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Horizon:Volume 4A Chapter 11

2015-11-26T21:36:39Z

Strike Forcer:

==Chapter 11: Corpse Princess of the Dark Sky==
[[Image:Horizon4A_0257.jpg|thumb]]
''Where does one

''Look down on someone from?

'''Point Allocation (The Heart)

A male voice fell to the nighttime snowy plain.

“Hey, Toshi. Now that we’ve crushed most of them and are getting a break, I’d like to say something you might not like.”

“Then I’d really rather you didn’t say it, but I guess I’ll hear you out. …What is it, Na-chan. Are you feeling lonely?”

“No, it isn’t that.” Narimasa used his chin to gesture forward because his hands were in his pockets. “They’re retreating right now, but I’m betting they have reinforcements coming.”

The aftermath of a battle covered the vast snowy field in front of them.

The sky was dark and the ground was mostly white. The white of the Sviet Rus demon warriors’ uniforms colored the figures collapsed across that large space.

Far in the distance near the surrounding forest, figures could be seen retreating or recovering their allies.

But…

“You can see that, right? Shibata did a terrible job of checking how many there were.”

Narimasa was referring to the new white color he could see.

At the base of the mountains far to the northeast were five white transport ships measuring about five hundred meters long. They were halfway through their landing process and countless figures were approaching on land.

“It’s time for the Ikkou-Ikki to leave, but those unmarked troops from Uesugi’s provisional border guard are here. It looks like that’s five thousand more to deal with.”

“Another five thousand demons really is a lot of trouble. …Of course, I can get by if I pay an extension fee.”

“Where will you get the money?”

“I can get that from Shibata for missing this when he checked on our enemies.”

“In that case…”

Narimasa gestured with his chin again. This time, it was toward a color in the northwest sky.

That color was black, but it was not the color of the night.

“Hey.”

He raised his eyes a little.

“How many do you think will be coming from there?”

A city floated in the northwest.

The giant floating island was approaching with the emblem of Sviet Rus on its side.

It was Novgorod.

Toshiie saw the city approaching.

…''That previous battle was just the opening act, so they’re only making an appearance now.

“It took some time to draw them out, didn’t it?”

“So this is Russia’s oldest city that chose to be purged by Sviet Rus because they wanted more independence as a trade city. …And they didn’t give any help to Sviet Rus’s forces while we kicked their asses. They’re probably a lot of trouble to deal with.”

The two of them looked into the sky and saw a giant bowl there.

The shallow hemisphere appeared to have been directly scooped up from the earth’s crust. That table was at least ten kilometers across and it contained earth, hills, a river, and the buildings of a city on top. However…

“There aren’t any lights. Just like the rumors said.”

“Shaja. That isn’t surprising. The city is primarily populated by the dead, which is rare for Sviet Rus. And most of them are Living Dead who have no wills of their own.”

Toshiie also controlled the dead, but he did not know if that made him a good match for this opponent or not. But he did know one thing.

“Not only is it Russia’s oldest city, but it was nearly driven to extinction by that great purge. When they opposed current Sviet Rus Chancellor Ivan IV aka Uesugi Kagekatsu’s purge, sixty thousand out of a population of eighty thousand were killed. It’s said the nearby rivers and lakes were covered in a layer of corpses. Of course, in the history recreation, they all committed suicide on the orders of Mayor Marfa. And then all of the residents were allowed to ‘live on’ because she turned them all into Living Dead with a spell of hers. …Only the outside trading portions of the city are still functioning. The residents require no food, education, or entertainment.”

“Hey,” said Fuwa from behind them. “Are we going to be okay here? Novgorod was one of the cities belonging to the Hanseatic League, right? They’ve grown more obedient after the purge, but their strength and willpower are still far from average, right? After all…”

“Yes, we know, Michi. Novgorod is indeed a strong city. They were purged, but since Marfa handled that via suicide, their weaponry and defenses were untouched. Some forces thought about invading after the purge, but they realized Novgorod was far more trouble than they had imagined when they saw the Living Dead working in the trading facilities like normal the day after the purge. Novgorod is now a city of warriors who do not fear death.”

“Keh.” Narimasa turned to the side and looked up at the floating city. “So you’re saying all of the residents are as courageous as us? Why’s that?”

“Didn’t Maeda just explain it? Novgorod is Russia’s oldest city.”

Narimasa turned back and found Fuwa had approached within arm’s reach. She took a breath before continuing.

“From their point of view, they are either the true rulers of Russia or an independent trading city. They have their pride as well as the history and economic power to back it up. That’s why Russia purged them and tried to completely annex them.”

“Or so it says in the Testament descriptions. Right, Michi?”

“Shaja,” replied Fuwa as she spoke to Toshiie as well. “But we have our own thoughts on that matter. Novgorod is indeed a trading city, but they restrict their diplomacy and trading to the outside edges of the city. No one ever gets inside the city center.”

“Isn’t that normal? P.A. Oda places stealth barriers over central or important regions and only lets authorized people inside.”

“Yes, but Novgorod has been like that ever since it appeared halfway through the ninth century. And when Ivan the Terrible claimed he was going to conquer the entirety of the city…”

Toshiie looked up at the floating city sitting motionless in the sky.

“Novgorod announced they would self-destruct if they were invaded. During the following negotiations, Novgorod chose to have all of their residents commit suicide and have thus essentially parted ways with Sviet Rus. …Of course, that was probably partially because they were in charge of the history recreation for Uesugi Kagetora, the rebel side of the Uesugi clan’s Siege of Otate. That forced Sviet Rus to keep their distance from Novgorod.”

“But what’s inside that bowl that they’d want to protect that badly?”

“Who knows. Demanding to be left alone to preserve one’s independence isn’t exactly uncommon. But there is one thing we can say about this.”

Toshiie’s breaths were not colored white, but he still took a breath just for show.

“Novgorod has continued on like this for a long, long time without even knowing who it was they let in back then.”

From his shoulder, Matsu pressed her cheek against him.

''Oh, Ma-chan! That’s what I’m talking about!!'' he thought while watching Novgorod.

Several ships were beginning to leave its outer edges.

A moment later, a great noise and light burst in the sky.

“…!!”

It was the noise and light of a hammer striking Novgorod diagonally.

An eight hundred meter P.A. Oda ironclad ship had rammed into it from the southern sky.

“We did it!!”

Fuwa watched the full-speed attack from behind the two boys.

She had asked Shibata to make this recreation of Hashiba’s attack on Magdeburg, which Hashiba had described as, “Make an attack like this: Ei!”

It had definitely hit the floating city, and…

“The second and third ones are on their way!!”

Her words were backed up by two additional strikes.

The total of three attacks shook the night sky and created waves of frosty mist.

An avalanche of smoke was descending the slopes of the distant mountains and even the demons on the snowy plain stopped their approach at the great noise.

The additional hammer strikes had been made, but to Fuwa…

…''My ears hurt!!

She had arranged for it herself, but she had not expected it to be so loud.

She had never heard anything that reverberated below her navel and not just in her gut.

…''How are Maeda and Sassa fine? Because they’re crazy? Oh, that must mean I’m normal…

“Hey, Fuwa, quit plugging your ears and explain this. Did you arrange for that?”

“Shaja. By which I mean, I asked Shibata. I could predict that Novgorod would have anti-air firepower, so I had some of the ships that flew south slip away and lie in wait. All three scored a solid hit, so even a city of that size will have-…”

That was when the mist overhead cleared.

The first thing she saw was the south face of Novgorod after taking three direct hits.

However…

“Hey,” said Narimasa. “It’s just fine.”

“You’re kidding…”

Fuwa pushed up her glasses as she viewed the enemy.

Her three strikes had definitely hit the trade port on the southern end of Novgorod.

She could accept that attack not doing any damage if it had hit the bedrock on the side or bottom, but as the wind blew the ether light out of the way, she got a better view which revealed that…

…''It isn’t even damaged.

“That was aiming for the city, so does it have a defense barrier on the same level as Magdeburg?”

As if to confirm that for her, a dull groaning sound came from above.

The wreckage of three ironclad ships scattered into the sky south of Novgorod like they were being brushed off.

“Novgorod has a fully-functioning barrier activated…?”

She knew all too well that it was her naiveté that turned her words into a question, but Toshiie smiled bitterly.

“I think that was the best possible timing for the attack. After all, Novgorod was in the process of sending their warriors out by ship.”

“That’s right. If they activated their barrier then, any ships caught in the middle would’ve been badly damaged and those outside the barrier would’ve been hit by the shockwave of our ships hitting the barrier. Either way, they wouldn’t have fared well.”

Sure enough, a few black fragments were visible in the shadow cast directly below the floating city.

When the three ships had hit, Novgorod’s vanguard had been caught by their own city’s defense barrier or destroyed by the shockwave.

“They abandoned their own warriors?”

“Hashiba would call it ‘the best possible decision’, Michi. Of course, she’d worry over it a bunch too.”

The scene and Toshiie’s tone of voice allowed her to imagine it all, so she closed her eyes.

She brought a hand to her brow, relaxed her eyebrows, and opened her eyes again.

''I need to pull myself together,'' she thought.

In the sky ahead, Novgorod was sending out more boats. The speed of departure had not slowed, as if to say what had just happened was only to be expected.

''In that case,'' thought Fuwa. ''I can’t let myself feel surprise or anger over what the enemy considers normal.

Everything that happened to the enemy before her eyes was that enemy’s problem, so she did not have to worry about it. She needed to keep her emotional reactions directed toward her allies.

“—————”

She raised her head.

Beyond Novgorod, the three ironclad ships fell from the sky after being brushed off of the barrier.

Even if they had been unmanned, that was three ships destroyed for nothing. And the blame fell on her naiveté. As the local treasurer, it was her duty to eliminate waste and increase the profitability of their battles. She had planned to accomplish that by bringing an early end to this battle, but she had failed.

“I’m not cut out for this. …Anyway, Maeda, Sassa, I’ll start checking on the number of enemies.”

Based on the size of the port on Novgorod’s southern side, there were seven thousand enemy warriors descending. And…

“Michi, Sviet Rus is sending some additional ships too. You should add another six thousand to your figures.”

“Don’t worry. More importantly, Maeda, Matsu, and Sassa. Will you protect me?”

“If your estimations are correct, then I might have my hands full protecting myself.”

“Coward,” said Matsu.

“Oh, shut up! You try taking all of them on!”

Just as Sassa’s shout echoed across the snowy plain, a wave ran across that plain.

A new line of enemies faced them from that vast field of white snow.

Toshiie checked the battlefield again.

Before, the remaining demon warriors of Sviet Rus’s Ikkou-Ikki had been moving north to fall back, but they had been made into the rear guard as a new vanguard formed with double the numbers.

These demon warriors were the provisional border guards who had arrived from the northeast.

Plus, wooden ships were descending from the sky in the northwest, bringing…

…''The dead warriors of Novgorod.

The oars of those hundred-man ships were rowed by Living Dead. Their bodies were covered in a white inner suit that prevented decomposition and they wore masks and helmets over their heads.

They all looked human yet inhuman.

Some had shoulders a size too big, some had lower arms a size too big, and some had arms or legs twice the normal length.

Fuwa gulped once and slowly spoke.

“For the history recreation of the population being purged to a quarter the size, four people were combined into a single Living Dead. Apparently, a lot of them are made from a single family…”

“Three cheers for human resources, huh? Do they think they’re mocking us with those easy physical buffs?”

“Well, one hundred of my ghost warriors combine into one, so I’m still better.”

“Better!” added Matsu.

“Yes, yes.”

Fuwa placed a hand on her forehead and looked into the sky, but then she stopped moving.

It was obvious why. The air was shaking as something pushed a great wind toward them.

“Novgorod is descending!”

There was no point in asking why. It would partially be to let the wooden ships descend more quickly, but more importantly…

“There she is.”

Fuwa could see someone standing on a pier sticking out from Novgorod’s southern edge.

She had pale skin and white hair. Her Sviet Rus girls uniform had been dyed pitch black and modified into a dress with decorative wreaths. That uniform was currently whipping in the wind.

Fuwa spoke her name while checking her telescopic ''insha kotob''.

“Marfa, the mayor who oversaw Novgorod’s purge!”

With the sound of the sky being moved, Novgorod descended toward the snowy field. The wind blew, the forest shook, and the giant mass came to a stop just barely above the northern forest.

The mayor looked down on her three thousand warriors as they descended.

A thin smile covered her lips as she opened them and raised her right hand.

A moment later, a giant ''sankt okno'' opened in the sky above the snowy plain.

The Orthodox-style screen appeared as a giant window two kilometers across and it displayed Marfa’s face. She kept her right hand raised as she looked clearly at Fuwa and the others.

“Perhaps I should say welcome, P.A. Oda.”

She had a low voice for a woman.

“I am Novgorod Mayor Marfa ‘Vedma’ Boretskaya. I also have the Uesugi clan’s Uesugi Kagetora as a double inherited name. In other words, I’m nothing but trouble for Sviet Rus.”

Marfa spoke to the group down below with a smile on the corner of her mouth.

“P.A. Oda, you did well to take step after step into the territory of the demon warriors of the Ikkou-Ikki and the indigenous religion. …Well done, living warriors. Demonic Shibata’s troops have done a thorough job of this invasion.”

She lowered her right hand.

“Now, how about I show you something neat as a reward?”

Novgorod began to shake as it turned to the side.

The giant floating city was being pushed by something: a group of shells racing through the sky toward their target.

Cannon fire rang out hundreds of times and light sprayed from Novgorod’s upper edge as firing control spells took effect.

Marfa described the high-speed armor-piercing rounds as follows:

“I hope this small sideshow is enough to satisfy you.”

Without leaving a single shell behind, Catholic acceleration spells opened in midair and applied further acceleration to them. The atmosphere was split apart as they flew toward their target.

However, these piercing strikes were not aimed at P.A. Oda’s main fleet.

Every last shell scored a direct hit on the five transport ships that had only just finished carrying down the additional demon warriors.

“To ensure the Ikkou-Ikki and border guards fight to their fullest, I will be rudely interrupting to sink those ships.”

With those words, sounds of destruction rang through the sky.

Five transport ships bearing the crest of Sviet Rus were sunk.

Wind, the light of ether fuel, and flames burst from them all as they fell.

“I see you did not allow your aim to stray. Well done, comrades. …And the light is a free bonus.”

After the smoke and light of the explosions, five burning flames illuminated the snowy plain from diagonally above.

Down below, the demon warriors saw it happening.

“…!!”

They raised cries of protest and anger, but Marfa’s expression did not change. The smile on the corner of her mouth remained in place.

“What’s the matter? They were empty ships, weren’t they? If you need ships to take you home, I will provide them. Or…are you saying you need to leave right away?”

So…

“You are the demon warriors who originally fought P.A. Oda under Suleiman’s command. Surely you aren’t thinking about what happens if you lose here. So I have simply made it easier for you to choose between fighting and living or fighting and dying. …It takes firepower to provide this kind of favor. And…”

She continued while looking to the three young P.A. Oda members standing on the other end of the snowy field.

“M.H.R.R. obtained their spell to control the dead by watching my ancestors, but I am impressed you’ve managed to bring that spell so far. Once again, well done.”

The spell’s user, the one in a red uniform, bowed toward her.

Marfa nodded back, lifted the corner of her mouth even further, and raised her left forearm.

“It couldn’t have been easy fighting this far so you could challenge Novgorod as the gatekeeper of Sviet Rus, so I, ‘Vedma’ Marfa, shall test you.”

Meaning…

“If you can cut your way through my warriors and arrive for an audience with me, Novgorod shall leave Sviet Rus and declare its independence.”

As soon as she lowered her left arm, a wind blew along the earth.

It came from much closer to the P.A. Oda camp than the snowy field. It blew toward the area behind the three standing there.

“…!!”

Figures in white rushed from the forest on either side.

Snow was kicked into the air as a group rushed toward those three and the P.A. Oda camp.

“With my dead warriors and the demon warriors, the only stylish thing to do is to have them burst from the forest with the invisibility spells of the dead. There are two thousand of them. …Now, how will you cut through them?”

Fuwa was the first to react as groups of white charged their way from ahead and either side.

“Waaaaah! Matsu, what are we supposed to do!?”

“Calm down.”

“…Michi, why didn’t you rely on Na-chan or me first?”

“Hey, if Shibata’s really not gonna make an appearance, then I’ll take care of them all myself. Is that okay?”

''Yes,'' thought Toshiie as a tremor ran through the snowy field.

…''Shibata might be planning to stay out of all this.

In that case, what were they supposed to do? He of course felt he had the power needed to handle this, but…

“…Isn’t this weird, Toshi?”

“You think so too, Na-chan?”

“Shaja.” Narimasa nodded and pushed his sunglasses up his nose. “Even if they’re planning to leave it all to us, shouldn’t the camp at least put up their guard? That guy’s probably not letting anyone head out and I think I know what that means.”

“Eh? Eh? What do you think that means? Maeda, Sassa, what is it?”

“Oh, well, it means that Shibata trusts you, Michi. Or rather, that he trusts us to follow through for you.”

“…Eh?”

Even in the dark, Fuwa’s face visibly paled.

“You don’t mean…”

“I do. I really do, Michi. Shibata is having fun using us as bait to lure out all of the enemy’s forces. And…”

Toshiie turned around.

“And he knows that we can deal with whatever might happen.”

A single figure was visible in the camp back there.

It was a feminine figure. She was slender and she wore a Sviet Rus coat over her M.H.R.R. girls uniform to protect against the cold. She raised her hand and shouted over to them.

“Maedaaa, Sassaaa, Fuwaaa! Dinner’s ready!”

“Is that…?” asked Fuwa. “Lady Oichi!?”

“That’s right.” said Oichi as she continued waving their way. “What’s the matter? Why are you just standing out there?”

Study
[[Image:Horizon4A_0276.jpg|thumb]]

Battlefield Diagram

Toori: Sis! Sis! I’m not quite sure why we’re explaining a P.A. Oda battlefield, but it must be destiny! It’s destiny, ain’t it!?

Kimi: Heh heh heh. Destiny brother, hogging all the appearances for yourself is one of the perks of being a winner. And that kind of winner loves being brought some sake to celebrate. …I’m talking about myself, of course.

Toori: But to get serious, what’s going on here?

Top right of map: North

1: Novgorod

2: Sviet Rus Demon Warriors

3: Novgorod Dead Warriors

4: Toshiie and Fuwa

5: Sviet Rus Unit that Moved Ahead

6: Narimasa

7: Oichi

Kimi: That pretty much sums it up. The main Sviet Rus force is pushing in as a solid wall while another unit has moved on ahead. That unit could have either made a pincer attack on the three in the middle or continued on to the P.A. Oda camp, but then Oichi showed up.

Toori: Oh, that Narimasa guy who ignored my porn game recommendation is there… That guy’s a terrible friend…

Kimi: Hey, now. You don’t know if he sees you as a friend or not.

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 4A Chapter 10|Chapter 10]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 4A Chapter 12|Chapter 12]]
}}
</noinclude>

File:Horizon3C 0000a.jpg

2015-11-02T21:49:28Z

Strike Forcer: Strike Forcer uploaded a new version of File:Horizon3C 0000a.jpg

Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon

2015-08-02T02:32:26Z

Strike Forcer:

{{Status|Active}}

[[Image:Horizon cover1.jpg|thumb|300px|Cover art]]
'''''Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon''''' (境界線上のホライゾン/Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere) is a light novel series written by Kawakami Minoru and ilustrated by Satoyasu (TENKY). It takes place in the distant future of [[Owari no Chronicle]] and the remote past of the [[City Series]], two of the author's other light novel series. It conforms the GENESIS series of the universe.

==Alternative Languages==
The ''Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon ~ Russian|Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon ~ Russian]]
*[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon ~Brazilian Portuguese~|Brazilian Portuguese (Português Brasileiro)]]
(Note: Translation progress varies for each version.)

==Story Synopsis==

In the distant future, Earth has been devastated and its inhabitants seek a new home in the heavens. However, constant warfare forces humans to return to Earth, which has turned into an uninhabitable planet except for a certain area called the Divine States.

The Divine States are too small to accommodate all the humans, so they duplicated the area and created the Harmonic Divine States. In order to retrace their steps and rediscover their journey to the heavens, the returned humans began to reproduce history from the year 10,000 BC, using a mysterious history book called Testament.

History reproduction proceeds smoothly until A.D. 1413, when a war broke out in the Divine States. This causes the Harmonic Divine States to crash onto the original world. The humans living in the Harmonic Divine States lose their land and invade the original world. The people of the Divine States surrender and they are divided by the invaders from the Harmonic Divine States. They try to resume the reproduction of history from A.D.1457, but the update of history terminates in A.D.1648. A rumor of apocalypse begins to spread around the world.

==Translation==

=== [[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they are working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon:guidelines|Project-Specific Guidelines: Format, Names, and Terminology]]

===Recruitment===

Editors are welcome.

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the series, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4618 forum].'''

== Updates ==

{{:Kyoukai_Senjou_no_Horizon: Updates||}}
Older updates can be found [[Kyoukai_Senjou_no_Horizon: Updates|here]].

==Terminologies==
*All terminologies, character information, and other series details are hosted on [http://genesis-horizon.wikia.com/wiki/Kyoukai_Senjou_no_Horizon_Wiki this wiki]. Alternative glossary page [http://kyoukaisen.tumblr.com/glossary here].
*Alternatively, for a Baka-Tsuki translation affiliated list of terminology and their translations, check the [[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon:guidelines|Project-Specific Guidelines]].
*You may also consult the novels' glossaries.

==The ''GENESIS Series - Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon'' by Kawakami Minoru==

This novel is also translated by [http://kyousenthetranslation.wordpress.com/ Nanodesu].

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 1-A ([[Horizon:Volume_1|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/vz1txbthtu7o8jw/horizon_1.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/3erj6c26396n9cf/Horizon_1-A.epub ePUB])===
[[File:1A.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 1A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1A_Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1A_Character_Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1A_Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1A_History|History]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Prologue|Prologue: Those Lined Up Before the Horizon]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 01|Chapter 01: Participants in a Chance Meeting by the Storefront]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_02|Chapter 02: The Wrecking Crew in the Classroom]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_03|Chapter 03: Innocents at the Table]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_04|Chapter 04: The Foreigner King]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_05|Chapter 05: Those Reunited Under the Fair Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_06|Chapter 06: Fated Ones Beyond the Door]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter 07|Chapter 07: Philosophers Atop the Stairs]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_08|Chapter 08: Doubters in the Depths of a Ravine]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_09|Chapter 09: The One Waiting Beyond the Door]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_10|Chapter 10: Commandos In Town]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_11|Chapter 11: Adults in the Pub]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_12|Chapter 12: Innocents in Remorse Way]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_13|Chapter 13: The Authorities at the Rendezvous Point]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_14|Chapter 14: Covert Operatives Under the Night Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_15|Chapter 15: Gathered Friends in the Confined Room]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_16|Chapter 16: Those Who Prepare in the Courtyard]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_17|Chapter 17: Usurper in the Street]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: The School Teacher]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_19|Chapter 19: He who Dashes through the Air]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_20|Chapter 20: Graduates Under the Moon]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1A_Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 1-B ([[Horizon:Volume_1B|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/khg31b79jtpvcyy/horizon_2.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/nv3azcpryxz717z/Horizon_1-B.epub ePUB])===
[[File:1B.jpg|thumb]]
Partial translations by [http://pastebin.com/u/midorikasa Midorikasa]
*[[Horizon:Volume 1B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Table of Contents|Table of Contents]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Character|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_SchoolRules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_21|Chapter 21: Worrier in the Twilight]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter22|Chapter 22: Unconcerned Colleagues]]
**[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_22.5|Study: Religion on Musashi]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/GbjscVLf Midorikasa])'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_23|Chapter 23: Skeptics in the Meeting Session]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/tAbZs3r7 Midorikasa] )'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_24|Chapter 24: The Determined on the Plains]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/4dFYtj35 Midorikasa] )'''
**[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_24.5|Study: The Musashi Ariadust Academy]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/pBEGA8P3 Midorikasa])'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_25|Chapter 25: Advocate at the Confession Grounds]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/rdDX7AWK Midorikasa] )'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_26|Chapter 26: Refuter at the Execution Grounds]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/HRqXZpmH Midorikasa] )'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_27|Chapter 27: The Powerful Below Ground]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/pzNn91SR Midorikasa] )'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_28|Chapter 28: The Usurper in Town]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/M6v3FedQ Midorikasa] )'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_29|Chapter 29: Musashi's Knights]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/2wQi2EWY Midorikasa])'''
**[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_29.5|Study: Musashi's Knights]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/Np9Czzpr Midorikasa])'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_30|Chapter 30: Me at the Last Moment]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/FfTDPDpz Midorikasa])'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_31|Chapter 31: As I Stand at the Last Moment]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_32|Chapter 32: Absolute Supporter]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_33|Chapter 33: The Summit's Flower]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_34|Chapter 34: Those Running Toward the Borderline]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_35|Chapter 35: The Trumpeter at the Start Line]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_36|Chapter 36: Communicator between Two People]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_37|Chapter 37: Those Travelling Through the Blue Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_38|Chapter 38: Musashi's Mr. Impossible]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_39|Chapter 39: He who Gouges Holes in the Mainstream]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_40|Chapter 40: She who Seeks the Realm of Speed]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_41|Chapter 41: Those Facing Each Other from Parallel Lines]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_42|Chapter 42: Those Facing Each Other on the Borderline]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_43|Chapter 43: Continuous Adherent]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_44|Last Chapter: Myself From Now On]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 2-A ([[Horizon:Volume_2A|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/h9e7ne72g7o8abi/horizon_3.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/a1jjp3xy8xzbq83/Horizon_2-A.epub ePUB])===
[[File:2A.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Table of Content|Table of Contents]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Character Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Prologue|Prologue: Lecturers Surrounded by Tranquility]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 01|Chapter 01: Members of the Vermilion Field]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 02|Chapter 02: Uninvited Guest in the Classroom]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 03|Chapter 03: Travelers in the Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 04|Chapter 04: Those who Intermingle between Heaven and Earth]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 05|Chapter 05: Restraint from Every Direction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 06|Chapter 06: Greeter on the Deck]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 07|Chapter 07: Creators on the Battlefield]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 08|Chapter 08: Herald on the Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 09|Chapter 09: Onlooker at the Crash Site]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 10|Chapter 10: Hopeful People with Nothing to Do]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 11|Chapter 11: Groups of National Leaders]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 12|Chapter 12: Those who Wait in a Place of Yearning]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 13|Chapter 13: Conversations between Worriers]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 14|Chapter 14: Distant Affirmers]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 15|Chapter 15: Immigrants to England]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 16|Chapter 16: Interceptor in a Place of Peace]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 17|Chapter 17: Recluses around the Corner]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 18|Chapter 18: One who Remembers in a Place of Forgetting]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 19|Chapter 19: Those Descending to the Surface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 20|Chapter 20: Those Meeting in a Separate Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 21|Chapter 21: The Two in the Meeting Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 22|Chapter 22: Replier on the Chopping Block]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 23|Chapter 23: Scarred Ones in a Closed Room]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 24|Chapter 24: Guide to a New World]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 25|Chapter 25: Ruler of the Theatre]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 26|Chapter 26: Flower Presenter on the Street]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 27|Chapter 27: One who Stands Alone in the Stage Wing]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 28|Chapter 28: Defenders of the Bulwark]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 29|Chapter 29: Pilot in a Preparatory Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 30|Chapter 30: Humanitarian of the Hunting Ground]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 31|Chapter 31: Protector on the Round Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 2-B ([[Horizon:Volume_2B|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/u0jsduwwqy7e3bd/horizon_4.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/c71f8b79v821aqa/Horizon_2-B.epub ePUB])===
[[File:2B.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Table of Content|Table of Content]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Character Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 32|Chapter 32: Man and Woman in the Plaza]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 33|Chapter 33: One who Lies on the Road]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 34|Chapter 34: Swimmer on the Road]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 35|Chapter 35: Detective Above the Stairs]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 36|Chapter 36: Rude One in a Hiding Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 37|Chapter 37: Protector of the Plaza]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 38|Chapter 38: Users of the Plaza]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 39|Chapter 39: The One Left Behind in the Cage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 40|Chapter 40: Standing Alone on the Parting Paths]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 41|Chapter 41: Hermit on the Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 42|Chapter 42: Those who Move About in the Wings of the Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 43|Chapter 43: Storyteller in the Hall]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 44|Chapter 44: Performers on the Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 45|Chapter 45: Performers from the Wings of the Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 46|Chapter 46: Performer in an Unrivalled Field]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 47|Chapter 47: Changing People in a Place of Peace]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 48|Chapter 48: Decision Maker in the Heights]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 49|Chapter 49: Liar in the Marketplace]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 50|Chapter 50: Left Out in a Place of Gathering]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 51|Chapter 51: Converging on a Place of Gathering]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 52|Chapter 52: Parting Ways in the Night Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 53|Chapter 53: Encounter Over a Distance]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 54|Chapter 54: One who Closes in for a Collision]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 55|Chapter 55: Lead Role in the Fire]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 56|Chapter 56: Howler in the Theatre]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 57|Chapter 57: Pair Lying in Wait]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 58|Chapter 58: Accepted One in the Flower Garden]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 59|Chapter 59: King on the Tower]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 60|Chapter 60: Postwar Approval]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 61|Chapter 61: Defense Units in the Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 62|Chapter 62: Attack Units in the Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 63|Chapter 63: Donators on the Mound]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 64|Chapter 64: Stubborn Ones of Both Nations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 65|Chapter 65: One who Longs for 27.431m]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 66|Chapter 66: Seeing One Off to the Heavens and the Earth]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 67|Chapter 67: Where the One Damaged by Swords Belongs]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 68|Chapter 68: One who Receives The Night’s Finisher]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 69|Chapter 69: Those Gathering at the Fire Festival]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 70|Last Chapter: Greedy Ones Crossing a Border]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3-A ([[Horizon:Volume_3A|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/d54liz1gjyw3w5t/Horizon_3-A.epub ePUB])===
[[File:3A.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Introduction|Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Table of Contents|Table of Contents]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Character Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_3__Prologue|Prologue: The Outsiders on the Bridge]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 01|Chapter 01: The Companions of the Closed Room]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 02|Chapter 02: The Pioneers of the Location]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 03|Chapter 03: Hard Worker of the Unfamiliar Site]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 04|Chapter 04: Assemblers under the Eaves]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 05|Chapter 05: The Supervisor of the Hidden Room]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 06|Chapter 06: The Negotiators of the Tea House]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 07|Chapter 07: The Gusting Individuals of the Neutral Zone]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 08|Chapter 08: One who Jumps into the Enclosure]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 09|Chapter 09: Instigators in the Dining Hall]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 10|Chapter 10: Cheerful People under the Night Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 11|Chapter 11: Failure to Understand at the Storefront]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 12|Chapter 12: Owner of a Large Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 13|Chapter 13: Great King of the Location]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 14|Chapter 14: Apologizer in a Place of Reflection]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 15|Chapter 15: One who Invites the World]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 16|Chapter 16: One who Desires a Way Forward]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 17|Chapter 17: Demander of the Wasteland]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 18|Chapter 18: Those who Prefer the Shadows yet Stand in the Sun]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 19|Chapter 19: One who Traverses the Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 20|Chapter 20: Preparers in the Setup Area]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 21|Chapter 21: Sprinters in the Wasteland]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 22|Chapter 22: Those who Participate in the Great Activity]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 23|Chapter 23: Outside Exister]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 24|Chapter 24: Resident of Heaven]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 25|Chapter 25: Choosers on the Way Home]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 26|Chapter 26: Searcher in the Mist]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3-B ([[Horizon:Volume_3B|Full Text]])===
[[File:3B.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Table of Contents|Table of Contents]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Character Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 27|Chapter 27: Mother and Daughter in the Mist]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 28|Chapter 28: Hostile Mother and Daughter]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 29|Chapter 29: Mother and Daughter in a Place of Departure]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 30|Chapter 30: Prince of the Cellar]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 31|Chapter 31: Traveler at a Crossroads]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 32|Chapter 32: Gatherers in a Place of Meeting]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 33|Chapter 33: Persuader in the Chaos]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 34|Chapter 34: Pursuer in the Forest]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 35|Chapter 35: Traveling Adulteress]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 36|Chapter 36: Agreement at the Table]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 37|Chapter 37: Traitor in the Ruler’s Presence]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 38|Chapter 38: New Age of Clinging]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 39|Chapter 39: Usurper in a Place of Retrospection]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 40|Chapter 40: Visitor in a Hard Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 41|Chapter 41: Attackers in the Dark Forest]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 42|Chapter 42: Counterattackers in the Dark Forest]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 43|Chapter 43: Ruler of the Dark Forest]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 44|Chapter 44: Those who Wait in a Place of Movement]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 45|Chapter 45: Classmate in the Depths of the Darkness]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 46|Chapter 46: Storyteller Among Classmates]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 47|Chapter 47: Sunny One in the Moonlight]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 48|Chapter 48: Sponsor of the Battlefield]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 49|Chapter 49: Bringer of Calamity on the Ship]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 50|Chapter 50: Greeter in the Shade]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 51|Chapter 51: Tangled Winged One in the Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 52|Chapter 52: Pursuer in the Rising Wind]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 53|Chapter 53: Neighbor at the Breakfast Table]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 54|Chapter 54: Inexperienced Meeting Participant]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 55|Chapter 55: Viewer of the Interval]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 56|Chapter 56: Soakers in a Purifying Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 57|Chapter 57: Crow Master of the Inland Sea]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 58|Chapter 58: Warrior of the Lightning Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 59|Chapter 59: Victor of the Desperately Fought Sea]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3-C===
[[File:3C.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Preface|Preface]]
*Table of Content
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Character Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C World|World]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 60|Chapter 60: Warriors in a Place of Rest]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 61|Chapter 61: Leaders Under Siege]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 62|Chapter 62: Supporter of the Circle]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 63|Chapter 63: Collective Resister]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 64|Chapter 64: Searcher of a Dark Path]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 65|Chapter 65: Slightly Heated Moaner]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 66|Chapter 66: Viewers of the Metal Tower]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 67|Chapter 67: Searcher in the Metal Tower]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 68|Chapter 68: Manager of the Metal Tower]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 69|Chapter 69: Resigners in the Metal Tower]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 70|Chapter 70: Confronters in the Metal Tower]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 71|Chapter 71: Understanders in the Metal Tower]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 72|Chapter 72: Wolf of the Audience Chamber]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 73|Chapter 73: Gatherers at the Besieged City]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 74|Chapter 74: Attackers and Defenders of the Wall]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 75|Chapter 75: Breacher of Defenses]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 76|Chapter 76: Runner on the Battlefield]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 77|Chapter 77: Attacking Woman by the Water]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 78|Chapter 78: Advancer of the Age]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 79|Chapter 79: Wolf at the Site of the Promise]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 80|Chapter 80: The One in the Place the Wolf Desires]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 81|Chapter 81: Participant in an Insufficient Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 82|Chapter 82: Messengers in a Crumbling Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 83|Chapter 83: Everyone in a Place of Reunion]]
*Chapter 84
*Chapter 85
*Chapter 86
*Chapter 87
*Chapter 88
*Chapter 89
*Chapter 90
*Chapter 91
*Chapter 92
*Chapter 93
*Chapter 94
*Last Chapter
*Afterword

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4-A===
[[File:4A.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 4A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Preface
*Table of Content
*Character Introduction
*Glossary
*School Rules
*[[Horizon:Volume 4A Prologue|Prologue - Those Who Touch the Meander with Their Feet]]
*Chapter 01
*Chapter 02
*Chapter 03
*Chapter 04
*Chapter 05
*Chapter 06
*Chapter 07
*Chapter 08
*Chapter 09
*Chapter 10
*Chapter 11
*Chapter 12
*Chapter 13
*Chapter 14
*Chapter 15
*Chapter 16
*Chapter 17
*Chapter 18
*Chapter 19
*Chapter 20
*Chapter 21
*Chapter 22
*Chapter 23
*Chapter 24
*Chapter 25
*Chapter 26
*Chapter 27
*Chapter 28
*Chapter 29
*Chapter 30

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4-B===
[[File:4B.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 4B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Preface
*Table of Content
*Character Introduction
*Glossary
*School Rules
*Chapter 31
*Chapter 32
*Chapter 33
*Chapter 34
*Chapter 35
*Chapter 36
*Chapter 37
*Chapter 38
*Chapter 39
*Chapter 40
*Chapter 41
*Chapter 42
*Chapter 43
*Chapter 44
*Chapter 45
*Chapter 46
*Chapter 47
*Chapter 48
*Chapter 49
*Chapter 50
*Chapter 51
*Chapter 52
*Chapter 53
*Chapter 54
*Chapter 55
*Chapter 56
*Chapter 57
*Chapter 58
*Chapter 59
*Chapter 60
*Chapter 61

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4-C===
[[File:Vol 4C.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 4C Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Preface
*Table of Content
*Character Introduction
*Glossary
*School Rules
*[[Horizon:Volume 4C Chapter 62|The Distant Supporter]]
*Chapter 63
*Chapter 64
*Chapter 65
*Chapter 66
*Chapter 67
*Chapter 68
*Chapter 69
*Chapter 70
*Chapter 71
*Chapter 72
*Chapter 73
*Chapter 74
*Chapter 75
*Chapter 76
*Chapter 77
*Chapter 78
*Chapter 79
*Chapter 80
*Chapter 81
*Chapter 82
*Chapter 83
*Chapter 84
*Chapter 85
*Chapter 86
*Chapter 87
*Chapter 88
*Chapter 89
*Chapter 90
*Chapter 91
*Chapter 92
*Chapter 93
*Chapter 94
*[[Horizon:Volume 4C Chapter 95|Chapter 95]]
*Last Chapter

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 5-A===
[[File:Vol 5A.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 5A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Preface
*Table of Content
*Character Introduction
*Glossary
*School Rules
*Prologue
*Chapter 01
*Chapter 02
*Chapter 03
*Chapter 04
*Chapter 05
*Chapter 06
*Chapter 07
*Chapter 08
*Chapter 09
*Chapter 10
*Chapter 11
*Chapter 12
*Chapter 13
*Chapter 14
*Chapter 15
*Chapter 16
*Chapter 17
*Chapter 18
*Chapter 19
*Chapter 20
*Chapter 21
*Chapter 22
*Chapter 23
*Chapter 24
*Chapter 25
*Chapter 26

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 5-B===
[[File:Vol 5B.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 5B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Preface
*Table of Content
*Character Introduction
*Glossary
*School Rules
*Prologue
*Chapter 27
*Chapter 28
*Chapter 29
*Chapter 30
*Chapter 31
*Chapter 32
*Chapter 33
*Chapter 34
*Chapter 35
*Chapter 36
*Chapter 37
*Chapter 38
*Chapter 39
*Chapter 40
*Chapter 41
*Chapter 42
*Chapter 43
*Chapter 44
*Chapter 45
*Chapter 46
*Chapter 47
*Chapter 48
*Chapter 49
*Chapter 50
*Chapter 51
*Chapter 52
*Chapter 53
*Chapter 54
*Chapter 55
*Chapter 56
*Chapter 57
*Chapter 58
*Chapter 59
*Chapter 60
*Chapter 61
*Chapter 62
*Last Chapter

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6-A===
[[File:Vol 6A.jpeg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 6A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6-B===
[[File:Vol 6B.jpeg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 6B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6-C===
[[File:Horizon6-C01-Cover.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 6C Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7-A===
[[File:Horizon7-A000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 7A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7-B===
[[File:Horizon7-B000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 7B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7-C===
[[File:Horizon7-C000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 7C Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

==The ''GENESIS Series - Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon - Kimitoasamade'' by Kawakami Minoru==

A side story coupled with the limited edition volumes of the first and second seasons of the anime.

===Kimitoasamade 1-A===
[[File:1A000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 1A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 1-B===
[[File:1B000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 1B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 2-A===
[[File:2A000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 2A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 2-B===
[[File:2B000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 2B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 3-A===
[[File:3A000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 3A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 3-B===
[[File:3B000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 3B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 4-A===
[[File:4A000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 4A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 4-B===
[[File:4B000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 4B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor: N/A
*Project Manager: [[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]]

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
:* [[User:Js06|Js06]]
'''INACTIVE'''
:* [[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]]
:* [[User:Zaregoto|Zaregoto]]
:* [[User:Imoutolover|Imoutolover]]
:* [[User:Suiri Megami Alice|Suiri Megami Alice]]
:*[[User:Cosmic Eagle|Cosmic Eagle]]

'''A.W.O.L.'''

'''M.I.A'''

===Editors===
'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[user:Strike Forcer|Strike Forcer]]
:*[[user:Txtracer|Txtracer]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Link2link8|Link2link8]]
:*[[User:Skarlath|Skarlath]] (Dead, but you can try bothering me if you want edits to the flow of the novel)
:*[[User:shadowmaster850|shadowmaster850]] (Will edit when I have time)

All editors who speak English proficiently are welcomed.

==Series Overview==
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 1A - 境界線上のホライゾンI<上> (September 10, 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-867218-4)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 1B - 境界線上のホライゾンI<下> (October 10, 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-867270-2)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 2A - 境界線上のホライゾンII<上> (June 10, 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-867848-3)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 2B - 境界線上のホライゾンII<下> (July 10, 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-867901-5)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3A - 境界線上のホライゾンIII<上> (June 10, 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-868600-6)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3B - 境界線上のホライゾンIII<中> (July 10, 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-868647-1)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3C - 境界線上のホライゾンIII<下> (September 10, 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-868735-5)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4A - 境界線上のホライゾンIV<上> (September 10, 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-870805-0)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4B - 境界線上のホライゾンIV<中> (October 10, 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-870806-7)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4С - 境界線上のホライゾンIV<下> (December 10, 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-870807-4)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 5A - 境界線上のホライゾンV<上> (August 10, 2012, ISBN 978-4-04-886854-9)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 5B - 境界線上のホライゾンV<下> (October 10, 2012, ISBN 978-4-04-886855-6)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6A - 境界線上のホライゾンVI<上> (May 10, 2013, ISBN 978-4-04-891623-3)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6B - 境界線上のホライゾンVI<中> (July 10, 2013, ISBN 978-4-04-891820-6)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6C - 境界線上のホライゾンVI<下> (September 10, 2013, ISBN 978-4-04-891624-0)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7A - 境界線上のホライゾンVII<上> (February 8, 2014, ISBN 978-4-04-866311-3)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7B - 境界線上のホライゾンVII<中> (April 10, 2014, ISBN 978-4-04-866475-2)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7C - 境界線上のホライゾンVII<下> (June 10, 2014, ISBN 978-4-04-866564-3)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon: Girls Talk - Wolf and Soul - 境界線上のホライゾンガールズトーク狼と魂 (November 8, 2014, ISBN 978-4-04-869039-3)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 8A - 境界線上のホライゾンVIII<上> (February 10, 2015, ISBN 978-4-04-869255-7)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 8B - 境界線上のホライゾンVIII<中> (April 10, 2015, ISBN 978-4-04-865071-7)

[[Category:Light novel (English)]]
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]
[[Category:Minoru Kawakami]]

[[Category:Genre - Action]]
[[Category:Genre - Ecchi]]
[[Category:Genre - Fantasy]]
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]
[[Category:Genre - Sci-Fi]]

File:Horizon3B 0000a.jpg

2015-08-02T00:49:20Z

Strike Forcer: Strike Forcer uploaded a new version of File:Horizon3B 0000a.jpg

Horizon:Volume 1B Chapter 30

2015-08-01T14:20:03Z

Strike Forcer:

==Chapter 30: Me at the Last Moment==
[[Image:Horizon1B_275.jpg|thumb]]
''Hmm...

''I wonder?

'''Point Allocation (Things One Understands Not)



In preparation for the last duel with Masazumi, the special student general meeting occurring in the Musashi Ariadust Academy entered a period of downtime.

The members of the Provisional Council arrived at the location, went up the stairs and gathered somewhere on the right side of the Academy grounds. They then started preparing for their own meetings using the free time available to them.

By the Academy, the people forming Toori's group were already gathering information from the sign frames they brought out.

In the center was Neshinbara looking at the situation in various places from the broadcasting members' footage.

“Looks like the parliament's side is finally coming out to see us, eh? —That's a good sign. At the very least, we'll get more opportunities to do things than if they just decide on everything behind closed doors.”

“I was planning to ask Seijun about that, though, you know?”

Toori, in a seated position, brought his chin to rest on his hands and then snapped his right fingers.

“Adele, you're quite fast on your legs, aren't you?”

“Eh?”

In addition to her own raised voice, the others looked to her in surprise.

However, someone answered in her place. It was Tenzou, crossing his arms.

“In last year's sports festival, Adele-dono closed quite the distance as the middle member in the normal-class relay. That contest before the anchor members' turn was quite the spectacle, you know? Though I wouldn't expect everyone to realize it, her being completely spent on the laws of physics obstacle course relay before that.”

“Ah, well, I don't really have the stamina, and it doesn't really help me as a retainer, with my mechanical shell and all.”

“Anyways, I have a place I'd like you to go for me, alright? While you're there, can you get the dip for the Pro Cricket Dried Boiled Rice Chips? Here's the money, you keep the change.”

“Well, thirty yen is about the exact price, you know... Ah, thanks for the ten-yen tip, I'll get a five yen chocolate with that.”

Adele received the memo of his request along with the change. She looked at it, bending her eyebrows.

“? ...Are you sure you're fine with this?”

“I'm quite interested in it, so it's fine. I'm sure they'll figure something out.”

''Huh'', Adele nodded, looking towards the Academy. She was to leave the Academy grounds from the rear exit.

With a gesture, everyone sent her off as she left at a good speed.

Then, drawing a breath, Toori spoke.

“I can't do anything by myself; but precisely because of that, I have a bit of an idea of who can do what. With that, if she can get along with them, ...I'm sure we'll become an unstoppable force.”

“Will it be alright? Masazumi is in a rather complicated position, you know?”

Mitotsudaira took a step forward from the side. Toori merely smiled in response.

He extended his hand, slid his fingers into her hair and ruffled it.

”You came over to our side, didn't you? Same thing. Say thanks to Bell-san, alright?”

“T-That's...”

“In the first place, you weren't exactly playing fair, were you? Abandoning your status as a knight and becoming a commoner, that was your plan, wasn't it? I can't really describe it but, —You don't want to become Mikawa's next ruler, do you? You don't want to replace Horizon, no?”

"I mean..."

“You said it yesterday as well. How you didn't want to take someone's place to be confessed to.”

Receiving everyone's looks with those words, Mitotsudaira's cheeks reddened.

Still, without taking his hand off Mitotsudaira's hair, Toori said:

“Preferring to be a knight rather than a king? You won't get far in this reverse-hierarchy world with that mindset.”

“I-It's fine, really. A knight only dedicates herself to her king, after all.”

Still being patted on the head, Mitotsudaira raised her eyebrows and clenched her teeth.

“Seriously, even if he's a perverted, carefree, idiotic, weak, poor, inappropriate with his appearance, having a deviant sister and overall the lowest of the low.”

Pulling her head away from his hand and thus taking his hand out of her hair, she raised her body.

“Being good at nothing other than being aware of such things, you're really the worst.”

However, Mitotsudaira let out a sigh. She then faced Toori, raising her profile.

Right in front of him, with an expression of lowered eyebrows, she said.

“Still, umm, chancellor?”

“Hmm? What is it? Can't stand being on your own? There are all these weird people around you so go to them.”

“No, that's not it... Ah, well, I do agree on the weird part, though.”

Mitotsudaira shrunk her body slightly with a reddened face.

“I apologize for yesterday.”

“Huh? For what?”

“...I said something mean here in this place: ‘It would be nice if you were rejected!’.”

As everyone turned to her with slight surprise, the silver hair made a gesture.

“If it really had turned out that way, if something even worse happened, I wouldn't know what to do...”

Looking at Mitotsudaira's rather lowered head, Toori made a response.

A laugh. His laughter joined with a smile.

“I~diot, that's not something you should care about, you know? ...I'm a man that will exceed your expectations, after all! That's why, if you would still concern yourself with me, lend me a hand in saving Horizon. When it's all done and over with, feel free to boast about yourself, alright? ‘Thanks to me you didn't get rejected’, like that!”

“——”

“I beg you. You're our knight after all. —Saving Horizon would be easier with you on our side. We promised we'd be together, right? —Miss Knight?”

Hearing those last few words, Mitotsudaira's raised face relaxed its expression; a smile mixed in with a little bitterness from her lips.

“All you remember are the things of the past, don't you? Then this is what I shall say.”

Not concerned with their conversation being lost on the others, Mitotsudaira gestured, once again, and opened her mouth.

“To your heart's content. —My King.”

On the grassy plains stood a white tent as well as several tables.

The tent was a wall-less stairwell-type, with the crest of Tres España painted on it in red. Beneath its roof, documents and maps were spread out on two tables; which were also being used to set up a miniature-type 'church' for communication purposes.

Finally, the tables outside the tent were used for food preparation.

Everyone had already finished eating, with tableware and cookware put aside and leftovers, both food and drink, stored in containers inside a stove dug out of the soil beside the tent.

However, by the newly-cleaned table were two figures still having their lunch.

Muneshige and Gin. Seated beside each other, they were taking in their own dishes as well as the soy-boiled spinach salad placed between them. However, looking at Gin skillfully using her chopsticks with her giant mechanical fingers, Muneshige said:

“Gin-san, why are you eating your paella with chopsticks?”

At that question, Gin turned to look with lowered eyes and a smile at his wrist and the silver spoon held between his fingers.

“...Fufu, still can't use chopsticks properly? Muneshige-sama is still a child.”

“T-That's different! That's not the point!”

“No, it's not.”

Gin asserted herself holding the two sticks in front of Muneshige.

“...These can be weapons as well. They pierce. Two pieces, with a spare.”

“I feel like we're drawing further away from the point here, but you think they are superior to western tableware like the fork and knife as well?”

“Against such a small blade of a knife and the curved, highly air-resistant fork? Definitely.”

Still, a small smile appeared on Gin's lips.

“How the food we have becomes more plentiful after we've left Tres España is a mysterious thing.”

Beyond the tent, the hygiene officer in charge of the food lightly held up his hand with a smile.

Both of them responded, but Muneshige said:

“Gin-san, in your opinion Tres España's cooking is pretty bad, isn't it?”

“Most of it is okay, but...”

Gin slightly raised her eyebrows.

“The way the garlic is just randomly thrown in and how the rice, cinnamon and milk is just mixed together gave me a weird feeling; and how the fish, meat, beans were just put in with salt as if making ''olla podrida'' just makes me want to dunk it in miso soup if I had the chance.”

“That was rather conservative of you.”

“Muneshige-sama is just not perceptive enough. Even if it's just the pickled vegetables or wasabi, —there is no contest.”

”I have to ask, just what do you require in cooking?”

Muneshige continued.

“I myself would eat whatever you'd make, Gin-san.”

Gin ignored the students around them making breathing noises while fanning themselves with mats and the like. Still, after a moment, she relaxed her shoulders and stated:

“Tes., indeed. —Even that time when I served you poisoned food, you ate it already being aware of the fact.”

“That one tasted rather sweet, you know?”

“What would you do if you died? Seriously...”

That moment, the male student who was operating the miniature-type 'church' on the desk raised his head. Inside the tent, the middle-aged man in student uniform with a robe over it showing his position as the chief of his division started to report something.

A few moments later, he lightly raised one hand towards Muneshige and Gin. In a relaxed tone, he said.

“Vice-chief, Musashi is making quite a bit of noise, but...”

“Tes, from the broadcast we received, Musashi Ariadust Academy's students are moving towards reclaiming their Student Council rights, through a special student general meeting organized against the vice president, who is on the Provisional Council's side. ...Over on that side, —what is our Chancellery saying?”

“They responded ‘continue to guard K.P.A. Italia’. We were wrong to expect any reinforcements from them.”

''Tes.'', Gin nodded.

“The mainland is very likely busy preparing for the fight against England. Last night's incident revealed the role of the Logismoi Óplo in deciding the fate of the Apocalypse; so the meaning of the battle against England weighs ever heavier on both sides, each being holders of Logismoi Óplo.”

“Still...”

The chief posed a question in a quieter voice.

“What if the people of Musashi were to come for the princess who is being examined for her Logismoi Óplo in our ship?”

While asking that, he looked to the rectangular, black-colored ship in the south.

On the lower frontal region, there was a place enclosed in walls of light; the room they called ‘Andamio de la Ejecución’.

Its floor was lined with tatami before, but right now the princess was inside having the Logismoi Óplo inside her examined.

The facility was originally used to analyze large supernatural organisms or criminals, being able to investigate their traits and weaknesses, intentions, and if necessary their component elements via disassembly; but in Princess Horizon's case, the plan was to first examine her for the Logismoi Óplo, which would then be disassembled and extracted from her body.

Light was filling that enclosed space. The analysis should be over in a few minutes. Still...

“Musashi's special student general meeting will likely end before the princess's suicide. ...What do you think?”

The one who answered was Muneshige, gathering rice from the paella onto one side of the dish.

“With K.P.A. Italia and Tres España stationed here, I do not believe they will be able to do anything at all. The princess's ‘suicide’ will surely go well as other nations will not be able to easily interfere considering the location where we are.

"Therefore, to not let the opportunity slip through, K.P.A. Italia should have also moved to prepare their defenses.

"—Though we would be obliged to cooperate with them in that matter, under the mainland's orders.”

“...Would we be all right in that case? We did suffer quite a bit of damage from last night...”

“We still have the edge over them in numbers. We have enough to form a Tercio, and the other side has not received military training; we only need to hold out until the time limit to win.

“Moreover, we still have one undamaged Gran Muñeca which can fly as well as several ships we can mobilize. If we have to be cautious about something, it is the Musashi's Chancellor's Officers and Student Council, ...as well as the Far East's Shinto Spells.”

Gin raised her eyebrows in response.

“Shinto spells...?”

''Tes.'', Muneshige nodded.

“Gin-san is Catholic...or rather, the people of Tres España are Catholic, aren't they?

"The Tsirhc religions of Catholicism and Protestantism, as well as the Mlasi do not recognize other religions; so Shinto spells are not recognized anywhere other than Musashi and each nation's Far Eastern settlements. ...Thus military officers and political families wanting to obtain power to influence the world have gone and naturalized into the various nations. The Tachibana family did so as well, didn't they?”

Gin nodded, but then tilted her head.

“Still, followers are few in number and the practice of Shinto spells has declined significantly; so what of them?”

“Such a declined practice still holds a certain ability. ...Just like how that man was able to offer money to use spells in the broadcast before, so long as they can pay the intermediary fee for the use of the shrines' network, Shinto users are able to use spells of gods other than the ones contracted to them.

"In addition, offerings for the intermediary fee are also accepted directly from the contracted god's spells.”

Therefore...

“According to Shinto, offerings of money to financial gods, food for gourmet gods, songs for musical gods, ...even with the intermediary fee, if each and every one of them were to dedicate their own offerings to their gods, they can borrow the spells of the other gods.

If I were to explain what this means...any and all practitioners of Shinto, provided they can offer something to their own gods, can utilize all available Shinto spells whenever and however they want.

In contrast, Tsirhc followers are not able to use spells other than the ones of saints contracted to them. To respect other saints and for discipline in money, transactions in divine power are not possible.”

''I see'', Gin nodded. As if to continue his words, she said:

“Certainly, Shinto practitioners who have excelled in their sanctioned art can become omnipotent through that very art.

"Ironic as it is, this system of transaction Shinto has adopted has only made its practitioners subjects of the nations' provisional rule through the Harmonic Unification War 160 years ago.”

Gin lightly crossed her arms and turned to the mountains where Musashi was located.

“Reduced to Musashi and the settlements, Shinto has failed to strengthen the relations of those two places; its concept of transaction has only been adopted by financial businesses of other nations, as well as its exploitation to develop the necessary spells we know and use as ‘Divine Spells’.

"...I hear such uses of Shinto spells have already happened, at the time of P.A. Oda's invasion.”

“...Though the M.H.H.R. and Hashiba, acting as dispatch forces from P.A. Oda, have yet to hand over that information to the Testament Union. The Thirty Years' War between M.H.H.R. and Hexagone Française has yet to occur after all.

"Therefore, nations have collaborated with Far Easterners from their settlements to study Shinto spells; still, even if the theory is there, the people with the ‘art’ necessary to put it into practice are few and far between. ...What we just witnessed would surely become valuable data. —Perhaps this won't be the last time we'll see it.”

Saying that, Muneshige felt his sleeve lightly tugged on by Gin.

He turned to see her tilting her head.

“But why did the Far East not retaliate despite having such power?”

“The peace treaty from the Harmonic Unification War.”

Drawing a breath, Muneshige turned to look at the mountain range where Musashi was as well.

“That was how thorough the treaty's disarmament condition was. With the prohibition of possessing weapons of mass destruction, having Shinto spells of the same scale was also forbidden. In any case, Shinto spells can freely recombine provided the offerings are dedicated, meaning they cannot easily be regulated. So, any use of Shinto spells other than in defense would be declared a violation of the treaty. The same applies to the Gods of War; the Testament Union would intervene in any attempt to use them for military purposes. The conflict we saw earlier was a matter of Musashi's internal affairs, so it would not be considered an action of military interest.”

“Then...”

Gin looked toward Musashi once again, opening her mouth while doing so.

“The act of obtaining Princess Horizon would be seen as hostility towards the Testament Union. At least, defensive measures would no longer serve as an excuse. In any case, a lord atoning for the mistakes of his country with his life was always the norm where history is concerned. Preventing that from happening would never be justified, especially if it would mean all-out war with the Testament Union.”

“I wonder, myself. They would still have other ideas in that area, you know. So let's take a look. Um, the communications setup... Can it receive the broadcast from Musashi?”

Moments later, a sign frame adorned in crosses appeared in front of Gin and Muneshige.

Displayed were the blue sky and buildings of a town, interspersed with noise. The audio was...

“The broadcast by Musashi's Broadcasting Committee?”

“Tes, the duel between the vice president and the chancellor in this special student general meeting must be beginning soon.”

“Let's watch. The students of Far East have not once bet on their fate in over twenty years.

If last night's Mikawa battle were to be seen as a conflict between those who are no longer students, what we are about to see now is the return of Musashi into active service after these twenty years. All the other nations will surely have their eyes on this...”

''Ha'', he drew a breath of laughter, once again taking hold of the spoon and dish that had his paella.

“Depending on the circumstances, any country at all may have their view of Musashi turned 180 degrees around. So let's finish eating this while we can; the prawn and stuff harden when they're cold, after all.”



“The footage from Musashi is coming in! It is being transmitted over a normal band, so there is some noise in the signal!”

A girl’s voice filled an elevated terrace.

The terrace was built on the front of a giant white ship’s deck and a white tent was set up on it.

The tent bore the crest of K.P.A. Italia and it functioned as an outdoor command center that performed divine transmissions and other tasks.

However, two people could be seen outside the tent.

One was a demon standing in a black cloak worn over a black uniform.

The other was a man wearing a white cloak as he sat at a table set and sipped at a bottle of water.

“Innocentius, are you not going to watch this? England, Hexagone Française, M.H.R.R., P.A. Oda, and Sviet Rus will most likely be watching.”

“I don’t need to watch it. No matter what the result, it will be a good deal for us, Galileo.” Innocentius held his half-empty bottle of water up toward Galileo. “Musashi’s Special General Student Meeting is supposedly about recovering their authority, but its true goal is deciding whether they will rescue their princess who is being inspected in Tres España’s interrogation ship. If the vice president wins for the Council, Musashi and everything else will be ours. If the Academy wins, they will directly confront us and Musashi and everything else will be ours. The result changes nothing.”

“I was hoping to steer the conversation toward the princess.”

“I see.” Innocentius lowered the bottle to his own eye level. “I don’t like sentimentality. The age of knights is over. In this baroque age, the myths and gods are merely admired as a portion of human culture. Since my defeat at the hands of Tadatsugu, the rise of the people has greatly reduced my power as pope. The people are aware that reducing the Catholic leader’s power will weaken their nation in the long run, but they are forced to do so in accordance with the history recreation.”

“So it is all how history is ‘supposed to be’? Is that also how you view this princess’s ‘suicide’?”

“Her ‘suicide’ will not remain in history.” Innocentius took a sip from the bottle. “Motonobu died during this incident, but the Testament descriptions say Matsudaira Motonobu later changes his name to Ieyasu and rules the Far East. His name must be inherited by someone else to continue the history recreation, but someone needs to make up for the loss of Mikawa and the possession of a Logismoi Óplo. If the princess herself is the Logismoi Óplo, the answer is simple: she can pay for Motonobu’s crimes by presenting us with the Logismoi Óplo that makes up her body. Also, there is no way to separate out the Logismoi Óplo aside from ‘suicide’.”

“And through that, the Mikawa and Logismoi Óplo incidents will have ‘never happened’?”

“Testament.” Innocentius nodded. “It will have never happened. Historically, Mikawa never disappeared, so this is the only way. Without their princess, Musashi can be made into Mikawa and the Far East will never have owned a Logismoi Óplo. But if the princess survives, neither event can be said to have never happened.”

He took a breath.

“Later, the different nations will start the Thirty Years’ War and other skirmishes over the Logismoi Óplo; but the world will ultimately gather together if retrieving the Logismoi Óplo will save us from the Apocalypse. I wonder how much that truth will help reassure the people who are feeling uneasy due to the mysterious phenomena and various rumors. …And the Far East is the same. Their emperor remains in Kyou, but they are essentially completely under our control. That should lead them to gather along with the rest of the world.”

“Even after their princess’s ‘natural sacrifice’?”

“Do not forget my ‘cool-headed decision’.”

“How harsh. Mankind has passed the Renaissance and reached the Baroque, but we still must kill?”

“Catholics are the representatives of conservatism. That means the Papa-Schola that leads them is the leader of conservatism. Not doing what I must do is unthinkable from a historical perspective.”

Innocentius placed the bottle on the table and turned toward the distant mountainous landscape where Musashi lay.

“If the Logismoi Óplo we receive from this princess is truly part of a plan to save the world from the Apocalypse, I think I will inherit the name of a saint even if that saint should already be dead. That name will befit a savior and it is the most I can do as the leader of the Catholics.”

“I thought you did not like sentimentality.”

“I do not like it, but I do not hate it either. If I hated it, I would never have become the Papa-Schola. After all, conservatism is sentimentality toward the changing age.”

“Oh, so you are aware that you are behind the times?”

“Don’t get so full of yourself just because you advocate heliocentrism, Galileo. Everyone already knows that’s how it works.”

He laughed quietly, snapped his fingers, and spoke to the student in charge of divine transmissions.

“Now, I’ve changed my mind. Show me the footage from Musashi. I want to see how the Special General Student Meeting is going.”

“Why this all of a sudden? You really have not changed since you were a student.”

“I still am a student, former teacher.” Here alone, he reverted to his old tone of voice. “As the leader of conservatism, I want to see the latest version of modern sentimentality. Was this entire conversation meant to lead me there?”

“No. I was merely trying to convince you because I wanted to watch it.”

“Testament. I am glad to see you are acting like a student too. Now, show us the footage.” Innocentius grabbed the bottle from the table. “Depending on how it plays out, I may intervene.”

Three people stood on the bridge in front of Musashi Ariadust Academy.

They all faced the staircase and the one on the port side was Toori.

To his right, on the starboard side, was Masazumi. Behind them was Oriotorai.

Oriotorai moved in front of her two students.

“President Sakai isn’t here, but let’s begin the final duel of the Special General Student Meeting. This will be the last one, so how about I join in? So, um… Will it be a thirty minute round of combat?”

“That’s amazing, sensei! That joke wasn’t cute at all!”

As Oriotorai smiled and swung up a clenched fist, Toori fled a half step backwards. On the other hand, Masazumi sighed and waved her hands back and forth.

“It will be a debate, so please just continue playing the role of witness. It can be hard to determine the winner.”

“To be honest, I don’t really understand how it works,” said Oriotorai. “I can bind a contract between you that sets the rules of the debate, but please don’t ask for anything more.”

“Judge. That is plenty. We will ask each other questions and provide the answers. If you can make your opponent admit their disadvantage or your advantage, you win. Aoi, you understand our positions, correct? You can actually discuss this, right?”

“O-o-of-of-of course! D-d-don’t underestimate me!”

“Try not cowering and trembling when you say that.”

But Toori scratched at his head, faced Masazumi, and gave his usual smile.

“I’m not very smart, so I can get help, right?”

“Yes. If specialized answers come from someone qualified in that field, it should help convince the students.”

Masazumi looked past Toori and to the port side of the schoolyard. She looked across the Student Council, the Chancellor’s Officers, and her other classmates before turning to the starboard side.

Adults were gathered there. They were the thirty members of the Provisional Council. Her own father and his clients were there.

Masazumi turned away from them.

“If necessary, I will get help as well. Is that fine?”

“Perfectly fine!”

She tilted her head with half-lidded eyes, but Oriotorai cleared her throat and spoke up.

“Are the two of you ready for the debate? Who will go first and who will go second?”

Her question received an immediate response from Toori. He threw both his arms into the air.

“I’ll go first!”

Toori’s desire to go first caused Masazumi and everyone else to freeze in place. They all produced the same response.

“Eh?”

“Why are you all so surprised!? This is a pain, so I want to get it over with as quickly as possible.”

As soon as he said that, Shirojiro spoke from the starboard side.

“You fool! Going second is easier! When a merchant is ripping someone off, he never suggests the first price, does he!? This is no different!”

“Hm. Shiro-kun, I think that’s too much to reveal in public.”

Hearing that, Oriotorai turned to Toori and stared up at him.

“What will you do? Will you apologize and admit you were stupid? C’mon, just say it. Say you were stupid.”

“Y-you’re trying to pick a fight with me, aren’t you!? Aren’t you!?”

“No, I don’t have enough free time to fight weaklings. I’m just making fun of you.”

“Y-you’re a horrible teacher! I’m gonna make you apologize one of these days! And I won’t forgive you until then! I’m serious!”

“Ah ha ha. Sorry, sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?”

“No. And you apologized, so I’ll forgive you. I’ll forgive you!!”

“Was that really enough for you?” muttered everyone else.

“What will you do?” asked Masazumi while narrowing her eyes. “I’m willing to go first.”

“No, I said I’d go first.”

“Are you sure?” Oriotorai snapped her fingers and a torii-style sign frame appeared next to her face. “Are you really fine with that? Okay. Here’s a contract of Misato, one of the Ookuninushi type gods related to contracts. If either of you fails to argue from your respective positions, you’ll be punished. You understand that, right?”

“Judge,” said both Toori and Masazumi.

They both placed a hand on the sign frame.

Oriotorai watched as Masazumi placed her hand first and then Toori affixed his seal with a practiced roll of the fingers.

“Toori, you’ve done this a lot, haven’t you?”

“C’mon, enough with the compliments, sensei. The guy at the police box doesn’t know me by name for nothing, you know?”

“That isn’t a compliment. Anyway, sensei, what is the punishment?”

Oriotorai nodded at Masazumi’s question.

“Well, divine punishment would be a bit too scary, right? So instead, I’ll hit you with my weapon.”

With a smile, Toori slowly turned to look Masazumi in the eye.

“You’ll die.”

“D-don’t just come out and say it, you idiot. Make it into a joke instead.”

“Don’t worry. Cutting you with my sword would kill you instantly, so I’ll be hitting you with the scabbard. Don’t overlook my consideration.”

The two students looked at the long sword on Oriotorai’s back. It was at least 1.7 meters long and the scabbard was clearly made of metal.

“Wouldn’t an instant death hurt a lot less?”

“I’ve never died, so I can’t say. I’d rather not find out, though.”

The two exchanged a nod.

Toori then took a step toward the bow and toward the people gathered below the stairs.

“Okay, let’s get started.”

“Make sure to debate properly, okay? I want to avoid hitting someone if it won’t accomplish anything.”

“I will, I will.” Toori took in a breath. “Okay, everyone. I, former Chancellor and President Aoi Toori, have a suggestion for how to handle this incident.”

The wind blew through. That wind with a faint hint of marine saltiness indicated the midpoint of the afternoon.

He spread his arms as the wind blew across him.

“It comes down to a single issue. Retrieving my authority and everything else is nothing more than a foothold toward a grander plan to rescue Horizon and confess to her. So let’s make this clear. What do we have to gain and what do we have to lose by rescuing Horizon? That is what I will be debating with…um…Seijun.”

And so…

“First, I’ll make my position clear. My suggestion is as follows.”

Everyone watched and listened.

As Toori stood atop the stairs in the wind, he scratched his head yet spoke clearly.

“How about we give up on trying to rescue Horizon?”

In front of Tres España’s tent, the divine transmission officer, the medical officer doing the cooking, the commander, Tachibana Muneshige, and the others were left dumbfounded at Toori’s statement.

Gin alone looked around the unmoving group and spotted a grain of rice on Muneshige’s mouth.

“Your lunch.”

She skillfully plucked it off with her artificial arm’s fingers and put it in her own mouth.

In K.P.A. Italia’s tent, the student in charge of divine transmissions remained motionless. Galileo and Innocentius were equally motionless.

Innocentius had been drinking from his bottle and the water spilled from the corner of his mouth.

“…”

But he remained motionless.

On the Musashi, everyone remained speechless and motionless.

The townspeople, Guard Unit, Provisional Council, teachers, and everyone else stood perfectly still and did not utter a word.

“…”

But there were some who managed to move: Tenzou and Urquiaga on the port side of the schoolyard and Naomasa who had just returned.

The three of them climbed up onto the bridge and took up positions to the port, starboard, and center. They lowered their hands once to measure the tempo and raised them on a count of three.

And on their cue…

“Ehhhhhh!?” shouted the entirety of Musashi.

During the shout, Suzu’s knees gave out limply beneath her.

“W-wah!” shouted Asama who stood behind her. “S-Suzu-san! Suzu-san! I know this was unexpected, but pull yourself together!”

“I-I’m f-fine. S-some kind of c-cushion caught me…”

“Heh heh heh. Heretical shrine maiden, why are you burying Suzu in your giant breasts?”

“Do you really have to continue humiliating me with body-related jokes!? Goddamn Shinto!”

Asama went on to shout out what everyone else was thinking.

“What is going on!?”

Toori waited for everyone to stop their confused shout because they needed to catch their breath. He used the relative silence to speak while still scratching at his head.

“C’mon, everyone. Just think about it for a second. If we go rescue Horizon, it’ll cause a huge war with the Testament Union. I don’t know about you, but starting Armageddon sounds like a bad idea to me.”

“Wait just a minute!!” shouted Masazumi who stood diagonally behind him.

She glanced to the starboard side of the schoolyard and saw the entire Provisional Council frantically nod toward her.

“Y-y-you… Aoi, wh-wh-what are you saying!?”

“What are ''you'' saying, Seijun?”

She looked up into the sky, took a deep breath, and forcefully lowered her head once more.

“That’s my line!! What do you mean we shouldn’t rescue Horizon!?”

“Oh, so you’re arguing we should go rescue her!?”

“N-no, I’m not! Why did you steal my line!?” She brought a hand to her chest. “The suggestion you just gave is my suggestion!!”

“No, it’s not.” Toori pointed at Oriotorai behind her. “She said we would debate and that we’d argue from our ‘respective positions’, but she never said which was which. I’m just saying what my position is. What about you?”

“I-I…”

As Masazumi grew flustered, the surrounding silence took on a different form.

Rather than a shocked silence, everyone was silently and slowly observing the two representatives.

And amid that heavy silence, Toori spoke.

“I go first and then you go, but we never decided who would be on which side. I chose to go first because the rules said I could choose which side I got. And if you break the rules, you’ll get punished. Look.”

Masazumi glanced behind her.

Oriotorai was making practice swings of her sword and scabbard. She was holding it above her head and swinging it down until it almost touched the floor. The movement between the two positions was too fast for her eyes to see.

“Hmm. I’ll actually be hitting someone, so there’ll be some resistance. I may need to use more strength to make it to the floor.”

“Um, sensei? You don’t have to take this so seriously…”

“Eh?”

As Oriotorai turned toward her, Masazumi asked a testing question.

“Uh, about Aoi’s decision just now…”

“Yeah, it really surprised me, so I was making some practice swings to distract myself.” She brought up the contract sign frame once more. “But if you want to cancel this and rewrite it, you have to pay a cancellation fee.”

“And the cancellation fee is…?”

“Five strikes.”

Masazumi hung her head and Toori gave a solemn nod behind her.

“With that sword pressure, you’d vanish from the face of the earth on the second one.”

“Y-you don’t have to state the obvious.”

“C’mon, you two. I’m not that much of a gorilla. You wouldn’t vanish until the fourth strike.”

“How is that any different!?” shouted everyone.

Masazumi sighed, but Toori circled to the starboard side and spread his arms. The Provisional Council was now behind him as if supporting him. And with his back to them, he spoke.

“Okay, let’s do this, Seijun. You’ll have to tell me. If we rescue Horizon, it could turn into an all-out war with the Testament Union. If it does, is there still anything we gain by rescuing Horizon?”

His voice filled the air.

“I can’t do anything and I can’t answer that question myself, so tell me, Seijun. What exactly is it that I want?”

<noinclude>
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| [[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_31|Chapter 31]]
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Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 82

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Strike Forcer:

==Chapter 82: Messengers in a Crumbling Place==
[[Image:Horizon3C_0533.jpg|thumb]]
''What is accumulated?

''The dead or the living?

'''Point Allocation (Progress)

An army joined the battle from underground.

As the Three Musketeers’ royal guard unit attempted to attack the siege troops, the skeleton army appeared between the two forces.

The enemy rising from the earth took the form of bones, but they were actually a product of ether containing a dead soul. But due to their bony form, the musket-wielding ''Belle de Marionnettes'' on the outer edge of the formation reached a certain conclusion.

“I have determined firing on them will have little effect!”

“Then bring out the core unit’s spear formation!”

The musket-wielding outer edge unit all turned around and a spear-wielding formation rushed forward from behind them. They wore combat maid uniforms and raced forward with their hips lowered for stability. Their spears were fixed in place to strike the bones.

The bones broke and the ''Belle de Marionnettes'' realized something.

“I have determined the bones have poor movement! They are slow!”

Which meant…

“I have determined they are using their numbers to form a barrier!”

The ten thousand dead were meant to slow them down.

The maids fell back for the moment. It was a regulated movement and they moved back about a dozen meters in complete unison.

“Again!”

When the leading row hit, the tips of their spears would shatter the ether skeletons.

White fragments scattered through the night and their spears moved in arcs to stand vertically. Also…

“Front row, fall back!”

Finished attacking, the row of raised spears took a single step to the right and back stepped away. To their left, the next row rushed in with their spears at the ready.

They set up a rotation for a continuous charge.

They would not stop.

There were approximately six hundred maids against the ten thousand skeletons. The rows were one hundred across, so excluding the musket unit, there were four rows’ worth. But with each attack, they provided a loss of nearly one hundred to the enemy and continued breaking them. And…

“Go!”

The Three Musketeers took care of the remaining flanks of the skeleton unit. Henri summoned four giant blades on the right, Armand lifted the ground on the left to close it on the skeletons like a book, and Isaac, the ''Lourd de Marionnette'' style of automaton, spread his cannon arms on either side to fire on both flanks.

With their support, the charging unit only had to rush straight in with their spears, and eventually…

“I can see them!”

They could indeed see the ''Lourd de Marionnettes'' that were sweeping away the enemy.

So the maids prepared their spears and performed one final charge.

They moved onward. They raced forward. They knew the front row would breach the enemy, so they pushed through as a single whole.

“Full speed ahead!!”

They ran and tore through the enemy

But a sudden movement reached them.

It came from behind them. An unexpected strike hit them from directly behind.

Henri, the feminine member of the Three Musketeers, learned of her fellow ''Belle de Marionnettes''’ confusion through their shared memory. There were countless messages there, but they were mostly questions of “What!?” toward an unknown entity. Also…

…''From behind!?

Henri turned around and saw it.

The enemy was there. They were made of bones, but they looked different. These were not the weak bones shaped like a human skeleton that had been smashed before.

These humanoid forms were made from a collection of bones. They were over three meters tall and resembled large apes.

Ether bones had been drawn in and bent to form not just a skeleton but an entire beast including muscles.

“What is this?”

She found the answer at the bottom of her vision.

There were of course bones there.

The smashed and scattered bones seemed to be slowly melting and gathering together.

They joined together, some to become bundles of arm muscles and some to become part of a breastbone.

Once they were finished binding together, they formed arms and legs, but they were still clearly made from a collection of bones of uneven length. Even in their completed form, the scars from fractures or the ends of the bones were apparent and the right and left limbs were sometimes different lengths. The gulden coins embedded in their foreheads were made with a hole and a narrow red light extended from that hole in search of prey.

Their creation took only a few seconds and Henri estimated the total number used to make one.

“Approximately…one hundred!?”

The beasts made from one hundred skeletons were about three meters tall. They looked somewhat like large apes, but they ran on two legs and suddenly swung up their arms.

“…!”

Their rapid tackle blew away the ''Belle de Marionnettes'' from behind.

The maids were slow to react because they did not understand what was happening. The large apes made from white bones did not hold back. They rushed in with bestial movements.

“————!!”

They roared and attacked the maids.

The maids flew through the air with a sound of destruction. They prepared their spears and thrust at this new enemy, but…

“We can’t get through!?”

These humanoid forms had the density of one hundred skeletons. Even the spears could not break through, so more and more of them broke.

However, others stepped forward in place of the spear unit.

It was the musket unit that had created the outer edge of the initial formation. They kept low, rushed between the spear unit and the enemy, and got down on one knee. They prepared their weapons and used a simplified smart system to target the humanoid bones by synchronizing the movements of their eyes with their arms.

They wanted to break the joints and seams, so they fired anti-mobile shell bullets into those spots.

The white broke, the distance between them shortened, the bones burst, and a few of them arrived close enough to smash the maids into the ground. However, the ''Belle de Marionnettes'' completed their attack unfazed.

They broke the enemy.

At the very least, they broke the enemy’s front line and created an opening. The spear unit used that opening to regroup and face the rest of the enemy.

“Spear unit, charge!”

They picked up as much as speed as the enemy had, used gravitational control to prevent the spears from shaking, and attached the spears to the hard points on their sides. They intended to pierce straight through the enemy by keeping themselves from wavering in the slightest.

As the spear unit charged in, a sudden strike from below knocked them into the air.

“…!?”

An intense sound rang out as the dolls were destroyed. After they were thrown into the air, the running apes had knocked them back down or tackled them to destroy them even more.

The sounds of breaking porcelain and snapping threads continued for a while.

Then everyone saw something beyond the large apes that were coming their way after destroying the charging spear unit. This was what had knocked the spear unit into the air from below.

“''Lourd de Marionnettes''!?”

“No,” someone shouted over their shared memory. “Those aren’t ''Lourd de Marionnettes''!”

After all…

“They’re made of bone!”

These giant dolls were made from molded ether bone. There were three of them, they were over ten meters tall, they had twisted asymmetric shapes, yet they had likely been humanoid to begin with.

“They’re giant skeleton dolls!”

“Exactly. This would normally be the end of it, though.”

Someone in a red uniform looked down from the bow of a warship floating in the sky. He wore an M.H.R.R. boy’s uniform with the numeral “4” sewn in white.

“Maeda, are those your mercenaries?”

“Testament, Matthias. That is the true form of my Kaga Millionen Geist.”

Matsu sat on Toshiie’s shoulder and she had white ether wings on her back. She narrowed her eyes when he stroked her wings and he turned his head to the side.

Matthias leaned on the deck’s railing there, looking down at the battlefield.

Toshiie shrugged and explained his “men” fighting below.

“First, ten thousand mercenaries are smashed so they can gather together into one hundred elites.”

And…

“Those one hundred elites become ten large dolls.”

“So they grow stronger the more you break them down? How very human.”

“Testament. Automatons are different because it’s all over once they break. But spirits of the dead are still human. Of course, that begs the question of what I am if I control them.”

Toshiie brought a hand to his waist where he had a sword made from a roll of coins.

When he flicked the pommel of the coin roll sword, the hilt’s wrapping peeled back to reveal silver coins with holes in the center. The coin stocker being used as a sword guard accurately dropped four coins to the floor.

“The Landsknechte are hired for four gulden and swear to fight in the name of their holy land and their god.”

The fallen coins were gathered by an arm of bone that suddenly grew from the floor. With a snapping motion, the coins vanished into the palm. After confirming the sight, Toshiie spoke to the battlefield below.

“Now, you can enjoy life for the first time in a long while. Let’s start with three and stick together. Make sure to work yourself to the bone as you fight.”

Henri moved out front.

“Armand! Create a barrier wall with the ground! Musketeer unit, you focus on defense without destroying the bone apes!!”

After giving her orders, she ejected two additional swords into the air. She already had four, so that was six in all.

Of those, she set three to be controlled by fingers of her right hand and the other three to be controlled by fingers of her left hand. And…

“Fall back!”

The maids tried to retreat, but the walking large skeletons kicked them and crushed them underfoot. Henri clicked her tongue, moved forward, and ran toward the large skeleton in the center.

She swung the left three blades horizontally like swinging a knife with a reversed grip.

A sound of breaking filled the air.

Light scattered and the large skeleton’s chest split apart. The inside was not hollow; it contained a dense collection of bone. But the bundles of bone moved like organs or flesh and the rest of the body swung an arm toward Henri even with its chest smashed.

Henri thrust her right three blades straight forward. She drove them deep inside the chest and the blade controlled by her middle finger broke out the back.

“Tear apart, you lowly servant.”

The blades controlled by her index finger and ring finger tore out through either side of the chest.

She had completed her attack.

With repeated sounds of breaking, the large skeleton’s torso shriveled downward. But the unharmed stomach and below were carried forward by the legs. The shoulders were only attached by the back and it dangled upside down behind the rest.

Pulled by the dangling shoulders, the entire body fell backwards. The legs seemed to fall into a sitting position and kicked around for a bit, but they finally came to a stop. And…

…''It’s vanishing?

That was exactly what happened.

The large skeleton sank into the ground and vanished as if it were crumbling and melting.

Henri did not have time to think “one down”. She had to destroy the other two, so she immediately turned to the left and gave instructions to her retreating comrades.

“Hurry to the ''Lourd de Marionnette'' unit on the other side!”

But there was no response. Wondering why, she looked over and found the maids staring wide-eyed behind her.

…''?

Henri looked back as she ran to the left.

A fourth and fifth large skeleton were standing up.

…''Why!?

The musketeer unit had stopped destroying the bone apes, so why were more large skeletons rising?

“Did they…?”

She immediately found the answer. The large bone apes had begun cannibalizing each other.

They were killing each other to make themselves into large skeletons. Armand described the sight over their shared memory.

“Simply put, this is hell.”

As if to confirm that, more and more sounds of destruction rose into the sky.

They would punch each other, pierce each other, and bite each other. Then several of them would intertwine.

“————!!”

Six of them stood and gave scream-like roars.

They then helped the large apes that had begun killing each other.

They crushed them.

This created a total of eight large skeletons. The ones that had been created earlier began to move and Armand spoke when he saw them.

“Hey, Henri, it looks like they’re fans of yours, so you deal with them.”

“Based on the feedback, it looks more like they’re your fans, so you deal with them.”

“Request interception.”

Hearing Isaac’s comment, Henri prepared her blades with a smile and Armand swung up the earth’s crust with his teeth showing. Isaac let the maids climb on top of him before moving away to defend the main formation on the hill.

Henri understood she could defeat these large skeletons, but there were too few of her. That left only one method.

…''The princess’s ship needs to fire down on the enemy even if it means catching us in the blast.

Just as she settled on that plan of action, two of the approaching large skeletons were suddenly sliced in two. They were both cut through the torso and at the exact same time.

“…!?”

''What was that?'' she wondered while forgetting to even defend herself. First, wind blew in and the bones blew about as a blizzard of dust. The large skeletons were worn away by the great wind and two ''Lourd de Marionnettes'' were visible beyond those bisected forms.

They both had canine head armor, the larger of the two was white, and the other was blue.

“Satomi’s Yatsufusa and Righteousness!?”

Yoshiyasu held her sword lowered on the left while she checked on her surroundings.

…''There are four battlefields.

The first was within Magdeburg.

The second was the close-in battle between the Hexagone Française gods of war and the joint M.H.R.R. and P.A. Oda unit being held near the outer wall.

The third was right here where they were. And the last was…

“In the sky.”

She could hear cannon fire from the side. Below the clouds, the M.H.R.R. fleet recently arrived from K.P.A. Italia had begun exchanging cannon blasts with the Hexagone Française fleet.

As far as she could tell, the M.H.R.R. fleet was damaged and worn down.

But they had the upper hand in morale. They had arrived intending to fight a naval battle while Hexagone Française had expected the fight to primarily occur on land, so their battle preparations and spirit were completely different.

The M.H.R.R. ships were creating a low-altitude formation beyond Magdeburg on the opposite eastern bank of the Elbe. Their bows were pointed toward the Hexagone Française fleet to expose a smaller surface area to enemy fire. Also…

…''By using Magdeburg as a shield, Hexagone Française can’t fire directly on them.

The Hexagone Française fleet was positioned at the top of the hill and they could not ignore the ground units or Magdeburg down below. They could only fire in parabolic arcs that were guaranteed to clear Magdeburg.

But M.H.R.R. was positioned lower, so they had a straight shot at the Hexagone Française fleet’s belly.

Yoshiyori understood that too and he spoke up while keeping Yatsufusa low.

“Yoshiyasu, prepare to fly to Magdeburg.”

“Are we giving up on this area?’

“No. You need to save the Musashi students. Your job is to pick up the ones fighting within Magdeburg and deliver them to the transport ship. After all, the Hexagone Française fleet may have drawn the M.H.R.R. fleet’s attention, but Musashi is using that opening to send two diplomatic ships down behind the cathedral to protect the transport ship when it ascends. Once the diplomatic ships arrive, the transport ship will begin for the Musashi, but…”

“I need to pick up those remaining in Magdeburg when that happens?”

“Yes,” said Yoshiyori. “Their opponents in the city are Shibata and Sassa and they are both powerful enough to destroy a transport ship. Musashi’s vice chancellor and special duty officers are fighting to keep them away from the transport ships. …Your duty is to rescue them.”

He did not ask if she knew what to do afterwards, but did that mean he trusted her understanding?

A sign frame appeared next to her sight devices containing the predicted position of the M.H.R.R. fleet’s formation and their predicted line of fire that Yatsufusa had calculated. She took the sign frame, but Yoshiyori was not done speaking.

“Don’t go right away.”

The bones still remained and there were more than just the seven large skeletons surrounding them.

“Were more of the original bone soldiers added!?”

There were probably ten thousand of them. As they rose from the ground, they devoured each other and grew.

The enemy was attacking with pure numbers, but…

“You have our thanks!”

A commander of the Three Musketeers rushed in outside of their attack range. She swung up her six giant blades and repeatedly hunted down the midsized enemies.

“Testament!”

The automaton spear and musket units ran alongside her making their own attacks.

“Testament,” said Yoshiyasu. “Resuming attack.”

As the roar of cannon fire grew thicker overhead, she swung her blade.

The attack on and defense of Magdeburg was split between two locations.

The first was by the Elbe River where Futayo fought Katsuie on the rooftops of the buildings flooded up to the second floor.

The other was to the west, near the city entrance from the plantation, where Narimasa fought the two Technohexen in the complex arrangement of back alleys.

One of the Technohexen, Naruze, flapped her wings within the city to fly as quickly as she could.

…''The water has come in quite a bit.

Even on the west side of the city, the water was filling the streets and submerging everything.

That was why Narimasa did not use the ground up ahead. He kicked off the edges of walls in narrow gaps between buildings to fly through the air like a ricocheting bullet. The two Technohexen were pursuing him and attacking.

Narimasa’s movements were quick and sharp. He kicked off one wall and it looked like he was going to land on the second story wall of the opposite building, but he immediately ran a few steps along that wall and jumped onto the roof of a building on the initial side.

Naruze accelerated her wings in pursuit and Margot did the same next to her.

“Ga-chan, it’s starting to feel like everyone can run along walls these days. But that can’t be true, can it?”

“If you only look at the weirdos, you’ll end up with screwed-up standards.”

“I don’t want to hear that from people who are flying!”

Naruze tilted her head at Narimasa’s protest.

“But this is a normal part of our race.”

''Oh, that means I’m normal,'' realized Naruze. ''Yeah, it’s everyone else who’s weird.

Narimasa fell silent, so they followed him and attacked.

Naruze primarily used her homing bullets.

When she fired the bullets of light across the street, Narimasa quickly kicked off the wall to both evade and move further ahead.

But that was when someone else attacked.

“He sure is fast!”

That person was Margot. She fired straight line bullets that pierced far down the street to hold Narimasa in check as he jumped between buildings.

But Narimasa did more than run away. He smashed the building walls with his heel when he jumped or tore signs or stones from the wall to throw them. Those held the Technohexen in check and deflected the bullets, but he also used his own movements without relying on those objects.

“…!”

He dodged the bullets.

The narrow street was difficult for the Technohexen to navigate. With water filling the bottom of the streets, Naruze had assumed the battlefield would shift to the rooftops, but the enemy had chosen to travel below the roofs.

''Reality can be so cruel,'' she thought. ''Doujinshi are much more honest.

But for Narimasa, the narrow roads allowed him to keep his jumps short and quick.

…''That’s why this idiot wanted to travel down the city’s slope.

When kicking off the walls, he could move faster on a downward slope.

Sure enough, Narimasa’s speed was picking up.

“Ga-chan, where does this lead!?”

“Magdeburg’s Maurice Cathedral. Everyone’s waiting for the nudist in the transport ship behind it, but it seemed like a good spot for a date. It didn’t look like people go there often. …Sounds nice, doesn’t it!?”

“I hope the place is reconstructed by the time we stop here next year.”

…''That was an implied yes! Herrlich!

Her spell exploded. She had clearly not intended to hit, but that was exactly why Narimasa looked back.

“W-watch out, you idiot! You’re serious about this, aren’t you!?”

“What? Don’t assume you know what you’re talking about. Are you stupid? All I have to do is hit you.”

“Th-this girl!”

“Shut up or I’ll put you in a doujinshi!”

Naruze opened a Magie Figur and sent a few diagrams and some text to the transport ship.

'''Mal-Ga:''' “Asama, this can reach you from here, right? Can you pass this on!?”

She did not check for a response after sending it and she pulled on Naito’s hand in midair.

“Let’s go win this!”

“Have you given up on victory, daughter of Tadakatsu!?”

In the submerged city, the battlefield had moved to the rooftops surrounded by dark flowing water and Futayo let Katsuie’s words wash over her.

He was saying she did not intend to win and she understood that.

He said so because she was focused on defense.

Currently, Futayo had her back to the cathedral in the north and Katsuie was to the south. She was keeping him from reaching the transport ships behind the cathedral and her duty was to hold him here until the entire battle was won.

Her method was simple.

She would crush his attacks as soon as he made them.

Kamewari was a divine weapon that needed to charge up and it smashed anything reflected in its blade, so when he swung it, she would take action before it could turn towards her.

…''The key is to counterattack and keep him from completing his swing!

She used the tip of Tonbokiri. She simply watched Kamewari’s movement and thrust Tonbokiri into the base of the blade when he started to swing it. When she did, Katsuie roared back at her.

“Damn you!”

“Damn you,” added Kamewari.

A metallic sound rang out, she felt an impact through her weapon, and Katsuie pulled his weapon back.

That was all it was. Of course, this method meant she could not attack, but…

“Have you given up on victory!?”

She had not. She simply defined victory differently here.

…''After all, the glasses boy and Masazumi said a lot about some kind of strategy.

She had not understood much of it, but it had probably been important since the glasses boy was a nerd and Masazumi had said some confusing things. It was important to be understanding of such things.

So she stuck to this. Whenever Katsuie tried to swing Kamewari, she would attack and stop it.

“Damn you!!”

“Damn you.”

He moved again and she stopped him again.

“Damn you!!!”

“Damn you.”

She continued stopping him.

Instead of an intense clash, it was a smaller strike that stopped just his initial movement.

Her challenging spear tip would deflect the initial swing of his blade and the sparks illuminated the night and the water below the roofs.

It grew into a continuous barrage.

The amount of metallic sparks grew the more they moved. She also knocked his blade back with greater frequency.

…''This is quite an intense exchange!!

Each movement of her spear was flowing into the next and she started also using the bottom end to knock his blade away. The straight line of the spear made it faster and holding it in both hands increased its strength, but she could not hope to match Katsuie’s strength as a demonic long lived. Every few attacks she received pushed her back half a step.

Futayo sensed danger in that backwards movement.

After all, they were fighting atop a straw-thatched roof sticking above the water.

It was not the best footing.

During her training, she had been taught that tile roofs were rare in Europe during this time period, even on royal palaces.

The Musashi had adopted a portion of the Far East’s tile roof culture, so they were common especially on the diplomatic second ships. However, Magdeburg’s focus on the history recreation meant almost all of the roofs were made of straw.

The gabled straw-thatched roofs had their straw swept away by the rising water. It sometimes floated up from the edge like a blanket and it sometimes came off as soon as the water touched it.

That was why they fought in the center of the roof. The roof’s ridge was their only footing.

…''So I can’t use my usual footwork.

Not only could she not run and jump around, but even swinging her body to either side proved difficult. She could only move forward and back or a step or two to either side.

And when the roof was swept away, she was forced to move to the next one.

But the same applied to her enemy. Katsuie could only move forward and he could only do that by removing her from his path.

That was why she focused on knocking back his attacks.

Katsuie then gave a shout.

“Damn you! And you call yourself Musashi’s vice chancellor!?”

''He is trying to provoke me,'' concluded Futayo.

He was asking how she could be a vice chancellor without fighting.

But she did not need to respond. She knew this was enough for a vice chancellor. After all, she had seen this before.

…''I am using the bunting technique of Tres España Vice Chancellor Hironaka Takakane-dono!

Takakane would knock down his opponent’s attacks to throw off their balance.

Futayo had been on the receiving end more than enough during the attack as they approached England.

She had never been able to break through this technique.

But even after so much experience on the receiving end, she was having trouble using it herself. She could only deflect her enemy’s attack one out of every third time and she was allowing him to advance.

She became even more painfully aware of how high level of a technique it was.

He had pulled it off against countless opponents at the same time and all from different directions.

She was inexperienced and the world was a large place. That was what this meant. But she did her best to fight and move even a little bit closer to his level.

Katsuie responded by raising his speed.

He began his attacks again and again from many different angles and Futayo stopped them with a high-speed barrage.

“————”

Their exchange accelerated.

Fifteen minutes after the Sack of Magdeburg began, individual battles had settled into place across the region as everyone worked to fulfill their respective roles.

The history recreation of the Sack of Magdeburg was approaching its climax.

Meanwhile, Toori’s group slipped from the M.H.R.R rear guard which was responding to Hexagone Française’s charge. The side effects of Toshiie’s bone army had slowed them down, but they could already see Magdeburg and the Musashi.

They had experienced many twists and turns along the way, but they were only a step away from arriving.

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 81|Chapter 81]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 83|Chapter 83]]
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</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 77

2015-07-02T10:47:00Z

Strike Forcer: /* Chapter 77: Attacking Woman by the Water */

==Chapter 77: Attacking Woman by the Water==
[[Image:Horizon3C_0397.jpg|thumb]]
''This action is needed

''To incite repentance

'''Point Allocation (Prostration)

In the park a bit north of Magdeburg’s cathedral, the evacuees and hemisphere were being loaded onto the transport ships supplied by the city.

There were three Dragon-class ships there. Guericke and the other Europeans boarded one, Masazumi, Kimi, Asama, and the Far Easterners boarded another, and the hemisphere cart was loaded onto the final one by Righteousness and the Palais-Cardinal. Adele guided them as they loaded it.

“Okay! Oh, over there! Over there! Over there! No, not there! Here!”

While the girl gave her instructions and gestures, Yoshiyasu had a thought inside Righteousness.

…''The Musashi is supposed to be a transport ship, but is all of their work this careless?

Anne and Mazarin commented from the Palais-Cardinal’s shoulder.

“Milady, how are you able to work with instructions like this?”

“That’s a good question, Luynes. I think it’s because I’m too nice.”

The Palais-Cardinal then addressed Yoshiyasu while holding half of the hemisphere cart.

“This took a fair bit of time. If it wasn’t for the barrier ceiling, we could have flown this here.”

Hearing that, Yoshiyasu looked up at the glowing barrier covering the sky. She judged the distance by eye and then looked to the six large wing-shaped flight devices on the Palais-Cardinal’s back.

“So you have the same flight ability as our Yatsufusa.”

“Isn’t that confidential information?”

It took Yoshiyasu a moment to respond.

“Ah.”

To hide her feeling of wrongdoing, she pushed the cart into the hangar. The Palais-Cardinal helped with Anne smiling bitterly on its shoulder.

“There. …Anyway, so much has happened that I’m feeling a little scatterbrained,” said Yoshiyasu.

“Oh, sorry. Our people did do a lot to you.”

Adele bowed her way after climbing down from the hemisphere cart and leaving the ship.

…''That they certainly did, but…

“I may have lost my focus a bit after this much contact with Musashi’s strange atmosphere. Satomi is a small nation, so you have to stay focused on whatever you’re working at, be it politics, economics, or defense. So…I had come to a decent understanding of the Palais-Cardinal’s power when you pulled on my hand and trained with me, but I mistakenly assumed that meant we were sharing our information.”

“That’s fine. We can let that be our little secret.”

Anne added “right?” while looking to Adele and the others working in the hangar.

They had all started working tying down the hemisphere inside the hangar, but they turned back toward Anne, and…

“————”

Every last one of them looked her in the eye and nodded. Some said “testament” and some replied with “judge”.

''This is a nice atmosphere,'' thought Yoshiyasu.

She had seen similar scenes in Satomi. While maintaining Righteousness, her sister had used to bring her homemade snacks, but recently…

…''Yoshiyori brings me food.

She stopped thinking there and wondered why her sister and that man tended to overlap in her mind.

…''But I don’t feel anything wrong with my sister and Anne overlapping in my mind.

Then what was it about her that insisted on rejecting that man?

Yoshiyori sensed a bad habit of hers.

Whenever she thought about something, she would use that man who killed her sister as a comparison or example.

She glanced over at Anne and the vassal below noticed before Anne did.

“What is it?”

The girl tilted her head as she asked, so Yoshiyasu gave a mental sigh that could not be expressed by the god of war’s voice device.

“I’m not sure how to put it.”

A thought had come to her after leaving Satomi. She had noticed this after seeing other leaders such as Anne and after having a chance to compare them to her sister and that man.

…''There are a lot of similarities between Anne, my sister, and that man.

That may have been what a leader was.

That thought had led her to another one during the few days of this journey.

“I need to see so many more things and accept so much more.”

“I see…” said the vassal.

The silver god of war turned around and the girl on its shoulder spoke.

“That would be good. You do have a lot of room for growth. …In the chest for example.”

“This isn’t just about my chest!”

However, she did feel better now that she had said that. This may not have been something to think about in the middle of a battlefield, but…

…''Is this why Yoshiyori forced me to go along with him?

Even if she did not try to understand Yoshiyori himself, she could learn a lot by watching the leaders of other academies. She could observe their attitudes, where they placed their gaze, and their toughness or flexibility.

Her sister was gone, but the other academies were supported by people like her sister. And…

…''Does that man play that role for Satomi?

She did not feel entirely certain of it, but that may have been her way of resisting the idea. When she made enough of a concession to think she was bringing too many personal feelings to her official position, a feeling of self-deprecation filled her heart. Regardless, she spoke while listening to the cannon fire and watching the light in the sky.

“Once this battle is over and I return to Kantou, it might not be a bad idea to visit the other nations there a bit. It could be useful to expand Satomi’s trade and political connections.”

If she did that, would she find more approval when she returned?

She was not sure, but the vassal smiled down below.

“The Musashi is great for taking a trip. The travel fees are cheap.”

“Can you at least make sure my bed won’t be destroyed each morning?”

“What are you talking about?”

Hearing Anne’s confused voice, Yoshiyori began wondering how to explain.

…''Oh.

''I really am feeling a lot better,'' she thought.

But a sound suddenly reached her auditory device in addition to the continuing cannon fire.

“Impacts? And they seem to be on a pretty large scale.”

“Yes. The defense of the riverside path has started in earnest.”

Work tying down the hemisphere was continuing inside the hangar, but the transport ship was not waiting for it to finish. Bands of mist began to appear around its waterline. Seeing that, Righteousness asked a question.

“So it’ll be leaving as soon as everything’s ready?”

“Testament, as soon as the defensive barrier is removed. …We’ll be closing up shop quite quickly.”

“Will you be fighting by the river?”

“No,” replied Anne. “Unless it’s an absolute emergency, protecting Magdeburg is a job for the M.H.R.R. Protestants. Well, them and the Musashi which is helping them. If anything, we are only guests. The Satomi family has only been fighting ‘because of possible damage to your cargo’, right?”

“…Sorry.”

“I wasn’t accusing you of anything, so don’t apologize.”

Anne smiled on the silver god of war’s shoulder. As if protecting the three transport ships, she had the god of war take a step north and place a hand on the scabbard at its waist.

Another powerful sound of impact came from the direction of the river.

“That’s quite the noise. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Anne explained who was charged with defending that area.

“M.H.H.R.’s secretary and Protestant representative. …Tomoe Gozen clearly still has her strength.”

The path traveling three hundred meters south to north was approximately six meters wide.

To the west was an earthen slope and to the east was a barrier of white rising into the heavens from the edge of the path. A muddy river reached two meters high just beyond the barrier.

Six cannons were lined up at the city entrance to the north.

A unit of one thousand M.H.R.R. Catholic mobile shells descended the riverside path from the south, but they had been stopped about two hundred meters along. Or more accurately…

“Don’t let them push you back!”

Those in the lead were being worn down, blown away, or torn into.

The loss of the warriors was pushing their ranks back.

There were two reasons for this. The first was the constant fire from the six large cannons. However, the cannons were stuck at a fixed angle and could be dealt with if the front row held their shields just right and set up a rotation.

The real problem was the enemy charging into the front line.

It was a demonic long-lived woman with two horns. She wore Far Eastern armor over an M.H.R.R. girl’s uniform and her white headband fluttered in the wind.

“Tomoe Gozen!?”

“You can call me Luther if you want. After all…”

Tomoe swung her arms, both of which held a Testament hammer. Protestant spell charms flew from her wide kariginu-like sleeves. Instead of falling, those spell charms decorated her surroundings and rotated.

“Yes, because I created the foundation of the Modern Kunst.”

Six cannons’ worth of shells pierced straight down the path.

They reached Tomoe, whose spell charms were rotating around her, and the M.H.R.R. Catholic mobile shell unit, who were confronting her at close range. The mobile shell unit raised their holy spell shields in preparation for the shells.

“C’mon, now. How about we keep fighting without worrying about defense?”

Tomoe rushed in toward them.

The enemy formed a row of three and she stepped between the middle one and the one to her right.

Aiming for the enemies on her left and right, she swung up her two Testament hammers.

First, the right hammer caught on the right elbow of the mobile shell on the right.

Its elbow broke and was knocked upwards. The shield was lifted up along with the arm and a shell struck it.

The impact on the shield knocked the right mobile shell backwards.

However, the mobile shell in the center jumped to his right, which was toward the river, to avoid the left hammer coming his way.

He managed to dodge, but he also ran shoulder-first into the shield-bearing mobile shell by the river.

The one by the river caught and supported his comrade with his shoulder.

That was when Tomoe attacked,

As her left hammer had missed, she swung it straight up as if to pull her body toward the sky.

She had already swung her right hammer upwards, so she swung it downwards and to the left like a pendulum.

The right hammer made a scooping swing with her floating body at the central point.

“Your feet are wide open.”

Ignoring the two shells passing by her back and below her chest, she swept out the feet of the central mobile shell that’s balance had been thrown off by the shell hits.

Rather than hit the mobile shell’s legs with the striking surface, she snagged and threw his legs with the joint between the hammer and handle.

The mobile shell and shield spun around and a flying shell struck his back.

The remaining mobile shell by the river held a weapon in the arm that had supported his comrade.

It was a long, thick spear meant for assaults. He used the mobile shell’s reinforced framework to provide powerful speed to an attack directed at Tomoe, who was wide open after swinging her two hammers.

The high-speed attack broke through the wind in an instant, but…

“That height was a mistake.”

As soon as she spoke, a shell from the city hit the spear. A sound of destruction filled the air as the spear was bent and knocked upwards.

“Sorry, but I decided when they would fire, so they aren’t going to hit me,” she said, sounding bored.

By then, the right hammer swinging down below caught up to the left hammer pulling her up into the air.

Both of the hammers now stood straight up, and…

“Now, then.”

She swung the two hammers to the left like a golf club to attack the riverside mobile shell.

The two attacks landed at the same moment she did and the enemy was knocked away, along with his shield.

The shield was knocked upwards, both the enemy’s arms were pulled up with it, and a shell hit his body.

The riverside mobile shell was blasted high into the sky, but…

“…!”

Another row of three charged in.

They had waited for the gap between shells. Tomoe had also created an opening by swinging both hammers up toward the river. She was facing the river and stretched upwards, so the three enemies rushed in toward her side.

The two on either side wielded long spears and the central one wielded a rifle.

Even if she held off the outer two with her hammers, they were prepared to safely finish her off with the central firearm.

The spears came and the gunfire flew.

Tomoe showed a single response.

She jumped straight up and pulled her legs up, as if being lifted by the hammers she had swung upwards.

Her feet surpassed the coming spears, so she stepped on them and made a light additional jump.

The spell charms flying around her followed her movements.

At this new height, she pulled her legs up further and the bullet passed by below her feet.

She then let go of the hammers and had them rotate in midair.

At the same time, she performed a half spin to turn her back on the group of enemies.

Next, she raised her hands toward the vertically rotating hammers.

By grabbing the handles and swinging them down from front to back, they automatically formed an attack rotating past her legs from top to bottom.

The two backwards-facing midair attacks accurately struck the faces of the two spear-wielding enemies.

She heard a solid sound of collision, the armor broke, and the two mobile shells stopped moving.

Then the cannons fired.

The two enemies were blown away.

However, the central mobile shell charged in after abandoning his rifle. He drew a long sword from his back and targeted Tomoe’s waist and back as she dropped down.

Tomoe looked over her left shoulder toward the simple, straight-line attack.

“Please take this.”

She threw her left hammer toward the central sword-wielding charge.

However, the mobile shell swung his sword up toward the flying blunt weapon and deflected it into the air.

“…!!”

He immediately went on to slash down toward Tomoe’s stomach as she turned around in midair.

In that instant, Tomoe opened her left hand that no longer held a hammer.

And she spoke.

“Activate – Consecutive Style.”

As soon a Tomoe spoke, a spell charm rotating behind her shoulder began to glow.

Smoke rose from the usage meter printed on the charm and a brand appeared there.

While still falling, she swung her left hand.

Just as the rectangular scorch mark appeared on the spell charm, a single large book made of ether was ejected into her hand.

The bluish-white ether book had no decorations and it was six meters tall, six meters wide, and almost a full meter thick.

“This is a copy of the Testament. Nothing could be more important to us Protestants.”

With a movement of her wrist, Tomoe slammed the giant glowing Testament copy into the mobile shell with the sword.

It was a vertical attack.

“You Catholics love idol worshipping your images of Jesus or the cross. You’re so focused on those things that you’ve lost sight of the teachings in the Testament copies.”

The attack landed and Tomoe spoke quietly to her enemy while the sound of smashing metal rang out.

“Bow before the Testament copy.”

She landed just as the enemy was crushed to a prostration on the ground.

The ether Testament copy vanished at the same moment as the brand for a single usage was completed on the spell charm.

Tomoe then moved forward.

She raised her left hand and smiled toward the row of enemies that moved back a bit.

“Read through it again, Catholics.”

Several spell charms around her began to glow and seven giant books were produced in a straight line along the path.

The Testament copies made of light opened themselves in the instant they were ejected into midair. They flipped through their glowing pages with a sound like flapping wings.

At the same time, Tomoe crouched down and struck the ground with her left hand.

“Amen.”

The mobile shells cried out as the opened books crashed into them.

The sounds of impact sounded like crashing waves and the ground shook seven times in quick succession.

Destruction and cries of pain sounded out as several dozen mobile shells were destroyed.

They were crushed.

Tomoe grabbed the handle of the fallen hammer with her left hand and moved forward. She leaned forward and raced toward the enemy as if pursing the giant vanishing books of light.

That was when the muddy Elbe River shook to her left.

“…!?”

As soon as she turned to look, the wall of light holding the flooding river back was cut by a horizontal attack.

…''Is he here!?

Tomoe focused on the position on her left that she was just about to pass.

With the enemy group up ahead, turning her body and focus to the left was dangerous, but the person who had suddenly rushed in outdid that.

…''He’s even more dangerous!

This person had temporarily sliced through the defensive barrier holding back the river.

“So you’re here, Shibata Katsuie!?”

The man was soaking wet after easily crossing the muddy river and breaking through the barrier with Kamewari.

Not only was he of the demonic long-lived race, but he was from a combat tribe.

Once he arrived on the path, his eyebrows twisted and he glanced toward the city.

“What the hell!? I thought I was a lot closer to the city than this! Dammit, Narimasa! It’s times like this when you’re supposed to convince me to bring more weight with me!”

Only then did he seem to notice Tomoe.

“Huh?” He tilted his head. “What!? What’s this old hag doing here!? Go up in the mountains to die already!”

“What!? Who the hell are you calling an old hag!? I might as well still be a child!!”

“Huh!?” Katsuie got up and pointed at her while ignoring his wet clothes. “Who in the world would call you a loli hag!?”

Tomoe threw a hammer strike his way.

The hammer and Kamewari collided and sparks flew.

Their weapons were not the only things knocked back; they themselves were knocked back.

After taking up a position five meters away, Tomoe noticed the timing of Katsuie’s footwork.

…''Oh?

She realized he had begun his attack at the exact same time as she had hers.

…''He’s gotten pretty good.

She was from the direct line of the demonic long-lived race which was very similar to humans. However, he was from the combat type that had apparently come about during the era in which the gods had ascended to heaven.

And both types had seen a sharp decline during the Genpei War and the later Kamakura period.

She had lived on and used her experience to strengthen herself.

Katsuie was had been born much more recently, but he had still trained and grown stronger in order to improve himself.

Even though he was of the combat type, his age was only a bit over one hundred. She had heard he had joined P.A. Oda in order to experience the intense fighting there, but if that was enough for him to move at the same time as her…

“Well done training yourself this far so quickly!”

“I’m not some stubborn spot on the ground, so don’t look down on me!”

A moment later, Tomoe realized she had stopped moving.

There was a single reason for this: ether light had wrapped around the silver shield attached to the right hard point on Katsuie’s back.

That was the Testamenta Arma named Animus Caritas – Novum and she knew what it did when activated.

…''It interferes with any attack or defense made in combat and stops them for just an instant!

''No,'' she thought. ''This isn’t “stopping” them.

''It adds a moment of hesitation.

It was a feeling of not wanting to crush your opponent or of wanting to see how much they had grown. It was like the look of charity a parent gives to a child.

Of course, what was charity to a family member was nothing but danger to an enemy, but…

…''Well done!

Their speed was equal, but he still did not hold back. This was not an ideal challenge of blades meant to compare their pure skill because all else was equal.

This was a method used purely to win a fight.

“Are these the principles you learned from Nobunaga!?”

“That’s too complicated for me!”

Katsuie attacked with Kamewari with a magnificent smile on his face.

“Winning feels good! That’s all there is to it, you old hag!”

“Then I’m going to be feeling great!!”

Tomoe raised her voice as she turned her head and looked up into the sky.

“My Testament copies activate automatically to defend me!”

Three giant books had already been ejected into the air above her.

This spell activation was essentially a conditioned reflex and therefore not a conscious attack or defense, so how would Animus Caritas – Novum respond?

“That thing wasn’t made to battle something without a will of its own. It’s an idealist’s weapon!”

With those words, the three giant books struck Katsuie with three vertical blows.

Katsuie did not even have time to look up before the attacks hit his shoulders and head.

His legs were instantly embedded in the ground up to half the shin.

“Whoa!”

His shins tore into the dirt and he nearly fell to his knees, but…

“————!!”

He endured it. The strength filling his entire body caused him to heat up and his sweat turned to steam, filling the surrounding air with heat.

He was fortunate he had not looked up or bent backwards. His forward bent back and neck had absorbed the impacts from above, so he was able to gather strength in the feet buried in the dirt.

“…!!”

He jumped up. The three giant books scattered into particles of light, but he did not bother looking at them.

“I hate books full of words!!”

Tomoe had yet to recover her movement. Having her initial movement forcibly stopped meant she had to prepare herself anew. Katsuie, of course, had to redo his own attack, but he could convert his standing motion into an attack and that gave him an advantage when it came to speed.

He decided to swing Kamewari as he stood up, but that was when Tomoe suddenly looked to his right and raised her eyebrows.

“Ah,” she said as if she had noticed something.

''It’s a feint,'' he thought. ''She’s trying to distract me so she has a chance to attack.

…''I’m not falling for that!

“Heh! What do you think you’re doing, you stuuuuupid old hag!? Die!!”

A shell flying in from the right collided with the right side of his face.

''That was a close one,'' thought Tomoe. ''And I was the one that decided when and where the cannons would fire, so I really should have known exactly where they would be coming from.

However, she had completely forgotten about the cannons once Katsuie appeared and she had to deal with him. That was why she had reacted to the shell that flew in as if to remind her of their presence.

If her reaction had allowed Katsuie to notice the shell, it would have been her mistake.

Fortunately, the idiot had taken the full force of the blow, but…

“No damage!?”

His body swayed and his eyes were not quite focused, but strength filled his brow before long.

“Kh!”

He was coming to and forcing his body into motion.

He may have suffered a concussion because he started to collapse backwards, but Kamewari shot forward nonetheless. And it was a high-speed slash made from a snap of the wrist similar to throwing a slap.

''Well done,'' she thought again. ''You are a combat-type demonic long-lived.

…''So well done becoming so obsessed with combat!!

As soon as she prepared to intercept his attack, two things suddenly appeared in the air behind her: noise and light.

They came from above the city of Magdeburg near the park behind the cathedral.

…''Directly above the transport ships!?

She looked back in shock and saw what was there.

An aerial ship had stabbed into Magdeburg’s sky.

It was a straight-line attack.

An aerial ship stood vertically at the very top of Magdeburg.

The three hundred meter ship showed no hesitation because it was unmanned.

A roar rang out and metal broke.

The defensive barrier surrounding Magdeburg glowed pure white and a flare of intense lightning appeared in the sky.

Naruze saw it as she fought Narimasa.

“They’re using an aerial ship as a battering ram!?”

The M.H.R.R. aerial warship was almost three hundred meters long, which put it at Kraken-class.

It had collided with the defensive barrier from directly above.

Despite the armor and solid structure of the warship, its length had shrunk by half. The crushed frame burst in the sky above and the broken parts scattered across the barrier like rain.

The barrier’s light looked dense enough to grab.

…''That isn’t good!

The redirection type of barrier redirected any weight outwards, but the damage it could not redirect would accumulate and, if a weight constantly pressed down on it, the ether would gather and create the same phenomenon as a solid.

…''That makes it easier to break, doesn’t it?

That thought was followed by something else.

“Another one!?”

Naruze thought a second ship had been dropped.

She thought a second body-slam had descended from the dark, cloudy sky.

But she was wrong.

She what had actually happened a moment later.

“A second ''and'' third ship!?”

Two simultaneous attacks showed themselves in Magdeburg’s sky.

They did nothing but continue their descent.

Righteousness and the Palais-Cardinal reacted to the weights falling from the sky.

“Not good!”

Righteousness saw that the evacuation transport ships had already begun to float. Wary of the enemy attacking and boarding them, they had prepared to get moving the instant it was time to escape, but that had half-covered them in water spray.

“Can you not land!? Then can you escape from the deck!?”

But the Palais-Cardinal stopped Righteousness from calling out to the ships.

“Don’t say that. Leaving the ship is exactly what the enemy wants. They fear that the various academy leaders will use the transport ships to escape to where they can’t reach them. That’s why they attacked from above.”

“Then…”

The transport ships were slowly beginning to move. They tilted to the west and slowly moved out of the way. That way, they could avoid the wreckage that would fall from above once the barrier was destroyed, but…

“There are more of them!?”

The second and third ships hit at supersonic speeds.

The sound arrived a moment later. What sounded like a heavier version of a slap shook the light of the barrier. The transport ships directly below were slow-moving and had yet to escape the range of the hits, so Righteousness took action.

“Sorry!”

She flew to the side of westernmost transport ship.

She saw Guericke and the others onboard gasping and she sent Righteousness’s right shoulder slamming into the ship carrying the Europeans.

She fully opened the flight devices on the god of war’s back and spread them like butterfly wings.

“…!”

She accelerated to get the transport ship away from the overhead attacks as soon as possible.

“That was a good decision, Satomi Yoshiyasu!”

The Palais-Cardinal arrived next to Righteousness.

“If the outside ship isn’t moved out of the way, the Far Eastern ship can’t move!”

Righteousness did not respond.

The two gods of war simply pressed against the transport ship and accelerated.

Naruze saw the entirety of Magdeburg lit up by a white dome.

However…

…''The barrier is still holding up!!

The color white was focused on the area of sky where the aerial ships had hit. Their falling wreckage was stopped by the light and fell no further. Occasionally, wiper-like spell light would wash across the sky like a wave, but it had not been made to handle three objects as large as these ships. All it did was whip up the wind.

Naruze could not say they were safe.

She looked directly below the enemy ships stopped by the barrier above Magdeburg.

…''The Maurice Cathedral and the evacuation ships containing Masazumi and the others are there!

The barrier could not be removed when it was being pressed on from above, but the evacuation ships were too close to the overhead dome to perform any major evasive maneuvers.

They had essentially been stopped where they were.

“Dammit!” shouted Narimasa as he ran along the wall. “It still hasn’t broken!?”

That told Naruze what the enemy was after. ''It can’t be,'' she began in her heart.

…''Flooding the Elbe wasn’t meant to weaken the barrier so they could break through the gate!?

It was not.

While attacking Narimasa, Naruze realized just why the enemy had flooded the Elbe River.

“Was it to make us think the city was dangerous and gather the leaders of the different nations in one place to evacuate them!? And then you could use warships as giant shells to take them all out at once!?”

The entire battle and the entire Sack had only been a way of gathering international leaders in one place and separating them from their bodyguard forces.

“You weren’t after the city or the history recreation at all! You were after the international leaders, weren’t you!?”

“Yup.” Narimasa threw stone toward her attacks while dodging them. “Once the international leaders had boarded their escape ships, we just had to attack the barrier above them enough to break through.”

He smashed the flying stone with his own fist and ran forward.

“Do you get it now?” he pointed at the light in the sky. “Then we crush their ships too! Of course, that’s not all we’re going to do here! But if they’re gonna gather together so conveniently, setting that as our goal is the logical thing to do!”

''This is insane,'' thought Naruze. ''They flooded the Elbe, started such a large-scale invasion, and brought in so many powerful people, but it was all a diversion?

…''No.

“You aren’t a diversion. …If you’re going to do it, you’re going to do whatever you want. Is that it!?”

“Shaja. That’s right.” Narimasa re-combed his bangs as he ran. “We’ll flood the place and we’ll drop ships from the sky, but our master’s policy goes beyond that. If we can accomplish even more, then we’re free to do what we want.”

He laughed.

“If this had happened just a few hours ago, I could’ve killed that bastard Suleiman. Well, I guess I’ll have to put that one off until later.”

“————”

Naruze was left speechless for several moments.

…''This is dangerous!

Those were their enemy’s tactics.

…''So they put together a strategy and then allow their people to show off if they’ve already accomplished that.

Of course, it was probably only those with considerable strength that were allowed to do that, but some of them could indeed do it.

''No,'' she thought. ''We have official positions too and the strength to pull that kind of thing off.

Nevertheless, they had entirely relied on their strategy and had not even thought about doing anything more.

“We were careless!!”

“Do you finally realize why people say P.A. Oda is so great!?”

Naruze mentally agreed with what he said as he ran, avoided her attacks, and made attacks of his own.

…''They think about things on an entirely different level.

She became strongly aware of Nobunaga’s existence, but not because she was impressed. She had another thought in her heart.

“What a troublesome enemy!!”

“Then learn just how inadequate you are and die!!”

Narimasa made a stomp as he ran and a long stretch of the stone wall hopped up.

Naruze accelerated. Carelessly lowering her speed would get her hit by a scattershot of stone, so…

“Take this!”

She drew some reverse focus lines and the stone wall exploded out the other side.

Then the stone bullets arrived. The cluster of fragments flew her way, so she accelerated around them.

Or she tried to.

“Eh?”

This was not stone. Something longer flew through the air, blocking her way.

It was a large cannon.

…''When did he do that!?

The answer was obvious. Narimasa had not sent the wall upwards with a powerful stomp in order to defend himself or gain the stone he needed to attack. He had done it to hide the cannon he was sending her way.

“!?”

She had accelerated to evade, so she could not avoid the cannon.

It collided with her as if catching on her right shoulder.

“————!”

She saw two things as her vision rotated.

First, Narimasa had kicked the wall’s stone her way.

And second…

…''The sky!

A fourth warship had fallen on the bright white defensive barrier.

''Oh, no,'' she thought.

The barrier above the transport ships was already unable to redirect the weight pressing down on it, so it had solidified. A new rapid strike would mean one thing.

“It’s going to break!?”

Tomoe sensed two dangers.

First, the falling warships were going to destroy Magdeburg’s defensive barrier.

Second, the first danger had distracted her.

…''And I was too slow to react to Kamewari!

She had been trying to avoid Kamewari, but…

“—————”

Her movement had been briefly stopped by the Testamenta Arma and she had already used all of her reactionary defense spells.

Nothing she could do would make it in time.

She would of course take evasive action again, but the blade was still going to reach her just below the chest.

A moment later, she heard a female voice.

“Bind! Tonbokiri!!”

With the sound of shattering glass, the Testamenta Arma’s power was cut.

As she accelerated and leaped along the path, Futayo saw Katsuie try to drive Kamewari into Tomoe as he avoided collapsing.

Past them, the battalion of M.H.R.R. mobile shells was beginning to climb the slope to slip past those two.

Futayo was worried about the enemy battalion, but the slash approaching Tomoe was more worrying.

Tomoe was trying to move back again, but Futayo decided that was not quite enough.

She moved to jump between them and to catch Kamewari on Tonbokiri.

“Oh?”

But she was moving too quickly and missed her chance to stop. She had been too distracted by predicting the damage to Tomoe.

''Oh, no,'' she thought while acting on a certain solution.

She decided to make sure Katsuie would not cut down Tomoe.

“He’s going to hit you!”

She used the momentum of her dash to kick Tomoe out of the way.

Katsuie awoke in an instant.

…''What!?

Something unbelievable was occurring before his eyes.

An idiot had just kicked Tomoe Gozen. Of course, he had been trying to cut her down.

“Clearly, you’re the one that was going to hit her!!”

However, kicking Tomoe Gozen had eaten up enough momentum for the girl to come to a stop. She took a quick step and turned to point both her eyes and spear tip toward him.

Sparks flew from Kamewari.

The girl, Musashi’s vice chancellor and the wielder of Tonbokiri, had deflected Kamewari.

“Interesting!!”

Katsuie straightened up, stood tall, and quickly moved forward.

He swung Kamewari to push Musashi’s vice chancellor down the path and toward the city.

“But what do you hope to accomplish!?”

He smiled and jerked his chin toward the sky.

“The final warship is already falling!!”

The fourth warship was coming.

It was on a direct vertical course for Magdeburg and the transport ships below.

“Everyone but the crew get up on the deck to prepare for the barrier breaking!”

Masazumi and the other Musashi passengers frantically moved through the Far Eastern ship which was the central of the three transport ships. They were all rushing through the narrow corridor.

“Hey, hey. Asama, are you really not going to let go of my hand? Are you going to marry me or something? In fact, if those things are falling from above, can’t you do your ''fwoosh'' and make them go ''boom'' to make everything nice and ''boing''?”

“I’m not sure how to respond to that… But since I’ve been working against M.H.R.R.’s divine transmission jamming, I’ve used almost half of my internal Blessings. There are three ships up above, but I would probably only be able to destroy one of them.”

“''Only'' one?”

The others looked at Asama in consternation, but she ignored them. Everyone had their own standards, so she decided to change the subject.

“A-anyway, is everyone here? There’s Masazumi and Kimi and…um… Where’s Adele?”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “Oh, I’m here. I’m here, okay?”

'''Asama:''' “Are you already on the deck? That was fast.”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “Eh? No, um, I’m still inside. I’m a little busy is all.”

'''Vice President:''' “Hm? Are you working on something? Or are you carrying something?”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “No, um… To put it nicely, I’m, uh, in the restroom. You know how when you’ve been really tense, it sometimes hits you all of a sudden after you relax? Anyway, since we were about to leave on the ship, I – ah ha ha – thought this would be my best chance. You know what that’s like, right?”

'''ANA:''' “Come to think of it, I haven’t had to worry about that since combining with the god of war.”

'''Dragon Dog:''' “Milady, I have determined that is not necessary for you.”

'''Righteousness:''' “Well, now that you mention it, I don’t have to worry about that when I’m combined either.”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “Ah… That must be nice. The mobile shell isn’t that convenient… And another thing, everyone.”

“What is it?” asked Asama as she and the others tilted their heads while evacuating to the deck.

'''Flat Vassal:''' “You know the – to put it indirectly – health screening we do before the school trip? The sample we have to give? That’s coming up soon, isn’t it?”

'''Almost Everyone:''' “Oh, no!”

'''Asama:''' “A-anyway, warriors use that kind of set during their detailed medical testing after their battles, right!? There should be some on this ship, so you can use those instead after the battle! And once you finish your ‘battle’, Adele, hurry to the deck!”

'''Flat Vassal:''' “Please stop piling on the pressure like thaaaaat!”

As soon as Adele’s typed-out shout reached them, a voice was broadcast throughout the ship.

“The fourth ship is coming from directly above!!”

With a roar of destruction, Magdeburg lost its ceiling of light.

The defensive barrier had shattered.

An instant of bursting and wind sent the fragments down like a blizzard, but directly below…

“The water!”

The loss of the barrier allowed the flooded Elbe to assault Magdeburg like a five meter tsunami.

Something similar happened to the wreckage of the four warships supported by the barrier above the park behind the Maurice Cathedral.

“Are they coming!?”

They fell. It began slow, but they began to accelerate a moment later.

“Here they come!!”

Despite their damage, the warship wreckage was still almost one hundred meters long and they fell quickly toward the three transport ships lined up below.

The wind roared, surging waves pressed in on and struck the city, and a great din fell from the sky.

It all brought destruction.

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 76|Chapter 76]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 78|Chapter 78]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 76

2015-06-25T10:22:52Z

Strike Forcer:

==Chapter 76: Runner on the Battlefield==
[[Image:Horizon3C_0377.jpg|thumb]]
''I am about to go

''I will soon go

''I will go there

'''Point Allocation (Forceful)

From overhead, the light covering Magdeburg could be seen growing explosively brighter.

A man and woman viewed it from the front deck of the Hexagone Française flagship, the Pension Versailles, which was stopped on a hill west of Magdeburg.

The woman held a wooden sword against the floor and her eyes turned to Magdeburg’s south gate.

“Dammit! So they broke through!”

The gate had been broken. Narimasa’s accelerated attack had hit the stake like an uppercut.

Driving that wooden stake in diagonally from below was enough to tear through and destroy the defensive barrier.

There was now a hole in the barrier as well as the gate and wall.

The barrier’s automatic replenishment effect would have filled the hole before long, but the mobile shells near the lead rushed in with their shields to counteract that replenishment effect.

Engineering students in lighter P.A. Oda uniforms could be seen rushing down the five hundred man path. They were probably going to solidify the hole.

Some gunfire came from within the hole and the cannons on the city wall continued to target the five hundred man path, but another unit rushed down the path of shields and the path itself started pouring down itself from the back.

“They’re invading Magdeburg! Are you okay with that, Exiv!?”

“Heh. Calm down, Terumoto. You must not get violent…against me.”

Terumoto dropped her right heel on the nudist’s right foot. The surrounding people shrieked and shrank back, the nudist’s expression vanished as he collapsed to the floor, and Terumoto glared at him.

“Oh, sorry. I tried to take a step toward you, but there was a foot in the way.”

“U-um, Lady Terumoto?”

Mouri-01 spoke up with several ''signe cadre'' opened around her. She stood next to Terumoto and gestured down toward their warriors lowering from the other ships and preparing for battle.

“Look to the left. Those are Hexagone Française’s famous special forces, the Gallican Good Morning Unit.”

“Oh, you mean the special forces who claim to only hit their opponents to ‘wake them up in the morning’ because monks aren’t allowed to fight? Those are the ones that go around hitting people with their weapons shouting ‘good morning’ even in the middle of the night, aren’t they? …They sure do put the ‘special’ in special forces.”

“Anyway, Lady Terumoto, the assault unit is in the process of being deployed. Once a third of them are ready, they can be sent in.”

“How long until then?”

“Four minutes.”

Terumoto frowned at that but then sighed.

“It’s no use getting mad at you.”

“Um, what about at Lord Exiv?”

“It’s fine when it’s him.” She kicked him where he still lay on the ground. “In other words, you’re saying we didn’t make it in time?”

“Testament. We are justifying our actions as coming to meet Lady Anne of Austria and we had planned to enter the city and defend against the Sack on the pretext of ensuring her safety.”

“But now we can’t do that?”

“Testament. Driving in that wooden stake has established direct conflict between Magdeburg and the M.H.R.R. Catholics. The Sack has begun between them. Our justification is considered less important than the history recreation, so we can no longer interfere.”

“No, we can’t.”

Terumoto clicked her tongue and looked to Magdeburg. The defense near the gate had already stopped, but the powerful waves of light running through the defensive barrier prevented her from seeing what was happening inside.

She then asked Mouri-01 a question.

“How exactly are you negotiating with the other nations to justify our assault? If I’m interrupting, don’t answer and keep working. You can tell me when you have time.”

“Testament. I am mostly sticking with our original plan, but I am gaining the support of the other nations by saying we will be rescuing Lady Anne of Austria. In other words, I am saying M.H.R.R. is misusing the history recreation to kill off Lady Anne.”

“That argument sounds familiar.”

“Testament. Musashi used it at Mikawa and England. I thought that precedent would make it easier for the other academies to accept. Tres España and England have already agreed, K.P.A. Italia’s resistance student council has begun making statements and has agreed, and both Chancellor William of Holland and Chancellor Christina of Sweden have also-…”

A new ''signe cadre'' appeared and Mouri-01 smiled when she saw it.

“Approval has surpassed fifty percent. Handling it all at once in a meeting is convenient, but when it’s treated as an individual issue…”

“They’ll decide everything at once at the later international council of Westphalia, hm? Well, keep up the diplomacy to make sure they don’t change their minds by then. …Regardless, you’re good at this and I’m thankful.”

“Your praise honors me. But…”

“But?”

“Testament.” Mouri-01 placed a hand on her chin and looked at a few ''signe cadre''. “The academies of nations bordering P.A. Oda have placed a condition on our rescue. They say they cannot agree unless we only move in to save Lady Anne of Austria once she is actually under attack, not just in danger.”

“Yeah, if we crushed an M.H.R.R. assault unit just because they were dangerous, anyone bordering P.A. Oda might get invaded ‘because they’re dangerous’.”

“Heh. No need to worry about that,” said someone else.

It was the nudist who had stood up from the floor.

Terumoto saw the nudist brush up his bangs and strike a pose.

“Listen,” he said. “Anne will have anticipated this situation and will act accordingly. After all, she has Luynes with her.”

“You mean…?”

“Testament.” Exiv looked down at Magdeburg’s light with a bitter smile on his lips. “Although, can you really say someone is ‘under attack’ if she is prepared to fight? Anyway, have everyone prepare to head in. I guarantee you Anne intends to draw all of the enemies into Magdeburg. That way she can give us all the credit.”

“The credit?”

Terumoto frowned and Exiv nodded.

“Their strategy is likely to flood Magdeburg themselves and catch M.H.R.R. in the middle of it. I expect they will remove the barrier at some point to let the water in and then escape on a transport ship already inside the city. We will stop M.H.R.R.’s attack ships from targeting Anne’s transport ship and our attack will crush the M.H.R.R. forces attempting to escape the city as it sinks into the mud. And we will do it all in the name of defeating any enemy that attempts to harm Anne.”

He sighed.

“Honestly, she’s probably thinking of improving Hexagone Française’s international standing by giving us all of the credit here. Once again, she is seeing just how high she can lift Hexagone Française.”

“As her brother, do you wish she would simply ask you to come save her?”

“I care more about you, Terumoto.”

He said it so readily that Terumoto was briefly dumbfounded and he then turned toward her.

“Why are you blushing, Terumoto?”

“Shut up, you moron. Quit getting off topic. And Mouri-01, don’t look away and smile.” Terumoto pointed toward Magdeburg. “Anyway, are you saying Anne is enjoying herself in there?”

“Testament. I doubt she will show herself until all of the enemy has invaded the city. That way she can establish our justification to act. To put it another way, the moment the siege troops fully enter the city is the moment when Anne is ‘in direct danger’. We attack then.”

Exiv crossed his arms and gave Terumoto a sparkling smile.

“Heh. That is why I told you to calm down, Terumoto. Because Anne is perfect.”

“''You'' haven’t done anything!!”

As soon as she dropped her heel on his left foot, a great roar came from Magdeburg. The destruction of the southern gate had grown even larger. Mouri-01 frowned when she saw it.

“M.H.R.R.’s main five companies – three thousand men in all – have entered with the thousand man mobile shell battalion in the lead!”

Magdeburg’s defense against the invaders was split into two groups.

This was because the heavily-equipped M.H.R.R. mobile shell unit took the riverside path and the more lightly-equipped P.A. Oda assault unit took the hilly orchard path.

With the flooding Elbe River visibly pressing against the barrier, Magdeburg’s forces fired and M.H.R.R.’s forces advanced using a rotation between the armor of the mobile shells and the spell shields.

In the orchard, Magdeburg’s forces fired back from either the top or bottom of the fortress wall while falling back toward the city.

The orchard area had originally contained fruit trees and fields, but the trees had been cut down and the stonework around the stepped fields had crumbled.

However, remnants of the stepped structure remained and there was a path.

“It may not be the scorching wind of the Middle East, but there’s still wind! Go!”

The P.A. Oda students all grabbed Mlasi-style cloth spell charms that were not made of paper or parchment. Some wrapped them around their forehead, some around their ankles, and some around their shoulders.

“Shaja!”

The spell cloth had ether-filled spirit threads woven into them, so they acted as ether fuel tanks and were highly durable. While Tsirhc spells tended to focus on religious precepts, these included some religious precepts but were mostly related to commerce or to surviving the harsh environment of the Middle East.

Here, they all used the same one.

“Ride the wind!”

Book-shaped emblems appeared on the outer side of their ankles and Garudas flew out.

“Forward!”

They lowered down as if thrusting a knee forward to take a long step and those students in blue P.A. Oda uniforms began to fly. They were only just skimming off the ground, but they moved swiftly across the slope with several spell cloths wrapped around them like belts as armor.

As if jumping from foothold to foothold or from behind cover to cover, they flipped around, lightly placed a hand on the slope, and flew along like a dancing wind.

On the other hand, the defenders did not hold back. Their job was to drive the enemy toward the river instead of letting them head straight to the city.

The large cannons on top of the city wall were constantly firing. Protestant holy spells were not as powerful as their Catholic counterparts, but that thrift allowed them to be used more often. It could take some time to fill the homing ether cannons with charm cylinders in place of normal shells, but the charm cylinders doubled as a magazine and therefore allowed for rapid-fire use.

Countless curving white paths raced outward, tore into the slope, and launched chunks of dirt into the air. Most of the people blasted upward by direct hits would flip around in midair and land on their feet. They had a trick to accomplishing that.

“Focus your anti-shock spells to the left! The homing shots are only coming from that direction! Also, jump toward the river when they hit to escape as much of the blast as you can!”

The recoil would destroy their wind-riding mobility spells or injure them, but any who could no longer move were healed by summoned Garudas or Djinns. Others would fire on Magdeburg’s gunners to cover for the injured as they were healed.

However, more attacks came from above. Something fell rapidly toward them.

“Some logs are coming!”

Logs and stones had been hung from halfway up the wall, but once their ropes were cut, they came rolling down the slope. The P.A. Oda men braced themselves.

“What’s this!? These are nothing but heavy weights! Let’s knock them away like Sassa would!”

“Yeah! If we stop them here, we’ll be heroes!”

“Platoons 7 and 8, prepare your defense spells!”

But as they prepared to stop them, they noticed Protestant charms attached to the logs and stones.

“Eeek! This says ‘Woman-Banning Spell that makes anyone it hits unpopular for a full year’!”

“Th-this one says ‘Hair-Cutting Spell that increases the odds of future balding by 10% each time it hits you, but with you it won’t make much difference’!”

“Th-this one over here says ‘Reverse-Circumcision Spell that gives you the Reverse-Ueno Effect’!”

They were so flustered that they suffered direct hits and about a dozen of them were blown away while becoming reverse-circumcised, unpopular guys with a risk of future baldness. The Magdeburg warriors and crossdressers in charge of spells shouted down at them from the wall.

“Ha ha ha! Thou shalt not commit adultery!”

“Truly, those with plenty shall not keep it! …Now do you see how steadfast the Protestants are!?”

“Come back after stopping by Ueno or Morocco!”

They were fired on in protest, so they fired back with their cannons. The exchange of fire looked equal, but the P.A. Oda warriors were being gradually forced further and further down the slope.

But then a metallic sound rang from the top of the city wall toward the southern gate.

It was a sound of destruction.

The Magdeburg warriors turned to look.

“Gah!?”

But something hit them and several of them were knocked into the air.

They had been hit by a cannon. Literally. A large cannon itself had flown through the air and hit them.

The enemy was climbing up from the destroyed southern gate. The individual in the lead had destroyed the cannon by the gate and was now rushing toward them.

“Sassa Narimasa!”

That was exactly who had knocked them and their cannon away with his Lily Flower.

Narimasa ran as he heard cheers rising from the slope below.

Climbing onto the wall from the broken southern gate had been much easier said than done.

Magdeburg’s defensive barrier had become a vortex around the widened hole, so he had not been able to use the ladders set up near the destruction.

However, now that he was on top, he could take out the enemy’s defenses and he had a straight shot almost all the way to the city.

That was why those on the ground had gone on ahead to draw the defenders’ attention.

“So I made an approaching run and jumped up here just to ensure their safety!?”

''I’m nothing but a scout running errands,'' he thought with some resentment toward Katsuie who had suggested this part of the plan. However…

…''Well, it’s still easier than being the commander.

He had never liked taking or giving orders. His general strategy was to grasp the overall movements on the battlefield, decide “I’ll go here”, and not worry about anything beyond what he understood.

It used to be that he had been given “you go here, okay?” as his instructions. Katsuie had been his superior at the time, but it had shown how well Katsuie understood him. Katsuie always placed him wherever going on a rampage and moving forward would achieve the desired results.

But since becoming a member of the Six Heavenly Demon Army and the Five Great Peaks, he had been forced to do a lot more troublesome work like training and managing the troops, although he left a lot of that to Toshiie. He had only been able to go nuts at IZUMO two days before because he had been on his way to the gathering of those heading to Magdeburg.

…''Things have gotten so much more annoying.

He trusted his master, Nobunaga, and he recognized Nobunaga’s strength. Nobunaga knew him just as well as Katsuie did, so he would similarly be told “you go here, okay?”. He was always given an accurate spot to go and he was allowed to do whatever he wanted afterwards, which gave him some breathing room.

However, he would not compromise his true nature.

Historically, Sassa Narimasa eventually ended up under Hashiba’s command after Nobunaga’s death.

Then, feeling dissatisfied, he rebelled and committed suicide.

Narimasa had desired that role and inherited the name because of his true nature.

After all, Nobunaga’s was the greatest name of the Warring States period. That demon lord was full of momentum and was now actually threatening the world.

Rather than being a leftover, Narimasa would take part in it and his part would end once it all fell apart.

He had no interest in Hashiba’s later rule. There was no momentum there and it lacked the precious freedom that momentum brought. The breath of freedom was only so refreshing when breathed in an age of tension. In a time of idle peace, freedom was only another word for “boredom”.

Narimasa would become a power that threatened the world, but he would live freely in that power. Great strength was needed to accomplish that. He needed enough strength to move freely through a faction able to threaten the world.

That was why he found P.A. Oda to be so much fun.

However…

“Toshi…”

The next group of enemy warriors came into view up ahead.

They fled instead of defending the cannons on the wall.

That was a wise decision.

Narimasa heard his fellow warriors climbing the ladders they had set up behind him, so his enemy would only have bought a few seconds if they had tried to fight back and any injuries would have been for nothing.

But he had a thought as he listened to the footsteps approaching from behind, the screams of those jumping down from the wall to escape, and the cheers from below.

…''Sorry.

“I’m going to continue enjoying myself until I eventually meet my downfall, Toshi.”

He ran, did not pursue the retreating enemy, and knocked away a large cannon using a Lily Flower strike.

He heard the destruction and felt the accomplishment of cutting open a path on the front line. He knew he was breaking into the air of the front line that none of his fellow warriors had breathed yet.

“…!”

He ran forward, but heard something behind him as soon as he accelerated.

“An explosion!?”

About a dozen steps behind him, the wall exploded from within and toward the slope.

Rocks flew and rolled towards those on the slope.

“————!!”

The cheers vanished and a confused and angry retreat began.

However, the explosions did not stop there. A second and third followed.

“They’re destroying their own wall to keep us from moving along it!? Not bad!!”

''So this place is intent on letting me swallow the air of freedom, is it?'' thought Narimasa with a smile.

…''Can you raise the value of this freedom any higher!?

“This was your doing, wasn’t it!?”

He saw someone flying next to the wall. They wore a white Technohexen outfit and had black wings.

“Musashi’s 4th Special Duty Officer!”

Without looking his way, the Technohexen sent out her right hand and made several scratching motions in the air.

A moment later, some homing shots flew in from close range.

The wall crumbled and stone scattered.

Naruze did not slow her drawing hand. She drew focus lines in all three hundred sixty degrees around Narimasa with some stronger and weaker points, added some lightning effects for an electric strike, and sent it out. However…

“Lily Flower!”

Narimasa stomped on the wall as he ran. The entire stone wall clearly bounced up and down.

“What!?”

Naruze had never seen anything like it before. The entire wall bounced up from the rebound of the stomp. A “sheet” of stonework rose up between her and Narimasa while falling apart.

The wall shot up in a wave-like motion and Naruze’s drawn attack stabbed into it with slicing sound effects.

However, the attack did not reach its target, the wall shield came apart, and…

“…!?”

The stones of the wall suddenly shot her way while crumbling.

While running, Narimasa had kicked the wall toward her.

…''Not bad!

Naruze flew out of the way of the stone scattershot.

Narimasa continued sending waves through the wall with his stomps and Naruze accelerated her wings to pursue him.

An exchange of stone scattershot and drawn focus lines began at close range.

“Honestly!” she shouted. “If Musashi doesn’t show up, I’m seriously going to think about becoming a mercenary!”

“We have a report from a Protestant academy in a neighboring city of the Magdeburg region! There are signs of the M.H.R.R. Catholics entering Magdeburg and beginning a conflict inside! Over.”

The communications automaton’s voice filled Musashino’s bridge.

“Judge. Now, Suzu-sama, ‘Musashino’-sama, I will give my instructions as Vicereine of Musashi: please send the Musashi to Magdeburg immediately.”

“Judge,” said “Musashino” to Horizon who stood in the center of the bridge.

She then bowed to Suzu who strapped into a seat with a seatbelt, said “excuse me”, and placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders from behind.

Suzu breathed in.

“Th-this is…M-Musashi…A-Acting…Captain…Mukai…Suzu.”

Her voice grew quieter and quieter, but the volume did not matter. All that mattered was what she did next.

“Here we…go.”

She reached out a hand toward a floating model of the Musashi.

Its eight ships were lined up side by side and standing vertically.

Horizon glanced out the window where the world was rotated by ninety degrees.

After a moment, the communications automaton spoke again.

“All ships have achieved a ninety degree trim toward the sky. Stress on the ships is being reduced by setting the floating ocean surface to forty-two different points. No descent detected. Opening external bulkheads for gravitational cruising. Over.”

“Judge.”

Horizon nodded and a sign frame appeared. It showed Naomasa inside the maintenance hangar. She was hanging down by Jizuri Suzaku using her false arm.

“Everything’s good in the engine division. The Musashi King went sliding away with Adele’s mobile shell earlier, but he’s fine. Muneshige and the Sanada group have finished distributing fixation charms throughout the residential areas.” Exasperation filled Naomasa’s tone as she continued. “We tried to use this kind of short burst of gravitational cruising back at IZUMO, but I can’t believe we’re using it to ‘fire’ ourselves to Magdeburg along a ballistic course to get around M.H.R.R.’s ban on ‘cruising’ over their territory. …That Musashi King is something of a dreamer, isn’t he?”

Behind her, Yoshiyori could be seen holding onto Yatsufusa.

“Do you do this kind of thing all the time!?” he asked with a bitter smile. “This is incredible!”

“Not all the time,” replied Horizon. “This is only the…second time we have gone vertical.”

“Are you sure these aren’t the early stages of it becoming an all the time kind of thing?” asked Naomasa. “Not that it matters. Suzu, make it quick. Get us going.”

“Right…”

Suzu nodded, felt from below that each of the eight ships was opening its external bulkheads, and breathed in. She then raised her eyebrows and spoke.

“F-fire the Musashi…to M-Magdeburg!!”

The night air sank toward a land port along the provisional border between M.H.R.R. and Holland.

“————”

Directly above, eight ships faced the dark clouds of the sky and opened their external armor like wings.

Light was emitted from within the opened sections of armor, and…

“All ships, beginning vertical firing. Over.”

In response to that announcement, a high-pitched noise began to roar and wind began to blow.

The wind was not being ejected. The wind carried torn grass with it as it was sucked into the Musashi’s opened armor.

This was proof that the gravity bands were activating to prepare for gravitational cruising. The light grew as the noise gained a rhythm as if rising in pitch.

“Activate. Over.”

With that, the eight ships fell by a relatively short distance measured in dozens of meters.

They fell, but a moment later, something burst.

The land port, the surrounding forests, and the surrounding mountains all shook and the shockwave was enough to rip trees up by the roots. A white mist raced across the earth, covered the forests, and washed down across the shallow mountain ridges like waves.

And then the Musashi vanished.

However, there was now a hole in the dark clouds above and that hole revealed the starry sky.

A great noise from beyond shook the clouds.

That was the sound of the Musashi changing direction to the southeast, to Magdeburg.

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 75|Chapter 75]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 77|Chapter 77]]
}}
</noinclude>

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Horizon:Volume 3B Illustrations

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<gallery>
Image:3B.jpg|'''Front Cover'''
Image:Horizon3B_0000a.jpg|'''Front and Back Cover'''
Image:Horizon3B_0000b.jpg|'''Installation Anne d'Autriche 1'''
Image:Horizon3B_0000c.jpg|'''Installation Anne d'Autriche 2'''
Image:Horizon3B_0001.jpg|'''-From where you came?'''
Image:Horizon3B_0002.jpg|'''Ecole de Paris Homepage'''
Image:Horizon3B_0003-0005.jpg|'''Characters 1'''
Image:Horizon3B_0006-0008.jpg|'''Characters 2'''
Image:Horizon3B_0009.jpg|'''Table of Content'''
Image:Horizon3B_0010.jpg|'''Character Introduction 1'''
Image:Horizon3B_0011.jpg|'''Character Introduction 2'''
Image:Horizon3B_0012.jpg|'''Glossary 1'''
Image:Horizon3B_0013.jpg|'''Glossary 2'''
Image:Horizon3B_0015.jpg|'''Page 015'''
Image:Horizon3B_0031.jpg|'''Page 031'''
Image:Horizon3B_0049.jpg|'''Page 049'''
Image:Horizon3B_0059.jpg|'''Page 059'''
Image:Horizon3B_0087.jpg|'''Page 087'''
Image:Horizon3B_0111.jpg|'''Page 111'''
Image:Horizon3B_0127.jpg|'''Page 127'''
Image:Horizon3B_0133.jpg|'''Page 133'''
Image:Horizon3B_0151.jpg|'''Page 151'''
Image:Horizon3B_0172.jpg|'''Study 7 - Protestant Reformation: Catholics and Protestants'''
Image:Horizon3B_0173.jpg|'''Page 173'''
Image:Horizon3B_0187.jpg|'''Page 187'''
Image:Horizon3B_0205.jpg|'''Page 205'''
Image:Horizon3B_0211.jpg|'''Page 211'''
Image:Horizon3B_0239.jpg|'''Page 239'''
Image:Horizon3B_0265.jpg|'''Page 265'''
Image:Horizon3B_0283.jpg|'''Page 283'''
Image:Horizon3B_0301.jpg|'''Page 301'''
Image:Horizon3B_0317.jpg|'''Page 317'''
Image:Horizon3B_0345.jpg|'''Page 345'''
Image:Horizon3B_0356.jpg|'''Study 8 - Battlefield Diagram 1'''
Image:Horizon3B_0357.jpg|'''Page 357'''
Image:Horizon3B_0375.jpg|'''Page 375'''
Image:Horizon3B_0395.jpg|'''Page 395'''
Image:Horizon3B_0415.jpg|'''Page 415'''
Image:Horizon3B_0429.jpg|'''Page 429'''
Image:Horizon3B_0447.jpg|'''Page 447'''
Image:Horizon3B_0471.jpg|'''Page 471'''
Image:Horizon3B_0495.jpg|'''Page 495'''
Image:Horizon3B_0507.jpg|'''Page 507'''
Image:Horizon3B_0519.jpg|'''Page 519'''
Image:Horizon3B_0538.jpg|'''Study 9 - Witch-Hunt'''
Image:Horizon3B_0539.jpg|'''Page 539'''
Image:Horizon3B_0567.jpg|'''Page 567'''
Image:Horizon3B_0571.jpg|'''Page 571'''
Image:Horizon3B_0590.jpg|'''Study 10 - Battlefield Diagram 2'''
Image:Horizon3B_0591.jpg|'''Page 591'''
Image:Horizon3B_0625.jpg|'''Page 625'''
Image:Horizon3B_0643.jpg|'''Page 643'''
Image:Horizon3B_0673.jpg|'''Page 673'''
Image:Horizon3B_0691.jpg|'''Page 691'''
Image:Horizon3B_0711.jpg|'''Page 711'''
Image:Horizon3B_0725.jpg|'''Page 725'''
Image:Horizon3B_0737.jpg|'''Page 737'''
Image:Horizon3B_0769.jpg|'''Page 769'''
Image:Horizon3B_0779.jpg|'''Page 779'''
Image:Horizon3B_0790.jpg|'''Study 10 - Battlefield Diagram 3'''
Image:Horizon3B_0791.jpg|'''Page 791'''
Image:Horizon3B_0809.jpg|'''Page 809'''
</gallery>

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Return to [[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Horizon:Volume 3B Preface|Preface]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 3B Illustrations

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<gallery>
Image:3B.jpg|'''Front Cover'''
Image:Horizon3B_0000a.jpg|'''Front and Back Cover'''
Image:Horizon3B_0000b.jpg|'''Installation Anne d'Autriche 1'''
Image:Horizon3B_0000C.jpg|'''Installation Anne d'Autriche 2'''
Image:Horizon3B_0001.jpg|'''-From where you came?'''
Image:Horizon3B_0002.jpg|'''Ecole de Paris Homepage'''
Image:Horizon3B_0003-0005.jpg|'''Characters 1'''
Image:Horizon3B_0006-0008.jpg|'''Characters 2'''
Image:Horizon3B_0009.jpg|'''Table of Content'''
Image:Horizon3B_0010.jpg|'''Character Introduction 1'''
Image:Horizon3B_0011.jpg|'''Character Introduction 2'''
Image:Horizon3B_0012.jpg|'''Glossary 1'''
Image:Horizon3B_0013.jpg|'''Glossary 2'''
Image:Horizon3B_0015.jpg|'''Page 015'''
Image:Horizon3B_0031.jpg|'''Page 031'''
Image:Horizon3B_0049.jpg|'''Page 049'''
Image:Horizon3B_0059.jpg|'''Page 059'''
Image:Horizon3B_0087.jpg|'''Page 087'''
Image:Horizon3B_0111.jpg|'''Page 111'''
Image:Horizon3B_0127.jpg|'''Page 127'''
Image:Horizon3B_0133.jpg|'''Page 133'''
Image:Horizon3B_0151.jpg|'''Page 151'''
Image:Horizon3B_0172.jpg|'''Study 7 - Protestant Reformation: Catholics and Protestants'''
Image:Horizon3B_0173.jpg|'''Page 173'''
Image:Horizon3B_0187.jpg|'''Page 187'''
Image:Horizon3B_0205.jpg|'''Page 205'''
Image:Horizon3B_0211.jpg|'''Page 211'''
Image:Horizon3B_0239.jpg|'''Page 239'''
Image:Horizon3B_0265.jpg|'''Page 265'''
Image:Horizon3B_0283.jpg|'''Page 283'''
Image:Horizon3B_0301.jpg|'''Page 301'''
Image:Horizon3B_0317.jpg|'''Page 317'''
Image:Horizon3B_0345.jpg|'''Page 345'''
Image:Horizon3B_0356.jpg|'''Study 8 - Battlefield Diagram 1'''
Image:Horizon3B_0357.jpg|'''Page 357'''
Image:Horizon3B_0375.jpg|'''Page 375'''
Image:Horizon3B_0395.jpg|'''Page 395'''
Image:Horizon3B_0415.jpg|'''Page 415'''
Image:Horizon3B_0429.jpg|'''Page 429'''
Image:Horizon3B_0447.jpg|'''Page 447'''
Image:Horizon3B_0471.jpg|'''Page 471'''
Image:Horizon3B_0495.jpg|'''Page 495'''
Image:Horizon3B_0507.jpg|'''Page 507'''
Image:Horizon3B_0519.jpg|'''Page 519'''
Image:Horizon3B_0538.jpg|'''Study 9 - Witch-Hunt'''
Image:Horizon3B_0539.jpg|'''Page 539'''
Image:Horizon3B_0567.jpg|'''Page 567'''
Image:Horizon3B_0571.jpg|'''Page 571'''
Image:Horizon3B_0590.jpg|'''Study 10 - Battlefield Diagram 2'''
Image:Horizon3B_0591.jpg|'''Page 591'''
Image:Horizon3B_0625.jpg|'''Page 625'''
Image:Horizon3B_0643.jpg|'''Page 643'''
Image:Horizon3B_0673.jpg|'''Page 673'''
Image:Horizon3B_0691.jpg|'''Page 691'''
Image:Horizon3B_0711.jpg|'''Page 711'''
Image:Horizon3B_0725.jpg|'''Page 725'''
Image:Horizon3B_0737.jpg|'''Page 737'''
Image:Horizon3B_0769.jpg|'''Page 769'''
Image:Horizon3B_0779.jpg|'''Page 779'''
Image:Horizon3B_0790.jpg|'''Study 10 - Battlefield Diagram 3'''
Image:Horizon3B_0791.jpg|'''Page 791'''
Image:Horizon3B_0809.jpg|'''Page 809'''
</gallery>

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Return to [[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Horizon:Volume 3B Preface|Preface]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 3B Preface

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==Installation==
[[Image:Horizon3B_0000b.jpg|thumb]]
[[Image:Horizon3B_0000c.jpg|thumb]]
Anne of Austria

Historically, she was Louis XIV’s mother and guardian.

Between her husband’s death and Louis XIV’s rule, she acted as regent and was treated as the French monarch.

Her life was turbulent.

She was a Habsburg married from Spain to France, but at the time, France was in conflict with the two great Habsburg kingdoms of Germany and Spain, so it was not a proud time for Anne who could not speak much French.

As the Thirty Years’ War and the Eighty Years’ War against Spain continued, her husband Louis XIII and Chief Minister Richelieu had created an anti-Habsburg force and were wary of Anne.

They even left a will saying Anne’s authority would be diminished upon Louis XIII’s death and until Louis XIV came into power.

Then again, her friend Lady Luynes really hated Richelieu and Louis XIII and started a serious conspiracy that Anne got caught up in.

But after Louis XIII and Richelieu’s deaths, Anne moved the young Louis XIV from place to place to protect him from assassination while educating him as a king all the while.

New Chief Minister Mazarin supported her rule and she supported him even as the fighting with her family in Spain intensified, so she really did give her all for France.

And during later internal conflict, she escaped Paris with Louis XIV, but it was their return that settled an uprising of the Paris citizens.

She definitely had an overprotective side and she remained involved in politics even after Louis XIV’s rule began.

Ultimately, Louis XIV began a new order after Mazarin’s death.

She was driven out of politics at that time, but it is said she did not try to cling to power and instead lived out her remaining years in peace.

In a lot of ways, Anne is the mother of France, but the foundation of her image is the “wise and lovely woman” that her friends called her after her death.

She did not let her handicaps get the better of her, she went all out every single day, and she always made sure to do what she needed to do.

My Anne of Austria holds that sort of power in her small form and displays a “cuteness” you can’t take lightly.

(Kawakami Minoru)

==Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon - Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere - 3B==
[[Image:Horizon3B_0001.jpg|thumb]]
—'''Where did you come from?
 

==Newspaper==
[[Image:Horizon3B_0002.jpg|thumb]]
Top left: Always Smiling with the Roi-Soleil

Top right:

Ecole de Paris

Française/Europe News

[Breaking News] Our Vice Chancellor is Here!

“Operation Roi-Soleil’s Nude Descent” is underway between our king and Musashi on IZUMO, but this time, we will focus on our new vice chancellor, the Reine de Garou, who has made an appearance.
According to its provider, the above image shows her brimming with excitement while discussing the past. Seeing her wiggling back and forth with her daughter is apparently rare. And yes, she’s married!

Nate: “Eh!? What is this!? I’m not part of this, so why are my painful memories getting caught in the crossfire!?”

Reine de Garou: “Oh, my, my. Don’t get so embarrassed, Nate. Back then, you didn’t hesitate to ask things like “if it feels good, then why would you scream?’.”

Nate: “Eeeeee! Y-you are the worst!”

Links:

Roi-Soleil’s Selected Links

Ecole de Paris

My Royal Room

Former Delinquent Reunion

What Are the Three Musketeers Like?

Jobs for Mouri

Europa

Royal Doll

Savate

E-Journal

I’m Bored! Hm!?

Lady AM’s Words

Hemisphere Printing

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 3B Illustrations|Illustrations]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 3B Table of Contents|Table of Contents]]
}}
</noinclude>

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Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon

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{{Status|Active}}

[[Image:Horizon cover1.jpg|thumb|300px|Cover art]]
'''''Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon''''' (境界線上のホライゾン/Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere) is a light novel series written by Kawakami Minoru and ilustrated by Satoyasu (TENKY). It takes place in the distant future of [[Owari no Chronicle]] and the remote past of the [[City Series]], two of the author's other light novel series. It conforms the GENESIS series of the universe.

==Alternative Languages==
The ''Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon ~ Russian|Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon ~ Russian]]
*[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon ~Brazilian Portuguese~|Brazilian Portuguese (Português Brasileiro)]]
(Note: Translation progress varies for each version.)

==Story Synopsis==

In the distant future, Earth has been devastated and its inhabitants seek a new home in the heavens. However, constant warfare forces humans to return to Earth, which has turned into an uninhabitable planet except for a certain area called the Divine States.

The Divine States are too small to accommodate all the humans, so they duplicated the area and created the Harmonic Divine States. In order to retrace their steps and rediscover their journey to the heavens, the returned humans began to reproduce history from the year 10,000 BC, using a mysterious history book called Testament.

History reproduction proceeds smoothly until A.D. 1413, when a war broke out in the Divine States. This causes the Harmonic Divine States to crash onto the original world. The humans living in the Harmonic Divine States lose their land and invade the original world. The people of the Divine States surrender and they are divided by the invaders from the Harmonic Divine States. They try to resume the reproduction of history from A.D.1457, but the update of history terminates in A.D.1648. A rumor of apocalypse begins to spread around the world.

==Translation==

=== [[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they are working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon:guidelines|Project-Specific Guidelines: Format, Names, and Terminology]]

===Recruitment===

Editors are welcome.

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the series, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4618 forum].'''

== Updates ==

{{:Kyoukai_Senjou_no_Horizon: Updates||}}
Older updates can be found [[Kyoukai_Senjou_no_Horizon: Updates|here]].

==Terminologies==
*All terminologies, character information, and other series details are hosted on [http://genesis-horizon.wikia.com/wiki/Kyoukai_Senjou_no_Horizon_Wiki this wiki]. Alternative glossary page [http://kyoukaisen.tumblr.com/glossary here].
*Alternatively, for a Baka-Tsuki translation affiliated list of terminology and their translations, check the [[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon:guidelines|Project-Specific Guidelines]].
*You may also consult the novels' glossaries.

==The ''GENESIS Series - Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon'' by Kawakami Minoru==

This novel is also translated by [http://kyousenthetranslation.wordpress.com/ Nanodesu].

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 1-A ([[Horizon:Volume_1|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/vz1txbthtu7o8jw/horizon_1.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/3erj6c26396n9cf/Horizon_1-A.epub ePUB])===
[[File:1A.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 1A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1A_Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1A_Character_Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1A_Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1A_History|History]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Prologue|Prologue: Those Lined Up Before the Horizon]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 01|Chapter 01: Participants in a Chance Meeting by the Storefront]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_02|Chapter 02: The Wrecking Crew in the Classroom]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_03|Chapter 03: Innocents at the Table]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_04|Chapter 04: The Foreigner King]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_05|Chapter 05: Those Reunited Under the Fair Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_06|Chapter 06: Fated Ones Beyond the Door]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter 07|Chapter 07: Philosophers Atop the Stairs]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_08|Chapter 08: Doubters in the Depths of a Ravine]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_09|Chapter 09: The One Waiting Beyond the Door]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_10|Chapter 10: Commandos In Town]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_11|Chapter 11: Adults in the Pub]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_12|Chapter 12: Innocents in Remorse Way]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_13|Chapter 13: The Authorities at the Rendezvous Point]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_14|Chapter 14: Covert Operatives Under the Night Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_15|Chapter 15: Gathered Friends in the Confined Room]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_16|Chapter 16: Those Who Prepare in the Courtyard]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_17|Chapter 17: Usurper in the Street]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: The School Teacher]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_19|Chapter 19: He who Dashes through the Air]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_20|Chapter 20: Graduates Under the Moon]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1A_Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 1-B ([[Horizon:Volume_1B|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/khg31b79jtpvcyy/horizon_2.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/nv3azcpryxz717z/Horizon_1-B.epub ePUB])===
[[File:1B.jpg|thumb]]
Partial translations by [http://pastebin.com/u/midorikasa Midorikasa]
*[[Horizon:Volume 1B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Table of Contents|Table of Contents]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Character|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_SchoolRules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_21|Chapter 21: Worrier in the Twilight]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter22|Chapter 22: Unconcerned Colleagues]]
**[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_22.5|Study: Religion on Musashi]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/GbjscVLf Midorikasa])'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_23|Chapter 23: Skeptics in the Meeting Session]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/tAbZs3r7 Midorikasa] )'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_24|Chapter 24: The Determined on the Plains]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/4dFYtj35 Midorikasa] )'''
**[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_24.5|Study: The Musashi Ariadust Academy]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/pBEGA8P3 Midorikasa])'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_25|Chapter 25: Advocate at the Confession Grounds]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/rdDX7AWK Midorikasa] )'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_26|Chapter 26: Refuter at the Execution Grounds]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/HRqXZpmH Midorikasa] )'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_27|Chapter 27: The Powerful Below Ground]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/pzNn91SR Midorikasa] )'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_28|Chapter 28: The Usurper in Town]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/M6v3FedQ Midorikasa] )'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_29|Chapter 29: Musashi's Knights]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/2wQi2EWY Midorikasa])'''
**[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_29.5|Study: Musashi's Knights]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/Np9Czzpr Midorikasa])'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_30|Chapter 30: Me at the Last Moment]] '''(by [http://pastebin.com/FfTDPDpz Midorikasa])'''
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_31|Chapter 31: As I Stand at the Last Moment]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_32|Chapter 32: Absolute Supporter]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_33|Chapter 33: The Summit's Flower]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_34|Chapter 34: Those Running Toward the Borderline]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_35|Chapter 35: The Trumpeter at the Start Line]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_36|Chapter 36: Communicator between Two People]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_37|Chapter 37: Those Travelling Through the Blue Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_38|Chapter 38: Musashi's Mr. Impossible]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_39|Chapter 39: He who Gouges Holes in the Mainstream]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_40|Chapter 40: She who Seeks the Realm of Speed]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1_Chapter_41|Chapter 41: Those Facing Each Other from Parallel Lines]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_42|Chapter 42: Those Facing Each Other on the Borderline]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_43|Chapter 43: Continuous Adherent]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Chapter_44|Last Chapter: Myself From Now On]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_1B_Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 2-A ([[Horizon:Volume_2A|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/h9e7ne72g7o8abi/horizon_3.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/a1jjp3xy8xzbq83/Horizon_2-A.epub ePUB])===
[[File:2A.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Table of Content|Table of Contents]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Character Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Prologue|Prologue: Lecturers Surrounded by Tranquility]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 01|Chapter 01: Members of the Vermilion Field]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 02|Chapter 02: Uninvited Guest in the Classroom]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 03|Chapter 03: Travelers in the Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 04|Chapter 04: Those who Intermingle between Heaven and Earth]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 05|Chapter 05: Restraint from Every Direction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 06|Chapter 06: Greeter on the Deck]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 07|Chapter 07: Creators on the Battlefield]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 08|Chapter 08: Herald on the Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 09|Chapter 09: Onlooker at the Crash Site]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 10|Chapter 10: Hopeful People with Nothing to Do]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 11|Chapter 11: Groups of National Leaders]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 12|Chapter 12: Those who Wait in a Place of Yearning]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 13|Chapter 13: Conversations between Worriers]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 14|Chapter 14: Distant Affirmers]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 15|Chapter 15: Immigrants to England]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 16|Chapter 16: Interceptor in a Place of Peace]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 17|Chapter 17: Recluses around the Corner]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 18|Chapter 18: One who Remembers in a Place of Forgetting]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 19|Chapter 19: Those Descending to the Surface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 20|Chapter 20: Those Meeting in a Separate Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 21|Chapter 21: The Two in the Meeting Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 22|Chapter 22: Replier on the Chopping Block]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 23|Chapter 23: Scarred Ones in a Closed Room]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 24|Chapter 24: Guide to a New World]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 25|Chapter 25: Ruler of the Theatre]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 26|Chapter 26: Flower Presenter on the Street]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 27|Chapter 27: One who Stands Alone in the Stage Wing]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 28|Chapter 28: Defenders of the Bulwark]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 29|Chapter 29: Pilot in a Preparatory Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 30|Chapter 30: Humanitarian of the Hunting Ground]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2 Chapter 31|Chapter 31: Protector on the Round Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2A Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 2-B ([[Horizon:Volume_2B|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/u0jsduwwqy7e3bd/horizon_4.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/c71f8b79v821aqa/Horizon_2-B.epub ePUB])===
[[File:2B.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Table of Content|Table of Content]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Character Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 32|Chapter 32: Man and Woman in the Plaza]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 33|Chapter 33: One who Lies on the Road]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 34|Chapter 34: Swimmer on the Road]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 35|Chapter 35: Detective Above the Stairs]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 36|Chapter 36: Rude One in a Hiding Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 37|Chapter 37: Protector of the Plaza]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 38|Chapter 38: Users of the Plaza]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 39|Chapter 39: The One Left Behind in the Cage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 40|Chapter 40: Standing Alone on the Parting Paths]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 41|Chapter 41: Hermit on the Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 42|Chapter 42: Those who Move About in the Wings of the Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 43|Chapter 43: Storyteller in the Hall]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 44|Chapter 44: Performers on the Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 45|Chapter 45: Performers from the Wings of the Stage]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 46|Chapter 46: Performer in an Unrivalled Field]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 47|Chapter 47: Changing People in a Place of Peace]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 48|Chapter 48: Decision Maker in the Heights]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 49|Chapter 49: Liar in the Marketplace]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 50|Chapter 50: Left Out in a Place of Gathering]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 51|Chapter 51: Converging on a Place of Gathering]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 52|Chapter 52: Parting Ways in the Night Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 53|Chapter 53: Encounter Over a Distance]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 54|Chapter 54: One who Closes in for a Collision]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 55|Chapter 55: Lead Role in the Fire]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 56|Chapter 56: Howler in the Theatre]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 57|Chapter 57: Pair Lying in Wait]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 58|Chapter 58: Accepted One in the Flower Garden]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 59|Chapter 59: King on the Tower]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 60|Chapter 60: Postwar Approval]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 61|Chapter 61: Defense Units in the Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 62|Chapter 62: Attack Units in the Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 63|Chapter 63: Donators on the Mound]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 64|Chapter 64: Stubborn Ones of Both Nations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 65|Chapter 65: One who Longs for 27.431m]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 66|Chapter 66: Seeing One Off to the Heavens and the Earth]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 67|Chapter 67: Where the One Damaged by Swords Belongs]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 68|Chapter 68: One who Receives The Night’s Finisher]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 69|Chapter 69: Those Gathering at the Fire Festival]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Chapter 70|Last Chapter: Greedy Ones Crossing a Border]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 2B Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3-A ([[Horizon:Volume_3A|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/d54liz1gjyw3w5t/Horizon_3-A.epub ePUB])===
[[File:3A.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Introduction|Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Table of Contents|Table of Contents]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Character Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume_3__Prologue|Prologue: The Outsiders on the Bridge]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 01|Chapter 01: The Companions of the Closed Room]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 02|Chapter 02: The Pioneers of the Location]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 03|Chapter 03: Hard Worker of the Unfamiliar Site]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 04|Chapter 04: Assemblers under the Eaves]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 05|Chapter 05: The Supervisor of the Hidden Room]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 06|Chapter 06: The Negotiators of the Tea House]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 07|Chapter 07: The Gusting Individuals of the Neutral Zone]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 08|Chapter 08: One who Jumps into the Enclosure]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 09|Chapter 09: Instigators in the Dining Hall]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 10|Chapter 10: Cheerful People under the Night Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 11|Chapter 11: Failure to Understand at the Storefront]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 12|Chapter 12: Owner of a Large Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 13|Chapter 13: Great King of the Location]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 14|Chapter 14: Apologizer in a Place of Reflection]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 15|Chapter 15: One who Invites the World]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 16|Chapter 16: One who Desires a Way Forward]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 17|Chapter 17: Demander of the Wasteland]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 18|Chapter 18: Those who Prefer the Shadows yet Stand in the Sun]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 19|Chapter 19: One who Traverses the Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 20|Chapter 20: Preparers in the Setup Area]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 21|Chapter 21: Sprinters in the Wasteland]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 22|Chapter 22: Those who Participate in the Great Activity]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 23|Chapter 23: Outside Exister]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 24|Chapter 24: Resident of Heaven]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 25|Chapter 25: Choosers on the Way Home]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3 Chapter 26|Chapter 26: Searcher in the Mist]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3A Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3-B===
[[File:3B.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Preface|Preface]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Table of Contents|Table of Contents]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Character Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 27|Chapter 27: Mother and Daughter in the Mist]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 28|Chapter 28: Hostile Mother and Daughter]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 29|Chapter 29: Mother and Daughter in a Place of Departure]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 30|Chapter 30: Prince of the Cellar]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 31|Chapter 31: Traveler at a Crossroads]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 32|Chapter 32: Gatherers in a Place of Meeting]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 33|Chapter 33: Persuader in the Chaos]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 34|Chapter 34: Pursuer in the Forest]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 35|Chapter 35: Traveling Adulteress]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 36|Chapter 36: Agreement at the Table]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 37|Chapter 37: Traitor in the Ruler’s Presence]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 38|Chapter 38: New Age of Clinging]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 39|Chapter 39: Usurper in a Place of Retrospection]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 40|Chapter 40: Visitor in a Hard Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 41|Chapter 41: Attackers in the Dark Forest]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 42|Chapter 42: Counterattackers in the Dark Forest]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 43|Chapter 43: Ruler of the Dark Forest]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 44|Chapter 44: Those who Wait in a Place of Movement]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 45|Chapter 45: Classmate in the Depths of the Darkness]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 46|Chapter 46: Storyteller Among Classmates]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 47|Chapter 47: Sunny One in the Moonlight]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 48|Chapter 48: Sponsor of the Battlefield]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 49|Chapter 49: Bringer of Calamity on the Ship]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 50|Chapter 50: Greeter in the Shade]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 51|Chapter 51: Tangled Winged One in the Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 52|Chapter 52: Pursuer in the Rising Wind]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 53|Chapter 53: Neighbor at the Breakfast Table]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 54|Chapter 54: Inexperienced Meeting Participant]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 55|Chapter 55: Viewer of the Interval]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 56|Chapter 56: Soakers in a Purifying Place]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 57|Chapter 57: Crow Master of the Inland Sea]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 58|Chapter 58: Warrior of the Lightning Sky]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 59|Chapter 59: Victor of the Desperately Fought Sea]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3B Afterword|Afterword]]

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3-C===
[[File:3C.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Preface|Preface]]
*Table of Content
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Character Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Glossary|Glossary]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C World|World]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C School Rules|School Rules]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 60|Chapter 60: Warriors in a Place of Rest]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 61|Chapter 61: Leaders Under Siege]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 62|Chapter 62: Supporter of the Circle]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 63|Chapter 63: Collective Resister]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 64|Chapter 64: Searcher of a Dark Path]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 65|Chapter 65: Slightly Heated Moaner]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 66|Chapter 66: Viewers of the Metal Tower]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 67|Chapter 67: Searcher in the Metal Tower]]
*Chapter 68
*Chapter 69
*Chapter 70
*Chapter 71
*Chapter 72
*Chapter 73
*Chapter 74
*Chapter 75
*Chapter 76
*Chapter 77
*Chapter 78
*Chapter 79
*Chapter 80
*Chapter 81
*Chapter 82
*Chapter 83
*Chapter 84
*Chapter 85
*Chapter 86
*Chapter 87
*Chapter 88
*Chapter 89
*Chapter 90
*Chapter 91
*Chapter 92
*Chapter 93
*Chapter 94
*Last Chapter
*Afterword

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4-A===
[[File:4A.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 4A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Preface
*Table of Content
*Character Introduction
*Glossary
*School Rules
*[[Horizon:Volume 4A Prologue|Prologue - Those Who Touch the Meander with Their Feet]]
*Chapter 01
*Chapter 02
*Chapter 03
*Chapter 04
*Chapter 05
*Chapter 06
*Chapter 07
*Chapter 08
*Chapter 09
*Chapter 10
*Chapter 11
*Chapter 12
*Chapter 13
*Chapter 14
*Chapter 15
*Chapter 16
*Chapter 17
*Chapter 18
*Chapter 19
*Chapter 20
*Chapter 21
*Chapter 22
*Chapter 23
*Chapter 24
*Chapter 25
*Chapter 26
*Chapter 27
*Chapter 28
*Chapter 29
*Chapter 30

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4-B===
[[File:4B.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 4B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Preface
*Table of Content
*Character Introduction
*Glossary
*School Rules
*Chapter 31
*Chapter 32
*Chapter 33
*Chapter 34
*Chapter 35
*Chapter 36
*Chapter 37
*Chapter 38
*Chapter 39
*Chapter 40
*Chapter 41
*Chapter 42
*Chapter 43
*Chapter 44
*Chapter 45
*Chapter 46
*Chapter 47
*Chapter 48
*Chapter 49
*Chapter 50
*Chapter 51
*Chapter 52
*Chapter 53
*Chapter 54
*Chapter 55
*Chapter 56
*Chapter 57
*Chapter 58
*Chapter 59
*Chapter 60
*Chapter 61

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4-C===
[[File:Vol 4C.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 4C Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Preface
*Table of Content
*Character Introduction
*Glossary
*School Rules
*[[Horizon:Volume 4C Chapter 62|The Distant Supporter]]
*Chapter 63
*Chapter 64
*Chapter 65
*Chapter 66
*Chapter 67
*Chapter 68
*Chapter 69
*Chapter 70
*Chapter 71
*Chapter 72
*Chapter 73
*Chapter 74
*Chapter 75
*Chapter 76
*Chapter 77
*Chapter 78
*Chapter 79
*Chapter 80
*Chapter 81
*Chapter 82
*Chapter 83
*Chapter 84
*Chapter 85
*Chapter 86
*Chapter 87
*Chapter 88
*Chapter 89
*Chapter 90
*Chapter 91
*Chapter 92
*Chapter 93
*Chapter 94
*[[Horizon:Volume 4C Chapter 95|Chapter 95]]
*Last Chapter

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 5-A===
[[File:Vol 5A.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 5A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Preface
*Table of Content
*Character Introduction
*Glossary
*School Rules
*Prologue
*Chapter 01
*Chapter 02
*Chapter 03
*Chapter 04
*Chapter 05
*Chapter 06
*Chapter 07
*Chapter 08
*Chapter 09
*Chapter 10
*Chapter 11
*Chapter 12
*Chapter 13
*Chapter 14
*Chapter 15
*Chapter 16
*Chapter 17
*Chapter 18
*Chapter 19
*Chapter 20
*Chapter 21
*Chapter 22
*Chapter 23
*Chapter 24
*Chapter 25
*Chapter 26

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 5-B===
[[File:Vol 5B.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 5B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Preface
*Table of Content
*Character Introduction
*Glossary
*School Rules
*Prologue
*Chapter 27
*Chapter 28
*Chapter 29
*Chapter 30
*Chapter 31
*Chapter 32
*Chapter 33
*Chapter 34
*Chapter 35
*Chapter 36
*Chapter 37
*Chapter 38
*Chapter 39
*Chapter 40
*Chapter 41
*Chapter 42
*Chapter 43
*Chapter 44
*Chapter 45
*Chapter 46
*Chapter 47
*Chapter 48
*Chapter 49
*Chapter 50
*Chapter 51
*Chapter 52
*Chapter 53
*Chapter 54
*Chapter 55
*Chapter 56
*Chapter 57
*Chapter 58
*Chapter 59
*Chapter 60
*Chapter 61
*Chapter 62
*Last Chapter

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6-A===
[[File:Vol 6A.jpeg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 6A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6-B===
[[File:Vol 6B.jpeg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 6B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6-C===
[[File:Horizon6-C01-Cover.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 6C Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7-A===
[[File:Horizon7-A000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 7A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7-B===
[[File:Horizon7-B000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 7B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7-C===
[[File:Horizon7-C000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Volume 7C Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

==The ''GENESIS Series - Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon - Kimitoasamade'' by Kawakami Minoru==

A side story coupled with the limited edition volumes of the first and second seasons of the anime.

===Kimitoasamade 1-A===
[[File:1A000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 1A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 1-B===
[[File:1B000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 1B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 2-A===
[[File:2A000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 2A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 2-B===
[[File:2B000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 2B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 3-A===
[[File:3A000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 3A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 3-B===
[[File:3B000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 3B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 4-A===
[[File:4A000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 4A Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

===Kimitoasamade 4-B===
[[File:4B000a.jpg|thumb]]
*[[Horizon:Kimitoasamade 4B Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor: N/A
*Project Manager: [[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]]

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
:* [[User:Js06|Js06]]
'''INACTIVE'''
:* [[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]]
:* [[User:Zaregoto|Zaregoto]]
:* [[User:Imoutolover|Imoutolover]]
:* [[User:Suiri Megami Alice|Suiri Megami Alice]]
:*[[User:Cosmic Eagle|Cosmic Eagle]]

'''A.W.O.L.'''

'''M.I.A'''

===Editors===
'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[user:Strike Forcer|Strike Forcer]]
:*[[user:Txtracer|Txtracer]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Link2link8|Link2link8]]
:*[[User:Skarlath|Skarlath]] (Dead, but you can try bothering me if you want edits to the flow of the novel)
:*[[User:shadowmaster850|shadowmaster850]] (Will edit when I have time)

All editors who speak English proficiently are welcomed.

==Series Overview==
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 1A - 境界線上のホライゾンI<上> (September 10, 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-867218-4)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 1B - 境界線上のホライゾンI<下> (October 10, 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-867270-2)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 2A - 境界線上のホライゾンII<上> (June 10, 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-867848-3)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 2B - 境界線上のホライゾンII<下> (July 10, 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-867901-5)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3A - 境界線上のホライゾンIII<上> (June 10, 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-868600-6)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3B - 境界線上のホライゾンIII<中> (July 10, 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-868647-1)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 3C - 境界線上のホライゾンIII<下> (September 10, 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-868735-5)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4A - 境界線上のホライゾンIV<上> (September 10, 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-870805-0)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4B - 境界線上のホライゾンIV<中> (October 10, 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-870806-7)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 4С - 境界線上のホライゾンIV<下> (December 10, 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-870807-4)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 5A - 境界線上のホライゾンV<上> (August 10, 2012, ISBN 978-4-04-886854-9)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 5B - 境界線上のホライゾンV<下> (October 10, 2012, ISBN 978-4-04-886855-6)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6A - 境界線上のホライゾンVI<上> (May 10, 2013, ISBN 978-4-04-891623-3)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6B - 境界線上のホライゾンVI<中> (July 10, 2013, ISBN 978-4-04-891820-6)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 6C - 境界線上のホライゾンVI<下> (September 10, 2013, ISBN 978-4-04-891624-0)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7A - 境界線上のホライゾンVII<上> (February 8, 2014, ISBN 978-4-04-866311-3)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7B - 境界線上のホライゾンVII<中> (April 10, 2014, ISBN 978-4-04-866475-2)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 7C - 境界線上のホライゾンVII<下> (June 10, 2014, ISBN 978-4-04-866564-3)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon: Girls Talk - Wolf and Soul - 境界線上のホライゾンガールズトーク狼と魂 (November 8, 2014, ISBN 978-4-04-869039-3)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 8A - 境界線上のホライゾンVIII<上> (February 10, 2015, ISBN 978-4-04-869255-7)
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 8B - 境界線上のホライゾンVIII<中> (April 10, 2015, ISBN 978-4-04-865071-7)

[[Category:Light novel (English)]]
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]
[[Category:Minoru Kawakami]]

[[Category:Genre - Action]]
[[Category:Genre - Ecchi]]
[[Category:Genre - Fantasy]]
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]
[[Category:Genre - Sci-Fi]]

Owari no Chronicle:Volume13 Chapter 38

2015-04-30T14:16:54Z

Strike Forcer:

==Chapter 38: City of Destruction==
[[Image:OnC_v13_0409.png|thumb]]
''Let’s make this exciting

Below the midday winter sky, dried leaves blew by an abandoned gate of concrete and steel.

It led to a school and contained a steel panel engraved with the name Taka-Akita Academy.

A motorcycle was stopped in front of the gate.

The 400cc Japanese bike had no driver.

Its driver instead stood before the bulletin board near the gate.

A sheet of imitation vellum decorated with artificial red and white flowers hung on the long board and a boy and several maid automatons stood before it.

The boy listened to the red-haired automaton that stood in front of the others.

“You are the last one here, Hiba-sama.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t think the others would get moving so quickly.”

“Testament. It is true this has nothing to do with the others. …Did you naturally oversleep?”

“No, um… Are you mad, #8-san?”

“Automatons lack the emotion of anger.” #8 thought for a moment. “But I do wonder why you are a step behind on such an important occasion.”

“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? How many times must I tell you that I am not angry?”

“You’re clearly really, really angry!!”

The automaton next to #8 whispered something in her ear and #8 nodded before turning back to Hiba.

“That is true. …Someone as delusional as you may be unable to understand our lack of emotions. But none of that really matters, so you had better please hurry up and complete your duty as a representative.”

“Sorry. And was that a command or a request?”

She gave him a cold look, so he averted his gaze to the side.

There, he spotted a festival stand with a hanging banner that said “Concept Core Weapons” and more automatons waiting for him with a smile.

“Would you like play the lottery? Or how about target practice? If you hit, you win some liquid candy with your weapon!!”

“Oh, then I choose strip rock-paper-scissors!”

“…What?”

“D-don’t take it seriously!!”

Meanwhile, a black-haired automaton carried a large silk bag over from the back shelf.

She placed it on the counter and opened it to reveal…

“7th-Gear’s…”

“Testament.” #8 walked over and looked at the four floating spheres. “This is the final Concept Core. The other representatives have taken the others to their battlefields. …You could say this Concept Core has grown accustomed to you after yesterday’s question-and-answer session.”

“…They waited for me?”

“Testament. …Though to be blunt, I think the others avoided them because they seem difficult to use.”

“Then what was that ‘testament’ for!? And that was just rude, even if it’s true!!”

As he shouted back, Hiba put the four spheres back in the silk bag. The white sphere attempted to escape and he had to grab for it several times before catching it, but he finally succeeded and placed the bag over his shoulder.

He took a breath.

After closing and then opening his eyes, his eyebrows were raised.

He then bowed to the automatons.

“I’m going.”

“Where to?”

Hiba thought for a moment and looked toward his motorcycle.

“Maybe taking the train would be safer.”

“I am not interested in your motorcycle or your safety. I am simply curious where you are going.”

“Just generally to the east.”

“Testament. I have determined you have no plan.”

“Y-you were the one that asked! Just because you’re lonely without Ooshiro-san around is no excuse!”

Just as #8 frowned at his words, someone in a lab coat rolled forward out of some bushes to the side.

“#-#8-kun!” he shouted while still rolling. “So you really are lonely without me!?”

The automatons had been using a waterway to wash the dishes they used to make the liquid candy, so they opened the entrance to the waterway and Ooshiro smoothly fell right in like it was an open manhole.

“Ah, what!? I flowed right in as naturally as river water!”

The automatons replaced the metal lattice cover, tied it shut with wire, and began washing the man away with the hose on full blast.

<nowiki>#8</nowiki> monitored the process for about three seconds but then turned back to Hiba.

“Hiba-sama, have you gone to see Mikage-sama?”

“Yes, last night. …But I only got as far as the door to the room. They wouldn’t let me see inside.”

“So she is still…” began #8, but Hiba smiled and nodded.

“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, she’s sure to wake up eventually.”

“Is that so?” #8 finally smiled, brought her heels together, corrected her posture, and bowed. “Then please get going, final representative. We are waiting for the results…the results for the entire world.”

Starting in the afternoon, the Kinugasa Library had become a used book marketplace.

It was mostly used by third years getting rid of books they no longer needed, but the unneeded textbooks were only the beginning. The books belonging to some popular people would be auctioned off and some clubs used the location to distribute manuals to passing certain classes or maps of the best peeping spots on campus.

The lower parts of the stepped library contained the used book marketplace while the upper half contained the register and a rest area.

In one corner of that rest area, someone in a school uniform sat by the counter. It was Shinjou and, instead of killing time or chatting, she was using the space to type on her laptop.

Her long hair was tied back with a ribbon and she swayed back and forth with a small tempo while typing.

She typed quickly and the words appeared on the screen faster than one could speak them.

And as she typed…

“Heh heh…”

She suddenly laughed quietly and the IME chose the wrong character.

She quickly fixed it, but her loose smile remained.

“I’m like Ooki-sensei, aren’t I?”

''That’s a dangerous thing to say,'' she thought, but she did not stop typing.

She was writing a novel. It was her own private work and it was based on the things she had seen and heard.

The story created a kind of answer for her. She had taken as many of the things she did not understand as she could and included them as mysteries. Through that, the answer was coming into view.

She had come this far like that and today was going to be her last day of writing.

She had spent a month and a half on this and she had reached the blissful last spurt.

This would be her first complete work. She wanted to treat it with care, but her desire to enjoy the process allowed her to type with such great speed.

It seemed contradictory that letting herself to have fun with it was allowing her to finish it more quickly, but she still gave into that speed.

The festival music seeped in from outside.

The voices and footsteps of classmates, underclassmen and upperclassmen surrounded her.

She heard a song inside herself.

And lastly, she knew Sayama was nearby.

He had chosen the school as his battlefield. He had made a concept space out of the large schoolyard and he waited there for his opponent.

They did not know who his opponent would be, but…

…''I’ll wait here for him.

''I’ll wait until he comes back,'' she decided.

He always came to her. He was sure to come and be with her.

''So I’ll trust in him and wait,'' she thought while pressing her feet against the ground.

Her legs threatened to tremble if she grew distracted, so she held them down and breathed in.

She straightened her posture, listened to her surroundings, sang in her heart, and moved the story along in her thoughts.

She engraved the story in electrons to store it all here.

The words were a song and the expressions her imagination. Her thoughts would be conveyed, but who would they reach?

With the keyboard as her instrument, she calmly played her story and all it entailed.

She trusted that it would all be okay.

She trusted that her story would get through to him even when they were not together.

The JR Chuo Line cut east to west through Tokyo and it converged with many other lines at Shinjuku Station.

One of those was the JR Yamanote Line which circled the city center as a beltline.

The line circled north and south from Shinjuku, but both directions passed through Ueno, Harajuku, and Ikebukuro before returning to Shinjuku.

The railway formed an infinite loop, the trains were constantly busy, and once evening arrived, it began to fill with men and women in suits leaving work early or students finished with club activities.

As one train approached Shinjuku while circling northward, something in one train car was in everyone’s way.

It was a large boy who carried a surfboard case as tall as he was.

He wore a brown coat and stood by the door, but his wide shoulders reached the pole at the edge of the seats and the top of the surfboard case reached the ceiling.

Those in suits and school uniforms all kept their distance from him.

But suddenly, the boy looked to the surfboard case he carried on his back.

A portion of the case was made from clear plastic. The inside was mostly dark, but a green glowing word was visible inside.

“Lonely.”

“Yeah, Chisato isn’t here.”

Izumo looked out the window and into the sky. Even higher up than the advertisement blimp in the northern Shinjuku sky, he saw a few airplanes.

Those were the information-gathering planes the UCAT automatons had sent out to keep track of the battles.

The radomes were used to detect concepts and gather information from within concept spaces, so the planes were linked with Kanda, the Japanese UCAT underground headquarters, and American UCAT in Yokosuka to provide reports on the progress of the battles.

“So we have an audience as we fight over the world, do we?”

“Excited?”

“Maybe.”

He smiled bitterly as he spoke and the surrounding people backed further away.

Some girls in school uniforms spoke from the edge of a group of office workers.

“That guy’s been talking to his surfboard and grinning.”

“Ugh, he stinks.”

''That doesn’t make sense,'' he thought while remembering that his own partner would still hit him even when it did not make sense.

…''I just don’t get girls.

Just as he thought that, someone pushed their way toward him from behind the group that was attempting to keep its distance.

''Oh, c’mon,'' he thought with a frown.

The people before him thinned out as if being worked apart and the area grew lightly congested.

The source of the wave of congestion came from the entrance to the next train car.

Someone stood there.

It was a slender-faced woman with long black hair and white skin.

She looked human, but Izumo’s discerning eye told him she was a doll.

This was a doll made by Top-Gear. She wore a black maid uniform, including the hair decoration. Also…

“Aren’t you a little tall?”

Izumo crossed his arms as he referenced the fact that the maid doll was just as tall as he was.

Her slender and well-featured form was clearly over a head taller than the surrounding crowd.

Everyone else tried not to look at her, but they could be seen glancing over at her.

The girls behind the office workers spoke again.

“Wow, that’s some real cosplay. …She’s so tall and cool.”

''Oh, c’mon. I’m just as tall as her,'' thought Izumo.

At the same time, a sound reached him inside the shaking train: footsteps.

Rather than stomping or making too much noise, the maid doll walked toward him as quietly as the ticking of a clock.

She walked straight forward and maintained a tip-toed posture that avoided stepping on her heels.

The crowd parted to let her through and the footsteps arrived right in front of Izumo.

''She’s huge,'' he thought while looking farther down than her head.

…''If those breasts were real…

''No, wait. Could you use evolutionary theory to say her breasts grew to match her height? So this is the wonder of Top-Gear bust technology. But wait. The more slender she is below the chest, the bigger any “surface attachments” look and these really shouldn’t just be called “big”. They should be called “BIG!”, so…

“Where do you think you’re looking?”

“Oh, you can talk? I’m having some pretty deep thoughts right now, so check back later.”

“Hold on, little boy. Are you okay?”

Recognizing the voice, Izumo frowned.

“That old factory manager is controlling her remotely? So you’re their replacement representative. What a letdown.”

“Yeah, probably. Anyway, this is the latest model and she can do a lot automatically. It’s a Top-Gear semi-automaton.”

“Top-Gear claims they’ll accommodate all of the Gears, but it looks like you’re out of luck if you don’t like them big.”

“Yeah, thanks to the postwar backlash, I actually like America a fair bit.”

“C’mon, old man. I’m gonna tell your wife you said that.”

Izumo and the maid doll laughed and slapped each other’s shoulders, but soon grew serious and pressed their foreheads together.

“You’re gonna die, old man. What’s this America nonsense? I’ll feed you to a Holstein!”

“Shut up or I’ll have to make you cry, brat. You don’t know how we struggled after the war, so you don’t have the right to talk about plentiful America!”

“The hell did you say? Did you forget that Chisato destroyed your argument and beat you quite spectacularly? …And now you show up as a doll with huge but fake breasts? Are you trying to trick me!?”

“Yes, and I’m pretty damn sure I succeeded earlier.”

The two of them continued pressing their foreheads together.

“This is pretty deep.”

“Yeah…it is.”

They exchanged a glance, nodded, and pulled back from each other.

“How about we get this started in the shopping district?”

“Sure.”

A moment later, the train began to brake to stop at the station.

It shook and the people did as well.

Everyone inside cried out a bit and braced themselves.

At some point, the two people standing by the door had vanished.

In Japanese UCAT’s Kanda Laboratory, an automaton gave a quick report.

“Izumo-sama has made contact with the enemy! Concept space expansion complete.”

As soon as the automaton with short brown hair finished speaking, red dots appeared on the map of Tokyo displayed on the ceiling.

There were two dots: one for Izumo and one other.

They all faced the consoles they had used in the battle against Black Sun and a report arrived via shared memory that one of the surveillance planes flying above Shinjuku had flown into the concept space.

A staticky voice reached them.

“This is #21 of Relay Team 1, positioned above Shinjuku.”

As if in response, movement filled the large room below Kanda.

It came from #8 and Ooshiro who sat at the large console in the center.

After clearing her throat, #8 spoke.

“We will now bring you the series of five battles that Low-Gear and Top-Gear are fighting over the right to use the Concept Cores. Commentary will be provided by me, Japanese UCAT’s automaton #8, and…”

She turned toward Ooshiro.

“Well, just me.”

“#8-kun! Th-that was just mean! And I think your announcement grew a little fuzzy there!!”

She ignored him and turned the microphone back to herself.

“This broadcast is sponsored by American UCAT, ‘The World Police’, and sent from Japanese UCAT, ‘Those give even the unneeded a chance’. Now…”

She took a breath.

“How are things on the scene?”

The battle began with a slash.

In the empty train, Izumo grabbed the contents of the surfboard case on his back.

“Ohhh!”

He immediately swung it down from overhead.

The blade sliced through the case and the long seat behind him.

With multiple sounds of destruction, the roof split open in a full moon arc and materials scattered everywhere as the attack continued on its way.

The blade approached its enemy.

The maid doll lowered her hips defensively as the sword threatened to slice her in two.

And she fearlessly stepped toward Izumo even as he sent pieces of the surfboard case flying and swung down V-Sw.

Wind blew in through the split in the roof and the evening sky came into view.

The maid doll pulled a thick knife from below her apron and stayed low as she approached.

But at that moment, Izumo stepped toward her with his right foot.

“————!”

The step extended his reach and took the form of a kick straight toward the maid doll’s face.

He would counterattack with the kick and swing down his sword as she was knocked back.

But the maid doll continued forward nonetheless.

She nimbly jumped up onto Izumo’s leg.

“Seriously!?”

She moved a few steps up his leg with lowered hips and the knife was pulled back at the ready in her right hand.

Izumo could not evade. The motion as he swung down his sword would stab himself with the knife.

The knife approached, but Izumo reacted.

He slid his back pivot foot forwards as if forcing himself down into a sitting position.

He took a sliding stance, his front leg fell down to the knee, and he lost sight of the maid doll on that leg.

Still lying on the ground, he used both hands to swing V-Sw down toward his own knee.

This would have hit the maid doll, except she used the instant to jump straight up toward the opened ceiling.

“You’re running!?”

As soon as he shouted, the train passed through the next station without slowing and continued toward Shinjuku.

The maid doll vanished as if passing through the wind. She was now beyond the ceiling and beyond the evening sky.

“Dammit!”

Izumo used V-Sw’s centrifugal force to try to stand up.

“?”

But he realized something had fallen near him.

A light sound came from a red cylinder with sparks flying from one end.

“Hold on. That looks just like cartoon dynamite.”

Immediately following that observation, explosive flames enveloped the train car.

The maid doll stood atop a train in the setting sun.

She was on the front end of the third car.

Black smoke trailed from the car behind her, but she paid it no heed.

The train was approaching Shinjuku Station.

After slipping below the tall station building, the train entered the shadows.

In the darkness, the train passed right by the platform it would normally stop at and reentered the evening sunlight.

From here, the train would travel to the Ikebukuro region.

And just as the train passed that point on the right, the maid doll saw something to the side.

Someone was running along the platform fast enough to keep up with the train.

“You’re still alive, boy?”

It was Izumo.

He had expanded charms around his body as he ran and the maid doll saw V-Sw in his hand.

She looked back to the blown-up car and saw a large hole torn near the door.

“So you broke through with that huge thing just before the explosion, did you?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Covered in soot, Izumo ran alongside the train, sped up even further, and grabbed V-Sw in both hands.

“Hey, how about you start taking this seriously? You’ve got a Concept Core, don’t you?”

“You’re gonna regret asking that.”

The maid doll expressionlessly reached for her back, pulled something out, and swung it below the light of the setting sun.

“Gram. I’ll be using 1st-Gear’s power of writing.”

The maid doll held a magic marker in her left hand and raised Gram in her right.

Izumo jumped down from the platform and continued running alongside the train.

As he made his way along the concrete elevated structure, he thought about the traits of his and his opponent’s weapons.

…''Gram can give form to writing.

V-Sw could regenerate and evolve the things it destroyed.

The concept space was set up so both powers could be used to their fullest. Izumo would be able to use Gram’s power to an extent and the maid doll would be able to use his power to an extent.

And on the train’s roof, the maid doll raised Gram and wrote something on it with her marker.

“ ‘Form’? What is that supposed to do!?”

When she heard that question, the maid doll’s expression changed in the wind.

She smiled.

She then adjusted her grip on Gram.

It almost looked like she was going to stab it into her own gut, but she instead let it pass below her arm and toward the western sky.

“Do you know what the western region between Shinjuku and Ikebukuro is called?”

Izumo thought and frowned.

“Hyakunin-cho…”

“Exactly right, boy!!”

The maid doll stabbed Gram into the air.

A sword should not have been able to stab into empty space, but Gram did just that with a roar.

A moment later, white cracks ran through Hyakunin-cho’s sky.

The surveillance plane flying through the concept space attempted to move away from the oddity.

Inside, some automatons were monitoring the situation below.

“If we move away, the accuracy of our scans will drop!!”

“Please try to understand. This is a battle between weapons that support entire worlds. Get too close and we would be destroyed in an instant.”

The pilot automaton gave control instructions by mouth while conversing via shared memory.

However, her thoughts received no response from the surveillance automatons.

She tilted her head when only silent static arrived.

“What is the matter?”

[[Image:OnC_v13_0429.jpg|thumb]]

“Oh, um, well… I think the surveillance equipment may be malfunctioning. From the moment Gram stabbed into the air, the sensors’ meters have maxed out. …But that would mean…”

Some time passed and the pilot determined it to be hesitation.

After hearing a breath, the automaton looking at the surveillance equipment gave a panicked shout.

“Here it comes! Gram is activating!!”

Her voice grew to a scream.

“The world is going crazy!!”

“Come forth, One Hundred Dolls!!”<ref>Hyakunin-cho means “City of One Hundred People”, but adding the character meaning “form” makes it “City of One Hundred Dolls”.</ref>

As soon as the maid doll swung Gram as if pulling it from the air, Izumo looked to the buildings and roads spread out below the elevated train track.

“————”

They all stood up.

Dolls made from the city itself tore themselves from the earth.

A din of destruction filled the air as a literal one hundred of them stood.

Those city dolls had no faces and their arms and legs had no definite form, but they were all about twenty meters tall.

However, the maid doll did not even watch them stand. Instead, she wrote “Bullet Train” on Gram.

“How about you deal with them!?”

As soon as she stabbed the blade into the still-smoking train, its speed increased dramatically.

Its motor sounded loudly, its horn blared, and the bullet train shot forward.

It was now moving much too quickly for Izumo to keep up, even with his charms.

“Dammit!”

As he cursed, he saw the last train car pass by to his side.

The train vanished up ahead and a single sight remained for him.

“…!!”

The hundred giant dolls raised telephone poles and signs as they charged in at him.

The maid doll lowered down atop the accelerating train.

The wind was so strong that even standing up would blow her away.

“How fast have bullet trains gotten these days?”

As she muttered to herself, the maid doll heard something.

The hundred dolls made from the city had crashed into the elevated train track.

That cut off the power lines and the acceleration came to an end, but the train was still moving plenty fast and it was already on the straight line to the Ikebukuro region.

The maid doll saw what she needed to win in Ikebukuro.

She then checked behind her.

The hundred dolls were a material weapon created by combining V-Sw’s destruction and rebirth with Gram’s writing concept.

She saw those dolls forcefully destroying the elevated track and continuing to run.

A few of them had destroyed themselves by running into the track, but over ninety of them still remained.

The sounds of shattering glass, smashed asphalt, and breaking building materials rang loud.

They came together as a tremor of rushing footsteps and created an advancing force of all-around destruction.

It was a great din.

But the maid doll noticed that the hundred dolls had stopped their advance.

…''That means the kid must still be alive.

She made a visual search and indeed found her enemy.

He was no longer on the elevated track. Instead, Izumo flew through the air in his white armored uniform.

He had likely activated a few dozen charms at once to perform a great leap that smashed the elevated track below his feet.

An explosion of water vapor surrounded him in the sky to the east of the track.

The stress this great leap put on his body was apparent even from the outside.

Blood seeped from the base of his clenched teeth and blood spurted from the muscles in his arms that he had torn from overexertion.

All that effort had earned him a brief reprieve at an elevation of one hundred meters.

But the hundred dolls were already running toward his landing spot. They raised their hands toward the sky to seize Izumo’s life and raced through the streets even as their movements destroyed their own bodies.

The maid doll realized it was all over.

Izumo would definitely need to catch his breath once he landed. No matter how tough his body was, a one hundred meter leap would have to do some kind of damage.

The dolls would then rush in and perform countless several hundred ton body presses, effectively ending it.

Just as she decided this was as far as it would go, a voice reached her from the sky.

“Hold on there! This isn’t even close to over!”

She looked up toward Izumo’s voice and saw his white sword had fully opened.

…''He’s going to make a max power strike?

That seemed like a stupid idea to her. The rules of destruction and rebirth were in effect. V-Sw ruled that power, so destroying the dolls with them would only return them to their original urban form and an attack measured in the hundreds of meters could never destroy every last one of the hundred dolls.

A few of the dolls had noticed Izumo’s intention, so they began hopping to the side in repeated feints.

However…

“Hey, I think you’re forgetting something important here!”

Izumo swung his great sword in midair, but not at the hundred dolls.

He swung it at the city itself.

He repeatedly struck at the city between Ikebukuro and Shinjuku.

He carved in lines of light that formed writing.

“Do you know what this part of the city is called!? Do you!?”

Izumo made the final stroke to complete the three characters torn into the group of buildings below.

“Ookubo!!”

A moment later, the five hundred square meter section of the city stood up and became Ookubo.

As he fell, Izumo looked at the giant hand growing up from the earth.

“Come on out, Ookubo!!”

The district of the city known as Ookubo stood up while taking Waseda University’s College of Science along with it. The college’s sports ground formed a giant hand that caught Izumo.

Once Ookubo stood up, he was over two hundred meters tall.

Wind wrapped around him and the speed of his rise created explosions of water vapor at different points on his body. When the maid doll saw him, she cried out.

“Who the hell is Ookubo!?”

“How should I know!? I was really hoping I’d get to do this in Kabuki-cho!”

A moment later, Ookubo struck a triumphant pose with Izumo standing on his right palm.

“———!!”

And he roared.

The hundred dolls crashed into his legs, but Izumo ignored them and yelled.

He let out a rough breath and swung up V-Sw.

“Punch them, Ookubo!!”

Ookubo bent over and struck the ground down below.

The left fist smashed the ground, the next strike split the city, and the following ones sent the dolls scattering.

The overwhelming attack noisily broke the dolls to pieces, but the hundred dolls remained resolute.

Without fearing destruction, they began beating on Ookubo’s shins with telephone pole bats.

“Bear with it, Ookubo!”

But then they began striking his little toe with telephone pole hammers.

“I know what it’s like, Ookubo!! Kick them, Ookubo!”

Ookubo kicked up from below.

The speedy kick had a radius of one hundred meters and the foot at the end easily broke the sound barrier.

The vicinity of Kabuki-cho was thrown into the air in a single strike, the hundred dolls were sent flying by the shockwave, and they destroyed the elevated track or the large buildings around Shinjuku Station as they did. A doll made from an apartment building collided into the Tokyu Building, creating a cascade of broken glass. Another doll flew head-first into the side of the Keio Department Store, sent a café on the upper floors flying out into the air, and broke out the opposite side.

Others rolled along the ground, destroying the city as they did, and turned the entire Shinjuku region into a zone of destruction.

But amid all that noise, the train carrying the maid doll entered Ikebukuro.

Izumo caught his breath on Ookubo’s arm and looked north.

While facing the various buildings of Ikebukuro, he pulled his cellphone from his pocket.

And after a moment…

“It’s me,” said a voice.

“Oh, the idiot, huh? …I’m guessing you’d know better than Chisato, so what kind of land is Ikebukuro?”

“It is my land. It has my name written on it. In my atlas.”

“Try a little harder next time. Anyway, I’m in the Shinjuku area right now.”

“Yes, Hyakunin-cho and Ookubo-cho are there, aren’t they? The dumpling shop in front of Hyakunin-cho’s shrine and the soba shop in front of Ookubo Station are both quite delicious.”

“We’ve already used both of those.”

“What an odd turn of phrase,” said Sayama. “But anyway, Ikebukuro contains Tokyo’s famous Sunshine 60. That giant building was built on the site of Sugamo Prison which held war criminals during World War Two. Sounds like a place our enemies would like, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Izumo nodded. “Sorry, I just found something I need to do.”

He hung up and faced forward.

He had ended the call for a simple reason.

The tallest building in Ikebukuro and all those around it had suddenly started blasting explosive flames from near their base.

“Oh, c’mon. I have no idea what’s going on anymore.”

The maid doll stood on the Sunshine 60’s wall as the setting sun washed over it.

She was supported by her own two legs and Gram which was stabbed into the building’s wall.

The sixty story building was shooting smoke from its large-scale ground floor.

That white smoke was the smoke of a launch.

And this was not restricted to the Sunshine 60.

One hundred of the surrounding buildings, hotels, department stores, etc. were all trembling and shattering at the bottom while blasting smoke toward the earth where it spread out and produced great wind and noise.

The structures of reinforced concrete were producing that explosive smoke for a single reason: the words written on Gram.

“Go! Super-Ultra ICBMs!!”

The Sunshine 60 shook in the light of the setting sun.

It vibrated, produced an even louder roar than the surrounding buildings, and slammed smoke into the earth.

The smoke filled the parks in every direction, blew away the cars stopped in the roads, and collided with nearby buildings.

The tremor shattered the high-rise’s windows, the resonating roar did the same to the surrounding buildings, and the packaged structures like convenience stores were easily knocked over.

Wind blew and the earth trembled.

“Fly!” shouted the maid doll while writing on Gram with her pen. “Willpower!!”

As soon as the extra word was added, the willpower-driven Super-Ultra ICBM began to float.

The sixty-story building was over two hundred meters tall and it briefly stopped in midair as if hesitating, but…

“———!!”

All of the tallest structures in Ikebukuro, a group of buildings with numbers reaching triple digits, tore free from the foundations binding them to the earth.

With a destructive launch, all of the buildings flew up into the sky in perfect synchronization.

A few of the automatons cried out as they viewed their consoles below Kanda.

“Impossible!!”

Dozens of orange lights had appeared on the ceiling map to indicate giant flying objects.

All of them were large missiles made from vertically-rising buildings.

The concrete and glass formed the outer shell and the shops and products inside formed the explosives.

“The city…is flying?” blankly asked one automaton.

<nowiki>#8</nowiki> nodded.

“Originally, this power could make an entire world fly,” she said. “And this is the power of one of the enemies we fought for so long during the Concept War.”

Glass shards scattered like rain at sunset while the buildings loudly accelerated toward the heavens.

They were all wrapped in massive rings of water vapor and they broke through those rings to continue their skyward journey.

An ICBM made its way to extreme high altitude before dropping back to earth.

The maid doll used Gram to stand on the side of the Sunshine 60 as it rose vertically toward the transparent evening sky. With the Prince Hotel, securities building, and other structures accompanying them, it felt like an ascending battleship.

“The weapon that symbolized the Cold War is flying from the place where World War Two ended. Clever, don’t you think?”

The rapidly-moving buildings broke through the clouds.

The massive white and gray objects destroyed the clouds and danced through the sky like a pod of whales leaping from the sea.

The buildings soared up from the clouds and slowly formed their downward-facing trajectories.

They drew parabolic arcs, their hard bodies groaned, and the containers measuring in the hundreds of meters pointed back toward the ground.

They fell straight down.

Their target was Shinjuku, where Izumo was.

To correct their course as they plunged back into the clouds, the maid doll twisted Gram like a joystick.

The buildings responded by surrounding themselves in a thin gust of wind and turning completely upside down.

They faced downwards.

The Sunshine Hotel as well as the Prince Hotel and other buildings began to fall as if eager to continue on.

Crimson light and shimmering heat came from their bases and the tallest building fell with the others joining it.

The elements of one district dropped toward another.

The clouds became a cold mist as they plunged into them.

Once they passed through the other side of the clouds, Shinjuku and the rest of Tokyo came into view.

The tallest missile which took its name from the sun only began to move after seeing the others begin.

And then the massive structure accelerated.

White mist trailed from every corner on the front end as the colossal warhead advanced.

As if pushing on the smaller warheads which had gone on ahead…no, as if greeting them, the representative of Showa era Japan’s architectural technology headed toward Tokyo.

It lined up alongside the Prince Hotel but did not hesitate.

“We’ll be going on ahead.”

The maid doll gave an informal salute and passed the hotel by.

This time, all sixty stories of the giant falling structure were awash with the sunshine for which it was named.

The ground was visible.

Even the distant Imperial Palace could be seen from this height. The cars were stopped, so the exhaust-stained air was washed clean by the wind and the city grew clear.

This city had been firebombed during the war and had grown upwards after the war, so none of its prewar form remained.

On top of that, the Shinjuku region had been destroyed by the previous battle.

''But that will end here,'' thought the maid doll on the side of the building that began to accelerate in its fall.

This one strike would end it all.

He had lost to Kazami during the Army’s attack, but he was stubborn enough to write off what she had said as the ramblings of a child. Those were things he had thought countless times but had never been able to believe.

''But,'' he thought with a small smile of resignation.

“I’ll believe in it a little. …That’ll give what I’m doing here some purpose.”

The fall was truly underway now and the Gs were strong enough to almost blow the maid doll upwards.

But the building continued on.

Pieces of itself, its contents, and smoke scattered from it as the Ikebukuro-launched high-rise building fell toward Shinjuku. It seemed to be announcing that Shinjuku was its rightful place.

Acceleration pushed the fall onward.

The wind blew up from below and produced a deafening roar.

The streets of Shinjuku had already come into view. The setting sun lengthened shadows, but there were no shadows in that torn-up and smashed land.

The maid doll smiled bitterly at the fact that actual dirt was visible.

“There’s nothing wrong with modern days. Cities are the makeup people put on the earth.”

And…

“We were the ones who made all that!!”

They continued down.

The shockwave of impact and the explosion of the massive structure would at least annihilate Shinjuku.

Only the earthen crust would remain.

As long as the maid doll wrote the word “barrier” on Gram just before the explosion, she would be fine.

The building was now less than a kilometer from the surface. Its acceleration continued and would reach its peak in the instant of impact.

…''End it.

''End our war,'' thought the maid doll.

And in that moment, she saw movement through the wind.

A figure was moving toward the point of impact. The figure was running and destroying Shinjuku in the process.

It was Ookubo.

Izumo had Ookubo run to a certain spot.

That was where the ICBMs launched from Ikebukuro would hit.

That spot represented modern Tokyo.

It was Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

Izumo had Ookubo come to a rapid stop in front of modern Japan’s tallest building.

A roar filled the air as Ookubo stomped a foot down into an underground mall, gently slid to a stop, and held Izumo out toward the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

Izumo lowered his hips to bear with the inertia, but he did not lose sight of his enemy.

The giant shadow was not far above him now.

The shaking of the air was enough to shatter the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building’s windows, but Izumo did not care.

He stared up at the falling object that was so large that it did not seem to be accelerating at all.

“That’s pretty cool.”

He quickly raised his brush. This bladed brush was named V-Sw and held the power of destruction and rebirth.

“But I’m more modern than you!!”

He swung V-Sw again and again.

The front face of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building shattered, concrete and glass flew everywhere, and words took form.

“A real man’s gotta go with one of these!”

A shout from the surveillance plane reached the Kanda Laboratory.

“Izumo-sama has finished writing! It says…”

A pause.

“ ‘Beam Cannon’!!”

An electrical discharge raced between the twin towers at the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

The bluish-white electricity linked in the twilight and created a massive incidence of ball lightning.

The discharge suddenly vanished and only the ball lightning remained.

“———!!”

A moment later, the twin towers of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building shattered.

They did so for two reasons.

The enormous structure falling from above had struck them and a ring of bluish-white light had shot from the ball lightning in every direction.

A light sound filled the air and it sounded a lot like an inhalation.

At the same time, the ball lightning floating between the twin towers grew smaller.

“…!!”

And light from the ball lightning pierced straight through the Sunshine 60 from the roof to the first floor.

Meanwhile, the Sunshine 60 crashed into the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

“!!”

This created explosive pressure.

Instead of an actual explosion, large-scale pressure spread out and pressed down on the air.

The impact and the exploding ICBM created a great flash of light.

The light enveloped everything.

In it, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building was crushed from above, spread out like a blooming flower, and was swept away by the impact such that not even a fragment remained.

In just an instant, bluish-white light came from all of the Sunshine 60’s windows and then the building was smashed to pieces as if someone had struck it.

The power built up inside exploded which sped up its collapse yet reduced its overall strength.

Nevertheless, it caused wide-scale destruction.

Light instantly covered a radius of several kilometers and everything in range was knocked outward and crushed.

The other falling buildings were hit from below and destroyed, but their midair explosions were swallowed up by the light spreading below which was more than twice as powerful.

There was no sound. The shockwave exceeded the speed of sound.

As that shockwave spread, the dome of light pushed a wave of water vapor ahead.

Before long, the shockwave flew several times farther than the light itself.

The buildings of Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Shibuya, and the surroundings wards were immediately knocked over, trees flew, and cars and trains blew about as easily as dust.

The clouds above were pushed outward and a wave of luminescence spread through the sky along with a trembling shockwave.

The sound arrived afterwards.

Dozens of loud, deep sounds rumbled together.

“——————”

Light vanished from the blast site and the earth was blown into the air.

The reflected force that crashed into the ground blew away everything there.

This was pure destruction.

Only the earth below remained.

However, something flew through the smoke and dust that had quickly risen to the heavens: two lights.

The surveillance plane had escaped the range of the blast and it now checked on the flying lights while hopping along the high-speed air currents.

Thin trails of light arced through the sky as they flew west, toward the setting sun.

The twin lights flew quickly alongside each other.

They were two swords which had flown from the center of the blast.

They were the Concept Core weapons named Gram and V-Sw.

When the surveillance plane saw the flying lights, an automaton’s voice rang out.

“The battle has ended…”

Some static filled her transmitted voice.

“…in a draw!!”

<noinclude>
===Notes===
<references/>
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| Back to [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume13_Chapter_37|Chapter 37]]
| Return to [[Owari_no_Chronicle|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume13_Chapter_39|Chapter 39]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Owari no Chronicle:Volume13 Chapter 32

2015-04-16T12:58:41Z

Strike Forcer:

==Chapter 32: What God Sees==
[[Image:OnC_v13_0267.png|thumb]]
''What are you looking to as you think?

''The past?

''The future?

''Or…

Shino woke for the third time that day.

The first had been at dawn when she left the Tamiya house and the second had been on Ryouko’s back after falling asleep from her wasted effort to reach that hill.

And this third time, she woke after peacefully falling asleep as Ryouko carried her back.

Her mind cleared as she opened her eyes and she could tell she had slept quite soundly.

She was lying on her back and looking up at the ceiling of her usual room.

She wore a yukata and the feel of it on her skin told her Ryouko had put it on her. The obi was tied in a slightly decorative way.

The futon itself was warm, but the intensity of the sunlight shining through the sliding screen told her afternoon had arrived.

An hour or two must have passed since she fell asleep, but even that little time had lightened her mood quite a bit.

…''Is that because I cried?

She sat up and felt two gentle weights on the back of her neck.

They were the chains holding her blue philosopher’s stone and the cloisonné that Mikoku had given her.

“Right.”

She nodded for no real reason and got the rest of the way up.

Her right leg was still weak, so she supported herself on the left side, removed the blanket, placed her hands on the folded blanket, and pulled herself out from under it.

She then heard a slight sound from the ceiling, so she called out to it.

“Is that Yo-chan? Or Ki?”

“No, I am…but a simple housecat.”

She heard a meow followed by footsteps leaving through the ceiling.

''That would be Ki,'' she thought while hearing some birds chirping unnaturally in the yard and a whispering voice from the wall.

“I am a lizard, a house-protecting salamander. …So do not call me Tanaka; call me Sa-chan!”

Tanaka’s presence soon left.

All the motion and sounds vanished, but one thing was for sure.

…''They’re all worried about me.

She was a little surprised by that.

“…”

And she gave a troubled smile.

This was a natural smile that not even she understood very well.

Pushed on by the emotion behind that mysterious smile, she stood up, leaned against the wall, and walked toward the sliding door out of the room.

On the way, she looked to the hanger on the wall.

Her left hand was on the wall, so she used her right to grab Mikoku’s cloisonné.

“…No.”

But she passed below the hanger without doing anything.

“It’s fine.”

She reached the door.

“Mikoku and I are both fine. I’m sure of it.”

She slowly kneeled and slid open the door.

The first thing she had to do was face the others and apologize for worrying them.

…''Can I really stay here?

Mikoku had told her not to fight. She had found a place where she could do that, but what would the people here think of what she had done today?

Ryouko had told her she could run away if she wanted to and Shino had her own interpretation of that.

…''If I want to go be with Mikoku, I can.

But Mikoku was sure to still be fighting. Sayama and Shinjou showing up before was proof enough of that. Plus, if Shiro was not here, he had to be with Mikoku.

That meant she could not approach Mikoku yet. She understood that and…

“I can’t do anything reckless.”

She was a little worried. She felt Mikoku was at least partially fighting to secure a place for herself.

…''But if she gains that place, will she disappear?

To Mikoku, fighting was a means of securing a place for herself.

If she accomplished that or the fighting ended, Shino felt she might be satisfied that she was no longer needed and then go somewhere else.

So if possible, she wanted to see Mikoku before the fighting ended.

If Mikoku was going to go somewhere else, she wanted to tell her there was a place for her here.

And after thinking through it all that far…

“I’m being overambitious.”

She smiled bitterly, looked ahead, and told herself to worry about herself first.

…''I need to apologize to the people here.

With that thought, she looked down the dark hallway.

Only then did she notice the tray in front of her room’s opened door.

It contained a pot of rice, a rice bowl, a soup that would not lose its flavor if it cooled, and a small pot with some solid fuel below it.

…''Ryouko said Kouji was making Salisbury steak.

She opened the pot and found a white object garnished with vegetables.

“Tofu Salisbury steak?”

After a while, she laughed quietly.

“Ryouko lost this round. This isn’t very greasy at all.”

She checked the paper on top of the tray.

“Dinner is at five. We can all visit the festival afterwards.”

It was Kouji’s handwriting and the words gave her a small smile, but she slowly bent over.

“…”

Tears suddenly spilled from her eyes as if pushed out.

…''Mikoku.

“I’m…going to do my best here.”

She told Mikoku to do her best too, quietly called Hajji, Tatsumi, Alex, and the others’ names, and told them not to leave behind any regrets.

“Someday…I’ll go see you.”

She worked up her resolve and the words slowly escaped into the hallway.

[[Image:OnC_v13_0273.jpg|thumb]]

Hajji began the questions and answers in top form.

He had one job: if Sayama was going to speak of the future…

…''I will speak of destruction.

So…

…''I will take a leisurely pace. While the future rushes ahead, the past catches up at its own pace.

He had a single objective.

…''I will say everything I must say.

He would speak to the future as the representative of destruction and the past.

''My sister and my revenge mean nothing this time,'' he thought. ''This is not just about me.

''I will think of the people and worlds that were lost and stretch myself even further.

Otherwise, he could not act as Top-Gear’s substitute representative.

He crossed his arms in the silence and felt the heat of the fireplace named Sayama.

He had just confirmed a few different pieces of history with the boy and prepared to change the subject.

“I see. So that is what happened in the past. Then…”

''This is the prelude,'' he told himself as he opened his mouth.

“First, let us talk about Top-Gear and Low-Gear’s countermeasures against the activation of the negative concepts.”

He asked a question.

“Low-Gear is planning to restrain the activated negative concepts by releasing all of the positive concepts, correct? In other words, you plan to strike a balance between positive and negative.”

“Precisely. For better or for worse, I believe both positive and negative are necessary.”

But Hajji knew Top-Gear had attempted that, failed, and been destroyed.

Everyone else knew it after he revealed it on the night of their attack and Sayama’s group had provided a report on Top-Gear’s destruction, so even more of the details were known.

That meant it was entirely possible Low-Gear was simply repeating a past mistake.

But Hajji did not mention that. This argument was not about attacking the other side. He felt he instead needed to present the advantages of his own side.

He had already attacked their side on that night, so he had something else to say now.

“Top-Gear plans to use Babel to have the positive and negative concepts annihilate each other before the activation begins in earnest. That will leave the current reproduced concepts in the Gear reservations as the only way for those Gears to live, so their concepts will no longer be ruled by UCAT.”

He took a breath.

“And this way, any Gear that does not wish to leave their reservation, need not do so. And if they do wish to, they can take the concepts with them and do so.”

Low-Gear’s release of the concepts would fill the entire world with the concepts, so the Gear reservations would effectively lose their reason to exist.

That would force them all to leave.

With Top-Gear’s method, the concepts would vanish from the world and only exist in the reservations, so they could split between those who wished to stay in the reservation and those who wished to join the outside world.

Which was better: the world or individuals?

They would all be choosing one of those options during the trial and vote that came after the question-and answer session was complete.

Would they choose Low-Gear or Top-Gear?

Hajji looked across them all, looked to Sayama, and spoke.

“Now, I would like to make an oath on this holy meeting. This oath will demonstrate our different standpoints.”

Automaton #37 had stenographer duty and she recorded Hajji’s oath with some notes.

'''Hajji-sama:''' “I believe each Gear has reached some kind of conclusion in the Leviathan Road, but it would be hard to say everyone from those Gears has accepted that conclusion. For their sake, I believe we need to make an oath to each other.”

'''Sayama-sama:''' “I see. So you wish to make it clear which side we stand on?”

:'''Note:''' Hajji-sama nods.

'''Hajji-sama:''' “Yes. Sayama, you have suppressed conflict using the reason you call the Leviathan Road. That is why reason has continued to rule this space as you have reconfirmed those conclusions. …I believe the trial and vote will begin after another recess, but you are attempting to achieve victory there using reason.”

'''Sayama-sama:''' “If you stand opposite my position of reason, then with what are you attempting to achieve victory?”

'''Hajji-sama:''' “Emotion.”

:'''Note:''' Hajji-sama raises his right hand.

'''Hajji-sama:''' “No one has lost the emotion they felt when they were ruined, when they had lost, or when they lost something precious to them. They are only suppressing that emotion with reason.”

:'''Note:''' Hajji-sama looks directly at Sayama-sama.

'''Hajji-sama:''' “I swear to you!”

:'''Note:''' Everyone in attendance looks to Hajji-sama.

'''Hajji-sama:''' “All conflict begins with reason and emotion and it can be ended with either! So from here on, I will become emotion. I will become the emotions of those who have lost! And I swear on the word ‘judgment’ and on this meeting that I will use any means necessary to fairly oppose reason!”

:'''Note:''' Sayama-sama raises his left hand in response.

'''Sayama-sama:''' “Then I swear on the word ‘testament’ and on this meeting to use reason to fairly oppose emotion!”

'''Hajji-sama:''' “Top-Gear wishes to stop the negative concept activation by eliminating all concepts, freeing the Gears from UCAT’s rule, and beginning life in a free new world!”

'''Sayama-sama:''' “Low-Gear will release the concepts and create a world where every Gear can live in harmony! And to do that, we will talk of things that once were and…”

:'''Note:''' Both of them speak at once.

'''Both:''' “Let us talk of the future and of the past!”

<nowiki>#8</nowiki> realized she was seeing the true form of this meeting.

…''The future and the past. Reason and emotion.

It was a simple idea. When one lost something, was it right to use their reason to endure or was it right to use emotion to cry and refuse to accept it. That was the argument here.

Afterwards, the others would vote for the view they felt was correct and the world would be remade accordingly.

And at that point…

“…”

''Oh, no,'' determined #8.

If an argument could be called a tactic, then a meeting could be called a strategy.

Hajji had likely thoroughly prepared his strategy and tactics over the past month and a half. His previous oath and decision to stand on the side of emotion were not something he could make up on the spot.

He had likely predicted that the discussions with the Gears would end like this.

…''But Sayama-sama is different.

She had heard that he had been thinking about holding a meeting like this, but he had only learned of Shinjou Yukio’s past the day before.

And his time to think during the meeting had been drastically reduced.

He knew what he had to do, but he had been deprived of a chance to do it.

…''Sayama-sama.

Just as #8 looked to the back Sayama’s suit, she heard Hajji’s calm voice.

“Now, how about we prepare to talk about the destruction of the past?”

Meaning…

“I am saying we can complete what you have called Top-Gear’s Leviathan Road. I can’t have everyone thinking they will gain something by choosing Low-Gear.”

When she heard that, #8 realized Hajji was beginning his “attack”.

Moira 1st listened to and watched Hajji from the audience seats.

Her shared memory was full of life as the thoughts of so many fellow automatons moved about.

…''The ones that joined Low-Gear are growing cautious.

They were cautious of Hajji because they viewed him as Sayama’s enemy. Some of them had apparently been hijacked during the attack a month and a half prior, so she could not blame them.

''But,'' she thought as Moira 3rd turned her way while licking a lollipop from a festival stand.

The smaller girl was wrinkling her brow a little.

“Big sister, everyone’s thoughts are getting kind of dangerous, aren’t they?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well,” said Moira 3rd. “That Hajji guy’s heartrate and body temperature are really stable. …He isn’t excited. In fact, Sayama’s are less stable because of his exhaustion and impatience. Also…”

A quiet voice from beyond Moira 3rd continued for her.

It was Moira 2nd’s scolding voice.

“He is not using emotion when he speaks of emotion. He is only the representative. …He seems to have used up and cast aside the arguments and grudge he showed during the attack on UCAT.”

''In that case,'' thought Moira 1st as she saw Hajji raise his right hand and open his mouth.

“We on the side of emotion, Top-Gear, promise the following if we win.”

He pointed toward the heavens.

“First, we will punish all primary UCAT personnel, the people of Top-Gear will be given most of the leading positions, and this world will be protected by the trustworthy top point that is Top-Gear.”

But…

“But I know what you are thinking: if you do that, you will lose the rights that UCAT promised you during the Leviathan Road.”

Moira 1st heard Hajji continue with the word “so”.

They all listened as Top-Gear spoke of a scenario where the Leviathan Road was done away with.

…''What will they do?

Hajji swung down his right hand and answered her unspoken question.

“We will allow UCAT to remain, place it under our control, and continue the Leviathan Road as-is so that you can keep the rights granted to you.”

His answer sent a stir through the room.

“…!”

An unpredictable sound that Moira 1st concluded was surprise filled the shared memories of the Moira-class automatons.

It was likely made up of every single model’s thoughts which likely mirrored those of the surrounding people.

“He’s hijacking the Leviathan Road!”

A shout of protest arrived over their shared memories, but…

“Wait!”

Moira 1st heard #8 who sat calmly next to the moderator’s seat.

After requesting that they stop, she slowly spoke.

“Why are you so angry? Whether he is hijacking it or not is a problem for Top-Gear and Low-Gear. What we receive remains the same, so I have determined this is irrelevant to the other Gears.”

''That’s true,'' agreed Moira 1st without releasing the thought to her shared memories.

Hajji’s words had contained a certain meaning.

…''He has eliminated any advantage given by the Leviathan Road.

The greatest deciding factor for the advantages and disadvantages of choosing Low-Gear or Top-Gear had been the Leviathan Road, but Top-Gear had eliminated that factor by saying they would honor it.

The only factors remaining were Low-Gear’s reason and Top-Gear’s emotion.

''But,'' thought Moira 1st.

…''In that case, where is the gap between Top-Gear and Low-Gear?

As if to answer her, Hajji raised his right hand again and pointed at Sayama.

“There is one point of difference between Low-Gear and Top-Gear: the nature of the ruler.”

He took a breath.

“Low-Gear is a destroyer. You used destruction for your own ends and now, as villains, you tell us to give up on the past and face the future. On the other hand…”

Sayama continued for Hajji.

“Top-Gear will not forget the destruction and will weep with the survivors, but you will set this world in motion after setting up leaders from the top inheritors. …Isn’t that right?”

Moira 1st saw Hajji nod.

…''What is with this discussion?

It seemed to her that they were trying to understand each other. By understanding their opponent’s position, they could oppose them more effectively.

But Moira 1st realized the flow of conversation always began with Top-Gear’s words.

It was as if Hajji were rolling up the groundwork that Sayama rolled out during the question-and-answer sessions.

Or to put it another way…

“Top-Gear is trying to swallow up Low-Gear.”

Hiba sprang up from the infirmary bed.

He was listening to Hajji speak over the cellphone being used as a transmitter.

…''This is bad!

After he sat up and threw off the blanket, he heard more from the phone.

It was Sayama replying to Hajji.

“Hajji-kun, the Leviathan Road we have agreed to was based on the assumption that the concepts would be released. If you eliminate them instead, I believe it would be impossible to continue with the agreements we reached.”

''That’s right,'' thought Hiba, but then he heard Hajji’s calm voice.

“Sayama, there is a simple answer to that. If our methods conflict with the continuation of the Leviathan Road’s agreements…”

He could be heard taking a breath.

“As the losers, you will have to make the necessary adjustments. You must ensure that everything is inherited by the new world.”

“…!?”

“You have no right to reject this idea, do you? Yes, if you are wrong, then you only need to make yourself right. That is what Shinjou told me in UCAT, so that is all you need to do. There is no problem.”

…''This is bad.

Hiba felt like everything they had done was being flipped over like in a game of Othello.

They had filled the board with their pieces, but all at once…

…''He’s flipped them all over.

He then realized how Hajji was going to use the position of emotion to hold back the Leviathan Road that came from reason.

In other words, he knew what Hajji’s tactic at this meeting was.

“By swallowing up the Leviathan Road, he’s crushing his opponent’s reason without having to use reason himself!”

Hiba tried to get out of the bed. He knew there was nothing he could do, but he still wanted to go there.

But…

“Calm down, Hiba.”

He heard a voice from another simple white bed and saw someone sitting cross-legged on it.

“Izumo-san! A-are your injuries okay!?”

“Yeah, but what were you moaning about in your sleep? You were holding your crotch, twisting around, and shouting ‘Balls! I’ve had enough balls!’ Are you gay or something? Stay back. I don’t even want to hear your voice.”

“D-don’t say that when you’re the one that started the conversation!”

“I gradually realized it after I’d already started the conversation.”

Hiba noticed Izumo was reading something.

“H-how can you read when all this important stuff is happening!?”

“There’s nothing I could do to help, so I thought I would rest until it was an absolute emergency and that German disguised as a female doctor left this European magazine here.”

“All of a sudden, I want to read too. Can I?”

“Stay back, you creep. If you’re gay, aren’t the contents of your own pants enough for you?”

“Y-you’re really prejudiced, you know that!?”

Suddenly, Kazami’s voice came from the phone.

“What are you two doing?”

“Oh, K-Kazami-san!? I-I was, um, well…”

“Don’t worry, Hiba. Calm down. …I’ll go easy on you.”

“Wait, wait. You mean you won’t go easy on me, Chisato? I can’t believe this.”

“I get the feeling neither of you have a very high opinion of me!”

They both told Hiba to shut up, so he did.

He then heard Kazami’s voice again.

“Things are heating up quite a bit in here, so if you’re thinking of heading over, you probably should. It’s at least interesting to watch.”

“Eh?” asked Hiba just as Hajji’s calm voice came from the phone.

“Let us begin.”

Just as he said, the questioning began.

And it began with the emotion of losing something precious.

As Hajji began to speak, a girl gulped in Low-Gear’s waiting room.

She spoke in a daze as she stared at the twelve spheres displayed on her laptop’s screen.

“It can’t be…”

Behind her, a black-haired girl in a white armored uniform turned around, stood up, and walked over.

“Did you find the answer, Heo?”

“Well, uh… This method was really just a crazy idea I had, but…”

Heo brought a hand to her cheek.

Her face had gone pale and she audibly gulped before looking up at the black-haired girl standing next to her.

“B-but this is the only way to explain something I’d found odd.”

“Something you’d found odd? What’s that?”

“Well.” Heo looked the other girl in the eye. “It’s Georgius, Shinjou. That’s the key to it all.”

She began by saying “look” and hit a key to begin the simulation.

…''This has to be the right answer.

The world creation simulation restarted and the window filled with black.

As they saw what appeared there and watched the beginning of the world, Heo and Shinjou gave contrasting reactions.

Heo closed her eyes as if telling herself something, while Shinjou…

“Is this…!?”

''That’s right,'' thought Heo as she nodded and asked a question.

“Do you believe in god?”

<noinclude>
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| Return to [[Owari_no_Chronicle|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume13_Chapter_33|Chapter 33]]
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</noinclude>

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Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 49

2015-04-05T11:28:08Z

Strike Forcer:

==Chapter 49: Bringer of Calamity on the Ship==
[[Image:Horizon3B_0567.jpg|thumb]]
''What shows up

''Without an invitation?

'''Point Allocation (Surprises)

After jumping down from the galley, Narimasa landed in the streets toward the bow of Musashino.

Far behind him in the sky, the white galley moved away from the Musashi to turn around.

“Once that comes back, it’ll pick us up. …That’s going to take some acrobatic flying, but it should be easy for Takigawa.”

He ran along a long Western-style business building. His destination was past Musashino’s arch-like bridge at the back of the ship.

He picked up running speed and opened a book-style ''insha kotob'' that displayed a map of Musashi’s surface.

“Oh, dammit Matsu. You only marked the tailors, hairdressers, and graveyards!”

He continued running while muttering, “What should I do about breakfast?”

He maintained his speed as he jumped over the first road.

He took a great leap.

“There.”

After lightly landing on the opposite roof, Narimasa began running again.

From what he had seen of the street below, they were on full alert. The doors and windows were all closed and ether light was coming from the gaps. Those were defense barriers. As for below the deck and inside the ship…

…''Is that an atmospheric barrier!?

That was a spell which weighed down on all of the air inside the ship to slow down anything moving inside. It was less of a burden than the defense barriers and it had likely been developed from the spell used for elevated work inside and outside the Musashi. It was a trap that would slow him down and slam him into the wall if he carelessly broke through the floor.

''What a pain,'' he thought while picking up speed. A giant form was moving two buildings to his right, but it was more taking long strides than out-and-out running. It was a demon-horned man with a black M.H.R.R. uniform stitched with the numeral “1”.

He carried a long case on his back and turned to Narimasa.

“Hey! What’s the matter, Narimasa!? You going without breakfast!? Well!?”

“Yeah, that’s right, Shibata. The edamame I got from Matthias was too much work to eat, so I left it behind.”

“C’mon, you need to eat what a superior gives you.”

Shibata pulled a large rectangular case off of the hard point on his right waist. It required a full arm to hold and he opened it while running.

“Look! This is Lady Oichi’s love-filled box lunch! Just look at it! Hey! Over here!!”

“God, how annoying.”

“Ahh!? What’d you say!? You got a problem with Lady Oichi’s handiwork!?”

“No, I was calling you annoying. Not Lady Oichi.”

“Oh, me!? That’s okay, then!! I’ll be as annoying as possible! That’ll teach you!!”

“Kh!!”

Narimasa brought a hand to his forehead and pushed up his sunglasses. Meanwhile, Katsuie began digging into the lunch.

With a bamboo bottle of tea hanging from one of his demon horns and shaking as he ran, Katsuie asked a question.

“Who do you think is gonna show up? And do you want any of this lunch? You won’t be able to fight well on an empty stomach. Well?”

“Hm, I’d guess the most likely one to show up is Honda-… Huh? Or maybe not. I broke her spear yesterday.”

“On Musashi, do vice chancellor level fighters let enemies run freely through their streets?”

“Well, they’ve apparently got a pretty good strategist here. Something a little different from Hashiba’s Takenaka. It’s possible they might just let us run on through.”

A book-style ''insha kotob'' appeared next to both of them. It was a divine transmission from the bridge of the galley turning around in the sky behind them. It displayed a woman. She had armor wrapped around her forehead and wore a P.A. Oda girl’s uniform modified into a ninja outfit.

She used a hand to brush aside the Garudas and wind spirit Djinns flying around the bridge.

“If you two take your time, I’ll fly right by and leave you there.”

She crossed her arms which lifted up the cloth around her chest and she let a Garuda land on her shoulder.

“I have to get to my next mission after checking out the Musashi.”

[[Image:Horizon3B_0571.jpg|thumb]]

“You mean bowing down to old man Akechi? Having the main dock in Kyoto sure isn’t easy.”

“Show some respect. He’s the vice president which is higher than you.”

“Don’t say that, Ichimasu. Narimasa falls under me, the vice chancellor. We have so many arguments with the student council over our budget that it isn’t surprising he would have some hard feelings. …He just isn’t as tolerant as the rest of us.”

“Takigawa, this annoying upperclassman has gotten even more annoying after his marriage. What am I supposed to do about that?”

“Why not try getting married? I kind of want to see what you’re like when you’re annoying, Nari. I feel like it would drive the world insane.”

“Now things are doubly annoying.”

Narimasa sighed as he jumped over a street and Katsuie followed. Katsuie spoke while he was airborne.

“Ichimasu. Give this starving delinquent a map.”

“Eh? Sure, if you want. The one Matsu made, right?”

“I already have that one! That’s the exact one I’ve got right here!!”

“Fine then.”

After landing on the opposite roof, Katsuie resumed the long strides of his running. He grabbed a Western-style fried shrimp with his chopsticks and faced Narimasa.

“Hey, you want a fried shrimp?”

“What’s this sudden change of heart? But I need to eat what a superior gives me, right? I can’t exactly say no, so shaja.”

“Shaja,” replied Katsuie before raising the shrimp over his head. “Cooooome and get it!”

“…”

“Toooooo slow!”

“You… Ah! You really ate it!?”

“Damn, that’s good! Lady Oichi’s a genius! Hey! Narimasa! Why are you running up ahead and ignoring me!?”

“The enemy’s here!!”

He pointed forward where someone was charging toward him along the rooftop ahead. And they were not alone. Ichimasu sighed when she noticed the enemies.

“I’ll be recording this while I approach from behind. Make sure to do this right.”

“Shaaajaaa. This leaves us with only one choice. …Narimasa, you take care of things up there. I’ll be back here eating this work of art Lady Oichi made. Yes, you have a noble duty to protect her artwork.”

“God, you’re annoying…”

“You’ve gotten really impertinent for someone who isn’t even a real man! Well!?”

“If I’m not a real man, what does it matter if I’m impertinent?”

With that, Narimasa ran on ahead.

…''If I hang around with these adults, I end up feeling like the normal one.

The enemy arrived from the front and one took the lead.

“Musashi’s 2nd special duty officer!!”

Urquiaga charged in on a path between Narimasa and Katsuie.

He travelled through the air. He was a half-dragon with armor, wings, and powerful acceleration, so he had the highest odds of surviving a one-man attack on Narimasa and Vice Chancellor Shibata Katsuie. Neshinbara had been the one to make that decision.

He would not overreach. He was only a special duty officer. A normal commander was one thing, but he was a step behind a combat-oriented vice chancellor.

He understood the gap in power between a vice chancellor and a special duty officer and he understood where that gap came from.

…''Combat-oriented vice chancellors are all combat-obsessed idiots who never think about anything other than combat!

They might have an everyday life, but it was a small part of their lives. Whether it was thinking, relationships, eating, sleeping, or bathing, it was nothing more than a means of training themselves.

Even when they slept, they would think about the best position to recover from their weariness and the optimal amount of sleep for their metabolism to strengthen their muscles.

They were like a wild beast that had learned how to train.

Compared to them, Urquiaga felt he was a normal person. He had an everyday life, he trained as an inquisitor, he would finish off his horrible classmates if they showed an opening, he played elder sister porn games, and he researched the divine network to find out how to register and post on walkthrough sites without triggering a Catholic moral violation.

The divine firmware had gotten quite harsh lately, but that was just a part of god’s trials and tribulations. It gave him a reason to research even more.

But at the vice chancellor level, they did nothing but combat training all day without any of those other things. There had to be something wrong with their brains. It saddened him.

“You poor thing!” he shouted as he attacked.

His weapon was the chain dangling down from his hands. Both ends contained counterweights modelled after the Virgin Mary giving a drill kick. As he flew in, he rotated it around in both hands.

“You may be M.H.R.R. Catholics, but that is not a problem if you are here under your Far Eastern names! Inquisition Set No. 637! Binding Chain 11: Taladro Maria!”

The Virgin Mary threw a kick toward the chests of both enemies.

As he ran, Narimasa did not dodge the chain’s counterweight. He simply gave a powerful swing of his right arm.

“Lily Flower!!”

The roof was not the most solid footing, but he did not choose to break his running form to dodge.

He counterattacked.

He used the strength of his right arm. The glowing lily emblems on his shoulder, elbow, and wrist carried that strength and one last emblem appeared at the end of his opened hand.

The power gathered on the tip of his middle finger. When concentrated on one tiny spot, even the strength of a single arm was plenty powerful.

“…”

So he deflected the flying counterweight. A solid sound filled the air and the Lily Flower scattered.

…''That worked perfectly!

He then looked to Katsuie.

“What’ll you do, Shibata!?”

He saw the counterweight strike Katsuie.

Naruze heard the solid sound as the attack hit Katsuie.

She was at the entrance to the arch forming Musashino’s bridge.

In the distance, the galley had finished turning around and was flying back in. Much closer, Narimasa and Katsuie were running her way.

…''But the counterweight hit the big one!?

The counterweight was just a hunk of metal and she had assumed he would dodge it. She had certainly never expected him to be so busy shoveling food into his mouth that the lunchbox created a blind spot. The counterweight flew right between the diagonally-held lunchbox and his lowered head and it hit him square in the face.

So Naruze fulfilled her duty. She was already equipped with Weiss Fräulein. The pen was covered in its ship’s hull and she held it under her arm as she aimed from a rooftop.

She drew a new guiding line toward her enemy’s position.

That left firing Weiss Fräulein’s guided coin bullets.

“Herrlich!!”

The shot produced recoil and scattering ether light. She had fired four coins. Two ten-yen coins drew arcs of light toward Narimasa and two toward Katsuie.

But that was when she saw sudden movement.

…''Eh?

Katsuie looked up from his food and turned to the left and right. He almost seemed to be asking if something had happened. But first and foremost…

…''What happened to the direct hit of the counterweight!?

The counterweights and chain had moved behind them as Urquiaga flew past them.

The half-dragon’s high speed attack had had a lot of force behind it, but…

“It didn’t damage Katsuie at all!?”

Even as she shouted that question, two of her coins flew toward Narimasa and two toward Katsuie. Narimasa would dodge his two, but Katsuie had his head down in his lunchbox again.

Suddenly, he turned toward Narimasa with an expression that seemed to be showing off how good the food was.

“——————”

The two coins scored direct hits on the side of his face.

Narimasa chose to leap out of the way of the white Technohexen’s two shots.

He gathered Lily Flower on the tips of his toes and kicked off the roof.

He used his jump to dodge.

But he had to do more than just jump. After all, this Technohexen had used her guided shots against aerial ships during the armada battle.

…''They track your movement and shape more than your ether reading, right?

So when he reached the end of the roof, he kicked down on the very edge.

Pushing down there caused the roof to rise like a seesaw.

The straw of the thatched roof scattered everywhere as it sprang up like a wall. And it swallowed up his presence as both motion and shape.

“That should do it.”

The tilting of the roof took a lot of the force out of his leap, but he turned sideways and flipped to the side in order to hang in the air longer and to make his shape harder to grasp.

The enemy’s bullets flew right past his spinning back and stomach.

They did not hit.

He heard the two overlapping sounds of them striking the risen thatched roof behind him and he smelled burning straw.

He landed on the next roof. His feet made contact just as the roof behind him exploded, but he did not feel like turning around.

“Shaja!”

Just as he began to run forward again, he looked to the right.

Katsuie ran along while covered in ether light smoke from the two shots that had hit him.

…''He doesn’t even try to dodge!

But he decided to say what he could.

“Shibata, you should probably look where you’re going.”

“Shaaajaaa. But what’s going on here? Is it some kind of festival?”

Katsuie came into view as he broke through the glowing smoke. He continued his long strides and his uniform was torn to pieces, but there was not a scratch on his black skin or face.

He was unscathed.

Narimasa had a thought as he saw Katsuie unharmed and nearing the end of his lunchbox.

…''This is why he’s so damn annoying.

Katsuie was from the combat tribe of the demonic long-lived. He was large compared to a human, but he was one of the smaller members of his tribe.

However, being small meant something different with him.

He had trained and fought on the battlefield from a young age, so the bodily ether defenses that normally appeared as an adult had manifested when he was still young.

That had stunted his body’s growth and development, but it had given him something else instead.

The flesh and bone that was meant to swell out as he grew had been trapped densely inside him.

His entire body was compressed, so there were no gaps in his defenses and he could pour overwhelming bursts of power into his attacks. However, that made it difficult for him to hold back and people had a tendency to keep their distance if not avoid him entirely.

…''All of that used to be kind of cool, but…

“Hey, look! Lady Oichi put tangerine slices in here! They got warm in with the other food, but I think those little bits of carelessness are great! What do you think!? I’m gonna eat them!”

''He’s beyond saving,'' thought Narimasa.

At the Oda clan’s council meeting at the beginning of each year, it was customary to unreservedly give advice to superiors and inferiors alike to help correct each other. That turned into a hellish scene every year, but this year, the lower levels had chosen Katsuie as the #1 most liked superior.

…''Old man Akechi kicked a locker since he’d always won that title in the past. I never knew he cared that much about what people thought of him.

“Anyway,” said Narimasa as he landed and started to run. “Shibata, the next enemy is coming.”

Wind blew in to catch them as they landed and that wind named itself.

“Sanada Academy! Unneeded #1: Sarutobi Sasuke!”

“Unneeded #2: Kirigakure Saizou!”

A ninja in a vest rode in on the back of a female wind spirit.

Katsuie glanced over at the battle between Narimasa and the two leading members of the Sanada Ten Braves. Fighting while running along the rooftops took quite a bit of skill.

…''Narimasa’s gotten pretty good lately.

The Sanadas’ movements were good too.

…''They named themselves to show what they can do before eventually joining us, didn’t they? But…

“Unneeded, hm? There’s no need to put yourselves down like that.”

Katsuie called out to them.

“Hey! Is Seikai with you, too? I never returned the manga ‘Flushed Cheeks’<ref>Pronounced similarly to the Hojoki, an old work of Japanese literature.</ref> I borrowed from him ages ago, so I should probably speak with him.”

A demonic monk quickly stood up and raised his arms atop Musashino’s bridge.

“Th-that was a rare revolutionary romance story and you just took it!”

“Oh, there you are. From the title, I thought it was porn, but it was nothing but a guy and girl talking on and on about boring crap! If you keep reading things like that, you’ll lose sight of reality.”

“I can’t believe you! I just can’t! And after you stole it from me!”

“Shut up,” said Katsuie as he ate more of his lunch. “Ahh, that’s so good.”

…''I’m so glad I got married.

“Bind, Tonbokiri!”

…''Oh, c’mon. Don’t get in the way of my Lady Oichi festival.

Futayo jumped up from between two roofs for a surprise attack and she used Tonbokiri from a distance of thirty meters. That was right at the edge of the range the spear allowed her.

…''And with the greatest range of effect!

While using it to cut scrap wood to help with Musashi’s repairs, she had realized it cut wider the farther away she was.

Of course, stepping back and trying to cut numerous targets would reduce its effectiveness, but she did not always need to fully cut through everything and the reduction was slight when she only had a single target.

And at farther range, the enemy could not cover the blade to stop the cut.

…''So I realized long-range attacks are easier!

''Father! I will become a long-range samurai who wins with projectile attacks!'' she thought as she used the cutting power on Katsuie.

She aimed for his legs. An attack on his torso would have reduced effectiveness due to his lunchbox shield, so she chose his legs. The distance would weaken it somewhat, but she would win if she could get a cut in on his knees.

“————”

But Tonbokiri did not respond.

“Are long-range attacks not allowed, Tonbokiri?”

“Attack currently impossible.”

That answer confused Futayo.

…''Attacking is currently impossible?

She had been able to cut the scrap wood at a distance without issue, so why was it suddenly impossible?

“…?”

Without an answer, she moved in closer. Thinking something might change if the distance was shorter, she held Tonbokiri up toward Katsuie at a range of fifteen meters.

That was when three things happened.

The first came from the two Sanadas clashing with Narimasa to her right.

“What is this!? I’m being stopped!?”

Saizou cried out and moved away from Narimasa.

The second came from Narimasa as he watched the Sanada forces move away. He turned toward Katsuie.

“Shibata! Does that count as ‘running’!?”

There was a hint of anger in his voice.

The third came from a boy in glasses who appeared in a sign frame next to Futayo’s face.

“Spear Honda-kun! This is most likely a Testament Arma! A passively-activated Testamenta Arma is in effect!”

When she had approached, the Testamenta Arma’s field of effect had opened up. Even if Tonbokiri could destroy a Logismoi Oplo’s field of effect, it could not do so from inside that field.

She did not think she had made a mistake. Something unexpected could not be called a mistake.

And so she thought about what the enemy’s Testamenta Arma did.

…''What is this!?

She first noticed that Tonbokiri had stopped.

…''And everything around us has gone quiet.

All noise and motion had vanished from her surroundings. For fifty meters around Katsuie…

“The gravity barriers have stopped!?”

On Musashino’s bridge, Suzu sensed “Musashino” had stopped moving her arms.

“What…is it?” she asked.

“Judge,” replied “Musashino”. “My gravity barriers are being stopped in the instant of defense. Normally, I would carry out minute adjustments, but they collapse at that very instant…and then again when it is time to open the next one. Over.”

“What does…that mean?”

They were stopped for an instant. She had no combat experience, so she could not say what that meant in this situation. However, she could sum up what was happening below.

“All attack…and defense…is being stopped…for an instant?”

“Judge. That is correct. The only information we had on M.H.R.R.’s Testament Arma was that they are both defense related, but it seems we are seeing one of their abilities. In other words…”

“Musashino” faced forward and opened a sign frame to contact the entire ship.

“I have determined the enemy’s ability is to stop all of their enemies’ offensive and defensive actions for an instant! And be wary of the gap in the gravity barriers created around the enemy vice chancellor! The galley might try to fire into the area of ‘stopped’ gravity barriers! Over!”

Futayo saw the distant galley perform a rapid roll as it approached.

In accordance with the history recreation, its cannons were located on the sides instead of the top or bottom, so it twisted for a revolution and a half to point its starboard side down.

Still at a distance, it fired its starboard cannons down toward the Musashi.

…''Well done!

Futayo was impressed by the group of physical shells that cut through the air.

The galley was apparently captained by Takigawa Ichimasu, a P.A. Oda commander. She was a military commander, but she acted mostly as a ninja and she excelled at commanding fleets and constructing fortresses

With her, Katsuie, and Narimasa, three P.A. Oda leaders had gathered here.

“I see!”

''The world is such an interesting place,'' thought Futayo.

“Anti-shell defenses! Over!”

As if in response to “Musashino’s” words, the shells wrapped in trembling air soared toward Musashino. They slipped through the gap of gravity barriers that seemed to hesitate and vanish.

“…!”

Buildings were smashed and roads split. Wood flew, wind blew, and…

“Ahh, now that was a meal.”

Katsuie ran through the gaps in the explosions and looked up from his lunchbox. He closed the case and attached it to the hard point on his waist. The action was one seen anywhere in everyday life, but he accomplished it instantaneously.

…''That was fast!

Sensing danger, Futayo tried to put some distance between them by jumping to the side.

“Hey, stupid. You probably shouldn’t run. That counts as a defensive action.”

Her movements stopped just as she rose up to jump.

She concluded this was a lot like the pope-chancellor’s Stithos Porneia, but that was limited to attack because it only destroyed weapons. This only stopped things for an instant, but it worked on both attack and defense.

…''Did Tonbokiri say attack was impossible as an automatic safety to prevent an explosion caused by a forced shutdown!?

Tonbokiri had decided it was too dangerous to activate without understanding the enemy’s ability. And…

“…”

She could move again. Her jump had only been stopped for an instant and she had not lost her momentum, but…

“See? You won’t make it now.”

Katsuie opened the case mounted on his back hard point. He pulled out a silver tower shield resembling a wing and he attached it to his left arm.

“Testamenta Arma: Animus Caritas – Novum. This thing took a liking to me, so I had no choice but to inherit the name of General Tilly. It’s a pain in the butt, but it’s a cute little thing. Not that I really need it.”

After all…

“I have this!”

He drew a large sword from his waist. It was a thick blade encased in a cowling.

“I don’t know how it stands up to the cutting power of your Tonbokiri, but my divine weapon isn’t half bad. This is Kamewari<ref>Means “Jar Breaker”.</ref>.”

''Not good,'' thought Futayo.

She did not know what this divine weapon’s ability was, but there was still a distance of five meters between them. However, he still swung the weapon.

It was a swift attack. He had only just drawn the blade, but he was already close to completing his swing. She barely noticed he had even done it.

The blade had not reached her, but…

…''Does it have a long-range attack like Tonbokiri!?

He had a defensive Testamenta Arma and an offensive divine weapon. And as for the power of that weapon…

“Get her, Kamewari.”

He swung the attack down toward her and it split Musashino.

[[Image:Horizon3B_0590.jpg|thumb]]
Study:

Battlefield Diagram 2

Toori: Sis! Sis! What’s going on up on the Musashi!? Everyone’s running and jumping around, so I’m confused as hell!

Kimi: Heh heh heh. Hell brother, this is more or less the situation. Take a good look.

Upper Left: Zoomed In (Front Middle Ship – Musashino)

Below 1: About ten kilometers

Lower center: Zoomed Out

1. Ichimasu’s Galley

2. Katsuie

3. Narimasa

4. Musashino’s Bridge

Toori: Wait, are you guys okay? You get into so much trouble without me around, don’t you?

Kimi: While we are in trouble, having you around is another kind of trouble entirely.

<noinclude>
===Notes===
<references/>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 48|Chapter 48]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 3B Chapter 50|Chapter 50]]
}}
</noinclude>

File:Horizon3B 0539.jpg

2015-04-05T11:24:12Z

Strike Forcer: Strike Forcer uploaded a new version of "File:Horizon3B 0539.jpg"

Owari no Chronicle:Volume13 Chapter 26

2015-04-03T11:49:55Z

Strike Forcer:

==Chapter 26: A Frank Chat About Destruction==
[[Image:OnC_v13_0173.png|thumb]]
''If I am destruction

''Why do you search for me

''When I am only hiding?

Mornings began early for the Tamiya family that ran an influential Akigawa security company.

The house was surrounded by a fence and it was always busy since it doubled as lodgings for the day and night shift security guards.

However, Ryouko was a late riser. Or rather, morning for her began when someone came to wake her.

She was woken to be present for the switch between the day and night shifts, but according to her…

“Why are you always waking me up, Kouji!?”

While according to Kouji…

“Because you never wake up on your own!”

And if you asked Sayama…

“Ha ha ha. This world functions on a give-or-take basis. Just like Shinjou-kun and me.”

But today, Ryouko had woken on her own.

She opened her room’s sliding screen that bordered the central courtyard, yawned, and stepped out in her yukata.

She stood below the eaves to avoid the nearly midday sun and she gathered up her lowered hair in the chilly air.

“Where’s Kouji?”

The wall answered her with a male voice.

“He said he had some business to take care of.”

“Business? Does he have any other daily jobs than waking me up and cooking?”

“Why of course!!”

She pulled a handgun from her pocket, pressed it to the wall, and gave the wall a sleepy smile.

“Again.”

“Ha…ha ha ha. Yeah, I think that’s about all he does!”

“Don’t insult Kouji!!”

She pushed down the hammer and the wall panicked.

“P-please wake up, president!!”

“C’mon, not so loud, Li-san. Walls don’t talk. Talk and I shoot.”

“…”

“Good, good. That’s how a wall should act. …So where’s Kouji? If you don’t answer, I’ll shoot.”

“Ahhhh! But you just told me not to talk! Kouji-san! Kouji-saaaan! Helllllllp meeeeeeee!”

The wall screamed and footsteps ran down the hallway.

Ryouko turned around just as Kouji slid on his socks and came to a stop.

Before she could greet him, he spoke clearly.

“Sister, you’re being unreasonable again, aren’t you!?”

“C’mon, I’m a girl, so you need to smile and forgive a little bit of unreasonableness.”

“Girl?” asked the wall behind her.

She turned around and fired.

“Ah, sister! I only just had that plaster redone! Don’t shoot holes in it!”

“Th-there’s a hole on what’s inside, too!” shouted the wall.

“Now, Kouji, answer me. …Why didn’t you come wake me up?”

“Well…” He briefly hesitated. “Shino-san has vanished. And for some reason, Pes was kneeling down in the yard.”

“Ehhh!? K-Kouji, did you do something perverted again!?”

“No! And what do you mean ‘again’!?”

“What!? You mean you’ve never done it at your age? You awful human being! You living falling birthrate policy!”

“That is not the issue here and quit twisting my words! And Li-san, just because you’re over forty is no reason to start crying inside the wall there.”

Kouji crossed his arms and looked at Ryouko who was lifting her hair with a hair pin in her mouth.

“You don’t seem too surprised,” he said. “Do you know where Shino-san is?”

“Hm? Of course not. I’m not an esper.”

“No one uses the word esper anymore, sister.”

“Sh-shut up. Stop giving me that look of pity. A-ny-way, if Shi-chan left, then that’s fine.”

She stuck the hair pin in her hair.

“It was her decision, right? She isn’t a child anymore, so she had to have a good reason to leave and we would be insulting her resolve if we found her and dragged her back.”

“What if she left because she wanted us to find her?”

“When the injured or sick leave, it’s because they don’t want to be a burden, just like with an old cat. …If the one they’re a burden on approaches, they’ll just run away.”

“Then…”

“There is no ‘then’.” Ryouko gave Kouji a confused look. “Shi-chan can run away if she wants. And if she tries to return, then we really have to take care of her. That would mean this is her only option even though she doesn’t like it.”

She waved a hand to shoo her brother away.

“Go, go. Get back to your work. We can leave the rest up to fate.”

She fired thrice into the wall to drive away the people inside.

She was now alone.

“Okay.”

She breathed in the chilly air and suddenly looked up into the sky.

With her gaze on the blue winter sky, she placed her hands on her hips.

“After I change, I think I’ll go for a walk outside.”

2nd-Gear’s Tsukuyomi asked a question below the library’s light.

She crossed her arms in her lab coat as if trying to defend herself.

“When our Gear was on the verge of destruction, it seems the Low-Gear engineer who should have saved it took too long to make up his mind.”

She spoke plainly and Sayama nodded and crossed his arms as well.

“That is true and I believe we went over all this during the Leviathan Road. Are you digging it back up?”

“Of course not,” she began with a shrug. “There is one thing I want to ask for the sake of the coming new world.”

The witch sitting next to her wrote what she said in glowing words:

“If Low-Gear is faced with the same situation, what would it do?”

She nodded.

“Yes, if the destruction of the world were approaching at overwhelming speed, how would you handle it?”

A pause followed her question.

During that wordless and still pause, the only sounds came from the stenographers, but Tsukuyomi herself finally broke it.

“If you wish to support the world, you must be able to ensure the world will not be destroyed no matter what happens. Surely you aren’t going to tell me you hadn’t given it any thought.”

“To be honest, I hadn’t thought about at all.”

Sayama’s casual response left Tsukuyomi speechless.

And that was why everyone’s focus turned from her and to him.

With all eyes on him, the boy spread his arms, breathed in, and stared directly at Tsukuyomi.

“Tsukuyomi-kun, you are talking about what we should do when faced with the destruction of the world, but I have a question.”

He held up his left index finger and everyone focused on that single point.

“By any chance, do you happen to know how the world will be destroyed?”

“Well…”

Of course she did not. That was why she had asked what Low-Gear would do. But…

“Not a single person knows, so I have no way of answering your question.”

Sayama peered at her and thought for a moment.

“But you are a worrier, aren’t you? You think the world might very well be destroyed. So…”

He spread his arms again.

“I have a suggestion. If, after this meeting has ended, Low-Gear has been forgiven and allowed to exist, I would like to create a Destruction Information and Countermeasures Research Team.”

“Destruction Information and Countermeasures Research Team?”

“Yes.” Sayama raised his arms. “Or the DIC Research Team for short!!”

“Don’t abbreviate it like that!”

Tsukuyomi reflexively protested Sayama’s abbreviation, but then she frantically looked around.

“Ah!? See! Now that awful term is part of the entire world’s history!”

“Wh-what are you talking about, Tsukuyomi-kun? I merely abbreviated it to DIC! Nothing could be as grand as DIC! DIC is what you call a youthful power! What in the world could be wrong with DIC!?”

[[Image:OnC_v13_0181.jpg|thumb]]

“Stop saying that!! I demand you propose a better name!”

“A better DIC!!”

“Gwah!”

Tsukuyomi collapsed backwards, but Miyako cackled next to her.

“What? You got a problem with DIC? Then go to Ueno and have it cut down to size!”

Tsukuyomi glared at her daughter, but #8 ignored them and spoke.

“Sayama-sama, I believe everyone knows what you are trying to say, so why not leave it at that?”

“Yes, I was getting the same feeling.”

He nodded and turned back toward Tsukuyomi.

She had stopped crossing her arms and had her hands in her lab coat’s pockets instead.

He stuck his hands in his suit pockets to match.

“Well, you get the idea, Tsukuyomi-kun. All we can do is set up an antenna to detect any possible destruction and, in an emergency, gather the humans of every Gear…no.”

He took a breath.

“Gather the residents of what will then be a single Gear and do everything we can do without giving up. At the very least, I can promise the people of Japanese UCAT will not give up.”

“So you’re telling us from 2nd-Gear not to foolishly lose are home for a second time?”

“And to that end, how about you record your history here? Your long history can double as a lesson from the past.”

“Eh?”

Tsukuyomi’s question was immediately followed by Sayama looking up at the unseen sky and opening his mouth.

“The wind carries names, techniques, and a heart that never forgets itself. And that wind blows in the direction you are facing. No matter how often it moves, it will never vanish. And I believe passing on your history is the job of the one with the name of the moon. Also…”

He took a breath.

“We can make more history now, can we not? Tsukuyomi-kun, the history of the past is finite, but the future is – annoyingly enough – infinite. So if you record your history here, that lesson from the past will protect both the present and the future that we will be creating from now on.”

He placed his hands on his desk and leaned forward, but breathed in to cool down his lungs.

“Looking back to the lessons of the past will help prevent the destruction of the world. So… Yes, if you wish to pass on 2nd-Gear’s history, then get to work. We will prepare as much personnel as you need. Everyone has far too much time on their hands anyway.”

He then shouted to the Gear representatives sitting in the darkness.

“The same goes for the other Gears. If you wish to record your history and your world, then bring it on! But…once you finish, join us in this world! The history to come will be much, much longer! After all…”

As he continued, Tsukuyomi dropped exhausted into her seat.

“After all, every Gear will work together against the destruction to ensure we can continue on! And I appoint 2nd-Gear’s development department as the leader of that alliance. Use as much money and personnel as you like. The continuation of the world and of history is on the line!”

Tsukuyomi raised both hands in resignation.

“Fine, fine,” she muttered in exasperation. “Honestly, you cause nothing but trouble.”

As soon as Tsukuyomi sat down, someone else stood up and light washed over them.

However, Miyako was still seated at the desk of 3rd-Gear’s representative.

“Gyes-kun, are you the representative?”

“Yes, sir.”

Gyes nodded and looked to the boy directly ahead of her.

“This is an important time for Lady Miyako. We cannot have her standing for too long.”

“I see. Then you will be saying what you have to say, will you?”

“I will,” agreed Gyes.

The question-and-answer session with the next Gear began.

Everything seemed to click into place as the questions and suggestions continued smoothly.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume13_Chapter_25|Chapter 25]]
| Return to [[Owari_no_Chronicle|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume13_Chapter_27|Chapter 27]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Owari no Chronicle:Volume13 Chapter 26

2015-04-03T11:48:33Z

Strike Forcer:

==Chapter 26: A Frank Chat About Destruction==
[[Image:OnC_v13_0173.png|thumb]]
''If I am destruction

''Why do you search for me

''When I am only hiding?

Mornings began early for the Tamiya family that ran an influential Akigawa security company.

The house was surrounded by a fence and it was always busy since it doubled as lodgings for the day and night shift security guards.

However, Ryouko was a late riser. Or rather, morning for her began when someone came to wake her.

She was woken to be present for the switch between the day and night shifts, but according to her…

“Why are you always waking me up, Kouji!?”

While according to Kouji…

“Because you never wake up on your own!”

And if you asked Sayama…

“Ha ha ha. This world functions on a give-or-take basis. Just like Shinjou-kun and me.”

But today, Ryouko had woken on her own.

She opened her room’s sliding screen that bordered the central courtyard, yawned, and stepped out in her yukata.

She stood below the eaves to avoid the nearly midday sun and she gathered up her lowered hair in the chilly air.

“Where’s Kouji?”

The wall answered her with a male voice.

“He said he had some business to take care of.”

“Business? Does he have any other daily jobs than waking me up and cooking?”

“Why of course!!”

She pulled a handgun from her pocket, pressed it to the wall, and gave the wall a sleepy smile.

“Again.”

“Ha…ha ha ha. Yeah, I think that’s about all he does!”

“Don’t insult Kouji!!”

She pushed down the hammer and the wall panicked.

“P-please wake up, president!!”

“C’mon, not so loud, Li-san. Walls don’t talk. Talk and I shoot.”

“…”

“Good, good. That’s how a wall should act. …So where’s Kouji? If you don’t answer, I’ll shoot.”

“Ahhhh! But you just told me not to talk! Kouji-san! Kouji-saaaan! Helllllllp meeeeeeee!”

The wall screamed and footsteps ran down the hallway.

Ryouko turned around just as Kouji slid on his socks and came to a stop.

Before she could greet him, he spoke clearly.

“Sister, you’re being unreasonable again, aren’t you!?”

“C’mon, I’m a girl, so you need to smile and forgive a little bit of unreasonableness.”

“Girl?” asked the wall behind her.

She turned around and fired.

“Ah, sister! I only just had that plaster redone! Don’t shoot holes in it!”

“Th-there’s a hole on what’s inside, too!” shouted the wall.

“Now, Kouji, answer me. …Why didn’t you come wake me up?”

“Well…” He briefly hesitated. “Shino-san has vanished. And for some reason, Pes was kneeling down in the yard.”

“Ehhh!? K-Kouji, did you do something perverted again!?”

“No! And what do you mean ‘again’!?”

“What!? You mean you’ve never done it at your age? You awful human being! You living falling birthrate policy!”

“That is not the issue here and quit twisting my words! And Li-san, just because you’re over forty is no reason to start crying inside the wall there.”

Kouji crossed his arms and looked at Ryouko who was lifting her hair with a hair pin in her mouth.

“You don’t seem too surprised,” he said. “Do you know where Shino-san is?”

“Hm? Of course not. I’m not an esper.”

“No one uses the word esper anymore, sister.”

“Sh-shut up. Stop giving me that look of pity. A-ny-way, if Shi-chan left, then that’s fine.”

She stuck the hair pin in her hair.

“It was her decision, right? She isn’t a child anymore, so she had to have a good reason to leave and we would be insulting her resolve if we found her and dragged her back.”

“What if she left because she wanted us to find her?”

“When the injured or sick leave, it’s because they don’t want to be a burden, just like with an old cat. …If the one they’re a burden on approaches, they’ll just run away.”

“Then…”

“There is no ‘then’.” Ryouko gave Kouji a confused look. “Shi-chan can run away if she wants. And if she tries to return, then we really have to take care of her. That would mean this is her only option even though she doesn’t like it.”

She waved a hand to shoo her brother away.

“Go, go. Get back to your work. We can leave the rest up to fate.”

She fired thrice into the wall to drive away the people inside.

She was now alone.

“Okay.”

She breathed in the chilly air and suddenly looked up into the sky.

With her gaze on the blue winter sky, she placed her hands on her hips.

“After I change, I think I’ll go for a walk outside.”

2nd-Gear’s Tsukuyomi asked a question below the library’s light.

She crossed her arms in her lab coat as if trying to defend herself.

“When our Gear was on the verge of destruction, it seems the Low-Gear engineer who should have saved it took too long to make up his mind.”

She spoke plainly and Sayama nodded and crossed his arms as well.

“That is true and I believe we went over all this during the Leviathan Road. Are you digging it back up?”

“Of course not,” she began with a shrug. “There is one thing I want to ask for the sake of the coming new world.”

The witch sitting next to her wrote what she said in glowing words:

“If Low-Gear is faced with the same situation, what would it do?”

She nodded.

“Yes, if the destruction of the world were approaching at overwhelming speed, how would you handle it?”

A pause followed her question.

During that wordless and still pause, the only sounds came from the stenographers, but Tsukuyomi herself finally broke it.

“If you wish to support the world, you must be able to ensure the world will not be destroyed no matter what happens. Surely you aren’t going to tell me you hadn’t given it any thought.”

“To be honest, I hadn’t thought about at all.”

Sayama’s casual response left Tsukuyomi speechless.

And that was why everyone’s focus turned from her and to him.

With all eyes on him, the boy spread his arms, breathed in, and stared directly at Tsukuyomi.

“Tsukuyomi-kun, you are talking about what we should do when faced with the destruction of the world, but I have a question.”

He held up his left index finger and everyone focused on that single point.

“By any chance, do you happen to know how the world will be destroyed?”

“Well…”

[[Image:OnC_v13_0181.jpg|thumb]]

Of course she did not. That was why she had asked what Low-Gear would do. But…

“Not a single person knows, so I have no way of answering your question.”

Sayama peered at her and thought for a moment.

“But you are a worrier, aren’t you? You think the world might very well be destroyed. So…”

He spread his arms again.

“I have a suggestion. If, after this meeting has ended, Low-Gear has been forgiven and allowed to exist, I would like to create a Destruction Information and Countermeasures Research Team.”

“Destruction Information and Countermeasures Research Team?”

“Yes.” Sayama raised his arms. “Or the DIC Research Team for short!!”

“Don’t abbreviate it like that!”

Tsukuyomi reflexively protested Sayama’s abbreviation, but then she frantically looked around.

“Ah!? See! Now that awful term is part of the entire world’s history!”

“Wh-what are you talking about, Tsukuyomi-kun? I merely abbreviated it to DIC! Nothing could be as grand as DIC! DIC is what you call a youthful power! What in the world could be wrong with DIC!?”

“Stop saying that!! I demand you propose a better name!”

“A better DIC!!”

“Gwah!”

Tsukuyomi collapsed backwards, but Miyako cackled next to her.

“What? You got a problem with DIC? Then go to Ueno and have it cut down to size!”

Tsukuyomi glared at her daughter, but #8 ignored them and spoke.

“Sayama-sama, I believe everyone knows what you are trying to say, so why not leave it at that?”

“Yes, I was getting the same feeling.”

He nodded and turned back toward Tsukuyomi.

She had stopped crossing her arms and had her hands in her lab coat’s pockets instead.

He stuck his hands in his suit pockets to match.

“Well, you get the idea, Tsukuyomi-kun. All we can do is set up an antenna to detect any possible destruction and, in an emergency, gather the humans of every Gear…no.”

He took a breath.

“Gather the residents of what will then be a single Gear and do everything we can do without giving up. At the very least, I can promise the people of Japanese UCAT will not give up.”

“So you’re telling us from 2nd-Gear not to foolishly lose our home for a second time?”

“And to that end, how about you record your history here? Your long history can double as a lesson from the past.”

“Eh?”

Tsukuyomi’s question was immediately followed by Sayama looking up at the unseen sky and opening his mouth.

“The wind carries names, techniques, and a heart that never forgets itself. And that wind blows in the direction you are facing. No matter how often it moves, it will never vanish. And I believe passing on your history is the job of the one with the name of the moon. Also…”

He took a breath.

“We can make more history now, can we not? Tsukuyomi-kun, the history of the past is finite, but the future is – annoyingly enough – infinite. So if you record your history here, that lesson from the past will protect both the present and the future that we will be creating from now on.”

He placed his hands on his desk and leaned forward, but breathed in to cool down his lungs.

“Looking back to the lessons of the past will help prevent the destruction of the world. So… Yes, if you wish to pass on 2nd-Gear’s history, then get to work. We will prepare as much personnel as you need. Everyone has far too much time on their hands anyway.”

He then shouted to the Gear representatives sitting in the darkness.

“The same goes for the other Gears. If you wish to record your history and your world, then bring it on! But…once you finish, join us in this world! The history to come will be much, much longer! After all…”

As he continued, Tsukuyomi dropped exhausted into her seat.

“After all, every Gear will work together against the destruction to ensure we can continue on! And I appoint 2nd-Gear’s development department as the leader of that alliance. Use as much money and personnel as you like. The continuation of the world and of history is on the line!”

Tsukuyomi raised both hands in resignation.

“Fine, fine,” she muttered in exasperation. “Honestly, you cause nothing but trouble.”

As soon as Tsukuyomi sat down, someone else stood up and light washed over them.

However, Miyako was still seated at the desk of 3rd-Gear’s representative.

“Gyes-kun, are you the representative?”

“Yes, sir.”

Gyes nodded and looked to the boy directly ahead of her.

“This is an important time for Lady Miyako. We cannot have her standing for too long.”

“I see. Then you will be saying what you have to say, will you?”

“I will,” agreed Gyes.

The question-and-answer session with the next Gear began.

Everything seemed to click into place as the questions and suggestions continued smoothly.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume13_Chapter_25|Chapter 25]]
| Return to [[Owari_no_Chronicle|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume13_Chapter_27|Chapter 27]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Owari no Chronicle:Volume13 Chapter 26

2015-04-03T11:42:25Z

Strike Forcer:

Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 62

2015-04-03T10:36:11Z

Strike Forcer:

==Chapter 62: Supporter of the Circle==
[[Image:Horizon3C_0059.jpg|thumb]]
''These are not their true feelings

''They are sounding out

''What kind of position to hold

'''Point Allocation (Fierce Argument)

Darkness hung in the sky of Avalon during the day.

The individuals sitting there were the representatives of different forces which could be described as anti-P.A. Oda. As they took a quick break, they adjusted their sign frames and the like for the meeting.

Masazumi sat among them yet had a thought as she looked around.

…''They want to know if we will be their ally or their enemy in their opposition of P.A. Oda, do they?

That answer carried an implied promise and it would determine whether they could benefit from each other, so Masazumi first asked a classmate a question.

'''Vice President:''' “Neshinbara, do you have anything to tell me about the representatives here?”

'''Novice:''' “You go first since you know more about politics than me.”

“Judge,” she sent before glancing over at Asama.

'''Vice President:''' “I’m a slow typer, so can Tsukinowa help me?”

'''Asama:''' “It requires an additional feature, but that doesn’t matter to you since Heidi and Shirojiro will be paying, right? I’ll add the ability to form text using the movement of your tongue and throat, okay? …There.”

''This sure is a convenient age we live in,'' thought Masazumi as she formed the words in her mouth.

'''Vice President:''' “Ih ish ood?”

'''Wise Sister:''' “Oh, dear. She’s turned into a moron! Excellent!!”

'''Asama:''' “Oops, I’ll up the conversion interference rate. There you go.”

''Fine, then,'' she thought before repeating herself: Is this good?

'''Vice President:''' “Is this manner of speech up to thy standards?”

'''Asama:''' “Oops, that’s too much interference. I’ll lower it a bit.”

''This sure is an inconvenient age we live in,'' she thought while glaring at Asama, but Hanami did a dance to distract her.

“Anyway,” said Masazumi under her breath. ''This should be about right.”

'''Vice President:''' “I’ll point out what the meeting participants want, my predictions of what they will do, and the problems they bring.”

●Anne of Austria (Hexagone Française)

:Wants stability for Hexagone Française and Louis Exiv’s rule.

:Sees Mouri’s submission to Hashiba and defeat at the Battle of Sekigahara as a problem.

●Luther Tomoe Gozen (M.H.R.R. Protestants)

:Wants to oppose the M.H.R.R. Catholics?

●Suleiman (Mlasi Forces?)

:Revenge against P.A. Oda?

●Matsunaga Hisahide (P.A. Oda)

:Unknown.

'''Mal-Ga:''' “Why they’re here is a mystery for most of them, isn’t it? Well, I guess that’s why you have to ask.”

'''Wise Sister:''' “Do you win by revealing your answer before them or after them? Which is it?”

'''Novice:''' “That’s a difficult question. And I would add these to your list.”

●Anne of Austria (Hexagone Française)

:The future of Hexagone Française will be greatly affected by the result of the battle between K.P.A. Italia and M.H.R.R.

●Luther Tomoe Gozen (M.H.R.R. Protestants)

:Even if they overcome the Catholics, Hashiba remains, so they cannot escape P.A. Oda’s rule.

●Suleiman (Mlasi Forces?)

:His connections with the Mlasi majority faction and Buddhism are important.

●Matsunaga Hisahide (P.A. Oda)

:He’s a trickster, so I want to guide him into holding an interest in us.

'''Mal-Ga:''' “That’s quite the vague assistance there. This is worse than when I say ‘roar around the curves and whoosh on through’ to underclassmen asking for drawing lessons.”

'''Novice:''' “How can you say I’m worse than that!?”

'''Tonbokiri:''' “I will ignore that, but what is the Mlasi ‘majority faction’?”

'''Wise Sister:''' “Judge. The majority faction spins around and around while the minority faction loves the end of the world.”

'''Bell:''' “Eh? Eh?”

''That was actually kind of accurate'' sighed Masazumi.

'''Vice President:''' “Um, a long time ago, the bloodline of the Mlasi founder was lost during some internal conflict. The majority faction pragmatically tries to protect the teachings of the founder without fighting over who their leader is. The minority faction puts much more focus on bloodline and says a descendent of the founder will appear and save them all at the end of the world.”

'''Novice:''' “Judge. Unlike the Tsirhc Catholics, Mlasi lacks an authority like an organized church to manage them and enforce the rules. They still have the teachings of their religion, but they can’t definitively say which side is heretical. But anyway, the majority faction has a fair bit of mysticism to it and they have a lot of spells. Aoi Sister-kun was talking the Sufi spinning used to become one with god.”

''It’s nice having people to help explain things,'' thought Masazumi.

…''Oh, I get it.

She had classmates she could rely on, so she could do just that when she did not know something.

'''Vice President:''' “Neshinbara, what is the common point between all of these people?”

'''Novice:''' “Exactly what they told you: they see P.A. Oda as an enemy.”

''Then,'' she thought. ''I need to say this if I want them as allies.

“Now, I would like to say one thing.”

She gently raised her right hand to signal the meeting was beginning again and she directed her words toward the others who were already waiting silently for her.

“To form a consensus, I would like to explain Musashi’s current situation.”

The subject of the meeting was what Musashi intended to do about P.A. Oda, but there was something she had to do before getting to that answer.

…''I need to hold them back and see what happens to make sure I don’t carelessly promise anything.

And so she spoke.

“Early this morning, Musashi was attacked by scouts from P.A. Oda and the M.H.R.R. Catholics and we fought them off with help from the M.H.R.R. Protestants.”

She breathed in and slowly spoke to the surrounding people.

“Due to that, Musashi currently holds a hostile stance toward P.A. Oda and the M.H.R.R. Catholics.”

“Hmm,” muttered Suleiman with a hand on his chin.

…''This is a very Far Eastern way of playing with her words. She is treating P.A. Oda and the M.H.R.R. Catholics as one and the same.

P.A. Oda was a massive nation encroaching on Europe and other nations, but the M.H.R.R. Catholics were only a single force within M.H.R.R. The nations of Europe viewed the M.H.R.R. Catholics as a P.A. Oda puppet.

For that reason, Suleiman had assumed the meeting would focus only on what they would do about P.A. Oda.

…''But Musashi’s vice president plans to drag M.H.R.R. into the spotlight too.

M.H.R.R. possessed a Logismoi Oplo, so Musashi may not have been able to ignore them.

Assuming they would be dealing with both the M.H.R.R. Catholics and P.A. Oda was a pain, but it held great meaning for the M.H.R.R. Protestants and Hexagone Française who were faced with the threat of Hashiba and the Catholics.

However…

“Hm.”

''I wonder,'' thought Suleiman as everyone gently focused on him.

…''Using self-defense in her negotiation is also a very Far Eastern thing to do.

After all, Musashi’s vice president had said their hostile stance against the M.H.R.R. Catholics and P.A. Oda was due to ''the attack they received from scouts belonging to those two nations.

That put the source of the hostility on P.A. Oda and M.H.R.R.

It also implied Musashi had not originally harbored any hostility toward them.

This was part of her negotiation.

She was saying they could reconcile with P.A. Oda and the M.H.R.R. Catholics if those here tried to force any unreasonable demands on Musashi.

''How very Far Eastern,'' thought Suleiman. ''She is cautious and she tries not to let go of any possibility, but she never forgets about the self-defense this all rests on. And it is even more Far Eastern to prioritize their own defense without maintaining a position that they are in the right.

''But,'' he thought.

…''Should I test her? Not that it’s a very nice thing to do.

He wanted to assess her skill, so he decided to give a simple test.

“Listen, Musashi Vice President. Are you saying you did not take up this hostility because you wanted to? Then are you also saying it is possible you could reconcile with P.A. Oda and the M.H.R.R. Catholics?”

If so…

“We will be forced to be wary of Musashi.”

When she heard what Suleiman said, Tomoe gave an impressed “Oh?” under her breath.

This man had been the Mlasi representative and the meeting spot froze over at his question.

''But having a little tension is for the best,'' she thought while producing a Protestant ''lernen figur''.

'''Lady AM:'''<ref>AM is also pronounced “gozen” in Japanese.</ref> “Guericke, it looks like Mr. Suleiman is trying to earn the Protestants’ gratitude.”

'''Hemisphere Man:''' “Secretary, what do you mean by that?”

'''Lady AM:''' “I’m not telling.”

Guericke gave her a wide-eyed look, but she ignored him. ''Human, never stop thinking. Your predecessor must help these people who have yet to grow, so be prepared to be kicked into the chasm.

…''Anyway, I see Suleiman is as haughty as ever.

After all, he had started out with “we”.

''Who ever said we agreed with you? You are a heretic as far as we’re concerned.

But Suleiman was also working against the possibility of Musashi reconciling with not just P.A. Oda but the M.H.R.R. Catholics as well. The M.H.R.R. Protestants viewed both those groups as enemies, so they owed him one for that.

And there was a test in what he had said. He had asked Musashi if there was a possibility of them reconciling with P.A. Oda and M.H.R.R.

…''Now, what answer will Musashi’s vice president give?

If she said they would not, everyone here would have her word and they would use that to control Musashi as much as possible.

But if she said they might do so, everyone here would grow wary of Musashi.

Both options placed a great burden on Musashi.

'''Lady AM:''' “There is of course a way out of this.”

'''Hemisphere Man:''' “What is that?”

'''Lady AM:''' “I’m not telling.”

Guericke gave her a wide-eyed look, but she could safely ignore it if she viewed it as nothing but a humorous reaction. ''Human, continue your pursuit of the performing arts.'' At any rate, there was a way for Musashi to escape those two options.

…''This will determine whether or not Musashi’s vice president understands the meaning of what she wants.

The girl had tried to gain self-defense and opportunity, but she was now having her position tested.

''What answer will she give?'' wondered Tomoe as she focused on Musashi’s vice president.

Masazumi calmed her breathing as several gazes turned her way. She had a single thought in her head.

…''You’re giving me this right off the bat!?

This was a direct clash of intentions without time to lay any groundwork.

His words directly led to a demand and his question asked that she either confirm or deny.

Any answer she gave would be seen as a promise and follow her around in everything else she did. It would affect both Musashi and the Far East as a whole.

She did feel some pressure here and she realized just how ridiculous a group she was facing here.

But…

…''Calm down.

'''Asama:''' “C-calm down, Masazumi! And listen! Don’t calm down by making a weird joke! If you do that, this entire space could fall apart!”

'''Vice President:''' “But none of the jokes I’ve ever made have been ‘weird’.”

'''Mal-Ga:''' “Oh, sorry. I think I misheard you and spilled my ink. Could you rephrase that?”

''Shut up.

At any rate, she was definitely being tested.

Was there a possibility of Musashi reconciling with P.A. Oda and M.H.R.R.? Suleiman insisted she gave a yes or no answer, but the real problem was which answer he wanted to hear.

“In other words, you want to confirm our attitude concerning P.A. Oda?”

“Shaja,” said Suleiman. “Musashi has declared it will end the Apocalypse and has formed a bond with England, so it looks like you are trying to provoke the Testament Union. But just as Mikawa was originally an intermediary between the Testament Union and P.A. Oda, the historical Matsudaira clan was allied with the Oda clan.”

So…

“It would be rather troublesome if you hid behind the history recreation, allied with or took a neutral stance toward P.A. Oda, and overlooked their invasion of Europe. Yes.”

''I’m sure it would,'' thought Masazumi.

Matsudaira and P.A. Oda had not originally been enemies. From the perspective of the Testament Union members, the morning’s reconnaissance attack could be taken as a warning to Musashi against forming bonds with the Testament Union.

…''That must be why Suleiman is asking me to choose between the two options.

Were they P.A. Oda’s enemy or their ally?

If she said they were their enemy, these other nations would use them. If she said they were their ally, these other nations would be wary of them. Was there a better answer?

Masazumi thought about what Suleiman had said and about the others here.

“…”

Then it came to her.

…''There is one.

Masazumi realize there was an answer which was applicable specifically at this meeting.

…''Is this…?

She thought and formed the words in her heart, so…

…''Calm down.

''Don’t get excited.

''Don’t celebrate that you realized how to move this meeting along.

''You don’t need to celebrate what you’ve realized. You need to check to see if you’re right.

“Are you listening?”

Masazumi breathed in and suppressed the joyous quivering of her throat.

“Hexagone Française.”

She turned toward and directed her words toward Mazarin and Anne of Austria.

“If Musashi maintains a hostile stance toward P.A. Oda and the M.H.R.R. Catholics, what kind of support will your academy provide us?”

Matsunaga saw Suleiman lower his head to hide the smile on his lips, he saw the man’s shoulders shaking, and he heard suppressed laughter. Across from him, he saw one corner of Tomoe’s lips rise in a smile as she closed her eyes.

He nodded toward them and spoke.

“Looks like she’s turned you down.”

“Yes,” said Tomoe as Suleiman’s shoulders shook even harder. “Not bad.”

''Exactly right,'' thought Matsunaga.

There was meaning behind the two options Suleiman had presented to Musashi.

…''He wanted to know if Musashi really wants our help.

None of them had laid any groundwork, so when asked something, it was necessary to discuss what each nation stood to gain.

So if Musashi rejected everything related to itself, it would mean they did not share the same benefits as the other nations.

So Suleiman had tested Musashi to see if they did share those same benefits.

The best answer for Suleiman would have been for Musashi’s vice president to ask the others what Musashi should do.

That would change any possible demands from the other nations into mere suggestions and the other nations would have to hold each other in check for their own benefit.

But Musashi’s vice president had used Suleiman’s words against him. She had used the question to strike a deal with Hexagone Française.

Musashi was not revealing their intentions. She had only borrowed Suleiman’s words to question Hexagone Française. Suleiman could not say anything here. If he demanded she answer his question, she could simply promise to do so after hearing what the other nations had to say. And…

“Attacking us one at a time, are you?”

Suleiman realized what Matsunaga meant and finally nodded. He then spoke so only Matsunaga could hear.

“She isn’t used to meetings like this, so she would have a hard time dealing with us all at once. Instead, she must be building up her opinion by dealing with us each separately. But it is very interesting that she chose Hexagone Française first. After all…”

After all…

“Anne of Austria also likes to go on the attack.”

Masazumi viewed Anne as her greatest enemy. A lot was unknown about Suleiman and Hisahide, but she had no reason to call them a clear enemy.

With Anne, however, there was just such a reason.

“I am honored you chose me first, Musashi Vice President. So you want to know what support Hexagone Française will provide Musashi if you maintain your hostile stance toward P.A. Oda and the M.H.R.R. Catholics?”

Anne smiled in the ''signe cadre'' screen, but her smile was not directed at Masazumi. The girl was looking to Suleiman who sat cross-legged with a hand on his chin.

“Are you stupid? And I mean both the Musashi Vice President and Old Man Suleiman. I mean, it’s been predetermined that Ariadust will fight Hashiba and seize control of the Far East. Simply following the history recreation ensures that.”

Anne smiled again.

“Yes, and yet Musashi is trying to make a deal with us based on the possibility of ‘reconciling with P.A. Oda and the M.H.R.R. Catholics’. It’s too stupid to dignify with a real response. Listen. Ariadust is destined to oppose Hashiba eventually. That means both P.A. Oda and M.H.R.R.’s Hashiba. And besides, there’s no way Hexagone Française will support Musashi.”

After all…

“Hexagone Française is the only one here whose history guarantees we will oppose Musashi.”

…''I had a feeling she was going to bring that up!

The way Masazumi saw it, there was an “absolute” difference between Hexagone Française and the other nations and academies.

The simple category of enemy also included Matsunaga of P.A. Oda, but the history recreation would have Matsunaga rebel against Nobunaga and blow himself up along with the Hiragumo tea kettle.

That happened relatively early, so when looking specifically at Matsunaga’s relationship with Matsudaira…

…''He has no history recreation against Matsudaira.

But Hexagone Française and the Mouri clan were different. According to history, they would be enemies at the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. Matsudaira’s Eastern Army would win while Mouri would be subjugated and would fall into decline.

For both sides, their initial relationship began as enemies.

And that enemy spoke.

“Musashi does not need to involve itself in our world. After eradicating Hashiba and stopping the Apocalypse but before Mouri’s decline, you can return to being what you once were. We ''would'' be willing to support you in that endeavor.”

Masazumi listened to what could be interpreted as an absolute rejection, but…

…''?

Something seemed off to her.

Masazumi asked herself why this girl was refusing any kind of negotiation.

…''If she refuses to negotiate, why would she be here in a place of negotiation?

The answer was simple.

…''I was wrong, wasn’t I?

Anne had simply reacted to Masazumi’s proposal. She had rejected it because she could not accept those terms. To put it another way, she would not have refused if Masazumi had given her terms she could accept.

Masazumi had made a mistake.

Due to the lack of groundwork, she had failed to understand Anne’s situation and had thus made a mistake.

''In that case,'' she thought. ''What did I get wrong?

She summed up what she had asked.

…''I asked if Hexagone Française would be able to support Musashi if we opposed P.A. Oda and the M.H.R.R. Catholics.

“Oh.”

As she repeated the proposal, she realized her mistake.

'''Dragon Dog:''' “Something just changed inside her.”

'''ANA:''' “Leave it to a former combat automaton to notice.”

'''Dragon Dog:''' “Testament. Musashi’s vice president was hesitant earlier, so her body’s axis was a bit unstable. I could only describe it as somewhat downturned. But now the tension has grown and she is facing us. …This could be dangerous.”

'''ANA:''' “Dangerous? What do you mean?”

'''Dragon Dog:''' “Testament. I have determined Musashi’s vice president has lowered her hips while raising her body for an attack.”

'''Dragon Dog:''' “Here it comes. She just started nodding.”

Masazumi got up from the grass, stared straight at her opponent, and opened her mouth.

“Anne of Austria, I seem to have caused a bit of a misunderstanding. Please allow me to make my suggestion again.”

''This is such an amateur’s way of correcting herself,'' she thought. ''But there’s no helping that. I am an amateur.

She decided to be more careful in the future.

She now understood that she had stated her previous suggestion incorrectly.

How should she have stated it when speaking to Anne of Austria?

…''It doesn’t hinge on our hostile stance toward P.A. Oda and the M.H.R.R. Catholics.

The correct condition was as follows:

“If Musashi maintains a friendly relationship with Louis Exiv and Mouri Terumoto…”

…''And I don’t ask if their academy will support Musashi.

She should have said this instead:

“What suggestion will you give to Louis Exiv and Mouri Terumoto?”

The darkness of night began to fill the sky beyond a great floating shape.

The Hiragumo floated above Magdeburg where five individuals had gathered by the fire-lit front of a cathedral. Kimi sat on the stone steps with a sign frame open while Futayo, Naruze, Adele, and Yoshiyasu gathered around her.

Yoshiyasu tilted her head when she saw the writing on Kimi’s sign frame.

“Why is she basing this on individuals like Anne, Louis Exiv, and Mouri Terumoto instead of on Hexagone Française as a whole?”

She felt it was a sad question for a student council president to have to ask.

…''But it should help me study diplomacy.

She had been with Musashi for less than a day, but she could not take that time lightly because, every so often, opportunities like this were mixed in with all the inhumane incidents and behavior. However, it was the eccentric sister of Musashi’s chancellor who answered.

“Heh heh. This Anne girl has built up her resolve. And make sure you understand. The second character in the Far Eastern word for ‘resolve’ attacks the heart radical with five mouths at once!<ref>A kanji pun.</ref> Five!? That’s going well beyond a threesome!”

Yoshiyasu had no idea what the girl was talking about. The Weiss Hexen waved a hand, telling her not to worry about it, but that same girl had also drawn Yoshiyasu in her Magie Figur and said something about “Should I put her with Asama? No, I do that too often. I need to think of something else.” In other words, the Technohexen was no different from the eccentric sister.

At any rate, she needed to understand what was going on in this meeting, so she tried to remember all her knowledge about that sort of thing.

…''Yoshiyori is always telling me-…

She stopped thinking there because she wanted to avoid having him lecture her even in her own mind.

However, she did remember feeling Anne’s resolve as the girl had pulled on her hand.

…''What was that?

At that point, the vassal tilted her head.

“Um, Kimi-san? What would Hexagone Française’s previous provisional chancellor’s resolve be in this case?”

“Well.” The dancer turned toward Yoshiyasu with a bitter smile. “Listen. Anne’s resolve concerns her imminent absence.”

“…”

Yoshiyasu was unable to immediately react.

…''Her imminent absence?

Her thoughts refused to continue any further partially because she was having trouble connecting an individual life to a negotiation between academies that supported entire nations. However, there was a bigger reason.

…''My sister.

Had her sister had a similar resolve about her own death?

If she had been the same as Anne was now…

“Sorry.”

Everyone turned around when that word escaped her mouth.

She panicked at their questioning looks and felt embarrassed of what she had said.

But she shook her head and corrected her thoughts. She then asked a question while keeping in mind that this person was a lot like her sister.

“Anne is negotiating with her death approaching, so why is she opposing Musashi? And why is Musashi’s vice president resuming negotiations with her, Louis Exiv, and Mouri Terumoto instead of with Hexagone Française?”

“Well,” said the dancer. “Simply put, this girl had already retired. How is someone like that supposed to influence her nation or her academy?”

The vassal immediately replied.

“Usually as a regent or through a cloistered rule.”

“Judge,” replied the dancer before looking back up at Yoshiyasu. “It can’t go that far in Anne’s case, though. She went as far as to place herself in Magdeburg after retiring, so she was essentially saying she no longer has any value. But…”

But…

“She was able to do all that because she left everything to her brother, Louis Exiv. She believes her brother can do something even if Hashiba invades Mouri. She believes he will protect his wife’s clan. That is why she grows hostile when someone treats her like Hexagone Française’s ruler. It means you don’t trust the brother she has placed such faith in.”

''What does that mean?'' wondered Yoshiyasu.

She went on to frown and ask about the source of her confusion.

“I don’t understand. Why does she trust her brother so much? Is it because of the Testament descriptions?”

“Oh? You don’t know?”

The dancer stabbed sharply to the side with her question. Her tone was strong enough for Yoshiyasu to draw back a bit and the Weiss Hexen glared at her.

“I more or less know the answer, but you really support Anne, don’t you?”

“Heh heh. Yes, but the cuteness of a foolish brother is greatly influenced by whether he is an older or younger brother.”

The dancer smiled just a bit.

“You see, Anne does not simply trust her brother. She is bragging about her own abilities. If she couldn’t trust in the brother she supported for so long, she would be doubting what she herself had done. She is bragging that she has no worries and nothing but confidence in everything that will occur after her death. And it is all because of the nation she created and the brother she raised and supported so he could respond to any possible situation. …That is the kind of woman Anne of Austria is.”

A self-deprecating bitterness entered her smile.

“Unlike me, the situation must have required her to support him quite a lot. So at the very least, she will have no regrets once she is lost. She can brag about how well-made a brother she has. Otherwise she would not be able to trust this brother who chose another woman to be his wife.”

“Then…what is your vice president supposed to do?”

“You don’t know?” asked the dancer while speaking clearly. “Unlike me, she is like a fruit tree that protects its flowers and then withers away. Now, Masazumi, tell her you are here to water the flower she has supported and not her, the withered tree. That is what she wants from you. So…”

Kimi pulled Uzy from her cleavage and had the Mouse display a divine transmission spell keyboard.

“Masazumi, listen. A proper woman cannot mistake who she is dealing with.”

Masazumi glanced at the text Kimi sent her.

'''Wise Sister:''' “Are you listening!? Are you!? You’re dealing with a little sister character, so make sure you understand how madly in love with her big bro she is! Make sure of it!! And if you still don’t understand, grope Asama’s chest until you do!!”

She truly did not understand, but she was unsure what to do. Would groping a chest really help?

“Eh? Wh-why are you staring at me, Masazumi?”

“Oh, um… No reason…probably.”

The crazy person’s advice was about what she would expect, but she already understood one thing: Anne of Austria was her greatest enemy at this meeting.

…''I should be able to share in what she has protected.

“I won’t ask for much, Anne of Austria. I just have one request for you,” said Masazumi. “Currently, Musashi and Hexagone Française have entered a ceasefire. I want to make that an official end of hostilities. Otherwise, we can never begin a friendly relationship with Louis Exiv and Mouri Terumoto.”

“That’s true.”

Anne did not say much, but…

…''She finally agreed with something I said.

“However…”

That word of caution came with a smile and her tone said she would not let this go as Masazumi wanted.

Masazumi understood why: she was an amateur. And as a beginner, she had chosen to negotiate with each nation individually.

…''But even if I settle things with one nation, another can speak out about how that affects them.

What nation would not want an amicable relationship between Hexagone Française and Musashi?

“I can’t have you forgetting about M.H.R.R., Musashi Vice President and Anne of Austria.”

Tomoe crossed her arms and faced Masazumi.

…''Here it comes.

''After Suleiman and Anne, the third round is beginning,'' she thought.

And Tomoe’s words seemed to substantiate her thoughts.

“How about you speak a little with us…with M.H.R.R.?”

<noinclude>
===Notes===
<references/>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 61|Chapter 61]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 3C Chapter 63|Chapter 63]]
}}
</noinclude>

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2015-03-25T01:34:08Z

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