Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]

Kino no Tabi:Volume9 Chapter10

2013-01-09T08:38:28Z

NeoZodiac:

==An Old Tale -Tea Talks-==
[[File:Kino no Tabi v9 216-217.jpg|thumb]]
===A Land that Wants the Young Man===

A long, long time ago, two people and a dog were on a journey.

One of the two people was a young man who always wore a green sweater. He was a kind and understanding person who had lost his home to a tragedy.

One of the two people was a little girl with white hair and green eyes. She said very little, and at the time, she did not like many things in the world very much.

The dog was large and clever, and had long, soft white fur. He could also speak the language of humans.

The two people and the dog had been brought together by strange circumstances as they traveled together. They left the beach on a buggy, starting an aimless journey in search of a country to call home.

The buggy drove across the great, wide plains.

And one day, the two people and the dog arrived at a certain country.

"Please, traveler! Please settle in our country, we beg of you!"

The people of the country pleaded desperately with the young man. He was very surprised, because the country was filled with women.

"Please, stay with us!"

He listened to the people and learned why they needed him so much. They said that, for some reason, boys were no longer being born in their country. It had been so long that there were almost no men left now.

The young man thought for a moment. He still had not made a choice about the kind of country he wanted to live in, but he always wanted to settle in a place that would need him. He began to think that it would not be so bad to help the people by staying. That is, until they said this:

"I'm afraid we don't need any more women in our country. We cannot accept that girl."

What followed was a great commotion.

The young man insisted that the girl be allowed to join him, because he was responsible for her well-being. But the women would not allow it, unable to bear increasing the female population.

Things soon got out of control. They began to think, all they had to do was capture the girl and throw her outside the country. Or perhaps they would just murder her instead.

Countless women leapt at the girl, carrying kitchen knives and rolling pins.

The girl did not stand for it. She never said a word, but instead she tossed many hand grenades into the crowds, which exploded with a flash and a terrible noise.

The young man did his best to protect the people so no one would get hurt, and ended up the most severely injured himself.

The two people and the dog fled the country on the buggy. "Ouch," The young man said, as they drove across the plains. There was blood flowing from his mouth. There was a bruise on his forehead. His sweater was torn in places.

The girl looked at him from beside him and quietly whispered,

"Thank you."

With all her heart.

But the sound of the engines seemed to have drowned out her voice.

<=>

=== A Land that Wants the Girl===

The next country they visited was a small kingdom nestled in a valley.

The young man asked if he could be allowed to work and live there for a time. But unfortunately, their rules did not allow foreigners to settle there. In the end, they only received permission to stay for three days as they rested and bought supplies for their journey.

The people explained that travelers were very rare in these parts. So the King treated the two people and the dog as his personal guests. Not only did he provide them with lodgings, he also invited them to a luncheon with his family.

Before the luncheon began, the young man sat at a corner of the large table and began to look around. When the white dog asked him why, the young man answered that he was worried that the King was perhaps living in excessive luxury, treating his people badly.

"What do you think?" The dog asked.

The young man answered that things didn't seem to be as he feared. The people loved the King and his leadership. "I am glad to hear that," the dog replied.

Soon, the King, the Queen, and the Prince arrived. The luncheon began.

The King introduced the travelers to his subjects. The young man greeted them politely with impeccable manners. The people were shocked, because they had assumed that travelers would be rude and boorish.

The Prince was a boy about ten years of age. Partway through the luncheon, he got off his seat because he was bored. He began wandering the hall with the butler in tow. His eyes met the little girl's.

"Hello. I am the Prince of this country."

"…"

"When I grow up, I will do my very best to rule my people with kindness."

"…"

"Our country is a wonderful place. I have a great responsibility ahead of me."

"…"

The girl said nothing. She just looked at the Prince quietly. But the Prince seemed to be having fun. The King, also quite happy with the sight, began asking the young man about the girl.

"She has been abandoned by her parents and left without a home." The young man said. "We are traveling together in search of a place we could settle in together."

"Then I have the perfect idea!"

The King delightedly proposed that the girl marry his son. The Queen and the other subjects all agreed, saying it was a wonderful idea.

The young man was a little surprised. But being so thoughtful, in his heart he also thought that this would be the best for the girl.

"What do you think? I don't think it's a bad idea." He said to the girl, who was still staring at the Prince.

She answered him with a punch. She balled up her hand into a fist and hit the young man square on the jaw.

Ignoring the shocked young man and the astonished people, the girl looked back at the Prince. She waved her pale hand and simply said,

"Bye-bye."

"Of course. Let's meet again." The Prince replied.

The girl dragged along the confused young man, who was still clutching his jaw, and left the luncheon hall. The dog followed them.

The two people and the dog soon left the country.

<=>

=== A Land that Wants the Dog ===

Afterwards, they arrived at a lakeside country that was neither large nor small.

On the outside it was a very normal country. The young man knocked on the guardhouse door by the gate. One of the guards stepped out, and the young man prepared to ask the man if they could enter. But suddenly,

"Whoa!"

The guard cried at the top of his lungs. The two people and the dog were shocked.

The guard pressed a button on the wall. A siren wailed as the gate began to open.

The guard then fell to his knees on the spot and bowed his head at the white dog standing beside the traveler.

"Your Dogship!"

The two people stood there, terribly confused. But in the next moment, they were almost knocked to the ground by the crowd that emerged from the gates. As soon as the gates opened, a throng of people swarmed outside, crying, "A Divine Dog!" "His Dogship!" "Eek! A Divine Dog!".

The people surrounded the white dog and prostrated themselves.

"Welcome, Your Dogship! Please, come inside!"

The white dog was led into the gates by the crowd. The young man and the little girl had no choice but to leave the buggy outside and follow after them.

When they entered the country, they saw a large square filled with even more people. The crowd was only getting larger.

It was so packed that they couldn't even see an inch of the ground. The white dog was ushered onto the podium at the centre of the square, to a great many cheers that shook the earth. Soon, everyone knelt where they stood and bowed their heads.

The young man stood beside the podium, confused, and the girl remained as quiet as ever beside him.

"Thank you for bringing His Dogship to us!"

The young man asked what in the world was going on.

"Did you really have no idea? Then this must be fate! This is magnificent!"

The young man had to ask for an explanation again before getting an answer. According to the citizen, this country had worshipped dogs for a very long time, but several years ago, the dogs were all wiped out in a plague, leaving the people in anguish.

"Your Dogship! Please stay with us from this day forth!"

"What shall I do?" The white dog asked the young man.

"I leave the decision to you, Riku." The young man said.

"How dare you speak so impudently to His Dogship?!"

The young man was arrested on the spot. Two burly men restrained his arms. The young man did not put up any resistance, even though he could fight them off if he pleased.

"…"

The girl quietly approached the dog and pointed at the young man. Perhaps she was trying to tell him to do something.

"Your Dogship! We shall put this insolent man to death immediately! Please forgive us!" One person said. The dog pompously told them to wait.

"An execution is only a waste of time. You shall expel that man from the country."

"…"

The little girl's fist lightly made contact with the dog's head.

"How dare you?!"

The girl was also arrested. "What shall we do with her?" the people asked, and the dog commanded them to expel her from the country as well.

Several men lifted the young man and the little girl straight off their feet and tossed them outside the gates.

"You'd better be thankful to His Dogship for His merciful judgement!"

The gates began to close. But just before they shut completely, the white dog leapt off the podium and darted between people's feet, jumping outside.

As the people watched in shock, the heavy gates slammed shut.

The young man and the little girl were waiting on the buggy.

"Is this all right, Riku?" The young man in the driver's seat asked, amused.

"…"

The girl in the passenger seat waved the dog over without a word.

The white dog climbed onto the buggy and sat between the girl's knees, and gave a pompous command.

"You may start the buggy."

The girl's tiny fist connected with the dog's head. She embraced him from behind and set her chin down on the top of his head.

"You're quite heavy, Ti." The dog said.

"…"

The girl said nothing, still clutching the fluffy dog. The young man laughed and started the buggy.

"Open up the gates, quickly!"

"What's taking you so long?!"

"Oh no! His Dogship!"

They could hear a huge commotion taking place inside. The buggy quickly departed from the country.

<=>

"The end."

"Huh, already?"

"Please tell us more! I wanna hear more about the traveler and the girl and the dog!"

"That's all for today, children. There are still so many more stories to tell about the two people and the dog, but we can't listen to them all at once without spoiling the fun."

"Aww…"

"Man…"

"I'll tell you more next time. Don't you worry, it'll be even more fun, I promise you."

"Really?"

"You promised, okay?"

"Of course."

"Then we'll come back another time!"

"We'll see you later!"

"Come back anytime. Take care, now."

"Okay!"

"Bye!"

"Goodbye, children."

"…Granny?"

"Yes, dear? Did you forget something?"

"No, there's this traveler on a motorrad here to ask you for directions. Wanted to ask you about our country, too."

"Oh my, that's quite unusual. I'll be right there. I wonder who it could be?"

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Kino no Tabi:Volume9 Chapter10

2013-01-09T08:37:28Z

NeoZodiac: .

==An Old Tale -Tea Talks-==
[[File:Kino no Tabi v9 216-217.jpg|thumbs]]
===A Land that Wants the Young Man===

A long, long time ago, two people and a dog were on a journey.

One of the two people was a young man who always wore a green sweater. He was a kind and understanding person who had lost his home to a tragedy.

One of the two people was a little girl with white hair and green eyes. She said very little, and at the time, she did not like many things in the world very much.

The dog was large and clever, and had long, soft white fur. He could also speak the language of humans.

The two people and the dog had been brought together by strange circumstances as they traveled together. They left the beach on a buggy, starting an aimless journey in search of a country to call home.

The buggy drove across the great, wide plains.

And one day, the two people and the dog arrived at a certain country.

"Please, traveler! Please settle in our country, we beg of you!"

The people of the country pleaded desperately with the young man. He was very surprised, because the country was filled with women.

"Please, stay with us!"

He listened to the people and learned why they needed him so much. They said that, for some reason, boys were no longer being born in their country. It had been so long that there were almost no men left now.

The young man thought for a moment. He still had not made a choice about the kind of country he wanted to live in, but he always wanted to settle in a place that would need him. He began to think that it would not be so bad to help the people by staying. That is, until they said this:

"I'm afraid we don't need any more women in our country. We cannot accept that girl."

What followed was a great commotion.

The young man insisted that the girl be allowed to join him, because he was responsible for her well-being. But the women would not allow it, unable to bear increasing the female population.

Things soon got out of control. They began to think, all they had to do was capture the girl and throw her outside the country. Or perhaps they would just murder her instead.

Countless women leapt at the girl, carrying kitchen knives and rolling pins.

The girl did not stand for it. She never said a word, but instead she tossed many hand grenades into the crowds, which exploded with a flash and a terrible noise.

The young man did his best to protect the people so no one would get hurt, and ended up the most severely injured himself.

The two people and the dog fled the country on the buggy. "Ouch," The young man said, as they drove across the plains. There was blood flowing from his mouth. There was a bruise on his forehead. His sweater was torn in places.

The girl looked at him from beside him and quietly whispered,

"Thank you."

With all her heart.

But the sound of the engines seemed to have drowned out her voice.

<=>

=== A Land that Wants the Girl===

The next country they visited was a small kingdom nestled in a valley.

The young man asked if he could be allowed to work and live there for a time. But unfortunately, their rules did not allow foreigners to settle there. In the end, they only received permission to stay for three days as they rested and bought supplies for their journey.

The people explained that travelers were very rare in these parts. So the King treated the two people and the dog as his personal guests. Not only did he provide them with lodgings, he also invited them to a luncheon with his family.

Before the luncheon began, the young man sat at a corner of the large table and began to look around. When the white dog asked him why, the young man answered that he was worried that the King was perhaps living in excessive luxury, treating his people badly.

"What do you think?" The dog asked.

The young man answered that things didn't seem to be as he feared. The people loved the King and his leadership. "I am glad to hear that," the dog replied.

Soon, the King, the Queen, and the Prince arrived. The luncheon began.

The King introduced the travelers to his subjects. The young man greeted them politely with impeccable manners. The people were shocked, because they had assumed that travelers would be rude and boorish.

The Prince was a boy about ten years of age. Partway through the luncheon, he got off his seat because he was bored. He began wandering the hall with the butler in tow. His eyes met the little girl's.

"Hello. I am the Prince of this country."

"…"

"When I grow up, I will do my very best to rule my people with kindness."

"…"

"Our country is a wonderful place. I have a great responsibility ahead of me."

"…"

The girl said nothing. She just looked at the Prince quietly. But the Prince seemed to be having fun. The King, also quite happy with the sight, began asking the young man about the girl.

"She has been abandoned by her parents and left without a home." The young man said. "We are traveling together in search of a place we could settle in together."

"Then I have the perfect idea!"

The King delightedly proposed that the girl marry his son. The Queen and the other subjects all agreed, saying it was a wonderful idea.

The young man was a little surprised. But being so thoughtful, in his heart he also thought that this would be the best for the girl.

"What do you think? I don't think it's a bad idea." He said to the girl, who was still staring at the Prince.

She answered him with a punch. She balled up her hand into a fist and hit the young man square on the jaw.

Ignoring the shocked young man and the astonished people, the girl looked back at the Prince. She waved her pale hand and simply said,

"Bye-bye."

"Of course. Let's meet again." The Prince replied.

The girl dragged along the confused young man, who was still clutching his jaw, and left the luncheon hall. The dog followed them.

The two people and the dog soon left the country.

<=>

=== A Land that Wants the Dog ===

Afterwards, they arrived at a lakeside country that was neither large nor small.

On the outside it was a very normal country. The young man knocked on the guardhouse door by the gate. One of the guards stepped out, and the young man prepared to ask the man if they could enter. But suddenly,

"Whoa!"

The guard cried at the top of his lungs. The two people and the dog were shocked.

The guard pressed a button on the wall. A siren wailed as the gate began to open.

The guard then fell to his knees on the spot and bowed his head at the white dog standing beside the traveler.

"Your Dogship!"

The two people stood there, terribly confused. But in the next moment, they were almost knocked to the ground by the crowd that emerged from the gates. As soon as the gates opened, a throng of people swarmed outside, crying, "A Divine Dog!" "His Dogship!" "Eek! A Divine Dog!".

The people surrounded the white dog and prostrated themselves.

"Welcome, Your Dogship! Please, come inside!"

The white dog was led into the gates by the crowd. The young man and the little girl had no choice but to leave the buggy outside and follow after them.

When they entered the country, they saw a large square filled with even more people. The crowd was only getting larger.

It was so packed that they couldn't even see an inch of the ground. The white dog was ushered onto the podium at the centre of the square, to a great many cheers that shook the earth. Soon, everyone knelt where they stood and bowed their heads.

The young man stood beside the podium, confused, and the girl remained as quiet as ever beside him.

"Thank you for bringing His Dogship to us!"

The young man asked what in the world was going on.

"Did you really have no idea? Then this must be fate! This is magnificent!"

The young man had to ask for an explanation again before getting an answer. According to the citizen, this country had worshipped dogs for a very long time, but several years ago, the dogs were all wiped out in a plague, leaving the people in anguish.

"Your Dogship! Please stay with us from this day forth!"

"What shall I do?" The white dog asked the young man.

"I leave the decision to you, Riku." The young man said.

"How dare you speak so impudently to His Dogship?!"

The young man was arrested on the spot. Two burly men restrained his arms. The young man did not put up any resistance, even though he could fight them off if he pleased.

"…"

The girl quietly approached the dog and pointed at the young man. Perhaps she was trying to tell him to do something.

"Your Dogship! We shall put this insolent man to death immediately! Please forgive us!" One person said. The dog pompously told them to wait.

"An execution is only a waste of time. You shall expel that man from the country."

"…"

The little girl's fist lightly made contact with the dog's head.

"How dare you?!"

The girl was also arrested. "What shall we do with her?" the people asked, and the dog commanded them to expel her from the country as well.

Several men lifted the young man and the little girl straight off their feet and tossed them outside the gates.

"You'd better be thankful to His Dogship for His merciful judgement!"

The gates began to close. But just before they shut completely, the white dog leapt off the podium and darted between people's feet, jumping outside.

As the people watched in shock, the heavy gates slammed shut.

The young man and the little girl were waiting on the buggy.

"Is this all right, Riku?" The young man in the driver's seat asked, amused.

"…"

The girl in the passenger seat waved the dog over without a word.

The white dog climbed onto the buggy and sat between the girl's knees, and gave a pompous command.

"You may start the buggy."

The girl's tiny fist connected with the dog's head. She embraced him from behind and set her chin down on the top of his head.

"You're quite heavy, Ti." The dog said.

"…"

The girl said nothing, still clutching the fluffy dog. The young man laughed and started the buggy.

"Open up the gates, quickly!"

"What's taking you so long?!"

"Oh no! His Dogship!"

They could hear a huge commotion taking place inside. The buggy quickly departed from the country.

<=>

"The end."

"Huh, already?"

"Please tell us more! I wanna hear more about the traveler and the girl and the dog!"

"That's all for today, children. There are still so many more stories to tell about the two people and the dog, but we can't listen to them all at once without spoiling the fun."

"Aww…"

"Man…"

"I'll tell you more next time. Don't you worry, it'll be even more fun, I promise you."

"Really?"

"You promised, okay?"

"Of course."

"Then we'll come back another time!"

"We'll see you later!"

"Come back anytime. Take care, now."

"Okay!"

"Bye!"

"Goodbye, children."

"…Granny?"

"Yes, dear? Did you forget something?"

"No, there's this traveler on a motorrad here to ask you for directions. Wanted to ask you about our country, too."

"Oh my, that's quite unusual. I'll be right there. I wonder who it could be?"

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Kino no Tabi:Volume8 Epilogue

2013-01-09T08:32:09Z

NeoZodiac: .

== Epilogue: The Ship Country ~On the Beach - a~ ==
[[File:Kino no Tabi v8 108-109.png|thumb]]

My name is Riku. I am a dog.

I have long, soft, white fur. I look as though I am always smiling, but that doesn't mean I'm always happy. I was just born with this face.

My owner is Master Shizu. He is a young man who is always wearing a green sweater, and he is currently travelling on a buggy after having lost his hometown in complex circumstances.

And I am with Master Shizu.

The buggy carrying Master Shizu and myself was driving along the beach.

The spring air was warm. There was not a single cloud in the air, and the sun shone down from the top of the skies. Everything around us was lush.

To the right of the buggy was a flat plain, covered in thin grass that stretched out towards the horizon. To the left, slightly beyond the beach, was the clear blue ocean, stretching endlessly into the calm horizon.

The buggy drove along a lone path in the plains. The entire car shook when it occasionally hit a bumpy stretch of the road.

In the back of the buggy was Master Shizu's favourite sword, and a large bag. Everything he needed, including changes of clothing and daily necessities, were stored in there. Things like the tent and other camping equipment that he did not need when staying in hotels and the like had been stowed away in a box underneath. On either side of the hood were containers of fuel and drinking water.

Master Shizu was wearing his usual sweater, with a pair of goggles over his eyes. He sat on the driver's seat on the left with his hands on the steering wheel. The path was nearly perfectly straight, with no obstacles along the way. Master Shizu hadn't changed gears once so far. The buggy continued on from morning, along the unchanging landscape.

Suddenly, Master Shizu looked at a meter on the buggy and spoke tersely.

"We're almost there."

He was right. I could see something like a dark speck in front of the horizon ahead of the road.

When we approached closer, I could tell that the speck was a group of people and cars. There were about a dozen large trucks there that had been fitted with gigantic tires to help them drive along rough terrains. Half of them were loaded with mountains of goods covered with a tarp, and the other half had been loaded with fuel.

There were about twenty people there, all men. Other than the few keeping watch from atop the trucks, the men were seated around a table with a parasol. The tents that stood upon the plains were proof that these men had been staying here for several days now.

Master Shizu slowed down the buggy.

"So it was true."

Master Shizu nodded slightly in reply. And he drove the buggy very slowly over to the men so as to not arouse any suspicion.

Master Shizu stopped the buggy in front of the men with persuaders and waved in greeting. He waited until two men holding rifles approached us.

"I am a traveller! I wish to board the the 'Ship Country'!" Master Shizu spoke loudly. The two men approached carefully and looked over us and the buggy. A middle-aged man spoke to Master Shizu.

"I ask you, just as a precaution. What have you heard of us?"

Master Shizu answered honestly.

That he had known of the rumours, but was given more specific information from the people of a southern land by the sea. According to them, a gigantic floating island called the the 'Ship Country' had existed for a very long time on these seas, and that it was possible to cross the great ocean to the west aboard this island, though it would take a long time. A traveller would have to pay for the crossing with some sort of manual labour, but they would be given food and shelter.

And that only way to make this crossing would be to make contact with the merchants who did trade with the 'Ship Country' periodically. Transport ships were regularly dispatched from the country for these trades, and taking this transport would allow Master Shizu to take the buggy onto the 'Ship Country'. This is not a legend--there have been many travellers who had made this crossing.

"All right."

Once they were convinced that Master Shizu was not a bandit out to pilfer their goods, the men lowered their guard. And though he always had his sword at arm's reach, Master Shizu did not seem to be particularly cautious.

Master Shizu parked the buggy near their tents, put his sword on his belt, and disembarked. He then greeted a bearded man, who was the leader of the merchants. This man in his sixties sipped his tea as he asked questions out of the blue.

"That is a fine buggy you have there. How much are you willing to sell for?"

Master Shizu politely turned down the offer.

"That is a fine sword you have there. How much are you willing to sell for?"

"That is a fine dog you have there. How much are you willing to sell for?"

"That is a fine sweater you have there. How much are you willing to sell for?"

"You are quite a fine-looking young man. How much…"

Master Shizu turned down every last one of his offers.

Later.

"I will buy anything you do not need. I am especially willing to pay larger sums for machinery. Well?"

Master Shizu fell into thought for a moment, but he replied that, unfortunately, he had nothing he wanted to sell. Despite the fact that he had a pocket watch he received from another country stowed away inside his bag.

As the people in the southern country advised, Shizu gifted to the merchants several bottles of liquor he had bought there. It wasn't particularly expensive, but a delicacy all the same.

The bearded man laughed.

"Oh! My thanks. Men! A gift! Make sure you show this man your gratitude. Free wine must be repaid in full, after all!"

And once we had established a friendly relationship with the merchants, we began to wait for the transport ships.

The merchants invited Master Shizu to tea.

As usual, Master Shizu took a seat at the table and cautiously asked about the ingredients in the tea. Once he had confirmed it was not poisonous, he began to drink it. The tea was full of sugar and milk. Master Shizu commented that it would be perfect after a tiring day's work.

After tea, the bearded man spoke.

"All we have to do now is wait."

According to him, there were cases when the transport ships did not come. They would occasionally end up going home without a trade because of bad weather or other reasons that stopped the ships. The dates were not set in stone, either, and so these men would spend about fifteen days sitting on the beach. This was probably why they had not unpacked their trucks.

Their country was about a ten-day drive away to the east. Their trade goods included fuel, processed foods, clothing, and crafts. From the 'Ship Country' would come in exchange rare shellfish, dried fish, and other valuables from the other continent. It seemed that these trades had occurred twice a year for the past two centuries.

"You mean that the 'Ship Country' has been moving at a constant speed all this time?"

"Yes. That's why we can't afford to miss it. You're quite fortunate, young man. In any case, what do you plan on doing by crossing over to the western continent? Do you have some business there?"

Master Shizu shook his head and answered that he merely wanted to see new lands. He was lying, of course, but the merchants did not pry.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

The ships did not arrive that day.

As the bright orange sun disappeared past the horizon, the watchman with the binoculars climbed down from the top of the truck. They said that the ships never came after sunset.

Master Shizu had dinner with the merchants. They gave him food to eat in exchange for the wine. It was a dish of noodles boiled in a large pot, covered in meat and vegetable broth. They even cooled some down for me to eat. It was quite delicious.

The merchants went to bed early, retiring to their tents with the exception of the watchmen.

As usual, Master Shizu placed a board on top of the hood of the buggy and made himself a simple bed on the plains, a short distance from the tents.

The full moon was glowing a pale blue in the sky. There was no sign of rain. It was spring, but the night wind was quite chilly. Master Shizu put a thick blanket over himself.

"I'm counting on you, Riku. Sleep well."

"I understand. Sleep well, Master Shizu."

Once Master Shizu had fallen asleep, I cautiously went to sleep in front of the buggy.

Nothing happened, with the exception of the watchmen changing shifts once in a while.

It was a quiet night filled with the hushed sounds of the waves.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

The next morning.

The merchants rose early. Master Shizu did the same.

Every person here began moving from the moment the sun rose. They were people accustomed to outdoor life, where not a second of sunlight could be wasted.

As usual, Master Shizu warmed up with light exercises and began training with the sword.

The merchants were either preparing breakfast or keeping watch from atop the trucks. Whether as a hobby or out of necessity, some of the men began fishing.

After eating breakfast, we just waited and waited.

It was a tedious time. Master Shizu sat on the beach and quietly waited with his eyes on the horizon.

Tea and biscuits were served for a simple lunch. and just as they had finished cleaning up after the meal--

"They're here! The ships!" The watchman yelled loudly.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

The merchants set fire to a stack of firewood they had prepared earlier. There seemed to have been some chemicals mixed in, as the smoke burned a bright orange.

Soon, a trio of strangely-shaped ships made their way to the beach.

They were all the same in appearance, and not all that large--about 50 metres in length. The bridge could be seen in the back. Unlike most ships, the bow was flat, not curved. The ships were coloured a drab grey.

"These are the transport ships." The bearded man declared. Master Shizu asked a question of him.

"How are you going to load your goods? There's not a pier in sight…"

"You'll see. It'll give you something to talk about on your travels."

It was just as the leader had said. As we watched, the transport ships made their way straight towards the beach. The bow beached itself on the sand, and a board fell forward from it to create a bridge. It was a convenient design.

From what I could see of the inside, there was no roof over the hull, but a wide, empty hangar. The three ships made landfall in order.

"Amazing." Master Shizu mumbled. The merchants started their trucks as two people exited from one of the transport ships.

They were wrapped from head to toe in black clothing. From their height and build, they were probably men. They word long black coats, black pants, black boots, black gloves, black scarves, strange, pointed black hats, and black veils that covered their faces. The backs of their necks were covered by the back of the hat. They did not show any skin whatsoever.

From the bulge at the sides of their coats, I could tell that they probably had persuaders.

"Gloomy as always. These men are the self-proclaimed 'rulers' of the 'Ship Country'.

"'Rulers'?"

"I guess you could say that it's a privileged class. They're the higher-ups--try not to provoke them. I have to work out this trade, so please wait a while."

The leader greeted the two men. They showed each other pieces of paper that looked to be lists, conversed for a short while, and nodded in agreement.

When the leader gave the signal, the trucks drove across the beach and towards the ships. They then backed into the hangars. The merchants unloaded freight in wooden crates, moved the fuel into the transport ship's tanks, and then switched out with another truck. The empty truck then went to another ship to receive its shipment of goods.

In the midst of all this work, the men in black approached us. I couldn't tell what kind of expressions they wore because of the veils. One of them spoke to Master Shizu.

"Thou art the traveller who doth wish to enter Our land?"

It was an extremely archaic style of speech. It seemed like he was purposefully speaking this way--the voice was surprisingly youthful .Maybe this man was quite young.

Master Shizu answered that he was. He asked about the price for ferrying a human, a dog, and a buggy to the western continent.

The price was to work for them(in other words, the rulers) and follow their laws in exchange for food and shelter.

"And what would this 'work' be?"

The men answered that we could either keep watch over the commoners under the commands of the rulers, or do manual labour among the commoners. The latter choice seemed to have been a joke.

Lastly, Master Shizu asked them how long it would take to get across. The man in black replied that it would be about fifteen days. The 'Ship Country' would head north along the continent for about five days, spend another five days crossing a strait, and do business with merchants on the western continent in another five days' time.

"We shall neither force nor reject thee. Make thy decision by the time We leave."

Once the men in black disappeared, Master Shizu fell into thought with his eyes on the ocean. He then looked back at the plains. He looked back at the continent we had crossed. The land where Rafah slept--the land which was once home to Master Shizu's homeland.

Master Shizu then smiled quietly.

"Master Shizu?"

"I've made my decision. I'm a bit worried, but let's make the crossing. Are you all right with this, Riku?" Master Shizu asked.

"You do not need to ask my permission." I replied.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

"Farewell. May we meet again. I will be more than willing to buy from you."

Master Shizu bid the merchants farewell and drove the buggy. Just as the trucks had, he backed into the hangar from the beach. He parked the buggy beside the piles of wooden crates.

Some people inside the ships were not dressed in black--they were men who didn't wear hats, and were dressed in patchy, thin clothing. It seemed that these were the 'non-ruling class', the commoners.

They did not meet Master Shizu's eyes. They merely secured the buggy with tarps and ropes as the men in black instructed.

"Leave the work to them, traveller, and come this way."

Master Shizu was led by another man in black. He climbed the hangar ladder with me, holding his bag and his sword. He then glanced down at the hangar, is if in realization.

"…"

Master Shizu turned his gaze forward again and followed the man in black. I glanced back at the hangar as well. I could see several crates, separate from the pile, that had been secured behind steel bars.

It was easy to guess what these crates, marked 'Caution: Flammable', and 'Handle with care', could contain. They were most definitely ammunition, bombs, and grenades.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Master Shizu was led into a tiny cabin inside the transport ship.

The room was even smaller than those in the cheapest hotels. Paint was peeling off the metal walls, and pipes were sticking out of the ceiling. There was a single round, dirty window, and a bunk bed that resembled a stretcher. There was also a single toilet.

The man in black ordered us to remain here while aboard the ship, told us that we would soon arrive at the country, and locked the door as he left. He did not disarm Master Shizu, however.

The sound of the engines grew louder as the dull vibrations ran up the hull.

The transport ship tilted backwards at a great angle and began to back away. The bow removed itself from the beach and the ship did a 180 towards the sea.

"I see… What next?"

Master Shizu mumbled like someone else's business, looking out the window.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

The transport ship headed northwest, with regular vibrations and tiny shakes.

Master Shizu sat on the bed with his eyes closed, one hand on the hilt of his sword.

The man in black finally opened the door around the time the sun began leaning to the west. Master Shizu opened his eyes.

"We shall show thee Our country. Bring all thy belongings with thee."

Once again we followed the man in black. We left through a long, narrow hallway, climbed a set of stairs at the end, and came up to the starboard deck.

We were in the middle of the sea. There was no land visible over any of the horizon. A pair of transport ships followed in single file. The salty ocean air was comforting.

"The land shall soon be visible." the man in black declared, and pointed ahead.

At first, it was a black speck--it then became a fist-sized shape.

As we got closer and closer, the country (or more accurately, the walls surrounding the country) rose up from the horizon--we had seen such sights many times, but never over the ocean.

"There lies Our land. We shall introduce Thee to Our comrades upon entry."

As the man in black spoke, the 'Ship Country' displayed its full majesty in front of the transport ships.

It was hard to think of a proper comparison, but it was about three kilometres in diameter and was a long, narrow rectangle. From the centre of the land stuck out something that looked like a tower. Just in appearance it seemed to be a common, small country.

The land was floating on the sea. Though 'Ship Country' was not an official name, it would likely be better described 'The Floating Land'.

"This is interesting. I've never seen a country like this before."

Master Shizu expressed his astonishment.

Lights blinked on and off at the top of the walls. It was a signal. It seemed that the ships had sent a signal back, as the lights on the wall blinked again.

Soon, our transport ship approached a hole in the high walls. A gate opened and an empty black space opened up.

The transport ship entered the country as if into the belly of a beast.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

The gate shut after the final ship made its way into the ship.

It was only after the gate shut completely and we were immersed in total darkness that the lights came on. It was a long, narrow dock of sorts. It was a space full of metal boards, machinery, and the smell of steam and oil.

Our vantage point slowly became lower and lower. Master Shizu explained that they were draining the water. Soon the transport ship landed on the ship's metal floor.

The man instructed Master Shizu to move the buggy. We went onto the dock in the buggy. We climbed a ramp ahead of us and went through a door as the man in black commanded. Inside was pitch-black, but the ceiling lights soon came on.

It was an extremely large space that could probably house about a hundred cars. It was completely empty save for some rusted scraps of metal in the corner. It was probably an unused storage room of sorts.

"Park where thy heart pleases. It is thy responsibility to drive it back upon departure." the man in black said. Master Shizu parked a distance away from the pile of scraps. He unplugged the battery, secured the buggy to the floor with ropes, and covered the driver's seat with a waterproof sheet.

"May we meet again." Master Shizu whispered quietly to the buggy, and left the deserted storehouse. I followed after him.

We walked through a long hallway, along with five men in black--three ahead of us, and two behind. They surrounded us as if in capture, but they still did not disarm Master Shizu. Light-emitting diodes shone dully on the grey walls and floors. The halls continued in a straight line towards the centre of the country, with no crossings along the way.

At the end of the hall was a large elevator. We took it up to a higher location--from its location, it was likely the tower at the centre.

We stepped off the elevator after quite a long wait. A guard holding a pump-action shrapnel persuader was standing in front of the door. Inside the door was a large, round room.

It was a room about 40 metres in diameter, almost at the very top of the tower. It was centred around the elevator shaft.

All 360 degrees of the walls were glass windows, and outside was the ocean and the clear blue sky. The interior was also covered in metal and plumbing. It seemed that there had been wallpaper and ornamentation on the walls before, but they were no longer present.

There were chairs arranged in a semicircle in the room, and there were ten people sitting in visible range. The chairs seemed to be rotating, as they were all facing this direction.

Everyone was covered in black clothing, but from their builds, there seemed to be women and children there as well. I could sense movements from places out of sight. Overall it seemed there were about thirty people in the room. I could see empty seats, likely because their numbers were not enough to fill them all. Normally, aristocrats and royalty tend to be rather large and plump because of their diet, but it was strange to see that there were no such people here.

There was a single chair with longer legs and thicker armrests. It was probably the 'Captain's seat'. The one sitting there was a slightly smaller person, also dressed entirely in black. It seemed this person was likely an elder.

We were soon led to the Captain's seat. Master Shizu sat on a chair, and I on the floor beside him.

"Welcome, traveller. First, listen to Our words."

The 'Captain' spoke. It was the voice of a feeble old man.

The captain continued to speak until the sun began to set and glow orange. To summarize thehis words full of self-praise and pride:

The origins of this country are unknown. They had always lived there for as long as they could remember. The records they had dated back about six hundred years.

The rulers were called by the tasteless name of 'People of the Tower'. They had been ruling this country as its 'Royalty' for a very long time. Their residence was this tower, which constituted as their 'Palace'. They held absolute power over the country and did business with people on the land via the transport ships.

The common people lived on the lands, not the tower. They were divided in tribes according to blood relations and living areas.

Currently, the people in black numbered about fifty, and the commoners about 3000. It seemed to be a relatively small number for a country of this size, and our hunch was confirmed when we were told that the population was decreasing every year.

This country travelled across the ocean seasonally, according to the tides. It seemed that there were some steering devices, but they did not use them unless there were obstacles in their path.

They traditionally welcomed travellers crossing the sea and gave them work. Their work involved keeping peace under the commands of the rulers. In other words, as police or mercenaries.

"If necessary, thou may exert a certain degree of force. They have been troubling Us more and more recently under the pretence of appeals."

It might not have been a good idea for them to say such a thing, at least to Master Shizu.

Once he finally received a chance to speak, Master Shizu told them that he wanted to do manual labour alongside the commoners.

The people in black were surprised, but Master Shizu continued politely.

"It is fitting work for someone so lowly as myself."

Is that supposed to be a joke, Master Shizu?

Not understanding the irony of the situation, the people in black reluctantly agreed to Master Shizu's request.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

We were led to the first floor by the men in black.

As we went past a set of extremely heavy-looking doors at the end of the hall, we could see the inside of the country's walls and the sight of the land.

If this were a normal country, we could have seen roads, buildings, and the greenery of parks. This was, however, far from normal. Our eyes were greeted by the sight of black, metallic puzzle pieces.

It looked like a factory that produced unknown creations, or perhaps a junkyard. The floors were woven out of metal frames, and there were pipes of all sizes weaving in and out together and stretching out endlessly. We could see no houses.

"The commoners live underneath." said the man in black. Master Shizu nodded in acknowledgement.

It seemed that the sight before us was the remnants of machinery and structures from times long past. It seemed that there were structures above here as well. However, now it was just an empty deck, relentlessly assaulted by the sun's rays that kept the people down below.

"This is a writ of permission. Even the most foolish of commoners will understand that thou art a traveller and Our guest. Stay wherever thou dost wish. Thou mayest come to us anytime thou dost change thy mind. We shall call to thee once the western continent comes within sight." the man in black said as he handed Master Shizu a metal plate the size of a small pocketbook. He opened the door and returned to the tower.

"Hmm…"

Master Shizu put the plate in the back pocket of his jeans and began to walk, holding his bag. He chose his steps carefully as he walked across the deck, coincidentally directing himself towards the setting sun.

"This is interesting." Master Shizu commented as he walked. I soon realized what he meant.

Though the floor was made with flat sheets of metal, Master Shizu's shadow was slowly drifting to the side. Though we couldn't feel it, the country was moving.

After a long walk, we saw stairs leading downstairs.

"I am a traveller. We have entered this country in order to cross over to the western continent. I have decided to live and work among you, and I ask that you provide for me a work and a place to stay."

The commoners greeted Master Shizu with surprise.

We were currently in their residential area, under the deck.

Belowdecks was a large, multi-level residential area. Like the hallways, it was also a covered in sheet metal and piping. The snaking hallways twisted and turned, and disorderly stairways created multiple landings.

We would often see the slums of poor countries during our travels, but this place was in even more disarray. It almost looked like a cavern made of metal.

The colour of the metal was all black, just like the colour of the deck. It seemed there was some sort of special coating over it, as no rust was visible. Dim, white lights hung from overhead.

And it was in this space that we saw people like those on the transport ship--dressed in patchy clothing.

We had to make thirty-four right turns, twenty-nine left turns, and climb up and down six and a half staircases under the curious gaze of the residents (men, women, and children) in order to reach the 'room' of the Elder. It seemed that the concept of a 'house' was foreign to them.

It seemed that the Elder's room was the biggest in the vicinity. Of course, it was still so small that myself, Master Shizu, the Elder, and four others were enough to completely fill the room. Those who could not step inside poked their heads in from the entrance. The reason these rooms were so tiny, in spite of the great landmass(if it could be called that) was likely because the living spaces were made of metal and pipes and thus difficult to expand.

"Welcome."

The white-haired-white-bearded Elder greeted us. He looked to be well over eighty years of age, but Master Shizu and I were shocked to learn that he was the eldest in this tribe and was at the ripe old age of fifty-five.

The Elder welcomed us, and asked us to stay here without having to do manual labour. We couldn't tell if he knew about our situation.

Master Shizu explained that he would like fifteen days' worth of food and lodgings, and insisted that he work with them in payment.

I thought there might be some disagreements, but night soon fell and their day came to an end. The discussion was postponed to the next day, as they had to cut the power. Because dinnertime was already over, we decided to sate our hunger with portable rations and allowed ourselves to be led to our quarters. The Elder ordered a man to be out guide--he looked to be in his fifties, but he was actually thirty-five years old.

"This room is excellent. Please show the Elder my gratitude." Master Shizu told the man.

The room was at least larger than the one on the transport ship. Though the metal walls, pipes, and the flimsy-looking bunk bed were the same, there were some blankets there. At the end of the hall outside the room was a communal bathroom.

The plumbing was reasonable yet simple. Water trickled down from a large metal water tank at the side of the ceiling. The water was distilled rainwater, but it was not undrinkable.

The lights soon turned off, and the room was overtaken by blackness. It was pitch dark, like the inside of a cave. I couldn't hear anything from outside, perhaps because surrounding rooms were empty.

"Well…"

Master Shizu took out a small flashlight in order to get his portable rations out of the bag. There was light for a moment, but it quickly disappeared.

After eating the tasteless but nutritious rations, Master Shizu and I quietly conversed in the dark. Of course, there was no one around to hear even if we were to speak loudly.

"Pretty good so far. It's a nice, quiet room."

"I'm glad it's springtime, Master Shizu. It would have been very difficult if we were to cross a cold or hot location during winter or summer."

"Yes… It must be a rough, living here. Of course, I guess it's just a fact of life for these people."

"It seems the next fifteen days will be a valuable experience."

"I don't know if fifteen days is long or short. Anyway, I'm going to sleep now. Good night, Riku."

"Sleep well, Master Shizu."

The first day drew to a close.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

The next morning.

As we expected, the people of this country were early to rise. Master Shizu and I awoke at dawn as a force of habit. Lights soon came on in the rooms and hallways, and someone knocked on the door.

We followed the same man from yesterday as he led us to breakfast. The paths felt no less complex than yesterday. I felt like we would get lost if we did not remain sharp. Master Shizu was, as usual, wearing his green sweater--but it seemed to be a bit hot for him in this sweltering, crowded place.

He left his sword inside his bag. After all, it would be impractical to carry it around all the time, and it was only the people in black who carried persuaders.

We soon entered a large room, about the size of a school gymnasium. It was quite bright thanks to the light of dawn shining through between the pipes on the ceiling. They told us that they left the metal plate on the deck open on days without rain.

The room was full of people--I almost wondered where they could have all been hiding. There was steam escaping from the next room, which was likely a kitchen. People lined up there, received their plates of food and utensils, and sat on the floor to eat. There were thin cushions for seating, but no tables of any sort. Several children went around with cups and kettles, handing out tea.

All eyes were on Master Shizu as he stepped into the dining hall. The Elder, who had been sitting in the corner, called him over. Master Shizu took care to not bump into anyone who was eating, and walked over to the Elder and his attendants.

Master Shizu exchanged greetings with the Elder. The Elder introduced Master Shizu and myself to the people in the room. People politely greeted Master Shizu.

One person brought plates of food and tea for me and Master Shizu. Although I was quite happy that we did not have to line up, Master Shizu would probably start insisting, from tomorrow on, that he also line up for his food.

"I hope this will be to your liking."

On the plate was a fish. A single fish that had been steamed whole. It had been sprinkled with salt.

Master Shizu, who was never a picky eater, ate it agreeably. I ate as well--it was quite delicious, but this was all that was served for breakfast.

According to the Elder, their meals were almost always fish. Normally they would serve them steamed, fried, or marinated. On occasion they would catch large fish that they would eat raw. Otherwise, their diet consisted of seaweed, shellfish, and the occasional sea animal.

"…"

Master Shizu was about to say something, but went quiet.

The conversation then went to the topic of work. In other words, it was a continuation of last night's conversation. Master Shizu finally managed to convince them to provide him with food and shelter in exchange for his labour.

"All the other travellers who had boarded this land for the crossing had become watchmen on behalf of the People of the Tower… We are moved by your kindness, Master Shizu."

The other people expressed their agreement with the Elder. Everyone thanked Master Shizu for his kindness, but I kept quiet. I knew that it was actually because Master Shizu had to keep up his training, as opposed to being stuck in one place for fifteen days straight.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

"Well now, Master Shizu. Let me introduce you to your guide. You can ask her anything you'd like to know as long as you're in this country." said the Elder. He then called for 'Ti' to be brought over.

Soon, a little girl came from amidst the crowds.

She seemed to be about twelve years of age. Would they actually tell us something like, "actually, she's four years old", like they did yesterday? She seemed to be about the same height as a girl of that age. Her hair, cut quite short for a girl, was white as snow. The people of this country all had brown or black hair. The Elder was the only exception, and he had a head full of white. Would they actually tell us something like, "actually, she's eighty years old"?

Her eyes were a clear emerald green. I hadn't seen anyone with such an eye colour here so far. She had a stony face--she was more stoic than expressionless. There was not a hint of girlish innocence on her face.

Just like the other people of this country, her clothes had been patched over here and there. She wore grey shorts that showed off her stick-thin legs, and she wore a long brown shirt with a circular cut. I couldn't tell if it had been that colour to begin with or if it had just gotten dirty. On her back was a large pocket, and there were protective pads on her elbows, presumably to prevent her from getting hurt while walking through the narrow halls. There were thick cushions over her knees as well. On her feet were a pair of rubber shoes. She didn't seem to be wearing socks.

The girl bowed lightly to the Elder and stood beside him.

"Master Shizu, this girl is called Tifana. She will be your guide in this country. Please, call her Ti." said the Elder. He then looked over at Ti.

"This man is Master Shizu, a traveller and our guest. Guide him well."

Ti nodded lightly and stared at Master Shizu.

"Nice to meet you, Ti." said Master Shizu.

"…"

Ti stared at Master Shizu without a word. Maybe she was just looking at him, not staring.

[[File:Kino no Tabi v8 137.png|thumb]]

After several seconds of silence, the Elder chimed in.

"As you can see, she is a very quiet girl. She almost never speaks. I hope you will get along."

Though I was very curious as to why they sent such a quiet person to be our guide, Master Shizu nodded without resistance.

"Understood."

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

First, Master Shizu and I returned to our assigned room. Ti, our guide, followed us without a word. Master Shizu spoke to her in greeting several times, but the response was always this.

"…"

I don't know about Master Shizu, but I was somewhat flustered. I could not tell what this girl was thinking. However, she would still react in agreement with a nod, and would shake her head in disagreement.

Even when I spoke to her just to see if she would respond, Ti said nothing and merely looked at me.

"…"

I almost felt like there were no emotions in her green eyes. Of course, this was still preferable to her saying, "What a cute doggy!" and hugging and petting me.

When Master Shizu returned to the room, he took off his sweater and put on a green parka over his T-shirt, closing the buttons.

"What now?"

Master Shizu asked Ti.

"…"

It was a less than informative response.

However, Master Shizu did not seem to be particularly upset about this.

"If there's something I can do, I'd like you to take me there. If not, could you show me around this location as permitted?"

Ti then began to walk. Master Shizu asked, "Do you want us to follow you?"

Ti nodded.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

We followed Ti and looked around the living spaces of this tribe. There were some places with many rooms, likely a densely populated area. It seemed that Master Shizu's room, a distance away, was reserved for guests.

After climbing and descending multiple flights of stairs, we finally arrived at the facility where they caught the all-important fish. It looked like a giant swimming pool--the floor had been cut away to reveal a chunk of ocean. They would lower nets and fishing rods there to catch fish. We were told that they would raise fish in a nearby aquarium if possible. It seemed that there were several more facilities like this in this country,

There was a room for energy control. Under the tower at the centre of the country was an energy source that was overseen by the ruling class, and that is where they supplied electricity and heat. Those who worked in the control rooms were representatives from each tribe. Occasionally, one of the men in black, armed with a persuader, would come in to check that things were running efficiently.

There were other rooms, like a classroom for teaching children, a room for playing some sort of ball game I had never seen before, and a room for housing the sick and injured.

"I see. I understand that the people here are living to the best of their abilities here. Is that all you wanted to show us?" Master Shizu asked Ti.

"…"

The answer was silence.

As a side note, all of the explanations were provided by the people we met in the various rooms. Ti would just wait for us in silence and then take us to the next room once we had been given the information. It seemed that the people knew this--none of them would speak to Ti. Not only that, it seemed none of them wanted to have anything to do with her.

"…"

Ti started walking again with her mouth firmly shut. She led us to the dining hall. We could tell by the fact that they were serving food in the kitchen that it was already lunchtime.

Master Shizu took a seat on the floor with a plate of well-fried fish. Ti sat beside him and stoically began eating her lunch.

"Thank you for showing us around." said Master Shizu. Ti's hand, still holding the fork, froze halfway to the plate.

"…"

She looked up and stared at Master Shizu for a moment before returning to her meal.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

"Can I look around somewhere or do some work in the afternoon?" Master Shizu asked Ti after lunch. She just shook her head.

"Then you mean I can take a break?"

Ti nodded. Master Shizu was quite the expert when it came to speaking with Ti. He asked her about places we were forbidden to enter and things that we should not do. He asked many questions and got yes-or-no answers from her.

Although I suggested that we ask another person for quicker answers, Master Shizu shook his head.

"It's fine. We have a lot of time anyway."

As a result of conversing(?) until everyone else had left the dining hall, we found out that there were four tribes in this country, including the one we were currently staying with. Each of them held possession of one quarter of this country's (underground) land. We also found out that it was best to stay away from places occupied by other tribes without permission. The basic rule was that the tribes did not associate with one another except during the Elders' council. In other words, the tribes were on bad terms with one another. However, there were rare instances of arranged marriages between the tribes.

Master Shizu sometimes asked Ti about herself. However, he stopped when she shook her head to the question, "What about your parents?".

Master Shizu told Ti that she could go back to her room now, as we did not need a guide for now. However, Ti did not leave. She followed us to our room, sat on the chair, and just stared at Master Shizu.

"…"

I wondered if she was both a guide and a spy, but Ti herself said nothing.

Master Shizu was also silent as he polished his katana and repacked his luggage. He then left to take a shower. I had to watch over Ti, as she tried to follow him in.

We were called to dinner, and we had a meal of fish before returning to our room.

"…"

Once it was time for the lights to go out, Ti wordlessly left the room.

The second day came to a close.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

"Things might be more tedious than I thought…" Master Shizu muttered in passing. His guess was entirely accurate.

There was almost nothing for Master Shizu to do on the third and fourth days. Though he insisted that they give him work, the people did not let him. They told us that the country was heading north along the continent, and that they would catch hardly any fish during this stretch of the journey.

There wasn't much for an outsider to do in this cramped living space. The people were kind, but none of them particularly wanted to get close to Master Shizu, let him lend a hand with work, or listen enthusiastically to the stories of his travels.

We could do nothing for these two days but eat our meals.

"…"

We repeated going back and forth between our room and the dining hall with the silent, white-haired Ti.

"I'm going to get out of shape at this rate." Master Shizu would say occasionally, and he did chin-ups on some of the pipes on the ceiling or practice swinging his katana in the cramped space.

"…"

Ti just watched Master Shizu without a word.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

On the fifth morning, we were in the dining hall when we heard the voice of a man in black. It seemed that there was a speaker somewhere.

[Each tribe shall send three men for a day's worth of labour. Thou shalt not send any man who has been sent before.]

That was it. The Elder soon called the names of three men.

We could guess that these were orders for them to work on the transport ships. The country was doing one more trade with this continent. It seemed they were moving according to schedule.

Master Shizu volunteered for the job to take a break and get some exercise, but he was turned down.

"Another free day." Master Shizu complained.

"…"

Ti said nothing.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

At dinnertime, the men who had come back from work said that a traveller had boarded at the continent.

They said that the traveller was headed for the western continent, just like Master Shizu, and that this person had chosen to stay as a guest of the People of the Tower like many other travellers had before. The people began to worry that the traveller would start to unleash undeserved violence upon them as a guard.

"I suppose that's what most people would have chosen." Master Shizu said. However, he didn't seem to regret his own choice. At least if the traveller came to bother the people, Master Shizu might be able to get some exercise and kill some time.

"What choice you make depends on who you are." said Master Shizu.

"…"

And Ti said nothing. She was like thin air. Both Master Shizu and I slowly stopped concerning ourselves with her presence.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

It was evening.

It was near the end of the day when I spoke to Master Shizu.

"Perhaps working for the People of the Tower will be less tedious."

"Maybe so. But it's not like I dislike being here. Maybe working for the rulers might not be so exciting, either."

"I see. Then you only have ten days to wait."

"And I won't be making a fuss during that time. Let's try not to run into the traveller who boarded today." said Master Shizu. He then changed the subject.

It was almost time for the lights to go out. The fifth day came to a peaceful close, just as the past four days had been.

"Sleep well, Riku."

"Good night, Master Shizu."

"…"

What was Ti doing here?

The lights then went out. Master Shizu turned on his flashlight. Ti was just sitting on the chair as if she was a piece of furniture. Now that I thought about it, we never saw her leave the room.

If Ti were an assassin, neither myself nor Master Shizu would still be of this world.

"Well… that was a surprise." Master Shizu muttered. He asked Ti if she could make her way back on her own. She shook her head.

"…"

Master Shizu fell into thought.

"…"

Ti stared at Master Shizu as if nothing had ever happened.

Master Shizu soon sighed and smiled.

"Do you want the top bunk, or the bottom bunk?"

Ti pointed to the top bunk. She stood from her seat and climbed the ladder. She immediately got into bed, pulled the blanket over herself, and fell asleep.

"She's asleep. I'm counting on you, Riku." said Master Shizu. He turned off the flashlight and went back to bed. He then fell asleep as if nothing had happened.

I kept an eye out to see if Ti would do anything while we slept, but she didn't even try to leave her bed. A strange night passed.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

It was the sixth day since we boarded this land.

We were in the midst of eating our steamed fish breakfast with Ti when Master Shizu noticed something out of place.

"It's shaking…"

Up until now, there had been no shaking of any sort. I almost could not believe that this country was floating on water. It was as if I was just walking on solid ground.

However, things were different today. I could feel huge but slow tremors occurring repeatedly over a period of time. The broth of the steamed fish splashed. Things like this were very hard to ignore once you've noticed it.

"I can feel the land shaking. Is this normal?" Master Shizu asked a middle-aged(in appearance) lady who had been eating near us.

Though the woman was surprised that she had been spoken to, she answered our question patiently.

"This shaking is nothing. Please don't worry, Master Shizu. This is nothing to be scared of."

"I see. Thank you."

Master Shizu did not pry any further, as he did not consider this a danger as long as the people of the land thought it safe. I thought the same.

After breakfast, Master Shizu went around like an unemployed man, asking around for work. However, he was turned down every time. Even though it seemed that the men were going off in groups to catch fish.

"At least they could let me do the dishes." Master Shizu complained as he went back to the room. I quietly followed at his side. Ti also followed us without a word.

Back the the room, Master Shizu took a seat on his bed. However, just as another long stretch of boredom was about to begin--

We heard an eerie noise.

"What's that?"

Master Shizu raised his head. It was a dull, cacophonic scream of sorts. It was the sound of metal and the friction between some extremely heavy objects. The sound echoed throughout the room--not from one location, but from all around. As if it was surrounding the area around the room. Two repetitions. Another repetition followed several seconds later.

"It's stopped." Master Shizu said as he looked at Ti. There was no change in her expression.

"I'm guessing this happens often?"

Ti nodded. We were certain that this noise did not bother her one bit.

"I didn't hear anything like this up until just yesterday. they said that we're floating along the ocean currents from today on, right?"

She nodded.

"Then, does this usually happen while the land's riding the currents?"

She nodded again. Master Shizu frowned with a worrisome expression.

"Master Shizu?"

"I've heard a noise very similar to this once before, Riku."

I was taken by surprise and asked him when he had heard such a thing.

"I was at a certain country. We were in an old building that had been damaged in an assault. It was much smaller, but I heard something similar to this. I was wondering what it could be, when everyone told me to get outside. So I did."

"And then what happened?"

"Once we'd all left the building…"

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Master Shizu and I walked, following Ti.

It would be more accurate to say, however, that we climbed, descended, and generally 'moved forward' through places filled with too many pipes to be used for residential purposes.

Ti used her small frame and knowledge of the location to her advantage and made her way through without a problem. Sometimes, there were places my legs would not reach. I am sorry to say that Master Shizu had to lift me up in such cases.

And finally.

"Again…"

Master Shizu had detected the noise. The sound echoed again.

We still could not tell where the sound was coming from. In other words, it was coming from everywhere. It was as if we were surrounded on all sides by speakers.

Master Shizu placed his face right by a metal pipe as he put a finger to it.

"I knew it."

I could tell what he meat without even having to listen. The pipe was vibrating ever-so-slightly.

Before we had left the room, Master Shizu told me this.

"Once we'd all left the building, the building collapsed. This structure was dozens of storeys high, but it just fell. That screaming sound was the noise of the metal framing bending and skidding against other metals. The man who yelled for us to get out was a former engineer. That's why he knew--a fire had weakened the frame. In other words… I have a very bad feeling about this place."

And now--

"Ti, are there any places around here that are collapsed or broken? Could you lead me to those places?"

"…"

Ti stared at Master Shizu and fell into thought. Several seconds later, she nodded and led the way. This was how we came to start traversing these unwalkable corridors.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

We walked through an uninhabited area for some time. The paths were so twisted that I couldn't figure out which direction we were heading in. If not for Ti, even I would be lost.

We finally arrived at the entrance to the wreck.

Until just now, our path was at least possible for a person to travel through. However, the sight before our eyes was, in a word, a mess. The room was the size of the dining hall, but it was filled with crushed metals. In the tiny spaces that could perhaps fit a mouse shone little diodes shining dimly.

"I see… but it seems like this place has been wrecked for a long time now."

Master Shizu took hold of a railing in order to go down the stairs. It seemed he wanted to go take a look at the wreckage himself. However--

"Huh?"

Ti pulled at Master Shizu's sleeve.

"…"

Master Shizu looked at Ti in shock. Ti held onto the sleeve of his parka, looking up at him and shaking her head.

"You mean I shouldn't go?"

"…"

She nodded.

"I understand. Thank you."

Master Shizu took his hand off the railing. Ti also let go of his sleeve.

"How is this country--no, ship--constructed? Any ideas, Riku?"

I shook my head. As long as we were on the ocean, this land was a ship--but I couldn't figure out anything further. Master Shizu turned to Ti for help. When he asked her if there was anything she knew, Ti fell into thought.

"…"

Master Shizu continued.

"Anything will do. Maybe an old floor plan, history books, or monuments…"

Ti nodded.

She then led the way out. We followed her. We climbed a steep staircase and found ourselves on the deck, sky in view.

"…."

Our first view of the sky in days was that of low, fast-moving grey clouds. The weather was terrible. We could not see the sun at all, and it seemed like we would be pelted with rain any minute.

There was a strong breeze. A powerful wind blew past, even in this area surrounded by the castle walls. If the noise we heard inside the ship was the cry of a gigantic beast, this was its rough breathing. Ti's white hair and Master Shizu's parka fluttered in the wind.

"From the look of the sky, I'd say the seas are in an even worse state. Especially considering that we're in the open ocean."

I expressed my agreement at Master Shizu's comment. The walls were likely being battered with waves over ten metres high.

"The sheer size of the country is probably what's limiting the shock we receive here."

Master Shizu agreed. When he asked Ti if we were almost there, she nodded and began walking. Master Shizu and I followed after her.

Ti crossed from one metal plate to another. Ahead of us was the long, thin tower.

The sheer presence of the tower was overwhelming. The clouds layered behind it would occasionally flash. It seemed there was a thunderstorm brewing above.

Though we expected Ti to go to the tower, she surprised us by turning to a set of stairs leading down. Master Shizu and I followed her and again entered the structure.

"What is this…"

Master Shizu stood in place, shocked. We were walking through a place only slightly below the deck, but in front of us was the surface of the water. A place that should have been a residential area had been filled with sea water.

"It's been flooded… Right, Ti?"

Ti nodded and continued walking.

"If this is happening everywhere…"

Master Shizu muttered. I followed behind and continued his sentence.

"Then this land may sink, correct?"

"I can't be sure yet, but…"

Ti finally passed through the flooded area and stopped in front of a certain door.

"…"

She pointed at it without a word.

"You want us to go in, right?"

Ti nodded, and Master Shizu slowly opened the door. It ground against the ceiling and squeaked open, making just enough room for a person to squeeze through. First, Master Shizu made sure with Ti that it was safe to go inside. He then stepped in.

The room was about ten metres in diameter. If this area had been occupied, this room would likely have been chosen for use by the Elder. The lights were all hanging at regular intervals across the ceiling.

Ti suddenly pointed at a metal plate stuck on the wall. It was about the size of a blackboard used in a classroom. Although it looked black, it was actually dark maroon--and there were faint but intricate white lines engraved upon it.

"This is a structural drawing of this country. It's very old." said Master Shizu as he thanked Ti.

I took a good look at the plate. The drawing showed a top-down view of the country, a side-view, and a basic floor plan.

The top-down view reflected what this country had been long ago. Walls surrounding the deck in a circle, and buildings built around the tower. The roads stretched out from the centre like the spokes of a wheel. There was a parkland near the central area, and a residential area.

It was a typical city plan. As we expected, there were many buildings and grounding on the deck a very long time ago. The tower in the centre looked much lower than it did now.

The side-view was a cross-section of the country from the centre. The deck was consistent with the top-down view, with residential areas and buildings, but belowdecks was what interested us.

"I can't believe it's so thin."

Master Shizu exclaimed. It seemed we were looking at the same thing.

The lower deck on the cross-section was extremely thin. Until now, we had thought it might be like an iceberg, with a great deal of mass underwater. However, it was the opposite. This country was based on a large, thin plate. On the extremely thin belowdecks area.

From the cross-section, we could see that the belowdecks area was basically a flat wooden crate made out of thin boards connected with short connectors. The flat surface that this supported, in other words, what used to be the land, was the current residential area of this country. It was likely originally a catacomb of maintenance passages for electricity and water supplies.

Once he had looked over the entire map, Master Shizu brought Ti over to the drawing.

"Can you tell me where my room is?"

Ti pointed to a place on the map very far removed from where we were looking.

"That's impressive. Thank you. Could you tell me where we are right now?"

Ti next pointed towards a place very close to the tower. As it was more than a quarter of the land's distance from our room, this place might have been the territory of another tribe. They likely wouldn't welcome us with open arms.

"Then…"

Master Shizu continued calmly.

"If you can, could you point out places like the ones we visited before? Places that have been flooded or wrecked. You just have to point out the ones you know. Can you do it?"

"…"

Ti nodded. She held out her index finger and slowly raised her right arm.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

"…"

"…"

It was not Ti, but myself and Master Shizu who had been rendered silent.

After pointing out a dangerous place, Ti stopped her finger there for about three seconds before moving to the next spot. Then to the next.

If I counted right, Ti had pointed to 143 places. And these locations were spread out around the entire country. If Ti's indications were not a lie, her memory far exceeded that of an ordinary person. As she pointed out these locations, we heard the noise three times more.

Ti's finger finally stopped.

"…"

She lowered her right arm and looked back at us.

"Oh, I see… Thank you."

Master Shizu thanked Ti first and told her she could take a break. He then stared at the map and asked me a question.

"What do you think, Riku?"

"Likely what you are thinking, Master Shizu. This country--no, this ship--has been moving for six hundred years without having been repaired once. Therefore…"

"At this point, this country won't last much longer. It's going to end up collapsing at some point or another."

"Probably." I replied, and added an unnecessary comment. "Of course, I doubt the land will collapse in ten days' time."

"I think so too." Master Shizu answered immediately. "But…"

As Master Shizu trailed off, Ti looked up at him in silence.

"…"

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Master Shizu used the floor as a desk and reproduced the map on a piece of paper from his room to the best of his abilities. Master Shizu had always had a talent for drawing--having made a nearly identical copy of the diagrams, he completed the map with Ti pointing out the collapsed areas.

When Master Shizu asked Ti if she knew how to write, she shook her head. We couldn't tell if this meant she was unable to or if she just didn't want to. Master Shizu did not pry.

It was almost lunchtime, but it was obvious that we couldn't make it to the dining hall in time even if we were to set out now. Master Shizu took a seat on the floor and took out portable rations from his parka pocket. He gave some of this clay-like food to myself and Ti.

"…"

Ti stared at the food in her hand for a bit, but she brought it to her mouth when she saw Master Shizu eating. She took a tiny bite with her small mouth.

"…"

For a single moment, her stoic expression crumbled. Her usually narrowed eyes turned into dinner plates.

"Do you like it?" Master Shizu asked with a glad expression.

"…"

Ti nodded enthusiastically with her usual stoic face.

She then nibbled on the portable ration with a serious look, holding it in both hands like a squirrel.

I'd never before seen anyone eat portable rations so enthusiastically--they were infamous among travellers for their tastelessness.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

After lunch, we made our way back the way we came.

Of course, we were led by Ti. Not even I could make it back on my own without her.

The return trip took the same course over the deck. It was raining.

Thick droplets of rain fell upon us heavily. The sound of raindrops against the metal deck rang out around us. The clouds were even lower than they were before.

"…"

Ti stopped at the stairs, looking up at the sky.

"You don't want to get rained on, right? It's the same for everyone. But we can't just stay here forever." said Master Shizu. He then lightly put the side of his parka over Ti. Her tiny frame stuck right next to Master Shizu's right side. Master Shizu put on the parka's hood.

"Let's go."

"…"

Ti poked her head out from under the parka and stared up at Master Shizu. We couldn't tell if she had understood or not, but Ti went back under the parka and looked ahead.

"…"

"What shall I do, Master Shizu?" I asked.

"Sorry, but you're going to have to get rained on this time."

I knew it.

Master Shizu and Ti went out into the rain, matching their paces. I followed them, prepared to be drenched.

Plop plop plop. The raindrops hit the parka. Ti and Master Shizu walked from one metal plate to another in the rain. I followed right behind them, soaked.

About halfway to the entrance to the lower deck, Ti suddenly stopped. Master Shizu also stopped, confused. I looked back at them, having ended up going ahead.

"What's wrong, Ti?" Master Shizu asked, but Ti remained as silent as ever. All I could hear for a while was the sound of rain against parka.

Master Shizu raised the side of the parka to look at Ti. As there was now more of the parka to hit, the sound of raindrops became even louder.

"…"

Ti quietly raised her face and closed her eyes.

It looked like she was listening for something.

"Do you like this sound?" Master Shizu asked quietly.

"…"

Ti nodded.

Plop plop plop plop plop plop.

"Then I guess I'll have a listen too." Master Shizu said.

"What about me, Master Shizu?" I asked.

"Sorry, but you're going to have to get rained on this time."

I knew it.

I sat on the metal plate and watched them.

[[File:Kino no Tabi v8 163.png|thumb]]

The tall Master Shizu and the small Ti.

Wrapped up in the parka, they listened to the mundane sound of raindrops against waterproof cloth.

I watched them, soaking wet. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, the towering structure and the passing storm clouds as a backdrop.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Although people would still not give him work, Master Shizu had found himself a job and began to take action. He had decided to begin investigating the collapsed areas with Ti's help.

Master Shizu went to flooded or ruined areas and checked to see the extent of the damage. And when it was possible, he found out from Ti how long a given place had been in such a state. Ti had about five years' worth of clear memories, and as we had feared, the rate of damage was increasing every year.

In some places, we had no trouble figuring out the reason for the flooding. In these places, the 'floor' of the ship had been visibly split open. The thin plate that should have been held fast had been ripped apart about forty metres. According to Ti, the gashes had increased in size by about two metres every year.

That is how we spent the seventh and eighth days. Master Shizu was not the only one moving busily--Ti was working hard as well.

As a side note, we consumed a great percentage of our supply of portable rations in these two days. Although I worried about our supplies for when we arrived on shore, Master Shizu did not seem to concerned.

"If that happens, we can catch fish at the seaside."

More fish?

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

The ninth day.

Though the country still shook, it felt like the tremors had lessened somewhat. We could still occasionally hear the screaming of metal, but after a while we got used to it. This was not a good thing.

After breakfast, Master Shizu requested to speak with the Elder. He visited the Elder's room and asked that all other residents vacate the room. Of course, Ti stayed at his side.

Master Shizu spoke to the Elder about the damage this land had sustained. However, he did not force his opinion of the dangers it posed. He just asked the Elder out of worry. That he had been taking a walk with Ti when they discovered such places, and that he was worried about them.

The Elder was perfectly calm when he told us that there was nothing to worry about. This was why:

"The People of the Tower know everything there is to know about this country. We will know of any impending danger because they will warn us."

Although we couldn't just accept these words as long as we didn't know about the People of the Tower, we could tell how the Elder (and these people) felt about the matter. As we expected, they were completely oblivious.

Master Shizu then began to investigate about the lives of these people. He slipped in questions about infant mortality rates and average lifespans in the conversation.

"I see…"

The Elder's answer was much more horrifying than we had expected. It wasn't too shocking, considering the terrible living conditions and the limited range of foods available for consumption.

Even though this was their beloved home, the land would eventually run out of inhabitants even if it were to stay afloat.

"We live happy lives. We always have, and we always will." The Elder proclaimed proudly.

----

"…"

It was as if Ti's silence had infected Master Shizu.

It was evening, and we were in our room. Master Shizu was sitting beside the bed, fingers clasped together. Sometimes he tapped his own forehead.

"…"

Ti sat on a chair beside a folding table, watching Master Shizu. In her hand was a cup of tea that Master Shizu had just brewed with solid fuel.

There was still some time left until dinner. Though I knew it was impudent of me, I spoke to Master Shizu, who had been locked in thought for so long.

"Master Shizu. Why not rest, or try a change of pace?"

Master Shizu glanced at me and agreed.

"What should we do?"

Master Shizu spoke in a joking tone. Of course, it would be difficult to organize a change of pace in this country of cramped rooms and hallways.

"…"

Suddenly, Ti put down her teacup and got up off her seat. She then walked up to Master Shizu and pulled on the shoulder of his parka.

"You want us to follow you? You're going to give us a change of pace?"

Ti nodded twice in reply, like a programmed doll.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

"It's beautiful."

"How beautiful."

Master Shizu and I did not hide our wonder.

Ti had taken us to the top of the country's walls. We had left the room and followed Ti through the halls. After climbing what seemed to be an endless spiral staircase, we opened a hatch and found ourselves on the windswept man-made cliffs. The top of the wall was a pathway lined on either side by metal railings, and was about ten metres wide.

The sight that greeted us could only be described as 'magnificent'. The sun sunk into the horizon as it created orange columns of light between the grey clouds. The high waves crashed up against the wall, creating sparkling droplets of light.

The ocean was all we could see from the west-facing wall. It was almost like…

"It's like I'm flying." Master Shizu exclaimed, holding the railing. It really felt that way.

For a while, Master Shizu and I did nothing but stare at the gorgeous scene before our eyes. Eventually, Master Shizu looked back at Ti, who was holding onto the edge of his parka.

"Thank you. This was an amazing sight. To be honest, we'd more or less given up on seeing anything beautiful in this country, but I'm glad you proved us wrong."

"…"

Ti was as silent and stoic as ever, but something about her face looked very satisfied. The wind blew through her white hair as we stood on the wall.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

The sun set, and the light that remained over the horizon lit up the clouds in the sky. Eventually, we were swallowed in darkness.

We stayed there until eventually, we could not distinguish the sea from the sky. This was because Ti was awestruck by the scene, refusing to budge an inch. Master Shizu stood there with Ti.

In the end, we missed dinner and ended up eating portable rations in our room instead.

Watching Ti practically devour her portion, I almost started to wonder if this was her goal from the beginning.

"…"

Ti said nothing.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Late night.

"The people don't understand this situation--they can't. In the end, it's up to how the ruling class sees this problem…"

"Yes."

Master Shizu and I whispered in secret. As the lights had gone out, the room was blanketed in darkness.

I stuck right next to Master Shizu's bed and continued the conversation, making sure to not wake Ti, who was asleep on the second level.

"If the ruling class doesn't change its position soon, there's no future for this country." Master Shizu declared. The map we had completed after three days of research had been covered in black marks that indicated collapsed areas. The rate of damage was increasing at an unbelievable speed.

"I agree. At this rate, this country will sink or its inhabitants will die--whichever one comes first. Either way, neither fate is too far off."

"And none of these people know. The fact that they live in hellish conditions… the fact that this country isn't such a paradise…"

"The people of this country, including the Elder, consider all this to be natural. Pointing it out won't make them understand."

"They say that 'a problem that's been ingrained into the society isn't thought of as a problem'. It's absolutely true…"

Silence followed Master Shizu's words. He was lost in thought. Suddenly, the noise echoed again.

And then--

"I've decided. I'm going to have a talk with the rulers tomorrow."

"Just to talk, Master Shizu? Not trying to convince them?"

"First, I'll have to see how they feel about the matter. Sleep well, Riku."

Master Shizu then fell asleep.

I didn't know what would happen tomorrow, but it seemed that neither Master Shizu nor myself would be faced with boredom.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

The tenth day.

If all was according to plan, this country should be very close to the western continent. It would begin heading south along the currents that ran down the continent.

This country was scheduled to make a trade with the continent in four days' time. All Master Shizu and I had to do was arrive there safely. Then we would say goodbye to this land as if nothing had ever happened. We would never need to set foot here again.

After breakfast, Master Shizu took out his sword from the bag for the first time in nine days. It seemed his course was set.

Master Shizu then took out two small pouches made of cloth from his bag. He opened the covers and checked the contents. Inside each was a pair of what looked to be spray cans. Actually, these objects were a lot more dangerous than run-of-the-mill spray cans. Master Shizu did not use them if he could help it, but it seemed he deemed their use potentially necessary in this case. In the best-case scenario, he would never have to use them.

Master Shizu strapped these pouches on the right side of his belt. He then concealed the katana vertically under his parka.

"…"

"Stay here for a bit, Ti."

Master Shizu and I left the room as Ti watched us curiously.

"…"

And she followed us out as if it was perfectly normal.

"Look, Ti."

Master Shizu argued with Ti for a short time.

"I don't think I have anything for you to do today. Please wait in the room."

"…"

"Depending on what happens, things might get dangerous."

"…"

"You see…"

"…"

"Well…"

"…"

In the end, Ti pulled off an overwhelming victory with her silence. Master Shizu bowed his head. After all, we couldn't exactly tie her up back in the room.

"I'm counting on you, Riku."

In the end, I became Ti's guardian.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Master Shizu, Ti, and myself walked the path we had taken on our first day here and climbed onto the deck.

The sky was dark. The sun was hidden. Although the wind was weak, the dark skies wore heavily over us.

Once we had come outside, Master Shizu took out his sword and strapped it to his belt.

"Let's go…"

Master Shizu began walking to the tower from the deck. I had Ti follow me from behind and followed Master Shizu at a slight distance.

It was obvious that we would be clearly seen from the tower.

[Halt, traveller.]

We weren't particularly shocked to hear this voice being projected towards us. It was coming from a speaker attached to the tower. Master Shizu came to a stop about ten metres from the tower entrance.

"Hello. Can you hear me?"

[We hear thee, traveller. Several days yet remain ere this land reaches shore. Hast thou changeth thy mind? Thou dost wish to live among Us?]

"No, I merely wish to speak to you. It is a matter concerning the future of this country."

[Hm. Then We shall lend Our ears. Speak.]

It was a different voice from before. It was a familiar voice--the voice of the old man we spoke to on the day we arrived, the Captain.

Master Shizu stood there and revealed everything he felt about the current situation. He told them that he had looked into this country, and had found a problem that could not be contained, either structurally or socially. And that the inhabitants were oblivious to this problem.

"I ask you--how do you see this problem, as the leader who manages the lives of the thousands of citizens living in this land?"

The answer was immediate.

[We are unconcerned.]

Although I could not see, Master Shizu was probably frowning. He asked again.

"And by that, you mean…?"

[Should Our country fail to sustain itself, as thou dost claim, that shall be Our Fate.]

Once again, the answer was immediate.

"Maybe it doesn't matter to you, but what about your people? What will happen to them?"

There was force in Master Shizu's voice. I watched him from behind with Ti.

"…"

The voice came on again.

[This country is under Our rule. Both the land and its people belong to Us. Anything that happens to Our possession is Fate. It is merely the end. A mere traveller has no business in Our affairs.]

Although we had been half-expecting this sort of answer, it was surprising to hear them say this so bluntly. At this rate, it would not be difficult to drive Master Shizu to cause a commotion.

"I see… I understand what you're saying." Master Shizu uttered. There was no way he would back out and say, "then see you in four days" at this point.

"Then, if I should take over the tower and steer this country towards land… then you would consider this your Fate?"

[Verily.]

The entrance to the tower opened at the same time as the reply. And then--

"…"

A person dressed in black appeared before us.

He wasn't very tall, but the air of alertness around him suggested that he was an experienced fighter. They had probably sent out their most skilled warrior.

In his hand was a metre-long pump-action shotgun-style persuader. It seemed that he was carrying a hand persuader under his coat as well.

The Captain spoke in place of the man in black.

[Yet We cannot allow thee to do so.]

Master Shizu mumbled, "right", in a slightly welcoming tone.

The conversation was over. It was now time for persuasion. I pushed Ti off to the side with my head--standing behind Master Shizu would be dangerous if the man in black were to fire head-on.

Once Ti and myself had gotten behind a pile of scrap a little distance away--

"Let me say one thing…"

Master Shizu said to the man in black.

"If possible, I do not wish to kill the rulers, including you. Would you allow us to pass?"

"…"

Instead of a reply, we heard a click. It was the sound of a round being loaded into the persuader.

"It seems you don't intend to let me go so easily."

Master Shizu did not draw, but he slowly walked towards the man in black.

"If you listen to me, you'll all survive in the end."

Master Shizu spoke again as he continued to close in on the man in black. He distracted his opponent with the conversation while discreetly closing in at the same time. This was one of Master Shizu's favourite tricks.

In a shotgun, each shot contain about nine round pellets. The pellets scatter and fly off upon being fired, so they are a dangerous weapon. However, the pellets are not as effective at close range because they cannot scatter enough. Master Shizu would be able to dodge something like that.

Pump action persuaders must be reloaded with a pumping action after firing one shot. The long barrel also makes it difficult to aim in close quarters. Master Shizu was planning to use this extra time to step in close at once. The battle would be decided the moment his opponent pulled the trigger.

"Calm down. I don't intend on taking your life."

Master Shizu continued to approach the man in black and glanced up at the tower. He was checking to see if there was a sniper to provide support. I had been looking as well, but there seemed to be no such person yet.

There were now five metres between Master Shizu and the man in black. From the way he steadfastly refused to shoot, it seemed the man in black was quite the bold one.

"…"

Master Shizu watched the man in black, who held the gun with the barrel pointing towards the sky.

"You're pretty good."

Master Shizu's thumb reached his scabbard.

"…"

Ti was watching them both from on top of me.

And at the next moment.

"Hmph!"

Master Shizu reacted. The man in black had finally made a move. He put the persuader on his shoulder and aimed at Master Shizu.

The man in black had made his aim. Master Shizu must have seen his trigger finger move, as he evaded to the right without drawing.

Fire.

The pellets ripped through the air with a bang. Master Shizu drew and attacked the man in black.

There would be no time to reload. No time to aim.

It was Master Shizu's victory.

The moment I thought this, however, the man in black did something unthinkable.

"What?!"

It was no shock Master Shizu was yelling as well. The man in black had thrown away his persuader immediately after firing.

It seemed he had planned to do so from the start. The man in black tossed away the persuader as one would swing a spear. What kind of idiot would throw away a persuader in a fight, I wondered, but this man in front of us was one such person.

"Damn!"

Master Shizu drew to parry this unexpected attack. It was somewhat difficult for him to toss aside the heavy persuader whilst approaching.

And in this moment of delay, the man in black drew a hand persuader.

He was unbelievably quick. The man in black aimed at Master Shizu from a low angle immediately upon drawing.

"Hm!"

Master Shizu came to a stop. He took a step back and went into a defensive stance. He could not close the distance at this point. The persuader Master Shizu had knocked away finally fell onto to the steel plates in the distance, and a powerful metallic sound rang out.

"Phew… That was a surprise."

Master Shizu spoke with his katana raised, still at a deadlock with the man in black, who had his gun trained on Master Shizu.

"I was surprised as well."

The man in black spoke, and cast off the veil over his face with his left hand.

"Wha-"

"What?!"

Master Shizu and I could not hide our shock.

"…"

Ti silently watched our surprise with a curious look.

The person in front of us was a familiar face.

"You're… Kino!"

[[File:Kino no Tabi v8 181.png|thumb]]

Master Shizu called out her name. She was the final opponent Master Shizu had faced at the coliseum back in his homeland. And Master Shizu had lost to her.

Kino took off her hat and veil with her left hand and dropped them on the metal floor. Her short, slightly messy black hair was exposed to the wind.

"I was grateful for the clothes they lent me, but wearing this makes it a bit difficult to fight."

"What are you…"

Master Shizu stopped mid-sentence. He had figured out the answer.

There was a traveller who entered this country for the crossing five days ago. That traveller must have been Kino. In other words, Kino was here at the request of the People of the Tower.

"This… is some reunion."

Master Shizu relaxed the grip on his katana and smiled at Kino.

"Yes. It is. Um… I'm glad to see you're well." Kino replied stoically.

"Thanks. Same for you."

"Thank you."

After the greetings, Kino asked a question.

"So… what was your name again?"

"…"

Although I couldn't tell if she was being serious or if this was some sort of psychological attack, Master Shizu seemed to be quite disheartened from the slightly disappointed tone of his voice.

"Shizu…"

"Oh, that's right. And the one behind you is Riku. I remember."

"…"

That was quite cruel. Master Shizu must have been hurt even more.

"In any case, I'm working for the rulers of this land until we reach the western continent in exchange for being allowed to stay here. I don't really want to do this, but I have to live too. Would you please go back?"

Kino got straight to the heart of the matter.

"I refuse."

"You're not a citizen of this country. I don't understand why you're doing something for a stranger's land without even being asked to."

Kino declared calmly. It was certainly like her to coldly point out the logic of the situation. Normally, of course, she would be right. A traveller must worry only for his own safety. He has no obligation to concern himself with the matters of other countries or people. To risk his life for them would be insanity.

However, Master Shizu's answer was immediate.

"It's because I realized something. If I can do something to give all these people a 'future'…"

"…"

I felt like I could hear Master Shizu tighten his grip on his sword.

"I feel like I just have to try, you know?"

I could not see Master Shizu's face, but I'm sure he must be laughing from his heart.

"I see… Then it can't be helped. I will do my job."

Kino tensed.

"Round two, then?"

I could see Master Shizu tense as well.

Although Kino's revolver was at waist-level and aimed at Master Shizu, it would be possible for Master Shizu to deflect it.

I thought for a moment that we would be at a deadlock once again, but Kino surprised us yet another time. She aimed her revolver at myself and Ti.

"No!"

Master Shizu hurriedly drew. Kino pulled the trigger.

There was a loud noise and white smoke. Her right arm recoiled upwards.

And the bullet…

"…"

The bullet passed over the head of Ti, who had not moved an inch. In fact, it passed very high above her head. It had probably hit an iron wall eventually, but we could hear nothing. So this was what she was after.

Though Master Shizu had only been shocked for a moment, the second he turned back towards Kino--

"What?"

He saw Kino sprinting away like no tomorrow. She ran for the entrance at top speed and disappeared into the tower.

It would be extremely difficult to dodge rounds flying from a covered tower. Master Shizu quickly moved away from the entrance and dashed towards the tower, sticking close to the right of the wide-open door.

"Hmph. Not bad." Master Shizu spoke in an amused tone.

"…"

Suddenly, Ti got up without a word and ran towards Master Shizu before I could stop her. I quickly followed after her. Although we did not have to worry about being sniped by Kino for now, we were not completely safe.

I finally caught up to Ti right beside the tower entrance. Ti was standing on the left side, opposite Master Shizu. I stood at her feet.

"It'll be over soon." Master Shizu assured Ti as she watched on with a worried look. He sheathed his katana and took out a 'spray can' from the pouch on his belt. He took hold of the lever and pulled the pin with his teeth.

"Cover your ears, Ti."

"…"

Once he confirmed that Ti had done as she was told, Master Shizu yelled loudly into the entrance.

"Give up, Kino! I'll spare you!"

I'd heard these words before. Of course, there was no way she would surrender.

"I refuse!"

Kino's voice loudly echoed out from the hallway.

"Of course." Master Shizu responded, and tossed the spray can. The lever at the side of the can fell off in midair.

The object rolled, disappearing into the hallway. Then it exploded.

A sonic wave came over us, and a brilliant flash of light erupted. The hall filled with light, and we could see a long, thin sliver of the inside of the door.

Master Shizu had just thrown a special weapon called a flashbang, also known as a stun grenade.

A flashbang ignites and and explodes four seconds after the pin is pulled and the lever falls away. It works the same way as a normal grenade, but instead of the lethal blast of energy and shrapnel, it creates a bright flash of light and a loud blast. As I could not cover my ears, the noise hit me very hard. My head was spinning.

And if I felt this much shock from outside the hallway, Kino must have been incapacitated. If she was unconscious, it would be Master Shizu's victory.

Once the faint smoke had cleared, Master Shizu drew and tentatively stepped in. He moved forward with the sword in front of him so he could deflect and bullets that came his way. I did everything I could to stop Ti from poking her head in to see.

"What happened…?" Master Shizu mumbled in confusion.

"She's not here…" he responded before I could even ask. I looked into the tower. Ti looked around as well.

Master Shizu was the only one in the dark hallway. Kino was nowhere to be found. At the end of the 20-metre long hallway was the door to the elevator hall. It was firmly shut.

It was possible that Kino had disappeared behind the door, but it was difficult to imagine that he voice could have been heard from behind such a thick door. There was nowhere to run in the hallway.

Master Shizu had walked about half the span of the hallway when Ti suddenly stepped on my paw.

"Ouch!"

"…"

I ended up exclaiming without even thinking. Master Shizu turned around.

"…"

Master Shizu and I both looked at Ti, who pointed at the side of the hallway.

Master Shizu ran over and looked at where she was pointing, then spoke.

"Thank you. Stand back."

It was not a surprise to see that she had been the one to point this out. Ti was gesturing towards a large hole that seemed to be some sort of ventilation or sewage shaft and a lattice covering. The covering was not fixed to the opening.

Master Shizu gingerly removed the cover and entered the shaft, sliding down. The sound of his sliding eventually stopped.

"Hah!"

Immediately afterwards, we heard Master Shizu's cry, the sound of some metal structure breaking, and the sound of something collapsing. It seemed he was battling Kino, who had escaped downstairs.

We could not hear any persuaders being fired. The sounds of battle ceased after several seconds. I looked into the shaft. And just as I wondered if I should follow Master Shizu down--

"…"

"Whoa!"

Ti pushed me in from behind. I fell straight in and slid at an odd position, landing head-first at the foot of the stairs. It hurt very much.

I saw Master Shizu's back the moment I fell, but he was quickly obscured by Ti's leg. She had followed me down. I counted myself lucky that my nose had not been stepped on.

"She got away." Master Shizu told us with a slightly cheerful look.

When I got up, I could see that this was a large hallway. Under our feet was a surface of metal. To our sides were many pipes running along the walls, and there were lattice-shaped metal plates lined up on the ceiling. There were light-emitting diodes on the walls that made this space brighter than the hallway.

Master Shizu had his sword trained on a three-way intersection.

"In any case, she got to take a nice bath." Master Shizu explained.

There was a puddle on the floor, and a water tank that should have been on the ceiling was rolling at our feet, having been split open the long way. Master Shizu had cut it open and kicked it at her. The trail of water droplets headed right. It was easy to tell where Kino had gone.

Master Shizu slowly began moving. I followed him at a slight distance, and Ti followed after me.

Very carefully, Master Shizu turned the corner. Kino was not there. There was yet another three-way intersection ahead. Master Shizu followed the trail. The water drops continued on.

After more walking, we came across another intersection. This time it was a four-way crossing. The water droplets headed left. Master Shizu, suspecting a trap, checked the right before heading left.

"Stay here." Master Shizu whispered as soon as he turned the corner. Ti and I stopped in our tracks.

Plop.

We could hear water falling. Twice, and a third time.

About five metres ahead of Master Shizu, water was falling from the lattice-shaped ceiling panels and creating a puddle on the floor. Ten metres ahead of him was another four-way intersection. There was no water there.

Master Shizu prepared to cut as he silently walked forward, step by step.

The moment before the puddle was within reach of Master Shizu, the ceiling tiles opened with a clunk. The tiles flew into the air and a black shape fell from the opening.

"Hah!"

Master Shizu cut the shape as it fell. He knew it was not Kino--it was probably a trap she set with some ropes.

And as we expected, the object that had fallen was a wet black coat. After being hit with Master Shizu's katana, it hit the wall with a squelch. Having deduced that Kino could snipe him from the intersection, Master Shizu quickly turned around.

At that very moment, another shadow fell from above--and right in front of Master Shizu. Was it Kino?

"Hah!"

Master Shizu knocked away the object with the blunt side of the sword.

With a sharp noise, the object--the half-empty water tank--hit the wall and fell to the ground with a crash. It was another trick.

I could hear footsteps on the left path of the intersection mixed in with the crash. There was no mistaking it.

Master Shizu began to run as well. It seemed he was planning to close the distance at once to take on Kino. He ran under the opening, and--

Kino appeared from the ceiling. She came down head-first with her knees hanging on to the opening. She was wearing the same black jacket as before. In her hand was a revolver. Her short hair was hanging upside-down.

The revolver was pointed directly at Master Shizu's back. Kino was here all along--the noise from the hallway had been the real trick.

"Damn…!"

By the time Master Shizu noticed Kino from behind him and turned, he must have seen the .44 caliber gun staring down at him, and Kino's upside-down face behind it.

A heavy gunshot echoed through the hallway.

Master Shizu had lost again. He fell back, having been hit by the shot.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

"…"

The first thing Master Shizu saw upon awakening was Ti's face, her green eyes staring down at him in silence.

It only took five seconds for Master Shizu to get shot and lose consciousness. Kino skillfully got to the ground on one arm from her position on the ceiling. She picked up Master Shizu's sword and stood it against the wall.

On Master Shizu's forehead was the mark of having been shot at point-blank range. A huge black bruise. I suspect it will become a swollen bump.

Ti was holding the bullet that had shot Master Shizu.

"What? Am I alive?" Master Shizu asked as he sat up. Ti quickly stepped away.

"They told me that I couldn't lower the population…" Kino explained. Ti showed Master Shizu the object she was holding. It was a hard piece of .44 caliber rubber. A nonlethal rubber bullet. This was why we did not hear anything when she shot at us earlier. Kino explained that she significantly had decreased the amount of liquid fuel.

"They told me to use those."

"… So I lose again…" Master Shizu mumbled angrily, and looked at Ti, who was standing in front of him.

Although he didn't die--or rather, because he didn't die--Master Shizu knew he had to admit defeat. and this meant leaving the people of this country, including Ti, to their inhuman living conditions and inevitable doom.

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you to stay quiet for a few more days." Kino uttered. She had already holstered her persuader. Of course, she would draw it in a moment's notice should something happen.

Although I was curious to see what Master Shizu would do next, I was interrupted by the voice of a man in black, which came over a speaker.

[Kino, can you hear us?]

"Yes, I can hear you. I've finished my job. And as I requested--"

[Kino, can you hear us? Are you safe?]

"I can hear you." Kino answered loudly, but the man in black continued to search for Kino.

[If you can hear us, please answer!]

It seemed that it was the man in black who could not hear anything.

"They should be able to hear my voice as long as we're in the tower." Kino mumbled incredulously. And at that exact moment--

[Hm. Traveller Shizu. We cannot allow thee to do as thou dost please.]

It was the voice of the Captain. He seemed to be quite upset. And he was under the completely wrong impression.

[This land shall now make its way back to the sea.]

"What? Wait!" Kino yelled, but her voice did not reach the Captain. We could hear something moving beneath our feet, and we felt vibrations running through the land. It was the sound of a propulsion system. It was a kind of shaking completely different from yesterday's.

"It can't be… they're moving the country?" Master Shizu asked.

"…"

Ti nodded.

"Wait! Then what happens to me?"

[This country shall never see land again. Live with the people until thy death, Traveller Shizu.]

We received an answer, although they probably did not hear Kino's question.

The country continued to shake. We could hear the propulsion systems running continuously. We could also hear the sound of screaming metal multiple times. It was obvious that this land was being pushed very hard for this movement.

"Well, then…" Master Shizu began as he got to his feet. There was a huge black bruise on his forehead.

Master Shizu was talking to Kino. He had a look of great joy on his face.

"I'm going to go up to the tower and take over the control room. Then I'll steer this country to land. I'll muscle my way through if necessary. Do you want to come along?"

"But I won…"

Kino returned the sword to its owner with a sore look.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

"What?! You wretches, how did you-- Ugh!"

The man in black was hit by the blunt side of Master Shizu's sword before he could finish.

The only way up the tower other than the elevator was a long spiral staircase. Master Shizu led the way, followed by Kino, myself, and Ti.

Master Shizu mercilessly tossed aside the men in black who stood in our way.

"You would try to overthrow--Ahh!"

Although she didn't seem too enthusiastic, Kino shot rubber bullets into the heads of men in black who would suddenly pop out of doors on the sides.

And as we made our way up--

"Take the door on your side. I need to get something."

Master Shizu complied with Kino's request and opened the heavy door at the side of the stairs. Two people attacked us with knives as soon as it opened, but Master Shizu took care of them with the blunt side of the sword and the scabbard.

"This is…"

Master Shizu mumbled, astonished. Stacked inside the room were countless wooden crates. The crates were filled with things like ammunition and explosives. It was a weapon storage facility.

"Let's take a few things. They have some of those loud grenades, too." Kino started as she opened one of the crates. She took out a flashbang and tossed it to Master Shizu.

"…"

Ti was behind me at the time. It was for a very short moment, but I did not see what she was doing.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

We glanced at the fallen men in black as we resumed the climb upwards.

There were not many of them. The rest of the people in black were in the control room on the top floor.

We defeated the guards at the entrance and opened the door. The people in black were weak. This might have been because Master Shizu had just fought against Kino, but these people could not even put up a proper fight before they fell one by one. We entered the control room after tossing in a pair of flashbangs. Several people were lying on the floor.

The control room looked like the bridge of a ship. We could see very far through the windows. Lights on the machinery glowed faintly.

Outside we could see the faint outline of land. It must be the western continent we were headed for.

Master Shizu was off to the side as he searched the machines. He soon found a blinking monitor. The powerful technology that created this country was still intact.

Perhaps he had found out a method of operation. Master Shizu reached out to the monitor. Soon, the entire country tilted to the side as if it had come to a sudden stop. We felt the listing even more because we were high up in the tower.

"Have you figured it out?" Kino asked worriedly, holding the revolver at waist-level and ready to fire. Soon, the western continent became bigger and bigger. Master Shizu simply responded that all he had to do was input the command to the monitor.

Suddenly, the control room door opened and the Captain appeared. Kino quickly aimed for him. The Captain was being supported on either side by people in black who seemed to be female. They were all unarmed.

Master Shizu looked at them.

"…"

Ti also stared at them.

"What will you do, traveller?"

Master Shizu answered honestly. He told them that he would drag the ship onto land so it would not sink. And that he would suggest to the people that they settle on land.

"What will you gain from all of this?"

"I could at least save the people from these horrid living conditions. At this rate, they will all die."

"You intend to become their king?"

This question could even have come across as an insult to Master Shizu.

"If necessary."

Master Shizu answered tersely yet with resolution. I could see Kino shrug, slightly skeptical.

"It is decided. You are the next one. Live together."

With these incomprehensible words, the Captain crumpled to the ground.

"What?"

Suddenly, the women supporting him also fell to the floor as if having lost consciousness.

"This is strange…"

Kino warily approached them, but they did not even twitch.

"…"

As Master Shizu, Ti, and I watched, Kino kneeled beside the Captain and slowly took the hat off his face.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

The people in black were not human.

Where the Captain's head should have been was a wad of cotton shaped to look like a human head. In other words, he was a cotton doll. There were no expressions. It was just flat, dirty cotton.

Kino pulled back the sleeve of the 'Captain'. The arm was also cotton wrapped around a core. It was the same with the two people beside him.

"…"

"What's going on…?"

Kino fell silent, and Master Shizu mumbled. Of course, no one could answer.

Soon, Kino put the hats and veils back on their heads.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

As we got closer and closer to land, we could get a clear view of the coastline.

Kino looked through a huge pair of binoculars in the control room and told us that the shoreline was rocky, but that there was a large sandy beach a little further to the south.

Master Shizu confirmed this. It was a sandy inlet that was longer than the country was wide. It was the perfect place to beach the ship.

As Master Shizu focused on the controls, Kino spoke to him from behind.

"In any case, I'm counting on you. And I'd like to ask that you turn the southern loading bay entrance towards the beach. That will make things easier for both you and I."

"Understood."

Master Shizu responded, and tapped on the machine. The 'Ship Country slowly but surely spun as it made its way to the beach. We heard the screaming of metal again several times, but it was no longer anything to worry about.

"I'll be making preparations to leave this country now." Kino said, and left the control room.

Master Shizu watched everything until the end. The Ship Country approached the beach without a hitch. And as if the country was equipped with this feature from the start, it slowly braked as it beached itself and stopped.

It was just about noon. The sun shone between the clouds and brought light to a black country that was born onto the beach.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Master Shizu activated the ship's speaker system.

He announced to the people that the country had arrived on land, and that they should go outside to see for themselves. He played with the control system, and very slowly, the gate on the beach side opened.

Although there was no reaction to tell us that anyone had heard the announcement, Master Shizu exited the control room.

He went down to the first floor and ran across the deck. We could see the gates, nearly fully open. We kept running, but Ti followed us without a word.

When we arrived at the residential area, there was a huge commotion. The people spotted Master Shizu and asked him if the announcement just now was real.

"Go and see for yourselves." Master Shizu responded.

Everyone crowded their way up to the deck.

Master Shizu went to his room and retrieved his bag, and passed the empty residential area as he headed for the buggy. He told Ti that she didn't have to follow along, but she came with us anyway.

We passed the lifeless forms of the people in black and entered the storage area. The buggy was still parked there, looking just as it did when we first arrived. Master Shizu reconnected the battery and started the engine.

Just as Kino intended, the dredged dock floor was connected directly to the beach.

We could see fresh tire tracks from a motorrad. It was probably from that ___ing motorrad.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Master Shizu drove the buggy onto the beach. As Ti was sitting in the passenger seat, I had to curl up at her feet. I ended up getting kicked a few times as the buggy shook.

On the wide, bright sands was a huge, black tower that seemed to divide the sea and the land. It was difficult to tell if we were inside or outside the walls.

Many people were outside. Several hundred or more. It was definitely more than one tribe.

They looked on at the beach and the endless plains to the west with looks of confusion. It seemed most of them had never seen land before. Some people were touching the sand in surprise, and others tried lying down on it.

Kino stood about two hundred metres away, looking in our direction. She was at the point where the beach met the plain. Beside her was the fully packed and loaded motorrad. There was a powerful-looking rifle hanging on her back. Was it just a precautionary measure? She was a very careful person.

Master Shizu parked the buggy in front of the people. We could see old people, including the Elder of the tribe we lived with, surrounded by younger people. There were four of them altogether--they were probably the Elders of each tribe.

Of course, people began swarming towards Master Shizu. The buggy was soon completely surrounded. We were bombarded with questions from all directions.

Master Shizu stood from his seat and began speaking, every pair of eyes locked on him. He told them that he could not sit back and watch the tyrannical rule of the People of the Tower--that he tried to talk with them, and that he had defeated them.

"They all escaped to another country on another ship. They are no longer in this land. I entered the control room and set this country here on this continent."

Shock and confusion spread through the crowds like a huge wave. It was a natural reaction. After all, their oppressive rulers had just been overthrown.

"You no longer have to live according to the rule of the People of the Tower. You can all live on this land now. You can use the country for shelter temporarily, until you can transplant the country's technology onto land and build walls for defence. You can set ships onto the sea from land to catch fish. You can start a new life now."

The people just watched Master Shizu in awe.

There were several seconds--no, minutes--of silence. No one spoke. Even the waves were rendered silent by the sheer size of the country. All of the adults of the tribes looked astonished. I could practically hear the confusion going through their minds.

The moment I thought that they might need some time to comprehend everything, a child standing behind the buggy spoke to his mother beside him.

"I wanna go back…"

It was a tiny voice, but it carried very well through the silent crowd.

"Let's go back. Let's go."

The child begged again. The mother kneeled beside her son and asked him a question.

"Why do you say that? We could start living here from now on. Why do you want to go back?"

It almost sounded like she was asking these questions to her own confused self. The child's answer was resolute.

"The ground's not shaking at all. The floor's soft. There's no walls or roofs. I don't like it."

It was a strange thing to say, but these words brought to the people a wave of love for their homeland. It became a great current that spread through the people, different from what Master Shizu had caused earlier.

They soon reached a conclusion.

"Yeah. Let's go back."

People began saying. These words gradually increased in volume. We could hear things like, "I don't like it here", "It feels weird", "We like the way we used to live", "We can't catch fish here", and "We're going to get rained on".

"There will be no future for you if you go back." Master Shizu announced clearly. "It may take several years, or maybe even decades. It might even be now. This country will sink. And everyone will die. There is no future for you unless you start over on land."

The Elder who had allowed us residence talked back to Master Shizu.

"That's impossible! Our country has always been perfectly fine. It will not sink! Don't try to feed us your lies!"

The Elder's unfounded declaration seemed to have gained more acceptance than Master Shizu's factual information. Everyone began to express their agreement.

And the Elder then drove in the final nail on this coffin.

"In any case, travellers like you are wanderers who have lost their homelands. How would someone like you know about the love people have for their own countries?!"

The Elder wasn't wrong. Master Shizu was indeed a wanderer, and most people greatly valued their homelands. In a certain sense, a place to call home could be everything to someone.

Master Shizu had two choices.

The first would be to 'persuade' these people as he had done with the People of the Tower. It would be difficult, but not impossible.

The other…

"I see. Then I have nothing more to say."

The other choice was to accept that his actions did not lead to his desired conclusion. Master Shizu chose the latter.

Although I could not see his face, Master Shizu could not hide his sadness.

But from what I could see, Master Shizu had given them the choice to decide their own futures. This was their decision to make. It was not Master Shizu's business whether they all drowned or not.

"Wait. If the People of the Tower are gone…" One person mumbled in realization. "Shouldn't our tribe be the ones who get to control this country rom now on?"

There was a murmur or approval from his fellow tribesmen, and dissent from the other tribes. Soon, an argument broke out.

"There's no use arguing about this here! All we have to do is take over the tower first!" One person yelled, and ran back into the country. The men of the other tribes took off after him. They began to push each other aside and stampede along.

The women and children soon went back to the country. They showed no regret for this land that could have been their new home. People disappeared into the gap in the black wall like a flood. There was nothing left around the buggy but footprints.

I could not see what kind of face Master Shizu was making as he watched all this. I did not need to.

"…"

Ti said nothing. She had been sitting in the passenger seat of the buggy this entire time.

As he watched the people leave, he spoke to Ti in a soft voice.

"I've failed. Go back to your country, Ti."

"…"

Ti said nothing.

As I expected that Ti would go back through the gates, I did not pay her much attention. I just sat back and watched everyone disappear into the country.

Master Shizu got off the buggy and onto the empty beach, leaving his footprints in the sand.

"…"

Ti also got off the buggy and followed his footsteps, coming to a stop beside Master Shizu. I expected that she would say goodbye and return to her homeland.

But Ti did not go back. She still stood on the beach, a slight distance from the Buggy. She stayed beside Master Shizu.

I realized that the large pocket on Ti's back was bulging. I did not recall it being in such a state when we first entered the tower.

"What is it, Ti? If you don't go now, they might end up leaving you behind."

"…"

Ti took out a metal container from the pocket on her back. It was a cylindrical case. It looked like a baton used by security guards, but there was something protruding from the centre.

It was not a grenade or a baton, but a sheathed knife. It was a black knife with a cylindrical handle and sheath. Ti quickly unsheathed it and made to attack Master Shizu's side.

Master Shizu would not be so easily overtaken by an enemy he was facing down, but this was a completely different situation. Ti's knife stabbed into Master Shizu's flesh.

"Hah!"

Master Shizu still managed to move away. The tip of the blade sliced through Master Shizu's parka, shirt, and skin. Fresh red blood sprayed onto the sand.

It looked very painful, but I could tell it was not a critical injury. That was why I did not loudly call out Master Shizu's name or anything of the sort. I remained quiet so as to not distract him.

Master Shizu stepped back. He backed in towards land, about five metres between himself and Ti. She still held the knife in her hands, but Master Shizu did not draw.

They were facing each other down on the right side of the buggy.

"…"

Master Shizu looked at Ti, who silently pointed her knife at him. He reached his right hand to his side and looked at the blood on the back of his hand.

"I'm sorry for making you angry, Ti." he told her in a completely unchanged tone. I wondered if he was misunderstanding things, but I said nothing.

We could hear a dull metal sound in the distance, and the loud roar of an engine.

The metal sound had come from the hole in the wall. The gate that had been raised was slowly coming down, leaving Ti behind. It seemed that the people of that country did not care what happened to her.

The sound of the engine was Kino riding up to the buggy on her motorrad. She parked the motorrad beside the buggy, still with the rifle slung over her shoulder.

Master Shizu turned to his right and looked at Kino and myself.

"Don't get involved. Let me talk this out with her."

Although the wound was not deep, Master Shizu's side continued to bleed. However, I did not leave the buggy despite my concerns.

Master Shizu then went back to facing Ti head-on. He could probably see the tall black walls behind her, and the gates slowly closing.

"If you don't go now, you won't be able to get back in, Ti." Master Shizu told her.

"…"

Ti did not answer. She did not even try to go back.

Neither Master Shizu nor I could understand what she was thinking.

"So that girl's 'Tifana'? I get it!"

The scrapheap of a motorrad in Kino's possession spoke up. Normally I would have quipped, 'Keep your mouth shut. Oh wait, motorrads don't have mouths anyway', but now was not the time.

How did he know Ti's name? He must have been locked in the storehouse until just now. Not even Kino should know her name.

Master Shizu was also surprised. He looked over at us.

"The thing is…"

The motorrad began. It seemed he was going to explain without us even having to ask.

"I was really bored when I was sitting there in the storehouse, so I talked to the guys in black who were patrolling around. Since they weren't human, either, they told me a lot of stuff. They told me who they were, and about that girl."

"What did they say?" Kino asked, mildly surprised. I wasn't too happy that the scrapheap of a motorrad was the one who was attracting all the attention and telling us everything, but all we could do at this point was hear him out.

"I promised them I wouldn't tell Kino until we were out of the country. I was planning to talk about it to pass the time when we were travelling on the continent, but I guess I can say it now. The guys in black are gone, anyway."

Hurry up and get to the point, you piece of junk.

"'Tifana' is the name of a drifting ship that arrived at that country."

"A drifting ship?" Kino asked.

"That's right. About six hundred years ago, a lost ship arrived at an abandoned floating city. That ship was the Tifana. It was some kind of a pilgrimage or migration vessel, but the ship was carrying hundreds and hundreds of kids under three years of age. Anyone who was older apparently died of some new plague."

The motorrad peacefully recited the story on the beach. The gates were slowly closing.

"That ship had an auto-pilot system. It had a certain level of artificial intelligence. But since all the adults died, there was no one around to give it orders. The machine didn't know what to do, so it just kept the ship wandering around the sea, keeping the kids well-fed."

"So the people now are the descendants of those children…" said Master Shizu.

"Yeah, and the machine was the people in black."

"What do you mean, Hermes?"

"The machine decided to have the children live in that country. After all, they had a better chance of survival there than on the Tifana. It then moved its main controls to the tower. There was still energy left in the power supply, and there were still some salvageable things even though the city was abandoned. You know how the people in black were all dolls? They said that they made it that way because the children needed human-shaped caretakers. The machine raised the kids for a while. Soon the kids grew up enough to work for themselves. But there was a problem."

"There was no one to lead and control them." said Master Shizu, looking forward. Even if the children had grown, they were still children. They would live lawlessly, create disputes, and eventually fall into chaos. The motorrad continued happily.

"That's a prince for you."

Anyway, keep talking.

"So the machine thought about it, and decided to create a "Powerful Entity" to keep everyone alive. That was the ruling class. One day, they created the people in black and claimed that they were the people who had been living there since ancient times. That was when they just came up with the black clothes. In any case, the rulers made the kids find food. They had them fix up old machinery and use them in trades in order to help them get a hold of things they needed for survival. So the children matured and lived on as the people. Since there wasn't much else to do, there was a population explosion. The people who split off in disputes created their own tribes, but there wasn't any bloodshed until now. This was the history of the Ship Country."

After this innocent history lesson--

"Why didn't the people in black just beach this land earlier?"

Kino asked a simple yet obvious question. The motorrad answered.

"I asked about it too. They thought about settling the country on land, but they couldn't reveal the identity of the People of the Tower. And there was no guarantee that other countries would protect people who were under the rule of something inhuman. They also didn't believe that the people would be able to sustain themselves in such an unfamiliar environment, so they eventually gave up on that idea."

"So that's why he said to me, 'You are the next one'…" Master Shizu mumbled. That was definitely what the captain had said. It was not an insult--the captain was leaving the future of this country in Master Shizu's hands.

As Ti stood there with the knife, as expressionless as ever, we could see the gate. It was half-closed.

"Tell me about Ti. How do you know her name?" Master Shizu asked the motorrad. If he didn't hurry, the gate would close completely.

"All right. That girl isn't actually from this country."

"…"

Ti still had the knife pointed at Master Shizu without a word. But I could tell that she was trembling ever-so-slightly.

"That girl is the daughter of a pair of travellers who stayed on the Ship Country to cross the ocean."

"I see. So that's why she looks so different." said Kino. Ti was definitely the only person there with white hair.

"Did her parents pass away?" Master Shizu asked.

"No, she was abandoned." the motorrad answered.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

If the scrapheap of a motorrad wasn't lying (which he has no reason to), Ti had been left behind.

Her parents were a pair of wanderers who travelled through many countries. It was common for married couples to be travelling together. They had come to this country thirteen years ago for the crossing. They initially intended to disembark at the continent within days, but something about this country caught their interest and they ended up staying for over a year.

This was when Ti was born. Apparently they were both very happy at first. The people in black also did everything they could to give them support. As a side note, Ti had a different name back then.

But as they slowly grew tired of life in that country and contemplated leaving, one thing nagged at their thoughts.

'How are we supposed to travel with a baby?'

It would be indeed very difficult to wander with a baby--but not entirely impossible.

Having made their decision, they left the country and left Ti behind. They made a doll to look like a baby so they could trick the people as they departed.

The people in black later found Ti, crying alone in the storehouse. However, there was nothing they could do at this point. The travellers had already made it to land, enjoying their lives as wanderers.

After some deliberation, the people in black--the machine--decided to raise Ti themselves. They could not trust the people with her, as they greatly valued blood connections.

So they gave her a new name: Tifana. The name of the ship that started it all.

Ti was taught many things as she grew up. They told her from the beginning that she had been abandoned by her parents. They also told her that the people in black were not human.

In other words, Ti was the princess of this country. The food they received from trading was mainly used to keep Ti healthy. The machine knew that the common people's diet was extremely dangerous.

Ti was the only person who was allowed to wander the country as she pleased. The people feared her, as she could appear anywhere at any time. They even treated her as an omen of disaster or a demon. And she actually did some work spying on the people. I finally understood why Ti knew so much about the country when we were looking at the extent of the damage.

The people in black were also the ones who sent Ti to Master Shizu. This was because they had never had anyone so strange that they would willingly choose to stay with the people--Ti was our watch.

"So she was spying on you."

The motorrad told us, but I understood something else.

The people in black had decided that, if Ti took a liking to Master Shizu, she could go along with him if she wanted to.

The captain had told us this just before the end.

"Live together."

Those words had been directed towards Ti. It was the last words the machine had for their princess--to follow Master Shizu, the next king--and to live on.

The people in black were gone. There was no place for Ti in that country. She would likely die a terrible death if she could not stay with Master Shizu.

Although Master Shizu meant well, the words "go back" must have struck her like a death sentence.

The moment I was about to say this to Master Shizu, we heard a terrible noise from the closing gate. It seemed something had gotten caught between it. We could hear the sound of metal breaking.

And immediately afterwards--

"I don't have anywhere to go back to!"

It took me a while to realize that this clear, high-pitched voice belonged to Ti. Master Shizu was shocked as well. And another kind of surprise shocked him again.

"…"

Master Shizu slowly looked down from Ti, upon whom his gaze was fixed.

"Oh…"

He looked at his own stomach.

The shock was only natural. Even I was astonished. Kino tensed. I could hear the sound of foot against sand.

"Oh dear."

I could hear the motorrad speak.

There was a knife sticking out of Master Shizu's stomach. It had pierced into him quite deep.

The parka had been skewered by the knife as well, and it was stuck flat against Master Shizu's stomach. blood dripped down onto his jeans.

There was a silvery metal cylinder connected to the knife. Ti was still at a distance, still holding the hilt.

The mystery was soon solved. I saw a thick spring sticking out of the hilt Ti was holding. The knife was built so that pressing the protrusion in the middle would send the blade flying with the spring mechanism.

"Oh… Ti…"

Master Shizu coughed up blood as he slumped to the ground. His knees fell into the sand. His unfocused eyes looked at Ti, then the sky, and finally, to the side. Master Shizu fell onto the beach with his back to me.

In the short amount of time that Master Shizu took to fall, Ti abandoned her bladeless knife and took out an identical weapon from her pocket. She was still as stoic as ever.

"Which one?" Kino asked, before I could even talk or think. In her right hand was a large-caliber revolver.

"That wound looks pretty bad."

She didn't have to point it out. Without immediate treatment, Master Shizu would die--of blood loss or otherwise.

Kino asked me to choose. She wanted me to choose which one would die.

If I chose to save Master Shizu, the .44 caliber round would blow away half of Ti's face. If I did not make a choice, Master Shizu would die on the beach with blood spilling from his stomach.

Kino had no obligation to save either Master Shizu or Ti. It wouldn't matter to her to kill either--or both. All she would have to do is leave me here with a buggy I can't drive and continue on her own journey with the motorrad.

But from her question, it became clear that she wanted me to make a decision.

The answer was ridiculously simple.

I took a breath, ready to utter my answer at Kino.

"Neither one!"

That was not my answer.

"Neither one!"

It was Master Shizu. Kino looked at him, slightly surprised.

Master Shizu slowly lifted himself off the sand, still kneeling and his hands supporting his body. Blood continued to flow from his stomach, the knife still lodged deep.

"Neither one. So don't get involved."

Master Shizu looked up and lightly smiled at Kino and myself. His mouth was stained red.

"Ti."

Master Shizu began, looking back at her. Ti suddenly trembled, still holding the second knife. This was the first time I saw Ti's expression change since she first ate the portable rations.

"…"

Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was breathing without a sound. It was the face of a human facing unimaginable terror. The tip of the knife was shaking ever-so-slightly.

"Don't be scared… I'm sorry."

Master Shizu spoke, as he began walking. He approached Ti step by step, walking across the beach. I could only see his face in profile.

We heard a heavy sound, like the ringing of a bell. It was the gate firmly closing shut.

Master Shizu took another step towards Ti and spoke.

"I understand now… I'm sorry. I didn't know, but it still must have been cruel for you to hear…"

Master Shizu coughed. A great deal of blood escaped his mouth and fell to the sand.

But he continued walking towards the knife like a ghost.

"You can't go back to that country now… I guess it can't be helped… It's all my fault. But…"

"…"

Ti silently looked up at Master Shizu. He was right in front of her. She didn't even need the spring contraption. All Ti had to do was move her thin arms forward, and the knife would pierce Master Shizu.

"But… I won't leave you behind… Let's live on… and rely on each other…"

Ti was the only one who could see what kind of a face Master Shizu made as he said these words.

The white-haired girl looked straight into the eyes of the man in front of her and spoke quietly without expression.

"Th… Thank you…"

"There's no need. But you're welcome."

Master Shizu replied cheerfully, and quietly fell to his knees. He then took Ti and the knife in an embrace.

Ti reached her arms towards Master Shizu's neck. The knife fell from her hands and pierced the sand with a quiet sound. Two stick-thin arms cradled Master Shizu's head.

With eyes closed, Ti's small face buried itself next to Master Shizu's. A head of black and a head of white placed next to each other. The ground suddenly shook, and we heard the sound of an engine.

Behind them we could see the black walls slowly getting lower and lower. The Ship Country had begun departing, leaving Ti behind. The walls grew distant at a strangely quick pace.

As Ti held her face close to his, not even looking back, Master Shizu began speaking.

"Looks like it's goodbye to that country… for both you and me…"

Ti nodded her head, still locked in embrace.

"But now you and I…"

"…"

Ti looked up at the western skies and quietly waited for him to continue.

"Now… we can…"

Master Shizu's voice trailed off.

"Oh…!"

Ti screamed softly.

Master Shizu soundlessly fell backwards. Ti fell forward with him, unable to support his weight. Master Shizu's face was pale. The crimson blood at his lips stood out even more. His breathing was extremely shallow. He was still alive, but only just barely.

And…

"No! No! Don't leave me! Please don't leave me here! No!"

Ti screamed over and over again. There was no change in her expression, but she kept shaking her head in denial. Over and over again.

Master Shizu did not respond.

"…"

Suddenly, Ti stopped and looked down at the still Master Shizu.

[[File:Kino no Tabi v8 223.png|thumb]]

The next moment, her hand reached for Master Shizu's right side. I could not tell what she was planning.

"This isn't good."

When she raised her hand again, her right hand was gripping a round metal object.

Once this grenade, adorned with a safety pin and lever, exploded, it would half-destroy both Ti and Master Shizu. It seemed like she had taken it from his pocket just now.

"She's planning to die together."

The motorrad explained, and we heard the sound of something clicking. Kino had aimed her revolver and raised the hammer.

If she were to shoot Ti in the head and kill her instantly, the grenade would not go off. It would instead just create one little corpse beside Master Shizu. Ti's left hand headed for the safety pin.

Kino held her breath, prepared to fire. And just as I heard her last breath--

"No!" Master Shizu yelled, still on the ground.

I could not tell at that moment if his words were directed towards Ti or Kino.

At the same time, Ti removed the safety pin. The lever popped out of the handle.

There were four seconds left.

Kino pulled the trigger.

A long and terrifying gunshot rang out across the beach.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

The bullet flew at the speed of sound. It took less than a tenth of a second.

The bullet that had flown straight at Ti hit its mark--the base of the grenade in her right hand.

Before Ti could even react, the grenade was knocked out of her hand. It flew towards the deserted waterside.

It exploded, creating a small pit in the sand.

The gigantic 'Ship Country' was disappearing into the distance. A wave approached the beach.

The wave washed over the little pit in the sand. When it withdrew, the pit had already gone.

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Kino no Tabi:Volume8 Epilogue

2013-01-09T08:30:47Z

NeoZodiac: .

Kino no Tabi:Volume8 Epilogue

2013-01-09T08:30:11Z

NeoZodiac: .

Kino no Tabi:Volume8 Prologue

2013-01-09T08:22:02Z

NeoZodiac: .

== Prologue: The Beginning and End of a Journey at the Seaside ~On the Beach - b~ ==
[[File:Kino no Tabi v8 013.png|thumb]]

"Kino… are you leaving now?"

"Yes. Sorry for waking you. You can go back to sleep. I was planning to leave quietly."

"Like a fly-by-night, right?"

"Haha… the sound of Hermes' engine would have woken me anyway."

"Maybe. Kino's plans are always so musty."

"You mean, 'Messy'?"

"Yeah, that."

"I've written down a list of necessary provisions. You can use anything I'm leaving behind. I can't carry them, after all. I've also taken about a third of your valuables."

"I see. That sounds fair. Could I just ask you one more thing?"

"What is it?

"I feel a bit bad for interrogating you like this, after all the help and support you've given me, but… Don't you ever think about settling in one place to live, Kino? Don't you want a safe, secure life where you're surrounded by loved ones, never having to worry about where to rest at night?"

"I don't know. At the moment… well, I don't think I'll ever think about it."

"That's completely fine with me. After all, it's a motorrad's jay to be able to always be on the move."

"'Joy', right?"

"Yeah, that."

"… Isn't it… painful?"

"It's not all fun."

"…"

"But it's not all pain."

"I see. I guess everyone has their own perspective on things."

"That's right."

"I'll see you off over there."

"Don't worry about it. Just stay here."

"All right… Then this is goodbye. Do you have anything to say before you leave…? I guess not."

"Goodbye, everyone."

"Bye. Stay sharp, you stupid dog."

"Thanks for everything."

"Pardon?"

"I don't think I've properly shown you my gratitude. Thank you."

"You're welcome. A lot happened, but we can still keep travelling…"

"So all's good that ends good."

"Right. … 'All's well that ends well'?"

"Yeah, that."

"I see… Then I suppose this is goodbye, for now. I hope we meet again somewhere down the line."

"I'll see you later, then. But…"

"'But'?"

"No, never mind. I'm sure I'll end up visiting your new homeland during my travels."

"…And I hope I'll be there for good once that time comes. And I'll welcome you with open arms."

"Thank you."

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

"It's so nice to be able to ride again."

"Yeah. By the way, Kino?"

"Yeah?"

"You ended up not really saying anything, but if you run into him again…"

"Yeah, he…"

"He might be shocked half to death."

<nowiki>-----</nowiki>

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?

2012-10-06T03:06:12Z

NeoZodiac:

[[Image:Kore wa Zombie desu ka? vol 1 cover.jpg|thumb|Volume 1 Cover]]

Kore wa Zombie desu ka? (これはゾンビですか?) is a light novel series written by Shinichi Kimura. The illustrations are done by Kobuichi and Muririn. Currently, the series has 9 volumes, an anime series and manga series.

Project hosted on [http://korezombiethetranslation.wordpress.com/ NanoDesu's website].
==Story Synopsis==
Ayumu Aikawa is a zombie resurrected by a necromancer named Eucliwood Hellscythe after being killed by a serial killer. As he tries to make the best of his undead life, he encounters a masō-shōjo named Haruna and inadvertently takes her magic powers, being forced to become a masō-shōjo in the process. With Eucliwood, Haruna, and a vampire ninja named Seraphim living with him, Ayumu helps battle demons known as Megalos while trying to figure out the mystery behind his own death. 

== Updates ==
*2 March 2011: Kore wa Zombie desu ka? teaser project initiated.

== Translation ==

===[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Registration_Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

===[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4223 Feedback]===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4223 Feedback Thread]'''

==The 'Kore wa Zombie desu ka?' series by Shinichi Kimura==

===Volume 1 ([[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/?6p65c7i2gs09l04 PDF])===

::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Commentary|Commentary]]

===Volume 2===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 3===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 4===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 5===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 6===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 6 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 7===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 7 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 8===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 8 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 9===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 9 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor:

===Translators===

'''ACTIVE'''

'''INACTIVE'''

:*[[User:Kira0802|Kira0802]]

'''M.I.A.'''

:*[[User:Naerylan|Naerylan]]

===Editors===

:* [[User:hayate912|hayate912]]
:* [[User:Hiro Hayase|Hiro Hayase]]
:* [[User:Trololol9099|Trololol9099]]
:* [[User:Rednal|Rednal]]

==Project Status==

Project Status: '''Teaser'''

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I'm a Masō-Shōjo" / これはゾンビですか? はい、魔装少女です (Published January 20, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3370-5)

* Volume 2 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I am the Harbinger of Death" / これはゾンビですか? そう、私は死を呼ぶもの (Published May 20, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3370-5)

* Volume 3 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? No, It explodes" / これはゾンビですか? いえ、それは爆発します(Published September 20, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3442-9)

* Volume 4 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yeah, I'm the Strongest Teacher!" / これはゾンビですか? うん、先生が最強だよ!(Published January 20, 2010, ISBN 978-4-8291-3481-8)

* Volume 5 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Oh, My darling is a good-for-nothing" / これはゾンビですか? ああ、マイダーリンはロクデナシ (Published May 20, 2010, ISBN 978-4-8291-3524-2)

* Volume 6 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, Both are my wives" / これはゾンビですか? はい、どちらも嫁です (Published October 20, 2010, ISBN 978-4-8291-3574-7)

* Volume 7 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I sleep with my father" / これはゾンビですか? はーい、眠れるチチです (Published January 20, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3605-8)

* Volume 8 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I'm Sorry for Kissing" / これはゾンビですか? はい、キスしてごめんなさい (Published June 18, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3650-8)

* Volume 9 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I've come to bless(curse) you" / (これはゾンビですか? はい、祝(呪)いに来ました (Published November 19, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3701-7)

* Volume 10 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I'm Lovely and Charming / (これはゾンビですか?10 はい、ラブリーでチャーミングだけどあたしは (Published May 19, 2012, ISBN 978-4-8291-3761-1)

[[Category:Teasers]]
[[Category:Fujimi Fantasia Bunko]]

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?

2012-10-06T03:05:48Z

NeoZodiac:

[[Image:Kore wa Zombie desu ka? vol 1 cover.jpg|thumb|Volume 1 Cover]]

Kore wa Zombie desu ka? (これはゾンビですか?) is a light novel series written by Shinichi Kimura. The illustrations are done by Kobuichi and Muririn. Currently, the series has 9 volumes, an anime series and manga series.

Project hosted on [http://korezombiethetranslation.wordpress.com/ NanoDesu's website].
==Story Synopsis==
Ayumu Aikawa is a zombie resurrected by a necromancer named Eucliwood Hellscythe after being killed by a serial killer. As he tries to make the best of his undead life, he encounters a masō-shōjo named Haruna and inadvertently takes her magic powers, being forced to become a masō-shōjo in the process. With Eucliwood, Haruna, and a vampire ninja named Seraphim living with him, Ayumu helps battle demons known as Megalos while trying to figure out the mystery behind his own death. 

== Updates ==
*2 March 2011: Kore wa Zombie desu ka? teaser project initiated.

== Translation ==

===[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Registration_Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
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==The 'Kore wa Zombie desu ka?' series by Shinichi Kimura==

===Volume 1 ([[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1|Full Text]] - [[http://www.mediafire.com/?6p65c7i2gs09l04 PDF])===

::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Commentary|Commentary]]

===Volume 2===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 3===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 4===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 5===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 6===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 6 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 7===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 7 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 8===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 8 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 9===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 9 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
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===Translators===

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:*[[User:Naerylan|Naerylan]]

===Editors===

:* [[User:hayate912|hayate912]]
:* [[User:Hiro Hayase|Hiro Hayase]]
:* [[User:Trololol9099|Trololol9099]]
:* [[User:Rednal|Rednal]]

==Project Status==

Project Status: '''Teaser'''

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I'm a Masō-Shōjo" / これはゾンビですか? はい、魔装少女です (Published January 20, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3370-5)

* Volume 2 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I am the Harbinger of Death" / これはゾンビですか? そう、私は死を呼ぶもの (Published May 20, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3370-5)

* Volume 3 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? No, It explodes" / これはゾンビですか? いえ、それは爆発します(Published September 20, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3442-9)

* Volume 4 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yeah, I'm the Strongest Teacher!" / これはゾンビですか? うん、先生が最強だよ!(Published January 20, 2010, ISBN 978-4-8291-3481-8)

* Volume 5 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Oh, My darling is a good-for-nothing" / これはゾンビですか? ああ、マイダーリンはロクデナシ (Published May 20, 2010, ISBN 978-4-8291-3524-2)

* Volume 6 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, Both are my wives" / これはゾンビですか? はい、どちらも嫁です (Published October 20, 2010, ISBN 978-4-8291-3574-7)

* Volume 7 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I sleep with my father" / これはゾンビですか? はーい、眠れるチチです (Published January 20, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3605-8)

* Volume 8 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I'm Sorry for Kissing" / これはゾンビですか? はい、キスしてごめんなさい (Published June 18, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3650-8)

* Volume 9 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I've come to bless(curse) you" / (これはゾンビですか? はい、祝(呪)いに来ました (Published November 19, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3701-7)

* Volume 10 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I'm Lovely and Charming / (これはゾンビですか?10 はい、ラブリーでチャーミングだけどあたしは (Published May 19, 2012, ISBN 978-4-8291-3761-1)

[[Category:Teasers]]
[[Category:Fujimi Fantasia Bunko]]

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 3

2012-10-06T03:03:20Z

NeoZodiac:

==Chapter 3 – Nyaa==

[[Image:KwZ_01_142-143.jpg|thumb]]

Today I ended up going bowling with Orito. Maybe because of the rain yesterday, today’s weather was nice and cloudy, so I could go out during the day.

Oh right, after that incident yesterday Sera (of course) had to take a trip to the convenience store to buy some bento. And while we waited, Haruna whined incessantly about being hungry.

I met Orito in front of the station, and we went for a meal first. We headed for a fast-food shop near the station. The name of the shop was “Masked Nald.”

Sound like something you’ve heard before? You’re probably thinking of something different. This Masked Nald was managed by masked wrestlers, and was the only restaurant of its kind in the world.

“Welcome hello!!”

A masked wrestler was standing at the register.

We ordered the normal Masked Burger Set. Orito also ordered a Masked Shake (Mascaras<ref>Mexican masked wrestler. </ref> Vanilla) and a Masked Nugget (Beast God Thunder<ref>Japanese masked wrestler.</ref> Sauce). I was fine with just the set, so I didn’t say anything else. And then…

“Would you like a mask with your order?”

He said that to me with a pushy look, but I immediately responded with “I’m fine.” The set cost 536 yen (including tax), and if you added 1980 yen on top of that you could get a mask with the meal. There’s no reason I would need such a random, nonsensical service.

“Really? You really don’t want one?”

What a pushy shopkeeper. In that hot mask, his face closed in on mine, and he opened his eyes wide like a begging Chihuahua.

I gave a single sigh, and reluctantly bought the mask with my meal.

It was an absolutely ridiculous purchase, but those eyes were just too scary. I would much rather have been glared at. To think he would come at me with those teary eyes…

So, we finished eating lunch and carried ourselves to the bowling alley that we had been planning to go to. Orito held the Masked Shake (Mascaras Vanilla) that he hadn’t finished in his hand, and I held the mask I had bought in mine.

After finishing the registration, we borrowed shoes and chose the balls that suited each of us, beginning our various preparations. Lately, various things had been piling up in my life and the stress was building up. So let’s relax and let it all out here.

“Hey, Aikawa, look next to us. Those are some really cute girls, aren’t they?”

Orito was all smiles about it, so I took a glance in the direction he was looking at.

And then I quickly looked away.

“Come on!!”

''Crack!''

I heard a sound behind me. It was a voice I knew, along with the satisfying sound of pins falling.

“Alright! As I thought, I’m a genius. A genius bishoujo demon baroness!”

The lively girl with a swishing ahoge returned to her seat. Over there was also a girl with jade-colored eyes and an armored girl with no expression.

Yes… them.

Haruna was wearing my shirt and jeans as usual. Yuu was wearing her plate armor and gauntlets in spite of the terrible heat. Sera was in a denim skirt and a shirt with some logo on it. She was also donning accessories here and there. She really seemed like a modern girl.

Why was Haruna here? No, rather, why was Yuu here? To think that she would come to bowl… did Sera invite her?

“Oh? What’s wrong, Aikawa? You look pale.”

Well, my face gets pale sometimes. After all, I’m dead, remember? Well no, that’s not it. I just would be really bothered if it was found out that I knew the bishoujo squad over there.

Calm down. Should I count the prime numbers? One prime number, two prime numbers… was there some way I could prevent myself from getting noticed by them? Once it was my turn to bowl, I have a feeling I would get exposed in an instant.

My zombie mind was going at full speed. Then, I noticed that I was still holding the 1980 yen mask.

That was it! Without a moment’s delay, I put on the mask, and stroked down my chest in relief. With this, I was no longer “Aikawa Ayumu” but rather had become “Masked Ayumu”! Having become this Masked Ayumu, my hentai levels had tripled!

Not worried any longer that I would get exposed, I watched the three girls with Orito.

They had all bowled three frames, and Haruna had bowled strikes every time. Actually, everyone had perfect marks. They all had the same scores lined up neatly on the screen.

“Uwah, that’s an amazing score… are they pros? Those girls.”

Would pros really be practicing at a place like this? They were just not human, that’s all. Just a “masou shoujo who couldn’t transform into a masou shoujo,” just a “blood-seeking ninja,” and just a “mysterious necromancer.”

After Haruna, it was Sera’s turn. She stood straight up and picked up a ball.

“Hey Aikawa! Look at that girl, she really has style…”

Orito fixed his gaze on Sera’s hourglass figure. When I first had met Sera, I too was fascinated by her figure.

“Here I go. Hiken, Tsubame Gaeshi!”

With a beautiful form that almost stole my heart away, Sera released the ball straight and it struck the foremost pin, continuing forwards. Before long, the pins had all fallen. Alright, let me just say something here.

… That had nothing to do with Tsubame Gaeshi.

Sera turned back, and without the smallest sign of happiness returned to her seat. It was almost as if her getting a strike was the most obvious thing in the world.

And then it was Yuu’s turn. Yuu slowly swayed from side to side as she got up, and walked… no, it looked more like she was being drawn by some strong force and put her feet out to keep her balance. In that manner, Yuu tottered her way to the ball. Maybe because of her gauntlets, Yuu did not insert her fingers into the bowling ball holes, but instead held the ball with both hands. She tap tap taped her way forwards on tiptoe, and let go of the ball.

''Thud! Roll roll roll roll roll roll roll….''

The ball sloooowly rolled forwards. It tottered left and right, and struck the space in between the foremost pin and pin three. And then with a slow clackety clack, the pins fell. Before long, all the pins had fallen.

What was surprising was that Yuu then took up a small victory pose. Nobody here probably noticed it, but that was definitely a victory pose. Trust me.

Relieving Yuu, Haruna flew out, and the minute the pins were set…

“Come on!!”

She threw it hard. The ball almost bounced as it easily knocked over all the pins. This was probably how the whole game had been going.

After everyone over there had finished throwing their strikes, we also began to play.

“Alright, Aikawa! We’re not going to lose to them!”

No way. They’re not normal humans, you know.

If I put too much strength into the throw, I might wreck the bowling alley, so I threw the ball softly.

The ball rolled forwards with considerable speed, and struck the pins with good force. But, one pin was left standing.

“Dammit.”

I glared at the one remaining pin. I definitely wouldn’t forgive it. I would show it who the boss was. The ball came out of the ball return and I promptly threw it again.

At my full power throw, the pin was knocked squarely away. It made an unpleasant ''Clang!'' sound, but I didn’t pay it any heed. It was a spare.

I took up a guts pose and returned to my seat. Orito welcomed me back with applause.

“That was terrible. Saying that you lack concentration would be an understatement.”

Orito wasn’t the one who had said that. The voice came from behind me.

When I turned around, I saw Haruna with a triumphant smile looking down at me.

“H-Hello…”

At the bishoujo who had suddenly spoken to us, Orito bewilderedly spoke back.

Haruna stared fixedly at Orito’s face like a cat that had spotted something moving, and thought for a bit while her ahoge jumped back and forth.

“Umm… was it… Kakouton Genjou-san…?” <ref>I believe this was a general in Ancient China.</ref>

What the hell?! That’s some random historical figure! But I didn’t say anything, and without looking in her direction softly corrected her. “It’s Orito.”

“O… Oberstein?”

“Stop it with the Dry Ice Sword mania<ref>Google claims that Oberstein is a character from Legend of Galactic Heroes, and one of his nicknames is Dry Ice Sword (Doraiaisu no Ken).</ref>. Also, who exactly are you?”

“Huh? What are you saying? Also, why the hell are you wearing that?”

I don’t want to make it seem like I know you group of superhumans over there. If it got out that I was living with you, terrible rumors would start circulating at school.

“Haruna. It’s your turn.”

Sera called out to Haruna. Nice. As I expected, Sera knows what’s going on.

Puzzled for a second, Haruna furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side, but she soon leapt away with a smile. Phew. Thank you, ninja vampire-sama.

“She’s cute, but she’s pretty weird, isn’t she?”

Orito laughed happily next to me as he watched Haruna. Hey Orito, you were able to figure that out pretty quick. I’m really impressed.

“By the way, Ayumu. Why are you wearing that?”

Sera, I had thought that you understood the situation…

“Ha ha ha. I am not Aikawa Ayumu. I am Masked Ayumu!”

“… I see. Three times as disgusting as usual.”

Gwah!

And like that, my spirit was crushed. She didn’t say a single word after that, so the effect was doubled.

“Aikawa, did you know that girl?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I know someone as pretty as that?”

“I guess. Uh, but… she called you by name, didn’t she?”

“Must have been your imagination. Ha ha ha.”

This was useless, wasn’t it? But Orito responded with a “Yeah, it must have been,” and began to laugh with me… I’m glad he’s such an idiot.

After finishing a game, I took a bathroom break, and when I came out of the bathroom Sera was waiting for me. She had her arms crossed and a quiet expression on her face. It seemed that she wanted to talk to me alone.

“What’s wrong? Did you want something?”

“… Ayumu, it’s about Hellscythe-dono, but…”

“Ahh, that was my bad. Do we still have to bring that up?”

I didn’t want to think about that right now. I responded to her somewhat lightheartedly.

“… Hellscythe-dono was quite saddened by what had happened. At that time, you had no faith in Hellscythe-dono… she said something like that. Why is that?”

“I gave my reasons already, didn’t I? It’s because there wasn’t enough information for me to believe her.”

“So, was there enough information for you to doubt her? Was the other information you had obtained reliable?”

“I also wanted some believable information in order to verify that.”

“The one saved cannot trust the one who saved him. I can’t understand that.”

“I know she’s a good person. So, I want to believe her. But… honestly, I have my doubts. Because she couldn’t tell me anything. Communication is the key to getting your thoughts across, right?”

I was probably making a very disagreeable face, and Sera’s beautiful hand slapped me across the cheek.

“To her, words are a serious matter. You should know at least that much, shouldn’t you?!”

“I don’t know anything.”

After I harshly spat out that response, Sera frowned, seeming confused.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I also have no idea what you’re being so serious about.”

“You really don’t know why she doesn’t speak, and why she has to make sure she kills all her emotions?”

… There was a reason? I thought it was just a preference.

“I don’t know anything, so it’s hard for me to think of her as trustworthy. If you know something, please tell me.”

“… It is not something for me to tell. But, please just remember one thing. That in this world, there is no-one kinder than Eucliwood Hellscythe.”

Sera turned her back on me, and quickly began to walk away.

You’re honestly going to leave after we’ve come this far in this conversation? Leaving me with all these hazy feelings…

And like that, our fun bowling trip came to an end. The score was: Orito 113, me 170. Well, I was stronger, so it was easier for me to hit strikes than for normal people like Orito.

Ah, also, next to us, the girls had scored four perfect games in a row. Of course, each and every one of them had. And what’s more, they were all pretty girls. So of course they drew a lot of attention. So it was fine for a ninja to stand out like this?

Also, how did they know it was me even under this mask? There was no longer any point, so I threw off the mask. If we were in a wrestling ring, this would have probably made for a pretty dramatic scene.

“Ahh, I lost. Aikawa, do you have anything you want?”

The prize was a volume of manga, was it…? Well, I don’t really have much I want right now. So I refused his offer, telling him that it was enough to have had fun like this. We returned our shoes, and paying our bill, left the bowling alley.

Geez… I was all ready to go straight home, but I passed by three people who were clearly delinquents, smiling and on the prowl for cute girls, and that made me feel incredibly uneasy.

Why, you ask?

The reason was simple. Because today, there were indeed cute girls here. And judging from the situation, they might decide to go and hit on those three girls.

Was I jealous? No no.

Was I worried? Correct.

I was worried for those three shady-looking guys who had just gone into the bowling alley. Sera and Haruna… no, Yuu was the most dangerous of the three. Seriously, just try hitting on them.

In the worst case scenario, the bowling alley may very well become no more.

Haruna’s high kick was at the level of a PRIDE contestant, you know? <ref>Mixed martial arts tournament.</ref>

Sera’s sword could easily cleave a man into two, you know?

Yuu had enough power to bring people back to life, you know?

Don’t do it! You delinquents! Don’t go in there! That is something you cannot do!

As my mind screamed out, I chased after them.

“Aikawa!”

Seeing me suddenly turn heel and run, Orito yelled out after me with a confused expression, but I responded with “I’ll be back soon!” without even bothering to turn around.

Please make it in time! I sped up. Where are they?! Where are those guys right now?!

I ran around the bowling alley. But, perhaps because there was no school today, the bowling alley was filled with people. Unfortunately, I had lost sight of the delinquents. I really hope they hadn’t found the girls…

I swept the bowling alley from one end to the other, and finally returned to Orito who was waiting for me at the entrance. In the end, I couldn’t find them.

“Where were you going?”

“Ahh, just the bathroom.”

“Ha ha ha.” As I laughed dryly, I felt a strong attack come at me from the back that stopped my laugh cold.

“Ayumu! Buy me clothes!”

Haruna had suddenly hugged me from behind.

She seemed to be in a great mood after having bowled a perfect game. She dangled from my body heavily for a bit, and then made a quick landing. I noticed that the other two girls were also there.

“So you really did know these girls? Introduce me.”

Fiddling with his trademark pointy hair, Orito laughed. But the laugh didn’t reach his eyes. I knew that laugh. He was upset that I knew bishoujo like these. Well, there’s nothing that can be done about it anymore. Resigned, I began to explain the situation to him. As we left the bowling alley and headed for the department store, I carefully explained the situation to him.

As we left the bowling alley, we saw that an ambulance had arrived.

“Over here! Hurry! Those three aren’t breathing! Quick!”

The bewildered-looking bowling alley employees directed the paramedics.

Ahh… as I thought.

Just in case, I asked Sera “You didn’t kill them, right?” to which she responded “Of course. Vampire ninjas do not kill humans. Haruna just kicked them down.” Ahh, good good.

All’s well that ends well. You delinquents… you really got off easy with just having to deal with Haruna’s PRIDE-level high kick.

But… well… for some reason… it’s just… well, this was just a small feeling, but…

Just a small part of me wished that something much more terrible would have happened to them.
<center><big>***</big></center>

They're from overseas. That's all I could come up with.

Where they were from, why did they come here, I couldn't make it out. Even if I revealed their true nature I doubt it was going to help. Let's say I'm Orito and I'm being told "The one starting from the right this one is a Necromancer, the other one a Masou Shoujo and the last one is a Vampire Ninja." He wpuld probably reply with a "Huh?" if I ever introduced them this way. So I left out the specifics.

Obviously, I will never ever mention "The three of them are living with me."

--That was supposed to be the case.

"Where are your lodgings?"

"At Ayumu's house."

Haruna answered Orito's question without hesitation. I didn't have the time to shout "WAH!" out loud, cover her mouth or to change the topic.

"Aikawa, why were you keeping it a secret from me? Didn't you say you prefered to be alone?"

The glint in his glasses looked scary. I felt sorry.

"Well, it was so sudden, so I was busy all this time. I just met this dignified and that little one as well."

"How do I make it, I'm dissapointed...I never thought you would be keeping a secret from me."

Orito looked intently at me. Though I understand his feelings, but he'll probably be dragged into our problems. This is a world at war.

"Sorry..."

"You should have told me. Well disregard that, did you guys do it? You know, H (ecchi) stuff..."

Orito slyly said. If I answer "Yeah I did it" now there would be interesting reactions, but with misunderstandings, I'll probably become Sera and Haruna's sandbag. Not sandbag as in a punching bag, but into the shape of sand.

"If I really did something like that I wouldn't be in one piece now."

Sera and Haruna responded to my sentence by nodding their heads. Orito felt at ease after seeing their reactions, and with a revolting look on his face, he joined me to help Haruna select her clothes.

Haruna's in front, next up is Orito and me. At the rear was Sera and Yuu as we going towards the boutique.

"Ah! That's really cute! Look, Ayumu!"

I had a feeling of deja vu from her exclamations.

Once in a while I would turn behind and notice Sera holding fashion items, contemplating. Chance. Yuu's staring at blank space. Is there a ghost?

"Sera, is there anything you want? I'll pay."

"Can I?" Sera's eye shifted away, looking confused.

"Of course? Learn a thing or two from that person."

I pointed my thumb at Haruna. Her ahoge jumped up and down as usual.

"But, someone like me..."

"It's okay it's okay."

"But, I'm a servant..."

"Oh you. Right, here's an order. Do whatever you like. A servant would follow orders, right?"

I shrugged my shoulders at the stubborn Sera. If I didn't do this she wouldn't have accepted the present.

"This order, it's so low. But--"

She turned and look at the accessories. And without turning, I heard a tiny, really tiny "Thank you".

Sera's simple words made my heart beat faster, as though trying to burst out of my chest. It was like something pierced me. That instant, her smile is captured in my eyes like a photograph. (me: He hnnnnnggggg'd.)

Words like that can even turn into blades.

My line of sight floated away, and met with Yuu's. She's the opposite of me, with a poker face.

Then, the uneasiness in my mind surfaced.

>"To that great someone, how important speaking is. You don't understand!"

Sera's angry words echoed in my mind, unable to leave.

Dammit! I grabbed Yuu by the hand and brought her out.

"Oi, Aikawa! Where are you going?"

I ignored Orito and made my way to the lift.

"Excuse me, but this shirt, does it suit me? Haruna, there are some cute clothes over here too."

Sera approached Haruna and Orito, and then secretly looked at me. Her eyes were like a mom watching her kid's first purchase.

She's making a chance for Yuu and me.

--What a great help.

I took Yuu's hand and pressed the buttons in the lift without speaking. Yuu kept looking at me, while me who was hoping for a quiet place to talk kept staring at the buttons.

The roof is just ahead. With only vending machines and benches for resting, that place is a perfect place for a zombie. The setting sun, dark and looming clouds, were like a reflection of my current state of mind.

I sat down on a shelterless bench and watched the starless, filthy sky.

Yuu, like me, glimpse at the sky. How's the view, is this romantic, such words never came out of my mouth. Putting both arms behind my back, I felt a sense of exhaustion. For two, three seconds not a word was spoken.

I suddenly turned towards Yuu.

"Tell me, Yuu, why did you kill your emotions?"

I put on a serious look, but Yuu's face was as usual. After staring at each other for a while, she pulled out a notepad from her pocket in her skirt.

'''Must I?'''

"Yes, definitely."

This time, Yuu sighed. I don't have any idea what she's feeling now. Does she feel troubled or does she not want to explain? Either way, I will impose it on her. I have the right to know. If I don't have then issue me the right immediately.

Again she opened another page of her notepad, it was filled with words.

'''the thread of one's fate wriggles slowly forward if they cross each other an encounter is born a huge magical presence would produce huge effect that wobbling is enormous and violent that's why a person with huge magical power must learn to control wavering unstable the change in one's mind would cause magical power to go wild that's why I'm not allowed to show emotions'''

That was more profound that I imagined. That means... What does it mean?

"Uh... That. If you laugh or cry, you alter other's fate?"

Yuu nodded her head. At this moment I remembered the time when I first met her. That time, she said:

>It's interesting.

>So don't do it again.

In other words, because it can affect her emotions that's why she didn't want me to do it again?

'''I don't speak because my words hold power those who hear my words will follow its content and become that way that is why I'm not allowed to make any sound'''

"Those who heard your words would become that way...?"

She held the notebook towards my shocked face, and the ballpoint pen started moving again.

'''If I say it's cold You will feel cold even if you're in a fire'''

"That's way too powerful!"

'''Yes my words are too heavy whenever I don't know whatever reality it will become that's why I'm not allow to speak'''

"No, isn't that weird? What about 'ahh-', 'uuu-' or 'nyaa-', does it matter if you make such noises?"

'''I can't, when words become reality I'll have a severe headache that I dislike'''

To release such great power, you will need to suffer the same backlash? That kind of pain that correspond to such strong power must be unimaginable.

"Are you being hunted because of this power?"

'''There are other reasons'''

There are more.

'''My hands has the ability to heal, blood grants immortality, my heart can release huge amount of magical power'''

My thoughts became messier. Instead of comforting me, her explanation had the opposite effect.

"That... You can't remove your plate and armor because they are helping to seal your powers?"

'''Correct'''

She clapped her hands, which had gauntlets on.

"Do you have the ability to level mountains, stop time or invincibility?"

'''I only possess those abilities, other powers are not tied to my will, even if I'm dead my powers are still intact, that's why they wanted to kill me and steal my powers'''

"If I kill you and wring your body, would I get wine that makes me immortal?" I joked.

'''Yes'''

Kacha kacha, a sound came out of her gauntlets. I did not expect that to be the truth -- May be she's the one who made those Vampire Ninjas.

"Who are those hunting you? Vampire Ninjas? Megalos?"

'''I don't know Vampire Ninjas Megalo Masou Shoujo. There are times where I was almost killed by them'''

Fu. I sighed whilst walking to the vending machine. Got two cans of Cola and gave one to Yuu. However, she left it on the bench and did not drink it.

"Any other stuff you're hiding from me?"

'''I told you everything do you dislik-'''

Her writing stopped. Plop, plop, something drip onto the notepad.

'''Do you dislike me?''' These words were messy.

I cannot understand how that came to be.

"Did I say I dislike Yuu?"

She shoke her head violently. Those big eyes were filled with tears.

'''Everytime there's a change in my emotions those nearest to me would have their fate altered'''

I see, the Yuu with the poker face, the Yuu that does not show any emotions, has been crying later, gripped by a myriad of emotions. To that end, Megalo, Vampire Ninjas, Masou Shoujo kept coming after us, all at once.

That's nothing. Do you think I'll dislike you for that?

'''A monster by your side if you realize it you won't dislike it?'''

Yuu's beautiful doll-like face turned into one of despair, her eyebrows tightly knitted together.

"Monster? Is there such a thing here? I only see a cute gentle girl after hearing you out."

'''Can I stay with you?'''

"Ahhh, do as you like..."

For some reason my awkward words made me angry.

"Ha~" I spat out all the stored air in my lungs.

Do as you like? What the hell am I saying? My current emotions should not be expressed this way. I'm going to do it properly.

"Yuu, you can laugh whenever you want. Fate and whatnot... I'll deal with it when the time comes. -- So please stay by my side."

Her tears kept coming, all I could do now was to caress her silver hair to comfort her.

[[Image:Kore wa Zombie desu ka? vol 1 teaser image.jpg|thumb]]

Until her tears dry up, I'm going to stop caressing her silvery long hair.

Next up, I'll be facing with more troublesome stuff according to Yuu.

Come at me. Whether it was the great King of Terror or a nuclear warhead, I would face whatever came.

It was a cheap price to pay to be with Yuu.

<center><big>***</big></center>

The girls bought a plentiful amount of shoes and whatever, and of course I had to hold them as we returned home. Being surrounded by bishoujo, Orito seemed quite pleased. On parting, he made clear to me that I definitely had to bring the girls the next time we went bowling.

“Hah… I’m beat! This world isn’t bad, is it?! It’s not just something I would throw away!”

As soon as she got back home, Haruna plucked the things I was holding away from me and leapt up the stairs.

She was probably going to start a little personal fashion show in her room.

“Wait, Haruna! Put these on! Naked if you could… no, with a maid outfit!”

As I chased Haruna up the stairs, I took out a nekomimi<ref>cat ears</ref> hair band. Of course, I had mittens shaped like paws too<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>!

“You hentai! You Erobone Vanguard!” <ref>A Gundam reference. Crossbone Vanguard is apparently a team in Gundam or something. </ref>

“Wha, This isn’t Cosmo Babylonia or somethi-“

Cutting me off, she quickly moved behind me and with a reverse frankensteiner<ref>A Wrestling move</ref> , sent my head flying into the floor of the entranceway. She would have definitely looked cute in nekomimi though…

“Don’t be so rowdy please! It’s a bother.”

As if she had her feelings hurt by Sera’s words, Haruna violently ascended the stairs. I headed for the living room with Yuu to wipe off the blood that was flowing from my nose. Gotta get a tissue.

“…”

Alone, Sera gazed fixedly at the mirror that was decorating the entranceway. I secretly watched her to figure out what she was doing, when surprisingly, she picked up the nekomimi hair band and put it on.

“…………. Nyaa.”

She faced the mirror and took up a pose. Then, perhaps getting embarrassed, she quickly took the hair band off and threw it away from her.

What a charming thing to see. I had bought it to see if I could get Haruna to wear it, but I was fully satisfied with just this. I began to call out to Sera, but then decided that it was probably better if I pretended I never saw that.

Well, she let me see something nice, so maybe we’ll have pizza tonight…

<center><big>***</big></center>

“Hooray!!”

Seeming more excited than I would have expected her to be, Haruna jumped her ahoge back and forth.

Seafood and fried shrimp pizza filled the table from end to end. There was another extra serving of the same thing next to where I was sitting. But we still might not have had enough. Haruna and Yuu both ate absurd amounts of food.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had alfredo ganahson L<ref>Not sure I’m correctly “Englishifying” this from the katakana (Arufureddo Ganaason).</ref>. Itadakimaasu<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

Haruna gazed at the shrimp-and-mayonnaise pizza with a sparkle in her eyes. She quickly grabbed a slice, and brought it to her mouth. Also, al… what? Huh? Gana… what? What was that?

“Hm?”

Having stuffed her cheeks with a bite of the pizza, Haruna cocked her head to the side as her ahoge bounced back and forth.

“This isn’t alfredo ganahson L at all!”

Her eyes widened and she stood up. She seemed strangely excited.

“What exactly is that al- whatever you thought it was?”

“Eh? Thinly spread out alfredo with a generous helping of ganahson on top, and a sprinkling of melted L… ah! Is that not something you eat in this world?”

Sounded like a recipe or something.

“I don’t think we do.”

“I see… that’s right. There’s no reason such a crap world like this would have things like alfredo or ganahson.”

Suddenly disheartened, Haruna sunk back into her seat. She then bit into the shrimp-and-mayonnaise pizza that she still held in her hand.

“Ah, but this is good. So this will do.”

Oh, is it good?! Is it alright for you?!

Strength seemed to return to Haruna’s drooping ahoge, and one by one she ate through pieces of pizza. A smile appeared on her face. Yuu was eating with her usual complete lack of expression. And now look, the pizza disappeared in an instant, didn’t it? Was it sucked up? Looking at their small mouths chewing and chewing, I knew exactly where the pizza had disappeared to.

“Ayumu… when you ordered me to indulge myself, is that order still in effect?”

The only person who had not touched the pizza softly called out to me. I could see a bit of bewilderment under her usually piercing expression, so I asked her what was wrong.

“I’ve never had anything other than traditional Japanese fare. It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but… I’m a bit frightened by food like this. Won’t you make me some miso soup?”

Returning back to her usual, tidy expression, Sera spoke just as tidily. I just had one question here.

Never had anything other than traditional Japanese fare? Are you telling me that the cooking you made for me before, that invincible cooking on which neither seasoning nor tableware had any effect… that was traditional Japanese fare?

“Just try a bit. It’s really good, you know. It’s not like it’s poisoned or anything.”

I passed a piece of pizza to Sera. She stared at it with a grimace, but perhaps she seemed to come to a decision…

“A vampire ninja should fight without fear no matter what type of enemy appears.”

Persuading herself, she shut her eyes tight and resolutely took a bite. She opened her eyes and took another. She cocked her head to a side and took another, and began to eat.

“This is quite incredible. To think that it would be this…”

She really seemed pleased. At this rate, the pizza would be gone in the blink of an eye. As I thought, it didn’t seem like we would have enough.

A lively meal. A mealtime that really made me feel happy. I can say it without any embarrassment now… I really enjoyed being with these people.

“Ahh<nowiki>~</nowiki>, Pizza’s really quite something. Ayumu, let me use your cell phone.”

Haruna rolled around, sprawled on the floor, and held out her hand to me.

“Here you go.”

I handed her my cell phone, and she dialed out. It was a regular report back to her world.

''Riiiinnngg…. Riiinnnnng…. Riinnnnng.''

“Ah, is this Dai-sensei? Eh? Ah, I see. Well, please tell her that refrain-year, rising-class attendance number 634526379 Haruna-chan called.”

How many people were in her class?!

I wanted to say that, but it’s not like I could do that when Haruna looked so down. Well, it’s not like I would say it even if things were normal.

“Was she… not there?”

“They told me that she left for another world to gather research materials.”

She threw herself heavily onto the table and shut her eyes. Hey, are you going to sleep there or something?

“Haah… I can’t find any artifacts, I can’t become a masou shoujo, and I can’t call Dai-sensei… this is the wooorst.”

All the energy she had before seemed to have drained out of her. Her mood was seriously more fickle than the weather on top of a mountain.

“By the way, Haruna. What’s an artifact? I’ll also help look for them.”

“Hmph. Someone like you wouldn’t be able to find them.”

“But, it’s still better than just looking for them alone, right? What’s the name of the artifact?”

Haruna had been frowning, but she suddenly put on a sincere, shoujo-like expression.

“Hmm, I guess that’s true. Yes, that’s certainly true, I think. Umm… the name was… Kyoudou… umm. Kyoufu… yes. The name was Kyoufu.<ref>Kyoufu means fear or dread.</ref>”

Kyoufu? What was up with that terrifying name? I mean, could terror actually have a solid form?

As she said, it really probably wasn’t something I would be able to find.

“Is that something that has a physical form?”

“Of course! It’s like this, square and soft.”

She gestured with her hands, but I still didn’t understand. It didn’t seem to be something that was very big. Did Sera know what she was talking about? I asked, but Sera shook her head from side to side. What about Yuu? … Ah, she’s ignoring me.

“Well, if I happen to see something like that, I’ll tell you.”

“I’m not holding my breath.”

Haruna once again collapsed onto the table.

''Ding Dong!''

The doorbell rang, and with an “I’m coming!” I stood up. When I opened the door, I saw a man standing there, wearing a trench coat and a hat in spite of this stifling heat.

“Hello, my name is Kerberos Wansard.”

He took off his hat, and underneath was the head of a black dog. It seemed like the head of a Doberman, with a long nose and very little fur.

Could it be that he was here because Yuu had let out emotions? And had changed my fate?

“What do you want?”

“I am the guardsman of the underworld… ah, and don’t say ‘oh, how can you be a guardsman if you’re a dog?’ I guess you could call me a guardsdog or something… right?”

Even if you say “right?” I’m not going to bite. Just get on with it.

“Although, even though I call myself a guardsman my role is somewhat the opposite… I let anyone in who comes, but don’t let anyone out. Of course, it’s because it’s the underworld… yes. You came to the underworld once but then you returned back here, right? So I thought I would come over here and devour you.”

“In other words, you came here to return me to the underworld?”

“Ah, so you understand? I’m thankful that you understood so quickly. Well then…”

He ripped into my shoulder. Kerberos… no, I’m just going to call this thing “dog.” The dog bit right through my shoulder. He tore through my shoulder as easily as if he was eating a piece of bread. I kicked the dog with 310% power, and ran back into the house.

Because of the gaping wide hole in my shoulder, I couldn’t move my arm. Putting pressure on my tattered shoulders as my arms swang side to side, I ran towards the living room.

Yuu had the power of healing. It would take time for a wound this terrible to heal on its own. So I would ask her to heal it.

“Yuu! Sorry. This is a bit a sudden, but heal me!”

When I told that to the necromancer who was watching television in the living room, she didn’t even look my way and pulled in her chin. I sat next to Yuu, and showed her my wound.

Yuu took off the gauntlet she was wearing on her left hand, and touched her pale, snow-like hand to my chest. Just with that, the blood stopped flowing from my shoulder, and it was healed.

Ooohh, so that’s the power of healing… amazing. She didn’t even have to touch the wound.

“You’re being quite stubborn, Aikawa-san. Please just die. Right away-“

The dog stepped foot into the living room. Sera watched the dog carefully with her crimson eyes, and Haruna bounced up from her collapsed position on the table. With an expression of shock…

“The dog talked!”

What? The Megalo also talked, didn’t they? Like that crustacean thing.

“Oh? I was just thinking that it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, and you’ve been here? Hellscythe-sama… ah, I see. This was your doing, wasn’t it? It must have been. There’s no reason a normal human would be able to escape from the underworld, yes. Come on, tell me.”

For some reason, the dog sat down, and we all sat around the table. Oh? Was the battle already over?

As everyone sat around the table with puzzled expressions, Yuu picked up the ballpoint pen that had been thrown by the table and wrote something on her memo pad.

''Tap tap.''

'''I forgot.''' = “Teehee. Yuu forgot! Sorryyy.”

“Well, I guess this was a wasted trip, then. How bothersome. You really should have told us before you called his soul back to him. If I knew this was your doing, I wouldn’t have come in the first place…”

The dog shook his head in a resigned manner. I had no idea what was going on… for now, there was one thing I had to figure out.

“So, you’re not going to fight with me anymore?”

At my question, the dog put on a strangely refreshed expression.

“I won’t. This is something Hellscythe-sama did, right? She can do anything she wants. Even the kings of the underworld kneel before Hellscythe-sama. It’s just… hmm… how do I put it… she’s quite amazing.”

“Yuu’s that amazing?” I muttered, and the dog continued to speak.

“Yes. ‘The Center of Everything,’ the kings of the underworld call her.”

The Center of Everything, huh? It was clear that Yuu was an incredibly important person, but it’s not like that mattered to me… it did really weigh on my mind though.

“But more importantly, this has been bothering me, yes. The wound on your shoulder from before was pretty serious, yes? Could it be… well, I’m sorry if this is false, but could it be that you made Hellscythe-sama use her abilities?”

I heard a ''tap tap.''

'''It’s alright. The pain is bearable.'''

Pain… ah, I had completely forgotten. In exchange for using her abilities, she had to suffer through pain. A headache, I think…

The dog sighed with an “I knew it,” and punched me across the face.

What the hell… before I could object, the dog began to speak. He seemed to understand what I had wanted to say by my expression.

“Hellscythe-sama holds in her hands the power to heal things. It is the power to fix a target object wherever she wants it to be healed by just touching it.”

“Hmmm, that’s amazing beyond my expectations. She can fix anything?”

Quite out of character, Haruna seemed interested.

“But, in return, she must bear the pain that she heals.”

“So you mean, just now, Yuu took on the pain of getting her shoulder torn apart?”

“Precisely. Because of you, Hellscythe-sama is feeling pain, you know? I know how much pain Hellscythe-sama has come to feel through the use of her abilities. That is why I punched you.”

“Yuu, I’m sorry. You really should have told me that you would go through this.”

'''I don’t mind.''' = “It’s fine! It was for my oniichan, after all!”

At that one word, the dog’s round eyes became even rounder, and he lightly opened his mouth while gazing at Yuu.

“Is that… right? Ah, I really must be returning home soon. I apologize for the inconvenience this time… ah, there are some humans being killed near here, so maybe I’ll take their souls with me and leave.”

“Wait just a second! I can’t just overlook what you said about people being killed near here!”

“Why is that? It’s a murder that has nothing to do with all of you, though? Could it be you want to help the humans? Could it be…?”

It wasn’t just that I wanted to help them.

There were people being killed near here? The one who was trying to kill them was probably…

The one who had killed me!

<center><big>***</big></center>

I flew through the nighttime city with the dog. This was a very personal matter, so the other three hadn’t come with me.

Nighttime sure is great. I could use my full strength. Underneath the sun, I very well might lose in a fight to an elementary school student.

“It’s nearby… yes. It seems there is still someone alive in there though.”

The dog descended in front of what seemed like an incredibly unremarkable house. He opened the second-floor window and we infiltrated the building.

“… It seems I was beaten. The soul is no longer here.”

“What do you mean? Did the person die?”

“I came here to collect the soul to send back to the underworld, but it seems that the soul has already disappeared. These types of things have been happening quite often lately… yes. Souls that don’t reach the underworld even after the person dies.”

“So, where do they go?”

“They were probably sacked.”

“Sacked?”

“Sacrificed. It’s an abbreviation. This is just hearsay, but people say that if you offer souls to this King of the Night person, you can receive an immense amount of magical energy. It’s been happening quite often lately… yes.”

We timidly exited the room, and descended the stairs. It still just looked like a normal house. Did a bizarre murder really take place here? It was so quiet that I had my doubts.

But, when we got down to the first floor, we saw all the blood.

“Aikawa-san, be on your guard.”

The dog had gone ahead of me, and wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his trench coat. This dog… he was sweating.

Well, I was sweating too. I could feel an intense pressure from whoever was ahead of us. The thumping of my heart sped up, and a chill ran down my spine.

That person was here. That terrifying person.

“Oohh, the magical energy is steadily going up… yes. To think that there would be someone in the human world with this much magical energy… I see! Quite!”

I had no idea what he was so impressed about. I wish I could sense magical energy too…

In the darkness, I spied a flash of light.

''Bam.'' My body was pushed to the side, and in front of my eyes I saw the dog’s outstretched hands. Hey hey, I’m the one who can’t die here. Let me be the shield. You go stand off to the side.

“Why the hell are you protecting ''me''?!”

“… If something happened to you, Hellscythe-sama would be sad, right?”

“I’m fine. I’m-“

“Hellscythe-sama really looked like she was happy… I won’t allow myself to snatch that away from her.”

At that moment, the dog looked almost human to me. He really seemed to care for Yuu.

“Please hurry up and run away! With your level of magical energy, this is out of the question! This person, this world…”

That large body tumbled backwards and collapsed onto mine. In the darkness, new blood fell to the floor.

I couldn’t move. I wanted to get out in front of the dog as soon as possible to pay my respects to this person, but I couldn’t move at all.

All I could see was the blade of a sword.

With a single stroke, my body was cut in half from the chest down. The dog in front of me also suffered the same fate.

My body still couldn’t move.

Move, move dammit, move. My mind was spinning as usual. There was nothing to be afraid about this time around. But even so, my body couldn’t move. Just like that time when I had been killed.

At the very least, I wanted to see this person’s face.

I needed just a bit more time, but my vision suddenly blurred. The dog had thrown the upper half of my body. With quite a bit of force, I crashed through the wall and exited the building.

Once I went outside, my body began to move again, as if it had all been a bad dream. I desperately crawled along the ground and went back into the house. I didn’t know what the dog had felt that caused him to force me away. But, I was in no mood to run away. I was just that helpful of a guy.

Inside, the dog was collapsed onto the floor. In that blood-splattered hallway, the dog’s body had been cut into two. No, cut into three. His head had been chopped off, although it was nowhere to be seen.

I attached the lower half of my body, and staggered into the house’s interior.

I saw a small, severed hand on the floor. A young boy? Or maybe a girl?

A large body was there also. It was probably that of the master of the house. I found a total of four bodies scattered about on the floor. Ah, I guess that would be five bodies, counting the dog’s. But, the one I was looking for was nowhere to be found.

“So, what exactly were you trying to tell me?”

Returning to the dog, I sat down in the sea of blood and looked down at his tragic remains.

''”This person, this world…”''

If only he had been able to add one more syllable, I probably would know what he meant. To this world? This world’s? In this world?

But now there was no response.

Like dandelion fluff, the dog’s body dissolved into small, white particles and flew away. It was the same as when a Megalo died…

You really did something unnecessary…

And… well… in the end, you really weren’t such a bad person.

Hm? It was the same as when a Megalo died…

''What? The Megalo also talked, didn’t they? Like that crustacean thing.''

I remembered my own thoughts from before. Then, underneath the dissolving trench coat, I saw the distinctive mark of the Megalo, that black schoolboy’s uniform.

The dog was… Kerberos Wansard was a Megalo.

He had said that he was a guardsman for the underworld. In other words, were Megalo entities that came from the world of the afterlife?

Why did a Megalo help a masou shoujo like myself? Why hadn’t Haruna made a move before when they were together in the same room?

Why did a Megalo know Yuu?

And finally… why was he a good person?

<center><big>***</big></center>

''Brrr brrr.''

On the way back home, my cell phone began to vibrate. When I took it out, I saw that it was from an unknown number. I thought it was going to be someone soliciting money or something, but I had time before I got home, so I decided to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Oh<nowiki>~</nowiki>? This isn’t Haruna, is it<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

The voice that I heard from the other side of the line was the easygoing, cute voice of a girl.

“Haruna? Oh… could it be that this is Dai-sensei?”

There was only one person who could have had business with Haruna.

“Indeed<nowiki>~</nowiki>. And you are<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

“I’m Aikawa Ayumu, the person who’s acting as a masou shoujo in Haruna’s place.”

“But, you aren’t a shoujo at all, are you<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

I heard a chuckle from the other end. You’re absolutely right there.

“Trust me, I’ve been aware of how ridiculous it is for a while… no, from the very beginning. By the way, did you need Haruna for something? She’s not nearby right now, so would you like me to take a message?”

“Ahh<nowiki>~</nowiki>. Please do then<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>. Could you tell her that she can stop looking for the kyoudoufu,<ref>This is tofu. I think the Kyou means it’s tofu made in Kyoto or something</ref> and for her to please just concentrate on recovering her magical power<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

“Kyoudoufu?”

“Yes. It was the errand I tasked Haruna with<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>. It really seems she can’t find any no matter what, so if that’s the case, I guess she can stop looking<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

At her words, I stopped walking, completely dumbfounded. The thing she had been looking for was “kyoudoufu.” Square and soft kyoudoufu. Not kyoufu, but kyoudoufu. I really could see Haruna making that mistake. She seriously can’t even do a simple errand like that? … Pretty cute.

“Ah, in that case, shall I get some for you?”

I began to walk again and proposed that idea.

If I recall correctly, Kyouko-chan’s grandfather lived in Kyoto. Why do I remember that, you ask? Because a cute girl had told me, of course. Also, why exactly did she send Haruna to Tokyo in search for Kyoudoufu? Shouldn’t she have gone to Kyoto?

“Ah, if that’s possible, please do. I really do love kyoudoufu<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

“Ahh. But then, why did Haruna come to Tokyo? Shouldn’t she have gone to Kyoto?”

“Oh oh<nowiki>~</nowiki>? You aren’t in Kyoto<nowiki>~</nowiki>? I told her to go to Kyoto though<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

… Could she seriously have confused Kyoto with Tokyo? To… kyoto…

“Ohh, that girl<nowiki>~</nowiki>… this is why she can’t keep up in school…”

I heard her sigh. I mean, even if you say that to me, it’s not like I can apologize for her.

“She says she’s a genius, though.”

I mumbled that while smiling. I had meant it as a joke, but…

“That’s certainly true. I’ll admit that she’s a genius<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

Who the hell are we talking about?! … But you said she couldn’t keep up in school. She’s a genius?

“She’s a genius, so she can’t keep up in school<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

Dai-sensei spoke in a very laid-back tone.

“That girl is hiding quite a large amount of talent. She understands things very quickly, and can then put them into practice. But but<nowiki>~</nowiki>, everything came too easily for her, and she stopped taking interest in anything. She just didn’t seem to care anymore<nowiki>~</nowiki>, and at some point she even stopped coming to school. Ah, kyoudoufu definitely goes well with ginger, doesn’t it?”

Afterwards, Dai-sensei continued to talk in her laid-back fashion. At some points, she diverted the conversation to tofu, but here’s a summary of what she said:

Even if you’re a genius, if you don’t learn anything you’ll still have a hard time.

So, she was left behind. She was confident that if she wanted to, she could catch up, but that pride had the opposite effect, and even now she didn’t care about learning the basics.

Her attitude annoyed the people around her, and nobody got close to Haruna. If she had just one friend, if she had just one rival, she might have been more motivated and ambitious.

But, that girl took the path of loneliness.

Because she was a genius, she couldn’t keep up in school.

And then, her attendance numbers were lacking, so at this rate she would be held back a grade.

So Dai-sensei suggested that she hunt for Megalo, so that she could earn school credit without attending class. And while she was journeying to our world as a masou shoujo, she should take the opportunity to bring back some tofu from Kyoto.

Haruna couldn’t remember the name, not because she was an idiot, but just because she didn’t see the point. She wasn’t interested in it, so she didn’t feel the need to remember it.

For example, Zarii and Kumacchi, Shironaga etc… she had just made up those names, and those Megalo had a different set of names. In reality, the bear was Maeshiba, the crayfish was Manabe, the whale was Maesowa, the anteater was Doki… they all had had unconventional last names like that, the reason being that it made them easy to tell apart… but honestly, I thought it had the exact opposite effect and made things harder to understand. Ah, oh right. The AA-rank and whatever that Haruna had mentioned seemed to match each time. So she probably was interested in that aspect at least.

“It’s just that, lately there have been some reaaaaaally surprising things happening.”

“Surprising things…?”

“Yeah. She managed to remember one person’s name, it seems. Even though she can’t even remember my name.”

Now that I think about it, I’ve called her nothing but Dai-sensei up until now.

“Exactly what kind of spell did you cast on her? Ayumu-san?”

As she chuckled, Dai-sensei called my name.

“I may know all kinds of magic, but I know of no magic that can open that girl’s heart. You must be quite an amazing magician<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

For some reason, receiving the half-joking compliment from the great Dai-sensei made me blush, and I found myself at a loss for words. Looking for a way to change the subject, I tried asking the question that had popped up just a little while ago.

“What exactly are the Megalo? I thought they were the enemies of mankind, but-“

“Megalo are the enemies of masou shoujo<nowiki>~</nowiki>. If we leave even one alive, our world won’t have a future<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

Haruna also had said a similar thing earlier. So that wasn’t just her personal opinion, but was something all masou shoujo thought?

“Earlier, a Megalo was present, but Haruna didn’t realize it, and the Megalo also didn’t go for her. Why was that?”

“That’s quite unusual<nowiki>~</nowiki>… this is just a guess, but could it be that the Megalo was there for some other reason<nowiki>~</nowiki>? Megalo have an ability to detect masou shoujo<nowiki>~</nowiki>. And then, we have the ability to backwards detect when they use their ability. So if that Megalo wasn’t aiming to attack masou shoujo, Haruna wouldn’t be able to detect it… that’s quite plausible, yes<nowiki>~</nowiki>? Haruna never learned how to detect magical energy, so it is quite possible that she didn’t realize it even though the Megalo was right in front of her<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

She chuckled half-jokingly. I see. That “other reason” was probably that he had come to see me.

After that, we talked a while more about what masou shoujo did, and we ended the phone call when I arrived in front of my house. It seemed that she had told me everything she had wanted to tell Haruna. Haruna sure seemed to have a good teacher back in her world.

Well then, let’s also send an email to Kyouko-chan. “Give me tofu, please,” or something like that.

For some reason, when I went home, Sera’s face was pale. The beauty of her gloomy expression almost sent shivers down my spine… but was everything alright?

“I need blood… could you call Haruna over for me?”

Sera’s entreaty came out in a voice reminiscent of the buzzing of a mosquito. If you want to know, vampire ninjas needed to drink blood every now and then or they would die. But when they were well-supplied with blood, they were almost as hard to kill as I was.

“You can’t just use mine?”

“… That would be unpleasant.”

“I… see…”

Even in an emergency, you don’t want to drink a zombie’s blood?

For now, I ran up the stairs for Sera’s sake and headed for Haruna’s room. I knocked twice, and heard the heavy sounds of someone walking. I hurriedly put my hands on the doorknob.

“Hey! Don’t come in! Don’t you dare come in!”

I opened the door with all my might, and Haruna came flying out of the room. Today, she had just one pair of panties on. She managed to put on panties in that short of a time? Tch, disappointing.

“You damn eroboros!”

“Now that one I don’t get at all…”

“It’s a snake!”

Ahh, Ouroboros.

“Well, whatever, but Sera’s in bad shape. Can’t you give her some blood?”

“I don’t want to! Deeeeeeeeeefinitely do. not. want. to! Hey! Don’t look at me!”

Her face flushed red, Haruna confined herself back into her room. No matter how many times I see it, her skin sure is beautiful… but now was not the time to be thinking about that. What should I do? Should I force her downstairs?

For now, I returned to the living room, where Sera was now laying on her side. “Are you sure you don’t want my blood?” I asked.

“I don’t want to. I deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeefinitely don’t want to.”

She elongated that word even more than Haruna had…

''Tap tap.'' Sera and I faced the desk from where we had heard the tapping sound.

'''My blood should be no problem.''' = “Yuu’s blood is fine, right? I’ll do my best!”

“That’s…! I can’t just take Hellscythe-dono’s blood…”

“Come on, Yuu said it was fine, so just accept her blood this once.”

A look broke out on Sera’s face, almost as if she had just drunk a bitter cup of tea. She put her bent index finger to her mouth, and after thinking for a bit, faced Yuu resolutely.

“Well, let me take advantage of your kind offer then. Thank you very much.”

Sera reluctantly walked over to Yuu, and just like she had done with Haruna, she took Yuu’s lips in a kiss.

Yuu stood there without an expression, and didn’t even blink. Sera confirmed that Yuu’s eyes had thinned a bit, and then bit into Yuu’s neck.

“… Ah.”

With a speed I had not seen her exhibit up until now, Yuu clapped both her hands on her mouth. And if that weren’t enough, she also shut her eyes tight. Was that just her voice right now? It was the first time I had heard it. Did it hurt? She looked like she was blushing though.

After she finished sucking Yuu’s blood, Sera suddenly kowtowed to Yuu.

“Really, I’m very very sorry!”

Her flush fading, Yuu gave a fleeting nod, and after that moment turned back to the television and her usual posture.

“That probably means she forgives you.”

Even though I told her that, Sera still seemed uneasy. She continued to watch Yuu, but Yuu paid her gaze no heed. Oh right, there was something I had to ask Yuu.

“Yuu, about the dog from before… he was a Megalo, right?”

Yuu faced me and gave me a slight nod.

“So, you come from the Megalo side then. Can you transform into one of those monsters as well?”

Yuu poured tea slowly down her throat and turned her body towards the table. It seemed that she was willing to talk about this with me.

'''In the underworld, there are people who live there just like people live on this world. I am nothing more than one of those people.'''

“In other words, you don’t have a monster form.”

She nodded strongly.

'''But, there also exist those who have that power.'''

I see, so there were people who had unusual abilities just like Yuu. As expected from the underworld. It really did seem like a place of devils and demons.

“What exactly are Megalo?”

'''In the underworld, to oppose the masou shoujo, souls of the departed are gathered. They are then inserted into the body of animals and are allowed to grow. That is the Megalo System.'''

“People who die in this world become Megalo?”

'''Not just this world. All souls of those who have died gather in the underworld. In the underworld, there are people who have that ability.'''

People who die become Megalo… hold on a second. Then, what does that make a zombie? I thought that a zombie was just someone who had died but still could move, but could it be that a zombie was a Megalo?

'''Ayumu is not a Megalo. Ayumu’s soul is being held together with my power.'''

I see. Megalo had to have died, but I had not died. So, I was similar but not so similar to Megalo. So I was really a zombie? I guess I could breathe easy then?

The white particles that the Megalo dissolved into after they died were probably their souls breaking apart.

“Yuu, don’t you consider Haruna an enemy then? Why didn’t you say anything?”

'''Haruna is just a poor girl who has lost her powers. She poses no threat.'''

In other words, Haruna had lost her powers, so Yuu didn’t really pay her any heed.

“Sera, do you have any connection with the Megalo?”

“Unfortunately, I do not even follow what you two are talking about.”

So, vampire ninjas had nothing to do with Megalo. Well, even if they got involved in the battle between masou shoujo and Megalo, the masou shoujo could just manipulate their memories, so they wouldn’t even notice.

“But, even though I didn’t say anything… you just jumped in and helped take out the whale and the anteater, remember?”

“Since ancient times, I have taken on the mission of protecting humans from demons.”

Demons, huh? Those legendary breed of monsters may have just been another name given to the Megalo.

“Yuu, are you really alright with this? From here on out… Haruna and I are probably going to continue to exterminate the Megalo.”

'''I don’t mind. It’s not as if I am that fond of the Megalo System. Dead souls should be left in peace.'''

So, Yuu hated Megalo? Could it be that the Megalo System also had something to do with why she had come to this world from the underworld?

Geez… today was certainly pretty eventful. It really felt like a long day.

''Brbrbrrrr. Brbrbrrrr.''

I felt my pocket vibrate. When I took out my cell phone, I saw that I had received an email. It was from Kyouko-chan. It was a cute email filled with emoticons.

In summary, her grandfather was coming to visit her tomorrow, and she told me that she had gotten him to bring some Kyoudoufu with him. That he probably would leave to go back home just around the time school ended. She really pulled through for me. Thanks, Kyouko-chan. Now, Haruna may be able to finally finish her mission.

I went back to my room and dove into bed. Ah, right. I should probably tell Dai-sensei about the tofu. I took out my phone, and dialed her number through my call history.

''Rinngggggg. Rinnggggggggg. Rinngggggg.''

“Thank you for calling. This is the Matelis Magical Academy, Elusu speaking.”

The pretty sound of a girl’s voice rang in my ears. It was a voice filled with life that put my heart at ease. But, it wasn’t the voice of Dai-sensei.

“Ah, umm… could I speak with Dai-sensei?”

“Huh? I’m sorry, but who is that?”

“Ah, umm… the person in charge of Haruna from Refrain Year, Rising Class.”

I’m relieved that the name of her year and class were easy to remember. The names really gave off a strong impression. Although, don’t expect me to remember her attendance number.

“In that case, could you be talking about her homeroom teacher Ariel-sensei? Ariel-sensei has stepped away at the moment, would you like me to take a message?”

“Ah, well, umm… just tell her that I will get what she wanted tomorrow…”

“Understood. Could you please provide me with your name?”

“Ah… My name is Aikawa Ayumu.”

“Aikawa Ayumu-sama, is it? Understood. Was that all for today? Well, thank you for your call. Goodbye.”

Yes. Ah, yes. Yes. Yes. Goodbye.

I couldn’t really respond in a less monotonous way. If you ask me why, it’s because I was nervous.

Well now, it’s been a while since I’ve been to a convenience store and browsed through some of the magazines, so shall I do that?

Why am I not sleeping, you ask?

Well, more than any animal, zombies are creatures of the night.

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

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1

2012-10-06T02:56:24Z

NeoZodiac: .

{{:Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Illustrations}}
{{:Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Prologue}}
{{:Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 1}}
{{:Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 2}}
{{:Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 3}}
{{:Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 4}}
{{:Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Epilogue}}
{{:Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Afterword}}
{{:Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Commentary}}

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

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?

2012-10-05T16:46:54Z

NeoZodiac:

[[Image:Kore wa Zombie desu ka? vol 1 cover.jpg|thumb|Volume 1 Cover]]

Kore wa Zombie desu ka? (これはゾンビですか?) is a light novel series written by Shinichi Kimura. The illustrations are done by Kobuichi and Muririn. Currently, the series has 9 volumes, an anime series and manga series.

Project hosted on [http://korezombiethetranslation.wordpress.com/ NanoDesu's website].
==Story Synopsis==
Ayumu Aikawa is a zombie resurrected by a necromancer named Eucliwood Hellscythe after being killed by a serial killer. As he tries to make the best of his undead life, he encounters a masō-shōjo named Haruna and inadvertently takes her magic powers, being forced to become a masō-shōjo in the process. With Eucliwood, Haruna, and a vampire ninja named Seraphim living with him, Ayumu helps battle demons known as Megalos while trying to figure out the mystery behind his own death. 

== Updates ==
*2 March 2011: Kore wa Zombie desu ka? teaser project initiated.

== Translation ==

===[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Registration_Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

===[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4223 Feedback]===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4223 Feedback Thread]'''

==The 'Kore wa Zombie desu ka?' series by Shinichi Kimura==

===Volume 1 ([http://www.mediafire.com/?6p65c7i2gs09l04 PDF])===

::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Commentary|Commentary]]

===Volume 2===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 3===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 4===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 5===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 6===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 6 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 7===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 7 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 8===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 8 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Volume 9===
::*[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 9 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor:

===Translators===

'''ACTIVE'''

'''INACTIVE'''

:*[[User:Kira0802|Kira0802]]

'''M.I.A.'''

:*[[User:Naerylan|Naerylan]]

===Editors===

:* [[User:hayate912|hayate912]]
:* [[User:Hiro Hayase|Hiro Hayase]]
:* [[User:Trololol9099|Trololol9099]]
:* [[User:Rednal|Rednal]]

==Project Status==

Project Status: '''Teaser'''

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I'm a Masō-Shōjo" / これはゾンビですか? はい、魔装少女です (Published January 20, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3370-5)

* Volume 2 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I am the Harbinger of Death" / これはゾンビですか? そう、私は死を呼ぶもの (Published May 20, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3370-5)

* Volume 3 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? No, It explodes" / これはゾンビですか? いえ、それは爆発します(Published September 20, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3442-9)

* Volume 4 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yeah, I'm the Strongest Teacher!" / これはゾンビですか? うん、先生が最強だよ!(Published January 20, 2010, ISBN 978-4-8291-3481-8)

* Volume 5 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Oh, My darling is a good-for-nothing" / これはゾンビですか? ああ、マイダーリンはロクデナシ (Published May 20, 2010, ISBN 978-4-8291-3524-2)

* Volume 6 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, Both are my wives" / これはゾンビですか? はい、どちらも嫁です (Published October 20, 2010, ISBN 978-4-8291-3574-7)

* Volume 7 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I sleep with my father" / これはゾンビですか? はーい、眠れるチチです (Published January 20, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3605-8)

* Volume 8 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I'm Sorry for Kissing" / これはゾンビですか? はい、キスしてごめんなさい (Published June 18, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3650-8)

* Volume 9 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I've come to bless(curse) you" / (これはゾンビですか? はい、祝(呪)いに来ました (Published November 19, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3701-7)

* Volume 10 - "Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Yes, I'm Lovely and Charming / (これはゾンビですか?10 はい、ラブリーでチャーミングだけどあたしは (Published May 19, 2012, ISBN 978-4-8291-3761-1)

[[Category:Teasers]]
[[Category:Fujimi Fantasia Bunko]]

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 4

2012-10-05T16:45:49Z

NeoZodiac:

==Chapter 4 – Die==

[[Image:KwZ_01_200-201.jpg|thumb]]

June Twenty-Sixth (Monday), 5AM. There was no variety show showing on the television this time, but rather a mail-order program hosted by Japanets Takahata[http://www.japanet.co.jp/shopping/] or something. Like always, Yuu was watching the program. Seeing that her hair seemed wet, I gathered that she had at some point taken a bath. Sera was also there, kneeling and staring fixedly at the same television program.

“Ayumu. I’ve been thinking about something quite a lot lately…”

As always, I was seized by those beautiful, frank jade-colored eyes. She looked at me without breaking her serious expression, and my nerves began to attack me.

“About what?”

“In the end, all things need names, right?”

“Eh? Well, it wouldn’t be good to not have a name, I guess.”

“So things really do need names, right? In truth, I thought of a new technique. I want to attach a name to the technique, but I can’t think of any words that end in ‘kaeshi’… won’t you help me think of some?”

What, it was just that? Now I really felt silly for having gotten nervous…

“Do you really have to attach ‘kaeshi’ to the name?”

“If at all possible. Because it’s a Hiken (Secret Sword Technique) technique.”

So, all the Hiken techniques had to be “something kaeshi”?

Ah, right. It’s probably just because she loves her Tsubame Gaeshi. That’s probably the only reason.

“Hm, but I’ve never really seen what the technique looks like…”

“Well, first I glide down like this…”

She gestured with her hands in an attempt to show me, but I honestly had no idea. But I have to admit that she was pretty cute, sitting there and thinking seriously like that.

“Hiken, Tsuru no Ongaeshi<ref>Crane’s blessing</ref>. How about that?”

Wouldn’t that be repaying someone through injury?<ref>Kaeshi or gaeshi means “return,” and can be used in the context of “returning a favor.” Ongaeshi actually does mean something like “returning a favor.”</ref>

“That’s no good, I think.”

I smiled wryly and rejected her suggestion, upon which she gave me an “I see…” in a somewhat disappointed voice.

“Well, how about Ether Chabudaigaeshi?<ref>Chabudai is just the word for dining table. Ether is ether. This is also apparently a reference to Super Robot Wars</ref>

“Eh? There are names you can rip off and names you can’t. That’s one of the latter.”

“But, nobody would understand the reference, would they? Only people who know the reference would understand.”

“No, that’s no good. Also, that’s not a sword technique. It’s a magic technique.”

I held my head and rejected her suggestion, upon which she gave me an “I see…” in a somewhat disappointed voice.

“Just show it to me next time. After I see what kind of technique it is, I’ll think about it more.”

“I understand.”

Well now, shall I prepare to head off for school? If I don’t go while the sun is down, I won’t even be able to make it there.

When I stood up, Yuu looked up at me. She tap tapped her ballpoint pen on the table.

'''Stay here today.''' = “Oniichan! Please don’t go!”

Her pretty eyes focused on me. Was something up? I asked, but she seemed resolved to stay silent.

But even if you tell me to stay here… if an enemy shows up, I’m sure Sera would be able to do something about it, right? I’m a zombie, but I’m also a high school student. Unfortunately, I have a duty to go to school.

“I’ll try to be back as soon as possible then.”

Absorbing my words for a short moment, Yuu gave me a slight nod of consent.

I rapidly ascended the stairs and passed by Haruna. Today, she was wearing a no-sleeve polo shirt along with a pair of short pants with the pant legs folded up. It definitely suited her.

“Ah, Haruna.”

“Hm? What? Something wrong?”

Her big eyes blinked twice in surprise, and I told her everything I had talked about with Dai-sensei. I also told her about how her errand to find the artifact had been completed.

“You talked with Dai-sensei?! Dai-sensei is not someone you can just talk with so freely like that! She’s amazing, you know! Dai-sensei is!”

For some reason, as she yelled at me, Haruna grabbed my arms, swept my legs from under me, and simultaneously backhand chopped me in the head, throwing me down repeatedly like that over and over. When I asked her how Dai-sensei was amazing…

“Dai-sensei is a hero, a martial arts expert, a warrior, a priest, a magician, a merchant, a thief, and what’s more, a complete hedonist!”

Those last few were bad, weren’t they? A merchant, a thief, a hedonist… what a crazy life that must be.

“Anyways, she said that you should focus on recovering your magic. You can’t go back like you are now, right?”

“That’s true, but… I guess I was thinking that things are fine the way they are… at any rate, I would have to come to this world to exterminate Megalo, and it’s not like there’s anybody waiting for me back there…”

For just a moment, Haruna had on a sad expression that didn’t fit her at all. I placed my hand on Haruna’s head.

“If you stay here, you’ll have to make lunch for me, you know?”

“Well, ‘s no helping that. Oh right! I made something incredible today! I’m sure it’ll be great!”

She banged on her petite chest and showed me a smile. It was the same refreshing smile she showed at mealtimes.

As I watched Haruna bounce down the rest of the stairs, I returned to my room. I changed into my uniform and took up my backpack. There was nothing in it. All of my textbooks and notes had been left in my locker at school.

Oh right, there was PE class today. I need to pack my jersey. And then I need to get my lunch from Haruna.

I hope that today will be a boring, uneventful day.

Of all the zombies in the world, I was probably the only one who wished so much for peace.

<center><big>***</big></center>

On Mondays, from first period I was subject to the torture that was PE. Why was it torture, you ask? Do you really think I can exercise under the blazing sun like that? Zombies couldn’t do anything when it wasn’t nighttime.

If we were exercising in the gym, I could show off my physical strength to my heart’s content, but unfortunately we were playing volleyball today on the field. Set up volleyball in the gym, dammit.

As a result, I collapsed before the match had even begun, and was carried to the infirmary. And I lay there in bed until noon. It was a normal school day, without anything really worth mentioning.

Well, if there was one thing worth mentioning… it was lunch!

Alright, Haruna! Battle start!

I ripped the top off the box, and in it were… stewed bear claw, spiny lobster, what looked to be shark fin stew, what looked to be fried suckling pig, something that looked like scraps of abalone steak… a small feast fit for a Chinese emperor was crammed into that box. I see, this is what she meant by “I made something incredible today!” That was certainly true.

There must have been nearly a hundred and fifty things in this box. Each and every one of them were super tiny. What a jumbled up mess. But pretty amazing. Where the hell did she find all these ingredients?

“Wow… sort of disgusting… who made this? Sera-san?”

Orito stared at my food, dumbfounded. I mercilessly fended off his chopsticks as he reached for my food.

“It was Haruna. To tell you the truth, the ultimate fried egg I had last time was also made by her. I won’t let Sera cook. As long as my heart continues to beat, I will never let her cook.”

“Dammit, I’m so jealous!”

Orito even started attacking my face with his chopsticks. Hmph… as if I’d let you hit me!

As we crossed chopsticks with each other, Orito underhandedly grabbed the spiny lobster with his free hand. He knows I like lobster too…

“You know, you really have to share things as delicious as this with everyone.”

The corners of his mouth turned upwards into a smile. What a spiteful little four-eyes… how dare he take my lobster…

“Well, is it good?”

I asked him with tears pooling in my eyes, and he gave me a huge affirmative nod. Oh, is that so? The fried eggs were already shockingly delicious. With these types of ingredients, I’m sure the food was extravagantly tasty. Well, if I could be allowed to speak selfishly for a moment, it would have been nicer if I could have gotten this meal straight out of the oven though…

<center><big>***</big></center>

“Yahoo<nowiki>~</nowiki>!”

It was Orito who said that, not me. We were in room 305. After school ended, I came to visit Kyouko-chan in the hospital together with Orito. Of course, it was in order to get the Kyoudoufu.

“I brought you a Masked Burger Set as a gift today. Kyouko, you haven’t eaten something like this in a while, right?”

Orito chuckled and passed over the plastic bag. With a somewhat troubled expression, Kyouko-chan received the bag from Orito.

Well, that’s no wonder. Is it seriously normal to give sick people fast food? Looking at the piles of cake boxes and fruit around Kyouko, it really seemed that everyone brought food as a visitation present, and that it would be utterly impossible to get through it all. Oh and by the way, I had brought a random romance novel for her to kill time with.

“Thank you very much.”

As if we were exchanging business cards, I gave her a bow and presented it to her with both hands, upon which she gave me a heavenly smile. Drawn in, I also ended up smiling in return. It was one of those smiles.

“Ah, Aikawa-san, this…”

She handed me a plastic bag, in which was none other than what I had come for. I’m seriously grateful she went through so much trouble.

“What’s that? Food?”

At Orito’s puzzled look, Kyouko-chan sent him a teasing grin. “It’s a secret.”

“Sorry about making you go through all the trouble.”

I took out the money to pay for the tofu from my wallet, but Kyouko-chan pushed back the money with her hands.

“Don’t worry about the money! I also got this too.”

She hugged the romantic novel to her chest and smiled. Soon, I ended up joining her, smiling as well.

“Thanks, I’ll take it then. There’s someone who would go through heaven and hell to eat it.”

“Ahh, so Aikawa-san isn’t the one who would be eating it?”

She pouted and looked downwards.

“Is Aikawa eating Kyouko?”

At Orito’s sexual harassment, Kyouko-chan became as red as an apple.

After that, we enjoyed some normal small talk for a while. I suddenly remembered that Yuu had told me to come back home quickly, and stood up with an “I think I should be going soon.”

“Ahh, then let me see you out.”

Kyouko-chan cheerfully came down from the bed.

Orito suddenly excused himself, saying he had to go to the bathroom. Ugh, do that after I leave, dammit. Together with the ceaselessly smiling Kyouko-chan, I went as far as the hospital entrance.

How exactly am I supposed to get this tofu to the person who asked for it? As I waved to Kyouko with a “Thanks. I’ll come again,” I took out my cell phone and called Dai-sensei.

''Riiiinnngggggg…. Riiiinnnnggggggg…''

“Hello<nowiki>~</nowiki>. This is the Matelis Magical Academyyy<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

The gentle, laid-back voice put my heart at ease. I knew exactly who it was just from how she spoke.

“Ah, is this Dai-sensei? It’s me. Aikawa Ayumu.”

“Oh? You’re still calling me that<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

Dai-sensei chuckled. I mean, Haruna had always called her that, so I ended up calling her that too.

“I got the thing you asked for, but what exactly should I do with it?”

“Oh? It was handed over to you already<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll come to get it. Let’s see… I’ll be there when it’s nine in your world, alright<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

“Nine? Wait, Dai-sensei is coming personally?”

“Yes. Haruna hasn’t been able to return to being a masou shoujo yet, right<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

“Could you take her back to Virie with you when you return?”

“I really doubt Haruna would agree to that<nowiki>~</nowiki>. She might look like that, but she is a really proud person, you know<nowiki>~</nowiki>? She would definitely say ‘Shut up! Desu! Don’t worry about me! Desu!’ or something like that <nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

Even when she’s angry, she still managed to think as far as to add “desu” to the end of things to show respect, hm?

“So, let’s meet somewhere. Somewhere without too many people is probably the best<nowiki>~</nowiki>. I’ll definitely stand out<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

I recalled the time I had met Haruna. She fell down from the sky like a meteorite, and it would definitely be a bother if Dai-sensei made a similar entrance.

“In that case, how about the graveyard where Haruna first dropped in?”

“Where… is that? Could you please give me the address<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

It seemed that she had no idea where Haruna had first dropped in on this world. Well, granted, she had assumed that Haruna had been in Kyoto until recently. I didn’t know the address of the graveyard, but I did give her the addresses of a few places near the graveyard, to which she responded with an “I understand<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

I then ended the phone call, and when I looked over my shoulder, I saw that Kyouko-chan was still waving to me. Was she seriously planning on continuing to wave until she couldn’t see me anymore?

As I thought, she was seriously, lovably cute.

<center><big>***</big></center>

Well then, I had come home quickly just as Yuu had requested, but… was there something special about today?

Ah. It’s been exactly a month! Exactly a month since I met Yuu… or rather, since I became a zombie.

'''Anything strange happen?''' = “Oniichan. Did something happen<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

The minute I went into the house, I heard a tapping, and when I went into the living room I found those words waiting for me. She was glancing at me, so I shook my head to signal that nothing had happened. As if saying “Then that’s fine,” she silently returned her gaze to the television, and continued to sip her tea.

For the moment, I returned back to my room, and changed into my casual clothes. I went back downstairs carrying my uniform and my jersey, and tossed them into the wash hamper in the bathroom. Sera did the laundry, which was convenient. Sorry, but I don’t think I should be washing Haruna and Yuu’s undergarments…

I walked towards the kitchen with my bento box and the Kyoudoufu, when I saw Haruna in the living room.

“Ah, welcome back. I’m hungry.”

“Can’t you make anything other than bento lunches?”

“I don’t want to make food for myself. Doesn’t that feel pretty lonely?”

Haruna stared at the television, looking as if she was lost in thought. Now that I think about it, she was always alone in her own world, wasn’t she?

Preparing meals for other people, and having meals prepared for herself. Like that, she probably wouldn’t feel as alone.

“Oh right… the bento was great. Thanks.”

I gave her the brightest zombie smile I could muster, but Haruna didn’t even face me, instead just muttering “No kidding.” She wasn’t facing me because she was blushing, right? Your ahoge is sure jumping around a lot. You’re really happy about this, aren’t you? To be thanked like that.

Grinning at Haruna’s cute response, I entered the kitchen, and then I couldn’t stop the corners of my lips from turning upwards into a smile.

There were an absurd number of ingredients scattered around the kitchen. The leftovers from the Chinese Emperor’s banquet. Did she just leave them lying around like this through the day? This was something Sera should have at least tried to clean up, but…

When I opened the refrigerator, I saw that it was packed to the brim with seafood and other things that would spoil easily. Ah, so she did try to clean things up at least a bit. But as expected, you couldn’t fit 150 things into a refrigerator… also, there was no place to put the tofu.

In other words, today we would just be having these leftovers. There were 150 things here, so it’s not like I was going to get tired of eating these things.

It’s just, it was still a huge amount of work.

“Haruna, after this I’m going to the graveyard to meet Dai-sensei…”

“Hmph. I’m… not going.”

“I see.”

The clock had passed nine, so I took out the tofu from the refrigerator and left the house. As I was walking, at some point Haruna appeared at my side. I didn’t even bother asking her why she was there when she had said she wasn’t coming. But even then…

“I-I’m just going to the convenience store.”

She came up with that excuse. We separated midway, but she would probably come later.

<center><big>***</big></center>

As usual, the graveyard was quiet. The shiny polished gravestones almost seemed to suck the heat out of the summer air around them, and the tree branches elegantly waved in the gentle breeze.

Ahhh, this really was a place that could calm me down.

In the shadow of a wooden grave marker, I could see the form of a twin-tailed girl with chest-length hair, even though I couldn’t see her face in the dim light. She looked around the age of a junior high school student? She was taller than Haruna. Crap. I’m really into twin-tails, you know.

Well, it’s not like anybody other than a zombie or a masou shoujo would be here at the graveyard like this, so that was probably Dai-sensei herself, but I should probably check just to make sure.

“Dai-sensei?”

She chuckled with a hand on her mouth, and responded with a “Yes it iiis<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>”… rather, that was what I expected to happen.

Instead, in place of a response, what the girl did instead was…

She ran me right through with a sword.

“Wh… Why…?”

I had no idea what she was talking about. Did I do something?

Crash. The Kyoudoufu in the plastic bag I was carrying dropped onto the floor.

“Good evening. Aikawa-san.”

The grinning girl was not Dai-sensei.

How did I know that this wasn’t Dai-sensei? Well, because this was someone I knew… it was Kyouko-chan.

“… How many times do I have to kill you for you to die?”

Her eyes thinned. In contrast, my eyes opened wide.

It was you?!

It seriously was you?!

-

The one who killed me was you?!

-

“Nomobuyo, woshi, hashitawa, dokeda, gunmiicha, dei, ribura.”

Kyouko sent forth words that I recognized. Before my eyes, her clothes changed into what looked like a cosplay costume. The cast around her left hand also disappeared, and although she grasped a sword in her right hand, she had a wooden sword in her left. A training sword or something?

A masou shoujo. The serial murderer was not a vampire ninja or a Megalo, but rather a masou shoujo.

That’s why nobody remembered what had happened. Everyone in the neighborhood had their memories manipulated, and the incident erased from their minds.

And the reason why I still remembered was probably this:

Even though I was in the memory manipulation range, there was one type of people who were immune from its effects. Those people were precisely the people who could perform the memory manipulation. Namely, masou shoujo.

In other words, memory manipulation wouldn’t work on someone like me who had become a masou shoujo. Well, what about the time I was killed? To perform the memory manipulation, you needed to specify an area of effect. At that time, I was in this graveyard. I was probably outside that area.

Haruna wasn’t supposed to have come to Tokyo. In that case, who was the masou shoujo who was put in charge of Tokyo?

Both Haruna and Kyouko had the appearance of a junior high school student. Did all masou shoujo look like that?

''“What’s wrong? Your face is red… don’t tell me you have a fever…”''

Now that I think about it, Kyouko was acting pretty suspicious back then. She was probably trying to manipulate my memories by putting a hand to my forehead, right? Just like Haruna had done to Orito. However, because I was a masou shoujo, it had no effect.

In retrospect, her desire to meet me as soon as possible was pretty suspicious in the first place. Dammit, although I had said that I was looking for the criminal, I had completely let down my guard. This is what happened when you took it too easy, wasn’t it? I’m such an unbelievable idiot.

I couldn’t move my body.

Like that time… like the time I was with that dog. Like the time I was killed.

“Do you actually think you can fight with me with that small an amount of magical power? … Laughable. Only one barrier and you can’t move, can you?”

So, this was like that time with Shironaga, when Haruna tried to seal Shironaga’s movements with a barrier…?

Kyouko still was showing me her well-mannered smile. And then…

“Ariel-sensei is not coming. I asked her to do something. Quite unfortunate, isn’t it?”

Her round cat-like eyes thinned.

“… And once I take care of you, everything will be settled.”

Before she could run a sword through my heart, I found myself on the receiving end of a rugby-like tackle. It sent my head spinning. The person clinging to my chest was none other than a frantic looking Haruna.

“Ayumu! Ayumu!”

Was she worried about my not being able to move? I would love to thank you, but I can’t move my tongue.

“Haruna… I see. This is why memory manipulation didn’t work on Aikawa-san.”

Haruna completely ignored Kyouko’s threatening words.

“A barrier, is it? … Hyah.”

Haruna chopped me with her hand, and I could move again.

“Hm? Where did you learn how to dispel barriers? You can’t even keep up in school.”

“I understand the theory behind constructing barriers, so I can figure out the theory behind dispelling them. I’m a genius, after all.”

At those words, Kyouko’s expression stiffened a bit.

“You’re as obnoxious as ever…”

“Hey, Ayumu. Who’s this?”

You don’t know her? She knows your name though.

Kyouko seemed unconcerned, and approached us with her sword-carrying hand casually swaying side to side like a student would swing her bookbag side to side while leaving school.

“The masou shoujo who killed me.”

“Ayumu’s enemy, then? … In that case, she’s my enemy as well, hmm…”

As I readied my fists, Haruna stood in between Kyouko and me. She opened her arms wide and glared at Kyouko.

“Heh, interesting. What happened to Mystletainn? Are you planning to fight unarmed?”

Her angelic smile had yet to change.

''Krchh.'' Kyouko readied her sword.

“Don’t overdo it!”

''Thump.'' I kicked off the gravel floor. Holding Haruna to me, I began to jump away from that place.

“I won’t let you run away.”

Her laid-back voice resounded next to me, and she sent the thin, long sword she carried in her right hand into my flank with amazing speed. The wounds on my body steadily increased. She sent the wooden sword gripped underhand in her left hand pummeling into me and pulverized my ribcage.

I knew how powerful a masou shoujo could be all too well. When it came to speed and power and everything, I wasn’t even nearly a match for them.

I remembered the dog’s words at that time. This was just a guess, but what he probably wanted to say was…

''“Please hurry up and run away! With your level of magical energy, this is out of the question! This person…”''

''”… is not of this world.” ''

If that’s what he wanted to say, I could agree with him. I could also agree that this was out of the question.

“Please… just die already!”

She rushed me and plunged her sword right through my heart. Of course, before then, I had let go of Haruna.

This was my only chance. This one moment where my opponent thought she had won and let down her guard. I would drive a full-strength attack right into her.

The minute I tried to move my right hand, it was cut off.

What the hell was up with her impossible speed?!

She sent me flying with a kick, and I collided with a gravestone. Haruna ran towards me while calling my name.

“Oh, you can still move? Hmm… what exactly can I do that will kill you? … What if I burned you to cinders?”

The end of the sword glowed red, and a fireball appeared. The fireball steadily grew in size. A fireball made of magical energy.

I heard the sound of an explosion, and the fireball was shot at me with incredible speed. Right in front of me, it seemed to have struck some kind of wall, and vanished, sending ripples along the wall. I recognized that wall. It was Haruna’s barrier.

In order to collect my severed hand, I began to run, flying over the gravestones. Kyouko immediately gave chase. Her two cutely waving pigtails gradually closed in on me.

Having no other choice, I shifted into attack mode.

“346!”

She dodged my roundhouse kick with a crouch. I firmly grabbed the sword that came up at me, and blood dripped down from the palm of my hand. At that moment, Kyouko stopped moving for just a second. If I still had my right hand right now, I would be able to send a full-powered attack her way. Dammit.

I tried to send a strong kick into her flank, but she guarded against it with her other sword.

But, this can work. With this flow of battle, I think I can get in one satisfactory attack… but it was hopeless. A ball of flame slammed into me, and sent me tumbling right into another gravestone.

“Ayumu!”

Haruna ran over. Kyouko began to give chase, but a ruby light emitted from both Haruna’s hands and Kyouko stopped in her tracks… it looked like another barrier.

“Listen, Ayumu. With how I am now, I can only set up one more barrier, so plan accordingly.”

Only one more barrier. That’s not good. I’m a zombie, so I heal especially slowly when it comes to fire attacks. So I had to rely on Haruna to protect me from the magical attacks.

“Haruna, why are you fighting with me? Aren’t you on her side?”

“P-Pretty much…”

For some reason, Haruna blushed. It was exceedingly cute, and my jaws slackened in response.

“Pretty much? Aren’t you pushing yourself a bit hard here?”

“Shut up! Look, if you have time to talk to me then go get your arm instead! I’m… definitely not going to touch something as gross as that!”

That’s true. She probably wouldn’t want to touch something like a severed arm. Not just because she’s a girl… anybody would think the same.

While Kyouko was held at a distance, I ran to collect my arm. It seemed I was going to make it in time.

Haruna had her hands thrust out in front of her, readying herself to be able to erect a barrier at any time. I also began to gather my strength, prepared to bet everything on my next attack.

In a moment… and I seriously mean in an instant… Kyouko closed the distance between us.

Her sword danced. I immediately flew backwards, but I was firmly sliced diagonally from my chest to my flank.

The attacks continued. I desperately tried to avoid them while counterattacking. Her movement speed was very fast. But on countless occasions, I had fought with opponents that were fast like this. She was just a bit faster than they were. Once I got used to it, it wasn’t impossible to dodge her attacks.

That’s what I thought, but it was hopeless. The lower half of my body was cut through and fell off.

And then, Kyouko aimed for my neck as my head fell to the ground, and brought her sword down.

This was bad. Very bad. Don’t chop my head off. I won’t be able to do anything anymore.

''Clang!'' The sword didn’t cut through me, but instead I heard the sound of clashing metal.

Finding herself attacked by green swords, Kyouko ran from that place.

Nice timing. I felt like I’ve said the same thing before… but in any case, I gave out a sigh of relief.

Right in front of me stood a crimson-eyed Sera. She was carrying both a sword made of leaves and a chainsaw.

“Hmm… I was told by Hellscythe-dono to come and assist… but the enemy is… a human?”

Sera watched Kyouko with a somewhat uncomfortable expression. Oh right, vampire ninjas couldn’t kill humans.

“Don’t worry. That’s a monster who’s just put on a human disguise.”

“Is that so… things are pretty hard on you, aren’t they? There are more fights to the death in this city than even the village I lived in.”

I reattached my body, and took the chainsaw from Sera. For some reason, I could see a hint of happiness on Sera’s usually stern face.

“Hm? Those eyes…” Kyouko pointed at Sera with her sword. Did she know about vampire ninjas?

“You’re the same as me, aren’t you?”

Along with those words, Kyouko’s child-like large eyes bled crimson. As she turned to one side, I could see a black cloak behind her.

“Sera…”

“I don’t know her. I can feel another, different power in her.”

I had asked Sera because I thought she might know this person if she was also a vampire ninja, but Sera immediately responded in the negative.

And then, I saw this “different power” with my own eyes.

Right where Kyouko was standing blew gusts of wind. Yes, it was the same unpleasant, purple wind that signaled a Megalo was preparing to fight.

When I glanced at Haruna, I saw that she had shut her eyes tight, and was shaking in the shadow of a gravestone.

She was a vampire ninja, a masou shoujo, and also a Megalo? What the hell.

“Why… why does she have the same magical power as a Megalo…?”

Haruna mumbled as if possessed by something. It seemed that Haruna had already withdrawn from the battle.

“Here I go.”

Sera brandished her black cloak, and gripped her sword made of leaves. She attacked directly from the front, sending forth what almost looked like a shoulder tackle, and sent up a whirlwind of purple wind.

The two crimson-eyed girls clashed swords. Sera, who was firmly gritting her teeth, and Kyouko, who had a light smile on her face. As the sound of weapons clashing rang through the air, the purple wind whirling behind Sera began to take the form of a long, thin tornado.

Kyouko tried sink the wooden sword she was gripping underhand into Sera’s flank, but Sera jumped backwards. Right then, she was swallowed up by the tornado and sent flying out. I dropped the chainsaw, running to catch Sera.

“Sera! Are you alright?!”

She came flying into my chest, sending me on my back and sliding along the gravel with incredible force. The impact had enough force to almost make me faint. Sera’s hair had been dirtied by sand and pebbles, but the determination had not faded from her eyes. Thankfully, she seemed to be alright.

I supported Sera by the shoulder while glaring at Kyouko.

“Hey, this is something I really wanted to ask, but why are you killing people?”

“Aikawa-san, if you knew you could live forever if you killed people… you surely would do it too, no?”

“Don’t screw with me… I don’t want anything like that.”

“That’s a lie. After all, Aikawa-san has an immortal body, doesn’t he?”

She made another tornado. The tornados flattened out like an empty can being crushed, and then expanded until they looked like volleyball sized spinning tops.

As they revolved at high speeds, the tornadoes orbited Kyouko like a satellite.

“What the hell is that…? I’ve… never seen that before.”

Haruna’s eyes had widened. It seemed that this wasn’t a type of magic… it was probably one of Kyouko’s abilities as a vampire ninja. Just like Sera could summon tree leaves and manipulate them, she seemed to be able to summon tornadoes.

“Now then, I’m going to start being serious, alright?”

Accompanied by the two tornadoes, Kyouko rushed forward and attacked me directly from the front.

Kyouko swung her sword downwards, and I took her attack without dodging. The tornadoes were being a hindrance, so I couldn’t dodge. A spray of blood painted the air red.

As if I was in a carwash, the two tornadoes closed in on me from left and right. The spinning top tornadoes stretched out like a pair of loose socks. If they sandwiched me between them, what would I do? As I thought about the situation, I was hit by something from behind. I pitched forward, headed right for Kyouko, but she suddenly fell back, so I crashed right into the ground. I heard the grinding of the two tornadoes right behind me.

“Sera, what the hell are you doing?!”

“Those tornadoes are dangerous. You were just about to be pulverized by them.”

Even so, you didn’t have to kick me… Sera and I stood side by side, and simultaneously launched our attacks.

I attacked from the front, and Sera the side. The tornadoes weren’t particularly fast, so while dodging them I raised my fist high above my head and brought it down. I was making such an exaggerated motion on purpose, to draw an attack. If you showed such a huge gap in your defense to a fighter, they wouldn’t be able to help wanting to counterattack, right?

As expected, Kyouko launched her wooden sword up at me.

“Hiken, Tsubame Gaeshi!”

Sera’s blow connected. I was certain that the fight was over, but she managed to avoid Sera’s follow-up slice just barely. Scraps of her black cloak and fresh blood danced in the air. Kyouko next went after Sera, brandishing her sword.

Clicking her tongue after seeing that her attack hadn’t connected, Sera now had to deal with the new attack. Kyouko’s sword attack, like the time Sera had killed the anteater, was so fast that I couldn’t even see the flash of the sword.

Once again, blood was sent into the air. This time, it was Sera’s leg that had been cut.

She had probably quickly pulled her leg back to dodge. Her leg hadn’t been sliced off, but a gaping wound had opened up.

This was the timing I was looking for. I brought my heel down on the top of her head.

From midair, like an axe splitting firewood, my kick came flying down. This attack was my strongest attack, filled with the 600% power I had stored up. It would be ridiculous if she didn’t die from this.

My timing was right on the mark. It would definitely hit… I thought, but while Kyouko attacked Sera with her sword, she threw her body to the side.

Yes, she was expecting my attack. Dammit, I probably had jumped too high. My full-powered heel drop managed just to graze one of her pigtails, and otherwise ended in failure. What’s more, after Kyouko fell to the floor, she sent a counterattack my way.

Normally, when you fall onto the ground, you put your hands on the ground, right? Don’t push yourself too hard from that position, dammit!

Her wooden sword slammed into my leg, and I heard the sound of breaking bone.

I took a step back to put some distance between us. I had completely forgotten that the tornadoes were still there.

I felt a sensation, as if my back was being polished by a giant nail file. What the hell, were the tornadoes made of swords or something?

Kyouko came chasing after me, so for now I tried to get away from her… no, here, I should…

As my back continued to be shaved by the tornadoes, I found myself on the receiving end of Kyouko’s attack.

Her sharp, thin sword thrust deep within me. The heavenly smile that she was showing me was actually the smile of a demon.

“I’ll grind your body to pieces like this.”

“That would certainly be a bother.”

I firmly grabbed onto Kyouko’s body. I didn’t try to run, and I didn’t try to struggle. Instead, all I did was take her into a deep lover’s embrace.

To stop her from moving.

Sera thrust a sword right through Kyouko, and straight through me as well. Kyouko opened her mouth wide, letting out a small shriek.

When Sera withdrew her sword, the tornadoes stopped turning, and Kyouko’s body collapsed onto the ground.

I let out a sigh, and stroked my chest in relief.

Was it over?

… She was damn strong. I couldn’t think of any other way we could have won.

“It seems like it’s over.”

Sera offered me a hand, so I took it and stood up. And then, Sera flew into my chest.

“Hey hey, what…”

I felt my face heating up in embarrassment for a moment, but my carefree attitude was soon knocked out of me.

A sword had pierced through Sera’s back.

A twin-tailed girl was gripping the sword. It was the girl we had just killed.

“I seem to have died once… but, too bad.”

“What’s the meaning of this?!”

“I still have around ten lives left in me.”

Huh? What the hell? That’s completely below the belt!

I was rooted to the spot, dumbfounded, but I soon tried to distance myself from her with Sera in my arms, and ran to where Haruna was.

Haruna had the chainsaw, so I had to retrieve it.

Perhaps because of that one attack, Sera was limp and motionless. The leaves that had once filled the air around us were also gone. She didn’t seem to have died… dammit, was it just from how much blood she had lost?

“Haruna, you learned about the Gem of Life, haven’t you? Please go ahead and tell Ayumu-san about it.”

Slowly walking towards us, Kyouko chuckled. Just like how she looked when I first met her, her face was cute. Could it be that it was time for things to be explained?

“Explain yourself.”

“The Gem of Life is an artifact that can revive the dead. If you use it on the living, you can render death ineffective just once.”

Sounded like something that I would often see in RPGs, but you could seriously make things like that?

“But, to make one of those, you need an incredible amount of magical energy, so a normal masou shoujo shouldn’t be able to possess ten.”

“I see, so that’s where the sacrifices come in.”

Kyouko seemed shocked at my words.

“Sacrifices?”

Haruna’s ahoge waved from side to side, and she asked me with a voice filled with bewilderment.

“In short, if she has a large amount of magical energy, she can make one right? So if she kills humans from this world, and changes them into magical energy, she can make these Gems of Life or whatever. Right?”

At my question, Kyouko grinned.

“Correct.”

“But, the humans in this world shouldn’t have that much magical energy!”

Haruna’s ahoge jumped from side to side and she shouted. “Impossible!” her ahoge seemed to be saying.

“But what if you sacrificed them? Then they would become large amounts of magical energy.”

This was something the dog had told me. I didn’t really remember too many of the specifics, though.

“Aikawa-san is surprisingly well-informed, isn’t he? I never thought you would also know about ''that person.''”

''That person'', huh? He was probably the one who had given Kyouko the power of a vampire ninja and the magical energy of a Megalo. What a bother.

''Kschh.'' Kyouko’s body blurred for a moment, and she was standing right in front of me.

I stepped back in an attempt to dodge, but the point of her sword stopped right in front of my face, and a huge fireball formed.

I kicked the sword up. However, the fireball did not disappear, and fired at me. There wasn’t even a smidgen of time for me to dodge. But, almost as if mocking my worry, the fireball suddenly disappeared.

“Aha, so you’ve finally come. I was waiting for you.”

Kyouko fell back half a step, and once again readied her sword.

I saw a familiar set of plate armor and pair of gauntlets in front of me. Long, straight silver hair that swayed in the wind. She stood there without an expression, staring blankly out into space.

She had never come to watch my battles before. Did she realize that I was in a pinch?

In any case, Yuu was standing right there.

This was a reinforcement I wasn’t expecting. Yuu had the power to turn me into a zombie. If she fought on my side, we should easily be able to beat Kyouko.

Flames arced in a semicircle and attacked Yuu, but she dismissed the flames with just a wave of her hand.

Yeah. As I thought, Yuu was really strong.

At that point, with my confidence in Yuu, I pretty much decided to leave the rest of the fight to her.

Kyouko continued to chuckle, and suicide rushed Yuu while creating more tornadoes. Yuu stood stock still, and just like before, waved her hands.

As Yuu’s silver hair was violently tossed around by the winds, Kyouko brought her sword down on Yuu. Alright, it was a huge attack this time. An ideal opening for a counterattack.

However, Yuu blocked the attack with her gauntlets. Not being able to withstand the force of the attack, her knees gave way.

“Hm?”

A puzzled expression came up on Kyouko’s face, and she cocked her head to the side. She kicked Yuu’s plate armor when she stood up, and Yuu wobbled backwards while clutching the place she was kicked.

Hey hey, those were both attacks you could have easily avoided, you know. I mean, Kyouko had probably planned for you to evade them, but you don’t have to deliberately take them straight on.

“… I see. Those gauntlets hold the power to negate magical energy. What an amazing piece of armor. However, the one using them is too weak… how unfortunate. What a waste of such a huge amount of magical energy.”

Kyouko sighed, shaking her head slightly from side to side.

Could it be that Yuu couldn’t fight very well? Could it be that her leaving the fighting to me was not because she didn’t see the need to interfere, but rather that she knew that she was weak?

Yuu snatched the chainsaw away from Haruna, and muttered something.

-

There’s no way she couldn’t be transforming into a masou shoujo, right?

-

Completely contrary to my words, Yuu’s clothes changed from the cosplay outfit I was familiar with to a different familiar cosplay outfit. However, her gauntlets and armor remained a constant.

When Haruna wore that outfit it was cute, when I wore that outfit it was disgusting, but when you put a suit of armor over it I admit it looked pretty cool.

At that moment, a number of memories began flowing out into my head.

''“… Well, that’s alright, I’m picking up quite a few signals in this area. I’ll go look somewhere else.”''

The crayfish had said that he could feel the energy of a masou shoujo somewhere else.

''”Who are you? It’s rare to see a male masou shoujo. And also, your magical power is so weak. You, are you really a masou shoujo?”''

''“Please hurry up and run away! With your level of magical energy, this is out of the question! This person, this world…”''

''“Do you actually think you can fight with me with that small an amount of magical power? … Laughable. Only one barrier and you can’t move, can you?”''

Lobster. The dog. Kyouko. Every single person I’ve met who could sense magical energy had said that my level of magical energy was tiny.

But…

''“Who exactly are you? Dai-sensei told me that you’d have to have an impossible amount of magical power to be able to steal the magical power from me, the genius bishoujo demon baroness Haruna-chan!”''

That’s what Haruna had said when I was made into a masou shoujo. I had thought beyond a doubt that I was the one who had stolen Haruna’s magical energy. Haruna also thought so. But, that was not true.

-

The one who had stolen Haruna’s magical energy was Eucliwood Hellscythe.

-

Yuu was probably also the reason I could become a masou shoujo.

I heard the ''cling'' and ''clang'' of weapon on weapon, and Yuu was blown in my direction.

“You’re still that weak even after becoming a masou shoujo?”

Kyouko sighed and shook her head, seeming disappointed… as I had suspected, Yuu’s battle ability was low. Even so, there was no questioning that her firepower had increased with the transformation. Should I join the battle here?

“Alright, Yuu. Together-“

Yuu briskly pointed at the floor. Now that I looked at it, there were words carved into the gravel.

'''Run away. You’re a hindrance.'''

Her cobalt-blue eyes that almost seemed to suck me in were focused right at me. Just like they were when we had first met.

I can’t run away here. I have to beat her, no matter what.

If we work together… and mix in Sera and Haruna as well, we can win this.

'''At least, don’t move. Definitely don’t move.'''

“You have to kill her ten times, you know? Let me join in.”

Yuu slapped me. What the hell. “Look again at what I wrote,” she seemed to be telling me.

Faced with those gleaming, gem-like eyes, I nodded once.

Faced with an almost Sera-like, coolly determined look like that, I found myself at a loss for words.

<center><big>***</big></center>

I didn’t know what to do.

Crossing swords with each other, Yuu and Kyouko had moved their battle in the direction of the big tree. I couldn’t forget the look Yuu had given me with those blue eyes. In the darkness, I was at a loss as to whether I should wait here or go over to where the battle was taking place.

“Ayumu…”

Sera seemed to have regained consciousness, but her face was ghastly pale.

This was probably similar to what had happened before. She needed more blood.

“Haruna, give Sera some blood.”

“Fine… just this one time, alright?”

After seeing Sera lock lips with Haruna, I stood up. In the end, I really couldn’t just let Yuu fight alone. I didn’t know what her chances of victory were, but seeing how the battle had unfolded up to now, I couldn’t help but be worried.

The minute I stepped firmly onto the gravel, Sera caught me by my clothes.

“Wait.” With a grim expression, she wiped her mouth with her hands.

“Wait for what?!”

I shook off Sera’s hand and took a step forward. This time, Sera grabbed me by the shoulder.

“You would only become a hindrance. Hellscythe-dono’s words carry incredibly strong power in them.”

“I’ve heard about that ability.”

People who heard her words would become as just as she said. She carried that kind of frightening power, and when she used it her head would ache.

Hm?

“People who hear her words… so, she can’t choose the target herself?”

“Precisely. Just watch.”

Sera said that to me, and I glanced in the direction of the large tree, where I saw Kyouko crumbling to the ground from her knees. She soon stood back up, but once again crumbled down. In response to that, Yuu dropped the chainsaw from her hands, and held her head in her gauntleted hands.

“Right now, Hellscythe-dono is saying the following.”

-

“Die.”

-

With just that one word, people would die?!

If I had gone to help her, and then had heard those words, what would become of me? I was being kept alive by Yuu’s power. If she then tried to kill me with the same power, I wonder which would take precedence…

That was why Yuu had not allowed me to fight with her.

If the people around her heard her say “Die,” they would all end up dying.

Her words were heavier than I had imagined…

''“What are you laughing about? Gross… die! Idiot!”''

'''''Don’t use those words lightly.''''' ''= “Geez! Don’t say bad things about oniichan!”''

''“Yuu, while I appreciate the sentiment, it’s not like Haruna was saying that seriously either.”''

''“No, seriously die. Die with that gloomy necromancer over there!”''

'''''Death is painful.'''''

Her tears that time… her words that time… were filled with many emotions.

A strong light sparked for a moment in the graveyard. It was so bright that I had to close my eyes, and I felt the power drain from my body. As expected from a body that’s weak against light.

Something fell from the sky. It was a girl wearing a tattered-looking pair of gauntlets and a set of plate armor. Her beautiful, silver hair spread out in all directions, and she fell down to where I was.

I caught her, and saw that she had her eyes closed, as if she was sleeping. Her body was limp, and her head hung gently down. Her clothes dissolved into a faint light. The only things left were her plate armor and gauntlets.

“Are you alright?! Yuu! Hey! Yuu!”

Although I was bewildered at the sight of her exposed, almost transparently white skin, I continued to call out to her.

“I haven’t died yet… in order to obtain that person’s magical energy, I’ve been fighting in this form on purpose to lure her out…”

A certain twin-tailed girl with blood flowing from her ears readied her wooden sword and walked in our direction. Her eyes were filled with madness.

Could she seriously have poked out both her ears to get away from Yuu’s power? That’s going way too far!

Kyouko impaled herself with a sword. She probably wanted to heal her body that had been wounded during her fight with Yuu.

The blood streaming from her ears disappeared as if having been acted on by a rubber eraser, and her footsteps lightened.

“Well then, let’s continue this party.”

I lay Yuu’s body on top of the gravel, and tightened my fists as they shivered in fury.

Pooling all my hatred into my eyes, I glared at that bitch.

Her light smile pissed me off a lot. Suddenly, something else flew into my line of vision.

Haruna had appeared, holding a green sword.

“Haruna?”

Hearing my call, she turned her cute face in my direction. The ahoge coming out of the top of her head jumped from side to side.

“Hey, Ayumu. What’s this I’m feeling? It’s the first time I’ve felt this way. Even though I don’t care about the people in this world, seeing that gloomy necromancer being done in like that… it’s enough to make my chest burn… I really want to punch that girl’s face in!”

“It’s probably because you actually do care a bit about Yuu.”

“… That… might be true. We never really talked that much though…”

“Otherwise, you want to do your best for my sake.”

At that suggestion, Haruna flushed apple red, and denied my statement vehemently. “I-It’s not like I’m doing this for you!” she spat out desperately.

“Ayumu, to be honest, the wound in my leg hasn’t healed yet. But, I thought of a new technique.”

Sera was standing by my side. Her composed, elegant face pointed straight forwards. She glanced for a moment in my direction,

“When we get home, won’t you help me think of a name for it?”

She gave me a small smile.

What is it with my life? Lately, the number of things I don’t want to lose just keeps increasing.

“Let’s go.”

Laughing once out of my nose, I kicked off the floor. In the same way, the two next to me kicked off the floor, and we all simultaneously aimed for the masou shoujo in front of us.

First was a shuriken made of tree leaves. Kyouko took that straight on, and thinned her eyes, concentrating on our movements.

“Kyaaah!!”

Kyouko crouched and avoided Haruna’s diagonal sword swipe. Sera, not being able to use one leg, kicked off a wall made from leaves with her usable leg, changed direction in midair, and headed straight for Kyouko. Kyouko put an end to that attack with a single swipe from her sword.

While she made a big swing with her sword, I went in for a punch and tried to catch her right in the face. But, she barely managed to dodge me, and I was blown away by a kick.

“Not bad.”

With incredible speed, Kyouko almost seemed to vanish and closed in on Sera. A clang! sound reverberated through the air several times, after which Sera had been cut from her chest to her stomach, and fresh blood flew from her wounds. She almost looked like a poor butterfly.

In the space of that attack, Haruna tried to impale Kyouko with her green sword, but she was thrown back by a tornado.

This wasn’t working. Like the dog had said, this was almost out of the question… she was just way too strong.

Leaves continued to fly around us. It seemed that Sera was still conscious. Haruna also seemed to have taken some serious damage, but she was scowling at me… pretty strong, these two were.

“Haruna, Sera, one more time!”

“OK!” “Here I go.”

This time as well, Sera took the lead and attacked. A poorly-planned, reckless attack.

Kyouko swiped her sword from low to high in a crescent arc, and cut Sera’s body into two… or so it seemed.

A body switching technique. Sera’s specialty ninjutsu, in which she replaced her body with a fake. I was astonished at her skillful deceit. Sera was really good at creating openings.

However, Kyouko had realized what was going on. There was no way Sera would just attack her straight on like that. She was just opening herself up and luring us in. Luring me in.

From a blind spot, I came throttling out with the intent to bring a kick down on her head. There was no other time which I wished as strongly as I did this moment that I had tried a punch instead. Because, if I attacked with my legs, I couldn’t dodge.

Kyouko went so far as to smile and cock her head to the side before deeply impaling me through. I had come out from a perfect blind spot. In situations like this where the difference in strength was so apparent, it was natural that we had no choice but to resort to those strategies. Of course, that’s precisely what we were doing. There was no other way. And Kyouko understood that too well.

In other words… Kyouko could anticipate from where and when we would try to attack her.

My legs were swept from under me, and my body was thrown into the air for a moment. The next moment, I was blown away by the tornado. Sera stood in the direction I was flying, looking like she was preparing to attack with a Tsubame Gaeshi. She couldn’t respond fast enough to my sudden appearance. I was impaled by Sera’s sword.

“A…. Ayumu…”

“Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

We couldn’t attack her straight on. And when you took into account the fact that she could read almost all of our surprise attacks, we really were in a hopeless situation.

What should we do?

… This was hopeless.

We couldn’t do anything but give up.

Yes. We had to give up.

Just one more time. That’s right, yeah. If we’re completely blown away and left on the ground looking up at the sky just one more time, let’s give up.

… And because of that, I wouldn’t be satisfied unless we put our absolute all into this attack.

I gave a backwards glance to Sera and Haruna, seeing them rush once more at Kyouko just to be swept away. Dragging my immobile leg along the ground and pounding my tightly closed fist on the ground, I slowly dragged myself forwards. In front of me was the chainsaw. I picked that up and began to chant.

“Nomobuyo, woshi, hashitawa, dokeda, gunmiicha, dei, ribura.”

The clothes I usually desperately tried to avoid wearing coordinated around me. The chainsaw emitted a ruby-colored light, as well as a shrill shriek. I unsteadily rose up, and stepped down hard on the gravel.

“Ah right, I forgot, but Aikawa-san is also a masou shoujo, isn’t he?”

Pulling out the sword with which she had just impaled Sera and kicking Haruna away, Kyouko faced this way.

I was suddenly slashed diagonally. But in return, I cut her down with the chainsaw.

“Eh?” Kyouko’s eyes opened wide. She probably wasn’t expecting me to be able to counterattack.

Kyouko’s wound closed right away. She had probably died once and then was revived.

“You monster!!”

Here it comes. A magic attack. Feeling as if I had been shot by a cannon, I shook violently and began to collapse.

No… not yet. I won’t collapse just from this.

I took a step back, and somehow managed to hold my ground. Ah, but it seemed she had broken my arm… well, whatever. If I still had my right hand, I could still punch her face in.

The sound of chaffed gravel filled the air, and I slowly advanced on sliding feet.

No matter what kind of attack she sent at me, no matter how many times she attacked me, I would slowly shuffle forwards.

Kyouko vehemently shook her head, and those large eyes shook in fear. It was almost as if she had seen a zombie and feared for her life.

“Stop! Die!”

No, I can’t stop. And no, I can’t die.

-

I still haven’t punched your face in.

-

Those annoying tornadoes came around again and tried to break my body into tiny pieces. Ah, if I get wedged between these two things, then it’s all over. I guess it really is hopeless.

That’s what I thought, but Haruna’s final barrier immobilized one of the tornadoes. However, the other tornado carved into me. If I just let things be, I would be ground into minced meat.

But, you know, that wasn’t enough.

Just because I was slowly being ground into minced beef was not a reason to give up.

“Fall! Kneel! Disappear!”

Kyouko gripped her wooden sword tight, and sent forth an attack with all her might.

“You… were strong. The strongest I’ve ever encountered. Freakishly strong.”

I grabbed her wooden sword with my hand, and crushed it in my grip.

“That’s…!! Breaking my masou renki… with your bare hands…”

“Sorry. Truth is, I’m also freakishly strong.”

“A human… by a mere human…”

“Haven’t I said it before? I might look like this, but I’m no human. I’m a zombie, and what’s more, a masou shoujo… well then, how many more times do I have to kill you? Although, I wouldn’t mind killing you ten times more.”

The masou shoujo costume under her black cloak vanished.

“A… Ahh… Uwaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!”

She shook her head from side to side, and the tears stored up in the corners of her eyes flowed out towards her cheeks.

Ahh, right. There was something I had wanted to tell the person who had killed me.

“They say that idiocy can only be cured by death. I was an idiot. Boredom might be a luxury, but it’s no fun. Loneliness might be peace, but then you cannot share your joy with others… thank you. My life changed because you killed me.”

My words probably took her completely by surprise. Kyouko even stopped shrieking.

I dropped the chainsaw on the ground, cleared the broken shards of her masou renki from my hands, crouched down, took a few deep breaths, and gathered my power. And then, I continued my words in a low voice.

“So, let me change your life this time.”

I took one step into my attack, forcing up all the power I had stored in my entire body, rolling that power up through my body’s rotation and sending it to my right arm. My fist tightened, my teeth clenched, and I concentrated that power into one spot. Trying to push all this power into a single attack, my fist drove full strength into that lovely face filled with so much hate.

Taking dirt and various things with her, Kyouko was completely blown away.

And then, at last, Kyouko stopped moving. She lay there, looking, as Haruna did, like a gentle young girl.

“It’s finally over…”

Sera dragged her leg, and spoke while holding her chest dyed in red.

“You’re full of holes.”

I gave her a quick laugh, and she returned with a laugh as well.

“You’re disgusting. Seriously, if you were that strong, you should have fought in that form from the beginning. Even though it’s disgusting.”

Sarcasm filled her every word. There was no ill will in her words at all.

“Haruna, are you alive?”

“O-Of course… who the hell do you think I am?”

She didn’t seem to be able to move her legs, but Haruna was as cheeky as ever.

I gave both Haruna and Sera one of my shoulders, and with these two maidens on both sides of me, I walked towards Yuu.

“Yuu.”

“Hellscythe-dono.”

“Hey, gloomy necromancer!”

At our calls, the silver-haired bishoujo hazily opened her eyes.

“Oh what, so you were alive?”

Haruna’s words almost seemed disappointed.

But, her ahoge seemed very happy as it jumped from side to side.

Yuu pressed on her head with one of her gauntleted hands, and sat up. She carved words in the gravel.

'''Is it over?'''

Sera answered Yuu’s question.

“Yes, Ayumu did it.”

Hearing those words, even though she was expressionless, Yuu seemed fully satisfied to me.

After seeing Sera pass Yuu her black cloak, I looked down on Kyouko’s naked body laying there. Her eyes were still lit scarlet. It seemed that she still hadn’t given up…

I tugged her up by her cloak, and raised my fist overhead.

“I have to make sure she’s dead.”

I began to send out another full-powered attack, but my right hand was firmly grasped. Even though I had become a masou shoujo and was using my full strength, my hand had been so firmly grasped that I couldn’t move.

“Hey, don’t stop me. There’s no way we can let this person li-“

When I turned around, a bishoujo I had never seen before was there. Her waist-length hair was tied into twin tails, and she was wearing a loose white lab coat. I could also see a blouse, a pleated skirt, and a necktie.

“You’re Ayumu-san, aren’t you<nowiki>~</nowiki>? What are you doing to one of my students?”

The girl gave me a smile. However, the hand that was grasping my right hand increased its strength.

“Dai-sensei! Um, you’re making a mistake! Ayumu might be an idiot, but you’re making a mistake!”

Haruna was more shaken than I had ever seen her before. Ahh, this was Dai-sensei.

“Ariel-sensei… help me…”

Kyouko shamelessly let out a feeble cry. Her eye color had also returned to normal.

“Dai-sensei, this person did something in this world that you can’t do. Let me go.”

“That’s a lie! I wouldn’t do something like that…”

Kyouko took advantage of the situation and huge tears fell from her eyes, making me want to punch her face in all the more.

“What are you trying-“

“I tried reasoning with them so many times… but they ganged up on me… Haruna too.”

She sobbed, speaking intermittently through her cries. What a brilliant actor she is.

“Dai-sensei, please believe us.”

“Even if you say that, this girl is a good girl, so above all… at the very least, what you were trying to do now was something you can’t do, wasn’t it<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

While she said that, Dai-sensei flung me away. My skirt flapped in the wind, and I rolled heavily on the gravel. Dai-sensei helped Kyouko up, and put her hands in the pockets of her long white coat.

“Dai-sensei! Why won’t you believe Ayumu?! Ayumu… these people… they’re super good people!”

Dai-sensei did not lend an ear to Haruna’s desperate words.

“Hmm, there just aren’t enough ingredients for me to believe them<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

When she took her hands out of her pockets, she was grasping onto what looked awfully like Japanese katanas.

Talking this over was hopeless. If that’s the case, the only choice we had was to settle this with our fists.

I was hesitant to fight with Dai-sensei. Was it really alright to fight just because my words weren’t getting through? Well, but… I would definitely not forgive Kyouko, so if she wanted to fight, I should fight her… before she transforms.

[[Image:KwZ_01_253.jpg|thumb]]

“Haruna, Sera, Yuu. Fall back.”

“Huh? You want to fight with Dai-sensei? You’re an idiot!”

Haruna expectedly objected to my idea, but Yuu tossed me the chainsaw, and Sera stood next to me, not heeding my words.

“Haruna, has she transformed yet?”

“Isn’t that obvious just from looking?! She hasn’t transformed yet. Could it be… you’re actually trying to win?”

That would be correct. I showed Haruna my determination, and her Ahoge waved around, almost as if calling me an idiot.

“That black-cloaked girl over there, you’re very strong, aren’t you<nowiki>~</nowiki>? Won’t you fight with me?”

I was surprised at her sudden proposal. What the hell was she saying all of a sudden…?

''Clang.'' I had never heard such a strong sound of metal on metal before. Sera was gone from my side.

“Meet words you like with drinks, and words you don’t with swords… that is who we are, the vampire ninjas.”

More sounds rang out. Dai-sensei continued to guard against the dancing sword strikes.

“How wonderful<nowiki>~</nowiki>. To think that there would be people like this in this world.”

Sounding delighted, Dai-sensei waved her sword. Rather than say she guarded against the attack, Sera managed to dislodge the sword from its current course and dodged it.

I need to get into this fight too. I readied my chainsaw and crouched.

Right then, Sera was knocked away in my direction. I suddenly took my hands off the chainsaw and caught Sera. The considerable force she hurtled into me with also knocked me back. The chainsaw flew somewhere off from the impact.

“Are you alright?”

“… This is frustrating.”

Her red eyes stared straight forwards. She clenched her teeth.

“I wanted to beat her with speed… but she’s faster than I am.”

What’s more, she doesn’t seem to be fighting with her full strength either.

I wanted to say that, but I had no time. Because Dai-sensei came in with a slash. Sera and I flew off in different directions. Dai-sensei came attacking in my direction. I kicked off a gravestone, and sent out my fist.

My attack was dodged, and my arm was cut. Blood sprayed out and dyed the air red.

After that, the sky was covered in green.

“The secret of my blade lay not in the blade that is hidden. Blades that fly as leaves on a tree, that is… Flying Sword, Hyakkizensatsu!”

Large numbers of blades covered the air like grass, and all fell towards Dai-sensei. But somehow, she managed to hit them all down.

You’ve got to be kidding. I was dumbfounded. I’ve never seen a person who could avoid every bit of rain in a downpour.

“Here I go.”

“Not good enough!”

Sera rushed at Dai-sensei but was kicked away, and my leg was chopped off. She hadn’t even transformed, but she was this fast? She was a complete monster. A twin-tailed monster.

Falling onto the ground, I reached out for my leg nearby to reattach it, and slid towards it.

''Krchh.'' The sound of chaffed gravel rose up, and a sword pushed its way through my hand. Before I could grab my leg, I had been pierced. Like some sort of biological specimen.

“You lot are quite interesting<nowiki>~</nowiki>. It really would be nice to study you<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

The eyes that looked down on me were those of an innocent young girl. Dai-sensei raised her sword up to face-level. I couldn’t feel any intent from her to attack me.

In an instant, Sera’s flying kick ran into the sword. She had been able to sense Sera’s movements and guarded against them. From Dai-sensei’s standpoint, did Sera seem slow?

She was way too strong.

My palm seemed to be broken, but I didn’t mind and drew my hand back, reattaching my leg and launched a low kick. Of course, that was also avoided. Dai-sensei’s katana glowed red, and blew Sera and I away like scraps of paper.

“What did she just do?”

“I don’t know.”

Sera and I looked at each other.

“She just used something called ‘Air’ or something. It’s wind magic.”

Haruna explained the situation.

I took the chainsaw in my hands, and gathered my power.

If it came to this, I would store as much power as I could and use it all in an attack.

… 602… 703… 810.

At that point, Dai-sensei came charging at me, so I kicked off the gravel.

I felt like yelling out, but at the speed I was going at I felt like I was on a roller coaster and couldn’t let out a sound, so I silently crossed weapons with Dai-sensei.

''Screeeeeeeech!!'' The chainsaw emitted a ruby-colored light and cut down on Dai-sensei’s katana. Or rather, it was cutting into the deep crimson light surrounding her sword.

“Fwah, amazing! Such power in a masou shoujo is incredibly rare!”

In the midst of battle, Dai-sensei gave me high praise and showed me a smile.

My chainsaw suddenly cut through thin air, and I found Dai-sensei’s katana at my throat.

“Ayumu-san, if you came and properly listened in my class, you could definitely become a top-class masou shoujo<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

Seeming satisfied, she chuckled. Well I’m beat… there’s no way I could win against someone like this.

If it came to this, let me ignore Dai-sensei and go straight for Kyouko.

I gave the chainsaw a huge swing, and when I made Dai-sensei distance herself from me, I ran towards Kyouko. Having read my intentions, in the time it took me to make two steps towards Kyouko, Dai-sensei stood in front of her.

Fast. Way too fast. I couldn’t do anything against that speed.

I brought the chainsaw I held in both hands down from up high, aiming to crush her. It was a swing that I had put all my strength into. If she dodged… well, I would actually prefer that.

Dai-sensei’s smiling face vanished, replaced by the serious face of a warrior, and she caught my full-strength attack with her swords. The two katana surrounded by crimson light enveloped Dai-sensei, and waves reminiscent of the times when Haruna erected her barriers rippled in front of me.

Even so, my attack was heavier.

I could do this. I could beat her…. That’s what I thought as I gathered even more power into my attack, but all the strength suddenly went out from my shoulders.

Kyouko had skewered both Dai-sensei and myself.

“That was quite a fun dance.”

Kyouko’s eyes were cold and thinned, and her voice sounded like it belonged to a man. Her eyes, which had lost their previous light and all their focus, gazed past myself and Dai-sensei, looking somewhere behind us.

“That’s… how…”

The one who had spoken up was Yuu. The changed Kyouko was looking straight at Yuu.

Sera, Haruna, and I all looked at Yuu. Yuu, who usually kept her silent, emotionless mask up no matter what, was grasping her head with a frightened expression.

“Ahh, but it’s good to see you’re healthy. Don’t look so frightened, Eucliwood. I don’t intend to do anything.”

The young man seemed to be enjoying himself, and his voice seemed to make the air around him tremble, causing a dark blue mist to settle in. When the mist touched me, my hairs stood on end and my body shivered at the disgusting feeling.

This person… was different. This wasn’t Kyouko.

Was the person we were talking to now the ''that person'' who had given Kyouko the power of a vampire ninja and a Megalo?

The mist gently wrapped around Kyouko’s body and lifted her up into the air.

“Well, then everyone. I look forward to our next meeting.”

“… Ayumu-san was telling the truth, wasn’t he? Tricking me is not allowed!”

Dai-sensei raised her voice while pressing on the part of her abdomen that had been impaled, but Kyouko didn’t even give her a glance. Wrapped in the dark mist, she vanished almost like a Megalo would vanish into the wind after they died.

“I won’t let you run away! Wait, please!”

Dai-sensei went chasing after Kyouko. I began to chase after them too, but Yuu had wrapped her arms around my waist, so I couldn’t move.

As if I could let them run away! But when I tried to shake her off, I touched one of her gauntlets.

Yuu’s hands were shaking.

And what’s more, Haruna elbowed me in the back of the head.

“Aren’t you amazing?! To think you could fight with Dai-sensei like that! This is good progress!”

She gave me a full-faced smile, almost as if she was talking about herself. I wasn’t even a match for her though…

And then… Sera wrapped her arms around my neck. I felt a happy sensation on my cheeks. They were pressed up right against me!

“I can’t walk very well right now. So I’ll be using you for crutches.”

Whatever happened to asking me first?

All in one go, I lost my will to chase after them. But for now…

“Yuu, what was that stuff earlier?”

How Yuu had reacted was weighing on my mind. I didn’t try to shake her off, but gently placed a hand on one of her gauntlets.

She opened her eyes wide, and while she covered her mouth with both hands, she carved words into the gravel.

'''That was, that mist was, something I should have already extinguished.'''

-

'''The power of a zombie.'''

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

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 4

2012-10-05T16:45:07Z

NeoZodiac: NeoZodiac moved page Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 4 to Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Epilogue: .

#REDIRECT [[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Epilogue]]

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Epilogue

2012-10-05T16:45:07Z

NeoZodiac: NeoZodiac moved page Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 4 to Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Epilogue: .

==Epilogue - I Don't Hate It==

[[Image:KwZ_01_262-263.jpg|thumb]]

Sitting on top of a gravestone as a refreshing breeze blew, I stuffed my cheeks with some onigiri I had bought from the convenience store.

Dai-sensei had ended up chasing after Kyouko. But, this time, she listened to what I had to say and believed me.

The serial murders that had occurred in this world seemed to be illegal even in Virie, so Dai-sensei had set off to look for and capture Kyouko. She also had promised to keep me updated about the situation.

Well, with this, the serial murders would stop, and the lonely, boring days I was spending in this world would return, I guess. If Virie was also looking for her, it’s not like Kyouko could do anything too flashy.

Days where I placed peace and luxury above all.

To me, being able to sit here and stuff my cheeks with onigiri was supreme bliss.

Yes, before I met them… before I met Yuu… it was certainly like that.

But, what was this? There was just something missing from this situation.

I suddenly felt like going home quickly, and returning back to that noisy place.

When I got home, the living room seemed lively. Oddly enough, it seemed that Haruna and Sera were arguing.

Geez… what was it now?

When I popped into the living room to see, I saw a huge pile of soap on the table.

“Why did you end up making soap when you were supposed to make pudding?!”

“I believe that there was something wrong with the ingredients you prepared for me!”

“Huh? I definitely properly matched all the ingredients to things from this world though! Just because the cooking was bad doesn’t mean the ingredients were!”

They pushed the blame on each other. They were like two fighting, little children.

I gave out a sigh of resignation.

“Why don’t we all just make it again together?”

“… Well, if Ayumu puts it like that…” Haruna pouted.

“That’s true. Let’s put what’s already happened behind us.” Sera completely changed her attitude.

“But, there’s no way pudding can become soap…”

Yuu glanced in our direction, but her expression was as emotionless as usual, a completely undisturbed surface of water.

“Alright, Ayumu! Let’s go and work nonstop all night and make some pudding!”

Haruna grabbed me by the hand, and began to take large steps forwards.

I’ll pass on the nonstop all night part though…

“Alright, I’ll go put the milk in some [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karatsu_ware Karatsu pottery]…”

Wait wait. Karatsu pottery? What exactly are you planning to do with the milk?

“Sera. Go heat up the bath and come back.”

“Ayumu, exactly how much pudding are you planning on making?”

“Sorry, but for the sake of our cooking, I have to officially announce that you’re not part of our battle strategy.”

“What?! Not part of your battle…?!”

Sera glared at me, overreacting like a soccer player vigorously arguing against a referee for issuing a foul against him.

“Try to understand. Ayumu wants to cook alone with me!”

Haruna patted Sera on the shoulder. She’s not wrong there, but I get the feeling that she was wrong about something…

“Haruna, let’s get to it. Come on, let’s go.”

I squeezed Haruna’s hand back, and headed for the kitchen.

At some point, Sera and Yuu had also come into the kitchen. I sighed once.

“Sera, go heat up the bath.”

“… Fine!”

Her tone of voice almost reminded me of a pouting child, and was not a tone I would expect to come out of her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely figure out something here for you to do.”

I called out to Sera’s retreating back, and she turned just her heard around.

“Thanks,” she said, her thorn-filled words flying through the air and piercing through me. Like that, she quickly left the kitchen.

… Now that I look at it, was Sera the kind of person to let her emotions show out in the open like that? Maybe she had opened her heart a little as well.

“You know, she always has a stern expression on, but when she’s cooking she really seems to have fun. What she ends up making is definitely not food though.”

“So, you wanna let her cook?”

“Deeeeeeeeefinitely not.”

“I feel the same way.”

Haruna and I opened our mouths wide and laughed together.

Tap tap. I heard a tapping sound, and looked towards the sink. In there was one of Yuu’s memos, and on the memo the following was written:

Ayumu. The pudding? = “Oniichan, hurry up and make the pudding, please?”

Ah, yes. I’ve never made pudding before, but if I left it to Haruna we’d probably be able to whip something up.

… Hm, now that I think about it, I wonder if Yuu could cook?

“Yuu, do you know how to make pudding?”

First, put the milk in some Karatsu pottery.

I unconsciously held my head in my hands.

“Yuu, you can be in charge of the tableware then.”

Her silver hair waved, and she slowly nodded.

<center><big>***</big></center>

Haruna’s ahoge danced a samba as she cooked, and taken in by her incredible charm, I became distracted from the tasks she had assigned me to do.

“Agh, dammit! I told you not to whip it, didn’t I?!”

“Sorry.”

Up to this point, I would have never desired this kind of everyday life, but now that had changed.

I wanted to hold this life precious forevermore. That’s how I thought about it.

In the space of this week, many things had happened.

Haruna had appeared, we had been attacked by Megalo, Sera had appeared, we had been attacked by Megalo, we had been attacked by Megalo, Megalo had appeared, Kyouko had…

Hadn’t I been attacked by one too many Megalo?

Megalo were the enemy of masou shoujo. I was a zombie and a masou shoujo, so I think it was unavoidable that I would be attacked. Not that I wouldn’t mind getting attacked less.

Even so, weren’t the Megalo coming a bit too often? Granted, if they were coming because Yuu was showing emotion, then I would take them all on. If that’s what it would take to ensure these days could continue.

“So, why exactly did you suddenly decide to make pudding?”

Haruna’s ahoge jumped back and forth. She was clearly in a good mood.

“Rejoice, Ayumu! We’ve been selected for a Megalo extermination operation!”

“… But you can’t even transform yet.”

“Not me! Ayumu’s doing it!”

Why is she completely ignoring what I have to say? Also, where exactly are we going to be doing this? Don’t tell me we would be going to a different world?

“There are a loooot of masou shoujo and Megalo gathered in this world! Ahh, how exhilarating!”

She opened both her arms wide, and spun around, looking pleased. As I expected, this world was going to get involved in something unpleasant again. Hey, wait just a second. Didn’t that mean… that we would be waging war?

I know I’ve said so many times that I would take on all the Megalo, but now I wanted to take that all back.

When I looked towards Yuu, I saw a somewhat lonely-looking expression on her face. If we exterminated all the Megalo, what would happen to the underworld, where Yuu came from? Yuu was probably worried about that.

“Ugh, I’m really not suited for this kind of task. Yuu, sorry, but switch with me.”

When I half-forcibly pushed the task on her, Yuu nodded once and willingly switched with me. Yuu was more skilled at the task than I had expected, and I suddenly found myself left without something to do.

I see, so she could properly do things she was told to do.

Haruna and Yuu looked almost like sisters, cooking together like that. At the terribly charming scene, I felt my jaw slacken.

The puddings were put into the oven, and Yuu came over to me silently. Haruna watched the oven intently as her ahoge bounced around.

Yuu had on her usual emotionless expression, but to me she seemed like she was having fun.

Haruna seemed to be pleased with this type of lifestyle. I also couldn’t help but be pleased with it. Sera also seemed to have opened up a bit.

But, what about Yuu? Could she be properly enjoying herself? She couldn’t ever show emotion, and couldn’t ever put what she held dearest into words.

“Hey, Yuu. What do you think about this way of living?”

I didn’t really expect an answer from her, but…

Tap tap. When I looked down, what was written there was…

-

'''I don’t hate it.'''

-

That was written… ahah, and I was completely worrying for nothing.

But, I felt like there was still something I was forgetting here… something I forgot to ask…

Ah.

“Hey, Haruna. It turned out you had nothing to do with the serial murders this time. But what exactly was up with what you said back then?”

“What?”

“When you said things like ‘If you’re a zombie, you wouldn’t die even if you were stabbed,’ or ‘ninjas can disappear or reappear.’”

“Ahh, that. I already figured it out, so I’m not too interested anymore, but… I mean, the wizards in this world can teleport and heal themselves without even using magic. So I was always wondering what type of strange magic this was, but I figured out that it was because they were making people in this world into the undead and into ninjas. Heh, someone like me can understand that much simply just by thinking about it for a bit.”

… Were there seriously wizards in this world?

'''Probably, she’s talking about magicians.'''

Stab me to death… oh, could she be talking about illusionist magic?! And the appearing and disappearing was that too!

What a fool I was for being thrown for a loop by Haruna’s words, even if only for a bit. That makes sense… There’s no reason Haruna would have any interest in the affairs of this world.

… For some reason, that annoyed me.

“Hey, Haruna. Speaking of that stabbing magic… there are gaps they stab them through, you know.”

“Eh? Aren’t they just healing where they get stabbed?”

“The disappearing and reappearing too, that’s just them moving normally through open spaces behind or underneath them. They’re not using magic or any kind of special types of humans in any of that.”

“Wha-?!”

Haruna opened her eyes wide and her mouth hung open. That seemed to be quite a shocking announcement to her. She had really believed that there were wizards in this world.

“Could it be you seriously believed what you believed? Even though it’s pretty obvious if you just think about it for a bit, you’re really just an idiot, aren’t you?”

“U…. I… I was… tricked!!”

Hey, you! Put down that kitchen knife! Hold on! Where the hell are you planning to stick that?! It’s not like I’m the one who tri-

Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!

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

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 2

2012-10-05T16:44:07Z

NeoZodiac: .

==Chapter 2 – There’s no Enemy We Can’t Take Down!==

[[Image:KwZ_01_092-093.jpg|thumb]]

There was no school on Saturday. Today I had plans to meet with that survivor of the serial murders.

After all, I wanted to know what kind of person had killed me. If I could get that information, I would gladly go meet with this person.

Long hair and a long thin weapon. From my memory of what had pierced me, it might have been a sword. Well, it’s not like that gave me much to go on, but this person was probably not a normal human, and might have been a vampire ninja or something close to that. I also considered the thought that it might have been a Megalo. That’s what I had considered, but…

“Megalo don’t have weapons.”

That’s what Haruna had asserted.

When I asked “Are you sure?” she responded “Of course I’m sure!!” and got angry.

And, from what Sera had said, vampire ninjas didn’t kill normal humans. There was some “law” that prevented that.

She went so far as to say, “Those that break the law are punished severely, but I have yet to see anyone suffer that punishment.”

Well, what kind of person was it then? If they had held one weapon in both hands I could understand, but going off killing people with two swords like that required an extreme amount of strength and skill. Well, it might have been possible for a zombie. And also for a certain vampire ninja-sama somewhere.

It was evening, and I was walking along with Orito. It had been raining since the middle of the day, so it was great. Those terrible rays of sunlight couldn’t win against those clouds after all.

Orito had agreed to share his deep blue umbrella with me, and we looked just like two lovebirds walking shoulder to shoulder.

“Aikawa, what’s with that smile? That’s gross.”

“Is it?”

Good weather put people into good moods after all. My head had been getting terribly burnt before, right? It’s definitely not because I’m walking home with Orito. Don’t get me wrong.

“If you smile like that later, Kyouko will be happy too.”

Orito smiled. Why did it annoy me when boys smiled? Kyouko-chan was the survivor of the serial murders that I was now going to meet.

“Now that I think about it, how exactly does Kyouko-chan know about me?”

“Beats me. Maybe she met you at some point during junior high school?”

“Well, I was pretty popular after all.”

“Yeah right. Only people like witches would fall in love with you.”

“But you definitely said that Kyouko-chan was in love with me or something.”

“Yeah. When I went to visit her she seemed awfully keen on meeting you. I dunno, maybe she got hit in the head and suffered brain damage.”

You’re going to go that far?!

“Hey, Aikawa. Kyouko is like a second little sister to me. If you do something strange to her I’m going to kill you, alright?”

“Yeah yeah got it.”

We leisurely strolled along while talking about our bowling outing tomorrow (I had completely forgotten about that). Being able to talk to a normal person like this about normal things almost made me forget that I was in the middle of a giant whirlpool of murder and violence.

I definitely didn’t want to get him involved in all this. There were things… I didn’t want to lose. Everyone had those kinds of things…

Even zombies.

<center><big>***</big></center>

Room number 305. Orito entered the room with a huge “Heya!” and dispersed the reserved atmosphere caused by the particular scent and stillness that hung around hospitals. I timidly followed after him. There were a few grannies in the room, but in the middle of them there was just one girl, obviously young, who stood out. Or perhaps it would be better to say that she felt out of place. Her left arm seemed to have been wounded and was wrapped in a cast.

Now that I thought about it, shouldn’t I have brought a get-well present? I didn’t come with anything.

“Ah, Orito-sensei! … Eh? A-Aikawa-san?”

Her hair was a bit longer than shoulder length, and although she looked to be around the same age, she was taller than both Yuu and Haruna. The minute she looked in my direction, she began to get flustered. Orito casually approached her.

“Hey, Kyouko! Didn’t I tell you to make your hair into twin tails? Geez, Aikawa is really moe for twin tails!”

Since when? Well, it’s not like I don’t like them.

“Ah, yes! I didn’t think he would really come… I’ll do that right away! Ah, but I can’t use one of my hands! Sensei, help me!”

She mumbled something with a sulky expression, and began to style her hair into a twin tails with Orito’s help.

Kyouko-chan kept her eyes on the floor, her face as red as an apple. As I watched this pleasant scenery, I sat myself down in a round chair and pulled myself up to where Orito and the bed were.

To the other people in room 305: I’m really sorry for bringing such a noisy fellow with me.

I looked around, and, well… nobody was paying us any heed. I thought there would be some chatter in the room, but in the end, I guess older folks didn’t have much to say to junior high school students.

“Umm… Aikawa… san. Do you remember me?”

Kyouko spoke timidly while continuing to stare at the ground. I didn’t know whether I should lie and tell her I did remember her, but I ultimately decided to tell the truth.

“… Sorry, I don’t. I’m really sorry.”

When I apologetically lowered my head, Kyouko-chan frantically waved her hands.

“No, it’s completely fine! In fact, it’s… it’s good that you don’t remember!”

Did I do something weird to this girl in the past or something?

“Hey hey Aikawa, you went to the same junior high school, right? Alright, done! How is it, Aikawa?! Cute, isn’t she?”

“Ahh yeah, outrageously cute.”

Those were my honest feelings. She really was exceedingly cute, sitting there looking shyly down at the floor.

“Really?”

The petite Kyouko-chan looked up at me with upturned eyes, and I nodded. And then she gave me a shy smile.

[[Image:KwZ_01_099.jpg|thumb]]

Orito then took the initiative in the conversation, and began to talk about how fun high school life was.

Kyouko-chan would also be coming to our high school, right? Orito seemed to want that to happen, but ultimately that would be Kyouko-chan’s choice, wouldn’t it? Also, even though she listened to him talk with a smile, every once in a while she appeared lonely.

Orito had gone to the bathroom, so I asked.

“Did something happen? You seem a bit lonely.”

“Yes. The truth is… I’ll be going to live with my grandfather in Kyoto. And I don’t want to disappoint Orito-sensei…”

I see. Orito had been chatting under the assumption that she was coming to our high school… and she couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth. So she sometimes looks like that…

Alright, while Orito isn’t here, let’s get to the topic at hand.

“This might be a bit sudden, Kyouko-chan, but did you happen to see the face of the person who attacked you? Even the smallest bit of information is fine.”

“… Honestly… yes, I saw.”

Yes, as expected. The murderer wouldn’t let his or her face be seen that easily.

…. Wait, what?

“Y-You saw? Seriously?”

Kyouko-chan nodded vigorously… would I seriously be able to get useful information this easily?

“W-What kind of person was it?”

I was somewhat excited while I asked that question. Yes, excited by this twin-tailed girl.

“She had these really beautiful blue eyes… I think she was around the same age as I am.”

I began to doubt my ears. Those particular traits brought one person to mind.

“Did she have these strange gauntlets on, and straight, flowing silver hair?”

“Y-Yes, that’s it! She definitely was like that!”

Having been able to get what she wanted to communicate through to me, Kyouko-chan was very excited.

… What the hell? What the hell… it was Yuu?

There’s nobody else who would wear that kind of outfit, right? Dammit, what the hell was going on?

“Do you know the person who did this?”

“Ah, I might know something, but I think I’m mistaking someone for someone else.”

“Please tell me! Tell me who it was!”

It never crossed my mind that I would be the one getting asked questions about these happenings. Her eyes widened with enthusiasm, and I was greatly perplexed as to how I should answer her.

“The person I know is silent and emotionless, and I don’t think she’s the kind of person who would do something so reckless. So I think I’m mistaking her for someone else.”

Her twin-tails swished back and forth, and she shook her head.

“I think it’s probably her. The criminal was also someone who had an emotionless face. She really didn’t look like she was going to try to kill me.”

Seriously…? Was it really Yuu?

And if that were the case, then the person I was looking for was also Yuu?

Or maybe what happened to Kyouko-chan was not a part of the serial murders?

And that’s why she survived?

Or maybe, on the contrary, my murder had nothing to do with the serial murders and Yuu was the serial murderer?

“Kyouko-chan, when were you attacked?”

“I was attacked late at night on May 26th.”

Wasn’t that the day I met Yuu? And I’m sure there were no survivors in the house where I was killed. The news had verified that.

So, on that day, there was another murder case? If there were, it wasn’t shown on the news at all. Could it be that the survivor was afraid the killer would come back and finish the job, so she didn’t speak publically about it? Or could it really have been a different incident?

My thoughts were in chaos. I looked around the room for something to help me change the subject. There was a lot of get-well fruit lying around, along with bags of clothing, and when I moved my body to look around a bit more I felt my foot kick something. Peeking under the bed, I found an object that seemed quite out of place in a hospital.

It was a huge wooden sword. I had never closely examined a wooden sword before, but I was really impressed by how big it was. It was to the point that I thought there might have been another small wooden sword in this one. Was this a memento left over from some of her deceased family members or something?

Kyouko-chan flushed a brilliant red and desperately tried to hide the sword from me.

“Why is there a wooden sword here?”

I suppressed a smile and asked.

“It’s a family heirloom… just kidding.”

As if to say “Hah, how’s that?” she raised both her arms in a victory pose and gave a little laugh. Pretty charming.

I broke out into a grin, and Kyouko-chan showed me a puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong? Your face is red… don’t tell me you have a fever…”

That lovely face approached mine. On her body there was a captivating pair of hills with in between that I would never think a junior high school student would have. Perhaps I was sensitive to cold, but when she put her hand to my forehead, the cool sensation ended up making my head heat up instead.

“Hm, you don’t feel feverish.”

Even for someone who preferred small breasts, I couldn’t take my eyes away from them. When she removed her hand from my forehead, Kyouko-chan licked her bottom lip.

“So, please tell me about that person.”

“Hm? Are we still on that? It’s hard to explain.”

“Hm? What?” Seeming flustered, Kyouko-chan leaned her neck to the side.

“Hm?”

“No… what? Hmm? U-Umm… were we done talking about this?”

“What does Kyouko-chan want to do to the criminal if she meets her?”

“… Well… umm… I would ask her to please stop doing things like this.”

Ahh… in my mind, I realized how much of a good girl she really was.

“So, that arm… does it hurt?”

With a somewhat sad expression, Kyouko-chan nodded.

… At any rate, it appeared that she wasn’t a zombie.

Right then, the spiky-haired Orito returned from the bathroom.

“Ahh, what a nice atmosphere~. Seeing a young boy talking to a young girl at her bedside like this…”

Moving his eyeglass frames back and forth while grinning, he was the spitting image of a master of sexual harassment.

After Orito came back, the conversation once again turned to school, and to repair the atmosphere I put on my best zombie smile and joined in on the conversation.

And after the lively conversation, Kyouko-chan and I exchanged mailing addresses.

“Alright, Aikawa, shall we head back?”

Did you run out of things to talk about? Orito suddenly stood up while making that suggestion. It seemed that he wasn’t making a suggestion, but had already decided to head back. Following him, I also stood up.

“Umm!”

“Hm?”

“Umm… thank you very much. I’m really glad that I was able to talk to you.”

My heart jumped in the face of that last angelic smile.

Girls’ smiles are just the best.

If only that necromancer and that vampire ninja would follow her example.

It was nearly sunset, and the after-rain sunlight that lightly peeked through the clouds burned the sky an orange color.

After exiting the hospital, I crossed the street and began to head for a convenience store. Next to me, Orito spun his deep blue umbrella around and around.

“Thanks, Aikawa.”

Walking across the still-wet asphalt, Orito pushed his glasses up and patted down his chest.

“For what? I didn’t do anything.”

“Kyouko was satisfied enough just from seeing your face.”

A serious expression appeared on Orito’s face. Feeling a bit self-conscious, I turned my gaze away from Orito’s glasses.

“Hmph. What’s so good about this thing?”

Hm? This cute voice…

When I turned in the direction I had heard the voice from, I saw a certain bishoujo with a bouncing chestnut-colored ahoge with the usual creases in her brow. Today’s outfit consisted of a dress shirt and a pink thong. I really had to buy her some trousers or a skirt. Also, some shoes.

“H-Hey, Aikawa, what’s with this first-rate bishoujo?”

Orito stood in shock, forgetting even to blink.

Well, there’s no helping that. After all, she’s that cute and she’s also in this outfit. Oh also, from his words, it seemed like he had completely forgotten about the incident with the crayfish yesterday. Thank goodness.

“Hey! Don’t look over here!”

She desperately tried to hide her panties with her dress shirt. If you’re that embarrassed by it, why the hell didn’t you put on some trousers? And is that my little brother’s shirt? That won’t actually hide your panties, you know.

“Ah. Umm… this girl is…”

If she showed up so suddenly looking like that, a Megalo is probably involved. And if that’s true, we’re going to end up wiping Orito’s memories later anyways, so there’s no point in making introductions now. So I didn’t really know how to respond to Orito.

“Ayumu! Here it comes!”

Haruna hid behind my back and tugged on my sleeve. Even if you say it’s coming, I can’t see a single sparkle in the sky. They usually fly down like a meteorite, but is this time different?

Looking up, my mouth dropped to the floor. Up there was indeed something that looked like a Megalo, replete in the usual schoolboy’s uniform.

Right above the hospital I had just come out of, there was a huge, mile long blue whale Megalo… my God that was just way too big.

Like a blimp, it was longer than it was wide, and drifted across the cloudy skies.

It advanced slowly like a cloud, and like a paraglider gradually descended. At this rate, bad things were going to happen.

“That’s a triple A rank Megalo, All Loss No Victory Shironaga!”

Oh? Her mistake this time is pretty easy to understand. There’s way too much losing in that name.

“No, that’s not right. Um… Ehhh… Umm… Demon Baron Shironaga!”

I already knew that when she was out of ideas, she would call everything a Demon Baron.

Well, right now, I was also pretty out of ideas. I’ve never fought something that freakishly huge. It’s not like I’m a Sentai hero or a three minute limit hero<ref>Super Sentai and Ultraman references, respectively. Ultraman can only exist on earth for 3 minutes.</ref>. I’m just a zombie.

Would my attacks even get through? No no, there’s no time to be thinking that. If that huge thing actually comes down, bad things would happen to this town.

“Haruna, please take care of Orito!”

“Hueh? Take care of who?”

“That spiky haired guy with glasses over there! Get him out of harm’s way!”

“Why does a genius like me have to do something like that? I don’t care if all the humans on this world go off and die.”

“Hey hey. What the hell is with that bombshell of an announcement? Why are you fighting then? I was sure it was for the sake of this world…”

“There is only one reason I am working to defeat Megalo! To get school credit! If I defeat enough Megalo, I can graduate even if I don’t attend enough class. This is a much more certain way to earn credits than going to that boring school!”

And while she went on and on about that she puffed out her underdeveloped chest. How the hell can she be so proud of her own laziness like that?

“What a selfish girl.”

“Don’t call me selfish! Go defeat him quickly! For me! Because it’s for me!”

Unfortunately, I wasn’t doing what I was doing for Haruna’s sake, but either way I kicked off the asphalt.

I jumped on top of a fence, scaled a telephone pole, and headed in the direction of the hospital via rooftop. Of course, the people walking down the road stared at me dumbfounded with their mouths open. They were probably thinking ''“What the hell, are you a ninja or something?”'' or something like that. Unfortunately, the ninja is at home. The one here is a zombie.

Haruna chased after me. Even though she hadn’t transformed, it seemed she could keep up with me just fine. Well, she should be the one fighting then.

That thought passed through my mind, but I knew better. Without transforming, there’s no way either of us could beat that Megalo, right?

I knew that. It wasn’t weak enough that I could beat it without transforming. After all, this was a rank AAA Megalo, even higher than the rank AA Lobster-san.

“Haruna, have you ever fought against something that huge before?”

“Naturally. That type of thing is common in my world.”

She seemed pretty smug about that.

“I see. To put it frankly, I’m not confident this time. If it was just a question of myself, that would be fine, but I can’t do this while simultaneously protecting the city.”

Even if that huge thing moved a bit, houses would be destroyed. And if the hospital were destroyed, that would be guaranteed to be disastrous, and I didn’t have enough strength to fight while protecting that building.

“I see. You can’t defend against Shironaga’s attacks by yourself. Well, it would be easy for me though.”

“Really?”

“Of course, really. When it comes to this genius bishoujo demon baroness Haruna-chan, there is not a single thing I can’t do!”

As her ahoge bounced to and fro like a puppy’s tail and she beat her smallish chest, what sounded like a horn or something echoed through the area.

A very low frequency sound echoed through the middle of town. It was the vibrations of the atmosphere that the whale had caused. Along with this ''bwoohhn'' sound, a purple wind was sent through the area.

Onomatopoeia is hard. Give me a break.

Now that I think about it, Lobster-san also had done something similar.

“Haruna, that purple wind…”

“You should know just from looking at it… that’s the Megalo releasing magical energy…”

The purple wind coiled around Haruna’s body.

And when it did that, Haruna’s shoulders suddenly jumped. Maybe she could feel a chill or something, but she quickly shook her head back and forth, and after opening her eyes wide, she hazily opened her mouth.

“Oo… aaa… aaah…”

Even though she had been so energetic up to now, Haruna crouched down into the fetal position. The same thing had happened when we were fighting with that crayfish.

“Hey, Haruna.”

“… What… is this…? What… this feeling…”

Haruna looked like a frightened puppy. She bit down on her lightly trembling lips.

“Haruna? Haruna!”

At my yells, Haruna raised her head up. Her eyes were filled with irritation.

“What should I do, Ayumu… I…”

With that trembling voice, that lonely-sounding voice, she continued to wring out her words.

“I’m… afraid of Megalo…”

That confession hit me like a ton of bricks. I had never thought I would hear her say she was afraid of anything.

''Bwoohhn.''

The low frequency sound once again echoed through the area. Haruna’s body had stiffened and she once again bit her lip. She was desperately trying to force down her fear.

“It’ll be alright, Haruna.”

“Alright? Are you an idiot?! I can’t do this! I’ll… be killed!”

“It’ll be alright, Haruna.”

“Don’t say irresponsible things! Someone like you-“

“Don’t you know? I’m strong.”

“Don’t get cocky! Someone like you will never be able to protect me!”

“That might be true. But, don’t you know? There’s not a single thing Haruna can’t do.”

“Hueh…?”

“Maybe I can’t protect Haruna. And maybe Haruna, who can’t transform into a masou shoujo, can’t do anything about that huge thing. But I’m strong. And Haruna can do anything. So what if those two people joined forces?”

For some reason, Haruna blushed and blinked in surprise. Then, the corners of her lips turned upwards, and she gave me a splendid boyish smile.

“There’s no enemy we can’t take down!”

“Right? So please help me. Please.”

“Hmph, I guess there’s no choice. Just this once.”

Looking happy for some reason, Haruna stepped out in front of me. Hey, I can see your panties, you know.

“I can’t transform so I can’t use attack magic, but I can at least set up a barrier. It’ll be fine if I just make one that protects the surrounding people and buildings, right? Making a single barrier like that is easy. Also, Shironaga uses the power of water. I’ll also do something about that with a barrier, so you don’t hold anything back and strike him dead. OK?”

“OK. That’s more than I had expected.”

I sent a kamikaze attack at the towering body in front of me. Jumping towards the hospital wall from this house’s roof, I kicked off the wall and jumped up towards Shironaga’s head.

“This is all of a sudden, but 400%!!”

With a loud Bam! I scored a critical hit to Shironaga’s stupidly huge face with a midair roundhouse kick. Receiving my attack, Shironaga’s huge body began to topple to the side.

Crap! He’s going to crush the houses! Is what I thought, but ripples appears in midair and Shironaga’s huge body stopped as if it had hit a wall.

And then, Shironaga began to be pushed back to his original position.

I see. So this is what Haruna meant by a barrier. It would be incredibly effective if Shironaga were surrounded by these barriers, right?

Shironaga’s huge fin became even huger. The air around his fin rippled like it had before in an effort to stop the expansion, but the fin easily broke through. Something showered down to the ground like broken glass and disappeared. It seemed that the strategy to surround him with barriers had failed.

“Can this guy really be taken down?”

Shironaga calmly lingered about and we exchanged stares. He slowly descended, but the moment he approached the hospital, ripples formed once again and repelled him. The strength of these ripples were in a different class as those before.

Now that I took a closer look, I could see Haruna on the roof of the hospital. She was enveloped in a ruby-colored light and both her hands were extended in Shironaga’s direction, almost as if she was holding him at bay by herself. Well, that was actually the case.

“Hurry up and transform into a masou shoujo! Didn’t I tell you I can only stop him like this four times?!”

Definitely not. Is that honestly something you should be telling me this late in the game?!

Hm? Hasn’t she already stopped him three times? First when I knocked him down, then when the fin expanded, and now while he was descending.

… So, she only could do that one more time…?

Geez… I guess I’m out of options. I didn’t want to transform though…

I went over to Haruna’s location and picked up the chainsaw that had been dropped there. I chanted the spell with a dullness that exceeded the dullness I felt when made to read from a textbook in Japanese class.

“Nomobuyo, woshi, hashitawa, dokeda, gunmiicha, dei, ribura.”

I was enveloped in a brilliant light, and my clothes ripped. And then, that skirt… I could feel the tears coming on. Battles are hard things, aren’t they…?

Having transformed into a masou shoujo, I could fly into the sky just by thinking about it. I pierced the whale’s stomach with the chainsaw and like that, ripped it apart… masou shoujo are just way too powerful.

I thought it was over, but in the end I was being optimistic, and I saw the wound gradually close up from the point at which I had first pierced his stomach. It was faster than even I would heal with my zombie body.

So, what should I do now? Did he have vital organs I could attack or something?

As I was thinking that, it happened. Shironaga finally began to do something flashy. Speaking of movements that whales were known to do…

Yes, it was that.

Like a volcano erupting, a thick spray of salt water flew up from Shironaga’s head. An absurd amount of water began to descend like a waterfall from the sky.

I ran desperately from the water, and stared at it from a long distance away.

As if a thick fog had set in, the sky became dyed with white. It was like watching a huge water fountain. Not good. If this continued, this entire city would get swallowed up, wouldn’t it? It really did seem like enough water to do that. And the whale just continued and continued and continued to spray out salt water.

Looking down at the city sprawled out below me, I saw the entire city flooded under the surging waves… or so I thought, but the city didn’t seem different at all. It looked completely normal.

Ah, I see. Haruna had defended the city against the attack. I gave her a standing ovation from the bottom of my heart, and hurriedly returned to the hospital roof.

“Ayumu! What the hell are you doing?! Take it down fast! I’m at my limit!”

She looked at me and raised what was close to a desperate shriek. Well, if I could take it down, I would have already done that…

“How exactly do I kill that thing?”

“Ughh!! If you cut off its head it’ll die, right?! Do. It. Fast!!”

I see. Wait, you want me to cut off that thing? His neck is huge.

If only there was someone else here that could fly and was just about as strong as I was…

Ah, there was.

“Hellscythe-dono told me to come to check out the situation… this city has quite a number of strange things in it, doesn’t it?”

Very conveniently, a beautiful girl clad in a black cloak flew down onto the hospital roof with a swirl of green leaves.

“That is really great timing.”

“Ayumu. That outfit is really quite disgusting… that outfit is really quite disgusting.”

Why did she have to say that twice? I could feel an aura signaling “I don’t want it to seem like we know each other, so stay away from me” coming off her in huge waves.

“Well, I’m sorry about that. But without this, I wouldn’t be able to fly.”

I felt a gaze like a sharp spear near the area of my skirt. Is she really so offended by my outfit? Well I’m really sorry.

“Ayumu. What is that?”

I don’t know if she had accepted my outfit, or if she just didn’t care anymore, but her gaze turned towards Shironaga.

“Well, for now, let’s just say it doesn’t look like a friend.”

“Ahh, certainly. An enemy, then?”

With her piercing red eyes, Sera gazed at Shironaga.

To stop the water, Haruna had activated her barrier for the fourth time. If he rained water down like that again, the houses would be crushed to powder. We had to hurry.

“Will you help?”

“Understood. Here I go.”

Flapping her green-colored wings, Sera flew. Her retreating figure was beautiful and dependable. I took off and chased after her. Showing off everything under my skirt.

At this time, I finally came to understand how girls must feel when they wanted to hide their panties.

Telling Sera that we had to cut off his head, in order to be able to cut through faster than he could heal, we surrounded Shironaga on the left and right.

Thrusting my chainsaw violently around the collar of his school uniform, I flew along the whale’s body. Sera was probably doing working on the other side of the whale.

“Ayumu! I can’t… hold on anymore…!”

Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.

I felt the pressure building up.

I see it! There’s where Sera had started. The sound was gradually closing, but I was faster.

Just a bit more… Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.

The wound I was carving met up with the beginning point of the wound Sera had made. With this, we had completed the circle. Sera was faster than I was so there was no mistaking it. Phew.

Hm? Shironaga’s neck didn’t move. Why? We definitely cut the complete circle.

At that point, a ringing sound, as if a bell had been broken, echoed through the area. The water fell and covered the city. The barrier that had been holding it back had shattered. It was like a dam had broken. Water ran through the streets between buildings like rivers and washed away cars. The roar of water echoed from throughout the city.

And what’s more, the wound that we had inflicted on Shironaga had disappeared. What just happened?

Then I realized it. I cursed myself for being so stupid and dimwitted.

If I cut my arm in a circle with a thin razor, there’s no reason my arm would fall off from that. There’s no way this small chainsaw blade could cut off that huge of a head.

Her green wings fluttering, Sera returned to my position. Her usually cool facial expression had cracked a bit. Seeing the flooded streets, even someone like Sera would feel a bit pressured.

“Ayumu, this is not good. The town is being washed away!”

“I know that.”

“Do you have a counter-plan?!”

“… I know, I know. I’m thinking.”

“What are you being so calm about?!”

“Sera, don’t be in such a hurry. All that’s going to do is make things worse.”

“… Ugh.”

With a bitter expression, Sera covered her mouth with her hand.

When I looked down, I saw houses being attacked by what looked almost like a tsunami. Were the people inside alright?

The water still hadn’t reached the second story of the buildings, but even then it was enough to cover the cars on the street. It was more than enough to swallow up people.

Even though I couldn’t feel pain, I felt a stinging in my heart. It was disappointment. I couldn’t protect them.

What should I do? Should I prioritize aiding the city or taking down the Megalo? Was human life the most important thing here? Sera also seemed at a loss, and clenched her fists tight.

“Ayumu! Take it down fast! The only way to stop this water is to take him down!”

Sounding out of breath, Haruna yelled at me from the hospital roof. If we defeated him, the water would disappear?

When I asked her that, she screamed back “Obviously!” Well, tell me that earlier, dammit.

“Alright. Sera, can you do another half-circle? If possible, with a sword around five times as long as last time.”

“It is possible. What do you intend to do?”

“I’m going to kick him with all my strength. Like this, I can exceed any and all of my limitations. If you cut the lower half with a longer sword, and I kick him with all my strength, it’ll definitely be torn off, right?”

“Understood. I have faith in your strength. Ahh, you might be a hentai, but I have faith in your strength.”

You didn’t have to go back and qualify the first statement, you know.

Sera quickly flew off.

Shironaga once again spewed out salt water, and it seemed like it would be difficult to approach him. But as expected from a ninja, Sera dodged the water skillfully and successfully approached the whale.

Alright.

“… 460%.” In midair, I relaxed my limbs. I closed my eyes, and slowly gathered my strength.

“… 680. As expected from a masou shoujo. I’m still not at full power.”

“Ayumu! Do it fast!”

I could hear voices. The sound of destruction and despair. Sorry everyone, just wait a little bit longer. Everything will be over soon.

“840. Is this the limit? No, I still can go a bit further.”

When I opened my eyes, I saw that Sera had just finished with her half-circle. Looking closely, I saw that she had descended within inches of the hospital roof.

Shall I do it? If I don’t do it quickly, the wound’s going to close.

“Ugeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhh!!!”

I struck with enough speed to break the sound barrier. With all my might, I kicked Shironaga in his terribly huge jaw.

I was expecting his neck to snap like how you would split a baked sweet potato.

But Shironaga’s head exploded. From the impact of my kick.

Pieces of pulpy meat fell to the ground and disappeared, and the water also drew back. His huge body turned into white particles and scattered in all directions, returning to the sky and disappearing.

It looked like we had done it.

I joined back with Haruna and while receiving another lecture on how to manipulate memories (which I had forgotten), I healed the water-damaged city.

Yes, this time, I had to perform the memory manipulation in a very wide area. And when I did so, Sera was naturally affected as well since she was in this area. And it was difficult to control to what extent the target’s memories were manipulated. It’s fine if her memories disappeared, but it’d be nice if Sera could be aware of the situation since we were living together… Should I just tell her? Ugh, I’m so worn out…

But leaving that aside, masou shoujo are pretty amazing, aren’t they? They really might be able to do anything like Haruna had said.

“Ayumu. How long are you planning on staying in that disgusting outfit?”

As Sera stared at me with cold eyes, I took one deep breath and I explained the situation as simply as I could. “If I changed out of this, I would become naked, right? And that’s even more disgusting, right?”

But then, Haruna spoke up.

“You can just repair your clothes.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

When she explained it to me, for the first time ever, I wanted to smack Haruna.

With the magic I had used to repair the buildings, I could also restore my clothes. Normally, masou shoujo used that kind of magic to return to their normal forms. Well that’s the first time I’ve heard of that. You should have told me that after we fought Zarii. Or rather, you should have told me that when you taught me the transformation spell. There’s too much you haven’t explained. Well, whatever, she’s cute so I’ll let her off the hook.

For now, I had finished manipulating the memories, so shall we return home?

“Ayumu!”

Sera once again transformed a few leaves into swords and held them in both hands. Her red eyes pierced straight through mine. Don’t make such a scary face, dammit.

“What’s wrong?”

''Crrkk!''

Something pierced through my heart. Attacking me from the back… how cowardly. But what had pierced my heart was not a sword. And it was not a spear… what the hell was this?

I felt someone pushing my back, and I was caught by Sera. When I looked back, I saw an anteater in a schoolboy’s uniform. The second one today, then…?

“That’s the heavyweight Megalo, Muhammad Kui!”<ref>Obviously a play on Muhammad Ali. Anteater in Japanese is “Arikui.”</ref>

As if matching Haruna’s words, the anteater jumped back and forth with light footwork while it stared at me. As always, the Megalo’s eyes were round, cute things.

Geez. Do I have to transform again? I just changed back.

Gripping the chainsaw tightly, I begrudgingly began to chant again, when Haruna inferred what I was trying to do and stopped me.

“You can only become a masou shoujo once every twenty-four hours! If only I could transform…”

You’re kidding me. That’s another thing you should have told me earlier.

So, what should I do if I can’t transform? And also, exactly what class is this heavy-weight Megalo? If it’s in the same class as Zarii was, then that would be bad.

Well, at least there was a reliable swordsman here. She was stronger than I was.

Sera’s green wings disappeared. She only had her black cloak and those two swords, and leaves no longer danced around her. Could it be that this was her last weapon?

“Sera.”

Let’s go. Is what I tried to say, but Sera was not there, and the anteater was. In a moment, my vision blurred and I spun around. I had been knocked very quickly off my feet.

The anteater moved his feet rhythmically and was quite an impressive sight. Were anteaters this fast? Anteaters and sloths were close relatives, weren’t they?

What looked like purple vapor emitted from his fist.

Haruna had said that this was the Megalo releasing magical energy.

Ahh, I see. When Megalo got ready to fight, they released magical energy.

I heard a sound like iron striking iron as Sera’s sword made out of leaves met with the anteater’s small fist. But even if I could see the moment they connected with each other, I couldn’t follow their movements. For a zombie like me, it was impossible to follow them when they were moving so fast.

“Haruna, can you see them?”

“O-Of course! It’s not like it’s… that big of a deal!”

Her face was flushed red, and spat out that desperate denial.

“Hey, is everything alright?”

“What are you talking about?”

Haruna’s words were as reassured as ever, but her tight fists were trembling. It seemed that even now, once she was hit by that purple vapor she would become scared of Megalo. She was probably putting on a bluff right now so that Sera wouldn’t realize she was scared.

If that’s the case, I won’t push the issue.

“No, nevermind.”

As if we were watching a tennis match, our necks twisted left and right as we watched over the battle. Could I jump in and help? I can’t even follow them though…

He was much faster than Zarii had been. That heavyweight champion…

Ah, wait, I never heard if he was a champion or not.

Being able to watch Sera’s swordsmanship from the side like this really gave me a sense of how elegant and magnificent she was. Dodging her opponent’s attacks, and warding him off while slashing and slashing again. Ah, that was just a Tsubame Gaeshi, wasn’t it?

If Sera weren’t here, we probably wouldn’t be able to win.

“Ayumu. Switch with me for a while.”

She suddenly called to me, and I reluctantly came forwards. When I asked her what happened…

“My weapon disappeared. I don’t have enough blood.”

She spoke with as elegant a facial expression as always. In an instant, the sword she was holding had changed to normal tree leaves. That was a huge problem.

“OK. I’ll take over from here.”

The anteater came at me with a punch, but I somehow stood firm and took his attack. Even though I guarded with my arm, I was just struck in a different place. I was just so outclassed in terms of speed. The bones in my body broke one after the other, but because I was a zombie they soon healed. The sound of breaking bones echoed through the area a countless number of times.

Jab jab jab jab… he punched at me repeatedly.

His left jab repeatedly gouged into my cheek.

I returned some punches while trying my best to not get sent flying. Granted, I couldn’t hit him at all.

“Haruna. I have one request.”

“W-What? If it’s something weird, I’m going to kick you.”

“I want your blood.”

Haruna stiffened at Sera’s very vampire-like words. Without even waiting for a response, Sera closed in on Haruna. Sure sure, meanwhile, I’m getting punched full of holes.

“Nn?! Nn…….nn….”

For some reason, Sera locked her lips with Haruna’s. Haruna flushed red and struggled, but soon her body relaxed and she stopped resisting. Sera, when we get home, please do that to me. I beg of you.

Sera then pulled back, and bit into Haruna’s white neck. It was like a scene right out of a vampire movie. Blood oozed out of Haruna’s neck, but her face was still flushed and her eyes looked drowsy.

“Ah! … nn… ahh…”

She looked like she was in a trance, and let out what sounded like a thirsty groan. God, looking at her made my face heat up. Sera-san, please suck my blood too. If you’re fine with someone dead like me. Yes yes, I’m getting beat full of holes over here. Please don’t forget that, alright?

Even while I continued to get punched, to prevent the anteater from targeting those two, I continued to attack with punches I knew wouldn’t connect and attract his attention.

Let me just be frank about it and say that I can’t take down this anteater. How should I go about taking an enemy down that I can’t hit? It would be different if I could transform, though.

But, more importantly!

Haruna was definitely on my mind. It annoyed me to no end that I couldn’t take more than momentary glances in her direction. Hey, anteater-san, you want to watch too, don’t you? Just a little while is fine, so let’s stop fighting.

Completely unaffected by my silent request, the anteater hit me in the face with a right, straight punch. I was knocked off my feet and hit the fence, when I remembered that this was the roof of the hospital. I lost my balance, and something pierced right through my heart. It was the same attack that I had been hit with at the very beginning.

It was the anteater’s long tongue. If it were Haruna’s or Sera’s tongue, I would have welcomed it with open arms, but the anteater’s tongue was a bit…

I slowly fell to the floor. Did that anteater’s tongue have the ability to drain my strength or something?

I couldn’t get up, but in front of me I saw fresh leaves flying about.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

I heard a cold voice. And while the sound of iron striking iron once again filled the air, I crawled back to Haruna’s location.

Haruna was flushed a brilliant apple red as always, and sat there while putting pressure on her neck.

“Don’t look at me.”

She said it softly but forcefully, so I turned my gaze back to Sera.

“Hiken, Tsubame Gaeshi!”

A two-part strike from the sword in her right hand. Afterwards, she added on another strike with the sword in her left hand. It was something only a practitioner of the two-sword style could do.

The attacks left but a scratch on the anteater, who then sent out another series of sharp jabs. A single leaf sprung up and defended against them.

Watching this back and forth, attack and defense was like watching a sports match, and I felt my chest heating up.

“Hiken, Tsubame Gaeshi!”

I saw a series of perpendicular sword flashes, and the anteater jumped backwards. This is really not going anywhere, wouldn’t you say?

And then, the anteater made a hand seal of some kind, and thrust out both his hands. A ball of energy formed in front of his palms.

There was no doubt in my mind that this was a big move. Sera, will you be alright? In the worst case scenario, if I have to protect you, I’d like to know whether that attack is going to be a light beam or a light bullet.

I glanced at Sera.

“The secret of my blade lay not in the blade that is hidden.”

Sera stared fixedly at what the anteater was doing, and the swords in both her hands vanished. In a flurry of sound, large quantities of leaves filled the surroundings.

“Blades that fly as leaves on a tree, that is…”

The leaves all turned into large swords.

“Flying Sword, Hyakkizensatsu.” <ref>Hundred Demon Slow Death?</ref>

The swords all attacked the anteater at once.

“Oohh…” I raised my voice in admiration.

Maybe he realized the situation he was in, but the anteater began to run away without releasing the energy he had been building up. But swords pierced his legs, his arms, and then his entire body. With incredible speed, the anteater soon looked like a pop-up pirate.[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/kurohige/products/images/kurohige02-01.jpg] But what flew off was not his head, but rather quantities of blood.

Sera turned her back to the anteater that had been immobilized by the swords that had pierced his body and walked back in our direction.

It seemed like it was over.

“Idiot! Why are you acting like it’s over?!”

Haruna screamed with a desperate expression.

Sera turned back to the anteater, but he was no longer there. From Sera’s chest, the anteater sent out a vicious uppercut.

I had forgotten. That when Megalo died, they turned into particles.

But what was sent flying by the anteater’s vicious uppercut was a log wearing a black cloak. It was the fundamental, strongest ninja skill, the body switching technique.

The anteater quickly turned around and went in pursuit of Sera. Had he managed to follow Sera with his eyes while she performed her body switching technique? For some reason, in the face of this anteater who was still so fast despite having been pierced by so many swords, Sera turned in the other direction.

At his opponent so suddenly turning her back on him, the anteater faltered for a second. That was probably what Sera was aiming for.

“Hiken, Ryuubi Gaeshi” <ref>Ryuubi translates to “Dragon Tail.”</ref>

In an instant, the anteater had been split into two. I couldn’t even follow the sword flashes with my eyes.

She had performed an incredibly fast slash while turning around. Having faltered for just a second, the anteater couldn’t hope to dodge that.

Having been separated into two halves, the anteater fell to the ground and turned into particles, vanishing in the wind. Just like she had done before, Sera didn’t even glance in that direction and walked towards us.

I raised my hand up to around face level, and Sera, without a hint of a smile, gave me a high five.

<center><big>***</big></center>

In the living room, Yuu was drinking tea and watching a variety show on television as usual.

“Was everything alright today?”

Without even moving her neck, Yuu ascertained my presence with only her eyes and gave me a single nod. It was the same tiny nod that wasn’t more than a slight dip of her jaw.

Haruna had gone up to the second floor. Sera was sitting across from me under the table, fixated on the television like Yuu.

“Yuu, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

As if agreeing to my request, Yuu faced me. My voice might have sounded a bit pushy. But, I had absolutely no intention of holding that back.

“Yuu saved me that day we met, right?”

Her silver-colored hair swayed up and down. Affirmation.

“Really? You really weren’t the one who tried to kill me?”

Her silver-colored hair swayed side to side. A stronger negation than usual.

“Well, after you saved me, there was still some time before I regained consciousness, right? What were you doing during that time?”

Her gauntlet-laden hand gripped the ballpoint pen tightly.

'''I was by Ayumu’s side.''' = “I was together with oniichan, of course!”

“Really? … Someone told me that you killed a member of his family. Isn’t that strange? Who should I believe? The victim, or the one who has these strange powers? Yuu, I beg you, explain to me what really happened!”

Yuu shook her head back and forth even more strongly than before. She seemed to be insisting that she had not told a lie.

“Ayumu, isn’t your tone a bit too strong? Hellscythe-dono doesn’t seem the type to lie.”

“That’s true, I may have been too aggressive. I apologize… I’m sorry. So, Sera, you be the judge then. Why is it that the victim could identify what Yuu looked like? Come on, answer me. Whose words have more credibility?”

“Ayumu, please calm down a little.”

“I’m calm. And all I want is to calmly listen to the truth.”

'''I’m not lying.''' = “Oniichan, please believe me!”

“I really want to believe you. So, isn’t there some simple way you can prove to me that you’re speaking the truth? Proof that you haven’t been killing humans!”

Completely unconsciously, my voice had increased in volume. I think my mind was just in chaos. Before I could think about what I was saying, the words had already flown out of my mouth.

What managed to calm me down from my disturbed state were the tears that started flowing out of Yuu’s eyes.

Tears dripped ceaselessly from Yuu’s blue eyes. Proof of her sadness continued to run down her cheeks.

Once I was shown something like that, I couldn’t say anything anymore.

Dammit.

“Ayumu, I’m hungry. Let’s have dinner soon… I will prepare it this time. Ayumu, please go call Haruna down.”

Sera glared at me. Implicitly, her words were an order for me to get away from Yuu. Agreeing with her intentions, I left the living room.

Taking deep breaths, I headed for the stairs next to the entranceway when I felt a strange sense of unease.

Hm? What was it?

… Ah, the chainsaw that usually adorned the entranceway was gone.

I went up the stairs and stood in front of one of the rooms on the second floor. This used to be my little brother’s room, but as a result of my parents’ and brother’s honeymoon trip of indeterminate length, it was now being used by Haruna.

By the way, on the second floor there was my room, this room, and also my parent’s room, which was being used by Sera. Yuu almost never set foot outside the living room, but she used my dad’s study on the first floor as her room.

''Tap tap.'' While I knocked on the door I turned the doorknob.

“Who is it?!”

“It’s me. Sera wanted me to call you downstairs.”

“What?! No way! Just a… wai-!”

When I tried to open the door, I felt resistance, as if someone were pulling it from the inside, but there was no way Haruna was going to win against me in a contest of physical strength.

On the other side of the door was a naked Haruna, flushed red and with her mouth open.

“Ugyahh!” Her cry almost reminded me of a seal, and her blush reached right to her ears.

Haruna’s skin was white and looked quite soft… but more importantly, why the hell did she never have clothes on?!

“Didn’t I tell you to hold on?! You hentai! Eroamphitheater!”

''Bam!'' She sent her heel fiercely into my shin. If I weren’t me, I would be writhing in pain, you know. From that one hit. Also, what the hell is an Eroamphitheater? Did you want to say Eroseo or something? Or maybe Eroseum?<ref>Colloseum?</ref>

The chainsaw was on the floor in the middle of the room. It seemed that she had been trying to transform into a masou shoujo and failing. She had it pretty tough too.

I see. Why was it that someone who reacted so strongly against ero things like Haruna was always naked? It was because she was practicing transforming. Even when she would appear in weird clothes when a Megalo showed up, she would unsuccessfully try to transform like just now, and would rush over while putting on whatever she could find.

“How long are you going to keep looking at me?! Get lost! Idiot! Amphitheater!”

Sending me flying with a kick, she slammed the door.

I mean, I was wrong for opening the door so suddenly, but this was my brother’s room, right? It was just from force of habit that I opened the door like that.

Well, what’s done is done… I gave a short apology to the probably blushing Haruna on the other side of the door, and signaled my intention to go downstairs and come back later.

Ah, now that I think about it, I completely forgot.

Did Haruna have some connection to the serial murder incidents?

At the very least, I needed to ask her how she knew I was stabbed to death.

“Haruna…”

“Hey, Ayumu. I… can’t take it anymore.”

A lonely sounding voice came from the other side of the door, and I leaned on the door.

… I’ll wait until next time to ask then.

I didn’t have a choice. After all, a girl’s voice was crying out for help on the other side of the door.

“My magical power finally came back, but it’s dried up again after I made those barriers… I can’t transform again. The minute I become a masou shoujo, I feel like I’m the strongest person in the world, and I had hunted countless Megalo.”

Ah, I understand. I understand that feeling. When I become a masou shoujo, I also feel much stronger.

“It’ll come back soon. It’s alright. Knowing you, it’ll be alright.”

“… No. It’s not that I can’t transform! But if I can’t become a masou shoujo, I become paralyzed just by the magical energy of the Megalo! That’s what I can’t take!”

Haruna’s voice gradually began to tremble.

I searched for the right thing to say, but any words I could think of sounded clichéd, so I opened the door.

“H-Hey! Don’t open the door!”

Her eyes red, the naked girl quickly covered her face. I put my hand on top of her ahoge and tried to stroke her head, but Haruna suddenly circled her arms around my waste.

She pressed her unripened chest into me, and stuck her face into my chest, hugging me more tightly.

“Like this, you can’t see my face or my body, right? This is my win…”

I see.

My hand, having lost its place, found its way in the end over Haruna’s hair.

“I’m so frustrated! Frustrated frustrated, frustrated! I want to become strong! Like Ayumu, I want to be able to fight even if I’m not a masou shoujo!”

“… From what I’ve heard, if you can cry without holding anything back, you’ll become strong.”

With her head buried into my chest, Haruna increased the tightness of her embrace.

And within my arms, the warrior began to cry.

<center><big>***</big></center>

Fifteen minutes later.

Sera’s homemade cooking was laid out in front of me.

What kind of cooking was it?

… Ugh, that’s what I want to ask!!

The only thing in front of me was this black, coffee-like liquid.

It was a black liquid that had so much surface tension it wouldn’t even spill out of the pot. Also, that’s a pot I’ve never seen before. Was that something Sera had brought? Was this what ninja’s ate? Better question – was this actually food?

“Well, please eat.”

Being stared at by those jade-colored eyes, I tried to avoid her gaze and glanced at Yuu. Yuu wasn’t even looking at the food. Maybe she had decided that what was on the table was not food?

Also, she’s completely ignoring me… Ugh, I’m beat.

“Hellscythe-dono. Please eat.”

“Wait just a second! I’ll eat!”

Could you really feed this stuff to a girl?!

I tried to ladle out the liquid from the pot onto my plate.

As if touched by magma, the ladle melted.

“Ayumu. You won’t be able to touch this food with that kind of weak equipment.”

How strong was this thing?! Was it a monster?!

Seriously, was this food? If you knew I couldn’t use the ladle, don’t put it on the table in the first place!

“Wait… did you season this? To flavor it.”

“Season? Do you think that kind of thing would actually have an effect on this food?”

It wouldn’t have an effect? Wasn’t this thing a bit too strong?!

Sera took out a suspicious-looking small strainer and scooped up the black liquid, dumping it with a Krchh! on the plate in front of me. Just the look of it frightened me. I couldn’t see any of the ingredients – it was just a jet black colored soup.

“Ayumu. Hurry up and eat. Look, the plate is melting.”

Is she telling me to put something in my body that is melting the tableware?

But, she had gone through so much trouble to cook for us. I had to eat it, right? Also, I’m already dead, so I’ll be alright.

Feeling as if I was making some huge decision, I poured that soup into my mouth in one go… and spit it out immediately.

My mouth was in agony. That was disgusting. Even though I couldn’t feel pain, I could feel a terrible tingling.

Ahh, I can’t hold on anymore. Looking for water, I ran into the kitchen.

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

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 3

2012-10-05T16:44:04Z

NeoZodiac:

==Chapter 3 – Nyaa==

[[Image:KwZ_01_142-143.jpg|thumb]]

Today I ended up going bowling with Orito. Maybe because of the rain yesterday, today’s weather was nice and cloudy, so I could go out during the day.

Oh right, after that incident yesterday Sera (of course) had to take a trip to the convenience store to buy some bento. And while we waited, Haruna whined incessantly about being hungry.

I met Orito in front of the station, and we went for a meal first. We headed for a fast-food shop near the station. The name of the shop was “Masked Nald.”

Sound like something you’ve heard before? You’re probably thinking of something different. This Masked Nald was managed by masked wrestlers, and was the only restaurant of its kind in the world.

“Welcome hello!!”

A masked wrestler was standing at the register.

We ordered the normal Masked Burger Set. Orito also ordered a Masked Shake (Mascaras<ref>Mexican masked wrestler. </ref> Vanilla) and a Masked Nugget (Beast God Thunder<ref>Japanese masked wrestler.</ref> Sauce). I was fine with just the set, so I didn’t say anything else. And then…

“Would you like a mask with your order?”

He said that to me with a pushy look, but I immediately responded with “I’m fine.” The set cost 536 yen (including tax), and if you added 1980 yen on top of that you could get a mask with the meal. There’s no reason I would need such a random, nonsensical service.

“Really? You really don’t want one?”

What a pushy shopkeeper. In that hot mask, his face closed in on mine, and he opened his eyes wide like a begging Chihuahua.

I gave a single sigh, and reluctantly bought the mask with my meal.

It was an absolutely ridiculous purchase, but those eyes were just too scary. I would much rather have been glared at. To think he would come at me with those teary eyes…

So, we finished eating lunch and carried ourselves to the bowling alley that we had been planning to go to. Orito held the Masked Shake (Mascaras Vanilla) that he hadn’t finished in his hand, and I held the mask I had bought in mine.

After finishing the registration, we borrowed shoes and chose the balls that suited each of us, beginning our various preparations. Lately, various things had been piling up in my life and the stress was building up. So let’s relax and let it all out here.

“Hey, Aikawa, look next to us. Those are some really cute girls, aren’t they?”

Orito was all smiles about it, so I took a glance in the direction he was looking at.

And then I quickly looked away.

“Come on!!”

''Crack!''

I heard a sound behind me. It was a voice I knew, along with the satisfying sound of pins falling.

“Alright! As I thought, I’m a genius. A genius bishoujo demon baroness!”

The lively girl with a swishing ahoge returned to her seat. Over there was also a girl with jade-colored eyes and an armored girl with no expression.

Yes… them.

Haruna was wearing my shirt and jeans as usual. Yuu was wearing her plate armor and gauntlets in spite of the terrible heat. Sera was in a denim skirt and a shirt with some logo on it. She was also donning accessories here and there. She really seemed like a modern girl.

Why was Haruna here? No, rather, why was Yuu here? To think that she would come to bowl… did Sera invite her?

“Oh? What’s wrong, Aikawa? You look pale.”

Well, my face gets pale sometimes. After all, I’m dead, remember? Well no, that’s not it. I just would be really bothered if it was found out that I knew the bishoujo squad over there.

Calm down. Should I count the prime numbers? One prime number, two prime numbers… was there some way I could prevent myself from getting noticed by them? Once it was my turn to bowl, I have a feeling I would get exposed in an instant.

My zombie mind was going at full speed. Then, I noticed that I was still holding the 1980 yen mask.

That was it! Without a moment’s delay, I put on the mask, and stroked down my chest in relief. With this, I was no longer “Aikawa Ayumu” but rather had become “Masked Ayumu”! Having become this Masked Ayumu, my hentai levels had tripled!

Not worried any longer that I would get exposed, I watched the three girls with Orito.

They had all bowled three frames, and Haruna had bowled strikes every time. Actually, everyone had perfect marks. They all had the same scores lined up neatly on the screen.

“Uwah, that’s an amazing score… are they pros? Those girls.”

Would pros really be practicing at a place like this? They were just not human, that’s all. Just a “masou shoujo who couldn’t transform into a masou shoujo,” just a “blood-seeking ninja,” and just a “mysterious necromancer.”

After Haruna, it was Sera’s turn. She stood straight up and picked up a ball.

“Hey Aikawa! Look at that girl, she really has style…”

Orito fixed his gaze on Sera’s hourglass figure. When I first had met Sera, I too was fascinated by her figure.

“Here I go. Hiken, Tsubame Gaeshi!”

With a beautiful form that almost stole my heart away, Sera released the ball straight and it struck the foremost pin, continuing forwards. Before long, the pins had all fallen. Alright, let me just say something here.

… That had nothing to do with Tsubame Gaeshi.

Sera turned back, and without the smallest sign of happiness returned to her seat. It was almost as if her getting a strike was the most obvious thing in the world.

And then it was Yuu’s turn. Yuu slowly swayed from side to side as she got up, and walked… no, it looked more like she was being drawn by some strong force and put her feet out to keep her balance. In that manner, Yuu tottered her way to the ball. Maybe because of her gauntlets, Yuu did not insert her fingers into the bowling ball holes, but instead held the ball with both hands. She tap tap taped her way forwards on tiptoe, and let go of the ball.

''Thud! Roll roll roll roll roll roll roll….''

The ball sloooowly rolled forwards. It tottered left and right, and struck the space in between the foremost pin and pin three. And then with a slow clackety clack, the pins fell. Before long, all the pins had fallen.

What was surprising was that Yuu then took up a small victory pose. Nobody here probably noticed it, but that was definitely a victory pose. Trust me.

Relieving Yuu, Haruna flew out, and the minute the pins were set…

“Come on!!”

She threw it hard. The ball almost bounced as it easily knocked over all the pins. This was probably how the whole game had been going.

After everyone over there had finished throwing their strikes, we also began to play.

“Alright, Aikawa! We’re not going to lose to them!”

No way. They’re not normal humans, you know.

If I put too much strength into the throw, I might wreck the bowling alley, so I threw the ball softly.

The ball rolled forwards with considerable speed, and struck the pins with good force. But, one pin was left standing.

“Dammit.”

I glared at the one remaining pin. I definitely wouldn’t forgive it. I would show it who the boss was. The ball came out of the ball return and I promptly threw it again.

At my full power throw, the pin was knocked squarely away. It made an unpleasant ''Clang!'' sound, but I didn’t pay it any heed. It was a spare.

I took up a guts pose and returned to my seat. Orito welcomed me back with applause.

“That was terrible. Saying that you lack concentration would be an understatement.”

Orito wasn’t the one who had said that. The voice came from behind me.

When I turned around, I saw Haruna with a triumphant smile looking down at me.

“H-Hello…”

At the bishoujo who had suddenly spoken to us, Orito bewilderedly spoke back.

Haruna stared fixedly at Orito’s face like a cat that had spotted something moving, and thought for a bit while her ahoge jumped back and forth.

“Umm… was it… Kakouton Genjou-san…?” <ref>I believe this was a general in Ancient China.</ref>

What the hell?! That’s some random historical figure! But I didn’t say anything, and without looking in her direction softly corrected her. “It’s Orito.”

“O… Oberstein?”

“Stop it with the Dry Ice Sword mania<ref>Google claims that Oberstein is a character from Legend of Galactic Heroes, and one of his nicknames is Dry Ice Sword (Doraiaisu no Ken).</ref>. Also, who exactly are you?”

“Huh? What are you saying? Also, why the hell are you wearing that?”

I don’t want to make it seem like I know you group of superhumans over there. If it got out that I was living with you, terrible rumors would start circulating at school.

“Haruna. It’s your turn.”

Sera called out to Haruna. Nice. As I expected, Sera knows what’s going on.

Puzzled for a second, Haruna furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side, but she soon leapt away with a smile. Phew. Thank you, ninja vampire-sama.

“She’s cute, but she’s pretty weird, isn’t she?”

Orito laughed happily next to me as he watched Haruna. Hey Orito, you were able to figure that out pretty quick. I’m really impressed.

“By the way, Ayumu. Why are you wearing that?”

Sera, I had thought that you understood the situation…

“Ha ha ha. I am not Aikawa Ayumu. I am Masked Ayumu!”

“… I see. Three times as disgusting as usual.”

Gwah!

And like that, my spirit was crushed. She didn’t say a single word after that, so the effect was doubled.

“Aikawa, did you know that girl?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I know someone as pretty as that?”

“I guess. Uh, but… she called you by name, didn’t she?”

“Must have been your imagination. Ha ha ha.”

This was useless, wasn’t it? But Orito responded with a “Yeah, it must have been,” and began to laugh with me… I’m glad he’s such an idiot.

After finishing a game, I took a bathroom break, and when I came out of the bathroom Sera was waiting for me. She had her arms crossed and a quiet expression on her face. It seemed that she wanted to talk to me alone.

“What’s wrong? Did you want something?”

“… Ayumu, it’s about Hellscythe-dono, but…”

“Ahh, that was my bad. Do we still have to bring that up?”

I didn’t want to think about that right now. I responded to her somewhat lightheartedly.

“… Hellscythe-dono was quite saddened by what had happened. At that time, you had no faith in Hellscythe-dono… she said something like that. Why is that?”

“I gave my reasons already, didn’t I? It’s because there wasn’t enough information for me to believe her.”

“So, was there enough information for you to doubt her? Was the other information you had obtained reliable?”

“I also wanted some believable information in order to verify that.”

“The one saved cannot trust the one who saved him. I can’t understand that.”

“I know she’s a good person. So, I want to believe her. But… honestly, I have my doubts. Because she couldn’t tell me anything. Communication is the key to getting your thoughts across, right?”

I was probably making a very disagreeable face, and Sera’s beautiful hand slapped me across the cheek.

“To her, words are a serious matter. You should know at least that much, shouldn’t you?!”

“I don’t know anything.”

After I harshly spat out that response, Sera frowned, seeming confused.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I also have no idea what you’re being so serious about.”

“You really don’t know why she doesn’t speak, and why she has to make sure she kills all her emotions?”

… There was a reason? I thought it was just a preference.

“I don’t know anything, so it’s hard for me to think of her as trustworthy. If you know something, please tell me.”

“… It is not something for me to tell. But, please just remember one thing. That in this world, there is no-one kinder than Eucliwood Hellscythe.”

Sera turned her back on me, and quickly began to walk away.

You’re honestly going to leave after we’ve come this far in this conversation? Leaving me with all these hazy feelings…

And like that, our fun bowling trip came to an end. The score was: Orito 113, me 170. Well, I was stronger, so it was easier for me to hit strikes than for normal people like Orito.

Ah, also, next to us, the girls had scored four perfect games in a row. Of course, each and every one of them had. And what’s more, they were all pretty girls. So of course they drew a lot of attention. So it was fine for a ninja to stand out like this?

Also, how did they know it was me even under this mask? There was no longer any point, so I threw off the mask. If we were in a wrestling ring, this would have probably made for a pretty dramatic scene.

“Ahh, I lost. Aikawa, do you have anything you want?”

The prize was a volume of manga, was it…? Well, I don’t really have much I want right now. So I refused his offer, telling him that it was enough to have had fun like this. We returned our shoes, and paying our bill, left the bowling alley.

Geez… I was all ready to go straight home, but I passed by three people who were clearly delinquents, smiling and on the prowl for cute girls, and that made me feel incredibly uneasy.

Why, you ask?

The reason was simple. Because today, there were indeed cute girls here. And judging from the situation, they might decide to go and hit on those three girls.

Was I jealous? No no.

Was I worried? Correct.

I was worried for those three shady-looking guys who had just gone into the bowling alley. Sera and Haruna… no, Yuu was the most dangerous of the three. Seriously, just try hitting on them.

In the worst case scenario, the bowling alley may very well become no more.

Haruna’s high kick was at the level of a PRIDE contestant, you know? <ref>Mixed martial arts tournament.</ref>

Sera’s sword could easily cleave a man into two, you know?

Yuu had enough power to bring people back to life, you know?

Don’t do it! You delinquents! Don’t go in there! That is something you cannot do!

As my mind screamed out, I chased after them.

“Aikawa!”

Seeing me suddenly turn heel and run, Orito yelled out after me with a confused expression, but I responded with “I’ll be back soon!” without even bothering to turn around.

Please make it in time! I sped up. Where are they?! Where are those guys right now?!

I ran around the bowling alley. But, perhaps because there was no school today, the bowling alley was filled with people. Unfortunately, I had lost sight of the delinquents. I really hope they hadn’t found the girls…

I swept the bowling alley from one end to the other, and finally returned to Orito who was waiting for me at the entrance. In the end, I couldn’t find them.

“Where were you going?”

“Ahh, just the bathroom.”

“Ha ha ha.” As I laughed dryly, I felt a strong attack come at me from the back that stopped my laugh cold.

“Ayumu! Buy me clothes!”

Haruna had suddenly hugged me from behind.

She seemed to be in a great mood after having bowled a perfect game. She dangled from my body heavily for a bit, and then made a quick landing. I noticed that the other two girls were also there.

“So you really did know these girls? Introduce me.”

Fiddling with his trademark pointy hair, Orito laughed. But the laugh didn’t reach his eyes. I knew that laugh. He was upset that I knew bishoujo like these. Well, there’s nothing that can be done about it anymore. Resigned, I began to explain the situation to him. As we left the bowling alley and headed for the department store, I carefully explained the situation to him.

As we left the bowling alley, we saw that an ambulance had arrived.

“Over here! Hurry! Those three aren’t breathing! Quick!”

The bewildered-looking bowling alley employees directed the paramedics.

Ahh… as I thought.

Just in case, I asked Sera “You didn’t kill them, right?” to which she responded “Of course. Vampire ninjas do not kill humans. Haruna just kicked them down.” Ahh, good good.

All’s well that ends well. You delinquents… you really got off easy with just having to deal with Haruna’s PRIDE-level high kick.

But… well… for some reason… it’s just… well, this was just a small feeling, but…

Just a small part of me wished that something much more terrible would have happened to them.
<center><big>***</big></center>

They're from overseas. That's all I could come up with.

Where they were from, why did they come here, I couldn't make it out. Even if I revealed their true nature I doubt it was going to help. Let's say I'm Orito and I'm being told "The one starting from the right this one is a Necromancer, the other one a Masou Shoujo and the last one is a Vampire Ninja." He wpuld probably reply with a "Huh?" if I ever introduced them this way. So I left out the specifics.

Obviously, I will never ever mention "The three of them are living with me."

--That was supposed to be the case.

"Where are your lodgings?"

"At Ayumu's house."

Haruna answered Orito's question without hesitation. I didn't have the time to shout "WAH!" out loud, cover her mouth or to change the topic.

"Aikawa, why were you keeping it a secret from me? Didn't you say you prefered to be alone?"

The glint in his glasses looked scary. I felt sorry.

"Well, it was so sudden, so I was busy all this time. I just met this dignified and that little one as well."

"How do I make it, I'm dissapointed...I never thought you would be keeping a secret from me."

Orito looked intently at me. Though I understand his feelings, but he'll probably be dragged into our problems. This is a world at war.

"Sorry..."

"You should have told me. Well disregard that, did you guys do it? You know, H (ecchi) stuff..."

Orito slyly said. If I answer "Yeah I did it" now there would be interesting reactions, but with misunderstandings, I'll probably become Sera and Haruna's sandbag. Not sandbag as in a punching bag, but into the shape of sand.

"If I really did something like that I wouldn't be in one piece now."

Sera and Haruna responded to my sentence by nodding their heads. Orito felt at ease after seeing their reactions, and with a revolting look on his face, he joined me to help Haruna select her clothes.

Haruna's in front, next up is Orito and me. At the rear was Sera and Yuu as we going towards the boutique.

"Ah! That's really cute! Look, Ayumu!"

I had a feeling of deja vu from her exclamations.

Once in a while I would turn behind and notice Sera holding fashion items, contemplating. Chance. Yuu's staring at blank space. Is there a ghost?

"Sera, is there anything you want? I'll pay."

"Can I?" Sera's eye shifted away, looking confused.

"Of course? Learn a thing or two from that person."

I pointed my thumb at Haruna. Her ahoge jumped up and down as usual.

"But, someone like me..."

"It's okay it's okay."

"But, I'm a servant..."

"Oh you. Right, here's an order. Do whatever you like. A servant would follow orders, right?"

I shrugged my shoulders at the stubborn Sera. If I didn't do this she wouldn't have accepted the present.

"This order, it's so low. But--"

She turned and look at the accessories. And without turning, I heard a tiny, really tiny "Thank you".

Sera's simple words made my heart beat faster, as though trying to burst out of my chest. It was like something pierced me. That instant, her smile is captured in my eyes like a photograph. (me: He hnnnnnggggg'd.)

Words like that can even turn into blades.

My line of sight floated away, and met with Yuu's. She's the opposite of me, with a poker face.

Then, the uneasiness in my mind surfaced.

>"To that great someone, how important speaking is. You don't understand!"

Sera's angry words echoed in my mind, unable to leave.

Dammit! I grabbed Yuu by the hand and brought her out.

"Oi, Aikawa! Where are you going?"

I ignored Orito and made my way to the lift.

"Excuse me, but this shirt, does it suit me? Haruna, there are some cute clothes over here too."

Sera approached Haruna and Orito, and then secretly looked at me. Her eyes were like a mom watching her kid's first purchase.

She's making a chance for Yuu and me.

--What a great help.

I took Yuu's hand and pressed the buttons in the lift without speaking. Yuu kept looking at me, while me who was hoping for a quiet place to talk kept staring at the buttons.

The roof is just ahead. With only vending machines and benches for resting, that place is a perfect place for a zombie. The setting sun, dark and looming clouds, were like a reflection of my current state of mind.

I sat down on a shelterless bench and watched the starless, filthy sky.

Yuu, like me, glimpse at the sky. How's the view, is this romantic, such words never came out of my mouth. Putting both arms behind my back, I felt a sense of exhaustion. For two, three seconds not a word was spoken.

I suddenly turned towards Yuu.

"Tell me, Yuu, why did you kill your emotions?"

I put on a serious look, but Yuu's face was as usual. After staring at each other for a while, she pulled out a notepad from her pocket in her skirt.

<Must I?>

"Yes, definitely."

This time, Yuu sighed. I don't have any idea what she's feeling now. Does she feel troubled or does she not want to explain? Either way, I will impose it on her. I have the right to know. If I don't have then issue me the right immediately.

Again she opened another page of her notepad, it was filled with words.

<the thread of one's fate wriggles slowly forward if they cross each other an encounter is born a huge magical presence would produce huge effect that wobbling is enormous and violent that's why a person with huge magical power must learn to control wavering unstable the change in one's mind would cause magical power to go wild that's why I'm not allowed to show emotions>

That was more profound that I imagined. That means... What does it mean?

"Uh... That. If you laugh or cry, you alter other's fate?"

Yuu nodded her head. At this moment I remembered the time when I first met her. That time, she said:

>It's interesting.

>So don't do it again.

In other words, because it can affect her emotions that's why she didn't want me to do it again?



"Those who heard your words would become that way...?"

She held the notebook towards my shocked face, and the ballpoint pen started moving again.

<If I say it's cold You will feel cold even if you're in a fire>

"That's way too powerful!"

<Yes my words are too heavy whenever I don't know whatever reality it will become that's why I'm not allow to speak>

"No, isn't that weird? What about 'ahh-', 'uuu-' or 'nyaa-', does it matter if you make such noises?"



To release such great power, you will need to suffer the same backlash? That kind of pain that correspond to such strong power must be unimaginable.

"Are you being hunted because of this power?"

<There are other reasons>

There are more.

<My hands has the ability to heal, blood grants immortality, my heart can release huge amount of magical power>

My thoughts became messier. Instead of comforting me, her explanation had the opposite effect.

"That... You can't remove your plate and armor because they are helping to seal your powers?"

<Correct>

She clapped her hands, which had gauntlets on.

"Do you have the ability to level mountains, stop time or invincibility?"



"If I kill you and wring your body, would I get wine that makes me immortal?" I joked.

<Yes>

Kacha kacha, a sound came out of her gauntlets. I did not expect that to be the truth -- May be she's the one who made those Vampire Ninjas.

"Who are those hunting you? Vampire Ninjas? Megalos?"



Fu. I sighed whilst walking to the vending machine. Got two cans of Cola and gave one to Yuu. However, she left it on the bench and did not drink it.

"Any other stuff you're hiding from me?"



Her writing stopped. Plop, plop, something drip onto the notepad.

<Do you dislike me?> These words were messy.

I cannot understand how that came to be.

"Did I say I dislike Yuu?"

She shoke her head violently. Those big eyes were filled with tears.

<Everytime there's a change in my emotions those nearest to me would have their fate altered>

I see, the Yuu with the poker face, the Yuu that does not show any emotions, has been crying later, gripped by a myriad of emotions. To that end, Megalo, Vampire Ninjas, Masou Shoujo kept coming after us, all at once.

That's nothing. Do you think I'll dislike you for that?

<A monster by your side if you realize it you won't dislike it?>

Yuu's beautiful doll-like face turned into one of despair, her eyebrows tightly knitted together.

"Monster? Is there such a thing here? I only see a cute gentle girl after hearing you out."

<Can I stay with you?>

"Ahhh, do as you like..."

For some reason my awkward words made me angry.

"Ha~" I spat out all the stored air in my lungs.

Do as you like? What the hell am I saying? My current emotions should not be expressed this way. I'm going to do it properly.

"Yuu, you can laugh whenever you want. Fate and whatnot... I'll deal with it when the time comes. -- So please stay by my side."

Her tears kept coming, all I could do now was to caress her silver hair to comfort her.

[[Image:Kore wa Zombie desu ka? vol 1 teaser image.jpg|thumb]]

Until her tears dry up, I'm going to stop caressing her silvery long hair.

Next up, I'll be facing with more troublesome stuff according to Yuu.

Come at me. Whether it was the great King of Terror or a nuclear warhead, I would face whatever came.

It was a cheap price to pay to be with Yuu.

<center><big>***</big></center>

The girls bought a plentiful amount of shoes and whatever, and of course I had to hold them as we returned home. Being surrounded by bishoujo, Orito seemed quite pleased. On parting, he made clear to me that I definitely had to bring the girls the next time we went bowling.

“Hah… I’m beat! This world isn’t bad, is it?! It’s not just something I would throw away!”

As soon as she got back home, Haruna plucked the things I was holding away from me and leapt up the stairs.

She was probably going to start a little personal fashion show in her room.

“Wait, Haruna! Put these on! Naked if you could… no, with a maid outfit!”

As I chased Haruna up the stairs, I took out a nekomimi<ref>cat ears</ref> hair band. Of course, I had mittens shaped like paws too<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>!

“You hentai! You Erobone Vanguard!” <ref>A Gundam reference. Crossbone Vanguard is apparently a team in Gundam or something. </ref>

“Wha, This isn’t Cosmo Babylonia or somethi-“

Cutting me off, she quickly moved behind me and with a reverse frankensteiner<ref>A Wrestling move</ref> , sent my head flying into the floor of the entranceway. She would have definitely looked cute in nekomimi though…

“Don’t be so rowdy please! It’s a bother.”

As if she had her feelings hurt by Sera’s words, Haruna violently ascended the stairs. I headed for the living room with Yuu to wipe off the blood that was flowing from my nose. Gotta get a tissue.

“…”

Alone, Sera gazed fixedly at the mirror that was decorating the entranceway. I secretly watched her to figure out what she was doing, when surprisingly, she picked up the nekomimi hair band and put it on.

“…………. Nyaa.”

She faced the mirror and took up a pose. Then, perhaps getting embarrassed, she quickly took the hair band off and threw it away from her.

What a charming thing to see. I had bought it to see if I could get Haruna to wear it, but I was fully satisfied with just this. I began to call out to Sera, but then decided that it was probably better if I pretended I never saw that.

Well, she let me see something nice, so maybe we’ll have pizza tonight…

<center><big>***</big></center>

“Hooray!!”

Seeming more excited than I would have expected her to be, Haruna jumped her ahoge back and forth.

Seafood and fried shrimp pizza filled the table from end to end. There was another extra serving of the same thing next to where I was sitting. But we still might not have had enough. Haruna and Yuu both ate absurd amounts of food.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had alfredo ganahson L<ref>Not sure I’m correctly “Englishifying” this from the katakana (Arufureddo Ganaason).</ref>. Itadakimaasu<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

Haruna gazed at the shrimp-and-mayonnaise pizza with a sparkle in her eyes. She quickly grabbed a slice, and brought it to her mouth. Also, al… what? Huh? Gana… what? What was that?

“Hm?”

Having stuffed her cheeks with a bite of the pizza, Haruna cocked her head to the side as her ahoge bounced back and forth.

“This isn’t alfredo ganahson L at all!”

Her eyes widened and she stood up. She seemed strangely excited.

“What exactly is that al- whatever you thought it was?”

“Eh? Thinly spread out alfredo with a generous helping of ganahson on top, and a sprinkling of melted L… ah! Is that not something you eat in this world?”

Sounded like a recipe or something.

“I don’t think we do.”

“I see… that’s right. There’s no reason such a crap world like this would have things like alfredo or ganahson.”

Suddenly disheartened, Haruna sunk back into her seat. She then bit into the shrimp-and-mayonnaise pizza that she still held in her hand.

“Ah, but this is good. So this will do.”

Oh, is it good?! Is it alright for you?!

Strength seemed to return to Haruna’s drooping ahoge, and one by one she ate through pieces of pizza. A smile appeared on her face. Yuu was eating with her usual complete lack of expression. And now look, the pizza disappeared in an instant, didn’t it? Was it sucked up? Looking at their small mouths chewing and chewing, I knew exactly where the pizza had disappeared to.

“Ayumu… when you ordered me to indulge myself, is that order still in effect?”

The only person who had not touched the pizza softly called out to me. I could see a bit of bewilderment under her usually piercing expression, so I asked her what was wrong.

“I’ve never had anything other than traditional Japanese fare. It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but… I’m a bit frightened by food like this. Won’t you make me some miso soup?”

Returning back to her usual, tidy expression, Sera spoke just as tidily. I just had one question here.

Never had anything other than traditional Japanese fare? Are you telling me that the cooking you made for me before, that invincible cooking on which neither seasoning nor tableware had any effect… that was traditional Japanese fare?

“Just try a bit. It’s really good, you know. It’s not like it’s poisoned or anything.”

I passed a piece of pizza to Sera. She stared at it with a grimace, but perhaps she seemed to come to a decision…

“A vampire ninja should fight without fear no matter what type of enemy appears.”

Persuading herself, she shut her eyes tight and resolutely took a bite. She opened her eyes and took another. She cocked her head to a side and took another, and began to eat.

“This is quite incredible. To think that it would be this…”

She really seemed pleased. At this rate, the pizza would be gone in the blink of an eye. As I thought, it didn’t seem like we would have enough.

A lively meal. A mealtime that really made me feel happy. I can say it without any embarrassment now… I really enjoyed being with these people.

“Ahh<nowiki>~</nowiki>, Pizza’s really quite something. Ayumu, let me use your cell phone.”

Haruna rolled around, sprawled on the floor, and held out her hand to me.

“Here you go.”

I handed her my cell phone, and she dialed out. It was a regular report back to her world.

''Riiiinnngg…. Riiinnnnng…. Riinnnnng.''

“Ah, is this Dai-sensei? Eh? Ah, I see. Well, please tell her that refrain-year, rising-class attendance number 634526379 Haruna-chan called.”

How many people were in her class?!

I wanted to say that, but it’s not like I could do that when Haruna looked so down. Well, it’s not like I would say it even if things were normal.

“Was she… not there?”

“They told me that she left for another world to gather research materials.”

She threw herself heavily onto the table and shut her eyes. Hey, are you going to sleep there or something?

“Haah… I can’t find any artifacts, I can’t become a masou shoujo, and I can’t call Dai-sensei… this is the wooorst.”

All the energy she had before seemed to have drained out of her. Her mood was seriously more fickle than the weather on top of a mountain.

“By the way, Haruna. What’s an artifact? I’ll also help look for them.”

“Hmph. Someone like you wouldn’t be able to find them.”

“But, it’s still better than just looking for them alone, right? What’s the name of the artifact?”

Haruna had been frowning, but she suddenly put on a sincere, shoujo-like expression.

“Hmm, I guess that’s true. Yes, that’s certainly true, I think. Umm… the name was… Kyoudou… umm. Kyoufu… yes. The name was Kyoufu.<ref>Kyoufu means fear or dread.</ref>”

Kyoufu? What was up with that terrifying name? I mean, could terror actually have a solid form?

As she said, it really probably wasn’t something I would be able to find.

“Is that something that has a physical form?”

“Of course! It’s like this, square and soft.”

She gestured with her hands, but I still didn’t understand. It didn’t seem to be something that was very big. Did Sera know what she was talking about? I asked, but Sera shook her head from side to side. What about Yuu? … Ah, she’s ignoring me.

“Well, if I happen to see something like that, I’ll tell you.”

“I’m not holding my breath.”

Haruna once again collapsed onto the table.

''Ding Dong!''

The doorbell rang, and with an “I’m coming!” I stood up. When I opened the door, I saw a man standing there, wearing a trench coat and a hat in spite of this stifling heat.

“Hello, my name is Kerberos Wansard.”

He took off his hat, and underneath was the head of a black dog. It seemed like the head of a Doberman, with a long nose and very little fur.

Could it be that he was here because Yuu had let out emotions? And had changed my fate?

“What do you want?”

“I am the guardsman of the underworld… ah, and don’t say ‘oh, how can you be a guardsman if you’re a dog?’ I guess you could call me a guardsdog or something… right?”

Even if you say “right?” I’m not going to bite. Just get on with it.

“Although, even though I call myself a guardsman my role is somewhat the opposite… I let anyone in who comes, but don’t let anyone out. Of course, it’s because it’s the underworld… yes. You came to the underworld once but then you returned back here, right? So I thought I would come over here and devour you.”

“In other words, you came here to return me to the underworld?”

“Ah, so you understand? I’m thankful that you understood so quickly. Well then…”

He ripped into my shoulder. Kerberos… no, I’m just going to call this thing “dog.” The dog bit right through my shoulder. He tore through my shoulder as easily as if he was eating a piece of bread. I kicked the dog with 310% power, and ran back into the house.

Because of the gaping wide hole in my shoulder, I couldn’t move my arm. Putting pressure on my tattered shoulders as my arms swang side to side, I ran towards the living room.

Yuu had the power of healing. It would take time for a wound this terrible to heal on its own. So I would ask her to heal it.

“Yuu! Sorry. This is a bit a sudden, but heal me!”

When I told that to the necromancer who was watching television in the living room, she didn’t even look my way and pulled in her chin. I sat next to Yuu, and showed her my wound.

Yuu took off the gauntlet she was wearing on her left hand, and touched her pale, snow-like hand to my chest. Just with that, the blood stopped flowing from my shoulder, and it was healed.

Ooohh, so that’s the power of healing… amazing. She didn’t even have to touch the wound.

“You’re being quite stubborn, Aikawa-san. Please just die. Right away-“

The dog stepped foot into the living room. Sera watched the dog carefully with her crimson eyes, and Haruna bounced up from her collapsed position on the table. With an expression of shock…

“The dog talked!”

What? The Megalo also talked, didn’t they? Like that crustacean thing.

“Oh? I was just thinking that it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, and you’ve been here? Hellscythe-sama… ah, I see. This was your doing, wasn’t it? It must have been. There’s no reason a normal human would be able to escape from the underworld, yes. Come on, tell me.”

For some reason, the dog sat down, and we all sat around the table. Oh? Was the battle already over?

As everyone sat around the table with puzzled expressions, Yuu picked up the ballpoint pen that had been thrown by the table and wrote something on her memo pad.

''Tap tap.''

'''I forgot.''' = “Teehee. Yuu forgot! Sorryyy.”

“Well, I guess this was a wasted trip, then. How bothersome. You really should have told us before you called his soul back to him. If I knew this was your doing, I wouldn’t have come in the first place…”

The dog shook his head in a resigned manner. I had no idea what was going on… for now, there was one thing I had to figure out.

“So, you’re not going to fight with me anymore?”

At my question, the dog put on a strangely refreshed expression.

“I won’t. This is something Hellscythe-sama did, right? She can do anything she wants. Even the kings of the underworld kneel before Hellscythe-sama. It’s just… hmm… how do I put it… she’s quite amazing.”

“Yuu’s that amazing?” I muttered, and the dog continued to speak.

“Yes. ‘The Center of Everything,’ the kings of the underworld call her.”

The Center of Everything, huh? It was clear that Yuu was an incredibly important person, but it’s not like that mattered to me… it did really weigh on my mind though.

“But more importantly, this has been bothering me, yes. The wound on your shoulder from before was pretty serious, yes? Could it be… well, I’m sorry if this is false, but could it be that you made Hellscythe-sama use her abilities?”

I heard a ''tap tap.''

'''It’s alright. The pain is bearable.'''

Pain… ah, I had completely forgotten. In exchange for using her abilities, she had to suffer through pain. A headache, I think…

The dog sighed with an “I knew it,” and punched me across the face.

What the hell… before I could object, the dog began to speak. He seemed to understand what I had wanted to say by my expression.

“Hellscythe-sama holds in her hands the power to heal things. It is the power to fix a target object wherever she wants it to be healed by just touching it.”

“Hmmm, that’s amazing beyond my expectations. She can fix anything?”

Quite out of character, Haruna seemed interested.

“But, in return, she must bear the pain that she heals.”

“So you mean, just now, Yuu took on the pain of getting her shoulder torn apart?”

“Precisely. Because of you, Hellscythe-sama is feeling pain, you know? I know how much pain Hellscythe-sama has come to feel through the use of her abilities. That is why I punched you.”

“Yuu, I’m sorry. You really should have told me that you would go through this.”

'''I don’t mind.''' = “It’s fine! It was for my oniichan, after all!”

At that one word, the dog’s round eyes became even rounder, and he lightly opened his mouth while gazing at Yuu.

“Is that… right? Ah, I really must be returning home soon. I apologize for the inconvenience this time… ah, there are some humans being killed near here, so maybe I’ll take their souls with me and leave.”

“Wait just a second! I can’t just overlook what you said about people being killed near here!”

“Why is that? It’s a murder that has nothing to do with all of you, though? Could it be you want to help the humans? Could it be…?”

It wasn’t just that I wanted to help them.

There were people being killed near here? The one who was trying to kill them was probably…

The one who had killed me!

<center><big>***</big></center>

I flew through the nighttime city with the dog. This was a very personal matter, so the other three hadn’t come with me.

Nighttime sure is great. I could use my full strength. Underneath the sun, I very well might lose in a fight to an elementary school student.

“It’s nearby… yes. It seems there is still someone alive in there though.”

The dog descended in front of what seemed like an incredibly unremarkable house. He opened the second-floor window and we infiltrated the building.

“… It seems I was beaten. The soul is no longer here.”

“What do you mean? Did the person die?”

“I came here to collect the soul to send back to the underworld, but it seems that the soul has already disappeared. These types of things have been happening quite often lately… yes. Souls that don’t reach the underworld even after the person dies.”

“So, where do they go?”

“They were probably sacked.”

“Sacked?”

“Sacrificed. It’s an abbreviation. This is just hearsay, but people say that if you offer souls to this King of the Night person, you can receive an immense amount of magical energy. It’s been happening quite often lately… yes.”

We timidly exited the room, and descended the stairs. It still just looked like a normal house. Did a bizarre murder really take place here? It was so quiet that I had my doubts.

But, when we got down to the first floor, we saw all the blood.

“Aikawa-san, be on your guard.”

The dog had gone ahead of me, and wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his trench coat. This dog… he was sweating.

Well, I was sweating too. I could feel an intense pressure from whoever was ahead of us. The thumping of my heart sped up, and a chill ran down my spine.

That person was here. That terrifying person.

“Oohh, the magical energy is steadily going up… yes. To think that there would be someone in the human world with this much magical energy… I see! Quite!”

I had no idea what he was so impressed about. I wish I could sense magical energy too…

In the darkness, I spied a flash of light.

''Bam.'' My body was pushed to the side, and in front of my eyes I saw the dog’s outstretched hands. Hey hey, I’m the one who can’t die here. Let me be the shield. You go stand off to the side.

“Why the hell are you protecting ''me''?!”

“… If something happened to you, Hellscythe-sama would be sad, right?”

“I’m fine. I’m-“

“Hellscythe-sama really looked like she was happy… I won’t allow myself to snatch that away from her.”

At that moment, the dog looked almost human to me. He really seemed to care for Yuu.

“Please hurry up and run away! With your level of magical energy, this is out of the question! This person, this world…”

That large body tumbled backwards and collapsed onto mine. In the darkness, new blood fell to the floor.

I couldn’t move. I wanted to get out in front of the dog as soon as possible to pay my respects to this person, but I couldn’t move at all.

All I could see was the blade of a sword.

With a single stroke, my body was cut in half from the chest down. The dog in front of me also suffered the same fate.

My body still couldn’t move.

Move, move dammit, move. My mind was spinning as usual. There was nothing to be afraid about this time around. But even so, my body couldn’t move. Just like that time when I had been killed.

At the very least, I wanted to see this person’s face.

I needed just a bit more time, but my vision suddenly blurred. The dog had thrown the upper half of my body. With quite a bit of force, I crashed through the wall and exited the building.

Once I went outside, my body began to move again, as if it had all been a bad dream. I desperately crawled along the ground and went back into the house. I didn’t know what the dog had felt that caused him to force me away. But, I was in no mood to run away. I was just that helpful of a guy.

Inside, the dog was collapsed onto the floor. In that blood-splattered hallway, the dog’s body had been cut into two. No, cut into three. His head had been chopped off, although it was nowhere to be seen.

I attached the lower half of my body, and staggered into the house’s interior.

I saw a small, severed hand on the floor. A young boy? Or maybe a girl?

A large body was there also. It was probably that of the master of the house. I found a total of four bodies scattered about on the floor. Ah, I guess that would be five bodies, counting the dog’s. But, the one I was looking for was nowhere to be found.

“So, what exactly were you trying to tell me?”

Returning to the dog, I sat down in the sea of blood and looked down at his tragic remains.

''”This person, this world…”''

If only he had been able to add one more syllable, I probably would know what he meant. To this world? This world’s? In this world?

But now there was no response.

Like dandelion fluff, the dog’s body dissolved into small, white particles and flew away. It was the same as when a Megalo died…

You really did something unnecessary…

And… well… in the end, you really weren’t such a bad person.

Hm? It was the same as when a Megalo died…

''What? The Megalo also talked, didn’t they? Like that crustacean thing.''

I remembered my own thoughts from before. Then, underneath the dissolving trench coat, I saw the distinctive mark of the Megalo, that black schoolboy’s uniform.

The dog was… Kerberos Wansard was a Megalo.

He had said that he was a guardsman for the underworld. In other words, were Megalo entities that came from the world of the afterlife?

Why did a Megalo help a masou shoujo like myself? Why hadn’t Haruna made a move before when they were together in the same room?

Why did a Megalo know Yuu?

And finally… why was he a good person?

<center><big>***</big></center>

''Brrr brrr.''

On the way back home, my cell phone began to vibrate. When I took it out, I saw that it was from an unknown number. I thought it was going to be someone soliciting money or something, but I had time before I got home, so I decided to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Oh<nowiki>~</nowiki>? This isn’t Haruna, is it<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

The voice that I heard from the other side of the line was the easygoing, cute voice of a girl.

“Haruna? Oh… could it be that this is Dai-sensei?”

There was only one person who could have had business with Haruna.

“Indeed<nowiki>~</nowiki>. And you are<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

“I’m Aikawa Ayumu, the person who’s acting as a masou shoujo in Haruna’s place.”

“But, you aren’t a shoujo at all, are you<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

I heard a chuckle from the other end. You’re absolutely right there.

“Trust me, I’ve been aware of how ridiculous it is for a while… no, from the very beginning. By the way, did you need Haruna for something? She’s not nearby right now, so would you like me to take a message?”

“Ahh<nowiki>~</nowiki>. Please do then<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>. Could you tell her that she can stop looking for the kyoudoufu,<ref>This is tofu. I think the Kyou means it’s tofu made in Kyoto or something</ref> and for her to please just concentrate on recovering her magical power<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

“Kyoudoufu?”

“Yes. It was the errand I tasked Haruna with<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>. It really seems she can’t find any no matter what, so if that’s the case, I guess she can stop looking<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

At her words, I stopped walking, completely dumbfounded. The thing she had been looking for was “kyoudoufu.” Square and soft kyoudoufu. Not kyoufu, but kyoudoufu. I really could see Haruna making that mistake. She seriously can’t even do a simple errand like that? … Pretty cute.

“Ah, in that case, shall I get some for you?”

I began to walk again and proposed that idea.

If I recall correctly, Kyouko-chan’s grandfather lived in Kyoto. Why do I remember that, you ask? Because a cute girl had told me, of course. Also, why exactly did she send Haruna to Tokyo in search for Kyoudoufu? Shouldn’t she have gone to Kyoto?

“Ah, if that’s possible, please do. I really do love kyoudoufu<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

“Ahh. But then, why did Haruna come to Tokyo? Shouldn’t she have gone to Kyoto?”

“Oh oh<nowiki>~</nowiki>? You aren’t in Kyoto<nowiki>~</nowiki>? I told her to go to Kyoto though<nowiki>~</nowiki>?”

… Could she seriously have confused Kyoto with Tokyo? To… kyoto…

“Ohh, that girl<nowiki>~</nowiki>… this is why she can’t keep up in school…”

I heard her sigh. I mean, even if you say that to me, it’s not like I can apologize for her.

“She says she’s a genius, though.”

I mumbled that while smiling. I had meant it as a joke, but…

“That’s certainly true. I’ll admit that she’s a genius<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

Who the hell are we talking about?! … But you said she couldn’t keep up in school. She’s a genius?

“She’s a genius, so she can’t keep up in school<nowiki>~</nowiki><nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

Dai-sensei spoke in a very laid-back tone.

“That girl is hiding quite a large amount of talent. She understands things very quickly, and can then put them into practice. But but<nowiki>~</nowiki>, everything came too easily for her, and she stopped taking interest in anything. She just didn’t seem to care anymore<nowiki>~</nowiki>, and at some point she even stopped coming to school. Ah, kyoudoufu definitely goes well with ginger, doesn’t it?”

Afterwards, Dai-sensei continued to talk in her laid-back fashion. At some points, she diverted the conversation to tofu, but here’s a summary of what she said:

Even if you’re a genius, if you don’t learn anything you’ll still have a hard time.

So, she was left behind. She was confident that if she wanted to, she could catch up, but that pride had the opposite effect, and even now she didn’t care about learning the basics.

Her attitude annoyed the people around her, and nobody got close to Haruna. If she had just one friend, if she had just one rival, she might have been more motivated and ambitious.

But, that girl took the path of loneliness.

Because she was a genius, she couldn’t keep up in school.

And then, her attendance numbers were lacking, so at this rate she would be held back a grade.

So Dai-sensei suggested that she hunt for Megalo, so that she could earn school credit without attending class. And while she was journeying to our world as a masou shoujo, she should take the opportunity to bring back some tofu from Kyoto.

Haruna couldn’t remember the name, not because she was an idiot, but just because she didn’t see the point. She wasn’t interested in it, so she didn’t feel the need to remember it.

For example, Zarii and Kumacchi, Shironaga etc… she had just made up those names, and those Megalo had a different set of names. In reality, the bear was Maeshiba, the crayfish was Manabe, the whale was Maesowa, the anteater was Doki… they all had had unconventional last names like that, the reason being that it made them easy to tell apart… but honestly, I thought it had the exact opposite effect and made things harder to understand. Ah, oh right. The AA-rank and whatever that Haruna had mentioned seemed to match each time. So she probably was interested in that aspect at least.

“It’s just that, lately there have been some reaaaaaally surprising things happening.”

“Surprising things…?”

“Yeah. She managed to remember one person’s name, it seems. Even though she can’t even remember my name.”

Now that I think about it, I’ve called her nothing but Dai-sensei up until now.

“Exactly what kind of spell did you cast on her? Ayumu-san?”

As she chuckled, Dai-sensei called my name.

“I may know all kinds of magic, but I know of no magic that can open that girl’s heart. You must be quite an amazing magician<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

For some reason, receiving the half-joking compliment from the great Dai-sensei made me blush, and I found myself at a loss for words. Looking for a way to change the subject, I tried asking the question that had popped up just a little while ago.

“What exactly are the Megalo? I thought they were the enemies of mankind, but-“

“Megalo are the enemies of masou shoujo<nowiki>~</nowiki>. If we leave even one alive, our world won’t have a future<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

Haruna also had said a similar thing earlier. So that wasn’t just her personal opinion, but was something all masou shoujo thought?

“Earlier, a Megalo was present, but Haruna didn’t realize it, and the Megalo also didn’t go for her. Why was that?”

“That’s quite unusual<nowiki>~</nowiki>… this is just a guess, but could it be that the Megalo was there for some other reason<nowiki>~</nowiki>? Megalo have an ability to detect masou shoujo<nowiki>~</nowiki>. And then, we have the ability to backwards detect when they use their ability. So if that Megalo wasn’t aiming to attack masou shoujo, Haruna wouldn’t be able to detect it… that’s quite plausible, yes<nowiki>~</nowiki>? Haruna never learned how to detect magical energy, so it is quite possible that she didn’t realize it even though the Megalo was right in front of her<nowiki>~</nowiki>.”

She chuckled half-jokingly. I see. That “other reason” was probably that he had come to see me.

After that, we talked a while more about what masou shoujo did, and we ended the phone call when I arrived in front of my house. It seemed that she had told me everything she had wanted to tell Haruna. Haruna sure seemed to have a good teacher back in her world.

Well then, let’s also send an email to Kyouko-chan. “Give me tofu, please,” or something like that.

For some reason, when I went home, Sera’s face was pale. The beauty of her gloomy expression almost sent shivers down my spine… but was everything alright?

“I need blood… could you call Haruna over for me?”

Sera’s entreaty came out in a voice reminiscent of the buzzing of a mosquito. If you want to know, vampire ninjas needed to drink blood every now and then or they would die. But when they were well-supplied with blood, they were almost as hard to kill as I was.

“You can’t just use mine?”

“… That would be unpleasant.”

“I… see…”

Even in an emergency, you don’t want to drink a zombie’s blood?

For now, I ran up the stairs for Sera’s sake and headed for Haruna’s room. I knocked twice, and heard the heavy sounds of someone walking. I hurriedly put my hands on the doorknob.

“Hey! Don’t come in! Don’t you dare come in!”

I opened the door with all my might, and Haruna came flying out of the room. Today, she had just one pair of panties on. She managed to put on panties in that short of a time? Tch, disappointing.

“You damn eroboros!”

“Now that one I don’t get at all…”

“It’s a snake!”

Ahh, Ouroboros.

“Well, whatever, but Sera’s in bad shape. Can’t you give her some blood?”

“I don’t want to! Deeeeeeeeeefinitely do. not. want. to! Hey! Don’t look at me!”

Her face flushed red, Haruna confined herself back into her room. No matter how many times I see it, her skin sure is beautiful… but now was not the time to be thinking about that. What should I do? Should I force her downstairs?

For now, I returned to the living room, where Sera was now laying on her side. “Are you sure you don’t want my blood?” I asked.

“I don’t want to. I deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeefinitely don’t want to.”

She elongated that word even more than Haruna had…

''Tap tap.'' Sera and I faced the desk from where we had heard the tapping sound.

'''My blood should be no problem.''' = “Yuu’s blood is fine, right? I’ll do my best!”

“That’s…! I can’t just take Hellscythe-dono’s blood…”

“Come on, Yuu said it was fine, so just accept her blood this once.”

A look broke out on Sera’s face, almost as if she had just drunk a bitter cup of tea. She put her bent index finger to her mouth, and after thinking for a bit, faced Yuu resolutely.

“Well, let me take advantage of your kind offer then. Thank you very much.”

Sera reluctantly walked over to Yuu, and just like she had done with Haruna, she took Yuu’s lips in a kiss.

Yuu stood there without an expression, and didn’t even blink. Sera confirmed that Yuu’s eyes had thinned a bit, and then bit into Yuu’s neck.

“… Ah.”

With a speed I had not seen her exhibit up until now, Yuu clapped both her hands on her mouth. And if that weren’t enough, she also shut her eyes tight. Was that just her voice right now? It was the first time I had heard it. Did it hurt? She looked like she was blushing though.

After she finished sucking Yuu’s blood, Sera suddenly kowtowed to Yuu.

“Really, I’m very very sorry!”

Her flush fading, Yuu gave a fleeting nod, and after that moment turned back to the television and her usual posture.

“That probably means she forgives you.”

Even though I told her that, Sera still seemed uneasy. She continued to watch Yuu, but Yuu paid her gaze no heed. Oh right, there was something I had to ask Yuu.

“Yuu, about the dog from before… he was a Megalo, right?”

Yuu faced me and gave me a slight nod.

“So, you come from the Megalo side then. Can you transform into one of those monsters as well?”

Yuu poured tea slowly down her throat and turned her body towards the table. It seemed that she was willing to talk about this with me.

'''In the underworld, there are people who live there just like people live on this world. I am nothing more than one of those people.'''

“In other words, you don’t have a monster form.”

She nodded strongly.

'''But, there also exist those who have that power.'''

I see, so there were people who had unusual abilities just like Yuu. As expected from the underworld. It really did seem like a place of devils and demons.

“What exactly are Megalo?”

'''In the underworld, to oppose the masou shoujo, souls of the departed are gathered. They are then inserted into the body of animals and are allowed to grow. That is the Megalo System.'''

“People who die in this world become Megalo?”

'''Not just this world. All souls of those who have died gather in the underworld. In the underworld, there are people who have that ability.'''

People who die become Megalo… hold on a second. Then, what does that make a zombie? I thought that a zombie was just someone who had died but still could move, but could it be that a zombie was a Megalo?

'''Ayumu is not a Megalo. Ayumu’s soul is being held together with my power.'''

I see. Megalo had to have died, but I had not died. So, I was similar but not so similar to Megalo. So I was really a zombie? I guess I could breathe easy then?

The white particles that the Megalo dissolved into after they died were probably their souls breaking apart.

“Yuu, don’t you consider Haruna an enemy then? Why didn’t you say anything?”

'''Haruna is just a poor girl who has lost her powers. She poses no threat.'''

In other words, Haruna had lost her powers, so Yuu didn’t really pay her any heed.

“Sera, do you have any connection with the Megalo?”

“Unfortunately, I do not even follow what you two are talking about.”

So, vampire ninjas had nothing to do with Megalo. Well, even if they got involved in the battle between masou shoujo and Megalo, the masou shoujo could just manipulate their memories, so they wouldn’t even notice.

“But, even though I didn’t say anything… you just jumped in and helped take out the whale and the anteater, remember?”

“Since ancient times, I have taken on the mission of protecting humans from demons.”

Demons, huh? Those legendary breed of monsters may have just been another name given to the Megalo.

“Yuu, are you really alright with this? From here on out… Haruna and I are probably going to continue to exterminate the Megalo.”

'''I don’t mind. It’s not as if I am that fond of the Megalo System. Dead souls should be left in peace.'''

So, Yuu hated Megalo? Could it be that the Megalo System also had something to do with why she had come to this world from the underworld?

Geez… today was certainly pretty eventful. It really felt like a long day.

''Brbrbrrrr. Brbrbrrrr.''

I felt my pocket vibrate. When I took out my cell phone, I saw that I had received an email. It was from Kyouko-chan. It was a cute email filled with emoticons.

In summary, her grandfather was coming to visit her tomorrow, and she told me that she had gotten him to bring some Kyoudoufu with him. That he probably would leave to go back home just around the time school ended. She really pulled through for me. Thanks, Kyouko-chan. Now, Haruna may be able to finally finish her mission.

I went back to my room and dove into bed. Ah, right. I should probably tell Dai-sensei about the tofu. I took out my phone, and dialed her number through my call history.

''Rinngggggg. Rinnggggggggg. Rinngggggg.''

“Thank you for calling. This is the Matelis Magical Academy, Elusu speaking.”

The pretty sound of a girl’s voice rang in my ears. It was a voice filled with life that put my heart at ease. But, it wasn’t the voice of Dai-sensei.

“Ah, umm… could I speak with Dai-sensei?”

“Huh? I’m sorry, but who is that?”

“Ah, umm… the person in charge of Haruna from Refrain Year, Rising Class.”

I’m relieved that the name of her year and class were easy to remember. The names really gave off a strong impression. Although, don’t expect me to remember her attendance number.

“In that case, could you be talking about her homeroom teacher Ariel-sensei? Ariel-sensei has stepped away at the moment, would you like me to take a message?”

“Ah, well, umm… just tell her that I will get what she wanted tomorrow…”

“Understood. Could you please provide me with your name?”

“Ah… My name is Aikawa Ayumu.”

“Aikawa Ayumu-sama, is it? Understood. Was that all for today? Well, thank you for your call. Goodbye.”

Yes. Ah, yes. Yes. Yes. Goodbye.

I couldn’t really respond in a less monotonous way. If you ask me why, it’s because I was nervous.

Well now, it’s been a while since I’ve been to a convenience store and browsed through some of the magazines, so shall I do that?

Why am I not sleeping, you ask?

Well, more than any animal, zombies are creatures of the night.

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

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Commentary

2012-10-05T16:44:03Z

NeoZodiac: .

==Commentary==

''Fantasia Books Editorial Department''

… This… this book is so damn absurd!

That was my first impression when I encountered this novel. I guess it’s a trend nowadays to have an idiot protagonist who dies but is then revived.

-

Approximately one year ago. I had just transferred to the Fujimi bookstore, and was on the edge of my seat waiting for the results of the 20th Fantasia Competition. The prize has a twenty year history, and I wondered what kind of wonderful work would be added to the roster this year!

The works that had passed three rounds of screenings had been listed and pasted to the wall of the editorial department.

Among those works, one that stood out to me immediately like a sore thumb was “Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?” (Another work also had a title that had a weird aura emanating from it, and eventually became the runner-up in the competition. For all of you who want to submit work in the future, keep in mind that the title is an important thing!)

Nervously, I looked at that title… well, this was the first time I had read this word “Zombie,” so I immediately went “what the hell is this?” with wrinkles forming across my brow. So I read it, occasionally bursting out into laughter, and finally was filled with the impression that I gave at the beginning of this commentary. What the hell was this? People who actually liked zombies would just get angry at this, wouldn’t they?

I can just picture the young, reckless author going “Let’s get this work added into the relatively orthodox (just this editor’s opinion) line of Fantasia Light Novels!” and excitedly sending the work into us… What the hell, that’s insane!! Although that was what I was thinking, considering I’m the type of person who can’t bring myself to hate strange things and have a liking for the bizarre, I already had decided in my heart to endorse this work. The other editors with better sense can endorse the more orthodox works, so this is fine, right?

-

This is just a pet theory of mine, but there are two types of books where “absurdity” is a selling point. There’s the type where the author is incredibly bright and deliberately writes an “absurd” story. Then, there are the completely airheaded authors who end up writing an airheaded “absurd” story. No matter how I look at it, this work is in the latter category (my apologies). I’m probably more like the people in the second category anyways, so I can sympathize.

By the way, just like when it comes to big or tiny breasts, the question of which is superior doesn’t actually exist. No matter what, it’s just an absurd story. Yes, absurd stories don’t have a hierarchy! Either one is fine as long as it’s interesting.

-

As all this was happening, “Have you read ‘Zombie’?” became an active topic of discussion in our editorial department, and at a later selection meeting in our department there were both approving and dissenting opinions. I wondered what would happen to it, but in the end, the minority of us who liked unconventional things enthusiastically endorsed it, with a “there are a lot of problems with this, but above all, all the characters were enjoyably depicted!” and it managed to hang on until the last round, even getting an honorable mention! To think it could actually get a prize… Luck is just as important as everything else, isn’t it?

-

Looking back on that selection meeting, there wasn’t a very positive impression when it came to this work that was a bit lacking in both organization and writing style. However, a certain sensei smiled and said “I really like this. If it was published, we can make the title something like ‘No, it’s Kefir,’ except something like ‘Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? No, it’s a mahou shoujo,’ or something…” His opinion really worked its way into my heart… or you could say my eyes had been opened.

At that time, I became certain. If thinking a work was interesting meant believing that the readers would definitely have fun reading it, editors (the supporting side) can’t just shirk away. Instead, we should think more freely, and through that we can bring even more interesting works to the world.

For that reason, after the selection meeting, I asked our editorial department chief to assign me to this project. Ahh, and I’m really glad that I got the job.

-

The author Kimura Shinichi and the bishoujo unit illustrators Kobuichi-sensei and Muririn-sensei did a wonderful job with the serialization of this series.

Leaving the refreshing nature of the work I had felt during the competition intact, by revising and attaching some truly charming visuals, they managed to double the enjoyability and flow of the work, don’t you think? I have much confidence in the author’s carefree writing style and the wonderful matching illustrations.

I think that light novels are the products of teamwork. Please enjoy this product of the collaboration of three young, vigorous individuals.

They are aiming to bring more great works to their readers right now, so I hope that all the readers will give their support to Kimura Shinichi and Team Zombie! I am also waiting with all my heart to hear encouraging news from them.

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Epilogue

2012-10-05T16:43:57Z

NeoZodiac: .

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Afterword

2012-10-05T16:43:55Z

NeoZodiac: .

==Afterword==

Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!

This book finally went out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone, nice to meet you. This is Kimura.

-

This work is a revision of my work that received an honorable mention in the 20th Fantasia Novel Competition.

It’s really a dream to be able to put out a book.

Thank you to all of you who have chosen my book.

-

Now then, the truth is, I had no idea what this thing called a “plot” was.

I was called by my supervisor…

“Does your book have a plot?” I was asked.

… What? I was really puzzled.

Have you all heard of this word “plot”? Because I hadn’t at all.

“A plot carries the design specifications for the work. We’ll need to do revisions so let’s make a plot.”

“I’ve never made one before.”

For some reason, I remember that my response was just brimming with confidence.

And then, as a first step to making this plot, we started first to talk about what the subject of the book was.

“First, what’s the genre of ‘Kore wa Zombie’?”

“Ah. It’s Sci-fi action!”

“… Please apologize to all the Sci-fi authors.”

Sci-fi authors, I’m really really sorry.

“So, what’s the genre of ‘Kore wa Zombie’ then?”

“Ah. It’s suspense action!”

“It’s a romantic comedy, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s horror action at least, isn’t it?”

“… It’s a romantic comedy.”

“Eh? It’s a superpower ac-“

“Romantic comedy.”

“It’s a romantic comedy, isn’t it?”

-

This work is a romantic comedy.

-

The protagonist Aikawa Ayumu gets involved in certain incidents and dies.

But at that time, he meets a girl and is revived as a zombie. (There’s action too!)

And that’s not all. (There’s horror too!)

New girls begin appearing in front of the protagonist after he becomes a zombie! (Animals come out too!)

Ayumu finds himself surrounded by girls and leads a carefree life. (There’s suspense too!)

These three unique girls are then interwoven into this boisterous romantic comedy! (There are superpowered battles too!)

And in front of Ayumu and company, villains finally appear! (There are swordfights too!)

-

Well, if I do follow the outline like this, it’s pretty obvious that this is a romantic comedy.

To be honest, I was the absolute happiest when I was writing Sera’s battle scene. A long time ago, I wanted to become a master at fighting with two swords, so completely unconsciously, all the sword-wielding characters ended up having two swords.

If I write the battle scenes better, this work would become a “romantic action” or an “action romance,” wouldn’t it?

By the way, the illustrations were wonderful. The biggest selling point of this book were the illustrations.

Because the illustrations were so cute, I remember that I had a lot of fun with both the battle scenes and the romantic comedy portions.

So I guess at this point, it’s safe to say that this work is pretty much a romantic comedy.

But, just maybe… it’s an actio-

“No, it’s a romantic comedy.”

-

Oh right, when I was writing the manuscript I was thinking about this.

Girls (at least, to guys) take up both money and time. Girls are worth that money and time. And to increase that worth, there’s makeup and clothes.

The biggest motivation for us to find love lies in the girl’s cuteness and beauty, right? But, without a good heart, the relationship wouldn’t last for very long… I think.

-

Couldn’t you say that about books like this as well?

Even though there are cute illustrations, if the heart of the book isn’t good, I don’t think the readers would continue reading.

I hope that everyone who took the time to obtain and read this book laughed, smiled, and want to be with it for a long time… hm? These types of thoughts… sort of make the book a romantic comedy, right? Could it be that in my heart I think of it as a romantic comedy?

“It’s a romantic comedy.”

-

Lastly, towards all the people who obtained a copy of this book, to all the people who read the drafts, to the members of the selection committee, to the illustrators Kobuichi-san and Muririn-san. And to my supervising editor Morioka-san.

To all of these people, I extend my deepest gratitude from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you.

- December 2008, Kimura Shinichi

Kore wa Zombie desu ka?:Volume 1 Chapter 1

2012-10-05T16:43:49Z

NeoZodiac:

==Chapter 1 – "What I like is the Tsubamegaeshi secret sword technique. My special skill is the Tsubamegaeshi secret sword technique. My hobby is the Tsubamegaeshi secret sword technique."==


[[Image:KwZ_01_028-029.jpg|thumb]]
<center>'''I came to this dirty world in order to exterminate Megalos, but my magical powers have been taken away by that sketchy guy. The situation can't be any worse. Though I wanted to send him flying, I restrained myself to do so, and thus decided to only kick him to make him become a star. However, I didn't think that a B-level Megalo bear would be beaten up by him in just one strike......could it be that he's the rumoured devilish baron?! It...it's possible.'''</center>

When I opened up my eyes, math class had already ended. The next class has started without me noticing. Also, this class is almost finished too...

I glanced on my left. The curtains of the window were swinging from the wind. Probably because of this torrid weather, the window was opened. Though I don't know who did it, nice curtains. As I was thinking about this, the bell rang to mark the end of the class.

Next is—eh, is it already noon? Bento, bento.

What I took out was a hand-made bento. The one who made this bento – I don't need to hide that – is actually Haruna-chan. Yes, it is the genius-bishoujo-devilish-baron.

"I have a lot of confidence in my omelettes!" she said, while preparing the food with a sense of triumph.

Hehe. I put on the greatest zombie smile and lifted the bento's cover. Instantly, my already dead facial muscles spasmed......

The end has already been decided. I've got that premonition since the beginning.

"Please forgive me."

I muttered while bracing my myself. If it's like this, rice would be better. Pure white rice would be better.

In my bento box, there was only a yellow colour.

'''"I have a lot of confidence in my omelettes!"'''

I only know that. However, you are overconfident. It's only omelettes.

What is this green plastic separation made for? At the very least, it wasn't to make something like a ranch fence around the omelettes.

"Aikawa. It's really surprising to see you with a normal bento......"

Over there, a man appeared. His name is Orito. He has tea-coloured spiky hair and wears glasses, and was just an annoying classmate that you see everywhere.

His height and weight is just like any other normal person, his face is also ordinary, and he's not someone with any special trait. He probably understood the latter, and thus decided to have a trademark of his own—that spiky hair. This ill-fated relationship started since daycare, and he's a bothersome guy who always hangs around me.

"Waa......"

Orito saw my bento and was surprised.

Please, don't look at me with that compassionate expression in your eyes that you use to look at dead animals.

"Didn't you take that joke too far? It's so far that I can't even laugh at it."

Shaking his head, Orito dragged the chair beside me, and opened the very ordinary bento on my desk.

"I, simply really like omelettes."

While explaining that, I prepare myself to take a bite—but I didn't have chopsticks.

Hey, hey, why would you commit such a low-level mistake, devilish baron. I'm lucky to have here a pair of one-use chopsticks from the supermarket.

"Hn? What is it?"

"Since when it started? Aikawa never said such things as he'd eat at his seat."

That's because you'd still eat beside me no matter how many times I said that, so I've given up.

"Then, you can go eat at your seat. I want to eat alone. Please don't come."

"Well, what's wrong with that."

For some reason he showed a satisfied smile. Aaah, he's really a troublesome guy.

In the back of the classroom, I took out a pair of chopsticks from the closets that no one locked, and started my battle with the yellow demon in front of my eyes.

How scary. Even though after I've become a zombie I've battled with many types of creatures, compared to them, that's really scary. I get the feeling that something will happen for sure. I plunged my chopsticks into it. I took a deep breath, grabbed a piece and swallowed it in one shot.

"Hmm!"

I unconsciously let out a weird voice.

Delicious! How can it be so delicious!? It's so good as if the cosmos were in my mouth. Is that person a premium cooking chef? I didn't even know that something that simple could touch me to that point.

But—Ah.

I don't need the amount to fill a bento. Plus, since it's so good I long for rice even more. Even tears were almost coming out of my eyes, and for many reasons. The eyes of a zombie can still shed tears.

—That is why I proposed something.

"Hey, Orito. I now hold some really amazing omelettes. Trade with me, even if it's just a bit, for that Japanese spirit."

"Ha? You should have said that you wanted some rice from the beginning. Don't put up that kind of dumb—"

Though he got angry there, he still traded with me.

Taking that omelette which feels like a silver river inside of his mouth, Orito opened his eyes wide.

"What is this!" And he stood up, facing me.

"Hey! Aikawa's omelettes are too amazing! It seems that you can trade it now for rice."

Hey, hey. Orito-kun. Don't do such a rash thing. Zombies are beings who really love peaceful lives.

After hearing this, some people walked towards us. Alas, it can't be helped. The quantity of omelettes is stupidly great. It's not as if I can't share with you guys.

Though I thought of this at the beginning, there was a hot spectacular event of "Aikawa's ultimate omelettes", and before I noticed it, the yellow-coloured bento has become full of rice. And it was filled with every kind of taste.

It's true that I've said just before that '''"Compared to that, pure white rice is better"''', but it's really sad.

I didn't think that the greatest simple thing in this century would be traded into rice.

However, I didn't say "Why did it turn out like this".

Seeing the schoolgirls put on a smiling face and saying "Delicious, delicious", how can I say such a thing?

Even if it was a game or a movie, occasionally zombies can read the atmosphere, right?

—That is the same for me.

The afternoon classes calmly ended.

......Though I've slept through them.

After noon, that sun was quite foul. I thought that I'd die, really. Now I'll wait until the sun entirely falls before going back home.

I turned my gaze to the schoolyard under the sunset. The track and field team was running around on the orange field like kids playing in a park. What is there to be happy with? Everyone's vibrant smiles seem to be overflowing. Looking at the girls on the field, I hold an immense respect for the one who invented bloomers.

Now, there was basically no student in the classroom. Every time, it's just me and Orito who leave last. The ordinary students who are living their life of youth, left the classroom while smiling.

Orito is also getting ready to go home, placing the bag on his back, he yawned deeply.

"Aikawa. Speaking of which, you seem to go home very late. What are you doing at school?"

"Sleeping."

"You still plan to sleep even after sleeping that much?"

Orito patted my back while laughing. Though that is called sleep, it's rather falling from a battle with the sun......they're all the same.

"My house is nearby, so it's alright. There are many murder cases in these times, right? Shouldn't you be careful?"

So YOU are worried about me. Hehe, I laughed a bit with my nose. There are indeed some frequent dismembering murder cases in the past few days. It is probably done by the same person.

Plus, I was also killed by him. Right now, I'm the victim.

"Though I want to meet the murderer."

"Oh right, I almost forgot. Talking about meeting someone, Aikawa, my little sister's friend is also a victim in the serial murder case. She's called Kyoko-chan. Do you know her?"

Eh—Eh? There's a survivor? Hey, hey. She's a survivor from the serial murder case? Well, I should also be counted as one too.

"I don't know her name. What kind of kid is she?"

"As for the age, she's 14, just like my little sister. She's slightly taller than the average middle schooler, but she has the face of a child. Her chest is very big. She's many times cuter than my little sister.

"I don't know her. That, does Kyoko-chan want to see me for something?"

"Hehe, Aikawa doesn't know, but Kyoko-chan knows about you. That means that it's love at first sight."

Hehe. Exposing a smile like an idiot. The pair of eyes behind those glasses are the ones of a pervert.

"Isn't it way too one-sided if you only rely on that point." 

"I don't even know how many things Kyoko-chan asked about you......she's in love with you for sure! She's a middle school girl who lost both of her parents, and want to meet with the man she loves. Don't you understand~ can you go meet her at least once, please?"

How can there be anyone as bothersome as that guy. To join both of his hands while showing that kind of smile makes me really want to send you flying twenty meters away. No, it actually doesn't matter. I need clues. Clues about the murder cases are there.

"It's perfectly okay. I also hold some interest in this kid."

"......Aikawa......you are, as I thought, a lolicon."

"I'm not one for sure. I don't have any interest towards her in a sexual way. Rather, why don't you make a move?"

"Hey, Aikawa, don't put me in the same category as you. I, on the other hand, prefer mature women."

"How should I tell you that even though I'm in the flat-chested faction, I'm not a lolicon."

"I got it. I got it. Don't be so serious about it. Lolicon."

"Fine. Now, tell me the thing you love the most in the world—I'll transform it to the best that I can."

"In short, you can even meet her today if you want to."

"I got it. I'll meet her tomorrow at dusk."

"Speaking of which, why didn't I come to your house the past few days, Aikawa? Even though I always came there in the past."

I don't remember calling you over even once......hey, hey, don't think of any strange things.

"It has been long since I've come, can I go visit it today?"

You see. I know that it'd be like this—it'd be a headache. If you'd came here now, it'd be a headache. NO, not just now, but it'd always be a headache from now on.

"It's not possible. That......there are many important things I have to do. It's not easy to live by yourself, I'm really busy."

Is there something wrong? If you ask that question then I won't be able to say something back.

"Then it can't be helped......"

Orito looked through the window with a lonely expression. The happy voices of the sweating highschoolers in their club activities came from outside.

"I'm sorry. Right, how about going bowling next time? There's no way that you can beat me now."

Because I'm a zombie? I said that kind of voice out in my head.

"Fine! It has been long since we've place a comic book as wager! Let's go tomorrow!"

Rotating his wrist, Orito started to laugh in the corner of his mouth. That guy really loves bowling.

Just like this, we've casually chattered like this for a bit, and Orito left the classroom first. After hearing the footsteps completely disappear, I gazed again throughout the window.

The sky, dyed by the color of dusk......I didn't continue on what I was about to say. I've already encountered that kind of situation, I guess.

Haa, what good weather. Go eat shit. Sun, quickly fall and go eat shit.

Suddenly, I felt that the lights flashed for an instance, and it was followed by an ear-piercing noise due to the windows which broke, and it seemed that something entered the classroom. You'd understand if you look at it closely. It was a lobster. Wearing the school uniform, and slightly taller than an average person—WOW, THAT GUY'S REALLY BIG!

"I felt the magical energy of a masou shoujo and thus came here to see......"

The lobster shoved down the shards of the broken windows with his pliers, and furtively looked around in the classroom. Then, he fixed his cute little eyes at me.

"Masou—Shoujo......?"

It seemed that he inclined his head due to his astonishment. He's really full of human smell.

"Who are you? There are quite a few male masou-shoujos. Plus, your magical energy is really low. You, are you really a masou-shoujo?"

"Though I want to deny this, I guess I still count as a masou-shoujo."

"......Anyway, there are many responses in this area. I'm looking forward to that."

How is that called? The term use for these guys.

"Hn? There's one that is moving towards here......good timing. I can kill two masou-shoujos.

Oh, yeah, it's "megalo". The term used for these guys. I really remembered it.

At this time, beside the slowly drifting curtains, she appeared.

She was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of trousers.  With a chainsaw in her hand, Haruna appeared in the opened windows.

With the track court tainted by dusk as background, with her shirt and ahoge swaying in the wind. How magical and comical was her posture.

"Ayumu! What the heck are you doing!? Beat the megalo until it pisses his pants in terror!"

I don't know what would be the state where he "pisses his pants in terror". Rather why did Haruna enter the scene like this?

"Haha! Another wrong guess! I can only wait for the ones left...after I kill you two."

The lobster bastard clicked his pliers, emitted a lively laugh. You're Baltan or what? Ah, the shape of the pliers is different. (T/N: Baltan from Ultraman. Google it if you don't know who he is.)

"Ayumu, finish him quickly! Wait, hey! Don't look here!"

Just like what the clearly angry Haruna asked, I faced the lobster standing on a chair. It seems that the reason why Haruna is blushing is because she feels incredibly embarrassed at the fact that her panties have been seen. If it's like that, then why did you go outside in that outfit? You fellow. 

"Rather, what would the classroom become?"

"Ha. Something like that can also be fixed, because I'm a masou-shoujo."

"Then I can be in peace. First, that's a lobster, right?"

"Yes, that guy's an AA-class megalo, the lobster-mage."

That guy's a mage? I can't tell that by looking.

"Ah, no. Isn't it rather a super-evil outrageous lobster?" 

"Hahaha! Then, let's begin!"

Suddenly, a warm wind came from the lobster.

From the looks, it seemed only to be a huge fart. Why did it do that? The disgusting purple wind seemed to be surrounding my body. Then, Haruna let out a low-pitched "Eh" and embraced herself. After receiving that wind, she should have felt a disgusting feeling, just like me, I guess.

"What, this is......impossible."

"What is it? Are you OK?"

"Ayumu......that feeling of numbness is......"

The lobster took a step close to us. Haruna shut her eyes tightly, and her shoulders were shaking.

"You, could it be that you're scared?"

"What,what kind of joke was that!? The possibility that I, would be scared of megalos......how can it be—"

At this moment, Haruna stopped talking. She suddenly felt strenghtless, and immediately sat on the ground. A ripple appeared on her glabella, and while clenching her teeth, she tried the hardest possible to control her shaking.

Anyway, I should first cut down the distance, and just like with the bear last time, the goal is the lobster's head.

However, before my hand could grasp the lobster's head, it already fell on the floor, bleeding.

"Oho? You are more capable that you look......male masou-shoujo!"

With his large pliers covering his eyes, it was laughing.

"Ayumu!"

Her cute scream resounded in the entire classroom. It was obvious that Haruna would be worried. My wrist was bleeding, and everything that was beyond the wrist has fallen on the floor. Not good, the situation's become bad. Lobster-san's movements are very quick. It has been cut off so easily. On the other hand, his opponent's eye has also been damaged.

"The problem is that it's my right hand...it'd be easier to deal with if it was my left hand."

To not be able to use my strongest hand is quite bothersome. The ticking blood sounded like sounds made by a clock, and the lobster was shifting his body according to the sound. That lobster was probably having the same thought as me.

—There's no flaw. The one who moves carelessly will lose. What should I do?

"Ayumu! Hurry up and transform yourself into a masou-shoujo!"

Suddenly, Haruna threw the chainsaw towards me. Hey, hey. I'll be cut in half the moment I'll reach out to this.

—Look at the situation carefully.

While jumping backwards, I grasped the chainsaw with my left hand. Of course, the lobster also closed down the distance and charged towards me with his body. Then he pierced my abdomen with his plier, causing me to vomit blood.

I slouched, and lobster sent a headbutt my way. A mountain of blood gushed from my nose and my back hit the blackboard. With all my strength, I sent a knee kick through the air, but lobster’s elbow bore into my body.

Dammit, this lobster… he’s too fast.

“Chant a spell!”

Haruna’s order echoed in my ears. No no, there was no time for that. Spells are pretty long things, right? And I had crammed them all into my head in one night.

The pincers hit me on the side, and sent me tumbling through the classroom, taking tables and chairs with me.

“The one thing I didn’t want to do was transform into a masou shoujo…”

But, there are no other options. This crayfish was strong. Damn strong. If I don’t transform into a masou shoujo, I probably wouldn’t be able to win.

Making my decision, I shouted. lobster-san, please hold on just a second.

“Nomobuyo, woshi, hashitawa, dokeda, gunmiicha, dei, ribura!”

Alright, now what? First, my clothes tore, almost as if they were bursting open, and light began to gather where I was. At this point, my embarrassment had already reached the summit.

The light merged, and a cosplay-like outfit made of a material I still have yet to identify began to appear on my body. It was the same outfit Haruna had been wearing when we first happened to meet, and the bottom was of course composed of a skirt. If Haruna wore it her undoubtedly cute panties would be completely visible… so I didn’t like this at all.

Power poured into my body. To the point where I myself was getting goosebumps. Well, it’s also possible the goosebumps were a response to me being in this outfit.

But, geez. With this, things should work out. That’s what I was thinking. Of course, I’m talking about the power of masou shoujo.

My transformation had definitely put lobster on guard. He put up his pincered hands as if he was a boxer, and carefully watched my movements.

“Come on, Ayumu! Quickly… go quickly!”

She pointed at lobster, and shouted while her ahoge jumped back and forth. Yeah yeah. I’m going, I’m going.

With my left hand, I brandished the chainsaw high in the air. Along with that, the moment lobster’s hands started to move, I threw a straight punch at him with my right arm that was missing its hand. Taking the opportunity, I kicked him and sent him flying into the hallway.

lobster collapsed to the floor, leaning heavily on the wall for support, and I brought down the chainsaw on him. Perhaps it was the magic’s effect, but the chainsaw glowed red and the blade began to turn of its own volition.

As expected, he guarded against the chainsaw. He skillfully interposed his pincers in between the chainsaw and his body. Like that, he threw the chainsaw off, and we once again entered into standoff mode, just a bit separated from each other.

“Bwahaha. You sure can take a beating. I’ve killed six masou shoujo up until now, but you’re the most troublesome of them all. Also… you’re strange.”

lobster made a sound as if he was laughing through his nose.

“Why, thank you. If you want to talk about strange, I believe both of us fit the bill.”

The atmosphere in the air sparkled with tension. It was the highest form of anxiety that came with life or death situations like this. Granted, I’m already dead.

In this narrow hallway, there was no choice but to attack straight on. No need for tactics here.

lobster’s right hand moved. He stuck it out in front of him.

And then, those huge pincers came flying at me.

“Uwaaah!!”

I was terrified. The pincers were detachable? Like a missile, it flew at me and I leapt to the side to dodge, when I realized it.

The moment I had let out my pitiful sounding shout, there was someone behind me that had let out a similarly pitiful sounding shout. When I twisted my neck around to look, I saw a single male at the top of the stairs on the other end of the hallway.

It was Orito.

Well, I suppose that lobster had shown up not too long after Orito had left, so it wasn’t impossible that Orito would come back to check on what all the commotion happening in the classroom was about.

And while I was thinking that, the pincer collided with my body. It felt like I had gotten hit by a truck. What a strong attack.

My body was lifted ridiculously easily into the air, and I was thrown to the other end of the hallway. Afterwards, the pincer returned to lobster’s body. If I hadn’t transformed into a masou shoujo, my body would have probably been torn to shreds.

“Aikawa…”

Orito opened his eyes wide and stared at me. His arms and legs were shaking, and even if I told him to run away it’s not like he would be able to move that quickly.

“What the hell are you wearing…? Is that supposed to be funny?”

Oh, well that was unexpected. I thought he would ask about the crayfish first. I understand why he might have questions for me when I’m dressed in this cosplay like this, but first and foremost there was the crayfish, right? The crayfish isn’t something you would see in everyday life.

“Hurry and run away. You’ll be killed.”

Perhaps he didn’t hear my warning, but Orito stiffened like a doll. This isn’t good… if he takes an attack, unlike me, he’s really going to die, right? After all, he’s not a zombie.

“Hey, Haruna! There’s a civilian here! Help!”

I yelled to the bishoujo who was probably still in the classroom. lobster’s huge round eyes faced the direction of the classroom. As if I’d let him interfere!

Crushing the floor beneath me, I rapidly closed the distance between me and lobster.

I went in with a flying kick, and waved my chainsaw around as its gears spun with a vrrrrmmm. It was all so lobster didn’t end up targeting Haruna. Trying to chase him into the middle of the hallway, I tackled him aggressively, and once again swung my chainsaw around.

lobster leapt backwards like a shrimp would do, dodging the chainsaw blade.

“Haruna! Hurry up and help him!”

“Shut up. I got it, so stop ordering me around.”

As if she were trying to ward off the cold, Haruna came out of the classroom rubbing her arms.

Please, Haruna.

A backhand chop… or should I say a backpincer chop… pierced me in the side. I had been looking somewhere else, which admittedly was a bad excuse, but his attack might have crushed a few of my internal organs.

The crayfish smiled. This bastard thinks he’s won, doesn’t he? I grabbed the pincer, twisted hard, and pulled his large body down to the floor.

I straddled him and brought my chainsaw, glowing a ruby color, down on lobster’s neck.

“Not good enough!”

The crayfish did not only have two legs. A number of legs extended from under his school uniform and pierced my body. It didn’t hurt, but how do I put it, it felt disgusting. I mean, they were twirling around in my body.

“Bwahahahaha! Die! Masou shoujo!”

“Sorry, but I’m already dead.”

The chainsaw roared into the crayfish’s neck. lobster-san had thought he had killed me so he had momentarily let down his guard. That happened often with these things.

The crayfish’s large round eyes, a feature peculiar to Megalo, opened wide in shock. lobster-san pointed a trembling pincer in my direction. It seems like he was about to detach his claws and launch that fierce attack he had before.

But he was too slow.

I tossed away the crayfish’s severed head. Losing his strength, lobster-san’s right pincer fell to the ground, lifeless. At that moment, the pincer that was supposed to be released in my direction… suddenly discharged.

“Uwoohh.”

Letting loose a pitiful sounding yell, I stood up. Like a rocket, the pincer passed through my legs. Geez… I guess this was his last desperate attack.

Feeling relieved, I turned around. I saw Orito there.

He was still there?

Didn’t I tell her to get them to safety? Did I say something wrong? Did she not hear me?

Maybe it was because I was a zombie, but I felt the blood drain from my face.

Before giving myself over to that disgusting sensation, I went into a spectacular low dive like a lifeguard. The last pincer that lobster had released was headed straight for Orito.

Hey hey, if I weren’t a masou shoujo right now I would have been wounded pretty badly by that pincer. If I weren’t a zombie, I probably would have died. I unconsciously opened my mouth wide.

Did I reach it? Even if I only touched it a bit, that would be fine. Even if I could just divert its trajectory a bit, that would be fine.

I reached out with the chainsaw in my left hand as far as it would go, chasing the pincer as it went straight ahead, spurting sparkling particles out its backside.

Just a bit more. Just slightly farther. That’s it. If I can just catch the end of it, that’s fine… alright.

Dammit, this isn’t going to work. I can’t reach it at all!

I was left speechless. I held my breath, and twisted my wrist.

I had to throw it. There was only one chance. I didn’t even want to think about whether I could actually throw the chainsaw properly from this posture, but I was out of other options!

“And gooo!”

306%. Exceeding the limits of human strength, I threw the chainsaw with just a snap of my wrists.

Answering my prayers, the chainsaw deflected the pincer. The pincer changed its course and drilled into the wall of the hallway. Orito clumsily covered his body with his limbs as the concrete shards that had popped off the wall poured onto him.

With one breath, I exhaled all the unpleasant air that had lodged in my lungs. Geez, what the hell was Haruna doing?

“Hey, did you see a short girl around here?”

“Eh? Ahh, that super cute girl? She glared at me and asked me where the toilet was, and when I told her she went there without another word.”

Orito turned his gaze to the end of the hallway. In the direction of our classroom.

Ah, I see, if she needed to use the bathroom that’s fine. Whatever.

Wait, it is not fine! When she comes back I’m going to lecture her on why life is precious.

“What are you?”

Rubbing down his chest, Orito put on an unusually serious expression and looked at me.

Well, it’s not like I can hide it anymore. Geez.

“I already died. I’m just a normal zombie.”

“When you become a zombie, you have to wear clothes like that?”

It seemed that the first and foremost thing on Orito’s mind was this costume. That would be a pretty long story to tell though…

When I explained the situation from beginning to end, Haruna returned from the bathroom looking refreshed. She shook water droplets off both her hands.

“Ah, it’s over? Then…”

Isn’t she acting a bit too casually about all this? Haruna nonchalantly walked over here, and touched the hands she had just washed to Orito’s forehead. When she did that, Orito collapsed to the floor.

“H-Hey, what did you just do?”

“Memory manipulation. I can’t deal with this entire area by myself as I am now, so you do it.”

“If you could do that, tell me earlier! I had just explained everything to him.”

“As if I care! Just hurry up and do it!”

Geez. With Haruna’s difficult-to-understand instructions, in order to use this magic I was not used to, I pointed my chainsaw at the classroom. A red light extended from the chainsaw and enveloped the damaged classroom.

I had to do “something or other” to the “space-time something or other” within a certain area or something. Memory manipulation also seemed to make use of that principle.

… Let me just be frank, and say that I didn’t understand at all.

At least use technical terms, dammit. Don’t just say “space-time something or other.” And what’s more, it seems this magic couldn’t heal my body’s wounds, so my body was still in its worn-out state.

Well, I would return to normal with time. They say that often, right? Time heals all wounds.

Even though I didn’t really know what I was doing, I seemed to have pulled it off, and the classroom returned to the state it was in before lobster-san had come in.

I see. This way, there were no more signs that a battle had happened here. It could be possible that masou shoujo have always been fighting with Megalo in places that I don’t know about.

And then, by manipulating memories, in general those places wouldn’t be found out. That’s pretty convenient. As long as I could ignore this outfit, I would probably like being a masou shoujo.

Alright, next comes memory manipulation. Haruna had already seemed to have done it, but I couldn’t help but being uneasy.

I pointed my chainsaw at Orito, sleeping soundly and collapsed in the hallway. Once again, I listened to a hard to understand explanation from Haruna, and manipulated his memories.

At the very least, I had to make sure he forgot about this costume.

Even if he remembered the crayfish, even if he remembered that I was a zombie, he had to forget about this costume.

A short time after the crayfish’s attack, I began walking home, trying to avoid being seen. If you ask why, it’s because after I dispelled that cosplay, I became naked, right? And whether I went home in these clothes or completely naked, both would be equally terrible.

And what’s more, next to me walked Haruna, who was only wearing a T-shirt and a pair of panties. And I was holding a chainsaw. There was absolutely a hundred percent chance people would think we were wackjobs. The minute we got spotted, we’d probably get reported.

We finally chose and began walking through a dark, quiet, narrow road. The road was too thin for even cars to pass through. If we could slip through this road, my house would be just ahead. Ugh, just now, through my embarrassment, my annoyance was reaching its peak.

Why did I have to end up wearing this costume? That question repeated itself a countless number of times in my head.

I spoke up to the girl next to me who was looking the other way, and who was also the source of all my problems.

“You, go back to the magic world.”

“Huh? My world has a cool name, and it’s Virie! Don’t use any other words to describe it!”

“Fine. Fine, whatever, just stop it!”

Haruna had placed her thumb under my nose and rubbed it back and forth as if she had a pocket tissue she was trying to open. That burns! The area under my nose is burning!

“Anyways, go back to this Virie or whatever.”

“Huh? There’s no way I can go back!”

She looked at me as if I had just asked something stupid, and her facial expression soured.

“Why?”

“You stole my magical power so I can’t go back! Don’t you understand that much?!”

No, I didn’t. Could it be that she intended to stay at my house forever?

… Give me a break.

“Isn’t there a way you can go back? I’ll help you.”

“Alright, give me back my magical power.”

“How?”

“As if I know! Just do it somehow!”

With that, Haruna turned the other way, leaving me rubbing my head.

Alright, well that’s my house right there… it’s around 50 or 60 tsubo<ref>1 tsubo is equal to around 3.3 square meters.</ref> , I think. Well, something like that. It was just a normal two-story residence. Right now, there were only two people living in this house… whoops, I forgot about Haruna. Only three people, then.

Under the pretext of going on a honeymoon, my parents had been gone for around five years.

I could easily imagine how many laps they had already made around the world. My little brother had happily gone with them, but I was left here in Tokyo. After all, if I went with them I would have to be on a schedule that would be tougher than being on a tuna fishing boat.

Now, there was not even a shadow left of the peaceful lonely existence I had enjoyed before. Well, even now, I should be able to take back some private time. I’ll just believe that… so, with that, shall we enter?

I mean, Haruna had already gone in. Usually, you should wait for the master of the house to go in first, right?

Well, whatever. She definitely seemed to be embarrassed by her outfit, and we had walked the entire way here looking at the ground.

When I asked her why she showed up like that, her response was “Well, a Megalo showed up, so what else could I do?! Don’t look at me!”

When I went inside, I dispelled the costume. Stark naked, I ascended the stairs. My room was on the second floor. And in case you’re wondering, I had left the chainsaw in the entranceway.

The inside of my room was exceedingly simple. A bed, a dresser, a bookcase, a study desk, and a television. Even though I was a zombie, there was nothing worth pointing out in here. It was an uninteresting, exceedingly normal room.

I took a shirt, some trunks, and some jeans from a drawer in the dresser. Changing into normal clothes, I exited the room. So, where should I go? Of course, the living room. It was the gathering place of the family, after all.

There was a large square table in the living room along with a biggish plasma television. Today as well, I could hear the laughing voices from some variety program coming from the television.

In front of the television sat a single girl kneeling with a teacup in her hands. You probably could figure this out, but this was not Haruna.

Even though she was indoors, she was wearing a dress that would look appropriate on nobility, along with a Western-looking set of plate armor. Both her hands were equipped with gauntlets, and I had yet to see her with them off. It was an unbelievable outfit considering the heat.

… Her clothes may have been strange, but they really suited her.

“Was everything alright today?”

I spoke up to the girl in the living room. She didn’t even move her neck, but, with only her eyes, confirmed my identity and gave me a single nod. Even in making that nod, she barely moved her chin.

And then her gaze returned right back to the television. Even as she watched the comedians in the variety program laughing ceaselessly, she didn’t even let out a chuckle.

Her peculiar features lay in her flowing, straight, long silver hair and her transparent blue eyes. They were deep eyes that almost sucked you in, almost as if there was a whole other universe within.

This girl’s name was Eucliwood Hellscythe, or Yuu for short.

Glancing at me one more time out of her peripheral vision, Yuu didn’t turn her body at all as she put her teacup on the square table. Using her right hand adorned with that flawless gauntlet, she picked up the black ball-point pen lying on the table, and using her left hand equipped with a similar work-of-art gauntlet, she tore out a sheet from the memo pad on the table.

She put her pen to the memo sheet. And then, she tapped twice with her pen. I believe that was a sign for me to look at the memo she was writing.

In round Gothic lettering, she wrote the following on the memo sheet:

'''Prepare dinner.'''

I didn’t even see her pen move. I was watching her straight on, but it always happened that during the span of a single blink, she would have finished writing what she needed to. No matter how long the sentence was.

''”Oo, Yuu is hungry. Hey, onii-chan. Won’t you make something? Pretty please?”''

That was what was going through my head. Just reading what she wrote was just too lonely, right? I always imagined a cute Yuu talking to me when we interacted like this. Even though I’ve never heard her real voice.

“What do you want to eat?”

At my question, she tore off another memo sheet from the pad. Two taps with her pen.

'''Steven Segal.''' <ref>I don’t know if Steven Segal should be honored here or terrified. Maybe a mixture of both?</ref>

That’s not going to happen. I couldn’t even translate that into cute-Yuu speaking in my head.

”You know, Yuu really wants to eat Steven-“ ugh no, that’s no good. Absolutely impossible. I tried for a bit, but I really couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to make the Yuu in my head say something like that.

Shaking my head back and forth, I shook the inner-Yuu out of my mind.

Right then, Haruna appeared. She was wearing a similar outfit as before, but she had on a pair of jeans for which the legs had been rolled up many times. When exactly did she steal my jeans?

Haruna passed by my side, and settled into a cross-legged position to the right of Yuu, directly across from me, putting her elbow on the table and looking in Yuu’s direction. Her gaze almost made it seem like she was admiring a rare animal.

[[Image:KwZ_01_059.jpg|thumb]]

Yuu seemed completely unaware of Haruna’s existence, and didn’t move at all even when being examined from top to bottom by Haruna. She quietly sipped her tea.

The situation was similar yesterday when I had brought Haruna home. Even when I introduced Haruna, her eyes didn’t move to Haruna at all. Haruna also didn’t try to speak with her, instead acting like she was at the zoo watching an unmoving koala bear.

Even when I asked her “Haruna, is something about Yuu bothering you?” she just responded curtly with “not really.”

Even when I asked “Yuu, do you have any connections with masou shoujo?” she just completely ignored me.

As I thought, this just confirmed my philosophy that the best life is a lonely one.

“Ayumu, dinner’s still not ready? I’m hungry.”

'''I want meat.'''

Yeah yeah. Please allow me to make you dinner. Also, those two were complete polar opposites. That applied even to the way they sat; one was kneeling with her back straight and extended, while the other sat there slovenly and hunched over, cross-legged.

“Pork kimchi fine?”

“Yeah. That’s fine.”

Haruna showed me a smile. Her smile brightened up her countenance and was very cute, even if she didn’t intend it to be. It would be nice if she could always look like this…

'''Wonderful.'''

''”Really?! Yaaay!! I love you oniichan!”'' is how I translated that. Heh, she really is quite cute, isn’t she?

Well, you’re probably wondering about this girl, so let’s talk a bit about Eucliwood-sama. Some of you have probably already guessed most of the situation, but just humor me and listen to my story anyways.

Why exactly was this strangely clothed girl in my house, when I was the one who said that I prefer being lonely?

Let’s talk while I prepare dinner for these two.

About that day.

<center><big>***</big></center>

It was around a month before I met Haruna, and the date was May 26th. As 1am was rolling around, I decided to head to a convenience store. It wasn’t as if I was looking to buy anything in particular. Rather, I was just looking for a diversion.

There, I saw a solitary girl quietly sitting in the convenience store’s garage, in which not a single car was parked.

Up to this point, I was never really interested in the girls around me. When I looked at the girls in my class laughing and playing around, I never really got the impression that I wanted to be with these girls… I think I was too busy chasing dreams.

But that day, I met a dream-like girl.

The girl had sparkling silver hair that would make anyone jealous, and was wearing armor and gauntlets.

Of course, this was the first time I had seen a girl dressed like that. It wasn’t something you would wear to go to a convenience store.

She exuded an aura of mystery and was extremely beautiful. I couldn’t help but be drawn in like a bee is drawn to the scent of flowers.

Usually, there’s no question that I would think that she was a weird person, and would take refuge in the convenience store while avoiding eye contact. But that night, I stopped right there in my tracks.

Because then and there, she had seized my heart.

Our eyes met. The girl fixed her gaze firmly on me.

She was just like a doll… that was the only way I could think of to describe her. She had graceful looks that I felt belonged in an anime or manga. Even though she looked very young, perhaps because of her blue eyes, there was an air of elegance around her.

Making up my mind, I began to move towards her. For the first time in my life, I felt the urge to talk to a girl.

I remember that Orito had once told me something. “Girls are attracted to erratic behavior,” he had said.

…. Alright.

“Excuse me, do you believe in Mononoke Hime?”

She turned her gaze away from me. It seemed that my first contact had failed.

Dammit… what should I do? This atmosphere is so uncomfortable now. What should I do… ah, umm… that’s right! If I go from a round-off into a moonsault, that definitely should earn a high score!

I quickly put some distance between us, and took a deep breath. I took off into a run and did a cartwheel. Alright, that had good power behind it. With that kind of power…

When both legs touched the ground, I tucked into a somersault of two flips and one twist…

Krchh!

Aaaaaaarghhhhh!!! My ankle!!!! My round-off had failed.

I glanced at the girl.

I saw her shoulders shaking a bit, perhaps out of fear. Certainly, having someone you don’t know doing such suspicious things in front of you might scare you enough to make you want to run away. I was an idiot for believing what Orito had said.

I covered my head with both hands. Ugh, the more I think about it, the more I realize how embarrassing that was.

As I was thinking that, the girl began to pull on my sleeve.

Her entire face showed no emotion when I removed her hand. She said not a single word, but just continued to stare at me. I couldn’t help but think that my soul might be stolen away by those blue eyes.

Under the light flowing out from the convenience store, Yuu took a ballpoint pen and a notepad from out of her skirt pocket, and tore off a single sheet… and on that sheet, she wrote this:

'''That was funny.'''

I was completely caught off guard and couldn’t respond. Wait, when her shoulders were shaking back then, that was laughter? Alright, let’s try a gag that Orito had done the other day. I lifted both my arms up.

'''So, don’t do it again.'''

What the hell. With nowhere to go, my hands found their way to my head, and I ruffled my hair.

'''Who are you?'''

Her expression didn’t change, her gaze didn’t change. But her eyes seemed firm. She was probably on her guard.

“Just a normal kind oniisan.”

'''I will be the one to decide that.'''

“Quite right. Well, what kind of person do I look like then?”

Yuu took a bit of time to think about that question. She was motionless, as if her batteries had run out. When I tried to break the silence, she took out another memo sheet.

'''However I look at it, a suspicious idiot.'''

I burst into laughter. I guess that’s true. No matter how you look at it, I was a suspicious idiot.

In the end, she never spoke, but her right hand was very chatty. We talked for quite some time.

I never expected that it would be so fun chatting with a cute girl like this. I liked being alone, but talking with a girl like this was not bad either.

Having met Yuu, I discovered that joy.

Now that I think about it, it was precisely from that first meeting with Yuu that I began to act warmly towards girls.

Cutting off the conversation at an appropriate point, I waved goodbye to Yuu and began to walk home.

'''Be careful.'''

Yuu didn’t wave back, but just coolly swept her hair back.

<center><big>***</big></center>

One corner away from my house, I stopped in my tracks. I looked up at the eerie, starless night sky, when suddenly something came into view.

A dark second-story window. Something was clinging to it.

What’s that? As I cocked my neck to one side, I squinted. I felt an unpleasant sensation, as if all my hairs had stood up on end.

Hey hey… isn’t that blood?

There were red marks stuck to the window, almost as if someone had thrown a tomato at it.

The series of scattered murders. Those words passed through my head.

A chill suddenly ran down my spine. Pushing down the inner voice that was telling me to run away, I took out my cell phone. For now, I should call an ambulance… or maybe the police?

My fingers shook, my heart thumped, and my throat was painfully dry.

Just as I was on the verge of pushing the call button, I heard it.

… That was definitely a human scream.

Right now, someone was being attacked in this house. Even if I called the police, it would take them a few minutes to get here. Looking around, I saw that there was nobody around here but me.

So… should I run the hell away? Or, should I try to help?

In times of hesitation like this, it’s better to make the courageous decision.

Nervously, I approached the entranceway of this unknown house, my back stiffening and my breath catching in my throat.

The door was not locked, so I opened it and softly entered. If this weren’t actually related to the serial murders, I would just be a normal criminal here. As I worried about the possibility of having made a mistake, I briskly walked through the dark, unlit hallway. Having come this far, I was finally able to return to my right mind.

What the hell am I doing here…?

It’s not like I can save anyone, right? What did I plan to do if I came face to face with the criminal? Am I an idiot?

It’s not like I’m going to make it in time. I was really asking for trouble.

As these thoughts ran through my head, my fear multiplied many times over.

Not good… this really is not good.

Desperately trying to gain control of my throbbing heart, my numbed legs began to move.

Without making a single sound, I began to run out of the house.

I paid careful attention to my hand on the wall, making sure I was silent.

Alright, if I can make it out the front door, I’ll start yelling outside, and the criminal won’t be able to do anything about that.

I softly turned the doorknob… huh?

I couldn’t move. It wasn’t like I was playing “Daruma-san ga Koronda”<ref>A Japanese variation of tag.</ref> or something. It also wasn’t as if I was trembling in fear and couldn’t move. It was as if time had stopped, and my body couldn’t make the slightest movement anymore.

''Gatan.'' I heard a sound, and my heart leapt into my throat. But I had been flawless. I can’t recall having made any sound at all. At any rate, I can’t move.

''Kin.'' I heard the sound of metal. Of course, I wasn’t the one who had made that sound.

… Well, who exactly made that sound then?

I could feel the atmosphere behind me growing ominously cold.

… Please forgive me. I felt like my body was shrinking. And then, a sharp pain.

I had been impaled by something sharp. When I looked down, I saw that it was some kind of sword.

… It hurts. Breathing, my body, my head… it all hurts.

I felt a sharp pressure pushing on my back, and then the sword that had pierced me was withdrawn. Blood gushed out.

I lost all power in my body and slumped onto the ground. As my consciousness dimmed, the last thing I remember seeing was a long haired person who was carrying something long and thin in both hands.

And then…

“Don’t die.”

The minute those words sounded in my head, I woke up in a graveyard. That place I was fond of. And right in front of me was that strangely dressed girl… yes, Yuu.

“You… am I alive?”

Putting a hand on my chest, I felt a gaping wound. But, I felt no pain from it. All I could feel was a sensation as if something was being zipped up inside my body.

'''You’re dead.'''

She wrote that cruel response on the memo pad.

“Did you do this?”

Were you the one who killed me? That’s what I was trying to ask, but…

'''Yes. I made you not die.'''

At any rate, it seems that she wasn’t the criminal, but rather had saved me. Certainly, if she were the criminal, she wouldn’t have a reason to keep me alive.

“Well, what? Did you turn me into a zombie or something? You a necromancer or something?”

Panicking in the face of these extremely preposterous events, my breath became ragged.

Yuu did not avoid my gaze at all, and gave me a strong, firm nod.

… Seriously?

“Hold on… hold on hold on… has the criminal realized that I’m alive? Could it be that the criminal is still looking for me? Give me a break… don’t tell me my life is still in danger…”

Completely panicking, my words became jumbled as I rambled on and on. At that sight, Yuu handed me a single memo sheet. On that sheet were written these words:

'''Don’t worry. I’m here with you.'''

Those deep sky blue eyes made me feel like I could rely on this person.

'''My life is also being targeted. So it’s best to not be alone.'''

So, that means, she doesn’t want to be together like this?

That thought went through my head, but I don’t think my savior would go so far as to say something that brutish. It’s obvious that it’s better to be together than to go home in fear.

There was still a lot I didn’t understand and couldn’t consent to, but I didn’t have enough strength right now to pursue those topics.

After all, I was still suffering from the aftershocks of the fear I had when I was killed.

But, along with that fear, there was a feeling of uncertainty left in my heart.

Who was it? Who had killed me? I hadn’t cared about this when I heard about it on the news, but now that these misfortunes had fallen onto me, I couldn’t help thinking about it… I’ll definitely find the killer.

And like that, I had become a zombie.

After that day, my everyday life took a turn for the supernatural.

On the negative side, I had to battle a bunch of bizarre things I had never seen before that came to my house aiming for Yuu’s life.

On the positive side, girls more beautiful than I had ever seen began to show up at my doorstep, one after the other. Things that I had thought were “impossible” now were happening right here.

''If something has any possibility of happening, then it will eventually happen.''

I guess that the probability of this phenomenon occurring might have been greater than zero. And if the probability is greater than zero, then sometime, somewhere, it would happen. The probability of it happening was just low.

It was just that sometimes, the probability of these things happening around me became high… quite high.

<center><big>***</big></center>

We all ate in the living room, sitting around the square table. On the table were two bowls filled to the brim with rice and miso soup. And of course, the large quantities of pork kimchi I had prepared were lined up. There was also a rice cooker and a pot next to me. I was expecting to have to deal with the surging waves of these ravenous two asking for seconds.

I had only made two people’s worth of food because a convenience store bento was more than enough for me. Who dares to complain about a hamburger bento? If anyone laughs at convenience store bento, I’ll unleash my zombie ultimate attack on him.

“Ayumu, seconds!”

Haruna energetically handed me her rice bowl. Next, Yuu also seemed to want seconds. Geez, you two are eating just a bit too much. Girls should be more wary about their weight and eat less.

“I’m surprised at how good the food is in this world at reviving my store of magical power! Mystletainn no longer rejects me anymore, so at this rate I might be able to return to being a masou shoujo soon! Maybe maybe!”

She dug into the pork kimchi with a smile. Every time she moved, the ahoge coming out of her head waved.

“Oh, by the way, the fried egg you made was delicious.”

Smiling, I stroked Haruna’s head.

“Ah, of course it was. Who the hell do you think I am?”

For some reason, when I stroked Haruna’s head like this, she didn’t object. At some point, Haruna realized that I had an almost-disgusting zombie smile on my face.

“What are you laughing about? Gross… die! Idiot!”

Blushing, she sent a storm of verbal abuse my way.

And at that time…

Bam! A dry sound echoed through the room, and I widened my eyes in surprise.

For some reason, Yuu had leaned forwards and smacked Haruna across her flushed cheeks. Haruna and I both stood dumbfounded at these sudden happenings.

And then, even though Yuu normally never picked up her pen while eating, she faced Haruna and thrust a memo in her direction.

'''Don’t use those words lightly.''' = “Geez! Don’t say bad things about oniichan!”

There was not a tremor in either of her eyebrows, but I could see that she was getting angry.

“Yuu, while I appreciate the sentiment, it’s not like Haruna was being serious either.”

“No, seriously die. Die with that gloomy necromancer<ref>Haruna calls Yuu a “nekura mancer,” which is an obvious play on words of “necromancer.” But “nekura” also means “gloomy” in Japanese.</ref> over there!”

And then, another dry sound rang through the room. Two of them this time. Haruna had countered this time.

'''Death is painful.'''

I could not translate those words into the cute-Yuu-speak inside me. Haruna also seemed to be at a loss for words. Yuu’s blue eyes were filled with sadness.

Trying to break the silence, I gave out a strange yell of “Daaahh!” as if I was at the Inoki Bom-ba-ye<ref>Martial arts tournament held in Japan.</ref>. Haruna began to shovel rice into her mouth. Yuu also returned to eating with a nonchalant face as if nothing had happened.

“Ayumu! More! Super more!”

Yeah yeah, I’ll give you a lot this time. I piled up a mountain of rice into her bowl and handed it back to her. Taking the bowl, Haruna showed me a smile lined with her white teeth. Her smile was so lovely that it was contagious.

When I looked in Yuu’s direction, I saw a single tear come out of her eye and roll down her cheek.

That’s surprising… to think that the usually completely emotionless Yuu would suddenly begin to cry.

“Hey, Yuu! What’s wrong? Ah… umm… uhh…”

''Drip. Drip.'' She didn’t give out a single sob, and her expression did not change at all, but tears began to spill out of her eyes.

Yuu put her left hand to her cheek, and traced the trails the tears left behind. And then, finally, she seemed to realize that she had been crying.

I didn’t know what to do at this sudden turn of events. I looked to Haruna for help, but she cleanly dismissed me, and in the face of my gradually growing bewilderment, I couldn’t do anything but stroke her silky silver hair.

Was there anything else I could do…? Anything else I could do for her?

Calm down, me. Why is Yuu crying?

Glancing at the table, I noticed that Yuu’s bowl was empty.

Ah, I see! Having been put into a trance by Haruna, I had completely forgotten about refilling Yuu’s bowl.

“Sorry, I’ll give you more rice right away.”

Flustered, I heaped rice into Yuu’s bowl. When I peeked at her face, I saw that tears were no longer flowing out from her eyes. Even Yuu can cry sometimes, huh? After confirming how Yuu could be pretty human-like sometimes, I tried to enjoy the rest of dinner.

“I would like some miso soup too.”

Yeah yeah. Some miso sou- wait, who the hell are you?!

The people sitting around the table… there was me, Yuu, Haruna, and one more person. A woman. She was wearing low-rise jeans and a camisole along with clothes you would normally see on girls everywhere. Her long hair was tied back with a rubber band. I-It was a ponytail! Ponytails were my biggest weakness!

Of course, she also had an attractive face and figure, but unlike the other two, she exuded a cold dignified air. And the things that drew my gaze more than anything else were her sparkling jade-colored eyes.

I had said that she was a woman, but she didn’t look older than I was. It was just that she exuded an air of maturity.

Since the time I had met Yuu, the girls that have been showing up at my door have all been cute or beautiful, without exception. They all had beautiful, graceful faces that I would not forget. But I haven’t seen this particular girl before.

Oh well, I’ll give her the miso soup she asked for.

“Hey, Ayumu. Who’s this?”

Ahh, it seems like it wasn’t one of Haruna’s acquaintances. So that means…

She was an acquaintance of the necromancer silently sipping her miso soup next to me. So, while handing over a bowl of miso soup to that mysterious girl (the third mysterious girl)…

“For now… could you introduce yourself?”

“Understood. My name is Seraphim.”

Hooh, her name sounded like it could be an angel’s name. It was one of the angelic ranks, right?

Staying silent, I waited for her to continue.

“……”

With an imposing air, she fixedly stared straight forwards. I couldn’t help but be charmed by her beauty. The otherwise silent living room was dominated by the sound of miso soup being sipped.

“……”

Wait, ''that'' was her idea of an introduction?! And it didn’t seem like I was the only person who thought that way.

“That’s it? Don’t you have things you like, or special skills, or hobbies? C-Could it be that you’re a wizard?! You planning to blow me up or something?!”

Haruna. Are all the wizards you know cruel and merciless or something?

“My likes: Hiken, Tsubame Gaeshi. My special skills: Hiken, Tsubame Gaeshi. My hobbies: Hiken, Tsubame Gaeshi.”

Well at any rate, at least she responded to the question.

“Why are you here?”

“A mission.”

“What kind of mission?”

“To borrow the power of Eucliwood Hellscythe-dono.”

I glanced in Yuu’s direction. The necromancer in question was proceeding with her meal as silently as ever. She didn’t seem to care about what was going on around her.

Yuu often had her life targeted. She had the power to bring the dead back to life, so there were an endless supply of beings who tried to kill her and take that power for themselves. Up to now, a countless number of strange things had come visiting.

There were vampires, and vampires. Well, also… vampires? Now that I think about it, vampires came really often.

“Could it be that you’re a vampire?”

At my question, Seraphim-san widened her eyes. Her expression screamed “How did you-?!” But soon she returned back to her cold expression, and nodded once.

“Precisely. I’m a vampire ninja.”

As I thought.

Hm? No, it was a bit different. Well well well well, whatever, it’s fine… ninjas… demons… it’s all pretty much the same.

Wait, that’s not true at all! Am I an idiot?!

Listening to her, I learned that she was a ninja who needed blood to retain her youth and power.

She had been living in a secret mountain village, but the death of their chief had incited a war of succession. The war had continued for hundreds of years, it seemed. And, to suppress that war, she wanted to revive their fallen chief.

So there were still ninja villages in Japan… that’s surprising.

Hm? There’s also the point that everyone who’s come here so far has basically been a vampire. They all had deep crimson eyes and wore black cloaks, so of my own accord, I had labeled them as vampires.

When I asked about this matter, Seraphim-san nodded.

“Yes. They are trying to take Hellscythe-dono’s life and make her unique power their own. Their schemes are precisely meant to hinder our efforts.”

Pouring miso soup down her throat, Seraphim set her empty bowl down onto the table and continued.

“My mission is to request that Hellscythe-dono accompany me, and to protect her life. There are stubborn types that would prefer to just kidnap her, but we respect her power. So if possible, I would like to ask the person herself to come with me of her own free will.”

And that’s how the story ran. Mealtime had ended, and on the table that only bore empty plates Yuu placed a single memo. And then, she put her ballpoint pen to the memo.

''Tap tap.'' She tapped the table twice.

'''Ayumu. I don’t care. Drive her away.'''

It seemed like the negotiations had broken down with a single blow. I had also worked hard to defeat all the vampire ninjas that had appeared at our house up until now. But, as Seraphim-san had said, they were the ones who were trying to force us to do what they wanted. They were trying to kidnap Yuu. So I could fight them with no hesitation whatsoever, but this time was a bit…

I mean, she’s a girl, right? And she also had said that she would protect Yuu’s life.

“But there’s no need to fight this time, right?”

At that question, Yuu tap-tapped on the table. She wasn’t writing anything. She seemed to want me to look once again at the memo she had already written. That’s what I thought, but it seemed that she had added something… when did she…

'''Ayumu. I don’t care. It’s fine, so drive her away.'''

Hm, what should I do? These were, once again, words that I couldn’t make cute in my head.

Haruna, say something to Yuu, won’t you?

“I see. If you’re a ninja, you can suddenly appear and disappear, right?”

She completely ignored me!

Without even trying to clean up, Haruna got up and left the room.

Did people who came from the magic world Virie not have any interest in supernatural beings outside of Megalo? This is why these young masou shoujo are so…

“What relation are you to Hellscythe-dono?”

As expected, from that beautiful mouth came a beautiful voice. Her fixed stare made me blush.

“Hm? How do I put it…”

''Tap tap.'' I looked over at Yuu.

'''Servant.'''

Well, I guess that’s not technically wrong. Personally, I prefer “oniichan.”

“If that’s the case, I will also become your servant. Please call me Sera.”

Sera spoke with a completely serious expression. She won’t mind if I call her Sera too, right?

Soon, I saw that Yuu had added something to the memo on which she had written “Servant.”

'''I only need one servant.''' = “For Yuu, only one oniichan is enough!”

“If that’s the case, you don’t need him, right? No matter how I look at it, he seems to be stupid.”

Sera-chan. That really does annoy me, you know. I resent that.

The vampire ninja and zombie had a glaring contest. Sera stood straight up.

“Let’s find somewhere we won’t be disturbed.”

She seems to be pretty determined. Without cleaning up after the meal, I also stood up and we left the room. If we were going to fight, I knew just the right place.

That place that I was quite fond of.

<center><big>***</big></center>

The graveyard was quiet today as well. It was still too soon for people to have fallen asleep, but not even delinquents would want to hang around a graveyard at night.

Because this was a place where zombies came out.

The crater that had formed when I had met Haruna and Kumacchi had magically disappeared, and the gravestone that had been pulverized was also right there, sparkling.

I passed by the lined-up gravestones and headed for the area beneath the huge tree. Here, there was nothing around except that tree, so there was nothing to hinder our movements during our fight.

While listening to the rustling sounds of the leaves in the tree, we glared at each other.

Sera was pretty much the same height as I was, and her long hair, styled into that ponytail, fluttered in the wind. That expression that overflowed with majesty didn’t lessen in beauty even now, when we were on the verge of attempting to kill each other.

“Could I just ask you one thing?”

“What?”

“These vampire ninjas or whatever… do they attack humans?”

“Of course. Although, they do not kill them. They just take some of their blood.”

“Even the more forceful ones?”

“I cannot say ‘definitely’ with absolute certainty, but they definitely do not kill humans.”

Which was it?!

“But, right now, you’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?”

“It is for the sake of my objectives, so there’s no choice in the matter, is there? And also, you aren’t human.”

Quite right, she is. Her eyes bled red and a black cloak that seemed to cover her entire body appeared. This was her getting into battle stance, I suppose.

Sera spread her arms out, and green leaves appeared to fall out of nowhere. There was that big tree there, so a few leaves might have fallen off, but never this many.

“Let’s begin.”

With just that one word, Sera disappeared. At pretty much the same time, I felt something slice diagonally through my chest. If I hadn’t quickly taken a step backwards, that would have been dangerous.

In front of me, I saw her pretty, long hair and commanding red eyes. Beautiful. It was so beautiful it almost made me shiver.

At that time, her self-introduction earlier echoed through my mind.

''“My likes: Hiken, Tsubame Gaeshi. My special skills: Hiken, Tsubame Gaeshi. My hobbies: Hiken, Tsubame Gaeshi.”''

Tsubame Gaeshi… making lots of shallow cuts to make your opponent falter, and then finishing him off with one true attack… something like that? But in any case, she was sending a barrage of attacks my way. I kicked off the ground and fell back.

As I had thought, her follow-up attack came at me and cut me deep.

Large amounts of blood fell onto the graveled floor. I was expecting it and tried to dodge, and it still ended like this. As expected from a ninja.

“Impressive. To think you could evade my Tsubame Gaeshi twice.”

Yes, in reality, after her initial counterattack, she had repeated the same movements. It was something like four consecutive cuts.

After that, I ran and she gave chase, and multiple sword flashes cut into my body. I couldn’t evade a single one. But none of the wounds were fatal.

Should I have brought the chainsaw?

No, it’s too late to have regrets at this point. Instead, I should be taking advantage of my immortal body.

I dared to meet with one of Sera’s slashes and moved through it. In exchange for her cutting me almost to my core, I punched Sera with all my might. At my attack, one leaf sprung up and stopped my fist. That single, fluttering leaf had stopped the attack I had put my all into.

But it only stopped that attack for a moment, and when I put more power into the attack I felt the resistance of the leaf vanish. Like that, I struck Sera and sent her flying. Aren’t people who punch girls the worst? Yes, that’s true. But I would never let myself be killed without fighting back ever again.

Sera quickly got up and closed the distance between us. I guess she wasn’t the type of person to keep her distance and calmly assess the situation. I preferred a slower, more calculated type of fight though.

In both her hands there was something that looked like a sword… I guess you could call it a sword.

But it was really a leaf. A single, huge leaf that had been made thin and long.

That extremely long and thin leaf definitely resembled a sword. Wait, does that mean she’s made all of these fluttering leaves into swords? As I thought about that, I was once again cut.

This time she had aimed for my neck, and as I wasn’t able to keep up with her movements, fresh blood scattered out of the newly opened wound. I tried to get some distance between us, but I couldn’t run away.

Now that I look at it, there are thin grass-like leaves piercing into my legs. As I thought, all of these had been made into blades.

“Got you!”

Right in front of me, this imposing girl waved her sword horizontally. She had cut through around half my neck, and blood erupted from the wound. Normally, this would be fatal, wouldn’t it?

“It’s not over yet!”

“Wha-!”

I grabbed onto the hand of the shocked Sera.

I pulled her close and struck her head with mine. Her head jolted back violently and I followed it up with a body blow. One leaf jumped up to block me, but I didn’t pay it heed and followed through. Then, I struck her with my knee, and punched her with my right hand. With 230% of the power a normal human could muster.

Kicking up gravel, Sera noisily tumbled along the ground.

As I watched her, something came flying at me and I blocked it.

It was what appeared to be an autumn leaf. It had been changed into something like a shruiken. I pulled it out after it had lodged itself into my arm, and even with 230% of my strength I couldn’t bend it… to think she could counterattack while in that condition…

… I mean, I had punched her with the intent to kill.

As expected from a vampire… no, a vampire ninja. As another member of the undead, I found myself respecting her.

“I underestimated you…”

Her cloak waving, Sera opened her arms wide. A pair of green colored wings appeared behind her. I couldn’t say that those many small leaves didn’t resemble detached feathers. She had gathered those leaves together and formed wings of blades.

“Here I come.”

She came at me even faster than before. And it was an attack that came from above. Her wings flapped, and numerous tree leaves fluttered down, looking quite like detached feathers.

“Hiken, Tsubamegaeshi… Hachiren!<ref>continuous eight</ref>”

At those words, I was cut in eight directions all at once. It wasn’t just by the sword she was holding. The leaves around me had all been made into swords as well… not good. Here comes the follow-up strike.

In an instant, my body had been torn to pieces.

I twisted my body, but my right arm had flown off, and not only my legs, but my entire lower half was gone. There was no more strength left in my body as it lay on the ground like that.

I mean, she had attacked me from all angles, right? There’s no way I could have avoided it all. Absolutely no way.

The angel with the black cloak landed in front of me, and she turned those red eyes my way.

Those green swords she held in both hands and that long hair. I feel like I’ve seen something similar before. Ah, yes… someone holding a long thin object in both hands with long hair. The person who had killed me.

But really, to be able to use two swords like that was difficult even for a master.

Also, Haruna had said that ninjas were able to disappear and reappear. If it were a vampire ninja, it would be an easy task to infiltrate anywhere.

As I thought, Haruna was somehow connected to these events. I’ll have to ask her about it next time.

So the criminal… was a vampire ninja?

“… 300.” I rolled my way to my lower half and reattached it.

Like a magnet, my body was drawn in and I could soon move it, allowing me to run to collect the hand that had fallen on the floor. Perhaps she was shocked at my sudden motions, but Sera flew up into the sky.

“… 410.”

“He can still move?!”

I heard a rustling sound from behind me. It was the sound of those green wings flapping.

“502.” Reattaching my right hand, I kicked off the ground and flew upwards.

“Hiken, Tsu-“

Gritting my teeth, I hit her with all my might. Her wings tried to cover her body, but my full power attack was almost at 600% strength and easily penetrated her defenses, hitting her.

But, unfortunately, what I hit was not a person, but a log.

In the span of a second, Sera had transported herself atop the biggest branch in the tree.

What I had hit was the black cloak and the log. A body switching technique? Ninjas are cowards, aren’t they?

“Pretty strong, aren’t you?”

Sera came down from the tree, and we once again fell into a staring contest. Maybe she had used all the leaves to make those wings, but there weren’t any leaves flying around anymore. All that was left were the two swords she had in her hands.

“Could I just ask you one thing?” I spat out the same question that I had at the start of the fight.

“What?” And she gave the same response.

“Do you really not kill humans?”

“Yes. So what?”

She kept her eyes fixed on me. As beautifully and as directly as always… it was gorgeous.

“Well, then everything’s fine.”

I still had my doubts on whether I could completely believe her… but I decided to trust these eyes. This girl, Sera, didn’t seem to be the type that would lie. So she wasn’t the one who had killed me. I’ll believe that. If I do say so myself, girls were a huge weak point of mine. And it’s not like I can just keep on saying that until I fix that weak point… I should just live alone…

For some reason, Sera let go of her swords. Her swords transformed back to small leaves, and gently fell to the floor. Her red eyes returned to their normal shade of jade. She let out one breath, and showed me a slightly satisfied expression.

“Well, I’m stumped. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like I can defeat you. Even with my secret sword technique. I see that I need to train more. And I’m also not inclined to bring out my ultimate technique. I’ll have to think of some new moves…”

Somehow, it seemed that the battle had ended. Although, if she continued to use that body switching technique, it’s not like I would have been able to do much against her.

“So…”

“Yes. Please allow me to return home.”

As if she had guessed what I had wanted to say, Sera turned her back to me with her ponytail swish-swishing behind her and quickly left.

The masou shoujo Haruna and the Megalo.

The necromancer Yuu and vampire ninjas.

Lately, way too many strange things have been happening. Was this also because I had become a zombie?

I left the graveyard and slowly walked home. At any rate, that was quite a flashy way to chop me into pieces, wasn’t it? This is the first time I’ve found it so difficult to move.

When I arrived home, I took my shoes off in the entranceway.

I know that was a pretty banal statement, but this was strange. I mean, apart from Yuu’s shoes, there was one other pair. Of course, they weren’t mine. And I hadn’t bought shoes for Haruna yet. Right now, it seemed that Haruna was using the underwear I had bought for Yuu to use.

It couldn’t be… as I thought that, I turned towards the living room.

And in there was the form of that imposing vampire ninja.

Why is she still here?

Didn’t she say she was going home?

… Hm? Ah, I see. She meant my home.

Give me a break. Was she planning on staying here too?

''Tap tap.'' As always, Yuu called to me in her usual way.

'''What’s the meaning of this?''' = “Oniichan. Why is this person here?”

Hmph. That’s what I want to ask!

Somehow or other, it seemed that like how I was Yuu’s servant, Sera had become my servant. And I consented to that arrangement.

Call it giving up if you must. If I were just living with Yuu, I could still find some alone time, but now with Haruna in the picture my dreams had vanished… so whatever, she can do what she wants.

By the way, if she’s my servant, she’ll listen to anything I want, right?

I can make her call me oniichan, right?

Well, isn’t that great? And so, I suggested it to her.

“No. That’s disgusting.” She clearly and resolutely refused. She seemed to be the type that would have no problem pointing it out when she didn’t like something. It seemed like she had an imposing personality no matter where it was applied.

“Well, at least call me master or something.”

“No. You shitty insect.”

Her eyes, pretty as always, pierced into me as if they were looking at the lowliest creature on earth, and her words shattered my dreams.

It seems that she was even able to make “words” into blades.

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

Kino no Tabi:Volume10 Chapter1

2012-10-05T14:50:05Z

NeoZodiac: .

<center>'''The National Daily'''
'''Spotlight Feature: Interview on the Streets'''
'''Kino the Traveller - A Young Traveller Journeying to the Future'''</center>

Welcome to the Special Edition of ['''Interview on the Streets'''], the regular feature showcasing the lives of people we meet on the streets through an impromptu interview!

Agreeing to an interview for us this time was Kino, a traveller who visited us last week and departed after a three-day stay.

One of our reporters happened to meet Kino just before her departure, and managed to snag us an interview. Why does this young woman travel so? What goes through her mind as she journeys?

<center><big><big>♣</big></big></center>


Looking at Kino, I became sure of this--when the desire to travel overtakes you, age is but a number.

Kino tells us that she first decided to leave her homeland at the young age of twelve.

'''Kino:''' In our country, twelve is the age of majority. Having been pretty against the conformity of it all, I guess twelve was the perfect age for me to make my decision. I decided on it on my birthday, and I was out of the country before a year had passed. (Laughs)

It would be unthinkable to have our children fix up a motorrad and leave the country at the tender age of twelve, as Kino had. Different countries have different lifestyles and educations. But this reporter believes that there is no age too young to choose a life goal for oneself and attain the courage to move towards it.

But hadn't her parents opposed the idea?

'''Kino:''' Of course they were against it. (Laughs) But my parents were stubborn people who have to see everything through to the end. Once I'd made up my mind, they cheered me on wholeheartedly. Now that I think about it, I think I've really taken after them in that sense. (Laughs)

That was how Kino left her country. Naturally, a sudden long-term journey was too much for her. Initially she repeatedly visited nearby countries and returned to her homeland regularly. After all, things are always difficult at first. This applies even more in one's youth. Though her journey was full of failures and disappointments, Kino, in the midst of her despair, happened to run across an elder she calls her Master. It was a serendipitous meeting in the forest.

'''Kino:''' I was just realizing how much I was lacking. I lived for some time with Master, learning all kinds of things--like how to handle firearms.

Having realized that a certain degree of preparation and training are absolutely necessary in any endeavour, Kino spent these days under her Master's care, training to ready herself for her journey.

'''Kino:''' But now that I think about it, that was too much of a coincidence, don't you think?

Kino still has her doubts about some things. Was it truly a only coincidence that she happened to meet such a warm-hearted mentor out of nowhere? Perhaps her parents had worriedly sent an acquaintance her way to ensure her safety?

'''Kino:''' Maybe so, but… I'm afraid there's no way to know at this point.

Unfortunately, Kino's parents passed away in a fire while Kino was in training. Kino tells us that once she received the terrible news, she abandoned the idea of going home.

'''Kino:''' I finally worked up the courage to go on a lengthy journey. Even Master told me, "You're ready". So I decided to go as far as I could possibly go. That was three years after my twelfth birthday.

And that was how Kino left on her journey proper. What is daily life like for her, travelling from one country to another?

'''Kino:''' What do I worry about most? Food. (Laughs) I usually live off of portable rations when I'm on the road, but I always wolf down any fruit I find along the way. (Laughs)

What is a man without food to keep him going? In that sense, Kino is no different from any of us.

'''Kino:''' What else do I eat? I go fishing and grill whatever I happen to catch. They're perfect in cold seasons like this, since they don't go bad. Once, I had them hanging off my motorrad along the way and almost got them stolen by birds. (Laughs)

She also tells us of the sense of solidarity she felt with both humans and nature along her travels.

'''Kino:''' Looking at the beautiful natural landscapes on the way, I find myself very glad that I left on my journey. But what made an even bigger impression on me were the other travellers I met on the road. They were all very kind to me. Seeing as I'm still rather young, they take care of me, asking me if I'm doing all right, or if I'm eating well. One person even shared some food with me, even though he didn't have very much himself.

Travellers greatly value their sense of camaraderie. As they are always so far from their own people, they show kindness and sympathy towards others in their position. If only the quarrelling people of our country could live by such a mentality.

When I finally asked her what she has planned for the future, Kino smiled brightly.

'''Kino:''' I'm going to keep travelling. But later, much, much later, I'm going to go back to my homeland and become a teacher. Then, I want to teach the children there, who might be struggling with what they want to do with their lives, by telling them about all the things I've seen on my travels. It's not that I want to send them travelling like me, but I want them to use that knowledge to help my homeland.

This reporter found himself certain--Kino will achieve her dream someday soon. There is no doubt.

'''Kino:''' Once I become a teacher, I'm going to show off to my students and tell them that I was once interviewed for a newspaper on my travels. (Laughs)

<center><big><big>♣</big></big></center>

"Hello, Miss Kino. Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview."

"Not a problem. …But aren't you going to interview Hermes, too?"

"I'd first like to hear your opinions as a traveller, Miss Kino. You don't need to say anything, Mr. Hermes. Thank you."

"I understand. Stay quiet for now, Hermes."

"Fine. I don't really mind since they gave us all this stuff. I'm gonna go to sleep, so wake me up when you're done."

"Got it. Oh, you can start now. Considering everything you've given us, I'll do my best to answer as best I can."

"Thank you. But I'll take out the thing about the incentive we gave you from the article. Haha! We are a national paper, so I'll just write that you happened to agree to the interview on the fly."

"Of course."

"Great! Let's begin. Let me explain this again. You'll tell me genuine stories about your travels, and we'll publish it on our papers. It's truly unfortunate that you're leaving today, Miss Kino, or you could have read the article yourself…"

"There's no helping it. It's all right."

"Thank you for understanding. You see, the people in our country greatly admire travellers like yourself. We don't see them very often, so I'm sure you'll understand if we want to know about even the smallest of details."

"Should I answer honestly?"

"By all means! I'm sure they'll all want to know the reality of your travels. Everything you say will be published, I assure you. Of course, if there's anything you absolutely cannot answer, then please make your position clear. We will respect your privacy during this interview."

"Of course."

"Wonderful! Now, this might be a cliched question, but could you tell us a bit about how you began travelling? When did you start your journey? Why? Didn't your parents object at all?"

"Well, let's see… I lived in my homeland until I was twelve years old. I went to school every day and lived a normal life."

"Oh? So you left your home at the age of twelve?"

"That's right."

"At such a young age? I must admit, that is quite a surprise. Could you perhaps tell us why you decided to travel?"

"Huh… Well, in my homeland, when a child becomes twelve years old, they're given an operation to, well, turn them into adults."

"An operation? Is that a term used to refer to some sort of rite of passage?"

"Huh? No, I heard it was a surgical operation, where the child's head is cut open and the brain is altered. I learned that, through the operation, children would become 'proper adults' who could do even the worst of their work with a smile."

"I, I see…"

"Naturally, I thought that I'd also receive the operation to become an adult. But I began speaking to a traveller I met just before my operation, and began to question the tradition."

"I see! So that traveller inspired you to journey to other countries, then?"

"No. After speaking to him, I immediately ran to my parents and told them that I didn't want the operation. Then they told me that I was being foolish and got very angry at me."

"So you got a scolding. I suppose it takes a great deal of courage to reject tradition, no matter what country you're in."

"That's right. My parents began to call me a defective child who wouldn't obey her parents, and tried to kill me on the spot. The traveller I spoke about earlier protected me and was stabbed to death by my father."

"…"

"Just as I accepted dying at my father's hands just like the traveller, Hermes, who was on the ground--he was actually practically a piece of junk, but the traveller had fixed him up earlier--anyway, he suggested that I should run away. so I hurried on and escaped from my country on Hermes. So I guess you could say I never made the decision to leave my country… I was just trying to survive."

"… Um… Uh… That's… Well, I suppose that must have been a rather difficult choice… Um, so, is that how you began your travels?"

"Hm? Actually, no. afterwards I had no choice but to wander around. I collapsed of hunger in the forest and almost died. That's when I met someone I call "Master" and received her help. I lived with her for a while and learned all kinds of things, like how to shoot a persuader."

"O, of course. I suppose it must be thanks to her guidance that you could travel like this today."

"I guess so. Although she's the kind of person who'd shoot rubber bullets at me like no tomorrow as I slept."

"…So after that, you began your journey?"

"Not immediately, no. Although I was a little tempted to leave when I heard her stories about her travels when she was young."

"So I take it that something happened then to motivate you to leave?"

"Yes… I guess you could say that. It was after a certain incident that I really started thinking about travelling."

"Of course. And what might that have been?"

"Remember the traveller I talked about before? The man who died because of me? I happened to meet his mother."

"My goodness! What are the odds?"

"He essentially died because of me… so a part of me had always wanted to apologize, if I ever came across someone he knew."

"So what happened when you met her?"

"I told her about him, and she thanked me for telling her the story."

"I see. And so you left on your journey, moved by his mother's kindness?"

"No. Right after that, she poisoned me and tried to strangle me as I lay on the floor."

"Uh…"

"And I shot her to death."

"…"

"After I returned to Master, I was at a loss. But I kept listening to her stories about her travels, and I began to really want to go myself-"

"S, so you discussed the idea with her, then?"

"Not at all. I thought I might start second-guessing myself if she said I couldn't, so I just took Hermes and left. I took a lot of stuff from her house without permission, so she won't exactly be welcoming me with open arms."

"…O, of course. Thank you for telling us about how you started travelling. Um, next, I'd like to ask about your day-to-day life on the road…"

"Of course."

"What is your biggest concern when travelling between countries?"

"That would be food."

"Of course. Finding food must naturally be at the top of the list. What do you usually eat?"

"I generally eat portable rations on the road, but if I spot an edible animal I quickly shoot and clean it. Generally I eat rabbits or birds. Sometimes I run into deer in the woods, but they're usually too big for me to eat by myself, so I let them go. But fawn are perfect size-wise, and they're very tender. So when I find one I kill it and shoo the mother away."

"R… Right. I suppose you barbecue them, right?"

"That's right. Meat's always a great source of energy."

"Of course…"

"Cold seasons like this are perfect for eating meat, because they don't go bad. Sometimes I ride with a leg of venison or pork on Hermes. He doesn't really like it, though. Also, if I travel that way, I always have to be on the lookout for eagle attacks."

"I see… So, other than food, what are the biggest challenges you face on your journey?"

"Well… There are problems like rough roads, bad weather, not being able to shower for long periods of time, and like I mentioned earlier, food. But the biggest difficulty on my travels is--"

"Yes?"

"Living people."

"Pardon? …Other people?"

"That's right."

"But I would think that other people you meet on the road might be a valuable source of stories and information."

"Yes, that's also true."

"Isn't there some sort of sense of camaraderie between travellers?"

"There is. But that only really applies to half of them. The other half is very dangerous. Some tried to rob me, do things to me, or… at any rate, they're violent people. Usually I can tell them apart by awkward movements or off-kilter laughter, so I'm always on my guard. Some of them realize that I'm on to them and give up, but not everyone's like that."

"So… in the event of an… attack, what do you do, Miss Kino?"

"I fight back."

"…And… uh, specifically?"

"If they're pointing a persuader at me, they tend to shoot right as they take aim. So I usually kill them."

"…You… k, kill them?"

"That's correct. It's very difficult to go easy on anyone when you're fighting with a persuader. Not only that, My [Cannon] is a large-caliber persuader that uses highly destructive rounds. Even a hit to the arm or leg causes a great deal of damage. Mostly it means death by blood loss."

"B, but… Isn't it… well, cruel to just shoot them on the spot…?"

"I'm afraid not, when my survival is on the line."

"O, of course… it must be very difficult for you… So, uh, might I ask why you earlier specified, 'living' people?"

"That's because dead people are absolutely harmless. Sometimes I come by corpses along the road. Some are travellers and others are not."

"Then I expect you wish them a peaceful rest and give them a burial?"

"No, that isn't necessary. The wild animals will clean them up anyway."

"…"

"When we come across a corpse, we travellers generally start by--"

"Yes?"

"We start by searching them for useful items."

"…"

"We leave them be if there's nothing of any use, but sometimes you can find things like jewelry, portable rations, weapons, ammunition, and other valuables."

"So you mean to say… that you take their belongings…?"

"That's right. Large objects are out of the question, of course, and I avoid distinctive items like rings in order to avoid misunderstandings. I don't want to be framed for murder, after all. There is the practice of searching a corpse's mouth for gold teeth, smashing the jaw to extract them, and selling the gold, but I personally don't want to go that far."

"…"

"Is it over yet, Kino?"

"It's finished."

"That went faster than I expected."