a country that cooperates with Divas of the Chaos Side. If you prove to me that you are a Basileus that can contribute to the world’s order, I’ll share the information.”

“…How unpleasant, looking down from above like that. Just because your country is the origin where Basileus Basileon came from, you are already pretending that you are the manager of this world?”

“Human that obtained knowledge, even though he obtained it not from his own wish, he still has the responsibility to treat that knowledge responsibly.”

Both sides had a fair argument in them. The inheritance of Basileus Basileon…

The great alchemist who was the leader of the secret society that was once called [Libel Mundi(Dawn’s Almighty)], Basileus Basileon gave birth to the [Philosopher’s Stone] to this world. Humans who were embed with a Philosopher’s Stone would have their force of will expanded and awakened to the power of magic, their surrounding humans would also reacted in concert and slowly made to awaken to the power of magic. [Libel Mundi] put their headquarters in Britain while putting their branches in seven big countries, they sold the Philosopher’s Stone and enlarged their organization.

However, Basileus Basileon was assassinated due to a power struggle in the organization’s internal. Due to the charismatic leader’s death, Libel Mundi lost its unifying force and its branches scattered apart before they got absorbed by the world’s nations. Those seven powerful countries stayed like that and became the Magic Advanced Countries.

Britain was Basileus Basileon’s birthplace and the country where [Libel Mundi]’s headquarters was located. There was important information that didn’t exist in other countries left in Britain as inheritance… that was what Arthur had talked about with Kazuki before.

“So this single piece of plate is the compensation then. …However, you, is it fine for you to toss away geis all over the place so simply like this?”

“My power increases from the number of my oath. Only in a little amount though.”

“The things you do are unexpectedly calculating and petty aren’t they… Well it’s fine. Putting that aside, there is one more thing I’m concerned about. You over there… Hayashizaki Kazuki.”

Turning around, Hrotsvit turned to the direction of Kazuki who turned into a bystander.

“Is there something you need with me?”

“Arthur and I are going to bet on you. Even if Arthur is fine doing that as he pleases, I don’t like to entrust my own future to other people, if that person is not a formidable warrior.”

“…You are saying to show my strength in a fight?”

“Yes. That’s correct. Problems will come out later on if we clash with our respective full power so a rule is needed. I heard that you are an unparalleled warrior in Japan. Then… without using our respective Summoning Magic and King’s Authority and Sacred Treasures at all, with only pure martial arts, if you can hit me once it’s your win, is such a rule fine with you?”

“It’s an exaggeration to call me unparalleled but, please do as you like. We are going to do it, here?”

“Of course. It’s a little cramped back alley, but there will be no problem if we don’t use Summoning Magic.”

It was a rule that seemed to make light of him, but what was she planning he wondered.

Kazuki smoothly drew his sword. If the opponent didn’t use Summoning Magic, sword draw technique was unnecessary. For the Hayashizaki style, sword draw was a technique to approach the enemy while evading attack magic in sheathed sword stance that was easy to move in, leap into the enemy’s bosom and then immediately draw out the sword and strike.

Hrotsvit’s figure emitted light, the clothes on her body transformed. Her white skin carved by Stigmata was exposed, her modest veil was replaced by a green wide brimmed hat, and a green mantel flapped at her back. That appearance reminded him of Odin’s outfit as sage that was told in myth.

Her neat standing figure changed completely with her long legs largely opened, her hand raised overhead the staff that she held in a stance. The tips of that staff wriggled, swelled ― turning into an iron ball attached with sharp thorns.

It was not a staff but a long handled blunt weapon, a mace.

“This weapon is a Sacred Treasure, but I’m not going to use its special power.”

“My sword is also a Sacred Treasure so I don’t mind.”

“…Then let’s begin.”

Hrotsvit grinned… it was an eerie smile.

The next instant, a roar reverberated on the asphalt of the back alley and her figure blurred. At the same time, Kazuki was already stepping back. A single vertical flash, the wind pressure of the swung down mace shook his front bang.

Kazuki stepped on the iron ball of the swung down mace and leaped. He jumped right above Hrotsvit and swung down his sword on her defenseless back head.

He planned to test what kind of warrior Hrotsvit was with this single swing.

Regardless of east or west, there were few traditional martial arts that hypothesized of attacks right from overhead. Furthermore even the origin of the movement was out of the field of vision, it was a perfectly unseen movement. Hrotsvit was superior in the pure speed of the movement, but Kazuki’s single attack was exactly like a teleportation from Hrotsvit’s position.

But the instant Kazuki stepped on the mace, Hrotsvit had already began to move in evasion.

She smoothly slipped through to the side and Kazuki’s slash including his body hit empty air.

And then the mace that was swung down just now was raised overhead with lightning speed. With a form completely like a baseball batter, the raised iron ball on the tip was swung directly horizontal.

Immediately what came to Kazuki’s mind was an imitation of [Tenrou Kaidan] from Ikousai on his body.

But the technique was a risky undertaking like a joke that if he could he didn’t want to show.

Kazuki had such leeway to make that kind of calculation because he was Foresighting Hrotsvit.

But Hrotsvit was also reading ahead his movement from his sign.

Kazuki concentrated Enchant Aura into his blade and stabbed the ground with all his strength, snapping it diagonally. The asphalt was not pierced by his blade, instead the body of Kazuki in the air was the one that got rebounded up.

As if played by a curve ball, Hrotsvit’s swing hit empty air.

Kazuki landed on the wall surface of the building right beside him, and leaped at Hrotsvit’s back. Kazuki attempted to stab from her blind spot.

Even if she read ahead his movement from his magic power… the more his movement turned complicated the harder it would be to read him. With this much three dimensional movement ― Hrotsvit perfectly reacted to him.

Synchronized with Kazuki’s encirclement, Hrotsvit was also rotating her body. At the same time his launched stab was lightly repelled by the grip part―the butt-end of the mace.

A perfect reading and movement like a machine. A perfect reaction that he couldn’t feel any humanness from it.

Kazuki felt an out of place feeling. Even though Hrotsvit’s body was moving perfectly, only the light of her silver colored eyes was slightly falling behind. Only the motion of her eyeballs couldn’t catch up.

As if only her eyes couldn’t do anything and only following along.

Aah, so that was it, it was something like that then. His doubt was cleared and he understood the aim of this mock battle.

Kazuki retook a distance between them and Hrotsvit also recovered her stance.

There he took a breath and simultaneously ― Kazuki blew out magic power from his whole body.

“…!” Hrotsvit’s expression stiffened.

Kazuki didn’t make any sound and softly, with a slow movement that wasn’t strengthened by magic power, walked closer to Hrotsvit. He released a stab. The simple strike was sucked into Hrotsvit’s white chest, and hit. The weak strike that was not filled with magic power didn’t even inflict a dust-sized scar and was repelled by a thick defensive magic power.

Hrotsvit stood bolt upright. Just as the rule said, with that it was the end and Kazuki sheathed his sword.

“…The mock battle to measure your capability” Hrotsvit quietly asked.

“Why did you do an act that won’t have any meaning in the real battle?”

Most likely if he did a needless trick of trying to put magic power only just before the tip of the sword hit, Hrotsvit would surely evade with a super reflex. Because he used a meaninglessly empty attack that it could hit.

“But the rule is that a single strike determined the winner, so a win is a win.”

Perhaps she couldn’t ask him to show his true strength in a real battle for a test. However,

“In the first place, it’s another matter if it’s Beatrix, but I cannot imagine that you have that much of an interest in the pure techniques of a swordsman. What meaning is there in testing my capability not including Summoning Magic?”

This was not Thor’s trial, but Odin’s trial.

“Three moves.” Hrotsvit murmured.

At the first move Kazuki saw through that Hrotsvit possessed a not so simple Foresight technique. At the second move he noticed that Hrotsvit was blind, and then at the third move he ended the match.

“If you can arrive that far in three moves, perhaps I should give you a passing mark. I don’t know how much of an opponent the Basileus of those Indians are but, perhaps you won’t lose I think.”

Hrotsvit’s Magic Dress came apart into light and she returned to her previous appearance. Her mace that was attached with a huge thorny iron ball also deflated and returned to the previous staff.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Hrotsvit.”

“In the first place I didn’t doubt you that seriously. I enjoying fighting and ascertaining you by myself.”

The woman turned her back at Kazuki with a swish and walked towards the main street briskly.

Kazuki and also Arthur followed her along.

Hrotsvit bended her back in a big way, and after taking a deep breath she yelled.

“BEE―! AA―! TT―! RII―! XX―!!!”

It was a large voice that was not a metaphor if one said the voice rattled the dome city Las Vegas. Kazuki and Arthur reflexively pressed their ears while looking at each other. The dweller of the surrounding buildings got outside in great panic and looked around restlessly. From the direction of hotel Yggdrasil, *DODODODO!* with the force of a raging bull Beatrix was rushing here.

“MA’AM! HERE I AM!!” The rushing Beatrix stood at attention.

“I’m going home to the motherland, so take care of the rest. As much as you can, I hope you build an exceedingly amicable relationship with Hayashizaki Kazuki.”

“Ha?” For a moment, Beatrix was staring blankly, then “MA’AM!!” she replied with a large voice.

“Manifest thyself in this dimension from beyond the horizon of several lines, Skíðblaðnir(Geometry Distortion Air Warship)!”

Hrotsvit joined both her palms in front of her chest as if praying. When she opened her hand with a clap, a small dot of light was created. The dot of light ran straight and became a line, the line ran and became a surface, the surface opened and turned into a cube… Via a change like polygon depiction, it turned into a huge structure of light ― a shining ship.

“Dragon ship… so that’s Odin’s collapsible warship!”

Arthur raised a voice of admiration. So that was a Summoning Magic, or was that a Sacred Treasure of a different league, or maybe a part of her King’s Authority… Kazuki couldn’t immediately discern it but, the flying ship was floating in front of Hrotsvit’s eyes. Its hull was shallow, long and narrow, making a Viking ship of peculiar shape, so this was what was called dragon ship, there was an ornament of dragon head at the bow of the ship.

When Hrotsvit jumped to board onto the ship alone, “Well then everyone, adieu.” She bowed elegantly. With that as the signal, the dragon ship raised a roar and tore through the sky.

The shining ship was fading away from sight in the blink of an eye. Beatrix was trembling all over. It was a tremble like a warrior being excited before a war but her cheeks was reddening.

“The obstacle disappeared! I got the authorization that it’s fine to get along with Kazuki…”

‘Was that really so’, Kazuki doubted inside his heart. Rather if it was the personality of that person… he had the feeling that she wanted to make Kazuki and Beatrix have good relations so she could make use of that for the sake of defeating Kazuki.

If someday the day he confronted Beatrix came… surely he would hesitate. In that opening, that disagreeable woman would attempt to bash Kazuki’s head in with her mace from the back.

“Yosh, Kazuki, quick! No, however even if now try to get close with you I don’t know what to do! Muscle training!? Kazuki sitting on my back while I do push-ups… My heart is throbbing hard! I want to do handcart!”

“Sorry to interrupt while you are getting fired up, but please wait. I still have something to talk about with him just the two of us.”

From the side Arthur grabbed Kazuki’s shoulder as if to take him away. Beatrix left with a really dejected face. Kazuki then noticed with a ‘hah’ face.

“That woman Hrotsvit, she flew away as she pleased with that ship but, was she planning to go home by smashing down the dome ceiling?”

One couldn’t get in and out through Las Vegas’s dome except through the window exclusive for airplane that was controlled by McCarran airport. Hearing that Beatrix nodded, “Mu, that might be difficult to do.”

“Beatrix, can you tell one of Las Vegas’ hotel-keepers that there is a need to guide Hrotsvit’s ship?”

“Mu, got it!”

Beatrix’s face turned serious and rushed away. While chasing that back with his eyes, Kazuki was worrying how he should handle her.

“Let me confirm for the sake of your peace of mind, I had already told you the secret that I’m going to teach to Hrotsvit.”

“I know that, I don’t think that you are ostracizing me or anything.”

“When all the Basileus are backed by the Mythologies, an unusual phenomenon will happen in the world. The stage for the battle for the sake of determining the true Basileus will raise from the bottom of the sea.”

Basileus Basileon’s prophecy that was left behind in Britain. Arthur believed that like a devout believer.

“When you said that there is no meaning in territory” Kazuki began to talk.

“There must be something like a proof of the winner in that new continent don’t you think. Something that will overturn even the boundary of countries that had been determined until now.”

“As for me I think there is the great original of the [Philosopher’s Stone] there. Not the small stone that was once sold to the people but a big boulder… something like a monolith.”

If one had to say a thing that one would associate with from the name of Basileus Basileon, it was the Philosopher’s Stone. That thing granted the power called magic to the human race, and pulled up the earth’s civilization to a new stage.

It was believed that Basileus Basileon created it with alchemy, but after his death, the creation method of Philospher’s Stone became wrapped in mystery.

…When Arthur was saying it was a monolith, for some reason it felt like a relic of an ancient civilization.

However in the Magic Advanced Countries, the percentage of the newly born children possessing magic power was already almost a hundred percent. Now, after such a long time it could be said that the role of the Philosopher’s Stone was over, yet…

Did the Philosopher’s Stone still possess an even further power?

“All the Basileus will compete for the single throne of the true Basileus. If the battle in this America is ended… The time is approaching.”

Compete for ― suddenly a spark scattered inside Kazuki’s head, from the depth of his memory there were words resurrected into his mind.

[…win through the game. And then this hand will usurp the world soul(Astrum) that every Mythology desires.]

…When Naiarlatoteph displayed his true color, that guy was highly excited while spouting out words with irritating fast-talking. At the time he didn’t understand what he was talking about, and just like that he completely forgot it in the corner of his mind but… in this situation those words were matching exactly.

Astrum ― all life’s mind was connected by Astrum. He didn’t clearly understand what in the world Astrum was, but it was a vast mental world that all life shared, it was something like a mind cosmos. Something like the trigger to shake that everything was in that new continent. That thing, the Mythologies that carried their own respective [Order] and the Divas of [Chaos] would scramble for that.

Did this mean that this something could be used to dye the minds of all life with that Order or Chaos?

Certainly with something like that there would be no meaning territory could accomplish. Something in an even higher dimension than that which could be used to rule over people.

Kazuki felt a chilling cold. He thought of some kind of earth-shattering conflict. Kazuki didn’t want to win in that kind of match, he also didn’t want anyone else to win.

“Whatever it is”

Arthur gathered his thought as if cutting off Kazuki’s thought.

“What I can say for sure is, there is no way such thing can be handed off to the Divas of the Chaos Side or the Mythology’s Basileus that joins hand with them.”

Certainly rather than the Basileus of China’s Mythology that carried some plan like [Red Nopperabou] became the ruler of all life, it was still better if it was Arthur instead. But he could only say ‘better’.

Kazuki felt he had began to finally see in the end of his sight, the final destination of this strange destiny.

“With all the happenings today, I have met with almost all the Basileus haven’t I…”

Ilyailia Muromets.

Arthur Basileus.

Regina Olympia Fornar.

Clark Moore, possibly Medicine Wheel.

Hrotsvit Lesedrama.

And then the one whose story he only heard from Shouko, the Basileus of China―Fu Xi.

“Does Loki know about this matter?”

“He shouldn’t know about it. I think he only has a vague hunch about the conflict between fellow Mythologies though.”

When Leme materialized by bringing out her avatar from Astrum into the real world, her knowledge and feelings from the other side went away she said. It seemed that it was different than being forgetful according to the Diva.

Loki said the word [Ragnarok], he had the hunch about a conflict between Mythologies but he didn’t seem to know more than that. He didn’t think that Loki had ever said of an objective other than something vague like [spreading Chaos] and [making those Norse Mythology guys lose].

Prometheus was also saying words [the Third Machia], but he didn’t actually know the specific. However he had said that the role to stop that disaster, as small as possible… might be Kazuki’s role.

Naiarlatoteph that granted Kazuki the hint was established in his Mythology as a being that conducted himself as someone that knew everything, even among Divas he was a special existence.

If Loki knew about this matter… he would recover the original power and knowledge of Nairlako that he put beside him, or perhaps he would attack Britain and steal [Basileus Basileon’s inheritance], he would do things like that Kazuki guessed.

“Thinking about the future events, I think your resolve to defeat both the Indian Basileus and also Clark is a good decision. At first the idea is to win over one of them into the alliance in order to oppose Loki’s camp, but… that woman is a ruffian. She is not a type of human that we can feel relieved if she is entered into our camp.”

Clark Moore was certainly scary whether as an ally or as an enemy. As a fellow human of civilized society, Kazuki felt that her fundamental sense of values didn’t out of sync too much from him.

But she didn’t care about her method so much that it made him feel terror.

Using and throwing away weak humans and building wealth and power… if she decided that as the most rational way, then she would do that thoroughly without any compassion. He could understand it but, it was a savage act. Perhaps something inside her had been completely paralyzed while she was continuously being driven by necessity.

That was why to make her stop there was no other way than to defeat her. Defeat the Indian Basileus [Medicine Wheel], then betray Clark with his returning blade, and defeat her.

Possibly just before they enter Wakan Takan in order to fight Medicine Wheel, at the all-out war with South America might be the most optimum timing for betrayal by taking advantage of the chaos.

But there was the possibility that Clark was thinking exactly the same thing.

Clark was definitely doubting Kazuki and regarded him as dangerous. She might think that Kazuki had served his purpose when the seven Chiefs were defeated.

No, she would most likely think so. When he remembered back to that dream… Clark should be thinking that she wanted to defeat Medicine Wheel with her own hands.

While they both had the common objective of defeating South America, they were also mutually looking for the timing of the betrayal… He felt like even he himself was doing a crooked thing.

What a battle that worn down one’s nerve.

“Thanks to our success in dragging out Clark onto the battlefield, it’s easier for us to aim at her, and then it’s also easy to be vigilant. When South America invades here, let’s prepare so that we are ready to fight Clark anytime.”

===Part 4===

“I mostly understood that man.”

After Hayashizaki Kazuki’s group exited the room, Clark and her elites were staying behind there.

Clark promptly scanned a bundle of several pieces of document while musing about the dialogue just now. If there was just time, Clark would reread these documents again ― it was the summarized report of the surveillance on Kazuki and co.’s activity during their stay in America.

She didn’t get tired of it no matter how many times she read… she even felt an eccentric fun from it.

“If those kind of guys didn’t come then this kind of humiliation won’t… even though without cooperating with them we could just win by ourselves…!” One of the Numbers talked in indignation.

“Why did you let them talk as they pleased until that much!?”

“That’s obvious, if one of those three countries allied themselves with the south side then our victory prospects will be gone. …But there is no possibility of that. Arthur Basileus is following Hayashizaki Kazuki. As for Hrotsvit Lesedrama… she will only wait-and-see before appealing her presence towards the one that will be [the victorious nation]. These two countries are not really that serious to get involved that far with America. The one that is serious is only Japan that is confronting the threat of this Loki and China. That Hayashizaki Kazuki is not just giving lip service but he is really thinking of [wanting to respect America]. He is that kind of human.”

Reading from the document while recalling the remarks made in the meeting just now, Clark concluded that.

<Profiling>―in order to read Kazuki’s true feeling and aim, Clark gathered all possible information. The report was including trifling everyday habits and behaviors that at first glance seemed meaningless, forming comprehensive information. Using psychology and statistic liberally from that information led to the conclusion that [this kind of human has this kind of tendency], predicting the personality.

Hayashizaki Kazuki and the others warily froze their surrounding air in order to not be bugged when they were having important conversations. To guess their true intentions, decoding technology of faulty language communication was essential.

“I understood well from meeting him for real. First he is quick-witted. He has the habit of reading the other side’s thinking and act. He creates creative ideas in order to achieve his objective. …It looks like he also has a specialty like cooking creative cuisines for the sake of his lovers. He is a stoic martial artist but he is also a tactician. But his senses of values are straightforward. He fastidiously hates warped things. Well, he is still a kid.”

“Seems like a charming person isn’t he?” One of the Numbers talked honestly.

“That’s why whether that guy’s subordinates or Arthur too, they cannot raise objection to that guy’s correct decision. In reality there is a dictatorship built under the trust. That’s why it’s fine for us to just watch closely at Hayashizaki Kazuki’s thought alone. There is no cowardly method or sacrificing option in that guy’s choices.”

Just from fragmentary information, Clark wrung out a conclusive possibility.

“He killed Red Metallica… I guess he didn’t plan as far as killing though… the perpetrator that destroyed the Slave Battery Factory is not the Indians, but Hayashizaki Kazuki.”

There was no proof. Clark occasionally didn’t even hesitate to make assumptions that was inside the realm of wild idea.

The most important thing for a ruler was decisiveness. Someone who couldn’t decide unless all the proofs were lined up couldn’t be said to be decisive. Decisiveness ― was the power of imagination and courage.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki is someone that possesses the ability to take action prudently. He has stayed this long in Las Vegas, so surely there must be already some kind of cue that made him notice the existence of slavery here. If he noticed that, Hayashizaki Kazuki cannot tolerate the existence of something like slavery. He cannot avert his eyes. Then is he going to ally with South America? No, he is even more incompatible fundamentally with South America. Hayashizaki Kazuki is a person that accepted civilization and love culture. He enjoys games, he enjoys show attractions, he enjoys cooking.”

From reading the report, it could be understood well what Hayashizaki Kazuki liked in Las Vegas.

“Then what is the aim of Hayashizaki Kazuki. …It’s my neck. He will cooperate with North America and defeat South America. While making North America win, he will take the neck of the main cause of slavery that is me. If I’m just gone then America can stay America and he won’t have any problem. Makes you so grateful that you’re going to cry huh.”

As if revealing out the hidden cards one after another, Clark kept turning her brain.

Rather than Clark explaining her own thinking to the Numbers around her, she was sorting and deepening her own thinking by continuing to talk. There was almost no interruption from the Numbers around.

“…Is he thinking over-ambitiously until that far?”

No, rarely, there was someone that would interject.

Still expressionless, Clark turned her gaze to the speaker. The one that opened her mouth was Mary Mayweather Junior. An amazingly skilled boxer. She was a woman whose fighting strength was valued and introduced into Numbers, but in the first place she had the strong personality that asserted herself. But to interject at Clark’s pondering, was deviating from [the usual her]. It was an abnormal action that the usual her wasn’t supposed to do.

Her abnormal action had some kind of reason… a cause.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki only brought a few number of his troops from Japan here. As expected he cannot seriously stir-up trouble with North America. If he can defeat South America, wouldn’t it only be natural to satisfy himself with that and compromise before going back to his country?”

The content of her speech was really plausible ― although the act of speaking itself was the one that was strange.

With Mary interjecting, Virginia Dance ― nickname Ginny was slightly shaken in her eyes. She was showing a slight subconscious stress. She was losing her calm. Why?

For a while Clark was scrutinizing the situation wordlessly. There was a cause to this for sure…

Mary and Ginny were the two persons left with the role to guide Hayashizaki Kazuki. Were they harboring good will for Hayashizaki Kazuki?

It was not impossible. Certainly Hayashizaki Kazuki was a charming person.

Further stepping into that possibility… would they chose Hayashizaki Kazuki even over this Clark Moore?

Betrayal ― yes, that was also not something impossible she guessed. In the first place these two had a strong sense of justice. They often felt stress towards Clark’s decisions and sense of values. That was why the dirtiest part of the slave application system Clark built with Red was hidden from these two.

Did they see the whole story of the slave system, together with Hayashizaki Kazuki?

Aah, now that she thought back Mary’s origin was from the slum wasn’t she?

Clark opened her mouth once more.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki doesn’t like compromising. He is a childish idealist. However because he has the strength able to carry his ideal, he can be recognized as a King(Basileus) in the whole of Japan even by the dirty adults. He is the exact opposite of me huh.”

Clark was also recognized as a young King. But what Clark held was not idealism but realism. She carried a thorough realism and continued to prove a mental strength worthy of that. She used any kind of method, win any kind of gamble, and massacred the opposing adults without even lifting an eyebrow.

“Because he is that kind of person, he won’t compromise like that. He will aim for my neck for sure.”

Clark declared so and closed Mary’s thoughts. She returned her gaze to the document. She didn’t even glance anymore to Mary and Ginny.

She only exposed the actual and hidden cards as needed.

Now, the decision.

“In short, thankfully this is not a problem between countries but a problem between individuals. Hayashizaki Kazuki accepted the country North America, but he absolutely rejected me personally. That idealism is based on Hayashizaki Kazuki’s personal virtue rather than the whole Japan’s policy. If they lose their leader Hayashizaki Kazuki, I guess Japan won’t be too concerned about the existence of slavery. As long as Hayashizaki Kazuki is defeated Japan will just leave. Arthur and Hrotsvit too, if Japan leave then they will stop getting deeply involved with America. This is really a thankful situation… if it’s a head-on confrontation between the two countries, America cannot win whether it’s against Japan or Britain or Germany after all.”

Was there a possibility of Hrotsvit changing direction to invade America alone?

―No, it wouldn’t happen. She also had already thought about what kind of condition Europe was in right now from the meeting just now. Even though it was not as serious as Japan, but Europe was also facing the threat of Loki・China・Russia. Hrotsvit was bluntly looking down on them just now but their side here was also indifferent to Hrotsvit from the bottom of the heart. She didn’t mind ignoring the woman’s exaggerated appeal.

“We are going to use Japan and defeat South America. When our business with Japan’s cooperation is finished we will make Hayashizaki Kazuki exit the stage. Then we will take an approach to Loki. If we can skillfully play the gap in the confrontation between Japan and Loki, even this minor country of America still has a chance of victory left.”

Clark’s talking around was by no means making a bet on a small chance.

Clark Moore liberally used all kinds of methods and won through until here exactly in that kind of match.

“The justice of America will take the crown of the world…!”

The Numbers raised a voice carried by passion.

But looking at the matter just now… it bothered her to not know at all about the secret of the world. Arthur and Hrotsvit, possibly Hayashizaki Kazuki too, there was no mistake that they were moving holding some kind of clue regarding this era of magic. That was what Clark felt while remembering the scene where Arthur was exchanging a gaze with Hrotsvit and made her quiet.

“A fight not between countries but between individuals called Clark Moore and Hayashizaki Kazuki. The most important thing is the timing. While building a structure of cooperation, we are mutually measuring the timing for the betrayal. The advantage is in my side. After all Hayashizaki Kazuki cannot defeat South America with just his own troops. The virtuous Hayashizaki Kazuki has to rely on our army strength in order to save the innocent American people and the slaves. The one who has the privilege to prepare the situation is this side. We can set as many traps as we like.”

If she thoroughly pickled at the opponent’s idealism, their position was completely reversed.

Catching a good person into a trap was something really easy.

“As long as the Chiefs can just be defeated, we won’t have any more business with Hayashizaki Kazuki and his group. Clean up the Japanese bunch by taking advantage of the fight with those Chiefs. Medicine Wheel will be defeated by my hands.”

Medicine Wheel ― Eimi Moore would be defeated by this hand. Clark felt she unconsciously put strength in her hand that was holding the document. There was no emotion at all that came out in her expression, but when she thought about Eimi, a violent emotion naturally welled up inside her head. Her real little sister that became the Basileus of South America due to the unfortunate destiny.

Even Clark that had decided to use any kind of means inside her heart, had only one emotional fixation. To defeat Eimi Moore with this hand, those Japanese were hindrances. She couldn’t watch her little sister sufficiently, and when she noticed her little sister was tainted by some numbskull religion at the university. That was the big sister’s responsibility.

If by any chance Hayashizaki Kazuki knew about this Clark Moore’s only fixation, then Clark’s timing where she would try to remove Kazuki would be completely seen through. She thought of that for a fleeting second. …Though of course the possibility he might possibly learn of this was, endlessly zero.

In preparation for the battle with Medicine Wheel, she had to defeat Hayashizaki Kazuki with enough spare energy left. This stocked power was after all limited by its connection to wealth.

She would easily defeat a Basileus that was above her rank. …Her side had the method to make that possible.

“Jeremy, you understand right? The ability that you have is our trump card.”

Clark called to one of the Numbers that was standing by at the side.

Her most loyal childhood friend returned a reply “Understood” with a calm voice.

Jeremy Barrett. She was younger than her but, her history in the gang was even longer than Clark. She was a destined veteran. During the course since Clark entered the organization until she suddenly rose in the world, Jeremy immediately saw through Clark’s character, adored Clark’s ideology, and became a loyal follower.

Possessing an excellent combat skill, she constantly put her body in danger and carried out as Clark’s bodyguard whether in the light or shadow. Since Clark rose as the boss of the gang, and then when she further gained the power as King, Jeremy continued to become Clark’s most reliable combat specialist subordinate. When Red kept becoming more emotionally unstable day by day, the time Clark put Jeremy at her side was naturally increasing.

When American Justice Mythology showed their figures in North America, Jeremy also accomplished a contract with the Diva <Frontier Spirit>.

The girl who got through the most numerous battlefields in North America accomplished a perfect synchronization with her contracted Diva, and she also succeeded in manifesting an [Original One] that only she could use.

That was Clark’s trump card.

Diva granted their contractor ten Summoning Magic to call their power in the real world, but a Diva would create a unique and original new magic and grant it to a contractor that was bound to them in even stronger affinity.

It would become the one and only magic from the mix of the Diva and the contractor’s spirituality.

<Frontier Spirit> that symbolized the challenge toward difficulty, and Jeremy that held 100% adoration toward Clark’s ideology. The magic born from the mix of spirituality between these two was ― exactly a present intended towards Clark. It was as if Clark’s longstanding desire was turned just like that into magic.

[Giant Killing(Super Star Shooting, Blame of Scream)]

Its effect was ― loading Jeremy’s important thing into a bullet, and seal those that corresponded to what was loaded.

A magic in order for the weak to throw away everything and defeat the strong.

“In order to seal Hayashizaki Kazuki’s power of Basilleus, how much bet is needed?”

Jeremy was already fighting Hayashizaki Kazuki once ― she had finished assessing him.

“I need to bet all the magic power that I have.”

Jeremy answered shortly. The sealing affixed to the target was just a temporary thing, but the thing that was loaded into the bullet as the bet would be lost forever. That would mean using and then throwing away Jeremy’s life as a warrior. But if she paid the compensation until that much then ― it was not impossible.

“That’s just fine. If the Basileus’ power can be sealed with that then it’s good.”

Clark didn’t hesitate against the risk and the compensation. She wouldn’t reconsider even if she had to sacrifice her comrade.

She already had the determination to throw away everything except her pride.

She betted everything except her pride, kept winning through ice thin gambles, and rose from a small delinquent until a gangster.

“However, that man can evade my bullet.”

Clark dropped her sight to the report in her hand once more. She naturally looked at that page. The most important page. Hayashizaki Kazuki possessed the evasion ability as if he was seeing through the future.

He was a monster that won by decision against the strongest boxing king in North America, [Defense Master] Mary Mayweather Junior, in his first time boxing experience. Using word like monster was still too lukewarm. The meaning couldn’t be understood. Reading the report, Clark was honestly feeling awe.

If Jeremy’s Original One missed its target than it was game over.

“Wish we could make them acknowledge that I and my bodyguard Jeremy won’t come out in the battle with the Chiefs, with the intention of sniping Hayashizaki Kazuki from the shadow in the middle of the battle huh.”

The first plan was torn and discarded. Because of Hayashizaki Kazuki’s quick-wittedness she had to go out to the battlefield.

“Certainly the proof that Medicine Wheel won’t come out to the battlefield is insufficient. I cannot quibble unreasonably because he picked at that fact. If that’s the case… it will need a little fiddling so you can hit Hayashizaki Kazuki with the magic bullet. Now then… what way is available?”

There was a plan. There had been a trap laid out already at the discussion just now.

Even while she was asking what way was available, Clark didn’t request for an opinion from her surroundings and gave a hand sign to the Numbers to get out of the room.

The close aides wordlessly bowed and left from Clark’s room.

Toward Jeremy who was the last to leave the room, Clark exchanged looks with her in a glance.

Only Jeremy was left in front of the door.

“Jeremy. Put Mary and Ginny under control. You get what’s the meaning of control right? So that they won’t think of anything strange. Both of them are already double-crossing us.”

“Understood.” Jeremy flatly replied and exited the room. The conversation inside the cold room was all over with that. What left was just waiting. Just like always, while saving more wealth.

===Part 5===

“The shut-in that swoops down upon the positive space called intensive training… Kamimura Itsuki sanjou.” (TN:Sanjou, calling in/visiting. It’s also the catchphrase of some giant robot anime when they launch, don’t know which though.)

Kamimura-san in her gothic dress was taking a weird pose while swooping down upon the hotel Yggdrasil’s courtyard.

“Sorry to call you into a place and time that doesn’t agree with you.”

Kamimura-san shook her head left and right.

“Even though I came outside my room, if it’s Kazuki that calls for me, there is a part of me that thinks that it’s not all bad. …By…by any chance is it because I have been class-changed from a shut-in into a riajuu that has a boyfriend!”

Kamimura-san suddenly made a face of realization ‘hah’ and began to tremble rattlingly.

“For me to stand on such a Cinderella stage of youth… when I think about it calmly it’s just too unsuited for me that nervousness and nausea are welling up unstoppably inside me, uu…!”

“I like that aspect of Kamimura-san who looks cute like a small animal you know.”

When Kazuki tightly embraced the rattled Kamimura-san, she raised a strange voice.

“Hawawa―! It’s scary that a handsome boyfriend is acting too kind to an unpopular woman like me―! Messiah―!!”

Beside the two of them a light of magic power was produced, {Hee―yy, you handsome guy} in an appearance wearing sunglasses with the military jacket of the army, the funky and American Amaterasu appeared as an avatar.

{Try to lift Itsuki-chan just like that for a little bit.}

Kazuki followed what he was told, he put strength into his hugging arms and lifted up Kamimura-san. Kamimura-san went ‘kyaa- kyaa-‘ while swinging around her arms and legs.

“This reminds me, when we got off the ferris wheel while I was carrying her in a princess-carry I also thought this but, most of her weight has come back huh.”

{HAHAHA, she will soon have a potbelly like my wife.}

He left aside the American joke that was not funny in the slightest from the highest god of the Japanese Mythology. He was not here to talk about Kamimura-san’s fatness.

Kamimura-san was a deceased person. The soul of Kamimura-san that escaped from the unforeseen death was preserved by Amaterasu in the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave. However regardless of how Amaterasu was a chief god that governed over life, she couldn’t go as far as reviving the flesh body of her contractor who had her contract broken in one occasion. Thereupon with Kazuki getting along well with Kamimura-san, a circuit of bond could be formed between them and through there Solomon Mythology’s magic power could be supplied to Kamimura-san. Combining the two powers of Amaterasu and Solomon Mythology, Kamimura-san was successfully resurrected.

But when Kamimura-san’s own attachment towards life thinned, her very existence itself would also get thinner and she would fall into an ambiguous state. Kamimura-san right after she came back from the underworld had a hollow weight when he lifted her up, as if she was a hologram girl that had no real body.

But now her weight had already been close to her original weight.

Right now perhaps her weight was a little bit lighter than Lotte who was the lightest among his comrades.

“Yes… right now I have become unwilling to die compared to before.” Kamimura-san said. “But in the case that Kazuki betrays me, then I’m going to die at the speed of light. That’s why right now I’m happy but uneasy… it’s scary to be hated…”

“I won’t do anything like betraying Kamimura-san. Absolutely.”

Kazuki stroked Kamimura-san’s head a lot. Kamimura-san leaked out a voice “Hawawawa~”. While frolicking around like that, Kazuki asked something he was concerned about to Amaterasu.

“Then anytime now, will I be able to use the power as the King of Japanese Mythology?”

Kazuki had the principle to not conquer a girl for the sake of power. However, if he deepened his bond with Kamimura-san, Kazuki was supposed to be able to wield the authority as the King of Japanese Mythology.

“Hawaa-!” Kamimura-san raised her voice.

“Tha…that’s so isn’t it? Kazuki is only making friends with me for the sake of power isn’t it? Fufufu, it’s okay, no problem. If I think in reverse as long as Kazuki needs the power of Japanese Mythology that means Kazuki will value me importantly. I’m not concerned at all. I have never expected to be loved or anything as myself in the first place…!”

“Something like power is just an extra Kamimura-san. You are cute after all.”

Kazuki lightly kissed the cheek of Kamimura-san who once more fell to her negativity.

“Hawaa―! My cheek is kissed again…-!!”

It felt like treating a kid kissing the cheek, however tasting the sensation of the cute and chubby cheek with his lips had a different good feeling than a kiss lips-to-lips, it had its own charm. *chuu chuu* Kazuki tasted Kamimura-san’s cheek many times as if pecking on it.

Kamimura-san turned bright red saying “awawa” and curled herself.

“Bu…but doing something like this at best, is like kid treatment, it’s nothing more than being affectionate to a pet, no difference at all… yo, you are not considering someone like me as a lady at a-…”

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.11 209.jpg|thumb]]

“If you say that kind of thing then I’ll do this.”

Kazuki went around Kamimura-san’s back and rubbed Kamimura-san’s breast squishily from behind. He immediately found the sensitive tips across the fabric of the no-bra goth-loli clothes and he pinched it with his finger tips.

“Aa-♡ That place is no-♡ That place is sensitive so it will quickly feel good, it’s no good-♡”

“I won’t do this kind of thing to a pet you know.”

When Kazuki repeatedly pestered the throbbing nipple that had been developed by Kamimura-san herself, Kamimura-san “aa-♡” in just a moment went gasping and writhing around. And then the largest size heart mark flew at him.

Receiving waves of love attack from Kazuki, Kamimura-san’s face was dazed and reddened and she finally recognized herself saying “I am riajuu…” (TN: Just now it was said with broken English)

“Amazingg―…you have completely mastered the way to corner Itsuki-chan.”

Amaterasu opened her eyes wide.

After all not everyone was skillful like Mio in acting spoiled.

“Leaving this aside, with Susanoo’s defeat the full authority of Japanese Mythology was transferred to me, and it seemed that I became able to send that to you through the well-connected circuit of bond. With something like that, now you are already able to thoroughly wield the King’s Authority of the Japanese Mythology you know.”

“What kind of power is that? No~, it doesn’t matter at all what power is that because it’s nothing but an extra of Kamimura-san though! I don’t have any interest at all in that though~! But I want to know, just in case!”

“It’s fine already about something like that.” (TN: She uses Kansai dialect here.)

Kamimura-san poked at Kazuki’s cheek sharply with a tsukkomi.

“Anyway leaving the joke aside, I think it will practically become a terribly important key. At the battle on board of the ship I was using Solomon’s power once. And then when I confirmed it with Mary later on, she said that the matter about that had been completely reported to the King. That cunning Clark Moore should have already prepared some kind of counter-measure against the power of King Solomon.”

Kazuki recalled the gaze of Clark that was directed to him. That eye was an eye that looked forward to a sure victory. He couldn’t possibly think of her as having no plan. She had already prepared something.

“If there is a weapon that they don’t know about, it can become a reserve I think.”

{Then I’ll teach you, the King’s Authority of Japanese Mythology, that is <Power of Harmony>. It brings together the power of your comrades and uses them optimally. A power that boosts you many times over.}

“Using optimally?”

{Specifically, gathering and redistribution. For example a magic power with aggregate amount 100 exists inside Otonashi Kaguya who has possible amount of instantaneous magic power emission 60. The magic power’s aggregate amount is like a water tank, and the emission amount is like the tank’s faucet. The elf Hiakari Koyuki has aggregate amount 120 and somewhat large emission amount 40. That kind of number fits doesn’t it. Even though there is 100 magic power amount in Kaguya but because the amount she can fire ‘boom’ once can only reach until 60, she cannot invoke her level 10 magic [Seventh Inferno] that has magic power consumption 80 by herself alone.}

“That’s why she needs to chant by combining power through chorus magic to use level 10 magic huh.”

{There, if Kazuki uses the <Power of Harmony>, you can gather magic power and redistribute them to another. Taking 40 each from Kaguya and Hiakari, then if you gather those into Kaguya she can chant magic that consumes 80… you can do such a thing.}

“In other words… level 10 magic can be used much easier compared to all those times until now?”

{Of course the chanting itself is needed, but because there is no need to take time matching magic power wavelengths it should be far easier to use compared to chorus magic. Next as a simpler way to use it, Kazuki who goes through a fierce battle and get exhausted with only 3 magic power amount remaining in you can gather magic power from everyone and recover, or something like temporary doping in order to fight a powerful enemy, and so on.}

“It’s Spirit Bomb isn’t it? Everyone of our comrades, they share their spirit to Kazuki!” (TN: Reference to Dragon Ball)

Kamimura-san interrupted with something incomprehensible.

{Though if you stuffed too much magic power you will burst and die. Sorry about this plain ability.}

“No, thank you. If from now on the battle intensified, there will be a big difference whether I have this ability or not.”

Everyone used up almost all of their magic power and fell down, everyone gathered their few magic power all into him and he somehow stood up, he then challenged the Basileus into one-to-one fight, something like that… he wished he could be spared of such last moment situations though.

{If you still want more new power then you have to master the three Sacred Treasures I think. You surely understand from the fight with Susanoo, but in Japanese Mythology the three Sacred Treasures possess considerable strength. That’s also one of the factors that make our Authority become quiet plain.}

Kazuki recalled how Ikousai used <Yata no Kagami> and <Yasakani no Magatama> in their full-spec by half turning into Susanoo. She displayed outrageous ability of using auto-defense and teleportation consuming almost no magic power at all.

“Can I use them skillfully until that much in this short time? I am using them often in my training everyday.”

{That’s quite difficult―. After all Sacred Treasure is reticence. Rather than hitting it off with them in one go it’s more like you need to laboriously accumulate time with them.}

“Then to use them as good as Ikousai’s level, there is no other way than to get Amaterasu possessing me just like how Ikousai was possessed by Susanoo then.”

{I’m not recommending that okay―. I’m not thinking of taking over Kazuki’s flesh or anything, but with a human that had already got contracted with Lemegeton, if then you get further possessed by a voluminous Diva like a chief god from another Mythology, you head is going to get ‘baa―ng” like a watermelon.}

Even so, if from here on they lost here, everything would end… that kind of battle might be increasing in the future.

{In that case it’s Itsuki-chan’s turn you know. A lot of Amaterasu’s(My) Summoning Magic has commonality with the hidden power of the three Sacred Treasures after all, I think if you train together with Itsuki-chan you will make progress.”

“Just leave it to this coach Jonny yeah―”

Kamimura-san whose nipple was still hard from the messing around just now puffed up her chest.

“Of course that’s exactly the reason I was calling for Kamimura-san.”

In other words he was going to practice his Sacred Treasures with Kamimura-san’s Summoning Magic as his model.

“I’m really a convenient existence. Are you really―? Really not aiming for power―?”

Kamimura-san chuchkled “fuhihi” while lightly slapping Kazuki’s cheek *peshi peshi*. Really, what a great bargain that was full of perks, this conquered heroine Kamimura-san.

In Las Vegas, there was a change visible to the eye that appeared. The residents began to evacuate outside the dome, in exchange the mechanized soldiers and Magika Stigmas were entering.

“This is, are you planning to completely prepare Las Vegas as the ground of the decisive battle?”

Looking at the situation where the whole army was gathering, as expected Kazuki became uneasy, he then asked Clark who he happened to see taking command of the city.

“That’s my plan. I’m gathering all the military force of North America here.”

“Isn’t that too dangerous? Even the Indians might notice the movement of military force in a scale this large. What are you going to do if a part of them attack another city to shake us?”

If a city was felled then an enormous damage would come out.

To say nothing of how the Indians changed death into their power.

“That’s a needless worry. I made all the spies that I have to infiltrate South America’s camp. They were gathering information. According to the information of the lucky guys that survived and came home, there is no mistake that the way those Indians are gathering their battle strength is to aim at Las Vegas.”

Kazuki’s expression reflexively stiffened hearing that reply.

This person, she treated human’s life and death so lightly all the time…

“Besides the other side also acknowledged that our side is the better one in a battle of information. From the other side’s point of view, rather than competing in wit reading each other’s hand, they surely desire a head-on fight collision more.”

She had a point. But thinking how if her reading missed there would be an enormous damage that came out, if it was Kazuki, this was a choice that he would be absolutely unable to take.

“My bad but this is the way how I do things since I was just a brat, how I survived until now. This is how the weak fight.”

A single bet from a sharp reading. As if telling him to stop meddling more than this, Clark turned her back to him and left.

At first Kazuki was disgusted at Clark’s way that didn’t care of the method that she used. But right now he was beginning to feel dreadfulness from her thorough persistence.

“Perhaps I might get along well with that side’s boss yeah. I get the feelin’ that we’re the same kind of people. She ain’t doing anything half-way. How about you take a lesson a little too?”

Suddenly Shouko showed her face from Kazuki’s side saying that.

“The same kind of people…? Shouko shared the same realism with her but, you and that woman are not similar at all right?”

Kazuki tilted his head. Shouko blinked her eyes as if to say that Kazuki’s reaction was truly unexpected.

“Just from our realism ain’t we quite similar already…?”

“Because you take consideration for your surroundings quite much right? Joking around, when someones ask you a favor you will say [can’t be helped huh] or the like while taking care of it really well more than needed. You also like to take care of those younger than you, don’t you? At first I thought that you were calculating and haggling, but I’m gradually seeing your plain face. …What, what’s with that face?”

Shouko was making a face as if she was biting a bitter bug.

“Are you embarrassed?” Kazuki poked at her shoulder.

“…Are you an idiot? Well, if a naïve guy like you thinks like that then it’s just as planned. Anyway this time I don’t really have any motivation to help. It’s pretty dodgy is what I’m sayin’.”

“Well, I’m not going to ask you or Arthur to actively fight at the front lines.”

Both of them were [someone that try to know Kazuki and came into contact with him], but they were by no means [Kazuki’s comrades]. He couldn’t see their positivity levels, the Power of Harmony was also… seemed unusable at the two.

“Ou, then I’m gonna take a rest yeah.”

Looking at Shouko who was purposefully saying spiteful things like that, it made him wonder whether she actually wanted to be relied on a little.

“It’s fine for you to not fight, however use that Sacred Treasure that looked like a map that you used before.”

“…You mean <Taikyokuzu(Grand Zenith Map)>?”

Kazuki nodded. “No matter what kind of Mythology it is, there will surely be unknown magic. If it’s impossible to predict, then it’s important to immediately grasp the situation and deal with it. After all, this time we are in the receiving side.”

“So you are thinking that they will launch surprise attacks with an unknown method then.”

“There is no way they will come to attack in a simple way.”

Shouko sneered “fuh”, then she nodded saying “Can’t be helped huh.”

<noinclude>
{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

User:Naiwayo

2016-05-09T20:03:02Z

Naiwayo:

Naiwayo aka Equa' is just a leecher who edits minor mistakes, typos, etc...

User:Naiwayo

2016-05-09T15:08:58Z

Naiwayo: Created page with "Just a leecher who edits minor mistakes, typos, etc..."

Just a leecher who edits minor mistakes, typos, etc...

Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 1 Chapter 1

2016-05-09T13:19:10Z

Naiwayo: Added missing sentence.

==Chapter 1 – Ataraxia==

===Part 1===

“Kizuna, the test for today is this program.”

A long haired female displayed the content for today’s experiment on the monitor.

Kizuna nodded largely after confirming that content.

“I got it, okaa-san. I’ll work hard too today.”

“Right, you really are a good child. Do your best.”

It was a pure white experiment room where there was nothing. There his mother spent all her time doing experiments day by day.

Those experiments were about the development of a new weapon called Heart Hybrid Gear.

That weapon seemed to make use of AU’s technology, a bundle of state of the art technology.

However, Kizuna didn’t understand well just what kind of thing it was.

What he understood was that a small thing like a capsule called core was embedded inside his body through an operation. And then, with the power of that core, a cool protector like an armor and a weapon would be equipped on his body.

And then when he used that and did the experiments, his mother would be happy, that was all he understood.

“You are the only one in the world who are in possession of Heart Hybrid Gear you know? The result of this experiment will become the key to save the world.”

He was proud to be relied on by his mother.

He felt triumphant that he was the only possessor of Heart Hybrid Gear in the world.

He was happy that he was useful to his mother.

He felt a little like a hero.

――Like that, on a certain day.

“Who is that?”

A girl put on a stretcher was carried into the laboratory.

“Looks like she is a lost kid. She was discovered in Tokyo recently.”

“Hmmm.”

He wondered why was she brought here then? While he was thinking of such thing,

“That’s why, it’s fine for Kizuna to not come here anymore.”

“……eh?”

“That girl’s aptitude ability for Heart Hybrid Gear is amazingly high. With Kizuna’s spec, it’s meaningless to experiment more than this. You are not needed anymore.”

Wa,

Wait, a second.

“Good bye, Kizuna. Sayonara.”

Wait!

Okaa-san!

I, will work even harder!

――That’s why!

===Part 2===

With a gasp, Hida Kizuna’s eyes were awakened.

He reflexively looked around him, he was currently inside a train.

It was the linear motor car that moved in the underground between the megafloats. He was nodding off while sitting in it just now.

――I was seeing a dream of the past in a long while huh.

He felt worried whether he was also talking in his sleep, but there was no one boarding the train other than him.

For him to see that kind of dream…… it had been a long time since he went to the academy float, so he wondered if he was nervous.

His image which was reflected in the window was not a kid, but a face of a highschool student. The digital synergy which was located near the door was displaying the map of the Pacific Ocean. On that map there was a red dot moving.

{{furigana|Megafloat|Extra-large Floating Ocean Structure}} Japan was in the middle of sailing the Pacific Ocean. Inside the train the air conditioning was working, but recently the Megafloat was nearing the equator, so outside was humidly hot.

The float was a giant city created above the sea.

Tokyo Float, Oosaka Float, etc, each created floats of Japan’s administrative divisions were joined, becoming a giant structure that was Megafloat Japan.

That largeness, if it was compare with something of the past, it could rival the hugeness of district 23 of Tokyo, but such scale was still small compared to super large countries like America and the like. The largeness of a megafloat represented the national power of that country. Each country was wandering the seas of the world with their respective unique megafloat.

Currently the very megafloat itself was exactly the country for the countries all over the world which lost their territory, that megafloat was all the territory that they had. The crews and residents of the megafloat were all the people of the country which could be confirmed as safe in the current condition.

For the megafloats that sailed the seas throughout the world, things like territorial waters held no meaning.

World map also didn’t exist.

Everything began since the day where the world was overturned.

――The First Another Universe Conflict

Fifteen years ago, without any omen at all, without any advance notice, it happened out of nowhere.

North America, South America, Russia, China, Australia, South Africa, France, {{furigana|Entrances|Collision Surface}} towards the alternate universe were appearing. And then, magic weapons that were a fusion of magic and science appeared from those Entrances.

Now that it had come to this condition, nobody understood which side was the one that started it. But, it was an unmistakable fact that it turned into battle situation. And then the fires of war spread in the blink of an eye.

The Entrances towards the alternate universe were opened only for two weeks, but hundred of cities and fifty million people lost their lives. Mankind was completely powerless against the army of the AU.

Like that, the first contact with an alternate universe ended in the worst shape.

Moreover, it was a disappointment that they didn’t understand anything about the AU.

They only kept getting attacked by the enemy and their side was unable to attack back. Mankind was still yet to understand the objective of the people of the AU or even their appearance.

And then, half a year ago.

――The Second Another Universe Conflict occurred.

It was a conflict on a scale incomparable with the first one.

Entrances were appearing on each continent and island country, without exception. From there the magic weapons of AU were surging in with great numbers.

Mankind attempted to resist desperately, but mankind’s conventional weapons were powerless in front of the technology of AU.

The army was ruined in a flash and the world was conquered.

From the experience with the First Another Universe Conflict, each country was building a megafloat as the ark for emergency use and also as the trump card of battle. So to speak, the megafloat was the country’s backup plan. Not to mention the city function, government, economics, etc, the megafloat was equipped with all societal mechanisms, the megafloats were a miniature version of the countries.

Each country that was invaded by AU abandoned their original territory and became a mobile country wandering above the sea with their megafloat.

However, the people unable to board the megafloat were still left behind in the old territory of the country. Right now the megafloat didn’t have any means to know what happened to those people. Was everyone massacred, or perhaps they were living safely under enemy rule, they didn’t understand the situation in Japan at all.

Even if they tried to make contact, electromagnetic waves were cut off in the land and they couldn’t get any transmission.

When they approached their home country, the magic weapons and fleet of AU appeared from the Entrance, that was why the megafloat couldn’t carelessly get near even if they wanted to confirm their people’s wellbeing.

Even while the people living above the megafloat were living a peaceful life above the safe area that was the sea, they were wishing to once again take back their country, rescue the left behind people, and return home to their city and house.

The linear underground train passed through the Tokyo station.

One wouldn’t understand from the underground, but supposedly above the ground there was the station building of Tokyo station that was dismantled from the original Japan and rebuilt here. At the occasion of the construction of each floats, famous buildings from the region of each respective administration divisions were dismantled and rebuilt back on the floats to keep living the characteristic of the regions, schemes to reproduce the scenery and the likes were performed in the construction.

Outside the window suddenly became bright.

His eyes were dazzled by that brightness. He narrowed his eyes and then looked out the window, outside was an endlessly continuing blue sea that glittered from the light of the sun. White clouds floated in the transparent sky, and then the sun of southern country was shining brilliantly.

The linear train ran above the sea crossing over a long bridge.

Ahead of this bridge Kizuna could see the destination where he was going.

Buildings like a protective wall encircled the surrounding. Rapid fire cannons and missiles protruded out toward every direction at 360°. The atmosphere was exactly like a fortress.

――Tactical Defense Academy Ataraxia.

It was a self-supporting float with a diameter of three kilometers, it was also one of the oldest floats.

Every region’s floats were also equipped with unmanned city defense functions, but fundamentally the defense of Megafloat Japan was shouldered by this Ataraxia.

Right after the Another Universe Conflict, this Ataraxia was the foremost line of anti-AU technology, it was a research institution that constantly developed human resources and R&D, other than university, this float was also a joint establishment with high and middle school.

His mother owned a research facility in Ataraxia, so Kizuna was also living in this float when he was small. He was chased out from the research facility seven years ago and was forced to move into Tokyo float. Though it was only for a short time, but he began to live with his big sister there just the two of them.

However his big sister too soon enrolled into Ataraxia. It made Kizuna live alone by himself.

The only ones who could enter Ataraxia were just they who received permission. Kizuna was unable to even approach near Ataraxia.

Every month there was a public advertisement being held for several dozen people to go for a field trip there, but he had never got chosen even once.

He thought that by any chance he might be excluded from the lottery since the beginning, but every month he kept applying.

Although he had sent mail several times to his mother, but he had never received any reply even once.

For a while he also had some exchanges of conversation with his big sister, but it seemed that she was busy and the two of them gradually became estranged.

And then it was yesterday night that his big sister, Hida Reiri, called him by phone after a long time.

{Kizuna?}

“Nee-chan!? It’s been a long time, you never contacted me at all but…… what are you doing right now?”

{I’m busy with my work. Rather than that, I had arranged the procedure for your admission into Ataraxia. Tomorrow, come until the reception at noon. After you take care of the enrollment procedure, report yourself to the command headquarters. You got that?}

“Ha? What are you saying so suddenly Nee-san? My grade is not that excellent you know. There is just no way I can go to Ataraxia.”

Ataraxia was a place that gathered people in order to turn them into the cornerstone of mankind in various fields. No matter how he thought about it, it was not a place he could go to.

{I have business with your Heart Hybrid Gear.}

Kizuna’s chest felt a sharp pain.

“Ahaha, Nee-san said something really nostalgic…… but, this thing is not useful you know?”

Frankly, he didn’t want to activate the thing for a second time.

He didn’t want to recall how he was being treated like an unneeded child by his mother.

Moreover, there was also one other reason.

There was a necessity to call out the name of the gear inside oneself in order to activate the Heart Hybrid Gear. That was because it was the activation code.

He didn’t want to shout out that name.

When he was a kid he didn’t mind it at all, but right now it was a keyword that he didn’t want to say overtly.

{I’ll be the one to decide whether it’s useful or not. If you got it, then do as I say. If you are late tomorrow, I’ll make public all of your embarrassing secrets. For example, when you were a child you were trying to go to toilet――}

“I, I got it! I understand!”

The linear motor car arrived at the station and Kizuna got down from the train.

‘Just what is Nee-chan thinking? No, rather than that, why did Nee-chan make that kind of call? If I remember right, I heard that Nee-chan’s work is some kind of office work though.’

By any chance, was she employed in a company related with Ataraxia?

He didn’t know what his big sister was thinking, but honestly he was reluctant to do this.

This place was a place where he had an unpleasant memory as a kid, and it was also the same float where his mother was, those facts made Kizuna’s heart become heavy.

He might encounter his mother. He wanted to meet her, but he also didn’t want to meet her.

While still harboring such contradictory feelings, he received the entrance inspection.

The inspection was to restrict people without permission to enter Ataraxia.

The reception was not human, but a three dimensional CG character. A pink haired beautiful girl was talking with a synthetic voice that sounded really close to a human voice.

“Confirmation finished. You are Hida Kizuna-san that is arranged to enroll into Tactical Defense Academy Ataraxia today correct? Age is 17 years old, is there no mistake that you will be transferred as a second year high school student?”

‘Uwaa, I’m really going to be transferred here!’

“Ye, yes. There is no mistake.”

“Welcome to Ataraxia! May luck be with you.”

After he passed the inspection and went through the gate, he was met with the grounds of Ataraxia.

“Heee…… I thought it’s going to feel savage because this place is combined with military facility, but the townscape is really beautiful and stylish instead.”

Small type electric automobiles were coming and going through the main street and students and residents were walking through the road. Digital synergies floating in the air were lining up along the sidewalk. Advertisements of products and news and the like were projected on them. These things would supposedly also get used in an emergency for urgent information and evacuation instructions.

At both sides of the sidewalk, shopping malls and cafés, brand shops, etc, various shops were standing in a row. Ataraxia fundamentally had a boarding system where all students live in dormitories, houses were also prepared for the personnel and researcher here. There was also the inspection that was performed every single time someone entered and exited, and so there was a demand for the inside of the float to provide all the necessities for living.

In order to answer that demand, all kinds of shop, medical institution, and various recreational facilities were established inside Ataraxia. Everything in here was built under the hands of first class architects, so the design here became avant-garde and futuristic.

“Hee, even chain convenient stores have cool appearances here.”

When he got attracted by the coolness and tried to enter, inside the store was flourishing with Ataraxia’s students. Everyone was talking with their friends while happily choosing lunch or snacks.

‘I wonder if right now is lunch break? Or the convenient store also doubles as the school canteen?’

There was also exciting things like cup ramen or snacks limited for Ataraxia, but he would surely have many chances to buy them in the future.

He had arrived here after much trouble, so maybe he should try looking around at other stores too? His stomach was also a little hungry.

However, whether it was café, fast food, or gyudon shop, everywhere was packed with people. Furthermore, ninety percent of the customers were wearing Ataraxia’s uniform. <ref>Gyudon – Japanese food that is a rice covered in meat and vegetable.</ref>

‘How awesome. It’s like most of the place is the cafeteria for Ataraxia.’

Kizuna thought about the fierce battle for lunch that he would have to go through starting from tomorrow.

And then while he was walking around like that, he became increasingly fond of Ataraxia.

If the facility was the best, then the shop employees were also polite and kind.

The students were also the same, looking at him who was wandering around with casual clothes, they asked him where did he come from, was something troubling him, was he looking for someone, he was being called by many people in concern.

Above all, everyone looked happy.

At the plaza of the shopping mall, there was an amateur band doing a launching concert, at the game center too there were also some guys playing games while holding bento in one hand.

In outline, this place should be a military facility, but…… in reality this place was really full of freedom.

“Wait, this is bad-! I forgot to go to the command headquarters!”

Well, if he just walked through the appropriate streets, he would surely find a building that fits the bill, there must also be some guide board around. Even if not, everyone here was kind, so it would be fine if he just asked someone for directions.

Having an idea like that, he began to walk.

――But,

“I’m lost……”

Ataraxia was wider than he thought, he couldn’t find the high school or the command headquarters anywhere. Furthermore, along with the end of the lunch break, there was no more students walking around outside.

“Or rather, where is this place?”

For some reason he was walking inside a forest.

“Why is there a forest and river inside an academy float……”

Even if he tried to go back, he already didn’t understand which direction he should go to go back.

“Am I, going to get stranded on my first day going to school and die? It’s already past the level of being idiotic like that.”

Right when he was thinking that, he walked into an open space further inside the forest.

“I did it! I finally returned to the city!”

Happiness welled up inside him and he rushed ahead.

“……-!?”

When he got out of the forest, he found a sea there.

Kizuna stopped his run so suddenly that his body pitched forward.

The spot where he was at was the brink of the float. It was like a precipice cliff, the wall of the float’s hull was continuing until far below.

The hull of the megafloat was gigantic. The height could even reach several dozen meters.

“I…… I almost died.”

But, there was something that attracted his attention even more than that.

A large type rapid fire cannon was set at the outer edge.

A girl was standing at the tip of that cannon.

Her back was facing him, her silver hair and her Ataraxia uniform were fluttering from the sea wind.

He was going to call out to her, but he hesitated.

If he called out carelessly, she might fall.

Cold sweat flowed down Kizuna’s forehead.

‘This place looked deserted. Shit, what kind of scene I’m finding here.’

Should he call for help?

Kizuna was going to step back, but he stepped on a branch lying under his feet.

The sound of the branch snapping made that girl turn to him.

“Ah……”

Kizuna’s eyes were stolen by her appearance.

‘Aah, she is not a human, she must be a CG character like the receptionist. If that’s so, then it might be normal for her to stand so calmly in a dangerous place like that’……was what he thought.

He was thinking like that because he couldn’t think that someone like her was a living human.

Long silver hair and red eyes.

Delicateness and beauty that was like precisely crafted porcelain, it was a girl that gave the impression of hardness and yet also brittleness. There was no way that this much conveniently beautiful human could exist.

Her height was normal, but her head was a little small compared to her body’s tallness. She had slender proportions to the degree that it made him worry that she would break, but her breasts were so big in imbalance with her body.

Her skin was white and smooth as if it was highlighted and looked shining. Looking at her face from the side, he couldn’t think of any other word to describe it other than a perfect beauty. Her red eyes that looked as if they were emitting light themselves were filled with sadness, it was as if her long eyelashes were hiding that sadness. That sorrowful gaze was directed at Kizuna.

Those red eyes were reflecting light in a sparkle.

Was she…… crying?

But rather than that, a girl with a beauty this transcendent was looking at him. He was monopolizing this girl’s gaze. Just that fact made him feel as if he was soaring in the sky.

Even the idols that made appearances on TV, if they were compared with the girl in front of his eyes, they were just like normal people.

This girl was like a different living being from somewhere, he could feel that difference in dimension from her.

That girl, was walking to his direction.

‘Eh? Eehh-? A, a real thing?’

She lightly jumped, passing over the bumps, and moved back from the rapid fire cannon to Ataraxia.

Her glossy pink lips were moving.

“Who are you?”

‘She talked!’

‘Err, how should I reply? My, my name? Is it fine for me to introduce my name?’

The girl knitted her eyebrows and showed a face that was seriously glaring at him.

“I wonder if you don’t have the intelligence to understand words? This is the first time I saw an animal like this……”

Just now she said something really mean to him!?

“No, I understand your words but…… I’m Hida Kizuna. Since today I attend the high school here. You are, a student here right?”

“That’s obvious isn’t it? If I’m not a student then just what do you think I am, I wonder. Someone who purposefully ordered this uniform, slipped into this place of heavy security, and stared at the scenery in this kind of place?”

“No, you don’t need to find fault in me like that……” <ref>Finding fault here in the raw is written with the kanji of ‘raising foot’. Some kind of metaphor in Japan, but in English it means finding fault.</ref>

“Finding fault? Just why in the world this me has to take the foot of someone like you? Rather it’s a different story if you are the one that cries and begs to me, saying, ‘please let me kiss your beautiful foot’.”

“I’m not begging like that at all!”

“What a dishonest man.”

What was with this girl? Even though her appearance was the most beautiful and cute he had ever seen, but he couldn’t understand her strange thought process at all. Whether she had a bad mouth or a bad personality he didn’t know.

“I am Chidorigafuchi Aine, a second year. It’s fine if you want to worship me.”

“What I’m talking about doesn’t get through to you at all! Just how does it take this much just to hear your name.”

“Rather, you should express your joy that you can hear the name of this me this easily. Now, dance the dance of joy, make this me enjoy the attraction.”

This was hopeless. Her visual appearance was the greatest, but it seemed that not getting involved with this girl was for the best. He was thinking of asking her for directions, but like this his mind would be destroyed in return for the directions he asked for.

“Ah, well, I’ll be going――”

At that time, a loud siren was resounding.

“Wh, what!?”

What kind of alarm was this? At the very least, it was certain that it was not the signal for the class starting.

Or else, was this a disaster drill?

“Evacuate to the shelter immediately.”

Aine spoke to him with a serious expression.

“This is the air raid alarm.”

Ai…… air raid, alarm?

“Tha, that’s impossible. Because, right now we are in the safe area of the Pacific Ocean you know? Those AU bunch should not have cruising range this far……”

The army of AU for some reason couldn’t advance outside a certain range from the Entrance. That was why this megafloat was created.

“But, this should not be a false alarm. The enemy has appeared, that’s a fact.”

After saying that, Aine began to strip off her clothes.

“Wha, oi! What the hell are you doing!?”

After taking off her upper wear and hung it at the nearby tree, this time she unfastened the hook of her skirt. Like that she took off her skirt and hung it at the tree like her upper wear. Wearing a panty with amazing cut, when she turned her back to him, he could see almost half her butt bared naked to him. Furthermore, the fabric was digging into the crevice, so it made him fell into an illusion as if the fabric was not hiding anything.

“……You are still in a place like this?”

Her movements stopped from a little shock.

When he saw that her cheeks were a little red, it seemed that it was not like she was not embarrassed.

“I’ve told you already to go evacuate haven’t I? You dullard.”

“You yourself, just why did you suddenly begin to strip! What are you going to do if somebody sees you!?”

“The one looking here is only you. This molester.”

While saying that, she unfastened the buttons of her white shirt.

“Turn away your eyes. If you do that then there will be no problem at all. I’m the victim who got peeped at one-sidedly, while you are the pervert who is one-sidedly peeping at me.”

“You are the pervert who is showing all this to me one-sidedly!”

But certainly if he averted his eyes right now then all this would be settled. Though he couldn’t comprehend this at all!

“If we are going by your reasoning here, then that means exhibitionism is not something obscene you know…… hey, oi!!”

Aine unhesitatingly took off her white shirt.

Kizuna tried to avert her eyes in panic, but his movements stopped in the middle.

“……?”

What could be seen under the white shirt was not brassiere.

What she was wearing under her uniform was a leotard with surface area that was extremely small.

The center of the leotard was opened, it was as if the clothes were flaunting the valley of the breasts and the navel, exposing them to the open. The cut of the crotch also had a steep angle while her sides were virtually uncovered.

It looked really erotic.

Aine’s body line became completely obvious without anything hiding it, her large breasts were shaking in jiggles following her motion taking off her clothes.

However, this leotard with high exposure rate was not something for the sake of gymnastics.

“That’s…… a pilot suit?”

“Even though you are ignorant, but you are widely knowledgeable only in female underwear aren’t you? The way you are using your head is really troubling.”

“That’s not underwear in the first place! No wait, it lookx like underwear though!”

He was staring fixedly at Aine once again.

There was no mistake, this was a pilot suit.

This girl, could she be――

“Zeros!”

When Aine shouted that, glittering blue lights surged out from her.

“You-, you have done {{furigana|Core’s Install|Internal Operation}}!?”

The blue light was turning into the shape of Heart Hybrid Gear.

The created shape of the gear was equipped onto Aine as if digging into her soft body.

Armor modeled after vertebral column ran on her back as if in protection of her spine. And then, the largest thruster appeared on her bottom. This part was responsible for the majority of her propulsion force.

On the other side, the front part of the body had surprisingly few areas which were protected. There was no conspicuous armor from her neck until her thigh. However attack from the front could be confirmed by sight, so evading was easy. Moreover, there was the basic function of Heart Hybrid Gear, the {{furigana|Life Saver|Absolute Territory}} system which gave protection to the wearer.

This was a sudden talk, but Life Saver was a powerful barrier equipped on Heart Hybrid Gear.

When the blue light enveloping her four limbs was burst open, standing there was a girl equipped with a gear that combined protector and thruster. There were a lot of thrusters on her whole body, so he could guess that it was a gear with fairly high mobility.

When her silver hair was brushed off smoothly, blue particles danced in the air.

“This is…… Zeros.”

Its brilliance was beautiful, blue light was running through the sleek white armor.

It was a simple but really sharp Heart Hybrid Gear.

He thought that this beautiful gear didn’t lose to that stunningly beautiful girl possessing silver hair and red eyes.

Heart Hybrid Gear was hiding a power that greatly eclipsed mankind’s conventional weapons. It was the ultimate anti-AU weapon. Behind this technology that displayed an unrealistic performance, there was a rumor that it incorporated the technology of AU from the enemy.

But, there was one point that bothered him from the Heart Hybrid Gear in front of his eyes.

――There was no weapon.

“Can I ask you a little? Is there no weapon in that Heart Hybrid Gear?”

Her red eyes glared at him.

“Please don’t say impolite things. Of course it has proper weapons.”

What? No wait, perhaps it was an internal type weapon. So even a gear this small had the parts fitted really well.

“It’s a weapon invisible for an idiot. So you cannot see it. How pitiful.”

“Rather than calling me an idiot, the one telling that kind of story is the one that sounded like an idiot!”

“This gear is paying serious attention to its stealth.”

“A technology that make you unable to see your own weapon is just something completely meaningless!”

Aine was crouching down on the ground and then she grasped something like a handle.

What was that? He didn’t realize something like that was there at all.

When the handle was twisted, the ground opened quickly, then a metal box appeared from inside it.

“Eh-?”

Inside the box was firearms lining up in a row.

Aine took one firearm from among them. It was a 89-style pistol.

There was nothing unusual about the gun, it was just the official firearm that the Ground Self-Defense Forces utilized once.

“Yo, you…… you are, using that?”

“What is it, you have complaints?”

No, he was not complaining though.

Heart Hybrid Gear was something that had armor and weapons combined into it. Even his own gear was furnished with a beam cannon although its offensive power was low.

But, Aine’s gear was not furnished with weapons from the beginning.

“You are going to fight with that kind of weapon!? Conventional weapons are ineffective against magic weapons right?”

A ring of blue light was floating around Aine’s waist.

The Heart Hybrid Gear was raising its output. That was the sign of commencing flying.

“It’s fine already, just escape, you are going to die if you stay here.”

Leaving those words behind, Aine faced to the sea and ran, then she flew away from Ataraxia. Blue light stretched out from the thrusters on her waist and feet, flying up Aine to the sky.

“Shit-!”

Kizuna started running.

‘Her mouth was bad, but what Chidorigafuchi told me is correct.

My aptitude with Heart Hybrid Gear is low, and to begin with I haven’t trained for battle with it since I was a child. So that I won’t drag her down, I should evacuate to the shelter.

――But,

I just can’t forget Chidorigafuchi who was standing still alone with tears shining in her red eyes.’

Kizuna was walking towards the direction where Aine was heading.

His speed was gradually turning faster, before long he had started to run.

From here he couldn’t see well the sky of the city. He had to go to a more open place!

When he ran along the outer edge of Ataraxia, before long he exited the forest and came out into a wide park.

“Wha――”

A gigantic object was flying above his head where it almost grazed him. A terrific gale attacked Kizuna.

Giant!? No, that was a magic weapon!?

By crouching on the ground, he somehow endured from being blown away.

That was the magic weapon of AU! He had seen it before from a photo.

It was a mechanized giant with a total height that surpassed ten meters. Even among the magic weapons which were designed with armor impression, this one had a pair of wings that possessed flying ability, an [Albatross].

No matter how he saw it, it shouldn’t be able to fly in the sky based on aviation mechanics, but it was soaring in the sky with mobility that was even higher than an airplane. He didn’t understand at all with what kind of technology it was flying in the sky.

The technology of the AU far surpassed the common sense of mankind.

And then, after that a small shadow was passing through him in an instant.

‘Chidorigafuchi!?’

He chased the back of the figure flying past him with his eye, but the figure was gone already. When he looked up, he could see a white Heart Hybrid Gear ascending high to the sky chasing after Albatross.

Aine pulled the trigger of the type-89 gun in her hand and scattered sparks on Albatross’ back.

That was a good skill.

If this was a dogfight, then this would be Aine’s victory.

However, the armor of Albatross repelled those bullets really easily.

On the contrary Albatross stopped still in the sky and directed its bayonet towards Aine while turning its body behind. Normally, a bayonet was a rifle which had a short sword fixed on its tip, but the bayonet of AU had the shape of sword blade fused with gun grip and trigger as its handle.

When the trigger of that bayonet was pulled, the sword emitted light and a bullet of light was fired heading to Aine.

The speed of the bullet was fast. It was hard to chase it with eyes, but Aine evaded that bullet nimbly. And then she was encircling Albatross and rained bullets from all directions.

But there was no effect.

Aine threw away the magazine that had become empty and inserted a new ammo magazine.

She beautifully evaded the bullet of light that Albatross fired again then she closed the distance in one breath.

And then――

She struck.

“Wait…… eeeh-!?”

A strong punch hit Albatross’s chin, making that giant body bend backwards greatly.

‘Eh…… isn’t that attack the most effective compared to all she had done until now?’

Aine thrust the muzzle of the type-89 gun into the gap of the raised neck and pulled the trigger. She kept shooting until her ammo ran out, then Aine kicked the Albatross and took some distance.

The kicked Albatross powerlessly began to fall, after a while it exploded largely. Its scattered fragments transformed into fragments of light while raining down to the ground.

‘Amazing! She really defeated a magic weapon with a normal weapon!’

Aine descended down to the ground. Kizuna hurried on to the location where she would land in order to greet her.

“Oi, that’s amazing just now! You did it! You defeated a magic weapon from AU!”

However, Aine ignored Kizuna, she once again crouched in the corner of the park and twisted a handle of a hatch.

The box that flew out from the opened ground was lined up with firearms.

“Wait, this kind of thing is everywhere in the float!?”

“Of course. We don’t know when the enemy will come attacking after all.”

This time Aine took out an even bigger gun than the type-89. It was a 12.7mm heavy machine gun. Normally it was not something that a human could use by carrying it by hand, but this one had been forcefully remodeled so it was usable by hand. Just its main part had the total weight of nearly 40 kilo, but Aine lightly lifted it up.

“Type-89’s firepower is just too weak.”

After wrapping ammo belt on her body, she flew up to the sky once more.

Seeing off her figure, Kizuna felt like he had been left behind.

In contrast with Aine’s action which had no hesitation, Kizuna didn’t know what he should do. He was standing still in that place for a while.

――’Shouldn’t I also fight?

No, no, just what kind of impertinent thought you had, me.

With my aptitude for Heart Hybrid Gear, I cannot properly fight the enemy’, that was what his mother told him. He had beam cannon, but it was hard to break through the armor of magic weapons, and even if he could fly in the sky, he couldn’t fly while carrying something heavy.

{Kizuna, it’s pointless for human without any talent no matter how hard he works. Talent will shine if it is polished, but if there was nothing to be polished in the first place, then it won’t turn into anything.}

The words of his mother were revived in his ear.

His mother was a genius. A person that was like a mass of talent.

His mother’s last academic background was as a third year student of elementary school.

At that time she was already publishing numerous reformative papers on the internet. She had tied contracts with several corporations and research institutes as a researcher and mysterious consultants at the same time. Even with her identity unidentified at that time, her existence was like a kind of deity.

The Heart Hybrid Gear was one of the inventions of such a mother.

His big sister was also an abnormally superior person since she was a child. It was overwhelming for him to always be compared with his sister.

But, that big sister herself was always kind to Kizuna.

{Kizuna. The worth of a human is not from the height or depth of their ability. It’s a problem of how you live.}

On top of being superior, she was a really good person.

‘Among such superhuman family, how should this me that is the most average should live?’

Kizuna stared at Aine who was fighting in the sky.

Even if he couldn’t fight directly, wasn’t there still something else he could help with?

To equip his Heart Hybrid Gear, there was a need to yell that, its name.

“E……”

‘No, no, no!

Calm down, Hida Kizuna!’

Courage was necessary just to shout that name.

Of course, courage was also needed for fighting.

Courage was also needed even for facing his past where he was abandoned by his mother.

And then, it was embarrassing to speak of the code for equipping his gear.

‘Shit-! Of all things, just why did that mother of mine pick a naming like that!’

He absolutely hated that name!

When he was a child he didn’t understand its meaning and he yelled that name innocently, but then he knew the meaning of that word at a certain time and he felt greatly wounded――

“Hm? What?”

A small shaking was repeating in the ground.

The tiles covering the park were beginning to open like accordion curtains.

“Uwaa-, this is bad-!”

Kizuna started to run.

“Shit-, so this park is using interception system!”

He crossed over the road and hid in the shadow of a building nearby.

From the opened ground, a missile was fired, rising to the sky while trailing flames behind. However, there was no figure of magic weapon where the missile was going.

“Just what are they aiming at?”

Suddenly the missile exploded in the sky.

He took a deep breath and then looked up to the sky once more.

“……hm? That’s, what’s that?”

The sky where he looked up was strangely distorted when he looked carefully.

When he focused his eyes, that distortion was like something rectangle that was slim and long. It was fairly big.

No way…… was that the battleship of AU!?

Shivers ran through his back.

It was mainly rumored that the ship from AU couldn’t be discovered by radar searching. If it couldn’t be identified by eyesight on top of that, then there would be no way to hit them.

And then from that warship, new magic weapons were descending down.

The second wave of missile was further fired from the park. When he turned back, the wall of the building behind Kizuna’s back was beginning to open like a shutter.

“Oi oi! This thing is also a camouflage!?”

Megafloat was constructed with the assumption of fighting the AU. Due to that, defense systems were incorporated everywhere.

From the defense system that was camouflaged as a building, a large type particle cannon appeared.

“Aa―, I cannot keep up with this at all!”

At the same time with him sprinting away, a tremendous roar resounded from his back.

He felt severe heat at his back, but he somehow managed to not end up dead by being roasted.

He patted his chest while sighing in relief before looking for a place where he could calm down, he continued to run recklessly.

After a while, he arrived at a place where there were many warehouses lining up.

Perhaps there were stray shots hitting this place, but there were many cardboard boxes scattered around haphazardly, the snacks stored inside the boxes were scattered everywhere.

Kizuna put his hand on the wall and tried to put his breathing in order.

“Haa, haaa…… a, anyway, seems like this place is not a dummy warehouse. As expected it’s not a defense system.”

At the other side of the warehouse was immediately the sea. In the end, it seemed that he had run along the edge of Ataraxia.

He could see explosions happening in the sky far away. A red light was drawing a line, flying around in the sky.

Was that Chidorigafuchi Aine?

Suddenly, while he was thinking about such thing, a gigantic hand appeared before his eyes.

“Wha-……!?”

That hand which had sea water dripping from it caught hold of Ataraxia’s edge.

With a pull-up trick, that body showed its figure.

A giant body with horn growing on it was overflowing with sea water, a magic weapon was landing on Ataraxia.

Its total height was ten meters. A category-B magic weapon, [Viking].

Shit-! Now that it had come to this, he wouldn’t be able to escape without making some sacrifice. There was nothing to do but equipping his Heart Hybrid Gear.

It was not for fighting, but for escaping.

“E――”

At that moment, a hole opened in the Viking’s body.

‘Chidorigafuchi!?’

Thinking that, he looked for the Heart Hybrid Gear with blue light running on that white body.

However, what entered his eyes was a girl holding a katana charging here.

“Go! Blade!”

Together with that calling voice, the black haired girl moved the swords floating at the surrounding air. With agile movement, the swords flew in the air and assaulted the Viking. The Viking tried to intercept them, but the blades skewered it like a joke.

“Haaaa!”

The girl took a stance of holding her sword above her head and slashed at the Viking.

The Viking was bisected into two from its head.

The girl landed in front of Kizuna and waved her sword as if assuming a posture.

The Viking raised an explosion as if that gesture was the signal.

The splinters turned into clusters of light in the air.

‘E, eh?’

Was he, saved?

However, when that girl swung her sword, the tip was directed right at Kizuna’s nose.

“What is an ordinary student doing in this kind of place! Furthermore in casual clothing like that!”

“Eh, who, are you?”

“You don’t know about me? I am Himekawa Hayuru, a public morals committee member of Ataraxia! What year and what group of students are you!?”

“E, err, I’m a transfer student, this is my first day……”

The girl who introduced herself as Himekawa Hayuru was taken aback before she stared fixedly at Kizuna’s face.

“Then you are the new team member then! Do you have a Heart Hybrid Gear?”

Kizuna nodded his head repeatedly.

“Then, please fight together with us! Right now is an emergency situation!”

‘Eeeeeeeeeeeeee! That’s, even if you suddenly told me! No, rather please don’t expect any fighting ability from me!’

Himekawa seems to be losing her temper when Kizuna didn’t reply, she snapped at Kizuna.

“What are you doing! Please hurry! We who possess Heart Hybrid Gear are existences that should become the shield of the people! We have to become the sword of the powerless people!”

Himekawa talked passionately, but Kizuna could only feel uneasy.

That was because new magic weapons were descending down to here.

Furthermore, this time their number was many. There was ten category-C Blue Head. Also, there was even a larger group of Brigands coming down here.

Even when looking at that large group of enemies, Himekawa didn’t falter at all.

“Hmph. Again they come…… come! You too, let’s fight together!”

“No, that’s why, I――”

Blue Heads raised a tremor in the ground with their landing, they brandished their swords and headed here.

At that time, flashes and sound of shockwaves pierced the sky of the park.

Wind hole was opened in a Blue Head’s body, then it exploded greatly.

He thought that it was Himekawa launching her Blade once again, but the Blades were still floating around the back of Himekawa this time.

“Hayuru? Can you stop playing around I wonder?”

There was one more person in the air, a girl with Heart Hybrid Gear put on her body.

It was a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

‘So this is what they mean by dynamite body’, Kizuna thought.

From her large breasts, to her waists that radically turned slim, and a butt that was stretching as if it were going to explode in a turn.

She was glamorous and gorgeous.

The gaps between her gear were shining, that luminescence which was golden in color also played a part in her gorgeous impression.

And then, the armaments which were fixed on her back and around her hips also showed the powerful fire power at her disposal.

The cannon muzzles that could possibly fired in all directions were moving separately, each of them was establishing a different target.

All of them spouted out fire all at once.

“Uwawawawawawa!”

Intense explosive sound rumbled, particle bullets were grazing Kizuna from all directions.

The shockwave from that made his body stagger.

Until the bombarding was over, he didn’t feel like he was going to stay alive.

The bombarding was over after a few seconds, the surroundings were wrapped in silence.

When he timidly observed the surroundings, the Blue Heads and Brigands had been wiped out.

‘A…… amazing.’

It was not just because the firepower was powerful. That was an accurate shooting. It looked like she was firing randomly to all directions, but not to mention himself and Himekawa, there was no damage at all even at the surrounding facility. She was attacking only aiming accurately at the magic weapons.

When the girl softly landed on the ground, she faced Himekawa and continued talking as if there was nothing.

“That’s why, it’s hard doing this alone. It’s severe doing this when Hayuru slacks off.” <ref>Yurishia had a characteristic way of talking. She often drag off the end of her sentence a little. For example ‘that’s whyy’ ‘slack offf’ like those, I wonder if I should write it like that here or it’s better to just write it normally?</ref>

Hearing those words, Hayuru stepped forward with a clink.

“Yu, Yurishia-san-! This I is a committee member of public morals! And you called me slacking off!? That’s an offensive insult! Please take your words back right now!”

Her face was bright red and she kept talking on and on.

“Araa, I wonder if I stepped on a landmine here?”

The blonde beautiful girl called Yurishia parried Himekawa’s fury with a smile.

“Rather than that, I wonder who is that boy over there―♪ Hayuru’s boyfriend?”

“Boyf……-!?”

Her face that was already too red became even redder.

“I-i-i-I, impossible-! Licentious! Filthy! In the first place even touching a boy is something that is not allowed! We, we are shouldering a lofty goal of――”

“Ok, ok, I understand. Then, let’s just clean up the descending down magic weapons. If we don’t quickly tidy this up, then not only Ataraxia, even Megafloat Japan as a whole will be sunk down you know?”

With a bright smile, she said something terrifying.

“Guh…… I, I understand. Certainly right now is not the time to argue. Let’s properly talk about this matter later on!”

The Unit at Yurishia’s back emitted light. The next instant she flew up to the sky. Her figure turned small in the blink of an eye. Himekawa also followed after her.

Kizuna was left completely by himself alone in that place.

{You too, let’s fight together!}

He recalled back Himekawa’s voice.

Even if he was told that, there were things he could do and couldn’t do.

Just as his mother told him, he couldn’t even stand at the start line if he didn’t have the talent in the first place.

When he moved his gaze to the city’s direction, Chidorigafuchi flying in the sky drawing blue tracks behind her entered his eyes.

‘Even I actually want to be like that――,’

However, Chidorigafuchi’s condition was strange.

Her movement was dull. Her nimble body movement like before this had disappeared, even the machine gun she held in her hand was hanging down heavily.

What? Just what in the world was going on?

And then finally, her movements stopped.

‘D, dangerous!’

Direct hit.

The enemy’s cannon hit Aine. Flame explosion spread in the sky like a blooming flower.

“……That’s”

Kizuna was dumbfounded.

From inside the flame, the figure of Aine with smoke trailing behind her appeared.

However, power had left her whole body, she was falling to the ground.

‘O, oi! That’s seriously bad right there!

Kizuna’s eyes wandered. His gaze roamed the sky, he was desperately looking for the Heart Hybrid Gear of Yurishia and Himekawa.

‘Save her quickly! Your comrade is in danger!’

Even when he yelled so in his heart, there was no signs of those two coming.

‘What to do?

What to do!’

{Kizuna. The worth of a human is not from the height or depth of their ability. It’s a problem of how you live.}

His sister’s words resounded in his mind.

‘That’s right isn’t it, Nee-chan. If not right here right now, then just when I’ll use it!’

Kizuna took off his jacket.

He wasn’t wearing a pilot suit, that made his affinity with the Heart Hybrid Gear even lower.

“Kuh, can’t be helped!”

In order to make up for the demerit of not wearing pilot suit even for a little, he also took off his T-shirt vigorously. When his upper body became naked, Kizuna took in a large deep breath.

“EROS!”

All over his body was wrapped in pink light.

This sensation…… how many years has it been already.

The pulsation of his heart released particles of light, those particles united and created magic armor that wrapped his body.

Kizuna put on the Heart Hybrid Gear [Eros] on his body.

On the black armor, pink streaks of luminescence were running.

When he concentrated his consciousness, he raised the output of the thruster and beads of light danced from the jet propulsion nozzle.

The sensation was not different at all with what he felt as a child.

“Okay-, I can do this!”

Kizuna flew to the sky.

With all the speed that he could muster, he headed to Aine’s falling point.

Aine’s natural falling continued, it would only take 100 meters more before she crashed.

“Make it in time!”

The yell of his heart accelerated the Heart Hybrid Gear.

Kizuna’s arms caught Aine’s body.

“I did it! E, eh?”

It was all fine that he caught the body, but he couldn’t support Aine’s weight. That was just how weak the output of Eros was.

“U, uwaaa!”

He was dropping diagonally and fell on a field that had grass growing.

He embraced Aine to protect her before he slid on the lawn.

After rolling for several tens of meters, he finally stopped.

“So…… somehow, it looks like I’m saved.”

‘So I can actually do it when I try.’

He soaked in a prideful feeling for a moment. Aine was still breathing, but she looked as if she was in a great pain.

“Oi, Chidor――gah……”

Aine was hit by enemy attacks and bore damage.

There was no problem in her Heart Hybrid Gear, but the damage to her pilot suit was great.

In other words, it was torn.

The suits already had great exposure rate in the first place, but it became even more terrible with this damage in addition. Like this he guessed that it could actually put up a challenge against a micro bikini.

Around the collarbone and around the stomach were holes opened from tears of the fabric. Like this, it was nothing more than some sorry patches that hid the breasts and nether region.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>gulp* Kizuna made a noticeable sound from his throat.

‘N, no. This is not the time to think about perverted thoughts.’

He persuaded himself like that, but he still wasn’t able to oppose the absolute eroticism of the beautiful girl.

He had seen erotic manga on the internet before, but the presence and pressure of the real thing far surpassed his imagination.

Moreover, this was a girl with transcendental beauty. Trying to resist was an impossible talk from the outset.

He barely mobilized all his remaining reasoning before talking to Aine.

“O, oi, Chidorigafuchi. You okay? Get a grip of yourself.”

There was luminescence everywhere on her body that was the proof that the Heart Hybrid Gear was operating. However, Aine’s light looked dim, it looked like the light would go out anytime.

But anyways, she was safe for the time being. However, he better bring her to a hospital as soon as possible――

At that time, in front of Kizuna’s eyes a floating window opened. Projecting monitor window in the air where there was nothing could be done by using Heart Hybrid Gear’s communication function.

“What is it, at this kind of time!”

A close-up of a beautiful woman was projected on the window.

{Kizuna. It’s me.}

“Ne-, Nee-chan!?”

The transmission was from his sister, Reiri.

“Ne, Nee-chan!? Right now, I got a serious――”

{Shut up.}

“-……!!”

He reflexively swallowed his words.

{I understand your current situation. Listen well to what I’m going to say after this. Understand?}

He didn’t know what was going on, but for the time being he nodded.

“I got it. Then, what should I do?”

{First, rub Aine’s breast.}

Kizuna reflexively held Aine’s breast.

……What?

“Uwawawaaa! Wh-, what are you making me do!”

He released his hand as if it was repelled away.

{Kizuna, do it more gently. Gently, but slowly put more strength into it, rub and wrap it in your hand.”

“No, listen! Why do I have to rub the breast of a girl that I just met for the first time!?”

{Don’t think. Feel.}

“Feel what!?”

{Aine’s heart and body. Unless you can do that, you guys will die for real.}

He could see an Albatross landing down on the roof of a nearby building.

If that thing came here, it would be seriously bad.

{Then touch Aine’s body to make sure if she has wounds or not. Look through every nook and cranny of her body.}

“A…… go, got it. If it’s something like that then……”

With trembling fingers, Kizuna touched Aine’s body.

‘Shit-, don’t get nervous.’

Kizuna was sliding his finger tips from her shoulder to her arm while looking at the girl’s reaction.

The thin glove that reached until her upper arm was torn and had holes opened in it. However, it seemed that she was not injured. The softness of her arm was directly transmitted to his hand.

“Uu……n”

“Chidorigafuchi?”

She was groaning, but it seemed that her consciousness hadn’t returned.

{Don’t mind, just continue.}

“Ah, yes. I got it.”

He ascertained other places similarly like that. From her armpit to her side, her waist, and then her thigh, her calf.

Was the body of a girl really this soft?

He thought that because they were the same human, even though they were male and female it was only their shape that was different, but it was like they were made from different raw materials.

{Open up her legs. Enter between, then pay thorough attention to her leg one by one.}

“Ri, right.”

Before he realized it, Kizuna had already become absorbed in the pleasant feeling of touching Aine’s body.

“Aa…… n, haa……”

The girl’s cheeks were colored red.

Somehow, the feeling of fondling the body of a beautiful girl earnestly was not bad.

Furthermore, in the current situation, he opened her legs and right now he was in a position between those legs where he was holding in his arm her thigh.

Suddenly he could smell a nice aroma like a flower.

He didn’t notice it in his fluster, but this was the aroma of a girl.

Her blushing face was truly bewitching.

He unintentionally gulped his saliva.

Sweat flowed down the nape of her neck.

Her breasts largely moved up and down.

And then, the tips of the breast were obviously conspicuous even more than before. It was standing up as if going against the suit, pushing up the fabric from below.

‘No, no good! My eyes cannot move!’

He put all his power to the muscle of his neck and tore away his gaze from the breasts.

Far below her breasts, there was her navel.

The navel itself was not a big deal, but the fact that the shape of the body under the suit was blatantly displayed uplifted his mind mischievously.

‘Shit-! Even though I’ve finally get away from the breast’s binding spell! What a body that I can’t let my guard down with!’

However, ahead from that area was a spot that was even more dangerous.

The triangle zone made up from the body and the thighs. For Kizuna it was an unknown territory.

The pilot suit was digging into that between, shadow and highlight were creating a valley that looked soft.

His head was dizzy from the charm of her body. The throbbing of his heart was strong, becoming faster. The desire welling up from his depths was driving his body mad, as if an unendurable pain was going to explode.

And then, pink radiant light particles were born inside Kizuna’s eyes.

A painful sounding voice leaked out from Aine’s lips.

“Nn…… haa…… an”

Aine twisted her body as if she was feeling Kizuna’s gaze on her.

At that instant, blue particles scattered from Aine’s body.

This was…… the light of Heart Hybrid Gear?

“Uu…… n”

Aine dimly opened her eyes.

Her expression was entranced, she looked completely defenseless, she was irresistibly lovely.

The moment he saw that, pink particles of light also raised from Kizuna’s body.

{Right now, Kizuna! Grab her breasts!}

When he returned to his senses in surprise, he moved faithfully following his sister’s instruction.

His hand reached out heading towards the magnificent breasts which were drawing beautiful lines.

Just how could this thing possibly draw a line this elegant?
[[File:Masou Gakuen HxH V01 08.jpg|thumb]]
It was exactly like a work that god accomplished.

He wanted to touch this miracle of god.

White, with pink tips blooming on top of the soft hills.

――Right now, that summit was conquered.

His eyes met Aine’s.

Under the silver hair, there were the red eyes.

Those eyes which were even redder than her red blushing cheeks were unfocused inside the widely opened eyelids.

“Ah……”

“Eh……”

Both of them were wordlessly staring at each other.

Shock, confusion, passion, all of those became one, making the throbbing of the heart unstoppable.

Aine’s red eyes were moist, shining sparklingly. Her pink glossy lips was slightly opening, sweet breath was leaking from there.

She was truly beautiful and lovely.

“Pretty……”

“<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>-!! !?”

Her red face became even redder to the degree as if one could hear a *puff* sound.

At the same time, the pink particles emitted from Kizuna’s body and the blue particles produced from Aine’s body mixed with each other. Belt of light was enveloping the bodies of the two.

{Success! You did well Kizuna!}

The voice of his sister was unusually excited.

“Su, success you said!?”

The light particles melted into Aine’s body. Following that, sparkling radiance was appearing inside her red eyes and power filled her eyes.

{This is {{furigana|Heart Hybrid|Union Remodelling}}.}

Aine raised her upper body. It was like she was still in a dream, her body was wavering unsteadily.

“This is…… what in the world”

She spread both her hands and stared mysteriously at the flow of light clinging around her body.

{The mixing of heart and affection. That is exactly Heart Hybrid Gear’s true ability!}

Aine was looking at Kizuna with heated eyes.

{I see. It seems that the Heart Hybrid makes her sexual desires still in a heightened state…… Kizuna, try to hit Aine’s cheek.}

“Eh!? Is it okay doing something like that?”

{If you don’t do something like that, Aine is going to coax you for even more erotic actions you know.}

Just what the hell did that mean? He couldn’t understand this at all!

“Eei, what the hell, whatever!”

Saying that, he hit her cheeks sharply with both his hands as if to restrain her head.

Thereupon, Aine’s eyes recovered their focus.

At the same time, the thruster on her elbow was gushing out light.

Aine’s shooting punch buried itself into Kizuna’s stomach.

“GUWAAAAA!”

He was lightly blown away for twenty meters and crashed into the field’s wall.

After taking a glance at Kizuna, Aine put out a floating window and checked the condition of her own gear.

“This is…… what is the meaning of this? The Hybrid Count is rising…… even though, it should have been used up already.”

{Aine. The Albatross heading to your spot is in the middle of descending. You can do it?}

A new window opened up in front of Aine’s eyes and projected Reiri’s face.

Even before Reiri’s words ended, Aine sharply directed her face to the blue sky.

The figure of the magic weapon swinging the bayonet was reflected on her red eyes. It was falling straight down with a speed that was faster than a natural fall should be.

The girl who until just now was in a condition where she had used up her strength stood up gallantly. Her white skin was shining beautifully while her red eyes were radiating luminescence.

“I’ll do it.”

Her eyes where no vitality could be felt before now changed into a gaze that possessed strong will. Several streaks of light flowed on the surface of her gear, she understood that energy was supplied to her whole body.

Aine bent her knee and dropped her body with a jerk.

The next instant, Aine’s figure disappeared. Shockwave blew through the stadium field.

‘Buha-! Wha-, what happened?’

Kizuna warded off the wind with his hand while looking up to the sky with narrowed eyes.

Like a launched rocket, Aine flew up to the sky. Ahead up there was the magic weapon possessing tremendous mass falling down.

A girl with body height of 160 cm and the magic weapon with height of ten meters clashed.

Aine should be crushed from the extreme difference in mass.

She pulled back her arm largely.

“HAAAAAAA!”

Large amount of light exploded from her elbow thruster.

With a terrific speed, Aine’s fist was buried into Albatross’ stomach.

The astounding destructive power smashed the armor into pieces.

Like that the armor warped, broke in, and the back was pierced through.

‘――What the hell, is that?’

Kizuna murmured while looking up at the Albatross which had a hole opened in its stomach and was now falling down.

“That’s absurd……”

At the other side of the hole opened in Albatross, there was a girl with silver hair.

Aine was staring at Kizuna.

Albatross’ body became fragments of light and disintegrated.

Kizuna noticed that the warship of the enemy at the back was changing its direction.

{It seems they are returning. Himekawa, Yurishia, you don’t need to pursue. Come back.}

{Aa―, geez, that’s unfortunate! As expected, a mother ship is tough!}

A new window was opened and it projected Yurishia’s sulky face.

{It can’t be helped. The majority of the enemy’s magic weapons are beaten, so let’s look at this positively.}

The relieved gentle smiling face of Himekawa was projected.

{Rather than that, what about Aine-san?}

Himekawa questioned worriedly.

“There is no problem with me.”

He could hear her natural voice rather than from the transmission device.

Aine was coming down from the sky and landed in front of Kizuna.

“Rather than that……”

And then she walked closer in front of Kizuna.

“What kind of person are you? What in the world did you do to me?”

‘Hee? Why is she asking me a question like that――wait, aahh-!’

No matter how it was the instructions of his sister, he had done erotic things like that to her while she was losing consciousness.

This was not a mere outcry about sexual harassment! If he thought carefully, wasn’t all of that already a crime!

Cold sweat came out like a waterfall.

“No, I’m just a normal transfer student…… no, it seems that today is really busy, should I excuse myself with this……”

{Wait, Kizuna.}

Reiri’s window circled and cut in front of the nose of Kizuna who was trying to leave.

{I still have business with you. Aine, take Kizuna and come to the usual place. Himekawa and Yurishia too.}

“……Roger.”

Aine answered with a dissatisfied voice and caught the nape of Kizuna’s neck.

“Wa, wait!”

“It’s fine already, just come. This is an order so it can’t be helped, I’ll guide you. It’s great isn’t it, you have made a good memory to take to the afterlife.”

“Don’t say something ominous! You, where are you planning to take me!?”

Kizuna was literally dragged away somewhere.

===Part 3===

‘――So, why am I in this kind of place?’

Kizuna was made to stand in front of the students of the whole school.

The destination where he was taken away was a large auditorium that could accommodate several thousand people.

He was made to change his clothes that had become scraps into Ataraxia’s uniform, now he was standing on the stage in a row with Aine and the others.

The seats were filled with all the students of Ataraxia gathering here. Combined with the middle school, the number of the students approached near four thousand people.

“Well then, this time the enemy’s attack has also been splendidly repelled, by the pride of our Ataraxia, the members of the Heart Hybrid Gear team [{{furigana|Amaterasu|Heaven and Earth Goddess}}]. Ladies and gentlemen, give them a grand applause!”

The inside of the building was wrapped in loud applause that could crack the building.

“Well then let’s continue, we will have some words from the principal of Ataraxia who is also our commander-in-chief.”

Someone was holding the post of the principal and commander concurrently? Just what kind of pers――,

The one who appeared from the side of the stage was, a young female.

Her long black hair fluttered while she was walking on the stage. She had a slender face and sharp almond eyes. A military uniform was fitted smartly on her body, it had a tight design that firmly clung to the body line, even the shape of her large breasts could be understood over the clothes, it was truly a sexy figure.

But, the most important thing was,

――He knew that face really too well.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Hida Reiri.”

‘Ne-! Nee-chan!?’

“Regarding the emergency situation on this occasion, the accurate actions with calmness of you ladies and gentlemen deserve praise.”

‘Just what in the world, that person is doing in that place―!? Quickly, quickly get back!’

In panic, Kizuna talked on and on at Himekawa who was standing beside him.

“Wa, wait! I don’t know the reason for this, but my Nee-chan, she is doing something like that! I’m truly sorry! We have to drag her back immediately!”

Himekawa frowned her face in wonderment.

“Err, I don’t understand what you mean. Is there something wrong with the commander giving out words in this general meeting?”

“Aah, geez, you don’t get it at all! I’m saying that person there is my Nee-chan!”

“That seems so.”

“No, that’s why――……eh?”

“I’m aware that you are the little brother of the commander.”

‘……eh!? She is joking, right?’

Putting aside the dumbfounded Kizuna, the meeting was progressing.

Reiri that was supposed to be the older sister of Kizuna spoke to the four thousand people with a dignified behavior.

“Well then, I want to introduce a new comrade in this chance. He is a transfer student but, for certain circumstances a Heart Hybrid Gear is residing in his body. Therefore, together with his enrollment, it has been decided that he will also enlist into Amaterasu.”

‘This talk…… I don’t think it’s possible but, is this talk about me?’

“Then, I’ll introduce him. High school second year first group, Hida Kizuna.”

Reiri on top of the stage reached out her hand as if inviting him.

No, that was impossible.

Kizuna made a right-about face and tried to head to the wing of the stage.

“The way is not there you know. O-ver-there.”

Yurishia stood in his way and pressed at Kizuna’s chest with her index finger.

Reluctantly he walked towards the center of the stage.

When he climbed on the stage, Reiri was there holding out her hand with a smile. He took that hand and made a handshake, the applause inside the building became even louder.

“Kizuna, you did well until here.”

Reiri talked to him in a way that was not broadcasted by the mic.

“……After this, I got a mountain of things I want to ask Nee-chan.”

Reiri laughed in a huff and once more stood in front of the mic.

“The strategy that I will explain after this will become the most important and the most prioritized strategy. And then, this new team member will shoulder the most important role in that strategy.”

The lighting on the stage dropped down a little and an image was projected on a screen.

He wondered if perhaps the data for the strategy’s outline would be projected on that screen.

The instant the image was projected, it felt like Kizuna’s breath was going to stop.

The image that was projected was the one taken when Kizuna was looking after Aine.

However, looking from just the image, there was nothing that could be seen except him carefully touching all over the body of the unconscious Aine with thoroughness.

The inside of the auditorium turned noisy.

“Wai……”

“No way, what is, this”

“Pe, pervert?”

Kizuna timidly looked at the direction of Aine and the others.

Aine’s face was pale. If this was a manga, than surely the upper half of her face would be shaded off by gradation.

‘This is baddd, she is angry! She is really angry! She is extremely angry!’

Himekawa’s mouth was half opened, she was looking up at the screen dumbfounded.

As for Yurishia, she was tilting her head as if saying ‘What is this I wonder?’

And then, the moment where Kizuna’s hand was touching Aine’s breast, the auditorium shook from screams and angry roars.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“What the hell, is thisssssssss!”

“Don’t shit with meee! What are you doing to our goddess there!”

“How envious! That’s just too envious, die!”

Even none other than Kizuna himself was also screaming.

“STOPPPPP! STOP THIS, QUICKLY! GYAAAAA!”

“KILLLLLLL! KILL THE TRANSFER STUDENT!”

“Yo, you’re wrong! This is a mistake! This is, listen to my explanation!”

Aine was unchangingly staring fixedly at the screen.

Himekawa’s face turned red and she pressed her mouth with her hand, but before long she couldn’t hold herself back and murmured with a voice of deep resentment while her shoulders were shaking.

“Wha…… what, is this, picture. This thing, this thing”

“Err, Himekawa…… san?”

“How…… how, cowardly!”

Shout of anger pierced him.

“While other people were fighting the enemy, just what in the world were you doing-! Furthermore you did that while the other person was fainting, unbelievable! Impossible! Filthy! Disgusting! Repulsive! Indecent! You coward! Pervert!”

And then, similar vilification were mercilessly raining down on him from the audience seating.

‘Aah, why, why does it become like this!?’

“You really did it didn’t you― even though I thought you were just the typical herbivore♪”

Yurishia was making a mean smile at him.

Kizuna grasped the shoulder of Reiri while crying.

“Aah! Geez! This is all Nee-chan’s fault! You have to settle this down somehow!”

Reiri held the mic and declared.
[[File:Masou Gakuen HxH V01 09.jpg|thumb]]
“ALL STUDENTS, QUIET DOWN!”

With that thundering voice, silence returned to the auditorium.

“Listen well! This is not a joke or game or anything. This is a fully-fledged strategy. Until now even when Heart Hybrid Gear consumed their energy, there is no other method to replenish that energy except by slowly waiting for natural recovery. However, after a long time of research, we finally obtained the answer for this! That is by a man and a woman possessing Heart Hybrid Gear to join their body and heart into one and share their affection and pleasure.”

On the screen, the scene where particles of light were overflowing out from the body of Kizuna and Aine was repeated.

“By doing this, the energy of the Heart Hybrid Gear is replenished and [Heart Hybrid] becomes possible.”

Aine parted her eyes from the screen and stared fixedly at Kizuna’s person.

‘Wh, what? Just as I thought she might be really angry. Well, that’s just obvious. Aa…… how should I apologize for this to her?’

“In the image you can see that the energy of Aine’s Heart Hybrid Gear ran out, but she succeeded in doing Heart Hybrid with Kizuna. The result is just as you can see.”

The scene where Aine destroyed a magic weapon with one attack was replayed.

Certainly, her movement and power were completely different compared to before. That was the true power of Aine. Had her energy been consumed until that much before the Heart Hybrid? Or maybe by doing that right now her battery was already in a state of almost running out again.

“Listen well! In order to continue fighting the enemy from AU, from now on the members of Amaterasu are going to endeavor to replenish their energy and power up themselves!”

Reiri’s index finger was directed at Kizuna as if it would pierce through him.

“Do erotic things with this Hida Kizuna here!!”

Once again the auditorium was turned into a feverish state of pandemonium.

Himekawa snapped at Reiri.

“I, I cannot accept this! If we need to do something like making our heart as one, then it should even be fine to use other methods than this! Just why do we have to use a shameless way like that!?”

“Listen well Himekawa, love is the strongest emotion that humans possess. And then, sexual desire strongly connects two people. This is the emotion and impulse that are rooted in our instinct as a living being. There is no method more effective and stronger than this.”

“Kuh-……such, such thing”

“It’s also the same for all of you who wish to enlist into Amaterasu. Carve into your hearts that it will be indispensable to perform Heart Hybrid with Kizuna after enlisting into the team!”

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!?”

The shouts of all the students roared inside the auditorium.

“Wha, what the hell is thattt! Just how could such thing be possible!?”

The agonized screams from the male students were especially loud.

Kizuna couldn’t endure it and yelled into the mic.

“E, everyone, don’t misunderstand! I never had that kind of intention at all! Something like erotic things…… is not something that can be done with just anyone. It’s something that should be done between two people loving each other, it’s mistaken to force it due to a strategy or whatever!”

The angry roars inside the hall began once more, the commotion was pushing back like a wave to him.

‘If it keeps like this I won’t be able to stay here. At best, it will be like lying in a bed of nails, at worst, I’ll get killed. If I don’t resolve the misunderstanding somehow――’

At a great timing, the screen was projecting the scene where Kizuna was renewing his determination just before he was going to save Aine.

‘Great. If they see this scene, then there is no doubt that my feeling of just wanting to save Chidorigafuchi will be conveyed to everyone!’

“Everyone, see here! This is when I was going to save Chidorigafuchi――”

And then the Kizuna inside the scream stripped naked his upper body and yelled gallantly.

{EROS!}

“This bastardddd! Ain’t you really eager there huhhhhhh!”

“Disgusting-!”

“Unbelievable! Beast!”

“Pervert! Pervert! Pervert!”

Merciless vilification were thrown at Kizuna on the stage. It was a barrage of words.

Kizuna was burned out into pure white.

‘――It’s over…… my school life.’

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>

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| Forward to [[Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
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